High Browse May 2003

HIGHBROWSE
LORD
OFTHE
RINGS
Piaget's Possession coUection always
goes mat litd e bit furmer when it comes
ro designing rings that are set with fine
gemsrones, and their latest addition is
no exce ption. This range fearures a
choice of baguerre-cut blue ropaz,
amethyst, cirrine or peridoc set against
the volupruous curves of me ring.
Available from Piaget boutiques.
FENDI FOR YOURSELF
Who says that handbags are for women? Men have just as much stu ff to
carry around: keys, wallet, palm pilot and sunglasses to name but a few.
The people at Fendi recognise this and, as such, are launching
some of their most successful products with a
mascul ine twist. The macro-Ostrik is available
in a wide range of fabrics to suit every
occasion. For the more daring, totes feature
metal tubes or anatomical effects in crocodile or
anaconda. Available from Shop G18, Ground Floor,
Landmark, Central. Tel: 2524 1339
GARDEN PARTY The colours of Shanghai
Tang have a quintessentiallb) Hong Kong feel
to them, regardless of the season, This b)ear's
glorious spring collection is based on
the theme of an English rose garden
in Shanghai, and features, as
alwab)s, a vibrant palette and
impeccable design. The range
takes traditional chinoiserie and
turns it upside down to create a
modern-dab) varietb) that is at once
contemporarb) and exotic. Available
at Shanghai Tang.
FREE TIME
"The free spirit is a demanding muse," smiles
Philippe Thevenaz. president of DeLaneau. the
Swiss manufacturer of beautiful timepieces
who, since 1880, have been fusing artistic
brilliance with technical sophistication.
Bam and raised in Geneva, and obtaining a
Masters in ECOnomics from the university
there, Thevenaz honed his business acumen in
real estate and as a financial advisor. However,
it was not until 1997 when he acquired
DeLaneau that Thevenaz, an avid collector of
contemporary art, fulfilled his life-long dream to
create works of captivating originality.
As president of DeLaneau, speCialists in
haute joaJ//erie, Thevenazs first job was to
move the watchmakers from their original base
in Bienne to his beloved Geneva. heralding a
new surge of creativity in tune with the tastes
of those seeking a marriage of refinement and
non-conformity.
A keen skier, Thevenaz finds inspiration as
he carves down the powdery pistes of the
Swiss Alps. It is this same vanguard thrill that
characterizes his company, which boldly
challenges the conventions of watch-making
design with extravagant creations.
For DeLaneau, the challenge is to conceive
a form which satisfies fUnctional watch-making
requirements within its special vein of
creativity. Then, once the design is down on
paper, the company sets out to overcome
every technical challenge.
"DeLaneau has worked for many years with
the finest watchmakers, jewellers and setters to
be found in Geneva. We know exactly who can
be entrusted with the task of making special
tooling for a particular cut or for the execution
of intricate paving work," Thevenaz explains.
'At DeLaneau, it is always the watch which
determines our search for precious stones
rather than the other way round. For
example. when we were making our watch
Eternity, it took us nearly a year to collect
and cut the 280 diamonds needed to
illuminate th is creation." The free spirit is a
demand ing muse indeed. (Sf)
WATCHING
THE CLOCK
SHEER
HEAVEN
As if rhe Big Pilar's Warch and rhe GST Perperual
Calendar isn'r enough, IWC recently increased rheir
range of Ponuguese Chrono-Auromaric warches. The
new, elegant dials and additional colours compJement
rhe highly distinctive range bealltifully, making it one
of the most stylish and simple watches on the marker.
Available from IWC stockists.
Spring has always
been a time for
glamour and Ralph
Lauren somehow never
fails to deliver. His
laresr collecrion for
women embraces a
magical softness,
defining it as
aristocratic and
refined yer full of
surprises. Sunwashed colours soak
up the glamour of goldladen accessories. And with
the emphasis on si lhouettes,
cutS are soft and flowing. This
feminine
collection is available at Ralph
Lauren boutiques.
