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Jewellery auctions in Geneva: Christie’s sells heart-shaped diamond $15 million

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Jewellery auctions in Geneva: Christie’s sells heart-shaped diamond $15 million

The largest flawless heart-shaped diamond has sold for nearly $15 million in Geneva on May 17, breaking a world record in its category, auction house Christie’s said.The 92-carat diamond forms the centrepiece of a necklace of cultured pearls.

The sale price of around $14.99 million (around 13.45 million euros) is a world record for heart shaped diamonds, Christie’s spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann told AFP.

The piece was designed by Boehmer et Bassenge who have taken over the name of one of the greatest French jewellers of the 18th century. It is now run by an Antwerp-based diamond merchant.

The previous record for a heart-shaped diamond was set in 2011 when a 56.15-carat rock sold for $10.9 million.

Le Dîner en Blanc Singapore 2017: The elegant picnic returns for its 5th year

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Le Dîner en Blanc Singapore 2017: The elegant picnic returns for its 5th year

“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they would live a lot differently.” – Bill Watterson

There is no other event quite like Le Dîner en Blanc on our sunny island. Currently, in its fifth year, the world’s most elegant picnic will be held on June 3 at a secret location that will only be revealed at the last moment. French for ‘Dinner in White’, the venue is shrouded in secrecy and makes for an interesting conversation for those who love planning their evening down to the last detail.

The concept of the event is simple enough: Grab a picnic basket and the person you would like to share a gourmet meal with, get dressed in your finest white ensemble and make your way to a public space that is converted into a private venue for the night. First started in Paris nearly 30 years ago by François Pasquier and friends, it is now regarded as an international epicurean phenomenon that is celebrated in over 70 cities around the world. What had originally begun as a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event now welcomes over 10,00 people in Paris annually.

While it may seem like a lot of effort to some — lugging around a foldable table and chairs is no easy feat — the end result of getting to enjoy an elegant meal under the stars is something that is worth the effort. This year, the annual event in Singapore boasts a new hosting team made up of Alexis Lhoyer, Guillaume Chabrières and Jasmine Tuan. With their combined experience in events, creative and entertainment, the trio are all set to welcome guests to the truly unique event.

The registration for the event has officially closed but for those lucky enough to have registered at Le Dîner en Blanc, here are a few things to remember:

  • Rain or shine, your attendance — once confirmed by the organisers— is mandatory so you may wish to be prepared for unexpected weather conditions that can affect an outdoor dining experience.
  • There is a strict dress code that must be adhered to. Come dressed head-to-toe in white only and while originality is welcomed, guests are requested to ensure that it is elegant and tasteful.
  • Prepare and all white table setting that comprises of a table, two white chairs and a white tablecloth — it is called ‘Dinner in White’ after all.
  • Guests are required to meet at an assigned departure location before they are escorted to the undisclosed location by a Le Dîner en Blanc volunteer.
  • The secret location must be left as clean as it was when guests arrived. At the end of the event, leftovers and litter should be cleared by guests.
  • Due to the alcohol regulations in Singapore, guests are not allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages. However, those who wish to enjoy a glass of champagne or wine will be able to reserve some through the e-store upon their registration.

World’s most expensive hotel rooms from the Maldives, New York, Monaco and more

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World’s most expensive hotel rooms from the Maldives, New York, Monaco and more

We have covered the most expensive yachts, and so this time we’re jumping to our next favourite luxury item: hotels. Boasting lush furnishings and designer interiors, luxury hotel rooms each have their own character. From floor to ceiling glass windows to infinity pools, we bring to you the list of the top 10 most expensive luxury hotel rooms to date.

1. The Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva

The most expensive hotel room on this list is the Royal Penthouse Suite at the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva. For more than £50,000 per night, you can lounge on a 1,700 square metre terrace with stunning views of the mountain-lined Lake Geneva. IF you’re feeling up to it, you could play a few tunes on the Steinway grand piano, wash in your pick of 12 marble bathrooms and sleep soundly behind bulletproof glass. No wonder this is the most costly of the lot!

