Wednesday 28 December 2011

Tateossian Yerevan Collection

 In celebration of its new store opening in the Armenian capital, tateossian jewelry created the Yerevan Collection. All the cufflinks featured were inspired by the intricate stone patterns on the ceiling of a 17th century Armenian Church. Having Tateossian’s signature diamond pattern on the case, this collection is highly appropriate for the occasion and builds up high anticipation for its future store that will be designed by Italian architects pls design- Lino Lasanno and Lorenzo Perini, who are also responsible for Dolce and Gabana and Valentino stores.

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The Memo Mug


The Memo Mug is one of those things you won't remember how you lived without!
Memo Mug is a ceramic mug that doubles up as a message board. This cool mug is carefully designed so you can easily write your own notes and messages on the straight edge surface. The integrated pen holder means you'll always have a pen on hand when you need to jot down those really important notes. No need to waste your paper! With the Memo Mug you have an everlasting memo pad - just wipe clean and start again. Finally there's no excuse for your collegue to forget how many sugars you have with your tea!
Price Tag: $17 
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Porsche 911 Speedster by Paredes

The 2011 911 Speedster art car was created by famous artist Miguel Paredes in collaboration with Champion Porsche for the 2011 Art Basel.
Miguel Paredes, born and raised in New York’s Upper West Side, is an urban realist that specializes in New York graffiti art.
Paredes designed a psychedelic Japanese-inspired visage on the 911 Speedster, replete with colorful tones, a geisha on the hood, and lots and lots of flowers.
The Porsche 911 Speedster is one of only 356 units ever made by the German company. The limited edition 911 Speedster runs on a 408hp 3.8-liter flax-six engine.


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Tuesday 27 December 2011

MIAmobi bags and cases for phones



A new line of bags and cases from a company called MIAmobi contains lining made of colloidal silver which block all radio frequencies incoming and outgoing so your phone becomes completely untraceable. The colloidal silver also sanitizes your phone.
MIAmobi bags come in various sizes to fit most cellphones, smartphones, and even tablets.  No prices are shown on the website, but they do have an email address you can use to request purchasing information.
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HL Classic watch by Hautlence



Hautlence is a fledgling watchmaker located in the Swiss town Neuchâtel, where Bulgari is located as well, and is known for paying rigorous attention to exclusivity. 
To this end, the HL Classic will be available in a limited range of 88 iterations only. A 44mm case crafted from 18kt rose or white gold or titanium black DLC, houses a Swiss manual-wind Hautlence in-house caliber HLQ, that beeps at 21.600 vph and features a power reserve of 40 hours, a jumping hour, a retrograde minute and quick date function.
Price tag:  $57.000
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The Fendi Stroller


Fendi is teaming up with Italian manufacturer Inglesina for a collection of baby accessories.
WWD reports December 23 that items including a stroller, pram and baby carrier have been designed in keeping with the fashion house’s classic style.
Featuring the brand’s iconic “F” logo and with a color palette comprising cream, mahogany and blue, the pieces will be available at selected outlets worldwide.
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SoundVision by Loewe



German manufacturer of premium Hi-Fi devices, Loewe (lion), introduces it’s powerful docking station SoundVision.
Inside the obviously sleek corpus made of polished anodised aluminium work six speakers and two subwoofers of the upscale Loewe quality. Alongside the crisp sound, the iDevice dock features a multi-touch 7.5 inch touchscreen, web and FM radio, good ol’ CD slot, WiFi, Ethernet and an integrated music recognition service named Gracenote, and AUPEO! recommendation service, if you want to spread your aural wings.
Price tag: €1600
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2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Edition



"The new 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Edition is more than just our flagship car, it’s the trophy for the tireless majority, an automobile designed and built to meet the most discerning of expectations,” said Saad Chehab, President and CEO – Chrysler Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “It’s fitted with a paddle shifting eight-speed transmission found only on cars twice its cost, dressed with the highest grade Italian Poltrona Frau leather and finished with hand sanded real wood found only in exotic cars – all to deliver a surprising combination of hyper craftsmanship, style, technology and ‘uber’ best-in-class fuel economy at 31 mpg.”
Premium amenities for the 300 include the segment’s largest touchscreen infotainment system.
Pricing for the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Edition begins at about $40,000.
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Monday 26 December 2011

The Faralli and Mazzanti Evantra



The Faralli and Mazzanti Evantra is the latest exotic sportscar hailing from Tuscan countryside. The Evantra comes equipped with a 3.5 liter flat six engine that is available in a 400 horsepower version, or the supercharged twin-turbo version that boasts an additional 200 horsepower and will do 0 to 60 MPH in 3.7 seconds.



