the spectacular 77

LG finally unveiled its 77-inch G6 flat-screen Signature Series 4K Ultra HD version at the CEDIA Expo 2016 this week. For a TV that is the biggest and grandest of LG’s new Signature series, you’d have  to shell out nothing less than $20,0000 but it’s absolutely worth the price. With even better brightness that supports the 4K UHD content with high dynamic range (HDR), 10-bit panels and processing, better colour rendering and the widest possible viewing angles known till date, this OLED packs in a great viewing experience. Another highlight is the G6’s new “picture on glass” design that incorporates a thin transparent border trim around the screen. What’s that for, you ask? Well, it actually makes the picture appear to be floating on a sheet of glass! With most players in the market focused on increasing brightness and providing bigger nit counts, LG lays emphasis on overall contrast for providing customers an engaging live home experience. The 77- inch model along with the other 2016 counterparts will feature with two HDR flavors – HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. Bet you can’t wait to get this one!

mandarin oriental tokyo

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo is holding a new event, Kimono Week by Mandarin Oriental from 23 October –15 November 2016. The hotel will host activities themed on the iconic Japanese garment, the kimono, to celebrate Tokyo Kimono Week 2016, an annual festival held in Nihonbashi district, the birthplace of traditional Edo culture. Kimono Week will feature the Premium Kimono Stay, a two-night luxurious Oriental Suite package priced at JPY3.8 million, where guests receive a made-to-order kimono, created by Chiso, a 460-year-old shop that specializes in kyoyuzen dyeing, and which comes with an authentic belt and accessories for one person.  The package also includes dressing, styling, and photo shoot on the second night, along with a host of luxe beauty treatments, such as a facial treatment for one by French skin care brand Biologique Recherche, and other treatments by Margaret Dabbs, London. Other celebratory activities will include an on-sale orange-flavoured chocolate Kimono Cake designed in the motif of a kimono pattern from Bhutan, the “country of happiness”, a special Kimono afternoon tea served with Kimono Cake at the hotel’s Oriental Lounge, a Kimono exhibition in collaboration with Imagine Oneworld, which will display several one-of-a-kind kimonos from 23 October – 15 November 2016. To top it all, a Kimono photo contest will be held on Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s official Instagram account (MO_TOKYO) between 23 October -15 November. Entrants can participate by taking a photo that fits one of three keywords: “kimono”, “wa (Japanese tradition)”, and “Nihonbashi”, and posting it with the hashtag #TOKYO_KIMONO.The luxe Kimono stay package will be valid from 23 October 2016 – 23 October 2017. Bookings may be made until 31 July 2017. Enquiries can be made at motyo-reservations@mohg.com.

st petersburg

Consumers on website Cruise Critic have voted St Petersburg, the former imperial Russian city, as the best cruise destination round the world, based on its excellence in art, history and architecture. Cruise Critic’s first cruise destination awards have declared St Petersburg the winner based on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on the site. Paris was rated the best river cruise destination (that’s for the Seine, which is navigable by ocean-going vessels up to Rouen), while San Francisco took the title of best cruise destination in North America.

luxury market india

The latest report released by New World Wealth puts India among the top prospective markets for luxe brands worldwide, with as much as two-fold growth expected in this segment in the next 10 years. Various factors move in favour of India—the growing number of entrepreneurs, better education and a large English speaking population. The 10-year growth forecast for the country stands at 120 per cent. Other major contributing factors include strong growth forecast in the local financial services, IT, business process outsourcing, real estate, healthcare and media sectors. In particular, the cities of the future as given by the report are Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The other countries that feature high on the list of opportunity are Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mauritius and China. “These markets are not yet fully developed and still offer strong opportunities for growth, especially in the luxury and wealth management space,” the report said.

baroque romance

Lovers and newlyweds can enjoy a tailor made experience at the Mandarin Oriental, Prague with a Baroque style romantic weekend set in the 18th century. The Baroque Romance package includes treats such as a horse-drawn carriage ride through the cobbled streets of old Prague—and you get to be dressed in Baroque costumes, too! With a welcoming glass of prosecco, there’s a whole list of things to have fun with—playing total dress up complete with costume, make-up and wigs, transforming yourself to Baroque novel–like characters. And then when you set off on your horse-drawn carriage tour of Prague, you are accompanied by a photographer to capture the best moments. The Baroque experience ends with a private, intimate dinner in the hotel’s Wine Cellar with a delicious sharing menu created by Executive Chef,Jiří Stift. A late check-out allows guests to enjoy a lazy morning and breakfast in the privacy of their suite, and you get round trip limousine services too. Interestingly, Mandarin Oriental, Prague was originally a Baroque-era monastery and is located in the centre of the city’s picturesque “Lesser Town” district. A Baroque Romance package is valid round the year and package rates start from EUR 3,472, based on double occupancy for two nights.

