LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
POSSIBLY NO CALENDAR YEAR IN LIVING MEMORY
has ever been more passionately awaited than 2021. Transitioning from a year where so many hopes and pleasures were muted, the first Spice issue of the New Year comes with a promising resolution. To nurture tradition, not as “the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” Stoking the fiery zeal of individualism, our cover story reimagines the new bride of 2021. The country’s top wedding couturiers share their visions and versions of postCovid bridal regalia. Fashion doyenne Ritu Kumar, who completed 50 years in the industry last year, paints a classical bride who revels in vintage beauty, high on subtle pastels, silk organza and delicate lace. While handloom revivalist Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango eschews fuss or ostentation in favour of an individualistic style that lays heavy emphasis on local craftsmanship and sustainability. K H Radharaman, Creative Director of Advaya, talks about a shift to heirloom garments coupled with a contemporary corset or a diaphanous veil. Rahul Mishra, the first Indian designer to win the International Woolmark Prize at Milan Fashion week, reflects on the need for individuality but, in traditionally-rooted outfits that are high on comfort and style. Contemporary designer Anil Aggarwal takes a more avant garde approach using indigenous crafts, interpreted with intricate hand embroideries using industrial materials to create empowering outfits. Whatever their muse or statement, standing out rather than fitting in seems to be the rule of thumb. Elsewhere too, in the rarefied world of complicated movements and haute horology, unusual collaborations and psychedelic gemsettings seem to define this moment in time. From the multicoloured hands and indexes of Breitling’s Superocean Heritage ’57 to Rolex’s new Oyster Perpetual collection with its vibrant dials and Hublot’s Big Bang Unico Jewelry Rainbow, set with a whole palette of precious stones, there is nothing quite like a multicoloured timepiece to summon the bright side. It’s not all about colour though—even the most dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists were forced to come out and engage with the digital world and augmented reality features. Check out Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Master Control collection on your smart phone and click “View in 3D” to see how it all works. Bleeding-edge technology increasingly defines the auto industry which anticipates another electric year. It wasn’t just the Mercedes EQC—adding more oomph to the electric car range will be the Audi e-tron as well as the Jaguar i-Pace—both SUVs and both priced at around a crore each. What’s more, this year we will finally see the entry of Tesla’s Model 3 on Indian roads. But going electric isn’t the only smart choice available. Smarter air-dressers are going to become mainstream too. These are great additions to your walk-in closets as they sanitise, de-odorise and refresh your clothes at the press of a button. But what use is a gadget if it doesn’t help you prevail over the pandemic? That’s where the new generation of smartwatches are going to aid and abet. Apart from other tech treats, these nifty little gizmos are now going to be fitted with a compartment that holds a sanitisation spray: Safety first, but with your style quotient intact. Now that could be the clarion call for 2021.