MARCH 2015 NOW AVAILABLE ON MAGZTER.COM I NDIA’S L UXURY I NSIDER “Jodhpur’s distance from Delhi and its rich cultural heritage has ensured that it maintains its exclusivity for discerning travellers, unlike Jaipur” Maharaja Gaj Singh In Transit Point of View Trends Stefano Ricci India’s fake bazaar Digital apps: jumping on his and how luxury onto the smartphone India plans brands can combat it bandwagon Prologue Contents News & Views Haute Seat Crowdsourcing invades the 02 19 Gallerist Peter Nagy world of art and London is inspired by great Intelligent cities restaurant Mad Hatter architecture and readies for its Mumbai debut splurges on jackets visited Shanghai on a whirlwind work trip a few years ago. Maharajas have managed their properties intelligently, the China’s ‘showpiece’ city has rightly earned its moniker. remainder of our privately owned heritage is being torn down Gallery 08 20 Point of View IUndeniably a well-planned concrete jungle, the city is to make way for the new. Elite catering service Protecting a trademark clean, safe and easy to navigate. The nightclubs on the lovely We don’t need a Shanghai when we already have R Chef @ Home is against counterfeits needs to Bund work round-the-clock, the private dinner cruise around thriving cities that need to be spruced up. I place my bets launched and Bridal Asia be a priority for luxury brands taps the Mumbai market in markets with weak laws the Pearl Tower was magical, and we can only dream about on Varanasi. If the government manages to turnaround the the Maglev in India. But its most striking aspect was that holy city, without affecting its sanctity and heritage, then our despite Shanghai being the most populous city of China, it rejuvenated ‘Cultural Capital’ will rival the best of China’s Luxe Buys 10 23 Trends was absolutely free of the chaos, colour and smell that clings flawless, yet imminently forgettable futuristic lands. Celebrate the Luxury brands are building to our towns. With none of the bedlam we are used to at home, Enjoy the journey! various hues of mobile apps to engage, the colour of the entertain and inform yet without a glimpse of authentic Chinese culture, I left with year, marsala auent consumers little memory of the place. So, when the government spoke about developing Ajmer, Allahabad and Visakhapatnam into smart versions of In Transit 12 26 The Last Impression themselves, my interest was piqued. How can we keep our Stefano Ricci, the For contemporary label, flourishing luxury behno, an ethical supply cultural identity intact, without disrupting livelihoods, while fashion and lifestyle chain is necessary to build bringing these densely populated cities up to speed with the brand, steps into India a sustainable brand developed world? Developing and managing a city is a mind boggling task, especially when faced with a crucial question: how does Cover Story Belle Vie Maharaja Gaj Singh has 14 28 Klove celebrates its 10th one preserve the past while planning for the future? Jodhpur transformed Jodhpur into anniversary and India is a fantastic example, where Maharaja Gaj Singh, the scion of Cover: Maharaja Gaj Singh, Jodhpur Rajasthan’s glamorous Beach Fashion Week the erstwhile royal family, has been instrumental in preserving cultural outpost takes centrestage the past while making it relevant to the future. While Indian [email protected] This magazine is printed by and produced by Mediascope Publicitas (India) Pvt Ltd. Opinions herein are the writer’s and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of MSP. 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Services — Salim B • ADvErtISInG SAlES: vice President — Monica Chopra • Mumbai (022-61377400) Senior Managers — Lamont Dias • Rashmi Kapoor • Delhi(011-23730873/66599300) • General Manager — Asha Augustine LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Senior Manager — Saloni Verma • Bangalore (080-25592714/82514) — Yogeesha A • Jaipur (09828150706) — Peeush Gupta • Kerala (09414069321) — Sanjai Krishnan • Hyderabad (08978866599) — Sheetal Petkar Write in with your comments, suggestions and ideas to [email protected] MARCH 2015 | BLACKBOOK [ 1 ] News & Views Crowdsourcing art s crowdsourcing’s appeal increases, the art world hasn’t stayed immune Ato its charm, often offering a platform to artists and connoisseurs to participate in this democratic process. In what can be a game changer, auction house Christie’s launched their first crowdsourced section of artworks, as part of a collaborative initiative between FIRST OPEN/LDN and innovative social A hospitality alliance media platform, ArtStack. Artists were given the opportunity to submit their iving