Luxury London Magazine July 2018

July 2018 £7.00

MAGAZINE

SUMMER STYLE STATEMENT SUNGLASSES, POOLSIDE ESSENTIALS & VINTAGE-INSPIRED SWIMWEAR

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I MAG I N ATI O N FAC TO RY CH RISTO B RIN GS HIS UN I QUE BRA N D OF B IG A RT TO LON DON ’S SERPEN T IN E

EUR O P E’S B EST C I TY B R EA KS FROM COOL COPENHAGEN TO BORN-AGAIN BORDEAUX

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CONTENTS 22

15 REGULARS

64 A rare Aston Martin goes under the hammer

12 EDITOR’S LETTER 15 OBJECTS OF DESIRE

38 THE IMAGINATION

Bucherer & Harley-Davidson’s

FACTORY

historic bike and a new tote

A look at London’s growing

gin scene

COLLECTION

Christo brings his unique art to the Serpentine

from Ferragamo 22 FEATURE INTERVIEW

44 VINCE CABLE

At home with aristocratic

The Lib Dem leader on Brexit

jewellery designer and

Britain, student fees and the

London socialite Sabine Getty

next election

C U LT U R E

58 GIN CITY

36 PRIZE LOTS

CONNOISSEUR

62 JEWELLERY BOX The 50th anniversary of Van Cleef & Arpel’s signature Alhambra collection 64 ROMANCING THE STONE Harry Winston’s latest Art Decoinspired timepiece 66 THE CRAFT OF

30 THE AGENDA

52 WESTSIDE STORY

WATCHMAKING

The latest exhibitons starring

Five horological highlights from

Where to eat in west London

Banksy, Berenice Sydney and

57 THE GORING

William & Son’s London Craft

Chrisopher Le Brun

Week showcase

A dinner fit for a king

30

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92 COUTURE

98 INSIDE TRACK The top 10 most expensive cars

70 ICONS OF STYLE Celebrating 100 years of pioneering fashion photography

ever sold at auction July 2018 £7.00

ESCAPE

78 BEAUTY AND THE BEACH

Vintage-inspired swimwear

MAGAZINE

SUMMER STYLE

104 THE PURSUIT

STATEM ENT SUNGL ASSES, PO O L SI D E ESSENTI AL S & VI NTAGE-I NSPI R ED SWI M WEAR

OF HAPPINESS

AL S O I N T H I S I SS U E

SAB INE GE T T Y FO RT UNE & FANTASY

88 SPECS APPEAL

WI T H T H E ARI STO C RAT I C

Hygge and happy are the

JE WE LLE RY D E SI G NE R

IM AGINAT IO N FACTO RY C H RI STO BRI NG S H I S UNI Q UE BRAND O F BI G ART

Tom Davies’s eye-opening

buzzwords on every Dane’s lips,

bespoke frames

as a trip to Copenhagen proves

TO LO ND O N’ S SE RP E NT I NE

E UR O P E ’S B E ST CIT Y B R E AKS FROM COOL COPENHAGEN TO BORN-AGAIN BORDEAUX

DRIVE

108 STADT & SCHLOSS

City break meets country retreat

in south-east Germany 92 IN SEARCH OF ELEGANCE Paolo Pinifarina on expanding his automobile design company

1 1 2 THE FORGOTTEN CITY Not just for oenophiles,

Bordeaux presents a charming retreat for culture vultures too

COV E R Victor Skrebneski, Givenchy Red, Paris, negative, 1990; print, ca. 1995, Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, purchased with funds provided by the Photographs Council, 2016 © Victor Skrebneski (p.70).

FROM THE EDITOR July 2018 Issue 02

Christo isn’t like other artists, as anyone who’s walked passed the Serpentine in the previous few weeks will already know. Firstly, Christo is actually two artists: Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude de Guillebon. Born on the same day in June 1935, they met in Paris 23 years later and married the following year. In 1964, the couple emigrated to New York City, moving into a house in which they would remain until 2009, when Jeanne-Claude died of a brain aneurysm.

Jeanne-Claude and Christo never flew in the same plane, fearing that a crash would prevent them from finishing the project on which they were working. Given that such ventures were often decades in the making, you can understand their trepidation. Wrapped Reichstag, which saw the entire German Bundestag covered in silvery fabric, was unveiled in 1995 after 24 years of planning. Wrapped Trees, for which 178 trees in Switzerland were draped in polyester, took 32 years to come to fruition.

The London Mastaba, in situ at the Serpentine until September, is the most significant work Christo has ever brought to Britain (p.38). The 20-metre-high floating installation might consist of 7,506 oil barrels and weigh 600 tonnes, but it is in fact a trial piece for a much larger mastaba planned for Abu Dhabi. That project, the size of two Giza pyramids, will become the world’s largest sculpture, if it ever gets realised – it’s already spent 40 years in development, but don’t bet against a man who has always dreamed big.

Another artist reaching for the stars is jewellery designer Sabine Getty. Having married into the famous oil dynasty in 2015, the well-connected socialite could have easily put her feet up. Instead, she models for Vogue and has just unveiled her fifth jewellery collection.

She talks fame, fortune and fantasy on page 22.

Other blue-sky thinkers in this month’s issue include Paolo Pininfarina, whose daring designs in the mid-20th century continue to inform supercar styling today (p.92); nonglasses-wearing spectacle specialist Tom Davies, who decided he could do bespoke bins better than anyone (p.88); and Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable. An unconventional choice for a magazine such as this, we hear you say. Not so. Cable is the sort of selfless, straight-talking statesman who deserves more time in the spotlight – it is our pleasure to provide a platform (p.44).

Enjoy the issue.

MANAGING EDITOR Richard Brown CONTENT DIRECTOR Dawn Alford DEPUTY EDITOR Ellen Millard JEWELLERY EDITOR Mhairi Graham EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Abisha Sritharan Philippa Baker James Mumford HEAD OF DESIGN Laddawan Juhong GENERAL MANAGER Fiona Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Alice Ford COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Turner BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS Rachel Gilfillan Collin Saunders MANAGING DIRECTOR Eren Ellwood

PUBLISHED BY

RICH ARD BROWN Managing Editor

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FA B E R G É P R O U D LY U S E S G E M F I E L D S C O L O U R E D G E M S T O N E S

OBJECTS OF DESIRE THIS MONTH’S MOST WANTED GRAFF’S GLITTERING TRIBUTE TO MOTHER NATURE Graff broke hearts – and records – in 2016 when it unveiled the world’s largest heart-shaped diamond, the Venus, which sat pretty at 118.78-carats. Its more wearable classic line is equally exquisite; this earring, ring and tennis bracelet set champions the jeweller’s signature shape, a sentimental motif fitting for nature’s most elegant of gems. graffdiamonds.com

42.72 carat D Flawless heart-shaped diamond ring Heart-shaped 42.97 carat diamond bracelet Diamond earrings featuring 10.17 carat and 10.18 carat D Flawless heart-shaped diamonds

BUCHERER AND HARLEYDAVIDSON MAKE HISTORY Bucherer and Bünderbike, the boutique Harley-Davidson workshop, have produced the Harley-Davidson Blue Edition. The custom motorcycle is the most expensive in the world at CHF 1.888 million (approx. £1.4m) and the first to be integrated with watch and jewellery features.

Loosely based on HarleyDavidson’s signature Softail Slim S, the new model is produced in Switzerland and takes more than 2,500 hours to make. From the Bucherer Fine Jewellery collection, the Dizzler rotating ring has been adapted, allowing it to be mounted on the hand grips, while a further pair of Dizzler diamond rings is located on the forks and a large version of the ring can be found in the left half of the tank. A six-prong Heaven solitaire ring with a 5.40-carat diamond sits underneath an armoured glass dome in a retractable safe, alongside a custom-made watch from Carl F. Bucherer, based on the Patravi TravelTec II. uk.bucherer.com

The world’s first motorbike to have an engine that is illuminated from the inside using heat-resistant LED lights

Maximum 100 PS and a displacement of 1,888 cc The iridescent blue is produced after a silverplating is applied to six coatings of special paint

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

VACHERON CONSTANTIN TURNS BACK THE CLOCK WITH TWO NEW HISTORIQUES MODELS Vacheron Constantin is reinterpreting two calendar watches from 1942 and 1948: a steel triple calendar timepiece and another 18K 4N pink gold triple calendar with moon phase.

With their calendar function, round case with triple gadroons, two-tone dial, claw-type lugs and mechanical manual-winding movement, the new Historiques Triple calendrier 1942 and the Triple calendrier 1948 revive one of the most intricate complications in watchmaking.

The first model, made of steel and inspired by reference 4240, drives the hours, minutes, small seconds at six o’clock, along with hand-type date and day and month by aperture. The calendar indications appear in a choice of burgundy or dark blue, on a twotone silvered dial typical of the 1940s. The sunburst satin-finished centre and the outer zone is punctuated by Arabic numerals.

The Historiques Triple calendrier 1948 is issued in two limited series of 200 pieces. The triple calendar is enriched with a moon phase along with small seconds at six o’clock. The dial features a silvered opaline centre with a sunburst satin-finished external zone. vacheron-constantin.com

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

FERRAGAMO’S HERITAGE IS HAILED IN A NEW BAG The 95 th anniversary of Salvatore Ferragamo’s first workshop on Hollywood Boulevard is being honoured with a new handbag. The

Ferragamo Studio Bag, the first signature tote designed by the brand’s new womenwear creative director Paul Young, marries function with form, offering a staple everyday accessory for the working woman – an aesthetic championed by

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the label’s founder. Red, black, navy and taupe are the core colours, while silver and block-colour styles will be available in a limited-edition run of just 95.

From £1,555, ferragamo.com

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DREAMING

BIG Words: Hannah Lemon

SWISS-BORN ENGLISH JEWELLERY DESIGNER S A B I N E G E T T Y M AY H AV E M A R R I E D I N T O O N E O F T H E W O R L D ’ S W E A LT H I E S T DY N A S T I E S , B U T GRAND AMBITIONS AND AN ASSIDUOUS WORK ETHIC MEANT T H AT FA M E A N D F O R T U N E WA S A L L B U T G U A R A N T E E D

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INTERVIEW

W

hen the Getty family comes up in conversation, there’s normally one incident that springs to mind: the sensational news story of the notoriously stingy oil tycoon John Paul Getty refusing to pay a ransom to his grandson’s abductors. Getty soon changed tack, though, when his grandson’s ear was sent in an envelope to a newspaper. It sounds like the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster – and, indeed, it now is: Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World came out last year.

Sabine Getty’s home in St James’s is a world away from such scandalous drama. A quiet lift up to her flat in St James’s, and I am greeted by Sabine as she enters her drawing room dressed head to toe in white, her sleek blonde hair pulled back, revealing dramatic, dreamy brown eyes.

Sabine married Joseph Getty (a fourth generation Getty, and great-grandson of John Paul) in 2015. And once we have sat down to talk, I can’t help but ask if she was nervous about marrying into the Getty name. “No. Not at all,” Sabine muses demurely. “Joe is the humblest, kindest, most levelheaded, mature man I’ve ever met.” She goes on: “There’s the perception and there’s the reality.”

Then pauses. “I am crazier than him.”

I find this easy to believe when I see pictures of their monumental Italian wedding – a day to eclipse the grandeur of even the biggest of recent royal nuptials. For her wedding dress, Sabine approached Schiaparelli at a time when creative designer Marco Zanini had just been ‘let go’ and the fashion house hadn’t hired a new creative designer. “There was a gap, but I didn’t know that,” says Sabine. “I contacted the house and said I would love to do my dress with you. So I ended up with the head of embroidery, who was incredible, and basically we designed it together. It was my first and only fashion design, so I am pretty proud.”

And so she should be. Pictures of the event show a pencil tight ivory dress decorated with golden suns underneath a majestic hooded cape with an even bigger star emblazoned on the back.

Kissing her husband in an Italian palazzo outside the church, she looks like she’s come straight from a movie set. “Everything, for me, always comes back to the same idea: fantasy. I don’t like the reality of a wedding dress. I want to be a Disney character. I want to be the queen of sun. So we did the opposite of Maleficent.”

“Everything, for me, always comes back to the same idea: fantasy. I don’t like the reality of a wedding dress. I want to be a Disney character. I want to be the queen of sun”

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INTERVIEW

Gene’s wooden toys, which have been masterfully redesigned in undulating waves of pink sapphires and green tsavorites.

Gene has a starring role in the campaign, in matching outfits with her mother designed by Emilia Wickstead. An inspirational line-up of women and their daughters – of all ages – are part of it, too. And they are not just models; they are real mums with real stories, and all friends of Sabine, including the effervescent Charlotte Dellal, founder of Charlotte Olympia.

Sabine gave birth to Gene Honor Getty last year.

Is she enjoying motherhood? “So much: it’s like your heart is out of your body,” she replies. “It’s also so physical – you are like a little lion holding your cub.

There is something so animal about it. It’s like a love you didn’t even know you had in you. It transforms you totally. It’s not the same when you have a partner; you have a reserve. When you have a child it’s like an open gate of love. There’s no reserve. You don’t care. You want to give, give, give.”

The press launch of her collection is due to take place in the flat the next day and I can see how every inch of her personality is reflected in each photo frame, cushion and homely detail. Bright colours radiate around the room. A sofa made of patch work primary colours. A bright orange dining room. A retro tiled kitchen. Larger than life photography on the walls. Sabine explains how this is all inspired by memories from her childhood. “My mum used to buy a lot of furniture from Memphis so my bedroom was super colourful. This has really stayed with me. It was the 80s: red nails, padded shoulders and big hair were everywhere.”

This style is also evident in past campaigns of her jewellery, too. The photos look like something out of a scene from Thelma and Louise. “I grew up watching so many films. I love the films of Jacques Demy, who did movies in the 60s that are technicolour with music.” Sabine then goes on to list a rainbow of talent: Catherine de Léan, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Dick Van Dyke.

No better time to revisit this world of music and sepia tones than with Gene, all in their haven of their St James’s flat that Sabine refers to as her “own country”. “I am so happy here. I love London, I love my neighbourhood.” When she’s not looking after her daughter, she’s visiting her favourite restaurants nearby – Chutney Mary, Le Caprice, The Wolseley – or else keeping busy creating new whimsical worlds of quirky people for her jewellery collections. “I just love characters that are dreamy,” she says, her almond-shaped eyes gazing out the window. “They make life a little sweeter and better.”

Did Joseph know anything about it? “Zero. He could not believe it. He mentioned it in his speech.

I look back now and I don’t know how I did it. It’s so gutsy. It’s so ‘out there’.” But if you think the wedding dress was the gutsy bit, wait until you hear about the reception.

“We bought a circus tent from the 1900s, which we had by the sea,” Sabine explains. “It was incredible – all in red velvet. We had a dance floor and the Fenice Philharmonic Orchestra playing old movie songs, like old James Bonds. It felt old school.

The first night was an 18th century party. We really felt like we were taken out of the real world, to a past world, which was great.”

After all, one’s wedding day is the perfect time to direct the exact show you want to perform with little regard for others’ opinions. Sabine agrees: “You’ve got to enjoy it. You’ve got to live it. You’ve got to make your dreams come true. I guess that was a dream.”

This enjoyment of fantasy, other worlds, escaping reality, indulging in theatrics, is something that Sabine constantly refers to in life and in business.

Born Sabine Ghanem in Geneva in 1984 to a Lebanese financier father and an Egyptian interior designer mother, her life was a carousel of countries and cultures. Lebanon followed Switzerland, then Paris, Los Angeles, New York and London. Trained in marketing, communications, dance, music and acting, her life has been a constant mix of people, languages and influences.

Film being the biggest. If it hadn’t been for the business realities of acting, we might be talking about her latest theatre performance rather than her jewellery collection. “You know when you knock on a door and it doesn’t open? I just felt that was my experience [with acting].”

Instead, Sabine took a course at the Gemological Institute of America and, in the same year she received her diploma, launched her first collection.

“That door just opened really quickly. A store took the first collection and straight away I was like: ‘Oh God. I’ve got to create a company I guess’.”

She is now on her fifth collection: Big. “This one is inspired by two things: the film Big with Tom Hanks, and my daughter Gene’s toys.” The first has influenced the childlike fun she is trying to draw out of the jewellery – the premise of the film being that, through a spell, a small boy wakes up one day to find himself stuck in an adult’s body. “We are all kids at the end of the day,” smiles Sabine, “acting all serious.” The theme is emphasised in the design of the pieces – flat geometric shapes designed around

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WBS London, The Shard

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Visit our website to register for one of our Open Events.

