Italian Luxury Underwear - Armani Launches Women’s Intimates

Since David Beckham brought Armani so much success modeling briefs for men, I’m all a flutter wondering who will shill for Armani’s new line of Emporio Armani underwear and lingerie for females.

The new line of Emporio Armani has four sub sets, Gardenia, Tulipano, Camelia, and Lila.
The new line will be at Georgio Armani showrooms and sell for $12 to $50 and up.

Aside: when will a fashion house admit they just go for style and don’t give a crap about fit, function, form?

$14,000 Showers in the Sky - Emirates A380

For $14,000, Emirates is letting its most affluent passengers take showers above the clouds. On board the Emirates A380, first class passengers get to dine on seven course meals served with the finest wines, champagnes and spirits, and kill time en route to their destinations while getting massaged in their leather seats—which morph into fully lay-down beds.

Showers are limited to 5 minutes, but who cares? Each guest gets a plushy towel during their “Shower Spa” experience and can choose from a selection of fine shampoos. Another really neat feature is that the cabin lighting mimics daylight, with fake sunrise and sunset to help minimize jet lag. Passengers get to enjoy fresh cut flowers and have 23 menus to choose from, so no matter how pick you are, there’s bound to be something for you.

Aboard the United Arab Emirates airlines new A380 airbuses, first class consists of only 14 seats, each worth $14,000. Each of the 76 business class seats cost $9,000; they don’t get hot showers and the 15-person bar doesn’t have a waterfall, but their services are pretty darn good too!

The plane’s 399 economy seats cost a fraction at only $1,500, but the services don’t look too pale in comparison. Everyone gets a 9” TV with 500 channels and excellent dining services. In addition, they can make $5/minute satellite phone calls or send text messages.
Emirates wants to roll out 500 of the A380 airbuses offering seats at those rates, but if fuel prices keep rising, seat prices could go up even more. Does the world really have that many super elite fliers?

Adel Al Redha, executive VP and engineer says there are. “The only thing holding us back is the planes,” he says. “We can’t get them fast enough.”

Floppy Disk Bracelets - Bringing the 80s Back

Remember the good old floppy diskettes? Some of you don’t, but jewelry maker Oxx-An Alleweireldt sure wanted to bring the 80s back.

The designer developed Floppy diskette bracelets that look as ugly as they sound. I am sure they are going to be a hit because these days, what’s not cool is cool, and what’s geeky is actually hot. I know, it’s a bit complex.

Anyways, the bracelet comes in the form of a big floppy disc with flowers sewn onto cotton arm bands.

You know what’s crazy? Each floppy disc bracelet is sold for $110, and $87 for the smaller version! Oh come on! Is this a joke?

new masterpiece by F.P. Journe

F.P. Journe follows up on his Grand & Petite Sonnerie with "Repetition Minutes Souveraine". The most striking thing about this watch is how thin it is for a minute repeater, the movement is only 4mm thick! This is not only a technical achievement but adds a great deal of class when worn on the wrist. At the 10 o’clock position on the perimeter of the bezel is a slide for activating the repeater and the first thing I noticed was how effortlessly the slide operates. Also at the 10 o’clock dial position are the striking hammers, and opposite at 3 o’clock is the power reserve indication.

Plates and bridges of the F.P. Journe Repetition Minutes Souveraine movement are of solid 18K rose gold and housed in a 40mm stainless steel case. It is the opinion of Mr Journe that steel is a better sounding case material for striking watches than gold or platinum. The repeating mechanism is very clever and is unlike any I have ever seen. This clever design is hidden between the plates. One of the repeater details visible is the newly developed inertia governor (upper right in this photo) that controls the strike cadence (speed).

Zip It

Bangles take centre stage on the accessories front this summer so be sure to seek out the cool and quirky designs of Central Saint Martins-trained Disaya Prakobsantisukh. We particularly like her industrial take on the trend with these metallic zip creations.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Goes Official

Bugatti have announced the launch of the targa top version of their flagship supercar, the infamous 250 mph Veyron 16.4. Officially called the Grand Sport, the supercar with a unique, removable roof, is set to be unveiled at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on 16 August.

The open top model will feature the same 16-cylinder engine as the coupé, bringing it to a top speed of 217 mph (or 349 km/h). Sophisticated bodywork and aerodynamic components, as well as innovative structural solutions, ensure high levels of safety and passenger comfort, even at high speeds

Production of the Grand Sport begins in spring next year, with Bugatti remaining tight-lipped on details and pricing. The first production model of the limited 80 targa tops, however, is slated for the Gooding auctions on 17 August at the Equestrian Center at Pebble Beach. The winning bidder gets to specify his or her new car at the factory in Molsheim.

