You might be thinking that "seatbelt" and "luxury" aren't synonymous, unless you're talking about a car. Then you must not know about Harveys Seatbelt Bags. These bags are great -- durable, practical, fun, functional, and available in lots if colors. But still not luxury, until now. Harveys recently debuted its Boutique Collection, branching out into more elegant styles and even doing a bag in leather instead of the traditional seatbelt. There are six new collections within Boutique: Vertigo,Leather,Herringbone,Carriage Nickel,Carriage Gold, and Accessories (see the gallery for examples of each). I love the Carriage Medium Tote Nickel, and plan to order one this weekend. Prices range from $34 for a key chain that holds a picture to $498 for the Carriage leather bag; free ground shipping.
I've mentioned Zappos Luxe Life before. Now and then I browse the store to see what's new in the Couture section, and recently I found a bag that I really like for fall. Usually Alexander McQueen is too way out for me, but I think this Western-inspired patent bag is great for the days when you break out the jeans and boots but want a nice bag to polish the look. The burgundy and gold bag is made of of patent leather. It's 14" wide across the bottom, 9.5" wide across the top, 5.5" deep and 10" high, enough room for wallet, keys, sunglasses, lipstick and personal technology. The handle drop is 5". Other features: a front exterior slip pocket, platform bottom, top zip closure and a luxurious interior lining with a back wall zip pocket and multifunctional slip pockets. Comes with a protective dust bag. $2,569; free shipping and returns from Zappos.
A nice one-bedroom apartment in NYC rents for about $2,500/month. And for that same price you can get a shot -- yes, just a taste -- of Louis XIII Black Pearl Magnum cognac, a limited edition, natch, kept in a glass case and then offered exclusively at NYC's Rose Club at the Plaza hotel. The spirit, produced by Remy Martin, cannot be sampled anywhere else in the State of New York. The bottle, designed by Baccarat and hand-blown from black crystal, has not yet been uncorked since it was introduced in June. A recent Rose Club patron asked if he could buy the entire bottle, one of only 358 in the world. Rose Club manager Anthony Evangelista turned him down, and the man left without even tasting it. There are about 32 pours in the 1.75 liter bottle, meaning that the decanter contains $80,000 worth of cognac.
The New York Post reports that Naomi Campbell and her Russian billionaire boyfriend, Vladimir Doronin, the "Donald Trump of Russia," recently were in her favorite country, Brazil, where he dropped $18.5 million on a penthouse apartment for her in Jardins, the Upper East Side of Sao Paolo. This came after Campbell told him how much she loved the country and "wanted to settle down there." Glamurama.com says the apartment was a "gift" to the supermodel and the couple will use it as their home in Brazil.
And more news: Campbell, who's trying to improve her angry, assistant-attacking image, also is focusing on being photographed at charitable events and launching a clothing line through 284, the new label from Daslu. "It's for strong women. I hope everybody will like it," she told a local Brazilian paper.
A summer survey, conducted by the Luxury Institute, asked 1,771 wealthy Americans with an average income of $351,000 and average net worth of $4.3 million to rate wine and liquor brands based on quality, uniqueness and exclusivity. Check out the CNBC slideshow to see which brands came out on top. The institute offers a variety of articles on luxury-related topics. Here is a list of its 2008 articles, but you can read back to 2005.
Carbon Fiber Gear highlighted recently a Ferrari 355 gas cap paperweight. Made by RaceChairs.com, it's constructed of a 6″ x 6″ piece of carbon fiber, a colored suede underside and a real (but unused) gas cap from a Ferrari 355. (Also available with a Lamborghini Diablo gas cap.) The carbon fiber weave is clearcoated for shiny finish, and the bottom of the paperweight is covered in your choice of black, yellow, or red suede, to ensure it won't scratch your desk. The gas cap is highly polished aluminum with the Ferrari logo on the center. Optional: have an engraved plaque added or get wall hangers for display. $325, but just $199 on RaceChairs.com at the time of this writing. Looks like something our sister site, autoblog, might take a liking to.
Tennis season's not over yet! Why not help the economy and get yourself a fresh, new bag for the fall? Bally's bright pearl orange Arkel bag is made of patent calf with a patent leather-trimmed twill lining. It measures 15.5" H x 18" W x 4.5" D and has a 6.75" shoulder drop. The top is open for ease of putting in and taking out your tennis wear and accessories, and the zippered exterior pocket holds your tennis racket. Made in Italy, dust bag included: $1,095. (But you can get it at Endless for just $492.75, with free overnight shipping.)
