Harvard Business School’s India Conference 2017 invited Manish Malhotra as one of their estemmed guest speakers this year. Malhotra, who turned 50 last year, spoke of his childhood, his great love for movies, and how he faced consistent opposition from his parents who disapproved of his “tailoring” career. He also described the change-resistant attitudes of the film industry in those years, where the costumes had little to do with the fleshing out of the character. He touchingly began his speech by thanking Harvard for “inviting me here because it somewhere assures a person who is not educated, who hasn’t come to Harvard, who hasn’t studied at all. I haven’t even studied design, and so this evening, being with all of you really means a lot to me.”
The newest release from Mercedes is the limited edition Maybach G650, which is a bold and spectacular beast, and only 99 of these will be created. In true landau style, it has the rear seats fitted with a soft convertible top. The uber luxe seats feature a full massage program and swiveling calf rests. Leather-dressed folding tables provide work space and two 10″ displays increase both work & pleasure. The engine powering the Maybach G650 is a twin-turbo AMG V12 capable of producing 630 hp and 738 ft-lbs of torque. With over 17″ of ground clearance and an off-road transfer case that works with the locking differentials, the Landaulet is a beast meant for the real wild.
iPhone photography is almost like a different art in itself, and the introduction of various smartphone camera lenses has only served to enhance it further. Seattle-based company Moments has taken the tempo up a few more notches with their latest gadets for the iPhone7: the Moment iPhone 7 Photo Cases. Rather than having to attach a mount to accommodate external lenses, these wrap your smartphone safely and have an incorporated mount along with a DSLR-like shutter button for greater speed and accuracy. What’s more, they eliminate the need to touch the screen and so minimise the risk of messing up your shot. You can opt for the basic Photo Case or the more professional Battery Photo Case which includes a built-in battery power pack. Have more fun with your toys!
Van Cleef & Arpels, masters of the art of luxury watchmaking, are holding a watchmaking exhibition at Ion Orchard, Singapore. An expert craftsman would demonstrate the intricacies of the art of enamelling and other watchmaking processes. Titled ‘The Poetry of Time’, the exhibition would begin February 17 and stretch till February 26, showcasing the latest masterpieces by the brand and providing a glimpse of the creations that lie on the road ahead this year. Five of their latest creations will be put on display, including the Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, the Lady Arpels Jour Nuit Fée Ondine and the Midnight Planétarium Poetic Complication. This promises to be a delightful affair!
Robert De Niro is the unlikely star for Ermenegildo Zegna’s new fashion campaign. Artistic director Alessandro Sartori roped in De Niro in November 2016 to star in the Spring Summer 2017 cmpaign and the final project, titled Defining Moments, has now been unveiled, with De Niro appearing opposite American Honey star McCaul Lombardi. Both men appear in a three-minute film in which, as well as modelling garments by the label, a navy suit, and a grey jacket paired with black shirt and trousers, De Niro also discusses working with Marlon Brando, his early mentors, his doubts about TV work, his passion for New York, and what makes him take a role in various LA locations. The Hollywood actor has long worn Ermenegildo Zegna suits and has even sported the label in front of the camera, wearing a number of looks from the brand in his 2012 movie Red Lights.
A new and updated version of Audi’s RS3 Sportback is on the way to being unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show next month. As with the RS3 Sedan, the Sportback will come with what Audi calls “world’s most powerful production five-cylinder engine” – 2.5-litre TFSI engine which makes 394bhp and 480 Nm. The Sportback will sprint to 100kmph from standstill in 4.1seconds and top out at electronically limited 250kmph, though it can be pushed to 174mph by opting the ‘dynamic package plus’. The RS3 Sportback can be distinguished from standard A3 by the aggressive bumper with prominent splitters, brushed aluminium touches with Quattro moniker upfront. Inside the cabin, Audi’s Virtual cockpit is on full display, with a special RS screen. The sports seats are wrapped in black Nappa leather, flat bottom steering wheel with mounted paddle shifters and infotainment controls.
Faberge’s fabulous Imperial Easter Eggs are literally the stuff of legends, and now that the brand is all set for an India debut, looks like we’ll be brushing shoulders with yet another legend. Founded in 1842, Faberge has been one of the most iconic brands in the world of jewellery since Peter Carl Faberge became the official goldsmith to the Russian Imperial Court. Owned by the world’s top emeralds and rubies-miner Gemfields Plc and creating the most exquisite, drool worthy pieces of jewellery, uber-luxe brand Faberge’s entry in India is guided by the growing list of billionaires in the country. The brand plans to sell its products through select trunk shows for the uber rich, setting up in Delhi and Mumbai, India’s economic hotspots. Faberge retails through 39 multi-brand outlets including Mayfair and Harrods and plans to hold more trunk shows in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Products sold in India include a selection of coloured gemstones, emeralds rubies, and sapphires, and timepieces including the award-winning Lady Compliquee peacock watch. The prices of these iconic and bedazzling pieces range from $5000 to $3 million.
