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december 2018, volume 42, number 12
Most Wanted
SHAIK RIDZWAN
Everyone on your list, covered. Page 161 FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
FOR THE
Gearhead
Avid Adventurer
Culturist
High-Flying Traveler
Gastronome
Curator
Fitness Fanatic
Sartorialist
Woman Who Has It All
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
31
CALIBER RM 60-01 REGATTA
RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUES ASPEN • BAL HARBOUR • BEVERLY HILLS • BUENOS AIRES • LAS VEGAS • MIAMI • NEW YORK • ST. BARTH • TORONTO
Features
137
198
Back in Business
Rule Breakers
The Caribbean is rebuilt and better than ever. Resort renovations check every box, chefs return to Puerto Rico, and Cuba’s contemporary artists make islandhopping a priority again. BY JACKIE CARADONIO, DANIELLE CUTLER, PAUL RUBIO, RAPHAEL KADUSHIN, KATHRYN ROMEYN, AND TONY PERROTTET
Forward-thinking renegades are disrupting the traditional world of spirits. BY JACKIE CARADONIO AND JEREMY REPANICH PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE VOORHES
206
Lions of the Desert Robb Report’s inaugural Dream Machines event introduced attendees to the super SUVs that rule the roads, and the off roads. BY VIJU MATHEW PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK MANN
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
33
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Departments THE GOODS
44
59
76
CONTRIBUTORS
TRAVEL
WATCHE S
48
Private clubs, bro-tels, and P skin care from Aman.
Auto-inspired watches, and A. Lange & Söhne gets glowing.
E D I TO R ’S LE T T E R
64
51 AG E N DA
Work turtlenecks and velvet W ackets into your wardrobe. ja
Must-dos for December.
54
FOOD & DRINK Chef knives, a roving restaurant, and two new made-in-Scotland gins.
74
T H E DUE L
86
JEWELRY
Epic vs. Ikon ski passes.
56
80
STYLE
Snow isn’t the only thing in Aspen that sparkles. 80
ART & DE SIGN Brutalist furniture, barware, and Art Basel in Miami Beach in one hour. 74
76
ON T H E W E B
Goo online for more goodies.
DREAM MACHINES
94 4 S W E RS TH E A NS
naud d Zannier Arn
GENIUS AT WORK
99
124
WHEELS
WINE WONDER
Ferra ari’s retro roadsters, Pininfarin na SpA’s Carlo Bonzanigo, and d the latest Lambo.
224 T H E D E C ID E R
us chooose your Let u ultim mate Ca aribbean adventurre HQ.
At Palmaz Vineyards, tech helps make beautiful wine.
110 WATER Perini Nav vi’s Falcon Rig, yachting’s electric futu ure, and cybercrime at sea.
FIELD NOTES
129 116
Electric cars get sexier, bonefishing in the Bahamas, Michelin’s fading stars, the psychology of giving, a road map for casual oicewear, and high-impact philanthropy.
WINGS Deliverr your own plane home urope, and new charter from Eu chopper services.
118 TECH 8K K TVs, a mixed-reality headset, a’s coveted new camera. and d Leica
C OVE ER IL LU STR AT T I O N BY
Kotyn nski
THE BUSINESS
219 Luxury resort brands dig deep to help the Caribbean recover, Bitcoin’s new legitimacy, and Out of Oice with Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson.
103
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
37 37
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Contributors
The Voorhes
Annie Duke
Christina Binkley
Tony Perrottet
Kotynski
Adam and Robin met how many creatives meet: on set. With each new joint assignment, their abilities complemented and ampliďŹ ed the strengths of the other. After several years of collaboration, they oicially joined forces. On their ďŹ rst wedding anniversary, they decided to stop working independently and become the Voorhes (the name is grammatically incorrect, but the plural version is one S too many). That was more than 10 years ago. Since then they have brainstormed, sketched, built, and photographed things for editorial and commercial clients including Popular Science, Wired, Fortune, O Magazine, GQ, Bacardi, and Jell-O.
Annie Duke is an author and experienced corporate speaker and consultant on the behavior of decision making. In 2018, her book Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts became a national best-seller. During her career as a professional poker player, Duke won more than $4 million in tournament play, won a World Series of Poker bracelet, and became the only woman to have won the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and the NBC National Poker Heads-Up Championship. She has also won a televised championship in rock-paper-scissors.
Christina Binkley is an award-winning journalist who writes about the business of culture, luxury, and design from Los Angeles. Her New York Times best-seller Winner Takes All chronicles the rise and fall of Las Vegas titan Steve Wynn. A graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Binkley was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of 9/11. She was awarded the Jesse Laventhol Prize for Deadline News Reporting by the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
Australian-born writer Tony Perrottet started his career as a foreign correspondent covering guerrilla wars in Peru, drug running in Colombia, and military rebellions in Argentina. From his current home in Manhattan, he commutes to Iceland, Tierra del Fuego, Havana, and Zanzibar while contributing to the Smithsonian Magazine, the New York Times, and WSJ Magazine, among others. His travel stories have been selected seven times for the Best American Travel Writing series, and he is a regular guest on the History Channel. His sixth book, Cuba Libre!, about the Cuban revolutionary war of the 1950s, will be published by Penguin in January.
Kotynski is an award-winning Polish illustrator who lives and works in Warsaw. He began his career in video games and then moved to art directing in ďŹ lm and advertising. He enjoyed a brief stint directing an animated movie but ďŹ nally decided to settle down and direct his energy toward illustration. His signature style of illustration relies on a whimsical, fantasy-driven world of characters and their exploits. He is fascinated by the power of the Polish School of Posters and ďŹ nds the same factor in U.S. conceptual illustrations. His work can be seen internationally in advertising campaigns, magazines, and newspapers, and on posters.
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L U X U R Y R E S O R T + 2 0 B E S P O K E R E S I D E N C E S | O N LY 2 R E M A I N A V A I L A B L E | N A P A L U X U R Y L I V I N G . C O M / R O B B | 7 0 7 . 6 3 7 . 6 1 2 3
Holiday season—a time for love and happiness, friends and family, stress and more stress.
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DECEMBER 2018
Paul Croughton Editor in Chief
exhilarating performance and luxurious interiors. Indeed, when I first got behind the wheel of the Bentayga, Bentley’s addition to the canon, in Monaco a few years ago, it quickly took the breath away. Say what you want about its looks and profile, but you can’t quibble about the in-car experience. And a weekend in a Range Rover Autobiography touring the English south coast was more relaxing and comfortable than if I’d been at home on the sofa. All of which got me thinking: How well do these vehicles maintain that superior experience once the going gets tough and uneven? That thought prompted us to review eight of the best beasts in the category in one of the most sensational landscapes in this country: the road to the Grand Canyon. We thought it was such a good idea that we invited some of our RR1 members— readers who live the life they see on these pages—to join the fun. You can read about our Dream Machines event on page 206. If you fancy being at the next one, drop me a line. Or let me know what you make of the magazine’s new redesign, or anything else, at feedback@robbreport.com.
JOSHUA SCOT T
Between hosting for 20 and trying to appease toddlers and grandparents and everyone in between, there’s the joy of gift giving. And actually, that is fun. There’s nothing like seeing the face of the ones you love turn from excitement and curiosity to thrill and delight once they uncover the perfectly chosen gift you have thoughtfully acquired—something they never knew they wanted and would never buy for themselves. At least, that’s the plan. When I was editing the British edition of Robb Report, we asked notable critic and author Stephen Bayley for his take on the whole present business, because it can be a vexatious subject. His response was that he once bought his wife a chain saw because he hoped it “cleverly advertised my sophisticated and revolutionary approach to sex-based clichés while also acknowledging her keen interest in outdoor pursuits.” You can probably guess what happened. So this issue, in an attempt to save you from trips to the hardware store, we scoured the globe to find the finest gifts imaginable. And probably a few that aren’t. I mean, who writes on their Christmas list: “111-day global safari taking in 18 endangered species in 12 countries, visiting both ends of the earth, and donating considerable sums to conservation charities and philanthropic causes as we go”? Well, that’s one of the inspirational ideas we have for you in our 25-page gift guide, which also includes one-of opportunities you’ll find nowhere else, such as a ski trip with Olympic champion Bode Miller as your personal guide, or a life story written by the same guy who penned the oicial biographies of Meryl Streep and Al Pacino. Or a portrait (yours or someone else’s) crafted in one sitting by the great Italian artist Francesco Clemente. Plus, there’s the chance to own a number of custom pieces, from beautiful bikes and boats to a bespoke arcade machine and an entire custom wardrobe made by Japan’s finest tailors and shoemakers, and curated by Robb Report columnist and menswear oracle Mark Cho. That’s one I’m definitely going to be making hints about at home, in case anyone’s stuck for ideas. Alternatively, you might get some illumination from another of our columnists, Annie Duke, this issue. Her doctoral work in psychology was put to excellent use during her career as a professional poker player for nearly 20 years. She writes on the psychology of gift giving on page 131 and reveals what your present says about you. Be warned. If I had to choose a car to unwrap over the holidays (what an arduous few hours that would be), I might surprise a few readers and not go straight to the supercar section of my mind’s forecourt. Instead, I’d probably think of something a little taller than an Aston Martin: an SUV. I know, I know, but the ones I’ve been fortunate to experience have finally solved my singular conundrum: How can I enjoy driving with a bad back that makes getting into anything lower than a tractor excruciating? I’m not alone. The rise in popularity of the SUV has been marked over recent years, but what delights the CEOs of the marques we speak to is who is buying them. It’s not just wellheeled families with multiple bikes and bags that need stowing, but couples young and old seeking comfort and space along with
Agenda CUTTING THROUGH THE CLUTTER
KRIS TAMBURELLO
GAZE
An Interiors Playground in Miami
If you’re into design, art, or chic parties under the auspices of both, you already know Basel makes Miami the place to be this month. The name CasaCor might be less familiar. Originating in Brazil, the roving design showhouse takes over urban spaces to create imaginative interiors by leading creatives. Now in its second Stateside edition, CasaCor Miami brings together an international cast of 18 designers and eight artists from the United States, Latin America, and Europe to highlight uniquely elevated visions of modern living. It’s the design person’s version of exercise: a stroll through 25,000 square feet (including a garden area) perusing interiors and furniture, chatting with the designers, and fantasizing about next moves.
E
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 16
CASACORMIAMI.COM
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Agenda
RESERVE
SLIP INTO ST. BARTS Have you booked your New Year’s Eve berth in St. Barts’s Gustavia Harbor yet? If you missed out, now is the perfect time to book the vessel of your choice for next year’s celebration. In case you’re not privy to the party, celebs and yachties alike revel in the festivities of the new year, with private onboard bashes and fireworks for all to enjoy. Leonardo DiCaprio and Rihanna, among many other recognizables, are just two of the regulars at this annual celebration. Slips are limited, so now is the time to check with your charter broker on starting 2020 with a bang.
E
STARTING DECEMBER 1
EAT
POP
Entering Culinary Narnia
Worth the Wait On the last eve of the month, usher in 2019 with something worthy of your wishes for the new year. Krug has just released the Clos D’Ambonnay 2002, a Champagne made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes, grown in a small walled plot, from a particularly excellent harvest. After patiently resting 14 years in Krug’s cellars, the 2002 creation is ready for its big toast. With aromas like gingerbread and candied orange peel, it’s so delicious you’ll need more than one flute. Each bottle ($2,200) is individually numbered.
E
Matt Orlando has been in some great kitchens. The chef-owner of Amass in Copenhagen worked at Le Bernardin, Per Se, Fat Duck, and Noma before opening his own place. But when he arrived at the Michelin three-star Restaurant at Meadowood to cook at its 12 Days of Christmas, he was in awe. “It was like walking into Narnia,” he said. Now you can experience the wonder of one of the country’s premiere dining events. International chefs including Jessica Largey, Dave Pynt, and Ana Roš, among others, will take turns joining Christopher Kostow in Napa to create tasting menus over 12 nights in December. Reserve your tickets at exploretock.com; it’s $350 for the main dining room and $750 a seat at the chef’s counter inside the kitchen.
E
DECEMBER 31 KRUG.COM
DECEMBER 7–22
ORDER
VIP SUV
Rolls-Royce’s iconic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament has long fronted the fleets of the social elite on forays to the country club or vacation villa. But the winged woman’s pristine appearance now gets grimy on her perch atop the luxury marque’s new Cullinan sport utility vehicle—and she’s looking good. Sitting on the same structural architecture as the flagship Phantom, the 563 hp all-terrain transport features a 6.75-liter twin-turbo V-12, all-wheel steering, and self-leveling air suspension to ensure wafting through the wilderness. And if you order one now, you’ll be of-roading in refinement this summer.
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FIRST DELIVERIES BEGIN AFTER THE NEW YEAR.
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ROLLS-ROYCEMOTORCARS.COM
ST. BARTS: LEONARD ZHUKOVSKY/SHUT TERSTOCK /MEADOWOOD: KELLY PULEIO
THERESTAURANTATMEADOWOOD.COM
T EC H N I C A L
B U T
T H I N
PA N E R A I . C O M
Agenda
The race to ski-resort dominance is narrowing, with two season passes covering almost every inch of skiable terrain in the world. But which one should you pocket this winter? Below, the cold-war comparison. —BRUCE WALLIN
Epic Pass
VS.
Ikon Pass
TOTA L S K I R E S O RT S
Telluride
65 36
on four continents
on three continents
Niseko United
S K I A B L E AC R E S Les Trois Vallées
145,000+ 74,322 TOTA L S K I L I F T S
525+ 614 C O ST
$949 $1,049
Bad Harriet’s at Hotel Jerome, Auberge Resorts Collection
M O ST B R AG -WO RT H Y N E W R E S O RT Les Trois Vallées, which includes the glamorous
Australia’s Thredbo (skiing in July!) and
French resorts of Courchevel and Meribel.
Japan’s Niseko United tie for the win.
TOTAL VERTICAL DROP, IN FEET
42,000 88,257 C L AIM TO FAME Epic is king of Colorado, with territory in Telluride, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte—but not Aspen.
Ikon is the best in the West. Its California resorts include most of the favorites—Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth, and Big Bear—minus Northstar and Heavenly.
LO N G E ST S K I RU N , I N M I L E S
6.8 9.5
Anton
Whistler Mountain’s Peak to Creek
Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s Last Spike
APR ÈS -S KI S C ENE St. Anton—in Austria’s Arlberg—is the ski party capital of
Aspen’s après-ski HQ, Hotel Jerome,
the world. Follow the Arlberg Ski School instructors to the
has a new underground speakeasy and a
resort’s best bar, Anton, just steps from the gondola.
Stoli ice bar outside.
TRUMP CARD Extensive snow-making technology that ensures perfect powder no matter the weather conditions.
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DECEMBER 2018
Partnerships that get you in good with hard-to-access experts like heli-skiiing outfitter CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures.
CMH
TO O
GOOD
TO
GIFT
Some gifts are so good, it would be a shame to part with them. For example, The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old, a single malt Scotch matured in casks of both traditional oak and European sherry for smoothness and complexity. Better to entrust it to someone who will truly appreciate it. Namely, you.
T H E W O R L D ’ S M O S T H A N D C R A F T E D S I N G L E M A LT HANDCRAFTED TO BE ENJOYED RESPONSIBLY. THE BALVENIE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY 43% ALC./VOL. ©2018 IMPORTED BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS, INC. NEW YORK, NY.
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Still Looking for Gift Ideas? Not all of our holiday gift recommendations appear in this magazine. We’ve tucked away a few more treasures—including presents for the steak lover and a bespoke superyacht—that can only be found online. robbreport.com/editorial/ultimate-gift-guide
The New Way to Shred Skijoring, a traditional Scandinavian sport in which dogs or horses rocket a person on skis across snowy terrain, is about to become your favorite winter activity. We’ve found five U.S. resorts where you can strap in for the ride. robbreport.com/skijoring
Alternative Ways to Get High Airplanes and helicopters aren’t the only ways to experience the freedom and joy of flight. From VTOLs to jetpacks to personal hot-air balloons, these fun flying machines will lift your body and raise your spirits. robbreport.com/alternativeflying
With nine victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the racecar driver sits down with us to share his most memorable wins and the watches they came with. robbreport.com/ tomkristensen
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The Suits You Need Now The suit still plays a role in many guys’ working wardrobes, but what happens when your office dress code is more casual than ever? Here, we break down the brands laying the blueprints for the new C-Suite dress code—one that mixes classic silhouettes with cutting-edge technology and a quietly confident, laid-back attitude. robbreport.com/essentialsuits
SKIJORING: SHUT TERSTOCK
Time after Time: Tom Kristensen Talks Rolex and Racing
Elsa Hosk
Infinia Collection
Flagship Boutique 48 East 57th Street N e w Yo r k 2 1 2 . 7 1 9 . 5 8 8 7 jacobandco.com
CALIBER RM 07-01
RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUES ASPEN • BAL HARBOUR • BEVERLY HILLS • BUENOS AIRES • LAS VEGAS • MIAMI • NEW YORK • ST. BARTH • TORONTO
T R AV E L b
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ART & DESIGN
The Goods T H I S M O N T H ’ S W H O , W H AT, A N D W E A R
Join the Club?
JAMES MCDONALD
GROUCHO’S DILEMMA W H E N S O H O H O U S E first came to New York in 2003, it was both revered and reviled in equal measure—the former for its highly exclusive vibe, set by an elite coterie of founding members (including David Bowie), and the latter for the simple fact that almost nobody else could manage to get in. There were regular breakdowns in the lobby—usually a socialite turned away by the tight security at the desk—and on occasion, a breach of membership code led to a very embarrassing ejection from the club. h
These days, there’s a private club for everyone—but finding a true exclusive membership (like London’s Annabel’s, above) can be the real challenge.
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
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The Goods | T R AV E L
But 15 years later, the story isn’t quite the same. New York’s former fortress of frivolity has since been joined by two more Soho House outposts and countless other clubs around the city—and getting in, well, it’s really not that hard anymore. Even if you’re not a member, you could probably find someone willing to loan you their card just walking down the street. In fact, you might be more interesting if you weren’t a member of anything at all. The members-only trend has been going strong for centuries—since the 1700s, actually, when every well-to-do gentleman in London demanded a refuge from the teeming, gin-soaked masses—and many, like the Athenaeum and Boodle’s, still exist today. But lately, the once-well-guarded world of members clubs has encountered an unexpected side efect of its own popularity: Simply put, there’s too damn many of them. Old clubs are reinventing themselves, new clubs are popping up like bad pennies, and hotels are even taking a cut of the loot by turning their own bars and lounges into half-baked members spaces. New York, for example, has long been lousy with opulent hideouts for
the upper crust, but now there’s a club for every kind of member you can imagine: the anti-finance-bro finance bro (the Parlor), the wellness guru on a spiritual quest (Habitas NYC), even the networking woman with a penchant for pink (the Wing). And private clubs are marching across the globe. In Washington, D.C., the new Eaton Workshop makes the dubious (and slightly terrifying) claim of combining the atmosphere of a newsroom, Warhol’s Factory, and Burning Man in one venue. London’s once-stufy Arts Club is reinventing itself with a hop across the pond for an edgy LA outpost. And as of last month, Soho House has reached a total of 24 clubs worldwide. Where will it end? Perhaps the biggest sign that the trend might be going toes up is the news in September that New York’s Playboy Club had reopened its doors after 30 years. For a mere $5,000 a year, you can step back into the early ’80s and thumb your nose at the 21st century. We’re starting to think we know exactly what Groucho Marx was talking about. Tony Perrottet
THE PROUD, THE FEW Four truly exclusive clubs that are still worth the member’s fee
San Vicente Bungalows
Annabel’s
Breaking the golden rule of snubbing the Wall Street set, this Midtown Manhattan club embraces the one percent. The $50,000 joining fee alone weeds out the rifraf and adds some decadent allure.
West Hollywood’s new invitation-only oasis is so secret, nonmembers can’t even get past the website’s home page. We’re intrigued.
If you’re going to join a London club, you’d better do it right. This wildly over-the-top reboot of a louche 1960s nightclub on Berkeley Square is the city’s funnest, with a jungle nightclub and elephant-themed lounge.
Soho House introduced its club-within-a-club concept with this beachside outpost, whose members enjoy access to all the brand’s other clubs—but the feeling isn’t mutual. (littlebeach
(annabels.co.uk)
housemalibu.com)
(thecoreclub.com)
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Little Beach House Malibu
Core Club
DECEMBER 2018
(sanvicentebungalows.com)
SOHO HOUSE DUMBO, LIT TLE BEACH HOUSE MALIBU: DAVE BURK; SAN VICENTE BUNG ALOWS: LAURE JOLIET; ANNABEL’S: JAMES MCDONALD
Soho House’s third New York outpost, Dumbo House, opened in Brooklyn this year.
Panama’s New Paradise
ISLES AWAY
to Islas Secas (islasecas.com) looking for a private-island getaway where every luxury is yours to demand, but you’d be missing the point. This place is more than just another beach resort; it’s got depth. Hidden away among the coral reefs and mangrove forests of the Gulf of Chiriquí on Panama’s Pacific coast, the tropical retreat— whose grand opening takes
YO U C O U L D C O M E
place next month—is the brainchild of Louis Bacon, a conservation philanthropist (in other words, not a hotelier) who’s intent on turning his small archipelago into something far greater than your average hotel. Whereas a big-name brand might have scattered hundreds of suites across Islas Secas’ 14 islands, Bacon has opted to build a grand total of nine casitas, each with its own
plunge pool that hovers over the perfectly sun-bleached sands of Isla Cavada. The remaining 13 isles have been developed with absolutely nothing. That means no kids’ clubs, no paved paths, and no sprawling spa; instead, there are a whole lot of beaches on which to bask in the knowledge that you’ve made an altogether responsible vacation choice (not the least of which is because
Bacon has gone all in on ecological innovation with 100 percent solar power and state-of-the-art waste and water recycling systems). It’s the kind of paradise that rarely materializes—most turn out too polished or so unpolished you’re tempted to call a rescue boat—and once you find it, your only demand will be that it remains exactly as it is. Jorge S. Arango
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WELL DONE
Scribner’s Catskill Lodge New Yorker Marc Chodock left behind a career in finance to turn this 1960s-era Hudson Valley motor lodge into a woodsy retreat spread over 23 mountainous acres. In doing so, he’s created a true connoisseur’s cabin with a pinewood library full of art and architecture books, locally crafted furniture, and artwork by Upstate artists. (scribnerslodge.com)
HOTEL, BRO-TEL, HOLIDAY INN since we stayed in a motel, but that might soon change. Across the country, from coast to coast, there’s something altogether unexpected happening behind the retro walls of old motor lodges and inns: They’re getting a luxurious—and decidedly masculine—revival. We’re calling them “bro-tels” and declaring them a welcome hiatus from the midcenturymodern obsession that has kept hotel design in a stranglehold for so long. Set in locations well suited for adventure, they’re the perfect wood-paneled, marble-topped hideouts for sipping old-fashioneds and cutting into juicy strip steaks after a day on the slopes or in the mountains. But they’re also
IT’S BEEN A WHILE
Aman’s Unguents
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DECEMBER 2018
well curated, with Tesla charging stations out front, top chefs in the kitchen, and Frette linens on the beds. Nostalgic the bro-tel is not; almost nothing in its custom furnishings and local ingredients hearkens back to its former life, except for perhaps its angular facade (refinished and repainted) or the occasional Adirondack chair (those never go out of style anyway). There’s something comforting in its spruced-up simplicity— more done up than barebones but not quite the Ritz—that makes us feel as if we’re getting back to our roots, if only a little. Here, a barometer of three options, from the perfectly pulled of to the too-rough-andtumble. Michaela Trimble
NOT BAD
Anvil Hotel Set in the center of historic downtown Jackson, Wyo., this 49-room 1950s-era motel is a perfect match for your best lumberjack look with its raw-brass fixtures and dark pala kilim rugs. Before a day on the slopes of Jackson Hole or out among the wilds of Yellowstone National Park, stock up on Leatherman tools and smart outdoor gear at the mercantile shop. (anvilhotel.com)
MAYBE NOT
Coachman Hotel It doesn’t require too much imagination to picture what this Lake Tahoe hotel looked like back in the day: The old motor-inn architecture and courtyard pool take us straight back to the ’60s. The look inside is fresher—we’d classify it as “chalet ultra” with all those naked wood panels and fur throws—but the rooms haven’t come far enough and the services don’t quite make it. (coachmantahoe.com)
What do you do when your favorite hotel brand launches a skin-care collection? If that hotel brand is Aman (aman.com), you get straight to grooming. The cult label has launched 30 products, from face creams to pulse-point remedies, that use the native ingredients found at resorts like Bhutan’s Amankora (sea-buckthorn oil) and Bali’s Amandari (vetiver). But as good as they smell, they look even better: The slick black bottles designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will stand proud amongst the other goods in your medicine cabinet. JACKIE CARADONIO
SCRIBNER’S, ANVIL: READ MCKENDREE; COACHMAN: MAT T BOLT
Greater Outdoors
A celebration of time Kalpagraphe Manufactured entirely in Switzerland parmigiani.com
BOUTIQUE P Design District 140 N.E. 39th Street, PC #108 Miami FL 33137, United States T. +1 786 615-9656
The Goods
STYLE UPGR
Tech’s Fashion Boom
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tailor E : Finely ed sp ort c oat
GEEK TO CHIC
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T R IM : Cris
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Back in the day, Bezos’s look was bookish at best.
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signature black turtlenecks, which he delivered in custom batches, and he does the same thing with Mark Zuckerberg’s custom gray T-shirts. Bezos’s new look, which is heavy on ultra-soft cashmere jackets and luxurious leathers, is also largely owed to the designer. And in this industry, when the titans gaze upon you with favor, you quickly reach rock-star status: Cucinelli has been invited to speak at Dreamforce—the annual Salesforce motivational conference—twice (!) and in 2017 took the stage for an event billed as a fireside chat with Salesforce founder Marc Beniof, who wore a pinstriped navy suit made of rare vicuña (one guess as to whose name was on that label). Pinstripes aside, Silicon Valley’s new look is largely h
TOP: PHILLIP FARAONE /GET T Y IMAGES; BOT TOM: ALAMY
T e mone -making potential ilico lley’s new attention ashio can’t be understated.
Marquise Aquamarine Drop Earrings set in 18k white gold; accented with 2 pear shaped diamonds.
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a pared-down version of the old Wall Street style, says Bob Mitchell, copresident of Mitchells stores, which owns Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco and Palo Alto. The Zegna ties and dark suits common to the East Coast are overly formal for the Silicon Valley set, leading brands to mellow out their looks in response. Kiton and Loro Piana have gone the way of Cucinelli’s “sportivo chic,” releasing more casual—but no less refined—sport jackets and sweaters. Sneakers have also exploded—just not in an athletic sense, obviously. Instead, the luxe-leather look has become almost the de facto staple thanks to Lanvin, Cuci-
wouldn’t be caught dead in a hoodie, he’s not one who has been buying those ties, either. Instead, he rotates through a collection of Eton shirts, which conveniently come in three barrel sizes. “I have no tolerance for shirts that don’t fit,” he says. And then you have the worker bees clogging the cubicles of the latest start-ups, most of whom still faithfully channel Zuckerberg’s shabby Social Network look to a T (literally). You can’t blame them. He practically invented the notion that the smartest guy in the room doesn’t have to dress well—he’s going to change the world! But back
SILICON VALLEY WARDROBE STAPLES The modern-day techie’s essentials are more than meets the eye. These not-so basics—in cashmere, leather, and suede—come from the biggest names in men’s fashion. Loro Piana cotton-andcashmere hoodie, $2,195
Silicon Valley’s new look is largely a pared-down version of the old Wall Street style. nelli, and Loro Piana’s sophisticated options. The money-making potential of this new attention to fashion can’t be understated. Mitchell says his strongest growth markets are in Seattle (where Amazon is based) and Palo Alto. And ironically, 97 percent of his sales are in-store rather than online. “The tech person actually appreciates personalized service,” he says. So have the sloppy geeks all but gone extinct? Not quite. Though venture capitalist Jason Mendelson, a former software engineer and cofounder of Colorado’s Foundry Group,
in 2012, the social-media kingpin nearly walked away from a round of Wall Street meetings empty-handed, and it was all due to his trademark navy-blue hoodie. Investment bankers and analysts were downright insulted. Was his lazy apparel a sign of disrespect or a manifestation of the future? The hoodie became so notorious, it even landed its own Twitter account, @ZuckerbergsHood. Its bio reads, “I got Mark’s back. Behind every great billionaire is a really great hoodie.” News flash: not anymore.
Lanvin wool-felt-andleather sneaker, $570
Kiton navy-and-green cashmere blazer, $7,595
Christina Binkley
Big Number
$35,000 The price of Kiton’s vicuña jacket, a favorite style among the Silicon Valley set.
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Brunello Cucinelli suedeand-leather sneakers, $995.
Some watches tell time. Some tell a story
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Architectural interpretation of an icon, letting light filter through the heart of its mechanics. Grande Seconde Skelet-One Red Gold
The Goods | S T Y L E
The writer, left, layering a turtleneck under a button-down shirt and suit.
