Warren Buffet. Image Courtesy: Reuters

Power lunch finds a new definition as Charity Buzz puts a meal with Warren Buffet up for auction. The encounter will take place in Smith and Wollensky, New York. The auction, now in its fifth year, has fetched a minimum of $1.6 million. Last year the bid closed at $3.46 million. We’re eager to see what 2013 brings. The funds will ultimately be donated to Glide Foundation – a charity for the homeless.

Tumblr 2.0

Yahoo announced the acquisition of microbloging platform Tumblr for a staggering price of $1.1 billion, making it the fourth most expensive acquisition the company has made in the last 16 years. Tumblr was founded by David Karp, a high-school dropout, six years ago at the age of 20. He is expected to make $250 million from the deal and joins the select circle of entrepreneurs who have struck it rich before turning 30.
 
The French Villa in Greenwich

America’s most expensive home, the Copper Beech Farm, is now on sale and it is located in Greenwich, Connecticut. The estate is spread over 50 acres and offers a French renaissance-style house with 13,519sqft of living space. The apartment also rates high on architectural significance as it has been listed in a 1986 coffee table book about the city. At the moment, it demands a price of $190 million dollars. David Ogilvy & Associates who are affiliated with Christie’s International Real Estate are handling the listing exclusively.

 
From Miami to the World

Cruise down the Amazon River, attend a temple ceremony in Bali and take a tropical break in Samoa with Geoffrey Kent. The founder of luxury travel company Abercombie & Kent will now be accompanying his guests in the most expensive tour in the world. The $100,000 worth trip begins in Miami, and covers his favourite destinations in nine countries, over a span of 26 days. The passengers will be flown in business class seats of a Boeing 757 with an on-board lounge and a well-stocked bar.

Karlie Kloss

We already told you Tarun Tahiliani was presenting two creations at the amfAR fashion show in Cannes. Well, here's a look at the outfits, modelled by Spanish male model Andres Velencoso Segura and American supermodel Karlie Kloss.

Andres Velencoso Segura

While Segura modelled dhoti pants paired with a shorter version of the Nehru jacket, Kloss walked the ramp in one of Tahiliani's sari gowns. Don't miss the glittering gold headpiece Kloss wore. We wonder if it will start a new trend.

The Ultimate Gold Collection Fashion Show was curated by Carine Roitfeld and Naomi Campbell, and was attended by Sharon Stone, Jessica Chastain, Rosario Dawson, Goldie Hawn, Janet Jackson, Milla Jovovich, Heidi Klum, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Christopher Waltz, Dita von Teese and Roberto Cavalli among others. TT's outfits were later auctioned at a charity dinner, with the proceeds going towards funding AIDS research.

Image via 51 Buckingham Gate

The idea of high-tea finds a new meaning at 51 Buckingham Gate in London. The luxury hotel, part of the Taj Group of Hotels, partners with Luxor Champagne to launch a special tea laced with 24k gold.
 
With a menu designed by celebrity chef Vikas Milhoutra, the afternoon tea platter offers Gold Leaf Jelly, White Chocolate Delight with Gold Leaf and Strawberry Tart with Gold Flakes along with finger sandwiches and scones. Like the delightful beverage, they come with a generous helping of Luxor Pure Gold 24K Brut Champagne.


The tea is available at an introductory price of £99 for two. A prior booking of 24-hours is required.

Source: IANS, 51 Buckingham Gate

 As the rains threaten to take charge, many flee to sandy beaches for that one last tryst with the sun. While we’ve got a load of destinations worth the travel, we’d like to take a quick minute to talk about our favourite travel accessory this month—a portable jewellery box by Dottling. The very stylish black compact safe is fashioned out of fine calf leather, and is also equipped with a GPS tracking system. At $9,600, this one’s a steal (pun intended)!

Okay, so back to the itinerary, first stop: Conrad Koh Samui in Thailand. This luxury resort is a hot pick courtesy its latest addition—The Oceanview Three Bedroom Pool Villa. Spread across829sqm of indoor and outdoor space, the villa offers gorgeous views of the area, opens up to a private lawn terrace, and boasts of a master suite, two junior suites, a private pool and outdoor deck on the lower level. However, all this will set you back by $6,674 per night.

More suite pleasure we’d like you to consider are the Extreme Wow Suites on the 31st floor of the W Hotel in San Francisco. The suites are designed to provide an opulent experience to guests, what with 900sqft of living space, thoughtful interiors and installations with eastern influences, custom artwork on the walls, and some in-suite space should you wish to entertain or call a 10-person meeting. For $2,500 per night, that’s a sizeable offer.

