It’s as if my Moncler jacket got eaten by my Rimowa suitcase… and somehow fused into a strange luxurious chimera of sorts… It doesn’t look the most functional ~ yet i can’t stop staring. And wondering what else it would transform into if we fed it some other branded goodness… my Macbook Air perhaps? Or Louboutins?

Here’s how Moncler describes it on their site: Rimowa x Moncler Go On Holiday “Moncler is travelling - with the new Moncler Rimowa costumized suitcase. The German travel case producer completely reinterpreted its classic cabin trolley ‘Classic flight’. The result is a light and functional case, essential in its design, versatile in its usage possibilities. Ultraresistant, chrome-plated aircraft aluminium exterior including a brushed Moncler logo, padded handles and a special Moncler address tag.The Moncler trolley comes with typical padded black laqué interior including a unique set of soft accessories: shoe bag, laundry bag, utility bag and a small beauty case. Roomy, handy and compact. Perfect, in its dimensions, as air travel hand luggage and with two TSA combination locks. The world of Moncler in a trolley case.”

See more images of the new suitcase on the next page. The soft accessory bags are tempting…

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Tags: fashion - gifts - luggage - luxury - shopping - travel

Bronze Bones! I don’t think dominoes have ever made me swoon… until now. Leave it to The World’s Best Ever’s Dave to dream up something so spectacularly lust worthy! “The first collaboration between The Principals and The World’s Best Ever looks to redefine the domino as a unique geometry, crafted from a more substantial material: bronze. The weight, shape and numbering have been refined, resulting in an original design that retains the spirit of the domino while capitalizing on its serial potential as an artistic object.” From the naming (Bronze Bones!) to the packaging (who doesn’t love anything hidden away in a BOOK?) to the material choice (bronze!) to the thoughtful inclusion of a pencil, sharpener, and paper to keep score (white pencil + black paper of course)… it’s all incredible. Take a look at the details on the next page!

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Tags: games - gifts - luxury - shopping

Last night, popped by the latest show of Peter Gronquist, The Evolution Will Be Fabulous at Gallery 1988 in Venice. It’s AMAZING, definitely something worth checking out in person, because the mix of gilded luxe brands, weaponry, skeletons and taxidermy are just something you can’t completely comprehend through pictures… the shear scale of things is pretty mesmerizing in real life. But for now, take a peek at some pics and details on the next page!

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Tags: animals - art - gallery - gifts - luxury - nature - shopping

Embargoed until a few hours ago ~ it’s been driving me crazy to sit on these pictures from my few hours in Reims, France for lunch a few weeks ago! Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc, which is barely a hotel at all ~ more of a magical guest mansion of sorts in Reims that Veuve Cliquot uses for special occasions ~ has recently finished its restoration/remodel which now includes some lovely themed guest rooms filled with modern art as well as hints of its past! From the beautiful staircase and the Chanel like faceted mirrors, to the Veuve-yellow Smeg and wall of champagne… the ornate chandeliered dining rooms to the modern portraits lining the hallway to the guest rooms… there is so much to take in, but here’s a first peek into their world!

p.s. you can also catch me in a few reflections rocking the super yellow veuve apron…

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Tags: champagne - france - home - luxury - travel - veuve clicquot

Going through the many pics from the last month of euro-madness ~ i couldn’t stop staring at these pics from the Wiesmann booth at IAA. If i were a Batman: the Animated Series character, i’d totally drive a matte metallic GT MF5. It’s so cute. I couldn’t stop staring at the show ~ and looped by the booth a few times for unknown reasons… it just pulled me in over and over. And now i can’t stop staring at the pics, so clearly they needed to be shared! And the jeweled lizard logo is just stunning and brings out the little kid in me too… take a peek at them on the next page…

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Tags: cars - gifts - luxury - shopping

