Fables Issue Two 2010

fables

c e l e b r at i n g t h e a r t o f t r av e l

Pe r f e c t p o o l s ; D i v i n e d i v e s ; G l o r i o u s g o l f ; G o r g e o u s g e m s

foreword

Welcome A

heartfelt welcome to this edition of Fables, which we present to you as a celebration of the art of travel. At

Raffles Hotels & Resorts we do our utmost to provide all our guests with a stay that is memorable for the

quality of service and for the cultural experience that is central to the Raffles philosophy.

2010 has seen three new hotels join the Raffles family. Raffles Tianjin, Raffles Makkah Palace and Raffles Paris – Le Royal Monceau mark the expansion of the group into diverse and exciting new territories. Tianjin will provide guests with a base in one of China’s fastest growing business areas, as well as bringing them close to such cultural and architectural gems as the Great Wall. The holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia has seen extensive development and we’re very proud to be present in the centre of the Muslim world, providing a resting place for pilgrims, with a magnificent view over the Grand Mosque. Raffles Paris represents our debut in Europe, in a hotel that has been refurbished under the creative eye of Philippe Starck, and now recaptures the spirit of Paris in its heyday, with art playing a significant part in its chic fabric.

We’re very proud to be present in the centre of the Muslim world, providing a resting place for pilgrims

As well as the new openings, summer was a time for swimming pools and cocktails. Two of our hotels, Raffles Dubai and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, were picked out by MSN Travel for their spectacular swimming pools.

And when the Formula One Grand Prix came to Singapore, a cocktail created by Jimmy Lim, Assistant Manager of the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, was chosen as one of two signature cocktails to be served at the race. You’ll find our swimming pools and cocktails featured in this issue, along with spectacular diving experiences, a selection of the world’s great golf holes, articles on hi-fi, fashion and wine, and an excerpt from the entertaining new book from Raffles’ Resident Historian.

Enjoy this issue of Fables.

Raffles Hotels & Resorts

FABLE S I S S U E t w o 2 0 1 0

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contents

fables

52

celebrating the art of travel Issue two 2010

8 Check in Raffles makes its European debut, while the original continues to win accolades

12 Head for the pool Take a dip in some of the world’s most

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sensational swimming pools, all at Raffles Hotels & Resorts

60

22 Memoirs of a Raffles Original Excerpts from the fascinating new book by Raffles Hotel’s resident historian, Leslie Danker

30 Into the blue Discover the beautiful world beneath the waves at three of Raffles’ forthcoming destinations

Photography: Stephen Wong; Simon Rogerson; Mark Alexander; Corbis; Courtesy of La Putri

42 Cream tees

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What makes a great golf hole? Decide for yourself with our round-up of the world’s most

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spectacular tee positions

52 You look like a million dollars!

Diamond encrusted dresses and gold bedecked gowns – are these designs Haute Couture or just attention seeking?

60 Time to sparkle Elegant accessories that live up to the most ostentatious of outfits

70 A very good year 2009 has been hailed as one of the best years ever for Bordeaux, but what did it yield in the world’s other great wine regions?

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contents

80 Shaken and stirred

Published on behalf of Raffles Hotels & Resorts

by Faircount Media Group

Cocktails are back in fashion, and nowhere more so than at Raffles Hotels & Resorts

92 Beautiful noise

102

European Headquarters 5 Ella Mews, Hampstead, London NW3 2NH, UK tel: +44 (0)20 7428 7000 fax: +44 (0)20 7117 3338 email: publisher@faircount.co.uk

How high end hi-fi designers are succeeding in pleasing the eye as well as the ears

102 Treat yourself

North American Headquarters 701 North West Shore Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33609, USA tel: +1 (813) 639 1900 fax: +1 (813) 639 4344 email: publisher@faircount.com

Stylish, irresistible and unconventional ideas for your next shopping spree

108 Meet the concierge

Asia-Pacific Headquarters Level 15, Tower 2, 101 Grafton Street, Bondi Junction, Sydney, NSW 2022, Australia tel: +61 (0)2 8063 4800 fax: +61 (0)2 8580 5047 email: publisher@faircount.com.au

Samantha Zou of Raffles Beijing

110 Five star index Luxury brands and services for your convenience around the world

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Publishers Peter M Antell, Ross W Jobson

General Manager Lawrence Rosenberg

Associate Publisher David Woods

Commercial Director Richard Baker Editor Tim Glynne-Jones Subeditor Francesca Twinn Picture Editor Emma Smales Contributors Mark Alexander, Nik Berg, Maria Doulton, Peter McCombie MW, Simon Rogerson, Terry Wilson Photography As credited Design & Production Controller Sandip Patel Production Coordinator Colin Davidson Production Administrator Margaret Dube Marketing Manager Bejul Shah Marketing Executives Emmanuel Anolue, Dara Clancy, Nicholas Reid Office Manager Priscilla Johns Printed in Singapore by Ho Printing MICA (p) 247/06/2009

ŠCopyright 2010 Faircount Media Group.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial content in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Faircount Media Group does not assume responsibility for the advertisements, nor any representation made therein, nor the quality or deliverability of the products themselves. Reproduction of articles and photographs, in whole or in part, contained herein is prohibited without express written consent of the publisher, with the exception of reprinting for news media use.

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created by “Wei Koh & Munster”

RM 016 88 500 €

A RAC I N G M AC H I N E O N T H E W R I ST www.richardmille.com

Raffles News

Check in

The latest news from Raffles Hotels & Resorts located all around the world, from new additions, openings and services to awards, celebrations and events

Raffles opens the door to Paradise World Heritage Site and home to the world’s only

to open its newest resort in February 2011, in one

Coco de Mer palm trees and the rare Seychelles

and resorts will follow in 2012: Raffles Jakarta,

of the world’s most desirable and exotic holiday

Black Parrot.

Indonesia, in a prestigious new development

destinations. And to tempt guests further, Raffles

Nearby Curieuse Island, with its Marine National

in the business district, featuring a mall and art

Praslin, Seychelles has a fantastic introductory

Park, is home to an abundance of sea life and now

museum; Raffles Makati, Philippines, which will

offer running until 30th April.

home to the protected Aldabra Giant Tortoise.

enjoy a central location in Manila’s prosperous

If you make your reservation on the resort’s

Meanwhile, the Sugar Palm Club will take care of

business district; and Raffles Sanya, Qingshui Bay,

Best Available Rate, for a minimum of four nights,

the children, from tots to teens so, they and their

China, a beachfront location offering visitors a view

you will also enjoy round-trip airport transfers, a

parents can get the most from their visit.

of the bay’s famous waters and a wedding chapel.

buffet breakfast for two, a 60 minute Raffles Spa

Also scheduled to open in 2011 is Raffles

treatment for two and a complimentary visit to a

Konottaa, set amid the blue lagoons and tropical

local attraction.

Residents of this blissfully beautiful and exciting Raffles beachfront location can expect an idyllic mix of tranquility and recreation. The development, across 30 hectares of sublime land on the northeast tip of the Seychelles’ second largest island, includes 86 villas on a white sand beach with views of the clearest seas.

There will be a variety of romantic and enchanting dining locations, while the spa will provide ample indulgences, such as rejuvenating massages and beauty treatments.

For the active guest looking for adventure, there is a selection of pursuits available, from scuba diving and kayaking to island hopping and golf on the nearby 18 hole championship course (see page 51). The resort is also close to Seychelles natural treasure the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO

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enchantment of Maldives. Three further hotels

Starting the New Year with a splash, Raffles is set

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Welcome to paradise: 86 luxurious villas on beautiful beachfront locations await visitors to Raffles Praslin, opening in the new year (this picture and above)

To make reservations at Raffles Praslin, email praslin@raffles.com

Raffles News

Raffles Makati hits the heights There was significant evidence of the buoyant growth in the Philippines property market in July, when the rapidly rising Raffles Makati Hotel and Residences luxury real estate project sold a penthouse for the highest price per square metre ever paid for a condominium in the country.

A spokesperson for the buyer said, “This purchase was influenced by the fact that this development is the best project in Manila, both in terms of build quality and service levels that the Raffles brand is synonymous with.”

“We are delighted,” said Brad Berry, Vice President Real Estate for Kingdom Hotel Investments, the developer of Raffles Hotel and Residences, Manila. “The domestic and international market recognises our premium product and we have recently released a new phase of inventory in response to strong client demand.”

Construction of the Raffles Hotel and Residences Makati is on schedule for opening in 2012, when it will offer 30 Raffles hotel suites and 236 luxury Raffles Residences in the top 20 floors of the building, in the heart of Manila’s central business district.

For more information, visit www.rafflesmakati.com

Raffles paints Dubai RED

New hotspot: Dubai’s RED Lounge.Terrace

A new hotspot, the RED Lounge.Terrace, has opened at Raffles Dubai. Located at the peak of the hotel’s iconic pyramid, this new destination brings together an exhilarating atmosphere, a stunning terrace, fascinating people and spirited cocktails. It is one of the only lounges in Dubai that stays open until 3am at weekends.

As Dubai’s first ultra-modern Chinese lounge, casual bites of dim sum, including Foie Gras and Chicken Siew Mai, will be complemented by innovative signature cocktails such as the Desert Healer and the RED T (see page 89).

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Raffles News

Le Royal Monceau opens in artistic style Reinvented Paris palace hotel leads the way for vibrant and creative new wave On 18th October 2010, Raffles Hotels and Resorts made its European debut with the opening of Raffles Paris – Le Royal Monceau.

The hotel, situated just off the Champs-Elysées in the heart of the French capital, closed for two and a half years for a restoration and re-invention project that sees it leading the way for a new generation of Parisian palace hotels.

Qatari Diar and creative director Alexandre Allard, whose family opened the original hotel in 1928, commissioned designer Philippe Starck to breathe new life into the hotel, with the aim of resurrecting the spirit of style and vibrancy that epitomised Paris a century ago.

“The idea,” said Allard, “is to revive the French spirit of elegance, luxury and creativity.”

The French passion for art is also embodied in Le Royal Monceau. The hotel has its own curator

of art, responsible for establishing the space as a destination where art and culture are always

The art of hospitality: Raffles Paris – Le Royal Monceau (left) is a hotbed for art and cuisine, epitomised by the teapot sculpture (above left) and La Cuisine French restaurant (above right)

guest artists in the hotel’s Art District, and special

suites than any other luxury hotel in Paris. Starck

pieces have already been commissioned for

describes the rooms as somewhere “where

display, such as an oversized teapot sculpture

there is little to see and all to experience. One

by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos in the

enters a mental space, where the atmosphere

hotel garden.

is palpable.”

There is also an art bookstore and a 100

The idea of getting away from it all is taken

seat cinema, Le Cinéma des Lumières, making

further in the spa. “The basic idea was to

Le Royal Monceau an attractive new location

remove geographic and dimensional bearings,”

for movie previews, cinema parties and art

explains Starck. “A gravity free place to soothe

film screenings.

mind and body and offer a moment to escape

Another French forte, food, is also a major

or to concentrate, where everything becomes

attraction. Celebrated Paris pâtissier Pierre

ghostly, shaded, marked in the centre by a

Hermé has created all the pastries and sweets

swimming pool divided by a mirror, where the

for the hotel’s two restaurants (La Cuisine and Il

infinite joins the finite, lit by the waves of the

Carpaccio), bar and lobby, as well as macarons

water and the pool located in the garden above.

and chocolates “on every floor”.

Accommodation is provided in ten luxury apartments, 85 rooms and 54 suites, more

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Raffles Paris – Le Royal Monceau is now open for reservations.

Visit www.raffles.com/paris

Photography: Laurent Attias / Philippe Garcia / Harald Gottschalk / La Société Anonyme

present. There will be regular exhibitions by

Raffles News

Raffles doubles up in the Middle East and China Two more landmark hotels open for business Raffles Hotels and Resorts has opened in the holy city of Makkah. Raffles Makkah Palace, which opened in August during Ramadan, becomes the group’s second hotel in the Middle East, joining Raffles Dubai, which opened in 2007.

Located in the new Abraj Al Bait complex, just three minutes walk from the Grand Mosque, the 15 storey hotel shares the complex with a premium four storey shopping centre, a lunar observatory, a museum and a prayer room built to hold 10,000 worshippers.

Khaled Yamak, the hotel’s Director of Communications and Business Development, said, “Raffles Makkah Palace is considered a new step in the hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia. With its unique heartfelt service and enchanting accommodation, residents will feel the difference.”

The hotel has been designed to instil a sense of highly refined sanctuary, in keeping with the culture and heritage of the Middle East

New openings: Raffles Makkah Palace (left) and Raffles Tianjin (right)

Earlier this year, Raffles Hotels and Resorts opened its second hotel in China, Raffles Tianjin. Located on the top 18 floors of the Tianjin Center, in the city’s business district, it is Tianjin’s first penthouse hotel.

Residents in the 116 rooms and suites will enjoy the spacious bathrooms, which are equipped with TVs to be viewed from the bath. Dining options include Japanese and Western, with the rooftop teppanyaki restaurant offering a panoramic view of the city.

and Raffles’ philosophy of excellence. It offers 213 spacious suites, with

Prior to arrival, business guests will be assigned their own concierge,

round the clock personal butlers, a business centre and a choice of

who will organise everything from meetings to translators to buying

four dining options: Raffles Creamery, Narjes tea salon, Middle Eastern

gifts and arranging city tours. All guests will be shown to their room by

cuisine at Al Majils, and a blend of Moroccan, Arabic and Indian flavours

a personal butler.

at Al Qasr.

Grand Dame makes it a fabulous four

Raffles Tianjin officially opened in June.

Butler service for Cambodia hotels

Raffles Singapore has been crowned Best Hotel in Asia/Australia ULTRA

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem

(Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Award) for a fourth consecutive year, as voted for

Reap, has

by the readers of Ultratravel, The Daily Telegraph’s esteemed travel magazine.

service to all rooms.

introduced

full

butler

Mr Pierre Jochem, General Manager of Raffles Hotel and regional Vice President

Among the personalised services

of Operations Asia Pacific, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are honoured to be

guests can look forward to throughout

recognised for the fourth year running, and would like to thank the readers of

their stay are packing and unpacking,

Ultratravel. This award is possible only with the efforts of my colleagues. Their

shoe shine, personalised service of

passion is what makes for the legendary service the Grand Dame is known for.”

any in room dining and personal

The Ultratravel 100 is compiled via a thorough consumer driven survey

handling of special dining requests,

and represents the very best in the world’s premier hotels and modern travel,

and a complimentary in room tea and

from airlines to resorts.

coffee service.

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Swimming pools

Head for the pool This summer, MSN Travel compiled a list of 16 of the world’s most spectacular swimming pools.

