CA109096_Navitimer 46_420x297_Mayfair Magazine.indd Toutes les pages
18/05/2017 15:00
| ed’s letter |
from the editor issue no.
116
Edit o r -i n-Chi e f Lesley Ellwood
Edi tor Richard Brown
a s s is tant Edi tor Bethan REES
Edit o rial a ssi stant
june 2017
david taylor
ART E DITOR The generational cohort to which you belong is greatly defined by the technology with which you grew up. If you remember watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon on your family’s first colour television, you’re probably a baby boomer, born between 1946 and 1964. Members of Generation X, arriving between 1965 and 1979, will, for the sake of generalisation, have listened to Sony Walkmans and been universally indoctrinated in the ways of Microsoft Windows. Today, more than ever, generational boundaries can be defined along technological lines. If you’re a Millennial (1980-2000), you’ll most likely document your existence on Facebook; Generation Z (post-2000) has a preference for Snapchat. For both Millennials and Generation Z, the smartphone has become the defining lifestyle accessory of their age, but only the latter group can be considered history’s first true digital natives. They are the first generation to have grown up surrounded entirely by technology. They are the first demographic to experience complete interconnectivity. Generation Z is also the first cohort to acquire a significant amount of its information not from the top down, but from horizontal sources, from their peers, via online blogs and social media. So how do brands pitch to a generation that has done its research, that has a greater sense of social virtue, that can no longer be so easily tricked and told what to do? It’s an especially pertinent question if you are involved in luxury, and have heretofore relied on perceptions of exclusivity and craftsmanship that an investigative and entrepreneurial Generation Z will have discovered for themselves to be bullshit. You could, as Farfetch has done, harness the technology to which Generation Z has become accustomed. The online fashion retailer is developing an app that automatically logs you in to a store as you enter. This subsequently allows staff to access information on which items you last bought and which you saved to an online wish list. The technology, says Farfetch, will be rolled out later this year at Browns in London and Thom Browne in New York. A virtual clothing rack will also record the items you picked up but did not buy, allowing you to purchase them later, or not, by swiping left or right on the app. Farfetch has teamed up with The company is calling the concept ‘the Gucci to offer Londoners a web-to-wardrobe service Store of the Future’ – that anyone would that will see orders delivered within 90 minutes; Techpack actually want to shop in such a place surely rucksack, £1,370; Bengal polo shirt, £480, farfetch.com seems a little Farfetched.
Chantal Lascelles
G e n eral Mana ge r Fiona Smith
Pro d u cti on Hugo Wheatley Alice Ford Jamie Steele
Pro pe rt y Di r ec tor Samantha Ratcliffe
Ex ec u t iv e D i r ec tor Sophie Roberts
M a n a g in g Di r ec tor Eren Ellwood
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
contents
issue no.
116
jun 2017
Chris Allsop Chris has written for titles such as The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and The Guardian, mostly about travel, film and cheese.
Emma Johnson
28 The Michelin Guide A 21st Century look at the little red book 30 Weaving an Empire A nightlife mogul’s manual to the modern hospitality industry 36 Reach for the Sky The improbable, untold story behind Europe’s tallest building, The Shard 76 Broad Shouldered England’s talismanic seam bowler on a bumper summer of international cricket 84 Teen Idle? The tumultuous career (so far) of the bad boy of tennis, Nick Kyrgios 88 Licence to Thrill A photographic chronicle of Bond’s favourite car marque that’s more love letter than book
city life
12 Edit A groundbreaking supercar and your very own private submarine 19 Tech The brands turning the TV into a piece of art 21 FITNESS A smattering of Scandi style to improve your fitness aesthetic – the exercise is up to you
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city social
26 news Mayfair is home to the latest ‘It’ restaurant 31 Bon Viveur London’s best tasting menus
city collection
44 A meeting with Mr Parmigiani The man building the future of watches 46 Set in motion A new exhibition on all things Cartier
city style
52 Life’s a beach And then you buy a tote bag 64 The Style Brief Your monthly sartorial meeting 73 Breath of fresh air Light – but masculine – summer scents
out of office
80 Parachute to petra The latest madcap adventure from the daredevils at Red Bull 95 Mass materials A look at El Anatsui’s work 100 All the tea in Sri Lanka Why Sri Lanka should be on your bucket list
James Lawrence James is an oenophile and our go-to wine guy. He’s previously written for The Drinks Business and Harper’s Wine and Spirit.
“Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvellous” – Bill Moyers, journalist and former White House press secretary
on the cover
Contributors
56
Photography by alexander beer (p.56)
Emma has written for titles such as The Mayfair Magazine, Mr H and GL Weekend, specialising in luxury, style and travel.
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
creedfragrances.co.uk
27205 Creed Vetiver Ad_Run Wild Media_210x297.indd 1
09/01/2017 10:54
CITY LIFE Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in Zaire before the Rumble In The Jungle in 1974 by photographer Terence Spencer, as part of a retrospective exhibition at Proud Camden. Terence Spencer: A Lasting Impression, 1 June – 20 August 2017, The Horse Hospital, Chalk Farm Road, NW1, proud.co.uk
ŠTerence Spencer/Camera Press
City edit (p.12)
the most expensive house in America hits the market
city tech (p. 19)
smart and beautiful televisions to transform your living spaces
city fitness (p. 21)
Exercise follows the scandi chic trend with new brand tingest
[ city life ]
City edit McLaren 720S (£208,600) The clever bods in Woking have outdone themselves. The 720S is the first secondgeneration car from the young McLaren brand. It’s sometimes difficult to remember that McLaren has only been around for seven years, as this supercar has the specifications to rival – and potentially surpass – the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. 710 bhp, 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds, incredible handling, and looks that simultaneously induce awe and improve performance must have competitors quaking in their boots. cars. mclaren.com
the car
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| EDIT |
The commodities and consumables raising our interest rates this month
the speaker
IXoost Esavox If the 720S doesn’t slake your supercar thirst, then take a piece with you into your living room. Constructed after meticulous research into the Lamborghini form, the EsaVox aesthetically balances its speakers with an authentic Lambo exhaust, and boasts an Automobili Lamborghini push button ‘ignition’. It also offers quality audio with a 15-inch down firing subwoofer, just in case the design isn’t enough. €19,900 (approx. £17,000) ixoost.it
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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the house
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| EDIT |
924 Bel Air Road The latest property in Bel Air is enough to make even the Fresh Prince blush. It was recently put on the market for $250 million (ÂŁ198 million), making it the most expensive property ever listed in the USA. Designed and developed by real estate giant Bruce Makowsky, the 38,000 sq ft estate includes 12 bedrooms, 21 bathrooms, five bars, a massage parlour, a 40-seat cinema, two wine cellars, and an 85 ft infinity pool. It also comes with seven staff, paid in advance for two years. 924belair.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
15
C-Researcher 2 - 2300 If you fancy yourself as the heir to Jacques-Yves Cousteau or James Cameron, then a personal submarine from U-Boat Worx should be at the top of the wish list. Twelve years of experience has resulted in two- and three-man machines able to withstand water pressure to a depth of 2,000 metres. By putting the majority of the machinery at the back, the acrylic sphere window offers unrivalled visibility for explorers, scientific researchers, documentary makers, and those with a thirst for underwater adventure. From â‚Ź2 million (ÂŁ1.7 million), uboatworx.com
the toy
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
the coat
Protective lacquered cotton
Moncler Forrer raincoat Match your new submarine with a coat to face the elements on the surface. Moncler’s trenchcoat is made from lacquered cotton, both for premium protection and as an homage to sailors’ waxed waterproofs. However, the cut and design makes it suitable as urban wear, with oversized front pockets and buttons. £700, store.moncler.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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City Magazine_Demetra.indd 1
26/04/17 11:48
|TECH |
[ CITY LIFE ]
CITY TECH
Essential apparatus for keeping ahead of the curve WORDS: DAVID TAYLOR
MR. LOEWE LOEWE In a new age of TVs with screens to make you question reality, it takes something special to stand out. This TV is as much design statement as magic picture box. The Art Deco/Bauhaus hybrid offers a 4K HDR OLED screen, so the tech is there, too. Just make sure you only use it to watch BBC Four documentaries on fine art – anything else would be a step down. Bild 9, from £6,990, loewe.tv/uk
N G I S E D Y R A ION
n ox i le b b um t he h temen t g n i a t s rn ts tu design n a i l tia ng isio essen v e l te an The r into e corn
VIS
the
SAMSUNG QE65 Q9FAM
Almost zero Bezel around the screen, a designer-pleasing curve, and exciting, boundary-pushing QLED technology make Samsung’s flagship 65” TV a big contender. £4,899, currys.co.uk
LG SIGNATURE OLED65W7
Nicknamed the ‘Wallpaper TV’ for the very good reason that it adds less than 4mm to the width of your wall. Seriously thin. £7,999, lg.com
SONY A1 OLED
The design concept behind this is ‘One Slate’, meaning nothing can be seen apart from the screen, and it certainly works. From £3,500, sony.co.uk
LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK | THE CITY MAGAZINE
19
It’s never too late...
LUXURY BODY BUTTER IN WHITE CASHMERE FROM THE BATH & BODY COLLECTION
www.lilouetloic.com
| fitness |
[ city life ]
An exercise in style
Home fitness equipment can now take pride of place, instead of hidden in the cupboard under the stairs Words: David Taylor
1
2 F i t fo r purp o se:
1. Atleten (gym bag) by Anna Larsson 2. Massören (cork rollers) by Jonas Wagell 3. Gymnasten (hula hoop) by Alexander Lervik 4. Plinten (exercise bench) by Alexander Lervik 5. Tyngdlyftare (dumbbell) by Alexander Lervik
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5
4
T
rust the Scandinavians to add some design class to a dumbbell. Tingest – or ‘gadget’ in Swedish – is headed up by Alexander Lervik, and is dedicated to turning everyday items found around the home into Scandi beauties. For its latest collection, Tingest has focused on keeping cool while keeping fit. Launched at Stockholm Furniture Fair earlier this year, all of the fitness products – from marble weights to a minimalist bench – have been designed with the home in mind, and difficulties some might have with storage: the weights, for instance, are made with a flat section on the side to stop them rolling onto your foot, and the hula hoop comes with a leather wall hook. The entire set is scheduled to drop at the end of the summer. tingest.se
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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CONTEMPORARY ELEGANCE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY CITY OF LONDON | OPENING JUNE 2017
DISCOVER MORE info.city@dorsetthotels.com dorsetthotels.com/unitedkingdom/london/city
| interiors |
[ city life ]
CITY LIVING
Standout homeware, because it’s what’s inside that counts Words: BETHAN REES
get smart
i n blo om These lamps, that come in white or charcoal black, are made from plywood and add a dramatic three-dimensional aspect to a ceiling. Who said lighting has to be boring? Peony ceiling lamp, £299, Be&liv, beandliv.com
AURO R A SM ART E R KI T This modular LED panel lighting system by Nanoleaf lets you create installations in your home. The LED panels are interchangeable, so you can connect them in any shape you want, and also change the colour – which you can control via your mobile phone. £179.99, Nanoleaf, nanoleaf.me
vintage french sideboard (£3,500)
make your house a home
Online interior design company Homewings is a friend in need for any home. Ideal for those too busy to shop, the online service caters for all budgets and ideas. Like a dating website, you’ll be paired up with an interior designer to suit your style profile and budget, and the rest is history. homewings.co.uk
D&G x Smeg collection si c i ly i s my love Fashion powerhouse Dolce & Gabbana and kitchen manufacturer Smeg have teamed up to create a kitchen range inspired by Sicily. From £399, smeg.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
As part of the Vintage collection from The Conran Shop, this sideboard originates from around 1960, and is crafted in a beautiful lacquered and grained teak. Perfect for your hallway, or to act as a centrepiece in a lounge, it’s almost too pretty to actually make use of. The Conran Shop, conranshop.co.uk
USM Creating modular furniture since 1961, USM has just launched its Haller E storage cabinet. This versatile piece of furniture integrates lighting and would sit just as well in an office environment as in a home bar. POA, usm.com
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Milano: Galleria V. Emanuele
ITALIAN TRAVEL BAGS SINCE 1952
Available at Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis and caseluggage.com
CITY social The stairwell at Toy Room, owned by Charlie Weaving’s Foxhole Holdings. Read more on page 30. The London Palladium, W1F, toy-room.com
MNKY HSE (p.26)
Go ape on A visit to Mayfair’s newest ‘it’ restaurant
The Michelin Guide (p.28)
A 21st century perspective on the revered gastronomic guide
Weaving an Empire (p.30)
A nightlife mogul’s guide to the world of hospitality
[ city life ]
City social REVIEW
MNKY HSE, W1
MNKY HSE, W1
green park
26
Cabernet Franc ‘Decant’, designed by Karim Rashid, £54, stratuswines.com
Following the submission of a particularly lofty expense receipt, my mate Matt, a Broadgatebased broker, has been banned from visiting MNKY HSE by his finance department. You’ll see why later. Cool enough to employ almost MNKY HSE exclusively consonants – it’s has just launched its pronounced Monkey House, for those monthly Brunch Party. of you illiterate in contemporary Hosted on the last Sunday of each month, add unlimited text speak – the Dover Street digs champagne or a jug of borrowed a formula from a new type of bloody maria for £25 restaurant that has taken root across the pond. Pricey fusion food + a programme of big-name DJs = MNKY HSE being London’s equivalent to New York’s Tao or Las Vegas’ Hakkasan. By January, it was the hottest ticket in town. Since then, Street XO, the experiential street food concept by Spanish superstar chef David Muñoz may have assumed the mantle of Mayfair’s most hyped-up food place, but MNKY HSE continues to appeal to anyone who likes to restaurant name drop – which is all of us. During our Thursday night visit, every table was occupied. The minute our two-hour slot was up, we were ushered towards a subterranean bar to make way for the stream of sexy people flowing in from a chic, street-level lounge area. Cocktails at MNKY HSE start at £13; Champagne at £75 a bottle. A side of broccoli costs £6; some spicy shishito peppers £7.50. The majority of meat and seafood dishes cost more than £20. With the idea being to order tapas-style, you can see how it’s possible for a table of brokers to rack up a bill that will get MNKY HSE blacklisted by their expense department. Service was slow and inattentive – our bottle of wine took 20 minutes to arrive and then somehow disappeared – the food, though, was impressive: the glazed chicken (£23) and lamb shank (£24) both delicious. Design elements, like dark parquet flooring, a threedimensional back wall and a Murano crushed-glass chandelier, inject MNKY HSE with a shot of Manhattan bling. Adjustable seating encourages table-hopping and can be rearranged to fashion a dance floor. Regrettably, we had to vacate our table by 11pm, just as the music was ramping up, the atmosphere was descending into something more debauched, and things were getting tasty. MKNY HSE is open until 1.30am Monday to Thursday, and until 3.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. If you go, go late – and go ahead, go nuts, go apeshit. RB mnky-hse.com
2014 Cabernet
Monkeying around in Mayfair’s latest ‘It’ restaurant
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| news |
Keeping the epicure nourished with the Square Mile’s latest launches and culinary crazes Words: DAVID TAYLOR
New & noteworthy
Drinks for dad
Raise a glass to the old man 1. R ock Rose Navy Strength gin, 700ml, £40, Dunnet Bay Distillers, dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk 2. Double Oaked whisky, 700ml, £46.25, Woodford Reserve, 31dover.com 3. Haig Club whisky, 700ml, £40, Haig Club, whiskyshop.com 4. Brut Sous Bois NV, 750ml, £65, Billecart-Salmon, champagnedirect.co.uk 5. Joy Anniversary Blend 25 y.o. rum, 700ml, £234, Appleton Estate, masterofmalt.com 6. Reposado tequila, 700ml, £57.45, Casamigos, thewhiskyexchange.com
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2
Junipalooza, E1
The Gin Foundry’s flagship event is back: and has somehow managed to grow even larger. Housed in Tobacco Dock, the ultimate two-day gin festival boasts hundreds of gins to taste, showcased by 50 distillers from 14 countries, gin masterclasses, and a cocktail bar hosted by Beefeater. The international event for gin lovers across the board. ginfoundry.com/junipalooza-london
3 4
Ivy City Garden, EC2
5 6
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Sitting in Bishopsgate Gardens, just off Liverpool Street, Ivy City garden brings the luxury of Covent Garden’s The Ivy smack bang into the middle of the City. With a restaurant, bar, private dining room and – unsurprisingly – a garden, al fresco dining in the Square Mile has never been so tranquil. theivycitygarden.com
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[ city life ]
City social The Michelin Guide
A 21st century perspective T
he first edition of the Michelin like Michelin,” says Guide was a slender affair, designed Guardian food critic to direct French motorists towards Jay Rayner. essentials such as petrol stations, In recent years, the mechanics and hotels. Restaurants were culinary world has barely mentioned and the guide was also witnessed the distributed for free until 1922, rise of respected when the brothers decided alternatives, to charge seven francs for including The the privilege. San Pellegrino In 1926, Michelin World’s 50 Best started awarding stars Restaurants and to France’s restaurants of France’s La Liste. note, giving leading chefs But will they ever a system of independent compete with the power recognition that has of the Red Guide? “The Rabbit saddle at City Social remained the benchmark for more guides the better,” gastronomic worth. Michelin says Roux Jr. “They each take a now awards one to three stars to different angle on what they’re looking restaurants of outstanding quality. However, for and it gives restaurants across the world there are currently less than 100 three-star a chance to stand out for their own reasons. restaurants in the world. “The guide’s longevity and accuracy for Today, the deference shown to Michelin identifying good-quality dining is what by top chefs is legendary – when the guide I think surpasses consumer-led sites,” is published in France, it has been said to adds Aggi Sverrisson, owner of Texture, a spark media frenzy similar to the Oscars. Michel Roux Jr “Michelin’s endorsement is very important, of course,” notes iconic chef Michel Roux Jr. “They are the most respected restaurant guide and their support is a real accolade.” The younger generation, led by the likes of talented British chef Paul Walsh – a protégé of Jason Atherton – tends to agree. “It is still the go-to guide,” says Walsh. “It’s what you always wanted to achieve when you were younger. It’s thorough, precise and not just one person’s opinion. The guide is a label of standard and consistency.” But what is more remarkable, is Michelin’s ability to remain relevant in an era of consumer-led review sites and social media. “When the [restaurant-focussed] Red Guide was first introduced, people lived in an era of top-down information, displaying a level of unwavering trust in what they were told from organisations
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Scandinavian-influenced restaurant with one Michelin star in Marylebone.
