He extracted an envelope from which slid five watches and three wallets, one containing a note for 200 Greek drachmas.

WSJ: As Trash Goes, Authors' Clutter In the Right Hands Is Very Bankable

"People get bored seeing the same thing all the time and big luxury brands are trying to push the envelope from an artistic standpoint, " said Zan Ludlum, a casting director who has seen modeling opportunities for women on Cohen's blog.

CNN: Aging stylishly, online and in the streets

So far, the company has built a one-eighth-size prototype to test its design, which consists of a carbon-fibre keel, an envelope made from modern composite materials, half-a-dozen engines, a passenger compartment, and a specially lightened crane.

ECONOMIST: Pushing the envelope