Search

"The History of Luxury in 50 Objects" is an article that explores the significance of various objects in shaping the world of luxury. It covers a wide range of topics, including the invention of the cupholder, the rise of duty-free shopping, the impact of credit cards on consumerism, and the historical significance of eel in ancient Greece. Each object discussed provides unique insights into the evolution of luxury and its cultural significance. The article highlights the impact of these objects on society and culture, showcasing their lasting influence on various industries. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the evolving field of yacht design, focusing on the shift away from traditional aesthetics and the influence of non-yachting designers. Younger yacht owners are prioritizing functionality, outdoor spaces, and a connection to nature over opulence and formality. To meet these demands, famous designers from outside the industry are being brought in to create innovative and modern yacht designs. The article also discusses the increasing demand for yachts and the use of technology and sustainability in the design process. However, there are concerns about unrealistic concepts and the need for collaboration between interior designers and technical teams to ensure seaworthiness. The article delves into the challenges and tensions that arise when balancing aesthetics with functionality in yacht design, including conflicts between external creatives and in-house engineers. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to maritime regulations and maintaining safety in yacht design. Lastly, the article explores emerging trends in yacht design, such as active beach clubs, rounded interiors, and virtual pilothouses. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the stress and anxiety that can come with the holiday season and offers tips on how to delegate tasks to alleviate some of the pressure. It suggests outsourcing gift shopping to personal shoppers or luxury concierge services, who can track down hard-to-find items and even wrap and ship gifts. The article also mentions the option of hiring a personal assistant to handle holiday card lists and other administrative tasks. Additionally, it suggests hiring professionals to handle home decorating and party planning, as well as recruiting a staff or house manager to help with various holiday-related tasks. [Extracted from the article]

The couple bought the apartment in 2016 just as Rougeaux was about to start a new job at Loro Piana; he commissioned Giorgi, with whom he had worked professionally, to modernize the flat while preserving its integrity. Many of the furnishings are of Giorgi's own design, including the kitchen cabinets in black-stained oak, all the bedroom fittings, the bathroom mirrors and washbasins, and an ingenious alcove. FEATURES Capri has long been a byword for Mediterranean chic, its status as a see-and-be-seen party resort established in the first century B.C.E. by the island's original celebrity second-home owner, Caesar Augustus. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES The scene is the invitation-only preview of the European Fine Art Fair, colloquially known as TEFAF, in New York in May. Nicolas Cage reportedly was among the collectors of Tarbosaurus bataar who gave up their fossils after Mongolian paleontologist Bolortsetseg Minjin reminded authorities in 2012 that all Mongolian fossils are the property of that state - and all known T. bataars have been unearthed in Mongolia. Many privately owned fossils are in fact loaned or donated to museums: Stan will be the star attraction at Abu Dhabi's natural-history museum, set to open in 2025, while the world's largest triceratops - Big John, which sold for about $7.7 million in 2021 to health-care investor Sidd Pagidipati - is currently on loan to the Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa, Fla. "If a collector wants to donate to a museum", Reed says, "they're going to have to know what standards the museums are upholding.". [Extracted from the article]

CLIMATE YVON CHOUINARD Patagonia In September, Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor-clothing brand Patagonia, gave away his company to organizations combatting climate change. This year, the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation will fund campus Head Start programs to support single mothers, who account for nearly 10 percent of U.S. undergraduates. The hot topic in the field of philanthropy this year has been the imminent transfer of financial power from men to women - a trend that will accelerate as the wealth creators of the baby boomer generation die and as women continue to gain ground as high earners themselves. [Extracted from the article]

Accor intends to apply the brand name to a wide range of luxury travel experiences, including hotels and a sailing yacht as well as two Orient Express trains, which, like the VSOE, are made up of refurbished vintage rail cars. To meet demand, Belmond is adding new cabins to its VSOE train, which has dominated Europe's luxury train market for 40 years. FEATURES To celebrate her 25th birthday in December, Natalie Belden decided a trip to Paris with her boyfriend was the only way to go. But after booking the voyage, the Washington, D.C.-based pharmaceutical sales representative tative happened to check tickets for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) - a luxury train service on her travel bucket list. [Extracted from the article]

