Luxury London Magazine March 2019

March 2019 £7.00

MAGAZINE

SAC HA JAF R I

O L IVIA CO L MAN

HIGH SOCIETY’S MOST

F R O M P E E P S H OW

IN-DEMAND ARTIST

TO Q U E E N O F T H E

A NT HO N Y JOS HUA

S I LV E R S C R E E N

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GIANTS

B E S T

O F

BRITISH CELEBR ATING THE HOME-GROWN TALENT DOMINATING THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

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CONTENTS

26 UP FRONT

52 32 40 THROUGH THE YEARS

64 WHISKY WANDERINGS

The peculiar customs

Johnnie Walker teams up with

10 EDITOR’S LETTER

and curiosities of Oxford and

13 THE BRIEFING

Cambridge Universities

Burlington Arcade marks its 20th anniversary and the return

C U LT U R E

of Desert X, Greater Palm Spring’s outdoor art festival 26 OLIVIA COLMAN The Favourite actress on her award-winning performance 32 ANTHONY JOSHUA The boxing champ and BOSS ambassador gears up for a career-defining year

tips for the 21st century

COUTURE 68 GREEN SLEEVES

46 THE AGENDA David Bailey hails the Swinging Sixties in a new retrospective 52 STROKES OF GENIUS How Sacha Jafri became high society’s most in-demand artist

CONNOISSEUR

The British brands championing a verdant aesthetic 70 FASHION GOES FULL CIRCLE Mindful style from fashion’s trail-blazing designers 78 THE MIDAS TOUCH Jeweller Shaun Leane reflects on 20 years in business

36 MIND YOUR MANNERS Debrett’s shares its etiquette

Oblix at The Shard

60 BON VIVUER

86 BRIT PACK

London’s newest members’ clubs

The very best of British fashion

BEST OF BRITISH

78 96 TRUE BRIT Dapper accessories from home-grown designers 98 MAN’S WORLD Inside Harrods’ revamped menswear department

102

120

124 TAKE ME TO CHURCH A former rectory-turnedboutique bolthole in the heart of Somerset

PROPERTY

102 SHOW TIME The most talked-about timepieces at SIHH

ESCAPE

132 INSIDER KNOWLEDGE A record-setting sale for Clarges Mayfair’s largest penthouse 134 S TREETS AHEAD From Westminster to Wapping,

114 TO THE MANOR BORN Foxhill Manor does laidback luxury at its best 120 L A DOLCE VITA

discover the hottest homes hitting the market this month 140 SPOTLIGHT

COV E R

Behind the doors of a three-

How an eccentric Earl brought

bedroom house on Belgravia’s

a slice of Italy to Suffolk

Eaton Mews

Photography by Adam Fussell, styling by Graham Cruz. Full credits on page 86

EDITOR Richard Brown

FROM THE EDITOR March 2019 Issue 10

DEPUTY EDITOR Ellen Millard ONLINE EDITOR Mhairi Graham CONTENT DIRECTOR Dawn Alford

It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future. When we sat down to plan our themes for 2019 last autumn, March seemed like an appropriate month to earmark for a Best of British issue. A celebration of home-grown talent flying the flag across film, fashion and food; art, culture and cars; sport, style and hospitality.

We’d interview the biggest names making the biggest splashes on the international stage.

We’d secure time with whoever would be leading the charge of the Brit brigade at the 2019 Academy Awards. We’d predict and pin down the sporting star who’d get the chance to cement their status once and for all in 2019. We’d selflessly take it upon ourselves to investigate the best country escapes for a quintessential English weekend away. We’d even recreate a fashion show after-party in a swanky suite in a legendary London hotel, dressing five emerging British models in the brightest finery from this country’s most exciting designers. What a well-timed and totally original leitmotif, we thought. A two-fingered salute to the chaos that would surely be unravelling in the corridors of Westminster.

Well, we got that bit right. Though, as the clock ticks down to 29 March, it looks like we needn’t have gotten so hung-up on coinciding this red-white-and-blue imbued issue with Brexit deadline day. Forty-four days out and, at the time of writing, it’s still impossible to see how and when it will happen – if at all.

Easier to predict was that Olivia Colman’s barnstorming performance as Queen Anne in the darkly-comic period drama The Favourite would confirm her place among acting royalty (p.26). Colman has already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for the role. You wouldn’t bet against her making it a hat-trick come Oscars night. We’ll wager, too, that her turn as HM The Queen in Netflix’s soon-to-return The Crown will also be a winner.

Some other punts: before the year’s out, Anthony Joshua will defeat Deontay Wilder, uniting all five international boxing belts to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 (p.32); the value of paintings by Sacha Jafri will continue to soar despite attempts by the humanitarian mega-artist to reconfigure the way art is sold (p.52); and a visit to any one of the bucolic boltholes featured in our travel section will provide a welcome escape from the ‘B’ word.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Annabel Harrison EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Abisha Sritharan Dom Jeffares CLIENT CONTENT MANAGER Sunna Naseer HEAD OF DESIGN Laddawan Juhong DESIGNER Ismail Vedat GENERAL MANAGER Fiona Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Alice Ford COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Rachel Gilfillan BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Colin Saunders BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE Madelyn Curnyn MANAGING DIRECTOR Eren Ellwood

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

PUBLISHED BY

RICH ARD B ROWN Ed itor LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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TH E B R I E F I N G T H E L AT E S T N E W S F R O M T H E W O R L D O F L U X U R Y

P.14 SUITE LIFE Inside The Beaumont, Mayfair’s Art Decoinspired hideaway

P.18 TOP OF THE SHOPS Burlington Arcade marks two centuries in business

P.22 X MARKS THE SPOT Greater Palm Springs’ outdoor art festival, Desert X, makes a vivid return

Rolls-Royce has announced that 2018 was the most successful year in its 115-year history, thanks, in part, to a host of bespoke creations (p.20)

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F E AT U R E

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THE BEAUMONT HOTEL ART MEETS HISTORY IN A TALE OF MAYFAIR MAKE-BELIEVE Words: Richard Brown

Things they don’t build like they used to: multi-storey car parks. For evidence of exactly where and when that utilitarian architectural form reached its aesthetic acme, exit Bond Street from the back, skirt past Thom Sweeney, cross Brown Hart Gardens and behold 8 Balderton Street.

Staggeringly, the four-storey, neoclassical, column-lined, faux-Portlandstone construction you’ll find there – designed by Fortnum & Mason architects Wimperis and Simpson – opened in 1926 as what was, and what must surely still be, the most elaborate garage ever conceived.

More surprising still, given its locale in super-prime central London,

the car park and petrol station – it opened as ‘Macy’s’ to serve denizens of neighbouring department store Selfridges – remained a home for automobiles until 2009. Dagenham Motors Ltd occupied the site from 1932 to the 1980s, before making way for Avis Rent-A-Car in the nineties.

Today, the orthogonal cotton-white building is Grade-II listed. In 2014 it opened as The Beaumont – the first hotel by hospitality power-duo Corbin & King (of The Ivy, Le Caprice, The Delaunay, The Wolseley, et al.). Last year, the hotel’s freeholder, the Grosvenor Estate, sold its lease to the Barclay brothers (The Ritz, Daily Telegraph, Spectator etc), with a

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The hotel was conceived, designed and decorated with a fictional character in mind

The threestorey Legolike figure on the left of the hotel is a piece of public art

by Antony Gormley

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NEWS

The oak-pannelled bedroom inside Antony Gormley’s ROOM, accessed through a black curtain at the back of a pure white marble bathroom

for-sale price of between £125-£140million.

Expect the hotel’s new proprietors to stamp their mark on the property imminently – rumours suggest a revamped and renamed bar – but for now The Beaumont remains the specific vision of former-owner Jeremy King.

To match the building’s Art-Deco exterior, King concocted a narrative that would inform all aspects of the hotel’s interior.

The Beaumont, he imagined, was the work of fictional James Beaumont – Jimmy, to his friends – a discouraged American hotelier who escaped prohibition Manhattan to establish an eponymous guesthouse in pre-war Mayfair.

The result is warm-lit public areas of polished walnuts, bronze panthers and blackand-white photographs from the Roaring Twenties. Bedrooms – the hotel has 50 rooms and 23 suites – feature timber headboards, bronze mirroring, mohair-velvet chairs, large desks, silk curtains, geometric carpets and monochrome marble bathrooms. There’s also ROOM, a three-storey inhabitable sculpture

by Turner Prize-winner Antony Gormley (best known for the Angel of the North). From the outside, it’s a giant crouching cuboid figure

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on the left of the hotel’s façade. Inside, it’s one of the world’s most extraordinary, and secluded, one-bedroom suites.

The walls of the timber-panelled American Bar, around which the hotel is centred, are entirely covered by period photos. At the back of the bar is the Colony Grill Room, a moody, masculine American diner with blood-red leather banquettes and, on our visit at least, plenty of real-life Noo Yaukers. The signature ‘Beaumont’ cocktail – gin, sherry, sugar, champagne – is as good as its ingredients suggest; the rib-eye steak – over-cooked, sinewy, yours for £37.50 – impressed far less.

Awards, The Beaumont’s had a few. The Best Small Hotel in the World in 2018, according to the The Gallivanter’s Guide; one of the 25 best on the planet, according to TripAdvisor in the same year. The Beaumont’s greatest achievement, however, must surely be the fact that in less than half a decade it’s become what all great hotels aspire to be – an institution.

That and the fact that never in a million years would you guess you were bedding down in a disused car park.

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NEWS

200 YEARS OF BURLINGTON ARCADE THE SHOPPING ARCADE MARKS TWO CENTURIES IN BUSINESS WITH A SERIES OF POP-UPS, INSTALLATIONS AND EXCLUSIVE COLLECTIONS

Each year, more than four million people pound the marble pavements of Burlington Arcade – not bad for a passage originally built as a barrier to the neighbouring house. The story goes that Lord George Cavendish, the 1st Earl of Burlington and resident of the adjacent Burlington House, ordered the arcade to be built as a solution to the growing problem of passers-by lobbing litter over his garden wall.

A year later, in 1819, the passage was renamed Burlington Arcade, and London’s smallest shopping

centre was born.

This year, the historic arcade, which is now home to more than 40 luxury brands, is marking its 200th anniversary. Throughout March, visitors will be treated to a series of immersive installations, exclusive personalisation and gift wrapping services and a selection of limited-edition products by the likes of Church’s, Frederic Malle, Manolo Blahnik, Lalique and Strathberry. EM 51 Piccadilly, W1J, burlingtonarcade.com

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As part of the manufacturer’s 2019 Social Hotspot Programme – a series of ultra-exclusive events for its members – Rolls-Royce will be taking up residence in the Alpine resort of Courchevel 1850 from 18 February until 10 March.

Existing and prospective clients will be invited to experience the capabilities of the Cullinan on- and off-piste, as they

BEYOND THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY ROLLS-ROYCE MOVES AWAY FROM ‘TICK-BOX’ MASS-LUXURY, AS THE MARQUE CELEBRATES THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN ITS 115-YEAR HISTORY

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NEWS

are chauffeured between the collection of hotels taking part, including the Le Lana Hotel and Hôtel Les Airelles.

A Bespoke commissioning suite has been created from local timber to provide a luxurious setting from which customers can create their own individual Rolls-Royce.

Reflecting on 2018, the department’s

most successful year, the Bespoke Collective Team can celebrate some truly unique creations. Highlights include: the Phantom ‘Whispered Muse’ – a contemporary masterpiece that reinterprets Charles Sykes’ original drawings of the Spirit of Ecstasy; the Wraith ‘Luminary’ Collection, which embraced a unique headliner that has

active shooting stars, adding a playful aspect to a configuration of the 1,340 fibre optic lights (a first in automotive history); and the Adamas (meaning ‘untameable’) Wraiths and Dawns, which showcased a darker side of contemporary craftsmanship, where carbon structures were woven into cars to create the ‘Black Badge’ collection. DJ

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DESERT X RETURNS TO GREATER PALM SPRINGS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S BIENNIAL OUTDOOR ART EXHIBITION CHAMPIONS CREATIVE TALENT ON AN ENORMOUS SCALE

I AM, STRACHAN TAVARES, 2017, PART OF DESERT X 2017, PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID BLANK

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NEWS

Following the success of its inaugural exhibition in 2017, Greater Palm Springs’ biennial Desert X has returned for a second run of outdoor installations and performances. Spanning 50 miles across Coachella Valley and expanding south to the Salton Sea and Mexico for the first time, the free public art festival features 19

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site-specific installations and performances by creatives from across the globe.

Among the exhibits is a series of digital installations, including two by Los Angelesbased Nancy Baker Cahill, whose augmented reality experiences, Revolutions and Margin of Error, can only be seen using a mobile phone or tablet. Elsewhere, Colombian artist Ivan Argote’s interactive sculpture, A Point of View, features five staircases embossed with the artist’s own poetry in Spanish and English, while Erik Mack’s Halter sees 2,300 ft of donated Missoni

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NEWS

OPPOSITE PAGE ALIVE! JEFFREY GIBSON, 2017, PART OF DESERT X 2017, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY LANCE GERBER THIS PAGE, FROM TOP SPECTER, STERLING RUBY, PART OF DESERT X 2019; VISIBLE DISTANCE, JENNIFER BOLANDE, PART OF DESERT X 2017, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY LANCE GERBER; WESTERN FLAG, JOHN GERRARD, PART OF DESERT X 2019

patchworks draped over a disused gas station, giving the 1950s building a new lease of life. Native artist Julian Hoeber’s terracotta figure of eight, dubbed Going Nowhere Pavilion #01, represents a study of human consciousness.

In addition to the core works, the resident Palm Springs Art Museum will present a three-day symposium from 1-3 March entitled Desert, Why?, which will include bonus performances, panels and tours.

Artworks are discoverable by an app, but information hubs are located throughout the valley, including the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs and at information centres on El Paseo in Palm Desert and Miles Avenue in Indio. EM Until 21 April, desertx.org

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OLIVIA COLMAN EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE O L I V I A C O L M A N ’ S D E C I D E D LY U N - H O L LY W O O D B E G I N N I N G S M A K E I T E A S Y T O F O R G E T T H A T S H E H A S C O N S I S T E N T LY P A V E D T H E W AY F O R W O M E N O N S C R E E N W I T H O N E B R A V U R A PERFORMANCE AFTER ANOTHER. THIS YEAR, FRESH FROM A S M AT T E R I N G O F B I G G L O B A L AWA R D S W I N S , S H E ’ S B R I N G I N G IT HOME ONCE AGAIN AS QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN THE CROWN

Words: Peter Wallace

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F E AT U R E

OLIVIA COLMAN AS QUEEN ANNE IN THE FAVOURITE

O f all British entertainment’s exports to have taken Hollywood by storm, Olivia Colman must surely be the most honest and endearing.

Colman’s phenomenal acting talent has always been evident, since her breakthrough role as emotionally unstable love interest Sophie in David Mitchell and Robert Webb’s hit cult comedy Peep Show, in which she first appeared in 2003.

More than a decade and a half later, she is now reaping the rewards for her tour de force performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’s acclaimed The Favourite, alongside Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Her comical portrayal of Queen Anne has seen her win a Golden Globe and BAFTA – and she is hotly tipped to take home the Oscar, too.

“The role of Queen Anne has been a wonderful gift,” says the 45-year-old. “I’ve never played this big a lead in a film before and so it’s quite a nice milestone for me. You always look for these kinds of opportunities and once you have this kind of major role given to you it’s very satisfying.

I’m very grateful for being able to work with Rachel and Emma. It’s rare to have three women in the lead, and where they are driving the story forward on their own and not as somebody’s wife or girlfriend, as is often the case.”

This is not the first time Colman’s unique talent for atypical female characterisation has been matched with a widely admired show. In 2016, she starred in the BBC mini-series The Night Manager. She won the 2017 Golden Globe for that performance – although never believing she would win, decided not to travel to the US for the awards as she “had work the next day” filming alongside Dame Judy Dench.

There have also been three series of Broadchurch, where Colman portrayed the no-nonsense Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller, making her a household name.

“Not only are these great roles for me, but they’re great roles that women can identify with and stories that women can relate to,” says Colman. “I think that men and women will both be glad to see women presented in a more realistic way.

“Women are constantly in contact, aren’t we? We’re constantly involved with each other in the workplace, in relationships, and raising children together. So it never made sense to me that so many films and TV series didn’t give women a greater voice or presence.”

Although Norfolk-born Colman was a member of Cambridge Footlights acting club, she actually trained as a teacher, and after graduating, worked as a secretary – “not a very good one, although I was cheery,” she said. She also worked as a cleaner, while enduring a dispiritingly fruitless round of auditions in her early 20s.

