pierre herme tokyo

After existing as a prime chocolate bar for over a decade, Pierre Hermé’ s luxury boutique has been renovated into their flagship store in Tokyo. Pierre Hermé, among the finest pastry chefs of the world, has created a super luxe experience with  Aayoma, which is what the store is called. From bakes and macarons to French viennoiseries, the most tantalising spread is laid out for the connoisseur. A section of the store titled the “Crossover” is marked off for display of original goods including more than 40 recipe books written by Pierre Hermé.The upper level called Heaven—quite appropriately—reveals an aerial kitchen where you can watch great hands at work.

game of throne

Montegrappa’s special pens are quite something to feast your eyes on and even more so when they’re dedicated to that raging fantasy phenomenon: Game of Thrones. The Game of Thrones series of pens are Montegrappa’s tribute to the ‘epic storylines of treachery and nobility, family and honor, ambition and love, and death and survival’. The writing instruments represents each of the four key families: Stark, Baratheon, Lannister and Targaryen. Each is available as a fountain pen, rollerball and a ballpoint pen, with each pen individualised for the family it represents through sigils and emblems representative of the clan. All barrels and caps are made with colourful lacquered surfaces, while the trims are fashioned from palladium, 18k gold or bronze – plate, with “Game of Thrones” engraved on the cap ring. All of the fountain pens’ nibs are formed in stainless steel, decorated with a sword, and are available in four writing grades: Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Broad. The pens are presented in a double box consisting of a rich, black outer carton bearing each family’s symbol, with the inner box covered in material evoking the styles of the historical period that inspired Game of Thrones, with sigils and patterns relevant to the four families.

luxury hotels

Tapestry Collection by Hilton Hotels is a fresh brand and part of an endeavour to provide guests varied luxury options for an independent stay. It was curated by Hilton due to customer and owner demand for original upscale hotels that cater to guests seeking reliability and value in their independent hotel choices. Each hotel will maintain its individual spirit, offering guests an experience that is approachable and familiar as well as different from other hotels. In addition, each stay is backed by the reassurance of the Hilton name. Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton, stated: “Tapestry Collection by Hilton will enable us to provide the best of both worlds to travelers who are looking for an independent hotel experience but also want the consistency and reassurance they expect from Hilton.” The Tapestry Collection by Hilton is positioned in the upscale segment just below Curio – A Collection by Hilton, which has been highly successful since launching in 2014.

stephen hung

The world’s most expensive hotel, Macao’s The 13 boasts of two bespoke gold-infused Rolls Royce Phantoms, to be on offer for use by VIPs and most distinguished guests from among the already dripping rich list of the hotel’s select guests. The defining feature of the cars is an exterior finish that dazzles with fine particles of 23.75 carat gold, a weight chosen for even disbursement, achieving a perfectly executed finish. The resultant paint job is the most expensive and meticulously engineered paint the marque has ever produced. Vitreous enamel has been used to create the RR emblem and is surrounded by 336 pavé set brilliant-cut diamonds. A golden twin coachline is hand-painted by Mark Court, Rolls-Royce’s resident expert coachline painter, using a fine squirrel hair paintbrush. The Spirit of Ecstasy up front is 24-karat gold-plated, the grille is gold-colored, the Rolls-Royce badge is gold, and hand-painted gold details scattered around the cars, with gold-trimmed umbrellas in the doors, personalized with a gold handle and a golden trim to match the color themes of the hotel. Gold tread plates engraved with ‘PHANTOM Specially Commissioned by Stephen Hung’ adorn the cars. At the time of commissioning, these were the most expensive Phantoms to be built by the uber luxe carmaker.

