New cigar celebrates vibrant Dominican Republic

Basel-based Davidoff has introduced the Davidoff Dominicana limited-edition cigar that celebrates the Dominican Republic’s culture and lifestyle.

The Dominicana cigar line (pictured below) is Davidoff's celebration of its Dominican roots. To achieve a vibrant taste sensation that builds on the joyful culture of the Dominican Republic, Davidoff's Master Blenders concocted a complex blend of five Dominican filler tobaccos united in an Ecuadorian binder and crowned with a Dominican Yamasá wrapper.

The extended six-year ageing of the tobaccos harvested in 2014 results in a sophisticated and complex taste journey that makes this full-bodied, yet pleasantly balanced cigar a total Dominican experience.

The Dominicana cigar line comes in Short Robusto, Robusto and Toro formats. All three will be available in wooden boxes of 10 cigars featuring a vintage sticker to accent the aged tobacco.

The Davidoff Dominicana hits the shelves globally in May 2021.

AVO Improvisation 2021 limited edition

In other news, Oettinger Davidoff is introducing the ninth instalment of the prized AVO Improvisation Series.

In 2001, Avo Uvezian was one of the first to produce an annual limited-edition cigar, and to celebrate his legacy, AVO Cigar is breaking the mould once again with a 2021 release.

The AVO Improvisation 2021 showcases the heritage and innovation of the line with four distinct yet complementary Dominican filler tobaccos. Both the binder and wrapper tobaccos from Ecuador bring a modern, innovative note to the improvised aromas. The wrapper is treated with a special ageing and fermentation process to amplify the creaminess and sweetness of the tobacco.

The AVO Improvisation 2021 will be introduced in European markets in June, with 4,550 boxes available globally.

For details, see @avocigar and #AVOImprovisation2021 on Instagram.

Bottega toasts two Prosecco bars

Italian liquor group Bottega, best known for its striking metallic Prosecco wine bottles in gold, silver and pink gold, has resumed its Prosecco Bar project with prestigious openings at two UK racecourses.

The Bottega Terrazza Bar & Restaurant is an elegant outdoor space where you can watch the horse races and sip Prosecco, while enjoying Italian dishes. This concept is complemented by the small-format Bottega Garden Bar, which serves drinks.

The two openings follow an agreement with UK group Arc (Arena Racing Company) for the introduction of Bottega's restaurant format at Bath, Windsor and, with a pop-up formula linked to specific events, for other racecourses in England.

Sandro Bottega, the dynamic President of Bottega SpA who champions made-in-Italy, explained the thinking behind these innovative venues: "We have always loved horse racing and the people who are part of this beautiful world, where everyone loves nature and animals. All this is closely linked to the unbreakable commitment to sustainability that our company has been having for so many years. These are core values both in our business and in our everyday lives, and the reason to raise a glass is not to win but to be part of it. ARC is a great organisation to which we have dedicated all our efforts, realising two great projects: Bottega Terrazza Bar & Restaurant and Bottega Garden Bar. We are confident that they will be a success."

The Prosecco Bar format was launched in 2014 onboard Viking Group's Cinderella ship, which operates on the Baltic Sea. It has since been introduced at the airports of Rome Fiumicino, Dubai, Birmingham, Bologna and the two Bulgarian airports of Burgas and Varna; in Guernsey (Channel Islands) on the terrace of the Slaughterhouse restaurant; inside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Muscat, Oman; in the Seychelles on the beach of the Hilton Labriz Hotel (Silhouette Island); inside the UK’s Birmingham Arena; in Tokyo on the terrace of the Anchor Gate Hotel; and, with a different formula, in the arrivals area of Milan Malpensa Airport; and at Belluno railway station, in the Veneto region.

Bottega’s Prosecco Bar aims to “exalt the excellence of Italy and gratify the palate of the consumer”, said Sandro Bottega, who also campaigns tirelessly for breast cancer awareness. The project reimagines the philosophy of the Venetian bacaro, an informal osteria where food is presented both as 'cicheti', appetisers to be eaten at the counter, and as more structured dishes to be served at tables. “The matching with Prosecco, favoured for its versatility, along with other Italian wines, contributes to making every moment spent in a bacaro a pleasant experience that enriches the spirit and refreshes the soul,” he enthused.

The project's mainstay is the "Perfect Match", meaning the ideal combination of typical food from Italian regional cuisines and the wines offered by Bottega.

“This is not a selection of starred recipes that are difficult to reproduce, but a homogeneous ensemble of traditional dishes, able to give great satisfaction to palates of all latitudes," said the company. "The wide range of wines, including Prosecco, sparkling wines made from the finest grape varieties, prestigious reds (Amarone, Brunello di Montalcino, Ripasso, Bolgheri), dessert wines, a selection of white and barrique grappas, together with a wide range of fruit and cream liqueurs, make Bottega a leading player in the beverage industry and a solid partner appreciated for its ability to offer different products with a consistently high quality.”