2. Owner’s Villa, Cheval Blanc Randheli, Maldives

This abode is designed by renowned designer Jean Michel Gathy. The stunning villa rests on its own private island, giving guests time away from the bustle of the mainland. The villa is home to four bedrooms, and has a 25-metre swimming pool and outdoor shower. With dedicated chefs to cater to your taste buds and only provides quality Guerlain products for your comfort, this villa is sure to provide a luxurious experience. Price provided upon request.

3. Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons Hotel New York, New York

Fancy looking down at the glorious city that never sleeps? This hotel room is your best bet! The highest hotel suite in New York City, Four Season Hotel New York’s Ty Warner Penthouse is designed by renowned architect I.M Pei and Peter Marino. The suite is a vision of elegance and uses artisan materials—stamped Venetian velvet, Chinese onyx and Japanese silk—for its interiors. With four glass balconies and floor to ceiling windows, enjoy your stay with uninterrupted 360-degree views. A night’s stay costs £36,956.

4. Hilltop Villa, Laucala Island, Fiji

Escape from reality at this glorious tropical paradise for £34,086. Perched atop Laucala’s high green hills, the Hilltop Villa at Laucala Island boast panoramic views from its lap pool. Despite its unusual design, the villa is no less luxurious. Guests will have access to verdant, landscaped gardens as well as to a nanny, private cook and chauffeur. What’s more, they can also explore the plantations and beaches on the estate’s Fijian horses.

5. The Palace, Jumeirah Bodrum Palace, Bodrum

Located along the coastline of Bodrum, this spectacular hotel is the one stop place for opulence and luxury. With accommodations ranging from villas to suites, each room offers a spectacular view of the Aegean Sea. This resort covers 110,000 square metres, and for £28,872 a night, you won’t ever be bored. The pool even has gold lion statues!

6. Shahi Mahal Suite, Raj Palace, Jaipur

Live like a Maharaja for just £28,595!  An actual palace built in the 1700s, step into a piece of history. The suite is dressed in ivory and gold accents, proving to be the definition of opulence. Accessed through a private entrance through the Charbagh gardens and decorated in gold leaf, the suite has a theatre, library and roof terrace with whirlpool tub.

7. Penthouse Suite, Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez, Cannes

Another hotel steeped in history, the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez has hosted many celebrities and stars during the annual Cannes Film Festival. The suite is one of the largest in Europe, and overlooks the Boulevard de la Croisette, the Bay of Cannes and the hotel’s private beach. Prices start at £27,416 for the suite.

8. Amanyara Villa at Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos

Known for being one of the best hotels in the industry, Aman resorts does it again. Combining indoor and outdoor living, lounge around in this £22,540 luxury villa in the Turks and Caicos. Take a dip in the black infinity pool or sit back and relax on one of the many day beds. Rooms are serviced by plenty of staff, with golf buggies provided for easy access around the 18,000-acre nature reserve the hotel occupies.

9. Presidential Suite, St Regis, New York

With floor to ceiling windows that overlook Fifth Avenue, best for a little city living.  For a true Upper East Side experience, guests are allowed to access the hotel’s Day & Night Bentley Fleet. Costing £22,539 a night, the plush accommodation is guaranteed to give you one of the most comfortable stays ever.

10. Two Storey Sky Villa, Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas

Last on our list is this magnificent penthouse in Las Vegas. Sin City is home to the grandest and biggest hotels in the world, so it’s no doubt that Palms Casino Resort is one of the 10 on this list. For £22,531 (weekends) and £12,893 (weekday), you’ll have access to a rotating bed, glass elevator, and an amazing glass enclosed swimming pool overlooking The Strip. The penthouse also has a dry sauna as well as 24-hour butler service for your needs.

For more luxurious hotels, see the full list on Telegraph UK.