Criticism
Accusations of bias towards French cuisine have long dogged the guide, in addition to controversies over its approach to different nations. “I see a pattern of Michelin overmarking restaurants in the US compared to France and Germany, while their Hong Kong guide assessments are generally a mystery wrapped inside an enigma,” observes food critic Andy Hayler. “In both London and New York,” remarked the late A.A Gill in Vanity Fair, “the guide appears to be wholly out of touch with the way people actually eat, still being most comfortable rewarding fat, conservative, fussy rooms that use expensive ingredients with ingratiating pomp to serve glossy plutocrats and their speechless rental dates.” But to dismiss Michelin as an irrelevance to gastronomy is plainly incorrect – the guide has kept up with the times and embraced 21st century attitudes to fine dining. The number of more relaxed, casual restaurants awarded stars increases
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| feature|
In 1900, Andre Michelin and his brother Edouard released a little red book that would change the culinary world forever Words: James Lawrence
every year – Soho’s Barrafina and The Harwood Arms in Fulham, for example. The subject of Indian restaurants should also not be omitted from this discussion. Long ignored by Michelin inspectors, today several Indian restaurants in London boast a Michelin star, including Mayfair’s Benares, Quilon and Gymkhana. “Personally, for Quilon, Michelin helps us greatly as our guests follow the guide and it helps to promote us in the competitive and ever-changing hospitality sector,” says Quilon’s head chef and owner, Sriram Aylur. “Michelin has adapted with the times and is very active on social media,” says Roux Jr. Of course, for every Roux Jr, there is a superchef that derides Michelin. Spanish chef Julio Biosca, for example, promptly returned his inaugural star, achieved by his restaurant Casa Julio, in Fontanars dels Alforins, outside of Valencia, in 2009. Nonetheless, media coverage of the guide and its promotions and demotions proves that for the majority of the high-end culinary world, its approval still counts. “A minority of chefs won’t bat an eyelid when the 2018 guide is published,” says Hayler. “For many others, Michelin stars remain the only rating that really matters.”
Michelin’s Dark Side
If there is a pernicious aspect to Michelin, then it is surely the enormous pressure it places on chefs at the top. The loss or gain of a star can have dramatic effects on the success of a restaurant, placing it under the harsh light of media scrutiny. In 2013, Gordon Ramsay’s Manhattan restaurant, The London, lost its twostar Michelin rating and the infamous chef was reportedly reduced to tears. He even conceded to the Daily Mail that it was “like losing a girlfriend.” It’s been suggested that it’s a level of pressure that has even encouraged chefs to take their own lives. The most famous case occurred in 2003, when the renowned 52-year-old French chef Bernard Loiseau committed suicide amid speculation that the guide was about to pull his restaurant’s third star. Chillingly, he had previously admitted to Jacques Lameloise, then chef-owner of the three-star Maison Lameloise: “If I lose a star, I’ll kill myself.”
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
The best of London’s Michelin stars FOR THE VIEWS
City Social, EC2
Situated within the imposing skyscraper Tower 42, Jason Atherton’s City Social offers an unbeatable combination of superlative cooking and unparalleled views across the City of London. The perfect venue for closing that all-important deal in style. FOR VALUE
Le Gavroche, W1
Mayfair’s most iconic restaurant, Le Gavroche, has been pampering locals and tourists since 1967. It was the first restaurant in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars, yet today it provides the bargain of the year – a lunchtime prix fixe for under £60. It’s simply the best gastronomic deal in town. FOR INDIAN
Quilon, SW1
Quilon is as far removed from Indian food stereotypes as can be – no heavy sauces and fiery heat here. Instead, expect refined, modern-style Indian cuisine garnished with classy service and an excellent wine list. FOR SPECTACLE
Texture, W1
It’s a two-star restaurant that unfailingly delivers three-star cooking – Aggi Sverrisson’s Texture wins our vote for London’s best Michelin venue. Everything is spot on, from the precise, imaginative and technically flawless cooking to the superslick and personable service. FOR WINE PAIRING
Benares, W1
Another must-visit destination for lovers of sophisticated Indian cooking, Atul Kochhar’s Benares offers one of the best food-andwine matching experiences in the capital. Silencing the naysayers, Kochar proves that fine wine can pair well with Indian cuisine – trust in your sommelier and prepare to be amazed.
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[ city life ]
Weaving an empire
Charlie Weaving has his nightlife sights firmly set on the City Words: David Taylor
CLOCKWISE from LEFT: Toy Room, London; Base Dubai; STK Ibiza
A nightlife mogul’s guide to the hospitality industry C
harlie Weaving is managing partner at Foxhole Holdings, helping run global venues such as London’s Toy Room, Ibiza’s STK, and new Dubai hotspot Base. The former model and son of hoteliers is used to rubbing shoulders with the super-rich – and he knows what they like.
How did you first get into business? You were a model – did this help you understand the HNW lifestyle? CW: I grew up in the hotel industry. I didn’t go to university, I studied every aspect of the hotel business. My dad always made sure we went to countries and restaurants other people weren’t going to, to experience that high-end lifestyle. The modelling definitely helped. The travel aspect – contracts in Tokyo, seven seasons in Paris and Milan, New York Fashion Week – enabled me to understand different cultures. Now, for instance, if I sit down in front of a Japanese businessman, I know what
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ticks his boxes. I know how to treat him. Emotional intelligence is a massive part of business. Alongside London, you have businesses in Dubai and Ibiza. Why those hubs?
London is London: it’s always going to be the best city in the world. I’m not worried at all CW: Anyone who is wealthy, young and ambitious frequents Dubai and Ibiza regularly. During the winter, you sit in Novikov in Dubai, and in summer you’re sat next to the same people in STK Ibiza. Dubai is super cool and sophisticated, with the highest standards in the world. Ibiza is more relaxed, and has a little bit more of the Wild West. The nightclubs open until 5pm, and it’s a very different scene. However, it’s still very sophisticated: if you’ve got that big yacht, you come to Ibiza for two or three weeks. Are you worried about the state of London’s nightlife? CW: The industry is changing. It started with the original cabaret clubs, then we saw the big ’90s warehouse raves. Now we want that boutique, exclusive experience again. London is London: it’s always going to be the best city in the world. I’m not worried at all. We’d love to do something in the City, a really cool, four-star superior product. Something like STK – we’re not trying to be a Zuma, Novikov, or Nobu. We’re a little
more high volume, mass market, but still a great product. I feel that in the City, with all of the lawyers and big finance guys there, a cool, vibe-driven, late-night restaurant offering would really work. Do you think there’s a risk that you could aim a product too high? CW: One hundred per cent. You’re seeing it now with Michelin-star restaurants. When it comes to the club side, you either smash it or you go home. You’re only going to last five years max, and you base your budget around that. A four-star superior offering is more sustainable and a bit safer. Still, if you get the high-end stuff right, you have a short period to make money and people can do incredibly well. What’s next? CW: We have a new big venue opening in Dubai called Base Dubai, which is a huge 3,000-capacity open-air nightclub in the Design District, with 120 tables. We’d also love to start something in southeast Asia. foxholeholdings.com
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| news |
[ city life ]
bon viveur
Man-about-town, Innerplace’s Nick Savage, gives you the insider lowdown on London’s most hedonistic haunts
london’s TANTALISING TASTING MENUS
above A dish at Pidgin
Kitchen Table
T
asting menus are no longer the in some cases, tables have been eschewed staunchly formal affairs they once altogether in favour of counter dining. were in the 1980s and 1990s. Rather For many restaurants the experience has than a 14-course procession of dishes become much more personal – chefs have designed to separate diners from their borrowed inspiration from Noma (the two dinero, many London chefs have abbreviated Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen) the experience to create concise, and often arrive tableside to describe pithy menus that take guests on the dish in fine detail. Innerplace a journey without emptying This new breed of tasting is London’s personal lifestyle their current accounts. menu is now de rigueur concierge. Membership provides White cloths have been in many contemporary complimentary access to the finest swapped for bare whorled London establishments, nightclubs, the best restaurants and wood, armchairs are but particularly in east top private members’ clubs. Innerplace also offers priority bookings, VIP traded in for more London, where quite a invitations and updates on the latest minimalist furniture and few have had nods from openings. Membership from the Michelin Guide over £50 a month. the past few years. The first innerplace.co.uk restaurant to blaze the trail was arguably Clove Club, situated in the former Shoreditch Town Hall in Old Street, where diners could choose between the informality of the bar area or opt for either a five or nine-course tasting menu in the dining room. It wasn’t long after that Lyle’s, backed by the JKS Group (Trishna, Gymkhana), opted for the same no-choice menu in 2014. Not only have both restaurants earned the plaudit of a Michelin star for their modern British cuisine, they have also won repeat positions on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The next restaurant to follow suit is the type that you can only find in a large metropolis. Kitchen Table was opened by chef James Knappett and sommelier Sandia Chang (who worked together at Noma and from above Perilla; a dish at Magpie
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
subsequently got married). Guests must draw a curtain to locate Kitchen Table in the rear of Bubbledogs – an eatery specialising in grower Champagne (sparkling wines produced by the same estate that owns the vineyard) and hotdogs. More dining counter than table, the eatery offers 18 front row seats to watch Mr Knappett prepare 14 courses of contemporary British cuisine. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2014. What we’ve seen most recently is a spate of restaurants riding the wave and creating fun fine dining in east London in the same mould as Lyle’s. James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy went from pop-up to permanence with their jewelbox small Pidgin, just north of London Fields in Hackney. Guests can choose to bolt on a wine pairing, but otherwise the only choice is a four-course tasting menu displaying its ample talents. It wasn’t long before the duo bagged a Michelin star. Their newest restaurant is eagerly anticipated, too. Trading in Hackney for Mayfair, Magpie will be a modern British reinterpretation of a dim sum restaurant complete with mobile trolley and is set to open in June 2017. One of the most recent restaurants following suit is Perilla, which is perched on the north western corner of Newington Green. Chef Ben Marks (Noma, The Square) prepares a six-course menu for only £38, with the wine bolt-on for £32. In Clerkenwell, Mark Jarvis opened Anglo in 2016 and has won similar adulation from critics. Seven courses costs only £45 with a drinks pairing for an additional £30. At both restaurants, chefs bring the dishes to table in person to explain the preparation of each. Tasting menus have certainly changed a lot of late, and with the rapid progression we’ve witnessed since 2014, we can only expect more. Luckily the trend seems to be becoming less prohibitively expensive – so you can relax your belt and not your wallet.
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bite to eat
The exceptional Giant Robot opened its doors in Canary Wharf’s Crossrail Place, co-founder Jonathan Downey tells us what it’s all about and why it’s unlike any place you’ve been before
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BOB’s Lobster roll
canarywharf.com
@yourcanarywharf
n April, Crossrail Place gained Giant Robot; a brand new and exciting setting to enjoy a delicious variety of foods and drink. The entire venue is dedicated to the best that street food has to offer. Founders Jonathan Downey and Henry Dimbleby, who have known each other for 10 years, have proven triumpht with previous ventures, so they teamed up to bring Canary Wharf a little taste of what they do best to create an all-day indoor foodie festival. The name was
@canarywharflondon
inspired by the spectacular architecture of Crossrail Place and created specifically for the venue, and the interior is a mix of futuristic design meets Art Deco, with the addition of incredible views looking over the city. With Giant Robot serving a whole range of food from lobster and chicken wings to tapas and dumplings, as well as a huge array of drinks, this is exactly what Canary Wharf has been waiting for. Giant Robot, Crossrail Place; streetfeast.com
q&a with co-founder jonathan downey
The name was inspired by the spectacular architecture of crossrail place
Thunderbird’s chipuffalo wings
What inspired you to bring the street food concept to Canary Wharf ? When we saw the space and the location, we immediately thought we could do something new, unusual, unique and that’s exciting. We’ve created something that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world yet. There is already a ton of choice for food in Canary Wharf, and especially at lunchtime. We’re just adding a bit more to that. We’ve gone big on the drinks too; two large bars with a massive choice of draught craft beers, some of the best cocktails we know and a really good selection of wine. Why did you decide to go with street food as your main concept? Because we love it, we love working with the street food traders who live
Yum bun’s pork bun
and breathe what they do and we like doing things that are different. Street food is popular because it offers people fast, fresh choice. It’s variety and value. It’s food that is now and new. How do you select the stalls? It’s all about the food – are they the absolute best at what they do? Or at least the joint best? Yum Bun, along with Bao, do the best Gua Bao in London and there are no finer chicken wings than the Chipuffalo at Thunderbird. When it comes to Spanish food in London, it’s between the brilliant Barrafina and the wonderful Jose Pizarro. And then there’s BOB’s. I’ve never had a Lobster Roll quite like the one BOB’s does, they are just sensational. Do you plan on taking on more traders? Potentionally. We want each trader to be able to deliver great food consistently and that takes up space. We already have four large kitchens at Giant Robot, but we may be able to squeeze in a cart or possibly a small van. We’ll also be making trader changes every so often to keep things fresh and we’ll be asking our current line-up to add new additions to the menu when they can. What can customers expect when visiting Giant Robot? Something they’ve never seen before and something different every time.
Thunderbird’s fried chicken bucket
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| KEV’S column |
kev’s
kc
column
Tales of the Unexpected Private Members’ Club Kevin Pilley had always considered the Mile High Club to be a myth, until its chairman invited him to the club’s AGM
I
am not a member of the Mile High Club. I find it hard to initiate sex in a hot air balloon. Even with the pilot looking the other way. Indeed, I had always suspected the Mile High Club to be a myth. A lot of lies bundled together and passed off as a fabulous truth. The idea of an official, international, multicultural ‘Mile High Club’, was something I simply couldn’t believe. Until its incumbent chairman invited me to the club’s AGM. Here I saw firsthand what true sex-upmanship is all about. I was asked to take the minutes. It was held at the Gherkin. Present were many pheromones and sexually adventurous types wearing MHC lapel badges outlining their sexual preferences. Sat next to me was a girl whose card read, “Clare. Navigational beacons and chimneys.” On the other side was a young man whose card read: “Jeff. Guy-wire structures. Pylons. Nothing freestanding. No telephone engineers.” The hypersexual chairperson, who claimed to have lost her virginity under Venezuela’s Angel Falls, said she was hopeful that the club’s honorary secretary would return safely from his attempt to scale and reach orgasm at the summit of North Dakota’s 628.8m KVLY-TV transmitter mast. A partner was not mentioned. The chair began by welcoming new members, including a British pair, who had gained membership thanks to a flight from Osaka to LA, and a Belgian lady who eloquently described the satisfaction she and her husband had derived from a Wiltshire wind turbine. Honorary lifelong membership
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
was awarded to a couple who had sex without the use of oxygen canisters in La Rinconada, Peru, the world’s highest town. The real competition came among new applications. Those approved included nymphomaniacs that made use of Titterstone Clee (the second highest hill in Shropshire), Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the Taipei 101, Ekibastuz’s Gres-2 Power Station, Toronto’s CN Tower , Queensland’s Q1, Chicago’s Willis Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Centre. Heated intercourse ensued about whether Tajikistan’s Nurek Dam constituted sex in a high place, whether coition could be achieved up Everest, and whether genitals could be located let alone function with a very high wind chill factor. A member required clarification regarding sex in the Appalachians. His
partner would only admit to having erogenous zones in backwoods and environmentally sensitive areas. She would only let him touch her above the tree line. This reminded me of a girlfriend with whom I founded the ‘One Star Club’. She loved dingy B&Bs. Rudimentary accommodation turned her on. She was a very noisy lover. Especially when her toenails caught in the nylon sheets. The chair announced that the club had been approached to affiliate with India’s ‘Eleven Foot, Five Thousand Pound Club’, created for those who had begun a family in an elephant howdah. Union was approved. Membership was refused to a couple claiming they had consummated their relationship in the away team dug-out at Selhurst Park; a gentleman who could only become aroused in kayaks; a Royal Household footman who had had sex in one of the Queen’s ceremonial state carriages; and a lady who could only make love if she was in a committed relationship and up against the highest fence in the Horse of the Year puissance competition. A motion was agreed to send expressions of sympathy and support to the family of a member killed while trying to have sex on top of Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain cable car. A motion for the venue of the next AGM was seconded and passed unanimously. On the deepwater Petronius oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting was adjourned. Everyone hastily made for the stairwell and awaiting helicopters. Feeling rather inadequate, I returned home and suggested to my wife we go out. Perhaps to the Lee relief sewer tunnel at Beckton.
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
Words:JACK WATKINS
reach for
Almost five years after The Shard opened to the public, a new book tells the story of the man determined to build western Europe’s tallest building during the worst financial crisis for a generation, at the wrong height, in the wrong place and on the wrong side of the Thames
the sky
| FEATURE |
I
rvine Sellar, the former rag trader turned property developer who died in February, relished his bruiser’s reputation. Capable of turning on the charm, the twinkle in the eye and the well-cut suits never entirely concealed the air of market stall menace. The wheeler-dealer from north London caricature only got you so far. This was a man who was fond of quoting George Bernard Shaw, and was a nifty shaper of brand new maxims which he applied to his own entrepreneurial practices, that around which you could construct an entire life philosophy. In Howard Watson’s The Shard: The Vision of Irvine Sellar, published in June 2017, Sellar shares centre stage with the monster structure he masterminded, and it’s hard to say which of the pair Watson regards as more heroic, the building few thought had a hope of getting through the planning stages or being financed, let alone constructed, or the man who simply wouldn’t take no for an answer, even when the financial crash threatened to wreck the entire project. Watson started out wanting to include Sellar’s life story in his book, but the man wouldn’t co-operate, fearing some cliched rags-to-riches biographical portrait. So the author settled for skilfully weaving in a few details of his business career. These are fascinating insights into the innovative methods of a man who, when he opened his initial clothes shop in St Albans in 1960, was one of the first in the UK to sell jeans as a fashion item. He went on to reshape the look of Carnaby Street in the early ’60s, pushing the boundaries by selling clothes for both men and women in the same shop. Though he disliked the term ‘unisex’, his mates chain of boutiques paved the way for the likes of Next. Sellar was a relatively minor player in property development before he hit upon the idea that would become The Shard, but it is his greatest legacy. Watson’s book marks the fifth anniversary of the inauguration of a structure which, with a rapidity that would have pleased the impatient, hyperactive Sellar, has become one of the capital’s most admired buildings, a remarkable feat given our normal reluctance to accept new architecture. Watson doesn’t stint on the adoration, and it’s hard to blame him. The 95-storey building is 1.016ft (309m) tall, its steel structure clad with 11,000 glass panes.
