Why white is the coolest new black

As product development goes, the guys at Porsche Design have through the years, always employed their singular philosophy: reduce each object to its essential function while using the most advanced materials available and combine it with the finest aesthetics. Executed mostly in dark – or often just black – hues, their eclectic range of products have been predominant fixtures in the luxury goods arena. So, why exactly would Porsche Design want to turn white? According to the Chairman of the Management Board Dr Jurgen Gessler, the colour white "stands for purity and has the property that highlights the shape of the product". "These characteristics make white an excellent medium for our minimalist design language," he says. While the new collection will see its previously available "purist" products in a white avatar, the change in skin colour will remain just that, and will feature no enhancements, technological or otherwise. "The products of the white collection have already been part of our existing product programme but it is the first time that we are presenting a collection entirely in white," says Dr Gessler. This means one of our recent favourites, the P'9521 mobile phone, will also feature a new, well, white look. The nifty clamshell handset with a fingerprint reader for extra security, has been so well-received that Porsche Design is already pencilling in more electronics products in their line up. "We are more than happy with the sales results in Middle East and also in Europe and Asia where the mobile phone has been a great success. We have a huge waiting list also in the United States where it has not been officially launched yet," reports Dr Gessler. While Porsche Design was only recently constituted into the Porsche empire, it has a different history from the sports car marquee. Founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche, the industrial design company has independently developed into a brand of its own. Before moving into consumer products, Alexander Porsche designed the famous Porsche 911 in 1963. But according to the Porsche Design chairman, both his company and Porsche AG, the automobiles manufacturer, "are characterised by a shared dedication for technical innovation and a unique design language" and that they compliment each other. "Porsche Design has positive effects on Porsche. Customers who have bought our consumer products and liked our design language might later on become Porsche AG clients," he says. From classic men's accessories such as timepieces, eyewear, writing tools and luggage and leather goods, to a product range that has come to include fashion, sport, electronic products and even kitchens, the market for luxury goods, adds Dr Gessler, is looking good. And the UAE, is where the action is. "For us Dubai is one of the most important luxury markets in the world. The high-end luxury goods market is growing worldwide and the Middle East especially has shown a strong growth. We are more than happy with our growth and success in the region," he says. With its main design studio based in Zell am See in Austria, the first Porsche Design franchise store in the UAE opened in 1984 at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai now Radisson SAS. Partnered with the UAE's BinHendi Group, there are currently seven stores in the emirate with two more stores in the pipeline. "We will open our second Duty-Free shop-in-shop in the new terminal of Dubai International Airport. Then in September, we will open a 111 square-metre store in Dubai Mall and a 60 square-metre store at the Atlantis The Palm," says Gessler. But as economic bubbles burst around the world and with the threat of recession looming in the United States, isn't the luxury goods market likely to be affected? "We are not affected by the present world economic scenario, yet. We see the high-end luxury goods market growing worldwide and Porsche Design is benefiting from that effect," says Gessler. "But if there will be a recession in the United States, it will also have a negative affect on our business."