Ferragamo's Swan to test Indian waters

MUMBAI: For almost a century, Ferragamo shoes have adorned the heels of the most stylish men and women on earth. And if you’re thinking about
that celebrated pair of Ferragamos worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film Wizard of Oz, you won’t be blamed for not knowing that Ferragamo also makes yachts. But then, as Leonardo Ferragamo, son of the legendary Salvatore Ferragamo, likes to joke, “shoes and boats are both forms of transportation”. Twelve years ago, the scion of what is one of Italy’s foremost luxury houses, gave in to his passion for sailing and purchased Nautor, makers of the famous Swan yachts. Today, Ferragamo is on a rare visit to India; he believes it is time for the Swan to set sail on Indian waters.

For its entry, Nautor has tied up with Ocean Blue, a Mumbai-based luxury boating pioneer that represents other international yacht brands and also has a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra to build fibreglass powerboats.
“Swan is the Bentley of yachts,” says Malav Shroff, CEO of Ocean Blue. Swan is a connoisseur’s yacht, and may not be for everyone. Not least because it will have a Rs 3 crore-plus price tag.

“There are aspects of Nautor that bear close similarity to our shoe business,” says Ferragamo. “They both involve international luxury marketing and leading a product that combines functionality and beauty.”

Nautor’s Swan was born in Peetersaari, Finland in 1966. Till then, nobody had thought of building a vessel over 10 metre long, out of fibreglass with only trimming in wood. Nautor quickly captured the attention of sailing enthusiasts. The company, however, suffered a string of misfortunes, starting with a fire that destroyed the boatyard and a series of buyers with deep pockets but no strategic vision. There had been no new product launches for ten years and that’s when Ferragamo, smitten by the brand, stepped in with his personal fortune and a strong conviction to give a boat legend, famous for delivering both quality and racing performance, its due.

Ferragamo of course appreciates good craftsmanship, whether in a shoe or on a boat. His father, Salvatore Ferragamo, started one of the world's grandest luxury goods businesses when he opened his first shoe shop in Florence in 1927. Leonardo learnt the art of shoemaking in the family business and went on to head the menswear division and spearhead the brand’s drive into Asia.

According to Mr Shroff, the boating industry is ostensibly divided between leisure crafts that are under 40 feet and yachts that can go upwards of 100 feet. Swan, with yachts between 42-130 feet, will be fighting it out with previous entrants like Ferretti, Azimut and Princess.

Shroff estimates there to be anywhere between 50-100 Indian yacht owners although precise information is made difficult by the furtiveness surrounding yacht purchase not to mention most super-yachts are moored in marinas off the Mediterranean coast.

For those in the know, a huge incentive for buying the Rs 3-crore-plus Swan is the potential admission into the Swan Club, a rarefied clique of Swan owners privy to prestigious races (the highlight of which is the biennial Swan Cup held in Porto Cervo) and cruising rendezvous in some of the most exclusive destinations around the globe. “I bought my first Swan so I could be a part of the club,” admits Ferragamo, who owns both a 42 and a 90 and participates in up to ten races a year. That, and the opportunity to be closely involved in the building of one’s yacht; Swan yachts are semi-custom made. “We work closely with the customer to ensure that the ultimate product is what they always dreamed of,” says Ferragamo.

Ferragamo, of course, knows how to make beautiful top quality products that people enjoy buying. Rumour has it that his investment in Nautor is paying off handsomely, although he himself is loath to talk numbers. And what about the fiercely protected ‘Made in Italy’ brand? This is one area they might have to leave to the Finns, who Ferragamo says have been building boats for centuries.

There might be a time when he extends the Ferragamo brand to Nautor, but for now Ferragamo is focussed on enjoying his newly acquired Swan 90. And Turkey is where it’s headed this summer.


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Suri Cruise’s designer clothing collection grows

Suri Cruise has got a designer clothing collection that would rival that of many adult celebrities and now she has added an enviable little handbag to her ever-increasing wardrobe.

While many have criticised Katie Holmes’ fashion choices for her daughter in the past, I have to admit that I always think she looks absolutely adorable.

Ok, ok so maybe the lipstick and the high heels were a little too grown up for a three-year-old but there’s no denying that the toddler has become a designer clothing icon.

We here at Secret Sales HQ are currently cooing over pictures of Suri carrying a miniature version of one of her mum’s designer handbags.

