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Extreme Adventure Travel with Abercrombie & Kent

September 2, 2010 | Posted by Tracey as Luxury Travel at 2:35 pm | (3) Comments »

Have you ever wanted to trek across the Egyptian desert by Jeep or go dog sledding in the Arctic? Maybe you prefer to walk across Tanzania or climb to the top of Mt. Everest? What ever your extreme adventure vacation dream is, Abercrombie & Kent can make it happen for you.

A luxury travel provider, Abercrombie & Kent also offers dreamlike itineraries for the wealthy adventure traveler. A&K goes places that usually only scientists and anthropologists go and takes you with them. For a pretty price, of course, this level of access doesn’t come cheap. A week long adventure in Antarctica, for example, starts at around $52,000.

What do you get for that kind of money? The experience of a lifetime with few frills. While most of Abercrombie & Kent’s tours take you from one five-star hotel to the next, their extreme adventure tours take you from basecamp to basecamp, where you will eat open-fire cooked food in common areas and sleep in tents.

Adventures are ranked by difficulty on a scale of 1-4. 1 being for the average healthy Joe or Jane and 4 being for only the heartiest millionaires. The tours are led by prominent expeditionists with years of experience. If you dreamed of being Indiana Jones but somehow ended up a little more like Bill Gates, this is your chance to see what life is like in the extreme.

Moxon Huddersfield’s $400 Socks Made From Rare Mongolian Cashmere

September 1, 2010 | Posted by Tracey as The Most Expensive at 4:25 pm | (2) Comments »

Moxon Huddersfield is one of the oldest textile houses in England. When I say old, I don’t mean the American idea of old, I mean pre-colonial. The house was established in 1556, and has been producing the highest quality, most expensive textiles ever since. The cloth produced by Moxon is extraordinary in a number of ways. They have continued to use time-tested methods of handcrafting for the past several centuries. While it takes a mass production facility only a few hours to produce cloth, the Moxon method takes 8 days!

And it isn’t just the method that is unique. The Moxon Altai Cashmere that their famous socks are made of comes only from Altai goats, who live in the mountains of Mongolia. These rare animals have softer fur than other goats because they live at such high altitudes, and their bodies need enormous amounts of fat to stay protected from the elements. This results in a cashmere that has one of the highest micron counts in the cashmere family, which is a scientific way of saying that it is really really soft.

So, then, what’s the price of a pair of socks woven from the fur of extremely rare goats and made with centuries-old techniques? Why, a mere $400! Dubbed the most expensive socks in the world by Wikipedia, the socks themselves are so rare that I can’t even find a picture of them. But unlike other woolen socks, these will not shrink after washing, and they won’t get holes, either. They will, however begin shedding after about a dozen washes. Perhaps if you collect each strand that they shed you could weave a $100 pair of socks? It’s just an idea.

Hermes Quadrille Jardin Gardening Tools

September 1, 2010 | Posted by Tracey as Home Decor, Luxury Gifts at 7:00 am | (3) Comments »

Gardening may seem like dirty business, but you can do it in style with Hermes’ Quadrille Jardin gardening set. Hermes, the purveyor of the coveted Birkin bag, is known for making the most luxurious leather goods, scarves, and equestrian accessories. Now, lucky for all of us, they have branched out into the garden in a beautiful way.

The set includes a spade, trowel, weeding fork, and signature Hermes textile bag. These are just the right tools to get your blooms a-blossoming. Some might say that $345 for a three-piece gardening set is exorbitant, but they haven’t taken into consideration the handcrafted quality of these Hermes tools. The stainless steel tools are topped with cherry wood handles, which are comfortable to hold and meant to stand the test of time. As usual, Hermes has managed to strike exactly the right balance between practicality and beauty.

Even the most fastidious among us won’t be scared to get their hands dirty with these. So give the gardener a day off, and spend a day in the sun without sacrificing style. Who says pulling up weeds isn’t chic? Available from Hermes.

Volkswagen Brings Back Phaeton Luxury Car

August 20, 2010 | Posted by Allison as Fast & Furious Cars at 8:59 am | (1) Comment »

10 years ago Volkswagen introduced America to the $85,000 Phaeton luxury car which doomsayers said buyers would never go for a luxury car made by the auto maker of the Beetle, and well, they were right.

But that was a decade a go and this is now, and Volkswagen is giving it another go with a recently unveiled Phaeton.

Named for the son of the Greek god Helios, this luxury car will be back on US soil in a matter of months.

It won’t be the same car. Volkswagen freshened the 2011 — which went into into European showrooms showrooms in June and goes on sale in China next month — with a new front and rear, a better interior and wider selection of engines. But the U.S. won’t get the Phaeton again until the next-generation model is ready.

