LO NDO LO NDO LO N NDO NE N W NE N YO W NE RK YOR W YOR MI K LAN MI K LAN MI MU LAN N MU I CN H MU I CMAN N HI CMAN HC HMAN ECST H EC EST RH EEG ST RLASG EGRLASG G OW LASG OW OW
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contents on the cover 22 Ewan McGregor Mr. McGregor on a good script and the importance of family
27
Rise of the Demagogue Britain’s most outspoken political figures, past and present
33
Baselworld 2016 The best pieces from the world’s premier watch fair
42
Best foot forward The emerging talent safeguarding English shoemaking
66
Suit you, Sir Style tips for the summer social season
76
Dan Carter The New Zealand legend on life after the All Blacks
The Row Redesigned
Five Savile Row brands bringing the grand old street into the 21st century
p54
86 00
REGULARS
51 88 82
46
66
CITY LIFE: 14 The Edit The commodities and consumables raising our interest rates this month 16 The Social Take a trip to Tokyo, via Jason Atherton’s latest project, Sosharu
COLLECTION: 33 Legends of the Hall Baselworld offers a fascinating insight into the state of the luxury watch industry 38 Basel Jewellery The brightest jewels to shine through the halls at the world’s largest jewellery fair STYLE: 46 Out with the old & in with the new A creative way to fund this season’s wardrobe 52 Lovely Lady Locks A step-by-step guide to the summer’s hottest hair trend
OUT OF OFFICE: 82 BMW at 100 On its centenary, we take a look back at BMW’s most iconic creations 90 Arts & Interiors: Keith Coventry An introduction to another artist that should appear on your agenda 92 Travel: Beverly Hills In 90210, it’s still possible to live the American Dream
HOMES AND PROPERTY: 124 Agent Focus KALMARs Residential discusses the expanding south London property market
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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HUGO BOSS UK LTD. Phone +44 (0)20 7554 5700 hugoboss.com
London BOSS City Stores Canary Wharf One New Change Eldon Street
issue no.
103
MAY 2016
Contributors
E d i t o r - in-Chi ef Lesley Ellwood
E d i tor Richard Brown
D EP U T Y Editor tiffany eastland
S ta f f Writer MELISSA EMERSON
E d i t o r i a l a ss is tant david taylor
Se n i o r Des ign er LISA WADE
B RAND C ON S ISTEN CY
Hugh Francis Anderson
Graeme Green
Jennifer Mason
Hu g h h a s w ritt en f or a
Gra em e Green i s a journali st,
Jenni fer, an av i d car fan
w i d e ran ge of publi cation s,
photograph er and editor
and amat eur ra cin g driv er,
in clu din g T h e May f ai r
w ho’s writt en for The Sunday
i s th e m otorin g editor f or
Ma ga zi n e an d T h e G entl em an’s
Times, National G eographic,
lu xur y london .c o.uk, and i s
Jou rn a l, sp e c i ali sin g in sty l e,
The Guardian and Wanderlust.
cur rently w orkin g throu g h
f itn e ss , trav el and m otorin g.
During a cycling tour of Chile’s
driv in g h er ‘ bu cket li st ’ of
O n p a ge 7 4 , h e do cum ent s
win e countr y, Gra em e samples
dream cars. Tur n to p a ge 82
hi s e xp eri en c e of th e N6 0˚
som e of its fin est win es ( p. 96).
f or a ref l e ction on 100 years
Q u a drath on .
of BMW.
Laddawan Juhong
Ge ne r a l Manag er Fiona Fenwick
P r o duct ion Hugo Wheatley Alice Ford Jamie Steele Danny Lesar
P r opert y D ir ec tor Samantha Ratcliffe
E x ecu ti v e D ir ect or Sophie Roberts
M a n a g i n g D ir ec tor Eren Ellwood
Free thinker jacket, £475, The North Face, thenorthface.co.uk
2008 Cabergnan, Maule Valley, £35, Bodegas RE, bbr.com
The BMW Book, £80, teNeues, teneues.com
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RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP
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Ja ck i s a fre el an c e jour nali st
Mark i s editor -in-chi ef
shooting for big brands and
w h o ha s b e en publi sh ed in T h e
of onlin e ar t and culture
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In d ep en d ent, T h e Gu ardi an and
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Telegraph. This month , Phillip
T h e D ai ly Tel egra ph . Ah ead of
dire ctor of FAD Agen c y and our
Members of the Professional Publishers Association
goes to Savile Row to visit five
th e Sir Jo hn S o an e’s Mu seum’s
regul ar s ourc e of inf or mation
stores remodelling the face of the
l at e st l aun ch , Ja ck lo o k s at th e
ab out int ere stin g ar ti st s. Tur n
responsibility for unsolicited
famous sartorial street (p. 54).
li fe of a c ompl e x and inf lu enti al
to p a ge 90 f or a lo o k into th e
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Hyde jacket, £685, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk
Portrait of (Sir) John Soane in Rome, CW Hunneman, Sir John Soane’s Museum, soane.org
Golden Arch I, Keith Coventry, Pace Gallery until 28 May, pacegallery.com
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The Art of Tailoring London BOSS City Stores Canary Wharf One New Change Eldon Street
issue no.
103
MAY 2016
f r o m t h e E D I TOR
R
unning practice, I have recently learnt, is an integral part of completing a marathon . Most training plans would advise you to do at least some. Panic training – attempting to cram four months of runs into the four weeks before race day – is not, it
transpires, a viable approach to getting around 26.2 miles of tarmac. Other things I have learnt while training for this year’s Virgin Money
London Marathon include: 1) Hill training is far harder when you are fat. 2) Learning to run a marathon is not like learning to ride a bike. Just because you’ve run one before does not mean you’ ll automatically have another in your locker. 3) Sports marketing is very smart. Spending £130 on a pair of trainers because they have the words ‘Ultra Boost’ in their name does not guarantee success. 4) A five-day L as Vegas jolly i s not conducive to di scovering your abs. 5) As hard as it is to accept, personal trainers probably know more about your body than you. 6) Extreme adrenaline rushes caused by listening to jungle music can result in your calf muscle separating itself from the rest of your leg. What’s that saying? Fail to prepare...
Richard brown, editor
Other titles within the RWMG portfolio
A website. A mindset. A lifest yle. On the cover Photography by Phillip Waterman, page 56
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© 2016 TUMI, INC.
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211 Regent Street, L ondon • Westfield Shepherds Bush, L ondon • L ondon City Airport TUMI.COM Also available at Case, Harrods and Selfridges
211 Regent Street, L ondon • Westfield Shepherds Bush, L ondon • L ondon City Airport Also available at Case, Harrods and Selfridges
City Life
may 2016
How does your garden grow? The grass is greener at The View from the Shard, which opens a garden installation this summer To celebrate Visit England’s ‘Year of the English Garden’, The View from The Shard is being transformed into London’s tallest botanical haven, with thousands of plants and flowers making their home 800ft above the capital. The organisers hope to inspire more green spaces indoors, and to highlight the importance of plants, UK wild flowers and the role bees play in fertilising the planet. A series of events celebrating the British summer will be held throughout the nine-week installation, and visitors can choose cocktails from a botanically-inspired menu. 9 June - 4 September, £25.95 per adult, theviewfromtheshard.com
the caMPAIGN
SWISS STYLE Bugatti’s latest campaign plays on the claim that it is very much a ‘European Brand’. The photoshoot is set among the lakes and mountains of Switzerland, to reflect the cultured elegance of the collection itself. Among the series of Swiss facts the French brand provides with the campaign, is that 70 per cent of Switzerland is mountainous: “Great for all those who like to be on top,” says Bugatti. With conservative style and contemporary design, Bugatti has provided a wardrobe refreshingly at odds with its more flamboyant supercars. lifestyle-bugatti.com
t i d e e th
ife] [City L
mab onsu c d n nth es a oditi es this mo m m o The c erest rat nt our i
les ra
ising
the wish list
1
Laboe D-Frame tortoiseshell acetate sunglasses, £280, Barton Perreira, mrporter.com
2 3
Twist pocket tee, £45, Velva Sheen, endclothing.com
Hans cordura backpack, £140, SANDQVIST, selfridges.com
the TOY Powerboat perfection Aston Martin and Quintessence Yachts have collaborated to produce the AM37, a powerboat created to capture the performance, handling, comfort and style that characterises every Aston. This is the latest product from the Aston Martin ‘Art of Living’ project, where the car manufacturer applies its design skills to other luxury goods. “The most important attribute for Aston Martin is the language of design and we have transferred this into the AM37,” says AM’s chief creative officer, Marek Reichman. The boat was showcased during the 55th Salone del Mobile in Milan after years of research and development. The AM37 is scheduled for full launch at the end of the year. quintessenceyachts.com/the-am37/
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Long-sleeved linen shirt, £205, Blue Blue Japan, matchesfashion.com
OSF11D Beat boot suede, £149, Oliver Spencer, oliverspencer.co.uk
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| out of office |
the pop up an italian summer The House of Peroni is returning to London this summer, commencing a six week Residency on 19 May at Proud East, Haggerston. Critically acclaimed Francesco Mazzei, chef patron at newly refurbished Sartoria in Mayfair (and previously at L’Anima), has been named the Residency Master of Taste. The brand has also compiled a list of six Italian hotspots in London any cyclist should visit. Find it online. thehouseofperoni.com
the shoes
Heeled by Harry The S/S16 collection from Harrys of London has shoes for any situation. All pieces are handmade in Italy and combine British style with functional technology to offer the best of both worlds. Special Vibram soles ensure comfort and stability, especially in wet weather, and come in a range of colours to add character to any outfit. The Technogel insole is also moulded to a dome design, to provide quality shock absorption for a range of foot shapes. The collection comprises work-toevening dress shoes, more casual footwear, with suede and softer tapering, and luxury sports pieces. harrysoflondon.com
the HOTEL
Paradise Found Recently voted one of the Top Five Hotels in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine, Velaa Private Island in the Maldives attracts the most discerning of holidaymakers. A passion project of Czech billionaire, Jiri Smejc, Velaa Private Island is comprised of 47 private villas, houses and exclusive residences, all of which come with a personal butler, offering services tailored to personal specifications. Smejc says the resort is: “A place where no request is too much and each guest will ultimately feel this is their own private paradise.” The private island resort was designed for a maximum of 142 guests at any one time. velaaprivateisland.com
the books
1
2
3
4
1. Tree Houses. Fairy Tale Castles In The Air hardcover book, £45 2. Sharks hardcover book, £45 3. Cabins hardcover book, £45 4. Taxi Driver hardcover book, £45, all published by Taschen and available at mrporter.com
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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ROYAL CUISINE After more than a decade spent at both The Cinnamon Club and Cinnamon Kitchen, critically acclaimed chef Abdul Yaseen has opened his first solo project near Liverpool Street Station. Darbaar is a shared dining experience, inspired by the banquets of the Indian Royal Court, but updated with contemporary Indian cuisine. The 220-cover restaurant and bar includes an interactive grill seating area, 20-cover private dining room and a bespoke chef ’s table for up to 12 people. Darbaar, 1 Snowden Street, EC2 darbaarrestaurants.com
HOT SHOT
l a i c o s The
ife] [City L
Located just off Fleet Street, SHOT (Simple Healthy Organic Tasty) offers clean and healthy convenience food for those trying to find the right work-life balance. Opened in partnership by a Citigroup trader of 14 years and a music director and DJ for venues such as The Box Soho and Annabel’s, SHOT offers hot and cold food, such as Chicken Pho, or Mackerel and Beetroot salad, alongside cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies at a fast-food pace. SHOT, 23 Bride Lane, EC4, shot.london
the ZES Y CRA ed WITH AR h IN is r CUL ou s and ure n nche e epic u h a t l G t tes KEEPIN e’s La re mil a u q s
Th e Ozpig can b e used just about anyw h ere, thanks to its portability, legs, and sp ecial chimn ey of fset attachm ent that funn el s smoke away from gu ests and any trees/n eighbours that might b e in th e way. Ozpig, £300, ozpig.co.uk
1 TOP GRILLING With two bank holidays this month, and summer sun just around the corner (fingers crossed), it’s time to bring on the barbecue. This year, reach grilling Nirvana
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With th e Big Green Egg, y ou can grill , smoke and bake at exact t emp eratures by changing th e uniqu e air f low control s, maintaining accuracy within a few degrees. It ’s al so ready to use in minut es, for impul sive ch efs. Big Green Egg, from £550, shop.biggreenegg.co.uk
If space i s no i ssu e, th e MegaMast er takes th e trend of openf lam e cooking up a notch , with a h efty traditional South African-style ‘Braai’ barb ecu e that cooks just about anything. It ’s al so available with w oks, grid s and ‘potjes’ – S outh African castiron pots. MegaMast er, from £1,000, [megamaster.co.uk.com]
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| NEWS |
RESTAURANT REVIEW: SOSHARU
TOKYO CALLING Words: DAVID TAYLOR
J
ason Atherton’s restaurants tend to cause a stir. From City Social, towering above the Square Mile, to Pollen Street Social, which gained a Michelin star in its first year, the chef has enjoyed a prolonged period of success. If Sosharu – his latest project, headed by talented executive chef Alex Craciun – is anything to go by, this success will continue for some time. It’s testament to the popularity of the place that, after only a few weeks since opening, every seat on this Tuesday evening was full. So full, in fact, that my guest and I were invited to have a cocktail in the basement bar, as our reserved table wasn’t quite ready. There were no complaints: 7 Tales, a bright and brash drinking den, transported us to nighttime Tokyo. Officially part of Sosharu, guests can come just for drinks, and judging by the atmosphere, plenty had. The cocktails we tried were bold and well-judged – the Alien Joe was a favourite, a mix of Irish coffee and whisky sour, with active charcoal lending an intriguing texture. Once back in the sleek surroundings upstairs, we were given eight dishes from across the menu. The meal started as
T h e Me at If butchers are few and far between in your area, then a delivery to your door might be the answer. Turner & George offer boxes of meat selected from local farms that produce naturallyraised and anti-biotic free animals. Next day delivery to Greater London postcodes means a lastminute barbecue is always a possibility. BBQ Box for 10-12, £82.80, turnerandgeorge.co.uk
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The Sukiyaki Wagyu beef was a particular highlight it meant to go on, with a refined crab, fish and edamame salad after the miniTokyo revelry downstairs. The Sukiyaki Wagyu beef was a particular highlight, notwithstanding the minor panic that washed over us when we couldn’t work out how to turn off the accompanying blowtorch. Each plate was considered and balanced – the open Toro tartare with
T h e A lt e r n at i v e C l e a n - e a t i n g re c i p e b o x c o m p a ny Mi n d f u l C h e f h a s b ra n c h e d o u t t o c re a t e t h e U K ’s f i r st v e g a n i n g re d i e n t s b o x . Each plant-based box c o n t a i n s t h re e p l a n t b a s e d re c i p e s , p a c k e d w i t h o rg a n i c , g l u t e n - f re e , British-grown vegetables t h a t o n ly t a k e 2 0 - 3 0 m i n u t e s t o p re p a re . Plant Box, from £19.50, Mi n d f u l C h e f , mindfulchef.com
spiced mayonnaise was a hit, as was our last ‘main’ of the evening, a surprisingly hefty chicken Yakitori with Shishito pepper that would have been enough alone. The night was rounded off with a strawberry Kakigori, for which we slowly made our way to the bar. A block of ice was expertly shaved by the bar staff, then mixed with strawberries, mousse and syrup to refresh us for the journey home. As we were leaving, I resisted the temptation to go downstairs for one last Alien Joe. Probably for the best: if I had, one for the road might have turned into several. 64 Turnmill Street, EC1, sosharulondon.com
T h e T o a st Fami ly ow n ed f or alm o st 2 0 0 years , Bi l l e car t S alm on kn ow s a thin g or tw o ab out putt in g on a go o d get to geth er. It s Bl an c d e Bl an c s Gran d Cr u i s a g reat a c c omp anim ent to a b arb e cu e , p airin g e xc e pt ion al ly w el l w ith g ri l l ed f i sh an d sea f o o d . B l an c d e B l an c s Gran d Cr u , £ 6 0 , Bi l l e c a r t - S a l m on , b br. c om
T h e D ri n k Yo u m i g h t i m m e d i a t e l y think of a certain strawberr y-based British summer l i q u e u r, b u t t h e r e a r e plenty of other options. The Wing field Great British gin aperitif is packed w i t h c u c u m b e r, pink grapefruit a n d e l d e r f l o w e r. Th e Wing field , £37, Pontoon Cocktails, har veynichols.com
THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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| news XXXXXXXXXXXX | |
A VERY BRITISH
HYBRID T
ea and whisky. Two quintessentially British tipples, separated by dawn and dusk, and never the twain shall meet. Well no, actually. There’s a growing group of devotees who believe the two drinks can work as well together as gin and tonic. One supporter of this theory is Paul Benjamin, owner of luxury tea brand Benjamin & Blum. His teas are specifically designed to be enjoyed with the finest whiskies, cognacs and cigars. I sat down with Paul above the billiard rooms and exquisite cars of the Royal Automobile Club to be persuaded that this was, in fact, not some sort of wind-up. I’m told it began with Queen Victoria. During her time at Balmoral, post-Albert, rumours swirled around the castle that her ‘special friend’ John Brown used to
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
Tea and whisky pairing is now a thing, apparently. David Taylor investigates
slip a slug into her morning cup, to the point where it became her regular drink of choice. “I did some more research, and found that back in the 19th century people here were drinking whisky in their tea regularly,” says Paul. “I’d thought that this was a concept that existed more in new markets in Asia, where they’ve often been drunk together.” Paul wanted to revive the tradition in Britain. He started sourcing small production leaves that had the potential to be paired with a whole range of styles of whisky. The work paid off. I sat with Paul for two hours, trying his two flagship brews: a white tea from Darjeeling and a black Oolong from New Zealand. Bottled beautifully in black and gold decanters, both white and black varieties can be enjoyed alone, and we do just that, appreciating the deep character of the leaves. However, alongside a whisky, something very curious happens. We try scotch and cognac of various provenance, from a fruity 18-year-old Glenfiddich, to a peaty 25-year Caol Ila, to a gorgeous Courvoisier. All strong, characterful drinks, each subtly altered by the lightly chilled tea added to the crystal glass in a 50:50 ratio. “It softens the alcohol in a different way
from water. It brings down that immediate alcohol impact and allows you to focus a bit more on the flavours of both the tea and the whisky. Of course, in that regard, it also makes the whisky-drinking experience more sustainable. “We used to think of whisky drinkers as being old men sitting by a fireplace; in practice we have a much broader demographic. Younger people are interested in it: what’s it about, how can I enjoy it, how can I build it into my lifestyle?” The answer, it seems, is by adding a wee dram to your brew. For pairing suggestions and whisky-tea sets, visit benjaminandblum.com
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| LIFESTYLE |
BON VIVEUR
Our man-about-town, Innerplace’s Nick Savage, gives you the insider lowdown on LONDON’S most hedonistic haunts
J
London’s Best COCKTAIL BARS 2016
ust when it looked like London might have been resting on its laurels, this season boasts a bumper crop of really interesting, innovative cocktail bars. Here’s a list of our favourites. Oriole is nestled in the belly of Smithfield Market in what was formerly a favoured pub by butchers coming off the night shift. It has a little stage where live acts play world music, and a microgarden perched at the end of a long bar, which is overhung with neo-futurist pendant lighting that looks like it could have been gleaned from a Star Wars set. Oriole is the elder sibling of the also avianmonikered Nightjar and exhibits the same obsessive attention to pioneering flavours and techniques. If you’re in the mood for something special, it’s being mixed up here.
cocktail. This may not be your father’s whisky bar, but it has a selection that would certainly satisfy him.
Innerplace is London’s personal lifestyle concierge. Membership provides complimentary access to the finest nightclubs, the best restaurants and top private members’ clubs. Innerplace also offers priority bookings, VIP invitations and insider updates on the latest openings. innerplace.co.uk
The Tick Tack Club is an extended pop-up cut from a different cloth – Cillian Murphy’s tweed to be precise. Inspired by the interbellum Birmingham depicted so vividly in the Peaky Blinders series, The Tick Tack Club is 1920s opulence and ostentation at its finest. The immersive experience transports visitors from London Bridge through a wallpaper shop to an intricately detailed gambling den that could have been transposed from the television show. It’s only open on Friday and Saturday and is definitely worth a visit before its tenure is up.
The Gibson offers the best damn martini east of W1. Except it’s not a martini. It’s a Gibson. The olive or twist is switched out for a pickled cocktail onion, and gin is de rigueur. Two of these and you’ll be rosycheeked and reckless. However, there’s a wide array of less potent cocktails mixed up by Marian Beke and Rusty Cerven, alumni of Nightjar and the illustrious Connaught Bar. Nestled not far from Old Street roundabout, the digs draw inspiration from Edwardian drinking dens and Art Deco pleasure domes in equal measure. Black Rock wins the prize for originality. Located just off Finsbury Park on the meridian line of Shoreditch and the City, Thomas Aske and Tristan Stephenson of Purl and Worship Street Whistling Shop have installed an 18-foot oak tree in the middle of the venue. It is quite the USP – two channels have been cut out of its 188-year-old heartwood and filled with two chambers that hold 17 litres of whisky
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Little Bat is the second bar from Callooh Callay and like the original, it borrows its name from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures and channels the same whimsical spirit, not to mention spirits. This is apparent in the décor, which features a botanical garden, floating bookshelves and an ‘enchanted’ wardrobe. Otherwise, it’s an elegant room just off Islington’s Upper Street with lots of dark woods and a long bar running nearly its length. Bar manager Barney Toy has assembled a cocktail list to suit the setting.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Oriole; Dry Martini; Dry Martini; Black Rock; The Tick Tack Club
Dry Martini has been winning awards since Javier de las Muelas launched the bar in Barcelona in 1978, which has given him plenty of time to perfect the craft. One of the newest destinations for Dry Martini is the Meliá White House hotel next to Regent’s Park, where they’ve created an expansive basement bar complete with a martinimaking station, a digital counter tallying the number of martinis sold to date, and a chamber of curios with an array of cocktailmaking antique appliances.
