SOTHEBY'S OPENS RETAIL WINE SHOP

SOTHEBY'S HAS SOLD WINE AT AUCTION FOR MANY YEARS BUT NOW IT HAS RECENTLY OPENED A RETAIL STORE. THE AUCTION HOUSE BOUGHT OUT AULDEN CELLARS, THE RETAIL WINE STORE ON THE GROUND LEVEL FLOOR OF ITS HEADQUARTERS AT 1334 YORK AVENUE ON MANHATTAN'S UPPER EAST SIDE. THE NEW STORE WAS DESIGNED BY DEANNA KUHLMANN-LEAVITT OF KUHLMANN LEAVITT INC, AND OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF WINE FROM $13.95 TO $40,000 PER BOTTLE. WHEN SOTHEBY'S FIRST STARTED WINE AUCTIONS IN NEW YORK IN 1994, STATE LAW REQUIRED AUCTION HOUSES TO PARTNER WITH A STORE THAT HAD HELD A STATE LIQUOR LICENSE FOR 10 YEARS. DECANTER REPORTS THAT SOTHEBY'S FIRST PARTNERED WITH SHERRY-LEHNAMM. WHEN THAT RELATIONSHIP ENDED IN LATE 1999, SOTHEBY'S FOUND ANOTHER LICENSEE AND THE RESULTING STORE WAS NAMED AULDEN CELLARS. TEH ONLINE STORE CAN SHIP AROUND HALF OF TEH US. THERTE ARE PLANS TO EXPAND THE CONCEPT TO OTHER LOCATIONS IF TEH SOTHEBY'S WINE SHOP IS A SUCCESS.

HERMES OPENS FIRST HERMES MEN'S STORE IN NEW YORK

FRENCH LUXURY HOUSE HERMES RECENTLY OPENED ITS FIRST MEN'S BOUTIQUE ENTIRELY DEDICATED TO MEN'S READY TO WEAR, ACCESSORIES AND ART OF LIVING. CALLED HERMES MAN, THE STUNNING BOUTIQUE IS LOCATED IN NEW YORK AT 690 MADISON AVENUE AT EAST 62nd STREET AND STANDS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE US FLAGSHIP STORE. THE 2,450 SQUARE FOOT STORE IS THE FIRST IN THE WORLD THAT HERMES HAS DEDICATED TO MEN. THE CLASSIC BROWNSTONE WAS REDESIGNED BY RDAI, THE PARISIAN ARCHITECTURAL AGENCY FOUNDED BY RENA DUMAS, AND FEATURES AN INTERIOR THAT IS NEW AND CONTEMPORARY YET BORROWS FROM THE DECORATIVE STYLES OF THE TRADITIONAL TAILOR'S SHOP AND GENTLEMAN'S CLUB. DETAILS FROM THE ORIGINAL HERMES STORE AT 24 FAUBOURG SAINT-HONORE ARE REVEALED AND REWORKED AND PAIRED WITH THE STORE'S STREAMLINED ARCHITECTURE TO OFFER A UNIQUE SPACE THAT IS BOTH ELEGANT AND SIMPLE. FOR THE DISCERNING CUSTOMER, THE STORE WILL FEATURE AN ARRAY OF MERCHANDISE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE LOCATION. EXCLUSIVE ITEMS INCLUDE A SELECTION OF SILK TIES, ONE WITH THE STATUE OF LIBERTY NEXT TO THE EIFFEL TOWER ON THE FRONT, WHILE ANOTHER HAS AN APPLE MOTIF AND COMES IN FOUR DIFFERENT COLOURS. ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE SIGNATURE ITEM IS A HANDCRAFTED LEATHER BASEBALL GLOVE, WHICH RETAILS FOR $8,500. 'THE BASEBALL GLOVE IS A NEW PRODUCT', SAID A SPOKESPERSON FOR HERMES. 'IT HAS NEVER BEEN MADE BEFORE BY HERMES. WE THOUGHT IF WE ARE OPENING OUR VERY FIRST HERMES BOUTIQUE FOR MEN AND IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN NEW YORK CITY, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE A BASEBALL GLOVE. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WITH THE LEATHER AND THE STITCHING, IT IS A NATURAL FIT FOR US. WHEN WE FIRST SAW THE GLOVE, WE WERE ALL TAKEN ABACK BY HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS. AND AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, AS WE KNEW THIS DATE WAS APPROACHING, THE NEW YORK YANKEES WON THE WORLD SERIES.'