The Faralli and Mazzanti Evantra sticks to the Italian automotive tradition of assembling every component of the vehicle by hand, resulting is a meticulously engineered sports car.
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Illy temporary shop in Milan

This Illy temporary shop in Milan, Italy, features an innovative reconfigurable design that allows it to be adapted to different areas and dimensional constraints.
Designed by Caterina Tiazzoldi and her team, this Illy temporary shop for the Illy Cafe brand features a parametric design comprising modular 45-by-45-cm cubes—200 of them, to be exact. The cubes come together to form display areas over the walls and the ceiling and can be reconfigured according to different space requirements. In fact, there are over 3,000 different configurations that can be made from this modular design.


This cool design concept offers an eye-catching geometrical look, with the space turning “into a game where [the] user’s sight shifts from an object to another discovering the inside,” describes the Retail Design Blog.

The Aquarius Planetarium Watch by Klaauw




The Aquarius Planetarium watch created by Dutch designer Christiaan Van Der Klaauw is now being called the world’s smallest functioning planetarium, this timepiece is known to track the whole solar system with the sun and 6 planets around it, apart from displaying time. Featuring extensive astrological designs on the dial, and a being a part of 12 exclusive timepieces, this is perfect horological melting pot of astronomy and astrology.
Housed in a platinum casing which is 40mm wide, the dial features extensively detailed artwork in pure white gold, featuring an astrological sign, which in this case is Aquarius. 
At the 12 ‘o’clock position is the multi-ring planetarium, which has the sun at the centre around which the planets of the solar system are shown revolving. 



Outside the planetarium rings are the various astrological positions marked in black on a metallic finish base. On the other hand, the 5 ‘o’clock position sees a round dial with a thin matte finished arm, pointing out to the month of the year, along with the relative position of the sun. The hours, minutes, and seconds also are displayed through similar looking thin arms, which virtually seem disappearing into the extensively prominent astrological artwork.
Under the hood, the timepiece has a CK1196 caliber movement, which has a self-winding mechanism with a built in planetarium module. The rotor of the watch however, will be visible at the case back, which itself has been created with 18-carat gold, and also has been hand engraved by Jochen Benzinger. 
In all, there will only be 12 of these timepieces, the Aquarius being one of them. The price tag attached is €79,500 ($103,955) for each of these collector watches, which will be every horological addict’s indulgence.
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Swinging Punch Bag and Chandelier by Baccarat



Baccarat have released a limited edition set of the Swinging Punch Bag and Chandelier, a surreal creation by famed French designer, Philippe Starck. The crystal chandelier, covered by a white umbrella, is counterbalanced by a punch bag on the opposite end of a photographer’s tripod. This whimsical design mixes commonplace items with the delicate details of a Baccarat chandelier.
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Turkish Slippers




Embrace eclectic style even when lounging with these Turkish Slippers from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. These backless slippers feature a pointed toe, cord stitch detail and a leather sole. Shown here in Purple.
Handmade in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Sunday 25 December 2011

