Arrive in style with this season’s perfect essentials
Knowing your eggs taste better with thoughtful conversation means we set your favourite table and serve up the headlines.
FROM RESERVATIONS TO PERSONALISED SERVICE. This is The Art of Knowing.
RESIDENCES AND AN ELEVATED LIFESTYLE FOR THE OVER 6 5s FROM £2.75M*. CALL 020 3823 6867. *OTHER CHARGES APPLY
64 96 76
REGULARS
10 NUCLEUS
The new season’s finest fashion, culture, travel, beauty, food and drink
24 FASHION
Men’s fashion blooms, while ethereal blue takes women skyward this season
70 JEWELLERY
Go for gold, as the most precious metal comes to the fore once again
89 SPHERE LIFE
Our guide to the best of gifting, wellness and interiors this season, from rural retreats to ethical elegance
FEATURES
28 WONDER WALLS
Cole & Son’s fantastical ‘pretty maximalism’ wallpaper concept is both bold and beautiful
34 NATIONAL TREASURES
High-end brands are supporting cultural and architectural icons across the world
40 MASTER OF THE AIR
Air Partner’s luxurious private jet experience ensures you’ll arrive chilled, no matter how sunny your destination
46 FULLY BOOKED
The literary festivals worth bookmarking this summer
52 DECANTED DOWN UNDER
Australia’s finest wines can more than hold their own on the international stage
58 HIDDEN DEPTHS
Meet the unseen artisans who create unique high-end interiors
64 RAY OF LIGHT
The latest addition to the Silversea fleet promises a memorable trip
76 IN TUNE WITH A NEW ERA
Saudi Arabia’s first grand opera combines the best of Eastern and Western musical talent
82 PEAK PERFORMANCE
High-altitude destinations that will put you on top of the world
98 MASTERCLASS
Top techniques and tips to ensure sublime slumber
EDITOR’S LETTER
Welcome to the spring edition of SPHERE, alongside our partners Air Partner, Cole & Son, Silversea and Zarqa al Yamama. Focusing on wanderlust as the spring makes us think of new horizons, we take to the skies to find out how Air Partner is changing the dynamics of private aviation. We also set sail on Silversea’s latest ship, Silver Ray, and discover its enriching new itineraries, from Corfu’s picturesque olive groves to the spectacular classical gems of Athens. Escapism comes in many forms, including for the home. Fiona McCarthy discovers Cole & Son’s latest wallpapers, which offer an exquisite flight of fancy for your walls. Illuminating a fascinating new cultural project, Charlotte Metcalf reports on Zarqa al Yamama, Saudi Arabia’s first foray into grand opera. Elsewhere in the magazine, Simon Brooke explores how luxury brands are helping to restore national treasures, from Notre-Dame cathedral to the Spanish Steps. Nina Caplan sips the finest Australian wines on the market — and reveals where to stay for a Sideways adventure Down Under. We also point the way to the most beautiful mid- and high-altitude escapes for the summer, including hidden treehouses and Bhutanese lodges. Avril Groom shines a light on the most alluring gold jewellery out this season, and Zoe Dare Hall introduces the high-end, bespoke artisanal pieces the one percenters are seeking out for their luxe apartments.
As ever, we unearth the latest leaders in style, culture, food, drink, travel and wellness. For weekly access to the hottest news and luxury insights, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter at spherelife.com and please let us know at sphere@iln.co.uk if you would like to receive the magazine in the future.
CONTRIBUTORS
DEANNA HALSALL
Deanna Halsall is a Manchester-based illustrator, sensitively carving shapes and playing with shadow to create dynamic and alluring illustrations. Her bold and colourful work has been featured worldwide for clients such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, Stella Artois and the English National Opera.
NINA CAPLAN
Wine, travel and arts writer Nina Caplan
is the author of award-winning travel memoir The Wandering Vine: Wine, The Romans and Me. She writes wine and lifestyle columns for Times Luxx Club Oenologique, and The New Statesman, and is a regular contributor to Travel + Leisure magazine.
CHARLOTTE METCALF
Writer and award-winning film-maker Charlotte Metcalf contributes to various publications, is editor of Great British Brands, associate editor at Country and Town House, and co-presents the Break Out Culture podcast. Her book Walking Away is about her time making television documentaries in Africa.
RICK
Rick Jordan, a contributing editor on Condé Nast Traveller, took his first ocean voyage when he was just two, and has very little memory of this. Since then, however, he has sailed around the Antarctic Peninsula, the Arctic Circle and Alaska, and taken the polar plunge. He certainly remembers that.
SPHERE
Editor Jemima Sissons
Art Director
Lucy Wise
Sub-Editors
Hester Lacey
Katie Myers
Production Consultant
Pete Kraushaar
Group Advertising Director
Jane Washbourn tel: +44 (0)7920 821 577
email: jane.washbourn@iln.co.uk
Chief Executive Lisa Barnard
email: lisa.barnard@iln.co.uk
Contributor
Lucia Ferigutti
SPHERE PARTNERS
AIR PARTNER
airpartner.com
COLE & SON
cole-and-son.com
FINANCIAL TIMES ft.com
SILVERSEA silversea.com
ZARQA AL YAMAMA moc.gov.sa/en
email: sphere@iln.co.uk
web: spherelife.com
facebook: spherelifemagazine
instagram: @sphere_life
twitter: @Sphere_Life
SIMON BROOKE
Simon Brooke is an award-winning journalist, copywriter and media trainer who writes about the luxury sector, business, wealth management, property and travel. Publications include The Financial Times, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph, while brands range from Montblanc to Johnnie Walker.
Fiona McCarthy covers design, interiors, art, fashion, beauty, food and travel for publications such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph Elle Decoration House & Garden Living Etc Homes & Gardens Vogue Living (Australia) and WISH magazine. She has also written and co-written a number of books.
Printed in UK by Park Communications Origination by Zebra
Sphere magazine is published by Illustrated London News Limited, Soho Works, 4th Floor, The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ Tel: +44 (0)207 426 1011 iln.co.uk
FIONA MCCARTHY
JORDAN
Hästens 2000T® Bed
Experience the bed of your dreams at your nearest Hästens store. HASTENS.COM
Photography Simon Procter
IT’S LISA TIME
A collaboration between Italian high jewellery maison Bulgari and Thai rapper Lisa, the Bulgari Bulgari X Lisa limited-edition watch features an engraved edelweiss flower and a white mother-of-pearl dial, with 12 diamonds marking the hours. Price on request, bulgari.com
NUCLEUS
SOAK IN STYLE
Incorporating 11 different poetically named natural stones, from Calacatta Viola to Verde Alpi and Nero Marquina, West One Bathrooms has introduced a new collection of handcrafted marble basins, as well as the stunning Hera freestanding bath. From £42,978, westonebathrooms.com
IN THE PINK
This special-edition morganite cushion-cut ring from Chelsea jeweller Kiki McDonough makes a statement with a striking cushion-shaped 11.54ct central stone surrounded by a delicate border of diamonds. £9,500, kiki.co.uk
POTENT PALETTE
In Hackett’s spring/summer 2024 collection spans herringbone blazers, silk and merino knitwear, and linen shirts, in shades from mandarin to seagrass to Atlantic blue. From £110, hackett.com
COLOUR POP
The new limited-edition Rouge Hermès and Les Mains Hermès collection brings big, bold and joyful hues to the vanity unit. Jazz up pouts with the arresting Rose Pop and Orange Neon lipsticks, or create spring-ready nails with the Ultraviolet or Bleu Électrique polishes. From £48, hermes.com
CLAY CREATIONS
Houghton Hall’s state rooms are the setting for a new exhibition by Magdalene Odundo, the world-renowned ceramicist, with works created to resonate with the William Kentdesigned interiors at the Norfolk estate. 12 May –29 September, houghtonhall.com
NUCLEUS
SITTING PRETTY
Bring maximalism into the garden and add a touch of bohemian panache to your borders with the jaunty Utrecht XL outdoor chair from Chaplins. Originally made for indoor use by Cassina, it has been updated with weatherproof upholstery in midnight blue with a botanical print. From £4,682, chaplins.co.uk
SPACE FOR REFLECTION
Brought together by art, philosophy and politics, the Bloomsbury Group also shared a passion for gardens. Focusing on the female members of the set — Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell and Lady Ottoline Morrell — South Bank’s Gardening Bohemia: Bloomsbury Women
Outdoors exhibition tells the story of the women’s green sanctuaries and how these became places to explore their thoughts on nature, relationships and creativity.
15 May–29 September, southbanklondon.com
EAST MEETS WEST
The Oriental Club celebrates its 200th anniversary with events throughout this year. The club merges historical elegance with modern amenities, including a remodelled dining room at its impressive West End home, Stratford House, where the menu reflects the club’s origins as a haven for officials who had served in the East. Current members have lived, worked or travelled there. orientalclub.org.uk
TOTES ELEGANT, TOTES PRACTICAL
Known for its butter-soft leather creations, Ettinger has introduced the beautiful, classically shaped Kensington tote, a softdrummed hide leather piece that can take you from morning to evening. The roomy interior offers a monogrammed jacquard lining, a zipped pocket, and magnetic closure. £780, with optional pouch, £225, ettinger.co.uk
AHOY THERE!
Perfect for waterborne adventures, equally stylish on dry land, the Falmouth from Crockett & Jones is a riff on the classic summer boat shoe. Featuring a new wedge rubber sole and double-stacked leather lacing, it is one of the best-fitting models on the market. £470, crockettandjones.com
NUCLEUS
COUNTRY CHIC
This version of the well-loved Purdey Field jacket offers a more spring-forward luxe tailored aesthetic in waterrepellent waxed cotton-linen, with a satisfyingly tailored silhouette. £1,425, purdey.com
NUCLEUS FOOD AND DRINK
BEST OF BERKSHIRE
One of the most desirable stays within an hour of London, Coworth Park has welcomed chef Adam Smith. Guests at Woven are seated below a bespoke plaster centrepiece by Locker & Riley, to enjoy dishes such as brown crab, radish, apple, basil and yuzu, or hen of the woods, Old Winchester, turnip and truffle. dorchestercollection.com
FRENCH FEAST
Michelin-starred hotel dining is associated with languorous lunches stretching into the afternoon. But times have moved on.