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For the Change Makers

P.30 THE AGENDA What’s on in the capital this month

P.36 PRIZE LOTS A rare J.M.W Turner watercolour goes under the hammer

P.38 THE IMAGINATION FACTORY Environmental artist Christo comes to London

C U LT U R E MUSIC, MUSEUMS & MASTERPIECES

Chameleonic artist Liu Bolin likes to blend into the background – literally. See if you can spot him in his first solo exhibition in the UK (p.30). belairfineart.com

TH E AG E N DA YOUR CURATED GUIDE TO CULTURE IN THE CAPITAL Words: James Mumford

MARYLEBONE NEW HEIGHTS

ABOVE DAVID DREBIN, FLOATING DREAMS, 2016, COURTESY OF ATLAS GALLERY

This summer, Atlas Gallery hosts the works of five bold photographers, who are endeavouring to provide a new

perspective on the world. UK debutant Kacper Kowalski features his work alongside Olivo Barbieri, David Drebin, Andreas Gefeller and Michael Light. Each with their own twist on our perspective of everyday reality, the artists’ work has led them all in the same direction:

up. Techniques vary from tilt/ shift focusing to, quite literally, flying; this showcase is all about pushing boundaries and bringing our collective eye to an unprecedented height.

Until 1st September, Dorset Street, W1U, atlasgallery.com

Sydney painted with a freedom and fluidity characteristic of the 1960s

CHELSEA TRUE COLOURS The first presentation of Berenice Sydney’s work in more than three decades is to be staged at the Saatchi Gallery this July, in an exhibition called Dancing with Colour. Sydney’s firm grip on the cultural world was lost with her untimely death in 1983 at just 39, but her staple animated, vibrant and graphic oil paintings are still admired to this day. Sydney painted with a freedom and fluidity that was characteristic of the 1960s and took great pleasure in exploring cultures and themes that opposed the Pop Art aesthetic that was prominent at the time.

Until 8 July, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3, saatchigallery.com

M AY F A I R

ABOVE AND BELOW COURTESY THE ESTATE OF BERENICE SYDNEY

NOW YOU SEE ME

ABOVE FROM TOP HIDING IN VENEZUELA TROPICAL FRUITS; HIDING IN THE CITY BALLOON; BOTH LIU BOLIN, COURTESY OF BEL-AIR FINE ART

Acclaimed Chinese photographic artist Liu Bolin makes his UK debut with a solo exhibition at BAFA Contemporary this summer, featuring some of his most celebrated work. Bolin uses camouflaging paint to blend himself into various vibrant backgrounds – usually as a means to a socio-political end, such as when he recruited homeless people to feature in his 2017 work to raise awareness of the growing homelessness issue in his home country.

Until 15 September, 105 New Bond Street, W1S, belairfineart.com

SOHO SILVER LINING Summer sees The Photographers’ Gallery open a two-floor exhibition dedicated to American photographer and film maker, Alex Prager. Called Silver Lake Drive, the display will feature more than 40 of the artist’s careerdefining snaps as well as her complete film works. Her photographs preach a mid-20th century film aesthetic, blurring the lines between film, photography, art and fashion. Prager’s work is vibrant and emotionally layered, thematically linked through individualism, humanism and female protagonism.

Until 14 October, 16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F, thephotographersgallery.org.uk

ALEX PRAGER, ANAHEIM, 2017, COURTESY OF ALEX PRAGER STUDIO, LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK AND HONG KONG

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SOUTHBANK MONEY TALKS Adam Godley, Ben Miles and Simon Russell Beale have been tasked with portraying the Lehman brothers (of banking fame), in Ben Power’s adaptation of Stefano Massini’s 2015 The Lehman Trilogy. Directed by Sam

MARYLEBONE DIFFERENT STROKES Christopher Le Brun makes his muchanticipated Lisson Gallery debut this month, presenting the culmination of two years’ work – a mesmerising array of large-scale abstract pieces that he describes as “primary, nonironic” responses to the form. Through subtle hints and poetic and musical influences, much is to be discovered beneath the surface for the more astute eye.

4 July – 18 August, 67 Lisson Street, NW1, lissongallery.com

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Mendes (best known for Skyfall and Spectre) and inspired by the death of previous artistic director Luca Ronconi, the three-part play tells the tale of the largest financial collapse in history, and how it all began with three brothers.

4 July – 22 September, National Theatre, Upper Ground, SE1, nationaltheatre.org.uk

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Banksy’s work will be publically displayed in the UK in its appropriate esteem

OFF THE WALL This July, Banksy’s work will be publically displayed in the UK in its appropriate esteem.

The anonymous artist’s original photographer and gallerist, Steve Lazarides, has curated a comprehensive collection

alongside the co-founder of Mayfair gallery Lazinc, Wissam Al Mana, borrowing works from numerous private owners – including notorious pieces such as Love Is In The Air and Girl and Balloon, as well as some that haven’t previously been exhibited.

12 July – 25 August, 29 Sackville Street, W1S, lazinc.com

BANKSY, SHOW ME THE MONET, 2005

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UPCOMING ESTIMATE: TB C

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato ‘2 VEV’ This ‘2 VEV’ DB4GT Zagato is one of the most important motors in the Aston Martin family: it is one of only two ‘VEV’ quasi-works cars and one of only three configured in the DP209 specification. It was also famously driven by two-time Formula 1 world champion Jim Clark. This particular model has been owned by the same family for the best part of 50 years and, thanks to a restoration in the mid-1990s, is ready for the races.

Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale, 13 July, bonhams.com

PRIZE LOTS SOLD

£162,500 DAT E : 12 J U NE 201 8 E ST I M AT E : £1 00,000- £1 50,000

Himalaya Nilo crocodile Hermès Birkin 30 “The European record for the most valuable handbag was achieved when we offered this Hermès matte white Himalaya Nilo crocodile Birkin with 18k white gold and diamond hardware, which sold for £162,500. The Himalaya Birkin is considered the holy grail of the handbag world. It is the peak of craftsmanship, with the most sophisticated materials and expertise required to craft it.”

Rachel Koffsky, specialist, Handbags & Accessories, Christies.com

SOLD HIMALAYA NILO CROCODILE HERMÈS BIRKIN 30 WITH 18K WHITE HOLD AND DIAMOND HARDWARE, IMAGE COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S, CHRISTIES.COM UPCOMING, FROM TOP 1961 ASTON MARTIN DB4GT ZAGATO “2 VEV”, IMAGE COURTESY OF BONHAMS, BONHAMS. COM; THE LAKE OF LUCERNE FROM BRUNNEN, J.M.W TURNER, IMAGE COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S, SOTHEBYS.COM

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UPCOMING ESTIMATE: £ 1. 2M-£ 1. 8M

Lake of Lucerne from Brunnen, J.M.W Turner This rare J.M.W Turner watercolour is part of a series of 25 Swiss landscapes painted in the last decade of the artist’s life. Originally commissioned for businessman Elhanan Bicknell in 1842 as a companion piece to Turner’s The Blue Rigi, Sunrise which now hangs in Tate Britain, the artwork has been part of the same private collection since 1968 and was last shown in public at the Royal Academy in 2001.

Old Master & British Works on Paper, 4 July, sothebys.com

RL Fine Arts

39 West 19 Street Suite 612 New York NY 10011 www.rlfinearts.com info@rlfinearts.com

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Roberto Custodio Fallen Angels 2018 22 x 21 inches collage, mixed media on board

5/14/2018 5:33:50 PM

CHRISTO AT THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE MASTABA, MARCH 2017, PHOTOGRAPHY BY WOLFGANG VOLZ, © 2017 CHRISTO

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THE I M AG I N AT I O N FAC TO RY F O R S I X D E C A D E S , T H E S E L F - F U N D E D I N S TA L L AT I O N A R T I S T C H R I S T O V L A D I M I R O V J AVA C H E F F – K N O W N M O R E S I M P LY A S C H R I S T O – H A S B E E N C O N S T R U C T I N G L A R G E - S C A L E E N V I R O N M E N TA L A R T W O R K S T H AT C H A L L E N G E I D E A S O F S PA C E A N D P L A C E . H AV I N G C R E AT E D A B A N N E R T H A T S P A N N E D T H E C O L O R A D O VA L L E Y, C O V E R E D T W O M I L E S O F SY D N E Y C OA S T L I N E I N FA B R I C A N D I N 2 0 1 6 H E L P E D 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 P E O P L E TO WA L K O N WAT E R , C H R I S TO B R I N G S H I S U N I Q U E B R A N D OF BIG ART TO LONDON’S SERPENTINE

Words: Josh Sims

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I

t is made of 7,506 barrels painted in hues of blue, mauve and blood red. It is 20 metres high. And it is currently floating on the Serpentine in Hyde Park. It is, as its description suggests, a grand spectacle that opened to much fanfare last month. But then Christo, the artist behind the work – currently being celebrated in a major retrospective at the Serpentine Gallery until 9 September – deals in the spectacular.

Small wonder that, when in 2016 the Bulgarian émigré – full name Christo Vladimirov Javacheff – created a bright-yellow floating pier that crossed Lake Iseo, Italy, from the coastline to the island at its centre, some 250,000 people turned up in the first five days

to enjoy the sensation of walking on water. “But building a structure like that isn’t difficult.

These works don’t have the complexity of, say, a skyscraper or a bridge. The difficulty,” laughs Christo, “is finding a country that will let you put a fabric walkway over depths of more than 90 metres without also putting up rails...”

Christo, now 83, has spent his career – much of it, until her death in 2009, in collaborative partnership with his wife Jeanne-Claude de Guillebon – creating monumental pieces.

He (or they) is the artist who in 1968 used one million square feet of synthetic fabric to wrap 1.5 miles of the Sydney coastline; who in 1971 – arguably his most famous work – wrapped the entire Reichstag in a polypropylene sheet; who in

CHRISTO, PHOTOGRAPHY BY WOLFGANG VOLZ

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THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE, THE LONDON MASTABA, SERPENTINE LAKE, HYDE PARK, 2016-18, PHOTOGRAPHY BY WOLFGANG VOLZ; FIRST SCALE MODEL TEST AT THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE MASTABA, NOVEMBER 2011, © 2011 CHRISTO, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY WOLFGANG VOLZ; THE MASTABA OF ABU DHABI (PROJECT FOR UNITED ARAB EMIRATES), COLLAGED PHOTOGRAPHS 1979 (DETAIL), PENCIL AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY WOLFGANG VOLZ, © 1979 CHRISTO, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY ANDRÉ GROSSMANN

His insistence that none of his works are used for commercial gain by others has not only seen him decline hefty pay-days – the Three Tenors, for example, wanted to perform a concert in front of one of Christo’s pieces – but has often meant that he’s felt the need to create a kind of commercial exclusion zone around his works by ‘renting out’ every business in a 1km radius.

“That alone can cost millions,” he notes. “You soon find out that every square foot is owned by someone somewhere.” Certainly just making the works happen is an expensive business.

In 2017, Christo pulled the plug on a proposed piece in the wilds of Arizona after realising that this would mean working closely with Donald Trump’s administration. This was after years of planning work with previous administrations and – more painfully – after having spent $40m.

“Most works are very expensive anyway to produce because they’re complex – you have to

1972, hung 200,200 sq ft of orange fabric across the Colorado Valley. A Christo work is typically years in the planning, yet on display to the public, for free, for little more than a fortnight. “[Each work] is precious for being brief, which is true for everything really,” Christo explains. “These days we’re bombarded with the banality of things – it’s the same thing over and over. Yet the fact is that you can’t repeat the moment. It’s here and then it’s gone. And we never repeat a work. Of course, because each of our projects is much longer than the time it’s on view, for us every one is a journey. Often they don’t come off. We’ve realised 23 projects over 50 years, but haven’t managed to get permission for 37 others. But that’s not bad, considering we’re dealing with the real world – real things in the real cold or real wind, that have real size and cover real kilometres in public space.”

Indeed, much of Christo’s work is an unintentional commentary on the commonplace 21st-century experience of dealing with maddening bureaucracy. It took 16 years and three appeals to the German government before the whole issue escalated as high as a vote in Parliament, which finally gave permission for Wrapped Reichstag. Elsewhere, The Mastaba – what would be the world’s largest sculpture, set in the desert near Abu Dhabi, the size of two Giza pyramids – has been almost 40 years in development and still isn’t certain. The London Mastaba is a trial run for that project. although only an eighth of the size.

“Both Jeanne-Claude and I loved the desert, so we’ve been particularly passionate about this one, and it’s probably the one I’ve spent most time and money on,” says Christo. “It will happen. But then I’m an eternal optimist.”

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE THE FLOATING PIERS, LAKE ISEO, ITALY, 2014-16 PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELANGELOOP, COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; CHRISTO AND JEANNECLAUDE, WRAPPED REICHSTAG, BERLIN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY WOLFGANG VOLZ

hire the services of so many people. The payroll costs are huge,” says Christo. “But in this case, well, the decision was a reflection of my freedom. As I said, everything in the world is owned by somebody and this stretch of Arizona is no different – it’s owned by the US Federal Government. When we started the ‘landlord’ was Clinton, then Bush Jnr. – we had a terrible time with him but kept going – and it got better with Obama because he had people around him who knew our work. But now we have Trump – and that’s one landlord I don’t want to deal with. [Walking away is] not easy, but it’s OK, we have other projects.”

Christo’s wisdom has surely come with age.

The lost money he just brushes off happens to be his own. And he likes it that way. Christo escaped from the Communist rule of Bulgaria when he was 21 by bribing a railway guard to let him hide away on a train that was crossing the border into the capitalist west. This was no statement of the artist’s preference for that particular financial system, so much as some hope that it would at least allow him to be left alone. “I escaped from Bulgaria when I was young and was eager to be an artist away from Communist oppression. Above all, I wanted to

do what all artists want to do – to exist outside of any system that wants to control me.”

And that means the gallery system too – which Christo is less than enamoured with, given the inevitable politics, fashions and profit-seeking that generally drives it. Instead he has long trod his own path, lucky enough to have a hardcore fan base of loyal art collectors who buy his pieces – or rather the preparatory works, from sketches to plans and models, that form the basis of these pieces – but also having built up a sizeable repository of smaller works at a secure location in Basel, through which he is able to work with Swiss banks to fund the projects.

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE, RUNNING FENCE, SONOMA AND MARIN COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA, 1972-76, © 1976 CHRISTO; CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE, SURROUNDED ISLANDS, BISCAYNE BAY, GREATER MIAMI, FLORIDA, 1980-83, © 1983 CHRISTO, ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY WOLFGANG VOLZ

rooms; it’s not even – like other art media of similar commercial complexities, the likes of video – endlessly reproducible. Rather, Christo’s works are closer to a happening or a kind of performance. Further fuelling the denigration of some critics, they’re popular too. They draw crowds – crowds of people who are satisfied by the enormity and daring – of the pieces without having to ponder too much on their meaning or place in the development of art history.

“Some people have objected to the works because they’re useless,” Christo chuckles.

“And it’s only because of that uselessness that the pieces’ scale in particular strikes people as impressive. We see much, much bigger structures all the time – buildings, bridges that we’re familiar with – but the scale doesn’t resonate because these things have a purpose.

They can all be justified.

“It’s strange but the first critics to have looked at our work were architecture critics, not art critics and sometimes the work does feel more like urban planning. But of course the primary response to these works is aesthetic, because they’re totally rational but absolutely unnecessary. People see what they see in them, and naturally that response flows from the life of the people, the culture they’re part of. It’s not propaganda, but you can’t articulate what, say, wrapping the Reichstag means to a German. But, you know, really I don’t care what reaction the works get – because I won’t give an inch of my artistic freedom to propagandists of any kind.”

“It’s the one way I’m happy to use the capitalist world,” he laughs. “But it works well. We operate [to make art] like a real corporation, and like a corporation we work with banks because we need a continuous cash flow. Let’s just say that the art world – the collectors, the galleries, the museums – are notoriously slow payers. Besides, I want control over the [final] work [when it’s in place]. I want people to walk on these works, touch them, feel them – despite their scale, I think they’re particularly intimate. I like the idea of people getting up close.”

That contrarian approach has only further ensured that Christo has for years bewildered much of the art world, all the more so since his work is not easy to categorise: it doesn’t have the permanency of sculpture, yet it’s sculptural; you can’t hang it on your wall – indeed, would-be collectors couldn’t even get it in the biggest of

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958–2018, until 9 September, Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Garden, W2, free admission

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“ B R I T I S H D E M O C R A C Y I S C L E A R LY I N S E R I O U S T R O U B L E ”

T H E P O L I T I CA L I N T E RV I E W

CABLE M O U N TA I N

T H E L I B E R A L D E M O C R AT L E A D E R O N B R E X I T, ST U D E N T F E E S , A N D CO M P E T I N G AT T H E NEXT ELECTION

Words: James Lawrence

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I

n today’s divided and highly toxic political climate, Sir Vince Cable is mercifully rational. Assuming leadership of the Liberal Democrats in July 2017, Cable’s résumé includes working as an economic adviser to the Kenyan Government from 1966-68, and for Shell in the mid-90s as chief economist.

