magazine

Travel & Leisure Design Awards 2010

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Timepieces / Watches, By Design

16 categories of travel, leisure, fun, shopping, and fashion - all judged and summed up leaving just one winner per category. This year's Travel & Leisure Design Awards yielded some surprise winners, but that is to be expected from the eclectic mix of judges ranging fashion designer and artists, to architects and restaurateurs. Available in the March issue of the magazine, the results are also posted on their website (link above).

I attended the award event here in San Francisco recently where the magazine's principals were able to discuss the publication's new designs awards tradition. The venue was perfect, being located at the still new California Academy of Sciences Museum - a worthy design award winner itself.

Categories ranged from the usual fare such as best large hotel (winner was Motel 6 - yes that motel 6, apparently they have upped their game) and automobile (Ford Fusion Hybrid), but also has some interesting categories such as best retail space (Derek Lam in New York City) and best transportation (the ritzy first class cabin suites aboard Swiss International Airlines).

Tags: 2010, design awards, DesignAwards, magazine, Nixon, Travel Leisure, TravelLeisure

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Travel + Leisure's Annual List of the World's 500 Best Hotels

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

Travel + Leisure's Annual List of the World's 500 Best Hotels

On December 16, Travel + Leisure revealed its annual list of the 500 best hotels in the world. There are at least 10 properties that are new to the list this year. In addition, there are 66 properties on the 2010 T+L 500 that offer rooms for $250 a night or less. T+L editors also spotlight the 500 hotels with notable rooftop scenes, culinary excursions, and wildlife treks. You can look up hotels by region (United States as well as abroad) or get started by checking out the top 50.

Based on readers' ratings, the 2010 T+L 500 is a guide to the top places to stay in six continents and also is featured in the January 2010 issue of Travel + Leisure. Beyond the guide in the magazine, which lists each property by region and includes each hotel's score, an overall description with contact information and starting room rates, TravelandLeisure.com has added information about these top properties, including the best rooms to book, amenities, exclusive T+L 500 hotel deals, and more.

The complete 2010 T+L 500 guide is based on 2009 World's Best Awards readers' survey results. As part of the survey, T+L readers rated hotels on several characteristics including rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food, and value. The complete survey methodology is available here.

The 2010 World's Best Awards readers' poll is live through March 31, 2010. Cast your vote.

Tags: best of, hotels, journeys, magazine, t l, top 50, top 500, Top50, Top500, travel, travel and leisure, TravelAndLeisure

Condé Nast Closing Down Gourmet, Cookie, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

Condé Nast Closing Down <I>Gourmet, Cookie, Modern Bride</I> and <I>Elegant Bride</I>

More bad news for the magazine industry hit last week: Condé Nast is closing down several of its big-name magazines, names you know - Gourmet, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride - and one you may not, Cookie, which is about parenthood.

The New York Times noted, "[Gourmet] has suffered a severe decline in ad pages, but the cut still comes as a shock. There was speculation that Condé Nast would close one of its food titles - Gourmet or Bon Appétit - but most bets were on the latter. Gourmet has a richer history than Bon Appétit, and its editor, Ruth Reichl, is powerful in the food world. Cookie is a relatively new introduction, started in 2005, while the bridal magazines were seen as offshoots of the bigger Brides magazine, which Condé Nast also owns."

The cuts were done at the conclusion of a three-month study by McKinsey & Company, which conducted an analysis of Condé Nast's costs and recommended that several magazines cut about 25 percent from their budgets. These are the first closings announced by the company since the study.

These are not the first magazines shuttered by Condé Nast, even though, as the Times notes, the company never has been quick to close titles, and in the last year or so has closed only newer titles, Condé Nast Portfolio and Domino, along with folding Men's Vogue into Vogue.

This isn't the first time Luxist has noted magazine closings either. See this piece I did last month, which mentions in the gallery some other closings noted by my colleagues.

Tags: brides, conde nast, CondeNast, cookie, magazine, magazines

Lagerfeld, Starck Design Covers for Wallpaper* Magazine

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Design

Chanel top man Karl Lagerfeld and designer Philippe Starck will guest-edit the October 2009 issue of interiors title Wallpaper*, according the Guardian.

