Luxist

Magic, Martinis and Mario

Deidre Woollard — 2008-06-25T15:02:00 00:00

A magician, mixologist and chef Mario Batali are combining for a new type of event. The Magic, Martinis and Mario event the first of which is taking place on September 18 at Del Posto, Batali's restaurant in New York, offers more than just a dinner. Mixologist and Fine Living Network star, Tony Abou-Ganim will design custom cocktails for this special evening and teach diners how to recreate them at home. Also during the cocktail hour, entertainer Billy Harris will show sleight-of-hand magic tricks.

Each of the four courses of the Italian meal will be introduced by Batali and the dishes will be paired with wines from LaMozza, Mario's own vineyard in Tuscany, as well as the Friuli Bastianich vineyard. After the meal Billy Harris will perform his stage show.

Guests will receive gift bag that includes a copy of Mario's latest cookbook, Italian Grill, Tony Aboau-Ganim's most recent DVD, Cocktail 101, samples of 10 Cane Run, playing cards and a ticket to the raffle to win an Ernst Benz Mario Batali wristwatch. Both Mario and Tony will be available to sign books and DVDs at the end of the festivities.

The tickets are $1,500 per seat and limited to 130 guests. $100 of the price will go to the EarthLab Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization providing functional outreach and reverse research and educational efforts in part through EarthLab.com. A new online segment at EarthLab.com entitled Food & Mario Batali shows how to make better food related choices for the environment.

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Mercedes-Benz Kicks Off Bridgehampton Polo Season

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-06-23T11:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events, Sports

The annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge will kick off at the JetOne Jets Field at the Bridgehampton Polo Club on Saturday, July 19 this year. This season's partners include Coca-Cola, Fiji Water, T-Mobile, Pernod Ricard, Ralph Lauren, Hpnotiq and Zino Platinum Cigars, and the MVP Player Award will be presented by Westin Rinehart. The matches, which will run for six consecutive Saturdays through August 23 this year, are the social mainstay of the Hamptons season and feature some of the world's best polo players competing for one of the sport's most treasured prizes. Anyone can watch from the stands, but the invitation-only V.I.P. tent is the real scene. Celebs in attendance in years previous have included Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Hurley, Heather Graham, Howard Stern, Jared Leto, Jay Z, Jessica Alba, Mischa Barton, Natalie Portman and Prince Albert of Monaco, to name a few. All proceeds will go to a good cause, the South Fork Breast Health Coalition.

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Rolls-Royce Club's Annual Rally in the UK This Weekend

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-06-20T15:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Wheels, Events

The other day we mentioned that Sean Connery's 1961 Bentley is being auctioned off this weekend at a Rolls-Royce rally. The event is the annual gathering of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club (RREC), which takes place at a stately manor house named Kelmarsh Hall near Northampton, England through Sunday. Prizes are given for the best in class. The Club was formed in 1957 by a small group of Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts and now boasts a membership of over 10,000 people in 52 countries worldwide. Some snobs sniff over the fact that ownership of either car is no longer a requirement, but we find it to be a very democratic attitude. The Club's one-time entrance fee is £30 (or about $60) and a year's membership for overseas enthusiasts costs £54 (or about $108). Membership confers unrivaled access to events such as the Rally, technical information, historic records, workshop manuals, a special automotive insurance policy and more. You can apply here.

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New Dress Code, Same Classic Style at Royal Ascot Races

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-06-19T12:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Sports, Men's Style

Since it was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, the annual Royal Ascot races have become the highlight of the English social season. Ostensibly a five-day sporting event, it's also evolved into something of an immense fashion show, marked by the arrival of the Royal Family in ceremonial horse-drawn carriages every day. It has become the style for ladies to sport increasingly outrageous hats, and lately the traditional rules about "formal day dress" in the coveted Royal Enclosure have been rather loosely interpreted, much to the Queen's dismay.

This year officials have cracked down, declaring that "Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and/or miniskirts are considered unsuitable," while "Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and color." Those not in compliance will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure. Gentlemen have always been required to wear full morning dress with top hats. Lest all the pageantry detract from the business at hand, it's worth noting that prize money at this year's event, which runs through Saturday, has reached an unprecedented $7.8 million.

