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Blancpain Watches 'Showing' Event In Los Angeles
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
los angeles
Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.
Haunted Hayride Gives Hollywood Chills
Filed under: Events
For Halloween, Hollywood has its own fright ride. The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride debuts in Griffith Park's Old Zoo area this year (last year's event was in Calabasas). The new location takes advantage of Griffith Park's dark woods for added fright factor, taking those ready to be frightened on a rollicking adventure full of plenty of screams and shocks. The ride is part of a fairlike atmosphere with a haunted maze, carnival rides, games and more. On the opening night celebrities including Bridget Marquardt, Thomas Dekker and Emmy Rossum (shown at right) showed up to be scared. The area does have a spooky legend associated with it. The site of the old zoo was built around 1912 and the old zoo had problems from almost the beginning. Animals died here under the poor conditions (read what the Pet Psychic had to say about the area here). The area just has a weird vibe to it that has also been remarked on by others.
The ride is open for 15 nights. For October 8-17, the general admission is for the hayride is $25, the all attractions pass is $25 and a VIP that lets you skip the line is $50. For October 18-31, general admission is $30, the all attractions pass in $40 and the VIP pass is $60. If you can round up up a bunch of friends in need of a little fright night you can rent a private wagon for up to 40 people ($1,175 until October 17 and $1,275 through October 31).
Tobi Tobin's Los Angeles Store
Filed under: Decor, Luxury Shopping
Tobi Tobin, an interior designer who defined herself in an LA Times article as Martha Stewart with a rock and roll twist has created a store on Sunset Plaza Drive in Los Angeles that manages to bring together a variety of eras into one sexy-cool shop. Like Stewart, Tobin is a former model who has created a unique brand around her personal aesthetic. We first fell for Tobin's style when we learned she was the designer behind Randolph Duke's ultra-glam Hollywood Hills pad.
Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Comes to Los Angeles
Famed French champagne house Veuve Clicquot will re-introduce professional polo to Los Angeles when it hosts the inaugural Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Los Angeles on October 10 at the Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. Nacho Figueras, captain of the Black Watch team and Ralph Lauren model, will go head-to-head against some of the world's best polo players for the inaugural event. In homage to the golden era of polo in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, guests are being encouraged to wear fashions inspired by that era, with help from Cameron Silver, super-stylish owner of Los Angeles and London-based vintage couture boutiques decadestwo and DECADES. Silver will offer on-site styling advice and sessions with guests and is consulting on the overall design of the event and its vintage inspiration.
In addition to the exclusive VIP Marquee, one side of the field will be free and open to the public. Angelenos will be able to watch the match from bleachers overlooking the legendary polo grounds – the last of Los Angeles' original 22 polo fields – where Hollywood celebrity and polo connoisseur Will Rogers used to play the sport himself along with fellow polo enthusiasts including Clark Gable, Walt Disney, and Spencer Tracy. The site is located just outside Rogers' former estate, which still stands today. Spectators can also expect plenty of Veuve Clicquot champagne bars and premium snacks, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Will Rogers Ranch Foundation and California State Parks.
Beckhams to Sell Their Mansion in England for $28 Million
David and Victoria Beckham plan to list their historic Hertfordshire, UK mansion – nicknamed "Beckingham Palace" – for sale at £18 million, or about $28 million. The seven-bedroom 1930's Grade II listed Georgian estate (above) sits on 24 landscaped acres and features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a petting zoo, recording studio, billiards room, gym and tennis courts. The Beckhams are selling the property because they plan to make Los Angeles their permanent home, the London Daily Mail reports. They bought the estate in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire for £2.5 million in 1999 and spent more than £18 million renovating it over the years. The garden has three £10,000 gazebos, each with a different theme – lakeside, romantic and ornamental. They have also installed a 52 ft. garden pavilion with a marble floor, which houses a £70,000 barbecue. Three years ago David joined the LA Galaxy team and the couple, who are worth a cool £125 million, have decided they prefer to reside in America where they live in an opulent £11 million Beverly Hills mansion.
The Classicist: Movie Star Style at the Beverly Wilshire's New $25,000-Per-Night Penthouse
Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, The Classicist, Architecture & Design
Following a recently completed $40 million facelift, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel has just unveiled its newly renovated Penthouse and Presidential Suite for the ultimate in movie star style. The Penthouse, beginning at $25,000 per night, is the largest hotel suite in Los Angeles and now one of the world's most expensive as well. L.A.-based architectural firm Barry Design Associates transformed the historic suites into modern, sophisticated spaces. They even throw in a Porsche. The Beverly Wilshire is a true piece of Hollywood history; the Italian Renaissance-style stone and marble building was completed in 1928 when the city had fewer than 18,000 residents, and its grand suites have played host to many of movieland's most famous faces over the decades.