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rom the viewing gallery, you can see for 35 miles on a clear day. It is western Europe’s tallest building (beaten by only the OKO Tower in Moscow (354m), and by some margin the tallest in London, smashing the previous record held by Canarys Wharf ’s 50-storey, 770ft (235m) One Canada Square, held since 1991. But it’s not just the stats. Many have waxed lyrical about the beauty of The Shard and pondered how such a gargantuan creation can be so graceful. Unlike most high buildings which overpower at street level, The Shard retreats from its base, and it feels unthreatening. “As close to humble as a 1,000 foot building can be,” writes Watson. With its fractured apex, he describes how the top of the building “feathers into the sky.” The glass panes respond to the light so the building seems to change shade at different times of the day, and sometimes look almost transparent. Rather than aggressively leaving everything in the surrounding area cowering in its shadow, it almost
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plays peek-a-boo with you if you seek out views of it in approaching streets. The book has a photo of the ‘old’ St Paul’s, the immense medieval cathedral which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The Shard’s tapering outline carries overtones of its slender Gothic spire. It’s no surprise to read that Sellar’s architect Renzo Piano was inspired by Canaletto’s 18th-century paintings of the Thames which depicted a city of spires and boats on the river with fin-like sails. And yet the book is timely for another reason. A recent article in the Evening Standard highlighted the extent to which London’s skyline is increasingly pierced by tall buildings (‘tall’ is deemed anything more than 30-storeys). Boris “Dubai on Thames” Johnson was lambasted for his reckless approach to greenlighting new high-rise structures, and the pace has not exactly slowed under his successor, Sadiq Khan – although he has vowed that future projects will only be permitted if they add value to the skyline. Last year, a record 26 tall buildings were completed in the capital. When The Shard was proposed there was a furious response from many parts of the press and from conservationists. Sellar, with a typical maverick touch, had decided to locate his development not in the City, where most of the new high rise buildings were going,
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| FEATURE |
but on the southside of the Thames, in unfashionable Southwark. Rather than seen as the bringer of jobs to a downtrodden area, including finance for the regeneration of London Bridge station and improving the approaches to Guy’s Hospital, it was criticized as out of place and disrespectful to the character and history of the area. The plans went to public enquiry and, reading Watson’s account, it’s fair to say Sellar’s legal team blew the arguments out of the water – though one of the few weaknesses in this book is Watson’s tendency to treat all members of the heritage lobby as handwringing fuddy-duddies, which is to misrepresent the conservation movement completely. One of the arguments against The Shard was that it compromised timehonoured views of St Paul’s Cathedral from elevated north west London viewpoints such as Primrose Hill and Parliament Hill. Frankly, though, that horse and cart bolted long ago. From Primrose Hill, the lower, and closer of the two eminences, it’s plain that the look
of London has been undergoing organic change across several post-war decades, with lots of undistinguished, box-shaped buildings already spoiling the sainted view. The great architectural journalist Ian Nairn was lamenting that change as far back as 1966 in his - recently republished – Nairn’s London. The second, and higher, wave of 21stcentury building is more apparent from the heights of Hampstead Heath. The prospect from Parliament Hill reveals how the proliferation of towers, and the army of tall cranes which indicate more to come, is creating a meandering stream of high rise structures across the entire breadth of London. It’s a high rise ribbon development and it’s worrying. The Shard hardly conflicts with St Paul’s – the latter is already disappearing – and I’d argue it’s an adornment to the skyline. But will those in the pipeline be of such quality? Renzo Piano, according to Watson, was against supertall clustering around The Shard at London Bridge, for instance, saying the building was “made to be
Malcolm Chapman / Shutterstock.com
One of the few weaknesses in this book is Watson’s tendency to treat all members of the heritage lobby as handwringing fuddy-duddies lonely”. A lot of the new generation tall buildings, with their curious shapes, are good to look at, like tropical exotics soaring above the ground-hugging native species of London’s traditional low rise terraces. But now the entire character of London may be starting to shift. I suspect a lot of the people strolling up to Parliament Hill to admire the view don’t much care. It’s only something that the conservationist or historically minded individual worries about. But how would you like it if one shot up next to you? The Shard was made with particular concern to minimise the unpleasant downdrafts that tall buildings tend to inflict on passing pedestrians. But I live close to a 20-storey block of flats. It is windy even on calm days when surrounding streets are breeze-free, casts a gloomy shadow, and blocks out the sunshine and its warmth. I’d contend it’s possible to read Watson’s fascinating book, so refreshing in telling its story from the developer’s angle, when most are written from the architectural historian’s viewpoint, and still love The Shard. Though it also raises the question of whether there might be a better way of laying out our cities. It’s surely not nimbyism to suggest that the best thing to do with skyscrapers is to stick them where the sun doesn’t shine.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
BUILD ’EM HIGH Alongside telling the story of The Shard, Watson’s book has passages on the development of London’s tall buildings. The steel frame, the electric elevator and the telephone – meaning that office workers no longer needed to be face to face – made the building type practical, and tall buildings were going up in the US before the end of the 19th century. In the UK, however, strict height regulations meant the first office building to break the 100m barrier didn’t arrive until the the Shell Centre (352ft/107m) in 1962. It was soon passed by the Telecom Tower (580ft/174m), which was the tallest building in London until Richard Seifert’s National Westminster Tower, or Tower 42, (600ft183m) was completed in 1981. The Shard: The Vision of Irvine Sellar, £30, by Howard Watson is published in hardback by Little Brown. To book tickets for The Shard, London’s highest viewing platform, visit theviewfromthshard.com
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CITY collection The newly launched Ahoi neomatik signalrot, £3,070 (left), and Ahoi Datum signalblau £3,540, NOMOS Glashütte, nomos-glashuette.com
Full service (p.43)
Meet the man here to take the sting out of watch repairs
Mr Parmigiani (p.44)
The eponymous watchmaker on building the watch of the future
Set in motion (p.46)
The world of Cartier explored in a new Design Museum exhibition
jewellery Words: olivia sharpe
In the Element
Break the Ice
Continuing its mission to target millennials this year, French jeweller Chopard has launched a new accessible jewellery collection. Named Ice Cube Pure, the minimalist line features a simple, geometric design. The versatile range of rings, earrings and necklaces can be worn on their own or stacked up in a combination of yellow, white and rose gold. Each piece has been made from ethical Fairmined-certified gold. With sustainability being the buzzword of the decade, this is very much a statement of modern times. Cool and contemporary, the collection signals a refreshing new direction for the brand. From £560, chopard.com
Forget Me Not
Harry Winston caused quite an Instagram frenzy at its most recent press day: the brand embraced spring (despite the rain outside) by transforming its boutique into a garden filled with flowers to celebrate the launch of its new collection, Forget-Me-Not. The jewellery house has a long history of drawing on nature for inspiration and the latest line reimagines the wildflower in seven delicate pieces featuring round brilliant, pearshaped and marquise-cut diamonds. From a selection, harrywinston.com
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Eugenie Niarchos, founder of Venyx, was quoted saying that of all famous women, she would most love to see Florence Welch and Khaleesi from Game of Thrones wear her pieces. And for her audacious new range, the dragon queen would be an entirely fitting ambassador. Called Elementa, it is inspired by the four elements – fire, earth, water and air – each represented by a different stone. We love the Aruna ring, which captures the rising sun with orange and yellow sapphires and a central 2.37-carat carnelian. £7,500 for the Aruna ring, venyxworld.com
Pearl Jam
Lucky June babies: with pearl as their birthstone, they are spoilt for choice this month as contemporary jewellers continue to transform this gem. South Sea Australian pearl farmer Autore has done wonders to change the perception of pearl jewellery as being oldfashioned. It unveiled its new collection, Stardust, at this year’s Baselworld. Pieces are inspired by the cosmos and capture the solar system with swirling rings, spiralling pendants and orbiting earrings. POA, autorepearls.com.au
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| COLLECTION |
watches Founder of Luxury Watch Repairs Meet the man taking the sting out of watch repairs
Q&A with Oliver Pollok
Words: RICHARD BROWN
Can you handle complications? OP: Yes. Our watchmakers have all worked for the brands we work with – Rolex, Omega and Breitling, mostly. We are a level three-approved service centre for Swatch Group – the highest you can get. Our senior watchmaker was at Rolex for 14 years. They know the What’s your average WATCH ON FILM What inspired the idea for movements, they know the cases. They turnaround time? Luxury Watch Repairs will take OP: We aim for between Luxury Watch Repairs? can handle complications, they can pictures of the movement inside OP: It was very organic. I two and three weeks. We handle chronographs. We had a £90,000 your watch. For £50 the company was doing more and more allow three working days Patek Philippe perpetual calendar come will also position a camera over a watchmaker’s workspace and favours for friends and for quotation and around 10 in recently. create a time-lapse video of then started servicing for days for servicing, subject your timepiece being the stores we were supplying to inspection. What watch do you wear? serviced. OP: A 12-year-old rose-gold Rolex Cellini. watches to. We built a workshop Could you get my watch back to me I sent a note out to every trader I knew in Hatton Garden in 2015, did some saying that, “If you see this watch, buy it within one week? basic advertising, and suddenly we were OP: Potentially – if it’s a small job and – I’ll have it off of you.” It took me a year receiving between 20 and 30 watches a day. not a full service. With something like a to find it through a trader in Germany. Daytona, we’d allow for four days testing I also have a Submariner with a tritium What’s your USP? OP: Our level of customer service and and a day and a half to service. Then we’d dial. It’s one of the last watches they standard of watchmakers. If you send a test it. If it comes off test and it’s gaining made in tritium, so it’s gone a lovely watch for repair, you want to know when 10 seconds a day, we wouldn’t want to give purple colour. it’s going to come back, you want updates, it back. A full refurbishment and polish to Full Rolex, Cartier, Breitling and Omega you want to know how much it’s going showroom new can be completed within servicing from £260, luxurywatchrepairs.com to cost. Our customers order a pre-paid one to two days. How did you get into the watch game? OP: After university, I started trading new and pre-owned Rolexes. I built up a large client base, first private and then trade. I started supplying a lot of stores that were selling pre-owned watches around Europe.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
envelope online and receive it through their letter box the next day. It’s fully tracked and insured to £25,000. We’ll send you a confirmation email within one hour of receiving your watch and get a quote to you within three working days.
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A meeting with
Mr Parmigiani Parmigiani Fleurier is developing a timepiece that could point towards the future of watchmaking. Richard Brown talks pushing the boundaries with company founder, Michael Parmigiani
T FROM TOP Tonda 1950 White Meteorite, £14,900; Tonda Métrographe, £9,600; Tonda 1950 Galaxy, £18,900
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he 1990s was a decade of eponymous rock-star watchmakers. Franck Muller kicked things off when he established the original off-the-wall watch marque in 1991, industry enfant terrible Roger Dubuis joined the party in 1995, while Richard Mille stepped in four years later. In between, another selfstyled, albeit less shouty, watchmaker announced his arrival – Michael Parmigiani launched Parmigiani Fleurier in May 1996. Along with the others, Parmigiani would help usher in the age of the avant-garde indie, when, a decade later, brands like De Bethune (2002), Hautlence (2004), Greubel, Forsey (2004), Maîtres du Temps (2005) and MB&F (2005) all came to market. Since then, watch houses, large and small, have made fevered attempts to make as much of a timepiece as possible ‘in house’. The more of a watch you can manufacture without the assistant of third party suppliers, the notion goes, the more accomplished a watchmaker you are. Thanks to Parmigiani’s proximity to one Monsieur Pierre Landolt, president of the Sandoz Family Foundation, an organisation established in 1964 to promote Swiss entrepreneurship and innovation, he has achieved autonomy quicker than most. Starting out as an independent clock restorer, Parmigiani was, by the 1980s, the principle restorer of the Sandoz collection – an assortment of Fabergé eggs, pocket watches and animal automata amassed by Swiss artist, musician and philanthropist, Maurice-Yves Sandoz, in the early 20th century. In 1996, with the Sandoz Foundation as patron, Parmigiani acquired the means to create his own company. Over the next six years, largely by acquiring a series of component manufacturers, the brand established a centre capable of producing almost every aspect of a mechanical timepiece by itself –
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| collection |
from dials, cases and movements, to screws, pinions and spindles. It’s no surprise, then, to hear that Mr Parmigiani considers sovereignty to be fundamental to serious watchmaking. “If you buy a movement that already exists, you cannot have any influence on the form, the components, the characteristics. When you verticalise, you can do everything your own way; if you want to create a component that’s shaped like a disc, you can. You can create things in a much shorter time frame, too.” The Kalpa Hebdomadaire was Parmigiani Fleurier’s debut wristwatch. It arrived in 1999 and two years later, the brand announced a partnership with the world’s most revered supercar manufacturer. “Bugatti was looking for a new watchmaking partner,” says Mr Parmigiani. “The company it was looking for had to have a verticalised production process, the founder had to be alive, and by looking around, it became obvious that we were the right choice.” The Parmigiani Bugatti Type 370 features a lateral time display, making it easy to read while holding a steering wheel. Inside, a regulating organ, gear train, power reserve and two barrels are set across five different oval-shaped mainplates. Housed in a tubular rose-gold case, the watch looks like a mini engine block. So far, the partnership has yielded a further five futuristic models, each growing a little more conservative than the last.
The future of watchmaking?
At the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie 2016, Parmigiani announced a model that forced the entire watch world to take note. The most talked about timepiece may have still been in the concept stage, but if the ‘Sefine’ could make good on the promises Parmigiani was making, it would become one the most significant footnotes in modern horologic history. Like most timepieces, the Sefine was powered by a mainspring, gear train and balance wheel. Unlike most timepieces, which typically oscillate at a frequency of either 18,000 or 28,000 vibrations per hour, and which measure their power reserves in hours, the Sefine would beat at 115,200 vph, and, said Parmigiani, run independently for a previously unheard-of 70 days. The bold claims were the result of a new type of escapement, a mechanism that has remained unchanged, for the most part, since its invention in 1754. Whereas the balance wheel in most watches swings through an arc of somewhere between 260 to 320 degrees, the arc of the Sefine’s balance wheel is just 16 degrees. Add an escape wheel with extremely small teeth, a lever consisting of extra-long and flexible silicon pallets, and other low-friction materials once the preserve of the aerospace technology, and you get a watch that beats at an incredibly high frequency while using far less energy. Since its announcement, we’ve heard relatively little about the Sefine’s progress. So where are we now? “We’re still working on it,” says Mr Parmigiani. “We have completed the fundamental research, the physics, and now we are in the application phase. We’ve mastered the technology, the materials and now we’re looking at applying this technology to a timepiece. We’re able to deliver it in a large format, and the idea is now to make it smaller.” Watch this space.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
FROM TOP Tonda Métrographe, £9,600; Bugatti Aerolithe Performance, £18,300; both Tonda Chronor Anniversaire, £100,000
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set IN motion The ever-evolving world of Cartier will be explored at the Design Museum in an eye-opening new exhibition curated by Lord Norman Foster. Laura McCreddie-Doak finds out more from director Deyan Sudjic
L
above, clockwise Crash watch; Tonneau wristwatch, Cartier Paris, 1915, image credit: Vincent Wulveryck, ©Cartier; Catherine Deneuve at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1965, wearing the Baignoire model, courtesy of R.A./Gamma
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ike so many historic jewellers that line New Bond Street, people often think they know Cartier. Some merely associate it with its Love bangle, while, for others, it is synonymous with horological creations such as the Santos or the Tank. The lesser known aspects of the French house and Louis Cartier, grandson of the founder, will be brought to the fore when the Design Museum opens its new exhibition, Cartier in Motion. The jeweller’s history will be explored through objects, models and graphics, with a timeline that runs from 1875 right through to the present day, charting the influences that helped shape Cartier into what it is today. It has been divided into three themes – focusing on Paris, the avant-garde and the advent of the wristwatch in turn – but will also consider the company’s post-war evolution, the importance of craftsmanship, advancements in aviation and how this inspired Louis Cartier. “Cartier has an impressive track record of working with museums around the world,” explains
Deyan Sudjic, director of the museum, which recently moved to the Commonwealth Institute on High Street Kensington. “The house has a remarkable collection and an intriguing history. But what fascinated me most was the way it continues to make objects that people value at a time when the digital revolution has made so many things we once used to measure our lives redundant.” The exhibition has been designed and curated by Lord Norman Foster, the British architect responsible for the Gherkin. Lord Foster has not only brought together notable Cartier creations and set them within the artistic, architectural and design contexts of their times, but has also directed a film comprising historical footage, which will form an important part of the display. “Norman Foster is fascinated by the connections between the pioneers of early flight and engineering – Alberto Santos-Dumont, Gustave Eiffel and Louis Cartier,” says Sudjic. “They knew each other and were looking for new ways of doing things. Norman has recreated a dinner party that Santos-Dumont staged in his Paris apartment with specially made
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| collection |
tables and chairs tall enough to reach the ceiling. He was trying to give his guests an idea of what flight would be like.” It was this association and friendship with Santos-Dumont that led to Cartier’s first wristwatch. Cartier gave Santos-Dumont a watch that he could wear on his wrist when flying, which allowed him to keep both hands on the plane’s controls. Replacing the traditional pocket watch, its Art Deco design incorporates modern industrial elements. It is without question an integral part of Cartier’s history, so rather than simply illustrate this momentous piece of horological history with a display showing a collection of vintage Santos watches, Lord Foster has gone one better. A full-size replica of the Demoiselle – the aircraft Santos-Dumont flew around the Eiffel Tower – will take centre stage. “Getting it into the building wasn’t easy,” says Sudjic, wryly. Slightly easier to install were the administrative archives, which contain a goldmine of fascinating information, from the original drawings of key creations to the account books and patents. These sources provide a rare insight into how this now-legendary name did things, and lay bare the intimate relationships Cartier had with incredibly influential people, such as the Rothschild family and the Russian tsars. Cartier in Motion also reveals much about Louis Cartier and his place among an elite circle of pioneers during the 20th century, and how he created everyday accessories to cater to this flamboyant society. Talk of planes and quirky dining chairs might cause watch enthusiasts some concern, but they shouldn’t worry because, even for Sudjic, it all comes back to the timepieces. “The Santos is the key: it was Cartier’s response to the practical needs of his friend. A whole new category of objects was invented. “It was really a kind of flight instrument, so the simplicity and the frank expression of the details came naturally,” he continues. “They reflected Cartier’s own tastes, as well as the modernism in architecture and design that was building up in the early 20th century.” In scope and in scale, this ambitious and unique exhibition, which runs almost the full length of Cartier’s history, feels like a fitting tribute to a maison that was once described by King Edward VII as the “jeweller of kings… and the king of jewellers”.
