Why lug around your luggage when the luggage can lug you around instead? Well, not exactly, but the Modobag Motorized Luggage that lets you zip around the airport even as you straddle it. A guardian angel for those with knee and joint problems, or for quick flight changes, or when you need a place to sit and all seats are taken, this bag costs $995. With its lightweight aluminum chassis and ballistic nylon shell, you needn’t worry about being too heavy for the fella: it can carry you with ease even if you weigh 118 kg. Fitted with lightweight Lithium batteries (80% charge in 15 minutes) and a belt-driven, high-torque 150 Watt electric motor, this rideable suitcase moves around at a max 12 km/h for over 10 km per charge! (Yes, carrying 118 kg, too). It has a thumb action throttle on its telescoping handlebars, custom high-performance Urethane wheels with sealed bearings throughout, a dual wheel braking system, quick release footpegs, memory foam seat, a chrush-proof laptop compartment, GPRS-GSM real-time tracking technology, and dual USB charging ports. The interior space offered is about 85% of a traditional luggage of the same carry-on size. Now this is a real smart bag!
In a departure from their signature shine and sparkle, Swarovski has unveiled their most recent watch campaign with an understated elegance. The Algeria watch collection oozes subtle sophistication. Designed with a single faceted crystal bezel, with the case and strap beautifully crafted in stainless steel this line is intended to be both classic and contemporary: minimalistic style for everyday wear. Watches from the Alegria collection are available in stores and online, starting $349. You can opt for one with a rose gold-tone coating complementing the brown crystal bezel and sophisticated gray sunray dial, or a yellow gold-tone coating with golden crystal bezel and another with a mother of pearl dial, among a host of options. Specifications include 33mm case and water resistance of up to 50m.
You needn’t be afraid of being struck by lightning—the cloud we’re talking of is a strikingly innovative indoor light that simulates a thunderstorm right within your room. Created by multidisciplinary designer Richard Clarkson known for experimenting with products, lights, and furniture, this lamp named Cloud is actually shaped like a cumulus cloud and is produces both light and sound through microphones and powerful speakers, based on external input from either a remote control or motion sensors. The remote control that comes with it allows user to set it to different modes, like getting it to act like a simple thunder cloud, respond to movements in its surroundings, or simply respond to sounds or music that it hears around it. Taste the thunder, literally, in your home for $3,360.
Marriott International will soon be introducing The EDITION Hotels to Singapore, with The Singapore EDITION becoming their first ultra-luxe offering, due to open to the public in 2019. The 8-storey boutique hotel, with 190 rooms, will be located on the former Boulevard Hotel site on Orchard Boulevard and Cuscaden Road, a location that offers an array of shopping and entertainment options, ranging from luxury malls to unique local finds. The property will mark the fifth city in the Asia Pacific market to welcome this one-of-a-kind brand of 5-star hotels.
The Human Collection is minimalistic tableware designed by French Michelin-starred Chef Guy Savoy and Designer Bruno Moretti for Italian kitchenware design firm Alessi. Making use of simply the bend and shine of the material, its reflective qualities for its elegance, the set carries a subtle yet splendid aesthetic effect. The whole set consists of a salad bowl in two different sizes, a pair of salad servers as well as a cutlery set for amuse-bouches and desserts. Diners at Guy Savoy’s restaurant at the Monnaie de Paris can of course view the collection in action, where the chef makes appealing use of them. The mirrored surfaces of the plates reflect and disperse the image of any dishes placed upon them, creating a vibrant visual appeal. The thinness of the elongated cutlery makes for a dainty effect.
With Guy Robinson as the face of the campaign, Dunhill’s Fall/Winter 2016 collection celebrates the great British countryside and the crisp dressing of the English Gentleman. The campaign – shot by John Balsom and styled by Dan May – is set on the grounds of Wortham Park, an 18th-century English country mansion in Hertfordshire. Robinson looks ravishing as he moves about, driving a vintage car, playing pool and strolling around the property’s vast grounds. Clad in the season’s motoring-inspired leather blouson and military overcoat, Robinson was given the extra elegant touch with cashmere knits underneath, each piece finished in classic British tailoring.
Surrounded by rugged open land and calm blue sea, this Summer House in Syros, Greece, brings the perfect mix of ancient feel with modern luxury. Offering views of the idyllic Plagia bay and the Aegean sea, the house seems to transport you to another era, a simpler one. Set as a deconstructed rectangle with massive openings from all sides, the residence allows its visitors to connect with the unspoiled surrounding nature and relax – either sunbathing or in the shade – in any of the two vast, open courtyards. The building is buried deep within the steep terrain to help maintain a cool temperature inside, and features stone walls – typical of the local architecture – while the interior is adorned with simple, rustic furniture, in a classic Mediterranean style. Savour the feeling of living in stone houses while partaking of the luxuries that perhaps only Greek Gods could have offered.