Amongst them were two Raffles hotels, at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor and Raffles Dubai. Tim Glynne-Jones tested the water

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Swimming pools

F

ancy a dip? When you arrive at a

India throughout Asia, and from Rome across

cliff edges to city parks. Clever design can make

luxury hotel, one of the first instincts

Europe and North Africa in the early part of

a pool look enticing against any backdrop, be it

of any weary traveller is to head for

the first millennium.

lush fields, snow capped mountains or azure

the pool. The sight of water has always had a

These baths were not merely functional; they

seas; the water can take on any colour you

soothing effect on the human spirit, as indeed

were ornately decorated to harmonise with the

desire and the surrounds can be anything from

have the sound, taste and feel. Water, it seems,

spirituality of bathing and to create the sense

sharp edged minimalism to lavish opulence to

is the benchmark for our senses, from which

of salubrious comfort that we look for in our

palm fringed oasis. But always that glass flat

our perception of all the world’s other elements

swimming pools today. There were fountains

surface, so compellingly perfect, holds centre

is taken. The spirit is seldom more at peace

and heating systems; sometimes the water was

stage and draws the eye.

than when in close proximity to the cool, blue,

channeled from natural hot springs by way of

Earlier this year, MSN Travel compiled a list

unruffled water of a pristine swimming pool.

cleverly designed aquaducts. Man’s ingenuity

of 16 of the world’s most spectacular swimming

was never more impressive than when working

pools. Amongst them were two Raffles hotels,

with water.

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor and Raffles

The earliest civilisations recognised this and made time for bathing. The Great Bath at Mohenro-daro, in what is now Pakistan, is

Today, swimming pool design continuous to

Dubai. You may have swum in them. You may

evidence that architects were applying their

push the boundaries (or, in the case of infinity

even be sitting beside one as you read this. If

ingenuity to the practice 4,500 years ago. The

pools, conceal them) in the same ingenious

not, allow us to present them for you, along

Greeks, Romans and Sinhalese built elaborate

vein. There are pools in every type of location,

with some of the other pools at Raffles Hotels

public baths and the concept spread from

from the top of skyscrapers to basements, from

and Resorts.

Photography: Corbis

At peace: water is good for the soul and modern swimming pool design continues an ancient quest for complete physical and spiritual comfort

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Swimming pools

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor The first thing that strikes you about this pool is its size. At 35m in length, it is the largest pool in Cambodia, as befits one that was modelled on the ancient bathing pools at the temple of Phimeanakas at Angkor Thom.

Stone

carvings

adorn

the

surround,

including two stone lions from whose mouths comes the water to replenish the children’s pool. These are reconstructions of statues that were found at the temple of Preah Pithou.

Khmer kings and queens used to bathe in the pools at Angkor Thom. Today, you can relax in royal style beside the pool at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, with refreshing pineapple skewers, cold towels scented with eucalyptus and mineral water spray provided throughout the day.

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Swimming pools

Swimming pools 18

Raffles Dubai

piece of technology so that it is soothing for

water clock that is incorporated into the

Set against the spectacular Dubai skyline, the

bare feet even in the height of summer.

distinctive circular design of the pool. Every

pool at Raffles Dubai overlooks the hotel’s

For those who like their swim to be

60 minutes a new fountain of water spurts

tropical Botanical Garden and is an oasis in

vigorous, there are two counter-current

out into the main pool area to indicate the

the blistering heat of the UAE. The deck that

pools, but if you prefer to lay back and watch

hours, while a set of smaller spouts indicate

surrounds the pool is kept cool by a clever

the world go by, you’ll be entertained by the

the minutes.

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「上下」, 五千年的灵感 Chinese and Asian Heritage Crafted for Contemporary Lifestyle

Tel: + (8621) 6390 8899 www.shang-xia.com

Swimming pools

Raffles Tianjin

Raffles Hotel

Looking out over the city from the seventh

The swimming pool at Raffles Hotel in

floor of the Tianjin Centre, the pool at the new

Singapore was built from scratch during the

Raffles Tianjin is a very modern but serene

restoration project between 1989 an 1991.

design. Curved lines, echoing the curve of the tower in which the hotel is located, lend a soft elegance to the environment, while access to a balcony terrace allows guests to take the air between dips.

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Calm waters: gentle curves at Raffles Tianjin (below); quiet privacy at Raffles Hotel, Singapore (opposite top); relaxing luxury by the pool at Raffles Hotel le Royal

A classic rectangular pool with a maximum depth of 1.5m, its rooftop location on the third floor of the hotel gives it a sense of privacy, in keeping with the ambiance of famous hotel.

Swimming pools

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Our renowned hotel in Phnom Penh was graced with its beautiful swimming pool in 1997. Measuring 23m by 12m and situated in the middle of the hotel, it is one of the focal features of Raffles Hotel Le Royal and is a popular sanctuary for guests, who can relax by the water while being served drinks from the adjacent bar.

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Raffles history

Memoirs of a Raffles Original If you want to learn the true history of Raffles Singapore, just ask resident historian Leslie Danker. Nobody has a more thorough knowledge of the story of this grand hotel, and now he has encapsulated it in a book, Memoirs of a Raffles Original

W

hen Raffles Hotel underwent

Today, as Resident Historian, Leslie entertains

its restoration in 1989, any

guests with his stories and photograph collection

piece of furniture that survived

that bring the hotel’s past vividly to life. And

from the pre-restoration period was labelled

this year he has published a book, Memoirs of a

with a small plate marked ‘Raffles Original’.

Raffles Original, which tells the story of Raffles

It was suggested jokingly that Leslie Danker

as Leslie would tell it to you as a guest. In the

should be fitted with his own ‘Raffles

narrative, he uses a fictional English couple, the

Original’ label.

Turners, as his audience.

Leslie joined Raffles Hotel in 1972. A local boy, then aged 33, his command of English made him invaluable in liaising between the guests and the hotel maintenance staff. From Going down in history: Raffles Resident Historian Leslie Danker and his new book filled with anecdotes of the Grand Dame; the ‘Original’ label to mark hotel items pre-restoration (right)

the position of Maintenance Supervisor he was promoted to Food and Beverage Supervisor and then Front of House Manager. All the time he developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of Raffles Hotel and the famous people who stayed there, many of whom he met.

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Raffles history

“The book was a natural progression from

notebook, and as I gathered more I would add

was John Wayne. I had seen him so many

more than 30 years of sharing the history

them into the notebook. I have practically

times in the movies, but when I took him

with VIP guests and residents. I wanted to

everything about the history and other facts

around the hotel before the restoration, what

document my knowledge and experiences so

of the hotel in this little notebook.

struck me was that he was such a humble

that I may share it with others,” he says. “I

“Through all my years with Raffles Hotel

man though he was so well known. He was

did a great deal of research in the early years,

I have met many celebrities, famous writers,

a very obliging and unassuming person,

and continue to do so today. I collected all

heads of state and a host of other personalities.

and he was very grateful that I showed him

these facts and transferred them into a black

But the personality who impressed me most

around the hotel.”

Star attraction: Elizabeth Taylor dines at Raffles, one of the many stars who were attracted by the hotel’s kudos in the post-war years

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lancel.com

French légèreté…

Place Vendôme - Minuit

“Premier Flirt ”

Raffles history

Before and after: the Long Bar pre-restoration, scene of Leslie’s first taste of Raffles (this page) and as it is now (opposite)

Reprinted here is Chapter 5 of Memoirs of

on adventure stories and John Wayne movies,

the zeal of the British to restore their fortunes as

a Raffles Original, entitled The First Beer, in

I opted for what I thought was the next best

quickly as possible, soon led to massive labour

which Leslie Danker describes how he set

thing – the army.

unrest. But after their ignominious defeat at the

foot in Raffles Hotel for the first time…

26

At that time, the colonial government was

hands of the Japanese, the British had also fallen

When I left school, I had no definite plans.

recruiting able bodied men for military service.

greatly in the locals’ estimation, and soon, the

My childhood ambition of being a Grand

The Malayan economy was a shambles after

communists, who had been the sole resistance

Prix driver didn’t look like it was going to

World War II, and the combination of low wages,

to the Japanese during the occupation, turned

materialise, so like any red blooded boy reared

high unemployment and inflation, coupled with

their attention to the colonial government by

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

launching an underground insurgency. This led to the state of affairs that became known as the ‘Malayan emergency’, which lasted from 1948 to 1960.

The British needed recruits, and I remember walking to enlist at the newly erected Armed Forces Britannia Club along Beach road.

However, for some unknown reason, I was never called up. Little did I know that years later I would be joining the ranks of the establishment just across the road.

At the time, however, I was a young man at a loose end, pondering my next step. And like many young men in my situation, I found pondering to be a task infinitely more pleasant if done over a frosty beverage.

“I’d grown up with the hotel on my doorstep, but it was like a foreign country. I wondered if I would be allowed in” And that was how I finally set foot into Raffles Hotel.

It felt odd. I’d grown up with the hotel practically on my doorstep, but in my mind it was like entering a foreign country. I actually wondered if I would be allowed in. I’d never seen anyone other than Caucasians entering the premises.

Nervously, I walked into the lobby, which at the time was a simple wood panelled affair, cooled only by ceiling fans, which dangled on their long stems like upturned daisies. The reception desk sat beneath two large murals featuring painted vignettes of Malay, Chinese and Indian locals going about their business,

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27

Raffles history

as well as depictions of some of the more colourful examples of local architecture.

It was five in the evening, happy hour, and the place was crowded and noisy. I settled into

I made my way to the Long Bar, which was

one of the rattan seats in a far corner, acutely

then situated in the Ballroom, a space now

aware that I was the only non-Caucasian in

occupied by the main driveway. Somehow I

the entire room, aside from the waiters. I sat

had expected the Ballroom to be grander. It

there for what seemed like an exceedingly long

was open-air and its fabled view of the sea

time, becoming increasingly uneasy that no

was now gone. In fact, part of the sea itself

one had come to take my order. Maybe they

was gone too – the authorities had reclaimed

could all see into the future, and thought I was

land from the Raffles beachfront, on which

just another member of the Raffles staff?

they had built the Britannia Club. Clearly, the

Eventually, a Hainanese waiter, clad in

British Army felt it was entitled to a sea view –

trademark black trousers and white shirt,

more than the Raffles. With the club blocking

ambled over. “What drink?” he asked me in

it, hotel guests were now relegated to watching

his charming syntax.

the traffic plying up and down Beach road.

“Draft beer,” I replied, a little shyly. To be

Home from home: Raffles Hotel as it looked in the days when Leslie Danker was a local lad growing up (left); and as it looks today (above), still home to several Raffles Originals, including its own historian

honest, I didn’t think of any other drink. At the time, I did not know what a Singapore Sling was, let alone that I should have ordered one to mark my virgin visit to Raffles Hotel.

I sat there sipping my beer and drinking in the slightly alien surroundings for about an hour before I finally took my leave.

It would be over fifteen years before I would step into Raffles Hotel again.

Memoirs of a Raffles Original by Leslie Danker is available to purchase at Raffles Hotel (www.raffles.com/singapore) and at major bookstores in Singapore.

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www.spain.info

t s e b e h t , e s a c t i u s r u o u y o y g n o i s t o n L e p p a h n thing that ca

*

Into the blue As Raffles prepares for the opening of resorts in the Seychelles and Maldives and a hotel in the Philippines, Simon Rogerson offers a taste of the superb marine life that awaits guests with a penchant for diving

diving 31

diving

I

n

32

the

between the atolls, or the coral pinnacles that

quintessential scuba diving destination.

many

ways,

Maldives

is

rise into the moving water, which are known

The combination of white sand islands,

locally as ‘thillas’.

turquoise waters and billowing schools of fish is

Timing is crucial – when the current is

irresistible to divers in search of the archetypal

running, Maldives’ famous soft corals engorge

paradise scenario.

and feed on water-borne microscopic titbits.

It all starts with the energy of the Indian

Small fish, such as fairy basslets, venture out

Ocean, with its currents moving in and out

from their shelter in the hard coral to feed

of the atolls, vast rings of coral islets and reefs

on the same plankton, while larger fish, like

that make up the singular topography of the

sweetlips or the mesmeric schools of blue-lined

Maldives archipelago. Those currents bring

snapper, form great schools in the moving

nutrients to stimulate the food chain. The best

water. It’s a carnival of colour and movement,

place to see the action is in the gaps (passes)

a fish spotter’s dream.

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Paradise beneath the waves: a diver swims above a ‘tree’ of soft coral (previous page); a school of blue-lined snapper in Maldivian waters (below); Ari Atoll, typical of the Maldives geography (right)

diving

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There are certain marine creatures a diver

Recent years have seen the development of

simply has to see while here, and the star of

resorts in the lesser explored southern atolls,

the show is unquestionably the manta ray. The

where tourism has started to make inroads. One

largest of the ray family, the manta is seldom

example is Gaafu Dhaalu, home to the brand

encountered in most dive locations, but thanks

new Raffles Konottaa, which is set to open in

to those ocean currents its appearance at certain

2011. So what can divers expect in these new

reefs throughout Maldives is relatively easy to

areas? Indications suggest a profusion of fish,

predict. To swim alongside a graceful animal

from the aforementioned snapper to sleek,

with a wingspan of 3-4m is an awe inspiring

silver predators, such as dogtooth tuna and the

experience, and one that typifies the appeal of

thuggish giant trevally, a game fish big enough

Maldivian diving.

to intimidate the smaller reef sharks.

Maldives is generally seen by divers as an

The reefs themselves are a mosaic of coral and

‘affordable luxury’ destination, a step on from

invertebrates, host and home to the beautiful

grass roots scuba locations, such as the Red Sea

skunk anemonefish, which lives in symbiosis

or Malta. Part of the pleasure is the feeling of

with the anemone, protecting it from other

remoteness, of there being nothing but you, the

fish while sheltering in its stinging tentacles, to

sand and the vastness of the ocean.

which the anemonefish is immune.

Photography: Simon Rogerson; (previous pages) Simon Rogerson; Photolibrary

diving 34

Moments to cherish: a dive with a manta ray is an unforgettable experience awaiting Maldives visitors; a Napoleon wrasse cruises the Maldives (below)

diving

While it helps to be accustomed to diving in currents, Maldives is a suitable destination for novice divers, who can hone their skills on coral pinnacles and outcrops within the protection of the atolls. Ultimately, it’s the place to go if you want to lose yourself on a coral island, surrounded by wonderful fish. There is a smattering of shipwrecks and a few sharks, but the main attraction is the pulsing life of the reefs, and the rays that sweep in from the blue.

The Seychelles has a definite air of exclusivity.

The way the silken sands give way to artfully arranged blocks of granite, topped with palm trees and lush vegetation… it’s nature’s way of saying you are somewhere special.

High romance and submarine exploration go hand in hand. Explore the reefs from a bolthole out in the blue between getting pampered at a five-star retreat This is a realm of isolated islands, where high romance and submarine exploration go hand in hand. The general rule for divers is to get away from the main island, Mahe, and find yourself a bolthole out in the blue where you can explore the reefs in between getting pampered at a fivestar retreat.

Underwater the scenery is often dominated by more granite blocks, which take on a life of their own, encrusted in corals and sponges.

Between the boulders you are likely to see spiny lobsters, clams and the menacing, poisonous mimics the colours of the reefs in order to ambush smaller fry. These fish are never hostile to divers, but accidents can happen, so it’s best to use your diving skills to prevent any unwitting contact with the reef.

