LIFESTYLE
HOW TO BUY A EUROPEAN CASTLE
The Hamptons market has been slow to warm up this year; Connecticut mansions are on the discount rack, as are Catskills farms and Miami condos. It’s a “buying opportunity,” as they say, in the second-home market—which means that someone lucky enough to have a no-limit budget can now have the palace of his or her dreams. Literally. “Having your own castle in Europe is a coup,” says Tine Arentsen Willumsen of Engel & Völkers’ Private Office. No kidding.
Not that there aren’t challenges—airfare and commuting time among them. Renovations are difficult—Helga van Horn of Posh Journeys, another specialist, estimates that you’d spend 2 million euros fixing up that German starter castle, and fourteenth-century tiles are tricky to source. Staffing is expensive, too. “It’s like buying a yacht,” says Willumsen. “There’s a lot of maintenance costs.”
Waking Up to the Yawns: Young and Wealthy but Normal
They’re called Yawns – young and wealthy but normal.
Yawns are like Yuppies Version 2.0 – updated for an environmentally-conscious, philanthropy-crazed age. Whereas yuppies were materialistic, shallow and elitist, Yawns are supposed to be altruistic, down-to-earth and globally aware.
The ultimate status symbol for a Yawn is a personal foundation, rather than a private jet (though many have those, too). The Yawn uniform is jeans, a recycled T-shirt and charity bracelets. The patron saint of Yawn-hood is Bill Gates, with people like Jeff Skoll and Pierre Omidyar also flying the Yawn banner.
For public entertainment value, Yawns are relatively useless. They can be rather dull – doing good deeds, staying relatively private, raising good kids. It’s much more fun making fun of Donald Trump’s hair or Larry Ellison’s yacht. (The Wealth Report)
RUSSIAN SALE: Versace’s lakeside villa in Italy has been sold to a Russian multimillionaire. According to sources, restaurant entrepreneur Arkady Novikov paid around 35 million euros, or $55 million, for Villa Le Fontanelle in Moltrasio on Lake Como. Australia’s Sunland Group Ltd., Versace’s partner in the Palazzo Versace Hotel project, is believed to have brokered the deal. A Versace spokeswoman declined to comment, saying it was company policy not to speculate on matters unrelated to the business. The 18th-century mansion was a Versace family asset. Sunland could not be reached for comment. A favorite haunt of artists, writers and aristocrats for centuries, Como has soared in popularity since George Clooney bought his 18th-century villa down the shoreline in Laglio in 2002.
INVITATION TO UNVEIL THE WORLDS’ MOST EXPENSIVE ICE PICK
AMY WINEHOUSE MAKES TIMES RICH LIST
Following a year of personal instability, battling drug addiction and seeing her husband jailed, coupled with consistently bad press, Amy has silenced her critics after making the 2008 list with an estimated worth of £10 million.
The list, to be published this weekend, shows Amy is one of a handful of singers making their first appearance in the list’s Young Music Millionaire’s category.
NAOMI FLIES AGAIN
The supermodel yesterday flew to Brazil (on TAM Airlines, incidentally), to raise awareness of Dengue fever – a deadly mosquito-born disease that has so far infected 55,000 people, killing 67, in the country’s worst epidemic in 50 years. Campbell will appear at a blood centre in Sao Paolo to highlight the crisis. (British Vogue)
Photos- Getty Images
- Ivana marries again.
The top most desirable women of 2008 has been released. You knew Kim Kardashian would make that list. Didn’t you??
NAOMI BANNED FROM FLYING BA.
A British Airways spokesman declined to comment, saying: “We do not comment in detail about matteres relating to individual passengers.”
He added: “All incidents of abusive or disruptive behaviour towards fellow passengers or staff are taken extremely seriously and will not be tolerated. We deal with cases on an individual basis and take appropriate action where necessary.”
However, sources confirmed that the model is no longer welcome on BA flights. A spokesman for Miss Campbell said: “Naomi has been flying with BA for nearly 30 years and has been a good customer. She hopes this can be resolved amicably.”
It was not the first time that the model had been involved in a disruption at Heathrow.
In September she was reportedly seen swearing at airline staff in front of dozens of passengers after being told she could not board her flight to New York because she arrived just 11 minutes before take-off.
She also allegedly lost her temper in Bogota airport in Columbia in 2005 after bags containing her designer dresses and shoes were mistakenly sent to Houston, Texas. The model, who had just flown in from New York, threatened to get on the next flight out of the country if the problem was not sorted out.
Serves you right Naomi, you should not have been caught dead flying commercial anyway. Don’t you have friends who can loan you their jets or hitch a ride on someones private plane?.
THE REAL STAR OF SEX AND THE CITY
The real star of the new SATC movie is Timmy Woods or rather, Timmy Woods handbags, specifically the “Eiffel Tower”. His kitschy handbags are a welcome relief from the hardcore elitist fashion handbags by Vuitton,Chanel etc. I dont know how much of Carrie is in me (probably none) and if I would actually use the handbag but it certainly elicited a nice gasp from me when I saw it.
When you are done with his handbags, you can use them as decorative pieces. Trust me, I dont know of any other handbags you could do that with, without looking somehow pathetic.
Well, the wait is almost over. What will they say and most importantly, What will they be wearing?? Hurry!!!
