JustLuxe: Susan Kime Articles / News

President and CEO of Hasselblad, Michael Hejtmanek On New Lunar Camera Launch

Susan Kime — Tue, 07 May 2013 01:33:43 EDT

These days, most of us take the existence and use of a camera for granted. We can take good pictures on our iPhones, BlackBerries and any type of Smartphone. For those who want to take pictures with other cameras, there are many digitals and digital SLRS that take fine photos. But taking pictures with one of those cameras vs. taking pictures with a Hasselblad are two different experiences entirely....

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Moods, Metrics & Mindsets: 2013 Trends From Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America

Susan Kime — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:08:27 EDT

�2013 is and will be, a big spend year,� Dr. Jim Taylor, Vice Chairman, The Harrison Group, and main author of the 2013 Survey Of Affluence And Wealth In America, presented at the American Express Publishing Luxury Summit this week. �How can we forecast this?" he asked....

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M life Program Offers Ultimate VIP Experiences in Las Vegas

Susan Kime — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:18:40 EDT

Scarcity, legacy, and worth often define the essence of the luxury product, but it can also define the essence of the luxury experience. The rewards results of the MGM Resorts International M life program, The MLife Moments, are unique examples of the luxury experience. Not everyone can access them, they are memorable and they define a sense of worth, time, effort...

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Interview With Bob Shullman: An In-depth Look at the Luxury Market Today

Susan Kime — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:52:25 EDT

Though entitled Through The Looking Glass, Mr. Shullman�s extensive, clarifying survey has no relation to the Lewis Carroll book, where time moves backwards, and reality seems truly diffuse. In Mr. Shullman�s survey, affluent and luxury attitudes might also be considered diffuse, but quite clear in its presentation of four distinct low to high-end affluent mindsets; compared with the mindset of 61% of the American populace, who make less than $75,000 a year. One of the multiple take-aways is how different in buying behaviors and concerns affluent people are from each other, as well as from those of �average� means. The variables involve income levels of affluence, age, and gender....

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Interview With CEO & Managing Partner of YoungJets, David Young

Susan Kime — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:10:04 EDT

If the old saying, "success favors the well-prepared" is true, then David Young�s diverse background defines a kind of process inevitability�meaning, his prior experience led inevitably to this place where he is now: CEO and Managing Partner of YoungJets, LLC, a boutique jet charter services provider that covers global jet charter needs from strategy to launch to land....

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2013 Trends on Attitudes of the Ultra Affluent: Where, How & Why They Spend

Susan Kime — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:11:16 EDT

As with any news of how ultra high net worth is being defined and distributed in the world, there is good news and challenging news�and the latest Knight Frank Wealth Report 2013 has both....

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Only 23 Units To Be Sold at The New Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe

Susan Kime — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:02:42 EST

Kennedy Wilson, a significant international real estate investment and services company, and the new owner of the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, arguably changed the face of Lake Tahoe mountain living. The company unveiled three custom penthouse show homes designed by Jay Jeffers�named one of the country�s top designers by ELLE D�cor Magazine in 2011 and 2012�which were included in the grand opening of the 23 new Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe....

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The Philosophy, Paradox, and Poetry of Affluence Research Data

Susan Kime — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:16:10 EST

On February 4 of this year, David Brooks, The New York Times columnist and NPR commentator, who spends a lot of his visual and verbal time discussing the actions of the President and Congress, wrote about something in our area, which was a surprise. Called The Philosophy Of Data, his essay discusses what he sees as "the rising philosophy of the day" which he calls data-ism. It is, in his words, "the assumption that everything that can be measured should be measured; that data is a transparent and reliable lens that allows us to filter out emotionalism and ideology; that data will help us do remarkable things�like foretell the future."...

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A New Sensory Education | Karisma Hotels & Resorts Partners With Kendall-Jackson

Susan Kime — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:28:21 EST

Usually, food and wine events are dazzling displays of culinary artistry and ability�events where theory and practice become one. And, paired with great wine, these events create sensual reciprocities of taste, texture, and color; one taste working with others, often creating a savory taste synergy, called Umami�a kind of taste perfection�a word coined by the Japanese. But rarely do food and wine events define these things, PLUS a dual brand evolution of both hotel and wine. Yet this event, The first Jackson Family Wine Culinary Series, by Karisma, did all three....

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Interview With Bradford Rand, Founder of RAND Luxury & The Luxury Review

Susan Kime — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:46:04 EST

RAND Luxury is an international event-production company that caters to the world's finest luxury brands. Based in Manhattan, the RAND team produces The Luxury Review, a series of press/media showcases that feature the latest in high-end products and services. At these invitation-only affairs, hundreds of news media along with exclusive guests are invited to preview the latest for the affluent lifestyle....

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A New Economic Morning | Emerging Markets, Fiscal Cliffhangers & the Luxury Consumer

Susan Kime — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:53:19 EST

On December 23, 2012 while many were out doing last minute holiday crisis shopping, a Financial Times article was published that discussed the new, complex nature of the state of luxury fashion. The reason this article is so compelling is that, arguably, some of the concepts presented can be expanded to clarify issues regarding the state of our own economy, and how the luxury segment may be affected by the Fiscal Cliff....

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The World's First Philanthropic Vacation Club | Getaway 2 Give Collection

Susan Kime — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:46:13 EST

It started awhile ago when Adam Capes was the co-founder and president of a luxury residence fund called Equity Estates. This fund was, at the time in 2006, one of many playing in the destination club space, but Equity Estates had two exceptional differentiators: it was an equity based fund, where the members owned the homes they vacationed in (Right now, in 2012, it is the only equity based club that is successful, and still in existence). And second, was its philanthropic component, an unusual aspect to any destination club, back then....