Deep space: splendid isolation in Maldives (above); diving among the Seychelles coral (left)

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Simon Rogerson; Photolibrary

scorpionfish, a master of camouflage, which

diving

The most famous underwater encounter in

with the sharks, as it is too cumbersome and

the Seychelles has to be a swim with a whale

impractical. That said, many Seychelles divers

shark, the biggest fish in the sea. Despite its

have been delighted when one of these gentle

size (it can grow to 12m, the size of a London

giants has happened to sweep past a reef, stealing

bus), the whale shark feeds only on the

attention away from even the prettiest fish.

smallest creatures, using its great mouth to

The main attraction of the Seychelles’ marine

filter zooplankton from the water in the same

scene lies in its variety. Every reef seems to have

manner as the baleen whale. It is naturally

its own speciality, whether it is the sinuous,

cautious, but its behaviour is characterised by

sinister leopard moray eels, the lurking lionfish

occasional curiosity, and it has been known to

or the ever-popular Napoleon wrasse, a monster

swim peacefully around tourists.

fish noted for its friendly nature.

A whale shark sighting can come at any time

Beyond the reefs, the Seychelles has a number

without warning, so keep your fins, mask and

of fascinating shipwrecks, including one widely

snorkel ready for that once in a lifetime swim.

held to be a world class dive, the Ennerdale.

No one really plans to use scuba gear to swim

Situated north east of the main island of

Vary the pace: a green turtle feeds at leisure in the Seychelles; a skittish little pixie hawkfish (above)

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37

diving

Mahe on the way to Praslin, the wreck lies in

jackfish. The atoll of Aldabra is the largest in

an exposed spot and is subject to some fierce

the Indian Ocean, but its isolation is such that

currents, making it an option for experienced

it is only visited by boat-based expeditions.

divers only. The ship was an auxilliary tanker

Recently, the threat of piracy has added a

of the British Fleet that sank after striking an

further deterrent to exploration in this area,

uncharted shallow reef (now listed as Ennerdale

so the glories of Aldabra’s pristine reefs will

Rocks). The wreck was dispersed to prevent it

remain off limits to all but the most intrepid

becoming a hazard to shipping, but the stern

expedition divers for the foreseeable future.

section is still intact at a depth of 30m, and the structure has proven a magnet for marine life.

A tropical archipelago of more than 7,000

Eagle rays and grey reef sharks are often seen

islands and reefs, the Philippines has a huge

here, and the structure itself is home to moray

amount to offer divers. It lies in what marine

eels and a shoal of snapper.

biologists call the Golden Triangle, an area of

For adventurers, the far off islands and reefs

sea between Borneo and New Guinea, which

of the Seychelles provide encounters with

has been proven to contain the highest diversity

sharks and immense schools of barracuda and

of marine species in the world.

Place to unwind: Anse Takamaka beach at Raffles Praslin (this picture), the new Raffles Resort, which will open on Praslin Island (above right); a Water Villa at Raffles Konottaa (right), opening in Maldives in 2011

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

diving

Photography: 4Corners Images; Simon Rogerson; Photolibrary; Rex Features (and following page)

Creatures great and small: a male titan triggerfish (right); a sea slug, Puerto Galera (below right); coral at Cebu (below far right); a giant frogfish (bottom)

For divers, this means that every moment

the utterly bizarre frogfish as it sits motionless

spent underwater is likely to reveal another

on a reef trying to look like a sponge; or you can

freakish fish, another weird crab or colourful

try to find elusive little critters like the pygmy

nudibranch (sea slugs with ultra-gaudy

seahorse (not much bigger than a grain of rice)

colourful patterns). Small wonder that dive

or the ornate ghost pipefish. It’s a journey into

centres in the Philippines tend to have a library

an alien world, a safari in miniature.

of fish identification books to help their guests

Further south, the offshore reefs of Tubbataha

get to grips with the sheer complexity of South-

and Apo are held up as examples of coral

East Asia’s jungle reefs.

development at its most impressive. They stand

There are several well established scuba

in contrast to many inshore reefs, which have

destinations within the Philippines. Within easy

been destroyed by the unsustainable practice

reach of the capital, Manila, is the area known

of dynamite fishing, in which coral outcrops

as Puerto Galera, noted for its array of unusual

are destroyed in order to catch a small number

bottom dwelling fish. Recent years have seen

of fish. That said, there are still beautiful reefs

a fad for photographing small, unusual fish

around the Visayan islands of Cebu and Bohol,

that live both on reefs and in areas of sand or

though they tend to be big on coral and lacking

seagrass. At Puerto Galera you can marvel at

in fish life.

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

39

diving

Life in balance: a thresher shark (below); blackfoot anemonefish in the tentacles of a beautiful sea anemone (bottom); World War II wreck at Coron Bay in the Philippines (bottom right)

My favourite dive in this area is Cabilao

are big wrecks, but local guides have mapped

Island, an achingly beautiful coral islet off Bohol,

them comprehensively and offer tours that

where steep walls are festooned with gorgonian

account for a diver’s skill level and take in the

fan corals. Diving along these walls is like flying

most important features, such as weaponry and

along some precipitous mountain slope, and

key command points.

the drama is heightened by the presence of hammerhead sharks in the waters below.

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

One of the most talked about aspects of Philippine diving is the discovery of a reef

Finally, the Philippines also has a wealth of

where deep water thresher sharks go to have the

shipwrecks. In the north there is Subic Bay,

parasites pecked from their bodies by cleaner

whose murky waters contain relics from the US

fish. The Monad Shoals near Malapascua

Navy’s presence there once. More impressive

Island has now emerged as the best place in

are the Japanese wrecks at Coron Bay in the

the world to see the evasive threshers. It’s just

south of the archipelago, scene of an aerial

another part of the underwater variety that

bombardment in the Second World War as the

makes the Philippines a world-class scuba

Americans sought to cripple the Japanese naval

destination, not to mention one of the world’s

machine in the wake of Pearl Harbour. These

most competitively priced dive spots.

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golf tourism

Cream tees What makes a golf hole great? Its location? Its design? The way it challenges the player? Golf course photographer Mark Alexander canvasses opinion among those in the know and comes up with an outstanding selection of the world’s most spectacular holes

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43

golf tourism

F

ew sports can rival golf for the beauty

array of settings in which this ever expanding

of its playing environment. Every hole

portfolio can be found.

provides a setting that is a pleasure just

Take the 4th at the Tecina Golf Club on the

to walk through, let alone play in. But some

volcanic island of La Gomera, in Spain’s Canary

holes stand out above all others – the world’s

Islands, which springs up from the Atlantic

greatest golf holes.

Ocean like some cartoon treasure island. Laid out

As a golf photographer, I have puzzled for

by British architect Donald Steel, the course clings

years over what exactly makes a golf hole great.

to the steep slopes and gently criss-crosses its way

Are the aesthetics of a place a determining

towards the sea. There are two notable exceptions

factor, or is it all down to the layout of the

to this horizontal descent: the 10th, which offers a

hole? Should the fairway weave its way through

phenomenal tee shot towards a generous fairway

burrows of land or flirt with the banks of a deep,

and an infinity green, and the formidable 4th. The

dark lake? Should the soil be smooth and sandy

10th is commonly viewed as the course’s signature

or manicured like a palatial garden? If ever a

hole, but my preference is the 170 yard, par three

topic warranted subjectivity, this is it.

4th, which, when played from the medal tees, is

Of course, the spread of golf has resulted in

bounded by a huge gully to the left and the crisp

a miraculous body of work to choose from. But

blue waters of the Atlantic beyond. All downhill

as importantly, it has also created a fantastic

and all carry, this is a tee shot to savour.

Photography: Courtesy Tecina Golf Club; (opening pages) Mark Alexander

In full swing: dazzling views from the Tecina Golf Club; the phenomenal 10th (top); the formidable 4th (bottom)

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golf tourism

It’s good advice. Par threes often provide a shortened format that can be easily digested – certainly no blind tee shots or doglegs to deceive here. Perhaps one of the most famous and straightforward of these is the 7th at Pebble Beach, California. Nothing more than a punt with a wedge, this downhill shorty has been photographed more times than Tiger Woods’ Cadillac Escalade. Perhaps it’s due to the inviting green or penal bunkers, but when I shot it, something would have been missing if I hadn’t captured that wave crashing on the rocks. An absolute classic.

Another par three to conjure with is the penultimate hole at the magical White Witch course in Jamaica. “This hole was number 17 when I shot it many years ago, but I know they switch the 9s around on occasion,” says Bradley.

“Once again, it has elevation and dramatic Like many of the world’s most beautiful holes, the 4th at the Tecina is defined by the sea. The remarkable view from the towering tee wouldn’t be quite so breathtaking if it weren’t for the huge expanse of ocean that lies beyond.

It’s a factor not missed by fellow photographer Aiden Bradley, who recognises the deep as a key element in one of his favourite holes.

“The 6th at Batalha has three key ingredients that make it an easy pick,” says Bradley, after selecting the Azorean course. “An elevated tee box, stunning ocean views and simplicity.” It also has whales and dolphins frolicking in the sea, which runs alongside the property, making it very special indeed.

Situated on the north coast of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese Azores, the course consists of 27 holes in three loops, although for Bradley only one really matters.

“The 6th is a par three,” says the Irishman, “so tee it up, swing away and enjoy.”

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Seventh heaven: little margin for error on the 7th at Pebble Beach; the stunning 6th at Batalha (above)

Photography: Aiden Bradley; Courtesy of Mark Alexander; Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Resorts®, and their respective underlying distinctive images are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved. Used by permission

golf tourism

Your spirits lift with the sunshine sparkling on leaves, water and new-mown grass ocean views, but I also love how the bunkers

mown grass, you also must confront what the

frame the green, making the target obvious and

unique combination of nature, the landscaper’s

a miss punishing.”

art and your kind of game can mean on a

While par threes can be short and sweet, they

particular course.”

can also be testing, and while we photographers

Crucially, it is the landscaper’s art that many

look for lofty vantage points and suitably

overlook. The job of a golf course architect is

pleasing vistas, beautiful holes must also instil

to devise a layout that is playable but testing,

a sense of challenge. As a result, their designs

rewarding yet penal, fun and yet taxing. It’s

must entice bravery and penalise recklessness.

tricky, and to do it with any degree of success

In his forward to Robert Trent Jones Jr’s

requires an intimate understanding of what

book Golf By Design, Tom Watson eloquently

makes a golf hole work. Who better to ask,

encapsulates the conflicting forces that weigh

then, about the world’s finest than someone

on your mind when confronted with a special

who designs them?

hole. “At the same time your spirits lift with the sunshine sparkling on leaves, water and new-

Magic numbers: the 17th at White Witch (above); another view of the fabulous 4th at Tecina (right)

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47

golf tourism

“This is tough for an architect as there are so many different reasons to like a golf hole,” says Paul Kimber, the man behind two of the most talked about new courses in Scotland: Machrihanish Dunes and The Castle Course in St Andrews. “For me a good hole is one with options, which provide many different ways to play it, each with their own pros and cons. It is up to the golfer to first see the different options, weigh them up and finally execute the option

Despite being a talented designer, Kimber is also a bit of a maverick, and as if to prove it, he chooses drama over strategy when he opts for one of the world’s most theatrical ocean holes.

“Suckered in by the drama of a one-shotter, and because the rest of the course is simply stunning, I’ll pick the 15th at Cypress Point,” says the Scot. “It is a short par three, which is so often overlooked. It’s just sexy playing over the ocean.”

48

New challenges: the 14th at Machrihanish Dunes (top) and the 6th at Castle Course, St Andrews (above), both designed by Paul Kimber; Kimber’s favourite 15th at Cypress Point (left)

Photography: Courtesy of Macrihanish Dunes; LC Lambrecht / St Andrews Links Trust; Brian Morgan / Action Plus

on that day in the prevailing conditions.”

golf tourism

Another designer with an eye for the exotic is John Strawn, a vastly experienced American

Would St Andrews be as captivating without the Auld Grey Toon lining the 18th fairway?

architect with a fabulously rich body of work.

A great example of this is the 6th at the New

His pick is from the Royal Calcutta Golf Club,

South Wales Golf Club in Sydney, located

the oldest in the world outside the UK.

at Cape Banks on the northern headland of

“The most beautiful hole is the 3rd, where the

Botany Bay. Surrounded by a national park, the

green sits among a cluster of golden chains. It

course is laid out in a links style, but weaves

has all the sights and sounds of India: brilliant

through the hills and valleys that hug the

flowers, birdcalls and the occasional jackal

rugged Pacific Ocean coastline.

basking in the sun. Few golfing experiences can top a round at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.”

“This is a sand duned peninsula, which overlooks Botany Bay,” commented its architect

Remarkable and beautiful, the 3rd at Royal

Dr Alister MacKenzie, “and presents, I think,

Calcutta delivers because it encapsulates so

more spectacular views than any other place

much of India in a simple dogleg. Indeed, while

I know.” And he did know. MacKenzie was a

drama, design and the deep all play a definitive

gifted designer who died shortly before his best

role in the anatomy of a winning hole, it seems

known work hosted its first event at Augusta.

other peripheral factors can play their part too.

Seventy-six years later, his work is still admired

As Strawn rightly points out, the essence of a

by those in the industry.

“It’s a classic Mackenzie,” says Euan Grant,

position of a bunker or the slope of a green.

golf courses and estates manager at Turnberry.

Tee time: the 3rd at India’s historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (above); the classic 6th (below) and 13th (right) at New South Wales Golf Club

Photography: Matthew Harris / TGPL; Gary Lisbon

place can influence golfers just as readily as the

50

playing from the Cape Banks with the Pacific

golf tourism

“It makes the most of the natural terrain behind you and Botany Bay on your left. It’s possibly the best par three I have had the pleasure of playing: bunkers front, right and left, and a green sloping right to left, which leaves you exhilarated after putting out. It’s arguably not the most opulent golf course but certainly one that must be celebrated for its naturalness and quality of architecture.”

New South Wales is approximately 20 minutes from Sydney, but a million miles from the birdcalls at Royal Calcutta or the drama of Cypress Point. Like so many debates surrounding golf, what makes a good hole great really depends on the golfer playing it rather than the landscape, climate or machinations of the designer. After all, golf is a game played as much in the head as it is on the ground.

Golf in the Garden of Eden There are golfing destinations, and then there is the Seychelles.

Famed for its beauty, this archipelago was once thought to be the site of the Garden of Eden, which is otherwise known as Praslin, the second largest island in the republic and the ideal setting for the new Raffles Praslin Resort.

Measuring just 10km by 3.7km, it would take approximately two hours to leisurely cruise around this incredible island in a car. On route, you’d find two of the world’s top ten beaches, a World Heritage site and the only championship golf course in the Seychelles.

Lémuria was opened ten years ago after architect Rodney Wright created a layout of jaw dropping beauty. The fantastic track reaches its crescendo at the par three 15th, where players face a 50m drop to a green protected in the valley below. With the beautiful white sand of the Anse Georgette and the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean beyond, this is a must-play hole in anyone’s book.

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51

Fashion

You look like a million dollars!

Dresses bedecked with vast fortunes in diamonds or gold will always grab attention, but as Francesca Twinn finds out, it’s the sense of wearing something unique, more than the price of the materials, that makes a girl feel special

Photography: Courtesy of Danasha Luxury, Stephen Wong

O

ver the past decade, the world

the

of fashion has literally flashed

which it is decorated.

before our eyes. A dazzling

“Stocks drop, gold

751

diamonds

procession of intricately detailed and jewel

is

adorned dresses, tagged with jaw-dropping

but a diamond is

prices, has swept across the fashion pages,

forever,” he said.

then just as quickly been swept away to be

“This is a dress

guarded under lock and key. What are these

with diamonds. Why

dresses? And what value do they bring to the

go backwards? Why

fashion world?

can’t we go forwards?”