Katie’s mini-me was papped with a gorgeous little version of the metallic Salvatore Ferragamo Sofia bag while in Jamaica earlier this month.

And before you start having palpitations at the miniature handbag’s £540 price tag, I’ll let you know that both mother and daughter received the matching set as a Christmas gift from the designer himself.

While this time Suri’s designer handbag was a freebie (the lucky thing), her doting parents are believed to have spent more than £1 million on her clothing collection.

Do you think Suri is growing up too fast?


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Suri Cruise Totes an $850 Bag! (Matches with Mom)

It's no secret -- Suri Cruise is not your typical three-year-old. She sports heels, she wears lipstick, and she's the offspring of two major celebs. The mini-fashionista was just spotted toting around an $850 handbag as she boarded a helicopter with her parents in Jamaica this month! Dad, Tom Cruise, was right -- even he admits his little girl is becoming a proper fashionista. "She will not wear trousers -- only dresses," he told Us Magazine.

Here are the accessory deets: It's the Salvatore Ferragamo "Sofia" Bag. Mom Katie Holmes was carrying the larger version of the bag -- hers will set you back around $2,700.

Would you ever get your daughter a handbag that costs upwards of three digits? Many moms say no. "How ridiculous is that! I am all for kids being spoiled, but definitely in moderation," says Ameena Din, a mom and blogger of FancyThatFancyThis.com. "My four-year-old has some really cute stuff from her grandparents -- Burberry, Juicy Couture, etc. -- but 95 percent of the time, she is wearing Target's best!"

Sarah Caron, mom and blogger of SarahsCucinaBella.com, disagrees. "I read about this and didn't think anything of it. Honestly, if her parents want to let her carry an expensive bag, that's their prerogative, and I don't think anyone has the right to judge them for it," she says.

Although those price tags are kind of shocking, what's not such a big surprise is that the mother and daughter matched. They've worn identical dresses before. Moms, do you and your daughters like to match?


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Suri Cruise Totes an $850 Handbag!

Suri Cruise has expensive taste!

The 3-year-old donned an $850 Salvatore Ferragamo "Sofia" handbag while boarding a helicopter with her parents in Jamaica Feb. 5.

The accessory is a mini version of mom Katie Holmes' $1,850 "Sofia" purse, which she also carried on the trip.

See more of Suri's adorable moments while traveling

This isn't the first time the mother-daughter duo have matched.

In January, they donned identical bright red baby doll dresses -- from the actress' own line, Holmes & Yang! -- while visiting a Los Angeles dance studio.

See a baby who looks like Suri - and more celeb baby look-alikes

Tom Cruise, 47, has said "Suri's very much like her mother.

"She will not wear trousers, only dresses. I put a pair of trousers on her and turn and leave the room and straight away the trousers are off and a dress is on instead!" he added.

"The other day, Kate showed her some gold-colored sneakers thinking she might like to wear them, and she looked at them and said, 'Oh mommy, these are lovely, but they're boy shoes,'" Cruise went on. “She's sweet, but she's very strong-willed -- just like her mother."


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7 Reasons Suri Isn’t Like Your 3-Year-Old

There are many reasons why Suri Cruise isn’t like your average everyday three-year-old, she just happens to have superstar parents, she’s uber rich and she gets to travel all over the world. But there are seven more day-to-day reasons why Suri isn’t like the three-year-old down the block, next door or in your own home. Check them out here!

Suri Wears Heels:
Suri loves to throw on a pair of flirty high heels, and not just those plastic Disney princess kind. “She, like every little girl – she loves my high heels,” Katie told Access Hollywood late last year. And where does one get ‘real’ high heels for the toddler and preschool set? Katie confessed that, “They are actually ballroom dancing shoes for kids, I found them for her and she loves them.” Yes, yes she does.

Suri Wears Lipstick :
Little girls are often drawn to lipstick with a candy like fervor. And Suri is no exception. But generally the lipstick experimentation stays in the home, but this three-year-old likes to flaunt her colored lips. Her mom even recently took her to Sephora for some mother daughter makeup buying time. And check out this photo here, is this really all hers? If so, she has more makeup than most adults I know! Usually, if they do take their lip garnish seriously, a simple hued gloss is more appropriate. Tom Cruise dished about what a girly-girl she is saying she loves to “get her nails done with mom." Next stop, mascara or maybe some eyeliner?

