Latest news with #privateclubs
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Members only: Inside the new playgrounds of India's rich and famous
For decades, the Indian elite have sought escape in Raj-era private clubs and gymkhanas, scattered around the swankiest neighbourhoods in the country's big cities, hillside resorts and cantonment to these quintessentially "English" enclaves, with their bellboys, butlers, dark mahogany interiors and rigid dress codes, has been reserved for the privileged; the old moneyed who roam the corridors of power - think business tycoons, senior bureaucrats, erstwhile royals, politicians or officers of the armed is where India's rich and powerful have hobnobbed for years, building social capital over cigars or squash and brokering business deals during golf sessions. Today, these spaces can feel strangely anachronistic - relics of a bygone era in a country eager to shed its colonial Asia's third largest economy breeds a new generation of wealth creators, a more modern and less formal avatar of the private members-only club - that reflects the sweeping economic and demographic changes under way in India - is emerging. This is where the newly well-heeled are hanging out and doing business. Demand for such spaces is strong enough for the international chain Soho House to plan two new launches in the capital Delhi and in south Mumbai in the coming months. Their first offering - an ocean-facing club on Mumbai's iconic Juhu Beach - opened six years ago and is wildly chain is one of a host of new club entrants vying to cater to a market that is booming in House started in London in the mid-90s as an antidote to the upscale gentlemen's clubs that lined Pall Mall. It came in as a refreshingly new concept: a more relaxed club for creators, thinkers and creative entrepreneurs, who might have felt like they didn't belong in the enclaves of the old years later, India's flourishing tech-driven economy of start-ups and creators has birthed a nouveau riche that's afforded Soho House exactly another such market opportunity."There's growth in India's young wealth, and young entrepreneurs really need a foundation to platform themselves," Kelly Wardingham, Soho House's Asia regional director, told the BBC. The "new wealthy require different things" from what the traditional gymkhanas the old clubs, Soho House does not either "shut off" or let in people based on their family legacy, status, wealth or gender, she says. Members use the space as a haven to escape the bustle of Mumbai, with its rooftop pool, gym and private screening rooms as well as a plethora of gourmet food options. But they also use it to drive value from a diverse community of potential mentors and investors, or to learn new skills and attend events and Maya, a young filmmaker, says her membership of the house in Mumbai - a city "where one is always jostling for space and a quiet corner in a cramped cafe" - has given her rare access to the movers and shakers of Mumbai's film industry - which might otherwise have been impossible for someone like her "without generational privilege".In fact, for years, traditional gymkhanas were closed off for the creative community. The famous Bollywood actor, the late Feroz Khan, once asked a gymkhana club in Mumbai for membership, only to be politely refused, as they didn't admit taken aback by their snootiness, is said to have quipped, "If you'd watched my movies, you would know I am not much of an actor."By contrast, Soho House proudly flaunts Bollywood star Ali Fazal, a member, on its in-house magazine cover. But beyond just a more modern, democratic ethos, high demand for these clubs is also a factor of the limited supply of the traditional gymkhanas, which are still very sought queues at most of them can extend "up to many years," and supply hasn't caught up to serve the country's "new crop of self-made businessmen, creative geniuses and high-flying corporate honchos", according to Ankit Kansal of Axon Developers, which recently released a report on the rise of new members-only mismatch has led to more than two dozen new club entrants - including independent ones like Quorum and BVLD, as well as those backed by global hospitality brands like St Regis and Four Seasons - opening in India. At least half a dozen more are on their way in the next few years, according to Axon market, the report says, is growing at nearly 10% every year, with Covid having become a big turning point, as the wealthy chose to avoid public these spaces mark significant shifts, with their progressive membership policies and patronage of the arts, literary and independent music scene they are very much still "sanctums of modern luxury", says Axon, with admission given out by invite only or through referrals, and costing several times more than the monthly income of most Soho House for instance, annual membership is 320,000 Indian rupees ($3,700; $2,775) - beyond what most people can afford. What's changed is that membership is based on personal accomplishment and future potential rather than family pedigree. A new self-made elite has replaced the old inheritors - but access remains largely out of reach for the average middle-class Indian. In a way the rising take-up for these memberships reflects India's broader post-liberalisation growth story – when the country opened up to the world and discarded its socialist galloped, but the rich became the biggest beneficiaries, growing even richer as inequality reached gaping proportions. It's why the country's luxury market has boomed, even as the high street struggles with tepid demand, with most Indians without money to spend on anything beyond the growing numbers of newly-minted rich present a big business 797,000 high-net worth individuals are set to double in number within a couple of years - a fraction of a population of 1.4 billion, but enough to drive future growth for those building new playgrounds for the wealthy to unwind, network and live the high BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red Line Expands To Green Grass Golf Retail
