The Alpha One luxury smartphone from Lamborghini

Super car maker Lamborghini has joined the luxury phone maker league and launched an Android smartphone called the Alpha One. Flaunting an Italian handmade leather finish with gold-plated stainless steel surrounding  it, the phone comes in its own custom Italian leather case too. An interesting nugget of information for Lamborghini enthusiasts is that the phone uses the same liquid alloy used in the smashing Lamborghini cars—making it more resistant to scratches, dents, chemicals, and corrosion. A great buy for Lamborghini lovers, certainly. Available exclusively at Harrods in London, the Alpha One is priced at $2,450.

World’s first equestrian themed St Regis opens in Dubai

The very first equestrian themed St Regis is all set to open in Dubai. The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club has 151 rooms, suites, and villas boasting floor to ceiling windows or balconies with panoramic views of the four polo fields that the resort is built around. Along with a décor that is a combination of equestrian and Art Deco, this new St Regis also boasts a Polo Academy with an expert team of instructors to offer polo practice and riding lessons for guests, along with a spa that offers treatments like Riders Relief Massage and the Equestrian Journey especially for riders! There’s also an Equestrian Lounge and the St Regis Polo Bar. St Regis actually has a historic equestrian connection too, with Jacob Astor IV, founder of the first St. Regis in New York, being a Polo enthusiast. Equestrian Lounge or sip a cocktail at the St. Regis Polo Bar. The St Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club will officially open its doors in October.

Decoding Luxe: Mahul Brahma’s book on luxury launched in Kolkata

Former journalist-turned-communicator Mahul Brahma recently launched his debut book “Decoding Luxe”, billed as a definitive guide to luxury. The book talks about the history of luxury in India, and takes a look at luxury beyond the limited view of price tags. The book has received praises from industry leaders like  Ratan Tata (Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons),  D Shivakumar (Chairman, PepsiCo),  Sanjiv Goenka (Chairman, RP-SG),  Harshavardhan Neotia (Chairman, Ambuja Neotia), and  Hemant Kanoria (Chairman, SREI).

Capsule collection of luxury bags inspired by Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley

Ultra-luxury conservation resort Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley and luxury accessories brand State of Escape have joined hands to create ‘The Wolgan Collection’: a capsule collection of bags inspired by the pristine beauty of Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains. Designed by State of Escape founders Brigitte MacGowan and Desley Maidment, the collection consists of three designs – two iconic Escape carryalls and one new Festival cross-body bag – rendered in khaki, pewter and bright ochre colourways that instantly evoke the soaring sandstone escarpments and stunning native bushlands surrounding Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley. The Limited Edition ‘Wolgan Collection’ features State of Escape’s signature perforated neoprene with supporting sailing rope. Remarkably versatile, each of the bags in the range also represents the ultimate day-to-day accessory. This combination of beauty and functionality is described by State of Escape’s designers as ‘beautility’.

Shingora’s luxury scarves inspired by facets of India

Luxury fashion accessories brand Shingora has created collections of scarves inspired by the myriad facets of India—from nature to urban living. The collections range from ‘Trees of India’, ‘Victoria Terminus’ to ‘Punjab Baroque’: the first reflecting the variety of trees one can observe in the Indian landscape, the second one depicting the frenetic activity and energy at Mumbai’s railway stations and the third portraying the water tanks near Shingora headquarters in Punjab. Shingora creates a variety of luxury scarves and drapes such as jacquard scarves, silk stretch scarves, silk jacquard scarves, cashmere shawls, pashmina shawls and a host of others.

Gauri Khan unveils her Signature Collection of designer lights from TISVA

Gauri Khan recently unveiled her signature collection of designer lights from TISVA at The Leela Palace Hotel, New Delhi. This collection of aesthetically hand-crafted Murano glass luminaires built painstakingly by skilled Italian artisans is curated by Khan herself. Gauri defined the collection thus: “The Ringlet is a sculptural inspiration to look up to, while the Fotios when used with its dimming technology lends grace and elegance; the Elinore in turn with its gold elements lends drama even to low ceilings. The Calante range of magnetic track lights is easy to maneuver. Lastly the new down lighters will add drama to any lobby area.” Apart from the Italian collection, the new range also includes smart control magnetic track systems, introduced for the first time in India. Designed for three types of mounting, they can be used as pendant, recess and surface. These tracks can be securely mounted with snap fit magnetic luminaries. Gauri Khan’s Signature Collection will be available at all TISVA exclusive stores.

