Many people worry about the future, oftentimes to their own detriment. When you’re extremely wealthy, your ability to fund your darkest fears can lead you to some odd places. Like a reinforced bunker with 12-inch thick walls, a rifle range, a gym, an archery field and one of the world’s largest fountains that you share with 2,000 other like-minded people. Let us explain.
What happens when a new product is too luxurious for its own good? JP Morgan Chase found out the hard way with its new Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa card, billed as “the American Express Platinum Card for millennials.” Who knew that a credit card could create a frenzy akin to Karl Lagerfeld’s collection at H&M?
Attending a film premiere or a “special screening” of a new movie is one of those magical luxury experiences that somehow never gets old. You can’t buy your way in; you have to know someone or work in the business to get invited. The stories one can tell the next day are invaluable social currency. And the people-watching is unrivaled — even better than hanging around the pool at the Château Marmont. If experimental luxury is your thing, this is one of the better experiences to aspire to.
Nike launched the HyperAdapt, its first self-tying shoe, at the beginning of December – some in the press heralded the long-awaited moment as “Back to the Future 2” finally coming to life. And it’s hard not to smile at the thought of magical shoe laces: animating prosaic objects into self-determined, chatty and charming companions has made Disney a fortune (NB: Frozen, Beauty and the Beast). So it’s hard to imagine how Nike could go wrong with this idea, even at the rather ambitious price point of $720 per pair. Surely version 2.0 will be able to chat with you as you prepare to head out for a run, and perhaps even coach you as you exercise.
Don’t you just love Thanksgiving? The holiday is, for many people, one of the most-anticipated of the year. Special family foods and gatherings, a kitchen full of laughing amateur chefs (some not tall enough to see over the counters), the scent of a roasting turkey and stuffing, multi-faith church services, football, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, sandwiches made out of leftovers – what’s not to love? But can it be made into a luxury experience? And should it be? It all depends on how you define luxury, dear reader. Our far-flung correspondents are sharing their inside tips on how to make the holiday exactly what you want it to be.
