Founder’s Tales: Christophe Claret

31 Monday Oct 2016

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Christophe Claret, Interview, Interviews: Luxury Brands, SIHH, Verve Magazine, Watches

Published, Verve Magazine, October 2016

‘In watchmaking, everything has already been done, and everything has yet to be invented.’

Born to a wealthy family in Lyon, and from the Geneva watchmaking school, Christophe Claret trained with Roger Dubuis and studied corporate management. With 25 years of experience in manufacturing for watch brands including Ulysse Nardin, Claret, who’s currently wearing his Maestoso watch, decided along the way to use his Neuchâtel operations for his own brand, where he ‘reinterprets haute horlogerie’. Besides the traditional and extreme lines with complications is his range of gaming watches. For example, while the Poker allows a real three-player Texas Hold ’Em game, Baccara doubles as a miniature casino with three games: baccarat (baccara in French), roulette and dice, each one of which also engages your audio, visual and tactile senses. Created especially for women are the Margot and Marguerite, romantic watches with a play on the ‘He loves me, he loves me not’ game, and the latter can have a personalised secret message.

Your watches are unique. How much importance is placed on art and design?
It is important to produce something with innovation. If I take inspiration from the watch industry, I would be recreating the same old design. It is very important to do something new. I am a perfectionist and for me, it’s perfection for detail and the aesthetic together that’s important.

You’ve launched a gaming collection. Do you play?
No. Never. I’m afraid to play! Some people can bet a lot of money and boom — that can go away! It’s crazy. The watch works for those who play, and those who don’t can enjoy the technicality of the complication.

What drew you to complications for women?
I’ve wanted to produce pieces for women for a long time. Despite what the other watchmakers thought, I’ve always believed that they are a big market for speciality products. That’s why I created Margot — a very complicated watch. We sold many pieces! And Marguerite happened. Today, many other brands are designing big complications for women. Though I was the first!

Do you see an audience in India?
I am very interested to sell in India. It’s a little complicated to open something there because you have tax issues. I’m sure there is a market for us. For the Marguerite and X-Trem-1, for example. I think we will be looking at India very soon.

Founder’s Tales: Aletta Stas-Bax, Fredrique Constant watches

30 Sunday Oct 2016

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Aletta Stas-Bax, Baselworld, Fredrique Constant, Interview, Interviews: Luxury Brands, Verve Magazine, Watches

Published Verve Magazine, October 2016

‘True passion has always been the result of fine sensitive processes that happen over time — not the exploits of some exciting moment.’

In 1988, checking out watch stores during a winter vacation in Bern, Switzerland sparked off the idea to start a “young watch company offering innovative products”. In 1991, Aletta Bax and Peter Stas were married and began working on the design and development of their first prototype watch. The next year they presented their horological offering at the Hong Kong trade fair and found, to their surprise, an order for 350 watches from a Japanese buyer. Aletta is the chief operations officer at Frédérique Constant, which has recently been acquired by Citizen, and is responsible for all the company’s day-to-day operations. She works on the development of new designs; most notably she played a major role in the introduction of the Double Heart Beat collection.

What’s the one word that you would use to describe your journey?
Passion.

Isn’t that what your book, Live Your Passion: Building A Watch Manufacture, is about?
It is a mix between a coffee-table and business book, one we worked on together with two journalists from Austria and Germany.

When you are busy building a venture you often do not get time to reflect….
And then you also learn to stand still. You realise that the people whom you work with are also important, in the end, you cannot do it all alone.

Tell us about your role in the Double Heart Beat collection.
It was around 2006. I wanted to have some more presence with the ladies’ collections. Hearts are something that women always like. That is why I designed the double heart. It is now an important pillar in our collection. We also link the heart collection with heart- and child-related charities, where we donate 50 dollars for each watch sold.

Since last year, you have tied up with technology whereas others have only deliberated over it….
You are talking about our Horological Smartwatch. In the beginning, people were thinking that these are two different industries. While much of the Swiss watch industry remains traditional in thinking, we believe that if you can have a quartz watch with ‘connected’ (digital integration) features, then why should you not go in the direction of futuristic innovation, and why would the customers not be interested?

We need to integrate this whole system with cloud functionality, which is not our field. So, we found a partner who could do that. And, having sold 16,000 Horological Smartwatches, I can say that it is a pillar of Frédérique Constant; along with the ladies’ collection, with our new ambassador, Gwyneth Paltrow.

What’s the India story?
We started with a room five to six years ago, and last year, we grew 30 per cent. We have 40 to 42 per cent sales in India. We are really happy! The infrastructure is improving dramatically. I have visited the bigger cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chandigarh — a few times. It’s an impressive country.

Discovering Design: Claude Emmenegger for Audemars Piguet

30 Tuesday Aug 2016

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Audemars Piguet, Claude Emmenegger, Interview, Interviews: Luxury Brands, SIHH, Verve Magazine, Watches

Published in Verve Magazine, August 2016

Last year, Claude Emmenegger became the new creative director of Audemars Piguet. After a stint with the brand from 1999 to 2003, he left to establish his own design consulting company. Twelve years and working with 40 brands later, he is back, firm in the belief that his appreciation for the brand has not changed a bit. He’s the creator of the Royal Oak Concept (2002) and the Tradition of Excellence models 2, 3 and 4; currently his main objectives include the development of the women’s category, high-tech concepts and new functionalities. ‘Break the rules in order to revolutionise horology’ is Emmenegger’s philosophy. Find out more:

Design vision
“Audemars Piguet is known for its classical points, along with innovation. I would like to take the design in a more modern direction inspired by contemporary art: make it evolve — though, not change — from what it is now.”