Toyota’s luxury sub brand Lexus is all set to make an entry in the Indian market, with March 24 being given as the likely date for its debut. The models with which Lexus will commence its operations in India are the RX 450h crossover, LX450d large SUV and ES300h, with the last one being the entry level luxury sedan for India, contending with the likes of Audi A4, BMW 3 series and Mercedes Benz C classs. The ES300h car is expected to be a hybrid version flaunting a sporty design, to be priced around Rs 50 lakh. Inside the hood is a 2.5 litre petrol engine combined with the electric motor and a CVT gearbox. The highly popular RX range will see the RX450h being powered by 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine connected with a hybrid system. In an identical configuration to the Prius, the maximum power output has been rated at 308 horsepower. All the Lexus vehicles entering India will come with features made available in the Japanese-spec models except for the navigation system.
The Valentine’s Day special edition watches created every year by Blancpain feature the recurring motif of the heart, positioned artfully on the watch, each time in a different style
Blancpain has been making the St. Valentine’s Day special edition watch for over a decade, since 2001. Perhaps that might not be so unique given that V-Day special editions abound among luxe brands, but the really special thing about these watches is that they come with great precision and complexity, and mechanical movements designed especially for the lady. Blancpain, in fact, lays claim to having created the first automatic watch for ladies.
The movements used for the Blancpain St. Valentine’s Day watches are all mechanical – Blancpain has never made a quartz movement – most designed specifically for ladies’ watches. Since the Blancpain St. Valentine’s Day watch was first introduced in 2001, it has been powered by several different movements, most with center seconds hands, which is rare on a ladies’ mechanical timepiece The calibers used in the past Blancpain St. Valentine’s Day watches include the ultra-thin automatic Caliber 1150 with 100-hour power reserve; Caliber 6763 automatic day-date, with pointer-type date display; Caliber F185, a flyback chronograph, originally used by the brand in 1998 to power the world’s first ladies’ flyback chronograph; the “Lady Bird” Caliber 6150, which at the time it was introduced (in the 1950s) was the world’s smallest automatic movement (15.7mm diameter).
The movements used for the Blancpain St. Valentine’s Day watches are all mechanical
The 2017 Blancpain St. Valentine’s Day edition priced at $14,900 comes with a 29 mm steel case case that features 68 diamonds over the steel bezel and lugs and another 8 diamonds on the mother-of-pearl dial. It also boasts 50-meter water resistance, and an automatic movement, the ultra-slim Caliber 913. It has a glucydur balance wheel fitted with micrometric regulating screws, and a balance spring made of silicon, the low density of which makes it particularly light and shock-resistant. Silicon is also anti-magnetic. The gold rotor is given a snailed bevel and polished angles, as well as straight and circular Côtes de Genève patterns.
Every year since the first, Blancpain has kept the ‘heart’ as a recurring motif in each edition, positioned artfully on the watch. For the 2017 watch, the heart stands encrusted in a cluster of 19 rubies within the dial at 12 o’clock. The rubies are buff-top cut, a cut that makes light return even when a gem is set flush into metal – particularly when it is set into a thin layer of metal, such as a watch dial, where no light penetrates the pavilion.
The watch is a numbered limited edition one, engraved with numbers ranging one to 99
The Blancpain logo is red to match the ruby heart on the dial. It comes with two interchangeable alligator leather straps, one in red and the other in white. The watch is a numbered limited edition one, engraved with numbers ranging one to 99. The seconds hand is shaped like a Cupid’s arrow, with a red tip.
This watch is sure to be Cupid’s favourite accessory!
If the man you love has a serious love affair with technology, this is the ideal gift, come Valentine’s Day: a set of uber-luxe cufflinks that are stylish, futuristic and keep you connected, quite literally, by the edge of your wrist. Crafted from polished silver, these cufflinks don’t just double up as USB ports to store up to 2 GB of data, they also actually double up as your very own portable Wi-Fi hotspots! At the price of $200, they’re the perfect gift option this year. We know the man in your life would love these.