Yannick Alléno’s Pavyllon restaurant at the Four Seasons Park Lane offers five courses in 55 minutes for £55. Expect quintessential Gallic cooking: souffle oozing with comté and a refined fish pie bathing in brown butter. With extra bread, amusebouches and petits fours, this is a feast of plenty. fourseasons.com
MEXICAN MENU
Ixchel, a game-changing new addition to the Chelsea scene, serves up Yucatán fare such as slow-cooked baby pork ribs with a pasilla chilli glaze, alongside artisan mezcals and tequilas. ixchellondon.com
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT RIEGER (COWARTH)
by
Venice, Italy
Photo
Steve McCurry
NUCLEUS FOOD AND DRINK
NIGHT OWLS WELCOME
Those who thought that dining out had become somewhat stuffy should make a Balenciaga-clad beeline for the hottest new dinner spot in town. From Martin Kuczmarski, formerly group COO at Soho House, The Dover is the red velvetdecked spot for late nights, martinis and midnight steak tartare. Form an orderly queue. thedoverrestaurant.com
FAR-FLUNG FLAVOURS
Even on a day of spring showers in the heart of Clerkenwell, be transported to sunnier climes. The offerings on The Zetter’s new cocktail menu are crafted around travel and adventure, from the Rome-inspired Tartufo tipple with whisky and porcini to the Japanese-themed For Goodness Sake. thezetter.com
BLUE IS THE COLOUR
From the look of the other tables on the night we dined — 70% bespoke midnighthued Savile Row — the new Chinese restaurant at The Peninsula hotel is the place to come for power dining. With its lacquered walls, gossipy booths — where deals are signed on the dotted line — and Hong Kong-trained staff, Canton Blue is one of the smartest places to splash out on a celebratory feast. A starter cocktail in its Little Blue bar whets the appetite, with Peking duck, delicate dim sum and lobster noodles all signature dishes to follow. peninsula.com
PHOTOGRAPHY: WILL PRYCE (CANTON BLUE), MATT RUSSEL (DOVER)
FLEUR DE LOTUS WITH SATIN CRYSTAL HANDLES
Exclusively available at West One Bathrooms
NUCLEUS TRAVEL
MAURITIAN MAGIC
LUX* Belle Mare is one of the most popular familyfocused resorts in Mauritius. Decorated in oceaninspired hues, rooms are bright and airy, with bespoke coral wallpaper. A new aperitivo bar sets the perfect tone for sundowners. The rum shack has made room for more sun loungers — and hurrah for its policy of forbidding sunbed-hoggers from leaving towels to bag a space. From £204 per night, luxresorts.com
SUBTERRANEAN SANCTUARY
Emerging fresh from a refurb, the below-ground Dorchester spa’s offering includes quartz beds that promise cocooning comfort. Treatments include deeply cleansing Carol Joy facials and a restorative Ishga deep tissue massage. Relax afterwards with herbal tea on a meditation bed in the royal blue relaxation room. dorchestercollection.com
INSTA ISLAND
At Grace Hotel Santorini, Auberge Resorts Collection, the sky bursts into flames at sunset — perfect for proposals or anniversaries. This season the adults-only hotel adds new suites with private terraces and dining areas, views of the island’s caldera, and infinity-edge heated plunge pools. From £620 per night, aubergeresorts.com
love where you live
london’s most sought-after neighbourhood
a collection of elegant apartments ranging from studios to penthouses and sky villas, available to move into now studios from £690,000, sky villas from £6,350,000 call us to arrange a viewing +44 (0)20 3514 5024
residents’ sky lounge
koa at electric boulevard interior
koa at electric boulevard exterior
NUCLEUS BEAUTY
MAKING WAVES
If winter has left your hair lacklustre, take action: hair supplements have taken a new, more exciting, form. Gummies from Chāmpo, founded to combat thinning hair and inspired by traditional ayurvedic remedies, contain ayurvedic plant extracts, biotin, selenium and zinc to maintain a balanced scalp, nourish follicles and promote growth. Pitta hair gummies, £34, champohaircare.com
SMELL GOOD, FEEL GOOD
Can the right scent boost your wellbeing? This neuroscience-driven brand’s fragrances contain a patented set of notes proven to have a regulating impact on stress and cortisol levels, applied in a two-step process of base fragrance followed by a specific booster. From £68, edeniste.com
SIMPLY STELLA
Natural and vegan, Stella McCartney’s new Alter-Care supplements support the skin barrier and promote regeneration. £60, stellamccartneybeauty.com
CHILL OUT
Ameon’s radiance-boosting serum comes as a pack of single-dose ice cubes. Apply directly to the skin for instant hydration and de-puffing. £55, ameonskin.co.uk
REACH NEW HEIGHTS
In need of a lift? Banish signs of fatigue or new-season pollen-induced swelling with La Prairie’s updated Skin Caviar Eye Lift serum. £450, harveynichols.com
FASHION
Pastel power
FASHION
Wonder walls
Cole & Son’s ‘pretty maximalism’ concept draws on the fantastical, the whimsical, the extraordinary and the beautiful to create bold wallpapers with striking impact
WORDS FIONA MCCARTHY
Stepping through the doors of Cole & Son’s Jubilee Place headquarters in Chelsea is like being submerged in a wallpaper wonderland. In the VIP room, you are immediately enveloped in an 18th-century Toile de Jouy scene of lions, camels, elephants and bears. Giant palm fronds in one stairwell lead to flitting hummingbirds in another; and in the showroom, the eye traverses heavenly scenes of fantastical gardens melding with suns rising over a Mediterranean cityscape and delicate chinoiserie, before settling on the soporific calm of monochromatic etched clouds. Downstairs, a gilded grassland veld where a mother leopard tends her cub swathes the walls of one room, while schools of spotty, stripy, spiky and endearingly puffy fish swim around the walls of another.
This perfectly encapsulates Cole & Son’s ethos of ‘pretty maximalism’, a term Marie Karlsson, Cole & Son’s dynamic creative and managing director, describes as the brand’s defining visual thread. “Pretty maximalism is our playground,” she explains with enthusiam. “Of course, we also do designs where there can be much less, but I would say the majority of our patterns are designed for maximum impact. Our customers are brave. That’s what we love.”
Upstairs on the light-filled second floor, the Cole & Son design team is always experimenting, hand drawing and painting myriad potential designs for future collections. “When I set the creative direction for a new collection, I am always thinking, ‘How can I inspire them to bring their best?’ And then it’s important to leave them to be free in that,” Karlsson explains. “It is essential we go where others don’t.”
In January, during Paris Déco Off — the annual celebration of the latest fabric, wallpaper, trimmings and accessories collections from the world’s leading design
Previous page: Hummingbirds, a historic Cole & Son design reimagined using the company’s pretty maximalism principles, lends striking energy to decor
From above left: Hummingbirds printing blocks; Cole & Son creative and managing director Marie Karlsson; Hummingbirds is available in various colour palettes
houses — Cole & Son brought a new iteration of Hummingbirds, one of its most iconic and most historic designs, to the fore.
“We wanted to bring Hummingbirds, originally created in the 1780s, into the world of pretty maximalism to lend it a more modern feel,” Karlsson explains of the delicate pattern that graces Queen Victoria’s former bedroom at Kensington Palace. “We wanted to make it feel more contemporary and seasonal, which meant reimagining it in different colours and against different backgrounds.”
This was no mean feat. Hummingbirds was originally block-printed by hand in 18 colours, using a method called patch printing, which allowed the printing of more than one colour with each impression. Today it is surface printed, using 12 cylinders on a century-old machine. “It’s not an easy thing to translate, because it is a manual process, with a lot of serious work involved to get the colours just right,” Karlsson observes.
Hummingbirds Flora has been printed on a fibrous paper that lends this new design what Karlsson describes as “an extraordinary surface.” Lifelike hummingbirds, darting in search of nectar, are partnered by fluttering butterflies. The team also experimented with a fashionable colour palette traversing the chromatic themes of Love, Water, Nectar and Shelter: dusty and peachy pinks alongside bold shots of fuchsia and magenta; honeyed oranges and candied corals; moody green, teal and amethyst; inky shades of blue, from midnight and cornflower to duck egg and azure; as well as metallic backgrounds that look like a build-up of gold or silver leaf.
To complement this fresh iteration of a Cole & Son classic, Flora, another new design in the collection, features a trailing
“Cole & Son’s creative team brings magical detail to every design”
pattern of flowers and foliage. In both Hummingbirds Flora and Flora, the magical detail Cole & Son’s creative team brings to every design is evident. “In a society obsessed with AI, it has been even more important for us to take a step back and make things authentic,” says Karlsson. “We are bringing innovation into the creative process much earlier — thinking about the textures we can use and the visual and tactile impact that makes on a design, before we go full on with our maximalism in the pattern.”
Pretty maximalism doesn’t just focus on flowers. There are other collections, such as collaborations with South African ceramics collective Ardmore and Italian design house Fornasetti, that exemplify Cole & Son’s reputation for exquisitely colourful and intensely electrified expression.
Jabula is a collection of 11 designs inspired by Ardmore’s captivatingly imaginative ceramic pieces, from planters and bowls to candle holders and objets d’art. They are produced by a collective of 70 African artists, based on Ardmore co-founder Fée Halsted’s farm in the Caversham Valley.
“Our collaboration with Ardmore is a celebration of life,” beams Karlsson. “It’s like reading a saga when you open that collection
“We pour joy and passion into everything that we do”
book — you can dream yourself away completely,” she says of the extraordinary creatures inspired by the farm’s location in a remote corner of the country’s coastal KwaZulu-Natal province, which is known for its white beaches, verdant plantations and wildlife, including rhinos, lions, cheetahs, wildebeest and antelopes.
At Ardmore, a sculptor will craft the ceramic element, then an artist handpaints its intricate detail. The Cole & Son team draws on the unique quality of these pieces to translate the 3D physicality of a plate or vase into an immersive handdrawn and painted wallpaper repeat.
Take Afrika Kingdom, for example, a glorious celebration of the country’s exotic animal kingdom, from eagle owls with spread wings and elegant giraffes to dancing zebras and wide-eyed bush babies. The design might at first feel bold and busy, but there is a deliberate softness to each of the creatures. “We take care to focus on elements like the eyes, which need to look kind,” Karlsson explains.
On a wall, a pattern like this has a huge impact on a room, she says. “It needs to feel slightly softer, so while it is important not to be afraid of bringing out the character and charisma in a creature, what we look for is creating something that is immediately embracing and full of joy.”
Fornasetti is a frequent Cole & Son partner. In Senza Tempo II, the second collection of this name, there is yet more whimsical, enchanting delight in designs such as Soli e Nuvole — inspired by Piero Fornasetti’s 1950s Sole di Capri print combining personified suns and stylised clouds. Ortensia is a pattern the Cole & Son team found on a small tray in the archives, as well as in the cascade of towering hydrangea bushes which grow around the Fornasetti family home and atelier in Milan, where Piero’s son Barnaba (the brand’s artistic director since 1998) works and lives. “It was a print they hadn’t developed before, so we redrew that to a larger scale and then played around with it to create a beautiful repeat for the room,” Karlsson recalls.
The underlying success of Cole & Son’s patterns, and especially in collaborations with names such as Ardmore and Fornasetti, is down to long-term commitment to beauty and quality. “These designs haven’t been informed by a trend or something that’s very hot one minute, gone the next,” says Karlsson. “Ardmore and Fornasetti work in the same way we do. They have their ateliers,
From far left: graceful giraffes and frolicking zebras are among the cast of characters of Afrika Kingdom, part of the Jabula range created in collaboration with South African ceramics collective Ardmore; Soli e Nuvole, from the Cole & Son Senza Tempo II partnership with Fornasetti, is a delightful backdrop for a bedroom
they have their artists, they work with art. So we really delve into their craft and study how their master artisans work, and then find a way to infuse that into our own craftsmanship so that we bring the best we have collectively to each and every design.”
And over and above the fundamental value of dedicated craft, there always has to be more than a hint of “a crazy quirk,” Karlsson adds. “That’s where the idea of pretty maximalism comes in, because it transports a pattern from just being lions and elephants, or flowers and birds, into different worlds that you want to disappear into, to dream. There needs to be an element of something extra in anything we produce. We pour joy and passion into everything that we do — after all, you don’t wallpaper every day, so when you select a design from Cole & Son, it has to feel special.” cole-and-son.com
National treasures
The world’s most prestigious and best-known luxury brands are contributing to the upkeep of equally high-profile monuments
WORDS SIMON BROOKE
When Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was severely damaged by fire in 2019 the shock reverberated throughout France — and beyond. However, it’s expected that by the end of this year the restoration will be advanced enough to allow visitors and worshippers to return.
Among those celebrating will be two of France’s most famous companies. Within weeks of the fire both LVMH and Kering came forward to offer their financial support for the restoration project. Bernard Arnault, founder and CEO of LVMH and France’s wealthiest man, signed an agreement with
the Fondation Notre Dame to donate €200 million, while fellow billionaire François Pinault and his son Francois-Henri contributed €100 million.
Other luxury brands are also supporting the restoration of historic monuments. Dior is involved in a five-year partnership with the Louvre to help restore the Tuileries garden. Chanel has spent €25 million restoring the Grand Palais; for the past few years the brand has used the vast Belle Époque exhibition space as a venue for runway shows.
Under the guidance of Benjamin Mouton, France’s chief architect of historic monuments, Kering has spent years and millions of euros renovating 40 rue de Sèvres, its 17th-century headquarters in Paris. The gardens that surround the building have been painstakingly reconstructed using historical documents and drawings.
In Italy, Bulgari has donated €1.5 million towards the renovation of the Spanish Steps, while another hugely popular Roman tourist attraction, the Trevi fountain, was completely overhauled thanks to funding by Fendi of over €2 million. Also in Rome, Tod’s has spent the past decade supporting a vast project, together with Rome’s archaeological heritage department, aimed at restoring the Colosseum to its former glory.
Heritage, craftmanship and aesthetics — the parallels between luxury brands and historic monuments are obvious. Restoration projects provide luxury houses with unique, high-profile opportunities to promote these qualities. As a humble punter, you might not be able to buy their products, but you can
Clockwise from far left: the Grand Palais in Paris has benefited from its association with Chanel; Notre Dame cathedral; work in progress on the restoration of the cathedral following 2019’s catastrophic blaze
“Restoration projects provide luxury houses with unique, highprofile ways to promote their qualities”
wander around a building, a cathedral, a garden or a neighbourhood that they’ve restored and given new life.
“The luxury and heritage industries are associated with the celebration and preservation of craftsmanship and by expanding their reach to the restoration of landmarks, they weave themselves into the narrative of tradition and timeless allure,” says Ewald Damen, creative director and managing partner at interior design studio Virgile + Partners.
Needless to say, there are commercial and branding benefits. Data from influencer analytics platform WeArisma shows that the total media value of Chanel’s partnership with the Grand Palais, for instance, amounted to $23,832,829 after 1,517 influencers, celebrities and press created 3,676 pieces of content.
LVMH’s support for Notre Dame was widely shared on social media, generating a total media value of $2,358,288 as a result of 224 pieces of content shared by 181 influencers. In particular, supermodels Cara Delevingne and Natalia Vodianova both shared LMVH’s statement on Instagram, at a combined media value of $1,333,134.
