The Kensington & Chelsea Magazine January 2015 by Runwild Media Group

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CONTENTS 20

New Kids on the Block

Bright Young Things

Olivia Sharpe considers the position of the bricks-and-mortar retailer in the face of the digital marketplace

Olivia Sharpe speaks to the rising British female stars who are changing the face of the luxury jewellery industry

Against All Odds

Premiership Performer

This month marks the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated attempt to be the first to cross the Antarctic Continent

It might not be the most powerful Bentley Continental GT on offer but the V8 S is easily the best, says Matthew Carter

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The Return of Picasso

Highway to Foodie Heaven

Jenny Barrett visits the reopened Musée Picasso, home to the world’s most impressive collection of works by the artist

Lauren Jarvis heads to Western Australia for an indulgent gourmet escape as the country’s food revolution picks up pace

This magazine is distributed throughout the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, including Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Notting Hill and Holland Park, and parts of Belgravia, Fulham and Hyde Park

200 years crafting a cognac with the perfect blend of aromas, so you can enjoy this moment.

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On the Cover... The Little Black Gallery in Chelsea is one of our favourite galleries in the local area, having started 2014 by playing host to the best images from the career of legendary photographer Terry O’Neill; readers may remember the striking David Bowie (with dog) image that featured on our cover. This January kicks off with an equally arresting splash, thanks to a new exhibition by the talented Norweigan photographer Anja Niemi. Turn to page 51 to find out more about Darlene & Me (15 January – 10 March 2015).

J A N U A RY 2 0 1 5 s i s s u e 0 3 5 Editor Annabel Harrison Deputy Editor Olivia Sharpe Contributing Editors Richard Brown Hannah Lemon Editorial Assistant Liane Nelson Senior Designer Sophie Blain

Cover image: The Chrysler © Anja Niemi With thanks to The Little Black Gallery

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70 Sheer Chic

82 Top Floor Style

Production Alex Powell Amy Roberts Hugo Wheatley Oscar Viney Alice Ford Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey Executive Director Sophie Roberts General Manager Fiona Fenwick Managing Director Eren Ellwood Proudly published & printed in the UK by

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From the EDITOR While we don’t believe that total body transformation and bad habit alteration can happen magically and effortlessly just because it’s January, we do agree that the start of a new year is a good time to assess one’s lifestyle and at least attempt to get on the path towards meaningful (and lasting) change. So in the spirit of selfimprovement, both inside and out, be inspired by our guide to some of the best local beauty and wellness specialists, as well as our review of the SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante. With a whole host of shiny new flagship boutiques having opened in London in 2014, Olivia Sharpe considers the position of bricks-and-mortar retailers in the face of the digital marketplace (p. 20); we think it’s time to put down your tablets and hit the beautifully kitted out establishments in the local area to combat online present purchasing fatigue. If it’s something sparkly you’re after, treat yourself to a beautiful piece of jewellery by one of four very talented designers making their mark on the industry at pace; we speak to Sabine G, Tessa Packard, Georgina Skan and Lily Kamper (p. 43). Those in pursuit of captivating exhibitions, whether about historical and autobiographical tales or more contemporary, striking stories, will be spoilt for choice. This month marks the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated voyage on Endurance; he set sail on 5 December 1914 with the aim of being the first to cross the Antarctic Continent and the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington has on display a unique collection of Shackleton memorabilia (p. 32). Rather more modern but equally arresting are the photographs displayed in the Darlene & Me exhibition by Anja Niemi, who returns to The Little Black Gallery following the success of Starlets and Do Not Disturb; Niemi explores a woman’s complex relationship with herself, playing the parts of photographer, subject and director (p. 51).

I hope you have a wonderful 2015 and achieve everything you set out to do.

Editor

Annabel Harrison

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FEATURE

New s d i K on t h e

Bl o c k oosing to ing influx of brands ch With a steadily increas Sharpe res in London, Olivia open their flagship sto retailer in of the brick-and-mortar considers the position marketplace the face of the digital

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ersonally, I have never been a fan of online shopping. While many would argue that it provides a quick and easier alternative to going out to the shops, in my experience, it has always proven more trouble than its worth. After hours spent trawling through websites, desperately comparing prices to find the best deal, one believes that it’s all in the virtual bag once you’ve clicked the order button. I’ve invariably found that the picture online hasn’t done the item justice, or it doesn’t fit, and I’ve had to go through the laborious rigmarole of sending it back and starting again. However, I am aware that I’m in the minority. Statistics have shown that e-commerce is the fastest growing retail market in Europe, with online sales expected to exceed £100 billion in the UK in 2014, according to industry experts. This is considered to be partly down to the recession having driven customers to buy online as opposed to in traditional brick-and-mortar stores and partly due to the growth of mobile technology. As a result, there have been a number of negative reports regarding the knock-on effect this has had for conventional outlets, with some claiming that the growth of online sales will eventually result in the traditional high street becoming virtually redundant. However, last year alone saw a wealth of store launches across London (including the muchanticipated arrival of Victoria Beckham and Roksanda Ilincic in Mayfair) and in particular, in Kensington and Chelsea, from established fashion houses such as Club Monaco, J Crew and Emilia Wickstead and to smaller, independent boutiques and pop-up shops, including Baar & Bass and Temperley London. So why, then, with the supposed Armageddon-like growth of the online retail market ever looming, are businesses continuing to invest in brick-and-mortar stores? Ross Bailey, who founded start-up pop-up company Appear Here in 2012, soon realised the growing demand for online brands to set up physical stores in order to boost their exposure in a new area and meet a different audience. “Brands should never underestimate the importance of touch and feel,” he says. “Apple only sells 20 per cent of its products in store but of its online sales, 80 per cent [of customers] have had an in-store interaction beforehand. The brick-and-mortar store is where a brand can create those memorable experiences

and wow its customers face to face.” This feeling is shared by a number of local businesses in the Royal Borough. Speaking to celebrated British jeweller Monica Vinader about the reasons why she recently chose to invest in a third (and incidentally her largest) standalone shop in Duke of York Square, she comments: “From the moment we opened our first boutique, we’ve always aimed to provide impeccable customer service and create a really welcoming atmosphere. There’s nothing like seeing the designs up-close and in person, not to mention the emotion you feel when you gaze into displays full of glittering jewellery and try it all on. It’s magical!” The jeweller’s new store stresses the importance of a personal and interactive experience, with in-store master gravers providing complimentary engravings and exclusive shopping events which have been planned for throughout the year. Meanwhile, the interior places a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and luxury materials, with vintage furniture and bespoke chandeliers creating

Last year alone saw a wealth of stores open across London and in particular, the Royal Borough “a warm and inclusive environment for shoppers”. In a similar fashion, designer Emilia Wickstead has always advocated “a hands-on experience of made-to-order and made-to-measure services”, something which she believes to be her brand’s “core business model and main point of difference”. The designer recently moved from her former location on Cadogan Place, where the brand had its debut six years ago, to Sloane Street, where her new boutique sits alongside historic fashion houses such as Chloé, Hermès and Gucci, and reflects the brand’s ethos of “drawing on classic inspirations in order to create a modern twist”. While Wickstead does dabble with digital technology, at the moment, it’s not her main focus. “My priority is to stay true to what excites me, and that is our brick-and-mortar point of difference; making our store concept a stand-alone version of this, and to make sure it is a success on Sloane Street,” she says. While both Emilia Wickstead and Monica Vinader champion an old-school approach when it comes to their store’s concepts, this doesn’t mean to say they’re not moving with the times in other ways; brands are

FEATURE

Burberry Regent Stre

Barrie Knitwear, Burl

ington Arcade

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FEATURE

Victoria Beckham, Dov

increasingly having to come up with new and exciting ways to capture the attention of potential shoppers. And no one understands this better than Erin Hochstein, international communications manager of sportswear brand lululemon athletica, which will be opening its second store in the borough at the end of this month. Asking her whether she believes the store continues to

Many brands have combined their physical outposts with on-site digital innovations play an integral role when it comes to interacting with consumers, she answers: “Absolutely. Each one of our stores is unique and engages with customers and their respective community. It’s not one store 300 times; it’s 300 different stores.” Through the new retail outlet, Hochstein hopes to “create authentic relationships with customers” and will offer complimentary yoga classes on a weekly basis, led by instructors from local studios. Many brands have also chosen to combine their physical outposts with on-site digital innovations in a bid to pull in the punters. Global lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret was one of the first to lead the way when it opened its London flagship store in 2012, featuring a video wall comprising 30 digital screens presenting the famous catwalk shows. This was followed by Burberry Regent Street, an innovative multi-media experience designed to reflect the brand’s website. On a slightly smaller scale, high street stores have also benefitted from being able to

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allow consumers to pick up purchases ordered online, in-store, thereby creating a multichannel retail concept in order to communicate with customers on all levels. At Monica Vinader, the brand has worked hard to replicate the in-store experience through the website, offering online engraving and necklace builder tools, for instance. 2015 sees a host of new flagship stores set to open across London, from Erdem and Christopher Kane to Aquascutum. Chanel is currently in the midst of transforming Mayfair’s historic Burlington Arcade into its own mini empire, having already opened two of its sister brands – Barrie and Maison Michel – and with further plans to open three new stores over the course of the year, including Eres, Bell & Ross and Chanel Fragrance. With this and so much more to come, the future for the brick-and-mortar store seems brighter than ever.

THE WORLD’S FIRST IN-STORE DNA TEST FOR PERSONALISED SKINCARE GENEU use their award winning in-store DNA test to analyse your skin’s DNA and discover precisely what it needs. Experience GENEU and leave the flagship store with bespoke anti-ageing skincare, uniquely recommended to ensure your skin receives the suitable active ingredients and concentrations in order to promote healthy looking skin. Learn more on our YouTube channel: ‘GENEU Beauty’ 65 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON

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FEATURE

THE

PURSUIT OF

Happiness For those of you looking to start the new year afresh, Olivia Sharpe presents a round-up of the best spa and wellness retreats in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea I KNOW WHAT you’re going to say. Please not another ‘new year, new you’ article. Trust me, I understand your pain. January is depressing enough as it is without having to be told that, after the wonderful indulgences of Christmas, you must now ring in the new year by ridding yourself of every single pleasure in life and become a teetotal saint. So I’m not going to do that. Instead, I have compiled a list of some of the best spas and wellness retreats to be found in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, should you be so inclined to partake in a little selfimprovement this month (again, no pressure). With so many options to choose from, it can often seem a bit overwhelming so from luxury beauty treatments, spa packages and at-home services to tailor-made health and fitness advice to help you to shed those extra pounds accumulated over the festive season, or if you’d like to adopt a healthier mindset for 2015, here’s our pick of the best places in the area to help you to achieve your goals, whatever they might be. Bring on the new year.

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make yourself at home As a result of our working lifestyles becoming increasingly hectic, at-home beauty services have become all the rage. The latest company to jump on this particular bandwagon is hair salon Gina Conway with its new private spa service, Privé; this enables you to create your own perfect therapy package by adding as many beauty services as you like. All of the treatments available are based on Ayurvedic remedies, one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems which uses plant-based products to rebalance your body if you’re stressed and encourage wellness. Whether you’re at home or in a hotel suite, therapists will recreate a relaxing spa environment using aromatherapy rituals, music, candles and herbal teas. Alternatively, if you’re in need of some red carpet glamour to rid youself of January blues, the awardwinning hair team can also provide bespoke haircuts and colour. £89 per hour (minimum charge) for spa services Call Isabel Hargreaves on 07714 255 445 to book privebyginaconway.com

Best Non-Surgical Anti-Ageing treatment: Bulgari hotel Spa With the pressure of looking young at an all-time high, and with several celebrity Botox botches having been reported in the press of late (in reference to Renée Zellweger and Donatella Versace), many of us are turning towards non-surgical, ‘Notox’ treatments as a noninvasive alternative to anti-ageing. However, do they actually work? While I cannot speak for every treatment out there, there is one which I would wholeheartedly recommend and that is the 24-karat Gold Naturalift Anti-Ageing treatment at the Bulgari Hotel Spa in Knightsbridge. Created by David Peters, who has spent years practicing Chinese medicine, the luxurious face ‘work out’ uses 24-karat gold acupuncture needles, followed by a 24-karat face mask and serum, all of which work together to decrease collagen degradation, increase skin’s elasticity, lock in moisture and reduce sun damage. The best results occur after a course of six to ten treatments. 24-karat Gold Naturalift Anti-Ageing treatment, £450 for 90 minutes bulgarihotels.com

FEATURE

LET IT ALL GO We’ve reported on Swedish, Thai, Japanese and Mexican massages; now it’s Bali’s turn. Ushvani Spa’s Balinese massage (90 minutes, £180) employs a technique originating from the Spice Islands of Indonesia; as with other countries’ signature massages, deep muscle work eases tension and helps to rid bodies of toxins. However, what’s unique to Ushvani is the stomach massage, often given very little attention during a full body treatment. This acts as a non-invasive colonic (ideal for the squeamish among you), aiding digestion, stimulating the metabolic rate and reducing bloating. Expect to feel emotional too; specific pressure points are targeted to release emotion or stress often held here. Ushvani, 1 Cadogan Gardens, SW3 2RJ ushvani.com

of the best skincare products for 2015

Flawless skin can now be achieved, not with heavy-duty foundation, but with Laura Mercier’s new lightweight Infusion de Rose Nourishing Crème (exclusive to Harrods from January 2015, £55 for 550ml). The best ingredients often lead to the best results: Re-Nutriv’s Ultimate Diamond Sculpting/Refinishing Dual Infusion incorporates Black Diamond Truffle with a blend of skin refinishers to help improve skin’s youth and beauty (£255, available from January 2015). Chanel has brought about a ‘hydrarevolution’ with the first Hydra Beauty Micro Serum containing camellia micro-droplets that provide continuous hydration and plumping (£66 for 30ml, available 16 January).

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ALL IN THE MIND When it comes to one’s mind, body and soul, Omniya boutique in Knightsbridge is all-encompassing. The one-stop holistic shop features a fully operational private pharmacy supplying an entire library of medical and beauty products from leading brands, including SkinCeuticals, Environ and NEOM. Among the dedicated team of medical and aesthetics practitioners, nutritionists, pharmacists, beauty therapist and wellness experts is Rob Brinded. The former head of strength, conditioning and injury prevention at Chelsea Football Club has spent 15 years investigating the factors that cause and create disruption and pain in the psycho, neuro or physical complex, invariably finding that people’s physical injuries have a direct link to emotional and psychological trauma. Omniya, 3A Montpelier Street, SW7; omniya.co.uk

Food for Thought: Akcelina Cvijetic “Most people know what they shouldn’t be eating but very often, one of the reasons people become overweight is related to emotional problems,” states Akcelina Cvijetic. The Kensingtonbased wellbeing specialist believes in offering a holistic approach when it comes to nutrition; rather than simply looking for a quick diet fix, Akcelina instead gives her clients a bespoke programme whereby she draws upon a blend of Eastern and Western therapies to treat one’s mind, body and spirit. In time for the start of 2015, the nutritionist has compiled a list of tried and tested methods to keep yourself looking svelte and healthy all year round. These ‘New Year Solutions’ include adopting a positive attitude; being completely aware of what your goals are; adjusting your lifestyle to include 20 minutes of exercise a day and removing all food temptations from home and at work, and finally, visualising yourself looking slim, as “your imagination is much stronger than your willpower”. akcelina.com

“Nutrition is about balance and variety so if you make sure to have both of these, you’ll never have to diet in your life” - Akcelina Cvijetic

FEATURE

THE PERFECT FIT Our top fitness products

Right at the Core Whatever people might say, exercise is not a glamorous affair. However dolled up you might be on arrival and no matter how stylish your fitness wear is, the end result is the same: you’re going to get hot and sweaty and if you don’t, you’re clearly not doing it right. And this is why I love Heartcore, a Pilates and circuittraining studio set up by German-born Jess Schuring, which takes the frills and fuss out of working out with its simple and unassuming studios based across London. The expert Reformer Pilates class at the Chelsea studio stretches and pulls every single muscle in the body to its limit, paying particular attention to the abs, arms and glutes, leaving you aching and exhausted but knowing that it has made a difference. Heartcore Chelsea, 6 Burnsall Street, SW3 3ST heartcore.co.uk

1 Holistic silk yoga mat, £160, holisticsilk.com 2 Black shiny top, £60, Bodyism, net-a-porter.com 3 Lija white jacket, £95, net-aporter.com 4 Inspire Tight II, £98, lululemon athletica, lululemon. co.uk 5 Orange cape, £760, Fendi, net-a-porter.com 6 Health and fitness band in medium, £99.99, Jawbone UP24, selfridges.co.uk

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King Edward Cove, South Georgia, c. 1917

Sea elephant and harem, South Georgia, 1914

Against All Odds This month marks the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackletonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ill-fated voyage on Endurance, the ship that set sail on 5 December 1914. Rebecca Wallersteiner delves into the historical records to find out more about Sir Ernestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim of being the first to cross the Antarctic Continent

FEATURE Royal Penguins on Nugget’s Beach, Macquaire Island, 1911 All images © Frank Hurley, courtesy of Beetles+Huxley/Osborne Samuel

Shakespeare the dog

“Men wanted: for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” On 5 December 1914 the buccaneering explorer Ernest Shackleton set sail for the Antarctic with a 56-man crew, many of whom, it is said, had responded to the advertisement. Despite the unattractive job description, he had had no shortage of applicants; it seems these men couldn’t resist the promise of exciting adventure on the ice-caps, despite the danger. Though Endurance, his ship, was crushed into the ice, Shackleton’s courage and caution saved himself and the crew, and made the expedition one of the most famous in history. Much of it was planned in the

atmospheric Council Room at the Royal Geographical Society and, as part of this year’s centenary celebrations, the Beetles+Huxley Gallery together with Osborne Samuel are showing Shackleton’s Endurance trip images until 23 December, as taken by Frank Hurley, the expedition’s photographer, to bring to life the extraordinary story of Shackleton’s leadership. The RGS’s unique collection of Shackleton memorabilia, including his polar charts, snow shoes and helmet, can be seen at its Kensington HQ. Many of the ship’s supplies, including tinned dried beef, hot chocolate, coffee, tea and oat biscuits, were bought locally from Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. “It was important to take calorie-rich, energy-giving foods which were as light as possible as they had to carry everything across the ice,” explains curator Sarah Evans from the RGS, who studies lists of Edwardian expedition supplies. The polar explorers’ staple food was pemmican, a disgusting-sounding mixture of dried beef and fat, to which water was added. Although the menu was very limited, an intake of 2,000 to 3,000 calories daily was necessary to cope with the extreme physical demands of walking across the polar ice. The men would have been lugging around 200 pounds each, not including the weight of their heavy, sodden cloth clothing. “To boost their morale they also took some treats, including champagne and chocolates, but had to be careful of the bottles exploding owing to extreme cold, with temperatures dipping to -50˚C,” adds Sarah. You can see some of their preserved food in the RGS collections. Modern-day Antarctic, and Arctic, explorers, like Sir Ranulph Fiennes, can keep in touch with home via mobile satellite but Shackleton’s men must have felt very isolated. Polar ice conditions during the winter of 1914 were unusually harsh. By 19 January 1915 it was apparent that the ship was stuck fast when the temperature dropped suddenly, cementing together the

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Wordle and Clark fishing, 1915

ice and crushing the Endurance “like an almond in a piece of toffee”, as the ship’s storekeeper later recalled. For the 30-year-old Shackleton the disappointment must have been bitter; the expedition had taken a huge amount of preparation and he was unlikely to have this opportunity again. When cracks appeared in the ice the men attempted to free the ship but to no avail. By the end of February temperatures were regularly around the -20˚C mark and the ship was frozen in for the winter. Stranded on the ice floes the men must have particularly appreciated their supply of hot chocolate and biscuits, albeit dwindling. At one point the ice split under a man’s tent and he plunged into the icy waters in his sleeping bag. The heroic Shackleton pulled him out and saved his life. Recognising that idleness could lead to bickering and depression during the long months on the ice floes Shackleton organised a daily routine of activities to keep his men occupied. Football matches, keep-fit exercises and theatrical performances helped to build physical strength and morale. The 69 dogs brought along to pull sledges now became playmates and the men showered affection on four puppies which were born. At the same time blizzards blasted the camp, food supplies were meagre and huge blocks of ice threatened to crush the ship even further. Shackleton told Captain Worsley: “It’s only a matter of time… what the ice gets, the ice keeps.” In October 2015 he gave the order to abandon ship. As Endurance sank along with it went Shackleton’s dream and his goal changed to this: “Secure the safety of the party” and bring his men back alive. The ship’s photographer, Frank Hurley summed up the situation: “We are dwelling on a colossal ice raft with but five feet of frozen water separating us from 2,000 fathoms of ocean and drifting along under the caprices of wind and tide to who knows where.” Luckily for us, Hurley spent much of his time taking dramatic black and white photographs

and was rescued with some carefully chosen images that Shackleton allowed him to take. These, which you can see in the Beetles+Huxley exhibition or at the RGS, perfectly capture the drama of the situation and the almost abstract beauty of Antarctica. It was Shackleton’s extraordinary bravery which saved his men: with five others he set out in a 22-foot lifeboat and navigated through the world’s worst seas to South Georgia Island. Starving and frostbitten, they then trekked across 26 miles of mountains and glaciers to the other side of the island where a whaling station was situated. Hearing loud knocks on their door, the whalers were amazed to find a frost-bitten Shackleton on their doorstep. Having reached safety Shackleton’s thoughts were now not merely to celebrate his own survival; he immediately returned to rescue the men left behind on Elephant Island. Owing to his unwavering determination, although they had undergone great hardship, not a single member of his 28-man crew perished. The team’s ill fortune and resulting feats of astonishing courage made the Endurance expedition one of the most famous in history. Shackleton’s story continues to inspire 21st century Antarctic explorers, like Prince Harry and his team-mates; last December, following in the great explorer’s footsteps, the Prince reached the South Pole with 12 injured servicemen and women, working with Walking with the Wounded charity. Shackleton would have been proud of them all. Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, SW7 2AR 020 7591 3000; rgs.org. Opening hours: 10am to 5pm Mondays to Friday, excluding public holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year Beetles+Huxley, 3-5 Swallow Street, W1B 4DE 020 7434 4319; beetlesandhuxley.com walkingwiththewounded.org.uk

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The De Geer Glacier, South Georgia, c. 1917

Dump Camp the morning after the disaster to the ship, 1915

Shackletonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glacier, South Georgia Island, c. 1917

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salon style We’re looking forward to visiting the newly reopened Patek Philippe Salon; the venerated watch company is now housed across both 15 and 16 New Bond Street and floor space totals a remarkable 420m². Patek Philippe’s London Salon (one of only three Patek Philippe fully owned retail showrooms, together with Geneva and Paris) now carries the largest and most extensive range of the brand’s watches that has ever been available in the UK. Visit to marvel at this beautiful white gold Grand Complication (Ref. 5270G) and the impressive interior, designed by renowned French designer Reda Amalou; the materials used, which include leather, alabaster, sycamore and brass, perfectly complement the elegant and sophisticated aesthetic we’ve come to expect from the brand. Patek Philippe Salon, 16 New Bond Street; patek.com

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WORLD

of WATCHES BY RICHARD BROWN

From Space to Sea When Felix Baumgartner became the first human to freefall at Mach 1.25, he did so with a Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th strapped to his spacesuit. If, as Zenith hopes, record-breaking sailor Yann Guichard wins the transatlantic sailing race the Route du Rhum, he’ll do so sporting an El Primero Stratos Spindrift. If you’re looking for a no-fear, sea-faring sports watch, what better option than a chrono that’s stood the test of one of sailing’s most treacherous contests? El Primero Stratos Spindrift, from £6,000 zenith-watches.com

Raymond Weil Remembered Few are the watch houses still in the hands of their founding families. One that remains so is Raymond Weil; after 18 years of Raymond’s son-in-law being at the helm, the brand is now under the stewardship of grandson Elie Bernheim. One of his first acts as CEO, following the recent passing of Mr Weil, was to launch the Maestro Raymond Weil Limited Edition, a rose-gold-fluted chronograph embossed with his grandfather’s signature on its dial. An automatic-winding mechanical heart sits inside the COSC-certified timepiece, which has to be one of the brand’s most ambitious pieces yet. A fitting tribute indeed. Maestro Raymond Weil Limited Edition, £14,950, raymond-weil.com

High Performance Polished Precision Bremont, the British watch brand that manufactures its mechanical timepieces in Henley-on-Thames, has introduced a polished steel version of its ALT1-C. The classic piece takes design cues from the company’s 2012 Victory, which remains arguably the brand’s best-looking creation to date. Whereas the Victory was limited (and sold out almost immediately), Bremont will make as many of the ALT1-C/PW as it thinks it can sell, which, owing to its good looks and the cult following the brand commands, will more than likely be an awful lot. ALT1-C/PW, £4,495, Bremont, bremont.com

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Nestled between the watch world’s superbrands at November’s SalonQP, was industry newcomer Breva. Yet to celebrate its fifth birthday, the Swiss firm graced the Saatchi Gallery to showcase its Génie O2 Air, a watch that in addition to telling the time will indicate both altitude and air pressure. Air pressure is measured using special non-magnetic ‘memory metal’ capsules (invented by Breva) and a mindblowingly complex system of gears. Expect big things from the brand. Génie O2 Air, £82,000, breva-watch.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perhaps the most important development for a British watch brand for 50 yearsâ&#x20AC;? C HRIS WA RD

Few watch brands create their own movement and of those that do, only a handful add something really original and important to the world of watchmaking. Our in-house, Calibre SH21, which powers the C9 Harrison 5 Day Automatic is one such movement. The C9 Harrison is destined to be one of the most talked about watches in years. CA LI BR E S H2 1

EXCLUS I VELY AVA I L A B L E AT c h r i st o p h e r wa r d .c o.u k

559_ChristopherWard_KensingtonChelsea.indd 1

03/12/2014 17:32

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JEWELLERY BY OLIVIA SHARPE

Independent Woman Despite having only recently joined the company as head jewellery designer, Lucrezia Buccellati has already made quite an impact, launching a series of rebranding initiatives to make the familyowned, Italian heritage jeweller appeal to a younger generation. Along with a redesigned logo and a line of bejewelled iPad and iPhone covers, Buccellati is in the midst of releasing a series of short films, each featuring one of the brand’s female ‘muses’. The first includes fashion designer Marta Ferri, while the second stars president of Spanish fashion brand Delpozo, Indre Rockefeller. The third muse has not yet been unveiled but we can be sure that she will share with her contemporaries a love of Buccellati, a sense of timeless style and youthful ambition. Along with this, the brand has also just launched a range of more affordable jewellery pieces, starting from £2,000.

