Luxury London Magazine February 2019

MAGAZINE

February 2019 £7.00

JO E C AS E LY-HAYFORD PAY I N G T R I B U T E TO

CHRIST IAN

TH E P R I Z E D D E SI GNER

D IO R

S I R DO N MCC U LLIN D O C UM E N T I N G WAR

C E L E B R AT I N G

F R O M T H E F R O NT LI NE

S E V E N DECADES OF HAUTE COUTURE

RANKIN

AT THE V&A

ON REDEFINING FAS H I O N P H OTO GRAP H Y

Cucinelli B R U N E LLO

“WE NEED TO REINVEST IN THE GREAT IDEALS OF HUMANITY” Inside Solomeo – the Umbrian utopia being rebuilt

by Italy’s most benevolent billionaire

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CONTENTS

24

42

UP FRONT

C U LT U R E

CONNOISSEUR

10 EDITOR’S LETTER

42 THE AGENDA

68 WHERE’S THE BEEF?

12 THE BRIEFING

Inside the V&A’s momentous

The steak restaurants

The latest on New York’s

Dior retrospective

new skyscraper, Bentley’s

50 PRIZE LOTS

open top Continental and

Treasures from The Fine Art

Givenchy’s debut boutique

Society’s Bond Street gallery and a record-breaking Hermès Birkin

22 ON LONDON TIME Irene Forte on hotels and holisitic skincare

52 RANKIN The avant-garde photographer

Remembering the late

media woes 60 OPEN AND

30 THE EVOLUTION OF ALBEMARLE STREET

The changing face of the

Mayfair thoroughfare

SUNDAY ROASTS The cream of the Yorkshire Pudding crop

COUTURE

talks career highlights and social

24 JOE CASELEY-HAYFORD menswear designer

championing ethical eating 74 LONDON’S BEST

SHUTTER CASE

80 BRUNELLO CUCINELLI The billionaire fashion designer on building an ethical empire

War photographer Don

86 VINTAGE APPEAL

McCullin’s most revealing snaps

Jackets and jumpers inspired

go on display at Tate Britain

by yesteryear

52 90 SHOE BUSINESS

112 WHAT’S YOUR

Behind-the-scenes at the

TRAVEL PERSONALITY?

Eminem-backed StockX, the

Take our quiz to discover what

streetwear resale site

your holiday says about you

94 THE FINE PRINT

114 HIDE AND SOUK Why tourtists are returning

Throw out the sartorial rule

to Tunisia

book and mix-and-match this season’s zaniest prints

118 TREASURE ISLAND

104 BLACKLIST

How Koh Samui became

A capsule wardrobe of

Thailand’s unlikely luxury escape

monchrome attire

ESCAPE

PROPERTY 132 STREETS AHEAD

108 A MEXICAN AFFAIR

This month’s hottest homes

Exploring Mexico’s Cancún, the

136 P ROJECT RUNWAY

thriving peninsula bordering the Caribbean sea

118

74

Tricks and tips from Savills’ interior design team

COV E R Brunello Cucinelli; Inside Solomeo, the Umbrian HQ of the businessman-cum-philosophercum-philanthropist (p.80).

EDITOR Richard Brown

FROM THE EDITOR February 2019 Issue 09

One evening towards the end of the millennium, fashion magnate Brunello Cucinelli was strolling through his home town of Solomeo, indulging in a cigar, when he reached the cathedral he’d recently paid to have restored. Gazing up at Francis and Benedict, the saints in the stained-glass windows, he asked for divine guidance. He’d already renovated an adjacent monastery, restored much of the surrounding medieval town in which his cashmere-based company is headquartered, and created a 500-patient hospital in Malawi, Africa. He wanted to do more.

After a while, it came to him. He’d build a theatre. Not just a theatre, but a centre for arts, an amphitheatre, an academy, a place to debate spirituality and Heraclitian humanity, a small-scale tribute to ancient Athens in modern-day Umbria.

If Brunello Cucinelli doesn’t sound like your average Italian industrialist, that’s because he’s not. Born to peasant parents, the university dropout turned a gift of 20kg of cashmere into a global empire – currently valued at almost £2 billion – while championing a unique form of neo-humanistic capitalism. He insists on paying his staff above-average salaries, demands they take a 90-minute lunchbreak, does not permit work after 5:30pm, subsidises a cafeteria, has opened an office library and donates 20 per cent of his profits to humanitarian causes.

The theatre, it turns out, was just the start. Guided by its own manifest destiny, Cucinelli’s altruism has spread from Solomeo to the valley below, where he’s created three Renaissance-inspired parklands out of 100 hectares of land. Luxury London joined Emperor Cucinelli on a tour of his Italian utopia for his 65th birthday (p.80).

Also changing the world in their own way this issue: celebrated war photographer Sir Don McCullin, and the conflict he was prevented from covering (p.60); fashion documentarian John Rankin Waddell, known simply as Rankin, on capturing the aesthetics and attitude of an era (p.52); and a tribute to the late Joe Casely-Hayford, the gentlemanly designer who inspired a generation of young British talent (p.24).

‘The heart is always stronger than the mind. Feelings succeed in obtaining results that mathematics would prove impossible’ - Brunello Cucinelli

DEPUTY EDITOR Ellen Millard ONLINE EDITOR Mhairi Graham CONTENT DIRECTOR Dawn Alford EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Abisha Sritharan Dom Jeffares CLIENT CONTENT MANAGER Sunna Naseer EDITOR-AT-LARGE Annabel Harrison HEAD OF DESIGN Laddawan Juhong DESIGNER Ismail Vedat GENERAL MANAGER Fiona Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Alice Ford COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Turner BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS Rachel Gilfillan Colin Saunders BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE Madelyn Curnyn MANAGING DIRECTOR Eren Ellwood PUBLISHED BY

RICH ARD B ROWN Ed itor

ONE CANADA SQUARE, CANARY WHARF, LONDON, E14 5AX T: 020 7537 6565

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THE BRIEFING THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF LUXURY

APARTMENTS IN WORLD’S THINNEST SKYSCRAPER NOW ON SALE

skyscrapers is a reaction of sorts to technological advancements, complex zoning laws in the city and the demand of ultra-highnet-worth individuals who want unfettered views of Central Park and beyond. The architecture firm behind the building – New York-based SHoP – created a terracotta façade, employing bronze latticework in homage to the Roaring 20s, when Art Deco skyscrapers such as the Chrysler building began to form the world’s most recognisable vista.

THE STEINWAY TOWER REACHES NEW HEIGHTS There’s a new kid on the block, and by New York City’s standards it is rather tall and skinny. The statistics are staggering; if your eyes were to scan the base of the building it is no more than 60ft wide – to give you a sense of perspective, London’s red Routemasters are around 36ft long. If all goes according to plan, 111 West 57th Street (or the Steinway Tower) looks set to reach 1,300ft, which will make it the second tallest building in New York after One World Trade Center and ahead of the iconic Empire State Building.

The move towards slimmer

Three-bed, 4,491 sq ft apartments available from $18 million

The towers’ four-bedroom, 7,128 sq ft penthouse is on sale for $57 million

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAYES DAVIDSON

LUXURY LONDON

NEWS

The Bentley Continental GT has always been a special car for the marque and its customers.

When W.O. Bentley was asked what kind of car he wanted to create, he replied “a fast car, a good car, the best in its class”. Watching Bentley’s visual campaign, a couple twiddle a coin to see who gets to take the car out for a spin. The first time, the man conquers; on the second, his attractive flame-haired lady companion. Versatile and gender-friendly then? A motor that’s as capable cruising on the French Riviera as it is being raced around Mayfair?

With the latest generation, Bentley has quite literally raised the roof. First, there’s the foldable top – which can be customised in a contemporary tweed finish. Folding quicker than the Rolls-Royce Dawn, it also makes the cabin as quiet as the previous generation’s coupé thanks to acoustic treatments – quite an achievement for a car that is already exceedingly refined. And what a glorious cabin once you open the meaty doors. The dash is styled and sculpted by long flowing wings that mirror the shape of the Bentley badge, with a particularly ingenious dash that hides electronics at the touch of a button for a cleaner, more focussed driving experience.

Performance is what we have come to know Bentley for – biblical amounts of torque and effortless power. 626 bhp takes you from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds and to a top speed of 207 mph. On the exterior, deliberate muscular lines have made previous GTs look somewhat paunchy. Effortless speed, comfort and drivability then, enveloped in a handsome aluminium body. Coin toss anyone?

THE NEW BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT CONVERTIBLE THIRD-GENERATION MODEL REPRESENTS ALL BENTLEY KNOWS ABOUT CREATING DEFINITIVE GRAND TOURERS

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F E AT U R E

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GIVENCHY’S FIRST LONDON FLAGSHIP THE PARISIAN BRAND OPENS ITS INAUGURAL UK STORE

The first store designed by creative director Clare Waight Keller

The new boutique will have accessories exclusive to London

LUXURY LONDON

NEWS

It seems almost unbelievable that Givenchy wouldn’t have a boutique in London, often considered one of the fashion capitals of the world. But, until recently, the Parisian brand’s anglo offering was confined to concession stores in Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. Occupying two 18th-century

buildings on New Bond Street and the adjacent Albemarle Street, the brand’s first ever UK flagship is an Instagram dream with powder pink dressing rooms and a mirror maze. A red staircase, so glossy it could be mistaken for plastic, leads to the Essential Room, home to ready-to-wear, shoes and

LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

17

evening attire. A geometric tiled space forms a proverbial bridge between the women’s and men’s collections, the latter of which is housed in a pistachiowalled room with veneer panels and matching benches.

165 New Bond Street, W1S

LUXURY LONDON

NEWS

NECKER ISLAND REOPENS INSIDE THE NEWLY RESTORED GREAT HOUSE

Sir Richard Branson’s Caribbean retreat Necker Island has officially reopened following the devastation of Hurricane Irma in 2017. The storm destroyed and badly damaged most of the 30-hectare island’s buildings and vegetation, and was closed for the best part of a year in order to be rebuilt.

Now back open for business, Necker 2.0 has expanded communal areas and added an additional two bedrooms at the originally nine-bedroom Great House, the master suite of which boasts a private outdoor Jaccuzi and sundeck. Another exciting new addition is the Bunk Room, which sleeps up to six children and is equipped with toys, books and video games.

The business tycoon originally purchased the island for a bargain £180,000 in the early 1980s. Today it can be rented in its entirety or experienced on a smaller scale during Necker’s Celebration Weeks, when individual rooms can be booked on select dates in January, August, September, October and December. virginlimitededition.com

From approx. £60,000 per night for up to 30 guests, inclusive of meals, drinks, transfers and activities

Individual rooms from approx. £3,523 per room per night, minimum of three nights

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19

LUXURY LONDON

NEWS

HARRY WINSTON’S NEW WEDDING COLLECTION

diamond cut – including emerald, pear, cushion, oval and marquise.

Much like a couture wedding gown, a Winston ring is beautifully handcrafted from a single sketch, steeped in romance and storytelling.

A love-knot motif is skilfully crafted in diamonds and set with a cushioncut stone, showcasing Winston’s exceptional flair for proportions, while a pear-shaped diamond is draped between two interlacing ribbons, inspired by corsetry and symbolic of two intertwining hearts.

POA, harrywinston.com

THE BRIDAL COUTURE RANGE INCLUDES SIX NEW RINGS

As the dust settles on Couture Fashion Week in Paris, what better time for Harry Winston to unveil its latest diamond offering, which takes its cue from bridal ateliers across the world? Marrying drama and elegance, the new capsule collection thoughtfully translates delicate lace, intricate embellishment and sweeping hemlines into six unique styles, each one featuring a different

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The centre stones of the six rings range from three to six carats

Each ring is set on a diamond and platinum band

LUXURY SHOPPING & DINING IN THE CITY DISCOVER A SELECTION OF BEAUTIFULLY CURATED GIFTS FOR YOUR VALENTINE AT THE ROYAL EXCHANGE

THEROYALEXCHANGE.CO.UK THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, EXIT 3 BANK, CITY OF LONDON EC3V 3LR

O N LO N D O N T I M E

IRENE FORTE

GROUP PROJECT AND WELLNESS DIRECTOR OF ROCCO FORTE HOTELS, I R E N E F O R T E , O N H E R PA S S I O N F O R A L L T H I N G S I TA L I A N , H E R O R G A N I C SKINCARE LINE AND WHERE TO FIND THE BEST FOOD IN LONDON

Interview: Annabel Harrison

LUXURY LONDON

INTERVIEW

“Dinings in Marylebone has the most amazing Japanese food.

I also love Gymkhana in Mayfair for its classic Indian dishes”

I

What is your favourite fashion brand? I love Borgo de Nor for its dreamy floral dresses. I also love Dolce & Gabbana for its colourful prints and the fact that it’s inspired by Sicily. Aquazzura is my ultimate shoe brand. The shoes are fun, super-high and comfortable.

rene Forte knows the family business inside out. She joined the Rocco Forte Hotel group five years ago after reading French and Italian at the University of Oxford, and works alongside older sister Lydia, who oversees food and drink. A trilingual, marathon-running charity ambassador, Forte is in charge of elements of learning and development, as well as spas and fitness. She also found time to launch her own Sicilian-inspired skincare line in November after falling in love with the Mediterranean island and its rich ingredients. With recyclable packaging, vegetable- and soya-based inks, and fresh, organic ingredients, Irene Forte Skincare’s entire lifecycle is commendably sustainable.

Who are the most stylish Londoners you know? Petra Palumbo and Annina Pfuel, girlfriends of mine who are always effortlessly stylish.

Where would you have your last supper in London?

An indulgent meal at the River Cafe.

What are your London address book essentials?

Dinings in Marylebone has the most amazing Japanese food in London. I also love Gymkhana in Mayfair for its classic Indian dishes. In Notting Hill, I love Mazi for Greek food and Chucs for brunch on the weekend.

Mr Chow or Hunan, in Knightsbridge and Chelsea respectively, for the best Chinese. Kitty Fisher’s in Mayfair for amazing food and the cosiest atmosphere.

Petersham Nurseries in Richmond is great for lunch and a walk in the summer or spring. I also love all of the big galleries – Tate Britain, the British Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts – and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Sir John Soane’s Museum and the Serpentine Galleries.

What is true luxury to you? Having the ability to choose high-quality items or materials that are presented in the simplest or most elegant way. That is why I created my skincare line; it uses the freshest and simplest ingredients from Sicily. As an hotelier, true luxury is about service that is intuitive and adapted to your own personal needs.

What is your favourite place in the world? Being Italian by blood, I adore travelling to Italy. Be it Rome, Florence, the Tuscan countryside, Puglia, Venice... the list is endless. In particular, I’m extremely attached to Sicily. I fell in love with the island when I worked for our resort, Verdura, for six months in 2006. I now travel there at least once every two months for work.

Its landscapes, culture, food, people, and sense of family are unrivalled. I love Sicily so much that my skincare line is inspired by it.

What does technology add to your life? I love that I can work from anywhere. You can also look anything up with the touch of a few buttons.

Describe your favourite London moment. There are many but one that stands out is when Chelsea beat Aston Villa 8-0 in the Premier League. I was at Stamford Bridge in 2012 with a bunch of friends and it was just before Christmas, so we were in a particularly celebratory mood.

What do you never leave the house without? What I take depends on where I am going and the season.

Either way, the staples are the Irene Forte Skincare Pistachio Lip Balm to keep my lips nourished; the Hibiscus Night Cream when I travel (given that planes dry out my skin and this super-rich cream is perfect to apply while in the air); and the Rose Body Oil.

What drives you to succeed? It’s more about being driven to do something that I enjoy and get something out of.

Describe your style. I never go anywhere without heels, given that I’m a little short. I love flares, highwaisted, ankle-length skirts and ankle-length dresses.

I love prints and colour, and also fun shirts.

What do you do to leave the world a better place?

I try to be kind and generous to people I meet. ireneforteskincare.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN WELLER

JOE C A S E LY - H AY F O R D OBE 1956-2019

H E WA S T H E Q U I E T O U T S I D E R R E V E R E D B Y H I S P E E R S F O R M A N AG I N G TO A M A LG A M AT E T H E F O R M A L I T Y O F S AV I L E R O W W I T H THE FRESHNESS OF CONTEMPORARY STREETWEAR. A DECADE AFTER THE F O U N D I N G O F T H E C A S E LY - H AY F O R D M E N S W E A R B R A N D, T H E FA S H I O N WO R L D PAY S T R I B U T E T O A G E N T E E L G E N I U S

Words: Josh Sims

W

hen the menswear designer Oliver Spencer unveiled his latest collection in January this year, he dedicated the catwalk show to one man. This man had not been a friend. They had rarely even met. And many outside of the fashion industry will never have heard of him. But this fellow menswear designer was a hero of Spencer’s.

