Tag: Bulgari

3 handbags you should have in your closet this fall

With the summer season in full swing, industry professionals and trendsetters are already predicting the styles for the upcoming season. To keep you in the know, we round up top 3 handbags to have in your closet this fall. 

For the trendsetter – Bulgari, Serpenti Full Pop-Stripe Phython

3 handbags you should have in your closet this Fall

For the Fall/Winter 18 season, luxury Italian brand Bulgari offers fashionistas a pop of playful textures and colours. Merging bold geometrics with a dash of surprise, the accessories collection plays according to Bulgari’s own trendsetting rules.

For those who prefer the cross-body style, the Serpenti Full Pop-Stripe Python marries together a fun, luxuriant mix of the collection’s unique trademarks, blending a high-end material, vibrant colours and bold designs into one single bag. Available in either Royal Sapphire or Canyon Amber – both with black stripes – the new Serpenti is the result of highest craftsmanship skills. After the python skin’s are hand painted in two different tones, the stripes are then obtained with an airbrush to enhance the natural pattern. For a truly one-of-a-kind result, the delicate process can take up to two days of work.

 

For the daring – Etro, Floral-Print Crossbody Rainbow bag

3 handbags you should have in your closet this Fall

Creative Director, Victoria Etro of Italian Fashion house Etro, breaks all the sterotypes this fall. The accessories line corresponds with that of the clothing couture; intensely patterned and comfortable, in all the right ways.

Add an unexpected pop of colour to your fall ’18 wardrobe with Etro’s Floral-print crossbody Rainbow Bag in soft calfskin leather. Decorated with the print of multicolour embroidered ribbons, the handy bag comes equipped with two practical compartments and a patch pocket, finished with a metal fastening with an ‘E’ identifying the brand.

 

For red carpet glamour – Delvaux Tempête MM, Metal Glam: Flashlight

3 handbags you should have in your closet this Fall

This season, luxury Belgium leather brand Delvaux pays homage to Hollywood glamour and the magic of cinematic lighting with a collection of luxury leather handbags that play on the themes of light and shadow, red carpet allure and timeless elegance.

Featuring pure graphic silhouettes, matte and shiny leathers, glittering metal pieces and opulent furs, the collection is perfect for those looking to add a touch of red carpet glamour to their ensemble.

 

Text: Hira Desai

Images courtesy of Bulgari, Etro and Delvaux 

Vintage revival: The rise of rose gold jewellery

Vintage revival: The rise of rose gold jewellery

A walk around the shopping malls will soon have you realising that rose gold jewellery is back on the scene. Illuminating rings, necklaces, earrings and even watches, we take a look at where this alluring soft pink metal originates from and why luxury jewellery designers are reviving it.

Traced back to Russia in the late 1880s, rose gold was originally known as Russian gold when famed jeweller Carl Fabergé – best known for his Imperial Eggs – began incorporating the copper-infused metal into his designs. It was later used in the 1920s by Cartier, while Tiffany & Co’s collaboration with designer Elsa Peretti in 1970s was also known to feature the pink-hued material.

Vintage revival: The rise of rose gold jewellery
The Imperial Coronation Egg, one of the most famous and iconic of all the Fabergé eggs.

Created by mixing pure gold with copper and a touch of silver, rose gold is ultimately an alloy, rather than a natural metal. Generally, the blend combines 75 percent gold with 21 percent copper and 4 percent silver. While the amounts can vary, the results are ultimately the same with a captivating cool pink alloy which is durable, versatile and compliments most skin tones.

With designers eager to introduce some variety into their otherwise gold and silver collections, rose gold is making an appearance in not only fashion and jewellery but even electronics such as the Apple Watch. From Blake Lively’s unconventional Lorraine Schwartz rose gold engagement ring to the stunning rose gold Cartier jewels worn by actress Priyanka Chopra at the Met Gala 2018, rose gold is well and truly making its presence felt again.

Alluring yet demure and mature yet youthful– rose gold is a medley of contrasts that work together in harmony. With its versatility and popularity, it would appear that rose gold jewellery is here to stay.

For inspiration, check out our roundup of beautiful rose gold jewellery pieces that will have you feeling classical and trendy, all at the same time.

 

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Check out our predictions for the Top 3 jewellery trends for Fall 2018.

