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BY ANANDHI GOPINATH

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A blooming

partnership Gucci celebrates reopening of boutique and Paravanda Frida

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The façade of Gucci’s newly renovated flagship boutique in Singapore’s Paragon Shopping Centre

ompliments can be paid in many ways but the ultimate accolade may be to have a hybrid orchid named after you.

There is something really moving about lending your name to a living organism, especially one as beautiful as an orchid.

Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini was the lucky recipient of this unusual accreditation recently when the Singapore Tourism Board, in association with the Singapore Botanic Gardens, named a new hybrid orchid after her. A horticultural work of art, the magnificent new orchid is called Paravanda Frida and looks as delicate and lovely as the woman it is named after.

Paravanda Frida is a cross between the Paraphalaenopsis and the Vanda genera, featuring pure white sepals and petals and a captivating yellowish red lip. Bearing terete leaves, this free flowering and sun-loving plant embodies resilience and strength.

Singapore’s unique hybrids have gained world repute and popularity since hybridisation programmes started at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 1929. It was in 1956 that the island republic began the practice of naming new hybrids after people to promote goodwill and foster closer governmental ties. The nam-

A new home A fact many people do not know about silverware brand Comyns is its ownership. The last of the traditional British silversmithing companies, Comyns has items that bear the brand’s hallmark that can be traced back to 1645. When the company was up for sale in 1993, Malaysian businessman Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon bought it and moved it to his company in Malaysia — pewter specialist Royal Selangor. Since then, Comyns products have been fully designed and manufactured in Malaysia.

Comyns shares Royal Selangor’s commitment to quality and has benefited greatly from the latter’s superior manufacturing processes. And since the two brands sometimes share design teams, Comyns product range has grown from very English silver pieces to more contemporary jewellery and other items.

Previously only occupying a section at selected Royal Selangor boutiques, Comyns has strengthened its position in the market enough to warrant its own store — in the recently refurbished Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Located on the second floor of the uber-chic shopping centre, Comyns’ new boutique is a culmination of clean lines, dark wood

panelling and a contemporary interior that instantly draws attention to the stunning silver on display. The boutique also features a unique jewellery wall — a first — while a large window display serves as an ideal teaser from the outside.

The 500 sq ft space will feature Comyns’ full range of products, delicately balancing the very ornate quality of old-fashioned silver items with the minimalist, almost futuristic style of parent company Royal Selangor.

Practical pieces like walking sticks, jewellery, keychains and pillboxes, and household items like fruit bowls and pitchers stand in stark contrast to decorative pieces like a silver swan, a collection of wide-eyed puppies or baby booties. Its selection of jewellery is also exceptional, marrying exquisite form and function.

The new Comyns boutique is located on Level 2, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 283 Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, KL.

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resp tha sto flow com and ing of a hybrid includes a registration process with the UK-based International Registration Authority for Orchid Hybrids, where a unique name is given to the progeny from two registered parents.

From March, the Paravanda Frida will be displayed in Singapore’s National Orchid Garden, the most extensive and comprehensive permanent exposition of orchid culture in Asia. The special bloom will also be featured prominently inside Gucci’s flasghip store at the Paragon Shopping Centre.

The 1,000 sq ft boutique, which reopened this month after extensive renovations, covers two floors and has an imposing five-storey façade that overlooks

Photo Short The Paravanda Frida collection featuring the hand-painted and appliquéd (left) Boston bags and the wristlet

Singapore’s prime shopping district, Orchard Road. Giannini’s innovative design concept employs open spaces, warm luxurious materials and natural light to spectacular effect, a departure from traditional codified fashion retail spaces and paves the way for Gucci’s 21st century contemporary look. The Paragon boutique is one of over 30 Gucci stores in the world to reflect the new design concept.

The double good news — the boutique and the bloom — was certainly cause for much celebration at Gucci’s camp in Florence and Giannini responded with a lovely selection of items that are exclusively available at the new store. Inspired by the exotically beautiful flower, the Paravanda Frida collection comprises two Boston bags, a wristlet and a T-shirt for men and women, each

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bearing the elegance and whimsical simplicity that Giannini herself exemplifies.

The star of the collection is undoubtedly the Paravanda Frida Appliqué limited edition Boston bag, with the brand’s GG-coated canvas delicately adorned with appliquéd leather orchids and white crocodile leather handles. Only 10 of these beautiful bags were made, transforming them into the collector’s item for the year. The Boston Bag also comes in a second version, a special edition with hand-painted images of the Paravanda Frida motif.

As an extension of Gucci’s existing involvement with Unicef, all proceeds from the sale of the Boston bags will be channelled to Mainly I Love Kids (Milk), a Singapore-based organisation that provides assistance to children from underprivileged families.

So, what else is in the pipeline for Gucci’s newly enhanced connection with Singapore? Right now it’s hard to say but with news that Giannini will be flying into the island republic this April, it only means that there will be interesting times ahead.

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ordan’s Queen Rania is much like the blonde and blue-eyed Diana, the late Princess of Wales. She uses her power and position to serve society.

In Jordan, her work focuses on the calibre and quality of education for Jordanian children, while abroad, she pushes for global education and for world leaders to fulfil their commitment to the second Millennium Development Goal: universal primary education.

Lending a bit of her international star power to the recent World Economic Forum, Queen Rania, together with mayor of Milan Letizia Moratti, launched a women’s advisory board for the 2015 World Expo with the theme “Feed the Planet, Energy for Life”.

The mother of four and consort to Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Queen Rania is also considered one of the world’s most beautiful women. Seen here toting the Pashmy bag and wearing sunglasses from Tod’s, she looks much younger than her 39 years. Her son Prince Hussein (heir to the throne) is said to have inherited much of his mother’s good looks.

Could this be stiff competition for that other handsome royal, Prince William? Only time will tell.

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