I’m not going to try and glamorize the activities I chose to do on the weekend, because well, I didn’t really do much. There was however one epic night out. And for all of you that stalk me on Facebook, you have probably already seen the pictures. Here’s that night:

So – it all started with an invite from a contact of mine that I had made back in late September. Pre-drinks at his place and then off to a Club Sandwich ZOO party. Me being completely oblivious to what the hell a ‘ZOO’ party was, showed up in a black shirt and grey jeans. It took me 1.5 hours to put together my outfit on Saturday because everything I decided to put on suddenly looked hideous on me. Anyhow, a ZOO party is a huge amazing spectacular and ridiculous soirée where all the guests dress up like different animals. And they go all out! Full sequined outfits, feathers flying out from everywhere, masks covered in glitter and one guy had a ‘dead fox’ in his purse. Yes – I said ‘purse’.

Here’s Michael dressed up in his full-body leopard unitard. Nothing short of amazing. Oh the confidence one must have to pull this outfit off. And he had a lot of it! Damian had a wicked courtyard patio with lots of foliage and brightly colored leaves. This (and a bit of alcohol) ultimately led to a spontaneous photo-shoot and a lot of yelling ‘Tequila!’.

I hijacked Martin’s tiger mask for several reasons. One: I have a secret obsession for masks, and I particularly liked this one. Two: Well, there is no ‘two’. I just really wanted to put the mask on – and so I did. The boy peeing all over Paris seems to like it.

Lobster shirts were in full affect. Seriously – where does one find this kind of shirt? I love it. Not to mention Damian’s full sequined sea-foam green shirt that he found at the Marais Flea Market for his snake costume. These guys were so much fun and extremely dedicated to their craft.

We arrived at the club somewhere around….oh, lets say….2 in the morning. The first thing I do when I get there? Roll my ankle on the stairs. And on the LAST step. So, there I am, sprawled on the final stair of an elaborate staircase, worried about my camera being broken more than I’m worried that my ankle might be broken, and all I can say is ‘ca va’ as I limp off into the dark distance. Both my ankle and camera were fine in the end.

I left the club early – at about 3:30 a.m. Yes, that’s considered early. Why I decided to walk home after rolling my ankle on the stairs, I’ll have no idea. But I’m sure glad I did because once I reached Concorde, I saw this! The ferris wheel has returned – and with enclosed riding pods. Add this to my list of things I have to do.

Not only did I get to see the Ferris Wheel in all its fantastic glory, but after I rejected a group of drunk ’sailors’ who wanted me to take their picture, I took a sharp turn towards Place Vendome (another historic square that I get to pass every day). In the early hours of the morning, a few workers were busy setting up all the Christmas lights for the street. It was spectacular! In the silence of the night, you could hear the lights and pearls lightly clanging as they swayed in the wind. And the streets were empty. I’ve never wanted to be a homeless person more in my life – they have chandeliers! I have burnt out pot lights.

Here’s a close-up of what the chandeliers and ‘walls of lights’ are made out of. Oh, and me wearing my cat mask (which gave a whole new meaning to the term ‘cat-call’ – guys kept ‘meowing’ at me the entire night). Now I realize this entry was a bit disjointed, and you probably still have no idea what I did on Saturday night or why I’m wearing several different masks. Long story short: Animal theme party, fell down stairs, walked home and envied the homeless, then fell asleep around 5 in the morning.

Oh – and I’m convinced that gin is the cure for swollen lymph nodes. Because I swear to you, moments before I took a cautionary sip of gin, my lymph’s were sore and swollen. Minutes, nay, seconds after I  bravely consumed my drink, the soreness and swelling went down by about 7300%. It was probably just pure chance.

Plans for this rainy Monday: Pick up my new glasses and proclaim ‘I can see!’ to the world. Or maybe just read a book.

]]> http://goremasternews.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/gyllenhaal-in-negotiations-for-sci-fi-thriller/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:51:53 +0000 goremasterfx http://goremasternews.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/gyllenhaal-in-negotiations-for-sci-fi-thriller/

Jake Gyllenhaal

By Dave McNary – Variety.com

Jake Gyllenhaal is in negotiations to star in sci-fi thriller “Source Code” for Vendome Pictures and The Mark Gordon Co.

Duncan Jones will direct and Mark Gordon will produce with Vendome’s CEO Philippe Rousselet and Jordan Wynn. Production is slated to begin during the first quarter.

Summit Entertainment will distribute the film in the U.S. Summit International is also handling the international sales, which began at the American Film Market with over 15 territories licensed.

“Source Code” centers on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a harrowing train bombing until he can determine who is responsible for it.

Project had originally been set up at Universal in early 2007 when the studio bought Ben Ripley’s screenplay and attached Topher Grace to star. Uni tapped Shane Abbess to helm last year. Current script includes revises by Billy Ray (“State of Play”).

Rousselet noted that “Source Code” will launch the Vendome slate, adding he believes it will appeal to a world-wide audience and exemplifies the types of producers and filmmakers with whom Vendome plans to work. He and co-CEO Fabrice Gianfermi plan to produce a minimum of a dozen films over the next five years.

Licensed territories for “Source Code” include France (SND), Benelux (Belga), Germany (Kinowelt), Spain (Aurum), UK (Optimum), Canada (E1), Australia (Hopscotch), Scandinavia (Sandrew Metronome), South Korea (The Daisy), Latin America (Sun Distribution), Middle East. (Jaguar), Turkey (Fida), Thailand (Sahamongkol), Israel (United King) and Greece (Odeon).

Gyllenhaal is currently filming “Love and Other Drugs,” helmed by Ed Zwick, and will next be seen in Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” and Disney’s “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.”

Jones is currently writing the screenplay of the upcoming film “Mute,” which he will also direct. He has previously directed “Moon,” starring Sam Rockwell.

Gordon’s most recent projects include “2012,” “The Messenger,” starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson,” and “The Details,” with Tobey Maguire and Laura Linney.

Amazon Specials!

Fondé en 2003 par Isabelle Dubern (ex-journaliste chez Bloomberg) et Emilie Lacoste.

L’équipe de 10 Vendôme comprend des stylistes, personal shoppers, costumiers de renom issus de la mode et du cinéma…

La société a été fondé pour offrir un service et acompagnement de prestige, faisant défaut dans la capitale d’après la fondatrice.

Les clients sont de riches particuliers ou des sociétés (Exxon, banques, le Festival de Cannes…..)

www.10vendome.com

Redescobrint la Ciutat de les Llums. Una visita breu tot copsant els instants fugissers amb la càmera fotogràfica. Visions parcials d’un tot encisador. L’Opéra Garnier, eclèctica i monumental, s’atansa a la mirada amb profusió artística. El temple del consumisme és ben a prop: les Galeries LaFayette mostren la grandesa de les botigues del glamour, radiants espurnes de l’efímera il·lusió de la marca. Passejant sense descans, trobem la Madeleine, temple clàssic i església, allà on un bon dia vaig llegir un fragment de la missa, turista casual esdevingut mestre de precs. La place Vendôme, amb la columna del mateix nom, ofereix un toc senyorial, prop del jardí de les Tulleries, des d’on ens adrecem a la place de la Concorde, amb el famós obelisc, que malda per escriure en el cel caràcters jeroglífics.