Italian authenticity

Bottega is a family-owned company located in Bibano, Treviso (45km north of Venice) that has been producing premium quality, typical Italian wines, grappa, spirits and food products since 1977. Bottega is a third-generation business, led by Sandro, Barbara and Stefano Bottega. Headquarters are situated in a 19th-century farmhouse, renovated to preserve the original architecture and environment, surrounded by 10 hectares of vineyards. The group also runs wineries in Valpolicella and Montalcino: here, the great red wines of the Veneto and Tuscany, including Amarone and Brunello, are produced. The company manages several different brands, including Alexander, Bottega and Cantina dei Poeti.

With the goal of delivering “health, wellbeing and pleasure” through its products distributed in more than 150 countries, Bottega advocates quality (Italian taste and authenticity), design (expression of the excellent aesthetic character of being made in Italy) and social responsibility towards the environment and the community.

For details, see www.bottegaspa.com.

Cutting a dash post-lockdown

MJ Rabbit is intrigued by bespoke tailoring as a way to stand out from the post-lockdown madding crowd.

To find out more, MJ Rabbit hopped over to Kent, Haste & Lachter, tailors by appointment to the ever-elegant Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April aged 99 after seven decades of stoic service to the UK. Their starry clients include Burt Lancaster, Rod Steiger, Tony Curtis, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Lord Mountbatten and Arnaud Bamberger.

Entering their Savile Row workshop, I was greeted with a cheery “One moment, please,” as John Kent (pictured below left) finished a conversation with someone he hadn’t seen for a year. Terry Haste, formerly of Huntsman and boasting Alexander McQueen among his clientele, was busy cutting a lightweight suit for a client in Palm Beach.

Some 2,000 books of precious fabrics lined the walls, like library tomes. A women’s evening jacket with turned-up silk cuffs and lapels hung on a tailor’s dummy. Apparently, this impeccably waisted garment contains two metres of silk. I started dreaming about wearing it.

I loved hearing the talented tailors reminisce discreetly about their many years in the business and purchased an off-the-peg accessory: a white organic cotton (GOTS) handkerchief, similar to the ones Prince Philip sported in his jacket pocket.

Suyamba Kumaresan, the company’s young under-cutter, explained the meticulous workmanship that went into this hand-stitched handkerchief. Pure (cotton) poetry.

For details, see kenthaste.co.uk.

Porsche Design’s eye-catching campaign in Beirut

Porsche Design’s first travel retail promotion fronted by Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey has debuted at Beirut Rafic Hariri Airport with Beirut Duty Free.

The stand-alone display (pictured below) showcases Porsche Design’s stylish and elegant sunglasses in an attention-grabbing space. At the forefront of the eye-catching campaign is Dempsey, Porsche Design’s eyewear ambassador, Hollywood actor and motor sports enthusiast. 

The sleek, stylish shelves highlight Porsche Design’s assortment for travelling shoppers and spotlight the P’8928 model, which is an homage to the iconic original P’8478 model, created by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1978.

A social media campaign featuring Dempsey amplifies the German lifestyle brand’s values of perfection and precision. Meanwhile, staff are engaged through a selling incentive which aims to drive interaction with customers.

Rebecca Rauner, Sales Manager, Global Travel Retail at Porsche Design’s licensee Rodenstock, said: “This high-profile activation perfectly highlights why Porsche Design is a leader in stylish and eye-catching eyewear delivered with great precision and high level of innovation. We are delighted to bring the brand to life for shoppers at Beirut Duty Free.

“Along with our eyewear ambassador Patrick Dempsey, we know that a fashionable pair of sunglasses can be the ultimate fashion accessory, and this is why the category will play such a key role in helping the travel retail sector to recover as travellers return.”

To highlight Porsche Design’s plans and innovations, CEO Dr Jan Becker joined Dempsey for a digital press conference to give guests the chance to experience the world of Porsche Design and get in touch directly with the two hosts.

Beirut Duty Free’s promotion began in April and runs for one month.

Korean artist on Media Creates Madness (MCM)

For Spring/Summer 2021, MCM gets graphic, launching a limited-edition collection inspired by graffiti from up-and-coming Korean artist SambyPen, aka Sam Kim.

The collection illustrates MCM’s DNA of mobility and freedom through vibrant, youthful tones and light-hearted motifs with an attitude. The collection celebrates MCM’s core iconography and reimagines its brand codes according to SambyPen’s signature aesthetic.