Virgin Atlantic seeks to enhance your sleeping-in-the-sky experience by banishing that jet lag, and so has become the first airline to introduce bespoke aromatherapy on board, as part of a new package of relaxation products, which include deep sleep pillow spray from This Works for Upper Class travellers on night flights and mindfulness videos designed by popular app ‘Headspace’. All customers travelling in Upper Class will also be provided with a hot towel infused with oils and created exclusively for Virgin Atlantic by de Mamiel, with the blend varying on day and night flights to ensure customer wellbeing. Enliven’ is the perfect wake-me-up, with a combination of calming lavender, uplifting bergamot, refreshing sweet orange and soothing ylang ylang, while the immune-boosting, soothing blend, ‘High Altitude’, is designed to help support a relaxed, calm journey and contains a combination of lavender, eucalyptus, fragonia, lemon myrtle and peppermint oil. What’s the icing on the cake? A complete sleep suit for you to feel utterly at home. Yes, you can let out a deep, contented sigh.
CELEBRATING HISTORY | The sale includes personal possessions of celebrated names such as Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill and items like this set of keys from the legendary Titanic (Courtesy: Christie’s)
The events around Christie’s 250th anniversary include a very intriguing auction, just round the corner. On 14 September 2016 Christie’s South Kensington, London, will host Out of the Ordinary – The 250th Anniversary Edition. The annual auction is a celebration of all things out of the ordinary: the unique, the extraordinary and the exceptional. How this for the extraordinary: a set of keys from the Titanic and a silk head scarf owned by Lawrence of Arabia? Told you it’s unique!
This year’s edition comprises over 90 lots selected for the intriguing stories they tell. Every object and work of art featured in the sale will be on view to the public in a five-week summer exhibition, from 6 August up until the evening of the auction. The exhibition is free and open to everyone. The highlight of the sale is actually a diverse collection of memorabilia compiled by the Jersey based collector David Gainsborough Roberts, who has spent the last forty years amassing memorabilia from the worlds of film and entertainment, royalty and politics, sport, and travel and exploration. These include personal possessions of many celebrated and renowned names of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Queen Victoria, Sir Winston Churchill, Lawrence of Arabia, the Duchess of Windsor, William Harrison “Jack” Dempsey and Captain Robert Falcon Scott, among a host of others. So, along with the keys from the Titanic, and the silk head scarf and agal owned by Lawrence of Arabia (estimate: £3,000-5,000 and £10,000-15,000) there’s also pair of ear clips owned and worn by the Duchess of Windsor (estimate: £8,000-12,000); and a Stetson presented to Sir Winston Churchill by the City of Calgary (estimate: £4,000-6,000).
Roberts explained in a statement: “After collecting for over forty years the time has finally arrived to share my collection with the world. I hope my insatiable appetite for the curious, the famous and the infamous will inspire a new generation of custodians.”
The Leica Camera Family Tree
A further highlight is the Leica Camera Family Tree, an artwork displaying 107 Leica cameras that chart the history of renowned camera maker Leica from circa 1923 to 2006 (estimate: £350,000-450,000).
LEICA CAMERA FAMILY TREE | An artwork displaying 107 Leica cameras that chart the history of the camera maker from 1923 to 2006 (Courtesy: Christie’s)
The introduction of the Leica heralded a new type of photographer: the photojournalist, who made use of the camera’s small size, with an ability to work unobtrusively in low-light or fast-moving conditions with previously difficult subjects. Leica users such as Robert Capa, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Nick Ut, André Kertész, Andreas Feininger, AleksanderRodchenko, Leni Reifenstahl, Robert Doisneau, Bert Hardy, George Rodger and the great Henri Cartier-Bresson were amongst the many photographers who used the Leica to create some of the world’s best known images. In 2014 Leica celebrated 100 years of Leica photography with an exhibition titled 36 aus 100 (‘36 from 100’).
1904 Sold Gold Olympic Medal
OLYMPIC GOLD | Hunter was awarded the 14 carat gold Golf medal at the St. Louis Games, one of only two Olympics in which the winners were presented with solid gold medals (Courtesy: Christie’s)
A selection of Olympic memorabilia, led by a 1904 Olympic gold medal awarded to American amateur golfer Robert E. Hunter is also up for sale (estimate: £20,000-30,000). Hunter was awarded the 14 carat gold Golf medal as part of the winning team at the Olympic Games in St. Louis. The St. Louis Games were the first to award gold, silver and bronze medals, and was one of only two Olympics in which the winners were presented with solid gold medals, making this medal particularly rare. In addition to the gold medal awarded to Robert E. Hunter, only two other team gold medals for golf are known to date. Golf was last played in the Olympic Games in 1904 in St. Louis and it is fitting to be offering this medal in the year the sport returns to the Olympic schedule after an absence of 112 years.
Also featured in the auction is an aluminium torch made for the 2012 London Paralympics Games offered together with an official Paralympics uniform (estimate: £1,000-1,500); and a collection of golfing medals and trophy cups awarded to Robert E. Hunter, together with a signed published diary by Robert Hunter (estimate: £6,000-10,000).