“My mum told me, ‘You’ll probably give it a year.’ And I said, ‘No, I’ll give it 10 years.”

The news that Colman will be stepping into the shoes of our current queen will only fan the flames of excitement around the third series of The Crown, due later this year.

Playing a living British monarch proved challenging. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve done, I think.

It’s daunting,” says Colman. “Queen Elizabeth has had a very difficult task.

She has to present a strong image in public but she isn’t

“My mum told me, ‘You’ll probably give it a year.’ And I said, ‘No, I’ll give it 10 years”

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INTERVIEW

OLIVIA COLMAN AS HM THE QUEEN IN NETFLIX’S THE CROWN

“I will never forget the feeling that came with being up on stage, with the sound of people clapping”

really allowed to show any emotion. That’s what makes it interesting to show what goes on behind closed doors.

“The only thing similar about Anne and Elizabeth is that they’re both queens,” she laughs. “They could not possibly be more different. I feel so grateful to be working so much and getting so many good parts. I was frustrated for a while because in this business they like to stick you in a slot and for a long time I was thought of as someone who can only do comedy. But once I had the chance to do drama it changed people’s thinking. Now I have the freedom to do a mixture of things which is exactly what I want to do.”

While charming and witty, with acceptance speeches to bring the house down, Colman does not shy away from the debate for greater female representation and a wider scope for women on screen – as well as equal pay.

“Everybody wants to see women being portrayed as messy and complicated and confused and ambitious and all of those things that make us who we are. We just have to make sure that we allow women to be able to tell these stories ourselves.

“It’s very important that the discussion has begun and should not stop, but it doesn’t mean anything until women are paid as much as men for their work. That’s the only way people can understand their value. Wage inequality is unacceptable, and we need to talk about it, support each other, and make sure that our voices are being heard.”

And what of her own voice? Having added her name to the pantheon of acting greats by virtue of her various awards and nominations, Colman is finding herself hot property on both sides of the Atlantic.

But, despite her popularity, she remains refreshingly down to earth, saying that, rather than feeling at home lo

on the red carpet, she’s “more a jeans and sweater, with something spilled on it, person.”

Her idiosyncratically charming acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, which resulted in a flurry of approval on social media, touched upon her co-stars, director and her sons, Hal, 13, and Finn, 11.

Colman married writer Ed Sinclair, who she met at university. They live a quiet life in south London and also have a three-year-old daughter, whose name they have decided not to reveal.

“I’m actually quite a hermit and I don’t look at social media,” she reveals. “I’m a chicken and don’t like to read things about me that are mean.”

Not that Colman need worry. The internet, like everyone else, seems to have fallen in love with the 45-year-old.

“I can still remember how I felt after I played the lead in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at school. It was the first play I had ever done,” Colman recalls. “I will never forget the feeling that came with being up on stage, with the sound of people clapping, and thinking to myself, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be a great life if I could get paid for doing this’.

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ANTHONY J O S H UA ANTHONY JOSHUA IS POISED FOR A CAREER-DEFINING YEAR, I N W H I C H H E C O U L D B E C R O W N E D T H E U N D I S P U T E D H E AV Y W E I G H T C H A M P I O N O F T H E W O R L D . B U T B E F O R E T H A T, ‘ A J ’ H A S A S L I G H T LY L E S S T A X I N G T A S K AT H A N D : M O D E L L I N G F O R B O S S ’ S L AT E S T C A M PA I G N . I N B E T W E E N TA K E S , T H E B O X E R T A L K S M E N T A L A G I L I T Y, F A C I N G D E F E A T A N D R O L L I N G W I T H T H E P U N C H E S

Words: Ellen Millard

“There’s failing, and then there’s failing in front of 30,000 people – and that’s the last thing I want to do”

A

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INTERVIEW

the negatives, it began to happen.”

Last April, Joshua scooped his fourth boxing title in a fight against Joseph Parker and, in September, the Brit reaffirmed his status as the nation’s best boxing hope in a seven-round smash with Alexander Povetkin. Povetkin had been beaten just once before in his career by Wladimir Klitschko – the same man Joshua beat in 2017.

“Some people have talent, and you can get complacent, but I feel that a lot of my success has come from hard work,” the Brit says of his achievements. “I’m willing and ready to go the extra mile, and I’m not shy to ask questions. I want to learn as it’s to my benefit to know the why and the way – it puts me in the position to do my best.”

He credits his boxing forebears with keeping him motivated: “To mentally prepare for a boxing match, you need focus. I believe that if you study what you do, you’ll know the greats that have walked the line before you and it’s reassuring to know that you’re not the only one walking this path.”

To date, Joshua’s won all 22 of his professional fights – 21 of them by knockout. Naturally, the boxing world loves him, but he is revered well beyond the realm of sport. His charming disposition has awarded him David Beckham-esque status – no mean feat considering boxing isn’t shown on terrestrial TV. His niceties make him stand out against boxing’s dominating personalities – Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte – and he’s famously eschewed the toxic trash talk that envelops the sport (“Before each fight, I pray that my opponent leaves in good health”). Instead, Joshua’s found smarter ways to boost his profile, racking up partnerships with the likes of Beats by Dre, Bulk Powders, Range Rover and British Airways.

His latest collaboration with BOSS as the face of the brand’s Stretch Tailoring collection is a testament to his boxing credentials. The brand has a long history with the sport, having featured in Rocky IV and worked with the now-retired Klitschko.

Joshua notes that the partnership felt like a “natural journey”, having been dressed by the brand for a number of years.

If the boxer’s commercial coups don’t hint at his popularity, his sell-out fights certainly do, with each one amassing crowds normally afforded to rock stars – which brings us back to that question again: why can’t he find an opponent for his April bout? Wilder and Fury, his two competitors of choice, are too busy fighting each other.

Their last punch-up ended in a controversial draw, and they’ve since agreed to a rematch. Joshua will fight the winner and, if all goes to plan, be crowned the undisputed champion of the world.

Still, in typical AJ fashion, he’s not letting it faze him: “I think to myself that if I didn’t want to be here, I would have found a way out of this situation,” he says. “I’ve come this far, so I’m going to give it my best and roll with the punches. I’m not the most talented fighter, but I’ll go to war. I’m a warrior!”

nthony Joshua has a problem. He’s the heavyweight champion of the world, and the rightful owner of four out of five coveted belts – those belonging to the WBO (World Boxing Organisation), WBA (World Boxing Association), IBF (International Boxing Federation) and IBO (International Boxing Association). Only the WBC (World Boxing Council) remains.

Fitness-wise, he’s at his peak: his last weigh-in, in September 2018, put him at 17 stone, eight pounds and five ounces, and he’s expected to exceed this in preparation for his next fight on 13 April. But – and here’s the snag – he’s yet to find an opponent.

To look at Joshua, you wouldn’t be surprised. Who in their right mind would get in a ring with this guy? But it’s conflicting schedules, rather than fear, that’s preventing him from finding a challenger. At the time of writing, the fight is expected to be scrapped. Instead, he will face his next opponent, the undefeated Jarrell Miller, in New York in June.

This means that both sides of the Atlantic will have to wait a little longer for the fight they’ve been eagerly anticipating: Joshua vs Deontay Wilder, the current holder of the WBC title.

Winning this fight will unite all five of the belts and crown the victor the undisputed champion of the world – a feat not achieved since Lennox Lewis in 1999. No pressure there, then.

“Just before I get into the ring, the thing that’s going through my mind is that I definitely don’t want to lose,” Joshua laughs. “There’s failing, and then there’s failing in front of 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 plus people – and that’s the last thing I want to do.”

Born in Watford in 1989, Joshua grew up a wiry teenager on a fast track to trouble. His youth was peppered with brushes with the law; grievances with school opponents led to a charge for actual bodily harm (he received a warning) and street fights were frequent. On one occasion, he ended up on remand in Reading, with the threat of a 10-year prison sentence (he was given an electronic tag).

Joshua was athletic from the off – he could sprint 100m in just over 11 seconds by the age of 16 – and his cousin suggested he channel his energy into boxing. He joined Finchley & District Amateur Boxing Club aged 18 and two years later became a fully-fledged member of Team GB. Shortly after, he was crowned Olympic champion at the 2012 games.

Boxing, Joshua says, changed his life. He immersed himself in the discipline required for the sport, quitting smoking, avoiding late nights and taking up chess to improve his logic.

“As soon as I walked into that gym for the first time I knew I wanted to give myself to boxing,” he told GQ. “Boxing is the sport that rewards hard work, the sport that if you apply yourself, dedicate yourself, train hard, you can become one of the best in the world... I cut out everything that didn’t help boxing. Does taking out lots of women help boxing? No? Then cut it out. Does going on to this party help boxing? No? Then cut it out. And when I cut out all

Anthony Joshua is the face of the BOSS Stretch Tailoring Collection, hugoboss.com

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M I N D Y O U R M A N N E R S A S D E B R E T T ’ S M A R K S I T S 2 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y, A S S O C I AT E D I R E C T O R LUCY HUME EXPLAINS HOW THE ETIQUETTE EXPERT IS STRIVING TO F I N D A P L AC E I N T H E 2 1 ST C E N T U RY

Words: Ellen Millard

H

ow ‘U’ are you? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then probably not very. In 1954, Professor Alan Ross of Birmingham University coined the terms U and non-U in a bid to distinguish those who truly belonged in the upper class (U) and those who did not (non-U). The distinction, he argued, was all to do with language.

English author Nancy Mitford championed this theory in a tongue-in-cheek essay entitled The English Aristocracy, which was published in 1956.

“The Professor, pointing out that it is solely by their language that the upper classes nowadays are distinguished (since they are neither cleaner, richer, nor better-educated than anybody else), has invented a useful formula,” she wrote in Encounter magazine.

The differences are, it turns out, simple but significant: do you eat greens (non-U) or vegetables (U)? Do you reside in a home (non-U) or a house (U)? Mitford threw her own ideas into the ring, with sweet (non-U) and pudding (U), and dentures (non-U) and false teeth (U). “This, and glasses for spectacles, almost amount to non-U indicators,” she added.

Ross argued that a non-U speaker could never become a U-speaker, because “one word or phrase will suffice to brand an apparent U-speaker as originally non-U (for U-speakers themselves never make mistakes)”. But for Mitford the issue transcended language; being U, she said, is all in attitude.

Enter Debrett’s: for 250 years, the etiquette expert has been the world’s go-to for U rites of passage. Founded in 1769 with the publication of aristocrat directory The New Peerage (later renamed Peerage & Baronetage), the publishing house was transformed into a pioneer of etiquette after requests from readers flooded in about the best way to greet, address and write to barons and peers.

Today, Peerage & Baronetage is published every four years (the latest edition is the final version to be available in print) and the company’s modern take on decorum is, sadly for Mitford, less elitist. When Joanna Milner took over as chief executive in 2012 (she left in 2017), she joked that it was like taking on a “250-year-old start-up”. Debrett’s has fought hard to stay relevant in the 21st century but its font of knowledge on all things couth, associate director Lucy Hume argues,

TIPS FROM DEBRETT’S A-Z OF MODERN MANNERS

I N T E R N E T D AT I N G Use the best photograph you have: if the picture isn’t up to scratch, potential lovers won’t even bother reading the profile.

ONLINE MANNERS Don’t be an online bi***h: skulking behind the computer screen and dishing out poison… Always remember that going online is a way of enhancing your life, not a substitute for living.

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is still widely applicable – even if it is dressed up slightly differently today.

“Much of the etiquette included in our books comes from traditions that have been passed down through many generations and adapted to fit in with modern times,” says Hume. “Some things have obviously fallen by the wayside, but many can still be applied today; advice that we would have published 100 years ago about attending a ball or a social season, for example, can be adapted to fit social networking events today.”

The brand offers a series of manuals for minding your P’s and Q’s, ranging from wedding etiquette (Debrett’s Wedding Handbook) to online customs (Guide to Netiquette). In the A-Z of Modern Manners, the jocular advice spans aeroplane decorum, carving avocados and avoiding tailoring faux pas.

On balding: “Accept it. What’s left should be cut very short or shaved. Never be tempted by a combover”. On hangovers: “Hangovers are generally self-inflicted, so you should approach the day after an evening’s overindulgence with stoicism, and keep your misery to yourself”. On aftershave: “Use aftershave discriminately; people don’t want to be able to smell you before they see you”.

The core of Debrett’s modern-day business lies in its training academy. Launched in 2012, the school provides courses for both professional and personal needs. There are lessons on public speaking, corporate dining and dress codes – plus a two-day Quintessentially British course covering everything from afternoon tea to navigating the social season.

Hume argues that etiquette and soft skills (business jargon for the personal attributes sought by employers) are becoming increasingly important and, in many cases, essential. “A lot of what we teach evolves rapidly year-on-year because the need for etiquette and soft skills is constantly relevant,” she says. “We’re not talking about posture and deportment, but how to conduct a meeting, how to meet and greet somebody or what’s appropriate if you’re doing business in a foreign country.

SOCIAL NETWORKING Think carefully about the photos you post, both of yourself and others. Consider your friends’ feelings. Would they be happy for everyone to see the unflattering picture of them after their fourth tequila shot?

PREVIOUS PAGE AUDREY HEPBURN IN MY FAIR LADY, ©INTERFOTO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO OPPOSITE PAGE AND ABOVE DEBRETT’S WEDDING HANDBOOK

“Smart phones and social media are relinquishing some of the face-to-face interpersonal skills that we may have had to develop in the past. We know that 85 per cent of job success is attributed to soft skills as opposed to technical skills, so etiquette is still relevant; it’s just evolving at the same time.”

While the concept of etiquette might seem archaic to some, such guidelines do serve a useful purpose in the modern age. The desire to create a good first impression spans centuries – the only difference is today’s rules are less about curtseys and more about courtesy. “Debrett’s overarching objective is to foster a kind of culture of consideration,” Hume agrees. “What I have been increasingly aware of since I’ve worked for Debrett’s is the way in which we all present ourselves to other people, and the connection between etiquette and kindness. It’s not about rules and which knife to use for which food, it’s about encouraging people to be aware of others, and that can really boost their own confidence.”

Failing that, take heed of the A-Z of Modern Manners, which makes a simple plea for civility: “We need to preserve politeness as the vital ingredient in the cocktail of manners that makes our world a better place; somewhere where basic survival is finessed into a more subtle pleasure.

So bring back the doffing of hats, bring back the polite boardroom, let’s have unisex chivalry.”

Nancy Mitford would surely approve. debretts.com

VPL In this age of seam-free knickers and thongs, there’s really no excuse for a VPL. Choose appropriate underwear for your outfit and check in the mirror (front and back) before leaving the house.

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M E SSAG E G R O U P S If you wish to leave a group chat, let all the participants know beforehand rather than trying to sidle out discreetly.

P O M P & CI RCU M STAN CE O X F O R D A N D C A M B R I D G E U N I V E R S I T I E S A R E N O T O N LY HOTBEDS OF LEARNING, THEY ARE ALSO HOME TO SOME D I S T I N C T I V E A N D I D I O S Y N C R AT I C C U S TO M S A N D C U R I O S I T I E S

I

Words: Adam Jacot de Boinod

have always been fascinated by the unique customs, bizarre traditions and peculiarities of language used at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

When new students start, or matriculate, at Trinity College Cambridge – which, incidentally requires the permission of the prime minister when appointing its new master – they get to experience the famous Great Court Run, immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire. It involves attempting to run around the Great Court within the time it takes the college clock to strike 12. The course is about 370 yards long and it’s a traditional challenge for athletic types before the annual Matriculation Dinner. In 1988 the race was recreated for charity by legendary runners Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram, with the decathlete Daley Thompson acting as a reserve. Coe beat Cram, altough neither runner beat the clock, which took 44.4 seconds.

When they get round to the process of studying, Oxford students are issued with a card for the Bodleian Library, where they are initiated, in a formal admission ceremony, with the following pledge: ‘I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.’

When sitting examinations, Oxford students are required to wear ‘sub fusc’ (from the Latin sub fuscus, meaning dark brown). It’s actually very complicated,

OPPOSITE PAGE THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD

as the dress code varies quite a bit depending on what degree you are taking, as well as whether you have a scholarship. The essentials are a black suit, white shirt and white bow tie for men, while women must wear a black skirt, black tie and white shirt.

Since 2012 rules have been relaxed and students can wear either gender’s sub fusc. Gowns have differing lengths and silk trims according to the wearer’s status.

‘Commoners’ (students without a scholarship), wear a shorter gown, and PhD graduates wear a scarlet robe. Many students wear a different colour carnation in their lapel and white, pink and red carnations represent progress through exams. A white carnation is worn for the first exam, then pink for all exams until the final one, which is red.