His political career has been no less distinguished – defecting to the newly-formed Social Democratic Party in 1982, Cable has since served as Lib Dem deputy leader, Treasury Spokesperson and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the Cameron-Clegg coalition government. He joined the Commons in 1997 as MP for Twickenham, a seat he regained in the June 2017 snap election.

Yet for a time it seemed that Cable had left politics entirely. Following his defeat in the 2015 election, Cable was apparently enjoying a productive retirement, writing books, taking up academic posts and working to get a community bank off the ground. “I lost my seat in 2015 for a very simple reason; the scaremongering campaign by the Conservatives, supported by the Murdoch press, that the electorate would get hardline socialism in a coalition between Ed Miliband and the SNP if the Conservatives lost,” says Cable.

Cable hadn’t reckoned on a snap election.

The local party wanted him to stand again on the grounds that he had “brand value”. He says that returning to politics “wasn’t totally free of hard choices,” but there is a sense he is up for the challenge, particularly at a time of especially partisan politics. Moreover, his own popularity within the party is rock solid – Cable was appointed party leader in July 2017 without any internal conflict.

So why return to politics now, at a time when electoral support is at a record low? In June 2017 the Lib Dems managed to gain a few seats – currently a dozen – but their vote share was a shameful 7.4 per cent compared with 23 per cent in the 2010 general election, when they won 57 seats. Many have suggested that Nick Clegg’s infamous tuition fee U-turn was the beginning of the end for the party.

“The tuition fee issue has been overstated by the media – what is clear is that party support fell almost immediately after we formed the coalition; the tuition fee issue came later, resulting in a loss of trust and so on, but that wasn’t the key reason for the loss of support,” argues Cable.

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A key figure in the 2010 coalition talks, particularly the unsuccessful negotiations with Labour, Cable observes that the Cameron–Clegg coalition was “a good thing for the country, but bad for the party.”

Indeed, just weeks into the newly-formed government, support levels for the Lib Dems collapsed, a testament, Cable argues, to the inherent tribalism of British politics.

“Members of the electorate never forgave us for working with the Tories, but it’s equally fair to say that we stopped some bad legislation going through, and achieved a lot in the national interest.

The political price we paid, however, was dear.”

I can’t dispel the feeling that Cable might have bitten off more than he can chew. However, he is optimistic that the party is ready to take on the massive problems facing the UK, and will play an important role in the political landscape over the coming years. “The party has record membership, which is bigger than the Tory party and, crucially, we have party unity,” he says.

“There is a massive schism in the Labour and Conservative parties. The only reason they don’t split is because of the first-past-the-post system, which is deeply unhelpful to schismatic groups.

But in essence, they hate each other – I’m leading a focused, competent, balanced team. We always do well at by-elections; what we need to do is upgrade our public opinion rating before the next general election.”

Cable is also at pains to avoid the mistakes of his predecessor, Tim Farron, whose refusal to clarify his position on gay marriage is widely believed to have done considerable damage to the party’s image. “Farron clearly didn’t distinguish between his religious convictions and his role as the leader of the Liberal Democratic party, defending gay rights – he put himself in an untenable position,” he concedes.

At this point in our conversation, I’m starting to feel a little disconcerted. Sitting in the Royal Over Seas League building in St James’s, there is something deeply ‘unpolitical’ about the man.

Where is the spin? Every question is answered directly; nothing is dodged. Indeed, after our conversation, Cable proceeds to answer a series of questions from guests at The London Grill Club, an informal Q&A session organised by David Selves.

A successful hotelier and charity auctioneer, Selves initially started the club as part of the London Press Club’s programme of events.

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However, with the potential sensitivity of issues and guests, The London Grill Club is now an entity in its own right with no political or industry allegiances.

“We need to get the positive messages out there,” Cable explains to the group, in reference to his willingness to return to the media spotlight. A consummate diplomat, Cable is also not afraid of ruffling feathers – he likened Theresa May’s attack on the global elite, which she called the rootless “citizens of nowhere”, to the language used in Mein Kampf, later suggesting to BBC presenter Andrew Marr that “Brexit may never happen”.

I ask Cable if the media are correct in their analysis regarding May’s “weak and ineffectual leadership” – the Conservative party’s internal divisions have been well-documented. “After the election, commentators were predicting a quick death for her leadership, but I’ve always believed she would be with us for a few more years,” notes Cable.

“The party’s problems are caused by a mixture of clashes of ideology and personal ambition; there is a big difference between people who believe in maximum Brexit and people like [Philip] Hammond who want to minimise the damage. It’s a pretty unappetising cocktail of stuff, although if they sit down and think rationally, they’ll realise that they have to stick with May until Brexit is completed.”

Incidentally, at the time of writing May is 61, while Cable is 75. So it’s an obvious but inevitable question – how does he respond to criticism that he’s simply too old to lead the party?

“Roger Federer was asked the same question – his response that ‘age is just a number’ pretty much sums up my feelings,” laughs Cable.

“Moreover, part of our core vote is young people and the idea that young people only want young politicians is absurd. I’ve visited several campuses recently and the response has been very enthusiastic, despite the Clegg tuition fee hangover.”

Unsurprisingly, Cable is in favour of reducing the voting age across England and Wales to 16, noting that in Scotland, political sophistication among young people is “very high”.

“British democracy is clearly in serious trouble – we have an elected house that produces very strange outcomes and a second chamber of appointed politicians who don’t represent anybody,” says Cable.

“I’m also in favour of reforming the party funding system and further devolution of powers to local government,” he adds.

Of course, his overriding focus today is Brexit, and campaigning for a second referendum on the

Brexit is sucking the life out of government and Parliament.

Major issues like housing, healthcare and pension reform are all being parked final exit deal reached between the government and Brussels. “If Parliament decides that the final deal is bad for the UK and rejects it unilaterally without a public mandate, I think there would be a massive backlash,” he argues.

“I’m actually not generally in favour of referendums and deciding complex issues via binary choices, but the public do need a say on whatever deal we end up with.”

He adds that the idea of voter fatigue is “a nonsense”, believing that the public want a second chance to clarify their feelings on the most divisive issue for a generation. “The real tragedy of Brexit,” says Cable, “is that it was a case of the old shafting the young, over-65s voting with nostalgia for a Great Britain that is long gone.” Cable believes that Nigel Farage never expected to win, and notes that David Cameron and George Osborne fought the campaign in 2016 in “a highly complacent way”.

The Lib Dem leader has also been highly critical of Labour’s response to the debate, criticising Jeremy Corbyn for “sitting on his hands,” and offering no challenge to the government’s handling of the negotiations.

“Labour, or at least Corbyn’s inner circle, is not trying to sabotage Brexit because of his historical views on the EU as a force for bad – a capitalist club trying to prevent Corbyn’s vision of a much-enlarged state taking back control in the UK. It’s an unholy alliance between the right and left.”

Perhaps Cable’s biggest regret is Brexit’s ability to blind the government and electorate to more pressing issues facing the UK. “Brexit is sucking the life out of government and Parliament,” he observes.

“Major issues like housing, healthcare, pension reform and industrial strategy are all being parked, which is regrettable to say the least.”

On housing, he advocates a programme of “massive housebuilding,” which is hardly controversial, although he concedes that the problems stretch deeper than a lack of supply.

“Monetary policy and loose credit has also greatly contributed to these problems in the housing market,” says Cable. “We need more social housing –

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VINCE CABLE SPEAKING AT AN ANTI=BREXIT, PRO-EU RALLEY IN LONDON, 2017. PHOTOGRAPHY

BY LONNDUBH, COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

the state simply isn’t fulfilling that need at present.”

Cable also worries that levels of personal debt – a defining cause of the 2008 financial crash – are again rising to dangerous levels.

“If you look at the personal debt to GDP ratio, it is getting back to 2008-09 levels,” he says, gravely.

“Mortgage debt for households borrowing very heavily against an appreciating housing market is becoming a bigger problem – we may well get into negative equity territory, although it’s not as extreme as it was in 2008.”

It is the subject of education, though, that really ignites the man’s passion. Born into a working-class family in York, Cable benefited from a free university education at Cambridge. He agrees that “all the parties have let students down”, but admonishes Corbyn’s pledge to abolish fees and write off student debt as fantasy economics.

“I defend what we did,” he says. “British universities were facing a crisis of funding and if you look at the decline of Scottish universities, it is precisely because they lack enough sources of income.” According to Cable, at the time, Peter Mandelson’s solution was to simply shift money from FE colleges to universities, something he found “abhorrent”.

Instead, Cable proposes introducing “learning accounts” – grants for everyone over the age of 18, regardless of whether or not they go to university, to cash in as part payment for a degree or some other form of training, or to be reserved for study in later life. It’s a bold solution to what he describes

as “the chronic lack of equity and social mobility in our society”.

“The catalysts for unprecedented levels of social inequality are numerous – young working people find it impossible to get on the property ladder, real wage stagnation for almost a decade and the aftermath of the financial crisis have all left their mark,” he says. “I want the UK to become a fairer place, with opportunities for all.”

Before policies can be formulated, however, there is a battle to be waged over Brexit. Labour MP Chuka Umunna recently announced his decision to chair an umbrella group of nine organisations that are mounting a push for closer links to Europe.

They’re urging a soft Brexit and are calling for the public’s voice to be heard, possibly through an exit deal referendum.

Meanwhile, the PM appears committed to staying the course, even if the cost to the UK economy is dear. “Britain must stay inside the Customs Union and Single Market,” says Cable. “It is simply not in our national interest to sever ties with the EU.” Does he believe that May will survive long enough to take part in the next general election? “Once Brexit is behind us, I imagine she will resign,” he says. “I’m ready to fight another election, but I don’t think anyone else has the appetite for it.”

Cable’s press secretary then signals his departure, hastening my final question: does he plan to move to the House of Lords if the Lib Dems perform badly?

“I’ve actually already been offered a place in the Lords, but I turned it down.

“My place is within the party, as an elected Member of Parliament serving in the public interest, a position I intend to maintain as long as I possibly can.”

A sentiment not always seen in today’s political climate – a parliamentarian who seemingly puts the nation’s interests before his own.

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P.52 WESTSIDE STORY Where to eat in the capital this month

P.57 THE GORING Reviewing the hotel’s Edwardian dining room

P.58 GIN CITY The top spots for a G&T

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Soho’s hottest new hangout Hovarda blurs the best of Turkish and Greek cuisine (p.52). hovarda.london

WEST SIDE STORY F O R A W H I L E , I T S E E M E D T H E M O S T E XC I T I N G P L AC E S TO E AT I N L O N D O N W E R E A L L O U T E A S T. N O W, A P L E T H O R A O F P R E M I U M O P E N I N G S A R E B R E AT H I N G N E W L I F E I N TO T H E OT H E R S I D E O F TO W N

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hile east London has reimagined itself as an international destination for culinary artists, the west has been a little quieter in terms of new openings. Well, until now. Late 2017 and early 2018 has seen a bumper crop of high-end restaurants popping up from Soho to South Kensington.

One well-funded high-end eatery charging ahead is Hide (W1). Opened as a collaboration between superstar chef Oli Dabbous and Hedonism Wines, it packs in a prince’s collection of haute cuisine, fine wines and enlightened mixology across three separate floors, bound together by one of the most beautiful staircases I’ve ever clapped eyes on. There is a collection of private dining rooms, each with a distinct personality, especially Hide & Seek on the

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Hovarda has become one of the capital’s liveliest restaurants, drawing prandial inspiration from the Aegean coastlines of Turkey and Greece

FROM LEFT: HIDE X 2; BECK AT BROWN’S; THE PETERSHAM X 2

second floor which seats 20 and boasts its own car lift to minimise time and distance between driver’s seat and table. From the peerless basement wine cellar to Dabbous’ playful modern British gastronomy, Hide is exceptional through and through.

Around the corner in Brown’s Hotel there’s been an Italian shakeup, introducing exceptional Latinate fare to the staunchly British bolthole.

Heinz Beck, he of the mighty three Michelin-starred La Pergola in Rome, has opened his second London eatery, Beck at Brown’s (W1), alongside Apsleys (now Celeste) in

The Lanesborough. As expected with an opening of this calibre, the dining room offers a fittingly chic setting for Beck’s brilliant cooking, with eccentric tropical wallpaper playing off the hotel’s trademark dark wood panelling. Salvatore Calabrese, the 40-year veteran of London’s bartender scene, will take the reins at the Donovan Bar, launching a raft of Italian-inspired cocktails.

While we’re on the subject of Italy, Petersham Nurseries has brought its trademark bucolic brand in from Richmond to Covent Garden, and its newest opening lives up to the promise.

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Man-about-town, Innerplace’s Nick Savage, gives you the insider lowdown on London’s most hedonistic haunts

Innerplace is London’s personal lifestyle concierge.

Membership provides complimentary access to the finest nightclubs, the best restaurants and top private members’ clubs.

Innerplace also offers priority bookings, updates on the latest openings and hosts its own regular parties.

Membership starts from £75 a month, innerplace.co.uk

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The ambitious venture comprises a homeware shop, delicatessen, wine cellar, courtyard and a bar. Our eyes are on the two restaurants: La Goccia and particularly The Petersham (WC2). The former is a more accessible eatery with a pizza oven, grill and bar; while the latter skews toward fine dining with slow food in the spotlight.

Nearby in Soho, Hovarda (W1), has become one of the capital’s liveliest

Simon Rogan is Britain’s answer to René Redzepi and serves up some of the nation’s most playful fine dining

restaurants, drawing prandial inspiration from the Aegean coastlines of Turkey and Greece and postprandial inspiration from the nightclubs of Mykonos and Istanbul. Following a meal of largely fishled cuisine, guests have been repairing upstairs to the bar which draws a convoy of international DJs and a crowd that is inevitably easy on the eyes.

Out further west, tucked up in

the salubrious setting of Beauchamp Place, Osh (SW3) has updated central Asian cuisine for the neighbourhood’s discerning, demanding palates. The setting draws inspiration from Uzbek culture almost as much as the menu does, streamlined to a very fine elegance and replete with intricate forged-iron and crystal chandeliers, hanging greenery, natural light and eye-popping murals in primary colours.

Simon Rogan is Britain’s answer to René Redzepi and serves up some of the nation’s most playful fine dining.

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FROM LEFT: HOVARDA; OSH; ROGANIC

He’s brought back his uber-popular Roganic (W1) brand with an earthy and restrained dining room on Blandford Street, Marylebone. For those who want to broaden their horizons with an edible odyssey, there are 11- and 17-course tasting menus available. It’s quite clear that Rogan is gunning for a pair of shiny stars.

For the previous decade, it’s been under-the-radar eateries out east that have been pushing the culinary envelope.

Now, the west is back to its innovative and opulent best.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS 28 JUNE – 4 JULY masterpiecefair.com

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THE GORING T H E F I R S T H O T E L T O B E AWA R D E D A R O YA L WA R R A N T CONTINUES TO SERVE UP FEASTS FIT FOR A KING

Words: James Lawrence

Cooper’s magnificent cooking.

Cooper replaced the previous incumbent, Derek Quelch, in 2014 and has made seismic inroads into the old dowager, offering playful, intelligent versions of British classics without veering into molecular territory. Indeed, there’s no fuss and faff, just modern British cooking without anything to terrify regulars.

For example: Orkney scallops (the ingredients are all sourced in the UK) sit on a bed of kedgeree, lovingly seasoned with shisho and lime. How easy it is to ruin scallops, and how glorious to taste the real article: their meltingly soft texture contrasting nicely with the crisp and crunch of the kedgeree. Give me the opportunity to order his scallops again, and I’m powerless to resist.

Moreover, it typifies Cooper’s approach to a tee – exciting textural contrast underpinned by top-notch ingredients and flawless culinary technique.

I couldn’t love our main courses more: pan-fried fillet of halibut sits atop an incredibly rich and moreish lobster sauce which is as divine as the fish itself. Meanwhile, conversation stops dead as my companion savours his short rib of beef, aged sirloin, pickled red onions, smoked cauliflower and wild garlic. Treated to more than six hours in a sous-vide machine, the beef’s flavour and butter-rich texture are apparently doing things to his brain’s pleasure receptors that verge on the scandalous.

By the end of our meal, gluttony has reached overkill, although I find room for a top-notch dessert: dark chocolate mousse, raspberry, and milk hibiscus ice cream and red sorrel hits all the right notes, although I’m possibly too full to really appreciate it. A selection of English cheeses leaves my friend deliriously happy. You see, this is the kind of restaurant that gives even the most hardened of cynics a fuzzy sense of wellbeing. The Goring is stuck in a glorious time warp, and so much the better for it.

