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APR — MAY 2013
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Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Sunil Nihal Duggal Publisher & CEO Suruchi Duggal Editorial & Art Director Nikki Duggal Executive Editor Priya Kumari Rana Assistant Editor Aashmita Nayar Writer & Editorial Coordinator Treesha Datta Design Jagdish Bhatt Abul Hasan Marketing & Sales Priyanka Ahuja HR Poonam Sahgal Accounts Prashant Sinha Anand Kumar Administration Sharanjit Kaur Design by Mixed Juice Design B-235, Greater Kailash 1 New Delhi 110048, India T: +91 11 4054 5035 E: info@mixedjuicedesign.com Le CITY deluxe INDIA produced by: The Nihal Group, 518, Udyog Vihar, Phase III, Gurgaon Haryana 122016, India T: +91 124 4673 900–03 Advisory Shweta S Kohli, BrandRepublix Le CITY deluxe INDIA is printed by: RAVE India, A-27, Naraina Industrial Area Phase-II, New Delhi 110028 T: +91 11 4250 0000 F: +91 11 4141 8666 Advertising E: marketingindia@le-citydeluxe.com T: +91 11 4100 4556 Subscription E: infoindia@le-citydeluxe.com T: +91 11 4100 4556
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS 12 Contributors 14 Letter from the Chairman and Editorin-Chief 16 India Lens India on the move, Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida.
GUILTY PLEASURES 18 Jewellery Add a traditional sparkle. 20 Beauty Revive that youthful glow! 26 Pens Make the write statement. 28 Gadgets Speakers built to blast!
DIALOGUE 30 Malvika Singh The veteran journalist reminisces on Raj-era luxe. COVER PHOTOGRAPHED BY AJ RAINA, STYLED BY ASHISH N SONI.
32 Priya Paul The doyenne of hospitality is also an art lover and designer at heart.
ART 38 Fowl play This newbie British virtuoso is inspired by the colourful flamingo. 40 Colourful extravaganza The India Art Fair brings Indian artists to the fore.
PASSPORT 42 Casino Royale The city of Macau gives Las Vegas a run for its money. 46 Monarchical dwelling The ITC Grand Chola, Chennai offers a ‘green’ experience worthy of the kings of yore. 48 Love at first smoke Cigar heiress Ameeta Seth explores the world’s most vibrant cigar festival in Cuba.
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VIRAT KOHLI The sexy, sartorial sportsman
GOURMET 52 My Thai Chef Veena Arora transports diners to the exotic flavours of Thailand.
COVER STORY 56 Virat Kohli Cricket’s newest golden boy talks about fitness, fashion, and most importantly, family.
FASHION 64 Designer drapes The sari reinvented. 74 Runway report Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week highlights autumnal trends. 84 Master of minimalism Rajesh Pratap Singh on reviving indigenous textiles. 90 A cut apart Italian design maestro Cristiano Corneliani discloses his latest India-inspired collection.
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PRIYA PAUL Strength of a woman
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CUBA CIGAR FEST The world’s most premium cigars
CONTENTS CITY TALK 92 Persian weaves This south Delhi cellar hides a treasure trove of priceless, authentic Iranian carpets. 94 Cemented in time Rahul Khanna on the stark beauty of the Capital’s Brutalist architecture.
ARCHITECTURE 96 Crafting masterpieces The best of the best at the India Design fair. 100 Harmonious haven Couturier Hemant Sagar takes us on a tour of his home, an artistic, eclectic labour of love.
WELLNESS
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104 Breathing new life Selina Sheth shows sure-fire ways to get that beach body, the yoga way.
ART India Art Fair 2013
106 Soothing touch The Six Senses Spa at Noida-based Jaypee Greens offers an indelible relaxation experience, in addition to the latest fitness technology.
AUTO 108 Rolls like thunder Rolls-Royce unleashes its fastest coupé on Indian roads, equipped with electronic wizardry.
SPORTS 110 Himalayan odyssey Trundle down the world’s highest slopes with a luxury heli-skiing service. 112 IPL decoded Former cricket player Atul Wassan gives a round-up of the heaviest hitters at this year’s IPL 6.
TIMEPIECES
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FASHION Six yards of ethereal grace
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AUTO Lethal speed, brutal power
116 Winsome threesome Luxe horologists Girard-Perregaux pay a tribute in time to Le Corbusier with an impeccable limited-edition collection.
BOOKS 117 Rich reads Priya Kapoor gives her pick of indulgent coffee-table books for the summer. 118 Society 124 Calendar 126 Calendar: Music 131 Pink City Express Jaipur’s classy charms will have you riveted: from precious jewels, and polo, to ornate saris, there’s something for everyone. 132 Swapan Seth The small pleasures of Singapore.
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VEENA ARORA Cooking up a storm
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SPORTS Luxe heli-skiing in Himachal
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CONTRIBUTORS
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SUJATA ASSOMULL SIPPY
RAHUL KHANNA
CHARTY DUGDALE
With nearly two decades of experience in fashion journalism, Sippy is a well-known columnist and brand strategist. She worked for Elle, and Verve, and was the launch editor of Harper’s Bazaar. Her columns are to be found in various newspapers and blogs. When not spotted on the front row of fashion weeks, Sippy is busy giving au courant style tips on twitter at @stylesuj.
Rahul Khanna, 30, is a restaurateur, writer, and architecture enthusiast based in New Delhi. He studied 20th-century architecture at the École Hotelière de Lausanne, Switzerland. His focus has been predominantly on art-deco architecture and modernism. His book, The Modern Architecture of New Delhi, 1928-2007 was published in 2009 upon his return to India. Prior to this, he was working for design and hospitality firms in London, Hong Kong, and Dubai.
Dugdale is a freelance writer based in New Delhi, who considers herself lucky enough to have grown up in a home filled with fine works of art. She went on to study art history at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and in 2001 she moved back to New Delhi. She writes mostly on art, social issues, and sometimes travel. Dugdale has recently set up a not-for-profit organization that links artists with children’s NGOs and raises funds for such collaborations.
HARSHA KUMARI SINGH
ATUL WASSAN
ASMITA AGGARWAL
A special correspondent for NDTV, Singh has a wide spectrum of experience in political reporting and human-interest stories. The Jaipur-based journalist has been with the channel since 1996. Over the years, she has covered New Delhi and Ahmedabad, and currently reports from the state of Rajasthan. Married to a polo player, Harsha has two young sons. Singh’s interests include polo (of course), music, books, and cooking.
Wassan’s resumé includes being a mini-cab driver, bouncer, barman, and assistant manager with Air India along with being a former Indian test and ODI cricketer. He has played over 100 first-class matches, has captained Delhi in the Ranji trophy, and played English county cricket for 12 years. In addition to being a travel buff who has visited over 60 countries, the former commentator is one of the top five cricket analysts in India. He is a writer, critic, and voracious reader, and is currently a self-employed entrepreneur.
From The Hindustan Times, The Asian Age, to Deccan Chronicle and Cosmopolitan, Aggarwal has clocked up 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. She has also reviewed fashion shows all over the world. In this issue, she gives her keen observations on this year’s fall-winter trends, from the trenches of WILFW.
SELINA SHETH
GAURAV GUPTA
Seth graduated in 2000 from Georgetown University, Washington D.C., with a double major in international business and marketing. After a short stint at Wall Street, she went straight to Cigar School in Havana and returned to India to take over her father’s business for the exclusive distribution of Habanos cigars. Currently serving as director, Cingari, her flagship company, she is actively involved in expanding the business beyond cigars to include a range of gourmet food products.
Sheth is a graduate in media and communications, and is a writer for film, television, and print. She wrote the 2008 Hindi feature film sDil Kabaddi, along with bilingual scripts for a range of Indian and international networks such as Star TV, Zee TV, BBC World, MTV Asia, and Sony Entertainment. Sheth is currently writing her first collection of short fiction.
Designer Gaurav Gupta is one of the country’s most avant-garde designers. He also owns his seven-year old eponymous brand. While draping and playing with fabric have been key to his style, it is the introduction of the contemporary sari that has been the turning point of his brand. He has garnered appreciation in countries like Italy, Japan, Russia, and was recently featured in a British documentary screened at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
TARUN VISHWA
AJ RAINA
SWAPAN SETH
Vishwa started his journey in photography approximately 10 years ago, and is now one of the most recognized lensmen in the country. He learnt the tricks and techniques of the trade by assisting acclaimed photographer Tarun Khiwal. Today, Vishwa regularly shoots editorials for India’s leading fashion magazines. He has also shot for several advertising campaigns.
With over 40 international awards, ranging from honours at the Hasselblad Masters in Copenhagen, Denmark (2008), the IPA in Los Angeles (2008), the WPA Spider Awards in London (2008 and 2012), and the Prix de la Photographie in Paris, France for four consecutive years, this artist-writerphotographer who has been shooting since 2007 is no small fry in the world of photography. To top it off, Blender’s Pride FRB has named him one of India’s ‘Faces of Fashion’.
When he is not travelling or collecting global contemporary art, world cinema, world music, candles, paper, chocolates, salts, books, or gadgets, Swapan Seth runs an advertising firm Equus as its chairman and CEO.
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AMEETA SETH
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EDITOR ’S LETTER
Luxury
A time for
E
ight years ago, I met Claudia Trimde, the Global CEO and Director of Le CITY deluxe in Barcelona, where over a glass of Torres Red, she shared her dream about the future of Le CITY deluxe, which was still in its nascent stages. She presented me with a vision that would open a new view of luxury for aspiring readers across the world, India being a key country. Her zest and energy for the publication soon had me hooked. Today, this dream has become a reality in 20 cities globally. And I am grateful, not just to Claudia, but also to my wife Suruchi Duggal, CEO and Publisher, and my sister Nikki Duggal, Art and Editorial Director, who have worked tirelessly to deliver a world-class product to India. It seems our timing could not have been better. A few days back, I was browsing through The Economic Times when a headline caught my eye: ‘Luxury market to reach $15 billion by 2015 in India; marketers try new buyers in non-metros’. On sharing this information with my team, I was delighted, but not surprised by the fresh boost of confidence that underlined their positive replies.
SUNIL NIHAL DUGGAL Chairman & Editor-in-Chief
India, has after all, positioned itself as a major player in the luxury market. The evidence is tangible, with bespoke brands cropping up across the subcontinent, be it boutique stores, online luxe portals or the super cars dotting Indian roads. Remembering our erstwhile maharajas and their opulent lifestyles, it isn’t astonishing that India is once again embracing its affinity for luxury, albeit in our modern times. But luxury, even today, is not just limited to an expensive buy or technology-rich goods. In my view, ultimate luxury is about the time spent in enjoying any exclusive experience with the people who matter to you the most. Which is what Le CITY deluxe INDIA is about. A look into our past issues: From the magnanimous Shah Rukh Khan who graced our debut cover, to Chitrangda Singh, an actor who symbolizes glamour and intellect, and now cricket phenom Virat Kohli who stands proudly on the cover of our current issue – these are all personalities whose self-made and successful lives are perfect fodder for the kind of luxury we wish to showcase.
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We look forward to your continued support, as we endeavour to become the world’s leading luxury publication.
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INDIA LENS
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India on the move
Buddh International Race Circuit, Greater Noida PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARI NAIR
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GUILTY PLEA SURES JEWELLERY
Traditional Ties
Channel your inner princess with these exquisite necklaces, pendants, and earrings. Dazzle in diamonds, blood-red rubies, and sea-green emeralds studded in gold, polki, and enamel work. For the soon-to-be-groom, a jewelled kalgi can add a royal touch to your turban, and your special day. Silver and 14-carat gold necklace with rose-cut diamonds, The Gem Palace; Price on request.
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GUILTY PLEASURES COMPILED BY TREESHA DATTA
Silver and gold pendant set with emeralds and diamonds, The Gem Palace; Price on request.
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Memoirs of a Maharani necklace and earrings in polki setting, Mirari; `37.97 lakh (necklace) and `6.74 lakh (earrings).
Panchkala polki necklace and a ruby-and-diamond ring set in 22-carat gold, Neety Singh; `5 5 lakh (necklace) and `60,000 60,000 (ring).
* THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THE PRICES SHOWN.
A bespoke diamond, emerald and pearl kalgi, for the groom, Glitz Gems; `10-15 lakh.*
The Peacock throne necklace, Mirari; `40.84 lakh.
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Gold bangle studded with brilliant diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, Notandas Jewellers; `8.44 lakh.*
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GUILTY PLEA SURES BEAUTY
Ageless
Wonders Halt the ravaging effects of time with the right anti-ageing cream. Pick from a selection of the latest creams for taut and supple skin that glows, once again!
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Hit gold with Chanel’s Sublimage La Crème, whose key ingredient is Vanilla planifolia – a rare plant found in the farthest corners of Madagascar. The cream, available for `19,350 for 50gm, creates a luminous, even-toned complexion while fighting all signs of ageing.
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Dior’s Capture Totale Crème goes right into your skin, working its way into the third epidermal layer. Stem cells are protected, and the anti-ageing action of the crème is boosted, while reactivating skin’s youth function. The crème is available at `12,000 for 60ml.
Bid adieu to laugh lines with Givenchy’s revolutionary Smile ‘N Repair wrinkle expert cream (15ml for `6,495). In fact, every time you grin, the ‘MotionCorrect’ complex stimulates the production of HSP 27 (a skin-restructuring protein) to instantly repair laughter lines.
Packed with vitamins A, C, E, and pro-vitamin B5, this potion (`6,800 for 30ml) repairs and protects against daily damaging effects to reduce the appearance of fine lines. It also minimizes unsightly, large pores, while the aloe vera content prevents your skin from dehydration as you sleep.
After a ‘kiss’ of Estée Lauder’s Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Creme, all the sleeping beauties are sure to wake up with visibly younger, more radiant skin. Available at `5,950 for a 30ml bottle, the cream works on all skin types, and guarantees oodles of envious glances.
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Depths of time Luminor Submersible 1950 3-Days Power Reserve Automatic Bronzo, Panerai; `6.66 lakh.*
Take the plunge this summer with aquatic timepieces from some of the world’s most renowned horologists. Dive into sport mode with a bronze-cased vintage military-inspired piece, or 1,000-metre water-resistant marvels that won’t have you out of your depths.
Grand Ocean GMT, Edox (at Ethos); ` 1.64 lakh.
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Sea Hawk, GirardPerregaux; `5.65 lakh.*
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Aquaracer Steel and Gold, TAG Heuer; `1.76 lakh.
King Power Oceanographic 1000 (in King Gold), Hublot; ` 22.2 lakh.*
* THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THE PRICES SHOWN.
G U I LT Y P L E A S U R E S WATC H E S
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GUILTY PLEA SURES ACCESSORIES
Brighten a dull outfit instantly on a colourful summer day, or add a dash of glamour for a wild night out. Accessorize right with some of the chicest clutches this season.
Diorissimo envelope in fluorescent pink, Dior; `62,000.
* THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THE PRICES SHOWN.
Grab Bag!
Green plexiglas clutch, Chanel; ` 5 lakh.*
Turquoise leather Afef clutch, Salvatore Ferragamo; `30,250.
rylic Sweetie glitter ac Jimmy , tch clu ) hid rc (o Choo; `44,500.
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Giano miniaudière, Fendi; ` 1.10 lakh.
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Intreccio Conte clutch (Poussin), Bottega Veneta; ` 92,500.
Aristographic clutch, Gucci; ` 67,500.
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GUILTY PLEA SURES PENS
Stuff
From dipping into Mughal and Chinese Imperial architecture for inspiration, to echoing the lines of modern 1930s art, each of these limited - edition writing instruments has a beautiful story to tell.
Chaos gold fountain pen with gemstones, Montegrappa; ` 3.2 crore.
Forbidden City HRH Black fountain pen, Visconti; `57.5 lakh.
Jaali fountain pen, Jack Row; `17 lakh.
The Aventador Auto Mobili Lamborghini fountain pen, Omas; `45,500.
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Albert Einstein limited edition 99 fountain pen, Montblanc; ` 19.91 lakh.
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* THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THE PRICES SHOWN.
The Write
Art Nouveau fountain pen, Tibaldi; ` 97,000.*
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GUILTY PLEA SURES SPEAKERS Sphaeron Excalibur by Acapella, `2.49 crore*: Predecessor of the classical Sphaeron, the Excalibur has been built with four 15-inch woofers and a 12 m2 horn unit.
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LS4 by Wisdom Audio, `50.7 50.7 lakh: Reproducing more of the music through advanced thin-film technology than any previous model, the LS4 yields breathtaking performance in all areas including low distortion, detail, dynamic range, transparency, horizontal dispersion, sound-stage imaging, and maximum output capability.
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The barrage of sound systems flooding the luxe market poses a problem of choice for discerning audiophiles. However, these excellent speakers that are built to blast will have you living in sonic heaven for years to come.
Gaudi MK II by German Physiks, `1.96 1.96 crore* per pair (Carbon Fibre model): Capable of producing a massive 120dB, the price for the Gaudi Mk II includes one of their engineers travelling to the customer’s home to assemble and set up the loudspeakers.
Elipson 4260 by Elipson, `16 lakh per pair: Created by the popular French company for its 70th anniversary, this beauty is also a power-packed performer, producing a beastly 92dB.
* THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THE PRICES SHOWN.
King of Hertz
Exquisite Classique by Kharma, `83.63 lakh* per pair: The iconic speaker was the flagship model of the Exquisite Collection by Kharma, and remains a reference point for lots of keen audiophiles. BeoPlay A9 by B&O, `1.5 lakh: The latest addition to Bang & Olufsen’s portable collection, BeoPlay, the A9 sports two 3¼-inch tweeters and a pair of three-inch mid-range drivers as well as an eight-inch woofer.
Aurum Titan VIII by Quadral, `9.95 lakh: This beauty, handcrafted from scratch in Germany, has a bass compressed chamber. It can also be customized to any colour that the customer desires.
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Blade by KEF, `25 lakh: Marking the 50th anniversary of luxe brand KEF, Blade features four low-frequency drivers in addition to KEF’s Uni-Q point-source technology to emphasize a single acoustic source from its high- and mid-range drivers.
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DIALOGUE
Malvika Singh What Luxury Means To Me For veteran journalist Malvika Singh, luxury means preserving the authenticity of our culture and history, from rich fabrics to architecture, and not blindly emulating the West. TEXT BY TREESHA DATTA / PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARI NAIR
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F 30
rom the time of the maharajas who commissioned French design maisons such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Hermès, and Van Cleef & Arpels to make extravagant creations, luxe brands have shared a close bond with India. Today, with umpteen luxury brands setting up shop here, the country sees a revival of the luxe bazaar. In a candid tête-à-tête with textile designer Peter D’Ascoli, Singh delves deeper into the subject, and asks some thought-provoking questions about the real meaning of luxury.
On the loss of patronage
Peter D’Ascoli: Once I saw a product marked ‘export quality’; I was confused, because where I come from, there is no difference in quality for different markets. I realized later what it meant, and concluded that when the patronage tradition of the royal court or thikhanas was broken, the continuity of the creation of luxury goods was lost in India... Malvika Singh: Because that is the thinking of the non-luxury class. Post-Independence, the patronage of crafts and art disappeared.
Brick work in buildings was replaced by reinforced concrete, which was never used in this country because the weather just does not permit the fabric and the material to breathe. This building, for instance, built by the British for India, is a complete brick construct. Even if you scrape it, there are just layers of brick. Now post-Independence, buildings are constructed with layers of reinforced concrete and at the end, a layer of brick finish or veneer is added. So I think when Le Corbusier was dumped on this village called Chandi, he created
Left: Malvika Singh at her Sujan Singh Park, New Delhi, home; Right: Bouquet of Flowers sculpture by Subodh Gupta is one of the many eclectic pieces Singh collects.
a monster called Chandigarh. He constructed these block-like structures using cement slabs. Ever since, authorities like Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Development Authority have propagated such architecture; there are hardly any brick buildings anymore. Just because these techniques came from the West, they were ‘better’. Look at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It’s a colonial structure, with lattices, water bodies, and pillars. It embodies traditional patterns from the Indian idiom, though it has been done by the colonial, which sadly cannot be seen in most post-Independence structures.
On old money vs new money
Going back to the roots
PD: Two hundred years ago, everyone across the globe was trying to come to India and China as they were the hub of all things luxury, (the French were copying certain fabrics available here, along with porcelain and silk from China). Now 200 years later, you have all the
technological breakthroughs, from iPads to cable television, that is now available in almost every village. This mass intrusion of innovation has changed the way we live and it is a very difficult force to repel and not embrace… MS: Let me reverse this. Why then do you dress like an Indian and pretend to be Indian on your wedding day, with traditional lehengas, and like a Western woman on other days? It is not about being modern; I grew up in a far more modern home than most girls have grown up today with all the gadgets. We had no gizmos, but I lived with my husband long before I was married to him, which now young people do openly. But there was a time before your generation when it was all considered surreptitious. So, why on Holi or Diwali do they dress traditionally, and not everyday? How does one retain the luxury of the past? For me, Hermès is not luxury. Luxury to me is using your skills to make a beautiful garment or any other object. There is nothing wrong with luxury, but this is not luxury. It is not about carrying a Dior bag. I still carry the alligatorskin bags that were made by Asprey in my grandmother’s time, because I inherited them. When Rakesh Thakore does saris, they are stunning. Why are our saris not selling like ball gowns? That is what I am trying to say. To keep up with changing fashions, you can tie a sari in a hundred different ways. Wrap your sari around you and pin it without a blouse. Let those six yards of fabric make you look sexy.
Left: A table displaying several artefacts collected by Singh over the years; Right: Malvika Singh in conversation with Peter D’Ascoli.
APR — MAY 2013
PD: The growing demand for bespoke creations in the last few years, sees a return to a level of quality that is acceptable to people who have the money to buy the best… MS: You know, I think that the maharajas respected skill, unlike today’s moneyed class. The maharaja had the money; he wanted to show that he was the anndata; he was the king, the centre of power, and he did it with refinement. Wherever you look, the idiom may be different, the colour palette may be different. But there was a great respect for the fine skill, whether it is in miniature paintings, or how the howda (armoury) of the elephant was made. Today, moneyed people don’t necessarily want quality. Why is that? What’s in the mindset? Do they not know? Or have we become a culture that clones, and is that why the aesthetic sense has
gone down, while we try to be something we are not? The maharaja never tried to be something he’s not. He said to Cartier, I have the money, and want a pear-drop diamond. It was the client who suggested that, not Cartier. The teardrop is a very Indian motif. I don’t think the West would have thought of adding a teardrop motif at the end of the base of a stud. So back then, people were confident in their rooting, while the new moneyed class is uncomfortable and insecure in terms of aesthetics. Today they are trying to wear ball gowns instead of saris. Is it wrong? It is wrong if you are uncomfortable. So many girls who wear miniskirts are constantly pulling at theirs, trying to keep it in place. So you have these dark faces with kajal in their eyes trying to be Kate Moss ‒ you can’t! And the reverse applies as well. Western women can’t walk in saris; they look like horses. In a secure 5,000-year-old culture, I want to understand why a young, working independent woman has a craving to look like a Western woman? Personally, there is a direct corelation between what a woman wears and the deterioration in cloth, weaving techniques.
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DIALOGUE
INTERVIEW BY SURUCHI DUGGAL, NIKKI DUGGAL PHOTOGRAPHED BY ADITYA KAPOOR
T
he articulate businesswoman entertains us in her Amrita Shergill Marg, New Delhi home in her immaculate kanchipuram sari, telling us about her journey through the world of hospitality, creating a design standard for her brand, and her fondness for cooking.
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Congratulations on your Padma Shri Award. How did you feel getting this recognition? It was completely unexpected. It’s a great honour. I am 46, and now I’ve got this, what do I do next? It sets the bar high…everybody is watching you even more. I hope I can do more things I enjoy. The award is a validation for me and my team, and recognition for the work we have done.
