Cherchbi

Referred to as the Louis Vuitton of wool, Cherchbi takes a holistic approach to fashion and accessories.  Cherchbi has long used The Herdwick to create its exquisite bags.  The Herdwick is an ancient breed of sheep that received its name from Old Norse.

Evolved to adapt to the cold, wet, rugged mountains of England’s Lake District, these extraordinary sheep have the incredible ability to survive extreme conditions.

The result: a type of fleece that is sturdy and warm, yet thick and coarse, designed to extreme wear and tear.  The Herdwick’s bristly nature makes it difficult to spin.  However, advocates recognized the Herdwick’s value in rural British heritage, and began experimenting ways to use the Herdwick’s sturdy nature to its advantage.

It started out as carpets and even as building insulation.  But in 2007, Adam Atkinson transformed the Herdwick fleece into handmade, high-quality tweed, alchemy in wool to produce beautiful and durable bags.

The new Cherchbi Archive Messenger Bag encompasses four years and nine weaves of innovation and trial and error.  Handmade entirely in Britain, this bag is handsome enough for professional use, yet sturdy enough for everyday use.

Each Cherchbi handbag is made from specially woven English Union fabric, a waterproof cotton/linen herringbone material, with multiple exterior and interior pockets for practicality.  Exclusively available on Bench and Loom, the Archive Messenger Bag is prime example of the tenacity of Atkinson and the remarkable Herdwick sheep.

Alex Lynn’s Custom MarkVIII F

The British Formula 3 season promises to be another action packed season. The racing circuit has 10 events and 29 races scheduled throughout Europe. Driver Alex Lynn is set to debut in the Formula 3 series after winning the 2011 championship in Formula Renault, where he racked up an impressive 12 wins during the season.

The talented 18-year-old rising star of British Motorsport has caught the eye of legendary Formula One driver Stefan Johansson, who for the first time has agreed to sponsor a driver.

“This is my first initiative to sponsor a young athlete which I believe have all the ingredients to go all the way in their respective field. I have always been interested to try and help young drivers that have exceptional talent, and I believe Alex clearly falls into this category,” said Johansson.

Stefan Johansson, continues, “I have been following his progress the last few years and if he continues on the same path it won’t be long before we will see Alex reaching the top of the ladder in our sport. I am proud and honored to be a part of the team that will make Alex realize his dreams and goals.”

In addition to his continued involvement in motorsports both on and off the track, Johansson is enjoying a second career designing racing inspired Swiss timepieces for his eponymous line, Stefan Johansson Vaxjo. These complex mechanical wonders are put to the ultimate test of being worn by a professional driver during an actual race. They must withstand the vibrations of the steering wheel while negotiating sharp corners as well as, numerous gearshifts and thousands of miles of track.

Johansson has designed a limited edition series of 10 custom Mark VIIIF chronographs emblazoned with Lynn’s logo.

“Naturally, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Stefan, his watches are cool and his illustrious career is certainly an inspiration to me! We’ve known Stefan for a few years and I have always appreciated his help and advice along the way,” Said Lynn of the partnership. “Stefan knows what you need to do to get the job done in motorsport and when he suggested the watch partnership, I was really pleased. It will be extra motivation to me to be wearing my Stefan Johansson Växjö watch as I compete!”

In addition to Alex Lynn, legendary racecar drivers Mark Blundell, Johnny Herbert, Arie Luyendyk, Eddie Cheever, Emerson Fittipaldi and Scott Dixon have donned the Mark VIII Collection on the track.

Courtesy of: Lange & Söhne

Lange & Söhne celebrates the 165th year as the founder of Germany’s precision watchmaking industry.

To commemorate this milestone achievement, Lange & Söhne has introduced an wonderful trio of watches including” the Tourbograph “Pour le Mérite”, the Lange 1 Tourbillon, and the 1815 Moonphase.

The trilogy of luxury anniversary collection watches consist of novel gold alloy and offer a contemporary brilliance in their design.

Through four generations, Lange & Söhne watch dynasty and tradition lives on. Lange & Söhne continues to produce the ultimate in luxury timepieces.

