Page 10 – Theluxecafe

Art is not bound by the use of expensive materials, squeaky clean canvases or defined structure. Incorporating some of the discarded and unseemingly beautiful material into a magnificent artwork is truly fulfilling to me as an artist. Upcycled art is a beacon of sustainability that should be tirelessly encouraged especially in these times when climate change has become a reality which we can’t deny. Such sustainable art ensures that toxic paint from various art works doesn’t end up in water bodies,

For me, it all started at the beginning of the 21st century at a gallery in Bandra. At the Celebrate Bandra festival by the Times group, I was the Festival Director of the Art section. I realised that in order to grab more eyeballs, art needs to break the shackles of the gallery and stand tall at a public place, closer to the people.

With my resolve to create a public art installation, I realised the environmental factors that were at play. The sea, climate, security needed to be considered at that time. Therefore my team decided to use recycled material and turn it into a sprawling artwork.

Our team resonated with the idea of creating windmills by using discarded newspapers. The artwork being a public art with a message gained public applause and was seen as a pioneer for upcycled and sustainable art. Further, we created a huge installation which was a tree-shaped bin made by using phone bills and it was unbelievable to come across that enormous amount of waste paper. Through this, we wanted the common man to move to online/electronic phone bills and say no to hard copies of their phone bills in order to save paper and thereby save trees. We asked the passersby to pick up the bills, crush them and throw them inside the tree-shaped bin. It gained a lot of attention from the public and that truly felt like an achievement.

Roadblocks in the journey

It is not a cakewalk, to create such art installations as a colossal amount of immeasurable challenges come to our journey of creating treasure from waste. While selecting the materials that we use for the artwork, we need to be careful bout the tenacity and resilience of those materials owing to the climatic conditions of a particular city. The materials also need to be able to catch the eye of a passerby and not look unpleasant.

Another aspect is the deciding factor of what we want to create and using what! More often than seldom, it is a dexterous task to come to a consensus with the team on deciding the theme of the artwork. We strive to create the best out of waste, but in order to create the best, we should be able to imagine an artwork emerging from the waste material. These steps that we take from ideation to execution, need to be taken in a limited amount of time and need to be surefire.

The visual aspect

Challenges while preparing the upcycled material

Environment– While I was working on creating the windmills, we face the challenge of creating a climate-friendly installation as it was essentially made using newspapers which had the risk of getting torn apart, getting wet in the rain and etc.
Cleaning– A few years back, when I received the Limca book of World Record, it was for an art installation titled ‘Bottle Fall’, which was made using 40,000 bottles. It was an 11 storey art installation. The monumental efforts of my entire team went into collecting these many bottles. This wasn’t a walk in the park. We had to gather 40,000 bottles, and clean them in order to create an installation that wasn’t unpleasant. We took the help of some ragpickers and trained them for hygienic detailing.
Vandalism– Whenever I have created a public art installation and it has reached its final stage, I have a recurring fear- the fear of vandalism. It is a well-known fact that monuments and artworks get vandalised and destroyed by miscreants. Therefore, while creating the COVID Warrior memorial recently, I added some elements to the artwork’s design, in order to safeguard the structure from vandalism.
Approvals– It is most important to get approvals from local civic bodies before setting up an installation. This is an arduous task as there are many factors that come into play here. It is coupled y red-tapism and unnecessary negativity that we might across. Even after getting approval from the civic bodies, sometimes the people living in a particular area, object to the installation and complain about disturbances. It is essential to pacify such people in order for the artwork to be created with utmost dedication and mindfulness.
Minimise wastage- When I received a Guinness World Award for creating the largest installation with cricket bats in 2019, for which we used nearly 1,300 cricket bats, I made sure not to drill holes in the bats so that at the end of the event, we could donate those bats to a cricket academy or those who need it.
The message- While I know what my artwork is trying to say through its beauty and various elements, but would the common man be able to perceive what my artwork is trying to say? This is a question one should ask, before completing the installation. The message should be loud and clear, and shouldn’t get lost in the artwork.

