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BORN FROM EXTRAORDINARY OAK CASKS
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Please savour responsibly
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| ed’s letter |
from the editor 115
issue no.
Edit o r -i n-Chi e f Lesley Ellwood
Edi tor Richard Brown
a s s is tant Edi tor Bethan REES
Edit o rial a ssi stant
may 2017
david taylor
ART E DITOR Chantal Lascelles
So, smartwatches, where we at?
G e n eral Mana ge r
Both Montblanc and TAG Heuer have recently launched connected wristwear, but let’s start with Apple, because, let’s face it, when we’re talking about smartwatches, we’re talking about Apple. The tech giant’s first watch landed in April 2015. In the remainder of that year, Apple shifted around 12 million units, earning the company a tidy £3.5bn. Last year, the growth in the smartwatch sector slowed to 1.5 per cent, or around 21.1 million units. Within that space, Apple is consolidating power at a staggering rate. During Q4 of 2016, following the launch of the Apple Watch Series 2, market analysis suggests that the company sold six million watches, accounting for around £1.9 billion, or an 80 per cent market share. Analysts now believe that the tech giant has overtaken Fitback as the overall leader in wearable tech, both in terms of revenue, and, more astonishingly, unit sales. During the same period, exports of Swiss watches totalled £3.9bn. That means in Q4 of last year, the Apple Watch was achieving around half of the revenue of the entire Swiss watch industry. That’s got to be scary, especially for a sector that nosedived by 10 per cent in 2016. Switzerland may downplay the threat of the smartwatch, but it can’t afford to get caught napping – it fell asleep in the 1970s when the advent of the Japanese quartz watch almost killed the mechanical industry. Montblanc’s Summit arrives in May and will be available exclusively through Mr Porter for the first two weeks. TAG’s Connected Modular 45 is already available and can be purchased alongside two automatic movements, allowing wearers to switch between a smart module and mechanical calibres. Swatch Group has also announced its own smartwatch. Rather than relying on US firms, the company is creating its own operating system in partnership with the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM). As the group that went toe-to-toe with Japan’s Seiko and Citizen during the quartz crisis, the Swatch smartwatch is set to be a rematch between the country’s old guard and a well-financed tech-based invader. While the war is being waged, turn to page 46 to discover some proper watches from Baselworld 2017. Apple may be the planet’s largest company, but Rolex was recently voted the world’s most reputable. Sometimes cogs and gears top silicon and circuits.
Fiona Smith
Pro d u cti on Hugo Wheatley Alice Ford Jamie Steele
Pro pe rt y Di r ec tor Samantha Ratcliffe
Ex ec u t iv e D i r ec tor Sophie Roberts
M a n a g in g Di r ec tor Eren Ellwood
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image Summit smartwatch in black steel, £765, Montblanc, montblanc.com / mrporter.com
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
contents
issue no.
115
MAY 2017
rob crossan Crossan’s work appears regularly in publications including GQ, The Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph.
NICK SAVAGE Nick Savage is editor of London concierge service Innerplace, and has the lowdown when it comes to the most luxurious haunts.
62 city social
40 RAY WINSTONE Life lessons with east London’s favourite son 46 BEST IN SHOW Rolex’s new Sea-Dweller and other standout watches from Baselworld 2017 62 Summer style guide Cuban collar shirts, single blade razors and this season’s best swimwear 70 MOVING MOUNTAINS Cycling across the Dolomites in pursuit of the 100th Giro d’Italia 78 racing demons The fumes and fun of the Monte-Carlo Rally 83 Start your engines The supercar show coming to the Square Mile 92 Brave new world How an ex-communist enclave became luxury’s latest frontier
58 STAY IN YOUR LANE The best one-pieces for summer 59 BASK IN A MASK Pamper yourself perfect 66 SAFETY FIRST The renaissance of the safety razor
city life
out of office
14 Edit Will.i.am and the exercise bike of the future 21 Tech The best camera for an action-packed weekend 23 FITNESS Get back on the wicket for a summer of cricket
10
28 news Forget your troubles at the cabaret 31 MADE IN ENGLAND English sparkling wine is in
city collection
49 vintage appeal Retro watches are back in vogue 50 BEST IN SHOW The best jewellery at Baselworld 2017
city style
75 best bikes The finest in two-wheel travel 86 figures of speech A look at Kerry James Marshall’s work 91 Inside adriatic Explore Montenegro, Dubrovnik and Sarajevo
JAMES LAWRENCE James is an oenophile and our go-to wine guy. He’s previously written for The Drinks Business and Harpers Wine and Spirit.
“Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvellous” – Bill Moyers, journalist and former White House press secretary
on the cover
Contributors
bEAUFORT & bLAKE, s/s17 collection
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
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09/01/2017 10:54
CITY life Aviary rooftop bar and restaurant, 22-25 Finsbury Square, EC2A, aviarylondon.com
photography by Chow Digital
city edit
will.i.am launches tailored fit wireless headphones
city tech
capturing moments underwater or in the sky is definitely possible
city living
the world’s first tea humidor and a cigar Backgammon board
[ city life ]
City edit
1958 Porsche 356 Super Speedster Believed to be one of less than 200 ‘S’ examples built in 1957 for the 1958 release, and one of the last 800 Speedsters ever built, this example of the Porsche 356, at auction in Bonham’s Spa Classic Sale on 21 May, has been extensively restored by industry-recognised specialists. It’s also regarded as one of the best driving Speedsters around, having been given the thumbs up from the former president of the Porsche Club of America. The 356 was the first model to have founder Ferdinand Porsche’s name emblazoned on it, and it’s hard to think of a better way he could have started. Estimate: £250,000-£330,000, bonhams.com
the car Images courtesy of Bonhams
14
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| NEWS |
The commodities and consumables raising our interest rates this month
THE WATCHes
Railmaster Limited Edition, £5,040
Seamaster 300 Limited Edition, £5,600
Omega 1957 Trilogy Collection
Speedmaster Limited Edition, £5,360
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Omega has updated three classic timepieces and is launching them later this summer as the 1957 Collection. Originally released 60 years ago, the Seamaster 300, the Speedmaster and the Railmaster all became commercial successes. Fast forward to 2017, and you’ll find a stunning 60th anniversary tribute to each of the three mechanical masterpieces. The Seamaster 300 features a sleek black aluminium bezel and retains its famous Naïad sign on the crown, which marks its exceptional water resistance. The original Speedmaster was the world’s first chronograph wristwatch, and the new model has retained its original design. The final piece, the Railmaster, boasts a Master Chronometer 8806 movement which is resistance to 15,000 gauss. omegawatches.com
15
Shape inspired by vinyl records
Small, medium and large earpads
i.am+ BUTTONS (£169) Will.i.am is taking on the other side of the music industry with BUTTONS, his new range of Bluetooth earphones. The 30ft wireless range and built-in remote and microphone are paired with a deep bass, and the earphones are designed to be worn all day, magnetically clasping around the neck. Brand ambassadors – and investors – include Naomi Campbell and Kendall Jenner, and BUTTONS are available in black, gold, grey and rose. iamplus.com
the earphones
16
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| news |
the toy
Fuoripista exercise bike To celebrate 20 years of SaloneSatellite, the event championing young interior designers, Adriano Design is taking part in ‘SaloneSatellite 20 anni’, an international collection of pieces designed specifically for the occasion. After similarly futuristic designs for reinventing the foosball table (Teckell), the pool table (Filotto) and the table tennis table (Lungolinea), its new piece is a sophisticated vision for the future of the exercise bike, the Fuoripista. adrianodesign.it
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
17
the shirt The 1950s are the new 1960s
The camp collar adds a summer vibe
Matte satin fabric ensures a comfy fit
A rich colour scheme is the way forward
Stüssy camp collar shirt (£180) The camp – or Cuban – collar has slowly become a summer staple over the last couple of years, with men growing a little bolder with their fashion choices. Formerly the remit of tourists to humid countries, bowling alleys and 1950s themed events, the retro collar has made a comeback. This offering from Stüssy is a perfect example, the retro collar working well with the strong colour scheme. mrporter.com
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| NEWS |
World Gunmakers evening
The fifth annual World Gunmakers Evening is being held at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in Knightsbridge, a night dedicated to the best the worldwide gun trade has to offer. International brands have the chance to meet their peers and potential new clients in one central location, and this opportunity isn’t lost on any of them: brands attending the event include James Purdey & Sons, William Evans, Beretta and Fabbri. Purdey’s head of sales Jonathan Irby says that the evening works well because it “brings together the very best of the gun trade in an elegant and uncomplicated format”. Tickets are £75 and include Champagne and canapés. worldgunmakers.com
the guns
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
19
Technology for your world, your way. With Crestron automated technology at the heart of your home, you’ll know the meaning of luxury. Where your space responds to your every need, where total control comes at the touch of a button. We make smart homes for smarter living.
crestronshowroom.com | Where technology starts
All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. Š 2016 Crestron, Ltd.
| news |
[ city life ]
City tech
Essential apparatus for keeping ahead of the curve Words: David Taylor
GoPro Hero5
The brand to beat
There’s a reason that cameras such as these are regularly called GoPros. The biggest – and arguably best – brand for action cameras keeps improving, and the Hero5 is no exception. £299.99, shop.gopro.com
CAMERA ACTION Get out and about with the summer’s best rough and tumble cameras
Olfi one.five
Kaiser’s great pretender
all images by Gopro
The One.Five is very similar to the Kaiser Baas X4. Less frames per second (FPS) at 4K and not as dive-proof, but double the FPS in slow motion (up to 240), it’s difficult to choose between two cameras challenging for top spot in a great value price bracket. £149.99, olfi.co.uk
Kaiser Baas X4
TomTom Bandit
The best pound-for-pound
Action-packed alternative
Kaiser Baas provides topclass specs at a great price. 4K footage at 30FPS, 12 MP of image quality, Sony sensors that enhance lowlight photography, 40m waterproofing and 120FPS for slow-mo. £199, maplin.co.uk
TomTom has clearly researched the market. The Bandit looks great, has all the mod cons, and works with an app to livestream footage via a WiFi connection on your mobile device. £239.99, tomtom.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
21
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| fitness |
[ city life ]
City Fitness
Keeping fit doesn’t have to be boring: the best kit for a summer of cricket Words: David Taylor
Kookaburra Blaze Pro For Jos Buttler
The Blaze range has been developed with the Lancashire and England man, helping his swashbuckling game with a flat face (or rounded for traditionalists), big edges and a wide sweet spot to help those off-centre strikes fly regardless. £574.95, itsjustcricket.co.uk
Hunts County Caerulex For W.G. Grace
A pleasingly traditional-looking bat, but packed with modern features: the tried and tested English bat shape is enhanced with a bow-shaped blade and a low-mid sweet spot, perfect for picking up runs on English pitches. £219.99, morrant.com
BATTLE OF THE BATS Pick the right bat and watch the boundaries shrink
Newbery Merlin
For David Gower
Gray-NIcolls Pro Performance For alastair Cook
It’s hard to argue against a Gray-Nicolls. Cook has been with the brand since 1999, and the Pro Performance is a first-class stalwart. £549.99, gray-nicolls.co.uk
The graceful former England opener’s dream bat. Made for openers, the Merlin has a light pick-up, meaning your reaction times are improved. A high sweet spot and long toe ensures that defensive shots still threaten the field. £410, newbery.co.uk
New Balance TC 860 For Joe Root
New England Captain Root and his deputy Ben Stokes are both with New Balance, and it’s easy to see why, with a range of imposing bats that offer supreme weight distribution. £325, newbalance.co.uk
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
23
Elliott Erwitt, 2015
Michele De Lucchi - Giancarlo Fassina: Tolomeo
| INTERIORS|
[ city life ]
CITY LIVING
Standout homeware, because it’s what’s inside that counts Words: BETHAN REES
sCREW STOOL BY TOM DIXON
In true Tom Dixon style, this raw, unadulterated stool is inspired by the materials and processes used during the Industrial Revolution. The stool is made from a cast-iron tripod base and its height can be adjusted by simply spinning the top up or down. Screw stool, £450, Tom Dixon, tomdixon.net
Backgammon board
The ulitmate boys’ toy, whether you play backgammon or just want something to gawp at. Cigar backgammon board, £3,200, Alexandra Llewellyn, harveynichols.com
light club Bu st e r + Pun c h tabl e l amp London-born interiors label Buster + Punch is known for its industrial , rebellious pieces. This piece is inspired by Victorian-era candle lights and features a low-energy LED light bulb that is said to last up to 27 years. Stoned table lamp, £345, Buster + Punch , busterand punch .com
T e a humi d o r That’s right, you read that correctly : this is a tea humidor. The world’s first, created by Lotusier, the humidor helps preser ve the f lavour and qualities of tea . Tea humidor, £9,390, Lotusier, lotusier.com
top three candles F rom l e ft:
Palm beach candle, £44, Tomas Maier x Diptyque, diptyqueparis. co.uk; Reggio candle, £78, Cire Trudon, trudon. com; Santal 26, £51, Le Labo, lelabofragrances.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Bulthaup display cabinet
This open display cabinet is a space saver, for keepsakes and larger objects. B+ solitaires display cabinet, POA, Bulthaup, bulthaup.com
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reader event INSPIRED 2017 INVITES YOU TO
An exclusive preview of the latest designs in luxury bespoke furniture and contemporary silverware
Wednesday 3 May 6 - 8pm Goldsmiths’ Centre 42 Britton Street London EC1M 5AD Join us for a private preview and meet world-class furniture makers and celebrated silversmiths, who will be showcasing new, never seen before works available to buy or commission. Leading experts, curators and designers will be on hand to offer astute advice and insight into these original, highly collectible pieces.
To secure your place please RSVP rsvp@festivalofsilver.com Inspired is a must-see luxury silverware and bespoke furniture selling showcase. Now in its fifth year, this exhibition is renowned for bringing together the UK’s finest and most highly skilled artisans under one unique curated platform.
More about Inspired at www.festivalofsilver.co.uk
CITY social The course at Swingers Crazy Golf Club, Brown’s Buildings, EC3, swingersldn.com
Proud Cabaret City
Life is a Cabaret for the chefs and performers at the Kit Kat Club
Made in England
Champagne is out: English sparkling wine is on the menu
Coya Angel Court
Mayfair’s Peruvian stalwart lands in the Square Mile
[ city life ]
City social REVIEW
Proud Cabaret City, EC3 Life is a Cabaret for the chefs and performers at the Kit Kat Club
IMAGES courtesy of Proud Cabaret City
1972’s musical film Cabaret centred on Berlin’s Kit Kat Club, a salacious cabaret bar, in the run-up to the Second World War. Its unnamed Master of Ceremonies starts proceedings by exclaiming to the audience “Leave your troubles outside! So life is disappointing? Forget it! In here, life is beautiful! The girls are beautiful! Even the orchestra is beautiful!” It makes sense, then, that Proud Cabaret’s City speakeasy outpost would create a night named after the most famous cabaret in the world, and that The City Magazine would be there to experience it. Tickets for the evening includes a three-course meal, the main event, and entry to the after-party. Proud City’s own compère dutifully took on the crowd with an approach that would not be out of place in early ’30s Europe, a bawdy mix of singing and audience participation to put any apprehensive revellers at ease. The food was more than acceptable, especially the fish: the spiced marinated tuna and the poached turbot and lobster tail were particular highlights.
london fenchurch street Proud Cabaret City, EC3
Dorsett Hotel, EC3
Dorsett Hospitality International has opened its second London hotel, following on from 2014’s Shepherd’s Bush opening. Dorsett City offers 267 rooms, and 1,600 sq ft of business meeting space. Its two restaurants are imports from West London, Shikumen offering contemporary Asian cuisine, and 24-hour VQ the place to go for comfort food and cocktails. dorsett.com
28
However, in places like this, and unfortunately for the chefs, the food is secondary. The performances were a perfect form of escapism from the world outside, and evoked all the imagery one would expect from a night of burlesque and pageantry. A personal favourite was Beau Rocks, who trod the fine line of premium burlesque impeccably in two separate performances. Managing to look away for a moment, it was noticeable how transfixed every guest was by Beau’s routines, which showed technical class, professional athleticism and well-versed allure. It was a good job that the food was still enjoyable lukewarm. Each performer, male and female, brought something fresh and fun to the stage – examples included a western gunslinger and brilliant twins dancing provocatively to Erasure. Although there was potential for another performer on the roster to give the list more bang for its buck, Proud is nonetheless a great option for groups celebrating a special occasion, couples looking for something different, or simply those who are in the mood for an immersive burlesque experience. Leaving the after-party, there was faint disappointment that the ’30s atmosphere could only be short lived. Come to the cabaret, old chum. You’ll have a blast. proudcabaretcity.com
COYA AngeL Court, EC2
COYA has a second home in London, this time in the City. The Peruvian restaurant group has moved into the 24-storey Angel Court, a new development a short walk from Bank station. The venue, opening at the start of the month, incorporates a Latin American bar and contemporary menu well known at its Mayfair sister site. Executive chef Sanjay Dwivedi is overseeing the new branch, creating a selection of signature dishes, including lobster ceviche with gazpacho and aji limo chilli, and a Josper-fired whole leg of lamb with chifa vegetables. coyarestaurant.com
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
|NEWS|
Keeping the epicure nourished with the Square Mile’s latest launches and culinary crazes Words | David Taylor
Hungry Donkey, E1
Aldgate’s Greek street food restaurant has launched a new menu expanding its vegan and vegetarian options, alongside a comprehensive drinks menu, a highlight being the Metaxa Spice cocktail – Metaxa brandy, ginger, spices and cinnamon. hungrydonkey.co.uk
Trade Union, E1W
£1,499, Everdure barbecue by Heston Blumenthal, everdurebyheston.co.uk
Everdure HUB,
Self-described as a grownup playground, Trade Union is a place where you can drink cocktails, dance to old school hip hop, eat pizza and fish tacos, slip down a 17ft slide, buy a bouquet of silk flowers and get a trim at Drakes of London, all in the same evening. This is multitasking at its finest. tradeunion.grandunionbars.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
ZeroDegrees, SE3
The master brewer at microbrewery and restaurant group Zerodegrees has been working hard, creating a bluffer’s guide to beer, wine and food pairings – choosing the most popular wines and their beer replacements, as well as a dish from the brewery’s ‘Greatest Hits’ menu. New beers are brewed each month at all four sites, giving ale enthusiasts the perfect excuse. zerodegrees.co.uk
29
[ city life ]
City social
FRENCH SPIRIT
Heritage spirits brand Rémy Martin has revealed its limited edition release, XO Cannes 2017. Additionally, it’s the official supplier for the Cannes Film Festival (17-28 May) Words: BETHAN REES
F
or more than three centuries, Rémy Martin has been producing some of the finest cognacs from Grand Cru grapes but the spirit house has come a long way from just selling bottles. Earlier this year, for the third year running, London played host to La Maison Rémy Martin, a pop-up members’ club in Soho – truly grasping the lifestyle element of the drinking scene by its horns. Eric Vallat was appointed CEO of the brand in 2014, coming from an impressive luxury background as managing director of Louis Vuitton, managing director of J.M. Weston and president of Christian Dior Couture in Japan. The City Magazine met Vallat to discuss the millennial market and what it means to be a luxury brand.
