travertine spa peruvian cotton hoodie giveaway!

we have an exciting giveaway for all readers! the very kind people at travertine spa sent me one of their best sellers, and we are giving it to one of the readers here!

the peruvian cotton hoodie is one their most popular item in their apparel line. worn by celebrities, models and those in the know, this soft cotton hoodie is designed for casual elegance and comfort. made from 100% peruvian cotton for an uncompromising softness and retails for US$115, we are giving one away!

the hoodie we are giving away is brown in color, similar to the one above, and in size M (which fits me perfectly and i hate to give it away!)

all you have to do, is tell me the name of one of the many celebrities featured on their site, who are fans of travertine spa too. (clues here!)

email the correct answer with subject line "travertine spa giveaway!" to 00o00.blogspot@googlemail.com (since you're emailing already might as well pen me some random musings!). competition is open to all, and closes on wednesday 3rd june 2009 23:59hrs GMT! a winner will be chosen at random, and i will then send out the peruvian cotton hoodie!

so everyone from alabama to zimbabwe, i look forward to receiving your entries! i would so want the hoodie to myself if i can keep it. good luck to those who entered!

valextra brown suede ankle boots

not a lot of people have heard of valextra, a luxury leather goods company from milan. their bags and accessories carry that distinctive architectural look with clean simple lines, without any branding on the exterior. little do i know that they produce shoes too:

it's a simple pair of suede ankle boots, but i always find that the simplest of things is also the most difficult to achieve and satisfy, as there is just little room to hide flaws. this gorgeous pair of shoes is in my size and available on ebay for US$495.

i cried so many nights, oh just unbreak my heart


source

looking forward: h&m men's autumn winter 2009/2010

a few monochromatic pieces from H&M's upcoming men's autumn winter 2009 collection. sounds silly, but i really am looking forward to winter so i can wrap up in layers again!



it will be interesting to see how these pieces will translate in real life. these will arrive in stores around september 2009.


source

looking forward: hackett autumn winter 2009/2010

although the great british summer ain't with us yet, the autumn winter collections will however soon be arriving in stores. here's previewing a few looks that i really like from british label hackett:

i really really really really, to the power of 100o00, love that leather jacket. the fur collar is just the icing on the cake. love love love! the brown leather jacket will retail for £700. i wantNEED!!!

loving the tan leather holdall too. it will retail for £300.

gorgeousness. now i just need to find that £1,000.

the new collection should arrive in stores from july/august 2009.


source

new york city's mayor declare today to be burberry day!

thursday 28th may has been declared burberry day in new york city! the proclamation, by new york city’s mayor bloomberg, is in honour of the continued investment and commitment burberry makes to new york and the US and coincides with the official lighting of the burberry logo on the rooftop of the new burberry americas headquarters at 444 madison avenue. the billboard in above picture will be lid across the iconic manhattan skyline for the first time later this evening! how i wish i am in new york now!

to further celebrate burberry day, 20% of all purchases made in burberry new york stores at 57th street and spring street in soho on the day will be donated to the burberry foundation. the foundation is committed to dedicate global resources to help young people realise their dreams and achieve their potential through the power of their creativity.

to celebrate on this side of the pond, here's a feature on one of my favourite pair of shoes (it looks elongated and gargantuan but it really is just a size 43!) :
the shoe shine guy comes round weekly, and he who has seen and handled the creations of many a good shoemakers couldn't help but paid high compliments on this pair of boots. the leather is so so soft and it fits like a glove. unlike most ankle boots, the ample height also prevent trousers from getting caught on top of the shoes when i'm sitting down.

the handmade shoes retailed for £399 about a year and a half ago, but i got it at the factory store (am i giving my secrets away??) for a fraction of the price. i couldn't bear to wear it for well over 6 months as it is just so pretty.

british actor and ex-burberry model hugh dancy also has a pair as i found out in my december 2007 edition of british GQ. (can't probably tell from the scan but trust me i have the mag, it's the same pair!)