Par Mathieu St-Onge

Qu’est-ce qui relie notre ancêtre de Cro-Magnon à Paris Hilton? Non, ce n’est pas la propension à s’afficher peu ou pas du tout vêtu. C’est plutôt… le goût du luxe!

Le luxe des cavernes

Trente mille ans avant notre ère, un homo sapiens particulièrement futé, qu’on appellera plus tard Cro-Magnon, invente le luxe. Pour la première fois de sa Préhistoire, l’homme fabrique un objet totalement inutile à sa survie. Nous sommes encore loin du sac Vuitton; il s’agit d’une petite statuette de pierre, aux formes vaguement féminines, sculptée grossièrement à la pointe d’un silex. Pendant ce temps, un proche cousin plutôt moche et poilu, l’Homme de Néandertal, crée le culte de la beauté. Le corps lui-même devient objet de luxe. Entre deux accouplements particulièrement féroces avec sa compagne de grotte, notre Néandertalien se pare d’éclats d’os et de bois de cervidés fraîchement dépecés.

Le coquet homo neanderthalensis finit par disparaître, laissant à son vaniteux contemporain sapiens le soin de développer seul le goût du luxe. Quelque 7500 ans avant J.-C., notre homme devient sédentaire, un nouveau mode de vie qui lui permet d’accumuler des biens matériels et d’inventer l’art de la céramique et de la métallurgie. C’est aussi à cette époque que notre ancêtre fait la découverte d’un précieux minerai qui le marquera à jamais: l’or. À sa seule vue, il devient fou, le métal brillant devenant rapidement pour lui synonyme de beauté et surtout… de pouvoir.

Le luxe antique

L’Antiquité est une époque très faste pour le luxe. L’homme y invente de nouveaux concepts (la propriété, l’esclavage, la guerre) qui lui permettent d’accumuler encore plus de richesses. À ce titre, les Égyptiens et leurs pharaons ne donnent pas leur place. Régnant sans partage sur les abords du Nil pendant plus de 3 000 ans, ils développent un goût prononcé pour l’ostentatoire. Les bijoux, qui indiquent le rang social, se déclinent en boucles d’oreilles, colliers, bagues, amulettes et plaques pectorales d’or et d’argent. Les femmes de familles aisées portent des robes à l’étoffe brodée de fils d’or et de perles, tandis que les hommes riches s’accoutrent des jupes aussi élégamment décorées (comme quoi Dubuc et son paréo n’ont rien inventé). À l’époque, les parfums sont importés, donc dispendieux et réservés à l’élite. Les effluves les plus prisées sont le lotus bleu, le lys blanc et le henné. Si les plus riches et puissants des Égyptiens vivent très bien, ils consacrent le plus clair de leur temps à préparer leur mort. Le luxe suprême des pharaons est d’ailleurs la construction de leurs sépultures titanesques: les pyramides.
Au panthéon du bling-bling, les Grecs ne sont pas en reste. Péricles, au Ve siècle avant J.-C., entreprend de faire construire les chefs-d’œuvre de l’Acropole et mandate le sculpteur Phideas pour réaliser les statues d’Athéna et de Zeus, tout en or et d’ivoire. Pendant ce temps, les citoyens les plus aisés se font construire de vastes demeures de marbre blanc. À l’intérieur, les murs sont décorés de fresques représentant les héros de l’Iliade ou les dieux de l’Olympe. Outre les vases grecs qui sont particulièrement prisés, les poteries de faïence et les plats de bronze, d’argent ou d’or trônent dans la cuisine en attendant le prochain festin grec.

Le luxe moyenâgeux

Après le pillage des trésors de l’Antiquité par les peuples barbares, l’Europe n’est que ruines. L’Église en profite et convertit peu à peu les royaumes affaiblis du Nord. C’est grâce à elle si le luxe perdure : Dieu exprime sa puissance grâce aux richesses du clergé et aux édifications des gigantesques cathédrales. Les Croisés, quant à eux, reviennent au pays chargés des merveilles de l’Orient: joyaux, soieries et épices. De nouveaux objets, très hauts de gamme pour l’époque, font leur apparition dans les châteaux: horloges, miroirs et chandelles de suif. Et malgré la culture guerrière du Moyen-Âge, l’habit des courtisans gagne en finesse. Le manteau d’hermine doublé de vair fait fureur.

Le luxe renaissant

La Renaissance est aussi renaissance du luxe. La quête du superflu nécessaire, d’après la formule que trouvera plus tard Voltaire, prend un véritable essor avec la découverte de nouveaux continents, sources de métaux rares, de pierres et de bois précieux, d’essences et d’épices exotiques, le tout transformés en autant de parures, parfums, vêtements et mobiliers fastueux. L’Italie tire particulièrement bien son épingle dorée du jeu. Au XVe siècle, la ville de Florence, gouvernée par la riche famille de Médicis, rassemble à sa cour les plus grands artistes et intellectuels de l’époque. Le mécénat se développe: luxe et art se confondent. Le Mécène entretient l’artiste par ses innombrables commandes, le plus grand privilège du noble étant de faire immortaliser son image par le portrait. . L’ornementation a elle aussi la cote. Les meubles sont sculptés et peints par de grands maîtres (dont Botticelli ne fut pas le moindre),

Le luxe hexagonal

Le luxe italien débarque en France au XVIe siècle avec le mariage d’Henri II et Catherine de Médicis. Telle une contrebandière de luxe, celle-ci introduit dans l’Hexagone art ornemental, soie brodée, tabac et parfum, ce dernier servant à masquer les odeurs corporelles particulièrement tenaces à l’époque. Mais le luxe des rois de France s’exprime d’abord à travers leurs châteaux, le plus magnifique d’entre tous étant celui construit à Versailles par Louis XIV, dit le Roi-Soleil. L’architecture même devient expression du luxe. Le palais de Versailles compte (seulement) 700 pièces, dont la somptueuse Galerie des Glaces et ses 357 miroirs. Or, tout ce luxe ne serait rien sans les nombreuses fêtes organisées par le roi pour divertir sa cour; toute la noblesse française accourt à Versailles pour assister aux pièces de théâtre et aux opéras qui y sont présentées. Le luxe est encore affaire de monarchie, ce qui n’empêchera pas plusieurs têtes couronnées de bientôt rouler dans de modestes paniers en osier.

Le luxe moderne

Malgré la montée en puissance de l’Angleterre, colonialisme et évolution industrielle obligent, Paris devient – et demeure – la capitale du luxe tout au long de la modernité. Les expositions universelles de 1879, 1889 (pour laquelle est érigée une certaine Tour d’un certain Monsieur Eiffel) et 1900, attirent la noblesse et la haute bourgeoisie du monde entier dans la Ville Lumière, permettant aux artisans du luxe français de rayonner comme jamais. Depuis longtemps, ceux-ci ont compris que les grands de ce monde préfèrent l’objet «fait main» aux reproductions en série inventée par la révolution industrielle. C’est ainsi que naîtra, dans les années 1850, le concept de haute couture avec le premier couturier, Charles Frédéric Worth. Celui-ci innove en ouvrant un premier salon de couture et en faisant porter ses créations à des mannequins vivants. Une tendance qui sera suivie de près par Poiret, autre grand nom de la mode, qui y laissera lui aussi sa griffe.