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You joined The Park very early, at 22, after graduating. What are your memories about those early days? Ours is a 100-year-old family business started in Kolkata (the Apeejay Surrendra Group, first imported steel, diversifying into shipping, tea, real estate, and hospitality). Our first foray into hotels was in 1967, when we opened The Park on Park Street. So after Kolkata, Visakhapatnam (1968), and New Delhi (1987), we had three hotels in all. I was studying at Wellesley College in the U.S. until 1988, and I began work on July 1 of that year. My father told me, “you’ve had enough of fun and games, so come back and join the real world.” I started working at The Park in New Delhi, as a marketing manager, and did everything, from selling pastries in the pastry shop, to making sales calls. I wasn’t
Priya Paul DOYENNE OF HOSPITALITY The elegant hotelier at the helm of The Park brand of luxury boutique hotels talks about the issues closest to her heart: her formidable legacy, creating a brand of contemporary Indian design, women’s empowerment, and preserving our cultural heritage.
What did you study at Wellesley, and where does your design inspiration come from? I studied economics. In college, I took some design courses. In 1992-93, the first phase of the hotels was done by Prakash Mankar, a leading interior designer. For the Bengaluru hotel, I wanted an international perspective, so I hired UK firm Terence Conran & Company, and it became the first true design hotel of India. We also created Aqua, which was all about exterior poolside glamour, in Bengaluru and Chennai, and took it all over the country.
Kerala on the Alleppey – a boat and a hotel, the Apsara and The Park on Vembanad Lake – and we’ve signed on a palace in Chettinad. We’re also launching a four-star brand, Zone by The Park, which is Indian in nature (four hotels, all newly built). It’s smaller and cheaper than The Park properties, with 100 rooms, in smaller cities, that gives value to the customer (around `4,000 at current prices). We’ll make them buzzy and happening, in towns like Raipur and Coimbatore. We see more design hotels coming up in the next 10 years. What is your favourite hotel chain? I enjoy trying out new hotels. Even in New York, there is no one hotel I stay at. I like individual design hotels, like The Standard and the Gramercy Park. I also like the Aman Resorts, the Banyan Tree, the Uma hotels; which are all Asian. I like the Park Hyatts, with their contemporary feel. But I prefer not to stay in a chain.
In our first phase in the ’90s, we had to explain what boutique meant. Now, people are looking for what we’re doing next, because we’re one step ahead. Soon, we will be doing a rebranding exercise for The Park. We have our city hotels – The Park in Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Navi Mumbai, Hyderabad, Goa, and our newest in Kochi, a 175-room property that will open by mid-year. There are also 6-7 small, quirky hotels in The Park Collection, with 20 -40 rooms. So we have The Park on Holiday Beach, Goa, The Park Pod Chennai, a property in
What makes a hotel work? What would you look out for? A hotel should have a great location, where I can walk around, or possess great beauty, great rooms, and designs, something different. I like a hotel that’s lively and happening. I don’t believe in having acres of space for retail. A few years ago, the only option was jewellery and carpet outlets in hotels. But I decided against it. The first Park in New Delhi opened a shop called Seed in 1996 that sold organic products – from fabric to foods, to gifts and crafts. In 2000, we developed the concept of the Box, first launched in Chennai, that
Opposite page: A radiant Priya Paul stands tall and proud in a beautiful magenta kanchipuram sari next to the pool at her New Delhi home.
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just sitting at a desk, but learning by doing. My father finally entrusted me with the role of acting general manager, and allowed me to grow into it. I worked with him for almost two years before he was killed unfortunately, but I consider myself lucky to have him and learn from him while he was here. My father had planned to renovate all the properties, but he died overnight. As we continued work in Kolkata, I set about changing things. The biggest question in my mind was, ‘how could we make these hotels stand out?’ So in the early ’90s, I started to use design as a differentiator of our products, services, restaurants, and people, and decided it would be a collection of luxury boutique hotels. That has been key to our success. We first renovated Kolkata in 1992, then Delhi in ’95-96, and then Visakhapatnam, and made them into fun, vibrant places with lots of nightlife. We infused entertainment with brands like Someplace Else, and a redone ZEN. Liberalization was taking place; people were looking for entertainment options. We happened to be in the right place at the right time. What was the alternative? You could go to the club if you were lucky to be a member, or a five star hotel, which was over-formal. There were very few restaurants that were fun or interesting. So that’s the product we created, and with the strength of these three, we acquired hotels in Bengaluru (2000) and Chennai (2002), and by then we had a national footprint. The city of Chennai was transformed by The Park Chennai – that epitomized a new, modern luxury. That is what our hotels bring in, contemporary style for global travellers.
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DIALOGUE
women, understanding that they have a voice, and a right to choose. Domestic violence happens everywhere, even wealthy homes.
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sold Indian-made design products, clothes, handbags, and stationary.
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Moving on to social issues ‒ which are the ones you feel most strongly about? I have an interest in conserving our built heritage. In the ’90s, we signed an agreement with the Government of India and ASI to conserve, maintain, and beautify the stunning Jantar Mantar opposite The Park, New Delhi. That was in partnership with the National Culture Fund; we were the first company to do so. I am also involved in the arts, and sit on the board of the India Foundation for the Arts (www.indiaifa.org), based in Bengaluru. This organization works to give grants for arts research, and education. You could be a folk singer in a village, looking to collaborate with others. Or you could be documenting a dying visual art or be a photography enthusiast. Once someone came to us to digitalize old magazines
and manuscripts in Bengali. But how does one preserve leather puppetry performances or the last tawaif singers? Women’s issues are also close to my heart. I went to a girls’ school, then on to Wellesley, which is a deeply feminist college. We were one of the first companies, to adopt the Vishaka Guidelines in ’96-97 to make a sexual harassment-in-the-workplace policy. It’s just become law. That’s part of being a good employer. I also currently head the South Asia Women’s Fund that works at the grass-root level, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka. City violence, in reality, is nothing compared to what women undergo in villages and rural areas. If you had to give a message out to people, what could we do? Not to make a difference between girls and boys, make parents give their daughters right, and treat their staff well. It’s all about respecting
You are quite a hostess and love throwing parties. You’ve said if you weren’t in the business, you’d be a chef. Do you get to cook? My husband Sethu and I love to spend time with our friends. The secret of a great party is to be a relaxed hostess. I have always been interested in food, and pottering around the kitchen. I don’t have the time to cook these days, but luckily, I have hotels full of chefs, so my creativity comes out through them. I’m closely involved with all the menu developments of our restaurants. I also try and cook with my son once in a while. Do you have any favourite places to eat out? When you are travelling so much, you just want to eat at your own house, or your friends’ houses, because it’s relaxing. In Delhi I like the Grey Garden, Yeti in Hauz Khas village, places in Old Delhi, Wasabi. Sethu and I decided that we would explore a new restaurant every week. In fact, every week till now, we have done two. Are you a morning or an evening person? I am both. I need my seven hours of sleep. I prefer not to do serious meetings after an early morning flight – I don’t like those. Do you practice yoga? I do a more meditative yoga, and now I do pilates. I have a trainer who comes in, and I work out in my gym with cardio but I added pilates six months ago. It’s good for my back.
Left to right: Dogs aren’t only a man’s best friends; A rendering of the soon-to-be-opened Park property in Kochi.
What do you like to wear to work? My sister Priti and I are amongst the few who wear saris to work, but in the winter I prefer trouser suits and Western jackets. In summer, I like cotton saris. Unfortunately, traditional weaves are dying out, and handloom saris are getting expensive, and are a pain to maintain. In Kanchipuram, most units have gone to the outskrits. Today I am wearing a lighter kanchipuram sari, with an ikat weave. In Delhi and Mumbai, workwear is Westernwear. But you don’t want the sari to go the kimono way in 50 years. In high society, sari as formalwear has become popular, because designers are being more creative with it. For me, Sundari Silks in Chennai is my one-stop shop for South Indian saris. I also buy through the Crafts Council exhibitions. My favourite designers for saris are Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, and Gaurav Gupta. What does luxury mean to you? True luxury is the freedom of doing what you want to do. If I go for a trek for eight days, living in a camp, not attached to material stuff, it’s about the experience of being in nature, and doing something with yourself. What has been your most wow moment? The birth of our son, Surya Vir.
How is the North-South combine? It’s fantastic. It’s two different communities – a Tamilian marrying a Punjabi. The food and customs are different. You learn the biases of one community about the other, so it’s very funny. People in Tamil Nadu are much more rooted in their culture and tradition, they want to pass this on to their children...my son has adapted well. How do you pick out artists and designers for your personal and hotel space? It’s a question of seeing, reading, going to galleries and exhibitions. I do a lot of research by email. Or if I know the artists or designers, we ideate and meet in the office. I try to go to fashion and design weeks as much as possible. You see new things, new people. When did you pick up your first piece of art? The first thing I bought was a Raja Ravi Varma oleograph, when I moved back to India from the U.S. I collect contemporary art, but I also collect ephemera, lithographs, film posters. I bought my Ravi Varma print for around `500. That is how my collection began, and I’ve been collecting works on paper mainly, because I saw their fragility. That is how I got into buying film posters.
Do you have any current favourite artists? I’ve not been buying very much; I’ve been watching. I went to international art fairs, and almost bought some artworks, but then I stopped myself, even though I know some of them are equivalent to young upcoming artists here, and there is enough to develop here. Any tips on how to start an art collection? Go to exhibitions. Meet people. Don’t just buy from one gallery. Luckily, now every year the India Art Fair takes place. It’s a one-stop shop. Educate yourself; go to the NGMA. If you want to buy contemporary art, question experts and explore opinions on what is considered good. Buy what you like, don’t buy what someone thinks you should have. Your take on living the good life? We have a family motto: Work hard and play hard.
Above: A glimpse of a suite at The Park Hotel, Hyderabad; Below: Plush seating at the poolside of The Park on Holiday Beach, Goa.
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What has been you most exotic holiday? Trekking in Ladakh was hard and extreme; you’re pitching yourself against all kinds of conditions. I’ve just enjoyed an amazing safari in South Africa. A family yacht holiday in Croatia was beautiful – we were living on the boat and we would just swim everywhere.
How do you like to spend the weekend? We try to spend as much time together as a family as possible, and since Sethu and I are both travelling, we like to have the weekend to ourselves, especially with our son Surya Vir. We don’t like going out on Sundays.
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DIALOGUE DSC JAIPUR INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE F E S T I VA L 2 0 1 3
Beauty & the
These two ex-models, one an Oxford graduate, the other a prolific journalist, prove that looks and literature are a heady combo, finds Santanu Ganguly
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he irrepressible Shobhaa Dé, modelturned-editor-turned columnist, is renowned for her blunt, outspoken views, and for exposing the kinks of Mumbai high society through her racy, salacious novels. At an incredible 65, nothing seems to stop her: she’s written 17 novels so far, including her latest Sethji, published by Penguin Books India. Dé, a regular at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, is also a columnist for The Times of India and The Asian Age. In town to discuss Sethji, she says she would love to see Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai or Vidya Balan reprise the roles of main character Sethji, a ruthless politician, and Amrita, his daughter-in-law (and the only person he can trust), if the book ever makes it to the silver screen. For her own part, she enjoys those Bollywood movies that are relaxing, stressbusters, and that tell the viewer about himself or herself, and usually likes to catch the first day, first show of the release. “I wouldn’t mind playing the role played by Rekha in Shyam
Shobhaa
PHOTOGRAPHED BY SANTANU GANGULY
Bestseller Dé
Benegal’s Kalyug or Meena Kumari in Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam, or any character by Waheeda Rehman,” she says. She enjoyed Aishwarya Rai’s ‘item song’ Kajra Re, and more recently Kareena Kaapoor’s Fevicol, and believes that women are not the only item numbers in Hindi movies. “Poster boys like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh, John Abraham, and Saif Ali Khan are no less than the women,” she says referring to the way the lead actors are portrayed in the flamboyant Race 2. Regarded as one of the country’s top opinion-makers, Dé is frequently seen debating social, current issues on TV news channels. At the Jaipur Literature Fest, when asked about the sharp decline in women’s safety not only in big cities in India, but in small towns as well, she says: “I’m worried about the rapidly deteriorating morals of Indian society. Do women now need to learn martial arts or karate to protect themselves? Is not it the State’s duty to protect every woman in society?” Dé goes on to say that she admires the incredible strength and ambition of modern Indian women. For
her, UP strongwoman Mayawati’s story is far more exiting then late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s. “Indira Gandhi belonged to the elite of society, while Mayawati came from the poorest of the poor,” she says. Dé showed plenty of ambition herself when she began a career in journalism in 1970, armed with a degree in psychology from St Xavier’s College, after making her mark as a model. She soon founded and edited three magazines, Stardust, Society, and Celebrity, and scripted TV serial Swabhimaan. In addition to the many hats she wears, Dé is also something of a style icon, who goes by the motto, “Style is not about how much an outfit costs, but how comfortable you are to carry it off.” The biological mother of four (she also has two children from her husband’s first marriage), revels in her age but never feels the need to retire. ‘Retirement’ is a bad word for the family as her 100-year-old father is still active, and makes the most of his life. “Positivity and love form my look, style, attitude, and personality,” says the celebrated writer.
Shobhaa Dé strikes a stunning pose in a resplendent sari at this year’s DSC Jaipur International Literature Festival.
W
“When I was at Oxford, people thought I should only write about serious stuff, but wealth and glamour are also a reflection of human behaviour,” says Ighodaro, whose second novel All That Glitters is about a fresh-faced Oxford ingénue, who quite like her, lands on the Amalfi Coast in Italy for modelling assignments, and (unlike her) finds herself framed for murder, and against some of Europe’s most powerful men. “The novel is not autobiographical, though it contains real-life incidents that happened to me as a model,” she says. Her in-progress third novel is based on the idea of superstition. She’s also been approached by film production houses to buy the movie rights of her novels. Asked about the Bollywood-glamour nexus in India, Ighodaro replies: “I might incorporate India into one of my novels. Today, there is such a lot of competition. You need to have real merit in your writing to sustain yourself.”
“At Oxford, people thought I’d only write about serious stuff, but wealth and glamour are also a reflection of human behaviour.”
Aita
Model-turned writer Aita Ighodaro cuts a graceful figure on and off the stage.
Ighodaro
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est London girl-about-town Aita Ighodaro perfectly combines beauty with brains. The tall and sinuous Nigerianorigin, Oxford-educated former model started walking the ramp while she was still at university, studying modern and medieval languages. Fashion shoots abroad took her to the jet-set world of Cannes in the French Riviera, where her experiences in that fast-paced, glamorous setting inspired her to write her first novel Sin Tropez, soon followed by All That Glitters (Atlantic Books, UK) in 2012. Ighodaro has also worked with documentary filmmakers and has written on politics, philosophy, relationships, and social issues, for publications as diverse as The Independent, Sunday Express, and handbag.com. For Ighodharo, who was in town to discuss All That Glitters, the transformation from model to writer was a natural one. “The world of fashion, with its colourful cast of characters, became the perfect setting for my stories, and gave me an alternative career as a writer, that gave me the freedom of travel,” she says. Although still in her 20s, she was 22 when she dreamt up the idea of her first book, and began writing professionally at 25. It is also around that time that she began dating Booker-prizewinning author Salman Rushdie, something she doesn’t want to talk about. “I wouldn’t want anyone to say I’m using his name as a stepping stone,” she says. She cites ‘mother of all modern scandal writers’ Jackie Collins as one of her biggest inspirations, along with Lord Jeffrey Archer and Jilly Cooper, Vanity Fair author William Makepeace Thackeray, and her contemporary from Nigeria, Half of the Yellow Sun writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Before she sets out to write a novel, Ighodaro, like many writers, likes to create a basic skeleton to add structure, peppered with her constantly flowing observations. “I love to write in the morning, but late-night parties or assignments sometimes pose a challenge!” she says. Critics’ reactions don’t bother her, but what’s important to her is keeping in touch with her readers through Facebook and Twitter. Ighodaro loves to travel, and likes the Pacific Ocean as much as Sallins in Ireland, the South of France, and now Jaipur. She won’t miss Toronto during the Toronto Film Festival for the world. She loves languages, theatre, fine dining, and is known to play a mean game of chess. Ighodaro started modelling at a very exciting time for high fashion. “Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, and Oluchi Onweagba had already shaken things up. There were models from all over the world – like Russian Natalia Vodianova and Brazilian Gisele Bündchen – a whole cast of different looks and characters.
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ART GREAT BRITAIN
JEREMY HOUGHTON
FLAMINGO ROAD The Cotswolds-bred artist is a talent to watch. He’s already painted Queen Elizabeth II, the Summer Olympics, London Fashion Week, and Prince Charles’ Highgrove estate. TEXT BY PRIYA KUMARI RANA / PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARI NAIR
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here’s something exuberant and convivial about this British artist, who had a successful showing a few months ago at New Delhi’s India Habitat Centre, and is touted as one of UK’s most commercially viable young artists. Jeremy Houghton was excited to be in the country: “India’s been on my radar because it’s getting press in London. Europe is flat, depressed, and I don’t like that. I like to go where it’s happening and uplifting. Delhi is at the top of the list.” He’s only been painting professionally for six years, and already, his works hang alongside luminaries like Damien Hirst and Bansky, in private collections in the UK, including royal estates like Buckingham Palace and Highgrove, with showings at prestigious art galleries such as The Saatchi Gallery in London. Last year, he had 36 exhibitions in all, including showings for the watercolours he was commissioned to paint for the London Olympics.
The 36-year-old, Eton-educated, South Africa-inspired artist admits, “Painting was my thing. My father disagreed, so he sent me off to do law, but I got my way in the end.” Houghton admits that it isn’t easy for an artist to make a living out of painting, especially when you’re starting out. So he decided to do commercial work, which would fund his art, but allow him to do his own painting. Today, his paintings fetch up to £22,000 (for his India exhibition, the top price for his oils was `10.8 lakh). After studying for two years at the Slade School of Art in London, and a stint at the Université d’Aix-en-Provence in France, Houghton went into teaching art at an international school in Cape Town, South Africa, and that was his stepping stone into taking it up full time. That is also where he discovered flamingos that inspired his exhibit, ‘The Flamingo and the Phoenix’, in India. “You never see a single flamingo, but thousands. You can’t
Jeremy Houghton leans casually against one of his works from 'The Flamingo and the Phoenix' exhibit.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY (THIS PAGE) JEREMY HOUGHTON
Houghton’s love for history and timeless portraits led him to paint the Queen of England in 2009. “She was wonderful, and everything you’d expect of her – there were no surprises. It was flattering – a great honour. I normally don’t like to be told what to do, but if you are commissioned to paint the Queen, you’re not going to say no. It now hangs in St James’s Palace, in their private collection. They have three of mine, but I would be happier if one of my flamingos was in there,” says Houghton. Currently, he is artist-in-residence at Prince Charles’ Highgrove Estate, which lies close to where Houghton lives and works. “The Prince is very environmentally conscious. All of his farming methods and techniques are organic, one of the reasons I took on the project. I’m doing a portrait of the estate, which is a series of 13 paintings, in watercolour.” Houghton has also been the official artist for London Fashion Week in 2007. “It was a week of being with tall, skinny women, cigarettes, and Red Bull, and again colour, shape, and cool fabrics. I was a visual journalist,” he says. But he admits that this series sits in his studio, waiting to be bought. “If they don’t sell, my daughter will enjoy them,” he laughs. His daughter Honey, is a bright two and a half, who enjoys copying her father painting at his desk. Right now, Houghton is a student again, who’s gone back to university to get his MA. “It’s important to keep learning, to keep asking questions.” Although he’s now a famous artist, Houghton says his teachers are one up on him, because they are academics, and give him essays to write, “which (he) hates”, and often fails! For someone who’s been compared to Damien Hirst and Bansky, he’s modest. “I
am flattered,” he laughs. “What we have in common, is we’re good at self-promotion. I enjoy people seeing my work, I enjoy exhibiting. I am ambitious, that’s why I went to India, and then to China. Art crosses all barriers.” In India, he would love to explore the Rann of Kutch, for his favourite subject – flamingos that migrate here from Africa. What’s next for the artist? He is ready for his design debut. “I am getting my paintings digitally printed onto fabrics, for scarves, then big, flowing dresses.” For this teacher-turnedartist, who’s been through the artist’s struggle, there’s been no looking back once he put his business mind to it. “I painted pictures for the right audience, and they inevitably sold.”
Where would you find a Jeremy Houghton?
Buckingham Palace, London St James Palace, London Highgrove, Gloucestershire JP Morgan Bank, London Lloyds Bank, London The Hoare Bank, London The residence of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth The residence of the Duke of Abercorn, Baronscourt The residence of Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear), Oxfordshire
Clockwise from top left: A watercolour of Zara Phillips carrying the Olympic torch at the 2012 London Olympics, an artwork from the artist’s London Fashion Week series; Houghton’s Cotswolds farm; a painting of the Queen, part of his Buckingham Palace series.
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discern the bird’s form, but see abstract shapes. Each movement makes a different composition,” says Houghton. That’s why he says his works are expressionistic, because if “you came from outer space and saw these, you wouldn’t know these are flamingos”, he says. He embraces dribbles, mistakes, even the ridiculous. Houghton paints on the ground floor of his large studio, part of his parents’ Victorian farm in picturesque Broadway, Cotswolds (also the house he grew up in), surrounded by Shire horses. Houghton is prolific, and works on 6-7 pieces at the same time. “I do some paintings in a day; some take a year.” He’s been called both a conservation artist and an eco-artist, but insists that he paints “for the simple pleasure of seeing things”. So he likes to get out there, watercolours, sketch pads, and cameras in hand. While painting his Olympics series in watercolour, Houghton says he was most inspired by British paralympic equestrian dressage rider, Lee Pearson. Born with a disability, he couldn’t walk as a toddler. So his parents bought him a donkey, with a basket saddle, which taught Lee how to ride horses, and buid an affinity with them. “Lee can’t move his arms or legs, so his riding depends on balance,” says Houghton. “To paint the Olympic sailors, I had to go in their boats, get wet, ” says Houghton. The common link between his Olympics series and the flamingos – the negative space – is apparent. “I love old negatives and transparencies. When I paint positive forms, I always paint the negative space. For example, I haven’t painted one of these flamingos, I’ve always painted the water around the edges.”
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ART EVENT
India Art Fair
FRIEZE FRAME
They came, they saw, they conquered. As purveyors of art from the world over descended upon New Delhi for this contemporary art fest, Charty Dugdale gives a recap of the hottest sellers, audience favourites, names to watch, and some big surprises. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DILBAG
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his grand bazaar of art, now in its fifth edition, is going from strength to strength. Galleries came from as far afield as Argentina and Australia; works by more than 1,000 modern and contemporary artists were on display, with one of the most precious pieces ‒ a Tyeb Mehta‒ selling at `5 crore. For three and a half days, the Fair’s grounds at the National Small Industries Corporation in New Delhi thronged with artists, collectors, art lovers, auction house specialists, and children with their parents. This year saw delegations from Western collecting institutions such as the Tate Gallery, the MoMA, and the Louvre as well as a group of 30 passionate international collectors led by Amin Jaffer, international director of Asian Art at Christie’s. Sales were made to these key visitors, although galleries like to be discreet about details until transactions are completed. The India Art Fair is now recognized as the place to see the best in contemporary art from India, all under one roof. In terms of exhibitors, Delhi Art Gallery had the largest booth in the heart of the exhibition space, and was hard to beat for the Indian modern and pre-modern masters it featured. Husains,
Mehtas, Khannas, Razas, Souzas, and Tagores were packed into its diagonal displays like a narrative of 20th-century art history. Among the greats, a wall of exquisite late 19th-century Kalighat patas was an unexpected treat. More works by the moderns were scattered throughout ‒ notably at Crayon Capital Art, that had a fine showing of Husains, Chawla Art Gallery with its quiet corner of Ram Kumars, and Priyasri Art Gallery with a solo show of Akbar Padamsee’s recent oil paintings. There were paintings, drawings, photographs, and videos but contemporary art can be made of almost anything: brick dust, razor blades, sculpted paper, leather boots, jute, wool, marigolds, cow dung, dead animals, bottle caps. And of course bartans and bindis – Subodh Gupta’s ubiquitous trademark stainless-steel utensils caught one’s eye at the Galleria Continua, while his partner Bharti Kher’s trademark bindis were spotted around the corner at Galleryske. Covering Letter by Jitish Kallat was a Fair favourite. Gandhi’s seven-sentence missive to Hitler – dated July 23, 1939, suggesting that he might act to “prevent a war that may reduce humanity to a savage state” – was projected on to vapour in a darkened booth. Viewers also
Replacement by Bangladeshi artist Mahbubur Rahman.
marvelled at Sachin George Sebastian’s paper engineering in RIP: Regression in Progression, a swirling storm of figures, buildings, trees, and wires cut out of archival paper, whose organic form belied the “monstrosity of the metropolis”. There were other thought-provoking, large-scale works examining the urban contexts we now inhabit – Hema Upadhyay’s Mute Migration, Martand Khosla’s Site Reconsidered, and Gigi Scaria’s Wind Chimes. And for the kind of art you can take home to adorn the walls of your drawing room, here is a sampling. For serenity: Pakistani neominiaturists Imran Qureshi and Waqas Ahmad at Lakeeren or Zarina Hashmi’s golden corner at Gallery Espace. For humour: Thukral and Tagra’s playful Canada-returned Adams Family at Nature Morte. For socio-environmental engagement: Sheba Chhachi’s beautiful work on the Yamuna. For tribal art: anything at Herve Pedriolle. For contemporary miniatures: Olivia Fraser, Waswo X Waswo, and the Singh Twins. For photographs: Dhruv Malhotra’s Sleepers or Manuel Bougot’s portraits of Chandigarh at Photoink. A diasporic artist to watch out for, showing for the first time in India, was Hajra Waheed at Experimenter.