Collection IV Rising star Lily Elia has launched a new 10-piece collection for her eponymous brand, Lily Gabriella. Founded in 2011, the company has gone from strength to strength and this latest collection is indicative of this; the jeweller harkens back to fond childhood memories of holidays in Brazil by creating a range of jewellery pieces which marry the natural and the sculptural, featuring smooth, undulating lines and never-ending circles that conjure up images of rolling clouds and rippling waters. Full finger rings featuring blue sapphire pavé, on the other hand, possess an almost talismanic quality, shielding the wearer like protective armour. Collection IV, from £8,190 lilygabriella.com

buccellati.com

Scale the Heights

Cutting Edge Noudar Jewels and its exclusive new collection has arrived in Harrods’ Luxury Jewellery room. Comprising an assortment of ring sets and finger bracelets inspired by Islamic and Arabic cultures, the eclectic range remains signature to the brand. Designer Noor Al Fardan comments:

“The second collection is an edgier and a more daring version of the previous collection; holding onto Noudar’s unique essence, focusing mainly on rings and earrings, taking inspiration from Arabic heritage” - Noor Al Fardan Noudar Jewels, available at Harrods Luxury Jewellery Room harrods.com

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Swiss jeweller Shawish Genève has landed in London and its first flagship boutique is here in Chelsea. Inside, the contemporary design – featuring a spectacular glass tube chandelier centrepiece and a fish skin motif in the facade panels – is in keeping with the brand’s innovative and visionary aesthetic. Well-known for creating high jewellery pieces which combine traditional techniques with modern technology, arguably Shawish’s biggest claim to fame is designing the world’s first all-diamond ring, cut from a single diamond weighing 150 carats. From the enchanted Magic Mushroom collection to the whimsical Teddy Bear set (just some of the pieces on display), visiting the boutique is a magical experience. Shawish Genève 143 Fulham Road, SW3; shawish.ch

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COLLECTION

Sabine Ghanem

Tessa Packard

BRIGHT

Young Things As we ring in the New Year, Olivia Sharpe speaks to the rising female stars who are changing the face of the luxury jewellery industry

Georgina Skan

Lily Kamper

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Renaissance Woman Sabine Ghanem’s career to date sounds too good to be true. After all, here is a woman who fell into the industry almost by chance; after studying at the prestigious Gemological Institute of America, she was unable to find a job so decided to give jewellery design a whirl and after just two years, she has already achieved unprecedented success. Her debut collection Relic, an assortment of medieval-inspired pieces, was snapped up by the likes of Browns in London and Bergdorf Goodman in New York. This was followed shortly after by Harlequin, a 35-piece collection based around the colourful Art Deco movement, which was highly sought-after. Speaking to Sabine, she is nothing if not humble: “I’ve just been very lucky. I designed the first collection without even a thought that it would turn into a job.” It is because of this fateful series of events, perhaps, that she is so relaxed when it comes to her brand. Working from her Belgravia home, Sabine spends hours “overdosing on vintage imagery... my favourite part of my research is looking at old stuff; vintage films, books, even YouTube videos. I’ve just watched a film from 1936 called The Great Zeigfeld and just the costumes could inspire a whole collection.” The designer is in the midst of creating her third collection, due to launch at the end of this month. While reluctant to give too much away, she does confide that, like the past two collections, she has referred back to a previous era; the Renaissance. A self-confessed hermit, Sabine jokes how one day she would like to open a store right at the entrance of her flat, “all in velvet and warm colours, like a beautiful jewellery box”. sabineg.com

COLLECTION

Above/ xxxxx

Clockwise from left / Sketches of the latest collection; Cocktail Sting ring, Fire Wasp earrings, Honeycomb bracelet and Honeycomb stud earrings (all part of the Predator / Prey collection)

so many now I can’t even count but if I had a fire those would be what I’d save. Q. What do you love most about Chelsea? A: It’s ever-changing and never-changing, if that makes sense. There are consistently new shops, new restaurants, new pop-ups. And yet, the Chelsea that I live in now is still the Chelsea that I grew up in; the feeling and the vibe hasn’t changed.

A Pretty Penny with Tessa Packard Q. What are you currently working on? A: I’ve just created a collection inspired by English penny sweets. It started off with the idea of going to a gemstone boutique and it reminding me of being a kid in a sweet shop. I like the juxtaposition of something that originally cost 1p and something that looks like a million dollars. Pieces with a lower price point can be collected over time and layered up, while the more highend pieces include gemstone-encrusted honey drop rings and earrings, and these watermelon tourmaline slices that look like Brighton rock. It’s really fun. Q. I understand you do bespoke commissions. What engagement ring trends are you noticing? A: I think there will always be a market for the Tiffanyesque single stone setting but I find people come to me because they want something that is classic but also different. I’ve recently finished a commission for a 90 year-old man who wanted a modern brooch for his wife for their diamond wedding anniversary. I love how even at that age they still want to give each other interesting, innovative presents. Q. What’s your most treasured possession? A: My photo albums full of collages and storyboards that I do religiously. I started when I was about 12 and I have

Q. Best beauty secret? A: Lime juice mixed with granulated sugar as a face scrub. The acid in the lime eats into your skin so you come out looking glowing. I use it at the beginning of spring to give myself a bit of a revamp. Q. Preferred exercise regime? A: I do one hour of yoga a week for my back but otherwise nothing. I did ten years of intense running but then I gave up because it made me into a bad person [laughing]. Q. Favourite place to escape to? A: The middle of nowhere in Mozambique. My family and I stay in a camp where there’s nothing around so it’s heaven. Q. Worst guilty pleasure? A: Probably lunchtime drinking. You know you shouldn’t really do it when you’re working but it’s just so nice sometimes! Q. New Year’s resolutions? A: To learn how to relax as I’ve become a total workaholic. I think my husband would really appreciate it if I wasn’t on Instagram every single second. And maybe to make myself feel less guilty when I am on Instagram. tessapackard.com

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Clockwise from left / Cocktail Hour lace cuff; selection of cocktail rings from the Cocktail Hour collection; sketch of the Cage emerald and diamond bracelet; Cage emerald earrings

Take Flight “So how big is your team?” I ask Georgina Skan as we sit down for coffee. “You’re looking at it,” she smiles, pointing to herself and her sister. “I like to think of it as the blind leading the blind.” In spite of her self-deprecating appraisal, it is evident from her jewellery pieces that Georgina is anything but blind; in fact, she is clearly visionary. However, despite having been head designer at Garrard and Asprey, she has remained relatively under the radar. After studying at Central Saint Martins, where she acquired a BA in jewellery design, Georgina then went on to work on the shop floor at Theo Fennell but it wasn’t long before he realised where her talents really lay: “After months of bugging Theo he took me on as his PA but then he realised how useless I was at it,” she explains, laughing. “So I ended up working with him for four years as his head designer.” Next came Garrard, where Georgina joined Jade Jagger who was creative director at the time. After Jagger left, she was able to make her own mark on the company,

responsible for creating the iconic Wings collection. She was then headhunted by Asprey but after a spell as design director she found herself “itching to do her own work” so decided to wing it alone. Last year, Georgina launched her first eponymous collection; The Cocktail Hour. Comprising 10 pieces, ranging from Art Deco cocktail rings incorporating one-of-a-kind gemstones to a spectacular cuff inspired by French lace, it showcased her unique design talent and creativity. Because of her old-school training, Georgina scorns computers in favour of traditional crafting techniques, thus giving her pieces an authentic and timeless quality. “I think you can very easily develop a cookie-cutter approach when you’re designing collections,” she comments. “I’ve been guilty of this at times but I know now this isn’t the best way to work.” Having worked at some of Bond Street’s top jewellery houses, Georgina has a good relationship with some of the most respected stone dealers who emphasise the importance of ethical mining; this is a message that she, too, spreads. “I couldn’t work with a stone dealer unless I know for certain that they’ve gone straight to the source.” Given the incredible response she received from The Cocktail Hour, this year sees the designer extend the collection based around themes she explored initially: Lace, Coulisses and Cage. This will include a beautiful lace wing collar with a matching cocktail ring, a diamond and emerald bracelet based on the original Cage earrings (inspired by the tiny ribcage of a hummingbird) and a pair of wing-like, ethereal earrings which again incorporate beautiful stones but have a greater focus on diamond work. These pieces will be released over the course of the year and the designer will also continue to work on bespoke commissions, this being at the heart of the brand. georginaskan.com

COLLECTION

Kamp Follower with Lily Kamper Q. What are your biggest inspirations? A: My collections evolve from many different things: furniture, natural materials and architecture. The S/S15 collection I launched last Fashion Week was heavily influenced by an architect called Ricardo Bofill. He designs brightly coloured, geometric buildings. I was also heavily influenced by Art Deco cinema lobbies and old black-and-white films. Q. Biggest highlight of your career? A: Vogue coming to interview me in my studio. That was pretty insane. The Vogue Talents Corner was also amazing because I presented my work to Anna Wintour. She was very complimentary. Q. Last naughty purchase? A: I got married this summer and we each bought NIKEiD trainers; I wore white trainers with a black tick and he had black ones with a white tick. Both pairs had our initials on them. Q. What jewellery did you wear on the day? A: A friend of mine, Ryan Storer (a jewellery designer I met when we were both in Milan) sent me a couple of ear cuffs which were beautiful. Q. What’s something that’s not commonly known about you? A: I hate coriander. It’s my nemesis. When I go to a restaurant I have to pretend I’m allergic to it. Q. Favourite piece of jewellery you own? A: I have a really weird ring that my grandma gave me which is completely the opposite of my taste. It’s a garnet ring that’s half rose gold and half yellow gold. It’s very bizarre because I can’t understand why anyone would have repaired it using two different metals but I can’t help but love it. Q. What have you got in the pipeline for this year? A: I’m working on an exciting collaboration with Globe-Trotter which will be unveiled in February. lilykamper.com

Image: S/S15 collection

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Star Struck The start of a new year sees jewellers look to the stars for inspiration

1 Acte V green beryl Genesis ring, POA, Louis Vuitton, louisvuitton.com 2 & 3 Nuit de diamonds necklace in white gold with diamonds and black spinel beads, POA, and Voie Lactée bracelet, £17,500, both from the Comete collection, Chanel, chanel.com 4 Pompadour 18-karat white gold, sapphire and diamond ring, £4,300, Maison Martin Margiela, net-a-porter.com 5 Silver-plated Swarovski crystal necklace, £1,025, Ben-Amun, net-a-porter.com 6 Acte V Australian black opal Genesis necklace, POA, Louis Vuitton, as before 7 Cristal de Lune watch, POA, Boucheron, boucheron.com 8 Radiant gold-plated crystal necklace, £315, Lulu Frost, net-a-porter.com 9 Morning star earrings, £7,200, Mikimoto, mikimoto.co.uk 10 Lady Stardust Crystal Haze ring set in 18-karat white gold with hematite and white diamonds, POA, Stephen Webster, stephenwebster.com 11 Pompadour 18-karat white gold, sapphire and diamond ring, £2,800, Maison Martin Margiela, net-a-porter.com 12 18-karat white gold diamond ear cuff, £780, Anita Ko, net-a-porter.com 13 Rock It! cage pendant, from £2,300, Ornella Iannuzzi, ornella-iannuzzi.com 14 J12 Flying Tourbillon watch, POA, Chanel, as before 15 Pagoda earrings, £14,950, Robinson Pelham, robinsonpelham.com

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M ESUR E ET D ÉMESUR E *

TONDA METROPOLITAINE

Steel Automatic movement Steel bracelet Made in Switzerland www.parmigiani.ch

ATELIER PARMIGIANI 97 MOUNT STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON W1K 2TD, TEL. 020 7495 5172 EDINBURGH ROX DIAMONDS AND THRILLS | KENT RIZON JET UK LIMITED LONDON SELFRIDGES, THE WONDER ROOM | ARIJE | HARRODS, MONTREUX JAZZ CAFE WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND | FROST OF LONDON WINDSOR ROBERT GATWARD JEWELLERS

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spotlight

Darlene & Me Following the success of Starlets and Do Not Disturb at The Little Black Gallery, Norwegian photographer Anja Niemi takes us to the sparse desert of California for her latest exhibition, Darlene & Me. Portraying a woman’s complex relationship with herself, Niemi continues to play the part of photographer, subject and director; capturing moments of conflict, agony and comfort, the two women in the images represent fictional character Darlene (played by Niemi) and her internal struggles. Reminiscent of scenes from Thelma and Louise at times, Darlene is seen in her natural element, from navigating in a Chrysler convertible to moments of greater distress. A definite must-see. Darlene & Me, 15 January – 10 March; thelittleblackgallery.com

From top/ The Chrysler, The Trunk © Anja Niemi. With thanks to The Little Black Gallery

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Illustration: Mai Osawa

House of Rock

kensington

& chelsea

In a power-house collaboration between some of the most highly regarded photographers, including Brian Aris, Norman Parkinson, Mick Rock and Justin de Villeneuve, Proud Chelsea’s exhibition Rock Gods & Superstars showcases some of the most famous photos in rock ‘n’ roll history. From Dominique Tarlé’s photographs of The Rolling Stones to off-stage shots of The Beatles, the exhibition is a blend of nostalgia and intimate, surreal portraits of icons like Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton and Marilyn Monroe. A must-see is Mick Rock, known as “the man who shot the 70s”, and his brilliant rendering of the glittery eye make-up and punk chic of favourites such as David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and Lou Reed. Rock Gods & Super Stars, 11 December 2014 – 18 January 2015 Proud Chelsea, 161 King’s Road, SW3 5XP; proudonline.co.uk

Twiggy wearing a fur coat in a promotional shot for Ken Russell's The Boy Friend, 1970 © Justin de Villeneuve

Supersize Me The new exhibition at the Stephanie Hoppen Gallery, Super Structures, is about thinking big; expect to see a range of works depicting machinery in a new light. Reminiscent of the tranquil and shimmering landscapes of J.M.W Turner, Australian artist Anne Penman Sweet reworks the perhaps menacing subject matter of oil tankers, rigs and mining sites and turns them into pleasantly abstract interpretations. Every tanker she paints has a distinct character and history while each title for her works is drawn from a god, whether classical Greek, Roman, Norse or Aztec, giving them a mythical air of power. Artist Tilemachos Kyriazatis, also featured in the exhibition, explores the theme of continuous contact with the sea and the ports of Greece. Super Structures, 9-31 January Stephanie Hoppen Gallery, 17 Walton Street, SW3 2HX; stephaniehoppen.com

Pasiphae and Orange Dust (inset), both Tilemachos Kyriazatis

spotlight on Kensington, Chelsea & knightsbridge: news, events, reviews & local interest stories

SPOTLIGHT Photography: Nick Reyn

olds

The Master of Motors On a mission to introduce bespoke automotive craftsmanship to an international London market, London Morgan’s South Kensington showroom provides the perfect backdrop to display the crème de la crème of the motor world. Since opening in May 2013, London Morgan has been awarded the title of UK Dealer of the Year 2014, based on both customer satisfaction and vehicle sales performance. Offering modern automotive technology and traditional coach building, Morgan hosts a unique stock of vehicles, including the Aero Coupe, Roadster and 4-seater, all of which have global delivery options so you can drive in style anytime and anywhere. londonmorgan.co.uk

Outside of the Borough: New Year’s Parade What better way to bring in the New Year than with a fun and festive parade of more than 8,000 performers, from dancers to musicians, floats and street confetti? Now in its 29th year, the annual parade’s theme for 2015 is London on the Move in order to reflect the vast amount of visitors from all over the world that London welcomes each year. More than 20 boroughs of London have submitted entries reflecting their own interpretation of the theme in competition for the charity prize pot worth more than £60,000. The parade starts at The Ritz Hotel in Green Park and runs down to Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Parliament Square. With 500,000 visitors expected, be sure to get there early to secure a good spot. London New Year’s Parade, commencing at The Ritz Hotel 1 January, 12-3:30pm lnydp.com

Life’s a Party

Peter Langan. Langan's Brasserie,

Capturing the likes of Princess Diana, Elizabeth Hurley, Kate Moss and Keith Moon, celebrated photographer Richard Young’s latest book Nightclubbing features a compilation of iconic party shots taken at starstudded venues over the past four decades. With a mixture of blackand-white and colour images, the book uncovers a racy depiction of the nightlife inside London’s most famous clubs as rock stars, socialites, royals, fashionistas and disco Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, Kate divas take centre stage. Moss' Topshop After Party. Annabel's, In addition to the classic London, 2007 hardback edition, there will be a limited edition version of 300 featuring a purple Pellaq lizard textured cover and gold foil edges, which has been signed by Richard and comes with a set of four signed photographic prints and four unique postcards.

London, 1982

Dita Von Teese at George Clooney's 47th Birthday Party. Bungalow 8, New York, 2008 Photography: Richard Young

Nightclubbing (£70 for Classic edition, £400 for Limited edition) richardyounggallery.co.uk

spotlight on Kensington, Chelsea & knightsbridge: news, events, reviews & local interest stories

053

New Year Tastings The Mango Tree in Belgravia is hosting four exclusive wine tasting evenings throughout January. Not only will you have wine readily available to indulge in all evening, each wine will also be matched up with a particular dish to enhance the flavours. From scallops to beef salad and mango crème brulée, you will meet face to face with The Mango Tree’s sommelier, Leon Wang. If you love drinking wine and eating delicious Thai dishes, head down to enjoy a lovely evening with other wine enthusiasts. £49 for two people including small dishes 7, 14, 21 and 28 January, 46 Grosvenor Place, SW1X 7EQ, 020 7823 1888 (mangotree.org.uk)

Story Time Magic In an effort to show children the magic of reading, international children’s artist and muralist Sigalit Hart hosts a weekly story time at the Chelsea Children’s library. Better known as Siggistardust to her audience, Hart has been involved with various children’s charities and has dedicated five years to the Spirituality for Kids Foundation, which aims to empower kids from all backgrounds and religions with spiritual lessons and unique arts and crafts. Now with her latest venture, she is auctioning a magical tree mural in which proceeds will go to Great Ormond Street Hospital. The mural will be designed and painted by Siggistardust herself, creating a magical environment in any child’s room. Siggistardust Storytime at the Chelsea Children’s Library, every Wednesday 4-4:30pm, auction for mural ends 31 January, childrensartworld.co.uk

Chalet Chic Showcasing the best of interiors for winter hideaways, the Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair brings top designers and innovative pieces together. The fair attracts both collectors and new customers alike, not to mention high-profile celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey who attended the recent autumn fair. As we may not all have quite her budget, the fair accommodates a wide spectrum of tastes from modern paintings in excess of £50,000 to vintage French wine glasses at £15. Discover a world of antler and black forest furniture, beautifully upholstered seating, French and Swedish painted antiques, decorative period rugs, ski posters, and more. The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, 20-25 January, Battersea Park SW11 4NJ decorativefair.com

Raising Awareness As part of the Royal Court’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme which aims to discover and support the next generation of world class playwrights, Liberian Girl powerfully explores the issue of sexual violence in conflict and examines the female experience of war. Named best new play of the year at the 2013 Alfred Fagon Awards, Liberian Girl was performed as a staged presentation at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict which was chaired by William Hague and Angelina Jolie. In this emotionally-charged performance, director Matthew Dunster hauntingly brings to light the harsh reality of the astounding amount of casualties in Liberia during the Civil War with over 200,000 people killed and a million others displaced into refugee camps. Liberian Girl, 7-31 January Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS royalcourttheatre.com

spotlight on Kensington, Chelsea & knightsbridge: news, events, reviews & local interest stories

SPOTLIGHT

A Year of Art

Robert Hilmersson, Channel nr5

In case you didn’t make it to see all of the fantastic exhibitions there in the past year, Walton Fine Arts is taking time to reflect on some of the best moments of 2014 with its New Year Catch-Up exhibition. Highlighting some of the best artists in the world in both street and pop art, you can expect to see works by Takashi Murakami, Nick Walker and Bambi and upcoming artists such as Plastic Jesus, Elmo Hood, Robert Hilmersson (who is said to be a master of colour and shape) and Richard Zarzi who brings an element of magic to his artwork. Now is the chance to get a crash course in a year’s worth of art!

Bambi, Elvis with gun

New Year Catch-Up 24 December 2014 – 31 January 2015 Walton Fine Arts Gallery 152-154 Walton Street, SW3 2JJ waltonfinearts.com

A Helping Hand A catalyst for local giving and community engagement, The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation makes connections between local residents, schools and businesses. The foundation strives to bring misconceptions about widespread privilege in the local area to the surface and deliver help to those in need, whether assisting its older residents suffering fuel poverty or engaging young people with the Summer Sparks initiative. The recent Autumn Celebration at Sunbeam Studios brought a dynamic mix of charity and community groups across multiple platforms together to both celebrate past projects as well as discuss future collaborations. Over the next year, the foundation hopes to get more people involved as donors, volunteers and advocates. The holiday season may be over but the gift of giving is timeless.