In the 60s, a law student at Oxford came across a statute that required the university to supply him, daily and free of charge, with two or three pints of ale.

The university governors acquiesced, and he was duly given two free pints of beer a day. All sounded good, but on the day of the exams, as he was about to enter the exam hall, he was stopped by the invigilators and asked to write out a cheque for the cost of the beer because he was not wearing a sword, a serious offence in the 15th century when the by-law was drafted.

It’s also at Oxford that you’ll find the drinking game pennying. Invented by dons and students during the 14th century, the idea is to slip a penny into someone’s drink without them noticing. If you succeed, the person is said to have been ‘pennied’ and has to down their drink in one. As the pennier, you can then be asked to give the date on the coin you

FROM TOP LEFT THE INNER COURTYARD OF TRINITY COLLEGE; THE GREAT DINING HALL IN CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, ©ELENA DIJOUR/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL OF THE STATUE DEPICTING WILLIAM HERBERT, BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD, ©LUCIAN MILASAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE; OXFORD RADCLIFFE CAMERA; LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD; A BOAR’S HEAD; FROM THE 1981 FILM CHARIOT’S OF FIRE; TOM TOWER, OXFORD, NAMED FOR ITS BELL, GREAT TOM

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in 1347 when the foundations of the college were being built and a huge mallard was discovered by workmen in a great drain. The custom grew of feasting on this anniversary called Mallard or Gaudy Night, when the fellows search the college for this legendary duck. Every 100 years the custom is re-enacted by the fellows of the college, led by a Lord Mallard, elected for the night, and six officers all wearing special mallard medals. At midnight the whole procession starts off bearing lanterns, white staffs and flaming torches, and singing, very loudly, the Mallard Song. They then search every cellar, room and rooftop until daylight.

At nearby Magdalen Bridge, at 5.30am on the first day of May, a crowd converges. Medieval Latin madrigals are sung by choristers in white vestments from the parapets of the famous tower and the bells then peel in celebration, prompting students to jump off the bridge into the Cherwell, a river that’s only four feet deep. Nearby, up the side streets, morris dancers gather with their eccentric array of bells, sticks, hankies and pig bladders, led by a ‘whiffler’.

In both universities, a whiffler is someone who acts as an examiner, while a proctor is a senior officer

used. If your answer is incorrect then you, too, have to down your drink. And, if you penny a drink that has already been pennied, you have to down that drink.

Once a year, Lincoln College offers free beer to students of Brasenose – Oxford colleges that enjoy a keen rivalry. There are various stories behind the tradition including a ‘town versus gown’ riot in the 13th century, when town people went in chase of two students – one from Lincoln and one from Brasenose.

Lincoln opened its doors to offer refuge to its own student but refused to help the Brasenose man, who was subsequently killed by the mob. At lunchtime on Ascension Day, an inter-connecting door between the two colleges is opened for five minutes (the only time it is unlocked during the year) and Brasenose students are served beer courtesy of Lincoln, as an act of apology.

Also at Lincoln College on Ascension Day, nine senior students go up to the roof of the front quad and hurl down pennies to expectant children from the local schools. In the past, the coins were red hot and were supposed to be a lesson to discourage greed; mercifully nowadays it’s less painful to pick up them up as pocket money.

At nearby Queen’s College, during a traditional dinner held at the beginning of the new year, the college bursar threads a needle into each guest’s jacket, advising them to be thrifty in the coming year. Needles were historically popular as Christmas gifts, but it is thought that this custom is a pun on the name of the college founder, Robert of Eglesfield, who established the college in 1341 – the French words ‘aiguilles et fils’ meaning needles and threads.

The college also has a Boar’s Head feast in December, the origins of which date back to the 14th century when one of its students was attacked in Shotover forest by a wild boar. He succeeded in killing it by ramming his copy of Aristotle’s works, his only weapon, into the boar’s mouth and choking it.

Over at Cambridge the fellows of St John’s College are the only people outside of the royal family legally allowed to eat unmarked mute swans. The Crown retains the right of ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but it was extended in the 15th century to the college via ancient royalist ties.

Oxford’s most mysterious college is All Souls, which is closed to undergraduates and reserved exclusively for fellows. At breakfast, there are silver lids for the Marmite jars. The college has a truly ancient and bizarre ritual called ‘hunting the mallard’. It all started

Once a year, Lincoln College offers free beer to students of Brasenose College – Oxford colleges that enjoy a keen rivalry responsible for enforcing university discipline. Indeed, the two universities enjoy much of their own specialist lingo. Since Tudor-Stuart times, ‘battles’ at Oxford have referred to your college bills; if you didn’t make it to an exam, you ‘ploughed it’; ‘academic nudity’ was appearing in public without a cap or gown. At Cambridge, in Victorian times, a ‘brute’ was a student who hadn’t matriculated and a ‘sophister’ was an undergraduate in his second or third year.

Before the days of railways, Britain operated on a number of local times. Oxford time was five minutes later than Greenwich and a lot of university lectures still start at five minutes past the hour. Tom Tower’s bell, Great Tom, at Christ Church College still rings 101 times every night at 9.05pm to celebrate the founding scholars of the college.

Time like tradition, it would seem, can stand still.

Adam Jacot de Boinod is the author of ‘The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World’, published by Penguin Books

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P.46 DIARY DATES Britain’s influence on Van Gogh is explored in a new exhibition

P.52 CANVASSING FOR CHANGE The humanitarian endeavors of Hollywood’s favourite

©DAVID BAILEY, COURTESY OF GAGOSIAN

artist, Sacha Jafri

A snap of John Lennon and Paul McCartney is now on display at Mayfair’s Gagosian Gallery, as part of a retrospective of David Bailey’s work (p.46)

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

S P I TA L F I E L D S THE OTHER ART FAIR CELEBRATES EMERGING TALENT FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE Saatchi Art presents its London edition of The Other Art Fair, a four-day festival dedicated to burgeoning artists from across the globe. Snap up works by 140 budding creatives from London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Sydney and Melbourne. Each of the artists have created works inspired by the fair’s timely theme: sustainability.

14-17 March, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, E1, theotherartfair.com

FROM LEFT BEST RIDE OF YOUR LIFE; FACING THE TIGER, BOTH BY FEI ALEXELI, 2018

B AT T E R S E A BATTERSEA’S BI-ANNUAL AFFORDABLE ART FAIR RETURNS

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Decorate your walls without panicking your accountant at Battersea’s Affordable Art Fair, which returns for its spring edition this March.

Alongside shopping for artwork, there will be a host of workshops, talks and tours to keep you entertained – including the chance to channel your inner Rothko at a colourblocking masterclass.

7-10 March, tickets from £8, Battersea Evolution, Queenstown Road, SW8, affordableartfair.com

WESTMINSTER TATE BRITAIN HONOURS VAN GOGH IN A NEW EXHIBITION

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT VINCENT VAN GOGH, SUNFLOWERS 1888, ©THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON/BOUGHT, COURTAULD FUND, 1924; FRANK BRANGWYN, SUNFLOWERS, EARLY 20TH CENTURY, LENT BY THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS, LONDON, ©THE ESTATE OF FRANK BRANGWYN / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES; CHRISTOPHER WOOD, YELLOW CHRYSANTHEMUMS, 1925, COURTESY OF MR BENNY HIGGINS & MRS SHARON HIGGINS

A young Van Gogh’s short stint in London is set to be the focus of a new exhibition at Tate Britain.

The gallery will bring together the artist’s most famous works – including Sunflowers and Starry Night Over the Rhône – to tell the story of how the post-impressionist painter took inspiration from British artists and how he in turn inspired them.

27 March – 11 August, £22, Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P, tate.org.uk

M AY F A I R DAVID BAILEY REVISITS THE 60S IN A NEW EXHIBITION Self-taught photographer David Bailey shot to fame in the 60s with his intimate portraits of some of the era’s most seminal stars, from Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol. Now, a new exhibition at the Gagosian gallery in Mayfair sheds light on the artist’s skill behind the lens with a series of rarely before seen contact sheets and portraits. Look out for the likes of Jane Birkin, Sir Michael Caine, David Hockney and Jean Shrimpton.

Until 19 March, 17–19 Davies Street, W1K, gagosian.com

CATHERINE DENEUVE CONTACT SHEET, 1966, ©DAVID BAILEY, COURTESY OF GAGOSIAN

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CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT PORTRAIT OF HENRY MOORE WITH HELMET HEAD NO. 2 (LH281), JOHN HEDGECOE, 1967; HELMET HEAD NO.1 1950 BRONZE (LH 279 CAST 5), PHOTOGRAPH ©TATE, LONDON 2018; SALLET OR BARBUTA NORTH ITALIAN, C. 1450, ©THE WALLACE COLLECTION; THE HELMET 1939-40 BRONZE, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY NIGEL MOORE

WESTMINSTER SCULPTOR HENRY MOORE’S NOT-SO SECRET FASCINATION WITH ARMOUR Best known for his bronze and stone sculptures, Henry Moore harboured a fascination with metalwear, as a new exhibition at The Wallace Collection is set to reveal. Henry Moore: The Helmet Heads will showcase the artist’s obsession with armour through sculptures, sketches and drawings, as well as new research that shows how his metal creations were directly inspired by The Wallace Collection itself.

6 March – 23 June, from £10, The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U, wallacecollection.org

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STROKES OF GENIUS H I S G R A N D FAT H E R WA S C L O S E F R I E N D S W I T H G A N D H I , W H I L E H E H I M S E L F W E N T T O E T O N W I T H P R I N C E W I L L I A M ; T O D AY S A C H A J A F R I I S O N E O F H I G H S O C I E T Y ’ S MOST IN-DEMAND ARTISTS, YET HE HAS NO AGENT AND NO DEALER. FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH OF HIS FIRST RETROSPECTIVE, JAFRI DISCUSSES SUBCONSCIOUS I N S P I R AT I O N A N D R E B E L L I N G A G A I N S T T H E T R A D I T I O N A L A R T W O R L D

Words: Josh Sims

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OPPOSITE PAGE THE CHILD WITHIN US – UNTOUCHED BEGINNINGS AND EXPRESSIONS OF THE SOUL; THIS PAGE UNIVERSE OF THE CHILD – THE FINAL CHAPTER

SACHA JAFRI may be the only artist whose brain is of particular interest to science. “They’ve studied it,” says the 42-year-old, “and apparently it creates really deep theta waves. That’s what is generated when your subconscious is hard at work. I’m always after new experiences because that’s what fuels your subconscious – unless you expose yourself to new things it has nothing to work on. And then it’s a question of tapping into it.”

Jafri does this by staring – sometimes for hours – at the centre of a blank canvas. He enters into a meditative state. And then, on surfacing from deep down, he begins to paint – often for 24 or 30 hours straight, declining food and water until, in effect, his mind is emptied. No wonder he produces a 12-piece collection of paintings only every couple of years – it must be exhausting. It’s certainly not a way most painters work, but then Jafri’s works are largely not like those of most painter’s.

Described as ‘magic realism’, they’re a largescale high-energy riot of colour and form, seemingly random, visually arresting, figurative perhaps only if he were trying to paint the doors of perception – which, in a way, he is.

His works are certainly popular: Bill Gates, George Clooney and Madonna are among his collectors. Jafri knows this because, unusually in the art world, he meets anyone who wants to buy one of his pieces – to size them up, to get a sense of where they will hang the piece, perhaps above all to make sure that they’re in it for the art and not just to make a buck.

“I’m not about art that’s out to shock, in order to get attention, generate press and push the price up – to make the kind of connections with the public that last just a few months,” says Jafri.

“I’m not about having my art manufactured and then just putting my name to it, which is almost laughable – the kind of art that relies on people assuming they must be stupid if they don’t get it.

What nonsense. And I’m really not into the idea of people buying my art to stick it in a vault, just with the intention of selling it later for profit.”

As well they could – with Jafri’s star in the ascendant, his painting of cricketer Virat Kohli was bought on the secondary market earlier this year for £300,000 and recently sold for £2.9m.

February 2018 saw a retrospective of Jafri’s work kick off at the Oscars cereomy (“a lot of my collectors are Hollywood types, in the entertainment world,” he notes). A three-year world tour of around 30 countries is under way.

That Jafri chooses to deal direct is less an indication of preciousness than of his general disgruntlement with what he calls “the art system”. While he concedes that the art market has been manipulated “since Leonardo”, he argues that it’s in a particularly negative state right now. Power is moving away from artists and towards dealers, “who get to determine what people see in galleries and museums, what people should like -– which is insulting to them, as to say someone has a better eye for a piece of art than someone else is an idea I find enraging.”

This ultimately influences the market value of the art.

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“The fact is that dealers don’t care what’s being made, just so long as it can make the maximum amount of money,” Jafri adds, now sounding well on his way to being truly angry.

“The art world has become this phenomenal money-making machine, creating booms and busts that can end up killing an artist’s career.

Your work’s value suddenly crashes and then you’re buggered. I want to step outside of all that nonsense. Of course, I can’t control it totally. But I try.”

Jafri is certainly busy creating specially commissioned works – among the organisations seeking a little of the magic realism have been a diverse bunch that includes MGM, the Lawn Tennis Association, Disney, Manchester United and various members of the royal family. He takes this approach in part because he has a progressive attitude to money in the first place.

“I treat money as a thing with which I can buy time to create,” he explains. “If I sell, say, two paintings and make some money, I look at my account and see the number, and immediately convert that into a certain length of time – time I can spend in the studio, or travelling, or with my family. But unfortunately I don’t think many artists think that way because, almost inevitably, they’re caught up in that art machine.”

But Jafri also takes this outsider approach because he wants to maximise the return – and not simply to line his pockets or maintain his studios in London, New York and Dubai. He says he gives around 10 to 20 per cent of the take on each painting to charity; more dramatically, over the 20 years that he’s been painting, he’s also managed to raise $48m for good causes by auctioning special one-off works.

“When I saw that figure it was, like, ‘Wow, did I really?’ But that only encouraged me to set a target, to take a more deliberate approach.” To this end, last year he set himself the target of raising $12m over 12 months.

Most of the money goes to various organisations working for children, notably those with mental health issues or special needs, or orphaned refugees from Yemen, Syria and other war zones; not long ago Jafri conducted a rather grim tour of dozens of the worst refugee camps, painting his response to what he saw in situ. The logic of his charitable choices is simple. “Childhood is the greatest gift we’re ever given and yet unfortunately we live in a culture that’s constantly trying to get children to

leave their childhood behind, to grow up and take on the constraints of adulthood. You have to keep that inner child.” He works especially closely with the Royal Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; Jafri went to Eton with Prince William.

Jafri even has a touch of royal blood himself, with a pedigree that no doubt makes for a great dinner party tale. His great-great-grandfather was one of the maharajas of India, back in the day when they lived in 5,000 room palaces, as his ancestor did. Jafri’s grandfather was close friends with Gandhi, and helped found Pakistan. By the time his father was born, the family money had all but evaporated in a cloud of complex geo politics. Dad became the first Muslim ambassador to the Vatican – his final post being in London, Jafri grew up in the UK. “I had a very weird upbringing,” says Jafri, “because I was surrounded by the super-rich, by royalty and the very privileged, but had to get into Eton on a scholarship. I think that whole experience is what taught me to treat the janitor and the king exactly the same. Besides, the one thing I have to do – just have to do – in life is paint, and I don’t think I can paint if I can’t connect with people.”

Unsurprisingly, Jafri has scooped a fair few highprofile humanitarian gongs. The United Nations has recognised his artistic and humanitarian efforts; in 2018, he received the Global Gift Foundation’s Humanitarian Award. As befits an artist who seeks to operate outside the art system, he’s received more accolades for his charity work than for his art.

“I have to say that I’d rather get an art award,” laughs Jafri, “because I’m always questioning whether I’m a great artist or not. Humanitarian awards are very nice – we all need a bit of affirmation and it does make you think you’re doing the right thing. I do find it really strange that artists don’t take a more humanitarian approach. Art – like sport, for example, or acting – is one of those fields in which people sometimes have the ability to earn a huge amount of money in a short space of time, and yet there’s a reluctance to use that money to humanitarian ends. It seems an obvious thing to do.”

While helping humanitarian causes is great, he says, he wants to leave a legacy in painting. “That’s not easy. But if you create art that enters someone’s soul it’s with them forever – it’s art that comes from a moment of creativity that’s a by-product of that artist’s life. That’s what gives art meaning, not marketing. That’s art that’s part of the world forever.

That’s what leaves a legacy.”

