The King's Speech and the History of the Tommy Glass

Tommy Glass

The movie The King's Speech is up for 12 Academy Awards and has contributed to renewed interest in the early 20th century and the life of King George VI. The glasses shown above are an example of how designs from that period still resonate today. The Tommy Glass is one of Saint-Louis Crystal's most iconic pieces. Created in 1928 in honor of the British "Tommy" soldiers, Saint Louis Crystal named its new emblematic collection, "Tommy." The collection debuted at a 1938 dinner honoring King George VI of The Kings Speech. The luncheon was held in the hall of mirrors at The Palace of Versailles and eleven glasses were set in front of each of the two hundred guests (as shown in the photo at right). Queen Elizabeth was in attendance with her father. The Tommy glasses are still being made in the same careful handcrafted way and are now available in a palette of eight colors showcasing Saint Louis' various crystal cuts including diamond, pearl, olive, and star.

Saint-Louis's history started before the invention of crystal (the addition of lead to glass). It was founded in 1586 Lorraine, France and is one of Europe's oldest cristalleries. At the beginning of the 19th century, Saint-Louis became very popular with French society, and won many awards. Most recently, in 1995, the company was purchased by Hermes, in the effort to keep this French craftsmanship alive and still flourishing in France. Since the beginning almost nothing has changed in the production process. After 10 years of apprenticeship, which is usually generational, passed from father to son, to grandson, the new craftsman can begin working with the masters. Each piece is mouth blown and later cut by hand and no two pieces are exactly the same. A variety of Saint-Louis Crystal's jewel-like wares are available at Michael C. Fina. The colorful glasses shown above are $470 each.

Eva Longoria Spotted in Miami on Utopia III Superyacht

Utopia Superyacht

Desperate Housewives stunner Eva Longoria was spotted in Miami over Super Bowl weekend enjoying a romantic rendez-vous aboard the 150 ft. Utopia III superyacht (above). Barely a week after her divorce from Tony Parker was finalized, she was seen making waves with 25-year-old Spanish singer Eduardo Cruz, actress Penelope Cruz's younger brother, the London Daily Mail reports. There were on the yacht as guests of cosmetics mogul Loren Ridinger, who hosted a Super Bowl viewing party.

Built by Trinity Yachts in 1999, the Utopia III has accommodations for 10 guests in addition to nine crew – not that we're implying Eva and Eduardo shared a bunk, though they did spend the night on board. The yacht has been in the news before thanks to Kim Kardashian strutting around the decks in a bikini. Longoria first sparked rumors of a romance when she was spotted with Eduardo at her Los Angeles restaurant Beso in October; Eduardo was then seen leaving Eva's house on Christmas Eve.

Most Expensive Olive Oil

Most Expensive Olive Oil

Studies have shown benefits for those suffering from ulcers, heart disease and high cholesterol. Of course, it’s also one of the most expensive cooking oils.

The most expensive olive oil in the world is called Lambda and is produced by Speiron Co. in Greece. The oil is labeled as an “Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil,” and the Koroneiki olives used to make Lambda are harvested by hand and first cold pressed to produce a fruity and well balanced flavor. The oil is even packaged by hand in an attractive 500 ml bottle.

Ordered directly from Speiron, Lambda costs US $54 per bottle or US $200 in a special gift box. For the truly extravagant, Speiron offers a bespoke, hand-crafted case with two 18k gold plates one of which, along with the bottle, bears the owner’s name for a price of US $14,698.

Your Vintage Purses，Gucci and Christie's Will Help You To Sell Them

Gucci Vintage Bag

We think anyone with a vintage Gucci bag would be crazy to unload it, but then again, if the price is right...

Launched earlier this year, Gucci Collector Presented by Christie's is a unique online service that will appraise your Gucci handbag and perhaps even help take it off your hands. Simply upload photos of your goods, and within two to four weeks, you'll get an auction estimate based on the careful examination and assessment by an expert panel, including members of Christie's Gucci Archive Department. According to Fashionista, the service—the first of its kind for Christie's—has already received over 600 submissions from 25 countries.

Furthermore, you can also find out if your bag is right for a Christie's auction, or if the auction house or Gucci is interested in the bag for its own archives.

We actually have a vintage Gucci purse, circa 1970s, which we plan on uploading to the site for appraisal. We'll report back with details of the full submission, appraisal, and perhaps even sale process—only if the price is right.

Gucci Techno Horsebit Cellarius Metallic Medium Hobo Bag

Gucci Techno Horsebit Cellarius Metallic Medium Hobo Bag

Plain bags may not bring much appeal to many, but if you are to think practically, you know that you’d always be able to carry it around even for years. Gucci handbags are known for its simple and kind of plain design, and this Gucci Techno Horsebit Cellarius Metallic Medium Hobo Bag is another addition to their list.

Indeed, this Gucci Hobo looks plain, yet good thing it comes finished with subtle sheen since it is made from metallic leather. I love how the color is done on this bag; since aside from looking neutral, it also sets a modern vibe to it. The hobo only has stitching that is vertically placed on the front to create design, though there’s still their usual tassels and bamboo detail hanging on the side along with a luggage tag.

Ralph Lauren’s Luxury Denim Doesn’t Look Like Denim At All

Ralph Lauren

It was really only a matter of time before Ralph Lauren got into the luxury denim game. After all, there’s not a more classic American designer that Lauren, and there’s not a more classic American wardrobe staple than blue jeans.

But while the clothes in his Ralph Lauren Collection Denim line skew classic, they’re not exactly the kinds of clothes you’d think would be made out of denim. Sure there are jeans — but there would have to be in order for it to be a denim line. Beyond that, there’s a tuxedo, suits, trench coats and jackets treated to look like leather.

And it’s all motivated by a woman who is chic, wants to wear jeans in a chic way, and can ostensibly afford the $300 to $2000 suggested retail price. Lauren said at a private preview on Monday:

“You see jeans for kids, but you don’t see them for women who want something more sophisticated,” he said. “I thought there is a woman out there who wants to wear denim. Denim is not the newest thing in town, so the question is, what’s new?” he said, scanning the lineup. “This looks new. I think it’s a real new category. I was very excited about this category, because I feel that it hasn’t been done before.”

And that’s true — we’ve never seen a denim tuxedo look this good. Have you?

Rolex and Cartier Submariner Watch

Rolex Cartier Submariner

We have earlier told you about the luxurious diving watches, including the Swiss Military 20,000 Feet Diver watch. And if that is what you would call taking it a little further, then check out this $100,000 Submariner watch from Rolex for Cartier. Though it sure is a collector’s piece for the watch lovers, splurging out $100k for this does not make any sense unless you want your wristwatch to save you and still survive the pirhana attack.

These extremely limited edition Rolex watches were reportedly available at Cartier on Fifth Avenue in New York City for a very limited period of time. The other one that exists, the Rolex Double Red Sea Dweller signed by Cartier, was sold for an equally ludicrous $91K price tag at an auction. And, Fourtane in Carmel, CA, is selling this rare piece along with original Cartier archive papers with date of sale and picture in addition to red Cartier original box.