a voice to standalone boutique properties in a cluttered work via ArtStack for an online competition, Gmarketplace, RARE, a representation and hotel marketing company where the public voted for their favourite selling experiential travel concepts within India, has inked a marketing art works by ‘stacking’. Nearly 3,000 artists alliance with Secret Retreats. The latter runs similar operations, but with a from over 100 countries submitted 11,000 pan Asia focus, and will help RARE widen its reach globally. Together, the works, and only eight were selected by an two companies represent a collection of 80 boutique properties across elite panellist drawn from the world of art, Asia. “It seemed only natural to join forces and combine our resources and fashion and media. Speaking about the expertise. Both parties have become an extension of the other, allowing our enthusiastic response and Christie’s attempt guests to benefit from a broader range of travel experiences and destinations to engage art lovers globally in new ways, in Asia,” says Stephane Junca, Managing Director, Secret Retreats. With Ezra Konvitz, Co-Founder, ArtStack, says, a thrust on promoting authentic Asian experiences, the properties they “The collaboration is truly a revolutionary represent include the exotic Villa Samar in Siem Reap, just outside the project for the art world.” christies.com; Angkor Wat, and Jing’s Residence in Shanghai, the former home of a Chinese theartstack.com silk merchant. rareindia.com; secret-retreats.com PROMPERÚ to tap India Modern Indian for Mumbai xploring the Inca trail and taking the high he Mad Hatter, a modern Indian Eroad to Machu Picchu will be easier than Tfine dine restaurant, helmed by ever. PROMPERÚ, the Export and Tourism Chef Stephen Gomes and promoted by Ace Promotion Board of Peru, has appointed Silverstone Hospitality, is set to open in AVIAREPS, a tourism and airline management Mumbai’s suburb of Juhu. Gomes, named as agency as its India representative. AVIAREPS the English Curry Chef of 2013, runs Moksh India will be responsible for all sales, marketing in Cardiff, and specialises in Ayurvedic cuisine and promotional activities in the country on fused with molecular gastronomy. “The behalf of the destination. Peru views India restaurant is positioned as an upmarket fine as an important potential market. Minister dining space that offers patrons an interactive of Foreign Trade and Tourism and President of PROMPERÚ, Magali Silva dining experience,” he says. A fourth generation chef, his legacy began with his Velarde-Álvarez, says, “We are beginning negotiations towards a bilateral great grandfather, a head chef at the Eastern Shipping Company during the Raj. free trade agreement.” Peru, located in the west of South America, has seen a “My food preserves memories and I am inspired by the dishes I grew up with. surprising increase in tourism from India. Despite poor air connectivity, in the My style is innovative, yet stays authentic to Indian cuisine.” Ace Silverstone last five years, the percentage of Indian tourists to the country has doubled, an Hospitality is promoted by the quartet Anupam Mayekar, Dharmesh Karmokar, impressive 12 per cent increase between 2013 and October 2014, according to Rupin Parikh and Vipul Patel. The hospitality company will soon launch a fine o¡cial numbers. promperu.gob.pe; aviareps.com dining Japanese and Korean cuisine restaurant, IZUMI, in Juhu in Mumbai. Did the budget meet your expectations? Reena Wadhwa Dimple Nahar Gaurav Goenka Anuj Puri Indian Joint Founder and Owner of MD, Mirah Chairman & Country Venture Partner 2DIVINE — The Lifestyle Hospitality Head, JLL India for Gucci Temple The budget The budget is low Yes. It has Yes. The budget has met my overall has been on big bang reforms something expectations as it promotes very positive. and real estate is for everybody. There is no the ‘Make In India’ campaign. The local The only deterrent, according only an indirect beneficiary at specific proposal which luxury industry is expected to benefit to me, is the increase in best. The budget does not provide helps or hurts the luxury substantially, if not exceptionally. Home- service tax to 14 per cent. It any details on the smart cities segment, though the grown brands, which follow international was already quite high and that have been announced by general direction of the trends in fashion, luxury and lifestyle, this will be detrimental to the Government. Incentivising budget should provide depend on the Indian budget to give them the growth of the hospitality the usage of wired money rather comfort to global an impetus. A rise in the price of branded industry.