From 1875 to today, the exhibition will explore craftsmanship, aviation and the advent of the wristwatch clockwise from TOP left Paper knife with watch, Cartier Paris, 1930, image credit: Nick Welsh, courtesy of Collection Cartier; pocket watch, Cartier Paris, image credit: Vincent Wulveryck, courtesy of Collection Cartier; Alberto Santos-Dumont aboard his airplane No. 15 in 1907, courtesy of archives Cartier, ©Cartier; an aerial dinner table at Santos-Dumont’s residence, courtesy of archives Cartier, ©Cartier; desk set with clock, Cartier Paris for Cartier New York, image credit: Nick Welsh, courtesy of Cartier Collection Below from left Tank wristwatch, Cartier Paris 1920, image credit: Vincent Wulveryck, courtesy of Cartier Collection; Tortue two time zones, Cartier 2008, Collection Privée, Cartier Paris, image credit: ©Cartier 2000; Santos de Cartier wristwatch with self-winding movement, image credit: Vincent Wulveryck, courtesy of Cartier Collection
Until 28 July, 224-238 Kensington High Street, W8, designmuseum.org
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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CITY STYLE Topload rucksack, ÂŁ165, AMI X Eastpak, as part of a new collaboration, launching on 30 June, available at eastpak.com
top of the pops (p.54)
model poppy delevingne teams up with jo malone london
let there be light (p.65)
lightweight occassionwear for warmer climes by hugo boss
into the blue (p.66)
luggage inspired by the waters of the tropics
scheduled to open 3 october 2017
Musée Yves Saint Laurent
Okay, so it’s not strictly an exhibition, but an entire musuem is opening in honour of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in Morocco in autumn 2017. The institution will house a selection of ready-to-wear and haute couture clothing, and sketches.
Marrakech, Morocco fondation-pb-ysl.net
Words: bethan rees
Fashion exhibitions around the world
style on show
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FIND the work
Yves saint laurent museum
02
all images ©Studio KO, Fondation Pierre Bergé
FIND the work
The source of a legend
CHRISTIAN DIOR MUSEUM AND GARDEN Granville, France musee-dior-granville.com
Until 24 September 2017
Situated in Christian Dior’s childhood home in Normandy, this exhibition focuses on the couturier’s early years, a period in his life that would profoundly inform his future work.
both images ©Laziz Hamani
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion from 27 May 2017
Showcasing over 100 crafted pieces of couture by Cristóbal Balenciaga, this exhibition examines the work of the influential spanish designer, and his protégées. The retrospective marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of his first fashion house.
Model wearing Balenciaga orange coat as I. Magnin buyers inspect a dinner outfit in the background, Paris, France, 1954. ©Mark Shaw/mptvimages.com
03 FIND the work
V&A London, UK vam.ac.uk
Elise Daniels with street performers, suit by Balenciaga, Le Marais, Paris, 1948 © The Richard Avedon Foundation
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| style | Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons. Courtesy of Comme des Garçons. Photograph by ©Paolo Roversi, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
FIND the work
The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City, USA metmuseum.org
Art of the In-Between
until 4 september 2017
This is a celebration of Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons and her fascination with interstitiality, or the space between boundaries, and how this translates through to fashion. This is a thematic exhibition, rather than a traditional retrospective.
Blue Witch, S/S16
Mistress of the Robes gown worn by Deborah Devonshire. ©Chatsworth House Trust
FIND the work
CHATSWORTH HOUSE Bakewell, UK chatsworth.org
05 HOUSE STYLE
Until 22 october 2017
Curated by Hamish Bowles, international editor-at-large at American Vogue, this exhibition explores five centuries of fashion and adornment at Chatsworth House, the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Expect to see pieces from Gucci, Erdem and Alexander McQueen.
Anna Sui S/S16 backstage. ©Jennifer Graylock
FIND the work
S/S12 Isetan Mitsukoshi promotion. ©Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello
fASHION AND TEXTILE MUSEUM London, UK ftmlondon.org
The world of anna sui
26 May 2017 – 1 October 2017
This is the first UK retrospective for kooky fashion designer Anna Sui. This exhibition features over 100 looks from the designer’s archive, presenting a roll call of archetypes from surfers and schoolgirls to hippies, mods and punks.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Sun and sea charades require the perfect beach bag Words: xxxxxxxxxxx
LIFE’S A BEACH
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Pom-poms are a big trend for S/S17
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1. Yazu beach bag, £155, Vilebrequin, vilebrequin.com 2. Dakar tote, £170, Vanessa Seward, net-a-porter.com 3. Sicilian pom-pom basket, £330, Munguzu Sisters, avenue32.com 4. Carlotta bag, £365, Eugenia Kim, eugeniakim.com 5. 217A bag, £182, Sensi Studio, sensistudio.com 6. Tuk tuk bag, £577, Figue farfetch.com 7. Pom-pom tote, £96, Nannacay, net-a-porter.com 8. Jonas bag, £330, Sophie Anderson, sophieanderson.net 9. Riviera tote, £60, Pink City Prints, pinkcityprints.co.uk
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18.05.17 15:20
Top of the Pops What happens when a world famous perfume brand and a model team up? The City Magazine finds out Words: BETHAN REES
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| interview |
Model. ‘It girl’. Perfume collaborator. Global ambassador. These are four ways Poppy Delevingne can be described. The latter two link to British fragrance house Jo Malone London. In 2015 she was named the first ever Jo Malone London Girl, which translates roughly to a brand ambassador which has led her to represent the fragrance house all over the world, and has just announced the launch of her own scent, or should I say scents. The limited edition Poptastic duo perfumes are designed to be worn together, layered. The sparkling Orange Blossom and rich Tuberose Angelica scents work together in floral harmony. What is your first memory of fragrance? PD: My first memory of fragrance is all about my mother. She always smelt so floral when I was a child – of lilies, jasmine and violets. I have no idea where these fragrances came from but she always had shiny, sparkling bottles piled up on her dressing table and I have been fascinated ever since. When and how did you first discover Jo Malone London and what did you like about it? PD: I started wearing Red Roses when I was 22. I smelt it on a friend of mine, loved how gentle and sweet it was, and begged her to tell me what it was. It was at the same time that I met my now husband James. The first thing that drew me to him was his scent. When I asked him what it was he said, “Amber & Lavender by Jo Malone London,” I saw that as a sign. He still wears it now and whenever I travel without him, I take a small bottle with me.
Heaven scents
Our top picks to keep you smelling beautiful
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Do you match your scent to how you are dressed that day or evening? PD: I usually apply my scent before I get dressed, ideally straight out of the bath. I start with a bath oil, then body crème and finally cologne. Depending on which scent I choose, that will determine what I wear that day or night. Scent, for me, always takes pole position. What’s your favourite smell in the world? PD: Can I pick a few? Roses. Popcorn. Cigars. My husband. You got married last year. Can you tell us a bit more about how you included scent? PD: Before I got married, a friend told me that I needed a wedding scent, so that whenever I smelt it, it would remind me of the best day of my life. Jo Malone London sweetly helped me find the perfect one; Orange Blossom. We scented the Kensington Orangery with Orange Blossom candles and diffusers, and I wore the cologne. The bottle sits happily on my bedside table; I won’t let it out of my sight.
about it. I mean, who doesn’t want to smell like Blackberry & Bay? What is your daily beauty routine? PD: I used to be very low maintenance but since turning 30 I take it a it more seriously. At the moment I’m using SkinCeuticals – I love their apothecary bottles – and a Crème de la Mer face cleanser. In the morning I always wash my face with a SkinCeuticals cleanser, followed by Sisley’s All Day All Year moisturiser. Then at night I cleanse with Eve Lom and go to sleep with Crème de La Mer. It’s like falling asleep with cotton wool wrapped around your face. Do you take any scents away with you when you travel? PD: Yes, I take the Amber & Lavender Cologne; a spritz of that and I feel like I’m right back home where I belong. What is your all-time favourite item of clothing? PD: A Rolling Stones T-shirt. My father bought it for my mother on one of their first dates at a Stones concert. It never leaves my drawer.
I started wearing [ Jo Malone London’s] Red Roses when I was 22. I smelt it on a friend of mine, loved how gentle and sweet it was, and begged her to tell me what it was What drew you to working with Jo Malone London? PD: When the opportunity came up to work with Jo Malone London, I leapt at the chance. It is a brand which has been a part of my life for a long time and I have always loved it. It’s British like I am, and there is something infinitely special and quirky
What is your favourite fashion decade? PD: The ’70s. Over and over again. Available from June 2017. Orange Blossom cologne, £64 for 50ml, Tuberose Angelica cologne, £74 for 50ml, Jo Malone London, jomalone.co.uk
1. Irisss, £560 for 100ml, Xerjoff, harrods.com 2. L’Ombre dans l’Eau, £45 for 30ml, Diptyque, diptyqueparis.co.uk 3. Velvet Cypress, £165 for 50ml, Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com 4. Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel, £39 for 50ml, Molton Brown, moltonbrown.co.uk
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Sunglasses, £790, Linda Farrow, lindafarrow.com; striped white cotton shirt, £440, Dior Homme, dior.com; navy silk twill blazer with tribal print, £1,680, Versace, versace.com; black wide leg trousers, £495, Alexander McQueen, alexandermcqueen.com; Sporter bag, £1,095, Purdey, purdey.com; top frame briefcase, £1,400, Simpson London, simpson-london.com
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| xxxx |
indian summer
“Did you ever build a castle in the air? Here is one, brought down to earth, and fixed for the wonder of the ages.” – Bayard Taylor, American poet and author, on seeing the Taj Mahal photographer: alexander beer
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Cotton linen pastel pink jacket, £565, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk; powder blue slim fit cotton chinos, £145, Gieves & Hawkes, gievesandhawkes.com; leather cased triple flask finder set, £495, Purdey, as before; white sneakers, £375, Alexander McQueen, as before
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| fashion | xxxx |
Single-breasted jacket with shawl lapels, £630, oversized paper wool garbardine trousers, £460, silk blend scarf, £170, Emporio Armani, armani.com; sunglasses, £790, Linda Farrow, as before; white mirror hem tank top, £380, Givenchy, givenchy.com; white sneakers, £375, Alexander McQueen, as before
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Green suede jacket, £1,095, Irish linen trousers, £245, linen shirt, £215, Richard James, as before; Paris silk scarf, POA, Marc-Antoine Barrois, marcantoinebarrois.com; leather case triple flask finder set, £495, leather pen, £595, Purdey, as before
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| fashion |
UN RETOUCHED
Polo shirt, £730, Missoni, missoni.com; Irish linen trousers, £245, Richard James, as before; Paris silk scarf, POA, Marc-Antoine Barrois, as before
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Peach lantern print cotton shirt with camp collar, ÂŁ175, Gieves & Hawkes, as before; coffee trousers, ÂŁ295, Dunhill, dunhill.com
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| fashion |
Beige cotton trousers, POA, striped silk blend top, POA, beige cotton jacket, POA, Salvatore Ferragamo, ferragamo.com; sunglasses, £790, Linda Farrow, as before; silk scarf with game feathers print, £250, Purdey, as before; top frame briefcase, £1,400, gusset document case, £630, back bag, £6,500, Simpson London, as before STYLIST: Steven Doan MODEL: Sam Webb @ Select Models WITH THANKS TO: Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, oberoihotels.com luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Words: David Taylor
Your monthly sartorial meeting
The style Brief
CHECKLIST For the dad who likes to race around in his soft top, try these for size from top: Navy merino cardigan, £395, Hardy Amies, hardyamies.com; Brooklands goggles, £995, E.B. Meyrowitz, ebmeyrowitz.co.uk; slim-fit chinos, £165, AMI, mrporter.com; card holder, £125, Harrys of London, harrysoflondon.com
Porter goes Gucci
Mr Porter X Gucci capsule
Mr Porter has teamed up with Gucci to release an exclusive collaboration capsule collection, under the creative direction of the celebrated Alessandro Michele. Expect lavishness. mrporter.com
Billion dollar rebrand Billionaire S/S17
Following the acquisition of Billionaire by the Plein Luxury Group last year, the brand has been completely redeveloped. The new S/S17 collection is aimed at the successful ‘modern gentleman’, including metallic dinner jackets, sequined blazers, silk jacquard suits, and velvet slippers. Get ready to splash the cash. billionairecouture.com
Crocodile leather trench, £96,240
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| style |
Online artisans Luca Faloni
The aim of Luca Faloni is simple: offer Italian artisanal clothing to the world by selling online and cutting out expensive middlemen. The range includes wardrobe staples, like cashmere knitwear and cotton piqué polo shirts, sourced from the most prestigious Italian producers. lucafaloni.com
CHECKLIST Make sure there are no last-minute panic buys for Father’s Day with a gift to honour the main man of the house from top: Cotton Riviera T-shirt, £70, Sunspel, sunspel.com; Cognac classic bent pipe, $300.50 (approx. £233), Davidoff Geneva, davidoffgeneva.com; paisley dot robe, £45, John Lewis, johnlewis.com; Crowning Glory loafers, £225, Duke + Dexter, dukeanddexter.com
Let it be light
Hugo Boss S/S17
Long nights of Pimm’s demand a fresh look to your summer wardrobe. Hugo Boss offers lightweight formalwear, alongside more unstructured, informal pieces inspired by a parachute’s versatility. hugoboss.com
Bootleg booze
Oliver Sweeney x Talisker
Talisker whisky has partnered with bootmaker Oliver Sweeney to create a ‘Made by the Sea’ walking boot, accompanied by a bottle of Scotch. Cheers. £595, oliversweeney.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Words: david taylor
Match your luggage to the tropical waters of your next destination
into the blue
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1. Belgrave tech leather trolley, £1,695, Harrys of London, harrods.com 2. Cruise 26” trolley case, £1,510, Globe-Trotter, globe-trotter.com 3. Limbo cabin multiwheel, £589, Rimowa, rimowa.com 4. Zurich 68cm 4-wheel suitcase, £149, John Lewis, johnlewis.com 5. Horizon 55, £2,700, Louis Vuitton, uk.louisvuitton.com 6. International carry-on, £445, TUMI, uk.tumi.com
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
Sapper Henry Sakyi, shot by Ben Weller for Mr Porter, styling by Dan May (shirt, Emma Willis; tie, Lanvin; jacket, Boglioli; trousers, Polo Ralph Lauren)
Handstitched for Soldiers Behind the shopfront of bespoke Mayfair shirtmaker Emma Willis lies a business with a rigorous commitment to promoting English skills and giving back to the Armed Forces
Words: Emma Johnson
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| FEATURE |
“H
from top Emma Willis measuring soldiers at Headley Court; outside her Jermyn Street store; the Gloucester Factory
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
i Emma, I’m wearing one of your lovely new shirts,” writes a soldier called Matt on Emma Willis’ website. “The new shirts really are perfect, I feel like a total boss wearing a tie and its great actually being able to do up the top button on my shirt without help.” This is cheering news for Matt – a soldier who returned from Afghanistan with lifechanging injuries and for whom every aspect of life, including simply getting dressed, now poses a set of complicated and unprecedented challenges. When shirtmaker Emma Willis first thought about making bespoke shirts for injured servicemen, she didn’t expect it to become the landslide success it has. Moved by a BBC Radio 4 documentary about injured soldiers recuperating at Headley Court, Willis wanted to do something for them. “I just wanted to give them a gift,” she explains. “I wanted to give them something to say thank you. And I can do shirts, that’s what I do. So I asked if I could come in and give them all a shirt as a present.” It took Willis a year to get an invitation to Headley Court – the military establishment was initially wary of something it didn’t really understand. Gratitude for serving personnel it seems is something they don’t experience as much as you might think. She was finally welcomed in just before Christmas in 2009, and has been returning to Headley Court ever since, making shirts for more than 700 injured servicemen and women. “In the beginning, when I was there measuring them for a shirt, they’d say to me: ‘What is this? What are you doing? I don’t really understand.’ And I’d explain that I have a shirt-making shop and that I just wanted to give them a shirt as a token of my gratitude for all that they’ve done. And the looks on their faces – you can tell that meant a lot to them.” It is clear this simple kindness and generosity of spirit has made quite the impact. Page after page of letters from grateful servicemen on Willis’ website all pay testament to how touched and amazed they are that someone would want to help them in this way. “Thanks Emma, you really do creep into the hearts of us ragged,
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about stitching. We’ve grown a lot, but it’s still the same model. Almost everybody in our business works on the production side – we’ve got two people in admin, two in sales, and 26 in production.” It is perhaps this personable, approachable manner that has made Style for Soldiers such a roaring success. From modest beginnings, Emma’s kind and generous initiative has grown into a considerable charity enterprise, whose patrons include Prince Charles, The Duke of Bedford and David Gandy, and involves the likes of Marks & Spencer (which provides free suits for soldiers), James Lock (which gives hats), Bill Bird and Russell & Bromley (providing bespoke shoes), as well as Dunhill, Mulberry and Huntsman. Emma and her team also Emma Willis in the bespoke area of her Jermyn Street store; measuring soldiers at Headley Court organise events for injured soldiers. The largest, the Style for Soldiers Christmas Party, is perhaps the limpy but thankful army types. Bless you,” writes one of them. highlight, while family days at Woburn Safari Park offer partners “Believe me, and I’m pretty sure I speak for all the injured guys, we and children of injured soldiers a chance to share their experiences really appreciate the help and support we get from someone as and unique situations with those who can understand. selfless and dedicated as yourself,” writes another. “It really does t has enriched my life beyond belief,” says Willis. “I’ve make a difference to us.” made so many friends, met so many people. They’re Emma Willis bespoke shirts start at around £350, her clients all so selfless, and so patriotic – you don’t see that in including everyone from Daniel Craig to the Prince of Wales, and day-to-day life really now. They do this for the love of her shop on Jermyn Street is a veritable mecca for people wanting their country, they go to protect, not to fight.” to buy the best shirts in the world – handmade by a small highlyShe turns to a picture on the wall, a group of men, skilled team in her beautiful Victorian factory in Gloucester. immaculately dressed – a still from a photoshoot commissioned While she has dabbled in women’s clothing in the past, and has with Mr Porter. One of the men, Matt Weston, sitting in a plans for a new women’s store, it is men’s shirts that have always wheelchair with no legs and only one arm, regards the camera been Willis’ raison d’etre. “I love the make, I love the fabric, and I with confidence. “The first party we threw, Matt came to, and he like being able to concentrate on quality,” she says. “Even within just sat in the corner, he was so shy and frightened,” says Willis. cottons now, there are so many different weaves and structures “Last year, he made a speech in front of hundreds of people, and and weights, which all lend themselves to a different look – more he was brilliant. Cool as a cucumber.” casual, more formal, better for hotter weather. The trouble with Standing next to him, she tells me, is Henry Sakyi, so women’s fashion is that you have to redesign every season and you traumatised by his injuries that he had never looked in the mirror spend your life having to reinvent, and that can be at the cost of after his accident. “He had no job, he’d lost all his confidence, and how the thing is made.” at that photo session they told him how handsome he was and Emma Willis bespoke shirts come with images of the shirt being said that he should be on the front cover of GQ. It took some time made, while online customers are sent videos of seamstresses – but he told me how he now looks in the mirror proudly and has measuring, cutting and sewing their specific shirts. Supervising this picture hanging up at home.” seamstress Kath Muir liaises with all the customers throughout the emmawillis.com/style-for-soldiers sewing process. “We’re trying to make it as virtual an experience as possible,” says Willis. “I think we are quite unique in doing it, and our customers love it. Even the most sophisticated man who has everything, and lives on the other side of the world, loves to receive a picture of somebody cutting their shirt in England.” Along with the head of Condé Nast, Jonathan Newhouse, Willis has pioneered a sewing school run from her factory in Gloucester, where graduates are trained, for free, two evenings a week, before graduating with a qualification that they can take to some of Britain’s best brands. Top performing students are awarded the £10,000 Condé Nast Sewing Scholarship and often end up working for Willis. “I’ve got five graduates working for me, all from top fashion degree courses, because there is nothing demeaning about actually making something. British skill is valued worldwide – we have exceptional skills here.” When I arrive to interview Emma, she is on her London shop floor, sitting at the counter, sorting samples and answering the phone. “I like being in contact with it all. Our line of communication is extremely short. When I’m at the factory, it’s a pair of trainers and a T-shirt and I’m sitting with the girls in production talking
“I
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| FEATURE |
“I’ve made so many friends, met so many people. They’re all so selfless, and so patriotic – you don’t see that in day-to-day life really now”
Lance Corporal William Cassidy Little, shot by Ben Weller for Mr Porter, styling by Dan May (Tie and shirt, Emma Willis; wool suit, Hackett)
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Words: richard brown
On the highest sartorial stage, success starts with selecting the right shirt
Art of the Wedding Shirt
Get To The Church On Time Spend £1,000 or more in a Thomas Pink store, and if you are getting married within the M25, the shirt-maker can arrange a complimentary chauffeur service in its Pink Morgan four-seater car.