“He ploughed his own track,” said Spencer of Joe Casely-Hayford, who died on 3 January, aged 62, after a three-year battle with cancer. “I remember being at college and first seeing his clothes in a store, looking at them on the rail and being amazed at how fresh and interesting they all were. Yet his work was massively under-appreciated here in the UK. If he’d have been in, say, Japan, he’d have been considered alongside the greats like Comme des Garçons. I think he was just too clever, too good as a designer to be fully understood by most people in his time.”

Not that Casely-Hayford was without his share of successes. While it’s commonplace for designers to collaborate with high-street names now, he was the first to do so, with Topshop, more than 25 years ago. He also collaborated with Barney’s, Isetan and, yes, Comme des Garçons in Japan, dabbled in exhibition design for the Barbican and uniform design for Conran restaurants, and took on the creative directorship of the Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes; all this after having made an early name for himself as a stylist, shaping the looks of The Clash, U2, Oasis, Take That and Jarvis Cocker, and later dressing, of all people, Gordon Brown.

Behind these high-profile gigs, he produced season after season of elegant, progressive, but understated menswear that found a legion of similarly understated fans. “Not many designers are too happy to design both for The Clash and Gieves & Hawkes, but I’ve always started from a traditional stand point and then subverted it in that English way. It’s all about going from Benjamin Britten to Little Britain,” Casely-Hayford once put it, with characteristic wit.

Indeed, just because he rejected a long family tradition of heavyweight law, politics and academia would not mean his work was any less intellectually rigorous. Casely-Hayford was the grandson and namesake of the Ghanaian statesman and exponent of panAfricanism; his brother is the cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford; many other family members work at the top of their respective fields. He once – with tongue slightly in cheek – calculated that for a man of his height, just under 6’2”, the perfect trouser width was 7.5 inches.

“Fashion design is not as airy-fairy as it is sometimes perceived as being,” he explained. “We tend to think of ourselves as more product designers than fashion designers now. The fact that we’ve always worked with a kind of fusion style has made us hard to pigeon hole, but that’s given the business longevity. We make the kind of clothes that could be worn by a 60-year-old or an 18-year-old.”

Going against the grain, he helped many youngsters get a foothold in an intensely competitive industry that is rarely keen on helping new blood. “Joe was just one of those people who, no matter who you were, always had time for you,” says the menswear stylist Cynthia Lawrence-John. “Back then there were not many black people in the British fashion business, let alone black women, and he was always there for you. What’s more, he was great company. You always left taking a little bit of his incredible sense of calm, and having learned something. There was no ego to him, which is incredibly rare in this industry. I never heard a bad word spoken about him, which is remarkable in a business in which everyone bitches.”

“There was no ego to him, which is incredibly rare in this industry. I never heard a bad word spoken about him” That lack of ego perhaps explains why Joe CaselyHayford’s name doesn’t have the same man-on-thestreet recognition of, say, fellow designers Paul Smith or Vivienne Westwood. In part this was a product of sticking with his own streamlined, proto-classic design aesthetic – an iconoclastic blend of exacting tailoring and sophisticated sportswear – regardless of the vagaries of fashion at large. “His design was always relevant while retaining the integrity of his own design aesthetic,” explains Lawrence-John. “So many designers just chase whatever is current. But Casely-Hayford was always way ahead. He never bragged about doing something first.

He just quietly got on with it, knowing he was shit-hot.”

“Designers of my age came up striving for original concepts, but now young designers start out referencing old clothing,” Casely-Hayford himself once explained in more sanguine tones. “Design methods have just moved on.”

“What’s interesting about Casely-Hayford is that he was part of an era in which fashion design had a more DIY approach and was more interested in socio-political

LUXURY LONDON

PROFILE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATINKA HERBERT

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LUXURY LONDON

PROFILE

design at all. On graduating he worked as a buyer, but disillusionment soon set in when all he found himself being asked to do was buy up other designers’ collections so they could be taken apart and copied – a pointless, anti-creative process, he concluded. So he opened an antiques shop. But when a client discovered a warehouse full of WW2 tent fabric and suggested Casely-Hayford make something with it, the resulting jackets, shirts and skirts sold out – and the Joe Casely-Hayford line was born.

He set up a studio in Brick Lane and then in Shoreditch – back when it was more ditch than hotspot – and stayed. It was soon a thriving family firm. CaselyHayford worked with his wife, Maria Stevens, who he met at St Martin’s School of Art, when he attended after training with tailoring legend Douglas Hayward.

A decade ago his son Charlie joined the business, too, and it was rebranded as Casely-Hayford. Last autumn they opened a suitably low-key store on Chiltern Street – a little mecca for those in the know.

Certainly, the last word should go to Charlie Casely-Hayford – who now takes the reins and who will, undoubtedly, put his own quiet, considered stamp on the brand – for his appreciation of his late father, less as a designer so much as a gentleman.

“Through your work you showed me how total conviction for integrity and staying true to yourself is the greatest personal success,” Charlie states in a moving Instagram tribute. “You were...the most humble and understated man I will ever know... never the loudest in the room, never looking down on anyone. Instead you used your talents to encourage and inspire others at every juncture of your life.”

ideas,” argues Marcus Ross, former fashion editor of i-D and the founder of Jocks & Nerds magazine.

“His passing is a reminder that there was a time when, if you had ideas and perseverance, you could make something happen. These days you need serious recognition to make fashion design work commercially.”

Casely-Hayford said that he came from a time when you had to fight for self-expression. So he both celebrated and lamented the potency of the internet, seeing it as a tool for instant publicity, and for vastly improving knowledge and interest around men’s clothing, as well as responsible for standardising new ideas, globally and seemingly overnight. “The internet has meant good ideas in London can be half way across South America in a week. But that’s also killed the more regional trends that were a strong part of youth culture in my young days – when men in London and Manchester actually dressed differently,” he noted.

“There’s that ‘homogenous youth’ look now. I’m not so keen on that, not in a country that has always had such a distinctive mix of tradition and anarchy.”

But Casely-Hayford’s relatively underground status – “he was revered silently,” as Ross puts it – was largely because he preferred to keep out of the limelight. He often spoke of feeling like an outsider, a spectator of London life rather than someone who was involved in shaping its reputation as a place of radical innovation.

“He was always there as an influence in the background, but my feeling is that he wanted it that way, so that he only had to answer to himself,” suggests Spencer. “I don’t think he was really interested in disappearing off to France or Italy to head up some fashion house there. And I think that low profile is one reason he was so massively underrated, albeit not by people in the fashion industry who knew his work and its importance.”

That’s perhaps all the more remarkable given that Casely-Hayford, who was appointed OBE in 2007, almost didn’t end up pursuing menswear

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THE EVOLUTION OF

ALBEMARLE STREET

G W I T H T H E I N T R O D U C T I O N O F ‘ I T ’ R E S TA U R A N T I S A B E L , R O B I N B I R L E Y ’ S N E W M E M B E R S ’ C L U B O S WA L D ’ S AND A BAND OF DESIGNER BOUTIQUES – INCLUDING AG N O N A , A L E X A N D E R WA N G A N D A M A N DA WA K E L E Y – ALBEMARLE STREET HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED FROM A SLEEPY SHORTCUT TO BOND STREET INTO A D E S T I N AT I O N I N I T S O W N R I G H T. M AT T FA R R E L L , D I R E C T O R AT T R O P H A E U M A S S E T M A N A G E M E N T, T H E T H O R O U G H FA R E ’ S M A J O R L A N D LO R D, E X P L A I N S H OW THE PLANS DON’T STOP THERE

Words: Rob Crossan

entrification is a word you’ll seldom hear muttered in the same sentence as Mayfair.

With some of the steepest property prices on earth and an endlessly rich cultural history, it’s difficult, initially at least, to see what could be done to make the roads in these parts any more desirable.

Until, that is, you speak to Matt Farrell, director at Trophaeum Asset Management, the privately owned property company that’s behind the quiet revolution taking place on Albemarle Street.

“Albemarle Street was a real backwater, yet it’s so close to Bond Street,” says Farrell, over plates of beef-filled ravioli. It’s just past midday and we’re sitting surrounded by custom jewel-toned carpets and the mirrored ebony bar counters at Isabel, at the north end of the street. The restaurant is the latest London opening from Juan Santa Cruz, the acclaimed Chilean chef and founder of Notting Hill’s Casa Cruz.

“We had quite low-quality outfits on the street, stationers and airline shops and an old post office,” continues Farrell.

Albemarle is a rarity for London in that almost every single building on the street has, over the past eight or nine years, been bought up by just one asset management company – Trophaeum.

During that time, the company has been carefully curating the type of stores, galleries and restaurants that it believes will give Albemarle a unique feel, while beginning the process of widening the pavements to make the street more accessible.

But can such an omnipotent landlord have the best interests of the street at heart?

“Trophaeum isn’t a private equity firm.

It means we’re taking a very long-term view on things and are making a real investment,” says Farrell. “We’re about 70 per cent towards where we want to be.”

Farrell, who used to work with the Duke of Westminster, perhaps London’s most famous landlord, was involved in the redevelopment of nearby Mount Street before taking on Albemarle. I ask him how he can attract the kind of brands that would provide a contrast with the big hitters of Bond Street.

“We’re very focused with the lifestyle element of the street,” he replies. “Because we have an estate here, we can offer places at different price points to encourage the kind of diversity we’re after. It can’t just be luxury stores. There has to be a mix of places to eat and drink as well as places to shop. We need fashion, hotels, flower shops, pop-ups and cafés, too.”

There have already been an incredible 22 new openings since Trophaeum began buying up properties on Albemarle Street, with at least another half a dozen to come during 2019. So far, these openings have ranged from bigger name designers, such as Alexander Wang, to smaller outfits with burgeoning reputations, such as Aquazzura, which opened in a former post office, and high-end shoe boutique Casadei, which oepned its debut UK store in what was previously a Ryman stationer.

“We love Casadei because it’s a proper Italian heritage brand, still family owned, and the exterior is quite glamorous, which is nice for this part of the street,” says Farrell.

Retail, however, is not the only focus for Trophaeum. “We’re quite inspired by the main shopping street in Milan, Via Monte Napoleone,” says Farrell.

“What you have there, that places like Bond Street don’t have, is somewhere you can go and have lunch. You have to create lifestyle destinations and if you just have shops, people will go on the internet. We say in the office: you can’t eat a hamburger on the internet. It’s a reason to go out of the house rather than just sitting there on Amazon.”

Trophaeum also intends to widen the pavements on Albemarle Street, pedestrianise Stafford Street (subject to council approval) and add planting and greenery at first-floor levels to counteract the traffic pollution. “Our brief was to do something quite radically different, so we’ve proposed pink granite and green terrazzo,” says Farrell.

As things stand, though, the pavements have yet to be widened and, as yet, walking down the street can be something of a hazardous affair with

delivery trucks unloading their bulky wares onto the narrow sidewalks.

“We can’t get away from the fact that a lot of the consumers coming here are going to be dropped off by car at the stores and restaurants – they’re less likely to be using the tube,” says Farrell.

“We’ll keep the road wide enough so that two cars can pass, but the plan is to introduce ‘pads’, meaning a raised area where we can have loading and delivery early in the morning, but during the main trading hours these spaces would be opened up. It’s exactly what they do on Bond Street already.”

With plans to introduce a waste consolidation system so everyone on the street uses the same waster providers and delivery and courier services, Farrell is convinced that traffic on the street can be reduced. Though when I ask him when he will consider the redevelopment to be finished, he smiles.

“It will never be finished – we’ll always be evolving. A streetwear brand that I cannot name is opening this year which we’re very excited about,” he reveals, after a little coaxing.

“That’s going to be something very different for the street and we’re really keen to adapt to moving trends and fashions. We’re definitely looking for a more affordable option for food and beverages, and we do have a specific

location in mind, which may have a roof space. There’s also a new hotel in the pipeline, which I think will really complement Brown’s as it is going to have a totally different price point.”

Although the redevelopment has been one of gradual, quiet, sensitive evolution, there have been moments when the vision for the future of the street – that of a confident, multi-use European boulevard – has come into focus.

As the espresso arrives and Isabel’s waitresses, clad in Johanna Ortizdesigned uniforms, glide around the room at a faster pace for the peak of the lunch rush, Farrell tells me of his favourite Albemarle ‘moment’ so far.

“London fashion is really expensive, of course. But on Albemarle Street there’s a store called Self Portrait, which we wanted to come here as it’s more affordable luxury. Typical price points are around £500, compared to thousands at other luxury brands. It’s a great solution as it’s designer but not astronomical. There were concerns that there wouldn’t be enough footfall for the store to work on Albemarle. But we had an opening street party with live music and wine. There was such a buzz.

Standing there that evening, I could really see the whole thing, the whole idea coming to life.”

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP ISABEL; GLOBE-TROTTER; OPPOSITE PAGE A MAP OF ALMEBARLE STREET, ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF TROPHAEUM ASSET MANAGEMENT

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30

YEARS IN

N OT T I NG H I L L AUTHOR AND NOTTING HILL RESIDENT ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD D O C U M E N T S T H E C H A N G I N G FAC E OF THE DISTRICT OVER THE THREE DECADES HE’S LIVED THERE

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PAOLO PARADISO SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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hen I chose to buy a flat in Notting Hill in the winter of 1985, I was drawn to the area’s many contrasting attractions. First, and most practically, it was undeniably central and close to the West End. Then there were the large private gardens that interspersed the broad, occasionally boulevard-sized streets.

The peeling stuccoed houses possessed a sense of former glory and an individuality refreshingly in contrast to those in Clapham, Battersea and Fulham.

I was drawn, too, to the area’s thriving literary scene, keenly aware that the books in people’s drawing rooms had been properly read and were not simply there to decorate coffee tables and book shelves.

In the 1980s, with the Cold War still raging, the area provided a home to communities originally from countries under the Soviet regime. Garages were stuffed full of protest placards and a Czech hostel had an altar outside its front door on which flowers were offered up to commemorate Jan Palach, the student who burned himself to death in protest at the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

This was the era when reference was often made in the media to All Saints Road being a ‘no-go’ area insofar as the police were concerned. “Drug dealing in and around All Saints Road” was “big business”, said the Met’s chief

©KRISTI BLOKHIN/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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superintendent Rod Havard. The area was ‘one of the most dangerous in Britain,’ claimed the Daily Mail. But as Met commissioner Sir Kenneth Newman pointed out, far from being a ‘no-go’ area, in terms of numbers, more police went into the area than into most other places in London.

If the 1980s evolved into the decade of the Notting Hill bohemian, the 1990s turned into the age of the Trustafarian – documented so unforgivingly by Martin Amis from the window of his study on Aldridge Road Villas. Trustafarians were wealthy, arty types who left Chelsea the moment the Markham Arms on the King’s Road, with its beautiful bay windows, became an Abbey National branch. This new tribe, with their unmatching socks and string for dog leads, revelled in Notting Hill’s Rizla culture. The poor lived side-by-side with the rich; ethnic pockets were discovered, explored and enjoyed.

The Notting Hill Carnival went through a time of unbridled debauchery and violence, somewhat at odds with Michael Horovitz’s Carnival poem in which he depicted the neighbourhood as a place ‘where universe collides with universe and still nothing gets broken’.

But then the area has had many historical ups and downs.

Victorian fiction writer Arthur Machen referred to it as ‘obscure to me and a sort of nightmare … a canal which seemed to cross my path in a manner contrary to the laws of reason. I turn a corner and am confronted with an awful cemetery, a terrible city of white gravestones and shattered marble pillars and granite urns, and every sort of horrid

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THE CHURCHILL ARMS IN KENSINGTON ©AC MANLEY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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The birds may no longer twitter as loudly as the taxis screech, but something engaging and reassuring still endures in the ’hood. The area continues to boast wonderful restaurants, excellent second-hand shops, two theatres within 50 yards of each other (the Gate Theatre and the Print Room at The Coronet), special cultural shops and gatherings such as the pantomime at the Tabernacle.

Notting Hill still possesses that most aspired-after urban quality – a village feel (if a little self-consciously – see the five estate agents located in a row). The bohemian 90s disappeared, the decade’s transient inhabitants moving to Shoreditch then Dalston then New Cross and more lately to Peckham – much to the consternation of bridgeand-tunnel types who continue to come to W11 in search of a licentious night out. There’s no one even visible on the streets of Holland Park after 8pm, either because the workaholics need their sleep or because the homes are uninhabited investments.