Making its fabulously unashamed debut in

even

with

falling

Abdullah is not alone in

2009, seemingly oblivious to any economic

his faith in diamonds. In spring

troubles, came ‘the world’s most expensive

2010, another dress dripping in glamour,

dress’. The Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur silk

glitter and gold made its debut at the Miami

gown by Malaysian designer Faisol Abdullah

International Fashion Week. Priced at $1.5m,

was priced at $30m, a tag justified as “value

the Danasha Luxury Gown is trimmed with

for money”, in the words of the designer, by

more than 1,500 Belgian diamonds, handset

Shining examples: Danasha diamond bejewelled gown (opposite); The Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur, the world’s most expensive dress at $30m (above)

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

53

Fashion

in some 500g of 18ct gold. Created for the

Three years earlier, in Japan in 2007, 1,500

Danasha jewellery brand by fast rising

Austrian gold coins gleamed from a $1.2m

Lebanese designer Jad Ghandour, it earned

dress, accompanied by a duo of jackets,

him the Excellence in Eveningwear Award at

on the runway of Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion

Miami.

College. And in 2009, eight Chinese factory

In 2006, US jewellery designer Martin

workers in Nanjing spent 40 days sewing

Katz and designer Renée Strauss created a

2,009 peacock feathers to make a $1.5m

$12m wedding gown. Here came the bride,

wedding dress for one blushing bride.

all dressed in 150ct of white diamonds.

If fashion is a statement, then what are

The following year, Japanese wedding gown

these dresses trying to say? Money is no

designer Yumi Katsura unveiled an $8.5m

object? Or perhaps, money is the sole object?

creation with 1,000 pearls and a rare diamond

In 2010, British fashion student Hannah

– one of only two in the world.

Cooper took the concept to its blatant

But maybe diamonds aren’t your thing?

conclusion, unveiling a dress resplendent with £1m in £20 notes printed on pieces of silver silk. The idea came to her after her parents won £2.5m on the lottery.

So is it about feeling a million dollars or getting noticed? Or do the two go hand in hand? When talking about high value dresses, Marc Feldman, President of the World Fashion Council, dismisses the gemencrusted gowns and the lavish bridalwear.

“The first are merely expensive jewellery display cases and the second the entry point for a diamond studded future.”

True value, he asserts, is created in the design houses of Chanel, Gaultier and Dior, where it’s not only the materials and detail but the priceless skills and experience of the couturiers that give a dress its worth. It’s from these Haute Couture houses of Paris, and from Milan, he says, that the most expensive dresses are born.

Worth their weight: 1,500 Austrian gold coins decorate a dress and two jackets at the Bunka Fashion college student’s fashion show in Tokyo in 2007

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Corbis

Stéphane Rolland, one of the few official

Galeries lafayette

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Fashion

Unique and authentic: a creation from the Stéphane Rolland Spring/Summer 2010 collection

members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, agrees. “Haute Couture dresses are unique and exclusive pieces, often the expression of the real exceptional Parisian savoir faire. Haute Couture is the diamond on the crown.

“I don’t want to disappoint the readers, but I’ve never done a $1m Haute Couture dress.

I’ve done many €400,000 exceptional ones, and not for promotional or charity events. But the price doesn’t always justify the creativity.

The most spectacular are wedding dresses or special orders for Henna ceremonies in the Middle East. One of the most recent was a real piece of art, embroidered with 25,000 pieces

“Haute Couture is unique and exclusive, often the expression of the real Parisian savoir faire. It is the diamond on the crown” of Plexiglas, inspired by the work of the new trendy architect Daniel Widrig. My creations Zaha Hadid and Anish Kapoor are two of my mentors. You can feel it in the way I drape my dresses in gazar, my favourite material.”

Feldman takes up the theme. “Each dress shown by a couture house in the Paris Couture Fashion Week is a ‘one of a kind’, handmade dress. Each requires hundreds of hours of hand labour – not just any hand labour but the hand labour of a very, very small, exclusive group of highly skilled masters, who have learned and practised their craft over a lifetime. Their

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Courtesy of Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture

are mostly inspired by Modern Art, and

Fashion

not worn to the most important backroom, front row, luxury box or onstage events, these dresses would be receiving the highest quality curatorial care the world’s best museums could offer.”

Just how does one get to wear one of these masterpieces? Well, that’s all part of the appeal.

The thrill of wearing a one-off dress goes hand in hand with the ego boosting realisation that you are one of the privileged few: a top model, a star actress, a VIP client of one of the ateliers.

Model Lauren Budd, who recently became the face of Lavazza, knows the feeling. “For the 2009 Elle Style Awards, [British designer] Giles Deacon made me a gorgeous silver and baby pink corset dress. Wearing a one-of-a-kind dress made me feel glamorous and unique.”

What we’re talking about here is nothing short of a work of art. Imagine being given a Michelangelo to hang on your wall for a day.

Celebrity make-up and hair artist Michael Ashton has seen many of these rare treasures taken out of the ‘vault’ for the camera.

“Working with celebrities, we are often shooting couture gowns pulled from designer archives,

Photography: Corbis

Bejewelled splendour: Dior goes heavy on the gems, autumnwinter 1997; more understated glitz from Basil Soda, springsummer 2010 (right)

knowledge can be thought of as representing

and movement.” So it’s the making of the dress

accumulated knowledge over generation upon

itself, rather than any ostentatious adornments,

generation of masters, who have personally

that gives it its unique, priceless appeal.

selected who to pass on their knowledge and

“It is not untypical to see the addition of exotic

artistry to; everything from the smallest stitch to

materials, from rare feathers to rare stones,” says

the thread used to make that stitch. The fabrics

Feldman, “but importantly, rare stones are not

also come from an equally distinguished and

added to impress, they are essential to the entire

rarefied origin. The fabrics are perfect in every

design aesthetic. These are not merely dresses, they

way, from weave to sheen, weight to feel, flow

are the height of culture, events in themselves. If

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

57

locked away behind closed doors. But Marc

and on the silver screen from Hollywood

Feldman argues that the value of these

to Bollywood.” Michael Ashton adds, “The

dresses goes way beyond their price. “Not

million dollar look has to be pulled together

only is each of these couture dresses a bargain

with elegant styling and natural poise to

at a million dollars, since they are, in fact,

ensure a woman is wearing a dress rather

priceless and non-repeatable, but it is these

than it wearing her.”

one-of-a-kind designs that drive the entire

So rest assured that in order to feel a million

global fashion and clothing economy with

dollars, you don’t have to literally wear it. The

every item, even the most expensive. Each

true value of a dress is not determined by its

of these dresses provides its fashion DNA to

price. According to Stéphane Rolland, only

the entire global fashion economy and can be

one thing decides what makes a true million

seen on the streets from Tokyo to New York,

dollar look: “The husband!”

which never went onto the shop floor but have been stored for reference or red carpet occasions.

These are actually priceless as they would never be available to purchase. That is what makes them even more exquisite and desirable.”

Occasionally these masterpieces appear at auction, and then their value can be quantified.

Pat Frost, director and specialist head of textiles and costumes at Christie’s, says, “The perfect item for auction, in terms of price, would be a one-off gown made by a highly regarded designer at the peak of their career, or perhaps when they were an unknown, worn and owned by a top celebrity, with photographic evidence of the event. Big names and provenance are key, with pictures of a starlet wearing the item assisting in bringing the piece to life in the eyes of the bidders.”

A classic example is the dress Marilyn Monroe

The X factor: modern luxury from Elie Saab (top) and Franck Sorbier (above) Haute Couture collections fall-winter 2010-11; Marilyn Monroe sings ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ in that dress at Madison Square Garden, New York, 1962 (right)

wore to sing Happy Birthday to President Kennedy. “The dress is so iconic, as is Monroe,” says Frost, “and the occasion is so well known and well documented around the world.” No surprise then that it became the most expensive dress at the New York auction house in 1999.

A cynic might question the values of a fashion industry that creates masterpieces to be seen once, like mayflies, and are then

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Corbis

ever sold at Christie’s when it fetched $1,267,500

Jewellery

Jewellery

Time to sparkle If the dress is worth a million dollars, the accessories need to measure up. Maria Doulton picks out the latest jewellery, watches and handbags for ladies with an insatiable taste in glamour

O

“

h no! I spent so much time

“You have to be wearing serious one-off

putting on my jewellery that I

high jewellery with a unique one-off dress,”

forgot my underwear,” said a New

advises London PR Joan Rolls, who has

York accent from behind the bathroom in a

dressed many a star in fabulous jewellery. But

chateau just outside Paris, where a glamorous

there are rules, or at least guidelines, about

soirée was in full swing. A few minutes later

how to team up that million dollar dress with

she emerged to reveal the full glory of her

jewels, watches and, of course, a clutch.

stunning, ankle-length, ivory couture sheath

“You have got to be so careful,” advises Rolls.

dress and a mesmerising shimmering of

“Always err on the side of elegance rather than

diamonds. One look at her ensemble and you

being like a Christmas tree. Sometimes just an

could understand why other details may have

armful of diamond bracelets can be very chic.”

slipped her mind.

Divas take note: if a dress is covered in

Vintage diamond bracelets twinkled from

sequins you should avoid large quantities of

wrist to elbow. A fabulous ‘zipper necklace’

diamonds; high necklines favour fabulous

with diamond teeth sparkled around her neck.

earrings, while a low neckline is ideal for a

At the end of the necklace, diamond briolettes,

necklace and bracelet, but don’t go wearing

in a tassle the size of grandpa’s shaving brush,

it all at once. “It is just scary to see someone

dangled jauntily.

wearing earrings, a necklace and a bracelet,”

I mention this anecdote about our New

says Rolls.

York friend as it shows that having is

watch editor at Tatler magazine,

just not enough, and the

agrees. “It is about balance.

business of choosing the

The couture clothing and

right jewellery is not to be

jewellery should not fight

taken lightly. Just as there is

against each other, but

a

Best supporting accessories: actress Evan Rachel Wood puts it all together perfectly at the 81st Academy Awards 2009 (main); an opulent jewel encrusted ring from Chopard (right)

Jessica Walsh, fashion, jewellery and

magnificent

dress

Haute Couture, there is also

enhance and complement,”

Haute Joaillerie. Like their clothing

she proclaims.

equivalent, these creations are the pinnacle of

So how do you go about

their craft and available but to the very few.

finding that perfect necklace

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

61

Jewellery

for that perfect dress? Haute Joaillerie has a

Chopard

gravitas beyond the shifting sands of fashion

Scheufele. “Whilst jewels used to be much

but it is still subject to trends. Increasingly

more

evident is that comfort and wearability are

big events, mainly designed and set with

becoming paramount. Unlike the regalia of

diamonds, more and more colourful precious

yore, today much high jewellery looks like you

and semi-precious gemstones have made an

could slip it on and skip down the Champs

appearance in the past few years.

-Elysées on a summer’s day.

co-President

traditional

and

Caroline

Gruosi-

uni-coloured

for

“Sometimes mixing and matching can be fun

This increased wearability is due to two

and liven up an outfit, but it needs to be styled

things: the first is clever and painstaking

carefully. For instance, a beautiful evening

construction, using techniques that vie with

gown does not always need a serious dramatic

the Eiffel Tower for engineering complexity.

piece of high jewellery.”

Miniature hinges, articulations and hidden

Coco Chanel knew how to mix couture and

supports allow maximum movement and

diamonds, and in 1932 she hosted the opulent

sit lightly on the body. The second is a

Bijoux de Diamants exhibition in Paris. The

heightened interest in unusual stones and

high value of the pieces raised a few eyebrows

often in unexpected colours, such as soft grey

during this time of deep financial crisis. Though

or powder green sapphires or burnt orange

the jewels were dismantled, what remained was

topaz or the vivid tableau of opals.

Chanel’s fresh way to sport the aristocracy’s

Meanwhile, the penchant for solitaire

favourite stone. And from the 2010 Plumes de

diamonds the size of gobstoppers is on the

Chanel high jewellery collection, I can think

62

combinations of stones are in vogue. Think of

opal shot through with a neon burns moodily

jewellery like music: the notes are all there,

alongside purple sapphires and a shimmering

but they are singing a different tune.

cascade of diamonds.

Shaking up the traditional hierarchy of

My favourites are the fruity hues of

high jewellery are rough chrysoberyl beads,

padparadscha and peach coloured sapphires

morganites, spinels or the sunset pinky orange

surrounded by swirls of diamonds, and all

padparadscha variety rubbing shoulders with

held on the neck by a thick rope of dozens of

diamonds, pearls and emeralds. Thirty years

strands of miniature natural pearls the colour

ago, Paloma Picasso caused a stir with her first

of baby’s fingernails.

jewellery collection for Tiffany & Co, which

Or take the famous 1948 Maharajah of

brought fiery orange opals and shocking

Patiala’s necklace, Cartier’s largest single

pink tourmalines into fashion. In 2010 she

commission. Today Cartier has given this

marked the anniversary with three new,

famous design a new twist, and though it strings

equally bold collections, featuring Moroccan

up a hefty 50ct yellow diamond, the necklace

inspired lattices of brightly polished yellow

has been engineered to leave you feeling at ease

gold holding red jasper, black onyx, blue lapis

and not on parade as the diamonds are singing

lazuli and jade-green nephrite.

a more laid back tune.

Another example of daring combinations of

“The glamour of both Haute Couture

stones can be seen chez Cartier, where a white

and fine jewellery goes hand in hand,” says

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Moments of brilliance: the ceremonial necklace of the Maharaja of Patiala, given a new twist by Cartier in 2002 (top); chic feather brooch from the Plumes de Chanel collection (above)

Photography: Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection; Eyevine; (opening pages) Reuters; Chopard

wane and more original and thought provoking

and diamond earrings that are so original they

special dress than the replica of the original

will keep everyone guessing as to just what

1932 feather brooch. About the size of your

those stones are.

hand, the diamond feather is, dare I say it, as

Van Cleef & Arpels is a must for highly

light as a feather and is articulated so that you

creative high jewellery. The White Nile necklace

can wear it draped over a shoulder, at the hip or

is the one for me. Sapphires, green tsavorites,

even in the hair like a tiara.

spessartites, demantoid garnets, diamonds and

If it is va-va-voom you are after to spice up an outfit, then Victoire de Castellane’s jewellery

emeralds paint a hazy early morning view of the Nile as seen from a balloon.

at Dior is the place to go. My favourite is from

Away from the ateliers of Paris, there are some

the Coffret de Victoria collection, an outsized

superb pieces coming out of the workshops

ring that sets an intriguing scene. Inspired by

of South-East Asia. A fine collection of jade

Bollywood, a bright green enamel and diamond

jewellery in a luminous spectrum of green

snake slithers over sky blue turquoise stones

red, gold, lavender and white, can be found

set off by spangled, glossy sweet red lacquer to

at On Cheong Jewellery, which has been an

reach a bulging pomegranate.

established jeweller in Singapore since 1936.