Why is the millennial market important to Rémy Martin? EV: In 10 years’ time, these people are going to be our number one client. They have a different perspective on the world and we cannot ignore it. Either we turn our back on the future or we try to anticipate it. They have changed our relationship with brands. Twenty years ago, we bought for status and logo, and now they want an experience
30
– hence why we created La Maison. It’s not only about selling a product, it’s about sharing the lifestyle. What does luxury mean to you? EV: People want real value for money and you cannot cheat that. Luxury isn’t just about quality but about values, a respect of the past and its heritage. I don’t think that will just disappear, it’s an everlasting value. We are using eaux de vie that were set aside 100 years ago and we are setting aside eaux de vie for 200 years in advance. This respect for time is something of value that people will look at more and more. How do you like to drink it? EV: It’s a question of moments. People underestimate the potential of cognac in cocktails, but it’s fantastic, especially in the summer sitting outside. But an XO neat, or 1738 on the rocks is great with friends in a more intimate environment. Rémy Martin XO Cannes 2017 has an RRP of £175 per bottle and will be available from Selfridges and Harvey Nichols from May 2017
low res Tobala mezcal, £77.15, Marca Negra, thewhiskyexchange.com
Why did you want to join Rémy Martin? EV: When you work in luxury, you need to think of the next generation, not just the stock exchange rate for the next six months. I was really impressed by the family’s long-term vision. Our products are one of celebration, happiness, sharing with friends and these moments differ from one country to another so you have to take in to account culture a lot more than previous jobs – it’s really opening your eyes to the rest of the world.
from top xxxxxxx, 201X; xxxxxx, 201X; xxxxx, 201X; xxxxx, 201X ALL IMAGES ©Xxxxxx, xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
low res
|NEWS|
Raise your glass to a triple shot of delectable drinks
Made in England Champagne’s out, English sparkling wine is in. The City Magazine pops the cork and celebrates the rise of homegrown fizz Words: James Lawrence
F
or decades, the very mention of the word Champagne conjured up almost mystical properties for UK consumers of premium sparkling wine. A substantial investment, combined with a long-standing historical relationship, ensured that Champagne was the default choice for upmarket fizz. Yet in recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in the attitude of the British public. Consumers aren’t just trading down to Prosecco anymore, they’re trading across, paying Grande Marque NV prices for the privilege of drinking local. Brands such as Hambledon and Gusbourne are now as well known as Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, a fact proved by restaurant lists across London. “Britain is currently Champagne’s biggest export market, but I fully believe that English wine will have 50 per cent of that market within 15 years,” says Hambledon’s owner Ian Kellet. The popularity of English fizz is no longer solely a domestic phenomenon. Once upon a time, a cynic might suggest that homegrown sparkling wine’s success was based on patriotic fever. However, the category is now found across the globe, with US sommeliers in particular championing English fizz.
top three
luxury English sparklers
from top 2012 Blanc de Blancs, £41.70, Gusborne, tanners-wines.co.uk NV Première Cuvée, £42, Hambledon, bbr.com 2010 Tillington single vineyard, £95, Nyetimber, henningswine.co.uk
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
“English fizz is encroaching on Champagne’s territory in a way that top Cavas, New World etc never have. Unlike many other good-quality sparkling wines around the world, English fizz seems to be viewed as special,” says Christine Parkinson, Hakkasan’s head wine buyer. Hell, even the French, who have guarded their exclusive right to the name Champagne for centuries, have taken to it. In January 2017, leading brand Chapel Down announced it was entering the French market during Paris Fashion Week, securing a partnership with luxury distributor Perles Du Monde. It was the second boon this year for English fizz, after Chapel Down also revealed a four-year sponsorship deal with the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race in January, taking over from Bollinger. However, the ambitions of England’s burgeoning sparkling producers do not stop there. In March 2016, then UK Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced that the country’s sparkling wine industry aims to increase its volumes from 250,000 to 2.5 million bottles by 2020. Eric Heerema, owner of the wine producer Nyetimber adds: “As demand for our wine continues to grow domestically and internationally, we aim to expand our consumers, which we believe could include some current Champagne consumers.” It is, as former US Vice President Al Gore would say, an inconvenient truth: Champagne’s once cherished monopoly on luxury fizz sales across the world is over. The ultimate proof of this comes from the Champagne industry itself, which continues to invest in English vineyards. Pommery and Taittinger are just two brands to recognise the exceptional potential of our terroir. As Clovis Taittinger, deputy managing director of Taittinger Champagne so eloquently describes: “I think more and more Champagne firms will be investing in the UK over the next couple of decades. Land is cheaper, the domestic market for sparkling wine is booming and the potential for making high-quality fizz is outstanding.”
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| NEWS |
[ city life ]
bon viveur
Man-about-town, Innerplace’s Nick Savage, gives you the insider lowdown on London’s most hedonistic haunts
THE NEW SITES OF THE CiTY
C
oinciding with the launch of The Ned, there’s a sense of reinvigoration taking place in the City. Temple & Sons is one of Jason Atherton’s newest projects, nestled in a two-storey wedge-shaped glass building just next to Tower 42, where his first restaurant in the area, City Social, opened in May 2014. Mr Atherton has been branching out into a variety of cuisines of late but has opted to pay homage to his British roots with a menu that hones in on seasonal seafood, game and classically English delicacies such as prawn cocktail and sausage rolls. Waiters carry groaning wooden boards laden with outsized cuts of meat and tranches of fish. There’ve been a spate of recent launches just up the street on Finsbury Square, too. The Modern Pantry opened its doors to overworked City dwellers looking for nourishment and skilful global cuisine in 2015, and it’s recently launched a new bar in collaboration with Ryan Chetiyawardana, the mind behind Mr Lyan and Dandelyan. He’s put his talents to work in devising pre-batched recipes inspired by chef Anna Hansen’s cooking. The horseshoe-shaped bar is a great spot to post up and enjoy small plates like Hansen’s famous sugar-cured prawn omelette with smoked chilli sambal, as well as the punchy cocktails. Just next door you’ll find The Aviary, perched on the 10th floor of the Royal Montcalm Hotel, which boasts one of
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restaurants for those chasing Caledonian delights, and has chosen Devonshire Square as the site for its latest foray. Occupying the space that formerly housed Hixter, the bare brick interiors play host to rowdy groups of diners intent on staging assaults on huge chateaubriands. Haggis mac and cheese and haggis pops are an essential order, and each dish comes with the optional pairing of a dram of whisky. For those keen on hosting an evening, Mac & Wild conduct whisky tastings and haggis-making masterclasses downstairs in the bar and there’s even Innerplace a special room with ersatz pine is London’s trees and turf where visitors can personal lifestyle try their hand at a Marksman concierge. Membership provides complimentary access to the finest hunting simulator. nightclubs, the best restaurants and M on Threadneedle top private members’ clubs. Innerplace Street has been a similarly also offers priority bookings, VIP expansive venue, catering invitations and updates on the latest to sushi-heads and steakopenings. Membership from £50 a month. connoisseurs alike. They’ve innerplace.co.uk opened M Den, a private members’ club kitted out with its very own 10-seat screening room, a pool table, an eight person ‘Babyfoot’ foosball table, martini trolley and personalised bottle lockers. There are a few openings on the way that I’d be remiss not to mention. One of the most eagerly anticipated launches in London has been the Nobu Hotel which the best new roof terraces in London. is slated to open on Shoreditch’s Willow Designed by Russell Sage Studios, the Street, just a quick jaunt up from the City. 6,000 square foot space offers a chic Peruvian restaurant Coya has long been a interior and vertiginous vistas across Mayfair favourite, and they’ll be bringing Finsbury Square and southwards into sultry vibes and excellent cuisine to the the City. The massive bar focuses on ground floor of the 24-storey Angel Court botany-inspired mixology, while head development near Throgmorton Street. chef Dan Loftin excels at preparing The Ivy brand will continue to muscle up its sustainable Great British cuisine with a brand with a new opening on Bishopsgate concentration on slow-cooked meats. Gardens – Ivy City Garden – which will offer Mac & Wild is quickly stealing the some of the best al fresco dining in the limelight as one of London’s go-to area and its trademark menu.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Temple & Sons; Aviary; Modern Pantry; food at Mac & Wild
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Each month, Kevin Pilley, the world’s most widely published travel journalist (apparently) gets embroiled in a game of one-upmanship, with himself. This month, it’s beaches from LEFT Kevin Pilley; Flic en Flac beach, Mauritius; Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman BELOW Palolem Beach, south Goa; turtle at Seven Mile Beach
BEACH-DROPPING B
above Nha Trang, Vietnam BELOW Porto Santo, Madeira; Trou aux Biches, Mauritius
each reviewing has gone viral. It has been calculated that every five seconds, someone somewhere is either talking about their favourite beach or just about to. Beachupmanship has become an art form. It's played by millions of travellers around the world. The object is to force your opponent into admitting that he or she hasn’t been lucky enough to have visited as many diverse and exotic beaches as you have. The winner is the player who manages to make his opponent concede that he or she, despite their travels, is a dreadful bore and a very sad individual who has lived no sort of life at all. In short, he or she has gone to all the wrong beaches. Although I still coach, my competitive beach-dropping days are over. However, I was privileged to attend the final of the 2017 World BeachDropping Championships. It was held on Bondi Beach – so long the cradle of beach one-upmanship. The competitors were Mr White and Mr Gold. Mr Gold won the toss and chose a textbook rhetorical opening. “I see from your T-shirt that you have been to Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius. Glorious, isn’t it? But I’ve always liked Trou aux Biches and Flic en Flac. Although, I’ve a lot of happy memories of Madagascar’s Île Sainte-Marie. Or Nosy Boraha as they call it in Malagasy.” White calmly parried this classic opening. “Yes. But all rather passé. Like Palolem Beach in Goa and even Serena Beach in Kenya. And to a certain extent anywhere in the Maldives. And, as amazed I am to hear myself say it, even the Calamander Unawatuna Beach in Sri Lanka and Nungwi in Zanzibar. Too obviously idyllic. If we are talking Indian Ocean beaches, I am very fond of dear old Pangani. Tanzania’s finest.” Gold smiled. “Passé? Surely, that’s Waikiki or the Copacabana? Far East-wise, I wouldn’t be caught on Khao Lak. It’s very noisy now with the water taxis. The Similan Islands are where to go if you are looking for a beach in Thailand.” White remained impassive. “Much the same with Datai at Langkawi. It’s picture-perfect and crescent-shaped. Like Vietnam’s China Beach. But if you want to experience the real Vietnamese Riviera you have to go to Nha Trang. And never forget either the White Beach on Boracay island in the Philippines.” Gold smiled, sensing an opening. “Soft white coral sand that never heats up. No reef sandals needed. Heaven!” White nodded, simulating approval. He seemed flustered. “The Andaman Islands have a lot to say for themselves.”
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Far East-wise, I wouldn’t be caught on Khao Lak. It's very noisy now
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Recovering good field position Gold matches his nod. “And the Nicobar Islands.” Ever the opportunist, Gold instantly seized the initiative by dismissing all 74 of the Whitsunday Islands and the Seychelles before making a very cutting remark about Aitutaki on One Foot Island. White, suffering this crushing early setback, rather desperately turned his attack to Europe raving about Greece, Ios and Naxos in particular. Rather breathlessly – and for no tactical reason – he recommended the Cyclades islands. Gold tried to move him away from Europe by praising Patara Beach in Turkey, but White’s position appeared entrenched. “I love the Red Beach on Santorini. Reminds me a lot of La Gomera In Tenerife. El Hierro, the smallest of the Canaries and the most westerly part of Europe, is wonderful too. As is Biarritz. And of course the sand dunes at Cap Sim at Essaouira in Morocco are still the benchmark against which any great beach must be judged.” Gold switched to South America. “I prefer Praia do Rosa, close to Florianópolis, if we are talking truly outstanding Brazilian strands. Although, curiously, because it hosts an annual Viking festival every summer I like Moesgård in Denmark. Beaches are not just for sunbathing.” White’s mouth dropped open. “Yes,” he said, but not confidently. Feeling threatened, White returned with the rather pathetic “Madeira’s sister island, Porto Santo, home of Christopher Columbus’s wife, has unsung quality mediumfine sand.” He frowned at himself. Seeing the panic, Gold visibly swelled, taking on a tone almost of correction. “Not what I’ve heard.” White had forfeited the advantage and his weak defence had been infiltrated. The coup de grâce was not far off. The Caribbean waits in the wings. Gold begins to dress. “I bought this shirt while I was in South Africa. Elands Bay and Cape Vidal and all that. Still as good as ever. Although I like False Bay and, of course, Umhlanga. “Of course,” concurred his opponent. But lamely. Gold’s position was further consolidated when White got up and put on a shirt bearing the name of a Californian hotel. This drew an astonished gasp from the assembled audience. Heads shook. It was the prelude to the end. It was a naïve gaffe. Perspiring heavily, White bravely (but vainly) made one final attempt. “I like Santa Monica,” he said. His face fell. He knew what was coming. It had to be the Caribbean. He was better on atolls than islands. He could only think of Antechamber Bay Beach, Cable Beach and Peppermint Grove, all in Australia. Enjoying his supremacy, Gold winked and made sure his timing was spot on. “Playa Flamingo in Costa Rica knocks everything into a straw hat.” The momentum was all with him. “Mullet Bay on St Maarten. Katouche Bay on Anguilla. Paynes Bay Beach and Paradise Beach on Barbados. Not forgetting Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman and the Dominican Republic’s Playa Dorada and Martinique’s Le Diamant beach and Luquillo on Puerto Rico.” His voice tailed off into a sigh. No further resistance seemed possible. White’s position was untenable. Mentioning Magnetic Island or Dunk Island would have been capitulation. “What about Nananu-i-ra in Fiji?” Gold’s eyes glinted. “Not as good as Denarau or Natadola.” Gold looked White in the eye and said “I’m back off to West Indies soon. Can’t wait to feel the sugary sand of Grand Anse under my feet. It’s as good as Cane Garden Bay on Tortola. And even Pigeon Point Beach and Man O' War Bay on Tobago.” At that point White resigned, offering his hand and conceding. “You do get around, don’t you?"
CLOCKWISE from LEFT Valle Gran Rey beach, La Gomera; Palolema Beach, south Goa; Datai beach, Langkawi BELOW Koh Samui, Thailand
His face fell. He knew what was coming. It had to be the Caribbean
clockwise from above Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island; beach of Similan Islands; Nha Trang, Vietnam; scuba diver in the Similan Islands
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A
nnual general meeting (AGM) season never fails to spark a flurry of activity in the City. After all, it triggers many investors to examine their portfolios to understand if they’re invested for the best long-term returns and it forces many FTSE chiefs to face the music on shareholder grumblings. It is during this season that questions over business practices come to the fore, with remuneration dominating. To me, it’s clear the remuneration structure in the City of London is broken. It’s promoting reckless behaviour and jeopardising client returns. The individual KPI-driven culture – a philosophy seemingly facilitated by the policies promoted by politicians and regulators alike– is not the recipe for success if we are to rebuild the reputation of the financial services industry in the wake of the 2008 crash. Even as the topic of excessive bonuses receives ever-increasing media and public scrutiny, there is still a failure to examine the root cause: the individual target-driven culture. Although the bonus scandals aren’t limited to the financial services industry, this isn’t a good reason to ignore the problem. To rebuild the industry’s tarnished reputation and create a genuinely stronger sector, there needs to be a seismic shift in behaviour, attitudes and, above all, practices. Taking just a handful of the fines that have been levied since the crash, you soon rack up figures totalling many hundreds of millions of pounds. These have been levied at companies from Barclays to Deutsche Bank and, I would suggest there is a high likelihood that, in all cases the individuals involved were – at the time – achieving their personal KPI targets. This relentless focus on individual performances, and the whole process of setting, measuring and paying out based on KPIs, is dangerous. We in the City consider ourselves professionals. We consider ourselves highly educated, highly qualified, and rightly rewarded for our professional worth. But would you reward a dentist with a bonus for removing your tooth painlessly? No, that’s simply not how it works. Instead, a dentist, doctor or teacher is charged with a professional duty of care to those they serve and are expected to uphold this with unremitting focus. Surely it’s time to refresh the way we look upon bonuses in the financial services industry? For many, the question of remuneration
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Is the bonus system broken? Barry Olliff, CEO of the City of London Investment Group, thinks it’s about time for a change in the bonus culture of the Square Mile
is only a once or twice-yearly issue. It crops up as FTSE companies hold their AGMs and, as we should expect, there is a renewed examination of business practices. It is a time of year when many investors sensecheck their allocations, asking, “is this the best company for me to be invested in for the long term?” But investment professionals can become distracted by the drive for personal reward over responsibly safeguarding client assets. With many workers funnelled through a system that sets them these personal KPIs, it’s perhaps unsurprising we’re in this situation. However, it’s for this reason that we need to overhaul the culture, not simply ramp up the reform-rhetoric during AGM season. The current ethos simply serves as a tool to justify huge bonuses. It promotes irresponsible risk taking at the expense of safeguarding client funds. Furthermore, the culture threatens no blow-back to the individual. They meet their targets and they are rewarded; the accountability for their actions stops there and reckless risktaking isn’t condemned. At the City of London Investment Group, instead of individual targets, our share price, on a total return basis, is our KPI. It reflects the delivery of excellent long-term results for a stable client base, while rewarding and retaining staff. I’ve learnt over the years that integrity, transparency and loyalty are to be valued and a bonus structure that rewards a company functioning around these core creeds is desirable. Although I can only talk from my experience, it does perhaps offer a useful proof-point evidencing that we can change, and succeed, if we tackle the broken system head on. citlon.com
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“I’m not the most confident person in the world but I can give off the air that I am. That gets you through the front door – and then you’ve got a chance of making it”
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| feature |
East London’s favourite son, Ray Winstone, talks life lessons and his latest film Jawbone Words: Bethan Rees photography: paul stuart wasn’t a rebel, I just thought it was a load of bollocks,” says Ray Winstone, of his teenage drama school days. Sat in leather armchairs at the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, Winstone, wearing dark sunglasses and Crockett & Jones boots, begins to regale tales of his youth. Born in Hackney Hospital in 1957 to Raymond, a greengrocer and, later, a taxi driver, and mother Margaret, Winstone grew up near West Ham Park and then Enfield. He has fond memories from childhood, particularly of playing in the streets before everyone had cars – until the Moors murders of the 1960s made parents a little more fearful about letting their children out to play. Aged 12, Winstone started boxing at the illustrious Repton Boxing Club in Bethnal Green, which was a breeding ground for champions and a second home to the Kray twins. Winstone’s father knew the Krays, and as a six-month-old baby, Winstone urinated on Ronnie Kray’s new trench coat – luckily, he saw the funny side. “Boxing is and was a big thing for the East End, and my family. Today, a lot of boys come out of deprived areas and boxing clubs are an escape from the street,” says Winstone. As a welterweight fighter he went on to become schoolboy champion, winning 80 out of 88 fights. “Forget about the actual boxing, or who becomes world champion, it was a way of gaining discipline. When people don’t know about boxing, the first thing they talk about is the brutality, but it’s the making of you as a person and an awareness of
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what’s around you that’s important.” I ask Winstone why he didn’t pursue a career in the sport. “I was never going to be a professional fighter. I wasn’t good enough or dedicated enough. But what it did do for me was give me a work ethic, and a respect for others.” His latest film Jawbone, which is released on 12 May, harks back to Winstone’s boxing past. It tells the story of a former amateur boxing champion Jimmy McCabe ( Johnny Harris) hitting rock bottom – his vice being alcohol. Things couldn’t get much worse for McCabe and we see him homeless by eviction and turning to swigging bottles of vodka by the Thames. In this time of despair, he turns to his childhood boxing club, owned by William, or Bill as he’s known (played by Winstone). He gets back into training to regain his place in the boxing world. A tale of broken dreams and redemption, Jawbone is as much of a film about boxing as it is a distressing narrative of an alcoholic’s plight. Also written by Harris, a good friend of Winstone, the film is vaguely autobiographical – Harris was a boyhood boxer and homeless, before, of course, his celebrated acting career (which includes London to Brighton and This is England ’86, ’88 and ’90). “When he approached me, it was just an idea, there was no script, but I said yes anyway. Eventually the script came through, and it was really beautiful. It gives you that buzz again,” Winstone says. Of course, Winstone has been on the receiving end of a boxing trainer, but how did he translate this into his performance. “My character is based on Harris’s real-life boxing trainer, Mick Carney and mine, Tony Burns. It’s an amalgamation.