‘Folds of Mind’ by Hélène Le Chatelier and Deusa Blümke at NPE Gallery Singapore

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‘Folds of Mind’ by Hélène Le Chatelier and Deusa Blümke at NPE Gallery Singapore
‘Installation Lucid @ Zhuang Home of Singapore Designers’, image courtesy of Daryl Goh

Appropriation is the act of reusing existing elements within a new work. The appropriation in art goes back to the early 1900s when Marcel Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’ provided new ways of seeing through readymades. Relating this concept of artmaking to macroeconomics, we are starting to see the appropriation of artmaking in non-art spaces. Art has transcended the art circle of galleries, museums, institutions and artist-run spaces. Increasingly, it has been produced for retail strategies, business expansion, corporate social responsibility, branding and marketing.

As the designer and co-producer of Asia’s pioneering projection-mapping infused retail experience, ‘Installation Lucid @ Zhuang Home of Singapore Designers’, I am privileged to have seen the creative possibilities of this new phenomenon. The appropriation of creative media facilitates the shift in the retail industry through utilising art as an apparatus to infuse fashion and technology while inspiring new competitors in the industry transformation.

Groundbreaking projects worth mentioning in recent years include Viktor & Rolf in Milan which features the entire interior of the store upside down. The floor is on the ceiling and vice versa while chandeliers are erected from the floor. Raf Simon’s Tokyo clothing boutique is another unique meeting of art and fashion where artist Sterling Ruby used the floors and ceilings of the space as his canvas. Pedder on Scotts in Singapore is also an innovative endeavour to curate an experience that feels “like a nice day in a modern gallery” as Peter Harris, President of Pedder Group, says.

Taking this framework of appropriation to the corporate level, art goes beyond the face value of commissioning and selling paintings. There is a new innovative spectacle that is sweeping across large organisations: the corporate-sponsored artist-in-residence (AIR) programmes. Autodesk is an architectural and engineering software producer with a residency programme that proved commerce and art can thrive together. Not only are artists funded for the projects they carry out, they can also help to shape technology that is useful to Autodesk. Amtrak, the railroad service in the United States, created an AIR programme which rewarded them with exponential influence on social media. In addition to Facebook which is also well known to commission artists to produce installations in their campus, there are over 200 of these AIR programmes in the United States.

AR_Apropos, (for thumbnail)Eunice Lim's ongoing NPE residency
Eunice Lim’s previous NPE residency, image courtesy of Daryl Goh

To ride on this wave, I founded the NPE Art Residency in Singapore. Housed within a leading print house, NPE Print Communications, arguably Singapore’s first and only free AIR programme provides artists with a studio for 3 months, consultancy with the leaders of the print industry, cost-priced production within the resources of the communication and press facility. This art initiative has since provided the corporate agency with new business ideas and propositions, such as launching a giclee print arm of the company with artist, Nicola Anthony, as an ambassador for this service.

The interdisciplinary capabilities of art are undeniable. Traditional streams of art production will continue to anchor the history of art and culture within the art industry. However, the innovative appropriation of art as a corporate entity will manifest into something exciting within new spheres that will continue to surprise us time and again.

Launching into Singapore art scene with an inaugural exhibition by Hélène Le Chatelier and Deusa Blümke, NPE Gallery is presenting ‘Folds of Mind’, running from 23 June to 23 August 2017. The show gives insight into how each artist has pushed their artistic boundaries as NPE Artists in Residence, tackling the topics of time, memory, the unseen and the unspeakable.

This article was written by Daryl Goh and originally published in Art Republik.

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore hosted the 7th annual Magic Bus Gala fundraiser

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Four Seasons Hotel Singapore hosted the 7th annual Magic Bus Gala fundraiser

Magic Bus Singapore held its seventh annual fundraiser on May 6, 2017 at the Four Seasons Hotel. It appealed for contributions from friends and supporters for the cause of moving India’s children out of poverty, by nurturing them on a journey from childhood to livelihood. This year, the Gala raised a record $750,000 through an auction of sponsored experiences as well as individual pledges to support Magic Bus communities.

The primary sponsor was RB Capital, and Nomura Bank supported the Gala for the second year in a row. In addition, Harrys has been a long-term sponsor of the Magic Bus along with loyal supporters such as Gautam Rampuria, who has been a consistent help sponsoring the gala. Gala is also supported by Anita Kapoor and has a strong committee of four ladies Dipika Bedi, Suzana Adahar, Avantika Malhotra and Bina Rampuria.