The “iPad Mini” is expected to be released in early 2012


While Jobs was dismissive of the iPad Lite concept, calling them “scaled-up smartphones” in Apple’s earnings conference call a year ago, Apple is readying the new device to go head-to-head with Kindle Fire, Amazon’s $200 color 7-inch slate.
However, Jobs was not pleased with the experience of the iPad Mini and thought it diluted Apple’s product-line, said our insider. 
Positioned between the iPod Touch and the iPad 2, the iPad Mini does complicate Apple’s simple lineup. Apple’s management team, in their first move of establishing independence, decided to proceed with the smaller iPad.
With the Kindle Fire priced at $199, a mini version of the iPad could fill a market gap for people still uncomfortable with the iPad’s $499 price-tag. The Kindle Fire was afire on Black Friday, where it was the bestselling tablet at Target and Best Buy stores. By producing a less expensive, smaller and more portable tablet, Apple will certainly maintain market dominance.
Additionally, Taiwanese Economic Daily News has reported that Korean LG Display and Taiwanese AU Optronics, two potential suppliers, have recently sent samples of their iPad Mini displays to Apple.
 Their sources state that Apple has already set the specifications for the smaller tablet, which is scheduled to ship Q1 2012, with the iPad 3 shipping in Q3, which is said to carry a Retina display with 2048×1536 resolution.
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Cire Trudon Store





The Cire Trudon shop in Paris, located at 78 rue de Seine is the world’s oldest candle maker was founded in 1643. Past customers have included Marie Antoinette and Napoleon. Current customers include Kenzo, Guerlain, Hermes and Dior.
Few brands have 367 years of heritage and know-how behind them, and few are lucky enough to have the skills of a talented marketer, patron of the arts and designer to support them. Cire Trudon literally gave light to the people (and royalty) and produced such high quality candles that it has survived, even flourished, in an electric world.



Cire Trudon's staying power is partially due to the quality of their wax, which is made from rice, soy and copra (coconut kernal). It burns cleanly, doesn't drip, lasts a long time, is biodegradable and is particularly well suited to carrying pigment and scent.
Ramdane Touhani has led the company since 2006, and in a few short years has created a wide range of products, a cult following, a store in Paris and a second store in the heart of NYC's Nolita neighborhood.
Prices range from $20-$375.
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The Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS 2012



The Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS 2012 will be producing the first four-door convertible supercar — Made by the premium car maker from Holland, with a 670 HP V8 engine under the hood, the Rivale Roadyacht GTS will be capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, while top speed goes up to an impressive 205 mph. 



Savage Rivale’s Roadyacht GTS is one of the most exclusive vehicles in the world, and only 20 autos will be produced in three colors.
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American Express black ‘Centurion Card’



American Express developed the black ‘Centurion Card’ for its very best customers. It is so exclusive that you won’t even find details of it on the American Express website. It’s available by ‘invitation only’ and reputedly requires card spending of US$5,000 per month.
This kind of spending brings plenty of benefits, including a personal travel counselor to handle all travel needs, and a personal concierge to help with anything from special occasion planning and selecting ideal gifts, to locating unusual items.
James Bush, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing, said at the launch of the card: “We created the Centurion Card in response to customer research that identified a small but affluent group of cardmembers for whom individual attention and access to previously unavailable elite travel benefits was of great interest.”
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The Droplet outdoor workspace Concept


The Droplet outdoor workspace is an inventive seating system designed to get university students to study outside. 
Droplet was designed by Nick Chubb, a designer obviously against the stuffiness and antisocial studying that occurs inside of college libraries and computer labs.
The Droplet outdoor workspace consists of six hanging chairs (droplets) and two tables. The droplets can be repositioned and re-sized to fit students of all shapes and heights. The unique shape of the chairs ensures that students will be able to study rain or shine.
Creative seating like the Droplet would be a great way to get students to study outside in the sunshine. Here’s to hoping that Chubb designs an indoor version of droplet sometime soon. 
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Saturday 24 December 2011

Star Wars themed Evian water bottles




Mandy Brencys created this awesome series of Star Wars themed Evian water bottles, each featuring a different character from the series:
“Star Wars by Evian, is an innovative intergalactic take on design packaging. Shaped to be wielded like a lightsaber, and striking enough to distinguish which side you have chosen — Jedi or Sith, these glass water bottles will take you to a galaxy far far away.”
Sadly, this appears to be a student project, so you shouldn’t expect to see them in stores anytime soon – if ever.
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Rolls Royce new Phantom Spirit of Ecstasy



