August 2016 | Vol 2
Twinkle
Khanna In the OUTLOOK SPLURGE
Designer’s Seat
August 2016
Inside the World of
KOHLER,
VOL 2
WISCONSIN
BIG in
JAPAN
splurge edit
Design Decadence D reamy summer days, followed by the yearly ritual of the monsoon. As the new season soothes away the vicissitudes of daily life, we look forward to more beautiful, more perfect surroundings. This month, our search for beauty takes us to the drawing boards and minds of some of the greatest pioneers in the world of design. From Italian car design Pininfarina’s chief Paolo Pininfarina to a scion of the legendary Cavalli design family who’s turning her attention to the super-luxe interiors of jets and yachts, as demand for opulence increases to embrace every corner of our lives, we embark upon our search for the transmutable, so that we can embrace a sea change in design in all its glorious forms, whether it’s the home décor space, crockery, bedding, and even hardware. Our cover personality Mrs Funnybones, Twinkle Khanna, shows us what it is to lead an artistic, delightful life, and create her own vision of interior décor, as she surrounds herself with humour and a sense of lightness in her daily life. We also travel to far-flung Wisconsin, USA, and unlock the secrets behind trend forecasting in Bath and Kitchen design, with the might of the Kohler empire to support one’s every artistic move, no matter how futuristic. And who knew that one of the tiniest countries in Europe, Estonia, could be home to some of the finest speakers in the world… We tested these power-packed beauties and were enraptured. And back home, get a slice of paradise in sunny Goa, in an Isprava villa. And there’s always the solace of spiritual beauty, and maybe it’s in Japan, as our writer finds… Keep those dreams alive. - Priya Kumari Rana, Executive Editor
Editor-in-Chief Krishna Prasad Executive Director Indranil Roy Associate Publisher Vidya Menon Executive Editor Priya Kumari Rana Managing Editor Riddhima Seal Business Office Vice Presidents Johnson D Silva, Shishir Saxena National Head Kabir Khattar Brand Head Shrutika Dewan Deputy General Manager (Marketing) Jyoti Ahuja Circulation National Head Anindya Banerjee Assistant General Manager G Ramesh (South) Vinod Kumar (North) Production Assistant General Manager Shashank Dixit Senior Manager Shekhar Pandey Deputy Manager Ganesh Shah Assistant Manager Gaurav Shrivas Accounts Senior Manager Diwan Singh Bisht
Head Office
contributors
AB-10 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029, India Tel: 011-33505500 Fax: 011-26191420 Email: outlook@outlookindia.com Other Offices Mumbai Tel: 022-33545000 Fax: 022-33545100 Kolkata Tel: 033-33545400 Fax: 033-24650145 Chennai Tel: 044-33506300 Fax: 044-33506327 Bengaluru Tel: 080-45236100; 45236105
SIDHARTH SHAROTRI
SAURABH SANON
JASMEEN G DUGAL
He has a slightly unnatural obsession for cars and bikes. He writes for the Deccan Chronicle and Asian Age on “motoring related nonsense”, as he puts it.
Dr Sanon is a Mayo Clinic trained interventional cardiologist specializing in structural heart disease. He lives and practices in Florida, and when not at work he loves to travel the world. He likes to experiment with unconventional compositions to capture their essence. saurabhsanon.com.
Every entrepreneur has that moment – an experience; a corporate rut; a mentor – who is a source of inspiration. After years of rich experience, the most recent being net editor at Condé Nast India, Jasmeen launched luxury style portal explosivefashion.in
2 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
Printed and published by Indranil Roy on behalf of Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt Ltd. Printed at IPP Limited. C4-C11, Phase II, Noida and published from AB-10 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029
Cover & Layout design @alarinks
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Contents August 2016 Covetables
8 | Splendid Treasures Bejewelled animal figurines, artistic crockery, and striking fauteuils wind their way into your home.
Splurge Watch
14 | A Charmed Life Be ferried around London in a Rolls-Royce Ghost, learn free diving in the Maldives, and much more.
New Launch
19 | A Design Coup
34
An Italian automotive design house plunges into interior design with sleek living and kitchen spaces.
Heritage
20 | Royal Holi in Udaipur Holika Dahan is performed with pomp in the City Palace, Udaipur, with Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar.
Art
22 | Lines in a Continuum We look at Nasreen Mohamedi’s retrospective at the Met Breuer in NYC, and explore her influence here.
DÉcor
26
24 | Heritage inside the Home
46 | A Mattress for all Seasons
Take a tour of Fabindia’s new Interior Design Studio, and see just how to customize spaces with crafts.
Cover Story
26 | A Lighthearted Approach Meet Mrs Funnybones, aka Twinkle Khanna, who tells us all about her contemporary design aesthetics.
Alphonse Reddy has just launched a luxury mattress company with Belgian materials.
38 August 2016 | Vol 2
TwinKle
Khanna In the OUTLOOK SPLURGE AUGUST 2016 VOL 2
We journey to Kohler, Wisconsin, and learn the trends and innovation that drive its luxury bathware.
Designer’s Seat Inside the World of
KOHLER, WISCONSIN
BIG in
JAPAN
Bedding
38 | Sleepy Solace Splurge looks at the latest designer bedding to hit stores, including collaborations with couturiers like Wendell Rodricks..
4 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
Tableware
40 | Dinner is Served We meet the brains behind European silverware and porcelain makers Greggio & Kahla.
luxury wellness
34 | An American Tale
24
on the cover Twinkle Khanna, photographed by Dabboo Ratnani
Hardware
42 | Renaissance Woman Anagha Dandekar is the lady behind the doors and latches in Robert Redford’s home.
Home Design
44 | Oriental Abode Tarang Arora of Amrapali’s house in Jaipur is filled with silverware and art, yet reflects Eastern charm.
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August 2016
Contents
58 Watches
58 | Let the Games Begin
48
In time for the Rio Olympic Summer Games 2016, Omega launches three limited edition watches.
50
Accessories
60 | Travel made Easy On your next séjour, pick these superbly crafted duffels, totes, and spinners, and make an entrance.
wheels
54
64 | Grand Automotive Design
60
We speak to Paolo Pininfarina, scion and chairman of this legendary Italian design company.
Interiors
Event
48 | Scandinavian Elegance
66 | An Evening to Remember
Danish design store BoConcept has just opened its doors in Delhi. Inside we discover future icons.
DLF Emporio and Splurge host a party for Delhi’s chic set to celebrate the mall’s Shopping Fiesta.
Gadgets
Furniture
50 | Haute Speakers
67 | Indonesian Charm
The small nation of Estonia holds a big surprise. We meet the founders of the world’s best speakers.
Fashion
A new entrant in furniture, Warisan, imported from Java, uses eco-friendly wood and Italian design.
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52 | Pretty Woman
Wanderlust
68 | Land of the Rising Sun
Blogger Ria Punjabi showcases three on-trend summer looks from Globus.
Tokyo and Kyoto are exciting and meditative all at once, and help our writer find his inner Zen.
Beauty
TÊte-À-TÊte
53 | Fragrant Notes
70 | Signora of Style
Take a peek at some of the freshest, most tropical, and breeziest perfumes available today.
We meet Eleonore Cavalli of Visionnaire, and learn about her most opulent projects around the world.
Luxury Real Estate
parting shot
54 | Dream Villas
72 | Ageless Icon
Mumbai-based Isprava is building luxurious beach bungalows in Goa for the discerning few.
6 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
68
The ever-graceful Nicole Kidman, has a few movies lined up, including Lion with Dev Patel..
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Covetables
Precious
Bounty
It’s not too early to usher in a season of extravagance, with bejewelled figurines, unique chairs, and delicate crockery for your abode. While you’re at it, don’t forget to slip on the new ‘It’ bag of the season, and the blingiest accessories.
AKBAR’S Elephant
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his gold elephant available at the Capital’s Indian Handicrafts Emporium in Mehrauli, is embedded with precious stones like rubies, emeralds, pearls, and sapphires, using the champlevé technique of setting stones in a bed of gold leafing. Specially created for Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, it depicts Mughal Emperor Akbar riding an elephant. Price: `33,00,000
PEACOCK Tales
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epresenting pride and elegance, the peacock is our national treasure. Immortalize this beauty of nature with this masterpiece, Crystal Myriad - Mor Malhaar by Swarovski, encrusted with 56,000 crystals handset in a rainbow of colours. The bird sits gracefully on a stainless-steel branch in PVD coating, decorated with a flower in crystal Pointiage. Limited to 300 pieces worldwide, this masterpiece is delivered in a blue suitcase with gloves and a certificate of authenticity. Price: `9,63,000
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MAKING A PITCH For Style
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andblown and handpressed between two cork paddles for clever colour interactions, these Flat Pitchers by American company Vetro Vero bring quiet style to your home. Available in 18 transparent colours with complementary toned accents and gold-leaf details. Price: Petite: $495, Medium: $720, Tall: $935.
JUNGLE
Beautiful
BAGUETTE
Fever
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resented for the first time in the Fendi Pre-Fall 2016 collection, the Lace-Up Baguette is a statement of the Italian maison’s constant attention to detail, by retaining the structure of the original baguette, with a clean, elongated shape. Adorning the upper edge of the bag, the lace-up is a macro embroidery woven by hand, inspired by Selleria stitching. The slim FF buckle is in steel. Price: `1,30,000
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key theme this season is animal print. This collectible bag by Louis Vuitton, the GO-14, features in a bold, kinetic colour mix. Exquisite signature malletage embroidery, a strong LV lock, and luxe leather trim make it precious and playful. Price on request.
PIRATE Station
A Ruby
seat which reminds one of a skull, the symbol of swagger drawn on the red flag of pirates. The globe is suspended in the inner body surrounded by oceans. This indoor-outdoor seat by Italian designer Fabio Novembre was created for Gufram in polyethylene, in a matte texture. Price on request.
Refinement
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his season, declare your love for her in this eye-catching, oval-cut ruby cocktail ring by Popley & Sons. It is prong-set on a classic design and in white gold, studded with diamonds. Price: `2,66,845
regal Repose
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he Gentleman’s Chair by Linley London is perfectly proportioned with glorious tufts and handsome studwork. The cool tones of this chair designed by British designer David Linley in blue linen and suede with nickel stud detailing, adds a fresh edge to your home. Price: £4,400
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Covetables
GLOBAL Wonder
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he Linley geographical and topographical globe comes in a classic walnut frame with architecturally inspired fluted column legs. It rotates 360° on its pivot. With over 400 place names and pieces of information including diagrams of famous explorers’ ships and the dates of their travels, the cartography was created by Kevin M. Dzurny. Printed on craft paper, raised relief shows the major mountainous regions of the globe Price: £2,250
WORLD’S Oyster
B GILT Throne
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carlet Splendour, co-founded by Ashish Bajoria and Suman Kanodia, is a Kolkata-based luxury design label, that’s just returned from showing in Milan Design Week. We loved this golden chair, Rapture, that combines pure brass with amorphous sculpting, taking inspiration from English seamen in the 16th century and their discovery of fool’s gold. Price on request.
WOODeN
Treasure
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uring the Salon del Mobile 2016, Ermenegildo Zegna, in collaboration with San Patrignano, Gian Marco, and Letizia Moratti, presented Adam & Eve by Peter Marino, a new chapter for project Barrique: Third Life of Wood. The cabinet breathes life into recyclable wood, and is made by youngsters in the San Patrignano carpentry shop, from oak barrel. Price on request.
10 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
aselworld 2016 witnessed brand-new innovations at Rolex. The Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 is the new generation of its classic Perpetual Datejust with an updated design in a 41 mm case and the new Rolex caliber 3235, that’s at the forefront of watchmaking technology. The new Datejust 41 comes in yellow or Everose Rolesor versions (combining steel and gold) with a wide selection of dials. Price on request.
STERLIng Couple
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ake a toast to the season, or whatever your heart desires, in a pair of silver-plated champagne flutes by Frazer & Haws. With its clean lines, and sparkling charm, it will be the perfect showcase for your bar. Price: `10,000 (large); `9,600 (small) for a pair.
