You’ve heard of exotic cuisines, now here’s a completely outlandish platter! A Michelin starred restaurant in San Francisco is going out of its way to differentiate itself an offer a unique experience: serving one dish on its menu on an iPad! San Francisco’s Quince, serves on the iPad a dish called A Dog in Search of Gold’, which is a white truffle fritter with salt roasted celeriac, roasted porcini mushroom and chestnut puree, but te dish is actually placed on a removable plexi sheath that is washed and sanitised after every use. The iPad-platter even plays a video featuring a truffle hunt by a Romagnolo dog! Now that is what we call completely original.
Who doesn’t revel in a shower of roses for the skin—especially when they’re the most exclusive kind? And so L’Occitane’s latest limited edition offering Rose Originelle is a much covetable collection of shower gel, body veil, hand cream and an EDT perfume—all inspired by two exquisite kinds of rose—Rosa Gallica (Rose of Provence) and Grasse Rose (May Rose). The rosy whiff is an ever blooming one, and L’occitane adds an extra touch of Provence to it. The collection is available at all L’Occitane stores in India and online.
REC Watches from a Danish watchmaking outfit that started up in 2011 have created a collection of watches inspired by the Ford Mustang. Their P-51 Automatic collection features cushion-shaped numbers that take their cues from the design of the 1960s Ford Mustang and flaunt fuel-gauge inspired displays! What’s more, the company actually worked with metal parts from salvaged cars, building them into the watches themselves. The four-part 44mm case is in regular 316L steel, though, so you won’t require a tetanus shot before handling them! The reclaimed bits are incorporated into the dials, each of which is uniquely engraved with the vehicle identification number of the car it was made from. Aside from the steel and the reclaimed metal, the other common element at work here is the Miyota 9130 automatic calibre powering them. These are all three-hand watches, with date and power reserve indications. Interestingly, the name of the brand—REC—stands for recover, recycle and reclaim. And that’s the proud philosophy that’s gone into the making of these unique watches. We completely love this one!
Cinderella’s glass slippers are here to stay, with the fashion world offering glittery, fantastical footwear galore
If you’ve always been a fantasy gal, here is a selection of footwear that really brings those fantasies to life. Cinderella’s glass slipper has inspired many a girl’s shoe-dreams, and some of your favourite designers are her to make them all come true.
Cinderella Pumps: Jimmy Choo
Jimmy Choo Cinderella pump, £2,995
The Cinderella pumps designed by Jimmy Choo’s creative director Sandra Choi for Disney’s 2015 remake of Cinderella, are now being offered to customers on a made-to-order basis. Covered with 7,000 Swarovski crystals, the Cinderella pumps are quite the fairytale accessory and come with a £3,000 price tag. But the best thing as we see it, is that they are available in three heel heights, so you can just let the princess in you blossom out without a care!
Sequin embellished satin pumps: Balenciaga
Balenciaga Sequin pumps, £1,695
Lined in leather, these super glam pumps come in electric blue and black. The tempting smooth satin pair is adorned with glittering silver sequins and finished with a slanted stiletto heel – a collection signature. We love the crystal-icing feel to these, like you just dipped your feet in a crystal lake, and came out with a layer of magic!
Chiara Heels: Sophia Webster
Sophia Webster crystal Chiara, £2,000
Sophia Webster’s limited edition Chiara heels are another of those made-to-order shoes that just make you sigh in ecstacy. With 3,600 rainbow hued Swarovski crystals hand-sewn one stone at a time on to butterfly wings that almost flutter delicately at the heel, the Chiara shoes are pretty princess stuff too.
Midnight blue Gravinata suede: Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin Gravinata pump, £795
The fairytale shoe motif gets a subtly surreal edge with Christian Louboutin, which went all the way and released a limited-edition Christmas storybook to go with the shoes! The Tale of the Shoemaker and the Stolen Stars, narrates the story of a shoemaker who borrows the stars from the night sky to make a pair of slippers for a queen to wear to the ball. Now isn’t that positively, magically seductive! The shoes themselves are “midnight blue suede, as inky as the night” and you literally get the night sky with glittering stars all over your pretty feet. Sigh.
Cut-out flower pumps: Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana cut-out flower pump, £925
Dolce & Gabbana actually presented an entirely princess-themed autumn/winter collection, complete with a giant gold carriage and a Disney soundtrack. Amid the iridescent gowns and dresses dolled up with detailed bobbins and birds were a pair of diamante-studded vinyl heels, delicately styled with cut-out flowers.
Now aren’t those just the shoes that would do the modern princess proud?