Now for the ladies we recommend a trip to NYC. While in the Big Apple, check into The Mark Hotel for an interesting experience like never before. The hotel offers an on-call personal shopper to all guests for any fashion related emergencies. Having worked out a deal with department store Bergdorf Goodman, you can now access the store’s goodies 24/7, and may also be given store admission should there be a fashion emergency. Ladies, are you sold?

And if you were impressed with a shopper at hand, we wonder what you would make of Mobilona’s Space Hotel in Barcelona. With an initial investment of $2 billion, the company’s set in motion plans for the construction of a man-made island that will play host to this futuristic hotel. With 2,000 suites and luxury residences priced between €495,000-€20 million for residential purchase, Europe’s tallest hotel will also provide immersive wall and surface displays that would give you panoramic impressions of the universe.

Mercahndise from the Armani Caffé at La Croisette, Cannes

First Look

Well, two popular designers are creating all the buzz this week. The first would be Ralph Lauren with his RL67 Safari collection debut in the US. A special event was hosted to launch the COSC-certified RL67 Chronometer which sports Arabic numerals on the dial, and Lauren’s signature faded olive canvas strap.

The second designer in the news would be Giorgio Armani who gave the world its first Armani Caffé, in tandem with a namesake boutique at Cannes. Located on La Croisette, the Armani Caffé spans over an area of 180sqm, which is inclusive of a large terrace that can accommodate around 70 guests. With modest interiors and cosy furniture by Armani Casa, we bet this one’s already found its fan following from the celebrities at the Cannes 2013 Film Festival.

What We Like: OMEGA De Ville Ladymatic "Diamonds and Pearls" Watch

Why We Like It: This stunning timepiece is enriched with OMEGA's 18K Sedna gold, an alloy of gold, copper and palladium, which ensures that its unique rose gold colour will be particularly long lasting. It comes with a 34 mm polished 18K Sedna gold case with a titanium inner casebody that complements the bezel, which is paved with diamonds arranged in a snow-set pattern. The polished crown is set with a "Brilliant OMEGA Cut" briolette diamond. The white mother-of-pearl dial is studded with 11 diamond indexes placed in 18K Sedna gold diamond-facetted holders and a date window at 3 o'clock. The dial is protected by a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment. The caseback is fashioned with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal which makes it possible to view the Co-Axial calibre 8521 within. The self-winding movement, equipped with a three-level Co-Axial escapement and silicon balance spring, features special luxury finishes including an 18K red gold rotor and balance bridge. The watch is water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres / 330 feet) and comes with a full four-year warranty.

The stunning bracelet that is attached to the case with polished hinges is made up of 52 white Akoya pearls, polished 18K Sedna gold pearls and 310 full-cut diamonds. The butterfly clasp is decorated with diamonds set in a wave pattern. This exquisite watch made its debut on the red carpet at Cannes when brand ambassador Nicole Kidman wore it to this year's film festival where she served as a jury member.

The OMEGA De Ville Ladymatic "Diamonds and Pearls" Watch will be available at all OMEGA boutiques during the upcoming festive season; price: Rs. 7,830,000.

Image Courtesy: Reuters

The M/Y”A”

Inventor, creator, architect, designer, artistic director – Philippe Starck’s profile reads all of the above. And his most recent tryst, with naval architecture, has translated into what he calls the stealth yacht.

The vehicle, now docked at the Miami bay, is the topic of much conversation. It was designed by Starck and Martin Francis in 2008 and received funding of $300 million by EuroChem chairman Andrei and his wife Aleksandra Melnichenko. The M/Y”A”, named after them, has set new standards in the industry by producing zero wake at 25 knots. Or as Philippe puts it: The yacht is physically more a fish than a building.

The 390ft vessel comes armed with a ‘nookie room’, an escape system and 44 security cameras. The master suite, encircled in bomb-proof glass, contains a king-sized bed that rotates at the touch of a button. The super yacht may as well have been created for Hugh Heffner.


Via Elite Choice, Huffington Post

Why the scepticism, you ask? Well for starters, at the base of it, Porsche Design’s P’9981 Gold has been fashioned out of a relatively dated BlackBerry Bold 9900. With the BB7 operating system minus all the upgrades in the BlackBerry Q10, the latter is a comparatively priced catch with or without the gold plating.

