Haute Couture week kicks off in Paris this week, with all major brands confirming their presence, yet, at a much smaller scale. Crisis have prompted the following measures : half the number of models, smaller venues, half the number of attendees. One of the most suprising participants is Christian Lacroix which is currently under brankruptcy protection and desperately seeking solutions to restructure. ... read more

American based CRABTREE & EVELYN has been enjoying a growing worldwide success since it was set up in 1975 in Massachusets. With the current economic crisis the company seems to have realized that its concentration on the U.S. market has been excessive and that is why, it is heavily affected by the exposure to the U.S. market. Its rival competitor, French based LOCCITANE have instead pursued an ... read more

International hotel chain Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc. agreed to cooperate with a group of companies DeVision (previously - First Ukrainian Development, Kiev) on the management of the hotel, located in the town of Koncha-Zaspa (Kyiv region). The five-star hotel in Koncha-Zaspa will be branded Le Meridien.

To date DeVision continues to negotiate with a network of Starwood Hotels ... read more

CPP-LUXURY.COM, Business of Luxury portal launches new EMIRATES campaign for ICE, its ultimate inflight entertainment system.

information: Follow the progress of your flight, or take in the view from the aircraft’s external cameras. Keep in touch with live business, news and sport headlines from BBC News, and read up on Dubai and Emirates®.

communications: Phone, SMS or ... read more

Quintessentially, the worlds leading private members club and concierge service, today announced the launch of their Blackberry city guide application, providing both members and non-members of Quintessentially around the world with exclusive access to a wealth of insider and specialist travel content, anytime, anywhere.

Quintessentially offers 24 hours concierge services to its ... read more

Market sources have confirmed recently that the local partner of MONTBLANC will open late this year a monobrand flagship location in Bucharest, on high street Calea Victoriei, within the shopping gallery of GRAND HOTEL CONTINENTAL Hotel. The boutique is due to open early 2010. The boutique will occupy approximately 150 sqm. Currently, Montblanc has a small boutique (aprox 50 sqm) on Magheru ... read more

Romanian Airlines TAROM has launched a series of summer packages at luxury hotels in several top destinations:

MALLORCA - PORTO ADRIANO RESORT 7 nights at EUR 986 (including direct flights + hotel)

TENERIFE - SHERATON La Caleta Hotel - 7 nights at EUR 906 (including direct flights + hotel)

ANTALYA - CONCORDE RESORT Lara - 7 nights all inclusive from EUR 863 (including flights ... read more

Troubled Italian luxury brand VERSACE fights for staying alive these days, with heavy debts in all its divisions and a new CEO expected to make miracles. However, there are still loyal customers, VERSACE being the favorite brand of the rromas (gypsies) in Romania. From decorating tomb stones in cemeteries (gold statues and ornaments bearing the medusa, the Versace brand symbol) to wedding dresses and ... read more

Romanian privately owned hotel chain CONTINENTAL owned by businessman Radu Enache annouces officially on its website the re-opening of its flagship hotel The GRAND HOTEL CONTINENTAL at a five star rating, follwing extensive renovation and restoration works. The hotel has began recruiting its staff as early as March 2009 and the commercial gallery of approx 200 sqm has been rented 80%. There have ... read more

Crisis seems to be deepening at major Italian independent luxury company DOLCE GABBANA. The Italian press reports major key account buyers in Milan have been pleasantly suprised by the move of the Italian brand to give up advance payments at orders. ... read more

In a recent interview to the media, KRIS VAN ASSCHE, the designer at the helm of the Mens collection of CHRISTIAN DIOR, annouced his determination to change the style of the DIOR HOMME collections, from the androginous man to the beautiful man. Van Assche too over Dior Homme at the end of 2007, after Hedi Slimane who many blamed for the poor performance of the brands man line. To stress the new changes at ... read more

Bucharest, much like other Eastern European capitals is presenting a challenge to luxury fashion and accessories brands having no dedicated street or area for luxury products. Therefore, brands have chosen compromise locations, unfortunately scattered all over the center of the town, the compromise high streets being Calea Victoriei, Calea Dorobantilor and Magheru Boulevard. Most of the existing ... read more

UPDATE Bulgarian media inform today that 10 of the 105 Bulgarian registered BENTLEYs are Romanians. There is no information available on whether these owners have already been checked by Bulgarian fiscal authorities. ... read more

Solmar Group, which is owned by an Israeli businessman, seems to have found a buyer for the largest luxury fashion multi-brand store, VICTORIA 46, on Calea Victoriei. VICTORIA 46 distributes CHRISTIAN DIOR, CHLOE, YVES SAINT LAURENT, BALDESSARINI without having exclusivity.

Two months ago, market sources have informed that Solmar has evaluated Victoria 46 to 1 millions euros and is looking ... read more

All 105 Bentley owners in Bulgaria are investigated for possible tax evasion and other fraud as part of efforts to curb rampant corruption, the countrys revenue agency said today. The revenue agency statement said it will investigate the sources of income of the Bentley owners and appoint audits if checks proved there were discrepancies between declared incomes and actual assets held. The statement made ... read more

Grand Hotel du Boulevard, owned by Romanian businessman Nicolae Dumitru (best known for ownership of Dragonul Rosu shoping complex) is a historical downtown hotel which has been under renovation for more than 4 years. The initial opening estimate was early 2009, yet due to the highly exposed residential real estate businesses of the group is currently uncertain for a completion date. Market sources ... read more

VERSACE Group is present officially in Romania through a franchise store of its VERSACE JEANS COUTURE line. The store which had been opened on Calea Victoriei more than 3 years ago, will close at the end of June 2009. The owners, a Bulgarian/Romanian company blame the current market conditions but mainly the unfortunate choice of location. The shop is located on a corner building with all its main windows ... read more

One of the top players of the worldwide luxury watch industry, swiss company TAG HEUER launches 2 new models of luxury mobile phones. Ranging from EUR 8.900 to EUR 30.000 the Meridiist phones are available in select stores of Tag Heuer worldwide, in some areas selling on order. The phones are covered in diamonds and feature aligator skin backs. Currently, Leonardo di Caprio is the official image bearer of ... read more

Chief Executive Officer Angela Ahrendts said luxury demand is leveling out as the market slowdown nears its first anniversary. "Things are stabilizing," Ahrendts said in a Bloomberg Television interview on the sidelines of a luxury-goods conference in Monaco yesterday. "They’re not getting any worse, they’re not getting significantly better." The market got "really bad" in September ... read more

June 23rd 2009. DOLCE GABBANA launches its official online store for the D&G line. The new virtual store brings a number of novelties, most important being its integration into FACEBOOK and TWITTER, with customers being able to share directly comments on any item on sale. The web site also comes with exceptional tech tools, such as a revolutionary zoom system to view products in greatest ... read more