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IMPERIAL Splendour
Breguet Perles Impériales ring
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n the past, it’s created timepieces for European royalty like Marie Antoinette and Empress Joséphine. Swiss watchmaker Breguet unveiled its High Jewellery collection this year at Baselworld which pays tribute to the empress, featuring the remarkable 18kt white gold, crown-shaped Breguet Perles Impériales Haute Joaillerie watch, with an elegant ovoid caseband set with 24 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.24 ct). It is surround set with 23 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.13 ct) and an Akoya pearl at 6 o’clock. The crown is set with a briolette diamond, while the mother-of-pearl dial is engine turned to create a delicate pattern. The watch’s self-winding movement Cal. 586/1 has a 38-hour power reserve, and in-line Swiss lever escapement. Its satin strap is set with a folding clasp with 26 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.14 ct). To pair your Perles Impériales with matching jewellery, Breguet’s masterjewellers have created a jewellery set echoing the Empress Joséphine theme. The Perles Impériales ring is set with approximately 1.88 ct of brilliant-cut diamonds surrounding a pearl, while the pair of earrings is adorned with around 3.28 ct of diamonds surrounding a pearl. Prices on request. Breguet Perles Impériales earrings
Breguet Perles Impériales Haute Joaillerie watch
Decadent
Service
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uxury brand INV Home recently launched The Dining Collections by ‘Rosenthal meets Versace’. We loved their Iconic Heroes series which pays homage to southern Italy, with a Medusa head motif encircled by heroes of Greek antiquity in an orange-red background. Prices: Mug with handle: `8,740; Coffee pot: `43,000; Cup and saucer: `13,340;
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A LONDON DAY OUT
I
f you happen to book a suite for two nights or more at the Beaumont Hotel, The Wellesley, or ME London (all Preferred Hotels & Resorts) in London, you can enjoy a complimentary chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce Ghost, along with an exclusive gift – a Panama currency case – by Smythson, the luxury boutique on Bond Street. These two classic British brands offer a first-class experience and stress-free way to navigate the city. You’ll also get daily complimentary breakfast and evening cocktails for two at any of these hotels. n
ziggy starDUST’S ART
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ate pop superstar David Bowie’s personal modern art collection will be unveiled for the first time this November at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries in London, giving fans, a chance to see the art and objects that informed his private world. Some 400 items, including his record player, will go under the hammer. n
IN ROME
I
F
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S
asha Fierce, aka Queen Bey or Beyoncé, lit up the night recently at the 2016 BET Awards wearing a Julien Macdonald custom Jet Swarovski crystal-encrusted bodysuit in a tribal tattoo-inspired design with silk fringes. “Beyoncé is a fabulous superstar, and it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate her power as a woman in these designs. Swarovski crystal is the perfect complement to the bodysuit,” says Julien Macdonald. n
OKTOBERFEST IN BAVARIA
A CELEBRATION endi sealed its bond with Rome by celebrating 90 years of the maison in the Italian capital. The glorious Fontana di Trevi saw a fashion show with the Legends and Fairytales Haute Fourrure collection, designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Seen here is Silvia Venturini Fendi standing at the Trevi fountain with the maison’s maestro Karl Lagerfeld. n
FIERCE AND FABULOUS
CHAMPAGNE & CAVIAR DREAMS
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t Petersburg's Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, is home to the city's only caviar restaurant. Now, the Caviar Bar & Restaurant has just just partnered with champagne house Dom Pérignon for the ultimate caviar pairing experience. Dom Pérignon Vintage 2006 costs £49 per glass and £325 per bottle, and the ‘Egg in Egg’ dish is £49 for three egg shells. n
ndulge in Bavaria’s famed Oktoberfest this year with Mandarin Oriental, Munich, from 17 September to 3 October. You get special access to the traditional tent Schützen-Festzelt where Bavarian specialities and hospitality are enjoyed on long tables. The package includes a ride from Mandarin Oriental, Munich to the festival in an exclusive carriage, and guests receive a special beer mug from the hotel. Price: EUR 1,339 per night for two. n
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RACING CLASSIC
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lassic car lovers, rejoice. To mark the start of the Rallye Passione Caracciola, watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen presents two special editions from the Ingenieur watch family, the Ingenieur Chronograph Edition ‘Rudolf Caracciola’, dedicated to the talented racing driver of the 1930s, and the Ingenieur Chronograph Edition ‘W 125’ that recalls the Silver Arrow from Mercedes-Benz. n George Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen
The new Mustang has a lower, wider stance, reduced roof height, and a modernized signature sharkbite front fascia
GALLOPING MUSTANG
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or the first time in its 52-year history, Ford’s Mustang is raring to go on India roads. Catching its glimpse at this year’s Auto Show in Delhi, Indian car aficionados can now own one for `65 lakh (ex-Delhi). With its 5.0L V8 petrol engine, and churning out a massive 401 PS of peak power, it’s got a sleek new design, 19-inch wheels, a 9-speaker sound system, and 8-inch colour touchscreen as standard equipment. n
DIY GARDEN
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ucci now allows customers to personalize their Dionysus handbag, by adding embroideries, trims, hardware, and monogrammed initials. Motifs include animals and plants that bring creative director Alessandro Michele’s Gucci Garden to life, including birds, butterflies, bees, roses, and peonies. n
JUNIPER TIPPLE IN SOUTHERN CHINA
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f Guangzhou is your next port of call, be sure to visit the new Ebony restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental. Its stylish new gin bar, JIN, serves over 37 types of gin, including house-infused ones like Ginseng and Mandarin Oolong. Or you can try the Ginless Gin Tonic without alcohol, along with prime cuts and seafood at Ebony. n
OCEAN FREEDOM
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his holiday, if you’re heading to the island nation of Maldives, indulge in some diving fun at Aquafanatics, the first PADI-certified free diving centre at Anantara Dighu Maldives, Anantara Veli Maldives, and Naladhu Maldives. Free diving strips restraints attached with traditional scuba diving, and relies on the diver to hold her breath, leaving her free to move through the translucent Maldivian waters. n
16 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
POP ART
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asa Pop, the colourful and often kitchy home furnishings brand started by renowned Delhi-based interior architect Raseel Gujral, has just launched its new crockery collection. This Company Raj collection of plates, cups, saucers, mugs, dessert plates, dinner plates, and side plates, features an elephant motif from an old colonial-era etching. Casa Pop merchandise is available in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. n
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CHIC AVATAR
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new jewellery store comes to town, in the Capital’s Khan Market, after enjoying years of success in the tony neighbourhoods of Colaba, Breach Candy, and Bandra. Acquamarine, founded by Santosh Bathija, is all about modern, eclectic designs with semi-precious stones, and its pieces, like this one with colourful deities, make for the perfect gift. n
GLASS FOREST
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uxury lighting company Klove, run by Delhi-based duo Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth has created What does the Fox say? an installation that measures 12’ x 10’ x 9’ of glass foxes walking on lit-up motherboards. Glass and polymers are intercepted by beams of light to bring alive a kaleidoscopic explosion. Price: `25 lakh. n
BASKET LOVe
SICILIAN HONOUR
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aume & Mercier recently became the main partner of the 62nd Taormina Film Fest, that took place in the magical Greek theatre of this Sicilian town. bringing out a Limited Edition Clifton Taormina watch, presented as an award to Hollywood actor and producer Harvey Keitel. The watch is 39 mm in an 18k red gold case. n
A PRIZE BY A LAKE
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erman family-owned furniture fittings company Hettich has recently launched CargoTech, its new range of wire baskets made in its Vadodara plant with a dense mesh of steel wires to hold kitchen utensils like plates, saucers, cutlery, glasses, and bottles. These baskets are a perfect addition to an ‘intelligent’ kitchen when building or renovating your home. n
his summer, A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid presented a special watch to this year’s winner in the ‘Best of Show’ category of the Concorso d’Eleganza, a white gold Lange 1 Time Zone ‘Como Edition’ with a hand-engraved cuvette. Paying tribute to the venue, Como represents Central European Time on the rotatable city ring in the dial. In this tradition-steeped competition of classic automobiles, the prize for the most beautiful car went to the anonymous owner of a 1954 Maserati A6 GCS. The presentation took place at a gala dinner at the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este on Lake Como’s shores, with some 50 other participants. n
A SUAVE SUV DRIVES IN
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ercedes-Benz India, the country’s largest luxury carmaker, launched the much-anticipated SUV, the GLC ‘Edition 1’ in the Capital recently, in both petrol and diesel variants, the GLC 300 and the GLC 220D. “The GLC is is one of the much anticipated products in the luxury segment in India,” said Roland Folger, managing director and CEO. “The GLC will redefine this segment completely, as it gives customers a sporty, dynamic, and new generation of SUV to opt for.” And it’s safe for Indian roads too: it’s got five stars, the maximum score given by the Euro NCAP rating. n
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The GLC 300 is priced at `50,9 lakh, while the GLC 220D costs `50,7 lakh (ex-Pune)
Vistas
New
NEW LAUNCH The Idea Pininfarina kitchen. Below: A Pininfarina Segno sofa chaise longue
When the most revered automotive design house in the world takes a stab at interior design, the results are spectacular. Italian brand Pininfarina has also dipped into its rich heritage in furniture making for this threepronged approach to home décor. text by Sidharth Sharotri
D
esigned to turn your home into a modern-art museum, Pininfarina’s Home Design perfectly marries form and function in a way that only Pininfarina can.For this venture, they’ve partnered with Reflex for living spaces, Snaidero for kitchens, and Calgrande Padena for tiles. Reflex and Pininfarina present an integrated living system that includes a modular sofa, a table, a cabinet, a bookcase, and two lighting systems. The collection has pure and elegant lines, and dynamic shapes that give shape to new functions. The use of copper is a further trait d’union that, combined with the Walnut Canaletto wood, confer a unique and distinctive character to the collection. Ola20, Idea40,and Ola25, the last jewels of the collaboration that tied Snaidero and Pin-
Pininfarina Home Design, Sao Paulo Luxury living space
Earth by Pininfarina is a collection of tiles characterized by the texture of porcelain with a multisensory effect and sophisticated décor inspired by the car design tradition.
infarina for over 25 years, are the proposals for the kitchen space of the project. In the Pininfarina apartment into the Reflex Showroom the Idea40 is showcased in a customized version dedicated to the project. The Tile System Earth by Pininfarina is the proposal for the ceramic surfaces of the project. Earth by Pininfarina is a collection of tiles characterized by the texture of the porcelain with a multisensory effect and sophisticated décor inspired by the car design tradition. A customized composition of ceramics and décor has been studied for the presentation of the project. On the occasion of their launch at this year’s Milan Furniture fair, Paolo Pininfarina said, ”Pininfarina Home Design represents a journey in exploring new scenarios. A journey into the Home Space in which we have combined, for the first time, our heritage in furniture design with our innovative style in architecture and interiors. To imagine and realize solutions for interiors with a unique and distinctive character, in which the design of the space naturally marries the personality of the furniture. To give life to experiences in which form and function are integrated. To give shape to spaces conceived for a contemporary lifestyle. A journey made of design, innovation, custom-tailoring, luxury, Italian style. A journey to raise emotion and to create value for our international partners.” n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 19
Heritage
Holika Dahan
City of Lakes in the
Holi brings to mind images of colour, revelry, and bhang, but celebrating this festival with the royal family of Udaipur is on a wholly different cultural level, as it is a form of ‘living heritage’ there, writes Jasmeen Dugal.
D
uring the World Living Heritage Festival at City Palace Udaipur, an invitation to participate in Holika Dahan was delivered to my room. On opening it, I found a card with a note from Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, Maharana of Udaipur, that explained “The legacy of The House of Mewar has been passed on since seventy-five generations and is still alive in our ceremonies, rituals, and festivities. People, from near and far, become its stakeholders as they experience this living heritage… it lives with us and as we live, evolves and thrives, becoming even more burnished and beautiful…” Now, the legend of Holika Dahan, is intriguing. Millennia ago, King Hiranyakashyap received a boon of being indestructible from Lord
20 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
Powermad King Hiranyakashyap, tricked his son Prahlada into sitting with his sister Holika on a pyre, in order to punish him. But Lord Vishnu saved him, instead charring Holika to death.
Brahma. Blinded with power, he demanded to be worshipped. It enraged him when his son Prahlada refused as he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. When no punishment moved Prahlada from his chosen path, Hiranyakashyap turned to his sister Holika for help; she tricked Prahlada to sit with her on a pyre. While Holika covered herself in a shawl, Prahlada was left exposed so he could be burnt to death, but the reverse happened. His prayers to Lord Vishnu were answered and Holika was charred to death while he remained unscathed. Since then, ceremonial rituals including burning of a pyre with an effigy of Holika, commemorates the victory of good over evil. The way Holika Dahan is performed in City Palace Udaipur showcases how Mewar’s
photographs courtesy: Media Office, Eternal Mewar, The City Palace, Udaipur
The ramparts of the City Palace Udaipur are lit up in the glow of the Holika bonfire. Inset: A royal procession led by Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar winds its way from Sambhu Niwas Palace to Manek Chowk.
cultural heritage, is simultaneously traditional, contemporary, and alive. Safeguarding heritage doesn’t mean freezing it in museums; it is a transfer of values down the generations. Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, chairman and managing trustee, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, is committed to preserving the City of Udaipur as part of a Living Heritage. His vision is being fulfilled through a set of initiatives – one of them being the World Living Heritage Festival which culminated with Holika Dahan this year. That evening, we assembled at Fateh Prakash Palace where we were staying, and proceeded to Manek Chowk, City Palace Complex. Here, Vrinda Raje Singh, CEO, Joint Custodianship Initiative, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, seated us up front from where we could observe the procession and rituals. All around us thousands of locals and tourists assembled. Within minutes, we witnessed a palace procession led by Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, Maharana Of Udaipur – looking resplendent in his traditional ensemble with a cummerbund and red turban – in his 1905 vintage Landau, accompanied by his son and ladies of the royal family, palace staff, bedecked horses, and a royal band that led the cavalcade from Shambhu Niwas Palace to Manek Chowk. Cries of ‘Jai Mewar’ resounded in the chowk. After Holika Poojan, where the royal family offered prayers to the pyre with an effigy of Holika and walked around it, ShrijiArvind Singh Mewar, Maharana of Udaipur lit the pyre — symbolizing the triumph of divine power over demonic strength. Then, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar and Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar sought blessings from sadhus at Hathnal Ka Darikhana. The scale of the royal The Holika Poojan has the royal family offering prayers to the pyre with an effigy of Holika
We witnessed a palace procession led by Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar in a traditional ensemble and red turban, in his 1905 vintage Landau, with his son and ladies of the royal family.
Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar is greeted by a guest
Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, surrounded by his wife, daughter, and granddaughters at the Holika Poojan
ceremony was surreal and theatrical. With the rituals performed, the royal family invited guests for a Kathak performance at the chowk while dinner was being served. The night ended with flutes of champagne toasting the magnificent fireworks display. Days later, I couldn’t help reflecting how participating in the ancient tradition of Holika Dahan had made me appreciate the significance of “living heritage”. The onus lies on each of us to keep customs and rituals alive and pass them down to the next generation. Their importance is not the cultural manifestation itself but their values. As Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar posted on Instagram: “Tradition is to carry into the future the cultural heritage of our past. Here, at the Holika Dahan Ceremony performed annually at the City Palace Udaipur for generations.” n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 21
Art
Parallel
Lines A retrospective on India’s most famous modernist Nasreen Mohamedi, at the Met Breuer in New York City, reveals the life of the artist, as we learn from one of her students, KNMA director Roobina Karode.
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hen I visited the newly opened Met Brauer in New York City a few months ago, to see the retrospective of one of India’s greatest modernist, abstract artists, the late Nasreen Mohamedi, one of the museum’s guides asked me a question that got me thinking. “How is Nasreen perceived in India today?”she asked. This prompted me to turn to the director of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Roobina Karode for answers, whose institution collaborated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, to put together Unfinished: Thoughts Left Visible, a one-of-a-kind exhibition, the first comprehensive kind of any Indian artist in the United States. “She was definitely admired during her lifetime,” says Roobina of the Karachi-born, Bombay-bred artist who was born in 1937, and was gone before her time in 1990 at age 53. “But there
Clockwise from top: Ink and graphite on paper by Nasreen Mohamedi; Roobina Karode and Kiran Nadar; Nasreen Mohamedi; Display and writeup of Nasreen’s art at the Met Brauer; Ink and graphite on paper by Nasreen; Watercolour on paper by Nasreen.
