'Made in France' remains the biggest driver of per- fume brands though, of late, creating a fragrance has become an alchemy of ingredients, processes and people from the world over. We are, however, seeing a shift in consumer tastes from big brands to niche offerings. A duty-free store is not where they can be spotted though. They are typically found in quaint little stores that provide beautiful spaces to enhance a shopper’s experience. A few decades ago, there used to be around 30 fragrance launches a year. Opium from YSL, L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, and Anais Anais by Cacharel are just a few of the big names from that era. Today, with more than a thousand perfume launches a year, the luxury consumer is beginning to tire of the repetition. She certainly does not want to smell like the next person. Discerning users are looking for something unique. Hence, the preference for less-marketed brands or fragrances that have chosen a more subtle path to the consumer. ‘Editeur de Parfums’ Fredric Malle, Serge Lutens (maker of Ambre Sultan and Tubéreuse Criminelle), Romani Ricci’s Juliette Has A Gun, By Kilian by Kilian Hennessy from the LVMH founding family, the iconoclastic fragrance house L’Artisan Parfumeur — all names associated with the trend of keeping it small and beautiful. Both creators and consumers think of the perfume as a jewel, and the making and buying of perfumes as akin to buying jewellery. And what’s surprising is that these fragrances are only just a little more expensive than mass-marketed popular brands. WHIFF OF CLASS: Serge Lutens, Romani Ricci and Kilian Hennessy are among the top perfume makersThe situation now is, on the one hand, we have more people wearing fragrances, while on the other, luxury consumers are moving away from the big brands to brands we’ve never heard of. Though a brand plays a big role when it comes to fragrances, it is not the only thing a perfume lover is looking for. At the end of the day, a discerning consumer will not wear a fragrance unless he loves it. A brand is important in getting the consumer to try the perfume, but it is not a sure shot way of getting him to buy the product. The olfactive quality is most important; so it’s not just about the brand, it’s also about the name of the perfume, the colour, and the packaging. Every few years, as fashion changes, the trends in fragrances change too, though not as fast. This is mostly because a fragrance is sensorial and very closely linked to memory. Right now, the world is going through a fruity moment. What we’re seeing are fruity notes. But, again, fruity notes mean different things to different people and different cultures. For example, Brazil is a fruit-loving country and people love fruity smells. In India, people don’t always like to wear what they eat. So, there has been a slower take-on of these fruity notes but we’re seeing this changing and fruity notes are picking up in India as well. Fruity notes have been popular in lip glosses and products like shampoos. In fragrances, they go well with a combination of flowers like honeysuckle and jasmine. This combination of fruity and floral will stay for long. Interestingly, we are seeing fruity notes in men’s fragrances as well. One example is Kokorico by Jean Paul Gaultier. It has a green fig note. Figs are not a very sweet fruit like strawberries, so they can work in men’s fragrances. The perfume consumer is becoming increasingly aware and knows what she wants to wear. This can be seen in the rise of fragrance blogs like nowsmellthis.com and fragrantica.com. The levels of knowledge and understanding of fragrances is amazing. These bloggers are passionate about their perfumes; they’re almost like perfume connoisseurs. Consumers are also sensitive to what goes into their perfumes and are capable of distinguishing between different fragrances. It’s no longer a simple 'I like it' or 'I don’t like it'. And it’s refreshing for those of us working in the industry, because now we’re working with an evolved consumer. In a country where smells are all around, the Indian consumer likes her fragrances to have a distinct, recognisable note. She also wants to make a statement with their fragrance. And since the weather in most parts is hot, the fragrance molecules have to be able to withstand high temperatures and stay for long. Consumers in West Asia prefer their fragrances even stronger. A popular note there is oud wood. The wood is found in India too, but the smell is not preferred. This goes to show how fragrances are also a cultural choice. When it comes to the production end of the perfume market, India plays a major role in providing essential ingredients. We find the world’s finest jasmine, ylang ylang, mint, ginger, cardamom in India. Along with Brazil, India is one of the most important sources of fragrance ingredients. In Asia, the other countries that are big in terms of ingredients are China and Indonesia. The perfume industry is dominated by women’s fragrances, and that will continue for the foreseeable future. However, we’re also going to see an uptick in men’s fragrances in a big way in the next 10 years. There is already a discernible change when it comes to the male consumer. He is not easy to please and really knows what he wants. Fragrance creators will have to match step. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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I learned about high-end wristwatches before I was able to afford one. The experience was both frustrating and exciting. On the one hand, I was able to begin to list timepieces I would aspire to own in an ideal future. On the other, I was motivated to learn about how to put monetary value on timepieces and where to put my own money. The luxury world is populated by many beautiful items, but it requires expert knowledge to know what is worth your investment. What Makes For A Luxury Watch?Despite what many retailers would have you believe, a high price does not make a watch luxurious. Meaning, anyone can put precious stones on an item and mark up its price. Today, timepieces aren’t the necessary gadgets they once were when people didn’t have other options to tell the time. While it would be silly to suggest people don’t use their watches for their intended purposes, the majority of timepieces out there are worn for emotional rather than purely practical reasons. