-
Luxury Hotels Offer Special Packages for Presidential Inauguration
Tweet Share on Facebook December 22, 2008 Comment (9)Between 4 million and 5 million visitors are expected to visit Washington during the four-day inaugural celebration next month. You may be one of the fortunate ones who've snagged accommodations at one of the area's best luxury hotels, which are offering special packages for the inauguration bash:
The Ritz-Carlton's Politically Correct Package: This package, priced at a cool $50,000, mixes luxury with philanthropy, which is a good thing if you're trying to justify spending that much dough during a recession. A portion of the proceeds will go to a charity of the guest's choice. For four nights, guests will stay in a luxury suite; have access to a 24-hour, on-call chauffeur in a luxury hybrid vehicle; be outfitted in a designer dress or luxury tuxedo courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue; and receive a "Heart of the Nation" pendant, which retails for $8,000. More important, the package includes seating at the inaugural parade, two tickets to the official inaugural ball, and—my favorite—a private dinner for two specially prepared by chef Eric Ripert.
-
Celebrities Donate Big Money for Inauguration Party
Tweet Share on Facebook December 19, 2008 Comment (7)I just received an invitation—to sign up—for tickets to attend the Virginia Inaugural Ball, featuring Gov. Tim Kaine, Sen. Jim Webb, and Sen.-elect Mark Warner. General admission tickets, which cost $200, are already sold out, but if I donate $10,000, I'll receive four tickets to the Blue Dominion Reception and six tickets to the Inaugural Ball. Don't think I'll be attending either.
But a slew of celebrities are sure to party with the prez. The Presidential Inaugural Committee today released its contributors list, which allows users to view, sort, and search real-time information on all donors who've contributed over $200 to the 2009 PIC. The committee says it doesn't accept individual contributions in excess of $50,000.
Some of the celebrities who donated $50,000 individually include: Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Ron Howard, Samuel Jackson, Sharon Stone, and Robert Zemeckis.
-
Rich Pawn Their Belongings
Tweet Share on Facebook December 18, 2008 Comment (2)Pawnshops—loan companies that take items as collateral—have always gotten a bad rap. This stereotypical image often comes to mind: A seedy store stuffed with broken belongings in an unsafe area of town often catering to derelicts and criminals. But with the credit crunch, pawnshops are seeing renewed life. More cash-strapped Americans are pawning their belongings—from diamond rings and necklaces to iPods, televisions, and even boats. As a result, pawnshops across the country are seeing their businesses grow and are attracting a broader range of clients, including the well heeled.
From Reuters: " 'Banks aren't lending, so people are coming here for short-term loans against collateral like diamonds, watches, and other jewelry,' said Jordan Tabach-Bank, CEO of Beverly Loan Co, self-described 'pawnbroker to the stars.' . . . 'I do see my share of actors, writers, producers and directors,' he said, but also cited more visits from white-collar professionals and especially business owners struggling to meet payroll obligations . . . We still do the five-, six-figure loans to Beverly Hills socialites who want to get plastic surgery but never have we seen so many people in desperate need of funds to finance business enterprises,' he added."
-
Louis Vuitton Cancels Tokyo Flagship Store
Tweet Share on Facebook December 17, 2008 Comment (3)The world's largest luxury goods conglomerate has been stung by the global economic slowdown. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA has abandoned its plans for a Louis Vuitton flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district, proving that even the strongest international luxury brands can't weather the downturn. The store was due for completion in 2010, said an official for the developer, Hulic Co.
Growing up in the '80s, I remember Japan being the most concentrated source of revenue for luxury brands. Louis Vuitton. Gucci. Hermes. It's a country that's always been renowned for its thirst for luxury goods. Japan has been a major market area for LVMH, which has 56 stores in the country. So I'm surprised by the company's latest announcement.
But at the same time, I'm not.
Japanese consumers are increasingly forgoing luxury brands for smaller-ticket items and trading down for designerlike goods at chain stores such as H&M and Zara. According to a luxury study by Bain & Co., Japan's luxury market, which is 12 percent of the global total, is already in a luxury goods recession and is expected to decline by 7 percent this year, vs. a 2 percent decline in 2007.
-
Holiday Gift Guide: Luxury Edition
Tweet Share on Facebook December 16, 2008 Comment (4)There are only a few more days left until Christmas, and you may be among the 41 million consumers who haven't started their holiday shopping. According to the National Retail Federation's 2008 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the average person had completed 47.1 percent of his or her holiday shopping by the second week of December, versus the 52.6 percent average completed by the same time last year. Only 8 percent of consumers say they have completely finished their shopping. If you're guilty of procrastinating with your holiday shopping—and money's no object—here are a few luxury gift ideas to consider.