Silver Jaguar XJ8 armoured LWB saloon
BARONESS THATCHER OFFICIAL JAGUAR | Also loaned to David Cameron during 2010 election and used by him en route to Downing Street after his first meeting with the Queen as Prime Minister (Courtesy: Christie’s)
For auto enthusiasts, there’s something special: a car that has made extraordinary journeys: a silver Jaguar XJ8 armoured LWB saloon, the last official car allocated to the late Baroness Thatcher by The Government Car Service (a division of the Department for Transport) (estimate: £15,000-25,000). Whilst other official cars were used during Margaret Thatcher’s time in office, both as Prime Minister and as an ex-Prime Minister, this is the only official car used by her that can be substantiated. This Jaguar saloon was also loaned to David Cameron during the 2010 election and was used by him en route to Downing Street after his first meeting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace as Prime Minister. The car was paid for by HM Treasury, and the funds raised from the sale of the car will go back to the Treasury. The car’s numerous impressive features include 6 speed automatic transmission, liquid silver exterior, discreetly armoured enhancement including titanium roof, ballistic steel armouring, under-floor Kevlar protection, bullet-resistant borosilicate glazing, tyres with run flat capability and six-piston Alcon mono-block brake callipers to the front and four-piston Alcon mono-block brake callipers to the rear. Whew!
Keys from the legendary Titanic, Circa 1912
FOUR KEYS ON B BRASS FOB | Belonging to Samuel Ernest Hemming, the lamp trimmer on board RMS TITANIC (Courtesy: Christie’s)
This set of keys belonged to Samuel Ernest Hemming, the lamp trimmer on board RMS TITANIC. He was known as ‘Plenty of time, Sir’ Hemmings as that was his response when the officers tried to make him hurry to the boats. Aged 43 at the time of the sinking, he had been at sea since the age of 15, and with White Star Line for five years. His duties were ‘to mix the paint, and all that kind of thing for the ship, and to look after all the decks, trim all the lamps, and get them in proper order, and to put the lights in at night-time and take them off at daybreak’ (taken from evidence Hemming gave to the US Senatorial Titanic Inquiry).
Estimate: £7,000-10,000
Ear Clips of the Duchess of Windsor
ECHOES OF HISTORY | Shell-shaped ear clips embellished with gold and turquoise mounts(Courtesy: Christie’s)
Owned and worn by the Duchess Of Windsor, these ear clips comprising a shell with gold and turquoise mounts.
Estimate: £15,000-25,000
ARCTIC GLORY | The Kakslauttanen Resort offers accommodation in breath-taking glass igloos where you watch the spectacular show of the Northern Lights that begins in late Augst and goes on till April
Finland’s Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is a dream come true, a wonderland to forget those blues. Located near Finland’s largest national park Urho Kekkonen, one night at Kakslauttanen would cost you upward of $210. The best months to visit this enchanting land begin in August, when Nature puts on the spectacular show of Aurora Borealis.
To fully enjoy the show, you can sleep in glass igloos, Kelo-glass igloos or even real snow igloos.
GLASS IGLOOS | Available to book throughout the northern lights season, beginning around August 20 and ending in April
The Glass Igloos are the real romantic deal— two person igloos with glass domed roofs where you can lay in your bed and watch the splendid Northern Lights. The igloos include a toilet and the option of an extra bed. Saunas and showers are available—but in separate buildings. If you’re going not just as a couple but intend to take kids along, there are also four-person glass igloos with their own toilet and shower. The glass igloos are available to book throughout the northern lights season, beginning around August 20 and ending in April.
KELO-GLASS IGLOOS | Seeping upto six and featuring a private sauna, fireplace, kitchenette and a glass domed bedroom
Kelo-glass igloos combine the comforts of a warm and cozy log chalet with the spectacular views of the glass igloo. Seeping upto six and featuring a private sauna along with a fireplace, kitchenette and a bedroom with a view—the entire roof is glass—they’re made from Lapland’s unique Kelo pinewood.
SNOW IGOOS | The temperature inside these is minus 3 to minus 6
And if you want the real snow deal, then go the whole way and get yourself a snow igloo! The ice-cool igloos are sound proof, but keep in mind of course that you’d be sleeping inside snow. So while they definitely provide relief from the temperature outside, which might be a bone chilling minus 40, the temperature inside isn’t any more than minus three to minus six. And you’ll be provided down sleeping bags to tuck in! Doesn’t get any more authentic does it?
DOWNY BAGS | The resort provides down sleeping bags within the snow igloos
But wait—there’s also ‘Santa’s own home’. Yes, we’re not kidding. And there’s a gold digger’s chalet too, where you can stay on the banks of the golden river. And the resort actually offers to take you down to the gold panning site, where you can mine enough gold to make your very own special ring for your beloved. Nothing tops that, we’re quite sure!
DATE WITH SANTA | You can also opt for a stay in Santa’s own home—this is the North Pole, after all
Ralph Lauren also chose Kakslauttanen as the ultimate location for its Fall 2015 photo shoot, and with good reason. Bet you’re aching to rush off right now!
