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ROYAL STEED | The Bentley Bentayga is a class apart with its 12 cylinder engine, supersonic acceleration and active roll control—not to mention the diamond studded dashboard chronometer

Feast your eyes on the world’s fastest, most luxurious—and obviously, most expensive—SUV, the Bentley Bentayga. Behind tall hedges at West Hollywood’s Sunset Marquis hideaway, a handful of VIPs were recently invited to privately view this magnificent denizen of the road to adventure. Unveiled by Bentley’s new American CEO Michael Winker—all smiles as he showed off their latest creation—it’s nothing like anything you’ve seen before.

And why wouldn’t it be, when it’s a car meant, quite literally, for royalty? The very first Bentayga First Edition will be the prized possession of The first lady of England, Queen Elizabeth II. She actually test drove the first Bentayga on her Scotland estate where she will use it in her hunting expeditions. So what exactly does this jet-age royal carriage comprise of? Let’s fill you in on the beauty within the beast.

From the 12-cylinder engine, unique Union Jack fascia badging, 22’ polished wheels and illuminated thread plates, to the regal interiors that come with metal, wood and leather detailing, the Bentayga sets a new standard (even for Bentley)—especially with the hand-stitched diamond quilted leather that takes 36 hours to complete.

BEAUTY IN THE BEAST | The bespoke interiors of the Bentayga included hand-stitched diamond quilted leathers

And your royal steed nonpareil doesn’t just floor you with its looks: it’s a potent powerhouse that makes no compromises on performance. The 600-horsepower 608 First Edition Bentayga has a twin turbo-charged, 6.0-liter W12 engine with a 608 PS metric power output. That means supersonic acceleration from 0-60 mph in just four seconds and a top speed of 187 mph. If you’d rather let the car drive itself, new Driver Assistance systems automatically start, stop and inch forward in slow traffic. It can also detect suitable parking spaces and steer into them safely. The First Edition’s most advanced piece of technology is the active roll control, which makes it glide smoothly over road hazards and speed bumps, while roll bars eliminate any leaning while cornering. Bottom line: It looks like an SUV, but certainly doesn’t drive like any you’re used to.

No wonder then, that Bentley’s initial offering of 608 models, available globally for pre-order, sold out almost immediately. With a massive waiting list, their entire planned production run of 3,600 ended up selling out, spurring the marque to nearly double its 2016 production numbers.

ARTSY ACCESSORIES | Upgrade your Bentayga with mother of pearl inlay, refrigerator or back-seat champagne compartment

The upgrade options seem endless and include massaging chairs, a backseat champagne compartment, mother-of-pearl inlay, a ski hatch, a picnic hamper, refrigerator and a cooled glove box, electric blinds and bespoke child seats. You can even get your wedding vows embroidered on the visor if you want. How’s that for luxe du coeur?

But the icing on the very expensive cake is the optional $160k dashboard clock made by Breitling. The bespoke chronometer is studded with eight diamonds and a dazzling mechanism that periodically spins the timepiece to keep it wound. Of course, there’s also a matching $175k Breitling for Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon watch. The first 608 Bentayga owners will be rewarded with their very own, getting to choose between three special-edition chronographs—one of which features a personal locator beacon.

Now is that a modern-day fairy-tale, or what?

first-608-bentayga — WINNER TAKES ALL | First 608 Bentayga owners will be rewarded with their very own Breitling for Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon watch

(Source: www.justluxe.com)

Louis Vuitton and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed a global partnership to support the most vulnerable children around the world: those exposed to conflict, diseases, natural disasters and other threatening situations. During 2016, a specially designed product, the Silver Lockit, will be available in Louis Vuitton stores worldwide and on www.louisvuitton.com/lvforunicef starting January 13. For each sale of the Silver Lockit pendant or bracelet, $200 will be donated to UNICEF. The Silver Lockit, inspired by the un-pickable tumbler lock invented by Georges Vuitton in 1890 to protect clients’ most precious belongings, is a symbol of protection. It also seals one’s promise to help children in urgent need. With the $200 donated to UNICEF one may provide: 6 First Aid kits with practical equipment for treating cuts and minor burns to protect children against infections, or 25 fleece blankets to keep babies and children warm and snug in emergency situations, or45 life-saving mosquito nets to help protect children and their families from malaria. Louis Vuitton has also launched digital campaign #MAKEAPROMISE to raise awareness and funds around the world at the occasion of the sixth biennial UNICEF BALL in Los Angeles on January 12, 2016. Influencers around the world will seal their commitment with a “pinky promise” and invite people to join them.