Either way, here’s what Porsche Design’s P’9981 Gold is made of: 24k gold plating, numbered edition with a very exclusive 2AA prefix code that lets your friends know you are the owner of the limited edition series.

Just as the prefix code becomes part of your BB pin, the gold plating becomes part of the original stainless steel body of a BlackBerry Bold 9900.

With an angular structure and sharper lines, it does look a tad bit distinct but not necessarily glamorous, considering the gold treatment is only on the face of the phone, while the back flap is fashioned in some black leather.

Priced at $1,890 (approximately Rs 1.5 lakh), only 25 pieces will be released in June, all of which will be available at the brand’s various boutiques and on porsche-design.com.

Firoz and Leela Poonawalla

Close on the heels of Sangita Jindal’s private art museum, we have word that now Pune’s philanthropist couple Firoz and Lila Poonawalla plan to convert their palatial bungalow in Baner, famously full of artifacts collected from their travels across the globe, into a museum that will inspire people to explore diverse cultures.

A museum requires meticulous cataloguing and the Poonawallas have been quietly doing just that between breaks from their travels to over 75 countries over the last five decades. Apparently the idea to convert their 6,000 sqft house into a museum came up some years ago, but the couple firmed up their plans only over the last two years. At least now the city’s renowned Kelkar Museum will have some suitable company.


Source: Mumbai Mirror

 Louis Vuitton's brand value declined 12% from last year, simmering down to $22.7 billion, Millward Brown Optimor estimated in its 2013 BrandZ Study.

While the bag maker owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA remains the most valuable luxury brand for an eighth straight year, rivals are better managing the trade-off between exclusivity and affordability, according to the report.

The value of PPR SA's Gucci brand surged 48% to $12.7 billion, ranking it the third in the luxury list, while Prada's worth soared 63% to $9.45 billion, placing it fourth, Millward Brown Optimor said. Hermes stayed in second place at $19.1 billion, unchanged from last year.

As consumers make "room for those luxuries that make them feel better by trading down on other items, it is the middle-of-the-road brands that are feeling the impact of this polarisation," Millward Brown Optimor said in a statement.

Rolex, Chanel, Cartier, Burberry, Fendi and Coach rounded out the top 10 most valuable luxury brands in the study.

Prada's surge was the fastest across 13 categories measured by Millward Brown Optimor, placing it 95th out of 100 brands overall. Apple again ranked first with its estimated value rising 1% to $185 billion, the study found.

"Prada's brand awareness in China, Russia, Brazil and the Middle East continues to rise," said Anastasia Kourovskaia, vice president of Millward Brown Optimor EMEA.

The study, commissioned by WPP, was based on interviews with consumers as well as analysis of company performance.

Source: Economic Times

Image Courtesy: Reuters

The top lot of the Sotheby's 'First Editions, Second Thoughts' sale on May 21 in London, a ground-breaking auction, was a 1997 first edition of Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone, personally annotated by J.K. Rowling, containing revealing commentary and 22 of her own original illustrations. The sale room fell silent as two determined bidders vied for the prized edition. Bidding leapt in increments of up to £25,000 (Rs 21 lakhs approx) and the hammer finally fell, to a round of applause, on a £150,000 (Rs 1.25 crore approx) telephone bid - a new record for a printed book by Rowling.

Fifty of the UK and Commonwealth's outstanding contemporary writers annotated and in some instances illustrated a first edition copy of one of their best-known works for the auction which raised a combined total of £439,200 (Rs 3.7 crore approx) in support of English PEN, the writers' charity which campaigns for freedom of expression. The second-highest price of the auction was achieved for the much-loved children's classic Matilda by Roald Dahl, with new illustrations by Quentin Blake, which sold for £30,000 (Rs 25 lakhs approx).

Further highlights of the sale include Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, which sold for £18,000 (Rs 15 lakhs approx); Julian Barnes' Metroland, which sold for £14,000 (Rs 12 lakhs); Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader, which fetched £11,000 (Rs 9.2 lakhs approx); Seamus Heaney's Death of a Naturalist, which brought £17,000 (Rs 14.2 lakhs); Colm Toibin's The Heather Blazing, which sold for £15,500 (Rs 13 lakhs approx); Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall which brought £16,000 (Rs 13.5 lakh); Edmund de Waal's The Hare with Amber Eyes, which went for £14,500 (Rs 12 lakhs approx) and Ralph Steadman's richly illustrated Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson which saw a price of £14,500 (Rs 12 lakhs approx).