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THE SPYING SCOTSMAN Since he appeared as heroin addict Mark Renton in Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor has charmed us both on and off the screen. The City Magazine discovers you can believe what you read – Mr Nice Guy McGregor is every bit as genuine as he seems WORDS: TIFFANY EASTLAND
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| interview |
“L
et’s start with Star Wars, then go on to the Trainspotting films, Bond, and then we can talk about Our Kind of Traitor,” McGregor jokes as he enters the room. He’s clearly had plenty of experience dealing with a room full of entertainment reporters, and while he evidently gets asked the same questions time and time again, he seems entertained rather than annoyed. “It might be the other way around, but inevitably that’s what it will come to,” he jokes. McGregor is in London promoting Our Kind of Traitor, the spy thriller directed by Susanna White and written by Hossein Amini, adapted from John le Carré’s novel of the same name. He plays the part of Perry, who, while on holiday in Marrakech with his wife Gail, befriends a charismatic Russian, Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), who unbeknown to them is a kingpin money launderer
for the Russian mafia. Very quickly Perry and Gail become embroiled in the dangerous world of international espionage and dirty politics when Dima asks for their help in delivering classified information to the British Secret Service via a ruthless MI6 agent (Damian Lewis). McGregor says it’s difficult to put your finger on what it is that attracts you to a script. He says you usually get a gut instinct, but he thinks the attraction to Our Kind of Traitor was the relationship Perry has with his wife. McGregor says the fact that Perry had hurt his wife and himself by having an affair was a fascinating place to start: “Usually it would start with the perfect marriage that falls apart, and either does or doesn’t get back together. This one works backwards and that really appealed to me.” Ewan McGregor as Perry in Our Kind of Traitor, © Studio Canal
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There’s another relationship at the heart of the film, and that’s the relationship between Perry and Dima. Would McGregor have helped Dima, is the question we’re all eager to ask. “Yes, I do think so. My only experience of meeting somebody like that was when I did a motorcycle trip in 2004 from London to New York with my friend Charley [Boorman].” When McGregor and Boorman were crossing into Ukraine, they were stopped for speeding by a policeman who offered to help them find somewhere to stay. They agreed to meet the policeman at six o’clock that evening, at which point he guided them back through the town to a corner shop, where guys in leather
“It was like an extras casting for a mob film”
from top Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi, with Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson and Jake Lloyd in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, © Twentieth Century Fox; McGregor in Trainspotting, © Channel Four Films; McGregor at the premiere of Long Way Round, © S Bukley
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jackets had gathered outside: “It was like an extras casting for a mob film,” laughs McGregor. Long story short, the pair found themselves in a strange house surrounded by men with guns. “I turned around, and this guy who’s huge is taking off his shoulder holster with a gun in there, and then another guy arrives and he takes his gun off. I swear to god, one guy rocked up in a three-piece pinstriped suit with a fucking gun in his pocket. I’m not joking.” After they heard the men making jokes to one another with the word mafia popping up again and again, they were convinced this was the mafia stronghold of the town. “I definitely got the sense that this was a very dangerous man, and I’m sure there would be many things in his life that I’d not approve of, like or have anything to do with, but I liked him. I met his wife and his kids, and if he had come to me and said, “My family will be killed unless you help me with this thing. Can
you take this back home?” Firstly, I would have said, “It will take me a while because I’m going the other way,”” McGregor jokes, “But I would have said yes, I’m sure of it.” McGregor clearly appreciates the importance of family, and publicly dotes on his own. McGregor met his wife Eve Mavrakis, a French production designer, while they were on the set of Kavanagh QC in 1995. Together they have four daughters, Clara Mathilde, Esther Rose, Jamyan and Anouk. McGregor and his wife adopted Jamyan from Mongolia in 2006, where McGregor spent time during the previously mentioned motorcycle journey, which became Sky 1’s Long Way Round. Now he and his family reside in Los Angeles, having spent years living in London. When we met McGregor, he was putting the final touches on his featurelength, directorial debut American Pastoral, in which he plays the lead. In the ’90s, he directed a short film as part of the Tube Tales collection which was based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers, that were submitted to Time Out magazine. “I’m still happy with mine; I’m sort of easily pleased with my work. I’m not like many actors or directors who are tortured and always think there’s better out there,” he laughs. He does, however, admit that a few negative voices prevented him from directing a feature-length film any earlier. More than 15 years ago, McGregor read the Italian novel Silk and decided it was the story he wanted to tell. After having met British director, screenwriter and composer Mike Figgis, who had the rights to the screenplay for a period of time, he got scared and started to back down, especially when he saw an interview with the Italian writer, where he’d said: “Only a master filmmaker will adapt my novel”. McGregor said he read that and thought, “Shit, well that’s not me”. Eventually the film was made with Keira Knightley and Michael Pitt. “I’ve always kind of regretted it and thought shit, I should have struck while the iron was hot.” McGregor continues. “I watched this brilliant documentary called Deep Water, and thought no, this is the story I want to direct.” He then found a producer and was moving forward in a way that he hadn’t with Silk, but later discovered it was already in production. Finally, one day McGregor’s American agent phoned him and said, maybe it’s right in front of your nose. “I didn’t know what he meant, and he said, ‘American Pastoral,’ explains McGregor. He had been attached to the leading role in it for years, but the project had been through a series of directors “a bit like the drummer in Spinal Tap,” he jokes, reassuring us that none of them actually died. He was doing
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a play in New York at the end of 2014, and they were meant to begin shooting in March 2015, when the last director stepped away from the project. It was at this point that McGregor thought that was it. The following morning after having contemplated this idea, he phoned the producer, Tom Rosenberg, at Lakeshore and asked whether he would let him direct the film. His initial response to the proposal was positive, though he warned they’d need to explore it financially as the budget had been set at US$30 million, “which was too much money to invest in a first-time director, and rightly so,” assures McGregor. After some negotiation, Rosenberg was able to bring the budget down considerably and give McGregor the go-ahead. “He put his faith
“The Trainspotting 2 script is good, really really good” ABOVE, FROM TOP McGregor at the 86th Academy Awards, photo by Heather Ikei ©A.M.P.A.S; Ewan McGregor as Christian, with Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, © Twentieth Century Fox; McGregor as Renton, with Ewen Bremner and Robert Carlyle in Trainspotting, © Channel Four Films BELOW McGregor as Dr Alfred Jones, with Amr Waked in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, © Lionsgate
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something to do.” And are we in for any surprises? “I don’t think what we’re trying to do is remake the film we made in the ’90s. I don’t think that’s our end goal. In that respect, it should be different, and it will be.” McGregor is whisked off to another room before we’re able to pry any further. That said, in just 20 minutes we’d been given a good insight into the man that is Ewan McGregor. Firstly, he’s every bit as charming and down-to-earth as you’d expect, and perhaps even more handsome in the flesh. And despite being sat around a white cloth-covered table in the Corinthia Hotel, the conversation was as informal as chatting with my family over a Sunday roast, though a million times more interesting (sorry family). From one anecdote to another, McGregor had all nine of us in fits of laughter, thinking, how wonderful life is, with Ewan in the world. Our Kind of Spy is in cinemas 13 May
BELOW McGregor watches as a little girl gets vaccinated at the border crossing between Nepal and India at Jogbhani, © UNICEF/2011/Rajiv Kumar
in me, and I’ll always be very grateful that he did, because it’s been a life-changing experience for me,” he says. As promised, McGregor answers a question about Trainspotting 2 before our 20-minute time slot is up, though he remains fairly tight-lipped about the project. “The Trainspotting 2 script is good, really really good. I think once we had read it, none of us were in any doubt that it was
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| FEATURE |
The Rise of the
Demagogue
Donald Trump (Photo: R. Gino Santa Maria)
Modern politics often resemble a shouting match in which the loudest, brashest opponent gets the biggest headlines. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rise of Donald Trump as a leading US Presidential contender. Paul Joseph takes a look at some of Britain’s most outspoken public figures, past and present
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at, the rabble-rouser is lionised and the vitriolic soundbite and trenchant comment made king. In the United States, larger-thanlife public figures are a dime a dozen, but the emergence of Donald Trump as a genuine Presidential contender has cast an ominous shadow over most of them. His ‘man of the people’ schtick has included a stream of provocative outbursts designed to appeal to America’s disaffected underclass, and throughout his campaign he has been accused of every conceivable category of discrimination. Yet the media lap it up, affording his every utterance forensic scrutiny, ensuring he’s by far the most talked about candidate on the bill. For a character like Trump, who believes that all publicity is good publicity, it’s manna from heaven. Back home, we cling to the vestiges of the old stereotype of Britain as a diffident and reserved nation, even though it’s a label that has never felt more out of date. But in recent years, there have been signs that we too may be on the cusp of an era in which the demagogue reigns supreme. With the country just months away from a referendum to determine whether or not it will remain in the European Union, the battle lines are being drawn and the foot-soldiers on both sides are readying themselves to fight for Britain’s future. It’s an issue ripe for exploitation, encompassing as it does questions of immigration, nationalism and selfdetermination. Such a climate presents a fertile breeding ground for demagogues to plant their seeds of disillusionment. It therefore seems a pertinent moment to recall some of the outspoken public figures who have helped shape Britain’s political landscape down the years.
I
n an age where most of our communication takes place amid the incessant babble of the internet, it can often feel like you have to shout to be heard. Emerging from this milieu has been unedifying social phenomenon such as ‘twitchhunts’, where individuals are hounded and humiliated by a baying online mob for a perceived – usually politically incorrect – misdemeanour. Meanwhile, respected news providers, buckling under the pressures of an ailing industry, are increasingly feeding on this appetite for zealotry with sensationalist ‘click-bait’ articles offering little by way of balance or substance. Indeed, while mass media is certainly guilty of offering a platform for a stream of professional controversialists to write or say the unthinkable, the charge sheet levelled against its proprietors does not end there. Because they have also helped to create the modern-day demagogue. A demagogue can best be described as someone who uses the dark arts of rhetoric to stir up base emotions, to appeal to fear or hate, and to exploit crises for their own ends. Politically, this is typically associated with right-wing ideologues, but as our list will testify, it can be used with great effect as a tool for the left as well. Once upon a time, demagogues were ridiculed as nothing more than soap-box orators catering to the lowest common denominator, but today their treatment is different. In our anti-politics culture where intelligent, nuanced debate is sneered
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The Turncoat: sir Oswald Mosley
FROM TOP Russell Brand (Photo: Everett Collection); Sir Oswald Mosley (Photo: Glyn Warren Philpot);
The most notorious figure on our list, Mosley served as an MP for more than a decade, during which time he gained a reputation as a fearsome and eloquent orator. A great shame, therefore, that after dalliances with parties across the political spectrum he chose to apply his talents to furthering the cause of Fascism, convincing himself that a prosperous country could only be achieved under the yoke of tyranny. Thankfully, his popularity failed to extend beyond an extremist minority. In 1940, he was arrested and detained for his activities as leader of the British Union of Fascists and, in 1951, politically disillusioned, he moved to Ireland. He returned to twice stand as an MP, campaigning on an antiimmigration ticket in 1959 and then again in 1966. Both times he was defeated, finally emigrating to Paris to see out his days.
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| FEATURE |
Mosley in Words: “If you love our country, you are nationalist, and if you love our people, you are a socialist.”
UK’s healthcare system. His biggest victory could come in June when Britain goes to the polls to determine whether it remains in the European Union.
The Divider: Enoch Powell
Farage in Words: “It’s a European Union of economic failure, of mass unemployment and of low growth.”
A classical scholar and poet, Enoch Powell had been a Tory MP for 18 years when he gave his now infamous 1968 anti-immigration speech in Birmingham, famously known as the Rivers of Blood. In it, he spoke of the growing racial tension caused, he claimed, by waves of immigrants from cultures alien to the British way of life. Despite polls showing his comments were backed by 70 per cent of the public, he was duly sacked from his role as Shadow Defence Secretary, perhaps proving that for a demagogue to prosper he must operate from outside the mainstream.
The Activist: Russell Brand
It’s strange to think that just a handful of years ago, Brand was a lowly TV personality best known for being The Sun’s ‘Shagger of the Year’, twice. Today, the comedian is a regular on respected news shows, a broadsheet columnist and has even been invited to speak on drugs policy at a Government Select Committee. His most recent hobbyhorse has been capitalism and, more specifically, how he’d like to see it demolished and replaced with…well, that’s where Brand tends to go uncharacteristically coy. Yet, despite his perceived lack of substance, as well as widespread criticism following his call for people not to vote, there’s no denying his influence among young people. More than 11 million followers on Twitter and 22,000 sales of his book Revolution within a week of publication are evidence enough that, for all his critics, he is a man who connects with a large section of the public.
Powell in Words: “In this country in 15 or 20 years’ time the black man will have the whip hand over the white man.”
The Rebel: George Galloway
Whatever your opinion of the man, Galloway’s performance at the US Senate in 2005 as he faced accusations of profiting from Iraqi oil sales was a powerful and charismatic display. Throughout his 35 years in politics – during which he was expelled from the Labour Party – his fervent opposition to numerous British-backed wars should, in theory, have made him a darling of the left, but he’s managed to rub almost everyone up the wrong way with various ill-judged decisions. Among them, in descending order of seriousness, were questioning the veracity of most sexual assault allegations and impersonating a cat while wearing a Spandex bodysuit on reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother.
Brand in Words: “Capitalism is causing more suffering than ISIS.”
Galloway in Words: “I am not a pacifist. I am a revolutionary. I am a socialist who doesn’t like capitalism and who likes imperialism less.”
The Showman: Nigel Farage
With his penchant for beer, fags and casual xenophobia, there was a time when the anti-Europe leader of UKIP was treated as an entertaining jester. But as public opinion turned against rising immigration in Britain, his calls to tighten our borders thrust him into the limelight. A mediasavvy operator with a charismatic tongue, he has mastered the art of shock tactics, most notably in 2015 when he accused AIDS victims from overseas of draining the
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FROM TOP Enoch Powell (Photo: Allan Warren); Russell Brand (Photo: Joe Seer); George Galloway; (Photo: Art Babych); Nigel Farage (photo: Landmark Media) RIGHT Enoch Powell (Photo: Allan Warren);
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National
Treasure
this image Sir John Soane, by Thomas Lawrence, 1828-1829; RIGHT NW corner of the Bank of England, Gandy, Joseph Michael (1771-1843), image courtesy of The Sir John Soane’s Museum; BOTTOM RIGHT NE corner of the Bank of England, Gandy, Joseph Michael (1771-1843), image courtesy of The Sir John Soane’s Museum
This month, the Sir John Soane Museum is reinstating the architect’s Model Room for the first time in 160 years. On display, alongside a huge collection of antiquities, will be a model of Soane’s masterpiece, the Bank of England
T
Words: JACK WATKINS
he eminent architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner once called the destruction of Sir John Soane’s Bank of England, which was pulled down in the 1920s to make way for Sir Herbert Baker’s rebuilding, “The greatest architectural crime in the City of London of the 20th century”. In the event, Baker’s reconstruction on the island site that sprawls across threeand-a-half acres at Threadneedle Street has become a landmark in its own right, a rather cold, neoclassical, bastion-like monument to Britain’s financial security and independence. Inside the building there’s an air of a mausoleum, and even the staff who work there admit to finding it difficult to navigate its many corridors and secret stairways. Occupying 400,000 feet above ground, there’s another 300,000 square feet below street level, containing the heavily guarded vault. The size of Baker’s building reflects the Bank’s rapidly increased volume of work and responsibilities over the last century. The Bank was large enough in Soane’s day too, as can be seen by his model that is to go on display at the architect’s former
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home, the Sir John Soane’s Museum at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, in the Model Room, which is being reinstated for the first time in 160 years. It is part of the ongoing £7million ‘Opening up the Soane’ project. The museum, which recently won first prize for the best restoration of a Georgian interior from the Georgian Group, contains the vast collection of antiquities that Soane accumulated over the course of his long life, and which was bequeathed to the nation on his death in 1837. Soane was a complex, self-made man. Conscious of his humble origins, his resultant insecurity made him suspicious even of his friends, and he was driven by the constant need to prove himself. He was only 35 when he was appointed to the official position of architect and surveyor to the Bank and, after years of struggle, it must have felt like the ultimate accolade. It was to become his life’s work, but the blueprint for building a national bank at that time scarcely existed. Legislation clearing the way for the establishment of a Bank of England had been passed in 1694. The momentum for its creation arose from widening recognition of the need for an independent body to
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| FEATURE |
administer the public finances, protecting them from the risk of confiscation by an unscrupulous or desperate monarch, and to keep the economy afloat by ensuring the flow of cheap credit. The first headquarters of the Bank were simply in rented rooms at Mercer’s Hall on Cheapside and then in Poultry, before land was acquired at Threadneedle Street and Lothbury in the 1720s, close to the Stock Exchange. The first architect and surveyor of the Bank of England was George Sampson, but his building had little to distinguish it from a merchant’s palace or mansion. His successor, Sir Robert Taylor, was able to be more ambitious as the Bank acquired more land on the Threadneedle Street site, adding a massive rotunda in 1797, which was used as a stockbroking hall. By the time Soane was appointed in 1788, the Bank was fully recognised as the government’s banker, the store of the national gold stock, the issuer and honourer of paper bank notes and the arbitrator for a company or individual’s creditworthiness. Soane was able to argue that such an institution demanded to be housed in a fittingly impressive building. Take a perambulation around the outside of the Bank and you may be struck by the fortress-like appearance of the outer walls. These survive from Soane’s original design, reflecting his idea of the building symbolising the Bank’s status as the protector of the nation’s wealth. In the 1920s, ahead of demolition, Soane design was compared to a reassuringly solid cash box. Sadly, some of the ornamentation was lost during the rebuilding, though this perhaps serves only to heighten the severe aspect. By contrast, the Soane’s designs for the interior banking halls were far more elaborate. Illustrations indicate the airy nature of the Stock Office, the vaults rising above semi-circular arches, and
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illuminated by concealed lighting sources, critical for the counter clerks. Soane drew inspiration for the designs for these low but atmospheric rooms from the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s villa at Tivoli and Piranesi’s drawing of the Basilica of Maxentius, in the Roman Forum. As is invariably the case with any new design of building, not everyone at the time enthused over Soane’s work. His “shocking innovations” were attacked in an anonymous satirical poem The Modern Goth in 1796. Yet Soane proudly showed eminent visitors, from emperors to lesser royalty, diplomats and ambassadors, around the site, each one keen to see what had become the most important public building of the age. Soane continued as architect to the Bank until failing eyesight forced his resignation in 1833, aged 80. But this fascinating character was also the designer of a great many other
fine buildings, including the Palace of Westminster and the royal palaces in London, as well as Dulwich Picture Gallery and the unmistakably Soanean Pitzhanger Manor on Ealing Green, which he built as his country retreat in 1804. It later served as a public library in the 20th century and is currently undergoing restoration as an arts and heritage attraction. Yet when Soane died in 1837, no great cult rose in his name and his Bank of England was one of several of his buildings to be demolished. In more recent years, interest in his work has been revived and his idiosyncratic house at Lincoln’s Inn Fields draws admirers from around the world, with many original features restored. Even if you don’t make a pilgrimage there, Soane’s influence can still be detected on London’s streets. In 1815, after the death of his wife, he designed the tomb that would also eventually serve as his own burial place, which stands in the gardens of St Pancras Old Church, behind the train sheds of King’s Cross and St Pancras, and where novelist Thomas Hardy worked as a young architect. This curious tomb, four pillars supporting a typically shallow Soanean dome, was the model for Giles Gilbert Scott’s classic red K2 telephone box. soane.org.uk
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legends of the
hall
It’s the watch and jewellery world’s equivalent to the Geneva Motor Show – only more important. Each spring, Baselworld places some of the largest luxury brands under one almighty roof, offering a fascinating insight into the state of an intriguing industry
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watches
Words: richard brown
Classic styling and modest case sizes were back in vogue as smart-watch chit-chat fell mostly silent
Aero GT, Bell & Ross
Cosmograph Daytona with Cerachrom bezel, Rolex Rolex, the world’s most accurate mechanical watch mass-producer, is now more accurate than ever. As of 2016, the brand has announced that its Superlative Chronometer Certification will apply to its entire production line, guaranteeing that every single timepiece that leaves Rolex HQ will lose or gain no more than two seconds per day. No other watchmaker can make such a promise. Watches are status symbols and nothing says ‘boss’ quite like a Rolex Daytona. Stainless steel models currently command waiting lists that stretch to up to five years and the latest Cerachrom bezel model looks set to do the same. So, what’s new? Materials, mainly. The watch remains 40mm in diameter and continues to be powered by Rolex’s Caliber 4130. It’s the bezel, made from Rolex-modified ceramic, which will excite Daytona devotees, harking back, as it does, to the black plexiglass-bezel of the original 1965 model. Cerachrom is corrosion resistant, virtually scratchproof and impervious to UV rays, meaning that it will keep its colour however long you leave it in the sun. In a trade fair noticeably bereft of headline-grabbing stunners, this piece shimmered in the limelight.
