BUCKINGHAM PALACE PRESENTS 'QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: THE ROYAL TOUR'

A COLLECTION OF 28 OF THE QUEEN'S DRESSES HAVE GONE ON DISPLAY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF THE MODERN BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND WILL EVOKE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OVERSEAS TOURS UNDERTAKEN BY THE QUEEN DURING HER REIGN. THE EXHIBITION 'QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: THE ROYAL TOUR' BRINGS TOGETHER EVENING GOWNS, DAY WEAR AND EVEN A KIWI FEATHER CLOAK PRESENTED TO HER MAJESTY BY THE MAORI CHIEFS IN ROTORUA, JANUARY 1954.QUEEN ELIZABETH II IS THE MOST TRAVELED MONARCH AND HAD MADE OVER 170 OFFICIAL VISITS TO COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES ALONE. THE EXHIBITION ALSO INCLUDES JEWELRY AND GIFTS TO THE QUEEN FROM COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES, INCLUDING A CHESS SET FROM NELSON MANDELA WHERE THE PIECES REPRESENT ZULU AND NDEBELE PEOPLE WEARING TRADITIONAL COSTUME. THIS SPECIAL EXHIBITION AT SUMMER OPENING OF THE STATE ROOMS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE RUNS FROM 26.JULY TO 30.SEPTEMBER.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION VISIT www.royalcollection.org.uk

LE CLOS OPENS AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS A NEW ADDITION TO ITS DUTY FREE SHOPS, LE CLOS A STUNNING BOUTIQUE THAT SELLS SOME OF THE WORLD'S FINEST AND RAREST WINES AND SPIRITS. RETAIL OUTLETS OF LE CLOS HAVE BEEN OPENED IN THE FIRST CLASS LOUNGE AND ON THE SHOPPING CONCOURSE IN TERMINAL 3 OF THE LARGEST AIRPORT TERMINAL IN THE WORLD. THE SHOP LISTS OVER 400 WINES FROM FRANCE, ITALY, THE US, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, AUSTRALIA, CHILE AND NEW ZEALAND. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE CHATEAU PETRUS 1947 (£7,625), CHATEAU CHEVAL BLANC 1961 IN MAGNUM (£9,607), AND DOMAINE DE LA ROMANEE-CONTI 2005 (£16,945). IT ALSO SELLS SPIRITS INCLUDING A 40 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT, AND VISITORS CAN EVEN PURCHASE A $125,000 DOM PERIGNON GUITAR CASE. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPTIONS FOR BUYING. YOU CAN PRE-ORDER THROUGH THE ONLINE STORE AND COLLECT YOUR BOTTLES IN THE STORE BEFORE FLYING OUT OF DUBAI, OR IF YOU ARE MAKING A RETURN JOURNEY BACH INTO DUBAI YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR WINES AHEAD OF TIME AND PICK THEM UP AFTER YOUR FLIGHT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.leclos.net

KRAKEN OPUS TO RELEASE $1 MILLION WINE BOOK

KRAKEN OPUS WILL TEAM UP WITH CELEBRITY CHEF MARCO PIERRE WHITE TO LAUNCH AN IMPRESSIVE LIMITED EDITION WINE BOOK, ESTIMATED TO COST $1 MILLION, FOR THE WEALTHY WINE CONNOISSEUR. DUBBED THE WINE OPUS, THE BOOK WEIGHING OVER 30lbs WILL SHOWCASE THE TOP 100 WINERIES OF THE WORLD, ON OVER 850 PAGES AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE SPRING OF 2010. EACH BOOK WILL BE ACCOMPANIED WITH A SIX-BOTTLE CASE OF VINTAGE WINE FROM EACH OF THE 100 LISTED VINTNERS, THAT'S AN AMAZING 600, WITH 25 ALREADY PRE-ORDERED. BOTTLES OF THE FINEST WINE FOR YOUR CELLAR. THERE WILL BE ONLY 100 BOOKS PUBLISHED, WITH A NUMBER OF COPIES SET ASIDE FOR AUCTION.
A SPOKESWOMAN FOR KRAKEN OPUS TOLD DECANTER.COM THAT A 'PANEL OF EXPERTS' WILL DRAW UP A SHORT LIST OF ABOUT 300 PRODUCERS, AND THEN A SECOND PANEL, COMPRISING 40 SOMMELIERS, WILL MAKE UP THE FINAL SELECTION, BASED ON A 'NUMBER OF CRITERIA' AT A 'WINE UN MEETING' IN LONDON IN 2010. THE LIST OF SOMMELIERS AND WINE EXPERTS HAS NOT BEEN REVEALED, BUT THE SPOKESWOMAN SAID 'EVERY WINE-PRODUCING COUNTRY' WILL BE REPRESENTED.

