Monthly Archives: March 2014
Cancún-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival 2014 Photo Diary
Fresh from Cancun, I had the pleasure in attending the third edition of the Cancún-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival. Over the course of four days across seven different resorts, attendees could partake in events such as the conference series (which featured renowned New York-based, French chef Daniel Boulud who talked about his inspiring career path and about the future of cuisine), tastings of wine and spirits from California, Argentina and of course Mexico, and countless delicious and beautifully displayed bites from all over the world to fill everyone’s culinary curiosity.
The Gourmet Tasting Village at Moon Palace was the place to be for two days of Mexican cuisine from local restaurants (such as La Casa del Agua, Cocina de Autor and Alquimia), resorts (such as Palace Resorts, Le Blanc, ME and Nizuc), the local culinary school (El Instituto Culinario de Cancún) and food and drink brands. While I couldn’t bring back the food with me (if only!), I was able to snap hundreds of photos. Get a food porn photo sampling below of the tasty goodies at this year’s CRM Wine & Food Festival:
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Music Download: Sia’s Soaring “Chandelier”
Everyone’s already living for Sia’s latest single, “Chandelier”, and it’s only been online a couple of hours. With the talent of putting out pop hits left and right, whether she’s singing or writing them, the lead single for her upcoming sixth album shows off Sia’s range of vocal talents with mellow verses and a powerful, soaring chorus. Sia sings about what should sound like a very relatable night out (or several handfuls) that we’ve experienced or planned on experiencing to escape life and celebrate the now. Listen to “Chandelier” below:
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Street Style: How To Add Some Dandy Flair To Your Look
In this street style feature for Out magazine, wandering near Columbus Circle I spotted a jazz musician who rocks a faux fur collar overcoat that he found at a thrift shop. He pairs it with a marled gray turtleneck sweater and heritage Tommy Hilfiger boots, adding a touch of dandyism to his outfit with a paisley print scarf.
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A Scent For Mankind – Kenneth Cole’s New Fragrance
Kenneth Cole’s latest scent is geared toward the refined, modern, and evolving man, and you can see more about these men in a video below. Their characteristics were taken into consideration when coming up for the scent, which resulted to one of aromatic and woodland qualities.
The fragrance, in a clear bottle with leather covering on the side and on the cap, opens with pineapple (briefly), tarragon leaf, cardamom and ginger, and then moves into cinnamon and sandalwood among other greens. A classy scent that isn’t too strong, Mankind is a good candidate for your everyday office fragrance, and will help ease you into spring. 3.4 oz, $72, Kenneth Cole
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4 Niche Museums To Visit In Europe
Sure you can visit Paris’ Lourve, London’s British Museum and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, but what about a museum dedicated to the dog, gelato, surfing in the UK and the music group ABBA? From a Details online article I wrote in summer, after hearing that the Swedish band ABBA got its own museum I noticed there was a spike in offbeat and niche museums popping up the past year and half. Check out the European selections below, and the full collection here.
Gelato Museum Carpigiani (above)
Where: Bologna, Italy
“Italians have been enjoying their fancy ice cream longer than you might think. It was even served at 16th-century Medici parties. You can learn more about the dessert in this new space, located just outside the city of Anzola dell’Emilia, near Bologna. After an hour-long tour spotlighting the history, culture, and production of Italian ice cream, visitors get to sample modern versions of 19th-century recipes. Hard-core gelato lovers can even take cooking lessons at the Carpigiani Gelato University.”
The Museum of British Surfing
Where: Brauton, United Kingdom
“Although Hawaii, California, and Australia are renowned hot spots of surf culture, the sport has been popular on the U.K. coastline of North Devon for over 200 years. Art lovers will appreciate the collection of 50 surfboards, some made as long ago as the early 1900s.”
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Street Style: Dressing Smart With A Statement Coat
In this street style feature for Out magazine, wandering near Fifth Avenue I spot a sales associate named Bryan who was sporting a stylish square print overcoat by 3.1 Phillip Lim. Bryan dresses it smartly with his Louis Vuitton suit and tie, and dresses that down with a pair of sky blue Vans.
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Make A Footwear Statement With Eastland x Mark McNairy Spring 2014
Teaming up again for a preppy-meets-street footwear collaboration, Mark McNairy is designing for Eastland’s Made in Maine collection. The collection has three new styles in a few different color options, with McNairy offering camo detailed options available for each style. Bold colors will be included for the added statement value, and along with the Ripley USA horsebit loafer style above in brown with camo, another favorite is the Falmouth USA boat option in canary yellow below:
The collection will be available in various retailers and online starting mid-March. See another color option of Falmouth USA style below, and the Mercer USA Chukka boot style:
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Must See: The LINQ & Its High Roller Ferris Wheel In Las Vegas
The High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel, has officially opened and has been lit up for all the Las Vegas Strip to vast in its neon glory. Standing at 550 feet, it changes the city’s skyline just as the London Eye did 14 years ago over across the pond.
As part of The LINQ by Caesars, it is the key concept in the project of an outdoor area that is now filled with (and will continue to add) new activities, shops, dining options and nightlife. The LINQ will span more than 300,000 square feet, with a pedestrian mall running about one-third of a mile from Las Vegas Boulevard to the High Roller.
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Outfit: Pattern Play
Showing you how to use trends from New York Fashion Week, my friend Ben and I styled him with a bold oxblood biker jacket over some power pattern clashing featuring a mini floral print shirt from Club Monaco and a fun butterfly jumper from Topman LTD. Ben’s slick-backed hair was perfect, adding that extra cool factor to the look, and we accessorized with shades from Warby Parker and Hudson’s brogues.
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Must Have For The Smart Traveler, Tumi’s Alpha 2
Kicking off our new Must Have series, Tumi welcomes an upgraded collection to the luxury travel brand. The Alpha 2 line is a collection of 19 products smartly designed for a lighter and spacious journey with each trip taken, and if you’ve owned a piece from the previous Alpha line, you’re in for over 30 upgrades to the design—depending on the style selected. Noticeable upgrades include:
- Tumi’s lightest ballistic nylon, which they introduced 30 years ago are known for.
- Reinforced frames with heavy duty, lightweight stitching and impact resistant corners.
- Newly designed 360° wheels that are recessed into the body of suitcases to provide more stable navigation and a little extra room in the interior.
- Three height options for the lightweight, aircraft-grade aluminum handle.
- A durable and stealthy Lever Lock Expansion System, which can securely provide two-stages of expansion—with up to two and a half extra inches of packing space. #winning!
Pictured above is the Extended Trip Expandable 4 Wheeled Packing Case, selected for its two toned color option (to make an extra statement while traveling) and as it is one of the luggages with all the upgrades. Though if the color choice becomes available for the International Expandable 4 Wheeled Carry-On option, that would be my pick a the must have from the collection. See more of Extended Trip option below:
Vee Travels 