Dress Circle: Wool coat by Massimo Dutti
The Spanish label opened its first store in Mumbai’s Palladium mall last week (the first store in India opened in New Delhi last year). We are eyeing this double-breasted wool coat for our winter travels. At Massimo Dutti, Palladium, Mumbai, and Select Citywalk,New Delhi; Rs17,990.
Hot Seat: Bethak by Ashiesh Shah
In a lovely coming together of teak wood, cane and leather, designer Ashiesh Shah has launched a collection of furniture called Wabi Sabi for Urban Ladder. The Bethak is a single-seater sofa with plush cushions and leatherette detailing.
At www.urbanladder.com; Rs99,999.
Everyday design: Toothbrush by Boie USA
”Discarded toothbrushes add over 50 million pounds of plastic to landfills every year,” reads the website of Boie USA. Boie is made with a removable head that is fully recyclable and made from BPA- and phthalate-free plastic. At Boieusa.com; toothbrush, $12 (around Rs770), replacement head, $5.
Tracking titles: Lost + Found and Good News by David LaChapelle
Completing artist David LaChapelle’s five-book anthology based on his work—the books have significant unseen work—Taschen launches Lost + Found, Part I, and Good News, Part II, sold separately. At Amazon.in; Rs4,491 for each book.
Table top: Brass Spiral Man by Takshni
Working with the traditional craft of lost wax casting and sand casting, Takshni makes this 12-inch-high decorative piece of a meditative posture in a grey-black patina. At Takshni.com; Rs35,000.
-Compiled by Komal Sharma
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By Invitation: Vanities
An ode to things you don’t need but must have
This week: Davids Premium Natural Toothpaste
Things are chattering in the terrain of toothpastes. I always found Sumigaki’s black charcoal toothpaste to be infinitely wonderful. Then I discovered a nugget called DR Harris. Their spearmint variant is sparkling. Cuoto also make great toothpastes. While Aesop clearly doesn’t. Their toothpaste has the most vicious and vile combination: sea buckthorn, cardamom and wasabia japonica.
On a recent trip to Japan, I finally bumped into a brand in which, I finally think, I have found my molar mate. It is a brand called Davids.
Davids has so many virtues that it almost certainly deserves canonization.
In 2011, suspicious about the quality and origin of the ingredients of the average toothpaste, Eric David Buss decided to put together a dental stars and stripes so to speak. He decided to Trump it. Protect American jobs. Employ ingredients solely sourced from America and create a divine “Made In USA” toothpaste. Thus was born Davids. Clearly, the man has no ego at all.
He put his heart, hydrated silica, carrageenan, birch-derived xylitol, mentha piperita and stevia into it.
But that was not his only brush with greatness.
Davids has no fluoride. It is sulfate-free. Has no artificial flavours, sweeteners, colours or preservatives. The natural mint flavouring is 100% US-farmed. It is also cruelty-free and sustainable.
Others would have put a full stop after such severe stringency. But not Guss. He was like A.B. de Villiers versus West Indies in 2015. Unstoppable.
Guss decided to make a paean out of the packaging as well. The metallic tube is recyclable. The Forest Stewardship Council has certified the paperboard packaging. And the carton is made with 100% wind energy.
(Davids toothpaste is available for $7.95, or around Rs510, on www.amazon.com)
Swapan Seth is CEO Equus.