Perhaps Fair-goers’ biggest grouse was the absence of major international players who had exhibited last year – such as the Lisson, Hauser & Wirth, and White Cube Galleries. But there were still 40 galleries from overseas this year, many of which represent Indian or Indian-origin artists. Galerie Lelong from Paris showed six international female artists alongside one male, Jaume Plensa, whose sensuous sculpture of Sapho is a tribute to womankind. The exhibit was curated by artist Nalini Malini. Artists from Bangladesh had a prominent showing: Mahbubur Rahman’s installation Replacement (previous page) was an Ambassador car stitched over with old army boots. The boots then ballooned out of the car’s trunk to create
India Art Fair Trivia:
80,000 1,100 Footfalls over the four days
Artists showing work
20,000 3,500 104 22 Square feet of display area
Artworks displayed
Participating countries
Exhibitors
a cave which the viewer could enter and watch a video projection on the histories of property ownership. The Samdani Foundation presented a work of lethal delicacy: My Daughter’s Cot by Tayeba Begum Lipi, a life-size baby’s crib made from razor blades. The pop vibe at Scream of London went down well: works made out of children’s squishy stickers by Ye Hongxing; and global cultural icons – Gandhi, Kahlo, Warhol – depicted against vintage metal Coke and Pepsi signs, by Pakpoom Silaphan. The booth almost sold out. Jack Neilson described Neilson Gallery’s offering of top-tier Spanish artist Chema Cobo and others as “slow art” and noted that it wasn’t getting as much attention as some of the brighter,
Most iconic foreign artists: Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois, Marc Chagall, Marina Abramovic, Jaume Plensa, Pablo Picasso. Most iconic Indian artists: Tyeb Mehta, MF Husain, Ram Kumar, SH Raza, J Swaminathan. Most iconic Indian contemporary artists: Bharti Kher, Subodh Gupta,
Shilpa Gupta, Jitish Kallat, Anish Kapoor, Anita Dube, Sudarshan Shetty. Most influential buyers: Institutions: MoMA, Tate Gallery, Art Institute of Chicago, the Louvre. Individuals: Paula Al Askari from Abu Dhabi and Leyla Alaton from Istanbul. Breakthrough artist: Rohini Devasher won the Skoda
punchier stuff out there. Yet even if he only broke even, he felt it was worth coming to the Fair because “the potential is here”. India Art Fair founder Neha Kirpal was bullish about the future. From modest domestic beginnings in 2008, Kirpal has already overseen the growth of the IAF to be the global platform for Indian artists that it is today. “I see us as market builders, as catalysts,” she says. “We’re aware that this is for the long term.” And while she recognizes an art fair as a “commerce event”, education and outreach are important, especially in an emerging market. The Indian market may be emerging, and may take a while to go back to its 2008 peak, but there’s no question that it is firmly on the world map. And the India Art Fair helped put it there. Breakthrough Artist award, her work was displayed at Project 88. Greatest distance travelled: Gallery Ignacio Liprandi Arte Contemporaneo (showing artists Fabian Bercic and Tomas Espina) travelled nearly 16,000km from Buenos Aires. Heaviest artwork: Bangladeshi artist Mahbubur
Rahman’s Replacement. Top homegrown exhibits: Chemould Prescott Road, Seven Art, Galleryske, Experimenter, Delhi Art Gallery. Top overseas exhibits: Aicon Gallery, Galerie Krinzinger, Galleria Continua, Galerie Lelong, The Samdani Foundation, Greenaway Art Gallery, Scream.
Clockwise from top left: Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God; Sakshi Gallery’s booth; Lavanya Mani’s The Last Map: Fragments; Children in front of Hema Upadhyay’s Mute Migration; Tayeba Begum Lipi’s My Daughter’s Cot; Tsai and Yoshikawa’s Pop Bloom Ω Prism II, Scream.
PA S S P O R T M A C A U
Eastern Promise
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This is no chimera. Gleaming casinos, soaring skyscrapers, and an appetite for the good life, have transformed this port city, a former Portuguese colony, into the world’s top gaming destination. And there’s more: with its world heritage sites, unique fusion food, live entertainment, and scenic vistas, Macau is one spirited cocktail, finds Govind Dhar
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The Grand Lisboa hotel gleams golden in the heart of Macau.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY GOVIND DHAR
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three-course gourmet Italian supper before we are led by scantily-clad carnival dancers through marble and wood-panelled corridors, past designer stores and boutique jewellers, to a venue that drips from ceiling-to-floor with pop-coloured confections and eye candy. And of course, en route, a modest expanse of baccarat tables, slot machines, electronic croupiers and roulette tables that are de rigueur in this part of the world. Only across the road from the famed Venetian hotel (the largest casino in the world), it has now become something of a tradition to have such themed attractions, entertainment, pomp, and ceremony surrounding a mere hotel opening as a taste of what’s in store for visitors to the world’s most lucrative casino destination. Most would be forgiven for mistaking this
special administrative region of China for Las Vegas. They’d be right for the most part, but in being compared to the U.S. gambling strip, the former Portuguese colony of Macau is already miles ahead of its world-famous cousin in Nevada – by some tens of billions of dollars In 2012, Macau made more in gaming revenue from its casinos than those in the entire United States of America at $38 billion – six times that of the Las Vegas strip. That figure is set to hit $44 billion this year. Considering that gaming had only really begun to get going in Macau around 2002, that’s a staggering achievement, but not surprising considering the rising number of dollar millionaires and billionaires making their way from Asia to the glitz and glamour of the skyscraper-clad port
Clockwise from top left: The gilded entrance to the Macau Venetian hotel; Wavy cobblestones run through the historic centre of Macau; The lit-up Venetian Macau hotel on the Cotai strip; The Santa Casa de Misericordia or Holy House of Mercy in Senado Square.
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awaiian hula dancers gyrate and sashay through the halls of the Conrad Macao, Cotai Central (+853 2882 9000) and the soonto-be-opened Sheraton Cotai Sands – the world’s largest with 4,000 rooms to spare ‒ chanting and whooping as guests and tourists reach for their cameras to snap some photos for their holiday albums. Flutes of Perrier Jouet, lavish canapés, and neon-pink cocktails skirt the tops of people’s heads as scurrying waiters rush to sate the gathered crowd’s appetite for the trappings of their present destination’s much-celebrated good life. In a bid to show us what their entertainment credentials are made of, our hosts conspire to have us serenaded by opera singers at a
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region. Closer than Vegas and with casinofavourites such as the Wynn Macau (+853 2888 9966), the MGM (+853 8802 8888), the Grand Lisboa (+853 2828 3838), and the Venetian (+853 2882 8888) offering just some of the over 35 gaming sites on the peninsula, Macau has become the destination of choice for people looking to spend, and to whom money is of little or no object. An hour’s ferry ride east of Hong Kong lies the region whose name translates to ‘gateway of the bay’ or ‘A-Ma Gau’ (bay of the sea goddess A-Ma). Visitors are greeted by a mix of old-world and new-tower blocks and streets navigable by signposts in Portuguese, English, and Cantonese. Tired urban quarters, highways, and bridges are punctuated by gleaming casinos, glass-and-steel hotels, pawn shops, hole-in-thewall restaurants, and money exchanges. Here you will find the MGM Macau with its Alice in Wonderland-inspired main chamber, boasting an orb (which guests can walk into) that is partart installation and part-MTV video set, filled with butterflies and buzzing TV screens. The Wynn hotel is here too, with its bright-orange interiors and no mean showstoppers either – a son et lumière show called the Tree of Prosperity reveals a gilded ceiling which slides open like
a giant camera shutter to stun passers-by with three-dimensional laser forms above a tree bearing 98,000 leaves of 24-carat gold that emerges from the ground. It is in the Wynn casino that I walk past tinkling slot machines as stone-faced Chinese men feed the hungry
one-arm bandits, and a sudden hubub ensues around one machine. An ordinary-looking visitor whose luck just turned, almost falls off his chair while a small crowd gathers as his slot machine displays four rows of dragon eggs.
The counter flashing above it jumps from HK$ 1,000 to somewhere in the HK$ 35,000 region. As I leave a few minutes later, the counter does not seem to slow down. Macau is set to draw tourists in with the promise of quick returns such as the one above, but by the same token gives them enough opportunity to spend as well. Helicopters are frequently heard roaring overhead, chartering people to and from the peninsula, and limousines can be seen idling outside the city’s many nightclubs – each one seemingly in competition with the other for offering the more bombastic live entertainment. A particularly electric haunt for the hoi polloi is the Club Cubic at the Hard Rock Hotel (+853 8868 3338) that pulls in punters with its five-balconied-VIP rooms and live DJ sets. Try the expertly mixed rum cocktails at the Gothic-style bar, and the Long Island iced teas, if you’re feeling particularly brave. Of course, while gaming is one of the big draws in Macau, there is a lot more to do, such as eat, shop, see, and play. Steeped in Portuguese and Chinese history, Macau makes for a colourful blend of varied pursuits to enjoy, with a number of festivals, live shows, museums, and sporting attractions. For starters, the historic city centre or Largo do Senado houses several
Clockwise from left: Entrance to the A-Ma Temple, dedicated to the goddess of the sea from which Macau gets its name; The temple houses pavilions inspired by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; Incense sticks of up to seven feet can be lit to offer prayers.
A short taxi ride away from Macau over its bridges and past the 338 metre-high Macau tower is the reclaimed island of Taipa where visitors can sail down the canals of the Venetian hotel on the Cotai strip and explore the island’s mountains, hiking trails, and the Macau Golf and Country Club (+853 2887 1188) on the up-and-coming Coloane strip. (Another, the Caesars Golf course (+853 2875 3126) lies in Cotai itself.) The much-vaunted House of Dancing Water at the City of Dreams (www. thehouseofdancingwater.com) is one of Macau’s most advertised attractions, that seems to be a live-action combination of Cirque du Soleil with Olympic-sized swimming pools (five of them), a water stage, and gargantuan lightdisplay shows and death-defying acrobatics. Whenever you decide to visit Macau (surely it’s a matter of when, not if ), a shortage of things to do on your stay will be the least of your concerns. During the day, its cultural and historic charms are quaint and pleasant enough to keep young couples and families busy. It’s at night that Macau becomes irresistible. As the sun sets and the city slips into its pulsing neon guise, beaming out its promises of possibility, you’ll need more than a strong will to keep you from getting lost in its charms.
DHAR’S MUST-VISITS The ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral: Considered as one of the most important monuments to Christianity in Asia, only the dramatic façade of this famous 16th-century landmark remains, with its unique Oriental carvings by Japanese Christians in exile in 1602. The Macau Grand Prix: Over November 14-17, the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, the FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup, and the season finale of the FIA World Touring Car Championship will take place at the event’s diamond jubilee. Guia Fort: The highest point on the peninsula, this 17th-century fort gives you picture-postcard views of the city, houses the oldest lighthouse in China, and offers a glimpse of some of the most valuable murals in Asia at the Lady of Guia chapel. Mercearia Portuguesa shop: Tucked in a corner of a beautiful 1920s-style ivy-clad home in St Lazarus district, this shop stocks the perfect Portuguese curios from vintage soaps to dried figs, wine, herbs, and handmade artefacts.
Clockwise from left: Mercearia Portuguesa houses quaint Portuguese curios; Many hotels conceal boutique shopping within their outré architecture; One of the blackjack tables at the newly opened Sheraton Macau.
APR — MAY 2013
UNESCO world heritage sites, and is famous for its street food and shopping, amidst its neoclassical, pastel-coloured buildings and wavy cobbled streets. Wend your way through the busy maritime museum for a history lesson of the former colony, and duck in for some quick blessings at the stone-structured 16th-century temple of A-Ma. The highly recommended bistro-style eatery A Lorcha (+853 2831 3195) sits not far from here, just opposite the port authority, and offers the kind of fare that actually extols the virtues of colonization. ‘Macanese’ is a word born of these parts and is the result of conjoining Macau and Portuguese to describe everything from the people, the food, and the culture in Macau. At A Lorcha, Macanese food consistently scores high on critics’ score cards. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Salada de Orelha de Porco which is pig’s ear cartilage in onions, garlic, and coriander. Bacalhau (dried cod) is a specialty in these parts, and particularly delicious when prepared in a stir-fry style with egg, coriander, onions, and peppers. Another highly recommended beach-side restaurant is Fernando’s (www. fernando-restaurant.com) where the saltwatersoaked roast chicken is lip-smacking down to the last bite.
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PA S S P O R T C H E N N A I
Royal Regalia
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s you sip a flute of Louis Roederer Cristal, whilst admiring Chennai’s picturesque skyline from the Presidential Suite of The ITC Grand Chola, the clichéd phrase ‘fit for a king’ comes to mind. And you wouldn’t be that far from the truth, given that this hotel commemorates the grandeur of the imperial Chola dynasty in the cultural capital of south India. While the bigger metropolitan cities in India are still irresistible bait for luxury properties (the Peninsula group has been scouting the Capital, and Mumbai is expected to host deluxe establishments by Jumeirah, The W, and The Aayu by GHM within the next 3-4 years), Chennai, which was in comparison largely left to its own devices, has been experiencing a flurry of activity with the recent openings of The Leela Palace and The ITC Grand Chola (the latter in September) last year. It is, however, the smooth combination of supreme luxe, topnotch technology, flawless attention to detail, and fantastic architecture that puts this hotel a notch above several others across the world. Spread over 1.5 million sq ft, the `1,200 crore property has been built on the site of an old movie studio, Narasu, and lies a mere eight kilometres from the airport, in close proximity to Marina (Asia’s longest beach), the Guindy
Chennai’s ITC Grand Chola, the world’s largest ‘green’ hotel, rises like a phoenix from the eponymous Chola dynasty, to offer guests a grander-than-life hospitable experience. TEXT BY AASHMITA NAYAR
National Park, and distinguished monuments such as the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and the Santhome Basilica. Already reputed as a hotel of several firsts, it is the country’s largest hotel, boasting a luxury retail space of over 27,000 sq ft, and the country’s hugest pillarless ballroom area. It has also been awarded the title of the world’s largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Green Hotel: “Hundred per cent of our electrical-energy requirements are met through renewable energy resources,” says executive director Nakul Anand. “With this, we are echoing ITC’s ‘Responsible Luxury’ ethos through energy efficiency, water efficiency, and waste management, to lend strength to the green-building movement.” The hotel’s name justifies the connection to the city and the graceful Chola monuments that punctuate it. The Chola emperors bestowed a lasting legacy with their magnificent Dravidian temples, such as the Thanjai Periyakovil, the architecture of which is echoed in the intricate fretwork and delicately carved ceilings of the property. “ITC’s architecture has incorporated these 10th - to 12th-century designs into a 21stcentury building – a task of great merit for our architects Smallwood Reynolds and Steward & Steward LLC,” says Anand. The work of traditional sculptors from Mahabalipuram
drapes the hotel’s walls, while stucco columns (432 in all) in the form of carved elephants and four-petalled flower motifs stand tall. The hotel has four gateways facing the cardinal directions (Vallavan facing the north is the drop-off point for personalized check-ins to the Presidential Suites). But the west entrance, that leads to the Grand Staircase (Sangam), is a voyeuristic delight few guests can afford to miss. Musical strains of traditional instruments accompany the refreshing nannari sherbet that is served as part of the traditional welcome, complete with a simple aarti, after which guests are presented with a golden silk ponnadi scarf. Besides its arresting architecture, The ITC Grand Chola also impresses with its advanced in-house technology: “We are the first hotel in the world to have introduced the Welcom@ Butler – E-butler services on the iPad to enhance guest comfort,” says Anand. “It’s luxury through technology: guests can avail several services on the iPad, right from seeing through the door via a camera and opening/shutting the door, to room service and reviewing bills.” Chola’s iPad-controlled services are available in all 522 rooms and 78 serviced residences of the hotel. The hotel also features a dedicated wing with an all-female staff for single women, known as Eva Rooms.
Over 63 different types of marble were imported from Italy to build this `1,200 crore property, inspired from the Chola dynasty.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY ITC HOTELS LTD.
Mozzarella Fantasia), to Pan Asian that offers fresh catch from the Indian Ocean. “We have the most expensive popes salt from Cervia, the finest extra-virgin presssed olive oil from Frantoio, Leccino Pendolino, and Moriaolo, and a champagne lounge showcasing the most premium champagne in Pan Asian,” says Chef Gill. “Plus, our bakery Nutmeg has sourced the finest Belgian couverture for its desserts.” Afterwards, enjoy a cigar with a 40-year old Bruichladdich or a vintage Château Latour from the well-stocked bar in the malt and cigar lounge known as Cheroot, or for the more spirited, liven up your evening at Iplace, the nightclub (opening soon). For art enthusiasts, “we feature a dedicated art gallery – the WelcomArt Gallery – that holds a private collection of works by renowned artists such as MF Husain,” says Anand. The ITC Grand Chola has also built an auditorium (Kalai theatre) that can accommodate 45 guests at a time for private film screenings. As a fitting end to your sojourn, visit the 23,000 sq ft Kaya Kalp spa – try the 90-minute Imperial Chola Ceremonies (`4,800) that include an Indian spice-bath ritual and indigenous massages inspired by Asian techniques – to complete the surreal experience of age-old royalty and modern-day comforts.
ROYALTY GOES GREEN: • Solar concentrators heat the water. • Extra treated waste water irrigates the Madras Golf Course instead of going into the sewers. • 100 per cent electrical requirements met by a 12.6MW windmill using Hartman Loop technology. • Fair Trade Cotton used for linen. • Welcome@Butler iPad services allow customized room climate control to prevent energy wastage. • Computerized lights used to control mood lighting, saving energy. • An organic waste converter makes manure out of waste. • Reflective paints on the roof lower temperature at night. • 17 per cent of the cement has been replaced by fly-ash.
Clockwise from left: A stunning view of the Grand Staircase or Sangam; The ITC Grand Chola’s premium vegetarian restaurant, Royal Vega; An executive suite that includes Chola’s exclusive Welcom@Butler services.
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Of the two Presidential Suites, the `3.5 lakh Raja Raja Suite or the Grand Presidential Suite boasts of its own private pool, gymnasium, bullet-proof windows, and a dedicated elevator that allows guests ultimate privacy while entering the hotel. It is spread over 4,380 sq ft with plush settings that include a kitchen, dining area, and a five-fixture bathroom with a luxurious deep-soak bathtub (it also has a pantry with a personal chef and butler). Every attention to detail has been taken care of, be it the ice cubes that are perfectly sized to clink into a tumbler, or the 500 thread-count linen made from Fair Trade Cotton. If the feeling of being immersed in these royal environs is not enough, then a steaming dish of Paneer Khaasa at the Royal Vega, their premium vegetarian restaurant inspired by cuisines from royal kitchens all over India, should fuel your imagination. “The recipes are culled from dishes served to royalty, as well as ancient Ayurvedic scriptures,” says Manjit Gill, ITC’s corporate chef. “The food, as in the past, follows the six-seasons concept and delivers fresh produce rather than preserved ingredients of any sort.” The Chola has nine other signature food and beverage offerings, from the award-winning Peshawri, to Ottimo, an Italian restaurant (try their Bufala
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PA S S P O R T C U B A
Rolled
to Perfection Cigar heiress Ameeta Seth spends a week in colourful Cuba to attend the world-famous XVth Habanos Festival, and finds the true care and passion that lie in making each piece the finest handrolled cigar on the planet.
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ights, camera, action! The stage is set and the curtain rises on The XVth Habanos Festival! This annual festival takes place at the end of February, and provides the perfect setting for hundreds of cigar enthusiasts and aficionados from around the globe to converge and enjoy an exceptional week, indulging their passion and celebrating the world’s finest cigar: the Habano. As I step off the tarmac at the José Martí International airport in Havana, the excitement is palpable: smiling attendants welcome us warmly, and the bold signage everywhere proclaims the start of this famous festival. I am quickly whisked through the crowds thanks to a prior arrangement with the organizers, and as I wait in the lounge for my bags, I chat with a weary Raoul, our resident travel operator who informs me that he has been on duty for the last two days. “Everyone is here,” he says. ”The Chinese, the British, the Germans…” Sounds like a veritable United Nations! I am soon on my way to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, and I wait eagerly for my first glimpse
of this majestic hotel, which is located on a hill overlooking the Malecon, a strip of land by the ocean. This classic hotel still possesses all the old-world charm of a bygone era, and has played host to many celebrities over the years, such as Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, and Ava Gardner, to name a few. I check in, happily responding to greetings of “Hola, Ameeta!” from the staff. Later, I hurry down to the terrace for my first authentic mojito. This terrace bar serves as a meeting point for everyone during the festival, whether you are staying at the Nacional or not, and is located in the garden overlooking the Malecon. It offers an unparalleled view of Havana, not to mention the best mojitos in town. As I meet all our fellow distributors and friends, and listen to a local musical trio sing one of Cuba’s favourite ditties, Guantanamera, I find myself getting excited for the start of this week.
Day One: The Unhurried Pace of indulgence
The day begins bright and sunny, and my colleague Meera and I take off to the Palacio de Convenciones or the Convention Center, to register for the coming events and to attend the press conference that marks the opening of the trade show. This trade show brings together more than 50 exhibitors from around the world, each showcasing various tobacco-related products,
such as beautifully handcrafted humidors, figurines, and cutters as well as a selection of beverages that can be paired with cigars. We make our rounds, greeting our Habanos colleagues, and after a quick lunch at the El Bucan restaurant, we head back to the hotel to get ready for the welcome event in the evening. The ceremony is being held at the historic Castillo de Los Tres Reyes del Morro or Castle of the Three Kings of Morro, a symbolic fortress right at the entrance of the Bay of Havana. A colourful, Cuban-inspired show ensues, complete with flying trapeze artists scaling the walls of this historic fortress, fire cannonballs shot from ancient cannons around the fortress, and three sets of musicians. This evening is dedicated to the famous Montecristo brand, so named after Alexander Dumas’s novel The Count of Monte Cristo, and marks the launch of two new additions to the Montecristo brand: Montecristo Petit No. 2 and Montecristo Double Edmundo. The introduction of these totally handmade new vitolas or sizes provides the Montecristo brand with an even more versatile range. The Montecristo Petit No. 2 with its easy grip and moderate length, is ideal to puff on during those busy days. The Montecristo Double Edmundo delivers this blend’s classic scent and taste for almost an hour-long smoke, so that the connoisseur can revel in his or her Habano in an unhurried fashion.
The verdant region of Pinar del Rio is one of the island’s most important tobacco-growing areas with the perfect climatic conditions.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY AMEETA SETH
The evening continues to take on a carnivallike atmosphere, but it’s getting late and we have a long day at the plantations tomorrow, so it’s one last mojito (for the day!) on the verandah, and then off to bed.