Audemars Piguet philosophy
“Diversity in excellence. When Audemars Piguet does something new, the idea is not to stop things halfway; it is to do something innovative and to finish it in the right way.”

Creative inspirations
“We live in a world where we are bombarded by sounds, images, perceptions…. The strength of a designer is to be able to hear in all that mass of information — what is interesting, what could be combined, what is of essence — and bring that together into something new. Once you have passed the stage of mood boards where you filter out the things you want to focus on…then, what the world is doing and what the noise is saying doesn’t matter anymore. Then you just have to get it done!”

Advanced complications for women
“We are in the middle of progress into that field. It’s really a big project right now — there are things in the pipeline and on the board, to see how the movements can evolve.”

When design meets technology
“It’s a bit like two brothers with different characters…. When you have a dream that you want to transform into a reality, it takes quite a bit to follow a road and make it happen. Even if you want to, tech may say, ‘No we can’t do it!’ You have to be able to stimulate them and persuade them…we are going to bend the iron a little bit more, but we are going to make it work!

What has really changed is the team spirit. You have people from design, from production, from the technological world, having discussions as early as possible. And rather than ‘No, it’s impossible to make it’, to agree on ‘Let’s find out if we can do it!’”

Story of a Watchmaker: At A Lange & Soehne’s atelier in Dresden

31 Sunday Jul 2016

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A Lange and Soehne, Atelier visit, Feature, Interview, Interviews: Luxury Brands, Verve Magazine, Watches

Published Verve Magazine, July 2016

Visiting the new manufactory of one of the world’s premier watchmakers, A. Lange & Söhne, in Dresden, Germany, to meet the people behind the scenes and find out what makes them tick

The girl is bent over in concentration, a magnifying eye glass strapped to her face…and when she looks up she takes a momentary glance at a candid photo of her family slipped into a metal wire stand. At another table, a man has a photo of the sunset staring at him, but if he were to look up, he would see, through large atelier windows, the lush green hillside on which the A. Lange & Söhne (pronounced ‘ah lang-eh’ and ‘zurn-neh’) manufactory resides, tucked away in the heart of Glashütte.

Germany’s prime watchmaking district, Glashütte (pronounced ‘glass-hoot-ey’), is an hour’s drive from the quaint Saxon town of Dresden and boasts 12 watch manufacturers of different calibres and hosts around 1,500 employees. These employees start their learning as early as the age of 15, and sometimes hail from different disciplines such as dentistry and porcelain making. They apply their fine motor skills expertise in watch manufacturing after undergoing at least three years’ training — including an extensive internal training — if they choose to work with A. Lange & Söhne. The people who work here are deeply passionate about what they do — their entire life revolves around their job.

The desks are pristine and clinical to a fault, except where you catch fragments of personalisation — a little bag of crisps or chocolate, kept neatly to the side — while the technicians work on tiny components with focus and sharp consistency, often not requiring the guidance of their computer screens that flash the exact technical procedure required at the time. The virtually dust-free and energy-efficient manufactory has individual ultra-modern workshops for the various processes — all the way from complications to engraving, from quality control to finishing and assembly. It takes a few minutes to a few hours to look over a single minutiae element; challenging ones can take up to a few days. The entire process of making a single handcrafted timepiece takes from six months to a year. It takes a person with a particular steadfast temperament and a great deal of passion for the job to have the staying power to continue in this vein.

And you can sense that as you walk through the spanking new manufactory that boasts a production area of 5,400 square metres, which can now house bigger and heavier machines, all entirely state of the art. You’re feeling like part of the establishment, clad in a crisp A. Lange & Söhne facility jacket and with machine-dispensed disposable plastic ‘socks’ on your shoe-covered feet. The double-skin walk-in facade has a climate-control function. Inaugurated last August, the facility, that cost in the double-digit tune of millions of euros, sees Saxony’s largest geothermal energy plant keeping the indoor climate pleasant year round. There is a serenity pervading the corridors and workstations, save for the sound of workmen putting the finishing touches to the new building. It is in this calm that perfection is allowed to thrive: an attention to detail, a rejection of that which doesn’t match their exacting standards.

Ferdinand Adolph Lange was the son of a gunsmith. The fire burnt strong in his belly for watchmaking, though, and in 1845 he managed to convince the local government to lend their support. He started in a small house on the Glashütte main street with a few apprentices. What had so far been a mining town was now poised to become the local centre of watchmaking. (His pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world.) Despite managing to survive both world wars, he faced hard times in the 1850s and ’60s; and when, after the Second World War, East Germany came under the purview of the Russians, he continued manufacturing, though the A. Lange & Söhne name nearly disappeared into oblivion.

In 1990, F. A. Lange’s great-grandson, Walter Lange, took it upon himself to relaunch the brand. In 1994, their first collection was launched in Dresden Castle. He was recently bestowed with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (First Class) by German President Joachim Gauck in recognition of his services in re-establishing Saxony’s watchmaking industry. Two months after winning the award, he remains affable, charming and humble as he walks with us around the A. Lange & Söhne booth at the exclusive Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) watch fair in Geneva, talking appreciatively about Indian women and their outfits.

