Ruhi Gilder
The year 2022 brings with it landmark anniversaries for couture brands like Chanel and Porsche, who announced special launches on these occasions. The past week also brought with it sad news as the loss of André Leon Talley hit the fashion world. Read on to stay in the know on everything luxury, in India and around the world.
In memory of
A revolutionary voice in the fashion world, André Leon Talley, former Vogue Creative Director, died at 73 on January 18 due to a heart attack and COVID-19 complications. Talley built a name for himself as a person of colour amidst an industry that was predominantly white at the time. He worked at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, WWD, W, Ebony, and of course, Vogue, also starred as a judge on America’s Next Top Model.
The power of five
Sotheby’s is to auction a rare fancy black diamond called The Enigma. The diamond is 555.55 carats, cut in 55 facets and is set to fetch a £5 million. “A treasure from interstellar space,” it is thought to have been created from a meteoric impact or emerged from a diamond-bearing asteroid that collided with Earth. The Enigma will be auctioned off in special single lot online sale from February 3-9.
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50 years of excellence
Luxury carmaker Porsche is celebrating 50 years of Porsche Design with an exclusive 911 model. Limited to 750 vehicles, the automobile has features and details that pay homage to the iconic designs of Ferdinand Alexander (F.A.) Porsche, including a plain black exterior, the classic checked pattern of the Sport-Tex seat centre panels and the red second hand of the Porsche Design Subsecond clock from the Sport Chrono Package.
The rise of Richemont
Richemont, parent company of labels like Cartier and Piaget, announced the rise of sales to the tune of 35% in the year 2021. The rise was led by the jewellery sector, which includes brands like Buccellati, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, whose sales increased by 38%. Fashion and accessories houses reported a sales growth of 37% at constant exchange rates, sustained by Chloé, Montblanc and Peter Millar. Strongest performance was reported in the Americas and Europe, according to Richemont.
A bijoux masterpiece
To celebrate 90 years since the launch of Coco Chanel’s first and only high jewellery collection, Chanel is launching a “1932” special jewellery edit. The French fashion house unveiled “Allure Céleste,” a necklace that is part of the brand’s upcoming high jewellery collection. The crescent moon takes centre-stage holding the 55.55-carat sapphire, while the comet is an 8.02-carat pear-shaped diamond. The star has a 2.52-carat circular cut-out at its centre, with another 40 carats raised by 1,031 brilliant-cut diamonds of the design.
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Mercedes goes vocal for local
German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz announced the launch of its new EQS EV in India. To be launched in the second half of ‘22, the EQS will be assembled locally in India, more specifically in the automobile manufacturer’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra. The EQS will be launched in two variants – EQS450 which is a rear-wheel drive, and the EQS580 4Matic, a dual-motor all-wheel drive. Both variants use a 107.8kWh battery that offers an impressive 770 km on a full charge, churning out 523-horsepower and 856-Nm of torque.
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Head to ‘Somewhere Else’
Singer Pharrell Williams and hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman of Groot Hospitality announced their newest collaborative project, a hotel on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Named ‘Somewhere Else,’ the 400-room hotel is slated to open in January 2024. The décor will reportedly be centred around “tropical modernism”.
Into the metaverse
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Gucci and SUPERPLASTIC, creator of animated celebs, vinyl toys and digital collectibles, are to launch SUPERGUCCI, a three-part series of limited-edition NFTs. Inspired by the House’s signature patterns, icons, and symbols, the collection will drop February 1 on Gucci’s online concept store, Vault. The first drop will feature 10 exclusive NFT pieces, each accompanied by a ceramic sculpture. Gucci’s journey will be recreated through the lens of Superplastic’s synthetic celebrities Janky and Guggimon.
Introducing subscriptions
Meta announced the introduction of subscriptions on social media platform, Instagram to help native creators monetize their content. This business model has been rolled out to select US-based influencers who will be able to set a monthly price of their choice. Benefits of subscribing include access to exclusive lives, stories, and badges for subscribers.
Smart watches
On January 15, Louis Vuitton dropped a new set of timepieces, the Tambour Horizon Light Up. The 44mm smartwatch has a convex case profile similar to the original Tambour watch and gives off the feeling of an endless screen. 24 LED lights animate the signature Louis Vuitton Monogram ring, the colours can be customised with 11 bold new gradients and features and multiple built-in watch faces.
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