I

’m ecstatic. In an age of Instagram overkill, the Goring prefers that its guests refrain from using their phones in the hotel’s gorgeous Edwardian dining room.

It’s not a command, mind you, but a polite request, and one that the restaurant’s clientele seem happy to oblige. Late into the afternoon, the restaurant is still full, the place heaving with couples and larger groups oblivious to the demands of the modern world. There’s laughter, there’s pleasure taken in one’s immediate surroundings, but no incessant photo taking – I can hardly believe my eyes.

Of course, The Goring has never shown much interest in slavishly following contemporary trends.

Its USP, and the reason regulars and tourists keep coming back, is the out-of-time Edwardian serenity that fills every nook and cranny. Yet counterbalance this ambience against the hotel’s army of utterly charming staff and it becomes blindingly obvious that polished service does not necessarily equal stuffy, despite claims to the contrary.

Jean-Baptiste Lemoine, the restaurant’s head sommelier, proves the point entirely. Approachable, friendly and dangerously knowledgeable, his exceptional wine pairings are the perfect foil to Shay

15 Beeston Place, SW1

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GIN CITY AS THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF LONDON’S GIN SCENE C O N T I N U E S T O E V O LV E , T H E R E ’ S N E V E R B E E N A B E T T E R T I M E T O E X P L O R E T H E J U N I P E R - F L AV O U R E D S P I R I T

Words: Olivier Ward, co-founder and editor of Gin Foundry

A

s is the case with London’s wine bars, when it comes to gin, an encyclopaedic collection of bottles matched with an overzealous sommelier and fancy glassware seldom combines to serve up anything more than an over-hyped, overpriced drinks proposal.

Drinking, and drinking gin in particular, is about a connection to a space, a link to the people around you and a shared experience. And when it comes to gin, it’s not all pomp and circumstance – but nor does it have to be back to basics, either. These are the bars hitting the sweet spot.

THE SAVOY, WC2

C.O.L.D, EC4

The American Bar is an institution

It’s almost impossible to talk about

that’s hard not to love. Kick back,

gin in the City of London without

order a martini and wonder what it

mentioning the City of London

was like in the days when Ol’ Blue

Distillery, which, in 2012, brought

Eyes was in town, or ask about how

gin distilling back to the Square

the classic cocktail The Hanky Panky

Mile after an absence of almost

was invented guest by the first

200 years. Enjoy multiple award-

truly ‘famous’ bartender, Ada ‘Coley’

winning gins while basking in the

Coleman, in 1903 for a guest. The

warming shimmer of a trio of

atmosphere is thick with history here

glorious copper stills, which anchor

and there’s a reason that for the past

each sip in a sea of context. C.O.LD,

five years, the team has won every

tucked away on Bird Lane, is a truly

bar award going. You’re in

memorable place to settle

the best of hands.

down for a G&T.

CITY SOCIAL, EC2

BAR TERMINI, W1

Gin is one of the few sprits that

You can’t fight the rush

captures a truly dizzying array of

of Soho, so you just have

flavours. It’s one of the reasons it’s

to embrace it. If you want

the darling of the cocktail world

to witness controlled,

and to truly enjoy the versatility

coordinated busyness behind

of gin and all its potential, you

the bar that makes it all look

need to head to an adventurous

like a graceful ballet, where

cocktail bar, keen on innovative

speedy service matches

serves. City Social’s bar in Tower

incredible quality, opt for

42 is all that and more, plus it’s

a Negroni at Bar Termini.

got one of the best views over

Aperitivo hour will never be

London’s skyline to boot.

the same again.

HAWKSMOOR SPITALFIELDS, E1

On the tenth floor of the Montcalm

AVIARY BAR, EC2

One of the most searched-for

Hotel, near Moorgate, is the Aviary

cocktails on Ginfoundry.com is

bar. Try the G&T Old Fashioned

Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew. It’s a

made with the lavender forward

combination of beer, ginger, lemon

Pothecary gin, made in Dorset, and

and gin that’s blended and served

head out to the roomy terrace to

in an enticingly frosted chalice.

see the impressive panoramic views

It’s not just worthy of the title

over Finsbury Square and beyond.

‘modern classic’; it’s a genuinely

On a summer’s evening, the Aviary’s

paradigm-changing drink that can’t

outdoor setting and its perched-up

be reasonably explained in words.

position make it a hard place to beat

Its spiritual home is Hawksmoor

– especially when you have a glass

Spitalfields and that’s where you’ll

of gin in your hand.

need to head if you want to have a one-of-a-kind experience.

THE SAVOY, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY CANON PHOTOS

ginfoundry.com

DISCOVER THE

BEAUTY

HEALTHCARE . PHARMACY . SKINCARE . WELLBEING

P.62 JEWELLERY BOX Sustainable sparklers & sunflower rings

P.64 ROMANCING THE STONE Harry Winston’s one-of-a-kind wonder watch

P.66 THE CRAFT OF WATCHMAKING William & Son showcases Switzerland’s leading independent watch maisons

COLLECTION C E L E B R AT I N G F I N E J E W E L L E RY & H AU T E H O R O LO GY

Celebrated German product designer Werner Aisslinger has teamed up with German watchmaker NOMOS Glashütte to create the Autobahn, a Bauhaus-informed timepiece powered by a propriety escapement. £3,800, nomos-glashuette.com

LUCKY STREAK This year marks the 50th anniversary of Van Cleef & Arpel’s iconic Alhambra – the four-leaf motif now emblematic of the fabled French jewellery house.

The first swinging sautoir launched in 1968 and captured the free spirit and exoticism of the decade, as well as offering a daytime alternative to the typical high jewellery of the time.

The multifarious medallion is celebrated in a new collection of limited-edition necklaces and bracelets, fashioned in milky mother-of-pearl, beguiling dark onyx and deep blue lapis, each adorned with signature gold beading and diamonds.

From £3,550, vancleefarpels.com

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Epitomise poolside glamour with Chaumet’s pendants, bracelets and mixand-match ear studs in a spectrum of summer-bright hues.

Hortensia Eden, from £1,950, chaumet.com

JEWELLERY BOX Celebrate sunflower season with Kiki McDonough’s joyful new collection of rings with a juicy gemstone centre, inspired by the tall, daisy-like flower.

SUSTAINABLE SPARKLERS Launched in 2014 by Tansy Aspinall and Victoria van Holthe, Tada & Toy specialises in contemporary, pared-back pieces designed for easy layering. This month marks its first foray into fine jewellery, with a majestic collection coined Queen of Diamonds.

Sustainability sits at the heart of the brand, which gives a portion of profit to the Aspinall Foundation, launched by Tansy’s grandfather to support wildlife conservation.

From £350, tadaandtoy.com

£1,300, kiki.co.uk

A (VENETIAN) CARNIVAL OF COLOUR Never one to shy away from colour, Elisabetta de Simone Niquesa’s vivacious gemstone and diamond creations reflect her rich Italian heritage and love of art, literature and worldly pleasures. Each piece is handcrafted in the Niquesa atelier in Belgravia and available to view by private appointment or on the brand’s stylish new lifestyle platform.

From £1,300, niquesa.com

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ROMANCING THE STONE A TA P E S T R Y O F M O R E T H A N 3 0 0 B AG U E T T E - C U T D I A M O N D S , H A R R Y W I N S TO N ’ S L AT E S T T I M E P I E C E I S A T H R O W B AC K TO T H E B R A N D ’ S A R T D E C O B E G I N N I N G S

Words: Richard Brown

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n Randle Cotgrave’s 1673 French and English Dictionary the word ‘baguette’ is described as meaning ‘little jewel’.

The word in old French means stick or rod. In the same dictionary ‘bague’ means a ‘ring or jewel set with precious stone’.

We can, therefore, presume that the baguettecut diamond, seen in jewellery and religious adornment since the 16th century, took its name from a merging of these two similar words, and not from a long loaf of French bread. Dictionaries didn’t connect ‘baguette’ with any sort of flour-based food staple until the 20th century.

Another titbit of trivia: while the Art Deco movement may have reached its acme during booming, early 20th-century American industrialism, the phenomenon actually got its moniker from the Exposition International des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925.

In its rejection of the flowing shapes and floral motifs of the Art Nouveau, and in its desire to distil design down to the most basic of geometric elements, this new, cleaner, more rigid, less embellished aesthetic-driven movement favoured the straight line over the sinuous curve. The rectangle of modern machinery over the circular whimsy of Romanticism. In fashion, Art Deco expressed itself in the form of straight-line flapper dresses; in jewellery, in the shape of the baguette-cut diamond and in one jewellery designer in particular – a man by the name of Harry Winston.

Opening his first store in New York City in 1932, Winston launched his eponymous

307 BAGUETTE-CUT DIAMONDS 97 BRILLIANT-CUT DIAMONDS 32 BRILLIANT-CUT SAPPHIRES 1 EMERALD-CUT SAPPHIRE

brand as Art Deco was approaching its apex. The 36-year-old embraced this brave new world by adopting the angular shapes of contemporary art and architecture in his own daring designs.

His jewellery was defined by its symmetricallybalanced geometry. The baguette-cut diamond became his go-to stone.

Eight decades later, and this year’s Ocean Waterfall Automatic 36mm is a celebration of that 14-faceted cut. In total, the 18kt white gold timepiece comprises an extraordinary 307 baguette-cut sparklers; 118 on its bezel, lugs and case sides; 165 on its dial; and a further 24 on its strap buckle.

One of the pioneers of invisible gem setting, Harry Winston believed that diamonds should be free from heavy metal settings. True to this approach, the dial of the Ocean Waterfall Automatic 36mm is an assortment of different sized gems, invisibly set, which radiate out from 12 o’clock around a retrograde small second display and an excentered hours and minutes counter.

Inside, an automatic movement by Blancpain – both brands belong to the Swatch Group, Harry Winston having being acquired by the conglomerate in 2013 – features a flat silicon balance spring and provides a 65-hour power reserve.

Yet for all of the micro mechanics, it is the timepiece’s diamonds that do the talking – those and another 43 pink sapphires.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend – one lady in particular in this case, as only a singular Ocean Waterfall Automatic 36mm is being produced.

Price on application, harrywinston.com

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WAT C H M A K I N G

THE CRAFT OF

AS PA RT O F LO N D O N C R A F T WEEK, BRUTON STREET’S WILLIAM & SON INVITED ITS E XC L U S I V E WATC H PA R T N E R S TO S H OWC A S E T H E I R L AT E S T I N N O VAT I O N S . H E R E A R E F I V E HOROLOGIC HIGHLIGHTS

Words: Richard Brown

INSIGHT MICRO-ROTOR, ROMAIN GAUTHIER

GALET MICRO-ROTOR ‘MONTRE E CO L E ’ B R I T I S H R AC I N G G R E E N , LAURENT FERRIER

CASE SIZE: 39.5mm MATERIAL: titanium

CASE SIZE: 40mm

POWER RESERVE: 80 hours

MATERIAL: stainless steel

WATER RESISTANT: 50 metres

POWER RESERVE: 72 hours

PRICE: £80,900

WATER RESISTANT: 40 metres PRICE: £28,300

Romain Gauthier’s Insight MicroRotor utilises a reversing gear to provide its compact 22k solid gold oscillating weight with bidirectionality. When the micro-rotor changes direction, it drives the toothing of a reversing gear in the opposite direction, meaning that the watch’s double mainspring barrel is being wound whichever way the micro-rotor is turning. Two ovenfired blue enamel dials display hours, minutes and small seconds. A circular cut-out in the mainplate frames the micro-rotor, permitting views of it from both front and back – giving the watch its name.

Embracing the GB spirit of London Craft Week, Laurent Ferrier presented the Galet MicroRotor ‘Montre Ecole’ British Racing Green – the official international motor-racing colour of the United Kingdom until the end of 1960s.

The green dial is lacquered in the same way as cars used to be, while a silver subdial is intended to evoke vintage race rims.

Elsewhere, the watch’s leather strap is inspired by bonnet straps prevalent in the ’60’s, whereas railroad and the hour markers are a nod to the speedometer.

Inside, an automatic movement incorporates a specially-engineered silicon escapement that applies a double direct impulse on the balance, serving to reduce the torque required to wind the mainspring – a micro-rotor needs twice as many rotations (300 vs. 150) for one complete turn of the ratchet wheel.

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PIONEER CENTRE SECONDS, H. MOSER & CIE

DB29 MAXICHRONO TO U R B I L LO N , D E B E T H U N E

O C TA D I V I N E , F. P. J O U R N E

CASE SIZE: 42.8mm

CASE SIZE: 46mm

MATERIAL: rose gold

MATERIAL: stainless steel

MATERIAL: rose gold

POWER RESERVE: 120 hours

POWER RESERVE: 72 hours

POWER RESERVE: 120 hours

PRICE: £39,400

WATER RESISTANT: 120 metres

PRICE: £279,600

CASE SIZE: 42mm

PRICE: £9,500

Independent and family-owned, H. Moser & Cie manufactures all of its movements in-house and assembles and finishes all of its watches by hand.

The brand’s new, entry-level model features a midnight-blue fumé dial with sunburst pattern, steel case and black rubber strap. The go-anywhere sports watch is water resistant to 12 bar, sports glow-in-the-dark Superluminova® elements on its hands and dial and is made from light-weight steel. A transparent exhibition caseback displays the HMC230 self-winding movement, complete with a pallet fork and escapement wheel made from gold.

De Bethune’s mesmerising new DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon is a monopusher chronograph with five centrally-mounted hands and, therefore, no subdials. Instead, three blued-steel hands show conventional time; a gold hand displays the minutes of the chronograph; while a shorter blue hand displays the hours of the chronograph.

The hand-wound escapement – which comprises 410 components, including a silicon and white gold balance wheel, a silicon escape wheel, and a trio of column wheels to manage the chronograph – is hidden behind a double case-back, which opens pocket watch-style on the push of a button.

The fact that the watch also houses the world’s lightest tourbillon is almost relegated to a footnote.

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The only three-time winner of the Grand Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the Oscars of the watch world, so to speak, F.P. Journe operates in the sweet spot between classic elegance and bold, contemporary design. The brand’s Octa Divine is a case in point. A graceful rose gold case and champagne inner dial contrasts with a distinctive steel oval ring screwed to the watch face.

Elsewhere, an elegant sapphire moon phase, one of the most traditional of watch complications, juxtaposes with quirky alternating-sized hour numerals, a large date display and stylish red accents. A self-locking ball bearing system means that the watch’s internal 18kt rose gold rotor swivels both ways, winding the automatic watch with even the slightest of movements.

SKIN CAVIAR ESSENCE-IN-FOUNDATION SPF 25 / PA+++ INFUSED WITH CAVIAR WATER

PERFECT SKIN PERFECT COMPLEXION THE SUBLIME BLEND OF CAVIAR SCIENCE AND COLOUR ARTISTRY. A FRESH, SMOOTHING INFUSION OF CAVIAR WATER. AN INGENIOUS, PURE DESIGN FOR A PRISTINE DOSE.

P.76 © RICHARD BURBRIDGE / ART + COMMERCE

HOLIDAY CHECKLIST Sunglasses, earrings & espadrilles

P.78 BEAUTY AND THE BEACH Retro bikinis for stylish sunbathers

P.88 SPECS APPEAL Tom Davies on making glasses for the stars

COUTURE CUT

FROM

A DIFFERENT

CLOTH

Richard Burbridge’s In Silhouette was originally shot for Vogue Italia in 2007. This month it is thrown back into the spotlight in a new book and exhibition (p.70).

IN FOCUS A C E N T U RY O F FAS H I O N P H OTO G R A P H Y I S C E L E B E R AT E D I N A N E W TO M E BY G E T T Y Words: Ellen Millard

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Fashion photography has become an art form in its own right

“T

he most important part of fashion photography, for me, is not the models; it’s not the clothes. It’s that you are responsible for defining what a woman today is. That, I think, is my job.” One of the world’s most prolific photographers, Peter Lindbergh, shaped the way we view fashion with his striking snaps, which shun excessive retouching in favour of humanist black-and-white shots.

His approach redefined the standards of beauty, making it less about the clothes and make-up and more about the person who was wearing them. His subjects to date have included the likes of Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Uma Thurman.

Lindbergh was certainly pioneering, but he was not the first. In 1911, Edward Steichen created the first artistic fashion image by commission of publisher Lucein Vogel, who wanted to move away from the typical shots of the time, which involved little more than a model standing in front of a blank canvas. Something of a revolution followed, and in the 100 years that have passed since, fashion photography has become an art form in its own right.