If there was one piece I had to take from

La Putri, which has outlets in Kuala Lumpur

Harry Winston’s new collection it wouldn’t be

and Singapore, has been specialising in

the 69ct intense yellow diamond ring at more

hand crafted unique items since 1973, while

than US$10m, but the pink sapphire, spinel

Singapore’s famous Lee Hwa Jewellery has

Perfect partners: Nil Blanc earrings from Van Cleef & Arpels Les Voyages Extraordinaires collection (above); green jadeite earrings from La Putri (top right); pastel pearl earrings (right)

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard and La Putri

Jewellery

of nothing more chic to wear with that very

Jewellery

continued to attract a star studded clientele since pioneering the use of purple gold ten years ago. La Putri’s latest collection reflects the wider trend for subtlety and colour, with luscious jadeite, padparadscha sapphires and pastel coloured pearls all featuring.

As for watches, the most exciting designs are at the big houses with the workshops and the gem setting and horological know-how to push the boat out in this field. Though it is difficult to fit large stones onto a watch, the quality of the settings and minute attention to detail take horology well into the night.

Just one watch will do in the place of a necklace and bracelet, particularly if it is Cartier’s spinel extravaganza. Rows of spinel beads form a thick swag of crimson around

Timeless creations: a diamond monkey frolics on this watch from Chopard (far left); West Coast watch from Van Cleef & Arpels’ California Reverie collection (left)

the wrist that lead to a carved spinel framed by a ribbon-like flourish of diamonds. Flip up the stone and underneath is a little dial.

Estelle Arpels, wife of Alfred Van Cleef, was known to ‘minauder’ (make coquette faces). Pretty Kiki, as she was known, was the source of the minaudière’s name And now... what bag to wear with the

Looking divine: Roses vanity cases from Van Cleef & Arpels

dress, jewels and watch? Traditionally it would be a minaudière – a small, precious metal rectangular box, lavishly decorated with gems. This was a style that became fashionable in the 1920s. Often the ornate fastening could be detached to form a brooch or belt buckle.

Minaudières are linked to Van Cleef & Arpels because Estelle Arpels, wife of founder Alfred Van Cleef, was known to ‘minauder’ (make coquette faces). Pretty Kiki, as she was known, was the source of the minaudière’s name. The Minaudière brand name is still the exclusive property of Van Cleef & Arpels.

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

65

Jewellery

The original Minaudière was a series of

Don’t leave without them: Bea Valdes ‘Georgia’ evening bag (far left); Judith Leiber zebra and wild cat clutches (left and centre); Lotus Arts de Vivre bags (bottom centre and right); Judith Lieber ‘Heart and Soul’ evening bag (below)

concealed miniature compartments that held everything a sophisticated woman would need: make-up, a retractable watch, lipstick, cigarette holder, a lorgnette, opera glasses, a tortoiseshell comb, a powder case, a lighter, a pillbox, a box of candies.

Van Cleef & Arpels still produces these delightful little bejeweled boxes in gold set with precious stones.

www.cartier.com

choose a pink heart to add a touch of

www.chanel.com

romance to your look, or, if you’re feeling

www.diorjoaillerie.com

wild, a tiger or zebra might suit your mood?

www.harrywinston.com

Or how about an exotic Bea Valdes stone-

www.judithleiber.com

encrusted pouch? Lotus Arts de Vivre is

www.laputri.com

another name for boho chic evening bags,

www.leehwajewellery.com

while Swarovski clutches add extra razzle-

www.lotusartsdevivre.com

dazzle to your outfit.

www.oncheong.com

So have you remembered all that? Or will

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

www.beavaldes.com

www.swarovski.com

you let one small detail slip your mind as

www.thejewelleryeditor.com

you prepare the perfect ensemble for that

www.tiffany.com

special night?

www.vancleef-arpels.com

Photography: Courtesy Arts de Vivre and Couturelab

Other options would be one of Judith Leiber’s sparkling little shaped clutches:

2009

“ (…) one of the all-time great Ducru-Beaucaillous. ”

Robert Parker - April 2010

2008

“ Full, with very fine tannins and a racy finish. I love the precision of the tannins and the long finish. ”

James Suckling - Wine Spectator - April 2009

2007

“ Intense black-red, really good depth and lots of warm fruit, big, fleshy and spicy, with richness and powerful elegance. ” Steven Spurrier - Decanter - April 2008

2006

“ This is a big, meaty, masculine wine built for considerable longevity. ”

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - February 2009

2005

“ It is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful, sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and creme de cassis. ”

Gaulon_bird

Robert Parker - April 2008

2004

“ Gorgeous aromas of crushed blackberry and currant. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. ”

James Suckling - Wine Spectator - March 2007

2003

“ A blockbuster. A classic big, juicy claret.”

James Suckling - Wine Spectator - January 2006

“ Bruno Borie desserves accolades for the remarkable things he has accomplished at Ducru-Beaucaillou over the last few years. ” Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate - April 2009

CHÂTEAUX ET DOMAINES J.E. BORIE

W e

s e r v e

e x c e l l e n c e

Wine

Wine

A very good year 2009 was hailed as one of the best vintages ever for Bordeaux, but how well did the rest of the world’s wine regions fare?

Peter McCombie MW picks out the ones to watch

Photography: Cephas

B

ordeaux vintages have a huge impact

looks for freshness and elegance, whereas an

on

vintages

American palate will stereotypically look for

worldwide. Yet a moment’s reflection

our

impression

of

power and concentration. In reality it isn’t

will show how ludicrous it is that all of us –

that clear cut and critics agree more often

even wine professionals – can be swayed by

than they disagree; but typically, Europeans

the maelstrom of hype and headlines that

are less keen on, for example, the warmer

surrounds any half decent Bordeaux vintage.

Californian vintages lauded by American

Like Bordeaux, many of our most famous wine

critics, preferring those that are cooler (but

regions have variable climates. This means

not cold).

that vintage quality is variable. Unfortunately

Or consider 2003 Bordeaux. America’s most

they are not always variable at the same time

influential critic Robert Parker Jr is popularly

in the same way.

thought to rate the vintage highly, whereas

Great timing: glasses of Chateau Petit-Village Pomerol 2009 (main); vintage Bordeaux (above)

The notion of what makes a top vintage has,

Europeans thought it too hot. But Parker

to some extent, changed. We used to talk about

was at pains to point out, “While there is

Of course, any vintage rating must be

ripeness – the best wines come from healthy,

always a tendency by consumers as well as the

related to end use. If we are buying for our

ripe grapes. Now we know that sugar ripeness

wine trade to look at a vintage in black and

own drinking pleasure we will view a vintage

is not enough, we also look for physiological

white terms, 2003 is a year of extraordinary

rating differently, depending on whether we

ripeness. The old cliché pictures the winemaker

subtleties… there is no one style of 2003

plan to drink soon or cellar the wine. Indeed,

measuring sugar in grape juice, using a

Bordeaux that characterises the vintage.”

if investment potential is not an issue, we are free to largely ignore vintage ratings and trust

refractometer. Nowadays a variety of metrics

That is also the downside of relying on a

are used, but one key variable is taste. Today’s

vintage rating for a whole region. Inevitably

best winemakers sample grapes, seeking ripe

some producers always make better wine,

Nevertheless, outside of Bordeaux, the

flavour precursors, in other words flavours

but in some vintages some perform better

2009 vintage had plenty to offer. France in

that may not be present in the finished wine,

or worse than the norm. It may be because

general saw very good growing conditions,

but which, when found, give clues as to what

of localised weather or sheer hard work, but

with wine producers from Hugel & Fils in

flavours can be expected in the finished wine.

our own judgement.

a relatively poor vintage rating should not

Alsace to Domaine Pichard, right down near

To complicate matters further, not everyone

override the evidence of our own palate.

the Spanish border, reporting all the signs of a

agrees on exactly what we are looking for. What

Often the producer’s name on the label can

great year. In many cases the wines are not yet

might very broadly be called a European palate

be a more reliable guide than vintage alone.

bottled, so judgements now remain tentative.

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

71

Wine

Great grapes: Pinot Noir harvest for Domaine Comte Senard winery (left); Gamay grapes in Beaujolais (below)

Beaujolais Less glamorous than mainstream Burgundy and, of course, made from Gamay rather than the more aristocratic Pinot Noir, Beaujolais can nevertheless be appreciated for its sheer drinkability. 2009 was a truly excellent vintage in Beaujolais, so look out for the Cru wines, which sadly don’t say Beaujolais on the label, but are labelled with the name of a village or cru, such as Brouilly or Morgon. Most of the 2009s are absolutely delicious and should be bought now for immediate drinking and short-term cellaring. Here again the producer’s name on the label matters.

A look at the weather and the state of the fruit moves me to put 2009 up with 2005 and 1999 as the best of the last 25 years Burgundy Leading Burgundian expert Clive Coates MW’s early report on the vintage said, “It is already clear that 2009 has followed the general run of ‘9’ vintages and is very good indeed. It is still too early to make definitive assessments, but a “simple look at the weather conditions and the state of the fruit as it was being collected moves me to put 2009 up with 2005 and 1999 as the very best of the last 25 years. It is also quite plentiful, as was 1999.” levels of alcohol (high) and acidity (low). It may turn out to be, as Coates suggests, like 1985, when some wines were early maturing and others were long-term keepers. Watch out for these wines early in 2011 when they will start to be released.

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Cephas; Corbis

Question marks remain, perhaps, about

Wine

Italy

del Duero and “very good” in Rioja for the

As elsewhere, it is hard to generalise about a

fourth year in a row. Spain remains a source

vintage across Italy; a long, narrow country

of reliably big-hearted reds, but increasingly

with lots of mountains means varied terroirs

is turning out fresh, delicious whites, the best

and varied wines. Nevertheless, 2009 saw a

of which can be age-worthy.

fairly hot and dry summer – the hottest since 2003 – across the country, so wines can be

USA

expected to be full-bodied and rich.

Throughout, Californian winemakers were

Growers are mostly positive if not wildly

pleased with 2009. “It was a one in ten year

enthusiastic. Whites and some reds for

kind of harvest,” said Joe Norman, assistant

current drinking should be worth paying

winemaker at the iconic Heitz Wine Cellars

attention to. It is mostly too early to make

in Napa Valley. “The fruit came in without a

judgements about the heavyweights, although

rush, ripening slowly and showing good fruit

the Brunello Consorzio already rates 2009 as

quality. All the sensitive grapes were in before

four star (“optimal”).

the October rain.”

Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery in Paso

Spain

Robles was pleased with the 2009 vintage. “We

2009 looks generally promising across the

do make reserve wines when we have a special

board in Spain, with local consejos (regulatory

vintage, but we never make a determination

bodies) rating it as “excellent” in Ribera

for more than a year after harvest,” he said.

Lands of plenty: Heitz Wine Cellars vineyard, California (above); Trentino Alto Adige, Italy (bottom left); poppies growing in the Ribera del Duero vineyard (below) and the Ribera del Duero winery (bottom)

“This year, we are already talking about making a reserve.”

In Oregon, growers reported plentiful yields in some areas and the potential for a high quality vintage. A warm and dry harvest period gave way to cooler than expected conditions in late September and early October, but fortunately the majority of the fruit throughout the state to Dr Greg Jones, a climatologist at Southern Oregon University.

A final heat spike at harvest dehydrated many

clusters,

reducing

yields

and

concentrating flavours. Extended hang time was reported throughout the state, as growers and winemakers waited for optimal flavour development and ripeness to counter slightly elevated sugar levels. The wines are likely to be forward so will make a great alternative while the red Burgundies mature.

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Photolibrary; Fernando Fernández / WENAEWE

was at or near its ripening plateau, according

Wine

Australia In a country as big as Australia it is difficult to generalise about vintages. South Australia was hot, meaning lower yields and great concentration, but early opinion is mixed on quality, with some growers very enthusiastic.

Coonawarra and Clare Valley are looking good. To the east, Victoria suffered with extreme heat and bush fires, so reds in particular are variable, but Margaret River in Western Australia had a cooler vintage with considerable quality potential.

It was a near perfect vintage. Resulting wines are deeply coloured, elegant yet ripe, enjoying particular freshness

Blossom and bloom: Balnaves of Coonwarra Cellar Door (top right); women harvesting at Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (right)

Argentina 2009 in Argentina. It was otherwise a near perfect vintage, with a long, warm and dry growing season without heat spikes but with good levels of temperature variation. The resulting wines are deeply coloured, elegant yet ripe, enjoying particular freshness due to the higher levels of natural acidity.

These well balanced 2009s may well match the outstanding 2006s. The best reds will undoubtedly reward cellaring.

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FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

Photography: Dru Reschke, Koonara Wines; Photolibrary

Frost damage reduced overall volumes in

Lapostolle Lapostollewines; wines;organically organicallymanaged, managed,

environmentally environmentallyfriendly, friendly,carbon carbonneutral neutraldelivery. delivery.

When WhenAlexandra AlexandraMarnier MarnierLapostolle Lapostolle arrived arrivedininChile, Chile,she sherealized realized the thecountry’s country’spotential potentialforforproducing producing world-class world-classwine. wine.ItItis isininthis thisideal ideal setting setting- home - hometotovines vinesoriginating originating from frompre-phylloxera pre-phylloxeraroot rootstock stockbrought brought from fromBordeaux Bordeauxininthe the1860’s 1860’s- that - that she shefounded foundedLapostolle Lapostolleinin1994.

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Organic Organic Vineyard Vineyard Management Management Organic Organic && Biodynamic® Biodynamic® Vineyard Vineyard Management Management 100% 100% of of our our vineyards vineyards areare in in thethe process process of of certification certification byby CERES, CERES, and and in in 2011 2011 wewe will will bebe fully fully certified. certified.

WeWe protect protect notnot only only thethe purity purity of of thethe fruit fruit in in our our wines wines butbut also also our our environment environment and and thethe people people that that work work in in our our vineyards. vineyards.

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Wine

Chile With plenty of heat and not much rain, it was generally an abundant vintage in Chile. In the warmer Central Valley areas, the warmth suited late ripening reds better, but where there was stronger coastal influence, often it was the white varieties that did better. It was a good year for Chardonnay from cooler sites in Casablanca and a particularly good vintage for Pinot Noir and Syrah. The best Sauvignon Blanc wines will come from vineyards where yields were restrained. Where the cooling

A way of life: huaso on horseback in a Pinot noir vineyard at Casa Lapostolle, Casablanca, Chile (left); Leyda district near the Pacific Ocean, south-west of Santiago, Chile (above); harvesting Moscatel Rosado grapes for Pisco in the Elqui Valley, Chile (below left); Dog Point vineyard in New Zealand’s Marlborough region (below)

influence of the Pacific was stronger, notably San Antonio Valley – including Leyda and both Elqui and Limarí Valleys – whites did particularly well.

New Zealand

New Zealand wine production is dominated by one region, Marlborough, and one grape, Sauvignon Blanc, which set the tone for the whole country. 2009 was a very good vintage for both, but all but the most ambitious will now be sold. Do look out for top bottlings like Noir from Marlborough and elsewhere will also offer immediate pleasure, although the more complex examples, along with Syrah, will benefit from a few years cellaring.

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Photography: Cephas

Dog Point Section 94. Chardonnay and Pinot

Luxury has now a name, yours.

