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(Above: Saks Fifth Avenue, US)
Saks Fifth Avenue opened its Bahrain store on Saturday, establishing its presence in the booming Manama, Bahrain City Centre. All products and services have been promised to be of the same standards as the United States stores, with personalised customer service included in its offerings (just like in the US stores).
“We are very pleased to bring Saks Fifth Avenue to Manama, Bahrain, which is a great shopping and tourist destination,” said Stephen I. Sadove, Chairman and CEO of Saks Incorporated, “We have worked closely with Style Avenue Middle East to deliver an extraordinary assortment of luxury brands and experiences to the residents of and visitors to Bahrain.”
Not a detail of luxury as can be found in the US stores will be lost on this new store, is basically their guarantee. For the women they can be assured that there will be skin care treatment rooms, luxury fitting rooms, and the world-famous 10022-SHOE salon.
Recently released images of Germany’s Fraunhofer Society’s research into luxury concepts and options of the future show that the hotels of the future may have an abundance of smart technology equipped.
Features such as windows which turn into television screens, beds which rock their sleepers to sleep. Robotics, of course are part of the equation. With a robot waiter delivering all your alcoholic needs straight from you minibar. It’s a wonder if we would be needing to move our bodies at all.
The various teams of engineers and scientists have also been playing around with sensor-lined carpets, which detect not only guests’ arrivals and departures, but also heating requirements in room temperature.
The rocking bed has been compared to the experience of being in Nirvana: “as if you were being gently rocked from a seven meter long rope,” by Vanessa Borkmann, project leader.
Even more features include hotel bathrooms which turn into saunas, and more robot deliverers – this time in the context of room service.
Currently there’s been no word about pricing or maintenance, and no confirmed orders by any of the major luxury hotel groups.
Source: io9
Animal lovers, look away. Most of this stuff is made of crocodile. Considered the “finest French croc” by the designer himself, Matthew Williamson has created a range of luxurious pieces of accessories as part of his Spring/Summer 2009 collection. Inspired by all things exotic, the above-right clutch bag will cost you around £1,600.
An exclusive red wine or nude shade version will be available for purchase from December 10 at the London Bruton Street store only. Located at 28 Bruton St, the Matthew Williamson store is quite an experience in itself. With bold colours, feminine furnishings, it’s a luxury ladies’ paradise.
As creative director to the house of Emilio Pucci since 2005, Matthew Williamson has won numerous awards in the fashion world, and is known for amazing patterns and play with colours. Williamson had designed limited edition Coca-Cola bottles in Spring 2004, based on the prints in his fashion collection that season.
Forbes Magazine released its list of the priciest restaurants in the US and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio’s Tom: Tuesday Dinner, which only opened last month made it to the list. For 2 alternate Tuesdays every month, Tom whips up a 7- to 8-course tasting menu at a private dining room at Craft in New York. His menu for November 11 includes an oyster stew, Nantucket Bay scallops and a white truffle lasagna for a fixed price of US$ 175.
Chef Thomas Keller creates, not one but, two Chef’s Tasting Menu daily for French Laundry, which he also owns. His 9-course meals usually last 4-5 hours and cost at least US$ 240. Keller is famous for his Oysters and Pearls which is actually Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar.
Legendary “Chef of the Century” Joël Robuchon opened his first fine dining venture in the US at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and instantly was included in this list of priciest restaurants. His 16-course Tasting Menu will set you back US$ 385 but being the first and only 3-star Michelin Guide winner in Las Vegas, you’re assured of a gastronomic experience you will never forget.
Topping this list is Masa at the new Time Warner Center in New York City with its 29-course Omakase meal, which costs US$ 400 per person. Chef Masa Takayama does not write down a menu since he adjusts the meals according to the availability of the ingredients, which are flown in daily from Alaska, Spain and Japan. The Omakase meal is basically 4-5 appetizers followed by 25 sushi variations. Now that’s a lot of sushi.