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OPPOSITE JEAN-BAPTISTE MONDINO, MISS M, NEGATIVE, 1988; PRINT, 2011. LOS ANGELES, COURTESY OF M+B GALLERY AND THE ARTIST, © JEAN-BAPTISTE MONDINO THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT SHEILA METZNER, UMA IN DRESS BY PATOU, 1986, © SHEILA METZNER; NEAL BARR, DIANA NEWMAN, 1966, © NEAL BARR, BOTH COURTESY OF, J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES, PURCHASED WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHS COUNCIL

RIGHT HIRO, BLACK EVENING DRESS IN FLIGHT, NEW YORK, NEGATIVE, 1963; J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES, PURCHASED WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHS COUNCIL, 2012.24.2. © HIRO

In a new book and exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Getty curator Paul Martineau celebrates a century of fashion photography. Icons of Style charts the changing face of fashion with pictures by the likes of Lillian Bassman, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Man Ray, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn and Tim Walker.

Divided into five chronological chapters written by five experts – including the Victoria & Albert Museum’s curator of photographs Susanna Brown – the book spans the rise of fashion photography through the jazz, post-war and Punk ages, finishing with the turn of the 20th century and the beginning of the

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21st, when the likes of street photography and social media began to play its role.

The aim, Martineau says, is to encourage viewers, galleries and museums to treat fashion photography with the same merits given to other art forms.

“Although the very nature of what is considered art has shifted greatly during the last hundred years... fashion

photography has not fully shaken off the stigma of being at an intersection of two historically marginalised mediums,” he says in the book’s introduction.

“Long overlooked, the gradual integration of fashion photographs into museum collections will make it easier for these pictures to be evaluated in terms of the larger history of the medium of photography.”

FROM TOP HERB RITTS, FRED WITH TIRES, HOLLYWOOD, 1984, FROM THE BODY SHOP SERIES, LOS ANGELES, J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, GIFT OF HERB RITTS FOUNDATION, 2011, © HERB RITTS FOUNDATION; GEORGE HOYNINGEN-HUENE, BATHING SUITS BY IZOD, PARIS, 1930, COLLECTION OF RICHARD AND ALLISON ROEDER, © HORST

Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography £50, edited by Paul Martineau, published by Getty Publications, July 2018.

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LUXURY LONDON

PROMOTION

CRUZ BUENO COUTURE LO N D O N ’ S B E S T- K E P T S E C R E T

M

aison Cruz Bueno Couture. A name on the lips of the world’s most sophisticated women. It is the surname, too, of the founder and lead couturier, Lucas Cruz Bueno, a man of intuition and rare passion, a créateur who listens to his clients like no other, who interprets their desires and captures their essence in clothing.

Lucas was a dancer for 13 years and has a degree in performing arts. Through this intimate understanding of the body and how it moves, he has married a unique talent for fashion, which he first displayed in the designs of costumes for local dance companies. This led him to being commissioned to design and make special-occasion dresses that proved an instant sensation on social media. It launched him on a meteoric rise, and his creations are now increasingly being worn by an exclusive collection of international private clients.

T H E C E L E B R AT I O N O F CRAFTSMANSHIP

Cruz Bueno is a million miles away from the world of fast fashion and throwaway massmarket manufacturing. It makes limitededition, timeless designs that you will not see on anybody else. They are exceptional, not just in their rarity, but in their quality. For Lucas, handmade really means handmade. Each Cruz Bueno piece and accessory is created in the London atelier by highly skilled artisans using the finest fabrics and materials, and time-honoured principles of garment making.

Lucas works with a myriad of materials, finding harmony between colours and textures, resulting in a visual and tactile experience.

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“My purpose is to design beautiful garments to embrace each and every client; to celebrate their uniqueness. This is my ‘Savile Row’ approach for women” – Lucas Cruz Bueno

THE BESPOKE EXPERIENCE

These handcrafted pieces celebrate each individual, accentuate their finest features and iron out those tiny imperfections that only they can see. By appointment only, Cruz Bueno offers a uniquely personal approach to luxury couture, one that seeks an intimate understanding of each and every client, building a relationship that lasts based on a holistic vision of who they are and the life they lead. The result of this bond: handcrafted garments designed by Lucas, not just to fit a silhouette but to express an individual’s inner self. The clothing ranges from the spectacular to the sublimely understated but is always comfortable and never made in standard sizes – because everyone is unique.

A N AT M O S P H E R E O F T R U S T

In its luxurious showroom on Old Bond Street, Lucas brings not just his design expertise and personal empathy but a fresh look and a creative inventiveness to every meeting. He ensures that personal taste and style are respected but also transcended. In an ambience of trust and collaborative creativity, what emerges – usually after at least three fittings – is a masterpiece of cutting-edge, modern and sophisticated design unlike anything you will have worn before.

T H E C R U Z B U E N O WO M A N

She is elegant and sophisticated and wants to feel empowered, more beautiful, sexier and stronger. She seeks quality instead of quantity and dresses with a purpose.

Appointments: info@cruzbueno.com, @cruzbueno_official, cruzbueno.com

H O L I DAY C

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L E W E S PA N A M A H AT Shelter from the sun in this wide-brim hat crafted from Ecuadorian toquilla straw, the trademark of bona-fide panamas. £235, lockhatters.co.uk

MIXED STRIPE DRESS Get into the swing of summer with this trapeze dress from Walpole Brand of Tomorrow Asceno. £345, asceno.com

G I N G H A M M A K E - U P B AG No need to check in your bag with this chic travel pouch, which is big enough to hold all of your hand luggage essentials. £175, Prada, matchesfashion.com

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SABINE SWIMSUIT This retro Lisa Marie Fernandez swimsuit boasts bonded fabric and zigzag seams to create a sculpted, hourglass look. £418, Lisa Marie Fernandez, matchesfashion.com

OMBRE EARRINGS Rebecca de Ravenel’s signature Les Bonbons earrings are reimagined in ombre shades for the summer season. £264, Rebecca de Ravenel, modaoperandi.com

B LU E B I R D D I S C B AG J. W. Anderson’s bridal collection includes a range of slick accessories.

Snap up its signature Pierce and Disc bags in new shades and suedes. £975, j-w-anderson.com

L A U R E N E S PA D R I L L E S A dainty scallop trim softens these statement sandals, available in grey, nude or black. £390, Chloé, net-a-porter.com

DIOR VERNIS Gel nails without the damage: Dior’s Vernis lacquers are made using organic silicone for long-lasting shine. £21, dior.com

MADISON SUNGLASSES Alice + Olivia’s cornflower-blue shades tap into the cat-eye trend with exaggerated tips, which accentuate the appearance of cheekbones. £220, Alice + Olivia, harrods.com

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BEAUTY & THE BEACH DIVE INTO THE SUMMER S E A S O N W I T H V I N TAG E INSPIRED SWIMWEAR FROM ERES AND EMILIO PUCCI PHOTOGRAPHER TURI LØVIK KIRKNES STYLIST VICTORIA WRIGHT

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Swimsuits, £118 each, solidandstriped.eu; Turbans, £230 each, missoni.com; Sunglasses, £867 each, Elie Saab, farfetch.com

THIS PAGE Bikini, £330, Emilio Pucci, mytheresa.com; Sunglasses, £95, maxandco.com; Turban, Stylist’s own OPPOSITE PAGE Swimsuit, POA, eresparis.com; Sunglasses, £229, fendi.com; Turban, Stylist’s own

LEFT Swimsuit, £35, stories.com; Sunglasses, £370, dior.com; Turban, Stylist’s own RIGHT Swimsuit, £220, carolineconstas.com; Sunglasses, £370, dior.com; Turban, Stylist’s own

THIS PAGE Swimsuit, £415, dolcegabbana.com; Towel, £550, emiliopucci.com; Turban, Stylist’s own OPPOSITE PAGE Bikini, £371, dolcegabbana.com; Sunglasses, £214, Dolce & Gabbana, sunglasseshut.com; Turban, Stylist’s own

MODEL Cassi S @Fanjam Agency, Cape Town PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT David Kwizera HAIR AND MAKE-UP Sian Moss @ One League Creative Management, Cape Town LOCATION The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel and Llandudno beach, Cape Town. Fly direct with Thomas Cook Airlines

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V-NECK RIVIERA T-SHIRT Sunspel has refined the V-neck T-shirt it originally designed for Daniel Craig in Casino Royale; a wider and thicker neckband has been developed, as well as a grey addition to the traditional black. The yarns of the 100 per cent long-staple cotton shirt has been combed and twisted to alleviate imperfections, making for a smooth and defined finish. £70, sunspel.com

2 0 9 B E AC H B L A Z E R Two years in the making, this beach blazer is designed to bring the gentleman back to the beach. Lined with an Italian cashmere-esque bamboo towel fabric, sealed with a water-resistant velvet shawl lapel and fitted with surgeon’s cuffs for roll-up sleeves – the blazer promises to carry you from poolside to beach bar with James Bond panache. £300, 209mare.com

AMALFI SUNGLASSES The first range of ready-to-wear sunglasses from EB Meyrowitz features 12 editions of five different designs, coming in shades of tortoiseshell, citrus amber and lemon. The range is exclusive to the brand’s Royal Arcade boutique. from £850, ebmeyrowitz.co.uk

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S U M M E R G R E Y C A N VA S T O T E Troubadour has released its classic tote bag in a range of new colours. Each is crafted in premium canvas and trimmed with vegetable-tanned Italian leather. Only 25 of each colour are being produced. £245, troubadourgoods.com

G R O S G R A I N -T R I M M E D S T R AW PA N A M A H AT Handwoven from Italian straw that is then pummelled, washed and ironed back into shape, this Anderson & Sheppard hat is signed with a sharp navy ribbon and lined with an internal browband. £185, anderson-sheppard.co.uk

V - L U X T Y P 1 1 4 C O M PA C T C A M E R A The Swiss army knife of cameras, this Leica will serve everyone from the professional photographer to the aspiring Instagrammer. With WiFi capabilities and 4K HD video, this model shoots in both raw and JPEG formats – with a DC Vario-Elmarit lens allowing greatly enhanced zoom. £940, leica-camera.com

FENDI RUBBER SLIDES Fendi has printed its logo across the wide straps of these lightweight rubber slides, providing for some threedimensional footwear. £290, mrporter.com

W O O D E N B E A C H B AT & B A L L The one-of-a-kind bat and ball set from Brazilian brand Trancoso is handcrafted from several layers of varnished wood and finished with a subdued orange neoprene wrapped grip. £150, mrporter.com

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COUTURE

SPECS APPEAL

GLASSES

MAKER

ON BRINGING HIS

TO

THE

STA R S ,

WORKSHOP

Words: Ellen Millard

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TOM

BACK

TO

DAV I E S B R I TA I N

E

d Sheeran has a weirdly shaped head.

It may harbour a brain that’s produced five number one singles, masterminded a multiple world-record-breaking album and earned a healthy £80 million (and counting), but in proportion it is not.

“That’s the Shape of Ed,” Tom Davies grins as he hands me a prototype of the singer’s spectacles. The teal and charcoal acetate frame looks fine front-on, but from the side you can see how its arms twist in the most unlikely of angles – the right one veering slightly to one side and the left, significantly shorter one curving inwards, almost at a right angle. They look uncomfortable – verging on impossible – but I’m assured that they fit to perfection.

Tom Davies’ USP is frames shaped to fit both the wearer’s head and their lifestyle, made using materials that should, in theory, last a lifetime, and carved into designs that transcend seasonal trends – an antonym to the BOGOF deals that dominate the high street.

His clients include Angelina Jolie, Heston Blumenthal and, yes, Ed Sheeran, all of whom frequent Davies’ stores for his signature specs.

“Understanding people and being able to read them is one of my top trumps,” the designer tells me. “Applying empathy to eyewear design is really important and that’s what my brand is all about: working out which frames suit which people, what they’re going to like wearing and what’s going to make them happy. It’s all about quality and fit.”

In his west London factory, a team of apprentices is being trained to master the painstaking, but surprisingly speedy, process that goes into a pair of Tom Davies frames.

“This is ‘Bespoke-alator’ one,” Davies announces as he shows me around, fondly thumping a now-defunct machine, before showing me ‘Bespoke-alators’ five and eight, still in use. The state-of-the-art tech is used to

speed up more menial tasks (such as cutting and binding the materials) before each pair of frames is passed to the craftsmen for polishing, tumbling and shaping.

Elsewhere, there’s a separate machine for Davies’ series of horn specs, made from cattle horn farmed sustainably in India, Africa and the UK, and a special bench for his soonto-be-launched gold- and silver-plated frames.

The factory opened at the end of last year, a twin to Davies’ original workspace in China. His craftsmen from abroad are teaching the new team the ropes; eventually the British workshop will produce 10,000 bespoke frames a month, each one taking just 22 hours to make.

“Being Made in England has got a huge marketing advantage,” Davies explains. “I opened a chain of opticians in Dubai and they weren’t interested. Now we’re Made in England, they can’t get enough of us. It’s the same in America; that’s my biggest growth market at the moment.”

The brand’s ready-to-wear frames will also be made in London, but it’s the bespoke service that is being given the utmost attention – and which, in turn, draws the crowd.

“The shape of your nose is unique, so the chances of your glasses being identically shaped are almost impossible. That’s why people hate glasses. They don’t suit anyone,” says Davies. “I was serving a customer recently who had quite a strong brow line, and right at the end of our consultation I noticed his glasses were fogging up.

I asked him about it and he said ‘yeah they always do’.

We changed the angle of the frames to let the air come through, and now they don’t. That’s what bespoke is.”

The brand’s eye tests are equally extensive; while the typical optician will spend 15 minutes with a client, at Tom Davies they spend an hour, questioning their customers about their lifestyle, usage, posture and how they hold objects – all of this, Davies says, will affect your prescription.

“My stylist wears her glasses on the end of her nose because she has slight claustrophobia. But it means that her prescription changes,” says Davies. “A lot can depend on what you’re using them for too; I’ve been making Heston Blumenthal a diving mask, and we’ve given him a brandnew prescription that will work specifically for diving.”

So Ed Sheeran’s got a pair of specs to witness his sell-out stadium tours and Heston’s got a mask to see a submarine world; who does Davies most wish he could work with?

“Prince William. There’s a reason he doesn’t like wearing his glasses, and it’s because they’re rubbish,” he laughs. “The future king needs a good pair of specs.” tdtomdavies.com

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P.92 IN SEARCH OF ELEGANCE Paolo Pininfarina on steering his brand to success

P.98 INSIDE TRACK The 10 most expensive motors ever sold at auction

D R I V E H Y P E R C A R S , H O T H AT C H E S & S U P E R S U V S

Mini Cooper’s first all-electric vehicle is set to be launched in 2019 – just in time for the 60th anniversary of the classic Mini. mini.co.uk

IN SEARCH OF ELEGANCE T H E C OAC H B U I L D E R H I S G R A N D FAT H E R E S TA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 3 0 B E C A M E T H E M O S T D I S T I N G U I S H E D A U T O M O T I V E D E S I G N H O U S E O F T H E 2 0 T H C E N T U R Y. H AV I N G S T Y L E D T H E F E R R A R I 2 7 5 G T B 4 A N D F E R R A R I D I N O 2 4 6 G T S , A S W E L L A S T H E A L FA R O M E O G I U L I E T TA S P I D E R A N D L A N C I A A U R E L I A , T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y H A S S E E N PAO LO P I N I N FA R I N A’ S C O M PA N Y D I V E R S I F Y O U TS I D E O F AU TO M O B I L E S , I N TO E V E RY T H I N G F R O M B I CYC L E S A N D B R I D G E S TO S K Y S C R A P E R S A N D F O OT B A L L S TA D I U M S

Words: Josh Sims

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F E AT U R E

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LANCIA AURELIA B24S, 1950

P

aolo Pininfarina looks around at the cars at the International Geneva Motor Show and doesn’t much like what he sees. “But it’s fortunate for us that car design around the world is, frankly speaking, getting worse,” he chuckles. “Every year I visit Geneva, and the other big car shows, and I look for elegance. And it seems that this is something very few car brands can now pull off. Elegance has become an exception. It seems that there is a belief that to sell a car these days you have to do something crazy or aggressive.”

Pininfarina knows a thing or two about automobiles. The name will be familiar to petrol-heads: it’s the name of the family firm – established by his grandfather Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina in 1930 in Cambiano, Italy – that has, arguably, been the pre-eminent automotive design house of the 20th and now 21st century.

This was the company that styled the Ferrari 275 GTB4 and the Ferrari Dino 246 GTS – together with most of Ferrari’s more acclaimed output since the 1980s – not to mention the Fiat 124 Spider Europa Volumex, BMW Gran Lusso Coupé and Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT. It was Pininfarina that set new standards not just for expensive sports cars, but for everyday family cars too, when it styled the Peugeot 406 Coupé in the late 1990s. Indeed, Pininfarina has had a hand in designing some 600 cars.