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The Met exhibition mirrors her personal evolution. In her early phases, she painted watercolours, using abstractions from nature. She wasn’t interested in the body, giving up all but graphite lines.
was this unexplained obscurity that remained. It’s only in the last 15 years that she’s received attention both in India and internationally.” And why this exhibition at the new Met Breuer is so important for Indian artists, besides being the largest single exhibition of an Indian artist in the US, is because the world has discovered her entire body of work from the ‘60s and ‘70s, her most active years. “Her works are small, on paper, and people never understood her contribution to modernism,” says Roobina. For the first time, the Western world has discovered an alternate form of abstract modernism, practiced elsewhere. The defining moment came in 2013, when the KNMA had put together an exhibition on NasreenMohamedi in New Delhi, two years in the making, of around 140-odd works, nearly 40 of them belonging to the museum itself. “Getting the loans took a fair bit of time,” says Kiran Nadar, founder of the KNMA, who describes how the Reina Sofia came visiting, pulling the Met into the discussion. That is why this exhibition began at the Reina Sofia in Madrid last September, and travelled to the Met Breuer in March this year, in time for its inauguration. Co-curated by Roobina, with a 110 works sourced from the KNMA from places as far off as Japan, and funded partly by the Reliance Foundation, a peek at the works gives a glimpse of the quiet, often reclusive artist, who is fondly remembered by her students (she taught art in Baroda until her death), one of them being Roobina. “When people found out that Nasreen was my teacher at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda, they wanted to know about her persona, and how she lived,” says Roobina. “Her work reflects a serenity, and an austerity. Her art and life were inseparable.” It is in her work, with its clean lines, devoid of excess of any kind that one sees the artist. “She believed in that austere form of living,”
says Roobina. “And the uncluttered space in her work is something you saw in her studio.”When most of her peers in India were pursuing figuration, addressing issues of nationalism and identity, Nasreen chose to in an unexplored and unknown area, taking it“head on”, explains Roobina. A closer look at the Met exhibition reveals a style evolution that mirrors her personal evolution. “In the early phase when she painted watercolours, you can see that she was using ink washes,” says Roobina. “She was using abstractions that were more referenced in nature, and highly gestural.” There was already this sense of elimination in the way she progressed in her work. “She was not interested in the body, even then she was looking at fragmented contours, lines, and borderlines,” says Roobina. Eventually, she gave up everything, except her graphite lines. And Nasreen’s influences were many. In the ‘50s, after following her parents to Bahrain and Kuwait where her father worked, she enrolled at Central Saint Martins in London, followed by an art scholarship to Paris. She was inspired by Bertol Brecht, Wassily Kandinsky and Kassimir Malevich, and the American minimalism of the ‘60s. But she was also taken in by Islamic and Hindu art, and made her own versions of the yantras. “She later developed an affinity for yoga and meditation,” says Roobina. A striking addition to the sketches is her photography. “She never imagined that her photographs would become works of art,” says Kiran Nadar. Asked if Nasreen will one day enjoy the same iconic status in India as Amrita Sher-Gill, Kiran Nadar is quick to point out: “I can’t make this comparison. The appreciation for her art will increase, as will the prices of her artworks (they fetch around $100,000 a piece),” she says. “This show has fetched accolades, so in that sense, yes, Nasreen will be an icon.” Time will certainly tell. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 23
DÉCOR
The Tailored Home
Choose wooden furniture in a variety of types and finishes for a contemporary look
Fabindia launches its first Interior Design Studio, to bring customized solutions and textile craft traditions into your living spaces, in the most organic way, with a plethora of fabrics, finishes, and styles.
Consign quo escerem sperese rorsupi
Now you can visualize your space with new furniture, thanks to 3D imaging and augmented reality
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t was bound to happen. The pioneer of handcrafted textiles for retail in India, Fabindia,instantly recognizable the world over for its meticulously made, revolutionary indigo kurtas and kurtis, pays homage to its roots – home furnishings – by offering a one-stop solution for home interiors in its first-ever Interior Design Studio, launched a few months ago in two of its Capital city outlets. Step inside Fabindia’s Interior Design Studio (in N-5 in Greater Kailash 1 or in Sector 29, Gurgaon), and you’ll find yourself enveloped in a private, relaxed, creative space, with the time and space to browse through colour-variegated sheesham or mango wood louvres, curtain and blind design ideas, or the many upholstery swatches. But there’s a lot more on offer. Fabindia’s Interior Design Studio is an amalgamation of oldschool customer service and new technology that lets homeowners visualize the look of their room and how the products on offer will fit in the space before committing to the buy. A team of inhouse interior designers assists buyers by visualizing and creating layouts in realistic 3D renders of their home, using modern software tools. This lets customers choose not only from the wide range of contemporary furniture, but also decide on the choice of wood finish, along with choosing lamps, curtains, upholstery, dhurries, etc for the complete look. What’s particularly innovative is the use of augmented reality software to digitally manipulate a visual e.g., a sofa from Fabindia, into a real-world view of one’s space to see how exactly that item will fit in. “These objects are placed according to your preference and in keeping with your requirements in a
way that allows you to visualize your living space,” says Rimjhim Jha, Business Development, Home & Lifestyle, on the USP of the Interior Design Studio. Also on offer is an array of choices in blinds and curtains which can be customized to fit your personal tastes and requirements. Handblock motifs, cutworks, different weaves with curated trims, all create beautiful and unique window dressing solutions for any kind of home. From pulling and roller blinds with a manual or mechanical activation, to eyelid, pencil pleats, flat panel, inverted pleats, or classic curtains, the customer can pick the style they want. “We advise people to take blinds and layer the curtains on top, to complete the look of the window,” says Himani, the inhouse designer at the Gurgaon store.
The company works with 55,000 artisans, who have been associated with Fabindia for generations; the association has created an avenue for sustainable livelihood.
Fabrics and dhurries form the mainstay of Fabindia’s offerings; these are sourced from places like Barmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kashmir
Interior Design Studio at GK
Each piece of furniture or fabric tells the Fabindia story, with a small write-up on its provenance. Using solid woods, the well crafted furniture range favours the contemporary look with clean lines. You will find a wide variety of woods like mango, sheesham, and acacia in natural polish, walnut finish, and wenge finish (the darkest hue). Wander around the store, and you’ll come across a four-poster bed with off-white curtains against a red brick wall. There also floor mirrors, classic mirrors, hanging and floor lamps, crockery, linen, candleholders, bathware, bath sets, even items specially created for babies, and baby sets. There’s a wide range of furniture, from the classics to the brand-new Mediterranean collection. Prices for doing up a living room could start from `75,000 for a cozy space to around `4 lakh for a larger room with two sofas upholstered in silk, a bar unit, table, lamps, TV console, and bookshelf. The home textile range is rich with craft techniques from across the country. Categories like bed linen and table linen showcase ranges in applique, ajrak, kalamkari, with an equally wide choice of curtains from Kashmiri crewel to Lucknowi chikankari and gossamer chanderi. There is even an innovative design that brings appliqué and mirrorwork together! “With furniture that ages beautifully and home linen that adds colour and warmth, the Fabindia Interior Design Studio helps you create a space that truly reflects your personality,” sums up Sharika Bhan, Chief, Home & Lifestyle Business. With Fabindia, you know you’re getting to be part of a greater story, linked to the traditions and heritage of this country. The company works with over 55,000 artisans and craftspersons across the country. Some of the families working with crafts have been associated with Fabindia for many generations. Artisans from Barmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, and Kashmir have been supplying traditional crafts in a contemporary interpretation, the Fabindia way. And now, you too can tailor-make your living spaces to reflect just this story. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 25
Cover Story
Twinkle Khanna
The art of
Light Hearted
Design Despite an enviable lineage, Twinkle Khanna, exited Bollywood rather quickly, to choose a career in interior designing, before going on to become a successful columnist-writer. Nestled in the comforts of her Juhu home, the entrepreneur-writer talks about her unconventional choices, what her home means to her, and the role of humour in her life. text by Riddhima Seal
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drive through the leafy bylanes of Mumbai’s upmarket Juhu area, and I arrive at my destination, the Prime Beach building, the ground floor of which houses Twinkle Khanna and Akshay Kumar, along with their two children, Nitara and Aarav. As I take in the gorgeous views of the sea the building opens up to, I am anticipating security checks and a long wait at the wooden cobalt gate, on the other side of which sits the duplex, where I am scheduled to meet Mrs Funnybones‌ err, Twinkle Khanna. Surprisingly, there is none of that. Instead, I am ushered in rather quickly, and almost immediately, spot Twinkle standing at the glass doors of her duplex waving out, welcoming me in. That, perhaps, is just how unconventional, Twinkle Khanna, the former Bollywood actress, and now entrepreneur and columnist, is. Minus the trappings of the star airs. Clad in a plain denim dress, with no hint of makeup except for a hint of kohl, she quickly asks me, if I would like to make myself comfortable in the sit-out area, and make the most of the unusually cool Mumbai evening. Overlooking the private garden, and adorned with a host of sculptures and figurines, with breathtaking views of the sea for company, I readily agree. And before long, we are chatting over green tea and cookies, at her favourite place in the duplex. For someone with an enviable Bollywood lineage as hers (she is the daughter of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia), and married to a leading Bollywood man for the last 15 years now, there is an odd sense of familiarity about her. She is keen on making you a part of the conversation, rather than rattling off a series of practiced answers. No wonder, she has been taking potshots at government policy, society ladies, even at herself... and raced to publishing potential in less than two years time, with her very
Cover Story
Top and below: Twinkle Khanna’s home in Mumbai’s Juhu is full of artworks that she has collected over the years; Above right: A quiet corner for reflection, or a morning cup of tea
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successful book, Mrs Funnybones, which is now going into its 9th reprint. “The column about the AIB roast did it for me. I had submitted the column, was nicely napping, and by the time I was waking up, my phone would not stop buzzing. Soon after, Chiki Sarkar approached me to do the book.” Although she donned the grease paint for about eight years, she has no qualms in admitting that Bollywood wasn’t for her. And post her tying the knot with ‘Khiladi’ Kumar, Twinkle did not think twice before giving up her career in showbiz to be covered in cement and dust. A stint with leading architect Hafeez Contractor sealed her future in interior designing. “I loved the challenge of designing and creating spaces. Visualizing the spaces, and then executing them to perfection, was an experience in itself,” she remembers. It was also through these outings that Twinkle began to feel rather dissatisfied when it came to finding the right furniture or light fittings. “During those days, nothing was available readymade. And my partner and I were customizing almost everything for our clients. That’s when I realized that my next obvious step would be to open a store. And that’s how The White Window was born,” Twinkle says, of her Bandra store. The transition between the two careers, reveals Twinkle, was fortunately, smooth. “Having Akshay around helped. He believes in my capabilities as a person and that was a confidence-booster. Even today, if I take up something new, he ensures he is a part of it. He still reads all my pieces before I submit them. He is like the censor chief to my foot-in-the mouth ways,” she reveals. Today, almost 15 years after the switch, Twinkle has proved herself as a serious interior
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Cover Story
Top and right: Twinkle’s aesthetics mix contemporary chic and Indian sensibilities, as seen in her dining room; Twinkle at her store, The White Window, in Bandra, Mumbai
designer with a slew of awards under her belt. She draws inspiration from design gurus such as Paola Navone and the great Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. “Gaudi’s architecture in Spain was an eye-opener to me, and it has stayed with me. If you ask me about my personal style, it is a seamless blend of contemporary chic with Indian sensibilities. My home too, is a happy reflection of who I am and my strong aesthetics. You will see there are a lot of portraits of powerful naked women around my home. This is not limited to just art, but the raw power that women exude. I never buy art as a collector, I buy it for the message,” she says. Twinkle is particularly fond of contemporary artworks by Rekha Rodwittya and Pradipta Chakraborty. Twinkle admits that the décor industry has witnessed a sea change from the time she started out. And in her trademark humour, she says, “When I started out, no one was attending the Milan Design Fair and the Maison et Objet, as if they were a pilgrimage of sorts.” On a serious note, she adds, “But it is a good thing that there is more exposure, and people are getting the kind of stuff they want with greater ease.” At this point, the cobalt door opens again, and little Nitara walks in, causing her to exclaim, “And there comes my little monster!” the one, we are all familiar with by now through her writings. She takes a break at this point to play the doting mother, before she is back. “Like every woman, I too have mastered the balancing act. With age, the drive to prove oneself diminishes. I like spending time with my family, and I really don’t care what the other person is thinking. Age does that to you amongst other things,” she jokes. Perhaps, it is this light-hearted approach and
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“Gaudi’s architecture in Spain was an eye-opener, and it has stayed with me. If you ask me about my personal style, it is a seamless blend of contemporary chic with Indian sensibilities. My home too, is a happy reflection of who I am and my strong aesthetics.”
a hint of discipline that allows her to juggle multiple roles. She goes to bed by 10 PM (an hour later than Akshay) and wakes up at 6 AM, to see her children off to school, exercise (reluctantly), and then get down to writing. “I write every day, even if it is just one paragraph. However, my thinking time is reserved for my evening walk. Maybe, that’s why the walk is doing more wonders for the mind, than my body,” she laughs out loud. As we come to the end of our almost hour-long chat, it is easy to see just how refreshing her sense of humour is. “I get it from my maternal grandparents and aunts, as we crack up at the oddest of jokes. Nitara seems to be getting a lot of that too. She takes great delight in cracking all these random silly jokes.” As the sun sets over the Arabian sea, and I prepare to bid goodbye, she divulges she is now working on doling out her second book, which will be a compilation of short stories on women, some funny, others not so. “I have already written parts of it, and there is still some more to go,” she signs off, her trademark smile in place. n
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luxury wellness
American
Sophistication
Innovation lies at the heart of the Wisconsin-based plumbing company Kohler, number one in India for luxury bathware. Splurge travels to the village of Kohler, and gets the latest trends. text by Priya Kumari Rana 34 | Outlook Splurge | August 2016
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t’s a bright, unusually warm day in the bucolic environs of Kohler, Wisconsin, with not the slightest gust of wind to stir the rust, amber, and blood-orange leaves of fall. The quiet, expansive streets house one of America’s greatest manufacturing stories, the $6 billion Kohler Company, whose Kitchen and Bath Group is a global leader of faucets, bath fixtures, cabinets, and accessories in six continents, with over 65 manufacturing facilities. It is number 20 in Forbes’s list of privately owned companies, with deep Wisconsin roots, founded 142 years ago by Austrian-American John Michael Kohler. What’s fascinating is how this true-blue American company, whose founder essentially invented the world’s first bathtub (by putting enamel on what was a horse trough, and baking it at 1,700°F), went on to become a leader in technologically advanced bath and kitchen products, and along the way, has created a wide repertoire, selling everything from eco-friendly generators, sustainable sanitation systems around the world, as well as luxury lifestyle products such as high-end tiles, furniture, a world-class spa, golf resorts, and even premium chocolates. “My grandpa founded this company in 1873, and I was its third-generation CEO and chairman for 43 years,” says 76-year-old Herbert V Kohler, executive chairman, who stepped down last June to make way for his son David, at a lunch he’s hosting at the firm’s global communications
This trueblue Midwest company, whose founder invented the first bathtub, went on to become a leader in high-tech bath and kitchen products. It now sells everything from eco-friendly generators, sustainable sanitation systems, and luxury lifestyle products such as tiles and furniture, a spa, golf resorts, and even chocolate.
building, The Beacon. A few short blocks away sits the majestic American Club, built in 1918 by Walter Kohler (who went on to become governor of Wisconsin) as comfortable housing for European immigrants, and is today only of 48 hotels in North America with five-diamond ratings, a golf course, and the world-class Kohler Waters Spa. The group also owns the world-renowned Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, in St Andrews, Scotland. Coming back to Walter Kohler, we learn from our lunch discussion with Herbert V Kohler that this gentleman was the first to take his company overseas in the 1920s, when he collaborated with a man from Shanghai to distribute Kohler products in China, through the Communist regime, so much so that it is number one today in the People’s Republic of China in Kitchen and Bath Products. How did this company, which in 1973 was worth $185 million, begin to look outside, and export its DNA so that 52 percent of its employees live offshore, with only 7,000 in Wisconsin? Herbert Kohler shares his three guiding principles at his post-luncheon speech: “Firstly, we want to
From opposite page: A bath with the Artifacts range of faucets; Manufacturing premises with brick buildings; Serpentine Bronze™ Design on Vessels Conical Bell Lavatory, Purist® Wall-Mount Lavatory Faucet; DTV+; Artifacts faucets; Moxie showerhead in cherry red.
