Still trying to impress with your Chloe Paddington for $2,100? That’s nothing these days. How about a Chloe Paddington bag for $3,300? That’s chump change.

For the ultra-serious shopper, seeking the ultimate status symbol, nothing compares to the white alligator and diamond Chanel. Price is a staggering $260,150. If you want to save a few bucks, then try the $42,500 Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork tote. Don’t you feel better now?

Barbara Atkins, who’s the fashion director of Holt Renfrew Canada, says the “it” bag craze started when Hermes designed the “Kelly bag” for Grace Kelly. It became quite famous in 1956, when the princess appeared in Life magazine, hanging from her arm.  Full article

For hundreds of years now, luxury watches have been regarded as symbols of wealth, success and meticulous engineering. The fine artisanship of luxury watches such as Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Patek Philippe and others, has made them more than just timepieces. That is why for most people, owning a luxury watch is a symbol of having arrived, of success and triumph.

Luxury watches can quickly represent a status upon their wearers. Wearing a Rolex or Cartier watch signifies great class and wealth of the bearer. When buying luxury watches, there are several pointers that one should know before buying and investing in an expensive timepiece.
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Realtor Kurt Rappaport is very well known in the Los Angeles area. Not only does he earn a huge income by being a co-owner of the swankiest and most exclusive boutique brokerages in the L.A., but Kurt also makes millions of dollars by personally listing and selling the luxurious homes of the very rich and famous in Los Angeles.

For those of us who don’t him by name, you’ll probably recall this. He sold his own huge house on Calle Vista Drive in Beverly Hills to Tom Cruise and Kate Holmes in April of 2007. The amount was a shocking $30,500,000.

So where did Kurt Rappaport and his wife end up? They purchased the enormous house owned by auto accessories and tire tycoon, Lawrence Kraines (Kraco).

It was on the market for almost a year, but the 12,981 s.f. mansion finally sold for $15,990,000. Nice discount off the asking price of $18,950,000.   Full article

Susan S. Kurth of Dallas won a $6,714,119 Wheel of Fortune quarter MegaJackpot at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on Friday.

The 60-year-old homemaker was visiting Lake Tahoe with her husband.

“It’s almost as if I felt the Wheel of Fortune machine wink at me,” she said. “I heard one click, then another, and then I heard music. I realized I had hit the progressive jackpot and all I could think of was finding my husband to share the exciting moment.”

The win will enable the couple to fulfill a lifelong dream, Kurth said.

“My husband is planning to retire soon, and it’s been our dream to build a retirement home in Colorado,” Kurth said. “He’s been telling me that my dream home would cost millions. Winning this jackpot will make our dreams come true.”

Daimler AG recently reporting that they will be adding a fifth Maybach model to its impressive line-up – the Maybach Landaulet. This masterpiece of automotive engineering will not just shower its owner with luxury, with features such as smooth black leather and trim elements in glossy piano lacquer, but it will also cost about a staggering $1.35 million. The first customer vehicles are due to leave Maybach production in the fall of 2008.

The Maybach Landaulet thus offers a majestic open-air experience currently unrivalled by any other automobile. Boasting a certain romantic quality and allowing its passengers the opportunity to savour a closeness to nature, this exceptional vehicle also features the ultimate in comfort and technological sophistication and as such sets the new standard for the world’s most exclusive luxury vehicles.

In November 2007, Maybach revived the aura of the grand carriages of days gone by with its Landaulet study. The response from the public to this masterpiece was overwhelming, so much so that Maybach decided to offer the hand-built Landaulet based exclusively on the customer’s own specifications. A limited number of vehicles will be built in the Manufaktur workshops in Sindelfingenover a restricted period.

In technical terms the Maybach Landaulet is based on the Maybach 62 S – which can claim to be the world’s most powerful series-produced chauffeured saloon. Maybach technicians have removed the rear roof module in order to afford passengers an unobstructed view of the sky above.

