Marylebone & Fitzrovia Magazine September 2016 by Runwild Media Group

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CONTENTS September 2016 Regulars 10 Editor’s letter 12 Five minutes with... Mats Klingberg, founder of Trunk Clothiers on supporting British brands 14 The agenda A cultural round-up of what to read, see and do this September 58 Autumn sleeves From pencil skirts to maxi dresses, see the latest designer offerings in this month’s fashion shoot 88 Food & drink news The latest restaurant openings and culinary highlights in the area

Features

18 Getting to know Grace Reviewing the work of the Vogue stylist in new coffee table tome Grace: The American Years

94 30 The design dynasty Entrepreneur Simon Burstein on the lasting legacy of Browns 54 When in Rome Celebrating fashion, family and female empowerment on Fendi’s 90th anniversary 70 Moonage daydream The Max Mara creative director on life behind the catwalk 94 Hotels for fashionistas The ultimate bucket list for the sartoriallyminded traveller

54 22 In her shoes A year in the life of shoe designer Sophia Webster 26 Back to the drawing board Art dealers Gray M.C.A. consider the prephotography fashion era

34 Collection

51 Fashion

78 Health & beauty

92 Travel

41 Art & antiques

72 Interiors

89 Food & drink

107 Property

NATURE EYES CLAIRE GOLD SMITH

19 DUKE STREET LONDON 19 DUKE STREET LONDON W1U 1DJ W1U 1DJ

http://parismikiuk.com/ 19 DUKE STREET LONDON http://parismikiuk.com/ W1U 1DJ

http://parismikiuk.com/

To book an eyetest with our optometrist please give us a call on 0207 935 1341

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THOM BROWNE THOM BROWNE CHANEL CHANEL THOM BROWNE TOM FORD

TOM FORD CHANEL MAUI JIM MAUIFORD JIM TOM RAY BAN RAY BAN MAUI JIM DITA DITABAN RAY VINYLIZE VINYLIZE PDITA STARCK

P STARCK VINYLIZE CUTLER＆GROSS CUTLER＆GROSS P STARCK ORGREEN ORGREEN CUTLER＆GROSS MASUNAGA MASUNAGA ORGREEN BCPC BCPC MASUNAGA BOSTON CLUB BOSTON CLUB BCPC CHANEL CHANEL BOSTON CLUB ALAIN MIKILI

ALAIN MIKILI CHANEL KEI SUGIMOTO KEI SUGIMOTO ALAIN MIKILI JAPONISM

KEI SUGIMOTO JAPONISM NATURE EYES JAPONISM NATURE EYESSMITH CLAIRE GOLD

NATURE EYES SMITH CLAIRE GOLD CLAIRE GOLD SMITH

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To book an eyetest with our optometrist please give us a call on 0207 935 1341 To book an eyetest our optometrist please give us a callwith on 0207 935 1341 please give us a call on 0207 935 1341

EDITOR’S LETTER

MARYLEBONE

& FITZROVIA SEPTEMBER 2016 s ISSUE 004

Acting Editor Lauren Romano

editor

From the

Assistant Editor Melissa Emerson Contributing Editors Hannah Lemon Camilla Apcar Jewellery Editor Olivia Sharpe Watch Editor Richard Brown Editorial Assistant Marianne Dick Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong Senior Designer Daniel Poole Production Hugo Wheatley Jamie Steele Danny Lesar Alice Ford General Manager Fiona Fenwick Executive Director Sophie Roberts Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Proudly published by

“Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching, because whatever you see can inspire you” Grace Coddington Grace Coddington knows how to tell a story. During her time as Vogue’s creative director, the flame-haired septuagenarian brought to life some of the fashion bible’s most decadent and dramatic photo shoots. As she prepares for the next chapter in her colourful career we kick off our style issue by reviewing some of her most outlandish work to date on page 18. Continuing with the fashion theme, we meet Sophia Webster, the shoe designer adding a dose of fun to footwear, one butterfly wing at a time. She reveals what keeps her on her toes on page 22. Further afield we test drive the world’s most fashionable hotels, including Palazzo Versace Dubai (p.98), where you can stay in a sumptuous suite designed by the creative gurus behind the label. If it’s good enough for Donatella…

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Lauren Romano Acting Editor Follow us on Twitter @MandFMagazine

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PHOTO © KARL LAGERFELD, FROM THE BOOK FENDI ROMA, PUBLISHED BY ASSOULINE. READ MORE ON PAGE 54.

LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK A WEBSITE. A MINDSET. A LIFESTYLE.

A great British Tradition just got greater. • SUNDAY

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REGULARS

5 MINUTES WITH...

I’ve lived in Marylebone since I moved to London from Stockholm 11 years ago. When

IMAGE COURTESY OF GARCONJON

I set out to look for a good place to open Trunk, Chiltern Street was on my shortlist – I wanted to be somewhere that was off the beaten track but that was also a bit of a destination. The decision was made when I met André Balazs at a dinner party and he told me he was turning the old fire station on the street into a hotel.

21-year-old Hibiki or Nikka from the barrel, in a crystal tumbler.

I’ve always been a bit of explorer. I’m constantly on the

I wanted to create a space that felt warm and welcoming. I

lookout for things I haven’t seen or experienced before, and I don’t pay too much attention to what everybody else is doing.

combined a warm yet light shade of grey on the walls with wooden floors and vintage furniture.

When I’m in town, I don’t leave Marylebone very often.

Great design, quality and provenance are what I look for. Some brands that we do very well with at Trunk are Boglioli, Common Projects and Gitman Vintage, and I’m excited to be launching ready-to-wear and made-to-measure suits and jackets by our in-house brand Trunk Clothiers this season.

MATS KLINGBERG The founder of Chiltern Street boutique Trunk Clothiers talks Japanese whisky and backing British manufacturers

I admire Bill Gates. He built up an incredible business and fortune, but rather than keeping it to himself, he’s helping others.

we have worked with homegrown brands such as Begg & Co, Drake’s and Mackintosh.

I grew up in Sweden until my father got a job in São Paulo when I was ten. We lived there

I acquired a taste for Japanese whisky during visits to Japan. I particularly like a glass of

I love cooking, and did my national service in Sweden as a chef on a small ship. I have a lot of cookbooks, but I also enjoy experimenting on my own Japanese and Italian recipes.

Supporting UK manufacturing is also important. From the beginning

for several years and spent time in South and North America. I fell in love with travelling then and I haven’t been able to stop since. I’ve also lived in Spain, France, Switzerland and the US.

There are lots of good restaurants. My regular haunts are Dinings, Fischer’s, The Providores and Chiltern Firehouse. Daunt Books is great, and I like The Ginger Pig and La Fromagerie on Moxon Street.

If you’ve got an idea, don’t just talk about it. When I left IMAGES COURTESY OF TOM GRIFFITHS, TOMGPHOTO.CO.UK

“The world around us is changing so quickly, and you can be certain that things you never saw coming will come”

my corporate job at American Express to launch Trunk I had a plan, but there were still things I had to figure out along the way. The world around us is changing so quickly, and you can be certain that things you never saw coming will come. It’s important to constantly keep tweaking what you do and how you do it.