“Lancia was our first big partner, which my grandfather started, then the second generation – my father Sergio – took on Ferrari, and so you keep moving forward until you’re designing globally,” says Pininfarina, 59, the company’s

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT PAOLO PININFARINA; SERGIO PININFARINA AND ENZO FERRARI, 1966; FERRARI 250 GT; FERRARI CALIFORNIA T; PININFARINA COLLECTION; NASH HEALEY SPIDER

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chairman. “My grandfather was the visionary.

My father was a great engineer. And I’ve been more the pure car designer. In a family business every generation helps refine your style but also broadens your approach, because each generation is a product of their time.”

Times, though, have not always been easy: the company got out of making cars itself, but was still saddled with huge debt, leading to its acquisition at the end of 2015 by Indian IT and engineering conglomerate Tech Mahindra.

“The fact is that the car design business is becoming more complex, and management [outside of the family] is becoming more and more relevant,” says Pininfarina. “Our shift from manufacturing to a focus on design has created problems that have taken years to sort out. [But] the family can now focus on that vision with the management to execute it. Now we have the finance to make things happen.”

This year, a Pininfarina-designed residential skyscraper is set to open in São Paolo, and there’s a bridge over the Panama Canal in the offing After 80-plus years as a family business, the shift was, Pininfarina concedes, not easy, though he stresses that the company remains “very independent” with its ethos and vision for the future still that of a family firm.

The company chairman has always been a Pininfarina and he hopes to bring younger members of the clan into the fold with a view to that tradition being upheld. “I think that’s been crucial to the company’s success because it’s meant a certain sensibility has come down through the generations. It’s what gives a Pininfarina flavour to things.”

And to more and more things, certainly beyond cars. Pininfarina has been busy realigning the company as more a general design firm, parlaying its reputation as the hand behind those graceful cars, to designing the likes of kitchens and yachts, jewellery and stationery – including a pen-pencil hybrid that never runs out – football stadia, innovative flexible doors and teardrop-shaped ice cubes.

This year a Pininfarina-designed residential skyscraper is set to open in São Paolo, and

there’s a bridge over the Panama Canal in the offing. There’s even – the irony – a bicycle.

“Yes, it is a bit surprising from us. But the likes of bicycles are going to be crucial for how we get around cities in the future,” says Pininfarina. Of course, the E-voluzione isn’t just any old bicycle, but an electric model running on patented battery technology and integrating all the messy main parts – cables, lighting, handlebars etc – into one seamless, carbon fibre and somehow still very Italian structure.

“When designing you have to keep thinking ‘what is it that people want? What does someone want from, say, a writing instrument?’ And often the process is about the humanisation of technology. Often the role of the designer now is about making objects that are about more than functionality. We’re entering the world of the wearable – things are getting really personal.

But if you can design a car well, why not a boat or a crane or a building or a pen?”

Even still, for many people, Pininfarina will always mean power and performance on four wheels, even if among those number you can’t count Pininfarina himself. “There are plenty of people who think cars are all about noise and fuel consumption, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them.” Instead, Pininfarina is far more fascinated by the future of all-electric and autonomous cars, which is highlighted by the names of the makers for whom his company is now doing much of its automotive business: Foton, SGM, Changfeng, Chery, Brilliance, JAC and BIAC. If none of these ring a bell, you won’t be alone, despite the fact that they are at the

vanguard of what might prove to be the biggest shake-up of the car industry in decades: the arrival of cars and their makers out of China.

“We’ve recognised that China is the world’s biggest automotive market and that sooner or later it was going to be essential for us to be there,” says Pininfarina, who at the Geneva car show unveiled one of his company’s latest designs, the HK GT, an electric concept car for the Chinese Hybrid Kinetic Group that takes the architecture of the Gran Turismo and gives it gull wing doors. Oh, and also announced that its 2016 H2 Speed concept will go into production, making it the first high-performance hydrogen racing car to do so.

“There are 20 million cars sold in China every year – if you’re going to play in the field of auto design, you have to be in China right

FROM TOP PININFARINA COLLECTION; SERGIO PININFARINA WITH A FERRARI TESTAROSSA

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“I think of good Italian styling as being, above all, ageless and durable”

FROM TOP LANCIA FLORIDA II; PAOLO PININFARINA WITH A FERRARI SERGIO; BATTISTA AND SERGIO PININFARINA WITH PININFARNIA CEO RENZO CARLI

now. The interesting thing though is that, being a new market, it’s much less limited by ideas of heritage. It’s more about innovation – you can invent new brands, new sectors. You can design and make a car that leads to a whole new market.

It’s terrifically exciting. The engineering quality of Chinese cars will be a given, I think, so it’s style that is going to make the difference – and Italian style is in demand because its appeal has been so widely demonstrated. Everyone knows Ferrari.”

That the Chinese are looking to Pininfarina to inject some Italian finesse perhaps suggests just how committed eastern manufacturers are, once their huge domestic market runs a little dry, to making the west their next major play. Pininfarina suggests that what the makers are after from them is timelessness. “Really, Italian design shapes are classical, but never so classical as to look old, which is why I think of good Italian styling as being, above all, ageless and durable. That doesn’t mean it can’t be cool or sexy.”

Paolo Pininfarina asserts that since turning its skills to the styling of all manner of products – an idea he first proposed for the company back in the 1980s – it has grown increasingly daring in its approach. The company, he suggests, may be as well known for architecture or product design in a few decades’ time as it has historically been known for cars. Expect some bold proposals. Some will work, some won’t. And that’s fine by Paolo.

“One thing I have learned is that the border between a commercial flop and an iconic product is a very grey area, but still I am not very much impressed by others’ design,” Pininfarina laughs, returning to the subject.

“There’s a lot of superficiality and a lack of innovation in the design that’s around now.

And there’s so much bad design because it’s increasingly all about marketing – the business tends to focus on who shouts the loudest, and I don’t like that. Thankfully, there are still masters at work, and in a world so full of decoration their work is essential.”

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ccording to The Wealth Report published by estate agent Knight Frank, classic cars are, in the long-term, a better investment than art, showing an impressive progression of 334 per cent over the past 10 years.

Ahead of the 25th installment of the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month, where more landmark sales are expected to take place, auction search engine Barnebys reveals the top 10 most expensive classic cars ever to go under the hammer.

1

F E R R A R I 2 50 GTO ( 19 6 2 ) , $3 8 ,115 ,000 ( 2 014)

at an asking price of $18,000 in the US upon release. Fastforward 52 years and its selling price at Bonhams in 2014 was

Just 33 of the series one 1962

$38,115,000. With a Tipo 168/62

250 GTOs were manufactured,

V12 engine beneath the hood, the

INSIDE TRACK T H E TO P 1 0 M O S T E X P E N S I V E C L A S S I C C A R S E V E R S O L D AT A U C T I O N

Words: James Mumford

IMAGE Š ARTCURIAL

2 FERRARI 335 SPORT S C AG L I E T T I ( 1 957 ) , $35,711,359 (2016) Through 1957-58, a mere four models of the 335S were produced. They sported a V12 engine with upwards of 390 horsepower and a top speed of 190mph.

Exclusively a race model, the 335S is possibly most renowned for its part in the infamous 1957 Mille Miglia accident involving an exploding tyre and the tragic deaths of nine people. Almost six decades on, the 335S was auctioned for $35,711,359 at Artcurial in 2016.

IMAGE © BONHAMS

250 GTO was nominated as the top

3

M E R C E D E S - B E N Z W 1 9 6 (1954 ) $ 2 9,6 5 0,095 ( 2 013 ) This monster was a Formula 1 model

sports car of all time by Sports Car

designed for the 1954/55 season,

International in 2004, dubbed the

equipped with a direct fuel injection

greatest Ferrari of all time by Motor

adapted from the high-performance

Trend Classic and the ‘hottest car of

DB 601 V12 engine used in the

all time’ by Popular Mechanics.

Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter jet in the Second World War. It won nine out of 12

IMAGE © BONHAMS

races, and captured the only two world championships in which it competed.

5

FERRARI 275 GTB 4/S N.A.R.T. SPIDER (1967), $27,500,000 (2015) As part of the Ferrari 275 models produced from 1964-68 – a two-seat roadster with

4

280-300 horsepower and the first transaxle

F E R R A R I 2 9 0 M M PA R S C AG L I E T T I ( 1 9 5 6 ) $ 2 8 ,0 5 0,0 0 0 ( 2 0 1 5 )

– a few Spider convertibles were bought by American dealer Luigi Chinetti for around $8,000 each. Chinetti customised 10 of

Winner of the 1956 Mille Miglia, from which its name is derived, the 290 MM’s

these Spiders himself, the name N.A.R.T

legacy has lived on long enough to earn an auction price of $28,050,000 at RM

coming from his own North American

Sotheby’s in 2015. The race model was powered by 3.5L V12 engine adapted from

Racing Team. These custom models are

the 4.5L unit which Ferrari had developed at the time for its Formula 1 cars. The

incredibly rare, one of which was sold for

290 MM was also responsible for Ferrari’s wins in the 1956 Swedish Grand Prix,

$27,500,000 at RM Sotheby’s in 2015.

World Sportscar Championship of that year, and the 1957 1,000km Buenos Aires.

IMAGE © SOTHEBY’S

6

FERRARI 275 GTB/C SPECIALE PAR SCAGLIETTI (1964), $26,400,000 (2014)

7

ASTO N MA R TI N D B R 1 ( 195 6 ) , $ 2 2 , 5 5 5 ,000 ( 2 017)

decade. It’s one of only three cars (and the only non-Ferrari) to have won the Le Mans 24

The DBR1 is most renowned for its

Hours and World Sports Car

predecessor on this list, the GTB/C

victory in the 1959 24 Hours of Le

Championship in the same

was a series of four lightweight

Mans (the fourth round of the FIA

year, and shortly held the

Competizione Speciales developed

World Sports Car Championship),

record for most World Sports

for the 1965 racing season. With

but has some other impressive

Car Championship wins for any

a 10 per cent reduction in overall

accolades to its name from that

single car – at six.

An earlier adaptation of the

size and a 250 LM engine, the FIA initially refused to homologate the model. Enzo Ferrari then promptly threatened to abandon the motor sport altogether, but luckily a compromise was found and 12 further lightweight models were produced for the 1966 season.

IMAGE © SOTHEBY’S

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IMAGE © SOTHEBY’S

8

J A G U A R D -T Y P E ( 1 9 5 5 ) , $ 2 1 ,78 0,0 0 0 ( 2 0 1 6 )

An innovation in aerodynamics in competition car design, the introduction of monocoque construction with an aeronautical approach brought a new element to the table. Sleek and efficient, D-types won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. In 1957, 25 D-type models were re-serviced in America after Jaguar’s temporary retirement from racing, when nine models were destroyed in a factory fire. One of the 90 D-type models left in existence achieved a $21,780,000 price tag at RM Sotheby’s in 2016.

In 1957, 25 D-type models were re-serviced in America after Jaguar’s temporary retirement from racing

10

IMAGE © SOTHEBY’S

FERRARI 250 GT SWB CALIFORNIA SPIDER ( 1 9 6 1 ) , $ 1 8 , 5 0 0 ,0 0 0 ( 2 0 1 5 ) The reveal of the California Spider came a long way down the line of adaptations and renovations to the traditional 250 design. The previous year, Ferrari had upgraded the GT Berinetta’s handling, reducing the wheelbase by 200mm. Then, the California Spider was shown to have a slimmer body over the chassis, disc brakes and a 280PS 3L V12 engine. Only 55 models were built, one of which was customised and notoriously featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This may have played some part in its auction price at Artcurial in 2015 of $18,500,000.

9

IMAGE © ARTCURIAL

A L FA R O M E O 8 C 2 9 0 0 B L U N G O S P I D E R ( 1 9 3 9 ) , $ 1 9 ,8 0 0 ,0 0 0 ( 2 0 1 6 ) A variation of the 8C road and race line produced throughout the 1930s, all fitted with the signature eightcylinder engine, the 2900B was a 2.9L sports car intended for competition in the Mille Miglia and Le Mans Speciale.

Further to the 2900A model, which never won but came in pole positions on three separate occasions, the 2900B made more concession to comfort and reliability. Perhaps the most recognisable Romeo model of all time, a 2900B Lungo Spider, was auctioned for $19,800,000 at RM Sotheby’s in 2016.

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14/05/2018 13:58:41

P.104 THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Finding solace in Denmark’s capital

P.108 STADT & SCHLOSS A Bavarian break in south-east Germany

P.112 FORGOTTEN NO LONGER Raising a glass to France’s wine region Bordeaux

ESCAPE TO ST R I V E , TO S E E K , TO F I N D. . .

A renovated 20 th-century castle, Schloss Elmau harbours one of Germany’s most serene retreats (p.108). schloss-elmau.de

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

NYHAVN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXDRIM, IMAGE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CHEERY DISPOSITIONS ABOUND I N D E N M A R K , W H I C H I S FA M E D F O R I T S C I T I Z E N S ’ U N FA LT E R I N G H A P P I N E S S – B U T D O E S I T S C A P I TA L C I T Y O F F E R A S I M I L A R S TA T E O F M I N D ?

Words: Ellen Millard

W

hen former Marie Claire digital editor Helen Russell was told her Lego-loving husband had secured a job at casa brick in Denmark, she was concerned.

What would she do? Who would they speak to?

She imagined herself confined to a life of hygge and herring. Instead, she took to Google, where she discovered that Denmark has been repeatedly named one of the world’s happiest countries. She set herself a mission to find out why and – hopefully – achieve a similar state of mind, charting her cultural acclimatisation in a sell-out debut novel, The Year of Living Danishly.

It’s this, instead of the typical Rough Guide, that I take with me on my weekend tour of Copenhagen; it turns out, however, that there’s no need. Every Tom, Dick, Harry and boghandel (that’s bookshop to you and I) is selling them. Whatever secrets Russell uncovered, the Danes are happy to share.

Sharing, it transpires, is the root cause of their perky dispositions. They pay through the nose in tax, but the result is a comprehensive welfare system, with one of the smallest gaps between the poor and the rich. According to Russell, more than 70 per cent of Danes believe that most people can be trusted.

For a born-and-bred Londoner, such behaviour seems something of a novelty, and I decide its capital city is a good place to begin my pursuit of Danish happiness. The home of Hans Christian Andersen, Scandi cool and the cinnamon bun – a.k.a kanelsnegle – I arrive expecting a visual feast of Nordic stereotypes, with dainty Danes running around in Sarah Lund-style Faroe jumpers. While the knitwear might have been a stretch, for the most part I’m not disappointed.

My first stop is Nyhavn, the 17th-century harbour that was once an integral entity in Denmark’s trade sector, but is now a veritable – yet charming – tourist

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT THE LITTLE MERMAID, PHOTOGRAPHY BY POCHOLO CALAPRE, IMAGE COURTSEY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; BIKES IN COPENHAGEN; NYHAVN; ROSENBERG CASTLE; SANDERS HOTEL

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The towering townhouses that flank the waterfront are resplendent in shades of yellow, blue and red

the top. Go for the cylindrical slope and stay for the panoramic views of the city.

Back on the bike, I make the most of my two wheels and head across the lake to the Nørrebro district, where we park up and stroll along Jægersborggade, a street famed for its mix of quirky homeware, underground wine bars and vintage fashion boutiques.

The saccharine scent of caramel wafts up the road and we can’t help but poke our heads through the doors at Karamelleriet, where the chefs roll sheets of sticky toffee in front of you. We resist, shunning the sweets for Meyers Bageri, a nearby bakery where doughy cinnamon spirals relieve our sugar cravings.

More foodie delights are found in the Meatpacking District, home to trendy beer halls, restaurants and photography galleries, which are housed in the area’s maze of 1930s concrete slabs, once thriving meat halls.

Don’t miss Mother, a pizzeria boasting sourdough wheels of wonder, creamy burrata and flagons of neon Aperol spritz – it was so good we went twice. For a more upmarket experience head to the pedestrianised shopping street Strøget, where you’ll find high end fashion houses mixed with charming Scandinavian boutiques and cosy cafés.

Less chic but no less interesting is Freetown Christiania, found on a series of small islands near Nyhavn. Originally a military camp, the space has been a historic source of conflict between the government and its people, but in recent years the residents have largely been left to their own devices. They are friendly and welcoming to visitors who follow the rules (no photos, no cars), and while their bohemian mentality might not be for everyone, their makeshift homes make for interesting viewing.