Maybach has adapted the luxurious rear compartment to the requirements of open-top motoring. For instance, the rear head restraints are slightly larger than on the saloon and effectively help reduce wind turbulence. Another slim wind deflector is automatically raised at speeds above 70 km/h to further reduce the risk of any uncomfortable draughts.

The deflector, which measures around five centimetres, can be activated manually at any time. The switch is conveniently positioned for rear passengers in the centre console.

Being pampered at one of the worl’d most luxurious spas is tops on most of our wish lists. CHI, the Spa at Shangri-La, has opened at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. CHI, The Spa is located on its very own private island,  within the resort’s luxury premises.

Designed as a secluded sanctuary inspired by the mystical legend of “Shangri-La” captured in Lost Horizon by James Hilton, CHI occupies its own private island, Pulau Bayu, which in Malay means “Island of the Breeze”.

The 4,161-square-metre spa features eight island villas, the largest in Kota Kinabalu. Each villa comes with the CHI signature “spa within a spa” concept, featuring private treatment rooms, lounging areas, steam rooms, outdoor gardens and bathing facilities. The villas are located within the island’s perimetres to ensure privacy as well as full sea views with access through its very own entrance lobby.

Three of the villas are designed for couples and measure 69 square metres with 88-square-metre private gardens, complete with outdoor bathing amenities.

The island spa also features a yoga pavilion with full views of the South China Sea and breathtaking sunsets, lush private gardens ideal for lounging or meditation, and a welcoming “sanctum” with a spa boutique.

The CHI concept was developed in collaboration with a team of recognised experts in traditional Chinese medicine and Himalayan healing philosophies. In traditional Chinese philosophy, chi represents the universal life force that governs individual well-being and personal vitality. Spa treatments and an exclusive product range have been designed based on the Chinese philosophy of the five elements, in which metal, water, wood, fire and earth are in balance with the positive yang and negative yin energy within the body.

CHI Spa’s extensive menu features signature therapies like the Himalayan Healing Stone Massage and the Mountain Tsampa Rub based on the ancient healing traditions of the mystical Himalayan region, while natural ingredients like Borneo volcanic mud, Sabah pearls and cocoa find their way into a number of exclusive therapies highlighting the local culture.

Since its debut in 2004, CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, has been recognised internationally as a world-class spa brand, garnering media and industry awards. CHI spas operate today in Bangkok, Cebu, Shanghai, Penang, Muscat and Guangzhou with a further 22 spas scheduled to open in premier city and resort locations over the next five years.
Article by: Asia Travel Tips.com

Late last year, I mentioned that that Tiffany & Co, will be opening smaller concept stores. Now it turns out the first one will open up in the new Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale, California. The space will be approximately 2,600-square feet, which is quite small compared to the existing stores which average 7,100 square feet.

The smaller stores are meant to appeal to women and more entry-level shoppers. No engagement rings or “statement jewelry” here and there will be an emphasis of sterling silver pieces, the types of things that women might buy for themselves as a treat. If the smaller store concept succeeds it will allow Tiffany to more than triple the amount of stores they have currently.

In analyzing how this will turn out I can see how it could go either way. On the one hand, Tiffany will be able to extend to many more people who thought they couldn’t afford Tiffany pieces and will provide more brand visibility. On the other hand, the decline in the luxury market right now is mostly hitting the lower tier of the high-end, precisely where Tiffany is aiming these stores.

There is also the possibility that these stores might further dilute the power of the Tiffany brand. In fact, CNN reports that LVMH which was mulling over a bid for the company, fears that the jeweler may be too “mid-market” for their portfolio.

Many times in Hollywood or the overall entertainment business, good looks means few brain cells. In the case of supermodel Tyra Banks, that is certainly not the case. Underneath that glamourous exterior lies a fiercely determined businesswoman. Tyra has two hit shows: ”America’s Next Top Model” and ”The Tyra Banks Show”.