C’est également à cette époque que sont fondés la plupart des grandes maisons de luxe, dont plusieurs portent des noms qui résonnent toujours aujourd’hui. C’est le cas du parfumeur Guerlain (1828), du sellier Hermès (1837), du malletier Louis Vuitton (1854) ou encore des joailliers Cartier (1847) et Boucheron (1858). Un phénomène jusqu’alors inédit marque également la culture du luxe: le tourisme. Grâce au développement des réseaux de transports, nobles et bourgeois envahissent les ports de plaisance de la Méditerranée. Le tourisme permet l’apparition et le rayonnement de deux grands noms de l’univers du luxe: Louis Vuitton et César Ritz. Le premier a l’idée de génie de développer la maroquinerie haut de gamme (Ze fameux sac Vuitton), le second fonde le Ritz Hôtel Syndicate et ouvre son premier complexe hôtelier, place Vendôme, Paris, en 1898. Plus tard, un certain luxe «prêt-à-porter» s’incarnera dans la silhouette bien habillée, coiffée et maquillée de Coco Chanel, pour qui «le luxe n’est pas le contraire de la pauvreté mais celui de la vulgarité».

Le luxe aujourd’hui

Au milieu des années 1990, les maisons de luxe familiales et artisanales deviennent des marques regroupées aux seins de quelques grands groupes financiers, lesquels se partagent aujourd’hui plus de 70 % du marché du luxe. Ce dernier se trouve dominé par les groupes français (LVMH, Christian Dior, Hermès, Chanel), puis italiens (Prada, Armani, Bulgari, Valentino Fashion Group) ainsi que, dans une moindre mesure, américains (Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany). Tout en haut du peloton, avec un chiffre d’affaires de plus de 15 milliards d’euros, le groupe Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy est sans doute le meilleur exemple du nouveau visage du luxe: multimarques et multiproduits. Des vins et spiritueux (Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, Dom Perignon) aux cosmétiques et parfums (Guerlain, Kenzo, Dior), en passant par la mode (Givenchy, Donna Karan, Fendi, Louis Vuitton) et les montres et la joaillerie (Tag Heuer, Zenith, Chaumet), LVMH est un empire mondial aux nombreuses ramifications. Pourtant, cette mainmise des géants du luxe n’a pas empêché que se développe à côté toute une industrie parallèle et parasite: celle de la contrefaçon. On estime que le marché du faux représente aujourd’hui 5 à 7 % du commerce mondial et que près du quart des produits de luxe vendus sur Internet seraient des imitations.

De la procession de chaussures Manolo Blahnik dans Sex and the City aux montres Rolex de Sarkozy, du «Parce que vous le valez bien» de l’Oréal aux frasques de Paris Hilton à Dubaï, le luxe est aujourd’hui apprêté et servi à toutes les sauces, vraies ou fausses. Le luxe semble ne plus être ce phénomène marginal seulement réservé à une élite fortunée: il prétend descendre de son piédestal et se démocratiser. Par l’intermédiaire de ses marques, à grands coups de publicités et de copinages avec les stars d’Hollywood, le luxe continue chaque jour d’élargir son bassin de consommateurs et de rallier plus de riches et de pauvres à sa «cause». Or, si pour beaucoup de gens, il suffit de goûter au luxe par procuration, en zieutant les magazines people et autres Paris Match, d’autres n’hésitent pas à s’endetter pour se payer du luxe. Au risque d’y perdre leur nouvelle chemise Armani…

Stealth wealth

En réaction au phénomène de démocratisation du luxe et à la culture bling-bling, une nouvelle tendance s’est développée depuis quelques années chez les ultra-riches de ce monde: le stealth wealth, ou la «richesse discrète». Une riche idée qui permet aux PDG, vedettes de cinéma et chefs d’État de dissimuler les signes ostentatoires de leur opulence aux yeux du grand public et de ne se reluquer qu’entre (riches) initiés privés. Bref, le nec plus ultra en matière de luxe serait désormais de faire comme s’il n’existait pas. Mais attention, nous sommes loin de la simplicité volontaire: les adeptes du stealth wealth préféreront par exemple à une voyante Rolex une montre Vacheron Constantin, plus discrète, disponible au coût modique d’un demi-million de dollars…

Texte: Mathieu St-Onge & Gabrielle Briggs

© lescontemplations

Délocalisation forcée en septembre 2008. Ma boîte ferme la porte de ses locaux Place de Clichy, à Paris, et s’installe rue Mozart, à Clichy. Je (intra-muros féroce et fainéante) vit alors un moment de fragilité psychologique extrême. J’étais piétonne. Je redécouvre les joies du métro et des bus par heure de pointe. J’étais à un battement d’aile de tous mes merveilleux rendez-vous parisiens. Une escapade professionnelle direction City Center devient un parcours de combattant: optimisation, concentration et rationalisation émérite de mes heures, précieuses, qui défilent. J’étais une journaliste parisienne glamour travaillant à Paris, là où tout palpite. Je suis devenue une de ces silhouettes inconnues en costume trois pièces (enfin presque) qui remplissent des grands cubes de verre au petit matin, et les abandonnent à la nuit. Rue Mozart à Clichy, c’est un peu comme les z.i. des villes de province: des bureaux, rien que des bureaux, et le soir, une impression de vide comme dans ces villages fantômes au Far-West.

Découverte de mon nouvel espace de jeu donc. Et finalement, très vite, mon cœur de midinette s’anime: rue Mozart, là, à Clichy, dans mon immeuble (enfin presque) se sont installées les éditions Larivière. Pour la plupart d’entre vous, rien de bien excitant me direz-vous. Sauf que derrière Larivière, se cache l’éditeur du magazine culte de mon adolescence. ROCK & FOLK. A CLICHY. Manoeuvre et Eudeline respirent mon oxygène quotidien. Ils voient le même ciel, foulent le même bitume. Diable. Je m’attends dès lors à de grandes choses. Venez artistes, saltimbanques, gratteux, rockers, métalleux. Venez et cassez vos guitares de rage et de désespoir sur notre pallier. Venez,  jouissez et hurlez la vie sous nos fenêtres de  bureaucrates alignés.  Venez, venez à la belle Clichy. Elle vous ouvre les bras (et bien plus encore). Je vous assure. Elle me l’a dit.

Quelques mois passent. Las, d’artistes point, vu que chez R&F, on préfère les rendez-vous dans Paris, forcément. L’ennui guette à nouveau. De ma fenêtre, les cheminées des grosses usines fument. Des grues s’agitent sur le terrain vague d’en face: Danone construit. La petite Mosquée décrépie du coin s’est fait un ravalement de façade. La boucherie kasher s’en frotte les mains. Le midi, choix difficile: sushis ou bavette à l’échalote? Bref, mon quotidien de jeune travailleuse manque de substance, là, à Clichy.