Rolls Royce have manufactured a new Phantom in celebration of the centennial of their mascot, the Spirit of Ecstasy. 
Rolls Royce have created only one hundred Phantoms to celebrate the Spirit of Ecstasy each featuring the mascot cast in silver and a new Rolls Royce badge which is black in color with silver lettering as opposed to silver with black lettering. 
The Centenary Phantom also features a clock commemorating the occasion as well as special coach lines on the side.
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Hublot King Power Unico GMT watch




Hublot introduces its year end model, called the King Power Unico GMT watch, which has plethora of time zones on its dial. 
Like most from Hublot, this watch also comes with the usual round dial ring, with smoothened but well defined edges of the overall chassis. Same is the case with the Hublot logo engraved side crown.
Available in black ceramic and 18-carat King yellow gold options, the central unit features the carved multi-layered main dial, which has 6 time-zones on the upper ring, 4 on the inner ring, and the layers beneath that. 
While 2 geometrically carved hands try to display the hour and minutes, which can be guessed only through their positioning, a ‘+’ shape carving in between point out 4 of the time zones in 24-hour format, displayed on the 4 corresponding micro-dials alongside, which have red Arabic numerals, on steel finishing surfaces.
On the inside, there is the HUB 1220 automatic GMT tourbillon movement, which has 72 hours of power reserve after every recharge. We are yet to know the detailed anatomy of the movement components, but we are sure about it being rather complicated to support the 24 different time zone functions. 
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The ‘Converse: Made By‘ app on Facebook


Converse shoes has just flipped the switch with the ‘Converse: Made By‘ app. Now you, the customer, can design your own pair of shoes and sell them over Facebook. Unlike previous customizeable clothing apps such as Nike’s, this campaign not only gives you full control, but also allows you to let other people buy your design.
So what does this mean? That means that you can design a shoe as off-the-wall as you wish, post it on Facebook and then enable someone halfway across the world to buy it. This app is not yet live, but with Converse being home for over 40,000 fans on Facebook, this seems like a successful endeavor already. There are rumblings that ‘Converse: Made By‘ may even lead to users being able to open up their own online storefront to showcase their work.
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Friday 23 December 2011

The Audi A1 Quattro Limited Edition


The Audi A1 Quattro 2012, Limited Edition to 333 units, is the sub-compact ultra-performance hatch back from Audi is a great addition to the world of super-charged vehicles. 
As its name would imply, the A1 Quattro comes equipped with the automaker’s legendary all-wheel-drive system, with power provided by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder used in theS3. 
The reworked mill puts out 252 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm – a boost of more than 70 hp and 74 lb-ft over the standard 1.4-liter A1.


Plukka Jewelry



Online jewelry e-tailer Plukka is offering its customers budget-friendly products by making products only when people want to buy it.
How does it work? Plukka designs a piece that is available for only one to two days, and when enough people buy it before the time is up, the price of the piece drops. 
On the Plukka site, you can actually see the price of the item drop as more people purchase it. Since the final price of the item is based on the total number of purchases, every buyer benefits from the same low price at the close of the event.
 According to the brand, prices are typically 70 to 90 percent less than retail jewelry prices. 
And because this means decreased risk on Plukka’s end, the brand can afford to create more interesting, unique and one-of-a-kind baubles—the type of pieces you might never find at a store or a jewelry designer’s collection.
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The Wax Candelier by Takeshi Miyakawa


The Wax Candelier by Takeshi Miyakawa is one of the more unique chandeliers made in a long time. It might look like a classically decorative chandelier, but it is actually made entirely out of wax; hence its name ‘Candelier,’ which is a hybrid word between candle and chandelier.
Since the Candelier by Takeshi Miyakawa is made entirely out of wax, when it is lit, it will naturally drip hot wax onto whatever surface it is directly above, including potential people.




Created for the Creatomatic show at New York’s Eyebeam Gallery, it took ten weeks to cast and mold. It’s a shame that it will only take a few hours for this intricate candle creation to melt away.

