Architect and collector Ashiesh Shah speaks to BlackBook about his new TV show,
contemporary Indian design, and the surprising power that Instagram wields in the art world. In an Independence special, BlackBook maps the evolution — and devolution — of the idea of Indian luxury over seven decades.

Power-packed: BlackBook presents exclusive, authored articles by market leaders on the future of Indian luxury. Artist Michelle Yohan Poonawalla  writes on what a consumer wants

Branded residences in Asia are sold at a premium.

UBS report on European luxury: Instagram is a game changer.

Sharjah Art Foundation announces an annual art book fair and more...

Building homes and not houses.

Panache personified - Always looking her best, the polite artist and philanthropist Michelle Poonawalla defines luxury as elegance that is understand and more...

Louvre Abu Dhabi pospones the display of the world's most expensive painting - Leonardo's Salvator Mundi.

Story LTD's auction raised finds for Kerala flood victims and more...

India's Luxury Insider.

Dress to win Driven by the mission to penetrate 85 markets by 2020, Robbie Anotonio, CEO of unicorn startup Revolution Pre-crafted is all set to take over India’s luxury real estate sector.

Audi India has completely revamped its strategy for India over the past year. Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India, says the company has done its homework and is in acceleration mode.
Plus: Why luxury boutiques are making a comeback; Dubai's property market ahead of Expo 2020; This season's hottest watches

Travel special: As Marriott opens its 100th hotel in India, President and CEO Arne Sorenson tells BlackBook how the group plans to take on Taj, Oberoi and other competitors in the country.
Plus: Luxury vacation rental company SaffronStays is eyeing aggressive growth in South India; a new hotel in Gurugram is an indulgent weekend getaway—for your dog; India's growing golf tourism industry.

Art special: How can art in India be made engaging, political and commercially successful? Priyanka and Prateek Raja of Experimenter - Kolkata, share their insights and success story.
Plus: Sabyasachi Mukherjee gives us the lowdown on where he shops, why he stopped doing fashion shows and his most extravagant purchases; Jaipur reclaims its identity as the city of art with new, niche museums. And all the action from BlackBook's grand unveiling event of the BlackBook Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Indian Luxury.

Karishma Grover wants the world to see that India can make great quality wine—with a studded list of international awards and the title of Winery of the Year, Grover Zampa is the toast of the town. Find out about how they push the envelope for quality in a country that is only just discovering its love for wine. 
Plus: A comprehensive study of wine-drinking in India; talking diamonds and luxury with Sushmita Sen; a Benarasi label that's going to Paris.

Mira Kulkarni's Forest Essentials has turned the perception of Ayurvedic products from cheap and medicinal to luxurious and coveted, if made with the highest quality ingredients. Kulkarni is set to expand overseas, and is in talks to increase Estée Lauder's stake in the company.
Plus, an exclusive peek into Lamborghini's path-breaking super-SUV Urus, and the auto giant's India plans; and how the revised FDI retail policy will affect the luxury market in India.

Made in Italy: What is the value of this tag today, why is it growing more popular in India, and what are the challenges of operating an Italian luxury brand in India? 
In BlackBook's anniversary special, leaders from Stefano Ricci, Canali, Zegna, Ducati, Armani and Bottega Veneta discuss their India strategy, expansion plans and the hurdles they face in India. 
Plus, the best Christmas gifts money can buy!

Tina Tahiliani-Parikh charts the milestone 30-year journey of Ensemble, which tells the story of liberalised India in many ways. Couturiers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla talk about how their client base has been shaken, and their new marketing strategy to attract the millennial consumer. We look at the big business of the big fat destination wedding, and why the government needs to formulate a coherent wedding tourism policy.