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T
hey had different ways of going to work but they were both men who didn’t have a lot to say, until they had something to say,” he says with a grin. “These were men who gave kids a better way of life and an education in life, so I have the utmost respect for them. They sacrifice their lives, although wouldn’t see it as that, but they give it all to training and guiding young men.” Did he feel pressured then to represent such a person? “The biggest challenge of the movie was doing them justice. You stand by what you’re doing but you also always question it. You have to be brave enough to make a decision and say ‘this is the way I’m going to do it’.” Winstone’s time in the ring as a young boy has had an effect on him, outside the ring, too. “When you’re a boxer, you have a false confidence,” he starts to tell me. “You still stick your chest out. You can learn to lie about it. I’m not the most confident person in the world but I can give off the air that I am. That gets you through the front door – and then you’ve got a chance of making it.” The film is firmly rooted in reality and its portrayal of one man’s plight and journey through addiction is raw and sincere. “There’s a depression about having nothing and trying to find your way in the world. You only have to walk around here [Shoreditch] to see what I mean. It’s 2017,
assumed he would say something along the lines of “keep your head down and work hard”. He replied: “I wouldn’t, I’d do it exactly the same way. It stands you in good stead and you shouldn’t learn everything overnight.” Winstone also tells me he believes in fate too – which is what led him to the Scum role. “You don’t always have to be a good boy to have a bit of luck,” he laughs. Following this, he landed a part in Quadrophenia and another film called That Summer, which he received a BAFTA for Best Newcomer. It’s starting to feel like maybe Winstone was right about this luck malarkey. The next four decades were to be filled with success with a few milestones on his CV which make for impressive reading. From Gary Oldman’s Nil by Mouth to Sexy Beast, The Sweeney to Martin Scorsese’s The Departed and Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, Winstone has had a smorgasbord of a career. But is there a role that he’d like to get his hands on? “Tim Roth and I talked about doing King Lear – I’d like to play Lear. I’ve thought about playing Winston Churchill too, but I’ve just seen my old mate Gary [Oldman] doing it [in the upcoming release of The Darkest Hour] and he’s brilliant, so that’s gone out the window. He’s absolutely kicked the shit out of it.” Winstone doesn’t feel like your archetypal actor when I meet him. His
‘‘That was me being ignorant. But I was a kid, I was 17, and I hadn’t been out in the big wide world yet’’ and it isn’t getting any better. What’s to be done?” he asks. “People make promises when they get into power, but they never follow them up. It’s like fraud in a way.” Jawbone is just the start of Winstone’s impressive career résumé, but he didn’t have the most positive start on his journey to becoming an actor. When he decided as a teenager this was the industry he wanted to pursue, his parents scraped money together to send him to Corona Theatre School in Hammersmith. “I came from a different world, I wasn’t ready to conform,” he tells me. “That was me being ignorant. But I was a kid, I was 17, and I hadn’t been out in the big wide world yet.” He was expelled in 1976, after puncturing a teacher’s tyre because he had found out that he was the only pupil not invited to the Christmas party. He went to meet up with his schoolmates who were auditioning for Alan Clarke’s Scum, a British film about life inside a borstal. He flirted with the receptionist, wrangled an audition and landed the lead part of Carlin. I ask him if were to give his younger self a piece of advice, what would it be? I
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answers are crammed with honesty – rather than media-trained patter trying to sell his movie. Prior to meeting him, I thought perhaps his ‘tough guy’ persona that I see in his work would reflect in to real life, dismissive maybe. But he’s the complete opposite. He’s warm and loving – especially when I ask him about his oneyear-old grandson, also named Raymond. He melts when he mentions him. “He is mint, he’s walking and has started talking and giggles – he’s fantastic,” he beams. “It’s also good to have a boy around me after all the girls.” Winstone is a father to three women, Ellie, Lois and Jaime, you see. Downtime is important to him, and he describes to me his perfect weekend. “Going to watch West Ham win and then going for dinner at Smith’s in Ongar, or the River View in Wapping is really good too – they do old-fashioned style chinese… baked crab and all that.” I have one last question for him: who will play you in your biopic? Without any hesitation, he answers. “Brad Pitt. He looks a bit like me,” he replies. “What about a younger you?” I ask. “Tom Hardy.”
photography All images ©Paul Stuart
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| FEATURE |
Film to watch Jawbone is released on 12 May and the DVD is available from 29 May
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CITY collection Loving Butterfly Automaton, ÂŁ99,250, Jaquet Droz, jaquet-droz.com
Shining Bright
The 20th Anniversary of Patek Philippe’s bestselling Aquanaut
Vintage Appeal
The watchmakers Turning back the clock to reissue the classics
Best in Show
The very best jewellery at an opulent Baselworld 2017
BASELWORLD 2017
watch wish list An industry in consolidation mode is good news for punters, says Richard Brown, as watchmakers focus their attention on (slightly) more affordable collections
Tudor and Breitling become unlikely bedfellows It costs a watchmaker millions of pounds to launch a new movement. Hence why many of the brands that survived the quartz crisis of the 1970s grew reliant on calibres from third-party suppliers, most notably from Swatch Group-subsidiary ETA. When, in 2002, Swatch chief Nicolas Hayek Jr. announced plans to restrict the flow of movements to watch companies outside his own portfolio, brands were forced to invest in becoming more selfreliant. Thus the sector’s prevailing obsession with the term ‘in-house’.
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Industry consensus is that it costs around £13.5 million to procure the industrial machinery needed to mill the requisite parts of a movement. At trade price, a watchmaker will need to shift a lot of units to make that money back. Given that a verticalised watch company will be capable of manufacturing more movements than it can possible use itself, one way of speeding up the ROI is to sell calibres to other brands. Perhaps this explains the initially eyebrow-raising partnership between Tudor and Breitling. Breitling has granted Tudor access to its B01 base calibre, into which Tudor has incorporated its own rotor and regulating system. The resulting movement, the MT5813, allows Tudor to update its Black Bay collection with a COSC-certified chronograph – at a fraction of the price it would have cost the brand to develop a similar watch by itself. Tudor, going the other way, has let Breitling use its three-hand MT5612 movement inside the second-generation Superocean Heritage – essentially an engine upgrade from the previously used ETA 2824. As with the firstedition Superocean Heritage, the second series is available in either 42mm or 46mm, both of which now include a scratch-resistant ceramic bezel. Given that for the past two years the watch industry has been shrinking, expect to see more mutually-beneficial, cost-saving partnerships between brands in the future.
Above: Black Bay Chrono, £3,430, Tudor Left: Superocean Héritage II Chronographe 46, £4,830, Breitling
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| COLLECTION |
Sea-Dweller, £8,350, Rolex Until saturation diving was developed in the 1960s, the maximum depth to which a diver could descend was around 60 metres. Any deeper, and pressurised gas decompressed in the body could cause air bubbles to block blood vessels. Saturation diving mitigates the risk of a sudden build-up of gas within the body through acclimatisation. Divers live for up to 28 days in pressurised chambers, set to the same pressure as the depth to which they will be working, before they are transported underwater in closed ‘bells’ set at the same pressure. In 1966, divers from the Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises (COMEX), the NASA of underwater engineering, reached 160 metres. In 1992, a COMEX diver descended to 701 metres, a record that still stands today. It is considered the maximum depth to which a human body can descend before it implodes. The fact that Rolex’s new Sea-Dweller is waterproof to 1,220 metres, then, is a tad irrelevant. Here’s guessing you’re more likely to pair yours with a business suit than a wetsuit, anyway. To mark the iconic dive watch’s 50th birthday, Rolex has enlarged the Sea-Dweller to 43mm, equipped it with the latest-generation Calibre 3235 – accurate to −2/+2 seconds a day – and, for the very first time, fitted the timepiece with a Cyclops lens at three o’clock. Another design feature likely to excite Rolex devotees is the decision to inscribe the name SeaDweller in red, a direct reference to the watch’s 1967 forebear. Red writing on Rolex watches has become extremely valued among collectors. The ‘Double Red’ Sea-Dwellers produced between 1967 and 1977, which have two lines of red text on the dial, typically sell on the pre-owned market for far more than their white-text counterparts.
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Clockwise from top left: Sea-Dweller 904L steel; The Bathyscaphe Trieste, ©Thomas J. Abercrombie/National Geographic; Sea-Dweller 904L steel; James Cameron wearing a Sea-Dweller, ©Mark Thiessen/National Geographic; the original 1967 Sea-Dweller
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Three is the magic number A tie-in between horological exhibitionist Hublot, sartorial superpower Rubinacci and Lapo Elkann, grandson of Gianni Agnelli, former Fiat chief and style deity of the 21st-century, was always likely to yield something rather dapper. The result is six 45mm Classic Fusion chronographs – two in ceramic, two in titanium, two in gold – that feature dials and straps made from a selection of prints (houndstooth, squared weaves and Prince of Wales check). Handpicked from the 60,000 square metres of cloth in Rubinacci’s archive, the selected fabrics date back to the 1970s. Classic Fusion Italia Independent collection, from £12,500, hublot.com
Power play
Shining bright At Baselworld 1997, Patek Philippe expanded its sports watch offering with the Aquanaut. A commercially astute way of providing access to the Nautilus, it quickly became one of Patek’s best-selling watch models. To mark its 20th anniversary, the brand has launched the Ref. 5168G in 18-carat white gold – the first Aquanaut to be delivered in this precious metal. With a diameter of 42mm, it is the largest model in the Aquanaut family, paying tribute to the original 1976 Nautilus of the same size, a timepiece that continues to go by the nickname ‘Jumbo’ among Patek collectors. The watch is water-resistant to a depth of 120 metres, while a SuperLumiNova coating ensures that Arabic numerals are visible in the dark. Inside, the self-winding calibre 324 S C, visible through a sapphire-crystal case back, is just 3.3mm in height, making for a timepiece that is only 8.25mm thick. £27,990, patek.com
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By the late 1970s, Oris had clocked up 279 in-house calibres and was one of Switzerland’s largest movement manufacturers, producing as many as 1.2 million watches and clocks a year. Following the quartz crisis, it became dependent on third-party suppliers until, in 2014, the watchmaker developed its first fully-fledged movement for almost 40 years. To celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary, the Calibre 110 boasted a then industry-beating ten-day power reserve. Just another three years later, Oris presents the Calibre 113, updated by way of a calendar that shows the day, date, week and month of the year. Again, the watch will run for ten days before it requires winding by hand. £4,780, oris.ch
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| COLLECTION |
Vintage Appeal Faced with a turbulent economic climate, watchmakers are revisiting their back catalogues and reissuing rock-steady classics
Old School Chronographs Autavia, £3,900, TAG Heuer
Last year, digitally savvy TAG Heuer devotees voted for their favourite Autavia model from 16 first generation pieces from the 1960s. The Autavia Ref. 2446 Mark 3 won out and so this year makes a comeback. Today’s Autavia has been modernised with a larger 42mm case and the latest self-winding movement from TAG. tagheuer.com
Chronomaster Heritage 146, £5,500, Zenith
Arriving just before Baselworld, Zenith’s Chronomaster Heritage 146 acted as a precursor to the raft of retro revivals we’d see at the show. The big news here is that the modern Heritage 146 chronograph is now equipped with Zenith’s legendary El Primero movement – the world’s first (1969), and still the most accurate series-produced automatic chronograph calibre. zenith-watches.com
Retro Dive Watches Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC, £10,310, Blancpain
Arriving in 1953, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms beat both the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster to become the world’s first bona fide, series-produced dive watch. In 1957, the Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC 1 incorporated a circular water-tightness indicator that would turn from white to red should water penetrate the case. Now, it comes along with a unidirectional rotating bezel covered in scratchresistant sapphire. blancpain.com
Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s, £10,195, Grand Seiko While this watch’s hobnail dial, contrasting bezel and circular hour marks may hark back to the golden
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
era of dive watch design, the Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s is actually the first professional diver’s watch from Grand Seiko. It is equipped with a hi-beat automatic calibre and a valve-free helium resistant system. seiko.co.uk
HyperChrome Captain Cook, £1,430, Rado Think Rado and most likely something sleek, slim-line and ceramic will pop into your head. Back in 1962, however, it unveiled the Captain Cook, a playful yet neat 37mm diver’s watch with oversized indexes and chunky arrow-shaped hands. Paying tribute, Rado has re-launched the model, sticking with the original size. rado.com
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The Grand Phoenix ruby necklace, featuring 24 perfectly matched natural Burmese rubies totalling 59.83 carats, and 100.21 carats of diamonds, POA, Faidee
BASELWORLD 2017
best in show
Olivia Sharpe takes a tour of the jewellery stands at Baselworld 2017, discovering new trends and featsof craftsmanship
I
t is with some trepidation that I sit down to write the Baselworld round-up each year. The reason, quite honestly, is that I never quite know where to begin. Taking place over eight days, it is the longest-running event in the horology calendar and with more than 2,000 stands representing the gamut of luxury watches and jewellery, it all becomes a bit of a blur (not simply because of the copious amounts of Champagne). This year marked the 100th anniversary of the fair. However, rather than celebrating in typically ostentatious style, there seemed to be a more subdued note in the air. With last year’s falling sales in the luxury sector and predictions of an economic downturn on the horizon, this had a knock-on effect at Basel, which saw exhibitors’ numbers reportedly drop by 13.3 per cent, from 1,500 to 1,300, according to Forbes. Following this, the organisers at Baselworld announced that it
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would be reducing the number of days by two for the 2018 fair. Given such news, it is hard not to feel gloomy, but what was apparent at Basel is that brands are simply having to rethink their marketing strategies. Rather than using the event as the moment to showcase their most price recordbreaking pieces, some exhibitors were emphasising affordability and wearability. The buzzword is millenials and by targeting them with attractive, entry-level collections, brands hope to weather the storm. The emphasis was very much on quality, not quantity. Of course, there were still plenty of showstopping pieces on display, including the astronomical $35 million ruby necklace by Faidee. Named The Grand Phoenix (pictured above), it stole the show in one fell swoop. With this and other dazzling pieces uplifting visitors’ spirits, there is no reason not to feel positive. Here’s to the next 100 years.
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| COLLECTION |
Entry Point
History in the Making
L-R: Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Ruban, 36mm, £16,250 Dior; Mademoiselle Privé Décor Aubazine in 18-karat white gold with brilliantand baguette-cut diamonds on a black satin strap, POA, limited edition of five pieces, Chanel; Boy.Friend Tweed Beige Gold in 18-karat beige gold with 62 brilliant-cut diamonds, POA, Chanel
In tough economic times, a brand will often stress its history and heritage as customers look to these qualities as sure signs of stability. This year, Chanel has commemorated its late founder, Coco Chanel, through its Mademoiselle Privé collection, which draws upon some of her favourite symbols. The Décor Aubazine timepiece is directly inspired by the windows of the orphanage in which she spent her childhood, glamorously depicted in 18-karat white gold and 552 brilliant-cut diamonds. The brand’s classic tweed has also been incorporated for the first time this year on the Boy.Friend watch’s strap, intricately woven from steel threads in either beige gold or black. Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, Dior similarly pays tribute to its fashion heritage with its new Dior VIII Grand Bal watches. Launched in 2011, the collection honours its founder’s love of couture and lavish feasts, and has been updated this year to include the Grand Bal Plissé Ruban model, featuring a pleated design similar to that of a petticoat, interlaced with a silk ribbon. chanel.com, dior.com
In a bid to entice millenials, several brands launched entry-level collections. Case in point is luxury pearl jeweller Yoko London which, along with displaying its lavish one-of-a-kind pearl creations, added new pieces to its Pendulum and Novus collections. These have been designed to meet the needs of modern women, with prices starting from a modest £1,000. Fabergé showcased its accessible gemstone engagement ring collection, which launched at the end of last year. Clients can now enter into the world of this historic and opulent jewellery house for just £5,000. Elsewhere, Lebanese jeweller Yeprem argued that it’s never too early to get them hooked on diamonds with a collection aimed at girls starting at £1,700. Finally, Chopard gave its classic Happy Diamonds collection a fashionable refresh with pieces featuring the more affordable material malachite. yokolondon.com, yepremjewellery.com, faberge.com, chopard.com
Clockwise from left: Happy Diamonds bangle in 18-carat rose gold with malachite, £2,400, Happy Diamonds bangle in 18-carat rose gold with diamonds, £4,390, both Chopard; Novus South Sea pearl ring, £6,000, Yoko London; Gold bracelet with round and marquise-cut diamonds, £4,100, Yeprem; Pendulum pearl earrings, £1,500, Yoko London; Ruby rose gold fluted ring, £8,455, Fabergé
Green Fingers Left to right: 22.70-carat black opal necklace with white South Sea cultured pearls and diamonds, POA, Mikimoto; Jade earrings, prices from £2,000, Marco Bicego; Serpenti watch with green leather strap, POA, Bulgari; Butterfly Swirl ring, POA, Sutra Jewels; Mystery of Muzo cuffs, POA, Jacob & Co; Classic Butterfly emerald pendant, POA, Graff Diamonds
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Greenery is Pantone’s Colour of the Year and this was very much highlighted at Basel as jewellers gave their own fresh take on the green trend. Emeralds were a common sight, but some jewellers chose to experiment with more unconventional stones. For example, Italian jeweller Marco Bicego presented a pair of jade earrings, part of the Unico Lunaria collection, with visible imperfections and inclusions. Arguably, the most unusual version of the colour was shown at Jacob & Co, which presented a rare 4.42-carat Fancy Intense Green Radiant-cut diamond ring. The jeweller also grabbed our attention with its Mystery of Muzo pair of cuffs, featuring a pearcut 74.33-carat and 70.57-carat Colombian Muzo emeralds, both in the same vivid green shade. marcobicego.com, jacobandco.com
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Milano: Galleria V. Emanuele
ITALIAN TRAVEL BAGS SINCE 1952
Available at Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis and caseluggage.com
CITY style Elise Daniels with street performers, suit by Balenciaga, Le Marais, Paris, 1948, as part of Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition at the V&A, opening on 27 May
Photography by Richard Avedon, image courtesy of ŠThe Richard Avedon Foundation
Charlotte’s web
in conversation with accessories designer charlotte olympia
Tumi X Orlebar Brown the suitcase brand gets a tropical makeover
the beach boy
209 Mare is bringing the blazer to the beach
Charlotte’s WEB She’s the accessories designer with a penchant for nostalgia, but that doesn’t mean Charlotte Olympia Dellal has her head in the past Words: KATY PARKER
main image C harlotte Olympia Dellal © Alexandra Leese ABOVE AND RIGHT Charlotte Olympia A/W17 collection
“I’m always looking to emulate that old Hollywood look – from the ’40s and ’50s – when people had a different attitude to dressing” 54
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| STYLE |
Charlotte Olympia x Globe-Trotter, from £985
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THIS IMAGE AND LEFT Charlotte Olympia S/S17
hoemaker. Mother of three. Film noir devotee. Charlotte Olympia Dellal is a wearer of many hats – a description that seems fitting for a woman who has made her name as one of the fashion world’s most creative and exciting accessories designers. The daughter of Brazilian model Andréa de Magalhães Vieira, Dellal was exposed to fashion from an early age, frequently accompanying her mother to shows in the ’70s and ’80s. Being backstage on those occasions, she recalls how she was enraptured by “the buzz, the energy, the idea of creating something and then it unfolding in front of you – it really resonated with me”. Dellal studied at the London College of Fashion and afterwards applied for a course at Cordwainers when a tutor pointed out that she was focusing an undue amount of attention on the creation of hats, shoes and bags to match her designs – “I guess she thought my focus was on accessories, to me I was just designing a complete look.” But a seed was clearly planted; at Cordwainers Dellal made her first shoe “and fell in love with it”, sparking a passion and the beginning of a global brand. “It was an enthralment with glamour that got me into fashion,” the designer tells me. “I love old Hollywood movies – I used to watch them with my mum growing up. I was captivated by these beautiful women on screen and how they accessorised from head to toe. That’s what initially got me hooked: it was the art of dressing up.” Charlotte Olympia the brand launched in 2008 and quickly established a playful, quirky aesthetic that tapped into the 21st century woman’s increasing desire to have fun with their clothes – and in particular, their accessories. “You can afford to be that bit more playful with shoes, hats and bags,” Dellal says of the style that pervades her collections. “I’m always looking to emulate that old Hollywood look – from the ’40s and ’50s – when people had a different attitude to dressing. They would never shy away from a flamboyant hat or bold footwear. Accessories say a lot about a person; give 10 different women the same
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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ABOVE Backstage and runway images, Charlotte Olympia S/S17
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accessory and they’ll all wear it in a different way.” This mix of nostalgia and whimsy has won Dellal legions of fans across the globe, with everyone from Alexa Chung to Beyoncé coveting her designs. She also has 10 standalone stores, including outposts in Beverly Hills, Bangkok, Dubai and Moscow. The brand owes much of its success to Dellal’s Kitty slippers, which were created as part of her 2010 To Die For collection and were, she tells me, inspired by an Agatha Christie novel – “I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan.” The cat motif soon became Dellal’s signature appearing on a range of products – from hats and tote bags to phone cases. “It was never intended to be what it became; it was popular and so I kept bringing it back,” she affirms. The designer is one of fashion’s boundary-pushing figures, as displayed through a series of inspired collaborations and headline-generating Fashion Week presentations. Her list of past collaborators is a mixed bag, ranging from lingerie label Agent Provocateur to toymaker Mattel and Barbie – a project Dellal describes as “a childhood dream come true”. Now, she is on the cusp of unveiling a range of luggage in collaboration with Globe-Trotter, the Mayfair-based experts in luxury travel and leather goods. “I’m a big fan of the brand,” Dellal says of Globe-Trotter. “It taps into my love of a bygone era and the beautiful luggage people used when they travelled, back in a time when travel was an adventure and there was an art form to it.”