Day Two: Magic Leaves
After a long, tiring day, we opt to have a quiet dinner with a few friends at El Template, a Spanish seafood restaurant which overlooks the harbour entrance just behind the Santa Isabel Hotel, reknown for its garlic shrimp and steak, and then head home for the night.
Day Three: At Home with Tobacco-Growers
We get off to a fairly late start, but decide to have a relaxed day. One of my close friends Nitasha is visiting, and I want to take her to one of my favourite restaurants in Havana…La Guarida. This is one of Havana’s most famous paladars (private restaurants located in Cuban homes), and was the setting for the famous Cuban blockbuster and Oscar-nominated film, Fresa y Chocolate. It is located on the third floor of a dilapidated old villa, but as you enter this small restaurant with its charming atmosphere and see all the old movie posters and ’60s-inspired art on the walls, you know the climb was worth it! The food is varied, but some of my old favourites are the ceviche and the fish of the day. After lunch, we head to Club Habana, a new beach and country club in the tony area of Miramar. We meet our friends Alen Kosanovic and his wife Renata, who are distributors from Croatia, and spend a lazy afternoon by the beach. It is then time to head back to the Nacional, change, and get ready to go to a special vegueros
Clockwise from top left: Delegates checking out the varieties of tobacco leaf at the Convention Center; The Romeo Y Juliet brand stall at the Convention Center; Ameeta Seth and Nitasha Thapar at La Guarida, one her favourite eateries in Havana; A worker at a vegueros (tobacco-grower) farm.
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It’s off to an early (6am!) start for us, which after last night, is a bit difficult to wake up for, but somehow, we manage and are piled into buses to make the journey to one of the most important tobacco-growing regions in Cuba: Vuelto Abajo in the region of Pinar del Rio. It is approximately a two-hour journey to this area; a quick nap in the bus, and we are soon there. We are taken around the various plantations by specialized guides who explain to us the painstaking methods of growing, sorting, and curing the different leaves that are then lovingly handcrafted into a Habano. Our guides inform us that Cuba has some of the best conditions in the world for tobaccogrowing: a perfect combination of the right soil, climate, and humidity that allow for the growth of a unique natural product, cherished by its aroma, colour, texture, and flavour. Habanos cigars are manufactured only with tobacco leaves from certain special regions that are selected for the exceptional quality of their soil and microclimate. Among those that stand out are the tobacco districts of San Juan y Martinez
and San Luis, both located in Vuelto Baajo. This is considered the best land in the world for growing tobacco, and the only one that produces three kinds of leaves: wrapper, binder, and filler. In the south of Havana lies the region of Partido which specializes in the growing of wrapper leaves used for Habanos. We get an opportunity to meet with some of the vegueros, who are the tobacco farmers, and it was inspiring to see the passion and dedication they have for their work. They explain to us that there are two methods used to cultivate the tobacco, both sun-grown and shade-grown, depending on the function that each individual leaf will have in the making of a Habano. The plants reach their full growth after 45-50 days, and are ready for harvesting another 50 days later. The leaves are then picked up by hand, one by one, slowly and delicately, and are then taken to the curing barns where they are cured by natural means in the open air. The effort that goes into growing and cultivating this tobacco is astounding, and they haven’t even gotten to the factories yet for the actual process of making the cigar! After this crash course in tobacco-farming, we head to lunch, which takes place at a charming restaurant nestled within the hills in the Vinales valley. While the menu did not appeal to us (pig’s feet!), we admired the lovely setting before heading back to Havana.
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PA S S P O R T C U B A evening, which as its name implies, is dedicated to tobacco farmers. This evening is held at the protocol lounge of the El Laquito factory, and is the setting for the relaunch of the Vegueros cigars. In the Pinar Del Rio region, it is traditional for the vegueros to make their own cigars, and eventually, visitors to this area developed a desire to taste these cigars. Hence the Vegueros brand was introduced in the Habanos portfolio in 1996, and after more than 15 years, Habanos is completely transforming this brand, whose name is so closely tied to that of the tobacco’s roots.
The dish tonight used a sauce that actually contained tobacco from the Pinar Del Rio region. It was actually quite interesting, and not as overpowering as I thought it would be. As the evening concluded quite early, we decided to head over to Casa La Musica in Miramar, which has wonderful live music, and where most of Cuba’s top talents play. As usual, we were not disappointed and a little jealous that we weren’t able to salsa the way the natives do! We then head to El Gato Tuerto or ‘One-Eyed Cat’, which is a tiny jazz bar just down the road from the Nacional. Again, it had great live music and a fun laid-back vibe which was the perfect end to the day.
Day Four: Rolling with it
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There was a twist to the cuisine as well, which was prepared under the supervision of the three Croat chefs who had flown in especially for the festival. Grgur Baksic, Zoran Simunic, and Pantelija Pekic are all members of Gastronomadi, who give a cooking demonstration ‘Tobacco and Gastronomy’ during the trade show.
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We are off this morning to where all the magic happens – the cigar factories – in particular the Partagas and H Upmann factories. The historical Partagas factory, located behind Havana’s Capitol building, is probably the most visited and best known of all the Habanos factories. Moreover, the H Upmann factory is located close by as well. We are then taken through the various steps involved in making these Habanos cigars, which continue to be made totalmente a mano – totally handmade for more than 200 years. We are first taken into the reception area where the leaves are received from the plantations, conditioned, and sorted into categories. The delicate wrapper leaves are then moved to the department known as maja – moistening, where bunches of leaves are moistened with a fine spray of water in order to restore the silky, uniform aspect of the leaves and their elasticity. They are then
passed to the despalilladoras ‒ strippers who carefully withdraw the central vein or stem of the leaf, thus dividing it into two halves ready for grading. The escogedor (grader) then classifies these leaves into different sections according to their colour, vitola, and texture. The ligador (master blender) is now the key person who is in charge of putting the different variety of leaves together, and ensuring the consistency of each blend according to each vitola and brand. We then move to the galera or rolling room, which is the heart of the factory where the torcedores (cigar rollers) are responsible for making the different vitolas. In the olden days, there was a person at the head of the room who used to read to the torcedores from different newspapers or novels such as The Count of Monte Cristo, which subsequently became so popular that a brand was named after it! Today a radio has replaced the live readings, but one can well imagine what it must have been like. The rolling process is too complicated to explain, but suffice it to say that I developed a new respect for the love and care that goes into producing each handmade cigar. After they’re made and placed in boxes, the Habanos are put into cedar-lined cabinets in the escaparate (conditioning room), where they are left to get rid of any excess moisture, before being moved to quality control, where each cigar is meticulously checked before being sent out in the market. After going through the rigours of cigarmaking, we were hungry and decided to head to Castropol for lunch. This restaurant is located on the Malecon and provides an excellent view
Left to right; A cooking show demonstrates the pairing of gastronomy with cigars; The Partagas factory behind Havana’s Capitol building; A professional sommelier demonstrates the pairing of alcoholic drinks with cigars at the Habanosommelier contest.
right from the Hotel Nacional to the Morro Castle. The food is Spanish-inspired, and we decided to have the mixed grill of lobster, fish, and steak. We then head back to the convention centre to attend the cooking show Tobacco and Gastronomy, where we got to taste tobaccoinfused butter and sauces before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. Tonight we are invited to a party hosted by our friends at The Pacific Cigar Company in Hong Kong, which is the largest distributor of Habanos cigars in South-East Asia, headed by David Tang and run by Dag Holmbe. The evening is held at a venue in Chinatown (yes there is a Chinatown in Havana!), and as we enter, we find colourful Chinese lanterns and flaming torches at the entrance. An abundance of cigars, lip-smacking Chinese food, live music by music star Eliades Ochoa, live performances, and great company (including Boris Becker and his lovely wife Sharlely), make for a wonderful night.
Day Five: An evening to remember
Serie D No. 5, Partagas Serie D No. 4, Partagas Serie E No. 2 and finally the grand master, the Gran Reserva. As awards are given out in the different categories, we wander around to mingle with friends and colleagues all dressed up in their best at this black-tie gala. Awards are also handed out to Hollywood actor Danny Glover and tennis legend Boris Becker who are present this evening. It is soon time for the auction, where money raised is donated to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health. There are six lots of humidors to be auctioned, each of which pays tribute to the best-known Habanos brands. These humidors are works of art: inside, they house an exquisite collection of the best-known brands and vitolas, while they are beautifully handcrafted on the outside. Our master of ceremonies is Simon Chase, who has been doing this for all the years I can remember, and as usual, does a brilliant job. I am astounded by how rapidly the prices for the humidors are rising…there’s no hint of any kind of global recession in this room – the end result is a collection of over one million Euros! As the evening comes to an end, we all head back to the Nacional to meet for one last time on the verandah and discuss the events of the week. Fond goodbyes to old friends, and promises to keep in touch with new ones, one last mojito for the trip, and I am on my way to the airport. It’s been a wonderful week as always, and until next time at the festival!
Clockwise from top left: Cuban musical acts perform at the gala evening, dedicated to the Partagas brand; Cabaret dancers and singers join in the festivities; Tennis great Boris Becker is a special guest at the event; Cuban ladies offer guests cigars and red roses; The old-world dinner setting at the gala.
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I can’t believe it is already our last day in this island nation! Time has just flown by. We head back to the Convention Center to hear a master lecture by Simon Chase, who is undoubtedly the world’s premier authority on cigars (we have had the pleasure of hosting him in Delhi). We then head to La Finca, a restaurant that I had always wanted to try, that is quite close by in Miramar.
We were not disappointed. Great service, and the food was very good. We were joined by our friends Stefan and Leopoldo, and after a leisurely lunch, we decide to take advantage of our last day and head to Old Havana to stroll around. With its narrow cobblestone streets, funky wall graffiti, and musicians at every corner, Old Havana is a quaint and picturesque area that feels like it’s been frozen in time. Now, it’s time to get ready for the gala dinner. We enter the venue, and are greeted by beautiful Cuban women handing out red roses for the ladies as well as packets of precious cigars. After having our requisite glass of champagne, we head to our table, which is in the middle of all the action. The evening starts off with performances from various famous Cuban artistes, including Omara Portuondo, as well as some cabaret acts. This particular evening is dedicated to the Partagas brand, and undoubtedly the Partagas factory in Havana is the most famous of all. This evening, the culmination of the week’s festivities heralds the launch of the Partagas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007. A Gran Reserva is a cigar whose leaves have been aged for at least five years before being rolled. This historic vitola (a standard of measurement for cigars) is the first Gran Reserva to be launched in the International market in more than 160 years of the Partagas brand. As the evening begins, we are treated to a sumptuous meal, with each course accompanied by an especially chosen Partagas cigar. Partagas
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GOURMET
High on Thai Culinary mistress Chef Veena Arora talks to Le CITY deluxe INDIA about her relationship with Thailand and its eclectic cuisine, and her near two-decade long stint at New Delhi’s famed restaurant, The Spice Route. TEXT BY TREESHA DATTA / PHOTOGRAPHED BY VINOD AGGARWAL
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T
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he first things that strike you about Chef Veena Arora, are her humility, warmth, and sincerity in keeping commitments (the 54-year-old chef arrives right on time for the shoot and interview in spite of being under the weather). In fact, if you were meeting this mistress of spices for the first time, bereft of her chef ’s garb, outside her Thai restaurant, The Spice Route at The Imperial, New Delhi, it might be difficult to place her as one of the best chefs in the country. “Eating and cooking are in my blood: all Thais
are fond of eating. They eat every two hours,” says Chef Arora, who was born and brought up in Patthalung, a small town located in the south of Thailand. Having never trained at culinary school, it was here that she picked up traditional Thai cooking from her mother and the elder town folk. “As kids, instead of coming straight home from school, we would go to the maid’s house (her husband would pick us up in his rickshaw), and eat fish curry and rice cooked in an earthen pot on a traditional angithi. We never used gas in our own home; food was always
cooked on coal. Even a soup made for lunch would be brewed from 9am, everyday. These methods barely exist today.” After finishing school and obtaining a degree in home science, she landed her first job at her brother’s restaurant in Bangkok, where her natural talent was honed by hands-on experience. Ask her about her current workplace, where she has been at the helm of things for the past 18 years, and you can sense the affection right away. “I have seen this place since it was under paint and brush. Before this, I worked at the
Chef Arora enjoys a glass of wine, while her freshly prepared dishes jostle for space on the table of the Khan-tok area (the traditional seating arrangement outside), at The Spice Route.
Intercontinental (now The Lalit). I came here because a friend required my help to set up the place. What was supposed to be a two-month stint, has extended to 18 wonderful years. At the time, my father had just passed away, and the beautiful pillars that greeted me on entering The Spice Route were reminiscent of the Buddhist temples that I visited to commemorate him. So the attachment was instant,” she explains, referring to the award-winning décor of the restaurant that immediately transports guests to a mystical Oriental world since it opened its doors in 1996. She chooses to gloss over her successes (last year, she was bestowed with the National Tourism Award for the Best Lady Chef, by the Indian Ministry of Tourism), and focus on her work. “Passion and sincerity are essential, and I am very sincere in what I do. If I don’t have a particular ingredient, I make it a point to tell the customer that I’ve made the dish without it, but I won’t replace it with anything else just to make do. Also, if you work in a place considering it as your own, that place will definitely run,” she says. And The Spice Route has definitely had a great run. From playing host to the Queen of Netherlands, the Princess of Thailand, late former President KR Narayanan and his wife, to an array of film stars, Arora remembers many a candid episode at the restaurant. “The Dutch queen was staying at the hotel for a couple of days, and was supposed to dine at the other
Ingredients
restaurants as well, but ended up eating here on all three days. One of the biggest compliments I also received was from the Thai princess who told me that this was the best Thai food she had eaten outside Thailand!” says Arora. She goes on to tell me that the dapper Shashi Tharoor is a regular, and actors Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan eat here often when in town. Her jovial attitude is evident when she remembers how Ness Wadia used to order room service from The Spice Route for his then-girlfriend, actor Preity Zinta. “He’s a very nice guy. I thought they made a good couple,” she muses. Chef Arora moved to India after her marriage in 1980, but keeps her relationship with Thai food intact, by visiting Thailand, (especially Bangkok), at least once a year to brush up on her skills and explore new culinary innovations. “I like to go to the roadside stalls in Thailand. They are very hygienic, unlike here, and the food is healthy and authentic. We even used to get food packed from there to eat at home. If I find something I like, I ask the street vendors for tips.” Here in India, she and her circle of Thai friends get together every two months, usually at her home, where everyone prepares a Thai specialty, another way of learning new recipes and techniques. Chef Arora likes to innovate, as is evident with her monthly special menus (last summer she created a menu where each dish had mangoes in it). In the restaurant menu you can find a
variety of dishes under the chef ’s special tab. “I like to put the dishes I can’t keep names for in this section.” And then there are her other creations, which she has attributed names to such as Kai Phrik Thai Dum (stir-fried chicken) and Pineapple Delight (this has been on the menu since day one), that are hot-sellers. The most expensive dish at her restaurant is the Kung Nang Phad King (a lobster dish), priced at `2,750 (plus taxes), while a meal for two without alcohol is priced at `6,000 (plus taxes). Towards the end of the interview, Chef Arora suddenly breaks into flawless Thai to address a colleague. Her smooth command over the language, combined with the freshly prepared aromatic concoctions, make me realize that she might be born an Indian but is a true Thai at heart. A perfect fit for The Spice Route, it almost feels like one would have been incomplete without the other.
Yum Woon Sen Kai Sup (Chicken salad)
2/3cup Thai glass noodles ¼cup
minced chicken
½cup
cherry tomatoes
1tbsp
chopped onion
¼cup
celery leaves and stems
4-5
green chillies
1tsp
chilli oil
To taste light soya sauce 1tsp
sugar
2/3tbsp lemon juice iceberg lettuce leaves
1tsp
sri racha (Thai chilli sauce)
and chillies. Sauté minced chicken in a wok (without oil) until cooked. Mix all the ingredients together; adjust the seasoning by adding sugar,
lemon juice, light soya sauce, chilli oil, and sri racha. It should be tangy and spicy. Serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with mint leaves.
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Method Soak the glass noodles in hot water till transparent; strain in a sieve. Slice onions, cherry tomatoes, celery,
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GOURMET Ingredients
1cup
chicken breast, boneless
1tbsp
tempura flour (gogi)
1tsp
black peppercorn
1tsp
oyster sauce
1tsp
chopped garlic
1½tsp
oil
1½tsp
black soya
¼
capsicum (green)
¼
capsicum (red)
¼
capsicum (yellow)
Kai Phrik Thai Dum (Crispy stir-fried chicken)* Method Roast the black peppercorn and grind it. Slice the chicken into thin strips. Blanch the baby corn and cut into four, lengthwise. Dice the onions. Cut all the capsicums into thin strips,
3 pieces baby corn 1tbsp
diced onions
½tsp
salt
after removing the seeds. Pound the garlic. Dust chicken with tempura flour, add salt to it and deep fry, till it becomes crispy (don’t over do it, otherwise it will become hard). Pour oil into wok, add garlic, stir for a second.
Tom Cang Kho (Stir-fried jumbo prawns)
Method Peel prawns; keep tails intact. Fry until light brown; keep aside. Cut spring onions and
coriander into two-inch pieces. Roast the black peppercorn and grind it coarsely. Mince the garlic. Pour oil into the
wok, add garlic, prawns, then oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, coriander, spring onions, and roasted black pepper.
Khanom Saparos (Pineapple delight)
whole pineapple
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1½tbsp palm sugar
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½tsp
cinnamon powder
1tsp
rum
* To be served as an appetizer, or even as a main course with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Ingredients
½kg
Add chicken and all the vegetables, then sauces and black pepper. Adjust the seasoning.
Method Slice pineapple into two, and carve out the pulp from the shell, leaving it intact. Cut the fruit into small cubes. Add palm sugar, cinnamon powder, and rum. Put the pineapple cubes back into the fruit shell, wrap this in silver foil and charcoal grill for 10-15 minutes (till you get the aroma of the cooked pineapple). Serve hot with fresh cream and icecream. This full-course Thai meal serves two people.
1tsp
chopped garlic
1tsp
chopped red chillies
2tsp
oil
1tsp
black peppercorn
1tsp
sugar
1tsp
fish sauce
1tsp
oyster sauce
4pieces jumbo prawns 1½tbsp coriander 1
spring onion
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The man with the Midas touch, Virat Kohli has transformed his own game, and Team India’s. On the cusp of cricketing superstardom, he’s still a Delhi boy at heart, rooted in his values, holding dear his family and those who’ve supported him. Here, he talks about taming his aggression, embracing fame, and his idea of a perfect date. Photographed by AJ Raina Styled by Ashish N Soni
Art Direction: Nikki Duggal Hair and Makeup: Vidya Tikari Assistant Photography: Irina Usova lly
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Three-piece suit: Ashish N Soni Watch: Franck Muller Master Banker ‘White Gold’ Belt: Porsche Design
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COVER STORY VIRAT KOHLI
INTERVIEW BY SURUCHI DUGGAL, NIKKI DUGGAL TEXT BY PRIYA KUMARI RANA
C
ricket’s golden boy is just touching base in home town New Delhi for a football match for his brandnew charity for underprivileged children, the Virat Kohli Foundation. Team All Hearts (comprising of cricket players like MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, and Virat) is pitted against the All Stars (with actors such as Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and Aditya Roy Kapur) in a sold-out match slated for later in the evening at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. (As it turns out, Virat’s team defeated Abhishek’s boys 4:3.) With his edgy side-buzz and tattooed forearms, the 24-yearold batting wonder’s style is more street than sleek, more Beckham than Bradman. Yet his eye rests firmly on the proverbial (crimson) ball, as he grabs a spot in the just-out top 10 ICC T20 rankings. On this cool spring day, the newly lean Virat pads about in his funky white Brazilian sneakers, as we catch up with him between shots. You’re here to play a charity football match, for the Virat Kohli Foundation. Can you tell us a bit about this? The Foundation aims to help underprivileged kids achieve what they want in life, in terms of education and sport. I know all about the importance of getting the right infrastructure and facilities, to become something in life. It’s just a medium to help out those who can’t afford it. Tonight, we’re excited about the match: a lot of our guys love playing soccer, whenever they get the chance during warm-ups, and they play really well.
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On your Twitter handle, you mentioned that you are a soccer fan. Whom do you root for? My favourite team is Real Madrid. I’m also a fan of Manchester United, but a bigger fan of Real Madrid.
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You’ve recently been ranked among the top 10 players in the world, at number eight, in the ICC T20 rankings. What’s your take on IPL Season 6? IPL is a time that players enjoy, and it’s a format people love watching. It’s a famous league in India, and all over the world. All the
“People say I look serious and angry on the field. This agression comes to me naturally. As a child, I was never satisfied being second best; I always wanted to be the top scorer.” teams are strong, but of course I hope that our team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, is the one to watch out for. Your RCB coach Ray Jennings mentioned that your leading the RCB is a stepping stone to captaincy of team India… Is this true? I don’t think about what I can’t control. I just work hard on my game and try to do well in every match; that’s my only aim. You’re the youngest player to score the maximum 100s at 23. What is Virat’s secret? People always say I look serious and angry on the field. This aggression comes to me naturally. As a child, I was never satisfied being second best; I always wanted to score the maximum number of runs or be the top performer for my team. It’s the kind of motivation I’ve carried since I was little. It helps me set standards for myself, once I step on to the field. But it will be tougher and tougher to meet these challenges, going ahead. When you start playing, you have a dream run, but then people start watching you and analyzing you. You catch their eye, and they focus on you, make things difficult, and try to get you out. So you need to keep improving every day, and tackle all the tactics that the other teams come out with. That is the challenge of international cricket. What is your relationship with MS Dhoni like? What kind of advice does he give you? He was the Indian captain when I came in, so it felt awkward for me to go up to him and actually talk to him. When I played a few games, it eased out, and now I’m quite chilled out with him, and we get along pretty well. He’s a calm and down-to-earth guy, very simple. It’s easy to connect with him; it’s a big quality that he has. He keeps giving me tips on the cricket field on how to remain calm. There’s one thing I want to learn from him – there’s a line that you go along, and you can’t fluctuate too much. I’m getting close to that line of not fluctuating, and keeping out aggression and moods from the field. What’s it like to play with cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar?
I’ve looked at that aspect (playing with Tendulkar) as living my dream, since I started playing cricket when I was eight. He was the guy who motivated me to put on that India jersey, and win games for India. Now I am getting to play with him, so I can’t ask for more. I just try to learn as much as I can from him, talk to him as often as I can, cherish every moment we get to spend together, both on and off the field. Sachin does appear reserved, and he has to be, given the pressure he’s under and the achievements he’s notched up. He doesn’t say much, but he’s like a kid even now. He gets so excited when you discuss cricket with him on the field. He is passionate, yet he is so approachable. In Team India who are your closest buddies, and who are your biggest rivals amongst the international players? I am close to pretty much everyone, but these few are the ones I sit with, hang out with, and talk to: Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, MS Dhoni. Our biggest rivals in the past have been Pakistan and Australia. When you play against them, things get very competitive. Who’s bowling is the most to be feared? You can’t really tag someone as a dangerous bowler; if someone is doing well on a particular day, then it may be difficult to face that particular person. But I don’t fear any bowler. When did you know you were going to be a cricket player? I got my first chance to play for my state after five years of practice. I was picked for Delhi Under-15s when I was 13, and it’s a pretty difficult phase for parents who have to stay patient. Plus, you’re confused about where your career is going, if you are going to make it or not. When I was selected in 2006 to go to England for the India Under-19, that’s when I really thought I could make it big. Were your parents supportive? They were. My father was an advocate, so it was difficult for me not to concentrate on studies. But when I began with the Under-19s, I played abroad six months out of 10. I was lucky they were supportive; it was obviously a difficult
A shot at glory: The mid-order batsman has a fondness for soccer; he loves playing during warm-ups, and is fan of Real Madrid.