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FROM TOP UNIVERSE OF THE CHILD – THE BEGINNING; MY MIND UN-INTERRUPTED

“The art world has become this phenomenal money-making machine, creating booms and busts that can end up killing an artist’s career”

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CONNOISSEUR TA ST I N G N OT E S FO R T H E U R B A N E E P I C U R E A N

P.60 BON VIVEUR Inside London’s newest private members’ clubs

P.64 ON THE ROCKS Johnnie Walker teams up with Oblix East

Dinner with a view: located on the 32nd floor of The Shard, Oblix is split into two restaurants, East and West, each offering a different panoramic of the capital (p.64)

JOIN THE CLUB WHILE LONDONERS SEEM TO BE E S C H E W I N G N I G H T C L U B S I N FAV O U R O F R E S TA U R A N T S A N D M O R E EXPERIENTIAL PURSUITS, MEMBERS’ C L U B S R E M A I N I N R U D E H E A LT H – A S E V I D E N C E D B Y A W E A LT H O F O P E N I N G S AT T H E TA I L E N D O F 2 0 1 8 A N D I N E A R LY 2 0 1 9

Words: Nick Savage

ALBERT’S AT BEAUFORT HOUSE Formerly located a hop, skip and jump from South Ken, Albert’s has upped sticks and installed itself in a beautiful three-storey townhouse on the King’s Road. The only private members’ club of its kind within the Royal Borough, Albert’s offers a plethora of spaces to suit the modern urbanite, including an

all-day restaurant, three bars, a fully fledged nightclub and a private dining room perfectly suited for corporate dinners or celebratory meals. In addition, Albert‘s at Beaufort House offers a whole raft of members benefits, including special events; cocktail masterclasses and private hire.

THE WELLINGTON Jog back to the early noughties and there was one members’ club that particularly epitomised debauchery.

The Wellington was a darkly elegant amalgamation of modern art and luxury amenities, with a collection that included Damien Hirst’s ‘disco-ball skull’. City professional Nic Brooks and club owner Jake Panayiotou have devised a renaissance of the club at 91 Jermyn Street. It has grown up into a fully formed private members’ club, spread across two floors with private dining rooms, an indoor cigar room and wine vaults.

HOME GROWN Portman Square’s Home House has been Marylebone’s preeminent private members’ club since it opened, and in 2019 will get a baby sister. Home Grown, spread across four elegant GradeII listed Georgian townhouses on Great Cumberland Place and designed by Russell Sage Studio, looks poised to hold its own with its sibling. It will boast 35 boutique bedrooms, a brasseriestyle restaurant, multiple bars, avant-garde events spaces, business lounges and meeting rooms that include pitching suites.

Equally suited to the budding entrepreneur or the London veteran, Home Grown looks like a strong complement to the brand.

RAFFLES For a more party-oriented bolthole, Raffles has reopened just down the King’s Road from Albert’s at Beaufort House. Recently revamped with a Swinging Sixties design, ersatz palm trees, holographic walls and a capacious dancefloor, Raffles also offers a 5am licence and massive line-up of DJs (recently including Sven Väth and Black Coffee). It doesn’t take a clairvoyant to see that Raffles has carved out a niche as west London’s prime after-hours destination.

CLOUD TWELVE Cloud Twelve may be the first members’ club to focus on family.

The one-of-a-kind wellness and lifestyle club on Colville Mews in Notting Hill is just moments from Electric Cinema, and caters to families with children with three floors of interactive play and learning zones, a luxurious spa area, a hair and nail salon, a holistic wellness clinic and a brasserie with a nutritional focus.

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THE CONDUIT Spread across eight storeys of Washington House in the centre of Conduit Street, The Conduit is redefining what it means to be a private members’ club in contemporary times, homing in on sustainability, social justice and equality. Founded by South African Paul van Zyl, the club comprises

a host of elegant spaces within the neoclassical building, including a restaurant and terrace helmed by Michelin-magnet executive chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, a basement speakeasy, a library and café, as well as a rooftop lounge.

ALLBRIGHT Also situated in Mayfair, on Maddox Street, just a stone’s throw from The Conduit, the AllBright champions women’s empowerment. It occupies five floors and its two large roof terraces offer views across the West End skyline. The restaurant, helmed by exec chef Sabrina Gidda, hinges on a supply chain with a focus on female growers, winemakers, cheesemongers and producers. There’s also a state-of-the-art fitness studio, wellness rooms with a full range of treatments, a hair and beauty salon, and a work space where mentoring and coaching are available.

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

OSWALD’S Robin Birley is following in his father’s footsteps, making a claim to be Mayfair’s principal members’ club maven. Building on the untrammelled success of 5 Hertford Street, he’s launched Oswald’s at 25 Albemarle Street. Borrowing its name from a dear, departed paterfamilias of the Birley clan, Robin’s grandfather Oswald, the club channels his career as a royal portraitist. As such, Oswald’s is splendidly recherché, with a sharp focus on oenophiles. Noble wines are sold at retail prices and members are encouraged to stow their private collections on the premises in bespoke wine cellars. Discerning appetites are catered to in the 80-cover restaurant and libations are dispensed in the first floor drawing room. The kicker? No corkage.

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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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WHISKY NOTES O B L I X E A S T T E A M S U P W I T H J O H N N I E WA L K E R TO TA K E G U E S T S ON A WHISKY TOUR AROUND THE WORLD

Words: Richard Brown

R

ainer Becker never wanted to open Oblix. When representatives from the Shard first approached the Zuma and Roka restaurateur in 2009, western Europe’s tallest building was little more than a big muddy hole outside London Bridge station. Becker didn’t get it. He declined the offer of opening a restaurant on what would be the building’s 32nd floor.

A few months later, the representatives returned with detailed drawings.

Becker changed his mind immediately. “I was instantly intrigued by the architecture and the power of its simplicity,” said the German during an interview with me back in 2013, shortly before

“For the past ten years I have been eating Japanese food five, six times a week,” said Becker, back in 2013.

“I still love it but it’s time to eat something new.” As fine dining became increasingly casual, Becker’s move into dude food proved bang on the money.

The 200-cover venue is split into two restaurants, the more relaxed Oblix East – with views over the east of the city – and, looking the other way, the appropriately posher Oblix West. Both menus are steak heavy and, while American inspired, stretch from Europe – risottos, pastas, lobsters – to Asia – duck, Wagyu beef, black cod. Décor is extravagantly unspectacular for a restaurant that charges £22.50 for its cheapest

Oblix’s launch. “I knew it would dominate the London skyline and I realised that if I said no, I’d regret it every time I went past the building.”

It was the building that ended up informing the restaurant. “The Shard reminded me of New York so I thought I’d put something New York-inspired inside it.” For a decade, Becker and his Indian business partner Arjun Waney – they’d met through a mutual hairdresser – had been revolutionising London’s fine dining scene through their Japanese-led, celebrityhotspot restaurants Zuma and Roka. Modelled on a Manhattan grill, Oblix was the first time the duo had departed away from Asian fusion food.

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main course, sans sides.

Oblix West is a 1970s school canteen; low-slung seats in East, designed to keep things casual, make dining uncomfortable.

Best then to sit yourself at the bar, where a large whisky vessel, comprised of eight tanks, is filled with premium Johnnie Walker blends.

Each tank is encased in wood infused with distinctive flavours from different countries: apple, cinnamon, bergamot and chamomile from Europe; fig and ras el hanout from the Middle East; tobacco, popcorn and walnut from the USA. They constitute the Johnnie Walker Grand Voyage, a whisky-food pairing experience that invites guests to explore a world of flavours. £35 for one bar bite and one cocktail or single serve; £60 for two bar bites and two Johnnie Walker cocktails or single serves; £100 for four cocktails or single serves and 3 bar bites, oblixrestaurant.com

Principal Partner

COUTURE CUT

FROM

A DIFFERENT

CLOTH

P.70 SUSTAINABLE STYLE Trail-blazing designers crafting mindful and ethical fashion

P.78 SHAUN LEANE The jeweller on his friendship with Alexander McQueen

P.86 PRIDE OF BRITAIN A colourful celebration of the country’s most exciting designers

P.98 DRESSED TO IMPRESS Harrods’ unveils its revamped menswear department

Hermès’ new Arceau L’Heure De La Lune, where a pair of floating lacquer dials rotate around a pair of stationary motherof-pearl moons once every 59 days to indicate the current phase of the moon (approx. £19,500)

GREEN SLEEVES Words: Ellen Millard W I L D F LOW E R S & WEEDS SCENTS Jo Malone London’s new collection of five limited-edition scents pays an unusual homage to the unruly weeds, plants and flowers that line the banks of Britain’s rivers. Our pick is Nettle & Wild Achillea, a fresh mix with notes of bergamot and white musk. £49 for 30ml, jomalone.co.uk

B OW I E B O OT It’s all in the detail for Jimmy Choo’s new Bowie boot. A slither of skin can be spied through the perspex window that runs down the centre of the shoe, while a high ankle cut and curved edges add further drama. Ziggy Stardust would approve. £675, jimmychoo.com

KIMBALL CO-ORD In memory of his wife and her fondness for rhododendrons, John Marsden-Smedley collected more than 350 varities of the flower up until his death in 1952. Now, his eponymous

knitwear label has launched a floral-themed collection in tribute to its founder. Get involved with this knitted khaki co-ord. £170 for the top, £300 for trousers, johnsmedley.com

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CASHMERE TURTLENECK An update on a classic, Hillier Bartley’s forest green 100 per cent cashmere turtleneck is crafted in the UK and boasts a ribbed finish and slim fit. £495, net-a-porter.com K AT E S U N G L A S S E S Mulberry’s inagural collection of unisex sunglasses has been inspired by British style icons and retro frames. This cat-eye Kate style comes in pink, red and tortoiseshell – but it’s this moss-coloured shade that makes the ultimate homage to its supermodel namesake. £190, mulberry.com

EASTLEIGH TRENCH Burberry’s signature showerproof mac is updated in a reversible khaki check for the new season. Flip it round to reveal a more traditional light grey canvas, offset with flashes of the fashion house’s iconic check. £1,790, burberry.com

ROSE BROOCH Florist Philippa Craddock has lent her botanist’s eye to an accessories collection of faux blooms. This silk brooch reimagines an unlikely bouquet of roses and moss. £515, matchesfashion.com

K N O T L E AT H E R B A G Sophie Hulme’s buttery Nappa leather tote is shaped with a drawstring opening and two white grosgain knots. The straps are crafted in woven webbing, giving the style a utilitarian edge. £450, matchesfashion.com

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FA S H I O N GOES FULL CIRCLE T H E S E T R A I L - B L A Z I N G B R I T I S H B R A N D S A R E TA K I N G U S B A C K T O T H E D AY S W H E N W E K N E W W H E R E O U R C L O T H E S W E R E M A D E , R E S U LT I N G I N M I N D F U L , E T H I C A L FA S H I O N T H AT I S B OT H S T Y L I S H A N D S U S TA I N A B L E

Words: Annabel Harrison

AMY POWNEY

NO FRILLS T H I S C O L L E C T I O N F R O M M O T H E R O F P E A R L ’ S C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R , P O W N E Y, I S F U L L O F W E L L - M A D E W A R D R O B E S TA P L E S , W I T H A S U S TA I N A B L E C H E R R Y O N T O P ; ‘ S E R I O U S FA S H I O N , N O T T O B E W O R N T O O S E R I O U S LY ’

“Fast fashion is the main reason our industry is creating such disastrous effects on the environment,” declares Powney.

Her advice: “Start purchasing quality garments, loving them and looking after them… it’s down to the consumer to purchase pieces they continue to wear over and over again.” No Frills uses 100 per cent sustainable cotton and wool organic materials. Powney personally traced her supply chains all the way back to the field, because the No Frills line is about keeping chains close, with as little breaks and travel as possible. When it comes to fashion that’ doesn’t cost the earth, “there’s still much more noise to be made; this is only the beginning.” motherofpearl.com

CORA HILTS, CO-FOUNDER

REVE EN VERT H I LT S T H I N K S T H E W O R D S U S TA I N A B L E N E E D S A R E B R A N D ; ‘HONEST LUXURY’ IS MUCH BETTER. REV’S ONLINE M A R K E T P L AC E C H A M P I O N S P E R E N N I A L FA S H I O N BY T H E B E S T G R E E N FA S H I O N A N D B E A U T Y B R A N D S O U T T H E R E

Hilts is thrilled that we’ve all finally woken up to the fact that we have so much power to create change with the way we consume. “It’s been amazing to see the change in attitude regarding sustainability in the five years since I started Reve En Vert.” She set out to prove that living ethically and consciously can be “a beautiful existence”. Hilts singles out Mara Hoffman, Yolk & Otis and Kjaer Weis as brands to check out on the site. If you’re a member of Soho House, keep an eye out for more REV Talks. reveenvert.com

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SHAFIQ HASSAN, CO-FOUNDER

NINETY PERCENT THE LABEL TRYING SOMETHING NEW: SHARING 90 PER CENT OF ITS PROFITS B E T W E E N C H A R I TA B L E C A U S E S A N D THOSE WHO MAKE THE COLLECTIONS

“We are conscious about style and totally committed to making fashion for good. Join us?”

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The look: feminine and low maintenance. The approach: one that makes its customers “part of a forward-thinking movement that transcends trends”. We love this Londonbased brand as much for its honesty as its aesthetic: “Materials are chosen very carefully… sometimes the fabrics for our more technically demanding designs aren’t quite as sustainable as we’d like. When this happens, research begins on how to develop and improve.”

Onwards and upwards. If you decide to #DressBetter, you’ll join an ever-expanding club. ninetypercent.com

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NATASHA RUFUS-ISAACS, CO-FOUNDER

BEULAH LONDON ITS ETHOS: “EMPOWERING THE WOMEN WHO MAKE A N D W E A R O U R C LOT H E S ” . B E U L A H LO N D O N H A S AT I T S H E A R T A S O C I A L LY R E S P O N S I B L E C O N S C I E N C E

Beulah London came into being in 2010 after founders Natasha Rufus-Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan went on a volunteer mission to Delhi. While plastic and pesticides in the industry have inspired the launch of new brands in recent years, the Beulah founders were moved

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by “the harrowing effects of human trafficking and sex trade” to set up their own ethical label. They aimed to provide a sustainable livelihood and a route to a new life for some of the world’s most vulnerable women. Now an established sustainable brand with a loyal following (including the Duchess of Cambridge), Beulah is known for its beautifully bright prints and wide array of dresses. beulahlondon.com

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KRESSE WESLING, CO-FOUNDER

E LV I S & K R E S S E THESE SMART ACCESSORIES ARE MADE FROM R E C L A I M E D M AT E R I A L , L I K E F I R E H O S E A N D L E AT H E R S C R A P S , B Y A B R A N D T H AT, W H E N I T S TA R T E D I N 2 0 0 5 , WA S A “ G E N U I N E O U T S I D E R ”

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Wesling wants us to ask questions. “Companies that are unwilling to answer them or whose replies sound vague are not worth supporting. This level of investigation will take time, which means you buy less.” The curiosity and desire she urges us to have is the bedrock of her brand. “Our partnership with the Burberry Foundation is starting to take hold which only makes us more ambitious and impatient.

Our key objectives for 2019 are to significantly increase the amount of leather we can save and completely change the perceived negative value of scraps and off-cuts.” elvisandkresse.com

N

icky Clarke’s Mayfair salon is buzzing – literally. The low hum of a razor acts as the baseline to the melodic tune of a hair salon in action, punctuated by the occasional spritz of hair spray. Scissors fly and hair is snipped. In front of each mirror, an arsenal of brushes, hair dryers, combs, sprays and gels sit, primed and ready for the next customer. It’s not Friday night, or the run-up to party season; it’s a bog-standard weekday afternoon in February, and this buzz – both literal and metaphorical – is typical of the salon.

Behind the glass doors, the friendly team welcomes guests, making them feel instantly at home in the slick, marble-clad space. Here, a tight-knit crew of hair stylists preen the locks of London’s locals – whether they’re looking for a simple cut and finish, a blow-dry, highlights, extensions or a conditioning treatment.

At midday, the lunch crowd arrives. People popping in for speedy snips in-between meetings take advantage of the in-house kitchen and tuck into meals while the experts set to work taming their tresses.

But it’s not all about hair – at the back of the salon, is the beauty team. These perfectionists are in charge of the diverse offering of manicures, pedicures, hand and foot massages and eyebrow threading services – a.k.a the finishing touches.

The clientele is varied: women and men of all ages and sartorial choices perch on the leather-clad armchairs and wait for the magic

to happen. Most of the team have regular clients – Goran, the resident barber, has been cutting men’s hair for 25 years – and greet them like old friends.

It’s hardly surprising the salon has such a committed clientele, having been a staple of Mayfair’s hairdressing scene since 1991, when Nicky Clarke founded his eponymous brand.

