Luxist

"Flesh was the reason oil painting was invented," proclaimed Dutch-born painter Willem de Kooning in 1950. It's no secret the influence women had in his work or in his success. In the early 1950s de Kooning began experimenting with the female form and landscapes, until the two subjects became inseparable. His painting Woman I launched him into overnight stardom when it was exhibited in New York in 1953.

Bonhams New York is presenting a rare work from 1965 that stems out of this period, Woman in a Landscape, in their upcoming Contemporary and Modern Art Sale. The painting builds on his previous work, but also reveals later influences such as contemporary Hollywood stars and Mesopotamian fertility goddesses. While de Kooning's own inner demons are clearly present in this work, it remains one of his gentler, more romantic portraits of the female sex. The fully-executed painting is rare for this period of de Kooning's work, and is thought to be a study for his 1966-67 painting, The Visit, which is housed in the Tate collection.

Woman in a Landscape is estimated at $400,000-$600,000.

The public is invited for a pre-sale viewing and reception of all works in the sale:
Monday Nov 9th 6-8 PM
Bonhams
580 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Sale takes place November 10th at 12 PM.

For more information visit Bonhams.com/contemporary.

I just heard from the team at Koryo Tours and wanted to share with you the results of their recent fundraiser. I know this is a bit unorthodox, but it's not often Luxist (or anyone else) has the opportunity to cover North Korean humanitarian charity efforts. Originally, Koryo Tours sought EUR4,400 -- EUR2,400 for 300 Braille dictionaries and EUR2,000 to install playground equipment in an orphanage in Wonsan, North Korea.

Hannah Barraclough, from Koryo Tours, writes, "We are very pleased to announce that thanks to your help we managed to raise an amazing EUR9000 which means we have been able to complete both of these projects and have surplus funds to go towards even more worthwhile projects next year - more info about these coming soon." She continues, "We (and the Korean children) are really so grateful to all of you who donated money. If any of you have been meaning to donate but haven't yet then please go ahead as it will go towards our future charity projects."

Yes, this was a "small money" charity event by the standards of Luxist, but I did hear that our readers made a noticeable difference. So, the least I could do is share with you the impact.

Why Ms. Minkoff, what a saucy name for your satchel! The Rebecca Minkoff Morning-After Mini Satchel is great for the morning after, true, but we think we'd carry it around all day.

First of all, we love this pick-me-up shade of blue (it's called "Deep Turquoise" and thankfully it's not at the green end of that color range). We can't think of a person who wouldn't be flattered by this color -- wouldn't this look great with your hair? We bet it would.

The shape is simple and attractive; we love the boxy look. At 8 1/2"H x 13"W x 7"D, it's not big enough for your portfolio, but it is big enough for your toothbrush and a change of ... socks (nudge nudge wink wink).

The Rebecca Minkoff Morning-After Mini Satchel is available from Neiman Marcus for $550.00.

Those people familiar with the shops at Bal Harbour knows how each luxury brand situated there feels the need to one up each other. This makes sense given the locations ability to attract the wealthiest Floridian buyers, as well as those who travel to the shopping center from around the world. Over the last few year Audemars Piguet has been playing with a new type of marketing campaign dedicated to enhancing the artisan-like feel of the brand. This essentially means that they want you thinking that watch makers time traveled from 1845 to the present day, and are hand-making Audemars Piguet watches in candle light somewhere in the heart of Switzerland. Most of this is true - save for the candle light.