On the first day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Lexus stunned all by unveiling the all-new Lexus LC500, a breakthrough coupé that clearly rockets the global automotive brand into a new era. It’s Lexus’ first radical car concept to ultimately be built for the marketplace. Four years after the original unveiling of their LF-LC Concept, Lexus surprised the industry by announcing that engineers and designers had been tweaking the radically-sporty design to enter production for the marketplace in 2017. After years of engineering challenges that many thought would be impossible, the result stays true to the original concept’s dramatic styling with new architecture that promises enhanced performance. Akio Toyoda, Chief Branding Officer and Master Driver for Lexus, emphasised that his flagship “luxury coupe’s proportions, stunning design and performance make a strong statement about the brand’s emotional direction and will grow the Lexus luxury appeal globally.” Tadao Mori, the chief designer of the LC 500 said, “We gave serious consideration to where the driver’s eyes would focus and designed the surface shape in that area to help support a driver’s mindset. This project was one of the first times that designers were closely involved in the dynamic engineering development so we could understand the driving goals and support with the car’s design.

Bobbi Brown’s new line, the Luxe Lip Color, draws inspiration from various countries and their eclectic hues, with a deep, rich shade of Plum Brandy glittering as ode to Indian culture. The deep purple hue has a hint of red, making it unique from most other plum lipsticks already available. From Germany to UK and the Middle East, Bobbi Brown has travelled the world to introduce 30 new lip colours for the perfect pout this season. The collection offers an ultra-luxurious feel and a bold colour with maximum-coverage. Bringing in a soft, nourishing shine that adds a brilliant dimension to the lips while enhancing the complexion, the Luxe Lip Colour also treats your lips—visibly reducing the appearance of fine lines and flaking. The sumptuous collection is housed in a crest-embossed gold tube and is priced at INR 2,950. All the 30 shades are available at Bobbi Brown outlets across the country.

Mumbai’s elite now have an Art of Time flagship store in their very own city. Spread over 2000 sq ft, with high ceilings and a sweeping glass façade, the store promises to offer a holistic luxe experience to watch aficionados. The glass facade lets in soft daylight, lighting up the store in a magical way. It offers a unique buying experience with large individual spaces for each brand, along with a sophisticated viewing room where buyers can view timepieces in their full glory. Art of Time features a wide assortment of designs while offering personalised services: It houses collections from various international luxury brands such as Cartier, Officine Panerai, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Mont Blanc. In fact, it also exclusively retails bespoke Cartier timepieces in Mumbai. Located on Waterfield Road in Bandra, the store launch was a classy affair that saw the crème de la crème of the city in full attendance. The city of glitter just upped its glamour quotient.

CROWNING GLORY | The Oriental Mandarin at Kuala Lumpur spells the ultimate in indulgence with elegance and flair

If you are in Kuala Lumpur, the place to be in is Oriental Mandarin. Whether its business or shopping, it’s the address you cannot miss. Needless to mention, the duty-free city of Kuala Lumpur offers round-the-year attractive reasons to pick up the luxury brand of your choice.

Located at a stone’s throw from the Petronas Twin Towers, the country’s most important business destination, this luxurious hotel is also just a 1-min walk from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), one of Asia’s most iconic shopping destinations. If the centrality of the location is the cake, the elegant interiors and spacious rooms are clearly the icing. There are more than 600 rooms in the hotel, of which there are some 40 suites and about 50 executive apartments. Luxury comes alive in these spacious suites and apartments, which come equipped with dedicated service professionals.

KING’S SLEEP | The Presidential Suite at Oriental Mandarin gives you the best place to sleep your worries away

And once you are back from a busy day at business or shopping, there’s enough inside the Oriental Mandarin premises for you and your taste-buds to unwind.

The spa at Mandarin Oriental offers a very soothing décor. The earthy tones and warm lighting create a calm atmosphere. It can’t be more de-stressing. If there isn’t any rush for time, it is advisable that one reaches the spa well before the appointment schedule. The time-gap can be used in steam, sauna and vitality pool. One unique feature at the Mandarin Spa is that each treatment begins with a consultation session with the theraupist, which leads to a very personalised experience. And if there’s more time after the spa session, you cannot miss out retiring at the Mandarin Spa lounge or relax on the pool deck. A perfectly rejuvenating experience.

And now, over to your taste-buds. The 11 restaurants, bars and lounges in the hotel provide for a wide choice of cuisines, an array of delectable dishes, some awesome cocktails and a vast selection of Cuban cigars. There’s something for every type of taste-bud: If you are in KL to try classic Cantonese food, Lai Po Heen is the place for you; if you want to try contemporary Californian or Japanese cuisine you must go to Wasabi Bistro. And then you must have at least one meal at the hotel’s flagship restaurant Mandarin Grill.

