Archive for April 2012
With the 2012 Olympics round the corner here's a selection of luxury merchandise
The London 2012 range features a whole host of luxury items from crystal glasses and Wedgwood china, to cushions and one of the collector’s favourites Read more
SceneCheck has a rose tinted experience at the Rose Club's 'Industry Monday'
Let’s face it, given the fact that it is just the start of the average person’s working week, the thought of partying hard on a Monday night is never for the faint-hearted. However, curiosity evidently got the better of us when we got an invite to check Brompton Brands’ latest offering the Rose Club.
With word that chart-topping Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am was due to be taking to the decks, our excitement and anticipation would have been hard to stunt. However, given that we had been invited as guests of the management and clearly on the guest-list; being left to queue in the rain for over ten minutes by the most foul-mouthed doormen on London’s club circuit was not a great start to the evening (and confirmed rumours we had heard elsewhere on Rose’s staff). For a club that states that it prides itself on having an efficient and speedy door, stating “if guests have to wait ten minutes outside we feel like we have let them down,” lets put it this way, they did just that.
Having finally been let in, we slowly descended the steps, praying that the wait would mean the venue was high in demand and worth putting-up with the miserable door-staff and long wait to get in. Thankfully it has a decadent, theatrical and fun interior, with a prominent stage to the left of the entrance and mirrored ceilings and walls designed by Robert Angell Design Studio.
The crowd at RC was also distinctly different to the usual West end sloaney social set of middle-aged slickers and glamorous Chelsea chicks. Perhaps this is more evident on an ‘Industry Monday’ - the club’s tailor-made name for it’s Monday night guests from all the music, nightlife, fashion, food and drinks industries. The name makes total sense, since you can bet your bottom dollar that not even Will.i.am could convince the bankers to booze here on a Monday night.
The motley creative crew was young, hip and many of them, breathtakingly beautiful (clearly models). Feeling like a drink was needed, I sauntered as best I could through the crowds, and up to the ultra stylish bar. It’s here that I enjoyed an interesting new experience. I’d ordered a vodka soda lime and really thought the bartender must have misheard me since it didn’t taste at all like it. However, having confirmed it was the correct order I asked for a top-up of Vodka (maybe she’d been stingey and only poured in a drop?) but no – even then this didn’t taste like my usual order. What was it?
The vodka in question is Ciroc Ultra-Premium, the brand who’ve sponsored most of the clubs big events. Interestingly, unlike other Vodkas Ciroc is derived from grapes, in contrast to corn, sorghum, rye, wheat, or potatoes that are more commonly used, hence its distinctly different taste. The Vodka certainly lives up to it’s ‘Ultra-Premium’ name, having been distilled not once, not twice but five times.
The other noticeable drink on offer is the club’s signature passion fruit sharing cocktail which comes in the form of a giant monopoly piece boot, hat and battleship container. These were fab and a nod to the treasure troves that have become much loved at Mahiki (another club in Nick House’s Brompton Brands’ empire).
The next thing that caught our attention were the two swan ballerinas. Appearing initially in classic white outfits, they gave a short performance on a small raised platform to funky music. They later re-emerged as black swans right before Will.i.am came on stage, signalling the start of the real party.
All night the atmosphere was alive with energy and excitement but when Will.i.am took to the stage, the buzz reached a whole new level. It’s important to mention that Will.i.am doesn’t play every Monday so check online to see who’s playing to avoid disappointment. Among the club’s live performance hall of fame are 2Many DJ’s, David Guetta, Labrinth, Azari & III – so expect to encounter more of the same.
Our overall verdict of Rose Club? “It offers a fun twist to the more sophisticated Brompton Brands club Whisky Mist whilst perhaps a more diverse following than the typically young boarding school crowds that frequent the tropically playful Mahiki. The people here are young creative types, up for a good time without any ‘pomp’. Thankfully the disappointing start to the night was almost completely erased from our memory by the end of the fantastic set from Will.i.am.”