The Magic Bus Annual Gala is renowned for its warm and convivial atmosphere, which promotes authentic friendships and networking amongst various Singapore communities.  It brings together very influential people who have achieved much in their lives and are happy to give back to society, most generously.

There were about 270 guests, purely by invitation. The ballroom was decorated very elegantly. The crowd dressed to the theme of 50 shades of gold and looked beautiful! Anita Kapoor was the host for the evening. There was high energy in the room as Salha and Joel, the singing sensation from Dubai provided the entertainment.

The evening was kicked off by a welcome address by Magic Bus Singapore CEO, Patricia Mathias. As she thanked the sponsors and the donors, she called on the Gala committee  made up of Avantika Malhotra, Bina Rampuria, Dipika Bedi and Suzanna Adahar, and credited them for putting the magic into the magic bus gala. Andy Martin and Neha Dhupia, Bollywood actress and beauty queen, conducted a lively auction.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation by the Magic Bus founder, Matthew Spacie. He explained how Magic Bus was not just taking the youth from poverty to subsistence but instead, after working with the same child for six to seven years, gets them employment, thus ensuring they move from poverty to prosperity.

This was brought to life by the video of a driver of an Uber cab that Matthew chanced to take in Mumbai. The driver recognized Matthew, which is not unusual for Matthew Spacie! Except this time it was because he was part of a Magic Bus program for 7 years while he was growing up in one of the most dire slums of Mumbai. Magic Bus stood by him as he finished school. He gained the confidence and life skills through the program. As a  result, he currently not only owns a car and has started a career with Uber, but in parallel is also finishing his college education!

Since the year it began, the Singapore Gala has rewritten as many as 16,000 futures in India.  For entire neighbourhoods in many of India’s slums, the generous gifts made by the Singapore-based patrons are helping create a supportive community that invests in children’s education and protects their rights, so that by the time they grow up, these children can find dignified livelihood options, pulling their entire family out of poverty.

Every child supported by the Singapore Gala will go to school and complete up to 10th standard at the very least, will not get married before 18, and will either go to university or get a job.

Spanish food hall by chefs Jose Andres, Ferran and Albert Adria to open in New York City

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Spanish food hall by chefs Jose Andres, Ferran and Albert Adria to open in New York City
Chef Jose Andres

Chef brothers Ferran and Albert Adria will be making their American debut in New York next year in a partnership with fellow Spaniard and star chef Jose Andres that will see the opening of a sprawling Spanish food hall. It’s a collaboration between three mighty culinary titans that will bring the best of Spanish cuisine to New York in the form of a sprawling 35,000-square-foot space.

Set to open in late 2018, the indoor and outdoor food hall will be located at the base of 10 Hudson Yards and is pitched as “the ultimate gathering place celebrating all things Espana.” 10 Hudson Yards is a 52-story office tower in Manhattan’s West Side. The all-day dining destination sounds similar in concept to Mario Batali’s Eataly franchise, Italian marketplaces that feature counters, cafes, restaurants and purveyors of gourmet Italian delicacies.

Similarly, guests at the Spanish food hall will be able to tuck into tapas or wood-fired paella, and buy everything from Spanish jamon and olive oils to wines and other assorted delicacies. “We have long wanted to find an official way to create magic with José, and now we have it and can’t think of a better way to debut in America,” said the Adria brothers in a statement.

Calling Ferran his mentor, Andres said the project marks a dream come true for the chef, who has dreamed of opening a restaurant in New York since he arrived in the US at the age of 19.

“I cannot wait to tell the story of Spain to my adopted home of America in this iconic new neighborhood,” he added.

Hudson Yards is slated to become New York’s hottest new dining destination. Along with the ultimate Spanish trifecta, the area will also be home to new restaurants from David Chang and Thomas Keller.

Luxury restaurant group D&D London is likewise set to open a modern brasserie in the area, while other dining concepts include a Greek seafood restaurant from chef Costas Spiliadis, and an American grill restaurant from Chef Michael Lomonaco.

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