RALPH LAUREN OPENS NEW BOUTIQUES IN GSTAAD

ALREADY KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE SKI RESORTS IN ALL OF SWITZERLAND, GSTAAD IS THE NEW HOME OF THE FIRST OF TWO NEW OPULENT BOUTIQUES FROM RALPH LAUREN. THE MOUNTAIN LODGE STORE IS DECORATED WITH NAVAJO RUGS, ANTIQUE FURNITURE AND UNIQUE ARTWORKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, REFLECTING BOTH THE BRAND'S AMERICANA HERITAGE AND THE BOUTIQUE'S SWISS MOUNTAIN SURROUNDINGS. THE NEW STORE HIGHLIGHTS THE BRAND'S ICONIC COLLECTIONS; RALPH LAUREN COLLECTION, PURPLE LABEL, BLACK LABEL, BLUE LABEL, POLO AND RLX SKI, AS WELL AS THE THREE NEW RALPH LAUREN WATCH COLLECTIONS. THE SECOND GSTAAD RALPH LAUREN BOUTIQUE IS PLANNED FOR THE LOBBY OF THE HISTORIC GSTAAD PALACE HOTEL.

LOUIS VUITTON 'CASINO TRUNK'

FOR THE OPENING OF ITS NEWEST FLAGSHIP BOUTIQUE IN MACAU, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD, LOUIS VUITTON HAS UNVEILED AN EXCLUSIVE NEW COLLECTION HEADLINED BY A BESPOKE CASINO TRUNK. AVAILABLE BY SPECIAL ORDER ONLY, THE STUNNING CASINO TRUNK CONTAINS SPECIAL DRAWERS AND COMPARTMENTS HOUSING A ROULETTE WHEEL, GREEN BAIZE GAME CLOTHS, PLAYING CARDS, POKER CHIPS, GAMBLING DICE AND A BANKER'S BRIEFCASE. 'THE OPENING OF THIS STORE AND THE INVESTMENT IT REPRESENTS REFLECTS LOUIS VUITON'S CONFIDENCE IN THIS MARKET AND THE APPRECIATION BY THE LOCAL CUSTOMER OF THE QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF LOUIS VUITTON'S PRODUCT RANGE', DECLARED VUITTON CEO YVES CARCELLE.

LOUIS VUITTON, ONE CENTRAL MACAU

LEADER OF FRENCH LUXURY, STYLE, INNOVATION AND TRAVEL CULTURE, LOUIS VUITTON RECENTLY OPENED ITS FIRST MAISON IN MACAU AT ONE CENTRAL, MARKING ANOTHER AMAZING MILESTONE OF TEH DESIGN HOUSE IN ASIA PACIFIC, IN THE WORLD'S LATEST THRIVING DESTINATION OF ENTERTAINMENT AND HOSPITALITY. THE FOURTH AND THE GRANDEST OF THE MALLETIER'S BOUTIQUES IN MACAU, THE 3-LEVELED BUILDING CONNECTED TO ONE CENTRAL MALL, PROMOTES THE NEWEST FLAGSHIP SHOPPING DESTINATION ON PAR WITH THE 'HOST VENUES' OF LOUIS VUITTON MAISONS SUCH AS CHAMPS ELYSEES, CANTON ROAD AND LANDMARK IN HONK KONG, AND 5th AVENUE. WITH FULL PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE NAM VAN LAKE AND MACAU TOWER AND A STONE'S THROW FROM SOME OF THE MOST GLAMOROUS HOTELS AND CASINOS, THE MAISON ONE CENTRAL HAS BEEN CONCEIVED TO REFLECT THE HOUSE'S HERITAGE OF SAVOIR FAIRE, CREATIVE SPIRIT, FORWARD ARCHITECTURE INFUSED WITH LOCAL CULTURE IS SET TO BECOME THE NEXT FASHION LANDMARK.

BEN SHERMAN OPENS FLAGSHIP STORE IN CONVENT GARDEN

BEN SHERMAN, THE LONDON-BASED LABEL WHICH FOUND FAME IN THE MID 1960s WITH ITS BUTTON-DOWN SHIRTS FOR MEN, HAS OPENED A NEW FLAGSHIP BOUTIQUE IN LONDON'S CONVENT GARDEN. THE 1,500 sq ft SHOP ON LONG ACRE, HOUSES THE BEN SHERMAN MEN'S, WOMEN'S, SUITING AND ACCESSORIES COLLECTIONS, UNDER THE THEME OF A 'MOD'S MANSION'. THE QUIRKY INTERIOR FEATURES CHANGING ROOMS BASED ON TROPHY ROOMS, A LADIES 'POWDER ROOM', AND A LIBRARY, WITH PARAPHERNALIA SUCH AS BOXING BAGS AND GUITARS THROUGHOUT THE STORE. THE 'MODS IN THE MANSION' LAYOUT PAYS HOMAGE TO THE SUCCESS THE BRAND ENJOYED IN 1965 WITH THE MODS SUBCULTURE; THE COMPANY'S FOUNDER, ARTHUR SUGERMAN, PRODUCED HIS OWN VERSION OF OXFORD-CLOTH SHIRTS WHICH WERE THEN ONLY AVAILABLE IN AMERICA, FROM HIS FACTORY IN BRIGHTON. THE SHIRTS WERE IMMEDIATELY ADOPTED BY THE MODS, AND BECAME POPULAR AGAIN A FEW YEARS LATER WITH THE MOD REVIVALISTS. TODAY, THE BEN SHERMAN LABEL IS SOLD IN 37 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.