Every week The Sybarite collates its pick of the hottest luxury news into bite-size chunks. In this week’s edition, we cover Prince William and Princess Kate’s visit to Paris, Burberry’s new hire from Dior, the new Viceroy hotel opening in Dubai and Roger Dubuis’ new boutique at Harrods.
Burberry hires accessories director from Dior
With 40% of Burberry’s revenue generated from accessories, the British luxury brand knows the importance of keeping that area strong. Current CEO Christopher Bailey (pictured) has hired accessories specialist, Sabrina Bonesi, as design director of leather goods and shoes. She will oversee the bags, shoes and accessories for both the men’s and women’s collections. This is not the only new hire the house has made recently, however, as new CEO Marco Gobbetti will join this year. Net-a-Porter’s co-founder, Claudia Plant, will also come on board for a newly recruited role.
Prince William and Princess Kate make first official trip to Paris
Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made an official two-day visit to Paris. Their jam-packed schedule included a meeting with President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace and meeting military veterans and victims of last year’s terror attacks at the Parisian landmark Les Invalides. The royal couple also visited the Musée d’Orsay, which houses the world’s best collection of Impressionist paintings. The pair ended their trip by watching a rugby match: France vs Wales.
Luxury resort Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai to open
A new 477-room beachfront resort located at the base of the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah is set to open on March 31. Overlooking the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai Marina Skyline, the glamorous resort features 10 drinking and dining establishments and a 1,675 sqm spa. All of the bedrooms will have their own balconies, spacious Greek and Italian marble bathrooms complete with rain showers and 42-inch LCD televisions. The four-bedroom villas feature their own private plunge pools and whirlpools as well as exclusive access to the hotel’s very own yacht.
Roger Dubuis to open new flagship boutique at Harrods
Geneva-based luxury watch brand Roger Dubuis is set to open a flagship store in Knightsbridge’s Harrods, the renowned department store in London. The new opening in one of the largest luxury retail spaces in the city signifies an ascension for Dubuis in the world of Haute Horlogerie. Moreover, two unique and exclusive timepieces will be available in the new boutique, one being the highly coveted Excalibur Knights of the Round Table timepiece and the other the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument.