In just over 20 years, A. Lange & Söhne has developed 51 manufacture calibres, which has given them a prime position among the world’s finest watch brands. Their greatest successes include innovative timekeeping instruments such as the Lange 1 (with the first outsize date in a series-produced wristwatch) and the Zeitwerk (with its supremely legible, precisely jumping numerals). The jocular head of development, Anthony de Haas, identifies what has become key to most heritage watchmakers. “It’s very important for us as a brand to stay true to the identity we started with in the 1990s when we rebuilt the company. And it is a challenge to create something new with the A. Lange & Söhne identity that’s very recognisable. The Zeitwerk is a very good example of that — of pushing the limits, not only technically but also in design.”

Their showstopper Zeitwerk timepiece was launched in 2009. It hails from a German word, which means ‘time-movement’. Standing in the Zeitwerk workshop in Dresden, I am privy to the fact that the timepiece has 415 to 428 parts and 200 oiling points (with four different oils). Missing a single oiling point would lead to the watch potentially stopping — which leaves one thankful for the extensive quality control and assembly checks. The manufactory’s complication department is the vanguard of the brand’s prestige watches. The watchmakers who work there are responsible for a single timepiece from beginning to end (unlike the other watches that move from one specialised department to another). In a world where there is a heavy dependence on technology, it is astonishing to discover that in this case, machines are used for checking and not for making that change, as machines cannot make fine adjustments, like to the 100th of a millimetre!

Last year, the big noise was the minute repeater with the decimal; this year at SIHH, the talking point was the limited-edition (100 pieces) Richard Lange Jumping Seconds which has an integrated jumping mechanism that makes it possible to display the time in strict one-second intervals. Says de Haas, “This is a typical collector’s watch — and you need a bit of an understanding of what’s going on. It’s a technical highlight, but packed in a very elegant, discreet way. You can make complications but they need to be nice-looking and fit the identity of the brand. Don’t do crazy things. Don’t start making diving or pilot watches, because others can do it far better.

A. Lange & Söhne never made watches to swim with, because the brand didn’t exist during the period when that became important. Also, with such a beautiful movement, with the sapphire case back, would I ever dare to jump in the water — even if I know it’s waterproof?”

A. Lange & Söhne has a tradition (started 150 years ago) of using German silver for their plates and movements, which requires two assemblies because of the delicacy of the metal. Despite the challenges associated with using this particular metal — not just limited to temperature and its sensitivity to humidity — it remains a speciality of the watchmaker for its beautiful golden, shining surface. It’s also symbolic of how the brand considers challenges and an indication of why it has so many movements to its name.

The watchmakers design their own tools for the intricate work. And it is intricate — as I soon realise when I am (as a surprise) taken to my own little private engraving workshop, where I am to sketch a design, then pick up a tool and work on a metal plate (which have both been made idiot-proof for newbies). I discover under local guidance that I am not entirely unforgivable at it, and I pass muster!

I get the hand-engraved piece returned to me in a box as a keepsake of the experience, which is nothing like the beautiful trademark floral engraving from Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s original pocket watches. Today, A. Lange & Söhne engravers undertake bespoke designs not just inside with specific creatives (like that of a royal family emblem, a motif or even a lover’s face) and initials, but also on the solid case back. You can place the bespoke order via your local boutique for a new piece and it then goes into the production process; while engraving initials on the balance cock can be done after purchase.

I walk over to the historic family building from 1873 (which once also housed production areas) and sit down for a light lunch with the director of press and public relations, Arnd Einhorn, who is eloquent about communicating the brand’s philosophy. There is a common speak and sensibility that pervades the brand and all associated personnel. De Haas (who incidentally had a stint at IWC before his 11 years at A. Lange & Söhne) was recently asked about making pilot’s watches. His response was simple and frank. ‘The Second World War for the Germans is a very black, dark period. Secondly, if we have companies like IWC who are masters in making a pilot’s watch, why should we do it, especially this year (the anniversary of the pilot’s watch)? To earn more money? To get more of their share of the market? That is not A. Lange & Söhne. We don’t decide on a market and then develop a product. We carefully develop the product families. And the marketing is merely our product, with the right information, with the right story.’

The developers and craftsmen in the valley who live in this placid, pristine environment, cut off from the machinations of the outside world, speaking only the local language, are the ones creating products for discerning people world over. The CEO, Wilhelm Schmid, is right when he says, “There is a certain German matter-of-factness, which can be perceived immediately.” De Haas identifies the quiet understatedness of the brand and the products as being influenced by the local area. “We are not so shiny, while we are fun. It’s very discreet; people are down to earth…with passion for detail. And I think that reflects in our products. We don’t come with pilots and spitfires and catwalks and Nicole Kidmans…it’s just us. And there are people who find it very boring, but we are how we are.” And he’s right. There is an atmosphere, in those quiet Glashütte hills filled with the sound of dedication.

The manufactory visit brings you closer to the heroes of these precision timepieces, affording you insight into a brand that believes in being subtly superior. The emotional connect isn’t with a clever marketing pitch, it’s with a labour-of-love marker of time.

A. Lange & Söhne consciously avoids having brand ambassadors — the watchmaker is the hero….as is the product.

5 things CEO Wilhelm Schmid wants you to know:

“Our first priority is that every new model is predestined to stand the test of time. This may lead to a classic design like the 1815 or more avant-garde concepts like the ZEITWERK Luminous.”