Carl F. Bucherer to present special Manero Peripheral at Only Watch 2017

Carl F Bucherer is all set to participate in the Only Watch biennial charity auction taking place on the 11th of November 2017, with a special edition of the Manero Peripheral created especially for the event. The Swiss master watchmaker will be adding a royal blue peripheral rotor and an 18-carat white gold case to the classic lines of the single edition Manero Peripheral for Only Watch 2017. The characteristic peripheral rotor, which Carl F. Bucherer was the first manufacturer to put into series production, appears for the first time ever in the same royal blue that adorns the model’s leather strap and indices, a tribute to the brand’s attention to detail. Alluding to the auction that will take place on November 11, the eleven of the date appears in the same blue. A metallic dedication is placed on the inside of the see-through sapphire-crystal case back that reads “ONLY WATCH 2017 – Pièce unique – Fabriquée en Suisse”. This watch that embodies the full innovative force of the Carl F. Bucherer manufacture by blending the sophisticated engineering of the in-house movement with a timeless design interpretation. The successful bidder will also be invited for an unforgettable experience in the brand’s hometown, Lucerne, in the very heart of Switzerland. They will enjoy a two-night stay at the prestigious Chateau Gütsch hotel, in one of the most picturesque hotel locations in the world, with spectacular panoramic views of Lake Lucerne and the surrounding mountains. Additionally, they will get a chance to explore the historic city also visit the Carl F. Bucherer manufacture to experience the entire world of the family business.

Mandarin Oriental to manage Caribbean Resort on Canouan Island

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will rebrand and manage a luxury hotel, currently operating on Canouan island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from 1 November 2017.  Mandarin Oriental, Canouan will be the Group’s first property in the Caribbean. The exclusive resort is situated on the secluded, powder white sands of Canouan Island which is only five square miles in total.  The whole island is dedicated to leisure pursuits including sailing, kayaking, diving, fishing, tennis and hiking, as well as golf at an 18-hole Jim Fazio-designed golf course.  The hotel comprises 26 suites and 12 three-to-four bedroom villas. All suites and villas have full ocean views, and each villa comes with a large private pool just a few steps away from the ocean. A variety of restaurants and bars provide a range of cuisines and al fresco dining and the property also features an outdoor infinity pool, a spa and health club, with two overwater treatment cabanas accessible by boat. The Group will also brand and manage a portfolio of new Residences at Mandarin Oriental, to be located near the hotel and scheduled to be available in 2020.

All –new 2018 BMW M5 performance sedan revealed

BMW just revealed the all-new M5 at Gamescom 2017 in Cologne, Germany ahead of the official global debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The unveiling came at EA’s press conference
since the car will be featured in Need For Speed: Payback video game now. The new BMW M5 is the first M car, which is not an SUV, to go all-wheel drive thanks to the new M xDrive all-wheel drive system. The M5’s M xDrive is rear-biased and only sends power to the rear wheels if the rears are struggling for grip. Sending power to all four wheels is an 8-speed automatic gearbox from ZF which replaces the previous car’s 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.  As for the engine, the new M5 is powered by a revised version of BMW’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, belting out 592bhp and 750Nm of torque, which is 40bhp and 75Nm of torque more than the car it replaces. The 0–100kph is covered in just 3.4 seconds—a second quicker than the predecessor and 0 – 200kph takes just 11.1 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250kph, but if you want to go all out, just pick the Driver’s package which will then remove the limiter and whoosh you ahead at 306kph. The 2018 BMW M5 is priced at €117,900 (Rs 88.90 lakhs), and BMW will begin taking orders in September. The deliveries will begin in spring 2018.

And now, the Rolls Royce ‘Dawn in Fuxia’

Rolls Royce just created a new shade for the Dawn: Fuxia. Created especially for collector Michael Fux (and named after him too) the Rolls-Royce ‘Dawn in Fuxia’ is actually fashioned after a flower found by Fux himself, on a trip to Pebble Beach last year. Fux presented this flower to the Rolls Royce Bespoke Design Team as a challenge: to create a bespoke Dawn for him that’s the exact same shade. Interestingly, this is the second bespoke Dawn created for collector Fux, with the first one being in Fux Blue. And that’s not all—there’s a whole list of shades along with these two named after him, all adorning bespoke Rolls Royce creations that he now owns:  Fux Intense Jade Pearl, Fux Aequus Green Jade Pearl, Fux Deep Purple, Fux Candy Red and Fux Yellow! The latest one, Dawn in Fuxia, was unveiled by Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars—quite fittingly at the Quail, an Automotive Experience, in Pebble Beach, California. The launch was part of the company’s activities at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.