Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Big Chill


I bet you're glad you don't live in Wisconsin! I'm sure many folks across the country are wishing spring will come early this year.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Lookbook: Quiksilver


Looking good in the summer can be hard. Bare body parts and sweat might excite onlookers, but for the girl trying to stay cool without going naked, it’s an annoying struggle.

Thankfully, Quiksilver offers some affordable solutions with their summer 09’ collection. Easy-to-layer pieces like tissue-thin oversized tees, tiny knit vests, and distressed baggy denim beg to be worn over their itsy bitsy swimwear adorned with buttons and cable-knit details. The somber color palette of grays, whites, corals, and pops of red, screams “wear me with everything you own.”

Our must have is the pink sleeveless v-neck dress with twisted back straps, and drawstring pockets. Sounds complicated, but it’s the perfect piece to transition from beach to bar.

Visit the looks at www.nylanmag.com

Monday, January 19, 2009

Luxury Yacht Sales Hit The Rocks

Ferretti, the world's second-largest yacht maker, is preparing for the worst after sales of its $2m-plus yachts to the super rich hit the rocks amid the deepening financial crisis.

In an alarmingly fast reversal of fortunes for Ferretti, which has a star-studded client list including Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton, and Jennifer Lopez, its UK-based private equity owners are in talks to hire advisers for a debt restructuring.

The surprise move comes only a few months after Candover, which acquired Ferretti for $2.3 billion in October 2007, ditched a planned flotation of the Italian-based company on the Milan stock exchange due to the turmoil in financial markets.

Until a few months ago, sales were booming and profits hitting record levels at Ferretti, which specialises in luxury motor yachts costing $2m on average. Its owners are now bracing themselves for a sharp downturn.

Candover is in discussions with Rothschild to advise on a planned restructuring of Ferretti's $950m-plus debts. Candover, Ferretti and Rothschild declined to comment.

The drop in the $11bn-a-year super yacht market mirrors the end of a six-year boom in the art market, where prices dropped suddenly in the second half of 2008. As the world's multi-millionaires lick their wounds, many are pulling back from buying luxury items.

The resulting drop in demand is bad news for Ferretti, which owns the Pershing, Riva and CRN brands, and rival yacht-makers such as Princess, Sunseeker, Rodriguez and Sealine.

"It was a really quiet autumn and the credit crunch had a severe effect," said Simon Goldsworthy, a super yacht broker at Camper & Nicholsons in London. "The smaller the size of yacht, the more it has been affected."

"The most common call I am getting at the moment is 'have you got any repossessions?'" said Mr Goldsworthy. "But there have been more cancelled orders than repossessions, because it is easier to walk away than to default." Ferretti is seeking a chief executive after Vincenzo Cannatelli stepped down in December.

The company was started in 1968 by Norbert Ferretti, the chairman, who retains a big minority stake. It builds about 500 boats a year.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Chinese Laundry Online Sale


Chinese Laundry's private shoe sale is going on now till January 29th. To get the deal, simply enter the coupon code CLFRIENDS2009 during checkout and receive 25 percent off your entire order.

Happy shoe shopping!
www.chineselaundry.com

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

World's Hottest Billionaire Playgrounds


Where do the very rich go to indulge their expensive desires? Mustique, St. Tropez, and Maui to name a few.

Also on the list of billionaire playgrounds: The Maldives, where billionaires head to enjoy a system of coral reefs off the coast of India; the Hamptons, where mansions, quaint beaches, and pulsing nightlife mix at the east end of Long Island, N.Y.; and Palm Beach, Fla., where perfect year-round weather and beachfront mansions have attracted billionaires like Donald Trump and John Kluge.

Forbes teamed up with the Travel Channel to create this list of the world's top billionaire playgrounds. It will be featured on the first episode of "Forbes Luxe 11," which will debuted on the Travel Channel in December. Though the show is quite out of touch with the current state of the global economy, the shows often are a nice way to escape one's current state of affairs, even if just for 30 minutes.

To read more and see the list of billionaire playgrounds in pictures, click here.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Speidi Sighting in Palisades

Beach Girls were dining this Sunday at Cafe Vida in Pacific Palisades when we spotted The Hills duo, Speidi. Spencer Pratt was picking up some fresh OJ and smoothies, and rode off with Heidi Montag in their new Porche Cayenne. Where so sad this season of The Hills is over, but at least we now have The City.

Causes

At 25, the co-founder and president of Causes has created a vehicle for activism by leveraging social causes through online social networks. The result has been powerful - a visionary business model that's empowered 30 million Facebook and MySpace users to change the world. The Santa Monica, Calif., native began stoking his passion for politics and social progress as a social studies major at Harvard, where he was also involved in numerous grassroots causes. After graduating in 2006, Green founded Essembly, a non-partisan networking site dedicated to intelligent debate of topical issues. Causes registered 12 million users who had supported 80,000 nonprofit causes worldwide in the first year of its launch and raised $2.5 million for 19,445 charitable organizations.

How does Causes work? Registered Facebook and MySpace users can visit the Causes Facebook or MySpace page. There you can look for charitable organization in a number of categories, from animals, arts & culture, environment to political campaigns. Just by finding a cause and joinng the group, money will be donated to that charity. You can spread word about the organization by sending the cause to fellow Facebook or MySpace friends, and at any time you can donate money, buy gifts, and so much more. Check it our buy searching for Causes the next time you are on Facebook or MySpace.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/home

Saturday, January 3, 2009

It's Always Warm Somewhere


We love the new J. Crew catalog with its adorable cover and and floral Spring jewelry. Take a peak at what's new at www.jcrew.com.

Happy New Year


Best to you and yours in 2009!

Cheers,
Beach Girls

Friday, January 2, 2009

Emilio Pucci Sale


Visit Net-A-Porter for an incredible sale on beautiful Pucci caftans, maxi dresses and accessories. We love this Sundial ottoman top with shorts, white pants or even as a cover up for a long day at a posh hotel pool. See the full sale here.

Bermuda Turns 400


Commonly misconceived as a Caribbean island, Bermuda is actually an Atlantic one, with a location that’s closer to Washington, D.C. than it is to points south. As a result, like much of the northern United States, this balmy British isle kicks into high-season in summer — while other islands of its ilk are becoming too hot to bear. With its fantastic golf, charming historical cities, gorgeous bougainvillea, splendid pink-sand beaches, and endearing pastel-colored houses, Bermuda attracts a loyal following of repeat visitors. Plus, its proximity to the United States makes it ideally suited for a quick getaway — at around two hours from the East Coast, you can be there by lunch.

Why go in 2009? Bermuda turns 400 in 2009 (www.bermuda2009.bm) and is commemorating the historic event with a bevy of promotions and special events. Helping to bring affordability to the costly island is the Department of Tourism’s “Compliments of Bermuda: 400th Anniversary Offer,” which gives up to $400 credit towards air-and-hotel bookings made at select hotels (travel through March 31; book by March 27), as well as a “400th Anniversary Passport” savings booklet valued at up to $1,000. Meanwhile, event highlights include the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 in June and the Bermuda Festival For The Performing Arts in January and February. Also of note: The upscale, all-suite Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort & Spa (www.newsteadbelmonthills.com) opened its doors in early 2008, while the exclusive Tucker’s Point Hotel & Spa (www.tuckerspoint.com) is set to debut in April 2009.