But Tyra Banks is not satisfied and has lofty goals. She has designs on building a multimedia empire.  Tyra says, “”Oprah Winfrey is a mogul. Martha Stewart is a mogul. I’m probably a mogul in the making. I’m almost there”

After her unbelievable modeling career wound down, her second life was just starting. The May 2003 debut of her creation America’s Next Top Model, which has grown into a worldwide hit and is embarking upon its 10th cycle (premiering Feb. 20 on The CW) began modestly. The most recent edition was the network’s top-rated series, averaging 5.2 million viewers weekly.

And The Tyra Banks Show — a broad mix of women’s issues and frothy fare — is now a talk-show force to be reckoned with: 4.3 million adult female viewers tuned in weekly this past November sweeps, and, with a median age of 40.

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In the heart of the world’s wine capital is Sonoma. It lies about 60 miles north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Sonoma has about 60,000 rolling, vine-filled acres dotted with more than 250 incredible wineries. The Sonoma wines have long been outstanding and award winning. The top-notch restaurants are on every culinary tourists’ radar.  But Sonoma gets even better.

Often the step child to its better known rival – Napa, recent stays at three Sonoma sanctuaries convinced me that you don’t have to go to buttoned-down Napa for pampering. Sonoma has arrived with a variety of luxury hotels that rival others anywhere in the world. Does a champaign bath sound enticing?  Full article

In a world where new fragrances pop up seemingly every day from people who were born in the 80s (like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson), wearing a fragrance bearing the name of the family who has made it since before you were born, since before the United States was born, in fact, can be a serious statement of refinement and maturity. It also puts you in a pretty select group.

Perfume company Creed was founded in 1760 in England and about one hundred years later moved to Paris, where it is still headquartered today. Creed has designed fragrances for royalty and celebrity alike. Creeds fragrances are still mixed by hand, and contain more natural ingredients than any other French perfume house.

They have created over two hundred original fragrances. While Olivier Creed, the sixth generation, is now at the helm, his son and daughter both work in the business as well, which promises to stay in the family for the foreseeable future. Olivier travels the world to find the choicest (and often most expensive) of ingredients.

The oldest fragrance still in Creeds lineup (they currently produce 48 different scents) is Royal English Leather, which was created for King George III of England. You probably remember him as the guy against whom we fought the Revolutionary War.

One of Creeds fragrances, Fleurissimo, was designed for Grace Kelly as a wedding present at the behest of her groom, Prince Rainier III of Monaco. A floral scent, it combines Bulgarian rose, tuberose, violet, and Florentine iris. Kelly and the prince were married in 1956, and the fragrance endures today, a textbook definition of a classic. It was also a favorite of American icons Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Madonna.

Originally designed for Cary Grant and now worn by the likes of Clint Eastwood and George Clooney, as well as some women, Creeds Green Irish Tweed is spicier, but with some of the same notes as Fleurissimo, such as Florentine iris and violet. It also adds sandalwood, ambergris, and French verbena.

The house of Creed has not rested on its laurels in recent past, though. Current Master perfumer Olivier Creed created Silver Mountain Water, inspired by the French mountains. Departing from more famous muses, Creed designed this fragrance for himself, though it is a unisex cologne. Its predominant scents are green tea and black currant. It is worn by British soccer star David Beckham, while his wife Victoria, formerly of the Spice Girls, prefers Creeds Royal Water.
Article by: Cathy Peterson

Morocco has always been a land of mystery and intrigue. Four years ago, very few people outside of Morocco had heard of Saidia – or even of the Oriental region along the Algerian border, where it is situated. Lying on the eastern-most edge of Morocco, with no highways connecting it to the rest of the country, the region has been a backwater, even though it has one of the country’s most attractive coastlines.

But in a heartbeat, all that quickly changed. In 2002, King Mohammed VI made an announcement that Saidia would be the site of his flagship resort – ”Mediterrania-Saidia”. This luxury resort would be the first of six luxury coastal developments in Morocco. The other five are being built along the country’s Atlantic coast.  Full article