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luxury wellness raise the level of gracious living for those who experience our products and services; secondly, we live on the leading edge of design and technology in production and processes; thirdly, we provide constant quality.” The only way we can understand these principles is by doing a walkthrough of the manufacturing premises, and then the Kohler Design Centre.
Made to win under pressure We’re asked not to take any photographs of the brick buildings that sit on these 85 acres of land, and the sun is playing peek-a-boo as we are shepherded to our first stop, the manufacture where toilet and sink molds made of plaster of Paris are created in kilns at 2,400°F in one of the six major firing kilns. Our guide today is Lowell,
It takes 42 hours to make a mold, and another 40 minutes to robotically create pressure castings from them. At the foundry, we see bathtubs made with 2.5 tonnes of sand packed on robototically.
Clockwise from below: The Underscore VibrAcoustic bath with Chromatherapy; A Benjamin Moore Desert Departure bathroom; The pool at the Kohler Waters Spa; The Kohler Waters Spa Rooftop Deck Experience
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who cheerfully tells us that he’s been working as a grinder here for “44.3 years”. It takes up to 42 hours to make a mold, and another 40 minutes to robotically create pressure castings from them. At the foundry, we see how patterned shower stalls and bathtubs are created with 2.5 tonnes of sand packed on robotically with 4,400 pounds of pressure. And then we see Herman, the biggest mold-making machine in the world, which has been with Kohler since 1973. Robots might have taken over Kohler’s key manufactures in Wisconsin, but it’s interesting to see how the very human values of softness, composure, simple form, usability, empathy, and the elevation of the mundane to create the best experience are exactly what are being churned from design into product, and sent out worldwide to markets around the world.
The design principles A leading US magazine named Kohler a company that really “gets” design, along the lines of an Apple or a Nike. For Mike Bickerstaff, director, New Product Development, it’s about what “becomes timeless while solving the problems around us.” So this translates into products that have a vision, and then putting this vision into design centres in markets like India, with affiliates in Paris, London, Cheltenham, and Shanghai. So designers like Mark and his team dream up new product lines within a span of 12 months to two years. He tells us about one of Kohler’s newest lines, Artifact, a range of faucets and bathware, which looks into their archive of the 1900s and recreate a timeless design. For the next new range Avid, Mike says, “We were looking for something contemporary, with a touch of softness. Lift up the single handle, and the function is seamless. It sets the stage for the water.” There are 45 products in this range, each made consistent so that they look like a set. Kohler gets designers and “starchitects” the world over to collaborate on new lines. “Bjarke Ingels, one of the biggest names in design today, has designed a faucet line for Kallista, our luxury line, called Taper, with a beautiful, contemporary
form,” says CEO and chairman David Kohler. And ushering the design of the future is their Italian style, minimalistic line, called Modern Life, which will encompass 40-50 pieces of ceramic, 20 pieces of cabinetry, plus 30 pieces of accessories.
THE trend of the world “The bathroom is being viewed as a place that goes beyond rejuvenation, a space about how you feel about yourself, ” says Mark. Tristan Butterfield, director of communications, tells us that it’s about materials that connect us to our world. For example, the designs of the future include playful pattern clashes, a potpourri of influences, the super glossy oily reflections of a sleek car or nail polish, or the beauty of handmade ceramic (the new Design Collection has an artisanal touch with potter’s studio-type ceramic sinks, with decal, paisley and herringbone patterns). Some of the colour trends of the future on Tristan’s moodboard, include: white on white, pale neutrals, blacks, metallic, Santa Fe, cool whip, ‘80s leisure, icy blue, emerald, and coral. And then there’s technology to the rescue, literally. “Technology lets you create the right experience,” says David Kohler. “It’s about being the best version of yourself,” adds Mark Bickerstaff. So in a product launched in Shanghai, you have a mirror that can monitor your health and
Clockwise from top right: Stargaze bath with fluted shroud; Kohler Design Center; Designers Nikki Blustin and Oliver Heath; Woodland Sanctuary by Blustin and Heath
Future designs include pattern clashes, a potpourri of influences, a super glossy look, and arty ceramic.
From Faucets to Chocolate Ganache... Origin: A small chocolate shop came up for sale in 2007 and Herbert Kohler, already in the hospitality business, wanted to purchase it. But his pursuit of the perfect turtle terrapin instead challenged chefs at the American Club to produce 100 batches of smoky, burnt caramel and salted pecans from where the highest-quality, most delictious turtle terrapin (pictured), was born. Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates took off. Breakthrough: When Oprah Winfrey put Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates on her famous ‘O List’ in 2009, followed by the ‘O List’ in February 2016 and US Weekly’s Holiday Recommendations. Lead chocolatier Annette Righi deFendi has been named a top 10 chocolatier in North America. Try: Divine chunks, Emeralds in four flavours, Valentine’s Day Cherry Coconut Toffee, Strawberry Balsamic Rare Facets, and Toffee Bark. Learn to pair chocolate and wine at the Kohler Food & Wine Experience. kohlerchocolates.com
connect you wirelessly to a doctor for diagnosis. Also, the technology is now integrated into the design. It also has to give benefits, such as the touchless San Souci toilet or the Moxie shower that links wirelessly for music while you shower, or the DTV Plus, a shower system that creates an amazing spa-like experience, pre-programmed with different temperatures, sprays, sound, light, steam, and water. And there’s the newest intelligent toilet, the Veil.
Act global, think local “We believe in local organizations, not sending in fleets of expats to inject colour, says David Kohler. “The Asia-Pacific region has 1,600 showrooms, the largest of which are experience centres of 40,000 sq ft. “We’ve been in India on the ground since 2006, with two manufacturing facilities in Gujarat, we have a faucet and a ceramic facility, 300 outlets across India, and three new artist edition stores.” We want to help create jobs for future plumbers, a future network of schools to train young people.“As strong and as excited as we are, there’s a long runway for additional growth, in interiors, golf, or power, to drive for 10 percent growth,” says Chris Baldwin, president, Global Faucets. “Ninety percent of our earnings go straight into the company, with only 10 percent to shareholders.” Quite the drive for innovation, this. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 37
A bed of Roses
Bedding
Designer bedding has come a long way, as it’s the perfect way to dress up your personal space, and provide solace after a full day at work. Shveta Bhagat meets three designers who’re turning out delectable spreads.
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here is a growing demand for designer bedding in India. It has gone from being just a home essential to defining modern living. Bedding so far was considered more of a Western concept, with vignettes of Victorian scenes with layered eye-catching bed sets from movies flashing before us. But now consciousness has seeped in and everyone wants to revel in a beautifully coordinated, luxurious bed. From concept bed furnishings to soft, superior fabric and global aesthetics, bedding has come a long way.And no, you don’t need to be getting married to lay claim to these! According to Goa-based designer Wendell Rodricks, who recently did a bedding line for Portico India, “A room and especially your bed is a reflection of your dreams, your lifestyle, and of yourself! Hence bedding is a status symbol.”
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He has designed a special luxury line for New York-headquartered international brand Portico, that is now present in India. “The world today loves the idea of a simplistic home, and the same applies to bedding as well. My inspiration comes from the idea of making this world a simpler place to live in. Therefore the collection represents the objective of a minimalistic home, with motifs that are simple and uncluttered. There is usage of whites to enhance its elegance and make the bed easy to accessorize. The colours used are subtle with printed sheets, and solid coloured pillows which provide a crisp and effortless serenity to any room,” says Wendell, describing his inspiration for the line. Keeping in line with this centre of attraction, Hugo Boss too launched a line not so long back dedicated to bedding at
From below left: Colour-coordinated bedding from Shades of India; Luxurious bedding from Sarita Handa is inspired from scroll patterns of château gates, embroideries done by nuns in a French convent, and antique lace; A Wendell Rodricks design for Portico
Shades of India has been creating exquisite bedding for the international market. Some of their prestige projects include the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the DLF Magnolias, and other luxury residences in metros.
the Boss Lounge in Mumbai. The BOSS bed carries a bespoke concept with monogrammed bed linen. Shades of India is another brand that was until recently creating exquisite bedding more focused towards the International market. Now some of their prestigious projects include the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the DLF Magnolias, and other luxury residences in metropolitan cities. While they were putting to use the workmanship of traditional artisans, they were creating bed sets for stores abroad. They were the first from India to get an award at the Maison et Objet in Paris. Design director Mandeep Negi says, “Our brand redefines Indian aesthetics, which in turn makes for a growing base of customers on home soil as well as internationally. We now do fewer patterns and more of texturing, as this carries an international appeal that cuts across borders.” She is also very fond of using contrasting colours such as red with limp grey for a harmonious look, that appeals to the discerning Indian client. The well established name Sarita Handa, is eponymous with lifestyle bedding. Her Luxury bedding line is inspired from scroll patterns of château gates, embroideries done by nuns in a French convent, and antique lace, that bring back a bygone era that spelled elegance. The company’s design and manufacturing arm has been selling to major retailers around the world – Pottery Barn, Macy’s, Zara Home and Bloomingdales – to name a few. Today, they have two stores in India and the bedding is available through the shop-in-shop and online platforms. The bedspreads and priced up to `30,000. “As a designer, I ensure that the Indian needlework is balanced with contemporary design, and has global appeal. India is a land rich in textiles and craftsmen. Promoting the hand of the artisan but with a global sense can do wonders for this growing market. We need to move away from ethnic and create newer design elements,” says Sarita. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 39
Tableware
Finefor Design the
Senses
A recent entrant into India, European brands Greggio & Kahla have been ruling their home territory for years. We got the masterminds behind the heritage family-owned Italian and German brands, to throw light on their award-winning designer silverware and porcelain.
A range of silverware vases from the Italian brand, Greggio, is now available at the flagship Greggio & Kahla store in Mumbai
S
tepping into the pristine white Greggio & Kahla store in south Mumbai, is like stepping into a luxurious design territory with an extensive variety of intricate silverware and porcelain on offer. We took a tour of the designs on offer, before settling down on an exclusive chat with Marco Greggio, owner and managing director, Greggio. Please tell us a little about the evolution of Greggio as a brand. Greggio was founded in 1948 after the second World War by Rino Greggio. Rino discovered his love for the lunar metal during his stint at a silver laboratory in his younger days. He started his career selling the first bicycle to get his first kilo of pure silver, with which he opened Greggio, together with only two employees. In the beginning, the product range
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Collaborations with international designers, acquisition of several high standing brands in the world of silver, and planned diversification strategies has made Greggio the group it is today.
comprised only sterling silver items but over time, he understood the importance of covering the entire market with different proposals. And in 1967, Greggio started creating fine silver-plated objects. From this, the medium-sized company transformed itself into one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of silver cutlery and silverware. In 1995, the historical brands Cesa 1882 and Ricci Argentieri di Firenze, became part of the Greggio family, which developed the precious production and implemented a select distribution through exclusive dealers. In 2004, Greggio created Dogale, with which he understood the need to continually reinvent the use of the noble metal through the combination of two different materials: hand-decorated glass and subsequent silver plating. Each piece is different, unique, and unrepeatable due to a production process that is absolute craftsmanship.
Clockwise from left: Colourful tableware from Kahla in a mix of modern and vintage designs; the interiors of the Greggio & Kahla store in Mumbai; elegant silverware designs from Greggio dot the Mumbai store
butter containers, and a host of cups and mugs in different mouth sizes, that we loved. Ozdes Kul, from Kahla, took us through the heritage of the German porcelain brand.
What is distinctive about a Greggio collection? Attention to detail, authenticity of the products created by Italian craftsmen, stylistic design research that comes from the ancient European silverware culture, are all typical of a classic Greggio collection. Every piece in the collection is backed by 60 years of experience, and there are phases of process that are still handmade, because the skill of silversmiths cannot yet be replaced by machines. What kind of designs will we see in India? At the beginning of our collaboration with Entrak, we will use the same collections developed for international customers and taste. Once we have delved deeper into the minds of our Indian consumer, we shall definitely come up with a line exclusively for India.
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he offerings from Kahla were as pleasing to the eye, as they were unique. The collection boasted a wide range of colours, alongside a beautiful mix of vintage and modern designs. Alongside the traditional serveware and dinnerware, there were quirky
With around 300 employees and more than 20 apprentices, managing partner Holger Raithel, prioritizes sustainably produced porcelain ‘Made in Germany’. With the factory’s own photovoltaics facility, Kahla converts solar energy into electricity.
If you were to describe the Kahla experience to an Indian consumer, how would you put it? Kahla is the only design brand among the German porcelain manufacturers. The future-oriented concepts by in-house designer Barbara Schmidt and other creative designers received more than 90 international awards for outstanding product design. With ‘Porcelain for the Senses’, Kahla guarantees the highest quality and flexibility. In addition to multifunctional programmes for private homes, Kahla also offers a wide spectrum of classic and creative hotel porcelain as well as innovative promotional porcelain. Founded in 1844, the porcelain factory, which is based in Kahla in Thuringia, has been family-owned by the Raithel family since 1994. What are the most distinctive features about a classic Kahla collection? The brand Kahla is built on the principles of innovation, design and corporate culture. The significant differences are that we are creating: internationally recognized design (96 design awards); bringing innovation techniques in the porcelain industry like Magic Grip (silent porcelain), Touch (textile on the surface) and writable articles; making high-quality and sustainably produced porcelain articles ‘Made in Germany’. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 41
Hardware
Forging a Renaissance
Her door handles and latches feature in the villas of Hollywood icons such as Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand. Meet the lady behind the artistic, Santa Fe-based hardware company, that’s casting a path into Indian homes.
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Anagha Dandekar
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usiness is in her genes. As the granddaughter of iconic stationery and art materials company Camlin (now known as Kokuyo Camlin) founder DP Dandekar, Anagha Dandekar always knew she would turn entrepreneur. “Even on a family vacation to Kashmir, we would be visiting dealers; we never thought of our work as ‘work’,” she says. So when she moved to the US 25 years ago for her MBA, her parents, realizing she wouldn’t pursue the family business, encouraged her to start up her own company. With no formal training in design, a chance meeting with a person who made high-end doors in Santa Fe (where Anagha currently resides) led her to co-found Hardware Renaissance, a niche company that sells hand-forged iron and bronze hardware, for doors, furniture, kitchen and bath, to luxury homes and mansions in the United States and India. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Anagha’s venture is based on her understanding of the sophisticated US market, where customization of even niche products like hardware, is the norm, and where iron hardware has been in the customer consciousness for over a decade. “My vision for my company and products has been to elevate hardware in the world of design,” says Anagha. What distinguishes her products from the rest is the level of craftsmanship – all made in India by skilled workers. There are two different product ranges; the first is hand-forged iron, where each piece is
A Vail, Colorado penthouse
A Lake Placid lodge
A Vail, Colorado penthouse
made by hand, by trained blacksmiths in Jodhpur. “The iron is heated until it’s red hot, and then beaten into shape,” says Anagha. This gives each piece its unique, handmade feel. The second range is made out of cast bronze in Mumbai, which is sand cast, given hand-applied finishes, and is even decorated with semi-precious stones if the customer so desires. “My bronze, with its 90 percent copper, isn’t cheap – it’s art-grade material, not a cheap alloy with plating,” says Anagha. Her repertoire of goods include door handles, door pulls, and knockers, hinges, hooks, cabinet knobs for the kitchen, and towel bars and rings for the bathroom. Drawing inspiration from the stunning vistas of Santa Fe, Anagha creates such evocative designs such as ‘Canyon’, with natural-looking ridges, and ‘Scottsdale Royale’, that is studded with turquoise stones. Each design comes in a variety of finishes or patinas that are applied by patina artists, and are either monochromatic, or stippled, using brushes. Some of the finishes include ‘Midnight Gold’, ‘San Miguel Silver’, ‘Tuscan Bronze’, ‘French Brown’,
Inspired by Santa Fe, Anagha has designed ‘Canyon’ with natural-looking ridges, and ‘Scottsdale Royale’, studded with turquoise stones. Each line comes in patinas and are either in monochrome or stippled.