The spinal cord of W11 is Ladbroke Grove. Despite the horrors of the 1999 rail crash, when the walking wounded were treated in the local branch of Sainsbury’s, and the tragedy of Grenfell Tower, the street is still wonderfully vibrant and occasionally anarchistic. More than once I’ve been driving down it, to meet head-on someone crossing the road on a skateboard pulled by a dog, carrying a pizza. Having made the journey to London ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was when the Olympic torch was being carried through Ladbroke Grove that its bearer was accosted and forced to break her stride.

So a legacy endures. The market is sustained, though arguably only the Golborne Road has kept its full authenticity. The writers have held on. Dozens of famous novelists still live in the area, which is also home to a healthy number of literary agencies. There are numerous bookshops. The Carnival has withstood pleas to have it relocated to Hyde Park. Local eccentrics are accepted as part of the furniture. And thousands flood to have a look, and, in the main, come away gratified by all that the area has still to offer. I, for one, am staying put.

heathenry’. Fairly soon after, in Edwardian 1904, G. K. Chesterton paints a very different picture of the area in his famous novel The Napoleon of Notting Hill: ‘the essentials of a civilisation, a chemist’s shop, a bookshop, a provision merchant for food and a public house for drink’.

In 1999 came Notting Hill the movie, which changed everything. American wives assumed the area was full of bumbling Hugh Grants and bullied their corporate husbands to snap up property. At 192 Kensington Park Road, the restaurant that once formed the social centre of the area’s literati scene closed down and the Electric, a cinema and private club, assumed its role. Film rather than literature now defined the area.

The Portobello Road street market became popular beyond the consequence of its guidebook appearances.

As the Australian writer Nikki Gemmell observed: ‘What I love about Notting Hill is that I know the lady at the fruit stall on Portobello Road who sells me mangoes and peaches, and calls me darlin’, no matter how wet and cold the day has been or how long she’s been standing out in it.’

As in many Mediterranean souks, where carpets were a hard sell for tourists keen to travel light, so the Portobello began to sell postcards and antique trinkets rather than oil paintings. Coffee shops punctuated the pavements as a welcome break for the shoppers.

The private gardens lost more of their charm. Hedge fund wives, elected onto committees, wanted more signposts installed and further tarmac laid to make unloading picnics from the car boot all the easier. Jonathan Raban in Soft City makes the insightful observation: ‘Notting Hill incorporates a central paradox of city life, in that its nature is as prolific and untameable as anywhere in London, yet for some at least of its inhabitants it has been accommodated to an order so benign as to be cosy’. Houses were bought to be gutted into so-called ‘iceberg homes’ where underground rooms were created and turned into cinemas – all to the irritation of neighbours caked in dust and living in shaking homes with permanent parking restrictions.

The birds may no longer twitter as loudly as the taxis screech, but something engaging and reassuring still endures in the ’hood

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C U LT U R E MUSIC,

MUSEUMS AND

MASTERPIECES

P.50 UNDER THE HAMMER A rare Hermès Birkin breaks a European record

P.52 BEHIND THE LENS Rankin celebrates 30 years of fashion photography

P.60 WAR AND PEACE On the front line with war photographer

EINSTEIN - LOVE IS THE ANSWER, MR. BRAINWASH

Sir Don McCullin

Say it with love: a new exhibition at Mayfair’s Maddox Gallery falls head over heels for romantic artwork in a new exhibition (p.42)

T H E A G E N DA YOUR CURATED GUIDE TO CULTURE IN THE CAPITAL Words: Ellen Millard

KENSINGTON DIOR TAKES OVER THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM

THE LARGEST UK exhibition focused on the house of Dior opens this February at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Based on the Musée des Arts Décoratifs exhibition that ran from July 2017 until January 2018, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will chart seven decades of the fashion house, exploring the ephemeral influence of its founder and the six artistic directors who have succeeded him. More than 500 objects will go on display,

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT CHRISTIAN DIOR BY JOHN GALLIANO (B.1960), HAUTE COUTURE, AUTUMN/WINTER 2004 DIOR HÉRITAGE COLLECTION, PARIS; CHRISTIAN DIOR BY JOHN GALLIANO, J’ADORE, DRESS, HAUTE COUTURE, 2008 (CUSTOMMADE), CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS COLLECTION, PARIS, BOTH IMAGES ©LAZIZ HAMANI; ROYAL PORTRAIT OF PRINCESS MARGARET ON HER 21ST BIRTHDAY PHOTOGRAPHY

BY CECIL BEATON (1904–1980) ©VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON

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telling the story of the couturier and his brand using clothes from the Dior archive and the Victoria & Albert Museum’s own personal collection. In addition to the original display shown in Paris, the new exhibition will have an exclusive section dedicated to the designer’s not-so-secret love of Britain and British culture.

“There is no other country in the world, besides my own, whose way of life I like so much,” Dior said.

OPPOSITE PAGE CHRISTIAN DIOR WITH MODEL SYLVIE, CIRCA 1948, COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN DIOR; THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT CHRISTIAN DIOR BY RAF SIMONS (B.1968), COAT, HAUTE COUTURE, AUTUMN/WINTER 2012, DIOR HÉRITAGE COLLECTION, PARIS; BACCARAT CRYSTAL BOTTLE DESIGNED BY CHRISTIAN DIOR FOR DIORISSIMO PERFUME, 1956, CHRISITIAN DIOR PARFUMS COLLECTION DIORLING PERFUME, 1963; CHRISTIAN DIOR (1905–57), PÉROU, SHORT EVENING DRESS, HAUTE COUTURE, AUTUMN/WINTER 1954, H LINE, GIFT OF CECIL BEATON TO THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM, ALL IMAGES ©LAZIZ HAMANI

“I love English traditions, English politeness, English architecture.

I even love English cooking.” So enamoured was he with our island that, following his first British fashion show in 1950, he began showing his collections here in aid of charity, often at grand country houses such as Blenheim Palace.

Naturally, the royals were fans, and the iconic dress Dior designed for Princess Margaret’s 21st birthday will be among the items on display this February.

2 February – 14 July, from £20, Cromwell Road, SW7, vam.ac.uk

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KENSINGTON FASHION MEETS ART AT THE SERPENTINE SACKLER GALLERY

Fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner presents a series of multi-sensory installations exploring mysticism, ritual and magical resonances within black culture. The show is inspired by the extensive research Wales Bonner conducted for her AW19 collection, Mumbo Jumbo.

Expect meditation workshops by musician Laraaji, an installation by Rashid Johnson and shrines by the likes of Kapwani Kiwanga, Eric N. Mack and Wales Bonner herself.

M AY F A I R THE MADDOX GALLERY STAGES AN ARTISTIC ODE TO LOVE Love is in the air: in honour of Valentine’s Day, Maddox Gallery is presenting Love and Other Crimes, a new exhibition of romancethemed artworks at its Mayfair townhouse. Some of Britain’s best artists and their most famous works will be involved, including Banksy’s Balloon Girl, Tracey Emin’s Wanting You and Robert Indiana’s 4 Love.

8 February – 7 March, 9 Maddox Street, W1S, maddoxgallery.co.uk

Until 16 February, West Carriage Drive, W2, serpentinegalleries.org

ABOVE 4 LOVE, ROBERT INDIANA, COURTESY OF MADDOX GALLERY

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT SALAGRAM SHARMA IN MALIK SS16, UDAIPUR. PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARLEY WEIR; GRACE WALES BONNER, SPIRITUALS II, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE MORGAN; GRACE WALES BONNER, SS19, PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARLEY WEIR

A PREVIOUS WORK BY PARTICIPATING ARCHITECT FARSHID MOUSSAVI, MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CLEVELAND 2008-2012, PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEAN KAUFMAN, @KAUFMANPROJECTS

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WHITECHAPEL THIRTY ARCHITECTS IMAGINE TOMORROW’S WORLD More than 30 artists and architects have joined forces to create 10 experimental multimedia projects for Whitechapel Gallery’s new exhibition, Is This Tomorrow?

Depicting the artists’ visions for the future, each commission touches on a different topic, from migration to privacy, living space and our relationship with technology. The show is inspired by Whitechapel Gallery’s influential exhibition This Is Tomorrow from 1956.

14 February – 12 May, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1, whitechapelgallery.org

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BERMONDSEY EXPLORING THE EPHEMERAL INFLUENCE OF MARY QUANT AND SIR TERENCE CONRAN This spring the Fashion and Textile Museum will pay tribute to the Chelsea set – the radical creatives who redefined the concept of youth in London between 1952 to 1977 – charting the origins of pop culture and how fashion, music and design influenced and lead societal change in the capital. Focusing on design dignitaries and unintentional leaders of the charge Mary Quant and Sir Terence Conran, Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution will showcase fashion, textiles, furniture, homeware and ephemera from this transformative time. The works of designers Bernard and Laura Ashley, sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi and artist and photographer Nigel Henderson will also be highlighted in the show.

In addition to what people were buying, the exhibition will explore how people’s shopping habits changed, from Quant’s Bazaar, which opened in 1955, to Conran’s first Habitat store, which opened in 1966.

8 February – 2 June, £9.90, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1, ftmlondon.org

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT EDITORIAL IN SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE, APRIL 1961, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE SANTORO; MODEL WEARING PATTERN NO. 3288, TAKEN FROM A FEATURE ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF QUANT’S DESIGNS FOR BUTTERICK PAPER PATTERNS, AUGUST 1964, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WALCOTT; TERENCE CONRAN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WICKHAM; THE C.8 CONE CHAIR, ©TERENCE CONRAN; ALL IMAGES TAKEN FROM CONRAN/QUANT: SWINGING LONDON: A LIFESTYLE REVOLUTION, PUBLISHED BY ACC ART BOOKS

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SOUTHBANK A LOOK AT PHOTOGRAPHER DIANE ARBUS’S EARLY WORKS American photographer Diane Arbus was best known for her intimate black-and-white photography, much of which focused on marginalised people.

In a new exhibition, Diane Arbus: In the Beginning, the artist’s early works will go on display at the Hayward Gallery, where more than 100 photographs will be exhibited, including some 50 snaps that have never before been seen in Europe.

The photographer produced nearly half of her lifetime’s work during these formative years, between 1956 and 1962. The majority of the subjects were captured in New York, where she photographed individuals across the spectrum of American society, from city dwellers to carnival performers to strippers to transvestites. The exhibition has been organised by the Metropolilitan Museum of Art and adapted for the Hayward Gallery.

13 February – 6 May, from £12.50, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1, southbankcentre.co.uk

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FROM LEFT LADY ON A BUS, N.Y.C., 1957; KID IN A HOODED JACKET AIMING A GUN, N.Y.C. 1957, BOTH COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, ©THE ESTATE OF DIANE ARBUS, LLC

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UPCOMING ESTIMATE: £ 15,000-£ 20,000

A ‘Tête de Paon’ Lalique Car Mascot A rare blue glass Tête De Paon car mascot

by René Lalique will go under the hammer in February as part of Bonham’s ‘A Private Collection of Lalique Glass’ sale. First introduced in 1928, the ornament is 17.8cm high and is engraved with ‘R.Lalique’ and ‘France’. This particular model was exhibited at the Musée Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, the French village where the original glassworks was founded.

A Private Collection of Lalique Glass, 20 February, bonhams.com

PRIZE LOTS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP A TÊTE DE PAON LALIQUE CAR MASCOT; THE FINE ART SOCIETY FLAG, PETER BLAKE, 2013; A 2010 HERMÈS, MATTE HIMALAYA NILOTICUS CROCODILE BIRKIN 35 WITH 18K WHITE GOLD & DIAMOND HARDWARE

SOLD

£236,750 DAT E : 12 D EC EM BE R 2 01 8 E ST I M AT E : £1 00,000- £1 50,000

UPCOMING ESTIMATE: £ 700-£ 1,000

This 2010 Hermès Birkin 35 is crafted from matte Himalaya Niloticus crocodile and is embellished with 18k white gold and diamond hardware. Its exceptional craftsmanship and materials make it one of the most sought after bags on the market. In December, it achieved the European record for the most valuable handbag when it sold for £236,750, beating the previous record set in June by a smaller version of the same style. christies.com

The Fine Art Society Flag, Sir Peter Blake Following its relocation to Michelin House in Chelsea last year, The Fine Art Society is honouring its original Bond Street location – and the 142 years it spent there – with an auction of its most seminal works. More than 300 pieces from the likes of James McNeil Whistler and Sir Peter Blake will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in February, including this typographic flag that Blake created especially for the gallery in 2013.

The Fine Art Society: 142 Years on New Bond Street, 5 February, sothebys.com LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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F R O M E A R LY P R O V O C A T I V E P O R T R A I T U R E I N T H E L AT E 1 9 8 0 S , T H R O U G H H I S C 0 - F O U N D I N G O F FA S H I O N B I B L E S DA Z E D & C O N F U S E D AND ANOTHER MAGAZINE, JOHN RANKIN W A D D E L L , K N O W N S I M P LY A S R A N K I N , HELPED CAPTURE THE AESTHETICS AND AT T I T U D E O F A N E R A . N O W A N E W B O O K , E D I T E D B Y T H E P H O T O G R A P H E R H I M S E L F, P R OV I D E S A D E F I N I T I V E LO O K AT O N E OF THE MOST PROFOUND INFLUENCES ON M O D E R N FA S H I O N A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y

Words: Josh Sims

EYE EYE ABBEY CLANCY, HUNGER, ISSUE 12, 2017

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, HUNGER, ISSUE 5, 2015

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“I

’d like to go to a Gucci party and feel part of it all,” says Rankin. “But I don’t. I’ve always felt on the periphery of the fashion industry. I’m seduced by it, of course, even though I know it’s shallow. But I’ve just never felt part of it – a bit too fat, not as good looking. I think I’ve always felt like an outsider.”

It’s an odd thing to hear Rankin say, on more than one count. After all, he epitomised the heady excesses of London’s independent fashion publishing boom of the 1990s. He co-founded the influential Dazed & Confused magazine straight out of college, garnering the kind of reputation for untrammelled cocksureness that, he says, “will definitely influence some people’s decision about me even now. I was crazy and arrogant then, and that sticks”.

The celebrated photographer has spent three decades in the fashion world – a period he has documented in a new book, the self-critically titled Unfashionable, a collection of his best imagery.

“Yeah, I think the feeling of being an outsider comes from knowing I never had the right background, that sense of coming from nothing – though it’s even worse now, you really need that silver spoon,” he says. “I was just this lower middle-class kid from Glasgow by way of St. Albans. But then I think that gave me an advantage too – I had this clean sheet of paper to start with.”

It’s a sheet that the Kentish Town-based photographer and director has certainly scribbled on and folded up in his own distinctive way: fashion images that are rarely just about fashion, but contain some undercurrent of commentary or perhaps cheek; advertising campaigns for the likes of Dove, Diesel and Aston Martin that often stay fresh far longer than the products they’re promoting; videos for the likes of Miley Cyrus and Tinie Tempah; portraits, be they of Michael Jackson, Mikhail Gorbachev or HM The Queen, that crack the PR veneer – even getting Her Majesty to crack a smile.

“It pays to be inquisitive, to make [your subjects] laugh,” explains Rankin, “and to always remember that it’s a collaborative process – they need to feel like they’re part of it. Besides which, isn’t it rude to take something from someone, even their picture, and then not let them be part of it?” No wonder Rankin has become a brand in his own right – John Rankin Waddell reduced and packaged as a one-word moniker, like Pelé or Madonna.

However, he admits that even now, when he’s up for an advertising campaign, he feels as though he’s “blagging it”.

“I think a lot of creatives live with the feeling that they’re going to get found out,” he says. “I like to think my work is very humane, which makes it different to other ‘fashion

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ERIN O’CONNOR, THE REAL ERIN, HUNGER, ISSUE 1, 2011

WINNIE HARLOW, JUMP TO IT, HUNGER, ISSUE 11, 2016

CELLULOID CLOSET, DAZED & CONFUSED, VOL 2, ISSUE 3, 3003

photographers’, though I hate that expression. Even when working for brands, for me it’s about trying to make a connection. I’m a pop photographer, pop as in a bit in your face but more so pop as in populist. I’ve never understood why you should ever have to read a text to understand a photograph. I don’t get that. And I don’t think commerce is a dirty word, though a lot of photographers still do.”

The book is more than a benchmark of Rankin’s career.

It comes at a time in his life – he’s now 52 – when perhaps he’s feeling a little more contemplative. “Milestone? The book is more like a tombstone,” he laughs. “It’s weird because you look through the fashion shots and think ‘Wow, I’ve done quite a lot’ and then a second later you think ‘Whoa, I’m really old’. It’s nice to go down memory lane, but it’s also a reminder that there’s a new generation behind you and the world is changing.”