On great escapes, the Orient Express (and their Journey Like No Other) seems to know how to do it ~ this week in particular we’ve been hiding out at La Residencia in Deia, Mallorca, Spain in between trips (See the madness surrounding this escape and a peek at the views at night). I can guarantee your stress levels will drop ten fold even from the drive in from Palma (or via private jet)… the softly twisting roads bring you deeper into the island’s canyons and terraced lush green hillsides. The hotel and surrounding town have apparently changed little over the last few decades, and before joining the Orient Express family in 2002 was owned by Richard Branson since the late 80s, and a favorite escape for many high profile clients over the years. Luxurious accommodations, great service, and breath taking views… not to mention divine tapas… while you have multiple pools, tennis, spa and lots of hiking, sailing, and more available, it’s hard to beat taking a few hours curled up on the patio of our suite staring out at the mountains and ocean… so take a peek inside the Alfabia suite, our ridiculously large bathroom, luscious four poster bed (with tv that pops out from the foot of the bed)… in addition to a few other fun details ~ from the call buttons that are poolside… to the various donkeys, sheep, and olive groves around the property (which they make their own olive oil from!) as well as an organic garden next to the spa!

p.s. You have to see the amazing little cove that is a quick walk/hike down into the canyons to the water…

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Tags: animals - hotels - luxury - nature - spain - travel

In exactly a week i’ve gone from LA to Frankfurt to a few hours at the Auto Show, doing a live interview with the heads of global communications for Mercedes, to Paris and directly into a car to Reims to visit the Hotel Du Marc of Veuve Clicquot for a few hours, only to be back in Paris by dinner, then driving through France, stopping by a chateau, sleeping on a ferry, only to wake up in the UK and end up at Goodwood, crash for a night in London, and have ended up in Mallorca yesterday. Phew. What. A. Week. Is your head spinning as much as mine right now just reading that?

Well before another week not too dissimilar than the last, the Orient Express has invited me to experience one of their relaxing escapes, and the timing seemed perfect to see the world of Hotel La Residencia, nestled in Deia, Mallorca, Spain while catching my breathe. Currently curled up on the patio lounge chair in a bathrobe with laptop staring out at the most serene town, mountainside, and peeks of ocean 5 minutes away as i write this post. And last night after getting in, you can see the delectable tapas and wine we indulged in… before coming back to a nice bottle of bubbly cava they kindly left for us… at which point i couldn’t not grab my camera and share the stunning star filled night and glow of the town. So before i give you a peek into the room ~ take a look at the breath taking night! Exactly what i needed after quite the euro-whirlwind of a week!

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Tags: hotels - luxury - mallorca - night - orient express - photography - spain - travel

Nothing quite like new toys, new cars, good friends, and a day of experimenting in beautiful LA weather with Mister C being the home base for the day… two weeks ago we brought our new Contour+ mini HD action cam with us to meet up with Bentley’s fleet en route to Monterey… armed with suction cups, we had far too much fun mounting the camera and driving all over beverly hills, bel air, and late night through the tunnel in santa monica and on pch… take a peek at the setups, as well as the beautiful 1936/37 Mercedes Roadster we found!

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Tags: bentley - beverly hills - camera - cars - luxury - notlabs - video

We ended up at an unexpected oasis amongst the madness of Monterey Auto Week when we drove up into Monterra Woods to join friends at the Aston Martin Estate. They took over a beautiful house and filled it with a brilliant mix of lifestyle brands from Far Niente Wines and Louis Roederer Champagne, to Emanuel Andren’s Chocolates from Sweden… Vizio 3D tvs and CxC Driving Simulators, to Flexjet by Bombardier and Worth magazine… There was even a tailor, diamonds, non-alcoholic cocktails (test drives happening!), and of course Aston Martins ~ from the V12 Zagato and One-77 to Virage Coupés, Vantage S Roadster, and Rapide. They created a beautiful space with relaxing indoor and outdoor areas, and endless things to do. Favorite? While waiting for test drives, the garage had two 3-large-screen simulators with racing seats that throw you around almost as hard as a real F1 car. (Of course, had we planned a bit better ~ i’m sure test driving the Astons would have been the favorite!) All in all, there was so much to see and do, and it was the perfect way to get a feel for the lifestyle they imagine around the marque. There were even herds of deer and flocks of turkeys roaming nearby! Take a peek and explore the estate and details on the next page!