Selling ultra luxury watches is as much about selling the final product as it is about selling how they were made. For this purpose, the Audemars Piguet Bal Harbour boutique has been temporarily transformed to include watch movement sketches, work tables, tools, and other items of traditional watch making construction. The good news is, that if you visit an actual Swiss watch making factory, all of these same tools are pretty much used - though maybe modernized a bit. Audemars Piguet does take much pride in the fact that they practice "traditional watch making" techniques. The display is a good idea , because it attempts to show a manufacture made mechanical watch in its natural element. If you are in the area, check it out. The window display will be up through the end of the year at the Audemars Piguet store at the Bal Harbour stores in Miami, Florida.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Two of the most prestigious brands in the luxury industry have joined forces to open a flagship boutique featuring the creations of both companies. Lalique, which is known for its fine crystal, jewelry and perfume, and Haviland, one of the most prestigious manufacturers of Limoges porcelain, will open a 950 square foot boutique on Madison Avenue in New York on November 5th.

"The new boutique represents the convergence of the rich legacies and creative visions of Lalique and Haviland," says Maz Zouhairi, President and chief executive officer of Lalique and Haviland, North America.

The Lalique and Haviland flagship boutique will showcase Lalique crystal and Haviland porcelain side-by-side, as well as introduce the new Lalique by Haviland porcelain collection, which will be exclusive to the boutique. The collection will encompasses three designs; the Hirondelles and the Perles designs are both offered in full table settings with coordinating coffee and tea service sets. A third design, based on the iconic Rene Lalique Masque de Femme, includes a tray and a charger as accent pieces.

The boutique will also feature displays of the porcelain collections complemented by Lalique tabletop items (inspired by original Rene Lalique designs) as well as the new Coutard and Hirondelles stemware collections, Masque de Femme candle votives, Champs-Elysees crystal plates and more.

There will be several new and classic Lalique products displayed at the store including jewelry, decorative pieces, architectural elements, and tabletop and boudoir items. A special emphasis will be placed on Lalique's architectural offerings, showcasing their ability to customize iconic items, including water fountains.

Other product highlights in the boutique include a Six-Tier Champs-Elysees Chandelier, a Seville Chandelier, Coutard and Laurel Panels, and a customized, large-scale rectangular version of the popular Cactus Table.

The boutique will offer signature Haviland porcelain collections including this season's art-deco inspired
Cible, the luxurious Ritz Imperial dinnerware set and the newest encrustation and relief introductions in a new sandy, beige color. These high-end selections embody the classic Haviland look, seamlessly fitting in with the boutique's assortment.

The relationship between Lalique and Haviland began over 90 years ago with the marriage of René
Lalique's daughter, Suzanne, to Paul Haviland, head of the famous Limoges porcelain line at the time.
Since June, Lalique and Haviland have been linked through a partnership of their U.S. operations, and well as through a mutual operational partnership with Daum, subsequently announced in August.

The Lalique and Haviland Flagship Boutique is located at 609 Madison Avenue at 58th Street. A new Lalique and Haviland showroom will open this December in Chicago.

The boutique will be Haviland's first retail store. Winner of the Luxist Readers' Choice Award for Best in Dishware in October, Haviland has been at the forefront of the porcelain world for over 150 years. It is known for its exceptional quality porcelain and high levels of creativity in design. All pieces are entirely hand-made. Lalique was a Readers' Choice Award finalist in the best glassware category.

On Nov. 14 Christie's will auction fine spirits in New York for only the second time since Prohibition began in 1920, headlined by the first U.S. offering of the extremely rare 1964 Bowmore Trilogy of single malts estimated at up to $24,000. Some $2 million worth of wines and spirits will cross the auction block, including over 40 lots of carefully-curated whisky, bourbon, cognac, armagnac, and rum, plus a fine crop of champagne. The Bowmore Trilogy, comprised of White, Black and Gold Bowmore, was matured below sea level for 42 - 44 years at the famed distillery on Islay in Scotland. Other lots include the Ardbeg Double Barrel, a two-bottle lot sourced from two 1974 whisky barrels in a bespoke leather shotgun case with eight solid silver cups, estimated at $15,000 - $20,000, and a 100 year old armagnac from Baron de Sigognac, est. at $2,000 - $3,000.