Trunk Clothiers, 8 Chiltern Street, W1U; Trunk LABS, 34 Chiltern Street, W1U, trunkclothiers.com

s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

BRAZILIAN SOUL

Bespoke Jewellery rebeccawinch.com

LITERARY ITINERARY

Alfies turns 40 DECORATIVE ITALIAN PERFUME BOTTLES IN VENETIAN GLASS IN THE SOMMERSO TECHNIQUE, SIGNED, FROM SAMBATARO AT ALFIES

Marylebone’s much-loved Alfies Antique Market reaches its 40th anniversary this month, and is celebrating with a week of pop-ups, talks and demonstrations in partnership with the London Design Festival. Peter Layton’s London Glassblowing will take up residency for the occasion, showcasing its coloured glass creations, while visitors can also join Thirteen Upholstery for a workshop – and a glass of prosecco. 20-24 September, 13-25 Church Street, NW8, alfiesantiques.com

The agenda Local news and events from in and around the area WORDS: MELISSA EMERSON

OUT & ABOUT

The new way to work out Marylebone High Street is now home to the first Xtend Barre studio in the UK. The core workout, originally created by dancer, choreographer and Pilates instructor Andrea Rogers, combines energetic elements of dance – particularly ballet – and Pilates to strengthen the body, tone and elongate muscles and improve balance. Variations of the workout that introduce new elements such as yoga and HIIT training are also on offer. The new studio also has a juice and shakes bar with an in-house nutritionist, as well as a retail space for active and athleisure wear from Active in Style. 49 Marylebone High Street, W1U, xtendbarre.com

HOME SWEET HOME Claire Bingham, interiors journalist and former homes editor on UK Elle Decoration, has just published her first book Modern Living: How to Decorate with Style. “There’s nothing I like more than a good nosy around other people’s homes,” Bingham says. And true to her word, she unpacks ten different DIY projects, revealing the decorating tips and tricks that transform the spaces and the way that people live in them. Modern Living: How to Decorate with Style by Claire Bingham, £29.95, amazon.co.uk

BOOK JACKET: © FAY MARKO. INSET PHOTO: © LONDON ART, AVAILABLE FROM TAPETEN UND UHREN. ALL © MODERN LIVING: HOW TO DECORATE WITH STYLE BY CLAIRE BINGHAM, PUBLISHED BY TENEUES, TENEUES.COM

REGULARS

INSET: ARTIST TOM ELLIS’S STUDIO, WORK IN PROGRESS FOR COMMISSION BY THE WALLACE COLLECTION; BELOW: DETAIL, WORK IN PROGRESS FOR COMMISSION BY THE WALLACE COLLECTION, BOTH COURTESY OF ROB MURRAY

EXHIBITIONS

Tom Ellis at The Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection at Hertford House exhibits its pieces – including paintings, furniture and porcelain – together, as they would have been in their original domestic settings, rather than divided up by era or medium. Now, a series of newly commissioned works by contemporary British artist Tom Ellis will be introduced to the surroundings in new exhibition The Medium. Ellis’s self-made furniture and figurative paintings can also be viewed side by side in the exhibition, which is spread across the Front State Room, galleries and the front lawn of the building, inviting viewers to consider why curators showcase things the way they do, and how the space impacts the way in which objects within it are viewed. 15 September – 27 November, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U, wallacecollection.org

A historic moment This month marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, which destroyed more than 13,000 homes. The Royal College of Physicians, whose 18th century building was among those engulfed by the flames, is hosting an exhibition to mark the occasion, following the lives of the 17th century physicians who battled plague as well as fire to rebuild the college. Surviving artefacts on display include portraits, silver and medical remedies. Historian Adrian Tinneswood OBE is also hosting a talk on 5 September. 1 September –16 December, 11 St Andrews Place, NW1, rcplondon.ac.uk

17TH CENTURY IRON COFFER RESCUED FROM THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON © ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS

Capturing change The Terrarium Drawn unites the work of five different artists who primarily use drawing to express their ideas. With an overarching theme of evolution and environment, Tamsin Relly uses her personal experience of regions such as the Arctic Circle to reflect climate change and extreme weather patterns, while Katherine Jones – also the curator of the exhibition – looks at how buildings such as greenhouses have helped transplanted flora and fauna species adapt to their new environment more gradually. 15 September –7 October, 28a Devonshire Street, W1G, jaggedart.com

Light and dark

TOMIE OHTAKE, UNTITLED, 2014 PHOTO CREDIT: EVERTON BALLARDIN © GALERIA NARA ROESLER

Painter and sculptor Tomie Ohtake worked right up until she died last year at the age of 101. To commemorate her achievements, White Rainbow Gallery is hosting the first solo exhibition of the Japanese-Brazilian artist’s work in the UK for 20 years. Imperfect Geometry is an exploration of lines, shadow and light as well as sculpture. 29 September –12 November, 47 Mortimer Street, W1W, white-rainbow.co.uk s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

FROM TOP: KATHERINE JONES, LUMINOUS FLOWER; HEN COLEMAN, A FOOL’S ARRANGEMENT II, CHARCOAL AND INK, BOTH COURTESY OF JAGGEDART

REGULARS

SPOTLIGHT THE FASHION OF FILM Elsa Schiaparelli, who once said, “What Hollywood designs today, you will be wearing tomorrow”, the book explores different facets of the relationship between the industries. It focuses on the costume designers who began to mould the image of stars on and off-screen and found their own fashion salons, and those who gained extra exposure by working with actresses, as Hubert Givenchy did with Audrey Hepburn. The book documents a back catalogue of films with fashion as their subject (from 1957’s Funny Face to 1994’s Prêt-à-Porter) as well as the fashion sets inspired by iconic movie moments, so readers can track different trends to their cinematic counterparts. Published 8 September, The Fashion of Film: How Cinema Has Inspired Fashion by Amber Butchart, published by Mitchell Beazley, £30, octopusbooks.co.uk

FASHION HISTORIAN AND

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SIPA PRESS/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK; PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; C.LIONS GATE/EVERETT/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

associate lecturer at London College of Fashion Amber Butchart explores the reciprocal relationship between fashion and film in new hardback tome The Fashion of Film. Looking back at the last century of cinema style, 45 films have been divided into seven key genres, from crime and horror to romantic drama and historical epic. Butchart brings the co-dependency of the fashion and film industries to life, with glamorous imagery from the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Moschino sitting alongside film stills from classics such as The Red Shoes, Gone With The Wind and West Side Story. Opening with a quote from Italian fashion designer s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

2016 Where is your favourite cocktail mixed to perfection? Which boutiques do you return to time and again? Who hides in the shadows but deserves the limelight? From top hotel suites and restaurants to the best exhibitions and displays of craftsmanship over the past year, The Mayfair Awards 2016 will raise a toast to the area’s finest establishments and shine a light on its unsung local heroes.

THE PRIZE Vote for your favourite Mayfair establishments and you will be entered into a prize draw to win:

A three-night stay at Palazzo Versace in Dubai and a threecourse dinner for two at Vanitas, the hotel's Italian restaurant.

A Frederic Malle fragrance of your choice and a consultation at the perfumer’s private consulting room in Burlington Arcade, led by a scent expert.

A weekend brunch at steak and seafood grill restaurant 34 Mayfair in Grosvenor Square, and tea and cakes to the value of £50 at The Mount Street Deli.

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MEDIA PARTNER

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GETTING TO KNOW

GRACE With the release of Grace: The American Years, Vogue creative director at large Grace Coddingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life work is now available to review in all of its lush, surreal glory, writes Chris Allsop

FEATURE

t seems perfectly fitting that Grace Coddington, the iconic creative director for US Vogue, on the cusp of wider recognition beyond the fashion spotlight, should be stepping back into the shadows. It was earlier this year that the flame-haired septuagenarian, the creative force behind Vogue’s extraordinary 20-page fashion editorials-cum-dream narratives, announced that she was moving into the less central role of creative director at large. Besides releasing shockwaves in an industry that Coddington has helped shaped since she joined US Vogue in 1988, her semiretirement has been accompanied by the release of first Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue, and – this month – the companion Grace: The American Vogue Years. Both books are weighty coffee-table tomes, with the first, as the title might suggest, a pictorial history of Coddington’s work and its progression at the world’s leading fashion glossy, while the new The American Vogue Years collates her efforts over