The spa's weeklong custom wellness program includes personal training, massages, skincare treatments and a tailored meal plan prepared with ingredients from the property's farm. FEATURES IT WAS WHEN THE chocolate mousse with extra chocolate arrived that I realized this was a diet plan I could stick to. ABOVE, FROM TOP: The menu at Brigantine includes amberjack carpaccio, fried calamari, sweetand-sour zucchini and risotto croquette; a coaching session on the lawn. The wellness experience at Lily of the Valley, which includes an extensive fitness program, is multilayered and occasionally paradoxical: It's a restrictive regime that disdains deprivation; a luxury resort that asks you to resist temptation; a weight-loss program that encourages treats. [Extracted from the article]

For some years now, the Army Corps of Engineers has been replenishing the beach in Montauk, where residents are fastidious about sand. He believes storms and floods alone won't stop price hikes, though he does anticipate that residents will have to absorb sharply rising costs, including insurance, damage mitigation and taxation. Miami Beach, which already has approximately 53 miles of seawall, nearly all of which is privately owned, "won't issue new building permits without a new seawall", says Curnin, who also elevates his "concrete bunker" homes to 10 or 11 feet above sea level. The issue of erosion is so contentious that it has become awash with euphemisms: Importing sand is "beach nourishment", "sacrificial sand" or "sand infusion.". [Extracted from the article]

$230,000for up to 40guests M.E. 25 Exclusive Access to Sailing's Most Exciting Sport This one-of-a-kind experience inside yacht racing's fastest, adrenaline-surging technical sport is a three-day voyage into the sanctum sanctorum of the US SailGP team, offered exclusively to a Robb Report reader and guest. That's because only one Robb Report reader will be able to collaborate directly with a select team of jewelers and precious-metal artisans from El Septimo, a luxury-product design firm with offices in Geneva, Paris and Woodland Hills, Calif., to create a one-of-a-kind tabletop lighter to the buyer's specifications. FEATURES Robb Report CARS, SPIRITS, TRAVEL, ART, FOOD, WATCHES, BOATS, STYLE, WINE, JEWELRY, DESIGN, SPORT HOW TO BUY We are pleased to introduce Robb Report ^wj Concierge, a new service designed to facilitate your Ultimate Gift Guide purchases. In addition to the rare vinegars, Giusti is offering a Robb Report reader and their guest a unique Modenese aceto balsamico hospitality experience that includes two nights at the company's Giusti Borgo cottages in the Emilian countryside, a private tasting at its acetaia and visit to the brand's museum, plus an intimate four-course meal hosted by CEO and 17th-generation producer Stefani Giusti in the aging room, which includes barrels dating back to the 1800s. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Most people don't notice the bookcase in the Costa Rica hilltop vacation home, lined with popular biographies and thrillers by Clive Cussler, John Grisham and Dan Brown. PHOTO (COLOR): Creative Home Engineering's ultrahigh-security vault door looks like something out of an old movie, but the bolt work is protected inside the door itself, making it immune from being pried open - the Achilles' heel of conventional vault doors. Gaffney knows of just four times his panic rooms have been used in emergencies; Humble is aware of at least two; Vranicar, none. One of Vranicar's clients - "He's not a celebrity, but he's on the Forbes list" - ordered 48 bulletproof doors and about 60 windows, enough for every room in his house. [Extracted from the article]

The brand's bespoke service represents the very height of its abilities and, exclusively for Robb Report readers, the company will provide a collection of its best shirts, made expressly for you. But Space Perspective and renowned chef Gaggan Anand have prepared an exclusive voyage to the edge of the atmosphere for Robb Report readers. Over the next few days, the schedule, created especially for Robb Report, includes a private dinner at Opus One Winery as well as a private chef's table dinner with wine pairings at Truss, the new restaurant from Erik Anderson. $409,000 (excluding sales tax and VAT; retail price may vary depending on country); bovet.northamerica@ bovet.com P.R. 36 WELLNESS AND HELI-SKIING IN THE MEGÈVE MOUNTAINS • Luxury-travel-and-residence company Ultima has created a 14-day extravaganza exclusively for Robb Report readers at its two chalets in Megève in the French Alps. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Nothing about the feeling of driving a Lamborghini is accidental. Jackson recalls advising a luxury-car manufacturer to add extra motors to its electric windows, after customers complained they didn't like the existing uneven tone. Jackson, who started his agency, Sonicbrand, in 1999, works with clients including Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, YSL and BMW, as well as mass-market companies for whom he builds "logos in sound." For luxury brands, the aim is the imperceptible seduction of the customer; the incentivization of purchase via the subconscious. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Carlton McCoy Jr. is an ambivalent member of the elite. But McCoy threw himself into the work, becoming wine director after passing his master sommelier exam in 2013. There, working at Eric Ziebold's CityZen, McCoy found a mentor in sommelier Andy Myers, "an old punk-rock kid", McCoy recalls. $35 PHOTO (COLOR): Master sommelier Andy Myers; PHOTO (COLOR): McCoy's Roots Fund cofounders Tahiirah Habibi and Ikimi Dubose. [Extracted from the article]