200 Carat Chopard Watch

Feast your eyes upon the world’s most expensive watch.
This Swiss-made (natch) Chopard watch features three heart-shaped diamonds of 38 carats, surrounded by white and yellow flowery looking diamonds weighing 163 carats.

Chopard made this watch just to show the world they could. Of course, at $25 million, they might negotiate a little bit.

$5,000 Perfume

We thought $590 mascara was outrageous, so imagine our surprise when we discovered a $5,000 bottle of perfume. That’s a high price to smell nice!
Yu, which means rain in Chinese, is the luxury scent by Mane, and it was given the sniff test by New York Times perfume critic, Chandler Burr.

“It’s actually very interesting, aesthetically gorgeous,” he said. “You can smell the money in it. It’s almost a fresh quality, like using a very good toothpaste.”

But is it worth such big bucks? He doesn’t think so. “$5,000 is marketing, just increases the marketing campaign.”

The World's Most Expensive Mouse

There are gold-plated cell phones or phones with diamonds. These peripherals either make you green with envy or laugh at their silliness. This time though, the bling leaves the purse and comes to the desktop. Is this trend starting to be really overplayed?

The World’s Most Expensive Mouse (that’s the name of the product) is manufactured by a Swiss company that crafts each mouse to custom order. Each mouse is cast from 18 karat white, red, or yellow gold with your choice of trim. Embedded into the top of the mouse are 59 brilliant cut diamonds that you can have arranged in the shape of your initials, a flower, or just scattered across the top. It’ll cost you just over US$24,000.

$2M DiMora Natalia - 1200 HP Luxury Car is World's Most Expensive

What would you expect from the world’s most expensive ($2 million) production automobile?

The DiMora Natalia really will have it all! You couldn’t possibly add cooler features: headlights that double as video projectors, color changing paint, massage seats for rear passengers, temperature adjusting cup holders, a variable-cylinder 1200 hp aluminum 16 cylinder engine, four wheel steering, a biofeedback system to monitor the owner’s vital signs and adjust the drive and environment according to his tension level, and much more, of course.

August 27, 2007 In an age of conspicuous consumption, DiMora MotorCar (DMC) have set themselves a clear target in the creation of their US$2 million Natalia sports luxury sedan: to be “the world’s most luxurious, expensive and technologically advanced creation.” The chassis and body will use “advanced aerospace materials and construction techniques to give superior strength at a weight easily 1,500 pounds less than luxury vehicles its same size.”

This will aid frugal Natalia buyers in squeezing a few extra miles out of a gallon.

$273,200 Bike - Ecosse Heretic Titanium

A quick glance at its features and you’ll understand why the Ecosse Heretic Titanium is the world’s most expensive bike! To begin with, the engine is made from a solid block of billet aluminum, with parts such as, a race-spec crankshaft, a supercharger, intercooler and fuel injection.
The 2147 cc engine pumps out 207bhp and an equally hefty 218ftlb of torque. There are other unique attributes in the machine is its hand built titanium chassis, designed by specially qualified titanium welders, molding the infamously expensive metal into frames.
The list of its custom-made parts seems never ending, the custom-made ISRs brakes, race-spec carbon fibred bodywork formed in an autoclave, and an expensive BRM chronograph watch matching each bike, just to name a few.
The materials used to manufacture this beauty are lightweight and thus assist in cutting down the weight of the product to 192kg!

Eiffel Tower Luxury Phones - The MobiFrance FL Stunner

This French luxury phone from MobiFrance left me speechless. That’s not necessarily a good thing for a phone, but how can you look at this concept mobile and not wish it were real?
The cell phone commemorates the French Independence Day, and the inspiration behind it seems to have come from the architectural design of the Eiffel Tower. The fancy phone features a touch screen with a whopping 7.2 megapixel camera residing inside. Standing up like the Parisian tower, the speakers are on the side to support the multimedia functions.

Luxury Motorcycle Helmets - Les Atelier Ruby

If you love to jump on your hawg and hit the open road but don’t necessarily want to look like one of Captain Jack Sparrow’s crew members, then perhaps one of Les Atelier Ruby’s Pavillon helmets is for you.