The Sun Day Red line from Tiger Woods has expanded to select golf shops at high end private clubs ... More and destination resorts. Tiger Woods' golf apparel line, Sun Day Red, has expanded to select green grass shops – both high-end private clubs and premier resort destinations – in a move that brings greater visibility and a broader presence to the brand after relying almost exclusively on a direct-to-consumer approach for more than a year. Starting today, the premium athluxury brand will feature a curated collection of polo shirts, cashmere layers and outerwear at hundreds of on-course golf shops at prestigious courses nationwide. The green grass rollout is an extension of Sun Day Red's plan to connect with golfers where they play and experience the game. "These aren't just any golf courses. Many of these places hold deep meaning for me,' said Woods. 'Some are where I've won tournaments that shaped my career, others are courses I've had the privilege to design, venues where I've competed in majors, and clubs where I'm honored to be a member. It feels right to have Sun Day Red available at these special places where the game is played." Woods, a 15-time major champion, in 2024 announced a partnership with TaylorMade to create a new collection of performance apparel, accessories and footwear. The launch of Sun Day Red came after Woods spent 27 years with Nike, helping it grow into one of the most successful apparel brands in the golf space. Sun Day Red has expanded beyond the direct-to-consumer approach it employed in its first year in ... More order to better connect with golfers where they play. The initial Sun Day Red line was released in May 2024, and the company introduced an expanded range of polos, knitwear, and curated accessories this year. Woods has provided input on design and features, as well as significant feedback on aspects of the polos such as weight, collar stays, buttons, water absorbency, and fit. Along with growing its reach with the on-course expansion, Sun Day Red is seeking to create touchpoints where golfers can touch, feel and experience the brand's design, style, and innovation in person. Sun Day Red's golf shoes will soon be available in big box retailers like PGA Tour Superstore. "This marks a massive milestone for Sun Day Red," Sun Day Red President Brad Blankinship said of the jump to green grass. "We've intentionally maintained our direct-to-consumer approach to ensure we could deliver the premium experience our customers deserve. Now we're ready to bring that same level of meticulousness to carefully selected partners who share our commitment to the game and understand the golfer we serve." In addition, the brand's Pioneer Cypress and Magnolia footwear will launch July 22 at top golf retailers and sporting goods stores, among them PGA TOUR Superstore, Worldwide Golf Shops, Carl's Golfland and Scheels.
Vogue
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Which New York Private Club Are You?
Haven't you heard? New York is in the middle of a private-club boom. I could wax poetic about why: the pandemic, which made this city a more insular one; iPhones, which robbed 'going out' of its discretion; the reach of social media, which turned getting a reservation at even an average restaurant into the Hunger Games. And I could muse that if New York nightlife is becoming a place where cash matters more than cool, we might be losing a piece of the city's soul in the process. But I'm not going to do that. Because guess what—I joined two of them! I wrote my little application essays, name-dropped other members, sent in a picture of myself, and then handed over my Visa, which was then charged very promptly and expensively. Why? The clubhouses, for starters. Many of them are beautiful spaces, housed in buildings by renowned architects and with interiors by famous designers. They offer world-class amenities—multiple restaurants! Omakase bars! Spas! Co-working spaces! Cinemas! Rooftops!–and have strict privacy policies. Casa Cipriani, for example, reportedly expelled three members after taking a photo of Taylor Swift. (She's been spotted both there and at Chez Margaux.) Which leads me to the final selling point of the private clubs: exclusivity. More important than all those fancy rooms? The people in them. So with that in mind, I decided to do something that's a lot more fun than plumbing the changing societal tides: poke fun of myself—and the rest of my next-gen closed-door cohorts—with a story about the types of characters* you'll find at New York's private membership clubs. After all, we can laugh at ourselves, right? Right? *Everyone described below is completely made up. No one sue me. All my money is tied up in membership fees. Chez Margaux Twelve people sent you a link to New York Magazine's 'It Must Be Nice to Be A West Village Girl.' You responded 'HAHA'—a 'HA' short of normal. Secretly, you're insulted. You don't own an Aritiza puffer. You own a Prada one. And you'd never wait three hours in line for I Sodi. Obviously, you have their V.I.P. number. While waiting for your friend Emma at Chez Margaux, you pull up Street Easy and search 'Tribeca.' You find a two-bedroom apartment listed for four million dollars. Then you text it to your father: 'Isn't this cute???' Zero Bond You're an 'entrepreneur' who got this membership to 'network'—even though no one knows what you do. (You're a real estate developer, thanks for asking.)