The three-bedroom Penthouse offers guests 5,000 square feet of space. Positioned on the private top floor of the hotel's Beverly Wing it features floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings and a wrap around balcony with sweeping views of downtown L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. An entry way welcomes guests with marble mosaic flooring and Swarovski crystal chandeliers, while a dining room offers seating for 12 people adjacent to a state-of-the-art designer kitchen with Michelangelo marble countertops and Miele appliances. The elegant master bedroom is highlighted by an antique mirror and silver leaf detailed bed frame along with huge walk-in closet finished in stained oak. The master bath is fitted with glass tiles, exotic stones, a marble soaking tub, dual steam and rain shower contains a light and music system. There's also a media room for private screenings of your latest blockbuster.
The two-bedroom Presidential Suite offers 4,000 square feet of space, entered through a spectacular grand foyer (above) with Corinthian columns and intricate crown molding designed when the Hotel first opened over 80 years ago. Located on the eighth floor of the hotel's original Wilshire Wing, it features sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills and has been graced by numerous celebrities, legends and dignitaries over the years. The suite comes complete with its own living room and library as well, while the master bath is fitted with a soaking tub, steam shower for two and integrated televisions in the mirrors above the black lacquer vanity counters. [continued]
Parabellum Bison and Kevlar Laptop and iPad Cases
Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style
Parabellum, makers of hand-crafted leather goods with a military flair in Los Angeles, have come out with a new line of bison hide and Kevlar laptop and iPad cases. The CPU Portfolio for $980 is designed for safe and luxurious storage and transit of either a 15" or 17" laptop. That's not just hype - the case is lined in pure cashmere – vintage 1940s dead stock cashmere from the UK, to be precise. It's made of deep textured Reservation Bison with leather and Kevlar reinforcements and features a carrying strap, super smooth zipper and a ceramic covered snap lock. Each piece is individually numbered for authenticity.
The iPad case for $600 is also made of deep textured Reservation Bison with a lambskin liner, dual ceramic covered snap locks, Kevlar reinforcements and reinforced, elastic and leather corner holders on the back. Each one is also individually numbered for authenticity. Prabellum's deep textured Bison hide comes from free-range American ranches, and is tanned domestically in small batches using age old techniques. Their ceramic hardware is military grade for the ultimate in durability. The cases are available at Maxfield and Union in Los Angeles, The Webster in Miami and Colette in Paris.
Are Gordon Ramsay and David Beckham Partnering On A Pub?
Filed under: Dining
Are David Beckham and Gordon Ramsay going into business together in Los Angeles? Various reports say that the pair are teaming up to open a pub in Los Angeles called The Queen Vic (named not after the actual queen but after Victoria Beckham). The popular Brits are friends and have been discussing a business for years. The Ramsays and Beckhams even hung out together last Christmas and after the families cooked together they got the idea that opening a restaurant might be a good idea. They think that a traditional English pub might be a hit with expatriates from the UK as well as with the locals. The pub would have ales and beer on tap and serve classic English specialties like fish and chips and bangers and mash.
But don't get too excited yet a spokesman for Beckham said there are no plans in the pipeline yet. And given Ramsay's recent restaurant track record, it's not clear if he has the time to devote to this latest venture.
NYC Named America's Richest City With Over 650,000 Millionaires
Filed under: Wealth
Brooks Brothers & Levi's Launch Exclusive Denim Collection
Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style
Two of America's best known menswear brands, Brooks Brothers and Levi's, have collaborated on a new denim collection. Levi's Jeans, Made in the USA for Brooks Brothers, will be available at Brooks Brothers stores nationwide, online and in Brooks Brothers catalogs as of this week, affirming the two companies' shared commitment to products that are "made in America". The collection features a carefully crafted assortment of sophisticated and classic jeans designed specifically for Brooks Brothers' customers. Offered in a range of timeless finishes and washes, the line consists of versions of Levi's original and iconic 501 jean, the zip-fly 505, and the modern and streamlined 514 Slim Straight jean. Each pair is crafted in a factory in Los Angeles using imported materials and will retail for $148.
