Transforming the signs of the Chinese zodiac into vibrant works of art has become Piaget’s tradition ringing in the Chinese New Year. Every year since 2012, the Maison has staged that year’s zodiac sign on the dial of one of its ultra-thin Altiplano watches, masterfully handcrafted in the great Grand Feu cloisonné enamelling tradition. In 2017 the rooster joins the limited edition collection, creatively interpreted, enamelled and engraved, within the confines of the Altiplano’s extremely thin 38mm case. The handcrafted enamel is further enhanced by the beauty of 78 brilliant-cut diamonds set on the watch’s white gold case. Limited to just 38 pieces, this collector’s edition is truly a work of art. But this isn’t all. Piaget has further raised a toast to the Chinese New Year by celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Tourbillon Relatif movement through a piece unique in itself. The Polo Tourbillon Relatif, brings together white gold and black enamel, with the numbers on its dial replaced by the 12 zodiac signs and the back bearing the Chinese symbol of longevity. The dial of the Piaget Polo timepiece combines champlevé Grand Feu enamelling with delicate hand engravings of each of the animals. The champlevé technique consists in eliminating the excess material to reveal the desired design rather than simply etching the design into the metal. From its dial to the back and the sides of the case, this model can be entirely personalized. All we can say is, your New Year isn’t complete without this very Piaget tribute to Asia.
RUNWAY RADAR | From perky pink to played up khakis, the New York Fashion Week had much inspiration to offer for the fashionably inclined
Each year as it comes, brings with it some of the old and a lot of the new. 2016, making way for 2017, might be no different, except for the excitement that gathers around all the trend forecasts. Talking fashion, we have had the international runways ablaze with some retro, a tad revealing and rather edgy looks which are inspiration for our 2017 style and shopping guides. And even though springs seems a little far out, given we are in the throes of merry winter, its time to get a move on, and get in sync with the bright and bold runway trends from Paris, Milan and New York, with the following preview to take you through a trendspotter’s guide to the most wearable fashion trends of Spring/Summer 2017
STRIPED GLORY | Stripes turned playful as seen during the NYFW in the runway collections of Proenza Schouler, Rosie Assoulin, Altuzarra. Photos: Imaxtree
STRIPES
While this may not seem very original, it did look promising as the flamboyance of stripes was at its max, as spotted in the imaginative mixed and matched stripes from Fendi, to Rosie Assoulin’s sparkly sequined striped dress, to the bright multi-coloured stripes of Adam Selman, and on to the bold stripes in Altuzarra’s knit dresses. It seemed that even the banker/oxford stripes had gone in for a style overhaul, as the staidness was gone and in its place there were details like ruffles, flounces, skin-showing cuts and sporty silhouettes. But most of the drama was with the story of stripes itself, which seemed to be not just a play of clashing colours and patterns, but in some cases also inspired by the beach umbrellas and lounge chairs, veritably displayed in the designs from the house of Valentino, and fitting right into the scheme of summer.
PINK PERFECT | The runways were flush with blush as seen in the Spring 2017 collections of Jason Wu, Delpozo and Michael Kors
PINK
Who’d have thought that the colour of love would also become one for the fashionable lot to fall in love with, but so it seemed this year at the Paris fashion week runway which seemed awash with this pretty colour when three designers – Balenciaga, Céline, and Valentino – went all the way in doing it up in hot pink. While Nina Ricci’s opening number was an eye-catching ensemble comprising a statement pink blouse with purple pants, there were also those in soft, rosy hues, to charm their way into your closet.
TRENCH CENTRAL | The runways turned green with military and safari inspired trenches, as exemplified here with designs from Prada, Burberry and Marc Jacob
KHAKI
The utilitarian nature of khaki was in for an overhaul as popping up on the international runways you had military style, or safari style designs in khaki. So, March Jacob glammed up military greens with some swish satin, and Ralph Lauren added in soe feminine flair to his safari-inspired palette. Also, the trend of khaki trenches will be coming up big as designers like Dion Lee transformed the classic trench into something more edgy with slit shoulder jackets and belted skirt-pants, and there were others adding in nips and details to make.
