indulge for 30th November 2011 by HT Media

November 2011

National Treasure The story of how Indian tastes welcomed, sustained and influenced international luxury.

Page

Four Play

Traveller’s Trinkets A curated guide to some

of the best products your globetrotting money can buy right here in Mumbai

Page

A look into what makes de Grisogono’s Otturatore timepiece exceptional in watchmaking innovation

Page

Amin Jaffer’s Greatest Hits

Jaffer picks what he thinks are some of the greatest objects ever commissioned by the maharajas

Page New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad Chandigarh*, Pune*

2 | mint Indulge | September 2011

editor’s note

Blast From The Past

he inspiration for this issue of Indulge was a routine visit to the Harry Winston booth at BaselWorld 2011. I’d gone there, most of all, to be amazed by Harry Winston’s Opus timepieces. If you haven’t heard of them, I highly recommend you Google them up right away. Or, at least, do so after you’ve had a chance to flip through this issue. There is really no way to verbally do justice to the sheer...other-worldliness of the Harry Winston Opus collection. Alternatively, you could just buy one of those superb Opus Eleven pieces for a smart $230,000. So there we were, sitting through a product presentation by Frederic De Narp, Harry Winston’s CEO, when he starts referring to the rich design heritage left to the company by one “Mr. Shinde”. Wait. Shinde? As in the Maharashtrian surname Shinde? Frederic, I thought to myself, we need to have a chat. You can read a short profile of Ambaji Shinde on Page 26. Working on that story, the rest of this issue fell into place quite nicely. What we see today in international luxury is a timely renaissance in the East. Timely because if it weren’t for booming demand from China, and, to a lesser extent, markets such as India, more than a few glamorous brands

in New York, Geneva and London would be lining up for bailouts. And a renaissance because this isn’t the first time that consumers in the East have propped up luxury brands. It has happened before. And we will tell you all about it. We start by asking Amin Jaffer and Anna Jackson to tell us how India first discovered western luxury. And how that transformed the way the potentates of the past lived their lives. Ambaji Shinde’s story is just one chapter in the subsequent impact that Indian tastes had on Western consumption. Also, we take you on a guided tour of the premium retailing facilities at Mumbai’s international airport: the temples of retail, if you will, for the potentates of modern India. These stories are interspersed with sumptuous snapshots from history. The maharajas and nawabs have no place in today’s independent, democratic India. But their objects of desire are a reminder to brands in the West, and buyers right here at home, that Indians are no strangers to the good life. We know a good thing when we see it. Except for that frog house on Page 29. Let us try collectively, as a nation, to avoid repeating that.

Contents Indulge November 2011

04| Cover Story

India’s fascination with Western curiosities dates back four centuries. A brief history

23| The rise and fall of one

8| News

10| Interview

De Grisogono CEO Gerald Roden talks about the newly launched Otturatore timepiece and his ongoing efforts to restructure the company

16| Retail

12| Column

poisons from home and away

Cover image: The Patiala Necklace

How Ambaji Shinde changed the way the West looks at designer jewellery

28| Milestones

timepiece profile

14| Joel Harrison on

25|

26| Profile

11| The Otturatore

Madhu Menon on the formula for creating a romantic food experience

of the greatest jewellery commissions of all time A unique piece of luggage for a modernist maharaja When drivers from Derby sailed all the way to Mumbai

24|

Amrapali opens new store at Harrod’s

SIDIN Vadukut issue editor

Page from history

A curated guide to some of the best products on offer at the duty-free shopping zone at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai

Amin Jaffer’s selection of some of the greatest luxury objects ever commissioned by the maharajas

30| Books

Six guides to the lives of the maharajas Cover design: uttam sharma

Issue editor: SIDIN Vadukut; Editorial coordination: Pradip Kumar Saha, neil rodricks; Design: abel robinson, Uttam Sharma, Venkatesulu. Mint editorial leadership team: R. Sukumar (Editor), Niranjan Rajadhyaksha (Executive editor), Anil Padmanabhan, Tamal Bandyopadhyay, Priya Ramani, Nabeel Mohideen, Manas Chakravarty, Monika Halan, Shuchi Bansal, sidin vadukut, Jasbir Ladi, Sundeep khanna. ©2011 HT Media Ltd, All Rights Reserved

Cover Story Photographs: Roli Books

National

Treasure No longer do you have to travel to Dubai or Singapore to buy the latest Swiss watch or French couture. Some of the world's finest products are available down the road in boutiques and malls in India. Drawn by prosperous consumers with sophisticated tastes, international brands are clamouring for a foothold in India. This might all seem new and exciting. It is anything but. India's fascination with Western curiosities dates back four centuries. 04

INDULGE | November 2011

Fabled glitter: The Durbar Hall, Jai Vilas Palace, Gwalior, was designed by Sir Michael Filose and built in 1872-74. Chandeliers were supplied by F&C Osler.

Cover Story By Sidin Vadukut

sidin.v@livemint.com

uoyed by prosperity, maturing retail expertise and well-travelled, well-informed consumers, the Indian luxury sector is booming. For brands across segments, from Swiss watches to French champagne, India is slowly turning from a market of great potential to one of serious business. India is one of the fastest growing markets for brands such as Breguet and Louis Vuitton. It is entirely normal today to see brands launch Indiathemed special editions and limited collections. Last month, Mint Indulge featured three special Indian Formula One-themed timepieces unveiled by Richard Mille, Hublot and TAG Heuer. And this robust demand is being met by exciting new supply. Brands are expanding from the traditional confines of five-star hotel lobbies to high-quality malls and even airports (Turn to page 16). Yet in this headlong rush to buy and sell, it is easy to forget that India has a stellar tradition when it comes to luxury consumption. A tradition that not only witnessed the birth of Western brands, as we know them today, but also sustained them, and ultimately, moulded the way the world made and enjoyed luxury.

While it is difficult to determine how much of early branded luxury goods flowed to India, there is plenty of documentary evidence to show that India was a market of supreme importance.

Key Market: Thierry Lamouroux says India has a strong culture of luxury

The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London has a spectacular collection of Mughal miniature paintings, one of which, a portrait of Emperor Shahjahan painted by Abu’l Hasan in 1619 when he was still a prince, is considered a classic of the genre. The Indian Portrait, a book published in 2010 by the National Portrait Gallery in London to accompany a massive exhibition of Indian portraits that year, describes it like this: “(The prince) is shown as a young man, before he adopted the full beard with which he is always shown after his accession. He is holding up an aigrette, or turban jewel, of European design and is wearing magnificent pearl and jewelled necklaces, earrings and rings.” The aigrette that the prince wears in the picture is arguably one of the earliest identifiable Indian luxury objects of European provenance. Shahjahan, while still a prince, is believed to have been impressed by the jewellery of King James I of England as depicted in paintings carried by English envoys. Not only that, one historian, Hans Nadelhoffer, even traces back the design of the very turban ornament in the painting to the sketches of Danish designer Arnold Lulls from around 1610. So, it is little wonder that when Amin Jaffer is asked to tell the story of Indian luxury, he starts with the Mughal court of Akbar: “It is a misconception that luxury consumption in India starts with royalty or the maharajas. In fact, it starts well before that. We know that Akbar was fascinated by the art and manufactures of the West. This includes mirrors, sculptures, paintings, musical instruments and all kinds of things. But all around his court, A miniature train in silver and glass, supplied by Armstrong Whitworth and Co. to the Maharaja of Gwalior in 1906.

