Filed under: Journeys, Wheels

A while back we told you about Itlay’s poshest places to stay; now we’ll tell you about the poshest way to get to them - Red Travel Italia has upgraded their Ferrari tours we first mentioned last year. At the wheel of the Ferrari of your choice - their new models include the 430 Scuderia F1, 599 GTB Fiorano F1, F430 Spider, and 612 Scaglietti F1 - you can tour regions such as Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio, and cities such as Milan, Rome, Florence and Naples, with five-star stops along the way. Itineraries ranging from one to eight days are custom-tailored for a “subtle blend of art, gastronomy, fashion, architecture, and spectacular scenery.” And now an assistant in an Alfa-Romeo will follow at a discreet distance to attend to your every need and make sure you don’t get lost en route. Visit www.red-travel.com and see the gallery for more.

[Via UrbanDaddy]

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Sergio Rossi created an exclusive line of shoes especially for the film stars and for the first time many divas wore them to step on the red carpet at 61st festival 2008 in Cannes. It is an honorable mission to become an official shoemaker for this main world-known high society spring event.

Naveen: We have already come across some ingenious kitchen concepts, including the GE’s Concept Kitchen of the Future, Floating Kitchen Island concept, Korean Z Kitchen Island, Outpost Kitchen, MAN kitchen, and the green Aion kitchen. Today, we have with us…

Nandini:
German Land Rover enthusiasts Thomas Bell and Holger Kalvelage who also share their fascination for classic British roadsters have decided to combine these two attributes into one with the world’s first Land Rover 4×4 “Off-roadster” that looks…

An expensive diamond necklace is more than a simple accessory. It’s a statement of opulence that will set members of your family apart for generations. Check out some of the world’s most expensive diamond necklaces.

H. Stern’s Venus Necklace - $3.17 million
This 110-carat diamond necklace features a number of cushion, square and pear-cut diamonds set in […]

In 1999 Linssen Yachts and Nautica Lessi were the first to introduce the concept of steel displacement boating to the Italian market. In the country of Pininfarina and speed, it was a bit like selling fridges to Eskimos! But the charm of quiet cruising was appreciated in Italy and Linssen gradually gained the sympathy of a lot of boating enthusiasts there.

At the end of 2007 Nautica Lessi and Linssen Yachts amicably decided to part company. From now on, Lessi will also be focusing on vessels of 18 metres and up and it will therefore be collaborating with other Dutch builders. By contrast, Linssen will focus entirely on the market segment where their expertise and strength lie, namely high-quality series production of boats ranging from 9 to 15 (+) metres.

Linssen Yachts Italia: May 1st 2008 was the official starting date for collaboration between Giaroli s.a.s. and Linssen Yachts.

Giaroli will be representing Linssen under the name Linssen Yachts Italia. Giaroli s.a.s. was set up in 1981 and is the distributor for Grand Banks, Nauticat, and Targa. The company`s head office is in Orbetello, between Rome and Pisa, on Italy`s west coast. This is an excellent central location from which to serve Italy both north and south.

The Linssen Yachts Italia team, led by owner Giampaolo Murzi (56), consists of Giada Catalano (25, administration), Valentina Patrignani (24, sales), and Nicola Zazza (24, officially sworn broker, sales and service). At Marina Cala Galera, there are two fulltime employees who run the service and maintenance department. Giamp aolo Murzi considers it vital fo Giaroli`s "summer office" is at Marina Cala Galera in Porto Ercole. The company has 18 service points in Italy, strategically distributed between the mainland and the islands. The new arrangement for Giaroli to represent Linssen has also led to an agreement with the Linssen specialists Andrea Guerrini, Antonio Cinotti, and Santo Romeo of Sapore di Sale (Siena).

Linssen Yachts Italia will be displaying a Grand Sturdy 40.9 Sedan and a Grand Sturdy 470 MKII at the 48th Genoa International Boat Show from 4 to 12 October 2008.

Filed under: Handbags

This is a big tote that’s proud of itself and isn’t shy about announcing itself for all to see in big pink letters. Totes are great to have around for all kinds of things, and although this Marc by Marc Jacobs bag doesn’t exactly fit into the “neutral” category it is made mainly of black and cream (which both go with a lot), and the concept of spicing up an outfit with a bright shot of color is always in (hence the hot pink!). Zip top closure, monogrammed lining, and 1980s vibe included. $170

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Filed under: Jewelry

Certainly with more and more billionaires in Russia, the luxury market there is growing by leaps and bounds. Mostly I have written about retailers like Lamborghini, Gucci and Cartier getting their foothold in Moscow and beyond but now there are a few Russian companies seeking to sell their brands in the U.S. and Europe. In April I heard Russian billionaire Roustam Tariko, speak about his quest to sell vodka in the U.S.; last month, I met with the lovely women from the Russian company Rifesta who were kind enough to show me their diamond jewelry.