*Le Luxe a désormais un nom. Le vôtre / Un service de personnalisation dédié. Graver votre bouteille.

*

A dedicated personnalisation service to make your bottle uniquely yours.*

L’a b u s d ’a Lc o o L e s t d a n g e r e u x p o u r L a s a n t é . À c o n s o m m e r av e c m o d é r at i o n .

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Cocktails

Cocktails

Shaken and stirred Cocktails before dinner – the very idea conjures images of the inter-war years, the 1920s and 1930s, an era of style, sophistication and glamour. The appeal of those times never fades, and now the cocktail is enjoying a boom – and not just before dinner either.

Tim Glynne-Jones mixes up a taste of the latest concoctions, along with a selection of current favourites from around Raffles’ hotels

Photography: Alamy; Photolibrary

F

rom 22nd to 27th November, Raffles

taste of the crudely produced spirits that were

City Convention Centre in Singapore

illicitly served in the speakeasies. Gin was the

hosted the 59th Congress of the

most common spirit, providing the base for the

International Bartender Association (IBA).

classic Martini and, of course, the Singapore

The highlight of this exciting event each year

Sling, invented at Raffles; but as the style

is the World Cocktail Competition, which

evolved and more variations were invented,

brings together bartenders from around the

all the popular spirits played their part in

world to shake their thing and impress the

cocktails such as the Margarita (tequila), Mint

judges with their mixing skills, their flair and

Julep (bourbon), Daiquiri (rum), Manhattan

their efficiency.

(whiskey) and Sidecar (brandy).

Cocktails date back to the beginning of

In the past ten years, cocktails have regained

the 19th Century, when they were mixed to

popularity, with vodka, the base for the Harvey

provide fortitude rather than refreshment. The

Wallbanger, Screwdriver and White Russian,

idea of serving cocktails as an aperitif at social

playing a major part, its unique kick appearing

functions didn’t arise until 1917, when the first

in an array of drinks with outrageous names.

documented cocktail party was thrown by a Mrs

Raffles’ own bartenders know a thing or

Julius Walsh of St Louis, Missouri. Cocktails

two about cocktails too, so while we await the

became popular in the early 20th Century,

creation of the next World Cocktail Champion,

during prohibition in the United States, when

here are the recipes for the favourites being

added ingredients were required to mask the

served at Raffles Hotels and Resorts.

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Cocktails

Singapore Sling Raffles Hotel, Singapore The Singapore Sling (pictured) was created at Raffles Hotel at the turn of the century by Hainanese-Chinese bartender, Mr Ngiam Tong Boon. In the hotel’s museum, visitors may view the safe in which Mr Ngiam locked away his precious recipe books, as well as the Sling recipe hastily jotted down on a bar chit in 1936 by a visitor to the hotel who asked the waiter for it.

Originally,

the

Singapore

Sling

was

intended to be a woman’s drink, hence the appealing pink colour. Today it is very definitely a cocktail that is enjoyed by all, and without which any visit to Raffles Hotel is incomplete.

30ml Gin 15ml Heering Cherry Liqueur 120ml pineapple juice 15ml lime juice 7.5ml Cointreau 7.5ml Bénédictine 10ml Grenadine A dash of Angostura Bitters Club soda Slice of pineapple and a cherry for garnish

45ml lemongrass syrup 30ml Calamansi Concentrate

Shake all the ingredients, except for the

30ml lemon juice

Club Soda, and strain into a Sling glass with

15ml lime juice

Cocktail of champions

some crushed ice in it. Top up with soda and

15ml simple syrup

Sweet Road by Vladimir Banak, 2009

garnish with pineapple and cherry.

90ml sparkling mineral water

World Cocktail Champion

Grated lime zest and stick of lemongrass

30ml Absolut Raspberri

Singapore Slipstream

for garnish

Raffles Hotel, Singapore

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15ml Monin Crème de Cassis liqueur 10ml Monin Vanilla Syrup

This non-alcoholic cocktail was created

Put six cubes of ice in a highball glass. Add

10ml Monin Strawberry Syrup

by Long Bar Assistant Bar Manager Jimmy

lemongrass syrup, Calamansi juice, lemon

15ml cream (float)

Lim and was chosen as one of two signature

juice, lime juice and syrup and stir. Top up

Shake and strain into a Libbey Bravura

cocktails to be served at the 2010 Singapore

with sparkling mineral water. Garnish with

glass and garnish with cacao powder

Grand Prix.

grated lime zest and a fold of lemongrass.

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R IEN DE GR A N D NE SE FA IT EN U N JOUR Atteindre la perfection ne dépend que du temps que l’on s’accorde. Cette philosophie a toujours été celle de William Grant, fondateur de la distillerie Glenfiddich. Son goût de la perfection, transmis pendant 5 générations, a aujourd’hui trois visages : Glenfiddich 12 ans au goût vif et fruité, Glenfiddich 15 ans, un single malt rond et généreux marié dans un immense fût Solera ayant contenu des grands vins de Xéres et enfin Glenfiddich 18 ans, un single malt complexe aux notes boisées. Cette trilogie reflète la quête continuelle de perfection et de créativité de Glenfiddich Rejoignez Glenfiddich sur www.glenfiddich.fr

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ, À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION

Cocktails

Paris Sling Raffles Paris – Le Royal Monceau This refreshing cocktail keeps the historical basics of the Singapore Sling, based on gin, lemon juice, Cointreau and cherry liqueur.

Its creator, Gregory Hazac, added a dash of Peychaud’s Bitters instead of Bénédictine and left out the soda, making the cocktail shorter and a bit stronger.

The ‘sling’ part (meaning refreshing) is provided by a very light foam of cherry and pineapple, which gives touches of freshness and sweetness to the cocktail. The garnish of apple blossom is to represent the Raffles palm of voyagers.

40ml Tanqueray No.10 Gin 20ml Cointreau 20ml Heering Cherry Liqueur 20ml lemon juice 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters Apple blossom Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass full of ice. On the side, prepare a foam made of equal parts of pineapple juice and amarena cherry syrup blended with a teaspoon of soya lecithin and a little cold water. Top up the cocktail with approximately 1in of the foam.

Garnish with apple blossom.

Champagne Mojito Raffles Beijing Hotel

7 mint leaves

Gently muddle the mint,

This variation (pictured right) on the

1 cube brown sugar

sugar, lime juice and sugar

classic Cuban cocktail has quickly become a

45ml Bacardi Rum

syrup in a highball glass.

favourite tipple at Raffles Beijing. It may not

15ml lime juice

Fill with ice, then add the

taste very strong, but it does have a sweet and

15ml sugar syrup

rum and lime wedges, and

sour flavour, and the exciting injection of

3 lime wedges

top up with Champagne.

Champagne instead of soda gives it a unique

45ml Champagne

Stir and serve.

touch of class.

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Cocktails

Airavata

30ml Bacardi Rum

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor,

15ml crème de banane

Siem Reap

15ml Malibu

According to Cambodian legend, Indra,

15ml lime juice

the king of the gods and ruler of gold at the

15ml sugar syrup

summit of Mount Meru in Paradise, rode

60ml coconut juice

a white elephant with three heads that was

Pineapple head

known as Airavata. Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor revives the legend and the mystique

Put all the ingredients into a shaker with

surrounding the white elephant with this

ice. Shake and strain into an Airavata mug.

refreshing cocktail (pictured above).

Garnish with pineapple head and straw.

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Cocktails

Tianjin Sling Raffles Tianjin The Tianjin Sling (right) is another variation on the traditional Sling, by Bar Manager Micarthy Shi (bottom right). It has a fruity taste and a light blue colour, which matches with the interior of the hotel bar (below).

6ml Di Wang Jin (local Chinese wine) 30ml Absolut Vodka 15ml Triple Sec 15ml syrup 5ml honey 100ml fresh apple juice Lemon Soda water 5ml Blue Curaรงao Cut half the lemon and muddle it. Put all ingredients except the Blue Curaรงao and soda water into a shaker. After shaking, pour into a Champagne glass, add the Blue Curaรงao and top up with soda water.

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Cocktails

Femme Fatale Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh In 1967, Jackie Kennedy visited Cambodia (above), fulfilling a “lifelong dream of seeing Angkor Wat”. During her stay in Phnom Penh, while listening to Prince Sihanouk’s own jazz composition, a Champagne cocktail as red as her lips was served. Years later, the glass was found with her lipstick still intact.

Today, to commemorate her visit, this elegant cocktail is reborn (right and below).

Champagne Crème de fraise sauvage Dash of Cognac

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Sunrise

Raffles Dubai

Raffles Makkah Palace

This beautiful cocktail (right) was created at

Cocktails don’t have to be alcoholic, and at

the Crossroads Cocktail Bar in Raffles Dubai

Raffles Makkah Palace, Faisal Ibrahim has

by bar manager Angus McGregor, just before

created this delicious and refreshing alcohol

the opening of the hotel in 2007. Originally

free cocktail. The name comes from the

named the Shams Sling, meaning ‘sun’, it

spectacular view of the rising sun as it comes

was inspired by the beautiful sunny days of

up over the Ka’aba and Grand Mosque in front

Dubai and was designed to refresh residents

of the hotel each morning, giving a clean,

with revitalising ingredients, such as fig jam,

invigorating feeling to the day. The unique

ginger and lemon.

taste and sparkling flavours will make you feel fresh with each delightful sip.

50ml Plymouth Gin 37.5ml fresh lemon juice

30ml orange juice

1.5tbsp fig preserve

30ml pineapple juice

20ml coriander chili gomme

15ml lime juice

3 slices of stem ginger

15ml grenadine syrup

2 dashes of hop bitters

60ml Sprite

Soda

Slice of green apple, red apple and orange

Ginger fan and fig fruit, or Thai Chili Mix the juices and syrup in a tall glass and Muddle the ginger in a Boston glass and

top up with Sprite. Garnish with apple and

then add the rest of the ingredients, except

orange slices.

the soda. Shake and double strain over ice in a Sling glass. Top up with soda and garnish with the ginger fan and fig or Thai chili.

RED T This new cocktail (far right) was created to mark the opening of the Red Lounge.Terrace at Raffles Dubai in October.

30ml red berry tea infused with fresh basil 15ml cranberry juice 10ml fresh lime juice 30ml Smirnoff Red 25ml Chinese wine (Shiaoxing) 25ml Hakutsuru Sake Mix all the ingredients in a shaker and serve in a Chinese teapot with Chinese teacups.

Cocktails

Dubai Sling

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soulution nature of sound

T

o preserve the natural purity of sound in its entirety – this is the challenge that first class high fidelity components must master. During the development and production of our Series

7 CD/SACD players and amplifiers, we at soulution have never let this challenge out of our sight. Our team is firmly convinced that the acoustical beauty of music does not need artificial enhancement, and that the music signal should pass through every component as purely as possible. For firstclass components, the requirement of true high fidelity has always been: »no deletions, no additions«.

This sounds simple. However it is no easy task for an amplifier or digital player to truly approach the ideal of natural music reproduction: to interfere as little as possible with the music, to serve the music instead of imposing itself upon it, to achieve complete control of the reproduction without depriving the sound of its magic.

For the natural reproduction of music, state-of-the-art technology is a prerequisite, but not an end unto itself. High end components should not adulterate the music by their own sound. For the listener, becoming absorbed in the music is a sensual experience, full of emotional fireworks. The technology must be subordinate – and transparent – to the music. This is soulution’s understanding of »nature of sound«.

Hi-fi

Hi-fi

Beautiful noise The sensory appreciation of great hi-fi isn’t limited to sound.

High-end manufacturers put as much thought and ingenuity into the way their appliances look and, says Terry Wilson, the results are becoming increasingly spectacular

F

ew who have dipped a proverbial

not just to complement the home décor on

toe into the waters of top end

a long-term basis, but to actually excel and

hi-fi will have missed the fact that,

enhance it.

while ostensibly designed for exceptional

Manufacturers, such as Spemot AG in

performance, the best of it can be admired,

Switzerland, knowingly tailor their hardware

even desired, just for its looks. Viewing, as

to fit plush surroundings, the finish on their

opposed to listening, can be highly engaging

streamlined amps and well groomed decks

in its own right, with a love of labour for

being the essence of bachelor pad cool. Each

its own sake exhibited by the craftsmen

piece manifests a trim orderliness, garbed in

behind today’s finest audio. As one famously

neutral greys and unencumbered by cheap

imaginative designer, Salvador Dali, once declared, no masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist.

It is clear that hi-fi manufacturers have enjoyed design innovation, many of them striving to formulate uniquely recognisable identities for their equipment. Top end gear is more than just a consumer good; it becomes part of a lifestyle choice, taking a special place in discerning owners’ hearts and homes. It goes without saying that to fulfil the brief, top end must be immaculately turned out, well dressed Less is more: much top end hi-fi is designed to suit the Minimalist environment (left); Spemot’s Soulution system embraces the philosophy in style (right)

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Hi-fi 94

gadgetry or gimmickry. “No cooling fins, no

for themselves: Elation!, Emotion, Expression,

individual pair is numbered, with its creator

visible screw connections. Do not add anything

Fascination – enabling the listener to “connect

proclaiming that its work defines the place

nonessential, do not omit anything essential.”

to the performance”.

where “technology meets art”.

If these sentiments seem to say less about

Manufacturers such as Argento Audio have

The capacity to find pleasure in the anatomy

the technicalities of solenoids and integrated

invested literally years in the development of

of tangible objects is as old as art itself. With

circuits than about striving for higher aesthetics,

their cables, proudly finishing them in a refined

creative minds having laboured over the minute

that’s because they do. Every individual hi-fi

silver sheen for owners to cherish. Argento’s

nuances of hi-fi’s forms, it is little wonder that

component needs to exude a cultured self-

The Flow cables rely on very fine construction

the top end of the spectrum is populated by

assurance, with nothing purely functional

principles and materials, reflected in the

creations of such visual impact that to refer to

and nothing intended to be discreetly tucked

fact that, like limited gallery editions, each

them as art requires no hyperbole.

away. The headphones presented by Austrian

The fact is, hi-fi is a vehicle in which the

company AKG Acoustics, for example, display

artistic spirit is repeatedly expressed,

their authority with a superior neatness, born

as evinced for some years by leading

of crafting to the highest degree. The best

players like Horo, whose turntables

interconnecting cables are of a similar style

are made with exceptional grace

proposition; American brand Kubala-Sosna’s

and elegance. Similarly, Bang &

are sheathed in the blacks, greys and purples

Olufsen is widely acknowledged

that characterise modern interior chic. As

for its designs, with its BeoSound

cabling goes, these are not the shy and retiring

9000 CD player correctly seen as a

sort; the names of the individual ranges speak

modern icon. With its row of fluid

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

All photography courtesy of manufacturers

Killer lines: AKG headphones (left); Kubala-Sosna cables in stylish black, grey and purple (above); The Flow connecting cables from Argento Audio (right); Horo WJE168 turntable, shaped like a piano (below)

Hi-fi

coloured circles set in a classical rectangular

graceful, as evoked by the assessment of its

frame, the design makes for a “kinetic sculpture,

designer, Focal-JMlab. “Grande Utopia EM is

almost a living thing”, which “immediately

not only a technological monument, it’s above

catches the eye with its bold juxtaposition of

all an acoustic sculpture.”

strong lines and the random colours”.