The Cupcake Christmas Tree


The Cupcake Christmas Tree was created by Caitlin Dunn, the crafty baker behind the drool-worthy blog Teaspoon. 
The Styrofoam cone that serves as the backbone to this confectionery tower is studded with moist chocolate cupcakes adorned with vibrant green buttercream icing, Rolos wrapped in festive gold and red foil and topped with a cardboard star.
This stunning Cupcake Christmas Tree will serve as an alluring centerpiece, that is until greedy hands have their way with it. 


The clever blogger has assembled a similar structure that emulated Santa’s iconic hat, encrusted with red and white iced cupcakes and a hefty helping of marshmallows on top to serve as the tell-tail pompom.
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Christian Louboutin Store for men in New York


Christian Louboutin, is to open his first US boutique for men in New York next spring.
News of the 1,035-sqf shop in the Meatpacking District comes after the brand opened his first boutique dedicated to men’s shoes last September in Paris.
“The men’s shoes only represent a small portion of the business at present but we think it has huge potential for the future,” Alexis Mourot, CEO for the brand, said.
Louboutin’s current line of footwear for men includes a two-tone satin “John John” derby for $895 and a black leather sneaker-like boot for $995 that features corset-like laces running all the way down to the toebox.



Thursday 22 December 2011

$88 Million Penthouse sold in Manhattan


The daughter of a Russian billionaire has broken New York real estate records by paying $88 million for a huge Manhattan apartment, Forbes magazine reported. 


Yekaterina Rybolovleva, daughter of former fertilizer magnate Dmitry Rybolovlev, paid full asking price for the multiroom spread at 15 Central Park West.
This is a record for an individual transaction in a city renowned for pricey property. The record was previously owned by Sanford Weill, a former chairman of Citigroup.
The price also eclipses the $85 million another billionaire’s daughter, Petra Ecclestone, paid for the Spelling mansion in Los Angeles in June.


Forbes quoted a representative for Rybolovleva, 22, saying she had “signed a contract to purchase an apartment at 15 Central Park West… Ms. Rybolovleva is currently studying at a US university. She plans to stay in the apartment when visiting New York.”
She is a resident of Monaco and has lived in the principality and in Switzerland for the last 15 years, the statement said.


Rybolovlev is one of the small group of Russians who became fabulously wealthy during the post-Soviet privatization of the economy and are known as oligarchs.
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The Hyatt Capital Gate hotel in Abu Dhabi


The Hyatt Capital Gate hotel, which offers 189 five-star rooms, finally opened its doors December 21 in Abu Dhabi.
The hotel leans a record-breaking 18 degrees — more than four times that of Italy’s famed Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is angled at just under four degrees.
The striking style of the building earned it a place among Guinness World Records last year, despite a two-year delay in the handover.
Now, guests will be able to sleep in guest rooms that hover over nothing but air, with the Hyatt occupying floors 18-33 of the structure — each floor protrudes by between 300mm to 1400mm.
Among the features is the Rayana Spa, a ‘sky-spa’ perched on the 19th floor offering “a refreshingly elevated oasis experience” along with a suspended outdoor pool and whirlpool.
Restaurant options include eastern Mediterranean cuisine at the 18˚ restaurant, a chic bar called Privé, the “residential-style” Lounge, a pool bar and the Lobby Café.
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Grande Reverso 1931 Rouge by Jaeger-Lecoultre


Since its launch in 1931, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has taken many forms, including different movements and hundreds of dials — in a variety of colours.
A beautiful dark red lacquered dial adorns this new Reverso from Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Grande Reverso 1931 Rouge.
The Grande Reverso 1931 Rouge reinterprets the red dials of the 1930s, a color which at the time was a definitive mark of individuality upon one’s wrist.
This watch will be part of JLC’s new lineup at SIHH 2012 next January in Geneva.
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The Kleenex desktop companion



The Kleenex desktop companion designed by Chris Yoon a student at Portfolio Centre, is an amazing project!
This project began with a thought to design packaging with designers in mind, so eventually landed upon Kleenex.
The packaging was designed so that it would be something that you would enjoy having on your desk. Beyond simply decorating a Kleenex box, the product (the tissues) interacts with the packaging once it was open, which eventually led to a typewriter loaded with paper, a whale spraying from his blowhole, a cottage emitting smoke, and any number of executions that fit that idea.