Venetian Heritage, a foundation that works to preserve the city’s art, architecture, literature, and music, has worked with a number of luxury brands including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and watch brand
Clockwise from top: Teatro La Fenice, Venice; Teatro Verde on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, suupported by Cartier; Pierre and Beatrice Casiraghi attend the 2022 gala dinner hosted by Venetian Heritage and Dior at La Fenice Overleaf: Dumfries House, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels
“Brands are keen to emphasise their goodcitizen credentials”
Vernier to raise funds and awareness for its projects. This spring, during the opening of Biennale Arte, Venetian Heritage and Dior will continue their collaboration with a gala event in Venice, in a venue that has never been open to the public before.
Dior and Venetian Heritage also held a gala dinner in Venice’s Teatro La Fenice in 2022, during the Biennale Arte opening week, to support the foundation’s work on the restoration of the Ca’ d’Oro museum. Attendees included actors Rosamund Pike and Catherine Deneuve, and aristo-model Beatrice Casiraghi, all of whom wore Dior gowns. The two organisations have worked closely together since 2019, and their association goes back to 1951 when Christian Dior himself attended Le Bal Oriental at the Palazzo Labia along with over a thousand of society’s smartest and wealthiest including Orson Welles, Salvador Dalí and Pierre Cardin.
In 2019 Dior and Venetian Heritage recreated what became known as the “party of the century”, this time attended by Tilda Swinton, Monica Bellucci and Sienna Miller, among many others, to raise funds for a variety of conservation and restoration projects in and around Venice.
Venetian Heritage has also recently partnered with jewellery house Pomellato to create the Lights and Reflections project, which illuminated the historical façade of the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro. As well as bringing a state-of-the-art lighting project with low environmental impact to the palace’s openwork marble façade, Pomellato
celebrated the unveiling of this new initiative with the creation of the Venetian Dream necklace. Featuring rose gold and diamonds, the piece was inspired by the ornate details of the building.
“As a foundation we can’t spend funds on the organisation of events as our funds have to go towards our mission. That means that we need to find other organisations that can help us with finance,” explains Toto Bergamo Rossi, director of Venetian Heritage. “Dior is the perfect partner for us because of its links with Venice going back to Le Bal Oriental. It’s very much about personal contact. I know Pietro Beccari, former Chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture and now chair and CEO of Louis Vuitton, and so I asked him if the companies could help with events and fundraising, and they said ‘yes’.”
Venetian Heritage, a not-for-profit, avoids commercial activity, and visibility for brands around its projects is low-key. “We don’t do banners,” says Bergamo Rossi. There’s a clear division of labour. “Our partners take care of the events and the administration while we concentrate on what we do best — I’m a restorer, not a fund raiser, after all. What we have in common is an appreciation of beauty, craftmanship and heritage.”
It’s not just centuries-old buildings and monuments that are enjoying the largesse of luxury brands. The former British Embassy in Madrid is a celebration of 1960s Brutalism. In 2022 it was revamped by Cartier as a venue for the maison’s Beautés du Monde high jewellery collection.
Cartier is also supporting the restoration of Teatro Verde, a unique amphitheatre that was built in the mid 1950s and is set below sea level amid the wooded landscape of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, located off the coast of Venice.
A love of the natural world and an appreciation of harmony and balance lie at the heart of a collaboration between The King’s Foundation, a charity, and jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels to maintain and enhance the gardens of Dumfries House and the Castle and Gardens of Mey in Scotland, as well as the Highgrove Gardens in England.
The maison will “enable the continued management of the extensive estate, including the formal gardens, as well as woodland and hedgerow creation schemes,” says Nicolas Bos, president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “This will ensure that the gardens continue to be a valuable and accessible asset for local communities and visitors alike. Van Cleef & Arpels has celebrated nature as a major source of inspiration. The maison has translated this universe in many ways throughout its history, in its jewellery creations, of course, but also through artistic collaborations, exhibitions and events.”
As cash-strapped governments are forced to rein in spending on arts and heritage, and luxury brands feel the need to emphasise their credentials as good corporate citizens, these collaborations will almost certainly increase. But both parties need to think carefully about approach.
The King’s Foundation offers three criteria for a successful collaboration: “Firstly, the key to any brand relationship is to understand each other’s objectives and use those areas of commonality as the foundation of your work together. Secondly, it is about understanding areas of challenge in each other’s business and seeking creative solutions that provide mutual benefit. Thirdly, it’s about communication and being open and honest about your limitations — but also about your dreams and aspirations.”
Artist Collaborations from the RA Shop
Discover our ever-changing collection of exclusively created and specially selected products and limited edition art, developed in collaboration with Royal Academicians and invited artists.
JetCard by Air Partner, the UK’s leading provider of private flights, will get you where you need to go, on time and unstressed
WORDS JEMIMA SISSONS
It is a refrain increasingly heard over many Mayfair members’ club cocktails and at the ninth hole: “We wanted to actually get there on time, so we ended up flying privately.” With commercial aviation in a state of flux — schedule chaos, cancellations, rerouted journeys, missed meetings, ruined holidays — it is no wonder that the smart onepercenters are turning to private flights. At the forefront of this enviable shift is Air Partner. Founded in 1961 to assist ex-military pilots qualified to fly civilian aircraft, and a broking business since 1980, Air Partner is one of the world’s largest aviation services providers. You want to fly your bichon frise to surprise the children in Nice for lunch? No problem. Your best man is stranded in icy Sweden on the eve of the wedding? A few calls later, Air Partner has you covered, and he’s safely on a plane, sipping a chilled glass of Blanc de Blancs. Air Partner has a proud history. From humble beginnings as a small helicopter
service in Gatwick, it grew into turboprop planes and jets catering to royalty, HNWIs, politicians and business travellers across the globe at (almost) the drop of a hat. Unlike private jet operators, Air Partner is asset-light and independent, boasting an extensive global network with operations involving between 10 and 50 aircraft a day (completing over 12,000 flights annually), from footballers holidaying in the Maldives to entrepreneurs signing on the dotted line in Malta to 50th birthday celebrations in Ibiza.
One of the services of which the company is most proud (alongside transporting PPE and medical supplies during the pandemic) is its JetCard, which is one of the areas it is most focused on growing in the coming years. Launched in 2006, JetCard by Air Partner offers an exclusive membership programme centred on bespoke service, dedicated account managers, and attractive features such as guaranteed aircraft availability across five categories, flexible cancellations, and back-up assurances.
“Our plans for JetCard by Air Partner revolve around high-end service, efficiency and excellence”
JetCard allows members to book well in advance, securing best-in-class aircraft and sought-after airport slots way ahead of occasional private jet users, who tend to book closer to departure. Alternatively, JetCard members can take advantage of fixed rates with no additional fees when booking at short notice.
Membership activation begins with purchasing a card, which enables the member to secure 25-hour blocks or more of flying, with an endless expiry date on hours used. Members can choose from an entry-level light cabin jet (for up to six passengers), such as the Phenom 300 and Pilatus PC-24, or opt for more spacious Global-category cabin aircraft like the Gulfstream G650 for long-range flights that can accommodate up to 14 passengers.
“Our plans for JetCard by Air Partner revolve around delivering high-end service, optimising efficiency, and upholding excellence,” explains Ty Smith, director of JetCard UK. “We’ve recently made significant strides and have clear future objectives. We’ve dedicated ourselves to enhancing the personal service experience for our members, with a particular focus on fleet quality to ensure state-of-the-art aircraft for our members.”
Air Partner has streamlined its operations and this has allowed it to scale up its programme. “We continuously adapt to industry changes, aiming to be the best in our field,” explains Smith.
The profile of the private voyager has shifted from mainly business passengers to a surge in leisure and vacation travellers. For those seeking winter sun, AlUla in Saudi Arabia, Mallorca in Spain, and Marrakesh in Morocco are popular choices. Dedicated skiers tend to favour perennial favourites such as Zermatt, Val d’Isère and Courchevel. However, Air Partner has noticed a growing
interest in destinations that offer pristine powder slopes, such as those found in British Columbia, Canada. The most popular destinations by volume are, surprisingly, not Monaco and Geneva but Palma and Ibiza, revealing the surging trend for mixing business with pleasure. Many cardholders fly out for work, then bring family for the weekend. And those last-minute meetings in far Mongolia? As long as airfields adhere to commercial safety standards, including suitable runway length and facilities for safe operations, Air Partner will get you there. Being able to access such airports is a significant lure to many JetCard holders.
The reason many delay-weary travellers have shifted to private is the seamless experience that starts as soon as the booking is secured. This means arrival as little as 20 minutes before your flight at one of the elite terminals such as sleek, slick Farnborough (the most popular airport for members — no pesky shifting your miniature shampoos into a plastic bag here).
In the lounge, over a glass of Champagne or freshly pressed juice, you are free to focus on meetings in private conference rooms or peruse the magazines on offer. Ten minutes prior to departure, passengers are personally greeted by the captain and chauffeured directly to the aircraft doors. On board, the food order is taken over a glass of Gusbourne Brut Reserve, with anything from fresh Nobu sushi to slivers of artisan cheese served after take-off. Aircraft are stocked with the guests’ favourite soaps, hand creams, sparkling waters and treats (and that includes for children and canine friends too).
What sets Air Partner apart from others?
“Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence,” says Smith, “underpinned by an aviation heritage dating back to 1961, a member-centric approach, transparent and highly flexible programme solutions, a global infrastructure, and our pioneering status in the aviation services industry.”
for the
to be the best in the private avation field; the VIP experience lasts until passengers step off their flight; for vacationers, the holiday starts on board the plane, before they set foot on the beach
From left: Ty Smith, director of JetCard UK, aims
company
“Air Partner is keen to grow holistically and attract companies and individuals who are new to the aviation market”
As a trusted provider, with a historic brand Air Partner is keen to grow holistically and attract companies and individuals who are new to the aviation market. “We are particularly interested in serving those who may have grown disheartened with the wide-open charter market,” says Smith. “We empathise with the frustrations that arise from inconsistent aircraft quality, decisions driven by pricing, and the lengthy booking process. This is where JetCard by Air Partner comes into its own.”
Ideal members, he adds, also include “those who have recently sold their aircraft or are working directly with operators, either through chartering or with a card programme that is due for renewal; and those who have become dissatisfied with the restrictive and inflexible nature of fractional ownership and who are unwilling to commit to long term penalising deals.” Air Partner, he says, caters to “well-seasoned travellers who possess a clear understanding of their preferences and remain open to exploring new aircraft types, destinations and continents.”
Air Partner has saved the day more than once. On one occasion the company was asked to get a company director to his daughter’s wedding in Biarritz, with just three days’ notice. The member had planned to get travel by other means but subsequently had to change his plans to attend a last-minute
board meeting in Ireland. The flight was arranged promptly, giving him time to attend the meeting in the morning and then fly to Biarritz in time for the wedding the next day. All went smoothly and the light jet that was booked meant both events could be attended, despite the distances involved.
On another occasion Air Partner was asked to fly a JetCard member to Madrid to watch his favourite team play in the Champions League final. The match was between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, and Madrid airport slots were in very high demand. “Thankfully, our member was able to take advantage of our flexible JetCard terms and booked just before the semi-final, knowing that if his team did not win, he could cancel the booking without any penalties — excuse the pun!” Smith recalls.
“When his team got through, it was full steam ahead and we arranged lots of Tottenham merchandise on his flight. The Champagne was on ice and our member and his guests were full of excitement ahead of the game. They were delighted with the flight and the personal touches, which they took home with them, although sadly not the result, as Tottenham lost to Liverpool.”
While Air Partner can’t guarantee a winning score, what it does offer is the most priceless of all commodities: time.
airpartner.com
Fully booked
Whether you’ve got great expectations of being far from the madding crowd or want to be near to the sea, the sea with normal people, there’s a literary festival that’s perfect for you
For years there have been dark mutterings about the demise of books and the deterioration in young people’s concentration skills leading to a deplorable decline in reading. However, a cultural phenomenon has been creeping up on us ever since 2004 when Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan started their non-elitist Book Club. Today so many people belong to book clubs that even Siri is incapable of sourcing a rough estimate of how many. Alongside the clubs, hundreds of literary festivals have sprung up and now lie at the heart of even the smallest towns’ social calendars.
Some festivals specialise: Ledbury hosts the UK’s biggest poetry festival in July (actress Juliet Stevenson’s favourite), while Sherborne in Dorset celebrates travel writing in April. And if crime’s your thing, head north, where there are plenty of options revelling in gory glories, from Harrogate’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July to the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival in Stirling in September. In June, the beautiful Chalke Valley in Dorset plays host to the world’s biggest history festival, founded in 2011 by historian James Holland and James Heneage, founder of Ottakar’s bookshop. (James and Charlotte Heneage now run the popular Kardamyli Festival in Greece, and the town was the home of the late legendary writer Patrick Leigh Fermor.) There are plenty of children’s literature festivals too, with Barnes in London hosting the biggest in June.
Literary festivals are now so ingrained in our cultural life that it’s impossible to list them all, but here are 10 of the best to book between spring and autumn.
CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL 17- 21 APRIL
Set in historic locations such as the Palmerston Room and the Cambridge Union, the festival will feature Armistead Maupin, the much-loved American author of Tales of the City, who makes his debut appearance this year. Also confirmed are former Scottish poet laureate Jackie Kay, playwright, poet and novelist George the Poet, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, and ex-paratrooper Christian Lewis, who walked Britain’s coastline with his dog, Jet. cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
23 MAY-2 JUNE
HOLD EDGE AGAINST BLACK
In 1987 Peter Florence and his parents — Norman Florence and Rhoda Lewis —
dreamed up a BEHIN Dbook festival in the tiny, picturesque town of Hay-on-Wye inWales, already full of bookshops. Some 37 years later, the festival has editions in 30 global locations from Cartagena to Mexico.Despite the festival’s remote, rural setting, it has
Previous page: Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye Clockwise from above: Hay; the town has over 20 bookshops; Idler logo; David Mitchell, Cheltenham; Idler Festival; Cliveden; Judi Jackson at Hay
HAY FESTIVAL
“Literary festivals lie at the heart of even the smallest towns’ social calendars ”
gained a mighty global reputation for attracting major authors and speakers. President Bill Clinton, who spoke at Hay in 2001, described it as “Woodstock for the mind.” This year’s speakers include Rory Stewart, Jeanette Winterson and Colm Toibin. Bettany Hughes and Tom Holland will be talking about history and Miriam Margolyes, Lenny Henry, Sara Pascoe and Julian Clary will also be appearing. hayfestival.com
THE QUEEN’S READING ROOM FESTIVAL
8 JUNE
This one-day festival grew from Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s Book Club, launched during Covid-19 and centred on the conviction that reading is an inspiration and good for wellbeing. 2023 was the festival’s inaugural year and, in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, it hosted 7,500 people within the stunning surroundings of Hampton Court Palace. It’s set to continue its success after last year’s stellar line-up, which included Ken Follett, Ben Macintyre, Robert Harris, Philippa Gregory and Kate Mosse, with actors such as Judi Dench, Richard E Grant and Derek Jacobi bringing poetry and Shakespeare to life. thequeensreadingroom.co.uk
IDLER FESTIVAL
5-7 JULY
This quirky event attracts dedicated followers of the Idler magazine to the handsome 17th-century Fenton House in Hampstead. The festival is an eclectic mix of literature, philosophy, comedy, husbandry and merriment — all at a nicely slow pace
for idlers. Rowan Williams will take to the main stage and BBC Radio 3’s Georgia Mann will DJ in the orchard. Other highlights include beekeeping, foraging and handwriting lessons, and much more. idler.co.uk
CLIVEDEN LITERARY FESTIVAL
21-22 SEPTEMBER
Dubbed “the most dignified and beautiful literary festival on the planet” by philosopher Alain de Botton, Cliveden is curated by a committee featuring the historian Lord Andrew Roberts as president and chaired by Natalie Livingstone, with Tina Brown as honorary chairman, US. If last year’s dazzling line-up is anything to go by, this year promises to be a treat in exquisite surroundings. clivedenliteraryfestival.org
CHELTENHAM LITERATURE FESTIVAL
4- 13 OCTOBER
This literary festival, founded in 1949, prides itself on being the world’s oldest. In collaboration with The Times and Sunday Times, it draws crowds of dedicated followers and hosts 600 speakers across over 500 events. Its also aims to engage children, and last year welcomed 12,000 pupils to the Festival Village for a host of entertaining events and activities. 2024 marks the festival’s 75th year. cheltenhamfestivals.com
“Famous authors return to Petworth year after year for the cosy atmosphere”
ILKLEY LITERATURE FESTIVAL
4-20 OCTOBER
Launched by WH Auden in 1973, Ilkley Literature Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and is the north’s longest-running literary event. This year this Yorkshire spa town will again welcome a plethora of poets, novelists, journalists and biographers. Young people are encouraged to attend via its Young Writers Group and Story Explorer Group for younger children. ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk
PETWORTH FESTIVAL LITERARY WEEK
18 OCTOBER-3 NOVEMBER
The literary week, now in its 14th year, is held in collaboration with Petworth’s independent bookshop, and there is an annual launch drinks party hosted by Lord and Lady Egremont in Petworth House. Famous authors return year after year for the cosy, informal atmosphere, which encourages audience participation. The festival also celebrates local West Sussex authors such as Tim Peake and Kate Mosse — and Lord Egremont himself. petworthfestival.org.uk
LONDON LITERATURE FESTIVAL
23 OCTOBER-3 NOVEMBER
This event takes place over the October half-term to encourage children and teenagers to attend. The capital’s most prominent literary festival showcases emerging talent alongside some of the world’s best-known authors and speakers. The National Poetry Library in the Royal Festival Hall has an open day so people can explore the world’s largest public modern poetry collection. Previous festival speakers include Hillary Clinton, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jacqueline Wilson and Greta Thunberg. southbankcentre.co.uk
BRIDPORT LITERARY FESTIVAL
3-9 NOVEMBER
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Bridport is keeping its headliners under wraps until nearer the time. The festival was spawned from the international Bridport Prize, founded in 1973 to encourage and recognise writers of short stories and poetry. Today this charming market town in Dorset, best known for its proximity to the Jurassic Coast and West Bay, hosts 40 events in various venues and is a hub for local artists, writers, foodies and creatives. Mary-Lou Sturridge, the muchloved co-founder and former managing director of the Groucho Club, welcomes guests to the festival at her Seaside Boarding House hotel and restaurant. bridlit.com
Clockwise from top: the Southbank Centre hosts the London Literature Festival; the National Poetry Library; Bridport’s stunning scenery; Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre
Decanted down under
Often overlooked as a fine wine destination, Australia boasts world-class vineyards that will appeal to even the most discerning oenophile
WORDS NINA CAPLAN
The vastness of the grounds wasn’t the big surprise: this, after all, was Australia, where it is far more unusual to find a hotel that has celebrated its 100th birthday than one that’s more than a third the size of Manhattan. In fact, Kingsford The Barossa is old as well as enormous — the 225-acre estate, now a luxury hotel, was built as a homestead in 1856 — but that wasn’t the surprise, either. I was met by David D’Cruze, who is far more than the sommelier: he seems to run everything. After settling in to an airy wood-panelled room with doors opening onto a shady communal veranda, I was shown through the bar and restaurant, past the mini bowling alley and honesty bar downstairs, and into the private dining room, with its 21-metre table — longer than a cricket pitch — that seats 70. D’Cruze then led me around the vaults stretching the room’s length, all perfectly chilled to suit the bottles that filled the shelves of each one. Fine wines, each in multiple vintages, some of them rare, none of them cheap. And here was the surprising part: all of them were Australian.
If Australia isn’t widely known as a fine wine destination, it’s certainly not the fault of the wines. This vast country, famous for spectacular beaches and amazing wildlife, also produces some of the world’s best bottles, in some cases from the world’s oldest vines. Why isn’t that common knowledge? Partly because of a laid-back lifestyle that seems, from over here, more beer and beach party than black-tie wine
dinner. Partly due to the rivers of wellpriced, clearly labelled plonk the country has exported for decades, although it isn’t as if France and Italy don’t make their fair share of alcoholic, forgettable wines. But the real problem with our perception of Australian wine may be that, in wine terms, there is no such place as Australia. From Margaret River on the west coast to the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, is around 2,400 miles. The former makes great Cabernet Sauvignon while the latter is better known for ageworthy Semillon. Between the two, you find Clare Valley’s vibrant Rieslings, the gorgeous cool-climate wines of the Adelaide Hills, and some of the world’s finest and most expensive Chardonnays in Beechworth. There are fabulous Pinot Noirs on the Mornington Peninsula; Tasmania makes superb Chardonnays, many of which end up in the state’s sophisticated sparkling wines. The Barossa Valley, where I was, is best known for rich, spicy Shiraz but now produces Grenache, which, in a recent London tasting comparing a few of the best alongside the
“These wine regions also have beautiful accommodation and fabulous restaurants”
grape’s greatest European expressions — top Châteauneuf-du-Pape plus Priorats from northern Spain — the Aussies had no difficulty holding their own. Australia has 65 wine regions. It is 14 times the size of France. Granted, half the country isn’t suitable for winemaking, whatever Queenslanders may want you to believe. But that still leaves an awful lot of room for vineyards.
Go there, and it all becomes clear. It helps that these wine regions also have beautiful accommodation and fabulous restaurants, sometimes right next to the vines.
Australians are so good at hospitality that they understood early on the importance of offering visitors more than just a tasting and an opportunity to buy bottles. (France might want to take note.) They are also exceptionally good at learning from others. It is almost impossible to find an Aussie winemaker of any age who hasn’t come over to Europe, worked in wineries, sucked up knowledge as vine roots absorb water, and gone home determined to make great wine and have fun doing it. The fun is important. If we aren’t taking Australian wine as seriously as it deserves, it may be because, while Aussie winemakers are as hardworking and dedicated as their equivalents elsewhere, taking anything too seriously just isn’t what they do.
But what wines they make. I visited Penfolds, probably Australia’s most famous winery, which turns 180 this year. The company still owns part of the original property where Christopher and Mary Penfold planted their vines back in 1844, although most of the vineyards were sold off and became Adelaide, with the result that what is now Magill Estate — which has vines that make a terrific Shiraz and sometimes end up in the company’s legendary red blend, Penfolds Grange, plus an excellent restaurant — stands startlingly close to the metropolis.
At Yalumba, founded by Samuel Smith in 1849, I tried The Octavius, a Shiraz with a delicacy and elegance very different from the bold flavours this area is famous for, and The Caley, a blend of local Shiraz with Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra 240 miles south. The Caley, headily perfumed, juicy and complex, is made only in the best years (and then just 300 dozen bottles). Like Grange, or my personal Penfolds favourite, Bin 111A Shiraz, these are wines as serious as
Previous page: Yalumba founder Samuel Smith planted his first vine with his son, Sidney, in 1849
Clockwise from top left: the Barossa Valley wine region; Henschke’s Mount Edelstone vineyard; the brand’s Hill of Grace grapes; its Hill of Grace vineyard; the cooperage at Yalumba; the brand’s Wine Room; Peter Gago, Penfolds’ chief winemaker
top Bordeaux — just, in many cases, made from far older vines.
That is because the dreaded phylloxera louse, which killed off most of Europe’s vines in the late 19th century, never reached this part of South Australia. To help ensure it never does, at Henschke, before driving out to a vineyard overlooked by a pretty Lutheran church, I dipped my soles in a chemical bath. The vines, as thick as my forearm, were planted in the 1860s. With them, Stephen and Prue Henschke, head of another family that has been in this spot for generations, produce an exceptional Shiraz: Hill of Grace.
“These are wines as serious as the top Bordeaux — just, in many cases, made from far older vines ”
Charlie Melton was a great admirer of Châteauneuf-du-Pape so, back in the 1980s, he planted Grenache. Charles Melton Wines’ Nine Popes is one of the Barossa Valley’s finest wines, and four decades on, others are waking up to how well the grape does here. In Barossa and nearby McLaren Vale, from venerable vines (Cirillo’s oldest were planted in 1850) to upstarts like those planted at exciting newcomer Alkina, winemakers are producing fabulous Grenaches with elegant tannins, a fine balance of fruit and spice, and that great indicator of quality: ageing potential. Others are branching out into more obscure varieties. At The Louise, another boutique Barossa hotel, young sommelier Tess Mathai served me glass after glass of delicious oddities from small producers. Levrier’s honeyed sparkling rosé made from the rare Champagne variety Petit Meslier; Rieslingfreak Riesling from Eden Valley, vibrating with lime; and aged Roussanne from Yelland & Papps were all made less than 20 miles from where I was drinking.
There are still empty shelves in those Kingsford fine-wine vaults… but on this evidence, not for long.
Clockwise from top left: a stunning creation from Sam Borley, head chef of the Dining Room at Port Phillip Estate; the gourmet venue has been described as among Australia’s top dining experiences; the architecture is designed to embody
sustainability, quality and expression of place; father-and-daughter duo Charlie and Sophie Melton of Charles Melton Wines; Vasse Felix, the first commercial vineyard and winery to be established in the Margaret River region, features a critically acclaimed restaurant
PLACES TO STAY
Kingsford The Barossa, Barossa Valley
This former homestead on a sprawling property is now a luxury hotel with a mini bowling alley, a restaurant offering a gastronomic history of the region, and a “bush bath” next to a creek — ideal for a romantic soak with a glass of something special. kingsfordbarossa.com.au
The Louise, Barossa Valley
Newly reopened after a serious renovation, this beautiful hotel has 15 villastyle suites, a bistro and an excellent fine dining restaurant. Sit out and watch the sunset or pop across the road for a tasting at Tscharke Wines. thelouise.com.au
Port Phillip Estate, Mornington Peninsula
Port Phillip Estate only has six suites but they are perfect. Located beneath the tasting room and restaurant in this architectural marvel of limestone rammed earth walls and vast windows onto the vineyards, each one has a bath and a king-size bed facing the vines. Freshly baked goods are brought to your door in the morning, and PPE and Kooyong wines are made on-site and served upstairs. portphillipestate.com.au
Hidden depths
There’s more to today’s super-prime properties than meets the eye, from the stories behind one-of-a-kind pieces to seamlessly concealed cutting-edge tech
WORDS ZOE DARE HALL
When you have a front-row view of the London Eye from your sofa, and the ever-changing light and movement of the entire capital as its backdrop, you need your interiors to be luxurious but suitably discreet so as not to distract from the real-life movie outside your window.