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the past 16 years. That the latter exists at all is extraordinary considering the decline of print journalism and the size of budgets Coddington must require for her epic shoots. “Two eighteen-wheel mobile homes parked in the simmering heat are disgorging racks of clothes, props and accessories for a Grace Coddington fashion shoot for American Vogue,” writes journalist Michael Roberts for Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue, as he itemises a Mad Maxinfluenced shoot in the Californian desert. “Over the next three days this 20-page extravaganza will involve a biplane, a camel, a machine that's half motorbike/half tank, a rusty jeep, a monster truck commonly known as Bigfoot, a tepee, some boomerangs, a few fashion models, and a number of children wearing spectacularly tattered outfits made from greasy animal skins, some designed especially for the shoot, others recycled from Kevin Costner's movie Waterworld.” How does a self-confessed shy girl growing up in an Anglesey hotel come to develop the confidence to stage manage such an

exotic, high stakes menagerie? It’s acknowledged that she has a preternatural ability to predict fashion trends, a talent she honed first as a model (aka “The Cod”) in ’60s London before becoming junior fashion editor for British Vogue in ’68. Anna Wintour, Vogue’s formidable editor-in-chief who penned the foreword to the first volume, suggests that Coddington’s je ne sais quoi is “this ability to take the slightest seed of an idea and grow it into a fabulous narrative”. A former assistant describes her as having the fashion equivalent of a “good musical ear”, while another says it’s the ability to “see the whole story. It’s not just a question of ‘collar up or collar down’. With her everything is much bigger. And nothing is literal.” Creative pioneers tend to share a steely self-belief, and while Coddington, in an interview with The Guardian, once described herself as

PREVIOUS PAGE, FROM L-R: TIM WALKER. MAJA SALAMON, OLA RUDNICKA, CODIE YOUNG, ESMERELDA SEAY-REYNOLDS, NASTYA STEN, SASHA LUSS, ALEXANDRA KIVIMÄKI, AND ALICE CORNISH IN PAPER DRESSES AND JEWELLERY CREATED BY RHEA THIERSTEIN; HAIR, JULIEN D’YS; MAKE-UP, LUCIA PIERONI; PRODUCTION DESIGN, RHEA THIERSTEIN; LONDON, MAY 2014, COURTESY THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS (PAGES 336-7); GRACE CODDINGTON, IMAGE CREDIT: FABIEN BARON, COURTESY THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS; TIM WALKER, KATE MOSS IN ALEXANDER MCQUEEN; HEADPIECE, JULIEN D’YS; HAIR, JULIEN D’YS; MAKE-UP, STÉPHANE MARAIS; SET DESIGN, ANDY HILLMAN; PARIS, APRIL 2012, COURTESY THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS (PAGES 330-1)

“I’m probably not considered modern. In fact, not being modern is something that is thrown at me all the time” being “a bit of a coward and easily panicked”, her actions over the years demonstrate an ability to put the work before any inner qualms. Former assistant Lucinda Chambers recalls: “She was the first person to put a model wearing no make-up on the cover of Vogue in the late 1970s – I was her assistant at the time and we received hundreds of letters, ‘shocked and outraged from Reading’.” Another famous story has Coddington travelling to the then USSR and risking the wrath of the government by snapping Jerry Hall on a Soviet monument in a red swimsuit, before smuggling the film out of the country. Other essential qualities that have shaped a stellar career include, as described by photographer Bill Cunningham, “an unshakeable stubbornness as to make a mule, by comparison, seem like a pushover”. There’s also an obsessive, fastidious side made explicit in the intricate mise en scène of her work. “I can be spontaneous,” she once told The Guardian, “but I have to think about it”. Perhaps this is why children feature so frequently in her shoots, their poor impulse control providing a spontaneity that Coddington has found it difficult to allow herself to inject? It’s this kind of conjecture that’s one of the chief

ABOVE: MERT ALAS & MARCUS PIGGOTT. KENDALL JENNER IN LOUIS VUITTON AND CAST OF WONDER.LAND (COSTUMES DESIGNED BY KATRINA LINDSAY); HAIR, SHAY ASHUAL; MAKE-UP, LISA ELDRIDGE; SET DESIGN, ANDREW TOMLINSON; LONDON, DECEMBER 2015, COURTESY THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS (PAGES 246-7)

pleasures of the books: trying to know the true Grace through the stories as well as the images. The 2009 fashion documentary, The September Issue, where she was the human foil to Wintour’s exacting fashion shrew, nudged this insider back towards the public celebrity she’d tasted as a model. But her personality is rounded out best between the pages of these books, reading how she interacts with the strong photographic wills of talents like Annie Leibovitz and Mario Testino to create the frequently surreal, kinetic and fun results that occur. You wonder what could Coddington and photographer Craig McDean possibly be saying to their subjects to produce such bizarre and arresting results? In a post-Zoolander world, it’s tantalising to try and guess.

FEATURE

When Coddington announced her transition to creative director at large this year, many in the industry acknowledged it as simply another bastion of the old guard crumbling in the face of inevitable change. As Coddington herself said: “I’m probably not considered modern. In fact, not being modern is something that is thrown at me all the time. Yet there are some days when I think I have a fresher mind than those who are considered modern. To me its true meaning is always to be one step ahead. A feeling of rightness. Although when a thing is already called modern it's already old-fashioned!" It’d be so easy for Coddington, now 75, to pack

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her beloved cats and kick back at her Hamptons holiday cottage with her partner, hairstylist Didier Malige. But she’s already launched a scent – entitled ‘Grace’ – and described her new stage in life, with a new agent in tow to generate projects, as “just another approach”. “I’m certainly not going into retirement,” she said in a press statement about her retirement. “I don’t want to sit around.” Perhaps, then, it’s more a case of stepping out of one spotlight and into another – the next page in a fascinating full colour narrative. Grace: The American Vogue Years, published by Phaidon on 5 September, £125, phaidon.com

IN HER It’s been a busy year for Sophia Webster. Lauren Romano meets the shoe designer to talk about opening her first shop, her inspiration for A/W16 and keeping her feet firmly on the ground

s cobblers will attest, you can tell a lot about someone from their feet. If you had to sum up Sophia Webster in shoe form, vertiginous heels in candyfloss pink emblazoned with the words “Boss Lady” might seem fitting – so it’s just as well that the designer behind the eponymous label has already created a pair matching that very description. Webster frequently wears her heart on her soles – turn over her wedding heels and “Wifey for Lifey” is scrawled on the bottom. But while her whimsical, wacky designs don’t exactly toe the traditional footwear line, the label isn’t all gimmicky slogans and no substance. From polka dot slippers laced with deep red velvet bows, to crystal-embellished block heels and the trademark Chiara butterfly winged sandals in every shade from turquoise to pumpkin – Webster has injected an infectious dose of fun into her shoe business, one pom-pom adorned ballet pump at a time. This spring she made a permanent home for her fairytale-like creations by opening her first

boutique in Mayfair, which is all lavender toned upholstery, flamingo drawer handles and a light installation that makes customers look as though they have sprouted wings of their own. It’s a testament to how far Webster has come since launching her brand back in 2012. Once upon a time, Webster was a keen dancer travelling the length and breadth of the country with her sister to compete, and the only shoes that interested her were of the dancing kind. She eventually gave up her leotard to concentrate on her A-Levels and her love of art. It was while studying at Camberwell College that she discovered she enjoyed drawing shoes more than anything else. “To this day, sketching is my favourite part of the design process,” she tells me when I catch her preparing for the release of her A/W16 collection. “I love being able to put my headphones in and zone out. Usually I will think of a concept and let my imagination run away with me, focusing on putting all of my ideas on paper.” Of course, sketching is just the start of a process that requires technical vision. ALL A/W16 COLLECTION IMAGERY: BRADLEY BELL ALL SOPHIA WEBSTER PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: HAZLETT-BEARD

INTERVIEW

“I was over the moon when Gwen Stefani wore my overthe-knee Delphine boots in her music video”

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Her designs might appear to be all glitter and sparkle, but a foundation in the craft has been an essential building block. Her artisanal approach was nurtured at the historic Cordwainers College (a charter in 1439 meant The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers were licensed to control the shoe industry within the City of London), now part of the London College of Fashion, where Webster completed a BA in footwear design. “I learnt how to make key shapes, such as a court shoe, derby and brogue. I believe that to be a shoe designer you really need to understand the construction of shoes and how a pattern is cut,” she says. “I think the degree course there is really special, as it allows you to spend time both studying and gaining experience in the industry, which is important in making the transition from student to employee.” Later, Webster hooked up with another Cordwainers alumnus – Nicholas Kirkwood, who she met during her MA at the Royal College of Art. She ended up working as his assistant before he helped her to set up her own brand. “He taught me that mistakes are your best lessons, but you have to learn fast,” she says. Today Webster still agonises over the technical details of her shoes, telling me that she relies on a team of skilled craftsmen to bring her intricate designs to life. “I have worked with the same factory in Brazil since I first started and they are fantastic. I am very specific in what I want and I’m fortunate that they are always up for a challenge; they’re true artisans.”