and and and, christopher bailey also has a pair!!! i am that much closer to him now hehe!

can i class mr dancy, mr bailey and myself as sole mates please?

happy burberry day!


source

"gros & delettrez" vintage hermès auction

just how many is too many? not when it comes to vintage hermès auction it seems. last week auction house "artcurial" curated 766 items for sale, and on june 8th another parisian auction house "gros & delettrez" will also (strangely and coincidentally?) be auctioning 766 vintage hermès items over the course of 2 days. that's a lot of vintage hermès flowing through paris!

seems like the recession isn't stopping them, or was it because of the recession collectors are selling their wares? i don't think i will be bidding on any, but i had great fun going through the auction catalogue, abeit not all items were photographed. it was interesting to see just how extravagant some of these vintage pieces were.

this exceptional hermès "drag" had an auction estimate of €2,800 - €3,200. from what i observed, final price is usually twice of auction estimate when fees, taxes and shipping is added. this bordeaux wine colored bag isn't the most practical of bags for travelling, but it exemplifies the extravagance and glamour associated with travelling a few decades back. just stunning and definitely a show stopping piece.

does hermès still produce the "sac de voyage"? this vintage bag in unbleached linen and black leather measures 73cm x 30cm and has an estimate of €1,000 - €1,200. for mere mortals, this would exceed most commercial airline's hand luggage measurements at 55cm and would therefore have to be checked in. i really do shudder at that thought. gosh, i really am a mere mortal.

i really like this vintage hermès "plume". it's well battled and one that ages gracefully. i really do not mind the initials on that bag, for it represents a story behind it and everyone comes with baggages. this couldn't be more apt. the bag has an auction estimate of €800 - €900.

the original hermès travelling bag, the "HAC (haut à courroies)" was introduced before the "birkin", and they tweaked the design slightly for jane birkin and the rest they said was history. the bag was initialed AM, and had an estimate of €3,000 - €3,300. amazing really.

i really love these auctions as i never know what i might find. i love love love this vintage hermès desk agenda crafted out of beige leather. it's just something so worth collecting. auction estimate is €200 - €250. 00o00h i really like it. now, who's feeling generous?? *flutter eyelashes*

and then there were the exotic leather items:

totally extravagant, a comb with a crocodile leather case. i'm pretty sure the comb's not made of plastic too. own a piece of vintage hermès exotics with an estimate of €50 - €70. i don't know why, but i keep getting the impression that this is someone else's heirloom piece.

words fail me with this porosus crocodile "sac à dépêches". it's described as in excellent condition (très bon état!), and has an estimate of €6,000 - €7,000.

but i thought, what a different fate the other crocodile had.

i thought that the vintage "sac malette" was exquisite. the 33cm bag/case is lined with bordeaux wine colored velvet, and made with crocodile leather on the exterior. the bag has an estimate of €1,800 - €2,000, a far cry from the previous bag.

and when i thought i've seen it all, there comes the special order chinese mahjong set circa the 1930's. my yahoo translator tells me the tiles were made from mahogany tree and fawn-coloured leather, and something in bone and ivory too. i mean, which opium den owner commissioned this exceptional piece, and whose unfilial descendants are selling it now? this unusual lot has an estimate of €1,500 - €2,000. that's a lot of mahjong money i say.

i had a great time viewing the lots. if you're interested you can find out more here. love vintage, love auctions, love hermès!

source

staying alive in 85

i'm not usually a fan of slogan t-shirts, but we are really going through disturbing times. you can click on pic above to purchase the katherine hamnett t-shirts, or to find out more about her campaign to end nuclear usuage.

mmm other bits of hopefully more uplifting random twitter twatter:
- my order for the emma hope python leather sneakers did not go through, they were out of stock. grrrrrrrr

- my humble and amateurish analysis of LVMH's first quarter's financial results were picked up by britain's telegraph! ok from their web blog section, but telegraph no less! the telegraph!