For the uninitiated, Clarke is the stylist to the stars who has crafted looks for the likes of David Bowie, Bryan Ferry and the Duchess of York.

He cut his teeth sweeping salon floors, before nabbing a job working for leading hairdresser Leonid Lewis, who famously styled the likes of Twiggy and Grace Kelly. Clarke went on to work for John Frieda for 14 years, before taking the plunge and setting up his own empire.

Nearly 30 years on, his Mayfair salon stands as a testament to all he has achieved – for service, style and snips, Nicky Clarke is a cut above the rest.

11 Carlos Place, W1K, nickyclarke.com

MANE AT T R A C T I O N I N S I D E N I C K Y C L A R K E ’ S M AY FA I R S A L O N , WHERE LONDON’S LACKLUSTRE LOCKS ARE GIVEN A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

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PHOTOGRAPHY ©ROB CADMAN

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THE M I DA S TO U C H AS HIS EPONYMOUS JEWELLERY BRAND C E L E B R A T E S I T S 2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y, DESIGNER SHAUN LEANE TA L K S FA L L I N G I N L O V E W I T H H I S C R A F T, S TA R T I N G A N A P P R E N T I C E S H I P AT 1 5 , A N D C O L L A B O R AT I N G W I T H H I S G R E AT F R I E N D ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Words: Annabel Harrison

1994.

Britpop and Cool Britannia; Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit reign supreme. Indie scruffs are outselling manufactured boy bands, as Oasis, Pulp, Blur and Björk blare out of radios across the country. Weird artworks by mouthy young artists are becoming collectables, making millionaires of them in the process. Collections by Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen will soon appear in Vogue as regularly as Chanel and Dior.

The 90s was the decade in which “the left field became the mainstream,” declares The Telegraph.

In 1994, London was exciting, it was cool, and it was the year that a collaboration between two young friends proved a pivotal moment in both their careers. Two years earlier, Shaun Leane, an apprentice jeweller who had been mastering his craft in Hatton Garden for nearly a decade, had met one of Central Saint Martins’ most promising fashion students, out for drinks with a mutual friend in Soho. “He was shy and quiet, and different from everyone else,” says Leane.

“We immediately became the best of friends – soul mates.” The man Leane is talking about was known as Lee to his friends. Alexander McQueen to the rest of us.

Leane was a conservative goldsmith and McQueen an avant-garde fashion designer. “I thought we were worlds apart,” Leane says. But McQueen visited his friend’s atelier – “very traditional, dim and Victorian, with leather skins and old tools” – and loved it. He suggested they work together on his next show. Leane laughed.

OPPOSITE PAGE SHAUN LEANE, PHOTOGRAPHY

BY IAN WINSTANELY THIS PAGE FROM TOP COILED CORSET AND STAR HEADPIECE

BY SHAUN LEANE FOR ALEXANDER MCQUEEN (CHRIS MOORE); BESPOKE BEETLE BROOCH

McQueen didn’t see a lack of funds as a problem, suggesting they work in silver or brass, copper or feathers, or aluminium. “I’m a goldsmith–” Leane protested. “I don’t think it’ll work.” But it did. “He made me think outside the box. The skills, the hunger, the fearlessness – it was all in there. Lee just opened the doors.”

Leane’s driver was already in evidence a decade earlier. Restless, frustrated, fed up with school, too young for college, he was propelled by a careers officer towards a year-long Youth Training Scheme that focused on jewellery design and metalwork.

As a teenager, he was artistic, creative, into fashion; jewellery was “all right”, although the fact that he wore rings and earrings, often borrowing his mum and dad’s jewellery, may have made his calling clearer to this prescient careers officer.

Leane completed his coursework in six months – with a distinction – and his tutor suggested a traditional goldsmithing apprenticeship. “Can you imagine? I’d just turned 15! ‘How long’s that then?’ I said. ‘Seven years – just do it for a year,’ my tutor said.” So this rebellious 15-year-old from Finsbury Park found himself at a wooden bench in Hatton Garden’s English Traditional Jewellery shop,

flanked by two talented masters of the trade. His instructions were clear: “Start at eight, finish at six, sweep in the morning, and evening, for gold dust and diamonds, make our tea, get our lunch, speak only when spoken to.”

This apprenticeship was the making of the young man. “I became a student who absorbed, listened, made, tamed by passion and education. I was 100 per cent engaged with something that I loved.”

Leane completed his training and stayed with the company for another five years.

If ever there was a poster boy for the merits of apprenticeships, it’s Leane. This year marks 20 years since he set up his own company, and 35 years in the industry, all thanks to this intensive training at an early age. His distinctive jewellery pieces, for men and women, crafted in gold, silver and more unusual materials like black rhodium, are at once elegant and eccentric, classic and curious. Collections are named after the natural world’s prickliest inhabitants: rose thorns, serpents, sabres, quills.

These are very different from the tiaras and fine jewellery Leane had been making and restoring for the most prestigious boutiques in Bond Street, and

Sotheby’s described his works as “antiques of the future”, ahead of Leane’s A Life of Luxury auction for royal families around the world. What gave him the impetus to pursue his own designs? “I wanted to create jewellery that was modern, that reflected the times we were living in,” he says. “In the early 90s, London was on fire. There was a creative energy. You used your medium, whatever it was, to provoke and inspire. I wanted a voice.”

His employers let him use their workshop in the evenings and at weekends and, with McQueen’s encouragement, Leane started to work on his own.

His solid training in antique restoration and love of designs from the Victorian, Georgian and Art Deco periods – “close to each other but so distinctive; there’s such romance about the longevity of jewellery” – meant that classical, beautiful pieces remained his

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“bread and butter” while he created his own collections on the side.

“During that time with Lee, I was finding my identity,” Leane says. “I respected him highly. He was a genius. When you saw him work, it was magic. And he said my work just blew him away.” It was an earring for McQueen’s The Hunger collection (1996) that launched Leane’s signature design. “He wanted one for each girl, something quite punk.

I came up with the tusk – so elegant and refined, yet powerful and strong. I took a fine, beautiful line that created a powerful statement and I think that runs through my work today.”

Our conversation about the 90s always comes back to McQueen. Leane’s affection and admiration for him, and his enduring influence, is palpable. “We both came from apprenticeships and traditional training. We took our skill and referenced history, our heritage – we didn’t disregard or copy it – to create something new.” The year before the tusk earring, Leane made silver watch chains, inspired by Victorian fob watches, for his first collaboration with McQueen, on the acclaimed collection Highland Rape. The working arrangement: “You make stuff for my shows and I’ll give you clothes.”

Thinking outside the box became the duo’s modus operandi, culminating in the aluminium coiled corset in 1999, one of the pieces that led Sotheby’s to describe Leane’s works as “antiques of the future” and which signified a move from jewellery into sculpture – quite the accolade for a man who had collected its auction house’s brochures as a young goldsmith. “It has the appearance of armour but a silhouette that shows the beauty, softness and curves of the female form. It is this delicate balance that defines that era of work,” Leane says. McQueen recognised the significance.

“After the show he said,‘We should sign this piece’”.

It was auctioned in 2017, along with 45 other bespoke works produced from 1995-2011 as part of Sotheby’s A Life of Luxury series. Another stand-out piece was the evening glove, modelled by Daphne Guinness. “It was a very important piece for me, because it was a combination of everything that represented the Shaun Leane house. It pushed design boundaries. No one had ever crafted an 18-carat white gold and diamond evening glove. It took five years to make; 14 craftsmen worked on it. It bridged high-end fine jewellery with fashion.”

Subversive artistic challenges define Leane’s career. Perhaps because of this, he welcomes modern technology with open arms. “We were the

second company in the UK to buy a 3D printing machine, about 17 years ago. The Royal College of Art bought the first one.” You can find Leane’s work in the V&A jewellery and fashion galleries – his bejewelled yashmak went in after the Savage Beauty exhibition – and now also at Kensington’s 21 Young Street, where he’s created an asymmetric floral metalwork design for a new property development. He has adorned the external windows of apartments with sculptures in bronze – “a classically beautiful material that ages so well” – that have been six years in the making.

And he’s not just branching out into architecture.

Leane has been signed by Pace Gallery as one of its artists and has a furniture deal and a project concerning “artwork in China” in the pipeline. I’ll expect to see these new pieces in an auction 20 years from now, I tell him. “The journey is beginning again,” Leane says, smiling. shaunleane.com

THIS PAGE BESPOKE SHAUN LEANE PIECES INCLUDING THE DAPHNE GUINNESS CONTRA MUNDUM GLOVE, THE BEETLE BROOCH AND SHOWSTUDIO BEETLE

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FAC E T I M E I N 1 9 7 9 , N AT U R A B I S S E F O U N D E R R I C A R D O F I S A S S T R U C K U P O N A N I N N O VAT I V E F O R M U L A T H AT W O U L D F L I P T H E S K I N C A R E W O R L D O N I T S H E A D. F O R T Y Y E A R S L AT E R , H I S S O N , R I C A R D O F I S A S J R , E X P L A I N S H O W T H E F A M I LY I S C O N T I N U I N G H I S F A T H E R ’ S L E G A C Y

LUXURY LONDON

PROMOTION

I

t all started with a pair of hands. Ricardo Fisas, the then president of a protein hydrolyzing company, was doing the rounds in his Barcelona-based factory when he spotted an unusual similarity between his employees’ palms: they were soft, supple and, more to the point, youthful. A bit more digging revealed the amino acids his workers were handling were having a favourable affect on their skin, drastically improving the texture and helping to delay visible signs of ageing.

That year, 1979, Ricardo founded Natura Bissé with the launch of five face creams, each based on amino acid technology.

“At that time, it was early days in the luxury skincare industry generally and we were the new kid on the block – developing high-tech skincare products, techniques and treatments with very limited distribution,” says Ricardo Fisas Jr, the late-businessman’s son and now corporate communications director of the company.

“Now, we are an international brand, working with many spas around the world. Our original product line has grown and we have many different lines, because as a brand we understand that everyone’s skin is unique and has its own voice. Today, the industry looks to us for inspiration and innovation; we aren’t the new kid on the block anymore.”

Indeed, in 2018 Natura Bissé was awarded World’s Best Spa Brand at the World Spa Awards. In perfect timing, the brand launched its first standalone spa in Westfield London shortly after accepting the gong.

Here, customers can try results-driven treatments and cutting-edge products, including an exclusive Signature Diamond Chrono-Lift, an age-reversing treatment that was developed using the brand’s hero products. The spa’s rooms have been designed with the skin in mind, too; each one has 99.9 per cent filtered air, which, Ricardo Jr explains, aids Natura Bissé’s treatments.

“This avant-garde system is highly beneficial and often overlooked. After many studies, pure air has been proved to provide exceptional antiageing properties, enhancing the body’s antioxidant mechanisms. It also encourages the elimination of toxins and dead cells and re-oxygenates the brain, helping with physical and mental relaxation.”

With the proverbial ribbon cut on its first standalone store, the Natura Bissé team is set to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary this year with new product launches and an exciting project in Barcelona. When it comes to the specifics, however, Ricardo Jr is coy. “Ah, these are family secrets!” He

jokes. Whatever the future holds, there’s no doubt the Fisas unit will continue to uphold the family legacy – one pot of miracle cream at a time.

“Our father was a person of integrity, with a strong set of beliefs and a sense of excellence in everything he did – and this has continued with the brand in his absence,” says Ricardo Jr. “He was pure energy and that energy, combined with the family’s passion for business, goes to create a brand that is committed to providing incredible treatments and products – all with a warm Mediterranean heart.”

Here’s to the next 40 years.

Natura Bissé Spa At The Village, Ground Floor, The Village Westfield Shopping Centre, Ariel Way, W12, naturabisse.com

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DISCOVER THE

BEAUTY

HEALTHCARE . PHARMACY . SKINCARE . WELLBEING

LUXURY LONDON

PROMOTION

FAC E THE FUTURE I F YO U ’ R E LO O K I N G TO T U R N B AC K THE CLOCK A FEW YEARS, HERE’S SOME GUIDANCE ON HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT AESTHETIC PRACTITIONER, PLUS A ROUND-UP O F T H E T O P T R E AT M E N T S I N TOW N F R O M T H E E X P E R T T E A M AT REGENTS PARK AESTHETICS

Words: Kay Greveson

THE NEW YEAR is a time for taking stock and if you are thinking about a personal overhaul, you might be considering some aesthetic treatment.

An effective routine can address concerns such as oily skin, blocked pores and dryness, and also improve any pigmentation that might have built up over the summer months, so a good first step is a skin peel to exfoliate dead cells, unblock pores and generally brighten your face.

If you’re seeking something a little more extensive, it’s important to ensure the practitioner you entrust with your treatment is a medically qualified doctor, dentist or nurse. Doctors are listed on the General Medical Council register and nurses on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. Don’t be afraid to ask to see photos of previous work or to look online at patient reviews. There is no official register specifically for aesthetics, but impartial registers such as Save Face can help you assess a clinic’s quality.

So which procedure might be for you? It all depends on the reason for treatment. Botox is very popular; it works on muscles to prevent wrinkles that form as a result of your natural facial expressions.

If you are looking to hold back the signs of ageing and maintain a more youthful look, you may want to tackle a sagging jawline or thinning lips. Thread lifts are a very popular and effective treatment to lift sagging skin around the jawline.

Regents Park Aesthetics uses a cannula technique to insert four to five threads on each side of the face, to gently lift the skin and improve the contour of the jaw.

People always desire naturallooking results, and the Regents Park Aesthetics clinic specialises in corrective treatment for dermal filler procedures that have been done elsewhere but have not achieved the desired result. In these cases, we use a product called Hyalase that dissolves filler within 24 hours and restores the face to how it was before treatment.

Today’s state-of-the-art procedures can help restore what nature has taken away – safely, affordably and gently.

Don’t be afraid to ask to see photos of previous work or to look online at reviews

19 Wimpole Street, W1G, 020 7580 4813, regentsparkaesthetics.co.uk

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BRIT PAC K THE HOME-GROWN DESIGNERS P R O V I N G T H AT B R I TA I N ’ S G OT TA L E N T PHOTOGRAPHER ADAM FUSSELL @ BLOOD & CO S T Y L I S T G R A H A M C R U Z @ A & R C R E AT I V E

THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT Jack: Notched lapel striped blazer in navy, £625, striped cotton shirt, POA, bell bottom trousers in burgundy, £145, Wallabee boots in yellow, POR, kentandcurwen.com; Dominic: Gold Airluxe wool suit, £885, Silk pocket square, £55, richard-james.com; Weekend fit western check shirt, £215, turnbullandasser.co.uk; Suede loafers, £375, harrysoflondon.com; Tortoise shell glasses, £225, kirkoriginals.com; Roxy: Green silk dress, £845, 16arlington.co.uk, Phoenix earrings with white diamonds set in 18ct white gold, Rose cut white diamond flexi bangle, set in 18ct white gold POA, davidmorris.com; 4RL, white leather Fausto ankle boots, £650, jenniferchamandi.com; Anna: 3D oneshoulder liquid organza gown, £3,995, Peter Pilotto, modaoperandi.com; Summit ring, £540, Sector earrings £895, georginaboyce.com

THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT Anna: Embellished dress, £1,795, temperleylondon.com; 18kt Rose gold, diamonds and pink tourmaline Aerial earrings, £8,500, shaunleane.com; Roxy: Ruff dress in sky blue £690, edelinelee.com; Femme Fatale convertible ring set in 18k white gold with white diamonds, £29,000, stephenwebster.com; Kirra: Crystal pin stripe jacket, £2,250, Crystal waistcoat, £2,090, Crystal trousers, £2,100, sannelondon.com; 18kt white gold and black diamond Sabre earrings, POA, 18kt white gold and diamond Sabre ring, £12,000, shaunleane.com; Jack: Wool-blend blazer, £700, Contrast collar polo-shirt, £215, Lilac cotton chinos, £335, Beige and white leather loafers, £595, paulsmith.com; Dominic: Yellow and grey windowpane check suit, £900, Cashmere and cotton blend yellow ribbed roll neck, £175, PVC and leather mix patented yellow loafers, £225, daks.com

THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT Anna: V-neck long sleeve top, £850, High waist A-line skirt, £995, victoriabeckham.com; 9kt gold vintage heart locket with grey freshwater pearls and 9kt gold ball chain, £450, annebowesjewellery.com; Kirra: Spiral floor length dress, £490, georgiahardinge.co.uk; 18kt yellow gold and mixed stones Mughal earrings, £5,400, pippasmall.com; 18kt yellow gold and lapis stone set cushion signet ring, from £1,160, rebussignetrings.co.uk; Roxy: Grape crepe jumpsuit, £2,170, Jenny Packham, 3a Carlos Place, W1K; Grey freshwater pearls earrings, set in 9kt gold, £250, annebowesjewellery.com; Dominic: Multi panel stripped blouson in wool, £695, kentandcurwen.com; Cream cotton shirt, £145, favourbrook.com; Black tailored trousers, £590, connollyengland.com; Ink Summer Breeze tie, £95, richard-james.com; Black ‘Hallam’ black calf Oxfords, £410, crockettandjones.com