Rifesta has been agrowing name in the Russian market for a while now. Rifesta Holding opened its first jewelry shop in Ekaterinburg in 1998. In 2005, the first Rifesta boutique opened in Moscow and in June 2006 the company made their first forays into the U.S. market. At Rifesta the pieces are all made in Russia, from Russian designers and using Russian diamonds.

The pieces are rather distinctive. What struck me about the designs is that they make great use out of small diamonds. The rings are large showy pieces meant to be noticed and appreciated. Each collection has its own theme and style, some of which are more intriguing than others, their Diamond Figures collection and Legends of Elves collections were ones I found particularly striking.

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Filed under: Apparel, Services

Sometimes I think the word “luxury” gets batted around a bit too much (”luxury water”), but I was curious when I saw a small ad for String, a luxury knitting boutique in NYC, in an NYC lifestyle magazine. While the Web site isn’t the most refined, it seems the store itself has everything the serious knitter would want, and gets its luxury reputation for selling cashmere and other refined fibers (more than 80 kinds of yarn); needles; patterns for high-end, expensive projects, including clothing, accessories and even home decor; and perhaps its Upper East Side location. You can shop online for anything knit-necessary, including the store’s new book, Luxury Knitting, by owner Linda Morse, or visit at 130 E. 82nd St. Also check out String’s blog for store happenings, and the gallery below for a few of the items the store sells.

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Deepathukral: Though my local gym doesn’t house any of these high-tech treadmills, I dare to dream of running on one of those that are a far cry from the older generation kinds. It’s a fact that Treadmills burn more calories than any other piece of fitness…

Alexanderadp:

We recently wrote about a projection interactive table, Catchyoo iTable, where I lauded its interactivity, as well as its superiority to fixed interactive tables. Therefore, when I saw the Interactive Scape, the comparisons naturally

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Nandini:
For the uber-rich football lover with money to fulfill materialistic worldly passions luxury doesn’t get any bigger or better than this Crystallized Football Table from BlingMyThing who earlier dazzled us with their Macbook Air “Golden Age”! The…

You probably know that the advent of the web has caused a steady decline in newspaper circulation. Eventually, printed broadsheets may become a thing of the past entirely, relegated to museums and rare book libraries. In that case, certain newspaper copies may command exceedingly high prices for their historical value.
For now, though, it’s the stamps […]

Deepathukral:
With the weekend just behind us, I’m sure many of our readers would have had a BBQ jamboree happening in their backyard or patio! Or even at the local park. But if you are interested in something more compact and space saving for your not-so-spacious…

Filed under: Estates

I saw this apartment listed in the Wall Street Journal’s Private Properties column and liked it so much I decided to make it an estate of the day. This condo on Water Street in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. overlooks the Potomac River. The current owners combined three units into one to create a six-bedroom expanse decorated in a modern style. The building also has a rooftop pool, gym and 24-hour staff. The Wall Street Journal reports that the city’s condo record is thought to be a Georgetown sale for $6.25 million which means that even if this one sells pretty far below the listing price of $10.6 million it will still likely set a record.

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Filed under: Water, Sports, Men’s Style, The Classicist

Earlier this month we reported on the Royal Ascot races, one of the highlights of the English social season. This week ushers in another classic British sporting event-cum-society pageant, the Henley Royal Regatta. The five-day Regatta, held on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, takes place over the first weekend of every July and runs from Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th this year.

International crews compete in various races at the Regatta, which has been held every year since 1839 except during the two World Wars, the main event being the Grand Challenge Cup for Men’s Eights. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, became the Regatta’s first Royal Patron in 1851, a tradition carried on by the reigning monarch ever since, though unlike Royal Ascot they don’t always deign to attend.

Even more so than at Ascot, Henley provides an opportunity for aristocrats from the sporting and social sets to dress in that distinctively British style which has inspired so many fashion designers over the decades. The commercialization of Henley, unlike Ascot, Wimbledon and cricket at Lord’s, has been slower to take hold, and as Godfrey Smith writes in The English Season, it is something of “an Edwardian time warp.”

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Filed under: Apparel, Charity

These jeans by Key Closet look good, there’s no doubt about that, but do they look $10,000 good? I have a hard time justifying $50 for a new pair, not to mention for that kind of money I’d really not know where to wear them. But the price tag is just that, $10,000, and they feature hand-drawn designs, over 1,000 Swarovski crystals, and a one carat diamond on each back pocket. Yes, wear these and you’ll have a very valuable backside.