“Our second priority is recognition value. Even without the distinctive arched logo, an A. Lange & Söhne can always be identified. This is due to a combination of subtle features like the curvature of the lugs, the shape of the hands and the engraved look of the typography.”

“Our customers are quality-conscious watch connoisseurs, self-confident personalities who are seeking outstanding timepieces that reflect their individual style.”

“I am pleased to see that more and more women invest in our timepieces because they combine the best of two worlds: handcrafted mechanical excellence and timeless elegance. The majority of our watches are not designed for a specific gender but with a horological issue in mind.”

“Ever since we entered the Indian market in 2007, our timepieces have enjoyed growing popularity. We have, therefore, recently opened our fifth point of sale in Bengaluru.”

Quick Byte with Anthony De Haas, Head of Development

“Money talks, wealth whispers. Our watches are for whom wealth whispers. You are not buying an A. Lange & Söhne watch if you want to show off — when you buy a manually wound two-hand watch for 20,000 euros, you need to be a connoisseur. It’s very understated. Our sale of platinum watches is very high…why? They look like steel. So nobody recognises that you are wearing a watch that is worth 20-, 30- or 50,000 euros. But you have it for your own self. You know the inner value. Not merely the dial. The story is complete.”

Why You Should Buy A Vintage IWC Watch, And Which One

20 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Brand Watch, Interviews (All), Interviews: Luxury Brands, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Interview, Interviews: Luxury Brands, IWC, SIHH, Verve Magazine, Vintage, Watches

Published, Vervemagazine.in July 8, 2016

Find out which vintage IWC watch their own historian recommends, along with how to check authenticity and make the right purchase

The first Special Pilot’s Watch left the IWC (International Watch Company) factory in 1936. It was the start of a unique relationship between IWC Schaffhausen and flying.

Today, 80 years later, Verve speaks to the IWC historian, David Seyffer, about the tradition of the Pilot’s Watch and about becoming an IWC collector.

What does 2016 mean for IWC?
“Eighty years (of the pilot’s watches) – and we have now really made happen with a huge collection! With a different variation, really to please all needs or tastes of watch lovers but still hold onto the main characters of the heritage of the Pilot’s Watch.”

IWC at one point targeted the next male generation with the ‘father and son pilot’s watches’ – is this still a trend and has your target customer changed now?
“I do not think so. Interestingly, I have met people, where the man had the Big Pilot’s watch and the woman was wearing the son’s edition. Today, the youth knows and appreciates the nostalgia associated with the mechanical watch. With all that is going on in the world, people want something out of history.”

If there is one vintage IWC watch that any collector must own which would it be?
“I would really recommend (since it’s on my wrist) the Mark XI. The reason: it’s affordable as a collector’s piece, and we have huge quantity of spare parts if it comes for servicing. The movement, Caliber 89, is like an all-running system. It’s impressive how precise these movements are which are made in the 1940s, 1950s, and it has really a cool-looking feeling. So if somebody wants to start with collecting wristwatches, this is really a nice timepiece to start with.”

Approximately, how much would it cost?
“This depends on editions. You could potentially find a vintage watch within 4-5 thousand dollars, but then if it is a rare piece and is in good condition, possibly used by BOAC, then it could go to 15 thousand dollars or so. Also, authenticity…are they all the parts 100% authentic or not?”

If somebody in India wanted to buy one of the vintage watches, where would they go? How could they check the authenticity?
“Now we are living in the world of international business, so you can really get it everywhere. For example, if you find a nice offer on the Internet. But, then it’s the point of the authenticity. IWC offers a ‘certificate of authenticity’: you send your watch to IWC; there is a team of 3-4 watchmakers (and myself) and if everything looks fine, then you get an official certificate. Also works for people who want to sell antique or heritage timepieces. Interesting for all are the auctions (worldwide from the famous auction houses) where you may find a MARK XI Pilot’s watch!”

If you could get a carte blanche to create a pilot’s watch based on the history that you are so well versed with, would it be very different from what the brand currently has?
“Not really…because this year’s collection is so strongly related to the original design. Probably a small change I would recommend, as a conservative person, would be to skip the date, to make the watch look like a Mark XI.”

What is the one takeaway that you would leave a new watch buyer with when it comes to IWC’s rich history and tradition?
“IWC is located on the eastern part of Switzerland, therefore the design is different. It’s this east German-Swiss approach with the watch – you can find it in the way the bracelets are made. And in the way the cases were made. And of course, traditionally, what IWC was always about: precision and quality.”

Who is the IWC watch collector?
“The typical watch collector is in a certain way, a freak, highly knowledgeable, with a diverse background. We have very, very rich people and we have students who save every cent they earn just to get a historical timepiece, or a new timepiece. Bottom line is, the interest to learn as much as possible about the watch. Recently, in the collector’s meet, there were people from the USA, Europe. And, there was Captain Vishal who flies Air-India A-330 for several years and guess what he wears—An IWC Pilot’s watch! So you see, meeting people from all over the world, and really with that passion, feels great!”

