suneet vama

Suneet Varma recently celebrated his journey of three decades in the fashion industry, with his 2017 couture show ‘The Shining Star’ at DLF Emporio. This occasion also marks Suneet Varma’s successful collaboration of 15 years with Swarovski Crystals, making it a core ingredient in all his designs and global collaborations. Over the years,  luxurious and precious Swarovski has been fantastically married with Suneet Varma’s design. As for the latest collection, it comprises of a range of gowns with a touch of modern Indian designs and aesthetics. The outfits consist of embroideries in 3D textures, gold tissues, print as well as luxurious satin and are encrusted with Swarovski hotfix Shimmer crystals. This new innovation from Swarovski Crystals blends a futuristic gleam with bold crystal colors in nature-tech hues. To give it a subtle and sexy look, the collection is embellished with Shimmer Swarovski crystals in shades of fuchsia, light siam, peridot, hyacinth, silk and more.

expensive wedding gown

American Designer Reem Acra has created this drool-worthy wedding dress that’s become the most expensive in the world. Priced at a jaw dropping $2.14 million, the gown comes in a shining white silhouette and is embroidered with scintillating diamond dragonfly brooches and giant butterflies, sourced exclusively from Tiffany and Co. It’s worth noting that the emblazonments on this bride’s dream are worth a whopping 165 carats of diamonds and 61.91 carats of gemstones. Whew!

handcrafted umbrella

Here’s a bit of fantasy on your umbrella. The handcrafted ‘Kraken’ parasol, created by the mother daughter duo Anna Hess and Jessica Hess from Le Parasol is quite the statement accessor for summer. Featuring hand stitched teal sequin trim on the top and bottom along with a hand painted gold and blue octopus with shiny metallic flakes, this umbrella is made up of 20 different shades of metallic, pearlescent, and vivid matte high quality fabric paints. A gold frame, handle and wristlet from Italy add the finishing touch. Priced at $850, this is one exclusive addition to your luxe collection.

opera glassesharry

Harry Winston have just created the most fabulous and creative pair of Broadway Glasses, encrusted with diamonds, onyx and emeralds. A tribute to the opera glasses that one uses to view the stage from a distance, they are a nod to the Art Deco era—invoking the famous Broadway theater from New York in the 1930s. The glasses have a body of gold and titanium almost entirely covered in diamonds and black onyx. The central structure features a bold, geometric design which recalls the Art Deco spirit. Two layers of 80 baguette-cut diamonds frame six rows of 240 brilliant-cut diamonds. But the special surprise in these glasses is the octagonal watch on the bridge whose shape was inspired by the emerald cut given to the diamonds. This watch is fully set with 48 baguette-cut diamonds and is bordered by a black onyx frame with emeralds in each corner. The press of a small button allows the watch case to “pop up” so that the time can be set from the inside. The telescopic handle is made of 18-karat white gold, decorated with onyx marquetry and a combination of 30 brilliant-cut and 14 baguette cut diamonds. We’re almost blinded by all that bling!

mercedes benz japan

The upcoming Star Wars 40th anniversary springs new surprises upon us every day. After a solid gold Darth Vader mask and a Dewback Sofa, the Star Wars theme has been taken to stupendous new heights with a Mercedes CLA dedicated to the legendary space saga.  Mercedes-Benz Japan has revealed this limited edition of the CLA 180 of which only 120 examples will be created. The special edition CLA 180 will be available in two colors depicting the two sides of the force – 60 finished in Calcite White for the Stormtrooper fans and 60 painted in Night Black for those who like the dark side. Priced at 5,040,000 yen (about $44,960), the special edition CLA 180 is mechanically similar to the base model, with the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 120 hp and 200 Nm of torque. The CLA 180 Star Wars Edition does feature a number of cosmetic changes along with the special paintjob that sets it apart from the base CLA 180. Both the Calcite White and the Knight Black version come fitted with 18-inch AMG 5-spoke-design wheels. Inside, the Calcite White features leather seats with white lines on the center along with white stitching that contrasts the black interiors. This white stitching is also prominently visible on the dashboard. The Knight Black CLA 180 on the other hand, has red stitching on the leather seats, with matching red seatbelts depicting—what else—Darth Vader’s light sabre. The Star Wars special CLAs come with themed welcome lights in the doors and floor mats with the Star Wars logo. Oh, and there’s also a Mercedes branded dash cam that makes R2-D2 sounds, with a special sunshade featuring the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit with Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker on it. Want more still? Well the sunshade’s back side is the perfect finishing touch—it declares in bold letters: May The Force Be With YOU. It doesn’t get better than that, does it?