‘Sonora Red’, and ‘Navajo Silver’. Another uncommon patina is the ‘Grande Verde’ with a greenish turquoise finish. A pair of door handles retail at between `22,000-65,000 in India, where Anagha currently has four dealerships – Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and another upcoming in Nagpur. In the US, her products are available in around 80 dealerships across the country. “We don’t sell online, as the products are so high-end,” she says. Each product comes complete with installation instructions and trained staff to guide homeowners and contractors. For door handles, the only criterion is that a door be a minimum of 45 mm in thickness. “We have some styles that are historic, and that don’t take any locks, in the old style,” says Anagha. “Here, the door thickness doesn’t matter.” Her client list reads like a veritable who’s who from Hollywood, from icons such as Robert Redford, who’s used iron strike bar latches for his Santa Fe villa, to the homes of Barbara Streisand and Oprah Winfrey, and director Robert Rodriguez. “This guy had a mansion near Phoenix, with his own private lake,” says Anagha. “He had a basement devoted to sports cars, where during parties, an elevator would bring up, say a Ferrari right up into his living room.” She’s also got architects and interior designers in India excited about her products, from Sussanne Khan of The Charcoal Project to Pinakin Patel, to Ashiesh Shah. Sonali Bendre, too, has Anagha’s hardware in her Mumbai crib. Anagha’s focused on growth at the moment. “By the end of the year, I want to see 20 dealerships in India. There’s a booming market in places like Kolhapur with its huge homes,” she says. She’s also got interest from Dubai and Oman. “I’d like our sales to reach `10 crore this year,” she says of a figure that may sound modest, but not for something that is not mass-produced. “My interest is to push the boundaries in new finishes, details, inlays; for example, inlays of bronze in bronze.” She also wants to collaborate with designers for new products for India. There’s no doubt that creation is what this Renaissance woman enjoys the most. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 43
HOME DESIGN
Eastern
Splendour
Tarang Arora’s home in Jaipur spells a two-dimensional Oriental charm. Upstairs lies a serene space for the young jewellery scion and his wife, while downstairs holds father Rajiv’s various collections, from art to silverware.
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alk into the house of Amrapali Jewels CEO Tarang Arora, and chances are, you’ll feel you’re in a holiday home, so relaxed is the vibe. That’s what friends and guests of Jaipur-based Tarang and his wife Akanksha tell them when they come to visit. Perhaps it’s the serene influence of Buddhas and Ganeshas scattered throughout this two-storey bungalow in the city’s wide-laned C Scheme area that Tarang and his young family share with his parents, Amrapali Jewels co-founder Rajiv Arora and his wife. As expansive as the spaces are (the house is around 7,000 sq ft, with a 2,500 sq ft apartment upstairs for Tarang and Akanksha), both generations of the family have separate aesthetics, the common ground being the formal spaces where the family receives guests or dines together. While father Rajiv’s spaces have been designed by interior designer Kavita Singh, who is also a family friend, Tarang and Akanksha chose to design their own apartment on the house’s upper floor after marriage a few years ago, dipping into the rich trove of Rajasthani artefacts and finishes available to them lo-
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cally. “We even selected the door handles,” says Tarang. “I got a specially carved, fossil-shaped washbasin, while Akanksha got karigars to create small marigolds to decorate our bathroom.” Another bathroom has a dome covered in Udaipuri thikri work (using tiny reflective mirrors) in the shape of a tree. Tarang and Akanksha love to entertain, receiving guests from all over the world. “The open terrace with the sleeping Buddha is a nice, chilled-out area for drinks when the weather is nice,” says Tarang. “During Diwali, we host small card parties here.” Indoors has a gold patina-covered bar where the family eats breakfast, next to a silver sheesha and a painting of a young royal, a gift by Kavita Singh. A small room next to the bar area has been converted into a nursery for the couple’s young son. Most of the furniture is hand-made in Jaipur, with carpets from a friend who runs an exclusive business, Kapoor Carpets, with top clients all over the world. “We wanted our space to be minimalistic, a bit Zen,” says Tarang. The couple has started collecting art, spurred by visits to the India Art Fair. “Akanksha likes her Razas, while I’m
photographs by Manoj Kesharwani
The downstairs living room of Rajiv Arora is filled with art and silver bric-a-brac. Inset: Portrait of a young royal that adorns the younger couple’s upstairs space.
From top: Tarang’s open terrace with the sleeping Buddha; The gold patina-covered bar where the couple enjoys breakfast; A silver sheesha
Downstairs stocks father Rajiv’s collections: 250 Ganeshas, 60 silver betel-nut cutters, Kalighat and Tanjore art, chess sets, Chinese glass paintings, and the ubiquitious Satish Gujral.
intrigued by newer artists like Asha Dangol from Nepal, who’s done these paintings of a man’s body with a lamb’s head,” says Tarang. He also has an eye for antique fabrics, such as an authentic piece from the Nizam of Hyderabad’s collection, used as cladding on a wall inside a niche flanked by similarly cladded shoe racks on either side. Downstairs tells a different story. Father Rajiv’s collections abound: around 250 Ganeshas (including rare reclining figures), 60 silver and glass betel-nut cutters, chess sets, silver figurines, Chinese glass paintings, worli art, Kalighat paintings, Bengal paintings, Tanjore art, and of course the ubiquitous Satish Gujral that graces the formal dining room. And on the floor, Persian rugs and Afghan kilims find pride of place, all thanks to the rich aesthetics of Kavita Singh. A quaint corner where you’re sure to be ushered into if you ever find yourself a guest of Tarang’s father, is his bar. “He calls it a library, but it’s actually a bar, with green leather upholstery, black and white photos of legendary actresses, and the requisite enormous whisky collection. Meal-times are when the family comes together. Whether it’s the formal dining room in the basement that seats 14 and holds a series of Illustrated Weekly of India covers, or the more intimate, everyday upstairs dining area, it’s all about spending time as a family. “The casual area is sometimes preferred,” says Tarang. If you’re a guest at his Jaipur abode, you can decide for yourself. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 45
Bedding
The Mattress King Young internet entrepreneur, Alphonse Reddy, finds an untapped niche, and launches a luxe mattress company, with Belgian materials and Japanese design. Shveta Bhagat gets the details.
Alphonse Reddy showcases a luxurious mattress from his brand Sunday
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hile entrepreneurs are busy stretching their mindscape for the next big idea, 36-year-old Alphonse Reddy, founder and CEO of Bengaluru-based Sunday, took the most obvious and the mundane, and turned it around into a luxurious mattress. Sunday (sundayrest.com) is India’s first sleep-focused online start-up with highly specialized mattresses and accessories that took almost a year to develop. With intensive research, latex sourced from one of the most advanced factory in the world at Belgium, and design sensibilities of an acclaimed Japanese designer, Hiroko Shiratori, the humble mattress was elevated to its new avatar. As a first, it has a 100-night free trial initiative, Alphonse says, “Given that the product has an unbeatable value proposition, we want to aim at 10 percent of the US$ 3.5 billion (Over `2,000 crore) market in the next three years.” An erstwhile banker, Alphonse, first began thinking along these lines, while travelling on work to more than 40 countries that included Europe, Africa, and Central Asia. “During my travels, I stayed in local hotels, as well as in the Royal Suite of St. Regis. Whilst there is a huge difference in every aspect between budget hotels and 7-star properties, the one differentiating factor is the quality of the bedding,” says Alphonse. Upon returning to India in 2011, this observation became even more glaring as he was dismayed by his search for a good bed.
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In 2012, Alphonse launched online market place Fabmart, that once again brought his attention to the need for a solution to improve the mattress-buying experience. It is an idea that nagged him until he began to seriously consider as he set out to flesh out the idea. It is only in 2014 when work finally began. His dream to recreate the 5-star experience in terms of the sleeping ensemble, made him stumble upon some hard facts. “First, I figured that 5-star hotels only spend about `25,00040,000 on a mattress; however, the same mattress in the open market costs nearly twice as much. One big reason is that middle men take hefty margins and bump up the prices. Second, none of the brands were tested and certified from a health and safety point of view.” says Alphonse. Sunday, is now the first mattress brand in India, to be certified by European standards. The specialized mattresses come in two variants, the Sunday Ortho Plus, which is firm and meant for older people and those with back problems, and the Sunday Latex plus, a softer version for the urban young. “The idea is to standardize mattress-buying, so our focus is on a few products that are highly researched, backed by great customer support,” says Alphonse. The Sunday Latex is priced at `34,500 for a queen size and the Sunday Ortho Plus at `17,990 for the same size. There is also ‘Sunday topper’ to make the mattress softer and a ‘Sunday protector pad’ to make the mattress last longer. n
Style & Substance
TAG Heuer’s sporty Carrera Heuer-01 now comes with three bracelet options: titanium, steel, or a mix of ceramic and rubber, in keeping with its edgy sensibility.
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resented for the first time last year at Baselworld, the Carrera Heuer-01, is the signature Chrono model from the TAG Heuer manufacture. In 2015, the watch formed the backbone of a burgeoning new collection, with a new design, a new Heuer-01 in-house caliber based on the 1887 caliber, and a new modular case design with 12 elements enabling multiple combinations of materials and colours. Now, in 2016, the hugely successful Heuer-01 has been extended to include three new references: The metal bracelet is made from H-shaped links with the Carrera design; here the main feature is that it enables the alternating satin and polished finishes to meet, which are so in tune with the piece’s large, stylish case. The external links feature a vertical brushed satin finish, while the central link is polished. Each individual link is meticulously finished, one by one, before the piece is fully assembled. The piece is topped off with a dual safety mechanism featuring two push-pieces. An option between steel and titanium: The Carrera Heuer-01, available in an all-steel version (45 mm case and bracelet both made from steel), is good for a refined yet sporty look. The designers have kept the model’s signature skeletonized dial, which reveals the chronograph controls, the open-work date disc on the dial side and the red column wheel – a visual anchor with the weight at the back of the watch. The Carrera Heuer-01 from Tag Heuer is available in an all-steel version
The Carrera Heuer-01 comes with a blue rubber strap, and the movement is visible from front and back
From left: The Carrera Heuer-01 with rubber straps in red and white
The all-titanium version is resistant to corrosion, erosion and fire. Twice as light and resistant as steel, titanium was chosen because it perfectly meets the needs of a technical sports watch: lightweight, with a powerful, modern, and unique appeal. Called the ‘Carrera Heuer-01 Grey Phantom’, this model explores all the shades of grey for a magnificent, modern look. A combination of ceramic and rubber: In this version,the case, bezel, lugs, and case middle (all the parts exposed to friction) are made from black ceramic, to minimize signs of wear, while offering an attractive pitchblack design. The piece is topped off with a textured rubber strap, now available in three new colours. Technically, to guarantee perfect water resistance to 100 metres, steel is always present on all the functional parts of the watch (inner box section, screw-in case back, push-pieces etc.) to enable the gaskets (crystal gasket, case-back gaskets, push-piece gaskets, and crowned tube) to fulfil their functions. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 47
INTERIORS
Purity Nordic
Danish design major BoConcept enters India with a bevy of minimalistic, clean-lined, functional furniture and accessories that are made to fit into the lifestyle that you lead. Splurge looks at some of their iconic designs.
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hen you think Scandinavian design, you think clean-lined and minimalistic. But there’s a lot more to it than simplicity, as a visit to the BoConcept store, now open in India for the first time on MG Road in Delhi, shows. ‘Bo’ means ‘to live’ in Danish, and BoConcept, a furniture and design company founded in 1952 and headquartered in the Danish city of Herning, is all about giving a homeowner the chance to create his or her perfect living concept for modern living. This is the philosophy espoused by the chairman and former CEO, Viggo Mølholm, the son of one of the original duo of craftsmen who founded the company (then known as Denka) in 1952, to make affordable, functional, quality furniture available to their countrymen and countrywomen. Over the years, the company gently morphed into the number one interior design brand in Denmark, with an international reach, and today, sees collaborations with some of the hottest names in design, like the world-famous Karim Rashid. So what’s all the fuss about? Stroll in-
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The Cenova corner sofa with resting unit
Mads Mikkelsen on an Imola chair
side the spanking-new BoConcept store on MG Road and you find yourself surrounded by what look like modern, sleek works of art, visions of elegance. Navin Khanna, director, BoConcept India reveals he’s been a fan of the brand for the longest time. “When the chance to open the store here was up for grabs, we got in touch, and here we are,” he says. “The myth of Danish design is that it has always been modern and cutting edge, even if you go back to the ‘60s and ‘70s. Danes have always been very good carpenters, as they have had abundant resources of wood, and have great finishes. The designs are unlike anything you’ve seen before.” In the store, interactive elements abound. Pithy phrases like ‘It’s more than great design, it’s a concept’ on company philosophy hang on the wall, with shelves
Left: A Mezzo bed available in fabric and leather finishes, shown with a Cato rug (all rugs are sourced in India, but designed in Denmark). Below: A Copenhagen wall system.
full of specially curated It’s easy to get accessories, and swatchinspired by each es of fabric and leather. mini-studio. But the most fascinating aspect is the 14-studio Inside, there’s design of the store, with the Osaka sofa, collaborations by different a bestseller, that designers found in each studio. “It’s a different way can be built up of showcasing furnior down, then ture,” says Navin. “We’re The Ottawa you have the giving a lifestyle change chair by Karim Rashid Fargo, a 3-seater to our customers, where we give them the entire idea of sofa with a very the furniture, rugs, and accessories, to comfeminine design. plete the look.” As one walks through these mini-studios, it’s easy to get inspired. There is the Osaka sofa, one of the bestsellers so far in India, which can be built up or down, with our without a resting unit, depending on the needs of the family (`70,000-1,48 lakh). Then you have the Fargo, a 3-seater that starts at `1,94 lakh. “Look at the detailing of the stitch – it’s a feminine design for a very masculine sofa,” says Navin. “It’s one of my faves.” The pieces are also very functional, with dining tables and futons that extend out by flicking out the parts using an inbuilt, fuss-free mechanism. Particularly eye-catching are the Como and Copenhagen wall systems designed by Morten Georgsen. “You don’t even have to fill one up, as it’s a great design on the wall,” says Navin. The star of the collection is no doubt the Ottawa chair by Karim Rashid, winner of the prestigious Red Dot design award. Other Navin Khanna star pieces are the Imola chair and the Ade-
laide chair designed by Henrik Pedersen. “The inspiration for the Imola chair was the tennis ball,” says Navin, “If you look at it from the side, you can see the reference.” Customization here is key. “We have our experts, our designers, in our interior décor section here,” says Navin pointing to a batch of young people poring over their Macs, “We take up projects and measure up a place, and propose a 3D rendition using our special software.” Each piece is manufactured and imported from Denmark, and for the sofa fabric, you can choose fabric or leather from Italy. “The lead time is 12 weeks to customize a piece, and the price point changes with the material used, with aniline leather (in its most natural form) the most expensive.”To do up an entire space in BoConcept costs `10-11 lakh, and goes up to `25 lakh. In the first week of September, they launch their new collection, and the store will be clearly demarcated as per the Scandinavian collection which is grey, oak, white, minimalistic, quiet, and then the more international Metropolitan design, with a bit of bling, metal, glass, colour, to suit city life. BoConcept’s brand ambassador is Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, that country’s greatest export to Hollywood (seen in Casino Royale and Hannibal), whose larger than life photographs take pride of place in the store. In India, actor John Abraham is a rumoured fan. With Scandinavian design fever catching on, it’s easy to see how easily the Imola chair could be the next Eames. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 49
GADGETS
The
Sound of perfection Splurge travels to Tallinn, Estonia, and meets the founders of probably the world’s finest speaker systems, Alfred Vassilkov and his daughter Alissa, who show us how these curvy speakers are tested, to create a new sound dimension.