Discovering 25 cities with Louis Vuitton’s City Guide App

15 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Brand Watch, Publication: Verve Magazine

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City Guide Books, Interviews: Luxury Brands, Interviews: Travel, Louis Vuitton, Reviews, Verve Magazine

Published Vervemagazine.in, December 2015

‘I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.’ Robert Louis Stevenson

We’re sold on the beautiful travel images that capture monochrome moments from the cities. The ones above are from their newest cities, Chicago, Prague and Rome. Having been familiar with the beautifully produced hard-bound editions of Louis Vuitton’s colour-coded city guides (available in box sets as well), the just-launched app is a traveller’s dream come true. Lavish photos (taken by imaginative photography creative Tendance Floue) with an expansive lens-eye, an attractive and friendly user interface, the little category bubbles open up a world of painstakingly-collected information. But they already had us at the opening quotes, which change each time you access the app, like the one by Stevenson.

Cafes that tell tales of day dreaming artists and authors, museums that paint a picture of a different time, streets that exude a ‘haute’ aura that has nothing to do with the ability to buy or sell. It speaks of a state of mind – the desire to experience the city through the eyes of the like-minded locals.

A team of 50 experts, including those from the cities being covered, contribute content making it a comprehensive guide to 25 of the world’s most popular cities: fashion capitals, centres for contemporary art, beach towns and business hubs. The best part? The Parisian guide is available for free until the end of this month (the others cost €9.99 or US$9.99 in the App Store).

Here’s what you can do:

1. LOCATION, LOCATION It’s a snap to find any address on these easy-to-read maps, available offline. In location-aware mode, you can see all nearby businesses and points of interest, zoom in and refine your results by topic. With the search engine, you can switch to list mode.

2. LITTLE BLACK BOOK Create and view your address book of favourites at any time.

3. POSTCARD FROM PARIS Send your loved ones a photo from your camera or from the guide’s gallery of pictures. Personalise your postcard and share your travel memories by using the filter in the colour of each city.

What’s more…

1. CONTRIBUTORS OF CALIBRE Each Louis Vuitton City Guide includes the participation of special guest contributors, who speak from personal experience of their home cities. Local celebrities or insiders open their personal address books and divulge several secret preferred haunts. For example, Prince M.L. Poomchai Chumbala suggests some of the elegant highlights to discover in Bangkok, while the film director Ivan Zachariáš takes the reader for a stroll around his favourite parts of central Prague.

2. LANGUAGE OF WORTH The guide is available in English and French options.

3. COLLABORATORS UNITE Louis Vuitton reaches out to journalists, writers, major figures in the world of arts and letters, many of whom divide their time between two cities; several authors often collaborate on one city, and each guide reflects the personalities of its contributors.

4. (UN)COVERED If you plan to go the whole hog they also have a small leather case with the Monogram pattern, for the iPad and iPhone (6 and 6 Plus); they come in four extra colors inspired by the city collection: blue for Paris, yellow for Rome, red for Beijing and pink for Tokyo.

Did you know?

Louis Vuitton has operated its own publishing house for some fifteen years and today offers a catalogue of more than 80 titles, including two collections focused on travel: its City Guides and Travel Books. Gaston-Louis Vuitton (1883–1970), grandson of the founder, was an avid collector and keen bibliophile, whose tastes ranged from literature to art books; he founded three bibliophile societies. When the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysées opened its doors in 1914, it already featured a comfortable reading and letter-writing room for its customers. This tradition continues into the present day at the Louis Vuitton bookstores.

Spells in the Shadows: Prague’s Art

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Publication: Verve Magazine, Travel Stories

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Art, Europe, Interviews: Travel, Mandarin Oriental, Prague, Verve Magazine

Published, Verve Magazine, July 2015
Images by Sitanshi Talati-Parikh

There is a deep romanticism in Prague, the city that speaks of desire and timelessness….

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I see myself living like a troll under the Charles Bridge — or having a conversation one bewitching night with one of the many baroque-style statues that line the bridge. Such is the draw of the city — as if witches that hide in the alleyways have brewed up a mysterious potion with their gnarled hands, the elixir that entices you to want to roam the cobblestone paths searching for truth on the darkened walls. History seems to lurk in those streets, sometimes furtive, often beckoning, suggestive of many moments of love, lust, hope and death. Time stops at the very moment in the past that your imagination sucks out of the grasp of history…as if the pages turn before you in the form of shadowy streets and pebble-stone corners.

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One of the only cities in Europe offering the finest examples of every single architectural style, one would imagine this to be a city that would captivate minds seeking to paint dark rich strokes on canvas, extolling the virtues of a land that is like a dark maiden with a tattoo — neither fair nor blemish-free but full of promise. And yet, the nondescript galleries that are scattered all over the touristy parts of town are not plum with creativity. Surly faces, bored tones and a melange of artworks are what a tourist will encounter if seeking without knowledge of where to look. As I sit in the shady, tree-lined square, I see what others may have seen. Time etched on walls, celebrated by seasonal tourists and seasoned salesmen. Local kitsch and pop art history make their presence felt amid curios and street art.

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The walls don’t disappoint. Taking to the streets from Prague Castle across the Old Town to Municipal House would unfold almost all the historical styles, including Gothic, baroque, eclectic historicism and art nouveau. Not to forget the quaint Jewish Quarter with well-preserved structures and historical synagogues. And within many of these beautiful buildings, monuments of history, you may find inspiration.