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Auction Napa Valley Brings in $10.4 Million

Deidre Woollard — 2008-06-10T11:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events, Charity

The economic news may be dismal but Auction Napa Valley still managed to do quite well, coming in 5% over last year and raising $10.35 million for local charities. The weekend event in Napa Valley, California drew guests from around the world to bid on barrel futures, one-of-a-kind wines, winery vertical collections and rare bottlings of Napa Valley wines that were often partnered with vintner-hosted events, luxury items and travel. Jay Leno served as the host of the Live Auction and guests included Congressman Mike Thompson and first time attendee, Oprah Winfrey. Check out some of the fun in the gallery below.

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Green Our Vaccines, Charity of the Day

Star Sutherland — 2008-06-06T10:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events, Charity, Green, Charity of the Day, Children, Big Givers

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy are hoping they can use their combined star power to help raise awareness this week for the Green Our Vaccines march and rally. Jenny's son Evan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2005, and Jenny has been trying to help him and others by raising awareness of the possible link between autism and childhood vaccinations. The actors have joined with other national autism advocacy groups to press for the elimination of toxins from children's vaccines and to change children's vaccination schedules. It's always a heated debate, with facts and studies being presented on both sides, but a growing number of parents of autistic children believe that vaccines, especially those containing the mercury-based preservatives, are to blame for bringing on their children's autistic symptoms. Learn more about this weeks fund raising efforts here, and if you want to get involved in this movement now is the time!

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Prince Charles Visits Laphroaig, Confirms Royal Warrant

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-06-05T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity

Yesterday Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, paid a visit to the home of his favorite Scotch whisky, the Laphroaig distillery on Islay. Laphroaig, established in 1815, is one of the richest, smokiest single malts and one of the very best Scotches ever produced. It holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, which he confirmed while there, and bears his heraldic three-feather badge on its label. The kilt-clad Charles and Camilla - who are known as by their local title, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, while traveling in Scotland - toured the distillery, learned about (and leant a hand in) its production and nosed whiskies of different ages. The Prince also signed two barrels of maturing spirit and an ultra-rare 40-year-old bottle of Laphroaig, one of only a handful left in the world, all to be auctioned off for charity. The 40-year-old was worth about $5,000 before he applied the royal signature. The proceeds from the auctions will go to the charities of Charles' choice.

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Fitness Boot Camp With Tracy Anderson

Deidre Woollard — 2008-06-05T16:03:00 00:00

Filed under: Events

Ready or not, it's bathing suit season. If you haven't gotten yourself in perfect form and you have the money you can study with one of the toughest trainers around, the lovely Tracy Anderson, who works with Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. Anderson is holding a two week boot camp Monday - Friday, 6:30-9:30 starting on June 16th at the Reebok Sports Club in New York City. Anderson's Method workout is dance-based but there is also a strength-training component for creating those sculpted arms. Those who sign up also have to commit for two week's to Anderson's nutritional principles but when you are paying $3,000 ($2,500 for members) you may as well get the most out of it.

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Veuve Clicquot Stages First NYC Polo Match in 70 Years

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-06-04T18:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Sports

On Saturday, renowned French champagne house Veuve Clicquot staged the first polo match in Manhattan in 70 years. The match, between two North American Polo League (NAPL) teams - Ralph Lauren's Black Watch, captained by Polo model Nacho Figueras, and Asprey's Skeeterville, captained by Will Johnston - was played on Governor's Island, the 172-acre former Army base on Manhattan's southern tip. New York is often cited as the birthplace of American polo c.1876, and Army officers played the sport on Governor's Island until just before the onset of World War II in 1941. Black Watch bested Asprey 10 - 6 in the inaugural match of the Veuve Cliquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Veuve Clicquot has long supported polo in Europe, and since last year other parts of the U.S. as well, such as the Greenwich Polo Club in Connecticut.

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James Hotel Lollapalooza Package

Deidre Woollard — 2008-06-02T12:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Journeys, Events

Coachella has already come and gone but there are plenty of other summer festivals. For those of us somewhere between the all-night party and the early-bird special, these concerts form a particular problem. How can you still enjoy yourself without feeling old and exhausted. The best way is to go VIP. If you are interested in attending the famous Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer, August 1-3, the James Hotel makes it easy. Their VIP package includes a guestroom at The James and two VIP tickets to Lollapalooza which lets you skip out on all the heat and lounge in the shade at the LollaLounge which has lounge seating, a private viewing platform, lunch and dinner buffets, refreshments and the all-important air-conditioned restrooms. The James will even drive you their in a private car, give you a choice of one of the headliner's CDs (Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, The Raconteurs), and offer you a continental breakfast each morning. The three-day package starts at t $2,299 (a cheaper package with general admission tickets is $1.099).