Cover Story

A 1949-50 photo there was this shows Jaques fascination, even Arpels and his amongst his daughter studying a sketch for a noblemen.” necklace created Jaffer is for a maharani. director of Asian art at Christie’s International, the storied auction house, and, before that, has worked as senior curator at the V&A Museum. A PhD in British Indian furniture, Jaffer is also the author of several books including Made For Maharajas: Designs For Princely India, a sumptuous visual history of how Indian royalty consumed. By the early 17th century itself, Jaffer explains, agents, or traders, in port cities such as Surat, Masulipatnam and Kochi were beginning to seek out these Western curiosities. The best objects, of course, were reserved for the emperor and his inner circle. But appreciation for these objects and for the technology behind objects such as mechanical clocks, unknown in India, trickled down into the merchant classes as well, says Jaffer. Trade flourished between the East and the West, but it would be almost two centuries before we would see brands such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Osler and Boucheron that are today synonymous with luxury in preindependence India. “This preference for certain brands and workshops really takes off in the 1880s and the early 20th century,” explains Jaffer, as the nobles begin to travel to the West. Even then, he points out, the brands were chosen somewhat differently from the way they are today. “Today we choose brands for their external appearance, to show people what we own. But back then, customers simply chose workshops that made the best objects.” Anna Jackson explains that some of the earliest consumers to warm up to Western tastes were nobility such as the Nawabs of Arcot and Awadh. Jackson is the author of Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts along with Amin Jaffer, and a senior curator at the V&A Museum.

Jackson says that some of the early nawabs sought Western objects not just because they liked them, but also because they wanted to distance and distinguish themselves from their overlords at the Mughal court. Later, with the establishment of the British Raj, this cultural exchange intensified and became more widespread. With British representatives relocating to and building homes in local kingdoms, the nobility had an even better opportunity to observe their lifestyles. Jaffer explains in his book one other way in which the establishment of the British Raj helped boost luxury spending. Now that the British formalized and secured state borders, kings and nawabs no longer needed large, standing armies. So the money saved was spent either on large public works or, as was often the case, private treasures. While it is difficult to determine how much of early branded luxury goods flowed to India, there is plenty of documentary evidence to show that India was a market of supreme importance. All major brands had agents and representatives in India who made periodic circuits of the houses of the noble and wealthy. F&C Orsler, the British crystal and chandelier makers, had workshops in

A shoe by Salvatore Ferragamo for the Maharani of Cooch Behar, 1930.

INDULGE | November 2011

V&A Museum

A portrait of Shahjahan holding up a turban ornament of European provenance, painted by Abu'l Hasan in 1619.

An illustration from a poster for an exhibition organized by Cartier in 1928 of jewels designed for the Maharaja of Patiala.

then Calcutta to assemble imported items and service local customers. However, the Indian market began to really dominate the business with the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. “When the Western economies collapsed suddenly, the maharajas became much more important as consumers,” says Jaffer. “Buyers in American and Europe vanished, China was still far from being an important market, and the Middle East as we know it today simply didn’t exist.” This gave the cultural melting pot another resounding stir. Soon, while goods flowed to the East, designs and design inspirations began to flow to the West. One lasting example of the Indian influence on Western tastes, Jaffer points out, is in the emergence of what is known as “tutti-frutti” jewellery. With vast private collections of gems and precious stones, many maharajas shipped chests of these jewels to the offices of brands such as Cartier and Boucheron in Paris and London, where craftsmen then set or reset these stones into more European designs. For Western markets, that still considered the clear diamond the epitome of sophistication, these vibrant Indian stones were a revelation. Soon Indian styles of setting stones, with small colours intermingled into swirling, floral shapes, became wildly popular. Perhaps the greatest piece of “tutti-frutti” jewellery is the “Hindu Necklace” made by Cartier for aa American client, Daisy Fellowes, based on a piece for the Maharaja of Patna. (No one would do more to establish this trend in the West than Ambaji Shinde who, in the 1960s, became Harry Winston’s chief designer in New York. Turn to page 26 for a brief profile.) Jaffer’s book, Made for Maharajas, is a catalogue of both beauty and eccentricity. The same Indian clientele that inspired the “Hindu Necklace”, or the astounding Cartier Patiala Necklace, also placed orders for the Maharaja of Gwalior’s silver and glass miniature train, that made circuits of a banquet table dispensing beverages. None is more bizarre than the “Maison D’Hortense”, a house for a pet tree frog made of gold, coral, lapis lazuli, onyx and glass. Unfortunately, the customer remains unnamed in the records.

Of course, the pre-eminence of Indian royal patronage was shortlived, and largely concluded with the establishment of fre India after World War II. Yet it is hard not to notice that once again, after six decades, the great brands of the West are beginning to turn eastwards. Customers from China, and increasingly from India, are all that stands between prosperity and penury for many houses of fashion and luxury. In the introduction to the latest edition of the Wristwatch Annual, Peter Braun writes, “So whether form should follow function and ornamentation be a crime, as functionalist Adolf Loos suggested in 1908 is ultimately irrelevant. The industry as a whole has to follow the money, and that is in the East. While the deindustrializing economies in the West sputter on, hyper-industrializing China has taken their place in the driver’s seat.” Braun is no doubt referring to the profusion of Chinese themes that have begun to slowly creep into, occupy and now dominate Swiss watch design: red colours, the number 8, dragon and animal motifs, smaller sizes and classical designs. But, in addition to repeating history, there are also new elements to this new boom in the East, and that is of eastern brands swinging westwards. On 8 November, Amrapali became the first Indian brand to feature in the Fine Jewellery Room at London’s iconic Harrod’s department store. The same day the brand unveiled a new two-storey flagship store in the city. About a fortnight later, Tata group’s Titan Industries announced that it had signed a deal to acquire the 300-yearold Swiss premium watch brand FavreLeuba. Thus adding to the group’s existing luxury international marquees: Jaguar and Land Rover. Does this mean that new Indian designs in jewellery and watches will again energize the Western markets? Or, will Indian consumers eagerly embrace Western craftsmanship as they have for centuries? Chances are that both will take place. Though the probability of seeing a business tycoon from Mumbai ordering a frog house in gold and carbon fibre seems remote. But who knows? I

