Archive for March 9th, 2006
For all of the pleasures of bespoke suits, there are downsides to them as well. For one thing, fittings take a lot of time. For another, the best ones cost a fortune. Now, of course, there are some people for whom the status imparted by a bespoke suit is important enough to justify the cost. The knowledge that one is wearing the most expensive suit in the room can serve as a kind of psychological armor. Of course, many have a genuinely physical need. The extremely tall, short, skinny or round, for example, often have dimensions that only a custom-tailored suit can accommodate. Fortunately for the rest of us, there are enough excellent off-the-rack suits that, with an alteration here and a cuff there, fit nearly as well as bespoke for considerably less money.
The name Brioni first appeared in 1945 when master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and fashion designer Gaetano Savini opened one of the first men’s fashion houses in Rome’s central Via Barberini. The two partners named it Brioni after one of the most elegant resorts on the Adriatic coast. Its custom tailoring was a favourite haunt of Europe’s aristocracy and has remained a reference point for quality shopping to this day. Brioni’s Italian style expressed a new way of dressing for men immediately after the first world war. It was instantly accepted because it managed to unite renewal with a classic stylish cut. Interest grew as the Brioni collections went from one success to the next and enthusiastic buyers flocked to the fashion shows. Their first historic show was held in 1952 at Palazzo Pitti in Florence and soon Brioni became the first true ambassador of men’s fashion in the world.
The epitome of the power look, Brioni’s wide-shouldered, slim-waisted and sharply tailored suits ooze authority, making them favorites of the self-consciously stylish, from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to Donald Trump. All that clout comes at a price, however: from $4,200 to $7,500 for “ready-to-wear” numbers in every conceivable material. This charcoal gray cashmere for Fall 2005 runs $6,000. Available at men’s specialty retailers nationwide and at Brioni boutiques in New York and Beverly Hills.
March 9th, 2006
Opus is the story of a sequence of creative encounters, of separate and timely associations between Harry Winston and likeminded visionaries committed to writing significant chapters in watchmaking history. An array of some of the world’s most talented and creative independent watchmakers – Francois-Paul Journe (Opus 1, in 2001), Antoine Preziuso (Opus Two, in 2002), Vianney Halter (Opus 3, in 2003) and Christophe Claret (Opus 4, in 2004) – have thus placed their joint signature on some simply incredible timepieces. This year, the company has enjoyed the immense pleasure of cooperating with Felix Baumgartner in creating Opus 5.
Opus 5 was destined to dazzle. First of all, by its world-first “satellite hour” display consisting of 3 small blocks, each carrying 4 numerals, arranged like satellites on a three-dimensional rotating system, and which show the time while spinning around two axes. And secondly by its “service indicator”, another intriguing world premičre. Graduated from 0 to 5 years and placed on the back of the watch, it is designed to inform the wearer when the watch will require periodic maintenance.
Once again, Opus 5 reflects the Harry Winston spirit – nothing but the exceptional – as well as that of Felix Baumgartner, whose philosophy is to create timepieces that are unlike all others.
March 9th, 2006
The top made by Forbes about gadgets that we love most, reveal that Sirius S50 satellite radio it’s most wanted thing to buy.
iPod Nano - In the digital age it’s survival of the fleetest.The iPod embraces this contest with a vengeance. The Nano debuted on Sept. 7 to lots of hoopla, a blitz of iconic TV spots and the raves of iPod fans. At $250 it has 4 gigabytes of storage, a color screen and a housing that, at 1.5 cubic inches and 1.5 ounces, is only 20% the size of the original. Price $250
Highlander Hybrid The Highlander hybrid comes with a new gauge called the Energy Monitor. It tells me when the car is running on battery, when the battery is recharging and when the gas engine kicks in. You can also flip to a display that reports, moment by moment, your miles per gallon. So forget about watching the road–I’m watching my energy monitor. When I pull onto the main street of our town, I putter along at 25 miles an hour–but hey, for a moment I’m getting 60 miles to the gallon! When I stomp on the pedal, my speed spikes, but to my utter dismay my gas mileage plummets. Price $33,030
Sirius S50 The S50 can’t pick up a signal on its own; it depends on the included car cradle or a $99 home docking kit. But it’s not a big hassle to set it up to grab music from your favorite channels while you drive or cook dinner. The S50 stores 50 hours of Sirius programming, less if you toss in your own MP3s to make a hybrid playlist. If you’re desperate for walkabout live listening, try the bulkier SatelliteRadio portables from Tao and Pioneer. Price $360
Motorola High-Def DVR By combining DVR and cable receiver in one unit, Motorola got rid of the need for a kludgy infrared blaster to coordinate two boxes. Though storage is less than bounteous (15 hours of high-def shows or 60 hours of standard), integration gives me direct access to a far bigger set of hard drives: the ones back at Comcast facilities where On Demand programs are stored.