BOLD BLOOMS | The floral obsession takes on a daring turn as seen in the collections from PatBo, Chloe and Valentino
FLORALS
While this is not a new story, but there’s a twist on this tale. The blooms are taking over the runway, standing out in their freshness and femininity, as they grace the skirts, the dresses and jumpsuits. Also, novel is the bold and bright graphic take on florals as seen with Balenciaga, Gucci, while the flirty take on florals was apparent in Michael Kors collection, and Tory Burch took the hippie fix to the runway with maxi dresses and kaftans embellished with blooms.
CROPPED CONFIDENCE | Being brief was never this sexy as seen with the bra tops gracing designer collections from Alexander Wang and Victoria Beckham
BUSTIER
While althleisure continues to be spotted on the runways, a take off from this is the bralet, or bustier, which founds its favour with the couture clique, and was seen in many designer collections, in all its cropped glory. So one saw the variety of bra tops, in various combinations, gracing the spring/summer looks, and being paired with skirts, suits and pants at Alexander Wang, Tory Burch shows. And then there were bustier style tops worn over shorts as seen with Tome and Tibi, while Victoria Beckham had sculptural bra tops peeping out of velvet blazers for another brazenly glam look.
SHOULDER UP | Cold shoulder tops continue their stint on the runway with design houses keeping up with the play on the shoulder flash
SINGLE SHOULDER CUTOUT
While shoulder blades are sexy, this one part of our anatomy continues to be the favourite of designers who played around with the one-shoulder cutouts, strategically slashed, for the maximum benefit. From shirts to dresses and sweaters, from Saint Laurent to Monse and Self Portrait, the one shoulder style has kept going strong.
India’s newest spa resort is none other than the uber luxe Oberoi Sukhvilas, located just thirty minutes outside Chandigarh. Surrounded by more than 8,000 acres of protected forest in the foothills of the Himalayas, It has 60 guest accommodations that range from rooms to villas to luxury tents, the last two offering a private swimming pool for each abode. Visitors are treated to two restaurants—one with international cuisine and one with local cuisine—and a bar, but the pièce de résistance is the hotel’s spa. The spa offers a custom-designed program of ayurvedic therapies, and facilities include a steam sauna, an infrared sauna, a vitality pool, a Turkish hammam, and a Roman tepidarium. The Oberoi Sukhvilas is open for guests now, with the launch of the spa scheduled for early 2017. Well, that’s quite a new year gift, if we may say so!
Even as you read this, the BMW X2 is being tested under cold weather conditions in Sweden. As the X2 is based on the X1, it is expected to share the same motors too. So, while the European market may get both petrol and diesel powerplants in three and four cylinder iterations, the US market will get the petrol versions. Visually, the nose of the X2 highlights a wide kidney grille with the head lamps aggressively angled towards it, along with wider intakes on the bumper. The German brand is expected to equip the X2 with both FWD and AWD variants, and also plans to have electric versions added to the line-up. The X2 is expected to hit showrooms internationally in 2018, and will be targeted at young buyers who will be lured to the sleek shape of this CUV. According to several reports, the prices for the BMW X2 should be slightly higher than a top end X1, and bearing in mind the manner in which this segment is flourishing the world over, BMW India will hopefully also rope this model for the Indian market.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York is attempting bringing to attention a pressing global issue: the refugee crisis. In an ongoing exhibition, the museum tries to define the term “home” which in recent time has become an ambiguous—and even temporary—concept for over 60 million people. That is a humongous figure, but it reveals the extent of the crisis that is upon the world as people seek refuge from violence and disasters. In Insecurities: Tracing Displacement and Shelter, MOMA brings together works of architects, designers, and artists whose works respond to the situations brought about by forced displacement. Mumbai-based artist Reena Kallat’s site specific installation—Woven Chronicle—a giant world map held together by a tangle of multi-coloured wires which trace the movement of migrants across the world, brings an artful new way of understanding the problem. The installation is also a source of an unsettling milieu of sounds: phone signals, electrical pulses, and bird chirps.
Tisva, a premium home decorative lighting brand from Usha International Limited inaugurated its flagship studio in New Delhi on Dec 16. Located in the shopping hub of interior designers and architects, this studio in Ghitorni is spread over 2500 sqft over 2 floors is and is a tribute to the ‘art of illumination’. Well-known interior designer Gauri Khan, wife of Shahrukh Khan, is associated with the brand. The Tisva lighting studio has a customised experience zone which showcases automated lighting concepts like new age down lighters which work on bluetooth technology and elyisian lights featuring Japanese technology that creates light in a choice of color selection from warm white to cool daylight, to help customers choose the best lighting narrative for their home. Additionally, consumers can also avail lighting consultancy services from experts at the studio. Tisva lights come with additions such as tunability (colour control) and dimmability (intensity control) . Products from Tisva include Ambient lighting concepts, LED designer range, Chandeliers, Table and Floor Lamps, Wall Lights, Pendants, Outdoor lighting and utility lighting products.