© lescontemplations

Jeudi 22 octobre 2009. Matin. Début de journée paisible. Rendez-vous très chics, Paris intra muros. Noms prestigieux. Ah, le bonheur que de fouler des moquettes précieuses. D’entendre résonner vos talons dans les couloirs de marbre italien. De serrer des mains parfumées, poudrées, baguousées comme pour un enterrement en grandes pompes. Échange de cartes et de blablas pleins de falbalas. Vous saurez tout, je travaille dans le bijou. Tout ce qui brille n’est pas de l’or, mais dans le bijou, tout ce qui brille fait de l’or. On me propose d’ailleurs du cristal. A 15 000 dollars euros (plus cher, plus chic, plus tendance de parler en “eu“). Midi. Retour à Clichy, rue Mozart. Trois pas à peine, et c’est comme pénétrer un terrain inconnu, une rue qui aurait été la votre, mais dans une autre dimension, un autre temps. Des tracts crissent sous mes pas. Des guirlandes de plastique rouge répètent, à l’infini, “non conforme”, et décorent les trottoirs et les poteaux gris. Quoi? QUOI? J’aurais raté l’évènement musical absolu, ma fameuse bagarre fantasmée entre fans d’AC/DC et pro-yukulélé? J’avance encore, et j’ai confirmation. J’arrive après la guerre. Argh. Façades dévastées, insultes et œufs écrasés sur fenêtres brisées. Tout y est. Sauf que c’est le groupe Nexans (y font des câbles) qui a tout pris. Et mes rockers révoltés sont en fait des ouvriers de Chauny (Aisne) licenciés. Selon le président du conseil général de l’Aisne, Yves Daudigny (PS), y aurait eu comme un défaut à l’allumage : “Il y a eu un manque de communication sur ce dossier, mais je suis indigné, nous sommes indignés par cette fermeture et ces licenciements injustifiés alors que Nexans est une société qui gagne de l’argent”. Semblerait que ce soit un licenciement où la crise, une fois encore, aurait bon dos.

Pas vraiment qualifiée pour en juger, pas vraiment envie de me plonger dans l’histoire du câble à Chauny non plus, mais des grandes maisons de la Place Vendôme à la petite rue Mozart de Clichy, je reste perplexe.Ils l’ont promis: 2010, sortie de crise. C’est chouette. On y croit. (Enfin presque).

Avant, les évènements trimestriels de la société de conseil qui nous invite ce matin (très tôt) à partager une tartine beurrée,  se déroulaient au Fouquet’s. Un endroit infâme où le jus d’orange n’était pas pressé.

Heureusement pour nos papilles, désormais les rendez-vous se passent au Ritz, place Vendôme.

8 h 15 pétantes, j’arrive donc tambour battant, pleine d’espoir sur la future qualité des croissants. Enfin non … plutôt 8 h 30,  car je sais très bien que cet horaire officiel est un piège à loup pour que les journalistes soient à l’heure. Or, en tant que  grande professionnelle, je respecte le retard légal du journaliste et me pointe donc à 8 h 30. La conférence n’a pas encore débuté lorsque je fais mon entrée avec dans l’idée de pavaner sur ma connaissance des horaires de début de conférences auprès de mes collègues qui poireautent depuis un quart d’heure. ..Malheureusement un évènement va entacher ma célébrité naissante.

A 8 h 30 donc, d’un air inspiré, je salue les vigiles, portiers et multiples hôtesses d’accueil du Ritz (oui il faut que je vous dise,  qu’avec un air décidé et un pantalon noir (propre) on peut entrer sans aucun problème dans n’importe quel hôtel 5 étoiles et se balader dans les couloirs.. .avis aux aventuriers) et m’oriente vers la salle de réception.

Mon pas est sûr et rapide (j’ai un peu peur d’être en retard quand même),  assorti d’une santiag noire qui m’a déjà failli un soir de verglas devant chez GAP. Mon pied, coincé dans ma chaussure fourbe, s’envole au-dessus du marbre fraîchement poli. Un instinct de survie me sauve des griffes de l’ostéopathe et je m’agrippe à un comptoir qui passe par là.  La tête d’énarque qui se tient derrière me fait remarquer que je lui ai fait très peur. Légèrement en sueur, mais tout de même habituée aux chutes, je lui répond comme souvent[1] le premier truc qui me passe par la tête, mais qui n’est jamais le bon : « vous avez failli ne jamais m’oublier »…. (No comment).

Je rentre donc un peu honteuse et surtout un peu rouge dans la salle du Ritz agrémentée de multiples costards cravates. Et là dilemme, il faut choisir sa place au pif, en essayant d’être le plus physionomiste possible et ne jamais s’asseoir à côté :

-d’un type qui hait les journalistes car vous allez en prendre pour tous vos collègues qui « ne sont pas sérieux, ne m’ont pas mis en valeur et ne sont que des pique-assiettes » (alors que vous êtes sérieuse, que vous adorez les vieux blancs frustrés à 8 h du matin et que, ô grand jamais , vous ne venez que pour remplir votre blog !)

- d’un type qui adore les journalistes et pense qu’on devrait se revoir pour approfondir le sujet traité aujourd’hui (pendant le petit déjeuner bien sûr pas sur mon blog).

- d’un journaliste (car c’est que des pique-assiettes et qu’il ne faudrait pas non plus qu’on soit en bande organisée)

Je m’assoie donc comme d’habitude entre les trois. Un café ? A oui bien sûr et un jus FRAIS ! Peut enfin démarrer le festival de croissants, pains aux chocolats et pains au lait. Trois intervenants se succèdent pour raconter la même chose mais chacun mieux que celui d’avant, ils veulent eux aussi qu’on les rappelle pour de plus amples informations… J’aimerais écouter,  mais je constate qu’aucune salade de fruit frais n’est servie…je suis dépitée. Le Ritz a aussi ses défauts ( et il faut l’accepter) malgré sa moquette d’une épaisseur étonnante (il faut aller voir, c’est impressionnant on s’enfonce comme dans du sable mouvant).

Conclusion : le petit déjeuner est donc raffiné mais incomplet (je vous parlerai un jour du Hyatt non loin de là, une perfection en matière de salade de fruit exotique et gratuite). Mais , hou  la la,  il est 10 H 30, je dois y aller,  j’ai rendez-vous ( je vous jure).

Prochain Rdv : Inflation et rococo

[1] Hier lors d’un rendez-vous avec un gérant de portefeuille, son attachée de presse me donne sa carte et me fait remarquer qu’y est insctit son nom de jeune de fille alors qu’elle s’est mariée cet été. Ma réponse : ” Ne vous en faîtes pas , ça ne va pas durer” , je meurs encore de honte.

Vendôme (thanks to Food Snob)

A new menu concept? Interesting. Exactly when I dined at Aqua I received a mail about a new menu concept at Vendôme – 8 courses (plus desserts) at €150, 12 courses (plus desserts) at €190, and finally 16 courses (+ 8 desserts) in the grand “explorative voyage” at €245 – full stop.

Well beyond the price point of any other German three star restaurant (Amador is second with €209 for his 20+ course menu including micro menu and dessert tapas). In the midst of a quite substantial crisis which has hit the high-end gastronomy worldwide. Brave?

On the other hand, the old menu consisted of 7 courses together with some amuse, pre-dessert and petit four priced at €185. So, more value for money in the end?

Or does it only mean that all “extras” ar listed including amuse etc.?

Besides the numbers, what’s the philosophy behind? Surely, this can’t be about simply serving more courses. When introducing the menu concept on the website Joachim Wissler talks about “development” and that his menu is more than just serving small successive courses combing nature’s best products. He stresses that “the “how” and “what” are the aspects that truly characterize this new step. In it more attention is also placed on some of the treasures of our own neglected cuisine, which is generally referred to as “New German Cuisine”.“

Enough questions, time for answers. Booked a table for four, but unfortunately Steve P and Mrs P could not accompany us. So, only the two of us went end of May.