The Edible Revolution: In BlackBook's fine-dine special, read about how the F&B industry is dishing up new ways to engage the well-heeled Indian diner, creating an era of concept restaurants and experiential dining. 
POH's Avik Chatterjee discusses inventive dining formats; expat chefs talk about why they won't 'Indianise' food anymore; and restaurant czars Riyaaz Amlani, Manu Chandra and Zorawar Kalra give us insight into running a national food empire.

A year after the Taj group announced its over-arching rebranding initiative, BlackBook takes stock of the brand's resurgence, and how it plans to battle the increasing competition. Also read about Varana, a four-month-old brand with a four-storey space in Mayfair, London, that wants to be India's answer to Hermès.

Effortlessly Stylish: Actress, fashionista and brand ambassador for IWC, Sonam Kapoor speaks about being an accidental style icon...

If it pays to be green, why don’t we have more lush cities, more open spaces and more places to relax? The old argument of progress against trees is as tired as our grey cities, which, with the first monsoon rains, have seen their pockmarked craters fill with sludge. Indian towns are at the mercy of government apathy. When it comes to the environment, the focus of the authorities seems elsewhere, namely, on building our capacity for renewable energy. Quite a case of missing the forest for the trees. After all, who would want to stroll in a garden neatly laid out with solar panels, instead of tramping through a tree-lined grove? Increased urbanisation is leading to environmental disaster and for now, there is no solution in sight, because the simplest ones would be inimical to ‘progress.’
Naturally, the onus has fallen on us individuals and other stakeholders to increase awareness and adopt best practices. ITC Hotels’ responsible outlook is the new reality which businesses need to embrace.

The future belongs to the millennials. If they want to, they can reinterpret India on their own terms. - JJ Valaya, Director, House of Valaya, A long way to go: Incredible India.

In our resort issue, we look at Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja, behind the label Shivan & Narresh. The duo realised that they were dealing with confidence issues, rather than just fashion. “There were problems surrounding how Indian women perceived themselves—body issues, cultural issues and even social conditioning. It was no longer about what they wore, but how they looked at themselves in the mirror,” says 31-year-old Kukreja at his three-story Gurugram studio in NCR. The
young men decided to become problem solvers and, in less than seven
years, have scooped up awards, exceeded even their own expectations, and
have emerged as one of the hottest young fashion labels in India.

Come March and the country starts simmering as summer approaches. It is the best time to explore cooler climes, but given the prevailing global geo-political scenario,
there is no safer choice than hopping on to a boat and sailing away into the sunset. And cruises are de rigueur— the more obscure the destination, the better. With Scandinavia and South America on everyone’s bucket list, hopefully, this year, India is also on everyone’s itinerary, given that our coastline and rivers are finally opening up to cruise liners.

There is a certain magic in exploring the globe through water. There are no traffic jams, no distance issues, and pretty much everything is at your beck and call. Formerly the preserve of the older generations, now younger explorers are
rushing off to the Antarctic or the Galapagos Islands on cruise liners.
With new airlines entering the market, improved airports and ports, and e-visa facilities, India with its rich history and culture should attract more inbound tourists than the miniscule nine odd million we did in 2016. This figure is dwarfed by Thailand, which attracted nearly 30 million tourists last year!

But unless we project India as a safe, clean and hassle-free destination, we will
continue to lose the tourism stakes. Hopefully, with cruise liners coming into the fray,
especially on the west coast, we can curate and manage travellers’ experiences.

In India, apparel and accessory brands have begun making inroads into the hinterlands of the country. Thus, the opening of Ulysse Nardin’s first monobrand boutique in India, in Mumbai’s western suburb of Borivali, instead of the city’s tony Palladium mall, in Lower Parel, or a district like Bandra or Kala Ghoda, has nary raised an eyebrow. If North Mumbai and Delhi’s peripheral districts are thriving, it is because of this young, aspirational class, which is embracing life and all the luxuries that are on offer. And the sooner brands begin wooing this new breed of shoppers, the faster they will be able to crack a complex luxury market like India.