And not, Rankin argues, entirely in a good way. He’s a more serious thinker than perhaps his public image allows for – and he’s certainly not happy with social media.

“Not for the same reason as David Bailey, who said ‘it just means a lot more shit images’,” Rankin chuckles, “although I do think images today are more powerful and yet at the same time less insightful. Images are proliferating but they’re mostly a form of branding in effect. It’s at a place which is the complete opposite of why I wanted to get into the medium.”

Social media, says Rankin, has completely transformed the business he’s built a career from. Creativity and imagination, he argues, have given way to accountants and data analysis, to chasing hits over vision. “Combined with a celebrity culture that’s out of control, we’re now in a position where some people have a worrying amount of power – a place in which someone like Kendall Jenner has more people following her than the population of many countries… Generally people won’t tell someone with that kind of power that their ideas are sh*t.”

Rankin, it seems, is an image-maker genuinely concerned with the runaway train of image-making.

“I think social media is a very negative thing that people – and brands – will in time have to start to thinking about ethically.” He has spoken at conferences on the subject and has tried, unsuccessfully so far, to get backing to shoot a documentary on the issue. “It’s the cause of mental health problems, it’s been designed to be addictive, so I get why some people say it’s evil. I’m in my 50s and I find it addictive, so how is a 14-year-old going to feel about it?

What I find weird is that when I post something, within five minutes half a dozen people have commented on it. That’s crazy. What are they doing? In time social media will come to be seen like plastic – it will be a more debatable subject.

But right now people are scared to question it. ‘Social’?

F*** off, it’s not about connecting. It’s about isolating.”

BELLA HADID, LOVE ADVENT CALENDAR, 2016

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SCREAM, HUNGER, ISSUE 11, 2016

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INTO THE MIST, HUNGER, ISSUE 3, 2012

LESS IS MORE MAKE-UP, 2015

“I have honesty Tourette’s, which doesn’t always go down well” He adds that there’s “a lot of bullshit in the fashion and advertising industries. That hasn’t changed. It’s probably got worse. And I think over time that teaches you to really try to be honest.

I think I have honesty Tourette’s, which doesn’t always go down well. When I was about 15, my mum told me to choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. That was the best advice she ever gave me. But, really, you have to remind yourself how lucky you are. And you just can’t take it all seriously. You have to make jokes and recognise the absurdity of what you’re doing. And it really is absurd at times.”

All of which might make Rankin sound like a reactionary middle-aged man, which, in all honesty, he’s not – rather, perhaps, a man who’s simply shaken off a youthful wildness (“it’s easy for me to feel like a d*** because I’ve been a d*** most of my life,” he says) and is ready to use his cultural heft to change things, to back the things he sees as being worthwhile.

“Looking back at Dazed, it was like we were all in a band and we broke up because there were too many egos. That wouldn’t happen now, though I do feel that self-belief is very important. You have to believe in your ideas, but also be very critical of them too, which isn’t something that I think can be taught, and which, again, maybe comes from my background,” says Rankin. “Before we put anything out now it’s really jumped through the hoops, so it’s ready. By the same token you have to support others’ good ideas when you see them. The creative world is inherently not into doing that, maybe because it’s hard to make your way up in that world and, when people get there, they tend to be protective. There’s a jealousy – ‘I wish I’d had that idea...’”

Rankin: Unfashionable – 30 Years of Fashion Photography, £50.00, is published by Rizzol

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PROTESTER, CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS, WHITEHALL, LONDON 1962

OPEN AND SHUTTER CASE

AS A MAJOR RETROSPECTIVE OF B R I TA I N ’ S M O S T C E L E B R AT E D WA R PHOTOGRAPHER OPENS, PERHAPS T H E G R E AT E S T I N T R I G U E O F SIR DON MCCULLIN’S LONG CAREER I S T H E C O N F L I C T T H AT H E WA S PREVENTED FROM EVER COVERING

Words: Rob Crossan

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PACING THE ROOM, drink in hand, and with one arm in a sling, Sir Don McCullin spent much of spring 1982 waiting for a phone call.

Plans had been made. Assurances had been given. The self-confessed ‘war junkie’ photographer was about to set sail to cover a war unlike any of those he had ever previously experienced in his two-decade career.

“I thought, I want to be in on this”, reflected McCullin, two decades later. “For the first time in my life, I’m going to be in a big international war with British soldiers. I thought I was the natural person.”

McCullin’s confidence was understandable. From the mid-1960s onwards, he had been one of the brightest shining stars at The Sunday Times, in particular its recently launched colour magazine.

McCullin, who grew up in north London, has a staunchly working class background. He quickly escaped from an early job in a cartoon animation studio to cover almost every major global conflict of the late 60s and 70s.

Travelling from Biafra to Vietnam to Lebanon to East Pakistan to Cyprus, his unflinching, brutal portraits of the deadly, barbarous effects of war on soldiers, civilians and landscapes made him an obvious choice to join British troops as they sailed to a tiny cluster of islands in the South Atlantic.

They were going to liberate the islanders from the invading forces of the Argentinian military junta led by General Leopoldo Galtieri.

It should have been a high point of a glittering career. The British government of the time however, had other ideas.

‘Yes, we know who you are, old boy. We’ll put your name on the priority list.’

“For the first time in my life, I’m going to be in a big international war with British soliders”

OPPOSIGE PAGE THE BATTLE FOR THE CITY OF HUE, SOUTH VIETNAM, US MARINE INSIDE CIVILIAN HOUSE 1968; THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT GRENADE THROWER, HUE, VIETNAM 1968; LONDONDERRY 1971; NORTHERN IRELAND, THE BOGSIDE, LONDONDERRY 1971

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THE GUVNORS IN THEIR SUNDAY SUITS, FINSBURY PARK, LONDON 1958

“Photographs are a way of imprisoning reality. One can’t possess reality, one can possess images”

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Some digging, and a subsequent article in The Times

by Fred Emery, an old friend of McCullin’s, revealed that the only photographers and journalists given accreditation by Margaret Thatcher’s government were, with just two exceptions (Max Hastings of the Evening Standard and Mike Nicholson of ITN) relatively young, inexperienced reporters.

Emery’s argument was that these young hacks were deliberately placed there at the expense of more seasoned media personnel so that the dissemination of information could be tightly controlled by the Ministry of Defence.

Conspiracy or coincidence, nearly four decades on the Falklands conflict remains, one of the most poorly documented wars in recent history in terms of eye-witness photography and journalism.

This, as McCullin later recalled in his autobiography Unreasonable Behaviour, was the response that the Ministry of Defence gave him when he phoned up to apply for a place on the list of accredited journalists and photographers who would be given a berth on one of the vessels sailing with the British task force to the Falkland Islands.

McCullin waited. And waited. His arm, broken in five places after he fell off a roof attempting to shelter from gunfire in El Salvador, was slowly healing. But his personal life was breaking apart.

His wife Christine had just discovered his longstanding affair with Laraine Ashton, founder of the IMG model agency. Tensions in the marital home were, unsurprisingly, high.

Things were no brighter on the professional front either, as his 18-year career at The Sunday Times appeared to be on the wane. Harold Evans, the editor of the paper and one of his greatest champions, had recently departed for a brief, doomed tenure at The Times and the new owner of both titles, Rupert Murdoch, was keen to appoint his own men.

Andrew Neil was the new editor and his intention to turn The Sunday Times Magazine into a lifestyle-slanted publication meant there was little room for McCullin’s often harrowing work from far-flung war zones.

Despite all this, the staff at The Sunday Times were not the people preventing McCullin from reaching the war he wanted to cover beyond all others.

Desperate for his credentials to come through, McCullin went to the Imperial War Museum and asked if he could travel as the museum’s official photographer.

When concerns were raised about his fee, McCullin offered to do the job for one pound.

Days turned into weeks and still the paperwork from the Ministry of Defence didn’t arrive. Telexes were sent.

Phone calls went unanswered. The last ship of the task force set sail without McCullin on board.

“I became overbearingly demonstrative’, McCullin later wrote. “There was no explanation. It just didn’t happen. I was left behind and I was utterly miserable and devastated.”

His former editor Harold Evans was similarly anguished at the decision. “It seemed to be a way of saying, ‘Your photography is so honest, so searing, so implicit with meaning, we can’t take the risk of you exacting freedom of expression’. The effect on him was to seem to say, ‘You’ve spent your life documenting things we don’t think you should ever have documented’. Which of course, was saying ‘Why have you bothered to risk your life to try and tell the truth?’”

It was only later that year, after the short, bloody war was over, that McCullin got any true idea of why the greatest war photographer of his generation was prevented from covering the first all-out war directly involving British soldiers for decades.

LOCAL BOYS IN BRADFORD, 1972

‘Boozed up and tearful’, as he later put it, McCullin wrote a letter of protest which was published in The Times. He did manage to see action in 1982, but it was in Lebanon – his almost unbearable pictures of children living in bombed-out hospitals proving to be his last serious war assignment.

Fatigue, lack of commissions and a desire to be with Ashton, for whom he left his wife, led to McCullin’s gradual evolution into a documenter of the British countryside; a continuous project that, now in his 80s, he continues to add to.

We’re left to dwell on what images McCullin might have brought back from that brief, brutal war fought in one of the most remote corners of the earth. And perhaps, also, to consider the words of Susan Sontag, who wrote the following in her book On Photography: “Photographs are a way of imprisoning reality. One can’t possess reality, one can possess images. One can’t possess the present but one can possess the past” Don McCullin, from £17, 5 February – 6 May, Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P, tate.org.uk

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From motion to peace. If you’re tense during the day, then you really look forward to the evening. Slower steps, freer movements, wider smiles. Your favourite place awaits you. +SEGMENTO Poggenpohl has 21 points of sale throughout the UK & Ireland ¡ uk@poggenpohl.com For your nearest Poggenpohl Studio please go to www.poggenpohl.com/en/find-a-studio poggenpohl.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTIAS BJORKELUND

P.68 HIGH STEAKS Sustainable meat for caring carnivores

P.74 IT’S ALL GRAVY Where to find London’s best Sunday lunches

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The classic Negroni is 100-years-old in 2019.

Celebrate by raising a toast at BAR 45 at 45 Park Lane, which is hosting Negroni Nights every third Thursday of the month, starting on 21st February. £125 per person dorchestercollection.com

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IT’S THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM FOR ANY STEAK R E S TA U R A N T – I N T H E AG E O F E T H I C A L E AT I N G , H O W D O YO U P R OV E YOU ’RE A PRINCIPLED DINING E S TA B L I S H M E N T W H E N YO U R M A I N I N G R E D I E N T I S M E AT ?

Words: Nick Savage

W H E R E ’ S

T H E

BEEF? T

he restaurant industry is being assailed from all angles. Brexit, a devalued currency, rising rents, staff shortages, competition from delivery services and changing behaviours have all had an impact on the country’s dining scene. If you’re a meat-led restaurant, add ethical eating movements such as vegetarianism, flexitarianism, veganism and zero-waste consumption.

Last year, a spate of studies came out illustrating a burgeoning concern for the environment alongside changing

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social mores. A WWF report found that humanity has wiped out an incredible 60 per cent of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. Other analysis published in the Science journal showed that meat and dairy provide just 18 per cent of calories and 37 per cent of protein worldwide yet production processes use 83 per cent of farmland and produce 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, figures from Waitrose show that one in eight Britons are now vegetarian or vegan, with 21 per cent claiming to be flexitarian (followers of a mainly plant-based diet

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that occasionally includes meat).

How do you prove that your moral compass is set in the direction of virtue when most of your menu is made up of meat? I wanted to give some of the top names in the industry the opportunity to address the question.

INVESTING IN THE BEST Many Londoners are reducing the quantity of meat they consume but still want to eat it on occasion. And if they’re approaching it as a special treat, they want to ensure that it’s of the finest quality. Most, if not all, of the top-end steakhouses have been doing this for years. Martin Williams, founder of M Restaurants, which has outposts in Twickenham, Victoria and the City, has recently been appointed by banking and finance groups SC Lowy

THIS PAGE FROM TOP HAWKSMOOR’S HUW GOTT & WILL BECKETT; GOODMAN RESTAURANT GROUP; SALT RACK FROM M OPPOSITE PAGE PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN LEPARD FROM HAWKSMOOR AT HOME BY HUW GOTT, WILL BECKETT AND RICHARD TURNER, PUBLISHED BY PREFACE, RRP £325

and Investec to help save the embattled steakhouse chain Gaucho, ostensibly because of his prescience in a fierce, turbulent market. “At M we have also made a decision since inception to over-invest in quality products and the best staff in the industry, which although risky, has proved to be the two main reasons that guests prefer M to our competitors,” says Williams.

Will Beckett, co-founder of Hawksmoor, cites his mother to explain changing consumer behaviour and how the restaurant group has adapted.

“My mum has dramatically reduced her meat intake, but not in a way that would stop her going to Hawksmoor,” he explains. “She’s cut out cheap meat where she knows the ethical standards are likely not great, or meat at places where she can’t be sure they pay attention to the environment or animal welfare. She still eats good meat in good places, and I think that’s a trend.It might even be part of why Hawksmoor is so busy – we care deeply about those things too.”

Dave Strauss of the Goodman Restaurant Group and its latest popup Black Cod & Wagyu chimes in that “our offer is a super-premium one and it does feel that the public want to cut back on quantity but are happy to continue to enjoy quality.”

He adds “Because we really only deal in very high-quality protein, I think sustainability goes hand in hand.”

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine a time when a food-focused Londoner didn’t care about the provenance of produce. Of all the metrics used to evaluate the ethics of what you’re eating, sustainability has become the favoured yardstick. Hawksmoor is miles ahead in this field: in 2010, it was a founder member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which benchmarks restaurants on ethics such as sourcing, society and the environment, and runs its own accolade system. For many years Hawksmoor has

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“The need for cheaper beef is the problem that drives unsustainability” boasted a maximum three-star rating, making it one of the most sustainable restaurant groups in Britain.

“So much of what we serve is sourced in the UK with animal welfare and environmental issues at the forefront of our minds, but we’re always trying to improve every year and our staff are really involved; lots of the changes we make now come from suggestions from them,” remarks Beckett.

This stance isn’t confined to Hawksmoor. The general consensus is that any corner-cutting will show in the finished product, whether it’s during the rearing or the slaughtering. The latter especially has a detrimental effect on the meat. When an animal suffers a stressful end, it releases adrenaline and cortisol into the muscles, which can tarnish both the taste and the tenderness of the steak.

Strauss observes: “The need for cheaper beef is the problem that drives unsustainability. But the idea that people can buy this beautiful, bespoke product at cut-rate prices is not reality.

It’s a let-them-eat-cake answer to a problem that’s far bigger than beef.”

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Williams strikes the same note, having fostered partnerships with beef farms that champion quality, not quantity. He finds the same when he is dealing with other forms of produce, particularly vegetables, many of which are grown in M Restaurants’ own gardens in Twickenham, and fish. He explains that all of his fish products are ikejime – killed using a swift and humane Japanese method “You can simply taste the difference of a fish caught on a single line by a man in a boat versus some mass line-caught products. The former practice is the most sustainable in the world, the latter is a disgraceful practice and tastes as such.”

David McIntyre, executive chef and director of food and beverage at Cut at 45 Park Lane, notes that there are easy wins outside of sourcing. “The major talking point in the industry is over the use of plastic.” He observes that “we have taken out plastic wherever possible and will continue to reduce usage in the restaurant and Bar 45.”

Z E R O WA S T E Zero waste has become a flashpoint issue throughout the west. Steakhouses especially are cognisant of making sure that nothing is wasted. “We do everything we can to minimise waste and I think that the imperative to do so is higher when you’re talking about meat,” says Beckett. “An animal died to allow us the privilege of eating it, so we should do everything we can to avoid waste.”

FROM TOP STEAK AT CUT 45 PARK LANE; DAVID MCINTYRE, EXECUTIVE CHEF AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE DIRECTOR AT CUT 45 PARK LANE; BLACK COD & WAGYU

meat sauces.” M butchers its own meat, practises a nose-to-tail ethos and makes its own charcuterie, which ensures that none of the animal is squandered.

This sentiment was widely echoed.

McIntyre notes: “For a hotel and restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and in-room dining, we have quite a small kitchen but it allows us to keep a very close eye on waste and overproduction.” He adds: “We also cook our meat to order so as to minimise waste, and anything that is left over from the cut we use in other dishes such as our burgers.”

