solairus aviation blog

There’s no doubt that you look great as you fly from destination to destination on your private jet vacation. But, does your scent match your lifestyle? The high-life is all about first impressions, and the following luxury fragrances will help make sure that you dazzle all the senses:

Amouage

Founded a quarter century ago by the Sultanate of Oman, the scents offered by Amouge reflect the sweet and spicy traditions of the founder’s Middle Eastern culture. The Sultanate’s goal is to create the most opulent fragrances in the world for the most discerning customers. To this end, the Amouage House hired French perfumer Guy Robert, who is renowned for his work with Hermes, Dior and Chanel. No expense is spared in the making of Amouage fragrances, which include rare ingredients like silver frankincense and over 100 natural essential oils. In addition to the classic Amouage Gold fragrance for men and women, the collection also includes Memoir, Interlude, Honour, the Library Collection, Lyric and Epic. (http://www.amouage.com/)   

Clive Christian

Making the world’s most expensive perfume, Christian Clive took over the British Crown Perfumery in 1999. The Perfume House was already was well known for its signature crown logo, and Christian Clive revived its values by enhancing the fragrances with the “most precious natural ingredients from the corners of the British Empire.” Consequently, Christian Clive’s vision led to making of the No 1 Perfume in the Definitive Collection, the most expensive perfume in the world. This fragrance features Indian jasmine, Tahitian vanilla, rose, sandalwood and mandarin in a crystal bottle that’s set with brilliant-cut diamonds and the signature Queen Victoria-inspired stopper. The No 1 Perfume is also available in limited edition luxe bottles. (http://clive.com/en/perfume/page/slideshow)

Lalique

In honor of the Art Nouveau glass and jewelry artist, René Jules Lalique, the Lalique family continues the tradition of creating stunning jewelry, chandeliers, hood ornaments and couture perfume bottles. When François Coty hired Lalique in 1905 to create bottles for his signature scents, the world was introduced to the idea of perfume as art. In 1992, the Lalique family revived its artistic bottle-making production, using the René’s original works as inspiration, and filled the vessels with their own fragrances for men and women. The Lalique fragrances are as alluring as the crystal falcons in which they come. The numbered and signed limited edition falcons feature amethyst and dragonfly toppers, the carved figures of Aphrodite, the Buddah, a scorpion and an eagle, as well as miniature mural-like pieces of art carved into the crystal. (http://www.lalique.com/en_US)

Puredistance

With scents created by master perfumers Annie Buzantian and Roja Dove, Puredistance is an independent company that offers four exclusive fragrances in its Master Collection that you can only find in a few specialty stores around the word. The scents created by the New York and London Master Perfumers are handmade to ensure quality, and blend timelessness with modern elegance to embrace the luxury of premium, simplistic design. The company’s signature scent, Puredistance I, embodies understated elegance with tangerine blossom top notes, magnolia heart scents and a sweet white musk and amber base. (http://www.puredistance.com/)

What is your go-to scent? Is it the same one that you pack in your private jet travel kit?

About Solairus Aviation:

Solairus is a full-service aviation asset management company that provides clients with expertise in acquiring and operating a wide range of private aircraft.

Solairus Aviation is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has over twenty-five base locations across the United States and Europe. Solairus is an Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-rated charter operator with a fleet of over 50 managed aircraft. After completion of an intense operations and safety systems audit, the ARG/US Platinum rating has only been awarded to 5% of the world’s charter operators that have demonstrated that their procedures meet or exceed industry “Best Practices” in all phases. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, visit www.solairusaviation.com or call 800-359-7861.

It’s no secret that Italy is home to some of the world’s finest craftsman, jewelers, designers and ateliers. But, you can’t just have something that’s stamped with the phrase “Made in Italy,” and call it good. To epitomize la dolce vita, look for opulent pieces created by authentic designers of the most opulent Italian designers. Take a private jet to italy and look for these treasures!

Pampaloni

From bespoke tables for private jets to hollowware to tabletop accessories, Pampaloni, named after the famed Italian sculptor, offers refined products that are best known for their recognizable designs. Pampaloni gathers its inspiration from classic Italian artists and eternally memorializes their works in fine metals. Pampaloni’s Florentine jewelers have passed down their skills from generation to generation to ensure the consistently beautiful craftsmanship that you can see in museums around the world and the homes of the most affluent. (http://www.pampaloni.com/)

Nardi

A Maison family business that has been making Venetian-style jewelry since the 1920s, Nardi is among the world’s most elegant jewelers and is known for capturing the Italian spirit. Founded by Giulio Nardi, the original pieces made were inspired by the Venetian goldsmiths of the 18^th century. But, what placed Nardi on the map of high society was the 1931 reinterpretation of the Moretto icon.  With celebrity clients like Grace Kelly, Earnest Hemmingway and Paola of Liège, Nardi continues to use the most opulent raw materials to make luxe jewelry, wearable natural art, home accessories, collector pieces and custom-made gifts. (http://www.nardi-venezia.com/en/)