Have It Up to Here
HOW TO WEAR . . . A TURTLENECK What do you wear when you want to look put together but the dress code doesn’t require a shirt and tie? An open-collared shirt is an obvious choice for smart casualwear, but not terribly dynamic, and crewneck sweaters or simple T-shirts slip too far down the “lazy day” spectrum for most oices or evenings out. The solution? This season, it’s that ageold classic: the turtleneck. The style was first taken up by British polo players in the mid-1800s (hence its original name, the polo neck) but broke into mainstream fashion in the 1920s. Over the years, style icons ranging from Ivy League stalwarts to sharp-dressed rockers have layered theirs beneath trim tailored jackets for a crisp fall look. Mick Jagger wore his turtleneck (or roll-neck, as the lippy Brit would have called it) beneath checked Tommy Nutter suits, Michael Caine with louche blazers, and Steve McQueen under preppy tweed sport coats. Now the up-to-your-neck look is back. This winter, turtlenecks are going headto-head with dress shirts and ties. Brands are layering them underneath bespoke pieces, including contemporary tailors Richard James (whose collection has a distinct ’70s flair) and Ralph Lauren. In fact,
H E R E ’ S A Q U A N D A RY:
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Turtlenecks from Berluti (top, $2,140) and John Smedley (bottom, $200).
Grooming the Slopes Like it or not, the ’90s are back. Iconic brands have been revisiting their greatest hits from the era for the last few years, but Giorgio Armani’s (giorgioarmani.com) update on the repeat decade is one of the first that’s actually built to last. The Italian house’s new Neve line, which is based on its first skiwear collection from nearly three decades ago, looks as fresh on the powder today as it did way back when. This time around, however, outerwear in Armani’s signature midnight-blue hue comes padded in cashmere flakes—a process that avoids the use of down while still keeping everything warm, lightweight, and durable. The collection also includes velvet ski suits and cashmere zip-up sweaters, plus helmets, boots, and accessories. Our favorite item? The stone-cold coat that looks like a slab of slate. PAIGE REDDINGER
TOP LEFT: JAMIE FERGUSON
Styling Notes
Lauren’s current collection channels the turtleneck in diferent styles to reflect key moments in its 50-year history. Whether knitted in fine crimson wool and layered underneath an air-forcestyle topcoat, or as a chunky cream cable-knit styled with a sailor’s peacoat, Mr. Lauren has clearly gotten the memo. Drake’s is another great reference point for turtlenecks this season, ofering lambswool knits with thick ribbed collars—even pulling it over an unbuttoned button-down shirt with the collar’s tips poking out from the sweater’s neckline—for an artsy European style. And, of course, traditional knitwear makers John Smedley and Johnstons of Elgin can always be relied on for chic merino and cashmere turtlenecks. During the week, try yours beneath a double-breasted blazer or tailored sport coat. Start with a versatile merino knit in navy or charcoal, which should work with almost everything in your wardrobe. Earthy colors like camel or burnt orange are on-trend this winter, too. You can also dress your turtlenecks down. Tom Ford’s fall runway show demonstrated how to layer a turtleneck beneath casual jackets, mixing them with suede blousons and trucker jackets for a relaxed look. The strength of the turtleneck-and-jacket combination is in its simplicity. The turtleneck’s form-fitting shape, solid color, and clean lines make for an understated foundation to a tailored ensemble, and it works just as well with suits as with understated separates. If you’re looking to expand your smart-casual horizons this season, it’s time to give that bare neck of yours a fashionable upgrade. Aleks Cvetkovic
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The Goods | S T Y L E
No Pipe Required By toning down the burgundy jacket with sober grays and traditional derby shoes, you create a sophisticated, elegant look that’s still of the moment. Prada gray knit turtleneck ($980, prada.com); Canali burgundy Kei slim-fit, cotton-velvet blazer ($1,480, mrporter.com); Drake’s pocket square ($75, drakes.com); Brioni wool trousers (price upon request, brioni.com); Bruno Magli Sassiolo leather oxford shoes ($475, brunomagli.com).
Styling Notes
VELVET HABIT Get acquainted with the season’s signature party jacket. BY
PAIGE REDDINGER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JOSHUA SCOTT STYLING BY
CHARLES W. BUMGARDNER
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The Breitling Cinema Squad Brad Pitt Adam Driver Charlize Theron
#SQUAD
The Goods | S T Y L E
Black and Blue Stand out, in the best way, at black-tie events with this jacket that looks the part without being too “look at me!”
Turnbull & Asser Marcella bib-front dress shirt ($395, turnbullandasser.com); Boglioli cotton-velvet tuxedo jacket ($1,300, boglioli.it); Giorgio Armani grosgrain bow tie ($175, giorgioarmani.com); Berluti pants ($850, berluti.com); Stubbs & Wootton velvet slippers ($525, stubbsand wootton.com).
Smooth It Over Choose a velvet in a more versatile color than black, and pair it with dark-wash denim for a more casual approach to the dressed-up fabric. Loro Piana Girocolo Superlight babycashmere sweater ($1,325, loropiana.com); Tom Ford velvet Shelton jacket ($3,690, tomford .com); Ermenegildo Zegna cashmere scarf ($475, zegna.com); Acne Studios straight-fit river jeans ($240, acne studios.com); To Boot New York Aldrich boots in dark brown ($398, toboot.com).
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The Goods
h Nature’s Own
Meridian Jewelers is your go-to for unusual and organic designs like K. Brunini’s textured pieces (shown), which resemble twigs (in metal juxtaposed with polished stones and pearls), fossils (gold necklaces that look like vertebrae), and spiderwebs (inlaid with rose-cut diamonds). Kimberly McDonald’s pendants and earrings take the hautearchaeologist look further with geodes embedded into 18-karat gold. (meridianjewelers.com)
Aspen’s Other Après
THAT’S NOT ICE . . . The powder-white streets of Aspen are starting to look like a snow-globe version of Rodeo Drive. That’s because they’re lined in storefronts dripping with diamonds and gold. But it’s not just the big names you already know: The mountainside enclave has become the cold-weather hot spot for some of the most creative and innovative makers of big rocks and bright baubles (all of which go surprisingly well with fur-trimmed parkas in these parts). You may be here to race downhill, but after a long day on the slopes, it can’t hurt to pick up a few shiny objects to match the scenery. Here’s where to go. Jill Newman
h
. . . IT’S DIAMONDS.
One and Only Located steps from the Silver Queen Gondola, Lugano Diamonds is the atelier for custom pieces. Owner Moti Ferder is probably best known for his long and minimal diamond strand necklaces, but he’s also a master craftsman of rings, bracelets, and—go on, treat yourself—cuf links. (luganodiamonds.com)
h
To the Extreme Get some extra ice with your new skis at Keating’s Performance Ski Shop, which regularly hosts trunk shows by Mish Tworkowski, a New York–based jjeweler whose designs are so bigg and bold you could spot them from the other side off Ajax Mountain. But a word to the wise: Mish’s earrings in smoky quartz and petrified driftwood are only for the truly adventurous. (mishnewyork.com)
If David and Michael Robinson have hundreds of hours to spend on one piece of jewelry, you have time on your way to the slopes to stop in at Betteridge to check out their work. The twin brothers behind Australia’s David Michael Jewels work in rare gemstones and colored diamonds to craft handmade pieces that look like miniaturized sculptures and paintings. (betteridge.com)
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ASPEN: EFRAIN PADRO/ALAMY
h All the Time
Pierce Brosnan, Shot by Marco Grob
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Manfredi Jewels Greenwich, Connecticut Tel: (203) 622-1414 W W W. S P E A K E - M A R I N . C O M
Provident Jewelry Jupiter, Florida Tel: (561) 747-4449
The Goods
WATCHES
Green Light for Lange
GLOWING REVIEWS forgiven for confusing the new Datograph Up/ Down “Lumen” ($100,500, lange-uhren.com) from blue-chip German maker A. Lange & Söhne with a fanciful creation by one of Switzerland’s footloose independent watchmakers. Over the last five years, Lange has lightly spiced its production with the occasional release of a “Lumen” edition—an existing model with a semitransparent dial and a heavy dollop of SuperLumiNova on key displays like digits or moon phases. Now the company has added the treatment to one of its most important and beloved models: the large-date flyback chronograph that cemented it in the first rank of the world’s luxury watchmakers. “For the product designers, the question was how the Lumen concept could be applied to a design that could hardly be improved,” says Anthony de Haas, director of product development. “At the bottom line, we decided to enhance the iconic
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triangular dial configuration of the Datograph Up/Down by throwing as much light as possible on it.” De Haas is naturally limited by the brand’s sober and utilitarian design ethic, yet he clearly relishes the chance to add some 21st-century pizzazz. To that end, he and his team have been liberal, yet still within the bounds of taste, in throwing lume on a large number of surfaces. The date, subdials, and, of course, the hands glow a soft greenish color, while the tachymetric scale running around the dial casts a more subtle and darker green. The semitransparent dial, besides allowing the charging of the luminescent date, shows of the finishing on the movement plates below. Nevertheless, the most compelling part of the movement, the beautiful column-wheel, lateral-clutch chronograph mechanism, is still on the other side, where you will need a flashlight to see it in the dark. James D. Malcolmson
The Goods | WA T C H E S
ROAD WARRIORS You can always count on watchmakers to take advantage of a good thing, which may account for the plethora of autothemed watches at our fingertips today. The mix of these two passions does seem often to generate compelling design. Given the sheer variety of styles, it can’t be too hard to find something that matches what’s in your garage.
h Porsche Design Chronotimer
h
Five to Test-Drive
Bell & Ross BR-X1 RS18
Rennsport Reunion VI Like many French companies, Bell & Ross seems to have an affinity for other French companies (like Renault) that don’t always resonate with U.S. audiences. Fortunately, this hasn’t stopped them from translating Renault’s Sport Formula One program into the most attention-grabbing X-1 model ($21,500, bellross.com) the company has yet made. The coloration, including yellow inserts and pushers, and the right degree of shading on the movement perfectly accent the details.
Porsche’s stark design aesthetic certainly has its fan base, and nearly all of them seemed to be present for the latest Rennsport Reunion, held at Laguna Seca in September. Porsche Design had the unenviable task of trying to keep the nearly 60,000 attendees happy with a 70-piece limited-edition watch ($6,850, porsche-design.com), many of which were sold before the event even started.
h Bremont MKIII
—James D. Malcolmson
Bremont’s collaboration with Jaguar began with a series of limited editions dedicated to the famous E-Type of the 1960s. The latest models, including the three-hand MKIII ($4,795, bremont.com), are “civilian” versions of these origi watches with the same tach h tylee dial and steering-w roto Kudo g its light use o modernism.
h Breitling Premier B01
Chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green Gone are the days when Breitling forr Bentley was the even-larger ofshoot of a brand known for large timepieces. Thee new Premier collection (with the Bentley connection distinguished by color and case-side engraving) is a more sedate design governed by European tastes. The Bentley British Racing Green (from $8,500, breitling.com) is probably the most attractive of the lot with a green main dial and black subdials.
h Eber rhard Nuvolari Legend
asy building a watch dedicated to It isn’t ea a 1930s Ittalian racecar driver like Tazio en if he was one of the most Nuvolar domina the period. Eberhard (from $5,79 eberhard-co-watches.com) pull vi age-inspired creation ration, antique-looking wit expert colora Sup Lu Nova, aand a leather strap that coul hav bee ta n from your grandbufs, father’s luggage. For antique-car a cessory. thi ma b a perfe
Retail Therapy’s New Moveme
WATCH THIS SPACE SP (watches-of -switzerland.co.uk), the United Kingdom’s largest watch retailer, is crossing the pond to take on the U.S. market. But the new outpost, which opened on November 29 in New York’s Soho neighborhood, is more than just a place to ogle your next timepiece. In addition to carrying the world’s top brands (including Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Cartier, all of whom WAT C H E S O F SW I T Z E R L A N D
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have set up mini boutiques in the space), the 8,000-square-foot shop is an all-out lifestyle experience for the horologically obsessed, featuring a wood-paneled library, an art gallery, and a bar by the artisanal cocktail authorities at Death & Co. It’s not exactly an orthodox approach to selling watches, but we certainly won’t complain if our next tourbillon comes with a gin martini. Paige Reddinger
The Goods
Chef’s Best Friend
clutter your kitchen with a specific knife for every job—a bread knife for your carbs, a boning knife for your proteins, a peeling knife for your vegetables, and so on—what you really need is a great workhorse. But not any chef’s knife will do. Blades vary in price for a reason: Their materials can difer drastically. No matter what you buy, it should have a full tang— which means the metal of the blade should extend the length of the handle—to provide optimal balance in your hand. And it should be forged to make the blade harder, stronger, and better able to retain a sharp edge. Here, three chef-approved knives that make the cut. Jeremy Repanich
Lesley Gracie The creator of Hendrick’s Gin is revolutionizing her spirit once again.
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Nearly 20 years ago, Lesley Gracie took the spirits world by storm when she infused a gin with cucumber and rose botanicals and called it Hendrick’s (hendricksgin.com). Radical then, it’s now the drink of choice for many gin lovers worldwide. This year, the inventor is back to her old ways, toiling away in her new distillery in Scotland—dubbed the Gin Palace and featuring a pair of hothouses filled with rare flora—and launching a brandnew expression called Orbium. Every bit as groundbreaking as you’d expect, the spirit is following in its forebear’s footsteps as the next big thing to drink. Here’s a quick taste of what to expect. –Sara L. Schneider
h
Q&A
Kramer Knives A former chef himself, Bob Kramer is one of the few certified American Bladesmith Society mastersmiths to focus on kitchen knives. At his shop in Bellingham, Wash., he crafts blades known for their strength, sharpness, and beauty. Until recently, Kramer’s knives have been so in demand that they came with a three-year waiting list. Now, he ofers ready-made knives five or six times per year for prices between $2,500 and $7,000. And every quarter, he auctions his most painstaking blades, selling them for up to $65,000 each. (kramerknives.com)
What makes Orbium special? Orbium is a sidestep in the category. It’s a quininated gin, with wormwood and lotus blossom. The bitter quinine lifts the profile, the wormwood adds a sweeter bitterness, and the lotus blossom balances the bitterness. Why quinine? We first created a quinine cordial for bartenders, to complement Hendrick’s for a perfect gin and tonic. But bartenders being bartenders...they do wacky things. They were using the cordial in other cocktails. And since we’d been tinkering with quinine,
GRACIE: ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL
T H O U G H YO U C O U L D
F O O D & D R I N K | The Goods
nohi Nenox Desert Iron Wood W h Nen Gyutou (210 mm) G Utilizing Nenohi’s top-of-the-line bla lades, this Iron Wood chef’s knife ($475) is crafte fted with a rust-resistant high-carbon steel that’s durable du and strong, but much easier to maintain tha han traditional ditional carbon carbon-steel steel knives. knives It can also be sharpened to the classic Japanese hamaguriba, or a clam-shaped edge, which reduces friction with food and makes cutting easier. (korin.com)
h Togiharu Hammered Damascus
G tou (210 mm) With ard t core made from VG-10—the gold st of Japa se steel—this knife ($159) sta softer sharper lo l er than those made fr metal. The do ouble-edged blade rks for both lefties and righ hties when cutt g fish or slicing vegetables And though t y’re light and nimble, they’re plenty durabl oo. o (korin.com)
we thought, “Why don’t we put it into our g ?” (Orbium is a really good martini gin, by t way.) How willl r new hothouses influence your work? ? They are purel for innovation—I can grow things to experim nt with. For Hendrick’s, for example, we starte ith many botanicals and narrowed them do n to 11, and we d world through source them from around brokers who actually visit th farms to nt the confirm quality. But here, I will original species of scorpion’s-tail ound in Venezuela, Turkish mandarins, sats as. . . .
TAPPING GLASSES Veuve Clicquot breaks down the bubbliest states to pop open its La Grande Dame during Champagne’s most popular season.
TOAST TITAN California
BUBBLE BEHEMOTH New York
CHAMPS CHAMP Florida
BIG CORK POPPER Texas
GOOD GUZZLER Illinois
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
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Australia’s Moveable Feast
LICENSE TO FORAGE to acknowledge where the plants come from,” says Paul Iskov of Fervor, a roving pop-up restaurant in Australia. Depending on the day, he and his fellow cooks are in some remote part of the country to serve a meal inspired by the land. Tonight, he’s crouching in the sand, gently pressing the leaf of a plant between two fingers. He stands and scans the beach for any edible plants to incorporate into tonight’s meal. There’s not much to forage on Western Australia’s Meelup Beach tonight, so he makes his way back to his van parked nearby. Kitted out with flaps that reveal endless drawers and shelves filled with ingredients and utensils, Iskov’s van is his traveling kitchen, from which he serves the most exciting meal you can get Down Under right now. Beneath towering jarrah trees, diners sit at a public picnic table, which Iskov’s partner, Stephne Pronk, has spruced up with a tablecloth. Tonight the playlist will be the sound of the ocean. Pronk opens
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a bottle of Brave New Magical Animal wine, an unfiltered Chardonnay from the continent’s southwest tip. “They make interesting wines, which they infuse with native botanicals,” she says as she pours a glass of hazy liquid. It’s an appropriate pairing for tonight’s dinner of native ingredients, which Iskov has foraged from Aboriginal country.
Fervor rolls into remote Australian spots like the rugged Wheatbelt (above), serving dishes of justforaged items like bush banana, lemongrass, and bird flower.
“You have to have a license to forage” on those lands, he says. “We always remain respectful of indigenous cultures.” Foraging has become trendy beyond Australia, but for the Aboriginal peoples it has been a way of life for millennia. The respect for the ingredients and those who have long used them is key to Iskov. “We want to learn about the food, but we also want to learn about the traditional cultures,” he says. To create the meal, he combines indigenous ingredients with a serious pedigree. Having worked under culinary heavyweights Enrique Olvera, Alex Atala, and René Redzepi, Iskov is no stranger to high-end, multicourse menus—which, to the diners’ delight, is what they get. Dollops of kangaroo tartare are served on a smooth wooden board, and marron (a local lobster) is delicately wrapped and cooked in bark and plated on a glossy, charcoal dish. By the end, the light has dimmed and the air has turned cold. Diners linger and dream of camping out in the nearby tent so they can wake to the chirps of kookaburras and a Fervorprepared breakfast of eggs and native bacon. But even if they did, Fervor wouldn’t be here in the morning. This restaurant has places to go, people to feed, and edible plants to discover elsewhere. Mary Holland
FROM TOP: MICK SIPPE; CHRIS GURNEY
The Goods | F O O D & D R I N K
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The Goods | F O O D & D R I N K
Spirited Start-Up 2
TAKING HOLY ORDERS
Sara L. Sc chneider
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Chef Gaggan Anand’s modern Indian fare is fun and delicious and has changed global perception of the cuisine. (eatatgaggan.com) 1
3
The Local
Located in a classic colonialstyle building, the best of the old-school joints features authentic Thai food made from secret family recipes. (thelocalthaicuisine.com)
Jay Fai
Seventy-two-year-old Jay Fai is known for her crab omelets and for wearing goggles while working the pans over flames. Local tip: Hire a local motorbike taxi driver for 200 baht—about $6—to stand in line for you. (+66.2.223.9384) 1
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Ann Guay Tiew Kua Ga
For a noodle dish that isn’t pad thai, head to this no-frills shop where the fried and crispy noodles are cooked over a roaring open flame. (+66.2.235.0386)
Mezzaluna
From its 65th-floor perch at the Lebua Hotel, the restaurant expertly marries European food with Japanese precision. (lebua.com)
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Sühring
Brothers Mathias and Thomas Sühring prepare eight- and 12-course German-inspired menus in a restored Thai townhouse. (restaurantsuhring.com) 5
Bo.lan
Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and her husband, Dylan Jones, put a fine-dining twist on Thai classics. (bolan.co.th)
Red Guide Alert
THE BANGKOK HIGH-LOW
F R E N E T I C , N O I SY, C O LO R F U L— Bangkok has conjured many images over the years. And while a certain seedy underbelly still exists, these days the dining scene brings in the tourists. Long known for its outstanding street food, Bangkok wants to show of its world-class gastronomy, too, so it lured Michelin to town to rate its restaurants (see page 130 for more on that). There were controversies in the first Bangkok edition last year—despite being in Thailand, the elite selection favored European fare—but the little red guide still got a lot right in handing out stars and Bib Gourmands (its award for best cheap eats, named after the Michelin Man). From fine-dining meccas to street-food rock stars, here are the best of Bangkok’s Michelin winners. Laurie Werner
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEX GREEN
central Edinburgh will get its first single-malt whisky distillery in 90 years, reviving a tradition lost with the closing of the city’s last distillery in the 1920s. A quick jog of the Royal Mile, Holyrood Distillery (holyrooddistillery.co.uk)—so named for its proximity to the Holyrood Palace—is currently taking shape in a historic engine shed. But what does a distillery do before its warehouses are full of barrels of mature whisky? It sells gin. In October, Holyrood opened a tasting bar and shop directly across the lane from its mother ship and filled it with prototypes. The goal: to find out what people like to drink. Though the move sounds more like a Silicon Valley start-up than an old-world operation, the distillery’s clear spirits don’t swing too far from tradition. Head distiller Jack Mayo (who, by the way, wields a PhD in astrophysics) has played it straight, leaning heavily on the holy trinity of juniper, coriander, and angelica to produce mostly dry gins. “People think they like juniper,” he says, “but it’s really the coriander. With th same compound d as h the in hops, coriander c adds citrus and spice.” Holyrood H has jumped on o pink gin, too—sligghtly spicier and more florral with pink pepperco orns, raspberry, and grapefruit. It’s not that thosse botanicals lend any actual pinkness, witth a distillatee being, well, cleaar; rather, the gin iss “pinked up,” as Mayo M puts it, with hibiscus h and rose petals. There will be a spiced giin and an Old Tom–style version. And, A eventually, whisky. Until theen, you have the chance to weigh in on what you u’d like to be sippin ngg in a few years. NEXT YEAR,
Gaggan
The Goods
ART & DESIGN Holiday Cocktailing
IN GOOD SPIRITS
N O O N E L I K E S a bad drunk or a lame host. You can avoid at least one of these stinging humiliations by having the right collection of barware. Manhattan from Saint-Louis (saint-louis.com) is the French brand’s first dedicated cocktail line. It was created in collaboration with Experimental Cocktail Group (experimentalgroup .com), the game-changing trio credited with invigorating the Paris cocktail scene via elevated drinks in chic speakeasy settings. The Art Deco–inspired 13-piece series includes glassware, bar tools, and more. But it’s not all bevel cuts and 1930s allure. ECG believes a good drink needs the right glass, so it heavily influenced the set’s shape. “Each form helps reveal the ingredients used in cocktail design,” ECG cofounder Pierre-Charles Cros says. “The shape can influence taste and perception. For instance, the open coupette increases the nose of the drink and makes it sophisticated and elegant.” As for what to serve, we’ve got you covered. ECG concocted two original recipes for us. “The In the Shade cocktail we created for Robb Report is a meeting point between Paris and New York, which inspired the glassware collaboration with Saint-Louis, with a classic whisky and a little audacious, oh so French touch of blue cheese in an elegant coupe,” Cros says. Destined for the highball glass, Purple is a cocktail cri de coeur: “Champagne can be and should be used in cocktails.” Here’s to a season of exceptional entertaining and hazy memories. Arianne Nardo
DRINK UP: EXPERIMENTAL COCKTAIL GROUP × ROBB REPORT In the Shade 1¾ oz. olive juice 1
oz. oloroso sherry
1
oz. single-malt whisky
Dash bitters Combine ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and stir. Strain into a coupe, and garnish with a blue-cheese-stufed olive.
Purple ¾ oz. pear-and-cassis syrup ½ oz. lemon juice oz. gin
Champagne Combine the syrup, lemon juice, and gin in a shaker and shake well. Fill a highball with ice and strain the drink into the glass. Top with Champagne and garnish with flower pollen.
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DELPHINE CHANET
1
The Goods | A R T & D E S I G N
Brutal Winter
CONCRETE EVIDENCE M b it’s Maybe ’ because b we’re ’ a bit b angsty these h d days, b but the h h hard d edge d off b brutalist l ffurniture e has h he postwar style is having ga been looking more and more like the statement piece we need. Th p on the look, head to Design moment of late, and we couldn’t be more on board. For a brushup Miami this month, where designers like Pedro Reyes (who, along with w his wife, fashion designer Carla Fernández, is receiving this year’s Visionary Award) will make the case for brute strength o rough—new with pieces that take the movement’s cool silhouettes to a sophistticated—and not too RDO & ANGELA M. H. SCHUSTER place. Here, five examples from the fair and beyond. ARIANNE NAR
Francesco Balzano Limited-edition Now-Mies daybed $52,400, available through StudioTwentySeven studiotwentyseven.com; francescobalzano.com Lukas Machnik One-of-a-kind Brutalist Talisman lamp $20,000 lukasmachnik.com
Pedro Reyes Metate chair $10,000, available through Lisson Gallery lissongallery.com Arno Declercq AD table $18,500, available through Garde gardeshop.com; arnodeclercq.com
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TABLE: STAN GULDEMONT
Hongjie Yang Synthesis Monolith stool Price upon request, available through GalleryAll galleryall.com; hongjieyang.nl
The Goods | A R T & D E S I G N
00:00–00:12 Hit the ground running and head straight to the main Galleries area, where the show’s heaviest hitters—including some talented newcomers—are exhibiting. Horowitz’s top picks: Parisian Daniel Templon, who is presenting sculptures by George Segal, and New York–based DC Moore gallery, which focuses on African-American artists. “We are also really proud of the galleries such as Ratio 3 and Essex Street that have made their way into the Galleries sector, having participated in our emerging sectors such as Nova and Positions in prior years,” he says.
Vincent Namatjira in his studio
Rush Hour
60 MINUTES AT ART BASEL
00:12–00:20 Give your wallet a break and dip into some art you can’t buy at the Grand Ballroom, where performers will wrestle with a mass of household junk in visual artist Abraham Cruzvillegas’s Autorreconstrucción: To Insist, To Insist, To Insist. “We haven’t done anything like this in Miami,” says Horowitz, “and it really heralds the beginning of a new chapter for us.” 00:20–00:27 Time for a power nap at the Audemars Piguet Collectors Lounge. This year, it’s a digitized starry wonderland created by the British artist duo Semiconductor.
ever-growing list of collateral events and attendant fairs, Art Basel in Miami Beach (artbasel.com) has become quite the behemoth. For the average collector, navigating it all—the Champagne-fueled parties, the flashy lounges, and, oh right, the art—can be more daunting than the gyrating crowds at Nikki Beach. But not to worry: With the help of Art Basel’s Americas director Noah Horowitz, we’ve broken it all down to just one perfect hour of must-see artists and exhibits. Ready, set, Basel! WITH ITS
00:27–00:42 Back to it: Check out the Positions sector, where Melbourne-based This Is No Fantasy + Dianne Tanzer Gallery is showing Aboriginal artist Vincent Namatjira’s politically charged paintings. (Note: Friendly debate on whether a shirtless Vladimir Putin on horseback is worthy of artistic representation is highly encouraged.) 00:42–00:57 Hope you’re not getting tired, because you’ve still got the Nova and Survey sectors ahead. Horowitz is most excited about the latter’s exhibit by L.A.-based gallery Anat Ebgi, which will feature a suite of works by feminist artist Faith Wilding. “She’s having a real moment now.” Faith Wilding’s Longbarrow (1975)
00:57–1:00 Before you slip out the door, grab a glass of Ruinart at the garden café. After all that hard work, you’ve earned it. Angela M. H. Schuster
George Segal’s 42nd Street Deli (1999)
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THE JUMPING HOURS, LINEAR R MINUTES AND DIGITAL SECON BY OP W W W.URW
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The Answers with . . . ARNAUD
ZANNIER
Though Arnaud Zannier comes from a family of fashion and wine, his own interests lie in something less tangible: travel. The 45-year-old hotelier—whose father, French businessman Roger Zannier, is known for his ready-to-wear brands and vineyards—opened his first hotel, an exclusive chalet in the Megève, while he was still in his 30s. He has since created a second-generation empire for the Zannier name, with properties in Namibia (where he also established a wildlife animal hospital with pal Angelina Jolie), Cambodia, Belgium, and soon Vietnam. Robb Report caught up with the always-exploring entrepreneur on a layover in Bangkok, somewhere around midnight local time, to talk fast bikes, slow fashion, and the freedom of going analog. B Y J A C K I E C A R A D O N I O P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T H O M A S VA N D E N D R I E S S C H E
How often do you train? I have a personal coach that comes to my house at least four times a week at six o’clock in the morning and trains me for an hour. I have a home gym. I’m aging slowly but surely, but I love sports and I always want to be able to jump at the chance to go golfing or waterskiing at a moment’s notice.
What do you do that’s still analog? Read the newspaper. I’m quite classic in certain aspects of life. I like touching the paper; I like the smell of it.1 There are some things that the digital world can’t replace. Feelings and emotions are very important, and for me digital is killing a lot of that.
What in your wardrobe do you wear most often? 2. NDC is an acronym for nom de code, or “code name,” a reference to the label’s focus on materials and construction over branding.
A very good pair of shoes from the brand that I created 15 years ago called NDC.2 They were very well-made shoes—probably too well-made. And they weren’t about trends at all. They were more classic in terms of technique and using leather from the best Italian tanneries, but had a contemporary twist in the way they were finished. It’s not my brand anymore—I sold it earlier this year—but I still have quite a big stock of my own.