Art has the power to shake the conscience of the viewer without using words. The power of art today is far-reaching, as art has graduated through evolved media, digital art, street art, art as therapy etc. Various non-verbal, minimalistic, though-provoking non-verbal advertisements that we come across today, are a form of art that conveys strong messages.

There are many challenges that await you and just take your pulse away. All the crises that await you every day, the bad weather, the hard choices, and the criticism all add up to something. An artwork is like a stage performance where the audience doesn’t know about the crisis that went on in the green room.

Backstage chaos is gruelling but also truly rewarding. I believe the artwork shines brighter when there have been such crises behind it, the thrill of creating a masterpiece is much more.

The first Ladurée outlet in India, franchised by Noida-based CK Israni Group, opens in Delhi’s Khan Market.

Founded in 1862, Iconic French bakery is one of the world’s best-known sellers of the double-decker macaron, 15,000 of which are said to be sold every day.

The ground floor has French patisserie and macarons (including brand signature Ispahan, a pink macaron with rose petal cream, raspberries and lychees), while the other two floors have been dedicated to a dine-in setup, and are modelled based on its original location on Paris’ Rue Royale, with décor ‘adapted’ to local aesthetics.

Besides having signature macrons, Delhi menu also comprises hi tea items like French Omelettes, eggs benedict, avocado toast and sandwiches with one of them having tandoori chicken filling as an Indian edition. The Bakery shop also plans to develop new menus for every season and is currently working on a special Indian-themed Diwali menu.

Luxury tableware brand, Kaunteya unveils a new collection of bespoke tableware ‘Dasara – The Royal Legacy’ as a part of their festive launch for the upcoming Navratri or Dussehra, or Dasara as celebrated down south.

Inspired by Indian art, culture, mythology, and its glorious heritage, Kaunteya bespoke tableware, Dasara brings a regal touch to the everyday life. The incredibly breathtaking Indo-Saracenic architecture of Mysore Palace is the inspiration behind the Dasara Series.

One can explore the palace, impressively painted in turquoise blue and decorated with intricate flower motifs and gold details, through this collection. As you place it on your table, you will be enveloped by the royalty of Mysore in all its glory.

As a 400-year-old-legacy, Mysore celebrates the festival of Dasara, by displaying the state sword, weapons, elephants and horses in royal procession. It is presided over by the king of Mysore in an elegantly carved royal chariot, which is the showstopper of the day. With Kaunteya’s Dasara collection, you can relish the regal life, every day.

The carefully crafted wares are created with utmost attention to every minute detail. The intricate designs are silk screen-printed, hand-decorated and then fired to achieve the breathtaking colours. They are accented with a touch of 24k pure gold, which transforms it into a perfect heirloom, which you would be proud to pass on to the next generation.

The products are also available online on Tata Cliq Luxury, MI Casa, House of Things, Jaypore, Qamaash Singapore among others.

The island country is all set to roll out a red carpet with attractive propositions to tap into the quintessential Indian traveler. Pic courtesy: Respendent Ceylon — Sri Lankas' efforts to woo the quintessential Indian traveler has already started paying dividends Piccourtesy: Respendent Ceylon

The island country has come up with never-heard-before offers to divert a substantial chunk of Indian footfalls heading to destinations such as Maldives, Dubai and Thailand

Indian travellers are expected to provide much needed fillip to the Srilankan travel industry in the post Covid world. The island country is all set to roll out a red carpet with attractive propositions to tap into the quintessential Indian traveler. The strategy clearly is to divert a substantial chunk of footfalls that currently head to destinations like Maldives, Dubai and Thailand. The hotel chains, the aviation sector and the country’s government agencies are working in close co-ordination to convince the Indian traveler to head to Srilanka.