This is the three-bedroom Portia Fox Penthouse on the 35th and 36th floors of One Casson Square on London’s South Bank, on sale for £12.95 million with Knight Frank. A super-prime property such as this needs to appeal to the broadest range of ultra-highnet-worth buyers who fancy a riverfront trophy as their London residence.
But beneath the surface, beyond the instant eye-catchers such as the central staircase that unfurls like a ribbon and the window-front bath tub with a panoramic view, interior designer Fox has handpicked and steered a huge number of artisans to contribute to the complex jigsaw that makes up this property and takes in locations all over the world.
Among familiar names such as French fabric maestro Pierre Frey, there is Novocastrian. This team of metalworkers from Newcastle, comprising the “sons and daughters of Northern shipbuilders and coal miners”, has produced the penthouse’s centrepiece solid brass dining table, which costs £12,000. “We are unashamedly working-class people from a proudly working-class town, and the fact we can craft pieces that can furnish some of the world’s
most prestigious properties is fascinating and a great honour,” says Richy Almond, who co-founded the company with his brother Paul.
In the master bedroom, two bedside tables, priced at £6,500 each, were made by London-based James Trundle of Process Studio, using timber handpicked from a small yard in Wiltshire and pippy oak from Dorset. “Every piece of timber we use can be geographically and temporally located,” he comments. “We recently crafted a piece for a private client on which we laser-engraved all the credentials of the timber and its journey, including the grid reference of where the tree stood, onto the underside of the piece.”
These artisans bring “humanity and personality to these crazy projects,” says Fox. “They’re not ostentatious — they’ve just worked hard and become sought after.”
A seemingly simple desk can involve half a dozen skilled craftspeople: a timber worker, a leather specialist, perhaps someone who deals with brass, plus the designer who came up with the idea in the first place. “It keeps a lot of amazing trades in business,” says Fox.
Some of these skills are wonderfully niche, such as straw marquetry. “In our studio, we have a pot of dyed straw in 150 colours,” Fox continues. “People dye the straw in France and no two batches are the same. Then we work with specialist marquetry makers. We’ve used it in a set of huge basement doors in one project where the doors were made in Austria, the straw is from France and the furnituremakers are in the Cotswolds.”
Left to right: the Portia Fox Penthouse at One Casson Square offers spectacular views from nearly every room; the timeless, luxurious interiors feature artisan touches throughout, from bespoke furniture to hand-carved details
Left to right: Rive Gauche London’s Grosvenor Square apartment includes 120 bespoke finishes and pieces; the Novocastrian dining table in the Portia Fox Penthouse; The Gainsborough showcases a range of artisanal skills
With handcrafted items, provenance is key. “No two pieces are the same and bespoke artisans like the story,” says Patrick Welsh from Fallen & Felled, a hardwood timber company that repurposes fallen trees in London. He recalls a huge old London plane that fell in Soho Square in 2022: “It was rotten and we badgered the tree surgeon to give it to us. Most go to the yard to be chopped up for biomass or firewood. We try and disrupt things.”
Cabinet-maker Robert Brain of RHMB is one of Fallen & Felled’s regular customers. He recalls a kitchen he created for a house in The Bishops Avenue — Hampstead’s famed billionaires’ row — from trees that grew, and fell, less than two miles away. Another project in Kensington used a fallen beech tree from Kensington Gardens. “Our clients are often excited to be able to choose locally sourced timber and it’s a real pleasure to help these trees begin their second life,” Brain says. “The distinctive narrative adds an extra layer of interest to our work.”
Beyond the story, there’s the simple fact that super-rich buyers want something that no one else has. “Clients at this level have seen everything and want something very personalised that represents them and their tastes,” says Nicolas Roux, founder of Rive Gauche London. He recently completed a very high-end apartment renovation in Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square with 120 bespoke items and finishes, including on walls, floors and ceilings. Each feature can take several months from concept to delivery, with constant to-ing and fro-ing between designer and craftsperson to ensure perfection.
“Every one of our projects is packed with bespoke artisanal pieces,” says Roux. “Each one is a piece of art. It starts with us on the design side, then we find the artisan, who has often learned the craft for 50 years or it has been handed down over multiple generations.” He describes wall panelling he designed for a grand reception room in Paris, which was made from eggshells that were
painstakingly colour-matched, then covered in resin and baked. For a London penthouse in Hyde Park Gate, he found a local artisan to create églomisé wall mirroring that runs up the staircase crowned by a huge skylight, “so the silver and gold at the back of the mirrors give off different reflections throughout the day. It’s a constantly changing feature.”
“Simply putting marble on the floor and polished glass on the wall doesn’t make a property prime, just because it looks expensive,” he adds. “It’s about the way the details integrate and coordinate. It’s another level of luxury when you go into this much detail. You don’t see it immediately, but it creates another dimension.”
Peter Miller at smart home tech company Cornflake knows all about hidden artistry. “We have to go to great lengths to hide tech: TVs behind mirrors or moving panels, or that slide out on a lift under the bed; homecinema speakers hidden behind acoustic fabric, plaster or wallpaper,” he says. While Cornflake’s designers are craftspeople of the tech variety, they also work with a wide range of specialist joiners and plasterers to ensure their technology is suitably discreet.
Designers need to be innovative. The billionaire owner of a Tudor mansion in south-west London loved the sound quality of his Wilson Benesch speakers but not the finish, “so we bought 50 metres of a special, vibrant blue speaker cloth at huge expense so that it matched the cabinets,” says Miller. One customised cabinet alone cost £50,000. Similarly, bespoke lighting design “has become a massive thing”, according to Miller, who is regularly called upon to come up with artistic ways of providing individually programmable lighting for works of art and sculpture within a property. Or, as in one Kensington mansion, to work with a lighting designer to ensure the illuminated bespoke art installation alongside the client’s indoor pool worked perfectly at the touch of a screen. “We have to create the perfect screen and make it visually exciting,” says Miller.
“At the highest level, there is demand for originality and craftsmanship”
Without artisanal flair, there’s a danger that even super-prime properties look “safe and repetitive, and with no real point of view behind each design,” says interior designer Katharine Pooley. And there’s a “glut” of that, she adds. “Buyers increasingly look for unusual craftsmanship, interesting techniques and niche, bespoke detailing. They like to feel they are investing in a larger story about rarefied techniques and niche artisan expertise — which could mean a single piece with a particularly interesting fabrication process or a luxurious finish that can only be achieved painstakingly, by hand.”
For The Gainsborough at Millbank, a grand, historic £18 million apartment (now sold) within a listed Westminster building, Pooley drew on her little black book of artisans, from muralists to seamstresses, to create one-off wall art, hand-painted silk wallpaper and hand-embroidered drapes for a four-poster bed. “At the highest level of the market, I believe there is demand for originality and craftsmanship. For me, it’s an incredible privilege to work with such beauty and skill.”
And whether it’s centuries of history or an unmissable, modern tourist attraction, London provides these behind-the-scenes artisans with endless inspiration.
The Gainsborough reflects the grand majesty of the residence’s original features in its beautiful, contemporary interiors
PHOTOGRAPHY: NICO WILLS (9 MILLBANK)
NEW HEIGHTS
THE OREN, A NEW RETIREMENT DEVELOPMENT BY ELYSIAN RESIDENCES, OPENING THIS SUMMER, OFFERS HOMEOWNERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE A FULFILLING NEW CHAPTER
TO COUNT A RETIREMENT development among London’s most impressive new residences would have been unthinkable a decade ago. But much has changed since then. And The Oren, Elysian Residences’ new development of 44 luxurious properties overlooking Hampstead Heath, available only to the over 65s, ranks among the most beautifully designed and life-affirming places to live in the capital.
“Fulfilling, engaging, uplifting” is Elysian Residences’ ambition for every one of its retirement developments, and The Oren embraces this ethos to the max. Ready to move in to this summer, with a show apartment now available to view, the properties — designed by Stanton Williams, the Stirling Prize-winning architectural firm — are set in small clusters embedded among mature greenery. Multi-award-winning garden designer Christopher Bradley-Hole also helped craft this verdant oasis with its Japanese-inspired landscaping and private, convivial areas for visiting family members to sit and chat.
The Oren’s five-star-hotel-style amenities include a restaurant and bar, a health spa and swimming pool, and a library. There is also a meticulously curated range of services “that are very discreet and respectful, and attend to homeowners’ every need as they grow older,” says Elysian’s CEO Gavin Stein.
“When you return from a shopping trip, you can relax with a coffee in the restaurant while we unpack your items. If you arrive home late from the airport, you will always return to a friendly welcome and someone to whisk your luggage straight to your apartment. We can walk your dog, and provide in-house catering and use of a car, so you can enjoy the best parts of life without the burden.”
The Oren’s generously sized properties, ranging from two-bed apartments costing £1.8 million to penthouses priced over £5 million, help ease the transition to enjoying a new chapter where you are fully supported physically and emotionally.
“That brings a great quality of life,” Stein comments. “Many years of thought have gone into designing these buildings and the services on offer entirely around people’s needs. It’s our commitment to respect the older generation who have worked hard for decades. Now this is their time to enjoy.”
theorenhampstead.com
Clockwise from top: the stunning Fir penthouse apartment at The Oren; the development was designed by Stanton Wiiliams, the architectural practice that transformed the Royal Opera House; the pool is just one of the amenities reminiscent of a five-star hotel; the generously proportioned living areas overlook the Japanese-style grounds, where foliage colours change with the seasons
Ray of light
Silversea pushes the boundaries of experiental cruising with the latest illuminating addition to its ultra-luxury fleet, giving guests a greater sense of connection to destinations than ever before
WORDS RICK JORDAN
Anyone summering in the Greek Islands this year might gaze out to sea from their villa terrace and spot a sleek ship gliding across the bay. It sports the familiar profile of a cruise ship, with elegant tiers of decks layered like tiramisu, capped by jaunty, aquiline funnels — all gleaming white against the unruffled blue of the Aegean. Those onboard, on the other hand, will barely be aware of the ship around them; instead, they will be looking intently out from the spacious cabins and wide-open
decks at the wraparound, uninterrupted views of hillside villages the colours of confetti, mountains smudged by haze, sea-sculpted caves and green olive groves.
Launching in June, Silversea’s Silver Ray connects with its destinations in a way quite unlike any other ship afloat — with the exception of its sister, Silver Nova, which made its maiden voyage from Venice to sail around the Adriatic last August. Together they comprise the new Nova class, which embodies Silversea’s vision for the 2020s and beyond, pushing the boundaries of
“The ship is turned into one big prism for encounters with landscapes and cultures”
experiential, luxury cruising for seasoned ocean-goers and new-wave travellers alike.
Stepping aboard, you’ll be struck by the sheer openness of the ship’s design — a revolutionary approach that blurs the distinction between inside and outside space. Natural light shimmers in from all angles, through glass facades, elevators and wide-open decks. Cabins are set behind floor-to-ceiling windows, with 270-degree views from bedroom and bathroom;
restaurants,bars and othergathering points are all focused towards the sea,while decks are stripped back and uncluttered to provide unimpededvistas.
It’s a literal attempt to break down the traditional barriers between cruise passengers and theirports of call,HOLD EDGE turning the ship into one big prism for encounters with landscapes and cultures. “Whenwe set out to design the new Nova class,the starting pointwas:‘How canwe really define a sense of openness and give passengers a real connectionwith a destination?’,”saysAndreaTonet,the Italian-born,Monaco-basedvice president of product strategy at Silversea Cruises.
“With more than 4,000 square metres of glazing,thewindows are a majorpart of the story,butyou get incredibleviewswherever you are on the ship.On a lot of otherships, there are design elements andvisual clutter that keepyourattention on the ship itself.
Clockwise from top far left: SilverRay heralds a new era of cruising; the open-air Dusk Bar; Silversea focuses on destinations; S.A.L.T. highlights local producers; La Terrazza Italian restaurant; Greece offers superb scenery
“The sheer amount of space on board is remarkable — it never feels crowded”
We wanted to remove anything that was superficial and non-essential, and direct the focus to whatever scenery lies outside.”