1. That smell—the scent of black ink on newspaper stock—was turned into a candle in 2011 by designer Tobias Wong.
How do you find calm? I ride my BMW GS bike3 on a daily basis. I find it very calming. And working on motorcycles calms me even more. Every winter, I buy an old vintage bike, and I spend the next six months rebuilding. I’ve been doing this for the past five years now, so I have five so far. It’s very meditative to build something.
3. The 125 hp BMW R 1200 GS can reach over 125 mph.
What song is currently in your head? 4. Released by R&B singer Jon B., “Are U Still Down” features the last known rap verse recorded by Tupac Shakur before his death in 1996.
Tupac’s “Are U Still Down,”4 which is a bit bizarre and old-school, but I have been listening to that song a lot lately.
What’s the most recent thing you’ve added to your collection? It’s a small thing, but I just changed the dial on my Rolex Daytona. I got my first Daytona from my mother for my 20th birthday, and when she passed away last year I decided to start wearing it again. It’s an iconic watch and I wanted to do something with it after owning it for 25 years, so I changed the dial from a white one to a black one.5
What’s the last piece of advice you gave? To my youngest son: “Stop looking at Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat!”
If you could stick to one age, what would it be, and why?
5. Though we love the sentiment, changing the dial on a Daytona Rolex can potentially decrease its value by more than half.
I like the age that I am at right now. At 45, you reach a certain maturity. You have enough experiences, and you also have sharpened your skills, but you’re still young. So you can do anything you want. We’ll see though—maybe 46 is even better.
When was the last time you completely unplugged? Last weekend for three days while motorbiking in Spain. I was in the mountains north of Barcelona.
What's your favorite cocktail, and how do you make it? Whiskey sour. I like it made very classically. A whiskey sour is not a diicult cocktail to make, but having the right balance is not easy. I prefer it made with a beautiful single-malt whisky.
What’s your dream car? 6. Porsche’s ’73 and ’74 Carrera RS models are considered by many collectors to be the greatest classic 911s of all time.
I’d love to buy a Porsche 911 from my birth year, 1973.6 I’m actually looking into it at the moment.
Bowie or Dylan? David Bowie. Because he’s European! Joking—his music is better.
Read the full interview online at robbreport.com.
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
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Join the revolution at WHEELSUP.COM. ǽɰČ&#x201E;Č Č É°%=yÉ°Č&#x201E;Č&#x192;Č&#x201A;Çź
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How Does It Work? With the simple, turnkey membership model and efficient operation of Wheels Up, there are just three easy steps to takeoff.
Join
Book
Fly
Pay a one-time initiation fee
With as little as 24 hours’ notice,
Drive up to your aircraft 20 minutes before
of $17,500 to gain access to a
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departure on the day of your choosing,
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Wheels Up App, visiting the member
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private aircraft, as well as the Wheels
website, or calling the 24/7 Member
selected. As a Wheels Up Member, you will
Up Flight Desk.
Services Team.
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Value Proposition Wheels Up is an efficient and cost-
WHOLE AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP
J ET CA RDS
effective alternative to other forms of
Seven- or eight-figure capital outlay for the asset purchase, with ongoing expenses for maintenance, crew, fuel, and more.
Six-figure advance purchase, minimumhour requirement, and loss of unused hours. Cardholders are often locked into a specific aircraft type regardless of their mission.
private aviation. It also serves as the perfect complement to other travel solutions, especially when used to
FRACTIONAL SHA RE OW N ERS HIP
make shorter flights of two hours and
Six-figure up-front fees, monthly management costs, and notoriously strict contracts that include use-it-or-lose-it policies for hours.
under more efficient.
WHEELS UP DOES NOT OPERATE AIRCRAFT; FAA LICENSED AND DOT REGISTERED AIR CARRIERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM EXERCISE FULL OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF ALL FLIGHTS OFFERED BY OR ARRANGED THROUGH WHEELS UP. ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED OR LEASED BY WHEELS UP ARE LEASED TO THE OPERATING AIR CARRIER AND ARE OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY BY THAT AIR CARRIER. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WHEELSUP.COM.
W HEEL S UP One-time membership fee of $17,500, low annual dues starting in year two, and reasonable, fixed hourly rates. No hidden costs. No minimum-hour requirement or long-term commitment. No hassle.
HOW LONG IS FOREVER?
B E V E R LY H I L L S W E S T I M E B O C A R AT O N E A S T C O A S T J E W E L R Y C H I C AG O G E N E VA S E A L LA JOLLA, SAN DIEGO WESTIME M E N L O PA R K S T E P H E N S I LV E R F I N E J E W E L R Y M I A M I VAG U NAPLES EXQUISITE TIMEPIECES N E W YO R K C E L L I N I TORONTO E B I L LI O N W E S T H O L LY W O O D W E S T I M E
A DEVOTION TO MOTION
Dream Machines WHEELS b
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WA T E R
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WINGS
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TECH
Roadster Redux
A BETTER BARCHETTA
I N 1 9 4 8, Ferrari (ferrari.com) introduced the 166 MM, an open-top two-seater designed for long-distance endurance runs. When Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli laid eyes on the car’s long hood and sleek body coachbuilt by Carrozzeria Touring, he reportedly dubbed it barchetta, Italian for “little boat.” Named for the 166 cc displacement of its V-12 engine and the famous Mille Miglia contest, the 166 MM went on to win that race as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Targa
Florio, and the Spa 24 Hours. A few years later, Ferrari introduced the Monza, a series of competitive cars powered by a new generation of four-cylinder engines. To celebrate these storied racers, Ferrari has produced the Monza SP1 and SP2, a pair of contemporary barchettas that will be limited to 499 examples combined. Fitted either with one (SP1) or two (SP2) seats, these lightweight supercars are minimalist and muscular and, in true barchetta style, lack a h
The 809 hp Monza SP1 boasts the highest power-to-weight ratio of any Ferrari.
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windshield or roof. The carbon-fiber body consists of two shells, a lower hull, and an upper cover, following a Ferrari motif that has been used throughout the brand’s history. Thoroughly modern touches complement the roadsters’ timeless shape, including staggered 21-inch wheels and a new taillight design that appears as a single bar across the rear. The pared-down cockpit is fitted with carbon-fiber racing seats covered in leather, and exposed carbon-fiber trim. Powered by an 809 hp, 6.5-liter V-12 engine, derived from the 812 Superfast, the Monza models will have the highest power-to-weight ratio of any Ferrari
COFFEE MUGS
CAR KITSCH COMPARISON Car-branded accoutrements— from coffee cups to clothing—are big business for many automakers. How do they stack up from a design point of view? Joann Jung, senior design manager for luxury electric car company Lucid Motors and ArtCenter College of Design alum, weighs in on what stands out and why.
POLO SHIRTS
WATCHES
FERRARI $30
BENTLEY $31.77
FERRARI $135
BENTLEY $114.40
FERRARI $2,400
BENTLEY $9,965
PORSCHE $30
MERCEDES-BENZ $39
PORSCHE $115
MERCEDES-BENZ $137
PORSCHE $3,248
MERCEDES-BENZ $1,063
—Laura Burstein
“Porsche’s perfectly shaped, elegant white china mug only needs the marque’s metallic crest and a ring of gold—a classic, simple, and iconic design.”
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“Ferrari’s men’s polo is perfectly fitted yet a classic, comfortable cut. The shoulder bands and chest shield re-create the glamour of 1970s Ferrari drivers.”
“Breitling for Bentley’s chronograph is like wearing the jewel part of your car’s interior on your wrist. And Porsche’s sleek timepiece will go with anything.”
W H E E L S | Dream Machines
ever made. Working in tandem with the dual-clutch transmission and patented aerodynamic technology, the cars can go from zero to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of about 186 mph. Helping Monza drivers channel the essence of 1950s racing are fashion houses Berluti and Loro Piana, who have created companion clothing pieces especially for the new Ferraris. Berluti’s helmet is made from carbon fiber and designed specifically for driving in the open-top Monza. Lace-up oxfords, available in black or brown, are of Venezia leather with a sole made from the same carbon-fiber fabric used on Ferrari’s
road cars. A retro-inspired jacket and matching trousers from Loro Piana are done in dark gray with piping in Ferrari’s famous Rosso Corsa. The ensemble also includes a sweater and scarf made of micro-fine merino wool, as well as a rain-resistant cap. All fit perfectly inside two included Berluti bags, designed to echo the Monza form. Ferrari says all examples of the $1.8 million Monza SP1 and SP2 are already spoken for. Laura Burstein
Q&A
Carlo Bonzanigo Pininfarina SpA’s design director shares how the pillars of the brand drive its new hypercar collaboration.
A-List Access: Ferrari hasn’t mentioned the Monza to you? Set yourself a reminder to check preowned.ferrari.com down the road.
The design house Pininfarina SpA (pinin farina.com) and separately owned Automobili Pininfarina have recently partnered on the all-electric 2,000 hp Pininfarina PF0 hypercar, which will reportedly have a $2.3 million price tag. Carlo Bonzanigo, Pininfarina SpA’s design director, gives us more details on the inspiration behind this futuristic automotive statement. —Marco della Cava
FERRARI $600
PORSCHE $500
BENTLEY $1,800
MERCEDES-BENZ $659.95
“Bentley’s seamless wood-finish frame is timeless with a modern twist. The monotone look is a subtle yet stunning statement.”
HANDBAGS
FERRARI $160
PORSCHE $1,700
What were the biggest challenges? Pininfarina is about making the complex appear simple. With the PF0, the front face expresses assertiveness without being aggressive, while the side view has a clear, dynamic expression and the rear is strong and powerful. All the lines created by the main design theme flow with a logic that creates a sense of holistic resolution.
BENTLEY $5,020.77
MERCEDES-BENZ $383
“Porsche Design’s use of stripes throws a splash of color, an ultramodern look for an everyday clutch. And Bentley’s Barnato Handbag couldn’t be classier.”
ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL
SUNGLASSES
How did you balance a bold vision with Pininfarina’s storied design history? Automobili Pininfarina came to us with a clear brief: design an electric hypercar that would express high technology and breathless beauty, all within the luxury values of the brand. So we had to form a design language that clearly expressed that without betraying the Pininfarina values of purity, clarity of expression, and elegance. We placed the air intakes on the upper part of the car, for example. This way we have the complete side of the car to express that sophisticated voluptuousness we needed.
How does the vision of founder Battista “Pinin” Farina endure today? He was constantly striving for the ideal fusion between creativity and rationality to counteract useless formalisms and adornments. This approach, combined with his constant quest for beauty and elegance, defines the two pillars of our working philosophy.
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Dream Machines | W H E E L S
Beta
Aircraft-Quality Cruiser TMC Dumont tears up the tarmac with an engine from aviation.
D I S B E L I E F WA S O N E of the driving factors for retired Formula 1 racer and custom vehicle builder Tarso Marques (tarso marques.com) when coming up with his latest two-wheel wonder. “I wanted a very diferent concept bike—one that people didn’t think was real,” he says. “It also had to be 100 percent functional and full of engineering solutions never done before.” The result is the head-turning TMC Dumont, an intimidating transport that Wayne Enterprises’ Lucius Fox might have
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fashioned for the Dark Knight if Marques hadn’t imagined it first. But the bike may be too much even for Batman. Forget the standard two- or four-stroke fare; this road rocket carries a Rolls-Royce Continental aircraft engine that packs 300 hp. The choice of propulsion system was simple, according to Marques: “The TMC Dumont deserved something really unique and powerful, and with a great sound and look. A normal motor would be so boring.” The
Forget the standard two- or four-stroke fare; this road rocket carries a Rolls-Royce Continental aircraft engine that packs 300 hp.
W H E E L S | Dream Machines
Lap-Leading Lambo
NEW BULL IN THE RING
can be the best motivator, as evidenced by Lamborghini’s (lamborghini.com) new Aventador Superveloce Jota (SVJ)—a road car with track-star pedigree and performance. Constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum, the top-tier variant of the marque’s already flagship model recently recorded the fastest lap for any production automobile at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Its time of six minutes, 44.97 seconds for the 12.9-mile course was payback to Porsche and its 911 GT2 RS, which took the title away from Lamborghini’s Huracán Performante in 2017. The Aventador SVJ owes the Jota (the Spanish name for the letter J) portion of its appellation to the work Lamborghini began in 1970 to meet the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s Appendix J rules for race qualification. That project led to the one-of Miura Jota. “It has always been important to prove that there is a ‘J factor’ to our models,” says Lamborghini’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali. “The designation is for a vehicle that is more track-oriented and extreme.” To this end, the latest Raging Bull from Sant’Agata Bolognese charges with a 770 hp, naturally aspirated V-12— wringing out 531 ft lbs of torque—paired with a seven-speed Independent Shifting Rod transmission. In addition, the SVJ has a weight-to-power ratio of 4.37 lbs per hp. Because of this combination, the coupe catapults from zero to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds while on its way to a top speed of 217 mph. Straight-line prowess, h
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
carbon-fiber-and-aluminum one-of rolls on disproportionately wide 36-inch wheels. Sans hubs, the wheels lend a sense of levitation to the presentation and fittingly enhance the overall design’s flying-machine motif. The project, however, was slow to take of. “I dreamed of that bike for more than 15 years but could not get the exact engine I wanted,” says Marques. Once the right six-cylinder centerpiece was sourced, though, the motorcycle’s construction—at
his shop in Brazil—spanned seven months. “Every single piece was a challenge, but I knew that the concept would work perfectly,” he states. His reasons for confidence were confirmed when it was named Best of Show at multiple competitions during this year’s Daytona Beach Bike Week in Florida. Viju Mathew A-List Access: Touch base with Tarso himself about new commissions at contato@tarsomarques.com.
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Perennial Top Performer
Porsches have remained very popular over the years and have been a constant performer due to their worldwide appeal, beginning with some of the earliest models. From the Turbo slantnoses to the more modern cars that will phase out manual transmissions, Porsches will always be an iconic sportscar.
Some Porsches ran up artificially—and too fast. Currently, it’s the contemporary models that are on the rise. But it’s not uncommon in the collector-car market to see a surge of interest in a particular model—like the 911s, for example—which drives up a temporary demand, but it will eventually wane.
Gaining Ground in Demand
“For us, the gauge to measure performance is Nürburgring.”
Inside intel on which models to look at right now
THE COLLECTOR-CAR world’s longest-running auction company, Barrett-Jackson (barrett-jackson.com) sends thousands of top-tier automobiles over the block every year. We asked the auction house’s chairman and CEO, Craig Jackson—a serious collector and enthusiast himself—to give us his take on the market’s changing tastes and favorites, with the upsides and downsides of each. Robert Ross
W What are Gen Xers and millennials collecting? Japanese ca ars are on the rise. And th hey’re strong—at our 2018 Laas Vegas Auction we sold a 1997 Integra Type R for a record $63,800, and our Faacebook post got 1.8 million views. Toyota Supra Turbos an nd early Datsun Z cars are also picking up steam.
The collector-car market is evolutionary and constantly changing. That’s why we continue to adapt our auction dockets to what the market is buying. We don’t just keep selling the same cars to the same people.
Cars on the Decline
however, wasn’t what prevailed over Porsche. It was how the car carries through the curves. The four-wheel-drive Aventador SVJ’s patented Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva 2.0 active-aero system is automatically employed by the front spoiler and rear wing when driving dynamics warrant. This, in unison with four-wheel steering, better aero-loading to the inner wheel, and a suspension enhanced to hug the turns, currently make the SVJ the MVP in its rarefied field.
THE COLLECTOR’S MARKET: A SNAPSHOT
I think the prewar cars—and even some postwar cars that don’t have a lot of horsepower—which don’t handle well and are not generally “beautiful,” are not going to have a useful life in the future. A low-horsepower four-door is begging to be turned into a restomod—otherwise, what do you do with it?
The prewar classics like the beautiful Duesenbergs, Mercedes, and Bugattis will be appreciated in the future, because I see those as works of art, and they’re technically far ahead of their time.
—Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini How important was setting the new benchmark at Nürburgring? “More and more, a car can’t be judged only on maximum speed and acceleration because it’s a matter of what the road can allow you to do,” says Lamborghini’s chief technical oicer, Maurizio Reggiani. “For us, the gauge to measure performance is Nürburgring. It’s the reference against ourselves and our competitors.” A total of 900 Aventador SVJs are planned for production, each priced starting at $517,770. Even more exclusive, a special-edition version commemorating the marque’s founding in 1963 is presented with a trim package featuring exposed carbon fiber. Fittingly, only 63 examples of the latter will be released. Viju Mathew
A-List Access: For specific investment inquiries, contact consignments@barrett-jackson.com.
Turbocharged Two-Wheeler
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It took three years for Specialized’s (specialized.com) engineers to perfect the sequel to the first Turbo Levo e-bike, and the result was well worth the wait. Now much lighter and 15 percent smaller than its predecessor, the cycle offers 560 watts of pedal assist and approximately 66 ft lbs of torque. Two battery options are available, with the top-line M2-700 (700 Wh) battery providing 40 percent more range over the previous edition and a max speed of 20 mph for the U.S. models. The improved power and distribution are especially noticeable in the custom-tuned suspension, while the ride is smoothed out further as the Levo’s sidearm directly connects all three mounting points of the rear end and shock to the frame, noticeably increasing stiffness and improving movement over bumps. Five different Turbo Levo trim levels are available, ranging from $4,950 to $12,050. GEOFF NUDELMAN
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Monstrous Homage
BRINGING BACK A BEAST “As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote.” —HERMAN MELVILLE, MOBY-DICK; OR, THE WHALE P O R S C H E (porsche.com) loves to dangle elusive treats in front of its die-hard admirers, and the one unveiled recently at the West Coast Rennsport Reunion VI—held at Laguna Seca in Northern California—gave fans a serious case of déjà vu. The enticing automobile is a tribute to the automaker’s legendary 935 racecar, initially developed as a competition version of the 911 Turbo. On the track by 1976, its reign of terror ended by 1982, but not before factory and customer cars won 123 races, including the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans. Example 935/78— called “Moby-Dick”—was the most famous version of the series, featuring extended rear bodywork developed especially for near-230-mph speeds on Le Mans’s Mulsanne Straight. In red-white-andblue Martini Racing livery, it remains one of the most recognizable racers ever unleashed on the track. The carbon-fiber body of Porsche’s “new” 935 is instantly identifiable as having been derived from the great white whale, though it’s thoroughly modern and
Historical references abound, such as tailpipes reminiscent of the 1960s-era 908. intended strictly for track. Because it has no aspirations for public roads or any specific race series, homologation rules did not impede engineers’ imaginations. As a clubsport machine, it’s hard to imagine anything more inspiring than a car based on the current GT2 RS platform. The single-seater uses that car’s same watercooled, six-cylinder, aluminum twin-turbo boxer engine and displaces 3.8 liters. A seven-speed PDK gearbox plays the engine’s tunes with paddle shifters. Wheel-arch air vents on both front fenders recall the ones used on the current GT3 R racer, while the giant rear wing develops downforce at speed. Historical references abound, such as tailpipes reminiscent of the 1960s-era 908, while the gearshift lever features a laminated wood knob familiar to students of Porsche’s unrepeatable 917. And unlike that car, the new edition of the Porsche 935 is available with such amenities as air conditioning and an optional passenger seat. Limited to a run of just 77 examples, each costs 701,948 euros (a price for the U.S. market has yet to be announced). Robert Ross
A-List Access: If you’re serious about the 935, send your details to 935@porsche.de.
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You can find a two-story home anywhere. Here, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find a lifetime of stories. Enchanting family moments are part of everyday life at Golden Oak at Walt DisneyWorld Resort. Right now, you can live in this luxurious private community with legendary Disney service featuring custom homes from $2 million. Welcome home to where the magic is endless. Golden Oak Realty | 407.939.5713 | DisneyGoldenOak.com/Inspired Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, RI WKLV SURSHUW\ 7KLV GRHV QRW FRQVWLWXWH DQ Rij HU WR VHOO RU D VROLFLWDWLRQ WR EX\ UHDO HVWDWH WR 5HVLGHQWV RI DQ\ VWDWH RU MXULVGLFWLRQ ZKHUH SURKLELWHG E\ ODZ RU ZKHUH SULRU UHJLVWUDWLRQ LV UHTXLUHG EXW KDV QRW \HW EHHQ IXOı OOHG )RU 1< 5HVLGHQWV 7+( &203/(7( 2))(5,1* 7(506 )25 7+( 6$/( 2) /276 $5( ,1 7+( &36 $33/,&$7,216 $9$,/$%/( )520 2))(525 *2/'(1 2$. '(9(/230(17 //& ),/( 126 &3 3KDVHV DQG DQG &3 3KDVH )RU &DOLIRUQLD 5HVLGHQWV :$51,1* 7+( &$/,)251,$ '(3$570(17 2) 5($/ (67$7( +$6 127 ,163(&7(' (;$0,1(' 25 48$/,),(' 7+,6 2))(5,1* 3$ 5(*,675$7,21 1R 2/ .< 5(*,675$7,21 1R 5 2./$+20$ 2))(5((6 6+28/' 2%7$,1 $1 2./$+20$ 38%/,& 2))(5,1* 67$7(0(17 )520 7+( '(9(/23(5 $1' 5($' ,7 %()25( 6,*1,1* $1< '2&80(176 7+( 2./$+20$ 6(&85,7,(6 &200,66,21 1(,7+(5 5(&200(1'6 7+( 385 &+$6( 2) 7+( 3523(57< 125 $33529(6 7+( 0(5,76 2) 7+( 2))(5,1* 9RLG ZKHUH SURKLELWHG E\ ODZ (TXDO +RXVLQJ 2SSRUWXQLW\ %URNHU SDUWLFLSDWLRQ ZHOFRPH Å© 'LVQH\ *2
WATER PERINI’S COMPLETE PACKAGE Sailing yachts with a Falcon Rig configuration often feature a wider hull and transom.
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RODDY GRIMES-G AEME; ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL
Simple Sailing
WA T E R | Dream Machines
wasn’t a classic yacht; it was a completely new class of yacht when constructed. Its revolutionary sailing system—the Falcon Rig—set a milestone in yachting history when it was delivered by Perini Navi (perininavi.it) in 2006. Fast-forward 12 years, and the Italian shipyard has evolved the existing naval architecture to create a sailing-yacht platform that is like no other. “Over the last three years we’ve been adapting the Maltese Falcon technology to a modern platform, from 42 meters up to 92 meters, that we think will bring more performance to the boat as well as a lifestyle element—the total package,” says Perini. In the case of the 72-meter (236foot) version, the platform is much wider, which means it keels over less, has more volume, and allows for more spacious owner accommodation. The wider hull and transom provide a layout more commonly seen on large motor yachts, with a beach platform, open side hull, and an inside-outside theme. The increase in power means more velocity, so the Falcon Rigs can be pushed to their limits, while the design itself means guests can walk around and enjoy the boat in safety. Per Perini: “We are now able to give our owners everything that a motor yacht can ofer, with the pleasure of going sailing and without the complication of a standard rig. Some owners look for the simplicity of sailing, and the new Falcon Rig really expresses that.” Julia Zaltzman T H E M A LT E S E FA LC O N
Q&A
Franco Fusignani Benetti’s CEO may be new at the helm, but his course for the company is well charted. Just before boatshow season kicked off, Franco Fusignani moved into the CEO position at yachting giant Benetti (benetti yachts.it) after 25-year veteran Vincenzo Poerio. We asked Fusignani about his vision for the venerable company and the industry overall. —Danielle Cutler What changes do you think are needed in the industry as a whole? I think the most significant is to improve the quality of the final product and reduce the cost of production. One of my primary goals is to introduce new production patterns to meet these areas of change. For example, during the design phase when all the technical details are defined, we design what’s requested by our customers directly with suppliers. This has proven successful in drastically reducing the time spent in the production phase by at least 10 percent. What is the biggest challenge ahead of you and Benetti?
Well, in terms of production we’re certainly busy, which is a challenge—but definitely one that we like. We’ve recently introduced a new model in our Class product line, the Delfino 95. We’ve also just launched the new Oasis 135 and Diamond 145 models, which I’m confident will be some of our most successful models. On the custom side, Benetti introduced the BNow concept in collaboration with [UK-based studio] RWD, which drastically reduces delivery time. The four BNow models (50, 55, 63, and 68 meters) have incredible sales potential— in fact, the first unit was sold during the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival. Another challenge for us right now is optimizing the weight of technical components within yachting. Lighter weight means less consumption, which eventually translates into a more cost-effective product and lower environmental impact. We’re also looking for new materials to improve acoustics, reducing noise and vibration.
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CHARGING FULL SPEED AHEAD has been sparking interest in the marine industry for a decade now, but it’s only in the past year or so that it has truly begun to resonate. When Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts (heesenyachts.com) launched Home in 2017, it became the world’s first fast- displacement-hull-form motor yacht with hybrid propulsion. The term “hybrid” signifies a drivetrain that draws on two or more power sources for propulsion and onboard needs—commonly diesel engines and electric motors— which can be used together or individually. In the context of a hybrid car, the emphasis is usually on energy savings and reducing emissions, but hybrid propulsion at sea has a wider set of aims. Equipped with 840 hp main engines that are complemented by two watercooled DC electric-shaft motors, Home cruises at speeds of up to nine knots using the electric motors alone. But from an owner’s perspective, fuel eiciency is arguably not the key attraction of the hybrid system. Instead, it’s the enhanced comfort that the option of silent cruising provides. In electric mode, the noise levels in the owner’s stateroom measure an astoundingly low 46 decibels—that equates to the sound of softly falling rain. The sister ship to
Fuel eiciency is arguably not the key attraction of the hybrid system. Instead, it’s the enhanced comfort silent cruising g provides provides.
E L E C T R I C P R O P U LS I O N
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Above: Home from Heesen. Right: Veth Integrated L-drive.
HEESEN HOME: DICK HOLTIUS
Quiet Cruisers
Home, currently dubbed Project Electra, is scheduled for delivery in April 2020. The benefits of electric don’t stop there, however. The newly launched, fully electric contrarotating propeller by Veth Propulsion (vethpropulsion.com)—the Veth Integrated L-drive—highlights yet another key attraction: size. Highly compact, it is currently available up to 3,151 hp, which is suitable for a superyacht of up to 246 feet, and can be used as a slow-speed unit aboard yachts of 328-plus feet. This means the design of a vessel’s engine room has far more flexibility. Electric units are either driven by batteries or generators, and generators can be located anywhere on board a superyacht, so it opens up the potential to put the generator in the fore and maximize the aft for larger accommodation—perhaps a moon pool for the submarine, and so on—without being impeded by a large midship engine room. “Our unit ofers up a lot of potential, both from the design side as well as being easy to install from the shipyard perspective,” says Veth Propulsion’s Maarten Jansen. “It’s also easy to operate and it’s reliable, because electric motors have very few moving parts, which means maintenance is straightforward and cost-saving.” The Italian Sea Group has recently purchased two of Veth’s 2,012 hp units, which will be used for a 230-foot dieselelectric yacht that the yard currently has in build, while other yards, including Oceanco and Perini Navi (E-volution line), have put forward hybrid-propulsion options. “From the major yards’ perspective, they want to do something diferent, and they also have a strong feeling that electric propulsion will be the go-to choice of the future,” says Jansen. “Therefore, they are investigating all possibilities to be able to ofer something diferent to the market.” One yard that has already made the fully electric leap is Slovenian Greenline Yachts (greenlinehybrid.si). With sustainability at the heart off its brand, Greenline h
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has gradually blossomed into the Tesla of the seas, having launched its first hybrid-propulsion yacht as far back as 2008. The entire Greenline Yachts range is equipped with solar panels as standard, from which to run all home appliances. At the Monaco Yacht Show 2018, it launched the NEO EDrive—a fully electric leisure craft. Equipped with twin 80 hp Torqeedo Deep Blue electric outboard engines and two high-performance lithium batteries, the NEO EDrive provides a range of 40 nautical miles at an average speed of six knots. “Looking back to 2008, hybrid propulsion was perhaps a bit ahead of its time,” admits Vladimir Zinchenko, founder of shipyard SVP Yachts and owner of the Greenline Yachts and Shipman Carbon Yachts brands. “But now, after 10 years, the market is ready for the next step— to go fully electric. The 33-foot NEO is just the beginning. In the future, our entire fleet will have the electric-only propulsion option.”