News

Amrapali Breaks New Ground Photograph: Amrapali

By Sidin vadukut

sidin.v@livemint.com

n 8 November, Amrapali became the first Indian jewellery brand to share space in the Fine Jewellery Room at London’s iconic Harrod’s department store. The brand will now occupy a point of sale on the department’s ground floor, along with names such as Alexander McQueen, Roberto Cavalli, Vivienne Westwood and Atelier Swarovski. The brand, established in Jaipur in 1978 by co-founders Rajesh Ajmera and Rajiv Arora, will now have three retailing locations in London. Besides Harrod’s, the brand features in the Liberty department store at Regent New entrant: Street and a newly The Amrapali stall renovated Amrapali at London’s Harrod’s Emporium at department store. Beauchamp Place. Heavily inspired by traditional Indian jewellery, Amrapali’s collections include “Studded Victorian” and “Jadau” in gold, accessories in silver, and a range of gifts. Harrod’s, since its opening in 1834, is widely considered one of the world’s greatest retailing locations with a history encompassing highprofile owners, celebrity clients and an exhaustive range of merchandise from rocks and minerals to pets. I

Favre-Leuba Rises Again Photographs: Favre-Leuba

By Sidin vadukut

sidin.v@livemint.com

itan Industries announced in November that it had signed a binding agreement to buy one of Switzerland’s oldest watch brands. Favre-Leuba was internationally renowned for high-quality timepieces and watches before a steady decline in sales and brand awareness towards the end of the 1990s. At the zenith of its previous fortunes, in the 1960s, the brand produced more than half a

INDULGE | November 2011

million pieces a year. Favre-Leuba has a tradition that dates back to 1737, making it one of the oldest brands in Swiss watchmaking. Since then, the brand, with an atelier in Le Locle, Switzerland, has seen fluctuating fortunes and, more recently, a series of ownership changes. For a brief period, it was part of the LVMH Group. The brand’s fortunes dimmed in the 1970s and 1980s when the Swiss watch industry faced the “quartz crisis” with competition from cheap Japanese watches.

swiss heritage: Favre-Leuba’s maison in Le Locle.

Favre-Leuba relaunched itself as an independent brand in 2008. In a press release, Titan Watches chief operating officer Harish Bhatt said: “The strategic rationale behind the acquisition is to complement and strengthen the existing watches brand portfolio of the company with a Swiss heritage brand.” The brand changed hands for €2 million. Currently, Favre-Leuba’s collection includes the self-winding Mercury range with in-house movements and the Bathy V2 diving watch. I

Interview

‘This company has made much more money than that in the past. And it can make much more if it is structured properly. That is what I am trying to do. Make it a big, independent brand without losing its history...’ By Sidin Vadukut

sidn.v@livemint.com

Telling Time

Afresh This year, jewellery and watch brand de Grisogono launches an innovative new timepiece called Otturatore. The Otturatore combines exceptional watchmaking innovation and de Grisogono’s signature ability to make precious objects from precious materials, to produce a piece that is almost four watches in one. Mint Indulge recently spoke to Gerald Roden, CEO of de Grisogono, about the watch, his ongoing efforts to restructure the company and why he wants to stay an independent brand. Edited excerpts:

ou are wearing the watch right now. How much of a challenge was it developing the piece? I am wearing it and it is working. In fact, there is a long story behind the watch. We developed it originally...three years ago. I joined the company a year back. The watch is very interesting from the technology perspective. We’d never tried something like this before. But, at the time when we tried using it, the watch was exploding. We’d use it and, bang! It would explode. So we had to rebuild it. And this was quite a challenge. You must remember that de Grisogono has a reputation for jewellery, based on our in-house abilities and history. To be known for watches, you need a team with legitimacy. To fight a battle and to be taken seriously, you need to have a proper army with the right soldiers. We changed the entire team and set a target of getting the watch ready in one year. I am very proud of this small team. We presented it at Basel (BaselWorld) very carefully. You never know if the testing will go well. There are a few booos here and there. But it works well now. How complicated is the watch? Currently in the market, you have complicated watches that look complicated. There is no ambiguity. This watch is very complicated. But it looks very simple. Because, at any one time, you can see only one complication. The fact that you need to click a button to rotate between complications...is a really satisfying gimmick. I think there is a certain “toy” element to the watch. Does anybody need a watch this expensive? Who knows? But using it is great fun. What was the inspiration for the timepiece? The idea came from our founder, Fawaz Gruosi. I asked him where it came from. And he said he was inspired by those old Dunhill lighters. The ones that go “clickclack-click-clack” when you use them. And there is an element of that experience here. You pump the spring by pressing this button. And then you click through the four complications like this. (Clicks on the button rapidly.) The challenge was to get the movement to turn a quarter turn at every click without exploding. At the end of each click, the movement is moving with a g-force of 9g. So we had to design a braking system using a spring-shock absorber. This watch deviates from some of the standard de Grisogono touches. For instance the movement isn’t finished in black as much as most of your watches are.

INDULGE | November 2011

There is some black, but less than before. The problem with that finishing method was that it was impossible to get chronometer certification. But this piece is certifiable. It is good to break the rules of the game. But sometimes, you have to stick to the old rules, too. Is that part of your mandate at de Grisogono? To re-establish old rules of watchmaking? Absolutely. Like I said, we have to bring legitimacy to the watch business. And you will find us unveiling some pretty special products next year. You’ve often talked about the fact that you have a big restructuring project going on at the company. How much of that is done? Are you happy with where you are right now? No, I am frustrated. We need to move faster. The thing is that this company has been in jeopardy for two years. It used to be run by a committee. And it is no secret that we are working on a financial restructuring. In this market, you are either a niche player or you have the resources to be a broader competitor. We are looking for the resources to be a big player. Where are you on the big-small debate? There was a lot of talk about this after the Bulgari-LVMH deal. Look, firms have to be creative and legitimate to have a steady customer base. Now there are companies in the jewellery and watch businesses that are happy with a turnover of, say, 30 million Swiss francs. This company has made much more money than that in the past. And it can make much more if it is structured properly. That is what I am trying to do. Make it a big, independent brand without losing its history and the creativity that comes from Fawaz Gruosi. How would you define your brand’s niche? I think we are back to Square One. I think everyone recognized our creativity. But it was a case of bad timing, with the economic downturn, that prevented us from living up to that potential. Now with you as the CEO, and with your extensive experience in watches, does it mean that the brand is going to focus more on watches than jewellery, going forward? It is hard to answer this question. We have a strategic plan. I think we will stay with jewellery and watches at the current mix of 60-40 of sales. But who knows, if we come up with a popular watch concept, that ratio can change. But I am here not as much as a watch guy, but as a restructuring guy. I