The curvature of the Grande Utopia is like

FM Acoustics of Switzerland, creator of a

a living form, suggestive of a link with nature.

range of slickly styled amplifiers and cables,

It’s a theme that recurs, with natural forms

thinks along similar lines, declaring itself

appealing strongly to creative designers, from

“the choice of leading artists”. There is no

the flower-like speakers created by Aesthesis

doubt its designs resonate with one dedicated

AB to the striking Nautilus, from Bowers

and creative soul, Swiss watchmaker Hano

& Wilkins (B&W), a company with a long

Burtscher, who was so affected by the company’s

tradition in extraordinary design.

creations that he was inspired to pay homage

Possibly the most celebrated of the company’s

to the technology with a series of oil paintings

products, the Nautilus is figuratively inspired

commemorating the brand’s logo.

by the spiral of its namesake’s shell and is

One of hi-fi’s most arresting designs of recent

widely recognised as a design classic. The

years has been the Grande Utopia, an imposing

nautilus shell has inspired mathematicians,

pillar of speakers with a flexible, gently curved

draughtsmen and philosophers since time

‘spine’ that allows for physical adjustments.

immemorial, embodying in its architecture the

Manifestly authoritative, the work is also

Golden Spiral, one of nature’s most beautifully

Reflecting nature: Focal-JMLab’s Grande Utopia speaker stack flexes like vertebrae (above); B&O’s BeoSound 9000 CD changer makes CDs part of overall aesthetic; Aesthesis’ gramophone speaker observes the same fluid principles; as does the shell-like Nautilus from B&W (below left to right:)

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Hi-fi

enigmatic forms. In casting it into the shell of a

of spiritual development.” To which exalted

speaker, B&W hints at life within the inanimate,

ends the company finishes its high class models

marrying nature and technology.

in elegant, golden coloured cases.

Respectful homage to nature also underpins

What manufacturers are striving for is a

the philosophy of several designers, a case in

kind of eternal honesty, a technology capable

point being Canadian amplifier manufacturer

inspires this almost spiritual reverence? There

of delivering music untouched and, therefore,

Simaudio, which for three decades has worked

is something at its very heart that connects

undefiled by the extraneous. Speaker systems

towards creating fine hi-fi components while

deeply with the divine, with an unmistakeable

like those available from British maker Monitor

emphasising its commitment to a green

emotional dimension in play. Swiss amplifier

Audio offer a visual as well as audible purity,

ethic. Simaudio uses environment friendly

expert darTZeel Audio states, “Our products,

equally immaculate in style as performance. To

assembly techniques for quality products that

before anything, are designed and realised

look at a pair of Monitor speakers is to behold

are built to last (thereby “avoiding premature

from a purely humanistic point of view. For us,

a level of aesthetic clarity, with just the essence,

obsolesence”), and shapes its working methods

music is not only a means for communicating

the soul of the machine, standing liberated

around the needs of the ecosystem.

and listening. Far more than this, for us music

from unwarranted influence.

What is it about hi-fi in particular that

is a powerful means of soul expression – even

The credo is redolent of Minimalism, a

Got it covered: Monitor Audio provides an allembracing sound for the modern audio-visual experience; Simaudio’s Moon 600i amplifier is built within strong eco-friendly principles (above)

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KHARMA HIGH-END AUDIO PRODUCTS

Pure passion Kharma Exquisite collection

Creating a Kharma Exquisite loudspeaker is a very long process. Looking for the perfect shape, materials and sound... that sense of graceful elegance you would expect from a handcrafted loudspeaker. We have a reputation and style that is unique.

Kharma also builds high-end audio systems for handcrafted luxury cars, super yachts and complete cinema systems. An exclusive Kharma store has been realized in Taiwan and Hong Kong. We sell worldwide through a network of highly qualified distributors and dealers. For more information please visit our website: www.kharma.com

Hi-fi

school of visual design that concerns itself with

then fine; top end will happily deliver the full

the eradication of the superfluous, the goal

colours of a Debussy or a Rachmaninov in all

being to permit the observer to experience just

their emotive glory.

the core properties of artefacts. In hi-fi, the

Most hi-fi connoisseurs will take more than

applied science is self-absolving, deliberately

a passing interest in what goes on beneath a

editing itself out of the equation; as so often

system’s covers. It’s a natural extension of the

noted, less is more.

human faculty to seek further understanding,

It is not altogether surprising that much

and investigation rewards the curious. For a

modern hi-fi embraces Minimalist values,

few, circuit board level analysis is an end unto

companies such as FM Acoustics and Spemot

itself, and there is treasure to be found the

AG working in clean, straight lines, flat planes

deeper one looks. Cue Kharma International,

and neutral colours. Neither is it coincidental

whose loftily titled Grand Exquisite speakers

that the Minimalist school developed in the

are touted as “the absolute end of the high

most industrially advanced parts of the Western

end in audio” and contain within their shells a

world, arriving in parallel with consumer

trove of precious components, from diamond tweeters to pure silver-gold wiring. The gems

Beneath the surface, hi-fi is complex, at times esoterically so, its inner workings painstakingly crafted

are not for show, of course, earning their place purely through their performance qualities, while being literally overtowered by the speakers’ megalithic, multilayered cabinets, whose capacious torsos conceptually provide mastery, and practically permit larger diameter cones for resounding bass.

Of all the various components that make up hi-fi, speakers are the most salient, standing as the visual centrepiece of a room; yet

technology and actively exploring the qualities

their formulation is, of necessity, the most

and possibilities of material form.

constrained in terms of having to obey the

While hi-fi as a functional conception

laws of acoustic physics. Size is invariably a

operates in a non-affecting, disengaged way, the

significant factor, and the shape and size of

end result is the very opposite of Minimalism’s

the housings is crucial in determining how the

emotional blankness. Beneath the surface,

units will perform, as are the materials from

hi-fi is extremely complex, at times esoterically

which they are made.

so, its inner workings being anything but

This throws up a potential quandary, but

minimal; rather painstakingly crafted for

far from restricting what designers can do, it

superlative performance.

has been used to their advantage, with speaker

Hi-fi remains at the service of the listener; if

cabinets prolifically exploring the issue, and

Steve Reich or Philip Glass are not your thing,

thereby displaying the greatest latitude in style of all hi-fi components.

Audio gems: Grand Exquisite speakers by Kharma International, a trove of precious components (right)

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Real imagination is evident in models such as the Curvi speaker, which was four years in

Hi-fi

the making, and the enclosure of which ranks

curvaceous form is far from child’s play. Curvi-

including laminated birch ply of continuously

among the most visually arresting innovations

Hifi explains its creative process thus.

varying span lengths, which lends to the

in the industry – indeed, in electronics

“The cabinet shape is borrowed from the

design’s organic qualities.

generally. The brainchild of Curvi-Hifi founder

natural and musical instrument worlds – no

The flexibility of speaker configuration has

Chris Liauw, the cabinets are wound around

one in their right mind would design a tuba or

also facilitated a crossover for manufacturers of

themselves, as if a tall, slender form had been

trombone with sharp, right-angle bends in the

traditional hi-fi into the world of home cinema.

constructed and then looped up, like a vast

tube.” Surprisingly, Curvi-Hifi is able to achieve

Compared to standard hi-fi, home cinema

stick of toffee. Of course, the theory behind the

this profile using traditional cabinet materials,

is a relative newcomer, which has fathered

The big picture: Dali’s Fazon speakers bring the firm’s sonic craftsmanship to bear in the modern audio-visual arena

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Hi-fi

Drop dead gorgeous: DaVinci Audio’s In Unison MkII turntable looks as pure as it sounds

a buoyant research and development sub-

again of the recurring drive for unsaddled

the equipment is equally substantial – what

industry to cater for its niche requirements.

purity. Dali aims to provide cinema audio with

its creators term a “successful symbiosis

The technological objective in this context is

the same aesthetic aspirations and superior

of refinements and simplicity”. One of

all-enveloping surround-sound, using a series

qualities as for its top of the range hi-fi, bringing

DaVinciAudio’s flagship products is the In

of speakers set up to deliver the desired three-

its longstanding sonic craftsmanship to bear in

Unison Mk II turntable, which enjoys such

dimensional effect around the viewer/listener.

the modern audio-visual arena. Seen in this

refinements as completely silent magnetic

context, even the company name is evocative.

bearings and an absolutely stable power supply,

Leading hi-fi manufacturers, such as Danish

100

Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries (Dali),

Another manufacturer residing among hi-fi’s

for peak signal performance. Visually too it is

have positively embraced the development,

old masters is DaVinciAudio of Switzerland,

a creation that stirs the senses, with its direct

with Dali launching its Fazon range at the end

leader in speakers, amplifiers, turntables and

modelling and proud, polished turntable the

of last 2009. Dali declares its philosophy thus:

a range of components that are invariably

confluence of performance and demeanour,

“We are driven by a raw passion for music

elegant in rendition and styled to impress. The

epitomising “the fine art of manufacture”.

and its honest reproduction in the domestic

avoidance of complication – in presentation,

environment.” This statement speaks once

design and theory – is fundamental, although

FA B L E S I S S U E t wo 2 0 1 0

It’s a concept that seems to encapsulate the very heart of top end hi-fi design.

SINGLE-BARREL BOURBON

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Treat yourself This year has seen the release of some remarkable products to indulge your taste for the exquisite, exotic and eccentric.

Nik Berg picks out some of the highlights for your shopping list

shopping

Aquariva US$750,000 www.rivaboats.com Riva’s powerboats are the stuff of legend. Beautifully hand built, owned by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers in the 1960s, they continue today with an updated but no less striking design: the Aquariva. If the ‘standard’ 41 knot model isn’t good enough for you, you can choose one of two limited edition versions designed in conjunction with Marc Newson and Gucci. The Gucci Aquariva features a mahogany deck with 20 coats of varnish and fabrics bearing the Guccissima print. Marc Newson, meanwhile, focuses on the very latest boatbuilding tech, with a phenolic compound replacing mahogany and a one-piece laminated windshield, plus vibrant aquamarine for the seat fabrics.

Luxury iPad Case From US$799 www.computer-choppers.com If Apple’s iPad was the ‘must have’ portable device of 2010, what then is the ‘must have’ accessory for the ‘must have’ device?

Something to protect and personalise it, of course – a case. But not just any case. A custom case from Computer Choppers,

Leica M9

plated in 24ct gold, white gold or platinum. A case with prices

US$12,500

starting at US$799 – more than the device itself! But with

www.leica-camera.com

plating in matte, brushed and polished finishes, and the option

Leica’s rangefinder cameras are legendary.

to add bespoke graphics or patterns, you can at least be assured

Favoured by famous photographers from

that your ‘must have’ device won’t look like everyone else’s.

Cartier-Bresson to Capa and Ut, they’ve been responsible for some of the world’s best known images. Moving with the times has seen Leica go digital, and the M9 is its state of the art model. Custom editions by Hermès and a Japan only ostrich skin (an effect, not the real thing) edition have made the M9 ever more desirable. The Titanium edition, designed by Walter de’Silva, chief designer at the VW/ Audi group, is limited to just 500 units. The body is solid titanium, making it light but extremely tough, and the camera also features an entirely new type of strap and shoulder holster to carry it.

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Persol 714 Sunglasses US$386 www.persol.com Steve McQueen – actor, racing driver, king of cool – still the man every man wants to be.

And now you can get just a little bit closer to his legendary style by snapping up a pair of limited edition Persol 714 sunglasses – as first worn by McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. With tortoiseshell frames, an updated

BordBar

folding mechanism and those iconic blue

From US$130

crystal lenses, just 10,000 are being made at

www.bordbar.de

a very reasonable US$386 each. An original

How’s this for high-flying style? Cologne

pair from McQueen’s collection sold for

based BordBar has taken the functional airline

US$70,000 in 2006.

service trolley and turned it into a striking yet perfectly practical storage unit for the home

Music Center Series IV

or office. The BordBar can be configured as

www.rock-ola.com

a kitchen worktop with space inside, a shoe

POA

cupboard, office filing cabinet or even a mini

Rock-Ola has been making jukeboxes since

bar. A range of flight inspired finishes are

1935, with little change to the overall design

available, and since the whole unit is recycled

of the elegant maple cabinet. What has

(and also recyclable), if you buy one you can

changed is what’s inside. Gone are the stacks

think of it is as a way of carbon offsetting some

of 45s, and instead the Music Center Series IV

of those air miles.

contains a terabyte hard drive to store 15,000 CDs and powerful 1600W amplifier (which requires no cooling fan). You can import your music direct from CD or download it from a PC or USB. Managing your music is easy thanks to the 19in colour touch screen, and you can even export your favourite playlists to your iPod.

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EarthRoamer XV-JP From US$110,000

www.parnian.com

www.earthroamer.com

American furniture maker Parnian has come

“Now rough roads mean you don’t have to rough it.”

up with one of the most luxurious, technology

At least that’s what the maker of the EarthRoamer

packed and, as a result, expensive beds in the

XV-JP claims. This Jeep based camping vehicle has

world. With a frame made from ebony, sapele

been designed to go just about anywhere, but also

and curly maple woods, built-in iPad holders

take everything you could need for a luxurious

and charging stations, a pop-out television

stay along with you. Inside there’s a solar powered

and computer monitors, plus numerous secret

fridge, a toilet and a heated shower, whilst sleeping

compartments, LED lighting, and gold and

arrangements are taken care of in a fold-out

stainless steel fittings, the bed took more than

‘loft top’, which can be heated or cooled to adjust

two years to create. The mattress is bespoke

to the climate. And far from being some huge,

and made from all natural materials; and if

cumbersome land crawler, the EarthRoamer is the

you can’t sleep, at least there’s plenty to keep

same size as a normal Jeep Wrangler.

shopping

PDM Sunset Bed From US$38,000

you entertained.

Whiskey Barrel Bar-B-Q Pit US$950 www.1000oaksbarrel.com Steel oil drums have long been recycled for use as jumbo grills for a beach barbecue, but now here is something rather more elegant. Taking an aged oak whiskey barrel as a starting point, sensibly lining it with metal so that it doesn’t catch fire when the surf and turf are cooking, the Thousand Oaks Barrel Company has produced a great looking grill. A specialist in reusing and recycling old whiskey barrels, Thousand Oaks also produces furniture, outdoor planters and even humidors.

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shopping

Definitive Wax Marble

Dornier Seastar CD2

US$38,000

US$6million

www.broughandhowarth.com/

www.dornierseaplane.com

A rare and beautiful vehicle surely deserves to

In its heyday, before the arrival of the jet age,

be cared for, washed delicately and polished

the seaplane, with its global clipper services,

with the finest products – and they don’t

was the way to travel. Ports did the job before

come any finer than Brough and Howarth’s

airports; lakes, rivers and oceans were the

Definitive Wax Marble polish. It is composed

runways. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to

of a unique blend of Brazilian No1 carnauba

those days before the delays and queues of

wax, beeswax and refined natural oils, and

air travel? Well now you can, by treating

comes not in a tin, but in a beautiful hand

yourself to a Dornier Seastar CD2 amphibious

made pot created from a single block of

aircraft. It can take off and land on water or

marble. Just one pot is currently in existence,

a conventional runway, has capacity for 12

but Brough and Howarth will blend more of

passengers (or six executive seats) and cruises

its unique polish to order.

inflight at 180 knots.

pooley Picnic Hamper From US$3,500 www.katharinepooley.com There’s nothing quite like a picnic on a perfect summer’s day. And to make it even more perfect you need the perfect picnic hamper. London based designer Katherine Pooley has the answer, with her elegant hamper for four. Inside the leather case is a set of Pooley’s sterling silver cutlery, fine china and crystal glasses. Now the only decisions that remain are what food and wine to pack, and under which tree to lay out the picnic blanket.

