The Luxe Guide
Power Meets Style
The Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII takes forward the fine tradition of the first Phantom made in 1925. With the all too modest ambition of becoming the Phantom yet, the Phantom VIII is priced from about $450,000 and arrives in the United States in the spring of 2018. The luxury sedan uses a 6.75-litre V-12 engine of identical displacement to its predecessor, but with an entirely new design; it is immediately distinguished by twin turbocharging that results in greater power and torque with reduced emissions. The new Phantom's V12 engine is smooth and quiet, and can go from 0-100 kmph in 5.3 seconds. Want to know what power feels like? All you need is a drive.
Scent of a Man
Ermenegildo Zegnas Elements of Man: The Life Collection series is a collection of complex and fortified blends, curated for the sophisticated individual, embodying masculine attributes such as Strength, Passion, Integrity, Talent and Wisdom. Each fragrance is packaged with prominent elements from the fashion house, which was founded in 1910 and remains one of the few privately owned luxury companies. Strength has the tenacity of tobacco leaves fused with notes of honey; Integrity blends herbal clary sage with fine pink pepper spices; Passion has the potency of olibanum smoothened by rich rum and smooth cognac; Talent has Asian yuzu with bergamot and Sichuan pepper; and Wisdom has Italian Mandarin with green verbena and winter lemon.
Bespoke Watches
Vacheron Constantin's bespoke watchmaking service, Les Cabinotiers, has grown - from three watchmakers and developers, today it has 30 employees working on 50 different projects, all within three years, for a reason. The world of mass luxury is moving towards bespoke and customisation. Watchmakers are now going back to techniques used before mass production became common. From pocket watches of unusual size and complications to Vacheron timepieces with some individualised tweaks, every request is met with a new piece of creativity. This is where you come to when you want time to stand still.
Return of the Icon
The Oberoi, New Delhi, in its revamped avatar, will be ready to welcome guests from January 2018, ahead of schedule. The hotel, which was first constructed in 1965, has been renovated by interior designer Adam Tihany. A major part of the revamp plan has been the installation of air filters - something guests will truly cherish. The decision was taken keeping in mind the poor quality of air in the national capital. The Oberoi will comprise 218 guest rooms, including 32 suites. Apart from a 24-hour rooftop bar, the first of its kind in the capital, the hotel will also have two new restaurants - A. Wong by the LSE-educated Andrew Wong, and Mandala by British-Indian Michelin-star chef Alfred Prasad. The Lodhi, nearby, having spruced up beautifully and having acquired Indian Accent, will be watching closely.
New Wonder
Indian designer Manish Arora is one among the four internationally renowned artists who will create new Chambers of Wonder at Swarovski Kristallwelten located in Wattens, Austria. Mexican star architect Fernando Romero, Israeli artist Arik Levy, Austrian multimedia artist Andre Heller and Arora will each redesign one of the 16 underground Chambers of Wonder. Arora's installation will replace the Crystal Calligraphy by American glass artist Paul Seide.