Our menu:

Our Grand Voyage

Somehow, the layout immediately struck me as something quite familiar having dined at Alinea… And I could not figure out the meaning of the bubbles here, but never mind.

One of the questions got answered immediately: there were nibbles (thank you, Andy Hayler, for this term – I really like it) not listed on the printed menu card.

On the left: smoked cottage cheese with raspberry and basilic – the freshness of the fruit worked amazingly well with the smoky cheese with its distinct mouth feel. Excellent.

On the right: lolly of goat cheese, mackerel on top of a baked polenta and eel with peach – here the eel stood out strongly as again the fruit – smoky combination provided the little extra kick. Excellent again.

The first element of the ‘real’ menu: Knäckebrot / crab / mussels / Frankfurt green sauce. Personally, I would count it rather as an amuse (or nibble). Served a little bit too warm the flavours could not really unfold. This was further exacerbated by the bread being not crisp enough resulting in a un-differentiated flavour profile. Moreover, some acidity would have done well to provide a broader spectrum of flavours.

Knäckebrot

Next up was ‘Blätterwald’ / brittle of vegetables / goose yoghurt dip. Another amuse, for me at least. Visually stunning, this was hard to eat as it turned out to be a bit ’sticky’ especially for my fingers and teeth. Taste-wise, the cauliflower and the celery were clear stand-outs, algae and beetroot were still good. The dip provided a nice richness and so complemented the crispy ‘chips’. Very good.

-

Blätterwald

For me, the first starter clearly showed the immense talent and perfection of Joachim Wissler: coral / parmesan / foie gras / basil pistou. The coral is made of parmesan topped with tomato salt and parmesan espuma, with a kind of foie gras ‘pudding’ (like an unburned crème brûlée), basil pistou (a pesto without pine nuts), accompanied by some balsamic vinegar and a truffled tapanade. Clearly the texture of the coral made this dish special – crisp at first when bitten and then soft and melting in the mouth. The parmesan was not too dominating and I found the herbal – rich – cheesy combination quite nice.  Compared to the foie gras dish at my last visit (the foie gras ice with tuna belly and eucalyptus) this was a significant improvement – a masterpiece in dimensioning and textural interplay.

Coral

Next up was oyster / green apple and sauerkraut / Aquitaine caviar – a dish I have already commented on. But, hey, wait a moment – this time the caviar was completely missing and the apple was not as sparkling fresh as before. Yet, this dish is a benchmark in flavour and texture combinations. Excellent.

Oyster

The following langoustine / grilled sushi / tonic and ginger was fantastic. The langoustine was covered by its corail and laid over a purée of basmati rice. Its clearly pronounced roast flavours formed a wonderful contrast to the slightly bitter, sweet and alcoholic ‘gin tonic’ sugo and the crunchy eatable paper of dashi, shiso and horseradish. A couple of weeks before this had been served with green almonds which were not in season any more. I could imagine this more herbal element could have elevated the dish even higher. Excellent to outstanding.

Langoustine

The warm octopus / sepia / octopus marshmallow was another ‘old friend’ – this time the caramelized peanut jus was even more pronounced and worked particularly well with the octopus, sepia, sliced spring onion and cucumber salad. A part Wissler served a sepia marshmallow topped with sliced cuttlefish, cress and seaweed – primarily a mouthfeel effect which provides a nice contrast to the firmer salad elements. It somehow softens the whole dish. A showcase – simply outstanding.

Then, the star of the night: meadow / of mushrooms / glazed bone marrow. This is an ingenious play of textures with a tartar of mushrooms, mushroom crème and mushroom bread crumble with herbs accompanied with glazed bone marrow. The latter added significant depth to the dish and some meaty element. In spirit this is close to the Spanish avantgarde and its virtual landscapes – one can really imagine walking through a meadow with mushrooms in the morning. Divine.

Meadow of Mushrooms

For me, at this time of the meal it did not seem much different to a normal, yet extended tasting menu as the courses did not very much in size or had a surprising flavour dramaturgy. Hmm…

After these ‘entrees’ a couple of ‘intermediate’ courses followed. First, sweet water / lake trout / horseradish / char caviar. The trout from Bavaria was of outstanding quality, firm, not fatty at all and topped with its fried skin and the char caviar which added both texture and smokiness. The sugo of bay leaf, cucumber and chives made this quite special as the herbal notes literally carried the trout on a sedan and complemented the aroma spectrum with herbal, sour and fresh notes. Ultimately, the spheres of apple and horseradish took up the fruit theme and added some spiciness and, most importantly, a yet different texture and mouthfeel. Excellent to outstanding.

A prime example that ‘regional’ products can indeed play an important role in high-end cuisine. Of course, one needs an outstanding product which is the most difficult part as a perfect turbot is easier to source from the usual suspects. But to find a reliable small producer in Bavaria who can consistently deliver high quality is hard. Here, the German chefs begin to exchange addresses and work together if one has been lucky to find a suitable product.

Sweet Water - Sea Trout

Then, sea water / skate wing / curcuma – coriander sugo / rice gnocchi. Grilled skate wing topped with caramelized peas served with rice gnocchi, apple/celery ‘tartar’ and a wonderful sugo of curcuma and coriander. Admittedly, I like curcuma very much and that made the dish special for me. But, on the other hand, there was rice purée in the langoustine dish and apple turned up in several dishes before. However, I did not have the impression of this dish being repetitive as it showed a distinct range of flavours. Only the skate wing was a tad overdone – an excellent dish overall.

Sea Water - Skate Wing

The next course was the first small bite: spheres of vineyard snails. A clear step-up in intensity which I found a bit distracting when looking at the previous and the next course – I would have served it before the mains. The sphere contained braised snails and snail sugo, accompanied by parsley purée in a morel jus and topped with a vinegar caramel some snail dust. For me, the caramell was a bit too dominating. In itself, the parsley somehow ameliorated the intensity and brought a bit freshness. Serving two spoons per head is not necessary, the idea is apparent after one – the second made me feel somehow full.

Snails

Given the intense flavours of the snails one would not expect tuna / fish & chips / pommes frites nicoise: tuna belly garnished with its bone, topped with capers, tomato powder on the left – black olive and sugar to the left served with french fries in a bowl of a cream of tomato, white beans and vadouvan.

For me, this was a quite controversial dish. I liked the presentation, I love tuna and french fries and I am open to eating with the hands. Even the flavour combination worked well. But, the dish turned out to be too fatty to me, even unpleasant to eat – for me, that is. Some minutes afterward I felt really full and nearly collapsed due to a combination of sensory overkill and the sheer amount of food so far. All those portions had not been amuse size…

Tuna

Given my level of saturation the next dishes were hard to enjoy for me despite them being really good. I fought hard not to end the meal… In the end, it paid off…

The next course was a bit too soft given the intense and broad flavours of the previous dishes: cod – head to tail. My notes read tongue, cheek and the forehead – compared to Food Snob’s version of this, Wissler had included the forehead wrapped around chives which gave a nice fleshy – herbal counterpoint to the slightly sweet pea sauce. In the middle the cheek was served almost rare accompanied by two pieces of grilled tongue – a nice textural contrast. Covered by chives, radish and peas this was an excellent dish but more subtle and less remarkable than the previous fish courses. And, again, I would have served it between the sweet and sea water.

