The Luxury Index 2008
Albers
When Hermès creative director for silk Bali Barret traveled to the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany, Conn., to study Josef’s famous series Homage to the Square, she had a revelation. It made perfect sense that Hermès, a company so focused on squares — albeit silk ones — would publish a series of limited-edition scarves (or carrés, as they are known in France) inspired by Albers paintings. Along with Hermès artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Barret chose six Albers works and reproduced them using a challenging printing technique called edge to edge. Each 90-by-90-cm scarf is printed in an edition of 200 and numbered ($2,800).
Atmos
Time is of the essence, and no one knows that better than Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre, which is why it has teamed up with industrial designer Marc Newson to re-envision its famous Atmos clock, which runs on thin air. Only 888 of the Atmos 561s ($20,500) will be produced in honor of both the clock’s 80th birthday and the 175th anniversary of the company.
Bell & Ross
Swiss company Bell & Ross makes the kind of graphic watches James Bond would surely covet. Now it is reaching new heights with the BR 01 Pro Titanium watch ($8,000), equipped with technology to brave everything from high pressure to ultraviolet radiation and crafted with the idea of bringing the precision and reliability of aviation cockpit-panel clocks down from the sky and onto the wrist.
Bubbly
The season is perfect for Moët & Chandon’s holiday introduction of its Grand Vintage 2003 ($60), while Krug is releasing its 1998 vintage Champagne ($350). Both wines are straight out of their respective cellars in épernay and Reims, in northeastern France. Who better to toast with than the two names synonymous with celebration?
Beyond Beauty
Taking antiaging skin cream to a new level of extravagance, La Prairie has whipped up Cellular Cream Platinum Rare, a face cream that uses particles of the coveted element platinum, whose antioxidant properties are said to fight the aging process and renew the skin’s luster. At $1,000 a bottle, pockets will need to be more than skin deep to afford it.
Cabochon
With an array of edgy hardware and dark colors flooding recent collections, it’s refreshing to see a more colorful and sophisticated trend emerging in fine jewelry with big, round cabochon stones in bright cherry reds, sky blues and emerald greens. Showing up on everything from Hobbs & Kent cuff links to Dior clutches, these gems are just the right way to ring in the holiday season, exuding a vintage appeal reminiscent of a bygone era of understated yet forthright elegance.
Cell Phones
Technology meets fashion with jewellike phones hitting the market from brands like Vertu, whose new Signature comes in solid gold, and Tag Heuer, whose first-ever phone, Meridiist, has a display front made of scratch-proof 60.5-carat sapphire glass. Available in Europe and Asia only, Emporio Armani’s new Night Effect from Samsung features led special effects.
Cire Trudon Candle
They were good enough for Marie Antoinette, who commissioned Maison de Cire Trudon’s vegetable-based wax candles ($75 each) for banquets at Versailles. Now this candlemaker, founded in 1643, is a favorite among fashion insiders, who covet the green-glass packaging and the distinctly French scents like Revolution.
Custom Handbags
Stock markets be damned! Design-it-yourself handbags are the latest must-have on Europe’s brand-infested boulevards. On Paris’ flashy Avenue Montaigne, Ralph Lauren’s sleek new shop features a corner where customers can choose from 20 shades of alligator and six linings to create their custom Ricky bag (starting at $12,995). On Milan’s Via Spiga, the Tod’s flagship boasts a Pashmy room where clients can choose the color, skin and hardware of their favorite bag (prices start at $925).
Diving Watches
Not content simply to be the choice purveyors of timepieces for the fashion-conscious urbanite, Swiss watchmakers are diving into the ocean’s depths and coming up with new treasures. Breitling’s Avenger Seawolf ($3,660) is a diver’s watch that is water-resistant to 3,000 m, with a steel case elegant enough for a night out. Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller Deepsea ($9,250) can go to the extreme depth of 3,900 m and has design elements that keep the diver in mind — the watch’s stainless bracelet can be extended and worn over a neoprene diving suit.
Eco-Friendly
The green movement hasn’t always been associated with luxury shopping, but that is about to change. Louis Vuitton’s latest Japanese flagship, a futuristic 10-story structure designed by the Dutch architecture firm UNStudio and slated to open in 2010 in Tokyo’s Ginza neighborhood, will utilize natural ventilation and light and include open-air terraces to reinforce the building’s green spirit. The design takes its cues from the leaf, which is the model for the floor plan, and was devised to accommodate not only a store but also a Louis Vuitton café, a spa, a bookshop and a gallery that will host art exhibits.
Emergency Preparedness
For those who want to be ready for any unexpected turn of events, the sleek Porsche Design P’9110 by Eton ($250) is a crank radio that is equipped for emergencies and equally well thought out in terms of its design. Crafted of metal, the radio provides shortwave reception (meaning it can access amateur and international broadcasts), a siren and a cell-phone charger.