Bottega Veneta

Founded in 1966, Bottega Veneta (meaning “Venetian Atelier”) is best known for its artisanal leather goods and the signature intrecciato leather-weaving technique that it developed. Popular among the private jet set crowd, Bottega Veneta was acquired by the Gucci Group in 2001. Since then, the brand’s collections include furniture, home items, small leather goods, shoes, handbags, luggage, home fragrances, ready-to-wear apparel and gifts.  To continue the tradition of artisanal craftsmanship, Bottega Veneta opened the Scuola della Pelletteria in 2006 to train and support future Italian leather workers. (http://www.bottegaveneta.com/)

Murano Glass

Coming from the Venetian island of Murano, Murano glass dates back to the 7^th century. By the 10^th century, the city was famous for the glassmakers who made the unique materials. The craftsmen refined murrine techniques and technologies to make items like crystalline glass, aventurine (glass with gold threads), smalto (enameled glass), lattimo (milk glass), imitation gemstones and the signature millefiori (multicolored glass) that reveals layered, flower-like patterns.  To make sure that a product is authentic Murano glass from the island of Murano, look for the red and gold or blue and gold Verto Artistico© Murano sticker with concessionary company’s code at the top. (http://www.muranoglass.com/)

Rina Menardi

Making ceramic goods since 1980, Rina Menardi has studied the art of stoneware-shaping and explored color schemes to create her line of “living accessories.” All the pieces in Menardi’s collections are handmade and characterized by simple lines so the pieces look anything but mass-produced. The smoothness and colors of the pieces give them a serene faux bois feel and look so they’re as functional as they are aesthetically pleasing. (http://www.rinamenardi.com/)   

Cassina

About Solairus Aviation:

Solairus is a full-service aviation asset management company that provides clients with expertise in acquiring and operating a wide range of private aircraft.

Solairus Aviation is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has over twenty-five base locations across the United States and Europe. Solairus is an Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-rated charter operator with a fleet of over 50 managed aircraft. After completion of an intense operations and safety systems audit, the ARG/US Platinum rating has only been awarded to 5% of the world’s charter operators that have demonstrated that their procedures meet or exceed industry “Best Practices” in all phases. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, visit www.solairusaviation.com or call 800-359-7861.

Whoever said that looks don’t matter has never ventured into your world. Whether you’re at the office, cruising the skies in your private jet or at a soirée, the feeling that comes with wearing a fine suit is unparalleled.

To add the ultimate wow factor to your wardrobe, here are some suggestions to get you started: 

Stuart Huges

Known for making diamond-accented and gilded gadgets, Stuart Huges partnered with tailor Richard Jewels to make one of the most expensive luxury suits in the world—the R. Jewels Diamond Edition. At £599,000 (just over $967,000 USD) in 2012, it takes over 600 hours to build this opulent suit. When you slip it on, be prepared to feel the lusciousness of the silk-blended, cashmere wool fabric and shine with 480 single cut, 0.5-carat diamonds. As a reward to the owner of the suit, Stuart Huges offers an all-expense paid trip to St. Lucia. To get your hands on this dazzler, act fast—only three were made. (http://stuarthughes.com/newdawn/product_info.php?products_id=91)

Brioni

Known for dressing 007, Brioni’s Vanquish II line features handmade suits in 14 different styles. The luxe line features rare fibers like qiviuk, vicuna and pashima (some of the most expensive materials in the world), and each suit has 42 stages of ironing, 18 hours of craftsmanship and 10 hours of hand-sewing. Talk about attention to detail. There are only about 100 suits from the Vanquish II line in the world, and getting your hands on one of these rarities will set you back around $43,000. (http://www.brioni.com/)

Alexander Amosu

First gaining fame for crafting ringtones, Alexander Amosu used his earnings to tailor a bespoke line of luxury suits. One of his first creations qiviuk and viuna wool suit was crafted for an anonymous buyer in 2009 for $103,000. Using over 5,000 stitches and nine 18-karat gold, pave set diamond buttons, the suit takes over 80 hours to craft. To make sure the masterpiece arrived to the mystery buyer safely, Amosu delivered the custom apparel in an armored luxury car. (http://www.alexanderamosu.co.uk/en/)

Kiton

Kiton’s Italian suits truly stand out from the rest because of the manner in which they’re crafted—designer and tailor Enzo D’Orsi makes them himself. From meeting with clients all over the world to take their measurements to sewing the materials himself, D’Orsi  takes charge from steps A to Z. Each of the made-to-measure suits in the K-5 collection takes over 50 hours to make, uses merino sheep wool from New Zealand and Australia and come with the price tag of  $21,000 to $50,000. (http://www.kiton.it/index1.html)

