Highlights from the Marbella Luxury Weekend

PUERTO BANUS teemed with people over Marbella’s Luxury Weekend, which took place last Thursday and Sunday.

Experts from around Spain and other countries were brought especially to show off their sector.

The Spanish Champion for Jamon Serrano Cutting, David Lavado came from Extremadura in the north of Spain.

Invited guests were able to watch a demonstration held at the foot of Puerto Banus’s tower and taste the top quality Spanish ham.

Lavado became the Spanish champion after competing against seven of the country’s top cutters in various categories including decorative presentation and being able to place exactly 100g of ham on a plate just by looking.

At the Salvatore Ferragamo store, the owner of the Florence factory in Italy, Mauricio Dini gave demonstrations on how their bags are made.

Mid-way along the port was the show of luxury cars from the Guarnieri showroom, the car bonnets decorated by plastic artists and Ascari race cars.

Among the many luxury cars was the Fisker Ever Karma sports car which has three engines.

Two of them electric offering a driving range of 83km before needing recharging and a third gasoline tank that with normal day to day usage only needs to be filled once a year.

It also features the largest solar glass roof ever designed for a production vehicle which extends the driving range for an additional 322km a year.

“We hope that in the future all cars will have these environmentally friendly features,” Antonio Perujo Abeijon said.

In addition to many other luxuries, it is painted in Diamond Dust, the first water-based paint with a recycled glass flake mixture.

For a touch of even more luxury, one could have their car covered in real diamond paint.

“It would cost €450,000 to cover a Mclaren sports car and took us 2.5 years to develop the technology,” said Richard Helfer from Gemballa.

“It can be seen on YouTube as promoted by Pamela Anderson.”

Attendees at the luxurious open air chill out area outside Pravda restaurant were able to sample sushi served on the bodies of a male and female models.

Free shots of the newly released Pravda Vodka were offered.

Prices for a bottle range from €150 for 0.70 litres to €720 for a 4.5 litre bottle.

An acrobatic pizza throwing display was held at La Pappardella restaurant.

Two brothers, Antonio and Emilio who have both won world championship titles in Italy for 2011 and 2010 respectively performed with Antonio’s 14-year-old stepson Jesus Jiminez.

A sofa handmade in Italy by Giovanni Malerba da Busca for Michael Jackson’s comeback London concert ‘This is It’ prior to his death was on display at Gomez & Molino jewellery store.

It is one of the last items connected to the ‘king of pop’.

It weighs 500kg, measures just under five meters and its sculptured wood is finished in a 24-carat gold leaf plating with crimson red velvet upholstery.

It took 10 men to lift it into the store.

Anybody who did not get a chance to view it at the Marbella Luxury Weekend can go to the Terra Luz store in Cancelada.

It is valued in excess of €200,000, but is not for sale, despite various clients of the furniture store making offers.

It is on show at the store because “everybody should have the opportunity to see this unique ergonomically designed one of a kind piece of furniture,” said Terra Luz Project Manager Cesare Savioni.

On display at the same shop were jewellery, watches and sculptures.

There was also a 37kg oversized book with more than 8,000 pages with silver borders and tapestry cover with the Ferrari horse emblem in white gold and 1,500 tiny diamonds.

Made by Opus, the book is valued at €250,000 and there are only 15 in the world.

Saturday evening Gomez & Molina held a fashion show, showcasing evening dresses designed by Jose Maria Soler.

The dresses cost more than €1,700 each.

On display in the same area were paintings, watches, and various drinks and foods that could be sampled, including by Divinas Tartas who offered cupcake samples from a display of artistically decorated cakes of all sizes.

There was also a display of gold infused Champagne in a bottle set with real pearls and crystals and a 1799 Napolean Bonapart emblem.

Prices range from €699 for a 0.75ml bottle to €65,000 for a 30litre bottle.

Photo credit: James Yeadon
By Nicole Hallett