THIS PAGE, BELOW FROM LEFT Anna: Papaya silk tulle dress, £895, amandawakeley.com; Magnipheasant collar set in 18k white gold with white diamonds, £18,000, Magnipheasant Open Feather cuff set in 18k white gold with white diamonds, £11,650, stephenwebster.com, Dragon fish white leather belt, £865, soniapetroff.com; Dominic: Liberty floral suit jacket, £395, Floral suit trousers, £115, Painted Journey print shirt, £135, simoncarter.net; Jack: Wool check jacket, £850, Wool check trousers, £375, stellamccartney.com; Olive merino wool polo shirt, £165, johnsmeadley.com; Cavendish brown burnished calf tassel loafers, £425, crockettandjones.com; Roxy: Silk blend floating layered dress, £450, felt fedora hat, £75, daks.com; Kirra: Peppermint sparkle maxi dress, £2,100, Zandra Rhodes, matchesfashion.com; Lobster belt, £795, Lobster earrings, £395, soniapetroff.com OPPOSITE PAGE Gold laminated coat, £490, Harris Wharf London, workshop-store.com; Five row illusion earrings, with white diamonds set in 18ct white gold, POA, Five row necklace, with white diamonds set in 18ct white gold, POA, both by davidmorris.com; Leopard pony hair Fausto ankle boots, £780, jenniferchamandi.com

COVER IMAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Dominic: Orange Shantung silk suit, £1,495, richardjames.com; Pink photo-print short-sleeve shirt, £215, paulsmith.com; Polished tortoiseshell glasses, £225, kirkoriginals.com; Jack: 100 per cent wool check single-breasted jacket, £649, Short sleeve cotton shirt, £229, Orange slim cotton chinos, £165, etautz.com; Linen silk mix tie, £115, gievesandhawkes. com; Kirra: Lilac cotton-blend draped dress, £950, paulsmith.com; Box jacket in sky £690, edelinelee. com; Brown Prism ring, £625, Blade earrings, £640, georginaboyce.com; Roxy: White double-breasted jacket, £585, White trousers, £345, White belt, £320, 16arlington.co.uk; Magnipheasant long collar set in 18k white gold with black diamonds, £13,900, Magnipheasant Open Feather ring set in 18k white gold with black diamonds, £7,350, stephenwebster.com; Anna: Blazer in lilac, £805, City shorts in lilac, £340, Rascil, luisaviatoma.com; 18kt white gold and diamond Serpents Trace bracelet, POA, 18kt white gold and black diamond Aerial V ring, POA, shaunleane.com

Models: Anna Gryzlova @ Titanim Management; Dominic Nutt and Jack Buchanan @ Select Models; Kirra Jones and Roxy Horner @ Premier Model Management Hair: Brady Lea @ Stella Creative Artists Make up: Jade Elizabeth Photography assistants: Ben Breading, Hannah Miles and Nic Roques Stylist assistant: Andreas Chrysostomou Location: Sterling Suite at The Langham Hotel, Regent Street, London

TRUE BRIT Words: Dom Jeffares

CASHMERE SCARF Sir Paul Smith’s guiding design principal of ‘classic with a twist’ is underpinned by a dry British sense of humour: quirky but not frivolous, eccentric but not silly. British weather, however, is silly and should be stopped in its tracks.

Made in England from luxurious cashmere, this large black scarf with tasselled ends will ensure you keep warm whatever the weather. £360, paulsmith.com CONDUIT CUT SUIT A perfect suit need not always come from Savile Row. In the late 1950s from his bespoke tailoring premises on Conduit Street, Anthony Sinclair created a classic, pared-down shape, which became known as the Conduit Cut. Its development was a landmark in tailoring history – the natural shoulder, roped sleeve head, suppressed waist and slightly flared skirt creates a subtle hourglass silhouette. £750, anthonysinclair.co.uk

DR. NO SHIRT Worn by the likes of Churchill and Picasso, Turnbull & Asser shirts are made in England from Egyptian and ultra-rare West Indian cotton with mother of pearl buttons. This Dr No. style – named after the Bond film in which it featured – has two-button turnback cocktail cuffs for added panache. £195, turnbullandasser.co.uk

SENNAN SHOE While the majority of fine English shoemakers are based in Northampton, John Lobb went against the grain and has made its bespoke shoes in London since 1866. This Sennen style is an apron fronted double buckle classic shoe with a contemporary look and feel. £1,070, johnlobb.com

LUXURY LONDON

COUTURE

PORTFOLIO CASE The Ettinger Metropolitan Bakerloo Portfolio Case in dark navy is a stylish alternative to traditional briefcases, with a slim silhouette and retractable handles. It is likely to develop a wonderful patina over time, thanks to its fullgrain calfskin. £885, ettinger.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DILTZ/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

JAMES BOND PHOTOGRAPH Sonic Editions makes limited-edition prints of iconic photographs that capture cultural icons from the worlds of film and music. In this Henry Dilitz snap, Sean Connery poses next to the Aston Martin DB5 during filming for James Bond’s Goldfinger. £129, soniceditions.com

R O L L AG A S L I G H T E R We don’t recommend smoking, but we do recommend that you own a quality lighter. First introduced in Paris in 1956, the Rollagas was made by Dunhill under a patented Swiss design and it has remained pretty much unchanged ever since. Instant conversation maker and instant cool-factor. £535, dunhill.com

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C5 SERIES 2 HEADPHONES Famous for making some of the most expensive loudspeakers in the world, Bowers & Wilkins’ revised in-ears match premium aesthetics with a superb sound stage to deliver an unparalleled audio experience. £119, bowerswilkins.com

N O. 39 E AU D E TOILETTE Named after its Jermyn Street store, Floris’ No.39 scent mixes top notes of bergamot and orange with lavender, spicy nutmeg and a dominant woody accord of sandalwood, cedarwood and vetiver. £80, florislondon.com

M AN ’ S WO R L D

THE BIGGEST REFURBISHMENT IN H A R R O D S ’ 1 7 0 -Y E A R H I S TO R Y W I L L S E E I T S M E N S W E A R D E PA R T M E N T, C U R R E N T LY S P R E A D A C R O S S T H R E E F LO O R S , C O N S O L I DAT E D TO O N E .

AS THE FIRST OF SEVEN PHASES OPENS, HEAD OF MENSWEAR – AND PIONEER BEHIND THE CHANGE – SIMON LONGLAND EXPLAINS WHY IT’S WORTHY OF THE INVESTMENT

Words: Ellen Millard

LUXURY LONDON

COUTURE

and 2020. Each section will focus on a different department or product category and there will also be two restaurants, a bar, barber, tailor and pop-up shops. There should be no reason to leave the floor once you get there.

Y

We’re working with David Collins Studio for the entire floor, so there is going to be one architectural vision for all 155,000 sq ft. It was important to us that there was a sense of coherence and flow, and, above all, that Harrods Man has an identity of its own.

Before the design team started the project, they spent time going through our archives. They have a real understanding and respect for the history and heritage of the Harrods building, and the phase that is already open has an Art Deco flavour to it – but it isn’t in any way pastiche. It feels very modern, but at the same time has historical nods to the building’s design. If you’d never been to Harrods before, you would be hard pushed to know when the department had been built.

ou know a store has been doing something right when it can count luminaries such as Oscar Wilde, Charlie Chaplin and Laurence Olivier among its fans. For more than 120 years, Harrods has been catering to the discerning gentleman, dressing the famous, infamous and anonymous with its prized sartorial stock. The inaugural men’s department opened in 1894 with an array of dapper accessories, ranging from umbrellas to socks, and by the turn of the century it had expanded its offering to include bespoke tailoring and ready-to-wear. In a bid to rival Savile Row, a specific tailoring workshop was set up shortly after in Hans Crescent, and by 1930 the Harrods Man’s Shop had taken over the store’s ground floor.

Now, nearly 90 years later, Harrods is relocating its menswear and sports departments to the second floor in a monumental seven-phase redevelopment, that launched last year. Two years, £200m and more than 16,000 tiles and 2,060 sq m of marble have gone into the creation of the first-phase, Superbrands, a 41,000 sq ft destination space for 19 of the world’s foremost fashion brands. Here, each mini concession is a store within itself, with its own unique design and quirks – at Berluti, there’s a football table and bar for mid-shopping pick-me-ups, while Louis Vuitton has created its own private shopping suite.

The second phase, and the first of the International Designer rooms, is due to open in March. Harrods’ head of menswear, Simon Longland, explains why he’s been pioneering this menswear revolution.

There’s going to be a huge array of brands across the floor. In our Superbrands section, we have a mix of more fashion and sartorial-focused brands, so at one end there is Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Dior, and at the other there are labels such as Berluti and Ermenegildo Zegna. The second phase is the first of the International Designer rooms. Here, the brands have been curated based on their timelessness and seasonality.

They’re very beautiful, but they’re not about chasing the trends; think Brunello Cucinelli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani, Etro and Missoni.

We wanted to create an environment that is engaging and somewhere our customers would want to spend time. We’re building pop-up spaces within every phase of the floor, so if a brand has a collaboration or a capsule collection, we can really celebrate that in a significant way. The pop-up spaces are also there to showcase things that aren’t menswear, with products that we think the customer will find interesting or engaging, such as a new watch, fragrance, headphones or a candle.

Men are definitely becoming more product-obsessed. For a long time in womenswear, people would come in because they need ‘the’ bag, or a new must-have accessory. We now have guys coming in who’ve seen a T-shirt or a pair of sneakers – anything they’ve seen on Instagram – and they need it. It shows that men do enjoy and want to shop. It isn’t a chore.

Menswear has had the biggest percentage growth at Harrods for two years in a row. The department has evolved over a number of decades, but it had got to the point where it was spread across several floors, and it wasn’t making for the most cohesive or enjoyable journey for the Harrods man. We decided our customers needed to be treated better, and given a single destination appropriate to them.

Men’s shopping habits depend quite a lot on the man. For our younger customers – or the millennial customer in general – there is very little difference between men and women, but our older customer is more of a destination shopper.

He’s more brand loyal, knows what he wants and is coming to fulfil a need. But it varies wildly; the historical association that men don’t like to shop is becoming less and less true with every passing year.

The core aim is to provide men with the ultimate shopping destination. The first phase opened in November last year, and we will be opening a number of other phases between now

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n January, Luxury London made its annual pilgrimage to Geneva’s cavernous Palexpo exhibition centre for the 2019 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie – SIHH, for short – the four-day jamboree that kicks off the watchmaking calendar.

Attended by 35 mostly premium brands belonging chiefly to the Richemont Group – including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier and Panerai – a significant slice of the show is dedicated to that highfalutin, high-end extremity of watchmaking we call haute horology (the clue’s in the name). Yet among the sixfigure pieces soon to be squirrelled off into the private collections of the one per cent, a swathe of realworld watches made their debuts.

These were the timepieces that commanded the most attention…

SIHH 2019: WHAT DID WE LEARN ABOUT THE MECHANICAL WATCH INDUSTRY? Mainly that Swiss horology is an industry in optimistic spirits. Having spent the previous three years strengthening the base of their product pyramid with breadand-butter collections in the face of economic turmoil, brands were buoyant, experimenting with colour, material and complications. Prices were once again soaring, perpetual calendars and

CODE 11.59, AUDEMARS PIGUET Audemars Piguet has spent the previous six years developing an all-new collection of cutting-edge dress watches. The bizarrelynamed result is the Code 11.59 – so called to evoke the excitement of an impending day.

The multifaceted, 13-reference, six-model family incorporates three new calibres, spanning from a simple timeand-date automatic to the Supersonnerie minute repeater.

All feature an octagonal middlecase embedded within an outer 41mm round case.

flying tourbillons were everywhere, and both Audemars Piguet and Montblanc felt ballsy enough to launch brand new collections.

DIVIDING OPINIONS The Royal Oak of 1972 was famously conceived in one night by one man (Gérald Genta). Common consensus in Geneva was that the Code 11.59 has all the hallmarks of being designed by committee.

PRICE From £23,800 for the Selfwinding (pictured)

CLIFTON BAUMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR, BAUME & MERCIER

S W I S S A L P WAT C H CO N C E P T B L AC K , H. MOSER & CIE.

Baume & Mercier upgrades it’s first in-house calibre for 2019, improving its accuracy, extending its power reserve and placing it within six new Clifton Baumatic watches. The range-topping perpetual calendar, complete with silicon hairspring, represents Baume & Mercier’s most complicated model to date.

‘Look mum – no hands!’ Or dial, or indices, or any other discernible way of actually telling the time. At first, H. Moser & Cie.’s irreverent answer to the smart watch, designed to look like the Apple wearable on standby, might appear to fly in the face of traditional watchmaking. In fact, the glossy black timepiece relies on two of the grandest complications in horology – a flying tourbillon and minute repeater.

PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT Marrying a red gold case, ‘warm white’ dial and navy-and-gold moon-phase, this timepiece continues a company tradition of serving up supremely handsome timepieces at industry-beating prices.

PRICE

Approx

£19,250

TAKING A BITE OUT OF APPLE Moser’s characteristically cheeky swipe at the connected watch from Cupertino is already paying off – the one-off piece has already been sold, with orders for more coming in thick and fast.

PRICE

POA

LUXURY LONDON

COUTURE

ALTIPLANO METEORITE, PIAGET

ARCEAU 78, HERMÈS At first, Hermès’ Arceau 78 might appear a lesson in simplicity. Take a closer look, however, and you begin to realise the exacting attention to detail that’s gone into making the elegant dress watches.

Take, for example, the anthracite dial – sandblasted to create a three-dimensional granular effect. Then there’s the mirror-polished stainlesssteel case topped by a contrasting bead-blasted matt-brushed bezel.

Add slender Arabic numerals printed in cream Super-LumiNova and a date wheel in the same slate grey as the rest of the dial.

UNBRIDLED AESTHETICS This watch is launched to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first timepiece conceived by Hermès’ legendary artistic director Henri d’Origny – the man behind those signature silk ties.

On the first night of SIHH, Piaget hosted a gala dinner at its watchmaking HQ on the outskirts of Geneva. Attendees, including ambassadors Michael B. Jordan, Olivia Palermo and Hu Ge, were treated to a performance from renowned ballet company Rudra-Béjart. Back at its beach-themed booth, the brand unveiled three new Altiplano models. With a dial made of meteorite, the rose gold variant was quite literally out of this world.

OUT OF SPACE Just as diamonds are crystallised records of conditions deep within the earth, Piaget explained, meteorites are crystallised records of the birth of galaxies.

PRICE

£2,650

1858 CHRONOGRAPH, MONTBLANC

£24,300

TONNEAU, CARTIER Another year, another attention-grabbing geometric dress watch from Cartier.

Having created the cushionshaped Drive in 2016 and relaunched the square-faced Santos 12 months ago, it was the turn of the barrel-cased Tonneau to receive some TLC. The original Tonneau arrived in 1906 just two years after the inaugural Santos, and is credited as being the world’s first purpose-built men’s wristwatch.

In a bucolic booth complete with a waterfall and living walls, Montblanc attempted to channel the spirit of the great outdoors with help from ambassadors David Gandy, Brazilian supermodel Isabeli Fontana and a high-spirited Hugh Jackman, who took it upon himself to distribute the champagne. The pastoral setting assisted the launch of three new khaki-green watches dedicated to mountain exploration.

BRONZE AGE Sandwiched between the time-only 1858 Automatic and the world-time 1858 Geosphere, the retro-worked 1858 Chronograph packed plenty of vintage appeal.

PRICE

PRICE

WHY THE LONG FACE? To commemorate the watch’s centenary, Cartier relaunched the Tonneau in 2006 and this year bolsters the line with two time-only, handwound pieces in pink gold and platinum.

£4,200

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PRICE

From

£19,300

BONBON COLLECTION, RICHARD MILLE

F R E A K X , U LY S S E NARDIN

Neither Audemars Piguet nor Richard Mille will be showing at SIHH 2020, both brands citing new mono-brand-boutique approaches to business as to why they no longer need to schmooze retailers at the Geneva get-together.

The iconoclastic French watchmaker bowed out of SIHH in candy-coated style, courtesy of the sweetinspired Bonbon collection.