INTERVIEW

Webster might wear winged heels but she is decidedly down to earth and prefers to share the limelight with her team. She describes winning the 2016 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund as a “huge achievement for us” and stresses how appreciative she is to receive the recognition. But she still gets excited when she sees people wearing her shoes. “I was over the moon when Gwen Stefani wore my

“Shoes are incredibly powerful. They make women feel confident – they improve posture and the way women hold themselves” over-the-knee Delphine boots in her music video for Misery,” she laughs. Webster is a self-confessed shoeaholic, with an entire room dedicated to her collection – not to mention the pairs in storage. “I do bi-annual clear-outs and take a lot to charity shops,” she confesses. “Shoes are incredibly powerful. They make women feel confident – they improve posture and the way women hold themselves.” She used to wear heels every day at college, but since falling pregnant with her daughter (Bibi Blossom was born in 2014) she has started to wear flats more. “My first collection was about statement

high heels, but I learnt very quickly that not everyone can wear – or wants to wear – that type of shoe, so I extended my offering. Now I’m doing trainers and flat shoes and for this season I have introduced a lot of different heel heights. I don’t think women need to be uncomfortable to be fashionable.” She describes her A/W16 collection as a season of evolution – “collecting my thoughts from the past, present and future”. It was inspired by her favourite Tim Burton movie, Beetlejuice. “You can see a real cult gothic theme come through in the styles. I used a rich colour palette, decadent textures and embellishments that explored a darker side. The collection is about daring to be strange or unusual, but, most of all, beautifully unique,” she explains. When I ask what else she has up her sleeve she hints at expansion and that rolling out more stores globally could be in the pipeline. “It’s hard to say exactly what the future holds,” she says vaguely. “But it’s definitely exciting!” As for her quest for shoe domination, there’s a pair of Boss Lady heels with her name on them. 124 Mount Street, Mount Street Mews, W1K, sophiawebster.com; cordwainers.org

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Relax from

top to bottom

0800 1699 755 customerservice@cyberjammies.co.uk

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LEFT: RENÉ BOUCHÉ (1905-1963), RED SUIT, CONDE NAST, JANUARY 1950, WATERCOLOUR & GOUACHE ON PAPER, SIGNED VERSO, 58 X 35.5CMS BELOW: SAKS FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK FOR CONDE NAST, 1950, WATERCOLOUR & GOUACHE ON PAPER, 63.5 X 47CMS, BOTH RENÉ BOUCHÉ (1905-1963) RIGHT: CARL ‘ERIC’ ERICKSON (1891-1958), BALENCIAGA, US VOGUE, OCTOBER 1954, INK & WATERCOLOUR, SIGNED & DATED, 65 X 50CMS

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD As London Fashion Week gets underway, art dealer Gray M.C.A. considers an era before the photographer with its annual exhibition of fashion illustration. Lauren Romano reports

FEATURE

picture speaks a thousand words, so the saying goes. And nowhere has the attentiongrabbing power of an image held such a monopoly than in the fashion industry. For decades the pictorial language that came to define and translate the moods and trends of the time was the product of the draughtsman’s pen and ink. Fluent in fashion, these illustrators played an integral role in shaping the business of style.

“For many years photography and illustration went hand in hand,” art dealer and curator Connie Gray of Gray M.C.A. explains. “Fashion illustration complemented photography and vice versa. It’s a misconception that photography killed illustration. For instance, the legendary illustrators Kenneth Paul Block and Antonio Lopez worked throughout the 1970s and 1980s to huge acclaim. Of course photography dominated, but illustration never lost its power as a commercial tool, it just stepped into the shadows for a while.” Gray is currently putting the finishing touches to the third instalment of her successful Drawing on Style exhibition, an annual showcase of fashion illustration to coincide with London Fashion Week. This year’s offering will shine a light on the masters of the genre from post-war ’40s to the ’70s, displaying original and previously unseen works by the likes of Vogue illustrators Carl ‘Eric’ Erickson and René Bouché, as well as Dior Beauty’s artist-in-residence, Bil Donovan. Far from falling into obscurity in recent years the medium of illustration has been resuscitated by a new wave of illustrators and the fashion power houses have been quick to catch on. Gray has collaborated with photographer Nick Knight and his pioneering fashion film website SHOWstudio to add a contemporary dimension to this year’s show, with work by illustrators Gill Button, Blair Breitenstein and Fahren Feingold, who have illustrated A/W16 collections for Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood. “With illustration you start with nothing, just a blank canvas. It’s the opposite with photography, which starts with everything and through lighting and movement reduces the information to provide a summary of the essence of clothing,” Knight says. “A fashion illustrator adds only the information that interests them about that particular garment. They only show the things they love or are excited about.” But how do you refresh such an established genre – is it a matter of technology, of pixel over paint? For today’s practising fashion illustrators the landscape is shifting. Rather than distributing their work in printed publications, the medium of

“We are so used to seeing heavily edited visuals that the true tradition of an artist with pen, ink or paint and paper makes a startling impact” In fact, the pen wasn’t knocked of its perch until post World War Two with the introduction of Christian Dior’s New Look – a movement that kickstarted the concept of ready-to-wear as we now know it. Hot on its heels came the invention of high-speed cameras and colour film. Even so, Vogue didn’t run its first photographic cover until 1932, so the advances in technology didn’t sound an immediate death knell to the medium.

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pen and ink is being disseminated through social media channels. For example, Donald Robertson, head of creative development at Bobbi Brown, has risen through the ranks since posting his first fashion illustration on Instagram in 2012, to drawing for Giles Deacon and amassing a legion of famous fans along the way. “It’s a huge change in the relationship between the illustrators and their audience,” Knight explains. “Before, their main platform was magazines, but now they are able to express themselves on their own terms. On SHOWstudio we encourage artists to be expressive and to show how the clothing makes them feel. That freedom of expression energises illustrators.” Both Gray and Knight agree that in the digital age the simplicity of sketches holds even more sway because it goes against the grain. “That is precisely why fashion illustration has such a bright future,” Gray says. “Conversely it brings a fresh and exciting new

“There was so much elegance in just a few graceful lines. They drew me in every night as I lay in bed and very often found their way into my dreams” dimension to portraying fashion in the 21st century. We are so used to seeing heavily edited visuals that the true tradition of an artist with pen, ink or paint and paper makes a startling impact.” In the wake of this, original works by renowned illustrators are finally getting the

recognition they deserve. Drawings by René Gruau whose work for Balmain, Lanvin and Christian Dior epitomised the glamour and grace of the ’50s have previously gone under the hammer at Christie’s for £20,000. Of course the price tags don’t command nearly as many zeros as works by the great masters, but it’s a sign that collectors are starting to take the medium more seriously. It had been much maligned in the past, Gray believes because it was mistakenly labelled as commercial rather than fine art. “Tragically many illustrations were often destroyed or lost following publication due to this commercial tag. Yet these beautiful works captured the very essence of each generation.” Gray’s love of illustration comes from her father who collected original works in the days when they weren’t really considered art. The walls of her childhood bedroom were plastered with sketches by Bernard Blossac and Pierre Mourgue, rather than posters of pop stars. “There was so much elegance in

