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August 19, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor’s Belongings to be Auctioned

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A collection of the late actress’ jewellery, art and clothes are to go on display around the world, before eventually being sold at auction in December.

Taylor’s possessions will be exhibited on a tour beginning in September.

This will include stops in Moscow, London, Dubai, Geneva, Paris, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, before ending in New York. This is where the items will be displayed at Christies’ gallery space at the start of December.

The auction itself will be held in the middle of December, just in time for Christmas. The proceeds from the auction will go to The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation.

Elizabeth Taylor died in March, aged 79, and was estimated to be worth around $1 billion at the time of her death.

Her jewellery collection alone was valued at $150 million in 2002. This includes her most prized possession – La Peregrina pearl, whose previous owners include Queen Mary I of England. This coveted piece was a present to Taylor from Richard Burton on Valentine’s Day during their first marriage.

Marc Porter from Christies says that the tour “will be a window into the world of a true icon”.

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August 18, 2011

Ice Cognac by ABK6

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ABK6 have unveiled their brand new cognac, designed specifically to be served on the rocks.

This new spirit guarantees to take the drinker on a flavour journey as it becomes colder. It is said to develop a distinct aroma as it progressively comes in to contact with the cold temperatures and water from the ice.

At 18C, the cognac begins to give off aromas of vanilla, slowly evolving into white peach. Then at 12C, the aromas change to orange blossom, which then merges into lemon sorbet. When the temperature drops to 5C, the cognac taste resembles an iced mint.

This limited edition cognac was produced in the hillsides of Claix, France – near Grenoble. It is made from the Ugni Blanc grape, which is the most common white grape in France.

It is a genuine cognac as it was prepared according to the rules of the appellation cognac. The rules regarding the region of production, the mode of distillation and the aging in the oak barrels, were all adhered to during the course of production.

The Ice Cognac was debuted at Vinexpo 2011, the World’s largest wine trade fair, in Bordeaux.

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August 17, 2011

Rapper style clothing collections makes its mark on high-end fashion

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It’s not the first time a celebrity has turned into a fashion designer and it certainly won’t be the last, but unlike many of the singer-come-dabblers-in-fashion-design who enjoy minimal success in the cutthroat industry, rapper Kayne West is causing quite a stir in the world of high-end fashion design, with the likes of Louis Vuitton requesting his creations.

The American rapper, singer and record producer now even has his own studio in Paris where he designs high-end fashion collections  for both men and women. Rumours are even circulating that West has enrolled at London’s notorious school of fashion, Central Saint Martins.

Speculation is also surfacing to whether the rapper with exhibit his spring 2012 collection this September, although a venue and specific date has yet to be announced.

In designing his landmark ‘rapper’ gear, similar to the outfit Kayne West wore to this year’s ‘106 & Park’ in June and at the CFDA Fashion Awards, which included a Mitchell & Ness Chicago Bulls snapback hat, a pair of black/red Air Jordan 1s, a Salt and Pepper Zip Hoody from American Apparel and black waxed jeans, Kayne is bringing ‘Hip Hop’ and ‘Rapper’ fashion to a high-end market.

Although Kayne West is not the only rapper to be stretching his creative instincts into the world of fashion. Nathan Thompson, aka Hollowman Giggs, who, in 2010, was signalled as the hottest rapper in the UK, has launched his own clothing store in Peckham, London, known as SN1.

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August 15, 2011

Bombay Sapphire Launches Global Campaign to Celebrate its Heritage

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The famous spirit brand has launched a global advertising campaign that pays tribute to the heritage and origin of their luxury gin.

“Infused with Imagination” was created by a group of designers, led by Darren Simpson. The concept of the installation is inspired by the production process of the gin, with an emphasis on the word ‘infused’.

It is formed through a series of illustrated panels that are decorated with a total of 75,000 crystals. The panels are positioned to look as if they are spilling out of the top of the Bombay Sapphire bottle.

Photographs of the installation, which was constructed in a disused church, will be used for the print, outdoor and digital adverts. There is also a film about its creation which will be available to see online and will also be shown in cinemas.

Illustrator, Yehrin Tong also took inspiration from the word “infused”. It is defined as “elements bleeding into each other”, and this definition was the basis of Tong’s idea to make the artwork a dream-like image. He describes the outcome as “an organic mixture of images, both natural and mystical.”

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August 12, 2011

Signature Marilyn Monroe Dress – Sold for $4.6 Million

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The iconic Travilla dress that defined Monroe’s sex symbol status has been sold at auction for more than double its estimate.

The legendary dress worn by the star in the 1955 film, The Seven Year Itch was originally expected to fetch between $1 and 2 million.

However, it ended up exceeding expectations as a one lucky bidder managed to take home the dress for staggering $4.6 million (£2.8 million). The garment was featured in one of the most famous film moments of all time – Monroe clutching the dress as a gust of wind from the subway causes it to billow up and expose her legs.

This was one of Marilyn Monroe’s crowning moments as the sex symbol she is known as today.

It was just part of a collection held by actress Debbie Reynolds, which featured several pieces of Hollywood history.

The whole sale, which included a lot of Monroe memorabilia, was valued at $22.8 million altogether. The collection was sold at Profiles in History auction house in Calabasas California.

It was made up of items that Reynolds had collected over the years as Hollywood studios sold or emptied their old warehouses. The dress, which was ivory and has now turned cream with age, was the highest value feature of the auction, which consists of around 700 pieces.

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