Tonet describes sailing into a port on Silver Nova — Trieste, for example, or Dubrovnik — as feeling like being on the roof of a boutique hotel, looking down on all the sights of the historic town, almost close enough to touch. “There’s always the sensation of being in the destination rather than on the ship,” he says. “And the sheer amount of space is remarkable; it never feels crowded on board. I worked out that if we took all 728 passengers to the panoramic deck between decks 10 and 11, everyone would still enjoy five square metres of personal space.”
Another groundbreaking design feature for both Nova ships is the horizontal distribution of cabins. Whereas vertical designs place cabins on every deck in the centre and forward, the asymmetric, horizontal design here means cabins occupy the entire sixth to ninth floors, freeing up upper and lower decks for public spaces.
Clockwise from top left: the ship’s beautiful atrium soars between the third and fifth decks; guests can discover delicious local delicacies; the luxurious bathroom in each SilverRay Otium Suite features a whirlpool bath and a walk-in shower
“It gave us more freedom to play with height, so we have the atrium soaring up between the third and fifth decks,” says Tonet. “It also meant we could be more creative with suites, which are among the most spectacular in the Silversea fleet. Having cabins in the stern is unusual, but meant we could design eight corner suites that really make the most of their position, with window placement that maximises the views.”
The designers may have stripped away everything superficial, but they haven’t skimped on luxury. There’s a clean, contemporary Italian aesthetic throughout, with cabins furnished using ceramics, porcelain and natural fabrics, along with sofas and ottomans from north-west Italy. The two Otium Suites, unique to the Nova class, are the largest rooms on board, with hot tubs on their teak verandas.
Each of the many restaurants has a distinct personality, from the French-accented La Dame, with its beautiful Masque de Femme panels by Lalique, to the Japanese washiand-wood interior of Kaiseki and the Art Deco glitter of the Twenties-inspired jazz bar Silver Note. “Personally, I love The Marquee, which is outside on deck nine,” says Tonet. “You can drop by for a morning coffee or an aperitivo before dinner — it reminds me of one of those little cafés you find in southern Italy where you can sit and watch life unfolding throughout the day.”
And while there are infinity views all around, you’ll also find hidden nooks to cosy up in, such as The Library and Connoisseur’s Corner, for a glass of vintage Champagne, or the intimate spaces dotted around The Pool Deck. Cabaret and theatre shows are performed on stage in the jewel-box space of the Venetian Lounge, while the Otium Spa’s Roman-inspired wellness approach permeates around the ship with its bespoke sleeping scent, bath and pillow menus, and sun-protection creams.
The real focus, however, is on connecting passengers with the destination, and the most flavoursome way is through food.
Clockwise from top left: food and drink are windows into local cultures; a mouthwatering gourmet experience is guaranteed; guests can explore the spectacular island of Santorini; as well as boasting the largest pool in the fleet, The Pool Deck also offers 270-degree views, an upper-level sun deck, and an infinity-edge, glassfronted Cliff Whirlpool
“In 2017, we made the decision to make the destination the focus, not the ship, and we haven’t looked back”
Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) programme — curated by Adam Sachs, the former editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine — has pioneered the art of deep diving into a region’s food history and culture. Passengers can join small excursions to meet chefs, farmers and food producers to learn about traditions, then return to the ship for cooking classes and daily changing menus using ingredients from the destination. “The Greek Islands are a perfect fit for a ship like Silver Ray in that way,” says Tonet. “You have those beautiful, warm waters in summer, the ever-shifting scenery and the sheer abundance of Mediterranean food culture. And S.A.L.T. is so multidimensional — you get serious foodies who sign up to everything, and more casual guests who are just curious about trying a few menus.”
When Silver Ray launches in June, those widescreen views will take in the volcanic landscape and whitewashed villages of Santorini, the olive groves of Corfu and the beaches and windmills of Mykonos, as well as
the medieval walled city of Kotor in Montenegro, and Dubrovnik, Athens and Bodrum. Highlights of Silver Nova’s voyages for 2024 and 2025 include close-up views of Alaska’s mighty Hubbard Glacier, where guests can also listen out for the crack and creak of calving ice, and try to spot orcas and bears. For Australasian cruises, the views will encompass the Art Deco architecture of Napier in New Zealand and the high sea cliffs and deep forests of Tasmania, among other unforgettable sights. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Silversea Cruises, which made its debut in 1994 with the world’s first all-inclusive cruise ship, Silver Cloud, and a pioneering commitment to intimate, luxury sailing with all-suite accommodation and gourmet dining. That ethos continues to this day, but while the 1990s may feel like a recent memory to some — an era of oversized Balenciaga blazers, Bill Clinton and Jurassic Park — the cruise scene has steamed several leagues ahead since.
“Back then, cruising was about seeing the world but staying safely behind the ship’s walls,” Tonet says. “Luxury meant all the obvious, visible signs such as Champagne and caviar, marble and silk, and the same reassuringly familiar menus no matter where you were in the world. In 2017, we made the decision to make the destination the focus, not the ship, and we haven’t looked back.”
With the launch of Silver Ray, there are now 13 ships in the Silversea fleet. There are small, agile vessels such as Silver Origin, carrying just 100 passengers, and Silver Dawn, which will embark on an epic 136-day world cruise in 2025 that visits 30 countries across four continents. Larger vessels include those in the Millennium class and Silversea’s first Expedition ships, launched in 2008 with the aptly named Silver Explorer. The Muse class features Silver Muse and Silver Moon — the latter having introduced the culinary S.A.L.T. programme to the waves.
Now the Nova class has drawn together all the best elements from the Silversea collection, polishing them to a high shine while being among the most sustainable ships at sea (powered by liquified natural gas, and 40% more efficient than previous launches). With the launch of Silver Ray, Silversea is moving forward once again, setting its own course with its eyes wide open to the infinite tapestry of the world. Silver Ray launches in June 2024, sailing from Lisbon to Civitavecchia, Rome. silversea.com
and
guests can make the most of each destination; the ship’s design offers unparalleled views of scenery and wildlife; SilverRay’s Observation Lounge; passengers can immerse themselves in their surroundings; bear-spotting is a highlight of Silversea’s Alaskan cruise
Clockwise from top far left: Silver Nova heads to Alaska for 2024
2025;
At a recent Bonhams sale in London, a 1972 Patek Philippe gold and lapis lazuli jewellery watch sold for over £28,000, somewhat above its estimate, as befits a classic “buy” item on its way into favour, but not quite peaking. Its mix of mid-century, jet-set glamour and ancient influences reflects a growing passion for hardstone and gold watches over the past few years.
WORDS AVRIL GROOM
Golden age
The precious metal has enjoyed a return to favour in recent years, with watch and jewellery brands elevating archival designs for a contemporary audience
The conservative and industrial watch industry often lags behind jewellery on creative style but this is a rare example of it inspiring jewels. The major return of yellow gold, with or without hardstones and gems, is now sweeping the market at all levels, perhaps as a reaction to the strictures of the pandemic and economic woes. Designer Annoushka Ducas is best-known for coloured stones and antique-style settings but her latest collection is exclusively gold. “I don’t design to trends but this is more a general feeling,” she says. “Maybe the social background is an unconscious need for something timeless, contemporary and flexible, that will work in 10 or 200 years’ time. Yellow gold flatters most skins and ages, but gold is still an investment and needs to work hard.”
Such styles doubled as bracelets and often had a matching suite of earrings and a necklace. Some had similar cufflinks — men in that peacock era happily wore gemstones and are now returning to them.
At the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, these suites, with their nostalgic, opulent blends of colour and high craft, draw in visitors, and also possibly inspire designers. Brands with a similar heritage such as Piaget, which has always created jewellery alongside watches and has employed its own goldsmiths since the 1960s, or Van Cleef & Arpels in the highest tradition of Parisian jewellery, are mining their own archives for designs to contemporise.
Van Cleef & Arpel’s slightly jokey, sometimes cutesy animal clips brought levity and the finest gold engraving to high jewellery in the 1960s and are still highly sought after. Its 1967 Dishevelled Lion clip, with fine gold dreadlocks and diamonds, emeralds and onyx, is more sweet cartoon than noble beast. This spirit is perfectly replicated in the current revival with its perlé mane, tiger-eye “fur” and loveable expression. Piaget’s Essentia capsule in its new high jewellery collection references the organic, abstract shapes of the 1960s, with freeform links of polished gold and diamonds on earrings, necklaces and a mineral-dialled watch.
Those original timepieces were more jewel than watch, their cases and bracelets handworked in engraved or woven gold, dials often delicate, hand-cut layers of mineral. According to Bonhams’ global head of watches, Jonathan Darracott, the lapis model “would not technically have been unique but Patek probably made 10 at most.”
Creativity is often circular. The original watches were inspired by jewellers such as Andrew Grima and Gilbert Albert, who designed unique pieces for Omega, and Grima’s love of organic shapes, yellow gold and rough stones is a major jewellery
influence. Designers known for other styles are experimenting with gold in new-forthem ways. Bibi van der Velden, associated with slightly gothic, engraved gold animal motifs, captures in metal the ephemeral essence of smoke spirals, or the underwater movement of seaweed, shells and even mermaids. Elizabeth Gage, known for ornate, medieval or Roman-looking rings set with gems and enamel, explores gritty textures and monolithic, irregular shapes, and is guided by the outlines of natural stones. These organic motifs inspire designers as disparate as Brazilian talent Fernando Jorge, whose effortless ribbed or polished pieces seem impossibly light; Indian designer Ananya Malhotra, whose sophisticated mix of subtle gems, pearls and gold recalls fossil seashells; and Beirut brand L’atelier Nawbar, where sisters and fourth-generation jewellers Dima and Tania Nawbar use delicate fretting and edgings of diamonds or vivid enamel to enhance fluid shapes. By recreating freeforms, jewellers give unconventional modernity to 1960s style. Suzanne Kalan is celebrating 10 years of her USP: the arrangment of little baguette diamonds at random angles so light dances off them in different directions, like tumbled rock strata. Her original, now re-issued, bracelet also comes in gold baguettes and she has expanded the theme into coloured gem baguettes, including very 1960s emeralds with yellow gold. Designer and V&A curator Emefa Cole is equally fascinated by geology. After her glowing gold, volcanic crater rings comes her excursion into “frozen” molten gold, which resembles dripping lava or stalagmites from a mythical limestone cavern.
Even tiny details can inspire imaginative leaps. Dominic Jones, creative director of the Royal Mint and its 886 jewellery range, subtly references the company’s historic purpose of coin making in his second collection, Tutamen. Earrings with coiled spiral motifs are inspired by the milled edges of coins, and feature the Latin inscription Decus et Tutamen, which appeared on the iconic 1990s £1 coin, stacks of which also inspire graduated disc earrings. “The inscription means ‘an ornament and a safeguard’, and fits what I want for the Royal Mint’s jewellery,” says Jones. “That it should be decorative but also hold its value as an investment.”
With nearly 250 years of history, Chaumet has seen many gold waves, from an early golden wheat-ears tiara to intricate, mid-century, nature-inspired creations by celebrated maker Pierre Sterlé — and both eras are referenced in current collections. A simple pendant in the latest fine jewellery Liens range is elevated by a dazzling engraved sunburst, while Le Jardin de Chaumet’s unique pieces include wheat in gold and diamonds; engraved, layered gold palm fronds; and abstract leaf shapes set with yellow and white diamonds garlanding a band of multi-cut diamond “stripes”.
Paris has no monopoly on splendid goldsmiths. Italy has its own historic traditions and styles, from Vicenza and Valenza in the north through Florence to Sicily in the deep south. Northern craft peaks in the gauzy metal and gems designs of Buccellati and the bolder gold of Pomellato, which, in the 1960s, took the chain from being a means of suspending a pendant to a substantial piece that included high jewellery versions pavéd with diamonds or coloured gems. The chain has now been elevated everywhere to newly complex levels, including by UK jewellers such as Pragnell, which stacks different chain designs together and uses chain tubing to create 1940s-inspired, industrial-looking rings.
Classic jewellery houses have deep archives and can command the best of craft to reinvent past motifs. Cartier’s current headline gold range, Grain de Café (coffee bean), rebelliously ordinary when launched in 1938, is now seen as joyously quirky, unless you have the high jewellery version with rubellite beads and diamonds.
Annoushka’s latest, non-gendered collection Knuckle is based on the eponymous bone, with a striking knot effect between each link. The knot is also the heart of Tiffany’s newest gold collection while Florence-based Gucci returns to its ultimate 1960s symbol, the snaffle, with intricate bracelets, including cuff watches.
Clockwise from top far left: Chaumet Jeux de Liens Harmony rose gold pendant; Pomellato Sabbia six-chain necklace; Suzanne Kalan Bold Triple Emerald Huggies earrings; Fernando Jorge Stream Lines
open bracelet; Emefa Cole cuff; Annoushka Knuckle gold and diamond bracelet; Cartier Grain de Café necklace; 886 The Royal Mint Tutamen Diamond Spiral drop earrings; L’atelier Nawbar Flat Ray hoops
JEWELLERY
Sicilian gold is different, more obviously handworked and textured rather than polished, with motifs that look to the eastern Mediterranean, as evolved from ancient Greek-inspired jewellery by Ilias Lalaounis in the 1970s, which caused a sensation. Massimo Izzo handcarves and engraves one-off pieces, combining fine filigree work with large, unusual stones such as aquamarine slices and Japanese coral, and featuring motifs from sea creatures to the universal sun symbol, in 1970s-style sandblasted gold. With a shop in Siracusa, he also takes his work to collectors worldwide.
