PhabLife The Men's Guide to Style, Fashion, Grooming, Pop Culture, Entertainment, Travel and Nightlife.

Ralph Lauren 4-D Experience at New York City Store.

Ralph Lauren 4-D Experience at London Store.

The Making of the Ralph Lauren 4-D Experience.

(c) 2010 Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.

15 Penn Plaza, has been officially approved by the New York City Council today in a 47-1 vote. The owner of the Empire State Building, Andrew Malkin voiced concerns that the building, planned by Vornado Realty Trust, would change the skyline by being so tall and close to the Empire State Building itself, even blocking it from certain angles. But City Council Speaker Christine Quinn explained, “Our skyline is always changing and growing. New York City is not a stagnant city.”

The new tower, at 67 stories will be built on the current site of the Hotel Pennsylvania located directly across from Penn Station. Pelli Clark Pelli and The Hillier Group are the buildings architects.

15 Penn Plaza will be just 34 feet short than it’s nearly by neighbor, the Empire State Building.

Hermès opened its first men’s store entirely dedicated to ready-to-wear, accessories and custom pieces.

Located at 690 Madison Avenue in New York, “Hermès Man” will stand directly across the street from the U.S. flagship store.

The 2,450 square foot store is the first Hermès boutique in the world that is dedicated to men only. Housed in a classic brownstone, the store’s ground floor will offer a comprehensive collection of shirts, ties, perfumes, small leather accessories and watches, while the mezzanine will feature knitwear, sportswear, belts, hats and luggage.

Men’s suits, shoes and briefcases will be featured on the third floor with the fourth floor devoted to made-to-measure, including bespoke suits and knitwear as well as special order items.

Hermes Men
690 Madison Avenue at 62nd Street
New York, NY 10065
Tel. (212) 751 3181

www.hermes.com

The team that brought you GYM Sports Bar in Chelsea now proudly announce the opening of ROCKBAR in the West Village.

The new bar is located on Christopher Street near the West Side Highway and offers a whole new look, energy and staff.

ROCKBAR will be home to a sexy, diverse crowd that loves rock & roll and cutting-edge alternative music.

ROCKBAR
185 Christopher Street at West Side Highway.

Click here for ROCKBAR website.

British Airways is returning to the super luxury service between London and New York targeting passengers that used to fly the airline’s Concorde service.

British Airways will offer twice daily service on Airbus A318s with flat beds and access to the internet. Round-trip fares will start at around $3,00 but go up to nearly $8,000 for more flexible tickets. Flights leaving from London will be forced to make a brief refuelling stop at Shannon airport in the west of Ireland because the London City airport’s runway is too short to handle an A318 aircraft with a full fuel load. In order to ease the journey, BA is arranging for passengers to use the Shannon stop to clear US customs and immigration.

However the fact that the airline will fly just 32 passengers on an aircraft normally fitted for 100 people doesn’t sit well with some environmental groups. The Guardian reports that environmental group Plane Stupid will stage a protest at London City Airport tomorrow as the maiden flight launches, angered by the fact that recently British Airways CEO Willie Walsh had pledged that the airline would do its part to fight climate change. The layout of the plane means that each passenger is basically responsible for three times the emissions of a regular flight.