ROBERTO COIN'S CAPRIPLUS COLLECTION

THE CAPRIPLUS COLLECTION BY RENOWNED JEWELER ROBERTO COIN, IS HIS LATEST CREATION OF VIBRANTLY STUNNING JEWELS, WHICH DEBUTED EARLIER THIS SUMMER. THE NEW COLLECTION IS VERY RELAXED AND FUN, A CONTRAST TO HIS MORE FORMAL COLLECTIONS. THE DESIGNS WHICH INCLUDE BRACELETS, RINGS AND PENDENTS ARE MADE OF YELLOW GOLD WITH EBONY AND VARIOUS BRIGHTLY COLOURED GEMSTONES. THE NEW COLLECTION WAS INSPIRED BY THE COLOURFUL SUNSETS OF THE ITALIAN ISLAND OF CAPRI AND CONTAINS BLACK, PINK, YELLOW OR BROWN DIAMONDS, ALONG SET ALONG WITH THE COLOURED GEMS, AND AS WITH AL OF ROBERTO COIN'S COLLECTIONS EACH PIECE IS SET WITH THE SIGNATURE RUBY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.robertocoin.com

ANGULAR MOMENTUM'S NEW ENAMEL BIRD WATCHES

THE LATEST CREATIONS FROM THE ANGULAR MOMENTUM VERRE EGLOMISE ARTISAN TIMEPIECE COLLECTION COMES A BEAUTIFUL AND STUNNING SET OF ENAMEL PAINTED WATCHES IN FOUR VARIETIES, WITH THREE COCKATOO PAINTED DIALS AND ONE KINGFISHER. THE DIALS ARE DONE IN VERRE EGLOMISE, WHICH IS REVERSE HAND-ENAMEL PAINTING ON A SAPPHIRE CRISTAL. USING THE STANDARD ANGULAR MOMENTUM TIME GALLERY WATCH CASE, THE NEW WATCHES ARE EACH DONE IN 18 CARAT WHITE GOLD AND ARE BETWEEN 40mm - 41mm WIDE. DIAMONDS DECORATE THE THIN BEZELS AND LUG STRUCTURES, WHILE EACH WATCH HAS AN ATTACHED ALLIGATOR STRAP. INSIDE THE WATCH IS AN AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL MOVEMENT, TIME IS READ DIGITALLY THROUGH A WINDOW PLACED AT 12 OR 6 O'CLOCK. THE REST OF THE DIAL IS DEDICATED TO STUNNING LIMITED EDITION PAINTINGS. PRICES ARE ESTIMATED TO BEGIN AT $25,000 TO $30,000

BURBERRY OPENS NEW STORE IN SINGAPORE

TODAY, BRITISH LUXURY FASHION HOUSE, BURBERRY ANNOUNCED THE OPENING OF ITS 6th AND LARGEST BOUTIQUE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA. THE 815 SQUARE METRE STORE LOCATED ON ION ORCHARD, SINGAPORE'S UP-SCALE LUXURY SHOPPING AREA, OPENED YESTERDAY WITH GREAT FANFARE AND CELEBRATION. THE STORE DESIGN WAS DEVELOPED BY THE BURBERRY CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTOPHER BAILY AND IS A REFLECTION OF THE NEW BURBERRY DESIGN CONCEPT. BRITISH MATERIALS AND THEMES ARE USED IN THE STORE IN A CONTEMPORARY MANNER, WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED INCLUDING A CUTTING EDGE SOUND SYSTEM, WIFI CONNECTION, A VIP ROOM WITH IN-BUILT IPOD DOCKING STATIONS AND A GIANT 103" HIGH DEFINITION LED VIDEO WALL. TO SPECIALLY MARK THE OPENING OF THE NEW BOUTIQUE, BURBERRY DESIGNED AN EXCLUSIVE RANGE OF LEATHER ACCESSORIES THAT INCLUDE HANDBAGS, CLUTCHES AND OTHER LEATHER GOODS. THE STORE WILL OFFER A FULL RANGE OF FASHION ITEMS FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, FROM BURBERRY PRORSUM, BURBERRY LONDON, BURBERRY LIFESTYLE, BURBERRY SPORTS AND BURBERRY CHILDRENWEAR COLLECTIONS.

PRADA OPENS NEW PLACE BEAUVAU BOUTIQUE

PRADA HAS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE OPENING OF ITS NEWEST LUXURY BOUTIQUE, WHICH IS A TEMPORARY FIVE-MONTH POP-UP SHOP, AT PLACE BEAUVAU 92, PARIS. THE BEAUTIFUL STUNNING STORE WAS INSPIRED BY THE FRENCH POET, APOLLINAIRE. DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECT, ROBERTO BACIOCCI, THE FRONT OF THE STORE EVOKES THE IMAGE OF THE MIRABEAU BRIDGE, IMMORTALIZED IN GAILLAUME APOLLINAIRE'S POEM, 'LE PONT MIRABEAU', WHICH IS THE FIRST BRIDGE TO BE BUILT IN PARIS. THE BRIDGE SILHOUETTE IS EMPHASIZED BY A DRAMATIC TRAJECTORY TOWARDS THE STAIRCASE, WHERE MANNEQUINS DRESSED IN THE LATEST PRADA FASHIONS ARE GROUPED TO RECREATE A PARISIAN STREET SCENE. THE MOTIF IS CARRIED THROUGH MORE ABSTRACTLY IN THE GROUND FLOOR AREAS, WHICH ARE FURNISHED WITH LILAC CARPETING AND FURNISHINGS, BRONZE-METAL AND GLASS DISPLAY AND HIGHLY POLISHED BLACK AND WHITE CHECKERED MARBLE FLOORS, WHICH HARKENS BACK TO THE ORIGINAL 1913 PRADA BOUTIQUE IN MILAN'S GALLERIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II.