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, you will derive the greatest level of ownership satisfaction from wearing a timepiece that you feel a connection with, or something you’ve lusted over for years — a restored watch handed down to you by a relative. A luxury watch should be distinct in terms of how it is produced and what it is made from. Most watches we have today are mass produced in a short time. Good watches take time, and often require hours, even months, to produce. A. Lange & Sohne watches can take up to 14 months to create. High-end timepieces are designed to spare little expense in their production. Movements and cases may contain exotic materials, and the best watch cases are individually milled in precision machines and polished by hand, such as those from brands like Patek Philippe and Piaget. A good watch case is made from solid metal (or another material) and can take up to a full day or more to cut and finish. Luxury watch movements are completely mechanical. Tradition plays a large part in the luxury buying experience, and electronic quartz watches have no seat at the high table. Mechanical watches are little machines that apply historic mechanical watch design, often produced in today’s modern machines. Having said that, no luxury watch movement escapes the careful hands of a skilled watchmaker. Luxury watch movements are hand-assembled and tested and, in the best cases, are hand-decorated, such as those from Breguet or Bovet. PERFECTION: Watches from Greubel Forsey are famous for their exquisite finishDetail is really the true hallmark of luxury. Everything in a luxury watch should look and work perfectly. Materials should be attractive to the eye and to the touch, and everything produced in the miniature dimensions of a watch’s interior (such as the dial) need to be the epitome of precision. Among the best finished watches in the world are those from Greubel Forsey. What Is Good Design?The most popular luxury watches have ‘timeless’ design. They have endured the test of generations and still look good today — examples being the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster, Cartier Tank and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. It is impossible to design ‘new’ timeless watches because they simply haven’t passed the test of whether they will look good 20 years from now. Timeless designs often appear simple at first sight, largely because they are subtle in appearance. Flamboyant watches with high prices often go out of style quickly, so simple designs that flatter your appearance tend to be best. No watch can be considered to have good design if it is not legible. Many watchmakers today forget that timepieces are instruments for telling the time. Status items apart, watches are tools, and a tool must work, which is why so many classic sport collections are popular sellers today. Legible watches have hands that are of the right size, and high-contrast dials that allow you to see the hands and hour markers in different light conditions. This is why diving and aviator-style watches are popular. It may seem trivial to bring this up, but it is surprising how many watchmakers get this wrong. No matter how beautiful or luxurious a watch may be, legibility should always be a prime consideration when it comes to purchase. Do It YourselfThe most esteemed watchmakers today are those who produce as much of their own parts as possible, such as Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Zenith. This is important because the more components that are made in-house, the more the quality and design of the watches can be controlled. It is true that many watchmakers will charge a premium for movements they produce themselves. Having said that, it is often best to rely on the skills of those watchmakers who have been producing their own movements for at least a few decades. It is appropriate to ask how much of a watch has been produced by the company whose name appears on the dial. The greater the proportion, the better the value of the watch. Even if the watch costs more out the outset, watches from ‘true’ manufacturers often fare better on the resale market. While brands like Omega and Breitling are quickly becoming esteemed movement makers, even those that do not produce their own movements, but make just the dials and cases, deserve respect. It is also often the case that the older a brand is, the more valuable it can be. Look for brands that have operated continuously for at least a few decades (or longer). Most Valuable WatchesWhen you reach the absolute pinnacle of the luxury watch ladder you find a few common elements. One of the most important things is technique. The world’s most complicated watches have features that no one else can replicate. Those can be complications in the movements or particular aesthetic techniques such as hand-engraved art that only that brand can produce. When you pay for the highest level of luxury, you are also paying for exclusivity. Brands like Christophe Claret offer dazzling technical marvels, while few can reproduce the handiwork of independent watchmakers Urwerk or Thomas Prescher. Many of the world’s best watches do not just have movements made in-house, but ones that are carefully made by hand such as those in a Philippe Dufour. This includes not just assembly of the movements, but also meticulous decoration of almost every part that goes into the movement — regardless of whether the wearer will ever see them. Hand-decoration can extend to artwork on the movement, as well as engravings on a dial or case. Bespoke creations are also popular amongst the world’s most dedicated watch collectors. Top luxury watches are made to order, and often include unique designs, treatment, or other elements that make them unique to the owner. This often involves an intimate exchange between the watchmaker and client to ensure the piece is perfectly personalised. Every timepiece made by Grieb & Benzinger is unique, and companies such as Blancpain have an entire department dedicated to custom orders.Many top luxury watches contain precious stones and materials. These materials may be expensive but aren’t difficult to acquire. Look for talent and skill in design versus a generous helping of diamonds when looking for the world’s best watches. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Collecting wines is a painstaking process that involves visits to vineyards and auctions to get the right mix of varietals and maturities for many, Collecting wine is akin to building ass-ets. It is often compared to collecting works of art, luxury watches, designer novelties, vintage cars and antiques. A wine connoisseur collects prized and highly rated vintages as a reflection of his individual style and taste. A key part of building a personal and meaningful collection is to identify what your allotted budget is, including the storing capability of wines. Identifying the type of wine that you like is essential — whether it is Bordeaulaise or Burgundian, Italian or Spanish, Old World or New World, Boutique or Classic. You should decide an order of preferences and then let that determine your storage volumes. A well-balanced collection is one that has 60 per cent Old World wines, meant to be aged, and 40 per cent New World wines that are younger, robust and ready to drink. Buying wines while travelling abroad or while visiting a vineyard are the best ways to build a collection. Buying wines at vineyards is an excellent idea as the interaction with the wine maker or chateau owner is priceless. Auction houses are a great place to find rare wines that normally have limited access to the public.The most alluring aspect of auction houses for collectors is that not only do they sell obscure vintages, they also guarantee the authenticity of the seller. Another advantage is that a variety of bottle sizes is available. For example, a 6-litre bottle of Methuselah, a 9-litre bottle of Salmanazar, and a 12-litre bottle of Balthazar of rare vintage are more likely to be available at auction houses than a wine importer or sales agent. Three of my favourite auction houses for fine and rare wines are Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Hospices de Beaune. Modern auction houses like Zachys also offer the buyer the ability to bid online. Bidding in an auction is a very easy undertaking. One finds out about an upcoming auction on the house’s website. Often, the house itself may send emails. Sales are also conducted by contacting wine specialists or sales associates whose numbers are provided on the websites. The bidding can happen by representation or over the phone and, in the case of Christie’s, live online as well. Auction houses also allow private bids, which is a plus for the more discreet collector. CLASSIC BREW: At auction houses, one can find the rarest of wines that come with a certificate of authenticityHere are some classic wines that are bound to be on the lists of top collectors worldwide:• Chateau Margaux 1989• Petrus, Pomerol 2000• Chateau Latour 2001• Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 1995• La Tache 2002• Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 1999• Opus One, Napa 1985• Domaine de la Janasse, Chateauneuf du Pape 1998• Vega Sicilia, Ribera del duero Unico Gran Reserva 1976• Weingut Joh. Jos. Prum, Germany 1971Collectors' KarmaWhile building a wine collection one should make sure that there is a good mix of ready-to-drink wines and wines kept aside for ageing. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of tasting versatile wines while not opening a wine before it has matured. Storage and cellar maintenance are imperative, especially for wines kept at home. A temperature-controlled humid cellar or room is a must. The storage room should preferably be dark with low lighting so as not to disturb the wine. Storing at the right temperature is absolutely crucial to the longevity of the wine. Very often, wines served in India are over-exposed to heat and, unfortunately, tend to lose their lustre and pristine quality. Keeping the wine as still as possible and on its belly is imperative; friction to the bottle can damage the wine and make it unfit to drink. Also, for older wines, stillness is important for separating the sediment that tends to collect as the wine ages. There are many facets to owning a wine collection, including stocking wines that one would like to drink often. Cherishing the memory of a date or an anniversary is a lovely occasion to uncork a bottle of wine. To some, collecting subdues the curiosity of certain wine varietals or styles. To others, owning and collecting bottles is a matter of prestige — the rarer the wines in one’s collection, the greater the honour.Often, in my job as a wine consultant, I come across people who barely consume their prized vintages. These collectors also create impeccable leather-bound encyclopedia-like catalogues that are handed out to their friends as a glorious tribute to their research and passion for the wines collected. Last but not the least, some collect for the sybaritic passion of drinking and being able to taste fine and rare wines. Whatever the reason for collecting, a good wine is the essence of a good life. