360 DEGREES Weblog

Ok, you just had your share of bad taste with the Fiat 500 limo now will make up with some style.

Wine tasting is passé and the English have already perfected the High Tea, and nothing surpasses the Japanese tea ceremony. So what’s next? The creative minds at L’Hôtel de Vendôme in Paris set their eyes on “High Coffee.” They don’t call it that, but it certainly looks and feels like it.

Every afternoon, superior gourmet coffee varieties are served according to the expertise of France’s Best Roaster of 2011, Antoine Netien, and Tom Clark, owners of Paris’s high-profile Coutume Café, and importers and roasters of vintage coffees.

his culinary extravagance is served in the hotel’s deliciously prissy first-floor restaurant, 1 Place Vendôme with its magnificent views of the Place Vendôme. When the restaurant opened in 2009, it was Florence-based architect Michele Bönan’s first restaurant and hotel project in France.

Bönan created a completely customized, elegant setting in a couture-style theme with silver-studded black-and-white hounds’ tooth chairs, plush silk and velvet sofas, silver satin curtains, and cushions of pink silk satin with black and white ribbed motifs.
And to amplify the luxurious effect, all this is contained in a space with virgin-white walls, floors and ceilings. All furniture and fittings, including curtains, cushions and carpeting were custom-designed by Bönan and manufactured in Florence from fabrics by the Italian fabric house Dedar.

It’s a lot easier to keep a customer than to get a new one, at least that’s how the sales force maxim goes. So what then does the newly released J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Retention Study say about the automotive brands and their ability to sell the same customer another car. For starters, something incredibly positive is happening at Hyundai – just two years ago, Hyundai was below the industry average in customer retention – now the Korean brand has flown past Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Lexus, Infiniti and Acura to become the stickiest brand in the business, with a healthy margin of 4% to Ford and Honda.

The reasons a car owner switches brands make fascinating reading. Though the primary reason given for switching brands was that the previous brand didn’t offer the type of vehicle they wanted (one in three “switchers”) the underlying reason for most switches is undoubtedly dissatisfaction with the previous vehicle. Maybe it was too many problems with the car, or that it was too costly to run and maintain, or that the car had poor resale value.

It has been a little calm around Banksy these last couple of months. Last week this new Skywriter plane making a heart was spotted in Liverpool.

Carry your laptops and other assorted goods in style this fall with these Incase Terra Bags ($50). The new collection — built using natural materials and sporting oversized zippers — includes three laptop sleeves in 11-, 13-, and 15-inch sizes, a tote bag, and the Campus Pack backpack that adds a padded mesh back panel for enhanced comfort, a padded notebook compartment, multiple interior organizer pockets, and two exterior zipper pockets, as well as a surprisingly bold red interior.

Mission Workshop messenger bags feature a weatherproof roll top main compartment which can be used in either the “roll top” mode, or in the traditional “flap down” configuration.

Features include: waterproof materials, quick-access outboard pockets, internal zippered pockets, custom aluminum hardware, detachable cross-chest stabilizer.
The AP Series messenger bags feature the Arkiv® closure system and are made with a 1000d VX Cordura outer layer laminated to a PTFE membrane, resulting in an exceptionally durable and waterproof barrier to the elements. They feature a weatherproof roll top main compartment which can be used in either the “roll top” mode, or in the traditional “flap down” configuration.

The AP Series messenger bags also feature quick-access outboard pockets, internal zippered pockets, custom aluminum strap hardware, and detachable cross-chest stabilizer. Large zippered pocket fits laptop computers such as the 15in MacBook Pro (medium size only), 13in MacBook Air, or iPad.

$249

10 Corso Como turned 20 this year and to celebrate the milestone, a range of commemorative products are now available through their online shop. There are numerous high-profile collaborations as part of the anniversary collection, but one of the standout pieces is this pair of sneakers done with fellow Italian brand, Superga. Available in 2 colors, both shoes come with a bold signature circular-centric 10 Corso Como black and white print. The shoes also come with a matching shoe bag all packaged up with a special box.

As usual Agent Provocateur stays true to its name and delivers a great new commercial, highlighting the latest goods from the lingerie brand. In ‘Soiree’ several AP models are having a ’soiree’ together and are clearly having fun. Enjoy!

Wacom has finally released a new set of Bamboo-badged tablets. The latest entry-range of the tried-and-trusted Wacom tablets consists of the Bamboo Connect, Bamboo Capture and Bamboo Create, of which the first is a pen-only solution meant to support your daily business with pressure-sensitive digital ink. The later are for the ambitious creative inclusively wireless connectivity and an enhanced multi-touch experienced, which is meant to bring the pinch-zoom to an efficient use.

Here is the Converse x Aloha Rag 20th Anniversary Jack Purcell Zip. The high top sneaker comes with an interesting canvas upper, front zipper and tricolor laces setting a nice accent on the otherwise clean upper. Furthermore the sneaker features a pyramid stud on the heel and also comes with different color laces. Limited to only 140 pairs, the sneaker is now available for $120.