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stonia, one of Europe’s tiniest countries and a former Soviet republic is big on charm, and technology. Situated on the Baltic Sea, famous for its forests, its capital Tallinn’s world-famous Old Town (a UNESCO Heritage Site), and Northern Lights sightings in summer, it also boasts of the highest number of per capita startups in the world. So it’s not surprising that former acoustical engineer Alfred Vassilkov, founder and designer of Estelon, reputed to be the world’s finest loudspeakers, hails from this country. Driving through Tallinn with glimpses of a cobalt blue Baltic Sea on our left, we reach the manufacture of Estelon, to meet Alfred Vassilkov, his daughter Alissa and inhouse engineer Andrus Aaslaid. Working for a state-run Soviet monopoly speaker manufacturer in the 1970s, the St Petersburg-trained Alfred, who’s now in his late 50s, began designing speakers in his garage, playing with different models. “Once the Soviet Union collapsed, that company did not exist anymore, and I started designing speakers for other companies,” says Alfred of his 30-year career. But the eureka moment came when during a breakfast family meeting a decade ago, sitting with his two daughters, Alfred was gently persuaded to start his own company. “We wanted to create the world’s best loudspeaker, and we trusted our father,” says Alissa. “Why are you designing for someone else, we asked him?” Alfred with his background in physics and acoustics, knew exactly what he wanted to do: build The Estelon Extreme with the the best shape for the drivers and components inside highest sound a loudspeaker, that would sound like a live orchestra quality, and two modules (X-Series) was playing in you living room, all the while looking stunning in it. Meetings with materials specialists and designers led to innovative solutions, and Estelon was born in October 2010, created by Alfred,
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The Estelon XC, standmount speakers with a rich bass (X-Series)
Estelon founder Alfred Vassilkov with daughters Kristiina and Alissa
his brother and two daughters, with five models in its premium X-Series and the all-new YB, part of the new lifestyle series. Its unique inverted Y-shaped body holds a secret. It is widely configured at the bottom, tapering upwards. “We didn’t want any reflections, that we would have got from parallel walls (a boxy speaker),” says Alissa. “So the sound heard from our drivers (made by Accuton, Germany) is not affected, and is clean, without distortion.” The Estelon X Diamond with a diamond The tweeter is made of beryllium tweeter and great high-frequency so as not to crack vocals at high freperformance (X-Series) quencies, while the cabinet is made out of proprietary marble-based composite material (a company secret) which is “The unit as heavy as stone. “The unit weighs a heavy 85 weighs 85 kilos; kilos, but it’s a stable base with low frequencies,” says Alissa. The paint is made in Germany, the but it’s a stable same that is used on Formula 1 cars, and manubase with low ally polished. “We spend over 12 months to get frequencies. this 100 percent quality,” says Alissa. The paint is In a special tuning room, sound engineer Andrus then fine tunes the drivers of each what’s used on speaker (fitted in testing molds) with filters, Formula 1 cars. much like a musical instrument, a pair at a time. We spend 12 No one except Alfred and Andrus are allowed inside the room, the tuning after which the months to get information is noted and given to the factory, this 100 percent and assembled exactly as per the requirement quality.” written by Andrus. “People tell me I have a nice
job, that I only listen to music,” laughs Andrus. “What nobody knows, is that you can’t measure everything. The final 5 percent depends on what you hear.” That is why Estelon has trained ears, like Alfred and Andrus, so none of the Estelon pairs leaves the building without their signature. “Sometimes because it’s part engineering, part art, you might make a speaker that is perfect but it has a small thing that totally spoils the sound,” says Andrus. “This is where you spend half of your time tweaking it. It’s physics and math first, and then art.” And works of art, these are. Standing at between 1,2 m and 2 m (depending on the model), you can get yours in Liquid Gloss or Matte colours in Copper, Gold, Silver, White, and Lava, or more exotic colours such as Blue Cobalt, Violet Night, or Red Rocket. Prices start at $17,800 a pair for the YB, going all the way up to $260,000 for the Extreme, their statement product, made of two modules that separate the brass elements and allow the user to adjust the top part by remote for room size and sound preference, and that has two 10” aluminium dome woofers. This one is made for a large room, from 50 m sq to 200 m sq. In a living room-like testing room, we are treated to a recording of a string quartet and then Adele’s Hello, that sounds like she’s crooning right in front of us, and we can almost point out the various instruments in space with our eyes closed. “People don’t believe that the sound is coming from the speaker,” says Alfred, “They think it’s coming from the wall behind.” Now that’s music to our ears. n
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fashion THE Look Look One
Black dress I like reinventing classics like the ‘Little Black Dress’ by adding a bit of sportiness to it with high-top sneakers. What I like about this dress is that it is really versatile and can also be worn with heels for a night out as well. I opt for silhouettes that flatter my body because I can never resist a box of cookies! Details: Dress from Globus
Sunshine State
Comfort is key where wardrobe must-haves are concerned this season. We got blogger and stylist Ria Punjabi to showcase three of her favourite summer looks. What we got: a blend of casual chic with a flirty, feminine style. photographed by Tiana Kamte makeup and hair by Stacy Gomes Look Three
Kimono Look Two
Jumpsuit A jumpsuit like this is definitely my go-to outfit when I don’t have time to plan a look. The daisy print along with the lightweight fabric makes it perfect for summer. I’ve added a pop colour with the bag to complement the print. Details: Jumpsuit from Globus, Sling bag from Prada
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Layering always makes an outfit fun and vibrant by using different textures and colours. I love layering a basic tee and denim shorts with printed fringe kimonos. I enjoy embracing playful trends like the fringe, especially during this music festival season and other social dos. This is perfect to swing into summer! Details: Kimono from Globus n
BEAUTY
ummer
Sensation
Davidoff Cool Water Woman Summer Limited Edition
Here’s a splash of refreshing fragrances and eaux de toilette from some of the most luxe brands in the world, that capture the zest of the season.
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obody captures the essence of summer quite as elegantly as Calvin Klein, with its vision of wholesome living. The unisex CK One Summer is an exhilarating, rebellious fragrance that epitomizes a jungle, with lime mojito and juicy guava that opens to a wilderness of green with freshn coconut and cool cedarwood. Its glass bottle is etched with a raised palm leaf that reminds one of a jungle. A perennial favourite, Davidoff’s Cool Water line launches three Exotic Summer scents, that capture white sands, turquoise sea, and sun-drenched lagoons.
Davidoff Cool Water Exotic Summer Limited Edition
Calvin Klein Summer Eau de Parfum 100ml
Davidoff Horizon 75ml
Calvin Klein CK One Summer 100ml
Roberto Cavalli Paradiso Azzuro Eau De Parfum 75 Ml
The Davidoff Cool Water Exotic Summer in its sculptured flask, fuses fresh citrus note of mandarin with aromas of basil, sage, and juniper. The mint heart note evolves into a warm, masculine sandalwood. The Cool Water Woman Exotic Summer opens with melon, morphing into a delicate heart of lily-of-the-valley. The Cool Water Sea Rose Exotic Summer combines mandarin with rose, and overtones of cashmere. And just for men, Davidoff launches Horizon, that captures the freedom of adventure, sealed in the curves of its clear glass bottle created by bottle designer Alnoor, that shows the warm amber hues of the fragrance. The airy top notes of
grapefruit, rosemary, and ginger give it vibrance, while the middle and base bring vetiver and patchouli wrapped in cocoa for warmth. The Roberto Cavalli Paradiso Azzuro is a Mediterranean romance, created by Louise Turner, in a blue jewel-like bottle, opening with a hint of citrus, brought by bergamot and lavender, blending into jasmine petals. And Calvin Klein surprises with yet another to-be classic, Eternity Summer Calvin Klein that takes you to an exotic retreat with crystal-clear waters in the summer sun. The women’s eau de toilette has cool palm tree accords, with the heart blossoming with frangipiani. The men’s eau de toilette bursts with cilantro and a salty accord, finishing with soft cedar wood for masculine warmth. n
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Luxury real estate
Paradisiacal Retreats
Luxury company Isprava carves a slice of heaven in the balmy climes of Goa, with unique mansions that span the gamut in terms of individually curated design, furniture, accessories, and space. text by Priya Kumari Rana
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hirty-something Mumbai-based entrepreneur Nibhrant Shah, a former investment banker in London, fell in love with Goa upon a chance visit a few years ago. “I realized it’s the best place in India – it’s accessible and there’s something to do for everyone between the ages of eight and 80,” he says. Scouting the state to understand the real-estate market there, he realized that most builders went for the “cookie-cutter” model, making similar houses with just a few tweaks to differentiate them. He wanted to change the game. On a lark, he decided to build a house from scratch “as a hobby” to see how it would fare in the market. “My brother and I then went about googling the best architect in the world, the best interior designer, and started cold-calling people,” he says. The result:
The Villa Verde is among one of the six villas by luxury company Isprava
a house built by a German architect, that sold for `10 crore, nearly twice their initial estimate. Today, Nibhrant’s two-year old luxury company, Isprava (he defers calling it a real estate company, because he plans to expand its reach to cover other verticals), is doing projects worth `100 crore in construction, from standalone luxury villas in Goas to colonial-style bungalows in the Nilgiris, and hopes to touch `300 crore by the end of next year. In Goa, Isprava’s four-bedroom homes start from around `10 crore, while their Heritage brand consist of traditional, refurbished Goan homes, that have no set
Luxury real estate The bedroom in Villa Azul
price and can go all the way up to a `100 crore. A third category is the Premium category, with villas priced at `2-6 crore, which have not yet been constructed, though a four-bedroom villa, Capella is in the offing. Nibhrant has focused on six areas of Goa: Anjuna, Assagao, Vagator, Parra, Ashven, Morjim, and Siolim, where he’s purchased individual parcels of land (“Goa is a difficult place to buy land, but I have strong teams in place, so it works for me,” says Nibhrant) measuring a quarter of an acre all the way to five acres. The villas also vary: they are usually one-storey in height, as “anything more kills the holiday The interiors of the villas emanate a rustic feel
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A sit-out area at Villa Branco
vibe”, and can be anywhere from 4,000 sq ft all the way up to 20,000 sq ft. Each has its individual pool – Nibhrant has just closed the deal for an eight-bedroom `40 crore house with an Olympic-size swimming pool, and its own private lake. So far, six villas are complete. These include Villa Branco, that was sold to the founders of Spicejet, Villa Azul, sold to a founder of Infosys, Villa Cecilia that has been snapped up by a big Mumbai industrialist, Villa Verde,and two unnamed villas, one sold to an Indian cricketer, and another to a Bollywood couple. What makes an Isprava home so unique? For starters, each one is different. “We have our in-house design team to maintain the underlying Isprava aesthetic – it’s vaastu-compliant and uses Indian materials – and for each project, we get a different external designer,” says Nibhrant. So far, he’s worked with a Dutch firm, one in Italy, and another one in Germany. Secondly, the company sources furnitures, doors, windows, art, and antiquities from old palaces, darbars, and mansions across India. “These are 200-300-year-old pieces that are stored in our 40,000 sq ft warehouse and go into each villa,” says Nibhrant. Even the flooring and tiles are designed in-house and handmade by local Goan craftsmen. The result is a unique modern-rustic aesthetic unique to Isprava. “We don’t want anything that is too modern,” says Nibhrant, “As our
buyers have homes in Delhi, London, Mumbai, and Dubai with marble and granite everywhere.” So he chooses a rustic feel for a relaxed vacation vibe. There isn’t an RCC structure in sight, as all the homes have old stone walls, built by old Goan families, resuscitating this dying skill. The roofs are 30 feet high, and again, use traditional Goan building techniques. The wood is polished with eco-friendly in-house wax, and each house comes with a recycling unit, made in collaboration with an NGO. “What we don’t skimp on are fixtures and amenities,” says Nibhrant. So, bathroom fittings are by Japanese luxe manufacturer Toto, the ACs are Daiken, TVs are Sony, and switches are brass and copper, handmade in Israel. Each property is maintained by a team of concierges, cleaners, pool attendants, plumbers, and electricians, with an Audi or BMW with a driver available on demand for homeowners and their guests. There’s a guest relationship manager to look after any guests, book restaurants, even ensure there’s mosquito repellant in the room. “We really curate their experiences even though they own the home,” says Nibhrant. So this means literally furnishing the house from wine glasses to espresso machines, right down to toilet paper, and suntan lotion in their drawers. And now, Isprava is adding four new projects in Coonoor and Kotagiri, lavish British-style mansions sitting inside tea estates, with a specially branded tea created especially for the lucky owner. An Isprava loyalty club will give customers access to special events like a golf coaching workshop in the Nilgiris by Christian Neumaier,
From left: The poolside at Villa Azul; Entrepreneur and owner of luxury company, Isprava, Nibhrant Shah
Isprava has four new projects in Coonoor and Kotagiri, lavish British-style mansions within tea estates, with a specially branded tea for the owner.
one of Germany’s best coaches, and a session with a suit tailor from Savile Row. “I want to sell a home and be able to interact with my customers,” says Nibhrant. “My buyer in Goa is also my buyer in Bombay. They are almost all, billionaires. I am trying to reinvent what luxury real estate means, which is a lot more than just giving a house with designer furniture.” So far, Isprava properties have been marketed with help from property specialists Sotheby’s, Saffronart, and Knight Frank India. Besides that, it’s word of mouth. “Rich people know each other,” says Nibhrant. n
The dining room at Villa Verde leading to the indoor pool area
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WATCHES
An Olympic
Victory Omega has kept its appointment with history, with an 84-year timekeeping legacy at the Olympic Games. For the upcoming Rio 2016 Games, the brand’s three new limited-edition timepieces are bound to set pulses racing, and become collectors’ items.
