Luxury London Magazine October 2018 by Luxury London Media

October 2018 £7.00

MAGAZINE

THE IN T ERIO R S ISSUE DAV I D L I N L E Y THE ROYAL ASCENT

FALL INTO AUTU MN THIS SEASON’S SMARTEST LEATHER JACKETS, CHICEST SHEARLING COATS & FINEST CASHMERE SWEATERS

OF THE ARISTOCRATIC FURNITURE DESIGNER

SOPHIE CONRAN ON LIFE’S LITTLE LUXURIES

B E ATA H E U M A N HOW TO SPRUCE UP YOUR HOME, SCANDI-STYLE

HUGO BOSS UK LTD. Phone +44 (0)20 7554 5700 boss.com

NON-EU RESIDENTS CAN SHOP TAX FREE. FIND OUT MORE IN STORE.

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CONTENTS 22

90 UP FRONT 10 EDITOR’S LETTER

34 DUST TO DAWN

58 SKIN DEEP

Inside Burning Man, Nevada’s

nine-day arts festival

13 OBJECTS OF DESIRE

41 THE ART OF GUNMAKING

Rolls-Royce’s latest creation and

Behind the scenes at

Dior’s new jewellery collection

Boss & Co.’s London HQ

20 ON LONDON TIME

46 GAME, SET, MATCH

Interior designer Sophie

The best restaurant’s serving

Conran on life’s little luxuries

grouse this season

22 RADIO GAGA

48 IT’S JUST NOT GOLF

Lady Gaga talks industry

The renovation of Wentworth

pressures and her new film

C U LT U R E

Golf Club proves divisive

COUTURE

Eco-friendly beauty brands

62 THE NEW STONE SET The new generation of designers turning fine jewellery on its head 66 INTO THE WOODS Autumn apparel from Belstaff and Coach 76 TOP GEAR Biker style inspired by Berlutti’s two-wheeled racer

INTERIORS 80 HOME STRAIGHT

28 THE AGENDA

56 AUTUMN SLEEVES

Timothy Oulton’s new Chelsea store

Photographer Jimmy Nelson

Bally’s new bag and a cosy boot

82 TECH KNOW

unveils his latest book

from Stuart Weitzman

The best tech from IFA Berlin

98 84 TO THE MAX Introducing the antithesis of minimalism – maximalism 90 OFF THE WALL Fashion wallpaper from Gucci and Kit Miles 94 I WANT SCANDI Spruce up your home with Swedish designer Beata Heuman

116 110 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Encountering elusive black rhinos in Kenya 116 AT THE WORLD’S END Patagonia’s dramatic landscape

makes for breathtaking viewing

PROPERTY

98 GAME OF THRONES Furniture maker David Linley on his Masterpiece collection

ESCAPE

126 INSIDER KNOWLEDGE The latest property news from luxury journal PrimeResi.com Decrepit properties given

106 PACK YOUR BAGS The latest hotel openings in Barcelona and the Maldives

COV E R

130 G OOD AS NEW a modern makeover 134 S TREETS AHEAD This month’s hottest homes

Wrap up warm in Marques’Almeida’s metallic shearling jacket, £2,105, matchesfashion.com; Photography by Adam Fussell, styling by Graham Cruz, (p.66)

FROM THE EDITOR October 2018 Issue 05

In 1968, Doug Tompkins, a 25-year-old high-school-dropout-turned-mountaineeringguide, pitched to his blacksmith-rock-climbing friend, Yvon Chouinard, a 5,000-mile road trip. The plan was to drive, climb, surf and ski from Ventura in California to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. Once they reached their destination, Tompkins promised, they would establish a first ascent on Mount Fitz Roy, the most famous mountain in South America. Two months after leaving California, Tompkins, Chouinard and a small crew established a snow cave at the foot of the Patagonian mastiff. They spent 35 days waiting for the weather to improve. When eventually it did the team blitzed their way up the mountain in a ground-breaking ascent, now known as ‘the California Route’. “The experience led to an unlikely fate for a couple of dirtbags,” Chouinard said in the Wall Street Journal in 2010. “We became philanthropists.” Chouinard would go on to found the conservation-driven outdoor-clothing company Patagonia — which uses Fitz Roy as its logo — while Tompkins, who had previously set up a little-known mountaineering shop by the name of The North Face, would join his first wife in building Esprit into a billion-dollar fashion enterprise before selling his share of the company and dedicating his life to land preservation in South America.

EDITOR Richard Brown CONTENT DIRECTOR Dawn Alford DEPUTY EDITOR Ellen Millard JEWELLERY EDITOR Mhairi Graham EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Abisha Sritharan CLIENT CONTENT MANAGER Sunna Naseer EDITOR-AT-LARGE Annabel Harrison HEAD OF DESIGN Laddawan Juhong GENERAL MANAGER Fiona Smith

The lives of the two men would prove forever entwined. In 1993, Tompkins married Kristine L. McDivitt, former CEO of Chouinard’s Patagonia business. In 2015, the couple were kayaking with Chouinard on Lago General Carrera, a lake north of Patagonia Park, a former sheep ranch that the Tompkins were rewilding in an effort to create a national park, when high winds overturned their kayak and threw Tompkins into freezing water. Airlifted to hospital, he later succumbed to severe hypothermia.

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Turner

At his death, Tompkins and Kristine owned more than two million acres in South America through various charitable foundations. Their joint goal was to ultimately create 12 national parks, four of which they have already gifted to the Chilean and Argentine governments. They have protected more land than any other private individuals in history.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS Rachel Gilfillan Colin Saunders

As Chile celebrates 200 years of independence, and as part of this magazine’s commitment to championing ethical luxury, we sent Jan Masters, former editor-in-chief of Harrods Magazine, to discover firsthand the upshot of the Tompkins’ efforts (p.116). She arrived in search of pumas and left in love with a country with the transformative powers to turn a couple of dirtbags into the most prolific environmentalists of our time.

MANAGING DIRECTOR Eren Ellwood

PRODUCTION MANAGER Alice Ford

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A LIFE IN COLOUR FA B E R G E . C O M

@ O F F I C I A L FA B E R G E

FA B E R G Ã&#x2030; P R O U D LY U S E S G E M F I E L D S C O L O U R E D G E M S T O N E S

OBJECTS OF DESIRE THIS MONTH’S MOST WANTED NIGHTS IN BLUE SATIN Perfectly blending French cool with Italian craftsmanship, Chloe Gosselin has released her AW18 collection, featuring a range of enchanting shoes, from exquisite evening pumps to wearable flats and sleek boots. These Louise slip-on mules, designed in the New York studio and handmade in a remote town just outside of Milan, are created in soft, sky-blue satin. With a luxurious jewel tone, this pair can be dressed up with elegant dresses or down with cropped denim. chloegosselin.com

Sky Blue Crepe Satin ‘Louise’ Heeled Mules, £557 Pointed toe with three-button detailing 100mm stiletto heel

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

ROLLS-ROYCE REVEALS COVERT LIMOUSINE Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has taken the luxury of privacy to a new level by announcing the introduction of the ‘Privacy Suite’ for the new Extended Wheelbase Phantom. Through the use of electrochromic glass, the front and rear cabins of the new extended Phantom will be visually separated at the touch of a button. With the option to see through the glass or instantly transform it to opaque, the rear passenger is provided with absolute privacy. In a motor car that is already hailed as the quietest in the world, the Phantom’s Privacy Suite also represents a leap forward in sound absorption, delivering the highest possible quality of acoustic insulation. In addition, two high-definition 12-inch monitors deliver bespoke rear theatre entertainment and a discreetly illuminated large aperture allows documents to be passed between front and rear cabins. rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Rear privacy curtains for full closure of side and rear windows

Intercom system connecting rear passenger directly to driver Software suite complete with HDMI port, Starlight Headliner and bespoke clock

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DIOR’S JEWELS OF LIFE A precious reminder to live each moment to the fullest, the new Tête de Mort jewellery collection by Christian Dior reinterprets the Latin sayings ‘Memento Mori’ (Remember Death) and ‘Carpe Diem’ (Seize the Day). Three rings and three necklaces feature sparkling gems that have been delicately carved into skull motifs. Each features a nod to the fashion house’s founder: an amethyst and rose gold ring boasts a miniature clover – the designer’s favourite lucky charm – in tsavorite garnets, while a white gold and blue chalcedony creation is crowned with a diamond ‘Lily of the Valley’ tiara, the designer’s bloom of choice. Each jewel has been selected to symbolise a state of mind: strength is characterised by the blue chalcedony; peace, by the powdery rose quartz; and balance by the violet amethyst.

dior.com

Hand-carved stones in pastel hues 18K pink, yellow and white gold Blue chalcedony, pink quartz and violet amethyst stones From £7,150 for a ring

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

CHRISTOPHER WARD CELEBRATES 5 YEARS OF ITS IN-HOUSE CALIBRE Marking the fifth anniversary of its own Calibre SH21 movement, Christopher Ward has released the first of four new Apex models, each of which will celebrate

a different aspect of Christopher Ward watchmaking – motoring, diving, dress and aviation watches. The first to be released is the motorsport model with a 50-piece structure that showcases more of the design than ever via a semi-open

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dial. The five-day power reserve complication is highlighted with an eyecatching red skeletonised bridge and parts of the plate are cut away to reveal the movement underneath. £2,995, christopherward.co.uk

The Breitling Cinema Squad Charlize Theron Brad Pitt Adam Driver

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ON LONDON T

From pies to pottery, Sophie Conran has enjoyed an unusual career trajectory. Yes, the only daughter of designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer Sir Terence Conran started out making pies. Sophie Conran’s four brothers work in fashion, food, art and design, and excelling in your chosen field seems to be the only option in this multitalented family. Needless to say, her gourmet food duly scooped four medals at the Great Taste Awards. A passion for interiors soon won out, however, and 12 years ago she launched a range of kitchen, glass and tableware with British pottery company Portmeirion. True to Conran form, it was hugely successful and today it’s sold in 33 countries. Next came wallpaper, then cutlery, followed by garden tools and accessories. Sophie Conran the interiors brand IME was born and now sells everything from glassware to gloves, lighting to linen. It all comes back to family though, and it’s clear that these diverse talents come from both her dad and mum, whom she describes as “sweet and fabulous. A gardener, intellectual, cookery writer, artist, fashion icon and all-round good egg.”

SOPHIE CONRAN THE INTERIOR DESIGNER ON HER F AV O U R I T E J E W E L L E R Y, W H A T W E ’ D F I N D O N H E R B E D S I D E TA B L E A N D T H E L I T T L E L U X U R I E S TO B E A P P R E C I AT E D I N L I F E

Words: Annabel Harrison

Describe your style: I would say I have a certain formality but can also be quite irreverent. I have a sense of fun and try to put joy in everything I do.

Three luxury brands you love and why: PAD Berkeley Square, firstly. I am lucky enough to be invited to this art and design event every year and it has all the top art, antiques and jewellery dealers in one place. It’s totally inspiring from a designer’s perspective as it represents the best in art and design through the ages. The S.J.Phillips jewellery store on New Bond Street is just delicious. And Claridge’s – they just make you feel lovely, welcome and so special. I have lots of happy memories there – my parents took me for dinner for my birthday as a child and I was instantly smitten. My brother Jasper has his fashion shows in the ballroom and my daughter Coco has had her special birthday teas there.

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INTERVIEW

What are your little luxuries in life? A hot bath, a beautiful garden, great sheets, walks in the countryside, visiting a museum, going to the theatre, sharing delicious food with friends in fantastic restaurants, cooking with great ingredients, living in London with the world on my doorstep. What are your everyday accessories: I have a Cartier Tank watch that was given to me by my mother. I always wear my gold Fitbit. I wear earrings everyday – Kiki McDonough is my favourite designer for everyday wear, and, of course, my fabulous wedding and engagement rings that always remind me of my amazing husband. How would you show someone a good time in London? We have amazing theatres, especially the Royal Opera House, and exceptional restaurants. A trip to the West End is always a great idea, as is a walk in one of our fabulous parks. My brother Tom has the best pub in town so a trip to The Cow for the spectacular seafood platter is usually on the agenda. We happen to live right near Hyde Park so love to have a wander around the sunken garden when it’s in full bloom and then perhaps tea at the beautiful Orangery. The London Eye is always lovely, followed by skating at Somerset House, a cocktail at The Ritz and dinner at The Wolseley.

“My business is all about creating a beautiful, happy home for the ones you cherish”

How do you try and make the world a better place? I try and live my life thoughtfully in everything I do. My business is all about creating a beautiful, happy home for the ones you cherish most – filling it with fun, creativity and making a good life. I believe that happiness at home gives us stability and nurtures the body and soul. What’s on your bedside table? Lots of books; little sculptures that I have picked up from my travels, including fruit, a couple of chicken netsuke from Japan, guinea fowl and an Indian lady that dances; some beads; a Japanese mirror with drawers filled with little notes from the kids; photos; pens; and a nail kit. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? I’m not very good at taking advice, truth be told, but one piece that has always stayed with me is this: ‘If you aren’t happy with something, change it. If you can’t change it – accept it. If you can’t accept it then let it go’ – I found this to be very useful both in my personal and professional life.

OPPOSITE SOPHIE CONRAN INTERIORS; CLARIDGE’S LOBBY THIS PAGE FROM TOP CARTIER WATCH; SOPHIE CONRAN AUTUMN 2018; KIKI MCDONOUGH EARRINGS; SOPHIE CONRAN INTERIORS; ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, WILLY BARTON / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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RADIO GAGA

T H E G LOV E S – A N D LO B S T E R H AT S – A R E O F F : L A DY G AG A , A . K . A S T E FA N I G E R M A N OT TA , P R E S E N T S A PA R E D B AC K P E R S O N A I N ‘A S TA R I S B O R N ’

Words: Jake Taylor

he path from popstar to Hollywood mogul is a road well travelled. Some – the Justin Timberlakes and Jennifer Lopezes of the world – have made the trajectory look effortless. Others, less so. Musical triumphs aside, the likes of Rihanna, Mariah Carey and Madonna have found the silver screen to be a harder nut to crack. The latter even tried – unsuccessfully – to get her 1979 indie flick A Certain Sacrifice banned from release. Stefani Germanotta, a.k.a Lady Gaga, is perhaps better placed to carve a career in the acting world. Thanks to her 10-year tenure as her dramatic alter ego, Gaga is as much a performer as she is a musician. Her dominance on the stage has seen her compared to the likes of Madonna and David Bowie, with each performance a new iteration of her multi-layered character. Indeed, despite early indications that she was destined for musical stardom (she started playing the piano aged four and writing songs aged 11), the young Gaga sought a career on the silver screen. It was acting that led her to a life on stage, and is perhaps what has most informed her flamboyant on-stage persona. “When I was 19 years old, I told my parents I was dropping out of school and I was dragging my piano around New York City banging on doors so that I could perform,” she recalls. “I already knew then that I would be Lady Gaga. I was even lying, pretending to be my own manager so I could get the 10pm slot.” This April, Gaga’s debut single Just Dance, which shot her to stardom in mid-2008 at the peak of the financial crash, marked its 10th anniversary. With six Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, and multiple best-selling singles behind her, Gaga can be characterised as nothing less than an astonishing success. With her on-stage theatrics, wild costumes and exuberant persona, the pop phenomenon has developed a legion of quasi-fanatical fans and a penchant for staging outlandish red-carpet moments. Meat dresses, madcap millinery and a loyal legion of Little Monsters (her fans) have gone on to define the singer we know today. In many ways, she has been the archetypal pop star of her era – a talented singer-songwriter who seemed to revel in the performative nature of the world of show-business. But as recently as 2014, a noticeable change overcame Gaga – the public began, bit by bit, to see the real Germanotta come to the fore. That

LADY GAGA WALKS THE RED CARPET AHEAD OF THE ‘A STAR IS BORN’ SCREENING DURING THE 2018 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL, DENIS MAKARENKO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

GAGA PERFORMING IN MILAN IN 2010, MATTEO CHINELLATO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

GAGA AT THE 2016 VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW FASHIONSTOCK.COM / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

year saw the release of her album Artpop, which was perhaps the least well received of her recordings. The subsequent album, Joanne, released in 2016 and named after a maternal aunt, encapsulated the modern era of Gaga; it stripped back the oversized hair-dos and outrageous outfits to give fans a glimpse of the woman behind the star. It is arguably this contemporary, soul-baring example of the once alien pop superstar that formed the basis for her character, Ally, in Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut A Star Is Born. The fourth version of the film – which debuted in 1937 and was perhaps most famously made into a rock musical in 1976, starring Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand – follows the love story of country musician Jackson Maine (Cooper) and struggling singer Ally (Gaga), who has all but given up on her dreams. It’s not a feeling that the singer is familiar with. “I heard the word ‘No’ a lot earlier in my career, but I never gave up,” she says. “That’s the biggest difference between me and Ally. Ally has completely given up and she does not believe in herself. She does not believe she’s beautiful and she does not believe she has what it takes. “Once I had a record executive suggest that I get a nose job before my first single came out and before we shot the video. But I said no. They also wanted to give my songs to other girls or girl groups. They didn’t want it to be me; I just had to hold onto my music for dear life.” Her latest project, however, has seen her pass the mantel – or microphone, as it were – to her co-star and director, Cooper. A man more famed for comedy portrayals (The Hangover), black comedies (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) and war biopics (American Sniper), Cooper seemed the more incongruous of the pair when it came to filling the dual musical shoes of Kristofferson and Streisand. Not that that stopped him; the actor learned to play the guitar, worked with a vocal coach for a year and a half and ended up writing three of the songs featured in the film. “All because of Gaga,” he said in an interview with Vogue. “She really gave me the confidence.” Indeed, at Gaga’s insistence, every performance featured in the film was recorded live. With the cameras rolling, Cooper took to the stage ahead of