christies midseason

Christie’s Midseason auction of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art on 14 September in New York released £3.8 million and was 72% sold by lots. The top ten lots of the sale all sold above $100,000 and mainly represented the elite of the Indian Modern Masters.  The auction was well attended by collectors from around the globe, underlining the ever growing interest in the category. Jehangir Sabavala’s The White Veni  which came top of the list, went for $3,792,400, while MF Husain’s Untitled (Horses) fetched $341,000. Man and Woman by Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002) fetched  $317,000 while Syed Haider Raza’s Punaraagman sold for $245,000. The top fifth place went to Bharti Kher’s Mother of Anything Possible, Anytime which fetched $209,000. Christie’s next auction for Indian Art will take place on 18 December in Mumbai, which will be the 4th consecutive December auction Christie’s will hold in India. Furthermore, the auction will mark the conclusion of Christie’s 250thanniversary celebrations, which started earlier this year.

pune fashion week

The Pune Fashion Week in its sixth edition promises to put up a brilliant exhibit of the spirit of fashion with signature runway shows along with plethora of events fit for a ‘Festival of Fashion’. The fashion is scheduled on 23-24- 25 September 2016 at The Westin, Pune. Other than the presentation of celebrated designer labels’ latest collections, the highlights of the show include The Luxe Expo, which gives a sneak peek into the highly adorned ‘signature pieces’ curated by renowned brands; Fashion Knowledge Series where you can hear the most influential speakers and educate yourself on fashion and style; Genesis, where design students design showcase their talent through their collections; Hair and Makeup Show, which features the ‘Creative Fantasy Makeup Fashion Show’ by makeup artists and hairstyling students along with a Smile Foundation Charity event, where the city’s 20 power couples walk the ramp and lend valuable support to girl child empowerment through education. A diverse platter indeed.

collection draws inspiratio

A classy range of premium speakers and headphones, including the trendy wireless ones, in colours of the untouched beauty of Nordic lands—what else could a music lover ask for? Danish audio company Bang & Olufsen, famous for its high-end consumer electronics, has just announced its Beoplay Autumn/Winter 2016 Collection, which draws inspiration from the colours sprinkled all over the pristine beauty of Nordic nations— moss green, lava stone black, deep clay red, cocoa brown, that represent the textured soil and grass in Nordic Nature: shifting streams, birch trees, mineral clay, lush moss, lava stones and black sand beaches. You can get your hands on the Beoplay Autumn/Winter 2016 Collection online on the brand’s official website or at selected Bang & Olufsen stores across the globe.

flying spur

Breaking the 321 km barrier is quite a feat for the Flying Spur, because the vehicle in question is a huge and lavishly appointed saloon. This car comes with an extra 10bhp and 20Nm of torque that gets the bi-turbo 6.0-litre W12 motor to deliver 626bhp and 820Nm of torque. This acts as a catalyst to take the luxe saloon to 325kmph, and also despatch the 0-100kmph run in a quicker 4.5sec.  Along with the extra power—and an extra ‘S’ in the badging— Bentley offers the W12 S with an optional carbon ceramic brake kit that comes in either black or red callipers. Exterior updates include glossy black on a few bits like the front grille and the 21-inch wheels. Both the head lamps and tail lamps get a sporty black tint treatment, and the new ‘W12 S’ badge is proudly displayed on the D-pillar. Inside the cabin is the brand new three-spoke steering wheel with the new gearshift paddles, the different stitching with ‘W12 S’ emblem on the headrest, and the new two-tone theme with contrast stitching and diamond quilting. Bentley India is yet to reveal any details about introducing the Flying Spur W12 S here, but deliveries worldwide will begin before the end of 2016.

mechanical pencil

Nicholas Hemingway created the Mark II Everlasting Mechanical Pencil, because he was fed up the waste produced by ‘disposable culture’. Knowing that cheap materials create waste and pollution, he set out to create a long lasting alternative, that you might even want to keep forever. The Mark II Everlasting Mechanical Pencils are sleek and minimalist, and available in aluminum, brass and stainless steel. This is actually the second range of such pencils from Hemi Wear (Hemingway’s company) and features design improvements such as an almost seamless contour blending of barrels and nibs. The beautiful pencils are handmade and you can get one by backing Hemingway’s Kickstarter project which is collecting funds to create and distribute his creations. Each pencil is made to order , in accordance with his policy of no waste or excess, and you can choose the lead thickness you would like— from 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm. Pencils can be purchased at a reduced rate now as part of the fundraising campaign, or later from the Hemi Wear website. For now, you can pledge £54 for a pencil in a metal of your choice with your desired lead thickness and have it sent to you in November. An exclusive pencil, customised and handmade— all for you. How’s that for luxe writing?