Too Cool for School

thekandcfoundation.com

With the aim of providing more than 200 places for local children, the new Warwick Road Primary School has recently commenced construction with the help of the Mayor of the Royal Borough. The £16 million, state-of-the-art school is being built by leading developer St Edward as part of its major regeneration project in Kensington and is due to be completed in just under two years. The four-storey building will feature a wildlife garden on the second floor, as well as a lofty roof-top play area and garden with seating, which will be safely enclosed by a high wall, providing areas of cover from sun or rain. In addition to enhancing the sense of community across the development, Warwick Road Primary School will accommodate the growing number of children in an area that is currently seeing high demand for new homes. Warwick Primary School, due to open September 2016; rbkc.gov.uk

spotlight on Kensington, Chelsea & knightsbridge: news, events, reviews & local interest stories

055

The Perfect

Capital Rebecca Wallersteiner explores love and lettering with Chelsea-based author Karen Healey Wallace

eet me in Brompton Cemetery at 5pm, and bring a torch”, Karen Healey Wallace instructed me via email so, on a bleak, wintry afternoon, I arrive at the cemetery armed with a torch (and personal alarm, in case of encountering a vampire, or worse; I’m already spooked). It’s easy to spot Karen, tall and slim, carrying a Books Are My Bag bag. She leads me through a forest of tombstones, shining her torch into the undergrowth as we stumble past demure angels with broken wings and crosses galore until Karen stops in front of a circular headstone. “I cleared some nettles from plot AD earlier this week. Look how smooth the Portland stone is.” When I touch it, it feels chalky. Delicate letters by the 20th century sculptor Eric Gill are cut into the memorial, still beautiful 100 years after they were carved, and it is his typography and art which have inspired Karen’s excellent debut novel, The Perfect Capital. “Traditional love stories start with a shy kiss leading to something more intimate but I wanted to turn this genre upside down,” explains Karen. The Perfect Capital tells the tale of the unlikely love affair between Maud, a Gill-obsessed letter cutter, and Edward who is anything but

perfect. The story starts late at night with Maud studying a memorial plaque on the Holy Trinity Church, dressed in a tiny skirt, revealing top and high heels. She meets playboy-banker Edward who mistakes her for a prostitute and a few minutes later she goes home with him. What follows isn’t an artistic ‘Shades of Grey’ that you might expect, though The Perfect Capital is a very physical book. Why does the usually prim Maud abandon herself so recklessly to the undisciplined Edward? And what attracts him to the mousy, unmaterialistic woman who is so different to his normal lovers? The novel sets out to answer these questions. The love story is woven through Maud’s artistic exploration of Gill’s inscriptions carved into Chelsea’s churches, buildings and tombstones, and letter-cutting becomes not just a background but an analogy for the search for perfection in an imperfect world. Following in Maud’s footsteps we leave the sombre cemetery and walk to the Holy Trinity Church off Sloane Square. Here Karen points out Gill’s very first public inscription carved on the church’s entrance door. “Gill never made a model but carved directly into the stone. He believed that a good piece of lettering is as beautiful thing to see as any sculpture or painted picture,” she explains. “The Gill philosophy of lettering was hugely influential on the development of modern type design. He invented the

SPOTLIGHT

Joanna and Perpetua typefaces and we encounter his letter-forms almost every day,” explains Karen. Although you can still see many examples of Gill’s work around, he isn’t talked about much – perhaps owing to recent colourful revelations around his sexual transgressions; these, understandably, now cloud over discussions about his artistic achievements. He was, though, indisputably an outstanding sculptor and a leading voice in the Arts and Crafts movement, exploring religion and philosophy through his essays and exquisite letterforms. Karen’s favourite Gill letter turns out to be ‘R’ which “delicately combines a straight back with a bowl and curl”, in contrast to the cumbersome junctions of a ‘W’. Born in New York, Karen has lived in Chelsea her entire adult life so it is not surprising that her novel displays such an intimate knowledge of the area. She met her husband when they were working at Saatchi & Saatchi in the 1980s and they have four children ranging in age from 13 to 25. Weekends are spent farming wheat at the family farm in Northamptonshire. “Farming is

Karen self-published The Perfect Capital through Acorn Independent Press and personally took it around local bookshops to sell it. “John Sandoe was my first sale and the first local bookshop to stock my book, which is now also stocked by Waterstones and Daunts,” she says. Getting bookshops to stock it was a huge challenge as there are approximately 3,275 physical books published every week in the UK, all vying for shelf-space. Thankfully for book lovers Karen has succeeded and is writing a second book inspired by her love of music. Rather like a Gill inscription, The Perfect Capital is a controlled and sexy, powerful and witty debut novel with a surprising ending. The Perfect Capital, by Karen Healey Wallace (published by Acorn Independent Press, 2013) is available from local booksellers including John Sandoe, Belgravia Books, South Kensington Books, Waterstones and Daunts, as well as on Amazon Photography: Robert Stephenson

The Perfect Capital tells the tale of an unlikely love affair between letter cutter Maud and Edward like writing – one year the harvest can be good and the next it fails – but in the long run things tends to balance each other,” she explains. Which authors does she admire? “I love Alice Munro, whose stories are beautifully constructed and quietly powerful. Hemingway and Edith Wharton are other personal favourites.” In my opinion, The Perfect Capital would make an excellent present for book lovers. It is a carefully designed work of art, as well as being a riveting read; I for one couldn’t put it down. “My book has been designed and typeset according to Gill’s principles of book design,” says Karen. She has used his Joanna typeface and wide margins so that you can hold the book without covering the page with your thumb, making it is pleasing to hold and to read. Everything about the novel suggests hand craftsmanship, from the heavier than normal paper to the spine title pierced by thread. It was shortlisted for Best British Book in the British Book Design and Production Awards, and for Best Editorial Design in the Design Week Awards 2014.

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ART ANTIQUES BY CAROL CORDREY

Acute Observation Jonathan Pike’s style of cityscapes and coastal scenes is a unique blend of acutely observed detail and captivating light effects that once seen, is never forgotten. As a result, he has acquired collectors around the world. You may have come across Pike’s work at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition or through the prestigious Royal Watercolour Society where he is an award-winning member. The Pimlico dealer Julian Simon represents Pike and continues to experience so much interest in his paintings that he will be the featured artist on his stand at Chelsea’s British Antique Dealer Association’s fair (BADA) in March. Simon’s current stock includes the gloriously sunlit scene, Greenwich, a combination of magnificent boats against the backdrop of the old Royal Naval College and, in the far distance, the unmistakable rooftop of the Royal Observatory. Pike impresses yet again with his highly accomplished handling of watercolour in Ca’ d’Oro which conveys, with such respect and realism, the grandeur and the grand old age of this beautiful Venetian palace. Jonathan Pike Julian Simon Fine Art juliansimon@hotmail.co.uk 020 7730 8673 / 2519 Also at BADA, Duke of York Square, SW3, 18-24 March

Above, clockwise from top / Regent’s Canal Barges; Greenwich;Ca d’Oro 2014 Jonathan Pike

with Chelsea art adviser and curator Sandra Higgins about Carlos Jacanamijoy Q: How did you discover Colombian artist Jacanamijoy and is this his first major exhibition here? A: We met in Bogota at the Museum of Modern Art in October 2013 when I attended a talk that ‘Jaca’ was giving about his major solo retrospective at the museum. I introduced myself and he invited me to accompany him around the show with the curator Alvaro Medina. This exhibition is his first in London.

Semillas Innombradas

Q: Do you agree that, artistically, he is something of a polymath? A: Yes, I do agree, totally. He is a maestro, not only in painting and sculpture but also as a classical musician and philosopher. He has also recently become a filmmaker, producing his autobiographical documentary

A: It reveals itself primarily in the vibrant colours of his palette but also in the iconography of the paintings which is informed by the flora and fauna of his native region in Southwestern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. Q: What forms of art will Jacanamijoy be exhibiting with you and on what scale? A: I have several larger paintings from his Bogota retrospective as well as new paintings on a smaller scale and small table sculptures.

which was screened in December in London. Q: In what way does his South American background reveal itself in his work?

Carlos Jacanamijoy: Recent Works Until 16 January Sandra Higgins Gallery sandrahiggins.com

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ART ANTIQUES The Gift of Art Eleven Fine Art finds the solution to the perennial gift dilemma by presenting a selection of very affordable paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures by a selection of the gallery’s top artists. Known as the Christmas Salon, it has emerged as a modern version of the 18th century’s elite Salon de Paris and it has become a magnet for art enthusiasts as well as collectors. This one will include work by the highly respected painter Jonathan Yeo, whose original prints of Damien Hirst (Damien) and infamous politician, Silvio Berlusconi (Bunga Bunga), demonstrate his wonderful ability to produce psychologically penetrating portraiture. In contrast, the simplest of lines and colourwashes are enough for Natasha Law to bring the human figure to life as in Head in the Clouds, and Mim Scala creates animal sculptures like El Toro that burst with realism and energy. Of special interest to us for gifts is the show’s area dedicated to limited edition prints with prices starting at £100. The salon will be open until mid-January so is ideal also for those of you seeking to rid yourself of January blues with some much-needed retail therapy. Christmas Salon, until 17 January; elevenfineart.com

Bunga Bunga, Jonathan Yeo All images courtesy of Eleven, London

El Toro, Mim Scala

Royal Call to all Artists In its relatively short 14-year history, The Prince’s Drawing School has established itself worldwide as a prestigious art education institution. Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales and distinguished artist Catherine Goodman, with support from hand-picked, highly respected artists and Royal Academicians, its acclaimed teaching programme initially operated from a campus in Shoreditch. The high demand for the programme – aimed at developing the observational drawing skills of people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds – necessitated its recent expansion into additional studios in Oxford Street, Trinity Buoy Wharf and right here in South Kensington. Currently, 75 artists teach more than 1,000 students each week on an array of heavily subsidised courses targeted towards 10 to 18 year olds, enthusiasts, undergraduates, postgraduates and aspiring art teachers. HRH The Prince of Wales has maintained a keen interest in the development of his School and this became particularly clear when he visited it during late November. It was celebrations all round after he personally announced that HM The Queen had granted a renaming of the institution to The Royal Drawing School. This especially prestigious title provides yet another good reason for young people or adults to arrange an exciting start to 2015 by applying for one of its excellent daytime, evening or weekend courses. The Royal Drawing School West, Studio 4, Sydney Close Studios, SW3 6HW; royaldrawingschool.org HRH Prince Charles admires a student’s work at The Royal Drawing School Photography: Charles Gervais

Christmas Salon 2013 Photography: Richard Valencia

Working its Magic Talisman has long been associated with the highest quality antique and 20th century furniture that injects personality and luxury into any interior. Its fine reputation has been burnished by the company’s insistence on using its own West Country workshops to restore its sourced items, employing only the finest skills and materials. The results have been so consistently impressive that, in recent years, customers and interior designers have asked for yet more Talisman magic in the form of a bespoke service which customises the most stylish of items created by its West Country specialists. Talisman’s array of fabulous furniture currently includes both decorative and practical items, such as an unusual, two door, juniper lacquered cabinet with brass detail created in 1970s America (right, £6,000, available at Ebury Street). We also like the pair of 1960s styled, blue lacquer and nickel-plated table lamps (left, £2,850, also available at Ebury Street); a set of three, striking, polished steel, swivel counter stools evoking classic 1980s design; and a pair of single-drawer side tables in the style of the great, late Paul McCobb, reflecting the pared-down 1950s style that made him famous and which is currently in vogue. 190-192 Ebury Street, SW1W 8UP / 79-91 New King’s Road, SW6 4SQ talismanlondon.com

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Buste de femme au chapeau rayé [3 June 1939] © Musée Picasso Paris/Béatrice Hatala

ART

The Return of

Picasso

Jenny Barrett travels to Paris to visit the recently reopened Musée Picasso; home to the world’s most impressive collection of works by the renowned artist, the museum offers an intimate look into his life, loves and legacy After a five-year renovation, the Musée Picasso has reopened its doors to the public; President François Hollande proudly cut the ribbon on 25 October 2014, the 133rd anniversary of the artist’s birthday. Set in the grand 17th century Hôtel Sâlé in the Marais district of Paris, the museum has doubled in size, both in terms of floor space and its collection; the Musée Picasso now houses the most impressive Picasso collection in the world. Although he was born in Malaga in Spain, Picasso found his spiritual and artistic home in Paris and the Parisians have since claimed him as their own. It seems only fitting, then, that the French capital should be home to such an important collection of works, many of which were in Picasso’s personal possession when he died in the south of France in 1973. He was reluctant to part with many of these pieces, making the Musée Picasso a treasured collection of ‘Picasso’s Picassos’. Some 400 original pieces fill the rooms of the Hôtel Sâlé, comprising almost a tenth of the 5,000 works currently in the museum’s possession. The collection, spread across five floors, boasts not only paintings but also collages, masks, engravings, sculptures, notebooks, photographs and artefacts from Picasso’s studio (including his paint-splattered chair and paint brushes). The museum’s cellar is dediated to the artist’s atelier and showcases many original artefacts and photographs of it. The opening exhibition is organised chronologically and thematically, a journey through the life of Picasso. Smartphones are provided by the museum, allowing me to navigate at my own pace, but alternatively, I could have chosen from a range of tours that focus on specific themes and periods in Picasso’s oeuvre. I begin my tour on the ground floor and enter the tumult of the artist’s early years in Paris. Picasso once said that “colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions”; this phase in his career, deemed his blue period (1900-1904), was characterised by the dominant

Self-portrait (end of 1901) © Musée Picasso Paris/Béatrice Hatala © Succession Picasso 2014

Deux femmes courant sur la plage (la course) [Summer 1922] © RMN-GP/Jean Gilles Berizzi & Succession Picasso 2014

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use of blues and bottle greens and the depressed, solitary figures he depicts. This includes Picasso himself, and his haunting Self-Portrait (1901) reveals the early winter of his life as he struggled with severe depression. Despite being only 20 years old when he painted this portrait, his face looks sunken and worn, and his expression is blank and melancholy. The composition of La Celestina (1904) stands out as remarkably similar; she is wrapped in a dark coat, with a translucent complexion and cheerless gaze that hold the viewer in awe. I continue through the collection and enter Picasso’s cubist period (1912-1916). Alongside his friend Georges Braque, Picasso developed a groundbreaking deconstructive approach to art, depicting multiple dimensions and perspectives within one image. Sacre Coeur (1910), Man with Guitar and Man with Mandolin (1911-1913) are experimental masterpieces, and my particular favourites from this period. Picasso’s rise in fame and fortune is charted next and visitors will, as I do, encounter his many lovers. Across the entire collection, Picasso’s muses change as much as his artistic style and each woman in his life is depicted with striking uniqueness. “I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them,” once remarked Picasso. I get a sense of how he felt towards his lovers and the distinct emotions that they stirred in him. The stunning Olga in an Armchair (1917) depicts Olga Khokhlova, the high-society Russian ballerina who would become Picasso’s first wife in 1918. This piece is traditional and realistic in form and colour; Olga is serene and elegantly poised on a beautiful embroided armchair. The paintings of Olga stand in stark relief to those of his lover throughout the late 1930s. Dora Maar was an intelligent and talented artist, photographer and poet, who Picasso described as a woman with “class and guts”. With Dora I find my favourite piece in the museum; Portrait of Dora Maar (1937) is striking in colour and abstract cubist form, with the vibrancy of Dora set against a paling background. From this picture, I sense how Picasso became fixated with this enigmatic woman, allowing everything else in the room to fade into insignificance. In his later years, Picasso fell in love with Françoise Gilot. At 21 years old, she was 40 years Picasso’s junior when they met in 1943. Picasso’s pencil sketches of Françoise are astoundingly simple and beautiful; her tresses of flowing hair and curved facial features are captured with Picasso’s sweeping pencil. In Françoise, I believe that Picasso saw a breathtaking beauty and an eternal youth. I end my tour in the loft of the Hôtel Sâlé, which could exist as a standalone musuem in itself. It contains Picasso’s own collection of original works by Braque, Degas, Renoir, Rousseau, Matisse, Cezanne,

Musée Picasso Paris

Jacqueline aux mains croisées [3 June 1954] © RMN-GP/Jean Gilles Berizzi © Succession Picasso 2014

Portrait de Dora Maar (1937) © RMN-Grand Palais / Jean-Gilles Berizzi © Succession Picasso 2014

Musée Picasso Paris

ART La Lecture [2January 1932] © RMN-GP/René-Gabriel Ojéda © Succession Picasso 2014

Miró and Modigliani, among others. After exploring the full spectrum of Picasso’s own oeuvre, the loft collection is an intriguing nod to his greatest influences and friends. The smartphone provides useful commentaries on these other important relationships in Picasso’s life and I learn how Cezanne’s use of colour had a great influence on Picasso and that his competitiveness with Matisse spurred his creativity throughout the years. Despite their intense rivalry, they had a deep respect for one another and Matisse’s painting of his only daughter, Marguerite (1907), took pride of place in Picasso’s own collection. Overall, I find that exploring the renovated Musée Picasso is an entirely absorbing, illuminating experience. This unique collection is a montage of the spectrum of human emotion, told through the eyes of an artistic genius. “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary”, said the man himself. An afternoon spent here provides an intimate look into the extraordinary life and loves of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists. Tickets for the Musée Picasso cost €11 each Book online at museepicassoparis.fr

where to stay Less than a ten minute walk away, La Pavillon de la Reine (pavillon-de-la-reine.com) is the closest luxury hotel to the Musée Picasso. Located in the 17th century square, Place des Vosges, the grand ivycovered La Pavillon de la Reine is a stunning setting for a weekend in Paris. Experience Picasso’s Paris at Pavillon de la Reine from €900, based on a two-night stay (two sharing) on a B&B basis, two tickets for the Musée Picasso and a self-guided walking tour of the Montmatre district, where Picasso lived and worked throughout his lifetime. City tax is extra.

Portrait de Françoise [20 May 1946] © RMN-GP/ Droits réservés © Succession Picasso 2014

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www.my-perfect-t.com

fashion

New BEGINNINGS Given the number of designers who have recently opened flagship stores here – from Victoria Beckham to Roksanda Ilincic – and with more to come (Christopher Kane and Erdem in 2015), London is fast becoming the fashion capital of the world. The newest brand to land this month is none other than Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain; the new store on South Audley Street has been designed by Joseph Dirand who has brought a touch of Parisian chic to Mayfair, with French furniture designers Andres Arbus and Jean Royère featuring heavily. However, Dirand has ensured that the the 220 square metre boutique’s design is in keeping with its new surroundings; the doors, ceilings, mirrors and big stone fireplace all channel the traditionally sober English style. balmain.com

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Speak of the Delvaux Despite being one of the oldest luxury leather goods manufacturers in the world (beating Hermès and Louis Vuitton), Delvaux – the official supplier to the Belgian Royal Court since 1883 – has remained fairly inconspicuous in comparison to its two biggest French rivals. However, having just opened up shop on this side of the Channel on one of the most well-known shopping addresses in the world, London’s New Bond Street, we predict this will not be the case for long. Inside the boutique (designed by Luxembourg-based artists Martine Feipel and Jean Bechameil), you’ll find Delvaux’s most iconic collections, including Le Brilliant, Le Pin and Le Madame. Delvaux, 36 New Bond Street en.delvaux.com

HER STYLE By olivia sharpe

Home Run

It feels particularly apt to name a collection The Legend when it’s coming from iconic fashion house Alexander McQueen. Part of Resort 2015, the new day bag range comprises three key styles – a tote, a shopper and a clutch – with each one featuring distinctive hardware details such as a chunky zip closure on the tote and clutch, and metallic eyelets on top corners of the tote, giving each bag a tougher, edgier look.

For the past few seasons, fashion designers have been championing the Sports Luxe trend and far from having run its course, judging from S/S15 collections, it seems safe to say that this is a look that is here to stay. While, for the exercise haters among us, this is far from ideal, for those of you who favour a more relaxed aesthetic, this is very good news indeed. As part of his S/S15 collection, British fashion designer Richard Nicoll collaborated with sports clothing brand Sweaty Betty on a ten-piece capsule collection. Launching this January, the range fuses Nicoll’s iconic pastel colour palette and Japanese-inspired prints with Sweaty Betty’s high performance active wear. Functional, technical and artistic, the two brands have undoubtedly hit a home run.

The Legend collection, Alexander McQueen alexandermcqueen.com

Richard Nicoll x Sweaty Betty, available January 2015 sweatybetty.com

What a Legend

On the Trot As far as luxury luggage makers go, Globe-Trotter sets the standard. This year, the historic British manufacturer has raised the bar once again and launched a jewellery case in two different versions: the Luxe 9” case has been created from the same vulcanised fibreboard and fine leather as the core luggage and has been coated in Urushi lacquer with inner compartments for necklaces, rings and earrings, while the other style comes in ivory, echoing GlobeTrotter’s iconic Safari range. For an added personal touch, the lid of each case can also be initialised with up to six letters. Luxe 9” case, £995; Ivory case, £625 globetrotter1897.com

Pay a Call While it may have only launched in 2011 by Harvey Nichols during London Fashion Week, footwear brand Crisian has already taken the fashion world by storm, with a string of powerful female followers, including Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Lady Gaga and Nicole Scherzinger. Tucked away behind a discreet black door on Dover Street is where you’ll find the brand’s debut boutique, housing the latest collection of sexy, high fashion shoes which have been crafted as unique objects of desire. Make sure to pay it a call. Crisian London, 41-42 Dover Street crisianmlondon.com

Putting the Boot In Considering that Hunter has been the welly of choice for English country eccentrics since 1856, it was hardly surprising that the brand chose to commemorate this heritage in its first global flagship store, which opened its doors just a few weeks ago. The Regent Street boutique takes iconic references from the English countryside, featuring a barn-like structure, puddle tables and mirror tops to resemble a typical downpour and an infinity forest created from Douglas Fir Trees. The new store comes complete with the entire Hunter range, including footwear for women, men and kids. Hunter, 83 Regent Street hunterboots.com

What’s New? Evidently the philosophy of ‘new year, new you’ is an important one for Lily and Lionel as the luxury accessories brand has chosen to mark the beginning of 2015 with the launch of its first swimwear and ready-to-wear ranges. When it comes to swimwear, the collections have been designed to mirror the brand’s signature scarf prints and include Papillo Stone, an abstract butterfly motif; Flores Pastel, a beautiful composition of delicate powder blue, magenta and peach roses; and romantic midnight florals as part of Nori Black. The swimwear will be dropping in stores from 20 January, along with clothing.