Supercar-super-watch tie-ins are nothing new. See Hublot’s LaFerrari and Parmigiani Fleurier’s Bugatti Super Sport. But Bell & Ross has gone one better. The French-Swiss watch brand famous for its square-faced timepieces has designed a supercar. Upholding its aeronautic roots – the brand’s wristwear is inspired by instruments found in cockpits – the Aero GT takes its design cues from a fighter jet. Thanks to a 4.2-litre, V8 engine, the company says the car will do 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and top out at 314 km/h. Unfortunately it remains a concept. Thankfully, the brand also remembered to launch some watches. The BR 03-94 Aero GT chronograph and time-only BR 03-92 Aero GT are both square, skeletonised affairs. Sporty sidekicks to a supercar to salivate over. BR 03-94 Aero GT, £6,300, BR 03-92 Aero, £3,950, bellross.com
£8,250, rolex.com RACE IMAGES Daytona International Speedway
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| collection |
BASELWORLD 2016
Best of the Rest Big B an g MEC A -10, Hublot Hidden among th e customar y sports star ambassadors w h eeled out by Hublot – Alan S h earer included , bemusingly – was a watch almost lost amid tim epieces th e brand was more eager to shout about. Strange, given that th e Big Bang MEC A-10 presents som ething we’ve n ever seen b efore – a power reser ve indicator in th e form of a rack-slide at 12 o’clock. Th e skeletoni sed Meca-10 was design ed to look as if it ’s b een part-assembled from Meccano. A brand n ew movem ent of fers a 10-day power reser ve that can b e tracked via a jumping indicator at six o’clock, in addition to th e sliding saw-like compon ent at 12. Like it or loath e it, th e watch deser ved more airtim e than a weird and over -choreograph ed Q&A with a form er Newcastle Unit ed striker. £15,000 titanium , £16,600 ‘all black’ version , hublot.com
Superocean Héritage Chronoworks, Breitling Mercedes has AMG; Breitling has Chronoworks. Just like the German car manufacturer’s engine-tuning division, the Swiss watchmakers’ new department was established to improve performance. Chronoworks’ initial project was the Breitling Caliber 01, the brand’s first in-houseproduced movement. By employing lighter materials (silicon), reducing friction (through ceramic) and equipping the movement with a slimmer and longer spring, Breitling has increased the calibre’s power reserve from 70 to 100 hours: a gain of 45 per cent. The first model to house the new Breitling 01 Chronoworks movement is an appropriately souped-up, all-black version of the Superocean Héritage, which sports a matt ceramic case, a transparent caseback and a superb new woven rubber strap. Only 100 will be made. We want one, badly. £30,410, breitling.com
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Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, Blancpain
Launched in the late 1950s, the Blancpain Bathyscaphe has come to define the archetypal diver’s watch. For the first time the three-hand version appears in a plasma gray ceramic case. The rest of the design remains unchanged. Well, if it ain’t broke... £8,930, blancpain.com
Heritage Railroad, Longines Brands across the board were looking towards their archives for modernday inspiration. Nowhere was a vintage timepiece more gracefully reimagined than at Longines, which presented the rebirth of its Railroad watch. The 2016 version remains resolutely faithful to its 1960s predecessor, save for the introduction of an updated movement. £1,170, longines.com
Phanero, MeisterSinger In addition to more restrained styling, Baselworld 2016 was awash with smaller sized cases. One of the most miniature came from single-hand specialists MeisterSinger, whose new Phanero range is just 35mm in diameter. Once on the wrist, the tiny timepiece makes a statement belying its puny proportions. £1,295, meistersinger.net
The Carl Brashear Limited Edition, Oris In commemoration of Carl Brashear, the US Navy’s first African-American diver, Oris has presented its first bronze watch. Based on last year’s hugely popular Divers Sixty-Five, the 42mm automatic timepiece is a thing of real retro beauty, likely to only get better as it patinates with time. £1,900, oris.ch
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| collection |
BASELWORLD 2016
Best of the Rest Presage 60th Anniversary, Seiko
5170R, Patek Philippe
Seiko practically owns the quartz watch scene. So much so that it’s easy to forget that the Japanese giant’s electronic empire was built on deep-rooted mechanical foundations. Seiko made its first mechanical watch in 1913. In 1968, it created Japan’s first ‘hi-beat’ timepiece and became the first brand to put a vertical clutch and column wheel system into an automatic chronograph. In 2014, Seiko’s Hi-Beat 36000 GMT was named the best watch under £6,000 at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – an awards ceremony more colloquially known as the Oscars of the watch world. This year, Seiko announced the global roll out of the Presage 60th Anniversary Automatic Limited Edition Chronograph (previously only available in Japan). The extremely stylish timepiece is 42mm in diameter and water-resistant to 10 bar. Two editions are available: 1,000 pieces with a black lacquer dial; 1,000 pieces with a white enamel dial. We fell for the black. £1,950, seikowatches.com
King of the elegant dress watch, Patek Philippe presents the 5170 chronograph in rose gold. Classic looks are complemented by a manually- wound movement and a square-scale black alligator leather strap. It’s water resistant to 30 metres, though this is a watch clearly more suited to a black tie event than the beach. £53,320, patek.com
Type XXI 3817, Breguet
Paying homage to its aviation history – three generations after Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the tourbillion, his great-greatgrandson, Louis Charles Breguet was inventing some of the earliest aircrafts – Breguet launches the Type XXI 3817 chronograph. A retro-style slate dial is framed by a fluted 42mm steel case, which is water-resistant to 100 metres. A flyback function is provided by a mechanical self-winding movement that can be viewed through a sapphire crystal caseback – a first in the history of the Type XX collection. £9,900, breguet.com Oct o F i n i s si mo Mi n u te Re peater , Bulgari Watchmaking can som etim es b ecom e a battle of superlatives, with each brand looking to outdo th e n ext by delivering th e smallest, largest, loudest or light est piece of kit possible. Top trump at Baselw orld 2016 was Bulgari , w hich present ed th e O cto Fini ssimo Minut e Repeat er – th e w orld’s thinn est striking watch . Incredibly, Bulgari’s in-house de velop ed BVL Calibre 362 m easures just 3.12mm thick, m eaning that with an overall case depth of 6.85mm , th e Fini ssimo Minut e Repeat er i s slimm er than an iPhon e 6. A titanium case and cut-out hour markers amplify resonance to ensure th e purest of chim es. £123,000, bulgari .com
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The Canfield Chrono, Shinola Everything that five-year-old Shinola manufactures – from pet toys to bicycles – is geared around quality. The Cranfield is the company’s first chronograph and might just be the best-looking Shinola watch yet. AllAmerican design on the outside hides a Swiss-quality quartz movement within. £855, shinola.co.uk
I.N.O.X. Professional Diver, Victorinox Designed with the company’s Swiss Army knives in mind, Victorinox’s I.N.O.X. timepieces are tool-watches intended to last. Factory tests include running over watches with a 64-tonne truck. The latest Professional Diver version has been updated with a unidirectional rotating bezel. Watches don’t come more hardwearing than this. £449, victorinox.com
El Primero 36’000 VpH Classic Cars, Zenith Zenith’s El Primero 36’000 VpH now comes with a new tri-colour grey dial, complete with ‘brushed engine’ pattern. Just as attention-grabbing is the Classic Cars’ super stylish perforated brown calfskin leather strap. Now we just need a car cool enough to match. £5,100, zenith-watches.com
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M ANUFACTUR E DE H AU TE H OR LOGER IE
TONDA METROGR APHE
Steel case Chronograph automatic movement Date in an aperture Integrated titanium / steel bracelet Made in Switzerland www.parmigiani.ch
ATELIER PARMIGIANI 97 MOUNT STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON W1K 2TD, TEL. 020 7495 5172 LONDON SELFRIDGES, THE WONDER ROOM | ARIJE WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND | FROST OF LONDON | BEAU GEMS BIRMINGHAM RUDELLS | HARROGATE & YORK ODGEN | LEICESTER LUMBERS SCOTLAND AND NEWCASTLE ROX DIAMONDS AND THRILLS | TUNBRIDGE WELLS G COLLINS AND SON
jewellery
Words: olivia sharpe
The brightest jewels that shone through the halls of Baselworld
Imperiale Joaillerie watch, Chopard
Season’s greetings The use of floral motifs in the world of fine jewellery is historic. From Chanel to Dior, the flower has become a signature symbol for many jewellery houses. Spanish jeweller Carrera y Carrera looked to the legendary story of the garden of the four seasons to create its latest collection, El Retiro. Divided into four sections, spring is represented in blossoming floral pieces in warm pastel shades, comprising pink sapphires, chrysolites and orange sapphires. In stark contrast, the iciness of winter is conveyed in the geometric Iceberg ring, featuring a dramatic blue topaz offset with diamonds. Also looking to the past was Greek designer Nikos Koulis whose collection Eden recalls the Art Deco jewellery designs of the 1920s, as well as referencing the Garden of Eden. With time being a natural preoccupation at Baselworld, it is unsurprising that watchmakers are similarly influenced by the changing seasons when it comes to their designs. Folli Follie paid tribute to its recognisable floral motif through this year’s twist on the brand’s staple Santorini Flower watch collection. The versatile new design enables you to change up your watch strap to another colour or a ceramic bracelet. Graff also unveiled its Snowfall timepiece. The ordered scattering of 278 diamonds in an intricate lattice design reflects the falling of snowflakes.
High Time
Joy de Lumière Ricochet timepiece, Boucheron
Baselworld demonstrates that watchmaking and jewellery design do not have to be considered two separate disciplines. Graff captured our attention once again with the release of The Princess Butterfly timepiece. The delicate, winged creature has been sculpted in blue sapphire pavé with tapered baguette-cut sapphires on the edges, along with brilliant-round diamonds to mark the centre. Despite being unapologetically ostentatious, there is more to this piece than meets the eye. Capturing the insect’s metamorphic nature, the high jewellery bracelet transforms into a timepiece through a mechanism that, when pressed, causes the wings to fly apart, revealing a hidden watch. This year, Chanel allowed women access to the rarefied and exclusive world of high watchmaking complications with the launch of its first Première Flying Tourbillon for ladies. Alternatively, true watch enthusiasts will prefer the skeleton version, limited to just 12 pieces. The timepieces are the result of a masterful collaboration between Chanel and Swiss watch mechanism-maker, Renaud & Papi. For those who still prefer all-out decadence, the house unveiled three new high jewellery secret watches, the most impressive of which was the Signature Grenat featuring a 39.9-carat cushion-cut garnet. Finally, American jeweller Harry Winston got our vote with its My Precious Time – an apt name to convey the Art Deco white gold diamond brooch-cum-timepiece, based on the historic gentleman’s pocket watch.
My Precious Time, Harry Winston
Top, l-r: Chalcedony pendant, Venyx World; Margarita ring, Carrera y Carrera circles, l-r: Margarita mini earrings with olivines and diamonds, Carrera y Carrera; Eden bracelet, Nikos Koulis; Hoja maxi ring, Carrera y Carrera
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Signature Grenat secret watch, Chanel
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BASELWORLD 2016 Fashion for Jewels
Jack-in-the-Box pendant, Sybarite
Merry-GoRound ring, Sybarite
CIRCLES, L-R Lunara ring, Marco Bicego; Boule earrings with Icy diamonds, De Grisogono; Ballerina ring, Sybarite
Lunaria bracelet, Marco Bicego
SHINE BRIGHT Diamonds continued to reign supreme at Baselworld. In just ten years, Messika Joaillerie has become synonymous with modern and cutting-edge diamond jewellery. The brand’s new cosmicinspired high jewellery range comprises six suites named after mythological goddesses. One couldn’t help but be enticed by the Calypso open choker comprising 264 graduating pear-cut diamonds, or be drawn to the radiating power of the Solena Maya necklace. Encompassing 185 emerald, triangular and pear-cut diamonds that have been aligned into the shape of a pyramid, it is a fitting tribute to the Sun God.
Graff similarly reached for the stars with its new Celestial timepiece, incorporating a galaxy’s worth of sparkling fancy-shaped diamonds Graff similarly reached for the stars with its new Celestial timepiece, incorporating a galaxy’s worth of sparkling fancy-shaped diamonds, with individual stones illuminated by a pavé diamond halo. Forty years on from when Chopard first released its Happy Diamonds collection and the Swiss jeweller is still delighting us to this day, bringing out new versions of this classic model every year. Proving that size does sometimes matter, the romantic Happy Dreams collection includes larger stones for the first time. Sybarite proved it deserved its place in the Basel hall of fame (this is the British jeweller’s first year presenting) with its masterful jewels on display in Hall Two. Among the whimsical pieces on display, our personal favourites were the enchanting Jack-in-the-Box pendant and the true-to-life, spinning Merry-GoRound ring.
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The interplay between jewellery, art and fashion has increased dramatically over the last century. For instance, this year’s Basel saw the exciting collaboration between Georg Jensen and the now late Zaha Hadid. Located in Hall Two, the impressive installation designed by the architect for the show housed the eight-piece capsule collection. Each piece masterfully reflects Hadid’s ground-breaking designs, fusing her signature sculptural forms and fluid outlines with Jensen’s minimalist aesthetic. Flying the flag for Greece, Michael Pelamidis similarly looks to the world of architecture, as well as organic forms, for inspiration. The dramatic Transgenic ring explores the duality of nature, featuring a rare bi-colour quartz stone, while the Manta cuff is made from real shagreen, immortalising the stingray in jewellery form.
Hèrmes partnered with a number of artists this year to create its new timepieces Hermès partnered with a number of artists this year to create its timepieces. For the Slim d’Hermès Koma Kurabe, the traditional Japanese art of Aka-e painting was combined with the French porcelain industry for the first time in watchmaking history. The exquisite dial, which honours the ancient Japanese horse race, was the work of Buzan Fukushima. Highlighting the relationship between jewellery and fashion, Dior unveiled new versions of its Dior VIII Grande Bal in colours to match the most recent fashion show. Over at Harry Winston, the house took this one step further with its New York Companion. Based on the bejewelled evening bags of the 1930s, the clutch has a hidden timepiece in the clasp so busy women never miss a New York minute. Meanwhile, both Mikimoto and Yoko London demonstrated the relevance of pearls in contemporary jewellery with their trend-led designs.
Double ring, Zaha Hadid collection for Georg Jensen Iceberg ring, Carrera y Carrera
Pearl and diamond earrings & bracelet, Novus collection, both Yoko London Pearl ring, Yoko London
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| collection |
BASELWORLD 2016 Animal Kingdom
true colours
The trend for coloured gemstones sees no sign of slowing down, as illustrated at Baselworld. Green continues to be popular, whether in the traditional vivid emerald hue as demonstrated at Amrapali, Jacob & Co,, and Graff, or a light spring green hue (which has been selected as one of this year’s Pantone colours) reflected in Paraiba tourmalines, peridots and opals. Rubies are clearly having a moment too. Indian jeweller Amrapali released its new Manak designs set with white diamonds and Mozambique rubies that have been entirely untreated, hence their captivating pink-red shade. Speaking to head designer Tarang Arora, he remarked how the rapid depletion in untreated rubies has meant that the market for them has skyrocketed. Fabergé has a long history of using the world’s finest coloured gemstones as well as enamelling to create its works of art. The new mosaic pendant illustrates this perfectly. The house’s invisible gem-setting technique first pioneered in the early 20th century uses singlefaceted gemstones that are perfectly calibrated to ensure the overall design is flawless. Both Amrapali and Chanel also highlighted the industry’s renewed interest in garnets. Finally, ‘king of colour’ Fawaz Gruosi, founder of Swiss jewellery house De Grisogono, lit up his Basel stand with a medley of shades, including the new Boule pieces in rose gold and pink sapphires, or in pink sapphires and amber resin dropped in hot and cold water to achieve its hazy effect. Top, l-r: Mosaic multi-coloured pendant, Fabergé; Manak ruby ring 18-carat rose gold with diamonds, Amrapali; Pearl & diamond necklace with opals, Yoko London Circles, l-r: Boule earrings with pink sapphires in rose gold, De Grisogono; Charmeuse ruby ring, Fabergé; Ruby earrings, Etho Maria
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Cerastes bracelet, Jacob & Co.
The animal motif has preyed upon the minds of fine jewellers for centuries. This year Pond ring, marks the Chinese Maria Kovadi year of the monkey and jewellers therefore let their imaginations run wild with their simianthemed jewels at Baselworld. Well-known for his playful creations, Italian jeweller Roberto Coin delighted us with his ‘cheeky’ take on the Chinese zodiac sign, presenting it in precious form in 18-carat rose gold and diamonds. The serpent has charmed its way into high jewellery collections for years, but the brand that is truly defined by this enigmatic reptile is Bulgari. The house’s timeless symbol was reincarnated in a new high jewellery timepiece collection, Serpenti Incantati. The snake coils itself around the case of a round watch for the first time, conveying the creature’s supple grace, and arrives in two versions: a rubellite-set with a pink gold case or a white gold diamondset (either with a satin strap or a matching bracelet). Another jeweller famed for its reptilian heritage is Boucheron, which unleashed a new rose gold version of its classic Serpent Bohème collection, along with adding other creations to its existing ark-worthy menagerie. These include the enchanting Nuri Cockatoo pendant earrings featuring an array of coloured gemstones and the Pégase high jewellery timepiece. Over at Jacob & Co., which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the serpent reared its head once again in the Cerastes bracelet. The bejewelled interpretation in lightweight aluminium and snakeskin seductively wraps itself around the wearer’s arm, empowering her with its flashing Marquise-cut ruby eyes. The underwater world was also not forgotten about; Greek jeweller Eugenie Niarchos, who presented her brand Venyx World for the first time at the show, added new pieces to her Oseanyx range. Meanwhile, slightly less exotic but nonetheless magical, Maria Kovadi proved she was a big fish with her fairy-tale-inspired Pond pieces. Serpenti Incantati high jewellery timepiece, Bulgari
Circles, l-r: Gecko earrings, Carrera y Carrera; Nuri, the Cockatoo pendant earrings, Boucheron; Lizard ring, Roberto Coin
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to ow he h s s te t scu s di celebra of r e sign one e we e de ear, as ainers, o f th h s otw Cordw anies o ish t o i f r p ee B ame in any of om Thr n p ry c e a m v i ke l Co ng l ma ipfu maini h s r e Wo dest r ol on the f Lond o City LAND Y EAST N A F F I :T WORDS
E H T HIP
Illustration by Georgina Goodman
S R WO
D N U O GR
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T
hey say good shoes take you good places. This is great news, given England’s reputation for producing some of the finest footwear in the world. And thanks to the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers (as it’s known today), we’re anticipating even more exceptional English talent to emerge in the coming years. As one of the oldest remaining livery companies of the City of London, the Cordwainers’ Company (as it was once known) was responsible for regulating the shoe trade and the training of shoemakers in the City. In 1272, the Company’s first ordnances were drawn up, which laid down the regulations for training apprentices, the areas of trade and the organisation of the guild (and later livery). At this time, the company also moved to establish a clear distinction between the cordwainers and the cobblers. However, it wasn’t until 1395 that an agreement was reached, whereby cobblers would work in old leather, while cordwainers would use new. The cordwainers continued to regulate their trade and act as a friendly society for shoemakers right up to the end of the 18th century. The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers may have lost its regulatory power, but its membership fees, and the bequest of property and inheritance money enable the company to continue its support of the British footwear trade and education through donations and bursaries. In 2014, the company introduced the Cordwainers National Footwear Student Award, which offers its recipients a generous cash prize and recognition from the British footwear industry. The company also sponsors the Cordwainers Award for Innovation, a £5,000 prize aimed at developing an emerging designer’s business, plus 12 months of mentoring from an industry expert, something only made possible through the calibre of its successful members. The livery’s list of members is wellheeled, with the likes of Lilley, Skinner and Church all present, while the Cordwainers College (now part of the University of Arts, London) boasts graduates such as Jimmy Choo, Georgina Goodman, LK Bennett, not to mention bespoke shoemakers Dominic Casey, Caroline Groves and Atlanta Weller. The company’s master, John Rubinstein, says: “Britain leads the world in footwear design and with its financial support, influence and unrivalled contacts, the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is a key partner in its success.” From the acclaimed and established, to the emerging, we hear first hand the importance of the cordwainer community and the role it’s playing in securing the future of the British footwear industry...
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The livery’s list of members is wellheeled, with the likes of Lilley, Skinner and Church all present
THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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Guy West
Georgina Goodman A twice-nominated British Fashion Council Accessory Designer of the Year, Georgina Goodman has established a successful career in design collaborations, most famously working with Lee Alexander McQueen, with whom she created the iconic shoes for his various catwalk collections. Despite describing herself as a latecomer, retraining in her early 30s after a career in fashion journalism, Goodman’s list of devotees reads much like the front row at Fashion Week, though she says she’s just as excited to see anyone enjoying “the shoe moment”. “I wish we could move through this celebrity culture obsession and go beyond to be inspired by each other as women, and not because we are taller, thinner, richer or ‘famous’.” For Goodman, it’s about seeing someone, anyone, light up and feel fabulous in her shoes. Clearly very talented at what she does, I’m curious as to what inspires her original designs: “There’s inspiration all around, the trick is filtering the vast amount of stimulus into something understandable,” she explains. As for her approach: “It’s exactly the same process as I learned at college,” and one she’s no doubt teaching her current students. Since graduating, Goodman has kept very close links with the Cordwainers College (now part of the London College of Fashion), whether it’s setting course projects or mentoring students. “All of my assistants have come from the Cordwainers BA course, and I’m working with the final year students this term.” When she reflects on her time at college, Goodman’s reminded of how important it is to do something you feel passionate about: “Learning something from the inside out made me feel more fulfilled. I spent hours in the workshop and made far more samples than I needed to, did more work than was necessary.” Clearly very devoted to her art form, I ask what she’d be if she wasn’t a shoe designer? “Today I am happy being a shoe designer but tomorrow, who knows? Maybe a bee-keeper.” georginagoodman.com
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Unlike Goodman, Guy West is no industry latecomer, in fact he was still at school when he and his friend-come-businesspartner, Mark Jeffery, started selling rejects and end of lines from local factories around Northampton, the historical centre of the England’s shoemaking and leather industries. When the childhood friends were 22, they established JefferyWest, their very own footwear company. Jeffery-West has grown significantly from those humble beginnings, with five stores across the United Kingdom (including one in Leadenhall Street) and a store in New York. Taking a moment to reflect, West says: “I think Mark and I have been through so many shared experiences whilst establishing the business that our bond runs deep.” He recollects sleeping in the car while showcasing at their first Düsseldorf show, and a distribution meeting in Marseille, at which time they discovered the local hostel they had booked, doubled as a knocking shop for the local garrison of the French Foreign Legion, which “led to a very eventful night’s stay”. As a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, West’s journey with the Company is ongoing. For the last two years, West has been a judge on the Cordwainers Student Footwear Designer Award panel, a role he describes as amazing and fulfilling. “Seeing the incredible talent emerging from our footwear university courses gives me so much hope for the future of our industry.” I take this opportunity to ask West for any final words of wisdom for aspiring footwear designers: “At least once in your training or career, work in footwear retail, as you must understand the actual selling of shoes to be able to make your own ideas not only appealing but saleable.” jeffery-west.co.uk
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anna dominic Last July, Anna Dominic was named Footwear Designer of the Year at the Cordwainers National Footwear Awards. She’s a prime example of the talent that continues to emerge from the Cordwainers College, and a true testament to the techniques taught and skills acquired during a BA Footwear Design degree. Now the creative director of her own brand, Ganor Dominic, Dominic puts said skills and techniques to good use. For S/S16, she turns to her greatest source of inspiration: classical art and sculpture. Her favourite piece in the collection, the Apollo pump, features a 3D printed face with marble effect underneath the sole. “The face is a 3D scan of an actual ancient Greek sculpture of Apollo, who is believed to be
her portfolio, and was encouraged to apply for the Cordwainers course instead. “I was very surprised as this wasn’t my initial plan, but I thought it might be a sign and decided to give it a chance.” Dominic’s advice for those looking to follow in her footsteps: “Do loads of research; never stop looking for new materials, techniques and machinery. This industry is constantly moving forward and in order to succeed you have to be aware of what’s going on.” ganordominic.com
The face is a 3D scan of an actual Ancient Greek sculpture of Apollo the god of art, music, poetry and light,” explains Anna. This particular shoe was a starting point for the development of her graduate collection, and went on to becomes the basis for her debut range. Despite seeming destined for a career in shoe design, Dominic admits that she never imagined herself where she is today. In fact, she had applied for a BA womenswear course, but rather impressed interviewers with several shoe designs in
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OUT WITH THE OLD & IN From a creative way to fund this season’s wardrobe, to the new label we’re all lusting after, here’s what’s happening in the world of women’s fashion
Cotton-poplin shirt, £280, Jil Sander, net-a-porter.com
Bowling bag, £POA, Chanel, chanel.com
THE FASHION FUND
Fanny Moizant, founder of designer resale site Vestiaire Collective (VC), says a recent survey revealed that almost 30 per cent of clothing in most people’s wardrobe hasn’t been worn for over a year. In fact, Moizant believes most of us only really wear around 50 per cent on a day-to-day basis. “When it comes to my wardrobe, I’ve always operated a strict one in, one out policy.” That said, even Moizant admits there are a few things she’d struggle to part ways with: “I love my Gianvito Rossi heels as they work with everything, I also couldn’t live without a classic crisp white shirt and skinny jeans.” On the whole, Moizant is pretty ruthless and likes to be able to see all her clothes at
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one glance. For the hoarders, her advice is: ask yourself the following four questions: “Have you worn it in the past year? Does it reflect your personal style? Can you make at least three outfits with this one piece? And do you like how it feels and looks when you wear it?” If you’re still looking for some kind of incentive to say goodbye to your Prada, consider this: Moizant and her team recently did a wardrobe detox with one member who went on to raise over £5,000 from the pieces she cleared out. Curious to discover if I’m sitting on a gold mine, I ask Moizant Carla high leather which pieces pumps, £535, Gianvito Rossi, procure the greatest mytheresa.com return: “The Hermès Birkin, Kelly and Constance bags have always offered a great investment.” Chanel, Louis
Vuitton and Celine also hold their value well, and most recently, Gucci, due to the new creative direction. In association with blogger Anuschka Rees, VC last month launched the Ultimate Wardrobe Detox Guide, a booklet that gives readers a step-by-step guide to applying the rules of minimalism to their wardrobe. And for those of us for whom some downtime remains a dream, VC offers a concierge service: “The concierge team will send a courier to collect and handle the entire selling process for you, including the photography, product descriptions, pricing and dealing with buyers,” says Moizant. Even better news is there’s no fee – VC simply takes a 35 per cent commission from the pieces you sell. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to swap last year’s style for this season’s must-haves. TE Contact the concierge team at conciergelondon@ vestiairecollective.com or visit vestiairecollective.com
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WITH THE NEW
who? Racil Chalhoub, a Paris-raised, London-based designer.
