The iconic French boutique, Colette, which is closing its doors for good on Dec 20 this year, is having a last hurrah in the form of a collaboration with French fashion icon Saint Laurent. On the first floor of the Rue St.-Honoré store, the Saint Laurent pop-up that is running from Nov 27 to Dec 20, boasts an array of exclusive items designed by Anthony Vaccarello, including t-shirts and hoodies inspired by the ’80s New Wave, lighters that read ‘Smoking Forever’ (a reference to the famous LeSmoking tuxedo designed by Yves Saint Laurent in 1966), limited-edition YSL Beauté palettes, leather whips, and a 2018 calendar featuring photography by David Sims. Also available are the customised vintage Polaroid SX-70, a calendar and exclusive makeup palettes, Pierre Marcolini chocolates and desserts, a vinyl compilation and Baccarat crystal goods.
WALLS OF WATER: Ithaa in Maldives is the world’s only all-glass underwater restaurant, with transparent arched walls and ceilings that offer 180-degree sea views
In love with the ocean and the myriad creatures that reside within it? Well here’s five ways in which you can literally live with them. Underwater villas, restaurant and even a submerged undersea spa—you’re spoilt for choice with these luxe travel options that help you realise your aquatic dream.
A stay at the Neptune and Poseidon Suites would bring you face to face with a marine world full of vibrant fish and magnificent manta rays
Neptune and Poseidon suites, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
The most famous among underwater accomodations, of course. Who can deny the magic of floor-to-ceiling windows right in your bedroom, providing glimpses inside a manmade lagoon teeming with 65,000 marine creatures. A stay at the Neptune and Poseidon Suites would bring you face to face with a marine world full of vibrant fish and magnificent manta rays, whether you’re in the dining area, the bedroom, or just lounging in the deep-soaking bathtubs.
Niyama resort takes you 20 feet deep under the sea for a dinner date with creatures of the blue at its restaurant Subsix
Subsix restaurant, Niyama, Maldives
Niyama resort in Maldives, takes you deep under the sea—6 metres to be precise, or about 20 feet, for a dinner date with creatures of the blue at its restaurant, appropriately named Subsix. This elegant restaurant allows diners to get up-close and personal with such marine friends as parrotfish, moray eels, rainbow-colored butterflyfish, and more through floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. The resident hawksbill turtles are an added allure at the impressive bar draped with shimmering waves of aquamarine capiz shells.
Unique submerged spa treatment rooms located 26 feet below the surface of the sea
Underwater spa at Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
The first a suite, the second a restaurant, and the third a spa. Yes, Maldive’s Huvafen Fushi resort, which first opened in in 2004, stunned travellers with its spectacular undersea spa, featuring unique submerged treatment rooms located 26 feet below the surface of the sea—the only ones of their kind in the world. Reached by a 300-foot overwater promenade, the spa offers scrubs, wraps, massages, and facials in a glass-enclosed oasis so you can bask in the glow of dappled sunlight on azure waters in the company of dazzling fish.
This villa’s stunning underwater bedroom has windows that wrap nearly 360 degrees for an all-round spectacular display
Underwater Villa, Manta Resort
The underwater villa at Tanzania’s Manta Resort on Pemba Island is a 3 storey floating accommodation that offers the best views of the marine-life-rich Blue Hole. Located 2 minutes by boat from the rest of the hotel this villa’s stunning underwater bedroom has windows that wrap nearly 360 degrees for an all-round spectacular display of fish, squid, octopus, and jellyfish in their marine abode. The villa also offers a sea-level pavilion that offers shaded lounging and dining, and a rooftop deck for sunbathing and stargazing.
Ithaa restaurant can also be booked for private breakfasts, or even converted into an overnight guestroom
Undersea Restaurant Ithaa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Claiming to be the world’s first—and only—all-glass underwater restaurant, the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island boasts entirely transparent arched walls and ceilings with unobstructed 180-degree sea views offered over six-course meals, so that you dine in the company of shoals of hundreds of fish swimming alongside and overhead. The restaurant, whose name means “mother of pearl” in the Maldivian language of Dhivehi, can also be booked for private breakfasts, or even converted into an overnight guestroom for a night of pure aquatic pleasure!