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shopping

Carrera Hackett Watch and Chronograph From US$2,540 www.tagheuer.com Motor racing links Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer and London fashion house Hackett.

Heuer’s Carrera watch was originally created to celebrate the epic Carrera Panamericana race. Meanwhile, Hackett has a long history of making clothing inspired by race and rally.

Naturally the two companies have joined forces to create the Carrera Hackett. Two versions are available, each limited to just 100 pieces. Stylishly simple, these timepieces are also simply named: there’s The Watch and The Chronograph. The cases are stainless steel, the dials are black and the hands sport cornflower blue accents. Hackett’s trademark ‘H’ replaces the ‘12’ on The Watch.

Nautilus 5711/1

Big Block Winder

US$23,000

US$124,000

www.patek.com

www.origintimes.com

Patek Philippe’s iconic Nautilus watch made its

From trackside time keeping to the design of dashboard

debut in the 1970s and is an enduring classic,

instruments, watches and cars will be forever linked. And

no doubt aided by being seen on the wrists

now here’s another, rather more unusual tie-up. German

of the likes of Brad Pitt and French President

watch winder specialist Origin Times has created a winder

Nicolas Sarkozy. With a face inspired by the

out of the engine block of a Bugatti Veyron, and called it,

shape of a ship’s porthole, the Nautilus comes

appropriately, the Big Block Winder. The Veyron’s 7.9ltr engine

in a variety of styles, but it’s the classic 5711/1

produces an epic 1,000hp, but the power delivery here is

stainless steel with blue dial that seems best

somewhat more delicate. Each of the block’s 16 cylinders holds

suited to it. It features a three part case with

an electronically controlled winder which will ensure your

a screwed back, with a sapphire crystal case

self-winding watch collection is always maintained in the finest

back and a screw down crown, making it

working order. And each winder within the block can be set

water resistant to a depth of 120m.

individually to suit the requirements of the watch it houses.

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Raffles concierge

Meet the concierge Samantha Zou, concierge at Raffles Beijing, offers an insider’s guide to this vibrant, historic city and its environs, from the architecture of the Ming dynasty to the craft shops and cafes of modern China What makes the best day trip from Beijing?

Where is the best place to get a good view of

Everybody wants to see the Great Wall and

Beijing?

the Summer Palace. Both are amazing feats

The China Central Television (CCTV) tower

of architecture and engineering and are well

is the fifth highest tower in the world at 405m,

worth a visit. You can take a trip that goes to

and there’s an outdoor observation gallery at

the most famous and best preserved section

238m. You can take a fast lift up for a superb

of the Great Wall at Badaling, about one hour

view of Beijing. On a clear day, you can

away, and then another hour and a half on to

see the Western Hills, the Summer Palace,

the Summer Palace.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

Beijing and beyond: there is an abundance of sights, from the Great Wall (below) to the Temple of Heaven (right), all visible from the CCTV Tower (far right)

What are the must-see sights of Beijing and around the city?

Apart from the Great Wall and the Summer Palace, I would always encourage visitors to go and see the Forbidden City and the home to the Chinese Emperor for nearly 600 years, up until 1912. Today it houses a museum where you can learn about the Ming and Qing dynasties that made it their palace.

The Temple of Heaven is actually a complex of temples, dating back to 1406. It’s a truly spectacular sight.

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Photography: Alamy; Photolibrary

Temple of Heaven. The Forbidden City was

Where is the city’s most romantic spot?

Roast duck, Beijing noodles and dumplings

Houhai Lake, near the Forbidden City, has

are all favourite dishes in Beijing, but the

been a favourite retreat for courtiers, poets

one that everyone should try is hot pot, in

and painters for hundreds of years and is one

which meat, seafood, vegetables or dumplings

of the most popular places in Beijing to go

are cooked in a broth in a heated pot in the

and spend some time together, just relaxing.

middle of the table. Traditionally this would

It’s very trendy these days, but the light on the

be a brass pot heated by coals.

water at night is still very romantic.

Raffles concierge

Which local foods should every visitor try?

Where do you recommend taking the children for a great day out?

There’s Blue Zoo, China’s largest aquarium, where you can swim with dolphins and even sharks if you want to. The world famous Beijing Zoo is a great place to go to see the fascinating wildlife of China, especially giant pandas. Or, if your children want to get out and let off steam, you can take them to the amusement park at Happy Valley.

What’s Beijing’s best kept secret?

Nan Luo Gu Xiang is an area in downtown Beijing that used to be populated by wealthy merchants, the rich and the powerful. It is made up of a series of courtyards (siheyuan) connected by narrow lanes or alleyways (hutong), and in these lanes you’ll find all sorts of cafes, bars and interesting little shops.

It’s a fascinating place to go and explore, and What is the most popular local drink?

pick up souvenirs of your visit to Beijing.

Well, tea is popular, of course, but the drink that Beijingers have enjoyed for thousands of years is douzhir, made with fermented mung

Cultural cornucopia: foodies should try a traditional Beijing hot pot (far left); visit Beijing Zoo for a sight of the giant pandas (top); the hutongs of Nan Luo Gu Xiang offer an array of interesting shops and cafes (left); Houhai Lake (above) is the place for romance

beans. It’s a very nutritious drink, which sets you up for the day, but it’s an acquired taste that many Western visitors find difficult to acquire.

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five star index

Five Star Index antiques and collectibles Antiques of the orient www.aoto.com.sg +65 6734 9351 port of call gallery DUBAI www.portofcallgallery.com +971 4 332 6006 Y&T Beijing www.yntantique.com +86 1390 111 6656

Boat purchase Benetti Yachts

www.benettiyachts.it +39 0584 3821 Burger

www.burgerboat.com +1 920 684 1600 Global Yacht Builders

www.globalyachtbuilders.com +86 7 333 1237

Cornucopiae/Bats Singapore Pte Ltd www.bats.sg +65 6292 5658 Crystalline Trading LLC www.crystalline.ae +971 4 339 8897 Personal Chefs International

www.personalchefsinternational.com +1 310 461 3544 Raffles Culinary Academy www.raffles.com +65 6412 1256 The International Kitchen

www.theinternationalkitchen.com +1 800 945 8606

Oyster

Diving Tours

www.oystermarine.com +44 1473 688888

Al Boom Diving

Wooden Boat House LLC

www.alboomdiving.com +971 4342 2993

www.woodenboathouse.com +1 610 442 8200

Car purchase, luxury AGMC, Authorised Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dealer www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com +971 4 339 1555 Aston Martin China www.astonmartin-china.com +86 21 6387 6007 Ferrari Middle East & Africa www.ferrari.com +971 4 299 3988 Jaguar & Land Rover MENA www.jaguarlandrover.com +971 4 2011001 Mercedes-Benz China www.mercedes-benz.com.cn +86 400 818 1188

Car rental and supercar clubs A List Limos

www.alistlimo.com +1 3110 568 1590 Ecurie 25

www.ecurie25.co.uk +44 20 7278 3010 Gold Limousine

www.gold-limousine.com +33 1 47 09 23 89 P1 World LLP

www.p1international.com +44 1372 721 711 Shenzhen Limousine and Car Rental Service

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Chef services and cookery schools

Bill Tewes Dive St Vincent

www.divestvincent.com +1 784 457 4928 Emirates Diving Association www.emiratesdiving.com +971 4393 9390 Gill Divers www.gilldivers.com +65 6734 9373 Grenadines Dive www.grenadinesdive.com +1 784 458 8138

Fashion, shopping and style consultants Bally Singapore Pte Ltd www.bally.com +65 6737 5554 Euroluxe LLC www.euroluxeme.com +971 4 201 1705 Galeries Lafayette www.galerieslafayette.com +33 1 42 82 35 30 Lancel Paris www.lancel.com +33 1 42 22 94 73 Rivoli www.rivoligroup.com +971 4 310 3169 Royal Rickshaw www.royalrickshaw.com +971 4 345 3167 Sohad Acouri www.sohadacouri.com +971 4 348 0883

Argento Audio APS

www.argentoaudio.com +45 306 62284 Bang and Olufsen

www.bang-olufsen.dk + 45 968 45074 FM Acoustics Ltd

www.fmacoustics.com +41 44 725 7777 Focal JMLab

www.focal.tm.fr +33 4 77 43 57 00 Kharma International BV www.kharma.com +31 76 57 150 10 Monitor Audio Ltd www.monitoraudio.com +44 1268 740580 Spemot AG www.spemot.com +41 62 285 3040

Interiors CCD/Cheng Chung Design www.ccd.com.hk +852-2548 2009 Clive Christian www.clive.com +44 1270 626869 Ilio www.ilio.eu +90 212 251 28 24 Poggenpohl www.poggenpohl.de +49 5221 381 0

Jets Executive Jets Asia

www.executivejetsasia.com +65 6483 5412 Hop A Jet Worldwide

www.hopajetworldwide.com +1 800 556 6633 Netjets

www.netjets.com +44 20 7361 9620 Royal Jet

www.royaljetgroup.com + 971 2 505 1500 VistaJet International

www.vistajet.com +44 1252 526 630

Jewellery and watches Al Liali Jewellery LLC

www.lialijewellery.com + 971 4 368 8500 Chow Tai Fook

www.chowtaifook.com +86 755 2526 6207 Corum Singapore

www.corum.ch +65 6272 9429 JADE Jewellery

www.shenzhencarrentals.com +86 755 8835 3739

Home Entertainment

Ultima Luxury Limousine

Aesthesis

La Putri

www.ultimaluxurylimousine.com +65 3150 0190

www.aesthesis.se +46 240 564330

www.laputri.com +65 6733 3345

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www.jade-jewellery.net +966 2 668 8960

five star index

Five Star Index Jewellery and watches cont.

Lee Hwa Jewellery

www.leehwa.com.sg +65 6382 1111 Richard Mille

www.richard-mille.com +33 2 99 49 19 00 Montblanc Singapore PTE Ltd

www.montblanc.com +65 6737 1468 On Cheong Co. Pte Ltd

www.oncheong.com +65 6223 4788 Shang Xia

www.shang-xia.com +86 150 0033 4000 L.Sunderdas Zaveri Jewellery LLC www.lsunderdaszaveri.com +91 22 2363 4831 Tiffany & Co www.tiffany.com +65 6334 0168

Photographers 4 Faces Gallery

www.4faces.net +855 8920 8336 Adrian Wroth Brand Photography

www.adrianwroth.com +44 1753 855877 Dubai Photo Moda

www.photomoda.com +971 5 0311 0656 First Light Photography

www.firstlightstvincent.com +1 (784) 457 4432 Natalie Behring

www.nataliebehring.com +86 135 0115 2157 One Eye Click

www.oneeyeclick.com +65 6466 6744

Property agents Altman Real Estate

www.altmanbarbados.com +246 432 0840 Luxury Portfolio

www.luxuryportfolio.com +1 800-621-6510 Lyford Cay Sotheby’s

Raffles Hotel

www.raffles.com/singapore +65 6337 1886 Raffles Hotel Le Royal

www.raffles.com/phnompenh +855 23 981 888 Raffles makkah palace

www.raffles.com/makkah +966 2 571 7888 Raffles paris – le royal monceau www.raffles.com/paris +33 1 42 99 88 00 Raffles Tianjin www.raffles.com/tianjin +8622 2321 5888

Tourism Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce www.dubaitourism.ae +971 4223 0000 French Tourist Office www.francetourism.com +33 4 10 286 8310 India Tourism www.tourisminindia.com +91 (011) 332 0342 National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China en.cnta.gov.cn +86 10 6520 1114 Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities www.scta.gov.sa +966 1 880 8855 Seychelles Tourism Board www.seychelles.com + 248 671 300 Singapore Tourism Board www.stb.gov.sg +65 6736 6622 Spain Tourism

www.spain.info SVG Tourism Authority www.discoversvg.com +1 784 456 6222 Tourism Cambodia www.tourismcambodia.com +855 23 216 666

www.LyfordCayHomes.com +1 242 362 4211

Wedding services

Richard A Rooke

Ideal Weddings

www.villavalue.com +34 965 320 024 SG Global

www.scglobal.com.sg +65 6350 5807

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Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor

www.raffles.com/siemreap +855 63 963 888

www.ideal-weddings.com +65 9191 7436 Raffles Romance

Raffles Hotels and Resorts

www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/ RHS/Meetings_Events/RafflesRomance/ WeddingExperience/ +65 6337 1886

Raffles Beijing

The Wedding Giftshop

www.raffles.com/beijing +86 10 6526 3388

www.theweddinggiftshop.com.sg +65 6399 2739

Raffles Dubai

Wedding Matters Pte Ltd

www.raffles.com/dubai +971 4324 8888

www.weddingmatters.com.sg +65 6409 0376

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Wines and spirits Alvaro Palacios Sociedad Limitada www.alvaropalacios.com +977 83 91 95 Billecart Salmon Champagne www.champagne-billecart.fr +33 3 26 52 60 22 blantons www.blantonsbourbon.com +1 502 223 9874 Bombay Sapphire www.bombaysapphire.com +33 1 49 45 48 00 Casa Lapostolle www.casalapostolle.com +56 72 953 300 Chateau Canon www.chateau-canon.com +33 5 57 55 23 45 Clarendon Hills www.clarendonhills.com.au +61 8 8364 1484 Domaine Pichard

www.vinsdusiecle.com/domainepichard +33 5 62 96 35 73 Glenfiddich www.lixir.fr +33 1 49 45 49 20 grey goose www.greygoose.com +33 1 49 45 48 00 Heitz Wine Cellars www.heitzcellar.com +1 707 963 3542 Jean Eugène Borie SA

www.chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com +33 5 56 73 16 73 Johnnie Walker Blue Label www.johnniewalker.com +33 1 41 88 32 00 Mike Ratcliffe www.vilafonte.com +27 21 886 4083 Paul Jaboulet Ainé www.jaboulet.com +33 4 75 84 68 93 Seresin Estate www.seresin.co.nz +64 3 572 9408

Yacht charter Amazing Charters

www.amazingcharters.com +1 704 257 4766 B&Y Yachts International www.bnycharters.com +1 800 414 9004 International Yacht Charter Group www.internationalyachtchartergroup.com +1 866 492 4768 Moody Yachts France www.elmarine.com +33 4 93 63 88 61 Yacht Ventures www.cutterketch.com +65 6469 3978

soulution nature of sound

Highend Audio Equipment made in Switzerland

soulution by Spemot AG Industriestrasse 70 CH - 4657 Dulliken Phone +41 62 2 85 30 40 www.soulution-audio.com

USA: www.axissaudio.com France: www.soundandcolors.com Hong Kong: www.wisesound.com