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pretty special, especially as the woman who contacted me remembered watching Bouché at work as a little girl in her father’s office. I got goosebumps. They were so beautiful and I immediately recognised them from the pages of Vogue in the 1950s.” Ultimately fashion illustration began as a marketing tool – and this advertising potential has not disappeared. Its timeless ability to entice and tempt is as strong as it ever was, providing a gateway into the ever-changing fashion realm of catwalks and seasonal collections. As Knight puts it: “The fashion world is built of dreams. And it is the artists within that world that make those dreams visible, whether they are the designers, the models, the photographers or the illustrators.” Drawing on Style, 15-20 September, Gallery 8, 8 Duke Street, St James’s, SW1Y, graymca.co.uk

just a few graceful lines. They drew me in every night as I lay in bed and very often found their way into my dreams,” she says. Today a series of illustrations for Christian Dior’s first collection in 1947, including his first wedding dress, hang along 20th century textiles by British artists William Scott and Ben Nicholson in the Somerset home she shares with her husband. As so few original fashion illustrations survive today, uncovering a work by one of the masters of the genre is a momentous occasion. Last year Gray was contacted by the family of a former Saks Fifth Avenue director who had a number of original works by René Bouché that had been commissioned for Saks’ advertising. “That was

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RENÉ GRUAU (1909-2004), MODEL IN STUDY, INDIA INK ON BOARD, 42.5 X 35.5CMS; KENNETH PAUL BLOCK (1924-2009), GLORIA GUINNESS, 1968, WATERCOLOUR & FELT TIP ON PAPER, 61 X 47.5CMS; RENÉ BOUCHÉ (1905-1963), WOMAN IN PINK SUIT, WATERCOLOUR ON PAPER, 63 X 48CMS; CARL ‘ERIC’ ERICKSON (1891-1958), EMPIRE COAT BY SCHIAPARELLI, VOGUE 1936, WATERCOLOUR & GOUACHE ON PAPER, SIGNED, 55 X 33.5CMS; BIL DONOVAN, FUSCHIA

INTERVIEW

THE DESIGN

DYNASTY Simon Burstein, son of Browns co-founder Joan Burstein, sold the multi-brand boutique to Farfetch last year and branched out on his own. Elisa Anniss meets the entrepreneur at The Place, his Connaught Street concept stores

or Simon Burstein, the only son of Joan Burstein – of Browns boutique fame – it was his beloved Bristol Blenheim 3 car that led him to choose Connaught Street as the location for The Place, the men’s and women’s concept shops he has opened in the last ten months. As the sun streams through the large windows illuminating the women’s store, Burstein perches on a Victorian chair upholstered in the same sumptuous velvet as the mid-century pieces at the entrance of his newly minted men’s outpost, next door but one. “I live in Notting Hill and Connaught Street was always my shortcut through to Browns,” he explains. Of all things it was “an excellent hand car wash” for his Blenheim that compelled Burstein to stop here on a regular basis. “While I was waiting for the car, I’d grab a coffee from Cocomaya and notice the mix of galleries, independent shops and the local customers.” Burstein is part of London’s fashion royalty. Having co-founded Browns with her late husband Sidney in 1970, his mother is credited with many things, including introducing Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren to the UK and helping to launch the careers of British talents Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. “My mother discovered so many designers during her 45 years at Browns,” he says. “My earliest recollection was Ossie Clark with his fabulous prints by Celia Birtwell in

“The Place is a fashion retail concept that values talent, curation and service”

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transparent silk chiffon.” Other great memories include buying Missoni for the first time, working at his mother’s side in Giorgio Armani’s apartment and at Chloé in the days when Karl Lagerfeld designed the collection. Over the years Mrs B, as she is fondly referred to in fashion circles, has received a string of accolades including a CBE and the médaille de la Ville de Paris for her services to the fashion business. Although she’s a hard act to follow, her multitasking son – now in his early 60s – is clearly cut from the same cloth: there’s Alice Archer, the fashion designer and embroidery specialist he is seeking to establish as a women’s luxury label. There’s his newly launched men’s clothing collection by Leathersmith of London. And, of course, the shops at 27 and 31 Connaught Street.

“The intricacy and craftsmanship of Alice Archer’s hand embroidery, combined with her use of print, is totally unique” From the age of 17 Burstein worked at his parents’ first venture, Feathers, then at Browns from 1970. In 1983 he moved to Paris where he operated an offshoot of Browns, and married the daughter of French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel, with whom he has three daughters. In 1985 he joined Sonia Rykiel as its vice-president, growing the brand and business with great success over the next two decades. In 2008, after his marriage had come to an end, he returned to London and for the following seven years was at the helm of Browns. During this time he says his proudest achievement was “weathering the storm and not making any of our 100 employees redundant during the recession”.

INTERVIEW

CLOCKWISE FROM CENTRE: ALICE ARCHER’S AUTUMN COLLECTION; CAROLINE, SIMON AND JOAN BURSTEIN, COURTESY OF SIMON BURSTEIN; THE PLACE PREVIOUS PAGES: SIMON BURSTEIN, COURTESY OF SIMON BURSTEIN; ALICE ARCHER’S AUTUMN COLLECTION

In May 2015 Burstein sold the multi-brand boutique to fashion e-tailer Farfetch. “Of course, it was a difficult decision,” he admits. “But in hindsight it was the right one for the company and shareholders. Though we had built a good online business, we were trailing our competitors and lacked both the financial resource and know-how to take the web to another level. “So it was a very good fit when José Neves [CEO of Farfetch] approached me. Now, Browns is part of a multi-million pound business and has a new chapter in its life.” The family hasn’t severed links with Browns altogether. Burstein, his mother and sister Caroline all sit on its board as non-executives. The entrepreneur also turned to Browns as one of the first stockists for his chic linen-covered Charfleet Book Bindery notebooks (from £12), manufactured on Canvey Island. There are clear parallels between Browns’ five connected townhouses and The Place’s two shops that double up as showrooms (of sorts). “The Place London is a fashion concept store that values talent, curation and service,” says Burstein. “I want customers to have a great experience when they come in.” Like Browns, the women’s shop has an elegant salon atmosphere and a sense that everything has been carefully selected. It was initially to showcase Alice Archer’s creations that Burstein opened his first Connaught Street shop last October, honouring a commitment he had made to her while at Browns. A graduate of Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art, Archer worked on embroidery projects with Tracey Emin and bespoke shoemaker Caroline Groves before launching her eponymous collection. Burstein first saw the designer’s work at the Best of Britannia fair in 2013. “I was working as an embroidery designer at Dries Van Noten at the time, but Simon left his card,” says Archer. “When I came back from Dries six months later I contacted him and we met the next day at Browns.” As Burstein leads me through a warren of rooms underneath the women’s shop, there are samples of denim, satin and leather garments to be found on every surface, featuring elaborate and mostly floral embroidery. “The intricacy and craftsmanship of the hand embroidery, combined with her use of print, is

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totally unique,” he describes, as he opens a door that reveals a large digital embroidery machine. The device then communicates Archer’s distinctive patterns with specialist embroiderers in Italy and India. Her autumn collection has just launched, and next summer’s pieces will be unveiled at a London Fashion Week presentation on 16 September. As well as Archer’s striking botanical embroidery (£290-£2,600), The Place also offers Elwin London cashmere jumpers (from £425), Uzma Bozai sweaters embroidered with zodiac motifs (from £150), Baird sneakers (£295) and an apothecary with its own line of scented candles (£30). Alongside leather bags by British maker Brady (from £190) and a few pieces by the Belgian designer Sofie D’Hoore (from £200), the men’s outpost houses another of Burstein’s projects: a men’s fashion collection with a classic, continental feel (from £120). Leathersmith of London is manufactured in Portugal and Italy, and includes timeless jackets, smart trousers, socks and belts. “Simon is carrying on his mother’s tradition of supporting new designers and has been a constant support, sharing his expertise and endless positive energy,” brims Archer. “It’s infectious.” 27-31 Connaught Street, W2, theplacelondon.co.uk

fter Keira Knightley’s stunning performance in Anna Karenina (in which she sported a necklace from Chanel’s timeless Camélia collection), it was only a matter of time before the French fashion house enlisted the actress to front its fine jewellery range. And considering Knightley is already the face of Coco Mademoiselle and Rouge Coco, it is by no means new territory for her. In the latest campaign shot by Mario Testino, she sports the Coco Crush collection. Launched in 2015, each piece is dedicated to the brand’s matelassé quilt, rendered on chunky gold rings and glossy bracelets. Coco Crush collection, POA, chanel.com

