Ernest Hemingway is remembered as one of the most innovative and influential writers, reporters and novelists of the 20th century—what is lesser known is his association with Montegrappa pens, which apparently, the writer was fond of using for writing. And therefore Montegrappa has revealed a limited edition collection dedicated to Hemingway—divided into four different ‘chapters’, each portraying a different facet of his personality: ‘The Writer’, ‘The Soldier’, ‘The Fisherman’ and ‘The Traveller’. Each ‘chapter’ embodies a pen of its own, offered in the three types: fountain, rollerball and ballpoint. ‘The Writer’ is made in Turtle Brown celluloid and precious metal engravings, commemorating the years of his literature awards and his most powerful arm – the typewriter. ‘The Soldier’, dedicated to his years as a young soldier in Italy, is made in Bamboo Black celluloid and precious metal engravings, commemorating the Great War and the author’s personal experience. Mediterranean Blue celluloid is used for the Fisherman and Charcoal Black for the Traveller. Each model in the four chapters is limited to 100 exclusive items per model. In addition to the Sterling Silver editions, 10 pens of each of type are trimmed with 18k solid Gold. Embellishing the pocket clip, cap and barrel ends are symbols defined by the subject of the pen. For The Soldier, the barrel end shows Bassano’s bridge, military symbols and the Red Cross Ambulance. The Writer prominently features a typewriter. Hemingway’s initials grace the fountain pen’s nib, while the pocket clip features an Alpine edelweiss motif. The cap crown is decorated with a likeness of the medal for valor, which Hemingway received when injured in Italy. In keeping with the literary theme, the pen comes in special packaging reminiscent of a reporter’s notebook like those used during the First World War.
Remember all those science fiction movies that predicted the future with uncanny accuracy—with objects from them actually springing up to populate our gizmo-studded world? Well, this one’s straight from sci-fi land, too. French designers Philippe Starck and Jerome Olivet have joined hands with electronics company Thomson to create a smartphone concept that looks not in the least like, well, a smartphone. This silver, streamlined glitzy gizmo almost gives off an almost magical vibe in its appearance, but its good looks aren’t the best thing yet. This smartphone is called Alo and it projects 3D holographic images of what you actually see on the screen—messages, images, movies everything. It is completely voice activated and has a translucent elongated “gelatinous” shape designed to easily fit in your hand. It can actually read out messages and allows users to just ‘dictate’ messages instead of typing them. It also allows you to project a 3D hologram to view a movie or message. The core of the curved device is made of aluminium alloy, surrounded by pliable casing that actually provides feedback through heat as well as vibration. And that’s not all—the device can repair its own skin automatically “as soon as it is damaged.” Now there’s a smartphone to make all others look dumb! The device is still in the concept stage, of course, but reports state that a prototype is in the making. We’re waiting with bated breath, that’s for sure.
An exotic collection of tea-infused chocolates is being prepared by Japanese chocolate manufacturer Sils Maria, and it’s called the ‘Tea Connection: Fresh Chocolates from Three Uji Teas’, created in collaboration with Tsuji Rihei Honten, a 150-year-old tea retailer and manufacturer in Japan. Each gourmet set consists of 20 pieces of three unique varieties of chocolate. There is the “Matcha fresh chocolate” prepared with powdered green tea, cream, Belgian white chocolate and a dash of champagne, and the “Fresh chocolate with roasted stem Uji Gyokuro tea” made from the hoji-cha stem found in the valuable Uji-grown Gyokura tea and some fine whiskey for added flavor. And finally you have the Fresh Uji Sencha Chocolates that blend Belgian white chocolate, stone-ground Uji green tea and fresh sage. Priced at a staggering $900, this gourmet collection is comes packed with three packets of the core ingredients i.e. the hand-picked matcha, two packets of the roasted stem Gyokuro tea, and three packets of the Uji sencha for a complimentary tea experience. And for the final flourish, its wrapped in a beautiful Furoshiki styled cloth. Now that’s what we call double the temptation!