High Hampton, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, is the latest venture from Sandy Beall and his family, owners of the celebrated Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain retreats, on the other side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee. Scott, who trained in classic French cooking at Café Boulud, and in Michelin three-star contemporary French and American cuisine at Per Se, both in New York, before pivoting to Blackberry's farm-to-table style, is now trying to bring the best of all three approaches to High Hampton. Beall himself, spry and softly spoken, first tried to buy High Hampton nearly 40 years ago. The meltingly delicious braised lamb with horseradish and pea puree was a standout, while the coconut cake has developed an obsessive following, according to its bashful creator, pastry chef April Franqueza, who, with her husband, executive chef Scott Franqueza, joined High Hampton from Blackberry Mountain. [Extracted from the article]

The most expensive home was designed by Johnson himself, a modern five-bedroom hilltop mansion stretching across 8,000 square feet, with a zero-edge pool and a separate one-bedroom guesthouse, for $39.5 million. To live out the end times in true comfort, you'll need a dog door, dog walk and dog wash station, a prep kitchen with a gift-wrap area, a fitness studio filled with Tech-noGym equipment and then a separate stretching room, hammam, infrared sauna, plunge pool, ice fountain and Himalayan salt room. Inside are cedar walls, stone fireplaces, snug dens, large living spaces, four en suite bedrooms, a gym, a home office and a billiards room that once held Cruise's movie scripts. Robb Report REAL ESTATE THE BIG IDEA City dwellers experienced a once-in-a-generation collective primal urge last year: escape. [Extracted from the article]

DEPARTMENTS DOMAIN The cherry blossom famously represents the fleeting nature of human life, a beauty meant to be admired, enjoyed and let go. One of its most renowned, Kengo Kuma, the designer of the new National Stadium for the much-postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, told Robb Report that the rapid turnover of housing stock gives young designers the opportunity to try new ideas. PHOTO (COLOR): Peninsula House, a seaside villa near Tokyo built in 2018 by Mount Fuji Architects Studio, looks solid but has only "ephemeral value", according to its architect, Masahiro Harada. [Extracted from the article]

Regusci's fellow yacht-owners rarely approach crew recruitment and retention with "due skill and care", he says. FEATURES VETERAN YACHT OWNERS have been joined on the high seas over the past year by a flotilla of newer sailors, cast adrift from the corporate offices where once they were moored. But don't make the mistake of thinking your trusted skipper is impervious to a better offer himself (the vast majority of captains are still men), or that he is not enticing crew from other yachts. On most large boats there will be a Michelin-trained crew cook employed at the boat's expense to feed the crew whenever they want.". [Extracted from the article]

This sentiment was encapsulated by Scott's statement in July that "anyone's personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others." FEATURES AS THE PANDEMIC and its restrictions strangled businesses large and small, an estimated 8 million more Americans fell into poverty from June to November last year, increasing the rate to almost 12 percent, or 22 percent for those without a college education. Oechsli admires Scott, whom he describes as "extraordinary and terrific", and predicts her gifts will be "transformational." Scott rejected the usual donor approach of asking her grantees to measure return on investment. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES The killing of George Floyd last May released a wave of pent-up rage against racism and police brutality that swelled into a global rallying cry for equality and justice, echoing through the small towns and big cities of the United States but also heard as far away as war-torn Syria and even the racially homogeneous societies of South Korea and Japan. "At one point", Becky recalls, "I was up here [in New York] with Sophie, David was down in Florida with Mimi, and we traveled back and forth. Her opinion piece, which followed Sophie's by a week, stated that she had been angered by Sophie's "direct aim at our world" and that, in her opinion, the sport was free of racism. PHOTO (COLOR): Sisters Mimi and Sophie Gochman with their horses Code Red BH and Carola BH, respectively, at Baxter Hill, the family farm in Wellington, Fla. PHOTO (COLOR): Becky Gochman at the stables. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Escaping to your own private island is perhaps the ultimate default fantasy. Even in colder climes, no-frills islands priced as low as $100,000 are selling particularly well, says Farhad Vladi, a specialist island broker based in Germany, citing Canada, Nor-way and Sweden (home to 267,570 islands) as hot spots. D. H. Lawrence's 1927 short story "The Man Who Loved Islands" describes a private-island owner driven mad by isolation and eventually destroyed by the elements. Island buyers tend to be "individualistic, with above-av-erage intelligence and very nature-minded", says Vladi. [Extracted from the article]