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n the struggle to assure your office that you are the swaggering, self-confident paradigm of style you visualise in your head, your shirt becomes the first weapon in your wardrobe. Yet when it comes to weddings, the shirt often gets overlooked, relegated to a place behind the tie, pocket square and shoes. Pity the fool who thinks his standard nine to five work shirt will do. If you’re employed in the City, dressing for a wedding can feel like getting ready for work. A sophisticated tie/pocket square combination can inject some personality, ditto a pair of not-too-lairy block-coloured socks. But when it comes to your shirt, only white, crisp and fitted will do. Enter Personally Pink, Thomas Pink’s made-to-order service providing grooms and their groomsmen with a tailored starting point for the big day. Clients start with sleeve length, collar, chest and waist measurements, and a choice between three Thomas Pink blocks; Classic Fit, Slim Fit and Super Slim Fit. You’re then presented with more than 200 fabrics, from renowned Italian mill Albini. Next, opt for your preferred placket, button type and choose between 13 different collars and multiply cuffs. Finally, get personal by having your initials monogrammed on your shirt or cuff. Orders arrive in store three weeks later. Weddings are stressful, selecting the right shirt doesn’t have to be. Personally Pink made-to-order shirts start at £175. Thomas Pink’s White Shirt Bar is available at the Royal Exchange; thomaspink.com
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
in common, however, is that they currently belong in the wrong season. Spice notes, oud, leather – you name it – it’s probably more suited to a cable knit jumper than to your swimming trunks. But not to fret, there are plenty of lighter scents to see you through the summer nights.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Words: david taylor
M
ost of us have our favourite fragrance: the cologne you inherited from your father; the eau de toilette you used in your youth that brings back heady memories; the scent you once accidentally sprayed and is now your go-to. What all of these might have
The fairer sex doesn’t have the monopoly over summer fragrances
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1. Mr. Burberry, £88 for 150ml, Burberry, burberry.com 2. Outrageous, £130 for 100ml, Frederic Malle, fredericmalle.com 3. Colonia ambra, £170 for 100ml, Acqua di Parma, johnlewis.com 4. Black Powder, £130 for 78ml, Jusbox, selfridges.com 5. Cobalt amber, £98 for 50ml, Abel, abelodor.com 6. Bibliothèque, £150 for 100ml, Byredo, byredo.co.uk 7. Sole di Positano, £139.50 for 50ml, Tom Ford, johnlewis.com
breath of fresh air
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out of office Birds sit in a tree at sunrise in the Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka. Read more about the island on page 100
all the tea in sri lanka (p.100)
The civilised plantations surrounded by the wilds of the subcontinent
way out west (p.104)
antigua’s curtain bluff is not your average family hotel
into the wild (p.106)
how the seychelles has become more than just a holiday resort
d e r e
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et, ck i r c sh i l ng r E ad o f ro er m rt B m a u t s Stu n c rta ni po sma im li an ’s ta f o nd ad gla e Ah h En t wi
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Grey h oun d s i n t h e sl i p s When Broad is bowling, the fielders can smell blood .
1. Stuart Broad, Nottinghamshire 2. Jonny Bairstow, Yorkshire 3. Alastair Cook, Kent 4. Joe Root, Yorkshire 5. James Vince, Hampshire 6. James Anderson, Lancashire.
Image from the Second Investec Test, England vs Sri Lanka, May 2016
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I
t’s been a fruitful few years for Stuart Broad. The last time The City Magazine caught up with the Nottinghamshire and England seam bowler in 2012, the 25-year-old had already ingrained himself in a young and fearless England set-up beating the best cricketing nations in the world. This included 2009’s last-gasp Ashes win over the old foes of Australia, Broad taking five wickets for 37 runs on the way to being named man of the match. Back then, we asked what was left for Broad to accomplish. Fast forward five years, and the 30-year-old has an MBE to his name for services to cricket; services which reached a peak in 2015 with a magnificent 8-15 against (who else?) Australia. Add this to his 6-17 against South Africa in their own back yard – including five wickets for one run in a spell he says was “the best feeling I’ve had on a cricket field” – and it becomes clear England’s third-highest alltime wicket taker is only getting better. Broad’s five best wicket hauls have all come in the last five years. For him, this comes down to experience: “It feels like a rhythm thing. My knees feel like they’re picking up nicely, I feel very light in my run up. I just have a mentality that once I get an opening, a bit of a sniff, I’m just thinking about getting that batsman out. “You can’t do that all the time, because if you do, on certain pitches, you’re going to go for a lot of
Test of the season, against South Africa at Lord’s on 6 July, the prospect of the winter Ashes tour is difficult to ignore. Even a consummate professional like Broad finds himself preoccupied: “You don’t want to look too much ahead, but still now when I’m preparing in nets pre-game, I’m thinking ‘What am I going to do to David Warner, Steve Smith, these guys at the Gabba [in Brisbane]?’ There won’t be many more high-pressure moments than stepping out at Lord’s against South Africa in that first Test of the summer, and the Ashes Test at the Gabba. To be successful in such intense moments, making an immediate impact is key. “Throughout my career, there doesn’t seem to be much doubt that I’ve actually performed better under more pressure, so maybe there’s something in the crowd atmosphere that really gets my juices flowing and makes me a better bowler,” Broad suggests. “I can’t shy away from the fact that I seem to bowl better in an Ashes Test Match than I do in a pre-season friendly.” The summer ahead is seen by many as a defining moment for the current England crop. Although ranked fourth in the latest ICC Test rankings, and fifth in both 50-over and Twenty20 formats, there is huge potential in a team galvanised by new captain Joe Root and second-in-command Ben Stokes. Eoin Morgan has been a dominant leader of England’s short game, and continues his tenure this summer, with England the favourites to win their first title in seven years in the Champion’s Trophy this month. Broad is not currently a feature in England’s shortgame squads, and although a firm believer in the purity of Test cricket, his desire for playing all forms has only
We’re about there. Come July through to the winter, it might just be time for this Test team to really shine boundaries. But there are certain times – and I’ve learnt this with experience – when I know to really ramp it up and get the most out of the pitch. “I used to think that it just happens from time to time, but those spells have come more consistently over the past three or four years.” Broad has a spicy history with Australian cricket. During England’s 2013 tour Down Under, one Brisbane paper banned him from their pages, instead referring to him as the “English medium pace bowler”. However, during his recent spell at Hobart Hurricanes in Australia’s Big Bash tournament, Broad saw the more favourable side of their support: “They were fantastic. I must admit, it was a strange feeling being on an Australian ground where I was getting cheered and [Australian batsman] Shane Watson was getting booed. “I felt very welcomed into Hobart. I felt like I was really part of the community. The Big Bash does that: the players are very involved in park cricket and events around the cities they’re playing in. “I think Australian crowds are brilliant. As a sportsman, you want to play in front of crowds that have an atmosphere. Everyone’s there for the same reason...for entertainment, aren’t they? Admittedly, it’s our job, but we still play because we love it.” The well wishes only go so far. This year, after a long home summer, England will travel to Australia to defend the Ashes, with the countries tied at 32 series wins each. While the England players will have their eyes locked firmly on the first Investec
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grown stronger: “I’m desperate to [re-join the short game]. It’s the reason I went to the Big Bash, to be honest with you. It was a great experience, but it was to really help my game move forward, and play some white ball cricket again. “The only thing I can do is put myself in a place where if the selectors need a bowler, I’m fit, fresh, taking wickets and available. I think that’s all a sportsman can do, really. I must say, whether I’m part of it or not, I think England have a fantastic chance in this Champion’s Trophy, playing the sort of cricket that England fans want to see them play. There’s absolute power throughout all the batting order; the top eight can all be match winners on their day, and the mindset that the guys have in that team is hugely impressive. So, whether I get to play 50-over cricket for England again, I’m a huge fan of the team.” As for the Test squad, the man who has taken 368 wickets in 102 matches is an integral part of a team showing signs of finally realising their potential. England face South Africa and West Indies in two heavy-hitting Test series before the Ashes tour in November. Broad is bullish about their chances: “I have huge ambition for this England Test team to be at the top of the rankings. We certainly have the personnel to do that. We have guys now that have played 25, 30 Tests, and guys who have played over 100 Tests. “We’re about there. Come July through to the winter, it might just be time for this Test team to really shine.” Judging by the last five years, expect Broad to have a leading role.
Stuart Broad
is an Investec Test Cricket ambassador. Visit cricket.investec.com for information on this summer’s cricket, and clickandinvest.com for a new way to invest online
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Parachute to Petra
Red Bull Air Force member Miles Daisher BASE jumping over the UNESCO World Heritage site the Petra Treasury, in Jordan. Photo: ŠFarras Oran/Red Bull Content Pool
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Life like Mars
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has designed the Ultimate Pop-up Volcano Adventure. Experience the beauty of Hawai’i Island’s volcanoes by helicopter and reach places otherwise inaccessible. Feel like you’re stepping onto another world. Image: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, fourseasons.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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full name nicholas hilmy kyrgios born canberra, australia age 22 height 1.93m (6ft 4 ins) turned pro 2013 highest ranking no.13 (24th october 2016) current ranking no.19
this image Nick Kyrgios at the 2015 Rogers Cup on 11 August, in Montreal. Š pdrocha/ shutterstock.com OPPOSITE Nick Kyrgios before his third round match at Roland Garros 2015 in Paris. ŠLeonard Zhukovsky/shutterstock.com
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Teen Idle? He’s certainly not the first foul-mouthed, swaggering sportsman to come out of Australia, but as Nick Kyrgios continues to play the bad boy, even his fans Down Under are starting to lose patience with him. Perhaps Wimbledon will be the tournament that sees the enfant terrible of tennis finally fulfil his potential? Words: Chris Allsop
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t was at the Shanghai Masters at the tail-end of 2016 that the brief and controversial tennis career of 22-year-old Nick Kyrgios reached its nadir. Clad in a hot-pink tennis shirt with matching hat worn backwards, the 6ft4ins Australian, up against German Mischa Zverev, tanked the match with aplomb. He walked off court before Zverev had a chance to return Kyrgios’s spectacularly indifferent serve; offered insults to a protesting fan in the crowd; and at one point asked the umpire, “Can you call time so I can finish this match and go home?” Post-debacle analysis of his Twitter account suggested that, with hashtags like ‘#TourGrind’, fatigue might have played a part in his choosing not to contest the match. Others shrugged the incident off as simply the ugliest of an apparently endless stream of tantrums from the “obstreperous manchild”, as The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown had it, who regularly clocks up fines for audible obscenities and once reacted to defeat by systematically smashing his spare rackets, one after another, while still on court. Following Shanghai, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) handed Kyrgios an eightweek ban and a $16,500 (£12,700) fine. The ATP also suggested that the young player should see a psychologist. A few wondered if the ban might be the end of Kyrgios’s up-and-down tennis career. His appetite for the game – for which he is endowed with a natural talent as prodigious
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Nick Kyrgios during the US Open 2015 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York. ŠLeonard Zhukovsky/shutterstock.com
Next tournament
With the clay court season at an end, Kyrgios will probably want to play at least one tournament before Wimbledon – the Aegon Championships in London from 19 June would be the sensible choice
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| FEATURE |
as that of the very top players – has always seemed shaky at best, and he’s often spoken of his preference for basketball (in one interview claiming that he plans to quit tennis at 27 to pursue dunks and jump-shots professionally). “One week, I’m pretty motivated to train and play,” he said during a candid interview following his straight sets defeat to Andy Murray at last year’s Wimbledon. “Another week, I’ll just not do anything.” He went on to reveal that his preparation for the fourth-round match had almost entirely involved playing video games. Kyrgios returned to the circuit after Shanghai, claiming that the counselling had helped. But perhaps the navel-gazing had been at the expense of his training: soon after, he crashed out of the second round of the Australian Open – an event that he won the junior equivalent of in 2013. He’s used to abuse and happily gives as good as he gets (see the Piers Morgan slanging match on Twitter), but described the Australian Open fallout as feeling like “the whole of Australia was against me” – as Shane Warne intimated in 2015 when he wrote, “You’re testing our patience, mate”, in an open letter to Kyrgios on Facebook. Sports-mad Aussies aren’t shy about sharing their feelings. With no coach around to ease his battered psyche, perhaps it was genuinely game over this time for the once-lauded wunderkind, destined to disintegrate into another cautionary tale of wasted talent… And what a waste it would be. Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Andy Murray have all fallen before the
Naturally, all of this unconventional chutzpah makes Kyrgios box office for the sport. In a modern game replete with polished professionals treating one another with deference and respect, Kyrgios’s louche swagger and bad boy cred is a rarer thing than it was in the era of McEnroe, Nastase and Connors. But his antics have a distinctly juvenile edge, as witnessed when he muttered to Stan Wawrinka, as they were swapping ends during a match, that, “Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.” The suggestion that Thanasi Kokkinakis, a fellow Australian tennis pro, had slept with Wawrinka’s tennis pro girlfriend, Donna Vekic, reportedly led to a locker-room bust-up and an eventual apology from Kyrgios (that Wawrinka claims wasn’t related to him personally). As exemplified by Paul Gascoigne or Bobby Fischer, it’s a darker kind of box office when a colourful talent begins to publicly self-destruct; isolated and ground down by the backlash following this year’s Australian Open, it was little wonder that some began to suggest that perhaps the star’s truculence and tanking had been indicators of something more troubling, such as depression. If so, it’s all the more miraculous that Kyrgios has since rallied – no pun intended – and begun to achieve new levels in his tennis. Perhaps his country’s vitriol has fired something in him, for this year he has beaten Djokovic – the current world number two – twice, and nearly toppled the
It was little wonder that some began to suggest that perhaps the star’s truculence and tanking had been indicators of something more troubling, such as depression might of Kyrgios’s 130mph serve and an electric forehand that combines precision and power. But the current world number 15 has yet to proceed beyond the quarter-finals of a major tournament. “There is no doubt that he has a big game,” Novak Djokovic recently observed of the mercurial Kyrgios. “It just depends on him and his commitment to the sport.” It’s been observed that Kyrgios’s professed preference for basketball, and comments such as “I feel comfortable playing [the underdog]”, are ways of deflecting the immense expectations resting on his narrow shoulders. Born and raised in Canberra to a Greek father and a Malaysian mother with royal ties in her home country, the goateed Kyrgios was recognised early on by Pat Cash as a singular young talent. But Cash also recognised Kyrgios’s lack of discipline with regards training, caused, some suggest, by a level of competitiveness that means if a score isn’t being taken then Kyrgios simply won’t engage. His continued lack of mental maturity is well documented in his various court outbursts (he also recently posted his BMW for sale on Facebook), and a recent New York Times profile suggested he’s most at ease when in the company of those half his age.