Black jacket, £985, black trousers, £295, avenue32.com
when? Her namesake label launched just last year and already has a devoted following of ‘It’ girls like Sabine Getty and Natasha Goldenberg.
Blue jacket, £540, Blue trousers, £385, matchesfashion.com
LABEL LOVE: RACIL SALVATORE FERRAGAMO X SARA BATTAGLIA Maverick bag designer, Sara Battaglia, has been called upon to collaborate on a gorgeous capsule collection for Salvatore Ferragamo. The collection celebrates its founder’s colourful life and playfully channels one of Salvatore’s most iconic shoes, the Rainbow Wedge, created in 1930 for Judy Garland. Salvatore Ferragamo’s creative director Massimiliano Giornetti says: “By marrying the essence of the Rainbow Wedge with the tassel design features that are becoming Sara’s signature, we have been able to meld both brands to create something new and modern.” This collaboration is the latest chapter in Salvatore Ferragamo’s long-standing mentoring scheme, which includes the sponsorship of college and graduate artisans. The Sara Battaglia for Salvatore Ferragamo collection will be available in stores and online from May, ferragamo.com
what?
how?
Chalhoub has combined the finest Savile Row fabrics with a youthful approach to create a line of ladies tuxedos. For S/S16, Chalhoub moves beyond the classic black and white palette, introducing slinky slip dresses and 1970s-style pantsuits in an explosion of colour.
Chalhoub’s tuxedos can be paired with a T-shirt and flats for work, and high heels for a chic as ever eveningwear option.
why? Chalhoub was after a tuxedo she could easily sport throughout the day.
“The collection celebrates its founder’s colourful life” © Jon Gorrigan
B AI L EY O N B O ARD AT Z AN Z AN EY EWE AR London’s Zanzan Eyewear has welcomed Vogue contributing editor, Laura Bailey, to the team as director and creative partner. Bailey, a devoted follower of the brand , will join co-founders Megan Trimble and Gareth Townsend . Bailey ’s new role will see her consult, collaborate, and assist with the design of the frames, something her Vogue colleague’s confirm she’s more than well-placed to do. zan zan .co.uk
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Orange jacket, £660, Orange trousers, £385, matchesfashion.com
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Celebrate h the summer wit f ar Canary Wh nt! fashion eve
Here comes
the sun
Head down to Canary Wharf’s Summer Fashion Weekend on the 27th, 28th and 29th May and create the ultimate summer capsule wardrobe with fabulous offers exclusive to Canary Wharf The Archimedes Cherry Blossom Sunglasses, £98, Bailey Nelson, Jubilee Place
G
et the best of the summer fashion at Canary Wharf’s Summer Fashion Event. Don’t miss out on the exclusive discounts that retailers have to offer during this three day May event. Get set for sunnier weather by shopping the biggest summer trends; vibrant colours, exciting prints and ultimate statement accessories.
Francesca hat, £25, Dune, Cabot Place
Blue Gisele bikini, top £35/ bottoms £30, Reiss, Jubilee Place and Cabot Place
Beach Bag, £29.99, Superdry, Canada Place
Broderie cover up, £89, The White Company, Jubilee Place
Rainbow Espadrilles, £110, L.K. Bennett, Jubilee Place
Beachside style
‘Reflections’ Print swimsuit, £110, Paul Smith, Cabot Place
The must-pack holiday fashion essentials to stay stylish on the beach this summer Blue stripe scarf, £35, Austin Reed, Cabot Place
Blue crossover dress, £199, Maje Jubilee Place
Micro bow straw hat, £45, Ted Baker, Canada Place
Denim skater skirt, £145, Maje Jubilee Place
Cosmic print bikini, Top £49/Bottoms £39, Ted Baker, Canada Place, available through click and collect
Denim dress, £95, French Connection, Jubilee Place Blue Acacia print bag, L.K. Bennett, £95, Jubilee Place
New collection, available soon, Banana Republic, Jubilee Place Open toe block heeled sandals, £120, Ted Baker, Canada Place
CITY chic
What to pack in your carry-on case for an urban getaway
Michael Kors Sunglasses, £182, David Clulow, Cabot Place and Jubilee Place
Revolver white jeans, £65, Levi’s, Canada Place
M bag in Suede, £209, Maje, Jubilee Place
Ballerinas, £99, Pretty Ballerinas, Jubilee Place
Denim wedges, £185, L.K. Bennett, Jubilee Place
Watch, £695, Links of London, Jubilee Place
Blue Violet bracelet, £125, Monica Vinader, Jubilee Place
Canyon Tee, £40, Levi’s, Canada Place
Mens essentials
Say hello to sunnies, swimwear and sandals and ensure you jet away in style this summer
Travel bag, £150, Gant, Canada Place
Floral T-shirt, £45, Ted Baker, Canada Place
Ray Ban sunglasses, £179, David Clulow, Cabot Place and Jubilee Place Printed swim shorts, £50, Whistles, Jubilee Place Christys Panama Hat, £95, Reiss, Jubilee Place
£150, LinenShirt, Shirt, £175, Paul Brown, Smith, Orlebar CabotPlace Place Jubilee
Rucksack, £170, Reiss, Jubilee Place
Belt, £80, Gant, Canada Place
Passport Holder, £45, Aspinal of London, Cabot Place
Get your fashion fill Suede sneakers, £125, Reiss, Jubilee Place
Swim shorts, £225, Orlebar Brown, Jubilee Place
Feel inspired by the latest trends and watch the top brands showcase their summer selections for the upcoming season in the dynamic fashion shows in Canada Place and Jubilee Place.
canarywharf.com
@yourcanarywharf
112341 Penhaligons Equinox Bloom Ad Runwild Media 1
10/03/2016 15:56
| STYLE |
A shift to neutral Nude tones make for a chic alternative to the season’s colour explosion
above, from left Henni 100, £595, Jimmy Choo, jimmychoo.com; Honey faux leather-trimmed straw sunhat, £340, Eugenia Kim, net-a-porter.com; Gafas de sol cat-eye, £285, Gucci, gucci.com
Corded-lace sleeveless top, £875, Dolce & Gabbana, matchesfashion.com Belted sheer tunic dress, £325.60, Halston Heritage, farfetch.com
Imbalance suedepaneled, £1,080, Dion Lee, net-a-porter.com
At th e S/S16 Balmain catwalk show, we di scovered that beige doesn’t n eed to m ean boring. Inspired by th e French fashion house, we’ve opt ed for a soft, n eutral colour palett e, backed by a few of our fav ourit e design ers. D ion Lee, D&G and Chloé are making quit e th e stat em ent among myriad colours, with th e season’s most sophi sticat ed edit of tan tops, cream culott es and beige blazers. And w hile we’re being unorthodox, w hy not consider som e summ er su ede too.
Quilted effect bermuda shorts, £661, Chloé, farfetch.com
Patwork leather and suede shoulder bag, £1,495, Chloé, mytheresa.com
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S/S16 BALMAIN
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| STYLE |
LOVELY LADY LOCKS A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO ACHIEVING THE SEASON’S HOTTEST HAIR TREND
lson owner of Nicho l Suzie Griffin, al ’s it on as se this & Griffin, says ep st a In . es av about loose w us Griffin helps by-step guide, es av w hy beac manufacture nd. hitting the sa er ev ut ho it w
WHAreT atYivOeUC’LurLl WNanEEdD, £120,
1
step 1 Spritz the roots with salt spray and extend through the lengths with your fingers.
C om GHD, ghdhair.c 6, Fudge, .9 £8 y, ra Sp Salt uk fudgehair.co. ousse £19, Volumising M occanoil.com mor Moroccanoil, e, £19, in Sh Glimmer oroccanoil.com m il, no ca Moroc
step 5
5
Finally, run fingers through the waves to separate and achieve a happy-go-lucky natural look. Finish by spritzing with Moroccanoil’s Glimmer Shine spray. Spray into the air and allow the mist to settle over the waves for a sunshine finish.
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step 4
2
Image courtesy of ghd
4
Take sections of dried hair, approximately two-fingers-width worth, and using the ghd Creative Curl Wand, wind the hair around the wand from the roots to the ends. Take care not to scorch your fingers and wear a wand glove. Hold each section for seven seconds, and alternate the direction of the wand for the best beachy waves. Leave out the very ends for a shaggy tousled effect, and direct the waves away from the face at the hairline.
Going on holiday? Swap your curling wand and straighteners for a compact all-rounder, like the new V Atlantic jade styler from ghd. Inspired by the landscape of The Azores, this effective new styler is available in two other opalescent finishes. Azores Atlantic jade styler, £130, ghd, ghdhair.com
step 2 Take an ice cream scoop of mousse and run it through the lengths to the ends.
3
step 3
Scrunch as you dry (preferably with the ghd Air Dryer and Diffuser), paying attention to the action of pushing the hair lengths towards the roots, this helps create volume and body. Do not stretch the hair downwards.
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Reset the clock.
Get time on your side with Dr Sebagh’s iconic, glow-restoring serums. Serum Repair
Supreme Maintenance Youth Serum
Dr Sebagh’s award-winning, cult serum with 60% hyaluronic acid intensively hydrates and plumps the skin for instantly glowing results. Perfect for day or night, or as a pre-party radiance boost.
A highly powerful super-serum, Dr Sebagh Supreme Maintenance Youth Serum plumps, hydrates and protects skin whilst boosting its natural glow. Oil-free, for all skin types, this potent concentration of ingredients, including resveratrol, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and three antiageing peptides, helps kick-start collagen production and visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
Rose de Vie Sérum Délicat More than just a pretty bottle. This powerful, silky, organic rose oilbased serum is an essential treatment to restore the skin’s natural barrier and vitality. Calming, soothing and antioxidant-rich, it reduces redness and protects and smoothes dry, mature or sensitive skin.
Used alone or mixed to create your perfect, personalised blend, find Dr Sebagh serums in stores and online at drsebagh.com.
Image courtesy of Harry’s of London, harrysoflondon.com s luxurylo nd o n.c o.uk s
| FASHION |
The Row Redesigned For all of its tradition, Savile Row has always moved with the times. First, it was mannequins in window displays; then, weekend opening hours; now, the world’s most famous sartorial street has just announced its first female master tailor. The City Magazine presents five of the most fashion-forward houses on ‘the Row’ Words: David Taylor Photographer: Phillip Waterman Stylist: Deborah Latouche @Terri Manduca
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THIS PAGE White cotton silk shawl collar suit, from £650, White cotton Oxford shirt, £85, White silk woven basket weave tie, £70, Grey cashmere mix stripe handkerchief, £30, Hardy Amies, hardyamies.com; Ring, £321, Bracelet £239, Stephen Einhorn, stepheneinhorn.co.uk; Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph, £3,800, TAG Heuer, tagheuer.co.uk OPPOSITE PAGE Navy and black wool-mohair check double breasted suit, from £650, Blue silk diamond print tassel evening scarf, £190, White cotton Oxford shirt, £85, Shoes, £345, Hardy Amies, as before
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| FASHION |
HARDY AMIES At the time most well-known for his work with HM The Queen – for whom he served as official dressmaker from 1952 to 1989 – in 1967, the eponymous founder of Hardy Amies was commissioned by director Stanley Kubrick to design the costumes for seminal sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Thought of as oddly unfuturistic when released, the designs – block colours, simple lines – have stood the test of time. “A man should look as if he’s bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them,” Hardy Amies famously said.
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Alexander McQueen Rebellious designer Lee Alexander McQueen never failed to challenge the preconceptions of the fashion world. One of his most dramatic catwalk shows, the S/S 2001 collection named VOSS, centred on a large glass box. The glass was tinted so that it appeared like giant mirrors, and when the show finally began, lights inside the box showed a naked model on a chaise longue wearing a gas mask, surrounded by moths. The glass walls then fell away, smashing to the ground.
| FASHION |
THIS PAGE Light grey single breasted wool jacket, £845, Shirt, £345, Silver skull ring, £195, Alexander McQueen, alexandermcqueen.com OPPOSITE PAGE Jacket with ivory raw edge, £1,185, Trousers with raw edge side panel, £545, White shirt, £345, Silver skull necklace, £215, White leather lace up shoes, £395, Black cane with silver skull, £295, Alexander McQueen, as before
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| FASHION |
RICHARD JAMES The first of the ‘New Establishment’ tailors to appear on Savile Row in the 1990s, Richard James’s modern approach to tailoring has won friends such as David Cameron, Sir Paul McCartney, Christian Lacroix and Hardy Amies himself. The label’s approach isn’t restricted to bold colour choices: it has collaborated with many contemporary figures, from Elton John to Spencer Tunick. In 1995, The Sunday Telegraph reported that HM The Queen’s cousin, David Linley, was measured for his Richard James suits while on his motorcycle.
OPPOSITE PAGE Suit, £925, Shirt, £225, Pocket square, £55, Slippers, made to order, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk; Ring, £338, Stephen Einhorn, as before THIS PAGE Suit, £1,249, Shirt, £265, Tie, £90, Pocket square, £55, Slippers, made to order, Richard James, as before Rings, £1163 and £259, Stephen Einhorn, as before
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THIS PAGE Pink Uxbridge textured blazer, £750, Claret Shantung silk tie, £95, Red Paisley silk pocket square, £50, White Thomas Poplin single cuff shirt, £95, Chester Barrie, chesterbarrie.co.uk; Ring, £321, Stephen Einhorn, as before OPPOSITE PAGE Blue Kingly textured wool/silk/linen jacket, £750, Beige Paisley silk pocket square, £40, White slim fit dress shirt, £65, Scarf as a cravat, available on request, Chester Barrie, as before
CHESTER BARRIE While the brand might sound eponymous, it was actually the distinguished English ex-pat tailor Simon Ackerman that founded Chester Barrie in 1935, having spotted a gap in the market for quality, British-made suits in the US. The name comes from the city of Chester, near where the original factory was based, and the surname of author J.M. Barrie, who most notably created the character Peter Pan, and whose name Ackerman thought sounded particularly British.
| FASHION |
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THIS PAGE Wool/linen double breasted jacket, £1,295, Wool trousers (part of suit), £895, White cotton shirt, £125, Pink silk pocket square, £55, Gieves & Hawkes, gievesandhawkes.com; Necklace, £471, Rings, £313 and £259, Stephen Einhorn, as before; Brown shoes, £380, Crockett & Jones, crockettandjones.com OPPOSITE PAGE Cotton/wool/silk jacket, £595, Cotton/wool/ silk trousers, £195, Pink cotton shirt, £125, Pink silk/wool tie, £95, Pocket square, £55, Gieves & Hawkes, as before; Tie pin, £95, Alice Made This, alicemadethis.com
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| FASHION |
Gieves & Hawkes Gieves & Hawkes is one of the oldest continually operating tailoring companies in the world, having been founded in 1771. The official name, Gieves & Hawkes, only came into being in 1974, when Gieves Ltd acquired Hawkes, along with the freehold of No. 1 Savile Row. One of its most famous patrons was the explorer David Livingstone, who, when found in Tanzania by journalist Henry Morton Stanley – an encounter that gave us the famous quote, ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’ – was reportedly dressed head-to-toe in Hawkes attire.
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O n t h e c uf f Th e n ew Fundam ental s range of cuf f links from Deakin & Franci s mixes classic craftsmanship with preci sion engin eering to creat e intricat e pieces. Th e three parts to th e range – Mechanical s, Classics and B oys Toys – all ref lect dif ferent approach es to m en’s style. Th e Classics range features simple designs, including w hit e rhodium buttons and th e staple Deakin & Franci s dumbb ell s. Th e Mechanical s are inspired by th e way th e w orld i s run , from engin es and cogs to motors and pumps. B oys Toys are th e biggest stat em ent, with race cars, shotguns and spinning tops to add som e play fuln ess to formal attire.
spring bling This season of renewal, try some new accessories to refresh your wardrobe
Pocket rockets To spruce up a suit, add a pocket square. Even the most basic of blazers can become a subtle statement with the right choice of handkerchief. For bright and cheerful, Alfred Dunhill has a wide range of colourful options, and Turnbull & Asser’s bold offerings are also suitable for most occasions, with a new range released for S/S 16. For a more intricate pocket square, expert Rampley & Co creates pieces out of paintings, from the National Gallery to the work of famous American artists – something that will certainly be a talking point at your next work event.
FROM TOP Classic white Rhodium button cufflinks, £75 Shotgun cufflinks, £280 Vintage car cufflinks, £100, all Deakin & Francis, deakinandfrancis.co.uk
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From top: Butterfly parade silk pocket square, £65, Turnbull & Asser, turnbullandasser.co.uk; Colour-block cotton and silk pocket square, £165, Alfred Dunhill, dunhill.com; The Annunciation, with Saint Emidius, £69, Rampley & Co, rampleyandco.com
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| fashion |
formula one fit
HANDY UNDANDY
If you’re the type that can’t seem to find the perfect pair of shoes, then a visit to Undandy’s website might be in order. The bespoke shoemaker lets you choose the style of shoe you want, then experiment with colours, materials and decorations to find the best fit for your lifestyle. The shoes are then handmade in Portugal within five to 10 days and sent via free worldwide delivery, and all queries are answered in a maximum of two hours via telephone or live chat. Get creative. Bespoke shoes, from £170, Undandy, undandy.com
lighten up Spring has sprung, so don’t get caught out in a jacket that leaves you overheated. A fabric like linen is the way forward, which is light and versatile from now until the end of summer. Linen jackets also come in a wide range of colours, so reflect the return of the sun with a pop of pastel. Richard James’s Seishin style blazer has a typically spring fit, with colours that work throughout the season. J Crew’s blazers are equally light, and work well with both jeans and smarter trousers.
To celebrate its collaboration with Williams Racing, Hackett has released an ultralightweight travel suit limited to just 114 sets – the number of Grand Prix wins under Williams’s belt since its entrance in 1978. The suit is water resistant, highly breathable, and has a natural stretch in the fabric, as shown by longboard champion Liam Morgan shooting around France’s Paul Ricard race circuit at 70mph while wearing it. Each suit also has a technical drawing of the Williams F1 car as a special lining, and a unique label detailing the location and year of a Williams victory. Limited-edition Williams Racing travel suit, £700, Hackett, hackett.com
top specs
Emerald tropical linen Seishin jacket, £525, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk
Ludlow summerwight blazer, £168, J.Crew, jcrew.com
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Ink blue silk, virgin fleece and mohair Seishin jacket, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk
Cubitts is bringing tech to the fashion world. With a focus on the design of the frames, this British eyewear-maker is celebrating its homeland’s incredible spectacles legacy. Alongside tradition comes progression, with Cubitts’ unique facial gauge scanning the customer’s face to create a bespoke frame each time. Like the best suits, the frame is a perfect fit due to the millimetre precision of the software. Existing styles can be altered, old frames refreshed or a new style developed for the most demanding of four-eyes. Bespoke Spectacles, from £425, Cubitts, cubitts.co.uk
THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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| STYLE |
Pioneers of early aviation and motor-racing eyewear, custom spectacle maker, EB Meyrowitz, continues to remain practically peerless
Eye for Detail
Words: Ken Kessler
An W
alking through the Royal Arcade, it’s easy to leave a trail of noseprints on glass. Covet Cleverley’s shoes, cross over to the Watch Club’s vintage timepieces, then linger at ‘optical boutique’ EB Meyrowitz. If you must wear glasses, specs take on a significance that individuals blessed with perfect eyesight cannot grasp. For the rest of us, if contacts are not an option, EB Meyrowitz is without peer. Unlike objects with highly-visible badges, eyeglasses free of shout-y brand emblems are not identifiable. You could be wearing vintage, custom-made or off-the-peg. Yet the finest frames exhibit intrinsic style and quality. The proof ? Every time I don logo-less Meyrowitz frames, compliments follow – a remarkable reaction to something that should otherwise seem prosaic. Meyrowitz, established in 1875, supplies some of the finest frames money can buy. Its practices include traditional craftsmanship, sublime design, innovative use of materials and a supreme understanding of which frames suit which faces. Even in this era of inescapable luxury branding – when ‘cool’ specs are the norm for everyone from hipsters to politicians – Meyrowitz frames stand apart. Is there any boutique more convivial than the Meyrowitz premises? The charming Sheel Davison-Lungley, Hiran Acharya-Matt and Vidu Acharya welcome clients with genuine, old-school warmth.