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Across a beautiful park, taking the road behind the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Prague, lies the Kampa Museum. One of the solid examples of artistic exploration where an explosion of thought can break through via a fine slice of contemporary musings available in the form of installations or canvases featuring 20th-century Czech and central European art. (Not to miss a gigantic chair sculpture by Magdalena Jetelová that was once washed away in the floods.) Culture goes pop with the Gallery of Art’s selection of Andy Warhol, Dali’s photographs and Alfons Mucha’s selected art nouveau works. They may be few and far between, but tucked away in the corners of the city seeped in mystery lie hidden gems. Works of art that only a person determined to seek is likely to find.

Screen Shot 2017-07-25 at 6.26.14 PM

ART TALK

1. State institutions such as National Gallery offer a selection from Czech art beginning with medieval art up to recent days.

2. Private galleries offer mainly well-recognized Czech artists known as ‘1960s generation’ and young contemporary artists. Galleries are scattered around the city.

3. Many young artists, graphic designers and young professionals have their studio in Orco, Prague 7 which has become a kind of cultural hot spot. The Chemistry Gallery supporting young artists is also located there. The Hunt Kastner gallery run by two members of Prague’s expat community represents local artists, while also being instrumental in promoting local art abroad.

4. Museum Monatelli (MuMo) is one of only few private museums of fine arts in the Czech Republic and the the museum’s inaugural show in 2009 featured works by 21 international female artists.

5. Princely Collections, Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle is likely to become well-known, but for now, the knowledge of it remains with a few. The palace (within the Prague Castle) houses a newly-opened collection of music, art, antiques and arms drawn from centuries-old collections of the Lobkowicz noble family.

6. The Leica Gallery, showcases contemporary photography through the year.

7. Amoya: A not-for-profit project supporting young artists and a platform for Artbanka. The museum’s program takes place in the Baroque palace where visitors can familiarise themselves with the world of contemporary Czech and international art. FUTURA is another not-for-profit centre, with a residency program.

8. DOX Center for contemporary art, architecture and design is considered a dynamic cultural platform.

9. The David Cerny Tour: A 3-4 hour tour by a motor vehicle to explore the works of the famous Czech sculptor and controversial artist, curated by Katerina Sedlakova, a freelance tour guide also connected to the Mandarin Oriental, Prague.

10. Summer Shakespeare Festival: Every summer, from June through September, Europe’s oldest and biggest open-air theatrical event dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare has approximately 150 performances, but in the local Czech language.

Gypsy Queen: Anushka Sharma

01 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Interviews (All), Interviews: Cinema, Interviews: Cover Stories, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Anushka Sharma, Bollywood, Interview, Interviews: Cinema, Verve Magazine

Published Verve Magazine (Cover story) April 2015 and on vervemagazine.in
Photographs by Prasad Naik

“I don’t think I have ever felt like I have belonged to any place.” Coming from an army background, she has spent her youth travelling around the country. Even Bengaluru, where she spent most of her time, wasn’t really home. Anushka Sharma moved to Mumbai over eight years ago with no connections, accompanied by just her mother and brother. “The beauty of my childhood, the lovely experiences I had…all came into focus when I didn’t have them anymore.”

The arrival into the city, into the civilian world, made her appreciate the sheltered and contained life she had lived before. “That’s what your journey is about — when you are living it you don’t know what it is, you are only experiencing emotions. In the army background you are prepped to live in order; when you come out of it, you experience chaos. You live and you continue the motions to cope with it. You ride the tide. You can’t stop and think; you go with the flow.”

In her new, comfortably appointed home in Versova, she tucks herself into a nook of her massive sofa and bites into an extra-large samosa with relish. This particular house has been a labour of love; with an entire floor (over 6000 square feet) devoted to private spaces for her parents, her brother and herself. Bright vases, patterned wallpaper, large mirrors, distressed furniture all radiate a happy, lived-in vibe. After the success of the Aamir Khan-starrer, PK, she’s shooting nights, and also juggling the launch of her maiden production venture, NH10 while awaiting the release of Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet with Ranbir Kapoor. She doesn’t have the jaded eye of a seasoned traveller or the wide-eyed wonder of a newbie. She’s free from poetry but she finds the silent music that calls out to her when she moves to her own rhythm. Over cups of cappuccino made with freshly crushed coffee beans and topped with smileys patterned in the foam, we discover the girl behind the gypsy.

“Mumbai made me grow up.”
“I was 17 or 18 when I came to Mumbai. I didn’t have any friends when I came here. My brother (older by four years) accompanied me…we got even closer. You learn so much about yourself. For an outsider, the city doesn’t have a residential vibe, unlike Bengaluru and Delhi. Here, every area is a mix of workplaces and homes. You are constantly surrounded by a rapid pace and energy. You find it daunting, you get involved in it, you get sucked into it and finally find your calm in the city.”

“Mumbai is an extremely professional city.”
“I have gotten a lot from it and I have grown to respect the place. There is a vein in which people who live here function, especially those who have come from outside to work. People are hard-working — constantly on the move, constantly trying to make something out of their lives.”

“Although you are a part of this huge population, you are constantly alone.”
“People say Mumbai is a lonely city. Everyone’s moving in a hurry. No one casually chats with anyone. In a train filled with people, no one is having a conversation. Everyone is in his or her own zone. And you want that, you are looking for this time to yourself.”