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resurgent Federer in the Miami Open semi-finals. He’s even back in Australia’s good graces having affected the country’s advancement to the semis of the Davis Cup, citing the team camaraderie and Lleyton Hewitt’s support (yet another temporary mentor in place of a fulltime coach) as beneficial factors boosting his mental resilience. With such an intense start to the year, Kyrgios chose to skip the Monte-Carlo Masters in April to reportedly overcome fatigue and focus on clay court practice. Perhaps it was a move forced by his physical state, but it might also suggest that Kyrgios is thinking more strategically, working harder for success on clay ahead of Wimbledon – his joint best-performing Grand Slam event to date. Can the coachless, anti-gentleman really defy the odds and challenge for Wimbledon’s Gentleman’s Singles Trophy? As former world number one Jim Courier said after Kyrgios helped boot the US out of the Davis Cup: “When he’s engaged and focused and concentrating and resilient [he was down a break in three different sets and found a way to win] that’s a player who can and should be top five in the world by the end of the year.”
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Licence to thrill
It’s the classic British car brand that any James Bond fan knows instinctively. Originally released to tie in with Aston Martin’s 100th Anniversary in 2013, alongside Bond’s 2012 turn in Skyfall, this re-release of René Staud’s outstanding collection of photography is the most comprehensive love letter you’ll ever read
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taud is renowned in the auto industry as one of the world’s pre-eminent car photographers. Starting as a wedding photographer, Staud eventually found his true calling and has been at the top of the car game for more than 30 years. Trusted by the very best brands, he has worked with Audi, Mercedes and Maserati among others, and is based in his studios in Leonberg, less than half an hour from Porsche’s hometown of Stuttgart and flanked by a triumvirate of the marque’s various automotive centres. Having already put together teNeues books on the Mercedes 300 SL and the Porsche 911 to great acclaim, he turned his attention to Aston Martin, and the results are a celebration of the brand from its beginnings to the present day. The new small format edition, released by teNeues for its S/S17 collection, makes the book easier to handle, but retains the powerfully evocative images taken by Staud. A must have for any car – or spy – enthusiast.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
DB2/4 Mk III, 1957-1959, Photo: ©Staud Studios GmbH, Leonberg, Germany. All rights reserved
The Aston Martin Book by René Staud, small format edition, published by teNeues, £29.95, teneues.com
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THREE DAYS OF EXCLUSIVE GLAMOUR AND AUTOMOTIVE ELEGANCE
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set in silverstone
The Silverstone Classic is the world’s largest motor racing event. The City Magazine gets a slice of the high-octane action Words: Jeremy Taylor
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ccording to an unwritten motoring bylaw, probably proposed by a gentleman in leather driving gloves and seconded by the RAC, all cars built in the second half of the last century had to come equipped with two garden chairs. The boot must also be large enough to carry a picnic hamper and rug, plus all the trimmings. It certainly seems that way as I walk around the Silverstone Classic – the world’s largest festival of motor racing. Car clubs honouring Jaguar, Morgan, Lotus and more are camped on the grassy infield, keen to show off acres of paintwork and polished chrome. Proud owners sit on their folding chairs, happy to take questions from some of the 100,000-odd visitors who travel to this three-day smorgasbord of motoring every July. It’s this mechanical melee of every type of historical motor that makes the Silverstone Classic so spectacular. More than 10,000 classic cars converge on the headquarters of British motorsport for the gathering. Some carry the obligatory garden chairs, but hundreds more are here to compete in a series of races that serve up more drama than
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Did you know? Silverstone hosted the first official F1 Grand Prix in 1950. King George VI was in attendance.
anything Formula One has to offer. Where else could you see a selection of classic 500cc racing motorbikes screaming around a racetrack, followed by Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren MP4 Grand Prix car, then 20 classic Austin-Healeys and a monster American Can-Am car all in one afternoon? Apart from action on the track and thousands of classic cars, visitors soak up the vintage atmosphere with live music, demonstrations and a period funfair that includes a motorcycle wall of death and big wheel. The music features sets by The Stranglers and Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats.
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here’s also a chance to watch parades celebrating 80 years of the Morgan 4/4, 40 years of the first transaxle Porsche, and 50 years of the Lamborghini Miura. Any excuse to hold a display is gladly accepted at the Classic. It would be wrong to turn up at an event like this in anything but the right car. So I’ve borrowed a BMW 3.0 Batmobile especially for the occasion. Just over 1,000 of these be-spoilered coupes were built in the early 1970s as a racetrack rival to the Ford Capri. The Batmobile belongs to BMW’s historic fleet and I’m convinced it will be a serious head-turner. My plan is to drive it on the Classic’s own Retro Run, which involves hundreds of cars following a road route around the surrounding Northamptonshire countryside. The Batmobile’s modern-day equivalent is BMW’s most expensive offering – the M6 Gran Coupé. Thanks to soaring classic car prices, my 1972 model is now worth in excess of £150,000. Retro Run entrants gather in their machines at nearby Stowe House. The magnificent country pile played host to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845 but is now a private school with a roll call of ‘Old Stoics’ that includes David Niven, George Melly and Sir Richard Branson. The Batmobile is without doubt the stand-out car and when I arrive at Silverstone later, we’re swamped with well-wishers. I don’t have any garden
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chairs but it takes me more than an hour before I can finally lock the door and head off to see what else the Classic has to tempt me. Unlike F1, you don’t need the right coloured wristband or to know the right people to get in the paddocks. This is one of the highlights of the weekend – wandering among some of the craziest cars ever built for the track. The garages normally used for Formula One racing are instead packed with an eclectic mix of retro machines waiting to race. The public mingle with drivers in their overalls, earplugs are a necessity and the unmistakable whiff of high-octane fuel drifts among the crowds.
The BMW 3.0 Batmobile. Photography by ShotAway
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| motoring |
where to go
Silverstone Circuit Towcester, NN12 8TN silverstoneclassic.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
One of the most popular cars is a monstrous McLaren M8F that will later duel on the circuit with a Matra MS670B. Anyone who thinks classic car owners hold back during a race should have been there to watch that scrap. The Super Touring Trophy Cars on display recall an era when the British Touring Car Championship was as popular as F1. Twenty-five years ago, nine manufacturers were involved in the close quarters action that was BTCC. Back then, drivers like retired F1 ace Nigel Mansell and Steve Soper thrilled huge TV audiences. The leader board in a BTCC race changed many times – a feature sadly missing from current Formula One. Last year’s Classic also featured motorcycle racing for the first time. I watch a World GP Bike Legends race that includes former champions like Phil Read and Wayne Gardner, screaming around the circuit with their foot pedals sending sparks off the track. The Saturday schedule at Silverstone includes 16 hours of track racing that doesn’t finish until the sun sets at 9pm. There are shuttle buses and cars ferrying people around the huge site but I end my day walking back to the Batmobile, reflecting on some of the best track racing I’ve seen in years. The Silverstone Classic may not have the gloss of Goodwood, or the glam of Italy’s Villa d’Este, but if you love cars, it should be at the top of your must-see events. Garden chairs optional. The 2017 Silverstone Classic takes place 28-30 July, silverstoneclassic.com
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MASS MATERIALS Emerging from the vibrant post-independence art movements of West Africa, El Anatsui has been transforming everyday objects into art for 50 years Words: MARK AND HANNAH HAYES-WESTALL
w from top Untitled, edition 1 of 3, 2016. Ink on Somerset 300 gsm paper with aluminum applique, 140.5 x 100cm. Photo ©Jonathan Greet, courtesy of October Gallery and Factum Arte; TSIATSIA – Searching For Connection, 2013. Aluminium and copper wire, 15.6 x 25m. Courtesy of October Gallery; El Anatsui at Factum Arte Studio. Photo by Oak Taylor-Smith
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
riting in the 1990s, far in advance of the social media revolution, the author Don DeLillo coined the phrase “the future belongs to crowds”. The line appears in his novel Mao II, and is concerned with the nature of crowds and how they relate to personal and collective identity. As readers of The City Magazine well know, crowds, their movement, output and opinions, shape our lives through the medium of the markets. Similarly to the markets, the works of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui are shaped by many hands, change from moment to moment, and reject all attempts at conclusive interpretation. Since the dawn of the age of mass production, the idea of work created by distant, unknown others, and transformed into art by the choices of the artist has been explored by creatives. For example, artists like Marcel Duchamp, with his ‘readymades’ such as his controversy courting urinals; Andy Warhol with his factory objects such as the Brillo Box; and Ai Weiwei with his bicycle installation.
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Anatsui’s works are shaped by many hands, change from moment to moment, and reject all attempts at conclusive interpretation.
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arder to capture, and consequently less explored, is how that invisible crowd of other makers can become in itself a kind of medium. In the post-industrial landscape of West Africa, Anatsui has created a synthesis of classical African art explored within the framework of contemporary western practices. For Anatsui, who has lived and taught in Nsukka, Nigeria for most of his adult life, the discarded materials of modern life, and the way that these materials are reused in poorer societies, provide a way to engage with the cultural, social and economic histories of West Africa. Items such as old wooden house support posts, chainsawed hardwood, and repurposed mortars used to extract palm nut oil formed the key materials of his early work. These were sculptures that took the forms of archetypes and ancestral spirits representing older
FIND the work October Gallery, WC1N, octobergallery.co.uk
left El Anatsui working at October Gallery, 1995. Photo by Craig Inglis OPPOSITE PAGE Avocado Coconut Egg (ACE), detail, 2016. Aluminum and copper wire, 260 x 270cm. Photo ©Jonathan Greet, courtesy of October Gallery; Ancient Cloth Series VIII, 1993. Tempera on okpo-ocha, oyili-oji, opepe, and oke-ofo woods, 72 x 149 x 2.5cm. From a private collection. Photo by Andy Keate; Mike Ward and El Anatsui at Factum Arte Studio. Photo by Oak Taylor-Smith
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classical traditions. However, it was at the start of the new millennium that Anatsui began to experiment with the material that would bring him worldwide fame. Having come across a bag of metal seals from African liquor bottles in 1999, he created a technique of crushing the soft metal into circles and cutting these into strips, then stitching the pieces together with copper wire to create large-scale works that are both sculpture and fabric. With their flexible folds and drapes, these bottle-top works (as they are now known) are huge, shimmering pieces made from discarded materials. They are unusual in the world of sculpture in that each time they are moved to a new location, they are installed in a space as the curator chooses, changing the way they look. It is a mutability that the artist not only encourages, but engineers – Anatsui sees the curators and institutions that show his work as partners in its creation, and with each work, he believes his creative process is opened up to a crowd of unknown future collaborators. “I don’t want to be a dictator,” Anatsui said in the 2003 Fowler Museum catalogue accompanying his touring exhibition El Anatsui: Gawu. “I want to be somebody who suggests things.” In the same vein, Anatsui rejects complex titles, allowing viewers to develop their own interpretation of the work. Anatsui’s art engages with the history of colonial and post-colonial economic and cultural exchange, told through the stories of cast-off materials. His reference points include both what he refers to as a nomadic aesthetic, wherein items of value must also be easily portable (drawing some to see parallels with Europe’s tapestry traditions), and global consumerism, including the related history of slavery. “I saw the bottle caps as relating to the history of Africa in the sense that when the earliest group of Europeans came to trade, they brought along rum originally from the West Indies that then went to Europe and finally to Africa as three legs of the triangular trip,” Anatsui said in an interview for ARTnews. “The drink caps that I use are not made in Europe; they
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| art |
In 2015, after five decades of creating and teaching art, Anatsui was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement award by the 56th Venice Biennale. In 2016, alongside Steven Spielberg, he received an honorary doctorate from Harvard, and his works now hang in major art institutions on every continent. Anatsui’s work transcends lazy definitions of art from a specific location, yet retains a deep connection with the themes and histories of the African continent. In doing so, he has achieved the seemingly impossible task of capturing the ephemeral energy and beauty of the crowd. are all made in Nigeria, but they symbolise bringing together the histories of these two continents.” With their first UK showing in 2002, the bottle-top works were immediately recognised by the art world, resulting in the immediate acquisition of two pieces by the British Museum, where one has remained on permanent display at the entrance to the African Galleries since 2003. By 2007, the artist had three works installed as part of the Venice Biennale of that year, including, for the first time, a piece installed on the exterior of a building. Fresh and Fading Memories (2007) was a huge work, transforming the outside of the ancient Palazzo Fortuny, and resulting in a slew of commissions for ever-larger pieces of work to be installed on prominent buildings in major cities worldwide. In 2013, London’s Royal Academy courtyard saw the venerable gallery building covered in a sheet of shining colours, with the work TSIATSIA – Searching for Connection (2013) reflecting the skies above and crowds below, constantly changing, with a powerfully moving beauty that was as evanescent as it was impossible to define.
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Galerie Chenel, courtesy of Masterpiece London
preview
Masterpiece London The eighth edition of the cross-disciplinary fine art and antiques fair will land on Chelsea Embankment in June. The City Magazine cherry-picks the trends to look out for Words: camilla apcar
Fair finds Vertes
Pumpkin, Yayoi Kusama, 1995
Galerie Giovanni Sarti
galerie mathivet,
floor lamp, Franck Evennou, 2017
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Ascension of Christ with God the Father, four adoring angels, the Virgin and the Apostles
Neri Di Bicci, c.1475-1480
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| PROMOTION |
“but Modern British work is as relevant as American artists working at the same time, whose work can be so expensive.” Part of the era’s appeal is colour, says Hewat-Jaboor. “People want striking works in general, whether that’s a Patrick Heron painting or a Roman head. I think there’s Lucio Fontana, Concetto Spaziale – Natura, 1967, courtesy a need for visual immediacy in works that of Repetto Gallery people are collecting these days.” ast year, 40,000 visitors flocked to Ursula Casamonti is director of learn about and acquire works of art Tornabuoni Art London, which specialises at Masterpiece London. Although in post-war Italian art. “Italian Pop artists every piece on show is for sale, the fair such as Tano Festa and Franco Angeli are is also a chance to meet gallerists and performing very well at auctions,” she says. discover ancient and contemporary art – “While Lucio Fontana and Alighiero and everything in between. Boetti are at the top of the market due “Masterpiece is unique in how it to the historic importance of their work, arranges and mixes the exhibitors, who Festa and Angeli are new for collectors.” bring six millennia of art from all over the Works on paper are also a focus at world,” says chairman Philip Hewat-Jaboor. this year’s fair, especially by titans such as “It offers an unrivalled opportunity to be Pablo Picasso, David Hockney and Andy exposed to this extraordinary range of Warhol. “You can buy superb works by beautiful works of art under one roof, and leading artists at a fraction of the cost of at very different price points.” their canvasses,” says Ingram. “They are “You read headlines about art selling often more intimate and spontaneous. for millions, but there are large areas of the They provide a different perspective on the market that don’t require huge sums,” he artist’s work, which some people prefer to continues. “The majority are much more the more formal quality of painting.” accessible than people might think.” From £28, 29 June – 5 July, South Grounds, While the modern contemporary market The Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW3, reaches ever greater heights, contemporary masterpiecefair.com design, pottery and glass often appeal to Still Life: Maroochydore, 1980-1981, Courtesy of first-time collectors. Perhaps surprisingly, Offer Waterman certain areas of the classical antiquities market also offer good value, as do Renaissance bronzes and sculptures. This year’s edition of the fair will reflect the taste for modern British and Italian art that has heightened over the past few years. Pieces by Henry Moore, Howard Hodgkin, Bridget Riley and Barbara Hepworth will all be for sale. Gallerist Lyndsey Ingram, who specialises in this field as well as prints. “Some other areas of the market have become so expensive in the past few years,” she says,
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In association with Masterpiece London
Photography: Andy Barnham Photography
Philip Hewat-Jaboor chairman
My highlights this year include Masterpiece Presents, an immediate and perhaps unexpected introduction featuring a large-scale work by Chilean artist Iván Navarro, which Paul Kasmin Gallery has specially commissioned. Some people suspect we are more anchored in classical or traditional fields, but in fact we have always been strong in contemporary design, furniture and jewellery. It’s important to keep abreast of trends without leaving behind the areas we’ve always covered. Without question, beauty and the old connoisseurial taste are coming back into fashion, such as 18th-century furniture, where people are coming to understand the context of these works of art. I’m always very wary of investment, as I strongly believe you have to buy what you like – you get the best return on pleasure and mental stimulation.
modernity
pair of elizabeth armchairs
Ib Kofoed Larsen for Christiansen & Larsen, 1956
kalman maklary pliage
Hantai Simon, 1982
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All the tea in Sri Lanka Golden beaches, a tropical climate, wildlife-filled national parks and 150 years of Ceylon tea – why Sri Lanka is worth adding to your travel bucket list Words: LORRAINE CRIGHTON-SMITH
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t’s been 150 years since James Taylor, a Scotsman, started the first tea estate in British colonial Ceylon (today’s Sri Lanka), so when better for a nation of tea drinkers to pay the Indian Ocean island a visit? While tea production remains a huge part of Sri Lanka’s livelihood, as I discovered on a recent visit, there is far more to this tropical island off India’s southern tip than the perfect cuppa. Let’s start with Sri Lanka’s many national parks and the wildlife within them; this luscious green land is home to no fewer than 91 species of mammals. We went on a safari drive through Udawalawe National Park, during which we saw parades of elephants, wild buffalo, golden-tail jackals, exotic birds – including a changeable hawk eagle, white-throated kingfishers and a white egret – and peacocks a-plenty. There are leopards here, but we didn’t spot one. Our eagle-eyed tracker let us down gently by revealing that only 12 have been seen here in the past two years. However, a visit to Yala Park is recommended as it has the highest concentration of the ‘lesser-spotted’ leopard in the world.