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I gaze at the figures of jazz musicians that form part of the display, antiques amid serried rows of frames. I lust for pair after pair. Half the pleasure is watching how the ladies guide their clients to the correct frames, surprising them with choices they otherwise might not have made. Founder, Emil Bruno Meyrowitz, was born on 20 October 1852 in Greifenhagen, Prussia, launching his company in 1875 and opening stores in London, Paris and New York over the next 20 years. The company played a role in the early days of aviation, motor racing and mountaineering, impact still seen to good effect in eyeglasses custom-made for those pursuits. Tailoring glasses to suit each client requires attention to face shape, hair style and profile, as well as appropriateness to the wearer’s career or pursuits. The service may also include the eye test, for Meyrowitz also matches the frames to the wearer’s ocular requirements. During an unhurried consultation, the client chooses the shape, colour and material of the frames. Meyrowitz’s offerings include cotton-based acetates, naturally-sourced horn, precious metals, jewels, exotic skins, tortoiseshell and even Pleistocene mammoth ivory crafted from a tusk preserved in permafrost for over 10,000 years. Despite its traditions, Meyrowitz does not stand still. 3D printing offers clients a more interactive and immersive role on
the quest for the perfect set of frames. For those without access to London, 2017 will see the first Meyrowitz ‘tour’, so clientele abroad can enjoy the same bespoke services. What sort of client employs Meyrowitz? During the company’s 140-year-history, past clients would have driven Delages, smoked Balkan Sobranie cigarettes and piloted Rivas. Today, he or she would not have to be told about shoes from Stefano Bemer or the wines of Siepi. ‘Bespoke’, like ‘iconic’, has been misused to a point of meaninglessness. With Meyrowitz, the term regains its original significance. So, should you prefer to wear something made expressly for you, what is more personal than that which improves both how you see, and how you look? 6 Royal Arcade, W1, ebmeyrowitz.co.uk
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| LIFESTYLE |
Back of the net summer means sport. Make sure you look your best on and off the pitch
hot on your heels The endless training sessions can play havoc with your feet. Look after them with a good cream. This one includes shea butter and menthol to soothe and refresh. Reinventing the Heel, £23, Origins, harrods.com
handy tip
muscle man
Hours spent holding a cricket bat will show on your hands. This cream is used by NFL players to keep their money-makers in top condition. Intense Therapy hand healer, £14.50, Jack Black, mankind.co.uk
Maybe not one for the ice bath, but once you’re home, add some muscle soak to your suds. Molton Brown’s version contains thermal salts to soothe aches and pains. Muscle Soak, £18, Molton Brown, moltonbrown.co.uk
face the opposition Your face is going to go through a lot during any sort of exercise. Be it sweat, mud or tears, you’ll need a good scrub. Verso 1’s cleanser washes away impurities while gently soothing the skin. Foaming Facial cleanser, £32, Verso 1, johnlewis.com
body reboot
care for your cap
This body wash has a tangy aroma to refresh you, while washing away the unavoidable postsport stench. Simple. Bullocks bracing body wash, £18, Cowshed, nivenandjoshua.com
Hair takes a beating in sport: look after it with a quality shampoo. Invati’s cleanses, exfoliates and moisturises the hair and scalp with millet seed and milk thistle. Invati, £22, Aveda, harrods.com
prep your plate This Lab Series lotion contains ingredients to minimise fat storage around your chin, so you’ll look more like Portuguese Ronaldo than his Brazilian namesake. MAX LS Power V Lifting Lotion, £54, Lab Series, labseries.co.uk
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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| FASHION |
Life on hold The MAY Bank Holidays are the perfect excuse for a long weekend away. Take WITH YOU a suitably stylish companion
1
2
3 4 5 6 1. Leather-trim coated-canvas holdall, £505, Miansai, mrporter.com. 2. Boston bag, £650, Peper Harow, peperharowlondon.com 3. Stepan small holdall, £505, Serapian, caseluggage.com. 4. Exprez geoprint leather holdall, £169, Ted Baker, tedbaker.com 5. Clipper natural leather holdall, £1,350, Mulberry, mulberry.com. 6. Voyageur Durban expandable duffel, £415, TUMI, uk.tumi.com
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THE TRADITIONAL GROOMING & HAIRDRESSING TTHHEE TTRRAAD RO OO OM M IIN NG G& & HHAAIIRRDDRREESSSSI INNGG DIITTIIO ON NA AL L G GR XRP A ER I LROOROEM DI N TO EA I R D R E S S I N G T H EE T D II E TN I OCNEATA L G G T &HH EEX TA II L LO OR REED D TTOO TTHHEE XPPEER R II E EN NC CE E TA C I T Y O FE L NR DIOEN A NI L AO RY XO PE N C&E CTA R EW D HTAORTF H E CCIITTY N & & C CA AN NA ARY RY W WHHAARRFF YO OFF L LO ON ND DO ON P R O F E S S I O N A L C I T Y O F L O N D O N & C A N A RY W H A R F PP R FE E SS SS II O ON NA ALL RO OF PROFESSIONAL V i s i t u s at o n e o f o u r f o u r l o c at i o n s a c r o s s usa s ry at W on nheao u rrnllgooeccat aary ccrros iittau at o fo or ua at on nsx su osessrV s ices including t h e c i t y o f l o n d o n aV nVdiissc n rff o fu o r fa o fiiol u c au n a ry f o ffg o nng g eecoo ff ill rV ee s si ni n cl d idni g idsh ic ta at ea u r oa f uaa lg,o at ouu nxx suury ary c rso s i ci c tt hh e ecci ti tyy ooff lloonnddoonn aaV nnd a W or aoor r sees rV cu lu ng in rsa dry r e so sni h n gorf & m irn has ain ior ra du rte eis so s n ooa oot m t h e c i t y o f l o nh da o inr alnods h ry W fafig orre reia r sniih na & g m in sc ld s ,ggrh& r x nnng sgg i,,oenos f l u x u ry s e rV i c e s i n c l u d i n g haa& sieoorpa ldu h a rr eeosxx.ottm een i io,onnss a eiiso in nssg iirr h llaooissrh ss r s l urit tr o h&m aieig h tsnnirsnse,,gat nr t h r t h a& i& r h l aoa isi rrs r s eoe pa l uiitr hmmaeei nrnttess.x. t e n s i o n s pa ri o tnrrsee,at at & h a i r r e pa i r t r e at m e n t s .
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Into the Wild Blue Yonder THE city magazine enters the inaugural IGO Adventures N60º quadrathlon It’s minus four, snow blankets the wilderness around you, the smell of burning pine drifts through the air and a light cloud covering caps the endless sea of peaks. It’s as if the mountains are breathing. You’re in Hemsedal, Norway, to compete in the first IGO Adventures N60º quadrathlon, an event that will see you ski-tour, cross-country ski, cycle and run over 108 miles in the space of four days. How hard can it be? ... continued overleaf
“Another freezing early morning start, another day in paradise...”
A
©Archie Brooksbank
... continued from previous page.
Words: Hugh Francis Anderson (above) Images: Johnny Fenn
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s I stand outside the Skarsnuten strapped to the bottom of skis, making it Hotel, our location for the two days possible to walk up mountains. Secondly, of pre-race training and briefings, fat-biking, hard-tail mountain bikes I’m mesmerised by the surroundings. The with glutinous wheels that haphazardly very mountains where Scott trained for his rumble over snow, albeit at a glacial pace. final Antarctic expedition, and where the Thirdly, cross-country skiing, a sport that’s British Special Forces train today. considered one of the three hardest in Around me are a group of spectacular the world. And fourth, running, but with people, people who I will soon spiked trainers to stay stable on have the privilege to call the snow underfoot. good friends, whose We finish the training IGO Adventures’ diversity seemingly sessions and I’m 2017 Calendar knows no bounds. From exhausted; six hours N60° The Norwegian investment bankers of physical exertion Challenge: 11-19 March and consultants over two days and I’m W111° The Wyoming to rowing coaches exhausted? I begin Challenge: 20-29 July and doctors. From to worry about the S28° The Namibian Ironman competitors race itself. These first Challenge: 21-30 October and marathon runners two nights consist of to novice skiers and eating a plethora of weekend joggers. It appears carbohydrate rich foods, that this event has drawn exchanging stories of past people from all walks of life and all adventures, and laughing more fitness levels. than I thought possible. What struck me The company behind the event, IGO at this point was that, no matter what, Adventures, was founded in late 2014 by this journey was going to involve a huge former England Polo player and all-round amount of camaraderie. adventurer, Bobby Melville. It offers thrillRace day dawns, my alarm splinters seekers the opportunity to compete in truly the peace of a deep sleep and I’m awake, life-changing events, to experience real ready for the first stage; ski-touring adventure, to be pushed both physically almost 1,000 vertical meters to summit and mentally, and to make friendships that two peaks. As the race gets underway, will last a lifetime. my muscles quickly begin to burn, and Pre-race training begins and we as the hours pass by, I wonder how I will trial each of the four disciplines. Firstly, survive another three days. The finish line ski-touring, where felt-like skins are approaches, and those who have already
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completed, charge over to whoop and holler, to invigorate and congratulate. Our first night in the wilderness draws near, the Norwegian lavvu tents are erected, a wood burning stove in each to keep the cold at bay, and packet after packet of rehydrated food is scoffed in order to make up the necessary 5,000-calorie intake required each day, before a well-earned sleep beckons. The alarms ring out, I look at my watch, its 5am and I’m shivering in my sleeping bag. The prospect of cycling over 40km today is not an appealing one, but as my comrades rouse from their slumber, the level of excitement grows and grows. And we’re off, racing hard across the slushy snow as the sun rises over a distant peak. It’s glorious. Some four hours later I cross the finish line in fourth place, and I’m ecstatic, but from the immobility of my legs, I’m also close to collapsing. Luckily the team physiotherapist, Mark Reid, is on hand to alleviate all pains. When everyone’s in, a troupe of dog sleds arrive and we spend the remainder of the day exploring the area around base camp before returning to eat more food and watch the Northern Lights shimmer in the night sky. Another freezing early morning start, another day in paradise. Paradise, that is, until we begin cross-country skiing. Everyone tumbles and crashes off the start, and the course is pitted with the shape of fallen competitors. It’s tough, it’s cruel, but we all complete in good spirits, with the collective knowledge that we’ve just covered three marathons in three days. “It’s not about how fit you are, “ remarks jointwinner and management consultant, Jack Woodhouse. “It’s about your ability to carry on.” Another evening of high spirits ensues, sitting beside the campfire as a guitar is gleefully passed around. And so came the final morning, the one we’d all been dreading. A marathon run through snowy mountains and National Parks. It was an emotional moment for all, but one of the greatest too. “The single greatest moment was on the run,” says GB paralympic rowing coach and crossAtlantic rower, Hannah Lawton. “On all the other stages I was so focused on just staying upright that I never got the chance to look up. It makes you realise just how small and insignificant you are. It gives you a huge appreciation for life.” Unfortunately, my dream of completion remained just that, a dream. I was pulled out of the race some 20km from the end, an inflamed hip joint the culprit. As I sat on the back of doctor’s ski-doo, absorbing the might of the wintery nirvana, desolation sank in. When I arrived at the finishing line, outside the Vestlia Resort in
Geilo, I was in a dark place. If it were not for the resounding support and jubilations of my dear comrades, I would have surely cried. And this is where IGO Adventures triumphs above all else: it transforms groups of strangers into the closest of friends through the unified pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal. Applications are now open to compete in the 2017 N60° The Norwegian Challenge, from £4,750 pp, igoadventures.com, visitnorway.com
Interview with Bobby Melville, founder IGO Adventures What inspired you to create IGO Adventures? “Forty-eight days at sea crossing the Atlantic in a six metre rowing boat for the 2014 Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. I was determined to find a solution to give a life-changing experience, similar to what I had witnessed, to those who could only afford a week away from normal life.” What sort of experience does the company aim to provide? “Something unique. A platform, provided and managed by experts, to allow people to push themselves mentally and physically in stunning environments that are off the beaten trail. Trying out new disciplines and developing new skill sets.” What’s next for IGO? “We will be holding a weekend quadrathlon [ four disciplines over two days] in the autumn on the Isle of Skye for people to get a taster of what it is all about before opening up the series next year with three weeklong challenges in three of the most stunning locations in the world. What three words best describe IGO Adventures? Expedition, Race, Adventure.
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New Zealand v Australia - Final: Rugby World Cup 2015, ŠMike Hewitt
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| interview |
DAN’S THE
MAN
Former All Black and star fly half, possibly the greatest rugby player of all time, Dan Carter is on a mission to bring silverware back to his new Parisian club WORDS: JAKE TAYLOR
I
f your name is Mr Dan Carter, life is looking pretty good right now. Fresh off the back of a monumental victory at the 2015 Rugby World Cup with the formidable All Blacks, Carter’s newest sporting venture involves a record-breaking contract and a move halfway across the world to the European capital of culture, Paris. There was a time when rugby carried little glitz and glamour. That time is long gone as Carter now finds himself rubbing shoulders with F1 star Lewis Hamilton at Men’s Fashion Week in his new home city, and filling his social media feeds with envy-inducing snaps of black truffles for breakfast and moonlit strolls down the Champs Elysées. Of course, when you’re taking home a healthy £750,000 a year you can afford to casually splash out on eye-wateringly expensive mushrooms for breakfast, but Carter’s European ambitions go much further than just the world’s fanciest fungi. It’s finally time for Europe to experience first hand the skills that made him one of the greatest All Blacks in history. Despite overcoming career-threatening injuries in a stereotypically heroic manner – Carter was recently nominated for the Laureus World Comeback Award – he aims to be the most successful foreign import to the French game since Johnny Wilkinson’s standout five-year stint with Toulon from 2009 to 2014. “It’s a huge honour, and it’s nice to be recognised for the year I had in 2015,” says Carter of his Laureus nomination. “It was a very special year, not only for me, but also for the All Blacks and to be a part of that was amazing. Though not many people noticed that
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I was pretty close to retiring from the game [because of injuries]. Friends and family, coaches and teammates, they gave me a lot of confidence to stick at it and give it one more crack. I did that and I was extremely proud to be able to contribute to a very special side, the All Blacks 2015.” Having blazed a trail across the sporting southern hemisphere as the highest point scorer in the history of Test rugby, Carter’s decision to retire from his beloved national team and move to the French capital represented more than an ageing player’s swansong. The latest chapter of a glittering career, with Racing 92, is Carter’s opportunity to not only prove his domestic career can match the dizzying heights he reached in international games, but also to finally and unquestionably cement a place in the rich tapestry of European rugby for his mesmerising left boot. Despite having just been part of the national side that only lost three matches in four years, as well as winning back-to-back World Cups, Carter believes he needed a change. “I felt like it was time for me to be out of my comfort zone a little bit and try something new,” says the 34-year-old. “I finished on the right note helping the All Blacks win a World Cup in 2015, and this is just the challenge I needed. Racing 92 has great ambitions for its future. It wants to be a top side in Europe, and it’s exactly where I’ve come from – it’s the same motivating factors playing for the All Blacks and Crusaders. They’re always wanting to win championships and be the best, so I saw a lot of similarities with Racing 92 and its vision.”
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Nez Zealand perform the haka at the 2007 Rugby World Cup of France 2007, Carter far right (Photo: Paolo Bona
Although he’s been floored by a multitude of injuries over the last decade, including an Achilles tendon injury that prematurely ended his first stint in France with Perpignan in 2008, Carter has overcome every obstacle put in front of him. With two World Cup wins under his belt, as well as being a three-time IRB Player of the Year and the highest point-scorer in Test rugby history (1,598 points in just 112 appearances), his determination remains unrivalled. “I’m extremely proud to have reached certain milestones throughout my career,” says Carter. “I was lucky enough to play for some successful sides to give me the opportunity to score so many points.” One accolade that Carter can’t downplay is his position as American cable channel E!’s third Sexiest Male Athlete in 2010, being topped only by the physical near perfection of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and the omnipresent David Beckham. In some ways, Carter’s career matches Goldenballs’, and more. Model-worthy good looks aside – Carter, too, has been splashed across billboards in nothing but his pants – his left leg is as revered among Kiwis
his new club – he was crowned Man of the Match after inspiring Racing 92 to a 33-3 win over Northampton, going on to prove crucial in his first Parisian derby, which Racing 92 won 34-16. Even though Carter had a six-month spell with Perpignan under his belt, this time around he remains more committed than ever to life in Paris. “When I played for Perpignan, I didn’t really immerse myself in the culture too much,” he reveals. “But now that I know I’m going to be here for three years, it’s an exciting time for me and a bit more of a chance to get to know the culture and the cuisine.” Despite knowing little of the native language – Carter is reportedly taking intensive French lessons twice weekly – it seems he’ll be vital to Racing 92’s attempts to acquire some silverware this season. The new arrival has also been eager to thank his neighbours in the luxurious Meudon district, on the banks of the Seine, for helping him integrate so easily into European life and, presumably, divulging the whereabouts of the best black truffle this side of Boulogne-Billancourt.
I’ve got the best job in the world, doing what I love and getting paid to do that, and I consider myself extremely grateful and lucky to be in that position as Beckham’s right boot was among England fans and, as he settles into his new role in the French capital, we are reminded of Beckham’s season-long stay in Paris with PSG. “I’ve got the best job in the world, doing what I love and getting paid to do that, and I consider myself extremely grateful and lucky to be in that position,” says Carter. “So I want to enjoy it and contribute to the success of Racing 92. It’s a great side that hasn’t won any titles in the last few years, so it would be nice to win something while we’re here, but obviously there’s a lot of hard work to be done before we can potentially look at achieving those things.” It hasn’t taken long for Carter to make an impact at
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Carter’s days on a rugby field may well be in their twilight phase. Nevertheless, he’s beginning to look ahead to the next stage of his career – possibly on the other side of the Atlantic as part of an NFL franchise. “I went to visit the New England Patriots and I just thought I was going to visit the facilities, but the scouts had obviously done their homework and worked out who I was – I’d kicked a few goals with a rugby ball, so they showed a bit of interest!” he grins. But despite assertions that he didn’t take the Patriots’ advances “seriously”, one thing’s for certain: Dan Carter’s going to stay at the pinnacle of his sport for as long as he physically can – and when he goes, there will be some seriously big boots to fill.
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“Carter is beginning to look ahead to the next stage of his career – possibly on the other side of the Atlantic as part of an NFL franchise”
Carter and wife at the 2016 Laureus World Sports Awards
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
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HEALTH & FITNESS
the tips and tricks to keep you fighting fit
Back on track
According to the NHS, almost three million working days were lost due to back pain last year. Keep your back on the straight and narrow with these innovations in support
Stand for attention We’re a sedentary nation, but the benefits of a little standing are enormous. The British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends that all desk-workers should aim to be standing for at least two hours a day – stand for four, and you’ll burn the same calories in a week as going on a 10k run. You can also lower your blood pressure, decrease your risk of blood clots, reduce lower back pain and increase productivity. Try to introduce standing desks in your office, or for a more transitional move, get an adjustable one and guilt-trip your colleagues into following suit. Varidesk Pro Plus 36, £335, Varidesk, uk.varidesk.com
back to basics
Chances are, you’re sitting down right now. Check your posture: are you slumped? Slumping in our chairs always seems to be the comfiest position. However, a slump can lead to all manner of health problems, from the obvious back pain to the psychological stress and feelings of negativity. BetterBack is a simple piece of kit that, if used for just 15 minutes a day, can improve your posture and alleviate stress on the spine even when not being worn. Granted, it looks a bit like a rubber band around the knees, but rather that, than debilitating back pain from the age of 35. BetterBack, £50, BetterBack, getbetterback.com
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A little lift A lo t of u s aren’ t slumpin g d eli b erat ely. Sitt in g in front of a c omput er f or nin e h ours, y ou can b e f orgiv en f or a l apse in c on c entrat ion . How e v er, w earabl e p o sture train er Lum o L i f t att empt s to s o lv e thi s pro bl em by gently v i bratin g e v er y t im e it sen se s slou chin g. Th e sm al l pi e c e of t e ch – w or n on th e bra strap or shir t u sin g an a c c omp any in g ma g n et – al s o tra ck s y our st e ps, di st an c e an d calori e s throu g h a c omplim ent ar y i O S or Andro i d app . You can al s o set go al s on th e app , to se e h ow y ou’re pro g re ssin g. Lum o Li f t , £ 5 6 , Lum o, l u m ob o d y t e ch . c om
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IN OTHER NEWS… Fashion Fitness Set up by a former partner of a City law firm, Xavier Athletica (XA) is the latest brand to enter the ‘athleisure’ market. Produced exclusively for men, and with the ex-lead designer for Adidas Europe and a Vogue stylist among the ranks, XA has the credentials and experience to be a big player in the world of luxury sportswear. All fabrics are made by the brand, guaranteeing quality form, fit and function – which means you’ll feel as comfortable at your desk as on the treadmill. With recent advocates such as Daniel Craig and Samuel L Jackson, expect XA to be around for some time. Xavier Athletica athleisure wear, Xavier Athletica, xavierathletica.com
Feel the Rhythm The boffins behind these bars re-jigged the recipe 108 times before finding the right balance of taste and goodness. The result was the Rhythm 108, a selfproclaimed ‘Good-For-You Dessert Bar’. Coming in five flavours and packed full of natural ingredients, like dates and amaranth, just pop in the microwave for a few seconds for a (nearly) guilt-free sweet treat. Box of 18, £27.15, Rhythm 108, rhythm108.com
H e av yw e i gh t M e a su r e m e n t Wel c om e to th e w orl d ’s m o st a dv an c ed c onn e ct ed scal e from Within g. C o l l e ct hi g hly - pre c i se w e i g ht an d b o dy fat m ea surem ent s , alon g w ith y our BMI , an d pi ck th e ri g ht b o dy typ e f or e xtra a c cura c y. It t ake s y our pul se, ch e ck s th e sur roun din g air qu ality throu g h t emp erature an d carb on dioxi d e l e v el s , an d pro v i d e s a lo cali sed w eath er re p or t to h el p y ou pl an y our d ai ly a ct iv it i e s . Al l thi s in f or m at ion i s autom at i cal ly h ou sed on th e a c c omp any in g app , an d Within gs h a s re c ently t eam ed up w ith My Fitn e ss Pal to fur th er c or n er th e m arket in p ers on ali sed f itn e ss . Sm ar t B o dy An aly z er, £ 1 0 4 , Wi thi n g s , w i thi n g s . c om
terrific tabata One trend set to burn into the fitness world’s psyche this year is the Tabata Protocol. First developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata in the 1990s for Olympic speedskaters, the workout is very similar to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), but replicated at its most hardcore. Carry out the exercise of your choice at 100 per cent effort for twenty seconds, followed by ten seconds of complete rest. Do this eight times, and you’ve had the benefits of a full work-out in just four minutes. Research indicates that Tabata training can burn fat for up to 72 hours after a single session. tabataofficial.com
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BMW at 100
As the brand celebrates its centenary, we look back at some of the German manufacturer’s most iconic creations Words: Jennifer Mason
B
MW, or ‘Bavarian Motor Works’ (as its German name translates), began by building aircraft engines during WW1, but, as a result of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, was forced to shift to building motorcycles in the early 1920s, and cars in the ’30s. Born out of what must have seemed a major setback for the company were a series of iconic cars (and motorcycles) that have delighted motoring fans across the world. This year, the brand is celebrating its centenary with a series of events and exhibitions dedicated to what BMW is calling ‘The Next 100 Years’ project, which began with the introduction of a new concept car, the Vision. Before BMW takes too big of a step into the future, however, we think it’s important to look back at some of the brand’s most memorable creations from the past 86 years, when it started building cars. Here are our pick of BMW’s best bits, from the frankly beautiful i8 all the way back to the classic 328. next100.bmw
328 1936-40 The 328 made its debut at the Eifelrennen race at the infamous Nürburgring in 1936, where, with driver Ernst Henne behind the wheel, it won the 2.0litre category. The following year, the 328 racked up more than 100 class wins – and followed this by topping the podium at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in ’38 and ’39. The 328 even won the 1948 Australian Grand Prix.
BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R, Pebble Beach 2015
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New Class 2000 tii 1965 The New Class series (1962-1977) kept BMW solvent following the disastrous 507 Roadster that had brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy. It was the first BMW to have the Hofmeister kink (a feature seen on most BMW cars ever since) and firmly established the brand’s identity as a producer of sports sedans.
507 Roadster 1956-59 Although in the ’50s the 507 was a financial disaster for BMW (being too expensive to export to its intended market, the USA) it nevertheless remains a milestone model for its innovative and, at the time, futuristic styling. It did, however, prove popular with those who could afford the then steep $10,500 price tag – Elvis Presley had two.
M1 1978-81 Designed in partnership with Lamborghini, the M1 was originally created as a production racing car, which was then sold to the public. It was the first mid-engined BMW to be mass produced – the second was the i8 in 2013. Only 453 M1s were produced, making it one of BMW’s rarest models.
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E30 1982-93 Modern generations of car lovers will fondly remember this ’80s icon, which became a staple of BMW production and boasts possibly the most number of model editions of any BMW ever. The E30 platform later became the basis of the M3, which played a huge part in the World Touring Car Championships in the late ’80s and ’90s.
1 Series 2004-present The first-generation 1 Series was intended as a small family car to replace the cheapest vehicle in the BMW range. Later, it was developed into the F20 and F21 editions with 3-door and 5-door hatchback models, voted Sports Car of the Year 2012 by Top Gear.
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i8 2013-present The i8 was the most hotlyanticipated BMW of its generation. Born from a concept sports car, the plug-in hybrid boasts a quiet electric motor with 37km range in ‘eco’ mode, but the growling turbocharged petrol engine can do 0-60mp in 4.4 seconds. A true motoring Jekyll and Hyde, that, even with its almost £100,000 price tag, proves a popular model for BMW.