The best part about the whole thing is that although they cost almost as much as a new car, 30% of the profits will go towards building a school for under-privileged children in Uganda. That makes them totally worth it, sort of.

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Filed under: Handbags

Back in 2006 we covered the original Bayswater Bag from Mulberry and now we have an updated mirrored version. Flashy and bright, this bag is not for the timid (well, unless you’re looking to get seriously bolder) and although it now had gold mirrored leather the bag still comes with all the great features of the original including my favorite: the flap closure with buckle that can be locked with the tiny padlock that comes conveniently hidden in the pouch charm that hangs off the handle (whether you use it or not miniature padlocks are always fun!). They show it here with a fall/winter outfit but I think metallics can be pulled off in any season. $1,595

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Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

From the NY Post’s Gimme Shelter:
– Loews Hotel chairman and NY Giants co-owner Jonathan Tisch and his wife, Lizzie, have gone to contract to buy a full-floor co-op at 2 E. 67th St. for somewhere above its $40 million asking price.
–One of the most impressive properties in Southampton, New York has hit the market for $67.5 million. It was our estate of the day on Friday.
–Elisabeth and Tim Hasselbeck have sold their three-bedroom apartment on West 79th Street for $1.6 million. The couple bought the unit for just under $1 million in 2005.

From the NY Observer’s Manhattan Transfers:
–30 West 21st Street, the building famous for its old new-wave dance club Danceteria is now 11 luxury apartments listed around $5.8 to $7.9 million each, plus a triplex penthouse for $7.7 million and a townhouse apartment for $9.25 million.
–James S. Chanos, the president and founder of a hedge-fund group called Kynikos is in contract to buy the penthouse at the iron-fenced mansion 3 East 75th Street, which was listed for $24.85 million.
–Larry and Annette Everston, the owners of the high-end shoe shop Otto Tootsi Plohound, who decorated their loft at 285 Lafayette Street in a Moroccan theme complete with a citrus garden of lemon and orange trees in the sunroom, have sold their 7,000-square-foot apartment in the Soho condo for $7.35 million.
–The six-story mansion at 18 East 80th Street sold this month for $37.5 million, making it one of the largest townhouse deals ever in New York, even though its owners bought the place in 2001, when the asking price was just $8.9 million.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
–Actress Ronnie Claire Edwards has sold her Los Feliz home for $3.85 million. It looks like the owner might be a celebrity. The Real Estalker says it is Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
–Winona Ryder has sold her co-op apartment in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park for $2.2 million.
–Country singer Deana Carter has placed her two-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills on the market for $899,000. The listing is here.

From the Real Estalker:
–Oprah Winfrey has put a two-bedroom Fisher Island condo on the market for $2.09 million. The condo is located in the Seaside Village section of Fisher Island. The listing is here.
–Jamie Foxx has put his Tarzana, California home on the market. It’s our estate of the day later today.
–Olympic medalist and Playboy model Amanda Beard has put her three-bedroom cottage in Venice, California on the market for $1.045 million, the price she paid for it in 2006. The listing is here.
–Pete Sampras may have sold his Beverly Hills mansion to Will and Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick and his entertainment attorney husband Erik Hyman.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
–John Cleese has finally sold his Montecito equestrian ranch was finally sold. It had been originally listed at $28 million and has reportedly sold for around $16.5 million.
–Sports agent David Falk has listed a Beverly Hills condo he owns for $2.245 million. The listing is here.
–A home in Beverly Hills which was owned by a friend of actress Valerie Harper,who is now acting as executor of the estate, has an accepted offer of $5.4 million even though it was only listed at $4 million and appraised for less than that.
–Katherine Heigl has put her Los Feliz starter home, shown above, on the market for $1.75 million. The listing is here.
–Television producers Kent and Susan McCray have listed their Malibu home at $3.8 million. The five-bedroom home’s property website is here.

From the Wall Street Journal’s Private Properties:
–Tennis Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander has listed his home in Sun Valley, Idaho for $8.5 million. Wilander and his wife Sonya bought the land in the 1990s and built the home. The listing is here.
–A condo in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C. has hit the market at $10.6 million, which may be a record for the area. We’ll be looking at it as our estate of the day on Monday.
–A Jupiter, Florida home owned by British Internet entrepreneur Stuart Lawley has sold for $4.65 million which is around 22% less than he paid for it in 2001.

Filed under: Wine

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