Austin Reed Brings Epic Event to Regent Street

Last night’s Austin Reed event at 100 Regent Street saw the ultimate in style showcased to an audience of press, celebrities and business icons.

Marking the opening of the Austin Reed and Viyella flagship stores, guests were entertained by The Overtones, magician Christopher Howell and singer Mike Davies.

Guests were treated to a blitz of Britishness encapsulating the 111 year British luxury heritage of Austin Reed.

Traditional British fare and heritage cocktails were the order of the evening. A brand film showcased the British tailoring brand to the attending audience, highlighting a history that includes the likes of Winston Churchill, the Beatles and Elizabeth Taylor.

Guests on the night included cricketing legend Alastair Cook, Sir Philip Green, Harold Tilman, Dylan Jones (Editor of GQ), Stuart Rose, Courney Lawes

Nick Hollingworth CEO says of the store launch, “The new store allows us to present our brand vision for the future and our next generation retail concept. Austin Reed has a fantastic history spanning over 100 years and we are looking forward to the next 100 years delivering affordable luxury with exceptional customer service.”

The new Austin Reed flagship store in Regent Street reignites the spirit of British heritage tailoring, transforming the retail landscape on Regent Street with a new store and a new retail concept.

Victoria's Secret set to be a secret no longer for Sydneysiders......

International travellers have been enjoying Australia's first Victoria's Secret store, which opened in the newly refurbished Sydney International (T1) Terminal in 201, now domestic travellers and Sydney-siders will be able to take part in the glamour when the first Australian domestic Beauty & Accessories store opens its doors in T2, tomorrow (Saturday 10 December).

The store, which is accessible to both travellers and visitors to the airport alike, will offer the ultimate collection of fragrance, makeup, bodycare products and a gorgeous collection of Victoria's Secret accessories, and is sure to be a favourite with travellers.

Victoria's Secret's unique range of accessories are exclusive to their international stores and are perfect for those looking for travel sized gifts.  For that supermodel-on-the go, expect to find a wide range of bags, luggage, passport covers and travel wallets in both nylon and leather to cosmetic & toiletry bags, sunglasses, watches, bangles, bracelets and key rings.

The new store will showcase Victoria's Secret 'Supermodel Essentials' range of apparel as well as the ever popular VS Fantasies body care line of botanically based skin-loving formulas to soften, smooth and pamper the skin from head to toe in an array of scents.

Victoria's Secret stores are a must go destination in the United States and we are thrilled to introduce the first domestic Victoria's Secret Beauty & Accessories store to Sydney.  The store presents a novel way for domestic travellers to enjoy their time ahead of their journey, discovering Victoria's Secret extensive range of pamper products, and the beauty of this store is that you don't need to be a traveller to shop', explains Andrew Gardiner, General Manager Retail, Sydney Airport Corporation Limited.

Victoria's Secret Beauty & Accessories Store in the Sydney Domestic Terminal (T2) is due to open tomorrow:  Saturday 10 December.

Seven secrets to rest, not stress this Christmas!

The festive season is a time of joy and excitement for all - and while there are plenty of things to look forward to, many people also experience higher levels of stress! Additional pressures on our finances, time and relationships can leave many people feeling anxious, over-tired and unable to get a good night's sleep.

Rather than turning to medication or a few extra celebratory drinks, there are natural ways you can keep calm over the festive season, including a new 100 per cent natural alternative solution called NightWave Sleep Assistant.

Sleep expert Glen Farebrother, Managing Director of Sleep Solutions (which distributes NightWave Sleep Assistant in Australia), says there are some simple steps people can follow to ensure they are well rested over Christmas, these include:

Glen's Seven Secrets To Getting A Good Night's Sleep This Christmas

1.    Keep the bedroom, free from distractions and stimulation – make your bed a 'sleep only' zone.  When you watch TV or read you associate bed with being awake. Bed should be for two things: sleep and hanky panky.

2.  Maintain a regular schedule. Try to go to sleep and ideally wake up at roughly the same time each day.  Try and get to sleep before midnight.

