What are the expectations of ultra wealthy customers? Brenda Pek, general manager for East and South Asia Pacific at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, says it’s all about personal preferences and individuality.

“It was deemed socially inappropriate to show off one’s wealth last year. In the ultra-luxury segment, we are seeing a better take up than before.

But there’s some caution at this point. The ultra-wealthy still want to get things at good value and timeless - something that will last.

Our customers see great value in our cars, which they can use for many years or even pass on to the future generations.

This region is diverse and we have to be culturally sensitive to customer requirements. For example, Australia is a driver’s market where Rolls-Royce owners drive themselves and they prefer a different swatch of colours and combinations. Over in India, it’s predominantly chauffeur-driven and clients prefer their cars loaded with full options. Japanese owners are very particular of details and require extremely high specifications on their cars, and Singaporean customers are more moderate.

Generally, they want things to be truly bespoke. Almost 90 per cent of our cars have customised elements in them. Most of our patrons want interesting options, but are not radical. When we receive an order that may seem flamboyant in reality, we advise our clients to make sure their expectations are met. We don’t want our clients to be surprised and feel unsatisfied with our products.”

New York City has always proved an inexhaustible muse for artists ranging from auteur Woody Allen to pop art phenomenon Andy Warhol. Its landmarks, inimitable style and energy are immortalised through the ages in various works of literature and film. And now, it’s the turn of Harry Winston’s New York Collection to pay tribute to the city where its roots are.

The jeweller’s creative headquarters at Fifth Avenue is a veritable institution of luxury and elegance, where generations of designers and craftsmen have come together to create the exquisite jewellery that has placed Harry Winston at the forefront of its industry. Now its newest collection celebrates close to 80 years of relationship between the brand and the city with which it is most associated.

A diamond ring topped with a cabochon sapphire reinterprets the iconic architecture of the Chrysler Building. Central Park, the green lung of the city, is represented in the collection by an emerald and diamond ring as well as a bracelet of the same. The aptly named Suspension ring takes design cues from the structured lines of the Brooklyn Bridge. The standout pieces, however, are surely the ones that evoke a New York sunset, in particular a necklace composed of over 110 carats of diamonds and rarest orange-pink padparadscha sapphires, set in yellow gold and platinum. It’s a collection as endlessly fascinating and beautiful as the city that inspired it.

It has been around three years since the waistcoat found itself back on the fashion runways. But here in Singapore, where men are less adventurous than their female counterparts in dressing for the office, the trend is slow to catch on.

Which is a shame. Those in the know can tell you that the waistcoat is a great alternative to the suit jacket. Unlike its sleeved brethren, the waistcoat is appropriate for our climate - it’s cool enough for the midday equatorial sun, but also keeps you nicely warm in offices with over-zealous air-conditioning. Also, it doesn’t restrict movement, making it comfortable enough to wear all day.
Many jackets, on the other hand, live their entire lives draped over the back of a chair. This is hardly ideal, because without the jacket’s cosseting, its owner, going about his daily business, will find his shirt slowly getting untucked and billowing around the waist, and his tie making the occasional, unscheduled dip into his coffee. That’s not exactly the smartest look in the office.

Evidently, the waistcoat is a practical and elegant solution for staying sweat-free and for keeping wayward garments in check (in all but the most formal of settings). A properly fitted one also gives the illusion of a slimmer silhouette, handy if you haven’t been as regular at the gym as you hoped to be.

If you’re still not convinced, by all means keep the jacket on for meetings, interviews and power lunches. But for everything else, the waistcoat is all you need. And it’ll keep you cool under the collar to boot.