Short-Circuiting Cybercrime
HACKING ON THE HIGH SEAS
“It’s a magical feeling gliding across water only hearing the wind and the sound of the bow splitting the waves.” —Konrad Bergström, X Shore
Another example of emissions and expense reduction is the Scandinavian-styled X Shore eElectric 8000 Smögen Edition (xshore.com), a 26-foot day cruiser powered by Torqeedo Deep Blue 80i 1800 engines and reaching a top speed of 25 knots. The BMW batteries feature an advanced water-cooling system that gives longer battery life and maximum performance, giving the boat a range of up to 40 nautical miles. In addition, its electric-eel-inspired hull is designed to take in air from the sides, thus creating a layer of air bubbles between it and the water, further reducing friction and saving energy. The cost to drive an X Shore craft is almost 10 times less than a boat with a traditional gasoline engine. “It’s a magical feeling gliding across water only hearing the wind and the sound of the bow splitting the waves,” says X Shore founder Konrad Bergström. “Once you experience the silent electric engine, there is no turning back.” Julia Zaltzman
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from cybercrime; hackers are not picky. But while the yachting industry isn’t singled out per se, the increased amount of digital technology on board, which has been specifically designed to make it easier for owners, guests, and crew to stay connected anywhere at any time, can expose a yacht’s systems and its passengers to the growing threat of a cyber-related breach. Most onboard systems are interconnected and managed by VLAN, often via the same Internet entry/exit point. This means all traic goes through the same portal, so a hacker gaining access via a malicious email is a risk for the entire network, from audiovisual systems to navigation. While the hacking of a vessel’s controls is alarming, the safety of personal data, such as email addresses, passwords, and bank-account details, are also vulnerable to malware and phishing. And the risk can come from anyone using the Internet. “Most of the cybercrime in yachting takes advantage of something from the inside; somebody has forgotten to do something, and the hacker is opportunistic enough to wait for somebody to make a mistake,” says Will Faimatea, founder and director of technology management firm Bond TM (bondtm .com). “It’s not just implementation of hardware that’s needed. It’s having processes and policies in place, and this is a mind-set which I think the yacht industry has to want to change.” Firewalls and antivirus systems are paramount, ideally those that have been tailored by an experienced integrator to the yacht’s individual performance and security needs. All devices that sign onto the onboard wireless network must be vetted, including those belonging to crew and NO ONE IS EXEMPT
X Shore’s electric cruiser cuts silently through the water.
guests, and a best-practice manual should be in place that includes how to manage passwords, use of USBs, and email management. All-in-one threat and connection managers, such as Kerio Control from Kerio technologies, can protect the yacht’s server via an intrusion prevention system that monitors both entering and exiting net communications. But if the crew isn’t trained on best practices, any system is relatively useless. “Most superyachts have a navigation system that is detached and isolated from the main network and therefore can’t be interfered with,” says Dr. Paul Hunton, founder of Maritime Cyber Solutions (which recently became part of the Bond TM Group). “However, these systems are updated
A hacker gaining access via a malicious email is a risk for the entire network, from audiovisual systems to navigation. by being connected to the main network via a cable, which itself isn’t a problem, but if the crew has shared the Wi-Fi password with neighboring vessels, then anyone in the port could have had a go at playing with the navigation. Educating those on board is paramount. There is a distinct lack of standardization in the yachting market, and that’s why we’re putting together cybersecurity-awareness courses for crew to help mitigate the security risk by making it much harder for hackers to penetrate the network.” Julia Zaltzman
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WINGS
TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME
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can easily turn into a cross-border activity, as the right plane often turns up on the wrong continent. North America and Europe are the two largest private-plane markets, so you would think that buying an aircraft in one continent and getting it to the other would be a piece of cake—but no. Only the biggest private jets have the range to cross the Atlantic in a single hop. All others have to work their way in stages across vast stretches of ocean—where the water is always cold and the waves are often mountainous—and, in some cases, via airports that may be the only bulldozed patches of snow
and ice for hundreds of miles. Given the dangers, the easiest way to get your shiny new conveyance across the pond is to hire someone else to do it. But those with adventure in their blood often choose to fly their own new purchase. Proper planning, however, is key. With a single-engine plane, even if it has the range to leapfrog some of the staging posts, it’s a good idea for less experienced pilots to minimize time over water and use a route that strings together numerous airports just in case of problems. That will also get some great placenames into your flight logbook. After passing
through Wick in northern Scotland, one route from mainland Europe to North America takes in Egilsstaðir in Iceland, Kulusuk and Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, and Iqaluit in northern Canada—the longest leg of that route being 847 nautical miles. Obviously, it’s crucial to carry enough fuel, and that may require installing an extra fuel tank, especially on singleengine piston planes. This can be custommade of costly metal, or it could be a bladder made of rubber and placed on an empty seat. Bladders are cheaper but unwieldy and prone to behaving “like a drunk passenger who can’t sit up straight,” as one long-distance helicopter pilot put it. Essential planning extends to wardrobe, and not just the sweaty and uncomfortable immersion suit that must be carried while flying over the Atlantic. One pilot who took his aircraft from the UK to Canada explains that he bought “a number of red shirts so folk could readily spot me— or my body—from the air. It’s the kind of mortality issue one’s forced to address.” But once all the logistics are done, setting of is a huge relief. Says another pilot: “If anything is left of the list, it’s too late to do anything about it.” Rohit Jaggi A-List Access: If you would like advice on a flight plan, ask Margrit Waltz, vice president of ferry company Trans-Aero International, at transaero928@msn.com.
Robert DeLaurentis We land time with pilot Robert DeLaurentis before his pioneering light around the planet. This month, aviator Robert DeLaurentis (flyingthrulife.com) will begin his 26,000nautical-mile flight by way of the poles. The journey will start in San Diego, proceed to Antarctica, and then cross three continents to the North Pole before heading home via Alaska. He expects it to be a fantasy flight, with the potential for nightmares. Geri Ward How long will the trip take? I’m expecting three months. The goal is to experience all the continents I’ll fly through. I’ve been preparing for 14 months, so it would be wise to have a good time. Do you have a daily flight plan? There are 25 stops. The longest leg will be an 18-hour stretch over Antarctica, but the average daily flight will be about three hours. What will you eat? On Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic, he brought two sandwiches and ate one. I’ll bring along beef jerky and protein bars, and for the longest leg I’ll have a sandwich or salad for my first meal. Your plane has autopilot. Will you sleep in flight? I take micro-naps of about 15 minutes, but I’d never sleep the night. An advisor of mine who flew over the South Pole said he never got sleepy on the plane because he was scared to death the entire time. What is one of your primary concerns? The fuel tanks add a lot of weight, and if the plane can’t climb to the altitude we need, it’ll struggle and use more. That could be trouble on the leg from Chile to the South Pole and back. If I go down, help could be days away. What makes this endeavor unique? Nobody has ever attempted it in this modified aircraft type. But we’re not doing this for records. We’re doing it as a message of global oneness and peace. Our slogan is: “One planet, one people, and one plane.”
POLAR BEAR: STANLEY CHOW; ROBERT DELAURENTIS: JOEL KIMMEL
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BUYING AN AIRCRAFT
Q&A
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Escape from New York
passengers, the jet has been comfortably refitted for just 16. Less than three hours later, it lands in Opa-locka, Fla., and a 15-minute car ride brings guests to accommodations at oceanfront Faena Miami Beach hotel. Flights began November 20 and will run through the beginning of April. Prices for the package, including helicopter transfers, jet transportation, and hotel stay, start at $5,050. Don’t live in the Big Apple? Operations have expanded to Los Angeles, Florida, and the Bahamas, with more destinations on the horizon. MARY GRADY
Our flying-car future may still be frustratingly elusive, but for residents of Manhattan, Blade (flyblade.com) is the next best thing, especially for those looking to get from Downtown to the airport as the charter’s helicopters launch from three city-central lounges. And now, weary urban dwellers in search of a winter escape can book a weekend trip to Miami through Blade. Travelers board a chopper for a 15-minute flight to Westchester County Airport and land on the ramp right next to a private Bombardier CRJ200 jet. Originally designed to carry up to 60
A-List Access: Contact Blade’s manager of fixed-wing operations, Karoline Lozier, at karoline@flyblade.com.
TECH Seeing Is Believing
OKAY WITH 8K?
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T H E L A U N C H this fall of 8K TVs marks the fourth time in 20 years that the tech industry has promised a better viewing experience through an increase in TV resolution. But will 8K produce a visible improvement?
The term 8K refers to a screen resolution 7,680 pixels across and 4,320 pixels high, compared with 3,840 by 2,160 pixels for today’s 4K ultrahigh-definition (UHD) TVs. There is no 8K programming currently
available to consumers, so these TVs convert lowerresolution video to 8K. However, experts weren’t even convinced that 4K delivered a noticeable improvement. “When we consider typical viewing habits, the diference between HD and UHD was not perceptible,” says Martin Banks, a professor of vision science at the University of California, Berkeley. “The diference would be perceptible if you sat closer to the screen than viewers typically do.” According to rtings.com, a viewer needs to sit within five feet of an 80-inch TV to see the diference between 4K and 8K. Samsung’s 85-inch QN85Q900, priced at $15,000, will likely be the only 8K option that U.S. video enthusiasts can acquire in 2018. It boasts
an artificial-intelligence engine that analyzes the content of the picture and optimizes its own settings for best performance. Sharp’s nearly $11,000 LV-70X500E 70-inch 8K TV is now available in Asia and Europe; the company says it will ofer 60-, 70- and 80-inch models in 2019. TCL recently demonstrated a 75-inch 8K model with Dolby Atmos surround sound. In addition, LG has shown an 88-inch model, and Toshiba a 65-inch, but neither company will predict pricing or availability. Despite questionable benefits and little selection for now, 8K TVs are likely to become standard. After all, 4K now dominates the TV industry, even though experts raised the same questions about it. Brent Butterworth
Dream Machines | T E C H
Magical Mind-Set
ONE GIANT LEAP book Ready Player One predicts that in the year 2045, humans will spend most of their time in computer-generated worlds created through virtual-reality headsets. But Florida firm Magic Leap (magicleap.com) has just introduced a headset that makes those in fiction seem as dated as flip phones. The Magic Leap One headset creates what’s called “mixed reality.” Instead of blocking the user’s eyes and ears, as virtual-reality systems
THE MOVIE AND
do, mixed-reality systems augment real-world surroundings with superimposed 3-D computer graphics and sound. Because these headsets include cameras and microphones that map the user’s surroundings, computergenerated images can interact with those surroundings, just as a real person or object would.
Mixed reality opens all sorts of creative possibilities. A game player could battle virtual villains right at home—complete with bad guys tripping over furniture and hiding behind walls. For now, though, practical application of the technology is more possibility than reality. A few games and demonstration pro-
grams have been produced, but the intent is that early adopters will create their own experiences. For this reason, the current version of the headset is called the Creator Edition and will be sold primarily to creative professionals. Part of the magic of the system is that it’s fully portable, unlike VR headsets that tether the user to a
Picture Perfect
MIRROR IMAGE
Th he silver-trimmed Leica CL and the flagship S3.
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computer. The $2,295 package comprises a lightweight headset, a small electronics pack that clips to a belt or shoulder strap, and a handheld controller. Technically, you could stroll the streets wearing it—provided you’re comfortable walking around in something that looks like a Star Wars prop. Brent Butterworth
A S K P H O T O G R A P H E R S to opine about the future of cameras, and many will tell you that it’s going to be mirrorless. Now that virtually every major manufacturer has a product line that lacks the traditional mirror, prism, and reflex—retaining just the interchangeable-lens part of the SLR equation—it’s easy to see mirrorless as inevitable. That’s why it’s encouraging that Leica is still as enthusiastic about SLRs as the traditionalists who shoot with them. At the recent Photokina photo fair in Germany, Leica (us.leica-camera.com) gave the world its first look at the Leica S3, the company’s newest flagship medium-format SLR. A direct successor to the Leica S Type 007, an nd coming on the 10th anniversary of the S2, the S3 comes equipped with Leica’s massive 64 4-megapixel ProFormat sensor. That’s roughly tw wice the resolution of the S3’s sibling, yet it still caaptures a full three frames per second. Moreover, the camera shoots not just HD but full-sensor 4K K video, as well, putting it on equal footing with cin nema-focused cameras like Red. And because it’s an n SLR and not mirrorless, the S3 boasts enormous baattery life and lower digital noise. The Leica S3 wiill be available in spring 2019. The S3 may be the belle of the ball for serious sh hooters, but the brand hasn’t forgotten the CL, itss versatile mirrorless, 24-megapixel, 10-framepeer-second compact. What’s new? The CL is now avvailable framed in a silver trim, which complements the classic black leather of the existing model. Dave Johnson
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Going Places
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Genius at Work
WINE WONDER Napa’s Palmaz Vineyards just might be the most high-tech winery in the world. BY J A N I C E O ’ L E A RY
Growing up on his family’s vineyard
Drink Up
Using infrared mapping, Christian Palmaz can measure which vines are thirsty and how thirsty they are. Then the team can adjust irrigation to improve the overall health of each one.
NICOLA MAJOCCHI
in Napa Valley, Christian Palmaz knew exactly what he wanted to be: a winemaker. But after apprenticing, he learned he couldn’t quite read the wines the way a winemaker should. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to help make a great wine. He turned to his other passion instead, computer science. He spent six years developing a smart fermentation tank that would help the winemakers make better vino by alerting them to changes in temperature and when oxygen levels were too low for healthy yeast do to its thing, among other metrics. The tanks are so smart that when the team had to abandon the property in the 2017 wildfires,
1 AB OVE
the tanks adjusted themselves and saved about $10 million worth of juice. Now CEO, Palmaz has innovated elsewhere, creating a program to help all the grapes in a parcel ripen simultaneously (every winemaker’s dream) and installing a sorting system that weeds out damaged fruit using light imaging to detect tears or even wrinkles that indicate sunburn in a grape’s skin. While he doesn’t believe in innovation for innovation’s sake—the premium wines are still very much made by hand and intuition—his genius touch has helped make his family’s boutique operation—and their luscious wines— the envy of tech-savvy winemakers the world over.
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2 A BOV E
3 LEFT
Ripe for Picking
Night Harvest
Palmaz’s computer program, nicknamed VIGOR (Vineyard Infrared Growth Optical Recognition), helps all the grapes in a parcel—Cabernet in this case—ripen at the same time, which makes picking easier and improves the quality of fruit that goes into each wine.
As tech driven as Palmaz is, the work of making and harvesting wine is still done by hand. Workers harvest at night to keep the berries cool and intact and then put them directly into a cave at the winery that mimics the outdoor temperature and humidity.
4 LEFT
Head-Up Display
Meet FILCS (Fermentation Intelligent Logic Control System; pronounced Felix), Palmaz’s smart fermentation tanks, which can measure the density of the wine and the rate of fermentation using sound waves. Data is projected onto the walls of the tank room for winemakers to read and evaluate the sugar levels of the juice.
5 R IG H T
Newtonian Formula
The process that takes place inside the 18-story winery, set entirely within a mountain, is moved along exclusively by gravity, so the wine is changed as little as possible as it’s transferred from tank to barrel and finally to bottle.
R O B B R E P O R T. C O M
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Robb Report’s Dream Machines Land in Las Vegas at ARIA Sky Suites E X T R E M E S U V S , H E L I C O P T E R R I D E S W I T H S K Y- H I G H V I E W S , A N D T H E S T R I P ’ S T O P S U I T E S C O M E T O G E T H E R F O R A N U N F O R G E T TA B L E A D V E N T U R E .
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them to a dedicated check-in at the
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Maserati, and other top marques.
Dinner from Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten featured
For the Dream Machines main event, Robb Report’s guests crossed the Nevada and Arizona landscapes in nine of the world’s latest luxury SUVs. Among them were the Bentley Bentayga, Maserati Levante, and Rezvani Tank—an extreme 4x4 vehicle in a class of its own. Beginning at ARIA and culminating at the Grand Canyon, the nearly 300-mile course took drivers past Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, and through the scenic Nevada and Arizona deserts to a lookout at Shoshone Point on the lip of the Grand Canyon. ARIA’s culinary and hospitality team prepared a Champagne lunch with amazing views to celebrate the grand journey. Later guests rode Specialized e-bikes off and on road and experienced a 45-minute helicopter ride, when they took in the vastness of the scenery below—and became part of the scenery as the helicopter landed in the basin of the Grand Canyon itself. Back at ARIA, the evening concluded with dinner at Jean Georges Steakhouse.
Kobe N.Y. strip drizzled with cherry mole sauce, as well as such playful creations as organic egg mimosas with Osetra caviar. The next morning, the Dream Machines itinerary concluded with a farewell brunch at Carbone, Chef Mario Carbone’s blend of Italian cuisine, New York authenticity, and Vegas flare, where guests received a lesson in Champagne sabering—a celebratory send-off for an unforgettable two days of adventure.
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Erin Baker
Jeremy Repanich
David Coggins
Annie Duke
Bruce Pask
Paul Sullivan
on cars, p. 129
on dining, p. 130
on fishing, p. 130
on psychology, p. 131
on style, p. 132
on wealth, p. 134
Field Notes
ERIN BAKER
When Will We Get a Charge Out of Going Electric? Automakers are giving hybrid aesthetics more juice.
CARS
ill electric cars ever really be the sexy choice? We’ll all be forced into them within the next 10 years, but that’s not the same as a driver in the market for a rare supercar actively choosing electricity over gas. Is it possible that the sound of silence will become as desirable as the thrum of a naturally aspirated V-12 gasoline engine? Will wires and plugs and a 30-minute charge really appeal to the time-is-money brigade who can refuel
W
and be on the way to the next appointment in 10 minutes? (The ultimate solution to that, by the way, is Bentley’s Filld trial, which, via an app, sends someone with fuel to a destination of your choosing—home, oice, gym—to fill your Mulsanne while you’re busy spending your time more productively.) I recently talked to the CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, Michael Perschke, about whether electric ownership can be a sexy proposition. Pininfarina is the legendary Italian design house; what it doesn’t know about the beauty of the motorcar isn’t worth knowing. In 2020, Automobili Pininfarina will bring to market its own electric hypercar. Not only is the company not bothered about the lack of exciting engine noise (Perschke talks about “the sound signature of an electric vehicle—silence— becoming the luxury experience”), but Pininfarina is not even bothered by plugs and cables for charging. I assumed the brand would follow the lead of McLaren, which showed me its $2.25 million three-seater hybrid hypercar, the Speedtail, at a secret warehouse near its HQ in Woking, England. McLaren let slip at the time that the
250 mph Speedtail will use wireless induction charging, which deploys the magnetic qualities of electricity to draw up charge to the batteries when the car drives over a pad. McLaren will install pads in the 106 Speedtail owners’ homes and is counting on a spread of the current wireless-charging trials in mainland Europe. Pininfarina, on the other hand, thinks an induction plate bolted onto the car will add too much weight, so it is sticking with good old-fashioned plugs—as is Bentley, with its electrified Bentayga. You can bet these cords will be encased in smart, bespoke luggage sets, but still. I’m not convinced a long cable sticking out of your work of art is the right choice for owners who, in many cases, view their limited-edition prized possessions as aesthetic investments. McLaren has surely made the right choice: Most charging of electric cars is “destination” charging, done at home or work, so an induction pad will suit most owners. It means keeping the silhouette smooth, the lines unhindered, and the carbon-fiber surfaces flowing like liquid mercury, without a sudden rupture for a socket cap. Also, crucially, h
Illustrations by CELYN
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Field Notes
unlike the fabled McLaren P1 and other hybrid hypercars, the Speedtail will never run in electric-only mode; its hybrid tech is there solely for faster acceleration and the 250 mph top speed. Sure it will save on gas, but it looks like McLaren has given up on the eco hair-shirt pretense and has decided to be honest in its manipulation of hybrid technology for rude power. Now that’s what I call a sexy use of electricity. Erin Baker is an automotive writer on the female advisory board for Lamborghini.
JEREMY REPANICH
Fading Stars Why the Michelin Guide’s future is shining less brightly.
DINING
ébastien Bras and Jay Fai don’t appear to have much in common. One is the son of legendary French chef Michel and an acclaimed cook in his own right. The other is a 72-year-old grandmother and Bangkok street-food vendor. But they share one thing: They both wanted to relinquish their Michelin stars. A decade ago, such a thing would have been unheard of. The name Michelin has become shorthand for culinary excellence. Getting one star—like Fai boasts—from the little red book was an honor. And the three that Bras held for 18 years? That put a chef in the gastronomic pantheon. But the tire-companyturned-gourmet-bible is slipping. At its core, the guide is a marketing ploy. André and Édouard Michelin had the bright idea to create a tire company in late-19th-century France at a time when fewer than 3,000 people in the country actually had cars. How do you sell more tires to a limited set of people?
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Michelin seemed to be the last to realize how much ine dining has changed. Get them to wear out faster, of course. So the two created a travel catalog of lodging, sights, and eateries to encourage their compatriots to drive, drive, drive. Eventually food dominated the directory, and by 1936 the star system was up and running. Reputations have been made, fortunes gained, and even lives lost in the pursuit and protection of a star. A pair of Michelin three-star chefs’ suicides have been connected to maintaining those ratings. While there are still stakes to the stars—chefs lose sleep, and investors agonize over them—Michelin’s luster is waning, leaving room for an upstart to sweep in. The World’s 50 Best list, though 100 years younger than Michelin, is usurping the venerated ratings. With its tidy format (who doesn’t love a good list?), glamorous annual awards show, and ever-so-slightly more expansive take on what constitutes a great restaurant, the World’s 50 Best fits our modern dining moment better than Michelin. While both prize the hourslong tasting menu, are too male-centric, and favor Western cooking, the 50 Best list better captures what’s interesting and important in food today. Noma, the most influential restaurant of its generation, topped the 50 Best list four times, but it has never earned a third star. Failing to fully recognize Noma makes Michelin look out of touch. And Michelin seemed to be the last to realize how much fine dining has changed. Its ultimate experience has been a quiet, mannered one where cuisine leans heavily on French or Japanese techniques, fine linens adorn the tables, and diners whisper reverently about pâté en croûte like they’re in church. Call me crazy, but a night out should be more fun than a papal mass. And while the ratings expand globally, what constitutes a Michelin-starred restaurant gets murkier. In Singapore, a street-food stall where you buy chicken on a paper plate garners a star, while a beloved, inventive, and delicious wine bar in New York fails to make the cut. Both are platonic ideals of their respective styles of restaurant, but only one is recognized and no one is sure why. This feels like an identity crisis. Michelin’s recent global expansion isn’t necessarily only about food either. The international director of the guides, Michael Ellis, has stated that Michelin
would only go to new regions where it has financial partners, and has acknowledged that the operation has received money from tourism boards. South Korea reportedly dished out $1.8 million and Thailand $4.4 million for the privilege of having Michelin-rated restaurants. Washington, D.C., didn’t have to fork over any money, but it holds a diferent allure in addition to its culinary scene: It doesn’t hurt to have a presence in a city where federal tire regulators are based. Nonetheless, Ellis asserts complete editorial independence. The identity crisis and opportunism have done Michelin no favors. Several chefs have told me they no longer believe Michelin has its finger on the pulse of what a great dining experience should be. And people like Bras and Fai, along with other chefs renouncing their stars, felt stifled by their stars. Chefs’ desire to earn stars fed Michelin’s clout over the years. Now their indiference will erode its influence. Jeremy Repanich is Robb Report’s culinary editor.
DAVID COGGINS
Boneish at the End of the World The payoff for patience can sharpen the sense of being alive in a wild landscape. FISHING
B
onefish are known as the “silver phantom” by their admirers, likely an attempt to make them seem more mysterious and stealthy. Yet they are elusive, and no photo does them justice; you simply have to catch one. Found in saltwater
flats, they are not trophy-like, or even handsome to any who aren’t already transfixed by their specific charm. They are like an obscure band with a small but intensely devoted following who avidly discuss songs from bootlegged concerts and are basically insufferable. When it comes to bonefish, I’m now one of the insuferables. The brown trout is the gentleman of fly-fishing, the Atlantic salmon aristocratic, the tarpon prehistoric and fiercely impressive. The bonefish is none of these things. If anything, it might be compared to a more streamlined, glittery carp. But a fish doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s part of an environment that immerses you while you seek it out. In the case of the bonefish, that happens on isolated flats in very shallow water—if you’re lucky, in the Bahamas, surrounded by pale blue ocean in every direction. Fishing can’t be separated from the boat, tackle, tactics, and guides that are all part of the pursuit. I didn’t understand the immense appeal of bonefish until I was standing on a flats boat and casting to one near a mangrove stand of the southern tip of Andros Island in the Bahamas. This was a challenge in paradise. We arrived at this point by a vigorous 30-minute ride in a 17-foot Maverick skif, which travels at more than 20 knots. Designed to navigate in very shallow water and quickly over smooth surfaces, a flats boat is more challenging on modest waves. The wind was up that day, and as we sped along, my friend Mark and I bumped aggressively along the surf and tried to brace ourselves for each trough, which is the most intense core workout I’ve had in memory. The guide, Pap, an Andros native, was quiet and watchful. When we got to the spot, he quickly cut the motor and we glided into sight of the mangroves. Pap stood on a poling platform and positioned us silently into a place where a school of bonefish would ideally move as the tide came in, crossing the flats in search of crabs and shrimp they could hoover into their mouths and crush with their powerful jaws. Bonefish are famously diicult to see. When you’ve never seen one before, they are even more diicult. I knew this ahead of the trip and read books and magazine articles and watched videos online in preparation for the big moment. It was not enough. From his perch, Pap made a small clicking sound when he saw a group of fish (each guide makes a distinct sound efect when he spies a fish, and those sounds become an indication of
Pavlovian excitement that you quickly learn to love). Pap, calmly: “Eleven o’clock, a school, 40 feet from the boat.” By the time I made out what I was supposed to see, they were 30 feet from the boat. Mere shadows, moving with purpose. My first cast, with a 9-foot 8-weight rod, was with a fly called the Crazy Charlie, a well-known design that resembles a shrimp. Like most flies, the name sounds absurd until you’ve caught a fish with it. The cast was too close, and the fish darted away—but not for long. Pap told me to cast again slightly to the right. “He sees it,” Pap said, which made me strip the fly faster, against my better judgment. “He’s coming for it.” At this point I was so excited it was hard for me to stand. I was disconnected from any observational sense and wholly dependent on Pap, who could have told me to jump in the water and I would have taken the plunge. I could see a darker, more aggressive movement from one of the shadowy forms and saw the front of the shape turn, as if he were biting something. “He’s got it!” Pap says, and I set the hook, foolishly, by raising the rod, which is how you would set a fly in a trout. In this case, a strip set is what’s required. But I was lucky; miraculously the fish was on, and now I was prepared for the famous bonefish run. The fish turned away from the boat and made its 100-yard dash, fizzing away in a torrent of unraveling fly line (this is one reason saltwater reels are expensive—they can handle this strain). Imagine being connected to a go-kart driving directly away from you. A bonefish possesses unrivaled strength for its size, which is all being used at this instant. This is the visceral connection that animates all angling thrill: The minutes and hours of repose and stealth are contrasted with fierce action that brings purpose and proportion to all the down moments. The bonefish out of water is impossibly silver, all aerodynamic muscle, like the pontoons on a floatplane. We revived the fish and quickly set him free. (It’s true of all fish, but particularly bonefish—it’s important not to let them linger out of water, as they need their strength to avoid sharks and other predators.) I was in love with the flats, sand and water and sun, the feeling that we were at the end of the world, in true isolation, except for the occasional osprey and sea turtle. There was no sound. When fishing is truly aligned, you feel part of an ecosystem and deeply linked to your environment. The thrill of being connected to a fish is a small part of a larger experience— being acutely alive in a beautiful, barely
populated stretch of the world in a truly wild place. I looked up to Pap, and he was smiling faintly but with his eyes in the distance, already tracking for signs of the next bonefish. David Coggins is the author of Men and Manners. He lives in New York City.
ANNIE DUKE
Thanks, Uh . . . That’s Just What I Needed How to ensure that your present isn’t too memorable.
PSYCHOLOGY
started my adult life pursuing a doctorate in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. I put that excellent education to work playing professional poker for nearly 20 years. I thought I’d left academics behind but instead discovered I had merely landed in a much richer laboratory for studying human decision making. It’s holiday season, which means you’ll soon be making the rounds at parties and open houses, deciding on that just-right gift for the host. It’s customary, plus it’s an opportunity to show our appreciation for the invitation and the host’s friendship; we know it’s the right thing to do. Still, we sometimes stumble. The temptation is to seek a gift that’s thoughtful and specific, partly because we imagine how happy our host will be receiving it, but also—admit it!—because we want our gift to stand out from the usual wine or chocolates and show how well we know them. We’ll stalk that elusive prey of a meaningful gift until we h
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Field Notes
We are focused on the feeling of giving the present, which keeps us from being objective about the feeling of receiving it. spot it. A hand-carved oyster-shucking board? A Himalayan salt block? A vintage baseball glove? So how do you nail the perfect present? Surprisingly, science—decision science—can help. In an experiment by Yale psychology professor Emmanuel Trouche and colleagues, subjects solved logic problems and wrote the justification for their answers. Later, they were shown five alternate answers to the problems, giving them a chance to reconsider. Nearly half the subjects didn’t recognize that their own original answer was one of the new batch. Furthermore, half of that group rejected their original arguments when they believed they came from someone else. What does that have to do with the adorable Norwich-terrier crystal saltand-pepper shakers you think might be just the thing? We’re not very good at imagining being other people. Whether we’re reading someone else’s logical solutions or are gratified with spotting a poker-chip Christmas ornament (because, after all, as a former professional poker player, I must need, want, and appreciate anything poker themed), we’re stuck in our own heads, and it keeps us from taking the perspective of others. What we don’t consider is our own past experience with receiving someone’s “inspired” idea of a standout gift. Instead, we are focused on the feeling of giving the present, which keeps us from being objective about the feeling of receiving it. Just because you would love getting the gift doesn’t mean your hosts are going to like it. Assuming they are full-grown adults, they probably have all the cheese boards, serving platters, and bar tools they need or want. And they picked out those things themselves. They already like the style and functionality of those items, so much so that they feel comfortable using them to entertain us and a bunch of other friends at a holiday party. Worse, these “special” items put a burden on the host. If they don’t like it, they have to pretend they do. Your token of appreciation can become the gift that keeps on giving—but not in a good way. A host may feel like they should display or use it whenever you drop by to avoid
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insulting you and your choice. Our intentions are genuine, but we’re hamstrung by not objectively imagining ourselves being on the receiving end. Those folks in the logicproblem experiment were happy with how they solved the problems, just like we are delighted with the spark that inspires our unique choice of present. But when they read their own explanations and thought they came from someone else, they saw them much more critically and objectively. Before you pull the trigger on that must-give gift, take a moment to imagine the times you have been on the receiving end of such surprises in the past. Then wrap a bottle of wine or some chocolates instead. That’s enough to get the point across, which is “Thanks for inviting me.” Annie Duke left professional poker in 2012 and now speaks on decision strategy. She is the author of Thinking in Bets.
