Designs for the purist

A LUXURY brand with a particular focus on functional, timeless and purist designs, Porsche Design offers a range of accessories for well-heeled men and women. Emerging from the same stable as the legendary sports cars, the company recently opened its first flagship store in Bangkok at Siam Paragon to target both Porsche drivers and enthusiasts with an exclusive range of vehicle-related accessories from fashion and sport apparel, smartphones, timepieces to luggage, bags, eyewear and footwear.

The 115-square-metre store boasts the brand’s newly imagined retail concept in minimalist style. Rich, dark oak-wood floors, black leather accents, soft hand-tufted carpets, clean white walls and an inviting open floor layout distinguish the new retail concept and hint at a feminine design aesthetic.

Despite the global economic uncertainty, Thai franchisee GSF Sport, which is also the Thailand licensee of leading brands Adidas, Automobili Lamborghini and Ferrari Fanwear, believes the high-end brand will do well here thanks to its design authenticity and visual aesthetics. 

“The rich like items that are unique and differentiate them from others. Porsche Design’s products with their combination of engineering innovation, luxury and functionality can fill their needs. The design discards anything that is unnecessary or excessive and today the brand covers nearly all product categories for both men and women,” says managing director Sujanta Boonkong. 

The brand was founded by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche after leaving the Porsche car company as its head of design in 1972. As the designer of the iconic sports car, the Porsche 911, he enjoyed a reputation as a functionalist. 

According to Sujanta, the Porsche Club of Thailand has about 2,000 members with the potential to become loyal customers. 

“About 60 per cent of the products target men and we’re trying to bring in more accessories for smart women such as leather bags that have a feminine look but are classic and luxurious. We are targeting Thais and they can be confident about our after-sales service. We offer two-year guarantees on accessories like smartphones, bags and eyewear,” she adds.

Marking the smartphone collaboration between BlackBerry and Porsche Design is the P’9982 Graphite. The device integrates premium quality materials such as sapphire glass for the camera lens, forged stainless steel for the brand’s logo and chassis, and hand-wrapped leather on the back cover. The keyboard comes with specially crafted glass-like keys with the durability of rigid synthetic material, plus blackened glass and a graphite stainless steel colour frame.

Only 500 of the limited edition Timepiece No 1 Chronograph Titanium, whose design is inspired by the legendary Chronograph I from 1972, are being offered worldwide, making it a true collector’s item. The functional design of the dials features strong contrasts and matte surfaces, which together ensure optimal readability. It’s equipped with a mechanical Valjoux 7750 chronograph mechanism that has a power reserve of 48 hours. The hour and minute hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova and are waterproof down to a depth of 50 metres. The bead-blasted titanium case comes with a black calf leather strap and the screw-down case back contains black-tinted sapphire crystal openings to show the inner working of the rotor. 

Rich sportsmen will enjoy their daily jogs far more with the ultra-lightweight Bounce S4 running shoes. The specially engineered pivot mechanism and spring construction have been further refined for more cushioning and elasticity and they also feature a high-tech carbon fibre plate in the heel area that boosts stability but cuts weight. With no more metal springs and fewer single pieces that move when force is being applied, it drives forward propulsion. The overall seamless construction also delivers even flex and a glove-like fit. 

Ideal for protecting the eyes from the harsh rays, the P8478 sunglasses draw on an eyewear design from 1978. The shades feature a titanium frame with interchangeable unbreakable polycarbonate lenses that users can change with ease. 

And the well-heeled customer can sign his – or her – American Express Black slip with a LaserFlex Ballpoint Pen. Using the latest in laser technology, the pen’s flexible body is made out of stainless steel and gets its attractive outline thanks to the precisely lasered slots. If you push the mechanism to make the refill appear, the barrel responds to the pressure of the hand. The lasered slots contract and release after the refill appears. 

Ladies are guaranteed to turn heads with the elegant but sporty Twingbag Lasercut. The adjustable handles allow the bag to be worn as either a tote with short magnetic straps or a shoulder bag with long straps. The calf leather is given dimension with a laser-cut pattern and the two-way zip is designed for easy access. It’s roomy enough to hold A4-size documents and a 13-inch laptop.

“Our hand-crafted leather bags are produced in Florence to ensure the finest workmanship and are made exclusively from the finest vegetable-tanned leather and enhanced with refined metal fitting,” says Sujanta.

Designed in a shape of shopping bag is the MetricBag, which is hand crafted from just one piece of calf leather and boasts a metal handle with magnetic closure. It also comes with a detachable shoulder strap and has one large main compartment and a smaller compartment that can be closed by a zipper.

 

 

REVS OF LUXURY

>>Porsche Design on the second floor of Siam Paragon is open daily from 10 to 10. Call (02) 610 9986 or visit “PorscheDesignThailand” page on Facebook.