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Jeans and T-shirt: Ashish N Soni Sneakers: Virat’s own Watch: Panerai Special Edition Luminor Submersible Chrono 1,000m Slytech
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COVER STORY VIRAT KOHLI
Shirt and suit: Ashish N Soni
60Watch: Breguet La Tradition
situation for them as well. They didn’t know where their kid was going, whether he was going to make it to the Indian team or not. Sadly my father wasn’t around when I was selected for the Indian team. He passed away when I was 17, and I was picked when I was 19. So I was with my mom at home on the day the team was to be selected, and I was just flipping news channels. I didn’t expect to be in the team, because I hadn’t done well that IPL season, although I had performed well in Australia. But then I saw the news, and got a call from the BCCI: I didn’t know how to react. It was a dream come true. We were in shock! We started getting calls from everywhere, and it took two days for it to sink in. You’re a Delhi boy – what do you love about the city? Where would one find Virat on a Saturday night? Delhi has given me everything. I have grown up here, so it’s very close to my heart. I can’t see myself living anywhere else, in India or abroad. Delhi is the place for me. I spend ample time at home, so I do go out on weekends with friends, but rarely. In Delhi, places keep changing every six months, as you know, so I don’t have a particular favourite. I like Megu at The Leela in Chanakyapuri, and I like TKs at The Hyatt. I love Japanese food. You have a lot of tattoos. Are you thinking of getting inked in New Zealand? Yeah, I am planning to. I have four tattoos as of now. I got two of them when I was not in my complete senses (laughs). I didn’t plan it; it was very spontaneous. I regret having them! But there’s one more I want to get in New Zealand: there, they do tattoos on your life – you tell them your life story, and they draw it out. We’re going to New Zealand early next year, so I’ll get it done then. It will be an extension of the existing tattoo on my arm, as a full sleeve. What is your fitness routine? If I’m home for a week, I’ll be in the gym for five days, two hours a day. I mix up my regime with weights, cardio, and core sessions. I make sure I give myself two days of proper rest, and follow a strict diet.
A player and a gentleman: Kohli enjoys wearing fitted suits to evening dos, “just like every other guy”.
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What is a good diet to follow? You need to keep a check on how many calories you’ve burnt in a day, and how many you’ve eaten, if you want to get thinner. If you burn 800 and end up eating 2,000, there is no point! Whenever I want to lose weight, I eat 100 calories less than what I burn, so the results show quicker. Eat a healthy diet, stuff that gives you energy. If you want tasty food, then you can forget about losing weight! You really need to make lots of sacrifices.
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COVER STORY VIRAT KOHLI
62Suit: Ashish N Soni
Do you get enough time to spend with your family, and what do you miss most while you are on tour? I don’t get to spend enough time with them; it’s how my life has turned out. I won’t complain, I am quite happy the way things are going. Sometimes when things are not going well on tour, you don’t want to talk about the game, and you just want to be with people who love you. That’s something I really miss. And when I get back, it’s such a great feeling. I have a playful dog, a Beagle, and my nephew’s growing up (he’s almost four), so I love being home. We read somewhere that you like to help your mom in the kitchen… I would love to learn how to cook, because I’ve been on my own quite a while. I know what I want to eat, so it’s best if I can cook it myself. Then you know how you want it to taste, and how it shouldn’t be too oily.
Has it been easy to embrace all this fame and success, or has it had an effect on you? I don’t choose to think about anything apart from cricket and my family. I don’t choose to look at things written or said about me. I don’t want to fly in the air (laughs); I know where I come from, my roots, and that I have to stay grounded. I have come this far because of how hard I’ve worked. So I know my values, and I never drift away from that. Obviously, life changes. A few things have changed in the last one year, and it’s because of what I’ve done on the field. So I respect that, and choose to stay in my zone, work hard on cricket, stay with my family, and enjoy being with my friends. I am
What did you buy from your very first cricket earnings? I gave my first cricket earnings – `3,500 – to my mom, when I was playing for the Delhi Under-15 team. Later, I collected enough money to buy myself a Tata Safari. It feels nice to earn something; when you do that, you realize the value of it. What kind of cars do you like? Sports cars or SUVs? Do you like motorcycles? I like both. I am fond of SUVs as well as sports cars. But I am definitely a car person, because I don’t think bikes are safe for me. not into being seen at the ‘happening’ parties and places in town. Life does change, but one needs to be grounded throughout. Who are your friends, any school friends? No, I have a lot of cricket friends, because I spent a lot of time with them. I have a few friends who played with me when I was playing Under-15 for Delhi. I still hang out with them. Your idea of a perfect woman and a perfect date? For me, it’s all about someone who is understanding, because of the kind of lifestyle I have. It’s difficult to be with someone who’s on the go the whole time, it takes a lot of sacrifice.
Your idea of the perfect holiday destination? I would love to go to Barcelona and Paris. And South Africa is the best place in the world – just being there and playing cricket is amazing. Which sportsman or woman do you hold in high esteem? I was really inspired by the late Ayrton Senna, the Formula One champion. I saw his documentary and I just connected to his mindset. An interviewer once asked him, “Your style of driving is very rough, what do you have to say about it?” He replied, “I don’t go out there to play politics; I go there to win a race. And a race is won when you cross everyone else at the finish line. So I don’t care about people talking about my driving style – I just go out there to win every race.” What is your personal style? What do you like to wear for a casual day, and to a formal event? Like most guys, I love wearing fitted suits at night. On a casual day, I can be in a pair of pyjamas, chappals, and a T-shirt. I don’t care about brands. I am like that – I buy everything, and end up wearing simple clothes. I love shoes as well. These Brazilian trainers I’m wearing are very comfortable – I just bought them from Dubai. I have loads of sneakers at home, and I love mine in white. I end up buying 3-4 pairs everywhere I go. Can you name three wardrobe essentials you can’t live without? My sneakers, chinos, and V-neck T-shirts. Any advice to young budding cricketers? Be passionate about what you are doing, and work as hard as possible. There is no substitute for hard work. If you work towards it, you will get the results. Are you dating anyone right now? I am pretty much single. (Grins.)
Two to tango: Cricket’s youngest star imagines a candle-lit dinner on a secluded beach as his most romantic moment.
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Who’s been your biggest role model, the one who’s encouraged you? My brother’s stuck around since I started playing at 13 for Delhi. He travelled everywhere to watch my games. He was always keen to see how I was doing, to make sure I’m feeling good before the game. He’d keep talking to me, motivating me. If I told him not to talk about the game, he would tell everyone in the family, “Don’t call and talk about cricket to him; don’t tell him what happened, and what went wrong.” My coach Raj Kumar Sharma has also been a big support. I am still with him, 16 years later. He’s been a pillar of strength to me, and been with me through thick and thin.
Someone who is patient and calm would be ideal for someone who has a life like me. I keep changing my mind as to where my dream date would be. Right now, a dream location for a dream date would be on an island with a candle-lit dinner by the beach, and with no one else around. Because I am usually surrounded people all the time, I would really want to be in a quiet place.
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FA SHION
No jungle, urban or otherwise, can detract from the elegance of a classic sari. But sometimes, even the classic six yards can usher in a new world waiting to be discovered. From luxurious houndstooth prints to delicate chantilly lace and even golden chains in lieu of fabric, the Indian apsara drapes herself anew to retain her queenly status.
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Forest Nymph 64
Model Lekha Anantharaman Photographed by Tarun Vishwa Styled by Gaurav Gupta Hair & Make-up by Deepa Verma Art Direction by Nikki Duggal Assistant Art Direction by Aashmita Nayar
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FA SHION
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The warrior princess conquers all by seducing in a heavy gilt drape with a light net blouse. Sari toga and dhoti trousers: Anamika Khanna Tulle blouse: Amit Aggarwal Arm accessory: Gaurav Gupta
Sari and shirt blouse: Abraham & Thakore Neckpiece: Gaurav Gupta
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The best camouflage lies in the folds of a dogstooth-print piece.
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FA SHION
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Fall prey to delicate dentelle.
Chantilly lace sari and collared blouse: Annaika by Kanika Saluja Chowdhry
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A pristine white sari with a hint of silver is all majestic grace. White sari gown: Amit Aggarwal Bracelet: Damiani Neckpiece (on Lekha’s shoulder): Gaurav Gupta
Foliage sari gown: Gaurav Gupta Leaf-inspired ear cuff: Atelier Mon by Monica Sharma
APR — MAY 2013
A nature-inspired accessory makes the shyest buds bloom.
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APR — MAY 2013
FA SHION
Break free of orthodox conventions with an exquisite jewelled-chain ensemble.
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Chain sari: Gaurav Gupta
Free drape sari: Savio Jon Model: Lekha Anantharaman.
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From demure damsel to black beauty, the alllure of classic noir never fades away.
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Trend Report In its sixth season now, Fashion Design Council of India’s Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week in New Delhi, brought out a plethora of micro-trends and a line-up of handmade accessories. Asmita Aggarwal reports from the sidelines
Rahul Mishra
Charu Parashar Ashish & Vikrant for Virtues
Minuet
Nida Mahmood
Mrinalini
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Pratima Pandey
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Anupama Dayal’s vertical and horizontal stripes on long kurtas (reminiscent of Kenzo), and black-and-white printed saris worn with slingbacks, gave a modern spin to this classic trend. Marc Jacobs’s chessboard prints for Louis Vuitton set the trend rolling this season, and it continued to gain momentum with Vineet Bahl’s poetic white chikankari kurtas and zardozi-encrusted charcoal-black, velvet jackets, teamed with loose salwars, which was everything a girl loves. Mrinalini’s silk pencil skirts with bright hems paired with button-down white blouses in moss cotton made it a monochromatic winter to remember. It was a flashback to Hedi Slimane’s first show for Yves Saint Laurent last October, with ’70s-inspired pants and the cool white shirt. “Black and white – two solid colours create a powerful imagery that is quite eye-catching,” says Mrinalini. Much like Pratima Pandey’s maverick Pablo Picasso-inspired line that had florals, asymmetrical chanderi kurtas teamed up with natty skirts hitting much above the ankle, or Dev r Nil’s saris with tone-on-tone flowers, that ushered a return to romanticism. But it was Ashish & Vikrant of the label Virtues who stole the show with their printed kedia-style silhouettes which flare just above the waist taking us on a trip down memory lane to re-live the luxurious life of a Mughal courtesan. And if you’ve ever watched a caterpillar move, you would be mesmerized with the way Rahul Mishra has created his sleeves, inspired by the critter’s ‘two-body’ locomotion action, that stood out in his largely two-hue dominated line.
Vineet Bahl
Kiran and Meghna for Myoho
Aneeth Arora for Péro
h Envy Green wit
Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal
Even trend non-believer Aneeth Arora used green checks on her loose, comfy pants and empire-line blouses. While Charu Parashar, inspired by the Giza Necropolis, used embroidered boleros with Egyptian architectural motifs and floor-caressing dresses while paying homage to the hue. Time traveller Nida Mahmood teamed polka-dot printed jackets with collared kurtis in silk and tangerine lips. Inspired by Buddhist philosophy, Kiran and Meghna of the label Myoho (from the chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) highlighted the waists of their kurtas with slim leather belts, and combined the season’s hottest hue with dull mustard cropped pants. “Green is the new black; you can team it up with yellow. It’s fresh and minty. Add the right blue to it, and you have the perfect palette this season,” says Meghna.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY FASHION DESIGN COUNCIL OF INDIA
Monochrome
Masaba Gupta for Satya Paul
Cutwork Collusion Hemant & Nandita
Vaishali S Shantanu & Nikhil
Hemant & Nandita created magic with cutwork, by cleverly placing it on the sleeves of their fitted dresses, or to create high collars, much like Shantanu & Nikhil, who added pizzazz with laser cutwork in Mughal motifs on lehengas. “We used cutwork to create a peek-a-boo element in the collection, along with lace,” says Nandita. “The printed fabric used was a very thick crepe, so we added tonal embroidery in the form of cutwork. This was a bit stiff and thick, so it added structure to silhouettes.” She also managed to use this technique on last year’s fash-forward trend, peplum. Vaishali S presented orange-and-pink wool cutwork in muga silk and long tissue dresses. Veteran designers Abraham & Thakore used badla and zari cutwork extensively in their sari dresses, tussar brocade coats, and lehengas. “Cutwork adds charm to a wedding ensemble; it was our take on the biggest Indian celebration,” says David Abraham.
THE SEASON’S HOTTEST MUSTCARRYS Mynah by Reynu Taandon
Poonam Bhagat
Anju Modi
Palazzo Power
Kanika Saluja Chowdhry for Annaika
Manish Arora
The WIFW catwalk displayed an array of accessories, brimming with a vibrant, individualistic buzz. Manish Arora, inspired by Nevada’s bohemian gathering of revellers, Burning Man, took the ramp by storm with printed leather hobos, pouches, totes and iPad cases, hand-embroidered in hot pink, giving winter a neon touch of brightness. Neon accents seem to be the flavour of the season, along with flower and reptile prints. Crystallized or textured python-skin prints were hot favourites, while studs and spikes gave an edgy look. Masaba Gupta opened WILFW Fall-Winter 2013-14 with electrifying neons and lipstick prints on luggage trunks and vanity cases with eye-popping, hot-pink borders. Interestingly, it was the ebullient tangerine tote that proved to be the showstopper. Trend forecasters predict sparkling limes, aquas, oranges, and ivories moving on to accents of reds, purples, and yellows making it a season to remember. Fall-Winter 2013 is a transition to jewel tones such as prune, olive, sapphire, amethyst, gold, and black. It was also a field day for embellishments ‒ crystals, studs, spikes, pearls, beads, sequins, and colourful threadwork, as well as traditional Indian techniques made an endearing comeback. “Placement decorations work better, so that a part of the fabric can be seen. You can add bling with stones in paler colours such as black diamond, Montana blue, magma red, and golden shadow,” says Rajdeep Ranawat. Feminism found a new address at Kanika Saluja Chowdhry of Annaika, with her gothic take on accessories depicting woman power. “We worked mostly with brass, and electroplated it. The spikes on the vanity
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Anju Modi’s tribute to woman power, saw a return to a more relaxed silhouette with palazzos. Her military-green, wide wool pants were the perfect soulmates for her ochre khadi backless trenchcoat. Red, boxy jackets with laser-cut motifs were teamed up with these natty pants in Kavita Bhartia’s line ‘Hypercraft’, while Reynu Taandon gave them an all-black avatar and a voluminous flare at the hem. Masaba had the palazzo pant-sari with an abstract print, crop top, and neon-pink suspenders. Poonam Bhagat’s burgundy khadi palazzos, appliquéd with a bronze-pewter tissue pattern, and worn with a cowl top made for a heady combo. While Sonam Dubal brought back a carefree vibe with pleated numbers that not only spelt comfort but exuded a certain grace. “These are stylish and easy, perfect for the evening, and are also reminiscent of the ’40s. Wear them with high heels or team them up with fitted dresses,” says Dubal.
Rajdeep Ranawat
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FA SHION WEEK
Kiran Uttam Ghosh
Paromita Banerjee for Boro Paromita Banerjee for Boro Tarun Tahiliani Kiran Uttam Ghosh Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal
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Layer Player
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If anyone can do layering effectively, it would have to be Kolkata-based Kiran Uttam Ghosh. With her red pleated sari, grey polo-neck choli, and gold-pleated skirt fastened with a belt, she created an effortless fall-winter look. “Although it sounds contradictory to the very nature of layering, it’s extremely important to edit your look and get rid of any pieces that break the harmony,” says Ghosh. New layering ideas go beyond the ‘tunics-with-trousers’ theory, into a realm where sarongs and column dresses comfortably meet shift dresses and soft, flowing jackets. A destructured look works just as well as a combination of structured separates, soft geometric shapes, or flowing drapes. Every generation has worked with layers, so freshness depends on the skill with which this technique is handled. Narrowcut sheer or fine organza shirts are a great base, and will work well with almost everything in your closet. Sheer, pleated pyjamas pair well with dresses or jackets, and can be successfully employed in a multitude of other combinations. Anupama Dayal teamed up sultan trousers with vintage embroidery, a neon-green choli, and a pashmina stole. Layering offers women an endless repertoire of looks by enabling them to harness the best out of individual pieces. It packs a world of individuality into everyday dressing, and introduces new dimensions into your wardrobe. While there are no fixed rules to this form of dressing, it is important to identify what works best for you and not go overboard, as was clear from what was shown at WILFW.
Bandhini Bandwidth For Kolkata-based Paromita Banerjee, textiles have been part of the brand’s DNA right from its inception. But this time around, Banerjee didn’t create a predictable bandhini ensemble; rather, she used the technique as trim on her tunics. “It is a tie and dye, so I used it as a placement, a kind of fringe benefit, a slash on the garment rather than the usual crushed dupatta,” she says. Tarun Tahiliani showed a superlative ikat in a line that captured the essence of the Maha Kumbh Mela. “I am drawn to certain diffused techniques rather than specific motifs. When one is draping, it has to be more abstract. I am attracted towards the diffusion of colours, so this time it was shibori bandhini with an ajrak block-printed pallu,” says Tahiliani.
I Love Ikat
Ranna Gill
This is the ancient art of resist dyeing, a laborious process, a complex weave which culminates in the celebrated patan patola. A few designers played with this motif this season – Aneeth Arora of Péro dyed the insides of her superbly constructed jackets, while Ranna Gill showed oversized ikat motifs on maxis, dresses, and jackets. “Ikat is a classic; it comes naturally to me. I explore it differently each time, sometimes as prints in jersey, or as oversized embroidery. My home has touches of ikat as well ‒ on runners and single-seaters,” says Gill. In his unique tie-up with Woolmark, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s magnificent line paid tribute to this indigenous craft. He scored serious sartorial points with his modernized wool ikats. “The ikat was more graphic. The polka dots or the triangular motifs you saw, were executed in wool yarn, though dyeing wool in ikat and getting it right can be a trying task,” says Singh. Arora works with weavers all year round, and this time too, she stuck to ikat in its original patterns, and just played around with the colours. “It has remained a beautiful way to keep alive a dying art that must be brought back into the mainstream,” says Arora.
Aneeth Arora for Péro
Rajesh Pratap Singh
Paras and Shalini for Geisha Designs
Manish Arora
Manish Arora
Poonam Bhagat
Shivan & Narresh
Sanchita Ajjampur
Masaba for Satya Paul
Shivan & Narresh
Vaishali S
Bring on the Neon
Manish Malhotra
APR — MAY 2013
Shivan and Narresh showed an innovative swimsuit sari that dries within minutes of getting out of the pool, and splashes of hot pink that made for a bold dip. Perhaps that’s why the colour turned out to be the duo’s most celebrated this season, much like Manish Arora’s waist-cinching belts or hobos. But that’s not all. Manish also created structured woollen jackets teamed up with tangerine pants with little black hearts, to spice things up. Neons were a constant even in newbie at Satya Paul, Masaba’s lipstick prints with parrot greens and magentas, just like Manish Malhotra’s vibrant phulkari that saw vibrant neon threads combine to create a tunic for Bollywood showstopper Jacqueline Fernandez. Mumbai-based Vaishali S Mekhla’s chaddar-inspired asymmetrical drapes featured neon borders which added pops of colour to the plain white chanderis.
boxes, office suitcases, and large, pure lambskin totes, came in different sizes; some were spearor thorn-shaped, inspired by metal parts in gunmetal, copper, and plain black. It was my way of adding drama to dull winter dressing,” says Chowdhry. Uncut beads, pendants, horns, and Swarovski crystals found a place in the collection of Paras and Shalini’s Geisha Designs, that brought out the tribal influence in their Aborigine-inspired line. “The models wore crowns made out of Cola bottle caps; watch straps were hung from the foreheads of the girls to give a tribal vibe,” says Paras. He also created iPad clutches out of pewter-coloured leatherite and leather pieces. Indian traditional touches abounded: velvet potlis with zardozi returned to the catwalk in ox-blood red, matching perfectly with the monotone anarkalis in Ruchira and Ekta’s line Ekru, that also had magenta wedges. Nikasha added batua slings and nimbumirchi charms to sari waistcoats and dhoti jumpsuits teamed up with kanjari vests. A piece of jewellery that stood out was the burnished gold-leaf ear cuff that Poonam Bhagat teamed with her cocoon dresses, along with chunky, square rings encrusted with organic stones. “We echoed the Tree of Life leaf motif in our ear cuffs. I worked with Monica Sharma of Atelier Mon especially for this line, to go with the gold threadwork and quilted fabric,” says Poonam. In Sanchita Ajjampur’s Panchatantraimmersed collection, forest-print totes in nappa leather, and shoulder bags in glazed leather found pride of place. “The leopard-print, beesand-bugs embellished bag is inspired by the giant pillbox that is sleek and roomy, where you can hide your little secrets! It’s rounded, ‘three quarters of a moon’ shape is adorable, and allows the bag to stand upright on any surface. Also inspired by hat boxes, the bags can be used for storing shoes, jewellery, ornaments, weddings gifts, or anything else you can think of. The full-length double-headed zipper
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FA SHION WEEK Shantanu & Nikhil
Sunil Sethi, president, FDCI “The Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2013-14 is Asia’s biggest celebration of crafts, an impactful way to take design and development in fashion a notch higher. This year, we achieved many firsts ‒ FDCI’s tie-up with the Office of Development Commissioner Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, to present a show by the celebrated duo David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore. Last year it was the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, which had reached out to us to capture the flavour of the North-East through Atsu. Such innovative collaborations have produced some ingenious and interesting results, much like Rajesh Pratap’s with Woolmark, which brought out a magnificent line that made it a warm winter with heady combinations like Merino wool and ikat dyeing. It has been our effort to showcase the best there is to offer in Indian design. It was heartening to see the evolution of established names and how effortlessly greenhorns have managed to find their groove, by leaving Ruchika Sachdeva their handwriting through the creative process. Since WILFW is a trade for Bodice event, we wanted it to grow larger, giving enough business to all the designers, whether they had stalls or were showing on the ramp.”
Ruchika Sachdeva for Bodice
Arjun Saluja
Gender Bender
Pia Pauro
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Kilim me Softly
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Rajesh Pratap Singh
Resortwear diva Pia Pauro took us on a roller-coaster ride with her Kazakhstanand Uzbekistan-inspired line that used embroidered kilim motifs, which saw a colourful play of mirrorwork and colourful threadwork on short, snug dresses. Arjun Saluja with his line Aik, took a cue from rugs from Azerbaijan, Turkish kilims, and gelims with their geometric prints, to ingeniously create a minimal look in linen wools, satins, and silks. “The richness and utility of kilims fascinate me (you can sleep, eat, and pray on them). They are great resources for motifs, and lend an antique feel to the whole collection,” adds Saluja.
Chanel added the très a masculine tweed to woman’s closet; the ’80s gave birth to always the power suit, but androgyny’s been in. From strong-willed Hollywood cinematic legend, the late Katherine Hepburn’s popularization of the pantsuit, to British model du jour Agyness Deyn, who’s brought back the trend, the lines between menswear and womenswear continue to blur. Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice played with indigo dyeing and gave her trousers an oversized, anti-fit appeal in washed-out greys. Handblock-printed khadi was teamed up with plastic trim to create a look that women could ‘borrow’ from her partner’s wardrobe, easing masculine-feminine tension. “I like the idea of lovers wearing each other’s clothes and making fashion genderless,” says Ruchika. The real beauty in Rajesh Pratap Singh’s tweed suits for women lay in the gender-bender interpretation he gave them.
Ruchira and Ekta for Ekru
Ruchika Sachdeva for Bodice
gives easy access, and the edges are piped with leather,” she says. Some, like Namrata Joshipura, went for basic accoutrements to go with her impeccably cut ‘Wings of Desire’ line. “I worked with Gautam Sinha of Nappa Dori for my rectangular leather bags; they were in in black and brown, minus embellishment or drama,” says Joshipura. Similarly, brothers Shantanu & Nikhil Mehra had no-fuss, gym-inspired bags for men and women. “We wanted to give a luxurious feel, in cashmere and felt from Italy, designed in-house,” says Nikhil. The leather trims and inside lining created on CAD (Computer-aided Design, a special software) gave the pieces an antique feel. “The wool used on trench coats was transposed on the bags; touches of femininity were added to the line for women by way of sumptuous matka silks overlayed with dori work that gave it a sheen while maintaining the tone-on-tone colour. For men, it was more structured, and we stuck to leather in navy and white,” says Nikhil. And for those who believe in the essence of purity, that the inside should be just as beautiful as the exterior, (according to the Hindu philosophy of karma), Bodice’s Ruchika Sachdeva spoke of organic aesthetics. Her bags fashioned out of plastic, intermeshed with canvas and leather, in shapes ranging from satchels, backpacks, jholas, and geometric clutches had plenty of ‘soul’. “The different materials of the bag add to its beauty,” says Sachdeva.