These luxury motorcycle helmets are made of carbon fiber and are well ventilated. There is even a line that is painted by Parisian graffiti artist, Honet, that sports a variety of colors and patterns. Oh yeah… and they’re also chin-strapless.

Luxury Sporting Goods - Football Meets Fashion

Many luxury fashion houses are including branded sports products such as American footballs, tennis rackets and even skis. I guess it is a way for those companies to cross over into other categories and expand with additional product offerings.

How fitting then of Karl Lagerfeld to introduce a sporty look to his collection at Chanel.

Snobby Sporting Equipment - World's Most Expensive Surf Board

I love extreme sports. I can’t go surfing in my own country as the waves are too small but if I could, I would definitely go.

However, I would not have a board like the one designed by Kenny Scharf and Elie Tahari. Because it’s freakin’ expensive. ‘Only’ $15,000 USD.

Well, let’s be rational and see why this surfing board is that expensive: the board has a print developed from a painting made by Kenny Scharf, called “Floatungle”.
Beside the board, you may want to spend your money on a silk chiffon caftan (248 USD) or a cotton voile pareo (168 USD).

So, if you are not running short of money and you love surfing, you may case a stir when showing up with this ultra expensive board on the beach.

Leather Gadgets - Kazuharu Sakura’s Leather Keyboard

Finally, the leather keyboard you’ve always been wanting. It could be a hit among both luxury enthusiasts and the S & M crowd.

Created by Japanese artist, Kazuharu Sakura, this unusual handmade keyboard is made of… real leather. And to add to the mystique, the keys are not labeled.
Imagine, rather than hitting those cold plastic keys, your fingers will caress the soft skin of the supple enter key and that big bad space bar!

Even though it’s not the most practical keyboard, it does add an extra sensibility to the relation between you and your keyboard.

Judging by my excitement about a leather keyboard, maybe I have been single for too long…

Couture Angling - Chanel Fishing Rod

Looking for a gift for Dad? Couture fashion house Chanel has just reviled the newest addition to their luxury sporting goods line...an ultra-lavish fishing rod. According to the Guardian, “for a mere £9,170 the ponciest angler on the planet can kit himself out with a Chanel rod and a set of meticulously tied, monochrome Chanel flies, complete with the famous “double C” logo on the gossamer wings, presented in a rather fetching, quilted black leather box.”

However, Karl Lagerfeld producing a fishing rod is not so farfetched of an idea. Apparently Chanel’s chic founder Coco Chanel was an ardent fly-fisherwoman (if that’s a word).

Just in case you were wondering, according to the “Urban Dictionary” ‘Poncey’ means, “The actions of one who thinks they are either overly stylish, cool or smart etc, when usually their IQ is akin to a fruit.”

Scottish Supercars - Falen Scots Supercar

Scotland is bidding to break through the international supercar market with the upcoming Falen Scots Supercar which is named after a Scottish demon. The participation of the well-known engine builder Judd with this Dowdeswell and Hardie helmed project makes the materialization of the concept feasible. A prototype is projected to be running early next year with the car being unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2009.
However, the car is set to be uber exclusive with only four pieces set to be built using a mid-mounted 5.5-litre V10 engine with over 800bhp and a five-speed transaxle gearbox. Falen will not feature conventional doors, rather the cockpit’s roof and glass area are designed to hinge backwards to provide access.

Dior Phone

Not to be outdone by Prada, Giorgio Armani or Dolce & Gabbana who recently had their own branded phones, Christian Dior unveiled a line of fashion mobile phones targeting the brand-obsessed consumers with prices starting at $5,000.
Besides the standard cellphone features (touchscreen, camera, multimedia) the Dior phone comes with a unique miniature sidekick, about the size of a USB key, which clips to the outside of a bag for easier access. The tiny companion device, which is dubbed My Dior, communicates with the main phone so that you can pick up or make calls with My Dior, and use the main phone for more complicated functions. It almost sounds like a fashionable bluetooth set that won’t make you look funny.
The decision to branch into phones was driven by demand in new luxury markets such as China and Russia, Dior Chief Executive Sidney Toledano said in an interview, “What really convinced us was seeing the attention people in emerging markets pay to buying a phone, by selecting the color and design. In the same way that we have developed our watch and jewelry lines, we want to increase sales with the phone.”
The $5,000+ price is notably much higher than Dolce & Gabbana or Giorgio Armani’s phone which cost around $600, but Dior expects to sell at least 10,000 units a year at the beginning and projects annual sales of €200 million in the longer term. The phones will be made by a small French manufacturer, ModeLabs Group.

