End of summer blues?  No way! This season it’s all about sleek camel, lustrous leopard and bold zebra. Just when you thought your fabulous summer holiday had come to an end, Karen Millen is here to take you on a chic urban safari with the launch of their wildly glamorous Autumn Winter 2010 collection.  A memorable adventure and surprise filled party are just around the corner.  Just remember to stay close…it’s a jungle out there!

Fierce Furs
Going out on the prowl?  It’s time to show off your glossy coat! This season Karen Millen presents a stunning collection of outerwear with beautifully cut coats, capes and jackets, all in luxe fabrics with opulent touches. A washed chocolate leather jacket is adorned with a muted gray shearling collar, a classic winter white tailored overcoat is given a modern update with military details and fur embellishment, and a sleek beige cape jacket is fitted with contrast edging and cut from specially woven double-faced wool.  Looking for something a little more untamed?  Slip into a beautifully tailored faux snow leopard coat or an edgy leather biker jacket topped with a shaggy Mongolian lambskin collar.

Natural Instincts
Ready to show your spots? Step out in an ombre grey leopard print cocktail dress with silver beading and antiqued sequins or a sleek lead grey jacquard pencil skirt with shimmering animal print touches. Accessorize classic pieces like cosy merino wool ponchos and tweed peg leg trousers with zebra studded suede heels and a camel clutch for a subtle animal effect. For evening, neutrals and safari colours get ready to take you out on the town in the form of champagne satin cocktail dresses, floral chiffon maxi dresses and tasselled mini-skirts embellished with burnished crystals and beading. Pair with black suede sandals fluttering with light chiffon petals and a petite evening pouch to complete the whimsical look.

Creatures of the Night
When the sun goes down on Thursday, September 16th, the Karen Millen store on Wellington Street will come alive with a spirited in-store Autumn Winter Collection Cocktail Party with one night only 20% discounts on everything in the store including the stunning new Autumn Winter pieces.  After you shop, sip, savour and socialize, take a walk on the wild side down to hot new spa STRIP, where you will be pampered with complimentary mini-treatments, vouchers, and products. Check your inbox for a formal invitation next week, or feel free to pre-RSVP to contact@dimsumandthensome.com.hk to secure your spot today.

If you thought this summer was wild, just wait ‘til you see your fierce new autumn wardrobe!

Karen Millen
56-58 Wellington Street
Central, Hong Kong
+852 2530 2092

Shop 1058, Elements
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
+852 2196 8282

You’ve got the piercings, own an impressive collection of leather pants, know your Fenders from your Gibsons and may have the odd tattoo etched every so daintily on your inner thigh.  Rockstar?  Yes. You. Are!  But finding fellow rockstar-worthy players in Hong Kong hasn’t been easy to come by.  Until now.  Starting on September 8th, legendary heritage venue, The Pawn, together with Nisha Parmanand and Tanya Bennett, bring you Pawn to Rock. Every month, this free-entrance gig will feature bands fronted by the city’s savviest  and most dashing CEOs  who don suits by day, but are rockers by night.  Kick-starting this high-brow rock event will be an all star line-up including headliners, Uranus. The five members of this celebrity rock band include Dominic Lau, the face of E! Entertainment Asia, on drums and Tigergate CEO William Pfeiffer on vocals. Other members include Ocean Vista films CEO Craig Leeson, Siren Films CEO Ed Bean, and Branded CEO Jasper Donat. With their debut album, Plugged, currently being recorded, this band is set to maximum wattage and is ready to set the stage alight.

All you need to do is start practicing your stage dives and bring out those leather pants!

Pawn to Rock

Wednesday 8th September, 2010 from 9pm onwards
The Pawn
62 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
T: +852 2866 3444
E: reservations@thepawn.com.hk / info@thepawn.com.hk

Thursday, September 9th, 6:00 – 9:00pm

Ready to fall head over heels? Treat your tootsies and your tastebuds to an exquisite evening as Rupert Sanderson presents the Autumn-Winter 2010 Collection Launch Event on Thursday, September 9th from 6:00 – 9:00pm. Sip champagne, feast on mouthwatering canapés, discover the supremely elegant Autumn-Winter Collection, and find your perfect pair with one night only featuring an exclusive VIP discount of 10% (15% if you buy 3).