“Earlier, there were certain bottlenecks, mostly connectivity related, that prevented a lot of Indian travellers to pick Srilanka as a natural holiday choice. Minus those bottlenecks, there is no reason to believe Srilanka will not be a hot favourite for Indians,” says Deepa Harris, hospitality branding expert and founder of Brands we Love.

The country’s national carrier, Srilankan Airlines, has resumed services between Colombo and the various Indian airports. Hyderabad and New Delhi will be connected to Colombo with two direct weekly flights. While Colombo and Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum and Cochin will have one direct flight every week

In view of addressing these bottlenecks, one of the first things Srilanka is doing is to aggressively ramp up direct flights from all major Indian airports. The country’s national carrier, Srilankan Airlines, has resumed services between Colombo and the various Indian airports. Hyderabad and New Delhi will be connected to Colombo with two direct weekly flights. While Colombo and Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum and Cochin will have one direct flight every week. Its operations out of Chennai and Mumbai will expand up to five times a week while Bangalore will get three direct flights. Depending on traffic that this renewed push generates, connectivity will be further ramped up.

Al fresco dining at Amanwella. The hotel encourages guests to enjoy their outdoor experiences so that they can reap the healing benefits of nature.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, the airline operated out of 11 Indian cities over 120 flights a week to Colombo.

Not only has Srilankan Airlines significantly ramped up connectivity, there are also attractive offers for the taking to incentivize travelers. The airline has already announced a time bound buy one get one free offer for Indian Travellers.

“Accessibly and proximity are key drivers. And other fact that the country has natural tourism products which are experientially rich compared to the best in the world,” says Harris.

Not only has Srilankan Airlines significantly ramped up connectivity, there are also attractive offers for the taking to incentivize travelers. The airline has already announced a time bound buy one get one free offer for Indian travelers.

This move has seen an immediate rise in interest from the Indian travellers looking to visit Srilanka. The hotels have been witnessing a sharp rise in the queries made by the Indians.

“We have already started receiving a steady stream of travel requests from India enquiring about short to longer duration holidays, and unique experiences one can choose for a memorable vacation. This underscores the pent-up demand for travelling to Sri Lanka as well. The flight duration and increased connectivity are indeed significant factors that have also been contributing towards this upward trajectory,” says Chamindra Goonewardene, director of sales & marketing at Resplendent Ceylon, a luxury experiential travel company in Srilanka that owns luxury boutique resorts – Ceylon Tea Trails, Cape Weligama and Wild Coast Tented Lodge.

This move has seen an immediate rise in interest from the Indian travellers looking to visit Srilanka. The hotels have been witnessing a sharp rise in the queries made by the Indians.

Aman Resorts that operates two luxury hotels in Srilanka – Amanwella and Amangall, too has witnessed a rise in queries from India. “With Sri Lanka just a short and convenient flight from several locations within India, we anticipate an increase in visitors from this destination in the coming months. We have already started receiving queries from India” says Pantelis Korovilas, general manager, Amanwella.

In another major gesture to endorse its seriousness in on-boarding Indian travellers, Srilanka is also welcoming Co-vaxin vaccinated Indians. This comes at a time when most international destinations, including many Asian countries, have only approved Covidshield vaccinated travellers and awaiting clearer signals from WHO to allow Co-vaxin.

There, however are stipulated travel safety guidelines approved by government authorities, with no minimum stay period requirements. There needs to be a minimum 14 day gap between the second dose and the date of travel. Once an on-arrival test is conducted and declared negative, travellers can move freely around the country. There is no requirement for quarantine for Covid negative travellers on arrival. However, a positive tested traveller will be taken to health care centers run from hotels. All this has been designed to ensure maximum safety for travelers and local communities.

Needless to say, all these efforts by the airlines and government agencies will not bear the desired results, unless the hospitality chains come up with attractive propositions. “End of the day, a traveller is looking for an experience. Of course, hassle free travel is an integral aspect of overall experience, but the stay has a very high weightage while planning a travel,” says Harris.