“Once I had a record executive suggest that I get a nose job before my first single came out”

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INTERVIEW

Willy Nelson at California’s country music festival Stagecoach, and even performed in front of 80,000 people at England’s own Glastonbury. “I couldn’t believe how good he was,” Gaga admits. “I never ever knew that he could sing. We did a lot of harmonising, and there was something that just clicked when we were singing together.” Following a successful premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August, A Star Is Born is already causing an Academy Award buzz – but there will inevitably be critics expecting to label Gaga’s move from pop icon to movie star an inevitable misstep. Success or not, for the star herself this recent project will remain “one of the most fulfilling artistic experiences of my life, if not the most” – no small praise coming from such a chameleonic performer. There were times, however, when it seemed Gaga was shouldering the same burden of self-doubt as her character Ally. “I was nervous, especially at the beginning, and of course you feel the pressure of living up to expectations when the stakes are pretty high, not just for yourself but for everyone involved,” she nods. “This was the first time I had to play in a film from beginning to end and I was scared. When an artist is moving into a new medium, if they have been studying and gestating like a petri dish for so long, it’s like an explosion when they finally come out. “At one point, Bradley said something off-script to me, and I kept repeating that same line over and over again because I didn’t know what to do. And he said, ‘Are you okay? Do you feel like you need to cry?’ I cried for a second, and then I just threw the lines out the window. I still had them with me, but I was able to be in a more present conversation with him. It really taught me something about being an actor: you have to know the story that you’re going to tell, and you have to know the lines. But at the end of the day, you have to be as honest as possible in the moment.” For all her misgivings, there’s always been an honest streak running through Gaga, however extroverted on the surface. Her philanthropic ventures and social activism have pointed to a person not wholly comfortable with her status as a music icon – and there’s an irony to her successes coming from a debut album entitled The Fame. “Fame is a very unnatural thing,” she muses. “If you’re an artist, you have this intense relationship with your work and that’s what underlies everything. Then if you reach a certain point, everything changes around you and it’s not you who is

ABOVE AND LEFT IN A STAR IS BORN WITH BRADLEY COOPER

changing but the people around you. I think artists need help adjusting to that because that’s often the biggest struggle you face, especially when you’re trying to keep evolving, not just in terms of your work but as an individual.” An evolving persona has come to define Gaga – from budding singer-songwriter to pop superstar, fashion icon and now Hollywood actress – but for all her quirks, she’s only ever had one goal: “I just knew I wanted to be like myself, and no one else.” Mission accomplished. A Star is Born is out 5 October

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PHILIP VOLKERS, HOT AIR BALLOON ABOVE THE PLAYA AT SUNRISE, 2007

C U LT U R E MUSIC,

MUSEUMS AND

MASTERPIECES

P.41 INSIDE BOSS & CO. Behind-the-scenes at the gunmaker’s London HQ

P.48 NEW LOOK WENTWORTH All change at Surrey’s top golf club

Burning Man’s official photographer Philip Volkers captures the festival’s most out-there moments (p.34)

TH E AG E N DA YOUR CURATED GUIDE TO CULTURE IN THE CAPITAL Words: Ellen Millard

BLOOMSBURY ALL’S FAIR Born out of a desire to connect Londoners with burgeoning artists who were struggling to get noticed in the mainstream, The Other Art Fair gives guests the chance to pick up a future masterpiece at a fraction of the price – and rather cheekily runs in tandem with its more expensive counterpart, Frieze Art Fair. Now in its seventh year and partnered with Saatchi Art, the event will unite 130 artists in Bloomsbury for a weekend of painting, prints and taxidermy. From £8, 4-7 October, Victoria House and The College, Southampton Row, W1CA, saatchiart.com

THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT TAXIDERMY BY ELLE KAYE; BEATRIX, DAVID WIGHTMAN

BANKSIDE FRUIT OF THE LOOM The UK’s first retrospective on one of the world’s most prolific handweavers, the Tate Modern’s Anni Albers exhibition will look at how the German artist wove a narrative with her rainbow creations. More than 350 of her designs will be on display, including several works that explore the relationship between architecture and textiles. 11 October – 27 January, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1, tate.org.uk

FROM TOP ANNI ALBERS IN HER WEAVING STUDIO AT BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE, 1937; ANNI ALBERS, OPEN LETTER, 1958, PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM NIGHSWANDER/ IMAGING4ART; ANNI ALBERS, INTERSECTING, 1962, ALL IMAGES © 2018 THE JOSEF AND ANNI ALBERS FOUNDATION/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK/DACS, LONDON

R E G E N T ’ S PA R K LIGHT UP Inner [Deep] Space will be Chris Levine’s largest exhibition to date, an immersive light and sound experience themed around geometry, taking inspiration from brain scans and the earth’s lay lines. 2-9 October, 1 Park Village, NW1, chrislevine.com

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FROM TOP CHRIS LEVINE, SHE’S LIGHT (MAGENTA); CHRIS LEVINE, IVY PROJECT, PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE TANNER

MARYLEBONE BEING HUMAN At the age of 19, Jimmy Nelson trekked the length of Tibet. With a camera in tow, he documented his experience of the Tibetan culture and, to his surprise, found

that he was remarkably good at it. On his return he began a career in photojournalism and has since become renowned for his snaps of indigenous cultures. His latest project, Homage to Humanity, gives a deeper insight into the people behind the photos, with interviews with the participants, stories

JIMMY NELSON, VAIOA RIVER, ATUONA, HIVA OA, MARQUESAS ISLANDS, 2016

about the photographer’s experience and infographics. Amongst the subjects are the Sharchop in Bhutan and the Mundari in South Sudan. An accompanying mobile app will include film footage from Nelson’s travels. An exhibition of Nelson’s works will also be running at Marylebone’s Atlas

Gallery throughout October, which will give a preview of the book and a chance to purchase your favourite prints. ‘Homage to Humanity’ by Jimmy Nelson, published by Rizzoli, £100, rizzoliusa.com; Until 27 October, Atlas Gallery, 49 Dorset Street, W1U, atlasgallery.com

“The stories of our cultures will be passed on from generation to generation. It is this part of us that is truly eternal”

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B AT T E R S E A ART ATTACK The second bi-annual Affordable Art Fair of the year returns to Battersea, where artists and art enthusiasts will congregate for a weekend of workshops, shopping and creativity. Among the events being held are a vintage collage workshop, a lesson in the art of upcycling and a lecture on the colourful world of Matisse. From £8, 18-21 October, Battersea Evolution, Queenstown Road, SW8, affordableartfair.com

FROM LEFT MARIA RIVANS’ FRIEDA, COURTESY OF LIBERTY GALLERY; MARC QUINN, PRISMATIC LABYRINTH, COURTESY OF MANIFOLD EDITIONS

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DISCOVER THE NEW AUTUMN WINTER COLLECTION The new Purdey Technical Tweed combines the elegance of a traditional shooting coat with modern technology. This new tweed is two-thirds the weight of a typical tweed, achieved by weaving nylon threads into the ďŹ bres, making it both lighter and more durable. Available in a field coat, vest and breeks, this is a must-have addition to the wardrobe of any serious sportsman.

57- 58 SOUTH AUDLEY STREET LONDON W1K 2ED + 4 4 (0) 20 7499 1801 PURDEY.COM

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F E AT U R E

LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK COYOTE, BRIAN TEDRICK, 2013

D U S T T O DAW N B U R N I N G M A N , T H E N I N E - D AY A R T F E S T I VA L I N T H E N E VA D A D E S E R T, A S S E E N T H R O U G H THE LENS OF ITS OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER PHILIP VOLKERS

Words: Ellen Millard

“BURNING MAN is one of the only places on Earth that transgresses commodification; a place where people from across the globe are stripped of social crutches such as mobile phones and gather to push themselves to the limits of survival and expression.” Unique in its method, the nine-day art festival in the heart of Black Rock City – a temporary metropolis built on the edge of the Nevada Desert – invites 70,000 people to revel in selfexpression, without the use of money and without infringing on the environment. No entertainment is booked for the event – you simply turn up and see what happens. The result is spontaneous musical performances, art installations and crazy costumes, all of which are designed, created and performed by the festival’s guests. Brit Philip Volkers has been Burning Man’s official photographer for the past decade, documenting the unpredictability of this colossal gathering. He shares the best of his snaps here, and in his new book, Dust to Dawn.

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A L E X O N T H E P L AYA AT D AW N , 2 0 1 2 A participant poses on the playa. The Spanish word for beach, playa is also used to describe the dry lake beds in America, such as those found on the Black Rock Desert.

E Q U AT O R I A L ENCOUNTER, M AT T E VA N S 2 0 0 7 Expect the unexpected is the motto to go by at Burning Man, as depicted here with Matt Evansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Equatorial Encounter, an art installation created for the 2007 edition of the festival.

LAMPLIGHTERS LIGHTING THE AV E N U E S AT S U N S E T, 2 0 1 7

participants placed a series

of each festival, more than

of kerosene lanterns on the

1,000 of its participants

ground every evening,

will have helped with the

creating an illuminated

lighting of the lamps. The

pathway. Ever since, a team

team wear specific robes

The tradition of the

of more than 100 participants

and sashes that mark them

Lamplighters began in 1993,

has lit nearly 1,000 lamps

out from the other guests.

seven years after the festival

each evening during the

Volunteers are encouraged

began. A small group of

nine-day event. By the end

to help each year.

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The 100ft structure is set alight as part of an hour-long ritual THE BURNING MAN, 2014 The wooden effigy from which the event takes its name is erected at the start of the event, and positioned so the sun rises behind it. On the Saturday evening, the 100ft structure is set alight as part of an hour-long ritual that includes an impressive firework display. The pyrotechnic performance acts as a reminder to keep the ‘creative fires’ burning.

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DUST TO DAWN, £50, PHILIPVOLKERS.COM

THE ART OF GUNMAKING

H AV I N G I N V E N T E D T H E C A R T R I D G E E J E C T O R S Y S T E M , T H E S I N G L E -T R I G G E R S H O T G U N A N D T H E M O D E R N - D AY O V E R - A N D - U N D E R , B O S S & C O E M E R G E D A S O N E O F T H E C O U N T R Y ’ S G R E AT E S T G U N M A K E R S . I N P R I VAT E H A N D S S I N C E 1 8 1 2 , T H E C O M PA N Y ’ S C U R R E N T C U S TO D I A N , A R T H U R S . D E M O U L A S , TA K E S L U X U R Y LO N D O N O N A B E H I N D -T H E - S C E N E S TO U R O F I T S K E W - B A S E D H Q

Words: Richard Brown

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n the centre of a pretty little common in leafy Kew, beneath the bell tower of a neat-and-tidy parish church, in front of the white picket fence of an elegant, black-and-white wooden cricket clubhouse, some workmen are notexactly feverishly setting up a midsummer fete. Even with the deep, heavy hammer of Boeing airbuses soaring in and out of Heathrow, it’s a picturepostcard vision of Little England – and an impossibly fitting setting, albeit improbably suburban, for one of the country’s oldest and grandest gunmakers. The only clues to Boss & Co being here are the barred windows and heavy-set security door of a beige-brick Georgian end-terrace in the corner of the common. The company hasn’t always been here. Established in 1812, when Birmingham-born Thomas Boss, protégé of legendary Lincolnshire gunmaker Joseph Manton, began manufacturing guns under his own name, Boss & Co was originally located at 73 St James’s Street, at the end of Pall Mall. After a move to more modern premises on Mayfair’s Mount Street, Boss & Co relocated to Kew in 2008 before being bought in 2015 by Bostonian supermarket-magnate Arthur S. DeMoulas, in whose traditionally appointed office I’m now sat. “I had always been interested in Boss,” explains DeMoulas. “The company has always gone about its business quietly; it didn’t receive the exposure through advertising like the other London gunmakers did and I liked that. Boss also produced the fewest guns of the big three gunmakers and, as a result, they were much harder to find, much rarer and once you had experienced the quality of the guns, you knew they were really something special. So I decided to order a pair.” The experience didn’t exactly leave DeMoulas enamoured. “Let’s just say the gentlemen in Dover Street weren’t as welcoming when taking an order as one would expect. Having flown all the way over, I was a little taken aback. I was disappointed because I thought so much of the company. I was with a friend and we weren’t 10 feet out of the door before I turned to him and said ‘I’m going to buy that company someday’ – no one should be treated like that.” DeMoulas came close to buying Boss & Co in 2001. He was arranging contracts at a law firm in London when planes struck the World Trade Centre during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “The meeting stopped immediately,” says DeMoulas. “The planes had left from Boston, where I lived, so before you knew it the phone was ringing. It was inevitable I would have a connection to someone who was on the plane. I lost a dear friend in the attack.” Boss was subsequently sold to another bidder. DeMoulas eventually acquired the company in 2015.

“Once you experience the quality of a Boss & Co gun, you know they are really something special” Today, Boss & Co constitutes one of what shooting enthusiasts like to call the Holy Trinity of English gunmakers. Unlike Purdey and Holland & Holland, however, of whom even the greenest of shooting neophytes will be aware, Boss & Co has always been known as a gunmaker’s gunmaker. Boss doesn’t have shooting ambassadors. It hasn’t bought out its own clothing collection and the company certainly hasn’t entered a lifestyle collaboration with any car manufacturers. Much of Boss & Co’s reputation can be attributed to the inventions of John Robertson, proprietor of the company from 1891 to 1917. Having worked previously for both Holland & Holland and James Purdey, Robertson created the Boss Single Trigger in 1894, a one-trigger mechanism that could fire both barrels – one after the other – on a double-barrelled gun. The system is considered the final significant development in the history of sporting guns. After also inventing the Boss Cartridge Ejector

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of this,” says DeMoulas, “but Boss & Co are builders of best guns only and we make only the highest-grade gun possible. We will not even get close to becoming a manufacturer of machine-made guns as the only way to make something that is world class is by using the hands of an experienced gunmaker.” DeMoulas won’t divulge how many guns Boss & Co manufactures each year, but explains that there are currently more than 80 in production. “We concentrate on the quality of the guns we are building and the people we are building them for. A truly bespoke gun has no time limit – craftsmen don’t work to deadlines.” In order to increase production, Boss & Co would have to increase the number of its employees, not something that would be easy to do given the years of training required for the specific crafts needed to make a Boss & Co gun. “The lifeblood of this company is the gunmakers and the apprentices. The gunmakers in the factory have well over 200 years of experience, exceeding the 206 years that Boss has been in existence. As the industry continues to shrink and other countries have dedicated schools for gunmaking – which we don’t have in the UK – we have had to train gunmakers ourselves.” Limited production numbers ensure that demand for Boss & Co guns is extremely high. Many that come to market, usually via auction, fetch values far beyond their original purchase price. So what exactly makes Boss & Co different from the other Big Three gunmakers? “We are not a company that’s owned by a luxury conglomerate,” says DeMoulas. “We are not a lifestyle brand. We are privately owned, which makes a big difference to our approach to business. We build only one grade of gun – and that is the best.”

System, in 1909 Robertson, aided by fellow Scotsman Bob Henderson, introduced a revolutionary over-and-under. By introducing hinges and lumps alongside the lower barrel, and dispensing with an underbolt, Robertson produced an elegant gun that was sleek and shallow enough to compete aesthetically with sideby-sides. The Boss O/U became possibly the most copied gun in the world. “Boss was known as one of the best gunmakers even before it invented its over-and-under,” says DeMoulas. “Before it did, over-and-unders were big, ungodly, bulky things. Boss’s original over-and-under looks just like the ones we make today. Robertson just got it right. The ejector system, the single trigger, the over-and-under – those three things confirmed Boss as a true innovator.” The landscape outside DeMoulas’s groundfloor office window can’t have changed all that much since Robertson was rewriting the rules of gunmaking. And neither have the techniques his company uses to manufacture the shotguns that today start from around £140,000. First, a barrel-maker will file and shape the concentric steel tubes and then braise them together to create individual barrels that are set to each customer’s unique specification. The ribs and wings are then filed and fitted before being soldered on. With a hammer and chisel, an actioner will then sculpt an action by hand, before a stocker shapes and delicately fits a stock made from the finest Turkish walnut, chequered by a craftsman’s own handmade tools. Boss & Co’s engravers are then able to offer bespoke engraved designs, similar to how a commissioned artist would work. If the customer wishes, they can order the Boss & Co Rose & Scroll, a traditional element of a Boss gun for well over a century. Lastly, a finisher examines the wood and metalwork, applies oil and finish, regulates the gun and then takes it for extensive test shooting. The whole process takes more than 1,400 man hours, or 35 weeks, depending on a client’s specifications. “It would be far easier to get a machine to do all

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOT A LIFESTYLE HOTEL. IT IS THE HOTEL WHERE STYLE LIVES.