“I just want to be left alone when I am travelling.”
“Even when nobody knew who I was, I would explore places as if I were lost in my own world. That’s the time you enjoy your privacy. In India I can only see places when I am shooting, because they are cordoned off. It’s only abroad that I can experience something as normal as getting out of the hotel and walking on the street rather than getting into a car and going somewhere….”

“I’m not interested in sightseeing.”
“As actors we travel a lot. We live in places for 15 days to a month and a half. A film crew is always interested in the sights. For me, it’s all about the experience. I want to go to a restaurant; I want to walk on the streets and eat in the quaint places, experiencing the local flavour of the place. That’s exciting.”

“I always end up talking to strangers.”
“While growing up I used to watch a lot of travel shows. The one thing that connects people and places is food. There are so many stories you hear when you go to a restaurant or to a bar, meeting local people, talking to them. That discovery is very important, which is why I don’t like going to touristy places. If my friends want to go to Goa, I won’t take them to Baga. It will be to a place that I have discovered after several visits to Goa.”

“I’ve always been open to new experiences.”
“Travel is anything that enables you to have a different perspective on things, which could be 50 or 5000 kilometres away. I constantly want to see and know more. I don’t have a wish list, because when you really want to connect to places you keep your horizons wide and open.”

“I find it difficult to connect to European countries.”
“I find that language is a barrier — as much as I love Europe and its unique culture — I don’t think about living or having a house there.”

“I bring back fridge magnets from every place I go to.”
“I also always pick up one for a friend. Unfortunately, in this (new) home, I am unable to put up the magnets on the modular kitchen fridge, so now I just keep them or give them to people….”

“My home is very personal.”
“I didn’t want someone to just do my house. I didn’t want an opulent looking place with chandeliers and velvet or the colour red. I find it impersonal. I wanted a space that would be an extension of my own personality. I’m a little rough around the edges, I’m not very proper; so the elements in the house are close to that.”

“The moment in my life that I felt extremely proud was the day I moved into my house.”
“People in the industry who come from an affluent background, may feel it’s just buying a house…but for me, it’s a milestone. When you come from a middle class background, it’s the biggest achievement. I’ve lived in government lodgings all my life. My father had taken many loans for our house in Bengaluru. I’m very close to my family and always wanted to live with them. When I moved into this house, my father looked very happy — and for the first time I felt proud of myself. Though I had an apartment before, this was the ‘big’ house we all wanted. ‘Achievement’ is a personal term. For the world achievements may be fame and money, but just the fact that we had made a home, meant the world to me.”

Places with connect

St Ives, England
“I had the most amazing mussels here. (I am now a vegetarian). I could see seagulls near the ocean, hear the sound of the birds, the weather was beautiful; I was with my closest friends and the mussels were so fresh….”

Galibore, Karnataka
“I went to a fishing camp with two friends. The Kaveri River flows by there. It wasn’t the fishing season; bits of the riverbed were exposed. We didn’t fish, but we would go on boat rides. We stayed in a camping site that included tents and barbeques, no resorts!”

Australia
“Even though I’ve only been there once, I really liked it.”

Café Y, New York City
“It’s an underground café in the Village. I heard the most beautiful music here. It was commercial music, but done so differently.”

North-east India
“The north-east is the loveliest part of our country. When I was six or seven years old my father was posted in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. I used to travel to places people hadn’t even heard of. It was a completely different world.”

London, United Kingdom
“I could have a house in London. I’ve been there the most number of times; I know the place really well.”

Right Here, Right Now with Anushka Sharma:

On my iPod “Take Me To Church by Hozier.”

In (On) my fridge “No fridge magnets!” (There’s a story behind this. Read more here.)

In my bag “Wallet, Lip Balm, House Keys.”

On my blacklist “Complicated people, drama, lies, dishonesty.”

In my wallet “Money, credit cards, identity card.”

In my bedroom “I like it clean. I don’t like hoarding things. Just my bed, TV and books.”

On my bookshelf “Lots and lots of books. A favourite, JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.”

On my phone “Phone calls, music, e-mails.”

On my wall “Two pictures of a ballet school, showing the feet of ballerinas. It describes all the things your body can’t naturally do, that you train your body to do – it shows strength and hard work; it is beautiful and creative.”

In my car’s glove compartment “Tissues.”

In my wardrobe “Clothes waiting to be colour coded! I have no OCDs but my wardrobe is chaotic. It’s a walk-in wardrobe where I just leave things. I can’t find clothes. So I keep saying I need more clothes.”

On my bucket list “To travel, to grow, to learn.”

In my beauty bag “Lip balm, mascara, under-eye cream.”

In my bathroom “I’m obsessed with bath products! I have lots of shower gels and multiple body lotions. My nose is sensitive and when I wake up and go to have a shower, I like to surround myself with lovely fragrances.”

On my skin “Moisturiser. I have asked all the women whom I have met who have great skin, if they moisturised a lot when they were younger, and they said yes. However late I may return from a shoot or however tired I may be, I make sure I moisturise everyday.”

In my life “Family, work, love.”