BRUCE PASK
The Casual Oice Conundrum Here’s your road map to life beyond the suit.
ST YLE
was working as an editor at a menswear magazine in the ’90s when “casual Fridays” first entered the parlance, hovered for a bit, and then puttered out. The nuances of what was deemed appropriate oice attire, once a very understandable uniform of suit, shirt, and tie, now stymied the mind with options. Why
I
was a sweatshirt just a bit too casual but a similar-looking sweater was just fine? Jacket or no? And what about footwear? Ah, the paradox of choice. Men in today’s increasingly less formal workplace have so many options. And that should be a great thing, a liberating thing, freeing us from the shackles of the suit with its seemingly limited opportunity for personal expression. But there’s a reason why uniforms work: They’re easy. They don’t require a lot of thought, and, by design, they’re absolutely functional. Now that the suit in some workplaces is having a bit of a breakup, splitting the jacket from its matched pant and requiring a new skill set to make oice-appropriate combinations, we need a little help, a road map to navigate this new territory of separates. Let’s start with the sport coat. Solid colors are certainly easy to master and show more personality in richer fabrics with some nice depth and surface interest, such as brushed flannels, textured cashmeres, or pinwale corduroys. Express your personality with a subtle windowpane in a contrasting but complementary color to a small-scale check or plaid. Neapolitan tailors like Kiton and Cesare Attolini are masters of the bolder yet tastefully colorful sport jacket with impeccable construction, while Brioni and Ermenegildo Zegna ofer a slightly more subtle approach in exquisite fabrications. Now what goes underneath? Finegauge, lightweight sweaters add a polished but relaxed look when worn over a shirt with the top button undone. Stick with crew-neck sweaters (V-necks can seem a bit too 19th hole) in a neutral, rich palette. Or add a turtleneck sweater. It’s pure myth that you will overheat while wearing one. In a light merino wool, it looks efortlessly elegant. For shirts, try solids and checks on pale grounds for our sport jackets, and in colors that reference those present in the sport jacket’s pattern. And now for those pants. You won’t go wrong with a flat-front straightleg trouser in a simple worsted wool. Charcoal, light gray, and navy pair with just about anything, while black is a bit too funereal. Consider flannel and pinwale corduroy in rich colors such as dark brown and burgundy for fall and, in spring, cotton versions in khaki and stone colors. In my estimation, Incotex is one of the best makers of this perfect pant for pairing with sport coats. Make it easy: Find the model that best suits you, and return to it each season. And finally, footwear. A loafer in any of its varieties—penny, tassel, plain vamp, suede, pebbled leather—is the h
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Field Notes
perfect shoe for a more relaxed look in the oice. Handmade Italian shoemakers like Bontoni and Stefano Bemer ofer beautifully hand-colored and polished tones in shades of brown, as well as grays and deep blues that are particularly elegant, unexpected options. And as for sneakers, keep it simple and only for your most casual looks and occasions. Berluti and Ermenegildo Zegna have developed sophisticated collections that will pair efortlessly with your casual sport jackets. A personal favorite sneaker line, Common Projects, is a bit more sleek and streamlined, ofered in a broad range of neutrals in leather and suede. Its classic Achilles Low court-style sneaker in a charcoal gray, the most versatile color in the sneaker world, goes with almost everything. You will look like the master of informal workwear. Bruce Pask is the men’s fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.
PAUL SULLIVAN
What the Savviest Philanthropists Know WEALTH
The best gifts embrace emotion and the bottom line. urn on the news, and watch the devastation caused by the latest hurricane or wildfire to rip through the United States or tsunami to hit Asia. What’s your response? Do
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“You need to have a little rational with your emotion or you’re giving to everyone on the street.” you change the channel? Do you well up with emotion and donate whatever you can to a relief organization? Do you start to envision a way to build sturdier houses or encourage people to move to higher ground? Your response says a lot about what kind of philanthropist you might be. If you’re in the first group, you’re likely not philanthropically inclined. But the second two define the eternal battle of givers as their wealth and aspiration climb. The people who well up are motivated by the emotion that empathetic people feel when they see others in need. Those watching the disaster who think of fixing the infrastructure or incentivizing people to make diferent choices—like not living in a flood- or fire-prone area— show a rational approach to giving. They want to measure the impact of their charitable dollars and, if possible, find a way to replicate what they’ve learned in one area in many communities. Many of the wealthiest and most sophisticated philanthropists are trying to find a way to combine the two: get something concrete done with their donations without neglecting the emotion that drove them to turn over money to solve a problem in the first place. One such donor, Alexandre Mars, is leading by example—and bringing along other young, techy entrepreneurs who have the wherewithal to be philanthropists. Mars, who made his wealth founding and selling three companies, says he saw the traditional construct of giving as outdated. In his early 40s, he prefers to ask people what is enough for them. He wants them to keep their giving below their pain threshold, something that runs counter to the give-until-it-hurts ethos of some philanthropists. “For us, it’s not the 50 percent from the Giving Pledge,” he says of the work he is doing through his Epic Foundation, which he founded in 2014 to improve the lives of disadvantaged children. “That’s great, but it’s the top-down approach. Ours is the Sharing Pledge. We ask, what’s your giving threshold?” The Sharing Pledge is a push to get people to share their wealth but comes with the promise that Epic will, in exchange, share data on the impact their money is having, even including virtualreality films to take them to where their giving goes.
Mars covers all the costs—to the tune of $2.5 million just this year—and that enables every dollar to go straight to a cause. His recruits, among other successful entrepreneurs, include Andre Haddad, founder of cheeky car-sharing app Turo, and Rakesh Tondon, chief executive of the subscription fashion company Le Tote; their example is meant to bring others along. “Our thought was, why were all of those people not doing more?” Mars says. “It wasn’t because they weren’t good people. It’s because they didn’t know where the money was going. The work you are doing should be visible.” Mars and Epic are putting a Silicon Valley spin—transparency and cool accountability—on the age-old problem of emotional versus rational giving. An emotional giver, after all, who pays no heed to where their money goes will have less impact than they could otherwise, while a rational giver who focuses too much on the outcomes might find that their well-crafted plan is not embraced by the people they most thought it would benefit. “You need to have a little rational with your emotion or you’re giving to everyone on the street,” says Carol Kroch, national director of philanthropic planning at Wilmington Trust. “If you’re rational, without emotion, what can happen is you build it—but will they come? You need to design a program that is welcome.” Philanthropic giving can be highminded stuf, but thoughtful donors should also think about something more earthly: the tax implications of their donations. “Philanthropy should be two-pronged,” says Jacqueline Valouch, head of philanthropy at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management. “There’s the altruistic warm-and-fuzzy piece, and there’s the tax deduction.” The tax cuts passed this year, though, have made it hard for even five-figure donors to get the tax deduction for donations. This is a result of increasing the standard deduction and eliminating or capping other popular deductions. One work-around to make sure you get a tax credit for your philanthropy is to put several years’ worth of donations into a donor-advised fund: You get the deduction today but can distribute the money whenever you like. It’s a good way to reduce your tax bill and buy yourself time to decide how you can be both a rational and an emotional donor. Paul Sullivan is the author of The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of the Super Wealthy and the Wealth Matters columnist for the New York Times.
BACK in BUSINESS What’s new in the Caribbean, you ask? Everything. By Jackie Caradonio
WILLIAMS & HIRAK AWA /AUGUST
You can’t talk about the Caribbean without talking about the hurricanes. Ever since last fall, when the names Irma and Maria became forever synonymous with destruction—causing more than 3,000 deaths, the vast majority of which occurred in Puerto Rico—the conversation surrounding this idyllic chain of isles has been one of concern at best and anger at worst. But more than a year later, it’s time to change the subject. Ask anyone: From the Bahamas to Barbados, the word on the sand is that the future of these islands is happening right now. h
Caribbean: Back in Business
That’s not to say everything is back to how it was before. But that’s the point: More than a year of blood, sweat, and tears—not to mention a whole lot of money (see page 219 for more on that)— has given rise to a Caribbean reborn, where a fresh attitude is shaking up the old standards of luxury with rising culinary capitals, new adventures, and more than a few much-needed renovations. No doubt, there’s more work to be done, and the narrative of recovery tourism—the idea that to help these islands, the best thing one can do is visit—remains valid still. But we’re not suggesting a trip to the Caribbean as a means of charity. These islands are no consolation prize: They’re practically uncharted territory, and ready to be explored for what feels like the very first time. Here’s a blueprint for how to do it, starting with the five resorts that should be at the top of your winter wish list.
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
NECKER ISLAND
MORE THAN A YEAR OF BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS HAS GIVEN RISE TO A CARIBBEAN REBORN. ANGUILLA
Belmond Cap Juluca
Cap Juluca is one of those resorts that die-hard regulars insist should never be changed. But those unimaginative bores will eat their words this month when they see the resort’s
Richard Branson’s legendary BVI hideaway must have nine lives. Just four years after a massive rebuild due to a devastating fire, the private-island resort was once again destroyed in October 2017—this time by Hurricane Irma. But nothing keeps this billionaire or his paradise retreat down: Branson relaunched his island’s Great House in October with 11 guest rooms (two more than it had before) and the promise of more to come next year, including a new and improved Bali High complex with three villas and a posh outdoor lounge. virginlimitededition.com
new and improved look under Belmond hotels. Not to worry, the property’s iconic Moorish architecture will still be intact (after all, there are some things that really are too good
CHEVAL BLANC: V.MATI; CHABLÉ: JOAQUIN ESPINOSA
to improve). But inside those whitewashed walls will be plenty of welcome surprises, including more contemporary interiors in the rooms and long-needed updates to the former staid style of the openair lobby. The old guard is sure to fall in line for the new look—and they might even come to love executive chef Andrew Gaskin’s innovative culinary program, too. A major step up for the island’s dining scene, the new oferings will include an ofshoot of Venice’s Cip’s Club and a Peruvian-fusion restaurant that draws from Belmond’s hotels in Cusco and Lima. belmond.com
ST. BARTS
Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France
Truth be told, Isle de France was our favorite St. Barts resort long before Cheval Blanc came into the picture. The breezy hotel on Flamands Bay always had just the right amount of island je ne sais quoi, with plenty of French flair—but not so much we forgot we were in the Caribbean. The takeover by LVMH’s hotel
brand in 2014 brought better name recognition, but in many ways, this month’s reopening is the real relaunch we’ve been waiting for. More than a mere upgrade, the yearlong renovation has added 19 new rooms and re-envisioned all the interiors under the eye of France’s master of hospitality design, Jacques
Grange. The new look also embraces the things we loved most about the old Isle de France: expanded gardens for more privacy in our bungalows, new restaurants with Mediterraneaninspired menus, and a wide crescent of beach that’s been fully restored after a brush with Hurricane Irma. chevalblanc.com
RIVIERA MAYA
CHABLÉ MAROMA You don’t have to visit the resident energy guru at the new Chablé resort on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. In fact, you don’t have to do anything you might expect of the usual wellness resort. That’s because beyond the yoga pavilion and temazcal sweat lodge, the new property is really just a sexy beach hotel. The restaurants are helmed by chef Jorge Vallejo of Mexico City’s acclaimed Quintonil, the pool has a cool club vibe, and the thatch-roofed villas are mini oases in the middle of the jungle. There’s also a rooftop lounge with panoramic views of the beach, where the good energy gets even better after a few margaritas. chablemaroma.com
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Dorado Beach, a RitzCarlton Reserve Laurence S. Rockefeller may have founded the original Dorado Beach, but Ritz-Carlton turned it into the singular destination that it is today. The resort has been a bastion of luxury on Puerto Rico since opening with its José Andrés restaurant and modern white-cube estates in 2012. But this year, Dorado proved it had substance as well as style, leading the march toward recovery by turning its post-hurricane renovation into a chance to emerge better than ever. It wasn’t just a matter of optics— though the resort does have a fresh sheen, not to mention a new signature restaurant and the spectacularly redesigned Su Casa villa by Alexandra Champalimaud—it was a matter of building momentum in the aftermath of disaster. With 500 employees, the reopening of this icon proved more than a boost for tourism; it represented a return to normalcy for an entire community. doradobeach.com
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The
COMEBACK KIDS As Puerto Rico emerges from the shadows of tragedy, a small but mighty generation of expat chefs is returning to the island to give its long-lagging culinary scene a dash of new hope. By Jackie Caradonio Photography by Mark Mann
Juliana Gonzalez CAÑA “This is my first time cooking Puerto Rican food in a restaurant,” Juliana Gonzalez confides. “It’s a whole new challenge to combine the food of my childhood with the techniques that I know today.” Though Gonzalez, who hails from the southwestern beach town of Cabo Rojo, first discovered her passion for food through
“REALLY, WHAT PUERTO RICAN DOESN’T DREAM OF GOING BACK?” the dishes her mother and grandmother made, her tastes during adulthood pivoted often as she embraced one international cuisine after another, from French (which she learned at David Bouley’s Evolution) to Japanese (at Nobu and SushiSamba) to Spanish (which she serves at her critically hailed Miami tapas restaurant Barceloneta). The desire to cook her native cuisine on her native soil, however, always remained a hopeful h
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Caribbean: Back in Business
ambition. “I always said that I wanted to go back to the island,” she says. “Because, really, what Puerto Rican doesn’t dream of going back?” That dream materialized sooner than expected when the El San Juan Hotel approached Gonzalez last year to conceive a contemporary Puerto Rican restaurant from scratch. For the chef, the opportunity to lend her wide-ranging experience to the cuisine that first sparked her desire to cook was a no-brainer. She set to work, mining long-beloved family recipes—as well as her own memories—to revisit the flavors of her past. “I wanted to create a very Puerto Rican menu but with something diferent that the island hadn’t quite seen before,” she says. Thus, Caña was born. Named for the sugarcane that has sustained much of Puerto Rico’s agricultural history, the colorful restaurant will open next month with an eclectic look that blends traditional handmade tiles, old family photos, and modern furnishings. Fusion will carry the menu, as well, with dishes like crudo served with fresh coconut, strawberries, and other fruits of the island; arroz con gandules prepared with a flair of Catalan flavor; and churrasco steak with Asian-inspired sides like bok choy and pickled onions. For Gonzalez, a return to Puerto Rico also meant a chance to support her island at a crucial time of recovery. “I wanted to focus on the farmers first,” she says. “The farm-to-table movement is finally happening on the island, and we’re now able to get things fresh that we never could before,” she says, noting that everything from the flowers on the tables to the suckling pigs and guinea fowl come from local producers. “It’s so important right now to support the local markets and the local people and, most of all, to help my fellow Puerto Ricans.”
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three years as sous chef at New York’s the Modern. (Other highlights from his résumé include Dan Barber’s Blue Hill and Jardinière in San Francisco.) Yet Vianda is clearly rooted in Puerto Rico, incorporating the flavors from Guzmán’s upbringing—as with his mariscada, which rethinks the island staple of mashed plantains known as mofongo by mixing it with
“WE SAW A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND REALLY DO SOMETHING HERE.”
Francis Guzmán VIANDA
It took Francis Guzmán an entire year to master sourdough. “It was something I really wanted to make from scratch, pero [but] it was one of the few things I had never learned in other restaurants,” the chef and co-owner of San Juan’s Vianda restaurant recalls. “So I got some cookbooks, and started the trial and error, and kept going until I got it.” It was a year well spent. The wild-yeast bread is the base for Vianda’s signature starter: a sourdough tostada topped with homemade ricotta, organic green and yellow zucchini, and pesto made from local basil. It’s a simple yet confident dish that proves the power of good ingredients. It’s also a soupçon of Guzmán’s cooking style: hyper-seasonal and unfussy, polished and refined. To be sure, there’s an unmistakable streak of French classic technique in everything the chef creates, a nod not only to his training at the Culinary Institute of America but also to his
shrimp and mussels and serving it beneath grilled salmon—and manipulating his menu weekly to use only the freshest local ingredients available. But Vianda, which Guzmán opened with his wife, Amelia Dill (shown), in March, isn’t just an act of nostalgia—it’s a play for culinary progress. “San Francisco and New York made us love restaurants, pero when we came back to Puerto Rico, we were frustrated,” he says. “The service was subpar, and the food was just whatever. We saw a great opportunity to come and really do something here.” And do something they did, converting a once-empty storefront in the Santurce neighborhood into a sleek dining space and hiring an impassioned team that includes other returning island natives like Gina Micheli, the restaurant’s effervescent sommelier. Still, it is Guzmán’s careful and elevated dishes—from his sourdough tostadas to his spicy tom kha bacalao to his tagliatelle stuffed with braised rabbit and turmeric— that represent the future of Puerto Rico’s dining scene. And that future, however long it takes to happen, is certainly bright. h
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Caribbean: Back in Business
“PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT THERE IS DEFINITELY A FUTURE HERE.”
PIERREPHILIPPE SAUSSY HEN HOUSE
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Pierre-Philippe Saussy had seen and done it all: worked in France and Belgium, New York and Los Angeles. Trained under legends like David Bouley and Roger Vergé. Even risen to the head of some of the world’s most famous kitchens. But last year, he suddenly realized he was done. “I’d been in fine dining my whole life, and I always thought that was what my career would always be,” Saussy recalls. “But after 20 years, I realized I wanted to try something diferent. So I went into the friedchicken business.” The move from foie gras and filet mignon to fried birds and brioche buns may seem like a fall, but for Saussy, born in Puerto Rico, it was a leap toward something far more gratifying than a Michelin star: happiness. “Every few years,” he says, “I’d move back for a year or six months and then move on to another city. I finally decided that I just wanted to stay for good.”
He returned home two years ago and immediately connected with a local hotel to create a high-profile restaurant. But the project stalled and an entirely diferent allure took hold: In the Santurce district, an abandoned lot was being converted into Lote 23, an assemblage of sleek wood-paneled food stalls run by some of the island’s most promising young talents. In the midst of an economic crisis, brickand-mortar restaurants were failing left and right; this was the next big thing. In March 2017, Saussy opened Hen House, with a small menu featuring just one entrée—a fried-chicken sandwich—and a handful of sides. “It’s really diicult to take two ingredients and make them taste amazing,” Saussy says. “Every element of this sandwich has technique behind it.” In fact, the idea started not with chicken breasts or buns, but with cucumbers from a local farm. On a whim, Saussy made a killer dill pickle
and then visited another local farm to source the perfect lettuce to go with it. Until Hurricane Maria, all of his chickens—which he fries in a homemade buttermilk batter that adds just the right amount of salt and kick—came from Puerto Rican poultry barns. “The ones we’re getting from the U.S. right now just can’t compare,” he says, “but we’re starting to see the local birds come back.” Also coming back is the brickand-mortar restaurant: Saussy has plans to open a permanent location of his acclaimed chicken shack in San Juan’s Condado neighborhood early next year. It will feature a broader menu with even more deceptively simple dishes. And, he says, it will be yet another sign of Puerto Rico’s bigger comeback. “People are starting to see that there is definitely a future here. It’s hard to explain, but there’s something going on here. And it’s something good.” h
Caribbean: Back in Business
LUCÍA MERINO LUCÍA PÂTISSERIE
Lucía Merino’s canelés are delicate, precise, and, like everything at her humble patisserie, hard to come by. “We only have 16 molds, and they don’t always come out exactly right,” Merino says of the custard-filled pastries, which she makes with organic milk, eggs, butter, and dark rum sourced from local farms. “They are never officially on the menu, but we always keep them as part of a secret menu.” Secrets are hard to keep on an island as small as Puerto Rico, but at Lucía Pâtisserie, an air of mystery prevails. That’s because Merino opens her San Juan bakery for just a few hours every Saturday—from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.—and each week the menu is completely diferent. Frangipane tarts, sweet-andsalty galettes, and hazelnut praline profiteroles are here today, gone tomorrow, replaced by another collection of sweet French classics that fly of the baking sheets the following week. Most Saturdays the shop sells out by noon. Then it’s back to a busy week for Merino and her two pastry chefs, sourcing ingredients from all over the island and brainstorming another menu of carefully crafted desserts. Merino’s obsessive dedication is no doubt a product of her training. The Puerto Rican native studied for three years under Frederic Monnet (one of just a few dozen master pastry chefs in the world) and traveled to Madrid and Barcelona to expand her craft. But after more than a decade abroad and a stint under yet another pastry legend— Miami’s Antonio Bachour—she felt the itch to return home and start something of her own. In Puerto Rico, she saw an opportunity to turn the sweets scene upside down.
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“Everybody here was doing traditional Puerto Rican stuf— pastelitos, rum cakes—and I wanted to bring something diferent to the island,” Merino says. “I had my doubts because the economy was not the best and everyone told me not to come back, but something was calling me.” Two years later, after a successful Kickstarter campaign
“EVERYONE TOLD ME NOT TO COME BACK, BUT SOMETHING WAS CALLING ME.”
and a few delays (including a three-month setback due to Hurricane Maria), Lucía Pâtisserie opened last December. The long lines of sweet-toothed patrons that snake out the petite bakery’s front door every weekend soon followed. But the draw, Merino says, isn’t just in the intricate execution of each beautiful confection—it’s in the distinctly local story each one
tells: Her famous tarts are filled with fresh passion fruit sourced from island growers, and her flaky croissants owe their richness to the butter produced by one of Puerto Rico’s oldest dairy farmers. And on some Saturdays, Merino even ofers a new take on that age-old classic, the hand pie, with fresh cheese from Caguas and guava jam from Guaynabo.
Caribbean: Back in Business
St. Kitts
The NEXT
BILLIONAIRES’ PLAYGROUNDS Move over, Mustique. Bye-bye, Bahamas. These are the new islands for the jet-setting and superyachting Caribbean crowd. By Jackie Caradonio and Danielle Cutler
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The recent buzz around St. Kitts may seem like an overnight sensation, but it has actually been a decade-long obsession for Charles “Buddy” Darby III. The developer and superyacht fanatic first docked at the West Indies island in 2008 on his 154-foot S/Y Andromeda La Dea, and ever since, he’s been feverishly masterminding Christophe Harbour (christophe harbour.com), the 2,500-acre village that is turning this once lazy isle into the Caribbean’s next big yachting destination. The marina’s 24 berths can
accommodate superyachts up to 300 feet long, while on land the development is home to a collection of multimillion-dollar homes and sites that stretch across six beaches. There’s also high-end shopping and dining and a Park Hyatt resort with a Miraval spa. And so far, it looks like Darby’s big dream is catching on: Yachting traffic to the island has increased every year for the last five years, and some of the world’s most impressive floating castles—including American billionaire Leslie Wexner’s 316-foot M/Y Limitless and Darby’s newest water toy, a custom-built Perini Navi called Andromeda Dea—have already been spotted on the budding St. Kitts scene.
Canouan It wasn’t long ago that this tiny island in the Grenadines archipelago was best known for its Trump Monte Carlo casino—bright lights, hot slots, and all. But a muchneeded scrubdown, followed by a decade of careful rebuilding and rebranding, has removed nearly every trace of Canouan’s less-than-sophisticated past. The five-square-mile island now has a new 5,900-foot private-jet runway (long enough for a Boeing 737), a 120-slip
Grenada
sexy with just the right amount of excess, including a palm-treelined swimming pool as long as a football field, a beach club, and a rum bar with a stash of rare Cubans. What makes it a true billionaire’s oasis, though, are its nine residences (priced from $5.7 million to $11 million), each with multiple private swimming pools and ample space for entertaining.
SILVERSANDS: MAGDA BIERNAT
Seasoned sailors know the island of Grenada well. Set on the southern end of the Caribbean cluster, just northeast of Venezuela, the well-positioned island has long held an allure for yacht owners, despite (or perhaps because of ) its lack of upscale options on land. As of this month,
however, there’s finally a reason to disembark—and maybe even set down roots: Silversands Grenada (silversandsgrenada.com), the island’s first true luxury resort, opened December 1 with 43 suites on the edge of Grand Anse Beach. The creation of Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris—who makes his own regular pilgrimages to the island via his superyacht Yalla—the property is sleek and
marina (including 24 superyacht berths), and, launched in June, the Mandarin Oriental, Canouan (mandarinoriental .com), featuring an exclusive collection of villas and suites that command some of the highest nightly rates in all of the Caribbean. Altogether, the reinvention is being touted as the makings of the next Mustique. Still, there is one place where you can catch a glimpse of the old Canouan: The island’s Jim Fazio–designed golf course—formerly of the Trump International Golf Club—is still the Grenadines’ best place for a round in paradise.
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A QUIET REVOLUTION Cuba’s art scene isn’t a boom—it’s a rebirth. By Tony Perrottet
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Every night, groups of young habaneros turn up in droves at Fábrica de Arte. The contemporary art space set inside an old factory in the heart of Havana’s Vedado neighborhood is an alternate reality to daily Cuban life, where live trova music and colorful projections of avant-garde films swirl through a warren of galleries. The brainchild of afro-rocker X Alfonso, the venue is brimming with the kind of progress you’d fully expect to miss when visiting this last remaining relic of the Cold War. But on one recent evening, the scene was more modern-day Soho than old Havana: In between
the dance floor and bar, the art was as biting as the cocktails, with photographs by local artist Enrique Rottenberg showing shabby bedrooms and startling portraits of women posing half-naked on disheveled beds. There has been a lot of talk about a “boom” in contemporary Cuban art among international collectors, who now travel to the gritty streets of Havana from London and New York in search of the next rising star. In a sense, it is not Cuba that has changed but the level of attention the art world has deigned to give it. “Havana has always been a wildly creative place,” says Bryant
Esterio Segura with 48 Glorious Entries of the Victorious Hero into Havana hanging behind him.
Toth, a New York art dealer who specializes in Cuban art. “It has been hugely vital in music, the visual arts, ceramics, theater, and literature. It was just diicult to showcase it to the world.” The rich traditon goes back to the 1920s, when Cuban artists like Wifredo Lam were hanging out in Paris with Picasso and Hemingway. But the heyday didn’t last long; everything changed with the Revolution. Under the rule of
SEGURA: SANTI VISALLI/GET T Y IMAGES
a young Fidel Castro, art suddenly became another ward of the socialist state. Galleries were the property of the government, art was subject to heavy censorship, and even calling yourself an artist required an oicial certificate. Canvases were a luxury reserved for a privileged few, as was access to the leader’s “free” art schools and institutes. Since Raúl Castro introduced his reform in 2011, the tide has turned back, if slowly and unevenly. The first private galleries have opened, young artists have flourished, and the hunt for new talent is on—and a hunt it truly is in this country where Internet is still a rare commodity. “It’s not like New York where you can walk down a street and see a dozen galleries,” says Toth. “You really have to know where to look. You still need to visit artists in their homes and in their studios.” Though today’s artists are no longer relegated to a clandestine existence, they remain dangling on the fringes of what’s considered acceptable in a
country still prone to erratic spasms of censorship. It’s a government-ordained purgatory that mandates only subtle protest—nothing too loud, lest it draw the wrong kind of attention. Such is the case with Rottenberg, whose squalored subjects are an easy reference to the rampant poverty and inequity on the island, yet they are presented without commentary. It’s the same with Adrián Fernández: He makes good use of quiet critique in his photographic series To Be or To Pretend, which highlights floral arrangements in front of dramatic backdrops with an almost cartoonish vividness. But the flamboyant still lifes are a subtle swipe at Cuba’s upper-class: A closer look reveals that these arrangements, which were photographed in the homes of Havana’s aluent families, are fake—cheap knock-ofs posing as flagrant diplays of wealth. There are acceptable forms of protest, of course— those that turn the focus away from Cuba altogether. Painter Alain Pino’s use of images of Benjamin Franklin
and George Washington from U.S. greenbacks in paintings littered with paratroopers and military aircraft are blatant in their message, yet they keep the finger pointed outward. The artist’s other paintings showing the profiles of President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping hidden in silhouette, presumably scheming, are the kind of on-the-nose commentaries that fly well on Cuba’s radar. (Were Castro included in those works, the story would no doubt be diferent.) And then there’s the all-out resistence of Esterio Segura, whose studio-home is a must-see for any collector seeking a glimpse into the future of Cuba’s art scene. His private space comprises a series of white-cube galleries filled with sculptures depicting
Silent protest: Alain Pino’s Controlling Vectors (above), Untitled No. 45 from Adrián Fernández’s To Be or To Pretend series.