BLESS your hedonism. MADRID JANUARY 2019

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GAME, SET A N D M AT C H WHERE TO GO FOR THE BEST GROUSE IN LONDON

Words by Rob Crossan

THE JUGGED HARE, EC1 At an alacrity that would impress even the red grouse (which can fly at speeds up to 70mph), the Jugged Hare team, led by Stephen Englefield, race down to London from Eggleston Moor in North Yorkshire on the dawn of 12 August to attempt to be the first place in London to serve up grouse. After a flurry of plucking and trussing, the star of the show is served with savoy cabbage, bacon and grouse liver pâté. thejuggedhare.com

ne hundred and twenty one days; that’s how long the British grouse season lasts, beginning, of course, on the Glorious 12th (12 August). The brevity of the season engenders a carpe diem approach to this most scented, gamey of meats. Here are the best places in the capital to find it...

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B O I S D A L E , VA R I O U S Ranald Mcdonald’s Boisdale restaurants offer exquisite combinations of Scottish cuisine, live jazz and premium cigars. They continue to be some of the finest places in the capital (there are four locations in London) to sample a traditional grouse roast, complete with bread sauce, game chips, a scattering of fried breadcrumbs and some fulsomely rich gravy. Their gargantuan cellars deliver just the right kind of accompanying reds; a Chateau Rahoul 2010 was a particularly inspired choice last year. boisdale.co.uk

4 5 J E R M Y N S T, S W 1 Grouse has always been an aristocratic meat, and there’s nowhere more regally demure to tackle the first of the season than 45 Jermyn St, neighbouring Fortnum & Mason, Her Majesty’s very own grocer, in the heart of St James’s. The grouse here come from the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders. If you don’t fancy the traditional roast dish, served here with liver parfait, sourdough toast, red cabbage and ceps, then there’s the option of a grouse and foie gras pie. The restaurant has a firm beak to claw policy, too, meaning not a scrap of meat is wasted, with the malt gravy for the pie made from the carcass. 45jermynst.com

LE POULE AU P O T, S W 1 This Belgravia institution has barely changed its décor since the mid1960s. Dried flowers, bric-a-brac, farmhouse furniture and an atmosphere redolent of sepia-tinted Loire Valley holidays of yore make this the romantic restaurant in London to sample game this autumn. The

grouse hails from the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is served with celeriac mash, red cabbage, game sauce and no small measure of wonderfully atavistic Gallic joie de vivre. pouleaupot.com

R U L E S , WC 2 When Rules opened back in 1798, the grouse shooting season as we know it was still half a century away from its inception. The restaurant’s own estate, in Teesdale in County Durham, is surrounded by some of the UK’s finest grouse moors and alongside classic grouse roasts other game such as partridge, teal, woodcock and pheasant will be on the menu, as and when available, come the autumn months. rules.co.uk

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W E N T WO RT H G O L F C LU B H A S B E E N R E F U R B I S H E D, R E D E S I G N E D A N D I T S M E M B E R S H I P R E ST RU CT U R E D – BUT AT W H AT C OST ?

I J N G

T ’ U S O O L

S T T F

I T H A S A LWAY S B E E N A C L U B F O R T H E W E L L - H E E L E D A N D W E L L - C O N N E C T E D , B U T F O L L O W I N G A C H I N E S E B U YO U T, A N E W £ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 J O I N I N G D E B E N T U R E , T H E D O U B L I N G O F M E M B E R S H I P R AT E S A N D A C U L L O F I T S LO N G - S TA N D I N G M E M B E R S , I S S U R R E Y ’ S WO R L D - FA M O U S W E N T WO R T H G O L F C L U B S E T T O B E C O M E A S O U L L E S S P L AY G R O U N D F O R T H E G L O B A L S U P E R - R I C H ?

Words: Dave Waddell

rrive, as I did, at Wentworth Club, in the middle of a beautiful summer’s day, the smell of trees in the air, the sight of humans lazily performing an act of golf on one of its three courses, and you be may forgiven for believing that all is right with the world. Add to this an itinerary that included a tour around the newly refurbished clubhouse, a leisurely lunch with Wentworth’s CEO Steve Gibson, and an hour’s worth of technologically enabled learning at the hands of one of the club’s professional coaches, and you have something approaching that rarest of birds: a perfect day. Originally an 18th-century country estate, Wentworth was added to by a series of aristocratic owners, before becoming, in 1923, the imaginative plaything of one W.G. Tarrant, a builder from relatively humble origins, whose vision for a wealthy residency set around a golf course has proved an enduring model for some the world’s best known golf and country clubs. Satisfied with only the best, Tarrant had the era’s preeminent golf course designer Harry Colt magic up two courses, East and West, the latter going on to host the Ryder Cup (intermittently), the World Match Play Championship (sadly no longer), and the PGA Championship. A further golf course, the Edinburgh, was

THE INAUGURAL RYDER CUP MATCH PLAYED AT WENTWORTH IN 1926

added in 1990. The club serves as the headquarters for PGA Europe and includes a restaurant, a beautiful art deco pool, a tennis and health centre, and conference facilities. Protected by Tarrant’s original covenants, and, latterly, by a 1964 act of parliament, the residential estate is in excellent nick. I would be lying if I said that I’d had the opportunity, while winding my way from main road to clubhouse, to gaze upon (let alone visit) any of its houses. I did not – they’re very much out of sight. However, I’ve Googled a fair few, and if I had to choose, and the goose in my backyard starts laying golden eggs, I’d plump for either one of the smaller early Arts and Crafts numbers or the Oliver Hill-designed house, once the home of US Ambassador John ‘Jock’ Whitney. As Tarrant hoped and expected, the residents play a big part in the club. A house on an estate and somewhere to meet and eat and beat a little ball up and down giant lawns – this, friends, is the life. Of course, nothing’s really perfect, whatever the bright joys of that summer day in June might lead you to believe, and not least for a club whose newest owner – Beijingbased Reignwood Investments – harbours the grandest of designs, namely that Wentworth should become the ‘world’s greatest golf and country club’. A promise made in 2014, it’s an ambition that would entail a £20 million upgrade of course and club, and a wholesale change, says Gibson, to “Wentworth’s hardware and software”, while still preserving the institution’s “unique culture”. Unfortunately, what it also meant were plans for a substantial membership cull, an attempt to both reduce the numbers of people leaving and joining each year, and to have “less feet on the golf course”, thereby “raising the quality of the product”. It hardly needs saying that proposing to slash membership from 4,000 to around 900 did not go down well with Wentworth habitués, particularly when informed that their memberships would be revoked, they would have to reapply, and, if (re)accepted, would be required to pay a debenture of £100,000. This on top of annual fees doubling from £8,000 to £16,000. Cue total war. Fans of golf or the art of the debenture will know this story, so I won’t dally. A large chunk of the membership left. A core formed a members-and-residents opposition

Proposing to slash membership from 4,000 to around 900 did not go down well with Wentworth habitués

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group – called Wet Feet, referring to the Chinese proverb ‘it never rains on your neighbours without you getting your feet wet’ – and made a noise loud enough to attract not just the world’s press, but also the attention of then Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and the Chinese Embassy in London. A constant barrage of negative coverage kept the story alive and tapped into the wider and more delicate question of prime British real estate ending up in the hands of foreign investment companies. Suspicions were raised over the owner’s real intentions, what one Wentworth resident calls “a strong property play”, with the club’s own estate ripe for future development as Green Belt rulings inevitably soften. Legal action was threatened. There were reports that residents would blockade the 2016 PGA tournament. Under much pressure, the club beat half a retreat, made a range of concessions to existing members, including the choice of whether or not to take up the debenture (£20,000 upfront, the rest next year), and agreed to temper the proposed increase of annual fees, while pressing on with plans to extract the £100,000 debentures from new members.

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“We are not a communist state. We do not put gagging orders on anyone”

Peace duly broke out, but it was a decidedly grumpy one and the dust had hardly settled before stories began to emerge of a gagging order in the form of an amendment to the club’s rules that gave it “the right to terminate a member’s membership, if such member was deemed to bring the club into disrepute, at the club’s sole discretion,” according to one member. The club disagrees, arguing for a misunderstanding of age-old rules. “We are not,” says Gibson, “a communist state. We do not put gagging orders on anyone.” Be this as it may, the amended ruling – number 39 – declares that the board may “reprimand, suspend, or expel any member” if that member “either within or without the club, is, has been, or is likely to be injurious to the character or interest of the club.” The board may act without “assigning any reason” and admits no right to appeal. This is pretty hardcore stuff, Kafkaesque even, and is taken as such by the opposition, hence the accusations of a gagging order. Cue more war, only this time waged anonymously, the opposition still members and keen to remain so. Meanwhile, the club has made good on its promise to refurbish the clubhouse and improve the West course. I have no idea what the clubhouse previously looked like, but I imagine a rather traditional set up – blazing fire, knackered old leather sofas, weathered oak floors, the club cat curled up in a pool of light, broadsheets and miles of wood panelling listing the names and heroics of members past and present. Apart from the fire and the names, none of these things are evident. The look and feel of the shared areas is that of an upmarket luxury hotel crossed with a top brand’s flagship store – acres of expensive stone, lots of greys and beiges, themed rooms, and a whole bunch of carefully curated artefacts. The club’s very proud of it and claims the feedback has been fantastic, though some members feel it “lacks soul”. All agree, however, that the improvements to the West course have been fantastic. The greens had always been the club’s Achilles heel, so much so that, historically, top players have complained and some have decided to give the PGA a miss. Different grass seed and an eye-wateringly expensive underground sub-air system appear to have rectified the problem. “The European tour players,” says Gibson, “have, to a man, been delighted.” For Gibson, this is the main deal. As far as the club’s concerned, Wentworth’s a luxury product, the quality of which, under the previous ownership, had been “dragged down”. The extensive year-long consultation process, he says, had revealed among the membership a hunger for change, to the golf courses and their facilities, and to the clubhouse. Reignwood’s investment plan, based on the process’s findings and now “over half completed”, is bearing, he intimates, much fruit. The West is playing like a dream. Like it or not, the clubhouse is done. The food and the service, he says, are much improved. The club’s programme is varied, interesting and not just about golf. Wentworth’s heritage

sits front and centre in everything it does. The previously labyrinthine membership structure has been simplified and the debentures are now trading for £150,000. “People told us what they wanted. We’ve done it, to the best of our ability. And the feedback’s been great,” says Gibson. I like Gibson and I liked our lunch out on the clubhouse terrace, overlooking the courses and the estate beyond. He’s intelligent company, a Newcastle United fan, and knows his golf inside out. He answered every one of my questions. He was unfailingly polite about those who have long opposed his ambitions. He’s fun. Still, I can’t help but feel he’s atop an unknown and slightly crazed horse. He believes in Reignwood’s vision, in its founder Chanchai Ruayrungruang’s ambition for a certain kind of luxury, and points to a busy terrace as evidence of the success of the new owner’s investment. However, it’s all come at a pretty price. Wentworth was bought for £135 million, secured by Reignwood against a loan of a reported £146 million with Siam Commercial Bank. It most recently took out a loan of £37 million with the Agricultural Bank of China. It’s leveraged to the hilt and posted losses of £5.6 million and £13 million for the years 2016 and 2017 respectively. Its major revenue stream is its membership and yet strategy debenture has had a take-up of just 300 of the original 4,000 members, and attracted only 60 new members. Annual turnover fell from nearly £17.7 million to £14.5 million. Meanwhile, the architect of all this, Ni Songhua, until recently the club’s vice-chairman and Ruayrungruang’s chief acquisitions guru, is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with his former boss over who owes who large chunks of money. If current speculation proves wrong, and Gibson’s long view wins out, then it’s egg-on-faces time. However, this would mean finishing the promised upgrade to the club, including the driving range, practice facilities and the East and Edinburgh courses. It would mean the members who took up the debenture offer believing enough in the club to want to stay and pay off the balance on their loans. It’d mean managing to attract a lot of new and deep-pocketed blood, members prepared to shell out £100,000 for the privilege. Mostly, however, it would mean winning back the trust of those who feel wronged, many of whom call Wentworth home, and who believe the consultation process, on which the club claims this is based, is inherently flawed. It’s all possible, of course, but it’s a big ask. Only time will tell.

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LIFTING ELEVATED TO NEW HEIGHTS REMASTERED WITH

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ECO BEAUTY Environmentallyfriendly skincare

P.62 HIDDEN GEM A new generation of jewellery designers are disrupting the industry

COUTURE CUT

FROM

A DIFFERENT

CLOTH

Functionality, protection and floatation devices inspired Craig Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third collection for Moncler. The result is the puffa jacket to end all puffa jackets. moncler.com

A U T U M N S

C E C YC L E BAG Bally’s new moon-shaped tote is available in a black crocodile print (pictured) with a red-and-white arrow stripe strap – a design pinched from the brand’s 1840s archive – and calf leather in black, cherry and taupe hues. From £895, bally.co.uk

GINGER BISCUIT CO LO G N E Part of Jo Malone London’s new Scents of Britain collection, the Ginger Biscuit cologne comprises warm notes of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon mixed with caramel and roasted hazelnuts. Autumn in a bottle. £94 for 100ml, jomalone.com

TWIST PEARL EARRINGS Share the love with Mulberry’s dainty heart-shaped earrings, part of the label’s Twist jewellery collection. These are crafted from gold brass and dotted with miniature synthetic pearls. £295, mulberry.com

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V E LO C I T E JAC K E T Sure, Zara does a pretty good copy of Acne Studio’s signature aviator jacket, but it can’t hold a candle to the original: this Velocite all-black jacket in shearling and calf leather will see you through the most bitter of winter nights. £2,100, acnestudios.com

R OY B A G For her debut collection at the helm of Chloé, Natacha Ramsay-Levi has called on whimsical bohemia for inspiration. Get the look with the mini Roy bucket bag, decorated with equestrian motifs and available in orange and black. £1,345, net-a-porter.com

TA N K L O U I S CARTIER Cartier’s full suite of fine watches is now available to buy at Net-A-Porter. Our top pick is this Tank Louis Cartier with an 2.55mm, 18-karat gold face and an alligator leather strap. £8,450, net-a-porter.com

CROCHET JUMPER Inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artwork and created to mark the brand’s 65th anniversary, this Missoni poloneck is modelled on a jumper from the brand’s colourful archives. £740, net-a-porter.com

R E N ATA B O O T Famed for its leather over-theknee boots, Stuart Weitzman’s AW18 offering includes an adaptable – and cosy – design: the Renata boot can be rolled down to show off its shearling and tan leather lining, or rolled up for maximum warmth. £980, stuartweitzman.com Q U A D E Y E S H A D O W PA L E T T E Nars’s new Quad Eyeshadow sets offer a selection of matte and glitter shadows in gold, nude and burgundy tones. £40, narscosmetics.co.uk

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S K I N D E E P L O N D O N I S N O W H O M E T O A W E A LT H O F B R A N D S T H AT M A K E T H E M O S T O F N AT U R E ’ S B O U N T Y W I T H O U T C O S T I N G T H E E A R T H – H E L P I N G YO U TO B E AS G O O D TO T H E E N V I R O N M E N T AS YO U A R E TO YO U R S E L F

Words: Annabel Harrison

decade ago, I didn’t know what a microbead was. I never read the ingredients lists on the lotions and potions lining my shelves, I had a stash of hotel miniatures – just because – and I didn’t question the quantity of packaging apparently needed for each and every one of them. Now, I can’t believe it took me, and the wider world, so long to wake up to the stark reality of the pernicious effect caused by billions of these little plastic beads, used in everything from exfoliators to make-up remover, flooding into the sea. So long to wake up to the fact that there are chemicals in our bathrooms that we can’t even pronounce, let alone identify, which we mindlessly smear on to our skin every day. And so long to wake up to the fact that our beauty habits amount to 120 billion units of packaging a year – that’s 16 for every person on earth. So, what woke us up? Although the wheels of change were already in (slow) motion, this global issue was notably highlighted by the wildlife documentary programme Blue Planet II, the most watched programme in the UK last year. Its final episode took an unflinching look at the damage caused to marine life by plastic waste and had an impact that

even Sir David Attenborough, dubbed the godfather of the natural world, couldn’t have predicted. “We hoped that it would open people’s eyes to the damage that we are doing to our oceans and the creatures that live in them,” he said. “I’ve been absolutely astonished. I never imagined there would be quite so many of you who would be inspired to want change.” And it’s change we want. In January this year, microbeads were outlawed. In February, we pledged to #passonplastic and that movement has gathered momentum ever since, with the British government now considering a ban on single-use plastics. Beauty is by no means the only industry with a lot of work to do, both in terms of what goes into products as well as their packaging, but it does have a lot to answer for. Brands that provide answers to the problem are winning accolades and audiences, and, to the most established environmental labels, it must seem as though this sea change (excuse the pun) has been a long time in the making. Take The Body Shop. The ‘original beauty brand with a conscience’ was set up by Dame Anita Roddick, arguably the pioneer of ethical beauty in the UK, in 1976 and, according to The Sunday Times Style, it’s had a suitably 21st-century upgrade, wooing generation Z with shimmering dry oils and body yogurts. Another cult favourite, Neal’s Yard Remedies, was