Resplendent Ceylon is launching specially curated packages for Indian travellers under ‘Tea, Sea and Safari’ journeys while ensuring the safety of its guests at all times with their ‘SafeStay’ initiative implemented across all their resorts.

The hotels are also putting unparalleled attention to detail to appeal particularly to the guests from India.

“Travellers from India often like to have every detail taken care of before, during and after their holiday and usually desire a safe and tranquil environment, where every whim is catered to, ensuring a relaxed and hassle-freetrip,” says Korovilas of Amanwella.

“We are catering to the changed expectations of the current traveller. For example, our approach to design and operations at every property focuses on space as paramount, enabling us to look after a limited number of guests at one time whilst offering expansive accommodation,” he adds.

To further minimise the guest’s exposure with one another, Aman has reduced its already low room count at Amangalla and Amanwella, by skipping a key to maintain social distancing and also encourage guests to enjoy their outdoor experiences, with several more moving al fresco, so that they can reap the healing benefits of nature.

While airlines, countries and hotels will continue to do their bit in extending happy and safe vacations, the buck eventually stops with the tourist. Responsible travel needs to be the keyword, at least in the mid to near future. Safe vacations are now the most important yardstick of luxury. So stay safe, stay happy.

Tags Amangalla, amanwella, boutiquehotels, boutiquestays, convidtravel, luxuryresorts, luxurytravel, replendentceylon, srilanka, srilankan, srilankanairlines, travel

Vogue-NDC-Diamond-Festival-Final-creative

The first-of-its-kind virtual Diamond festival will bring together industry experts and conversations focused on all things diamonds

Vogue India and the Natural Diamond Council will curate a virtual diamond festival, on August 20 & 21. This collaboration will bring to you the best of diamond jewellery—from what’s trending in natural diamonds, to what’s inside a modern millennial’s jewellery box to the rise of gender neutral diamond jewellery.

The Vogue India and Natural Diamond Council Diamond Festival will pull together experts from across the globe including Lucia Silvestri, jewellery creative director at Bulgari, to Francesca Cartier Brickell, author of The Cartiers. A power-packed panel with the Maharani of Baroda Radhikaraje Gaikwad, jewellery and art curator Amin Jaffer and other experts will talk about the relationship between royals and their diamonds.

Vogue’s international editor-at-large, Hamish Bowles, marketing executive and jewellery connoisseur, Kaustav Dey, supermodel, Nidhi Sunil and jewellery designer to the stars, Hanut Singh, weigh in on the rise of ungendered jewellery.

The two-day festival is set up to be a jam-packed schedule of learning. Whether you’re in the business of jewellery, a purveyor and wearer of beautiful things, or simply an aesthete who enjoys knowing more about the history of natural diamonds, this will be a festival to tune into.

International Women’s Day means different things to different people, but this time, let it be a day where you celebrate and pamper yourself, with Naad.

Naad Wellness offers a women’s month special from the 1^st to 31^st March. Avail exclusive offers by booking a 3-night Naad Experience package, and avail beauty treatments worth Rs 11500. With a five-night package, avail 2 complimentary nights— an extra 33 per cent of the experience, for free!

Revolving around healing the body, Naad’s age old philosophy promises the healing of the body, mind, and spirit from within.

Soneva, the luxury resort operator with sustainability at its core launches Chapter Two, expanding its portfolio of luxurious water villas, as well as introducing exciting new dining concepts, the Soneva Wellness Centre, and a whole new way to experience the best of the resort with Soneva Unlimited.

“As we continue to celebrate Soneva’s 25^th anniversary into the middle of 2021, Chapter Two will mark the start of an exciting new era for Soneva Jani. At this milestone moment in our story, we will continue to set the standard for sustainable luxury with even more choices of exquisite accommodation, remarkable gastronomy and rare, unforgettable experiences for our guests,” says Sonu Shivdasani, founder Soneva.