Angelina Jolie is not just the new face for Guerlain’s latest fragrance—to be launched in March— but also the muse for the delicate scent that has been created to depict “the (many) notes of a woman”. Created by Guerlain’s master perfumer Thierry Wasser, who defined Jolie as the embodiment “of modern femininity” due to her embrace of “choices, emotions and dreams”, the perfume draws inspiration from the diva. What’s even more noble about the choice, is that Jolie has declared she would give away all the proceeds from her campaign with the French house to charity. Now that is truly going to be the ultimate ‘scent of a woman’.
Audi has just developed a process for the partial matting of painted surfaces. A special powder roughens the clear lacquer on the surface to a depth of a few thousandths of a millimeter so that individual markings become visible. With this process, the Audi exclusive program offers personalized design of the side blades for all R8 customers. Owners can choose designs of their own liking and have them imprinted on their beloved machines with ease. The unique weather resistant individualizations are currently available in the Audi RB Coupe and open Spyder versions, with plans to extend the offer to other models in the time to come.
Fantasy lovers can now dine in Walt and Lilian Disney’s own apartment, as Disney will soon open the place’s doors to visitors. Situated in New Orlean’s Square, Disneyland, the apartment was designed by Dorothea Redmond, an Imagineer who’s known to have worked with Alfred Hitchcock. Boasting Renaissance architecture, the place is replete with baroque ceilings and embellished chandeliers, and also has a balcony that would offer you a panoramic view of the park’s renowned fireworks. Should you ever have fantasised about this, now’s your chance to book yourself an evening that begins with cocktails in the lantern-lit courtyard followed by a seven course bespoke meal prepared by Golden Foodie Award winner Chef Andrew Sutton, and ends with dessert and coffee, all with stories and antiques about the Disneys. But for all of this, you need deep pockets— because the price tag says $15,000—or Rs 10 lakh to be precise. Every dream comes at a price, now doesn’t it?
BLEEDING BRANDS | Several luxe brands have shut shop at the DLF Emporio in the last year, while many others are winding up multicity operations to focus on single location
The luxury market in India, for all the talk of expansion and growth, has also been witnessing a slow exit of luxe brands, or of franchises closing down. As per the Goldman Sachs research report — The Asian Consumer — India Consumer Close-up – the growth of luxury and high-end, in general, will be limited as, culturally, India’s affluent consumers tend to shy away from ostentatious display of wealth, and the urban masses tend to go for brands offering incremental value, and not so much aspirational. While reports stated that the luxury market in India has been growing at a CAGR of 25 per cent over the last couple of years and has been estimated at $14.7 billion, the complex consumer psyche is a force to reckon with, in itself. Because even as the number of high net worth individuals increases, and Indian business men find their place in the global big league, the sentiment towards spending on premium goods might hold sway but when it comes to luxury goods, priced more here than offshores, the mindset changes as value luxury and discounts become crucial to the scheme of things, also taking down the instances of repeat purchasing, even among the HNIs.
PUCCI | With its bold display of prints in the store window catching the passing shopper’s eye, this boutique is now conspicuous by its absence in DLF Emporio
So, even as there is a positive curve witnessed by upscale designer brands working out market entry into India, there’s also the corresponding trend of boutiques shutting operation or reducing the number of stores and square metres. Taking the case in point of DLF Emporio, in Delhi NCR, the region which is leading luxury good consumption in India, followed by the cities of Mumbai, Bengaluru and others like Chandigarh and Ahmedabad, we have had brands exiting with one such being Alfred Dunhill, which shut all its three outlets in India, run through a franchise deal with Brand House Retail.
A slowdown in the economic climate, and low consumption, both led to this decision
A slowdown in the economic climate, and low consumption, both led to this decision. While this is one such, there’s also the case of coming across boutiques, which could have been functioning a week back, now witnessing closed shutters or construction inside. One such instance is that of the Pucci boutique, situated near one of the entrances on the ground floor of DLF Emporio, which has folded up operations, and the store space to be occupied then by an existing brand, shifting shops within the mall.