Authenticity will emerge as the biggest buzzword in 2017. In a world where every move is closely scrutinised, there is no place for duplicity. A personal, consistent and authentic brand message is the new currency in luxury, especially in an era where millennials matter. To build loyalty, imaginative digital content will be necessary to fire up the imagination of the young consumer, who will wield considerable spending power within a decade. And only those who manage to bridge the digital divide, reaching out to each demographic with a clear and authentic voice will win the sweepstakes. Wishing each of you a prosperous New Year!

Today, luxury is comfort. Luxury is attitude. And, now, luxury is a very
complex topic.
For too long a hefty price has been attached to luxury. Brands have
begun understanding the folly of being too exclusive. Labels have not
only introduced lower-value brand extensions but also sub-brands. Think
Bulgari and closer home, couturiers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. These
brands hope that the aspirational customer will upgrade to full-scale luxe
once they have the means and the desire.
But will the young wealthy consumer buy into the conventional
definition of luxury? Ad agency Moosylvania asked more than 1,500
millennials — defined as 16 to 36-year-olds — to vote for their favourite
brands. While topping the list was Apple, Chanel and Ralph Lauren were
the only two luxury brands to appear in the top 15.
Is it art or spectacle that these young customers look for? Or does normcore appeal to them? In our anniversary
issue we speak to 10 young guns who are inheritors of a luxury brand. Each articulates how he or she plans to take
their family legacy to the next level, reaching out to younger customers, one designer sneaker step at a time!
And, wishing all our dear readers a wonderful New Year!

In our wedding special issue, on the cover we present designer Manish Malhotra, who celebrated half a century last year and completed 25 years in the industry at the same time. He has always had his eyes on the road ahead. Couture has flourished in India because of our larger-than-life wedding industry. While much of the attention has been focused on the bride, the Indian groom is literally on a high horse now. He has access to bespoke designer couture and accessories, a far cry from visits to his local tailor and ready-to-wear threads. He can pamper himself with manifold grooming options and nary an eyebrow will be raised. Even baubles aren’t the bride’s preserve only; the groom can preen as brightly as a peacock on his wedding, and in this issue we look at men in the spotlight.

Jaipur is a city that has drastically transformed. With wide roads, beautiful houses, and a sense of safety, the city has what Delhi lost. It also has thriving bars, organic food restaurants, great shopping and no traffic, with no jungled concrete promontories dotting the city scape just as yet. Jaipur is definitely India’s contemporary design capital; it plays host to India’s best literature and schmooze fest, the brilliantly egalitarian Jaipur Literature Festival, and is as close to India’s capital city as possible. This special issue is dedicated to the city and its denizens and its own brand of luxury.

India’s wide open roads are as addictive as they are dangerous. Potholes, a lack of medical and emergency facilities, an increase in heinous crimes — the list adds up — are draining colour from India’s stunning landscape. Despite that, motorcyclists are a tough lot and rule the roads. Our cover interview focuses on Harley-Davidson India’s market leadership and strong bikers’ community, both testament to the thirst for premium road machines. 

Highways aside, Indian cities are worse. In our piece on driver less cars, experts have been scratching their heads trying to decipher whether autonomous cars indeed can ever grace our cities, considering the turmoil they would have to deal with. Think cycles, rickshaws, four-legged animals and two-legged mortals — a separate AI would need to be created to deal with this. And, if a gentle bovine decides to take a nap on the road, there is very little an intelligent car can do, except hope for divine intervention!

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BlackBook is India’s only luxury trade newsletter. The magazine dissects consumer behaviour patterns and tracks every new trend in the luxury industry across the world. Market white papers, interviews with leading luxury purveyors and columns written by the who’s who of the industry bring the biggest luxury stories to the desks of the decision makers of the industry.

BlackBook documents and archives the evolution of the luxury industry and tracks India’s attempt at becoming a serious playground for the biggest international brands.

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BlackBook — India's Luxury Insider - August 2017

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