catalog

Victoria's Secret Girls Invade Necker Island

Filed under: Apparel

When the new Victoria's Secret swim catalog shows up in your mailbox you may recognize the exotic locale - it was shot at Virgin mogul Richard Branson's Necker Island luxury retreat in the British Virgin Islands. Then again if you're not actually in the market for a bikini you may be transfixed by the bathing beauties, especially cover model Lindsay Ellingson (far left). Of the experience, the quintessential California girl avowed, "It's the most beautiful place I've ever been. We shot the cover in the evening during sunset. It was really a magical setting." Of course you can book your own stay at Necker Island, part of Virgin's Limited Edition collection of luxurious escapes, but don't expect a gaggle of half-naked supermodels to be permanently in residence.

Tags: beach, British Virgin Islands, BritishVirginIslands, catalog, Lindsay Ellingson, LindsayEllingson, model, Necker Island, NeckerIsland, Richard Branson, RichardBranson, swimsuit, Victorias Secret, VictoriasSecret, Virgin

Neiman Marcus Unveils 2009 Christmas Book

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wine, Wings

Neiman Marcus just unveiled the 2009 edition of the renowned Christmas Book, offering customers the ultimate in cutting-edge, dream-fulfilling gifts. First published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, the Christmas Book was initially intended as a Christmas card to the store's best customers and evolved into a legendary source for alluring and mystical gifts. Among the highlights of this year's catalog:

His & Hers Gift Package, $250,000: An ICON A5 sport aircraft with custom trailer and sport pilot license training for two. The ICON A5 is from a world-class team of engineers and designers who helped create the groundbreaking Virgin Global Flyer, and features an amphibious hull and landing gear to take off and land just as easily on water as on land.

Algonquin Round Table Experience, $200,000: Exclusive dinner party at NYC's legendary Algonquin Hotel (above) with guests including Christopher Buckley, Roz Chast, Nora Ephron, Malcolm Gladwell, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Adam Gopnik, John Lithgow, Anna Deavere Smith and George Stephanopoulos. Proceeds to benefit First Book, the 2009 Christmas Book Charity.

2010 Jaguar XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus Edition, $105,000: Limited to only 50 examples, the bespoke version of Jag's new flagship features a supercharged 5-liter V8 that delivering 470 hp, a custom interior of butter-soft navy and ivory leather and Zebrano matte wood accents, and includes a five-piece set of matching Jaguar luggage in navy blue leather.

HALL Artisan Wine and Art Experience, $20,000: Learn organic, artisan winemaking firsthand, tour the estates in Napa and the art collection, and have the opportunity to create your own personal vintage in a private blending session with HALL's Winemaker with a custom vintage bottled for you. Includes accommodations at Auberge and a private dinner party with Ambassador Kathryn Hall.

Maker's Mark Master Distiller Experience, $7,500: All-access, VIP experience with Maker's Mark Master Distiller, Kevin Smith. Spend a day making whiskey, step by step and take home two bottles of the rarest Maker's Mark – golden bottles etched with your likeness and dipped in gold wax with 24-kt gold flecks. Includes luxury accommodations in Louisville and a gourmet dinner hosted by Bill Samuels, the 7th generation of Maker's Mark.

Get In The Christmas Spirit With AOL Radio's 10 Best Christmas Songs.

Tags: Algonquin Hotel, AlgonquinHotel, catalog, Christmas, gifts, ICON A5, IconA5, Jaguar, Makers Mark, MakersMark, Neiman Marcus, Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, NeimanMarcus, NeimanMarcusChristmasBook

RedEnvelope Files for Bankruptcy, Gets New Buyer

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Popular catalog and online gift company RedEnvelope has fallen on hard times. On Friday the company reported that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 17 with the US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco. The company will also be sold. They have entered into an agreement with Creative Catalogs Corp. to purchase RedEnvelope's assets and assume some of the company's liabilities for $5.7 million. RedEnvelope has also gotten a $4.5 million debtor-in-possession credit facility and loan from Creative Catalogs and Granite Creek FlexCap so that the business does not have to shut down during the transition process (guess that explains why their catalog is still showing up in my mailbox). The final sale price will be will be less the outstanding amount from that loan.

The nine-year-old company was one of the few e-commerce sites with a successful catalog business but the recent tough economic climate and the bank's stricter lending policy for retailers found the company in trouble this year. The company catered mainly to the middle class and upper middle class brackets which are now cutting back on spending due to economic concerns. Order shipments had dropped 20% during the third quarter compared to last year. DM News says that in February, RedEnvelope reported a loss of $4.3 million versus a net income of $5.3 million during the same time last year. The RedEnvelope sale must be completed by May 30 and during that time RedEnvelope can accept other bids.

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Tags: bankruptcy, catalog, gifts, red envelope, redenvelope, retailer

Blogging from the Luxury Summit: The Revival of Gump's

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

It's a story we've seen many times, a brand that has been consigned to the mothballs comes back stronger than ever combining a venerable past with a new products, becoming a hot name once again. But how does this happen? Speaking at the American Express Publishing Luxury Summit Marta Benson, CEO of Gump's, the San Francisco-based luxury store which specializes in fine jewelry and home goods, gave some insight into her moves to bring Gump's back into the luxury spotlight.

Tags: catalog, gumps, luxury summit, marta benson, store

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Love Sells Nirvana's Music

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Courtney Love, the rock singer and widow of Kurt Cobain, has sold 25 percent of Nirvana's music library to Primary Wave Music Publishing. Though their entire catalog does not have an exact monetary value, Courtney reportedly banked $50 million for the sale of the rights. Love has closely guarded the rights to the 98% of the band's library since she inherited it upon the death of her husband, the Nirvana front man, in 1994. His former band-mates own a mere 2% of the collection, including some of the band's most famous works, like Smells like Teen Spirit.

In and out of rehab, as well as prison, for the past several years, it is likely that she decided to sell this share of Nirvana's music to cover some of her legal costs, since her money problems are well known, though she said she found managing her entire estate "overwhelming."

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Tags: catalog, courtney love, estate, kurt cobain, library, music, music catalogue, music library, musicians, nirvana, publishing, rock, rockers