Material Wealth
The materials chosen for the 2019 Infinity QX50 are the result of a design process that started with the designers’ first sketches of what would eventually become the 2016 QX Sport Inspiration concept car.
With a range of natural materials – genuine leathers and open-pore woods – Infinity created a luxurious space quite unlike any other.
Japanese handcraft is subject to two unique approaches to design: ‘mitate’ (pronounced “mee-ta-teh”) and ‘shitate’ (“shee-ta-teh”). These techniques complement one another, encouraging and enabling craftspeople to imbue their work with an elevated sense of artistry. These philosophies served as the inspiration for Infinity’s design approach of the QX50’s interior.
The result is a luxurious cabin, both in terms of its material quality and its design execution. The 2019 Infinity QX50 starts at $36,550. www.infinitiusa.com.
Luxury Tunes
New York City-based audio company Master & Dynamic partnered with Louis Vuitton to create a collection of wireless earphones, the Louis Vuitton Horizon Earphones, combining Louis Vuitton’s iconic designs with the elevated sound technology of Master & Dynamic.
The Louis Vuitton Horizon earphones, which cost $995, comes in four colors: black, white and red Monogram or yellow and blue Louis Vuitton stripes.
The architecture of the charging case mirrors the shape of the Tambour Horizon watch with its contemporary, concave lines. Available in white and hand-polished stainless steel for the Louis Vuitton Horizon White Monogram earphones and black PVD-coated stainless steel for the other three finishes, the charging case which also features sapphire glass, provides a total of 10 hours of battery life, while the earphones hold 3.5 hours of listening time. www.masterdynamic.com.
Wine Down
Dana Estates, a winegrowing estate based in the Mayacamas Mountains in Napa Valley, California, introduced its latest blend at the Naples Winter Wine Festival. VASO Cellars is a cabernet blend from four unique estates from Dana Estates including Helms, Hershey, Lotus and Crystal Springs. The varietal composition of the 2013 VASO Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is 89 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Malbec, 3 percent Merlot and 3 percent Petit Verdot. The wine has been aged for 20 months in French oak, and 2,400 cases have been produced. VASO Cellar’s retail price is $85. www.vasocellars.com.