Luxury Fantasy Camps - An $11 Billion Industry

Everybody has dreams, but each person has different levels they’re willing to go, or pay, to make them a reality. The fact that the camping industry is pulling in an estimated $11 billion annually says a lot for the willingness to have those experiences. Some want to play basketball with Michael Jordon, others want to enjoy dinner with The Donald, and then there are those who dream of getting married with Branson in Space.
“From Vegas penthouse suites and celebrity tutorial sessions to remote cabanas and world-class food, high-end fantasy camps offer just about anything you desire,” says Forbes Magazine in a feature called Eight Places to Live Out Your Fantasy.
The fantasy camps listed by the publication include the Rock and Roll Fantasy camp at Abbey Road Studios in London that lets fans of the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Oasis record in the same studio they once did… for $13,000.
“Over six days, campers get to stay in the same hotel as their celebrity instructors and play shows at rock ‘n’ roll landmarks, such as bars or theaters where music icons once played,” Forbes explains.
Canada has a similar version, League of Rock which we’ve previously featured.
Other camps featured by Forbes include the Waves Surf School in Australia. At $500 for three nights in the park, it’s a fantastic deal as it includes everything from lessons to gear and even food… prepared, of course, on the BBQ.
Incredible Adventures offers 2,400 mph flights, er blasts, in MiG fighter jets. Is the thrill of strapping into a MiG-29 or MiG-31 Foxhound leaving from Russia or South Africa worth $18,750? To some it does, especially as it includes five nights in a four-star hotel in Moscow or Nizhny. The same company will professionally film your skydive over Mount Everest for $36,500, which includes return airfare from Kathmandu.
Not into extreme sports? What about something more mainstream… but with a professional coach? The New York Yankees have a $5,500 week-long baseball fantasy camp where attendees might get to play with former Yankees in Tampa, Fla (no guarantee.)
If you want guaranteed sports celeb interaction, the $17,500 Michael Jordan Flight School in Las Vegas is a better option. Jordon and other bball stars interact directly with participants, who simultaneous enjoy the good life at the Mirage hotel as well as services like chauffeured limos.
And then there’s Virgin Galactic. Check out our coverage of Branson’s out-of-this-world service here:

Olympic Lifestyle Gold Shoes - Nike Limited Edition Metal

The Beijing Olympic games will be opening soon. Will you be wearing your country’s colors? Nike is counting on you getting Olympic fever for you feet and is launching the Nike Air Max 1 “Olympic Perforated Metal” gold shoe.

It’s a very limited edition, released on major cities around the globe and in 888 pop up stores. Perforated uppers, embroidery on the heels and the white sold with metal stud adornments will mark this special shoe.

Bebe seems to have caught the bug for the tiny Chanel purse seen on Agyness recently, and featured on Trend Hunter in October 2007.

Forget about Back To The Future. If you’re going to put movie-themed shoes on your feet, strap on these Goonies-inspired sneaks. Puma’s Disc Blaze shoes feature the 1985 pirate adventure movie, The Goonies - complete with skulls and treasure map patterns.

The limited-edition shoes will be available at OverKill in December.

Ankle Bags - BeBe Strappy Sandals + Purse Combo

Bebe seems to have caught the bug for the tiny Chanel purse seen on Agyness recently, and featured on Trend Hunter in October 2007.

Almost a year later, Bebe is showing the Mya Three Strap Sandal with Purse attached. This has to be purely for fashion trendiness, because it can’t be very practical, right? First, unless your sitting down, who can bend over to access the bag wearing super tight jeans or a luxe dress? And if you’re sitting down, are you really going to cross your legs like Will Ferrell to get a tic-tac?

Bringing Back the Fanny Pack - Modern Bum Bags

These new designs are much more stylish than ones from the past. Not only that, but they are just so practical; they keep your hands free for riding a bike or shopping, and your valuables securely held close to your body.

Just don’t even think of hauling out your old zippered nylon jobby from the 80’s. The latest styles are now jazzed up with buckles and studs and made from materials like organic leather and denim. These images are mostly from bags made in Australia by Happy Cow , and a few samples from Stylehive.

Designer Diet Coke - Roberto Cavalli Bottles

Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli had the pleasure of contributing his talent to the design of limited edition Coca-Cola Light bottle skins.
I

n keeping with the exotic signature details he’s know for, Cavalli created three bottle covers decked in animal print. One is a leopard print, another zebra, and the third a jungle-like heart design with a tiger-zebra hybrid print.