KNIGHTLEY

STORY

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARIO TESTINO, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY X CHANEL FINE JEWELLERY CAMPAIGN

COLLECTION

Branching out For A/W16, British fashion designer Peter Pilotto has created his first jewellery collection for Atelier Swarovski, with his partner Christopher de Vos. The design duo have brought together a collection that explores the creative versatility of crystal through a range of necklaces, earrings, rings and a hairpin all inspired by the architecture of nature. Atelier Swarovski by Peter Pilotto Arbol collection, from £69, atelierswarovski.com

THE THREE CS

Jewellery news

WORDS: OLIVIA SHARPE

Fit for a king Known as the ‘diamond king of India’, Nirav Modi is bringing his eponymous jewellery empire to the capital in September with his first UK flagship boutique on Old Bond Street. Set over four floors, the store will house the brand’s signature Embrace bangles as well as an extensive range of diamond pieces (examples of which have been worn by the celebrity likes of Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts). Its innovative, stretchable design of more than 700 parts and 1,600 diamonds was inspired by Modi’s daughter’s elastic toy bangles. Nirav Modi opens on 1 September, 31 Old Bond Street, W1X, uk.niravmodi.com

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Anyone who knows anything about diamonds is familiar with ‘The 4 Cs’. Created by the Gemological Institute of America to certify a diamond’s quality and value, they comprise colour, clarity, cut and carat. However, we imagine few readers will yet be aware of Lady Dalit Nuttall’s personal interpretation of the concept. The founder of Saqqara Jewels has redefined the traditional notion of a sliced diamond’s value in order to showcase its charisma, character and cachet in two new pieces. The Double Butterfly and White Gold Long Meadow rings both reflect the brand’s expert use of sliced, naturally shaped diamonds and love of organic forms. From a selection, saqqarajewels.com

NEW TO DIOR September sees Dior land its second Archi Dior collection in stores. Launched last year, Archi marked the brand’s first diffusion jewellery, offering a more wearable and attainable range of high jewellery. Designer Victoire de Castellane has once again sought inspiration from the house’s haute couture archive and transformed Christian Dior’s architecturallyinspired, sculptural dress designs into a line of jewellery. “I wanted to create each piece with the same mindset that Christian Dior had in creating dresses like an architect,” she says, “as if the jewellery were made of fabric that is sculpted, gathered, pleated, belted or draped.” Available from 1 September, from £1,950, dior.com

MAD, MAD

WORLD Carving an uncompromising path through the typically reserved world of haute horology, Roger Dubuis has been the industry’s enfant terrible for the past two decades. As the brand took over Harrods this summer, Richard Brown sat down with creative director Mr Alvaro Maggini

very January, the watch houses owned by luxury holding company Richemont – Montblanc, IWC, JaegerLeCoultre and Cartier, to name but four – are among those to descend upon Geneva for SIHH, or, to give it its full name, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.. Here, brands reveal to the press what wonders they’ve been working on during the previous 12 months. Amid an expansive exhibition hall, one stand is constantly more conspicuous than any other. Like everything else about Roger Dubuis, the brand’s temporary home in the Palexpo centre makes a bold statement. Whether it’s thanks to life-sized cuckoo clocks or giant fibreglass birds of prey swooping from the ceiling, the stand declares that Roger Dubuis is different, and that it does far more than just make watches. Since 2011, the brains behind the spectacle have belonged to creative director Alvaro Maggini. With a background in microtypography and high fashion – he previously devised creative strategy for Dior and Chanel – Maggini isn’t your typical watch industry suit, which, he says, is the reason he found himself working for Roger Dubuis.

At the brand’s most recent creative initiative (a pop-up exhibition and window display at Harrods), we asked Maggini if Roger Dubuis is too loud for the UK watch market and how his brand can justify asking £15,000 for its entry level timepiece.

What is the primary purpose of a creative director? To provide continuity and make sure the brand is recognisable. Don’t change your brand image and your ideas all the time. The next most important thing is to make yourself current, to make sure you are relevant. It doesn’t matter if people like the brand. Your job is to provide consistency.

COLLECTION

traditional things. It’s wrong. Why is Lamborghini or Maserati successful? Why has Rolls-Royce made a comeback? Twenty-five years ago, Gucci was finding its place. Look at it now. These brands are sexy, they are new, they are doing something different. Our watches are crazy, but actually the British are also eccentric. They are very fashionable, very design-focused, very creative. British people are all about obsessive extravagance. They can be very quiet, very shy, but they are very eccentric. In the street, I can recognise who is 100 per cent British.

What is the primary purpose of the creative director of Roger Dubuis? To think ‘opposite’, to not be afraid. Don’t do anything that has already proven successful for other brands. Do the absolute opposite. That doesn’t mean doing white just because everyone else is doing black. My job is to prevent the brand ever becoming boring, which means taking risks.

Why doesn’t Roger Dubuis invest in celebrity ambassadors? We prefer to invest in the product and in customer experiences.

How important is having one recognisable product?

Your entry level timepiece costs around £15,000. Why spend that much on a watch?

It’s everything. Everyone that knows the brand recognises Excalibur. It is by far our most important watch family, it is our Nautilus, our Portofino.

For exclusivity. When you buy a Roger Dubuis, you are buying something that is unique. Our watches are pieces of art. You don’t need a watch. You don’t need a painting; you can have a print. But it’s always nice to have the painting.

Who is your closest competitor and how do you distinguish yourself from them? As a brand, Richard Mille is a young athlete, a body builder, very sexy, full of testosterone. What we try to do with Roger Dubuis is pilates. We prepare our body, we preserve our inner muscles to stay in shape and stay healthy. Our internal muscles will help us survive for longer.

Is the UK market too conservative for Roger Dubuis? It is short-sighted to think that people only like

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EXCALIBUR QUATUOR WITH FOUR SPRUNG BALANCES, £795,000

If Roger Dubuis was a car manufacturer, which would it be? Lamborghini. Definitely Lamborghini. It’s edgy. We’re talking about the same sort of client.

What statement is someone making by purchasing a Roger Dubuis watch? “I am different. I am assertive. I don’t care if you know the brand or not. I like it. I don’t need to be reassured.” rogerdubuis.com

Watch news

FROM TOP: RADIOMIR 1940 3 DAYS ACCIAIO, £7,300; LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC ACCIAIO, £7,000; RADIOMIR 1940 10 DAYS AUTOMATIC ORO ROSSO, £29,500

WORDS: RICHARD BROWN

Ocean wonder C

elebrating its links with the sea, Panerai – which formerly supplied watches to the Italian Navy and today sponsors the Classic Yachts Challenge – has unveiled a series of four timepieces in the colour of the ocean. Blue dials may have been a recurring theme at watch fairs for some years now, but Panerai’s latest collection really does stand out from the azure-coloured crowd. The series comprises a 42mm Luminor with a three-day power reserve, a 44mm Luminor with a 10-day power reserve and an elegant, albeit portly, 47mm Radiomir (which also has a three-day power reserve). The star of the fleet, however, is the Radiomir 1940 10 Days Automatic Oro

Rosso: its red gold case houses Panerai’s first skeletonised automatic movement, which allows for a second time zone function and an am/pm indicator. All four watches feature an in-house calibre and are waterresistant to 100 metres. From £7,000, panerai.com

