Jewels, journeys, launches and initiatives in the Kingdom of Luxury
What do Hollywood stars and one of Italy’s most famous luxury brands have in common? As a new exhibition in Melbourne reveals, a knack for being bold, beautiful and bewitching. There’s Naomi Watts on the red carpet at the Academy Awards … Scarlett Johansson at the Venice Film Festival … Jessica Alba at the…
From contemporary art to avant-garde fashion, gold-plated nightlife to shoes good enough to eat … Dubai plays on the unexpected. Finally, time to spend a few days in Dubai and not just wave from the airport in transit. The Arabian emirate that has spent the past few decades growing like a garden someone finally remembered to…
If Anne-Eva Geffroy has one goal in life it is to make her statement pieces of jewellery dance. How does the Graff design director work her gemstone magic? When it comes to a roll call of radiance, Graff diamonds positively dazzle. The Golden Empress, the Paragon, the Graff Pink, the Star of Bombay, the Imperial, the…
A discerning clientele expects the best wines money can buy. And many of these are in the VIP cellars at Crown Towers Melbourne, reports Susan Skelly. A kid in a lolly shop has nothing on Chris Crawford, Crown Melbourne’s General Manager Beverage, in his wine vault. Hidden behind a door of latticed steel, this is an Aladdin’s…
New Zealand bridges the great divide between ancient geography and modern gastronomy. Gliding through New Zealand’s majestic Milford Sound is the awe-inspiring highlight of a leisurely trans-Tasman cruise On a Sunday night against the electric 21st-century backdrop of Sydney, the MS Noordam is escorted out of Sydney Harbour by a flock of unruly seagulls, bound for…
Laucala Island, Fiji’s most luxurious tropical island escape, is rolling out the red carpet in readiness for a re-opening, in the wake of Cyclone Winston. If anyone needed an energy drink in recent months it was the glamorous South Pacific island of Laucala, the private paradise on the northern fringe of the Fijian archipelago, introduced…
Why Melbourne brings out the fashionista, foodie and culture vulture in all of us… The plan for Excess All Areas’ visit to Melbourne this month was simple: there was no plan. Hop on a plane and let fate dictate for 48 hours. Here’s what was especially rewarding about a guerrilla hit on Victoria’s capital… 1….
Why afternoon tea might still be the best chill pill going The Ritz London rolled into Sydney this week, ahead of a national roadshow, with a reminder of just how perfect afternoon tea can be. Flagging the iconic hotel’s 110th birthday celebrations – and a northern summer season of packages that incorporate Ascot, Wimbledon, Highclere Castle…
A whisky with Spanish and Japanese ancestry gets the red carpet treatment in the world’s gastronomy capitals In a glamorous private room in Tetsuya Wakuda’s Sydney restaurant, 22 guests are sitting down to a food and whisky pairing rich in alchemy, artistry and Japanese savoir faire. Standing sentinal is a maple tree that seems to wrap…
Sydney Christmas parties are in full swing … some with fund-raising on the side Well heeled, well dressed and well fed … the young and the beautiful who comprise the Silver Committee and their friends decended upon Rose Bay’s waterfront hot spot Regatta for a Christmas lunch to raise funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Paying…