pink floyd retrospective

Even as you read this, the Pink Floyd retrospective is on at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. “Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains” exhibit, which opened May 13 and goes on till October, marks 50 years since the influential British band released its first-ever single, “Arnold Layne.” The retrospective puts on display the band’s music, design and staging from the 1960s to the present, displaying more than 350 objects and artefacts in an audio-visual presentation of the band’s journey and influence. The band was best known for its iconic psychedelic imagery and organisers of the exhibit kept that well in mind. So expect to find riveting visuals in here such as pigs flying over Battersea Power Station, the prism for “The Dark Side of the Moon,” cows, marching hammers and giant inflatable teachers—many brought to life by modern surrealist Storm Thorgerson, satirical illustrator Gerald Scarfe and psychedelic lighting pioneer Peter Wynne-Wilson. The “sonic experience” would be provide by Sennheiser. To top it all, visitors would be treated to never-before-seen concert footage and a laser light show designed especially for the exhibit.

mushroom leather interiors

Bentley’s loyalists are spread out across the globe, and that includes vegans too. So what do you do when you’re in love with those uber-luxury road rulers but can’t stand the idea of reclining in leather upholstered seats? You influence Bentley to explore options. Affluent vegan Bentley enthusiasts have done just that and now Bentley’s Mulliner department is testing some unique interior solutions for its vegan clientele. So they’re playing around with innovative options such as Protein, Mushroom and Jellyfish substitutes- each as classy as its animal skinned counterparts. Protein leather, also known as Pleather is made from oil in the form of plastic, either PVC or polyurethane, whereas Mushroom leather or Muskin is biodegradable leather extracted from mushroom caps and tanned using chemical free methods. Jellyfish material is another biosynthetic compound that will be used to produce the legendary car’s all-vegan interior. We do wonder, though, why jellyfish aren’t being considered part of the animal kingdom. That’s some luxe ‘food’ for thought!

fossil smartwatches

Fossil has unveiled its latest campaign ‘Fossil Firsts’, highlighting a new collection of Hybrid and Touchscreen Smartwatches. The campaign features actress Kristen Bell, actor and musician Leslie Odom Jr., Black-ish star Yara Shahidi, and singer Austin Mahone, all of whom tell intimate stories of personal and professional milestones shared with their first Fossil. The campaign taps into the nostalgia and memories associated with one’s first Fossil watch, while celebrating a new generation of Fossil Firsts with the introduction of new Hybrid and Touchscreen Smartwatches.  “We know that this is a pivotal moment in the watch industry, and Fossil is leading the revolution to reinvent the traditional watch through the innovative design and technology found in our Hybrid Smartwatches,” stated Jill Elliott, Chief Creative Officer. The campaign, running throughout the remainder of 2017, will feature all of the latest updates in the Fossil smartwatch collection for both men and women: Q Accomplice, Q Activist, Q Venture and Q Explorist. The hybrid smartwatches will launch in summer and new touchscreen devices powered by Android Wear, later in the year.

luxury vehicles

Mansory has given its own touch to the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, the most powerful GLS yet and turned it into a stealthy torpedo. While retaining the Mercedes essence, the Mansory signature has been imprinted upon the vehicle. The wide-body kit gives it an even wider stance complemented by the custom forged 23-inch alloy wheels. The air dam in the front is focussed on channelling all the air to the massive radiators and brakes while also providing the required downforce, thanks to the lip spoiler. The result is a massive 830bhp of power from the 5.5-litre turbocharged V8 engine with a whopping 1150Nm of torque. The interiors have been entirely redone in hand-stitched leather upholstery, with a touch of sportiness through the carbon fibre inserts on the steering, the dashboard and the door trims.

breitling navitimer rattrap

The Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante is a unique watch for it boasts an in-house rattrapante chronograph movement also known as a split-seconds chronograph. This is a truly rare feat in watchmaking, especially when it comes to series production. But this isn’t all: the automatic chronograph rattrapante calibre B03 also boasts a number of other innovations that Breitling is patenting. While rattrapante watches typically feature an additional pusher at 10 o’clock or 8 o’clock, there Breitling has integrated the rattrapante pusher with the crown. The dial is Panamerican Bronze, and the crossed chronograph hands each bear one part of the Breitling logo. The unlimited steel version comes with a solid caseback, meaning the wearer won’t get to enjoy the visual splendour of calibre B03 but the limited edition red gold version, with only 250 pieces to be made, features an exhibition caseback.

gabrielle chanel

Kristen Stewart will be representing Gabrielle Chanel’s new fragrance that symbolises the ‘feminine yet fierce’ woman. Created by Olivier Polge, the fragrance will be available by Septemer 2017. The video campaign featuring Stewart has been shot by British director Ringan Ledwidge and is slated for a September release,  too.

