Italia!

The sun has set on another beautiful day at the Address Hotel, where the staff knows me by name. On two occassions I had to reactivate my room key today and couldn't decide how I felt about the fact that 1) The residence receptionist knew my surname, and furthermore how to pronounce it, and 2)that her colleague knew my apartment number. Granted I've lived here for 9 months but my humility doesn't allow me to acknowledge that I am indeed memorable even in the most modest way. There's nothing better than having the car door opened for you and the porters and security say "welcome back." This is the stuff that luxury is made of. Sure there can be more personalisation, far beyond the welcome message on the TV screen and your name on the phone display, but certainly one can't deny that it gives the feeling of being pampered which i think is the cornerstone of luxury.

Emaar has built the Address hotel and resorts brand which I look upon with an intimate curiosity. It is certainly one of the most exciting places to live and play in Dubai and as testament to this, I had the fortunate experience of being introduced to the residence inner circle today. Well at least the circle I would like to be a part of. I want to absorb what makes these people from the fashion capital of the world so effortlessy passionate, stylish and seductive. I lay on a pool bed surrounded by Italians - what a treat! We laughed, chatted and I mostly listened, just soaking up a whole lot of sun and Italian. This has motivated me to take my Italian language studies more seriously. I'll be going to watch "Nine" at the movies tonight which is quite fitting as the tagline is "Be Italian"...I smell a movie review coming up in the next few days! Until then, CIAO!

Armani

The empire astounds. I truly admire the essence of Armani! My first taste of the Armani dream came in the form of the sweetest scent! "Acqua di Gio". The problem with entry level luxury goods is that you never really own them. You spray on your dream and it evaporates, then you spray some more and it evaporates...BUT the beauty about brands is that if you do anything consistently, you'll soon become known for it, so in my teens I sprayed and I sprayed and I sprayed until you could pick out my "Peterhouse Girls' School" jersey from a heap of identical jerseys and know it belonged to me because of my signature scent. Then tastes evolve and the thirst for luxury can't be quenched until you have a wardrobe full of marvelous creations by esteemed designers.

The Armani brand revolves around the man himself. He IS the brand and from him, stems the parent brand Armani and sub brands such as Armani Casa. So now, joy of joys, I live directly across the new home of the first Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa. Also in convenient proximity is the dubai mall which houses a slew of Armani brand stores.

One thing that I find truly fascinating is the designer brands for kids (...in comes Armani Junior) but that's a topic for another day.

I'll be doing some research on the Armani brand strategy...watch this space for my findings

"the most prestigious square kilometer in the world"

The 4th of January 2010 marks the anniversary of the ascension of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as ruler of Dubai. This is also the date that the iconic Burj Tower will be officially opened in a fashion only true to Dubai standards...with a big Bling...I mean Bang.

One more day to go and the buzz and flurry is reaching fever pitch. My building "The Address Hotel" is located directly in front of this imposing structure of modern extravagance. The problem is that every vantage point for the spectacular ceremony tomorrow is fully booked...except perhaps a couple of little spots that I've discovered since moving into the building! So tomorrow at 9:30pm, I'll wander over to my little nook, camera in hand and hope to capture some world firsts!

The fascinating thing about this area that I live in, is my proximity to the world's highest bar (Neos at the Address), the world's largest mall, the world's tallest building with the world's highest observation deck and the world's highest fountain. To add to the superlatives, I believe tomorrow will be a "world first" in fireworks and light show displays, which no doubt should be visible from space, otherwise it just wouldn't be Dubai.

Here are a few pics of the Tower from this time last year and one that I just took about 10 minutes ago from my "spot". Admittedly my camera is not the best so the quality leaves a lot to be desired but I'm sure there'll be other sources that will do it justice.

Aside from being the tallest tower and all the wonderful things that it boasts, my particular interest is in the Armani Hotel, which is the first luxury hotel under the partnership between Emaar and Giorgio Armani S.p.A.

"Armani Hotel Dubai will offer Armani/Events, featuring a 30,000 sq ft of conference and banqueting facilities – the Armani/Ballroom; and the Armani/Pavilion, a spacious outdoor area for up to 350 guests. The hotel also will bring to the Middle East several firsts including the region’s first Armani/Privé - a hip and upmarket night club; the world’s first in-hotel Armani/Spa; the Armani/Dolci, a chocolates and sweets store; an Armani/Fiori, a floral shop; and an Armani/Galleria.

In addition to the Armani Hotel, Burj Dubai features the Armani Residences Dubai – exclusive serviced residences designed personally by Giorgio Armani."

http://www.emaar.com/index.aspx?page=press-release-details&id=901

...The Armani brand expansion/diffusion is certainly one worth exploring!

The history of it all

I've often wondered where the real luxury fashion capital of the world is. Some say Milan, some say Paris. New York makes its assertions and London a significant contribution. In a globalized world it can be quite difficult to pinpoint the exact capital as through the ages, different civilizations have made an impact but in general, the European nations pass the baton back and forth.

My research takes the origins of luxury back to the times of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The Egyptian civilizations enjoyed the opulence of accessories dripping in gold, particularly in the upper Pharoah classes. Greek civilization followed the lead of the Egyptian purveyors and made the distinction between men's and women's fashion. By 800BC the Etruscian empire which was conquered by the Roman empire had a taste for luxury which was flaunted by the aristocratic women of that time (this was the precursor to today's bling approach to fashion. The Byzantine era ushered in the fashonista empress Theodora who's style was imitated by her loyal subjects.

The renaissance in Italy during the 15th and 16th century changed the face of fashion and Italy's textile industry boomed, helping solidify Italy as the fashion and lifestyle authority. This era was followed by the Baroque period which saw the rise of France as a fashion capital, largely due to Louis the Great's fine tastes and support of luxury, fashion and refined lifestyle which was emulated throughout the continent.

The invention of Haute Couture in Paris by Englishman Charles Frederick worth ushered in New luxury which was championed by the likes of Chanel and Dior. The second world war served to stifle Paris due to the German occupancy which restricted trade and allowed for the emergence of the American designers and the American's appreciation of Italian accessories, so again Italy was revived as a fashion hub.

In my humble opinion, I lean towards Milan as being the fashion capital simply because of it's ability to revive itself through different ages, as well as the heritage and workmanship that has been guarded throughout the centuries as well as the well established manufacturing industry. LONGEVITY is key.