- i received a very nice care package from travertine spa. there will be a giveaway on here soon!

m. gerald genta for ritz fine jewellery

what is luxury? having space and time to yourself, or perhaps something more tangible in the form of a limited edition watch? limited edition of 1 to be precise.

m. gerald genta is one of the world’s greatest contemporary horologists. over his long and illustrious career, he has accumulated universal fame for such iconic creations as the patek philippe nautilus, the audemars piguet royal oak and the iwc ingenieur. his watches are amongst the most coveted and collectible in the world.

london's ritz fine jewellery approached genta with a view to create a small series of timepieces. genta drew inspiration from architectural, cultural and social elements from the ritz hotel in london, and created three ranges, each comprising a date model, a chronograph model and a tourbillon model.


the entire collection amounts to just 15 watches, each of which is limited to a numbered edition of one. the dial of each watch has purposely been left blank, free from any form of branding – allowing the collector to personalise the piece (with if desired a motif designed by genta himself). testimony to genta’s pride in this extraordinary work, he has for the first time allowed his signature to be engraved on each watch.



the watch retails for £17,500 and is available only through 20ltd.com and is limited to a numbered edition of one. best get your butler to call your personal shopper now.

source

emma hope python leather sneakers

it's a holiday on monday here in the UK so it's a long weekend for most of us. i took tuesday off as well, so it's even l00o00nger for me! well, i've just chilled and lounged and lazed and chill some more all weekend, which is very nice. space and time are very precious commodities.

and *ho humm* i did a bit of online shopping. i ordered a pair of python leather sneakers from british shoe designer emma hope.

i tried these on a few months back and i like it, but decided against it as it was rather pricey. although it's python leather, it doesn't appear garish at all. i thought it was quite subtly done. the one on the left is called "joe", and the hi-tops is called "magic basket". tempting as it is to get my namesake shoes, i went for "magic basket" instead.

the hi-tops was £349, it's now reduced to £129. "joe" isn't available on their website, but can be found at yoox.com for £125.

there were also various designs in velvet and suede, reduced to £99 and upwards. so python for £129 sounds reasonable to me.

more shoes! this will go nicely with my quest for exotics this year.

click here for more emma hope sneakers on yoox.com.
click here for more emma hope sneakers on their website.

vintage hermès auction - results

the results of the "vintage hermès" auction which was held on wednesday by parisian auction house "artcurial" was published earlier today. i made a follow up call with them, and they confirmed that i was the highest bidder for the vintage jaeger lecoultre travel clock, as well as one of the hermès auction lots!

if only i could be there to preview all 766 items. i think i would have gone mental on the spot. these were the items where i bid on:

i really wanted this green leather briefcase. prior to the auction i emailed them for more details and measurements. they confirmed that item is like brand new and in excellent condition. i was, and still am very surprised that the auction estimate was €400 - €600. i placed my bid at €1,020 but it went under the hammer for €1,400, including fees and taxes the buyer would have paid €1,785. i am still in awe.

and then there's this cotton scarf/handkerchief item, auction estimate was €20 - €30. i placed my bid at €30 just to see how the whole auction process works, how they would get my credit card or bank details. it's a frivolous test bid for me, but it was sold to the highest bidder for €70, including fees final value was €89.

i also placed a bid on this amazing pair of john lobb "wallace". i've long wanted a pair of john lobb shoes, they sent me more pics of the shoes and it looked amazing and was in fantastic condition. the auction estimate was €300 - €400, i think these retailed for about €950+ brand new. i placed an embarrassing €320 bid for it, and it went under the hammer for.... €1,000. total price including fees came in at €1,275.