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| STYLE |
Dellal took three of the brand’s existing models – including the trademark suitcase in two sizes and a vanity case – and put the Charlotte Olympia stamp on them, adorning the pieces with a soft cream leopard print pattern and adding a silk spiderweb-patterned lining to the inside. In addition to this, and perhaps not surprisingly, the designer has added a shoe case, which again builds on an original Globe-Trotter aesthetic. “I went through their archives and found a piece I could base my design on, and adapted it for a modern customer. Heels are higher now and flatforms are bigger; also, I wanted to accommodate more shoes,” she admits. To coincide with the launch, Dellal has designed a capsule collection of embroidered slippers, inspired by travel. Designed to fit into her Globe-Trotter shoe case, each one bears a motif corresponding to a different destination, ranging from the uniquely distinctive Statue of Liberty for New York to Copacabana prints for Brazil, and the more general oceanic shell pattern reflecting Dellal’s love of the seaside. Dellal’s passion for travel – the possible outcome of a peripatetic upbringing spent between Rio de Janeiro, Paris and London – is evident. She describes Rio as her “home away from home. I always celebrate it in my collections – and I love Japan.” She always travels with a hat – “whatever the season” – and won’t leave home without her sketch book and a red lipstick – “it makes me feel like myself ”. At February’s London Fashion Week, Dellal chose to present her A/W17 collection in cinematic style, inviting fashion’s finest to a screening of An Accessory to Murder at Curzon Mayfair cinema. This thrilling film noir, directed by Dellal herself, was shot in black and white, using ’40s lights and a ’40s lens. For Dellal, authenticity was key: “these movies are my constant underlying inspiration, and if we were going to do this, I was sure we were going to do it properly.” For a previous collection, inspired by Miss Chiquita Banana, Dellal presented a runway spectacular featuring technicolour
“Accessories say a lot about a person; give 10 different women the same accessory and they’ll all wear it in a different way”
this page Charlotte Olympia bridal collection, relaunching on 2 May
chorus girls and models dressed as fruit. With this in mind, I wonder if she feels an increasing pressure to constantly come up with groundbreaking concepts in order to remain current. She believes there is an element of this but views it as a positive. “I enjoy the challenge every collection brings. With accessories, we can be more creative as we’re not expected to do a runway show; although, increasingly I’m seeing designers breaking the mould with their ready-to-wear collections. It’s great; creativity drives creativity.” Within the industry, she is inspired by Miuccia Prada – “she’s built a fantastic brand” – and Giambattista Valli, the only person she worked for before venturing out on her own. “He taught me to never let your standards down.” When I ask Dellal “what’s next?” she is suddenly coy. If one thing’s for sure, when it comes to Charlotte Olympia, we should expect the unexpected. Charlotte Olympia x Globe-Trotter, from £984, exclusively at Harrods, harrods.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Words: bethan rees
Bikinis are out, one-pieces are in
stay in your lane
| style |
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1. Astrid swimsuit, £69, Hobbs, hobbs.co.uk; 2. Tropical swimsuit, £39, Oasis, oasis-stores.com; 3. Palm Springs swimsuit, £290, Marysia, net-a-porter.co.uk; 4. Leandra swimsuit, £395, Lisa Marie Fernandez, matchesfashion.com; 5. Make love swimsuit, £810, La Perla, laperla.com; 6. Pinstripe halterneck, £330, Jonathan Simkhai, jonathansimkhai.com; 7. One-shoulder swimsuit, £75, Whistles, whistles.com; 8. Wrap one-piece, £240, Heidi Klein, heidiklein.com; 9. Seamless forming swimbody, £155, Wolford, wolfordshop.com; 10. Bay ruffle one-piece, £205, Tory Burch, toryburch.co.uk; 11. Tank swimsuit, £180 Mara Hoffman marahoffman.com; 12. Paseo swimsuit, £575, Eres, eresparis.com
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when two become one
Whether you’re lounging poolside at Shoreditch House or on a lounger in Bali, a one-piece can be a girl’s best friend
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
Words: bethan rees
Pamper yourself perfect
bask in a mask
[ beauty ]
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| style |
1. Intensive-C radiance peel, £49.50, Murad, murad.co.uk; 2. Gold brightening mask, £85, 111Skin, 111skin.com; 3. Express flower gel mask, £85, Sisley, sisley-paris.com; 4. Overnight mask, £35, ESPA, espaskincare.com; 5. Umbrian clay mask, £52, Fresh, fresh.com; 6. Pro-collagen mask, £49.50, Elemis, elemis.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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FIx up, look sharp, with a preppy ensemble, straight from the Ivy League
Americana Dream
PHOTOGRAPHER: Phillip Waterman STYLIST: Chat Sutatsanee MODEL: George Elliott @ Unsigned Group GROOMING: Lica Fensome @ Stella Creative Artists using Malin + Goetz PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: Kai Gurung STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: Inga Leg
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| fashion |
LEFT Green cashmere sweater, £315, khaki Soho blazer, £515, Paul Smith, paulsmith.com; White shirt, £185, Dsquared2, dsquared2.com; Khaki trousers, £185, Theory, theory.com; Military green racksack, £245, Ally Capellino, allycapellino.co.uk; Spectacles, £160, Hackett, hackett.com RIGHT Striped shirt, £190, pinstriped navy trousers, £275, Vivienne Westwood, viviennewestwood. com; Green ombré jumper, £55, Weekday, weekday.com; Navy and white knitted silk tie, £85, Paul Smith, as before; Round sunglasses, £438, Yohji Yamamoto, luisaviaroma.com
LEFT Checked coat, £1,315, black turtleneck, £395, Prada, prada.com RIGHT Forest green suit jacket, £750, Acne Studios, acnestudios. com; Pink and white striped shirt, £115, Brooks Brothers, brooksbrothers.com; White bow tie, stylist’s own
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Berluti’s Best
A house signature since 1895, the Alessandro Spada summer shoe has been revamped with a new colourway. The Aveiro patina brings a dose of brightness to a summer outfit, alongside the rest of the range, including Mattione (brown) and Nero-Grigio (grey-black). berluti.com
Words: David Taylor
The Style Brief
Your monthly sartorial meeting
The alessandro is back
Favourbrook
summer Suiting
The S/S17 collection from Favourbrook shows that wearing the right attire for an occasion doesn’t necessarily mean losing any sense of individual style. favourbrook.com
Denim as Fashion
J Brand’s S/S17 collection
J Brand is focussing on making denim a fashion item, playing with its fit and fabric. Classic fits are given extra legroom with Japanese selvedge or black and indigo comfort stretch fabrics for extra softness and quick shape recovery. jbrandjeans.com
Quirky Shirts
Beaufort & Blake
British brand Beaufort & Blake exudes British summertime. Its collection of luxury out-of-office shirts offers subtle patterns, with elephants, hippos and flamingos adorning the fabric, adding some quirkiness to a traditional Oxford shirt. beaufortandblake.com
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| style |
Tropical Tote
Tumi X Orlebar Brown
TUMI has been given the Orlebar Brown treatment. In a special collaboration, the two brands have produced a classic TUMI tote emblazoned with one of Orlebar Brown’s signature design prints, featuring photography from jet-set chronicler Slim Aarons. From £295, tumi.com
CHECKLIST The temperature has reached double figures: any man worth his salt is reaching for his shorts. If you can’t find them, try this outfit instead. From top to bottom: Dani natural PX frames, £125, Neubau, neubau-eyewear.com Knit Oxford shirt, £95, Polo Ralph Lauren, ralphlauren.co.uk Line detail belt, £45, Ted Baker, houseoffraser.co.uk Slim-fit stretch-cotton shorts, £185, Incotex, mrporter.com Blue leather espadrilles, £219, Ludwig Reiter, ludwig-reiter.com
Maison Labiche
The Paris Safari collection
Young French brand Maison Labiche has created the self-styled ‘Paris Safari’ S/S17 range, taking you through Africa and 1960s Mali with stylish and sensible pieces, providing denim for desert treks, and a chic collection just in time for your arrival into the French capital. maisonlabiche.com
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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| style |
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Beachside blazer Inspired by the opulent Art Deco era of the French Riviera, the aim of 209 Mare, in the words of founders Federico and Gabriel Uribe, is to “bring the gentleman back to the beach”. The 209 blazer is a combination of a jacket and a bathrobe, with the lining made from bamboo fabric, which is three times more absorbent than a cotton towel. It’s also completely biodegradable, and takes a third of the water cotton needs to produce. Bamboo’s natural antibacterial properties also mean that the 209 blazer is less vulnerable to bacteria – including body odour. The brand also produces swim shorts, monochromatic to match the blazer. Only 209 of the blazers have been made, so move fast to suit up in the sand. 209mare.com
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
Words: David Taylor
Collaring look
The Cuban collar is back for summer
| style |
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1. Knit hem short shirt, £425, Valentino, valentino.com 2. Garden print shirt, £640, Gucci, farfetch.com 3. Loyaal leaf and bird shirt, £79, Ted Baker, tedbaker.com 4. Camp collar shirt, £280, Blue Blue Japan, mrporter.com 5. Pineapple voile shirt, £235, Beams, mrporter.com 6. Cockatoo print shirt, £120, PS by Paul Smith, paulsmith.com 7. Sailboat Oxford shirt, £170, Battenwear, mrporter.com; 8. Beach camp shirt, £100, Outerknown, outerknown.com
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Words: David Taylor
SAFETY FIRST
An expert opinion never hurts
| style |
[ GROOMING ]
The City Magazine gets some tips on a close shave from Matt Brown and Antonio Weiss, founders of luxury safety razor company Thomas Clipper What’s so special about a single blade razor? Surely more is better? TC: This is a common misconception. Every expert from your local barber to Dr Guillotine knows that a single blade cuts more efficiently. It’s more precise: you can control the angle of the blade, and with it, the closeness of the shave. It’s cleaner: a single blade cuts through more thick stubble without getting clogged. And it’s better for sensitive skin: a single blade creates less tugging and less razor burn, meaning you get less razor rash and fewer ingrown hairs. So, besides the razor, what else do you need for a quality shave? TC: We recommend a simple, relaxing start to your morning with a shave consisting of five steps. Step one: prepare yourself with a nice hot shower (or use a hot wet cotton flannel to mimic the same pore-opening
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heat). Pop on a podcast or a good playlist and relax. Step two: a touch of a quality shave oil (ours has an anti-razor rash active ingredient, and smells fantastic of course!) should be all you need to prepare your skin for a perfectly smooth single blade shave. Step three: brush up with a quality shave brush and natural shaving soap. The soap provides another thin layer for smoothing your shave, and the action of brushing your face brings your whiskers to attention whilst at the same time exfoliating. Step four: shave with the grain - that’s the direction of hair growth. Use gentle short strokes and regularly wet your razor for best results. We find it’s best to start on the most troublesome areas while your face is perfectly prepared: your Adam’s apple, your moustache, the bumpy bottom of your chin. Step five: a splash of cold water to finish and a quick spritz of your favourite cologne, and you’re ready to face the day.
What’s your morning routine? TC: A light breakfast, a good shave and, just when things couldn’t get any better, a delicious fresh coffee. Alright, if I’m honest, it also involves a good hour or so before I get into work looking into customer orders from the night before, making sure any questions are answered and checking up on inventory, but I’d like to think the defining parts are the nice relaxing bits. At least I keep my phone out of arm’s reach of the bed. How important is maintaining a good grooming routine while travelling? TC: For us, a good grooming routine is all the more important when travelling. There’s nothing better than waking up in an unfamiliar place and slipping into a very comforting and familiar shave. Any other expert tips? TC: Even if it’s not shaving, find something that brings you a moment of calm in your morning. It pays dividends through the day.
Sharp alternatives
Getting a clean shave has never looked as good
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1. Kosmo safety razor, £54.60, Mühle, muehle-shaving.com 2. Heavy Duty 34G, £39.50, Merkur, shavelounge.co.uk 3. Chatsworth DE, £59, Edwin Jagger, edwinjagger.co.uk
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The Man behind The Mask
Vinnie Jones on his antics on and off the pitch
Frank sinaTra
celebrating the centenary of one of style’s greatest icons
seize The day Trip
how to get the most out of the continent this summer
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out of office The Regent Porto Montenegro hotel, regenthotels.com
moving mountains
a cycle across the dolomites in honour of the 100th giro d’italia
racing demons
Monte-carlo is the place to be for petrolheads
inside adriatic
magical Montenegro and the revival of sarajevo
moving mountains This year marks the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia, Zain Hirani channels his inner Tour winner on a bespoke cycle ride across the Dolomites
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
W
ith a whole world outside your window, and so little time in which to explore it, I have long believed that life is too short to go to the same place twice. I might just be ready to admit I was wrong. Hotel La Perla, in collaboration with Pinarello and InGamba, has created a Leading Bike experience in the heart of the Dolomites, the scene of countless battles, victories and defeats in the Giro d’Italia. This year, the Giro celebrates its 100th edition. It first visited the Dolomites in 1937 with a 62km team time trial, but it’s the individual battles through the decades that have left memorable scars on this vast and dominant mountain range. Tours have been won and lost amid snow-covered peaks, sometimes in temperatures as low as -100°F. This is my first visit to the Dolomites and we quickly leave the built-up vicinity of Venice airport as we head towards Alta Badia. It was an early start and my head is lolling to the rhythmic motion of the car journey. As the car twists and winds its way through the mountains, we come face-to-face with the dramatic landscape. The jagged mountain range resembles the bottom teeth of the jaw of a beast: surely that top jaw is going to close down and the beast will swallow me up as I attempt to conquer these ranges on two wheels over the next three days. For a bike nut and a cycling enthusiast, this is a dream; riding in an iconic setting on what to me is a bike more beautiful than any Monet or Picasso. The opportunity to cycle in the Dolomites on a Pinarello Dogma F8 – the bike chosen by
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
| FEATURE |
Team Sky and ridden to Tour de France victory by Chris Froome – is one I have been excited about for weeks. For those like me who believe the devil is in the detail, the Dogma F8 is fully kitted-out with Zipp wheels and a SRAM RED eTap groupset. All you have to bring are your shoes and pedals – you’ll probably want your own helmet too. You can even bring your saddle, but you also have a choice between the Fizik Arione or Antares. With a final touch of personalisation, the bikes are branded with your name and national flag, giving that professional feel to the experience. As I am constantly reminded every time I want to buy a new bike, it’s the engine, not the bike that makes the biggest difference. Arriving at Hotel la Perla, we are greeted and shown to our rooms, and after being setup on our bikes, our itinerary is simple; eat, sleep, ride, repeat. The hotel is situated in Corvara, surrounded by a mountain range of unsurpassed beauty. The area is most popular for its winter sports, but in the spring and summer months, it has historically offered activities such as hiking, climbing and trail running. Paragliders can be seen throwing themselves from a nearby mountain, disappearing from view as they drift behind another. In an effort to further diversify and to capitalise on the increasing popularity of cycling, the area is becoming a hub for cycling experiences. What Hotel la Perla, InGamba tours and Pinarello have created is the ultimate experience. My measurements were sent in advance and all that is left to do is fit my pedals and make a few minor adjustments, done by a team of mechanics, each of whom have earned their stripes by serving the professional peloton. Dinner on the first night is in the hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant: perhaps not the ideal preparation for a long day in the saddle, but a treat and a delicious meal nonetheless. The
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private dining room offers a delightful culinary experience, and a window into the kitchen gives us a glimpse of an efficient kitchen reminiscent of a well-oiled cycling team. Cycling really is in the blood here. The Costa family who own the hotel are keen cyclists and you can find a fine collection of modern and classic bikes in the Pinarello Lounge, including a Penny Farthing still frequently used by one of three brothers now running the hotel. My bikes at home are all set up with Shimano groupsets, so I’m a little nervous about switching to SRAM. It takes all of five minutes to get used to, and the electronic shifting is a delight. We set off at a gentle pace and on the first short climb, I decide to test my legs to see how they are feeling. I’m quickly reeled back by one of our guides, Nate, who advises me to conserve my energy. The feeling of trepidation returns. He wasn’t wrong; while the distance on the first day was not excessive, the climbing was, and I needed something in the tank for the next day when we were to tackle the brutal Passo Fedaia; a 14km climb averaging 7.5 per cent gradient. This climb gave me the lasting memory of this trip, one that will stay with me for many years. As we approached the climb, I saw our second guide a few hundred yards ahead and thought “catch him and take his wheel”. A great plan: I would be taking the wheel of Eros Poli, Mario Cipollini’s lead-out man in the 1990s and gold medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics. I was trying to catch an Olympic champion.