Z8 1999-2003 The Z8, the production variant of the 1997 Z07 concept car, was originally designed as a styling exercise intended to celebrate the 507 Roadster and the approaching millennium. Bond fans will remember the Z8 from The World Is Not Enough, where Pierce Brosnan’s 007 recklessly allows it to be sawn in half outside a caviar factory.
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TECH TALK
Essential apparatus for keeping ahead of the curve
Scaled-down La Scala
If there’s not enough room for a full orchestra in your home, get the next best thing
Supreme Speakers Having heard the YAR speaker system first hand, the Italian team’s claim to have created the ultimate ‘live’ sound experience is hard to refute: listening to YAR is almost like having an orchestra on permanent standby in your living room – it’s almost impeccable. The beautiful, hand-made carbon-fibre design also improves functionality, as the conductivity of the material helps create the clearest sound possible. YAR’s experts will even come to install the system and stay for a few days, fine-tuning the acoustics and enjoying an aperitif or two with you. Only 100 elite systems will be made, and YAR is ensconced at Maison Assouline until the end of May for a true test drive. YAR speaker system, from €250,000. Private listening sessions are available at Maison Assouline until the end of May. Book via Maison Assouline or yaraudio.com
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BAMBOO SPARK The TUC recently found that the number of workers who commute for more than two hours a day had risen by 72 per cent over the last decade. When this time could be put to more use, people are trapped with limited laptop space. The Bamboo Spark aims to offer a solution: a smart folio that allows people to take handwritten notes that are then synchronised to the Cloud for future reference. You can also turn your handwritten messages into computer text for easier sharing with colleagues – the text can then be searched using keywords. Bamboo Spark, £119, Wacom, wacom.com
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GO GO GARMIN
RAPID RECHARGE
HEADSET AND MATCH
Good news for those of you more inclined to two wheels than four. Garmin’s Zūmo Sat Nav range has been upgraded with three new models. The new class offers ‘Garmin Adventurous Routing’ for riders to select the number of twists and hills on each journey. The system also includes innovative new programmes, such as rider alerts and music streaming options. Dynamic Fuel Stops suggest when best to fill up, based on fuel consumption. Zūmo 345LM/395LM/595LM, from £310, Garmin, garmin.com
Munich-based company Viglo has developed the next step in on-the-go charging. Thino is up to three times faster than other portable chargers, is safer and more convenient. It’s also equipped with smart auto detection technology to enable charging at maximum speed, a built-in battery, and an extremely durable aluminium body. Thino is now available for pre-order on the Viglo website, with a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo imminent. THINO, £TBC, VIGLO, viglo.eu
Headsets needn’t make you look like an early noughties stockbroker. Jabra’s elegantly designed version – the Jabra Eclipse – mixes quality with style, an immersive music-grade speaker and all-day battery-encouraging mobility. It’s also Jabra’s lightest ever headset at 5.5 grams, and the slim design is both ergonomically and aesthetically impressive. Anyone can now take important calls on the go without having to forgo their style. Available in black or white, it’s a great accessory for all of our go-getting readers. Jabra Eclipse, £79.99, Jabra, jabra.co.uk
AUDEZE SINE Award-winning Californian headphone manufacturer Audeze has created the world’s first on-ear planar magnetic headphones. Planar magnetic drivers, unlike dynamic drivers found in most headphones, have a flat diaphragm of conductive material that is moved by magnets. This makes the driver reproduce music more authentically than a normal set of cans, with low distortion, heavy bass and fresh, bright high notes. They don’t just sound good: Audeze has worked with BMW DesignWorks USA to continue the brand’s characteristically sleek aesthetic, and foldability means the headphones are more portable than ever. Sine, from £399, Audeze, audeze.com
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Ruark Aud io R7 The Ruark R7 brings the spirit of the traditional radiogram into the 21st century. The 2016 version improves the tech behind the R7 without forgoing its mid-20th Century style. Improvement to the amplifiers and crossovers results in better audio integration and an overall smoother sound. Digital, analogue and internet tuners offer a wide range of radio stations. The R7 is also Bluetooth and WiFi-enabled for use with laptops and smartphones, and digital and analogue inputs allow even greater connectivity. R7, £2,000, Ruark Audio, ruarkaudio.com
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TATOU PENDANT BY FLOS Designed by Patricia Urquiola, this decorative shell shade draws its influence from the ancient armours of Japanese samurai. Made from a durable yet light polycarbonate, the textured shade allows the light to pass through its perforated shell. £216, heals.com
e d i s t h g i r b e h t n o ppy’ me ha r u o l e a ‘co g, tak in r p s rs of terio spirit ome in h in the o t ach appro
Birds by Toikka Professor Oiva Toikka is regarded as one of the greatest names in Finnish design. In 1972, his iconic collection of Birds by Toikka took flight and today he adds the Mari to his nest – a quality talking point and quirky centrepiece. €270 (approx. £208), iittala.com
mrs godfrey chair Sometimes all a tired interior needs is a pop of colour. Though simple, there’s nothing subtle about the Mrs Godfrey chair, yet its tailored mid-century lines will work in most homes, while the colour is a beautiful breath of fresh air. £1,595, uk.jonathanadler.com
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The Conran Shop has unveiled its S/ S16 collection, Espirito do Brasil, a beautifully bright edit inspired by the country. Bringing together iconic designs, new and emerging talent, not to mention a few vintage pieces, this collection captures the spirit and imagination at the heart of Brazil. conranshop.co.uk
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FINISHING TOUCHES
master large stool The Master Large Stool by Philippe Starck for Kartell is a hybrid of three iconic chairs by legendary 20th century designers Arne Jacobsen, Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames. This fine display of innovative construction has all the quirky features one expects from a Starck design. £251, heals.com
cushion covers
Utility Fifty years ago, the success of a small collection of traditional Polish enamelware led LSA International co-founder, Janusz Lubkowski, to explore other avenues of traditional Polish production, including mouthblown glass. In this anniversary year, we celebrate the iconic Utlity pot, a lovely finishing touch to any room in your home. £30, lsa-international.com
This season, think exotic with beautiful bright cushions designed exclusively by The Conran Shop. Handcrafted by skilled artisans, the tropical parrot motif was inspired by the exotic birds of Brazil. £95 (top), £75 (bottom), conranshop.co.uk
holborn coffee table The Holborn Coffee Table caught our eye for both its beautiful craftsmanship and classic design. Made from either dark walnut or sumptuous oak, and featuring tapered Mid-century legs, this coffee table is right at home in a 1950s and ’60s inspired home interior. £750, heals.com
Naga Throw This 100 per cent stonewashed cotton throw from Vivaraise will give your bed linen the update it‘s longing for. The stonewashed finish introduces texture and style, transforming your bedroom instantly. This finish is also available in other colours and matching cushions. £70, amara.com
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CODE BREAKER Mark & Hannah Hayes-Westall have been working in, and writing about, contemporary art on and off for almost 20 years. Each month, they introduce an artist that should appear on your agenda
This month: keith coventry
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hat’s so interesting? In the days ownership – maps, publishing, packaging before social media, the wise – to encode the viewpoints of their owners ruler kept a close eye on the in a distinctly illuminating way. writing on the wall. From ancient Pompeii’s Coventry’s own origins in the surprisingly pro-Nero graffiti writers to UK’s declining industrial heartland of 1968’s fly-posting French students, the Lancashire – he was born in the former wall was the medium of free expression mill town of Burnley – no doubt contribute for the simple reason that those in charge to the detachment with which he views the controlled access to all other machinations of the powerful and channels of communication. the media that promote them. For artists this control has Indeed, he comes from an long posed a problem; era in which the activities without patronage their of the aristocracy were still art will receive a very uncritically covered by the Keith Coventry White Black Gold small audience and that, tabloid press as if relevant 27 April – 28 May 2016 inevitably, comes with a to their largely working PACE Gallery, 6 Burlington strong measure of client class readership. His work Gardens, W1S control. The result is a seems to use social issues pacegallery.com distinguished history of as a way to unlock this artists using their commissions examination of the channels by as Trojan horses within which which power is exerted, with works to express ideas that their economically such as Estate Paintings (c.1990s) apparently powerful clients might be unaware of, from evoking the art of famous Supremacist Velázquez’ portrait of a calculating Pope painter Kazimir Malevich, but in fact Innocent X to Rembrandt’s The Night Watch recreating the maps found outside Britain’s with its alleged accusations of amateurism council-owned housing estates. The fine and child abuse. The interesting British modernist technique, with its references to artist Keith Coventry is a masterly dreams of democratic utopia, appears to subversive in a fine old tradition, using the challenge the viewer to contrast the dream language of fine art and the mediums of with concepts of community breakdown,
find the work
Coventry comes from an era in which the activities of the aristocracy were still uncritically covered by the tabloid press
FROM TOP Drysdale Street, N1, 2012, (courtesy Pace Gallery); Bombed Shop Window, 2016
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whilst reminding us that this may be the privileged viewpoint of the art collector. In his White Abstracts series (c. 1990s), Coventry shows images rich in the symbolism of an imperial Britain created in intricate layers of white impasto painting, with works such as the Saatchiowned Sir Norman Reid explaining Modern Art to the Queen (1994) alongside images of cucumber sandwiches, Sir Winston Churchill and the Trooping of the Colour. The nature of the images suggests they are taken from the press, with the interpretation of their reduced relevancy defined by the rarity of the fine-art medium in which they are presented. The Pure Junk series (2015), which forms part of his latest show (see Find The Work), sees the modernist geometry of the McDonald’s logo captured in startling bronze pieces that bring with them a new kind of reference; the power of celebrity association to elevate. In the artist’s words, the works “ennoble the ignoble, transforming the design motif of hamburger wrappers into the kinds of oversized pendants popularised by rappers.” Coventry is, in many ways, an art world insider, with Charles Saatchi as an early advocate and collector. Featured in Young British Artists (1995) at Saatchi’s gallery on Boundary Road in St John’s Wood, Coventry was also in the Sensation exhibition, which exposed the Young British Artists (YBAs) to a wider audience when it was staged at the Royal Academy in 1997. However, the fascination with class structures and the outsider viewpoint of the social scientist appear to be vital components of Coventry’s work and may stem from his early working life when, after attending Chelsea School of Art London, he had a number of jobs, including working as a painter and decorator for the infamous property magnate Nicholas van Hoogstraten, and as a caretaker at a girls’ public school in London. In September 2010, Keith Coventry’s Spectrum Jesus painting won the £25,000 John Moores Painting Prize and, in 2006, he received a mid-career retrospective at Glasgow’s Tramway Art Centre. His work has been exhibited widely in the UK and Europe and is included in collections worldwide, including the British Council, Tate Modern, Arts Council of England, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and Museum of Modern Art, New York.
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Coventry is, in many ways, an art world insider, with Charles Saatchi as an early advocate and collector
FROM TOP Golden Arch I, 2016 (courtesy Pace Gallery); King and Queen, 1994 (courtesy Pace Gallery); Pure Junk I; Supermodel (Kate Moss), 2000 (courtesy Pace Gallery)
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PHOTO Turtix
PHOTO Michael Gordon
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Behind the scenes in
Beverly Hills Words: Richard Brown
The outdoor terrace at AKA Beverly Hills
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os Angeles must be the only place on the planet where people recovering from plastic surgery constitutes a tangible market. At AKA Beverly Hills, a hotel that says it’s not a hotel because it’s actually a temporary residence for celebrities, around five per cent of visitors check in for a spot of post-nip/tuck recuperation. “Though this figure is not 100 per cent airtight,” says managing director and sort-of hotelier to the stars Noel Hernandez, suggesting this figure could be higher. “Folks could be coming here and not letting us know exactly why they are here.” The average stay at AKA is 19 nights. Just enough time for the swelling to subside. And you thought LA couldn’t possibly be as plastic as it looks on reality TV. Los Angeles is the American dream. As soon as you make it, you move here. That’s how it goes. It’s the Emerald City, the end of the rainbow. It does what America does best. Creates a legend, markets a myth, makes you believe. It started with Humphrey and Hepburn, with Frank and Liz, with Martin and
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Monroe. More recently, LA life has been immortalised on the small screen by Ari and Vince – though even their escapades got turned into a blockbuster. LA is fantasy. Like all fantasy, much of it is false. Hollywood’s boulevards have long had their heyday; Venice Beach has become a parody of itself; stretches of Downtown remain a home to the homeless, the area itself a mix of half-empty offices and half-arsed Art Deco architecture, though plucky social initiatives have helped stop the rot. Beverly Hills is LA’s good side. A city within a city, a sanctuary within the sprawl, a zip code more mythologised than the movie stars who live there. Believe the hype. Beverly Hills never lost its mojo. In Beverly Hills, it’s still possible to live the American dream.
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KA Beverley Hills, the hotel that’s not a hotel, is a converted apartment block at the south-eastern tip of the Golden Triangle – a half-diamond cluster of 90210’s most high-end restaurants and shops. In keeping with its ethos as a
temporary residence, AKA’s reservation policy requires you to stay for a minimum of seven nights. As previous apartments, all kitchen-equipped suites are vast, practically imploring you to litter your boxer shorts all over their cavernous confines. True to its word, AKA feels more like a home than hotel. You can rent bicycles from reception, free of charge, take in the Hollywood Hills from a trendy outdoor terrace dotted with fire pits, and make use of VIP back-door access to the most talked about restaurant in movie-land. More on that later. Money is power and Beverly Hills is rolling in it. Four blocks from AKA is Rodeo Drive, home to every luxury brand on the planet. With its reputation for excess, this part of LA provides a suitably swank backdrop for the House of Bijan, an appointment-only showroom where emperors of the world are persuaded to buy new clothes. Clinton, Bush and Obama are all former clients. So too are Putin and Blair. Outside the store, Mr Bijan’s all-yellow RollsRoyce is a permanent fixture – how else to make a statement in supercar city? Inside the store a marble floor supports
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The Beverly Hills Hotel
than that, perhaps, is the hotel’s flagship restaurant, The Polo Lounge. Having served immense bowls of salad, and less popular things, to LA’s movers and shakers since the ’60s, the Lounge is an institution. In a city where big and brash is better, the restaurant is an intimate, cosy affair – its sun-drenched courtyard a beehive for both celebrities and celebrity spotters. If Beverly Hills is a movie set, then The Polo Lounge is a lifestyle.
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French and Italian antiques, rare rugs and a Fernando Botero painting aptly titled The Rich. Ties cost $200. Baby-alligatorleather coats are ten times more. The House of Bijan is where you’d expect Dan Bilzerian to shop.
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ancakes, coffee and cocktails. Food, fashion and frappuccinos. Life in LA is pretty lax. If you break a sweat, you’re doing something wrong. Six square miles inside a steaming metropolis where the palm trees grow taller and the air smells sweeter. The year was 1912 and Burton Green, president of the Rodeo Land and Water Company, having failed to find oil and
hoping to ignite a land rush, opened a sprawling, 12-acre hotel on a piece of barren land in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. The Beverly Hills Hotel, named after Green’s Beverly Farm in Massachusetts, was the catalyst for what would become Beverly Hills the city. Indeed, so integral is the hotel to the narrative of Beverly Hills that it was designated the city’s first historic landmark in 2012. Why so famous? Without namechecking the usual roll call of Hollywood heyday royalty, The Beverly Hills Hotel has hosted them all. More famous than its pink facade, perhaps, is the fact that Elizabeth Taylor chose to spend six of her eight honeymoons here. More famous even
ew York never sleeps. London is in bed by midnight. LA parties hard until 1am and then goes suspiciously quiet. Californian liquor licensing laws means that the city can only serve alcohol until 1am. Most clubs kick out well before two. Unaware of this was a group of English lads looking to put it about a bit. Having failed to blag a house party in the hills – loafers and a cardigan had proven a bad move in a part of town where the NSYNC look was still the considered the sh*t – Hollywood’s less salubrious streets became our Last Chance Saloon. A shadylooking red-and-black shack was always going to be a punt. We called it a night when we walked into a rap video. Day two, lesson learned, we started early. LA gets more than 300 days of sun a year, someone told us. Several rooftop pools
Montage hotel
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cater to a population disproportionately inhabited by hardbodies. SIXTY Beverly Hills is an ultra-modern boutique hotel designed with New York scenesters in mind. East Coast cool meets West Coast chic, a travel website might say. The pool on top is studded with Swarovski crystals. Everything else about the two-level suntrap is a stylish affair, much like the ‘it’ crowd sunbathing there. Our pasty English torsos felt slightly less out of place at the pool atop the Montage hotel – more a place to kick back and chill (LA talk) than somewhere you go to be seen. Beverly Hills boasts the second highest concentration of five-star hotels in the US, beaten only by New York City. Montage only opened in 2008 but already enjoys a reputation alongside the city’s most well-established hideaways – The Peninsula, The Bel-Air and Beverly Wilshire included. During our stay, we kicked it with Robert Pattinson, FKA Twigs and a bloke we’re pretty sure was Zane Lowe. Our rooms were suitably A-list. Pancakes at the hotel’s sunny Rooftop Grill, in front of the Hollywood Hills, were an all-American way to start the day. Piña coladas around the pool that afternoon didn’t make us look like limeys at all.
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A’s public transport sucks. To navigate the sprawl you’re going to need wheels. Mayfair might be a supercar car park, but Tinseltown tops it. Turning heads here takes something special. Midway Car Rental is LA’s largest privately owned rental car company. Egoboosters on offer include Astons, Lambos and Maseratis. The squad roared out of The Beverly Hills Hotel in pack formation. My Bentley Continental GT Speed flanked by Iavone’s
Ferrari 458 Spider and Anderson’s Maserati GranTurismo Sport. Boyhood dreams come true. Three minutes later we were lost, separated among five lanes of LA’s snarling rush-hour traffic. The two apps LA locals talk about most are Uber and real-time traffic-informer Waze. We now knew why. It took until Malibu for us to make the most of the motors. Leaving Santa Monica, the gridlock cleared, the road opened up and the sound of high-pitched car horns gave way to the throaty symphony of three V8s growling their way along the Pacific Coast Highway. Entourage eat your heart out. This was a red letter day and then some. That evening we entered Spago DiCaprio-style, via a secret back door, minus the models. AKA residents have preferred seating status at Spago, allowing you to make use of this ‘VIP’ entrance. (When in Rome). Spago is the restaurant that propelled Wolfgang Puck to culinary stardom. Today, it is one of only three restaurants in the city to have been awarded two Michelin stars. A Mediterranean-style courtyard, draped in fairy lights, allowed us to eat al fresco.
A tasting menu took us from California to Europe to Japan and back again. Both the food and service was extraordinary. As was the wine – Spago holds 30,000 bottles of the stuff. Many restaurants boast a celebrity clientele, far fewer have fed the President of the United States. Conventional West Coast road-trip wisdom states that LA constitutes a stopover between San Francisco and San Diego. Maybe a pitstop before a blow-out and a crisis of faith in Las Vegas. While you’re free-spiriting through, don’t bypass Beverly Hills. Arrive in a Bentley, top down, shades on. Pass between the palm trees, pretend to be famous. Believe the hype. Live the dream. Spago restaurant
The pool at The Beverly Hills Hotel PHOTO Ken Wolter
NEED TO KNOW Air New Zealand flies from London to Los Angeles from £489 in Economy and £926 in Premium Economy, airnewzealand.co.uk/cheap-flights-to-losangeles; A one-bedroom suite at AKA Beverly Hills starts at $425 per night (+ tax) based on a one week stay, stayaka. com; Prices at Montage start from $815 per room per night, montagehotels. com/beverlyhills; supercar rental is available at midwaycarrental.com; for information on hotels, restaurants, car rental and walking tours in Beverly Hills, visit lovebeverlyhills.com
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THE PLEASURE From the Colchagua Valley to the Cordillera de la Costa mountain range, Graeme Green samples Chile’s finest wines during a cycling tour that winds through the country’s sensational wine country
Vina VIK
Chile’s Wine Country
Vina VIK courtyard
“We have diversity of soil and microclimates here, which helps with the complexity of the wines”
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PRINCIPLE “W
ine is for pleasure, not contests,” says Christian Vallejo, winemaker at Vina VIK, holding a glass of their 2010 vintage up to the light. “The wine has to invite you to feel things. If you drink it, you have to have pleasure.” If pleasure was what they were going for at arty retreat and winery Vina VIK, the most talked about new opening in South America, they’ve nailed it (they may also soon be winning contests…). It doesn’t hurt that their excellent wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah, is on tap at the hotel in Millahue, within the Cachapoal Valley, two hours south of Santiago in Chile’s famous wine country. The ‘pleasure principle’ seems to be at the heart of the hotel and spa, too.