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Givenchy Spring 2008 Couture Collection

Star Sutherland — 2008-06-02T11:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Celebrity Shopping

Givenchy dresses have been worn by notably sophisticated ladies for decades, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the Duchess of Windsor are among the memorable women who've made Givenchy the fashion legend it is today. Recently joining the list is the always stunning and stylish Natalie Portman who had heads turning when she showed up at a Cannes soiree in this elegant and refreshing Givenchy gown. Easily the best dress seen all week, I think she blew it with the shoes but c'est la vie! If you have any high class events coming up, browse the Givenchy 2008 Collection, it features some fabulous designs that will have people dying to know who "dressed" you!

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Father's Day Spending Down

Laura Malesich — 2008-06-02T07:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events

Father's Day is just a couple of weeks away and many may still be searching for that perfect gift ... or are they? According to a recent poll, spending money on good ol' dad is in decline as gas and groceries soar to new heights. It used to be that many of us would do more than the standard greeting card, but over half of today's consumers (68.4%) will spend an average of $7.49 which includes a trip to Hallmark and maybe an extra doo-dad or two (no funny use of the word "dad" intended). Although 32% of you will head to a department store for the perfect tie or cologne, my thought is spend the money on something you can do together instead of something you're not sure he'll ever use.

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French Cocktail Hour Day

Laura Malesich — 2008-05-28T11:01:00 00:00

Filed under: Events

Coming next Thursday, June 5, the apéritif is being resurrected at an event known as "French Cocktail Hour Day" across twenty-four countries and thirty-eight cities. The French tradition of before dinner libations to transition one from the stress of the work day to the fun and company of friends and a great meal are typically light and vibrant like champagne or vermouth. Here in the U.S. there will be some big celebrations in NYC and Washington D.C. filled with chic cocktail parties at top spots featuring Georges Deboeuf wines and Kimpton Hotels. Personally, I fully support refreshing, glamorous drinks that start the night off right -- apéritifs are a sophisticated way to unwind.

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The Hattie B. Cooper Community Center, Charity of the Day

Star Sutherland — 2008-05-25T10:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events, Charity, Sports, Charity of the Day, Children, Big Givers

Charityfolks.com is auctioning off a chance to meet David Beckham at an LA Galaxy Game! Additional prize loot includes hotel and airfare, a meet-and-greet and photo op with David Beckham, a David Beckham autographed jersey, 2 VIP field seats to the game and a pregame tour of the stadium! The money earned from the auction benefits the Hattie B. Cooper Community Center. Located in one of Boston's poorest neighborhoods, the Cooper Community Center provides high-quality early education programs that encourage self-esteem, confidence, leadership and learning to at risk youth. Bidding is currently at $10,000 and is open until June 4th. What an amazing opportunity to help kids and attend a game in VIP style, I wonder if Posh will be there?

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Brad Pitt Back in Tom Ford at Cannes

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-05-22T09:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Men's Style

Brad Pitt obviously knows when he's on to a good thing. We're not referring to Angelina Jolie in fact, but rather Tom Ford. Wearing head to toe Tom made Pitt one of the most stylish stars at last year's Cannes Film Festival - actually, make that any year - so it's no surprise he's back this season sporting more of the designer's dapper duds.

Last week Pitt wore a classic made-to-measure Ford black two piece notch lapel wool suit with a white shirt and solid black silk jacquard tie to the Kung Fu Panda premiere. And on Tuesday he upped the ante with an ultra-elegant made-to-measure black mohair blend single breasted peak lapel tuxedo, black silk moiré bowtie, and 18K white gold and diamond shirt studs and cufflinks from Ford's menswear collection to the Changeling premiere. That's what we call stealing the show.

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The Plans For the World's Largest Wine Tasting

Deidre Woollard — 2008-05-17T12:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Wine, Events

If you've ever wanted to be part of a Guinness World Record you might want to check out one of the many pubs across England in the JD Wetherspoon group on May 21. The British pub chain is holding a free wine tasting on May 21 at 6p.m. hoping to get the record for the world's largest synchronized wine tasting. We aren't talking a great vintage here, they are offering free 1.7-ounce servings of Fetzer Coldwater Creek Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio or white Zinfandel but it might be fun to be part of such a huge undertaking.