Japanese master perfumer Guerlain’s iconic Mitsouko fragrance just got a new limited edition decanter, created in collaboration with celebrated ceramic crafters- Arita Porcelain lab. The bottle is obviously hand crafted and features vibrant ceramic artistry combining Japan’s Rising Sun Flag with traditional symbols of paulownia representing elegance, plum tree representing life, the peony to ward off negative energy and the chrysanthemum symbolising longevity. The exclusive edition also celebrates Arita Porcelain Lab’s 400th anniversary. The Mitsouko decanter itself is a 75ml container that comes with a refill pout on the side and a cork. The entire set costs € 380 and is available in Tokyo and Hong Kong. The art collaborative is being displayed at present at the Guerlain boutique exhibition on the Champs Élysées.
For those of you who like nostalgic collectibles, popular custom sneaker artist Freaker Sneaks has combined the appeal of the Nintendo console with Nike’s Air Jordan basketball shoes, creating a super-cool series of Super Nintendo inspired sneakers. Featuring a retro tinged tongue in a dominating grey color scheme reminiscent of the actual gaming console, the sneakers also include the D-Pad and buttons emblazoned on the rear. Add to that the tech pad and the colorful controls from the Super Nintendo controller in red, blue, green and yellow, and you have a smashing gift for a master gamer! The custom shoes would be extremely limited edition: only ten pairs would be created. So if this creates a buzz inside you, you better make a run for it now!
Project Valerie is a concept design for the world’s first automated triple display laptop— the 17.3″ Razer Blade Pro that packs in not one but three 17.3″ screens that fold out from the central hub screen and lock into place for 11,520×2,160 pixel 4K resolution viewing space ! Razer, Inc based in Irvine, California, has recently demonstrated this, their newest concept gaming machine. Using NVIDIA’s Surround View technology the laptop syncs high definition graphics across the multiple screens. Razer won’t let out all the specifications since some of them may change if Project Valerie passes the tests to become a production model. But it sure does symbolise the future of screens for us!
Chanel has recently announced a star-studded cast for its upcoming ad for the “Gabrielle” bag, which will feature four famous names from the world of fashion, carefully selected for their “distinct personalities, reflecting the versatility of the Gabrielle bag” — thus named to honour their legendary founder, Gabrielle Chanel. To be officially unveiled on April 3 this year, the campaign designed by creative director Karl Lagerfeld, shall include three big-name Chanel ambassadors — Kristen Stewart, Caroline de Maigret and Pharrell Williams — along with Cara Delevingne. Revealed for the first time at Chanel’s spring/summer 2017 fashion show in Paris last October, the “Gabrielle” bag is fitted on a rigid, thermoformed base to strengthen and stabilize its supple, lightweight body. Available in several colors, including black and white, it has an adjustable cross-body strap featuring two chains of braided leather and gold and silver metal. It can be worn on the shoulder, across the body, or both at the same time.
And we have yet another Bentley that topples the previous crown bearer and snatches the tag of fastest Bentley ever. The Bentley Supersports from the Continental range is powered by an overhauled version of the 6.0 liter W12 engine that churns out 700 bhp and a massive 750 lb-ft of torque, thanks to newly designed, higher-capacity turbochargers and a revised charge-air cooling system which create more boost and additional power. The 2.7 tonne luxury wagon supposedly touches 62 mph from standstill in 3.4 seconds, making it the fastest accelerating Bentley ever. With a top speed of 209 mph, it is also the world’s fastest four seat car— so says the company. Channeling all this power for smooth handling is a specially calibrated torque vectoring system that individually brakes front and rear wheels during acceleration to come out of corners. The Continental Supersports also boasts special carbon fiber splitter and diffuser in the front and rear bumpers, with the grilles and vents finished in matt black, accentuated by dark tinted headlamps and tail lamps. The dark theme continues with darkened door handles, window surrounds and rear bumper. The interior too flaunts a generous use of carbon fiber and fax suede along with Supersports badging and a bespoke steering wheel. The Bentley Continental Supersports Coupe is all yours for $296,025. But if you’d prefer the convertible version which is again the world’s fastest four-seat convertible with a sprint of 3.7 seconds and top speed of 205 mph, you’d have to shell out $325,325.
New Delhi’s Mehrauli witnessed the opening of fashion designer Anita Dongre’s brand new—and largest—couture store last month. Spanning 10,000 square feet with two floors, the store showcases Dongre’s signature wedding styles featuring gotapatti lehngas and classic Indian Designer wear along with some very modern silhouettes, with the label’s pret line on the ground floor. The interiors are brimming with Indian crafts, with a particular emphasis on Rajasthani accents— block-painting and thikri work, intricate hand-painted Pichwai style paintings, hand-carved marble fountain and elaborate jaalis, niches and alcoves accentuating the architecture. Plus you are also treated to brass artefacts on display from Anita’s travel souvenirs. Add to that the aroma of freshly brewed herbal tea infused with mint, lemongrass and ginger (all organically grown on the store’s terrace garden and served at the store), and you’ve got some serious bliss in store. To top it all off, when you’ve had your fill of shopping you can saunter into the store’s mini library that’s sure to sate your senses with coffee table books on art, textiles, wines, maharajas and cars. That’s quite what we call the art of fine shopping.