Interestingly, this is a good example that also ‘leftovers’ in the kitchen can make up an excellent dish. So, in this sense, this dish contributed to a more modern all-encompassing take on high-end dining and an abandonment of the terrain of the usual luxury product ingredients.

Cod

After that, a first (pre-)main course was served: Schweinerei zum Essen (hard to translate – a kind of word play – eatable swinishness, maybe).  A braised pork tail, crispy resembling the essence of real pork taste, a strong pork jus, pickles of melon, melon salat and algae. Excellent if one likes this strong flavour. And, again, a bit on the fatty side.

Schweinerei

The second main: Juvelin suckling pig / lovage / boudin noir / Ligurian mountain lentils – essentially the same dish as in October last year but with a big chunk of boudin noir (this time called Flönz on the German menu card which is a regional expression for boudin noir in the Cologne area) and some chanterelles, but without the pork chop. In essence, still excellent, but the boudin noir was too much and a bit dominating this time.

As I said on my last report, this is a nice signature dish for Wissler as it both shows the rustic side of his cooking, his love for pig dishes and German products.

Juvelin Suckling Pig

The third main: Sauerbraten / of ox / sandwich of bread baked in a wood-fired oven. Sauerbraten is perhaps one of the most common German dishes: the Rhineland version of it was traditionally prepared using horse meat but today beef is used. The trick is to marinade the beef up to one week in red wine vinegar, red wine, mirepoix and bay leaf among other spices. It is then braised for a couple of hours and has a characteristic sour taste and should be tender enough to melt in your mouth. To be sure, there are also other variants of it…

So, what does Wissler do? He takes ox meat and marinates it traditionally but then cooks it sous-vide such that both the juiciness was preserved and tenderness ensured. In a way, the mouthfeel was similar to a traditional braised Sauerbraten yet it was light-years juicier. Successful modernization. On top, there were caramelized sunflower seeds which added texture but were a bit too overpowering the delicate meat. The Stielmus purèe (a regional vegetable) added herbal and fresh notes. I was not particularly fond of the sandwich of Sauerbraten jelly which again was more on the rich and fatty side. In my view, this nevertheless excellent dish could gain tremendously from some lightness and flavour contrast – maybe some fruity notes?

Sauerbraten

At an earlier point we had already cancelled the cheese course. Then, the dessert ballet started  – eight ’small’ dishes arrived quickly, some of them together. Somehow, this was unneccessary and disturbing as the diner at this very point of the grand voyage is at his limit. Thus, the capacity to really appreciate this sheer amount of different, very elaborate and excellent desserts is rather limited. Definitely, less would be more.

Haut kross von der Milch – a mascarpone cream served with crispy milk skin and caramel sirup. Intense, broad flavour, interesting textures. Then rose water sorbet and strawberry coulis – a really refreshing, light and really delicate counterpart after a couple of dishes more on the heavy side.

Another fresh and fruity dessert was next – snowball filled with strawberries, essentially an interplay of yoghurt and intense and fresh strawberries which continued on the side with strawberry salad with hibiscus ice cream. As a last strawberry element we were served goose milk-rice and Gariguette strawberry salad. All in all a very new declination of different strawberry flavours paired with crunchy, airy and soft element. Excellent to outstanding.

The macron of Fourme D’Ambert with raspberry sorbet was the least pleasant part of the whole menu – the strong cheese was overpowering everything and the macron was much too big. Finally we got a ‘Mohr im Hemd‘ – a choco soufflé with egg liquor. Very nice, intense, but a very heavy ending… Some petit fours including the Vendôme Magnum (a favorite ice cream) ended the meal.

We also did some drinking but in order to be able to concentrate on the culinary journey we chose to select a bottle of Christmann Idig, a nice present Riesling from 2004, and half a bottle Marinetti Barolo from 2001. Both were very nice companions during our meal.

Overall

In a meal of 20+ courses one rarely encounters this consistent high-end quality. Every dish was in itself well-thought through, technically masterly prepared and elaborate up to the utmost detail. Flavours were clear, distinct and unique and textures are there to enhance flavours not to be textures for their own sake. Especially the mushroom meadow really did impress me.

Coming back to the numbers from the beginning, €245 is a lot but given the amount and quantity of food it does resemble a good price-quality relationship – especially when compared to the most prestigious French houses. And indeed, the overall experience was much better than recently at Troisgros, Arnsbourg or even Bras (reports coming up)…

The only downside – the menu composition: on the one hand, after the initial fish courses the tuna and the pork turned out too fatty and kind of overdid it for me. With this sheer amount of food the whole tone of the menu needs to be lighter for me. On the other hand, rustic notes like in the pig dishes, the snails and the Sauerbraten are quite programmatic for Wissler. Thus, to bring a 20+ course menu and Wissler’s style together is a task which I found not yet truly accomplished. One possibility could be to go only for the medium version of the voyage or lighten up the overall menu without compromising Wissler’s style…

In this context, let’s come back to the beginning – the new menu concept. The ‘what’ and ‘how’ of the individual dishes is clearly beyond criticism but the dramaturgy was not that new – compared to what Grant Achatz is doing in breaking up the old menu dramaturgy. As Grant says in his book, with the traditional menu dramaturgy diners tend to get bored and overburdened. Not that I got bored at Vendôme but it clearly brought me to my limit to fully appreciate what I was eating. I would wish that Joachim Wissler will also innovate on his menu composition and maybe change something to make the grand voyage even more enjoyable. And, maybe less or smaller desserts would also benefit the experience.

If Wissler ‘fixes’ that and continues to create dishes at that level, maybe sometimes a little more playful, it will take the next stage. It is surely in sight. But then his New German Cuisine will be world-class, at least for me.

Pour la 8e année consécutive, la 5ème avenue à New york conserve son titre de l’avenue marchande la plus chère au monde!
Devant Causeway à Hong Kong et les Champs-Elysées, à Paris; selon le cabinet immobilier Cushman et Wakefield.
http://www.cushmanwakefield.fr
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushman_&_Wakefield

Pour les magasins situé sur la 5e Avenue, le loyer atteint 13.027 euros, soit 8,1% de moins qu’un an plus tôt.
Celui des Champs-Elysées (atteint lui 7.732 euros, troisième emplacement le plus coûteux, reste stable. Par contre les loyers ont chuté à 11.687 euros soit 15,1% en un an à Causeway Bay (Hong Kong)

La 4ème est occupée par Via Montenapoleone à Milan où les loyers se négocient environ pour 6.800 euros.
5ème: Ginza à Tokyo (5.950 euros)
6ème: New Bond à Londres (5.885 euros)
7ème: Bahnstrasse à Zurich (5.246 euros).

Meet RoseMarie Reyes, Brooklyn born, Dominican American is a actress and model. We had a good time out in LDN heres some of the photos,  more coming soon!

RMR Sporting the Neon Swagger Champs by Suga Dzl

Jules Mojito  Zambon x RoseMarie Reyes

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19 juin 2009 – 20 septembre 2009

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http://www.promenadesphotographiques.com

14 photographes, 15 expos et 3 collectives, ce n’est pas si mal mais la plupart sont axées “voyages”. Je n’irai donc pas. Très beau programme en PDF, très pro.

Southern California drinkers know Vendome as a great place to find what you are looking for. If you’re not looking for anything in particular, you can browse until you find something that strikes your fancy. Their many locations make for a convenient stop, but I do not believe that all Vendome locations schedule wine tastings.

