InsideLux – The Luxury News Authority

Sarah Burton, a close friend of the late Alexander McQueen has been confirmed as the new head designer for the Alexander McQueen brand. This segment of the Gucci Group (also enveloping fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega and Veneta) has employed Burton as head of women’s wear for Alexander McQueen since purchasing majority shares in 2000.  Deciding to pull up an in-house designer will hopefully maintain the identity McQueen created.

Dieter Bock, one of Germany’s richest men died at the age of 71 after chocking on a piece of meat at one of his 5 star hotels.  It is being reported that he died yesterday, however claims are circulating that he died on 12 May and his death was not publicized until now.  Bock, was one of Europe’s most notable hotel moguls and was worth a reported $740 million.

Jean Paul Gaultier has been rumored to be leaving his position as Hermés’ main visionary since this past August. Gaultier has decided to fly from the nest ending his partnership with the brand in a final Spring 2011 runway show. Assuming the split was peaceful, Hermés will retain its 45% shareholding in the Jean Paul Gaultier label. Filling the shoes of Gaultier will be Christophe Lemaire, the artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear for Hermés.

Resort staff are working around the clock to meet Diego Maradona’s high expectations and were asked to install two new top of the range bidet style toilets for his players.  Their rooms had to be repainted white, no reason was given.   The head chef was asked to ensure that there was a choice of 14 salads to accompany every meal followed by a choice of at least three desserts.  Even the pool has had to be notched up a gear to ensure that it is maintained at a constant 32°C.  And all this luxury is supposed to help Maradona and his team out wit their opponents?  Perhaps – Argentina is second in favour to win the World Cup.

New York designer James Scully has taken New York City pride to new heights with his subway line artwork. As a native New Yorker, the designer was asked what inspired him to create such a one of kind representation of the transportation system he, along with millions of others have used to get from point A to point B on a daily basis for many years. City pride seeping out of his body, he commented, “I’m very proud to be a New Yorker, When you delve into the rich history of this city, something I would dub ‘urban anthropology’, you uncover layer after layer”. Scully exudes appreciation, interest and respect for the history of the transit system; “New York’s MTA is the most sophisticated form of public transportation in the world. It covers five boroughs and spans 229 miles.” Noticing the distinction between each piece as rail line, I asked the artist what made each train and station stop different, as he represented throughout the exhibit. Going on to explain his motives in creating originality within each line, he went on to explain, “Subway riders feel an ownership of their line. I want to give them the ability to retain ownership of theline, but also be able to hang a well-designed piece of art in their personal space that represents who they are as a particular rider. Individual stops on the posters are highlighted by importance. Larger stations with more trains lines running through them are of a larger font within the boundaries of the poster.” Undoubtedly, James Scully understands New York City pride and strives to give the citizens of the great metropolis another way to represent their city as well as their particular neighborhoods. Interested in purchasing? The prints are reasonably priced at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jamesscully

The state dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife, Margarita Zavala, gave New York-based designer Peter Soronen another chance to showcase his work on First Lady Michelle Obama. Electric blue, one-shouldered and silver belted, Soronen has mastered the art of showcasing the First Lady’s figure while keeping her sophisticated and classy.

Amanda Brooks, a NYC socialite, has penned a book. The former creative director at Tuleh, Brook’s first book, “I Love Your Style”, is a fashion tutorial based on her personal experiences with style icons.

“I Love Your Style” has a foreword by Diane Von Furstenburg, and is littered with advice from some of the fashion industry’s most well-known names and personalities. When her book launched late last fall fashion house Channel hosted a couple of parties for her.

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Vogue powerhouse editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, hosted the annual MET Costume Institute Gala along side super women, Oprah Winfrey. The New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art was bursting at the seems with nearly every celebrity that comes to mind. Most importantly, they brought their A-game wardrobe picks to share with the rest of us common folk.

Among my top favorites was Anne Hathaway. Staying true to her classy, sophisticated style, she sported a whimsical Valentino gown that swayed and sparkled down the red carpet as she floated her way into the closed-door event.

With Gaga preparing for a performance inside the museum, she was unable to walk the red carpet, leaving the most outrageous and fashion-forward star award up for grabs. My pick? Katy Perry. Cute Circuit assembled the one shouldered, pale-pink and white gown with a scandalous slit framing her sculpted legs. Sounds simple enough, but then you turn the power on and neon flashing lights seep through the material and give this ball gown a completely new party life. Katy was glowing (pun intended) from head to toe.  

As per usual, some played it safe in nude colored, sexy gowns. Not headline worthy, but still beautiful. Overall, the guests of the star-studded NYC event looked classy, sexy and ready to party. :)

Baby Baskett (less than two months of age), son of athlete Hank Baskett and Playmate Kendra Wilkinson will be watching the Indianapolis Colts and his NFL dad from a luxury box at the Super Bowl.  Dad, Hank told the press that altough he won’t remember the game, he will at least be present to witness his dad playing in his first Super Bowl.  Not only will he be lucky enough to watch his dad at his first game, but he gets to spend it in a luxury box reserved for VIPs.

One of the most searched for artists according to Google, Esperanza Spalding will be appearing at the Riverside Fine Arts series on 19 Feburary.  The bassist and singer rose to fame at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo in honor of the 2009 Laureate President Barack Obama.  However, she has since spun into popular culture becoming the second most searched item on Google in the US.  Despite her popularity, the “voice of an angel” will be playing at the Church of Good Shepherd, 100 Stockton Street in Riverside on 19 Feburary.  Tickets are on sale starting from a mere $10.