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IMAGE COURTESY OF WILDSMITH SKIN

founded in Covent Garden in 1981. The brand describes its ethos as “pushing against the synthetic chemical approach to skin and healthcare that had been adopted by much of the industry,” and it has paved the way for the likes of Liz Earle and Green People. For these companies, putting down their roots in the 1990s, it was cool to care. Responsible sourcing and natural remedies were the norm, not the exception, and made smart business sense. The ranks of this small band swelled and Neom Organics, a pioneer of London’s natural skincare scene, created a mantra that could just as easily define the 2018 mindset: ‘Wellbeing. Small Steps. Big Difference’. “Consumers are savvier than ever,” affirms founder Nicola Elliott. “They want to know exactly what they’re putting on their skin and they want products that work really hard. It’s getting much easier to choose beauty brands that offer natural, green alternatives without compromising on efficacy or paying through the nose.” Even with 13 years to its (organic) name, Neom Organic isn’t resting on its laurels. When asked if its products are certified organic, the brand gives a detailed, in-depth and considered answer, rather than a simple yes – responsible on Neom Organic’s part and helpful for us. Because of the relative infancy of the booming market, the parameters, when it comes to labelling, are confusingly grey. Do we want our skincare to be natural, organic, clean, vegan, fair trade, or all of the above? This is how we see it: if a company means – green – business, it will shout its credentials from the rooftops, making it easy for us to make an educated purchase. And more and more brands are doing just this. The natural, organic cosmetics and personal care market is estimated to be growing at a huge rate of 10 per cent each year. At Luxury London, we’ve narrowed down our focus this month to local skincare that makes taking eco-conscious steps in a sustainable direction that bit easier. Floral Street is

a contemporary Brit brand, named after a street in Covent Garden, that ticks all the boxes for vegan ingredients and gold-star packaging. Each body formula comes in a colourpopping tube made from 75 per cent sustainable sugarcane bioplastic. With a product that smells gorgeous and comes in durable and recyclable packaging that looks great in a #shelfie, everyone wins. BYBI Beauty’s Babe Balm moisturiser and Prime Time facial scrub, also presented in candy-coloured sugarcane bioplastic, are just as covetable – 100 per cent natural and recyclable. BYBI Beauty’s Elsie Rutterford and Dominika Minarovic were fed up with “blanket formulations and synthetic fillers padding out our products”. They advise us to think about the reasons behind changes to our routine: “Is it about reducing your plastic consumption? Transitioning to products that are organic? Once you’ve defined what you’re trying to achieve, it’s much easier to research the certifications available.” Another great tip is to search through social media hashtags to discover lesser-known labels. We found Skin & Tonic through #organicbeauty and the brand is squarely aimed at sociable, hipster millennials, boasting Beard & Shave Oil and a Festival Survival Kit in its slimline product edit. And, of course, it’s made in Hackney. Its USP is that it uses seven (or fewer) pronounceable natural, edible, therapeutic ingredients, with the ethos that ‘if you wouldn’t put it in your body, it shouldn’t go on your body’. Suffering from endometriosis and dermatitis, Skin & Tonic founder Sarah Hancock developed the range to treat her own skin. By Sarah London’s products were created for a similar reason. This brand is a poster child for transparency; full ingredients lists appear on the front of each product, with scientific names relegated to the back. It really is ‘skincare to feed your skin’. And the words matter. Skincare vocabulary is changing, in keeping with a move back to plant-based ingredients –

T HESE PRO DUCTS A RE TH E P L ACE TO STA RT

I F YO U’ RE INS PI RED TO M A KE CHA N GES ,

THE EDIT

FA C E

Healing Sap, £125, orveda.com

Facial Oil, £38, bysarahlondon.com

Prime Time Cleansing Scrub, £24, bybi.com

Day Cream, £38, Pai, contentbeautywellbeing.com

Eye Serum, £125, wildsmithskin.com

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about much more than a razor and bar of soap. Although if it is soap you’re after, then you could do a lot worse than exploring the offerings from The Soap Co, which has bagged a shelf-load of accolades over the past three years. Based in East London, with a workshop in the Lake District, its products are all handcrafted by people who are blind, disabled or otherwise disadvantaged. Locally sourced bottles? Check. Compostable soap wrappers, no parabens, no animal testing? Check, check, check. If doing the research yourself is overwhelming, turn to someone who’s done it for you – namely Imelda Burke at Content Beauty & Wellbeing. Founded 10 years ago, this skincare store in Marylebone and its website stock a treasure trove of natural beauty brands, from American brand Mother Dirt and French label Absolution to Nourish London and Pai Skincare, manufactured in Chiswick. Content Beauty & Wellbeing’s selection premise is simple: “We don’t think your skin needs unnecessary synthetic chemicals, so we don’t sell them.” Filter products by ethos, whether you want natural, organic, raw, silicone-free or Great British beauty. If the choices feel endless, start with one small step. Maybe you’ll leave those tempting miniatures in the hotel on your next minibreak. Maybe you’ll spend five minutes researching the moisturiser you’ve had for years. If its credentials don’t impress you, don’t let it get under your skin – just change your allegiance to the natural beauty crusaders that are changing the world one bottle, balm, tub and tube at a time.

wholesome imperatives such as ‘nourish’, ‘feed’ and ‘drink’ pepper labels and even brand names. Sister & Co Skin Food launched in 2015, with coconut oil at its heart, and its products smell like beach bar mocktails – Lemon Myrtle & Mint Raw Coconut Lip Tonic, anyone? Even the idea of anti-ageing, a term once emblazoned across every skincare ad from here to New Zealand, has lost its appeal. “It’s all about looking rested and refreshed,” says Orveda founder Sue Y. Nabi, who lives in London. “Customers are seeking healthier alternatives, generally, and skincare is no exception. Everyone is looking for greener, cleaner, sustainable formulations.” Orveda’s concepts are ‘Green, Clean, Vegan’ and ‘Healthy Is The New Sexy’. Its devotees can’t get enough of its genderneutral Healing Sap and Ironing Effect Masque, presented in slick ombré-green glass jars – and the cellophane wrap is recyclable too. Unisex skincare is appearing across the board, tracking the trend for unisex clothing lines. The monochrome palette of the newest kid on the British beauty block, Wildsmith Skin – launched in July and which, poetically, ‘started with a walk in the woods’ – suggests a desire to appeal to a type of customer, not a gender. It’s “modern, natural, eco-friendly skincare,” says MD Maria Lam. “It is relevant to concerns today, like pollution, environmental aggressors and ageing issues, such as inflammation. All delivered in a format which forms part of an easy daily ritual for a mobile world.” Gone are the lazy days of the ‘shrink it, pink it’ approach to appealing to women, and (wrongly) assuming men don’t care

“We don’t think your skin needs unnecessary synthetic chemicals, so we don’t sell them”

B O DY

Body Oil, £35, neomorganics.co.uk

Hand Wash, £12, thesoapco.org

LIPS

Soap Pebble, £14, thesoapco.org

Lip Tonic, £10, sisterandcoskinfood.co.uk

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M U LT I PURPOSE

Babe Balm, £18, contentbeautywellbeing.com

T S

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MEET THE CONTEMPORARY FINE JEWELLERS SHAKING UP THE INDUSTRY

Words Mhairi Graham

here was once a time when fine jewellery was available to view only by a chosen few, within the confines of salons on Place Vendôme and Bond Street. Now, younger audiences are shopping by scrolling through social media and insouciantly pairing diamonds with T-shirts and jeans. The conservative world of fine jewellery has been flipped on its head, as a new generation of convention-flouting designers are redefining how we buy and style precious stones. “It is great to see the face of fine jewellery changing,” says Elizabeth Von Der Goltz, global buying director of Net-a-Porter. “Contemporary jewellery designers are creating pieces to be worn every day that are less conventional. We see customers purchasing multiple items to be worn at the same time as well as high value items with jeans and beauty. We have sold a £20,000 Piaget watch with a nail polish before and a £15,000 Anita Ko diamond bracelet with a denim jacket. A new generation of designers is offering our customers a fresh way of wearing jewellery.” On her modern, pavé diamond pieces, Anita Ko says: “It’s no fun to have diamonds sitting in a safe. My clients live in Los Angeles, New York and London where everyday pieces are de rigueur. So even when a special design is purchased, it’s often worn every day.” The Los Angeles-based designer is credited with spearheading the contemporary diamond ‘stack’, be it a curated finger, ear or neck. A favourite amongst Hollywood’s elite, her solid gold safety pin earrings and angular bracelets often add a punk-inspired edge to the red carpet. Another designer tearing up the traditional rulebook is Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura, who produces clean-lined and richly textured, geometric forms made from teak, coconut shells, diamonds and yellow gold. Bangkok-born Bodiratnangkura began producing jewellery at 13, which she sold in her own shop. She later honed her craft at Central Saint Martins before launching her eponymous label in 2016. It soon caught the attention of Dover Street Market, which now stocks the brand in London, alongside Matches Fashion. Bodiratnangkura splits her time between London and Bangkok, where her pieces are handmade in her studio by a team of six goldsmiths. Collections can take years to finesse, drawing on Thai architecture, nature and materials. “My heritage is the vein that runs through all of my work. We value the process of craftsmanship and embrace imperfections as beauty. I like to think

ABOVE SANDRO EARRINGS, £10,320; PETITE SANDRO EARRINGS, £3,750; FROM LEFT BOTTICELLI A MAIN BRACELET, £945; PETITE SANDRO EARRING, £3,920 FOR A PAIR; VENUS EARRING, £715 FOR A PAIR; PIERO RING, £2,530, ALL SOPHIE BILLE BRAHE, DOVERSTREETMARKET.COM

BLUE CRESCENT HOOPS, £2,400; PATCHARAVIPA.COM

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FROM TOP DOUBLE DIAMOND CHEVRON RING, £4,000, DIAMOND DAGGER NECKLACE, £1,525; LARGE CRESCENT NECKLACE, £11,271, ALL ANITAKO.COM

FROM LEFT DIAMOND RELAX NECKLACE, £4,750; GRL PWR RING, £259; SELECTION OF RINGS, POA, ALL ISABELLATOWNSLEY.COM

our pieces reflect the human characteristics: spontaneous, unexpected and flawed, but fearless.” Also part of the Dover Street Market roster is Sophie Bille Brahe, the Copenhagen-based jeweller renowned for her minimalist and covetable cool-girl diamonds and pearls. “My focus has always been, ‘how simple and beautiful can I make this?’” Explains Brahe. “I know and work with several traditional goldsmith techniques. It was important for me to know all of the rules in order to feel comfortable changing them.” Brahe’s thoughtfully-curated social media presence beautifully translates her sinuous earrings and delicate chains, which take their cue from astrology and the serene Danish landscape. A crescent-shaped cuff seems to thread elegantly through the earlobe, reflective of a shooting star, while an undulating diamond ring offers a fresh alternative for brides-to-be. “I receive lots of queries about my jewellery through Instagram. For someone like me who doesn’t have a store, it is a nice way for me to be able to introduce small parts of my universe.” “The majority of our sales come via Instagram,” agrees London-based jeweller Isabella Townsley, who ships globally from her Warwick Avenue flat. The 24-year old designer got her first break when Rita Ora posted a provocative photo wearing the Relax necklace, which refashions Old English font in 18-carat gold. Townsley studied at the Gemological Institute of America in New York and worked with Harry Fane in Mayfair. Previous courses in graphic design at Camberwell College of Arts and photography and styling at Condé Nast College put her in good stead to present her collections creatively on social media, where she distils her unique blend of playful girl-power glamour. Her signature inverse-set diamonds, which reveal the rarely-seen spikey underside of the stone, are complemented by more affordable collections like the new Girl PWR line, which is made up of earrings and slim, stackable rings that start from £189. Unlike traditional jewellery houses, this new coterie of ethically-conscious designers creates collections with street trends in mind. Baubles have been replaced by clean lines and geometric forms that fit the contemporary customer’s modern wardrobe and lifestyle. “It’s refreshing to see how adventurous the industry has become in recent years,” concludes Katharina Zoë Erasin, buyer for Boutique 1 on Sloane Street, a twostorey trove of contemporary designer wares. “Jewellery is such an integral part of a woman’s personality and the new wave of designers are creating pieces that are fun, unique and effortless.”

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PHOTOGRAPHER ADAM FUSSELL 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

INTO THE WOODS R E T U R N TO N AT U R E T H I S A U T U M N W I T H S TAT E M E N T L E AT H E R J AC K E T S A N D OV E R C OAT S I N S H E A R L I N G , S H E E P S K I N A N D W O O L

Georgina: Shearling and wool jacket, £1,815, davidkoma.co.uk; Knitted dress, £595, temperleylondon.com; Centenary bowling bag, £1,025, globe-trotter.com; Gold calf leather and black nappa boots, £925, christianlouboutin.com; Matt fishnet tights in cigar, £19, falke.com Jacey: Cashmere Glen check mouliné coat, £6,290, brunellocucinelli.com; Geometric wool sweater, £360,amiparis.com; White cotton shirt, £125, gievesandhawkes.com; Tan 100% cotton Cord trousers, £130, chesterbarrie.co.uk; Running shoes, £590, Ermenegildo Zenga Couture, zenga.com

Leather and shearling coat, £2,455, Wool and cashmere cardigan £400, both corneliani.com; Rodeo print western shirt, £225, Coach 1941, uk.coach.com; Sea Island corduroy trousers, £3,440 (sold as suit), brunellocucinelli.com; Running shoes, £590, zenga.com; Black cashmere long socks, £85, pantherella.com

Sheepskin aviator jacket, £1,895, temperleylondon.com; Bone silk Georgette dress, £1,725, stellamccartney.com; Cashmere felt fedora, £880, brunellocucinelli.com; Burgundy pony skin boots, POA, AKRIS, 30 Old Bond Street, W1S

Jacey: Corduroy coat, POA, berluti.com; Howden wool jumper, £375, belstaff.co.uk; 100% Donegal wool fleck jacket, £795, 100% Donegal wool fleck trousers, £325, both chesterbarrie.co.uk; Clack calf leather lace up boots, £1,065, christianlouboutin.com Georgina: Shearling and leather jacket, £2,600, Coach 1941, uk.coach.com; Malachite print silk crêpe dress, £4,440, AKRIS, 30 Old Bond Street, W1S; Red metallic patent ankle boots, £875, christianlouboutin.com

Signature overcoat, £895, Coach 1941, uk.coach.com; Grey stripped wool overcoat, £895, AMI, amiparis.com; High neck cashmere sweater, £1,300, zenga.com

Cashmere double-face belted coat, £4,440, AKRIS, 30 Old Bond Street, W1S; Champagne faux shearling gillet, £1,270, stellamccartney.com; Silk floral printed dress, £2,135, etro.com/uk; Gold cotton boots with horn heel, £875, christianlouboutin.com; 18ct white gold diamond, blue sapphire and granite 10mm lock bracelet, Shamballa Jewels, frostoflondon.co.uk

Mixed foiled shearling jacket, £2,105, Marques’ Almeida, matchesfashion.com; Bandana print dress, £1,200, Western charm earrings, £135, both uk.coach.com; Small Blueprint bag in green python, £4,500, byredo.com

One-and-a-half breasted coat in cashmere, £5,250, zenga.com; Brown velvet blazer, £1,045, Brown velvet trousers, £510, both billionairecouture.com; Ribbon print cotton shirt, £225, richard-james.com; Green leather desert boots, £535, bally.co.uk

Hair: Brady Lea @ Stella Creative Artists Make up: Kristina Vidic @ Stella Creative Artists Models: Jacey Elthalion @ Select Models, Georgina Howard @ Models 1 Photography assistant: Petros Poyiatgi Styling assistant: Andreas Chrysostomou

TO P G E A R B E R L U T I X V E L DT H E L M E T Made from a light and strong carbon-fibre shell, this Berluti helmet in collaboration with Veldt offers the ultimate protection. Featuring patinated Venezia leather and Berluti’s signature Scritto pattern, safety headwear never looked so stylish. £2,840, berluti.com

P I LOT C R O N O M E T R O This Cronometro Tipo CP-2 Flyback from Zenith, sponsor of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, is a revival of a famous ‘Cairelli’ model from the 1960s, featuring a flyback function and a green nubuck leather strap with protective rubber lining. £6,400, zenithwatches.com

BRUNELLO CUCINELLI CALFSKIN BACKPACK A new type of artisan finishing enriches the smooth texture of this Brunello Cucinelli Leisure backpack with light-dark touches and a used effect. An adjustable drawstring opening and several zipped

compartments ensure there’s plenty of room for all indispensable objects. The bag is also equipped with a practical strap to attach it to the handle of a trolley while travelling – perfect for a life in the fast lane. £3,540, brunellocucinelli.com