Twenty-seven new over-water villas can be accessed via a winding jetty off the southern tip of the resort’s main island.

Ranging from the spacious One Bedroom Water Reserves to a sprawling Four Bedroom Water Reserve, they are among the largest and most luxurious over-water villas of their kind in the world, some of them having slides straight into the private lagoon, and outdoor bathrooms for bathing under the sun and stars. The one- and two-bedroom Reserves also have the iconic retractable roof over the master bed for stargazing.

Like all of Soneva’s villas, the new Water Reserves have been crafted to the highest environmental standards, using sustainable materials, such as Forest Stewardship Council-certified woods, and state-of-the-art technology to reduce their impact on the planet.

When guests book a stay in any of the Chapter Two overwater or island villas, they get to experience Soneva Unlimited which includes unlimited access to meals, fine wines, diving, experiences, spa treatments and transfers.

The starting price for a one Bedroom Water Retreat in Chapter Two starts from Rs 256,320 which includes all meals, transfers, experiences, drinks and spa treatments.

For booking, visit the website www.soneva.com.

Luxury home furnishings, Maishaa unveils its new collection of furnishing fabrics, Essence. The collection is all about harmony with beautiful weaves in hand-picked colours and textures.

Every fabric created is unique and each one of them helps you weave an enchanting story across your interiors.

Chester

Handpicked colours with a natural rugged texture add character to the collection. This solid textured fabric comes in some exciting patterns. Made of polyester with over a hundred thousand Martindale count, it can handle everyday use offering comfort and relaxation.

Ashby

A selection of plush fabrics in colours ranging from neutrals to brights. Soft hand-feel with a suede-like texture, these fabrics pair perfectly with the textural Chester collection.

Nora

Upholstery fabrics in sophisticated basket weave with spun hints of contrasts. One can pair them with a solid fabric or any pattern to create a story of your own.

Olivia

A luscious collection with velvety finish, silken hand feel and multiple colour options.

Mia

This collection of medium weight fabrics is for window panels as well as lighter upholstery. The chambray texture featuring a pleasing finish gives this fabric a timeless classic appeal.

Amelia

The woven ribbed texture is the key feature of this collection ideal for all kinds of upholstery needs.

Established in 2007 by Arun Garg, Maishaa offers a wide range of collection including furnishings, bed linen and bath in an affordable range with beautiful mix of colours and patterns. The collections of Maishaa are designed by a pool of international designers and manufactured at their state-of-the-art facilities in India.

Besides having its own in-house label, brand also represents and retails some of popular international brands in furnishings such as Germany-based Nya Nordiska, UK-based Clarke and Clarke, Spain’s Manuel Revert and a luxury wallpaper brand, Sketch Twenty 3.

If someone happened to ask me about that one place I was looking forward to open post the lock down, it was Viet: Nom in Cyber hub, Gurgaon. Brainchild of Manish Sharma and Sahil Sambhi, Viet:nom is one of the few restaurants that provide authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Delhi NCR. So when my friend and a popular food critic, Rupali Dean invited me for lunch at Vietnom, I was super excited.

Vietnom's-Mentor — Vietnom’s Mentor rupali dean with aakash nakra in vietnam

As I drove down to the restaurant, without a second thought I could say the taste, hygiene, and hospitality remains untouched even after reopening. Well sanitized cutlery, seats to well masked staff gave me the confidence and comfort of eating out.

From the fresh vegetable summer roll, sea food salad to mushroom gyoza, and chicken and chilli dumplings, the starters represented an interesting mix of the flavors and the ingredients.

The ingredients used for cooking delicacies is given prime importance at Viet:nom. Rupali Dean and Chef Aakash Nakra especially travelled to Vietnam to do a thorough research on how to pour the history of the nation and its nostalgia for traditional dishes into every aspect – sight, smell and savour.

