Luxury's New Outpost
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Destination Nawaz Khan Road. Today, it stocks Nawaz Khan Road, housed within about their upcoming project in travellers and local residents. It will some of the best names in Indian Bergamo, Chennai’s first luxury Chennai. “The mall will have a large house 78 serviced apartments, two fashion and also home accessories mall. Modelled on the lines of courtyard with a lot of F&B and presidential suites, 14 suites, 48 ITC from international design houses. DLF Emporio in New Delhi, the 40,000 family entertainment, and a tucked One suites, and 10 dining options, Such is the success of the store sq ft mall will house high-end away zone for luxury,” she had said. which includes the brand’s signature that many designers consider it as European brands and offer facilities This upcoming mall, occupying an restaurants Peshawri and Pan Asian their best performing retailer in the like meet-and-greet and concierge area of two million sq ft in Velachery, in addition to two debutants, Royal country. “The concept of saving and services. “It’s the coming-of-age will be one of the largest in the city. Vega and Ottimo. “The hospitality being hard on yourself has now been decade for Chennai as far as fashion Of the one million sq ft of retail industry in Chennai has the least replaced by ‘be good to yourself, and luxury is concerned. The locals space, almost 60 to 80,000 will be number of five-star rooms compared enjoy life and live well,’” says Sharan were always conservative towards dedicated to luxury. to other major metros in the country. Apparao, Owner, Apparao Galleries, lavish spends, but in recent times Apart from luxury malls, Chennai The ITC Grand Chola is located close the city’s premier art gallery. Over the the well-travelled and well-heeled will also see the opening of The to key business districts of Chennai” years, the exposure that Chennaites denizens of the city looking at Leela Palace with 8,000 sq ft of says Simona Terron, PR Manager, have had to new trends has buying luxury that gives them value retail space. “Despite all the other ITC Grand Chola, explaining the encouraged them to buy expensive for money,” says Sunita Suresh who brands there, like the Park Hyatt, opportunity that the hospitality Luxury’s art and other luxury products. runs Red Consulting, a PR firm that the upcoming 600-room ITC, the JW industry has in the city. Apparao attributes this to a range helps luxury and premium brands Marriott, among others, we are very One of the indicators of a of things, from easy availability launch in the city. confident about the city as a market luxury destination is the presence of high-end and premium brands What the city actually lacked for us. Unlike Bangalore or Pune, of upmarket residential blocks. New Outpost to exposure through the many is high-end and premium retail which are IT-driven cities, Chennai Fancy villas and plush apartments international lifestyle magazines infrastructure. Last year, Genesis has some very heavy capital-intensive with gyms, walking tracks, security that have an Indian edition. “Gone Luxury launched their first multi- industries like automobiles, which systems, green landscaping, central A raft of new openings, including Louis Vuitton’s are the days when you read about brand store, Luxxe Box in Chennai’s are not going to pack up and move air conditioning, electronic access, newest store, reflect Chennai’s transforming mores a lipstick in a foreign magazine and Express Avenue mall, bringing to another city just because rentals event spaces and swimming pools waited eagerly to travel abroad to be together menswear from brands like are cheaper there,” said Amruda can be seen dotted around Chennai. from a conservative society to one seeking to indulge By Kalpana Sunder able to buy it. Today, I see the same Paul Smith, Canali, Etro and Tumi. Nair, Head — Corporate Asset The New Delhi-based luxury real brands in Elle or Vogue and walk Although Express Avenue promised Management, The Leela Palaces, estate developer DLF’s Commander’s arnatic music, Bhartnatyam past few years. According to the CII- population with one of the highest last few years Chennai has emerged across to Khader Nawaz Khan Road to be the city’s first premium retail Hotels and Resorts, in an interview Court is a much sought-after project. performances, filter coffee, AT Kearney India Luxury Review 2011 disposable incomes in the world as the automobile hub of India with to buy them,” she says. space, it failed to bring in a good mix earlier this year. Launching almost Located on Commander-in-chief Csilk saris and soaring temple report, “luxury has gone beyond has been attracting brands to make many international manufacturers While the