Today in Chelsea, 85 top vintage dealers gathered at Metropolitan Pavilion for a textile show and sale. The room was full of sparkling jewels, fur coats, and gowns fit for princesses. Menswear wasn't ignored either; vintage boots, suits, and cufflinks were abundant.
Above is a display of items from Exquisite Costume, a vintage clothier with a shop in Soho. At right is a closer look at that fabulous boa; one of the most exciting pieces we saw.
Our pick of the show was a boutique called Grape in the Shade. Previously featured in Travel and Leisure, Grape in the Shade is a vintage shop in Connecticut with a reputation for having whimsical, classical wares. Owner Joanna Lombardi, whose taste is exceptional, was an absolute treat. Their website will be up and running soon. For now, you can contact the shop (we recommend them for hats and jewelry) at 860-868-9119.
Also spotted at the Manhattan Vintage show was Mad Fashionista Elisa DeCarlo, an eccentric seller of fine plus-sized vintage clothes.
The next three shows are already scheduled, so if you didn't make it this time, watch for the show again in February, April, and October of 2009. You can keep tabs here at ManhattanVintage.com.
Globe-Trotter, a British company specializing in luxury luggage since 1897, has teamed up with J. Crew to bring you a beautiful line of travel cases.
Pictured at right is the Globe-Trotter Centenary, a 21" case at $1,800. The Centenary is made from the finest materials, including leather trim and straps and a Vulcan Fibre® shell.
The line also includes suitcases in other sizes and a vanity case. Don't miss the 26" suitcase in black!
Alpina, the Geneva-based high precision sports watchmaker whose history dates back to 1883, has just introduced their very first underwater timepiece. The Alpina Extreme Diver 1000 Meters (above) employs similar technology and aesthetics as their line of mountain climbing watches such as the Avalanche Extreme Regulator, made for conquering the heights of the Swiss Alps. It's heritage however goes back much father.
From pocket watches, early wristwatches and timepieces commissioned for military use, Alpina, whose enthusiasts were known as "Alpinists," evolved its first sports watch, the steel Blockuhr, in 1933. This early model became the Alpina 4 in 1938. The "4" stood for the four major qualities of an Alpina sports watch: 1. Anti-magnetic, 2. Waterproof, 3. Anti-shock, and 4. Stainless steel. The sports watches were a tremendous success, and at its height in 1958 the company exhibited 1000 different models.
A few months back The Classicist wrote about the illustrious history of Officine Panerai, the watchmaker founded in Florence in 1860 and former supplier to the Royal Italian Navy. That history lives on in the form of Panerai's 1950 models, based on vintage designs but incorporating modern technological advancements. For the first time, Panerai is now offering one of the most elegant models, its Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT (above), in titanium, making it an extremely precious timepiece indeed. The watch features a six day power reserve; vertically rotating tourbillon; crystal window on the reverse revealing the movement; and an alligator strap with a titanium clasp. Only 150 of these watches are being produced at a price of $122,000.
Men's pants have always been pretty strait-laced: there are the Brooks flannels, dorky Dockers, a few hipster skinny jeans here and there. Menswear designer Bonobos is attempting to liven things up by "policiticizing pants" according to HuffPo. The design team has crafted trousers to accompany your electoral wishes for November: the "charismatic, well-traveled" pair of Obamas versus the "conservative, clean cut" pair of McCains.
Each pair retails for $120, and Bonobos will track the trouser competition on its site until November.
It's red, white and blue ... and pigskin leather. It's a Watch and Accessory Cabinet that's coming out this fall (next month) as part of the latest men's collection from Smythson. It features compartments of all shapes and sizes, perfect for storing watches and all kinds of other goodies, plus a perpetual motion watch rocker/winder that pulls out to reveal a secret storage space in the back. The interior is decorated in bright blocks of white alternating with primary colors, while the exterior is simple and classic in black pigskin leather. Get yours (or start your Christmas shopping early) next month for $6,475.
Leslie Saleson, the designer behind Luxury Basics, has been making fine jewelry for years and finally took her work full time in December 2007.
At right is her elegant Triple Gold Drape of Peach Pearl and Andulusite necklace with 14k gold ($2,850.00). She also has pieces for men, including neck and wrist talismans.
The news at Luxury Basics today is that Saleson's designs are going to be appearing on Cinemax's new TV show, Zane's Sex Chronicles. Click here to watch a video of Saleson and the costume designer, Moonglow.
A gallery of some of our favorite men's and women's jewelry from Luxury Basics follows. You can count on Luxury Basics for elegance and originality.
Baller Toys is a new website designed to bring you the very best in glamorous home entertainment--and we're not talking TVs and stereos!
Above is the Climatech 1001 Climate Controlled Cabinet Humidor. At $4,695.00, it is the least expensive of the four humidors available from Baller Toys.
