The world’s most expensive retail rents

As a shopping destination, Hong Kong has over the past decade charted a course towards the very high-end in brands — and it seems retailers are now paying a very expensive price for the trend.
With a 46 percent rise in rents, quarter on quarter, Hong Kong is now second only to New York in terms of what tenants pay for retail locations across the city.
Hong Kong last year surpassed Sydney as the second-most expensive city in the world, with the average cost being paid now hitting US$1,687 per square foot per year according to global commercial property company CB Richard Ellis.

New York still tops the charts with rents at US$1,900 but Hong Kong seems intent on closing the gap as the world’s leading brands continue to set up shop all over town.

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Star Style - David Gandy

David Gandy attend the Women of the Year Glamour Awards at Berkeley Square in Central London.


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2011′s most popular cities

London will lead the world in terms of international tourist arrivals this year, according to new research released June 1 by MasterCard.
The new index of Global Destination Cities predicts London will receive 20.1 million inbound passengers in 2011, slightly more than Paris’s 18.1 million.
Bangkok is expected to welcome the third-highest number of visitors, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong — in fact, cities in Asia-Pacific account for eight of the top 20 global destinations.

By contrast, MasterCard predicts that only one US city will be among the world’s most visited this year, with New York taking 12th place and predicted to welcome 7.6 million inbound passengers.
The Big Apple can perhaps take consolation that visitors will spend $20.3 billion there this year, more than every other city save London, which will see cross-border expenditures of $25.6 billion.
As well as studying total arrivals, MasterCard also looked at visitor growth, forecasting that the Spanish city of Barcelona will see the biggest jump — 24.3 percent growth in arrivals this year, followed by Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur at 21.8 percent and Istanbul at 20.4 percent.

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London loves....(part two)

So just to vent real fast before I get onto the subject of london...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!! my room mate decided (ok, I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose, BUT, she screwed up my computer, well, not the hole thing but the w key, its not attached to the key board..as you might have already guessed (if you're smart enough, no, its not me making more eirdo typos).. hich is really messing ith me right no, so ithout furhter complaints..I ill do my best to continue ithout....

If you know me, you'll know that I have problems with staying focused..this blog is most likely to go back and forth in time and subject.. if you feel confused...welcome to my orld.

Portobello did more then make my mouth water at this sight of vintage tea cups, old suit cases, bird cages and rows and rows of cheap socks and t shirts, but i discovered one damn fine awesome hair salon too! Feeling a little bit too goth, with my long black and very dry dyed hair, I made it some what of a mission to find a suitable salon hich screamed to me! Screamed what, I'm not entirely sure, the louder...the better...

And there it was..in all its phsycedelic glory, Children Of Vision. Just before leaving for New York, about 5 yrs back, I had walked past it, and thought.. one day, I'll get my hair done in there...

I really wanted to get pix of inside the salon, but they were being kindda funny about it.. which is fine as I got a postcard...oh damn.. I had one, which I planned to scan in, but I put gum in it by mistake...BUT, i found this pix of it outside...so at least ya'll be able to find it!

So I rocked up, well, stumble in super hungover but buzzing from an awesome all-night party for 2 after one of the best weddings ever (its great being sat next to a cute boy, and then waking up next to him too!). I give a slurred description to Ian (my fav hair dresser in the whole world!) of the a-symmetric neon pink drama I had when I first moved to New York, one side shaved under cut, and two random pink rat tails with a blunt fringe was more then enough to frigthen my boyfriend-at-the-time on a flight right back to England. I wanted something similar, but not as full on! This time instead of going for pink (so o-v-a-h kill) Ian matched the color to the turquiose blue and bright blue I had painted round my eyes... (Yes, my plan worked).

An amazing-for-London 35quid for the cut, 35quid for the extensions and I call that a complete make over, London Bargain Barnet!

This salon will definitely go beyond the boundaries for you, with an extensive choice of mad colored hair extensions, and a dog that greets you at the dog, you won't find anything like it anywhere else. The space is wicked, has funky laid-back decor, awesome prices...and friendly stylists who will listen to your boring "i-pulled-last-night" stories.... or am I the only one at 27 who does that?!

Pls see pix, for before and after looks (I was hung over ok!) and check it out for yourself (and ask for Ian! mention I told you so, maybe I'll get some free extensions next time!):

195 Portobello Road
London
W11 2ED
tel: 020 7792 2494

xox
Lovely Jubbly

-Buffi

London loves....(part one)

well, its more like Buffi loves LONDON! OMG, well folks, thats assuming I have any 'folks'..being a new blog and all, and having been a while since I posted, not sure I have any 'folks'... but anywayz... as I was saying..

So, London is like my top place EVER in the WHOLE world right now! (you'd think with all the love I have I would have got a discount on my 200quid fine for being 9kgs over the baggage limit... but no!) I came back over weight, bags and all, I put it down to how much absorbing of the culture, fashion, soul of london..hey its a whole lotta soul.... and a whole lotta loving..you can't expect to come back short on the cuddly size. I am a 27 yr old woman who is (coming to terms with being) proud of my curves!

I made sure I hit all the awesome markets; Spitalfields, Camden, Portolbello, charity stores; marlebone, finsbury, oxford circus, victory, and ventured into topshop where I was very disappointed, Primark beats TopShop hands down, with cute cheap ass socks and knickers (underwear to you American folks)... only things I wouldnt be buying in second hand stores.

As well as the bargains and gems I picked up on my insane "shopping" trip, I met a few gems. Spitalfields market was the first place I hit, where there happened to be this rather dissapointing free fashion show event going on.. but apart from that, it was really inspiring. I met this awesome chick, Nina Dewey, who makes even more awesome dresses from vintage shirts... they look incrediable on! The one I tried on, and eventually bought fit me like a lovely Lulu Guiness glove. Especially now finally admitting to my self that I am a cool medium, not the tiny small that I once was in my youth (which only happened to have been 6months ago, but hey, some of us age fast), I slipped on one of the one-of-a-kind halter dresses behind the back of a mirror, in the stall where she sells. The gaps behind me were enough to give someone a right eye full! Poor them! Anyway, point is, fit like a ..gem (note self:using that word too much today)! Like the designer, the dresses are feminine, individual and edgy, the perfect London find to take back to Dubai. But unlike other stalls, Nina is as strick on quality as she is with her patterns and fit.

Here is a pix of the chick herself. You can find more of her work at;www.enienay.com
....and maybe, if ya lucky, I will post a pic of me modelling one of these awesomely stunning garments!..
til part 2. peace outy
buffi
xox