[via Wine Spectator]

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Imari Porcelain Exhibit at the Manhattan Art and Antiques Center

Deidre Woollard — 2008-05-17T08:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events, Art

Imari porcelain is one of the most striking styles of Japanese porcelain. The style originated circa 1616 in the city of Arita and the porcelain ware was distributed to Japanese locations through the northern Kyushu port of Imari. The traditional color palette for Imari porcelain is very vivid with an underglaze of cobalt blue, and overglaze of iron red and details in gold paint. Sometimes green and yellow polychrome enamel colors were also used as accents. The rich ornamental look of Imari porcelain is reminiscent of the brocading of Japanese textiles. Next month, Flying Cranes Antiques (located in galleries 55, 56 and 58 in The Manhattan Art and Antiques Center, 1050 Second Avenue at 55th St - NY, NY 10022), will feature a display of Japanese Imari porcelains. Exhibited for sale will be rare forms executed in the rich palette characteristic of the ware. The Flying Cranes Antiques Imari porcelain collection includes various forms: bottle shapes, vases, covered jars, foliate plates dating circa 1850-1880. The cost range for the exhibition is in the $800 to $15,000 with many pieces in the $1,000-2,500 range. Shown here is one of the exhibition pieces - a Japanese Imari porcelain shell-form plate (19th Century - Circa 1850-1880 which has a price of $2,200.

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The Most Stylish Moments in the History of Cannes

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-05-14T18:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Men's Style

The Cannes Film Festival, which began today in the South of France, has always been more focused on artistic merit than the blockbusters of the Academy Awards; that makes for a much more interesting mise-en-scène in our view. The cool crowd has always gravitated to the Riviera for this annual cinematic happening, not to mention the chance to compete for those little gold palm fronds. Along with the Met Costume Institute Gala it's easily one of the year's most stylish events.

As Cannes enters its seventh decade, this seems like the perfect time for a slideshow of some of the most classic style moments in its vivid history, including this rouge carpet scene from 1998. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was nominated for a Palme d'Or that year and its star Johnny Depp sported a midnight blue shawl-collared dinner jacket at the premiere. Meanwhile his co-star Benicio Del Toro (right) stuck to a classic tux, while Depp's date Kate Moss looked kind of like she'd been attacked by an angry emu -- but in a hot way. Click below for the full parade of stylish stars.

Official Selections [Men.Style]

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Frolicking in Ford at the Met Gala

Jared Paul Stern — 2008-05-08T15:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Celebrity Shopping, Men's Style

At the Metropolitan Museum's star-studded Costume Institute Gala in Manhattan the other night, all the best-dressed men wore tuxedos by Tom Ford. While some fellows got creative with their black tie and others simply looked boring in notched lapel numbers, those who sported Ford's threads -- including Gisele Bundchen's football star beau Tom Brady, actors Djimon Hounsou and Jimmy Fallon, and A-list shoe designer Christian Louboutin -- were the evening's standouts.

Ford himself (pictured here with actress Natasha Richardson) went with a classic double-breasted dinner jacket with grosgrain lapels. Brady, Fallon and Louboutin all wore Ford's signature single-breasted peak lapel style; Brady and Fallon went the extra mile with matching waistcoats. Hounsou wore a black three-piece wool and cashmere suit which was equally elegant, as you'll see in the gallery below. Ford's suits start at about $5,000.

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Dior Museum Celebrates Dandyism

Deidre Woollard — 2008-05-05T16:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Events

Dictionaries generally define "dandyism" as a man's undue attention to his appearance, and it definitely has taken on a pejorative aspect so it's nice to see a museum exhibit that celebrates dandyism. The Dior family home in Granville, France is now a museum and their exhibit on dandyism will run from now until September 21. The exhibit includes such pieces as a white shirt belonging to perhaps the most famous dandy, Oscar Wilde, dating from when he was living in penniless exile in a seedy Paris hotel after his disgrace, under an assumed name which was a cryptic allusion to his homosexuality. The exhibit covers two centuries of dandies and celebrates the birth of Jules Barbey D'Aurevilly whose Du Dandysme et de George Brummell written in 1845 is considered a treatise on the subject. The exhibit includes a large selection of accessories belonging to dandies through the ages including satin waistcoats, monocles, dressing gowns and a large collection of walking sticks. The exhibit also includes tributes to modern dandies such as John Galliano and David Bowie.

For a little more information on the life of a modern dandy check out Dandyism.net.

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