from top The upper deck of the lobby at Anantara Kalutara, compete with ocean view; Joseph, our guide at Handunugoda Tea Estate; Joseph holding tea leaves ©Lorraine Crighton-Smith
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lephant enthusiasts should also factor in a visit to an elephant orphanage at feeding time. En route to our game drive, we stopped off at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home, which provides care to orphan calves until they can be released back to the wild. Be warned: seeing the little heffalumps gallop excitedly towards their milk will tug on the heart strings (and no, you’re not allowed to take one home with you). Golden beaches are another pull towards Sri Lanka. It’s a country that’s just a little smaller than the Republic of Ireland, but it’s surrounded by the Indian Ocean. The best beach to visit depends on the time of year and the weather conditions; Sri Lanka is tropical and downpours are common (there are two monsoon seasons: May – July and October – January) but, while it may be wet on one side of the island, you could find glorious sunshine on the other. We stayed in Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle resort on the south coast, which overlooks the Indian Ocean in all its glory; the only drawback was that the sea was too rough to swim in during our stay in November. Fret not, for there is a 25-metre swimming pool to cool down in (Sri Lanka’s heat is something else). If you stay in one of the resort’s luxurious private villas, like we did, you’ll be issued a butler who can taxi you around the resort in a rickshaw, or you could stay put to make the most of your luxurious space and private plunge pool. Dining out at the resort comes recommended and there are six options to choose between, so you shouldn’t get bored. Journeys is an international allday restaurant offering Sri Lankan dishes (be sure to try hoppers, light little fermented pancakes made out of rice flour and coconut milk that are much nicer than they sound), Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian cuisine as well an impressive breakfast spread. For an upmarket meal head to Il Mare, the contemporary
Italian restaurant perched dramatically on the cliffside, where you’ll find a combination of local anglers’ catches and gourmet Mediterranean ingredients. Push the boat out for the wagyu beef lasagne. If you’re keen to find out more about the local cuisine, sign up to a traditional Sri Lankan cookery experience with Spice Spoons at the hotel. Starting with a visit to the local fishing harbour and fruit and vegetable market, you’ll get a taste of what food shopping in Sri Lanka is like for the locals. The cooking lesson continues back at the hotel. We assisted chef Jayantha with whipping up Kalapu Isso Lunupumbala Beduma (batter-fried lagoon prawns with a curry, coconut sauce) and a selection of crab and vegetarian curries. The best bit? You get to eat it all at the end. From Tangalle, we travelled up to Anantara’s newer Sri Lankan resort in Kalutara on the southwest coast. On arrival we were immediately struck by the architecture, which is designed to dramatically showcase the Kalu River and the Indian Ocean backdrop. The original plans for the resort were designed by celebrated Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, who passed away, and the library here bears his name. Another resort, another pristine sandy beach complete with swaying coconut palms (it’s a hard life on holiday in Sri Lanka). Explore the historic
It’s a country that’s a little smaller than the Republic of Ireland, but it’s surrounded by the Indian Ocean town of Kalutara, the Edwardian Richmond Castle and ancient Buddhist shrine, Kalutara Chaithya. Back to the topic of tea: a visit to Sri Lanka isn’t complete without a trip to a tea plantation. Kandy is the birthplace of Ceylon tea, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, but to avoid the long drive we opted for the nearby Handunugoda Estate.
DID YOU kNOW?
Sri lanka trivia Cricket may be the most popular, but Sri Lanka’s national sport is actually volleyball Sri Lanka has two capital cities: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (the official and administrative capital) and Colombo (commercial) There are three main languages spoken in Sri Lanka: Sinhala, Tamil and English
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On our tour of the grounds and working factory ( featuring 150-year-old machinery) our guide, Joseph, taught us about the history of the tea in Sri Lanka. You can sample some fine teas at Handunugoda; don’t miss out on the signature white virgin tea that’s completely untouched by hand and packed with antioxidants. Another top travel tip while in Sri Lanka is to pay a visit to Galle. Stroll around the historic fortified city that was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century (before the arrival of the British) and marvel at the pairing of European architectural styles and South Asian traditions. Explore historic architecture, Buddhist temples, wildlife-packed national parks, and a rich and varied landscape – or catch a game of cricket. One thing’s for sure: the hospitality of Sri Lanka will welcome you with open arms, and cups of celebratory Ceylon tea. Anantara Kalutara Resort: rates start from £163 for a Deluxe Poolside Room on a bed & breakfast basis, kalutara.anantara.com; Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort: nightly rates start from £185 for an Ocean View Room on a bed & breakfast basis, tangalle.anantara.com
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CLOCkWISE From top Galle, ©Kengoo/ Shutterstock; Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, Il Mare; Anantara Kalutara Deluxe ocean view room interior; Elephants roaming free in Udawalawe National Park, ©Lorraine Crighton-Smith
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WAY OUT
WEST The City Magazine finds its place in the sun on the paradise island of Antigua Words: KATE HARRISON
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leeping with the sliding patio doors open, the calming crashes of the Caribbean ocean help me drift to sleep – think of it as nature’s lullaby. In my ocean-facing room at the Curtain Bluff resort in Antigua, I feel at one with the water, and that’s not only because it’s literally just outside. The colour scheme of the 72 bedrooms picks out the different shades of blue from its surrounding landscape. The aqua throw, turquoise valance and powder blue toned artwork hanging in front of my bed (where usually there might be a TV), all assist in a seamless transition from outside to inside. The absence of the TV is welcome; the ocean is my entertainment. Located on the island’s south coast, Curtain Bluff is not your average all-inclusive accommodation, and I slightly cringe at even referring to it as a resort. This is a luxury, boutique, beachfront property in a paradise, surrounded by uninterrupted beach and crystal waters, where the staff make you feel immediately welcome. It’s also a place of versatility; it suits a romantic getaway for two in the sun – I recommend the villa accommodation for its privacy and ocean views – but it is also a destination for adventure-seeking families, with a massive range of activities both on and off the premises. It even serves the lone traveller well, especially one with a health and wellness agenda.
FROM TOP A balcony at Curtain Bluff; an aerial view of Curtain Bluff and Bluff House ALL IMAGES Courtesy of Curtain Bluff
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HOW TO BOOK
Rooms from £558 per night, based on two adults sharing on an all-inclusive basis. Curtain Bluff is offering a US$100 in resort credit per room (code: SEECB17). This offer is valid for new bookings only. curtainbluff.com
How many resorts of a similar standing can claim two beautiful beaches from which to enjoy the waters? Curtain Bluff’s new complimentary wellness concierge will curate a programme for you. In collaboration with a chiropractor, specialist massage therapists and nutritionists, the team can ensure that a guest’s itinerary is entirely tailored and all dietary requirements looked after. Curtain Bluff wasn’t created overnight. While in his late fifties, renowned hotelier Howard Hulford and his wife Chelle were searching for the perfect piece of land in the Caribbean to call their own, and to build a private sanctuary for friends and family. This part of the coast caught the American couple’s eye from the cockpit of their plane in 1957. Then, it was simply goat pasture, poking out into the ocean, with one solitary tamarind tree. The government returned with a firm ‘no’ to plans for a private dwelling. However, a hotel, with jobs for the locals, was a yes. In 1962, the duo opened a 22-room resort, naming it after the bluff – the rocky peninsula – that separates its beaches. Howard lived here until his passing in 2009 and Chelle is still very much a big presence, and lives in Bluff House on the grounds. She hosts a weekly cocktail party at her home and is always checking on guests to make sure they have everything they need. Her loyalty to visitors old and new is smile-inducing, and its no wonder why this loyalty extends to those who return year after year. The hotel is built around its biggest asset: spectacular ocean views. But how many resorts of a similar standing can claim two beautiful beaches from which to enjoy the waters? Bay Beach is the hub of daytime activity – or inactivity, with a piña colada in hand. The jetty here is the departure point for dive trips, water-skiing and rides on the Super Marble – an inflatable raft that is towed behind a boat.
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Take full advantage of the calm waters and explore the breadth of the bay by kayak or paddleboard. At the back of the beach, surrounded by palms, is the swimming pool, two courts for bocce and two more for shuffleboard – it’s safe to say you’ll never be stuck for entertainment at Curtain Bluff. The other sandy stretch, Surf Beach, is perfect for playing in the waves or quiet contemplation while swinging in a hammock. This boutique hotel is a fantastic way to combine indulgence and health – an almost guilt-free holiday. More activities onsite include Pilates, yoga, water aerobics and squash. Tennis is a big event here. Antigua Tennis Week is held each spring, and since its creation in 1975 has grown from an island-wide professional tournament to an international pro-am festival. Here, tennis is not just a game. Not only are weekly clinics and daily private lessons available, Chelle and Howard also started the Old Road Fund in 1974, naming it after the village just outside of the resort’s gates. Initially, it was created to supply necessities to the community’s neediest families. Now, it’s much more than that. It’s a sincere thank you to the local people; in the last twenty years alone, more than 150 children have gone to tennis camp in the United States and 45 have received a full university education. All this activity will have your appetite growing by the minute. The Sea Grape is the place to head for a buffet lunch or something a little more formal in the evening, overlooking the ocean. The menu is inspired by both Antigua and Italy – think ceviche of local conch with ginger and Black Angus fillet tartar with white truffle. The Tamarind Tree looks out over a terrace canopied by the spreading limbs of one of its namesake perennials. This is where breakfast is served; by night, candles are lit. The menu changes daily but always includes salads, locally caught fish, the finest meats and a huge dessert menu, all to the sound of the Halcyon Steel Band (not to mention accompanied by rum cocktails). Antigua is an island of many personalities. Of course, there’s the white sandy beaches and the beguiling enamel blue waters, but on the south west coast, it’s covered in dense jungle and its capital, St John’s, is a buzzing hub of culture and candycoloured buildings. It’s easy to see why this island and Curtain Bluff have a track record of loyal visitors. Its rum-infused, mellow vibe is contagious and you can’t help but smile – except for when stepping aboard that plane home.
FROM TOP An aerial view of the beach; scuba diving at Curtain Bluff; Bluff House
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into the wild The Seychelles is so much more than a ‘fly and flop’ destination; families are now flocking to the islands of adventure in search of a new kind of holiday
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this image: Eden Bleu Hotel LEFT: Sunset West Coast © Seychelles Tourism Board
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he Seychelles might not be the first destination one would think of going for a family holiday. Indeed, it has long been associated with honeymooners, including the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, and more recently, George and Amal Clooney. Yet more and more city dwellers are seeing the appeal of jetting to the Seychelles to explore and hop between the 115 islands for a family getaway. Not only can one fly from London to Paris and then direct to the Seychelles, meaning that the flight time is less than 12 hours to the Indian Ocean, no visas or vaccinations are required, making any trip hassle-free and ideal for families. The balmy climes – the temperature very rarely drops to lower than 24 degrees or rises above 32 degrees – make it appealing for those who wish to enjoy the warmer, and almost guaranteed sun, all year round.
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from top: Oxcart on La Digue; Vallée de Mai; Victoria Market ALL IMAGES © Seychelles Tourism Board
More and more city dwellers are seeing the appeal of jetting to the Seychelles to explore and hop between the 115 islands for a family getaway Five-star family-friendly hotels are peppered throughout the Seychelles and include the likes of Four Seasons, Raffles and Hilton Hotels and Resorts that offer what one would expect from such big brands with extensive and impressive kids’ clubs offering creative and educational activities. For those who wish to enjoy the benefits of having a whole luxury villa to themselves, instead of taking interconnecting hotel rooms, families can take their pick of a range of accommodation from Seychelles Secrets, a company that represents a portfolio of the islands’ finest small hotels, chalets, and private holiday homes. City workers who still need to mix the pleasure of a family holiday with work, should look no further than Eden Island, a man-made residential and commercial outcrop situated less than two miles from the capital of Victoria. At the heart is Eden Hotel that is popular with city clients thanks to its tech and business facilities including the largest LED screen in Africa, meaning that those who need to slip off for a last-minute conference call can do so, while the family can use the digital concierge service that enables guests to book everything from beach picnics to yacht charters.
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from top: Eden Bleu Hotel; as before; Anse Intentendance LAST IMAGE © Seychelles Tourism Board
For families who are keen to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, a tour of Mahé is a must to show how rich and diverse what is known locally as The Paradise: take a hike in Morne Seychellois National Park, visit the botanical gardens or snorkel with whale sharks. The sleepy Tea Factory or the spooky Bel Air Cemetery can be missed out in favour of exploring Victoria’s colourful markets, or learning about the island’s horticultural history at Le Jardin du Roi. The latter is an interesting mix of museum exhibits housed in the old plantation house, where explorers can savour the aromatic scents of nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon on a self-guided walk around the restored royal spice garden. What’s more, the on-site restaurant is an idyllic spot for a family refuel and serves traditional Creole dishes. No trip to the Seychelles is complete without a spot of island hopping, however. Praslin is the second largest island in the Seychelles, and just the journey alone is an adventure. Take a one-hour catamaran ferry across the waters or, for thrillseeking families, travelling by helicopter is also an option.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
how to book seychellessecrets.com edenbleu.com
Once there, take a few moments to enjoy Anse Lazio, voted one of the world’s top beaches, as well as paying a visit to Curieuse Island, home to hundreds of giant tortoises. Other sightseeing opportunities include a visit to Vallée de Mainature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site of centuriesold palm forests and home to the world-famous coco de mer plants, as well as one of the world’s rarest birds, the black parrot. It’s an ideal family-friendly activity as there are a range of treks you can take, depending on how long you to wish to walk for. A short ferry ride away is neighbouring La Digue. Famed for its laid-back vibe even by Seychellois standards, the best way to explore is by hiring a bicycle from the main village of La Passe – after all, cars have only recently been allowed on the island. The main sites include the old coconut plantation, L’Union Estate, which for a modest fee, also allows access to the splendour of the Anse Source d’Argent beach, a perfect spot for snorkelling in the shallows. Kids really can find Nemo here. The Seychelles has plenty to spark the imagination, and not just for honeymooners; indeed, it can also be the perfect getaway for families who want to enjoy a different pace of life while experiencing all that the archipelago has to offer. www.seychelles.travel
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PROPERTY Covering: THE CITY, WAPPING, SHAD THAMES, SHOREDITCH & ISLINGTON
window of opportunity
experts report on where and what you should be buying, right now
IMAGE Kings Park by Countryside, see page 128
Five minutes with‌
We talk to an expert agent who gives us the lowdown on the market and a local view of an area
The terrace at Bokan, at Novotel London Canary Wharf
Bokan at Novotel London Canary Wharf
Darren Gibbinson Senior Sales Negotiator at CBRE’s Canary Wharf office
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arren Gibbinson joined the CBRE team in November 2014. He started his estate agency career selling holiday homes in Turkey, before returning to England working in a local estate agent, and worked his way up to where he is now. His favourite part of the job is helping people. He understands that buying a property can be a stressful and timeconsuming project, but he enjoys assisting people through the process. We took five minutes to chat with Gibbinson about the current market, the local area and his favourite football team.
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When is your busiest period for sales? DG: The summer months are traditionally our most active time and I am looking forward to lots of viewings and deals. What advice would you give to a buyer in the current market? DG: Do your research. There are a wide range of tools available free of charge via many of the main property websites, including our CBRE Residential website, so it is easy to find out what similar properties have sold for recently, and get other insights into the area. Knowledge is power. I would also advise buyers to consider their budget carefully and not to forget additional costs such as legal fees, stamp duty, ongoing service charges and so forth.
THIS PAGE Henrietta House ©Paul Harmer Photography Ltd
How should sellers present their property? DG: First impressions count so I always advise vendors to prepare their home to the standards they would if the love of their life was visiting for the first time. It needs to be completely clean and tidy, and ideally freshened up with a lick of paint or some new cushions. What are the area boundaries for the Canary Wharf office? DG: CBRE cover the whole of London and the Canary Wharf office takes care of the whole of east and south east London. Our busiest areas are Canary Wharf, the City and Greenwich, but we go as far north as Hackney too. How do CBRE offices work together? DG: We meet colleagues in the other CBRE offices regularly both for business meetings and to socialise. Having great relationships between offices means we trust each other to help fulfil buyers’ needs – we can share ideas to help each buyer find their ideal home, in whichever part of London. Who is your typical client? DG: We have a wide range of clients, from first-time buyers to prolific investors. We also cover all price points, so there’s no such thing as a typical client. However, all buyers want a straightforward and honest process, value for money and great customer service. What are the transport links like? DG: East London has excellent transport links with the DLR, several tube lines including the 24-hour Jubilee line, National Rail to central London, Essex and beyond. We have an international airport nearby and we even have the Thames Clipper, a commuter boat service. The launch of Crossrail in 2018 will enhance our transport links further. How has the area changed? DG: Over the last 30 or so years the area has gone from abandoned docks, poor quality housing and wasteland to a metropolis that pulls in 10 per cent of the nation’s GDP, and the transformation has now extended to Greenwich Peninsula. It’s not all corporates here though; there is a vibrant cultural scene throughout east London with exciting things happening, such as food markets and outdoor concerts.