New to the Borough:

lilyandlionel.com

Marie France Van Damme Marie France Van Damme has made a career out of journeying to exotic places and figuring out what women should wear on holiday. After opening stores in Hong Kong and Bangkok, the end of last year saw the designer and businesswoman opening her first boutique in London. Situated on Draycott Avenue, the chic boutique carries a carefully curated selection of mix and match, ‘must pack’ pieces which have been designed to make the transition from beach day wear to evening glamour effortless and stylish. Just what you need for that holiday abroad this January. Marie France Van Damme, 117 Draycott Avenue, SW3 mariefrancevandamme.com

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Tunnel

Vision It's time to add a breath of fresh air to your 2015 wardrobe by means of sensuous sheers, sharp shapes and dramatic patterns Photographer:

Dominic Nicholls

Stylist:

Anna Woodham

Mint long-sleeved blouse, £350, Edeline Lee, edelinelee.com; Yellow skirt, £70, Isabel Garcia Gold Label, isabelgarcia.it; High-waisted briefs, £29, Hanro, hanro.co.uk; Grey wool coat £575, Marc Cain, marc-cain.com

Cotton tuxedo shirt, £315, Atea Oceanie, selfridges.co.uk; Blue floral skirt with sheer hem, £564, Zeyneptosun, zeyneptosun.com

Orange sheer panel jumper, POA, CO-TE, farfetch.com; White butterfly sneakers, ÂŁ140, F-Troupe, f-troupe.com; Grey crepe shorts, ÂŁ195, Hofmann Copenhagen, hofmanncopenhagen.com

Grey/blue/white pleat dress, ÂŁ329, A-Line London, a-linelondon.com; Classic slip-on plimsoles, ÂŁ55, Vans, vans.com

Silk organza woven skirt, £3,495, Holly Fulton, hollyfulton.com; Green sheer top with black underlay, £220, MOKA London, The Shop at Bluebird, 350 King's Road; Gunmetal hoop earrings, £135, Yael Saloman, yaelsalomon.com

STYLIST: Anna Woodham @ Frank Agency HAIR STYLIST: Julie Read @ Carol Hayes Management using Bumble and bumble MAKE-UP ARTIST: Charlie Duffie @ Carol Hayes Management using MAC PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT: Aurora Scheftel Shot on location at House of Vans London (houseofvanslondon.com)

Calling Card

The Boys in Blue

In celebration of its 80th anniversary, British leather goods brand Ettinger is launching a new collection called Saint Crispin. Aptly christened after the patron saint of leather workers and cobblers, the line uses the finest, softest alpine calf leather, in two sets of earthy tones, including Deep Sea & Dry Stone (smart navy and pale grey) and Bracken & Eggshell (beige and brown shades). Choose from a selection of wallets, billfolds and card cases and for an extra personal touch, you can add your initials in gold or silver foil when ordering online.

Having already built on a reputation for using the most state-of-the-art technology in the automotive sector, Bugatti decided to further enhance its influence in the luxury lifestyle world with the recent launch of its own boutique on the Brompton Road. With its main focus on men’s fashion, the two A/W14 lines available in store include the Ettore Bugatti collection, which brings the kind of sophisticated and elegant style synonymous with timeless fashion, and the Performance Luxury range featuring a sharp and sporty, just-got-off-the-racetrack look. Tailor-made and bespoke services are also available. Bugatti Lifestyle Boutique London, 24-26 Brompton Road bugatti.com

ettinger.co.uk

HIS STYLE By liane nelson

New Guy on the Block

Hand-Tailored in England Leading tailoring house Lutwyche is set to showcase its first full scheduled event at this year’s London Collections: Men, taking place between 9 and 12 January 2015. Focusing on fine, hand-crafted menswear using traditional English artisanal techniques, Lutwyche creates a new standard for today’s gentleman with bespoke suits which showcase attention to both structure and detail. The event on 10 January will see high-profile guests from the fashion, film, music and sports industries coming together so all fashion-forward men should make sure to note this one down in their calendars. lutwyche.co.uk

New to Knightsbridge’s sartorial scene, bespoke tailor Sean Christopher combines traditional tailoring with a modern twist, making use of top-notch fabrics paired with quality craftsmanship to create some of the best suits in town. Taking a bold and masculine approach, checks, window patterns and chalk stripes make a definite statement, while deconstructed jackets and high-opening waistcoats complete the look. Clients can have a hand in almost every aspect of the process, from the fabric used down to the stitching, lining and choice of buttons, and with a ‘Perfect Fit Promise’, we’re sure you won’t be disappointed. Sean Christopher, 61 Beauchamp Place, SW3; seanchristopher.com

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lifestyle Don’t Sweat It

Focused on keeping you stylish as you work off those extra pounds gained over Christmas, luxury online retailer Net-a-Porter will be introducing a range of activewear from an assortment of well-known brands over the next couple of months as part of its Net-a-Sporter category, launched last summer. Highlights include athleticwear brand Lucas Hugh’s coveted range of leggings, swimsuits and gym essentials, featuring streamlining fused seams, reinforced stitching and breathable mesh panels, and an exclusive pair of Octavia leggings, courtesy of James Duigan’s Bodyism range. Available from February, these incorporate high-tech fabrics with bio-active crystals, designed to absorb body heat as well as reduce the appearance of cellulite. Bodyism Octavia leggings, £125, available at net-a-porter.com

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HOME

BY liane nelson

Turn Up the Heat Give your home’s heating systems a new lease of life this January by investing in one (or several) radiators from Bisque. With its innovative designs, from large pieces that make a statement to space-saving towel radiators that will keep your bathroom cosy, there are endless possibilities to choose from. Offering a full range of colours (more than 2,000, to be exact), Bisque upholds the philosophy that even practical pieces in your home can be given style and personality. The iconic Archibald towel radiator is bound to liven up even the most pared-down of bathrooms. Bisque products are available from Victoria + Albert Baths Third floor, north dome, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour (DCCH)

Come Full Circle Offering an array of exquisite home furnishings with more than 150 unique designs, interior brand Davidson has emerged at the forefront of the luxury market. The collection boasts an impressive mélange of one-of-a-kind dining tables, dining chairs, side cabinets, coffee tables, occasional furniture and mirrors made from beautiful woods and veneers, such as macassar ebony, tinted sycamores, walnut and rosewood. The A/W14 collection focuses on mixing metallics with lacquered natural vellum to create a sense of warmth in the home, in stark contrast to cool temperatures outside. Davidson, First floor, south dome Design Centre Chelsea Harbour

New Age Ever wish you had your own personal DJ to create you the perfect soundtrack to your life? The Aether Cone, known as the thinking music player, is a freakishly smart speaker system, akin to a robotic DJ with access to more than 30 million songs. The cone’s technology allows it to learn what type of music you like and over time it will create an expertly tailored music experience. And it doesn’t stop there; the cone can also take requests so you can use your voice to find and play music, radio stations and podcasts. Despite its compact size, the woofer, dual tweeters and 20 watt amplifier (for those who understand tech talk) create a rich sound suitable for all musical genres.

Sleep Tight French linen brand Yves Delorme brings visual poetry to the bedroom with whimsical colours and patterns aimed to evoke the feeling of bliss and its many states of expression. Using cosy fabrics inspired by Japanese kimonos and making use of radiant colours, the collection comprises four different parts in relation to the different cycles of sleep, including Drifting Off and Rise and Shine. Fall into dream land, cocooned in floral patterns; traditional interpretations of flowers are transformed thanks to an innovative version bursting with vitality. yvesdelormeparis.com

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Hunt Down Bringing innovative design from across the pond, Chicago-based design brand Holly Hunt has opened its first European showroom in Mayfair. The space showcases custom-made luxury furnishings which provide inspiration for interior designers, architects and retail customers alike. In addition to bespoke furniture, lighting, textiles and rugs, the showroom brings together new products developed specifically for the launch, from the likes of Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Alison Berger. hollyhunt.com

Written in Stone Inspired by the ancient art of calligraphy, Top Floor showcases its new Script collection, comprising nine rugs and wall-hangings by internationally-acclaimed artist Hassan Massoudy. The collection reflects a blend of Middle and Far Eastern styles with deep ties to nature, featuring design names such as Earth, Fire, Water and Roots, with each one having been tagged with a short proverb or a line of verse from the different cultures that inspired Massoudy. The rugs are hand-made using wool and silk and can double as wallhangings, making them the perfect two-in-one pieces. Top Floor Rugs/Wood, second floor, south dome, DCCH

The Scent of Art Fill your home with the luxurious scent of the new home fragrance collection by Hermès. Masterfully mixed by Céline Ellena, daughter of Jean-Claude Ellena who is the head of fragrance at Hermès, there are five intoxicating fragrances; Des Pas Sur la Neige (taupe), Temps de Pluie (celadon), Fenêtre Ouverte (lagoon), Champ Libre (sulphur) and À Cheval (pumpkin). The sophisticated scents are paired with innovative designs by Guillaume Bardet; candle bowls available in three different sizes, a perfumed pebble and a perfumed origami horse which makes for the perfect travelling companion or table decoration. hermesparfumeur.com

Get Carried Away One of the leaders in furniture design, Roche Bobois is well-known for taking a theme and translating it into a ground-breaking collection of furniture. His A/W14 collection focuses on movement characterised by the interplay of graphic, art and product design paired with a range of exciting colours. Reminiscent of something from a dream and completely handmade, the Bubble sofas are, imaginatively, inspired by the idea of throwing oneself onto a basket of balloons. Honeycomb wool is applied onto black jersey, so you’re guaranteed smooth sailing. roche-bobois.com

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THE LILLE ARMCHAIR

Tempering that ostentatious Louis-XV style with a rustic finish, the Lille armchair oozes timeless appeal. Swoon Editions has sourced the Lille direct from the maker for just £299. Edition limited to 118.

Limited Editions. Exceptional prices. From artisan workshops direct to your door, discover new designs every day without the inflated price tag at Swoon Editions.

THE SANFORD DINING TABLE

A beautifully-designed table injects class into any living space. Boasting a sturdy frame and intricate carving, the Sanford comfortably seats four. Swoon Editions has sourced the Sanford direct from the maker for just £399. Only 12 left.

THE EMILE CHEST OF DRAWERS

THE ELLA DESK

Give traditional settings a modern accent with the charcoal Emile; it marries chic, classical form with a moody kick. Swoon Editions has sourced the Emile direct from the maker for just £299. Edition limited to 36.

From its unfurling cabriole legs and six drawers down to its antiqued handles, the Ella desk makes a graceful addition to any living room, bedroom or library. Practically perfect. Swoon Editions has sourced the Ella direct from the maker for just £299. Edition limited to 27

THE CELINE BENCH

Whether used in a hallway or as a window seat, the intricately carved Celine is sure to evoke an air of refinement. Swoon Editions has sourced the Celine direct from the maker for just £199. Edition limited to 76.

SAVE £50 ON ORDERS OVER £500. Go to swooneditions.com/kenchel2 and enter voucher code kenchel2 at checkout or call 020 3137 2464* quoting kenchel2. New designs launch every day and sell out fast. Sign up at swooneditions.com/kens2

Delivery £38 per item (the Celine £29 per item) to UK mainland. See individual items for details. Offer is restricted to one per customer, per household. Discount will be applied to fi rst transaction only. Offer ends at 23.59 on 12.01.14. Enter the voucher code at checkout or quote on the phone. Discount will be shown at checkout. Any refunds will take into account the discount. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. Please check delivery terms & conditions online or call 020 3137 2464. *Calls from a BT landline are charged at standard network rate. Calls from mobiles and other providers may cost more. Products subject to availability. Standard Swoon Editions terms & conditions apply. Check swooneditions.com/terms-conditions for full details.

In our

Genes Liane Nelson goes beneath the surface of Geneu, a new and revolutionary science-based skin health company which looks to your DNA to combat the appearance of ageing

In today’s world, which is very much centred around youth and beauty, we are constantly looking for ways to maintain, or in some instances salvage, that youthful glow. With a plethora of choices regarding anti-ageing regimes and an infinite amount of ‘miracle’ creams that supposedly turn back the clock, it can be hard to decipher which products actually work and which ones are merely a clever marketing gimmick. Redefining the meaning of bespoke skincare, science-based skin health company Geneu recommends specific anti-ageing serums based on your DNA, which is tested in store in approximately 30 minutes. It may sound like a hoax at first, or something from the future, but after speaking to the mastermind behind it all, Professor Christofer Toumazou, I can see that he is perfectly serious about his product. As well as inventing the DNA microchip (or his ‘baby’, as he calls it) and earning the title of European Inventor of the Year 2014, he has devised an artificial pancreas for people with diabetes and a hearing implant to help deaf people so it is safe to assume that the science behind Geneu is legitimate. Professor Toumazou aims to give consumers access to high quality products without having to turn to biopharmaceutical companies. He comments: “I don’t want people to be afraid or intimidated of the science

behind our line. It should be very ‘user-friendly’.” Upon arrival at the sleek, modern and slightly Star Trek-looking flagship store on New Bond Street, I was greeted at the door and walked through what was going to happen during my visit. I was first asked a series of questions on my lifestyle habits, such as smoking and how much sun exposure I get in a year. Then came the DNA extraction, which to my relief did not involve any poking or prodding with needles but rather consisted of a sample simply taken with a cotton swab. After a few circular motions on the inside of each cheek, the cotton swab was mixed with a mysterious solution to help to separate the DNA and target the specific genes which are relevant to ageing. The two genes that Professor Toumazou focuses on are those responsible for antioxidant levels and collagen degradation. “These two factors are extremely important in the ageing process and people may be bombarding their face with unnecessary amounts of collagen or antioxidants if they are not using the correct concentrations.” The test was carried out by one of the staff scientists, Dr. Maria Karvela, who began by applying my DNA to a microchip and all that was left to do was sit and wait for 30 minutes for my results. Perched upon a Zaha Hadid sofa and sipping a glass of mineral water, I was transported back to university days, nervously

health & beauty

awaiting the results of an exam. Would I have sufficient amounts of antioxidants and collagen or am I already a lost cause? I was pleased to discover that I had high levels of antioxidants but despite my efforts to load up on salmon a few times a week, my results showed that I am a moderate degrader of collagen. As Dr. Karvela presented me with my own shiny Geneu serum dispenser, she explained that the serums, to be used twice daily, had exactly the right concentrations of ingredients needed for my skin. This means they won’t be overpowering it with antioxidants but will give me the boost I need in the collagen department. Feeling young may be priceless, but as it turns out, looking like you have the perfect levels of antioxidants and collagen will only set you back £600 for the initial Geneu package. As for the future of the microchip, Toumazou envisions portable and easy DNA testing, not only in stores but all public places such as shopping malls, offices and private events: “Geneu is only the first stop for the microchip; eventually this technology will be applied to everything you would need a DNA test for.” If perfect skin is the first stop on Toumazou’s DNA-testing journey, I personally can’t wait to see what is next. Initial Geneu Experience Package including DNA test and two weeks’ supply of DNA personalised anti-ageing serum, £600 Geneu, 65 New Bond Street, W1S 020 7499 7161; geneu.com

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HEALTH BEAUTY BY OLIVIA SHARPE

See the Light In order to brighten up the dark pallor of winter skin, MAC Cosmetics has brought a freshness and vitality to its latest colour collection, Lightness of Being. Filled with light, as you’d expect – pastel shades of frosted lavender, pearlised champagne and pale mint green – the complete range of eyeshadows, nail lacquers and lip colours signals the start of the spring season. For a delightful rosy glow to brighten up your complexion this January, try the uplifting peach with orange marble blush with the matching, neutral coral cream lipstick. Available from January 2015; maccosmetics.co.uk

Slim Chance

Hair Raiser

For 2015, Chanel has chosen to package its Chance fragrance in a new 35ml bottle, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Practical and convenient, the travel-size bottles will house each of the three signature scents in the staple colours – yellow, green and pink – so Chance is always close within your reach. The brand will also be launching a hair mist featuring the perfume’s notes and a body cream with the scent of Chance eau Tendre.

Coloured or chemically processed hair needs a lot of attention to keep it looking healthy and nourished. Enter Paul Yacomine. The stylist to the stars established himself as one of the leading figures in the industry, working with an elite celebrity clientele including Kate Moss and Elle Macpherson, before setting up his own premium haircare range, which combines his expertise in the field with superior ingredients. The compact Colour Collection Kit is one of the signature products and contains Micro Treatment oils which work to protect hair against the elements and smooth down the cuticle, leaving it conditioned and shining.

Available from 16 January Limited edition Chance 35ml bottles, £46 each chanel.com

paulyacomine.com

Too Hot to Handle To celebrate its 250th anniversary, historic French crystal-maker Baccarat has written the next chapter in the company’s history with the launch of a new fragrance; Rouge 540. The scent, created by perfumer Francis Kurkdijian, has been named after the brand’s hallmark golden red as well as the temperature in degrees centigrade that molten crystal must reach in order to achieve this colour. Each of the 250 limited edition, crystal bottles (featuring a remarkable 160 facets) arrives in an exquisite crystal jewel box, designed by Georges Chevalie, and comes with its own individual red crystal pipette. uk.baccarat.com

Sitting Prettly Newly-launched beauty tech start-up Prettly brings the salon straight to your home or office doorstep at just a click of a button, revolutionising the way in which busy, urban-dwelling women keep themselves looking immaculate. Treatments – ranging from manicures and pedicures to hair and make-up – can be booked in seconds and on-the-go through the mobilefriendly website, and prices are surprisingly affordable, with manicures from £25 and pedicures from £30. Founder and CEO Rhea PapanicolaouFrangista comments: “We found Prettly is that there is no good, easy-to-use offering K&C readers and seamless solution that a 10 per cent discount on allows women to have beauty their first treatment. Simply email Prettly-for-thetreatments – even a simple kensington-and-chelseamanicure – at locations and magazine to bookings@ times that truly work for them. prettly.com to claim At Prettly we have made it our mission to make life in London for busy women just a little bit easier”.

Treatment

of the Month The Michaeljohn Signature Facial

As we begin another new year, many of us are thinking more than ever about how best to keep ourselves looking young. With this in mind, award-winning hair salon Michaeljohn has looked to the art of skincare too, with the launch of its own bespoke signature facial, incorporating IS Clinical products. The treatment begins with a 3D skin analysis using state-of-the-art facial mapping, followed by a facial massage, before concluding with LED Phototherapy to accelerate the body’s natural repair process, resulting in clearer, more glowing skin. Depending on your own skin type and requirements, the treatment will be tailor-made to tackle either fine lines and loss of firmness, uneven complexion and/or congestion, or dry and dehydrated skin. The Michaeljohn Signature Facial, £160 for 90 minutes Available at Michaeljohn Belgravia Medispa, 8 Motcomb Street, SW1X 020 7752 0652; michaeljohn.co.uk

prettly.com

The New Face of Hair Award-winning hair stylist Sam Burnett has been impressing the industry with his creative and innovative designs for several years now and so it was only a matter of time before he opened up shop. His new salon, Hare and Bone, was unveiled at the end of last year on Great Titchfield Street and has been inspired by Burnett’s philosophy of working with the bone structure of a person’s face in order to truly complement one’s personal style. It has always been the stylist’s number one goal to give clients an exceptional salon experience, not to mention great looking hair. We feel sure you won’t be disappointed. Hare and Bone, 69 Great Titchfield Street hareandbone.co.uk

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow With the laser hair removal industry growing faster than ever, Olivia Sharpe reviews the procedure at Strip wax boutique in Chelsea to see whether or not it’s truly worth it Summer has always been a particularly stressful time for me. After months of hiding beneath layers of protective clothing, suddenly the dreaded ‘bikini-bodyready’ era dawns and there are a hundred and one things to consider, from pedicures and fake tan to arguably the most important aspect of all; hair removal. As such, the prospect of never having to worry about shaving or waxing is (I think I can speak for many women here) very appealing. However, since laser hair removal first came onto the beauty radar in the mid1990s, its success rate has invariably been called into question. The reason for this is simple: it doesn’t work for everyone. Only people with coarse hair and dark skin are considered ideal candidates and even then, there is still no guarantee hair will be removed completely, which is why experts generally refer to it as ‘hair reduction’. Saying that, it has been shown that 90 per cent of ideal candidates report permanent hair loss after an average of three to six sessions. Strip in Chelsea has been at the forefront of hair removal technology for almost a decade and due to increasing demand, this service was extended into the brand’s Notting Hill branch last June. The wax bar bears closer resemblance to a decadent boudoir, painted in the company’s signature teal and complete with curved mirrors and a lingerie boutique. There are six themed and luxurious treatment rooms, including the Berry Room and the Tropical Room, which is where I was based for my six-session course. While I was tempted by either leg or bikini, my inner coward persuaded me against it so I instead opted for underarm, little knowing that this is one of the most sensitive areas and subsequently the most painful. The first session with my therapist Carleigh involved an in-depth consultation whereby she assessed my

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hair and skin type before conducting a patch test. In layman’s terms, laser hair removal works by shining highly concentrated light onto hair follicles, which absorb it and this destroys the hair. Clients are warned to avoid sun exposure for four weeks before and after treatment to avoid bad reactions, which can include redness, itching, and swelling. I therefore highly recommended you begin your course of treatment during the winter. Strip uses the industry-trusted GentleMAX laser system by Syneron & Candela, a machine featuring a dynamic cooling device designed to remove pain. However, having a particularly low pain threshold, my experience was far from pain-free. Each ‘shot’ felt like a small, extremely hot electric shock but at least with underarm (being such a small surface area) sessions are short, taking only five minutes. Apart from a little redness and sensitivity (skin feels as though it’s sunburnt), I suffered from no other side effects and the great thing about laser hair removal is that you are allowed to shave (but not wax) in between courses. I noticed a considerable improvement after just the first session and by my third, I found myself not having to shave for weeks at a time. Following your fourth session, you might notice that hair starts to grow again more rapidly but this, my therapist informed me, is fairly normal as this is when your third hair cycle has just been completed. With the high cost and lack of guaranteed success rate, many people beg the question, ‘is laser hair removal worth it?’ For myself, I would have to answer yes. By my sixth session, my underarms were practically hair-free and while I do still have to shave very occasionally, this is few and far between. Bring on the summer. Strip Chelsea, 102 Fulham Road, SW3 6HS 020 7590 0050; stripwaxbar.com

Kids KINGDOM BY liane nelson

Mother Knows Best When mother of five, Celia Muñoz noticed how many compliments her children were being paid on their Spanish attire whilst out and about in London, she thought to herself, ‘why not start a clothing brand of my own?’ Meaning well-groomed, La Coqueta incorporates traditional and timeless children’s fashion with a chic and contemporary style. For S/S15, the theme is carefree; for girls, dresses come in bright fluorescent colours of pink, yellow and cornflower blue with Peter Pan collars, while boys adopt a preppy look in checked and plain shirts paired with colourful chinos and striped shorts. The babywear collection features adorable baby rompers in pastel shades; perfect for the start of spring. lacoquetakids.com

Fairytale Fun

Step into a magical world with childrenswear brand Elfie and its newly opened boutique in the heart of Bayswater. Designed to resist the wear and tear of playtime, the clothes are durable and can stand up to the mud, dirt and scuffles that young ones invariably experience when out exploring. Inspired by The Addams Family and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, this season’s collection features an array of collared coats and frocks, traditional Fair Isle knitwear, partywear, baby rompers and booties. Elfie, 27 Chilworth Street, W2 elfielondon.com

Shoe-tastic Salvatore Ferragamo has launched its debut children’s shoewear line, Ferragamo MINI: a special capsule shoe collection for girls. Featuring two of the brand’s existing iconic designs, the round-toed ballerina and Varina which has been finished off with the signature Varina bow, the collection reflects a spirited charm, perfect for any little princess. As suited for dressing up as playtime, the shoes feature rubber soles and an ultra-soft fit, as well as arriving in a range of textures such as super chic patent, soft suede and shimmering glitter. The colours are just as exciting, coming in Ferragamo Red, New Bisque, Oxford Blue and a selection of metallics. ferragamo.com

Au Naturel

Bringing Out Baby

No matter what age, we all need to keep our skin properly moisturised, particularly during the drying winter months. Loved by mums and dads alike, Sophie La Girafe Baby offers a natural and organic skincare range for babies, free of GMOs, perfumes or synthetic dyes, and incorporating Alva Organics, an industry innovator. For a great all-in-one product, we recommend the Protection Cream which can be used as a lip balm, moisturemask or hand cream. It contains soothing elements such as lavender water and thyme extract which guarantee to keep your baby’s skin soft and smooth.