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Tags: aston martin - cars - driving - games - gifts - luxury - shopping - video game

Having spent the day with the newest Bentley’s all over LA on wednesday ~ and then being convinced to spontaneously pop up to Monterey Auto Week… the time warp to see Bentleys of the past amongst their contemporaries is quite a trip. While I wasn’t sure what we’d be able to attend on such short notice, but Bentley swooped in and have been helping guide us through the week. They were kind enough to invite us in to the world of The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, which we were told was an event not to be missed amongst the endless car events of the weekend. They weren’t kidding. It was an incredible introduction to the classic cars, while still getting to play with the supercars of today… all while lounging on golf courses… without playing any golf. Driving cars along golf cart paths and all over greens felt so wrong, yet is so normal here! One of our surprising favorites of the show turned out to be this green 1927 Bentley 6.5L coupe! So take a peek at the awesome car above in detail… as well as a silly unboxing of the jacket that saved me from the windy/mistiness that is the monterey peninsula… on the next page!

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Tags: bentley - cars - luxury

Spotted at The Quail, this Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is a beast of a car ~ and not just visually… one of the most fascinating things at the Quail was seeing the car stripped down to its carbon fiber chassis and all that is inside it. It’s their fastest production car Lamborghini has ever made ~ and drew quite the crowd of enthusiasts and buyers. On a sillier note, their uniforms were polo shirts with the Lamborghini signature bull looking much like the Big Polo Ponies ~ even with the orange matching the Aventador popping off their blue. Check it out on the next page…

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Tags: carbon fiber - cars - gifts - lamborghini - luxury - shopping

It’s a beautiful thing when a brand wants to encourage passionate, playful exploration. When Bentley invited us to join a fleet of their cars, Brian Gush - Head of Drivetrain and Motorsports, Robin Page - Head of Interior, a skeleton film crew, designer Cory Grosser, and former lead designer of Nokia/founder of Vertu - Frank Nuovo at Mister C in Beverly Hills, to just “be creative and play,” how could i resist? So we loaded up a bunch of new (and old) toys ~ and spent the day all over beverly hills and bel air playfully exploring these cars in new and inspiring ways… and while there is much to come from that… first things first!

At around 11am we ended up borrowing the Bentley Supersports Convertible ~ jetting back out to one of my favorite bluffs near home, and had fun playfully shooting it underneath the unbelievably bright moon and stars while overlooking pacific coast highway far below and the vast expanse of ocean and ~ it’s definitely different at night! Shawn managed to take some stunning shots of the car ~ and while he patiently took those, you can also see some of the silliness i ran around shooting in between on the next page! The car simply glows in the moonlight…

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Tags: bentley - cars - los angeles - luxury - photography

Fresh in my inbox ~ my dad’s latest adventure seems to have landed him at Art Center for the new 2011 Pagani Huayra’s photoshoot on its way up to Pebble Beach ~ where all the stunning cars are migrating next week… from the sleek and agressive exterior styling i can’t stop staring at (and that COLOR!) ~ to the carbon fiber leaf like side mirrors ~ to the steampunk-retrofab interiors (the BUTTONS!) ~ and well, the Mercedes-AMG V-12 twin turbos and carbon fiber chasis and body… there is so much lustworthy loveliness to stare at, take a peek at his pics on the next page. Seriously, this seems like the hardest week to try to car shop with so many incredible launches and lustworthy cars passing through… enjoy the design details and sketches!

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Tags: cars - luxury - photography

I love when a graphic can transport you to another world… or make you wish you were somewhere else… just got an email from our friends at the CIA (Central Illustration Agency) with these stunning posters by Jonas Bergstrand for Soho Beach House Miami… beyond the retrotastic look and feel of beach house living… the tiny modern details hidden in each piece are great ~ helicopter, parachuter, and headphones… Take a peek at the three posters and details up close on the next page!