Ten time-only models display a total of 60 effervescent colourways across six carbonbased cases.

Adopted by the tech industry for use in microprocessors in the 70s, silicon helped catalyse the tech revolution of the late 20th century.

One of the first companies to recognise that the material’s anti-magnetic, corrosionresistant qualities might also prove handy in watchmaking was Ulysse Nardin. In 2001, the brand launched the no-handed, crown-less Freak – the first watch to house an escapement executed in silicon. This year, we get the Freak X, a slimmed-down entry-level piece priced to provide a gateway to the silicon-centred collection.

SWEET TOOTH Richard Mille debuted a brand new case in a novel turquoise hue. Elsewhere, cupcakeinformed crowns and sugar coatings of powdered enamel provided a feast for the eyes.

PRICE

From

£113,000

PRICE

CHF21,000 (approx. £16,250)

T W I N B E AT P E R P E T U A L C A L E N D A R , VA C H E R O N C O N S TA N T I N

GYROTOURBILLON WESTMINSTER PERPÉTUEL, J A E G E R - L E C O U LT R E

Vacheron Constantin debuted a unique twist on what turned out to be the most en vogue complication of SIHH 2019 – the perpetual calendar. The dual-frequency Traditionnelle Twin Beat incorporates a patentpending in-house calibre that allows wearers to switch between a high-frequency (5Hz) active mode and a low-frequency (1.2Hz) standby mode.

The Westminster Perpétuel marries a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar, meaning that the skeletonised timepiece will chime the minutes of the day while automatically displaying the correct day, date, month and year without the need for manual adjustment between months of different lengths.

RICHER SOUNDS In order to achieve a crystal-clear Westminster chime, the melody struck by London’s Big Ben clock, the Gyrotourbillon incorporates a silencereduction function built into its chiming mechanism.

CROWNING GLORY Like its predecessor, The Freak X displays the time via a rotating movement – a central bridge acts as a minute hand; a wheel indicates the hours – but corrections in this latest iteration are made through a crown.

PRICE

POA

SWISS BEATS Converting to low-frequency mode extends the watch’s power reserve to 65 days. Confine the piece to your watch roll and it will continue to tell the correct time for more than two months.

PRICE

£195,000

LUXURY LONDON

COUTURE

IWC is the Official Time Partner of the BFI London Film Festival and counts among its ambassadors Rosamund Pike, Daniel Kaluuya, Natalie Dormer and Dev Patel. Why do you choose to align yourself so closely with the film industry?

“We are working in an industry that makes completely technically nonessential products. When you enter this world it’s all about how you add meaning, how you provide a narrative, how you embed products in a context that speaks to people. So what we do is quite similar to the job of a filmmaker – it’s about getting people to buy into a dream.”

Other than exposure, what does IWC gain from celebrity ambassadors?

“It’s about developing shared projects. Nowadays we are very much looking for authentic interest in the brand and a shared passion for watches. When I first met Bradley [Cooper] in London, we knew he’d been wearing IWC watches for the previous six or seven years. We met up and discussed the sort of campaign we’d design together; we’d realised that creatively they’d be a fit. If there’s no shared common ground, I don’t see the advantage.”

How important are ‘influencers’ to IWC’s marketing strategy?

“Social media is changing rapidly. The activity of being an influencer was, for a certain period of time, a profession in itself. I don’t think that that model, beyond fashion and beauty, will survive. You need someone with an authentic story, authentic content and the ability to talk about products – it’s important to be able to put these people in front of our clients at events. You lose credibility if you have people switching between brands every weekend.”

What ever happened to the IWC Connect?

“We had two connected products planned – one connected strap and one connected folding clasp, both on a mechanical watch. We stopped both just before launch because, in terms of user experience, they didn’t feel like IWC products – technology-wise they weren’t quite there. We will carry on researching in the background, but a couple of things need to happen. First, we need a technology that people are asking for beyond fitness tracking – this could be payment or identification. Secondly, you need batteries, induction charging and technology small enough to be seamlessly integrated.”

The CEO Interview

CHRISTOPH J. GRAINGER-HERR, IWC Grainger-Herr took the reins of the Swiss watchmaker in 2017 aged just 40, making him the youngest CEO in luxury conglomerate Richemont. In March 2018, he oversaw the launch of a worldwide multi-channel advertising campaign starring Bradley Cooper – the first time IWC had produced an extensive campaign with a single celebrity.

IWC was an early adopter of social media and the second luxury watch brand to be sold through Mr Porter. The company has also introduced e-commerce to its own website and launched an online personalisation service.

PILOT’S WATCH CHRONOGRAPH SPITFIRE, £5,690

Where are we with the smartwatch story?

“Smart watches have been a massive discussion, but to this present day I have not heard of any of client of ours walking into a boutique and saying ‘It’s interesting that you don’t make a smartwatch’ – it’s just not a topic in an actual business sense. Last year, I attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. I went to breakfast and there was basically the whole executive club of Silicon Valley assembled there. I did not see one smartwatch device – we’re even going back to analogue cameras now – so I’m not too concerned.”

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BEST IN SHOW LY N N S C H R O E D E R , M A N A G I N G D I R E C T O R O F W E M P E I N N E W B O N D S T R E E T, S E L E C T S H E R S TA N D O U T WAT C H E S F R O M S I H H 2 0 1 9

Quotes: Lynn Schroeder | Words: Dom Jeffares

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2 OV E R S E AS PERPETUAL C A L E N D A R U LT R A T H I N , VA C H E R O N C O N S TA N T I N

RICHARD LANGE JUMPING SECONDS, A LANGE & SÖHNE

The 8.1mm-thick Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin comes in two colours: one is a more relaxed version graced with a blue dial framed by a pink gold case and blue straps; the other is a more elegant interpretation fitted with a pink gold bracelet offsetting its silvertoned dial.

A notable feature of this new Jumping Seconds is a lowpower indicator between the two lower registers that notifies when precision is being lost due to lower frequency (10 hours before the reserve expires).

“The clear contrast of white markings on a black background adds a new dimension to this supremely handsome dress watch.”

“The Overseas collection features a distinctive design that expresses fine watchmaking yet is dedicated to practicality.”

1 BAIGNOIRE, CARTIER

“The Baignoire watch is a signature watch for women who have their sights set high, who forsake trends and fashions and choose this piece for its timeless French chic.”

Perhaps no other watchmaker employs shape and form in the iconic way that Cartier does. The story of the Baignoire begins in 1912 when Louis Cartier took the traditional round watch and lengthened it. His experimentation concluded in two parallel lines closed by two curves, forming the shape of a bathtub (“baignoire” in French).

3 R E N D E Z-VO U S M O O N J E W E L L E R Y, JAEGERL E C O U LT R E

“Even at a glance, these new versions of JaegerLeCoultre’s iconic watch show a stunning richness of detail with elements that fully adhere to the codes of high jewellery.”

On Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Rendez-Vous Moon Jewellery model, a starry sky of midnight blue aventurine serves as the backdrop for a moon reimagined in mother-of-pearl.

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8

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“A central GMT hand and small-seconds hand, both in vibrant red, contrast smartly with a dial made from the same cloth as Luna Rossa’s sails.”

“The Clifton Baumatic collection expresses a combination of watchmaking expertise and contemporary style – the hallmark of all Baume & Mercier watches.”

5 TIMEZONER SPITFIRE EDITION ‘THE LONGEST FLIGHT’, IWC

“The Timezoner’s rotating bezel is terribly satisfying when you’re stationed on terra firma – and pretty handy when you’re flying between multiple time zones.”

IWC launched a five-reference family of Spitfire watches in Geneva. The Timezoner Spitfire Edition ‘The Longest Flight’ has been developed for airmen Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones, co-pilots who will attempt a round-the-world record attempt in a Spitfire later this year. The world time function is adjusted by pushing down and rotating a black ceramic bezel, which simultaneously rotates the hour hand and the 24-hour display.

The Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic line packs quite the punch, especially at its relatively affordable price point. A lot of effort has gone into developing the Baumatic BM121975A movement, which allows for an impressive 120-hour power reserve.

The use of silicon in sensitive components of the movement makes it antimagnetic and shock resistant, providing for more accurate timekeeping.

7 L A U R E AT O ABSOLUTE, GIRARDPERREGAUX

“This year, we get the Laureato Absolute, the most athletic and exciting manifestation of Girard-Perregaux’s sportiest timepiece.”

Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato takes its name from the Italian translation of The Graduate, that iconic 60s coming-of-age movie starring Dustin Hoffman.

The Laureato Absolute case has been upped to 44mm, but, thanks to a PVD-treated titanium construction, wears incredibly lightly. Three models – a time-and-date, a chronograph and a worldtimer – make up the all-black, electric-blue-dial collection.

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Later this year, Max Sirena, skipper of Italy’s Luna Rossa, will take to the waters of Sardinia in a bid to become the official challenger of the 36th America’s Cup. Thanks to Panerai, the venerated yachtsman will do so wearing a watch manufactured from the same material as the space-age hull of his 75ft sailboat. The Florentine watchmaker has created the Submersible Luna Rossa – a 47mm dive watch constructed from superlightweight, corrosionresistant carbon fibre.

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BREMONT Bremont’s ALT1-C/WH-BK is updated with modern indexes and an enlarged exhibition case-back – all the better to see its BE-50AE chronometerrated movement. £4,895, 12 Royal Exchange

LEICA Inspired by adventure and the great outdoors, the Leica M10-P has been updated in a dashing olive green shade. Be quick – the Safari edition is limited to just 1,500 units. £2,300 for the lens, £6,900 for the body, 18 Royal Exchange

TATEOSSIAN UNVEILS ITS NEW CELESTIALINSPIRED CUFFLINKS Banker-turned-jewellerydesigner Robert Tateossian launched his eponymous brand in 1990 in a bid to bring some personality and style to

the accessories market, with jewellery and cufflinks inspired by his travels. Enter these Sun & Moon cufflinks, two charming antique silver disks embellished with mother of pearl and celestial motifs. £425, 1/4 Royal Exchange

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ASPINAL OF LONDON Big enough to carry your gym kit, this Oversized London Tote is the ultimate handbag, with two mobilesized slip pockets and a zip compartment for your valuables. £595, 19 The Royal Exchange

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P.120 ITALIAN JOB A Rome-inspired manor in the heart of Suffolk

P.124 LIVING ON A PRAYER A former rectoryturned-boutique bolthole in Somerset

The Cotswolds’ Foxhill Manor has done away with the country estate rulebook, instead living by the mantra “whatever you fancy, whenever you fancy” (p.114)

TO THE

MANOR BORN ‘ W H A T E V E R Y O U F A N C Y, W H E N E V E R Y O U FA N C Y I T ’ – L U X U R Y LO N D O N P U T S B U C O L I C B O LT H O L E F O X H I L L M A N O R ’ S MOTTO TO THE TEST

Words: Annabel Harrison

T

he wind is whistling and the rain is hammering down, as it has been for hours, but I’m snug, and smug, inside.

In fact, today I’m actually thankful for this relentless, moody British weather because it gives me license to languish within the confines of my home for the weekend – Foxhill Manor – where champagne flows freely and being lazy is encouraged.

Tucked away in the heart of the 400-acre Farncombe Estate, Foxhill Manor belongs to the same family as Dormy House (that perfectly conceived boutique hotel) and The Fish (affordable luxury), but it’s been described as ‘just that little bit more exclusive’. This grade-II listed manor house has quite the pedigree; it was built in 1909 by local Cotswolds craftsmen and designed by Yorkshire-born architect Joseph Lancaster Ball. It caught my attention when it was named The Sunday Times Hotel of the Year within a year of its opening.

In part, this much be because Foxhill’s secluded, indulgent and laid-back offering is utterly conducive to romance and relaxation. All its eight rooms and suites, named after trees, are individually styled, influenced

by Foxhill’s Danish owners, who have an impeccable eye for detail and art. The most spectacular is the Oak suite, in which my husband and I could have happily

Twin tubs stand side-byside; soak up the sweeping sheep-speckled views across the Vale of Evesham

ABOVE / THE OAK SUITE LEFT / THE DRAWING ROOM

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hunkered down for 24 hours without surfacing – surely the benchmark of success on a weekend away in the Cotswolds? Its big, open-plan sleeping/ living areas draw on a Scandi-cool palette of white, light wood, dark mushroom grey and tan, with the odd leopard print cushion and mirrored unit here and there. Twin tubs stand side by side, perfect for soaking in while soaking up the sweeping, sheepspeckled views across the Vale of Evesham. Try to make the most of the enormous wooden four-poster bed before your sport-obsessed husband twigs another perk of the baths. One can watch England playing cricket on one TV and rugby on another.

When (if ever) cabin fever sets in, pad just a dozen or so steps to the drawing room, where

a well-stocked drinks trolley is there to be taken advantage of. Foxhill is not the place for any kind of abstinence. You can opt for a room rate that includes champagne, beer, wine and glass decanters of spirits, along with soft drinks, ‘help yourself’ cakes and snacks available 24/7 from the pantry.

The latter is stocked up with homemade brownies, popcorn, marshmallows, fruit and drinks, and we carry away our haul in striped paper bags, feeling like kids about to have a midnight feast.

Despite the fact that there are no set menus or meal times at Foxhill Manor – the chef follows a ‘whatever, whenever’ policy – the other couples staying at the same time as us seemed to be creatures of habit when it comes to dinner time.

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LEFT / JUNIPER ROOM BELOW / PORK DISH AT FOXHILL MANOR

In the morning, a click of the iPad results in a smiling member of staff delivering fresh milk and the papers

There was a cheery atmosphere in the 16-seat dining room, which is complete with crackling fireplace. An amuse bouche is trumped by the arrival of hunks of bread with Marmite butter. It’s so good you could eat it with a spoon (and I am not ashamed to admit that I do). The rest of the meal is equally, satisfyingly unfussy. We share each other’s desserts and are having such a good evening that we laugh all the way to the final course at a very cheesy joke (excuse the pun) about mature cheddar.

I sleep a solid 10 hours, which is just what I need. The darkness, the temperature, the bedding – by this point I’m not surprised it’s all just right. In the morning, a click of the iPad results in a smiling member of staff delivering fresh milk and the papers. Appetites whetted by smoothies and Chelsea buns, we tuck into a top-notch full English.

Our day continues with a visit to Dormy House’s spa, which is impressive, in an understatedly un-spa-like fashion.

It offers a range of treatments by Temple Spa in the Suite of Treats and a decadent Veuve Clicquot champagne nail bar, which looks nothing like any nail bar I’ve ever visited and is all the better for it. The dining/chill-out area has a Scandi-feel, as does the outdoor terrace, which boasts an array of wicker furniture just begging to be lounged on in the summer. The artwork is eclectic and well chosen and, although the spa is technically underground, it’s flooded with light. The infinity pool is just big enough for lengths but I mainly float around before hopping into the Jacuzzi.

Before we leave, we head to postcard-pretty Broadway, just five minutes away by car, to enjoy its famed deli, quaint cafés, homeware shops and local pubs. Drive a bit further to visit some of the loveliest villages and towns in the Cotswolds, including Chipping Campden and Stow-on-the-Wold.

Foxhill Manor has hit the nail on the head. I can’t think of a better place to while away a long weekend. foxhillmanor.com

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L A Words: Abi Sritharan

D O L C E

V I T A

THE FORMER HOME OF THE ECCENTRIC 4TH EARL OF BRISTOL PROVIDES A RELAXING ESCAPE IN THE HEART O F S U F F O L K – W I T H A N U N U S U A L I TA L I A N T W I S T

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pon approaching Ickworth House, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d arrived not in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but in Italy. The Palladian palace, with its jutting Corinthian rotunda, is as far from British country house aesthetic as you can get – but its creator was anything but traditional.

Frederick Hervey, the eccentric 4th Earl of Bristol, inherited the land and its title following the death of his father and two older brothers in 1779. Originally a bishop, the Earl embraced his speedy trajectory and used his new-found wealth and status to explore his love of art, amassing a stellar collection on his frequent visits to Rome, where he sought works by the likes of Correggio and Raphael.

Ickworth House, Frederick decided, would become his gallery. English architects Francis and Joseph Sandys took on the job, modelling their design on the work of Italian architect Antontio Asprucci. Unfortunately, the Earl didn’t live to see the end result, nor did the British public see his art collection – he was arrested by the French for suspected espionage and confined at Milan, where his entire collection was confiscated. But his efforts weren’t in vain: his son completed the building work following his father’s death in 1803 and, having inherited Frederick’s passion for art, filled the home with his own artistic archive.