I have age on my side; I was born on the last day of those games, which makes what happens next somewhat embarrassing and very humbling. Eros toys with me as if I were a cat chasing a ball of string. Every time I get near him, he steps on the gas, increasing the distance between us just enough to encourage me to try once more. As we approach the hairpins near the top, I have blown out and my Garmin is furiously beeping, telling me my heartrate is too high. In the Dolomites, there are few flats: you are either going up or down. I like climbing; whether it’s the feeling of breaking through the pain or the sense of accomplishment at the summit, I find something enjoyable about grinding up a mountain. It is
Near the top, I have blown out and my Garmin is furiously beeping, telling me my heartrate is too high
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THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| FEATURE |
fact box
an absolute joy (and luxury) to not worry about carrying food, tools, inner tubes and a waterproof with me. With the InGamba team comes a support vehicle fully kitted out with spare bottles, food, mechanics, windbreakers, tyres, wheels and even bikes. The experience doesn’t stop on the road. I return to the hotel exhausted, marvelling at how the riders at the Giro do this over 21 days with only two rest days. Then it’s time for my rub-down with the soigneur while the mechanics clean my bike in preparation for the next day’s riding. I feel thoroughly spoiled on leaving Hotel La Perla. The whole experience is something special, formed by a partnership of shared values and built on a mutual love of cycling. Even without the cycling experience, Hotel La Perla is a wonderful place to stay in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. The staff seem more like a family and are happy to adopt you without giving you the awkward feeling of being a weird and distant second cousin. InGamba is a highly professional and well-oiled machine bringing the feel of the professional peloton to the experience with its team of guides, mechanics and soigneurs. Finally, Pinarello: what can I say? The fact that three months after this experience Pinarello was sold to LVMH is testament to how much of a luxury it is to ride the Dogma F8: the perfect partner for an adventure across the Dolomites.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
2017 will see the 100th edition of the Giro D’Italia, with Alta Badia’s climbs, such as Campolongo and Falzarego, having been the showcase for some of the Giro’s biggest battles. Hotel La Perla’s Leading Bike package gives cyclists a taste of the pro life, including custom-made InGamba kit and a Pinarello Dogma F8 bike with SRAM RED eTap and Zipp wheels, measured to fit each cyclist, a daily guided ride with team car for support, a professional mechanic on hand, and a Pro Tour soigneur. The brand new ‘Dolomites Bike Day’ has just been announcedfor Alta Badia on Sunday 18th June 2017. A noncompetitive, free event, cyclists will make their way around a 51km circuit, taking in the Giro mountain passes of Campolongo, Falzarego and Valparola just a few weeks after the world’s greatest cyclists have competed there. For more information, visit altabadia.org/en. Rooms at La Perla start from £366 per person. For more details, visit hotel-laperla.it/en
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London’s most exclusive jet-set lifestyle event
11TH - 13TH MAY 2017 LONDON BIGGIN HILL AIRPORT
Tickets are limited. Book your place at www.theelitelondon.com
| fitness |
Look 795 Aerolight
Not just a pretty face
Behind the homage to Mondrian is a bike with serious credentials. After 30 years of experience using carbon, 10 of which involved specific research, Look has built an aerodynamic and ultralight machine with 836 separate pieces of carbon. From £9,299.99, zyrofisher.co.uk
Available in seven frame sizes
Specialist tech for a smoother ride
Bianchi Oltre XR3
A bike of the space age
BEST BIKES
If you want a bike that Neil Armstrong would choose, go for a Bianchi. The new XR3 uses the same Countervail technology as the XR4 that cancels 80 per cent of all vibrations through the frame, and has apparently been tested by NASA. From £2,799.99, bianchi.com
You can have the thighs of Sir Chris Hoy or the lung capacity of a Japanese pearl diver, but without the right bike, you’re going nowhere. Hit the road like a pro Words: david taylor
Lapierre Aircode
a purebred sprinter
This bike is built for sprinting. A mixture of aero tricks to cheat wind resistance and a lightweight structure gives this the edge over the competition when it comes to road racing, From £2,149.99, hotlines-uk.com
Specialized Roubaix Elite Smooth as silk
Another high-tech offering, this time from Specialized. Developed with McLaren Applied Technologies, there’s a huge improvement in frame responsiveness and ride quality. You’d expect nothing less from a bike named after one of the oldest professional races in the world. £2,100, specializedconceptstore.co.uk
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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leading Sleek, shiny and brand new to the Canary Wharf malls is Tesla; the standalone store opened just this month and its sure to tempt you with the impressive models it has to offer. Think state-of-the-art, specialised and ridiculously stylish
just opened The Cabot Place store not only showcases Tesla’s award-winning all-electric Model S and Model X, but also features its own Tesla design studio
canarywharf.com
@yourcanarywharf
T
he future is here and it’s come
hosting practically every function you
in the form of a brand new Tesla
could possibly think of, including the
store in Canary Wharf’s Cabot
manner in which your car doors open.
Place. From the moment you walk in,
Personalisation is a heavily embraced
you’ll feel transported into a futuristic
theme for Tesla, for example, the car’s
world and when you finally take a seat in
electronic screens allow the system
a Tesla, frankly, you’ll feel like you’re in
to ‘get to know you’ in certain ways;
a spaceship.
you can connect with your own key
Everything about the Tesla car
fob to preset the car to your personal
screams high-tech and cutting-edge.
preferences and create playlists with
It’s clean, sophisticated and stylish;
your spotify account. It’s user-friendly
from the plush leather seats and large
and can even be put on autopilot, giving
windows to the electronic screen
you more confidence behind the wheel
@canarywharflondon
t h e w ay test the limits Pop into the store and book yourself in for a test drive to try it for yourself or just head in and speak with the product specialists and educate yourself on the many benefits of an electric car. Tesla’s main mission is to push the world towards sustainable energy, and both the Model S and Model X are revolutionary 100 per cent electic vehicles. Safe, sleek and speedy, what more could you want?
and increasing safety on the road. The store is no different, not only can you take a look at the two models in person, you can also head to the design studio where you can pick and customise every last detail of your electronic car; colour, seats, battery pack, materials. It’s completely bespoke to you. Staff are on-hand to speak talk you through car specifications and ensure you’re making a decision to better your lifestyle. Tesla, Cabot Place; tesla.com
the electronic screens allow the system to ‘get to know you’
racing demons
This month may see the principality host the Formula 1 family, but watching cars race through Monte-Carlo isn’t just a once-a-year occurrence. In early 2017, The City Magazine headed to Monaco to revel in the fumes and fun that embodies the Monte-Carlo Rally Words: Emma johnson
C
ars and Monaco go together like beer and sunshine. It’s almost impossible to think about this cool city without hearing the full-throttle revving of a powerful engine, the screech of brakes and the high-pitched squeal of burning rubber. As you walk around the city, swooping corners and long tunnels conjure up familiar images from television and evidence of the Grand Prix circuit is everywhere you look – from the sloping chequered pavement edges to hotels with balconies straddling the track. It’s a place that has woven car racing into its very vernacular. No surprise then, that its petrolhead credentials aren’t limited to one weekend in
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May. Aside from the mega fabulous Monaco Yacht Show in September it also boasts both the Historic Grand Prix in May, and the famous Monte-Carlo Rally, which has been running each January for over a century. An unmissable event for worldwide collectors and classic motorsport fanatics, the 11th Historic Grand Prix is a real sprint race, contested on the legendary circuit of Monaco. It features everything from pre-war Grand Prix cars to Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix cars from 1966 to 1976 and solo Ferrari, Sports and GT cars with front engine and drum brakes from 1955 onward. It’s a wonderful event celebrating the history of F1 and a great way to get in the mood for the main event.
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| FEATURE |
Rallye Monte-Carlo
For real car enthusiasts though, you can’t miss the Rallye Monte-Carlo, which courses through southeast France, along the French Riviera and throughout the Principality of Monaco. Created by Prince Albert in 1911 as an event to attract people to Monte-Carlo during the tourist low season, it sees competitors setting off from all four corners of Europe and converging in Monaco. The starting cities change each year and have included places as far afield as Warsaw, Glasgow and Marrakech, but commonly Lisbon, Barcelona, Hamburg and Reims among the six main starting cities. The initial rally featured just 23 cars, but today the amount of entrants exceeds 330. In 1973, the Rallye became a core part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and heralded the start of the series each year. As the event is held in January on mountainous terrain and winding roads, cars can face challenges such as snowcovered shingles to icy tarmac and dense fog, so there’s a big emphasis on tyre choices. Competitors must balance the importance of grip with a need for considerable speed in the drier conditions. The race also features one of the most thrilling routes in rally driving, at one point passing over the Col de Turini, a renowned mountain pass road that is usually covered in ice, snow or both. One of the sport’s most iconic locations, it is the place to be on the main day, where enormous crowds gather to watch competitors cross the mountain summit in the final leg. The Turini is sometimes driven at night, causing it to be known as the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ due to the strong high-beam headlights cutting through the darkness. It’s a thrilling way to spend a weekend, gathered on the harbour to watch each
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
car growl its way to the finish line, there’s a fantastic atmosphere of celebration and history. Just the perfect way to immerse yourself in the culture of this unique principality.
City limits Monaco – a city state (MonteCarlo is a district within it, sort of a Manhattan or Mayfair, if you will) – sits in the French Riviera, on the very edge of the south coast of France, with the Italian Riviera nearby, and just down the road from Nice. It is about the size of Central Park in New York and has just 3,600 inhabitants. We get our first glimpse of Monaco from a helicopter – the only way to arrive in
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| feature |
Rallye Monte-Carlo Trivia
In 1966, a variety of Mini Coopers took three of the coveted top four places, beating the usual turbo engines to the top spots – until they were disqualified on the grounds alleged of headlight infringements. Monte-Carlo address book Hotels: The SBM group has a series
the city, arguably. A gentle seven-minute cruise along the beautiful French coastline, Monaco announces itself from behind a rocky outcrop, yacht sails visible behind striking buildings, carved into the rock, hugging the hillside. Everything here is either beautiful or impressive with epic proportions. The car showrooms are vast, with sparkling sunshine views across the bay; the casino looks like something out of a baroque revivalist’s dream, with gothic detailing, filigree twists and embellishments. And that’s just the outside – inside, it’s one of the most impressive casinos in the world. Not surprising that it’s actually a key sightseeing stop-off for day trippers. The streets are spotlessly clean, and empty – of the few thousand people that call this home, many
Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco From 25-28 May this year, Monaco will be playing host to the remarkable Monaco Grand Prix, which has been running since 1929. The race is on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco and with multiple elevation changes, tight corners and a tunnel, it’s one of the most demanding tracks of the Formula 1 circuit. To win the Monaco Grand Prix is up there with the biggest race achievements and both Graham Hill, the man nicknamed Mr Monaco, and Michael Schumacher have won it five times. However, the record of wins in the Principality resides with Ayrton Senna, who won in Monte-Carlo six times.
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are only here for a fleeting part of the year. Having scrapped income tax in 1869 (as well as getting rid of capital gains and wealth taxes) it is still a Mecca for people who want to hold onto their money, and the associated lifestyle that goes along with it. Monaco has made its name attracting the rich and powerful, the bling and the beautiful – and what it lacks in space it makes up for in ostentatious shows of wealth and glamour. Home to the likes of Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, Tina Green (wife of Sir Philip Green), and Sir Roger Moore (of course), everyone in Monaco is beautiful, or trying to be. No expense has been spared from the expertly coiffed roots of their hair to the tips of their perfectly manicured toes (men included). The weather is mostly glorious, the sunshine bouncing off the sea, even in January. Al fresco life happens allyear round; and the views across the city are beautiful. The whole place is stacked up on the cliffs, with buildings featuring huge windows purposefully pointing towards the curving coast. Monaco doesn’t lie – it has a reputation for being all about uber-glamour, uber-wealth and uber-style. And it is exactly like this on all counts – which fits brilliantly with a weekend of celebrating fast cars and good living. visitmonaco.com
of impressive hotels in Monte-Carlo – from the gorgeously decadent Hôtel de Paris, next to the Casino, and the effortlessly chic Hôtel Hermitage, to the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, on a tiny peninsula about three minutes from the centre of town, the perfect place for an extended break in the spring and summer months. All have at least two restaurants, great spas and plenty of secluded terraces and suites with wonderful ocean views. Stay at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, from £210 per night based on two people sharing, montecarlobay.com / montecarlosbm.com
Eating: With everything from Cipriani
to Alain Ducasse’s three Michelinstarred Le Louis XV, Monaco is not short of places to eat. We loved Quai des Artistes, a classic French fish restaurant on the harbour; modern and inventive cooking at Blue Bay at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel; Le Vistamar, which has the best views in Monaco and great seafood; and La Piazza, which specialises in wonderful Italian fare.
Drinking: Le Bar Américain is
an absolute must, the place to be in Monaco, with beautiful people everywhere you turn and a real sense of the Monaco atmosphere. Zelo’s is renowned as a major night spot, with views over the bay; Brasserie de Monaco is a major summer spot, with a terrace right on the harbour and craft beers; while Buddha-Bar MonteCarlo is the only place to be during the Grand Prix and makes the best cocktails in Monaco.
Getting There: British Airways
flies several times a day to Nice from Heathrow T5; Monacair (helicopter) 40 times a day between Nice and MonteCarlo, prices start at £120 per person, per transfer. britishairways.com / monacair.mc / visitmonaco.com
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
| feature |
Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo Set just off Place du Casino, the Hotel Metropole is every bit the leader of Monégasque opulence Words: David Taylor
Y
ou couldn’t make it up: walking across Monaco’s iconic Casino Square, past the Café de Paris; snaking through the Ferraris and Bugattis in front of the Monte-Carlo Casino; hopping up the staircase recognised the world over; being whisked inside, past the queues of ogling tourists; and finally settling down at the blackjack table, drink in hand. So far, so Bond. The small amount of cash I actually returned to the Hotel Metropole with was nothing short of a miracle. It was almost as if the hotel, yards from the conspicuous hustle and bustle of the rich and famous, had arranged for this to happen. After all, everything else about my stay seemed like the build-up to Casino Royale. I was greeted by a pristine concierge at the end of a long, plush driveway lined by palm trees, the looming façade of the Belle Époque-styled palace
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
boasting glamour hand-picked from three centuries of style. The hotel was built in 1886 on land previously owned by Pope Leo XIII. Leo certainly owned some prime real estate: it takes less than three minutes to walk from the hotel entrance to the Café de Paris, and 10 minutes to saunter down to the superyacht-laden quays. However, it’s tempting to see the walk as too much effort when greeted by accommodation frozen in a time of high luxury. The design throughout the hotel instils a sense of grandiosity without verging into gaudy territory – although the lobby runs this close, with fantastical installations and plush corners in which its monied patrons can relax. The rooms are spacious and grand, and although the lavish style might not be to everyone’s taste, this reflects Monaco as a whole – if you like Monaco, you’ll love the Metropole. Joël Robuchon, the world’s most Michelin-starred chef (28 in all), manages all four restaurants, and his eponymous offering is the best. The caramelised quail and truffled mashed potatoes are hard to beat, as is the size and scale of the bread
and dessert carts wheeled to every table. The lobby’s menu is luxurious enough for a lunchtime bite, and the generous plates of comfort food will have you sweating off the extra calories out on the water. The Metropole’s spa has recently reopened, with a new partner in the chic shape of the House of Givenchy, becoming only the third spa in the world to bear the name. Designed by Didier Gomez, the spa is in keeping with the hotel’s style, and offers 10 treatment rooms, including two private suites for extra relaxation. The hotel has almost everything you need, but the owners haven’t rested on their laurels. A series of bespoke ‘Just For You’ experiences are on offer at the Metropole, including the ‘GoldenEye Experience’, where a heady mix of private casino tours, helicopter rides, a tour of the French Riviera in an Aston Martin, and tuxedo and evening gown fittings would make Daniel Craig jealous. As for my own Bond moment: I lost my winnings back home a week later putting a flutter on the football. I should’ve stayed in Monaco. Rooms start at approx. £408, metropole.com
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The world’s greatest cars set to roar into the city
On the 8th and 9th June, the gardens of the Honourable Artillery Company, in the heart of the City, will be packed with power and glory – over 160 legendary sports cars, historic racing cars and modern supercars, presented by Octane Magazine. The inaugural City Concours is an exclusive motoring event bringing together the world of luxury cars, fine watches, art and gourmet food. The specialist classic and sports car dealers will be joined by displays of the premium international car marques. So with all-day hospitality and Champagne Taittinger tents it has to be the perfect location for a power lunch.
PRESENTED BY
BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.CITYCONCOURS.CO.UK FOR HOSPITALITY AND GENERAL ENQUIRIES 020 3142 8542
Start your engines
| feature |
As the Square Mile prepares for a rally of classic cars and supercars to enter the Honourable Artillery Company gardens, The City Magazine finds out what visitors can expect at City Concours Words: Bethan rees
n 8 and 9 June this year, the gardens of the Honourable Artillery Company in the City will turn into a playground for car lovers. The motoring garden party called City Concours is the brainchild of the team behind Concours of Elegance, one of the top rated classic car events in the world. Celebrate the finer things in life such as the latest supercars to legends of Formula 1 and Le Mans, alongside artisan goods, art and luxury watches, all with the backdrop of the (hopefully) sunny City skyline.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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Q&A… ANDREW EVANS, DIRECTOR OF CITY CONCOURS What are the Concours events and where do they come from? AE: The team behind the Concours, Thorough Events, produce three very special events around the subject of cars, of which the City Concours is the latest. The family jewel is something called the Concours of Elegance, which is in its fifth year. Its destination changes every year, it’s been at Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, St James’s Palace and Holyrood Palace – it’s the foundation of the business. It’s a very exclusive event, which brings owners and enthusiasts of classic and modern cars all together. Last year, we launched the Gulf Concours at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and this year is the launch of City Concours in London. What kind of people are you expecting to come to City Concours? AE: The profile of the audience changes per its geography but there are themes that run through the events. We’re bringing this to the City because the event is profiling an audience which might not go to the other shows. We’re targeting a very high-net-worth demographic of City professionals and it’s encouraging them to liberate their passion. First and foremost it’s about the cars but also the event itself at the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a great setting. It is a beautiful oasis within walking distance of Liverpool
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Street and Moorgate. I like to describe it as a beautiful automotive garden party in the City, it’s decadent and high quality. The HAC is unlike anywhere else in the City. It has such a vast expanse of manicured lawns across a six-acre site. It’s a historic military site which houses a regiment that performs ceremonial duties and its an armoury as well.
league to a LaFerarri (Ferrari’s latest creation) at the other. But it’s important that the audience realise there’s more to this event than cars; we’ve got amazing hospitality, pavilions for art, luxury goods and watches. And Taittinger has just been confirmed as a partner so it’s a great opportunity to have some bubbles too.