It resonates with the equally soft finish and tactile shapes of Beirut-born Nada Ghazal, whose jewellery is made in the Lebanese capital while she is currently based in Britain. Her home city and its mid-century heritage of sophisticated jewellery design remain her inspiration.
“I gravitate to bold, architectural designs, which we handcraft,” she says. “My latest are based on ancient Beirut doorways and arches — symbols leading you somewhere new. They are very sensual. I love working with texture, whether traditionally embossed or with modern techniques like sandblasting or brushing.”
The mid-century version of ancient jewellery also inspires top costume jewellers like Goossens, founded in the 1950s and long-term jeweller to Chanel — which now owns the brand — with its mixes of 24ct gold overlay and dyed rock crystal, or the witty, 1970s-style creations of Sonia Petroff, a Bulgarian aristocrat and original jetsetter whose archive has been revived and updated by her niece-in-law Maria LeoniSceti. Not all high jewellery houses have such close links with the last golden age but right now it is where everyone in the industry wants to be.
Clockwise from top left: gold-plate Goossens Talisman Astro Sun & Moon medal necklace; Massimo Izzo Sun pendant in 18ct gold with white diamonds and brilliant-cut aquamarine; Gucci Snaffle cuff; Nada Ghazal The Arch Courage Stripe small ring; gold-plate
Sonia Petroff Lilliana earrings; Tiffany Knot earrings in yellow gold with diamonds
In tune with a new era
Zarqa al Yamama, Saudi Arabia’s first grand opera, is set to open at the King Fahad Cultural Centre, heralding a landmark moment for the country
Previous page: the spectacular opera bridges Western and Arabic cultures
Clockwise from top left: the Dresdner Sinfoniker enjoys global acclaim; the celebrated Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno; choirmaster Joel Hána; the Sinfoniker musicians tune up
This April, Saudi Arabia’s capital, R iyadh, is witnessing the rare spectacle of a fairy tale becoming reality. Once upon a time, in the 1970s, King Fahad ordered the construction of a building with a 3,000-seat auditorium, hoping that one day it might be a home for opera. Half a century later, his grandchildren are seeing his dream come to life in that very building, as the King Fahad Cultural Centre prepares to stage Zarqa al Yamama, the kingdom’s first ever grand opera.
Zarqa al Yamama represents a first for the kingdom in so many ways. Just seven years ago, it would have been unthinkable to stage an opera in Saudi Arabia — singing and playing musical instruments were banned in the 1920s and music continued to be perceived as decadent until Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman starting exploring the powerful, positive role of culture. Indeed, the decision to invest in such a ground-breaking project symbolises part of bin Salman’s determination to harness culture to open his kingdom up to global eyes as never before.
An astonishing £50 billion has already been invested in cultural projects (with plans for many more) including at AlUla, an ancient oasis city in Medina Province that represents a major part of the country’s drive to boost tourism. Culture is the hook with which to draw in millions of visitors annually, and the government’s aim is to raise the contribution of the travel and tourism industry to 10% of the country’s GDP by 2030.
Zarqa al Yamama is being produced as part of the kingdom’s goal to encourage collaboration between local and global creatives, to facilitate the exchange of skills.
Sultan Al-Bazie is the CEO of the Ministry of Culture’s Theater and Performing Arts Commission, which is spearheading the project, and is well placed in the role, having worked as a cultural attaché in France and as editor-in-chief of the Saudi newspaper Al-Yaum. He also served as chairman of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts between 2013 and 2017, where he elevated Saudi theatre to new levels.
This is why he’s now able to assert with confidence that the opera is vital and instrumental in reaching new audiences and exposing Saudi’s budding artistic community to diverse art and culture. “Staging Zarqa Al Yamama presents a landmark moment in the kingdom’s cultural journey,” he says. “It will inspire a new generation of Saudi artists and showcase Saudi Arabia’s culture to a global audience.”
The opera is based on an ancient tale from pre-Islamic Arabia and derives its
name from the legendary blue-eyed woman of the Geddes tribe who possessed the gift of foresight. In the story, after foreseeing the approach of an army set on destroying her people, she desperately set outs to warn her leader and his advisors of the imminent danger.
The opera represents a truly global effort that has rarely, if ever, been seen in the cultural sphere before, bringing together exceptional talent from around the globe. The renowned, award-winning Saudi poet and playwright Saleh Zamanan wrote the libretto in Arabic. The Australian composer and record producer Lee Bradshaw, composer-in-residence at the St John’s Festival of Chamber Music in Melbourne,
“The opera represents a truly global effort that has rarely been seen before”
composed the score. Ivan Vukčević, CEO and project manager, is from Montenegro, and is the artistic director of the Mediterranean Notes Music Festival in Tivat as well as the principal/solo viola with the Orchestra della Szizzera Italiana. Swiss-born stage director and producer Daniele Finzi Pasca is directing and the principal conductor is Spanish-born Pablo González, who has served multiple European orchestras. The orchestra itself is the award-winning Dresdner Sinfoniker, renowned as among the world’s leading ensembles for contemporary music. It will be accompanied by the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno with choirmaster Joel Hána.
The global reputations and calibre of the performers are equally astounding. The British critically acclaimed mezzo soprano Dame Sarah Connolly will play Zarqa in the title role. She will be joined on stage by bass Rafał Siwek, who plays Amliq, and baritone George von Bergen.
Other members of this star-studded cast include Italian-born soprano Serena Farnocchia, Australian-born soprano Amelia Wawrzon and Italian tenor Paride Cataldo. There are also three Saudi performers. Tenor Khayran Al-Zahrani is one of the first Saudi professional classical opera singers and was the very first to join the Coro Polifonico Musica Creator choir in Rome.
Soprano Sawsan Al Bahiti trained and performed on Broadway, and was the first woman to sing the Saudi national anthem publicly when she opened for La Scala di Milano’s Riyadh concert in 2019. She also established The Soulful Voice, the first official centre in Saudi Arabia to specialise in vocal coaching. The other Saudi soprano is Reemaz Oqbi, a prominent singer and flautist, and a well-known figure on the Saudi classical music scene in her role as manager of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir.
Bringing together such diverse talent is no easy feat and Finzi Pasca likens the project to cooking a superb meal from a range of top ingredients. “When you go to the market you don’t always find exactly what you expect — you might find something that really surprises you,” he tells me. “But the market is a key moment to find everything you need — or maybe you need to change your idea a little bit depending on availability. In the global market, we have found exactly what we need on stage. We have all the best ingredients and the important thing now, as my grandmother always says, is to make sure we cook them all in the right way.”
I also speak with Bradshaw and Vukčević, whose joint excitement is evident as they watch the production finally come together after years of hard work. Both had originally balked at such a difficult undertaking and Bradshaw goes to great lengths to explain the complex process of having
in the title role;
Oqbi is a singer and instrumentalist, and also the manager of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir; the opera is the culmination of years of work for composer Lee Bradshaw
Zamanan’s poem translated into a libretto he could work with. “The original translation into English came to 86 pages,” he recalls. “It was huge, like the Ring Cycle, and I knew once back in Arabic this would involve even more words.” Despite all hurdles, Bradshaw and Vukčević saw this as an unprecedented opportunity to stage something completely extraordinary.
“For a start, the story is one of the most famous pre-Islamic legends in the entire world,” says Bradshaw. “Apparently even Shakespeare heard the story from Arabic sailors during his travels in the Mediterranean. What really impressed me is
that at the story’s centre is a strong female character, while most of the male parts are archetypes of human flaws.” Having had the poem cut and translated back into Arabic, Bradshaw had every single line recorded by an Arabic speaker and sent to his team in Australia to be phoneticised. From there he did a rhythmic dictation and began working on the score in earnest.
“There’s so much rhythm, music and beauty in the language,” he enthuses. “On top of that we’re using an art form, deeply entrenched in Western culture, to tell this famous Arabic story in their own language. Marrying those things together is actually
From above left: Dame Sarah Connolly will play Zarqa
soprano Reemaz
genius. And even the concept of bridging two cultures with music is genius, because at the end of the day, music is the only truly international language.”
Mention the idea of culture washing and Bradshaw and Vukčević resolutely insist that the opera will benefit the Saudi population at large. “Once the general population sees the calibre of artists on stage, it will undoubtedly awaken interest among the younger population to study music,” Vukčević says. “It behoved us to demonstrate what was possible at the very highest level, because if you’re going to initiate a tradition and encourage a culture
that’s never been seen before, you need to show the absolute best. If you were introducing tennis to a place that’s never played it, wouldn’t you take Nadal, Federer and Djokovic?”
And should anyone cynically scoff at any international artist’s integrity in choosing to take part in this endeavour, Vukčević and Bradshaw point out that no one on the production has worked for more than the international standard rate. Connolly insists that it is certainly not just Riyadh reaping all the benefits. “Even if there are some political advantages for them, we Westerners are getting
“At the end of the day, music is the only truly international language”
something out of these extraordinary events,” she says. “I’m relishing the challenge of singing an opera about a Saudi heroine in classic Arabic. Who says it’s one-sided?”
Vukčević compares the enterprise with the great American violinist Isaac Stern’s 1979 tour of mainland China. From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, the 1980 Academy Award-winning documentary about Stern’s concert in Beijing, was broadcast internationally. “Today China produces superb musicians and some of the finest violin soloists in the world, all springing from Stern’s visit,” says Vukčević. The visit was a joyful musical introduction for the Chinese people, he observes. “This proves how transcendent music can be. China was accused of culture-washing back then, but music belongs to everyone and will always be a winning force, connecting cultures and breaking down barriers.”
“We need to take art to places that it hasn’t been before,” adds Sultan Al-Bazie. “It’s about putting the infrastructure in place to give people the hope of following a creative path, which is what we’re really trying to achieve with this project.”
For further information, including details on how to book, visit moc.gov.sa/en
Peak performance
From Atlantic views to a mountain hideaway to walking and wellness retreats, these high-spec, high-altitude destinations promise an elevating experience
BEST FOR HIKING
SWITZERLAND
Fashioned like a rock-hewn Bond lair, this Swiss resort is known in winter for those who wish to show off their Moncler more than their moves on the slopes. However,
for many, the best time to visit is when the snow softens. For those in any doubt that hiking is the new catwalk, here the uberluxe clientele seamlessly mix high fashion with navigating miles of immaculately kept, edelweiss-framed trails. The Alpina Gstaad provides the perfect base from which to explore the undulating paths. It also offers an extensive array of programmes based around nature and sustainability, from bee keeping to cooking workshops, and immune-boosting retreats. Repair back to the hotel after a day’s hiking to feast on Michelin-starred-chef Martin Göschel’s delicate cuisine. The menu at Japanese restaurant Megu, helmed by sushi master
Tsutomu Kugota, includes aubergine glazed with dengaku miso. One of the most spectacular — and family-friendly — hikes is from Horneggli to Rinderberg, starting with a chairlift from Schönried. The well-marked, curving Alpine paths head up to the 2,079m summit. Take a breather at the Rinderberg mountain restaurant, with its cow-themed experience for kids, and gondolas to take hike-fatigued family members back down. For a lakeside walk, head from mountain restaurant Wispile (which has a petting zoo and an adventure playground) to picturesque Lake Lauenen (see gstaad.ch for detailed hiking info).
From £1,080 per night, thealpinagstaad.ch
WORDS JEMIMA SISSONS
BEST FOR HAPPINESS BHUTAN
One of the most magical regions in the world, 70% covered in lush forest, Bhutan is a draw for those seeking spirituality, wellness and healing through the power of nature. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, monarch of the kingdom, has announced plans to develop a ‘mindfulness city’, expanding the existing city of Gelephu
with infrastructure including bridges and a new airport. Bhutan holds a mystical appeal for many. It measures Gross National Happiness as an alternative to economic growth. Festivals and dzongs — ancient fortresses — entice visitors, as does the country’s biodiversity, with species such as blue sheep, takins and rare black-necked cranes. For those who can’t wait for the development of the mindfulness city, there are a number of luxury offerings, including tented suites at &Beyond’s luxury lodge in Punakha and Aman’s multi-lodge Amankora resort. From £710 per night, andbeyond.com; from £1,420 per night, aman.com
Clockwise from top far left: the Panorama Suite at The Alpina Gstaad resort; proposed bridge design for Bhutan’s mindfulness city; a colourful market in Bhutan; the imposing exterior of The Alpina Gstaad
BEST FOR DETOXING FRANCE
Imagine starting the day with a cloud-light turmeric omelette furnished with delicate slices of garden-fresh courgette and red pepper, accompanied by a crisp glass of Montrachet 2001. If this doesn’t scream detox, that is why Lily of the Valley near Saint-Tropez is the go-to destination for well-heeled health seekers looking for a reset in a supremely calming hillside setting where alcohol, butter and even puddings
are not banned (the regime is billed as a “realistic path to long-term wellness”).