Today, the manor is owned by the National Trust and a portion of its rooms are dedicated to The Ickworth Hotel. The Hervery family heritage is remembered in the paintings that line the walls: works by Hogarth, Velázquez, Kauffmann and Vigée Le Brun can be found here, as well as an impressive silver collection (the largest in the National Trust’s repertoire).

The hotel’s 27 rooms, named after notable guests, pay homage to the building’s history: Louis and Amelie allude to the King and Queen of France, who stayed here in the 18th century, while Lady Montagu refers to the 18th century

poet. To truly turn back the clocks, book a stay in the Grand Tour suite, which has an immense eight-foot antique bed and views overlooking the Capability Brown-designed Italianate Gardens, for which guests have afterhours access. They’re also free to roam the National Trust galleries and the private halls of the house.

But it’s not all about heritage – the manor has all the mod-cons of a 21st-century retreat, including an indoor swimming pool, a spa, a games room and an in-house cinema. Childfriendly and surprisingly laidback, parents are offered two-hours of free childcare a day in the crèche.

An adults-only restaurant, named Frederick’s, serves dishes such as confit duck leg, pheasant Kiev and Blythburgh pork belly, while the family-friendly Conservatory Restaurant has crowd-pleasing steaks, seafood and lighter bites for younger diners.

But the best part about the hotel is its location: guests are free to roam the adjoining 1,800 acres of National Trust parkland, which can be explored on foot or on one of the hotel’s bikes. The gardens amass thousands of visitors a year, who flock to navigate the picturesque parkland under the watchful eye of the manor’s imposing rotunda. It might not be the art gallery Frederick envisioned, but in Ickworth House his legacy lives on.

From £129 per night, luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk

English architects Francis and Joseph Sandys modelled their design on the work of Italian architect Antontio Asprucci LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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TA K E M E TO CHURCH A FORMER RECTORY IN THE COTSWOLDS, CONVERTED INTO A B O U T I Q U E H OT E L , I S D R AW I N G LO N D O N E R S I N S E A R C H OF RURAL R&R LIKE MOTHS TO A FLAME

Words: Annabel Harrison

T

he bronze key is for your room and the silver one is for the front door if you come back late.

Although there’s not much going on at night around here,” says friendly receptionist Charlotte, as she shows us where the kettle, milk and freshly-baked shortbread are located in our room. What she says doesn’t surprise me. I wasn’t expecting any late-night revelling in the vicinity of The Rectory Hotel, and while Crudwell is lovelier than its name suggests, dotted with stone dwellings bathed in the honeycoloured light of the afternoon sun, it seems like the quintessential sleepy English village.

Bags down, kettle on, feet up. Our spacious, thoughtfully-designed room is an easy blend of comfortable and contemporary, flooded with natural light and stocked with gorgeous Bramley bath products, which are made in Somerset. While I wait for my bath to run, I find the WiFi password on my bedside table. It’s #goforawalkinstead. Right...

Message received. I also discover there’s Amazon Prime and Netflix on our TV so conclude the tech-no diktat probably isn’t to be taken too seriously.

A stroll around the neatly-tended grounds reveals the outdoor pool – which must have felt like heaven during last summer’s heatwave – and the Cottage, a self-contained three-bedroom option for exclusive use. It’s a peaceful and pretty setting, perfect for escaping the always-on energy of city life. Inside the hotel, in addition to its 15 bedrooms of varying sizes, communal spaces are filled with open fireplaces, sink-into-me velvet sofas in deep jewel tones, huge windows and covetable worn-in wooden furniture.

It doesn’t take me and my husband long to decide that if we had our own countryside weekend retreat, it would basically look like this. It’s the best kind of homely, with just enough hotel. In fact, if I were a rector with a wife and 14 children – like the building’s former inhabitants – I’d be very appreciative of the numerous nooks and crannies.

I’d have ordered several of the most troublesome children to the top floor and basked in relative peace on the ground floor.

Unfortunately for the rector, he wasn’t able to take advantage of the small but perfectly formed bar, which manages to feel buzzy despite featuring

only three tables to host guests. If you’re dining and feel too hungry to wait for the bread basket, you can order a Before appetiser, such as a cheese and truffle toastie or cod’s roe and brown shrimp choux bun.

Save space for an excellent meal, too – expect local produce mouth-wateringly well.

As a perk of the job, the rector would also have enjoyed the proximity of his home to his place of work. God’s house, in Crudwell at least, is visible, and audible, from Room 6. Deep sleepers and those used to London’s night-time symphony won’t have a problem. A light sleeper like me may not be thrilled by sonorous chimes alerting you to the fact that it’s exactly 5.55am and the birds are as awake as you are. I then later discovered 25 guests writing reviews for Mr & Mrs Smith that didn’t even mention the bells – rather, they deemed it “blissfully quiet and relaxing” – so maybe it’s just me.

Regardless, the bed is so comfy I have no problem dozing in it for hours, reading the paper – all of it –

If I had my own countryside weekend retreat, it would look like this. The best kind of homely, with just enough hotel and finishing a properly English quantity of tea. This is the simple stuff of weekend wake-up bliss. No life admin, no small people demanding attention, no plans, no worries.

We eventually shuffle down to breakfast, which is set up in the conservatory extension that wins full marks for not feeling like a conservatory. The sourdough with avocado, smoked salmon and eggs is predictably delicious, says my husband, and I’m rewarded for my off-piste choice with a fluffy buttermilk waffle with fat juicy berries, a dollop of mascarpone and crunchy granola sprinkled on top.

We’re the first down to breakfast, but not alone for long. A procession of familiar-looking couples trickles in – all are dressed in variations of jeans, neutral knits, Converse or Chelsea boots and several of the men have beards. The radio is playing, everyone’s reading the weekend supplements and we hear one woman pipe up with “An oat-milk flat white please”. You can take the Londoners out of London… mrandmrssmith.com

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P.132

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

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE Clarges Mayfair’s largest penthouse sets a new record

P.140 SPOTLIGHT A three-bedroom house in Belgravia hits the market

Greybrook House has been recently renovated and designed with an Art Deco aesthetic (p.134)

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PROPERTY

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE R E C O R D - S E T T I N G S A L E F O R M AY FA I R P E N T H O U S E

I

n a record-breaking deal, the largest penthouse apartment at Clarges Mayfair, a new development of 34 luxury residences, has sold for in excess of £55m to an international buyer, setting the record in the UK for the largest apartment purchase.

Quintessentially Estates, the property arm of the luxury concierge company Quintessentially, secured the deal. “Clarges was the first property [the buyer] saw as we thought it would be ideal for his family,” says the estate agent’s director Simon Garcia. “It has beautiful views of the Park and London and, crucially, is the quality he is after. Within a week, we had put an offer on it.”

Designed by Squire & Partners and Martin Kemp Design, Clarges Mayfair

has seen much success since the first of its turn-key apartments began marketing in July last year, with British Land reporting in November that 19 of the units had been sold in the previous six months, worth a combined £203m, with another three deals having exchanged but not completed in the period.

The new penthouse record follows hot on the heels of Roman Abramovich’s purchase of a penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront for £30m, proving that while the lower end of the London property market remains cautious about Brexit and stamp duty costs, buyers at the upper end aren’t being put off.

Penny Mosgrove, CEO of Quintessentially Estates, agrees: “We are thrilled to have been involved in this transaction of such a stunning

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project and securing an excellent deal for our client. But really, the story here is that it is a purchase that represents confidence in the prime central London Market, and assurance in the UK’s economy despite Brexit and other global pressures.”

ALL IMAGES CLARGES MAYFAIR, COURTESY OF QUINTESSENTIALLY ESTATES

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Price and details correct at time of going to print.

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STREETS AHEAD DISTINCTIVE HOMES ON THE PROPERTY MARKET THIS MONTH

LONDON DOCK, E1W

What was once the home of News International is being redeveloped into a mixed neighbourhood of 1,800 new homes, dubbed London Dock.

Alexander Wharf, one of the developments, has recently put its

penthouse on the market.

The three-bedroom property has an openplan living area, kitchen and dining room, plus a wrap-around terrace with views of Wapping, the River Thames and Canary Wharf. £5.5m, 020 3797 8680, berkeleygroup.co.uk

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G R E Y C O AT P L A C E , S W 1 P

Westminster’s charming former fire station is being converted into six boutique apartments, while an adjacent new-build, dubbed Station House, is set to house a further 11.

The Edwardian property will also be home to a new restaurant, which will retain period features such as the original fireman’s pole. Sales are due to launch later this year.

From £850,000, westminsterfirestation.com

B R O O K S T R E E T, W1K

Newly-renovated in an Art Deco-style befitting the building’s exterior, these four apartments in Greybrook House are for sale together, spanning four floors and

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amounting to 14 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms in total.

Floors one, two and three are all home to threebedroom apartments, while the penthouse (which has direct lift access) has five. £46m, 020 7629 4513, chestertons.com

Impressive semi-detached house Ellerby Street, SW6 Putney Bridge Underground Station: 0.8 miles Reception room, kitchen/dining/family room, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, media room, roof terrace and 48ft garden. EPC = E

Freehold | 3,089 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ3.15 million Robert Sanderson Savills Fulham 020 7731 9400 rsanderson@savills.com

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Meticulously refurbished home Limerston Street, SW10 Gloucester Road: 0.8 miles, South Kensington: 0.9 miles Reception room, kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, study, hot tub, sauna and garden. EPC = F

Freehold | 2,090 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ4.295 million Charlie Bubear Savills Chelsea 020 7578 9000 cbubear@savills.com

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Elegant family townhouse Eaton Terrace, SW1W

Sloane Square Underground Station: 0.2 miles, Victoria Station: 0.5 miles

An extremely well-presented Grade II listed townhouse located at the favoured northern end of Eaton Terrace. 3 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, garden, roof terrace. EPC = D

Freehold | 4,062 sq ft | Price on Application Charles Holbrook Savills Sloane Street 020 7824 9096 cholbrook@savills.com

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N OW M O R E T H A N E V E R , O U R 1 5 0 Y E A R S O F E X P E R I E N C E M AT T E R S

LUXURY LONDON

PROPERTY

SPOTLIG HT A T H R E E - B E D R O O M H O U S E I N B E L G R AV I A’ S E AT O N M E W S N O R T H

H

andily located between Eaton Place and Eaton Square, Eaton Mews North is a private enclave in the heart of Belgravia, within walking distance from Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and the charming village-like Elizabeth Street. Its enviable location and exclusive archway entrance puts its quaint properties in high demand. This freehold, three-bedroom house has recently hit the market, having been re-built behind its original façade to create an open-plan living space spread across four floors. Two double bedrooms are located on the first floor – one of which boasts an attractive Juliette balcony – while a large master suite takes over the second, top floor. A spacious reception room dominates the ground level and an open-plan kitchen, breakfast room, wine room and TV area can be found on the lower ground floor. Four bathrooms are spread across the house. £6.5m, 020 3879 8989, pastor-realestate.com

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Dilke Street, Chelsea SW3 £1,260 per week

Unfurnished

Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill W10 £525 per week

Furnished

A spacious six-bedroom house located on a quiet street in the heart of Old Chelsea.

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

2,278 sq ft (211.6 sq m) Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Six bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Cloakroom | Roof terrace | EPC rating E

588 sq ft (54.6 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

Bedford Gardens, Kensington W8 £3,500 per week

Catherine Place, Westminster SW1E £2,250 per week Unfurnished

Unfurnished

Beautiful five-bedroom family house with a large, south-facing garden, in the heart of Kensington.

An exceptionally refurbished period townhouse located close to Buckingham Palace.

2,776 sq ft (257 sq m) Drawing room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Family area | Five bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Shower room | Cloakroom | South-facing garden | EPC rating E

2,655 sq ft (246.7 sq m) Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Three bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Cloakroom | Gym | EPC rating E

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington.lettings@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

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

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Waldemar Avenue Mansions, Fulham SW6 £1,635 per week Unfurnished

Cathcart Road, London SW10 £3,200 per week

A stunning and incredibly unique three-bedroom, split-level apartment.

A beautiful five double bedroom family home presented in immaculate condition.

2,218 sq ft (206.04 sq m) Kitchen | Reception room | Master bedroom with en suite, dressing room and private patio | Two further bedrooms with en suites | Utility room | Cloakroom | Garden | EPC rating C

3,181 sq ft (295.5 sq m) Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Five bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Garden | Double garage | EPC rating E

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Queen’s Gate, South Kensington SW7 £3,000 per week Unfurnished

Smith Street, Chelsea SW3 £725 per week

A stunning penthouse (with lift) located in the heart of South Kensington.

Superb two-bedroom apartment with wooden floors, in a fabulous location.

2,157 sq ft (200.35 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen/family room | Three double bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Balcony | Roof terrace | Lift | EPC rating C

743 sq ft (69 sq m) Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Two bedrooms | One bathroom | Balcony | EPC rating E

South Kensington 020 3504 5901 | southken@struttandparker.com

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

Unfurnished

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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Shelley Court, Chelsea SW3 £3,500,000

Leasehold

Alexander Street, Notting Hill W2 £4,500,000

Freehold

A bright 1,637 sq ft third floor (with lift) apartment with three en suite double bedrooms.

A stylish and impressive four-bedroom family house located in a quiet enclave of Notting Hill.

1,637 sq ft (152.1 sq m) Entrance hall | Double reception room | Kitchen | Three bedrooms with en suite bathrooms | Lift | Caretaker | EPC rating D

2,714 sq ft (252.1 sq m) Drawing room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Study | Four bedrooms | Three bathrooms | Garden | Utility room | EPC rating D

Chelsea 020 3504 5588 | chelsea@struttandparker.com

Notting Hill 020 3773 4114 | nottinghill@struttandparker.com

Gloucester Walk, Kensington W8 £3,950,000

Freehold

Ovington Gardens, Knightsbridge SW3 £1,495,000 Share of Freehold

An impressive and well-presented four-bedroom stucco fronted house, with a lovely south-facing garden.

A fantastic two-bedroom flat in the heart of Knightsbridge.

2,438 sq ft (226.5 sq m) Drawing room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Dining area | Study | Master bedroom suite | Three further bedrooms | Second bathroom | South-facing garden | South-facing terrace | EPC rating D

804 sq ft (74.7 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen | Double bedroom with en suite bathroom | Second bedroom | Second bathroom | Access to communal gardens | EPC rating D

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

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

Oxberry Avenue, Fulham SW6 £1,700,000

Freehold

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

A fine terraced house, with five-bedrooms and elegant, attractive accommodation, in a highly desirable Fulham location.

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

1,991 sq ft (185 sq m) Kitchen | Dining room | Drawing room | Master bedroom with en suite and dressing room | Four further bedrooms, one with en suite | Two bathrooms | Cloakroom | Garden | EPC rating D

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

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

Onslow Gardens, South Kensington SW7 £7,500,000 Freehold

Chelsea Park Gardens, Chelsea SW3 £8,950,000

A rare opportunity to acquire a special five-bedroom house in Onslow Gardens, South Kensington.

An exceptionally wide seven-bedroom family home situated on this quiet, private section of Chelsea Park Gardens.

3,366 sq ft (including Vaults) (305 sq m) Drawing room | Dining room | Family room | Five bedrooms | Four bathrooms | Study | Utility room | Conservatory | Garden | EPC rating F

4,042 sq ft (375 sq m) Drawing room | Dining room/kitchen | Study | Master bedroom suite | Five further bedrooms | Three further bathrooms | Playroom/ bedroom | Garden | Off street parking for two cars | EPC rating D

South Kensington 020 3504 5901 | southken@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@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.

Freehold

Palace Gardens Terrace, Kensington W8

£8,250,000 Freehold

An outstanding, wide and beautifully refurbished five-bedroom stucco fronted family house, occupying approximately 3,525 sq ft, with a stunning 46 ft long garden.

3,525 sq ft (327.5 sq m) Entrance hall | Kitchen/breakfast room | Dining room | Drawing room | Sitting room | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom | Four further bedrooms | Two en suite shower rooms | Two further shower/bathrooms | Two cloakrooms | Two studies | Kitchenette | Utility area | EPC rating D

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington@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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Lyall Mews, Belgravia SW1X

£5,750 per week Furnished

Quietly situated at the far end of Lyall Mews, this outstanding house (circa 3,496 sq ft) features a showpiece Boffi kitchen, great volume and the rare advantage of a lift.

3,496 sq ft (324.8 sq m) Drawing room | Dining room | Sitting room | Kitchen | Utility room | Cloakroom | Master bedroom | En suite bathroom | Three further double bedrooms | Three further bathrooms | Lift | Garage | EPC rating C

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridgelettings@struttandparker.com References per Tenant £54 (Inc VAT), a deposit – usually between 6-10 weeks of the agreed rent. Any rent advertised is pure rent and does not include any additional services such as council tax, water or utility charges.

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

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