profile

Four Play D e Grisogonoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Otturatore timepiece combines four complications into a compact face without clutter. And it does through a selective display system powered by its own mainspring and barrel. At any one time, only one of four small sub-dials is displayedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;seconds, date, moonphase and power reserve. Click a button, and the mobile selective display dial travels 90 degrees to reveal the next sub-dial. It is a simple, satisfying effect that is realized using an auxiliary module comprising 334 parts. The selective display system is wound manually by depressing a button next to the crown, and then activated by pressing another button. The real technical challenge in designing the movement was a damping system that could arrest the hypervelocity of the mobile dial without breaking apart. The Otturatore is an interesting piece that, while fitting in well with de Grisogonoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing collection, especially the Instrumento Uno, also holds the potential for many new references in the future. When launched in India, the Otturatore will be priced between R3.71 lakh and R3.82 lakh depending on case material. I

de Grisogono

Vital Statistics Movement thickness: 9.80mm Movement dimensions:

31.4x32.7mm

Number of components: 574,

including more than 334 for the auxiliary module Power reserve: 42 hours Case: 18K rose or white gold; sapphire crystal and caseback Dial: In three parts: Clous de Paris cobbled pattern, applied figures

Column Photograph: Thinkstock

Love Portions

hey say a man who can cook well is worth his weight in gold. Over the years, I have steadfastly clung to this excuse for not losing any weight. ‘’A man who cooks well’’ is a major selling point if you are trying to impress a lady, which is something you shouldn’t bother trying to examine rationally, but instead use to your advantage. This column is not about teaching people recipes. It’s easy enough to type in ‘’romantic recipes’’ into Google and get more pages than you can read, so instead I’ll give you an insight into the formula for creating an entire romantic food experience. Aphrodisiacs: Are there any aphrodisiac foods out there? Not really. Yes, there are foods such as chocolate and chilli that will release more endorphins (fancy word for ‘’happy hormones’’) into your body when consumed in large enough quantities, but there is no food on this planet that will make a woman fall in love with you. ‘’Romantic’’ is a state of mind, and food is just one ingredient. If she already finds you interesting, a sexy meal will improve that state, but if you’re a creepy guy with body odour, truckloads of oysters won’t save you. What to cook: Don’t try to cook anything too complicated. The more things you try to pull off, the more effort it will take, and the more chances there are that something will get screwed up. Make dishes with components that can be done ahead of time, so you can just finish off the final part in 30-60 minutes. Sauces, stews, curries, salad dressings can all be made ahead of time and refrigerated, leaving you with just the final cooking for the last minute. Cook food that is light and won’t make you feel like a tonne of bricks when you’re done. You don’t want your lady to eat what you made and then feel like taking a nap immediately afterwards. Food with lots of cream, fat, and carbohydrates such as rice and potatoes will have exactly this effect. Distance yourself from popular Indian ‘’wedding buffet’’-style food that is known to do this—something makhani, combined with something

INDULGE | November 2011

madhu

menon Chef

shahi, biryani, and gulab jamun for dessert. That holds true for Western dishes as well—a small amount of a rich sauce is okay, but making cream of mushroom soup, combined with a cream-heavy pasta sauce, and a rich dessert is a bad idea. Instead, make dishes with bright flavours. Light, fruity, citrus, tangy, flavours with a judicious use of fresh herbs will dance on the tongue. Good Italian food with top-quality ingredients is usually a winner, as long as you don’t try heavier dishes such as lasagna. If you still feel like going local, make smaller quantities or pick dishes that are not loaded with butter and cream. Save the cream for dessert, which is the course where a bit of richness is fine. Meal composition is important in a romantic meal. Unless you’re a great chef, there is no need to cook up a five-course meal. It will take way too long to make as well as eat, and ‘’I can’t eat more’’ are not words you want to hear, unless ‘’not tonight, honey’’ are also words you’re fine with. If you have the time, one appetiser, a main course, a light salad, and a sexy dessert is the sweet spot. A bottle of good wine would, of course, be a fine addition, too. A good rule of thumb is to mentally divide your plate into three parts—50% of the plate for the main dish, 25% for the accompaniments such as rice, potatoes, or another starch, and 25% for a salad or vegetable accompaniment. There is no need to use extremely expensive ingredients to impress your woman either. Exotic ingredients such as fancy cheeses and spices such as saffron sound good, but you can buy and use them all in small quantities. Parmesan cheese, for instance, may

be expensive, but all you need are a few shavings of it over a salad to lend visual as well as sensual appeal. Want to use a foreign fruit such as kiwi in your dessert? Just buy one piece, cut into thin slices, and spread it out. A little goes a long way. Pay attention to presentation: You’ve spent all this time cooking up a storm; why not deliver the full effect? Good presentation is not that hard. Buy some good-quality white plates. Then stop simply dumping the cooked food onto them. Try this simple restaurant chef technique: first ladle some sauce onto your plate, spread it out geometrically in a circle with your ladle (imagine spreading dosa batter), then pick up your meat, fish or veggies with a pair of tongs and gently place them in the middle of the sauce circle. Build height by stacking up ingredients and placing them either on top of each other, or leaning against each other. Half your plate should be done. Now use the tongs to take your salad, one handful at a time, and stack them up on the plate too. Take your fresh herbs or garnish, and sprinkle them on top. My secret guide for good-looking food—height, angles, textures, and contrast. (Expect a more detailed column on this in the future.) And lastly, don’t forget to build anticipation in your lady’s mind. Anticipation causes you to salivate, which makes food seem tastier. Before you serve the food, tell her in great detail what you’ve cooked. Take a cue from those fancy menus that describe food in effusive terms. If she thinks she’s going to have a great meal, she’s already 90% of the way there. Use these tips to create interesting romantic meals. And practise! There is nothing more sexy and unforgettable than creating mind-blowing food right in front of your lady. Watching you make the food, even if it’s just final assembly, is far more convincing than saying, ‘’I cooked this.’’ I