The legendary One&Only Le Saint Géran has revealed details of the ultra luxurious Villa One. The reborn resort will welcome back guests from 1 December 2017, with the newly transformed Villa One, an expansive two-bedroom secluded island home Villa One offering 647 square metres of luxurious living space, accommodating up to four adults and two children, boasting elegant open-plan living spaces and modern amenities complete with a private infinity pool and dedicated 24-hourbutler, chef and valet. The transformed Villa One boats bespoke furniture with mother of pearl inlays, locally crafted artwork including handmade ceramics and opulent natural materials including marble, silk and leathers. Villa One guests can wander through tropical gardens to reach private beach cabanas positioned on the shore. The entrance, with a cream marble mosaic floor and suspended chandelier, opens onto a spacious living room with an inspiring view of the private infinity pool and Indian Ocean. Featuring a dining room for ten and a large, cosy salon—all of which open onto comfortably furnished terraces with mesmerising ocean views .Freshly cooked delicacies will be served in the shaded outdoor dining area, prepared by Villa One’s personal chef in the fully-fitted kitchen or dedicated outdoor kitchen and grill. En-suite wall-to-floor marble bathrooms flow into secluded outdoor shower terraces with direct beach access. The decor immerses Villa One guests into a world of luxurious residential living with a unique local ambiance. In honour of One&Only Le Saint Géran’s distinguished heritage, the living room of Villa One will also house a selection of paintings that have been collected to reflect the resort’s 42-year history.
Rolls-Royce has unveiled a feature loaded, 62-meter concept luxury boat named the Crystal Blue. With hybrid propulsion system that uses a combination of battery power and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and cutting edge digital solutions, this smart-yacht of the future could be built from either aluminum or composites as required to keep the overall weight down. It is designed to accommodate 12 guests and 12 crewmembers. Along with all its high-tech features, the concept yacht has an interesting safety feature called te “safe room” where guests and crew members can seek refuge in the event of attack. The crew can even override controls from inside and navigate the yacht remotely or authorize a shore-based center to pilot the vessel.
Sunreef Yacht’s power sailing catamaran, Eagle Wings, from the Sunreef Supreme 68 line boats 3,000 sqft of space on a 68ft twin hull. Almost indistinguishable from its sister craft, the Sunreef 68 power catamaran, the Eagle Wings flaunts a 28m mast on the roof. The design approach taken for the passenger cabins is unusual– four double passenger cabins all with en-suite heads – the “master” cabin having a larger head and additional walk-through storage. The beds are elevated: over the water between the hulls, and passengers sleep sideways to the direction of movement. The cabin floor space is at the same level as the bottom of the companionways – and the companionways are wide enough to accommodate a chair-lift.
Mercedes-Benz will now be tapping into Tier II and III markets with its new customer centric Brand Tour programme, which aims to increase awareness, brand recall and connect with prospective customers on a more personal level. As part of the programme, the company will be organising experiential drives for potential customers and will provide special discounts and schemes for those booking vehicles at the programme. The programme will be inspired by the premium showrooms of the company and will have all the elements that one gets to see in a Mercedes-Benz dealership. Participants will get to sample the off-road capabilities of Mercedes SUVs along with the pre-safe feature on the C-Class and E-Class sedans. The Brand Tour Programme began in October, from Jalgaon, Agra, Salem and will travel to nine more cities including Patiala, Kottayam, Shillong, Bhopal, Ahmednagar, Shivmoga, Rajmundry, Jodhpur and Kolhapur before the end of 2017. The company says that the locations have been selected specifically based on the demand for luxury cars in these Tier II and Tier III markets.
With all the class and panache of a 007 mean machine, the new V8 Vantage promises some far-out technology to go with its eye-catching design
Aston Martin finally comes all out with the aggressive looking, all-new V8 Vantage that made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Cheaper than the DB11, but with all the class and panache of a 007 mean machine, the new Vantage promises some far-out technology to go with its eye-catching design.
Post the release of the DB11 last year, the 2019 Aston Martin Vantage is the second model in the carmaker’s line-up to be completely updated as a part of the brand’s second century product development plans.
Yes you would be struck by the resemblance to the DB10, if you’ve watched the Bond movie Spectre—and that’s because the DB10 specially created for the film was based on this new production car. Aston Martin had made exactly ten DB10 for James Bond to drive, and then one to be sold off afterwards, with a price tag far more than the Vantage’s $150k starting price.
Aston Martin doesn’t make its own engines from scratch for its road cars: instead, it starts with some proven engineering from elsewhere in Europe. The Vantage begins with a Mercedes-AMG engine—the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, which is then tweaked by Aston Martin’s own engineers, to stamp it with the marque’s distinct feel. So this one boasts an impressive 503 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, with peak torque of 505 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm. The V8 Vantage does the 0-1000kmph sprint in just 3.6 seconds, with top speeds going up to 314 kmph. The exhaust sound has been given special attention as well, and it gets even better on Sport Plus or Track Mode.