Your niece is one stylish girl. This holiday season she can be a trendsetter in her Chuck Taylor All Star sequined sneakers. These spunky sneakers come in silver, blue, magenta, and black. $84.99.
-
Kathleen Fuld: Shopping in Secret
Tweet Share on Facebook December 15, 2008 Comment (5)How does Kathleen Fuld, wife of former Lehman Brother's CEO Richard Fuld—who has been widely criticized for pushing Lehman Brothers into bankruptcy and creating a global financial panic—go about her holiday shopping? With discretion, says The Daily Beast.
"Last week, Kathleen Fuld stopped by the Hermès boutique on Manhattan's Madison Avenue to buy some holiday gifts. As she paid for her purchases, she vetoed the store's signature orange bag and asked for a plain white one instead.
It's become a common request, a Hermès employee told The Daily Beast. Sales associates at this temple of good taste have gotten used to passing out plain white shopping bags to clients eager to hide their $10,000 Birkin habits in the current economic environment."
The Daily Beast reports that Mrs. Fuld has been a regular client since the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. She visited the boutique once a week and spent $5,000 or $10,000 each time.
-
14 Ways Nannies Can Market Themselves
Tweet Share on Facebook December 15, 2008 Comment (7)Things haven't been looking so good for the affluent, especially the most powerful and wealthy investors who've incurred massive losses caused by Bernard Madoff's giant Ponzi scheme. And don't forget the flood of reports that Wall Street banks and other firms are eliminating tens of thousands of jobs. Last week, I wrote about how dual-career, upper-class couples who've been affected by the economic downturn are increasingly tightening their budgets and cutting back on household operating costs, which may include the nanny. U.S. News asked Stephanie Felzenberg, editor of the Best Nanny Newsletter, to share her best advice for nannies who want to market themselves and stand out from the pack:
1. Standout Résumé. The résumé remains the most important way for nanny candidates to market themselves. To stand out among a pile of others, caregivers should include a photo of themselves on their résumé. Including a photo playing or posing with children will help parents take notice. The résumé should be printed on high-quality paper. Nanny candidates should spell check and proofread the résumé to make sure the grammar is perfect and the meaning is clear.
-
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Delayed Until 2010
Tweet Share on Facebook December 12, 2008 Comment (2)
Do you remember in Casino Royale when the evil Le Chiffre plots to blow up an airplane in Miami to cause an airline's stock to crash? Well, Boeing's recent announcement that it will delay deliveries of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner is by no means comparable with a terrorist plot, but it did send the airline's stock falling by 3.384 percent, to $40.27 a share, on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. Shares of the company have ranged between $36.17 and $90.38 over the past 52 weeks.
Several companies have put in orders for the 787, but they will just have to wait. Again. For the fourth time. Boeing said yesterday that it's delaying the schedule for the Dreamliner program by six months because of the damaging strike by machinists and a slew of production problems.
-
Laying Off the Nanny in Hard Times
Tweet Share on Facebook December 11, 2008 Comment (1)"Marlene has been a member of our family for the past 19 months," reads an urgent Craigslist posting from Brooklyn, N.Y. "I was recently laid off so we are looking for a new family for her." With the number of jobless claims jumping by 58,000 to a 26-year high of 573,000, according to Labor Department reports today, an increasing number of families are reining in spending by laying off the household help. It's a tough choice to make, especially if the nanny has become an integral member of the family. But the decision is also difficult for families who have to adjust their lifestyles; parents may not be used to doing their own dishes, shopping for groceries, or picking up the children from school.
-
‘The Dark Knight’ on Blu-ray
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 Comment (4)My fiancé purchased a Samsung LN52A650 last month for a pretty amazing deal at the ailing Circuit City, but we're still looking into a Blu-ray player to complement our massive LCD TV. (Prices are getting better and better.) We hope to snag one sooner rather than later because The Dark Knight DVD and Blu-ray Disc finally hit store shelves today!
Warner Home Video is expected to ship more than 1 million Dark Knight Blu-ray Discs to retailers today. This bests Iron Man, which sold more than 500,000 copies during its first week, according to Video Business. Growth in the action genre makes sense; these particular movies appeal to gamers, especially those who own Sony PS3 game consoles, which include a built-in Blu-ray player. It's also likely that some PS3 owners will make The Dark Knight their first Blu-ray purchase.