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FA SHION PROFILE
MISTER MINAUDIÈRE GABRIELECORTOMOLTEDO INTERVIEW BY SURUCHI DUGGAL, NIKKI DUGGAL / PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARI NAIR
S
APR — MAY 2013
cion of the family that founded Bottega Veneta, this young designer is already making waves in Europe with his eponymous line of embellished, luxe bags and clutches. In India for a private preview of his best-loved pieces, he talks about his specially designed totes, the stories behind them, and what inspires his creativity.
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Your designs have been very well received in Paris, where you opened your first boutique at the Palais Royal. Bold, elegant, with technical expertise, and lots of sex appeal – is that how you see your brand? Yes, exactly that way. As a brand, I see it differently every season, but this past and coming summer collections are more a study of form and function, with simple, clean lines. It’s all about structure and design, from the inside out. A lot of research goes into the materials used and the way the bags are put together; I am currently using exotic skins –
Born into a design family and educated in New York, Gabrielecorto Moltedo has wowed the world with his chic totes and clutches for women. He tells Le CITY deluxe INDIA about his métier, discovering India, and his real-life hero.
snake skin, python skin, with lambskin. Most of it is illegal in India. So we would have to travel to Milan or Paris to get these. (Laughs.) Do you see India as a big market for your bags? They are, of course exclusive, and aren’t yet available here. This is my second time here. I was here a couple of years ago, did two small events to test the market – one in Mumbai and one in Delhi – and they went extremely well. My return is partly due to that success. A lot of Indians are coming to Italy to shop, so I figured this is the right time to be back and offer my designs. As we saw last night, they were very well received, so there is definitely a market. Do you always do trunk shows? I only do trunk shows; I call them private previews. It offers me a way of meeting my client in person, and letting her know exactly what my collection is, in an open discussion.
The designer poses next to his Susan C Star in snake silver/ Nappa black.
It’s the start of a friendship that gives them something over and above what other brands are giving – a living being. Who is the perfect Corto Moltedo woman? Someone that has experience, is sharp, very wellinformed, and searching for something that is not mainstream. Someone who appreciates and understands how much time and effort we have put into creating one design. Mine is a very small brand, just under the radar, without the heavyweight marketing of some of the bigger brands, so if someone can come in and say I want a Corto Moltedo, it’s a leap of faith. How many bags do you launch per season? Last fall, I introduced 30 new clutches and at least 10 day bags, which is quite a lot. But my clients know that they are produced in very small numbers, so they know they have a unique piece. But it won’t remain like this forever. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘Cassette’ bag? Where did the inspiration for this come from? I used to enjoy spending endless hours and days standing in front of cassette displays, at HMV or Tower Records in New York, trying to find the right cassette I wanted to take home that day. One day, I thought of making a special clutch for housing them.
“I like a woman who is sharp, wellinformed, and appreciates how much effort we’ve put into one design.” But would you ever remake a clutch like the rosary-draped ‘Susan Sunday Best’? We already did, with tweaks in colour and material, so that the people who bought the original had their limited edition. I have just made a smaller limited edition for spring summer, called ‘Time Machine’, at €35,000 a piece. For this, I got together with George Bamford from the Bamford Watch Department. George founded this company 10 years ago, and has this technique of blackening metal
with a special PVD coating, so he buys watches from brands like Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe, and customizes them. I don’t know if you’ve seen his black Rolexes. Initially I wanted to work on his Rolexes, but we took it to the next level and ended up making something more elegant. We found five pre-war WW2 pocketwatches, that we meshed with the bag. This became the ‘Time Machine’. We used black python and crocodile, lined with red silk and solid brass. We completely re-did the watch inside; George blackened it, and we took the mechanical pieces of the watches and displayed it on the bag, with a bit of sparkle. We made five such ‘Time Machines’. It’s a fantasy ride, so whoever purchases a piece can have their name engraved on it, along with the time and place they want to travel to. So here is a vintage men’s watch placed on an amazing clutch. Who could ask for more? Is there a team that keeps abreast of what’s going on worldwide, technology-wise, for any future collaborations? Yes, it’s a big team, like one thousand soldiers, and you’re looking at it. (Laughs.) It takes a while to chase people, but once the final product is ready, it’s usually worth it. I am very lucky. Your early years? How did you get into design? My parents moved to America in the late ’60s, and I was born in New York. At the time, there was a big blackout in the City. Have you seen the movie Summer of Sam? It was all about that. And because my parents travelled in the country for work, I would go with them. I studied art history at NYU, and then marketing
Top left: The iconic Time Machine Susan clutch designed with authentic Rolex pieces, is priced at €35,000. Right, top and bottom: Two clutches from Moltedo’s Susan C Star collection. Right, middle: The Susan Shock clutch in yellow neon patent.
APR — MAY 2013
It’s a beautiful clutch. Doesn’t it also feature in the Corto Moltedo pool-party video clip? We come out with short films every year. We are about to shoot our next one, where we’ve assembled a crew of characters. Each film follows my vision and my director’s. It was funny the way he shot it: he would say ‘roll’ after he had finished filming, so it would be ‘roll’ and then ‘cut’.
Which has been your best collaboration so far? Collaborations are always a bit difficult; they are fun to do, but you need someone like-minded who actually visualizes the finished product. Tom Binns was the first one we did something with. Here we had a jeweller, and an artisan – a bagmaker – come together, and we meshed our ideas together. He lives in L.A. so I travelled there to meet him; we used his hardware and my software, and mixed the two to create drama and irony. That’s how the ‘Susan Sunday Best’ box clutch came about. We also did sunglasses called Illesteva. This was nice because we weren’t just working on my bags but somebody else’s products. Now, launching this summer, I’m doing a new bag with Tom Binns.
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and communications at Miami. I took a few sketching classes, but I have had no formal training in design. I was two when I designed my first bag, since my mum had so many bags around the house. And at 10, I stapled together my first bag, with leftover pieces. My parents asked me: “Are you sure you want to do this?”, when I was starting out, and now I can’t stop…
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What was the reaction to your first launch? I launched my brand’s first collection in Paris, in 2004. In our first collection we showed shoes, clothes, and bags. We showed to the press and buyers, and they wanted to buy exclusively. When the orders started coming in, I realized that my assistant and I were not enough to alone produce all the stuff… When you sample products, you see if they work, and if factories stock them. The actual hard work was not meeting the deliveries; with a delivery is also your word to be on time. So I had to pick what I wanted to do; I had to cut out clothing and shoes and only concentrate on bags. I would eventually like to add those categories back.
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Do you have any particular person or design in your mind when you create a bag? Usually I base it on my friends and their needs and persona. Whether it is my best friend Trisha, or stylist friends, I have gone about them that way. For example the little ‘Susan’ bags are named after my friend Susan. So I started keeping in mind their needs, right down to the little details, like the lining inside, the mirrors, the zip pockets. These need to be updated. For our last summer collection we started putting
a longer, larger, inside super pocket, as well as the zipper. Even a small change is huge, for a company like us, because of stock levels, possible problems in mounting, and other silly things that come up.
business and pleasure… I had come for the wedding of one of my best friends from New York, an Indian guy. I didn’t even end up going to that wedding; we went to other weddings in Mumbai, Delhi, and Jaipur!
You mentioned that you’re a lucky man. You get to wake up in Florence. Tell us about your typical day. The first thing I hear when I awake are the church bells. They’re incessant, and very close by. I live right by the Ferragamo building. But my day is spent outside the city because my atelier is 10-15 minutes outside town. So I leave every morning and return around 7-8pm, just in time for sunset. Florence is magical, which is why I stay there. I have a beautiful kitchen. It’s the first thing I designed in my house, and it’s become the focal point.
Do you like Indian food; any favourite dishes? All of them! Biryani, butter chicken. I personally enjoy tandoori chicken.
Does your inspiration come from Florence or other travels? I have designed things in a way that I can afford to travel. I love to have breakfast every day in a different place. In Florence you get the craftsmanship, because the people are very hard workers. It’s ingrained into their DNA... There is so much to be inspired by from every culture we see. Last night we got inspired by the butt-shaped loo at stylist Pernia Qureshi’s house. So you might see some of that in my next collection.
Seriously, do you have any modern-day inspirations? There is one guy who is doing every possible thing – from photography to books, fashion shows, perfume – he’s German, and his name is Karl Lagerfeld.
What is it that you love about coming to India? This is my second time, and it’s very exotic. The first time I came with the excuse of a little
Do you try to take any time off ? I try to. As much as possible. Most business is usually sans the pleasure. However, I have designed things in such a way that I can afford to travel. When I want to relax, I like to do yoga, pilates, and play tennis. Any modern-day heroes that you look up to? Batman, perhaps?
Is that what you envision yourself to be? No, but I am jealous. I am jealous of the organization that Lagerfeld has put in place. Every time you pick up a magazine, he’s everywhere, doing something new. He’s a hero in the business sense. If you weren’t designing, what would you do? I would shut down and…I can’t even tell you.
From left to right: Gabrielecorto Mortedo; The Priscilla New in goat cherokee; A model flaunts Moltedo's Cassette Big Clutch.
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APR — MAY 2013
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FA SHION SPEAK
Rajesh Pratap Singh
This self-effacing, Rajasthan-born couturier talks to Le CITY deluxe INDIA about his ‘clean’ aesthetics, his many inspirations, and the need to modernize traditional Indian weaves.
Marquis of Minimalism
INTERVIEW BY SURUCHI DUGGAL / PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVID MATTHIESSEN
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it’s best to keep quiet, and I’ve never worked with the media to promote my brand. People should know the product. We give ourselves far too much importance when we put ourselves before the product. I’m not a very ‘out there’ person. There are a few colleagues I work with, and I have my family friends, so I’m happy to stick to them.
You are known for being reclusive. Is that your nature, or do you like to stay away from media? What rubbish! You know this is not true… When you don’t have something serious to say,
Congratulations on your association with Woolmark, on being named their brand ambassador. You showed an ingenious wool collection at the recent Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week in New Delhi. Can you tell us about that? I did a wool-centric, Woolmark-associated show for both men and women. We are trying
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resh from a spectacular showing at the recent Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week in New Delhi, where he displayed clever pattern permutations in his Fall Winter 2013 collection, Rajesh Pratap Singh never fails to hit the bull’s eye. We caught up with the designer to find out how he has transcended the role of designer to step into a larger role as an unofficial patron of textiles and now wool, helping bridge the gap between traditional craft and commercial interest.
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to mix merino wool with Indian crafts, so the collection revolved around that. This was a technique-driven show; we didn’t work with any handspun wool, but high-tech wool blended with traditional tie-dye and ikat. So it’s a texture-driven, knit-inspired collection, about the different uses of wool, and how we’ve adapted wool and taken Indian traditions a step further. World War II jackets are still being worn in Rajasthan, with that beautiful rural styling. People in Himachal and Kumaon wear a Western jacket with traditionalwear – I find these things inspiring, and a very pure style. Or how when you drive in Delhi on a cold winter day, people on the streets who don’t even have their basics, wear wool. I find that so stylish.
The designer at his Faridabad factory, next to the board on which he pins his inspirations Ω swatches, photos, and drawings.
The Woolmark association started a couple of months back, and since I work with several wool and textile mills in India, this was something that was on the anvil. This is the first time they’re having a wool ambassador for India – for some strange reason they thought I was the right person to work with. You’ve been inspired by rock and roll, going by your showing a few seasons ago at the Van Heusen Men’s Week, and the dark, gothic theme. What makes you decide on a theme for your collection? It just happens. Rock and roll is like nursery rhymes for us – our generation grew up with rock and roll. We may not understand Britney Spears, but we know our Led Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses. Music has always been an important part of our lives. I work with musicians from all over the world. For that particular show, I wanted to give a twist to Indian techniques, and have some references to rock and roll, especially The Rolling Stones.
You are one of the pioneers of the pin-tuck shirt. A lot of designers like to do this shirt. What led to its success? I can’t say I invented pin-tucking – it was being done before me – but I fooled around with it a bit more than others, experimenting with it and doing variations with stripes. What I did do was introduce gradations in pin-tucking, a 3-D technique. My pieces were menswear-oriented. What’s the famous Pratap cut all about? What design rules do you follow? It’s all about simple, minimal lines. Every seam should have a reason. Ornamentation for the sake of ornamentation is not ideal. Purity and cleanliness are important. There has to be a
Can you tell us about your journey through textiles? I was born in a place where cotton is grown. As mentioned before, I was lucky enough to work with Singh and Thakore, and I saw the techniques and crafts used in making Indian textiles. Then I saw high-tech production, and things like yarn-making and weaving, in India and abroad. I found it hypnotizing and therapeutic. When you look at Indian textiles, there are thousands of people who know more than I do, but I do see the power of design and what it can do to turn lives in India, as far as handlooms are concerned. It just takes you 15 minutes to sketch an idea – and this can transform the livelihood of a million people, but I don’t claim to be running an NGO. What people have evolved as a craft has to be respected, and needs to be adapted and modernized, and contributed to. That is how I am involved. For denim and indigo, I have worked closely with Arvind Mills, who love to experiment. For wool, I’ve been working with Raymond’s and Uniworth. I also work with mills like Oswal, and some other mills in Ludhiana. I’ve been working with a natural indigo dye, and I’ve done a denim line, which has been totally handmade and handstitched, with minimal machine intervention. We also have a line of pure khadi, again created with no modern machinery. It’s all handwoven and handspun. Production is very limited, and we make it for 2-3 stores in the world, like Colette. It’s for a very select clientele that understands
Top: A Pratap dress-coat hangs on a mannequin at his Faridabad factory; Bottom: The designer is known for his penchant for leather chappals. Right: The factory is replete with rows of handlooms operated by locally employed weavers.
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You were born in Rajasthan. How many years did you spend there? I was born in a place called Sri Ganganagar, which is in Rajasthan, but lies on the border of Punjab, Pakistan, and Haryana. It’s a strange place, a melting pot of the Indian Wild West. I was educated in Jaipur, and after school, I came to Delhi. (I consider myself half Rajput and half Punjabi now!) I went to Sriram College of Commerce, then NIFT. While in school, I was inspired to create clothes by a cousin doing the costumes for the BBC serial The Far Pavilions. But being a designer was never on my agenda. Then I worked with people like Martand Singh and Rakesh Thakore, on textile-oriented innovations. I completed a stint in Italy too. At fashion school, you learn to get your basics right. We had a good batch and great teachers. There were 30 of us, and only 23 of us made it to the end. Ours was an interesting batch… Suneet Varma taught us. Everyone was super talented: Manish Arora, Namrata Joshipura, Himanshu Dogra, Payal Jain. Tejinder Singh was the brightest; unfortunately he passed away.
reason for what you do. Just slapping things on surfaces is not a good idea. I fail in this respect most of the times.
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FA SHION SPEAK
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Do you rework the fabric itself ? I don’t know if I can reinvent anything… Rather than playing with fabric out of a mill, I like to get involved at the fibre stage – where this comes from, how we can affect it, as far as spinning the yarn is concerned. Can we give it a different finish or weave it in a certain way? Because we work from scratch, our variables are limited.
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What is the future of our crafts in the long run? How does one modernize this ancient art? I’m not trying to be a revivalist. Textiles need a clean, commercial aesthetic. I am not trying to put them in the museum; I am not good enough for that.
Ultimately the textile ministry can contribute, but private entrepreneurship is the only way out. You can’t have people living solely on subsidies. Unfortunately, we’re losing a lot of skilled artisans: most of the handloom work in Benaras is disappearing. We’ve lost a lot of skills already. I am not going to sit and cry over it. Rather, we’ll see what is the virtue of a handloom – how does it score over a powerloom? Does it have any advantages? How can a weaver sustain his skill? How can a particular piece have mass appeal? We need to use it in a way that it can exist, rather than sit within the walls of a museum. If there are no answers, that piece of textile can go.
Which are the places in India where you’ve worked with local yarnmakers? I’ve worked everywhere. Ladakh, from where I get my supply of raw fibre, tops my list. With its history of pashmina and cashmere, it’s magical. At that height, there’s so much hardship and labour involved in creating the yarn, and so much blood that goes into the fibre. The plant in Leh is not of great quality; it’s more a consortium of shepherds who come and sell wool. We ensure they get a fair price for the fibre, and we’re also trying to get collaborations for them outside India. There are no designers involved – this is something the World Bank and textile ministry were spearheading. I came in much later, when I was asked by the International Wool Secretariat (Woolmark’s old name). Pravin Patel (who headed the company) is no more, but I am still involved at a personal level. I’m also involved in places like Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and West Bengal. Apart from Orissa, none of my collaborations are with the government. The one in Orissa was headed by Rita Kapoor Chisti, who’s authored a book on the sari. I am still in touch with the weavers there, and my association is there for good.
What is the one textile you are enamoured of ? I can go from low-tech to high-tech. I love ikat. Ikat, even in pure muslin gets me going.
You’ve showcased in Paris. Do they appreciate Indian textiles in the West? Honestly, they don’t give a damn. They are all commercial people. Fashion is not interested in a lot of things we’re interested in (like textile revival). Besides liking a colour or a silhouette, in the West they are interested in prices. People here understand textiles, and we have respect for them. I have now stopped doing shows in Paris. We sell there, and have a showroom. That is where our wholesale business takes place. We show during Paris Fashion Week, the Men’s Week in Florence, with some carried over to Milan. In Italy, it’s just menswear. In Paris, we show menswear and womenswear.
Where do you get your inspiration from? How do ideas come to you? Evolving what’s important to you – your personal style – for me, it’s really basic, at the ground level, clean, grounded, very ‘there’. That is the core. Everything comes around it. Nature is important. Mountains and deserts do it for me. I love to trek and climb; I used to be seriously into it.
The most basic thing is the sari. Do you see a return of the sari? And is it bling or handloom? Did the sari ever go away? Indira Gandhi wore a lot of handloom and printed saris. Unlike other countries’ traditional garb, our women won’t get rid of their saris. The sari is very elegant, and has so many reasons to exist. It’s not going away so easily. Even urban young women are discovering its beauty and virtue. Traditional designs can be stunning, but a lot can go. An evolution needs to take place, in terms of better-quality yarn, fibre, and durability. I have been trying to get muslin right for a while, since I was with Rahul Jain, who’s a genius with textiles. I’ve seen Indian muslin in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, that is 200 years old. When I saw that, it was a big slap on my face. Maybe we need to see how they did it, rather than do something new. Was it patience, was it the time that went into making it? I believe that time is the biggest luxury. Can you summarize your design philosophy? I don’t think about design philosophy; I like to solve problems. Most of the time, I fail. Everything has to have a reason.
I am trying to have a point of view and contribute. Weavers must stand on their own feet. We can give people employment, whether they work directly or indirectly for us. Thousands like me need to get involved.
Your wife Payal showcases her own collections since last season. Do you encourage her? I encouraged her as much as she encouraged me! She’s got her own refined style. What is next for brand Rajesh Pratap Singh? I can’t plan things. My job is to keep working on what I do, keep refining it. Next up, is a home line we’re working on.
Top and bottom: From Rajesh Pratap Singh’s Fall/Winter 2013 collection shown at the Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week in New Delhi.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY FASHION DESIGN COUNCIL OF INDIA
fabric. These things get me going; this is what can generate employment. We can make an amazing product, something that is beyond fashion.
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FA SHION OPINION
MADE IN INDIA TO GO
As you prepare to take off for your summer vacation, don’t leave India far behind. With designerwear from home, you won’t have to. Always in sync with international trends, modernized ikat and bandhini prints, sari-dresses and reinvented tunics, and even bejewelled accessories, pack that extra style punch, says Sujata Assomull Sippy
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his is the time of the year when travel is top of mind for most, especially women. For many of us, this is also a time to update one’s wardrobe ‒ London’s Bond Street, New York’s Madison Avenue, and Paris’s Avenue Montaigne feature on many of our travel plans. But shopping need not necessarily be reserved just for trips. Try hitting the stores at home before you set off on your trip. India is in, and remains a source of constant inspiration for international designers, whether
it is Dries Van Noten using Indian ikats or the costumes of traditional Rajasthani gypsies that clearly were a reference point for Jean Paul Gaultier’s most recent couture collection. There is a reason why India is the only country in the world where the national dress is not an archaic costume, but a vibrant drape worn by most of its citizens. These indigenous drapes, textiles, and colours always make an appearance on the international ramp. So ‘Made in India’ can actually be more chic than ‘Made in Italy’ ‒ if you know how to do it right. When we
travel, we should try to take a bit of our ‘Indian quotient’ with us. Whenever I have carried a Gem Palace silver mesh clutch, it has received as many if not more compliments than my Bottega Veneta knot; and Abraham & Thakore’s bandhini wrap-dress always seems to grab attention, as much as a Rajinspired dress from Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2012 Paris Bombay collection. With all the Indian designers now unveiling their Spring/Summer collections in stores, this is the time to shop for those perfect statement pieces to wear when you travel.
Top row: Ikat dress, Aneeth Arora for Péro SS 13; Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2012 Paris-Bombay Collection; Bandhini dress, Abraham & Thakore SS 13; Bottom row: Embroidered headband, Sabyasachi; Panther ring, Manish Arora for Amrapali.
that extra pop. One of En Inde’s steel and rope pieces with tribal touches adds that Boho look, which makes it so perfect for travel dressing.
Nachiket Barve’s jumpsuit sari There is nothing more sensual and statementmaking than a sari, and with the jumpsuit being the silhouette of the season, combining these two makes for sheer style magic. Nachiket has used travel-friendly fabrics like crepe and georgette for his jumpsuit sari. His choice of colours – avocado, frangipani, and terracotta has added a slightly South American feel, so this outfit has a truly well-travelled feel to it. It’s perfect to wear from nine to nine – just add a statement necklace in the evening for
A printed Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal tunic This is a travel staple for me, thanks to its versatility. Her very Indian colours yet eclecticchic selection of prints ensure that her tunics have loads of character. Wear yours over leggings on a flight, throw it over a swimsuit while by the beach, or just wear it on its own with a pair of slippers, for easy daytime dressing.
Péro’s ikat dress A piece by Péro’s Aneeth Arora is simply a must this season. She uses natural, light, and easy-to-wear fabrics that have that peasantchic vibe. Since this summer is all about black and white, with monochromatic being the strongest trend, for summer dressing opt for her ikat dress and team it with a jamdani cape.
Janavi’s lace and pashmina shawl Try picking one in black or beige, since this is a classic piece. Mixing the best of soft Indian
pashmina with fine French lace, this peek-aboo shawl has become an evergreen wardrobe staple. It folds small enough to fit into an evening clutch, yet is large enough to keep you warm on a chilly evening. I never leave home without my Janavi shawl! Bodice’s denim blazer One jacket that should find its way into your valise if you are going on a beach holiday is Bodice’s handwoven tulle jacket that is modern, yet has that artisanal feel that only a ‘Made in India’ ensemble can give you. Manish Arora for Amrapali ring A statement ring is the best way to dress up an outfit, and it does not take up much suitcase space either. This Amrapali collection by Manish Arora is all about making an Indian style statement. The Panther enamel ring will make you want to leave behind your bejewelled cocktail rings – and the best part is because this one has no precious stones, you needn’t worry about keeping it locked up in a hotel safe.
Top row: Jumpsuit sari, Nachiket Barve SS 13: Ikat dress, Dries Van Noten SS 2010; Printed tunic, Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal; Dress, Jean Paul Gaultier SS 2013; Bottom row: Tribal-inspired jewellery, En Inde by Sonal Sood; Silver mesh clutch, The Gem Palace; Embellished ballerinas, Sanchita Ajjampur.
