India Luxury Market
News, analysis & exclusive insights
The golden iPhone5S is not a rich-Apple-boy’s gadget, unless dressed up in real Gold!
Dipping your iPhone5S in 18 carat gold is one way to up the ante.
If all-gold look is too much shine for you, make a subtle statement with solid gold accessories for the new crop of Apple products – iPhone5S, iPad Air.
Now, this is pure rarity! Designed by Sir Jonathan Ive, Senior VP of Design, at Apple – is a precious pair of Earpods. Made of solid Rose Gold, they are no less than a rare piece-of-art, at an auction. What makes these earpods more precious, is that Jony Ive collaborated with U2 front-man Bono, to create them! There is only one pair made. The solid real gold Apple earpods are 47 inches long! It is not available in any Apple store. Price of the Earpods will be ascertained on November 23, when admirers of the unique accessory bid for it, at a Sotheby’s auction. Benefits of sale will be donated towards a global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. UPDATE: Sold for Euro 335,290, at Sotheby’s auction
Happy Plugs
18 Carat, solid Gold accessories headphones are also available at ‘Happy Plugs’. You need not bid for them. Simply swipe your platinum credit card and empty $14,500 or €11.000 of minuscule amount, from your heir/heiress fund.
Happy Plugs are crafted by an experienced goldsmith, from Stockholm. A mould is used to shape liquid gold into signature Happy Plugs design. As much as 25 gms of gold is used to materialise each pair. Sure, it will look like a piece of jewellery hanging from your ears.
Happy Plugs gold ear buds come packaged with remote and mic, adaptor, in the box. This functional jewellery is compatible with Apple iPhone5S, perhaps the iPad Air and devices from HTC, Nokia & Sony.
Platinum, Swarovski Covered iPhone5S
It won’t be difficult to find this phone in a loaded Birkin Bag. Look at the shine on it! An eye popping custom design that is bound to sparkle, in hand. Polished in Platinum and encrusted in a range of coloured Swarovski crystals. This level of customisation could make your iPhone5S forget it’s original golden colour.
Indulge in Gold, from Australia will let you splurge as much as you want on customising the iPhone5S – From colour of the phone (Gold, Platinum, Rose Gold) to a rainbow of Swarovski crystal colours to decorate the phone with. The Platinum iPhone5S in 64 Gigs will make your pocket lighter by US$2885 only. Custom engraving can also be done with an extra charge.
DEOS Earplug Covers
How about a cover for the earphones to match a Swarovski studded iPhone5S? An inter-changeable cover made in titanium, studded in diamonds – can double up a pair of ear-buds, as ear-studs. The inter changeable jackets from DEOS are the perfect makeover tool for a pair of headphones.
DEOS (Defining Expressions of Sound) has a variety of headset covers, ornate with real diamonds ranging from 32 to 302 stones on a single pair of designer cover.
*Images: Sotheby’s, Happy Plugs, DEOS, Indulge in Gold
Shilpa is a world renowned journalist and an expert in decoding India and Asia’s luxury markets for global readers. Her original, in-depth reports and analysis are frequently featured in prestigious international titles across the UK, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Oman.
India is cutting import duties on many luxury goods; cars, watches, cosmetics & wines through new trade deals with the EU, UK, UAE, Switzerland and Australia. Lower taxes will boost demand of foreign luxury goods in India, encouraging more global brands to enter and expand in the market.
At key global red carpet events, Alia Bhatt has out-ranked icons like Zendaya and Kendall Jenner, while generating multi-million dollar EMV for brands like Gucci & L’Oréal. Discover how the Indian actress strategically built her influence from a teenage movie star to an ROI magnet from south Asia.
India is significantly reducing import duties on alcoholic beverages and liquor – premium wines, whisky, beer, rum, vodka and tequila – as part of new trade deals with the UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Finland. See which major alcobev brands and spirits will benefit the most.
His watches are priced at an average $100,000 and yet attract a long waiting list of buyers. Even Chanel has acquired a stake in his company. He has won every major watch industry award in the world. Meet Maximilian Büsser, the Swiss-Indian watchmaker and founder of the unconventional watch brand MB&F
News, market intelligence & expert insights
