At $50 million, it was a bargain. That was what former taxi driver turned fertiliser billionaire Tamir Sapir was asking for the Duke Semans mansion, a landmark building situated on New York’s posh Fifth Avenue. Dating back to 1901, the seven-story building was once owned by tobacco heiress Doris Duke – and was bought by [...]

Discriminating oenophiles will flock to London’s Sotheby’s 27 January to bid on some of the most sought-after wines in the world. The Finest and Rarest Wines – An Outstanding Private Collection will off 949 lots on sale, including vintages from Chateau Lafite (one dating back to 1918), Chateau Margaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Petrus and [...]

France has a long history in creating luxury items, and the 18th century was no different. Evidence of this is the Objects of Luxury exhibition currently running at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. The exquisite porcelain created in France under the reign of Louis XV was exceptional in that it was soft paste – a [...]

“Fashion is for those without taste,” Coco Chanel once observed – a statement that can be made of designer watches: meant more to keep up with the latest fads than to keep time, these fashion trinkets pale in comparison to the creations of Robert & Fils. The Swiss watchmaker has been a family business for [...]