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wiss watchmaker Omega has captured some of the greatest moments in sports history, at that mecca of competitive spirit known as the Olympic Games. Since becoming the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games in 1932, as world records continued to be shattered, and as champions were created, on the track, in the pool, or on court, Omega was a 26time proud participant of those never-to-berepeated moments of the Games. And today, on the cusp of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, it assumes its duties for the 27th time, surrounded by the colour of this vibrant city. Omega has created a new starting pistol, a compact photofinish camera – the Scan’O’Vision Myria, to false-start sensors, a new photocell technology
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The Omega Speedmaster Mark II “Rio 2016” reflects the medals awarded at the Olympic Games, in bronze, silver, and gold. Top: A caseback with the Rio logo.
that ‘stops’ time for the perfect photofinish, highspeed cameras for the starting block for swimmers, improved scoreboards, and last-lap bells whose chime will be heard by a billion around the world, just for the Games. And inspired by the dynamic spirit of the Olympic Games, it has launched three new limited-edition timepieces just in time for Rio, the Seamaster Diver 300m “Rio 2016” Limited Edition, the Seamaster Bullhead “Rio 2016” Limited Edition, and the Speedmaster Mark II “Rio 2016”. With a creative nod to that Brazilian city’s famous beaches, the wave pattern on the black lacquered dial of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300m “Rio 2016” Limited Edition (only 3,016 pieces produced) comes from the mosaic design on Copacabana’s sidewalks. A uni-directional bezel,
With a nod to Rio’s beaches, the wave pattern on the black lacquered dial of the Seamaster Diver 300m “Rio 2016” comes from the mosaic design on Copacabana’s sidewalks.
016” pic p: A go.
Clockwise from top: Timekeepers at work, in Mexico City’s Summer Olympics 1968; 1948 Olympic Games, all eyes on London; The Omega Seamaster Diver 300m “Rio 2016”; The Omega Bullhead Rio.
also in black polished ceramic, features lacquered numbers in red, green, yellow, and blue, representing the colours of the iconic Olympic rings. The screw-in caseback is stamped with the “Rio 2016” logo and engraved with the watch’s own unique number. Then there are the other typical features of the iconic Omega Seamaster 300m, such as a date window at 3 o’clock, a helium escape valve at 10 o’clock, and rhodium-plated hands coated in white Super-LumiNova. Sitting in a stainless-steel bracelet, the watch is driven by the Omega caliber 2500 and is water resistant up to 300 metres. The second watch in our Olympic series, the Omega Bullhead Rio celebrates heritage and sporting excellence in a sharp design. The blue leather strap harkens directly to the Rio 2016 logo, with its stitching along each side coloured yellow, green, red, and black to represent the Olympic rings. The colours find their way inside the rotating inner bezel, while the case, whose style was first released in 1969, was used by rally drivers to time their laps, and gets its nickname ‘bullhead’ from collectors who said it looked like the head of a bull. On the white dial sits a central chronograph seconds hand, and a 30-minute recorder at 12 o’clock. Built with Omega’s Co-Axial caliber 3113, this one is sure to become an instant collector’s item. Our final timepiece is inspired by the original Omega Speedmaster Mark II made in 1969. With the Omega Speedmaster Mark II “Rio 2016”’s polished and brushed stainless-steel, barrel-shaped case, a matt black dial beneath a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, with three sub-dials in bronze, silver, and gold that recall the medals awarded to Olympic Games champions, find pride of place. The bronze dial encloses a 30-minute recorder at 3 o’clock; the gold, a 12-hour recorder at 6 o’clock, and the silver, a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The transparent tachymetre scale on the sapphire crystal is illuminated from beneath an aluminium ring filled with Super-LumiNova. The hour and minute hands, and the chronograph seconds hand and hour markers are also coated with Super-LumiNova, making it easy to read in any light. The screw-in caseback in stamped with the Rio 2016 logo and engraved with the limited-edition number. In this case, only 2,016 pieces have been produced. The bracelet is in polished steel with Omega’s patented screw-and-pin design, while the watch is powered by the Omega caliber 3300 and equipped with an Si14 silicon balance spring, and a co-axial escapement at three levels. It’s water resistant to 100 metres. As Omega readies itself for yet another spectacle of sport, with 450 tonnes of equipment on site, miles of cabling, and 480 timekeepers to serve the dedicated athletes, with this trio of limited edition offerings, one can wear the history of precision and sport, quite literally, on one’s sleeve. n
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Accessories
Spinners from the Richmond range look as good as they work
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Rich &
Timeless Exotic travel and superb carry-ons go hand in hand. For your next sĂŠjour, pick these expertly crafted pieces that spell vintage charm and effortless chic.
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ver the years, travel has evolved beyond the means to explore the world. Given the jet-setting lifestyle of the modern-day traveller, one is spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting the destination, mode of travel, finalizing the stay options and the accessories to carry. However, the only difficult thing in this process is that one does not want to compromise on any of the factors. Travellers want their vacation to be the ultimate experience that they can cherish with their loved ones. While we have spoken about many exotic destinations, fabulous places to stay, and great means to travel many a times, we thought of highlighting some of the bespoke travel accessories that can very well be a part of your next trip. Companies like Samsonite cater to this need with its world-class travel products ranging from high fashion to supreme luxury, that are innovative, high in quality standards, elegant, and replete with stylish designs.
While heading for your next trip, take your pick from the exclusive products from Samsonite Black Label, which comprises of classic, expertly crafted bags designed for the travel connoisseur. This luxury brand by Samsonite has many collections for you to choose from, however, the eternal products of Richmond, Imperia, and Lite Dlx caught our attention.
A convenient rolling tote from the GT Supreme range for business travellers
A perfect weekend duffle (with wheels) from the Lite Dlx range
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Accessories
The detailing in the Lite Dlx range gives its duffles a rugged, casual charm
These collections are inspired by the elite vintage lifestyle and timeless beauty which have been designed with exceptional materials and sophisticated detailing. While Richmond is the hard side spinner comprising of three sizes, Imperia, the soft-side line, includes spinners in three sizes to cater to one’s travel requirements, in addition to duffle bags with wheels. Lite Dlx, on the other hand, sports a casual, chic look with rich, distinctive detailing present across the range comprising of a duffle tote, duffle, and a duffle with wheels making it ideal as the perfect companion for travellers who desire an elegant day bag for trips on the go.
The Urban Arc range of laptop bags surrounds a laptop briefcase from the Divine range.
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For corporate voyagers, minimalistic backpacks and tablet bags with organized spaces for electronic accoutrements lead the way.
Given our fast-paced, tech-savvy world, we swear by our gizmos and often tend to carry them whilst on vacation. Thankfully Samsonite’s impressive range of backpacks, laptop briefcases, tablet bags, and rolling totes comes in handy! Backpacks have gained huge popularity owing to the hands-free mobility that it provides to the end user. This selection of backpacks from the Urban Arc and GT Supreme collection is hard to resist. Elegant, understated design and supreme functionality would rightly summarize the Urban Arc collection of backpacks. This collection allows more room for essentials with its super lightweight design and smart practical features, such as internal organization for electronic accessories, padded tablet and laptop pockets for protection, and extra wide openings for quick and easy access. The GT Supreme, on the other hand, suits the needs of fast-paced corporate businesspersons. In addition to backpacks, this collection also includes tablet bags, a rolling tote, and a laptop bag. Divine, the next premium laptop briefcase collection, is designed with a fashion-forward, minimalistic twist – perfect for style mavens! The stylish laptop briefcases feature dual-tone colour blocking in striking hues and are sure to make heads turn. So why wait any further? Surely, you’re planning your next trip already. So fish out your wish list and grab your bags now! n
An Italian Affair The ambience at Alto Vino brims with an element of cosiness and subtle romance; Italian wines on offer (right)
With a wide range of delicacies and Italian wines on offer, Alto Vino, Pune’s premier authentic Italian restaurant at the JW Marriott, is a food lover’s delight.
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n Italy, it is often said, “He knows good Italian food when he eats it!” And that is just the thought behind Alto Vino, Pune’s premier authentic Italian restaurant at the JW Marriott, Pune.
On the Plate Chef Christian Huber’s expertise is evident in the delectable variety of antipasti, pastas, pizzas, risottos, and seafood dishes, that the menu has on offer. A traditional wood-fired oven ensures that your palate experiences something unique with each preparation that passes through it, enhancing the character of these dishes. Alto Vino also houses a Wine Bar with 45 Italian wines including wine verticals and wines exclusive to Alto Vino like the Roberto Cavalli. For all those wine enthusiasts, the place also offers a wine-tasting table.
DÉcor-wise The restaurant exudes contemporary design and essentially brings together various elements of Italy. Low-hanging chandeliers, illuminated wine towers, tunes of modern Italian music, and sporadic clusters of candles that exude the glow of amber, make the ambience at Alto Vino brim with cosiness and the subtlety of romance, a perfect place to enjoy a quiet dinner. The warm and friendly hospitality per-
A chef at work in the kitchen
sonnel will ensure that you are comfortable and your every requirement is met while you relish your meal. JW Marriott Pune is the third JW in India. Located centrally, the property encompasses 414 rooms including 44 suites designed for the business and leisure traveller, a bi-level Convention Centre and 12 flexible meeting rooms, 7 F&B outlets and the Quan Spa – the largest spa in West India. JW Marriott Pune strives towards continued innovation, luxury and excellence. The bi-level Convention Centre and 12 flexible meeting rooms that offer about 40,000 square feet of exhibition space make the hotel a sought-after option as far as significant conferences are concerned. For those who want to have the perfect wedding that mirrors their personality and dreams, JW Marriott Pune offers more than 40,000 square feet of elegant, state-of-the art, flexible ballroom areas teamed with excellent culinary creations from the hotel’s catering team. n
Alto Vino is open: 12.30 hrs to 15.00 hrs for Lunch | 19.00 hrs to 23.30 hrs for Dinner Address: JW Marriott Hotel , Senapati Bapat Road Near Chaturshringi Temple, Pune Maharashtra 411053 For reservations call: 020 6683 3333
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wheels
Grand P by
design
oalo Pininfarina, chairman of the iconic, Cambiano-based car design firm Pininfarina S.p.A., is among the leaders of Italian design and engineering. It has designed some of the world’s most iconic cars, such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, and Cadillac. The Mahindra Group recently acquired a 76.06 percent stake in Pininfarina. In an exclusive interview with Splurge, Paolo Pininfarina talks to us about the legacy left behind by his family, the new directions he’s spearheaded for PIninfarina, his vision for the most revered Italian design house in history, and much more.
The Maserati Birdcage 75th, a concept car created by Pininfarina and first introduced in the Geneva Motor Show in 2005; now looked upon as a classic, that was initiated by Paolo Pininfarina.
We meet the chairman of Pininfarina, one of the world’s most iconic car design companies, and learn about its diversification, recent acquisition by the Mahindra Group, and what’s next on the cards. Sidharth Sharotri gets the details.
What are your earliest memories at Pininfarina? When I was a child, I understood that my grandfather (Battista Farina, who founded Pininfarina in 1930) was a very special person. He was able, thanks to his extraordinary talent, to change his own life and the life of many people around him. The first strong memory I have dates back to exactly 50 years ago when he passed away, in April 1966. The thousands of people I saw at his funeral showed me clearly how important he was. Yesterday I went to the same church and so many people were there to remember him after 50 years. My grandfather surprises me all the time! How was Pininfarina when you joined in 1982? In the early ’80s the company was living a moment of relaunch. The Cambiano Design Center had just opened in 1982 and the Cadillac Allanté project began the following year. There was a lot of work for my brother (Andrea Pininfarina) and myself. We had clear responsibilities, so our life was full of challenges. It was a great time for all of us.
Chairman of Pininfarina S.p.A., Paolo Pininfarina. Cioccia diis adem utem nis
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Please tell us about your decision to move outside automotive design with Pininfarina Extra. When Pininfarina entered the Italian Stock market in 1986, becoming a public company, there was the need to increase the value for the shareholders through the development of our brand with the dual objectives of promoting and protecting
it. Therefore we started to explore new fields of expression for our design. It was a new adventure for the company and for myself, with great potential. I’ve been responsible for this project from its beginning in 1987, and I decided to enter the new sectors gradually. In fact in the first 15 years, only industrial design activities were performed while interior design and architecture have both been developed in the current century. With sincere apologies about the circumstances, you took over as chairman in 2008. Please tell us about that time. It happened all of a sudden, because of my brother’s accident. However at the time, I had 26 years of experience in the company, 20 years on the board, and I was vice-chairman. So there was no alternative for the company and for me. I had to take the weight on my shoulders and I bore it feeling the responsibility and behaving like a climber. I know that my work is tiring but sometimes I take a break and I enjoy the view represented by the beauty of the design pieces that we continuously produce. What is Pininfarina’s relationship with Ferrari? We say that “It’s a people business”. Times change, as do people and relationships. Now we’re focus-
“Everything we design must be innovative. The H2 Speed Supercar Concept is 100 percent Pininfarina both as a product and business model.”
ing on special projects and limited editions. The partnership is alive, and I feel positive about it. What is design to you? Design is the work done to find aesthetically pleasant solutions to functional problems. It’s the humanization of innovation and technology. It’s about improving customer experience. Please tell about the acquisition by Mahindra. I feel like when I started Pininfarina Extra. There is a great opportunity for the management to create new partnerships in unexplored areas and territories. We need to behave with rigour and discipline to display the best of our Mahindra-Pininfarina combined business proposition to the market of design and engineering services. Your opinion of Mahindra’s automotive design? There is always room for improvement. Maybe Pininfarina could provide some help (?) What is Pininfarina’s design philosophy? Everything we design has to be innovative, classical, harmonic, essential, functional and elegant, which is probably the most difficult. The magic happens because everybody in the studio knows that with each project, the bar is raised higher.
From top right: The Pininfarina family surrounds the patriarch in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta; A designer drafting the H2 Speed Supercar Concept; The company’s first plant in Turin; The new air traffic control tower in Istanbul designed by Pininfarina, based on tulips.