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Now that you’ve got that S-Class and that bungalow on Mumbai’s Carter Road — not to forget the Birkin that the missus flaunts as arm candy — how do you announce to the world that you’ve arrived? And, how do you rub shoulders with the high and the mighty? It’s a no-brainer: you need to be a member of a club, one that oozes history, has a member list that reads like the who's who of society and is near impossible to get into, lending it exclusivity. Ankita Ramgopal trawls through the umpteen clubs across the country to come up with a list — some age-old and some spanking new.Calcutta Club, KolkataOne of the most difficult clubs to gain membership to, it was started in 1907 by a group of maharajas and barristers, both English and Indian, to protest against discrimination by the clubs that were around then. Ironically, desi dressing is frowned upon. Children are allowed only on some days, with restrictions. Waiting period: 10 yearsMembership privileges: Though women members were allowed after 2007, there is still a ‘Men’s Bar’.Royal Willingdon Sports Club, BangaloreSet up in 1918, this club has a long-standing reputation of keeping people out rather than letting them in. It provides an array of sports facilities — an 18-hole golf course, six tennis courts, a health club, a swimming pool, and more. The dress code has reportedly kept out many well-known personalities. Try clicking on its website — it’s members only! Waiting period: Membership’s been closed for yearsKarnataka Golf Association, BangaloreLocated in the heart of the city, and with a 117-acre golf course, it boasts of several celebrity members, including the likes of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Azim Premji. But if you’re looking for membership, Venkat Subramaniam, the secretary of the club, says you may have to wait a good 20 years. Besides golf, the club offers an array of facilities, including an Olympic-size swimming pool and health club. Waiting period: 20 yearsMembership fee: Rs 15 lakh (lifetime) Vintage and Classic Car Club of India, MumbaiHave a 1938 Cadillac or a 1924 Rolls Royce? This club is for you. The VCCCI club presently has 150 members which comprises the who’s who. Vijay Mallya, Sharad Sanghi and Manvendra Singh Barwani are among its members. Membership criteria: Owning a vintage or classic carPrivileges: Lifetime RTO tax, technical services, legal advice, etc. Royal Western India Turf Club, MumbaiIf you are a regular bridge jumper in India, you are sure to be acquainted with the Mahalaxmi Race Course, a horce racing landmark. Set up in 1880, its guest list has included Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Saudi Arabian king and the Shah of Iran. The club has approximately 1,600 horses in training at its stables. For a horse lover, this is the club to join. Of course, it helps if you’re acquainted with royalty. Membership fee: Life membership comes for Rs 10 lakh. In addition, there is a Rs 2 lakh club membership fee. A club membership is contingent on life membership. Privileges: Invitations to racing events; turf club members get preference in allocation of private boxes. And, there is access to a helipad! MEMBERS ONLY: Membership of newer clubs like Sanctum is mostly through referral Sanctum, BangaloreUnlike the clubs mentioned above, Sanctum is new —launched in May. It has 230 members, mostly through referral, says Manoj Varma, the founder. The club is modeled around London’s exclusive private members clubs. It offers cuisine crafted by Spanish chef Joaquin Arjona and a bar stocked with rare imported liquor. Membership: Mostly on referral, but application forms are also available (background checks involved).Privileges: Personalised services, including a 24-hour concierge service. Women get secure transportation.La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Bangalore and GoaAlthough the inception dates back to the French Revolution, the Indian chapter, or The Bailliage de L’Inde, began in 2008. Each Bailliage in India hosts 5-6 high-end gourmet events annually. The menu is approved by the board, which consists of GMs of the top hotels and restaurants in the city. Membership: By invitation only. The application needs to be sponsored by two active members. The applicant is then invited as a guest to two events, where he or she is introduced to the club’s board and president. If approved, the application is sent to Paris for final approval. Privileges: Attendance to dinners (black tie), and to events centering on fine food and wine. SeaDream Yacht Club, MumbaiSail on an ultra luxury SeaDream yacht, and you are in. A seven-day voyage costs Rs 5-15 lakh for a couple. The boutique yacht accommodates only 112 guests, with a guest to crew ratio of 1:1, ensuring specialised attention. It sails in Indian waters beginning October. Membership: A trip on the yacht ensures membership.Privileges: Special offers, cocktail parties. Juhu Club Millennium, MumbaiA jacuzzi, a health café that serves garden fresh greens, low calorie snacks and drinks — for the super rich of Maximum City, this is the club to get away from the maddening crowd. Membership: Invitation only.Membership fee: Rs 5-9 lakh. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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The fabulous Falaknuma in Hyderabad, the traditional yet modern ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, the Leela Palace in Delhi, the glorious Suryagarh Fort in Jaisalmer — the last couple of years have seen luxury being redefined by hospitality players in the country. The good news for those seeking that indefinable extra edge in pampering and sumptuous comfort is that there are many more enticing luxe launches around the corner. Here’s a glimpse of the most awaited openings ahead.A Ritzy AffairThere are hotel brands and there are hotel brands but the name Ritz Carlton evokes a certain magic in the hospitality business. The ‘king of hoteliers and hoteliers to kings’ is all set to throw open its doors in Bangalore soon. The 277-room hotel, located in the upscale Residency Road area, promises a