The growing luxury shoe market in India sees a new entry in Mumbai. John Lobb who has been making the finest shoes for gentlemen since 1866 in London and 1902 in Paris debuts with its made-to-order ‘By Request’ service. Britain’s premier boot maker, owned by the Hermès Group, will foray into the Indian market with Regalia Luxury Retail LLP, a retailer partnering with leading luxury houses in introducing brands at the forefront of the industry in their respective categories. John Lobb was acquired by the Hermès Group In 1976.

With the strong heritage that the brand brings, it will offer service that allows connoisseurs to customize a pair of John Lobbs as per their style and own a pair unique to them. The brand will offer about 150 models including the bestsellers, William and Philip II, in a variety of leather options. Each pair spells sartorial elegance with its quality and selection of only the finest full-grain and exotic leathers. The 190 steps taken to craft each John Lobb shoe ensures the incorporation of the unique creative concepts and patterns, exceptional quality and thorough attention to detail.

“Considering the promising growth in demand for luxury goods, we are very excited to launch our ‘By Request’ service in India. India is a key market for us, and an integral part of our global strategy. We believe in offering the best quality products world over and are hoping to continue to do so. With our ‘By Request’ service, we will be able to understand our customers better and provide them with our personalized service that is part of John Lobb’s brand experience for decades.” says Thomas Collette, Commercial Director, John Lobb (Europe, Middle East and India).

Thomas Collette, Commercial Director, John Lobb                                       Pratik Dalmia, Founder, Regalia Luxury Retail LLP

“We continue to observe a surging demand for luxury products and services from across India. John Lobb has enjoyed the custom and patronage of Indians ever since the early twentieth century and we remain confident the By Request offer will be well received as it allows an individual to customize a pair reflecting their individual personality and style. The offering would start at Rs. 45,000 for non-welted shoes and Rs. 70,000 for the mainstay welted shoe offering.” – Pratik Dalmia, Founder, Regalia Luxury Retail LLP. 

The shoes are crafted in its Paris workshop whilst its expanding Northampton made ready-to-wear collections maintain the core bespoke principles upon which the company was founded. John Lobb has twenty stores including flagship stores in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. 

Chocolates, cakes, ice creams are so yesterday! How about some Marzipan to keep those sweet cravings at bay? Luxe Point India introduces you to Nordic Kandie Magic - brand of gourmet luxury Marzipan, straight from the lands of the European marzipan capital, Estonia.

Made with hand picked Mamra almonds from Iran and pure Belgian chocolates, this marzipan is made from a secret family recipe from Estonia. The brand has been recently set up in Mumbai with the unique concept of “Gourmet Marzipan” to woo the food enthusiasts of India. It also has a range of super luxurious gold and silver coated marzipan. Interestingly, the edible gold and silver is imported from a vendor in Italy who also supplied to the royal family.

The range of luxury handmade marzipan delicacies are for a discerning audience, that appreciate an exclusive gourmet experience. The brand confidently boasts of authentic Marzipan made with the finest quality of ingredients sourced from all around the world. What’s more? You can enjoy guilt-free indulgence in these treats as they are 100% vegetarian, gluten and cholesterol free. The Marzipan comes in nine delectable flavours of chocolate, mint, almond, black currant, cherry, strawberry, lychee, green apple and orange.

Availability: www.NordicKandieMagic.com

As the Indian men are becoming increasingly aware of their grooming regimes, many international brands look to enter the already growing beauty market for men in India. The latest to take this forward is the prestigious Truefitt & Hill, which brings with them a rich history. This is definitely no ordinary barber shop. It is luxe, it is heritage and a visit here could give you the feeling of royalty while you breathe in its fascinating history.

Consider this, among its patrons are The Duke of Edinburgh, other members of the royal household, many well known business leaders, Members of Parliament, diplomats and visiting dignitaries. It can boast of names like Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock and Laurence Olivier among few of their renowned clients. 

It is one of the oldest barber shops in the world (it began in 1805) and now It has opened its proud doors in Mumbai to the sheer pleasure and indulgence of men who are particular about their grooming.

