360 DEGREES Weblog

We have seen high-priced books from Gucci and Chanel recently and now Valentino gets the deluxe treatment. Una Grande Storia Italiana – Valentino Garavani is a new book from Taschen. The book comes in a silk-covered clamshell box that is tinted in Valentino red. Inside, the 738-page book includes drawings, magazine shoots, advertisements, portraits of Valentino, and documentary photographs. The text includes Vanity Fair writer Matt Tyrnauer’s interviews with twenty of Valentino’s collaborators and friends and a tribute to Valentino by fashion writer Suzy Menkes. The Collector’s Edition is limited to 2,000 individually numbered copies, each signed by Valentino and sells for $1,000.

A 250 meter x 30 meter LED screen was installed in Beijing as a centerpiece for The Place, which is a shopping mall located in the business district. The thing cost $32 million, is 80 feet above the ground, and actually 5 separate screens combined. It can play video games, live events, and visitors can even upload photos to view. However, it is primarily used as a virtual aquarium, with sharks and fish swimming by. Which, for $32 million, seems like a waste of money to me.

Do we need to say more?

Hangzhou Emeet kitchen Appliance have come out with A10 and A8 Mutimedia range hoods. They exhibit large touch LCD screens, MP3, MP4, JPG and DVD facility. Each range hood is loaded with various other features, fully sealed aluminum motor, metal fan blades, and charcoal filters, which are optional. You can adjust the exhaust rates accordingly from 580-1000 cu. meters per hour.

You don’t need to worry about missing on the dialogues of the movie you are watching, because it works silently, producing 56 decibels of sound. It not only looks good but transforms your simple kitchen into a high-tech one!

Hennessy has long been adopted by rappers as one of their favorite drinks with shout-outs and even entire songs dedicated to the expensive after-dinner cognac. The campaign, which includes seven Internet spots and three conventional TV commercials that will begin airing in the next few weeks, continues the drink’s association with the rap scene by having the music created by producer and rapper Pharrell. (HHNLIVE)

What a dream for a little girl or boy to have a bedroom modeled after their favorite fairytale or movie! Of course the rich and famous can afford to give their kids whatever they want, and they aren’t hesitating to do just that when it comes to bedroom design and decor. One designer says “if you can draw it we can make it,” which is resulting in every creation you can imagine — from a $47,000 pumpkin-shaped carriage bed (Cinderella) to a Tom Thumb room consisting entirely of over-sized furniture.

It’s not unusual for these designer bedrooms to end up costing $50,000 to $100,000 by the time they’re complete. Would you spend that much on your child’s bedroom? Especially considering they’ll probably grow out of the theme and want something new in a year or two?

Cinema chains are opening luxury halls in large cities to differentiate their offering to increase brand recall in crowding markets and lure the indulgent and well-heeled film buff, industry players said.
Exclusive halls with recliner seats and in-seat service complete with a lounge would command ticket prices 2-3 times higher and generate more revenue from food and drinks, they said. (REUTERS)

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At Bird, music and technology come together. The San Francisco-based school of music encourages students to use the latest technology to enhance their musical creativity. Providing instrumental instruction and band supervision to children and teens, Bird goes beyond traditional lessons. “Working with the latest digital audio workstations, all experience levels have the ability to archive their songs, jams and lessons. In addition to vital old-school knowledge like setting up amps and other analogue equipment, students gain an understanding of computer-based music recording equipment and software.”

The only thing we’re missing, is workshops on how to promote newly recorded songs and videos on YouTube, MySpace and SellaBand. Business opps? Setting up (or relaunching) music schools as centres of music + community + technology, as Bird describes itself. Legions of young people have entered a world where almost anyone can reach a certain level of stardom without having to beg and pray for an A&R rep to listen to their demo tape. Which means there are plenty of opportunities for facilitators that help them acquire good-old fashioned technique enable them to create high-quality sound recordings to upload to the online music arena du jour. (Oh, and it can’t hurt to throw in some physical activity—Bird offers yoga, too.)

Tasting menu’s don’t come cheap, but the range of flavors and the chance to experience more of the chef’s repertoire is worth it for many. Some of the best restaurants in the world have gone to serving nothing but tasting menus, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago for example, and others simply offer them as a luxury for those who can afford it and want something a little different. So where to go if you’re really looking to drop some cash and enjoy the great tastes of the best tasting menus? Well the single most expensive tasting menu in the world belongs to L’Arpege in Paris and runs $466, with the second and third most expensive also going to restaurants in Paris: Alain Ducasse Plaza Athenee ($437), and Guy Savoy ($402). Masa, in NYC, comes in at 4th with their tasting menu priced at $400 for 25 courses.