 

Text: Hira Desai

Images courtesy of:

Bulgari
Chanel
Chaumet
Chopard
Graff
Van Cleef & Arpels
Piaget

Violet Tendencies: 2018 seems set for a purple(ish) patch…

Officially Pantone’s colour of the year, 2018 is set to be dominated by all things violet, with amethysts, sapphires and jade gems set to characterise runways and street fashions alike. Eagerly embraced by colour experts as truly replete with “ingenuity, originality and visionary thinking”, it’s hard not to wonder why Pantone’s iridescence-minded boffins took quite so long to plump for this clearly indispensable shade. It’s not as if the clues weren’t there.

Even Pantone concedes that musical icons as diverse and as chronologically-disparate as Bowie, Hendrix and Prince long ago flagged-up the varied brands of unconventional creativity associated with this particular blue-based purple hue. Hopefully incorporating the memorable expressions of individuality synonymous with these much-missed musos, we could be in for 12 months of conspicuous non-conformity, all of it – admittedly – violet-tinged.

It would be a folly most errant, however, to neglect the significance of Pantone’s decision to plump for this off-plum pastel as The Tint for Our Times. Indeed, as Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s executive director, so sagaciously reminds us: “The Pantone Colour of the Year has come to mean so much more than just what’s trending in the world of design. In essence, it’s a reflection of what’s truly needed in our world today…”

Should it turn out, however, that the wider world fails to aptly respond to Pantone’s careful, annual consideration of all things prismatic, churning out its usual fare of mass shootings, climatic cataclysms, premature expirations and dodgy commercial dealings, then it might well have proved better all-round had the New Jersey-based pigment-pickers opted for Sprout Green instead. We may never really know for sure.

Car-Watch Collaborations: The latest chapter of horology’s hottest trend

The collision between two of mankind’s greatest passions – motoring and watches – was a surprise to almost no one. After all, both were dedicated to pushing boundaries, setting records, and, most importantly, inciting that incurable burst of adrenaline in their enthusiasts. In recent times, though, the pace of new car-watch collaborations hitting the market has revved up significantly.

This hot horology trend has yielded some true standouts. Take, for example, Bulgari’s casual yet sporty Octo Retro Maserati GranSport, which is perfect for everyday wear. (Check out our extended review of this watch here.)

Bulgari's Octo Retro Maserati GranSport
Bulgari’s Octo Retro Maserati GranSport

On the more extreme end of the spectrum is the Excalibur Aventador S from Roger Dubuis. Modeled on the engine of a Lamborghini Aventador, it was crafted from the self-same carbon fibre favoured by the Italian supercar maker – a relatively new material in the world of haute horlogerie. It’s the perfect example of how car-watch collaborations have spawned innovative new techniques.

Lamborghini and Roger Dubuis' Excalibur-Aventador S
Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur-Aventador S in partnership with Lamborghini

Equally grandiose avant garde is Hublot’s Techframe Ferrari 70 Years King Gold Tourbillon Chronograph. This particular timepiece was created in celebration of Ferrari’s 70th anniversary. With just 70 pieces made, it’s a true collectors’ piece.

Hublot's Techframe Ferrari 70 Years King Gold Tourbillon Chronograph
Hublot’s Techframe Ferrari 70 Years King Gold Tourbillon Chronograph

This brings us to the newest kids on the car-inspired watch block: Tag Heuer’s Formula 1 Aston Martin and Carrera Heuer 01 Aston Martin. Launched last week at the International Geneva Motor Show, these models were unveiled after an announcement that Tag Heuer was now the Official Partner, Official Timekeeper and Team Performance Partner for the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team.

Tag Heuer's Formula 1 Aston Martin and Carrera Heuer 01 Aston Martin
Tag Heuer’s Formula 1 Aston Martin and Carrera Heuer 01 Aston Martin

At the event, Britain’s much-loved motoring company also revealed a brand new Vantage GTE boasting Tag Heuer’s signature colours. The car is set to compete in the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans race in June.

The Tag Heuer-Aston Martin relationship is just the latest in a series of car-watch collaborations, but if their new timepieces are anything to go by, it may just be one of the most fruitful.

Last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts for her

Every year, 14th February has a sneeky way of creeping up on you. Before you know it, you are giftless and unsure of where to find the perfect present for your wife or girlfriend. Guilty? Don’t fret; we are here to help with a round up some of the most luxurious Valentine’s Day gifts for her. 