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BERLUTI X TRIUMPH MOTORBIKE Created to spearhead Berluti’s new Off The Road capsule collection, this one-off motorbike is crafted using one single piece of carbonkevlar with an aerodynamic structure and solid wheels. Merging

Berluti’s craftsmanship with that of the finest manufacturers in the industry, the result is a stylish bike with sculptural shape, inspired by the classic one-piece cut of the brand’s first shoe design, the Alessandro. berluti.com

V R AC E R JAC K E T Cut from supple nappa leather in rustic moss green, this Belstaff V Racer jacket is all about clean and classic detailing. From quilted shoulder panels to zipped pockets and cuffs, the wardrobe staple complements any outfit. £795, belstaff.co.uk

B R A DY P O L I S H E D L E AT H E R B O O T S Designed with durability in mind, these Grenson leather boots feature Goodyear-welted construction, D-ring lacing and lightweight rubber-lug soles with excellent traction – great for adventuring off the beaten track. £255, mrporter.com

LIMITED EDITION R A L LY P O S T E R Screen-printed by hand on thick, textured card, this limitededition poster depicts the route of The Great Mile 2018 and comes signed and numbered by the Malle London studio. £25, mallelondon.com

G U CC I G LOV E S Every biker needs a pair of quality leather gloves. This black Gucci pair lined in cashmere is defined by palmistry embroidery and the brand’s signature slogan, ‘L’aveugle par amour’ – blinded by love. £355, matchesfashion.com

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P.94

INTERIORS

COLE & SON, BOTANICA ROSE, COLE-AND-SON.COM

I T ’ S W H AT ’ S I N S I D E T H AT C O U N T S

BEATA HEUMAN The interior designer shares her inspirations

P.98 DAVID LINLEY On artistocracy and the art of carpentry

Bold wallpaper and clashing prints cue the start of interiors’ boldest trend to date: maximalism (p.84)

HOME STRAIGHT THE INSIDE S COOP ON THE WORLD OF INTERIORS Words: Sunna Naseer

PRINTS CHARMING Lifestyle brand House of Hackney has unveiled a spectacular collection of wallpaper, fabric and home accessories in partnership with French wallpaper brand Zuber, which boasts the oldest wallpaper factory in the world. Bringing prints from the past into the present, the duo has delved into the Zuber’s eclectic archive to remaster, recolour

and revive a handpicked selection of original designs. Mixing Zuber’s Moroccaninspired creations with House of Hackney’s vibrant aesthetic, the result is a selection of soft furnishings, lampshades and sofas in brocade and paisley prints and opulant jewel tones. From £195 for a cushion, houseofhackney.com

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INTERIORS

N E W F L A G S H I P F O R T I M O T H Y O U LT O N British furniture designer Timothy Oulton has unveiled his new flagship store in London – his first standalone shop in the capital. Taking over Chelsea’s Bluebird Garage, the new space shares its ground floor with Bluebird Café and will feature the designer’s

distinctive creations, as well as a selection of vintage pieces. There will also be an exhibition of the Rare by Oulton collection, a selection of curiosities chosen by Oulton himself. 350 King’s Road, SW3, timothyoulton.com

TA B L E TA L K Host with the most Emilia Wickstead has launched a range of table linens to satisfy her love of entertaining. Produced in floral prints taken from her fashion line, the Table Top collection comprises napkins, placemats, table cloths and glassware in pastel prints. From £234 for a set of napkins, modaoperandi.com

WORLD OF WHIMSY

WA X LY R I C A L London-based illustrator Katie Scott lends her surrealist prints to Polkra in a new collection of scented candles. The handpainted ceramic pots are filled with natural wax and fragranced with Moroccan rose, jasmine, wild fig and Portobello oud.

Queen of faux fur and Shrimps founder Hannah Weiland has partnered with Habitat to create her first fashion-meetsinteriors collection. Using the whimsical characters, patterns and colours often featured in her ready-towear line, Weiland has designed a selection of soft furnishings and rugs in bubblegum pink and red hues. From £30 for a pair of pillows, habitat.co.uk

£75 each, polkra.com

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LUXURY LONDON

INTERIORS

TECH KNOW T H E G A D G E T W O R L D R E C E N T LY G A T H E R E D A T T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L E F U N K A U S S T E L L U N G B E R L I N , E U R O P E ’ S L A R G E S T E L E C T R O N I C S S H O W. H E R E I S S O M E O F T H E S TA N D - O U T TECHNOLOGY COMING TO A HOME NEAR YOU

Words: Peter Jenkinson

BEOSOUND EDGE Transforming the everyday into a sculptural piece of musical mastery, this piece is a collaboration between Bang & Olufsen and the acclaimed designer Michael Anastassiades. A unique circular shape allows it to be placed on the floor or secured to a wall as a gravity-defying statement which divides up spaces in the home. Inspired by the British pound coin, you can slowly rock the speaker back and forth to increase and decrease volume. £2,900, bang-olufsen.com

P U R E D I S COV R Now that we have the ability to control everything from heating to alarm systems and music and lighting through voice activation, Pure has turned its attention to manufacturing a stylish voice-activated wireless speaker. This pocket-sized device delivers a very decent base for its stature and features a push-down centre unit designed to cut its connection to your WiFi and negate any privacy issues. £229.99, amazon.co.uk

SAMSUNG TV SAMSUNG Q900R QLED 8K Just as quickly as Samsung stepped in with its 4K displays, the Korean company is keeping ahead of its competition by forging ahead with 8K formats. There were several at IFA, but this QLED really caught the eye with its outstanding footage. It will be available from 65 inches through to 85 inch versions. The only thing is, no one is yet creating this superhigh definition footage – but at least you’ll be future-proofed for when they do. From £3,300, samsung.com

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ORIGINAL, LIMITED-EDITION ART DECO POSTERS

Limited to editions of 280, our newly-commissioned Art Deco posters feature glamorous holiday destinations around the world, ski resorts in the Austrian, French and Swiss Alps, and the world’s greatest historic automobiles. Over 100 designs to choose from, all printed on 100% cotton fine art paper, measuring 97 x 65 cms.

Priced at £395 each.

Private commissions are also welcome.

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

Our central London gallery

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

TO THE

MAX W H I T E WA L L S B E G O N E : T H I S

SEASON’S HOTTEST INTERIOR DESIGN TREND – MAXIMALISM – IS BIGGER AND BOLDER THAN EVER

Words: Julia Zaltzman

LAMPERT SOFA BY JONATHAN ADLER

ong have we savoured the minimalist austerity of Scandinavian chic interior design. Set within the confines of a clutterfree zone, we have stripped back and toned down within an inch of our lives. With the arrival of the London Design Festival in September, however, came the dawning of a bold new era, in which colour, patterns and eyepopping palettes abound. Brace yourself for the AW18 trend of maximalism. One of 2018’s biggest interior design movements, maximalism is all about bold prints, vivid hues and deluxe decorations. Think opulent glamour emphasised by lavish gold wallpaper and shapely, super-luxe accessories. Silhouette and botanical motifs are taking over from rigorous, simple lines and muted tones. A profusion of colour and luxury, brimming with excess, is having a loud and exciting renaissance. “Social media has not only given us hungry eyes and encouraged us to become hoarders of aspirational imagery, it’s given us a window into the lives of designers, artists and craftspeople whose work cuts through the digital haze and inspires us to exercise our own creativity,” says Suzanne Carpenter, co-founder of Patternistas, winner of the Mixology 18 Surface of the Year Award for its collaboration with Lancashirebased textile designer Panaz. “We’ve become confident curators of a stream of exciting imagery and now we want spaces that have warmth and personality. A global view of rich patterned cultures has proven that layers of pattern and colour can be uplifting. The offshot of this is that we’re all getting braver and bolder in our own homes.” The team at Patternistas is not alone in its belief that our interiors should be drenched in colour. The affordability of digital print has given designers enormous freedom and enabled them to create short run, custom patterns and interior products. Patterned accessories, such as rugs and cushions, can soften or invigorate spaces depending on whether you choose complementary or contrasting colours and patterns.

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INTERIORS

John Lewis’s AW18 collections also respond to the rising trend. Vibrant velvet upholstery, striking geometric floor coverings and opulent metallic accents mark out the brand’s range as sheer maximalist heaven. “Maximalism is not necessarily about overcrowding a space, but simply choosing to be bold by showcasing your own unique style in a creative way,” says Fionnuala Johnson, senior designer at John Lewis. “Carefully considered mixing and matching of colours, prints and textures is key to achieving the look, and it’s the perfect opportunity to layer designs and blend references.” Maximalism can be tricky to recreate at home, however, particularly in a confined space or small apartment. Characterised by a courageous clashing of colours and pattern, walls, floors and furniture should start out plain, and then be dressed up to achieve the style. Black, white and silver or chrome furniture will work as a sound base, while rich and bright tones can be applied to accent pieces, rugs and accessories. Monochromatic wallpapers with bold contrasting prints are highly effective for creating a brave, overstated look. Think wild wallpaper from Cole & Son, tongue-in-cheek design like Kitsch Kitchen’s colourful lampshades, and eclectic, borderline bizarre objects such as Artemest’s sunshine yellow fish sculpture. Typified by its richness, its abundance of embellishment and its excess of decoration, maximalism is often punctuated with bright colours, enhanced with a sense of luxury and usually includes plenty of sensual elements. A smaller space, be it a room or an entire studio apartment, can also come into its own with the use of show-stopping finishing touches that really make the maximalist interior style pop. Opt for highly decorative baroque frames for pictures and mirrors to adorn your walls. Flowers feature heavily in maximalist designs too; floral embellishments for furnishings or bunches of brightly coloured flowers in large vases give a room instant ‘wow’ factor.

A smaller space can come into its own with the use of show-stopping finishing touches

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT ELECTRUM MIXED METAL CHANDELIER, BAXTER SOFA, SORRENTO CHAIRS, NEOGEO OBELISKS ALL FROM JONATHAN ADLER; LINDSEY LANG FIBONACCI RUG, BLUE FLUTED CARVED VASE, ANGLEPOISE DESK LAMP, YELLOW OCHR, ALL FROM JOHN LEWIS; PERUVIAN RUGS FROM JONATHAN ADLER

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OFF THE WA L L

G O O D B Y E E L E P H A N T ’ S B R E AT H , H E L LO T I G E R FAC E ; I T ’ S T I M E TO G I V E YO U R H O M E A CHA N GE O F S C E N E , O N E F A B U L O U S LY WA L L PA P E R E D WA L L AT A T I M E

Words: Annabel Harrison

IT’S DIVISIVE. There’s no getting away from it. If you dip a toe in, eyebrows may arch – if you jump in at the deep end, jaws will drop. Just last weekend, friends declared a day of mounting outrageously patterned, outrageously expensive wallpaper as the closest to divorce they’ve come. Nonetheless, it’s worth taking the leap. The impact of an expanse of banana palm print or dancing monkeys isn’t quickly forgotten, and it’s a lot easier to redo a wall than an entire room. Here are some of the best brands going back to nature for inspiration, bouncing colour off the walls while they’re at it.

DE GOURNAY HAND PAINTED ‘MAGICAL MENAGERIE’ WALLPAPER IN PART CUSTOM DESIGN COLOURS ON PAILLE SCENIC PAPER DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH KEN FULK, KEN FULK INC. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOUGLAS FREIDMAN. FROM £1,750 PER PANEL (915MM WIDTH)

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“Our artisans are artists,” De Gournay declares, and “our wallpapers… works of art… The artist leaves a part of his soul in their creation and it is this ‘spirit resonance’ that distinguishes our work from machine-made replicas”. The wallpapers stand up to such magnificently hyperbolic words – Amazonia and Madame’s Magical Menagerie deserve to be displayed in rooms in which they are the star turn. degournay.com

DE GOURNAY HAND PAINTED ‘AMAZONIA’ WALLPAPER, IN STANDARD DESIGN COLOURS ON CUSTOM PINK EDO PAINTED XUAN PAPER. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIAM MEDVEDEVA. FROM £ 1,035 PER PANEL (915 MM WIDTH)

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H O U S E O F H AC K N E Y

GP&J BAKER

Really, it’s all in the name. The Flamboyance. Motifs of the animal de rigueur – the skinny-legged millennial-pink flamingo – are layered atop off-white and lavender stripes to wonderfully whimsical effect. Even better: it’s made from eco-friendly materials and promises minimal environmental impact at every stage of production. houseofhackney.com

GP&J Baker received a Royal Warrant in 1982, which would surely have thrilled the brothers who founded the company almost 100 years earlier. While it does excel at florals – ground-breaking, no; ubiquitous and much-loved, yes – we love Le Zebre most. (So named because French just sounds better, GP&J?) It comes in an appetising range of shades, from saffron and caramel to aqua and indigo, so do away with any ideas of faux hide rugs and deck the walls instead. gpjbaker.com

L E W I S & WO O D OSBORNE & LITTLE

This design, based on drawings by English architect and designer C.F.A. Voysey, was originally called Ballard Tapestry. However, because the ‘millefleurs’ in the background reminded them of The Lady & the Unicorn tapestries in a Parisian museum, Stephen (Lewis) and Joanna (Wood) turned one of the deer into a unicorn. “Whimsy and humour are often found in Voysey’s work and we feel he would have approved!” lewisandwood.co.uk

Quentin Blake is a children’s book illustrator who is head and shoulders above the rest. If for you, like us, his name conjures up charmingly scruffy sketches that leap off the paper, this playful Quentin’s Menagerie wallpaper won’t disappoint. Your little one will be enthralled by its array of dogs, ducks, frogs, chickens, cats and mice – expect to spend from now until Christmas making the relevant animal noises. osborneandlittle.com

KIT MILES

GUCCI

Do you aspire to have resting tiger face? If that’s just not physically possible, put it on your wall instead. Gucci’s statement Tiger Face print, influenced by the brand’s women’s ready-to-wear collection, depicts one of the most important weapons in the Gucci design motif arsenal. If your aim is to make a savage statement, this one’s for you. gucci.com

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Draughtsmanship – the ability to draw well – is a word not often used nowadays, but it’s central to Kit Miles’s approach. His Biophillia wallpaper is so beautifully composed that it could easily be mistaken for a painting. It is named after a love affair with nature, and its five colourways capture the five columns of nature: ocean, sky, moor, jungle and night. Miles presents Biophillia “as a piece of visual poetry” evoking “readings on evolution and the majesty of a world of profound complexity and beauty”. Quite. kitmiles.co.uk

I WA N T SCANDI S W E D I S H I N T E R I O R D E S I G N E R B E ATA H E U M A N O N I N S P I R AT I O N PA S T A N D P R E S E N T, H E R FAV O U R I T E C O L O U R A N D H O W T O S P R U C E U P YO U R B AT H R O O M

Words: Annabel Harrison

very room should sing!” declares Beata Heuman, of her design philosophy. This chirpy mantra is open to interpretation, but we take it to mean that we should incorporate our quirks, beliefs and experiences into our home décor to give it life and personality. Heuman’s playful, original work does exactly this for her clients. She earned her design stripes working under the guidance of industry stalwart Nicky Haslam for nine years, before branching out on her own. Just five years later Heuman has been recognised as House and Garden’s inaugural Interior Designer of the Year for 2018 and the magazine praises her look as “comfortably modern with a great use of colour”. Heuman’s studio applies a “Scandinavian level” of attention to detail and longevity, and, in addition to interior design, sells a growing collection of its own fabrics, wallpapers, lighting and furniture.

How do you like to start a project? We always start with a floor plan and furniture layout. This becomes the base of all of our designs, the masterplan of how each space is used. THIS PAGE, FROM TOP THE BAR AT FARM GIRL CHELSEA; BEATA HEUMAN OPPOSITE PAGE A LIVING ROOM IN A RECENT LONDON PROJECT WITH SEA GRASS WALLPAPER AND FEATURING A BESPOKE TV CABINET COVERED IN NUVOLETTE WALLPAPER FROM FORNASETTI

Where does your inspiration come from? It really can come from anywhere, but we look a lot to the past, referencing our extensive library of interior books. As a working mother with a toddler and another

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particularly proud of how we approach bathrooms, which can often be formulaic; we try and make them original and warm, like any other room in the house, while, of course, being functional.

What are your favourite Instagram accounts? @tat.london, @genemeyer3 and @sarah_balineum What does luxury mean to you? It would be to live in an exquisite, perfectly run home without having to lift a finger – although maybe I would get a bit bored as I’m quite hands on. I’m sure I could get used to it, though. Your current favourite colour: I’m always partial to a bit of green. Where are you going next for your travels? My husband and I are going to Puglia – I have never been before – which I’m very excited about.

one on the way, I don’t have as much time to explore as I used to. I find Instagram a fantastic source for ideas and inspiration.

Describe your style in three words. Playful, comfortable, considered.

“I love how close to nature you are in Hammersmith, with lovely walks along the tree-lined river”

What are your three favourite objects in your home? One is an antique royal banner from the former Kingdom of Dahomey, which hangs as a centrepiece over our living room fireplace, and opposite is a large photograph depicting pink hay bales from the series Bastard Countryside by the talented artist Robin Friend. My favourite piece of furniture is probably our dining table, which I bought from Foster & Gane, designed for the elegant Stockholm department store NK by Axel Hjorth in 1938.