The first retrospective exhibition devoted to the Indian artist Y. G. Srimati (1926–2007) will go on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art beginning December 15. Featuring some 25 meticulously executed watercolor paintings, augmented by musical instruments, archival photographs, and performance recordings, An Artist of Her Time: Y. G. Srimati and the Indian Style will demonstrate Srimati’s consistent commitment to her vision of an Indian style. Raised in the heated climate of the independence movement—as a teenager, she performed devotional songs at prayer meetings for Mahatma Gandhi—Srimati explored themes from Indian religious epic literature and rural culture, asserting traditional subject matter as part of a conscious expression of nationalist sentiments. Drawn from The Met and private collections, the exhibition will focus principally on the artist’s first two decades—the 1940s and 1950s—when her repertoire was defined and her style matured. The artist’s key works from the 1980s and 1990s, when she resided in New York, will also be on view. The exhibition is made possible by The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation Fund.”Experiencing the political struggle leading up to the transition to an independent India had a lasting impact on Srimati’s work,” said John Guy, The Met’s Florence and Herbert Irving Curator for the Arts of South and Southeast Asia in the Department of Asian Art. “She remained committed to painting as a highly personal expression of her fundamental Indian values.”
You just have to wait for over a year and Italy will welcome you to the world’s first food themed amusement park. Opening in 2018, the park the FICO Eataly park spread over 20 acres and is a venture of Eataly- Mario Bataly and Joe Bastianich’s chain of Italian food stores. To be launched at Bologna, the park promises to be a treat for foodies, also educating them about the preparation and origin of different ingredients and dishes at its 25 restaurants and 40 workshops. In addition, the park holds 500 adult-sized, bright-colored tricycles equipped with shopping baskets, which are apparently the first hybrid bike/shopping carts to be made available in a retail space. What’s more, you can enjoy the sight of grazing lands nine different kinds of cows, five kinds of pigs, five kinds of goats, five kinds of sheep, rabbit, geese, and guinea hens. Whew! That’s quite the Farmville style park! And in case you’re wondering what kind of amusement park comes without rides, fear not—there’s a host of virtual reality rides with names like “Man and Fire”, “Man and Future” and “Man and Bottle” of which the second was designed in collaboration with MIT. Now that’s what we call a real spread!
At $200, the Moschino Barbie and Ken collector’s edition set is the most expensive doll set in production. But that’s just as well, for it is modelled after the Moschino designer himself: Jeremy Scott, and Australian Victoria’s Secret Angel, Stella Maxwell. The dolls’ outfits are replicated from Scott’s eccentric look at the 2015 MTV VMAs that he attended with Maxwell, which was a particularly important event for Scott since he designed both the event’s red carpet and Moon Man trophy. The dolls feature the iconic outfits worn by the couple, with the Ken Doll sporting Scott’s intriguing tux-with-no shirt look, with a print inspired by television test signal stripes! This isn’t Moschino and Barbie’s first collaboration, but it’s definitely the first time that a Ken Doll has been styled by a designer. Moschino had in 2015 designed a duo of Barbies dressed in its signature looks, 700 limited-edition dolls that sold out for $150 each in under an hour! Prior to that, in 2014, Scott’s designed a Barbie-themed collection for Milan Fashion Week.
No one ever forgets Diana, the Princess of hearts. She was the resident royal style icon as well as the people’s princess. A London exhibition commemorating the 20th anniversary of her death will bring back some of Diana’s most memorable outfits to her home, Kensington Palace. The exhibition, Diana: Her Fashion Story, which opens February 24, 2017, will trace the evolution of her style from the demure, romantic outfits of her first public appearances to the glamour, elegance and confidence she bore so well in her later life. Dresses, gowns, and blouses now owned by private collectors and museums around the world will be included in the exhibit approved by the royal family and, particularly, by her sons. Kensington Palace, where she once lived, is now home to Prince William, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and their children, as well as Prince Harry.