varied gastronomical outing with six F&B outlets. Roof top bar Bang ,from where you get a panoramic view of the city, has the makings of an exciting watering hole. Chinese dim sum house Lantern, specialised restaurant The Market and Indian cuisine restaurant Riwaaz add to the variety. A 15,000 sq. ft spa operated by ESPA and a salon run by Italian hairstylist Rossano Ferretti are other attractions. Owned and developed by Nitesh Estates, a real estate firm that makes its debut in hospitality, it remains to be seen if the Ritz brand (a Marriott subsidiary) manages to deliver its legendary service here.A Taste of ThaiWith its water bodies, a profusion of flowering trees, and gorgeous purple, rust and mustard-toned architecture, the first glimpse of Dusit Devarana is an absolute delight. Positioned as an urban retreat, the 50-room resort set amid eight acres of lovely gardens manages to be perfectly secluded despite being located along the busy Delhi-Gurgaon highway. Its international staff — a mix of Thai, Indian and European — promise service that takes care of every cultural nuance of guests. The first taste at the world cuisine restaurant promises an exciting dining experience. Some delightful surprises are a family temple, a yoga pavilion and rooms that open onto water bodies. There’s much going for this place that’s an interesting blend of the best of Thai and Indian hospitality.No Rush, All Frills If ITC gave the chatterati a lot to natter about with its Grand Chola, then its upcoming launch at Manesar — the Green Bharat Golf Resort and Royal Spa has quite a few talking points too. With a hundred luxury suites (it claims to be the first all-suite luxury hotel in the country) and four presidential villas built around a signature golf course, ITC promises to push the concept of ‘slow tourism’ — lingering holidays playing golf, enjoying a farm-to-fork experience (the resort will grow its own herbs, vegetables and grains besides boasting of a seven-acre citrus plantation), cultural shows and a head to toe wellness regimen. There will be wellbeing kitchens that create low-calorie gourmet experiences, high-tech services (e-butlers in the shape of iPads) and quite a few other path-breaking service initiatives. Looks like a good place to tee off.Island GetawayIt’s been getting a lot of buzz, both internationally and in domestic circles. Asian hospitality biggie Banyan Tree’s first launch in India — the 59-villa resort on a private island in Kerala surrounded by backwaters — scores both on location and tasteful architecture. Guests can literally sail into the lobby and the all-pool villas promise water babies a swimmingly good time. Laidback houseboat trips and Kerala-style Ayurvedic therapy complete the idyllic picture. There is only one blip in this paradise — the question mark over the launch as environmental agitations over building on an island have time and again delayed the opening and the issue is far from resolved.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Recently, there was this incident where Oprah Winfrey felt she had been racially profiled because a salesgirl wouldn’t show her a $38,000 handbag. Racial stereotype apart, why on earth would anyone even consider a bag that’s worth over Rs 25 lakh? However, that sort of pales into insignificance when the most expensive pair of women’s underwear is going at a cool $15 million. At 66 rupees to a dollar, at least a thousand Indian men can wear new undies to work every day for the rest of their lives with that kind of money. The point I am making is kind of lateral, but simple. If you apply the prism of vanity to luxury, then the upper end of living is suddenly open to a lot of ridicule from among the have-nots of this Earth. But then, this article isn’t about that silly prism. In fact, let’s throw it into an emerald-ringed ocean of perfumed blue octane and set fire to it with a diamond-studded lighter from S.T. Dupont. Having got rid of my offensive middle-class blood and its turmoil, let’s look at the business of advertising that separates money from loaded men and women.Forgive Me, Did You Not Notice The Mistake?Neither did I, till the muse of luxury stepped in to whisper. Ouch. I made the cardinal error of dragging something as plebeian as money into the equation. Luxury, or true luxury, doesn’t have anything do with money. It is beyond physical value. It has its own dimension. It is about transporting men and women of stash to exquisite realms of experience, imagination and pleasure. It has nothing to do with the price tag. That disgusting primal vestige. My very bad.Advertising in the context of luxury is but a mere channel of information to the wealthy. A mode of interestingly packaged knowledge about a product or service designed to prompt a positive response of warmth from the true haves. It should tickle the soles of those with the means to own them. Period.More than that, luxury advertising should follow its own heart. When you create your own rules, why follow anyone or anything? Why Get Pedantic About Luxury Advertising? You can always dismiss and package luxury advertising into an academic exercise. But I wouldn’t. I would kill myself among the legs of eels and eggs of cows before attempting to pigeonhole the world’s luxury brands into a format of commonly spotted similarities. Very little copy. Great visual quality. Colour coding. Sexual content. Expensive feel. Top celebrity. Heritage implications. Exotic locations. Dedicated YouTube channel. Expert craftsmanship. Blah. I’d think that anyone who tries to define, contain, and pin down the unlimited world of luxury, would be defiling its very spirit. You can’t really click every mood of Africa in a picture, and you can’t actually hold the vastness of the universe in a bottle.So, What's Luxury Advertising?Luxury is a state of mind. And, to me, luxury advertising is all about unfettered liberty. Where there ought to be scant regard for the cost