3.  Reduce exposure to bright lights at night - try to avoid using your mobile phone or computer before bed - these stimulate you and disrupt the production of your natural sleep hormone 'melatonin'.

4.  Enjoy a warm bath before bed – it will help to lower your body temperature when you're in bed, which encourages sleep.

5. Try to exercise during the day – first thing in the morning is ideal. You won't talk yourself out of it, and exercise helps promote sleep. If you exercise outside, the exposure to bright light will also help reset your natural body clock.

6.  Limit alcohol and caffeine intake as they can affect sleep patterns and try not to eat too much straight before bed

7.  As hard as it seems, take some time out for yourself each day. Do some yoga or meditation later in the evening, read a book, spend time with family.

Now available in Australia following huge success overseas, NightWave Sleep Assistant is a small nightlight that gently pulsates, helping the user to relax through a calming breathing technique. Retailing at $79.95, it is an affordable investment for a lifetime of improved sleep - or the perfect gift for the person who has everything – except enough rest! For further information on the NightWave Sleep Assistant or to purchase, please visit www.nightwave.com.au or call 1300 139.

NightWave Sleep Assistant is distributed by Sleep Solutions in Australia. For further information on Sleep Solution's extensive range of sleep products that help you fall asleep and wake up refreshed, please visit www.sleepsolutions.com.au or call 1300 139 350.

HERTZ CUSTOMERS IN UK CAN NOW RENT LEGENDARY SUPERCARS

HERTZ RENTAL CUSTOMERS OFFERED LEGENDARY SUPERCARS FOR HIRE IN THE UK  

Hertz UK announces partnership with luxury supercar hire company Première Velocity 

People seeking the ultimate driving experience in the UK will now be able to hire elite supercars with Hertz, the world's leading general use car rental brand.  Thanks to an exclusive partnership with Première Velocity, customers will be able to drive some of the world's most desirable super cars at a 5 per cent discount when they book via www.hertzsupercars.com.   

With an extra cache of exclusivity, the Lamborghini LP560-4 Bicolore, Porsche Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Ferrari 458 Italia, Range Rover Evoque and Mercedes S Class Brabus are only available to renters through the Première Velocity service. Other super cars on offer include the Rolls Royce Phantom, the Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Aventador, Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster and McLaren MP4. 

Michel Taride, President, Hertz International and Executive Vice-President, Hertz Corporation, said: "By partnering with Première Velocity, we are able to offer an exhilarating and truly memorable drive for our customers. The full range of cars will be available on the Hertz website, so customers will have access to sporty, high end vehicles for their driving pleasure. The new partnership perfectly complements our own existing Prestige Collection of luxury vehicles."    

Starting prices for the super cars include Mercedes C63 AMG from £201.25 and the Audi R8 from £362.25, with a 5% discount for booking through www.hertzsupercars.com. 'The full Première Velocity collection – super, sports, luxury, prestige and 4x4 cars will be available from as little as £150 per day. Customers can be provided with a meet and greet service that delivers cars to an agreed location such as home, hotel, office or airport. 

Stephen Price, Managing Director of Première Velocity, said: "We specialize in elite vehicles for discerning clientele – and, like Hertz, combine experience in the rental industry with the advantage of knowing what the customer wants. We're extremely excited to be partnering to offer Hertz renters the opportunity to experience some of the most beautiful, powerful and thrilling cars built today, that they ordinarily they may not have access to." 

Première Velocity and Hertz supercars are available for hire by customers over 25 years of age and with no more than six points on their driving license (subject to previous convictions and accident terms). 


About Première Velocity 

Since 2008, Première Velocity have been leading the way in bespoke car hire, offering the world's finest vehicles to discerning clients. World exclusives in the hire industry are few and far between, but Première Velocity continues to offer the most sought after marques for clients anywhere in the UK.

Help those close to you (or yourself) make an Escape after Christmas

Stuck on what to get your loved ones - or yourself this Christmas? How about the gift of freedom and security with Navman's new MYEscape?

The latest addition to the popular MY Series range has specially designed features for drivers of large vehicles including 4WDs, campervans, light commercial vehicles and those towing a caravan, or boat. It combines premium safety functions, to give drivers more confidence on the roads, as well as travel features.