COLLECTION

BULLETPROOF Value for money is a prickly issue in the watch world, a result of the industry having had to reposition itself as the epitome of luxury after the 1970s quartz crisis. The upshot is that it’s hard to tell what you’re getting for your dosh. This makes Oris’s Divers Sixty-Five something of a revelation. Offering retro looks and an automatic Swiss movement for just over £1,000, it made waves when it launched last year. Debuting on a black rubber or NATO fabric strap, the 40mm timepiece is now available on a stainless steel bracelet. According to Oris, the Sellita-produced calibre inside is bulletproof – it’s the first time we’ve heard that claim in watchmaking. £1,250, oris.ch

Best in show England’s got Goodwood; America’s got Pebble Beach. Established in 1950 and typically held on the third Sunday of August, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance brands itself as the most opulent motor show on Earth. Rolex has lent its services as the event’s official timekeeper since 2007. Each year, it presents the winner of the Best of Show with an Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 (pictured below). Rolex’s motorsport heritage dates back to the 1930s, when it strapped a watch to the wrist of Sir Malcolm Campbell during his successful world land speed record attempts at Daytona Beach, Florida. The partnership helped spawn the release of the brand’s renowned timepiece, the coveted Cosmograph Daytona, three decades later. rolex.com

TIMER SAVER Breguet purists who admired the Hora Mundi of 2011 but found its less-thanclassic map motif somewhat ‘off-brand’ will be pleased to learn the timepiece is now available with a silvered, 18-carat gold guilloche dial and a more slender 12.6mm height. The Hora Mundi became the world’s first mechanical timepiece to feature an instant ‘jump’ time-zone display, allowing its wearer to switch between cities and automatically adjust the date, city indicator and 24-hour indicator all with the push of a single button located at 8 o’clock. From £49,000, breguet.com

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Breitling’s all-blacks Breitling revealed its dark side this year by launching all-black versions of a series of its most famous timepieces. Versions of the Avenger 45mm (£6,480), Colt 44mm (£3,910 – pictured), Chronomat 44mm (£7,110), Navitimer 46mm (£7,030) and Superocean 44mm (£4,260) all received the black, carbonbased coating treatment, elevating each piece to a whole new level of masculine. All the watches feature robust screw-lock crowns and rotating bezels. While most Breitling watches are born to fly, the Superocean 44 Special Blacksteel will operate at depths of up to 1,000m, while the Avenger II Seawolf Blacksteel can notably descend for a further 2,000m. Breitling is the only watch brand to submit every one of its collections to the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, the industry’s leading precision-testing facility. From £3,910, breitling.com 39

ART

ENSNARING THE SENSES

ull of hyperreal detail and poetic fantasy, an exhibition of new work by British artist Nigel Cooke will land at Pace London in September. Among the pieces on display, this painting is inspired both by Henri Regnault’s 1870 Salomé and Cooke’s experience of the Andalusian city Córdoba. The artist allows Salome’s seductions to lurk at the boundaries, but steers clear of any 19th-century femme fatale interpretation. “A sense of ambiguity surrounds her,” describes Cooke, “innocence and malice blurred, callow intentions manipulated. This freedom to update Salomé led to the audience of carrion crows, embodying an ominous sense of waiting danger and mob judgement.” Roman Willow, 21 September-22 October, Pace London, 6 Burlington Gardens, W1S, pacegallery.com NIGEL COOKE, SALOME, 2016, OIL ON LINEN BACKED WITH SAILCLOTH, 230 X 220 X 5.2CM, ©2016 NIGEL COOKE, COURTESY PACE LONDON

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Q&A with…

Art news WORDS: CAMILLA APCAR

Kaleidoscopic wonder At first glance, contemporary Spanish artist Pedro Paricio is a master of collage or perhaps champion in screen-printing. But on closer inspection, his geometric patchworks reveal thick layers of paint and barely a brushstroke to be seen. An exhibition of new work at Halcyon Gallery delves into the collective subconscious and the inextricable relationship between art and identity – and on no small scale, as Paricio’s paintings are often a metre tall or wide. Reflect, but do so at a distance. Pedro Paricio: Dreams, 6-25 September, halcyongallery.com

Exploring Laing’s legacy On the fifth anniversary of his death, The Fine Art Society has curated a retrospective of almost 60 paintings and sculpture that illustrate Gerald Laing’s Pop Art legacy. Laing was a British contemporary of Lichtenstein and Warhol (both of whom he met in the early 1960s), and his painting of Brigitte Bardot – a black and white depiction that captured the Swinging Sixties as well as the artist’s initial fame – sold for £902,500 at Christie’s in 2014. Examples of other early paintings that mimicked modern machine printing will be on show, plus bold sculptures that Laing created at his Scottish studio and bronze foundry in later years. Gerald Laing, 19 September-13 October, thefineartsociety.com

Q: What inspired this body of work? A: I wanted to show a lot of variety in my subjects. Why do I care about having a story for each picture? Too many times I go to an art show and it’s really the same picture over and over again: beach scene, geometric abstraction, portrait of the artist – whatever! Too much of one subject is boring, even if it’s well painted. The main thing is that the picture will be interesting enough to look at in the outside world, after it leaves the artist’s studio. Q: How did the Surrealist movement influence you and your work? A: The actual Surrealist movement wasn’t much fun, as far as I can tell: a bunch of quarrelsome artists getting mad at each other for obscure reasons. But as an idea of how to think while you’re painting a picture, it’s simply terrific. Let any thought occur and it’s absolutely okay. Dalí was the very best. His images still make me laugh with amazement, decades after first seeing them. He’s always been my main influence. Q: What is the reason behind your intense use of colouring? A: The purpose of the colour is to glamorize the subject, make it rich and seem real. Just because it’s cartoony doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Colour, and the way it’s applied, gives energy to the subject. Peter Saul: Some Terrible Problems, 23 September-5 November, michaelwerner.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PEDRO PARICIO, PROMISED LAND, 2015, ACRYLIC ON LINEN, HALCYON GALLERY; PETER SAUL, ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST STILL LIFE, 2016, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS; GERALD LAING, CONCEPTION, 1977, BRONZE, COURTESY OF THE FINE ART SOCIETY & DAVID KNIGHT; PEDRO PARICIO, THE ARTIST, 2016, ACRYLIC ON LINEN, HALCYON GALLERY

American painter Peter Saul, whose new work will be shown at the Michael Werner Gallery from 23 September

ART

PRIZE LOTS 1. A 1932 Lines Brothers Vauxhall 30/98 children’s pedal car The Lines’ company was founded during the Victorian era and, under the name Tri-ang Toys, became so successful that in 1931 they bought out Hamleys Bros. Ltd. (which had by then run into financial difficulties). This mint condition car was restored by a model engineer for his grandson but then decided it was just too good to play with. Estimated value £3,000-£4,000, The Transport Sale at Donnington Priory, 28 September, dreweatts.com

2. Look, the Queen’s Coming! by Helen Layfield Bradley Not only do each of Helen Bradley’s Lowry-esque oil paintings tell a story, but her artistic career makes an enticing tale in itself. The Oldham-born artist had a penchant for art as a teenager but only began to paint seriously when in her 60s, in order to illustrate to her grandchildren what her life had been like as an Edwardian child. Estimated value £40,000-£60,000, Made in Britain at Sotheby’s, 28 September, sothebys.com

3. A superb fancy intense blue diamond ring A miniscule 0.004 per cent of all diamonds mined are blue, making them some of the most desirable gems in the world – especially when they have no modifying or secondary colour, like this 3.81-carat fancy intense blue diamond. The rare stone has now been mounted on a ring and is set to headline Bonhams’ autumn fine jewellery sale. Estimated value £1,300,000-£1,800,000, Fine Jewellery at Bonhams, 20 September, bonhams.com

4. Set of four keys on a brass fob, RMS Titanic Christie’s annual Out of the Ordinary sale includes a time-capsule of treasures from the Titanic, including this set of four keys belonging to Samuel Ernest Hemming, the vessel’s lamp trimmer. Hemming helped load lifeboats as the ship sank, and survived after he was picked up from the icy Atlantic waters. Estimated value £7,000-£10,000, Out of the Ordinary at Christie’s, 14 September, christies.com s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