Domino magazine, "the guide to living with style," has a fun column called "The Deal Hunter," penned by young Columbia alum Nick Olsen, that features a plethora of style for (mostly) low prices. I know here at Luxist we're often about the high-end, big ticket items, but I think it's OK to watch the finances now and then in order to keep affording the big stuff. Olsen writes in that chatty, bloggy style (which I haven't mastered, alas) and regularly finds things from all ends of the home decor spectrum. Just to show he's not all about the cheap stuff, he recently featured a $950 table from Mecox. Check out his blog if you're looking for a deal but still want lots of style or something colorful for your home.
NYC seems to be surviving the housing market's slow decline better than most cities. Case in point: This $80,000,000 condo at 15 Central Park West. Located on the 40th floor, the home, built in 2007, is 5,276 square feet and has unobstructed views over Central Park West and the Hudson River. Of the 9.5 rooms, there are 4 bedrooms and 5.5 baths, and the major rooms have 14-foot ceilings. There's a library and a fireplace (only one?). The ground floor suite is 1,222 square feet with private street access that would work for owner staff offices. There's also the usual building amenities: doorman, courtyard, health club, pool, and garage. As with most condos and with many homes in NYC, you pay way more than the purchase price. This home requires monthly maintenance/CC of $5,425 and monthly real estate tax of $2,081. Too bad the photos only show you the view -- I'd love to see the kitchen and bathrooms in a home like this!
Endless self-promoter Kanye West -- who proves he has a sense of humor about himself after all -- spoofs his persona in a new line of Absolut ads. The first time I saw the print ad (which looked like, but didn't have the Absolut references, what you see here), I didn't get it at all, and I had no idea what was being advertised. A little research showed me the light. I can't show you much here, since you need to be 21 to get into these sites. Log on and check them out for yourself. And don't lie about your age -- it's bad karma.
Store your music, and add to it as you choose, on a 17-inch touch screen monitor with the Sooloos media system. It links to every room in your house, plus you can synchronize it at multiple residences. The system features storage, playback and control components that can be combined in a number of configurations. This is a new concept and a new product, so for those more technically-oriented who want to know more, go here to get the details, as we patiently wait for the site to get up and running. I just like the look of it, and would love to be able to get all my music going with just a few fingertip movements. If only I had $13,000 ...
As I was browsing a home magazine I was stopped by an ad for Sherle Wagner doorknobs, I mean, "hardware." They were so beautiful, I wanted to know more. So now I share ... Sherle Wagner International, headquartered in NYC but with eight U.S. showrooms and one in Kuwait, offers a number of home accessories in these categories: finishes, stones and patterns; bath fittings; bath fixtures; accessories; hardware; lighting; furniture; textiles; linens; and wall coverings. All Sherle Wagner products are originals, made by the company from the design inception stage to completion. The company uses "old world artisans and timeless techniques, so that every piece is a true original." And the staff is experienced in working with architects, designers and clients on projects of any scale. If you browse the catalog, be sure to check out all the categories on the lefthand nav bar; there was much more on the site than I noticed the first time around. No prices, however, but I'm going to guess on the high end.
Here's a bumper bed for your special family member that you can feel good about, ecologically-speaking. Covered in organic cotton twill, free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it's filled with a comfy, cozy stuffing and is made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, which diverts more than 25 tons of plastic bottles from landfills every year. The bed features a center, removable pillow that can also be used separately inside crates or the car. It's a great option for allergic, sensitive, or orthopedic pets. Made in the U.S.A., machine washable. A portion of sale proceeds are donated. Sizes S - XL; $76.95 - $178.95.
The Travelmate Portable Fireplace by Conmoto is made of black powder-coated steel and glass with an adjustable steel fuel-holder and burns on bio-ethanol liquid fuel (not included). Now you can put a fireplace where you want or need it for warmth or atmosphere. It's smokeless too. Safe to place on carpet, a table, near furniture, or outside. The glass pane is held on with magnets and only is removed in order to light the fire. Once the glass pane has been replaced, the fuel tank can be opened and closed, using the stainless steel slide at the front of the fireplace, so the flames can be regulated from the outside. I would love this in my home! Dimensions: 20" H x 28" W x 8" D, 55 lbs.($3,300)
About six months ago Deidre noted that Dr. Dre announced a new beverage venture. And just a few days ago the official announcement was made that it's come to fruition. Dr. Dre's cognac and vodka brands will hit liquor stores in the next 60 days, according to celebrity liquor marketer Drinks America Holdings Ltd. The products are the fruits of a joint venture between Wilton, Conn.-based Drinks America and Dr. Dre's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label. The marketing for the beverages will be tied in with the release of Dr. Dre's long-awaited "Detox" album. In late July, Dr. Dre told USA Today that the album would be out in "November or December." Aftermath Congac will come out first, followed by an 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodka.