Lagerfeld has designed a "peelable" cover for the monthly title, which features model Baptiste Giabiconi. Readers can peel back this image to reveal another cover, which shows Giabiconi nude.

Starck, best known for designing high-end hotels, has constructed a transparent front cover using three layers of tracing paper (see it on the Wallpaper* home page).

Lagerfeld and Starck have each edited large sections of the issue, out now. Lagerfeld, also a sought-after photographer, has shot Giabiconi in a variety of historical settings across continental Europe, including Rome and Paris. He also writes about his collection of houses.

Starck is more philosophical, focusing on "mankind's quest to discover the meaning of life and interviewing scientists, physicists and cosmologists," the Guardian said. "It is my mission to make intelligence sexy," Starck said.

Tags: Karl Lagerfeld, KarlLagerfeld, magazine, magazines, Philippe Starck, PhilippeStarck, wallpaper, wallpaper magazine, WallpaperMagazine

Four Seasons Launches Online Lifestyle Magazine

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is launching an online lifestyle magazine this week designed to "satiate the discerning traveler's thirst for trusted, insider knowledge." Part travel blog and part lifestyle e-zine with a bit of booking agent mixed in, FourSeasonsMagazine.com is a planning tool that "brings the destination expertise Four Seasons is known for to the web in an editorial travelogue format." In addition to booking a stay, travelers can learn about exclusive experiences such as cactus planting adventures at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale in Arizona, destination "must dos" from a local celebrity such as fashion designer Trina Turk's Los Angeles, and concierge recommendations including the hottest culinary "crawl" in San Francisco.

Tags: Four Seasons, FourSeasons, hotel, magazine

Time Mag Shuts Down Its Quarterly, Style & Design

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

Though the site in question is still up as I write this, it was reported in the New York Post that Time magazine has shut down its fashion quarterly, Style & Design. The Post item states, "Time blamed the collapse of the luxury market for the move. 'This really is a suspended publication,' said a spokeswoman of the one million-circulation magazine. 'We'd hope to bring it back when the economy improves.' " Kate Betts, the one-time editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar who had been editor of Time Style & Design, will remain with the company and is expected to cover this month's Fashion Week shows for Time. Four other staffers were let go.

Time Style & Design tried to have an American and a European circulation base, in a bid to capture the eye -- and ad dollars -- of fashion designers in New York as well as in Paris, Milan, and London. About 550,000 subscribers were based in the United States, and 450,000 in Europe.

This event marks the second time during the third quarter that Time Inc. has shut down a magazine. Last month, the company closed Southern Accents, part of Time Inc.'s Southern Progress subsidiary.

Gallery: The Luxury Magazine World In Transition

What Will Be The Future Of Town and Country?

Tags: magazine, magazines, Style Design, StyleDesign, Time, Time magazine, TimeMagazine

Financial Times To Bring Its Luxury Magazine To The U.S.

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The luxury market may be struggling but the Financial Times has faith. Crain's reports that the salmon-colored financial paper will be bringing its glossy luxury mag, FT Wealth to the United States with the first issue launches on October 16. The magazine is for well-monied eyes only, global citizens with personal assets of more than $1.65 million (not including the primary residence). Around 100,000 copies will go to newsstands and Financial Times subscribers.

Here in the U.S. the magazine will compete against the Wall Street Journal's WSJ luxury quarterly. FT Wealth launched in Europe in March 2008. The focus of luxury magazines has changed a bit in the last year or so, the consumption is still conspicuous but it is also conscientious with an emphasis on wealth management as well as wealth enjoyment. For example, the first U.S. issue will look at the impact of the credit crunch on currency values but also evaluate whisky as an alternative investment. Luxury advertising has contracted over the past year but with the quiet buzz about potential recovery beginning to build, perhaps the pockets of both advertisers and readers might be set to open a little.