Written by: Poppy Cross - 16/4/12
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Jaguar XJ Ultimate unveiled showcasing Meridian Audio’s latest Surround Sound System
The British luxury automotive marque, Jaguar, has chosen this week’s 2012 Beijing Motor Show in China to unveil its new range-topping XJ Ultimate, which comes complete with an innovative Meridian Surround Sound System offering unrivalled music reproduction in a luxury designed saloon. It is the latest carmaker to partner with Meridian Audio, the UK’s leading specialist manufacturer of high-end audio and video entertainment systems, following in the footsteps of McLaren Automotive and Range Rover who have both chosen the audiomaker for the in-car entertainment systems of the MP4-12C supercar and Evoque (three and five-door) SUV respectively.
The XJ Ultimate is the top-of-the-range variant of Jaguar’s award-winning XJ saloon. Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, says: “Given the XJ Ultimate’s exclusive specification we wanted to equip it with the very best audio system available; Meridian’s exceptional quality and expertise made it the perfect partner to enable us to deliver this ambition. The result will be a truly stunning listening experience for our customers.”
Specially designed and developed for the XJ Ultimate, the Meridian Surround Sound System has 15-channels of amplification and 20 loudspeakers strategically positioned throughout the cabin. Meridian’s unique Digital Signal Processing technologies allow every person travelling in the XJ Ultimate to enjoy the same musical experience, placing them at the centre of the sound field. Meridian achieves this through its Trifield technology which creates an all-enveloping sound field that makes each listener feel that the music is exclusively focused on him or her, regardless of where they are sat in the car.
Meridian’s Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Bob Stuart, says that the Meridian Surround Sound System offered in the XJ Ultimate will set new standards in the luxury saloon car class. He explains: “Cars do present unique challenges when it comes to acoustic reproduction but I believe that these are the first car systems that truly mirror the memorable experience that can be enjoyed by an original musical performance.” Stuart adds: “We are very proud to be adding yet another iconic British company to the expanding portfolio of our automotive division.”
Bentley honours the Queen with 60 Diamond Jubilee Limited Edition Mulsannes
Bentley presents 60 unique limited edition Mulsannes to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II. Designed by the craftsmen and women of Bentley’s Mulliner division, the creators of the State Limousine presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, just 60 examples of the Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee Edition have been created with each car representing a year of Her Majesty’s reign.
These very special Bentleys are distinguished by a range of exquisite, handcrafted features paying tribute to the Jubilee. These include bespoke embroidery to all four headrests using gold stitching, veneered picnic tables in the rear cabin decorated with a gold overlay depicting a royal carriage used for great occasions of state as well as luxurious, hide cushions featuring the same motif.
Two beautiful, highly-polished stainless steel treadplate plaques featuring the famous ‘Bentley Mulliner, England’ script and ‘Diamond Jubilee Edition’ have also been commissioned for these Mulsanne models.
Mulliner came to prominence when the family was commissioned to build carriages for the Royal Mail in 1760. By the late 19th Century Mulliner was hand-crafting the coachwork for the new “horseless carriage” – the first cars.
Mulliner’s association with Bentley harks back to the very beginning of the marque’s story when W.O. Bentley commissioned Mulliner to build the bodywork for the famous EXP1. This partnership continued to flourish, producing the streamlined contours of the revolutionary 1952 R-Type Continental, among many other iconic Bentley designs. Now known as Bentley Mulliner and a wholly-owned division of Bentley Motors, the Mulliner team offers a specialist personal commissioning department for Bentley customers and limited edition cars.
True to the Mulliner tradition, the Diamond Jubilee Edition cars feature a spectrum of paint and hide colours that sets them apart from other Bentleys and which stylishly uses various combinations and shades of red, white and blue (the colours of the Union Flag) to underscore the British connection. Hand-applied Single Fine Lines – using these same three colours – provide an elegant finishing touch as do two distinctive Bentley ‘B’ badges positioned on each ‘D’ pillar.
“The respect and genuine interest shown towards so many aspects of British life, and most especially The Royal Family, has made China a unique experience for our marque as well as many other UK businesses,” comments Richard Charlesworth, Director of Royal and VIP Relations, Bentley Motors.
“This series of special cars, hand-built by our Mulliner Division, is our way of reciprocating the appreciation for British institutions, creativity and services we have been shown in China. And as proud holders of a Royal Warrant we also wanted to provide some memorable examples of British technology and craftsmanship,” Charlesworth adds.