Madhu Menon is a chef, restaurant consultant and food writer. Respond to this column at feedback@livemint.com

column

Home Brew

Hemant Mishra/Mint

joel

harrison

drinks consultant

uxury is not an attribute; it is an experience. Many companies will claim to have a luxury product, but the true test of this is when you, the consumer, interacts with it. How you feel when you strap a Rolex around your wrist, when you take the cap off your Montblanc pen, when you button up your Tom Ford shirt—that is luxury. This, therefore, is the feeling that you should look for when choosing a luxury drink. Luxury is not a new concept. Think back a few years. Well, a few hundred years. India was a land of luxury, with rich, colourful and precious items being bought and sold from both inside and outside the country; and it was with the increased trade and wealth of the nineteenth century that India developed a taste for luxury drinks. As efficiencies in global travel were being refined and the world became a smaller place, our desire to experiment with taste and flavour grew. This age of sensory exploration made it not only easy for other countries to experience a taste of India, but for India to taste the world. And the one flavour that seemed to take hold? The taste of Scotland—Scotch whisky. Today India is the largest consumer of whisky in the world. The majority of this liquid is native Indian whisky. Different from a malt, this is made using a mixture of molasses-based spirit and some grain spirit. This, however, is changing with Indian consumers wanting to upscale and explore the richer end of the whisky market through both the Scotch and India-made products. So important is whisky to India that it is home to the oldest continually used distillery in Asia—the Kasauli distillery. Established in the late 1820s at Kasauli, before the town was established nearby, it still produces Solan No. 1, which was India’s best-selling single malt for more than a century, along with other brands such as Diplomat Deluxe, Colonel’s Special and the superpremium whisky Solan Imperial. Today, India is returning to producing high-end malt whisky. McDowell’s distillery, in Ponda, Goa, produces a top-end expression, McDowell’s Single Malt, which is a mainstay of the home market. More proof that tastes are turning to the luxury-end of the spectrum comes with the news that Amrut distillery in Bangalore, having previously only exported their single malt expression, found enough confidence in the local market to launch it in India last year. On top of all this, Vijay Mallya’s United Breweries acquired Scottish whisky maker Whyte and Mackay in 2007 for an eye-popping £595 million. Surely, one of the major drivers behind this would have been ownership of the Dalmore distillery, famed for their ‘‘ultra premium” expressions of single malt Scotch. One eye on the future market in India from the king of good times, perhaps? With the market growing stronger every day and a voracious appetite for malt, India should count itself lucky. Not only are the local producers exploring the ever expanding top end of the market, feeding in a growing list of Indian-made liquor, but so too are the importers. Johnnie Walker is always welcome to a party, but it seems the type of bash he’s seen at these days has him wearing his Blue Label, not his Black... Of course, luxury has a time and a place. You wouldn’t roll out the Royal Salute if your friends have come over to watch the opening match of the IPL. You’d be much more likely to choose a party drink, one that is easy-going, designed to skim the surface on the sea of conversation, not explore the depths or challenge too heavily. In this instance, a large glass of McDowell’s No. 1, or even 8PM, topped up with soda or sparkling water and ice should work very well alongside your Kingfisher. The perfect way to cheer yet another reverse sweep from KP. But the engagement of your daughter or the birth of your first son; this is a time for Johnnie Walker to show his true colours. So, luxury is not an attribute; it is an experience. Thankfully, that experience can be bottled. Just choose wisely when best to pop the cork and pour yourself a large glass, as you may just find you like it a little too much to go back again. I Joel Harrison is a drinks writer and consultant and co-founder of the website Caskstrength.net Respond to this column at feedback@livemint.com

INDULGE | November 2011

retail

established in 2008 and is pradip.s@livemint.com operated by DFS India Pvt. Ltd. It currently caters to around he duty-free 30,000 passengers per day. retailing zone at the As footfalls increase Chhatrapati Shivaji and terminal development International Airport continues, CSIA—one of the (CSIA) in Mumbai is one busiest airports in the Indian of the largest and newest in the subcontinent and run by a 74:26 country, offering an extensive joint venture between a GVK range of products across almost Group-led consortium and the a dozen categories from around Airports Authority of India— 100 world-class brands. has the potential to become as Spread across 2,200 sq. important a retail destination m, covering both the arrival as duty-free zones go the world and departure terminals, the over. premium retailing zone was So, if you are travelling on a

By pradip kumar saha

Bahrain-bound Air India flight from Delhi, and have some time to spare before boarding, or are among those serious businessclass frequent fliers who seldom have the time to venture out into the city and visit malls, or even if you’re on the hunt for that perfect last-minute gift, chances are that the duty-free shopping zone at the CSIA will tempt you to indulge. Mind Indulge presents a curated guide to some of the best products your globetrotting money can buy right here in Mumbai. Photographs: Priyanka parashar/MINT

Traveller’s

Trinkets Brand Guide Fragrances:

INDULGE | November 2011

Chocolates:

Wine and champagnes:

Sunglasses:

Vodkas:

Longines, Tissot, TAG Heuer, Rado, Frederique Constant, Raymond Weil, etc.

Toblerone, Ferrero Rocher, Hershey’s, Mars, Cadbury, etc.

Cosmetics:

Fashion:

Gucci, Dior, Coach, Emporio Armani.

Chanel, Dior, Lancome, Clinique, Guerlain, Shiseido, Estee Lauder.

Watches:

Bulgari, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Dior, Armani, Hermes, Davidoff, Paco Rabanne, etc.

Montblanc, Tumi, Coach, Swarovski.

Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Jacob’s Creek, Oyster Bay, etc. Smirnoff, Belvedere, Grey Goose, Absolut, Ciroc, etc.

Whiskies:

Johnnie Walker, Chivas, Ballantine, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, etc.

Rum:

Gin:

Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, etc. Cognac:

Hennessy, Remy Martin, St Remy, Martell, etc.

Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Havana, Malibu, etc.

November 2011 |

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retail

By pradip kumar saha

Traveller’s

Trinkets Brand Guide Fragrances:

INDULGE | November 2011

Chocolates:

Wine and champagnes:

Sunglasses:

Vodkas:

Longines, Tissot, TAG Heuer, Rado, Frederique Constant, Raymond Weil, etc.

Toblerone, Ferrero Rocher, Hershey’s, Mars, Cadbury, etc.

Cosmetics:

Fashion:

Gucci, Dior, Coach, Emporio Armani.

Chanel, Dior, Lancome, Clinique, Guerlain, Shiseido, Estee Lauder.

Watches:

Bulgari, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Dior, Armani, Hermes, Davidoff, Paco Rabanne, etc.

Montblanc, Tumi, Coach, Swarovski.

Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Jacob’s Creek, Oyster Bay, etc. Smirnoff, Belvedere, Grey Goose, Absolut, Ciroc, etc.

Whiskies:

Johnnie Walker, Chivas, Ballantine, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, etc.

Rum:

Gin:

Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, etc. Cognac:

Hennessy, Remy Martin, St Remy, Martell, etc.

Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Havana, Malibu, etc.