There is no word as of yet when that release date will be, sadly.  Sorry we did you wrong 10 years back, Volksie.

Aston Martin Super Sport Limited Edition

August 19, 2010 | Posted by Allison as Fast & Furious Cars at 10:57 am | (4) Comments »

Check out the new and sexily luxurious Aston Martin Super Sport Limited Edition.  You’re lustily in love, aren’t you?!

At a whopping $9,668,750, this Aston Martin Super Sport Limited Edition will only be made into eight models, and engineered by Star Electric Cars France.

With a twin-turbocharged 5.4-liter V8 engine delivering up to 950bhp, this supercar will take you where you need to go and fast!

The Aston Martin Super Sport Limited Edition will come with powder coated exhaust system, Brembo or AP carbon ceramic brakes and the in-trend carbon fiber bodywork.

Rolls-Royce Phantoms Come To Abu Dhabi

August 18, 2010 | Posted by Allison as Fast & Furious Cars at 9:16 am | (6) Comments »

The rumored Rolls-Royce Phantoms have made it to their Abu Dhabi destination with the new models Shaheen Phantom Coupe and the Baynounah  Phantom Coupe.

Inspired by the city’s rich cultures and landscape, Rolls-Royce has created masterstrokes in luxury motor cars.

The Rolls-Royce Phantoms and the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe inspired by Baynounah incorporate shades of beige and brown, which are further harmonized by a tan ever-flex roof. The handcrafted inlay and marquetry draws inspiration from vibrant colors of an Arabian camel harness. On the other hand, Shaheen, a very famous falcon known for its strength and agility, inspires the Rolls-Royce driver-oriented Phantom Coupé.

London Luxury Penthouse Goes For Record-Breaking $220 Million

August 12, 2010 | Posted by Allison as Estate of the Day at 8:06 am | (1) Comment »

Talk about dedication to luxury!  This luxurious penthouse at the One Hyde Park development in the Knightsbridge of London just sold for a record-breaking £140 million or $220 million.

The two-story penthouse features bullet-proof windows, air purifying system,  panic room, 24-hour room service from the Mandarin Oriental hotel as well as protection from SAS-trained security guards.

Well when you put it like that, maybe it’s not such a bad deal after all.

Bing Crosby’s 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Goes On Auction

August 11, 2010 | Posted by Allison as Fast & Furious Cars at 8:57 am | (2) Comments »

This Saturday, August 14 at the Monterey classic car sale by Mecum Auctions Bing Crosby’s 1966 Aston Martin DB6 will be hitting the auction block.

The infamous singer’s DB6 is a left-hand drive Silver Grey coupe with all original interior from the cherry wood steering wheel to the black leather seats.

The major refurbishments include new chrome wire wheels and Vredestein radials, rebuilt braking system and overhauled Mikuni carburetors. The car is powered by Aston Martin’s famous 4-liter overhead cam straight (OHC) 6 engine, rated at 282 horsepower.

A copy of the title with Bing Crosby’s name on it is included with the winning bid.

Play Nintendo While Running On Frevola T7A Treadmill

August 10, 2010 | Posted by Allison as Holiday Gift Ideas at 11:13 am | (2) Comments »

Who says you can’t workout and have fun too?  Definitely not Frevola with their new T7A treadmill that allows users to play their favorite Nintendo video games while running.

Boasting user-centered make and a range of entertainment and training options like the high-tech treadmills we have covered earlier, the Frevola T7A treadmill makes for a fun-filled, effective indoor running exercise. The treadmill speeds up automatically when you walk forward and slows down while walking backwards. One of the most interesting features is the entertainment content, as you can use the treadmill’s 17-inch touchscreen LCD for playing Nintendo games or listen to their favorite songs while working out. You can choose an avatar that will move according to your speed.

Italian Luxury done right.

August 10, 2010 | Posted by A Kaelin as Luxury Shopping at 11:04 am | (2) Comments »

Roberto Cavalli is one of Italy’s finest clothes designers along with one of the worlds finest.  Designing dresses, shirts, pants, purses, shoes, and more.  Roberto has been in the industry now for over 40 years.

He has been on the top of every major design implemented in the fashion business.  In addition to revolutionizing the industry, especially if it had to do with patchwork and printing on leather, denim, silk, or hosiery.

His Spring and Fall 2010 lines are still going strong.  Ninety percent of the items designed by Mr. Cavalli is made of one hundred percent silk, or top of the line leather.  His whole line is made in and shipped from Italy.  Who said animal prints are dead?  Right now most of his designs for 2010 implement some sort of animal print and they look fantastic.

Certain items in the line can go for around $675 to $2,000, from t-shirts to cocktail dresses.  You will be amazed at the quality and style that Roberto Cavalli represents.

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