What does the future hold for Pininfarina? Pininfarina will have to increase its design and engineering activities. Additionally, the Fuoriserie concept is becoming a new pillar of the industrial plan, not only in the automotive sectors, but also in boat and aerospace. The H2 Speed is an outstanding demonstration of this opportunity. The car is 100 percent Pininfarina both as a product and a business model. Limited editions are laboratories for design and craftsmanship innovation. They are the future, but are strictly related with our heritage. What are you currently working on? Pininfarina Home Design is a project that we have been imagining for many years, and now it is real. So it gives us great satisfaction. n
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events
Thenny Mejia, Shefali Talwar, and Gagan Dutta
Hemant Sagar, Anupamaa Dayal, and Mriganka Singh
Ramola Bachchan
Neha Lidder and Princess Mriganka admiring the jewellery on display
Shabnam Singhal at a jewellery stand Shalini Kochhar
A Jack Daniels cocktail being made
Aanchal Sukhija
Indranil Roy of Outlook, Priya Rana, Shrutika Dewan, Dharna Hassija, Neha Lidder of DLF Emporio, and Nidhi Passi
An Enchanted
evening
Vikram Baidyanath and Princess Mriganka of Kashmir
Dharna Hassija and friends
Siddartha Tytler and Kunal Walia
Sunayana Chibba and Shalini Kochhar with friends
Guests at the party
Kabir Khattar, with Dinaz Madhukar of DLF Emporio
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Taniya Ahuja
hen you pair a fashionista’s favourite activity (shopping, obvs) with cocktails and iced tea, the results are delicious. The Capital recently saw a gathering of chic ladies at Cha Shi, DLF Emporio at a party hosted by Outlook Splurge and the luxury mall, to showcase the latest collections of its jewellery brands Mirari, Rose, Diacolor, and Ganjam. The do was a part of the Emporio’s ongoing Shopping Fiesta, with cocktails courtesy Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack, iced teas from Typhoo, and massages by the Worship Salon and Gentleman’s Tonic. Numerologist Rabia Kochar was also at hand. First to arrive was designer Anupamaa Dayal, followed by couturier Hemant Sagar. Just-engaged Princess Mriganka Singh of Kashmir looked summery as did Taniya Ahuja in jeans, and her favourite Birkin. Executive director, Outlook, Indranil Roy chatted with Emporio’s marketing head Neha Lidder and Dinaz Madhukar, senior vice president, DLF Luxury Retail and Hospitality. The party wound up by 9pm, as guests headed home with memories of a fantastic soirée. n
photographs by Gulshan Sachdeva
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Shabnam Singhal
finesse Furniture
JAVANESE
Sir Richard Branson’s got a penchant for their pieces. Indonesian furniture brand Warisan enters India with its eco-friendly wood, Italian flair, and timelessness.
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t is entrepreneur Abhimanyu Bansal’s love of design and architecture, coupled with the (rather frustrating) search for quality wooden furniture for his boutique resort The Orchard in the Kumaon Hills, that prompted him to begin his own venture, with teak pieces from Indonesia. “I wanted delivery to the customer within the promised time, and everlasting designs in highend hard woods,” he says. Today, his company, a tie-up with Warisan, Indonesia, founded by Italians Lucio Brissolese and Gianpaola Nogara in 1989, has an Experience Centre at Asiad Village in New Delhi for Indian consumers with an affinity for solid, beautiful indoor and outdoor furniture. Warisan uses renewable materials, with timber from 200-year-old plantations with sustainable harvesting systems. “They are the highest level of teak and mahogany; each log is numbered and certified that no rain forest has been harmed,” says Abhimanyu of the pieces made in East Java. With four furniture lines consisting of over 1,000 designs and products, the Italian influence is visible in the brand’s contemporary and outdoor lines. Bestsellers in India so far include the Magali line, the
Riko line and the recreated Dutch antique trunks. Stunners include solid wood stools with natural indentations and flaws that form stunning patterns. “It’s waste wood with high-quality finish, and brings a room together,” says Abhimanyu. “We have rose wood, drift wood, reclaimed teak, bamboo, metals, veneers, and import a particular wood if a client wishes.” They also create custom pieces if the order is for an 8,000 sq ft-plus home. It takes 90 days for door-to-door delivery. Prices are `79.000-4 lakh. Warisan pieces grace The Four Seasons and Fairmont hotels, as well as the mansion of Sir Richard Branson. Warisan’s USP? “Design and quality that will outlive most of us,” says Abhimanyu. n
From top left: A sofa set by Warisan; Abhimanyu Bansal next to the artistic wooden stools ; The minimalistic lines of the living room pieces
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wanderlust
BIG in
Japan
A
s a practicing interventional cardiologist I lead a particularly stressful lifestyle that is rewarded by immense professional satisfaction. I find photography and travel a fantastic means of frequently re-orienting myself to my true north. Recently my love for voyaging brought a few friends and myself to Japan in an attempt to end a particularly intense quarter with a healthy dose of Zen. We decided to explore Tokyo, Japan’s modern capital, and Kyoto, its cultural capital. What we experienced left us reeling with a combination of excitement and serenity. We got a dose of technology and antiquity; and a mix of pop culture and Shinto traditions. We checked into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo, and were soon impressed by the chic minimalistic décor, impeccable service, and thoughtful attention to detail that are synonymous with Japan. Prior to arriving in Japan we had requested a local guide using the Tokyo Free Guide service, a service run by motivated local citizens who take pride in showing visitors their city. Our volunteer guide happened to be a literary individual who lectured at a local university. He arrived at our hotel lobby dot on
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Japan is one of the most unique nations on earth. Saurabh Sanon travels to Tokyo for its buzzing city life and delectable cuisine, and boards the bullet train to Kyoto to find his inner Zen.
The Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine in Kyoto
time to greet us, excited to show us the sights and sounds of Tokyo. Guides who volunteer through this service don’t expect any fees, however they do expect to dine and travel with you, which makes the visitor’s experience even more authentic. We started by visiting Asakusa, a busy market where the street food is varied, reasonably priced, and delicious. A walk through Asakusa on one of the busiest street markets of Tokyo, strangely transitions into a walk though gardens and Buddha statues, finally leading up to a large shrine. We decided we had not had our fill of the crowds and set out the next day to experience the Shibuya pedestrian scramble. ‘Organized chaos’ is the only term that comes to mind to describe this experience. Hundreds of people crossing this massive intersection simultaneously made ‘high-speed human collision’
Whether it’s walking in the green light of the bamboo forest, or through the never-ending orange Torii that stretch 4 km, leading up to the Fushimi Inarataisha shrine, spirituality comes easy in Kyoto.
Clockwise from top: Shibuya crossing; A monk lighting candles; The Todai-ji shrine with the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha; A monk inscribing a blessing mantra in a prayer book. Torii leading up to the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine in Kyoto.
a real possibility; however, strangely enough, there appeared to be an organized synchrony to this apparently random event. Later we gave into our inner nerds, and visited the Chiyoda area where one can shop at Akihabara (a multilevel paradise for the electronic gadget hobbyist), eat at a Maid Café, and check off one’s anime and manga shopping lists. No city exploration is complete without its culinary experience, and Tokyo – the city with the highest density of Michelin star-restaurants in the world, has definitely something to offer for every palate. We picked Ginza Kojyu to experience traditional Japanese flavours, sake and sochu, over multiple courses. Not surprisingly this threeMichelin-star restaurant required reservations way in advance. For a more casual dining experience, we selected Washoku En, recommended by a local Japanese friend. This was a great restaurant that served authentic cuisine in a Japanese dining setting while affording a great view of Tokyo Station. Days flew by fast, and it was already time to head over to Kyoto for our next adventure. We boarded a Shinkasen (Japanese bullet train) and travelling at a speed of 320 km/hr we arrived at our destination much sooner than we anticipated. A JR pass (Japan Rail pass) can be purchased online at a discounted price prior to arrival in Japan and is highly recommended. With over 400 Shinto shrines, Kyoto presents a particularly distinct feel coming from Tokyo. Zen tradition is abundant all around, and serenity is easy to find. Whether it is walking in the mesmerizing green ambient light filtered by the trees in the bamboo forest, or walking through apparently never-ending orange Torii (Japanese gates) that span a stretch of 4 km leading up to the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, in Kyoto spirituality comes easy, and tranquility seems to be within arm’s reach. At each shrine, I had the opportunity to have my Japanese ‘prayer-book’ inscribed in Kan’ji (Japanese script) with a blessing specific to that shrine – somewhat akin to collecting stamps on your spiritual passport. Another must-see is the Kinkaku-ji shrine (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) which is a three-storied temple complex with the top two stories covered in gold leaf. Set in one of the most tranquil and picturesque settings I have ever experienced, this Zen Buddhist shrine is believed to house the relics of the Buddha. Able to find a quiet spot away from the crowds, I sat in meditation for a while and felt my stress dissolve into nothingness. What I would give to experience that state of calm each and every day. As an avid traveller with unending wanderlust, I seldom desire to return to re-experience a city, however if I were to get a chance to revisit Tokyo and Kyoto, I would take that in a heartbeat. Dream big. Travel often. Find your true North. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 69
TÊTE À TÊTE
Artistic Vision
Bologna-based Visionnaire has sumptuous living, jet, and yacht décor inspired by art and architecture. Splurge speaks to creative director Eleonore Cavalli on her biggest projects.
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orking with some of the most innovative designers in the world, Visionnaire, which turned 10 last year, has carved a niche with its rich, artistic interiors inspired by Europe’s top architecture movements. With 18 monobrand stores around the world, starting with four monobrands in Italy: one in Bologna, two in Milano and one in Bari, to Hong Kong, Miami, Dubai, Moscow and most recently at Harrods in London, it’s looking to launch in Teheran, Riyadh, and Chengdu. Creative director Eleonore Cavalli speaks to us about her company’s USP, and some of its grandest projects. How is it to be part of the Cavalli family empire? The two most important men in my life, my father, Luigi Cavalli, and my brother, Leopold Cavalli, are also my mentors. Both are dedicated to the family business and passionate about creating furniture that looks like artworks. They inspired me to specialize in architecture (University of Florence) and strategic design (Domus Academy, Milan), followed by an MBA from the University of Turin. I grew up with luxurious sofas and beds designed by our 58-year-old family-owned company IPE (Imbottiture Prodoti Espansi – expanded padded products), founded by my grandfather Vittorio and my uncle Pompeo in Zola Predosa, near Bologna, Italy. I joined the company in 1997, and was appointed creative director in 2013. In 2005, Visionnaire became a part of IPE. The most important thing I learnt was to believe in myself, and stick with my decision without making any compromises. What are the core values of brand Visionnaire? Luxury, style, and quality. The USP of Visionnaire is a mix of the best ‘Made in Italy’ design elements
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Eleonore Cavalli, creative director of Visionnaire. Inset: A private jet with customized interiors is a growing trend
“We’ve worked internationally with designers like Alessandro La Spada, Steve Leung, Maria Serebryanaya, and Philippe Montels.”
and contemporary fashion, inspired by art. Our collections are inspired by Italian architecture, Roman, Baroque, and Gothic styles, as well as cinema. Any international designers working with you? For our last collection, we collaborated with Italian designer Alessandro La Spada. Last year, we designed a capsule collection with Hong Kong-based ‘archistar’ Steve Leung, and some pieces of the Deco collection were designed by Russian Maria Serebryanaya. We’ve also worked with French artist, Philippe Montels for our lighting collection.
A billiards room with textured white walls, ornate mirrors and matching billiards table; Right: A serene, all-white bedroom with innovative lighting
What is Visionnaire’s ‘total concept’? Visionnaire is like the couturier of a Thousand and One Nights’ dreams. It earned the title as one of the world’s undisputed leaders in luxury design because of how it looked at interior decoration, not strictly tied to a product, but representing an actual life philosophy. The brand’s bespoke projects are ‘hand-stitched’ to customer needs, making us the ideal for private homes, luxury yachts, and jets. Could you please name any celebrity homes you’ve done, and your biggest projects? We don’t disclose client names. But we’ve done many interesting projects around the world, and most recently we did the interiors for the Reverie Saigon, the only six-star hotel located in Vietnam.
“A 40-metrelong horseshoeshaped sofa with a blue agate base was one of our more unusual requests. Our customers belong to the international jetset and demand exclusive styles.”
The rich, luminous, and soothing interiors of a private jet by Visionnaire
We completely renovated the designer suites and the Cardinal Café. Our other hotels include the Leon’s Place in Rome, the Es Saadi Garden and Resort in Morocco, the Hotel Wuxi in Shanghai, and the Hotel Prestige in Budapest. I love the Hotel Prestige in Budapest because of its symmetry. As far as India, goes, we’re always open for business! We’ve done the interiors for Okko, Mondomarine’s latest 41-metre aluminium motor yacht, designed with Greek architect Giorgio Vafiadis. It’s contemporary classic, bold, and elegant; we’ve enhanced the wood panelling and have put in some of our best pieces. Your most opulent home? A 40-metre-long horseshoe-shaped sofa with a blue agate base is one of the more unusual requests that Visionnaire has been able to satisfy in recent years. Our customers belong to the international jet-set, and demand exclusive, unique styles and products, and for whom total looks customized down to the smallest detail are created. We’ve furnished a villa in Byron Bay, Australia, and even here, in India, we had a beautiful project in New Delhi with a private pool, a custom-made cinema room, and even a billiards room. Another great project was my father’s, Luigi Cavalli, countryside house, that used to be a hunting lodge. The whole property is like a castle, exuding a contemporary, luxurious style. Can you tell us a bit about the Wunderkammer in Milan – is this art for sale? The dialogue between art and design has always been part of Visionnaire’s DNA. Five years ago, Visionnaire opened Wunderkammer, a gallery for contemporary art projects in Milan’s Design Gallery in Piazza Cavour 3, which was once a well-known cinema. We’ve shown collections by Geovana Clea, a Brazilian artist, and Brad Wilson’s photography. We also have creations by Michele Astolfi, available in our monobrand stores. n
August 2016 | Outlook Splurge | 71
Parting Shot
Nicole Kidman
Beguiling Grace With a beauty that outshines her age, the Australian-born Academy Award winner has a host of releases coming her way, proving that when it comes to acting, she’s just getting warmed up
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cademy Award winner and threetime Golden Globe recipient Nicole Kidman, who recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with rocker husband Keith Urban, has been filming in Sydney for hit UK-Australian TV show Top of the Lake. As she hits red carpets around the world (she was recently spotted in Shanghai in a vintage-look gown and a flawless complexion that belies her 49 years), Nicole’s also gearing up for some exciting releases. Her new film, Lion, with Dev Patel, has just appeared in the lineup of the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, based on the biopic of Saroo Brierly, an Indian boy who got separated from his family at age five, and was adopted by an Australian family, only to find his parents as an adult using Google Earth, also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Kidman will also be seen in the sci-fi romance How to Talk to Girls at Parties, set in the 1970s punk scene in London. She’s also up for the lead role in HBO comedy series Big Little Lies with Reese Witherspoon, out in 2017. The Moulin Rouge star and former wife of Tom Cruise is also brand ambassador for Etihad Airways, and was recently spotted at the premiere of Genius, where she plays American novelist Thomas Wolfe’s lover. n
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Nicole Kidman in Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2016 and silver python sandals, at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City
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