There’s nothing like you’re first time.  The anticipation, the nervous energy, the rush of excitement when you know you’ve found the one and nothing else might ever compare… Slipping into your first pair of Rupert Sanderson’s is an experience like no other.  (What did you think we were talking about Miss Naughty Mind?)

The cult British shoe designer has brought his much beloved label to a beautiful boutique on at 8 On Lan Street, Central and is ready to wow Hong Kong’s shoe loving stylistas with his stunningly spirited Autumn-Winter 2010 collection and a well heeled party to match.

Trained in London and Italy among some of the world’s finest craftsman including Jimmy Choo and Sergio Rossi, Rupert Sanderson remains one of the last true luxury brands where each and every product is crafted by hand in the brand’s own factory in Italy, embodying traditional Italian craftsmanship with a distinctive avant-garde design. Sanderson aspires to make the most beautiful, versatile and comfortable shoes that money can buy. His design philosophy is simply “less is more,” avoiding over-dressing and with a focus on perfecting the balance and symmetry of the shoes to ensure that every pair – from edgy patent biker boots, to coy python kitten heels and foxy five-inch velvet peep toes – is both jaw-droppingly beautiful and comfortable enough to walk in.

A firm fashion editor favourite with a devoted following of celebs including Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Yeoh, Rupert Sanderson’s Autumn-Winter collection is set to make headlines with splendidly elegant styles paired with sumptuous materials and rich hues. Autumn comes alive with berries, midnight blues and blacks, and subtle metallics, velvets and patterned splatter suede. Romance, passion and adventure take center stage in the form of pumps with pleating and infinity knots inspired by 1940’s cabaret head dresses, while riding boots of the finest calf leather and shearling are fastened with signature brass buckles inspired by the original Lewis Leathers biker jackets. Camel, tortoiseshell, and grey python pumps are fabulous transition pieces from summer’s open toes to fall’s party season, while black velvet peep toes, burgundy suede mary jane pumps and aubergine suede booties are the perfect pieces to complete any winter holiday ensemble.

Ready to fall head over heels? Treat your tootsies and your tastebuds to an exquisite evening as Rupert Sanderson presents the Autumn-Winter 2010 Collection Launch Event on Thursday, September 9th from 6:00 – 9:00pm. Sip champagne, feast on mouthwatering canapés, discover the supremely elegant Autumn-Winter Collection, and find your perfect pair with one night only featuring an exclusive VIP discount of 10% (15% if you buy 3). Please RSVP to contact@dimsumandthensome.com.hk to secure your spot.

We have a feeling that after the first time, you’ll be returning for more!

Rupert Sanderson
8 On Lan Street
Central, Hong Kong
+852 2530 3391

Saturday, September 25, 2010, 8pm till 12 midnight

W Hotels, known the world over for their glam urban havens, has taken their chic style and uber-cool vibe to some of the world’s most stunning beach locales — the Maldives, which has been raising the bar on island glamour since 2007, and Bali and Koh Samui, which are set to wow the world’s jet-setters, coming up soon. If you haven’t yet made it to the W’s Retreats, not to worry!

This month, party on the jaw-dropping 76th floor pool deck on Saturday, September 25, from 8pm – midnight at the W’s VEGAS REHAB PARTY..

Tickets are HK$240 per person, inclusive of two Absolut cocktails or a glass of Perrier Jouët Champagne, and HK$2,600 per table inclusive of 4-entry tickets with a bottle of Absolut Vodka and Perrier Jouet Champagne. Please email wetparties.hk@whotels.com or call 3717 2222 to reserve your spot.

Looking for a knight in shining armor whose rippling muscles are outshined only by a heart of gold? Look no further than the Vanda IFS White Collar Boxing Event at the Intercontinental Hong Kong on Saturday 4th September 2010. Having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities throughout the region through these events, some of Hong Kong’s hottest and most fit professionals are stripping off their suits and facing off in the ring once again to benefit the Children’s Surgical Centre, which provides much needed surgeries to disfigured and disabled children in Cambodia.  Get out your most debonair black tie and dazzling gowns for a night of glamour, revelry and heated action. Among the seven gripping fights taking place, the evening’s highlight will see Toby “Tornado” Dodd defending his WWCBA title for the first time in Hong Kong against 5-Star Bilal Al-Ali, who has become something of a boxing celebrity in Asia over the past few years.  Who will win?  It promises to be a fight to the finish with the children of Cambodia as the ultimate benefactors. As for you, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy a gourmet feast while the evening’s adrenaline-charged drama unfolds. Your white knight awaits!