Can you give an example from your portfolio where you feel form perfectly meets function? This is what we always strive to achieve but I’m

If you had an unexpected 24 free hours to fill in London, what would you do? Have a self-indulgent ‘me’ day: go to the National Portrait Gallery and Somerset House followed by a leisurely lunch in Soho somewhere, perhaps Barrafina or Bocca di Lupo. After that I would go browsing and do some shopping, ending the day with drinks and dinner at 5 Hertford Street. Then, to really make the most of my 24 hours, I would check into Claridge’s, where I would enjoy a delicious breakfast the next morning.

Where do your call home? A 1860s house close to the river in Hammersmith. I love how close to nature you are here, with lovely walks along the treelined river on the south side and beautiful, charming old houses on the north side, and you are still only about 20 minutes away from central London if you jump on the Piccadilly line.

FROM TOP BEATA HEUMAN MARBELISED WALLPAPER AT FARM GIRL CHELSEA; BEATA’S PLAYFUL USE OF BOLD COLOURS AT THE LONDON PROJECT OVERLEAF

Who are your three dream dinner party guests? Oscar Wilde, Susan Sontag and Evelyn Waugh. beataheuman.com

GAME OF THRONES

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Words: Ellen Millard

avid Linley is on the charm offensive. A late-running lunch has left him 30 minutes behind schedule for our interview, and when he strolls over to his stand at the Masterpiece art fair, he’s met by a team of PRs keen to get the show on the road. “Are we doing it here? Are you the person?” he asks when he spots me amid the chaos, perched on the sofa we’ve been allocated for our interview. “Well, cut out the middle man and let’s meet the person. How are you? I’m so sorry, did you hear about the lunch?” I’d already been warned that Linley “knows everyone”, and indeed throughout our chat people interrupt to say hello, introduce their friends and ask if they can grab five minutes with the man of the

moment. “We’ve just been admiring your furniture David,” one woman crows from across the room. “Buying it would be better,” he replies with a smile. As the second Earl of Snowdon and 20th in line to the throne, Linley is bound to cause a bit of a buzz, but when I meet him he is almost disappointingly un-royal. Absent are the formalities often awarded to his family members – instead he plonks himself on the sofa next to me and begins flicking through a copy of the magazine, telling me stories about meeting Paul Smith (“He comes into the shop quite a lot”) and pointing out one of his client’s boats in the background of our Monaco fashion shoot. He’s posh, yes, and looks remarkably like his mother, Princess Margaret – but the comparison ends there. If anything he’s keen to avoid discussing his royal

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT LINLEY X BELLERBY & CO OF LONDON GLOBE; CASSIOPEIA SCREEN; CASSIOPEIA SCREEN IN THE WORKSHOP; DAVID LINLEY IN THE WORKSHOP; THE TORQUE TABLE IN THE WORKSHOP; TORQUE TABLE

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“We want to make Linley a centre of excellence” connection (my question about whether he’s seen The Crown is met with a polite but firm “no”), and when he does mention his family it’s done in an off-hand way, as if I don’t know who they are. As his mother used to say, “My children aren’t royal; they just happen to have the Queen as an aunt”. It’s to discuss his eponymous furniture company that we’re meeting at Masterpiece, where Linley and his team present new works of innovative joinery every year. He started making cabinets at the tender age of 20 while living above a chippy in Dorking. His enterprise was so successful that three years later he opened his first shop on the New King’s Road. He now has boutiques in Pimlico, Belgravia and Mayfair, and a concession stand at Harrods. “When I first started making furniture, my mother was asked every day by her friends, ‘when is your son going to get a job’?’” He laughs. “People don’t tend to think of it as a proper vocation, but I hope we’ve started to change that perception and shown that it’s worthwhile.” Now his brand’s USP is meticulously crafted furniture, objects and wooden accessories spanning writing desks to domino sets. Along with his team of craftsmen he pioneered something of a marquetry renaissance, taking the 17th-century craft and making it contemporary with veneer screens that depict the London skyline and boxes decorated with miniature works of art.

The majority of Linley’s work comes from bespoke commissions, so the chance to exhibit at Masterpiece happily gives the team creative free reign. This year the focus was on movement, inspired by the fashion of Japanese designer Issey Miyake and the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The result is the Torque dining table, a twisting circle with 66 meticulously veneered layers to give the base a contorted effect. In the centre sits a Portoro marble Lazy Susan – a spinning disc that moves independently from the rest of the structure. Matching Eclipse side tables in decadent gold marble are also part of the new collection, as is the latest globe in a long-standing collaboration with Bellerby & Co of London. “This is the only opportunity we have to do a pure idea, because most of the time we’re doing something for commission or to sell in the shop,” says Linley. “This is total freedom; it’s dream time.” His commissioned work doesn’t sound too dull, mind; Linley’s senior designer Lee Deason tells me about a plinth the team made for a customer who wanted to display his wife’s custom-made chastity belt. Another commission for a revolving lacquer screen with a highly detailed Bonsai tree design was made to house a family’s slipper collection. “No client is the same,” Deason laughs. The designer was the main brain behind the new collection, and while Linley is still very much involved in the direction (the Lazy Susan was his idea), he now approaches the brand from a sales perspective. You won’t find him sanding wood these days. “I stopped working in the workshop in 1984, when I became a shopkeeper. It was a very distinct cut-off,” he explains. “I was trained in carpentry and I do really love doing it, but at the moment the best use of my time is making sales, not making a nuisance.” His new aim is to elevate people’s perception of craft. His company’s summer school is now in its third year, and the week-long event gives students the chance to learn from Linley’s master craftsmen, in the hope that it inspires them. He has a similar plan for his brand. “The vibe’s got to be one of creativity and fun. So many people turn up and they’ve all got the same bloody telephone and they all go click, click, click and then walk off. The dialogue is gone,” he says. “Now, our aim is to engage the young, engage the crafts and elevate them to a point in society where everybody’s proud of what they do. We want to make Linley a centre of excellence – and I think that’s something we are perfectly capable of doing.” davidlinley.com

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B R A C E Y O U R S E LV E S …

W I T H A N E W G E N E R A T I O N O F E A R LY O R T H O D O N T I C S , T O D AY ’ S C H I L D R E N A R E L E S S L I K E LY T O N E E D T R A I N T R A C K S – W H I C H M E A N S H E A LT H Y, C O N F I D E N T SMILES THROUGHOUT THE TEEN YEARS

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f you had braces as a teenager, you could be forgiven for assuming your own children will have to grin and bear the same fate. But dental technology has advanced so rapidly over recent years, it has been quietly revolutionising traditional approaches to teeth straightening – and early orthodontics is the outcome. In assessing and treating children as young as seven years old, early orthodontics can potentially reduce or eliminate the need for braces during the teen years.

A B R AC E - F R E E F U T U R E F O R K I DS

“Where do I sign?” We hear you ask. Early orthodontics is something of a specialist field – and because it concerns children, there are relatively few providers in the UK. Happy Kids Dental is one of the largest. A purpose-built family practice in Marylebone with a specialist paediatric department, the Happy Kids team includes consultant and specialist orthodontists, so you can be assured your children are getting the best possible care. Uniquely, they favour assessing all of their young clientele at around the age of seven – the optimum age for early orthodontics. It’s the perfect time to address any habits that might have hung around too long since the toddler years – such as thumb sucking – and to look for indications that might affect jaw development, such as mouth breathing or tongue thrusting. These are the kind of habits that can lead to malocclusion, or a bad bite – which, left unchecked, would almost certainly require a lengthy spell with a mouthful of metal once the teen years roll around. But with early orthodontics, there is another way. Whereas traditional braces are used at a later stage (from age 11), the technology behind early orthodontics allows for gentle, effective solutions to be applied while the jaw is still soft and pliable. Treatment can range from timely intervention with bad habits to easy-wear appliances that create or preserve space for the adult teeth to emerge in the right place. Used between the ages of 7-10, these can significantly reduce, or eliminate, the need for braces in the teen years. And what parent wouldn’t want to save their self-conscious teenager from that experience?

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A D E S T I N AT I O N D E N T I S T F O R T H E W H O L E F A M I LY

The great thing about Happy Kids Dental is that it is set up for both children and adults. While the team features an impressive collection of consultant and specialist dentists, supported by state-of-the-art technologies, the building feels anything but clinical. Children have the run of jungle-themed waiting areas filled with toys and iPads, and staff are specially trained to engage and enthuse them about tooth brushing and oral health. Adults are also well catered for here, with comprehensive general and cosmetic services and access to authorities on oral surgery, restorations and orthodontics. Just like their approach with early orthodontics, the practice favours prevention and hightech evidence-based approaches over invasive treatment – which ultimately help the team realise its mission: creating healthy, happy smiles for life. And – let’s face it – as parents, that’s all we ever want for our children. Happy Kids Dental, 74-78 Seymour Place, W1H, 020 7078 0822, happykidsdental.co.uk

Happy Kids Dental is offering all new patients a half-price early orthodontic assessment – simply call 020 7078 0822 and quote LUXURY50 to get an appointment for just £50 (usual price £100).

TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT TO READwww.luxurylondon.co.uk MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT www.luxurylondon.co.uk TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT www.luxurylondon.co.uk

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

P.106 PACK YOUR BAGS A new food mecca for The Maldives & stress busting in Evian

P.110 ENCHANTING KENYA On the search for the elusive black rhino

Patagoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Perito Moreno glacier is 30km in length and is one of 48 glaciers that make up the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (p.116)

PACK YO U R BAG S THE LATEST IN LUXURY TRAVEL Words: Sophie Petrocochino & Ellen Millard

NEW FOOD MECCA FOR THE MALDIVES New Maldivian retreat Joali will open its doors this October and with it a series of dining opportunities. Eat above the Indian Ocean at its stilted Japanese restaurant, in the treetops at the Manta Ray-shaped treehouse created by South African artist Porky Hefer, or on a sunset cruise in a traditional Maldivian Dhoni boat. From £1,720 per night based on two people sharing a Beach Villa on a half-board basis, joali.com

NOBU ROLLS INTO ZURICH This November, Rive Gauche restaurant at Baur au Lac in Zurich will welcome Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s Japanese cuisine for its annual pop-up. The Rive Gauche restaurant’s typically Mediterranean cuisine will be replaced by Nobu’s signature Japanese menu for one week only, cooked by Nobu’s skilled sushi chefs. Each night there will be two dinner seatings at 6pm and 9pm. 22 November – 1 December, agauche.ch

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STRESS BUSTING IN EVIAN Ease into the autumn season with Hotel Royal’s new yoga retreat, located in France’s oldest spa town, Evian-les-Bains. Beginning with a seasonal yoga session, guests will learn to perform the pose asana, before a meditation session in the forest. An Adventure Concierge will also be onhand to give tips on the best spots for running and hiking.

L E AV E Y O U R H E A R T I N H AVA N A The Havana Iberostar Grand Packard Hotel has opened in the city’s Paseo del Prado. Sitting alongside the city’s most recognisable buildings, such as the Velasco Palace and the National Capitol Building, the five-star hotel offers incredible views across the old town, which is bursting with authentic colonial architecture. The Grand Packard is the group’s first luxury hotel in old Havana and coincides with the city’s 500 th anniversary.

Autumn Rejeuvenate yoga programme from €1,230 per person, based on two people sharing a double room, evianresort.com

PA M P E R I N P O R T U G A L This autumn will see the opening of the first Sisley Paris spa in Portugal. Clifftop resort Vila Vita Parc, which has undergone extensive renovations over the past four years, will be home to the new wellness retreat, the design of which has been inspired by the region’s sea caves. A menu of facial and body treatments will be on offer, as well as a manicure and pedicure area with treatments from Margaret Dabbs. vilavitaparc.com

From £366, iberostar.com

EDITION EMPIRE E X PA N D S T O B A R C E L O N A Ian Schrager’s ever-growing Edition empire has opened its latest venture in Barcelona’s historic centre. Designed by Spanish interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violan under the direction of Schrager, the hotel includes nods to the design greats with a blue Eric Schmitt chandelier, furniture by Salvador Dalí and Antoni Gaudí, Christian Liaigre chairs and Yves Klein armchairs designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld. From €375 per night based on two people sharing, including breakfast, editionhotels.com

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FEELING BLESSED N E W L U X U R Y H O T E L B R A N D B L E S S W I L L C A P T I VAT E M O D E R N T R AV E L L E R S

armoniously blending the worlds of business and leisure, a luxury hotel with a modern concept promises to be the new place in which to relax and be seen. Set to launch in January 2019, BLESS Hotel’s first location will open on Madrid’s Calle de Velázquez and will

offer exclusive experiences designed for the hedonistic pleasures, right in the heart of the city. The new luxury hotel brand is part of the Palladium Hotel Group and is centered around the ever-growing ‘bleisure’ demographic, cleverly fusing elements of both business and leisure. High-tech facilities, super fast

WiFi and charge points are provided alongside a state-of-the-art spa and gym, rooftop pool and excellent gastronomy. BLESS Hotel Madrid’s restaurant will be headed up by world famous Basque chef, Martín Berasategui, who holds an impressive eight Michelin stars. The interiors – designed by Lázaro Rosa-Violán, the renowned Spanish architect – are made up of ‘sensory architecture’ with an authentically Madrid spirit and flavour. Ambience is created through a holistic approach, appealing to all five senses; lighting and decor for sight; gourmet food for taste; spa amenities for touch; unique floral scents for smell; and live performances for sound. A second location will be opened in Ibiza in summer 2019 with further properties planned for stylish districts within cosmopolitan cities and premium holiday beach destinations. blesscollectionhotels.com

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THE LUXURY OF A BRAND

I BE ROSTAR GRAND PACKARD The splendid Havana is about to celebrate its 500th anniversary and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is sharing in the celebration by opening a singular hotel, the Iberostar Grand Packard.

Witness the years of history and remarkable literature, where guests can feel the rhythms and flavours of this mystical city.

INMMERSE IN THE HISTORY

UNIQUE SPACES

IN HAVANA, TASTE IS GREAT

FITNESS AND SPA FACILITIES

PAMPERING IN EVERYWAY

NETWORKING TIME

DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IberostarCuba

@Iberostar_Cuba

IBEROSTAR.COM

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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE B L A C K R H I N O S A R E I N C R E D I B LY R A R E B U T Y O U C A N S T I L L H AV E T H E O D D H E A R T- S T O P P I N G E N C O U N T E R W I T H T H E M I N K E N YA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I F YO U H AV E T H E PAT I E N C E

Words & Images: Doug McKinlay

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“No

bright clothes, everyone keep as quiet as possible and walk in single file,” instructs ranger Jimmy Lekiondo. It’s late afternoon and Lekiondo, with his fellow rangers and trackers, are about to take our small group to a very special place. Once the safety instruction is done we board an open-top Land Rover for a 90-minute bone-crunching ride through Kenya’s Rift Valley to try to catch a glimpse of the endangered black rhino. We’re driving to the Sera community conservancy, a protected rhino area within 44,000 square kilometres of remote tribal territory. Over the past 14 years, the Northern

Rangelands Trust has worked tirelessly in this region with the local community to restore the rhino population that had been hunted almost to extinction. Thanks to their efforts, this is one of the best places in Africa to see rhinos. To support their work, they have to develop sustainable tourism in this area, immersing participants in the daily life faced by those fighting to protect Kenya’s wildlife, and also provide the local community with financial support, security and jobs. With the vast African sky above, we gird our loins to leave the safe confines of the Land Rover and set off on foot into the thick bush. Out here, surrounded by dense undergrowth, the guides’ simple hand signals, designed to keep us safe, seem woefully inadequate in the face of a potential rhino charge.

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We follow four rangers, one armed with a radio receiver and another with a rifle. As I find out later, the gun is only loaded with blanks, a noise deterrent that causes no harm to the rhinos. They are a critically endangered species with estimates of only 5,000 left on Earth, so they cannot be shot under any circumstances. There is something unique about doing walking safaris. Here in the African bush ears prick up, hearing sharpens, the sense of smell gets keen and your eyes adjust to every little movement. Still, black rhino are so well camouflaged it’s near impossible to find them. This is where the radio receiver enters the picture. The rhinos here have microchips implanted in their horns so conservationists can keep track of them to keep them safe and healthy, and it makes the chances of a sighting much more accurate. However, after a good hour of stopping and starting there is a problem. It seems the receiver has given up the ghost; there is no signal. There is a palpable sense of disappointment in the group. Lekiondo assures us the receiver will be mended for our second outing the following afternoon. But it’s definitely not a bust. The extra time gives us ample opportunity to explore the surrounding country. A couple of hours drive away is the Kalama Community Conservancy, an acacia-dotted grassland covering some 46,000 hectares. It’s home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the Samburu Special Five: the reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, the gerenuk, the Beisa oryx and Gréy’s zebra, all sub-species unique to this region. This area of northern Kenya is perhaps one of Africa’s last true wildernesses; without fences it is one of the few places left that allows for the free movement of wildlife across a vast area. Indeed, it is integral to the healthy migration of large groups of elephants and other species, as they move between northern and southern conservation areas throughout the year in search of food and water. And as luck would have it, and a little help from our eagle-eyed guides, we managed to see the Special Big Five in one afternoon.