What’s the difference between this event and Concours of Elegance? AE: There won’t be an emphasis on pre-war cars here. This is more aimed at high-net-worth individuals, aged 30-55, who want to exercise their passion for cars, 1960s models onwards. There will be supercars lining the entrance to the site. What cars can we anticipate to see? AE: I wouldn’t want to focus on any car in particular, but for a glance at the spectrum, there will be a Mercedes SL Gullwing at one end of the supercar
THE CITY MAGAZINE | LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK
| feature |
SEVEN THINGS TO DO AT CITY CONCOURS 1 Ogle the holy trinity of supercars, as the Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1 line up together on the Artillery lawn 2 Relive history’s most epic 24 Hours of Le Mans moments, with iconic cars such as the Jaguar D-Type and Gulf McLaren F1 3 See how performance has evolved with a display of supercars through the ages, including the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, Jaguar XKSS and Ferrari 288 GTO 4 Book in for the RM Sotheby’s breakfast – a full English set among some of the world’s most incredible cars – and listen to expert talks about the investment potential in the classic car market 5 Book yourself a three-course lunch in the hospitality area or just pop into the Taittinger Champagne tent for a glass of bubbly 6 Browse the latest high-end timepieces in the Chrono Pavilion, including a collection from one of the oldest surviving watchmakers, Breguet 7 If you’re feeling flush, drive home in a classic or performance car of your own from one of the UK’s best automotive specialists, including Nicholas Mee and Clayton Classics The C i t y M ag a zine reader offer • Two-for-one on £35 entry tickets • 20 per cent off Breakfast in the City tickets, including breakfast ser vice, private or shared tables and all-day access. Originally £102, reader of fer £82 • 20 per cent of f Concours Alfresco Lunch tickets, including a Champagne reception , an outdoor food section featuring a summer sizzle menu , half a bottle of wine with lunch and all-day access. Originally £226, reader offer £170 • Enter the code RUNWILDVIP when booking via cityconcours.co.uk
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
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FIGURES OF SPEECH Kerry James Marshall’s figurative paintings are being celebrated in a 35-year retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. As a child of the Civil Rights era, he set out to redress the historical lack of representation of African-Americans in art and art history WORDS: MARK AND HANNAH HAYES-WESTALL
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THE CITY MAGAZINE | LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK
| ART |
W
hen the leader of a struggling consumer brand is looking for ways to solve the business’s problem he or she might find themselves turning to the ideas of A.G.Lafley, the former CEO of Proctor & Gamble and co-author of Playing to Win, a book that outlines a strategic approach to winning in the market. Playing to Win was written more than 50 years after the artist Kerry James Marshall was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and it’s unlikely that an arty teenager would have encountered or engaged with a business strategy guide. Yet for Marshall, one of America’s foremost figurative painters, strategic thinking and execution is central to his work to extend the benefits and privileges of inclusion in the history and practice of fine art to the black community. Marshall’s driving force is one that he says is inevitable. “You can’t be born in Birmingham in 1955 and grow up in South Central [Los Angeles] near the Black Panthers’ headquarters and not feel like you’ve got some kind of social responsibility,” Marshall says. “You can’t move to Watts [in Los Angeles] in 1963 and not speak about it. That determined a lot of where my work was going to go.” Initially identifying the power and influence that art history exerts over the wider culture, Marshall’s career has been a study in the effective planning and execution of a strategy that ensures both the cannon of art history, and the museum and academic infrastructure that support and promote it, contain far more evidence of black participation as subjects and as practitioners. The artworld of the late 1970s, when Marshall was reaching his artistic maturity, was filled with artists withdrawing from painting in preference for more modern approaches such as installation, performance art, video art, and others. Yet the art history that he had studied, and the reverence with which long-dead painters continued to be treated suggested to the young artist that painting would be a surer route into the heart of art history. Now known for his painterly technique, Marshall rejects the idea that painting well requires specific skill.Instead he compares it to writing as a mark-
LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK | THE CITY MAGAZINE
making communication technique that can be taught, and effective composition as something that can be learnt. For Marshall, the history of black people in America is the account of a people finding ways to be less vulnerable to the dictates of others. He has said that the lack of mastery “leaves you vulnerable to the imposition of somebody else’s will”. Talks and writings, as well as through his work, underscore his contention that mastery can be learnt and that in doing so, a position of increased privilege can be acquired, and vulnerability so lessened. The rejection of vulnerability through mastery is evident in the work itself. As if working through a checklist (and, with a strategic plan this informed it would be no surprise to find a checklist in existence), Marshall has created a body of work where from subject to context to material to discipline, no potentially weak flank is left exposed.
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The settings of his work and his subjects draw explicit parallels with works throughout art history. Since he began painting, the people in Marshall’s work have been black. Consciously avoiding the myriad shades of brown skin tone, the subjects in Marshall’s paintings are the irrefutable, fundamental black that is the absence of colour, and denying a culture that lumps all other colours together as simply black. And over the course of years, Marshall has slowly and carefully shown that the application of his painterly skills can evolve the representation of the black figures. It moves the subjects from almost two-dimensional, schematic drawings to a stage where his layering of paint, and use of tone creates depth and volume, in what is a clear parallel with the evolution of representative painting in western European art history. The subjects in Marshall’s work often appear extraordinarily relaxed. Whether lying on a blanket
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on the grass, chatting at the hair salon, or just watching TV in their underwear, the visual context is one that rejects the extremes of strength and weakness in favour of a reflection of the more ordinary daily comforts of life. The context related specifically to the moment in time, a period of post-industrial collapse, where an upwardly mobile black population had begun to remake urban spaces in a way that provides a more comfortable way of being. Marshall has spoken of the role of the artist as being “to show people things they might not have thought about until you put it in a form that gave them a chance to see it”. The settings of his work and his subjects draw explicit parallels with works throughout art history that define desire through their use of leisure and peace, the state that poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire termed luxe, calme, et volupté, too. Marshall’s ambition is to change the rules of cultural discussion, not only bringing more black voices into the conversation but setting the agenda. He has said: “The privileged position is to be able to make a character that operates within the culture as if it is essential, that it can’t be done without and that it begins to shape the paradigm against which everyone else has to measure their success.” A major retrospective of his work is currently on show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and has previously been shown at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. His work has been shown in solo shows in institutions across the world and is critically acclaimed in a way that suggests that he has not only achieved his place in art history but which, in line with his strategy, has changed the paradigm of the times against which all other work is assessed. Lafley would almost certainly recognise a fellow master-strategist.
BUY THE WORK David Zwirner, W1S, davidzwirner.com
PREVIOUS PAGE LEFT TO RIGHT Untitled (Club Couple), 2014, by Kerry James Marshall, acrylic on PVC panel, 155 x 155 cm. Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York/London; artist Kerry James Marshall, courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, London. Photo credit: Felix Clay THIS PAGE LEFT TO RIGHT Untitled (Crowning Moment), 2014, by Kerry James Marshall, acrylic on PVC panel, 62.4 x 55.6 cm Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York/London; Untitled (Red Line), 2014, acrylic on PVC panel, 93.8 x 78.7 cm. Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York/London
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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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STATES OF PLAY The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed after the Great War, which was triggered by a Serbian revolutionary shooting an Austrian archduke. Three decades later, following another World War, the Kingdom became the Federation of Yugoslavia, consisting of six socialist republics: Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. For a while, there was peace, and then there wasn’t. In the nineties, war raged in Croatia then Bosnia then Kosovo. In the noughties, Serbia and Montenegro announced a state union, which lasted all of three years before the latter gained independence following a referendum in 2006. Today, where there was once conflict, there is a set of wounded ex-communist countries, each with a distinctive identity, and, in the case of Croatia and Montenegro, a coastline dotted with exceptional treasures. Welcome to the Adriatic. RB
Boka Kotor bay in Montenegro
Brave New World
IMAGE Galactica Super Nova, Heesen Yachts, courtesy of Guillaume Plisson
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Since its separation from Serbia in 2016, foreign direct investment has poured into pocket-sized Montenegro, turning this former Yugoslavian, ex-communist enclave into luxury’s latest frontier. But as it rushes to create resorts that will rival the playgrounds of the Mediterranean, is Montenegro selling its soul to the devil? Words: Richard Brown
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Montenegro
Population: 622,159 Landmass: 5,333 sq miles (approx. 2/3 the size of Wales) Capital city: Podgorica
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could be in Monaco. Or Porto Cervo. Or Puerto Banus. Which means Porto Montenegro has achieved exactly what it set out to achieve. Below our bedroom balcony, rows of sharp-nosed motorboats are sandwiched into a glistening marina like silvery sardines packed into a tin. There are palm trees, people wearing Ralph Lauren polo shirts, and one, two, three Riva yachts. Or at least they look like Rivas, from up here. It’s a very pretty picture. And a far cry from the Montenegro that greets you should you arrive in the country by car, as we had done, from neighbouring Croatia. More on that later. On a coffee-table inside our suite is a luxury lifestyle magazine supported by advertising from Hublot, Bang & Olufsen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. On the page after the editor’s letter there is an excerpt from a speech made by Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanovi a couple of months previously. “It is with special devotion and respect that we remember the heroes from our past who devoted and sacrificed their lives in order to persevere the luminance of Montenegrin freedom,” it says. “By celebrating Montenegro, its freedom and autonomy, never forget that the independence must be preserved… The independence of Montenegro is our greatest obligation.” It is not the sort of welcome note you expect from a luxury lifestyle magazine. Montenegro is not the sort of country in which you expect to
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find a marina full of superyachts. Some context: 20 years ago, Montenegro was emerging from a conflict with Croatia, a war it had waged with Serbia, a country with whom Montenegro had announced a state union following the 1992 breakup of Yugoslavia. Following the defeat, Montenegro, under Prime Minister Đukanovi (even then), began politically decentralising itself from its ally. By the time Serbia’s Slobodan Miloševi wcas overthrown in 2000, Montenegro was effectively a self-governing state, something that became official following a referendum in May 2006. The speech in the magazine in my room marked the tenth anniversary of Montenegro’s Independence Day. A lot has happened in the decade that followed. Montenegro continued to struggle with its transition from a communist state to a free-market, though still largely statecontrolled, economy. Its government has been described as a kleptocracy; Đukanovi accused of corruption, nepotism, cigarette smuggling, Mafia involvement and money laundering. His people have faced economic misery, rising land prices, poorly executed town planning strategies, and have taken to the streets
Montenegro is not the sort of country in which you expect to find a marina full of superyachts in protest against a politician that has been in power – either as Prime Minister or President – for 25 years, longer than any other European leader. By 2020, Montenegro has set a goal of joining the EU – an unlikely ambition given the accusations of organised crime and corruption that beset the country’s leaders. The country also hopes to become a Nato member by the end of 2017. The latter aspiration has divided the nation. Around 29 per cent of Montenegro’s population is made up of Serbs, whose opposition to Nato can be traced to the alliance’s intervention in the
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Serbia-Kosovo war. Indeed, many Montenegrin Serbs still lament Montenegro’s independence. Only 55.5 per cent of the population voted to leave Serbia in the 2006 referendum. It is this Montenegro, a conflicted country, a country that was bombed by Nato as recently as 1999, a country that has been denied decades of foreign investment, that runs on potholed infrastructure, that had, until this year, lacked a commercial airport, that rejects multinational companies (including, in 2014, McDonald’s), that hits you, like a wall of cinderblock towers to the face, quite literally, as you enter the country from Croatia. The communist years were not kind to Montenegro’s ancient cities. Historic centres are now overshadowed by looming grey tower blocks, the majority of which have never seen a lick of paint. More recently, Montenegro has been at the mercy of largescale foreign investment, mostly from Russia, that has deformed the country even further. Planning regulation does exist, we were told, but evidently it is not being enforced. Ugly steel and glass architecture has replaced ugly communist concrete along much of the coast. Budva is the worst afflicted city. But Montenegro is undergoing a rebrand. For the past decade, the Montenegrin government has been incentivising tourism. It has sold formerly state-owned land to large-scale developers. It has sought to turn naval bases into sparkling marinas. It has lowered VAT on lodging. By 2009, Montenegro was the world’s second-fastest growing tourism market, trailing only China. Tourism now accounts for around 20 per cent of GDP. Everywhere you go, you get the sense that Montenegro is a country for sale – so who exactly is buying?
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Porto Montenegro
Cost: Approx. €200 million Owners: As of May 2016, the Investment Corporation of Dubai, under the direct control of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates
Nowhere embodies the transformation through which Montenegro is going better han Porto Montenegro. In 2006, this former-navy base was purchased at a public auction by Canadian entrepreneur Peter Munk. The founder of Barrick Gold of Toronto – the world’s largest listed gold-mining company – Munk had big plans for these derelict docklands. Joined by some seriously heavyweight investors, including a couple of Rothschilds, LVMH supremo Bernard Arnault, and Russia’s Oleg Deripaska, president of the planet's second largest aluminium company, Munk set out to create a marina that would act as a magnet for the world's largest privately-owned megavessels. He succeeded. Enticed by tax breaks, including duty-free fuel, and berths that are up to 40 per cent cheaper than those in the Med, the superyachts began arriving shortly after the marina’s opening in 2009. The showpiece during our visit, some seven years later, was the 70-metre Galactica Super Nova – the largest yacht Heesen has ever built). Porto Montenegro is, of course, a stucco-imitation of the Med’s other playboy playgrounds. To deride the development as characterless, though, would be to ignore the fact that it's less than a decade old. Within that time, the deep-water marina has already established itself in the minds of captains and crew. Already you’d struggle for a better place to superyacht spot outside of Monaco. A smattering of designer shops and international restaurants creates a Dubai-on-docks feel, but Porto Montenegro's neat streets and pretty piazzas are pleasant spaces to be. For the yacht-less, there’s also the Venetian-inspired, 86-bedroomed Regent Porto Montenegro hotel. It is only the second big-name premium hospitality brand to land in the country, following the arrival of Aman in 2009. A top-rate spa incorporates a sauna, steam room and a 20-metre outdoor infinity pool that overlooks the marina. Rooms are vast. A bakery café sells pastries flown in from France, while the hotel’s Dining Room has only the Aman Restaurant for competition, which, in our experience, it trumped.
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Portonovi
Cost: €650 million Owners: Azmont Investments
Luštica Bay Cost: around €1.1 billon Owners: Orascom Development Holding AG, Switzerland, (90 per cent) and the Government of Montenegro (10 per cent)
In order to convey the scale of Luštica Bay, the project's marketing team whizz members of the press across the sprawling site in a fleet of 4x4s. At 690-hectares, the development is the size of around 850 football pitches. It stretches from two underconstruction marinas at the shoreline of the Trašte Bay, to an 18-hole Gary Player golf course (the country's first), which climbs from the bay to the top of surrounding mountains. With the larger of the two marinas only capable of accommodating boats of up to 35 metres, Luštica Bay is a different development from Porto Montenegro. Luštica is marketed as an opportunity to invest in a more understated, environmentally-friendly holiday-home. Luštica Bay will comprise 1,000 apartments, town houses and villas. So far, 180 properties have been sold to buyers from 33 countries. A rental brokerage service scheme is offered to existing homeowners who are looking to rent their properties when not in residence, or to potential buyers looking to get a taste of Luštica Bay life before purchasing. There will also be seven hotels, the first of which, it was announced last year, will be the second European The Chedi (currently the brand’s only other European outpost operates in Andermatt, Switzerland). Prices of apartments in Luštica Bay's town centre range from €120,000 to €290,000. Luštica Bay will be exhibiting at A Place in the Sun exhibition, Olympia, 5-7 May 2017 96
Built on land reclaimed from the sea 100 years ago by the Montenegrin navy, Portonovi is a €650 million development by Azmont Investment – a Montenegro-based company owned by Azerbaijan Global Investments (AGI), a consortium of three leading Azerbaijani investment holding companies. The super-premium development will see 24 hectares of land lining Boka Bay transformed into a mixed-use luxury resort and mega-yacht marina. Like Luštica Bay, Portnovi occupies a position between mountain and sea. Minuscule in comparison to Luštica, the development will nonetheless incorporate a 250-berth deepwater marina intended to attract the world’s largest superyachts, as well as 290 luxury homes designed to echo the style vernacular of neighbouring Herceg Novi, Kotor, Perast and Dubrovnik. Perhaps the biggest news here is that Portonovi will include Europe’s first One&Only hotel. With sales of residences having been launched in the Middle East, and with Montenegro offering an open visa policy for UAE citizens, expect Portonovi to become the country's most exclusive of playgrounds.
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HOTEL OF THE MONTH Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
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Opening shortly after Montenegro became an independent state, Aman Sveti Stefan is far more than a hotel – it helped put the country on the map Words: Richard Brown
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efore Portonovi, before Porto Montenegro, before the country’s capital Podgorica got a Hard Rock Café and before Robert De Niro opened a Nobu in Milocer, Aman resorts signed a 30-year lease on a tiny island called Sveti Stefan. The group proceeded to transform the island’s collection of 600-year-old red-roofed, stone-walled buildings into not just the best hotel in Montenegro, but what has become one of the most
renowned hotels in the Balkans. You won’t find anything on par with Sveti Stefan until you reach Italy or Greece. Indeed, perhaps until you arrive at Aman’s other properties in Venice or Porto Heli. Much of this has to do with the island itself. Having successfully tendered the Montenegrin government in 2007, Aman inherited one of the most cherished jewels along the Adriatic coast. Type ‘Montenegro’ into Google and you’ll be met by images of Sveti Stefan. The island’s cottages were made for postcards. Well, actually, they were made for members of the Pastrovic clan in the 15th century as a fortified base, before becoming the judicial and administrative centre of the surrounding area for the next 200 years, but, well, you get the picture. By the 1950s, Yugoslavian forces had turned the island into an upmarket hotel that would go on to host the likes of Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Princess Margaret and Kirk Douglas. The breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s brought the party to an end, before Aman re-established Sveti Stefan’s place within the world’s best hotels.
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Crucially, the group has kept the island much the same as it would have appeared five centuries ago. Cobbled lanes and ivy-covered stone walls give way to quaint courtyards, while modern additions, like infinity swimming pools and a yoga pavilion, have been designed to sit sympathetically alongside centuries-old churches. The Piazza, an open-air square, forms the heart of the island village, the setting for three dinning venues, the Enoteca, Taverna and Antipasti Bar. There are 50 rooms, cottages and suites on the island, in addition to eight suites at Villa Milocer – a 32-hectare estate on the mainland surrounded by 800 olive trees (where the Queen of Serbia used to holiday between 1900 and 1961). The stone walls within the rooms
on the island are all original, while furniture, from the latches to the doors and windows, is based on what you would have originally found in the former fisherman’s cottages. Every room, cottage and suite on the island is completely unique. During the entire duration of our visit, Montenegro was hit by a storm that pelted Sveti Stefan with thunder and lightning for three consecutive days. Windows rattled, shutters blew open and the island’s cobbled streets became as slippery as an ice rink. Not that we minded too much, splitting our time between a suite fit for a movie star, an indoor pool, spa, and the resort’s seventable main restaurant. Apparently, Novak Djokovic had better weather when he got married in Sveti Stefan in 2014.