In the fast-paced world of London, busy parents need practicality when it comes to their children’s products and the Delta Baby Nursery Bag and Travel Carrycot is exactly that. A great travelling solution for on-the-go parents, the roomy and well-designed changing bag easily converts into a comfortable carrycot for your newborn. The changing bag offers four large compartments (providing plenty of space for all of your baby’s essentials) and one of these has isothermal covers, perfect for keeping bottles warm or chilled.

sophielagirafecosmetics.com

deltababy.be

SW3

A Dream Come True

Opening its first flagship store in London this January, Gigi Brooks brings its imagination-fuelling collection of bespoke furniture, fairytale interiors, toys, clothing and charming accessories to Brompton Cross. Combining British charm with West Coast luxe, collections range from beautifully detailed traditional masterpieces to whimsical, modern creations. In addition to ready-made pieces, Gigi Brooks offers a bespoke service whereby furniture, nurseries and children’s bedrooms can be designed from scratch, allowing you to explore a variety of themes for a particular space, whether it’s creating a mythical forest bedroom or a playroom featuring a child-sized Parisian market. Upholding the belief that anything that one dreams of can therefore be made into a reality, the possibilities really are endless. Gigi Brooks, 135 Fulham Road, SW3 gigibrooks.com

Handmade with Love Specialists in handsmocked dresses, blouses, dungarees and baby rompers, British children’s clothing brand Amelia Brennan caters for newborns and little ones up to the age of five. The clothes feature playful motifs, from pink ducks and marching soldiers to toy trains, while incorporating beautiful embroidery and stitching hand-finished by skilled seamstresses. ameliabrennan.co.uk

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MOTORING

Premiership

Performer It might not be the most powerful Bentley Continental GT on offer but the V8 S is easily the best, says Matthew Carter

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here are so many compelling sides to this Bentley that it’s difficult to know where to start. Do I talk about the noise, the glorious deep bass growl it spits out of the twin figure-of-eight oval exhaust pipes whenever the accelerator is used with a modicum of enthusiasm? Perhaps I should focus on the necksnapping acceleration; this is a big, heavy car yet it will hurl itself to 60mph from rest in a smidge over four seconds, and there are out-and-out sports cars which can’t do that. Then there’s the remarkable amount of grip. The Continental GT has four-wheel drive and once again, despite its bulk, it can be hurled around with surprising confidence. And, of course, when not behaving like a hooligan, there’s the incredible comfort, refinement and sheer presence of the car. Even though the basic shape has been around for more than a decade (the first generation was launched in 2003) and has become a familiar sight in Premiership cities, it still gathered a crowd whenever it was parked up. But in many ways the most impressive thing about this Bentley is the way it performs not just against the clock but also at the pumps. Accelerate hard and the instant readout will still show a wallet-punishing fourpoint-something mpg but my average fuel consumption finished in the mid-20s and I wasn’t treating my time with the car as an economy run. Okay, so if you can afford the £139k asked for the car – actually ‘mine’ cost almost £180,000, coming as it did with an eye-watering £41,000 of extras – you probably won’t be too concerned about its thirst for fuel. However, this is about more than just saving a few pennies at the pumps. It reflects the way

the industry is responding to environmental concerns and while the Bentley’s CO2 emissions of 246 g/kms won’t get you a free pass into Boris’s London, it’s a great deal better than was achieved even a couple of years ago. It’s down to Volkswagen, owner of Bentley since 1998. The 4.0-litre V8 engine was developed by Audi and therefore bristles with advanced technology designed not just to make the car as fast as possible but also as efficient as possible. In performance mode, for example, it’s a full-fat V8 with a suitable heavy metal thunder soundtrack (actually the Sports Exhaust is a

The most impressive thing about this car is how it performs against the clock and at the pumps £1,860 option, but if you have an ounce of high octane fuel in your blood, that’s money well spent). It’s when cruising that the clever stuff starts to kick in. The engine incorporates what Bentley calls variable displacement; when you don’t need all eight cylinders pumping away, four are shut down, turning it into a 2.0-litre four cylinder (not that you’d notice from behind the wheel). So as soon as you reach cruising speed, the engine quietly cuts half its cylinders but the moment you touch the throttle again, those dormant four cylinders unobtrusively spring back into life. If you didn’t know it was happening, you’d be none the wiser until it came to filling up. Bentley reckons that each tank can provide a range of as much as 500 miles, meaning the Continental

MOTORING

GT really does live up to its billing; it is possibly the most perfect continental grand tourer around. It is also easily the best of the three regular Conti Coupés offered by Bentley. At the top-of-the-range is the W12, powered by a gargantuan twin turbo 6-litre developing 567 hp and providing creamy-smooth performance along with the thirst of a dipsomaniac. At the bottom is the ‘ordinary’ V8, which develops a perfectly adequate 500 hp. To my mind, the V8 S, with 521 hp, offers the best of everything. Don’t just take my word for it. Talk to a Bentley high-up off the record and he (or she) will agree that few need the W12 when the V8 S is this good. To match its greater power, the S has a more sporting chassis set-up than the V8. It’s been lowered by 10mm, has stiffer springs and revised damping for a more responsive drive. Its electronic systems have been optimised for more sporting performance and the steering has been recalibrated to give better feedback. There’s also a raft of body add-ons – a front splitter, rear diffuser and extended side sills – that add an air of menace without being too vulgar. The result is as close to a sports car as Bentley gets, not quite as involving as a Porsche 911, for me, but not half bad at all. As we have seen, of those 40 grand of extras – the equivalent of a VW Golf R and a VW Up, for goodness sake – some are worth the money, but some are of more dubious value and some, frankly, should be standard anyway; if Nissan can provide a rear-facing camera as standard on a £17k Juke then Bentley really ought to be able to do the same on a £139k V8 S, especially as visibility out of the coupé isn’t brilliant when reversing. As it is, Bentley wants another £910 so you can

see where you’re going. I also question whether it’s worth paying £480 to have the door mirror caps painted in a contrasting colour to the body – in this case ‘Beluga Gloss’ (black to you and me) over the £3,300 optional ‘Ice’ (that’s white) body colour. The biggest option on the test car was the £6,325 worth of Mulliner Driving Specification which adds little to the driving experience but gives you dramatic 21ins wheels, drilled alloy pedals and, something of an acquired taste, a diamond quilted perforated leather interior. And talking of taste, among the available body colours is a startling Monaco Yellow. Oh to hell with it: if you’ve got the cash, flaunt it.

IN BRIEF Car: Bentley Continental GT V8 S Price: £139,000 Engine: Front-mounted; 3,993cc, twin turbocharged V8 petrol Power: 521 hp Performance: 192mph max, 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds Drive: Four-wheel drive, eight-speed automatic

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Let Your

Imagination

Run Wild

George Bamford has spent more than a decade building up businesses that tap into the trend for personalisation. Amy E Williams meets the Chelsea-based man himself to find out more Eleven years ago, George Bamford was given a watch for his 21st birthday by his father (Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman of JCB – the digger empire was founded by George’s grandfather Joseph). It was a Rolex Daytona, which to George’s young mind was, he tells me, “the coolest watch on Earth”, one which made him want to “shoot the cuff” at any given opportunity. This, George says, is what men do to make sure people notice their watch – a subtle, let-me-flash-my-watchat-you-while-ensuring-my-sleeve-does-not-obscure-itsexpensive-face action. At least, this is what he did until he found himself at a dinner party at which someone else was sporting the same watch. And so the Bamford Watch Department (BWD) was born. “If you have a dress made for you or altered as you wish, you can guarantee you’re not going to turn up to a party in the same dress as someone else, and that’s what I wanted to do for watches.” He has also expanded into bikes, with the launch of the Bamford Cycle Department (BCD): “If you can imagine it, we can create it”. What was the first watch you ever customised? I blackened a steel Rolex Submariner. At that time it was all about bling – Jacob & Co watches were all the rage – but I was anti-bling so I turned a Submariner matt black; luckily I was able to go to the design house at JCB to do so. There was an anti-friction process which was used on materials for the mining industry; it turned steel this

amazing petrol-blue/black. It worked on the watch and that was the beginning. I wore it and made one for my father then, just on the back of those two, I got 25 orders. That’s when I knew there was a market for them. What has been your favourite BWD creation? We made a watch for a man that had been designed by his soon-to-be wife. She gave it to him ahead of their wedding day then on the day itself the date dial rolled down to reveal a heart. It made him cry. And it will roll down on every anniversary. That to me is so simple yet amazing; it gets me a bit soppy. No other luxury watch brand offers soppy! Should watch buffs worry about extreme customising affecting their guarantee? When you make the changes we do, it invalidates the original warranty so we take over that responsibility and offer our own; we have 17 service centres worldwide

LIFESTYLE

and soon we’ll have 37 BWD dealers. Because we’ve been going a while now our client base is very loyal – A-list celebrities, heads of states, watch collectors. People are constantly inspired by what we can do and they trust us.

town… they are interesting but it’s not something I’d enter into. However, watch this space; in the next six months to a year you will see some new divisions for us. A new collaboration; people will be surprised.

Why did you start the Bamford Cycle Department? I was taking part in a bike ride from London to Paris and I wanted a personalised bike which didn’t have a brand name on it and didn’t cost a huge amount. I went to companies like Trek and Cannondale but none would work with me on a design as they only deal in very large orders so I thought that I should build my own. I didn’t have enough time prior to the Paris trip to do it but it gave me lots of inspiration. I wanted it to be for long distance cyclists like me; I spend many weekends at my house in Gloucestershire where I ride about 30 kilometres a day. It has to be comfortable and allow me to ride for up to seven hours without feeling damaged or tired.

What is the most precious thing that you own? Am I allowed to say my chocolate lab?! A watch, then, but not a particularly extraordinary one; a 1980s Rolex Milgauss. I wear a different watch every day but I wore this one the day I got engaged, on my wedding day, for both births of my children, the day we set up our studio. If I went belly up tomorrow it’s the only thing I wouldn’t sell.

With BCD are you building the bikes from scratch in accordance with customers’ wishes rather than customising them like the watches? Your bike is completely bespoke, made to measure, from scratch. We look at how someone rides, the type of riding, the types of roads, their weight etc. Do they want comfort? Stiffness? Raceability? This is done before the build begins to get exactly what the customer is looking for. Then we create a fully personalised frame. Essentially anything is possible. Watches, bikes… what’s next? People are often asking if I am going to do cars. There are a lot of customised, blinged-up cars in this part of

Why do you live in the Royal Borough? When I moved back from New York, I looked at places like Battersea where I could get bigger bang for my buck but for me the convenience of Chelsea is amazing and I love the safety of where I live, near Bibendum; there’s a great community, with Jago’s the butcher and a friendly fishmonger; I thought those places were meant to be dying but they’re thriving here. My fruit and veg man Andreas saves the most unusual tomatoes because he knows I love them; people think that only happens in the country. What are your favourite local restaurants and shops? Kurobuta on the King’s Road. During the day I go to Daylesford in Notting Hill; I know it’s my mother’s place but because of that I also know how brilliant the produce is and where it has come from. I’m a fan of Byron Burger and I cook so Whole Foods on High Street Ken is heaven. I love James Perse on Walton Street for T-shirts too. bamfordwatchdepartment.com; bamfordcycledepartment.com

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high life

the simple life Those wearying of the most popular Caribbean islands, thronging with tourists and high-rise hotels, will be pleased to hear about the opening of Belle Mont Farm. It can be found on Kittitian Hill in St Kitts, twinned with the equally charming Nevis, and its aim is “to create a community where guests can immerse themselves in the vibrant beauty of the West Indies (and) enjoy fresh food foraged from the land and sea”. Within the 400 acres of organic farmland, stretching from the slopes of Mount Liamuiga down to the beach, choose from one-bedroom guesthouses and larger farmhouses with a big central pavilion, private 100-foot infinity pool and space for up to 16 guests. Three other places to stay on Kittitian Hill – The Village, Yaya Groves and The Golden Lemon – are set to open in 2015. kittitianhill.com

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Travel

THE WORLD BY liane nelson

Sweet Escape Making an Exhibit Hardly a week goes by when we don’t hear about a new boutique hotel launch in London, promising to offer something different but rarely delivering the goods. However, this isn’t the case with The Exhibitionist in South Kensington. As the name would suggest, art and design are the central focus of the newly-opened hotel and the visually impressive foyer and lounge feature artwork from the likes of Mariana Thome, LE GUN and Dandy Diwangkara. Each of the 37 rooms has been individually designed and includes bespoke iPads, allowing guests to customise the scent, taste and feel of their stay. theexhibitionisthotel.com

The Grand Scheme of Things In anticipation of the exciting launch of St. Regis Istanbul in February, the global luxury hotel group has partnered with fashion designer Jason Wu on a collection of scarves, entitled The Grand Tourista. Two of the three scarves have been designed to evoke the ancient city, while the third comes in grey, Wu’s signature colour. The exquisite scarves are 100 per cent silk twill with hand-rolled edges, making them the perfect accessory for today’s discerning luxury traveller. The Grand Tourista Scarf, £120 stregis.com/boutique jasonwustudio.com

viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

Parisian Chic Newly opened, La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa offers breathtaking views of the Elysées Gardens, Le Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower in an intimate setting; kick back and enjoy a glass of Bordeaux (or two). Between Avenue Montaigne and Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the hotel is in an ideal location to access the shops and galleries of the trendy eighth arrondissement, while being nestled on a quiet street away from the hustle and bustle. With a library, indoor pool, gym and spa, not to mention a contemporary restaurant serving French cuisine, you might find it hard to say au revoir! lareserve-paris.com

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Located on the picturesque island of St. Lucia, Sugar Beach Resort is spread across more than 100 acres of tropical forest, featuring a backdrop of the majestic valley of the Pitons and the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. You can choose between luxury beachfront bungalows and Sugar Mill rooms, which are situated in the mountainside. For the ultimate pampering experience, pay a visit to the resort’s newly renovated Rainforest Spa which features an array of delights including sulphur treatments, inspired by the nearby Sulphur Springs and volcano, soothing bamboo massages and an authentic Indian steam room warmed by volcanic spring water. With open-air seaside dining and a selection of bars, this holiday is sure to be as sweet as its name implies.

Images courtesy of: Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort

Highway to Foodie

HEAVEN Lauren Jarvis heads to Western Australia for an indulgent gourmet escape as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food revolution picks up pace, managing to fit in canoeing, hiking and animal-spotting too

Cape To Cape walking trail

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“You must come and wave to Sting!” As guest requests go, it’s certainly one of the more unusual pleas put to Tony Howell, executive chef at a premier winery in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. “It was a pretty surreal moment,” smiles Tony, as we chat in Aravina Estate’s restaurant, overlooking the lake and rolling, vine-lined hills beyond. The Police frontman and wife Trudie had been staying at the nearby luxury boutique hotel Cape Lodge, where Tony used to run the kitchen, and were so impressed with his food that they invited him to move to England to be their personal chef. “Of course, it was very flattering to be asked,” says Tony modestly. “I’m sure it would have been a great gig but the UK’s far too cold for me.” Instead, happily honouring Trudie’s other, less life-changing request, Tony left his kitchen to wave goodbye to the millionaire pop star as he disappeared in a helicopter over the horizon. Spend some time in the south-western corner of Australia and you’ll begin to understand why Tony passed up such a golden opportunity. Travel down from WA’s cosmopolitan capital Perth and you’ll not only discover one of the world’s most celebrated wine-making regions in Margaret River but also exciting foodie experiences, secluded luxury lodges and world-class restaurants, all set against a stunning backdrop of wild, untouched coastline and some of the planet’s oldest, most magical forests. From top / Boranup Forest, in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park; Beef short rib, balsamic red onion, creamed potato, beans, veal jus with Shiraz Tempranillo. All images courtesy of: Tourism WA

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Australia may be famed as the land of the ‘barbie’ but these days there’s more than chargrilled steak on the menu. “I’ve never seen a food revolution happen in any country in the world like it’s happened in Australia,” reveals Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal at the launch of this Margaret River Gourmet Escape food festival, which took place in November. “The effect that MasterChef Australia has had on the general public is amazing. The enthusiasm for food is incredible”. And Heston’s right; Australia is upping its culinary credentials, from the extensive, award-winning wine cellar and five-star gourmet menu designed by renowned chef Neil Perry on its Qantas flights to catering for a new breed of diner, demanding paleo, gluten-free or vegan in restaurants and hotel dining rooms across the continent. If you’re a food lover, there’s never been a better time to head Down Under. In the south west, the gourmet uprising has been building over the last five years, with gatherings like Albany’s Saturday-morning farmers’ market offering a platform for super-fresh produce from local smallholders. Artisan bread, cheese and chocolate makers are getting the attention, and approval, of chefs from the region’s top eateries, including Perth’s multi-award-winning Restaurant Amusé, which offers an imaginative degustation menu featuring locally grown ingredients, each presented at the table by the chefs responsible for their creation. A delicious tasting menu with equally moreish wine pairings is also on offer at Margaret River’s five-star Cape Lodge, where the resort’s head chef Michael Elfwing is continuing Tony Howell’s tradition of using fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients for his modern-Australian dishes, served in a dining room overlooking the lake and forests beyond. Each course is as impressive as the view, with edible wild flowers used to garnish dishes including beetroot ravioli with goat’s cheese, parsley oil, hazelnut and radish, and broccoli risotto with black truffle. “There’s so much amazing produce right on our doorstep,” says Michael. “Local growers drop by at lunch with fruit and vegetables they picked that morning. It’s an exciting place to be a chef.” Margaret River’s vineyards (including Leeuwin Estate), are producing world-class wines, Denmark’s hip Boston Brewery makes wonderful craft beers and Albany’s boutique Great Southern Distilling Company produces premium-quality whiskies in traditional copper-pot stills; visitors can turn up at the cellar door for tastings year-round. The annual Gourmet Escape brings together top chefs, local producers and food-lovers for

three days every November to celebrate the best the region has to offer. “We host some of the gatherings on our lawns and it’s always such a fun, special event,” says Simone Horgan-Furlong. Her family owns Leeuwin Estate, which also runs an al fresco summer concert series. With a contemporary art gallery and verandah restaurant overlooking the karri forest, Leeuwin is a perfect place to while away a sunny afternoon, sipping one of its award-winning glasses of Art Series Chardonnays, or indulging in a dinner designed by a Gourmet Escape guest chef, such as Heston, Rick Stein or René Redzepi. Having been tempted to (over)indulge in foodie delights during my own two-week stay in the south west, I sign up for a tour with a difference; the Margaret River Discovery Company combines a vineyard visit with the chance to burn some calories canoeing along the river and hiking the Cape to Cape Track in the LeeuwinNaturaliste National Park. Paddling along the crystal clear waterway with parrots and cockatoos flying through the towering eucalyptus trees overhead, company owner Sean Blocksidge shares the secret of the area’s wine-

“I’ve never seen a food revolution like [the one that’s] happened in Australia” - Heston Blumenthal

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making success. “Unlike other parts of Australia which suffer floods, frost or drought, we have a fantastic mild climate year-round,” he reveals. “Summer temperatures rarely go above 30˚ and winters rarely drop below zero.” Our paddle over, it’s back to the serious business of winetasting so we jump into Sean’s 4X4 and head for lunch at Fraser Gallop Estate. Surrounded by aged oak barrels, we tuck into delicious cheeses, olives, dips and salads, and sample the vineyard’s wines, including its 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, voted best Bordeaux blend in the world at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards. Still bathed in a ruby-red inner glow, we walk along the Cape to Cape Track, watching out for humpback whales and dolphins, as kestrels swoop along the craggy cliffs. “She’s highly motivated by food but can be easily distracted,” says Adrian Mielke, picking up his black labrador Scrappy and giving her a vigorous belly rub. “A girl after my own heart!” I think as I follow the duo out into the early-morning mist which is hovering over the farms and fields of Manjimup, the ‘food bowl’ of Western Australia. Scrappy is alert and focused. Her day job? To sniff out ‘black gold’ for The Truffle & Wine Co, now the single biggest global producer of superior black Périgord truffles, despite the fungi’s European heritage. From late May to August, Scrappy and human truffle hunter Adrian work the rows of 13,000 hazelnut and oak trees, with Scrappy pawing the ground every time she sniffs the pungent delicacies which form around the tree roots, and which currently sell for around £1,800 per kilogram. “We’re really lucky to have such a diversity of fantastic local produce in Western Australia,” says Matt Stone, head chef at the eco restaurant Greenhouse in central Perth. He meets some of these producers in autumn 2014’s Recipes That Rock TV series which saw him exploring Australia’s south west, with Blur bassist and cheese farmer Alex James, and cooking up culinary delights on the terrace of The Rocks hotel, a beautifully renovated Victorian mansion on a hill overlooking the historic town of Albany. “The produce here is so good that I don’t need to do much with it; it almost speaks for itself,” Matt says with a grin. But what he does do, he

does with flair; Greenhouse is one of the new generation of exciting restaurants and hotels driving the dining boom in WA and firmly waving the ‘eat local’ banner. “The apricots are from my mother’s orchard,” says Noelene Evans, whose family owns The Rocks, as she serves a decadent breakfast during my stay at the property. Perfectly demonstrating Matt’s point, all the ingredients are local and taste even better served in the dining room with sweeping views of the gardens and Albany’s Princess Royal Harbour. Complete with library, billiard room, tennis court and four-poster beds, it’s not just The Rocks’ breakfasts and afternoon teas that will tempt you to return to the grand yet relaxed mansion. Back at Aravina, I linger over a long lunch of king oyster mushrooms with noodles, wakame and sesame quail egg, with a glass of the winery’s signature Shiraz Tempranillo. As I join Tony for a tour of the garden, where many of the ingredients on his Asian-influenced menu are grown, a helicopter rises from the Estate’s lakeside lawn in the soft late-afternoon light. For a moment, I feel a fleeting pang of sympathy for a pop star, somewhere in a cold corner of England, who didn’t quite get his way.

More Information Travelbag (0845 543 6615 / travelbag.co.uk) offers a self-drive package in WA from £1,352 per person, including two nights in Perth and 10-day Maui Campervan hire. Qantas (qantas.com) flies from London Heathrow to Perth, with economy fares from £1,172 and business fares from £4,225. Margaret River Discovery Tour bookings (margaretriverdiscovery.com.au); Margaret River Gourmet Escape (gourmetescape.com.au); Western Australia information (westernaustralia.com) Double rooms at The Rocks in Albany from £197 per night and Cape Lodge in Margaret River from £222

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Flying in

Style Annabel Harrison travels from London to Germany and back again as a guest of Heathrow VIP, bypassing the queues and the crowds in favour of a rather more luxurious experience

Consider, for a moment, what you dislike most about travelling by plane. Not the actual time in the air; in particular, before the flight and after it. When I ask my colleagues, they single out the checkin procedure, the security palaver, the often lengthy distance to the gate and, most of all, other people and the waiting, with queues forming for everything and anything when an airport is at its busiest. I happen to agree most strongly with the last two bugbears; small children, when one doesn’t have one’s own, are, at best, under one’s feet as they joyously wheel about on their Trunkies and at worst, ear-splittingly loud and rambunctious at 7am. However, I have found the perfect way one can avoid both and this goes by the name of Heathrow VIP. It does, of course, come with a price tag, as everything in life does, but if you’d like to start (and end) your journey in the easiest, quietest, most stress-free and luxurious of fashions, this is the option for you. In the name of research, I am collected promptly at 6.30am from home by Pervaiz, the friendly chauffeur who will whisk me off to Heathrow VIP’s Windsor Suite in an exceptionally comfortable, brand new MercedesBenz S Class. I arrive 90 minutes before my flight is due to take off and am shown straight to my private lounge; VIP client services team member Uma explains that there are 19 lounges at the airport in total, many the same size as mine and a handful of larger ones, for family groups or, I suppose, those with an entourage.