TASTE OF THE EAST | The cuisine at Mandarin Grill is a must-try for all kingly foodies

All day dining at Mosaic offers wide multi-cuisine options, while the Cascade Restaurant and Bar offers a one-of-its-kind poolside drinking and dining experience. Casbah, Oriental Mandarin’s round-the-clock coffee shop offers cocktails and light bites through-out the day. For between-meals, you can also try light snacks and savoury delights at Lounge on the Park.

BITE ME RIGHT | Light-bites and cocktails at Casbah, the coffee shop, are the ultimate delight

If you cherish your drinks, you can explore some great customised cocktails at Sultan Lounge. The MO Bar also offers an extensive drinks menu and a cosy atmosphere. Cigar Divan boasts of an authentic premium selection of Cuban cigars by La Casa del Habano. For homemade cakes, pastries and chocolates, you must visit The Mandarin Cake Shop.

The Oriental Hotel would sure make for the cherry on top of your far-east holiday.

NAMESAKE | Sultan Lounge stands true to its name, wreathing you with stately luxury as you let yourself loose

Swiss adventure watchmaker Luminox celebrated its 25th anniversary with a bang recently as it presented the Luminox Navy SEAL Colormark Nova watch collection at the Gifts of Swiss Timekeeping Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. It is an extension from the brand’s signature Luminox Navy SEAL tactical watch series that has a sturdy reputation of being used and endorsed by the US Navy SEALS. The key feature in the collection is the proprietary Luminox Light Technology (LLT) and Super-Luminova that enables the watches to glow continuously in the dark for up to 25 years without the need for a light source or the use of any push buttons. The LLT feature is applied on the hands and hour markers, dial ring and at the 12h marker on the bezel, whereas Super-Luminova serves in the circular indices, date window frame, inverse triangle at 12h and stick indices at 6h and 9h on the dial. The collection offers a choice of polyurethane strap and webbing strap in colours that match the five core ‘Colormark’ of the watch – white, green, orange, red and yellow.

Move on diamonds—roses will now be forever, too. In collaboration with Far East Flora—the leading purveyor of beautiful blooms in Singapore, RISIS has elevated the iconic flower by encapsulating beautiful Ecuadorian roses in precious gold. The blossoms are selected at the peak of their extravagant bloom and are perfectly preserved, trimmed and plated in 24K gold. In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, these alluring roses preserved in gold can be purchased across all RISIS stores, each retailing at S$999 per stalk, or as part of a beautifully arranged bouquet of fresh roses at Far East Flora. Where RISIS is a veteran in gold plated orchids, plating roses requires a higher level of intricacy due to the delicate rose petals. The plating process for roses also incurs a higher rejection rate to ensure that only the finest pieces reach the clients.

French actress Léa Seydoux, awarded a Palme d’Or in 2013 for her role in “Blue Is The Warmest Color”, is the latest face of Louis Vuitton, the brand has announced. The most recent Bond girl from “Spectre”, Seydoux will make her first appearance for the Maison Louis Vuitton at the Unicef Ball on 12th January 2016. Wearing a custom-made design for the occasion, she will accompany Nicolas Ghesquière, Artistic Director of Women’s collections. Seydoux declared in her official statement that she was felt “extremely proud” to represent “such a such a strong symbol of French elegance” and she deeply admired” Nicolas Ghesquière’s work, especially his newness.”

Award-winning yacht and boat builder, Gulf Craft, celebrated its 25th year in Asia with the Majesty 105, the largest superyacht on display at the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX 2016). The Majesty 105 offers sweeping views of the sea through its panoramic windows, expansive outdoor entertaining and lounging areas, including a spacious aft deck, and a large hard-topped sun deck along with five en-suite staterooms that accommodate up to 10 guests, and two crew cabins. It is the perfect superyacht for those who relish spending time admiring the coast while island-hopping, or for holidaymakers looking to catch all the action moored alongside the waterfront. The impressive display at PIMEX 2016 also includes the Majesty 56, Gulf Craft’s 17-meter luxury fly-bridge motor yacht, which can comfortably entertain more than a dozen persons from its viewing decks, and even more inside the cabin, as well as the Majesty 48, expressly designed for leisure cruising. Also on display are the Silvercraft 36 HT and the Silvercraft 34, part of the Silvercraft range of fishing boats and family cruisers, a widely popular choice among Thailand’s charter companies and private owners.