In honor of its official partnership with Eco-Age for the Cannes Film Festival, Chopard will be announcing a new milestone in its Journey to Sustainable Luxury. During the festival, the Swiss luxury watch and jewelry company will launch its new collaboration with Gemfields. The new capsule collection, the Green Carpet Collection, will be unveiled on May 14 during a lunch hosted by Caroline Scheufele, Colin & Livia Firth. The collection is part of the brand’s Red Carpet Collection and will showcase several exquisite emeralds from Gemfields. As the leading supplier of responsibly sourced and ethical colored gemstones, Gemsfields collaboration with Chopard ensures that the everyone involved in the supply chain are taken care of. Thanks to its efforts and partnership with Eco-Age, Chopard — official partner of the festival since 1998 — holds the title of being the first company that has provided support to mining communities. Before the collection is unveiled, a piece from the Green Carpet Collection will be worn by an Oscar winning actress during the opening night of the festival — which will be taking place later today.

(Source:www.luxuo.com)

Untitled (1982) by the street art-inspired Neo-Expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat has sold for $57 million at a Post-War and Contemporary Art sale over at Christie’s New York, making it the top lot of the sale. The entire sale fetched a total of around $318 million across its 61 lots, outdoing the lackluster Impressionist and Modern art at Sotheby’s that only managed $144 million across 62 lots. “This painting drew intense competition that dispelled questions of a market contraction. We are particularly happy that the work was acquired by a collector in Asia, demonstrating the global scope of the masterpiece market” commented Brett Gorvy, the Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art. The other top seller of the auction was Mark Rothko’s No. 17, which managed around $32 million. The sale established five new world record auctions for artists other than Basquiat: Agnes Martin, Mike Kelley, Richard Prince, Kerry James Marshall and Barry X Ball. Basquiat is well known for his wild frenetic style, mixed in with his own eccentric visual language drawing from a rich symbology – skulls, masks, crowns – and other hermetic motifs that seemingly refer to his African heritage. In this Basquiat painting, he utilizes a drawing of a blackened skull fitted with horns, with colorful streaks dripped at the side, and a swirling ambiguous background of pinks, blues, and browns. The stripped down and cartoony style of the skull places the work firmly in pop art as well, which Basquiat was deeply influenced by, being one of the members frequenting Andy Warhol’s Factory studio. The whole painting is 94 by 197 inches, giving an epic propensity to the artist’s inner struggles. The influence of Basquiat has spread to countless street artists, painters, even carrying over into our digital era. With Picasso failing to sell and Basquiat going strong, the narrative seems to be inverted. Basquiat himself was originally greatly influenced by Picasso’s style.

(Source: www.luxuo.com)

The complete 14,000-square-foot estate at 101 Pascal Lane is a compound comprising the main home, pool, guesthouse, apartment, and grounds—set on 3.5 acres and surrounded by 400 acres of protected land (ensuring owner privacy) just outside the burgeoning tech hub of Austin, Tex. Tranquil and scenic, the property is well suited for avid entertainers and lovers of nature. Currently the home of software entrepreneur Ross Garber, until he and his wife turn over the keys on auction day, the 9-bedroom, 12-bathroom home was recently renovated. It now boasts a Thermador kitchen outfitted with handmade white-oak cabinetry and marble countertops, as well as numerous floor-to-ceiling windows that offer expansive views of the lush acreage below. A picturesque 50-foot infinity-edge pool; a tennis court; a detached 10-car garage and another, 3-car garage; a subterranean, 2,400-bottle wine cellar; and an extensive outdoor kitchen are just a few of the estate’s most-compelling features. Last listed for $16.9 million, the home will go up for auction through New York City–based Concierge Auctions without reserve on May 25.

(Source: www.robbreport.com)

2016 marked the final production year for the iconic Defender, but we’re seeing new versions of it being released by skilled aftermarket shops.  The latest noteworthy build is the Land Rover Defender “Beast,” ($NA) a hefty 4X4 packing American V8 muscle under the hood. Executed by East Coast Defender (Florida-USA), the Beast is based on a Defender 110 model that’s been fitted with a 430hp LS3 6.2L V8 Corvette engine, coupled to a GM 4L80E automatic transmission for quick, seamless gear shifting.  The result is a 0-60 mph time in just seven seconds and a top speed over 100 mph, which is obviously not too shabby for a 2-ton off-road vehicle.  But EDC didn’t stop at the engine.  After stripping away all the parts, they’ve galvanized the entire frame and added a bunch of performance-enhancing bits including Ashcroft drive shafts, axles with limited slip differentials, Tarox disc brakes, a Terrafirma suspension setup, Nitto A/T tires for the 18″ black-out wheels, an external roll cage, and a Magnaflow exhaust. The tough Defender is complete with a Kahn wide body kit, LED lighting, a Smittybilt 10,000-lb winch & a 40″ light bar, while the inside boasts hand-stitched leather, extra soundproofing, a premium infotainment & audio system, and a Momo sports steering wheel to make sure the Beast handles as good as it looks.