Five of the world’s best island resorts from Fiji, Dominica, Italy, St Lucia and Mozambique are waiting to spoil and enthral you
Five of the world’s best island resorts from Fiji, Dominica, Italy, St Lucia and Mozambique are waiting to spoil and enthral you

Lacaula Island, Fiji

lacaula island

This breathtaking South Pacific hideaway is built on its own 3,500-acre private island studded with lush coconut groves and ringed by pristine white sand beaches. Owned by Red Bull founder and CEO Dietrich Mateschit, the hotel has 25 villas inspired by traditional Fijian bure with leafy tropical gardens and private infinity pools. It also boasts an equestrian center, five restaurants and countless coral reefs that you can explore in nothing less than a submarine!

Secret Bay, Dominica

secret bay

Perched on a clifftop on the island of Dominica, this serenely captivating boutique property remains relatively undiscovered compared to other Caribbean resorts of the same caliber. So you can skip the crowds and secretly revel in the treehouse-style bungalows nestled within thick, jungle-like foliage and equipped with all sorts of indulgent features including hammocks, plunge pools, sundecks and personal libraries et al. The property offers you two gorgeous beaches and a heavenly chance to watch the sun set over the Caribbean Ocean from the gorgeous Vetiver Sunset Deck. Does it get any better than this?

Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort, Mozambique

anantara medjumbe island

You don’t really think of heading to Mozambique for a lovely island holiday, do you? Well, here’s a good reason why you must. This resort tucked away on a tiny private island in the Quirimbas Archipelago, off the northern coast of Mozambique, is the answer to your dreams of an untouched remote heaven. Miles of empty, powder-white sand and surreal blue expanse of ocean merges with the indulgence of this resort that carries a castaway-chic aesthetic and whimsical, Arabian Nights-inspired decor. From the outside the thatched roof wooden villas exude a simple beach shack aesthetic but inside you’ll be spoilt silly with deep-soak tubs, roomy outdoor decks and plunge pools built just steps from the ocean. Sink in and breathe deep!

Hotel Santa Caterina, Italy

hotel santa caterina

This late-19th-century villa has been owned by the same family for more than four generations. With guests including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, this hotel boats the allure the spectacular scenery and cosmopolitan lifestyle of the Amalfi Coast. Once here you will be surrounded by fruit orchards, olive groves, and bougainvillea, in rooms that boast floors in antique hand-painted majolica, marble baths with brass fixtures, and balconies with views over the Bay of Salerno or the garden.

Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

jade mountain

One of the most romantic resorts of the world, Jade Mountain leaves you feeling floating between sea and sky. Situated at Soufrière in St Lucia, this hotel takes your breath away with its views across Soufrière Bay to St. Lucia’s fabled Piton peaks. Architect-owner Nick Troubetzkoy has used the setting to the best advantage by removing an entire wall so that each suite opens to a private infinity pool. So you can sit back with a soft sigh and revel in being suspended hundreds of feet above the sea. Are you packing your bags already?

dakota johnson

Dakota Johnson of Fifty Shades of Grey fame will be the face of Gucci’s latest summer fragrance ‘Bloom’. Gucci’s Creative director Alessandro Michele worked in collaboration with master perfumer Alberto Morillas to create this scent that ostensibly represents the modern woman. The fragrance combines tuberose with jasmine and Rangoon Creeper — a unique flower discovered in South India that is being used for the first time in fragrance.  Bloom will be packaged in a classic, rectangular-shaped bottle in powder pink, decorated with a minimalist black and white label. Bloom is now avallable for pre-order in limited quantities but the official release is not until August this year in the US, while Europe has to wait longer until next year.

southern jewels

‘Southern Sojourn’ and ‘Southern Jewels’ are the two new additions to India’s ultra-luxury trains scene. Indian Railways and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) have announced these new lines of their flagship luxury train Maharajas’ Express. The lines will be open to tourists from September 2017, but before that the Railways have planned attractive offers only for domestic travellers during the monsoon period of June-July 2017, in a bid to promote the launch. The regular trip of Southern Sojourn will start from Mumbai on 9 Sep 2017 and Southern Jewels will start from Thiruvananthapuram on 16 Sep 2017.

mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced its entry in the South American market today through the signing of a contract to manage and brand a 310-room hotel in Santiago, Chile. The Group will take over management of the property from August 2017, and rename it Hotel Santiago. Following an extensive guestroom and public area renovation, the first stage of which is scheduled to complete in August 2018, the hotel will be rebranded Mandarin Oriental, Santiago. This will be the Group’s first property in South America. Hotel Santiago is owned by Hotel Corporation of Chile (HCC).The property has 23 suites with commanding views of the city and the Andes. Its 25,000-square meter grounds contain a large free-form outdoor pool and landscaped gardens while there are five restaurants and bars as well as extensive banqueting and meeting space. Additional facilities include a spa and fitness centre.