The Coca-Cola light bottles are much truer to the Cavalli brand than the vodka bottles he designed, as we mentioned in a previously feature, although those were classy in their own right.
Only 300,000 Roberto Cavalli coke bottles were made as a special tribute to mark the start of Milan Fashion Week.

Socks With Sandals - Gold Shoedals by Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQuirky, er McQueen, wants to rewrite the unspoken rules of fashion.
Wearing socks with sandals has long been known as one of the most basic, yet unforgivable fashion faux pas one could commit, but McQueen wants to change all that.

The young fashion designer sent male models down his Spring 2009 runway wearing shiny, golden dress shoe sandals.... with light grey socks.

The only place a shoe like this could fly is if they were loaner shoes at a bowling alley and the wearer was trying to protect his tootsies from foot fungus.

Alexander McQueen has his own notion of what’s stylish, however. The gallery shows some of the looks from the Spring 2009 show which included male corsets and very feminine silhouettes.

Horizontal Hair Stripes - Contrasting Hair Colors

It seems that the streaking of hair has given way to the striping of hair. Imitating nature with a mix of hair colors can make you stand out from your surroundings unlike in nature which often uses contrasting colors to blend in. It takes a certain amount of panache and guts to color your hair this drastic.

You may be known forever forward as the girl with the weird hair color, but you will be known!

Ethereal Accessories - Feather Angel Wings

Accessories are all the rage in fashion; shoes, belt, hats, bags, so why not wings? These ethereal feather wings are handmade and really quite stunning. After I looked at them for a while they began to look ‘normal’, like “why not where wings...some of the hottest models do it over at Victoria’s Secret.”

The wings are made with genuine feathers, by artists at eProduct Sales from about $50 for dainty wings up to about $385 for the giant purple set in the first photo. They also make fairy and butterfly wings and wing for collector dolls.

Maybe these feather wings are too flamboyant for you? See the more subtle wing accessories here:

Architectural Jewellery - Laser Cut Wooden Bracelets by Anthony Roussel

UK artist Anthony Roussel combines 3-D software and high tech laser cutting techniques to transform the traditional material of wood into these original bracelets. The resulting jewellery is modern in its design, with a flash of inspiration from topographical maps. The darkening of the edges is a consequence from the laser burning its way through the wood, adding to the three dimensional effect.

These pieces are not only wearable objects, but could be simply put on display to enjoy.

The meeting of innovation and tradition challenges contemporary jewellery. With the use of wood, I am questioning the traditional notions of preciousness, In using new technologies as a tool, I am questioning existing perceptions of craft. (anthonyroussel)

Fit Flops are the rage because, supposedly as you walk, your legs get more shapely. Aurelia has taken the time to create a limited edition pair of gla

Clutch bags are a great alternative to strap purses - there are no long dangly things to tangle with. However, they are easy to drop if you don’t maintain a good grip. This fold clutch by Chloe (Italy) is a cinch, for it wraps around the wrist, making it easy to hold.

It is made from 100% leather with an alligator print and is asymmetrically folded. The pocket to keep all your essentials is zippered and embossed with the Chloe brand.

The cost for this fun purse is £524.00, a sale price down from £656.00.

Fit Flop Fashion - Wild Gladiator Sandals

Fit Flops are the rage because, supposedly as you walk, your legs get more shapely. Aurelia has taken the time to create a limited edition pair of gladiator sandals out of snakeskin.
Are these now flip-erators? Or glad-flops? Whaddevah.

They lace up as you stand up on a 1 1/2 sole, your tootsies grab a post in the front while your heels are just hanging there for the world to admire. I actually think these are pretty cool. They would look great at the end of a pair of long legs.

Death of the Fashion Magazine? - Newsstands Sales Way Down

Fashion magazines—including big names like Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour and Elle—saw big drops in their sales in the last six months.

Like most other print, they are no doubt losing readers rapidly to sites like Trend Hunter. Even the mighty Oprah saw her O magazine fall in double digit percentages.

Some high powered editors have left. Amy Gross left O and Joanna Coles took over Marie Claire two years ago. Even powerhouse Cosmopolitan, the highly quoted magazine and Hearst Corps’ most profitable title, dropped almost 7%. Seventeen joined Teen Vogue in seeing a big drop in the numbers