[via Duncan Quinn]

I thought we were done talking about this one. After all I've been following the potential sale of the the Robert Taylor Ranch in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles since 2005. The ranch, which was built in 1956, is a prime chunk of land with 122 acres of trees and equestrian trails. The large 34-room main house designed by Robert Byrd has Western appeal and includes a study, master bedroom with dual baths and a spa room. The home's vintage appeal includes a wine cellar, bar, screening room, game room and more. There are four guest houses for a total of 17 bedrooms on the estate. The grounds include a pool, tennis court, and stables. We've seen it listed at a variety of prices, $35 million, then $40 million and up to $50 million in 2005. Then in 2007 we heard that it would be auctioned off following several notices of default in 2006. The ranch never sold and now it's back on the market with its highest price yet, $65 million. It can be divided into four large lots (in addition to the 11-acre lot where the ranch is located) but will that be enough to tempt a buyer in this market?

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New from Piaget comes a fresh Limelight watch collection for 2009. Each Exceptional Limelight collection watch is known for being a serious haute joaillerie item of art. With Piaget's requisite level of beauty (and diamonds) the watches are interesting, original, and most important, beautiful. Brilliant-cut diamonds cover every surface of the timepieces (as much as is possible), and materials like mother-of-pearl make up the watch dials. The cases and bracelets themselves are each done in 18k white gold.

Literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours are dedicated to putting together each watch. This has to do with the copious amounts of time required to cut and set the diamonds, as well as craft the timepieces. Piaget does a remarkable job making metal look flowing. This is real horological art and passion - and again you see their penchant for making the watches "secret." Many Piaget Limelight watches prefer to cover the watch face when not being used, so as to give the pieces a dual watch and jewelry character. Inside, the watches have Piaget caliber 56P Swiss quartz movements. The timepieces have an intense amount of diamonds with weight up to 40 carats, and hundreds of stones per timepiece. These women's watches are marvelous to look at, exceedingly rare and exclusive, and of "word-class" expense. Look for them at select Piaget boutiques around the globe.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

On Nov. 18 the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) will stage its 12th annual Collaborating for a Cure benefit dinner and auction at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Building on the success of last year's event (above), which featured a concert by Steely Dan, this year's festivities include a Steve Winwood performance and a charity auction led by Sotheby's' C. Hugh Hildesley. Sure to attract high bids will be 5 pairs of tickets to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Nov. 19, an eye-popping display of supermodels in lingerie. The SWCRF, founded by Dr. Samuel Waxman in 1975, is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization that focuses on the most promising strategies for developing cures and treatments for many types of cancers, as well as preventative measures. SWCRF is at the cutting edge of research into alternatives to the traditional treatments of chemotherapy and radiation.

Gail Buckland's new book Who Shot Rock & Roll is the first to truly explore the extraordinary work of the photographers who captured the "energy, intoxication, rebellion, and magic" of rock, with images of icons ranging from Elton John to Led Zeppelin, Bjork to Janis Joplin, and James Brown to John Lennon, that have become icons unto themselves. Featuring more than 250 photos, including many rare and never-before-seen images, Who Shot Rock & Roll is an unparalleled compendium of portraits, live concert shots, behind-the-scenes snaps, and studio work selected for their aesthetic quality and power. The extended captions tell stories from the photographers, including everyone from Bib Gruen to Richard Avedon and David LaChappelle, that reveal their role as both "creative collaborators and tireless journalists."

Covering 1955 to the present, "Who Shot Rock & Roll is a silent window into a world of sound," Buckland says. "There are photographs of crowds and fans reminiscent of the great historical paintings of battle scenes where bodies blend and bend and faces radiate with what can only be described as transcendence. Snapshots reveal the passion, ambition, and insecurity of aspiring young musicians. There are portraits of godheads, objects of mass adoration; the best could hang next to paintings of Renaissance princes, so similar are these royals with their finery, wealth, and power." An accompanying exhibit just opened at the Brooklyn Museum and will run through the end of January and before traveling across the country through 2011.