Patterned after the sailing canoes of the 1800s, the Caillou boat functions like a kayak with the ease of use of a daysailer. Caillou has been making these “better small boats” for 15 years now, giving us the option to sail or paddle. In this world of “the bigger, the better,” a Caillou boat is a nostalgic tribute to the traditional but with a modern twist.
Set sail across the water without having to worry about wind patterns when you return. When it’s time to head home, just furl and stow the rig and bring out the Greenland style kayak paddles. If it’s exercise you want, then start your trip with the kayak and head for the beach. After a sumptuous picnic, you may be too full to padde away. No problem. You can always sail home.
The black fiberglass version shown here is a special limited edition. The deck and hull are solid fiberglass with mahogany trimming. The fiberglass seats, which are not attached to the boat enabling you to use it as camping seats, come with floatation devices. The boat can seat 2 adults comfortably and has a maximum capacity of about 500 lbs. There’s plenty of room to store supplies making it possible to turn your day trip into an overnighter.
This Caillou sailing canoe sells for £5,460 (or appoximately US$ 8,500). Only 5 editions were made of this version so hurry and order your Caillou online now.
London-based leather authority Bill Amberg made his first bag in 1984 and has been known for excellent craftsmanship and ingenuity since then. Bill’s designs stay true to classic and effortless British style. Their flagship store in Notting Hill showcases the beautiful things they create: luxurious luggage, elegant jewelry and everyday items in plush leather like baby booties, dog beds and rugby balls.
Bill Amberg’s designers and leather craftsmen are always on the lookout for innovative ways to use their beloved material. They have worked with the likes of Aston Martin, Bergdorf Goodman, Bulgari, Dunhill and Motorola creating bespoke leather pieces.
Proof of the Bill Amberg genius is the Shuttle briefcase, shown here in black alligator. The exterior of this lightweight briefcase is flawless, its purple suede interior padded to protect your important documents while being extremely luxurious. The handle is single cast aluminum embedded with 2 Swarovski crystals, which you have the option to change to diamonds. Its unique single-action closing mechanism took about 18 months to perfect.
This special edition briefcase comes with a certificate attesting to its exclusivity. Bill Amberg only made 10 editions of this black alligator Shuttle and as of presstime, only one edition remains up for grabs. Lead-time for further orders will be 10 weeks due to the rareness of the skins used. The price-tag for this exotic-skin briefcase? £ 11,175 (approximately US$ 17,600).
Fortnum and Mason, the world’s most elite grocery store, is now accepting orders for its famous gift hampers for the holidays. Our choice for this year? The Imperial Hamper, priced at GB£ 5,000 (approx. US$ 7,900), is packed with an assortment of over 25 luxury treats from all over the world.
The Krug Vintage Champagne 1995 Magnum, the Château Mouton Rothschild 1988 (Pauillac) and the Château d’Yquem 1989 (Sauternes) are just three of the seven bottles of champagne and wine that the hamper holds to keep the spirits up during the holidays. To complement the wine, there are three kinds of cheeses including 800 grams of Vacherin Mont d’Or.
Looking to make some hors d’oeuvres for intimate parties at home? The Imperial comes with 6 kilograms of Organic Highgrove Ham, 2 kilograms of Joselito Pate Negra Ham, a Royal Fillet of Salmon, some Foie Gras and Oscietra Caviar. For those with a sweet tooth, a drum of the finest milk and dark truffles, a box of liquer chocolates, a Christmas pudding and 2 kilograms of fruitcake will definitely more than suffice.
To wind the celebrations down, how about a hot cup of coffee? The Imperial carries beans from Bolivia, Costa Rica and El Salvador. For non-coffee drinkers, there is a choice between Flowering China Tea and Tregothnan English Tea.
While hampers may already be ordered online, delivery will only start on December 9 to ensure that the fresh food items are in peak condition on Christmas Day.
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