Source

Tags: financial times, FinancialTimes, luxury, magazine

Racecar Driver Tim George Jr. Makes the Cover of Social Life Magazine

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Sports, Men's Style

This past weekend in the Hamptons Social Life magazine celebrated with an exclusive fête in honor of their August Men's Issue featuring top racecar driver Tim George Jr. on the cover. The event, which took place at the Social Life Estate in the Hamptons, featured an exclusive guest-list of celebrities, socialites, jet-setters and taste-makers. So how did a racecar driver end up on the cover of a fancy Hamptons magazine? Turns out he's a Southamptonite by birth; his impressive motorsports career began while attending the University of Miami, where he participated in the Skip Barber Race Series and practiced with professional karts.

After graduating college, Tim drove in the Grand-American Koni Challenge Series and had a podium experience in his first season of professional motorsports. He quickly moved up to compete in one of the most elite races in the world, the Grand-Am Rolex Series with The Racer's Group, and earned the title of 2008 MESCO "Building for the Future" Rolex Rookie of the Year, finishing with an impressive fourth place in the Rolex GT Championship. This year, Tim is taking his first steps toward the top level of NASCAR by working hard in a number of stock car development venues; he currently drives for Eddie Sharp Racing.

Tags: Hamptons, Jr., magazine, NASCAR, racing, Rolex, Social Life, SocialLife, Tim George, TimGeorge

Southern Accents Magazine To Stop Publishing

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Another shelter magazine has closed down. Time Inc. has announced that it's all over for Southern Accents. The magazine will stop publishing with its September/October issue. The magazine offered decorating content with a Southern flair showcasing beautiful luxury homes. The magazine's number of ad pages was down 37 percent in the first half of the year according to Publishers Information Bureau.

It's been a rough time for home decor magazines over the past couple of years. As the NY Times mentions just about every major publisher has closed a decorating title including the dearly departed Cottage Living, Blueprint, Country Home, O at Home and Domino. Time Inc. also owns Southern Living and Coastal Living which have so far escaped the ax.

Source

Tags: home decor magazines, HomeDecorMagazines, magazine, publishing, shelter magazines, ShelterMagazines, southern accents, SouthernAccents

The International Best-Dressed List Goes Democratic

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping, Men's Style

For the first time ever, Vanity Fair is inviting civilians to nominate their favorite candidates for the International Best-Dressed List. Since its launch by fashion queen Eleanor Lambert in 1940, the List has been determined by an anonymous committee of tastemakers and a roster of influential voters (including yours truly for a few of the more recent years). Socialites and stars vie for a coveted position on the List.

Vanity Fair took over the list (and the voting process) in 2003 following Lambert's death. For 2009, the polling's going democratic in a "spirit of Obama-era transparency." You can vote for candidates for both best-dressed women and men on the magazine's website - Carla Bruni (right), Lydia Hearst, David Beckham and Kanye West among them - or write in your own choices. Winners will be announced in the mag's September issue.

Tags: Best-Dressed, Carla Bruni, CarlaBruni, clebrity, David Beckham, DavidBeckham, International Best-Dressed List, InternationalBest-dressedList, Kanye West, KanyeWest, Lydia Hearst, LydiaHearst, magazine, Vanity Fair, VanityFair

Abramovich's Girlfriend Takes Over Luxury Fashion Mag

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Dasha Zhukova, the stunning 27-year-old girlfriend of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, has been named the new editor-in-chief of hip British luxury fashion mag POP. Zhukova is the co-founder of the fashion label Kova & T, as well as the Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture, Moscow's largest private art gallery. Despite an utter lack of magazine experience, she'll be working in partnership with POP editorial director Ashley Heath, leading some to snipe that she only got the job thanks to her mega-rich boyfriend.

"I am tremendously excited to take on this challenge," Zhukova, pictured above at right with Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova, tells the London Telegraph. "I feel it's the perfect time to be showcasing and encouraging new energy and talent. We are working hard on a complete revamp of the magazine in order to provide a broader point of view focusing also on art, contemporary culture and the globalization of all things pop-related." The magazine is being relaunched on the 1st of September.