Vina VIK is one of the first few stops on a new cycling tour of Chile’s wine regions, the hilltop hotel making a big impression as we arrive, its sculpted titanium roof glowing gold with reflected sunlight. From the front of the hotel, I look out onto vineyards and the snow-covered Andes. It’s instantly peaceful. My suite, one of 22, is next to a courtyard with Zen-style raked gravel and Bonsai trees. Like VIK’s other hotels in Uruguay, modern art is central here, with each suite designed by a different artist; the authentic Japanese ‘Shogun’ and Sebastian Valenzuela’s colourful Dali-esque ‘Valenzuela’ both stand out. I stay in the spacious ‘Hollywood’ suite, which is decked out with paintings by Chilean artist Roberto Matta of Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and one of Ann-
Margret, from a film fittingly called The Pleasure Seekers. A wall-sized window looks out onto a reservoir below. Onsite wine guide, Miguel Oqueli, gives me a 4X4 tour of the 10,688 acre property and winery. “The owners looked everywhere and this was the right place,” he tells me. “We have diversity of soil and microclimates here, which helps with the complexity of the wines.” VIK’s wine is in seemingly endless supply in the hotel’s restaurant, which is also putting this place on the map. “We have a lot of fun here,” executive chef Rodrigo Acuña Brava tells me at lunch. “Some chefs are proud that they change the menu four times a year. We change it twice a day, for lunch and dinner, depending on what comes in
The Winery at VIK
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fresh.” There’s no menu, just freedom to improvise with local produce for hearty lunches and fine-dining dinners, such as hake served with squid ink agnolotti stuffed with scallops. When not drinking my own body weight in fine wine, I borrow one of the hotel’s bikes to explore the vast vineyards and lake, a popular spot for geese, ducks, tinamou and quail. I spend another day hiking the hills framing the valley, getting a sense of the changing land and microclimates; there are sections of red rock, where vultures soar over the cacticovered hillside, and other parts with the feel of English woodland. If there was any remaining stress, it was gone by the end of VIK’s Signature Treatment in the spa, a hot bath, with a glassful of wine added to the water for the relaxing aroma, followed by a rejuvenating massage, then dinner and more wine… Reluctant to leave, I ride out of VIK’s vineyards the next morning with cycling guide Ernesto Palm, zigzagging through the world famous Colchagua Valley. With farmers fixing fences, cockerels crowing and horses tethered to trees, this feels like a proper slice of rural Chile. “This is the main farming area of Chile,” Ernesto tells me as we pass an orchard of plum trees covered in white blossom. We stop for the night in Marchihue, staying at Hotel Residencia Histórica de Marchihue, a traditional hacienda that was originally home to a congregation of Jesuits. “Chile’s wine is the best I’ve ever tried,” Ernesto tells me proudly in the evening, as we sit next to a roaring fire, sinking a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and an excellent Carmenere. “It has a lot of what we call cuerpo (body). Wine is part of our culture.” “Carmenere is Chile’s national wine,” he continues. “It’s like Champagne in France; Carmenere is only made in Chile. We’re very proud of it.” We ride southwest through the Colchagua Valley the next morning, past orchards of olive trees, unending lines of vines and wide open fields occupied by sheep. Stopping at a junction, a huaso (Chilean cowboy) wearing a flat-topped sombrero and poncho dismounts nearby, tethering his horse and walking down the street, his spurs clinking with each step. Our route crosses the Cordillera de la Costa mountain range to the coast, gaining 800 metres over a steady, sometimes challenging, 13 kilometres of climbing. This is where we earn our wine. An easy roll downhill takes us into the surf town of Pichilemu, where we refuel with Chile’s famous ceviche, conga eel tortellini and bottles of Carmenere and a Chilean Malbec, while waves crash onto
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the beach below. I develop a new appreciation for Carmenere and other Chilean wines as we make our way through the region, some of them among the best wines I’ve tasted. “We have a very special quality in the Colchagua Valley soil for making wine,” explains Sabrina Almomacid, a guide at Vina Santa Cruz winery, which is owned by Carlos Cardoen, one of Chile’s richest men. “For red wines in Chile, it has the best temperature, humidity and soil.” We explore the hilltop museum, which has Easter Island-style Moai head statues and artifacts from Chile’s native cultures, alongside a family of llamas, before pedaling on. A clear highlight towards the end of the trip is a visit to Casa Lapostelle in the renowned Apalta Valley, a winery owned by the Marnier family (as in the Grand Marnier drink), with French wine master Michel Rolland as a partner. Down in the barrel room, next to the owner’s multi-million pound wine collection, we sample glasses of Sauvignon Blanc, a fantastic Merlot and Clos Apalta, the winery’s award-winning blend (Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon), which has a reputation as one of Chile’s best. You could say it’s a rival to VIK’s excellent blends, perhaps slightly better, or maybe VIK just nudges it. It’s a tough call. But instead I prefer the idea that, when it comes to wine, it’s not a contest; it’s all about the pleasure. The Winery at VIK
From Top Lapostolle cellar; Gabler’s Grisaille Suite at Vina VIK; Graeme on Saddle Skedaddle’s Wine Country cycling tour; VIK’s wines
this image Fornasetti Suite at Vina VIK right Vina VIK swimming pool
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NEED TO KNOW
Suites at Vina VIK start from £794 per room (double occupancy) per night, depending on the season. The VIK master suite costs from £1,590 to £1,988. Prices include breakfast, lunch and dinner with wine and other alcoholic beverages, as well as winery tour and tasting, horse-riding, mountain biking and other activities. To book, visit vinavik. com or call + 56 96193 1754. Saddle Skedaddle’s 11-day Chile Wine Country cycling trip, including stays at Vina VIK and other luxury hotels, a guide/ mechanic and vehicle support, breakfasts and lunches, winery visits and tastings, costs £2,495, plus £150 for bike hire. The next departure is September 10, 2016. Call 0191 2651110 or visit skedaddle.co.uk. British Airways (ba.com, 0844 493 0787) has return flights from London to Buenos Aires from £709. Onward flights from Buenos Aires to Santiago with Aerolineas Argentinas (aerolineas.com.ar, 0871 6444453) start from £192. For more information on Chile, visit chile.travel
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WELLNESS
as an Art
Oasis gives you a moment to stop and take a breath. Feel the freedom and relaxation in your body and mind. Let your senses be inspired in a private paradise. It is all waiting for you. The art of wellbeing.
The Oasis by Don Carlos Resort · Boutique Hotel Experience · Marbella T (+34) 933 271 455 · dcreservas@expogrupo.com · www.doncarlosresort.expohotels.com/en/the-oasis · www.expohotels.com
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hotel of the month: ME BY MELIÁ
From Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, to the white sands of Formentera, Tiffany Eastland travels from Milan to Ibiza, on the ultimate, whirlwind jet-set adventure with ME by Meliá
ME private jet
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E had created a bit of a monster. For someone who has never permitted themselves a smidgen of self-entitlement, three nights in two separate ME by Meliá hotels had, I’ll admit it, given rise to my selfish side. Well, when a hotel is so apt at making you feel so special, it’s easy to forget the world doesn’t revolve around you. And anyway, everyone deserves to indulge in a little selfabsorption now and again, don’t they? Having built a reputation on delivering first-rate service, the ME brand allows guests to experience the best of their destinations. Now we aren’t just talking about the friendly concierge that will happily arrange airport transfers. No, we’re talking much more, thanks to its ‘Aura’ managers. My first encounter with a ME Aura manager was upon touching down in Milan, home of the first ME by Meliá Italian luxury lifestyle hotel. Located in the heart of Milan’s fashion and design district, ME Milan Il Duca opened its doors in May last year. On arrival into Linate Airport, we were swiftly transported by private cars to The Last Supper by Da Vinci at Santa Maria Delle Grazie. I’m on good authority that tickets had sold out, so access was really only possible through our Aura manager and his team of agents. Occupying a building that was originally designed by globally renowned late architect, Also Rossi, the hotel comprises 132 rooms, including 32 Chic Suites, a Personality Suite and a Suite ME, not to mention the real showpiece, a rooftop bar – the brand’s second Radio Rooftop Bar after the flagship ME London.
STK restaurant at ME Milan Il Duca
Rooftop Bar at ME Milan Il Duca
ME Ibiza terrace pool
ME Milan Il Duca
jet with your own personal crew that will pick you up at your home destination and fly you exclusively to the Mediterranean’s party capital. On board, the bar is kept well-stocked and personalised menus are available on request. For me though, it was simply the convenience factor at both ends that had me thinking, with a capacity of 13 guests, it’s absolutely worthwhile.
ME Ibiza joined the exclusive ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ within just one month of opening After an evening of cocktails on the rooftop, followed by steak at the first Italian branch of STK, and the best night’s sleep possibly of my life, it was time to part ways with ME Milan Il Duca, for we had a plane to catch, or, rather, a private jet to board. ME Ibiza, our next destination, offers guests a number of elite packages, including JET with ME, which provides guests a private
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The first thing I notice about ME Ibiza is how different it is from its Milanese sister. Striking the perfect balance between vibrant and serene, ME Ibiza joined the exclusive club of ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ within just one month of opening. It doesn’t take me long to feel quite at home in my crisp white suite that overlooks neighbouring Nikki Beach on the east coast
of the island. Though, with a rooftop bar and spa, and a poolside Mediterranean restaurant, chances are you won’t spend a whole lot of time in your room. Like at ME Milan Il Duca, ME Ibiza’s Aura manager is pretty quick to ensure we have a truly memorable experience. On this occasion, the Aura agents arranged for two motorboats to take the group to Formentera, a 12 mile-long slip of an island that’s often compared to Ibiza 40 years ago. When I woke on our final day I was in serious denial, but fortunately a jet experience home involving Champagne softened the blow. Now that my feet are planted firmly on the ground, I can tell you in all honesty; this experience was unlike any other, but thank you for letting me indulge for just that little while longer. ME Ibiza’s summer season runs from 3 May – 31 October 2016. Rates start from £250 per room; rates at the ME Milan Il Duca start from £199, room only, melia.com
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PROPERTY NEWS
Keep tabs on the market, whether you are living or investing in the capital
SALES NICK MOORE, associate at Knight Frank
Islington, comments on the trends in the residential sales market The start of April saw the new rules for stamp duty on buy-to-let or second home purchases come into effect. Whilst there had been a lot of discussion about how these would work in practice, it wasn’t until the Chancellor’s budget at the end of March that the final plans were outlined. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was that large-scale investors in rental property would not be exempt from the additional stamp duty levy as it was widely reported they would be. Another key change was the ‘exemption’ window for those buying a new principal residence before selling their previous home. It was thought that the exemption period would be 18 months, whereas in fact it was announced that buyers would have 36 months to sell their previous home. Buyers will still have to pay the additional stamp duty. However, they will have double the amount of time to claim a refund should they sell their previous home.
Price growth in prime central London remains relatively flat
The rush by investors to buy before the April 1 buy-to-let stamp duty deadline helped ignite an onward chain reaction; the average price of property coming on to the market is at another all-time high, up by £3,843 to a new record of £307,033, driven by the second-stepper (three or four bedrooms, excluding four-bedroom detached properties) and top-of-the-ladder sectors of the market, while smaller properties in the first-time buyer/buy-to-let sector see a monthly price drop of 1.4 per cent –The Rightmove House Price Index April 2016, rightmove.co.uk IN THE NAVY Gingerlily has been creating its luxurious silk bed linen, bedding, nightwear and accessories for more than a decade. Today, the British silk experts present Geometric Navy, a contemporary, masculine new collection that brings a touch of nautical to the bedroom. Made from the finest Mulberry silk, to promote natural, healthy sleep, the collection features a sophisticated jacquard woven print appearing on the indigo duvet cover and pillowcases, while matching blue embroidery adorns the complementary crisp white pillowcases. Prices range from £28 to £477. gingerlily.co.uk
On the ground, there was certainly a noticeable uplift in activity as buyers sought to beat the 1 April deadline, and it remains to be seen whether the market stays as buoyant as we head towards the summer. Price growth in prime central London remains relatively flat, but much stronger performance yearon-year has been seen in areas such as Islington, the City, the fringe and the South Bank where demand stays high. This contrasts with areas such as Knightsbridge, South Kensington and Chelsea, where price falls have been recorded over the past year. With the London mayoral election and the EU referendum to look forward to this summer, we will have to wait and see the effect that these have on the market, but for now, with the sun shining, the market is buoyant. Knight Frank Islington 0203 657 7340 knightfrank.co.uk
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| PROPERTY |
LETTINGS NICOLA WILLIAMS, lettings manager at Knight Frank Islington, comments on the trends in the residential lettings market
MEET YOUR DESIGN MATCH Aiming to offer a more time-efficient interior design service, new digital platform Decology facilitates a matchmaking service between prospective clients and interior designers. Created by Sharon Costi, an entrepreneur with marketing experience from the likes of John Lewis and Apple, and interior designer Michele Triegaardt Cook, the online service is free to use. Simply submit your vision and budget, and Decology will match you with three designers, varying in experience and cost, who will submit bespoke proposals. Check out their digital portfolios before exchanging images of your current space and floorplans for concepts and moodboards in your chosen designer’s virtual studio, and pay a simple flat fee per room if you decide to go ahead. You can even shop the look right away through the site, thanks to direct links with suppliers. decology.co.uk
HOUSING YOUR WINE
If you are a keen wine collector, Spiral Cellars is a way of making more of a feature out of your collection, however large or small. The company builds a range of storage solutions, from made-to-measure wine wardrobes for smaller spaces and feature wine walls, to larger wine rooms and full cellars fitted under any ground floor. As well as building the cellar and optimising the humidity and temperature, Spiral Cellars can also help you keep track of your bottles via Spiral Library – specialised software that helps you manage your portfolio online, from when the wines need to be drunk to tasting notes and market data. Lucy Hargreaves, managing director of Spiral Cellars, suggests budgeting for additional insurance and security costs as well as keeping an eye on the market via wine reports, such as those from Tim Atkin, Master of Wine at timatkin.com – if investing, rather than pure enjoyment, is the key focus of your collection. Prices from £12,000 for a wine wardrobe, spiralcellars.com
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The new tax year has started positively and, with a new wave of relocation into the City, the lettings market feels busier than it has done over the last few months. We have now found tenants for many of the prime houses that had been vacant for months but in turn we have a shortage of properties over £1,000 per week with many corporate applicants disappointed with the lack of choice in the market. The new tax year has also brought many changes to legislation for lettings agents and landlords. A few could have a dramatic effect on the lettings market which will become clear over the next few months. The main change is the higher rates of SDLT – the new Stamp Duty Land Tax for buy-tolet properties has now been introduced and a surcharge of three per cent will be payable on all buy-to-let properties and second homes. Some heads of agencies are expecting this to diminish supply levels and send private sector rents through the roof. I do not see this affecting the Islington market immediately as stock levels from completed new developments are at an all-time high and will continue to supply the market over the next six to 12 months. However, we may see a reduction in properties coming on to the market in the more traditional period house styles or developments, thus increasing these rents as demand continues to grow throughout the busy summer months.
We may see a reduction in properties coming on to the market in the more traditional period house styles Further regulation of the buy-to-let mortgage market will also be finalised later in the year, which could tighten up lenders’ lending criteria and some landlords may find it harder to expand their portfolio, so this may have an effect on the levels of stock that we see coming on to the market. Knight Frank Islington 0203 657 7340 knightfrank.co.uk
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SELLING HOMES LIKE YOURS ALL YEAR ROUND We pride ourselves on exceptional service and unrivalled market knowledge, with a global network of 417 offices across 58 countries that can showcase your property to the widest possible audience. To arrange a free market appraisal, please call us on 020 8682 7777 or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/wandsworth Guide price: £2,850,000
Streathbourne Road, Wandsworth SW17 A spectacular family house of substantial proportions with a 56ft south west facing garden located on the popular Heaver Estate. 5 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 en suite), 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast/family room, utility room, downstairs cloakroom, cellar, 56ft south west facing garden. EPC: F. Approximately: 269.79 sq.ft. (2,904 sq.ft.). wandsworth@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8682 7777
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £3,350,000
Althorp Road, Wandsworth SW17 A sensational newly developed house in Bellevue Village on the doorstep of Wandsworth Common. 6 double bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen/dining room, media/family room, 40ft south west facing garden. EPC: B. Approximately: 309 sq.m. (3,326 sq.ft.). wandsworth@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8682 7777
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Tower Walk, St Katharine Docks E1W Five bedroom town house with views over St Katharine Marina Situated in the heart of St Katharine Docks Marina with its array of world class boats, one of only seven houses within a gated development on the western dock with delightful views. This beautifully presented 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with terrace and parking is perfect for family living as well as grand scale entertaining. EPC: D. Approximately 304 sq m (3,272 sq ft). Leasehold: approximately 99 years remaining
Guide price: £4,850,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5375
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
KnightFrank.co.uk/WAP150155
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WHAT'S YOUR NEXT MOVE? We pride ourselves on exceptional service and unrivalled market knowledge, with a global network of 417 offices across 58 countries that can showcase your property to the widest possible audience. If you are considering letting a property this year, please contact us on 020 8166 5366 or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings Guide price: £525 per week
New Crane Wharf, Wapping E1W
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Smart flat to rent in a desirable warehouse conversion with lots of original features. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, kitchen, reception/dining room, 24 hour porter and allocated parking space. EPC: B. Approximately 93 sq m (1,008 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366
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: £595 per week
The Heron, City EC2Y Luxurious studio apartment in a highly desirable development. Bedroom area, 1 bathroom, reception/kitchen area, residents' gym, private screening room, private club and 24 hour porter. EPC: B. Approximately 38 sq m (408 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366
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CT970_Sovereign_Court_Development_A4_City & Canary_Wharf_Advert_V01.indd 1
13/04/2016 11:20
HOXTON
£1,800 pw + fees apply*
HOXTON STREET N1 2
1
1,708 sq ft
3
EPC=E
Open new doors Move with Savills SPITALFIELDS
£895 pw + fees apply*
EXCHANGE BUILDINGS E1 2
CANARY WHARF
£650 pw + fees apply*
OLD SUN WHARF E14 2
1
2
WAPPING
1
EPC=C
£775 pw + fees apply*
NEW CRANE PLACE E1W 2
1,128 sq ft
2
1,340 sq ft EPC=C
WAPPING
£650 pw + fees apply*
HERMITAGE WATERSIDE E1W 2
1
2
GREENWICH
EPC=C
£450 pw + fees apply*
LAMBARDE SQUARE SE10 2
1
782 sq ft
2
883 sq ft EPC=B
1
2
OLD STREET
EPC=E
£995 pw + fees apply*
EAGLE POINT EC1V 2
1
1,129 sq ft
2
CANARY WHARF
EPC=B
£650 pw + fees apply*
DISCOVERY DOCK EAST E14 2
1
1,292 sq ft
2
937 sq ft EPC=C
* Fees to include drawing up the tenancy agreements and reference change for one tenant – £282 inc VAT one-off fee. £36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependant on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details visit savills.co.uk/fees
6538 City Magazine 'Open New Doors' DPS May ART.indd 1
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Call us 7 days a week on 020 7877 4640 savills.co.uk
SHOREDITCH
Guide £1.75 million
AVANTGARDE TOWER E1 2
2
2
SOUTHBANK
EPC=B
Guide £2.875 million
WHITEHOUSE APTS SE1 2
1
2
LONDON FIELDS
2
1,380 sq ft EPC=E
Guide £1.35 million
LAVENDER GROVE E8 3
1,290 sq ft
1
1,072 sq ft EPC=E
OLD STREET
Guide £635,000
CHOCOLATE STUDIOS N1 1
1
1
WAPPING
EPC=C
Guide £1.6 million
HARLEQUIN COURT E1W 2
1
667 sq ft
2
1,257 sq ft EPC=C
LIVERPOOL STREET Guide £1.999 million TAPESTRY BUILDING EC2M 2
1
2
1,460 sq ft EPC=C
CAMBERWELL
Guide £1.095 million
JOHN RUSKIN STREET SE5 4
2
2
WAPPING
1
2
THE CITY
1
2,213 sq ft EPC=D
Guide £845,000
THE HERON EC2Y 1
EPC=D
OIEO £1.7 million
TELFORDS YARD E1W 3
1,650 sq ft
564 sq ft 1
EPC=C
If you’re thinking of buying, selling, renting or letting, please get in touch with our Canary Wharf, Shoreditch or Wapping offices. WAPPING
Guide £1.95 million
DOCK COTTAGES E1W 3
13:01
3
2
Move with Savills
2,353 sq ft EPC=E
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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Highbury Place, N5 A wonderful Victorian home located on the edge of Highbury Fields. Sympathetically renovated by its current owners this home is a fantastic example of a prime period Highbury home. Accommodation consists of a beautiful reception room boasting open fireplace, high ceilings and ornate plaster mouldings to the ceilings. There is a second reception room currently used as an office. At the rear is a wonderfully light and open kitchen/dining room with double doors onto the rear garden. EPC: E
Hamptons Islington Office Sales. 020 7717 5453 | Lettings. 020 7717 5335
£2,650,000 Freehold • • • • • •
Reception room Study Kitchen/diner Lovely garden Roof terrace Family bathroom
Northampton Grove, N1 This stunning end of terrace house has been meticulously created to offer the perfect blend of period character and contemporary design. Applying a fine eye to detail, the current vendor has been able to renew many of the original features to make this a fine example of period architecture. With a few modern touches the house is now perfect for those looking for sizable entertaining space as well as well proportioned bedrooms. EPC: D
£1,175,000 Freehold • • • • • •
Period house Double reception room Separate eat-in kitchen Bi-folding doors to garden Conservation area Two double bedrooms Cul-de-sac location
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Leman Street E1, £800 per week (charges apply)* Stunning two bedroom duplex apartment in the Sterling Mansions development. EPC: C
Black Friars Lane, EC4 £690 per week (charges apply)* Modern and smartly presented two bedroom apartment moments from the River Thames. EPC: C
Creechurch Lane EC3, £640 per week (charges apply)* A stylish top floor two bedroom apartment moments from the Gherkin. EPC: C
Redchurch Street E2, £575 per week (charges apply)* A newly converted warehouse conversion apartment in the heart of Shoreditch. EPC: C
Martha’s Buildings EC1, £575 per week (charges apply)* A spacious loft style studio apartment, superbly located moments from Old Street and Shoreditch. EPC: C
Bishops Square E1, £750 per week (charges apply)*
Hamptons City Office Sales. 020 7717 5435 | Lettings. 020 7717 5437
A well presented two double bedroom apartment in the heart of Spitalfields. EPC : C
*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges
Commercial Street E1 - £1,050,000 Leasehold An exceptionally spacious Spitalfields flat with parking. EPC: B
Mitre Street, EC3 £1,300,000 Leasehold A stunning penthouse apartment with private roof terrace. EPC: C
Goswell Road, EC1 - £1,500,000 Leasehold A two bedroom penthouse in Clerkenwell. EPC: C
Wallside, £3,500,000 Freehold A freehold house in the Barbican EC2Y. EPC: Grade II Listed
Vanburgh House, E1 £895,000 A two bedroom apartment in Spitalfields. EPC: C
Herball Hill, EC1 £925,000 Leasehold A 948 sq.ft two bedroom apartment close to Farringdon. EPC: C
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Telford’s Yard , E1W £1,500,000 Share of Freehold A work of art, the flat has been tastefully renovated throughout to pay homage to the classic warehouse style. EPC: C
Ginger Apartments, SE1 £1,000,000 Leasehold Arguably one of the best refurbished flats in SE1, This two bedroom apartment provides a light airy and spacious feel. EPC: C
Bombay Wharf, SE16 £1,000,000 Leasehold This incredible warehouse conversion faces west with panoramic views of the Thames and the entirety of Tower Bridge. EPC: C
Sanderling Lodge, E1W £2,950,000 Leasehold One of the crown apartments in St Katherine Docks, this property is top of three that stand proud of Sanderling Lodge. EPC: C
Pitman Building, SE16 £650,000 Leasehold A spacious two bedroom apartment, this fourth floor property benefits from a large open plan reception. EPC: B
Hestia House, SE1 £1,150,000 Leasehold Providing vast rooms and space, this ground floor apartment can be used as a two bedroom, one bathroom, or a vast one bedroom apartment. EPC: E
Hamptons Tower Bridge Office Sales. 020 7717 5489 | Lettings. 020 7717 5491
*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges
| property |
Insider Knowledge
CENTRAL LONDON DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH Diana Alam, Head of Residential Development Sales, JLL
How is the Central London Development market performing at the moment? In our latest central London residential development market update, we predict that new development supply will continue to slow as a result of significant changes made recently by the Government. Whilst the number of units under construction in central London continued to climb during 2015 – with a 28 per cent increase in the last year and ten per cent growth in H2 2015 – there are signs that this activity is beginning to plateau. The number of new unit starts in H2 2015 were lower than in H1, suggesting developers are beginning to slow their rate of delivery. Furthermore, and perhaps most significantly, the number of units seeking planning permission declined by 27 per cent during the second half of last year compared with H1 2015, suggesting that developers are set to slow future development rates. This looks worrying at a time when new housing needs to increase rather than fall. However, this has clearly been a reaction by developers to the recent political uncertainty, higher tax regime and slower sales market. The sales market had already been easing prior to the Autumn Statement in November, announcing that investors and second home buyers would have to pay an additional three per cent stamp duty on purchases from April 2016, but this has further dampened London residential demand.