luxury car industry of brands apart from a few like Luxxe two years after the group’s swanky Road in Egmore, the 354 apartments gopurams: Chennai has traditionally New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore inroads into newer cities each year. like BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Mitsubishi has zoomed ahead in sixth gear Box and Volvo. However, that is all set New Delhi property, the hotel is just are housed within five towers with been the cultural bastion of the south. to Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.” However, it’s not just the brands, and Renault having set-up their and entered cities like Coimbatore, to change in the coming few years. one of the many hospitality brands facilities like a clubhouse, squash Though educated and well-read, It is common knowledge that the Indian consumers in every corner plants in and around the city. These, Indore and Bhopal, it is the cautious Starting with Bergamo, Chennai will that have Chennai as their target courts, smart card access and video Chennai denizens have always been slowdown of the luxury industry in of the country are quickly lapping along with other multinational international luxury fashion brands see many more premium shopping destination. In October, the city will surveillance. Not too far away, conservative and cautious spenders, the West has encouraged European up everything that they are offered. corporations that are based in are beginning to believe in Chennai destinations, hopefully ones that will also boast its first seven-star hotel, on East Coast Road, Rajeshwari preferring old-world charms like gold brands to expand their presence in A recent study by The Wharton the city, attract a large number of as the next destination after have a good mix of brands. the ITC Grand Chola. The 600- Foundations’ first project in the jewellery rather than experiences the BRIC countries. India has been School quoted Sanjiv Gupta, former young professionals from across Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. In January this year, Gayatri Ruia, room hotel complex with a built city is the extremely high-end like travel, fine dining and trips to an important link in this expansion President and CEO, Coca-Cola South the country and expats from various This month, Louis Vuitton launched Director, The Phoenix Mills Ltd, in up area of 1.5 million sq ft aims Tropicana. The 14-villa project, set the spa. The winds of change have, plan. The country’s past lineage with Asia, “Indians, after having been Southeast Asian countries. The influx a store in the city’s upmarket Khader an interview with BlackBook spoke to be a luxury destination for both on an 80,000 sq ft area, has been however, blown over the city in the luxury and the status of having a deprived of everything for so long, has boosted Chennai’s propensity designed by Malaysian architectural are in this great frenzy to consume to spend with a rising demand for firm Veritas Architects. Each luxury luxury brands and pamper their high-end watches, designer fashion, villa comes with its own plunge senses. The mindset has changed sports cars, fancy villas and even pool and costs `47.5 million. from being frugal and living within experiential luxury. As though in a bid to up the scale, their means to ‘let’s have a life.’” Vijay Shanthi Builders is soon So, why is Chennai emerging The Lust List launching a limited-edition super as the next luxury destination? The One of the first signs that the luxury residential complex on city has a strong economic base population of the city has disposable Kothari Road, in the heart of the diversified into various industrial income and a desire to spend was the city. The lavish apartment block will sectors comprising mainly of financial launch of Tina and Atul Malhotra’s have a foyer studded with precious services, automobile and hardware multi-designer store, Evoluzione. stones and a theme that is based manufacturing, and software Set-up almost 10 years ago, the on Pablo Picasso’s paintings. It services. In fact, with one of the store, then, was a 2,000 sq ft space doesn’t get more opulent than that, largest ports in South Asia, over the housing a handful of designers does it? • who focused more on fabrics and structure of the garment rather Top: The newly launched Louis Vuitton store; than elaborate embellishments. In Top (left to right): The ITC Grand Chola, Bergamo mall (inset) Chennai’s first seven-star hotel; Genesis Left: Volvo launched a dealership in Chennai the year 2009, the store moved to Luxury’s Luxxe Box earlier this year a larger 7,000 sq ft space on Khader Left: The Leela Palace, Chennai 26 | BLACKBOOK | SEPTEMBER 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012 | BLACKBOOK | 27.