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Tags: art - hotels - illustration - luxury - miami - prints

So, you’ve seen my stunning full moon views tonight ~ and in the past, Jackson came to the Mondrian SoHo’s staycation and showed us the ipad/room service magic that was breakfast. Well needing a hotel for a night, i decided to try out the Morgan’s Global Card, one of the perks being a “complimentary night at all of our new hotel openings around the world “… and amazingly, even on an expensive and rather full night, calling the number on the back of the card, somehow a room was procured (even the night before)… and upon arrival, even upgraded into a penthouse level suite. I must say i’m impressed. The heinous stress of a last minute booking in the chaos of NY hotels being transformed into a seemless and painfree experience filled with surprises was perfect. But anyhow, back to the view! And the iPad! And the food! Having forgotten to have breakfast before my flight, and not really having food on JetBlue, i was famished by the time i got in around 8pm… and drawn out to the patio with the iPad, room service was ordered with a few quick taps between being mesmerized by the view… it arrived incredibly fast! (Or i just lost track of time out there, but i swear, it was faster than the time i picked - which was essentially ASAP.) So take a peek at MY version of experiencing the views, precariously balancing the iPad on the corner of the railing 25 stories up, breakfast/dinner in a fried egg burger/salad, and a look around the adorable room ~ all on the next page!

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Tags: food - hotels - ipad - luxury - new york - room service

Tonight has been absolutely stunning. The full moon is GORGEOUS. And while i wasn’t able to see the eclipse from here ~ coming in to NY and across the bridge at sunset ~ arriving at the Mondrian SoHo, whisked up to the 25th floor (P1 in the elevator!) and into a room with views all around ~ and a patio i stepped out on to that just took my breath away. To watch the sunset, the moon rise, and the glow and sparkle spread across the city was the perfect moment that made the previous hours of internet free middle seat existence melt away. So stunning, and i can’t stop staring at it out the windows even now as i write this… take a peek on the next page!

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Tags: hotels - luxury - new york - sunset - travel

I’ve always been terrible at sitting normally in chairs ~ i end up cross legged, legs hanging off the sides sideways, sitting backwards… and sure, i’ve probably flipped a few chairs in my time. Haven’t we all? Well… given that, when presented the opportunity to try the Knoll Generation ~ that claimed to support ANY way of sitting with its tagline “The first chair that lets you sit how you want.” Challenge, accepted! They are even collecting up pics of HOW people are sitting in them at MyGeneration! So in true NOTCOT fashion ~ here’s a big unboxing on the next page ~ and a peek at my favorite details… from the mesh, to the wheels, to the bendable back that screams office-slingshot…

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Tags: chair - furniture - gifts - home - luxury - office supplies - shopping - unboxing

I might have some C63 lusting happening since spending the week with that Louboutin Mars Red 2011 Mercedes-AMG C63… and when i was going to show you pics of that one, i ended up getting sucked in to the design of the new 2012 model on the way… particularly the Coupe. Something about panoramic sunroofs fascinates me… imagine all the fun and unexpected photo angles you could have through that! Design wise, liking the simplified grill design and body updates, as well as the interior dashboard design that’s evolving nicely. From a tech perspective, this latest model finally gets the driver assistance systems from the S/CLS lines too - adaptive high beam assist, attention assist, parktronic, lane and blind spot assists ~ and even incorporates 3D virtual city views and eco routes built in to the nav. As far as driving tech… first with a new telematics generation, and with the development package you can get it up to 481 HP @ 6,500 RPM… fun, right? Anyhow, while diving into all the details and pictures ~ Mercedes was nice enough to send over some design sketches so we can see where the car evolved from! Take a peek at all the details on the next page!

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Tags: cars - gifts - luxury - Mercedes-Benz - shopping - sketching

On random finds on my cell phone ~ Louis Vuitton had some memorable window designs down at South Coast Plaza. How can you not be drawn in by these dripping golden honey bursts ~ with golden bees and LV logo/icons all bursting out from it? Take a peek at more details on the next page ~ and if you have more pics or info, send it over!