November 2011 |

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retail

Liquor

DFS has a vast range of brands on offer from the world’s best-known spirits, wines and champagne. From Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, to Johnnie Walker, Chivas and Ballantine. No matter what your poison is, you will not be disappointed. Five of the top-selling brands: Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch whisky: $59 Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch whisky (12-year-old): $36 Chivas Regal Blended Scotch whisky (12-year-old): $35

Model: Pallavi Das Agency: Anima Creative Management Make-up artist: Pravin Prabhakar Madye Hair stylist: Tungbhadra Pundlik Rakundi Costume stylist: Pooja Sethi Jump suit and shoes: Izzo, Khar Bag: 50 West Accessories and belt: Stylist’s own

INDULGE | November 2011

Glenlivet Single Malt whisky (12 year old): $40 Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch whisky: $50 (Prices are for 70cl bottles)

retail

Cosmetics

Don’t just feel like a million dollars, but look like it, too. For both men and women, DFS offers a comprehensive range of balms, creams, liniment and tinctures that are not only good for you, but are smartly priced to be a guilt-free impulse purchase. Five of the top-selling brands:

Women: Lipstick, Dior: $30-36 Compact powder, Chanel: $54 Mascara, Lancome: $30 Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion: $100 Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair anti-ageing cream (eye and face combo): $147

Men: Shiseido cleansing foam: $22 Shiseido shaving cream: $27 Model: Smitha Rao Agency: Anima Creative Management Make-up and hair: Ritika Karna Costume stylist: Pooja Sethi Jump suit and shoes: Izzo, Khar Bag: Marc Cain Belt and accessories: Stylist’s own

Clinique M Lotion (moisturiser): $38 Clinique Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel: $33 Clinique Maximum Hydrator: $48

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retail

Fragrances

Fragrances make for outstanding gifts, especially if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been on the road for weeks and no longer seem to remember birthdays or anniversaries. Otherwise, reward yourself for a successful business meeting with a small bottle of liquid luxury. Five of the top-selling brands from this section:

woMen: Chanel No. 5: $72 (50ml) Dior Jadore EDP: $126 Lancome Midnight Rose Tresor: $72 Davidoff Cool Water: $60 Paco Rabanne Lady Million: $75 (80ml)

Men: Bleu de Chanel: $89

Model: Pallavi Das Agency: Anima Creative Management Make-up artist: Pravin Prabhakar Madye Hair stylist: Tungbhadra Pundlik Rakundi Costume stylist: Pooja Sethi Top, skirt and boots: Zara Bag: Marc Cain Belt and accessories: Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own

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Dior Homme Sport: $85 Paco Rabanne 1 million: $70 Davidoff Champion: $65 Bulgari Man: $67 (Prices are for 100ml bottles)

Watches

REtail

Timepieces seem to have a particular affinity for airport retailing. CSIA features sporty TAG Heuer and Tissot, the more classic and colourful Frédérique Constant, and contemporary Rado watches in trademark ceramic finish. The collection spans styles and budgets. Five of the top-selling brands:

Women: Tag Heuer aquaracer (diamond dial and bezel 27mm): $4,080 Frédérique Constant Chocolate Double Heart Beat : $2,890 Rado Sintra Jubile: $3,565 Raymond Weil Shine: $3,287 Longines Primaluna: $2,468

Men: Tag Heuer Carrera calibre 16 day date automatic chronograph 43 mm: $3,830

Model: Smitha Rao Agency: Anima Creative Management Make-up and hair: Ritika Karna Costume stylist: Pooja Sethi Muffler: Marc Cain Top, accessories: Stylist’s own Pants: Zara Shoes: Izzo, Khar Bag: 50 West

Longines Master Collection Moonphase Automatic: $2,591 Raymond Weil Freelancer: $2,474 Frédérique Constant Carree Automatic Moonphase and Date: $2,431 Rado Sintra Automatic Jubilé: $2,391

November 2011 |

INDULGE

Page from history Photographs: Cartier

1928

Bhupinder Singh’s

Necklace The rise and fall of one of the greatest jewellery commissions of all time

reconstructing a dream: The Patiala Necklace; (below) Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, the son and heir of Bhupinder Singh, was the last man to wear the necklace.

By Pradip Kumar Saha

pradip.s@livemint.com

n 1926, the Parisian jewellery workshops of Cartier SA received a special delivery: a trunk full of precious stones and jewellery, including the De Beers diamond, from the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, with a request for creating a ceremonial necklace worthy enough for a king. Three years of labour and patience later, the iconic Collier de Patiala, or the Patiala Necklace, was created in 1928. The massive art deco necklace is famous for its unmatched brilliance and extraordinary design. With five rows of diamond-encrusted platinum chains, the necklace originally

The $25 million masterpiece looked so exquisite that Cartier sought the maharaja’s permission to put it on display before sending it to India.

contained 2,930 diamonds and weighed 962.25 carats. In the centre, a cascade of seven large diamonds, each between 18 carats and 73 carats, surmounted a pendant where the iconic De Beers rested. A tobaccocoloured diamond of 18 carats and two rubies weighing 29.58 carats completed the colour scheme. The Patiala Necklace, the largest single commission Cartier ever executed, symbolized the Maharaja’s wealth and power and is a metaphor to the lifestyle he led. It is also modern in both dimension and its geometrical format. It was made of platinum, breaking up with the tradition of yellow gold that was prevalent then. The masterpiece looked so exquisite that Cartier sought the Maharaja’s permission to put it on display before sending it to India. The $25 million necklace sparked controversy after the end of the Raj, when it disappeared mysteriously from the royal treasury of Patiala in April 1948. The last man to wear it was Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, son and heir of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. Five decades later in 1998, Eric Nassbaum, a Cartier representative, stumbled upon the remnants of the necklace in a small antique shop in London. All the big stones were gone, including the De Beers and the seven surrounding diamonds. Cartier tried to recreate the original, replacing the missing diamonds with white sapphires and white topazes, but the result was disappointing. So they switched back to diamonds. While the search for the replacement continued, Cartier used cubic zirconium to substitute the diamonds and synthetic rubies in place of the original Burmese gems. It took four years for Cartier to create a replica of what was once among the most exquisite pieces of jewellery in history. I

November 2011 |

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Page from history Photograph: Louis Vuitton

1930

Sayajirao Gaekwad’s

Tea Case A unique piece of luggage for a modernist maharaja

Cup

Teapot and water kettle Tea container

Heating module

Water bottle

Tray

By sidin vadukut

sidin.v@livemint.com n 1875, Sayajirao Gaekwad, a boy of 12, was elevated to the throne of Baroda, today’s Vadodara. In a reign lasting 64 years, the king rolled out a series of reforms and infrastructure projects that helped eclipse the memory of his elder brother’s short but disastrous reign. While nothing like the profligate spender his brother was—Malharrao is believed to have once commissioned cannons made of solid gold—Sayajirao was a man of fine tastes. In 1890, he moved into the Laxmi Vilas Palace, a gargantuan complex three times as big as Buckingham Palace and staffed by 3,000 permanent staff. The maharaja’s kitchens were run by a Frenchman. When guests stayed at