Vendome of Studio City, 11555 Ventura Boulevard, does have regular tastings, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The tasting I’ll write about here was on Saturday, July 25th, 2009. For $15 I tasted 6 wines of the Loire Valley.

Let me apologize for the lack of an image to accompany the piece. I ran a bit short on time (always a negative in the tasting experience) and forgot to get a picture before leaving. I’ll try to grab a shot the next time I’m in there. It’s doubly unfortunate that I have no image, because their tasting bar is actually a small shack-like structure in the west end of the store. Unique and interesting, the bar seats a half-dozen or so with a couple of tables nearby.

Yves Breussin Vouvray 2006 – Only one grape is used for making wine in the Vouvray appellation. That’s the Pineau de la Loire, which we call Chenin Blanc. This wine is a pale yellow in the glass, with a strong and somewhat funky scent. Minerals and a nutty quality are present on the nose and palate. Good acidity, and it finishes well.

Domaine de Chatenoy Menetou-Salon 2007 – The vineyards of Menetou-Salon are sloping, mineral-laden fields which border those of Sancerre. This wine is a Sauvignon Blanc with another funky nose. Nice aromas of citrus and wet rocks dominate. The taste is quite smooth, a little lacking in acidity but a pleasure to drink nonetheless.

Jean Tatin Quincy 2006 – Funky noses were the order of the day. This wine had the strongest yet, the kind referred to as “cat pee.” It’s a Sauvignon Blanc with a ton of minerals on the nose and palate. Well balanced with a good finish.

Joseph Mellot Sancerre 2007 – This Sauvignon Blanc had the strongest nose of the day. It also had the most character. The minerals were right up front, the balance was great and the finish terrific.

Domaine Taille aux Loups Montlouis 2007 – A dry Chenin Blanc, this wine was full of minerals and an unusual quality I couldn’t put my finger on. Maybe I was beginning to feel the pressure of my time limitations. Anyway, it was my favorite wine of the day.

Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre 2007 – A red wine from an appellation known for its whites, this Pinot Noir is very full of flavor. Medium-red in color, it features very strong strawberry notes with some clove and cinnamon.

Boucheron khai trương một gian hàng ở Thượng Hải, họ mời 30 người giàu nhất thành phố đến dự một bữa ăn kiểu Pháp với 10 lượt phục vụ và kéo dài bốn tiếng đồng hồ. Thương hiệu này vẫn chưa có kế hoạch mở rộng thị trường tới Việt Nam, tuy nhiên giới nhà giàu vẫn có cơ hội sở hữu chúng khi có dịp đi ra nước ngoài.

Ra đời trong thời cực thịnh của Đệ nhị đế chế (1852-1870), Boucheron ngay từ đầu đã chọn cho mình một vị trí đắc địa trên quảng trường Vendôme xa xỉ. Sự khôn ngoan này đem đến cho Boucheron những cơ hội vàng để tiếp cận giới hàng gia. Nhưng nó cũng đòi hỏi thương hiệu deluxe này những nỗ lực không ngừng để có thể giữ chân khách hàng thời thượng và duy trì danh tiếng lẫy lừng của những kiệt tác trang sức thuộc hàng thế-giới-chỉ-có-một của mình.

Boucheron, ở số 26 Vendôme, để chứng kiến những giai thoại đẹp tựa truyện cổ tích, được viết lên cho chính mình. Giai thoại kể rằng năm 1928, hoàng tử Ấn Độ Bhupinder Sighm vì say mê kỹ nghệ chế tác và sự táo bạo khác người của nhà Boucheron, đã vượt biển mang theo kho báu quý hiếm của mình. Trong sau chiếc rương sắt cũ kĩ mà vị hoàng thân này lặn lội mang tới nhà Boucheron là 7571 viên kim cương với tổng trọng lượng 566.61 carat, 1432 viên lục bảo ngọc hiếm bậc nhất thiên hạ, trọng lượng 7800 carat. Tất nhiên ngoài ra còn có vô vàn những viên đá quý và sapphire khác. Boucheron đã không phụ lòng vị hoàng tử đáng kính. 149 mẫu kim hoàn độc bản đã ra đời để được lưu truyền như những bảo vật tượng trưng cho quyền lực, tước bậc, sự tinh xảo.

Khó ai có thể kìm lòng trước những thiết kế hoa mỹ này

Năm 1930, một lần nữa huyền thoại lại được gõ cửa bởi một huyền thoại. Lần này người mà Boucheron đón tiếp là ông hoàng giàu sụ vùng Trung Đông, Riza Shah Pahlavi, còn nhiệm vụ được giao là kiểm định kho báu lớn bậc nhất thế giới của người đàn ông quyền lực này. Những thứ mà Louis Boucheron đã kiểm định tới giờ vẫn là một bí mật. Nhưng người ta đồn đại rằng, đằng sau cánh cửa già nua và nặng nề của kho báu là hàng chục rương hòm đựng báu vật, hàng trăm viên lục bảo ngọc, không dưới 50.000 viên đá quý và hai viên kim cương hồng lớn nhất thế giới.

Đồn đại đúng hay không vẫn chỉ là đồn đại. Điều duy nhất giới kim hoàn có thể khẳng định chắc chắn đó là Boucheron mới đủ tín nhiệm để giới hoàng thân quốc thích gửi gắm việc thẩm định giá trị của những bảo vật của họ.

Boucheron luôn hãnh diện với những món trang sức chẳng giống ai

Diễn viên Kristin Davis của Sex in the city rất ưa chuộng dòng trang sức xa xỉ này

Trang sức Boucheron với những kiểu dáng và chất liệu xa xỉ

Ai đã tìm đến Boucheron một lần, ắt sẽ phải quay lại số 26 Vendome lần hai, lần ba. Lý do duy nhất là vì Boucheron quá quyến rũ. Và bởi sự quyến rũ ấy mà thương hiệu này có thừa những vị khách quý tộc trung thành và hào phóng. Một trong những cái tên đó là quý bà đến từ tân lục địa Walter Burns. Trong vòng 19 năm, từ 1982 đến 1911, quý bà xa hoa này đã đặt cả thảy 34 món đồ nữ trang đỉnh cao ở Boucheron, trong số này có chiếc mũ miện đính hoàn toàn bằng kim cương và đá lục bảo ngọc quý hiếm được đặt hàng năm 1904.

Mỗi lần trang sức Boucheron xuất hiện trên sàn đấu giá là một lần người ta phải kinh ngạc, bởi độ tinh xảo trong kĩ nghệ chế tác, độ quý hiếm vào bậc nhất của những viên đá, những tên tuổi đã từng sở hữu nó và bởi cái giá cao ngất ngưởng dành cho nó. Những ví dụ minh chứng cho điều này có món đồ hồi môn của quý bà Mary Ethel và ghim cài áo của nữ bá tước Paiva. Món đồ hồi môn nọ đã được bán đấu giá ở mức $1,5 triệu vào năm 2005 tại nhà đấu giá Christies. Hai năm sau, tại nhà Sotheby’s, chiếc ghim cài áo đã đạt kỷ lục mới. Với tâm điểm là viên kim cương vàng nặng đến 100 carat, nó được trả giá gần 2,4 triệu euro.