The Philippe Starck-designed hotel is a welcome refuge from the brouhaha of Saint-Tropez’s alligator-skin handbags and pedicured pooches. Start the day with a sunrise hike through the pine-dotted hills overlooking the bay, or with the resort’s unusual longe-côte sea wading — a slow walk through the frothy Mediterranean surf, designed to improve circulation. End the evening with a slimline sundowner, watching pinprick-distant yachts sail around the Riviera coast from your cypress-framed hilltop perch.
There are three new wellness programmes this season. Better ageing involves two and a half hours of daily treatments, including Biologique Recherche facials, bespoke fitness classes and the resort’s signature cryotherapy cell renewal stimulation to help produce
collagen and improve suppleness and circulation. For the more athletic, the sport programme is designed to improve performance through hiking, stretching and a diet overhaul. The star of the show, however, is the detox regime, which excludes gluten and lactose, and includes a refreshing ginger body wrap.
The delicious detox menu changes daily and there are no raised eyebrows if you order the Paris-Brest to round it off (the regular menu is a joy for non-detoxing guests, from broccoli guacamole with socca chips to a celebratory lamb Provençal with confit garlic). Luckily the 2,000-squaremetre spa and gym is a fluffy mule’s pad away the next day. Take a plunge in the 25m pool or a yoga or Pilates class from one of the visiting practitioners. The beauty of this approach is that you can do as little — or as much — detoxing as you like. From £467 per night, lilyofthevalley.com
“Adventurous clans can tackle mountain climbing, canoeing and wild swimming”
BEST FOR FOREST BATHING SCOTLAND
Squirreled away in an ancient sycamore and oak forest overlooking the Gargunnock hills in Stirlingshire, the Treehouses at Leckie provide a majestically bosky escape, immersed in the Scottish wilderness, and only 45 minutes from Glasgow and an hour from Edinburgh. Built from timber grown on the property, each of the four treehouses
offers super-king beds or handmade bunkbeds, underfloor heating, woodburning stoves and outdoor copper baths. Guests are greeted with hampers overflowing with farm store goods, and are free to roam among the estate’s woods, crags, thundering waterfalls and, in spring, rhododendrons. Adventurous clans can tackle mountain climbing, canoeing and wild swimming. For a post-hike dram, the Deanston Distillery is 10 miles away — or walk to the Carleatheran cairn before stopping for a pint of Fintry ale at the Gargunnock Inn. Sore limbs can be restored the next day with an in-room Swedish massage. From £260 per night, leckietreehouses.co.uk
Clockwise from top far left: the menus at Lily of the Valley are light and delicious; the Treehouses at Leckie offer environmentally friendly comfort; the approach to a Treehouse; Lily of the Valley is the height of luxury
BEST FOR FAMILY ACTIVITIES PORTUGAL
There are those for whom golf and kids’ clubs spell a holiday of horror... and then there are the rest of us. Perched on red sandstone hilltops overlooking the Atlantic ocean, Pine Cliffs Resort is the ultimate getaway for harried parents seeking ocean clifftop paths, eight swimming pools, 11 restaurants and varied sports offerings, from the Estima football academy to stand-up
paddleboarding. Pine Cliffs offers one of the largest kids’ clubs in Europe, covering a sprawling 7,000 square metres, with two pirate ships, an 18-hole mini golf course, a swimming pool, an archery range and a mini racetrack. The Mimo Algarve cookery school offers child-friendly classes such as Cupcakes and Cookies for children aged five upwards. Older offspring can improve their tennis skills at the Annabel Croft tennis academy or try out the golfing range (the super-keen can attempt the Devil’s Parlour, a ravine-traversing par-3 hole). Villas are designed with families in mind. Ocean suites offer multiple rooms and fully equipped kitchens and dining rooms, with balconies overlooking lush gardens. From £432 per night for a family of four, pinecliffs.com
From top: the aptly named Pine Cliffs Resort covers 168 acres of beautiful landscape with cliffs, beach and sparkling ocean; the resort’s tiled patio
L ife
GIVING | LIVING | NATURE | NURTURE
Immerse yourself in luxury this spring with our top seasonal picks
ETHICAL ELEGANCE
Luxury fashion label Varana celebrates the craft, heritage and people of the Indian subcontinent. Pieces feature natural, 100% biodegradable and non-polluting fabric, and the brand aims to increase its use of low-carbon textiles. Highlights include the White Rabari embroidered silk organza trench coat, £1,350, varana.com
BEAT THE BAND
Around 15 million hair ties are dumped in landfill every day in the US alone. Lylie’s Oola hair slide is an ethically made, lasting alternative — and 10% of sales go to Fauna & Flora International. Gold-dipped sterling silver Oola hair slide, £280, lylies.com
CHARMS TO CHERISH
POWER PLANTS
In response to patient demand, Nina S Naidu — certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery — established Anokha to create luxury, clinical-grade, cruelty-free, non-toxic skincare from active botanical ingredients. The brand donates 5% of each sale to support charities such as Doctors Without Borders. anokhaskincare.com
Loquet and Katie Kane have collaborated on a collection in support of the Harry Kane Foundation, which promotes a positive approach towards mental health. The capsule includes four 18ct gold and four crystal charms, alongside two exclusively designed lockets. From £200, loquetlondon.com
BORN TO RUN
Community Clothing creates and supports skilled jobs in the UK regions that are most in need. Its latest project, Community Clothing X Walsh Beacon trainers, is a collaboration with renowned label Norman Walsh. £95, communityclothing.co.uk
CUT OUT, RO P
INTERIORS | DECORATION | HOME
BEACH VIBES
Inspired by his Cameroonian heritage, these joyful rugs by Amechi Mandi add a burst of colour to any drab corner. The hand-knotted, customisable pieces pay homage to the beaches of his childhood, with wave designs and sunny hues. Fom £1,310, amechihome.com
SOLID SEATING
Launched with much fanfare at Aynho Park in Oxfordshire last year, the new mid-century-inspired RH collection features the smart Jakob cane dining chair, crafted in oak, with plank arms and back panels of handwoven cane. From £470, rh.com
GLOBAL GOODS
Venezuelan-born, Madrid-based architect and designer Jorge Suárez-Kilzi crafts special one-off pieces for the home. They are sold on Wondering People, a platform for British and international artists, where other covetable pieces include Owen Davies’ photographs of the Barbican and Colette Woods’ cobalt-glazed plates. Suárez-Kilzi’s Cashew lamp is made to order, cast in aluminium with textured glass. £4,456, wonderingpeople.com
NIFTY AT FIFTY
Notting Hill emporium Graham and Green, an interior and furniture treasure trove, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with an Indian bazaar pop-up in its W11 store and a new collection of heritage bone-inlay products. From £895, grahamandgreen.co.uk
NURTURE
RURAL RELAXATION
Already the go-to destination for cool metropolitans looking to get their countryside fix, Estelle Manor (the bucolic outpost of London members’ club Maison Estelle) has just opened its spa, complete with 3,000-sq-m Roman-inspired baths, an extensive gym and studio classes. Located in beautiful Oxfordshire woodland, the new wellness centre offers a tepidarium bathing hall, five pools, a couples suite and thermal cabins. Guests can stay in one of the garden-facing rooms complete with emperor beds and antique mirrors. Let off steam the next day with some archery or axe throwing, while little ones can commandeer mini Land Rovers. From £400 per night, estellemanor.com
FRUITFUL ENDEAVOUR
Chloë Luxton initially founded Bramley to create amenities for her husband Charlie’s inn, The Beckford Arms. Renowned for its botanically led products, the brand now includes Little B for children and Digby for dogs. From £4.50, bramleyproducts.co.uk
SMALL PRINT
Synonymous with quality, La Coqueta is the go-to childrenswear brand for parents who love the fusion of traditional Spanish aesthetics with playful fabrics and design. Its new line for spring includes the Filada Baby Girl romper dungarees in Ivory Floral (£42). lacoquetakids.com
TUSCAN DREAM
Castelfalfi’s expansive new spa offers panoramic views of the rolling hills and the resort’s stunning golf course. Enjoy a dip in the infinity pool followed by a jojoba pearl exfoliation treatment or RAKxa Seven Chakra hot stone massage. From £700 per night, castelfalfi.com
SUNDAY BEST
Now that it’s wholly acceptable to socialise in haute sportswear — without even needing to hit the gym — up your game with Vuori’s Sunday Element vest and Kore shorts alongside the US brand’s technically engineered Strato Tech Tee. From £65, vuoriclothing.co.uk
A TALE WORTH TELLING
Inspired by regenerative agriculture, Brighton-based Story mfg applies similar principles to the making of its garments, which are waste-free and vegan. Pieces from the brand’s R.T.S. collection are dyed using only natural materials such as leaves, fruit, roots and natural indigo. storymfg.com
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON
Inspired by lunar phases and by the impact of the Moon on nature, Anoona’s jewellery and cufflinks are created to harness the power of natural stones: grey moonstone’s relaxing energy, red carnelian’s grounding presence, chalcedony’s nurturing power. From £2,400, anoonajewels.com
SPRING INTO ACTION
The Club by Bamford at Daylesford in the Cotswolds is hosting threeday wellbeing and fitness retreats focused on goals such as resilience, performance and longevity. Stay in the on-site cottages and experience all the Club’s facilities. From £2,500 per person, bamford.com
RETURN POLICY
Oliver Spencer has launched a Repurpose project, incentivising customers to bring back their old items in exchange for credit: the pieces are then spun into new yarn, recycled into shoe sole units, or upcycled. oliverspencer.co.uk
HOME ON WHEELS Wingbeat’s luxury camper vans, bespoke long-wheelbase Mercedes Sprinters, are equipped with custom cabinetry, parquet flooring, and kitchenware, bedding, towels, and picnic kit. The company is based in Scotland’s southern uplands, within reach of the Cairngorms, Loch Lomond and the Lake District. From £190 per night, wingbeatescapes.com
Sweet dreams
Put the nightmare of broken sleep to bed with these top techniques and tips to ensure sublime slumber
The mountain spa at Six Senses Residences Courchevel offers sleep programmes that range from three to seven days. Spa manager Nikos Papoutsakis explains the best ways to drift off.
What are the most common sleep issues? Insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnoea and narcolepsy.
How can you prepare for sound sleep?
The best thing to do is build a sleep routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even at weekends. Cut out caffeine after 2pm and avoid alcohol within three hours of bedtime. Move daily, but be careful not to exercise too close to your bedtime. Get 15 minutes of sunlight each morning to help reset your circadian clock. Try a power-down hour before bed, with 20 minutes to finish projects, 20 minutes for hygiene, and 20 minutes to relax or meditate. Consider a digital curfew; stop using all devices about an hour before bed to avoid blue-light exposure, which can stop melatonin production. Try leaving your phone out of arm’s length and away from
your bed. If you can’t put your phone away, glasses that block blue light can help.
Is there an ideal room temperature?
Experts suggest the optimal air temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius. However, your ideal sleep temperature may depend on personal factors such as the type of bed coverings you use and what you wear. Most doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 15.6 and 20 degrees Celsius for the most comfortable sleep.
What is the optimum amount of sleep per night for an adult?
Sleep needs change. Adults aged 18 to 64 need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night, while those aged 65 and over need seven to eight hours.
Which are the best mattresses and linens?
We recommend Naturalmat beds, handmade using natural fibres in Devon. We like pillows and duvets by Hanse, and Beaumont & Brown linen.
What should you wear in bed?
Natural materials such as cotton, silk,
bamboo and wool are optimal for temperature regulation. Avoid tight clothing. If you have trouble regulating the temperature in your bedroom, going to bed without pyjamas is a good option.
Which drinks are beneficial?
We recommend banana peel tea, as it can calm the nervous system and help the body prepare for deep sleep. Banana peel contains potassium and magnesium, both natural muscle relaxants, and magnesium also helps you to balance hormones, de-stress, detoxify, and more.
Can you recommend any beauty products?
The Blissful Sleep Massage Blend from Subtle Energies.
Which apps do you recommend?
Timeshifter, the jet lag app, has a range of features such as personalized jet lag plans based on sleep pattern, chronotype, itinerary, and personal preferences. Timeshifter is rated by NASA astronauts and elite athletes.
Do you have any tips for tackling snoring?
Six Senses’ sleep doctor Dr Breus describes snoring as “air turbulence”. For congestion, we recommend a neti pot, nasal dilators or nasal decongestant. If congestion isn’t part of the problem, a mouth guard can help, or ear plugs or a pillow wall for co-sleepers.