HOW TO BOOK
Room rates from £664 per night including taxes, fees and breakfast. For more information, visit amansvetistefan.com
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Defiant Dubrovnik
Rising from the rubble of Croatia’s War of Independence, Dubrovnik’s ancient beauty and scarred façade make for a fascinating insight into the Adriatic Words: Richard Brown
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ort Imperial is a squat, stone battlement at the top of the Sr mountain, overlooking Dubrovnik. It was built by Napoleon between 1806 and 1812 to protect the city from invasion from the north. Today it is accessed by cable car. The fort was not used for the purpose it was intended for almost 100 years. Then, in 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was shelled by Serbia and Montenegro. The fort became a symbol of defiance during the next two years, the outnumbered soldiers within successfully thwarting the better-equipped enemy forces. Today, the fort is disused except for a small museum dedicated to the war. You can read news clippings, view an interactive map and watch missiles whizz over the head of an ITN war correspondent before they blow up little fibre-glass fishing boats in Dubrovnik Old Port. You can hardly believe what you remember watching on TV the first time around. Dubrovnik is a living history lesson, as is this
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pocket of the world in general. From a viewing platform at the fort, best visited at sunset, Dubrovnik is an architectural masterpiece. It is a sea of terracotta tiles, a city built on top of itself after an earthquake levelled it in 1667. A cluster of turrets, churches and bell towers. A medieval Mediterranean movie set. The backdrop to King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. One afternoon, we had a late lunch with Sasha Sabot, the marketing manager at the restaurant that has a monopoly at the top of the cable car, aptly named Panorama. Over shrimps, steak and a view that stretches across the Adriatic Riviera, from the island of Lokrum, the bay of Lapad and out to the Elaphite Islands, we talk about how Dubrovnik was so recently besieged, and how quickly tourism has returned. “Yes, at the moment, things are good,” said Sasha. “Tourism levels have nearly returned to where they were before the conflict. We have peace, but for how long?” It’s strange to hear such a significant stakeholder suggest that, even now, peace in the Balkans may be fleeting. The company behind Panorama also operates Dubrovnik’s two other premium restaurants, Nautika and Dubravka 1836. The cruise ships may be queuing up to dock in the bay in front of us, but Sasha’s almost flippant remark is a comment we hear time and again in both Croatia and neighbouring Montenegro. The next day, in search of a beach with sand rather than rocks covered with concrete, we veer off the road that connects Dubrovnik to ilipi Airport and stumble across something that genuinely blows our socks from underneath our sandals. Kupari, the internet later tells us, was a holiday resort built for the elite of the Yugoslav army. On the day we found it, it was a collection of enormous, bullet-hole-ridden hotels and military buildings given over to nature, graffiti artists and, at some point, some pretty proficient looters. All that remained were concrete shells, some perilous looking staircases, moss-covered bedrooms and a wood-panelled restaurant that trees now live in. Kupari, according to the internet, was a pioneer of Dubrovnik’s tourism industry from the 1960s until 1991, when war broke out and the Yugoslav army bombarded their former favourite holiday spot. Croatia is a country bursting with ancient relics, but it only takes a ruined zombie resort to bring its more recent history into focus.
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Croatia’s airports received a record 7.5 million passengers in 2016, two million of whom passed through Dubrovnik. But while peace has seen tourists return to Croatia’s most famous city, visitors won’t be staying at any of the usual big-name hotels. The majority of Dubrovnik’s top places to stay are operated by a single company with a commitment to promoting Croatia as an upmarket, yet understated, holiday destination. Since the end of the conflict with Serbia, Croatian-born Goran Štrok has spent two decades building a portfolio of premium hotels and villas collectively known as Adriatic Luxury Hotels. We were luxury enough to stay at the jewel within the portfolio: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace. Set on a hill on the Lapad peninsula, a verdant outcrop of land popular for its beaches, the hotel sits between pine forest and turquoise waters. While it totals more than 300 rooms, Dubrovnik Palace doesn’t feel like a conveyor-belt hotel, thanks, largely, to staff that couldn’t do more to accommodate you. Croatia may not be known for its culinary credentials, but everything we devoured at the Palace, from breakfast to lunch to dinner, was top-rate. You’ll be hard pushed to find a hotel in Dubrovnik that boasts both a decent swimming pool and access to the sea. The fact that the Palace has both, including a swim-up bar, makes it a rarity indeed. Double room starts at €580 (approx. £486) per room/night, including breakfast. adriaticluxuryhotels.com
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Back to life, back to reality
Sarajevo is a city that tells a tale of war-stricken destruction and beautiful restoration, as Rob Crossan finds out
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©Ajan Alen / Shutterstock.com
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igh heels echo on the Latin Bridge. Glammed-up local women, all Hermès scarves and slender calves, cut a breezy dash across the cobbles as the dusky skies cast ever longer shadows over the squat arches that spans the narrow, fast flowing river Miljacka. Yet it was barely a century ago that the sound on this bridge was the pop of gunfire rather than the clack of designer shoes. Sarajevo, now capital of Bosnia, was the location for the event that marked the first pan-European war of the 20th century. Gavrilo Princip, a member of the subversive Black Hand organisation, gunned down Franz Ferdinand, archduke of Austrua-Hungary on this bridge in 1914. His actions triggered four years of human carnage across the continent. Surrounded by soft-topped mountains strewn with Alpine-style villas and thin white columns of minarets, Sarajevo may have been one of the major cultural and trading crossroads between east Kovaci graveyard, Sarajevo. ©Alaattin Timur / Shutterstock.com
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and west for centuries. But its bijou size (its population is just over half a million – it’s more of a large town than a city) is more than superseded by its unfortunate place in history as the city that bookended the 20th century with the first and last major conflicts. The Siege of Sarajevo lasted between 1992 and 1996 when the city was surrounded by Serbian forces for an incredible 1,425 days – the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Two decades on and, in the city centre at least, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a city that has seen about as much conflict as the average Swiss canton. Handsome, pastel-coloured Germanicstyle houses line the river bank. The streets throng with clanging trams, gleaming shopping malls and bars, where bedheaded plaid-shirt-attired barmen serve up bespoke cocktails. There isn’t a bullet hole or shell scar to be seen anywhere. Yet, this is a city that, despite having made such a remarkable aesthetic recovery, hasn’t airbrushed its past completely. The Ferhadija is a 16th-century pedestrian only street lined with a myriad of side alleys, tiny mosques, coffee shops and miniscule stores selling everything from filigreed swords to copper coffee pots and Bosnian flags. It was here, chewing on the ubiquitous national street dish of
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©Ajan Alen / Shutterstock.com
cevapi – minced fingers of meat stuffed inside warm pitta bread and showered in onions – that I meet Adis, a mature student at the city university who all but drags me towards the discreet entrance of Gallery 11/07/95. This small gallery is the most powerful testament one could imagine towards making sure that the 1990s siege of the city by Serbian troops is never forgotten. Local photographer Tarik Samarah’s images are stark portraits of citizens taking cover in ruined apartment blocks as the shells land across the cityscape. Bleak levity is also on show in the form of mock-up Pop Art posters, which were created in the city at the time of the war. The Coca-Cola logo is adapted to read ‘Enjoy Sarajevo’ and there’s even a mock up of the movie poster for Some Like it Hot with the title changed to Some Like it Sarajevo above a picture of Marilyn Monroe. “We always kept our sense of humour,” Adis tells me. “Even in the middle of the siege, the nightclubs stayed open, bands kept performing and we even still had our Miss Sarajevo beauty contest.” In the space of less than two decades, Sarajevo has transformed itself from a byword for violence into a city that has embraced hedonism more than any other city in the Balkans. Still very far from being on the Brit stag-do weekend radar, the result is a city whose nightlife has developed in a more organic way than the likes of
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Prague or Budapest. Resolutely quirky and eccentric, the bar scene changes with dizzying speed. Right now, locals are swarming during the daytime to Tito, a wonderfully original homage to the late leader of Yugoslavia. Marshall Tito, whose once huge nation has now fragmented into no less than seven different independent nations, of which Bosnia is one.
In the space of less than two decades, Sarajevo has transformed itself from a byword for violence into a city that has embraced hedonism Abandoned Olympic bobsleigh and luge track. © Fotokon / Shutterstock.com
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inside adriatic Baščaršija, Sarajevo. ©Michael Paschos / Shutterstock.com
Portraits of the late leader, once derided but now strangely fashionable again, hang on the walls alongside ancient Yugoslav-era street signs, khaki-coloured seats and even a collection of World War Two-era jeeps which sit, quietly rusting outside. This is a monument to an period when Tito, with agility and cunning managed to keep Yugoslavia separate from both east and west during the Cold War epoch. Deep in the old town lies another bar which takes a very different view of the past. Zlatna Ribica has a lavish, baroque interiors, high ceilings and thick columns, but take on a slightly Steptoe and Son vibe as well with ephemera hung on every available surface including ancient carriage clocks, crumbling bank notes of yore, sepia-tinted family portraits and a goldfish swimming in a giant decanter next to the bar. The waitresses, who, all but drowning in chiffon and silk, look like a cross between Greenwich Village beat poets and gone-to-seed aristocratic ladies who lunch, serve up wine in goblets and are a rich source of info about the city’s creative scene. On recommendation, we head down a side alley, through a creaking door, down a passageway, squeeze past a derelict upright piano and knock on the door of what looks like it might be no more than an abandoned fruit and veg warehouse. A beaming waitress opens the door to a farrago of saxophones and cigarette smoke. This is Monument, one of the burgeoning group of live jazz bars in the city. Taking a break after a boisterous cover of A Love Supreme (most famously performed by John Coltrane), I collar the pianist among the performers to ask him why this city seems to have embraced the world of jazz. “There must be at least eight or nine places in Sarajevo where you can hear live jazz at the moment,” he tells me while swigging from a bottle of local beer. “I think jazz really is a reflection of what we’ve been through in the last few years in Sarajevo. Life here was pretty chaotic for a long time – jazz is pretty formless music. I think it suits the psychology of the people who live here and have been through so much.” It’s the final day, and I walk up the steep crenulated hills that surround Sarajevo
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to a converted town house called Kibe. Here, sitting beside huge windows giving a sweeping view of the city below, I indulge in another Sarajevo speciality; namely spitroasted lamb. Served from the shoulder, leg and haunch, the crispy, succulent meat is devoured with a glass of zesty wine from Herzegovina and a plate of bell peppers, so fresh I suspect they might hop off the plate of their own accord. As I depart, stomach full and legs beginning to ache, the muezzin strikes the azan, the evening call to prayer from a nearby mosque. Children mostly ignore the call, preferring to race their bikes up and down the hill while an old lady, kneeling on her balcony, attempts to rouse a huge ginger cat who was prostrate on top of a pot plant. For a city that, by all logical standards, should still be reeling from the turmoil of its recent history, this is a city that continues to straddle the
aesthetics and the vicissitudes of both east and west. “This city has so much history – maybe almost too much history,” says my student friend Adis when we part. “But I don’t think we ever forgot the real priorities of life. Drink, eat, talk; those are the things that no war can ever change for people.”
© Fotokon / Shutterstock.com
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Aristocrats,Artists, Artists, Ballerinas Aristocrats, Ballerinas, Bankers,CFOs, CFOs, CEOs, CEOs Bankers, Entrepreneurs, Generals, Generals, Gurus Entrepreneurs, Gurus, InteriorDesigners, Designers, Lawyers Interior Lawyers, Lecturers,Media Media Moguls, Moguls Movie Lecturers, Movie Stars, Oligarchs Stars, Oligarchs, Philanthropists, Philanthropists, Politicians Politicians, Presidents, Presidents, Rappers Rappers, Rock-Stars, Royalty… Rock-Stars, Royalty… to name but a few to name but a few
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LONDON HOMES & PROPERTY Covering THE CITY, WAPPING, SHAD THAMES, SHOREDITCH & ISLINGTON
city living
from marylebone to mill hill, this month’s investment opportunities are all about celebrating the best that london has to offer
IMAGE Chiltern Place, Marylebone, see page 128 for more details
Five minutes with…
We talk to an expert agent who gives us the lowdown on the market and a local view of an area
St Katharine Docks
Oliver’s Wharf in Wapping
Laura Laws head of sales at the Savills Wapping office
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riginally hailing from the north of England, Laura Laws is now the head of sales at the Savills Wapping office. She moved to London following a career in public transport and hasn’t looked back. The role at the Wapping office confronts Laws with a variety of properties in both architecture and location, from the Georgian terraces of Stepney Green to boutique apartment buildings in Temple to the new-build apartments of Canada Water and the hidden Victorian houses in Waterloo. We took five minutes to chat with Laws about the current market, the local area and her favourite pub.
Savills Wapping, Unit 1 Execution Dock House, E1W, 020 7456 6800, savills.co.uk 106
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How do you see the market changing in the run up to leaving the EU? Will it settle now there are certain confirmations? LL: A lot depends on the extent to which the UK capital can retain its status as a global financial city. Sentiment in London’s prime markets will be determined by the perceived impact Article 50 will have on the economy. Over the next two years it is difficult to see either a sustained upward or downward pressure on prices not least because of the prospect of ultra low interest rates. Savills is predicting flat growth during 2017 and 2018. Is London a resilient market? LL: The London market tends to remain resilient to challenges, and in Wapping this rang true following the EU referendum. Many of our buyers and sellers had a ‘business as usual’ attitude and this kept the market moving.
How has the area changed? LL: Wapping has become home to a range of stunning new developments and business spaces. Commodity Quay in St Katharine Docks, for example, completed in 2014 and incorporates premium office space with a number of dock-facing restaurants, from Tom’s Kitchen to Ping Pong. In the summer, a giant screen is set up so that live sport can be enjoyed and it creates a real buzz. The former News International headquarters has been taken over Cinnabar Wharf West, £1,200,000
What are the most pressing issues buyers and sellers are facing now and why? LL: With several new schemes completing in the area buyers are spoilt for choice, so sellers need to be competitive with guide prices to attract serious buyers. What advice would you give to a buyer in the current market? LL: Best in class properties always attract lots of interest and buyers need to remember that when trying to secure your dream home you need to make your most compelling offer. We’re expecting values to remain steady over the next couple of years, and since January we are agreeing sales at, on average, 99 per cent of their asking price so low-ball offers are unlikely to be successful.
St Katharines Way, £3,500,000
How should sellers present their properties? LL: Buyers are looking for a well-presented property with no surprises. Give your property a health check and identify anything that needs fixing or sprucing up. This might be as simple as a loose door handle that needs tightening, or a bigger investment such as replacing a dated bathroom. How do Savills’ offices work together? LL: We work frequently with our neighbours in Shoreditch and Canary Wharf, but many of our buyers and sellers come from our Home Counties offices. These might be ‘empty-nesters’ moving back into London once their children have left home, or couples selling in London to move out to the country to start a family. What’s your favourite thing about your job? LL: Having normally spent a few months arranging the sale of a property, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling of giving someone the keys to their new home. What are some of the most compelling aspects of Wapping? LL: Even though we are so close to central London and the business areas of the City, the Wharf and London Bridge, Wapping still maintains a village atmosphere. There are the stunning canals, the Thames Path and St Katharine Docks to walk and cycle, as well as the sailing school at Shadwell Basin. My favourite part has to be the quintessential village high street, complete with butchers, greengrocers and bakery, where the custard tarts are to die for!
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by Berkeley St George, who is creating beautiful community areas on a site that was previously closed to the public. The first building has just completed, so it’s the beginning of an exciting new phase for local residents. Where’s the best place to hang out in Wapping? LL: As a northerner, I am partial to a good pub. The Town of Ramsgate has a wealth of history, a great wine list, a lovely terrace overlooking the river and a tight-knit family feel. Are there good schools in the area? LL: There are some great nurseries and primary schools in Wapping. Saint Peter’s London Docks Primary School has one of the best playgrounds I have ever seen. What are the transport links like? LL: Wapping is well connected to access the whole capital. There’s the Overground at Wapping and Shadwell, National Rail from Limehouse and the DLR and Underground at Tower Hill. There are also great local bus connections to the City, Canary Wharf and Bethnal Green. It’s also a great area to walk through.
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MOVE Faster. Sell with Knight Frank
Our understanding of the everchanging market enables us to price your property accurately, so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving. Call us today on +44 20 8166 5375 to arrange your free market appraisal. KnightFrank.co.uk/wapping wapping@knightfrank.com
Guide price: £1,000,000
Ivory House, St Katharine Docks E1W 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, reception room, kitchen, conservatory, porterage and parking. Located in the yacht haven, St Katharine Docks this bespoke penthouse apartment offers an abundance of warehouse character and charm throughout, with two fantastic pieces of outdoor space providing wonderful views over St Katharine Docks. Approximately 74.6 sq m (803 sq ft). Leasehold 113 years remaining. Office: 020 8166 5375
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £2,400,000
Roneo Wharf, Limehouse E14 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom duplex penthouse apartment. Located on the banks of the Thames this bespoke penthouse offers over 1983sq ft of living space with high ceilings throughout, exposed brickwork and a wonderful terrace with panoramic views over the River Thames. Approximately 184.2 sq m (1,983 sq ft). Share of Freehold. EPC: D Office: 020 8166 5375
297h 210w Mayfair Mag
21/04/2017 16:23:03
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MOVE FASTER SELL WITH KNIGHT FRANK 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. KnightFrank.co.uk/Riverside Riverside@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5932
Guide price: £950,000
Hirst Court, Grosvenor Waterside SW1W A luxuriously spacious and well proportioned flat in the extremely popular riverside development Grosvenor Waterside. With beautiful wooden flooring and a contemporary style, this flat is both bright and well suited to a permanent residence or a London base, with its ideal central location. EPC: C Approximately 64.9 sq m (699 sq ft) Riverside@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3641 5932
@KF_SWLondon KnightFrank.co.uk
Guide price: £2,595,000
Neo Bankside, Southbank SE1 This superb NEO Bankside apartment sits adjacent to the River Thames. Stylish and in excellent condition throughout, amenities include a winter garden, 24 hour concierge, on-site gym and communal gardens. EPC: C. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception, winter garden, porter/concierge, leisure facilities, private parking. Approximately 169 sq m (1,819 sq ft) Riverside@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3641 5932
City Mag May'17 Issue Sales
05/04/2017 11:35:45
LauderdaleTower, Barbican EC2Y A stunning triplex penthouse apartment for sale in the Barbican One of only 3 triplex penthouse apartments arranged over the 39th, 40th and 41st floors of Lauderdale Tower in the heart of the Grade II listed Barbican estate. This 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment commands spectacular views across the City of London and beyond. Approximately: 229.7 sq m (2473 Sq ft) Leasehold: approximately 89 years
Guide price: £3,750,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/aldgate aldgate@knightfrank.com 020 3544 0712
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
KnightFrank.co.uk/ALD160078
City Magazine May 2017 1 page (Barbican- Lauderdale)
20/04/2017 15:29:31
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FOUND Your perfect tenant. Let with Knight Frank. Our local expertise and global network mean that we can find a reliable tenant for your property; and with an average tenancy of nearly two years, Knight Frank not only helps you find them - but keep them as well. KnightFrank.co.uk/aldgate aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com 020 3823 9930 Guide price: £595 per week
Times Square, Aldgate E1
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A bright 2 bedroom flat on the first floor in a modern, purpose built building is available to rent through Knight Frank, Aldgate. The property benefits from wooden floors to the main areas and a terrace with lovely internal views. It offers a reception open plan to a fully fitted kitchen, master bedroom with en suite shower room, second double bedroom and a family bathroom. EPC: B.