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Later that evening, while tucking into a magnificent meal at the remote Saruni Rhino Lodge, part of the conservancy, I get into a conversation with Semmy Lemiruni, the 27-year-old general manager. He tells fascinating stories of the Samburu warriors, but it’s his thoughts on conservation and the Samburu place in it that I find most interesting. “We opened in 2017 so we’re very new, but we have a unique set up in that we do walking safaris into the protected rhino area. No one else does this. We are also deeply involved with the Samburu people and they are deeply involved with us. We all profit from this; the lodge makes money from tourism, which is then re-invested into the community, so the community benefits financially and the wildlife in turn are protected.” And if the numbers are anything to go by, it’s working. In May 2015 a group of 13 black rhino were re-located to a fenced off and highly secure part of the conservancy – essentially a sanctuary within a conservancy. They are the first rhinos to be re-introduced since the late 1980s, when poaching had reduced Kenya’s population of black rhinos from 20,000 to just 539. As of the beginning of 2018, poaching in this region has dropped off significantly, to the point that death by natural causes now far out numbers death by poachers. But it doesn’t mean that conservationists can let up. I turned in early that evening, under a moonless sky filled to overflow by the luminous stars and planets of the Milky Way. My luxuriously kitted out cottage, or banda, is one of only three; the lodge has a maximum capacity of 10. Each banda is shaded by palm trees and faces the sandy dried up bed of a wide river. At certain times of the year guests can eat lunch while dozens of elephants and other wildlife drink from a waterhole 100 metres away. Woken early the next day by a riotous morning chorus, I knew today would be my last chance to see the black rhino in their natural habitat. Before setting off on foot again, we were invited to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary an hour or so away. Opened in August of 2016, it has rescued and returned to the wild 30 juvenile elephants (and, as of the middle of June this year, one two-year-old male black rhino). The elephant sanctuary does what it says on the tin: it takes care of baby and young elephants that have been left orphaned for a variety of reasons, including poaching. However, they also take in abandoned black rhino too. And as luck would have it, there was one 18-month male on the premises when I visited. It was an excellent chance for us to see a black rhino up close, but also to learn how the sanctuary benefits not just the rhino and elephant, but the Samburu as well. “Reteti is a community-owned effort to save a critical species. But Reteti isn’t just about saving elephants; it’s

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about breaking down stereotypes and redefining wildlife management,” says co-founder Katie Rowe. “Reteti is empowering young Samburu women to be the first-ever women elephant keepers in all of Africa. At first, the community didn’t think there was a place for women in the workplace. Now, the success of these women elephant keepers is unlocking new possibilities, setting a powerful example for young girls hoping to pursue their dreams.” We started our second attempt to search for the black rhino, one of the world’s rarest animals, a little later that day; some of the heat had dissipated making our meanderings through the bush slightly easier. For more than an hour we hiked through the thorny bush, trying our best not to make any noise. Our trackers pointed out elephant, giraffe and rhino tracks in the red dusty earth, while every few minutes Lekiondo would shake a sock halffilled with ash to tell which way the breeze was blowing, making sure we were always downwind of the animals. Rhino may not be able to see very well, but they have a keen sense of smell and pin-sharp hearing. Soon the guides stopped. Fifty metres away a large female was sheltering with a juvenile in a thicket. It was almost impossible to see them; in fact it took me a good 10 minutes to finally lock in on them. Now it was a waiting game. We stood as still as possible. It was a little like standing in front of the head teacher at primary school when being told off, eyes front, no noise. Another hour passed. Was this animal ever going to move? It didn’t seem so, but just as we were coming to the end of

our patience, she got up and moved slowly into a clearing. Just 10 metres in front of us, she took a definite turn in our direction and stopped. She was so close I could hear her breathing and see the folds in her leathery skin. My heart was beating at an F1 pace. We all stood, holding our breath, staring at the rhinos, and while she might not have been able to see us, it was clear she could sense our presence. Then the spell broke – one of our group accidently dropped a water bottle – and the rhino turned away and crashed through the bush. It didn’t matter though; it was just such a privileged experience. It was only later, while perched on a rocky outcrop watching the African sun dip below the distant mountains, that we could fully comprehend the magnitude of such a magical experience. Maybe all those guys dressed in rhino suits running the London Marathon every year do make sense after all.

GET THERE Hayes & Jarvis offers a 15 night holiday to Kenya and Zanzibar from £7,319 per person. The offer includes a seven-night Saruni experience with rhino tracking, staying at the luxurious five-star Saruni Lodges in Samburu National Reserve and the Sera Conservancy, on an all inclusive basis, and seven nights at the five-star The Residence Zanzibar, on a half board basis. The offer also includes park fees, airport meet and greet services, plus both internal and return international flights from London Heathrow with Kenya Airways and Air France. This is based on departures from 8 December 2018. hayesandjarvis.co.uk

AT Words: Jan Masters

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A S FA R S O U T H A S YO U C A N G E T W I T H O U T H I T T I N G A N TA R C T I C A , PATA G O N I A P R E S E N T S A D R A M AT I C L A N D S C A P E O F G L A C I E R S , G R A S S L A N D A N D M O U N TA I N P E A K S P E R C H E D O N T H E V E R Y E D G E O F T H E W O R L D

y horse has to break the icy surface of a river with his hoof before we can cross to the other side. It takes more than a gentle tap. A few dedicated thumps are required before the glassy crust cracks to reveal clear flowing water beneath. Tentatively, he wades in and, once his footing is sound, pushes through to the other side. When it comes to such physical pursuits, I am usually not the bravest, but I’m riding out with two derring-do gauchos, and I’m pleased I signed and saddled up. It feels as though I’ve gatecrashed a nature documentary. Soaring, serrated mountains bite too-blue-to-be-true skies, flamingos show off their pink plumage in a pristine lake and hares seem to be playing mad games of hopscotch in the pampas. To complete the scene, cue an Andean condor, the world’s largest raptor, wheeling overhead. Presumably he’s directing the drone footage. And cut … I’m in the Torres del Paine national park in Chilean Patagonia, part of that great wilderness at the southern end of South America, a region that extends far into Argentina to the east. Isolated by mountains, ice fields and oceans, Torres del Paine encapsulates all that is untamed and far-flung. Even if you’ve never set foot in the place, just the mention of its name conjures a sense of romantic drama, with the towering Andes, glaciers and grasslands, fierce winds and endless roads, some of which appear to lead to nowhere. In order to place Torres del Paine into geographical context, before I left for Chile I took the chance to pinpoint where I was going on a giant globe. Put it this way, I had to lie on the floor. It really is ‘next stop, Antarctica’. Having just marked 200 years of independence, Chile is currently piquing tourist interest as never before. Notably, five new national parks have just been created, preserving vast tracts of Patagonia and representing the culmination of 25 years of work by the late US philanthropist Douglas Tompkins, founder of The North Face and Esprit brands, and of his wife, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, CEO of Tompkins Conservation. Her recent handover of more than one million acres is considered to be the largest donation of private land to a government. With the Chilean

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president pledging another nine million acres, the country is cementing its place as one of the global leaders in conservation. While I have been drawn by the call of the wild – and more specifically, to spot the pumas that venture further down the mountains during winter in search of food – I fully admit I am not one to eschew luxury. Hence I’m staying at one of the Explora lodges that specialise in offering supremely stylish and comfortable accommodation in some of South America’s most remote regions. I arrive at night in the pitch-black – just before a late supper and the chance to put my name down for horse riding – so when I climb under a meringue-coloured duvet I have no notion of what lies outside the window. At dawn I raise the curtain on a stop-me-in-my-tracks vista. Set on serene Lake Pehoé, the white, clean-lined lodge looks out to the Paine Massif, home to the impressive torres – three immense towers of granite – that give the park its name. Move through the wooden interiors to the restaurant and there is the Salto Chico waterfall swirling beneath you. If there is a better view

from a hotel, I’ve yet to see it. And if there is a better place to sip a pisco sour, I’ve yet to drink in it. Sure, it’s a long schlep to reach this Patagonian nirvana. After your flight to Santiago, the city that bookends many a trip in Chile, there’s a three-and-a-half-hour flight south to Punta Arenas. Then there’s around a four-and-a-half hour journey by road from the airport to the lodge. But when you get to the Explora lodge, goodness it’s worth it. From the knowledgeable guides and excellent menus – think pink lamb and southern king crab – to the biodegradable slippers you are assured of a certain level of easy-going luxe. There’s also a heated indoor pool and sauna and there are open-air Jacuzzis. Such cocooning is no mean feat given you are slap bang in the middle of a half-a-million-acre park at the end of the world. As expected, pumas are high on most guests’ must-sees. But as I soon learn, they are elusive creatures and blend in rather well with their surroundings. I am told that we might be lucky to see them anywhere on our travels, and if we do we should remain calm, keep a respectful distance and listen to safety instructions from our guide. Fingers crossed, then. I’m here in the winter, which runs from June to early September; unsurprisingly, summer is more popular. Yet every season reveals its own beauty and the weather is always unpredictable. Warm sunshine can turn into an intense

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squall, soft rain into an eerie mist. But nothing stops the hiking from the lodge. One of my favourite excursions is to Nordenskjöld Lake, a mirror of tranquillity set against the spectacular Cuernos del Paine peaks, so-called because these jagged columns of rock resemble horns, jutting skywards with dramatic defiance. All around us are guanacos, the region’s signature animal and the tourist board’s poster child. Guanacos are related to the camel and have long fluffy necks and Max Factor eyelashes. There are so many, I practically have to push through them to progress. But a gaggle of guanacos means there are no pumas here. Pumas are not lurking around Lake Sarmiento either, another majestic site where the sound of cracking ice suddenly splits the air in two. We drop down onto a beach where rocky formations of calcium look like installations at the Tate. Exploring this spectacular terrain, which was declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 1978, is addictive. Explora offers more than 40 excursion options that meet differing fitness and experience levels, with some following parts of the W Circuit, a renowned trail that requires at least five days of trekking if you were to go the whole 50 or so miles (or 80 kms). The same variety is afforded on horseback. Opt for a Brighton beach amble or go hell for leather with the gauchos (they may love their signature berets but they ensure everyone wears a riding helmet). But I’m here for the pumas. I’m told one of the best chances is to take the Aonikenk hike. So I do. Twice. It’s a cool outing, even cooler because I plough on in the snow at dawn and, as the sun burns through, the whole frosty scene resembles a fairyland. We also get to see a cave with a couple of 4,000-year-old paintings left by the indigenous Aonikenk people. On my repeat hike, I come across some film makers who are working on a documentary about pumas. Have they seen any this morning? Nope. Back in the van, I realise that I’ve pretty much exhausted my chances of seeing a puma. I feel slightly dejected. I spend 20 minutes of the journey looking at my boots. Then I hear a voice in my head (let’s say it’s the god of the big cats). It whispers, “You won’t see a puma staring at the floor. Look up. Look up.” And there, way in the distance, I swear I catch a glimpse of a sandycoloured animal zigzagging the slate-grey mountain face. I get bossy (it can happen). “Stop the van. No, actually go forward. He’s going over that ridge and will come down.” We turn the corner. We stop the van. Nada. Have I a made a touristy fuss for naught? It’s so silent, you can hear an icicle drop. Then he appears, picking and padding his way over the rocks. Mighty and muscular, he stops awhile to gaze at us, raising his chin as if fulfilling his contract. Then he crosses our path and he’s off. The puma has landed. I head back to Explora, oxygen-enhanced and overexcited. Patagonia, on so many levels, has delivered.

S A N T I A G O PA N E L Taking a trip to Patagonia from London usually means a stopover in the Chilean capital, Santiago. Each barrio (district) has its own distinct character and there are museums, markets, buzzing bars, great restaurants and grand buildings aplenty. Where to stay: Hotel Lastarria is a splendid boutique hotel in the bohemian neighbourhood of Lastarria, which offers easy access to the city’s attractions. Built in 1927, it has an air of elegance and a contemporary-chic interior. With only 14 rooms, this refurbished mansion feels intimate. The Deli Lounge serves breakfast, tasty plates, snacks and delicious wines, and overlooks a quaint inner courtyard with a small pool. Meet locals in style: Abercrombie & Kent has created a new experience called ‘Be My Guest’ that really puts you at the heart of Chilean life in a single evening. Dining with locals, usually at a private home, you might be in the company of anyone from a local artist to a young dynamic Chilean business couple. Salud! View the street art: Santiago is renowned for its street art, which is far from random graffiti. Ask Abercrombie & Kent to organise a guided tour with a bona fide artist who can take you around areas such as the San Miguel barrio district, with its Museo a Cielo Abierto (open-air museum) featuring many murals. Also worthy of a visit is Barrio Yungay, full of brightly coloured historic houses and many works of street art. Take a fabulous day trip: Wineries don’t come much more picturesque and welcoming than Santa Rita, just 45 minutes from Santiago. It not only produces international awardwinning wines, but offers plenty to see and do. Enjoy the old estate house (which is now the Casa Real Hotel), the beautiful gardens, wine tours and tastings in the historical cellars, the Andean Museum in the grounds and the Doña Paula Restaurant, which is also a national monument.

FA C T B O X Abercrombie & Kent (020 3814 0760) offers eight nights from £5,500pp including international flights with British Airways, internal flights, transfers, sightseeing and accommodation including a five-night stay at Explora Patagonia on a full board basis with daily explorations, abercrombiekent.co.uk

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WBS London, The Shard

The Warwick MBA in London

Transform yourself with a part-time MBA at The Shard. Visit our website to register for one of our Open Events. W wbs.ac.uk/go/canary

For the Change Makers

P.126 INSIDER KNOWLEDGE Property news from prime central London

P.130 OLD HOUSES MADE NEW Refurbishing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most ancient homes

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

A red-brick townhouse hits the market in an enviable location opposite Harrods (p.134)

Connecting people & property, perfectly.

Ebury Mews SW1W

A beautifully presented maisonette located on a cobbled mews in the heart of Belgravia.

• Beautifully presented • Modern finish

• Large reception room • Approximately 1,395 sq ft

Guide price £1,750 per week Available furnished ryan.stokes@knightfrank.com

A wide, low built, stucco fronted, period house situated in the heart of Belgravia.

• Off street car parking • Approximately 3,707 sq ft

Guide price £10,750,000 Leasehold: approximately 140 years remaining stuart.bailey@knightfrank.com

Gerald Road SW1W

A spacious, bright and well presented family house with a beautiful private patio garden.

• Newly redecorated • Entertaining space

020 3641 6005

Eaton Square SW1W • Lateral accommodation • Fabulous drawing room

020 3641 5910

• High ceilings • Approximately 2,538 sq ft

Guide price £2,950 per week Available unfurnished wendy.gilchrist@knightfrank.com

020 3641 6005

Chester Street SW1X

A superb Grade II listed townhouse with south facing garden located in the centre of Belgravia.

• Beautiful garden • Roof terrace • Fantastic entertaining space • Approximately 6,063 sq ft Guide price £14,750,000 Freehold matthew.armstrong@knightfrank.com

020 3641 5910

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

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8 12 17 1: Little-known fact, 35 year-old financial analyst Valentino is also an expert salsa dancer. 2: At 22 Christina opened a dance studio in New York before packing her bags and heading to London to become a screenwriter. 3: Inspired by colours, textures and buildings, Sokari is most-commonly found cycling around the Island camera-in-hand. 4: There isn’t one item of black clothing in filmmaker Deborah’s wardrobe. 5: A black belt in karate, Arebyte curator Rebecca takes inspiration from the Island’s low tide patterns in the silt. 6: An interior designer by day, Makiko dances both ballet and traditional Japanese. 7: Aesthetics meets technology for Souheil, in his job as a systems engineer at Condé Nast. 8: A proficient furniture designer, John has even sold a few pieces to his City Island neighbours and Juno, well, the world is hers for the taking. 9: After dancing for 20 years, Hope enrolled at the London Film School—lookout silver screen! 10: Arebyte’s Swiss gallery manager has that je ne sais quoi. 11: Words drive 24 year-old screenwriter Kaamil. 12: Originally from Rwanda, the intersection of fashion, design, music and art informs this Creative Director Steve. 13: An animator and storyteller, Tim has worked with the best from Tim Burton to Wes Anderson. 14: For fashion journalist Amira outlook is everything, she’ll try anything once especially in the name of an Instagram post. 15: A leap of faith that’s been rewarded, copywriter Mel traded Hertfordshire for City Island with her two kids and husband. 16: Relocating from Puerto Rico to London to study filmmaking took courage, a trait Rocio has in spades. 17: An architect at Foster + Partners, ask Myles for a taste of his soufflé—he’s a an amateur pastry chef whose goods recently featured at a London bake-off. 18: Rounding off a masters in film, if he’s not in the director’s chair Pawel can be found practicing Tai-Chi. 19: Oxford-education General Manager of John Swire’s corporate finance, Paul also has a covetable collection of fulgent bowties

We are the Islanders C

purpose-built flagships here. Residents can pause for a latte at The Grocer or call in an order of truffle tortellini as they stride across the cherry-red bridge. This epicentre of culture and creativity is just a two-minute stroll from Canning Town station, connecting residents to central London via the Jubilee line and DLR in just 20-minutes.

ity Island has a pulse that runs through it, beginning with its residents. As Sokari Higgwe a former financial analyst now full-time photographer—pictured in his navy suit (above) and in action with his camera (below)—describes: “There’s nowhere else like it in London. In fact, in the world, if you ask me—it’s such a unique island, and the concept of the creative community; I was sold.” A self-taught photographer who is instrumental in running the on-site gallery, Sokari finds inspiration in his surrounds, like the vibrant carnation-red and cobalt-blue City Island buildings, the texture of the bricks, a winsome flock of birds at the nearby ecological park. Inspiration is aplenty at City Island. Deborah Caleb Raffaele and her husband Steve Kalinda—both photographed above—moved out to City Island with no preconceptions. As Deborah explains: “I didn’t actually realise at the time that it was going to be such an arts hub. I just liked the vibe. I liked how it looked; I liked all the colours. Then we moved in, and all this information started coming out about the London Film School and the ballet. So that was like, Woah!” Now home to over 1,700 apartments, a charming deli, a state-of-the-art gym and the boundary-pushing art gallery Arebyte, City Island is soon to see the London Film School and English National Ballet setting up their

Clockwise from above: Makiko SanabeBuckley, Juno and John Buckley; Deborah Caleb Raffaele; Sokari Higgwe.