of execution. The only criteria should be the capture of an incredible idea. The audacity of the concept. The unabashed lavishness of thought. The opulence of production. Etcetera.That itself will be the extended aura of the brand that the advertising is trying to represent. Luxury advertising for me is magical. It is almost inexplicable. And this is something that cuts across geography. The same values work in India, Indiana, and Indonesia — the creation of a magnetic pull that pushes someone to spend a fortune to acquire something that functionally does the same job for a buck or two, and can be bought from a thrift shop. However, not all luxury brands can actually live in this ephemeral space. Masses And ClassesTo me there’s coach class luxury, and then there’s business class luxury. Maybe I should reword them as mass luxury and niche luxury. Mass luxury is stuff that you find in magazines. And television. And some deadly looking advertising. With the amount of retail brand glam shimmering all around, the regular moths in search of mass luxury are being led in by the bright neon lights of our cities’ richie-rich malls. They flock to these places because, for them, luxury is only luxury when someone recognises the brand that they paid for. It’s an insight that gets a whole new rocket when you look at luxury from the eyes of people who have the money but need the props of those luxe brands to step out from their shadows. This is also the driver and power for mass luxury advertising. One that fuels its own circle of retail therapy. Make the brand so well recognised that the tasteless insecure rich lot clamour for them to add pride and prejudice. For the nouveau riche, and the Johnnys come lately, their single most-throbbing desire is to be seen, to be noticed, to be identified as the vectors of luxury brands.Like giant stickers that scream out their bank balances and their ability and mettle to outspend the Joneses. And then, there’s the niche luxury buyer. A consumer to whom luxury is more of a quest rather than a typical end of a journey for his or her platinum credit card. When you are really wealthy, when you really have stopped counting money, you lose sight of brands. Not only do you lose interest in brands, you lose all physical restraints. You are no longer afflicted by branditis. You are bigger than what any brand can throw at you. There is nothing that any brand can put in front of you that you cannot make your own.Half the charm of luxury is in knowing that you have parted with a sizeable chunk of money to acquire it. The challenge makes it worthwhile. It gives you a certain admission of success. But when you elevate to a level where money is no longer to be protected or saved, then life changes you. People Build Luxury Around You The other day, I happened to be in the same room as the richest man in the world. And the middle-class advertising bloke that I was and still am, I discreetly searched for telltale logos, names and monograms, anything that I could discover. It would have been good to know what kind of shoes he wore, what suit, what pen, what shirt, what watch, what glasses, etc. But I couldn’t see a thing. I couldn’t make out a single brand. He was conspicuously shorn of logos. Absolutely antiseptic. He probably didn’t want to lend his name to any brand. Because, at his level, and with his global standing, he is expected to wear the best. More than anything else, he automatically would become an ambassador for any brand. Any thing he eats, drinks, sees, listens, uses, etc. It’s terrible in one way — it’s the price you pay when you are king of the mountain. It’s also incredibly liberating. Your Wish Is Your Own Command The interesting thing is that once you have the money, you stretch. Your mind gets to travel in all directions. You think of things that don’t exist. You are no longer held back by the gravity of funds, budgets, accounts and other things that matter to most human beings.Plus, if you have a creative slant of thinking, and the money to spend, then there’s really nothing that can stop you from pampering yourself. From a humble champagne shower in your bedroom, to 464-day-old lamb shanks exquisitely braised in the sauce of raisins grown in the belly of a secret grotto just where the Equator meets the Amazon closest to the Atlantic. It’s a state of mind where you decide what you want. Your imagination wants you to have the best in everything. Nothing can be a common version. Luxury Permeates Everything There’s a luxury version of everything on this planet. From cakes to watches, holidays to homes to wines, shoes to travel and planes. From yachts to caviar, suitcases to extreme adventure, gem-encrusted plates to chocolate truffle chappals, designer birthings to extravagant deaths.You really think you want to be buried alongside the average millionaire? Damn. What a poor soul. The way to look at this is through the eyes of the opportunity and ideas that life offers both luxury brands and luxury advertising. After All, Luxury Is Prime PlumageAs the world spins into another age, where the luxury market evolves and grows ever tempting, advertising too will find its way into newer expressions. While mass luxury will continue to regale its Juicy-wearing clientele to take home expensive clothing, cars, holidays, and a hundred more daily medals of opulence, the niche luxury market will continue to become more word of mouth and mysterious.Imagine this select slice of life from the future world of luxury. I am pretty sure there will be ocean-based clubs that hawk memberships of a billion dollars, private submarines that can run on nuclear power and with self-contained swimming pools, underwater communities that don’t have to depend on land for anything, expansive marine golf courses built on the heaving waters of the oceans, and whole new island countries built on gigantic floating vessels. Advertising for these won’t be through regular channels. It