Most telling is their sense of freedom; where else would such a commune exist than in the happiness haven that is Denmark? Indeed, after a weekend being initiated into the Scandi way of life, I am starting to feel my highly strung London self slacken. While I’m yet to be truly bit by Denmark’s happiness bug, a few days in the capital are certainly relaxing. It might be the mountain of cinnamon buns and Carling I’ve consumed, or the reckless abandon of leaving a bike unlocked, but I’m starting to think Russell and her husband might have been onto something. A life of hygge and herring doesn’t sound so bad after all.

trap with restaurants serving pickled herring and rye bread smørrebrøds alongside pints of Carling.

The towering townhouses that flank the waterfront are resplendent in shades of yellow, blue and red, and boast their own slice of history: seek out No.67, where a plaque remembers Hans Christian Andersen, who resided here for 19 years – nearby is Edvard Eriksen’s popular but somewhat disappointing The Little Mermaid statue, a homage to the Danish writer.

Around the corner sits the striking Royal Danish Theatre, where opera, ballet and orchestral numbers are still performed. It was once the proverbial home of Danish ballet dancer Alexander Kølpin, who was principal dancer there for several years. Now a designer-come-hotelier, Kølpin’s first foray into city living comes in the form of Hotel Sanders, which is a stone’s throw from his former pirouetting ground.

A Soho House-esque space with velvet louche armchairs, oak furnishings and green upholstery, Hotel Sanders is what happens when Scandinavian design meets theatre stage production. It opened at the tail end of last year and has already earned itself a reputation as one of the most stylish stays in the city. Its rooms boast rattan bed frames, duck egg blue soft furnishings and Bang & Olufsen radios. Upstairs, the rooftop bar acts as a lofty greenhouse, with a glass roof and potted plants aplenty; order the house gin and tonic and relax in one of the wicker armchairs.

On the ground floor you’ll find TATA, the resident cocktail bar that has become a favourite among locals as much as it has among passing visitors. Low-lit with a roaring fire and sink-in armchairs, the bar’s designers have taken the Danish lifestyle phenomenon hygge (a cosy feeling) and run with it. I visit in February, when the Baltic wind cuts like a knife, and it’s hard not to spend a whole afternoon curled up in this snug bolthole.

Should you venture outside, however, you’ll find Hotel Sanders’ fleet of bicycles parked and ready to be used, for free, by the hotel’s guests. A word of warning – they are attuned to taller cyclists and pedalling along the arterial cycle paths with one hand on the bike, the other steering Google Maps, proves to be something of an art.

Once I’ve got it mastered, I head to Rosenborg Castle to navigate the mini maze, before taking a turn around the nearby Rundetaarn (Round Tower) – so named for its equestrian-friendly spiral ramp, built to allow horse and carriage to reach the observatory at

From 2,700 DKK (approx. £318) per night including breakfast, based on two people sharing, hotelsanders.com

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S TA D T & S C H L O S S

IF YOU CAN’T CHOOSE BETWEEN A CITY BREAK OR COUNTRY DETOX, T H E N D O N ’ T. I N S T E A D, F I N D T H E B E S T O F B OT H WO R L D S IN SOUTH-EAST GERMANY

Words: Francesca Lee-Rogers

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CITY Munich is known for its beer halls – and we can’t deny it’s worth a visit to enjoy a stein or two – but culture vultures can be assured they won’t be disappointed by the Bavarian capital either, thanks to an eclectic art and architecture scene. Pay a visit to the ballet or opera, soak up sights such as the imposing Frauenkirche church and walk round the many museums. The 900-acre manicured English Garden is a popular playground for locals and tourists alike, housing four beer gardens, a Japanese teahouse and a man-made river which, impressively, is used for surfing.

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP BAVARIA STATE BUILDING; THE BAYERISCHER HOF TERRACE; THE BAYERISCHER HOF SUITE, THE BAYERISCHER HOF SPA

T H E B AY E R I S C H E R H O F

Originally established in 1839, at the request of King Ludwig I, The Bayerischer Hof is owned and has been run by the Volkhardt family since 1897. It was almost completely destroyed during World War Two – the only room to have survived unscathed was Falk’s Bar, located in the famed Spiegelsaal (mirror hall). It’s still considered to be one of the finest hotels in Munich, with five restaurants, six bars, 40

function rooms and the Blue Spa, which features a rooftop pool with a retractable roof. Past guests include Woody Allen, Brigitte Bardot, Robert de Niro and Sophia Loren.

The Bayerischer Hof is a foodie paradise, thanks to its array of restaurants, including the three-Michelinstarred Atelier. A word of warning: the waiting list is long, so ensure you make a reservation well in advance of your stay. Elsewhere in the hotel, the Garden is exactly as you’d imagine, and diners can delight in modern takes on classic brasserie dishes under the stars in its glass-roofed space. Trader’s Vic is charmingly out of the ordinary – think tiki-style décor and fun drinks – and offers a taste of the South Pacific. Palais Keller, which has its own bakery, is a must-visit for those wishing to experience authentic Bavarian food – make sure you try the traditional Weisswurst breakfast and wiener schnitzel.

Finally, one cannot fail to mention the roof terrace, where breakfast is served; soak up the vista of Munich with a glass of Champagne in hand. After all, you’re on holiday. bayerischerhof.de

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COUNTRY Bavaria, the south-eastern state in which Munich can be found, is a rather unique corner of Germany, taking pride in a wealth of rich and

quirky traditions. Bavaria can be thanked for the world-famous Oktoberfest beer festival and its Romantic Road route, which starts in WĂźrzburg, winds south through pretty medieval towns, and ends in the foothills of the Alps southern border.

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SCHLOSS ELMAU

Steam rises in hazy clouds, hangs in the air and clears away, offering a panoramic view of the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see.

This, the outdoor rooftop pool of the Badehaus Spa, is my favourite place at Schloss Elmau.

My favourite pastime? The evening concerts.

Although spa-going and cultural pursuits aren’t usually paired in such a way, here it works.

Set deep within the Bavarian Alps at the foot of a nature reserve, Schloss Elmau is only a 90-minute drive from Munich. Rushing streams fill the vast lakes in the vicinity and the air is so clean that it’s no surprise that, as well as Schloss Elmau, some of the world’s leading wellbeing retreats call Bavaria home.

The original early 20th-century castle is über grand, yet blends seamlessly with the all-suite retreat added in 2015 – the same year the hotel hosted the G7 Summit. It is home to its own world-class concert hall – during our stay we

Some of the world’s leading wellbeing retreats call Bavaria home

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SCHLOSS ELMAU

delight in Bach on violin and harpsichord – as well as a bookshop, libraries and a programme of music, literary and debating events. There’s also the largest hammam west of Istanbul, and several pools. Massage junkies should ask for a Shiatsu massage, one of the best I’ve had.

Away from the hotel, tire yourself out hiking, canoeing, horse-riding and paragliding. The 45-minute hike to mountain restaurant Elmauer Alm is well worth it, providing breathtaking views of the Alps and the Elmau valley from 1,200m above sea level.

When all of the above leaves you with a ravenous appetite, eat. From a gourmet-tasting menu at the Michelin-starred restaurant – Luce d’Oro – to fondue feasts at Kaminstube, there’s an eatery for every occasion. Thai restaurant Fidelio is particularly good and family-friendly options include Tutto Mondo in the Retreat and La Salle buffet in the castle.

A weekend at Schloss Elmau seemed like a week and it felt like home (albeit more luxurious and relaxing) as soon as we arrived. I hear it’s just magical at Christmas… schloss-elmau.de

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MIROIR D’EAU © STEVE LE CLECH PHOTOS

F R A N C E ’ S F O R G OT TO N C I T Y

RAISING A GLASS TO BORDEAUX; ART CONNOISSEURS AND V I N O P H I L E S A R E N O W E Q U A L LY W E L L S E R V E D I N T H I S ONCE OVERLOOKED PORT TOWN

Words: Anwer Bati

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T

wenty years ago, Bordeaux wasn’t a very tempting place to visit. Sure, it had impressive 18thcentury buildings, but they were blackened by pollution, while the mighty river Garonne was obscured by ugly warehouses; it was a struggle to find a good hotel or anywhere notable to eat, and attractions were thin on the ground.

It’s a very different picture today in what has become one of the most enticing and dynamic cities in France. Thanks, for once, to a politician, Mayor Alain Juppé, the magnificent buildings now gleam, there’s an impressive new tram system and the banks of Garonne have been revitalised. Not surprisingly, the city

centre, partly pedestrianised, with architectural splendours such as the Place de la Bourse, is now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. And the opening of a direct high speed train line from Paris makes it easy to mix the culture of the capital with a little of the local viticulture.

If you inevitably end up sipping your way around the city, learn more about what’s in your glass at the futuristic looking Cité du Vin, a museum dedicated to the story of wine around the world – your ticket includes a glass of wine on the top floor, with its panoramic views of the city. Meanwhile the Musée du Vin et du Négoce, in the Chartrons area, keeps things a little closer to home with an overview of Bordeaux’s own wine history.

You don’t need to go far to visit a major vineyard. At the Château Pape Clément – near the airport, around 20 minutes from the centre of town – you can not only taste and buy wine, but also blend your own bottle, then cork and label it. The chateau also has five luxurious rooms.

Beyond booze, set some time aside to visit the Musée des Beaux Arts, housed in part of a former Archbishop’s palace, now shared with the town hall. It has a relatively small collection, but features important works by Titian, Rubens, Renoir and Matisse. The nearby Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design, recreates period interiors in an 18th-century mansion or, for something more contemporary, head to CAPC, housed in an old warehouse by the Chartrons quayside. Wherever you choose to go in Bordeaux, make sure you’re armed with a Citypass – which entitles you to free entry to most museums, free public transport, and many other worthwhile concessions.

W H E R E T O S TAY A decade ago, there was no luxury accommodation in town. Now Bordeaux boasts Le Grand, one of France’s finest hotels, boasting a spa, indoor pool and interiors designed by the acclaimed Jacques Garcia. Nearby is stylish new boutique option, Hôtel de Sèze, with a small spa and its own café. For a change of scene, go to the hotel Le Saint-James Bouliac, set on a hill 15 minutes from the centre of Bordeaux, with large, uncluttered rooms originally designed by starchitect Jean Nouvel. Michelin-starred chef

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP GRAND HOTEL DE BORDEAUX; CITÉ DU VIN OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP CITÉ DU VIN EXTERIOR AND AUDITORIUM; GRAND THEATRE, © STEVE LE CLECH PHOTOS

Nicolas Magie has created a series of set menus which you can enjoy alfresco on the shaded terrace with its fine views of the city.

W H E R E T O E AT Unlike most major French cities, Bordeaux has almost no local cuisine, not even a cheese to call its own. Thankfully, the food scene isn’t any worse for it. If it’s finesse you’re after, take a seat at Gordon Ramsay’s two-Michelinstarred Le Pressoir d’Argent at Le Grand Hotel. The service is smooth but friendly, and the food – mainly using ingredients from south-west France – is light and bursting with flavour. You won’t be disappointed if you go for wine pairing by the faultless sommelier, Charlotte Tissoire. Directly across the road, in the splendid neo-classical opera house, is an all-day brasserie, Le Quatrième Mur,

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where celebrated chef Philippe Etchebest – who happens to host the French TV version of Kitchen Nightmares – serves classic food with oriental twists.

Bordeaux’s boom has seen the opening of numerous more casual restaurants, often run by young chefs.

One of the most interesting is buzzy Racines, run by inventive Scottish chef Daniel Gallacher. Another

is Symbiose, with a youthful team serving adventurous cuisine on the Chartrons quayside. There are tables outside, and the cool speakeasy-style cocktail bar at the back is open until 2am. For something more traditional, you should try Le Chapon Fin. Founded in 1825, the establishment is a local institution, serving gastronomic cuisine in a dramatic grotto-like interior under a glass roof.

FROM TOP VIEWS FROM BORDEAUX INTERCONTINENTAL; BORDEAUX

DON’T MISS

Make sure you go to the Bar à Vin, where you can taste some great wines at incredibly low prices

Naturally, there are some excellent wine bars. One of the best is Le Millésime, which has a lively atmosphere, a cellar of 11,000 bottles and also serves good tapas. And make sure you go to the Bar à Vin, supported by local wine producers, where you can taste some great wines, and learn about them, at incredibly low prices, ideally accompanied by tempting plates of cheese or charcuterie.

Bordeaux was recently voted one of the best places in France to live. It’s now one of the best to visit, too.

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Three night breaks including flights, transfers and accommodation from £729 per person, kirkerholidays.com; Le Grand, bordeaux.intercontinental.com; Hotel de Seze, hotel-de-seze.com; Saint James from €175 per night, saintjames-bouliac.com

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Priced at £395 each.

Private commissions are also welcome.

Pullman Editions Ltd 94 Pimlico Road Chelsea London SW1W 8PL www.pullmaneditions.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 0547 Email: georgina@pullmaneditions.com

Our central London gallery

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View and buy online at w w w.pullmaneditions.com

NO ONE NEEDS PERSUADING AS TO WHY THEY SERVICE THEIR CAR, YACHT OR PLANE. BUT THERE HASN’T BEEN AN EQUIVALENT FOR THEIR HOME UNTIL BOLD & REEVES

CONVENIENCE. PEACE OF MIND. VALUE. INFO@BOLDANDREEVES.CO.UK | 020 7408 7590 | BOLDANDREEVES.CO.UK

P.122 INSIDER KNOWLEDGE Property news from prime central London

P.128 HEAVY METAL Jewellery designer Shaune Leane’s new residential project

P.134 STREETS AHEAD The top homes hitting the market this month

P R O P E R T Y T H E F I N E S T H O M E S I N T H E C A P I TA L

Clarges Mayfair unveils its first set of apartments this summer, designed by architect Squire & Partners and intetior design house Martin Kemp Design (p53). clargesmayfair.com

Connecting people & property, perfectly.

Lygon Place, SW1W Grade II listed period home benefitting from grand proportions.

• Passenger lift • 24 hour security

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Beautifully designed penthouse benefits from direct lift access.

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• Private parking • Approximately 7,250 sq ft

Guide price £21,500,000 Freehold stuart.bailey@knightfrank.com

Eaton Place, SW1X

Eaton Place, SW1X • Feature fireplaces • Underfloor heating

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• Air conditioning • Approximately 2,038 sq ft

Guide price £5,500,000 Leasehold: approximately 106 years remaining stuart.bailey@knightfrank.com

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Eccleston Street, SW1W

An immaculately presented duplex penthouse apartment.

A recently refurbished contemporary apartment with concierge.

• Stylish decor • Direct lift access

• Lift • 24 hr porter

• Roof terrace • Approximately 2,282 sq ft

Guide price £3,650 per week Available furnished ryan.stokes@knightfrank.com

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• Managed • Approximately 789 sq ft

Guide price £725 per week Available furnished wendy.gilchrist@knightfrank.com

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. There will also be a £48 charge to register your deposit with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme if applicable. (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees. Knight Frank is a member of the ARLA Client Money Protection Scheme and our redress scheme for consumers is Ombudsman Services: Property.

The house with the garden.

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Blenheim Crescent, W11 • Newly refurbished house in a magical communal garden setting • Generous entertaining space with high ceilings and period features • Approximately 2,450 sq ft

Our Notting Hill expert, Caroline Foord, looks forward to helping you. caroline.foord@knightfrank.com 020 3551 5156

Blenheim Crescent is located in one of Notting Hill's highly prized Communal Garden crescents. It is a short walk from the amenities that Notting Hill provides. knightfrank.co.uk

Guide price £6,800,000

Connecting people & property, perfectly.

Freehold All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. There will also be a £48 charge to register your deposit with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme if applicable. (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/ tenantfees. Knight Frank is a member of the ARLA Client Money Protection Scheme and our redress scheme for consumers is Ombudsman Services: Property.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE FROM LUXURY PROPERTY JOURNAL PRIMERESI.COM

HIGH TIME SALES LAUNCH IN SW10’S TALLEST BUILDING

Hutchison Property Group, Savills and Knight Frank have launched sales in SW10’s tallest building, offering 76 apartments in Chelsea Waterfront’s Tower West.

The 37-storey residential tower is located on the north bank of the River Thames where Chelsea turns into Fulham, forming a strikingly modern part of Hutchison’s ambitious redevelopment of the Lots Road Power Station site. It’s the tallest of a pair of new glass towers on the 11.3-acre site,

which have been designed to “mirror” the chimneys of the adjacent historic red-brick power station.

Apartments in the tower range from three- to five-bedrooms, with prices from £1.4m to £14m. Many offer sweeping views across the river and London’s skyline from one of the highest vantage points in the area.

The wider scheme – described by the developer as “the last remaining significant river fronting site on the north bank of the Thames between Chelsea and the City” and “the first development of this scale on the north bank of the Thames for 100 years” – is set to deliver 434 homes across 10 buildings.