Vanda IFS White Collar Boxing
Saturday 4th September 2010
InterContinental Hong Kong
HK$2000-2,400 including 4-course dinner and unlimited drinks
Tickets: tickets@vandapromotions.com

You’ve always thought you’d make a rather fabulous secret agent.  The glamour, the danger, the secret codes, the far-flung locations, the accents… it’s a life lived furiously and decadently in the fast lane where reality pales in comparison.  Well if you didn’t quite make the cut at MI5, your time has finally come. Rumor has it there are a select few private kitchens around the city that are getting taste buds excited and senses enlivened all over town.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find these secret hotspots and reveal their identity to your closest counterparts. . .

THE LAB by Commune

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a restaurant?  Now’s your chance to find out! Set above one of the city’s most thriving hotspots Posto Pubblico, THE LAB by Commune, a unique industrial test kitchen turned private dining haven, has quietly opened its doors and is set to revolutionize the food scene in HK.  Among stainless steel walls and state of the art professional culinary and laboratory equipment, THE LAB presents a chef’s table experience like no other.   Ascend the midnight black staircase and take your seat in the heart of the action, where you will be treated to eight mouthwatering and tantalizing courses that will take you on a journey of culinary innovation and global taste sensations.  In creating THE LAB, Celebrity Chef AJ Bellarosa wanted to highlight his international gourmet experience alongside power players like Jean-Georges and Joel Robuchon, while creating dishes that feature hand selected delicacies from around the world along with locally grown produce from the company’s Homegrown Farms in the New Territories.  The urban, edgy industrial laboratory setting is softened with luxe touches like Bernardaud china and Spiegelau stemware, while the menu offers a range of unique culinary innovations that will take your taste buds on a wild adventure. Each dish offers more than meets the eye with Eggs on Toast featuring truffled scrambled eggs, crème fraiche, chives, and Ossetra caviar, a Kuroge Wagyu Beef accompanied by charentais melon, soy pudding, Sichuan peppercorn and yuzu sugar and a Miso Glazed Sablefish served with ponzu daikon radish, fava bean puree, sambal veal jus, and shiso chips. But don’t forget to save room for the house-baked bread and innovative desserts, which are made from scratch using traditional methods as well as a heaping spoonful of love and attention. The price for this one-of-a-kind 8-course mouthwatering menu is HK$1,488 and can be paired with hand selected wines for each course for HK$1,988. Whether you’re a foodie, a science buff or just love to be where the action is, it’s time you head to THE LAB.  (1/F, 28 Elgin Street, Central, Hong Kong, info@communelab.com

Ta Pantry

Wish chez toi had a beautiful dining table, adorable outdoor terrace, amazing wine fridge filled with rare bottles and an impeccable state of the art kitchen? Feast your eyes and your tastebuds on a meal at Ta Pantry, your new private home away from home. Former model turned chef Esther Sham (nicknamed Tata, hence “Ta” Pantry) is waiting to tempt your palate with one of five different set menus ranging from succulent Japanese to sizzling Shanghainese to hearty New American.  Her dishes are based upon a love of French cooking fused with a taste for all things exotic.  Her latest menu L’Indochine features well thought out culinary sensations such as Hokkaido Scallop Green Mango Curry Roulé sitting on sea urchin foam, Citrusy Crabmeat Ravioli served in lemongrass scented chicken jus, Iberico Pork Cheek tenderly cooked with star anise, topped with mint infused pineapple and served with sauce de bleu.  A hand created Coco Balsamic Linguine tossed with exotic mushrooms has the wow factor while a dessert of Red Wine Poached Pear Crumble dappled with tapioca and served with tiramisu ice-cream shows this chef’s love and prowess among all things sweet and sumptuous. The various five course menus are priced at HK$500 per person, while the perfect pairing for each course can be chosen from Esther’s brother’s (who’s a wine importer) fabulous international selection, which is displayed right there in the dining room.  Why not reach over and grab your favourite bottle? Aaah, there’s no place like home! (Flat C, 1/F, Moonstar Court, 2D Star Street, Wan Chai, 2521 8121)

You’ve tried, you’ve tasted and you’ve given the seal of approval.  Move over Miss Moneypenny, there’s a new secret agent in town.