In the Goodman restaurants, the team gets excited when chicken is on the menu during staff meals as it’s such a rare occurrence. “We buy only the cuts we use and try and use as much as possible,” explains Strauss. “Any trimmings go into staff food mainly. Our teams eat a lot of stew and pasta with

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W H AT D O E S T H E FUTURE HOLD? The overwhelming consensus among London restaurateurs is that there are stormy waters ahead. Many consider a no-deal Brexit an end-game scenario for their business. But there are glimmers of optimism when it comes to changes in consumption, and everyone I spoke to seems to feel that these changes have, in a curious way, bettered their offering and even improved their turnover.

“Diners want a special experience and to enjoy the finest ingredients, which they can feel positive about,” says Williams. Beckett adds: “Dinosaurs that serve any old meat with scant regard for sustainability issues are likely to make way for restaurants who do it with a sensibility to the kind of issues we’ve discussed today.” Strauss observes: “Personally, I feel that the cream will rise to the top”, before adding the caveat “that being said, I have a very solid track record of being completely wrong.”

Something tells me that he’s not.

LONDON’S BEST SUNDAY ROASTS S O B R I T I S H I S T H E S U N D AY R O A S T T H AT I T H A S B E C O M E FRANCE’S PREFERRED EPITHET FOR DENIZENS OF ALBION. N O W W E ’ R E H AV I N G T H E L A S T L A U G H A S T H E T R A D I T I O N A L BEEF-BASED LUNCH IS RAISED TO AN ART FORM

BLACKLOCK, VARIOUS

Words: Nick Savage You’d be hard-pressed to find a better menu of affordable and delicious chops than at Blacklock – and its Sunday roast is comparable in value and equal in deliciousness. We recommend going all in with a mix of beef, lamb and pork roasted over oak and served alongside duck fat potatoes, bonemarrow gravy, a selection of seasonal vegetables and the compulsory pudding from Yorkshire. And you’d be a fool to miss a side of cauliflower cheese.

Beef £18, Lamb £17, Pork £16, theblacklock.com

THE GAME BIRD, SW1 For old-school opulence that is archetypally British, The Game Bird at The Stafford gets top marks. The Sunday lunch menu delivers on all fronts. Kick off with one of the city’s most excellent salmon tartares – packed with pickled shallots, crispy capers and horseradish crème fraiche. If you aren’t in the mood for a traditional roast, the pan-fried black bream with Jerusalem artichokes is something to tweet about.

Rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes, £30, 16-18 St James’s Place, SW1A, thestaffordlondon.com

BOB BOB RICARD, W1 Frenchman Eric Chavot, executive head chef at Bob Bob Ricard – the RussianBritish brasserie famous for its Press for Champagne button in every booth – has created what he says is the ultimate incarnation of the Sunday roast. Having held two Michelin stars at The Capital in Knightsbridge, Chavot has refined every element of the quintessential Albion dish, resulting in slow-roasted Agria potatoes triple cooked in veal fat, duck fat and butter; maple syrup-glazed heritage carrots and parsnips; cauliflower cheese finished with 14-month cave-aged Dorset cheddar; and a beefstock jus made by roasting veal bones. This being Bob Bob Ricard, four champagnes, including Bollinger Special Cuvée NV and Ayala Rosé Majeur, are offered by the glass to pair with Chavot’s big-hitting flavours. There are few better ways to while away a Sunday afternoon.

Bob Bob Ricard Sunday roast, £29.50, 1 Upper James Street, W1F, bobbobricard.com

1251, N1

HAWKSMOOR, VARIOUS Meat mogul Hawksmoor reinvented the steak game and has done something similar for roasts. Aiming to replicate the authentic flavour of a spit-roasted joint of beef, the chefs start the rump on charcoal and finish it in the oven. The final product is slathered in bone-marrow and onion gravy. Anyone who’s ever visited Hawksmoor can attest that the sides are some of London’s best. Beefdripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, greens, roasted shallots and garlic are all exceptional.

Slow-roasted rump of beef with all the trimmings, £22, thehawksmoor.com

James Cochran wins devoted followers with his cooking, just as he won Great British Menu last year, and his Sunday roast is a force to be reckoned with.

Ayrshire 50-day aged côte de boeuf is complemented by a slow-braised short rib of beef, with honey-glazed parsnips, beefdripping spuds, coal-roasted cabbage, Yorkshire puddings, smoked bone-marrow and gravy. The coup de grâce? Truffled cauliflower cheese.

Ayrshire 50-day aged côte de boeuf, £25 (minimum two people sharing), 107 Upper Street, N1, 1251.co.uk

CORA PEARL, WC2 This Covent Garden restaurant, ayounger sibling to Kitty Fisher’s, is in the running for London’s best chips, which has helped to earn it pole position in terms of London’s top roasts. Starters are sublime – particularly the devilled eggs – but the roast achieves even higher levels of divinity with ruby-red tranches of beef, perfect Yorkshire puddings and mindbendingly good potatoes.

Pork, £25, Beef, £28, 30 Henrietta Street, WC2E, corapearl.co.uk

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THE BULL & LAST, NW5 Back before London’s food scene kicked into overdrive, The Bull & Last in Highgate laid the tracks for gastropubs across the

The accolades have been rolling in since St John alumnis Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram opened The Marksman in 2015. Michelin named it British Pub of the Year in 2017 and its Sunday roast, in particular, is praised. Kick off with the legendary beef and barley bun with horseradish while girding your loins for a flavour odyssey through classy, considered options like Tamworth ham with lentils and celeriac or smoked eel broth with hen’s egg and chanterelles. And, of course, there are big Hereford T-bones and braised short ribs with all the fixings for any traditionalists at the table.

Two courses, £29, three courses, £33, 254 Hackney Road, E2, marksmanpublichouse.com

THE MARKSMAN, E2

land with a generously portioned, painstakingly provenanced roast.

Booked up months in advance, the restaurant had punters lining up for classically executed roast shorthorn sirloin with potatoes, greens and Yorkshire puds. It’s closed for refurbishment until autumn 2019, which may be how long you’d have had to wait for a booking regardless. thebullandlast.co.uk

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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DISCOVER THE

BEAUTY

HEALTHCARE . PHARMACY . SKINCARE . WELLBEING

PRINTED JACKET, £1,325, PRINTED SHORTS, £810, ISSEY MIYAKE MEN, 10 BROOK STREET, W1S, ISSEYMIYAKE.COM; BLACK VELVET TRAINERS, £750, JIMMYCHOO.COM

P.80 ITALIAN JOB Brunello Cucinelli: the manifest destiny of the benevolent billionaire

P.86 HIS TREND Sharp style from Private White V.C and Grenson

P.90 MARKET MATTERS Behind-the-scenes at streetwear resale site StockX

P.104 HER TREND Monochrome fashion from Valentino and Balenciaga

COUTURE CUT

FROM

A DIFFERENT

CLOTH

Issey Miyake Men’s matching two-piece is a daring lesson in clashing prints (p.94)

Cucinelli B R U N E L LO

P H I L O S O P H E R - C U M - B U S I N E S S M A N B R U N E L L O C U C I N E L L I H A S B U I LT

A B I L L I O N - D O L L A R FA S H I O N E N T E R P R I S E W H I L E E S P O U S I N G A U N I Q U E F O R M O F ‘ N E O - H U M A N I S T I C C A P I TA L I S M ’ . A V I S I T TO H I S U M B R I A N H Q , S O LO M E O, R E V E A L S T H E B R I C K S -A N D - M O R TA R M A N I F E S TAT I O N O F A L I F E LO N G A M B I T I O N

Words: Richard Brown

I

n a terracotta courtyard at the summit of Solomeo, a hilltop hamlet half-an-hour from the village in which he was born, Brunello Cucinelli, aka the King of Cashmere, takes to the stage in pleated cream trousers, a white button-down shirt and an immaculately-tailored double-breasted navy blazer. In the valley behind him – a patchwork quilt of late-summer yellow and nascent green – are the low-rise, lozenge-shaped factories that produce samples for his uber-

exclusive sports-luxe collections. In front, a 500-strong congregation of friends, investors and international press invited to this Umbrian utopia to celebrate the Italian industrialist’s 65th birthday – and the 40th anniversary of his eponymous brand.

Slate-grey clouds have been threatening to dampen festivities all afternoon but, as if by some kind of divine intervention, just as Cucinelli begins to speak the heavens clear and the capitalist (he hates that word), famous – in fashion circles at least – for

his philosophic approach to business, is cast in a column of celestial light.

Pathetic fallacy playing out in the Solomeo skies. It’s impossibly apostolic given Cucinelli’s status as the high priest of high fashion.

“We need to reinvest in the great ideals of humanity,” says the salt-andpepper-topped sexagenarian, his words competing with the bells of the Church of Saint Bartholomew, restored, like much of the town, by the man now holding court. “We need to return to the big ideas – to family, religion,

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‘I dreamed of a form of contemporary capitalism, where profit shall not involve harm or injury to people or things, and part of the revenues shall be devoted to improving the condition of human life’

respect, ethics. Living in cities is hard. Why can we not work from villages? Why can we not return to a village way of life, redesign mankind from there?”

This is Cucinelli’s dream. Solomeo the manifestation of that dream.

It was here, in 1978, that the 25-year-old, having obtained a diploma as a building surveyor before dropping out of engineering college, decided to pursue a career in knitwear.

Inspired by the success of Benetton’s variegated sweaters, Cucinelli identified a gap in the market – high-quality cashmere jumpers for women, coloured in bright hues according to contemporary taste, at a time when cashmere typically came in black or grey.

Cucinelli’s wife, Federica, was born in Solomeo – they’d got engaged when he was 17 and she was 16 – and it was here that she ran a small clothing shop. Once Cucinelli’s fledgling brand had outgrown its original premises on the outskirts of Perugia – annual production grew to 200,000 jumpers within eight years, thanks, largely, to the compassion of some compatriot creditors and a penchant for high-grade woolly jumpers in Germany – the medieval village become the obvious choice for Cucinelli’s new HQ. ‘I suffered the melancholic decline and the state of neglect of that ancient small village,’ Cucinelli writes in The Dream of Solomeo, a freshoff-the-press autobiography presented to every attendee of that early-autumn soiree. ‘One day, instinctively, I thought of trying to buy the tower and the medieval castle. I was enchanted by those architectures that witnessed the signs of so much history: they seemed eternal, and perfect for the headquarters of my small company.’

Cucinelli began by purchasing the town’s 14th-century fortress in 1985, turning its small

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stone rooms into one of the most remarkable manufacturing facilities in fashion. As his knitwear business became an empire, spreading from America through Europe to Russia and Japan, Cucinelli used his profit to employ traditional craftspeople to rebuild Solomeo, restoring churches, repaving streets, stone by stone, slab by slab, to a romanticised version of its former self.

‘At that time, many people did not like to live in the villages,’ writes Cucinelli. ‘There was a certain tendency for moving towards the cities where, as it had been for my family, we hoped to find better economic and social conditions. The opposite happened to me, and the company continued to grow, together with my love for this village… I think that this moment marked the very beginning of my masterplan for my company and for Solomeo.’

At the start of the century, Cucinelli expanded from women’s jumpers and accessories into full collections for both women and men. His women’s collections grew according to his understanding of the burgeoning luxury sportswear market; for men, he drew inspiration from his personal wardrobe.

Despite commanding some of the highest prices in the industry – think £2,000 gilets, £600 sweatshirts and belts that run up to £500; justified, he says, by the quality of the fabric, the fact that all of his clothes are made in Italy and his decision to pay staff above-average salaries – the cult of Cucinelli found a global following.

In 2012, the company floated on the Milan Stock Exchange with a share price of €7.75, valuing the business at around €527 million.

Today, that figure has more than doubled, allowing Cucinelli to endow Solomeo with a classically-designed amphitheatre, a School of Arts and Crafts, and the 240-seat Cucinelli Theatre.

In 2014, Cucinelli announced his ‘Project for Beauty’ – the intention to landscape 100 hectares of mixed-use land in the valley below Solomeo into three distinct parks. The scheme was completed just in time for Cucinelli’s 65th birthday celebrations.

Characterised by neat gardens and cypresslined roundabouts, the Industrial Park houses the company’s headquarters. ‘We basically renovated the old factory with new wooden galleries and large windows opening on to the landscape; a fountain surrounded by roses, pines and cypresses; the green of new flowers and new trees… It is an example of how an industrial building can fit positively into an ancient landscape.’

The Laic Oratory Park is intended for recreational use – six hectares of manicured grounds centred around a small stadium (where Cucinelli himself plays football) – while the Agrarian Park comprises a plant nursery, an olive grove and an expansive vineyard laid out in the style of a Renaissance garden. At the edge of the vineyard, by the entrance to an elegant, elevated wine cellar, is a statue of Bacchus, the Roman god of agriculture.

Cucinelli’s version of heaven on earth might be a 14th-century Lorenzetti painting come to life, but his idealistic worldview doesn’t make him an outsider among leaders of the modern, more technologicallyinclined, world. He’s been invited to give TED talks and lectured at Harvard and MIT. Germany’s esteemed Kiel Institute for the World Economy awarded him its Global Economy Prize, while the University of Perugia presented him with an honorary degree. Cucinelli counts Amazon-founder, and current wealthiest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, as a friend, and was asked by Silicon Valley to discuss the topic ‘Kind Technology

Brunello Cucinelli garments are manufactured by some 2,500 smallscale specialists across Umbria and Tuscany, including a convent of nuns who perform embroidery in Perugia

One Hircus goat, from whose thick undercoat fibres for Brunello Cucinelli are combed, can only yield around 150200 grams of cashmere each year

“Today I feel the psychological burden of my smartphone: the idea that this object knows everything about me, listens to me at every moment, robs me of my solitude”

and Humanism’ at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts – a speech he remembers in his book.

“I am honoured to be among you in this historic theatre, in the cradle of modern talent, among you, the new 21st-century Leonardos.

But remember that Leonardo was a great humanist and for this reason I ask you to measure up to your destiny and to humanise the internet. A good connection is surely important, but it should not steal our soul… Today I feel, from time to time, the psychological burden of my smartphone: the idea that this object knows everything about me, listens to me at every moment, even when it is switched off, robs me of some of the comfort coming from my solitude. In the future I imagine that the real luxury for the soul would be to lead a life unknown to our loyal companion.” It was a sentiment he echoed on stage at Solomeo. “In the future, I believe that luxury will be a life without a smartphone.”

When he’s not travelling, Cucinelli likes to wake up early. At the very end of the night, as dawn spreads through the streets and caresses the houses of the town he’s dedicated three decades of his life to rebuilding, Cucinelli closes his eyes, breathes in the scents of the countryside and imagines he’s in an immense garden. His walk always ends at his small studio in the castle, with its ancient paintings and small windows overlooking the village and the valley below. The place where it all began.

“How would you like your epitaph to read?”

Someone in the crowd asks Cucinelli as his birthday speech draws to a close.

He thinks for a moment. “He loved beauty,” he answers, “and was a good person.”

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V I N TA G E A P P E A L Words: Dominic Jeffares

F L I G H T JAC K E T Private White VC has quite the heritage. The brand supplied British troops in the First World War with gabardine trench coats, and was called upon again during the 1940s to make waterproof parkas. Making garments that function under hardship clearly runs in the label’s blood. This Flight Jacket with shearling collar ensures future endeavours shall be won. £495, privatewhitevc.com

V I S V I M S W E AT E R Keeping warm in British winter is no easy feat. Enter this strong piece from Hiroki Nakamura’s brand Visvim.

Hand spun in Japan using substantial wool, this jumper is slightly loose fitting to give a relaxed silhouette for those Sunday strolls by the river. £545, mrporter.com

TA U P E H AT With his beach-tousled surferdude hair and pretty-boy looks, Nick Fouquet is the milliner who took the world by storm. All of his hats are made in his Venice Beach studio in California, with each creation being singularly unique and eccentric. £1,095, brownsfashion.com

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D I S PAT C H R I D E R C O AT We recommend heading to The Real McCoy’s on Henrietta Street for some serious sartorial envy. Excruciating Japanese attention-to-detail, handcraftsmanship and carefully sourced materials mean this coat will develop a beautiful patina as the years go by. Based on British military archives, this jacket was designed with harsh elements in mind. £1,545, realmccoyslondon.com

P I A G E T A LT I P L A N O With a dial made of meteorite, the 40mm rose-gold time-and-date variant of three new Piaget Altiplano models launched in January is quite literally out of this world.

POA, piaget.com THÉ NOIR An olfactory tribute to the noble leaf, Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29 combines depth and freshness, softness and strength with light notes of bergamot, fig and bay leaves and heavy notes of cedar wood, vetiver and musk.

From £125 for 50ml, libertylondon.com

L L OY D L O A F E R Like many of Britain’s greatest cobblers, Grenson handcrafts its shoes in Northampton, where these Lloyd penny loafers were made. The shoes’ tan stain was painted on to a natural base leather to build up the colour in layers, giving it a deep rich hue.

