My relationship with luxury has been an evolving one. Like most people, my first timepiece was an entry-level brand, a TAG Heuer. I’ve always been a sportsman and it resonated with me because many sportspeople were endorsing it. I’d also shot for the Swiss luxury company a few times. I was 27 and I remember my hands shaking as I handed over the money (a princely sum of ₹28,000); it was a really big deal. Unless you are privileged, this would be the story for most.
But I find that once people have their first Rolex, metaphorically speaking, they start searching for what is different. That’s when unique experiences make a difference. A few years ago (as part of Bling, my celeb management company), I’d done a deal with Mercedes and Farhan Akhtar. They invited us to come learn how to drive on frozen lakes in the Arctic Circle. How cool is that!
A lot of brands understand this need today. Look at Panerai. This year, the brand is ensuring customers ‘live the adventure’ if they buy one of their three special-edition Submersible watches, the Guillaume Néry, Mike Horn or Marina Militare.
Pick up the first and you get to dive in Moorea, French Polynesia, with the freediving world champion; with the second you can join the explorer on an Arctic adventure to Svalbard, Norway; and the last will get you a few days of training with COMSUBIN, the diving and commando group of the Italian Navy. You might be paying almost double for what a similar watch would cost, but you will be doing something that money can’t buy.
Luxury at less
People may have a lot more disposable income now, but they’re also discovering that luxury is not always about spending on things. Four years ago, chef-restaurateur Rahul Akerkar and I curated something on a whim. We are obsessed with mutton biryani , so we showcased six from around the country — Lucknow, Hyderabad, Malabar, Kolkata, Kashmir and Rampur. It was a nice January afternoon, and we invited just over 40 people, including cricketers and movie stars. To date, people ask me when I’m going to do it again.
Increasingly, people are equating luxury with what they can do for themselves. Instead of buying the latest cars or fashion, there is a desire to be distinctive and to appreciate provenance. Even for something as simple as fish and chips in London. A friend told me the original can be had only at one place in Spitalfields, and that it is a bit of a task to get there. But I did it, and the food was exceptional. It was memorable, and that is luxury. For a lot of people, these are the buttons to press.
Making things count
All of us are becoming more conscious of the environment now and this is only set to grow exponentially. I believe it will reach a point where it will be seen as uncool to be consuming more. When you realise how much goes into making a pair of jeans, do you really need 25 pairs? I read this fascinating article sometime back, where Michelle Obama said that her husband wore the exact same tuxedo in his eight years in office. He changed the shirt, tie, cufflinks, cummerbund, but never the tux, and no one noticed. So, if it is OK for Barack Obama, it is OK for everybody else.
Personally, I’m always hunting for cool. While I recall going to my first Hugo Boss outlet in Germany, near Stuttgart, because it was cheaper (I still have the jacket), I no longer buy off-the-rack. I don’t like wearing something that the whole world is wearing. Now I get my clothes tailored. Paul Jheeta, the first Indian tailor on Savile Row, is a favourite. He makes suits for a lot of people in India — Sachin Tendulkar has quite a few, and Amitabh Bachchan owns about 20. I also frequent Rajesh Pratap Singh and Ermenegildo Zegna in Italy.
Indians still brand driven?
Abroad, the elite have evolved to a space where individuality counts for more. We aren’t there yet. For example, if someone in the US or Japan buys a pair of Converse and gets a renowned artist to draw on it, they’ll use it, walk in it and get it dirty. But if we got the equivalent of an MF Husain to paint on our shoes, we’ll put them in a case and exhibit it. However, I do believe we are changing in how we are approaching luxury. I know a lot more people doing interesting holidays. They don’t want to go to New York for the 63rd time; they want to try something off the beaten track. Five years ago, I’d never heard of anyone going to Antarctica. Now I know of eight to 10 who have.
For me luxury in the next few years will be experiences. I want to go diving in the Galápagos and at the Sharm El-Sheikh, during the shark crossing in the Red Sea. Climbing the Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is also high on my list.
Atul Kasbekar is a renowned photographer and co-founder of The Corner Room Project, India’s first social media influencing platform on men’s luxury. Details: thecornerroomproject.com
— As told to Surya Praphulla Kumar
