Luxury News wrap: This week in luxury

Schenelle Dsouza 

From Hublot’s first Tourbillon Only watch to Barbie’s Malibu Airbnb and Royal Caribbean’s new cruise, here’s everything that happened this week.

Aryan Khan’s Slab Ventures releases D’YAVOL Inception in partnership with AB InBev India

After the successful release of D’yavol Single Estate Vodka, Slab Ventures and AB InBev India are back with another exceptional launch, D’yavol Inception. A world-class blended malt Scotch whisky, D’yavol Inception is a non-chill filtered, blended malt Scotch whisky that flawlessly combines mild peat and decadent sherry aromas. Bottled at a precise strength of 47.1% ABV, the spirit is crafted in the heart of Scotland and uses eight separate single malts from regions of the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, and Islands. The packaging gives the bottle an added edge with its stunning black and gold aesthetics. D’yavol Inception is currently available in select regions including Maharashtra for ₹9800/-, Goa for ₹9000/- and Karnataka for ₹9500/-.

Barbie’s Malibu Beachouse available for rent

As part of its promotions, makers of Barbie movie have teamed up with Airbnb, offering fans a chance to live in the popping pink mansion in Malibu. The oceanfront mansion was available to rent in 2019, however, it has since been revamped to reflect the style choices of the new host, Ken! This means cowboy hats and boots, cowhide rugs, and equestrian paraphernalia adorn almost every room in the home. As per reports, guests can request to book Ken’s room in Barbie’s DreamHouse on Airbnb for two individual one-night stays for up to two guests. Selected winners will stay at the pink mansion in Malibu on July 21 and July 22, free of charge.

Gucci’s parent company Kering just bought Creed

French luxury conglomerate Kering, whose portfolio includes brands such as Gucci, Brioni, and Yves Saint Laurent announced on Monday that it has acquired the high-end fragrance brand Creed. This marks Kering’s most significant step forward into the luxury beauty sector. While details of the transactions haven’t been disclosed yet, Kering announced that the transaction will be finalized in the second half of 2023. Discussing its plans for Creed, Kering shared its plans for maintaining Creed’s high-end reputation and heritage while unlocking its potential in markets such as China.

Hublot’s new MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Only Watch

Hublot has collaborated with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami once again to design the exceptional MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Only Watch. A stunning jewellery watch, the Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Only Watch showcases the artist’s signature smiling flower in a gradient set of coloured gemstones. The iconic smiley face takes centre stage; it is laser-engraved onto the domed sapphire crystal. Encircling the dome is a series of 12 gemstone-embedded petals. These are set with as many as 444 gemstones in a rainbow gradient effect. The watch is set to be auctioned as part of Only Watch’s charitable sale to benefit children battling muscular dystrophy. Accompanying the Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Only Watch is a unique calligraphic artwork also created by Murakami.

The world’s largest bottle of bubbly

American sparkling wine company Luc Belaire just gave the world its largest bottle of bubbly ever. The bottle, named Zeus after the Greek God, stands tall at 3.5 feet, weighs 72 kg and holds about 45 litres of bubbly. The enormous bottle, unlike other glass wine bottles, is made of metal and is said to have taken almost seven years to make. It was crafted by aerospace engineers who used a collective process of spin forming, machining, internal coating, powder coating and pressure testing to perfect the bottle. Supremely rare, Belaire has produced only two bottles so far. The first is filled with the brand’s best-selling Rare Rosé and the second, Luc Belaire Luxe, the brand’s popular demi-sec. Both sparkling wines are vinted at Belaire’s winery in Burgundy.

The world’s largest cruise ship Icon Of The Seas makes its maiden voyage

Royal Caribbean’s newest and largest is set for its inaugural voyage on January 27 next year. We’re talking about the enormous Icon of the Seas Cruise which is a massive 1,200 ft long and 250,800 tonnes heavy. The capacity of the ship is about 7,960 people, which includes 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members. The ship boasts an array of features including a massive water park, areas dedicated to families, revamped pool decks, an aqua dome area, an aqua theatre area, a park featuring thousands of real plants, a swim-up bar, and an infinity pool among others. The cruise has two packages on offer. The first is a 7-night Eastern Caribbean trip which will include Miami, Phillipsburg, Charlotte Amalie, and Perfect Day at CocoCay, while another will include Basseterre, St Kitts & Nevis, Charlotte Amalie, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. The second is a 7-night Western Caribbean that will include Miami, Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

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