The MCM logo design references graffiti street art in bold tones, while the remaining insignia nod to the brand’s journey from Berlin to Seoul through three animal characters: Henry the Timid Lion, inspired by the Munich Lion; Kaiser the Blunt Puppy, inspired by Wilhelm II and the symbol of Germany; and Haru the Wicked Rabbit, inspired by the MCM Rabbit and the German Easter Hare. (MJ Rabbit has a new friend, pictured below. Purr!)

Sam Kim explains how he has deconstructed traditional archetypes and reconstructed them into a modern expression: "The theme of MCM x SAMBYPEN is Media Creates Madness, addressing the contemporary society in which we live. We, who grew up in the Analogue Age, now live in a Digital Age, and have become a generation of chaos and adaptation. The media has an unavoidable role in modern society, where massive amounts of information flow through us via the internet and videos. My focus has always been to observe yet subvert this dynamic by employing unabashed and sarcastic designs against traditional iconography."

The MCM x SambyPen collection spans a full women’s, men’s and unisex ready-to-wear range of apparel and accessories, including jewellery.

Cobalt blue sits alongside bright pops of primary colour, while pastel hues and earth tones are paired with brazen graphics, referencing the chaos of creativity and conformity. Unveiling rich new shapes, the assortment introduces cushions, carpets and slippers as well as polo shirts, cargo pants and shorts for indoor lounging and outdoor living.

Each look is a series of contrasts - day to evening, fierce to vulnerable, intimate to bold, and dressed-up to dressed-down. The collection icons are juxtaposed against MCM’s Visetos, symbolising a journey from past to future.

Dirk Schoenberger, Global Creative Officer of MCM, said: "The shared ethos between MCM and SambyPen has resulted in a collaborative project where art, fashion and entertainment blend and the underground converges with luxury."

The collection is the latest in a series of global collaborations in MCM’s Global Creative Platform, and symbolises unbound freedom, community and playfulness as well as eccentricity and spontaneity.

The distinctive design celebrates Berlin street art and the renowned graffiti scene, reinterpreting it through a lens representing Seoul’s irreverent youth and diversity. The collection is available in-store and online from May 1, 2021.

Hollywood star inspires Porsche Design eyewear

Porsche Design Eyewear has tapped motorsport-loving Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey as its brand ambassador since January 2021. 

Dempsey fits the exclusive lifestyle brand perfectly, as demonstrated by his passion for motorsport and his determination to follow his vision, the German firm said. 

The same aspiration is reflected in Porsche Design Eyewear. In 1978, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche created the world's first sunglasses with an interchangeable lens mechanism, the P‘8478. Some 43 years later, and with millions of pairs sold, they are still available almost entirely unchanged. 

A fresh take on this classic design is the P’8928, described as a modern, squared aviator style with a distinctive and edgy look. The partnership between the exclusive lifestyle brand and the celebrated Hollywood star is commemorated in a special way with the limited P’8928 P Collector’s Edition (pictured above). The colour combination of the limited edition, dark grey and black, is a tribute to Dempsey’s elegant and puristic style. The colour code is titled “P”, named after Patrick, who said: “The classic design is iconic while evolving with technology. I really love the elegant colour palette of the lenses.” 

Mix and match 

With the new Collector’s Edition, Porsche Design offers the exclusive P‘8928 P together with four additional pairs of coloured interchangeable lenses in a soft traveller box. Thanks to the easy-to-operate interchangeable lens mechanism, the different lenses can be switched out to match different style preferences or adapt to changing lighting conditions. 

The shades are equipped with Porsche Design’s innovative Vision Drive lens technology, which provides reliable scratch protection, making the lenses extremely impact-resistant, and UV400 protection. Whether choosing between polarized lenses with integrated contour and contrast enhancement, or lenses with a fashionable colour gradient, the elements of the Collector’s Edition bridge design and functionality. The 100% titanium frame ensures a lightweight and premium wearing comfort. 

The limited P’8928 P Collector’s Edition is available from May 1, 2021. The sunglasses come in a premium travel box along with four additional interchangeable, coloured lenses, retailing at €695. They are available in exclusive specialist retail stores, Porsche Design Stores, as well as online at www.porsche-design.com.

Black meets gold: 2021 colour of the year

With Porsche Design’s P’8478 model, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche created a design icon in 1978, which is recognised around the globe by design lovers. As the world's first sunglasses with interchangeable lens mechanism, Porsche Design seeks to set trends in terms of design and functionality. 

The distinctive look of the spectacles has been reinterpreted in the 2021 colour of the year: a classy gold shade meets deep black contrasts, thus highlighting the classic design of the frame (pictured above). The dark grey lenses in aviator style complete the elegant look.

The 2021 colour of the year is limited to 1,500 copies and has an exclusive box with an additional pair of interchangeable lenses in an olive colour, retailing at €460.