The event was a luxury connoisseur’s dreams and a perfect example of brands combining to produce an atmosphere of decadence. Luckily we had a video crew on hand to catch all of the action – ensuring that you can re-live a very special occasion at the click of a button.

The one dilemma with an evening of such luxury is that everything else can seem so…dull in comparison! However, there remain a few exceptions. The announcement this week of Richard Branson’s plans to travel to the very bottom of the earth’s oceans was one of those stories that grabs the imagination like nothing else. Space and sea – the final frontiers and now likely to be commercially reachable within a matter of years thanks to one of the word’s greatest and most prolific entrepreneurs. Richard Branson, we salute you.

Elsewhere this week we cover the launch of one of the most lavish and expensive books of all time. Giant-sized ultra-premium coffee table books seem to have proliferated in recent years and this latest by Kraken Opus – dedicated to iconic Formula One team Ferrari – could well be the most impressive yet. Not one to be read on the train, this mammoth tomb is intended almost as an ornament for the home – but prize open its pages and it’s not lacking in substance, either. We’ve featured the highest-end edition (as is our wont), which costs a whopping $275,000. Check it out, as it’s something special.

And that’s not all. We also feature an intriguing new fractional ownership concept for vacation homes that could make second-home owning financially viable for thousands more people. And even better, the guys running it promise that it’s economically insulated thanks to some complex business mechanics. Too good to be true? You decide.

We also feature a stunning new watch from Harry Winston, as well as a preview and a review of two of the world’s largest art and design fairs. Finally, we talk to the brains behind one of Europe’s best up-and-coming vineyards. Enjoy!

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