My lounge is immaculate, decorated in neutral tones. The sofa is long enough to sleep on, should you wish to, and there are two armchairs and luggageinspired side tables flanking it, as well as plenty of papers and magazines to peruse, a huge TV, Wi-Fi and floor-to-ceiling curtains to ensure maximum privacy. Although absolutely no-one I know (not even my parents or fiancé) would be interested in what I’m doing at 7.30am, Heathrow VIP or not, if intrusion into your private life is a problem you’re used to, you’ll be happy to know that “paparazzi are not allowed in the secure area of our suites and photography of any kind is not allowed at Heathrow without a permit”. I am sure this consideration regarding paparazzi is much appreciated by the high profile guests it is bound to attract. My luggage is taken away at once and my passport too; I don’t have to deal with one iota of the check-in process, something I’m unaccustomed to and delighted by. I’m mildly amused to discover that Heathrow VIP is happy “to process up to 10 items of hold luggage per person” through its service; again, this must be for the most serious of shoppers and pop stars with a tour wardrobe in tow. I have never travelled with more than two. Uma offers me drinks and takes my order from the breakfast menu; it ranges from a healthy morning booster juice and Greek yoghurt with mango and granola to comforting eggs and Marmite soldiers and a hearty full English breakfast.

How will I be able to travel in the normal fashion now that I’ve seen how the VIPs do it?

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If I were here for lunch I could tuck into a four-course set menu, or something a little lighter (a salad, perhaps, or a sandwich, pasta or a burger). If you want to fit in some shopping (something many deem a definite airport perk), a personal shopping service is available on request for departing guests. You’ll be escorted through security and into the terminal shopping area but note that this service is only available if time allows. A VAT Refund Service is available for nonUK/EU citizens too but you’ll need to request the service upon booking and allow half an hour extra for it. If you’re a control freak like me, you’ll need to chill out and trust the VIP Client Services team that remaining in your lounge until less than 20 minutes before your flight takes off is absolutely fine. They do know best! When the time comes, I am taken to the Windsor Suite’s own security lane (number of people in the queue: 0) and driven straight to my aircraft by private chauffeured vehicle. This is without question the most peaceful and relaxing pre-flight experience of my life and it only continues when I land after a weekend away. Even though it’s a wet, dark, depressing Sunday evening, Kathy from Heathrow VIP meets me the moment I step off the plane and I couldn’t be happier to see her, especially as my alternative route home would have involved waiting in line for passport control, waiting at the luggage carousel and then spending 90 minutes on public transport to get home. I’m chauffeur-driven back to the Windsor Suite at Terminal 5 and reinstated in my private lounge where I breathe a sigh of relief. Kathy whisks my passport away so that it can be checked by an immigration officer and Uma greets me once again, smiling and offering me afternoon tea. I am ready to accept but am told that, with the efficiency to which I have become accustomed, my car is already waiting. Despite the promise of scones, I am desperate to go home. It’s just 20 minutes from getting off the plane that I’m whizzing out of the terminal by car and it is wonderful. I just don’t know how I’ll possibly be able to travel through Heathrow in the normal fashion now that I’ve seen how the VIPs do it.

More Information Heathrow VIP is available to book for those travelling on First or Business class flight tickets, with all airlines flying to/from Heathrow Airport. The service is not available to those flying Economy or Premium Economy class. Children may use the service but those under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult. For an additional charge, a chauffeur car can be organised to take you to any UK address (subject to availability). Alternatively, your independently arranged driver can enter the private forecourt 30 minutes prior to your scheduled flight time. Prices start at £2,000 + VAT for up to three people for an arriving or departing flight, as well as those on flights connecting within three hours. A maximum group size of 12 persons per booking. Contact the VIP team on 020 8757 2227 or enquiriesvip@heathrow.com; heathrowvip.com

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Where Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a

Will ..

Annabel Harrison flies to Alicante to test out the SHA Wellness Clinicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four-day Discovery Programme (and her own willpower: swimming or sunbathing? Water or wine?)

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o wheat. No meat. No alcohol, sugar or dairy. I consume most (and sometimes all) of these on a daily basis; am I going to be famished and grumpy?, I wonder, as I’m whisked by car to the SHA Wellness Clinic. I distract myself by setting some goals for this long weekend of ‘Health and Wellness’. I want to have three blissful nights’ sleep. I’d like to let my digestive system rest and I’d like to tone up. I also give myself two ground rules; no social media and minimal use of my phone. I needn’t have worried. When I arrive at SHA, all white walls and natural stone, palm trees and water features, I’m greeted by the lovely Valeria who suggests going straight upstairs for a late lunch. It quickly becomes evident that the restaurant area – SHAMADI – is my second favourite thing about SHA, after the food. Dozens of square white tables, set very simply, are arranged in the open air and shielded from the fierce sun (which shines 330 days a year in Alicante) by huge white umbrellas. While you sit in silence and chew conscientiously (something I grow to love), soak up the spectacular view, unimpeded thanks to glass panels rather than walls; a 180˚ panorama wraps itself around the hotel’s terrace, encompassing the gleaming towers of Alicante to the left, craggy, rocky mountains in front, separated from SHA by thousands of little doll-house villas, and glistening azure sea to the right. Genial restaurant manager Kevin comes over to explain the set-up. For both lunch and dinner, the SHA menu includes a starter, a choice between two mains (generally one is fish and the other whole-wheat pasta) and dessert; it’s “designed for those who wish to learn a healthier way of eating without renouncing the quantity of food or their gourmet spirit”. Biolight is the intermediate diet, for those who want to “take care of themselves a bit more than usual and learn about healthy nutrition and its benefits without setting very strict slimming or detox goals”. A dessert is optional for lunch but you won’t get one at supper. Kushi is the most restrictive, meant for people whose goal is to lose weight or do an intensive detoxification. I’m already delighted; there’s dessert! First on my agenda is a medical check-up (done by smiling blonde nurse Wendy – height, weight, BMI, fat percentage, blood pressure) and nutrition consultation with Teresa, which will dictate my menu choices, both included on my programme. There’s a slight hiccup in terms of timings which means both sessions are shorter than they should have been but the gist of Teresa’s macrobiotic message is clear; it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle, and one that’s all about balance. It’s a bit preachy but I discover I could be converted (although easier to say

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when all my food is prepared for me); I feel hungry before mealtimes but also fantastically well-fed and not deprived in any way. Teresa’s prescription is that I can choose between Biolight and SHA, and they’re accommodating to some mix ‘n’ match. I like the sound of broccoli and ginger soup, and carrot cake, for example, on the Biolight menu at supper that night but not the spelt pizza which has capers on it. So I swap that with the delicious vegetable and chickpea paella from the SHA menu. Mealtimes quickly become the pivots around which my days revolve. They’re stretches of mindfulness and peace, in which food is savoured and appreciated, instead of moments during which mouthfuls are gulped down in between talking and fidgeting. The view is intoxicating but just as compelling is people-watching. I observe a big, friendly group as they filter up to lunch, all in dressing gowns; I eavesdrop (not deliberately) on a loud, animated conversation between two American women; and I try to guess the nationality of the solo guests (up to 60 per cent of the occupants). There are no children; SHA’s 93 suites can host up to 140 adults. In fact, the only place at SHA that threatens to feel crowded is the spa, which is, in reality, a colossal, futuristic emporium to wellness that has recently doubled in size. A constant stream of white-robed guests wanders in and out with varying levels of purpose and against this flow scurry therapists and staff, in white uniforms like lab coats. It feels professional and clinical, with banks of pristine sofas (white) and matt walls (black). Despite the spa’s size there is no relaxation room (although there are beds in the hydrotherapy area). My first spa experience is a lovely massage by Erika, who gives me advice at the end of my treatment about targeting pressure points on my hands and feet to relax tense shoulders. Relaxed, I retreat to my room. It’s the perfect space for a long weekend like this; a cool haven of dark wood and crisp linen, with a neutral palette and a TV for curling up in front of after a day of exercise and

early supper. My room’s access card reminds me to “be the best version” of myself and a SHA bookmark reads “health is not everything but without health everything is nothing”. Quite. I’m all for motivational sayings. On the first night, I fall asleep quickly and there is no need to use the air-con, which helps me to sleep better. I conscientiously set my alarm, going against every fibre of my being (especially on a Saturday morning) for the Nordic Walking beginner class at 8am. On the Discovery Programme, it’s up to me which of the SHA Life Learning activities I participate in. My advice, based on the class I try (and a fellow walker who assures me it isn’t “usually like this”) that if you have an average level of fitness and acceptable coordination skills then go with the advanced group. Mine comprises 11 walkers, two of

Mealtimes become stretches of mindfulness and peace; food is savoured and appreciated whom elect to walk without sticks (what is the point of Nordic walking without the very element that makes it Nordic?!) and one instructor. He becomes impatient but I’m firmly on his side; these two walkers lack any interest and chit-chat rudely as he tries to explain what to do. Next I head to breakfast for the first time and discover that (a) I need never have feared going hungry here and (b) my breakfasts at home are insubstantial. I’m served two juices (carrot/apple and detox) followed by miso soup, a piece of (healthy) bread, pureed pear with cinnamon, chunks of cooked apple with raisins and an oatmeal mush with a fruity swirl of purée. It takes me half an hour to eat it and I languish happily on a sunbed afterwards, reading my book. White beds and white cabanas with wafting gauze give SHA a kind of Ibiza vibe, except people are drinking water rather than wine, and the only shots on offer are wheatgrass and watermelon. I haul myself up for a session of aqua aerobics but one participant grumbles loudly about the lack of music.

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The issue I have with the classes is not SHA’s fault; it’s the varying levels of guest enthusiasm. Ideally every single person needs to commit to each activity and, in fact, this can be said of the whole experience. My tip is to align yourself with the keenest walker / most energetic aqua aerobist and get stuck in. It will pay off. I enjoy almost ten heavenly hours in bed before getting up in time to join a big group, of perhaps 30-35, for the winding but not difficult walk along a beautiful coast pathway up to the lighthouse and fabulous views, led by the brilliant Fabiana, my favourite SHA instructor. Some people struggle but others run – it is what you make of it, like SHA. Breakfast upon my return is almost the same as yesterday; it all tastes good but it still feels like too much to eat first thing. I tell myself SHA knows best and tuck in (slowly – ask for a small spoon if needs be). It’s amazing how much more relaxing a meal is without anyone to talk to. I’m getting used to my own company and leave my phone in my room, taking in my surroundings and guessing why people are here. Weight problems are, sadly, the easiest to spot; it’s harder to tell who can’t sleep or quit smoking. After a couple of hours by the pool, I remove myself (reluctantly) to join the energtic midday Fat Burning session. Smiley and fit, Fabiana puts us through our paces to the sound of some thumping beats, which are the only thing that gets me through the third set of exercise ball sit-ups. Lunch reaffirms that what SHA does really, really well is food. Not having to make any decisions about what I consume, apart from choosing between Biolight or SHA, is refreshing. My favourite dishes include the cod salad, the mushroom tagliatelle and pistachio-chocolate soufflé (which I just can’t believe is as healthy as it is). If you’re on the SHA menu, by the way, you can have a glass of wine or beer with supper; quite a few people do but lots don’t, and I abstain, as I soak up the beautiful live piano or guitar music. Two things I’d have liked are more yoga sessions – I’m really keen to stretch out after more intense exercise than I’m used to – and stricter rules about mobile phone usage; it’s one thing to hear them ringing round the pool and people on calls at mealtimes but quite another to sit in the spa reception waiting for a treatment and to see seven adults glued to their smartphones while waiting.

As I said, you get out of SHA what you put in. I arrive determined to sleep well, eat and drink only what is provided and to do as much physical exercise as I’m able. Mission accomplished. It might take longer than a weekend to achieve a perfect state of balance but I spend a wonderful amount of time sleeping and enjoying the sunshine, my digestion improves, I never feel hungry and although my stomach muscles are in a world of pain on the plane home, I’ve toned up and lost a couple of pounds too. Calling it a “lifechanging experience”, as SHA does, might be going a bit far but it was certainly habit-changing and I feel all the better for it.

MORE INFORMATION SHA Wellness Clinic suites from approx. £238 per night based on two people sharing a Deluxe Suite. The SHA Discovery Programme, from approx. £779 per person, is based on a four-day stay, which includes all meals, consultations and treatments (shawellnessclinic.com) Monarch flies year round to Alicante from London Gatwick and London Luton with fares, including taxes, from £73 return (monarch.co.uk)

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From Paris to

Berlin

After several visits to Paris, renowned as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;city of loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, in recent years, Annabel Harrison visits Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrant capital city for the first time and is captivated by the magnetic energy of Berlin

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here’s something special about Berlin. After only two days there, it’s hard to put my finger on it but when I leave, I feel determined to return and continue to explore, intoxicated by a brief snapshot of the city. Perhaps it’s the recent history that draws me in so strongly; two weeks before I visit, images appeared online of 8,000 illuminated white balloons, floating over a sea of revellers as a day of celebrations to mark 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall reached its crescendo. I remind myself that the wall, which existed from 1961, completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and East Berlin. It was 96 miles long, which is the length of the drive between London and my parents’ home in Gloucestershire. Try as I may, I just cannot imagine a segment of London being cut off like this and how it must have felt for the residents either side of the wall. I think of this as my fiancé and I walk around Berlin and in fact, the scope for exploration on foot is another reason this is my kind of city. It’s cold and crisp when we visit at the end of November and during the day, we wrap up warm and walk for hours between various landmarks and museums, stopping for hot chocolate or glühwein when we need to warm up; we see the Charlottenburg Palace, the Berlin Wall Memorial, the Emperor William Memorial Church and the Reichstag building. Our base for the weekend is brilliantly located for seeing the city’s sights; Das Stue is only a 15-minute taxi from Tegel airport but it’s right next to the 210-acre Tiergarten Park in the quiet embassy district and just half an hour’s walk from the famous Brandenburg Gate. The park is a riot of autumnal colours and leaves in shades of burgundy wine, burnt orange and canary yellow appear to rain down as they flutter from the trees. I decide almost immediately that if Das Stue’s decor and service is any reflection of Berlin as a whole, these are two more reasons I’m sold. The hotel is immediately eye-catching because of the fact its 79 rooms and suites are housed in a stern, striking, grey stone building that was formerly the Royal Danish Embassy, built in 1939. The reception area is uber-cool (an adjective I feel I can justifiably use as I’m in Berlin) and not just because of its perfect symmetry; huge stone staircases flank the double-level space, which is lit up by hundreds of tiny light bulbs hanging at varying heights. We’re greeted by a smiling doorman and a rather

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less friendly oversized crocodile head sculpture by Paris-based artist Quentin Garel. This is the first sign that makes me sure interior designer Patricia Urquiola must have been inspired by the proximity of Berlin’s zoo; the bar area is home to an awesome (and suitably tall) neon yellow giraffe and two gorillas made of painted chicken net by Benedetta Mori Ubaldini, as well as a variety of brown leather stuffed animals by cool British brand Omersa (if you’re a fan of animal-related homeware, Google it). This eclectic theme even extends to the barman’s cocktailmaking kit; our silver cocktail shaker is penguin-shaped. Stue, in case you were wondering, is the Danish word for living room and the hotel wishes to draw attention, firstly, to the true meaning of the word (“a place to withdraw in an intimate circle”) and secondly to allude to the idea of drawing room plays, a genre of theatrical productions and films which have “plots infused with elegance, wit, and entertainment”. For me, it’s the collection throughout the hotel, of dozens of black and white, framed art and fashion photographs, that makes this feeling come to life; you’ll spot chic, iconic works by the renowned Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton and Horst, to name but a few. Retreat to your sleek, chic room and either take a well-deserved nap or make the most of the powerful rain shower if you’ve been out and about before heading downstairs for supper.

It’s Paco Pérez, the Michelin-starred chef from Cataluna, who’s in charge of this domain, which includes Cinco (one Michelin star) and Casual, which is as the name suggests. Our delightful waitress Julia takes great care of us and in fact, every member of staff is unfailingly polite and friendly. The 13 ‘to share’ starter options suggest an exciting, tapas-inspired Spanish/Peruvian/ Japanese fusion. There’s octopus cooked in the Galician

I’m sure that some of Das Stue’s decor was inspired by the hotel’s proximity to the zoo style, Spanish omelette and ceviche mixto as well as tataki of salmon and harumaki spring rolls. We opt for the hot, crunchy shrimp and vegetable tempura, with tangy romesco sauce and citrus mayonnaise, and croquetas de jamon iberico, which are crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth soft in the middle. The main courses have a more Mediterranean flavour; choose risotto, fish of the day, spaghetti arrabiata, Caesar salad or steak tartare. My fiancé has the chuleton, beef from Galican cows that are killed at the age of six or seven rather than one and which food and beverage manager Max explains must be

TRAVEL

cooked medium rare – no more. Zain reports that it’s the most interesting steak he’s ever had, and full of flavour. I choose the sea bass with vegetables which is beautifully cooked and delicious. Dessert comes in the form of pineapple crème brulee and a chocolate extravanganza; bonbons, flan, cacao biscuit. Satisfied, we retire to bed. You’ll sleep well; Das Stue is in a blissfully peaceful area of Berlin, the beds are very comfortable and the blinds/curtain combo most effective. You can also have a lovely lie-in; Das Stue does not commit the cardinal hotel sin of ending breakfast too early on a weekend and it’s available until midday. There’s an extensive buffet selection on offer, of more-ish croissants, fresh fruit, meats, yoghurt and cheese, and also the option to order additional hearty, egg-based, Spanish dishes – perfect for fuelling up for a day out. As we return from a long afternoon of sightseeing, we stop at the cosy little Cafe Am Neuen See in the Tiergarten, which is crammed with locals, sharing pizza and beers, bustling staff and wood-burning stoves. We have warming drinks and apple strudel before wandering, for a pre-supper drink, to Green Door, a 20-minute walk away, a cool little joint where barman Torsten will whip up strong cocktails during happy hour. It’s here I come to the realisation that while Paris may come out on top of the polls, Berlin has stolen my heart. Rooms at Das Stue from ¤200 per night (das-stue.com / +49 30 3117 220). Germanwings flies from London Heathrow to Berlin Tegel. For more information please call 0330 365 1918 or visit germanwings.com

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escape A tranquil oasis amidst the hustle & bustle of Mayfair. A unique dining experience begins as you walk down a tree-lined pathway to reach The Greenhouse. London fades away and calm descends. Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Bignonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acclaimed light touch with highly flavoured dishes brings a thrilling dimension to classic French cuisine. Make your reservation today at

The Greenhouse, 27a Hayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mews Mayfair, London, W1J 5NY 020 7499 3331 www.greenhouserestaurant.co.uk reservations@greenhouserestaurant.co.uk

& DINING

DRINKING

BY liane nelson

Take it Easy

Hell in the Pacific Fusing dim sum with signature rum cocktails and a dash of funky, fresh music may sound a bit off, but Trailer Happiness has got it completely right, creating a fun and quirky atmosphere with international bar takeovers, cocktail master classes and various themed nights each month. Specialising in Tiki-style, rum-based cocktails, the award-winning bar crew has concocted a mix of sinfully good cocktails such as Hell in the Pacific, featuring dark overproof rum, cherry maraschino, and lime and pomegranate molasses, and the Alpaca Boomerang, comprising Bacardi Superior, pineapple syrup, lime and Prosecco. If you like your rum with lively background tunes, DJs will play a mix of reggae, blues and jazz-influenced hip-hop each weekend, making for a very happy time indeed.

After the indulgent holiday season, most of us are looking to revamp our healthy recipe repertoire. Celebrity chef and restaurant entrepreneur Wolfgang Puck gives us just that with Wolfgang Puck Makes it Healthy: Light, Delicious Recipes and Easy Exercises for a Better Life. Featured are tasty and easy-toprepare dishes such as chicken bolognese with penne pasta, and buckwheat blinis. Even those with a sweet tooth will appreciate the not-so-sinful dessert section, including recipes for passionfruit soufflĂŠs and chocolate bread pudding with dried cherries and banana. Each recipe is accompanied by nutritional information as well as healthy tips and tricks for ways of cooking the dish, along with recommendations for what to do with leftovers. The book also includes a fitness plan from strength coach and personal trainer Chad Waterbury to keep you on track; what a great start to the new year. Available for purchase at CUT at 45 Park Lane or online through Amazon and Hachette, ÂŁ22.50

Trailer Happiness, 177 Portobello Rd, W11 2DY trailerhappiness.com

Superfood Lifestyle Jumping aboard the health-orientated bandwagon is easier than ever now with the vast amount of options readily available across London. Adding to the mix, Partridges of Kensington introduces Superfood Startisans: a collection of healthy products all made by small London-based companies. Geared towards giving customers in the area healthier options for a morning snack, light lunch or something to grab while on the go, the offering includes Vereo salads and snack pots made with organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, Plenish Cleanse cold-pressed raw juices available in seven flavours, and handmade superfood Olly Bars which are both gluten and dairy free; a fantastic way to stay healthy despite of a fast-paced lifestyle. Partridges of Kensington, 17-19 Gloucester Road, SW74PL patridges.co.uk

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& DINING

DRINKING All-in-One

Nestled in Kensington’s trendy Hotel Indigo, The Kensington Quarter offers stylish yet relaxed surroundings to enjoy fine food and wine. Functioning as a café, restaurant, bar and deli, this is a great spot for a business breakfast, lunch with friends, a post work drink or a romantic evening meal. Using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, the menu boasts an array of delicious choices, such as five spices braised mutton shoulder and chicken and pigeon pastille pie. If you’re with a group of friends, try one of the sharing boards such as the Quarter seafood platter which comes with stuffed baby squid and herb couscous, smoked salmon, Cornish crab, oysters, crispy tuna and orange lime vinaigrette. The Kensington Quarter 34-44 Barkston Gardens, SW50EW kensingtonquarter.com

More Than Just Sushi Japanese dining is known for precision and presentation, whether it’s a perfect sushi roll or a warming bowl of udon noodles. Kouzu of Belgravia celebrates dining as an art form courtesy of chef Kyoichi Kai, who is regarded as one of London’s most prominent Japanese chefs focusing on dishes that have a contemporary ensemble and traditional formation while delivering exceptional flavour. Offering a wide selection of dishes from traditional sushi platters to grill options such as lamb chops with a spicy miso paste, Kouzu accommodates a range of appetites. Located in a period mansion with a palatial entrance, a rather snazzy chandelier and cosy low-lighting, this makes for a great date night with someone special. If you have first-date jitters, order a dose of liquid courage at the cocktail bar where Japanese mixologists are at hand to create a thrilling selection of drinks. Kouzu, 21 Grosvenor Gardens, SW1W 0JW kouzu.co.uk

Say Cheese The UK’s oldest cheesemonger, Paxton &Whitfield has opened a pop-up shop on Cale Street just a stone’s throw away from King’s Road and Sloane Street, bringing the wonderful world of artisan cheeses to the heart of Chelsea. Aside from the finest quality cheeses, mouth-watering foods, the top cheese accessories and gorgeous hampers, there will also be a special Cheeseboard Service whereby you can bring your own cheeseboard and have it dressed by the team with a selection of delicious cheeses and accompaniments; the ultimate bespoke cheese service! Paxton & Whitfield Chelsea Pop-up, 26 Cale Street, SW33QU paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Fit for a King

Last-Minute Treats

Adding to the slew of world-class teas offered in London, the Bulgari Hotel & Residences has launched an afternoon tea crafted by executive pastry chef Alexandre Talpaert, featuring a delectable array of desserts and French patisserie. Attention, all chocolate lovers; not only can you choose from a selection of loose-leaf teas but you will also have the option of enjoying your dainty pastries alongside a hot chocolate made with chocolate from Alain Ducasse’s bean-to-bar, Paris-based Manufacture de Chocolat. Adding to the chocolate decadence, the highlight of the pastries has to be the dark chocolate bar which offers a take on the iconic Le Louis XV with a chocolate sponge base, crispy praline and topped with dark chocolate mousse and enrobed in dark chocolate. We crown this tea as one of the best afternoon treats in town.

