That’s right. The renowned French fashion brand is heading east, where a new store– slated to open next year– will be its largest flagship in the world, eclipsing its gargantuan Paris retail space. The September issue of Vogue (the long-awaited Fall Fashion issue) has a fantastic feature on China’s “exploding wealth and newfound sense of possibility.” The Chinese are expected to become the world’s biggest consumers of luxury goods by 2015, and currently represent more than a quarter of all sales worldwide. “All of this is fueled by the rapidly expanding middle class,” says Vogue, “which is expected to grow to 500 million people in the next fifteen years.” Many of the big fashion houses are holding major global events in Beijing, and MCM and Tory Burch recently opened boutiques. Little wonder then, that Louis Vuitton has staked a claim to China’s cool capital for its largest store worldwide.
Pictured, a Louis Vuitton ‘Voyages’ Themed Store Window Display in Beijing. Photo via MaoSuit, the Business of Fashion and Luxury in China, which profiles an interesting new Louis Vuitton “Voyages” Exhibition at the National Museum of China.
Thailand‘s Koh Samui continues to raise the bar on luxury. The uber-chic island in the Gulf of Thailand has just welcomed the five-star Conrad Koh Samui.
The resort features 80 freestanding villas with private plunge pools and sundecks, including 64 one-bedroom villas, 14 two-bedroom villas and a Royal Villa, which sits on 25 acres of tropical features. Cool touch: All the villas are west-facing, so guests will have the opportunity to capture sunsets at night.
We love the villa interiors (think tropical hardwood floors and Thai silks). The rooms also feature LCD flat-screen televisions, CD/DVD players, iPod docking stations and wireless internet. Marble bathrooms are outfitted with oversized tubs and glass-walled rain showers.
Time to dine: Guests can partake in private in-cellar dining at The Cellar, Thai-influenced dining at the specialty restaurant, Jahn, or Mediterranean-inspired cuisine at the all-day venue, Zest. For something dimly lit and sexy, we recommend cocktails at Glow/Lounge.
Other resort features include an onsite spa, a sailing center, floating pier, 24-hour fitness center and outdoor yoga pavilion.
For more information visit conradhotels1.hilton.com.
China is gearing up for its next dose of luxury: St. Regis Tianjin is set to open this October.
We hear the 276-room hotel is located riverside by the Hai River, home to many of Northern China’s culture, historic and natural attractions.
Architecture buffs will swoon over the design. Nice touch: The soon-to-be iconic building will be constructed of steel and glass in the shape of a hollowed cube that furter complements the concept of “Jin Men,” or “Gateway” to Tianjin.
For more information visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
You likely know Anantara from its line of luxe resorts across Southeast Asia and the Maldives, but as of last month the company debuted something a little different: Anantara Cruises.
We hear the new cruise line invites guests to explore Bangkok’s aquatic side with two restored, 100-year-old rice barges. The Anantara Song and Anantara Dream will sail Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River on a variety of itineraries.
Guests in search of ancient Thai experiences can join a two-night, three-day Ayutthaya Adventure accommodating up to four couples on the Anantara Song, or reserve it for private charter. We love the feel of this vessel (think warm teak, padua and mahogany woods, complemented by custom-made furniture covered with Thai silks and cottons). On the upper deck, an expansive lounge and dining area with a full bar sets the scene for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
Alternatively, the Anantara Dream can be reserved for a two-night, three-day Ayutthaya Thousand Golden Temples or Ang Thong Mystic River Tour. This exclusive vessel offers living space for up to two couples and the staterooms are air conditioned with tiled en suite bathrooms. Beyond this, the Dream voyages offer deluxe experiences such as private cooking classes, a spa, onboard yoga retreat and Thai wine tasting.
Hansar Samui is inviting guests to sail into the weekend in sexy style. We hear the Thailand beach resort has added new Sunset Cruises to the resort experience (think cocktails, imported oysters on ice and Dean & Deluca milk chocolate maltballs).
The cruise operates three times a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and can be chartered for exclusive use on other days with a minimum of two people, with 24-hour notice.
Guests board Hansar’s 30-foot yacht at 3 p.m. and cruise for four hours in the lap of luxury, sipping champagne, sampling oysters and freshening up with Hansar’s LUXSA Spa sun lotions and misting sprays.
Nice touch: In addition to a complimentary glass of champagne on boarding, guests will enjoy a range of freshly concocted (free flowing) Hansar signature cocktails, with soft drinks and mineral water also available.
For more information visit www.hansarsamui.com.
Fashionistas accustomed to the bevy of luxe retailers in Paris and New York will soon feel a bit more at home in Hong Kong. We hear from Luxuo.com that luxury brand Burberry has released plans to open an Asian flagship store in Hong Kong.
