Gifts de luxe
Christine Carrillo
All I want for Christmas is ruby and diamond necklace made with
more than 37 karat Burmese rubies and about 48 karat white diamonds
set in 18 karat gold and platinum from Black, Starr & Frost at South
Coast Plaza -- is that too much to ask?
Well for me, that’s about $435,000 too much to ask.
While I, and many of my financially challenged counterparts in the
area, may never be able to afford the feel of such an extraordinary
piece of jewelry, there are quite a few people in Newport-Mesa who
can indulge themselves with such luxurious items while the rest of us
can only dream.
So here’s an opportunity for you dreamers to indulge your
fantasies while the rest of you get out your holiday gift lists and
start writing.
First comes first. If your going to efficiently compile a gift
list you’ll certainly need a pen.
Not just any pen, however. You’ll need a Meisterstuck Solitaire
Royale Fountain Pen from Montblanc at South Coast Plaza. After taking
nine months to make just one, the pen, which is encrusted with 4,810
flawless and brilliant, individually set pave diamonds totaling 232
karat total weight, is sure to manifest your writing eloquence to a
Shakespearean level. Well, one would at least hope, after paying
$125,000 for it.
But if a fountain pen isn’t enough to drive your wish list,
perhaps you’d prefer a six-month-old 575M Maranello F1 Ferrari from
Ferrari and Macerate of Orange County in Costa Mesa. How do you like
red?
For only $235,000 to $280,000, you could have your very own
custom-made Italian automobile, which can technically reach speeds
exceeding 200 miles per hour. But, you’d never be tempted to test
that speed around these parts, i.e. Pacific Coast Highway -- right?
While this exotic mode of transportation with its F1 type shifting
(the first of which has ever been used on a road going 12-cylinder
Ferrari) two-seater may answer the desired call of those individuals
able to operate vehicles, the much younger gift wishers may be
longing for an entirely different ride.
If you fall into that category, head over to This Little Piggy
Wears Cotton at Fashion Island and saddle up on a caramel and white
or black and white hand crafted rocking horse for only $200. Even
though, a rocking horse rider may quickly exceed the necessary
jockey-like stature, the leather trimmed, brushable mane and long
tailed, sturdy wooden rocking horse is sure to add to the decor of
any boy or girl’s room.
Adding to the decor of a room is well worth a pretty penny, and
there’s no better way to spice up a den or office than with an
elaborate globe.
So if your really looking for a global statement look no further
than Benchley Luggage Ltd. at Fashion Island. There you’ll be sure to
find a lush supply of Replogle 38-inch floor globes for $7,000.
Standing on a mahogany base this globe, which lights up and follows a
simulated rotation of the Earth, will certainly make a standing
impression.
And making an impression could be as easy as spending $1,100 at
Bottega Veneta at South Coast Plaza for the bohemian looking yet
luxurious Italian nappa leather fringe handbag. Yes, that was a
“fringe” handbag.
While that bag certainly challenges your money clip as well as
your fashion sense, it certainly doesn’t demand that which a black or
tan leather golf bag by Gianni Versace does. There, $3,100 will
provide you wishful golfers a stylish place to put your pricey
putters.
As sporting equipment enters a new phase in designer fashion,
those athletes more interested in ocean swells than challenging
greens should move away from South Coast Plaza and head down to
Froghouse in Newport Beach.
While they carry long boards ranging from $500 to $700 and short
boards that usually sell about $400, the individual shaping, color
customizing and added accessories are really where the increased
expense lies.
But if finding your own accessories seems too much work, you may
prefer to find a fully accessorized item -- and what item is more
fully accessorized then Barbie. Having at one time been NASCAR Barbie
and Coca-Cola Barbie, there’s almost nothing she hasn’t done. Now, as
part of the Grand Entrance Collection, an African American Barbie can
be found dolled up in an original Carter Bryant design for $80 at
Puzzle Zoo in South Coast Plaza.
From men to women, boys to girls, finding luxurious and elaborate
items to add to your ever increasing wish list seems a tireless task
but when has spending money, either literally or metaphorically, been
tireless.
After the exhausting search for extravagant gifts there seems no
better way to rest than slipping in to something more comfortable --
like a pair of mink slippers from Between the Sheets at Fashion
Island. Lined with natural mink both inside and out, these $159
slippers will comfort your feet with a bit of luxury.
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