Let’s play a little game.  Start on Lyndhurst Terrace, currently your go-to spot solely for the bank, bagels and coffee. Now close your eyes, (no peeking!), count down from ten, and go look for what’s new on the scene…

HYDE
Your summer holiday has seen you flitting between Lily Pond in the Hamptons, Pacha in Ibiza and Les Caves Du Roy in St. Tropez.  But just because the close of summer is near doesn’t mean the party has to come to an end.  Just in time to welcome you home, Hyde, HK’s newest member’s club and lounge will be opening its doors.  The twelve thousand square foot duplex space has been styled as an urban New York loft, and is home to a full-scale nightclub as well as a swanky bar and lounge.  Day will roll into night in Hyde Lounge on the 3rd floor as recklessly long lunches lead to countless games of pool followed by hours spent with cocktails shooting the breeze on one of the three open-air terraces.  While night will roll into day in the 2nd floor Club where house DJs Robin, Ulysses and Doze with be joined by international stars, taking dance floor mania to new heights in HK with two oversize LED screens showcasing kicking videos and art projections to complement the stellar sounds. A redeemable annual membership fee of HK$18,000 will afford you F & B credit for the full amount, access to a private lift, members only VIP section and exclusive wine cellars and bar, plus, complimentary pool-play and a few welcome bottles of Moet.  Opening day is September 2nd, so that should give you a couple of days to recover from the summer’s antics and get off your…hide! (2 /F & 3/F, Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2850 6283, www.hyde.hk)

STRIP
A perfectly shaken martini, a fresh off the press issue of Vanity Fair, a late breakfast in bed with your hottie du jour…there are certain things you just can’t help lingering over.  While others in fact, like your monthly bikini wax, you’d prefer to have done in a flash.   Say hello to STRIP: Ministry of Waxing, the globally acclaimed waxing institution which has just opened its doors in Hong Kong and guarantees you’ll be set for Sao Paolo in 15 minutes flat.  Already making waves in Singapore, London, and New York, STRIP brings its famous Berry Chocolate Wax and almost pain free technique to HK’s bikini babes (and boys!) this month.  Local waxperts aka striperellas were sent to Singapore on an intense 1-month training program to learn STRIP’s unique method and mantras and are ready to calm even the most fearful Brazilian virgins with hilarious STRIP books and the company’s monkey mascot squeeze toys. This 3-floor den of hip urban spa style also sells its signature pre-and-post wax care products like Peppermint Body Scrub and Ice Cream (not I Scream!) soothing care as well as exclusive international cult product lines including the full range of Malin + Goetz. The walls are adorned with a collection of modern wax paintings, hand created by one of the directors for each of the 27 locations, while surrounding signs remind guests they are in good hands with statements like ‘over 2 million bushes pruned’.  STRIP’s eyebrow-tastic sister spa Browhaus is set to open in September. But before then you are invited to take advantage of special 50% off promos on Brazilians for first time visitors until August 31.  Hey, with the fab products, ambience and service at STRIP, you may even want to linger there for a little while after all! (G/F, 17 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2845 0838, www.strip.com.hk)

Three, two, one. Ready or not here, we come!

Think you’ve had the best beef in town?  Would you bet on it? THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill at the InterContinental is raising the steaks on the city’s food scene with the introduction of home “dry aged beef” to their much adored menu.

Sink your teeth into Canadian Angus Porterhouse Steak, aged 35 days, Japanese Wagyu Beef Strip Loin, aged 14 days, or US (Nebraska)Strip Loin, aged 21 days.  Not just your average cut of the deck, only the best pieces of well-marbled meat are chosen to undergo the dry-aging process, which both intensifies the flavour of the beef and provides a rich, buttery taste. Think you’ve got a good hand? Try adding one of 9 distinctive sea salts from around the world or one of 12 mustards and garnishes that will send your tastebuds into a sensory overload.  Want to go for a royal flush?  Order one of their heavenly desserts from melt in your mouth bread and butter pudding to molten chocolate cake to decadent apple crumble.  Looks like you’re in it to win it!