This new collection is titled, “165 Years – Homage to F.A. Lange.”

Back in 1845, Ferdinand Adolph Lange moved from the Dresden, Germany to the remote and poor mining town of Glashütte.

Lange’s goal was to fulfill his dream of becoming a top watch maker.

Many of the watch innovations and enhancements designed by Ferdinand Adolph Lange have become industry standard over the years.

An example is he was among the first to adopt the metric unit of measurement, leaving behind the Parisian ligne system, which as standard at the time.

The hard work, dedication of Ferdinand Adolph Lange continues to be the backbone of the modern today company.

View the company’s web site for all their luxury watches –
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/de/index.html

Pequignet Moorea Elegance

Pequignet watches are a relative newcomer to the luxury watch industry. The luxury watchmaker was formed back in 1973.

Regardless, there is no doubt their credentials are top notch as one can see viewing a watch from their luxurious Moorea Elegance collection.

Pequignet watches are French designed and Swiss engineered, so you are getting the best of both worlds with Pequignet. Their excellent selection of men’s watches are taking the industry by storm and rapidly becoming amongst the most sought after in the luxury watch market.

The Pequignet Moorea Elegance timepiece offers a stylish design that is steeped in heritage, but also with a modern twist. The watch’s specifications are impressive and include sapphire crystal glass, Swiss made automatic movement, 41mm polished steel case and a water resistance of a not-too-shabby 50m.

All in all, a luxury watch not too be missed. Retail Price of the Pequignet Moorea Elegance watch is approximately $2,000.

Morella Sassoon

Luxury fashion is tricky.  Overly simple designs understate the elegant essence of the apparel.  But ostensible luxury designs achieve a gaudy look and feel.  Morella Sassoon, however, seems to have simple luxury fashion down to an art.

Morella Sassoon is known for delivering meticulous designs that accentuates feminine elegance through intricate embellishments and delicate finishes.  The label is headed by British self-taught designer, Daniella, and her partner, Monty Sassoon.  Daniella infuses the right amount of English eccentricity and personality into her designs.  She blends rich fabrics and deliberate beadwork to create clothing women can wear with ease and comfort.

Sassoon’s current 2012/2013 collection can now be viewed on their website.  Their designs range from tea length to ankle length, shapes spans from ball gown to mermaid.

Their collection is diverse enough for women to wear to date nights, parties, weddings, or formal evening galas.  As different as each dress was designed, one thing is apparent: all of the dresses focus on simple yet soft feminine lines.  Every dress is created to flatter a specific body type.  Even the simplest of tea length dresses does not compromise on the overall elegance.

What I found interesting was Sassoon’s blog site.  It details the new collection as well as upcoming events like their first showcasing at China White, London.  The event is on April 12, 2012.

Interested readers in the area can request a press or buyer’s pass through their media contact,  press@morellasassoon.com.

Grieb & Benzinger

Grieb & Benzinger is a maker luxury timepieces. The watch company recently unveiled the 3 Masterpieces.

This watch collection from Grieb & Benzinger is Valued at greater more than $1.5 million dollars and includes three of the most complicated and heaviest platinum watches ever produced.

Prior to this year’s Baselworld show, Grieb & Benzinger drew a lot of attention with its “3 masterpieces” watches.

Below is a video showing the making and watch product details of the BLUE DANUBE – one of these three gorgeous masterpieces.

Last Tuesday was National Proposal Day and Tailored.com has learned some interesting facts about the 21st Century bride and gathered information about brides-to-be proposal stories.

A marriage proposal can be one of the happiest but also the most stressful events in your life.

Here’s a collection of fascinating facts on Wedding Proposals:

– When we asked women, what was the first thing that crossed your mind as soon as he popped the question?
26% said “WOW!. This ring is stunning”
23% said “I can’t wait to tell everyone!”
14% said “I am in shock… he took me by complete surprise!”
13% of women said “It’s about time he asked me to marry him!”
9% said “Shoot i wish I were wearing a different outfit or at least had thrown on some makeup!”
9% said “I wish I had gotten a manicure! I can’t take a pic of a ring with these nails!”
6% said “EEEK! I don’t know if I like this ring!”

