Your Own Private Island

 

Have you dreamed of relaxing on your own private island, sipping a nice bottle of vino while listening to waves crash? Luxury Retreats makes this a reality (for at least a week) with Coco Prive, a private island in the Indian Ocean. So how can this 1.4 hectare island make your dream a reality?

Let’s start with the basics. Guests arrive via luxury yacht to "a place where no one can find you, and there is no one to hide from." Greeted by white sand beaches, the only thing you will need to worry about is how to live your dream. Want to learn about the plethora of marine life around you while snorkeling? The in-house marine biologist can introduce you to the resident sea turtles! If culinary is your delight, indulge in a Maldivian culinary masterclass or choose a bottle of wine from the expansive cellar to drink while gazing at the sunset over the Indian Ocean. The opportunities are endless on this private oasis with a dedicated staff to ensure anything you can imagine is obtainable.

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With unique properties like this and over 3,000 other professionally inspected luxury accommodations around the world, it is no surprise Luxury Retreats was recently acquired (Congrats!) by Airbnb. There you have it - there's really no excuse not to get your own private island now (at least for a week).

Enjoy Island Living!
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: Luxury Retreats

 

#dishwasherproblems

 

We all remember rolling up our sleeves and doing dishes as kids. But do you know many Asian-American families never outgrow this? Dishwashers in many Asian-American households are frequently (almost exclusively?!) only used as drying racks. Truth. We love how this cultural quirk has now made it to mainstream media on ABC!

Fresh off the Boat uses humor to shed light on different experiences of Asian-Americans and growing up in the 80's - and we love it. While in reality parents won't go so far as to tape over dishwasher control buttons to hide the machine's true identity as Eddie's mom does in this FOBT episode, the show is frequently spot on.

Whatever quirky customs you may have, we welcome that some of ours are on primetime TV - so we can stop explaining the double decker drying rack in our kitchen already :)

Happy Drying!
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: Buzzfeed

 

Empowering Women Across the Globe

 
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The 5th Annual Global Fund for Widows (GFW) Gala was a philanthropic evening filled with fashion, pampering, Egyptian cuisine and exclusive NYC experiences up for auction. We worked with GFW to ensure fundraising goals were met while producing a flawless event for dignitaries and influencers.

With so many exclusive auction items it was important each item be displayed strategically to maximize fundraising. So how did we display the unique items in a very limited space? Creatively! A Nespresso machine displayed on a colorful Egyptian side table, a Tulio De Sagastizabal painting balanced ever-so-carefully and Egyptian bowls strategically placed to raise luxury publications to ensure no item was overlooked. A special VIP cocktail hour gave guests time to peruse each item and start their mobile bidding while mingling with Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, UK Mission to the UN, Peter Wilson, CMG.

Guests dined on Egyptian cuisine while listening to heartfelt words by GFW Co-Founder Heather Ibrahim-Leathers, Author Kristin Meekhof, and Ambassador Peter Wilson which gave insight into the plight of young widows and the tremendously important work GFW is doing. After the emotional appeal, Brook Hazeleton, President of Christie’s Americas, brought out his gavel to start the live auctions to raise more funds.

The Global Fund for Widows is doing truly amazing work to empower young widows around the world with the means to take care of themselves and their families. We were truly honored to contribute to this cause.

Here's how you can help!
-DTE Team

 

Luxury from Baselworld 2017

 


The largest, and arguably most important, trade show for luxury watches and jewelry came to a close today. Held in Basel, Switzerland, dedicated watch lovers flock to BaselWorld to see horological innovations from large, established brand names to smaller, less known creators. What trends emerged during this year's 8 day extravaganza?

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It was a milestone year for many different timepieces. Omega went all out to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their Speedmaster series, creating a limited edition Speedmaster Moonwatch as well as showing off their Trilogy set. Patek Philippe honored the 20th anniversary of The Aquanaut line by creating the Ref. 5168G, a redesigned version of the classic with striking blue detail and white gold case which will retail around $39,000.

Smartwatches were out on full display, with well-established mechanical watch manufactures such as TAG Heuer or Mont Blanc integrating smartwatches into their product line. Samsung gave a nod to tradition with their Gear S3, which is a smart pocket watch.

Baselworld continued to create a more balanced picture than in the past. Luxury watch brands are re-adjusting their focus towards middle-class luxury products - while the price range seems to know no upper limit, many established brands are starting to offer lower priced but high-quality models to more mainstream buyers. The innovative German watchmaker Nomos Glashutte (one of our personal favorites!) introduced the Campus line aimed at students with an entry level manual watch for $1,500.

Whether you are a traditionalist, all about new technology, or on a budget, this year's Baselworld had something for you! 

Select your timepiece well!
-DTE Team

Photo Credit: Baselworld, Hodinkee, WatchTime