€1,275 for a pair of used john lobb shoes. i clearly still have a long way to go.

before looking at my successful bid, let's look at the items with the lowest and highest auction prices.

my friend called it the fingerless dish washing rubber gloves, hermès called it the fingerless mittens in yellow lamb leather. it sold for €38!

recession, where? this amazing red/rouge porosus crocodile leather 30cm birkin bag with palladium hardware had an auction guide price of €10,000 - €12,000. i don't know how long the waiting list would be for a brand new bag, but a certain recession proof someone obviously can't wait and decided to bid €24,000 for it. final price inclusive of fees and taxes was a whopping €30,279. truly exceptional. could the winning bidder possibly be victoria beckham, who arguably has one of the biggest hermes bags collection? small change for her i would think.

my humble winning lot?
it was love at first sight. the description reads "gold elephants buckle brass plated, with reversible black box calf leather and grained gold/brown calf leather belt. belt measures 85cm, size 70cm". i was and still am truly confused by the last bit. i did not ask for more pictures nor description but bid on it anyway. i figured belt length was ok and i could punch more holes if need be. i am also toying with the idea of getting a new reversible belt, hopefully in red box calf with brown grained leather to go with the lovely lovely buckle. auction estimate was €40 - €60, i was the highest bidder at €110 and i paid €140 including fees.

i am very pleased with my winning bid, not sure how i will be wearing the belt but i sure do love it. i much love and prefer the elephants buckle to their signature H buckle. i am praying that both my items will not let me down when i receive it!

vintage jaeger lecoultre and hermès items coming my way, i am a happy happy boy. & i am one step closer to realising my dream of attending and bidding at a live auction.

happy weekends!


source

artcurial 'jewelry & watches' auction

back on tuesday, parisian auction house "artcurial" held a 'jewelry & watches' auction, where 496 exquisite lots were up for bids. i actually took the plunge, and placed 2 bids. rather impulsive i would say, and this marked my first foray into a proper auction.


i placed a bid on this gorgeous jaeger lecoultre mechanical watch from the 1950s. i really really love the look, and i know that their watches last a lifetime so with some TLC this watch would still go for miles. the auction guided price was a very conservative €500 - €800. a brand new jaeger lecoultre watch starts at 10 times that price. i've always always wanted a vintage watch, and being a novice at this game i bid a somewhat paltry €850. the watch however was sold to the highest bidder for €1,658, which in my humble opinion is worth every penny paid. (that price was including fees and taxes, the highest bidder would have bid €1,300 for the watch)

no ifs and buts when it comes to auctions, but if i can turn back time i would pay €1,658 for it. i hope it goes to a good home.

i also bid on a vintage jaeger lecoultre travelling clock with a lizard leather case.
the leather appeared to be in a good condition, whilst the metal edges were slightly tarnished but still having lots of character. i should have asked for more photos, but i was impatient and wanted to bid on it. my friend bought a very similar vintage travelling clock last year in paris, but it was "jaeger lecoultre for hermes". it looked similar, and i was rather smitten by hers. i think the clock's mechanical, and if it works properly there should also be an alarm function.

the auction estimate was an unbelievable €50 - €150. it sold for €408, which if i work backwards (fees and taxes were 27.508% of hammer price) the bid should be €320, which was what i bid. however i received no emails nor phonecalls so i am unsure if i am the winning bidder or not. i hope it's not the case where another earlier online bid came in at the same price and takes precedence. i tried calling them all day, and didn't realise it was a holiday in france today. so... more waiting.

and then there's the "vintage hermes" auction which ended on wednesday where i placed four bids and am eagerly awaiting their results.

i am very excited!! i love vintage, i love auctions!!

a tale of two cities

i've been looking for a summer hat for a while now, but none seems to quite tick all my boxes. i tried the below marc jacobs "specials" panama hat last weekend, whilst the price at US$34 was frivolous, i didn't like it as the outer ring (or what do you call it?!) was too big, making me look cow-boyish.


then i saw the below marc jacobs "specials" panama hat, which is just perfect in terms of material, size, color, everything. but it retails for US$225, as it is handmade in nyc.


oh panama you are indeed frivolous.

my hunt continues.


source