Wish Upon a Star: Bulgari launches festive new campaign and charity drive

There’s only one word to describe the festive new Wishes Factory Campaign from Bulgari: wow. Featuring stunningly creative visuals by Italian architect and designer Federico Babina, the video fully immerses viewers in the holiday spirit while evoking images of Rome under a starry night sky.

At the same time, Bulgari continues to build on its charitable endeavours with a special #SeeMyWish social media campaign. The luxury jewellery brand will donate US$1 to Save the Children every time the campaign video – which you can find at https://www.bulgari.com/en-hk/seemywish – or a wish selfie with the hashtag #SeeMyWish is shared on Facebook or Instagram.

Since 2009, the jewellery house has raised over US$70 million for Save the Children in support of youth education and empowerment, improving the lives of over one million children across the world.

So spread your joy with those less fortunate this holiday season. Log on to your social media and start sharing now!

Material World: Watchmakers turn to cutting-edge materials for new creations

Quill & Pad co-founder Ian Skellern explores the growing utilisation of exotic materials in crafting high-end timepieces and selects seven medallists of outstanding merit.

While we are still waiting for the 21st century to deliver on long-promised flying cars and paperless offices, the world of haute horlogerie is experiencing something of a tech evolution. Innovative and exotic materials are increasingly being used to craft cases, dials and even movements, much to the delight of watch enthusiasts who’ve grown tired of the same old, same old.

Take Italian jewellery powerhouse Bulgari for example. The brand is perhaps best known for ultra-thin watches – and holds world records in this category – but the masculine Octo Retro Maserati models are more casual and suitable for everyday wear. While a more luxurious pink gold Maserati GranLusso model exists, it’s the GranSport version that stands out – not for its steel case but for its black diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. DLC is a hard-wearing and scratch-resistant treatment that, together with the black dial, contrasts nicely with the highly legible retrograde minutes and jumping hours.

Next to diamonds, the second hardest material is scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, which is why it takes Hublot weeks to sculpt the complex case parts for its Big Bang Unico Sapphire − including the case band, bezel and caseback − from solid blocks of sapphire crystal.

Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, says the transparent case “reveals the soul of the watch – the Unico movement – and an absolute transparency extending to the strap, which has become invisible”.

“Beyond the symbolism and the play on words, the Big Bang is laying itself bare. It has nothing to hide and everything to show,” he says.

While the fine watchmaking category usually encompasses mechanical wristwatches, when it comes to high-precision mechanical movements, quartz-regulated watches cannot be beat. Breitling’s Chronospace Evo B60 features a SuperQuartz oscillator that is more than 10 times as accurate as standard quartz, boasting accuracy within 10 seconds per year (compared to 15 seconds per month).

The Evo B60 is a sporty flyback chronograph that’s capable of measuring from one-tenth of a second to 24 hours. But what qualifies the B60 for this list is its lightweight but strong grade 5 titanium case, which despite its generous 43mm size feels quite comfortable on the wrist.

Montblanc’s 1858 Collection, meanwhile, looks to history for inspiration. Taking a page from the famous Minerva chronographs of the 1930s, what makes the Automatic Dual Time model so interesting isn’t just its useful second time zone function, but also its bi-metal steel/bronze case.

Bronze is a traditional alloy made from copper and tin that develops a rich patina (tarnish) in open air, which may also turn skin green. To avoid this, Montblanc offers a caseback in steel, while the bezel and crown are forged from beautiful bronze.

With bronze covered, we work our way up the podium to gold. Some may question what’s so innovative about Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Extra Thin in yellow gold – one of the most traditional gold alloys.

Yellow gold (3N shade) was once the most popular precious metal alloy for watch cases, but the warmer pink gold (4N) and red gold (5N) came into fashion over a decade ago, causing yellow gold watches to virtually disappear. With its striking blue dial complementing the case, the Royal Oak Extra Thin reminds us why yellow gold was so popular in the first place.

When it comes to exotic materials, few can hold a candle to the C-SMC carbon case of Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur-Aventador S, made in collaboration with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. We reluctantly gloss over the skeleton movement (modelled on the engine of the Lamborghini Aventador) with its deadbeat seconds and twin 90-degree opposed balances linked via differential, each beating at 4Hz for higher precision, to focus on the carbon fibre case.