BAGS OF CHOICE
When it comes to bags, there are few fashion crimes
greater than sporting last season's Louis Vuitton ,
which means swinging your graffiti bag through the
streets of Central these days is a big no-no.
The LV accessory du jour - for those who
can't get their hands on an Eye Love bag is the revisited monogram vernis, featuring
a new twist. Available in either lavender or
fuchsia, the bag comes in two new
shapes: the Vertical Sullivan or the
Horizontal Sullivan. Take your
pick at Louis Vuitton boutiques.
SPRING IN YOUR STEP
ROCK THE HOUSE
Aspiring rock stars will be delighted with Joyce
stores' spring-summer 2003 collections. This
year features punk classics such as Commes
des Garcons, Alexander McQueen and Fake
London . Those with slightly less outlandish
tastes will be pleased to see the newest from
Owned by renowned footwear company Tod's, Hogan are rapidly forging a reputation for
designing stylish, modern and versatile shoes for today's cosmopolitan woman. Their
spring-summer range feawres warm, glowing colours such as honey, yellow and orange,
and soft, luxurious materials including sued e and calf
leather. Heels ate either flat , kitten or wedge but
never roo high for the summer heat. Hogan
also design matching bags. Available
at Pacific Place mid June.
Jimmy Choo and Anna Sui.
__ 9
HIGHBROWSE
AS TIME GOES BY Almost as famous for
interchangeable strap sldstem as heir range of
stldlish, slender and sparkling timepieces,
Michele Watches have reached a new level of
elegance with their latest range, Deco Colour.
Featuring a rectangular case
surrounded bld hand-cut
sparkling white diamonds
and a mother-of-pearl dial,
the watch is finished off
beautifuilld with a choice
of lizard, alligator,
grosgrain or silicon
rubber straps. Avai lable·
in a range of colours
exclusivelld from Lane
Crawford.
A WRISTED
DEVELOPMENT
"Change the watch band and i:jou change
the whole watch," sai:js Jack Barouh. As
president of one of the hottest watch
brands in the United States, Michele
Watches, he shou ld know.
Taking over the famili:j business in 1985
and relocating from Panama to Miami
(which he calls "the capital of South
America"), the personable Barouh was
inspired to launch Michele Watches'
di:jnamic, funki:j collection after the birth of
his daughter.
Building upon the knowledge he acquired
through observing his father Maurice's
career and his own appreciation of
materials, design and craftsmanship, the
Geneva-educated Barouh developed
innovative and versatile timepieces that can
adapt to suit the contemporari:j woman.
"Women are changeable. Thei:j like to
change their minds and thei:j have different
moods. Our products reflect all the different
women that one woman has to be: casual,
sporti:j, sophisticated, colourful."
Indeed, there is a stunning plethora of
sti:jles, from the jewelled
brill iance of the CSXDiamond Chronographs to
the chromatic plai:jfulness
of the interchangeable
straps. Michele Watches
maintains the same
di:jnamism of design todai:j
as when it produced onli:j
children's watches in its
earli:j i:jears.
For Barouh, a
watch is much
more than a
timepiece; it is
an expression
of an individual's place in life - a
statement of who i:jou are todai:j and where
i:jou will be tomorrow. He sai:js, "A watch
has moved from simpli:j being a timepiece
to being a statement of fashion, of attitude,
of mood and of individualiti:j. Your lifesti:jle,
i:jour personaliti:j, and i:jour level of
sophistication are all broadcast bi:j what
i:jou choose to tell time with ."
With his children, Michele and Jeremi:j,
now working in the compani:j, the dedicated
watchmaker is adamant that Michele
Watches will continue to evolve with the
third generation of Barouhs: "It is our belief
that each of our 10i:jal customers has
learned to expect on li:j the
best from Michele
continue to
challenge them."