The Oxford Dictionary defines luxury as “a thing that is expensive and pleasant but not essential”. But what does it mean to those who have been living in the lap of luxury? From entrepreneurs to heads of multi-million dollar businesses to erstwhile royalty, luxury means different things to different people.
“Luxury to me is all about defining myself. Even before you speak, the first impression is made depending upon how you carry yourself, and that is very important to me. Yes, it should be comfortable, but to be honest, sometimes I can give up on the comfort if it is fashionable,” laughs philanthropist Sudha Reddy, wife of Hyderabad-based billionaire P.V. Krishna Reddy, Managing Director of the privately held Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. “Of course, the ultimate luxury is the happiness inside you; only then will the external things beautify,” she adds.
In the first week of May, as Reddy walked the red carpet at the Met Gala, fashion’s biggest event, in New York, global media took notice. Dressed in a white gown designed by Indian couturier Tarun Tahiliani, Reddy was wearing a 180-carat diamond necklace. At an event where most of the jewellery being worn by celebrities is sponsored, Reddy’s necklace, rumoured to be worth $10 million, was from her personal collection. “It has four big heart-shaped diamonds, and it took me five-six years to collect them. They reflect my husband, my two sons, and myself,” says the 45-year-old, who has an exceptional collection of jewellery, including an anklet by US-based luxury jewellery brand Harry Winston, a 20-carat heart-shaped diamond ring, and a cluster of Colombian emeralds that she has been collecting over the past few years.
Her Met Gala necklace was designed by ace designer Farah Khan Ali, who says Reddy takes a keen interest in the design of her clothes and jewellery. That’s probably because of her degree from the National Institute of Fashion Design.
Radhikaraje Gaekwad of the erstwhile princely state of Baroda agrees with Reddy when she says, “The authenticity of being myself is the greatest luxury, today when I am in my 40s.” She adds that it may have meant material things when she was younger. Known for her passion for the arts and crafts of India, Gaekwad heads the museum that exhibits the family’s collection of 45 Raja Ravi Varma paintings, amongst other things. “My favourite is the Lakshmi and the painting of Chinnabai II on a crystal chair in a black saree,” she says.
“My greatest possessions are the saris that I have inherited from my grandmother and grandmother-in-law: pure silks and cotton saris with real gold zari. I feel privileged to have access to hand-me-downs, whether they are old bags or shoes. Naturally some of them are frayed or stained, but legacy doesn’t come unblemished. I carry them with pride. After all, these things have outlived generations,” she smiles.
For Gautam Singhania, the Chairman and MD of the Raymond group, luxury is that “in which you do not indulge in regularly,” but at the same time it means different things to different people. “For me, taking a chopper three times a week to go to work is a necessity, but for you, it may be a luxury,” he says.
“Of course, in the end, the biggest luxury is having a healthy life,” Singhania adds. His greatest passion is his collection of super cars. His cars are supposedly parked over 10 floors, and the collection includes Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, and other super cars, besides several vintage ones too.
“I still take out time to drive, and that’s a real luxury I have in my life,” he says with a smile. When he is in Mumbai, he takes his cars for a drive two to three times a week early in the morning, and on some days he drives after 10 at night. “I love driving. I can happily drive 8-10 hours a day. I try and take out at least 20 days in a year when I go on long drives,” says the 59-year-old, who was gifted his first car, a Premier Padmini, when he turned 18. Next month he will be driving around Arunachal Pradesh, while in January it would be around Rajasthan. But what he loves the most is to drive through the Alps.
So, what does Singhania look for when buying a super car? “It’s the brand, performance, and reliability. Reliability is very important. I don’t mind taking my Ferrari on a long trip because 99% of the time it will be reliable. But if I take my Lamborghini, I’m pretty sure it’ll break down,” says Singhania, who recently tweeted about his Lamborghini Revuelto suffering an electrical failure.
“Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and McLaren may all look the same, but they are so different from each other. It’s like aloo and bhindi. I am not saying aloo is better, just different,” says Singhania, adding that they cannot be compared. While his own preference is for Ferrari, he isn’t a fan of the Maserati. “I mean, if you take the Maserati, it’s an undrivable car. You cannot drive that car for 5 km without getting a headache because they messed up the suspension.”
And does he have any cars on his bucket list? “I’m not saying I am interested, but I’m curious to see what the 12-cylinder looks like, coming from Ferrari.”
While Singhania says his two daughters, aged 19 and 11, are his most prized possessions, Reddy talks about how she cherishes the various gifts given to her by her sons, aged 21 and 18. “They are very fashion-conscious and aware of all the latest trends. They like to see me dressed up like a princess,” she laughs. She narrates a story about how on a recent trip to Paris, her older son ended up purchasing a Chanel jacket for her from the store at Dubai airport because he wasn’t happy with the loose jeans and T-shirt that she was wearing for travel.
Reddy loves to entertain, and her house and gardens spread over three acres in Hyderabad’s posh Jubilee Hills locality can easily host gatherings of 1,500 people. But more than large groups, she likes to throw parties for smaller intimate ones. Recently, she hosted an evening for design house Schiaparelli at her home and another for Tiffany & Co. in a recreation room at her home. Reddy’s love for gemstones goes beyond just jewellery. Semi-precious stones are even part of her home décor, such as lapis lazuli pillars.
While Singhania’s home, JK House in Mumbai’s upscale Breach Candy area, is almost a landmark, Gaekwad has the distinction of living in the world’s largest home, four times the size of the Buckingham Palace. The 700-acre Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, Gujarat, has 170 rooms and has been deemed the largest residential property in the world. The Royal Family of Baroda lives at the confluence of a world where old meets new, where architectural heritage and tradition are interwoven with traces of modernity.
“When I buy something, I think about the story and journey behind it, about how it’s a dying craft and it may not survive another 20 years if we don’t support it and the community that creates them today. So, I invest in it, and talk about it and encourage others to purchase it too. I have never regretted buying a craft item,” says Gaekwad. She says Indian luxury ruled the world, and it’s having a moment globally again because the crafts are being recognised. “We still have them, while countries like China have lost them completely as the next generation is desensitised and detached from them,” she says.
Reddy believes that India has a lot of talent, whether it is jewellery or textiles, but we are unable to sell the story. “Look at how they do it abroad. Even for a small piece of textile they will create such a big story. India is lacking in that,” says the fashionista, who is equally comfortable wearing Indian designers such as Falguni Shane Peacock or Tarun Tahiliani and global brands like Schiaparelli, as long as the outfits are customised for her. “A designer can create something for you, but you have your own image in mind, so the two should match. An experienced designer will always take your inputs and your feedback and modify designs accordingly.”
At the end of the day, as Reddy says, luxury is about being yourself.
@smitabw