The Bentley Mulsanne captures the essence of the Bentley marque. It is elegant yet distinctly sporting in character, delivering effortless performance, while within its sumptuous cabin, advanced technology sits discreetly with handcrafted luxury. Designed and engineered at Crewe from the ground-up, the Mulsanne has reaffirmed the marque’s intent to create a luxury grand tourer with refined performance, unparalleled levels of interior luxury and coach building skills to the fore.
Lamborghini finally jump on the SUV bandwagon presenting their 600hp Urus concept
Lamborghini do not seem to be able to resist a late jump on to the SUV bandwagon, unleashing a terrifyingly powerful 600hp beast that looks so devilishly futuristic that Bentley’s SUV attempt looks little more than a high-rise luxury Austin Maestro in comparison. Read more
SceneCheck enters the Holdup Heroines' 'Circus of Seduction' at Home House
Galloping the highways and byways of 18th Century Europe, it’s unlikely the four women known as the Holdup Heroines could have imagined their debauched tales would inspire parties in modern day London.
The trail of beautiful masked & costumed things arriving at the equally ancient no.21 at Home House, designed by Candy & Candy are no strangers to the legend, having helped celebrate the adventures of the Holdup Heroines in a series of invite only masked balls over the last 6 years.
Described as ‘Charlies Angels meets the Four Musketeers’ Holdup Heroines brings girl power to the deliciously sensual period costume party, gilded with theatre and framed with a deep storyline that would make a Hollywood mogul twitch. Guests are expected to dress the part and woe betides those who don’t, a fabulous Dandy berates underdressed attendees on the door. Deep, uplifting sexy house music is the soundtrack to the 18th Century mansion’s beautiful interiors as masked guests drift between 2 dance floors, 2 bars (one of which is dominated by Candy & Candy’s renowned centre piece bar design) and the garden ‘Library’.
In this latest of ‘adventures’ (the organisers like to describe each party as a new episode in the Holdup Heroines storyline, much like a movie sequel) Holdup Heroines & The Circus of Seduction, we learn a little of the Russian star of the quartet of highwaywomen. A Circus theme complete with roving Russian bear, period style performers and seductive performance from Painted Love drew guests deeper in to Holdup Heroines very tantalising web. One feature to watch out for is the theatrical fashion shows. Part theatrical work, part catwalk, with music, tailored special effects and actors in costume pursuing the models (or often getting seduced by the Holdup Heroines before they catch their prey) the organisers have gone to great lengths to create a unique event that is more than just a DJ in the corner which Londoners are increasingly tiring off. This month Janna-Elise, one of the latest young designers interning for Vivienne Westwood showed off her couture leatherwear collection.
The Holdup Heroines are once again sharpening their sabres and loading muskets for another outing on Sunday May 6th, this time they plan to gatecrash Marie Antoinette’s infamous ‘Court of Excess’, bringing a decadent French twist to the 18th Century party. If you value your life, your love and your money one can only imagine this is not the sort of soiree for you, however if a little danger, derring do and costumed adventure is your thing, then saddle up and join the girls.
To ensure you do not miss out next time around we have secured some very exclusive tickets to the next event on Bank Holiday Sunday May 6th. Please note however that we only have very limited number so to be in with a chance of securing some you will need to move quick - http://exclusiveeventstickets.cdclifestyle.com.
Home House
20 Portman Square
London
W1H 6LW
Photos by Paul Soso copyright 2012
Molton Brown launch new skincare and anti-ageing bodycare range
Skin connoisseurs, Molton Brown have created a new 10 piece skincare range which launched this March. The experts in all things bath, body and beauty claim the range includes low maintainance, high performance products which range from the three-step cleanser, toner and moisturiser to products designed specifically for eyes and lips. Read more
Harley Davidson Art of Custom design competition for bespoke H-D fuel tank art.
Harley-Davidson has teamed up with some of the best contemporary artists from across the globe to launch the ‘Art of Custom’ design competition that will search for inspirational new art to appear on bespoke H-D fuel tanks. Read more
Will Grosvenor Square's 34 restaurant live up to its Caprice Holdings contemporaries?