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Sabyasachi’s embroidered hairband and bangles Spring has a heavy, Byzantine, regal feel, and Sabyasachi’s embellished hairpiece gives an Indian take on this look. Perfect for a bad hair day when abroad, just pull your hair back in one of these, and you’ll look like a modernday maharani. It has this very glamorous tiara effect. If you need an added dash of glitz, then pile on matching bangles and a clutch. Wear these with your favourite Little Black Dress, and you’re ready for a night out on the town.
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FA SHION NEWS
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY CORNELIANI
Measure of a Man As the 70-year-old Italian luxe line of bespoke menswear continues to address the sartorial demands of Indian men, Le CITY deluxe INDIA chats with its heir Cristiano Corneliani about the fine art of tailoring. TEXT BY AASHMITA NAYAR
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s partakers of the six-pack culture that has swept our nation, with easy access to international brands, Indian men are learning to savour their suits as much as their single malts. “Indian customers are already big travellers, great spenders who enjoy the refined things in life…but they are also changing their buying attitudes more and more towards Italian elegance, at least when they travel abroad,” says Cristiano Corneliani in a conversation from Mantua, in the Lombardy province of Italy. The global sales director and direct descendant of the Italian brand’s founders,
sees a growing demand for luxury menswear in the Capital. It comes as no surprise then, that the Italian label switched partners from Blues Clothing Company to the OSL group to continue their association with Indian aficionados. “Our previous partners entered into financial difficulties in the last two years. We tried to support them, but in the end, the only right decision for our brand’s reputation was finding a new, solid, reliable partner,” he says. The luxury label’s dreams are not satiated with their four made-to-measure stores in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, but continue to establish a more holistic connection with India
by weaving classic Indian styles into Italian fabrics for their SS 2014 collection. “Those fantastically coloured Indian silk fabrics are certainly something I would like to experiment with in the future,” says Corneliani, who has visited the country several times, and claims to love everything about it (apart from the custom duties): “I love the amazing energy of India, and believe it shares the common value with Italy of a very ancient culture, a great historical heritage.” As innovations continue to spin under the Corneliani marque, the label has also adopted nanotechnology to produce beautiful suits,
The heir to and global sales director of Italian fashion house Corneliani, Cristiano Corneliani makes a stylish statment.
Having dressed distinguished personalities such as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, as well as other celebrities (from Nobel prize-winners to Hollywood stars and leading sportsmen over the years), couture is, according to Corneliani, in his DNA. “Fashion is the oxygen I have always been breathing since I was a child.” Known as a sharply dressed man himself, Corneliani’s personal sense of style is conservative in terms of classic Italian tailoring, with a modern touch – he is always looking for the most fashionable fit and silhouette. He also enjoys simple luxuries such as driving his Aston Martin around the Italian countryside or connecting with nature by spending an entire day diving in the Maldives, or riding his Harley Davidson through the Sahara desert. But he believes that true style should be natural, immaculate, and discreetly luxurious: “Most people think of luxury as a lifestyle or something behavioural to buy and consume. For me personally, luxury is more akin
to a concept of wellbeing, one that has as much to do with the physical aspect as the mental…my final goal is never to possess something expensive but to make a dream come true.” Corneliani’s dream of establishing the art of bespoke tailoring amidst Indian aficionados cuts across today’s fast-changing style and weight-loss trends, which puzzle even the most steadfast connoisseur’s palate for couture. His simple principle on which this dream is based – “elegance is a permanent attitude, not a trend or a rule that can or should be easily broken” – is certainly something to mull over with a scotchon-the-rocks for company.
Cristiano Corneliani’s style tips: I pay attention to an elegant and conservative matching between my suits, shirts, belts, and shoes. I only let my fantasy run amok where my tie and pocket square are concerned. The shirt sleeve can only be one centimetre longer than my jacket sleeve. The jacket must always have real button holes.
Above: The production process of a Corneliani jacket includes 548 hand stitches; Below: The Corneliani family.
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which might prove to be an advantage in our tropical climate. “This is a next-gen finishing process of the yarn that renders the production of fabric completely water- and stain-repellent,” says Corneliani. “It does not affect the hand of the fabric or its look, but creates 15 per cent of natural elasticity without using artificial fibres, thus ensuring exceptionally comfortable garments that are surprisingly light, yet create perfect volume. I remember the days when we thought comfort could only be derived from ample volumes at the expense of form,” he says, while the emphasis today is on light, deconstructed suits. “But the use of these fabrics today guarantees garments with an exclusive fit…and can justifiably call themselves thoroughly impeccable.” Even as the craft of su misura clothing is subject to changes and developments in technology and style, for Corneliani, it does not waver from its mission of delivering a suit that fits like a ‘second skin’. “You have to look at a man and understand the image he is looking for, instead of just thinking about a model suit,” says Corneliani. “Sometimes, we arrive at more than 60 alterations to please our customer.” The initiation into the process begins with exacting measurements, where volumes and proportions are calculated, and the client’s specific wishes are taken into consideration, and then sent to Corneliani’s headquarters in Mantua. “Today’s man is extremely imageconscious, and spends much more time and energy getting it right,” says Cristiano. “Consequently the cut of the suits has also changed, and has become more figurehugging and slender, to emphasize a man’s silhouette and sex appeal.” He points out that such aspects were exclusively feminine in the past, but as new style models are introduced each year and re-interpreted by different brands, the only constant for a luxury brand that remains from the past to future trends is to deliver sartorial quality: “Fashion is many things, but there is only one elegance,” he states simply. A Corneliani jacket has to undergo 164 stages before it is finished, and a perfect made-tomeasure suit takes three weeks, on an average, to produce. “The ironing alone is repeated 40 times, while the production process includes 27 handcrafted stages as well as 548 hand stitches.” Five intermediate test stages punctuate this process, as do several quality-control checks. For every (hand-finished) garment, there is a plethora of materials for clients to select from: “There are approximately 100 precious exclusive fabrics from 210s to cashmere and silk-cashmere mixes, from vicuna to very fine linens, in almost 500 different colours!” says Corneliani.
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CITY TALK
Wondrous Weaves
At the heart of this New Delhi store, which stocks several ancient, tribal, and contemporary rugs, lies a prized capsule collection of a century-old Persian carpets, some of them personally commissioned by the former Shah of Iran. TEXT BY TREESHA DATTA / PHOTOGRAPHED BY ADHIRA AGRAWAL AND TANYA MEHRA
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f you could be whisked away on a magical carpet à la Aladdin, chances are you’d probably choose a fabulous creation from The Carpet Cellar, tucked away in the basement of a south Delhi house. With over 2,000 stunning antique, tribal, and nouveau rugs that have been collected by the family for over three decades, the Chandras’ lavish home at 1 Anand Lok is carpet heaven. One of The Carpet Cellar’s most prized collections is a set of 26 antique Persian weaves, created circa 18801920, many of which were made on order for the erstwhile Shah of Iran. “This is the secondlargest private carpet collection in Asia, after the collection owned by the Sultan of Brunei,” says Dhruv Chandra, co-owner of the family-owned business, who places the value of each carpet from `20-45 lakh. “Most of these pieces were hung up on walls or were placed in rooms in private homes, where access was limited. That is why they are in perfect condition.”
Since most of the carpets from the collection are hand-knotted and made from top-quality pashmina wool, they still boast a distinct sheen. They have retained their vivid colours, as only the choicest dyes were used on them. “The colour red was derived from madder, a creeper found in certain parts of the world. The blue came from indigo, a plant found originally in India, and then exported to the West and Persia,” says Chandra. Natural ingredients were used in place of processed dyes to create primary colours in those times, which were then mixed to derive secondary shades: crushed pomegranate seeds gave a red hue, walnuts emitted brown, saffron, marigolds, or the outer skin of pomegranates exuded yellow. Different hues could also be extracted from the same ingredient by varying the levels of mordant (a fixing agent), while preparing the dye. Each of these antique carpets has its own distinctive pattern, with a meaning behind it.
Two of the most popular designs found in this collection are the ‘Tree of Life’ and the ‘Garden of Paradise’. “The Tree of Life is a famous 16thcentury Persian design. Interestingly, these two symbols have also been referred to in Quranic verses, old paintings, ancient Islamic scriptures, and religious texts. The Tree of Life represents harmony between the three worlds; humanity on ground, birds that fly in the sky, and what lies beneath the earth. The Garden of Paradise also symbolizes the harmony between humans and nature,” says Chandra. One can spot various animals, and flowers – from roses to poppies, carnations to irises – and in some cases, even palaces and other structures. The flowers stand for love and humanity, while the lattice pattern that can be spotted in a few of the pieces, were inspired from architecture. “Some of the pieces in this collection feature marble jalis or screens spotted on Mughal-era monuments like the Taj Mahal or the Red Fort,” says Chandra.
Top: A circa 1880 Dabeer Kashan with floral patterns in rich hues.
“Once you are bitten by the carpet bug, it is very addictive. There is a joy in acquiring beautiful things, along with a bit of madness and passion.”
master weaver and ask him to make a bespoke piece; and he was willing to pay the price. The weavers would take years to finish a carpet from scratch and took great pride in their oeuvre. They had workshops for 300-400 years with 8th - or 10 th -generation weavers. That would be the reputation of a workshop,” says Chandra. Besides pashmina, some pieces in this 100-year-old collection are crafted out of kurk wool, shorn from the chest and shoulders of sheep or goats found high up in the mountains. The higher the animals live in the mountains, the thinner the hair, and the finer the wool.
The original 26 - piece collection has now however been reduced to 23 as Chandra has recently sold a few pieces to collectors. The origin of The Carpet Cellar dates back to about 35 years ago, when Chandra’s uncle saw an advertisement in a newspaper about a retired colonel who had fought in World War II, and had collected a number of carpets during his travels, which he wanted to sell. This marked the beginning of a love affair between carpets and Sheel Chandra. “My uncle couldn’t sleep for a few nights after he bought the rugs, thinking of how beautiful they were,” says Chandra. Over the years, his uncle collected over 2,000 carpets, along with other antiques such as crystal, Tanjore and Mysore paintings, and Italian wine. He kept these collectibles in a ‘not for sale’ room of the house. Finally, in 1993, his wife told him that he must get rid of these, and he decided to put his carpet collection on the market. Most of the original collection is for sale today, but the family has kept 400 exclusive pieces as part of a private collection, which they hope to display in a carpet museum. “Once you are bitten by the carpet bug, it is very addictive. There is a joy in acquiring beautiful things, along with a bit of madness and passion. My uncle lost his mind; he was a complete carpet-phile,” muses Chandra. “But the effort is minimal, compared to the joy carpets bring.”
Clockwise from top left: A ‘Tree of Life’ Lavar Kerman rug; owner Dhruv Chandra in front of a pile of antique carpets in The Carpet Cellar; A circa 1920 ‘Garden of Paradise’ Dabeer Kashan rug.
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Motifs of rams, peacocks, stars, and constellations add a measure of good luck, as does the evil-eye pattern. As a custom, many families gave carpets with symbols of rams – which is a sign of virility in some cultures – to their daughters as part of their trousseau. Symbolism in carpet iconography can also betray the origin of the piece. Old Persian carpets tend to be named after the place where they were made or the weavers who created them. The Lavar Kermans in this collection take their name from a town called Lavar near the Kerman province in south-central Iran, known for its fine, woven, floral decorative rugs, generally custom-made for the Shah of Iran. The Dabeer Kashans were created by master weavers of their time, Mohtesam and Dabeer, who also catered to the Shah. A few in this collection were fashioned by another weaver called Hadji Jalili. The pedigree of the rugs made by these weavers far exceed any other, since they used the highest-grade wool and dyes, and also benefitted from the luxury of time. A 6ft x 4ft carpet, the smallest in the Chandras’ collection, could have taken anything from seven months to a year to make, while the largest in the collection – a 22ft x 14ft – carpet could easily have consumed anywhere between 1-5 years. “A king or an aristocrat would commission a piece to the
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ARCHITECTURE
New Delhi’s architects influenced by Le Corbusier, created concrete edifices that were functional rather than pretty – Brutalism at its best. Rahul Khanna tells us why this architectural style remains timeless.
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ou can love it or hate it, but can’t ignore it. Post-war Brutalist architecture, dubbed by many as ‘cold’ and ‘insensitive’ emerged in the 1950s in Europe as a less expensive way to build, replacing steel forms with pure concrete (the term ‘Brutalism’ is coined after ‘breton brut’ or rough-cast concrete in French), and known for its utilitarian, democratic bent, far flung from the ‘bourgeoisie’ styles that had hitherto prevailed, such as art deco and art nouveau, seen as deluded interpretations of a new society. My first brush with Brutalist architecture came about when I lived in London in 2001, my favourite building being the Hayward Gallery, which I loved for its honesty of form and monumental quality. On the south bank of the river Thames, it looked like a deformed submarine coming out of the water. For me, the most splendid Brutalist building in the world is the Cité Radieuse, a housing project in Marseille, France, part of the series of Unité d’habitation designed by French architect
Le Corbusier, along with painter-architect Nadir Afonso. Le Corbusier can be credited with bringing Brutalism to India in the ’50s, as he set about designing Chandigarh and Delhi (although Golconde, a guesthouse in Pondicherry designed in 1945 by architects Nakashima and Raymond predates his work). Delhi saw a rush to house refugees with low-rise, high-density housing with quick, but labour-intensive methods, using readily available materials like concrete. So the architects of the Public Works Department borrowed the aesthetics and technical knowhow from French modernist Tony Garnier, to create the neighbourhoods of Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar. The Old City was also flush with Mughal reminders, that inspired budding architects, the new Modernists, with their European and American educations to create a bold, new democratic Indian identity within the realm of modern architecture. The most noteworthy local proponents of this form, were unsurprisingly, influenced by
This page: An interior view of Sri Ram Centre, New Delhi.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MANAV PARHAWK
BRUTAL BEAUTY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY ARCHITECTURAL ARCHIVES OF MADAN MAHATTA; MANAV PARHAWK; ARCHITECTUAL ARCHIVES OF WITOLD CECKIEWICZ
Jugal Kishore Chowdhury was perhaps the most fortunate of all Corbusians with an allegiance to Brutalism, as he was given the plan to design the capital’s Indian Institute of Technology (1961-84). Besides his cubic forms and shuttered façades, Chowdhury’s real triumph lies in the sculptural staircases of the IIT. Reinforced concrete and Brutalism saw other, equally stellar forms. Kuldip Singh gave the city its first concrete skyscraper with his design of Palika Kendra (1965-83). This towering, 18-storey edifice takes its inspiration from the curvaceous forms at the Jantar Mantar observatory just opposite, and the building itself is wide at ground level, tapering as it moves skywards, giving it the shape of an inverted ‘Y’. Another tour de force set in Brutalism’s favoured material, was Chanakya Cinema (1967-69), designed by PN Mathur. An iconic structure that sadly no longer exists (the local municipal corporation took it down because of an expired lease despite the owners trying to save it), Chanakya was an antithesis to the art
deco cinema architecture of the time. It was unpretentious and bare, and the shock value lay in its engineering and architectural design. Here, normally concealed construction details such as metal rods that counterbalanced the heavy concrete, were exposed (‘the naked form’) in all their splendour. There’s also the engineering prowess of Mahendra Raj, without whom many of these projects would not have been realized. It’s not important how these buildings look or what materials they used. Neither is the argument whether Brutalism is cold or outdated. What’s pertinent is what these buildings represented, what they said; and how they mirrored a glorious time for Delhi and India. The strength and simplicity of the materials used, propagated in us a sense of merit and value. They spoke of the splendour of minimalism; that we too can uncomplicate our lives and learn joy in modest aspirations. They told us that luxury does not always mean an acquisition of things, but intangible, invisible riches become suddenly apparent in these buildings.
Clockwise from top left: The expansive interior atrium of the NCDC building in New Delhi; The stunning circular staircases of the IIT building; The tapering facade of the Palika Kendra; The lattice-work frame of the Polish Embassy, New Delhi, by architect Witold Ceckiewicz.
APR — MAY 2013
Le Corbusier. Shiv Nath Prasad created his own rendition of Corbusier’s Unité d’habitation at Akbar Bhawan (1965-9) with the clever use of pilotis (stilts) at the base of the 13-storey structure. Using local craftsmen, the Bhawan is a monumental model of building in reinforced concrete. Prasad’s work at the Sri Ram Centre (1966-72) employs a smaller scale, and here the concrete is built in a series of geometric shapes (a cylindrical base above which rests a rectangular parasol). His design at Tibet House was also on similar lines. Rajender Kumar adapted his understanding of Corbusian methods in his design of the Inter-state Bus Terminus (196971). The horizontal plan here is given a brise soleil treatment through the shuttered concrete façade that cools interiors while letting in plenty of light. Kumar, like Prasad, kept the integrity of the style by not using any motifs or decorative elements. The focus for these architects always remained the functionality of the finished form.
95
SOCIETY
Suhel Seth spotted with a guest Ambika Anand, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, and Milind Soman with a friend
Good Times Rolling Shilpa Shetty Kundra Maria Goretti
Jacqueline Fernandez
APR — MAY 2013
The 4th of March saw NDTV host its first NDTV Good Times Lifestyle Awards at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, Greater Noida. The Awards were established this year to recognize icons in the fields of fashion, food, technology, and luxury. While anchor Keith Sequeira cut a dashing figure in his blue suit, he was no match for Ambika Anand who played his beautiful co-host in a resplendent one-shoulder gown, and could have easily been mistaken for one of the supermodels (including Indrani Dasgupta and Noyonika Chatterjee) walking the ramp that day for Sabyasachi. The women clearly won the jury over this year (comprising of Alex Kuruvilla, Gautam Singhania, Raseel Gujral, Sanjay Kapoor, Smeeta Chakrabarti, Suhel Seth, and Vir Sanghvi) with Vidya Balan triumphantly bagging the NDTV Lifestyle Award of the Year, and Nita Ambani receiving the Jaypee Greens Lifestyle Icon of the Year. Last but not least, the Wellness Icon of the year was awarded to Shilpa Shetty Kundra. Other awards such as Luxury Brand of The Year (presented to Hermès) and International Lifestyle Destination of the Year (South Africa) were also presented, while Abraham & Thakore walked away with the Best Indian Designer of the Year award.
118 Smeeta Chakrabarti and Vikram Chandra
Vir Sanghvi and Alex Kuruvilla
Juhi Pandey with Karuna Ezara Parekh
Mario Gilardini, Derry Moore, and Abhishek Poddar
Ratan Jindal, Shalini Gupta, Deepika Jindal, a guest, Vivek Gupta and a friend
DELICATE EXPRESSIONS
Abhishek Poddar with Raghu Rai
Bengaluru-based art gallery Tasveer, in association with Italian jewellery marque Damiani, hosted a private preview of a collection of pictures by celebrated British photographer Derry Moore on the terrace of The Oberoi, New Delhi. Entitled ‘Evening Ragas’, the exhibit captured expressive portraits of renowned Indian women, such as late prime minister Indira Gandhi and danseuse Yamini Krishnamurthy, along with landscape vistas and royal palaces – images of an India that is fast disappearing. Interspersed with the stunning visuals were glass cases displaying Damiani’s precious diamond jewellery and luxury watch pieces. Derry Moore (also the 12th Earl of Drogheda), known for his studies of post-Raj India, was surrounded by fans. When asked about his favourite destination in India, he replied, “You just can’t forget Agra, with its Taj Mahal. But my bestloved city would have to be Udaipur.”
Vikram Oberoi with a friend
Italin Ambassador Daniele Mancini and Amit Sinha Sonia Bajaj and Anu Chadda
Neva Jain Pinky Reddy
Devyani Khosla with Kalyani Saha
Mona Rai and Amitava Das
APR — MAY 2013
Juhi Pandey with Karuna Ezara Parekh
Devyani Khosla with Rajeev Lochan
119
Dilip Cherian
SOCIETY
Gildo Zegna and Tasneem Mehta with guest
Elena Zegna with Dolly Thakore
Artistic Licence
Matteo Persivale
In the first week of March, installation artist Reena Kallat’s gigantic web-work of hundreds of rubber stamps (on which colonial names of city streets that link Mumbai’s rich past to its present), was unveiled as part of a unique collaboration between Mumbai’s oldest museum, The Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna, ZegnaArt Public / India that celebrates works of young artists across the country. Jurists Subodh Gupta, Atul Dodiya, Deeksha Nath, Girish Shahane, and Pooja Sood initially chose 10 such artists, which were then evaluated by the Zegna jury to declare Kallat as the winner. Atul Bhalla, Sakshi Gupta, and Alwar Balasubramanium, were among the finalists. A smattering of aficionados turned up to admire the installations, including Gildo Zegna and Tasneem Mehta, as well as actor Kabir Bedi and his partner. His Excellency, the Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini, and his wife Anna Rita Del Luca Mancini, also graced the event.
Reena Kallat
Andrea Zegna
APR — MAY 2013
Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini with his wife
120Paola
Angelo Zegna
Tasneem Mehta
Anna Zegna
APR — MAY 2013
121
Rahul Khanna with a friend
Sal Tahiliani, Sheena and Sanjay Sharma
FDCI president Sunil Sethi with Feroze Gujral, and Sanjay Kapoor of Genesis
Front Row Fashionistas
Dino Morea with Anaita Shroff Adajania
APR — MAY 2013
Neena Gupta with Vivek Mehra
Manish Arora’s front row at New Delhi’s Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week was the busiest, with Sonam Kapoor dressed in his sari, complete with a maang tikka, and fashion glossies’ hot new favourite Neha Dhupia, who was also the official ‘tweeter’ for the WILFW. While former model Feroze Gujral wore a colourful printed sari by Masaba Gupta, proud mom Neena Gupta with Vivek Mehra, watched Satya Paul’s opening show (where Masaba is creative director), as did Mandira Bedi. Rina Dhaka’s show had handsome model-turned-actor Dino Morea, whom she worked with at the start of her career, along with Sanjay and Shalini Passi of Pasco Motors, Tikka Shatrujit Singh of Kapurthala, and ex-Miss India Manpreet Brar. Mumbai-based Manish Malhotra had the formidable Shabana Azmi who had worked with him for her Mijwan line, British-Indian rapper Hard Kaur, Student of the Year star Siddharth Malhotra’s parents, and lawyer Saffir Anand.
TEXT BY ASMITA AGGARWAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ATUL CHOWDHARY
Neha Dhupia
122Shabana Azmi
Sonam Kapoor
Mandira Bedi
Tanisha Mohan and Neelam Pratap Rudy
Royal Legacy
Left to right: Christophe Bourrie, regional marketing director, Louis XIII South East Asia, Middle East, and India, Vincent Clème, brand ambassador Louis XIII India subcontinent and Gulf, with a guest
The global launch of the Louis XIII Rare Cask 42,6 (only the second such cask ever to be introduced) by the House of Rémy Martin, was launched in grand style in Udaipur, in the presence of guests from 17 countries, who had especially flown in for this event at The Leela Palace. A ‘Rare Cask’ is an extremely rare barrel discovered among the hundreds of century-old tierçons (antique barrels) stored by the company. Pierrette Trichet, gifted cellar master of the House of Rémy Martin, and her deputy, cellar master Baptiste Loiseau, had flown in from France for the event. The Rare Cask blends 1,200 eaux-de-vie, with hints of plum and dates, and flavours of gingerbread, prune stone and ginger, and a touch of tobacco leaf. A day before, the party began at the lake city’s fabled City Palace, where Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, the head of the royal house of Udaipur, made a spectacular entry in a horse-driven carriage, while a band played on. The elegant dinner was typically Rajasthani, served in thaalis and katoris. The following day guests enjoyed a four-course sitdown dinner for 150 people – a repast fit for royalty!