“IT’S NOT LIKE NEW YORK WHERE YOU CAN WALK DOWN A STREET AND SEE A DOZEN GALLERIES. YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.” —BRYANT TOTH, ART DEALER
Pinocchios (an overt reference to liars), cages (prisons), and airplanes (exile). But Seguro’s most rebellious work lives in his dining room, at the end of a long table, where the artist regularly hosts dinner parties. There, an entire wall is covered with 48 Glorious Entries of the Victorious Hero into Havana, four dozen ceramic plates painted with detailed images of Fidel Castro making love to Cuba in the form of a woman. Each plate depicts a diferent sexual position to represent el comandante’s relationship with the country throughout his 48-year rule. The raw blue sketches would be graphic in any country—most certainly this one. And the day it can be exhibited at Fábrica de Arte will truly be the signal of a new era for Cuban art.
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Caribbean: Back in Business
Katsuya’s salmon lemon roll
CULINARY PARADISE
Caribbean resorts used to get by with a few culinary basics. As long as they battered some conch, fried up a few plantains, and kept the cornsyrup-filled mojitos flowing, guests were happy—or at least pretended to be. Those dining dark ages, thankfully, are over. With meals a centerpiece of the food-savvy traveler’s vacation, resorts have realized they need to set the hook with more than the generic beach-spa-pool combo. A serious Instagrammable dining adventure is a must. And no island retreat understands that better than the Bahamas’ Paradise Island. Atlantis, the island’s original resort, helped launch the sun-and-sand dining revolution with a few culinary celebrities, including a Nobu and a Fish by José Andrés. But it wasn’t until the multimillion-dollar behemoth Baha Mar development
The Caribbean has never been known for culinary greatness. But Baha Mar is about to change that. By Raphael Kadushin Shuang Ba’s pork pyramid
EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE FOOD OFFERINGS, IS SUPERSIZED AT BAHA MAR. finally started rolling out in 2017 that the Bahamian property emerged as the template for every future food-forward mega resort. Everything, including the food oferings, is supersized at Baha Mar. The property sits on 3,000 square feet of white-sand Cable Beach. There are 10 pools, a sprawling spa, and three distinct hotels, all clustered together on one property. Rosewood is the posh one, Grand Hyatt is the family-friendly one, and SLS is the clubby one. But none of the hotels’ kitchens is exclusive, and together they add up to a curated collection of 40 and counting unique restaurants, lounges,
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and bars designed to turn the beach vacation into a global culinary showcase. Trying to take a bite out of a bufet this epic is impossible, so it’s best to edit the list down as soon as you arrive. Start at Shuang Ba, where the glam dining room is anchored by a 30,000-pound double-dragon stone pillar and the kitchen is crowded with 15 chefs recruited from every corner of China. That means they are plating faithful renditions of regional specialties, including a range of legitimately spicy Szechwan chili-boiled dishes. An extensive menu of distilled Chinese spirits only adds to the restaurant’s zealous authenticity. Stay in an Asian fugue state and open the menu at Katsuya, which, like several of the Baha Mar restaurants, is part of an upscale global chain. The dining room— designed by Philippe Starck
And Three to Skip
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Shuang Ba’s textbook Peking duck ribboned with a crackling golden skin
Katsuya’s salmon lemon roll, crowned by salmon sashimi, ponzu gel, lemon aioli, and salmon roe
The Palms Café’s oozingly rich lobster and fourcheese grilled sandwich
Shuang Ba’s pork pyramid: a snaking strip of braised pork belly wrapped around pickled Chinese mustard
Cleo’s chicken tagine roused by the citric punch of preserved lemon
Costa’s surprisingly lackluster fish tacos
The limp, overcooked spaghetti in a one-note cheeseand-pepper sauce at Fi’lia (get the pistachio pesto pizza instead)
3 Tides’ rubbery octopus salad
DECEMBER 2018
Strengthening your financial security
SM
Caribbean: Back in Business
in his classic minimal-withan-edge style—sits just of the Grand Hyatt casino floor, so you can nearly throw the dice from your table. But the best feature may be the central sushi counter where the chefs plate Katsuya Uechi’s renditions of sashimi and maki. Want more? The wood-burning oven at chef Danny Elmaleh’s Cleo turns out a crisp flatbread studded with plump artichokes, and the 3 Tides Fish House, all aquatic blue and white, proves Baha Mar can handle down-home Bahamian cuisine, too. Its signature seafood tower, assembled at an open raw bar, is a mountainous stack of the locally sourced daily catch. Stix Noodle Bar serves The Palms
THE UN-CARIBBEAN Your favorite new Caribbean island isn’t an island at all (and it’s only kind of in the Caribbean). Four Seasons Resort and Residences Caye Chapel
There aren’t many secrets left in the Caribbean islands, but there might be just one: Belize. Maybe it’s because this Central American nation isn’t an island at all. Or perhaps it’s because it’s only partially in the Caribbean,
wedged underneath the scorpion’s tail of Mexico and bordering Guatemala to the east. Most likely, though, it’s because Belize isn’t beckoning you the way St. Barts and St. Lucia have for so long. This laid-back nation of sandy roads
Room and (Surf) Board Pro surfer Terry Simms is making waves in Panama.
hand-pulled noodles, and the T2 cigar bar ofers the island trinity: Caribbean rums, cigars, and Bahamian drummers. Finally, for anyone nostalgic for the oldschool resort bufet, there is the Regatta food hall—but don’t expect standard-issue surf and turf. When even the resort smorgasbord features slow-roasted pork belly, you know you’ve come to the reimagined Caribbean, a place where the beach itself may just look like a distraction between meals.
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The most famous photo of Terry Simms shows the legendary longboarder leaning so far into a wave that he’s practically horizontal. The thin sliver of his surboard’s edge cuts through the water like a warm knife through butter. His fingers casually graze the barrel of the wave. His face is the picture of composure. This is the guy you want to surf with—and now, thanks to a partnership with Panama’s Sweet Bocas (sweet bocaspanama.com), you can. Simms, who in his retirement coaches serious newbies and pros alike, is taking aspiring wave chasers who rent the seven-bedroom overwater villa on an intense week of bathymetry, map reading, theory, technique, and, of course, all-out surfing among the Caribbean coast’s best breaks. By week’s end, you’ll look pretty damn cool on a board—if not quite as cool as the master himself. —KATHRYN ROMEYN
and beach-shack restaurants is better at playing hard to get than it is at luring finicky tourists with frozen daiquiris and couples’ massages. But, like it or not (spoiler alert: we like it), Belize is about to see a spate of new hotels—and luxurious though they may be, they’re promising to preserve the local experience without destroying its unapologetically authentic essence. You could blame the whole thing on Leonardo DiCaprio, whose eco-conscious Blackadore Caye (restorativeislands .com) has been in the news for roughly half a decade by now. But the 104-acre island resort, which is rumored to be readying for a 2020 opening with 36 estates, 36 hotel bungalows, and roughly 50 acres of protected land,
only started the Belize buzz. Itz’ana (itzanabelize.com), another resort using the hotel-residence approach, will open this spring with a 15-slip marina, solar-powered cottages, and a pristine beachfront that reminds us of what our favorite Caribbean islands looked like 20 years ago. Four Seasons (fourseasons.com) is staking its claim, too, with overwater bungalows and private residences on the island of Caye Chapel. Three new resorts certainly don’t make for St. Barts 2.0, but that’s a good thing. Those pothole-ridden roads and fisherman holes-in-the-wall are why we’re here in the first place. But now, if we want, we can have them with a daiquiri, too. —Paul Rubio
P R O M O T I O N
in focus PADRÓN CIGARS padron.com Padrón adds Presidente and Soberano Tubos to the acclaimed 1964 Anniversary Series. Fifteen-count boxes of portable tubos—complex, balanced, full-bodied tobacco aged a minimum four years—natural and maduro.
TODD REED toddreed.com See Todd Reed’s newest designs, featuring geometrically shaped dangle earrings with fancy cut diamonds (2.98 ctw) in sterling silver.
ULTIMATE WISH AT THE BACCARAT robbreport.com/ultimatewish “Ultimate Wish” is a new, extravagant, and one-of-a-kind series of holiday shopping experiences presented by Robb Report and Baccarat Hotel New York. Visit the hotel’s Petit Salon during select days in November and December to uncover unique, custom offerings from some of the globe’s preeminent luxury purveyors.
Images are top to bottom.
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Most Wanted The gifts for everyone on your list
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got you covered this holiday season with exclusive one-of-a-kind presents and elegant stocking stufers for the hard-to-please gourmand, erudite history buf, adventurer with wanderlust, design-conscious gearhead, and more. And if you just happen to be tempted to keep one or two for yourself, we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell.
Illustrations by RAMI NIEMI
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For the
Gearhead
Addicted to speed, precision machinery, and masterful games? We know the type. These two standout handmade beauties will keep them endlessly occupied and enthralled.
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Custom Hazan Bike If the rumbling refrain of a V-twin engine gets your adrenaline pumping, we have a set of wheels made just for you that will rival anything else on the road. Renowned builder Max Hazan, founder of Los Angeles– based Hazan Motorworks, has ofered to create a custom bike for a Robb Report reader. An artisan who works at the
crossroads of counterculture and craftsmanship, Hazan specializes in one-of-a-kind handbuilt motorcycles designed and engineered to manifest the customer’s individuality. Past projects have included an example framed around the power plant of a 1949 BSA, and another inspired by a 1930s Bugatti racecar. “I usually find a vintage engine that fits the client’s aesthetic, put it on the table, place a blank sheet of aluminum behind it, and start laying out lines,” says Hazan. “It will tell me what to build around it. I’ll see the spaces develop.”
Once the cruiser is complete, its owner will saddle up for an inaugural ride with Hazan along Southern California’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway and through the canyons of Malibu. Or if he’s willing to wait, Hazan can deliver the bike at the 2021 edition of the Quail Motorcycle Gathering—the prestigious two-wheel concours in Carmel, Calif.—where it’s bound to be a favorite of the field. After all, Hazan is a man of his word: “With time and resources, I can really let the magic happen.” $500,000. Hazan Motorworks, Max Hazan, max@hazanmotor works.com —Viju Mathew
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HA Z AN: SHAIK RIDZWAN
Vizion Arkador Arcade Console
Indulge your inner child of the 1980s with one of French firm Neo Legend’s retro-accented arcade consoles, the Vizion Arkador. Each comes with nearly 700 classics installed, plus the option to add a few more recent Xbox and PS1 games. The entire unit is hand-built to order in France, so every detail can be customized—from the oversize joysticks to a token slot and even a two-person gamer bench. Exteriors are ofered in a variety of primary colors. Better yet, pick one of the graphic skins produced in collaboration with artists like Japanese illustrator Yoko Honda, known for her Miami Vice–inspired pink-and-green lush landscapes, or the Lichtenstein-meetsStan-Lee comics of Greg Léon Guillemin. Starting at $3,155. —Mark Ellwood
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For the
Avid Adventurer
Driven by an insatiable yearning to push the boundaries in everything he doesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;travel, sport, and explorationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; this guy is up for the challenge.
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3 Thermal Club Ownership If it’s high-performance cars and competition that fuel him, this gift will give him license to speed without the penalty of a traic ticket. The exclusive Burning It Up at Thermal gift
package ofers ownership and track membership at the Thermal Club, a private racecourse and residential community 25 miles from Palm Springs, Calif. The package ofers the purchase of a 7,600-squarefoot trackside villa with four bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a large deck that extends over the circuit’s sound wall. To seal the deal, it comes with a personal garage that can accommodate 16 cars (without stacking). To help load up the latter, the gift comes with a new
McLaren GT4 racecar and two go-karts. Included is an individual membership, five years of dues and associated expenses, and one Sports Car Club of America license certification course (a three- to four-day program) behind the wheel of a BMW M3, M4, or Porsche Cayman. “Thermal is the only exclusive racing country club lined with private villas,” says founder Tim Rogers. “It’s where the elite come to race, spectate, and socialize.”
Named Motorsport Facility of the Year at the Professional Motorsport World Expo in 2017, the 344-acre club currently comprises 30 residences (with another 16 underway), four tracks covering 5.1 miles (land has been acquired for a fifth), and a four-story communal space with fine dining, a bar, and a maintenance center for the vehicles that are so central to the community. $4 million. Thermal Club, Tim Rogers, tim@tetm.com —V.M.
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Coeur Custom Wood Boat Every adventurer needs a boat— whether for zipping across the water from one fishing hole to the next or for making a daring getaway from the in-laws’ lake house. But not just any boat: They need a bespoke wood dayboat that delivers both speed and style from Coeur Custom
Wood Boats, the traditional boatmaker based on Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho. The bespoke building process begins with a meeting of minds—the recipient will sit down with the designer, engineer, and master builder and share their ideas. Sketches, 3-D models, or full-size drawings will be executed, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Based on a boat around 27 feet in length, this custom vessel will require 4,000 to 5,000 hours of work to handcraft, more than 2,000 feet of lumber (Coeur uses Western red cedar, sapele, teak, and African
mahogany), and 16 to 18 coats of varnish. Performance characteristics are up to the gift recipient: Do they want a smooth and quiet water experience? Or a sporty and responsive craft? Or maybe they want to hear a deep engine roar. The decision is theirs. Coeur wood vessels are constructed via a mix of old-school and new-school practices. For example, classic double-planked bottoms with double-gusseted frames and oak battens can be sealed up with glue and fasteners or via a more modern vacuum-bagged, cold-molded construction—your
pick. The next decision comes down to details. Does the boat need a cranking sound system? Or a swim platform? Maybe it needs a bar and a refrigerator to keep things cool. Other options could include bow thrusters, underwater lighting, or heaters in the cockpit, and more. After the drawings are completed, the one-of-a-kind wood boat will be ready for delivery in eight months—perfect for Labor Day weekend 2019! $375,000 as shown here. Coeur Custom Wood Boats, Jim Brown, jimb@hagadonemarine.com —Danielle Cutler
NEIL RABINOWITZ
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Dive with Japanese Ama Uminchu
Private Antarctica Expedition
Ready to dive to the bottom of the ocean? It sounds intimidating, but, in fact, Japanese female divers known as ama uminchu have been free diving for centuries to gather seafood from the depths of the Pacific Ocean just of the coast of Toba, in the Ise-Shima region of Japan’s Mie prefecture. That long-held tradition is being revived for a lucky few with an adventurous spirit. Bespoke travel operator Remote Lands has curated an immersive five-day itinerary where visitors can learn to free dive following the traditions of the ama uminchu. The adventure starts with a scenic helicopter ride from Nagoya to Amanemu, a luxurious resort nestled within Ise-Shima National Park where guests will stay in spacious ryokan-inspired suites with private onsen hot-spring baths. Skilled ama will train guests before embarking on an inaugural dive, and later host them in the women’s hut (amagoya) for a fresh seafood lunch of firegrilled abalone and Japanese spiny lobster. During the stay, guests will find out more about the ama’s history and traditional uniforms, why the majority are female, and how they came to be known as “pearl divers.” Afterward, they can stop by the Osatsu Ama Museum and visit the Toba Sea-Folk Museum, where 10 percent of the trip’s price will be donated to help preserve these women’s history. The journey includes visits to Ise Jingū, one of the holiest Shinto shrines; a hike on the ancient camphor- and cherrytree-lined Kumano Kodo trails; and relaxation time at Amanemu’s spectacular spa. Starting at $26,000 per person. Remote Lands, info@remotelands.com —Christina Liao
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Ernest Shackleton himself couldn’t have dreamed up a more thrilling adventurer’s gift than this: For one Robb Report reader (and up to 199 friends), Silversea is ofering the opportunity to charter its 200-passenger Silver Cloud on a private expedition to Antarctica. Like the British polar explorer’s fabled missions, the ship will sail through the Drake Passage to explore present-day Paradise Bay and Deception Island, with sights of penguin colonies, crashing avalanches, and mammoth whales along the way. Unlike Shackleton’s grueling journeys, however, this voyage will be done in top luxury: Silver Cloud, whose hull was strengthened for polar missions last year, has more crew than passengers and more comforts than any icebreaker on the Southern Ocean. The 10-night adventure will sail round-trip from Ushuaia, Argentina, making landfall on the Antarctic mainland by Day Four. From there, Silver Cloud’s captain and expedition team—including geologists, marine biologists, and historians—will chart a course depending on ice conditions, weather, and wildlife. When you’re not living the Shackleton fantasy, summiting snowy peaks, and kayaking through narrow iceberg alleys, you’ll be living it up onboard with foie gras, caviar, and Cognacsplashed Maine lobster (quite the upgrade from the dried beef mixture that Shackleton’s chef specialized in) and ending your long days at sea much like the great explorer himself: with a dram of Scotch whisky. $3 million. Silversea, Freddy I. Muller, freddym@silversea.com —Jackie Caradonio
DIVER: AIKO OHNO; PENGUIN: BRUNO CA Z ARINI
MOST WANTED
MOST WANTED
For the
Culturist
What do you get the bibliophile who is a repository of reconidite knowledge on history, geography, trivia, and more? Gifts that challenge their mind and imagination.
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A Custom Library by Alexandre Assouline The idea of a luxury book didn’t exist until Assouline. Since its founding in 1994 by the fashionable French bookworms Prosper and Martine Assouline,
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the publisher has produced titanic tomes on some of the world’s most stylish subjects, from Cartier to Le Corbusier. The result: Gifting a book is, now more than ever, a sign of excellent taste. Why stop at one book? Assouline is ofering Robb Report readers the opportunity to gift an entire room of good taste with a custom library. Alexandre Assouline, the stylish son of Prosper and Martine, has curated one-of athenaeums for select hotels and private institutions, but
until now his services have been available only by word of mouth. For this gift, the publishing scion will create a home library with a curated collection of rare and limited-edition printings based on the buyer’s tastes, which might encompass classic cars and modern art, high fashion and fine wine, or world travel and ancient cultures. Assouline will also assemble a selection of book stands, vintage objects, candles, and book ends, and, as a bonus, organize your library in the image of his brand’s immaculate shops. Because if we’ve learned anything from his family business, it’s that good-looking books make the words printed inside them even sweeter. Starting at $25,000. Assouline, interiors@assouline.com —J.C.
CONTACT 480.663.6227
CONSIGNMENTS@BARRETT-JACKSON.COM
CONSIGN NOW JANUARY 12-20 SCOTTSDALE 2012 LEXUS LFA NÜRBURGRING EDITION This 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition is any supercar fan’s dream. It is one of only 50 ever built and has 885 actual miles. Powered by a 4.8-liter 562hp V10 engine backed by a 6-speed sequential transmission. NO RESERVE
HIGHER RESULTS FROM OVER 5,000 BIDDERS THE SCOTTSDALE 2018 AUCTION FEATURED 1,723 VEHICLES SOLD, A 99% SELL-THROUGH RATE AND VEHICLE SALES EXCEEDING $113 MILLION.
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Benovia Liberation Pinot Noir On June 6, 2019, the Spirit of Benovia, a vintage C-53 Skytrooper airplane, will fly from the States to Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. It first flew in 1942 over the Himalayas to support the Allied Forces against Japan, and later it flew covert missions against communists in Asia as part of the CIA’s Air America. In 2008 the cofounders of Benovia Winery bought the plane, which they have used to take veterans and their families on commemorative flights. To mark the occasion of next year’s flight and honor the lives of those who fought in World War II, Benovia has crafted 56 cases of 2016 Liberation Pinot Noir, a special blend from its Tilton Hill estate vineyard in the heart of California’s Russian River Valley. A portion of the sales will be donated to a D-Day Squadron charitable fund. $70. Benovia Winery, benovia.com —Janice O’Leary
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Historical Globe Now that Google Maps has put the world at our fingertips, old-fashioned tools for studying our planet are even rarer—and that is what makes George Glazer’s three-inch-diameter terrestrial table globe a treasured gift. Standing about five inches high in its maple stand, this miniature version of Earth was made by Wilson & Co. (whose founder, James Wilson, was the United States’ first globe maker), and dates to the late 1820s. $18,000. George Glazer Gallery, georgeglazer.com —P.R.
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A magician of sorts, Michel Parmigiani is considered one of the great modern watchmakers, responsible for the restoration of many pieces in the Sandoz Family Foundation’s immense collection as well as timepieces from the Patek Philippe Museum and the Kremlin Museums. His latest timepiece, being unveiled this month just in time for Robb Report’s gift guide, is inspired by one of his restoration achievements: a 19th-century Perrin Frères pocket watch that tells time (without hands) via a moving hour marker along a minute track. It served as the model for the new Toric Capitole minute repeater with cathedral chime bells. Replicating the sector time display of the original
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pocket watch required the watchmaker to re-create the complication in a version that was 10 times smaller than that of the original—an incredible technical feat. The decorative Toric Capitole features an 18-karatrose-gold dial hand-made by a master engraver featuring a circular satin finish. The double bezel mimics the pattern around the exterior case of the original pocket watch and comes on a brown Hermès alligator strap and features a diamond crown. The recipient of this watch will own a piece of wearable history. Approximately $400,000. Parmigiani Fleurier, Ariel Rodriguez, ariel .rodriguez@parmigiani.com —Paige Reddinger
GLOBE: JOSHUA SCOT T
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Capitole Watch
Luxury Jet Expeditions & Custom Travel
MOST WANTED
Breguet Historical Journey Marie Antoinette was such a devotee of Breguet’s artful timepieces that the confident queen commissioned a watch from her prison cell in Paris’s Palais de la Cité during the French Revolution. Sadly, she didn’t live to collect the order, but the 18th-century style-maker left a lasting impression on the watch house; Breguet has repaid her loyalty by funding the restoration of her personal retreat at Versailles, Le Petit Trianon. For a Robb Report reader with a similar passion for Breguet’s remarkable timepieces and history, the house is ofering a four-day immersive trip to Paris to relive its storied history. The journey starts with a rare
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A Personal Biography “Sure, you could pay someone $5,000 to write your memoir, but it’s not going to be any good,” says author Lawrence Grobel. “You get what you pay for.” Grobel knows what he’s talking about. He’s written the book on biographies—literally. It’s called Icons, and it goes behind the scenes in the making of dozens of high-profile biographies he’s produced over the last three decades. Meryl Streep and Al Pacino have bared their souls to him. He spent more than 15 months working with John Huston on a memoir. He interviewed Barbra Streisand for more than 50 hours for just one Playboy article. “It’s about
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shaping a story—making it interesting and alive and readable. And not dull.” For the person who has everything, this gift—a complete memoir or biography—is perhaps the only thing left to give. The author will spend, in his words, “as long as it takes” to write the book on the gift recipient, whether it’s a family history, a personal chronicle, or a compilation of conversations. The subject will own all the rights to the completed manuscript, and all research will remain confidential. After interviewing the world’s most fascinating people, though, Grobel tends to be selective. His one requirement? You’d better be interesting. “You could be anyone—Elon Musk, a serial killer,” he says, “but you have to be someone who excites me.” $1.2 million, plus expenses. Lawrence Grobel, contact@lawrence grobel.com —J.C.
BOOKS: JOSHUA SCOT T
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tour of Marie Antoinette’s Le Petit Trianon and Versailles, including rooms and buildings not open to the public, and a visit to the Breguet museum at Place Vendôme where visitors can see the original handwritten order for Napoleon’s first watch purchase before he became emperor of France. The tour also features a look at the Breguet family’s influence outside of the watch world— they are heralded for bringing electricity, aviation, and the telephone to France—with evidence on display at Paris’s Musée des Arts et Metiers. The lucky guests will then jet of to the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland to see Breguet’s watchmaking expertise up close. The trip includes stays at five-star hotels in both Paris and Geneva, a first-class flight between the two cities, dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants, and credit of up to $25,000 toward a Breguet timepiece. $250,000. Breguet, 201.271.4644 —P.R.
13 Tour of Hidden Roman Treasures
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Once you have visited Rome’s famous ruins, you might be thinking, what is left to discover? Well, this gift delivers unrivaled access to newly exposed archeological finds, private art collections, secret palaces, and more. The ravishingly restored St. Regis Rome hotel has curated an unforgettable three-day trip to the Eternal City with a particular focus on the expansive Baths of Diocletian, which surrounds the historic hotel. With IF Unique Art Experiences as your guide, the visit begins with a 3-D virtual-reality tour (available exclusively for hotel guests) where visitors will be transported to the year
298 AD, when the emperor Diocletian started to build a magnificent “palace for the people” with hot-water pools and tubs as well as gymnasiums, libraries, and lavish gardens. Over three days, guests will visit aristocratic homes and palaces to see private collections of ancient Roman art and artifacts, and descend the immense underground of Nero’s golden palace for a close look at its amazing decorations— all with art historians and archeologists on hand to enlighten the trip. No need to worry about crowds or loud tourists; you and a guest will be the only visitors on these private tours.
Learn the ancient secrets of mosaic artists and marble sculptors at visits to three ancient ateliers still in activity, and engage in an exclusive sensory experience with ancient Roman perfumes, narrated by the director of the only archive of historical perfumes in the world. Enjoy special access to the giant bathhouse of Caracalla, including areas usually not open to the public, and a private visit to the Baths of Diocletian. At the end of the day, guests will unwind in the newly renovated Royal Suite—their own private palace while in Rome. About $100,000. St. Regis Rome, Meg Connolly, srhr@mcc-pr.com —Jill Newman
ALEX ANTON/SHUT TERSTOCK
MOST WANTED
MOST WANTED
For the
High-Flying Traveler His air miles are in the millions and his Instagram is one long scroll of adventure. If you can pin him down long enough, here’s what to buy him.
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Dinner on China’s Great Wall China’s Great Wall is a must-see for tourists and business travelers alike, but few (if anyone) can say they have hosted a lavish dinner on the historic site—that is, until now. The Peninsula Beijing is ofering one Robb Report reader the opportunity to go down in history as truly the host with the most by throwing the ultimate wine-and-dine bash on the Great Wall of China. The hotel will cater the party with a cocktail hour and multicourse feast on a secluded section of the wall, and guests will be chaufeured to dinner via the Peninsula’s custom fleet of BMWs. The only dilemma will be the guest list: just eight seats are available. Make it eight who will appreciate dining atop a structure that dates back two millennia and stretches for 5,500 miles. Starting at $35,000. Peninsula Beijing, Jacky Huo, jackyhuo@peninsula.com —J.C.
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Ski with Bode Miller Celebrated Olympic medalist Bode Miller retired from competitive skiing last year, but the alpine ace still has some fight left in him. This winter, he will share his passion and prowess with four lucky amateurs on the slopes of Jackson Hole. For Robb Report, Miller has teamed up with Caldera House—the exclusive mountain retreat that billionaire and former ski racer Wes Edens opened earlier this year—to ofer one reader, along with three friends, the ski trip to end all ski trips. Three days on the slopes with the man himself will include coaching, insight, and a bit of friendly competition if you’re up for it. Miller will take care of his guests of the mountain, too, outfitting them in gear from the Italian performance-wear brand Aztech Mountain and sharing more pro tips (and maybe even a few tales from his days as ski racing’s bad boy) over après-ski cocktails and dinner. The fournight visit comes with other extras—deep-tissue recovery massages and wildlife tours of Grand Teton National Park among them—but let’s be real: This gift is all about carving the white stuf with a true living legend. If you’re lucky, he might even let you hold his gold medal. $250,000. Caldera House, Nina Libby, ninalibby@caldera house.com —J.C.
BODE MILLER: DOUG PENSINGER /GET T Y IMAGES; LEMUR: ROBIN HOSKYNS
MOST WANTED
17 Philanthropic Safari
16 Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano Luggage The new travel status symbol? Award-winning Italian industrial designer Marc Sadler’s Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano 76 cm Spinner carry-on marries sleek design with thoughtful and durable materials. The rolling case from the brand’s Bank Collection is made from recycled aluminum, comes with TSA-approved combination locks, and is equipped with extra-smooth Japanese-made wheels. $2,140. mrporter.com —P.R.
Sure, your globe-trotting friends or relatives have gone on safari before, but we’re betting that they’ve never been on one quite like this. Organized by the experts at Natural World Safaris, the Journey to Nature’s Edge goes far beyond the Big Five—but don’t worry, your recipient will definitely catch sight of their fair share of lions and elephants—by whisking a group of two or more guests on a 111-day (dates and stops can be adjusted to the traveler’s schedule) do-good trek around the world in search of the most endangered animals on Earth. As they work their way across Africa—stopping on the Laikipia Plateau in Kenya to search for the northern white rhino, in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to look for mountain gorillas lounging in bamboo, and down south to spot playful lemurs in Madagascar, to name a few— guests will get an up-close look at the conservation eforts underway in each destination. They’ll spend days working alongside researchers, getting a chance to see firsthand the 18 species the trip hopes to track, and peek into what it takes to save them from extinction. When it comes time to jet of to the next destination, a portion of the trip’s cost (up to 10 percent) will be donated to each participating conservation project. In total, the journey will visit 12 countries across five continents. The travelers will go as far south as Antarctica to watch the penguins waddle and as far north as Churchill in Arctic Canada to catch a glimpse of the polar bears— and in between they will tail tigers in India, orangutans in Borneo, and jaguars in Brazil. And while it’s not guaranteed that each species on the list will be spotted, what is sure is that your recipient will walk away with a newfound appreciation for the natural beauty of our planet. $1 million for two guests. Natural World Safaris, sales@naturalworldsafaris —Phoebe Neuman
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MOST WANTED
For the
Gastronome
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Age Your Own Rib Roast Wine aficionados are well acquainted with the efects of age. Buy a few bottles of a
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favorite vintage, lay them down, and drink them at diferent intervals to appreciate the influence of time on wine. It’s more diicult for steak lovers. That’s why one of the world’s great masters of meat, Adam Perry Lang, has created the exclusive Beef Club at APL Restaurant. Beneath his ode to the turn-of-the-century steak house, Lang has built a 1,000-square-foot aging room.