A matching welt and single leather sole complete the look. £225, matchesfashion.com

INCOTEX CHINOS Venetian label Incotex was founded in 1951 as part of the Slowear group, whose brand philosophy lies in making durable clothes. These Four Season cotton blend chinos provide wearability throughout the year. £200, mrporter.com

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bogner.com

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13.12.18 11:35

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PROMOTION

THE CITY EDIT

THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, EC3V THEROYALEXCHANGE.CO.UK

U P DAT E YO U R W I N T E R WA R D R O B E W I T H AC C E S S O R I E S F R O M T H E R O YA L E X C H A N G E R E S I D E N T S C H U R C H ’ S A N D T O M D AV I E S

TOM DAVIES Tom Davies’ Rockstar glasses were inspired by a frame originally designed for Muse frontman Matt Bellamy. The updated specs are available in silver, matte black or gold.

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Reader Offer Book a table at The Fortnum & Mason Restaurant at The Royal Exchange and quote ‘Luxury London’ to receive CHURCH’S UPDATES ITS RANGE OF LEATHER ACCESSORIES British cobbler Church’s has redesigned its range of leather accessories in a series of new colourways, following the collection launch in March last

year. The line of suitcases, satchels, laptop bags and card holders is now available in emerald green and white, in addition to the core black and brown styles. Each accessory is crafted from calfskin leather and is handmade using a manufacturing process that

involves more than 100 steps.

The range is dubbed the St James’s collection in homage to both the location of its London flagship store and its roots in the Northampton area of the same name.

28 The Royal Exchange

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A COMPLIMENTARY GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE WITH YOUR MEAL Offer valid from 1-28 February, 4-7 The Central Courtyard

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Shoe B U S I N E S S LAUNCHED IN 2016 AS THE FIRST ‘STOCK M A R K E T ’ F O R T R A I N E R S , WATC H E S A N D OTHER LUXURY PRODUCTS, STOCKX IS BACKED BY EMINEM AND KARLIE KLOSS AND NOW BOASTS MORE THAN EIGHT MILLION USERS. FOLLOWING THE RECENT LAUNCH OF A N A U T H E N T I C AT I O N C E N T R E I N LO N D O N , T H E P L AT F O R M ’ S S N E A K E R - F R E A K F O U N D E R JOSH LUBER EXPLAINS HOW FOOTWEAR IS OUTPERFORMING THE FTSE

Words: Josh Sims

osh Luber has many, many pairs of trainers. Some 350 or more pairs – he’s not sure exactly how many he has, but reckons he’s fairly small fry when it comes to sneakerhead collections – are neatly arranged in shelves around an attic room at home.

It could be a display in some museum of the future; an exhibition exploring the anthropology of the late 20th century-early 21st century fascination with, of all unexpected things, sports shoes.

On the outside, Luber looks the part too, with his reversed baseball cap and baggy sweatpants. Underneath the street garb, however, the 40-year-old is much less laid back – he’s an ex-strategic consultant for IBM and a serial entrepreneur whose latest venture just happens to be about sneakers.

“I’ve been into sneakers all my life and did three startups before this latest one. In fact, I always tried to avoid doing anything with sneakers,” he says. “I didn’t want to build a business that allowed me to play with sneakers all day. But it’s probably no coincidence that the most successful start-up has been the one that has allowed me to involve my passion.”

Luber’s latest venture is the Detroit-based StockX, co-founded with Dan Gilbert, the billionaire founder of US company Quicken Loans (who was switched on to the market by his sneaker-obsessed teenage son). It is further backed, if primarily for publicity reasons, by the likes of Mark Wahlberg and Eminem. With its first European hub recently opened in London, it is, in short, an online stock market for the kind of goods that are often awkward to come by but have high liquidity. StockX will increasingly serve those with a penchant for watches and handbags, but for the moment it’s focusing on sneakers.

Just like a more traditional stock market, StockX uses real-time pricing data to provide a true value of its goods – sneakers from Nike and Adidas, streetwear by Supreme and Bape, handbags and shoes from Gucci and Chanel, Omega watches and the like – allowing users of the site to buy or sell immediately at the lowest listed price, place a bid that individual sellers can accept, or place an “ask” that a buyer might accept later. Once a bid and an ask coincide, the deal is done automatically, with StockX taking a 9.5 per cent commission (or less for regular sellers).

Of course, that hard market data – reflecting price volatility, 52-week highs and lows – might just as well drive prices down as up. And data is something Luber is very comfortable with. One of his previous start-ups was data analysing company Campless, which would become the default online price guide for sneakers. Back then he analysed the data he could glean from Ebay; now, naturally, millions of transactions on StockX generate his own data.

wearing on stage had outperformed the Standard & Poor’s index, and that of Apple’s share price.

Luber is currently working with sports brands to create a kind of initial public offering (IPO) on special sneaker launches, and is already arranging ways for people to have their orders shipped straight to StockX, rather than to the consumer and then to StockX. “Regardless of whether you believe it’s a good or a bad thing to resell in this way, the fact is that it happens and the market for those goods exists and isn’t going away,” he observes. “It’s a question of making the best of the scenario, to make that sale easy.”

Yeezy sneakers, Kanye West’s line for Adidas, accounts for a remarkable 20 per cent of all sneaker sales on StockX. “I don’t think anyone who buys a pair of Yeezy sneakers at retail does so without at least being conscious of the re-sale value,” says Luber. “If you can buy something at $200 and the resale value is $800, who wouldn’t buy it, whether it was a pair of sneakers or a widget?”

That’s why, he says, there are huge queues to buy some sneakers. “Especially,” he adds, “because there’s such a liquid market. I think even the most enthusiastic watch collector might buy two or three watches a year – after all, watches are at a much higher price point. But if you’re a hardcore sneakerhead you might be buying two or three pairs a week.”

Any other unregulated market is subject to booms and busts. But, Luber notes, sneaker brands – much like luxury goods brands – are very careful to control supply to their advantage.

Nike could kill off the resale market overnight simply by releasing more pairs of each trainer.

Instead, the company “props up an artificial commodities market, with a Facebook level-hyped IPO every single weekend.” Luber reckons the global sneaker resale market is worth some $4-5 billion per year. He expects that figure to grow by 20 per cent year-on-year.

Luber also claims that more than eight million people are already using StockX every day, amounting to daily sales in the region of $2 million. Three quarters of that is accounted for by sneakers. “There are just so many aspects of sneakers to like,” he enthuses. “The sneaker is something we’re all familiar with. Everyone has worn a pair at some time. There’s the artistic side of sneaker design – which is only getting bigger now that the big fashion houses are getting more involved. There’s the trading, the hunting. Like so many others, I just love them.”

The global sneaker resale market is worth some $4-5 billion a year

“This is the way certain products should be sold,” says Luber. “Ebay is great for those long-tail, unique items. But you have no liquidity if you just have one of something, so that sort of product doesn’t work for StockX. And the Amazon model works for products of almost unlimited supply – toilet paper or whatever. But for products in between there’s nothing – products that should be sold on the basis of market supply and demand.

Obviously we didn’t make this idea up. We just applied what more normally gets applied to the likes of, say, oil.”

Sneakers are an especially weird product, given their place in contemporary culture, the cultishness of the brands behind them and the obsessiveness of their legions of fans. This is a product, after all, which can drive people to sleep out on the pavement to be near the front of a queue when a certain new style drops at a shop.

It’s a product for which there’s a huge secondary market – with people buying sneakers with the sole intent of selling them on immediately at a sizable mark-up.

“What I really want StockX to do,” says Luber, “is give greater accessibility to these products for people who wouldn’t have the inclination to wait outside a shop to buy at retail, or to wade through Ebay listings for months to get the pair of sneakers they want. People with a little bit of disposable income, who are into sneakers, can go into a Foot Locker and see, say, 150 options. They can go on StockX and see thousands. That all means transparency is key – which is the real value in a bid/ask model. So is trust in the authenticity of the product; you need to know you won’t be getting a fake Louis Vuitton bag or Rolex or pair of Nike Jordan Black Cement sneakers.”

Alongside its new UK offices, StockX has opened its second authentification centre, in west London, where a team first checks every item that goes live on StockX to make sure it’s the real deal.

Each team member goes through a 90-day training programme. This is where knowing your Nike Air Foamposite One Paranormans from your Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Paris sneakers really counts.

And, more than that, knowing when a certain tiny detail is a tell-tale sign of some trickery at play.

After all, sneakers are often big ticket items these days. Indeed, Luber gave an entertaining 2015 Ted Talk about how one might profit very comfortably from the buying and selling of sneakers, how it’s a legal and accessible investment opportunity. In it he charted how the value of the sneakers he was

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ABOVE EMINEM WITH JOSH LUBER; ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF STOCKX

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PHOTOGRAPHER TURI LØVIK KIRKNES STYLIST ALEXANDRIA REID

Her: Long embroidered tulle dress, £1,077, Bodice, £475, both sarrieri.com; Cloud metal star cage clutch, £3,295, jimmychoo.com Him: Explorer Bomber Jacket, £630, ‘Previous Stones’ print T-shirt, £165, Navy wool trousers, £255, all paulsmith.com

THIS PAGE Check blazer, £900, Check trousers, £570, Large checked shirt, £410, all marni.com; Mercurino top handle bag, £550, furla.com OPPOSITE PAGE Him: Check trousers, £590, Frank Navin shirt, £590, both marni.com; Her: Nandy leopard dress, £6,200, Ong-Oaj Pairam, net-a-porter.com

OPPOSITE PAGE Him: Jacket, £450, Trousers, £500, all daks.com; Her: Trousers, £350, Waistcoat, £150, Polo neck, £125, Coat, £500, all daks.com THIS PAGE Stirling jacket, £695, Stirling trousers, £350, Sara sequin T-shirt, £795, all temperleylondon.com; So Kate shoes, £595, christianlouboutin.com

THIS PAGE Floral coat, POA, andrewgn.com; Harlow satchel, £1,150, Aria dress, £1,035, Large bouquet scarf, £125, Ribbon Heart Strass earrings, £295, Marlene D’orsay heels, £695, all mulberry.com OPPOSITE PAGE Satin trousers, POA, Satin Dress, POA, both peterpilotto.com; Gold platform heels, £600, Giuseppe Zanotti, giuseppezanotti.com

OPPOSITE PAGE Him: Jumper, £120, jcrew.com; Tartan trousers, £435, Shoes. £420, both viviennewestwood.com; Her: Trophy knit dress, £795, Trophy long knit cardigan, £795, temperleylondon.com THIS PAGE Polymide dress, £24,000, Calf leather belt, £700, Leather hat, £740, all dior.com

Models: Lilia from Wild Management and Jerome from PRM Hair: Jason Crozier Make up: Lan Nguyen Set design: Sarah MacNabb Photography assistant: Chaemus McMillan

BL ACKLIST A

MONOCHROME

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Words: Ellen Millard

E Y E S B A C K PA C K Here’s looking at you: Anya Hindmarch’s signature Eyes design has been stitched onto a nylon rucksack for a sporty take on the playful accessory.

Unzip the front pocket to reveal a cheeky scarlet mouth. £350, net-a-porter.com

D A P H N I S H AT Madeleine Thompson’s cashmere brand took off when Sienna Miller donned one of her signature beanies in 2008.

Late to the party? Catch up with the latest iteration of the plush topper: the Daphnis. £106, madeleine-thompson.com

PAT C H W O R K J U M P E R Prepare to be hypnotized by Me+Em, the affordable luxury brand that keeps prices low by cutting out the middlemen.

This 100 per cent merino wool knit has an oversized boxy cut

and a graphic design akin to an optical illusion. Take cues from the campaign and pair yours with the brand’s ankle-grazing Swing skirt. £249, meandem.com

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P R I N T E D T- S H I R T Valentino’s slogan tee brings a retro – and biblical – twist to the logo trend, with a design inspired by the Tower of Babel. Niche. £330, net-a-porter.com

B E A D E D TA S S E L DROP EARRINGS Designed in New York and handmade in India, these jaw-brushing clip-on earrings are three inches long and fashioned from ink black beads. £323, matchesfashion.com

HIGH-RISE TROUSERS A departure from Isa Arfen’s typically vivid prints, these trousers from the brand’s Resort 2019 collection focus on fit, with a stomach-crunching high waist and contrasting loose cropped legs. £400, matchesfashion.com

D O R E E N S L I N G B AC K Korean cobbler Sunyuul Yie creates dainty footwear with architectural flair. For the new season, the designer’s Doreen Slingback has been updated in sheepskin leather and finished with a pearlescent heel. £261, modaoperandi.com

LO G O S C A R F If you wear a Balenciaga scarf and nobody knows, did you really wear a Balenciaga scarf? Say it loud and proud with this graphic logo-insartia knit. A reversible contrasting side allows you to show off from all angles. £495, matchesfashion.com

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Collect Harrods Rewards points with every holiday booking

EXPERIENCES ARE EVERYTHING

Enchanting evenings in the Maldives As the sun sets over the Indian Ocean, celebrate new beginnings with a candlelit dinner for two. Let our beach specialists create your perfect, tailor-made honeymoon Visit A&K on Harrods’ Lower Ground Floor for more information

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11/01/2019 11:20

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

P.108 MEX IT UP Exploring the Mexican city of Cancún

P.114 TOURING TUNISIA Why the north African nation should be top of your bucket list

The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui’s flagship restaurant, Shook, serves western cuisine and pan-Asian dishes (p.118)

A MEXICAN AFFAIR DISCOVER THE BEACHFRONT CHARMS OF CANCÚN A T T H E U LT I M A T E A D U LT S - O N LY R E S O R T S T R S Y U C ATA N A N D T R S C O R A L

Words: Sunna Naseer

FROM TOP TRS CORAL HOTEL; TRS CORAL HELIOS BEACH CLUB; TRS CORAL EL TAPEO RESTAURANT

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every night. For dinner with a difference, Chic Cabaret is a must-see. Drinking and dining amid live dance acts and acrobatics performed in spectacular costumes make for a night to remember.

The Chic Cabaret show runs across both of the hotel group’s locations in Mexico, including TRS Coral, where I spent the second half of my stay. Here, there’s a slightly more modern feel to the resort, having only been launched at the end of 2018. Luscious greenery and palm trees are juxtaposed with grand modern architecture in striking geometric designs.

My open-plan room included a beautiful Jacuzzi bath and a sofa area decorated with Mexican-inspired tapestry. I spent my days lazing on my balcony overlooking the pool, occasionally venturing down to the swim-up bar, snoozing to the dulcet tones of harpists and saxophonists. I was also encouraged, just the once, to forsake R&R for a poolside Zumba class. There’s also the Zentropia Spa, complete with steam rooms, saunas, an ice cabin and an indoor infinity pool that opens out to an ocean view. The property is also about to open its Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, one of the world’s most comprehensive tennis facilities.

Both TRS Yucatan and TRS Coral are just a boat ride away from some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. Approaching the dock at Isla Contoy was a moment I will never forget. The cloudless sky was full of birds, as far as the eye could see. The island is a protected National Park, and as we climbed off the boat our tour guide warned us to “not take anything off this island – no flowers, no shells, no iguanas”.

This region of Mexico is also home to the Great Maya Reef – the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. Don a snorkel and explore the submarine world, where you’ll encounter schools of multi-coloured fish, sea turtles, whale sharks and dolphins -– if you’re lucky.

Isla Mujeres – or the Island of Women – is home to the Mayan goddess of fertility, so it is rumoured that young girls would visit to increase their chances of falling pregnant. Today, this island is bustling with vibrant street markets and taco restaurants. You can also visit the ancient ruins of the Mayan temple and a beautiful sea turtle sanctuary.

On the boat back to the mainland, with the sun beginning to set, I realised just how easy it is to fall in love with this extraordinary corner of the world.

or centuries, the wetlands, mangroves, sprawling jungles and virgin beaches of Cancún sat untouched, the deserted coastland unheard of until as recently as 50 years ago. The area’s gradual development precipitated the government’s decision to transform the peninsula into a tourism project and, today, Cancún is a dynamic and prosperous city, attracting more than three million tourists every year (#Cancun at 7.1m and counting).

My Mexican adventure began at the TRS Yucatan Hotel on the Riviera Maya, where I was to spend the first half of my stay, before heading to the new TRS Coral, located in Costa Mujeres. Built among tropical jungle, the hotel is visited by various wildlife, including the spiny-tailed iguana and the resort’s resident flamingos.