As for the exterior, the mean machine sports an angry looking front fascia with slim headlights and low ‘hill climb’ grill and protruding splitter. The massive diffuser and sleek taillights extending from side to side dominate the styling of the rear. The up-swept rear decklid and full-width LED tail lights have become fan favorites.
The interior is a classic sports car aesthetic – sharp, edgy lines that express the more aggressive nature of this car, coupled with a low driving position for a more immersive feel. Carbon fiber interior and exterior detailing, luxurious sporting Alcantara and leather upholstery are some of the features you find here.
And let’s not forget the 2018 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE, which looks like the road-going Vantage cranked up to 11. A huge wing for extra downforce, hood scoops, a near-outlandish rear diffuser— all finished in striking lime-green paint. Crafted especially for the FIA World Endurance Championship, this is one spectacular beast.
The 2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage is priced at $149,995 and deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2018.
Audemars Piguet is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Royal Oak model with a new, limited edition of four special watches: the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph. The first model in the quartet features a 42mm stainless steel case, a “Petite Tapisserie” black dial with dark blue chronograph registers, and matching blue pushers, crown and alligator strap. The second steel watch sports a brown dial fitted with pink gold hands. The third one is the 18k yellow gold model with a blue dial and golden sub-dials, complete with 18k gold bracelet plus a spare alligator strap with a gold pin buckle. The final model, also the most expensive, is the all-platinum chronograph that rocks a grey dial with black sub-dials, matching bracelet and extra alligator strap. Limited to just 50 pieces this one carries half a kilogram in weight! Now that’s what you call a royal heavyweight.
Embrace winter Sundays with Italian brunches at the Italian restaurant Sorrento, at Shangri-La’s Eros, New Delhi. Between 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm every Sunday, treat yourself to the tantalising spread includes seasonal grilled vegetable salad with Parmesan flakes, an assemblage of tropical cheese, including Parmesan, Asiago, Fontal, Gorgonzola, Pecorino, Provolone and Taleggio, plus an assortment of cold cuts—Parma ham, Coppa, Mortadella, Cacciatore, Soppressata, Prosciutto, Speck, Pearl Cous Cous and Seafood Salad, Baked Sardines with Chili and Parmesan, Classic Caesar Salad, Sicilian Shrimp Salad, Salmon Carpaccio and many more—enough to make your mouth water already! The Cicchetti selection includes Bruschetta with Seasonal Tomato, Basil, Rocket Salad, Roast Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Parmesan Snow; Spiedini with free range Chicken and tons more, with decadent desserts ‘Dolce’ featuring delicacies such as Tiramisu, Pastiera Napoletana, Cannoli, Panna Cotta, Milli Feuille—and topped off with in house beverages such as Ti Amo Prosecco, Grappa’s Signature Negronis, Red / White Wine Popsicles, and Aperol Spritzers. Cost per person for Brunch and soft beverages is Rs 2750 (plus taxes) while Brunch with Cocktails/Prosecco carries the tag of Rs 3750 (plus taxes) per person.
The One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius is all set for a grand comeback on 1 December 2017, following a multimillion dollar transformation, and will now introduce the all new Club One. The iconic luxury retreat in Mauritius will retain the sense of exclusive seclusion on its own private peninsula with a beachfront and calm lagoon. The new Club One features a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor fitness centre with dedicated space for group fitness favourites and world-class sporting grounds. The main fitness area comes fully equipped with Technogym Unity 3.0, Skillmill Connect, Kinesis Stations, Omnia 3, and Flexability. Two brand-new studios will be home to group classes including Yoga, Zumba, TRX®, Kick Boxing, HIIT, and group cycle. The outdoor fitness area will feature My Equilibria, a first in the Indian Ocean, introducing a new and innovative approach to working out in the fresh sea air that improves strength, balance and endurance by only using body weight. Highly-skilled personal trainers will be at hand for Assisted Stretching, Core Stability, as well as Boxing. Guests will also be offered an expert one-to-one session to focus on improving stroke technique, learning new strokes and skills, and the optimisation of ongoing training. The resort’s trainers can also be the ultimate running partner, joining guests on a journey that is tailored to their preferences and fitness level. Trainers can also devise a personalised package for guests, following a fitness consultation.