While carbon fibre is a relatively new material in the luxury watch world, Lamborghini has decades of experience using it in motor racing, and it shows. The watch’s impressively-sized 45mm case is remarkably lightweight.

Titanium, meanwhile – especially grade 5 titanium – is considered by many to be the best when it comes to high-tech materials and alloys, thanks to its widespread use in aerospace, aviation and medical devices. However, it’s not what you use but how you use it that counts, and titanium has rarely looked better than it does on F.P. Journe’s Octa Sport Titane. Some may baulk at wearing such a beautiful watch for playing sports, but the lightness of the titanium case and aluminium movement make the combination a sheer pleasure.

With the watch industry sharing technology with rockets and super sports cars, the results are bound to break new ground in a discipline often considered traditionalist. And as long as we continue to live in a material world, it’s only fitting that our watches rise to the occasion, serving as sterling examples of man’s mastery of the elements.

Text: Ian Skellern

Gala Gems: What to wear to your next black-tie affair

A single strand of pearls might suffice for a stuffy banquet, but more opulent occasions call for jewellery that rises to the task. If you have a gala coming up and aren’t sure how to accessorise your gown, the latest high jewellery collections from top labels promise to provide ample inspiration.

Created in collaboration with Chinese designer Guo Pei, Chopard’s Silk Road Collection fuses Eastern elegance with European charm. One standout necklace features 105 carats worth of pear-shaped emeralds, surrounded by tourmalines and brilliant-cut diamonds. The contrast of the rich emerald green with the dazzle of the white diamonds is bound to make any ensemble pop.

 

 

Chaumet is also seeing green with its Pastorale Anglaise earrings. Launched as part of the brand’s Chaumet est une Fête Collection – an ode to extravagant celebrations – the dangle earrings are fashioned out of white and yellow gold, and set with emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. The vibrant, geometric design is modelled after the Scottish tartan print.

 

 

Another soiree-inspired range – albeit Italian, not French – is Bulgari’s Festa collection. According to the designer, “Festas (parties) happen everywhere in Italy and are the essence of the Italian way of life.” What better way to celebrate than with pearls, sapphires and diamonds? The Festa delle Principesse necklace boasts three strands of pearls and has two bows on each side – a tribute to Italian Queen Margherita of Savoy, who loved wearing bows, the region’s symbol.

 

For something whimsical, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Secret Collection takes a page from mythical and magical stories. Its Secret des Amoureux clip – a bow-and-arrow-shaped medley of diamonds, three kinds of gold and coloured sapphires – pays homage to Cupid, the Roman god of love.
Whether you go with something dazzlingly bold or more demure, there’s no denying that these jewellery pieces put the joie – or joy – in haute joaillerie.

Get your glow on with wild designs


There’s no need to be a professional snake charmer when one can mesmerise just as effortlessly with the Serpenti collection by Bulgari. A pink gold ring beset with rubellites, diamonds and snake-like emerald eyes is seductive enough to give Medusa a run for her money. Pair it with Serpenti Inspiration earrings in pink gold with nine fancy-shaped pink tourmalines dangling lavishly from each lobe, or choose from a selection of rebellious reptilian-shaped pendants.

Cartier is also taking a walk on the wild side with its collection of cactus-shaped jewellery. These gold pieces are reminiscent of desert sand, and a dichotomy of soft and sharp elements gives the collection its depth. An 18-carat yellow gold Cactus de Cartier ring and a matching bracelet and necklace are adorned with lapis lazuli gemstones and brilliant-cut diamonds.

Chanel’s Fête de Moissons bracelet wraps delicately around the wrist, evoking images of bougainvillea climbing and colouring the walls of a French boutique. The bracelet, mounted on white and yellow gold, boasts an 11.1-carat yellow diamond, as well as multicolour diamonds and yet more yellow diamonds in varying shapes. A matching necklace dazzles with a 25-carat fancy intense yellow diamond in the centre.

For a nature-inspired look, an 18-carat pink gold watch by Piaget is adorned with 24 marquise-cut diamonds arranged in a leaf-like pattern. A minimalist mother-of-pearl dial free of numbers, paired with the textured gold band, gives the watch a polished and elegant look.