At check-in, a giant beetle the size of my fist was battling the valet’s foot as he tried to persuade it back into the greenery. Cancún itself got its name from the Mayan ‘Kan Kun’ meaning ‘nest of snakes.’ I was hoping not to stumble into any of those.

Inside the hotel, on a gleaming marble floor, a pianist played a melody that resounded around the expansive lobby, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls showcased the flowing water fountains and lush palm trees outside.

You’ll find TRS (formerly known as The Royal Suites) in some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful destinations, including two in the Dominican Republic. Designed for adults only, these hotels are particularly suited to couples looking for a romantic retreat. You can even get married at the resort’s very own chapel.

Part of Palladium Hotel Group, one of Spain’s biggest hotel groups and creators of such renowned resorts as Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, TRS has trademarked a concept called Infinite Indulgence® with the slogan “honour your freedom” – and its influence is evident at every turn. Guests can adapt their room to their liking with the help of a pillow menu and a selection of scents to choose from. An electronic waterproof wristband instead of a typical room key is provided and a motion and heat detector outside the door indicates to cleaners whether the room is occupied – perfect for an undisturbed morning lie-in.

In a place like this, even jet lag can’t dampen your mood and I was able to watch the sunrise transform the ocean from midnight blue to glistening turquoise from my private balcony.

Across the resort, a range of international à la carte restaurants – Italian, French, Spanish and Argentinean included – provide the luxury of trying a new cuisine

Junior Suites at TRS Yucatan are priced from £240 per night, TRS Coral from £325 per night, based on two people sharing on an all-inclusive basis, palladiumhotelgroup.com

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W H A T ’ S

Y O U R

TR AV E L P E R SO N A LIT Y ?

EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF THE WORLD ON A H O L I D AY TA I L O R E D T O Y O U W I T H L U X U R Y TO U R O P E R ATO R C A R R I E R

B

ear-spotting in British Columbia, sunbathing in the Seychelles or popping corks in Californian wine country – which would you choose?

Luxury tour operator Carrier

has launched ‘Discover You’, a curated edit of bespoke experiences tailored to your travel needs. From gastronomic getaways to R&R retreats, take the quiz to find out what your holiday says about you.

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Your suitcase essentials are…

Saturdays are for…

A A yoga mat for sunset stretching B Flipflops and factor 30 C Binoculars and a backpack D The Michelin Guide

A Hitting the gym – there’s no rest for the wicked B Perusing the latest exhibition at your local museum C Hiking; those walking boots won’t pay for themselves D Nabbing a table at the latest must-eat restaurant

What do you need to get through a long-haul flight?

Your travel partner is...

A A face mask and 40-winks B The latest Oscar-winning movie C Your well-thumbed travel guide D Snacks – don’t get me started on plane food

A Me, myself and I B Your significant other C A group of your closest friends D Someone with a big appetite – no fussy eaters allowed

What’s on your bookshelf?

What’s on your bucket list?

A Notes on a Nervous Planet, Matt Haig B Normal People, Sally Rooney C On the Road, Jack Kerouac D Pour Me: A Life, A.A. Gill

A A pilgrimage tour of India B Snorkelling in the Maldives C Camping in Yosemite D Wine tasting in Douro Valley

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The Self-Improver

The Escapist

The Adventurer

For you it is not enough to simply visit a destination; instead you see travel as a way to better yourself, whether you’re learning new skills or improving your state of mind. Start your journey to a happier, healthier version of yourself at Six Senses Kaplankaya, Turkey.

The celebrated resident spa, with its salt grottos and steamy hammams, offers a variety of personalised programmes aimed to optimise well-being, sleep, mindfulness and nutrition.

Going off-grid can seem daunting to some, but not you. You can think of nothing better than taking time out, and completely letting go – for a while at least.

Escape from the real world and get some well-deserved R&R at the same time at COMO Parrot Cay in Turks & Caicos, a minimalist back-tonature utopia with acres of unspoiled mangroves, a mile long beach and the renowned COMO Shambhala Retreat.

Turn off your emails, order a cocktail and breathe...

White water rafting, crosscountry skiing or majestic mountain hiking, there’s not much that’s out of bounds for you. A curious culture seeker and true adrenaline junkie, you travel to experience things you’ve never tried before. For a truly unique experience, why not stay 4,500ft above sea level in the peaks of Canada’s Ursus? Pitch up at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort’s Camp Cloud and spend the day paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming in your own private mountain lake.

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The Gourmet Globetrotter You’re a fastidious foodie.

You travel the world in search of flavours, incorporating everything from cutting-edge gastronomy, Michelin-starred restaurants and authentic local cuisine. At Niyama Private Islands, Maldives, there are nine eateries to choose from; book a table at Subsix, a restaurant six-metres below the water, or tuck into Asian flavours at Nest, a treehouse with a theatrical teppanyaki table.

Bon appétit!

To discover more travel personalities and to receive further information, please call 0161 826 1914 or visit carrier.co.uk/discover-you

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THE ACROPOLIUM, ALSO KNOWN AS SAINT LOUIS CATHEDRAL AT BYRSA CARTHAGE, TUNIS, TUNISIA

HIDE & SOUK VISITORS ARE BEGINNING TO RETURN TO TUNISIA. B U T W H AT ’ S C H A N G E D ?

ROB CROSSAN FINDS A LAND RICH IN BOTH HISTORY AND HOPE

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icasso blue and Hockney white: these are the colours that the late fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa looked out upon from his balcony each morning.

Known, somewhat crudely, as the King of Cling, Alaïa created figure-hugging dresses beloved by Cindy Crawford, Madonna and Grace Jones. Naomi Campbell even called him ‘papa’. Now, a year after his death, his home, a whitewashed villa in the Tunisian village of Sidi Bou Said, has been opened to the public.

Like Tunisia itself, the building wears its history lightly but still leaves the most lucid of impressions.

Looking out over the crayon blue waters of the Mediterranean on an early autumn afternoon from Alaïa’s balcony, the breeze flits lightly over eucalyptus trees. It ripples the pine nuts that float on top of glass cups of sweet tea served in local cafes.

Inside the spartan villa, small TVs play footage of the behemoths of the modelling world sashaying down the catwalks of New York, Paris and London.

Hung on the wall, in the most simple black frames, are photos of his designs; lucid, playful and serene, even in black and white they seem to transfer colour onto the cool, white stone walls.

It’s all but impossible to imagine the atmosphere of lush conviviality ever being disturbed in Sidi. But, for the rest of the country, radical change has had dramatic, and traumatic, effects in recent years.

It’s impossible to mention Tunisia without instantly thinking back to the beach massacre of tourists near Sousse and the deadly attack on visitors inside the Bardo National Museum in the capital Tunis, which both occured in 2015. The two events meant the abrupt decline of the nation’s longstanding tourism industry and it was only three years later, in 2018, that charter flights and visitors from the UK, France and beyond began gradually to return.

Returnees will find the central medina and souk in Tunis completely unchanged. Expecting an atmosphere heavy with trepidation or torpor, I was delighted to find myself in one of the most hospitable and relaxing capital cities on the continent.

Mixed groups of young men and women drink local wine and sip fearsomely strong coffee in pavement cafés. Designer jeans, cigarettes and artfully tousled hair are all abundant.

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Inside the souk, alcohol isn’t prevalent, but the cafés on a Saturday afternoon are filled with traders selling everything from carpets to ceramics, jewellery to pet food, dishdashas to spices and honey.

Amid the elegiac, peeling paint and sagging walls, stray cats dart into alleyways, children play in front of billowing shisha pipes and the timeless bustle of mercantile life goes on just as it has done for century upon century.

In one café a roar echoes down the crowded alleyway. Turning a corner I see a group of men wildly gesticulating and jumping on top of each other. Trouble? No, it’s just Mohammed Salah scoring for Liverpool, the Egyptian striker clearly now a hero for all of north Africa. Bellicose praise is bellowed at the TV screens hung precariously on rustic walls, worn smooth by time.

Just 20 minutes’ drive away, the Four Seasons Hotel Tunis offers an altogether less frenetic experience. Like being wrapped in crème fraiche and chamois leather, spending the night here is to be almost cocooned in a world of marble, crystal and satin.

With its own olive grove as well as Tunisia’s first female sommelier on board, the hotel, which opened in December 2017, isn’t afraid to bring local colour into every facet of the resort.

Settling down to an evening of Tunisian wine tasting, I found the whites were, for my palate, a little blunt and crude – hardly surprising given the fierce summer heat even in the far north of the country where the nation’s 100 or so vineyards are located.

The rosé wines, however, are outstanding, particularly a faint pink rosé blend of Syrah, Merlot and Mourvèdre made by Kurubis, an EU-backed Sicilian-Tunisian venture, named after Korba, the ancient name for the town where it is based.

With nuances of apricot, citron and smoked cheese, the wine makes a perfect accompaniment to the piscine heavy Tunisian coastal diet; heaving platters of octopus and calamari rings, then whole dorado and seabass, roasted on the bone and served with saucers of russet red harissa, bowls of thick, crisp pommes frites and brick like slabs of tajine, an egg-based type of quiche that bears no similarity whatsoever to the Moroccan dish of the same name.

The temptation to slip into pure sybaritism in the afternoon sun after a lunchtime feast of this magnitude is as enormous as the portion sizes, but a late afternoon exploration of the Bardo National Museum reaps rewards.

The timeless bustle of mercantile life goes on just as it has done for century upon century

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ROOFTOPS IN TUNIS; FOUR SEASONS HOTEL TUNIS; SEA-VIEW SUITE AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL TUNIS; DETAIL OF TRADITIONAL ARABIC ARCHITECTURE IN TUNISIA

Visitor numbers are still well down, although security is reassuringly tight at the entrance. The result is splendidly empty galleries in which I explored myriad mosaics depicting the monumental and the mundane elements of life here during the time when Carthage was one of the major cities of the Roman Empire.

A mosaic of two pugilists – one in combative stance, the other with blood flowing freely from a wound on his face – is particularly vivid. The two men’s stout frames and fleshly thighs seem to be almost hard-wired for the twin peaks of the Roman Empire at play: namely blood sports and carnal lust.

The ruins of Carthage itself are barely 30 minutes’ drive from here. Exploring the remains as the sun begins to slide towards the ocean, I learn, thanks to my guide Fattah, the full horrors that befell the city at the end of the Punic Wars.

Under siege for two years, the whole city was torched by Roman commander Scipio Aemilianus while his goons went on the rampage, massacring anyone who survived the fire. In 146BC the entire centre was reduced to rubble and the 50,000 remaining citizens were condemned to slavery.

Yet, speaking to Fattah, I learn more about how this region has had more enlightened eras too. In the 19th century, despite being under autocratic rule, Tunisia was one of the first nations to ban slavery (beating the United States by nearly 20 years). Tunisia also established the first modern constitution in the Arab world.

Walking around the remains of the Roman baths, the ground still rutted by chariot tracks, it becomes clear that the narrative of Tunisia isn’t a straightforward curve towards perfection. Like every nation, there are dips, bumps and plateaus in its story. Tunisia’s recent history has been turbulent.

But, if history is anything to go by, this is a corner of north Africa that may once again be beginning a new ascendency.

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TREASURE ISLAND KO H S A M U I ’ S R E P U TAT I O N F O R F U L L M O O N F R O L I C S A N D B O O Z E B U C K E T S P R E C E D E S I T – B U T, T H A N K S T O A R E C E N T R E S U R G E N C E I N H I G H - E N D R E S I D E N C E S , T H A I L A N D ’ S PA R T Y I S L A N D I S FA S T B E C O M I N G A L U X U R Y H OT S P OT

Words: Will Monroe

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t’s no secret that Thailand’s smattering of sun-soaked islands attract their fair share of backpackers.

There’s the notorious Ko Phi Phi Leh, home to the actual beach from Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 cult film The Beach (which has now closed indefinitely following nearly two decades of relentless visits).

There’s the party mecca Koh Phangan, the location of the infamous Full Moon parties, a popular destination for university students on a mission to find themselves at the bottom of a bucket of booze.

And, of course, there’s ‘Coconut Island’, better known as Koh Samui. Its beautiful beaches and proximity to neighbouring Koh Phangan have made it a hotspot for island-hopping tourists. The gaudy main town of Chaweng has become the island’s nightlife destination and those looking for relaxation have oft given it – and the island – a wide berth.

But change is afoot. Plans are in place to build a superyacht marina, while a string of top international hotel brands have set out their stalls.

Once a backpacker’s paradise, Koh Samui is fast becoming Thailand’s luxury destination, with a reputation as one of the crowning jewels of the islands that surround the mainland.

Among the new openings is The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui. Located on a former coconut plantation, the sprawling five-star resort is made up of 175 suites and pool villas, a large spa village and an oceanside swimming pool with private beach access.

My accommodation, an Ocean View Pool Villa, was a lesson in polished contemporary design, with a marble-heavy bathroom, honey-coloured timber and touches of rattan throughout. There’s a neutral colour palette which nods to the local architectural style. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors open on to a veranda, with a view out towards the Gulf of Thailand and a small, private infinity pool from which to admire it.

In the evenings, guests are encouraged to congregate for complimentary drinks and canapés at the arrival pavilion, which stands on an escarpment with commanding views of the glorious Samui sunsets. I spent a magical first evening, white wine in hand, watching dusk fall over the island and a blaze

THE RITZ CARLTON, KOH SAMUI

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Surfing the waves on the way back to Koh Samui was a truly mesmerising experience of purple and orange morphing gradually into velvet black.

Here, everything’s geared towards getting up rather than getting in at dawn, so I make the most of it and go for invigorating early morning yoga sessions and swims. I also intend to take advantage of the food on offer, so sign up for some Muay Thai and paddle-boarding too to guarantee a feast-ready appetite.

The speedboat experience is a must.

Participants hop aboard a turbo-charged boat that powers out over the waves towards Koh Phangan. A pit-stop is made to snorkel at a coral reef, where you can glide alongside schools of brightly-coloured fish and vast sea urchins with spikes several feet long. Then it’s on to a pictureperfect crescent-shaped cove with towering palm trees; think DiCaprio’s playground, but without the shark attacks. We enjoyed cold beers under the fronds of the palms, before reluctantly departing as the shadows began to lengthen, surfing the waves on the way back to Koh Samui – a truly mesmerising experience.

Back at the hotel, budding chefs can partake in immersive cookery classes, where participants are given a chef-led tour of the local market in order to source ingredients. If you’re more taster than tastemaker, there’s a multitude of culinary options to choose from, spanning western foods and pan-Asian dishes to traditional Southern Thai cuisine and, on Saturdays, market-style street food.

The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui mixes refined luxury with a treasure trove of activities. If, however, you do feel the urge to let loose, there’ll be a bucket of booze in town with your name on it.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE RITZ CARLTON, KOH SAMUI

Ocean View Pool Villa, from approx. £930 per night, including breakfast, ritzcarlton.com

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EXTRAORDINARY

Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala, Sri Lanka.

Photo by Anna Lisa & Porter @recesscity_coll

We look beyond the ordinary, creating bespoke experiences that ignite the senses, materialise even the wildest dreams and make every possibility a reality. Discover travel through Carrier’s eyes and you’ll never see the world in the same way again.

Search Carrier Holidays

Visit: carrier.co.uk Call: 0161 826 1914

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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

STREETS AHEAD The best homes on the market

P.136 DESIGN RIGHT Interiors insight from the Savills team

A third-floor apartment in the heart of Wesminster has all the mod-cons of a 21 st-century home (p.132)

Properties for sale and to let in Belgravia .

Montrose Place, Belgravia SW1

South Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1

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An exceptional lateral apartment on the 2nd floor with a private terrace, plus an additional flat on the lower ground.

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This white stucco fronted house is an excellent family home, conveniently located near Victoria station.

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24 hour concierge/security 2 secure car parking spaces Approximately 2,714 sq ft

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Private garden Further potential, subject to consents Approximately 2,461 sq ft

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Guide price £11,795,000

Guide price £4,995,000

stuart.bailey@knightfrank.com

020 3641 5911

Ranelagh Grove, Belgravia SW1

matthew.armstrong@knightfrank.com

West Halkin Street, Belgravia SW1

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1 A unique and charming period church conversion with beautiful windows and period features.

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Close to Orange Square Available unfurnished Approximately 1,262 sq ft

020 3641 5911

A well presented triplex apartment arranged over the top 3 floors of this white stucco fronted building.

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Wood flooring and air conditioning Available furnished Approximately 1,892 sq ft

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Guide price £825 per week wendy.gilchrist@knightfrank.com

Guide price £2,250 per week 020 3641 6004 ryan.stokes@knightfrank.com

020 3641 6004

knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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 Property Redress Scheme.

An impressive family home.