For those of you who leave planning to the last minute, you can rest assured this season, because Gail’s Artisan Bakery is there to save the day with a range of delectable holiday treats perfect for any festive gathering or party. Treat your guests to a mouth-watering selection of fresh mince pies (we can vouch for how delicious they are), Christmas cakes packed with dried fruit, sweet and savoury biscuits, decadent chocolate cranberry cookies and bags of savoury nuts and seeds toasted to perfection and sprinkled with spices. Yum! gailsbread.co.uk

Signature Afternoon Tea, £42 per person (£52 including a glass of champagne) The Bulgari Hotel & Residences 171 Knightsbridge, SW71DW bulgarihotels.com

A Moroccan Feast

The Return of Zaika We suggest you toast the return of Zaika to Kensington High Street with one of its refreshing chilli cocktails, giving quite the kick-start to your meal. Our recommended starters on the modern Indian menu are Jhinga Shimla-Mirch – three whopping tiger prawns marinated with puréed red pepper and ground spices – and the grilled paneer with a fig and ginger filling, and lentil and spice-encrusted broccoli. Seafood lovers, look no further than the main course of lobster tail with turmeric, garlic and raw mango; if you’re after a proper curry, perfectly seasoned, try Methi Murgh, chicken simmered with ginger, onion and fresh fenugreek leaves. For a sweet finish, don’t overlook tempting treats such as Matka Kulfi, a hazelnut praline parfait and Rum Baba. Zaika, 1 Kensington High Street, W8 5NP tamarindcollection.com

A husband and wife team has been serving up authentic Moroccan food for more than three decades in a little boutique hidden just off Westbourne Grove. Don’t be perturbed by the simple exterior of Moroccan Sahara; it is all part of its rustic charm. Inside portraits of camels and desert scenes adorn the walls and punters eat under candlelight from hanging lanterns. To start, we opted for the mixed platter of meatballs, pastries, chicken skewers and sausage; more commonly known in Morocco as kofta, zaalouk, börek, ourka cigars and merguez. This is enough for two with good appetites but if you are craving some heftier aromatic dishes, opt for the chicken tagine with olives, lemon and fresh parsley sauce or the lamb tagine with figs and pine nuts in saffron sauce, plus a side of couscous. Fresh mint tea is served at the end to cleanse the palate and baklava treats for dessert can kill the appetite of any remarkable person still craving food. Moroccan Sahara, 39 Hereford Road, W2 4AB Open 12-3pm and 6-11pm

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Photography: Dave Benett Olivia Palermo and Tamara Beckwith

Katie Readman

Florence Brudenell-Bruce with guest

Genevieve Gaunt, Olivia Palermo, Monica Vinader and Kyle De'volle

Amanda Kyme, Monica Vinader and Alice Naylor-Leyland

Amber Le Bon

Guest

Guests

Mary Charteris

Andy Jordan

Eleanor Tomlinson

Henry Conway

Matthew Williamson and Monica Vinader

Sienna Guillory

london living Photography: Graham Martin

Shine Bright WHAT: Monica Vinader’s London flagship launch party WHEN: 4 December WHERE: 71-72 Duke of York Square WHO: Monica Vinader, Olivia Palermo, Amber Le Bon, Mary Charteris, Matthew Williamson, Rupert Sanderson, Poppy Jamie, Genevieve Gaunt and Henry Conway WHY: Much-loved British jeweller Monica Vinader played host at a glittering evening complete with gems, cocktails and devoted fans of her brand, in celebration of the launch of her new London flagship store in the heart of Chelsea. In keeping with the theme of the event, attendees enjoyed bespoke gemstone elixir cocktails, which were accompanied with moonstone macarons and gold-lead mini jacket potatoes. Style icon Olivia Palermo was seen sporting an assortment of the designer’s jewels on her dainty little fingers as she chatted animatedly with fellow guests Tamara Beckwith and Matthew Williamson. Meanwhile, DJ Mary Charteris kept the tunes fresh and the party going well into the evening.

Paul Kelly

Guest, Courtney Murray and Gary Lineker

Nikki Lovell, Ronnie Irani, Juliette Raine and Gary Lineker

Juliette Raine

Ronnie Irani

Gary Lineker and Aldo Zilli

Safe Haven WHAT: Sub-Zero & Wolf UK Christmas charity auction for Haven House Children's Hospice WHEN: 4 December WHERE: Sub-Zero & Wolf showroom, Brompton Road, SW3 WHY: Early December saw kitchen design and appliance specialist Sub-Zero & Wolf hosting a charity auction to raise funds for Haven House Children's Hospice, an organisation set up to care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. The evening, hosted by Gary Lineker OBE, former cricketer Ronnie Irani and chef Aldo Zilli, proved a big success, raising more than £15,000. Guests were treated to delicious canapés by Paul Kelly and his award-winning KellyBronze turkeys, while Billecart-Salmon champagne, The International Wine Society and Snow Queen Vodka provided the tasty libations. Adding a heartfelt touch, Daniella Sicari and Madeleine Joyce sang beautiful acappella carols live.

Lauren and Karen Leck

Honor Pheysey and Sebastien Dalais

Annabel Hall and Helen Fifield

Matt Green and Bob Murrey

Darcey Bussell with students from Royal Ballet School

Steve Gresham and Galip Turhan

Twinkle, Twinkle WHAT: Turning on of the Christmas lights at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour WHEN: 4 December WHERE: Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour WHY: Darcey Bussell, former ballet dancer and judge of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, was the guest-of-honour at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, as it switched on its Christmas lights for the first time on 4 December. Bussell was welcomed onto the stage by students from her old school, the Royal Ballet School, before the spectacular glass domes of the capital’s premier design centre were illuminated by a galaxy of glowing stars. Amidst the twinkling lights, guests enjoyed warming cups of hot chocolate, served with doughnuts and marshmallows from a snow wall, while stilt-walkers impressively towered above. With tutus, Christmas carols and decadent treats, it couldn’t have been a more festive event.

Mark Steinberg and Darcey Bussell

Amelia Carter and Tania Azadian

Toby Geal and Scott Maddox

Photography: Marcus Dawes / Tom Alexander

121

Photography: Dave Benett Alice Naylor-Leyland and Arizona Muse

Sal Bennett

Poppy Delevingne Alice Temperley

Marissa Montgomery, Osman Yousefzada and Poppy Delevingne

Scared of the Dark WHAT: 4th edition of The Collective WHEN: 24 November WHERE: Rumpus Room at Mondrian London WHO: Poppy Delevingne, Osman Yousefzada, Alice Temperley, Chloe Delevingne and Zara Martin WHY: Models, celebrities and socialites alike flocked to the Mondrian London for an evening of class, culture and a cocktail (or two) in celebration of the 4th edition of Osman Yousefzada’s new journal, The Collective. The collaboration features writers and creatives, including model Poppy Delevingne who partnered with the fashion designer. Guests sipped on bespoke Beluga vodka cocktails created by mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, matching the theme of the journal; light and dark. With all that socialising, even the models were seen working up an appetite as they gave in to the canapés; smoked salmon blinis, chives and caviar, fresh figs and Parma ham, crab cakes with coriander salsa and leek and Gruyère tarts.

Runway Ready

David Downton and Poppy Delevingne

Poppy Jamie

SUITCASE Magazine's Emily Ames, Kate Hamilton, Maria Alafouzou, Sebastian Bland, Serena Guen, Tona Stell and Alex Moussaieff

WHAT: PA5H launch party WHEN: 27 November WHERE: The Wallace Collection WHO: Amber Le Bon, Helen George, Rosie Fortescue, Chloe Green and Jamie Laing WHY: Celebrating the launch of high-end fashion and beauty brand PA5H, guests gathered at the iconic landmark, The Wallace Collection in Marylebone. The brand, London-based and founded this year, is headed up by the three Pashevkina sisters and aims to create designs for the modern woman who is not afraid to turn heads. Amidst the beautiful works of art, guests sipped on Ciroc vodka cocktails and prosecco, while a mouthwatering selection of canapés circulated, including chicken lollipops, ‘haute’ dogs with truffle mayo and piña colada ice creams. DJ Amber Le Bon spun the decks as gorgeous models debuted the new collection, Hard Strand. Towards the end of the night, many of the guests ended up taking cues from the models as they were seen posing for pictures in the on-site photobooth.

Pack Your Bags

William Green of L'Estrange London and Ariana Stein of Paloma Blue

Philippa Cadogan

Charlie Morris and Nicholas Dellaportas, Taylor Morris Eyewear

Martin Morales

Photography: Issy Croker

WHAT: The Modern Society presents the Winter SUITCASE WHEN: 3 December WHERE: 172 Fulham Road WHY: Following on from the success of its summer pop-up earlier this year, The Modern Society once again teamed up with SUITCASE Magazine and Taylor Morris Eyewear to create a unique shopping experience over the festive period. Proving that Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be a stressful experience, the unique three-storey boutique (designed by Kiri Barker of Trend & Fayre and Topshop) came complete with Christmas gifts, a wrapping station, a gallery area and even a secret winter grotto serving bespoke cocktails made from Martin Miller’s gin (for those who were in need of a pick-me-up after all that shopping). In order to fully appreciate what the store had to offer, Chelsea-ites on the night of the launch party spent some time sampling the delicious cocktails and trying on Taylor Morris' new range of sunglasses.

london living Photography: James Mason

Roxie Nafousi and Alice Naylor-Leyland

Marina Pengilly, Will Wells and Chloe Fleming Yulia Pashevkina, Amber le Bon, Dasha Pashevkina and Elena Pashevkina

Sabrina Percy and Lexi Abrams

Tor Dashwood, Rob Sandcroft-Baker and guest

Petra Palumbo

Amber Le Bon and Roxie Nafousi

Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle Helen George

Hofit Hola

Blaise Patrick and Will Wells

Elena and Dasha Pashevkina, co-founders of PA5H Chloe Green and Rosie Fortescue

David Tollemache, Tarka Russell, Sabrina Percy and Phineas Page

Andrea Hegard and Daniel Belevitch

Yulia Pashevkina, co-founder of PA5H

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The Concierge What is it you require, sir? How may I help, madam? The Concierge is here to help with every need, whim or wish, however great or small Apparel

Katharine Pooley

Hydrohealing Spa

Bibendum

Repairs & Cleaning

160 Walton Street, SW3 2JL 020 7584 3223 katharinepooley.co.uk

216a Kensington Park Rd, W11 1NR 020 7727 2570 hydrohealing.com

81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD 020 7581 5817 bibendum.co.uk

Jeeves of Belgravia 123 Fulham Road, SW3 6RT 020 7589 9229 jeevesofbelgravia.co.uk

Sloane Tailors & Dry Cleaners 69 Lower Sloane Street SW1W 8DA 020 7824 8644 sloanetailorsanddrycleaners.co.uk

Precious Pieces Jewellery Valuation & repair

Bourbon Hanby 151 Sydney Street, SW3 6NT 020 7352 2106 bourbonhanby.com

Hawkes and Son 50-52 Walton Street, SW3 1RB 020 7589 2523 hawkesandson.com Watch Repair

Ligne Roset

Strip Wax Bar

Le Café Anglais

23/25 Mortimer Street, W1T 3JE 020 7323 1248 ligne-roset.co.uk

112 Talbot Road, W11 1JR 020 7727 2754 stripwaxbar.com

8 Porchester Gardens, W2 4DB 020 7221 1415 lecafeanglais.co.uk

OKA

Urban Retreat at Harrods

Chelsea Brasserie

103 Lancaster Road, W11 1QN 020 7792 1425 okadirect.com

87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL 020 7893 8333 urbanretreat.co.uk

7-12 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EG 020 7881 5999 chelsea-brasserie.co.uk

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

Medical & Dental Services

The Cow

202 Kensington Park Road W11 1NR, 020 7792 9022 rachelashwellshabbychiccouture.com

Cadogan Street Dental Office

89 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QH 020 7221 0021 thecowlondon.co.uk

Sub-Zero & Wolf

Chelsea Consulting Rooms

251 Brompton Rd, SW3 2EP 0845 250 0010 subzero-wolf.co.uk

2 Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8BJ 020 7763 9100 chelseaconsultingrooms.com

Pampering & Wellbeing

Medicare Français

Electric House

Hairdressers

Cartier 143-144 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BL 020 7312 6930 cartier.co.uk

The Watch Gallery 129 Fulham Road, SW3 6RT 020 7952 2731 thewatchgallery.co.uk Vintage Watch Sellers

For the Home

191 Portobello Road, W11 2ED 020 7908 9696 electrichouse.com

Gaucho 3 Harrington Gardens, SW7 4JJ 020 7370 4999 medicare-francais.co.uk

Hari’s

89 Sloane Avenue, SW3 3DX 020 7584 9901 gauchorestaurants.co.uk

The Ledbury Restaurant Smile Style Dental Care

305 Brompton Road SW3 2DY 020 7581 5211 harissalon.com

146 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UE 020 7727 5810 smilestyledental.co.uk

Light Hair Studio

42 The Dental Practice

293 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7792 0100 lighthairstudio.com

42 Pembridge Road, W11 3HN 020 7229 5542 42thedentalpractice.com

127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ 020 7792 9090 theledbury.com

The Lonsdale

Watches of Knightsbridge 64 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7JF 020 7590 3034 watchesofknightsbridge.com

47 Cadogan Street, SW3 2QJ 020 7581 0811

The Mitre The Portobello Clinic

Richard Ward 82 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY 020 7730 1222 richardward.com

FurniturE, SOFT furnishings

12 Raddington Road, W10 5TG 020 8962 0635 portobelloclinic.com

Haute Cuisine Dining

& APPLICANCES

Beauty Salons & Spas

Hutch Interiors

The Chelsea Day Spa

61 Golborne Road, W10 5NR 020 3659 4320 hutchinteriors.com

69a King’s Road, SW3 4NX 020 7351 0911 thechelseadayspa.co.uk

48 Lonsdale Road, W11 2DE 020 7727 4080 thelonsdale.co.uk

40 Holland Park Avenue, W11 3QY 020 7727 6332 themitrew11.co.uk

One Kensington 1 Kensington High Street, W8 5NP 020 7795 6533 one-kensington.com

Bar Boulud Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA 020 7201 3899 barboulud.com

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP 020 7352 4441 gordonramsay.com

CONCIERGE

Scalini 1-3 Walton Street, SW3 2JD 020 7225 2301 scalinionline.com

Umami 100 Cromwell Road, SW7 4ER 020 7341 2320 umamilondon.co.uk

Members Clubs

cleaners

dog training

Chelsea Arts Club

Hillside Clothes Care

M.A. Dog Training and Services

143 Old Church Street, SW3 6EB 020 7376 3311 chelseaartsclub.com

118 Kensington Park Road W11 2PW 020 7243 6900 hillsidedryclean.co.uk

07547 716076 madogtraining@gmail.com madogtrainingandservices.co.uk

The Sloane Club Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8BS 020 7730 9131 sloaneclub.co.uk

moving services

Infusion Haberdashery and Dry Cleaners

La Bottega

Business Affairs

14 Gloucester Road SW7 4RB 020 7581 6980 labottega.co.uk

computer & technology help

3 Chepstow Road W2 5BL 020 7243 8735 infusion-haberdashery.co.uk

Richard Darsa

Housekeeping

78 Cadogan Place, SW1X 9RP 07768 200 551 richard@darsa.net

St. Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Housekeeping

Delicatessens

Ottolenghi Delicatessen 63 Ledbury Road W11 2AD 020 7727 1121 ottolenghi.co.uk

Partridges 2-5 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY 020 7730 7102 partridges.co.uk Chocolatiers

Melt Chocolates 59 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA 020 7727 5030 meltchocolates.com

William Curley 198 Ebury Street, SW1W 8UN 020 7730 5522 williamcurley.co.uk

PICTURE FRAMER

Couriers

Runners 4 U Couriers

Pets

111 Old Brompton Road SW7 3LE 020 7589 7635 sk@framesetandmatch.com

Canine Culture

psychotherapist

15 Elgin Mews, W11 1PU 020 6305 8941 runners4u.com

Selena Courier Service 27 Eardley Crescent, SW5 9JS 020 7912 0062 selenacourier.co.uk Luxury Car Services

Avolus Luxury Transport

Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, W10 4JL 079 4952 3710 canineculture.co.uk

Purple Bone 95 Notting Hill Gate W11 3JZ 020 7985 0903 purplebone.com

38 Lombard Road, SW11 3RP 020 7978 6506 avolus.com

Little Luxuries

lifestyle services

Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart

london lifestyle service

222 Westbourne Grove W11 2RH 020 7727 3095 wildatheart.com

White Circle Collection

Boujis

71 Walton Street, SW3 2HT 020 7989 9890 whitecirclecollection.com

Flowers

specialist services BUILDER

Childcare

William Gaze Ltd The Cadogan Arms 298 Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, SW3 5UG 020 7352 6500 thecadoganarmschelsea.com

Frame Set & Match

19 Bolsover Street, W1W 5NA 020 3397 7495 stanneshousekeeping.com

Drinking

43 Thurloe Street, SW7 2LQ 020 7584 2000 boujis.com

Abels Moving Services UK Residential, European and International Removals & Storage 020 3773 5796 info@abels.co.uk abels.co.uk

Kensington Nannies 3 Horton Place, Kensington High Street, W8 4LZ kensington-nannies.co.uk

Basement, Loft & Extension Specialist 28 Imperial Square 020 7078 8874 williamgazeltd.com

Suzanne Thomas 07770 378791 suzannethomas @suzannethomas.co.uk suzannethomas.co.uk SHORT-LET RENTAL MANAGEMENT

Easy Rental Services aurelie@easy-rental-services.com +44 7817 722073 easy-rental-services.com EMOTIONAL WELLBEING THROUGH WRITINg

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HOMES showcasing the

finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Tax Reforms The Autumn Statement explained

Image courtesy of Winkworth

Featured Estate Agents KNIGHTSBRIDGE 168 Brompton Road SW3 1HW 020 7584 2044

hlrlets.com

NOTTING HILL 301 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7717 5311

CHELSEA 117 Sydney Street SW3 6NR 020 7351 7822

HOLLAND PARK 128 Holland Park Avenue W11 4UE 020 3282 1550

douglasandgordon.com century21uk.com NOTTING HILL 10 Clarendon Road W11 3AA 020 7229 1414

CHELSEA 45 Sloane Avenue SW3 3DH 020 7225 1225 KENSINGTON 172 Kensington Church Street W8 4BN 020 7792 1881

crayson.com NOTTING HILL 10 Lambton Place W11 2SH 020 7221 1117

KENSINGTON GATE 22 Gloucester Road SW7 4RB 020 7581 1152 NOTTING HILL 299 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7727 7777

dominiclondon.com KENSINGTON 38 Gloucester Road SW7 4QT 020 7581 0154

SOUTH KENSINGTON 25-27 Harrington Road SW7 3EU 020 7581 8888

knightfrank.co.uk PADDINGTON 4c Praed Street, W2 1JX 020 7717 5313 PIMLICO & WESTMINSTER 50 Belgrave Road SW1V 1RQ 020 7717 5315 SLOANE SQUARE 7 Lower Sloane Street SW1W 8AH 020 7717 5317

BELGRAVIA 82-83 Chester Square SW1W 9JH 020 7881 7722 john-taylor.com MAYFAIR 48 Berkeley Square W1J 5AX 020 3284 1888

FULHAM 203 New King’s Road SW6 4SR 020 7751 2400

harrodsestates.com

joneslanglasalle.co.uk

CHELSEA 58 Fulham Road SW3 6HH 020 7225 6700

KENSINGTON 375 Kensington High St W14 8QH 020 7087 5696

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 82 Brompton Road SW3 1ER 020 7225 6506

WEST END 30 Warwick Street W1B 5NH 020 7201 6699

hamptons.co.uk

domusnova.com BAYSWATER 78 Westbourne Grove W2 5RT 020 7221 7817 NOTTING HILL 17 Kensington Park Road W11 2EU 020 7727 1717 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 37 Alexander Street W2 5NU 020 7908 9338

CHELSEA 134 Fulham Road SW10 9PY 020 7717 5291

CHELSEA 352a King’s Road SW3 5UU 020 7349 4300

Hyde Park 1 Craven Terrace W2 3QD 020 7871 5060 KENSINGTON 54-56 Kensington Church Street W8 4DB 020 7938 4311 KNIGHTSBRIDGE 60 Sloane Avenue SW3 3DD 020 7591 8600

HAMPTONS COUNTRY HOUSE

8 Chertsey Street, Surrey GU1 4HD 01483 339740

henryandjames.co.uk

KENSINGTON 8 Hornton Street W8 4NW 020 7937 9371

BELGRAVIA 1 Motcomb Street SW1X 8JX 020 7235 8861 CHELSEA 2 Cale Street SW3 3QU 020 7581 5011

kfh.co.uk

NOTTING HILL 298 Westbourne Grove W11 2PS 020 7229 0229

BAYSWATER 23 Leinster Terrace W2 3ET 020 3280 3504

SOUTH KENSINGTON 157 Gloucester Road SW7 4TH 020 7871 4111

FULHAM 29 Effie Road SW6 1EN 020 3280 3528

sothebysrealty.co.uk CHELSEA 62-64 Fulham Road SW3 6HH 020 7808 8540 MAYFAIR 26a Conduit Street W1S 2XY 020 7495 9580

Notting Hill 2-6 Kensington Park Road W11 3BU 020 7313 2890 South Kensington 29 Harrington Road SW7 3HD 020 7590 0800

pattersonbowe.co.uk

malverns.co.uk

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 49 Beauchamp Place SW3 1NY 020 7581 3253

KENSINGTON Malvern Court Onslow Square SW7 3HU 020 7589 8122

KENSINGTON 145 Kensington Church Street W8 7LP 020 7535 3300 KNIGHTSBRIDGE 188 Brompton Road SW3 1HQ 020 7581 5234

waellis.co.uk KNIGHTSBRIDGE 174 Brompton RoadÂ SW3 1HP 020 7306 1610

Notting Hill 168 Westbourne Grove W11 2RW 020 7727 5750

wilfords.com

SLOANE STREET 139 Sloane Street SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822

KENSINGTON 6 Holland Street W8 4LT 020 7361 0400

winkworth.co.uk rokstone.com

marshandparsons.co.uk

Marylebone 5 Dorset Street W1U 6QJ 020 7580 2030

Chelsea Rawlings House 2a Milner Street, SW3 2PU 020 7591 5570 Earls Court 246 Old Brompton Road SW5 ODE 020 7835 0620 Holland Park 57 Norland Square W11 4QJ 020 7605 6890

www.russellsimpson.co.uk Chelsea 5 Anderson Street SW3 3LU 020 7225 0277

CHELSEA 43 Cadogan Street SW3 2PR 020 7225 3866 WEST CHELSEA 140 Fulham Road SW10 9PY 020 7373 1010 KENSINGTON 103 Kensington Church Street W8 7LN 020 7938 3666