That allows him to ofer to a select few a place to age a whole rib roast—up to 12 individual portions—that they can then enjoy over multiple visits. “It’s really for the connoisseur,” he says. “You get to experience what happens to your beef as it ages and get to see its evolution. It’s a way for someone’s taste buds to become expert in terms of what they like because the beef is a constant.”
Over time, evaporation and oxidation will concentrate the flavor of the beef and allow it to develop notes of mushrooms, trules, and an intense umami. Lang has found that 100 to 120 days of aging is his sweet spot. Beef Club members will finally get to find theirs. $1,800. Beef Club at APL Restaurant, apl-restaurant -hollywood.myshopify.com —Jeremy Repanich
JOSH TELLES
Tracking trules in southern Italy, oysters in western France, añejos in Mexico’s highlands—if you know someone willing to trek far and wide to experience unique gustatory pleasures, we have the gifts for them.
@deepixstudio
MOST WANTED
19 The six barrels inside the dining room of Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria in New York’s NoHo aren’t just rustic decoration: They also act as the finishing station for the restaurant’s own exclusive aged vinegar. The raw materials for this rare balsamic are sourced from the family-run Sante Bertoni vineyard just outside Modena. The liquid ages for 10 years on-site before it’s shipped to the restaurant, where it waits for an additional decade, slowly being transferred between barrels (some acacia, some chestnut) to finesse its flavor. Once a year, just before Christmas, a tiny draught is decanted into 10 3.4-ounce bottles. Serve the syrupy, flavor-packed delicacy with roasted meats or drizzled sparingly over vanilla ice cream. $95. Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, ilbucovineria.com —M.E.
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20
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Barrel of Patrón Tequila
Rare Le Secret Champagne
If tequila is their spirit of choice, this gift will keep them stocked for years to come. Patrón Tequila invites a Robb Report reader and a guest to the private Hacienda Patrón in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where they will experience tequila distilling and tastings before they select their own barrel of Patrón Añejo, bottled and labeled exclusively for them. A barrel yields approximately 30 cases of 12, or a total of 360 bottles—enough to share among friends and family and at numerous parties. With the guidance of the brand’s expert distillers, they will taste the tequila range directly from the aging barrels and select their favorite. Guests may also roll up their sleeves and participate in the tequilamaking process, depending on the timing of the viisit— n agave, potentially planting an observing the harvestiing, or 00. Patrón roasting a piña. $25,00 Tequila, concierge@patron spirits.com —J.O.
Régis Camus, the chef de cave for Rare, one of Champagne’s premium cuvées, is something of a sneak. Back in 1997, he squirreled away some of that year’s sparkling wine, expecting it to prove extraordinary over time. Last year he deemed it finally ready for its debut as Rare Le Secret. The 20-yearold wine has no sugar added, a rarity among Champagnes. For another layer of exclusivity, Camus partnered with Mellerio, France’s oldest jewelry house, to create a jeweled edition of just 10 magnums. White and yellow gold wrap the bottle, with a diamond, sapphire, emerald, or ruby centerpiece surrounded by gold and platinum ribbons with four carats of diamonds. After enjoying the Champagne, the buyer can take the jewels to Mellerio’s studio on Rue de la Paix to have a custom piece of jewelry designed. $100,000. Rare Champagne, jonathan .boulangeat@rare-champagne .com —J.O.
IL BUCO: GIADA PAOLONI; PATRÓN: VINCENT L LONG
Il Buco Alimentari Aged Vinegar
MOST WANTED
22 Catch and Cook with Joshua Skenes These days, you’re likely to find chef Joshua Skenes at his new restaurant, Angler, cooking immaculate seafood dishes. Or perhaps he’s at Saison, the Michelin three-star showcase to his naturalist style of cooking that rocketed him to culinary stardom. If you see him at either of his San Francisco spots, know
that he’d prefer to be somewhere else. Not that he doesn’t enjoy his work—it’s just that the cooking he loves best isn’t done in a city. “There is no better thing in the world than being out on a river, catching a fish, and then smelling it all while it grills over the campfire,” he says. “It’s restorative.” His ainity for nature greatly influences the way he approaches his craft. “From the time that a product is harvested—whether it’s a leaf or an elk—there’s a moment in time when everything tastes its best,” he says. “It’s vibrant and it’s full of flavor, aroma, and fragrance.” Venturing outdoors gets him closer to that peak of flavor. He wants to take
some discerning diners to that moment with him. Skenes is ofering one Robb Report reader and up to three companions the dining experience of a lifetime. He will select the ideal river in Northern California to build a fishing trip, where the group will embark on a day of fishing and foraging. Skenes will then take what has been caught and gathered and give a master class in outdoor cooking, preparing a meal with the freshest ingredients. It’s the chance to experience the care and technique he delivers every day in his San Francisco kitchens, but in the setting that most inspires him. Starting at $5,000 per person. Joshua Skenes, skenesranch.com —J.R.
23 On a small plot of land in Corleone, Italy, nine olive trees have stood for centuries. Some are so old that they may have sprouted before the Roman Empire fell 1,500 years ago. For decades, these precious trees were owned and tended by Steve Luczo’s grandmother Rose, until she left Italy for the States. The trees were not forgotten; a few years ago, Steve repurchased the land from the Sicilian government, and he has hired farmers to tend those trees and the surrounding groves. From his bounty, he established Bona Furtuna. This year, in his grandmother’s honor, he has gathered the olives from those nine trees on her original plot and created a limited edition of 400 16.9-ounce bottles of Riserva di Nonna Rosa, the company’s finest oil. $150. Bona Furtuna, bonafurtuna.com —J.R.
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FISH: BONJWING LEE
Bona Furtuna Olive Oil
MOST WANTED
For the
Curator
They’re an active player on the art circuit—scouring galleries and auction catalogs, mingling at art fairs and parties— always after that one unique piece.
Personal Portrait by Francesco Clemente If your loved one’s vast art assemblage covers their home, oice, and yacht, with some even tucked away in storage, what’s next for the heavy-hitter collector? A personal portrait by none other than Francesco
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a Clemente portrait, and you can too.
Clemente, known for his soulful, big-eyed self-portraits and richly colored depictions of artist friends such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The artist, who has long captivated the art world with his inimitable blend of elegance, spiritualism, and cool, created his first intimate portrait of his wife, Alba, for a solo exhibition at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. “In a day I painted a large portrait of her in a vintage Balenciaga dress and South Indian tribal jewels,” he recalls. “She doesn’t love to sit for me, and to make it easier for her, I asked her to lie down. The legs
did not fit and the shoes were important, so I asked her to lift her legs sideways up in the air. Later, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis saw the portrait and asked me to paint portraits of her and her sister in the same format and pose as Alba’s. This is how it started.” Unlike many painters of his status, Clemente occasionally accepts portrait commissions (though very limited) and gets a creative charge from them. “Painting is, in my case, also a contemplative practice,” he says. “To meet a stranger in a ritualized setting can be illuminating for both the painter and the subject.”
The expressive portraits are executed in one sitting to capture what Clemente calls a “single emotional register.” His definition of success: “Once I painted a portrait of Ron Arad. His brother saw it and said, ‘It is you without the mask!’ ” Clemente reserves such revelations for the canvas; what is said in the studio between artist and subject is private. “I am a bit of a Catholic priest when it comes to these portraits,” he says. “If I take your confession, I am bound to discretion.” Starting at $180,000 for a 46-by-92-inch work. Mary Boone Gallery, info@maryboonegallery .com —Julie Belcove
JASON SCHMIDT/ TRUNK ARCHIVE
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Christy Turlington has
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For the
Fitness Fanatic
Training for an Ironman, or just determined to push their PB on the bench? Whatever their fitness goals, we have the gifts to get them there in style.
MOST WANTED
25 Canyon Ranch Takeover Surprising your spouse with a gym membership is one of the best ways to start divorce proceedings. But this gift from Canyon Ranch—a three-day buyout of the entire Tucson resort for you and up to 249 of your closest friends—is impossible to get mad about. The famed wellness retreat isn’t just a place to drop a few pounds: It’s a way to get totally rewired for the New Year, with stress-relief and sleep programs, nutritional education, and spa treatments in addition to the usual fitness classes and sports. You’ll have the run of the house, with a team of doctors, trainers, and therapists at the ready to manage your health needs. And you’ll call the shots at the restaurant, too, regulating how decadent (or not) the cuisine is and how heavy (or not) the pours of wine. Odds are you’ll end up calmer and leaner by the end of it—not that your spouse thought you needed to or anything. Starting at $750,000. Canyon Ranch, canyonranch.com —J.C.
26 Marble Dumbbells Your abs may never be rock hard, but at least your weights can be. French designer Mathieu Lehanneur’s limited-edition Take It Heavy marble dumbbells are so good-looking that if your enthusiasm for working out should ever wane, you might be tempted to display them as works of art. $2,500. Mathieu Lehanneur, mathieulehanneur.fr —J.C.
27 Peloton Tread Time to unclip those cleats and lace up your trainers; your favorite piece of gym equipment has a mate. Peloton—maker of the high-tech stationary cycle with a cult-like following—has debuted a new way to sweat out your holiday sins with the Peloton Tread. Like its two-wheeled predecessor, the sleek treadmill comes with a touchscreen for live-streaming classes. Unlike the original, the new machine has a variety of fitness functions, including settings for circuit workouts that combine strength training with sprints and hills. Starting at $3,995. Peloton, onepeloton.com —J.C.
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For the
Sartorialist When of-the-rack won’t cut it, we have insider access to the clothing and accessories that will give him that unique edge.
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Verdura Cuff Links
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29 Magnanni Bags If his work bag is looking a little tired, give him a wardrobe upgrade with one of these Magnanni hand-painted leather bags. At first glance they look too precious to toss around, but in fact they’re handmade in top-grade durable calfskin that over time will acquire a lustrous patina. Magnanni, based in the sleepy Spanish village of La Mancha, is a fourthgeneration leather producer known for its artisan-made shoes and accessories. Backpack, $995; briefcase, $1,100. Bergdorf Goodman, bergdorf goodman.com —J.N.
CUFF LINKS, BAGS: JOSHUA SCOT T
It can be hard for men to infuse a sense of personality or whimsy into their wardrobe without drawing too much attention, but cuf links are a quick fix. This Verdura Night & Day pair—a mismatched globe and starry sky in enamel, gold, and diamonds—is not only stylish and fun but also has a great backstory: Fulco di Verdura created the originals for his friend, composer Cole Porter. The jewelry house has reissued a limited series of the design. $8,500. Verdura, verdura.com —J.N.
MOST WANTED
30 Bespoke Wardrobe by Tokyo’s Top Artisans Every well-heeled man has his share of bespoke suits and shoes, but only a few can have their suits and accessories handmade by Japan’s finest craftspeople. That’s because these hard-to-find masters produce such a limited number of handmade pieces. We enlisted Mark Cho (shown), the genius behind the Armoury menswear stores in New York and Hong Kong, to take one lucky gentleman to meet his top Japanese sources, guide the recipient in commissioning his own wardrobe, and help him skip the waiting list. Cho will spend three days with the recipient in Tokyo, escorting him to his favorite artisans. First stop: Tailor Caid, founded by Yuhei Yamamoto, for a bespoke suit. Says Cho, “He is my pick among Japanese tailors because he goes the extra mile to make garments unique to the customer.” Next, a visit to Yohei Fukuda for bespoke shoes. “His style crosses traditional English style with a keen sense of proportion and Japanese attention to detail,” says Cho, noting that Fukuda produces only about 60 pairs of shoes annually. Finally, a visit to Ortus, the atelier of Naoyuki Komatsu, who stitches his bags entirely by hand, eschewing any machines or automation of any kind—and thus makes only about 50 pieces a year. Beyond the clothes, the recipient will spend time with masters and learn about their unique crafts and aesthetics. “Bespoke is not just about having beautiful things made for you; it’s also about developing a relationship with a craftsman,” says Cho. “It is simply a pleasure to form human connections with artisans, develop ideas, and see them create beautiful things by hand.” After commissioning the pieces, the recipient will tour the craftspeople’s ateliers and join them for a meal, where they can get to know each other and forge those relationships. Starting at $40,000. The Armoury, 646.613.7613 —J.N.
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e Never one to follow the crowd, she’s a tasteful curatoor off exquisite items— so she’ll love any of these.
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Custom Jessica McCorm mack Jewelry Box Once she has the jeweels that will be heirlooms for generations to come, it onlyy makes sense to customize a jewelry j box that befits that beequest. Jewelry designer Jesssica McCormack is the wo oman for the job. Her perso onalized boxes—like the Loverr’s Box shown here—begin ass vintage Regency-era chests, which w she refits with custom lin ning and signature gold or brasss fittings. London’s Hand & Locck, holder of a Royal Warrant, em mbroiders personal sayings, sym mbols, and any other intimaccies you and the recipientt share. Starting at $40,000. M Moda Operandi, modaoperandi.ccom —J.N.
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man o Mimi So Guided Tour of Tucson Gem Show If she already has an impressive collection of baubles, think outside the jewelry box for a truly precious gift: insider access to the elusive world of gemstones. Jewelry designer Mimi So will serve as a guide for one lucky enthusiast at the world’s largest gemstone show, a wildly anticipated event that takes place every February in Tucson, Ariz., where miners, dealers, and stonecutters convene to sell their newest caches to the trade. The show draws Australian opal miners from the remote Outback, Colombian emerald dealers, and traders in everything from rare rubies and spinels to geodes and dinosaur fossils. It’s a gem lover’s fantasy. With So as an experienced guide to navigate hundreds of stone dealers, the recipient will preview the latest sparkling discoveries before they even reach designers and stores, having the chance to select the stone (or stones) of her dreams directly from the source. Then So will work with her to create a custom piece using the newly acquired gems. Starting at $25,000, plus the cost of the stone(s) and materials for the custom design. Mimi So, 212.300.8600 —J.N.
Coffee pleasure –
freshly ground, not capsuled.
Roger Federer Greatest tennis champion of all time
The stylish S8 from JURA captivates even the most discerning coffee connoisseurs, including Roger Federer. It combines the best of the compact class with premium features, such as Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.®) for optimal extraction time. Fine foam technology guarantees professional barista quality, whether it’s for ristretto, latte macchiato or flat white. This model offers an unparalleled range of 15 specialties, including, for the first time, caffè latte. The 4.3" color touchscreen display makes for intuitive operation. JURA – If you love coffee. JURA offers a full range of Swiss designed and Swiss engineered automatic coffee machines from $799 to $5,499.
jura.com
MOST WANTED
34 Jacob & Co. Pink and Blue Diamond Earrings If she already has the gorgeous, big white-diamond rock, what’s next? Colored diamonds are the rarest kind, particularly blue and pink, and Jacob & Co. has combined two such exceptional stones in a once-in-a-lifetime pair of serious earrings. The pear-shaped 6.2-carat light-blue 6.2 carat fancy light blue diamond is framed in pink stones; its mate is an 8.03-carat fancyy light-pink stone framed in tinyy white diamonds. Both are set in platinum with pear-shaped white-diaamond tops (2.8 carats each). $6 million. Jacob & Co., jacobandco.com m —J.N.
Chanel Alligatorand-Diamond Handbag A handbag can be as powerfu ul an ublic accessory as a sports car, a pu statement of how a person wants the world to view them. If you are searching for the perfect gift for he a self-assured woman with th handbag collection to express her every humor, look no further than Chanel’s new shiny, polished red alligator model, with its whitegold chain strap and signaturre h 18-karat-gold lock paved with 348 brilliant-cut diamonds. About $350,000. Chanel, 212.355.5050 —J.N.
Tom Ford T Rose-GoldPlated Sunglasses Give the gift of unrivaled sleek style in the form of Tom Ford’s rose-gold-plated West sunglasses. Handmade in Italy and bearing the discreet metal “T” signature, these shades embody Ford’s opulent aesthetic. $2,450. Tom Ford, tomford.com —J.N.
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The targeted impressions a personal fragrance is chosen to convey—calm, seduction,, self-assurance—can be achieved in the home in exactlyy the same way. We enlisted the masterr of njes, home fragrance, Paolo Vran hat to create a bespoke scent th will exude the spirit its recipiwith ent wishes. She will meet w the Florence-based pharmaaceutical chemist to discuss her the ingredients to achieve h desired orange blosd d ambience: b b som and lavender for a calming or cozy mood, say, or ginger and cinnamon to energize. The formula will be packaged in difusers with customized labels and will be available to reproduce whenever the occasion calls for a refresh. Starting at $8,000. Dr. Vranjes, Jessica Giovannini, jessica.giovannini@drvranjes.it —J.N.
CHANEL: JOSHUA SCOT T
Custom s Dr. Vranjes Home Fragrance
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Meet the band of upstart innovators challenging the old world of distilled spirits one small batch at a time. By JACKIE CARADONIO and JEREMY REPANICH Photograph by THE VOORHES
Rule
The Culinary Transplants:
EMPIRICAL SPIRITS
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hen Lars Williams saw the line of ants crossing his path, he couldn’t help himself. In front of his boss, René Redzepi, he dropped down on all fours and started eating them. For a Noma employee—especially Williams, the former head of research and development—this wasn’t so strange. The restaurant’s ethos was one of seeking out flavor anywhere, even if it meant crawling around eating bugs. The best ingredients make the best dishes, so you do whatever you need to do to find them. But after seven years of eating anything that caught his eye in the name of research, Williams was ready for the next phase of flavor. In 2016
he left Noma for a new challenge: distilled spirits. A newbie peering in from the outside, however, he discovered practices that shocked him. “The alcohol industry as a whole seemed a little bit stagnant,” he says. “You go to a new distillery, and a young guy there starts showing of his copper still that’s a replica of one made 600 years ago, and my immediate thought is, ‘Well, surely in 600 years there’s been room for improvement somewhere.’ ” Of course, he couldn’t expect his fellow spirits makers to throw ants in their stills, but they didn’t seem interested in sourcing even the most basic ingredients. “The industry is so weird; there are so few people doing it from scratch,” he says. “All these top-shelf spirits you think of—the vast majority of them are getting factory-made alcohol. It would be like if you went to a three-Michelin-star restaurant and you discovered that they’re getting all their stuf from Blue Apron, and they were just like, ‘I’m assembling the meal.’ That’s probably not even a severe enough condemnation.” h
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Rule Breakers
At Empirical Spirits, Lars Williams is challenging conventions—as he did at Noma.
Williams and his partner, Mark Emil h Hermansen (who ran Redzepi’s annual MAD Symposium), decided they could make the staid processes of the industry better. And so Empirical Spirits was born, with the intention of bringing a new appreciation of flavor to hard alcohol. The improvement began with the obvious: Source ingredients and botanicals, as at Noma. “You’d never tell a chef, ‘Let’s get some crap produce’—that the vegetables don’t really matter,” Williams says. He and Hermansen purchase high-quality barley from a trusted purveyor and then inoculate it with mold spores to create koji, which adds further complexity to the flavor. They mix the koji with more heirloom malted barley, warm it to below boiling,
cool it, and then start alcoholic fermentation. “Most distillers use what’s called a turbo-yeast, which is really efective and fast, converting a lot of the sugar into alcohol in 24 to 36 hours,” Williams says. Empirical opts instead for saison yeast. This lets them slow the process down, like a baker proofing bread dough longer to develop more flavor. But here’s where the process feels most like Noma. With many of its bottlings, Empirical wants to capture a time and place. Williams achieves that through foraging for native ingredients. “I had the idea of sending a bottle to my sister that she could open and experience what it’s like to walk around the Copenhagen wilderness,” he says. So for one bottling he foraged for botanicals like Douglas fir and then macerated them into the liquid to be distilled.
When it comes to distilling, Empirical really diverges from tradition. At this step of making a spirit, other distillers heat the liquid to coax the alcohol to evaporate. It rises and then condenses in another chamber back into something that’s much higher proof than the original liquid. Williams didn’t want to apply that much heat though, because that could cook out the flavors of the forest they’d so carefully foraged for. “Think of the diference between marmalade and a fresh orange,” Williams says. “The heat turns that orange’s flavor into something very diferent.” So he uses ultrasonic waves, which cause alcohols to break apart into a mist without heating, and then uses a vacuum to extract the fog, preserving more of the flavor he wants. The results so far are mixed. For the Fallen Pony Blend, they successfully run a quince kombucha through their distilling process to create a distinct, sweet-smelling spirit that’s full-bodied, smooth, and delicious. But the Charlene McGee Blend, which features smoked juniper, smells and tastes a little too much like a campfire, possessing the smoky qualities of a scotch but not the complexity that makes for enjoyable sipping. Even right out of the gate, Empirical is creating spirits that are smooth and unique, showing new possibilities and revolutionizing the process. Soon enough, aficionados—and imitators—are sure to follow. empiricalspirits.co
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BOT TLES: JOSHUA SCOT T; LARS WILLIAMS: ANDREAS OMVIK
“All these top-shelf spirits you think of— the vast majority of them are getting factory-made alcohol.”
Rule Breakers
ST. GEORGE SPIRITS
A
nuclear scientist and an English teacher walk into a distillery. The story of Northern California’s St. George Spirits might sound like the beginnings of a bad bar joke, but Lance Winters—the label’s master distiller (and the aforementioned scientist)— says that varied background is what makes his company’s small-batch spirits so innovative. “It’s important to have diferent points of view; otherwise the whole thing turns into a giant circle where everyone is making what everyone else made,” Winters says. The California native is prone to mischievous comments about his industry for the very reason that he remains among a small collective of spirits makers who are truly thinking diferently. While he and his partner, Dave Smith (the English teacher), were experimenting with various roast levels of grains and adding beech, alderwood, and other base notes to their whiskeys, big spirits labels were focusing on aging their liquid in diferent kinds of barrels.
St. George Spirits’ master distiller, Lance Winters, has made 20 types of spirits.
To do that, of course, entails more than just a new picture frame. It requires what amounts to backward thinking in the bottom-line-obsessed spirits world. “We’re not making a package and a label and then figuring out what to put in it,” Winters says. “We start with a raw material or a flavor or an aroma that we love, and then we ask ourselves, ‘Is this a whiskey? A liqueur? A vodka? How does it all fit in there?’” St. George might even sufer from
“It’s important to have diferent points of view; otherwise the whole thing turns into a giant circle where everyone is making what everyone else made.”
“That’s not changing the conversation at all,” says Winters. “That’s like saying this painting has changed because there’s a diferent frame around it.” To hear Winters tell it, big spirits has for far too long operated on eiciency rather than innovation. But the distiller— who this year was the only spirits producer among a long list of winemakers to be nominated for a James Beard Award— operates only on the latter condition. And his innovation of choice? Flavor. But don’t confuse the well-crafted spirits he’s creating with the bottom-shelf flavored liquids that have dominated the industry for years. “Those are terrible—they don’t taste like a lemon or a lime or a mandarin orange. They taste like a chemical approximation of a fruit,” he says. “We’re making something that smells and tastes just like what it was made from.”
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an overabundance of imagination: It produces 20 diferent types of spirits, which range from the obscure (absinthe) to the really obscure (a California shochu). But each comes with a flavor profile that captures everything that Absolut Pears and Smirnof Raspberry don’t. Rather than tasting like ethanol masked with a hint of something almost familiar, these spirits are so drinkable they demand to be sipped slowly (and never with a mixer). Though Winters’s Absinthe Verte at first appears as a classic anise-flavored spirit on the nose, the taste is a bouquet of heady floral notes and refreshing citrus—so much so that it verges on gin. The same trickery can be found in St. George’s California Shochu, which masquerades as a simple shochu in scent but explodes on the tongue with earthy notes and a sweet vanilla finish.
And then there’s the Terroir Gin. Winters tends to get nostalgic when talking about it, reminiscing about a hike through the Bay Area woods that inspired him to create a spirit that would carry the scents of the hills and the dusty trails. He started by distilling bay laurel, Douglas fir, California coastal sage, and wild fennel, and then added juniper, coriander, cinnamon, orris and Angelica root, and lastly citrus for brightness. On paper, that’s quite a recipe for a gin, yet Winters says the result is what innovation is all about. “It’s the act of blurring lines—it’s making a spirit the way a perfumer would make a perfume. When I pick up a glass of it, I think, ‘This smells like the woods.’” And the crazy thing is it really does. stgeorgespirits.com
The Disruptor:
MATCHBOOK DISTILLING COMPANY
“W
hen I first entered into the spirits space and I saw how confined it was, it really bothered me,” says Leslie Merinof Kwasnieski. “Liquor is the second-largest revenue generator in the U.S. after the IRS— there’s a lot of profit to be made of this industry that is controlled by only a handful of companies. And that does not encourage innovation.” Merinof Kwasnieski—who founded New York’s boutique Matchbook Distilling Company in 2016—is a radical figure in the world of spirits, where regulations on what makes a gin a gin or a whiskey a whiskey are so strict that they’re virtually impenetrable. But her defiance of a system that has ruled since Prohibition is even more extraordinary when you consider the fact that she herself was born of big booze. Before founding her boutique distillery, which opened its doors on Long Island earlier this year, she worked in marketing and in development for Sailor Jerry and Noble Experiment, respectively. (And did we mention she hails from the Merinof family— the one that runs billion-dollar wholesaler Charmer Sunbelt Group?) But the third-generation spirits maven is no rebel without a cause. After years
BOT TLES: JOSHUA SCOT T
The Flavor Nerds:
Rule Breakers
Matchbook Distilling Company’s apothecary-style bottles drive home founder Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski’s botanical obsession.
of working on the inside, she was looking for a way outside the box. And that required more than just making a fancy spirit with a few unusual ingredients (though she’s done plenty of that, too). It required legislation. In August, a new law that allowed New York state distilleries to create bespoke spirits for private, non-licensed individuals was passed—and Merinof Kwasnieski was the driving force behind it. Such legislation might seem inconsequential— after all, breweries and wineries have been making custom batches for paying customers for ages—but, says the distiller, the spirits industry has had a rare stranglehold on U.S. lawmaking for decades. Laws like these allow small distillers to take a
tiny bite out of a big bottom line. And as Merinof Kwasnieski puts it, “Even one percent of a multibillion-dollar industry is a hell of a lot of money.” Matchbook is the first distillery to take advantage of the new law. As of September, it has been creating distilled specialty spirits under its own label as well as tearing into a long waiting list of chefs, restaurateurs, and passionate booze bufs who have come to Merinof Kwasnieski’s “botanical wall” to create custom spirits under their own name. It is there that the distiller and her team translate ideas and basic flavors into innovative liquids sourced from a broad spectrum of ingredients, including palo santo, gooseberries, wild cherry bark—anything, she says, that has a “pro-
found and distinct flavor.” “What I’m doing is essentially using alcohol as a canvas to show of whatever ingredients we’re using,” Merinof Kwasnieski explains. A chamomile botanical gin, for instance, will start with a dried flower that will be macerated in the still for an hour before the liquid is heated quickly (to keep the flower from stewing), then slowly distilled to allow for more calculated separation. “We smell and taste every 10 minutes until we capture the exact flavor we’re looking for.” Thus far that careful process has yielded some truly distinct liquids: a biodynamic wine distilled with palo santo and bergamot; a watermelon eaude-vie that processed more than 3,000 pounds of melon from a local farm; and a white-peppercorn botanical distillate. Not every result is a winner—a recent spirit using organic apricots, for instance, was so heavy on the fruit that it overwhelmed any nuance it may have had. But for all of these creations, the ultimate goal is to produce a diversity that Merinof Kwasnieski argues has never existed in her industry. “I compare it to art or music,” she says, “If you were just listening to the same music from eight diferent artists your whole life, you wouldn’t know that there was much more out there. Once you heard something new, your senses might get blown out at first.” Take a few more sips, though, and you might just change your tune. matchbookdistillingco.com
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BOT TLES: JOSHUA SCOT T; LESLIE MERINOFF KWASNIESKI: DAVID BENTHAL
“We smell and taste every 10 minutes until we capture the exact flavor we’re looking for.”
P R O M O T I O N
in focus JACOB & CO. jacobandco.com World premiere combination of a Twin Triple Axis Tourbillon and a Minute Repeater, the Jacob & Co. Twin Tourbillon is resolutely ahead its time with a shape case and a distinctive sportive allure. In a world everyday faster, the minute repeater chimes the Decimal and the tourbillon 1st axis of rotation is accelerated to 40 seconds.
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It’s difficult to imagine a journey with greater juxtaposition than one between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, yet the locations ofer similar sensory overload as they tap into our craving for adventure and freedom. Recently, the first Robb Report Dream Machines event was attended by 32 of our RR1 private club members in search of both. With the Aria Resort & Casino as base camp, and where evenings were spent dining with chefs Michael Mina and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, we drove roughly 270 miles to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and back while field-testing eight of the top SUVs on the market. Along the way, they revealed their own dual nature of comfort and all-terrain capability.