Casa Del Mar's Beach Club Program
Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels
It's been a hot weekend in Southern California and just about everyone is looking to head to the beach. The Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica has created a beach club membership program offering exclusive benefits, priority access and preferred amenities. The members of Club Casa del Mar pay an annual membership fee of $2,500 per year which entitles them to pool access, fitness center access, free parking, preferred seating in the lobby lounge and Catch restaurant and 25 percent of spa services. One time benefits include a one-night penthouse stay with a facial treatment, two massages, a Thai ritual and two personal trainer or yoga sessions.
Ron Robinson Pops Up At The Mondrian
Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels
The Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles has announced a new collaboration with Ron Robinson, bringing the brand's cult favorite home, beauty and design products to hotel guests and visitors through December. The shop is the latest in a series of Mondrian pop-ups which have included swimwear brand Shay Todd and Kiki de Montparnasse. Ron Robinson at Mondrian will bring together a curated collection of candles and aromatics as well as other luxury items including a custom-designed Pamela Love t-shirt created exclusively for Mondrian and a selection of bracelets, cuffs, necklaces, rings, and more from Stephen Webster fine jewelry for men and women. Other highlights include a set of Parrot-Zikmu speakers designed by Philippe Starck, APOTHIA candles, aromatic diffusers and bath and body collection, Kiehl's beauty products, Missoni towels and beach accessories, watches by NIXON, COOLA sun products, Lulu Frost jewelry, and more.
Los Angeles Area Condos and Townhomes Head For Auction
Filed under: Real Estate Developments
A pair of Los Angeles-area condos are getting their turn on the auction block on July 11 when Kennedy Wilson offers 30 condos from two different projects. The first auction will be for 12 townhouses and flats at Vista del Arroyo in Pasadena and then several hours later, 18 courtyard condos at Silver Spur Court in Rolling Hills Estates will go up for sale. Both auction represent deep discounts over original list prices.Starting bids at Vista del Arroyo are set as low as $295,000 on 12 condos previously priced from $799,000 to $1,350,000. The one to three bedroom townhouses and condos up for auction provide from 2,041 to 3,585 sq. ft. of living space. The Vista del Arroyo project is located near Old Town Pasadena and the Norton Simon museum.
At Silver Spur Court the starting bids range from $275,000 to $495,000 on 18 townhouses and condos previously priced from $835,000 to $1,275,000. The two and three bedroom homes have up to 2,830 sq. ft. of living space.
$11 Million Warhol & More in Christie's Sale
An important Andy Warhol portrait of Liz Taylor painted in 1963 is expected to fetch up to $11 million at Christie's' landmark Post-War & Contemporary Art sale in London on June 30. The iconic Silver Liz (above), painted for Warhol's now famous show at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles in October 1963, could easily go for much more considering last month's world record sale of a Warhol self portrait and the eye-popping results of the Michael Crichton collection. Also on offer in the stunning sale: Jeff Koons' 1999 oil on canvas Loopy, estimated at about $3.5 million - $5 million; Jean-Michel Basquiat's Untitled, painted in in 1982, estimated at about $2.5 million - $3.5 million; Roy Lichtenstein's Woman Reading, painted in 1980, estimated at about $3 million - $4.5 million; Cy Twombly's Untitled (Gaeta), painted in 2004, estimated at $3 million - $4 million; and Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild, painted in 1986, estimated at $2.2 million - $3.5 million.
Rodeo Drive is Getting a Ferris Wheel!
Filed under: Events
As the excitement about Fashion's Night Out 2010 continues to build, Rodeo Drive has thrown their diamond-studded tiara into the ring.
After the overwhelming success of the event last year, this year's FNO will be on a Friday (last year was a Thursday) and even more markets are expected to participate. This includes Los Angeles' most elite shopping street: Rodeo Drive. Not only will the exclusive boutiques band together to host a cocktail fueled, high-fashion block party, but the 200 block of the street will feature the Drive's first-ever ferris wheel! Rides for two will be complimentary when you flash your receipts from your FNO Rodeo Drive purchases.Finding a good splurge-worthy item won't be difficult. In-store events will be taking place at top-drawer shops including Chanel, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino and more than 40 other Rodeo Drive stores will be participating with extended hours and other perks.
"We hope to produce a fantastic block party atmosphere on the street," says Rodeo Drive Committee President Tom Blumenthal. "Just as Rodeo Drive is know for offering an unparalleled shopping experience on a daily basis, Fashion's Night Out is an exciting opportunity to create a memorable, one-of-a-kind event for our clients."
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