William Fioravanti

William Fioravanti is a New York-based outfitter that comes from a long line of Italian tailors. Along with ready-to-wear suits, Fiorvanti offers made-to-measure custom creations that can cost up to $20,000. The bespoke aspect of the suits means that in addition to being custom-made to your liking, they’re also made on-premise by person who takes your measurements. This means that no two suits are the same and your desires don’t get lost in the shuffle of paperwork.  Each suit uses 200-count fine fabric and it takes about 50 hours to make each one. (http://www.williamfioravanti.com/)

About Solairus Aviation:

Solairus is a full-service aviation asset management company that provides clients with expertise in acquiring and operating a wide range of private aircraft.

Solairus Aviation is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has over twenty-five base locations across the United States and Europe. Solairus is an Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-rated charter operator with a fleet of over 50 managed aircraft. After completion of an intense operations and safety systems audit, the ARG/US Platinum rating has only been awarded to 5% of the world’s charter operators that have demonstrated that their procedures meet or exceed industry “Best Practices” in all phases. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, visit www.solairusaviation.com or call 800-359-7861.

As the days start getting darker and there’s a chill in the air that you can no longer ignore, it’s time to stock up on the season’s latest warm clothes and haute accessories. If you have to brave the bitter cold as you walk across the tarmac from your FBO to your private charter jet, it doesn’t hurt to look your best!

Sweaters

The sweater is a wardrobe essential. This year, lace, pop art, trompe l’oeil, frills and peplums help make knitwear into statement pieces for women this season. For men, it’s all about sophistication, simplicity and lush fabrics, like cashmere.

Women, layer a collared shirt with the new intarsia grey knit with an image of a fox from Aubin & Wills. For something warmer, the merino-wool offering from JW Anderson is an eye-popping chunky knit in black, red and cream. Miu Miu gives you a feminine sweater this season in the form of a sky-blue knit and jeweled collar. But for the evening, go with the finer black wool-blend knit with an embellished light peach collar. To wrap yourself in opulence, look to Valentino’s black wool-cashmere blend with a flattering peplum at the waistline.

Men, the new French cashmere company Exemplaire personifies this season’s fashion for men. Established by Jean-Victor Meyers (the grandson of L’Oréal’s Liliane Battencourt) and Louis Leboiteux, the line features comfortable garments that will remain fashionable through the years. The hand-sewn sweaters come in a handful of neutral earth tones, some with elbow patches or lambskin insets. Also available are rare fabrics, like the kind found on the hooded sweater made of cashmere and chinchilla.  Have your personal shopper place an order quickly—Exemplaire only crafts 30 to 50 pieces of each garment.  (http://www.exemplaire.com/en/)

Umbrella

An umbrella is merely a shield from water droplets until you possess a Burberry umbrella from the Prorsum collection. With a handle made of brass, the Italian-made “walking” umbrella features Italian craftsmanship and wooden or gold-plated handles made to look like the head of a duck, pheasant or hound. If animals aren’t your thing, opt for the sartorial walking umbrella with a hand-stitched studded handle.  (www.burberry.com)

Handmade Slippers

When your private charter jet is stocked during the fall and winter months, make sure to include a pair of bespoke My Slippers made of velvet, wool or linen, and soft leather soles. Available for men and women, you can choose from a square or round tongue, a selection of colors and trims, and an embroidered monogram or motif.  (http://www.myslippers.co.uk/)

Women’s Scarves

While everyone still loves Alexander McQueen, Vassilisa is the new popular kid on the block who only caters to the world’s most exclusive retailers. As the 2012 British Fashion Council ELLE Launch Pad Award Winner, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss are gracing the glossy pages of magazines wearing the Italian-made, limited edition scarves made from natural silks, cashmere and modal. This season, the fashion industry is buzzing about the Foxes Masks & Tails Print, Snake Print and Mink & Tails Print scarves. (http://www.vassilisa.com/)

Men’s Shoe Boots

Guys can stylishly keep their feet dry with the ultimate, must-have accessory of the season—the shoe boot. From classic oxford styles to patent leather, the shoe boot is versatile enough to wear at the office or with a weekend outfit. The patent leather lace-up boots from Fratelli Rossetti, for example, look like patent leather dress shoes when paired with a suit. Trade the suit for a pair of jean to make the purple undertones tastefully pop.  The Silvano Sassetti textured Bordeaux-and black lace-up boots from Bergdorf Goodman are slightly textured for a snakeskin-like look, but have a marble-like smooth polish around the toes and ankles.  Forgo the laces all together with the sleek shoe boot from Yves Saint Laurent. The zipper on the side makes it simple to kick back and relax quickly.