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Tags: art - gold - luxury - shopping - windows

One can’t deny that delicious room service is a fantastic luxury to wake up to in a hotel. Well, with our new Tasteologie features, i sent our editor, Jackson, to the newly opened Mondrian SoHo in New York for their press staycation… and we found they do breakfast deliciously! You can take a peek at the sketches and initial looks at the Mondrian Soho in our previous post. One feature takes a look into breakfast in the green garden like space of their Imperial No. Nine restaurant… the second feature takes you inside the room - and the in-room first gen iPad, on which you can do everything, including order breakfast! Delicious and gorgeous, check them out here.

Tags: food - hotels - ipad - luxury - new york - technology - travel

I have always loved this idea of a mini wearable vase necklace ~ remember the Rockettoro Blossom Pendants from way back in 2006, with the glass vial, perfect for one flower? Well flipping through Lucky, i just saw this Tiffany & Co ad for the new Elsa Peretti Bottle Pendants that play on the same concept! “Once i was in Portofino and i met all those beautiful women that were wearing Pucci’s dresses and had a gardenia in their hand. That was the flash that made me think to realize something to keep the flower fresh and alive, therefore the little bottle came to the light…” says Elsa Peretti. So pretty and delicate, it really is a shame they don’t have more images of the pendants with flowers on their site! And i could never see wearing an orchid with praying mantis as i go about my day… but there are so many pretty options! And for those averse to cutting flowers, imaging putting some of that magical hydrogel stuff inside and nursing a seedling around your neck until ready for planting, etc? Take a peek at the other designs and more images on the next page!

p.s. I know, Tiffany & Co and Kiel Mead situation is terrible, but these bottle pendants are just interesting objects!

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Tags: fashion - flowers - gifts - jewelry - luxury - shopping

The color of the day has inadvertently become: RED! This morning Mercedes dropped off a Mars Red 2011 Mercedes-Benz C63 for me to play with ~ and i happened to need to take a little drive down to South Coast Plaza to go see some Louboutins… (which, as you can see, i clearly gave in to). And as i excitedly unboxed them in the car, i realized the signature Louboutin red sole matches Mercedes Mars Red far too well. And… i could not resist, but had to shoot the unboxing IN and ON the car! (I’m liking this unboxing on cars thing… remember the Bentley/Toy shoot?) So if you’re ready for some red… take a peek at the unboxing of the Louboutin Elisa 100 Metal Patent in Rouge and the Mars Red C63 on the next page!

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Tags: car unboxing - cars - fashion - gifts - luxury - Mercedes-Benz - shoes - shopping - unboxing

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Il San Pietro di Positano looks breathtaking, and was a no brainer to follow up Giraffe Manor. Nestled into the luscious cliffs overlooking Positano’s bay is this beautiful 61 room luxury hotel. Looking through the pictures, the most alluring aspect is definitely being surrounded by the greenery and sea on all sides… perhaps a perfect escape! Take a peek at the surreal views on the next page!

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Tags: hotels - italy - luxury - travel

On fun surprises while in London ~ Le Pégase d’Hermès Silk Twill Scarf designed by Christian Renonciat! With an architectural/blueprint look and inspirations from Da Vinci (backwards handwriting and all) ~ Hermès gives us a design to build a pegasus and some wings for yourself. Pretty enough to treat like art, i’m currently researching framing options, but until then wanted to share some of the pretty details with you! Unbox/closeups on the next page!

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Tags: art - fashion - hermes - luxury - nature

An “Orange Flame” 2012 Bentley Contintental GT was dropped off for the weekend ~ and it is one seriously bright car. It is especially gorgeous in the stunning sunshine this weekend! If you recall, the Continental GT even inspired the shape of the case of the 007 Carte Blanche Limited Edition. Having peeked into the Bentley Factory via Ultimate Factories, it’s been fun to leisurely poke at all the tiny details… with Imperial Blue Leather and orange contrast stitching, logos hidden just about everywhere you may not have even imagined, fun knobs and compartments, there’s much to explore, and so many beautiful details as you dive deeper. SO! I thought i’d share my favorites with you ~ take a peek at the little design details tucked all around this new 2012 Bentley Contintental GT on the next page!

p.s. The image above ~ i adore the way the windows create such a sleek opening when down…

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Tags: bentley - cars - gifts - luxury - shopping - technology