The shoppers’ paradise will take up two floors and 21,000 square feet of space when it opens in 2012. Cool touch: This will be the second largest Burberry store in the world, behind New York’s 57th street location.
Read the full story here.
Uber-chic Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas has unveiled 19 new self-contained suites.
We love this little oasis, which is in a standalone, mountain-view area of the property with its own private pool, pool bar, gym and all-day restaurant called Panache.
Top touch: The first-floor one-bedroom suites measure in at 968 square feet, the two-bedroom duplex suites offer 1,614 square feet of space and the three-bedroom penthouse apartments (with their own roof-top pools!) have 5,920 square feet.
Each suite has a separate living room, open plan fully equipped kitchen and private balcony. The three-bedroom penthouse has en-suite bathroom for each guest room while the rooftop pool and barbecue deck offers views of Phuket.
For more information visit www.outriggerthailand.com/phuket.
Bangkok will burst with flavor this autumn as the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok hosts the 12th Annual World Gourmet Festival.
Slated to take place September 5 through 11, the Festival brings together a top-notch lineup of the world’s best chefs. We hear this year’s lineup includes Ivo Adam of Seven in Switzerland; Adriano Cavagnini of Amaranto in London; Anthony Demetre of Wild Honey in London; Guido Haverkock of I Portici in Italy; Dolli Irigoyen of Espacio Dolli in Argentina; David Lee of Nota Bene in Canada; Hari Nayak of Orissa in India; and Kazumi Sawada of Hoku in China.
The event is coordinated and overseen by Executive Chef Nicolas Schneller, along with Shintaro Chef Satoshi Sawada and Biscotti Chef Daniele Cason.
Top draws: The World Gourmet Lunch will take place daily throughout the vent with a cooking demonstration, live cooking stations and some delightful nibbles.
For more information visit www.fourseasons.com/bangkok.
Thailand has earned a reputation for itself as being one of the top spa capitals of Asia. Many spas are taking the “back-to-basics” approach to the spa experience (think simplicity meets modern comfort). Here is a roundup of some of Thailand’s top spa offerings.
At the Rayavadee Spa try the “Enhancing Body Wrap,” which offers a mixture of carrot, soybean and coconut milk. The wrap has a healing effect, which makes it perfect for before and after sun exposure.
The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui‘s “Gaia’s Earth” treatment begins with a natural Samui coconut body scrub using turmeric, jasmine rice and coconut. AN herbal-fusion body wrap of Thai white clay, pumpkin gand coconut oil is applied before the body is cocooned in banana leaves. The treatment is capped off with a soothing scalp massage and Thai sen-massage.
The Dheva Spa at Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi offers a “Lanna Ceremony,” which uses a ‘Tok Sen’ massage. During this treatment the body is tapped rhythmically with a special stick made from the bark of the tamarind tree, followed by a warm compress and oil massage. A steam bath with wild forest honey and body scrub with north Thai herbs prepares the body for soothing effects.
The Spa at Anantara Phuket Villas is known for its “Pearl of Andaman.” After a cleansing floral foot soak, enjoy a traditional Chinese herbal back massage and finish with a nourishing anti-aging Pearl facial to boost circulation.
Finally, the COMO Shambhala Urban Escape at Metropolitan Bangkok offers the “COMO Shambhala Revivier.” This is a package that includes accommodations; healthy breakfast at Glow restaurant daily; welcome herbal tea served inr oom upon arrival; fresh tropical fruit plate; complimentary mini bar; complimentary internet; one hour COMO Shambhala massage; a gift set; access to the gym and more. This package is available through December 31.
A sublime new dining experience awaits at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. Sushi Sora joins an already impressive restaurant portfolio. (Michelin-starred eats on the premises include Signature, serving contemporary French cuisine; Sense, combining dramatic design and gourmet Chinese food; and the Tapas Molecular Bar, where chefs create 20 bite-sized delicacies for just eight guests over a two-hour period.)
Upon your arrival at Sora– perched on the 38th floor– you’ll think that the view is the showstopper. Indeed, the restaurant’s name means “Sky” in Japanese, and the floor-to-ceiling windows enhance the sense of floating above Tokyo’s central Nihonbashi district, an area often regarded as the birthplace of sushi.
But wait until you taste the grub. Chef Imaizumi is a master of Tokyo’s authentic Edo-mae sushi cuisine, a connoisseur (and scholar) of fish who troves the Tsukiji fish market for the finest quality products. His work space is an eight-seat counter made from a 350 year-old Japanese cypress: a stage, really, for lucky diners who can watch him in action. This new restaurant– embracing serene Japanese aesthetics in its simple and stylish design– is destined to become one of the best sushi spots in town. - Mary Winston Nicklin