THE STEAK HOUSE winebar + grill
InterContinental Hong Kong
18 Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
+852 2313 2323

Mornings spent lounging in bed with coffee and pastries long after the sun’s come up, afternoons whiled away in the gardens or stretched out on the sand, and evenings flitting between intimate alfresco dinners and sizzling soirees. Aahh…there’s nothing like a summer holiday.  Whether you’ve already spent weeks in the Riviera but could use one more glam weekend away, or have been in HK all summer and desperately need a stint of divine decadence, the editors at LUXE City Guides have given us their latest top picks for fabulous last minute summer getaways. From blissful Barcelona to sultry Singapore to bold Berlin, your saucy summer fling starts now!

BARCELONA
Hotel – Hotel Omm
The only soul searching you’ll do at this minimalist lifestyle ship will be to check out the Gina heels in the mwah lobby bar. Blissful rooftop pool, swish eat Moo, and Spaciomm spa. Want to find out more? Click here.
Restaurant – El Magatzem Del Port
The sun is shining, the boats are bobbing, you’re chilling on the terrace, the wine flows, the seafood and paella is really rather good and the passing parade look on in envy. (+34 932 210 631)
Bar – Bar Marfil
Designer Kelly Hoppen waves her style stick over the Murmuri Hotel’s Bar Marfil, filling it with folding screens made of black oak rings, aquamarine sofas and Rococo armchairs, but it’s the primo terrace for watching the passing parade that really stars. (+34 935 500 606)
Spa – Six Senses Spa
Hell’s Bells, Maria, if the endless views don’t impress, then the chromotherapy and steam rooms, vitality pool and sundeck sure will. Add to that hot stone facials, four-handed and scalp mud massages, plus access to the swimming pool and you’ll never want to leave. (+34 93 221 10 00)

BERLIN
Hotel – Soho House
Hot hedonist hotel chain-cum-members-only club Soho House lands in the cool Mitte district. The 40 rooms and suites in a late-Bauhaus building sport a velvety, country classic-meets-Berlin edge. Add to that a sceney bar, cinema and Cowshed spa, and Italian resto Cecconi’s opening soon and it’s Wunderbar! (+49 30 40 50 44 -0)
Restaurant – Café am Neuen See
Essential in summer, this café is the mid-park hang. Enter the Bavarian garden to escape from the hustle and bustle of Berlin’s city life and indulge in great lakeviews and icy cold draft beer. (+49 30 2544 930)
Bar – Saphire
Cluey locals love this back-to-the-future den of fluid lines, nutty woodgrains and mighty cocktail list. Go wild on its rare stock of whisky and original cocktails or sail safe with the classics at this trendy yet cosy bar. (+49 30 2556 2158)
Spa – Club Olympus
Viewtastic cosmo p-leisure pen with steam, massage, treatments using Ren and Aveda products, and even tai chi, or just pop in for the glassed-in pool and gym. (+49 30 2553 1234)

SINGAPORE
Hotel – Klapsons
CBD funkster with Milanese design, Jetsons flash and corp sensibility. Compact rooms sportbare-all glass bathrooms, as well as free Nespresso machine, minibar and wifi. (+65 6521 9030)
Restaurant – Barracks Café in Dempsey House
Playful, airy chill spot with vintage chairs and garden terrace for brunches and hip tipples later. (+65 6475 7787)
Bar – Breeze
Book ahead for a tented table in this lush tropical rooftop glamour kitten atop saucy Scarlet Hotel for pre or post sips. (+65 6511 3323)
Spa – Spa Botanica
Refined contemporary interiors with lush tropical gardens, waterfall pool and alfresco mineral mud bath. It’s well worth the trip to Sentosa. (+65 63711318)

Whether you’ve spent the morning sipping lattes in Singapore, the afternoon gallery hopping in Berlin or the evening dancing ‘til dawn in Barcelona, when the lights go out, you always dream in LUXE.

For even more hot summer tips and tricks, check out LUXE City’s Guides constantly updated and always witty and fabulous LUXEtasy blog. And don’t forget to pack one of their bespoke summer hot boxes with guides to the top 5 cities on your wish list.