On a recent drive through Nevada and Arizona, the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading SUVs showed why they rule on and off the road. By Viju Mathew Photography by Mark Mann
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Lions of the Desert
ENGINE
3.8-liter twinturbocharged V-8 MAX POWER
550 hp TOP SPEED
MASERATI
181 mph
Levante GTS hen Maserati announced its plans for an SUV, the news was met with incredulity. Why would a prestigious Italian marque muddy itself with a glorified grocerywas unleashed in 2016, its pedigree of performance and power was more than apparent. It can be argued that the model is an extension of the Maserati brothers’ original vision when developing their first car to compete in the 1926 Targa Florio endurance race. They wanted a vehicle that could handle steep, gravelly roads and treacherous turns at speed. The Levante does that in spades. Admittedly, the trip from the Las Vegas Strip to the South Gate of the Grand Canyon did not require the skill set of those early drivers, especially since our Levante was the new GranTurismo Sport (GTS) version. The GTS shows the automotive sides of Jekyll and Hyde with the brand’s streamlined body style
PRICE
$119,980 (our example: $136,790)
and rakish air paired with the pulse-pumping growl of a re-engineered 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 (created in partnership with Ferrari) that hunts with 550 horses and 538 ft lbs of torque. The straightaways of I-40 East and historic Route 66 encouraged rifling through all eight gears of the ZF automatic transmission in manual mode via paddle shifters. And when the elongated ribbons of asphalt became twisted and eventually turned to dust, the Integrated Vehicle Control and Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive altered the driving dynamics (particularly engine speed and braking) and adjusted torque distribution, respectively, for better handling and traction. The cabin in our crossover came with full-grain Pieno Fiore leather, an Alcantara headliner, carbonfiber trim, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Despite those details, a few of our drivers felt the overall dress lacked the flair associated with il bel paese and its 104-year-old automaker. Since the GTS would fit in at the Targa Florio and Fashion Week, however, we think it works.
REZVANI
Tank ENGINE
6.4-liter Hemi V-8 MAX POWER
500 hp TOP SPEED
110 mph PRICE
$165,000 (our example: $228,324)
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ome parties have a guest that stands out due to their eye-catching physique, style, and innate sense of swagger. At our gathering, that invitee was from Rezvani. With a sci-fi aesthetic that would be worthy of Darth Vader’s daily driver, the Rezvani Tank—designed by industry veteran Samir Sadikhov—attacks utilityvehicle convention. “Rezvani Motors set out to design and build a vehicle that would be a disruptor in the SUV market with its tough military looks—a concept SUV we made a reality,” says company founder Ferris Rezvani, who counts actor Jamie Foxx and singer Chris Brown as clients. Built from Jeep Wrangler underpinnings, the Tank touts on-demand four-wheel drive, a thermal night-vision system, and a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine
S
with 500 horses and 413 ft lbs of torque. That’s enough to fire the 4,500-lb four-door Rezvani Tank from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and top out at 110 mph. But based on our predominantly paved road trip, it would be unfair to compare the Rezvani to any of the others that comprised the convoy since it was rolling on 37-by-12.5-inch of-road tires. These were superfluous for the city streets and highway and made the ride rather rough and sluggish—much like running a marathon while wearing a weight vest. Up the rutted and rocky dirt road of Grand Canyon National Park’s Shoshone Point trailhead, however, the Tank was a track star. We drove the civilian example, but Rezvani ofers one with ballistic body armor, bulletproof glass, defensive measures (including a smoke screen, tacks, and electrified door handles), and the option of a 707 hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. The Dark Lord of the Sith would be psyched.
REZVANI OFFERS A VERSION WITH BALLISTIC BODY ARMOR, BULLETPROOF GLASS, AND DEFENSIVE MEASURES.
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Lions of the Desert
WHAT’S NOTABLE IS HOW QUICKLY THE SPEEDOMETER SPRINGS TO TRIPLE DIGITS (TRUST US).
MERCEDES-AMG
ENGINE
AMG four-liter biturbo V-8 MAX POWER
577 hp TOP SPEED
137 mph (149 mph with Driver’s Package) PRICE
Yet to be determined
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G63
ack in the 1970s, when the Shah of Iran made a request, few refused. Case in point: He petitioned Mercedes-Benz to come up with a military transport—and it did. But unlike other missives from the monarch, the result proved as made for the masses in 1979. From the German marque’s original Geländewagen, subsequent G-Class iterations have gone on to become de rigueur for well-heeled road warriors. We enlisted the 2019 Mercedes-AMG G63 for our scenic ride through Nevada and Arizona. It may look like a bread box, and appear just as aerodynamic, but that signature exterior of steel and aluminum cages a ferocious four-liter biturbo V-8—hand-built by the engineers at AMG—with 577 hp and 627 ft lbs of torque. Despite being a more compact engine (the turbochargers have been placed inside the cylinder configuration for faster feedback and reduced
emissions), it gives the G63 the ability to jump from zero to 60 mph in an estimated 4.4 seconds and land at a top speed of 149 mph with our example’s Driver’s Package (137 mph without). What’s notable is how quickly the speedometer springs to triple digits (trust us) thanks to the AMG Speedshift TCT 9G nine-speed transmission, which includes double-clutching and multiple-downshifting functionality dependent on the drive mode selected. On that front, the vehicle ofers five on-road options (Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, and Slippery) and three for overland exploration (Sand, Trail, and Rock). The driver and passengers benefit from an enlarged and elevated perspective due to an increase in the re-envisioned cabin’s length, width, and height. The added dimensions contribute to a more commanding view of the road and surroundings. One element that could be considered questionable is the Studio 54–style piping display around the perimeter that, when activated, changes color more often than a mood ring. The Shah would have shot that idea down.
BENTLEY
Bentayga V8 ENGINE
Four-liter, twinturbocharged V-8 MAX POWER
542 hp TOP SPEED
180 mph PRICE
$165,000 (our example: $250,060)
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ritish operatives John Steed and Emma Peel, characters from the cult-classic ’60s television show The Avengers, tackled the toughest assignments with pluck and panache, maintaining an air of refinement no matter how rough it got. Had the Bentley Bentayga V8 existed back then, it would have been their vehicle for adventure. Sibling to the marque’s 12-cylinder SUV, the new variant sacrifices very little in the way of sophisticated aesthetic—save for substituting the original model’s dash-encased Breitling timepiece for an in-house option—and an equally minimal amount when it comes to power and performance. Sure, the four-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine means a reduction of 58 hp and 96 fewer ft lbs of torque compared to the W-12 configuration, but the power
B
train propels the Bentayga V8 from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 180 mph. Put in perspective, that’s only 0.4 seconds and 7 mph slower than the brawnier Bentayga, and at a price that starts at approximately $64,000 less than the latter’s. The Bentley was a favorite conveyance of the collective on our desert jaunt, and it handled all terrain with ease, thanks to electric active-roll technology that provides optimal response to lateral instability and delivers the most tire contact possible on uneven surfaces. And when our destination was reached, the cabin’s leather upholstery—complemented by carbonfiber trim—made exiting to explore the rim of the Grand Canyon a bit bittersweet. Only a bit, mind you. Realistically, the most mud this SUV will likely encounter is from the polo club’s overflow parking after a rain. When of-road action is on the agenda, however, it’s clear that the impeccably appointed Bentayga V8 is one of the best out of the gate, with a strength and dignity to earn a tip of Steed’s bowler.
Lions of the Desert
emember playing tag as a child? There was always that one small kid with the body weight of a house cat—and just as quick and agile—who gave the bigger players a real run. That was Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio Quadrifoglio in our field of four-wheelers. Pushing past perceptions, however, is becoming a mainstay for the marque’s top-of-the-line Stelvio variant. After all, it was the Quadrifoglio version that set a lap record at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring circuit—the litmus test for speed and performance— by covering the 12.9-mile course in 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds to become the fastest production SUV to date. And even though the Lamborghini Urus may soon take away that title, the well-earned bragging rights are a tribute to the competitive legacy of Alfa Romeo, the automaker for which a young Enzo Ferrari once raced prior to debuting his own banner.
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Now flying under the flag of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Alfa has given its course-crushing crossover the same Giorgio platform shared by its own Giulia sedan. The Quadrifoglio’s get-up-and-go is courtesy of its all-aluminum 2.9-liter, biturbo V-6 that kicks out 505 hp and 443 ft lbs of torque (delivered between 2,500 and 5,500 rpm) teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The straight stretches of U.S. Route 93, outside of Sin City, ofered little chance to check out how the torque-vectoring twin-clutch rear diferential transfers power for optimal handling on twists and turns, but the clear shot to the horizon line was a temptation to test the 176 mph top speed. Presence of mind and the presence of state troopers purged the urge. Once of-road, the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system was in full gear. Still, the vehicle definitely felt a bit out of its element compared to some of the more purpose-driven all-terrain transports on hand. But then let’s see them tear up the track.
ENGINE
2.9-liter biturbo V-6 MAX POWER
Stelvio Quadrifoglio ALFA ROMEO
505 hp TOP SPEED
176 mph BASE PRICE
$79,995 (our example: $93,190)
THE BENTLEY WAS A FAVORITE CONVEYANCE OF THE COLLECTIVE ON OUR DESERT JAUNT.
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EAST COAST DEFENDER’S
Project Punisher
ome vehicles look like they belong in a comic book, with a member of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen behind the wheel navigating a way to save the day. In the case of the latest from East Coast Defender (ECD) Automotive Design, its inspiration actually comes from the pages of pulp fiction—Marvel’s skull-logoed Punisher. And like its personification, ECD’s Project Punisher works best when the situation gets uncivilized. As its name suggests, the Florida-based firm specializes in reimagining the distinctive Defender, Land Rover’s renowned of-roader introduced in the early 1980s. The approach is painstaking and at times problematic, but the results have given Defender devotees a raison d’être. “The challenge is allowing our clients, through a hands-on design process, to create a one-of custom Defender with modern luxury, performance, and technology while retaining as much of the classic
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DNA as possible,” says ECD co-owner Scott Wallace. “Protecting the classic but adding modern comforts can create quite a debate, both internally and with some customers.” For Project Punisher, ECD used a 1988 Defender as donor and gave it a new galvanized chassis, a Safety Devices roll cage with LED spot lamps, 16-inch Sawtooth wheels, a Ron Davis radiator, and a Borla exhaust system, among other numerous enhancements. The power train pairs a 326 hp, 5.3-liter Chevrolet LC9 V-8 with a six-speed automatic transmission, which lets the Punisher punch from zero to 60 mph in seven seconds and hit 120 mph. Cabin accoutrements include heated leather Corbeau seats (with requisite embroidered skull), a Puma dash, a Momo steering wheel, and a Kenwood Infotainment system. Sadly, even as not all issues of comics have happy endings, our episode saw ECD’s example succumb to transmission failure near the Arizona border. Whether due to pilot error or mechanical miscue, the blow took it out of commission. Yet, as its tough-as-nails namesake knows, sometimes bad things just happen.
ENGINE
5.3-liter Chevrolet LC9 V-8 MAX POWER
326 hp TOP SPEED
120 mph PRICE
$160,000 (our example: $185,000)
Lions of the Desert
ulling in front of the Aria Resort & Casino’s North Valet alongside sport utility vehicles from Bentley, Mercedes, and Maserati, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk looked pedestrian next to its peers. In street-racing parlance, Jeep’s entry in the desert drive was a “sleeper,” a vehicle that appears unassuming but hides unexpected power. In this case, the Trackhawk rages with a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that churns with 645 ft lbs of torque and 707 hp, more power than any of the other high-performance models in our mix. Developed by the Street and Racing Technology (SRT) division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, it’s the same engine that gives the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats their demonic dispositions. For the Trackhawk, that translates to a top speed of 180 mph and the ability
P
to fly from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Brembo brakes—the front ones are the biggest ofered by the brand—reverse that last metric in 114 feet. Also part of the power train is the parent company’s bolstered TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission that constantly factors in torque gradients, acceleration (both longitudinally and laterally), and variations to the grade of the road for more precise shifting. And when the going gets gritty, the QuadraTrac on-demand four-wheel-drive configuration features an electronic limited-slip rear diferential that adds torque as needed for optimal grip. In other words, this cat keeps its cool even when driven in anger. Although most of our crew found the acceleration and engine soundtrack exciting, Jeep’s fit and finish throughout the cabin left some questioning why the price closes in on six figures. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is certainly a top choice for barreling around the backcountry, but a calling card for social status it’s not. The question is: What’s being sought?
ENGINE
Supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 MAX POWER
707 hp TOP SPEED
180 mph PRICE
$86,200 (our example: $91,530)
Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
JEEP
JEEP’S ENTRY IN THE DESERT DRIVE WAS A “SLEEPER,” A VEHICLE THAT APPEARS UNASSUMING BUT HIDES UNEXPECTED POWER.
Lions of the Desert
RANGE ROVER
ENGINE
Five-liter supercharged V-8 MAX POWER
575 hp TOP SPEED
176 mph PRICE
$113,600 (our example: $132,110)
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Sport SVR ith a cross section of top crossovers and SUVs arrayed at the Aria and available to test, it was a chance for serious gearheads to play Goldilocks. Was the ride too hard or the braking too soft? Handling too hot or cabin trim cold? For some, the Range Rover Sport SVR was just right. While the Bentley could be found too polished for the backcountry and the Jeep underdressed for evenings out, this Range Rover carries the same gravitas on gravel as it does on Rodeo Drive. Our aluminum-bodied example wore the marque’s Santorini Black with carbon fiber for the hood and exterior accents, while the inside was elegant in ebony. Jaguar Land Rover has given the model its Special Vehicle Racing (SVR) designation due to the numerous performance upgrades that make it the fastest in
Land Rover’s lineup. The biggest boost comes from a 575 hp, five-liter supercharged V-8—with 516 ft lbs of torque—tempered by a ZF automatic transmission. The combination can cycle through eight speeds quick enough to rocket the Rover from zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds before it maxes out at 176 mph. When the time came to slow it down for some of-roading, the Range Rover SVR moved adeptly through all types of topography with help from Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 programming and its surface-specific modes of Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand, Rock, Mud/Ruts, and, when conditions call for it, Rock Crawl. Even after hours of travel, the drive experience never deteriorated—a testament to the improved chassis and suspension that provide better grip, pitch, and body control over varied terrain. Of course, also adding to the comfort factor are the interior’s heated Windsor leather seats, heated steering wheel, and increased rear-passenger legroom—just in case three bears want to ride in the back.
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Devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, in September 2017.
How to Save an Island IN THE FACE OF DEVASTATION AND DESTRUCTION, HOTELIERS LEAD THE CARIBBEAN’S RECOVERY—AT A COST. By Jackie Caradonio
hen hurricanes come crashing into the Caribbean islands—as we have seen too many times in the past few years—we are riveted and alarmed, but the news fades all too quickly. What happens in the aftermath of the storms, once the spotlight has moved on to the next tragedy, isn’t what you expect. A common chain of events often occurs: Emergency responders fall short of demand, opposing politicians take to verbal sparring, and charities struggle to ensure donations end up in the right hands—all of which protracts an already dire situation. But a new path is being forged by businesses—in particular hotels and hospitality groups—using their vast networks and on-the-ground knowledge to bypass the red tape for quicker and more efective recovery. h
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The Four Seasons Anguilla comes back better than ever.
ROLL CALL OF DISASTER The Caribbean’s hardest-hitting hurricanes since 2017.
Hurricane Irma CATEGORY: 5 Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barts, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico, TCI, Bahamas
HOSPITALITY HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN RAPID RECOVERY IF ITS BUSINESSES ARE TO REMAIN LUCRATIVE ENTERPRISES.
HIGHEST WINDS: 180 mph FORMED: Aug. 30 DISSIPATED: Sept. 13 DAMAGE: $64.76 billion FATALITIES: 52 direct; 82 indirect
Hurricane Maria CATEGORY: 5 Dominica/USVI/Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, TCI, Bahamas HIGHEST WINDS: 175 mph FORMED: Sept. 16 DISSIPATED: Oct. 2 DAMAGE: $91.61 billion FATALITIES: 3,057 total
Caribbean however, it comes from bootstrap missions like the one launched last year by Starwood Capital Group, the global investment firm that owns the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla. As the largest private employer on Anguilla, Starwood took matters into its own hands when Hurricane Irma damaged roughly 85 percent of all structures on the 35-squaremile island. Within days of the Category 5 hurricane, the firm had formed a local
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Hurricane Nate CATEGORY: 1 Cayman Islands, Cuba, Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica (costliest natural disaster in Costa Rican history) HIGHEST WINDS: 90 mph FORMED: Oct. 4 DISSIPATED: Oct. 11 DAMAGE: $787 million FATALITIES: 48 total
committee to determine the island’s needs for recovery. Within weeks, it had launched Anguilla Stronger, an emergency relief efort composed of hotels across the island, including the Belmond Cap Juluca and Malliouhana, Auberge Resorts Collection—both of which were severely damaged—as well as Zemi Beach House. “Starwood Capital Group is a huge global company, so we have a lot of procurement expertise,” says Beth Shanholtz, who has directed the nearly $1.5 million (comprising the corporation’s own capital as well as tax-deductible donations) that Anguilla Stronger has provided for food distribution, building materials, and contractors to help rebuild their employees’ homes. “Anguilla received a ton of donations, but there was no other organization that did what we did on this level—not even the government.” The inability of local governments to enact fast change is as much a matter of finances as a function of bureaucracy. Puerto Rico was in the midst of an economic crisis long before Maria hit, and even without a recession, Anguilla’s modest treasury couldn’t cover the damages of Irma. “Our annual budget is $200 million. The damage from Irma is more than that,” Anguillan parliamentary secretary Cardigan Connor said last year when questioned about the island’s recovery plan. Overseas aid can’t always be counted on, either: In the case of the Caribbean’s British territories (including Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Barbados, and Turks and Caicos—which sufered a
FOUR SEASONS: WILLIAM TORRILLO
It’s business leaders like Federico “Friedel” Stubbe who are rebuilding the islands and business. The Puerto Rican native and owner and chairman of Prisa Group—which has developed many of the island’s high-end hospitality and real estate properties, including the luxury resort Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve—quickly banded together with a collective of the island’s most connected entrepreneurs and experts to form what would become the Resilient Puerto Rico Advisory Commission. While the U.S. government was still debating statistics and cost assessments, the independent group was devising a blueprint for the island’s future, outlining everything from how to overhaul the failed infrastructure and power grid to how to improve the education and healthcare systems. It provided the kind of swift action the island needed during its darkest days, supporting the installation of reliable backup energy systems and solar panels at hospitals, schools, and emergency shelters, and helping small businesses get back on their feet. “In disasters like these, how do democracies work?” Stubbe asks. “You have the left and the right and the center just like anything else. But personally, I’m not interested in the politics; I’m just interested in building a better Puerto Rico.” In the case of Resilient Puerto Rico— which has directed millions of dollars to recovery as well as new developments aimed at preparedness for future storms— that betterment comes as the result of well-coordinated networks with broad support. In other cases throughout the
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combined $3.6 billion in damages in last year’s hurricanes), the question of which government entity would foot the bill led to delayed and insuicient funds. Though Great Britain eventually sent more than $70 million to its territories, a significant portion of those monies came as loans that will no doubt leave the islands in debt for years to come. Given that the development of a single hotel can exceed the annual budget of an entire island, it’s no surprise that these destinations are increasingly turning to the hospitality industry to get back on their feet. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico shelled out $60 million for its post-Maria renovations, and the Four Seasons in Anguilla paid roughly $20 million for its damages. But hotels are also dipping into their private cofers to ensure that the community that sustains their businesses bounces back just as quickly. Stubbe, for instance, contributed $1 million directly to his staf of 500 to help rebuild their homes and recoup other losses. But it’s more than just money—it’s resources, too. In the British Virgin Islands, Richard Branson, who rode out Hurricane Irma in the wine cellar of his Necker Island resort, transported aid via his fleet of Virgin Atlantic airplanes. And Royal Caribbean canceled its cruises after the hurricanes in order to use its ships to deliver supplies to the islands and evacuate residents in need. Of course, there’s no arguing that these eforts, well-intentioned as they may be, are wholly altruistic. Hospitality has a vested interest in rapid recovery if its businesses are to remain lucrative enterprises. (Last year’s storms alone cost roughly $900 million just in lost revenue.) Whether that recovery extends beyond the immaculate walls of the hotels themselves, however, is another story. A year after Irma, a drive through the back roads of Anguilla, a few miles from the whitewashed walls of the Four Seasons, reveals many homes still damaged, with roofs covered in blue tarps and broken windows obscured by wooden boards. Still, the prevailing attitude is one of optimism. Anguilla Stronger continues to deliver aid—including building supplies and contractor services—even as the island’s hotels are once again up and running. “If we didn’t do this, what would have happened?” Shanholtz asks. “This is not just about assets; it’s about people. When the hotels aren’t open, it impacts the entire economic system— the taxis, the boat operators, the restaurant owners. We’ve been able to prove that our model works: We’ve stimulated the economy.”
Out of Office with
ARNE SORENSON When Arne Sorenson joined Marriott International as a young lawyer, no one imagined that anyone not named Marriott could lead the family hotel company. The chief executive at the time, J. W. “Bill” Marriott Jr.—whose parents founded the firm as a root-beer stand in 1927—was a legendary hotelier who obsessed on details: He largely banned Venetian blinds from Marriott hotel rooms, for example, as they were too time consuming to clean. A generation of younger Marriotts were learning the ropes of the company they expected to one day lead. Meanwhile, Sorenson, a reedy former mergers and acquisitions attorney from Washington, D.C., calmly served a progression of roles, including chief financial oicer, with a soft-spoken but direct gentility. His adroit attention to corporate details, and his respect for Marriott family ties, bore fruit. When it came time in 2011 for Bill Marriott to step aside, it was Sorenson that the family tapped to become only the third chief executive to lead the now-91-year-old company. —Christina Binkley
What do you do to unwind? I always fit in a run in the early morning. If I’m at one of our hotels, I’ll run with hotel associates. Last week, I was in Korea and I ran with 40 Korean hotel associates. But if it’s personal time—at the Eastern shore, Chesapeake Bay— it’s paddleboarding. You’re fully engaged. I love doing it alone. My wife will say, “We go out together, and then you’re gone.” What’s your favorite app? I’m not sure how exciting these are—I use the Weather app the most on my phone. Also United and Delta, and the news apps— New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. And my camera—is that an app? I might shoot a shot of something I see that might be a good design inspiration. Yesterday I took a shot of a truck I had rented when I left it. I wanted a record that I’d left it.
What advice would you offer if you had 10 minutes with your younger self ? I’d talk about the importance of listening more than speaking. It’s still a lesson today. I’ll find myself in a meeting— especially when there’s a lot on the agenda that we need to work through—it’s easy to walk in that room and set the agenda. I need to let them set the agenda. And then I’d say get a decent haircut. There isn’t a picture of me in college that I can look at and not say, “Oh my God!” What was your first job, and what did you learn from it that impacted your later career? The first time I got a pay stub I was 13, and I went and de-tasseled corn in the countryside. We took a bus to the farm and walked up and down the rows and reached up and bent the tassel on top of the plant. I earned
35 cents an hour. It was awful work, and there is no lesson I could take from that except that it’s something you do to make money. My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I was expected to work. I later worked as a short-order cook at Bridgeman’s Ice Cream, I painted houses, mowed lawns. I learned that what we do is work. You’ve got to take it seriously. And don’t bellyache about it. You travel 200 days a year. What if you could change one thing about hotels? I think we have done better at building hotels that serve hotel guests quite well. What we have not done well is build hotels architecturally to serve local residents well. The restaurants are not accessible to the street. We’ve got to learn to address that.
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Cash, Credit, or Bitcoin? SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LUXURY Y ITEMS MAY SOON ONLY H BE AVAILABLE WITH CRYPTOCURRENCY. N? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN By Christina Binkley
f you want to get your hands ng on the newest Hublot Big Ban n watch, you’ll need to pay up in h Bitcoin. The innovative Swiss watch company started taking pre-orders for this limited-edition $25,000 model in September exclusively through a paartnership with Octagon Strategy Limited m. (OSL), a digital asset brokerage firm Is this Hublot’s efort to expand into a new transactional system, or is this just ma an attention-grabbing gimmick from brand known for its conspicuous marketing campaigns? It’s probably a mix of both. As a ublot forerunner in the watch market, Hublot is known for pushing the boundaries in its product design and marketing, so it’s not surprising that it’s perhaps the first luxury brand to start trading its products in cryptocurrency. “To sell a watch in Bitcoin allows Hublot to be very innovative,” says Christophe Barré, the company’s chief financial oicer. The partnership with OSL is also a clever marketing efort to appeal to a younger set of financially shrewd shoppers who have either gotten rich quick from trading in cryptocurrency or want to experiment with the techno currency. Hublot’s new watch commemorates Bitcoin’s 10th anniversary: It’s limited to 210 pieces in a nod to the finite 21 million Bitcoin, and each watch bezel will be engraved with the identification number of the Bitcoin transaction. Whatever the reasoning, the move leaves Hublot largely alone at the starting gate of luxury product manufacturers getting into the Bitcoin race. Although a secondary market for art, automobiles, and other luxury goods sold for cryptocurrency is quickly growing, luxury manufacturers themselves have remained leery of subjecting
I
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Don't ignore Bitcoin. It may soon be the only currency accepted ffor limited-edition watches like this Hublot.
ENTHUSIASM FROM BITCOIN HOLDERS WAS QUICKLY OBVIOUS; THE BIG BANG EDITION WATCH WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY OVERSUBSCRIBED. their financial performance to the wildly fluctuating emerging markets. Executives at Hublot say they believe they have solved the problem of currency fluctuations with a hedging mechanism, opening a means to a new fount of customers. The watch’s price was set (for pre-orders) in dollars ($25,000) and fixed at Bitcoin’s value on October 31, allowing Hublot to make immediate trades that will eliminate the currency risks, says Barré. The enthusiasm from Bitcoin holders was quickly obvious to the company; the Big Bang edition watch was
alm most immediately oversubscribed. Delivery on the watches begins next mo onth. This has encouraged Hublot to exp plore further forays into crypto. (Says Barrré, sounding pleased, “I think we maay develop other projects.”) It’s curren ntly exploring ways to accept Bitcoin forr products in its boutiques in Hong Kong and Macao. The price of Bitcoin, the most famous off tthe many forms of cryptocurrency, soaared from $970 in 2017 to roughly $20 0,000 before dropping to $6,321 in October 2018. While nobody knows how maany millionaires and billionaires this hass minted, it’s clear that the extraordin nary wealth created by cryptocurrencies is injecting energy into secondary lux xury markets as the holders of Bitcoin, Eth hereum, and other currencies seek to speend their newfound riches. After watching the value of her exp perimental Bitcoin purchases soar, Eliizabeth White used her earnings to ffound the White Company, which serrves as a broker for crypto holders to b buy yachts, helicopters, automobilees, artworks, and other goods on the seccondary market. She says she has 30,000 clients overall and notes, “I have 58 clients who have spent $1 million on a trransaction.” She hedges for currency fluctuations with a hedge-fund partner and d pays sellers in “fiat”—crypto lingo forr dollars, euros, and other traditional currrencies. She says her self-funded bussiness has an advantage over luxury com companies that must meet investors’ earnings expectations. “Established companies would never take that kind of risk,” she says. “It’s very scary.” It remains to be seen if other luxury brands will take the plunge, but a number of projects suggest that it’s more an issue of when (and how) than if. White has just signed a deal for a crypto credit card with a major bank issuer with details to be unveiled before the end of the year. Goldman Sachs has said it’s exploring a form of trading in Bitcoin that it’s calling “non-deliverable forwards,” which are over-the-counter derivatives that would be settled in U.S. dollars with the Bitcoin-U.S. dollar price established by a set of exchanges. Accepting crypto does ofer access to a wealthy young group of consumers who may be new to luxury markets and could be good customers for many years to come. White says many of her clients prefer various forms of texting—including the highly secure and anonymous Signal and Telegram—to telephone calls or emails. “The younger generation doesn’t want to talk to you,” she says. “If they could send emojis they’d probably be happy.”
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There’s a Caribbean Experience Out There for Everyone ISLAND ADVENTURER
GLOBE-TROTTING GOURMAND
ROVING HIGH ROLLER
Is the sea calling your name?
Do you count Michelin stars?
Are you gassing up the jet for this trip?
NO
YES
YES
YES
NO
Do you consider golf an adventure?
Are you PADI-certified?
Is a private chef more your taste?
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
Easily
YES
Not this year
Do you travel with an entourage? NO
YES
Maybe try an all-inclusive?
Good call. How about hiking? YES
Is this going to be a six-figure vacation?
NO
NO
What's your culinary mecca? Sandy Lane, Barbados
Itz'ana Resort and Residences, Belize
(sandylane.com)
Paris
Venice
How about seven figures?
Do you consider rubbing elbows a favorite pastime?
Hell no!
YES
YES
NO
(itzanabelize.com)
Would you be offended if we called you a beach bum?
Would you call the sea breeze nature's air conditioner? YES
I'm hot just thinking about it.
YES
How about getting your shoulders rubbed?
NO
NO
YES
Island-hopping on Cloud 9, British Virgin Islands (burgessyachts.com)
Jade Mountain, St. Lucia (jademountain.com)
Belmond Cap Juluca, Anguilla (belmond.com)
Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, St. Barts (lebarthelemyhotel.com)
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DECEMBER 2018
Amanyara, Turks and Caicos Islands (aman.com)
Plantation House private villa, Mustique (mustique-island.com)