MC Recommends: Luxury river cruises through the Sundarbans, and Google Pixel Fold

A watch from Audemars Piguet’s limited series of six Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, in which the music inspiration is visible in the equaliser pattern on the Tapisserie dial, knurled-textured studs reminiscent of jack plugs and crown guards inspired by the fader on mixing consoles.

Cruising the Sundarbans

Sundarbans, the largest river mangrove forest in the world, is home to 60 species of mammals, 60 species of creepy crawlies, 300 species of birds and another 300 species of flora. The lush mangrove region in the delta is formed by the confluence of the Padma, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal, and is home to the majestic Bengal Tiger. What better experience than to cruise it on a luxury cruiser.

Antara Ganges Voyager is well-appointed with luxury suites, restaurants, a bar, and everything you desire on your luxury cruise through an ancient forest network. You embark from Kolkata and sail along the Hooghly River to reach the fishing port of Namkhana, the gateway of the Sundarbans. You cruise past the Diamond Harbour and Kedgeree towards the Bay of Bengal. At Namkhana’s Bony Camp, you begin your cruise through the Sundarbans mangrove. Along the way, you will often disembark and sail on country boats to little islands and villages. This is one journey that marries adventure with a whole load of luxury.

Antara Ganges Voyager is well-appointed with luxury suites, restaurants, and a bar.

Google Pixel Fold focuses on its camera game

It is still in the works and may take another month or so to release, but Google Pixel Fold has everyone excited. Foldable phones have always been popular, but the category needs to see more advanced launches. The best idea of how the Pixel Fold could look comes from animations found in Android 12L, a tablet-focused version of Android that uses abstract illustrations of a foldable phone. Pixel Fold is a book-fold-style device with a squarer outer display and a large inner display. The phone will open on a hinge to reveal a larger screen, with the ability to slide out an additional display for added screen real estate. The foldable OLED panels come from Samsung. The focus is on a great quality camera, and for this, Google Pixel has eschewed the route taken by its rivals by putting in more cameras. The tech giant prefers a less-is-more approach, and its focus is on offering the best post-processing software for better photos.

Google Pixel Fold is a book-fold-style device with a large inner display.

The Ned NoMAD makes its Manhattan debut

The stylish London hotel, The Ned NoMad, now has a New York iteration. Its opening night was attended by Leonardo DiCaprio, Gigi Hadid, and Evan Mock. Here are the deets: The brainchild of Soho House founder and CEO Nick Jones, the Manhattan hotel sits pretty within the Johnston Building, which was built in 1903 as a store-cum-office. Its laidback interiors have been designed by the Soho team, which has also restored and conserved the original architecture of the building. The 67 rooms, inspired by Beaux-Arts architecture, range in size from intimate to spacious suites — all with a nod to 1920s glamour and a rich jewel-tone aesthetic. While Ned’s Club is members–only and opens up private access to the rooftop terrace restaurant and a mezzanine bar, The Dining Room menu pays homage to NoMad Hotel’s classic dishes. Little Ned is an old-school bar with booth-style seating and a small menu of bar nibbles, while The Library is a stylish workspace by day that transforms into a cosy bar at night. The property is also home to Manhattan’s first branch of Cecconi’s, the famous plush Italian restaurant, of which we have an iteration in Mumbai’s Soho House.

‘Sneakender’ for your weekend travels

Christian Louboutin is a man with a healthy sense of humour. You can see that in his bags, shoes, and his conversations. He brings this wit to the name of the brand’s new range of bags. The Sneakender (alluding to ‘sneaking out of city life for a weekend break') travel bags have a contemporary appeal. Crafted in black-grained leather and red rubber, they echo Maison Christian Louboutin’s sneaker sole, embellished as it is with the signature red spikes. With two handles and a shoulder strap, it can be worn over the shoulder or carried by hand. Très chic!

Christian Louboutin's Sneakender bag.

Art on your wine label

Artworks by greats such as Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Warhol, Niki de Saint Phalle, Bernar Venet and Keith Haring feature on the labels of a Bordeaux first-growth wine, a classification reserved for only the best of the best. The art labels are the brainchild of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who inherited Château Mouton Rothschild in 1922, and transformed the staid, functional wine labels produced by Château into miniature works of art. Respected by the art world as a legitimate body of work that provides an intimate look into the lives of a well-regarded winemaking family and the changing times in which they lived, the Château Mouton Rothschild Artist Collection is today a highly sought-after collectable. Château Mouton Rothschild has a long guest list of artists looking to design the labels. The newest is the label for the 2019 vintage by Olafur Eliasson, who created a sun motif for the label.

The Château Mouton Rothschild Artist Collection is today a sought-after collectable.

Audemars Piguet’s tribute to music

Swiss Haute Horlogerie Audemars Piguet’s limited series of six Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon is inspired by the numerous collaborations between the watchmaker and various artists. Oak Offshore is available in materials such as titanium, gemstone encrusted 18-carat white gold, and black ceramic. The music inspiration is visible in the Tapisserie dials, which bear the pattern of an equaliser (or VU meter) found in recording studios, knurled-textured studs reminiscent of jack plugs and crown guards inspired by the fader on mixing consoles. The dials feature a sapphire crystal curved along the 6 to 12 o'clock axis as well as enlarged bevels. The self-winding hours, minutes and seconds models radiate a colourful, pop-style appearance. The Calibre 5909 movement powers the 37mm models and Calibre 4309 powers the 43 mm variants.

The music inspiration is visible in the Tapisserie dials.

JANAVI’s Cashmere Carousel collection embellished with lost arts

JANAVI India’s new collection in exquisite handwoven cashmere or pashmina revives a few lost arts such as hand painting a stole or shawl, lace edges and crochet, which now find few takers in their pure form. Jyotika Jhalani, the founder of the brand, says, “It started in a hoop – a collection that is (the) home of any embroidery, and expanded its reach to the purest cashmere, merino wools, silks, and linens. It was enriched by hand painting, embellishment, lace, and crochet. The collection is marked by stark extremes, neutral colours and delicate thread work, juxtaposed with unapologetic bright hues and bold motifs and paintings, and vivid flowers." Expect to see pretty pink flowers on a white backdrop that is edged with lace in a nod to everything Victorian.

JANAVI India's cashmere stoles and shawls with lace edges and hand-painted embellishment.