Now the company is offering to make a one-of-a-kind version for a Robb Report reader: an 18-karat rose-gold piece exclusively equipped with a chocolate dial and the Swiss watchmaker's elevated Chronor PF361 caliber in solid 18-karat rose gold. $165,000, must be purchased by December 31, 2020, and expires after one year, ryanf@magellanjets.com, 617-328-5387 M.V. 8 The Elite Wine Cellar From Benchmark Wine Group If you're equal parts impatient and thirsty, Benchmark's Elite Wine Cellar, being offered exclusively to a Robb Report reader, is the ideal gift: Shortcut years of collecting and cellaring wines by snapping up this custom assortment of 100 noteworthy bottles hand-chosen by the Napa Valley-based company that's America's foremost rare-wine reseller. Uniquely for Robb Report readers, the trips will be conducted by the company's founder, Beks Ndlovu, a vastly experienced and knowledgeable Zimbabwean guide who now rarely leads tours in person. Adirondack Guideboat has been making showpiece wooden skiffs for decades, and now the family-owned company is offering a Robb Report reader a one-of-a-kind 17-foot boat. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Not long ago, a successful Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur decided to make a risky new investment he'd been toying with for years. Botox and other botulinum-toxin brands accounted for 42 percent of the 17.7 million procedures performed in the US by plastic surgeons that year. Then came "the metrosexual type that would come in for Botox after their manicure", as David Mabrie, M.D., a facial plastic surgeon in San Francisco, recounts. Larry Fan, M.D., a San Francisco plastic surgeon, says his clients now describe a work culture where "if they're over 30 they feel less relevant. [Extracted from the article]

About a decade ago, with the economy beginning to recover following the global financial meltdown, a budding art collector flew from New York to Art Basel Miami Beach to buy a painting. Sports-car marques, including Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti, reward their most loyal clients with first dibs on invite-only releases of special models. Lee, who is chairman of Hing Wa Lee, a watch-and-jewelry business outside Los Angeles, recognizes the status anxiety in his Rolex customers: "For the client, it becomes an identity crisis. Michael Hickcox, an avid watch collector and CEO of executive search company Expedition Partners, says that Patek Philippe allocates lesser models to new customers. [Extracted from the article]

Kyoto has the best selection of luxury hotels in Japan. Pilgrimage devotees should also consider the less famous but equally beautiful 88-temple route around Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands. FROM TOP: The rotenburo outdoor hot spring bath at Takefue, a ryokan hotel in Kyushu; decorative sake barrels at a Shinto shrine in Nara; a yamabushi mystic mountain priest in Yamagata Prefecture, in northern Japan. Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, has some of the country's most atmospheric. [Extracted from the article]

And that is the opportunity luxury lifestyle label Stefano Ricci is offering a Robb Report reader. Springsteen will donate an hour-long master class to one Robb Report reader, of any age, at a private farm in Wellington, Fla. Bring your own horse or try one of the farm's best: a nine-year-old mare suitable for both beginners and advanced riders. Robb Report has teamed up with Huntsman to offer a unique opportunity: a two-piece woman's suit of jacket and trousers (a skirt can be added at extra cost) made up for you bespoke in a beautiful pink, salmon and blue proprietary tweed, woven for Robb Report at Islay Woollen Mill, the oldest woolen mill in the Inner Hebrides, in Scotland. The vessel will be available at L'Objet's pop-up at Maxfield in Los Angeles this month, but for Robb Report readers who'd rather not make the trip, we have a direct line for placing orders. Travel company Discover 7, which is arranging the trip, is giving a Robb Report reader the opportunity to buy out the entire 20-person tour. [Extracted from the article]

Prosper, Martine and their son, Alexandre, the company's global vice president, divide their time between New York's Upper East Side and Paris's 1st Arrondissement. PHOTO (COLOR): Prosper Assouline in his Park Avenue office PHOTO (COLOR): 1 Les Folies françaises, a cult pop-art book by the French poet Jean-Clarence Lambert and the Italian artist Gianni Bertini, was published in Paris 1964-66. Prosper Assouline is impatient for a return to normality. PHOTO (COLOR): Prosper Assouline wearing his gold Patek Philippe; a Denis Frison suit; his collection of handmade hats; vintage photographs of artworks, including Florence's Duomo, in Assouline's office. [Extracted from the article]