The sale was attended by a number of authors whose works were featured in the sale, including Helen Fielding, Colm Toibin, Jeanette Winterson, Frederick Forsyth, Ben Okri, Margaret Drabble, Andrea Levy, David Lodge, John Banville, Justin Cartwright and Wendy Cope.

Rick Gekoski, rare book dealer and trustee of English PEN, who curated the collection of annotated first editions for the sale, said in an email statement: "This is a triumphant conclusion to a wonderful project, which has involved the hard work and goodwill of so many people. I am sure that the buyers of the individual books will be thrilled with their purchases."


Source: Economic Times

Having re-opened at the beginning of the month, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is flooded with visitors and art lovers on a regular basis.

But creating a spectacle, more so since May 20, is the exhibit that showcases three of the four surviving sketchbooks to be reclaimed from the artist’s original creations.

Christened ‘Van Gogh at Work’, the sketches are quite a visual treat, and make obvious that the artist used his canvas as a release from everyday problems.

Interestingly, the Van Gogh Museum has published a limited-to-1,000 edition copies of the original sketchbook, all reproduced to give art lovers a piece of the master’s great work.

Priced at €495 (approximately Rs 35,000), the sketchbooks are available at the museum’s boutique or VanGoghMuseum.com

The Rathore Shirt

It's a custom-made shirt that bears the family crest or a motif held dear to the owner. The Rathore shirt – fashion’s latest dispatch from Jodhpur – comes with a distinct Raghavendra Rathore stamp. The designer talks about a creation that follows the bandhgala and the jodhpurs in redefining contemporary Indian fashion.

What inspired the Rathore shirt?
Over the past few years, the label has earned its place in the world of customisation by way of fashion, interiors and accessories. We have also launched of a couture service called ‘private designing’. The Rathore shirt aims at adding value to the generic men’s fashion space by taking this idea forward.
 
 How does it bear the label’s signature touch?
We pay as much attention to stitching and detailing as we do to fabric and fit. The material used is that of the 70s thread count Giza cotton. A host of heritage techniques are employed in the making. In addition, the cufflinks and buttons bear an engraving of ‘RR’. The customisation possibilities ensure that each piece tells the story of an individual.

How do you define your label’s sense of style?
Having grown up in Rajasthan, my design sensibilities are deeply influenced by Indian heritage. My Parson’s [school of design] education has contributed to my modern take on design. Ultimately, the idea is to combine these sensibilities to create unique pieces that defy the mass market rationale.
 
Can you elaborate on your signature designs?
The bandhgala was adopted by princes during the birth of ‘New India’. It provides the unique touch of history in a contemporary form. The story of Jodhpurs, on the other hand, is tied to the game of polo. It found its way to India by way of the Islamic invasion and was flourished in northern Rajasthan thereafter. The perfect jodhpur is loose at the hip, fits from the knee to the ankle and ends in a cuff.

Does the label have any more surprises in store for us?
We are launching a women’s line soon.

With its summery blue Superocean 42 diver's watch, Breitling pays tribute to its aquatic vocation by offering a youthful, sporty and modern take on the Superocean 42 model.

The unidirectional rotating bezel is encased in blue rubber as is the dial with its luminescent hands and hour-markers and the rubber strap embossed with the Breitling signature. And while this watch is sure to make heads turn at the beach, it will also make as bold a statement in the office. Equipped with a selfwinding movement chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute), the watch's ultra-sturdy case is water resistant upto 1500 meters. A safety valve balances out differences in pressure inside and outside the watch. The watch is issued in a 2,000-piece limited series.

Images via: Breitling

Tim Cook. Image Courtesy: Reuters

Charitybuzz – a virtual space for philanthropy – put up a coffee date with Apple CEO Tim Cook for auction earlier this month.

The bid with Apple’s CEO closed on May 14 as an anonymous buyer parted with a sum of $610,000 (Rs 3.5 crore). The meeting is scheduled to take place at Apple headquarters in California and will last between 30 minutes to an hour. While the price of the encounter is equivalent to that of a Ford Mustang, each minute of conversation will cost the anonymous bidder between $10,167 (Rs 5.5 lakhs) to $20,333 (Rs 11 lakhs).

The money collected in the process will benefit Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. It has set the record as the highest winning bid on that website, tying with a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster sold in March 2013.

 

Via ABC, Charity Buzz