Of Perfume, Paper and Tea

30 Saturday May 2015

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Publication: Verve Magazine, Travel Stories

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Interviews: Travel, Pondicherry, Verve Magazine

Published: Vervemagazine.in

Pondicherry has a perfect slice of life up for grabs. Where you can be charmed and bring back memories laced with fragrance and atmosphere

The hosts at La Villa are quite as charming as the property itself. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the French Quarter of Pondicherry, La Villa is a converted heritage colonial home, with trees that can tell a story that the distress-finish walls may not. One of the architects and designers, Tina Trigala (along with Yves Lesprit), is a Greek lady from France who has much to relate about the process of getting work done and building a space of this kind in India. Cajoling and learning the ways of the locals, she now is an old hand at it. After having built Villa Shanti with an obvious edge of Kitsch, La Villa is for a more refined and subtle palate. The thoughts are in the finer details, not glaring like Villa Shanti’s curtains made from lungis. The 19th century manor speaks of a distressed luxe — the kind of uber casual luxury that isn’t about ostentatious statues and inlay work, but is about the fine bath products, soft linen sheets, conceptual rooms and whimsical corners. Ancient materials and techniques like centuries-old bricks, lime plaster, colour cement flooring, and hand-made tiles from the villages of Tamil Nadu have found sustenance here with sophisticated western design.

From this world we step into the corridors of varied Pondicherry courtesy La Villa’s Sylvain Paquiry. With the grey buildings of Shri Aurobindo Ashram, to the pop yellow of the French institute (by appointment) with it’s beautiful gardens, rich but dusty library, serene and windy view from the top; to the curious boutiques and local stores that sell the wares of the place. A perfumed life with a wardrobe made entirely of things au naturel. We popped into: Janaki, Amethyst, Kalki and La boutique besides a few antique and curio shops.

As the waves crash on the belligerent ocean front, we watch a parade of people march wilfully along the promenade – looking like they belong, making us the observers and the cataloguers. Pondicherry is a study in architectural styles each quarter being typical of it’s type. One side of a dried-up canal is the “white side” or the French Quarter, while the other side is the Tamil Quarter, which also has a Muslim Quarter. And don’t be surprised to see the practically-vintage Ambassador car on the streets, as if stuck in time.

Make the road trip to Auroville, an enchanting organic hub of arts and culture with the Matri Mandir’s meditation centre, the tree with history, local markets, chic shops of exclusive local fare and for the long-stayers, workshops in a pure-play give-and-take format. In Pondicherry itself, for lovers of stationery (who often happen to be hoarders too) the world of handmade paper lies before you in an open mill ground with dated outhouses and a fair share of mosquitos. Beautiful paper and paper products are available for purchase, but the art of making the paper (via the waste from the nearby textile industry’s hosiery fabric) is enlightening.

Don’t leave without a hearty meal rounded up with the fresh mango sorbet (or the jaw-locking lemon sorbet) at Villa Shanti. A particular take-away besides the paper and perfumed giveaways? From the streets of Pondicherry to the serene poolside of La Villa: the most divine iced ‘Nanari’ tea. (Recipe: basil seeds, resin of almond tree (soaked in water), lemon juice, Syrup of nanari root.) It will not fail to cool the body in the soaring local climate.

Catalyst of Creativity

20 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Interviews (All), Interviews: Business, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Aishwarya Pathy, The Rose Code, Verve Magazine

Published Verve Magazine May 2015
Photography by Ryan Martis

“I believe in paving my own way through life and society. People like and respect you because of the person you are and not so much because of your family’s legacy.”

While growing up, 33-year-old Aishwarya Pathy (daughter of sugar baroness Rajshree Pathy) has had renowned artists and designers as house guests, while being surrounded by “beautiful, well-made objects”, and never missed the opportunity to travel for an interesting art show or a design exhibit. It was most natural for her, then, to work with her mother on projects that challenged and established aesthetic milestones. “There is a dearth of world-class design platforms and schools in India. We wanted to create something that would bring together creative individuals and businesses from all over the country. We felt the need for a design school for avant-garde design thinkers, a laboratory of sorts for their ideas; hence the concept of CoCCA came to fruition.”

The launch of IDF is a serious milestone in her life, as that set her apart as a pioneer. “I want IDF to be larger than a design conference restricted to Mumbai. It should traverse across the country and serve as a catalyst which changes the way people think about design. We aim to give Indian design the recognition it deserves — especially for the fine craftsmanship that exists in this country, the unique materials available only here and, of course, the talent.” IDF comprises a small team, where “everyone does everything.

For the most part I seek out interesting, new and original concepts in the world of design or in design education. I also handle tie-ups with various partners for the IDF event including sponsors, and work on the entire production.”

She is currently working on the next edition of IDF while also developing two new businesses with her real-estate-developer husband, Laxman Vaidya. Aishwarya juggles various roles by prioritising. “As a mother of two, it’s a constant struggle to do everything you want to do without feeling guilty about compromising somewhere! You do the best you can and try to have fun doing it.” Fond of travelling, spending time with her family and entertaining friends, she enjoys flexible working hours while multitasking, working off a daily task list. “I think it is important for a woman to be assertive — be it in her professional or personal life. Women are marginalised all the time, more so in our culture. We’re used to accepting that. I believe in a level playing field, so if you want it, you have to fight for it.”

Known to be spontaneous, Aishwarya describes her personal style as, “simple, timeless, chic and, most of all, comfortable.” She counts a pair of vintage art deco emerald earrings as her most treasured piece of jewellery and believes that dressing up for an occasion means, “wearing things that make you feel great.”

On looking at the future, she says, “A long time ago, I learnt to stop planning and embraced uncertainty. For me, it’s all about the present — enjoying where I am at this moment in time and not having expectations.”