Gallery: All Things Abramovich

Tags: Dasha Zhukova, DashaZhukova, magazine, Moscow, Pop magazine, PopMagazine, Roman Abramovich, RomanAbramovich, Russia, UK

Worth Magazine Cuts Staff As Financial Advertising Falls

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Worth magazine, a magazine that focuses on issues of wealth management, investing, estate planning and "passion investments" like antiques and fine jewelry, is retooling its strategy. The parent company Sandow Media has cut its New York staff by 45 percent and plans to relaunch based out of Boca Raton, Florida. The company will also be producing six issues a year instead of 10. Reuters reports that the general manager of Worth magazine, Alison Parks, had told them in January that there were no plans for layoffs but clearly the ongoing attrition of the financial services sector called for a change in strategy.

Worth has an estimated total readership of 250,000. Worth's bread and butter is financial advertising which has declined with the stock market. Sandow Media also publishes New Beauty and the regional LUXE magazines. Those titles are said to be stronger than Worth which focuses primarily on the financial/investing sector.

Source

Tags: finances, investing, magazine, pulbishing, worth magazine, WorthMagazine

Ferrari Magazine Now Available

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Earlier this year I mentioned the publication of a Ferrari magazine, now it's officially available. Ferrari buyers will receive three 180-page glossies plus a 280-page yearbook issue. The magazine is being produced with Condè Nast (a company that has recently had to cut back on a few of their glossy titles).

The magazine includes interviews, articles on fashion, design, racing culture, and of course, Ferraris. There will be 30,000 copies and the large format magazine printed on quality stock paper. If you don't own a Ferrari but still want the magazine, be prepared to pay, a subscription costs $303.85.

[via Autoweek]

Source

Tags: conde nast, CondeNast, ferrari, magazine

Quest Magazine, for the NYC Social and Real Estate Scene

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

If you are -- or long to be -- part of the NYC social and moneyed scene, Quest is a must-read. Distributed around NYC, seemingly for free (though it has a $5 cover price), this sometimes snooty publication tracks the party scene with pages of pages of photos of dressed-up socialites and tuxedoed men, snapped by editor David Patrick Columbia at fetes and charity events. The magazine occasionally has a feature of some depth but mainly has light articles. For Luxist readers who love our "Estate of the Day" feature, Quest's Web site is great -- it is in magazine format and includes ads. That means you can scan ads featuring home listings in NYC, Connecticut, the Hamptons and so on, plus see ads for high-end jewelry, handbags, clothing, shoes, art galleries, luxury home accessories and cultural events. Click once on the page you want to view to make it bigger. You also can subscribe (tab at top of home page) if you want the hard copy ($36/one year/12 issues or $47.97/two years/24 issues).

Tags: ad, ads, advertising, magazine, magazines, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NYC, Quest

Visionaire's $150,000 Magazine Collection

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

The Wall Street Journal reported that Visionaire magazine -- a publication where design, marketing, style, trends and art intersect -- is charging $50,000 for a special Goyard trunk designed for its collectors. The handmade trunk will house the magazine's first 50 issues. This summer, Visionaire also will offer 10 complete sets of its first 50 issues in the Goyard trunks for $150,000. The customized steamer trunks, assembled by hand, will have shelves and insets designed for all 50 issues. Collectors also can buy an empty trunks for €34,500 ($54,000).

From its premiere issue in April 1991 (now up to 54 issues, with each issue typically priced between $150 - $350), Visionaire "challenged notions of what it meant to be an art and fashion publication and was conceived of as a venue for artists such as Mario Testino and Steven Meisel to publish personal work," WSJ stated. It has morphed into something more like a design challenge for its many contributors.

Each issue (which can take between nine months and three years to complete) is typically a mixed-media riff on a theme, posing an ongoing set of challenges to a small crew of designers. For example, White began with the question: How do you publish without using ink? Answer: a combination of Braille, embossing, varnish and paper-cut illustrations. Scent came with perfume capsules, Taste had specially-designed flavor-strips and Sound featured a Mini Cooper toy car that played record albums.

Source

Tags: collectible, collectibles, Goyard, magazine, magazines, publishing, trunk, Visionaire