The world’s oldest intact stone inscription of the 10 Commandments has reportedly been sold for US$850,000, on the condition that the owner publicly exhibits the ancient tablet. The two foot square marble slab was first uncovered over a century ago in 1930 at the excavation site for a railroad station near Yavneh, Israel, and weighs 115 pounds. It is believed to be the only existing intact tablet version of the Commandments and was inscribed in Samaritan, which is an early Hebrew script.
St. Moritz has announced the host country for the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival 2017 as ‘USA – Discover the Best from the West’. Various hotels in the village will welcome world-famouse and award-winning chefs to curate a special menu during the festival. The Carlton will welcome one of the world’s most famous chefs James Kent alongside their own head chef Gero Porstein to inspire festival guests with their culinary skills during the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival 2017. James Kent is the Executive Chef at Daniel Humm’s restaurant The NoMad, in the New York hotel of the same name. Here, his cookery skills have been awarded one star by Michelin, besides other distinctions. Furthermore, the James Beard Foundation nominated James Kent for the ‘NYC Best Chef 2016’ award. James Kent began his career in the kitchens of major chefs with placements in London and Paris. The Michelin starred chef will be at The Carlton at restaurant Romanoff from 31 January to 2 February 2017.
Since every gadget in the world is going the smart way, why should this most important part of your daily routine be left behind? And that’s why L’Oréal and Kerastase have paired up with tech company – Withings to bring a dash of tech to your tresses. So you literally have a grooming assistant that guides you using a built-in microphone to listen to the sound of your hair and detect whether your combing technique is the perfect one. The microphone is built around a hidden three-axis load sensor that can measures the brushing force used. The brush is also waterproof and fitted with an accelerometer and gyroscope to count the number of strokes made by you as well as built-in conductivity sensors that predict if your hair is too wet or dry and accordingly adjust the analysis of your brushing technique. All this data is then transferred on to the accompanying smart phone app which then analyses environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, UV, and wind to read out your final hair score along with tips to improve scalp health. Now isn’t that the most perfect care for your luscious hair? And the brush is all yours for $200 but you’ll have to wait till the middle of the year to get your hands on it.
Move over, solid gold toilets and potty seats. The gold-plated turd sculpture is here to blow away everyone’s mind with its mindboggling absurdity. So if you can actually imagine poop as art, this gold turd is all yours for $350. In fact, if you’d like things to be a little more…er… realistic, there are the charcoal and black porcelain versions too, which you can have for just $20. What’s more, apparently the fancy faeces also boasts of being based on Archimedean principles! The turds’ geometry is based on the combination of an Archimedean spiral (r = a + bθ) and the Golden Ratio / Phi in triangles (a = 1, b = √φ, c = φ). The latter proportion is found in Egyptian Pyramids. Guess you could say it’s a genius gold turd.
Quirky yet classy tech brand ColorWare has created a set of headphones in nothing less than 24 K gold: the iconic Bose QC35 headphones in their latest avatar. The wireless Bose QC35 headphones boast of superior noise cancellation with a built-in Bluetooth functionality and the gold version is extremely limited edition with only 50 pairs being made. The headphones have a 24 carat gold plating on the exterior with a matt black finish on the inside. While the original Bose headphones in black cost about $350, for the gold plated version you’d have to shell out $749.
Anuraag Bhatnagar has been appointed as Multi-Property Vice President, Luxury India by Marriott International. Bhatnagar will be part of the Luxury APEC Market Leadership team lead by Victor Clavell, Marriott International said in a release. He has been with Starwood Hotels for 16 years. Previously, he served as the Area General Manager of India and concurrently the General Manager of The St.Regis Mumbai. He will now be heading Marriott’s luxury portfolio in India.
For the second year in a row, Mercedes Benz India has claimed the top spot among luxury car brands in India, selling over 13,000 units in annual sales in 2016. Despite the fact that this year’s number—13,231—is marginally down from figure of 13, 502 units in 2015, the brand is still top-ranked among competitors. The marginal fall in sales is being attributed to ban on diesel vehicles for most of the year and demonetisation. Mercedes Benz toppled Audi in 2015 to become the top luxury car brand in India.
Amazon India has added top luxury brands like Emporio Armani, Tarun Tahiliani, Versace and the like to the list of its offerings for online shoppers, bringing the website on the top of online apparel retailers’ list. The e commerce giant has included a selection of about 150 Indian and international premium brands like Armani Exchange, Versus by Versace, Payal Pratap, Monisha Jaising and others to establish a strong hold in the market of Indian online clothing retailers. Along with these, the website has added luxury watches on its e-shelves, with brands such as Invicta, Stuhrling, August Steiner, Burgi and Akribos XXIV up on offer. The sale of watches has been contributing 15 pc to Amazon’s fashion business, with the dealings in premium watches doubling in October this year. Looks like Amazon’s the portal to head for, if you need a quick dose of luxe.
In the New Year, you don’t just need a new you—your home needs a new look too. Here are 5 home décor trends to liven up your living space—and there’s plenty of room for all kinds of tastes.
The Bright Green Vibe
The cheery shade of green is going to be totally hot in home decor, fashion and commercial design in 2017. This bright, perky green shade was named the 2017 Pantone Color Of The Year, and represents refreshment and revitalization. Well we could all agree this planet needs way more green—in more ways than one—so we’re only too happy to recommend this one!
Brilliant Butterflies
Butterflies are increasingly appearing as a buoyant, happy motif in home design, symbolising grace and optimism along with dollops of cheer. They lend an uplifting air to the décor and are perfect to liven up an otherwise sombre space. Wall accents, wall papers, wall art, or even butterfly containers like the ones designed by Amsterdam based studio Pols Potten— just go butterfly!
Mixed Patterns
Enticing and mismatched patterns lend vibrancy to the room and create cheer with class through a carefully selected mismatch of curios. The trend of mixed patterns was in fact spotted on the runway at New York Fashion Week 2016, and it’s been extended to the home as well. You can go all out with whatever catches your fancy, but be sure to balance it up and centralise with a statement piece.
Faux finishes
Faux finishes aren’t just trendy, they’re extremely practical to go with. Engineered quartz in place of marble, since it withstands acidic and corrosive substances better; faux leather counters, faux foliage and manufactured gray floors, and a host of other finishes for the in-sync with future look.
Raw Whites
Since we’ve had plenty of colour and pattern, we need something to balance it all. And what better to harmonise any décor look than the spiritual, pacific white? Chalky whites and bone whites are set to dominate the décor space, lending a subtly chic look to the area. This isn’t just the plain ol’ mundane white, though. The earthy, handmade look of raw white is edgy yet sophisticated, with a textured, organic feel that says peace, serenity and style.
So deck those halls with the new vibe now.
Personal vehicles are the future of individual travel, and aptly titled company Future Motion from Santa Cruz, California, creates advanced, interesting varieties of just those. The Onewheel was their first self-balancing electric skateboard, and now the Onewheel+ priced at $1,500 is an upgraded version that uses a more powerful, brushless Hypercore motor for “smooth power and torque to climb over anything.” To be available in March this year, the Onewheel+ can travel anywhere between 5-7 miles per charge at speeds of up to 19 mph and, with the “UltraCharger” it takes only 20 minutes to get set go. The hardwood footpad is also improved for comfort and more precise control, boasting a raised nose & tail. Like its predecessor, riding is done simply by leaning forward or backward, without the need for a remote. But hey, your cool, smart vehicle comes equipped with smart LEDs that switch between headlights/taillights function automatically when you change direction. Talk about smart driving!