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Own a Piece of Arkansas History With a Unique New Residence Club Concept

Susan Kime — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:09:59 EST

Private Residence Clubs have been around since the early 2000's�they were basic offshoots of the fractional idea, where the buyer becomes the owner of a fraction of the property, and is allowed to use it for an equal amount of time, expressed in fractions. If the buyer has a 1/10th share he has about five weeks of time at the property. The Private Residence Club is basically a high end, multi-amenity luxury fractional. They were popular at the outset, but with the decline in the economy, many did not survive. Those that did, however, are doing well....

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An Inside Look at What Really Goes Into Pearl Farming | Exclusive with Justin Hunter

Susan Kime — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:37:39 EST

Pearls often bring up memories of grandmothers, elderly aunts, and royalty� usually portrayed with beloved strands of pearls around their necks, which was a sign of being ladylike in earlier times. These days, however, pearls have taken on a new life, as they are worn in luxury jewelry by the Gen-Xer and the Millennial, as well. Pearls in translucent, dazzling colors, all natural, and in unusual shapes are often quite rare and expensive....

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Legacy, Scarcity and Worth at The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji

Susan Kime — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 06:41:23 EST

One area of agreement in the published 2012 affluence research is the three intrinsic dimensions of most high-end products: legacy, scarcity and worth. Legacy cuts two ways: for the vendor, it means having a great story associated with the product, for the buyer, it means having the product able to create substantial memories....

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Exclusive Resorts and Abercrombie & Kent Form a New Strategic Partnership

Susan Kime — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:38:20 EST

Exclusive Resorts�, a leader in luxury destination clubs for 10+ years, announced yesterday, November 26, 2012, that it would assume all operations of the Abercrombie & Kent�s Residence Club portfolio. It was also announced that Abercrombie & Kent is now the Worldwide Travel Experience Provider for Exclusive Resorts, providing members with access to private and independent travel anywhere in the world....

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Not So Fast! The Evolving Taste For Food Authenticity

Susan Kime — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 03:33:32 EST

It surely started with the Slow Food Movement, begun in Italy in 1986, that came together to resist the opening of a McDonald�s near the Spanish Steps in Rome. A few years later, the movement had a founding manifesto, and has grown exponentially in Europe and the United States. As of 2011, Slow Food USA has a membership of roughly 25,000 and more than 250,000 supporters. Notable members include Alice Waters, Eric Schlosser, and Michael Pollan. Slow Food USA currently has 225 chapters, with over 250,000 members. And what is Slow Food? It is a way of living that believes in a world where instead of choosing fast food, people eat what is good for them and the planet. The believe that good, clean, and fair food is a right, not a...

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Caviar Affair Magazine Moving in Exciting New Directions

Susan Kime — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 02:10:39 EST

Caviar Affair is a high-end, luxury lifestyle magazine that has been publishing four times a year since 2005. Its readership has grown exponentially year after year, for the top-tier ultra affluent, global population. According to the publisher, Polina Steier, Caviar Affair now has over 750,000 readers throughout the world, for both print and digital editions....

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From Fido to Phideaux | The Luxury Business of V.I.Pets

Susan Kime — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:11:40 EST

It wasn�t that long ago�and in many areas of this country and world, when dogs slept outside, cats slept wherever they could find a place, they ate dry food, and sometimes road kill. But something happened when pet owners moved from rural to urban and began accruing wealth....

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The Survey Of Wealth and Affluence in America, Q4 | Holiday Forecasting

Susan Kime — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 02:07:38 EDT

The Survey Of Wealth And Affluence has been in existence for seven years, and details the nuances of lifestyle and spending patterns of three groups of Americans. It is produced by American Express Publishing, and the Harrison Group, a YouGov company....

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Interview With Stephen J. Cloobeck on the Worth & Value of Vacation Ownership

Susan Kime — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:13:58 EDT

As with many ideas that have stood the test of time, the original idea of timeshare is a good one. It is the basis for mid level and high-end fractionals, for private residence clubs, and, arguably, for many equity and non-equity based destination clubs....

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Interview With Lynel Brown Berryhill, Vice President of Brown Safes

Susan Kime — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 02:21:45 EDT

If there ever has been two complimentary instincts in humans, they are to acquire, then to protect the acquisition. Safes have been in existence for as long as people had products they felt needed protection. And, as the high-end acquired assets as the world was becoming more unstable, the luxury safe business grew. Today, it is booming....

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The Art & Worth of the Residence | Another Dimension of Passion Investing?

Susan Kime — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:06:49 EDT

In Alain de Bouton's exceptional book, The Architecture Of Happiness, he argues that the idea of home relates to our own prized internal song. The concept of home, or residence, can be anywhere, but it must serve as a refuge "to shore up our states of mind,� and we need rooms �to align us to desirable versions of ourselves, and keep alive the evanescent sides of us."...

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Interview With New CEO of Keeneland Bill Thomason on the Yearling Horse Sale

Susan Kime — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 01:15:11 EDT

For those who are involved in high end thoroughbred horse racing, Keeneland is a household word. Selling more graded stakes winners than any other sales company, Keeneland is considered the Sotheby�s of horse racing. It is the premier marketplace for buying the next Kentucky Derby winner, as all of the top six Derby finishers from this year were sold at Keeneland�s 2010 Yearling Sale. This year, the sale begins on September 10, 2012....

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The Recession Hangover | Its Origins and Its Potential

Susan Kime — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 04:29:45 EDT

It has been called a Recession Hangover, an Emotional Recession, Stagflation, and even worse, an Invisible Depression, all descriptions of the now sluggish U.S. economy, and an apt descriptor of the recession of the global economy as well....

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