cricket on ice

The picturesque Swiss resort of St Moritz is famous for the beauty of its ski slopes and the Adrenalin rush of the Cresta Run. But for sheer quirkiness, few sport events can beat the February cricket festival on the ice and snow on the frozen lake.  St Moritz, Engadin, is all set to host  the Cricket on Ice Trophy on its frozen lake once again this year from 23rd – 25th February. Incepted in 1988, Cricket on Ice was the brainchild of a few British enthusiasts who challenged the students of the international boarding school Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz to a match. Ever since, the cricket festival on a frozen lake has been attracting international players and participants from all over the world. On Lake St. Moritz, the game of cricket is played a little differently. Instead of whites, the players wear warm tracksuits. The ball is made of hard rubber, because traditional leather would become wet, heavy and unpredictable on the snow. The pitch is artificial grass on an oval-shaped cricket ground. The game consists of twenty overs per inning; bowlers are limited to four overs. As the sport offers a different setting, it also demands a considerable amount of skill and agility from the players. The cricket played is a competitive, but amateur, level and depends a lot on fairness and the spirit of friendship between the teams.

horse races india

The 75th Indian Derby organised by RWITC is being held today and tomorrow—Feb 4 and 5— evening races today and day races tomorrow. The Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby is one of the most high-profile events on India’s horse-racing calendar and promises to be a sparkling extravaganza of adrenaline burst combined with some great art and music, including performances by Brazilian Samba dancers and singer & music artist Lucky Ali.

heuer camaro watch

A classic Jack Heuer masterpiece that’s just coming into its own as a collector’s pride and dream is the Vintage Heuer Camaro Watch, created as a tribute to none othen than the Chevrolet Camaro muscle car. Elegantly designed in cushion-shape, the watch was in production from 1968 to 1972. A manually-wound watch, powered by the well-proven and solid Valjoux 7733 movement, its stainless steel case is in very good condition, retaining factory sunburst finishing, while the dial has “gained a warm, tropical patination.” Arriving with one 18mm chocolate brown leather strap and two 18mm nylon straps from Crown & Buckle, the timepiece has Heuer’s signature on the crown. For vintage watch aficionados this beauty is worth every bit its price tag of $5,400.

paris fashion week

After more than a decade at the helm of Givenchy — twelve years, to be precise— Riccardo Tisci has finally stepped down as creative director of the Italian fashion house. While Givenchy had been known for its glamour, Tisci chose to inject his love of hip-hop and street style into his collections that quickly gained him a popular following. For now, the rumour mills are churning out reports of Tisci heading to join Versace, although there has been no confirmation from either Versace or Tisci. However it is common knowledge that he is close to Donatella Verace and even featured her in a previous campaign for Givenchy, so his heading in that direction seems like a natural course to follow. The brand has also announced that it will not be holding a show at Paris Fashion Week in March, as a result of Tisci’s exit. Fans of his designs can still look forward to seeing them on the red carpet at the Oscars.

mercedes e Classc

The new E-Class long-wheelbase is all set for its official India launch on February 28. This stretched version of the E is based on the standard W213 gen E-Class which was unveiled in early 2016 and actually exceeds the E-class sedan in terms of both length (5m) and the wheelbase (3079mm), a massive 140mm (5.5 inches) more than the standard car. This extension has increased space for the rear passenger compartment. It also boasts of a more streamlined exterior along with the added sheet metal in the wheelbase that emphasises its S-Class-like stance. t will come with an S-class-like dashboard with dual 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and instrumentation, the latest version of Merc’s COMAND Online infotainment system, both petrol and diesel engine options. Although at present it is only being sold in China due to the huge demand in the Chinese market for long wheelbase luxury cars, but the Indian market looks all set for a rendezvous with this baby soon enough.

maverick helicopters

Up and away from the world on a chopper, landing upon the red rocks of Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park, contemplating the world within and outside, experiencing inner peace. How’s that for an incredible Yoga experience? Well this is the latest in luxe-yoga, an experience termed ‘Heli-Yoga: Limitless’ and can be enjoyed for a sum of $3500 for up to six students. Offered by Las Vegas-based yoga company Silent Savasana, in collaboration with Maverick Helicopters, the entire experience includes being picked up by limousine from your hotel room or from your home (if you’re within 5 miles of the Strip) to the Las Vegas helicopter terminal, where you board a top-of-the-line helicopter for a 20-minute ride to the top of the Valley of Fire. You can roam free and explore the spectacular natural red sandstone formations for 10-15 minutes before being led through a private, 75-minute yoga session by a certified Silent Savasana yoga instructor.