Attracted by the flexible workspaces between Shoreditch and the River Lea, creative professionals have been flocking to the area since the 1980s. Today East London boasts Europe’s densest concentration of artists and creatives. Young professionals like furniture designer John Buckley and his wife Makiko Sanabe-Buckley, an interior designer and dancer. “I saw an advertisement in a newspaper and was quite taken by the design. Out of curiosity, we thought we’d come down to take a look. We were sold. The design and the details, the high ceilings and the views, but also the philosophy of what they were selling, a creative community,” says John. Likewise Makiko was elated when she learned English National Ballet would be relocating to the Island. “I’ve been dancing classical ballet since I was seven. Every time I’ve moved to a new city, I’ve always looked for the nearest ballet class.” And with the arrival of ENB, Makiko will have the country’s top dancers at her doorstep.

APARTMENTS FROM £420,000 CONTACT US TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT GET IN TOUCH: LONDONCITYISLAND.COM 0203 811 2253

Prices correct as at time of print

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INSIDER KNOWLEDGE FROM LUXURY PROPERTY JOURNAL PRIMERESI.COM

NEW LOOK ALMACANTAR COMPLETES EPIC CENTRE POINT TRANSFORMATION

More than 50 years after its Brutalist form altered the London skyline forever, Centre Point’s modern-day rebirth as a luxury residential address is finally complete. Almacantar put the finishing touches to the three-year project over the summer and describes the result as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in a national treasure”. Mike Hussey’s firm acquired the Grade II-listed, Richard Seifert-designed landmark in 2011, and has been working with lead architect Conran & Partners to reinvent the interior of the 117-metre concrete structure as 82 apartments, with a new “destination” square surrounded by shops and restaurants at its feet, plus access to a new Crossrail hub. As revealed by PrimeResi, the penthouse, which sprawls across 7,223 sq ft, launched off-plan in 2016 at a cool £55m, making it one of the most expensive apartments in the capital. Clever collaborations have brought brands including Anglepoise, Gilbert and Eley Kishimoto into the mix, the last of which designed a striking monochrome wrap for the building during the construction process.

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O N T R AC K NATIVE LAND BUYS BANKSIDE RAILWAY ARCHES FOR £9M

Native Land has boosted the scope of its Sampson and Ludgate site in Southwark by acquiring a set of Georgian railway arches next to Blackfriars Station. The developer paid Network Rail £9m for the 31,700 sq ft space, which will be turned into a range of new independent retail and leisure offerings as part of the major new PLPdesigned project. The redevelopment of Ludgate House (the former UBM HQ) and Sampson House is creating 280,000 st ft of offices, 489 new resi apartments, and 50,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space. The site was bought from Carlyle in 2015 for £308m by a consortium of Native Land, Malaysian giant Amcorp, and Singaporean investors Temasek and Hotel Properties.

R O YA L T R E AT M E N T DEAL SEALED ON £18M QUEEN ANNE MARVEL

A Grade I-listed mansion on Queen Anne’s Gate has been sold. One of the finest known examples of early Queen Anne architecture, the building, from 1704, was transformed from an office into a 7,230 sq ft trophy home by super-prime developer Atelier. The instruction was launched at the end of 2016 with an asking price of £21m. This was subsequently trimmed to £17.95m (£2,483 psf) and we were told in August that a deal had been completed. Set across six storeys and overlooking St James’s Park, the former home of Lord Haldane nestles between the palaces of Westminster and Buckingham, and melds period features with 21st century mod cons.

CITY SLICKER CADOGAN ESTATE LOOKS BEYOND LONDON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 300 YEAR HISTORY

Cadogan, the 300-year-old landowner in charge of 93 acres of Chelsea and Knightsbridge, has embarked on a significant investment drive, looking to acquire property across the UK. London’s second-biggest ‘Great Estate’ has instructed Mayfair Capital Investment Management to deploy £600m via a new fund called Cadogan Income Properties. The decision, which has reportedly been made for inheritance tax reasons, signals Cadogan’s first major foray outside of the capital in its long history.

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The Penthouse Observatory, SW6 £3,000,000 Spanning the entire top floor of a former paint factory, this unique, three-bedroom penthouse apartment boasts an observatory and 360° views across London. Leasehold. EPC=D • Turkish steam room • Double garage • Japanese landscaped roof garden Bishop’s Park office: 020 8033 9042

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Impressive loft extension in an enviable setting.

Matching people and property in London for over 160 years.

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GOOD AS NEW F R O M C R U M B L I N G C OT TAG E TO CONTEMPORARY ABODE, A NEW BOOK BY T E N E U E S C H A R T S T H E C H A N G I N G FAC E OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE HISTORICAL H O M E S T H AT A R E B E I N G A DA P T E D TO SUIT THE MODERN WORLD

nyone who’s watched an episode of Grand Designs will know what a painful process building a property can be. It’s easy to abandon dream plans of a villa in the Bahamas when the episode reaches week 30, and the designers have not only gone over budget but are two Kevin McCloud eye-rolls away from pulling their hair out. Harder still is adapting an already built property into something modern – particularly if the house in question is in any way listed. Old Houses Made New, a new book by interior architecture enthusiast Macarena Abascal Valdenebro, looks at the impressive and creative ways in which designers and architects have rehabilitated decrepid properties and turned them into cosy hubs for the modern world, from a once crumbling cottage to a historical Italian building in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site – now a handily-located hotel. The main method of modernisation, Valdenebro found, is through expansion; simple in theory, less so in practice. Many old buildings, are compartmentalised, with more rooms that are smaller in size. Now, new building technology allows for the safe removal of walls, allowing these properties to be opened up into the airy, openplan spaces that we are used to living in today. In Valdenebro’s book, more than 30 projects are detailed from concept to conclusion, complete with the initial architectural drawings to photographs of the final phase. Alongside each feature are ideas for your own home improvements, including tips on how to add value to your property. Kevin McCloud, eat your heart out.

OLD HOUSES MADE NEW By Macarena Abascal Valdenebro, published by teNeues, £50, teneues.com

OPPOSITE PAGE SKYGARDEN HOUSE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, PHOTO © SHAI GIL / DUBBELDAM ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN THIS PAGE, FROM TOP SINGLE HOUSE IN HAUTS-DE-SEINE, FRANCE, PHOTO © LIONEL MACOR PHOTOGRAPHY/ATELIER LAME ARCHITECTS; BROLETTO UNO, MANTOVA, ITALY, PHOTO © DAVIDE GALLI STUDIO / ARCHIPLAN STUDIO

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GIVE YOUR PROPERTY A TRUE GLOBAL EXPOSURE

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

CURRENT FEATURED PROPERTIES

3 BEDROOMS | NEWLY REFURBISHED FLAT | BELGRAVIA £2,299,000

6 BEDROOMS | HOUSE | CHELSEA £1,950pw

For more information please contact Jonny@nestseekers.com

For more information please contact Jamie@nestseekers.com

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

4 BEDROOMS | NEWLY REFURBISHED | CHELSEA £3,500 pw

For more information please contact NickJ@nestseekers.com

For more information please contact Jonny@nestseekers.com

4 BEDROOMS | THE CARLOS OTT PENTHOUSE | MIAMI $41,800,000

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

For more information please contact JM@nestseekers.com

For more information please contact RyanS@nestseekers.com

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

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

LONDON’S HOTTEST POSTCODE King’s Cross N1C has it all. Eclectic, creative, historic, centrally located and connected to the world, it’s the epitome of modern city living. Be part of it. Our Residential Marketing Suite is open Monday to Saturday. To find out more please call +44 (0) 20 7205 2784 kingscross.co.uk/n1c-homes

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STREETS AHEAD DISTINCTIVE HOMES ON THE PROPERTY MARKET THIS MONTH

H A N S R OA D, SW 3

A red-brick townhouse on Hans Road, conveniently located opposite Harrods, has hit the market. Currently split into three duplex apartments, the 1890s property has been rebuilt behind its faรงade with air cooling, underfloor heating and marble bathrooms. The space has been designed by Todhunter Earle Interiors and is offered furnished. ยฃ23.94m, 020 7222 6505, harrodsestates.com

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U P P E R C H E Y N E R O W, S W 3

This former architect’s studio has been impressively renovated to immense proportions; much of the flat is spread across two floors, with the reception room spanning 2,000 sq ft alone. Located next to Our Most Holy Redeemer & St. Thomas Moore Church, the discreet entrance incorporates elements of the church’s Grade-II listed former rear wing, giving way to a fivebedroom property complete with a gymnasium, fitness room and small courtyard. £2.2m, 020 7349 4302, knightfrank.co.uk

R U T L A N D G AT E , S W 7

Previously converted into flats, this Grade-II-listed property in Knightsbridge is available with planning permission to turn it back into a single dwelling. Currently the house boasts six reception rooms, 10 bedrooms, six bathrooms, four west-facing roof terraces and a private garden. There is also access to the communal gardens on Rutland Gate and the private gardens of Princes Gate, located to the rear of the property. £15.95m, 020 730 0822, savills.com

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Richmond Court, Knightsbridge Richmond Court is situated between the exclusive designer boutiques of Sloane Street and Harrods. Gastronomic delights can be experienced in the renowned eateries of Knightsbridge and Chelsea and the peaceful greenery of Hyde Park is a short walk away.

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

No one sells more property over ÂŁ5 million in Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Chelsea than we do

Call us today on 020 7730 0822 Source: LonRes Jan 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aug 2018 based on sold properties in SW1, SW3, SW5, SW7 & SW10.

Exceptional lateral apartment Westbourne Grove, W11 Notting Hill Gate: 0.5 miles, Ladbroke Grove: 0.7 miles An exceptional lateral maisonette across three buildings. Of particular note are the 2 very large roof terraces to the front and rear. Open plan kitchen/reception room, large master bedroom suite, 2 other double bedrooms (1 en suite), 2 roof terraces. EPC = C 3234 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ8.95 million Oliver Lurot Savills Notting Hill 020 34306 6602 olurot@savills.com

savills savills.co.uk

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14/09/2018 16:34

Newly built Finchatton townhouse Blomfield House, SW3 Knightsbridge Underground Station: 0.4 miles A rare, newly built Knightsbridge townhouse designed and developed by Finchatton with the benefit of underground parking and passenger lift, 4 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, media room, spa suite and a gym. EPC = C 5,880 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ19.5 million Alex Christian Savills Sloane Street 020 7590 5054 achristian@savills.com

savills savills.co.uk

LL_FP_BLOMFIELD_OCT.indd 1

14/09/2018 16:34

Chelsea border townhouse Rumbold Road, SW6 Fulham Broadway Underground Station: 0.3 miles Double reception room, family room, kitchen, dining room, 5 bedrooms, dressing room, 5 bathrooms, garden, garage. Impressive interior designed house with 2 floors of open plan reception space, ideal for family life. EPC = C 3,246 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ3.9 million Robert Sanderson Savills Fulham 020 7731 9400 rsanderson@savills.com

savills savills.co.uk

LL_RUMBOLD RD_OCT.indd 1

14/09/2018 16:56

Period house with river views Cheyne Walk, SW10 South Kensington Underground Station 1.1 miles Generous entertaining space and accommodation, Grade II listed, 3 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, study, conservatory, cellar, off street parking and garage, river views. 6368 sq ft | Guide ÂŁ11 million Patch Lister Savills Chelsea 0207 578 9002 plister@savills.com

savills savills.co.uk

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14/09/2018 16:55

Margaretta Terrace, Chelsea SW3 £2,300 per week Flexible Furnishing

Denbigh Close, Notting Hill W11 £2,000 per week Furnished or Unfurnished

One of the most handsome houses on one of the prettiest streets in Chelsea!

A beautifully refurbished mews house located in the heart of Notting Hill.

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

Notting Hill 020 3773 4114 | nottinghill@struttandparker.com

Airlie Gardens, Kensington W8 £7,000 per week

Queen’s Elm Square, Chelsea SW3 £3,500 per week

Unfurnished

Furnished

A stunning, architecturally designed house, quietly situated on this enclave in Kensington.

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

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington.lettings@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@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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12/09/2018 14:07

Hartismere Road, Fulham SW6 £1,600 per week

Furnished

Neville Terrace, South Kensington SW7 £3,950 per week Furnished

An exceptional five-bedroom end of terrace family house, boasting stunning interiors and unique features.

Newly refurbished five-bedroom family house with a private garden in the heart of South Kensington.

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

South Kensington 020 3504 5901 | southken@struttandparker.com

South Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1W £8,250 per week Unfurnished

Walham Yard, Fulham SW6 £975 per week

An exceptionally well presented Belgravia townhouse with garage and sizeable terrace.

A stunning and immaculately presented three-bedroom, three bathroom house, set in a gated private cobbled mews.

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridgelettings@struttandparker.com

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Furnished

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

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

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12/09/2018 14:36

Ormonde Gate, Chelsea SW3 £8,750,000

Freehold

Portobello Road, Notting Hill W11 £2,250,000

Freehold

A stunning wide low built seven-bedroom family house with direct access onto communal gardens.

A unique two-bedroom house, arranged over three floors, located in the heart of Notting Hill.

Chelsea 020 3504 5588 | chelsea@struttandparker.com

Notting Hill 020 3773 4114 | nottinghill@struttandparker.com

Rutland Gate, Knightsbridge SW7 Price on Application

Leasehold

Hollandgreen Place, Kensington W8 £5,675,000

Leasehold

An exceptionally beautiful flat which has been stunningly redesigned and refurbished to a level beyond all expectations for a one-bedroom flat.

An exceptional two-bedroom lateral apartment in this exclusive modern development.

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

Kensington 020 3813 9477 | kensington@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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

SP_DPS3_LHP.indd 1

12/09/2018 14:48

Irene Road, Fulham SW6 £2,650,000

Freehold

Seymour Walk, Chelsea SW10 £2,650,000

Freehold

A stunning end of terrace five-bedroom family home, offering an abundance of natural light.

A delightful three-bedroom house situated in this popular and quiet cul de sac with planning consent for a double basement.

Fulham 020 8023 6671 | fulham@struttandparker.com

Chelsea SW10 020 3813 9185 | chelseaSW10@struttandparker.com

Sumner Place, South Kensington SW7 £8,250,000 Freehold

Pont Street, Knightsbridge SW1X Price on Application

A very rare opportunity to acquire an elegant and spacious Grade II listed six-bedroom family home.

This excellent two-bedroom flat is located in a desirable portered building on Pont Street.

South Kensington 020 3504 5901 | southken@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 3504 8796 | knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

Leasehold

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12/09/2018 14:48

Hill Street, Mayfair W1

ÂŁ10,000 per week Furnished

An exceptional Grade II listed family house, built circa 1748/50 and located on the sought after Berkeley Square Estate. 6,697 sq ft (622.2 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Sitting room | Large kitchen/dining room | Media room | Study | Master bedroom suite | Four further double bedrooms with en suites | Staff double bedroom with en suite shower room | Staff kitchen | Utility room | Two cloakrooms | Terrace | Lift | EPC rating exempt 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 ÂŁ222 (Inc VAT),

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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

SP_IBC_DPS_LHP.indd 1

12/09/2018 13:53

Ovington Street, Chelsea SW3

£3,850,000 Freehold

A super three double-bedroom Grade II Listed Freehold ‘key’ house with a handsome porch, on the preferred western terrace in this popular and quiet Chelsea street. 1,772 sq ft (165 sq m) Double reception room | Kitchen/breakfast room/sitting/dining area | Three double bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Cloakroom | Two terraces | West-facing garden | EPC rating D

Chelsea 020 3504 5588 | chelsea@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.

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12/09/2018 13:53