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 289 Brompton Road SW3 2DY 020 7589 6616 Notting Hill 178 Westbourne Grove W11 2RH 020 7727 3227 South Kensington 123a Gloucester Road SW7 4TE 020 7373 5052

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 66 Sloane Street SW1X 9SH 020 7235 9959

Kensington 9 Kensington Church Street W8 4LF 020 7368 4450 savills.co.uk North Kensington 136 Lancaster Road W11 1QU 020 7313 8350

struttandparker.com

Kensington 118 Kensington Church Street, W8 4BH 020 7727 1500

CHELSEA 196-200 Fulham Road SW10 9PN 020 7578 9000

NOTTING HILL 303 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7221 1111

129

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Palace Court, W2 A impressive first floor large one bedroom apartment on the best floor of a Victorian building located in one of the most prestigious streets moments from Hyde Park. With fantastic ceiling heights, generous proportions and a quality finish this is a truly luxurious property. EPC: D

£1,675,000 Leasehold • • • • •

Hamptons Notting Hill Office Sales. 020 7717 5311 | Lettings. 020 7717 5341

Large reception room Separate kitchen Spacious bedroom Two bathrooms Storage

Sydney Street, SW3 A light and bright well proportioned four bedroom attractive period townhouse, located just south of the Fulham Road. Arranged over five floors, this property also benefits from a large elevated first floor private terrace and a private double garage. EPC: D

£4,695,000 Freehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Chelsea Office Sales. 0207 835 1444 | Lettings. 020 7717 5433

Four double bedroom house Three bathrooms Three reception rooms Terrace Private double garage 2,769 sq ft

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Thornwood Gardens, W8 A three bedroom first floor apartment with superb lateral living accommodation and underground parking in this landmark development with 24 hour concierge and security service. Thornwood Gardens comprises of eight houses and thirty five apartments, exclusively situated around a beautifully landscaped garden square. EPC: B

£6,500,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Kensington Office Sales. 020 7937 9371 | Lettings. 020 7717 5459

Three bedrooms Balcony Private parking Porter Lift Approx. 2,120 sq ft

Princes Gate, SW7 A superb two bedroom second floor apartment (with a lift) in this historic Grade II listed building. The property offers very attractive period detailing and generous ceiling heights throughout, as well as attractive views over Princes Gardens. EPC: C

£1,675,000 Share of Freehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Knightsbridge Office Sales. 020 7717 5461 | Lettings. 020 7717 5463

Reception room Kitchen Two bedrooms Bathroom Stunning period features Attractive views

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

West Eaton Place, SW1X A beautifully refurbished three bedroom apartment situated on the third and fourth floors of a handsome stucco fronted period building in the heart of Belgravia. The flat benefits from a long lease, generous reception space and plenty of light throughout. EPC: E

£2,795,000 Leasehold Expiring 15/12/2115 • • • • • •

Hamptons Sloane Square Office Sales. 020 7717 5481 | Lettings. 0207 717 5483

Three bedroom Two bathroom Third and fourth floor Long lease 1,428 sq ft Moments from sloane square

Stadium Street, SW10 This beautifully refurbished 5 bedroom family home in SW10 is offering over 2650 sq ft of space. Arranged over 5 floors, this family home is finished to a high standard, and boasts a patio garden, as well as a home office/study. The house offers flexible accommodation that would ideally suit a family looking for a home in Chelsea. EPC: D

£2,200 per week • • • • •

*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Hamptons Chelsea Office Lettings. 020 7717 5433 | Sales. 0207 835 1444

•

(charges apply)*

Family house Five bedrooms Four bathrooms Three reception rooms Patio garden and small terrace Study

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Kensington Church Walk, W8 A stunning recently refurbished four bedroom house situated on this pretty street, moments from Kensington High Street. The house is set over 2,000 sq ft and benefits from a modern eat-in kitchen, large double reception room with terrace, neutral decor and off street parking. EPC: D

£1,850 per week Unfurnished • • • • •

Hamptons Kensington Office Lettings. 020 7717 5459 | Sales. 020 7937 9371

•

(charges apply)*

Recently refurbished Four bedrooms Three bathrooms Utility room Terrace Off street parking

Gaspar Mews, SW5 Situated in this quaint cobbled mews, this neutrally decorated property boasts a wealth of natural light and offers superb entertaining space. EPC: E

£695 per week Unfurnished • • • • •

Hamptons Knightsbridge Office Lettings. 020 7717 5463 | Sales. 020 7717 5461

•

(charges apply)*

Two bedrooms Two bathrooms Gas central heating Large roof terrace Private garage High ceilings

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Culford Gardens, SW3 A second floor two bedroom apartment with a double reception room and beautifully equipped eat-in kitchen/ breakfast room and 2 bathrooms (both en suite). Culford Gardens is conveniently located to the west of Sloane Square and to the north of the King’s Road, with it’s excellent range of shops, restaurants and transport facilities. EPC: E *Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Hamptons Sloane Square Office Lettings. 0207 717 5483 | Sales. 020 7717 5481

£1,350 per week (charges apply)* Furnished/Unfurnished • • • •

Double reception room Parquet flooring Balcony En suite bathrooms

PROPERTY

Hot Property: Stanford Road A stunning semi-detached house complete with garage

Situated within the Velotton Estate is a wonderfully presented four-bedroom house with a pretty west-facing garden and terrace, with the added benefit of a garage. The house is arranged over four floors with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and four reception rooms. The spacious drawing room, sitting room and study, perfect for entertaining, are all on the raised ground floor. On the lower ground floor are the kitchen and dining room together with a utility room, guest cloakroom and plant room. The first floor has two lovely double bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms, and on the second floor are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. To the side of the house is a side-passage which provides easy access to the leafy patio.

Stanford Road, Kensington, W8 ÂŁ4,750,000

Stanford Road is located south of Kensington High Street, adjacent to Victoria Road, within the De Vere Conservation Area. It is a highly-regarded residential location in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, particularly by families, due to the close proximity to schools and parks.

020 7938 4311 knightfrank.co.uk

139

KnightFrank.co.uk

York House, Kensington W8

Exclusive apartment in gated development with parking York House is one of the most sought after residences in Kensington. This four bedroom apartment has 24 hour porterage,and secure underground parking. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, double reception room, reception room, kitchen, study, parking. EPC rating C. Approximately 285 sq m ﴾3,074 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/kensington kens@knightfrank.com 020 3551 5156

Share of Freehold Guide price: £7,950,000 ﴾KEN140258﴿

6 81 Holland Park - K and C november - 08 October 2014 - 52622

04/12/2014 12:19:21

3201

MASTERMIND THE SALE OF YOUR HOME WITH LAURENCE LAI SPECIALIST SUBJECT: SOUTH KENSINGTON and Earls court Laurence has worked in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for over 22 years and is highly regarded as an exceptionally talented property professional who has acted with integrity and professionalism throughout his career. Laurence is able to draw on his vast experience having been an Estate Agent for over 24 years when advising clients on the best way to sell their property be it a home or asset. As a resident in Earls Court SW5 where he also ran the most successful office in the area for 17 years, his local knowledge is extensive. This familiarity of the area also spans into neighbouring South Kensington SW7 where he played an integral part in the opening of one of the largest estate agency offices in the area. Laurence has successfully acted for clients in other prime market areas of Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea including Chelsea and Notting Hill, his track record speaks for itself. Often quoted in local and national press, Laurence has also written a number of articles for various property and lifestyle magazines and he has an excellent reputation within the industry. Having been a Director at his previous firm for over 22 years, Laurence joined Knight Frank as the head of the South Kensington office and is also a partner of the firm.

Laurence Lai Partner and Office Head E laurence.lai@knightfrank.com T 020 7871 4110 157 Gloucester Road, London SW7 4TH

Laurence Lai is Head of the South Kensington office. He has been working in Estate Agency for 24 years, with 22 years’ experience solely in the Earls Court and South Kensington markets. Any questions? Just ask this property expert on his specialist subject.

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In the past six months our website was visited by people from 231 countries

98%

On average we have achieved 98% of the guide price on sales in the past 6 months

£3.3m The average local buyer spends £3.3m

Testimonials “Thank you and in particular Laurence, for your relentless help and assistance in making the transaction go through smoothly.” Prof W., Vendor “Our previous experience with other estate agents left us feeling a little hopeless, so thank you for your enthusiasm and guidance in helping us make our next move, we were sad to leave, but we love our new home!” Mr and Mrs M., Vendor “Dear Laurence, you did exactly what you said you would do! Thank you for selling my property!” Mr C., Vendor “I know you have told me otherwise, but I’m sure I must have been your most demanding client to date! A big thank you for selling my apartment and for putting up with me.” Mrs H., Vendor “Professional, courteous, knowledgeable and always polite, I wish all Estate Agents were like you Laurence.” Dr S., Vendor

Please call Laurence today to ensure you are dealing with the most experienced person in your local market.

KnightFrank.co.uk/southkensington 320139 KF_KC_Jan15.indd 1

09/12/2014 10:46

KnightFrank.co.uk

SOLD

Beaufort Street, Chelsea SW3

Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea SW10

Limerston Street, Chelsea SW10

I admire Knight Frank as a whole organisation for their professionalism, dedication and service

SOLD Redcliffe Square, Chelsea SW10

SOLD Paultons Square, Chelsea SW3

Mrs K. D., Vendor

To find out how we can help you, please contact us. 020 7349 4300 352a Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, London SW3 5UU chelsea@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk/chelsea

SOLD

Oakley Street, Chelsea SW3

The Vale, Chelsea SW3

SOLD

Harley Gardens, Chelsea SW10

Carlyle Square, Chelsea SW3

Gilston Road, Chelsea SW10

James Pace Office Head

LHP_ 320138 KenChel_KF_Jan15.indd 1

John Waters Partner

Lucy Holroyd Associate

Nick Gaunt Associate

Harriet Taylor Negotiator

Amy Rogers Negotiator

08/12/2014 14:50

RIGH

KnightFrank.co.uk

SOLD

Queen’s Gate, South Kensington SW7

Queen’s Gate Terrace, South Kensington SW7

Gloucester Road, South Kensington SW7

SOLD Gledhow Gardens, Earls Court SW5

You surprised me by going beyond the call of duty a number of times - it’s certainly a better experience buying through Knight Frank

SOLD Cranley Gardens, South Kensington SW7

Mrs M. O., Vendor To find out how we can help you, please contact us.

SOLD

020 7871 4111 157 Gloucester Road, London SW7 4TH southkensington@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk/southkensington

Earl’s Court Square, Earls Court SW5

Onslow Gardens, South Kensington SW7

SOLD

Bolton Gardens, Earls Court SW5

Queen’s Gate Mews, South Kensington SW7

Hereford Square, South Kensington SW7

Laurence Lai Office Head Partner

14:50

SOLD

RIGHT 320138 KenChel_KF_Jan15.indd 2

Daniel Carrington Negotiator

Olivia Leigh Negotiator

08/12/2014 14:48

CHEYNE TERRACE CHELSEA SW3

Knight Frank is currently marketing a number of 3-4 bedroom apartments, with parking, within this recently completed super prime development. Cheyne Terrace provides residents with a high level of security and front of house service 24 hours a day plus the use of a gymnasium, swimming pool and spa.

GUIDE PRICES: ÂŁ7,350,000 - ÂŁ15,950,000

320156 KF_KCmag_Jan15.indd 1

04/12/2014 16:42

KnightFrank.co.uk

Chepstow Place, Notting Hill W2

Fantastic three bedroom house

An opportunity to acquire a charming Victorian period house arranged over four floors and benefitting from flexible accommodation, stunning original period features and impressive volumes. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, dining room, garden. Approximately 193 sq m ﴾2,085 sq ft﴿ Freehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 7229 0229

Guide price: £3,350,000 ﴾NGH140253﴿

16:42

K&C Jan - 15 Chepstow Place

03/12/2014 17:02:34

KnightFrank.co.uk

Colville Terrace, Notting Hill W11

Stunning two bedroom apartment

A beautifully presented duplex apartment located on the top two floors of this white stucco fronted period building, benefitting from good room proportions and an abundance of natural light. 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen/reception room/dining room, balcony, terrace. Approximately 83 sq m ﴾893 sq ft﴿ Leasehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 7229 0229

Guide price: £1,475,000 ﴾NGH140207﴿

k&c -jan - 3,33 colville terrace

03/12/2014 17:11:30

KnightFrank.co.uk

Lansdowne Road, Notting Hill, W11 Beautifully presented four bedroom house

Arranged over five floors, this stunning family house offers wonderful open plan accommodation and excellent entertaining space with direct access to the communal gardens behind. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 offices, utility room, wine cellar, terrace, garden. Approximately 305 sq m ﴾3,279 sq ft﴿ Freehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 7229 0229

Guide price: £8,995,000 ﴾NGH130158﴿

69 Lansdowne Road

02/12/2014 17:09:49

KnightFrank.co.uk

Upper Addison Gardens, Holland Park W14

A beautifully refurbished five bedroom house

This spacious family home offers generous living accommodation. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, double reception room, eat‐in kitchen, dining room, conservatory, cloak room, roof terrace, patio garden and access to communal gardens. EPC rating E. Approximately 417 sq m ﴾4,481 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings kensingtonlettings@knightfrank.com 020 7937 8203

Available unfurnished Guide price: £3,800 per week

﴾KEQ103848﴿

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

K&C December

08/12/2014 10:15:52

KnightFrank.co.uk

Paultons Square, Chelsea SW3 Exceptional family house with garden

This four bedroom house has been architecturally renovated throughout while retaining most of its original features. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, study, dining room, media room, spa, wine cellar, gym, 2 cloakrooms. Approximately 352 sq m ﴾3,792 sq ft﴿ Available unfurnished

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings chelsealettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6022

Guide price: £5,500 per week ﴾CHQ155698﴿

Paultons Square 5 K&C Mag Jan Issue

08/12/2014 10:18:43

KnightFrank.co.uk

Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge SW1X

Superb penthouse apartment

A beautifully presented triplex in this prestigious Garden Square. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 dressing rooms, reception room, kitchen, dining room leading to large terrace, laundry room, private roof terrace, lift and access to communal gardens. EPC rating E. Approximately 264 sq m ﴾2,839 sq ft﴿ Available furnished

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings knightsbridge@knightfrank.com 020 7591 8601

Guide price: £4,750 per week ﴾KNQ134333﴿

K&C mag January 2015 4, 44 Cadogan Square

02/12/2014 17:18:16

Fa PaP

KnightFrank.co.uk KnightFrank.co.uk

Paultons PaultonsSquare, Square,Chelsea ChelseaSW3 SW3 Exceptional Exceptionalfamily familyhouse housewith withgarden garden

This This four four bedroom bedroom house house has has been been architecturally architecturally renovated renovated throughout throughout while while retaining retaining most most of of itsits original original features. 4 features. 4 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception reception rooms, rooms, study, study, dining dining room, media room, media room, room, spa, spa, wine wine cellar, cellar, gym, gym, 2 cloakrooms. 2 cloakrooms. Approximately Approximately 352 352 sqsq mm ﴾3,792 ﴾3,792 sqsq ft﴿ft﴿ Available unfurnished Available unfurnished

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings chelsealettings@knightfrank.com chelsealettings@knightfrank.com 020 020 3641 3641 6022 6022

Guide Guide price: price: £5,500 £5,500 perper week week ﴾CHQ155698﴿ ﴾CHQ155698﴿

All All potential potential tenants tenants should should be advised be advised that, that, as well as well as rent, as rent, an administration an administration feefee of £276 of £276 willwill apply apply when when renting renting a property. a property. Please Please askask us for us for more more information information about about other other feesfees thatthat maymay apply apply or visit or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

Falcon Paultons Paultons House Square Square 7 updated 5 K&C 5 K&C Mag Mag Jan Jan Issue Issue

08/12/2014 08/12/2014 11:15:21 10:18:43 10:18:43

savills.co.uk

1 STUNNING PENTHOUSE APARTMENT WITH UNDERGROUND PARKING ledbury road, w11 Open plan reception room/kitchen ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø further bedroom ø bathroom ø cloakroom ø lift ø balcony ø 2 underground parking spaces ø 142 sq m (1,532 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Domus Nova

Savills Notting Hill

Ben Podesta benpodesta@domusnova.com

Ben Davies bdavies@savills.com

020 7727 1717

020 7727 5750

Guide £3.95 million Leasehold, approximately 114 years remaining

savills.co.uk

1 IMPRESSIVE LOW BUILT HOUSE WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO COMMUNAL GARDEN ladbroke grove, w11 Double reception room ø dining room/further reception room ø kitchen ø master bedroom with reception room, en suite bathroom and dressing room ø 5 further bedrooms (1 en suite) ø 2 further bathrooms ø guest cloakroom ø 3 storage vaults ø garden ø direct access to communal garden ø off-street parking ø 415 sq m (4,472 sq ft) ø EPC=E Price on application Freehold

Savills Notting Hill Oliver Lurot olurot@savills.com

020 7727 5750

savills.co.uk

1 AN EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY HOME REFURBISHED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD eagle place, sw7 Open plan reception room/dining room/kitchen ø media room ø master bedroom suite ø 2 further double bedrooms ø cloakroom ø external storage ø garden ø garage ø residents parking ø 181 sq m (1,944 sq ft) ø EPC=C Guide £4.25 million Freehold

Savills Chelsea Nicola Ridley nridley@savills.com

020 7578 9000

savills.co.uk

1 STUNNING FAMILY HOME IN A POPULAR CHELSEA LOCATION beaufort street, sw3 Drawing room with terrace ø media area ø office ø kitchen/breakfast room ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing area ø 4 further bedroom suites ø utility room ø garden ø 3 external storage vaults ø 271 sq m (2,912 sq ft) ø EPC=C Guide £5.8 million Freehold

Savills Chelsea Charlie Bubear cbubear@savills.com

020 7578 9000

1 2

savills.co.uk

GLOUCESTER TERRACE, w2

REDCLIFFE SQUARE, sw10

Reception room ø kitchen ø bedroom ø shower room ø 70 sq m (753 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Reception room ø dining room/kitchen ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø further double bedroom ø shower room ø 91 sq m (975 sq ft) ø EPC=E

Guide £995,000 Leasehold

Guide £1.595 million Leasehold

Savills Notting Hill afrankish@savills.com 020 7727 5750

Savills Chelsea apwright@savills.com 020 7578 9000

REDCLIFFE SQUARE, sw10

EARLS COURT, sw5

Reception room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø further bedroom ø shower room ø cloakroom ø storage ø 97 sq m (1,049 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bedroom suites ø further bedroom ø cloakroom ø 132 sq m (1,419 sq ft) ø EPC=F

Guide £1.795 million Share of Freehold

Guide £2.175 million Leasehold

Savills Chelsea plister@savills.com 020 7578 9000

Savills Chelsea bharvey@savills.com 020 7578 9000

3 4

1 2

savills.co.uk

ABINGDON ROAD, w8

KENSINGTON COURT, w8

Double reception room ø open plan kitchen/dining room/family room ø 2/3 bedrooms ø 3 bath/shower rooms ø cloakroom ø newly refurbished ø landscaped front garden ø rear patio garden ø 126 sq m (1,358 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Reception room with dining area ø kitchen ø 2 double bedrooms ø bathroom ø cloakroom ø caretaker ø basement storage cupboard ø 84 sq m (904 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £2.85 million Freehold

Asking £1.75 million Leasehold

Savills Kensington sbirch@savills.com 020 7535 3300

Savills Kensington sholmes@savills.com 020 7535 3300

WESTBOURNE PARK ROAD, w11

DENBIGH CLOSE, w11

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø 3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø roof terrace ø off-street parking ø 109 sq m (1,174 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø 2 bedrooms ø bathroom ø utility room ø mews parking ø 85 sq m (916 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £1.75 million Leasehold

Guide £1.75 million Freehold

Savills Notting Hill afrankish@savills.com 020 7727 5750

Savills Notting Hill bdavies@savills.com 020 7727 5750

3 4

1 2

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

CAMPDEN STREET, w8

ENNISMORE GARDENS, sw7

3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø bathroom ø terrace ø 136 sq m (1,470 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=E

Double bedroom ø reception room ø kitchen ø shower room ø guest cloakroom ø communal garden access ø 98 sq m (1,062 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Unfurnished £1,550 per week

Flexible furnishings £795 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Kensington lgood@savills.com 020 7535 3333

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Knightsbridge jcreid@savills.com 020 7584 8585

CAMPDEN STREET, w8

CHEVAL PLACE, sw7

2 bedrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø integrated kitchen ø 2 bathrooms ø roof terrace ø 136 sq m (1,470 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D

Double bedroom ø reception room ø open plan kitchen ø bathroom ø 66 sq m (713 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Flexible furnishings £2,500 per week

Furnished £750 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Kensington shyde@savills.com 020 7535 3333

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Knightsbridge cfgladwin@savills.com 020 7584 8585

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*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

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savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

HATHERLEY GROVE, w2

CORNWALL GARDENS, sw7

2 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen ø bathroom ø wooden flooring ø 50 sq m (535 sq ft) ø Council Tax=E ø EPC=D

3 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen ø 3 bathrooms ø terrace with Kensington views ø balcony ø 164 sq m (1,769 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D

Furnished £595 per week

Unfurnished £1,995 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill amackinnon@savills.com 020 7727 5751

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Chelsea omellotte@savills.com 020 7578 9020

LANCASTER GATE, w2

ONSLOW GARDENS, sw7

2 bedrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø 2 bathrooms ø 24 hour concierge ø residents swimming pool and gym ø 128 sq m (1,377 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=E

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø reception room ø kitchen ø further bathroom ø 2nd floor ø 134 sq m (1,450 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D

Furnished £1,700 per week

Unfurnished £1,395 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill amackinnon@savills.com 020 7727 5751

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Chelsea omellotte@savills.com 020 7578 9020

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savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

ELGIN CRESCENT, w11

LEDBURY ROAD, w11

Bedroom ø reception room ø kitchen ø bathroom ø access to communal gardens ø 41 sq m (436 sq ft) ø Council Tax=E ø EPC=F

Bedroom ø reception room ø kitchen ø bathroom with underfloor heating ø newly refurbished ø 41 sq m (441 sq ft) ø Council Tax=E ø EPC=D

Furnished £465 per week

Furnished £525 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill amackinnon@savills.com 020 7727 5751

NEWTON ROAD, w2

NORTHUMBERLAND PLACE, w2

3 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bathrooms ø utility room ø garden ø private parking ø 208 sq m (2,236 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=F

4 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 2 bathrooms ø garden ø 159 sq m (1711 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D

Unfurnished £2,500 per week

Unfurnished £2,250 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill amackinnon@savills.com 020 7727 5751

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savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

NEWLY REFURBISHED CHELSEA HOUSE cathcart road, sw10 Master bedroom suite ø 5 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø drawing room ø dining room ø open plan kitchen ø bathroom ø garden ø 254 sq m (2,734 sq ft) ø Council Tax=D ø EPC=D

Savills Chelsea Oliver Mellotte omellotte@savills.com

020 7578 9020 Unfurnished £2,950 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

SUTHERLAND PLACE, W2 ÂŁ5,000,000 FREEHOLD A simply breath-taking house, beautifully designed to blend light contemporary style with all the period charm this classic Grade II listed house has to offer. Rare for a listed building, planning permission is also in place allowing for internal adjustments, if considered necessary, and to extend to front and back below. However as is, this fine house is already one of the most special in this sought after spot. Five Bedrooms | Reception Room | Open-Plan Kitchen/Family Room | Utility Room | Study | Four Bathrooms | Garden | Balconies | 2,400 Approx Sq ft | EPC rating E/F JSA Domus Nova: 020 7727 1717