will find new channels. Like a whole new stream of extreme luxury offers that stream under the morass of the Internet. Accessible only through genetic passkeys. Who knows what might happen in that nether zone? I am not even sure there will be a market for ultra-end advertising as well. I personally feel that the niche luxury world is going to mutate into an unknown and invisible market. And the advertising world will also play along and rediscover equally compelling expressions. I am pretty sure that we are living in interesting times, and I think awesome times are around the corner. Here’s to restless mankind! (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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During the past few years, luxury houses have faced the dilemma of exclusivity versus accessibility. The temptation to sell to the new affluent and aspirational classes and conquer new destinations is strong. But with that comes the risk of diluting the codes and essence of luxury.However, for some luxury brands, becoming accessible through affordable products, mass market lines, mass communication and mass distribution is an irreversible and unstoppable trend. In a world of ‘no distance, no time’, one can buy a branded bag seen in a glossy luxury magazine from any corner of the globe, be it Paris, New York, Moscow or Beijing. Stores across the world come with the same look and feel as the flagship store; it’s shopping minus the jetlag! In fact, the added bonus is the service the staff provide you in your mother tongue, which makes you may feel at home. But this overarching reach of luxury has led to paradoxes, including misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what constitutes luxury. By going mass, some luxury brands have diluted their original significance, and their reputation. This has eroded their exclusivity, which is key to their success. On the other hand, there are those brands that have chosen a different goal, and resisted exponential growth. These represent the silent world of bespoke. The movement is supported by artisans and craftsmen, as well as the purveyors of quality, rarity and history. Bespoke is for those who do not want to flaunt logos, or outwardly visible products.“The joy of seeing a client getting a watch that is exactly as per his wishes, and the fact that we will never create the same watch twice, is truly stimulating and challenging,” says Mikael Bourgeois of MB Watches.Bespoke is not a new concept. Its loyal patrons have been crowned heads, maharajas and nawabs, who, in turn, have lent some luxury houses and craftsmen a sterling reputation. Bespoke now represents a transformation in the way luxury is consumed: it is a deliberate choice of going ‘personal’ and ‘sustainable’. “A woman can be beautiful in a dress. But she becomes outstanding when there is a genuine connection between her and her gown,” says Fanny Liautard, who designs unique and exclusive wedding dresses and accessories.Bespoke, not to be confused with tailor-made, is the pinnacle of luxury. The word is derived from ‘bespeak’, which means to speak for something. It is a very high degree of customisation. The buyer’s involvement starts from the very beginning where he expresses his dreams, needs, features, fit, and more. It continues into the various other steps of production, right up to the point of delivery. ONE OF A KIND: Maison Corthay (left) offers bespoke shoes as well as product alterations from its ready-to-wear line; aMikael Bourgeois watch takes shapeSome luxury houses, like Louis Vuitton, prefer using the term ‘special orders’ (les commandes spéciales). Even in ‘special orders’ they make a distinction between a made-to-order product, which is in fact a piece selected from the permanent collection but re-interpreted in other materials, and the custom-made order, which is a unique, one-off creation that perfectly balances the customer’s wishes, the technicalities and the established design codes of the company. Take, for instance, master shoemaker Maison Corthay, Bottier Contemporain Paris. Their success is based on two types of services. They offer supreme quality shoes with bespoke service, and also allow customers to handpick a model from the ready-to-wear collection, alter their specifications and select the leather and the colour in what comes close to the bespoke experience.Bespoke escapes the spiral of high-budget advertising and extravagant promotions. The magic strategy is ‘word of mouth’, which means the ‘buzz’ will be passed to you as a chance as well as a secret to be kept within the circle of ‘connoisseurs’. For Pierre Corthay, the footwear artist, this strategy worked quite effectively as it led to him designing 150 pairs of bespoke shoes for the Sultan of Brunei. The philosophy of bespoke relies on a close, personal and creative communication between the customer and the ‘artisan’. “Our clients prefer a kind of return to tradition, personalised advice, patient sessions of listening and understanding their needs, specifications and dreams. They value the unique relation they have with their ‘personal master tailor’,” said Charles de Luca, Marc de Luca’s son, during an interview at his Parisian atelier located at the Place de la Madeleine. Camps de Luca is a luxury house that spans three generations of master tailors. This is also underlined by Paris-based Liautard: “My key strength is listening to and the attention paid to my clients. My approach is to observe my clients’ personality to offer them a creation that will add magic to an exceptional event. I need to reach a stage of affinity and confidence with them.” break-page=breakEntering the world of bespoke is like opening the doors of some hundred-year-old prestigious houses. Patrick Louis Vuitton, representing the fifth generation of the founding family, personally oversees the ‘special order’ department, at the historic Asnieres workshop where more than 400 orders