RS 140 Wireless Headphones Then again, Sennheiser is famous for great sound. Founded in 1945 by Fritz Sennheiser, the Wedemark, Germany company has been making audiophile headphones since 1968. The wireless model RS 140, introduced this year, is manufactured in China but boasts clever German design touches such as a stand that doubles as a recharging cradle and electronics that enhance the intelligibility of speech by boosting soft passages and decreasing loud ones. Price $220
Sony PSP Sony has sold 2.3 million PSPs in North America since it debuted here in March 2005. I’ve only had mine for a month and a half, but I’m already predicting mass physical therapy reimbursements claims. No one was meant to stare at and hold something this small for so long. Like an older brother of the iPod, it can store tunes, photos and home movies–assuming you pay another $100 for a roomier 1-gigabyte Memory Stick, and you should. Price $250
Thinkpad Z602T With its titanium exterior, magnesium roll cage, dual Wi-Fi antennas, fingerprint scanner and remote self-destruct option, the new Lenovo ThinkPad Z60t is reminiscent of something James Bond’s spy outfitter, Q, might whip up for 007. Price $1,979
Tibor Everglades The most beautiful machines have the fewest moving parts. Inside there are just three stainless-steel ball bearings, housed in anodized aluminum bar stock. And that smooth drag comes from the graphite-impregnated cork disc, which acts like a brake pad, slowing it down without locking. Innards are coated with corrosion-resistant ceramic. Price $610
EyeToy Camera Sony’s Eyetoy Camera may not cure obesity, but it’s one of the few electronic gizmos that absolutely requires getting up off your butt to use. Hook it up to your PlayStation 2 and you can try a flock of clever games that don’t make you spend weeks mastering arcane rules. Forget about learning to deliver a high kick by pressing the circle and the triangle and the X on the controller. With EyeToy, you just use your foot. Price $30
March 9th, 2006
The watch “L.U.C Fleurier ” is a special edition created for the launch of the label ” Qualite Fleurier “. Equipped with the mechanical self-winding ” L.U.C 9.96 Qualite Fleurier” movement, chronometer-certified by the COSC and the “Qualite Fleurier” certification. Endowed with a power-reserve of approximately 65 hours. The glare-resistant sapphire crystal ensures perfect readability of the dial. Strap in hand-stitched crocodile leather, available in black. This model is water-resistant to 30 meters. A limited numbered edition of 250 pieces is available.
March 9th, 2006
David Yurman has always been passionate about fine timepieces. After more than a decade as America’s leading jewelry designer, David decided to enter the arena of luxury timepieces and introduce something new and unique to this centuries-old industry. His goal was to create timepieces with his own signature American design sensibilities and the superior, exacting standards of the timepieces he had grown up admiring.
In 1994, after years of research and development, David Yurman introduced his first collection of fine timepieces. Designed in America and crafted entirely in Switzerland, these watches adhere to David’s uncompromising standards of both technology and beauty. They offer his relaxed American luxury to both men and women.
Every David Yurman timepiece showcases the finest details, such as water resistance to three atmospheres (100 feet) and scratch-resistant anti-glare sapphire crystals.
As a work of art, David has not overlooked a detail, from his iconic cushion-shaped cases with signature inlaid cable, hands, and numerals to his unique colors and gems.
All David Yurman timepieces come with his exceptional packaging and polishing cloth and are proudly covered by a two-year warranty.
The year 2004 has brought a “new face” to the world of luxury timepieces with the Madison Series. The first David Yurman chain bracelet timepiece, these women’s quartz watches feature a unique oval “racetrack” case. While stretching away from the David Yurman cushion case silhouette, it maintains its signature classic Cable style.
From the Madison Collection, a diamond and sterling silver watch with blue mother-of-pearl dial and white alligator strap. American design made in Switzerland with Swiss ETA Quartz movement.
Price $4,200.00
March 9th, 2006
Bombay Sapphire has a unique distillation process: There are only four Carterhead stills working in the world today and are distinctive to Bombay Sapphire.
Unlike other gins which boil their botanicals with the spirit, the Bombay spirit is distilled alone. To achieve the unique flavour, the spirit passes through the botanicals in vapour form. This allows each delicate aroma to be fully absorbed. The result is a complex, yet subtle taste sensation.
Triple distilled, 100% neutral grain spirit is heated into vapour form. Vapour is sent through the rectifying column, unique to a Carterhead still. The baffle system, situated in the column, allows only the purest spirit to pass through.
Purified vapour passes through a copper basket containing 10 natural botanicals and absorbs their delicate flavours. The vapour is turned into liquid and received into a spirit safe as Bombay Sapphire.
The selection and balance of their botanicals is based on a recipe dating from 1761. The selection of botanicals used to create Bombay Sapphire is an extensive process with no expense is spared.
Bombay Sapphire is blended with pure water from Lake Vyrnwy and bottled.
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March 9th, 2006
Throughout its history, The Museum of Modern Art has used architecture as a vehicle for self-renewal and regeneration. The recently completed building project represents MoMA’s most extensive redefinition since its founding seventy-five years ago. The Museum combines new spaces with MoMA’s original architecture to dramatically enhance its dynamic collection of modern and contemporary art.
MoMA conducted an extensive worldwide search for an architect who would not simply add on to the Museum’s existing architecture, but would be able to transform MoMA’s various buildings and additions into a unified whole. Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi won the commission with a design that would, in his own words, “transform MoMA into a bold new museum while maintaining its historical, cultural, and social context.”
The 630,000-square-foot Museum has nearly twice the capacity of the former facility. The new six-story David and Peggy Rockefeller Building houses the main collection and temporary exhibition galleries. Taniguchi worked closely with curators to refine his concept into a design that would expertly accommodate the type and scale of works displayed. Spacious galleries for contemporary art are located on the second floor, with more intimately scaled galleries for the collection on the levels above. Expansive, skylit galleries for temporary exhibitions are located on the top floor. MoMA’s Film and Media program resumes in the two refurbished Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, located below the lobby level.
Masterworks of modern sculpture, seasonal plantings, and reflecting pools once again welcome visitors to the beloved Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, which Taniguchi identified as “perhaps the most distinctive single element of the Museum today.” The architect preserved Philip Johnson’s original 1953 design and re-established the garden’s southern terrace to create an elegant outdoor patio for The Modern, the Museum’s new fine-dining restaurant.
March 9th, 2006