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How are house prices responding to the current market dynamics? Price movements across London have been mixed over the last year and during Q1 2016, and whilst values have increased by 0.2 per cent during Q1 2016 across central London as a whole, this masks a 0.3 per cent fall in core markets and a 0.7 per cent increase in outer core markets. Broadly speaking, lower value and outer core submarkets have experienced stronger price growth compared with higher value core locations. The east area continues to demonstrate the strongest price growth, seeing seven per cent in the year to Q1 2016, while the more expensive central submarkets such as Central West and the West End have experienced average price falls of 5.3 per cent
and 2.9 per cent respectively. Developers are experiencing varying degrees of success with their schemes, directly related to location and price point, and are largely adjusting to the current market conditions. Developments in outer core submarkets are still selling well, with pricing usually in the £400-£800 psf range, as too are the lower-priced units in the less expensive core markets, especially where developers are open to negotiation. Market conditions are highly locationdependent – outer core markets where pricing is lower and buyers are largely domestic owner-occupiers will continue to perform well; markets more reliant on investors are proving more sensitive, with developers and buyers jockeying for position. The EU Referendum is exerting additional uncertainty and the outcome of the vote in June will be a key factor as to how the market performs in the latter half of 2016. If the UK elects to exit the EU, a period of conjecture and debate will ensue. The upshot for the central London residential development market will not necessarily be weaker in the long term but it will undoubtedly mean reduced activity and pricing in the short term with a less certain medium-term prognosis. However, if the vote is to stay in, normal service will resume almost immediately. This still means that location, pricing and stamp duty effects will be key determinants, but we expect a sound, safe and highly sought-after London residential market will re-emerge once the dust settles and the market has adjusted to the new tax regime.
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COURTYARD APARTMENTS, SHOREDITCH E1 ● ● ● ●
Studio 1 Bathroom 999 Year lease Balcony
● ● ● ●
Approx. 409 sq ft (38 sq m) Comfort cooling Onsite leisure facilities 24 Hour concierge
Price £518,000 Leasehold For more information, call Bernard Cully 020 3813 5949 or email Bernard.Cully@eu.jll.com
16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL
jll.co.uk/residential
SATIN HOUSE, SHOREDITCH, E1 ● ● ● ●
Studio 1 Bathroom Approx. 437 sq ft (40.6 sq m) Contemporary kitchen
Siemens appliances Onsite gym and pool ● Approx. 0.1 mile to Aldgate East station ● ●
Price £480 per week Furnished For more information, call Neil Short 020 3813 5949 or email neil.short@eu.jll.com
Potential tenants are advised that administration fees may be payable when renting a property. Please ask for details of our charges.
16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL
jll.co.uk/residential
122 NEWGATE STREET LONDON EC1A 7AA
T: 020 7600 0026 W: www.scottcity.co.uk E: property@scottcity.co.uk
BRETON HOUSE, BARBICAN EC2 FOR SALE £550,000 Situated on the first floor of BRETON HOUSE in the BARBICAN is this large style STUDIO FLAT ( type F2A ) featuring a WEST FACING BALCONY. The property has been improved by the present owners to include a re-fitted shower room and recently redecorated throughout. The property also offers a good size studio room, original Barbican kitchen and a balcony.
LOVAT LANE, MONUMENT EC3 FOR SALE £1,500,000 This beautifully presented Duplex TWO / THREE BEDROOM City Apartment is situated on the ground and lower ground floors in LOVAT LANE EC3. At 1900 ft. this apartment is extremely spacious with a large reception and high specification open plan kitchen. This property also offers two bedrooms, study/3rd bedroom, media/cinema room, wine cellar, high specification bathroom and en suite shower room and air conditioning throughout.
BARBICAN, EC2 £310 PER WEEK
ST PAULS, EC1 £390 PER WEEK
AVAILABLE MAY - Situated on the THIRD FLOOR is this excellent small-style STUDIO apartment. The property is offered FULLY FURNISHED and retains the original kitchen & bathroom that have been kept in flawless condition. Other key features of this property include- wood flooring throughout, balcony and it is close to Barbican & Moorgate Tube Stations.
AVAILABLE NOW - Situated in Little Britain is this fantastic ONE BEDROOM property. The apartment is on the THIRD FLOOR with lift access and has a quiet aspect. The flat benefits from being totally refurbished including new furniture and a total repaint throughout. There is a tiled, FULLY FITTED kitchen and bathroom, with wood flooring elsewhere. Another key feature is the day concierge.
CHARTERHOUSE SQUARE, EC1 £425 PER WEEK
ST PAULS, EC4 £430 PER WEEK
AVAILABLE END OF MAY FOR SHORT LET, RENT INCLUSIVE OF BILLS - This ONE BEDROOM apartment with its modern kitchen and bathroom has a WEST aspect overlooking the gardens of Charterhouse Square. Other key features include a SWIMMING POOL, SAUNA and small GYM there is also a fantastic ROOF TERRACE which has far reaching views across London.
AVAILABLE NOW - This ONE BEDROOM apartment is situated on the THIRD FLOOR in a building which was originally a print house. This property is in excellent condition throughout and offering entrance hall, bedroom, tiled bathroom, light reception room and open plan fitted kitchen. This area off LUDGATE HILL offers many bars, pubs and restaurants and is within easy walking distance of the RIVER THAMES and MILLENNIUM BRIDGE.
SOUTH LONDON’S LEADING AGENTS
Cape Apartments, Rotherhithe New Road, SE16
One bedroom from £399,995 Two bedroom from £499,995 Three bedrooms from £625,000
JUST LAUNCHED This luxury development is raising standards in the area, through welldesigned layouts and exceptional quality finishes. All eight apartments benefit from European Oak flooring, Smeg dishwashers, hobs, ovens, microwaves and fridge freezers. The position is great being under 700m from three stations: Surrey Quays (400 meters) Canada Water Jubilee line, and South Bermondsey (London Bridge 4 minutes) and it is less than 50 meters from Southwark Park. The location also has exceptional investment potential being between two of London’s most exciting regeneration areas; Bermondsey and Canada Water. The development is already proving popular, so book your viewings or request a brochure now.
• • • • • •
Smeg and CDA appliances Stone composite worktops Full height double glazed windows European Oak flooring Porcelain tiles to bathrooms Waterfall taps and rainfall showerheads
020 7403 0600 www.kalmars.com
Mill Lofts, County Street, SE1
Prices from £1,375,000
LAUNCHING NOW Mill Lofts is a terrace of four generously proportioned and contemporary styled two and three bedroom luxury live/work houses, all exceeding 2,300 SQ. FT. Designed by leading local architects, Alan Camp Associates, this character scheme has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of today’s creative professionals.
• • • • • •
Over 2,300 SQ FT Hardwood Oak flooring and staircases Crosswater large freestanding baths Power shower with Rainfall shower head Italian kitchens by Domia Materia with Corian worktops Miele intergrated appliances
County Street has an appealing quiet mews feel yet is very conveniently situated for the buzz of Bermondsey Street and Borough being less than 800 meters from both. It also has exceptional growth potential being within 400 meters of huge regeneration scheme happening at The Elephant and Castle.. MILL LOFTS
| property |
agent focus: KALMARs Residential The South London Specialists
Sebastian Kalmar, director of KALMARs Residential, discusses the expanding south London property market and KALMARs’ ambition to lead it
A
fter 20 years in the City and West End, KALMARs moved to south London in 1986, where the team have dedicated themselves to gaining an exceptional understanding of the area. With the building of the Shard and other significant investment projects in recent years, along with whispers of a south Bakerloo line extension and other travel improvements, sound local knowledge is becoming even more crucial to clients looking to navigate the increasingly expensive and complex market. “There have been large increases in prices – some streets in SE1 experienced 17 per cent capital appreciation in one year alone – but the surge in demand is still met with a lack of supply. It means the marketing of even small developments can produce queues of hundreds of buyers, and they will sometimes sell out on the launch day,” says Sebastian, emphasising the rapid increase in the pace of sales, as well as in the type of properties. “When we started working in south London, some of the largest developments were warehouse
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conversions in Shad Thames or industrial units, but now our clients, including Berkeley Homes, have put together some of the largest development projects in London and, in fact, Europe, from the Elephant and Castle regeneration to the Canada Water Masterplan.” With prices seeing no signs of abating – UK house prices increased overall by 7.9 per cent in the year to January 2016 according to the Office for National Statistics’ House Price Index released in March – the pressure to invest money successfully or sell at the best possible price is one KALMARs does its best to relieve. “Since selling a property is a very important transaction for all parties, we have a dedicated team member focussed
on marketing each property or helping with every search. It gives our customers someone they can build a relationship with, and by having most of our team living and working in south London – we are fully committed to the area,” adds Sebastian, and with its staff spending on average eight years with the company, it seems the team feel the same way. As well as high expectations for service, Sebastian suggests that a rising list of demands is becoming more common. “Over recent years the specifications have greatly improved, with the developments we are handling now featuring very high-end components like iPad controls, German Poggenpohl kitchens, designer Tom Dixon lighting and Villeroy & Boch bathrooms.” And KALMARs has every intention of meeting each and every client’s expectations. “We want to be easily accessible within the areas we know and love, so our plan is to have five offices across south London. The first part of this expansion is already under way with our team working to open a residential office in Bermondsey later this year.” It may be an ambitious expansion plan, but it is one that demonstrates the agency’s belief in the prospering of the area in a concrete way, and one that may see the south London property market having trouble keeping up with KALMARs. KALMARs Residential, Jamaica Wharf, 2 Shad Thames, SE1; 020 7403 0600; kalmars.com
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Beckenham 020 8663 4433 Bromley 020 8315 5544
Chislehurst BR7
Chislehurst 020 8295 4900 Locksbottom 01689 882 988
£1,695,000 F/H
Offering over 3,800 sqft of sumptuous living accommodation that briefly comprises five bedrooms, four bath/ shower rooms, three reception rooms, a magnificent kitchen/breakfast room, a laundry room and a cloakroom. Also benefiting from a courtyard garden and secure parking, just 1/4 mile from Chislehurst station.
Contact Chislehurst 020 8295 4900
Shirley CR0
£1,400,000 F/H
Stunning seven bedroom detached family home offering privacy and seclusion, set in an idyllic location backing onto Shirley Park Golf Course. • Seven Bedrooms • Four Reception Rooms
• Beautiful 120 ft Garden • Energy Efficiency Rating E
Contact West Wickham 020 8432 7373
Orpington 01689 661 400 West Wickham 020 8432 7373
• • • •
Five Double Bedrooms Newly Built House Cinema & Gym Energy Efficiency Rating D
Bromley BR2
£1,165,000 F/H
Offered chain free, is this charming four/five bedroom detached family home measuring in excess of 2,400 sqft located in a lovely tree-lined cul-de-sac. • Four/Five Bedrooms • Highly Desirable Location
• Chain Free • Energy Efficiency Rating D
Contact Bromley 020 8315 5544 A member of
The Acorn Group, incorporating:
langfordrussell.co.uk
LETTINGS
3
£1,100 pw | £4,767 pcm
2
West Block, County Hall, Forum Magnum Square SE1 • 1434 sq ft
• Communal gardens
• Leisure facilities
• Gym and swimming pool
• 24 hour concierge
• 0.2 miles from Waterloo and Westminster station
LETTINGS | MANAGEMENT | SALES | SERVICED APARTMENTS
CityMagazine_May2016_v1.indd 1
For more information call our County Hall branch on: 020 7620 1600
LETTINGS
2
£795 pw | £3,445 pcm
2
The Whitehouse Apartments, 9 Belvedere Road SE1 • Furnished
• River Thames views
• Concierge
• Lift access
• Comfort cooling
• Residents’ gym, pool and spa
For more information call our Whitehouse branch on: 020 7928 7007
liferesidential.co.uk
19/04/2016 10:00
SALES
2
£895,000
1
Romney House, Marsham Street, Westminster SW1P • 4th floor with lift access
• 24 hour concierge
• Secure underground parking
• Gym and sauna
LETTINGS | MANAGEMENT | SALES | SERVICED APARTMENTS
CityMagazine_May2016_v1.indd 2
For more information call our County Hall branch on: 020 7620 1600
SALES
3
£1,900,000
3
North Block, County Hall Apartments, Belvedere Road SE1 • 1434 sq ft duplex apartment
• 2 secure underground parking spaces
• Direct views of the London Eye
• Indoor heated swimming pool and spa
• Moments from the banks of the River Thames
• 24 hour concierge
For more information call our County Hall branch on: 020 7620 1600
liferesidential.co.uk
19/04/2016 10:00
86 – 92 KENSINGTON GARDENS SQUARE LONDON W2 4BB 86 – 92 KENSINGTON GARDENS SQUARE LONDON W2 4BB
86 – 92 KENSINGTON GARDENS SQUARE LONDON W2 4BB
EXCLUSIVE LAUNCH EVENT EXCLUSIVE EVENT HOSTED AT GARDENLAUNCH HOUSE, KENSINGTON GARDENS SQUARE HOSTED AT12TH GARDEN THURSDAY MAY HOUSE, 4–8PM KENSINGTON GARDENS SQUARE EXCLUSIVE LAUNCH EVENT THURSDAY 12TH MAY 4–8PM
A COMPLETESQUARE REFURBISHMENT HOSTED AT GARDEN HOUSE, KENSINGTON GARDENS OF A UNIQUE PERIOD BUILDING A COMPLETE REFURBISHMENT THURSDAY 12TH MAY 4–8PM
ONE, TWO AND THREEBUILDING BEDROOM OF A UNIQUE PERIOD LUXURY APARTMENTS FOR SALE TWO REFURBISHMENT AND THREE BEDROOM AONE, COMPLETE LUXURY APARTMENTS FOR SALE A UNIQUE PERIOD BUILDING •OF Direct access to Kensington Gardens Square
ONE, AND newly THREE BEDROOM 1, 2 &TWO 3access bedroom refurbished, •• Direct to Kensington Gardens Square LUXURY APARTMENTS FOR SALE luxury apartments • 1, 2 & 3 bedroom newly refurbished, Located intoZone 1, just Gardens moments from • •Direct access Kensington Square luxury apartments Hyde Park, Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill • 1, 2 & 3 bedroom newly refurbished, •luxury Located in ZoneRoad 1, just moments from and apartments Portobello Hyde Park, Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill Excellent transport links, including Bayswater • •Located in Zone 1, just moments from and Portobello Road Hyde Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill andPark, Queensway underground stations just •and Excellent transport including Bayswater Portobello Roadwilllinks, 5 minutes walk, be further enhanced with and Queensway underground stations just • Excellent transport links, including Bayswater the arrival of Crossrail services from nearby 5 minutes walk, will be further enhanced with and Queensway Station underground stations just Paddington in 2018 5 the minutes walk, be further enhanced with arrival ofwill Crossrail services from nearby •the 24 hour concierge arrival of Crossrail services from nearby Paddington Station in 2018 Paddington Station in 2018 999 yearconcierge lease •• 24 hour • 24 hour concierge 999 year lease OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW ALTERNATIVE • •999 year lease
OPEN DAY: SATURDAY 14TH MAY 10AM–5PM
ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW OPEN DAY: SATURDAY 14TH MAY 10AM–5PM OPEN DAY: SATURDAY 14TH MAY 10AM–5PM 1 BEDROOM FROM £1,000,000*
2 BEDROOM FROM £2,000,000* 1 BEDROOM FROM £1,000,000* 1 BEDROOM FROM £1,000,000* 2 BEDROOM FROM £2,000,000* 2 BEDROOM FROM £2,000,000*
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
CARSTENCARSTEN SWIFT: SWIFT: 020 7861 0201368 7861 1368 carsten.swift@knightfrank.com CARSTENcarsten.swift@knightfrank.com SWIFT: 020 7861 1368 carsten.swift@knightfrank.com
HOLLY RHODES: 0205111 7087 5111 HOLLY RHODES: 020 7087 residential@eu.jll.com residential@eu.jll.com HOLLY RHODES: 020 7087 5111 residential@eu.jll.com
GARDENHOUSELONDON.COM
GARDENHOUSELONDON.COM GARDENHOUSELONDON.COM
*Prices are correct at the time of going to press
*Prices are correct at the time of going to press *Prices are correct at the time of going to press
PHOTOGRAPHY OF GALLERY INTERIOR
A MARYLEBONE GALLERY SO PRIVATE, ONLY A FEW WILL EVER SEE IT
A new gallery now open in fashionable Marylebone is unmissable; but to visit this venue at The Chilterns, on Chiltern Street, you’ll need to buy a property there – and just three apartments remain, each designed by Rabih Hage. As a resident, you’ll have exclusive access to the gallery, displaying large-scale works by iconic photographer David Bailey, and there’s a five-star concierge, private spa, gymnasium and cinema. Minutes from Mayfair and the Regent’s Park, Chiltern Street has fabulous boutiques and restaurants, including the celebrated A-list Chiltern Firehouse - all on your gallery’s doorstep.
thechilternsw1.com For more information about The Chilterns or to arrange a private appointment, please contact Oksana d’Offay on +44 (0)20 8418 1070 or email oksana@thechilternsw1.com
WAKE UP TO THE BEST VIEWS IN LONDON THE TRIPLEX PENTHOUSE - ALBERT EMBANKMENT An exclusive penthouse set at the top of this landmark building just off Albert Embankment, with private terraces featuring sensational views of London.
Price: ÂŁ6,000,000
For your personal invitation please contact Jessica Munday on 020 3538 3156 or email jessica.munday@telfordhomes.london Selling Agent:
www.telfordhomes.london Price correct at time of going to press. Photography of The Triplex Apartment.
Available now 50 beautifully crafted apartments starting from £655,000
Marketing Suite 14–15 Stable Street King’s Cross, N1C 4AB For further information or to make an appointment to visit our marketing suite, contact us on 020 7205 4246.
Register your interest fenmanhouse.co.uk
Visualisation of a view overlooking King’s Cross and the city beyond
0747 Argent Fenman Advertising VantageandCity_FP_April.indd 1
14/04/2016 09:15
Iconic riverfront location Your dream urban lifestyle is within reach. Set right on the Thames waterfront, opposite the O2 Arena and a short walk from Canary Wharf, this superb new development offers every modern comfort in a fantastic location.
Stunning one, two & three bedroom Shared Ownership apartments, E14. Launching Saturday 7th May
For more information: T: 020 3813 9366 or www.nhhg.org.uk/horizons
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Galliard_Wap_CityMag_FPC_28.4.16 19/04/2016 13:28 Page 1
Buy into London’s last great
undervalued riverside location W APPING R IVERSIDE INVEST NOW AND MAXIMISE ON A TIDAL WAVE OF GROWTH
W APPING R IVERSIDE
AVERAGE PRICE
£1688 PSF
AVERAGE PRICE
£1473 PSF
EXCLUSIVE APARTMENTS AVERAGING
£1290 PSF
AVERAGE PRICE
£1951 PSF
AVERAGE PRICE
£1821 PSF
Wapping AVERAGE PRICE
£3023 PSF AVERAGE PRICE
£1519 PSF
Currently there are numerous new developments on the edge of the river. ONLY ONE HAS THE EDGE THAT MATTERS MOST. Exceptional apartments & penthouses within Wapping Wall Conservation Area and adjacent overground connections - minutes from Canary Wharf & The City.
MARKETING SUITE OPEN FOR VIEWING • 020 3770 2104 • wappingriverside.com/cm Averages quoted are calculated from price list availability obtained from selected developments. Correct at time of going to press.
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO IN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS From one of the capital’s most talked-about regenerations, to the daring design of a new London landmark, we put the spotlight on three new-build properties promising to turn a profit. All that’s left to decide is north, south, east or west?
LOMBARD WHARF Barratt London’s Lombard Wharf is a landmark 28-storey twisting tower in Battersea on the banks of the Thames. Designed by renowned architects, Patel Taylor, the balconies incorporate a two-degree twist as they rise up the tower, creating an optical illusion of movement. Comprising 135 one-, twoand three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, Lombard Wharf boasts an impressive double-height glazed residential lobby, a 7,470sq ft riverfront retail unit and a generous public plaza. Residents of Lombard Wharf will also benefit from a fitness suite and 24-hour concierge, while each apartment is finished to the highest specification, with designer German units and AEG integrated appliances in the kitchens, while bathrooms feature Grohe brassware and designer sanitaryware. Located just a short walk from Battersea Park and Battersea Village Square, Lombard Wharf also puts you in easy reach of Kensington and Chelsea, just across the river. Wandsworth Council has also granted permission for a Diamond Jubilee Bridge, which will eventually link Lombard Wharf with Imperial Wharf overground station, which is a mere 600m away. From £600,000 for a one-bedroom apartment Lombard Wharf SW11 0844 811 4334 barrattlondon.com/lombardwharf
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | May 2016
s luxurylo nd o n.c o.uk s
| PROPERTY |
ROYAL ALBERT WHARF
CITY WHARF
Notting Hill Sales has launched the first phase of private sale homes at its largest development to date, Royal Albert Wharf. The first phase of this new waterside neighbourhood, beside the Royal Docks, comprises 350 new homes, as well as more than 8,000sq m of mixed non-residential space. The range of one-, two- and threebedroom waterfront apartments and duplexes available for sale, have been designed using a varied selection of textured bricks, with large recessed windows to flood interiors with light; deep balconies to offer residents private outdoor space; and special metalwork detailing to give each building its own character. Royal Albert Wharf forms part of a wider regeneration of the Royal Docks, which is set to create more than 9,000 homes by 2027. From £330,000 for a one bedroom apartment Royal Albert Wharf, E14 0207 531 2500 royalalbertwharf.com
The second phase of Fabrica’s City Wharf has now launched, setting a new benchmark in quality and lifestyle for Zone 1 waterside living. As a low-rise development overlooking Regent’s Canal, The Merchant Building at City Wharf comprises a boutique collection of 64 design-conscious studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with low-maintenance yet high-specification interiors that have been designed to echo the area’s industrial heritage. The open-plan living areas benefit from floor-to-ceiling glazing, while flexible floorplans offer adaptable living space. Kitchens come complete with a wine fridge, stone worktops and integrated Siemens appliances. Other features include underfloor heating, video door entry and a 24-hour on-site concierge. Located within walking distance of London’s financial centre and business districts, City Wharf also boasts close proximity to Angel and Old Street underground stations. Residents can also look forward to the imminent arrival of a direct link from nearby Farringdon to Heathrow Airport in 2018. From £595,000 for a one-bedroom apartment City Wharf, N1 0203 642 8973 fabrica.co.uk/CityWharf
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LIVE TA L L One of the tallest residential towers in Europe, South Quay Plaza has much to offer. With a unique combination of spectacular London views, eye-catching architecture and first class amenities; all built and designed with the exceptional quality that naturally comes with a Berkeley home, South Quay Plaza isn’t just about living up high. It’s about living tall.
Prices from £690,000. For more information, call 020 3811 1532. Sales and Marketing Suite open daily from 10am to 6pm.
www.southquayplaza.london Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies
Prices and details correct at time of going to press. Computer generated images depict South Quay Plaza and are indicative only.
MBII
A PI LOT ’S WATCH SH O U L D EN DU R E E VERY T H I N G T H E PI LOT DO E S . The Bremont MB range is built in collaboration with British firm Martin-Baker, the pioneers of the ejection seat. At their test centre, the watches are strapped to the wrist of a crash-test dummy and shot out of the cockpit. Enduring forces of between 12G and 30G in the process. But this doesn’t mean the MB is built for endurance at the expense of performance. It’s a beautifully-engineered mechanical chronometer certified 99.998% accurate by COSC.
City of London Boutique 12 The Courtyard, Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LQ Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 7134