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Kenure House, Holland Park W11 Kenure House is an immaculately designed home built to an exceptional standard throughout. Excellently located in the Notting Hill/Holland Park area.

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Designed and built by award winning designers and developers Echlin There is a beautiful courtyard and a two storey living wall Benefits from a extra-wide garage Approximately 3,745 sq ft (348 sq m)

Caroline Foord looks forward to helping you. caroline.foord@knightfrank.com 020 3551 5156 07831 576613

Guide price

£8,950,000

Freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

18 Grosvenor Square MAYFAIR, W1K 6LE

Arguably the best position on Grosvenor Square, offering true lateral space with stunning southerly views from the double reception room.

This exceptional 4 bedroom apartment has been masterfully designed by Finchatton using materials of the highest quality.

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Approx 3,541 sq. ft

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4 bedrooms

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4 bathrooms

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2 reception rooms overlooking Grosvenor Square

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EPC rating F

P R I C E : £ 1 8 ,9 5 0 ,0 0 0

020 3641 5898 mayfair@knightfrank.com knightfrank.co.uk/mayfair Apartment designed by

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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

Madrid Road, SW13 £2,500,000 Arranged over three floors, this Edwardian family home boasts six bedrooms, a formal reception room and an impressive open-plan kitchen/dining room with bi-folding doors leading out to an impeccable landscaped garden. Freehold. EPC=C • Integrated sound system • Wine store • Garden studio Barnes office: 020 8033 9040

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Paddington W2

Matching people and property in London for over 160 years.

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STREETS AHEAD DISTINCTIVE HOMES ON THE PROPERTY MARKET THIS MONTH

ONE BROMPTON, SW5

Following a fouryear renovation, One Brompton has launched with 17 bespoke one- and twobedroom properties, plus this elegant lateral penthouse, which has direct lift access and

three roof terraces.

Hidden behind the property’s original Victorian façade, the development has a contemporary design and handy mod-cons such as USB ports, wine coolers and underfloor heating.

From £895,000, 020 7861 5483, onebrompton.co.uk

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DRAKE HOUSE, SW1P

Located on Marsham Street in the heart of Westminster, this thirdfloor apartment has two double bedroooms and two bathrooms, plus a large kitchen and dining room and adjoining balcony. The building benefits from a 24-hour concierge, security and allocated underground parking. ÂŁ2m, 020 7828 8100, marshandparsons.co.uk

V I C A R A G E G AT E , W8

A six-bedroom house in Kensington, Vicarage Gate is arranged over nine floors, including two basement levels and a roof terrace. The impressive property

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houses seven bathrooms and three reception rooms, as well as its own swimming pool, gym and steam room. There is also a spacious garden and a lift to all floors. ÂŁ19.5m, 020 7313 8408, struttandparker.com

NEW YORK

Paris Forino Designed Sublime 5,444sf Full Floor Five Bedroom Masterpiece/ 66 Ninth Avenue Residence 6 - New York City After years of dreaming, designing and constructing, this breathtaking masterpiece has come to life and is simply stated, extraordinary. Sublime, contemporary, tailored beauty at every turn, residence six is a dream home in every detail, in every square inch and is the new definition of an ultra-luxurious, tailor-made private residence.

Discover. Explore, adore. Acquire. 5,444 square feet full floor, 5 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, separate library and den, private terrace. $29,000,000

Jessica C. Campbell 1-917-621-7815 jessicac@nestseekers.com

Grand European Villa 13319 Mulholland Drive Beverly Hills Hidden behind gates & down the private cobblestone driveway is Villa Soigni with commanding views of the San Fernando Valley. On over 2/3 of an acre & apx. 7,900 sq. ft the home is distinguished by over sized rooms with abundant natural light and 30 ft. ceilings. Stunning marble floors, exquisite moldings & an 8 ft fireplace, pool and spa. Upstairs are 4 ensuite bedrooms, extremely large master suite with room like walk in closet, grand remodeled bathroom, fireplace & 2 terraces complete. Main floor includes guest suite and library. Three car garage & large motor court complete this wonderful private mini estate. $8,490,000

Marisa Zanuck 1-310-913-1741 Marisa@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.

Harrington Gardens, South Kensington Modern living in a classic London location. A bespoke, 2500 sqft, three bedroom triplex apartment in the heart of South Kensington, with cool design touches throughout.

The space would suit those looking for a turn-key, one-off¬ place, just moments from world class amenities around South Ken, Chelsea and Knightsbridge. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 floors and terrace. Tenure: leasehold, 135 years. £5,250,000

Solly Strickland +44 7702 669 647 SollyS@NestSeekers.com | Daniel McPeake +44 7809 351 114 DanielMc@nestseekers.com

Burns Road, Battersea

The Observatory Penthouse, Fulham

A completely bespoke property which forms part of one of London’s finest loft developments, Southside Quarter, just moments from Battersea Park and only 1 mile from the new American Embassy. The ground floor features a wonderful reception room, with double height ceilings, vast period windows and beautiful stone floors. This 2036sqft property is perfect for those looking for a completely unique home with great security and off-street parking just across the river from Chelsea.

Tenure: Freehold. £1,600,000

Iconic West London Penthouse. Located in the heart of Munster Village, the penthouse at Brandon House is the perfect marriage of post-industrial warehouse living with striking modern architecture, with over 3000 sqft of internal space. 3 bedrooms , 2 bathrooms, 60ft living room, glass observatory, huge roof terrace with panoramic London views, direct lift access, double garage.

Tenure: leasehold, 978 years. £2,850,000

Solly Strickland +44 7702 669 647 SollyS@NestSeekers.com Daniel McPeake +44 7809 351 114 DanielMc@nestseekers.com

Solly Strickland +44 7702 669 647 SollyS@NestSeekers.com Daniel McPeake +44 7809 351 114 DanielMc@nestseekers.com

NestSeekers.com

PROJECT RUNWAY A H E A D O F L O N D O N F A S H I O N W E E K I N F E B R U A R Y, S AV I L L S ’ S E N I O R I N T E R I O R C O N S U LTA N T C H A R L O T T E H O D G E S - P E C K R E C O M M E N D S LO O K I N G TO T H E C AT WA L K S F O R D E S I G N I N S P I R AT I O N

Words: Ellen Millard

LUXURY LONDON

PROPERTY

F THIS IMAGE AYNHOE ROAD, BROOK GREEN, £3M, SAVILLS BROOK GREEN & SHEPHERDS BUSH, 020 3618 3777; ALL OTHER IMAGES HARLEY PLACE, MARYLEBONE, £4M, SAVILLS MARYLEBONE & FITZROVIA, 020 3527 0400

or more than 30 years, Coco Chanel took up residence in her favoured suite at The Ritz.

She made herself at home, using the staff entrance and decorating the space to her liking. When The Ritz was renovated in 2016, it rebranded the room Suite Coco Chanel in homage to the couturier, with an interior modelled on her original design: Coromandel lacquer screens, gilt-framed mirrors and a black-and-white colour palette befitting the house of Chanel, the veritable home of monochrome fashion.

The fashionable figureheads of the 21st century have been equally fastidious when it comes to decorating their homes, crafting spaces synonymous with their style. In the Italian villa of Rosita Missoni, rainbow prints abound; at Tom Ford’s London residence, slick steelwalls make a nod to his tailoring line; and at Ralph Lauren’s Double L ranch in Colorado, the wooden retreat befits the set of a Polo fashion shoot, with vintage Pendleton blankets and a worn American flag nailed to its timber walls.

If you’re in an interior design rut, you could do worse than follow the lead of these sartorial greats. Savills’ Interior Services department helps clients design, update and improve the presentation of their property in preperation for letting or sale, helping them to refurbish, redecorate or furnish their space to maximise potential investment returns.

In light of London Fashion Week this February, senior interior consultant Charlotte Hodges-Peck is recommending clients look in their wardrobes before comparing paint charts.

“Looking in your wardrobe will give you a great indication of what you would be comfortable with in your own home,” she says. “If your favourite dress is deep-coloured velvet, then a velvet sofa is likely to be a success. Equally, you should think twice about including colours in your scheme that don’t feature in your wardrobe; if you’re not drawn to them in a clothes shop, you probably shouldn’t be splashing them on your walls either.”

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Once you’ve got the big ticket items out of the way, you can experiment with accessories and switch them up as your tastes change, providing an affordable way to redecorate your space again and again.

“If you like to shake things up seasonally, there is no reason you can’t do the same with your soft furnishings; swap a cotton throw for a cosy blanket, or replace your pale linen cushion covers with rich brocade ones for winter.

“As with your wardrobe, when you find an interior style that works for you, it will make you feel more comfortable, confident and relaxed. It will also help you to save money in the long term as you’ll make fewer mistakes.”

For more information on Savills’ Interior Services, call 020 8018 7039 or visit savills.com

Well-presented duplex apartment Roland Gardens, SW7 Gloucester Road underground station: 0.3 miles Reception room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and private balcony. EPC = E

Leasehold approximately 81 years 8 months remaining | 1,474 sq ft | Guide £2 million Daniel Carrington Savills Earl’s Court 020 7578 6900 dan.carrington@savills.com

Substantial family home Harley Gardens, SW10 Gloucester Road underground station: 0.6 miles Entrance hall, reception room, kitchen/family room, dining room/study, 6 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, cinema/sitting room. terrace, garden, swimming pool, gym ,sauna, steam room, parking for 4 cars and lift. EPC = E

Freehold | 8,553 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ15.5 million Patch Lister Savills Chelsea 020 7578 9000 plister@savills.com

Fehd Alsaidi Strutt and Parker 020 7373 1010 fehd.alsaidi@struttandparker.com

Beautifully presented apartment The Lansbury, SW3 Knightsbridge underground station: 0.2 miles A very well laid out lateral apartment located in this stylish and boutique residential building designed by the renowned developers Finchatten, with views towards the world famous Harrods department store. Reception rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, direct lift access and concierge. EPC = B

Leasehold approximately 992 years remaining | 1,736 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ6.25 million Ben Morris Savills Sloane Street 020 7590 5061 bmorris@savills.com

Renovation without compromise Ladbroke Road, W11 Notting Hill Gate: 0.4 miles, Holland Park: 0.3 miles This amazing property offers the ultimate in modern luxury living. Double reception room, kitchen/ dining/breakfast room, 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, guest cloakroom, sunroom, patio garden, gym, spa and cinema. EPC = D

Freehold | 4,842 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ8.5 million Oliver Lurot Savills Notting Hill 020 7727 5750 olurot@savills.com

Sydney Street, Chelsea SW3 £1,150 per week

Furnished

Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill W10 £650 per week

Furnished

A superb two double bedroom, two-bathroom maisonette finished to a very high standard.

A stylish and modern one-bedroom apartment with an open-plan living and dining area.

1,110 sq ft (103.1 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen | Two bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Study area | Storage room | Garden | EPC rating D

2,282 sq ft (211.97 sq m) Kitchen/dining/reception room | One bedroom | Shower room | Separate WC | Dressing room | EPC rating C

Chelsea 020 3504 5588 | chelsea.lettings@struttandparker.com

Notting Hill 020 3773 4114 | nottinghill@struttandparker.com

Campden House, Kensington W8 £1,650 per week

Eaton Terrace, Belgravia SW1W £5,950,000/£4,450 per week Freehold/Furnished

Furnished

A stunning interior designed first floor flat, finished to the highest standard and situated in a smart Victorian building in Kensington.

An extremely elegant six-bedroom family house.

1,321 sq ft (123 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen | Bedroom with en suite bathroom | Second bedroom | Second bathroom | Lift | Porter | Communal gardens | EPC rating C

3,122 sq ft (289.1 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Sitting room | Study | Master bedroom suite | Five further bedrooms | Four further bath/shower rooms | Utility room | Landscaped garden | Terrace | EPC rating E

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridgeLettings@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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The Landau, Fulham SW6 £745 per week

Unfurnished

Cranley Gardens, South Kensington SW7 £1,950 per week Part Furnished

A stunning two double bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with concierge service, gymnasium and underground parking.

A bright and spacious three-bedroom, three-bathroom duplex apartment with a private garden in the heart of South Kensington.

1,190 sq ft (110.51 sq m) Kitchen/reception room | Two bedrooms with en suites | Cloakroom | Terrace | EPC rating B

1,703 sq ft (158.23 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen | Three bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Balcony | Garden | Patio | EPC rating C

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Hyde Park Gate, South Kensington SW7 £3,950 per week Furnished

Elbe Street, Fulham SW6 £630 per week

A stunning lateral five-bedroom apartment with parking, porter and breathtaking uninterrupted views.

A gorgeous and newly refurbished three double bedroom, two-bathroom upper maisonette in Fulham.

3,612 sq ft (335.57 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Five double bedrooms | Bedroom/study | Five bathrooms | EPC rating D

1,019 sq ft (94.69 sq m) Kitchen | Reception room | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and Juliette balcony | Two further bedrooms | Bathroom | EPC rating C

South Kensington 020 3504 5901 | southken@struttandparker.com

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Furnished

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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Royal Avenue, Chelsea SW3 £6,850,000

Freehold

Palace Court, Notting Hill W2 £7,750,000

Share of Freehold

A stunning five-bedroom Grade II Listed Freehold house located on a prime Chelsea square extending to some 3,000 square feet.

A sensational, lateral apartment on the fourth floor of this portered red brick mansion building.

2,938 sq ft (272.9 sq m) Four reception rooms | Master bedroom suite | Four additional bedrooms | Kitchen | Three bathrooms | Terrace | Courtyard | EPC rating exempt

3,285 sq ft (305.18 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen | Four double bedrooms | Four en suite bathrooms | Dressing room | Guest cloakroom | Basement storage vault | Lift | 24hr porterage | EPC rating F

Chelsea 020 3504 5588 | chelsea@struttandparker.com

Notting Hill 020 3773 4114 | nottinghill@struttandparker.com

Oakwood Court, Kensington W8 £2,950,000

Leasehold

Francis Street, Westminster SW1P £6,450,000

Leasehold

A lateral four-bedroom raised ground floor apartment, with excellent entertaining space, in this mansion block.

This extraordinary & unique apartment has exceptionally high ceilings with the added benefit of parking for two cars.

2,270 sq ft (210.9 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Four bedrooms | Four bath/shower rooms | 24hr security | Access to the communal garden | EPC rating C

3,736 sq ft (347.1 sq m) Reception room | Sitting room | Kitchen | Master bedroom | Second double bedroom | Two studies | Utility room | Parking for two cars | EPC rating D

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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

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16/01/2019 12:46

Edenhurst Avenue, Fulham SW6 £3,850,000

Freehold

Lancelot Place, Knightsbridge SW7 £5,850,000

Leasehold

An immaculate seven-bedroom, semi-detached house benefitting from off street parking and a 40ft west-facing garden.

An excellent opportunity to acquire a larger than average two-bedroom apartment in this prestigious building with 24hr concierge & parking.

3,770 sq ft (350.23 sq m) Kitchen | Reception room | Master bedroom with dressing room | Six further bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Shower room | Cinema room | Utility room | Two cloakrooms | Garden | Roof terrace | EPC rating D

1,977 sq ft (183.7 sq m) Reception hall | Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom | Second bedroom | Shower room | 24hr concierge | EPC rating B

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | barclay.macfarlane@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

Cranley Place, South Kensington SW7 £9,500,000 Freehold

Lamont Road, Chelsea SW10 £4,950,000

An outstanding five/six-bedroom, family house situated on a prestigious road in South Kensington.

An outstanding end of terrace family house extending to 2,606 square feet and occupying the corner position in the popular Ten Acre Estate.

4,800 sq ft (446.09 sq m) Reception room | Two family rooms | Kitchen | Dining room | Study | Master bedroom suite | Five bedrooms | Seven bathrooms | Playroom | Utility room | Gardens | Terrace | EPC rating E

2,606 sq ft (242.1 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Sitting room | Dining room | Kitchen/ breakfast room | Library | Master bedroom suite | Three further bedrooms (one en suite) | Cloakroom | Garden | EPC rating D

South Kensington 020 3504 5901 | southken@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Freehold

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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Hans Place, Knightsbridge SW1X

ÂŁ1,395,000 Leasehold

A recently refurbished two-bedroom flat, situated on the top floor of this period conversion, with access to the stunning communal gardens.

798 sq ft (74.1 sq m) Entrance hall | Reception room | Kitchen | Master bedroom | Dressing room | Further double bedroom | Two shower rooms | Air conditioning | Access to communal gardens | EPC rating E

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com 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.

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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

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15/01/2019 10:44

Proper partners

Emma

Will SW5

We don’t have clients. Just friends.

If you are thinking of selling or letting your home contact us today struttandparker.com 020 3930 2818

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