If you haven’t heard about 34, the latest restaurant to open in the prestigious Caprice Holdings portfolio - then you really should feel ashamed of yourself. It’s been the buzzword of London’s media for the last few months serving up some strong opinions from critics, journalists, socialites, businessmen and Royalty alike. Read more
Porsche Design celebrates 40 years by launching an exclusive sunglasses collectors box
As a luxury brand with a special focus on technically inspired products, Porsche Design was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, whose products have stood for functional, timeless and purist design since then. The product range consists of classical men’s accessories, a sport and fashion collection, electronic products, a men’s cologne line as well as a spectacles collection for women. The products are sold worldwide in their own shops, shop-in-shops, high-quality department stores as well as in exclusive specialised retail shops
Porsche Design celebrates 40 years of engineered luxury with the launch of an exclusive ‘40Y of Innovation’ collector’s box featuring four of their most iconic sunglasses since inception in 1972. Each individual pair clearly demonstrates the brand’s unique commitment to passion, performance, purism and precision. The sunglasses are presented in a beautiful black, wooden box, and each is marked with a unique number to show it is one of only 1,972 worldwide to commemorate the founding year of Porsche Design.
This striking set includes the 40Y edition of the iconic heritage piece from 1978 – model P’8478 – whose design has remained unchanged to this day and was the first of its kind to feature interchangeable lenses. The full collector’s box includes the following:
Model P’8478 (1978) – the first of its kind to feature interchangeable lenses (40Y version)
Model P’8480 (1980) – the first foldable aviator sunglasses
Model P’8418 (2006) – the first sunglasses with self-attaching interchangeable lenses
Model P’8494 (2010) – the first sunglasses pressed from one piece of titanium
The Porsche Design range is made by Rodenstock – Germany’s leading manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses and spectacle frames founded in 1877. Based in Munich, Rodenstock has a worldwide workforce of approximately 4,000 and is represented in more than 80 countries with sales subsidiaries and distribution partners. It maintains production sites at a total of 14 locations in 12 countries. Rodenstock is a licensed partner for Porsche Design, dunhill, uvex, ALPINA and Wimbledon Eyewear.
The selected models are exclusive to the collector’s box, and with limited numbers available in the UK, fans of the brand must move quickly.
The ‘40Y of Innovation’ collector’s box retails at £1,700.
For details of stockists call
0845 600 8995.
Après London unveils its freshly renovated downstairs lounge area
Tucked down the ladies entrance side of Selfridges, Après London has always been a success with the ladies. Upon simple virtue of it’s ‘on-the-doorstep’ proximity to Selfridges it was pretty much guaranteed to be a great source of refuge for heavily weighed-down shoppers to put down their bags and rest their (high-heel clad) feet. However, it is the fact that practically all the staff happen to be incredibly gifted mixologists with unfathomable encyclopaedic memories of all cocktails that keeps the punters coming back.
To further spice things up and explore Après’ reputation for quirky and unpredictable cocktails, resident mixologist Jez Jewitt whole-heartedly picks up the baton and conjures up new themed cocktails menus for each month. Last month saw the ‘CandyShop’ theme presenting a range of retro classics including ‘Pear-drops’ and ‘Rhubarb Custard.’ Evidently optimistic of some good weather (at least that makes one of us), this month Jez turns his hand to helping you achieve that bikini beach body with a unique range of slimming cocktails. We have absolutely no idea of what is in stock for next month, but that’s all part of the allure so not only do we recommend that you check it out, but we have gone one step further and managed to secure you all a 25% discount to indulge your tastebuds; just pick up a ‘Boutique of the Week’ flyer from any of our featured boutiques (click here for a list) and head down there between 5pm-8pm from Monday-Friday.
Spread over four different zones Après offers something to everyone; with a cocktail bar, lounge, garden and a hidden little sanctuary named ‘the snug.’ Given it’s close proximity to Oxford Street and convenient location down the side of Selfridges, this truly has to be the ultimate cocktail bar for winding down after a hectic day of retail therapy or catching up with friends and indulging those epicurean senses in some of the finest cocktails the capital has to offer.
Après Lounge and Cocktail Bar
31 Duke street,
Marlebone,
London.
W1U 1LG.
Tel: 020 7224 3452
www.apres-london.com