INDULGE | November 2011

In 1930, Louis Vuitton delivered its version of this tea case, an elegant and practical piece designed to be compact and yet easy to remove and use. The case contains cups, pots and all the other paraphernalia for a proper cup of tea on the road. the palace, they were expected to mark their preference for mode of transport on a gold card—they could choose from elephant, horsew or Rolls Royce. Sayajirao, by the 1920s, had become an important and faithful client of Louis Vuitton. And one of his most memorable commissions was a tea case, a unique piece made

to his requirements. It is believed that the maharaja may have spotted a concept piece in a 1926 issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine. The piece appeared in a sketch for the magazine by French artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel. In 1930, Louis Vuitton delivered its version of this tea case, an elegant and practical piece designed to be

compact and yet easy to remove and use. The case contains cups, pots and all the other paraphernalia for a proper cup of tea on the road. While path-breaking at the time, today the piece is easy to identify with. It has the economy of space and packaging that is often seen in modern luggage, consumer electronics and even architecture. I

Page from history Photographs: Rolls-Royce

1911

Rolls-Royce’s

Indian Depot When drivers from Derby sailed all the way to Mumbai

By sidin vadukut

sidin.v@livemint.com his great automotive brand started selling cars under the Rolls-Royce badge in 1904, but according to official company history, the brand may have connections with India that date back a few years before the first cars were sold. In 1902, Lord and Lady Llangattock, parents of co-founder Charles Stuart Rolls, visited Delhi before the Coronation Durbar in 1903. “They must have told their son Charles,” says a page from Rolls-Royce history, “of the burgeoning interest in motoring amongst the fabulously wealthy Indian potentates.” In 1906, less than five years after the first automobiles were shipped into the country, a catalogue called the The Motor Car in India was published in Mumbai. The book mentioned 70 international car brands and their agents in India, including the first mention of a Rolls-Royce model, the 30hp, 4-cylinder available from “C.S. Rolls & Co., 14 Conduit Street, London”. By the time of the next Durbar in Delhi, in 1911, Rolls-Royce was a well-established brand. So much so that the government of India ordered eight identical Silver Ghost models for the coronation ceremony. That year, a team of drivers was sent to India, under the stewardship of J. Inman Emery and S.G. Wheeler, to open a depot on Mayo Road, now Bhaurao Patil Marg, in Mumbai. For the next three decades, the depot oversaw a booming market that lapped up cars. According to one estimate, by 1945, Rolls-Royce sold some 800 cars, more than a few finished in gold and other fine materials. Company records cite a fascinating list of accessories designed for the Indian market: purdah glass in formal limousines, sirens, thermos flasks, Stephen Grebel hunting lamps, gun racks, ivory steering wheels and control knob, and even a special servant’s seat. With the onset of World War II, car shipments ceased and the depots were closed. Today, RollsRoyce is once again selling its fine automobiles to the country’s well-heeled, re-establishing a rich, historic and sometimes flamboyant relationship. I

According to one estimate, by 1945, Rolls-Royce sold some 800 cars in India, more than a few finished in gold and other fine material.

Continuing legacy: (clockwise from top) A Silver Ghost outside Rolls-Royce’s Indian depot, the Ghost EWB, the Phantom, and the Phantom Coupe.

November 2011 |

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profile Photograph: Smithsonian Institution

From

Mumbai To Manhattan It doesn’t matter where you buy your designer jewellery. Chances are that Ambaji Shinde from Mapusa had something to do with it

Photographs: Harry Winston

By sidin Vadukut

sidin.v@livemint.com or almost half a century, one of the world’s most high-profile jewellery brands was driven by the designs and ingenuity of the son of a bangle maker from Goa. Established in 1932 in New York and named after its eponymous founder, the Harry Winston brand is synonymous with fine jewellery and has a reputation for masterpieces involving diamonds and gemstones. Among other things, the brand is famous for starting the now commonplace practice of lending celebrities fantastic jewellery that they can wear to red carpet events. Harry Winston, the founder, is supposed to have said once: “People will stare. Make it worth their while.” In addition to a renowned eye for the finest of stones, Winston also had, current CEO Frederic De Narp told Mint Indulge, an “unparalleled sense of instinct”: “It was this

Master touch: Shinde reset the famous Hope Diamond in the 1990s.

Ambaji Shinde died in 2003, but before that, in a career that spanned 40 years, he transformed the way the West sees jewellery.

INDULGE | November 2011

combination of confidence and intuition that led him to some of the world’s most famous diamonds—the Hope, the Jonker, the Vargas—and that ultimately led him to (Ambaji) Shinde.” Shinde was born in Mapusa, Goa, in 1917, to a family of modest means. Indeed, years later, as his 2003 obituary in The New York Times (NYT) revealed, Shinde continued to live modestly, do his own housework, and, each day, took the bus from his home in a New York suburb, to the Harry Winston office. And all this even as Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and Halle Berry wore his creations to the Oscar Awards. But decades before that, back in India, Shinde went to study at Mumbai’s JJ College of Arts. He initially worked as a painter before becoming a jewellery designer and eventually joining Nanubhai Jewellers in the city. His first commission was a set of jewels for the coronation of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda in 1938. Winston, a purveyor of treasures to the maharajas himself, first came across Shinde’s work in 1955. According to one profile in NYT published in 2001, to mark Shinde’s retirement, Winston asked a wealthy Indian friend to send him his cook and jeweller. The Indian friend only let his jeweller, Shinde, go. Unable to take his ill wife along with him, Shinde left her behind with six children and moved first to Switzerland and later, when he finally got a visa, to New York. De Narp said, “While Shinde briefly worked for Mr Winston during the 1950s and 1960s primarily out of the company’s Geneva office, it wasn’t

profile

Even today, Harry Winston sells Shinde’s masterpiece design. The website calls it the “Iconic Wreath Necklace” and it weighs in at 150.24 carats of diamonds.

until 1966 that the relationship really formalized into the creative partnership that we think of today, when Shinde was appointed the head jewellery designer for Harry Winston in New York.” What followed, said De Narp, was a gradual revolution in jewellery design, and the establishment of a legacy that continues to inspire Harry Winston designers to this day. Years before Shinde, Winston himself had begun to question traditional Western jewellery techniques. Instead of simply setting stones into plain, flat designs, Winston began to experiment with thin, whimsical settings. Shinde took this to the next level—he took Indian designs comprising floral, colourful settings and then toned them down for Western tastes. The results were spectacular. De Narp spoke of Shinde’s “ability to examine the world around him, derive new inspirations, and translate this into exceptionally beautiful jewellery designs. In particular, the way in which he was able to blend the ornate, romantic style of his native India, with the elegant simplicity of classic Harry Winston designs.” At the same time, said De Narp, Shinde had an incredible understanding of how each gemstone should be arranged to unlock its maximum brilliance and beauty. All this culminated in a piece of jewellery that has become a classic design for Harry Winston: the Wreath Necklace. “The design beautifully articulates Harry Winston’s signature technique of ‘clustering’ diamonds,” said De Narp. “This means different shaped diamonds set at different angles to capture maximum brilliance from all angles. The piece is also an incredible exercise in precision and discipline to assemble. Each necklace has around 180 diamonds, which are carefully matched for

Harry Winston.