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SITTING PRETTY ELICYON DELIVERS ‘INDULGENT’ SHOW APARTMENT AT RONSON’S CHILTERN PLACE

Elicyon, the design studio run by Candy & Candy alumnus Charu Gandhi, has completed an eye-catching show apartment project for Ronson Capital Partners in Marylebone.

The unit at Chiltern Place, Ronson’s new PLP-designed scheme on the corner of Chiltern Street and Paddington Street, has been decked out in “indulgent” fashion, with textured patterned walls featuring peach pink dyed silk paper by Phillip Jeffries, and an “art wall” in the living room, curated by Projects on Walls. Elicyon has used customised furniture to create what it calls a “practical yet spoiling residence”.

FROM TOP STERN OF A YACHT; PRIVATE MAYFAIR SPA; WINE CELLAR IMAGES COURTESY OF LAWSON ROBB

BEST OF THREE RIGBY GROUP ASSEMBLES LONDON’S LARGEST RESIDENTIAL DESIGN PRACTICE

Three of London’s best-known design firms have been brought under the same roof, following a major acquisition drive by one of the UK’s top 25 privately-owned businesses.

The Rigby Group – which currently counts revenues of around £2.4bn – has quietly assembled the biggest residential design practice in London, with Rigby & Rigby, Helen Green Design, and Lawson Robb all now operating under its “Allect Design Group” banner.

Founded in 1975, Sir Peter Rigby’s sector-spanning Plc has divisions in technology, aviation, private equity, financial services and super-prime property development. Its Mayfair-based Rigby & Rigby brand has delivered a raft of projects across prime central London and the Home Counties in recent years.

The Allect venture has been launched with a mission to “bring together some of the finest names in architecture, interior and product design, while maximising their ability to achieve excellence, and promoting their growth in new markets”. It started with the addition of Helen Green Design last year. Allect has followed this up with a “major investment” in another Chelsea-based practice.

Allect bills itself as “a marriage of brands” and is promising to oversee the long-term development of each of the three firms, while “maintaining their individual identity, heritage and expertise”.

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MOORE STREET, SW3 A beautiful home offering open-plan living space, with direct access out onto a landscaped west-facing garden and situated moments from Sloane Square.

• Open plan family/kitchen/dining room • Reception room • Study • Master bedroom with en-suite and dressing room • 4 further bedrooms • 3 bathrooms • Downstairs WC • Garden

GUIDE PRICE £4,450,000 FREEHOLD EPC RATING D

CHELSEA

020 7581 5881

chelsea@jackson-stops.co.uk jackson-stops.co.uk Local and National reach through a network of London and Regional offices

ST. GEORGE’S SQUARE, SW1 A superb Grade II listed, six bedroom freehold family home located on St. George’s Square, offering nearly 3,700 sq ft of accommodation over six floors.

• 4 Reception rooms • 6 Bedrooms • 4 Bathrooms • Kitchen/breakfast room • Utility room • Guest WC • Patio garden • Balcony • Roof terrace and 2 under pavement storage vaults.

ASKING PRICE OF £3,950,000 FREEHOLD EPC EXEMPT

PIMLICO

020 7828 4050

pimlico@jackson-stops.co.uk jackson-stops.co.uk Local and National reach through a network of London and Regional offices

UPPER GROSVENOR STREET, W1K A four bedroom apartment located over two floors (with lift) of an impressive 18th Century building in the heart of Mayfair, with air conditioning and patio gardens.

• Double reception room/kitchen/dining room • Study • Bedroom suite with dressing room and bathroom • 3 Further double bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms • Guest WC • Patio gardens

WEEKLY RENT OF £9,000 PER WEEK (FEES APPLY) EPC RATING D

M AY FA I R

020 7664 6644

mayfair@jackson-stops.co.uk jackson-stops.co.uk Local and National reach through a network of London and Regional offices

THE KING’S OBSERVATORY, TW9 A unique opportunity to rent a newly refurbished former Royal building located in Richmond’s Old Deer Park, nine miles from Central London.

• Grade I listed • 4 Bedrooms • 3 Reception rooms • 4 En-suite bathrooms • Roof terrace • Garden with private lake • Ample parking • Extensive security systems

MONTHLY RENT OF £37,500 (FEES APPLY) EPC EXEMPT

RICHMOND

020 8940 0066

richmond@jackson-stops.co.uk jackson-stops.co.uk Local and National reach through a network of London and Regional offices

H E AV Y M E TA L J E W E L L E R Y A N D J U L I E T B A L C O N I E S M E E T I N A N E W S H A U N L E A N E P R O J E C T, C O M M I S S I O N E D F O R K E N S I N G TO N ’ S L AT E S T D E V E LO P M E N T

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H

ow to make one London new-build stand out from another? In a market where high rise developments can be interchangeable, there’s an obligation to stand out from the crowd. It’s this that spurred 21 Young Street developers FutureCity and Grainger plc to call on the creative prowess of jewellery designer Shaun Leane.

Renowned for his twisting metal creations – most famously those designed in collaboration with Alexander McQueen – Leane’s work has been exhibited at the MET Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum, and in 2017, when Sotheby’s New York auctioned his personal archive, he raised in excess of £2 million.

Now, Leane has been tasked with designing 36 balcony railings and two gates to sit on the façade of 21 Young Street, a series of apartments and townhouses in the heart of Kensington. Matching the area’s leafy surroundings, Leane has crafted 1,850 bronze branches, each complete with their own cluster of three-dimensional leaves. Handmade by Chris Brammall Ltd artisans, the artwork – which has been dubbed Arbour – is cast in phosphor bronze and weighs more than four tonnes.

An additional, smaller-scale version of the metalwork will join the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent display.

“The 21 Young Street commission has filled me with energy. It has been both exciting and challenging to be presented with the possibility to decorate a building’s façade and working to a scale larger than I have ever before,” said Leane. “I believe that with creative freedom, innovation can truly flourish. To be invited to create a piece of art such as this and for it to be protected for 125 years is truly an honour and testament to our future legacy.”

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Building with Distinction This is IMKO London

For: New Build, Loft Conversion, Refurbishments, Remodelling, Basements, Extensions and much more Simply search for IMKO Belgravia Emal us at contact@imko.co.uk Call us on 0207 584 2745

Unparalled ~ Meticulous ~ Comprehensive ~ Inclusive

CGI of three bedroom living area

At last, beyond brilliant views.

Visit the marketing suite to see our newly styled show apartment, take in the views across The City and see Atlas being built before you.

Move in Summer 2019.

Book your appointment today 9th Floor, Linen Court, 10 East Road, London N1 6AD 020 7205 4216 TheAtlasBuilding.com 2 & 3 Bedroom apartments available.

Prices starting from ÂŁ1,037,000*

St George’s Court, South Kensington Situated in the residential area of stylish South Kensington, St George’s Court is ideally located for Kensington High Street and boasts its own private garden for exclusive use by residents. In addition, the Royal Albert Hall and the museums of South Kensington are nearby.

Pegasi Management Company Limited 207 Sloane Street London SW1X 9QX E: enquiries@pegasi.co.uk | T: +44 (0)207 245 4500 pegasi.co.uk

GIVE YOUR PROPERTY A TRUE GLOBAL EXPOSURE

LIST WITH US THROUGH 115 INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE PORTALS INTO 64 COUNTRIES

4 BEDROOMS | NEW BUILD MEWS HOUSE | BELGRAVIA £7,950,000 | £4,500 pw

7 BEDROOMS | COUNTRY HOUSE | WEST SUSSEX £4,950,000

3 BEDROOMS | ST GEORGE WHARF TOWER | VAUXHALL £4,400,000

4 BEDROOMS | MEWS HOUSE | MAYFAIR £2,275 pw

6 BEDROOMS | MANSION | HOLLYWOOD HILLS $19,500,000

5 BEDROOMS | CENTRAL PARK VIEWS | MANHATTAN $13,995,000

One Mayfair Place, London, W1J 8AJ T: +44 20 7268 4845 www.nestseekers.com timob@nestseekers.com | alexd@nestseekers.com

NEW YORK | HAMPTONS | GOLD COAST, LI | NEW JERSEY | MIAMI | SAN FRANCISCO | BEVERLY HILLS | LONDON | SEOUL Nest Seekers International is a Real Estate broker. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and has been compiled from sources deemed reliable. Though information is believed to be correct, it is presented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice.

STREETS AHEAD DISTINCTIVE HOMES ON THE PROPERTY MARKET THIS MONTH

PA R K E R H O U S E , W 2

Seven properties in the Paddington-based Parker House development are still available to purchase.

Offering 19 apartments in total, the Victorian build has been regenerated by architect Clive Sall and interior design house Gordon-Duff & Linton, which has created a contemporary look that complements the property’s classic façade. Many of the apartments benefit from access to private ground floor courtyards, balconies and terraces.

From £595,000, 020 8181 1154, parkerhousew2.co.uk

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P I C C A D I L LY, W 1 J

The first apartments on the upper floors of super-prime development Clarges Mayfair will begin marketing this July. Awardwinning architect Squire & Partners and Martin Kemp Design are the creative brains behind the 34 turn-key residences, which are within walking distance of Green Park and Buckingham Palace. Although a new-build, the exterior has been designed to complement the surrounding Piccadilly buildings, such as The Wolseley and The Ritz, which are made from the same Portland stone.

POA, 020 7861 5321 (Knight Frank), 020 7529 5566 (Wetherell), clargesmayfair.com

BROMPTON SQUARE, SW3

A recently refurbished six-bedroom house in Knightsbridge has hit the market. The GradeII listed property is located on a quiet garden square moments from Brompton Road. The seven-floor house boasts staff accommodation, a gym, a cinema room and a games room, as well as a large garden space and two terraces, from which the Brompton Oratory and the Victoria & Albert Museum can be seen. ÂŁ14.75m (asking price), 020 7861 1794, knightfrank.co.uk

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Hugo House, Knightsbridge SW1X £5,500,000

Leasehold

Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge SW7 £11,500,000 Freehold

An immaculate newly refurbished three-bedroom lateral apartment in the heart of Knightsbridge.

A meticulously refurbished and designed townhouse, providing spacious accommodation over five floors in the heart of Knightsbridge.

1,744 sq ft (162 sq m) Entrance hall | Double reception room | Kitchen | Master bedroom suite | Two further double bedroom suites | Cloakroom | Lift | Porter | EPC rating D

4,907 sq ft (455.9 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception room | Kitchen/dining room | Drawing room | Five bedrooms | Five bath/shower rooms | Cinema room | Steam room | Wine cellar | Lift to all floors | Guest cloakroom | EPC rating F

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 | ollie.blakelock@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 | james.forbes@struttandparker.com

Chesterfield Hill, Mayfair W1 £5,250 per week Furnished/Unfurnished

Rutland Court, Knightsbridge SW7 £9,950,000 Share of Freehold

This spacious, Grade II Listed six-bedroom house extends to some 4,520 sq ft. It also benefits from a west facing terrace and a passenger lift.

An exquisite first floor three-bedroom refurbished apartment with parking, porter and a gym on a private gated road in Knightsbridge.

4,520 sq ft (419 sq m) Three reception rooms | Kitchen/dining room | Utility room | Six bedrooms | Six bathrooms | Lift | Terrace | Furnished or unfurnished

2,361 sq ft (219.3 sq m) Entrance hall | Two reception rooms | Kitchen/breakfast room | Three double bedroom suites | Guest cloakroom | Utility room | Lift | EPC rating D

Knightsbridge Lettings 020 7235 9996 | nina.mcdowall@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3813 9300 | paul.gransbury@struttandparker.com

*After an offer is accepted by the Landlord, which is subject to contract and acceptable references, the following charges and fees will be payable before the commencement of the tenancy: Preparation of Tenancy Agreement £222 (Inc VAT),

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

60 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

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22/06/2018 16:51

Hans Crescent, London SW1X £3,250 per week

Furnished

Ifield Road, London SW10 £3,250,000

Freehold

An exquisite top floor apartment in a portered, period building next to Harrods.

An attractive four-bedroom family house which has been refurbished tastefully throughout.

2,289 sq ft (213 sq m) Reception room | Dining area | Kitchen | Cloakroom | Three double bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Utility cupboard | Porter | Lift | EPC rating E

2,335 sq ft (216.9 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen/dining room | Family room | Master bedroom suite | Three further bedrooms | Study | Family bathroom | Shower room | Cloakroom | Utility room | Garden | EPC rating C

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 | nina.mcdowall@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Elm Park Road, London SW3 £1,450,000

Telegraph House, London SW7 £7,500,000 Share of Freehold

Share of Freehold

An outstanding two-bedroom flat situated on the second floor and offering exquisite views.

An exquisite first floor two-bedroom apartment on a private gated road with 24hr security.

735 sq ft (68.3 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception room | Kitchen | Master bedroom | Further bedroom | Bathroom | EPC rating D

1,794 sq ft (166.7 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room area | Sitting room area | Dining area | Kitchen | Master bedroom with en suite shower room | Bedroom two with en suite bathroom | Terrace | Balcony | EPC rating E

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3813 9300 | paul.gransbury@struttandparker.com

References per Tenant £54 (Inc VAT), a deposit – usually between 6-10 weeks of the agreed rent. Any rent advertised is pure rent and does not include any additional services such as council tax, water or utility charges.

Strutt & Parker is a trading style of BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited, which provides a full range of services across the residential, commercial and the rural property sectors.

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22/06/2018 16:33

Hobury Street, London SW10 £4,350,000

Freehold

King’s Road, London SW3 £2,800,000

Leasehold

A beautifully rebuilt and thoughtfully designed end of terrace family house, extending to 2,405 square feet (223 square metres).

A sensational four-bedroom triplex maisonette arranged over the first, second and third floors.

2,405 sq ft (223.4 sq m) Double reception room | Kitchen | Dining room | Master bedroom suite | Three further bedrooms | Family shower room | Study | Cloakroom | Technical room | Utility room | Balcony | Terrace | Garden | EPC rating C

2,250 sq ft (209 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception/dining room | Kitchen | Master bedroom suite with large dressing area and study | Two further bedrooms (one en suite) | Bathroom | Utility room | Balcony | EPC rating E

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Phillimore Gardens, Kensington W8 £5,350,000

Cranley Gardens, South Kensington SW7 £3,800,000 Share of Freehold

Leasehold

A superb three-bedroom maisonette with a wonderful garden and garage.

A unique opportunity to acquire a truly magnificent first floor three-bedroom property.

2,769 sq ft (257.2 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Sitting room | Dining room | Study | Kitchen | Three bedrooms with en suite bathrooms | Garage | Garden | EPC rating E

1,611 sq ft (149.67 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen/dining room | Three bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Balcony/terrace | Access to Onslow Gardens | Storage | EPC rating C

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington@struttandparker.com

South Kensington 020 7581 7000 | southken@struttandparker.com

*After an offer is accepted by the Landlord, which is subject to contract and acceptable references, the following charges and fees will be payable before the commencement of the tenancy: Preparation of Tenancy Agreement £222 (Inc VAT),

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

60 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

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21/06/2018 17:10

Bettridge Road, Fulham SW6 £2,650,000

Freehold

A stunning and fully refurbished five-bedroom family home.

2,436 sq ft (226.3 sq m) Drawing room | Dining room | Family/media room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom | Bedroom with en suite shower room | Three further bedrooms | Family bathroom | Shower room | Utility room | Cloakroom | Garden | EPC rating D Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Drayton Gardens, London SW10 £4,950,000

Queen’s Elm Square, London SW3 £4,250 per week Furnished/unfurnished

A five-bedroom recently refurbished house located on a private gated crescent with off-street parking in Prime Chelsea.

3,000 sq ft (279 sq m) Kitchen | Reception room | Dining room | Study | Five bedrooms with five en suite bathrooms | Cloakroom | Private garden | Communal garden | Utility room | EPC rating D Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Freehold

Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge SW1X £15,750,000 | £11,500 per week Leasehold

An elegant and grand Grade II Listed Freehold five-bedroom house situated in this sought after Chelsea address.

A spectacular four-bedroom duplex penthouse stretching over two buildings in this prestigious garden square.

3,146 sq ft (292.3 sq m) Entrance hall | Dining room | Breakfast room | Kitchen | Drawing room | Family room | Master bedroom suite | Four further bedrooms | Two shower rooms | Study | Utility room | Garden | EPC rating E

3,156 sq ft (293.2 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception room | Dining room/library | Kitchen | Guest cloakroom | Utility room | Four bedroom suites | Direct lift access | EPC rating C

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

References per Tenant £54 (Inc VAT), a deposit – usually between 6-10 weeks of the agreed rent. Any rent advertised is pure rent and does not include any additional services such as council tax, water or utility charges.

Strutt & Parker is a trading style of BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited, which provides a full range of services across the residential, commercial and the rural property sectors.

SP_Luxury London IBC DPS_RHP.indd 2

21/06/2018 17:10

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