(Source: www.mensgear.net)

What’s longer than the Eiffel Tower, is many times heavier yet stays afloat in water? It is nothing less than the largest cruise liner, belonging to Royal Caribbean Cruises. The 120,000-ton Harmony of the Seas, capable of accommodating more than 8,000 passengers and crew in the most luxurious conditions, was revealed Thursday at a French boatyard. At 66 meters (217 feet), it is the widest cruise ship ever built, while its 362-meter length makes it 50 meters longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. The immense floating town, which cost close to one billion euros, has 16 decks and will be able to carry 6,360 passengers and 2,100 crew members. The ship was built for the US-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) by the STX France boatyard in Saint-Nazaire on the Atlantic coast. Harmony of the Seas will leave the port on Sunday, weather permitting, for Southampton in southern England. From there, it will embark on for its official maiden voyage on May 22 to Barcelona. RCCL already operates two giant sister liners to the Harmony of the Seas called Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, marginally smaller than the new ship. Among the onboard attractions is “The Ultimate Abyss”, a 10-storey slide from the top deck to the boardwalk which RRCL bills as the world’s biggest ship-mounted slide. A giant climbing wall, a rope slide, mini-golf, surf simulator, floating jacuzzis, casino and 1,400-seat theatre playing Broadway musicals are among the other attractions. Two robot barmen will serve passengers in the “Bionic Bar”. The ship even has its own high street, and a “Central Park” deck featuring 12,000 plant species. After its maiden voyage, it will dock in its new home port of Barcelona a week later, after which it will begin regular cruises through to late October. It took 2,500 workers at STX France a total of some 10 million work-hours to complete the enormous vessel after work began in September 2013. RCCL has already ordered another sister ship of the Harmony to join its fleet in 2018.

(Source: www.luxuo.com)

Sometimes smaller is better, as the old Volkswagen Beetle advertising campaign “Think Small” back in the 1950s proved. But while that campaign was based more around being economical, the Mini Seven, a new part of the Mini line-up, is set to match smallness with contemporary technology and luxury. The name in question references the Austin Seven model that Mini started production on back in 1959, way before the brand’s acquisition by BMW (probably unthinkable at that time). Available in diesel and gas versions, the Seven can develop 170hp for the former, and 192hp for the latter. That puts the top speed at 141 or 146 mph respectively, with a 0-100km/h timing of 7.2 or 6.7 respectively. Average fuel consumption goes at 4l or 5.3l, while CO2 emissions go at 106 or 123g/km. Supercar this is not but it sure is cool. The Seven will be available in three- and five-door models with pricing yet to be announced. Pushing up the features for the Seven, there will be LED headlights and fog lamps, and two-zone automatic air conditioning. There will also be the Mini Visual Boost radio, the Mini navigation system and the Mini Connected in-car infotainment system, ensuring up-to-date digital facilities. To help with driver-navigation, the Mini will come with a special Heads-Up display, driving assistant with cruise control, road sign detection, a collision and pedestrian warning system, among others. All these technological functions are melded together and can be controlled via an optional 8.8-inch color screen.

(Source: www.luxuo.com)

Montague’s Paratrooper Mountain Bikes ($640+) are built to conquer the toughest terrains and fold neatly into the trunk of your car, at the end of your adventure. Made for the weekend warriors but also for everyday commuting, the mountain bikes are available as the Elite model, the multi-use Express, the Highline, the Pro, and the original Paratrooper.  Each bicycle features the patented DirectConnect folding system, providing a stiff & responsive frame, and can be folded/unfolded in less than 20 seconds!  The original and the Pro also come equipped with Montague’s Eurobike award winning RackStand which serves as a standard cargo rack and mud guard when the bike is in use, converts into a kickstand when parked, and allows the bike to stand upright when folded. The Paratrooper Elite is an aggressive hard tail built for technical single track, equipped with 30 gears, 27.5″ wheels, Shimano XT drivetrain, Shimano XT hydraulic disc brakes, and Rockshox Reba suspension.

(source: www.mensgear.net)

German automobile giant BMW brings the “sport of kings” to the sunny shores of Tanjong Beach, Sentosa this year. We are talking about polo of course, beach polo. As the first signature equestrian event in Singapore, the inaugural BMW Singapore Beach Polo Championship 2016 promises to be a phenomenal one. The globally renowned event – held from 4th to 5th June 2016 – is jointly organized by the Singapore Polo Club and BMW Asia, in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board. “Polo has been played in Singapore for many years, with 2016 marking the 130th anniversary of the Singapore Polo Club. We hope Singaporeans will take this rare opportunity to experience the excitement and energy of this great sport.” The equestrian event will see four teams compete for top honors over the two days. While guests take in this high-octane spectacle, they are indulged with quality catering and free flow of premium beverages, followed by a VIP after-party helmed by internationally-renowned DJs. Public spectators can also catch a glimpse of the equine athlete’s gladiatorial action as the event is open for free to the general public.

(source: www.luxuo.com)

The Ferrari LaFerrari remains one of the most powerful multi-million dollar hypercars that’s ever been produced. Sadly, like the Enzo it replaced, it is sold out. Yet, rumors were swirling for some time that a new hypercar was in the works. Thanks to a little tidbit from Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne, this rumor may now be confirmed, and a new drop-top ‘Spider’ version of the LaFerrari is coming up next. Just taking over from Amedeo Felisa this month, Marchionne let  slip in an interview (with automobilemag.com) that “the only future product connected to LaFerrari is the Spider”, though he added that it was “no secret since potential customers have already been approached”. The original hard-top LaFerrari was the first car to use a hybrid powertrain, and stood out from models made by the rest of its competitors such as Porsche and McLaren by pushing out maximum power all the time. With regard to cars like the Dino V-6 though (a new ‘entry-level’ compact supercar), Marchionne noted that there were still various questions (“Where should that Dino be positioned? How much should it cost? How would it relate to the next 488…”) to be answered and they “haven’t found answers to these questions yet”. Even so, Ferrari also revealed May 4 that it had its most successful quarter in history with 1,882 cars being delivered to clients around the world since the beginning of the year — a 15% increase on Q1 2015.

(Source: www.luxuo.com)