CHOPARD | Luxury watch and jewellery are touted to be one of the highest selling luxury items, still Chopard has had to wind up its store in the leading Delhi luxe mall
Reports suggest fragrance, jewellery, and watch brands being the top tier grossers, but then there are three cases of brand exits which go contrary to this. International luxury watch brands like Piaget, Chopard, and Vacheron Constantin have all closed their respective boutiques in DLF Emporio, over a period of some months, within the last year.
Notable names like Murjani Group are exiting the luxury space to focus on premium brands, so that Jimmy Choo is now part of Genesis Colours
Following close is also the change of hands between brands and franchises, with notable names like Murjani Group exiting the luxury space to focus on premium brands, so that Jimmy Choo is now part of Genesis Colours. And then there’s also the case of luxury brands winding up multi city operations and staying invested in only one location, thereby curtailing expansion plans, for example, Bottega Veneta, which shut shop in Mumbai and opened in Delhi within the same month.
LONGCHAMP | Has set up shop in DLF Emporio recently and has witnessed a steady line of response despite demonetisation, keeping up hopes in the growth of luxury consumption
With the above predicating a somewhat grim sentiment in the luxury landscape, there’s also a silver lining to consider, which pertains to recent FDI regulations allowing for brands like Hermes and Longchamp to open shop in India. Also, poised for market entry are brands like Kate Spade which have found DLF Emporio to be their natural launchpad.
There’s also a silver lining to consider, which pertains to recent FDI regulations allowing for brands like Hermes and Longchamp to open shop in India
But even with luxury brands testing waters, DLF’s own retail arm, DLF Brands has exited the luxury fashion business, parting ways with Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani and even shutting down couple of DKNY stores, to focus on the mass apparel market in India, thereby setting a tone which could be the defining one in times that are beset with shifting trends and consumer sentiments, especially when it comes to high end luxury.
2017 marks Angela Missoni’s 20th year as the Creative Director of Italian fashion label Missoni, and the luxe brand is celebrating the occasion with a ‘home’ campaign shot in the Mediterranean. The brands Spring/Summer 2017 campaign has been shot at the designer’s own summer home in Puntaldia, Sardegna, displaying the spirit of the Mediterranean. Family is central to Missoni’s heritage, making the intimate setting of this campaign a way to invite consumers into a piece of the brand lifestyle. Starring Irina Shayk and Tim Dibble, the campaign has been shot by Harley Weir, using a vividly graphic backdrop of ocean life figurines, shells, artisanal and modern art, paintings and tapestries for the models’ pictures.
Close on the heels of the hardtop facelifted Mustang comes the convertible version, recently released by Ford in the United States. The facelifted Mustang reveals a revised design and an engine update, with Ford offering a 2.3-litre EcoBoost as well as the massive 5.0-litre supercharged V8. The car can be had with a manual gearbox or a brand new 10-speed AT which is expected to aid in fuel efficiency. The American market will also get pre-collision assist and a suspension system that adjusts on the go to improve quality and dynamics. The latest Mustang is expected to hit the Indian market sometime next year, 2018 and we might just get the convertible version as well—in the top of the line GT variant.
Great news for car enthusiasts: the awesomest new theme park is all set to open doors in Spain this April— Ferrari Land at Port Aventura. Tickets to the park have begun to be sold starting today. The park, which boasts of having the tallest and fastest roller coaster in all of Europe, is located about an hour and a half outside Barcelona and spread across 70,000 square meters at a price tag of $100 million euros. Designed for both race car lovers and adrenaline junkies alike, the park allows visitors to get up close and personal with the luxury Italian car brand and experience the heart-pumping sensations of driving a Formula 1 race car. The show-stealer of course, is the vertical accelerator that rockets riders up 112 meters at speeds of up to 180 km/hr in just five seconds. Now that’s a real adrenaline-pumping shot! Other attractions include Ferrari Land Gallery, an interactive exhibit that takes visitors through the history of the legendary Italian car maker, racetrack, free fall tower and bounce-back tower, F1 simulators, pit stop, and speedway for kids. Visitors will also be entertained by three different shows. Ferrari Land at Port Aventura is the younger sister to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi which opened in 2010. At 86,000 square meters, Ferrari World can fit seven football fields. A Ferrari theme park is also set to open in China, while a fourth is being eyed for North America.