– How many times have you been engaged?
82% of women said this is their first time
9% have been engaged before but broke off the engagement
5% have been been proposed to before but said “no”
4% have been married before

– The majority of women today (59%) say that they didn’t have to pressure their guy to pop the question because they both talked about getting engaged equally. However, 21% of women said that they WERE a pressure cooker… and that getting engaged was all they could talk about!

– Women are dating for longer before getting engaged. The majority of brides-to-be (27%) were dating their significant other between 3-5 years before getting engaged. The next biggest group of brides (22%) were dating their significant other between 1-2 years before getting engaged.

– Did he ask your dad for permission before proposing? 45% of women said the fiance asked permission from both parents before proposing, a whopping 34% said he did NOT ask their dad or their mom, 13% said he asked their dad and did not tell their mom, while 8% asked only their mom and not their dad.

– True love is alive! Women still get married because they are madly in love! 86% of women polled said that they wanted to walk down the aisle solely because they love their guy so much, they wanted to become his wife (finances, family, etc. were not their #1 reason for wanting to get hitched)! Starting a family was listed as the next most popular response, receiving 10% of the vote. Only 4% of women polled said they were getting married because they felt like it was time and their clock was ticking. Only .01% of women polled said that they were getting married because they were waiting to get married to have sex and wanted to be intimate with their partner.

– Did he get down on one knee? 78% of women said their fiance got down on one knee to propose, 22% of women said their guy did NOT get down on one knee.

– How surprised were you by your proposal? 65% of women said that the didn’t see the proposal coming that day but they did know it was in the future plans because they talked about it often, 18% of women said they were SHOCKED by their proposal and had no idea their man was thinking about popping the question, 13% of women said they knew when he was going to propose but acted surprised anyway!

– Is he the one? 65% of women polled say they are absolutely positive they are marrying their soulmate, 34% of women say they are confident that they are marrying the right guy, but do not believe in soulmates; 1% of women polled said they are not sure they are marrying the right guy.

– Who did you call first to share the news after he popped the question? 47% of women called their mom first, 27% of women called home and told both parents at once, 22% waited and did not call anyone at first because they wanted some time to enjoy the proposal privately, 1% called their sister first, 1% called their dad first, 1% called their fiance’s family first, 1% called their best friend first.

– How would you rate your proposal on a scale from 1-10? 50% of brides would give their men a “10” on the proposal, 14% would give their proposal a “9” on a scale from 1-10, 12% would give their proposal an “8”. The other numbers below 8 are pretty evenly divided with 1% each 2% each (ouch… 2% of women would give their proposal a “1”).

– How did you celebrate after he proposed? 28% said they went out to a nice dinner, just the two of them; 26% said they were already on vacation when he proposed; 19% said they spent a romantic night at home, just the two of them; 14% went out to dinner with family, 10% said they went out celebrating with friends.

– Did your guy seem nervous when he proposed? 54% said their fiance seemed a little nervous, but nothing too noticeable; 36% said their fiance was shaking like a leaf he was so nervous, and 10% said he was cool as a cucumber.

– Who was around when he proposed? 69% of women said their man proposed to them in private, with no one else around; 26% of women said there were LOTS of strangers around because he proposed in a very public place, and 9% said he popped the question around a group of close family/friends.

– How long did you wait to announce your proposal on Facebook? 85% of women waited to share the news on FB until they had told their close family and friends first, 10% said they posted their engagement on FB as soon as he popped the question, and 5% said their friends have posted things but they still haven’t changed their status to “engaged.”

– Were there tears flowing at your proposal? 42% said that there were no tears.. neither party cried; 31% of women said they cried but their fiance did not, 17% said that both they and their fiance were crying, 10% said that their man cried but they did not.

Men have long been ridiculed for their lack of fashion-forward dress. One trend that is on the rise for men, is wearing scarves.