Right to left: Patrick Piana, CEO of the House of Rémy Martin with Pierrette Trichet, cellar master, Louis XIII and a guest
Pierette Trichet, cellar master, House of Rémy Martin with guests at the launch Pierette Trichet, cellar master, House of Rémy Martin with Rémy Martin global officials
APR — MAY 2013
Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil, chairman of the House of Rémy Martin with His Highness Shriji Arvind Singhji of Udaipur
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Left to right: Vincent Clème (in jodhpurs), with a guest, Suruchi Duggal, Sunil Nihal Duggal
CALENDAR
LONDON HAYWARD LIGHT SHOW January 30 – May 6, 2013 www.haywardlightshow.co.uk
LONDON LICHTENSTEIN: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION
FIRENZE THE SPRINGTIME OF THE RENAISSANCE
February 21 – May 27, 2013
March 23 – August 18, 2013
www.tate.org.uk
www.palazzostrozzi.org
PARIS PARIS HAUTE COUTURE EXHIBITION March 2 – July 6, 2013 www.paris.fr
LONDON DAVID BOWIE IS EXHIBITION AT THE V&A MUSEUM March 23 – August 11, 2013 www.vam.ac.uk
APR — MAY 2013
LONDON TREASURES OF THE ROYAL COURTS EXHIBITION AT THE V&A MUSEUM
124
March 9 – July 14, 2013 www.vam.ac.ukz
TOKYO ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, MORI ART MUSEUM April 26 – September 1, 2013 www.mori.art.museum
AUSTIN, TEXAS AUSTIN FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2013
LAS VEGAS VEGAS UNCORKED
April 26–28, 2013
www.vegasuncorked.com
May 9–12, 2013
www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com
KANSAS CITY, USA FRIDA KAHLO, AND OTHER MASTERPIECES OF MEXICO May 25 – August 18, 2013 www.nelson-atkins.org
DUBLIN DUBLIN DANCE FESTIVAL 2013 May 14–26, 2013 www.dublindancefestival.ie
PROVIDENCE, USA ARTIST/REBEL/DANDY: MEN OF FASHION, RISD
NORTH CAROLINA SALUTE! WINSTON-SALEM WINE FESTIVAL
April 28 – August 18, 2013
June 1, 2013
www.risdmuseum.org
www.visitwinstonsalem.com
APR — MAY 2013
125
CALENDAR MUSIC
MUMBAI WASHINGTON STATE, USA THE REVIVAL OF THE BANDSTAND SASQUATCH! FESTIVAL 2013, CULTURE AT THE GORGE
EL PASO, TEXAS NEON DESERT MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013
April 6 – May 25, 2013
May 24–27, 2013
Dadar Bandstand, Hanging gardens
www.sasquatchfestival.com
May 25, 2013 www.neondesertmusicfestival.com
NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2013 April 26 – May 5, 2013 www.nojazzfest.com
BRISTOL, UK LOVE SAVES THE DAY 2013 CHICAGO ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL 2013 May 24–26, 2013 www.electricdaisycarnival.com/chicago
BARCELONA PRIMAVERA SOUND 2013 May 22–26, 2013 APR — MAY 2013
www.primavera.es
126
March 25–26, 2013 www.lovesavestheday.org
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127
GUIDE
HOTELS DELHI & NCR
EROS MANAGED BY HILTON American Plaza, Nehru Place New Delhi-110019 +91 (11) 4122 3344 www3.hilton.com
JAYPEE GREENS GOLF AND SPA RESORT
AMANBAGH, NEAR JAIPUR Amanbagh Resort Ajabgarh Village Alwar-301027 +91 (1465) 223 333 www.amanresorts.com
SHANGRI-LA’S - EROS HOTEL 19 Ashoka Road, Connaught Place New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4119 1919 www.shangri-la.com
Barakhamba Avenue, Connaught Place New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4444 7777 www.thelalit.com
OBEROI UDAIVILAS THE PARK
15 Parliament Street New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 2374 3000 www.theparkhotels.com
CLARION COLLECTION Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg New Delhi-110016 +91 (11) 4120 0000 www.clarionnewdelhi.com
THE CLARIDGES Shooting Range Road Faridabad-121001 +91 (129) 4190 000 www.claridges.com
THE OBEROI THE LEELA PALACE
Chanakyapuri, Diplomatic Enclave New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 3933 1234 www.theleela.com
JW MARIOTT
Asset Area 4 - Hospitality District Delhi Aerocity New Delhi-110037 +91 (11) 4521 2121 www.mariott.com
LE MERIDIEN
8 Windsor Place, Rajiv Chowk New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 2371 0101 www.lemeridiendelhi.com
APR — MAY 2013
THE HILTON
128
Dr Zakir Hussain Marg New Delhi-110003 +91 (11) 2436 3030 www.oberoihotels.com
THE TAJ MAHAL HOTEL 1 Mansingh Road New Delhi-110011 +91 (11) 2302 6162 www.tajhotels.com
THE ROYAL PLAZA 19, Ashoka Road New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4355 5555 www.hotelroyalplaza.com MUMBAI
HYATT REGENCY
13B Mayur Vihar, District Centre New Delhi-110091 +91 (11) 4110 2222 www3.hilton.com
Ascot Centre, Sahara Airport Road Andheri East Mumbai-400099 +91 (22) 6696 1234 www.mumbai.regency.hyatt.com
THE IMPERIAL HOTEL
THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL
Janpath, Rajiv Chowk New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 2334 1234, 4150 1234 www.theimperialindia.com
Band Stand, Bandra West Mumbai-400050 +91 (22) 6668 1234 www.tajhotels.com RAJASTHAN
G Block, Surajpur Kasna Road Greater Noida-201306 +91 (120) 6743 000 www.jaypeeresortdelhi.com
THE LALIT
TAJ LANDS END
114 Dr E Moses Road, Worli Mumbai-400018 +91 (22) 2481 8000 www.fourseasons.com
Hardasji Ki Magri Udaipur-313001 +91 (294) 2433 300 www.oberoihotels.com KOLKATA
THE PARK
Park St, Beniapukur Kolkata-700016 +91 (33) 2249 9000 www.theparkhotels.com
GOURMET DELHI & NCR
BUKHARA
ITC Maurya hotel Diplomatic Enclave Sardar Patel Marg New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 2611 2233 www.itchotels.in
INDIAN ACCENT
The Manor, 77 Friends Colony (West) New Delhi-110065 +91 (11) 4323 5151 www.indianaccent.com
LE CIRQUE
The Leela Palace Chanakyapuri Diplomatic Enclave New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 3933 1234 www.theleela.com
MEGU
The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri Diplomatic Enclave New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 3933 1234 www.theleela.com
ON THE WATERFRONT The Lodhi, Lodhi Road New Delhi-110003 +91 (11) 4363 3411 www.thelodhi.com
ORIENT EXPRESS Taj Palace Hotel Diplomatic Enclave Sardar Patel Marg New Delhi-110021 + 91 (11) 4363 3411 www.tajhotels.com
WASABI BY MORIMOTO Taj Mahal Hotel 1 Mansingh Road New Delhi-110011 +91 (11) 2302 6162 www.tajhotels.com
THE SPICE ROUTE
The Imperial Hotel, Janpath New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 2334 1234, 4150 1234 www.theimperialindia.com
CAFE ZOE
MUMBAI
126, Todi Mathuradas Mill Compound N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel Mumbai-400013 +91 (22) 2490 2065 www.cafezoe.in
AURUS MUMBAI
HAKKASAN Krystal, 206, Waterfield Road Bandra (West), Mumbai-400050 +91 (22) 2644 4444 /45 www.hakkasan.com
KOH Intercontinental Hotel, 135 Marine Drive Lobby Level, Nariman Point Mumbai-400020 +91 (22) 3987 9999 www.ichotelsgroup.com
TWO ONE TWO BAR AND GRILL 12 A, Ground Floor, Hornby Vellard Estate, opposite Nehru Centre Worli, Mumbai-400018 +91 (22) 2490 1994/93
YAUATCHA
360º The Oberoi Hotel Dr Zakir Hussain Marg New Delhi-110003 +91 (11) 2436 3030 www.oberoihotels.com
CHEZ NINI 79 & 80, Meherchand Market New Delhi-110003 +91 (11) 4905 0665/666
L’OPÉRA Shop SG 022, Galleria Market Gurgaon-122002 +91 (124) 4083 093 www.loperaindia.com
RED MOON BAKERY M 76, Greater Kailash 2 New Delhi-110048 +91 (11) 4157 4797 www.redmoonbakery.com MUMBAI
CAFE BY THE BEACH
NIGHTLIFE DELHI & NCR
BLUE FROG Zeba Center, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg Lower Parel, Mumbai-400013 +91 (22) 6158 6158 www.bluefrog.co.in
HYPE R1, Fourth Floor, Atria Mall Opposite Poonam Chambers Next To Nehru Planetarium Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli Mumbai-400018 +91 (22) 2481 3799 www.hypetheclub.com
WELLNESS DELHI & NCR
VLCC SPA 22 Community Centre Basant Lok, Priya Complex Vasant Vihar, New Delhi- 110057 +91 (11) 2615 5561/2/3/4 www.vlccwellness.com
BLUE BAR, THE TAJ PALACE Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 2611 0202 www.tajhotels.com
KITTY SU The Lalit Hotel Barakhamba Avenue Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4444 7777 www.thelalit.com
LAP Hotel Samrat, Kautilya Marg Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 2410 3762 www. laptheclub.com
SHROOM 3rd Floor, The Crescent Mall Lado Sarai, Mehrauli New Delhi-110030 +91 (11) 2952 3737, +91 8800 777 074
AMATRRA SPA The Ashok hotel 50 B Diplomatic Enclave Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021 +91 (11) 2412 2921/25 www.amatrraspa.com
SIX SENSES SPA Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort Surajpur Kasna Road Greater Noida-201306 +91 (120) 2339 900 www.sixsenses.com
APR — MAY 2013
H2O Water Sport Complex Chowpatty, Girgaon Mumbai-400004 +91 (22) 6565 0040 www.drishtiadventures.com
Ground floor, Raheja Tower Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East Mumbai-400051 +91 (22) 2644 8888 www.yauatcha.com
12 A, Ground Floor Nichani Kutir Near Reid & Taylor Showroom Opposite Ajanta Hotel Juhu Tara Road, Juhu Mumbai 400054 +91 (22) 6710 6666, 6710 6667 www.dishhospitality.com
129
GUIDE THREE GRACES SPA
Plot No A, Basant Lok Community Centre Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110057 +91 (11) 4607 5757 www.threegraces.in
DLF EMPORIO
4, Nelson Mandela Road Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070 +91 (11) 4611 6666 www.dlfemporio.com
MONT BLANC
19 Ashoka Road New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4355 5555 www.hoteltheroyalplaza.com
The Taj Mahal Hotel 1 Mansingh Road New Delhi-110011 +91 (11) 2302 6162 www.tajhotels.com
EROS SPA
ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS
UTTARANCHAL
ANANDA IN THE HIMALAYAS The Palace Estate, Narendra Nagar Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal-249175 +91 (1378) 227 500 www.anandaspa.com MUMBAI
QUAN SPA
JW Marriott Hotel, Tara Road Juhu, Mumbai-400049 +91 (22) 6693 3000 www.marriot.com HIMACHAL PRADESH
THE OBEROI SPA WILDFLOWER HALL
Wildflower Hall Hotel, Mashobra Shimla-171012 +91 (177) 2648 585 www.oberoihotels.com
SHOPPING DELHI & NCR
DLF PLACE
Plot No. A-4, District Centre Press Enclave Road, Saket New Delhi-110017 +91 (11) 4606 4444 www.dlfplace.in
CHANEL BOUTIQUE Hotel Imperial 1 Janpath New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4111 6840 www.chanel.com
SELECT CITYWALK
A-3, District Centre, Saket New Delhi-110017 +91 (11) 4211 4211, 4211 4200 www.selectcitywalk.com
The Oberoi, Gurgaon 443, Udyog Vihar-3 Phase 5, Gurgaon Road Haryana-122016 +91 (124) 4102 172 www.oberoihotels.com
SEPHORA
G-51, Select Citywalk New Delhi-110017 +91 (11) 4134 9797 www.sephora.com
ESTÉE LAUDER Ambience Mall Nelson Mandela Road Vasant Kunj New Delhi-400058 +91 (11) 3208 3601 www.esteelauder.in
DAMIANI BOUTIQUE The Oberoi hotel Dr Zakir Hussain Marg New Delhi-110003 +91 (11) 2430 4077 www.damiani.com
FX ENTERTAINMENT
Near Lodhi Garden New Delhi-110003
ETHOS SUMMIT
JOHNSON WATCH CO.
Select Citywalk, Saket New Delhi-110017 +91 (11) 4058 8700 www.ethoswatches.com
A-19, Mohan Co-operative Industrial Estate, Mathura Road New Delhi-110004 +91 (11) 4343 0000 www.rolls-roycemotorcars-newdelhi.in
GUCCI BOUTIQUE
40/46, Lower Ground Floor CR Park, New Delhi-110019 +91 (11) 4050 7113/7114 www.fxentertainment.com
KHAN MARKET
APR — MAY 2013
G-7, South Extension-1 New Delhi-110049 +91 (11) 4134 5678 www.kapoorwatch.com
THE ROYAL PLAZA SPA & SALON
Hilton Hotel, Mayur Vihar New Delhi-110091 +91 (11) 4110 2222 www3.hilton.com
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KAPOOR WATCH COMPANY
C-16, Connaught Place New Delhi-110001 +91 (11) 4151 3121 www.johnsonwatch.com
GURGAON
AMBIENCE MALL
Ambience Island, Gurgaon-122010 +91 (124) 4737 123 www.ambiencemalls.com MUMBAI
PALLADIUM MALL 462 Highstreet Phoenix Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai-400013
THE SOUNDSMITHS
Unit No. 222, 2nd Floor Kewal Industrial Estate Senapati Bapat Marg Lower Parel, Mumbai-400013 +91 (22) 4061 1888 www.thesoundsmiths.com
THE CHARCOAL PROJECT Unit No.1, D-Mall Veera Desai Road, Andheri West Mumbai-400058 +91 (22) 6193 6198 www.thecharcoalproject.com
Jaipur’s Jewels Whether it’s shopping for rare baubles, precious silver, or ornate Rajasthani saris, or spending a lazy afternoon watching polo, the Pink City has something for everyone, says Harsha Kumari Singh ILLUSTRATION BY PRIYANKA CHHETRY EMERALD HOUSE: If emeralds are your lucky stones, then Emerald house is the place to pick up these rocks. KS Durlabhji is a firm that’s been in the emerald trade for generations, and is now run by Yogendra and Nirmala Duralabhji, and their daughter Ruchi. Nirmala and Ruchi take clients by appointment only, over cups of coffee and lemon sherbet, while their in-house designer sketches custom-made jewellery designs. So whether it’s tear-drop emeralds or stones set in a traditional kundan you’re after, these precious gems sourced from Colombia and Zambia are set to perfection, and will leave friends and family literally green with envy. From royalty to movie stars and industrialists, the Durlabhjis’ pieces have left many dazzled. www.ksdurlabhji.net; 090010 94212 (Ruchi) RUKMANI SAREES: A heady combination of colour, sparkling mukaaish work, and Rajasthani embroideries, greets you at Rukmani Sarees. From georgettes, shaded and hand-painted chiffons, multicoloured bandhinis and lehriyas, to opulent Rajasthani poshaks and ghaghra ensembles – Rukmani Sarees has all this and much more. This shop is a must-visit for anyone preparing her wedding trousseau, or to simply indulge in some retail therapy. You’ll find members of royal families shopping here, and for the sisters who run this place – Vinita and Bindu from Bikaner’s Rora thikana, Rukmani is also about keeping alive old embroidery techniques and designs. Inspired by old costumes, many of them museum pieces, Bindu and Vinita convince their karigars that reviving old stitches and embroideries is the only way to keep alive craftsmanship. Hari Bhawan, Achrol House, Jacob Road, Civil Lines; 0141 222 5485 THE POLO BAR, TAJ RAMBAGH PALACE:
THE PALACE CAFE, CITY PALACE: Started by Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur eight years ago, it was initially a coffee shop for tourists visiting the city palace complex, but today it serves a full Rajasthani meal, the most famous dish being lal maas, made from with a royal recipe straight out of the palace kitchens. As the exotic spices assail your senses, temper the experience with a glass of chilled beer or wine. While the staff here may be persuaded to part with the recipe for this fiery dish, rest assured they will leave out one critical ingredient (so it never turns out quite the same at home!). The Palace Café also organizes evening dinners where food is served in silver thaalis – a princely repast fit for kings with safed maas, lal maas, junglee maas, gatta curry, malpua and rabadi (traditional desserts), on the menu. City Palace, Jaleb Chowk, Hawa Mahal Road; 0141 408 8836, 400 2156 AMRAPALI: Halle Berry, Drew Barrymore, Megan Fox, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, and Beyoncé, have all worn its designs. Moreover, Indian movie stars from Dimple Kapadia to Reena Roy, and now Parineeti Chopra, Bipasha Basu, and Vidya Balan, swear by their Amrapali pieces. From frogs in amethyst, rose quartz, and 10 other precious and semi-precious stones, that were gifted to former US president Bill Clinton upon his Jaipur visit, to a silver sitar that Bal Thackeray presented to Michael Jackson, these have been Amrapali’s signature pieces. But old silver jewellery remains Amrapali and its proprietor Rajiv Arora’s first love. Arora has spent years collecting tribal silver jewellery and many of the pieces in his showroom are so rare, they are for viewing only. Panchbatti circle, MI Road; www.amrapalijewels.com
RAJASTHAN POLO CLUB: An old advertisement for the Rambagh Palace Hotel used to say, “We have polo in our backyard.” Originally part of the Rambagh Palace estate (and formerly known as the Rambagh Polo Grounds), this polo club was built especially for Jaipur’s horse-mad, pololoving royalty. It is still the best way to spend an afternoon in Jaipur. Catch a glimpse of some fastpaced polo action on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and rub shoulders with royalty at the Chukkers bar on the ground floor – it serves some great cocktails and chicken tikkas. Who knows, the princess may just ask you to join her for tea in the lawns after the game! Rajasthan Polo Club, Near Ambedkar Circle, Bhawani Singh Road; 0141 238 5380; www.rajasthanpoloclub.co.in HANDBLOCK PRINTS: Jaipur is home to the best handblock prints in the country. Made with wooden blocks, these designs on light malmal cloth traditionally used vegetable dyes. They were revived in the ’80s by Anokhi couple Faith and John Singh. Today, the city boasts a dozen boutiques specializing in handblock prints. The most fashionable buys are at Anokhi, Suvasa, and Cottons. If you’re interested in the art of block printing, Anokhi also runs a museum near Amber Fort, with daily demonstrations and more detailed workshops. The Anokhi museum, Chanwar Palkiwalon ki Haveli (Anokhi Haveli) Kheri Gate, Amber; 0141 253 0226 / 253 1267 JUTTIS AND LAC BANGLES: A visit to the old bazaars of Jaipur will get you some amazing deals. Traditionally embroidered juttis made of camel leather can be picked up at Bappu Bazaar or in front of Hawa Mahal. For traditional lac bangles and artefacts, go to Maniharon ka Raasta, off the main street of Triploia Bazaar between Badi and Choti Chaupar. It’s like walking into a scene straight out of The Arabian Nights. You’ll see families who’ve been working with lac for generations, sitting at their shops fashioning ornaments. You can give them a dupatta or a sari to make matching lac bangles in exactly the same pattern, design, or colour.
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Decorated with silver polo trophies, photos, and memorabilia, this bar is a tribute to the city as the mecca of Indian polo, and the dream run that late Maharaja of Jaipur Sawai Mansingh’s team enjoyed in England, winning every important tournament in 1933. The bar even features cocktail napkins with horses, while the menu offers innovative brews, such as the Jaipur Martini,
which the bartender, with a ceremonial flourish, brings in to be shaken in front of you. As you sip your Polo Politan, a sweet cocktail served with gin or vodka, you can almost hear the sound of horse hooves thundering away in the distance. The Rambagh Palace Hotel, 092510 88832 (Shobhit) www.tajhotels.com;
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My
Singapore
Fling
ILLUSTRATION BY PRIYANKA CHHETRY
By Swapan Seth
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here is no disputing the fact that over the years, Singapore has shed its skin of staid and become apeshittingly cool. In my humble estimation, it has overtaken Hong Kong in terms of hipness. I am a creature of comfort. Which explains why, in spite of the surge in stylish hotels and the fact that it is not in the ovaries of Orchard Road, I still prefer to drop anchor at the Raffles Hotel. I know all the staff there on a first-name basis. Pierre Joachem runs the place with pure panache. I settle into the über-cool Palm Court Suite, and no sooner have I sat down in the verandah, the terribly efficient Triana shows up with an ashtray. Breakfast is the usual, and it’s off the menu. The lovely ladies of American Express Platinum Card Service email my breakfast recipes in advance to the hotel along with the time that I want it served. So the Baked Eggs
arrive precisely at 10am, along with a tall glass of grapefruit juice, suitably chilled but without ice. That out of the way, it is time to hit the road. When you have teenage sons like I do, Abercrombie & Fitch at Knightsbridge on Orchard Road, has to be your first port of call. The seductive aroma of their signature fragrance Fierce draws you into their store. I shop there for some of the kids’ stuff, and by the time I am done, it is time for lunch. Andreana Soh of the Four Seasons Hotel is waiting for me in the lobby. She ushers me into One Ninety, their stylishly simple all-day diner. My plate of Chicken Rice arrives along with a glass of freshly squeezed Rock Melon Juice. After a delicious meal there, it is time to pop into their Shopping Arcade and saunter into Club 21 – the cathedral of cool and the only place in Asia that stocks my standard shower gel: Invigorate by Shambala. I am not much of an Orchard Road junkie. That is so painfully predictable. Instead, I head back to the Raffles and on to a tony store there called Surrender which stocks my current favourite brand of shoes, Mr Hare. By this point in time, the feet are tired and could do with some refined reflexology. The Amrita Spa at The Raffles is perfect. Come evening, it is time to hit the scene. I pick Daniel Boulud’s oh-so-spiffy DB Moderne Bistro at Marina Bay Sands. I order the Salad of Iceberg, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese. Astonishingly delicious. For the main course, it the 8oz flank of beef with peppercorn sauce.
Repast over, it is time for a post-dinner beer. I settle for Marche opposite the side entrance of the Raffles. Their choice of beers is staggering. The next morning, it is time to focus on my wine purchases. I call Crystal Wines, the coolest wine store in Singapore, and order a case of Misha’s Impromptu 2009, a richly refined red. Concurrently, I get on to the phone with Daniel Ballis of the Four Seasons who knows his wines like very few in Singapore do. With the wine out of the way, it is time to focus on candles. The Hour Glass on Orchard Road is one of the only places in Singapore that stocks my brand of candles: Cire Trudon. I pick up a bunch of their Pondicherry candles. Just divine. Across the road from the Hour Glass, is the Mandarin Gallery where I catch a fine chocolate milkshake at Jones The Grocer. By this point, it is almost 4pm. Perfect time to pop into The Tiffin Room and have a spot of scones with the lovely lady playing the harp in the background. That evening, I have dinner at the charming home of Nirvik and Rinita Singh. A beautiful ‘black and white’ in the very plush Yarwood Avenue. The next day is my last day in Singapore. Post a lazy breakfast, I visit the Raffles store to pick up some of their 125th Anniversary Billecart Salmon champagne. Then there is lunch with my school bestie, Rajeev Tewari, at what I have concluded is the best dim sum place in Singapore: Min Jiang at The Godwood Park Hotel. I order the Juicy Pork and the Prawns in Chili Oil dim sums. Absolutely first-rate stuff. I return to the hotel, and order a car to drop me to the airport. SQ 408 to Delhi boards at Gate 60 at Changi. And with this journey ends yet another Singapore Fling.
Discover the romance that the rains bring at eau de Monsoon.
Audi Delhi South Terminal (Seven days open): B1/H1, M.C.I.E, Mathura Road, eau de Monsoon at Le Meridien New Delhi is New Delhi 110 044, an Indian restaurant like no other. Not only Ph: (011) 4600 7300, does it offer you classical Indian dishes M: 9540 292929. perfected over the centuries, it also has an avant-garde selection which takes your For Corporate Sales Enquiries dinning experience to the next level. So come, Contact: 9971 582020.
APR — MAY 2013
reacquaint yourself with Indian taste and
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aromas here. W: www.audidelhisouth.net, E: info@audidelhisouth.net, corporate@audidelhisouth.net