Suri Has a $3 Million Dollar Wardrobe
Who knows if there is any truth to the rumor that TomKat spent three-million-dollars on Suri’s clothing. But even if they spent just ten percent of that, it would be a jaw dropping amount. Especially for someone so young. “Katie and Tom really splurge on Suri, and as they’re so famous, they always get the top fashion designers to custom-make her clothes,” a source said. “Suri may only be three, but she’s very vocal when it comes to her outfits and she’s rarely seen in anything twice.” But three-million dollars? A million for each year? With all the celebrity free-bees and gifts, it seems doubtful that they would have spent anywhere near that much.

Suri Does Not Get Cold
Lots of kids refuse to wear their coats and hats in the cold winter air but they generally give in, but Suri Cruise stands her ground and is rarely seen sporting clothing appropriate for the chill. Fortunately, she was recently spotted actually wearing a jacket, a modern day miracle. But she tends to go without any kind of warm clothing unless she’s in extreme weather like in the midst of a blizzard. Check out the photo here of her in Boston. Notice everyone else in sweaters, boots and scarves and she’s in a simple sundress with not a sleeve or tight in sight.

Suri carries an $850 purse
An $850 purse isn’t just something unheard of for a 3-year-old, it’s also rather rare for even a 30 year old. But this precocious preschooler reportedly has her own $850 handbag. Suri was recently spotted carrying a mini version of the Salvatore Ferragamo Sofia Handbag, a small version of her mom’s big girl version which retails for $1850.

Suri hides from the paparazzi
Doesn’t every kid have this problem? Not so much. But poor Suri has been the prey of the paparazzi since she was born. You’d think she’d be used to it. But she still hides from their prying lenses when out and about with her almost as famous mom and dad. And Dad Tom doesn’t seem to mind. He once said “'Those paparazzi shots of Suri are incredible.” It does make for quite a candid photo album.

Suri wears dresses designed by mommy
If her mom happens to be a home sewer, than perhaps an average three year old would occasionally wear something made and designed just for them. But in Suri’s case, she inspired a whole collection of girls’ dresses from mom’s Holmes & Yang clothing company, which includes apparel for both adults and kids. And Suri and Katie have even been spotted wearing matching Holmes & Yang dresses. If it's good enough for Suri, I guess it's good enough for Katie.

Yes, that is how Suri rolls. Would you indulge/spoil your own child like that if you could?


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Suri Cruise Carries Ferragamo Purse Worth Over $800. Heels, Lipstick, Handbags - What's Next?

What do you get the toddler who has everything? And we mean, um, everything?

Suri Cruise, who, lest we forget, is three years old, continued to cut her fashionista (baby) teeth by toting a mini version of a metallic Salvatore Ferragamo handbag valued at £540 (around $840), the Daily Mail reports.

Carried by papa Tom Cruise, little Suri flashed the designer bag, which is a downsized version of the Sofia purse mom Katie Holmes was carrying.

And no, the tyke hasn't gotten a huge increase in her allowance. The handbags were Christmas gifts from the Ferragamo fashion house, according to the paper.

How nice. When I was three, I considered myself lucky to carry my boy neighbor's hand-me-down "Fall Guy" lunchbox. Then again, with her penchant for wearing high heels and red lipstick, Suri's no ordinary toddler.

So what's next? Will she soon be hitting the playground in a full-length fur coat? And how soon before she becomes a guest judge on "Project Runway?"

Better yet... how soon before we go to therapy because we're jealous of a toddler's wardrobe?


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Indian actress puts her stamp on the Ferragamo museum

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra has had an impression of her foot taken at the Ferragamo museum in Florence.

Speaking to India Today, the Bollywood star explained that she is excited to have been chosen for the accolade.

Commenting on the stylish footwear that has been designed specifically for her, she said: "It’s every girl’s dream come true."

People staying in accommodation in Florence may want to visit the museum and see the custom designed shoes made for Ms Chopra.

As well as showing off famous feet - including casts taken from Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe - the exhibitions detail the life and work of the famous Italian shoe designer.

The Museums of Florence website informs that the Ferragamo contains a host of exhibits relating to his designs, including patents and sketches of some of his most recognisable footwear.

Opened by his family in 1995 to demonstrate Ferragamo’s artistic talents, the installations could provide a welcome break for people staying in hotel Firenze who have tired of shopping.


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