apple flagship store

Apple’s new flagship store in Dubai has all the zest and innovation that you’d expect, and more. For starters, you get a view of the iconic Burj Khalifa—from a 180-foot wide motorized window made up of 18 carbon fiber panels. Termed ‘Solar Wings’, these panels have been created by Foster + Partners and they are designed for climate-control, cooling the store when the sun is at its hottest and opening in the evening to welcome people into the store. Apple says these Solar Wings “make up one of the world’s largest kinetic art installations” being 180 feet wide and fabricated from 340 carbon fiber reinforced polymer rods.

fighter gas grill

It’s raining Star Wars all around and fans just can’t seem to have enough.  Another one for the 40th Star Wars anniversary, this Star Wars TIE Fighter Gas Grill from Broilchef is designed to look like the iconic ball-turret starfighter from that galaxy far, far away. The all-black grill has a body of cast aluminum and a cast iron cooking grid inside. Weighing in at just under 50 pounds, it is fueled by 1 pound disposable propane tanks and the stainless steel burner can produce up to 10,000 BTU’s.  The grill comes with a custom TIE Fighter analog thermometer to monitor your feast and uses an Electric Pulse Ignition to get it going. Priced at $400, it comes with a 25-year limited warranty. Even better, it will brand your food with the ‘Star Wars’ logo too. Delicious, ain’t that!

luxury automobiles

From May 26 to 28, A. Lange & Söhne will be staging its sixth appearance at the exclusive concourse d’élégance for automotive works of art, ranging from the earliest years of motoring to the concept cars of tomorrow. Historic automobiles and motorcycles, as well as concept vehicles that provide a visionary glimpse into the future, will vie for the votes of the jury and the public in five categories. In partnership with the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, A. Lange & Söhne has been sponsoring the three-day classic weekend since 2012.This year the motto of this event is “Around the World in 80 Days – Voyage Through an Era of Records.” As in past years, the winner of the “Best of Show” category will be presented with the unique Como Edition of the Lange 1 Time Zone. The hand-engraved caseback of this white-gold special edition depicts the Concorso’s coat of arms. On its city ring, Central European Time is represented by Como.

gift share program

Alila Fort Bishangarh is the newest addition to the Indian luxury hotel segment. A 230-year-old defence fortress, it is all set to open its 59 regal suites to guests in July this year, after seven years of restoration and transformation. To celebrate the launch, Alila Fort Bishangarh has crafted an introductory package allowing guests to give back to the community with their Gift-To-Share Program. Through the package, guests can support the local school, Rajkiya Balika Uch Vidyalaya, since 50% of the proceeds after the cost of services will be donated directly to the school, to be utilised for the purchase of laptops, desktops, and smartboards for the village students. Alila Fort Bishangarh is the second ALILA property to be opened in India following Alila Diwa Goa which opened in 2010.

luxury beach bags

Luxe brands Tumi and Orlebar Brown have teamed up this summer to create the perfect vibrant beach bag collection for the summer Diva. The Tumi X Orlebar Brown collection features four pieces in all, the first two being beach totes and weekender bags that have Slim Aaron’s iconic 1960s beachside images splashed over them. The other two spell more understated elegance in navy and cream. All bags come with leather carry handles and waterproof rubber base, and are available on both brands’ websites. Bet you can’t wait to get your hands on one.