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Describe your office dynamic. DG: Professional, but fun. We work really well as team and actually really like each other too, so while we concentrate on doing a great job for our clients, we also enjoy a bit of a laugh with each other. Where is your favourite place to hang out? DG: I love the views from the new Novotel rooftop bar and I hold a special place in my heart for The Narrow pub in Limehouse, as it’s where my wife and I had our first date. How would you spend your perfect weekend? DG: I would watch Southend United get promoted and go to a gig, but mostly I just like to spend time at home with my wife and Stanley, my 10-month-old son. If you could host a dinner party with three guests, who would they be? DG: Axl Rose, the greatest lyricist and frontman of our generation; Henry VIII, the most controversial king ever to grace this world; and Winston Churchill. He led the country through World War Two. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? DG: To be successful in life you have to be a doer: doing something is ten times more powerful than saying something.
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Exchange Building, Shoreditch E1 A three bedroom two bathroom apartment in the Exchange Building. A duplex apartment including a balcony with extraordinary views of urban London. Built between 1900 and 1910 as a telephone exchange, the building was converted to flats in 2000. EPC: C Approximately 180 sq m (1,935 sq ft). Leasehold: approximately 979 years
Guide price: £2,600,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/aldgate aldgate@knightfrank.com 020 3544 0712
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
KnightFrank.co.uk/ALD160102
City Magazine June 2017 1 page (Exchange Building)
16/05/2017 16:05:30
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MOVE Faster. Sell with Knight Frank
Our understanding of the everchanging market enables us to price your property accurately, so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving. Call us today on +44 20 8166 5375 to arrange your free market appraisal. KnightFrank.co.uk/wapping wapping@knightfrank.com
Guide price: £1,475,000
New Crane Wharf, Wapping E1W 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, guest cloakroom, 24 hour porterage and parking. Set in a glorious warehouse conversion offering panoramic views over the Thames from both the reception room and master bedroom. Approximately 168 sq m (1,808 sq ft). Share of Freehold. Office: 020 8166 5375
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £899,950
Gun Place, Wapping E1W 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, reception room with park open plan kitchen, balcony and porterage. Set on the sixth floor of this converted warehouse in the heart of Wapping is this bright apartment with access to large South easterly facing balcony. Approximately 90.30 sq m (972 sq ft). Leasehold with approximatley 94 years remaining. Office: 020 8166 5375
297h 210w Mayfair Mag
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FOUND Your perfect tenant. Let with Knight Frank. Our local expertise and global network mean that we can find a reliable tenant for your property; and with an average tenancy of nearly two years, Knight Frank not only helps you find them - but keep them as well. KnightFrank.co.uk/aldgate aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com 020 3823 9930 Guide price: £550 per week
Hooper Street, Aldgate E1
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Spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment located in this portered block. The property comprises two large bedrooms, a spacious lounge, masses of storage, two modern bathrooms and a fully fitted kitchen with white goods. The property is available immediately and is viewable via Knight Frank Aldgate. EPC: E
All potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an fee of £276 and referencing fees of £48 per administration person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £775 per week
Catalina House, Aldgate E1 This apartment comes with access to the onsite gymnasium, swimming pool and spa, plus 24 hour concierge and private cinema room. The flat is brand new with engineered wooden flooring throughout the halls and lounge, two bedrooms, a large balcony, a high spec kitchen and a private terrace. EPC: B
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FOUND Your perfect tenant. Let with Knight Frank. Our local expertise and global network mean that we can find a reliable tenant for your property; and with an average tenancy of nearly two years, Knight Frank not only helps you find them - but keep them as well. KnightFrank.co.uk/wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 3813 3751
Guide price: £525 per week
Flat 8 Towerside, 146 Wapping High Street, Wapping E1W
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An immaculate apartment to rent in this well located riverside development in central Wapping. This charming 1st floor apartment benefits from an abundance of natural light and wooden flooring. The property comprises 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open plan reception room, kitchen and balcony. EPC: C. Approximately. 679 sq ft. 63sq m. Available furnished wapping@knightfrank.com 020 3813 3751
All potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £2,950 per week
7 Tower Walk, St Katharines Dock, Wapping E1W A luxurious apartment situated in the heart of St Katharine Docks. The apartment is arranged over three floors and comprises 4 bedrooms, bedroom 5/study, access to 2 terraces and a tandem garage. EPC: D. Approximately. 3272 sq ft. 305 sq m. Available furnished or unfurnished. wapping@knightfrank.com 020 3813 3751
Watting Lettings
23/05/2017 11:53:00
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EXPERT VIEWS
The Knight Frank Wapping office give us their perspective on the current market and the year ahead
LEE O’NEILL ASSOCIATE AND HEAD OF SALES AT KNIGHT FRANK WAPPING With a realisation that a lot of sellers have corrected their expectations after a difficult 2016 and a degree of “life goes on” outlook regarding Brexit fears, it was exciting to see that after the first quarter of 2017 there had been a 17 per cent increase in the number of new applicants looking to buy across London. When you consider the clamour to buy before the stamp duty land tax increase of the same period last year, and current political climate, that really is a positive piece of news and shows that London soldiers on. Wapping and the surrounding areas, we have seen an increasingly healthy supply of stock across the sub £1,000,000 market. I believe that throughout the latter half of 2016, people regularly checked the property portal updates and new property alerts but only now upon seeing a more regular flow of good quality, sensibly priced properties are new buyers entering back in to the market place with gusto. Demand in the higher priced properties to continue to vary. While we sensed a growing appetite among early spring buyers at that those higher price levels, it seems that the chancellor’s decision to leave stamp duty levels alone has curtailed that demand in the short term. Sellers need to remain sensible and aware of the costs associated in buying at those price levels. As the Easter break finished, the prime minister, Theresa May announced a general election for the 8th June. While elections usually dictate a slight lull in housing market activity, and the last national June vote in the UK brought such divisive disharmony, we get a real sense that both buyers and sellers, irrelevant of political choice just want to see a continuation of a steady London market showing signs of growth in what have been difficult times.
GARY HALL REGIONAL PARTNER AT KNIGHT FRANK WAPPING While London continues to watch and wait to see how the Brexit story will unfold, it’s encouraging to see that the first quarter of the year saw the capital retain its crown as the world’s top market for financial services. Saying this, over the past six months, it has felt that the number of corporate tenants relocating into London has reduced but we don’t believe this to be the case. Looking at our data, the number of new prospective tenants registering has risen 1.5 per cent year-on-year and the number of tenancies agreed increased by 22 per cent over the same period. Rental levels have reduced in many brackets over the past six months and void periods have increased but this is not due to a slowdown in enquiries. The volume of lettings property coming onto the market in prime
central London has risen over the last 12 months as uncertainty grew over pricing in the sales market following a succession of tax hikes. This was compounded by political uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum. While the annual increase in new lettings properties on the market was 51 per cent last June, this figure had eased to 23 per cent in early 2017. This indicates a marked increase in activity in the London lettings market, but demand levels vary at different price points. As you can imagine, in the lower section of the market activity is performing the best. With tenants having more choice and prices softening, the condition of rental properties coming to the market is key. Spending time and money presenting your investment in the best way possible could minimise your void and ensure you have the pick of the best tenants and not being left on the shelf.
Knight Frank 1 Wapping High Street, E1W, 020 7480 6848, knightfrank.co.uk 118
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Boutique Parkside Living
Wake up to Parkside King’s Cross. A collection of new apartments designed with flair, set amongst manicured parks and gardens. Just a few minutes walk to the most well connected train stations in London. Prices from £1,300,000*.
*Price correct at the time of going to press
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24 Hour concierge Moorgate station Approx. 1,237 sq ft (114.9 sq m) EPC: D
£2,500,000 Leasehold For more information, call Barry Monaghan 020 7852 4105 or email barry.monaghan@eu.jll.com
16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL
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jll.co.uk/residential
Where do you want to be? Success comes when you have a truly inspirational place to live. A home with the headspace to think, the energy to inspire. Because to really make it, you don’t just need a new pad. You need a launchpad. Whether you want to rent, buy or invest, we can help you achieve your ambitions.
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Sales | Lettings | Property Management | New Homes
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Mayfair Showroom 66 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 3JL 28 offices in Central London and over 60 across London
Park Lane, W1K ÂŁ4,950,000
An elegant two double bedroom, two bathroom apartment in a white stucco fronted building on Park Lane. There is a separate kitchen and a west facing reception room with large doors giving access to a private terrace and stairs down to the paved garden, energy rating c. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590
Ufton Grove, N1 ÂŁ1,600,000
This four bedroom Victorian house has been extensively refurbished throughout. The entire downstairs has been extended and transformed into an open plan family space with a large reception room and separate kitchen leading out to a decked garden, energy rating d. Dexters Islington 020 7483 6373
dexters.co.uk
Great Titchfield Street, W1W £1,800 per week
A unique two double bedroom apartment arranged over the top two floors of this newly renovated former printworks, in the heart of Fitzrovia. There is a large reception room, separate kitchen/breakfast room, two bathrooms and an impressive private decked roof garden with stunning views over London, energy rating c. Dexters Fitzrovia 020 7067 2402
Hanbury Street, E1 £1,400 per week
This unique two bedroom apartment is arranged over four floors and located in the heart of Spitalfields. Both bedrooms contain walk in wardrobes and en suite bathrooms, whilst the property also benefits from a private roof terrace with amazing views of the city skyline, energy rating c. Dexters City 020 7392 9111
dexters.co.uk
Tenants fees apply: £180 per tenancy towards administration, £60 reference fee per tenant and £144 towards the end of tenancy check out report (all inc VAT).
Beckenham 020 8663 4433 Bromley 020 8315 5544
Chislehurst 020 8295 4900 Locksbottom 01689 882 988
Orpington 01689 661 400 West Wickham 020 8432 7373
Beckenham BR3 Stunning family home arranged over three floors and finished to a high specification throughout.
£1,400,000 F/H Five bedrooms
Five bathrooms
One reception
EER C
Contact Beckenham 020 8663 4433
Chislehurst BR7
Shirley Hills CR0
Completed in 1904 ‘Crosshand House’ is one of Bickley’s most iconic houses.
Fabulous detached family home set on one of the most prestigious roads in Shirley Hills.
£2,995,000 F/H
£1,150,000 F/H
Nine bedrooms
Five bathrooms
Four bedrooms
Three bathrooms
Six receptions
EER N/A
Two receptions
EER D
Contact Chislehurst 020 8295 4900
The Acorn Group, incorporating:
Contact West Wickham 020 8432 7373
langfordrussell.co.uk
Find your place The most unique rental experience. Now available, a collection of 83 brand new 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments benefiting from a communal roof terrace, cinema, co-working area and secure bike storage – all in the heart of London, SE8. Prices from just £1,350 pcm Viewing by appointment: 020 8315 6917 | prs@acorn.ltd.uk | @acornprs
Letting agent:
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
Images ©Greater London Authority
making a difference: london living rent The Acorn Group are letting and managing the first London Living Rent scheme on behalf of Hyde
O
n Wednesday 3 May, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan met tenants at the first homes being delivered for London Living Rent in the capital, kick-starting his new scheme to help more Londoners find a home they can afford. Sadiq visited County House in Beckenham to meet Londoners who have already begun moving into 76 homes made available for London Living Rent – a historic new way of renting a home introduced by the Mayor. The new London Living Rent will help middle-income earners save for a deposit by offering below-market rents, based on a third of average local wages. Rents in the County House development are up to 30 per cent cheaper than local market rents and are based on one-third of median gross household income for Bromley. Sadiq Khan said, “It was fantastic to see firsthand how my new London Living Rent is really helping Londoners afford to rent a home in the capital and crucially, begin saving to get themselves on the property ladder. I welcome Hyde’s commitment to delivering these historic London Living Rent homes and investing in our new partnership to get on and build more new affordable homes for Londoners.” Paul Deveney, main board director and head of PRS at The Acorn Group, said, “We were delighted to be chosen by Hyde to launch and manage this first-of-its-kind scheme, which has already proven to be a major success, with all of the units let within a seven-week period. With our extensive experience and leadership in the sector for the letting and management
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“London living rent is really helping Londoners afford to rent a home in the capital and crucially, begin saving”
From left to right: David Gannicott (Group Director of Business Development, Hyde), Elaine Bailey (Chief Executive, Hyde), Sadiq Khan (London Mayor), Kimberley Ellen (Projects Co-Ordinator, The Acorn Group), Paul Deveney (Director, The Acorn Group)
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| property |
of medium to large scale build-to-rent blocks, we have been able to assist Hyde in delivering this landmark scheme, whilst helping tenants benefit from the discounts available.” Earlier this year, Acorn was named as the highest placed managing agent in a league table for ‘build to rent’ developments in London. The Molior report placed Acorn third overall, behind buildto-rent specialists Get Living London and housing association, London & Quadrant. The Acorn Group manages in excess of 5,000 properties and operates across London, the south-east and Kent, and The Acorn Group incorporates Acorn, Langford Russell, John Payne, Start, Unique and MAP.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
KINGS PARK, RM3 Kings Park by Countryside in Harold Wood, Essex, is an exclusive collection of contemporary apartments, designed to incorporate the regal history of the Great Gubbins site, which dates back to medieval times. Kings Park is surrounded by beautiful green open spaces, including Harold Court Woods, Central Park and Tyler’s Common. It is also located five minutes from the prestigious 18hole, par-71 championship course at Maylands Golf Club. The Allerton Apartments is a collection of smart, contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments, with fullheight glazing that provides light, airy living spaces. All the homes benefit from their own private outdoor space, with ground-floor apartments enjoying large terraces and first-floor homes, each featuring a large balcony, offering charming farreaching views of the surrounding parkland. Spacious, open-plan living and dining spaces are ideal for
entertaining guests, with kitchens fitted with dark grey ceramic floor tiles and high-quality integrated appliances. Bathrooms are stylish, spacious and bright, with timeless white sanitaryware, chrome accessories and tiled flooring. A dramatic new landscaped gateway creates a formal entrance to Kings Park, with a tree-lined avenue forming a central boulevard, with carefully planned streetscapes, public open spaces, play areas and a mix of homes creating an exciting new place to live. The woodland, water and grass habitats scattered throughout the development encourage wildlife biodiversity and, along with an Area of Nature Conservation along the southern boundary, form a sheltered corridor for wildlife. Harold Wood station, which is adjacent to Kings Park, provides frequent direct services to Liverpool Street Station in just over half an hour. From 2019, when Crossrail launches, 12 services every hour will carry passengers from Harold Wood directly to Paddington, Bond Street, Canary Wharf and Heathrow. From £295,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and £375,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. All the apartments are available to purchase through the London Help to Buy scheme, enabling buyers to purchase with a deposit of just five per cent and a government equity loan for up to 40 per cent, interest-free for the first five years.
KINGS PARK, RM3, 01708 348 578 kings-park.co.uk 128
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Fabulous brand new apartments With an easy commute to London! We now have a brand new release of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments at our sought after Kings Park development, offering superb luxury homes surrounded by beautiful parkland.
Prices from £305,000 AND they are even more affordable thanks to London Help to Buy* • High specification throughout • Luxury fitted kitchen with integrated appliances • Flooring included throughout • All apartments feature private outdoor space • Just minutes away from Harold Wood station • Crossrail coming in 2019** • Harold Wood to Liverpool Street journey time 33 minutes†
How a 1 bedroom apartment at Kings Park could be yours: You
5% Deposit
£15,250
London Help to Buy
40% Government Equity Loan
£122,000
Mortgage Lender
55% Mortgage
£167,750
1 bed apartment
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£305,000
Marketing Suite open daily 10am - 5pm 1a St Clements Avenue, Harold Wood, Essex RM3 0BE
01708 348578 | www.kings-park.co.uk *London Help to Buy subject to terms and conditions, 40% loan is interest-free for first 5 years, please ask a Sales Consultant for more details. **Crossrail details are prospective and taken from crossrail.co.uk. †Journey time from nationalrail.co.uk. Please note: all apartments are leasehold – service charges and ground rents apply. Please ask a Sales Consultant for more details. Prices and information correct at time of going to print. May 2017.
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Insider Knowledge
JLL reveals the Bank of Mum & Dad is worth an estimated £103bn in London and South East England
diana alam, head of residential development sales, jll
In conjunction with YouGov, JLL has undertaken an in-depth study looking at the impact that the Bank of Mum & Dad and inheritance will have on the UK housing market.
Quantifying the numbers
The Bank of Mum & Dad in London and South Eastern England is worth an estimated £103bn and could assist in the purchase of more than £1 trillion worth of homes in the UK The average handout per child in London and the South East is £24,800 The average Bank of Mum & Dad pot is £55,300 26 per cent of parents will use inheritance passed to them to help their children onto the housing ladder
Diana Alam comments: “The impact of the Bank of Mum & Dad for the London and South Eastern England housing markets is clearly huge. At the very least it will provide a crutch for house prices in these regions, but it is more likely to lead to further upward pressure on prices.”
Attitudes
7 7 per cent of people think it is disgraceful that housing has become so unaffordable for young adults 76 per cent believe it will be even more difficult for young adults to be able to buy a home in 20 years’ time 66 per cent believe that UK homes being increasingly owned by a privileged few will become a social problem for the UK 36 per cent believe parents should consider all manner of ways to help their children buy a home 14 per cent think parents should downsize their home and
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pass on part of the proceeds to help their children buy a home 1 2 per cent think parents should be more thrifty so that their children are better able to buy a home Diana adds: “People in these areas are worried about the high price of housing; more concerning is that the vast majority also believe the problem will deepen over the next 20 years.”
Inheritance
£ 1.77 trillion could be passed down in inheritance from families in London and the South East At least 5.2 million households in London and the South East are preparing to pass on some inheritance The average inheritance pot is £318,000, which includes a broad range of households – from non-homeowners to the super-rich
Diana comments: “A significant proportion of this accumulated wealth, in large part created by the strong uplift in house prices over the past 30-40 years, will undoubtedly be utilised to buy homes in the future and will therefore provide support for house prices and transaction levels for some time to come. Interestingly, the passing down of inheritance will also pose questions for beneficiaries. For example, we know from our analysis of the Bank of Mum & Dad research that significant sums of the money given to children from the Bank of Mum & Dad originated from inheritance passed down to them. So new inheritance beneficiaries have the dilemma about whether they use all the inheritance for themselves and their own home aspirations, or use it to help their children.” jll.co.uk; 020 7337 4004
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
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