are executed per year. For over a century and a half, Louis Vuitton has been designing fine luggage for special orders. Patrick, inspired by his ancestors, followed in their tracks, and trained for many years to perfect his craft.Mostly, artisans start training at an early age. “I began my apprenticeship at the age of 16, and spent 12 years learning the trade,” says Marc de Luca. He adds with a smile, “To become a master tailor, it takes a minimum of 15 years.” “It is in the perseverance of work that we manage to sublimate the creation,” confirms Franck Benito, an artisan who specialises in bespoke crystal products.However, there are also some young companies that specialise in the niche world of bespoke, escaping from the doctrines of market-driven businesses. Luxury house Pinel & Pinel is just a little over 10 years old and gives life to unique orders, especially trunks. LEGACY: For over 150 years, Louis Vuitton has executed special orders in fine luggage“To me, the meaning of creating a haute horlogerie timepiece is to make a watch that remains timelessly beautiful and is designed to live much longer than us,” says Bourgeois, the owner and creative brain behind MB Watches. The notion of quality naturally includes a selection of the best and most beautiful components. Sometimes, making a bespoke piece can take months. Many of the production steps are manual; for instance, the first sketches are drawn by hand. “Following the finalisation of the pattern, 65-75 hours are needed to make a suit,” explains de Luca, adding that more than 95 per cent of the work on their jackets is done by hand. For instance, 15 minutes are required to make a handmade buttonhole, while it takes just 90 minutes to make a whole suit in a factory!And this is without including the number of hours that go into taking care of the technical and innovative challenges. “My greatest reward is when a client marvels at a mechanical movement or gets impressed on discovering all the intricate details of his masterpiece,” shares a proud Bourgeois. A bespoke order is charged with passion and emotions as it tells a story. “The most beautiful request came from a man who wanted us to create a watch for his son, who was born a few hours earlier. In such projects, we forget the technical aspects, the theory. Suddenly everything just becomes emotional,” says Bourgeois. Last but not the least, bespoke is not only the privilege of individual customers. Corporates, hotels and those connected to art and culture also commission such pieces to personalise their professional environment. An example is the prestigious luxury Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. Many bespoke pieces were commissioned to decorate the gastronomic restaurant and the bar section: a console designed by Philippe Stark and Lalique, a sofa designed by Sonia Rykiel, among others.Focusing on extreme personalisation signals the revival of the authentic values of a luxury company. Once you have been part of the bespoke experience, you will never go back to commercial products. You will ask for the best and nothing less will do. Véronique Polès Mumbai-based luxury and lifestyle consultant to French companies (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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Going Out Of Town?There’s quite a deluge of travel-related apps, with new ones turning up every day. PNR Status by Ixigo is a one-stop app for both train and flight details. The free app for Android has a nice interface, but needs you to enter your email id, PNR number, date of travel and where you bought your ticket – a little too much information, I thought. Isn’t a PNR number unique enough to get you what you need? Anyway, once you’ve put in these bits of information you get your page of flight or train details and can call the airline or check-in via the app, which takes you to the airline’s website. You could just use the airline’s app, of course, but if you have a mix of train journeys and flights, you may find PNR Status useful. The nice thing is, you continue to get useful alerts and prompts until you’re on your way. Air Call AnswerPhone companies that make devices without any strong distinguishing features make a big noise about how you can do things like answer a call with the wave of a hand. Well, that’s just the proximity sensor at work, and all it needs is the command to tell it what to do when faced with a certain situation. So if you want this piece of magic on your Android phone, head to the Play Store and download the free Air Call Answer. Enable it. And there you have it! Now, all you need to do is let the proximity sensor on the top of your phone see your hand or finger moving and the call can be answered. Even better, just lift the phone to your ear and the call engages. Obviously, as the sensor gets the same kind of input, it’ll work. There are many similar tweaks you can make to an Android phone yourself ratherthan take the marketing bait thrown at you. Attack Of The Carrot There was a time when you could thwack your alarm clock into silence and go back to sleep. But these days your clock lives in your phone where it gets smarter and smarter until it finally outsmarts you. This is true of the Carrot alarm clock for iOS, which will just about torture you if you don’t wake up. There are specific actions you have to perform to silence the alarm such as swiping on a certain part of the screen. When Carrot sees lack of compliance, it will go into torture mode until it eventually threatens to kill a kitten if you don’t get up. The app has a gesture-based interface but is otherwise simple and doesn’t let you set multiple alarms. It’s strictly a wake-up machine, and an extra snooze will cost you. As time goes on, your tasks will become tougher and Carrot will be ruder. The app costs $0.99.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 23-09-2013)
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