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: £1,300 per week
Charlotte Road, Shoreditch EC2A Huge, newly refurbished 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment located in the heart of Shoreditch. This newly refurbished apartment comprises a spacious, open plan lounge offering lots of light and character features, 3 bedrooms (master with en suite and private terrace) with lots of storage, a modern family bathroom, plus stylish, fully fitted kitchen with feature island. EPC: B.
city mag chris MAY 17 edition
20/04/2017 16:17:15
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EXPERT VIEWS
The Knight Frank Islington office gives its perspective on the current market and the year ahead
NICK MOORE
DANIEL FOX
associate at Knight Frank Islington
head of lettings at Knight Frank Islington
While the majority of buyers seem to be approaching the market with a degree of caution, which is to be expected, the sentiment among most seems to be overwhelmingly positive after an uncertain 2016. Asking prices have slipped a little over the course of the past few months, mainly because of the higher rates of stamp duty, but this has supported more stable levels of
activity during this period. Knight Frank undertook a fifth more transactions in the six months to February 2017 than the equivalent period last year and 2 per cent more than the same period two years ago. A marginal price rise in February of 0.1 per cent meant that the rate of annual price growth eased to -6.6 per cent in prime central London, a sign that price declines might be close to bottoming out. In Islington and the City Fringe, we have fared far better than some of our neighbours in more central areas, with Islington registering only a -1.9 per cent price change over the past year and areas such as Canary Wharf even registering 2.1 per cent growth over the same period. Unlike some areas of prime central London, in Islington, homes are predominantly sold to owneroccupiers who after a period of uncertainty last year, now seem to be of the opinion that “life goes on”. Brexit has only had a marginal impact on the London property market to date, it is stamp duty that has been the primary cause of the market slowdown that we have seen in recent months. It’s now down to the Chancellor to decide whether he makes any further changes to the stamp duty regime to put the market back on a more even keel.
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Activity in the Islington lettings market for the first few months of 2017 has been higher than the same period last year. While the performance of the London markets has varied, the overall rise in the number of tenancies agreed and viewings completed reflects the degree of uncertainty that remains in the sales market. Across core central London, rental value declines have begun to bottom out as the rate of growth in the supply of new lettings properties coming into the market slows, which is increasing the balance between demand and supply. Slightly lower rents, combined with a less favourable tax environment for landlords, allied to the fact that falls in capital values are slowing, means the supply of rental stock could fall in 2017 as landlords consider their options. Activity below £1,000 per week has remained the strongest performing market with properties below £500 per week seeing the fewest declines since the start of the year. Demand at this level has been underpinned by the greater acceptance of renting as a tenure model by young professionals, as well as the fact some corporate accommodation budgets have been cut, thereby increasing demand in the lower price brackets. For rental properties above the £1,000 per week, activity is improving but remains comparatively slower than other price brackets. A critical issue is budget restrictions for senior executives relocating to London due to the wider economic uncertainty. We’re at the beginning of a new financial year and we’re expecting to see a lot of corporate relocation, however, some of the relocation packages are changing. Housing costs are increasingly rolled up into a single overall allowance, meaning some tenants are more prudent with accommodation costs.
353 Upper Street, N1, 020 3657 7340, knightfrank.com
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
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: £250 per week
Sovereign Court, Wapping E1W
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This apartment is fully furnished to an extremely high standard with solid wooden flooring and contemporary fittings. The property comprises studio room with double bed, fully fitted kitchen, living space and separate bathroom. EPC: D. Approximately 27.2 sq m (293 sq ft) 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
New Crane Wharf, Wapping E1W A stylish, newly refurbished 2 bedroom apartment set in a popular warehouse development, with easy access in to Canary Wharf and The City. 2 double bedrooms, 2 modern bathrooms, study, and a fully fitted kitchen. EPC: D. Approximately 96 sq m (1,029 sq ft) wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366
City Magazine, may 17, lettings
24/04/2017 11:46:06
The Heron EC2Y ● ● ● ●
3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Balcony Residents' gym
● ● ● ●
24 Hour concierge Approx. 1,126 sq ft (104.6 sq m) Moorgate underground station EPC: C
£1,275 PW Furnished For more information, call Neil Short 020 7337 4005 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
Sloane Apartments E1 ● ● ● ●
3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Oak wood flooring Balcony with City views
● ● ● ●
24 Hour concierge Approx. 965 sq ft (88.8 sq m) Zone 1 EPC: B
£950,000 Leasehold For more information, call Barry Monaghan 020 7852 4105 or email barry.monaghan@eu.jll.com
16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL
jll.co.uk/residential
One Park Drive overlooking South Dock, Canary Wharf Computer generated images are indicative only. Prices are correct at the time of going to press.
London’s first residential tower by Herzog & de Meuron
Launching 4th May 2017 Prices from ÂŁ575,000 Preview by appointment only
One Park Drive, Canary Wharf
One Park Drive 3 typologies 58 storeys 483 apartments
Sales Enquiries +44 (0)20 7001 3800 canarywharf.com/residential residential.sales@canarywharf.com
Beckenham 020 8663 4433 Bromley 020 8315 5544
Chislehurst 020 8295 4900 Locksbottom 01689 882 988
Orpington 01689 661 400 West Wickham 020 8432 7373
Beckenham BR3 Stunning five bedroom home located in the heart of Park Langley on a private gated mews.
£1,250,000 F/H Five bedrooms
Three bathrooms
Two receptions
EER C
Contact Beckenham 020 8663 4433
Chislehurst BR7
Shirley Hills CR0
A superb home offering a wealth of accommodation arranged over approximately 11,000 sq ft.
Fabulous, extended detached family home offering 3,344 sq ft of well presented accommodation.
£5,500,000 F/H
£1,375,000 F/H
Six bedrooms
Six bathrooms
Seven bedrooms
Two bathrooms
Four receptions
EER B
Four receptions
EER E
Contact Chislehurst 020 8295 4900
The Acorn Group, incorporating:
Contact West Wickham 020 8432 7373
langfordrussell.co.uk
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Park Walk, SW10 £4,500,000
A charming four bedroom Georgian house situated between the King’s Road and Fulham Road. The property offers ideal living/entertaining space with a spacious reception room and separate kitchen/dining room. There are three bathrooms and a large private garage, energy rating d. Dexters Chelsea 020 7590 9510
Craven Hill Gardens, W2 £3,695,000
Close to Hyde Park, a Hempel Collection three double bedroom townhouse. The property has been interior designed to a high standard and has an open plan kitchen/reception room and three bathrooms. Further benefits include a private roof terrace and forecourt parking, energy rating c. Dexters Paddington 020 7298 1550
dexters.co.uk
Pan Peninsula Square, E14 £1,500 per week
A spectacular penthouse apartment set on the 38th & 39th floors of this highly sought after development. This unique property has floor to ceiling windows throughout, an open plan reception room/kitchen and a mezzanine area. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a private balcony, energy rating c. Dexters Canary Wharf 020 7517 1190
Marsh Wall, E14 £1,300 per week
A beautifully presented three bedroom apartment on the 37th floor of the Landmark Tower, one of the most prestigious developments within Canary Wharf. The property has a large open plan reception room/kitchen, two bathrooms and a private balcony. Further benefits include 24hour concierge and access to the onsite gym, energy rating b. Dexters Canary Wharf 020 7517 1190
dexters.co.uk
Tenants fees apply: £180 per tenancy towards administration, £60 reference fee per tenant and £144 towards the end of tenancy check out report (all inc VAT).
Take time to explore What would you do with an extra hour a day? Live at 250 City Road and stroll home in 15 minutes, leaving you more time to enjoy city life – from a plethora of art galleries, designer boutiques, bars and restaurants to new green spaces, state of the art gym, swimming pool and fitness terrace. 1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS Prices from £885,000 MARKETING SUITE Open daily 10am - 6pm - Late night opening on Thursday until 8pm and early closure on Sunday at 4pm Sales & Marketing Suite, Old Street, London EC1V 2QQ Register your interest now CALL: 020 3468 5790 EMAIL: 250CITYROAD@BERKELEYGROUP.CO.UK
www.250cityroad.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies
Prices correct at time of going to press.
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INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
Orchard Wharf, E14 Galliard Homes is launching one of its largest schemes to date at Orchard Wharf, located between Canary Wharf and the Royal Docks regeneration zone. The 3,600 sq m mixed-use development with include 338 one-, two- and three-bedroom lateral apartments, duplex apartments and penthouses, in addition to a café, retail spaces, landscaped roof terraces and courtyard gardens. Orchard Wharf also benefits from a private residents’ lounge and daytime concierge service. The development takes the form of a selection of distinct buildings, the centrepiece being a 23-storey red-brick residential tower, which are linked by a two-storey podium at ground level to the beautiful curving stepped blocks that stretch to eight, 11, 14, 17 and 20 storeys respectively. Designed by regeneration specialists BUJ Architects, Orchard Wharf draws on the existing dockside architectural milieu and re-packages it with expansive glass and multiple landscaped green spaces. Within Orchard Wharf, the majority of apartments are dual-aspect and all have either private balconies, terraces or gardens. Some of the larger apartments benefit from two or three balconies or terraces while, due to the location of the development, the majority of apartments will have views over the River Thames. The apartments further benefit from an exceptional specification, with chic light grey walls, walnut veneered floors and recessed low-energy LED downlighting. Floor-to-ceiling windows with industrial-inspired dark metal frames fill the open-plan interior with natural light. Kitchens are matte-finished in grey and white, with integrated Smeg appliances. Mindful of
those working from home, many of the power sockets include USB ports. Bath and shower rooms are finished with natural coloured large format porcelain tiles, with underfloor heating and a white bathroom suite. Bedrooms have thick grey carpet and plentiful storage, including a floor-to-ceiling matte white wardrobe. Just seven minutes by bus or car (or 20 minutes on foot) to One Canada Square and the Crossrail Plaza, there’s a plethora of dining and entertainment options nearby. London City Airport is also nearby and is presently to undergo a £344 million development programme, helping it to enable more than 29,000 flights a year to a rapidly expanding destination base. Prices from £399,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.
Orchard Wharf, E14, 020 7620 1500, galliardhomes.com 124
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CAN ONE DESIRE TOO MUCH? DESIRE IS THE PULSE OF SHOREDITCH LIFE: DESIRE FOR STIMULATION, EXPERIENCE, EXCITEMENT – FOR LIVING IN THE MOMENT, WHEN YOU LIVE AT THE STAGE. IN THE HEART OF SHOREDITCH, ALL YOUR DESIRES WILL BE FULFILLED, WITH A CHOICE OF SUITES, APARTMENTS AND PENTHOUSES, PRIVATE LIFESTYLE FACILITIES AND A 32ND LEVEL SKY LOUNGE & TERRACE. WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY DESIRE? RHODIUM TO DELIVER BESPOKE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & WORLD CLASS LUXURY CONCIERGE SERVICES
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INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO An artist’s impression of the apartments at Taylor Wimpey’s Millbrook Park development
Millbrook park, nw7 Two Taylor Wimpey developments – in the desirable north London locations of Mill Hill and Whetstone – are offering a wealth of new opportunities for home-hunters in search of their perfect property. There’s currently a choice of one- and two-bedroom apartments and three-, four- and five-bedroom houses available to reserve at Millbrook Park, which is located on the fringes of a conservation area in Mill Hill, with many of the apartments benefiting from stunning panoramic vistas across picturesque parkland and north London. A large Waitrose supermarket and a state-of-the-art Virgin Active gym are located just half a mile from the development, while Mill Hill Broadway shopping centre, with its high street shops, smaller independent stores and places to eat and drink, is just two miles from home. For commuters, Mill Hill East underground station is within easy reach of the new homes, for Northern Line services to King’s Cross, central London and the West End, while the nearby M1 gives convenient links to the rest of the country. For those looking to travel a little further afield, London Luton
Airport is 25 miles away. Meanwhile, Taylor Wimpey is also preparing to launch a collection of homes at Oakleigh Grove in Whetstone. This development will offer a range of three-, four- and fivebedroom houses and one- and two-bedroom apartments, located in an established residential area in the vibrant and sought-after town of Whetstone, and within walking distance of local amenities, including a vast selection of shops, cafes and restaurants. There is a wealth of green open space close by, including parklands, golf courses and the Dollis Valley Greenwalk, which offers a scenic ten-mile route for cyclists and walkers. Commuters can enjoy easy access to the city, with central London only a 30-minute tube journey away, while the North Circular Road is just less than two miles from Oakleigh Grove, linking the M25 and the M1 motorways for destinations further afield. To find out more, visit the Millbrook Park Sales Information Centre, located off Henry Darlot Drive, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1NP, and open daily from 10am to 5.30pm (Mondays 2pm to 5.30pm), or call the sales executive on 0203 675 9414. Alternatively, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk for more information
millbrook park, nw7 020 3675 9414, taylorwimpey.co.uk 126
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
chiltern place, w1u, 020 7486 4477, chilternplace.com 128
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
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chiltern place, w1u Chiltern Place, at 66 Chiltern Street, is an elegant new collection of 55 one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, penthouses and a four-storey townhouse in the heart of Marylebone Village. One of the most sought-after locations in central London, it can be found on a corner site next to Paddington Street Gardens. The 16-storey building was designed by PLP Architecture to be contemporary and yet complement the heritage of the area. Together with Ronson Capital Partners (the team behind impressive London buildings such as The Heron in the City and Riverwalk in Westminster), the company has formed a glorious structure that blends in with a timeless streetscape. Red and rose pink hues create gentle contrasts around the building’s façade, while dramatic bronze columns and a unique terracotta façade greet you upon arrival. Homes at Chiltern Place feature the finest materials, craftsmanship and finishes, from timber and stone floors with underfloor heating to bespoke Italian kitchens and marble bathrooms. Highly specified throughout, they include Cat6 cabling, high-speed fibre connections for superfast broadband and fully integrated Crestron home automation systems.
luxurylondon.co.uk | THE CITY Magazine
Floor-to-ceiling glazing lets light flood into these lateral apartments, which have ceiling heights of about 2.75m. Most homes at Chiltern Place have a balcony or garden, with the larger apartments boasting multiple balconies. All residents have access to hotel-style services and facilities, including a private residents’ club, a fully equipped fitness suite, valet parking, 24-hour security and a concierge service. A bicycle space is provided for each apartment and there is the option for an allocated car parking space. Situated in the heart of London’s West End, and with Regent’s Park as your local village green, not only does Chiltern Place offer quick and easy transport links, but it’s also a cultural hotspot – Hyde Park, the Wallace Collection, Harley Street, Claridge’s and the Everyman cinema to name but a few destinations. Plus, every shopping need can be met with help from a weekend market and a half-century-old musical instrument shop to fabulous bookshops and designer fashion Independent means quality here; café culture, independent shops, buzzing bistros, Michelin-star restaurants, convenient transport links and green spaces such as Regent’s Park are all on the doorstep. For sales enquiries, contact Knight Frank and Savills, 020 7486 4477; sales@chilternplace.com
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Insider Knowledge
Canary Wharf and City market updates
diana alam, head of residential development sales, jll
Mettle & Poise © Stoyanov & Jones
Canary Wharf
The Canary Wharf sales and lettings markets have experienced an encouraging start to 2017 as the capital continues to acclimatise to the new conditions following the EU vote, two sets of stamp duty changes and landlord tax relief changes. In the residential sales market we can report that stock levels are around 60 per cent higher in Q1 2017 compared to last year, offering more choice to applicants who are keen to move. The majority of properties to successfully achieve a sale benefit from location, a desirable price point and a good configuration. The increased level of stock has led to more new registrations, up around 58 per cent when compared to quarter 1 of 2016. Encouragingly we can also report that sales levels are up 60 per cent at the end of Q1 2017 when compared to the same time period last year. The majority of this activity is from firsttime buyers, making up around 75 per cent of all transactions. As a result we are now starting to see signs that this first-time buyer activity is beginning to generate more of a market at the higher price brackets, with two sales agreed for over £1m in Q1. Twenty-five per cent of transactions have been those purchasing an investment at an average price of £508k, demonstrating that there is still confidence in the market for the right priced stock in the right location.
City
The City has also seen a strong start to the year with monthly sales exchange figures showing consistency and a 2-3 per cent average increase in agreed pricing, especially in the City fringes. This is highlighted by a record £ per sq ft value
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achieved in the Heron Tower, Moorgate, on a one-bedroom property, which commanded £54 per sq ft more than the previous record showing purchaser confidence is still very much evident. We are noticing that buyers are increasingly more qualified than they were in Q1 of 2016 and are ready and able to move more quickly. But while this is the case, the biggest struggle of Q1 has been a lack of stock with fewer properties coming to the market compared to Q1 2016. We hope to see this improve as we enter the summer months and with more qualified buyers searching, we predict a busy Q2/Q3. In Q1 2017 we have seen the completion of the most recent phase in Goodmans Fields, Catalina House. The high-spec and fantastic on-site amenities have unsurprisingly proved popular with tenants. We look forward to the completion of Charlotte King Court (the next phase of Mettle & Poise) in Q2. Phase 1 of this boutique development was very successfully received in 2016, with various units letting pre-completion. Looking at the lettings market across the City and Canary Wharf, we have had a very promising to start to the year with Q1 2017 activity having notably increased versus our Q1 2016 key performance indicators. New applicant registrations are up 18 per cent, with viewing levels increasing by 29 per cent. Renewed applicant confidence in the lettings market alongside an excellent choice of available properties is responsible for this strong demand, and gives us every reason to be optimistic about the market moving forward. Perhaps the most important indicator of all is that as a result of this increased activity, we can report a stable and buoyant lettings market and expect this to continue as we enter Q2 2017. However, it is crucial to remember the importance of competitive pricing. 020 7337 4004; jll.co.uk/residential
THE CITY Magazine | luxurylondon.co.uk
ENJOY THE LONDON LIFESTYLE WITH A RIVERSIDE LOCATION
Pavilion Square is the exciting new phase at Royal Arsenal Riverside, a collection of contemporary homes with beautifully crafted interiors. It is ideally situated for the forthcoming on-site Crossrail station and London City Airport, which is just 7 minutes away. Residents will enjoy access to the Waterside Club with facilities including a 20m swimming pool, gym, 24-hour concierge service and cinema room.
ROYAL ARSENAL WOOLWICH
CANARY WHARF 8 MINUTES*
LIVERPOOL STREET 14 MINUTES*
BOND STREET 22 MINUTES*
HEATHROW 50 MINUTES*
1 and 2 bedroom apartments available from £475,000 Call 020 3504 4095 to register your interest
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www.royalarsenalriverside.co.uk
Computer generated image is indicative only. Photography of Pavilion Square Showhome is indicative only. Prices and information correct at time of going to press. *Approximate travel times for Crossrail taken from Royal Arsenal Woolwich. Source: www.crossrail.co.uk
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