From the variety of things I tried, I would strongly recommend the white rose tapioca dumplings, Pho, Salmon and Avocado summer rolls, pomelo salad, stone hot pot fish and the Mango curry.

Viet:Nom's Mango curry — Viet:Nom’s Mango curry

Also, worth mentioning is their authentic Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. This slowly brewed strong coffee is a rare thing to find in Delhi. Not only this, the bar is stimulated by Vietnamese and Asian classics with contemporary infusion.

Like I had mentioned earlier, places like these are absolute culinary indulgence, I’m surely nomming again here.

Jaipur watch Company, India’s bespoke watch company has been manufacturing watches since 2013. Designed in Jaipur and manufactured in Bangaluru, the company makes a range of custom made watches incorporating Pre-British Era coins. The Luxe Café caught up with its founder, Gaurav Mehta to know about brands vision, expansion and more. Excerpts:

Tell us about Jaipur Watch Company’s latest collection?

This pandemic has pushed our creative buttons further and we have come up with some distinctive experiences for our customers. Our latest collection includes the embossed timepiece. These watches have dials that can be embossed with practically anything the customer can think of—picture of a loved one, a celebrity, deity, objects or memorabilia that is dear to them.

We have recently launched a limited edition watch the ‘Jump Hour Watch’, a unique timepiece that has an “hour window” instead of the “hour hand”. Unlike the traditional watch, here the hour hand is replaced with a disc behind a tiny window placed right on top of the dial that ‘jumps’ to indicate the hour accurately when the minute hand touches 12 (60 minutes).

Watch-company — The brand recently launched a limited edition watch, the Jump Hour Watch, a unique timepiece that has an “hour window” instead of the “hour hand”.

How has business changed post pandemic?

We started in 2013 and worked our way up. We were selling about 1700 units per year till the pandemic hit. Post pandemic, sales were completely disrupted, and we have to sit back and re-strategize.

Business has changed. With the world living online, digital is the way forward.

One thing that has stayed constant in my business, since we are majorly into customizing watches is collecting and understanding customer data. It helps us define the product better and keep our customers happy.

What are the steps you have taken to keep your brand ethos intact in such times?

Digital is now a way of life. Ever since the lockdown, people have been doing everything online—shopping, working, entertainment, socializing, etc. practically everything! Taking this as a cue, we are concentrating specifically on online marketing and further primping our digital platforms.

Since we make bespoke watches for our clients, we create a 3D version and share the video to make sure the client is satisfied before we move to the final production.

We are also working on localizing our supply chain and making it more robust, which will help us brave through situations like the one we are currently in.

Tell us about your most popular watches in men and women segment?

We have quite a few of those—our hand engraved dials, custom embossed watches, the Imperial Watch (an antique coin placed inside a specially created color dial with raised metal indices) and kings wear wristwatch It has been created with a rare ‘One Paisa Coin’ at the center of the dial, the lowest denomination of British India Era.)

Which has been your most expensive watch so far?

The “Sparkling Flower Watch” is by far the most expensive watch we have created. Our client indicated her love for flowers and also wanted the petal patterns to look like they are in motion on her wrist.

So, we created an 18 carat gold watch with a reverse diamond setting or snow setting on the dial and specially crafted curved hour and minute hands to further epitomize the design. To further bring out the “bling” factor, we lined the dial with petals embellished with diamonds baguettes. What makes this design unique is that the petals move with every movement of the wrist. The watch was sold at Rs 25 lakh.

Tell us about Jaipur Watch Company’s retail presence in India. What are your plans on expansion?

We are available in stores at the Oberoi Group of Hotels, and have a store at Select Citywalk, besides showcasing our watches at distinctive curated events. We are also present on Tata CliQ Luxury and are concentrating on improving our business

presence online through our website.

To regain client’s confidence in brick and mortar retail, we are also creating an experience zone at Taj Palace, New Delhi.