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The $1.8 million Zenvo ST-1 Supercar




The Zenvo ST-1 supercar has finally gone on sale with a price tag of $1.8 million for each unit. Produced in a limited number of just 15 cars, these cars will be entirely created out of the company outlet in Denmark, which has currently released just 3 editions for the United States. 
The distribution shall be undertaken by Emporio Motor Group, who reportedly is facing an aggressive pursuit of these 3 cars.
When Jasper Jensen and Troels Vollertsen created Zenvo Automotive in 2004, they had a single train of thought; to create exclusive handmade cars, which would stand out for the designing and exclusivity factor. 
This is precisely what they have done with the ST-1, which will have only 15 models ever to be produced for buyers around world. 
The United States are lucky to get the first lot of 3 editions. Making the car special, will be the 1100 HP engine, which can take the car just about 3 seconds to reach from 0-100 km/ph. With 7.0 liter V-8 design, it can take the vehicle up to 375 km/ph of electronically controlled top speed, which matches F1 standards pretty easily. 
Other notable additions include the triple mode driving settings, head-up display, auto-dimming rear view mirror, hydraulic height control, carbon fiber-tinted glass, crafted leather interiors, and carbon wheels. The use of carbon fiber has ensured that the car is only 1378 kgs in weight, making the engine even more efficient at generating power to the highest of speeds.
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Wednesday 21 December 2011

The Chocolate Smores Cupcake



The Chocolate Smores Cupcake recipe offers a unique twist to the classic goodie. The Chocolate Smores Cupcake combines the irresistible flavor and texture of a chocolate cupcake, with the sweetness of marshmallows and the crunch of graham crackers.
The actual cupcake itself is chocolate flavored, made with real Hershey’s Milk chocolate and topped with a marshmallow-flavored icing. Each cupcake is decorated with a piece of Hershey chocolate, a square of graham cracker and then blown with a kitchen torch to give it that toasted effect. 
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Rolex Milgauss ‘I Love You’ limited edition Watch



The Rolex Milgauss ‘I Love You’ limited edition watch would make the perfect gift.
The Bamford Watch Department created this beauty by using the wildly popular Rolex Milgauss model blended with a bevy of hearts to cover the face. Only ten watches have been manufactured for those Casanova’s looking to cloak their loved one in a luxury chronometer and it’s strapped with a hefty $15,500 price tag.
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Young Versace Store in Milan





Versace couture house has opened up a ‘Young Versace’ store in Milan.
A couture haven for designer-loving children (and parents), the Young Versace store is done all in lilac and white and features whimsically gigantic yellow and lilac candy canes. 
In this luxe fashion boutique, tiny fashionistas and fashionistos will find everything from cute silk mini suits and princess frocks to Swarovski-embedded baby bottles.
The Young Versace store is dedicated to the line that launched last June at Pitti Immagine Bimbo, the international children’s wear exhibition. 


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A. Lange & Söhne Datograph UP/DOWN Watch




Welcome the new A. Lange & Söhne Datograph UP/DOWN, a model highly regarded due to its in-house chronograph movement, a rarity in the watch world. 
Next year's Datograph will feature a 41mm case with an incredibly sophisticated hand-wound Lange in-house caliber which has a power reserve of 60 hours. 
It will also have a platinum case and a blue-gray crocodile strap.
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Umbrellas by London Undercover




London Undercover recently released an assortment of umbrellas inspired by British cuisine. 
Visually striking and perfectly appropriate for  foodies,  the set of lightweight umbrellas features bangers & mash, beans on toast, brussel sprouts and chips & ketchup.
Price £28.
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Tuesday 20 December 2011

Bronze Bones Dominos




Bronze Bones ($1,500) are a limited edition, high-end 28-piece domino set, hand-machined from blackened bronze, and featuring an original, geometric design. They arrive in a leather bound hollowed-out book, along with a score pad, pencil, and sharpener. 
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