By simply adding your vehicle's weight, height, width and length in to the Navman MY Escape, it will find a route suitable to your vehicle size. It also gives you specialised information like warnings of narrow roads with weight restrictions or low ceilings on your route.

The Navman MY Escape also has 4WD tracks for those who love the great outdoors. There are over 8,000 extra points of interest such as camping sites, fishing spots and other relevant outdoor places - perfect for your next off-road adventure. It also has Lonely Planet Travel Guides and 25 gorgeous Lonely Planet Scenic Routes pre-loaded and comes with free lifetime SUNA traffic subscription to help you make the quickest escape out of the city.

The Navman MY Escape retails for $599 and has a two year warranty straight out of the box. If you buy one before 31 January, it comes with 36 month subscription to map updates. The MY Escape is available at most major electronic retailers.

Finland and China take gold at final day of Winter Games NZ

The final day of competition at the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games brought with it some memorable highlights with riders going out huge with tricks of true World Cup standard. Riders were again treated to another spectacular blue bird day where Finland's Janne Korpi and China's Xuetong Cai took out the men and women's titles in the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe finals.

A field of twelve men and six women including world number one Nathan Johnstone of Australia competed in a two run semi-final with men and women alternating runs. The bar was set high from the start with internationals Taylor Gold (USA) and Ursina Haller (SUI) riding hard to place in the finals. Gold demonstrated great technical ability and variety with a solid second run earning him 92.5 points and a place in the final. Haller recovered quickly from a poor first run to gain 86.3 in run two, reminding spectators why she is ranked 4th in the world.

Yesterday's qualifiers saw a further six men and two women going straight to final giving a total of twelve men and six women to battle it out in the finals.

Janne Korpi of Finland stole the limelight in the end making easy work of the Olympic pipe with a blistering 93.0 point performance which included a backside rodeo alley-oop 540 nose grab followed by a backside 900 mute grab into a frontside 1080 tail grab cab 1080 nose grab finishing with a stalefish.

"The competition went really well for me today. I decided which run I was going to do yesterday, stuck to it and it paid off. I didn't do anything new today but changed the order of tricks and it paid off. It's my first Winter Games and I'm really happy to have won and be a part of the competition," said Korpi.

Yiwei Zhang of China took out second place with a score of 90.8 with Dimi de Jong placing third with 88.0 points.

There were no surprises in the women's field with the world number Xuetong Cai of China leading from the start with an impressive score of 92.8 made up of a frontside indie, back 540 mute, frontside 7, cab 3 mute grab and frontside 540 melon grab. World number two Holly Crawford of Australia took out second place with 88.5 points with Ursina Haller of Switzerland taking third place with 77.3 points.

"It was a great competition today, the pipe is in great condition and the weather is perfect for competition. The Chinese always put up a strong fight raising the level of competition. It's great to see the girls pushing the boundaries. I didn't pull any new tricks out the bag today as it's early in the season and there is no point going out too hard and injuring yourself. I'm really happy to have placed on the podium today as I was injured last Winter Games," said Crawford.

Judge Ste'en Webster was really impressed with the level of competition.

"Today was excellent with the riders really stepping things up a gear going into the final. Janne Korpi's winning run was just outstanding and a pleasure to watch. There were no new tricks today but we did see a lot of doubles which is great. Although it's fast becoming a stock trick, it's still not necessarily a competition winner and if riders chose to perform this trick it needs to be executed with real precision. It's been a really fantastic 16 days of competition and we've been blessed with great weather. It's a competition we're really happy to be a part of," said Webster.

Full results available on www.wintergamesnz.com

One Got Past the Keeper by Fertile FC

One season they were a bunch of blokes from Byron Bay, drinking and cheering their way through six-a-side soccer; the next season they were all fathers or expectant fathers playing as 'Fertile FC' and going home straight after the game to nurse mother and child.

Check out their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/fertilefc?ref=ts /and blog http://www.fertilefc.com/ for some more information about this great group of guys.