Harry Winston CEO Frederic De Narp.

From Harry Winston’s collection, designed by Ambaji Shinde.

colour and proportion, and carefully aligned to ensure not only balance in the design, but a beautiful fluidity when set together in the platinum.” Even today, Harry Winston sells Shinde’s masterpiece design. The website calls it the “Iconic Wreath Necklace” and it weighs in at 150.24 carats of diamonds. A designer of prolific output, Shinde even held an exhibition of his paintings of jewellery in Tokyo in 1992. But he later told a newspaper that the show only displayed a few of his portfolio of “thousands”. Over the years, Shinde’s work has dressed some of the world’s most glamorous people. From King Farouk of Egypt to the Queen of England. When Gwyneth Paltrow went up to receive her Best Actress Oscar in 1999, she wore a stunning diamond collar necklace, designed by Shinde, valued then at around $175,000. In 2001, Shinde finally retired after 40 years with Harry Winston thus breaking, according to NYT, “the last link with a world of fabled extravagance and glittering plenty”. He died two years later, still living in his apartment in New York. But even in 2011, the CEO of

Harry Winston says, Shinde’s art continue to thrive: “A lot of this enduring influence can be seen through our archives, which remain an incredible source of inspiration for our designers today. We are privileged to have more than 100,000 design drawings in our collection, including several works of Shinde. “These archives not only create an important link to preserve our heritage, but often provide that creative spark that we use to ignite new interpretations of Harry Winston jewels for the next generations. For example, we have recently launched a brand new collection, called Ultimate Adornments by Harry Winston. The 40-piece collection will explore different costumes and adornments from around the world, and has been directly inspired by the archival drawings of Shinde and his incredible sketches of Caftaninspired necklaces.” For decades when he was alive, Shinde was a driving force in international jewellery design. And if collections such as Ultimate Adornments are any indication, this humble genius’ influence will last for decades to come. I November 2011 |

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milestones

Amin Jaffer’s

Greatest Hits A

min Jaffer, international director of Asian art at Christie’s, has spent a lifetime studying the lifestyles of India’s once rich and famous. His books depict lives and worlds of sumptuous wealth, audacious tastes, and path-breaking design innovations. While many maharajas and their retinues were happy to commission quintessentially Western objects, others sought to meld their own tastes with Western craftsmanship. For Jaffer, the result has been books full of spectacle. We asked him to dip into his years of experience and pick out what he thinks are some of the greatest objects ever commissioned by the maharajas. I

dream theatre: Silver bed, with life-size nudes, made for the Nawab of Bahawalpur by Christofle in 1882.

Photographs courtesy Roli Books from the book Made for Maharajas: A Design Diary of Princely India, by Amin Jaffer

Headboard of the silver Christofle bed.

One of a set of two portraits of Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore. This one in ethnic style was painted in 1934.

INDULGE | November 2011

milestones

Three-tier ruby necklace made by Cartier for the Maharaja of Patiala. Bed in chrome-plated metal and glass, designed by Louis Sognot and Charlotte Alix for the Maharani of Indore in 1931.

Yeshwant Rao Holker in Western dress designed by French artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel in 1929.

Reverso Maharani wristwatch by Jaeger Le Coultre in 1937.

La Maison Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hortense, or frogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, made by Van Cleef and Arpels for an unnamed Indian prince in 1935. It was crafted from gold, coral, lapis lazuli, onyx and glass.

Railway carriage designed by Eckart Muthesius in 1933 for the Maharaja of Indore. The carriage featured air-conditioning, electric utilities, double-glazed windows and mirrored sliding doors.

November 2011 |

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books

Regal Read

Piqued by the princes? Mesmerised by the maharajas? Mint Indulge spoke to Priya Kapoor, director of Roli Books, and publisher of several volumes on Indian nobility. This is her selection of hand-picked titles to start your libary on the potentates of the past.

History in storE: The library at the new Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala.

Getty Images

The Unforgettable Maharajas (one hundred and fifty years of photography) It was the first book with such a comprehensive collection of photographs of maharajas, their lifestyles and palaces. Each picture was sourced from the royal families and archives— therefore, most of them had never been seen before. Authors: E Jaiwant Paul and Pramod Kapoor Publisher: Roli Books Pages: 128 (hardcover) Price: $194.70

Maharajas’ Jewels An important book on jewellery traditions—pictures of some beautiful, neverseen-before pieces were sourced and included in the book. Authors: Katherine Prior and John Adamson Publisher: Vendome Press Pages: 208 (hardcover) Price: $595

The Lafayette Studio and Princely India The story of how these longforgotten glass negatives were found and finally ended up becoming a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum and then a book we commissioned is fascinating. As are the pictures and the Lafayette studio itself. Indian royals used to get themselves photographed at the studio before being presented to the Queen while visiting London. Over time, Lafayette became so popular with the Indian royals that he visited India and set up a studio for a short period of time. Author: Russell Harris Publisher: Roli Books Pages: 64 (paperback) Price: $10.50

INDULGE | November 2011

Reversing The Gaze: Amar Singh’s Diary, A Colonial Subject’s Narrative Of Imperial India Amar Singh kept a daily diary and recorded with detail the places he visited, the people he met, life as a soldier, court intrigues. He was a part of the Durbar and WW I—his diaries provide a first-hand account from an Indian perspective—which is quite rare as very few people like him were writing/recording these historical events taking place. Author: Amar Singh Publisher: Basic Books

A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the maharani of jaipur A charmed life, fairy-tale romance and great tragedy. A well-written interesting memoir by a woman rated by Vogue as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world. Authors: Gayatri Devi and Santha Rama Rau Publisher: South Asia Books Pages: 334 (paperback) Price: $23.64

Made for Maharajas: A Design Diary of Princely India ‘‘I worked on the book for two years, and enjoyed visiting all the families and rummaging through their storerooms looking at guns, walking sticks, tea cups, clothes!” Amin’s text highlights some interesting, lesser-known aspects of Indian royalty—they were great patrons of the arts and almost entirely kept the luxury jewellery industry in Europe alive during the war years. Author: Amin Jaffer Publisher: Roli Books Pages: 276 (hardcover) Price: $71.93

Pages: 650 (hardcover) Price: $1.90 Prices from Amazon.com