Một số các sản phẩm khác của Boucheron. Ở Việt Nam, Boucheron được biết đến nhiều hơn qua các sản phẩm nước hoa mang hương thơm đặc biệt

Nhân tố đưa Boucheron lên đỉnh cao danh vọng không chỉ là những khách hàng giàu có và đầy quyền lực đó. Thứ khẳng định đẳng cấp cho Boucheron chính là những sản phẩm không thể tinh xảo và hoàn mỹ hơn. Hơn 150 năm về trước, Boucheron đã được ông tổ Frédric Boucheron kiến tạo con đường đi riêng biệt: lấy niềm đam mê thiên nhiên và vẻ đẹp huyền bí phương Đông làm cảm hứng để cho ra đời những trang sức xa hoa nhất.

Tại Boucheron luôn có một đội quân chuyên săn tìm và tuyển lọc những viên đá quý hiếm và đắt đỏ bậc nhất thế giới. Cũng ở chốn này, mọi bí quyết được gọt giũa và đưa nó thăng hoa với các ý tưởng táo bạo khác người. Thế nên, Boucheron luôn hãnh diện với những món trang sức chẳng giống ai: một con ếch, chiếc nhẫn hình con rắn, bông tai giọt nước, hoặc ve cài áo với những bông hoa muôn sắc.

Vào năm ngoái, Vertu Boucheron 150 làm hoàn toàn bằng vàng được Boucheron cho ra đời nhân dịp kỷ niệm sinh nhật lần thứ 150. Theo Boucheron, họ đã phải mất 1.000 giờ để tạo hình, 700 giờ đánh bóng và hơn 500 giờ để hoàn thiện chú dế đặc biệt này. Những chú dế Vertu có giá từ 2.600 bảng cho tới 1 triệu bảng.

Cách đây một năm, tại lễ mừng sinh nhật Boucheron tròn 150 tuổi, bộ sưu tập Enchanteur gồm bảy món đồ trang sức tương ứng với bảy chủ đề gắn bó bấy lâu nay với Boucheron: Diệu kỳ, Khoái lạc, Tò mò, Huyền bí, Tham lam, Hiểm nguy, Táo bạo đã khiến cả thế giới kim hoàn phải ngưỡng mộ. Để có bộ sưu tập huyền thoại này, ngoài công nghệ săn tìm những viên đá quý trên thế giới, những nghệ sĩ kim hoàn đích thực của Boucheron đã phải bỏ ra hơn 12.000 giờ sáng tạo để truyền cái hồn và sự quyến rũ vào đó. Cái giá cho một trong bảy món đồ nữ trang thời thượng này vì thế cũng không hề rẻ: từ 1-3 triệu Euro.

Thế nhưng chưa kịp đi một vòng các vùng đất giàu có Moscow, Tokyo, London, Hongkong, Dubai, Côte d’Azur như dự định thì ba trong số bảy món nữ trang này đã được đặt mua. Với mỗi món đồ thượng hạng Boucheron đưa ra, nếu không đặt mua ngay, bạn sẽ chẳng có cơ hội được chiêm ngưỡng nó trong đời, dù bạn có là tỷ phú hay ông hoàng.

Một số sản phẩm khác:

Dây đeo cổ đặc biệt xa xỉ

Các sản phẩm nhẫn

Venue >> Vendome Mayfair

Address >> 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London, W1J 7NB.

Date >> 2nd July 2009

Times >> 10pm- 4am

Dress Code >> Fashionable / Sexy / Smart

Music >> RnB/Funkyhouse/Club Classics

This Thursday Virgin Records will be with us to host their Virgin Records Summer Party! Expect to see CD Giveaways and merchandise to be given away with London’s best crowd of party people – Virgin Records very own DJ Iron will be providing music!

Please arrive early to avoid the long queues at the venue. Table bookings are always highly recommended for fast entry into the club.

If you or a friend has a birthday they would like to celebrate, let us know and we will arrange a complimentary birthday cake. Tables are available from £500 min spend | VIP Booths £1000. RSVP is essential.

Entry >> Complimentary Guest list for all on Jefferson’s guest list until 12AM | £20 otherwise.

RSVP for Guest list & Tables is Essential – Email us Jefferson@metparties.com or phone 07515 059 560.

]]> http://metparties.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/vendome-mayfair-this-saturday-27th-june-2009/ Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:13:17 +0000 Jefferson http://metparties.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/vendome-mayfair-this-saturday-27th-june-2009/

Venue >> Vendome Mayfair

Address >> 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London, W1J 7NB.

Date >> 27th June 2009

Times >> 10pm- 4am

Dress Code >> Fashionable / Sexy / Smart

Music >> RnB/Funkyhouse/Club Classics

This Saturday is the Launch of our brand new weekly night at the lovely Club Vendome In Mayfair – We invite London’s best crowd out once again for another night that will soon be London’s most talked about Saturday night.

Expect to see a high fashion, fun, sexy night at Vendome every Saturday with RnB, Funky House and Club Classics playing all night long – Tables for groups of 8+ are always recommended and start at £500 | For VIP Booths £1000.

Entry >> Ladies Free before 11:30PM & £20 Otherwise.

RSVP ESSENTIAL

For the guest list & table bookings please email jefferson@metparties.com or call us on 07515 059 560.

]]> http://metparties.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/this-thursday-at-vendome-mayfair-industry-thursdays/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:10:02 +0000 Jefferson http://metparties.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/this-thursday-at-vendome-mayfair-industry-thursdays/

Thursday 25th June 2009

Venue >> Vendome Mayfair

Address >> 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London, W1J 7NB.

Times >> 10pm- 4am

Dress Code >> Dress to impress

Music >> RnB/Funkyhouse/Club Classics

As you saw last week, the launch of Industry Thursday’s at Vendome Mayfair was unforgettable – London’s best party crowd all made there way down to Vendome to open our new weekly night with RnB, Funky House and Club Classics all night long!

Champagne did not stop coming and everyone had a great time, Expect to see celebrity action and London’s best party crowd here every week! Put this night in your diary and tell a friend. Guestlist is Essential.

Also this week we are Celebrating Annas Birthday at Vendome so get there early!

RSVP For Guestlist & Tables

Complimentary Entry For Everyone On Jefferson’s Guest list – Send names before 7PM on Thursday Evening.

For the guest list & table bookings please email jefferson@metparties.com or call us on 07515 059 560.

See Gallery For Last Weeks Pictures >> http://metparties.com/gallery2.php?contentfolder=2009

We’re not quite sure why,  but everyone seemed to have been hit by the rubbish party jinx last night. Tom and I even managed it three times!

Urban Outfitters book launch: cheap wine, Coors light, some overdressed, backcombed wannabees and over 40’s men in pink suits trying to be edgy. Oh, and some penny sweets and a publisher running ’round telling everyone that the afterparty would be ‘easy to get into…’

Volt Magazine launch: Wow. Ronnie Joice actually being booked NOT to DJ as the event was totally empty. Although the lovely Annalisa at Exposure did tell us that we’d come at the tail end…

Vendome after party/Bitch Party thing: we walked in and then walked straight out again…

The only highlight was that we took a little detour to one of our favourite bars – The Heights in the St George’s hotel (great martinis and brilliant view of London) – and met up with Gossip Garage Rainbird who had just sat through 28 graduate fashion shows and was about to kill someone. Ash – we’re loving your denim shirt look; we think you could teach those kids a thing or two!