Some exclusive items from the luxury website include:
Looking at the creepy little silver faces on these King Scull Cufflinks by Tateossian makes me feel like giggling. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intent, considering they're scowling and all, but something about the looks on their faces and the way they're wearing their little crowns makes me feel bad for them, like maybe they're a pair of nerdy sculls trying too hard to be cool.
They're made of sterling silver, goldtone, and cubic zirconia, and I can't even begin to guess what kind of suit or event these would belong best at. $250
Hommage, the Parisian purveyor of luxury grooming equipment, skincare and spa services for men, has created a limited edition, platinum-sheathed straight razor using the same ancient layering techniques as the Crusaders' swords, for $30,000. Called the Damascene Razor, the blade is hand-forged in Germany with 128 layers of legendary Damascene steel, with a rose and torsion pattern. The sheath is plated in pure platinum, treated to resist tarnishing.
The razor comes in a lacquered gift box of Tanzanian anigré wood. The name Damascene is often attributed to the steel swords made in the vicinity of Damascus, Syria and first gained its mythical reputation during the medieval Crusades. According to Hommage, "the blade of a Damascus steel sword was said to be able to cut a piece of silk in half as it fell to the ground and was strong enough to cut through a rock without losing its sharpness." And now you can use it to get the world's most expensive shave.
I spend a lot of my day sitting at a desk so I'm always interested in seeing the latest in unique and interesting desk designs. This leather desk from Bottega Veneta is a little dark for my taste but it's also sleek and masculine, with a minimalist vibe. It's available in five different colors and features leather handles on both the drawers (there are three along the front) and on each side of the desk itself (makes it look a little like Transformer luggage to me), plus all the corners are accented with protective matte metal trim. Very chic. $19,700
Did you know that Christie's has an Arms and Armor section? And that it's totally fascinating?
You film buffs will be in heaven. These are the beautiful weapons you dreamed of wielding after watching Kurosawa.
This, at right, is a kinko tsuba (not that kind of Kinko's). A "tsuba" is the tip/guard at the end of the grip of a Japanese sword. We'd like to see one on a kitchen knife. Bam! What? Just for a minute!
FYI, Kinko means "imprisonment" or "vault" in Japanese, and it's also a town in Kagoshima. Kinko's, the FedEx-owned corporate dandelion, was named in the 1970's for its founder's curly ("kinky") hair according to Wikipedia. Only in the 70's folks. Seriously.
Back to awesome weaponry, here are Luxist's picks for the most fabulous Japanese Weapons from Christie's:
London luxury goods maker Dunhill has teamed up with legendary auto marque Bentley on an exclusive new set of leather luggage for Bentley owners. Dunhill's craftsman designed the luxe pieces in collaboration with Bentley's Design & Styling team at the automaker's head office in Crewe, England. The set, made to fit the trunk of Bentley sedans, consists of five pieces: a large suitcase (above), small suitcase, briefcase, weekend bag, and wash bag.
Each is handcrafted in brown natural grain leather with matching interior trim, in a fluted design similar to that found on the leather seats of the $250,000 Bentley Arnage. The custom-designed hardware features a unique lock mechanism with a knurled edge and an inset Bentley "B". The entire set will run you about $9,000 and is now available to order from your friendly neighborhood Bentley dealer with a 2-4 week delivery time.
This is without a doubt the most extravagant men's item we've come across for fall (or any other season, for that matter): a $150,000 peacoat from Hermès made entirely of crocodile skin. The ultra-luxe interpretation of a menswear classic, which originated with European navies some 250 years ago, was produced by Hermès men's designer Véronique Nichanian for the famed fashion house's Fall / Winter 2008-09 collection. The Hermès flagship store on Manhattan's Upper East Side just received two of them, in navy blue; other colors may be special ordered for delivery in 3-4 months.
New York City-based Luxury Accessories International (LAI) began as a leather importer in New York in 1953, importing crocodile skins from South America and selling them to makers of shoes, handbags, and other leather goods. In 1971 the company expanded the range of skins to include python from Indonesia, ostrich from South Africa, and lizard from South America. Today, the company makes a variety of high-end products for men and women, but I'm going to focus on the men. Where to begin? Belts, bags, a flask, a watch box, portfolios, wallets ... all custom dyed all over the world and made with skins selected by hand for cutting at the LAI manufacturing house in Long Island City, N.Y. Orders are individually cut and sewn, and often customized, but the LAI boutique at 35 E. 65th St., NYC, offers custom pieces.
You know something's expensive when every piece on the Web site is followed by: "To purchase, please contact the LAI Boutique: 212-794-3874." So I can't help you with pricing, but if you see something you like, give LAI a ring. See the gallery for a few of the beautiful pieces.
Globe-Trotter, a British company specializing in luxury luggage since 1897, has teamed up with J. Crew to bring you 
It's red, white and blue ... and pigskin leather. It's a 
Leslie Saleson, the designer behind 
Did you know that Christie's has an Arms and Armor section? And that it's totally fascinating?
This is without a doubt the most extravagant men's item we've come across for fall (or any other season, for that matter): a $150,000 peacoat from 