So what do you expect on the menu here where men with glorious past and history have walked in for their personal grooming? You will find The Royal Shave, A Royal Haircut, Classic Shave and Haircut, other hair treatments, manicure & pedicure, head massage, facial among many more with a complimentary shoe shine with every visit.

That’s not all, you can also shop for lifestyle and grooming products, which include shaving travel kits, exclusive perfumes and colognes, bath and body products. Along with this they will retail exclusive hand-made cufflinks, some of the finest shoes from England, and other exclusive leather.

T&H is also located in Singapore, Chicago, Las Vegas, Canada, China & Malaysia apart from London.

Krishna Gupta, Managing Director, Lloyds Luxuries Ltd said, “I take pride in representing Truefitt & Hill, a barber shop with inimitable expertise and legacy of many decades. I am confident of this venture to be a successful one as I see an unexplored territory in Men’s grooming.”

Istayak Ansari, Director, Lloyds Luxuries Ltd also stated, “Truefitt and Hill will be the first high end international barber shop in India. The services and facilities offered will be at par with global standards with experienced and well trained staff to offer unparalleled services."

Their ambitious future plan includes launching 200 plus outlets across 75 plus cities while planning to open five more salons within this year in Mumbai followed by all major tier 1 and tier 2 cities in India.

Lloyds Luxuries Ltd was established in 2013 by the Gupta and Agarwal family of The Lloyds Group for their foray into retail and luxury. It has acquired the Master Franchise License for India, Vietnam, Burma, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for Truefitt & Hill.

The well known luxury hotel chain, one of Europe’s oldest – the Kempinski Hotels plans to go aggressive in the Indian hospitality sector. The brand currently has one hotel in operation in India and 73 globally, with plans to open 112 hotels by 2017.

The growing upper middle class is travelling a lot these days. This includes not just international travel but Indian destinations too are sought after. Duncan O’Rourke, CEO Kempinski Hotels says, “India is a rapidly growing economy with a burgeoning middle class that appreciates and has the resources to enjoy high-end luxury. The country also plays an important role in terms of outbound travel to our numerous properties across the globe.”

“We plan to operate three new hotels in India by 2020. We already have an operational hotel, the Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, and these additions will take our total strength to four hotels in the country in the next 5-6 years”, he adds.

Ulrich T. Eckhardt - President Middle East and Africa, Duncan O' Rourke- COO, Kempinski Hotels and Vella Ramasawmy- GM, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi

Mr. Ulrich Eckhardt, Managing Director & President India, Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels added, “While we are bullish on our expansion in the country we have put a cap on growth as we want to be known for our luxury and exclusivity. India is an extremely important market for us and we are looking to follow a tactical planned approach to grow our footprint in the country.”

The three properties are planned in the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Kerala and the company will follow a management contract model for these new hotels. Each of the upcoming hotels will feature 150-250 keys and the property in Kerala is planned to be a resort, the first for Kempinski Hotels in India. 

www.kempinski.com • www.globalhotelalliance.com

Close on the heels of big international fashion brands like Gucci, which recently opened its doors to the fashionistas of Kolkata, another well known brand Michael Kors is set to open its store at the Quest Mall in the same city . Luxury shoppers can choose from a mix of accessories from the Michael Kors Collection and MICHAEL Michael Kors labels, as well as watches, jewelry, footwear, and eyewear. The stores will also carry a selection of the brand’s fragrances.

                                              Quest Mall, Kolkata                                                                                  Palladium, Mumbai

You can expect to see the brand’s chic signature aesthetics created by their in-house team of designers with Zebra print furniture, sleek metal fixtures, mirrored surfaces and glossy, vintage photographs on the walls that fill the space with glamour and sophistication.

Michael Kors recently opened in Mumbai as well at the Palladium Mall. The Mumbai and Kolkata stores are the second and third one respectively after their first one in the capital city of Delhi.  

“The style in Mumbai is very inspiring,” says Michael Kors. “Naturally I’m thrilled to open up there this spring. I know customers will love the rich prints and luxurious accessories they find in our store.”