Now we’re not talking about a typical woman who owns dozens of scarves in multiple colors and shapes. A single chunky scarf is the ideal men’s fashion must-have.

A “handmade” knit scarf is all a guy needs and adds a bit of flare to his cold weather look. During the colder months, select a scarf in a neutral color like oatmeal or gray.

In addition, a great men’s scarf can be styled more than a hundred different ways. One of the easiest and least fussy is to loosely wrap it over a jacket.

Another great idea is a do-it-yourself donut and wrap it multiple times to “hug” your neck. This sophisticated shape keeps you warm and gives you a little street swagger at the same time.

To add another layer to that new look, consider a pair glasses – Marc Ecko Cut & Sew’s Ghost Shears. The retro Clubmaster sun features a bold acetate top brow with metal wire rim.

The stylish sunglasses comes with lasered temples, polycarbonate lenses and the signature temple tip with laser shears logo, Ghost Shears is available in Black, Merlot and Tortoise Green Laminate.

View the style here: http://www.cvoptical.com/OurBrands/MarcEcko_h.html

Jaquet Droz – Paris

It’s been 225 years since Jaquet Droz opened its first watchmaking workshop in the French capital of Paris.

History sometimes does repeat itself. Jaquet Droz recently inaugurated its first Parisian boutique at 8, rue de la Paix.

Jaquet Droz is well known for its luxury watch products, and rich watchmaking tradition.

Located at 8, rue de la Paix – the new Parisian boutique is characterized by sleek lines, a palette of black, enamel colors and gray as well as contrasting matte and glossy surfaces.

Founder Pierre Jaquet Droz, was fond of Paris and he created a workshop there in 1785.

Then in the early part of the 21st century, Jaquet Droz launched the “Elegance Paris” Collection, which included luxurious timepieces that were influenced by the glamor and femininity of fine, Parisian fashion.

Jaquet Droz has moved into one of the world’s most prestigious addresses. The new Jaquet Droz Parisian boutique is just a stone’s throw from Place Vendôme.

Number 8, rue de la Paix pays tribute to a sense of French style, that’s characterized by a rich taste for perfection and pure luxury.

Grieb & Benzinger Blue Dragon

Luxury watchmaker Grieb & Benzinger is offering an unusual, limited watch collection in celebration of the Year of the Dragon 2012.

In China, the dragon has always been the symbol of imperial power – a symbol for happiness, peace, protection and destiny. According to one legend, the Chinese see themselves as the progeny of the dragon, and children born in the Year of the Dragon are said to have the same characteristics as the dragon itself: the child will be intelligent, benevolent, strong and just.

The new dragon watch collection of 2012 from Grieb & Benzinger integrates both Chinese mythology with the top notch craftsmanship of Grieb & Benzinger. This fine watch collection is the most lavish line of watches ever dedicated to the Year of the Dragon.

All the watches in this luxury dragon watch line are skeletonized, guilloché and engraved by hand. This has long been a tradition by Grieb & Benzinger.

The watch collection is made up of eight different models of eight pieces each. Eight is the lucky number in China.

All watch movements are hand-skeletonized and bear the number of limitation (1/8 through 8/8) hand-skeletonized into the gear train bridge.

– The mother-of-pearl models WHITE and GREY DRAGON. Their mother-of-pearl dials allude to the pearl that the male dragon carries underneath his chin.
– The BLACK DRAGON includes China’s favorite colors: black and red. The dragon hovers over a skeletonized Sterling silver dial, which covers a blackened, hand-skeletonized movement.
– The BLUE DRAGON (photo above) is the masterpiece of the dragon collection. The dragon is fully skeletonized out of the movement itself and majestically floats within the case.

Prices for the Dragon Watch Collection for 2012 by Brieb & Benzinger range from 32,500 Euros up to 65,000 Euros (net price, ex Germany).

This brilliant video is titled L’Odyssée de Cartier. Now you can discover the new Cartier film, a journey between dream and reality.

For the very first time, Cartier has decided to create a cinema epic focusing on its history, its values and inspiration, its artistic and universal scope.

The Cartier video was directed by Bruno Aveillan.