#1 IMAGE COURTESY OF DREWEATTS & BLOOMSBURY AUCTIONS #2 SIGNED WITH FLY INSIGNIA, FURTHER SIGNED, TITLED, INSCRIBED AND DATED 1971 ON THE ARTIST’S LABEL ATTACHED TO THE BACKBOARD; OIL ON CANVAS LAID ON BOARD; 59 X 89.5CM. IMAGE COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S #3 IMAGE COURTESY OF BONHAMS #4 ©CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LIMITED 2016

PREVIEW

LAPADA Berkeley Square welcomes the fair’s eighth edition, full of antique curiosities and multi-disciplinary pieces to pique collectors’ interest. Camilla Apcar reports

n eclectic balance of exhibits is to be found at this year’s LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair, which will land in Berkeley Square on 13 September. All the classic elements will be present – a signature drawing by Miró at Fairhead Fine Art Limited, a portrait minature of the Duke of Wellington from Philip Mould and works by Buffet and Dufy from Willow Gallery. But a wave of intriguing, unusual curiosities will also be on display. Across the fair a playful and multi-disciplinary theme is apparent: a celebration of creatures great and small. At Waddington Custot Galleries, Peter Kinley’s Seven Geese parade across a mossy canvas (£14,000, from Horton London), while Beaux Arts London honours man’s special equestrian relationship through a bronze edition of Awakening by Anthony Scott (£11,500). Feline fantasy comes from The Book Keeper (£2,950, pictured, right), an oil on panel by Peter Layzell, whose contemporary paintings borrow much from the Flemish Renaissance and Van Eyck. An appreciation of water dwellers continues in sculptural realms. J Baptista will show a remarkably detailed pair of freestanding silver lobsters created in Portugal (pictured, bottom right); while Kevin Page Oriental Art will exhibit both a silver duck incense burner (£22,500) and a fun trio of miniature tortoises that have been finely carved from boxwood (£18,500, pictured, above right). From the 20cm bronze Sarah Bernhardt by Harald Sorensen Ringi (£3,785 at Garret & Hurst) to the larger than life Silent Contemplation from Muse (pictured, top right), sculptures of the human form are poised to bewitch. More than 100 members of the Association of Art & Antiques Dealers

FROM TOP: SILENT CONTEMPLATION, THE SCULPTURE COMPANY, FROM MUSE; VERY FINE BOXWOOD CARVING OF STACK OF LIFELIKE TORTOISES, 9CM, SIGNED, FROM KEVIN PAGE ORIENTAL; PETER LAYZELL, THE BOOK KEEPER, 30 X 20CM OIL ON PANEL, FROM PORTAL PAINTERS; SILVER LOBSTERS, PORTUGAL, C. 1990, FROM J BAPTISTA. OPPOSITE PAGE: A FINE MULTIMETAL INLAID KORO DECORATED WITH A CROUCHING SAMURAI ON ONE SIDE AND A CROW TO THE OTHER, SIGNED MASAYOSHI, 14CM, FROM KEVIN PAGE ORIENTAL

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are set to show art, antiques, design and decorative pieces. New dealers at the eighth edition include St James’s 20th-century expert Whitford Fine Art. “Joining LAPADA was an easy decision,” says Whitford gallery manager Gabriel Toso. “It has grown into the major opening event of the art calendar, inaugurating the busy autumn season, and its location in the heart of Mayfair is unrivalled.” Whitford will exhibit pieces by artists including Clive Barker, Alexander Calder and Frank Avray Wilson – one of the first British abstract expressionists. LAPADA’s offering of Asian art – a category that will be celebrated again during November’s ten-day Asian Art in London event – is particularly strong this year. Kevin

Page will exhibit rare pieces from the Meiji Period, the era between 1868 and 1912 when Japan’s industrial revolution occurred. Perhaps the most striking is a silver and metal inlaid incense burner (POA, pictured, left), which stands at 14cm tall with vivid, intricate reliefs of a crouching samurai and a crow. “We sell Chinese and Japanese antiques, and have noticed that Chinese collectors are increasingly looking at, and comparing, the quality and workmanship of the Japanese works to their native ones,” says Page. “They say that if the Japanese items were Chinese, the value would be in the hundreds of thousands and even millions of pounds.” 13-18 September, Berkeley Square, lapadalondon.com

FA I R F I N D S

Phil Shaw, The Special Relationship, 2015 Every spine in this hyperreal print has been taken from a book in Washington’s Library of Congress and references towns in the USA. In a process the British artist likens to “digital painting”, the titles – each designed by hand – are relocated to their places of origin in the British Isles, celebrating our shared cultural heritage with the US. Archival print, 197 x 147cm, £6,500 from Rebecca Hossack Gallery

Clive Barker, Brains, 2015 The British Pop artist’s reinvention of a memento mori questions not death, but our fragility in an age when medicine and science play an important role in experimental research. Polished bronze, 10.8 x 12 x 14.6cm, unnumbered edition of three, signed and dated underneath, £26,000 from Whitford Fine Art

A pair of George III giltwood sofas, c. 1775 With leaf motifs and carved beading, these English sofas are now upholstered in silk damask. “In the manner of John Linnell, they epitomise the neoclassical taste for elegant simplicity,” says Mackinnon Fine Furniture director Charlie Mackinnon. 203 x 85 x 95cm, £68,000 from Mackinnon Fine Furniture

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Nicole Farhi sold her fashion brand five years ago and hasn’t looked back. Now dedicated to sculpture, she speaks to Camilla Apcar about her artistic lease of life in clay and second solo exhibition

he human hand has fascinated – and frustrated – artists for centuries. Da Vinci and Michelangelo’s sketchbooks were littered with anatomical studies; Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse and Warhol all undertook the challenge in their own epoch. Just as expressive and no less difficult to master than the human face, hands will be the subject of Nicole Farhi’s second exhibition at Bowman Sculpture on Duke Street in September. To describe Farhi as fashiondesigner-turned-sculptor might ABOVE: NICOLE FARHI, PHOTOGRAPHY: BILLIE SCHEEPERS; RIGHT: DAVID’S HAND, BRONZE, 9CM, EDITION OF NINE

seem unjust: she has been sculpting for more than 30 years. However it was only when she sold her eponymous fashion brand in 2011 and left the company in 2014 that sculpture became her primary occupation. Farhi had been introduced to the medium by sculptor Elizabeth White – “suddenly it clicked that sculpting was what I wanted to try and do”. After taking some classes, Farhi later met Eduardo Paolozzi, who became her tutor. The then-designer used all her free time to sculpt and took a day off during the week to work on her clay creations. “I was a fashion designer working every day at the factory and was not entirely satisfied with my life. Something was missing.”

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“I was working as a fashion designer and not entirely satisfied with my life. Something was missing”

Yet as long as she was a designer, Farhi didn’t want to show her work: “Fashion and my company came first, and I didn’t want people to be confused about who I was and what I was doing.” Her first exhibition was a selection of portraiture shown in 2014 at Bowman Sculpture gallery. Unlike Rodin’s hands hewn from bronze, stone and marble, all of Farhi’s work is made from clay. “Clay is the first medium ever used when people started sculpting,” she says. “It comes from the earth and allows you to leave all your imprints – it’s extremely personal to work with, and really

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comes from your guts. You can use tools, but I often use just my fingers and nails.” Moving on from facial sculpture, Farhi’s new subject matter is portraiture of a different kind. “The hands never lie and are such an important tool that allow us to create,” she describes. Farhi chose subjects whose hands are key to their creative professions: a baker, a conductor, a pianist, a dancer. Instead of positioning them in her studio, she visited them at work, took photographs and arranged just one or two sittings afterwards.

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“When I saw the dancers at work, there were gestures that arrested me and I later asked if they could move back into those expressive poses of power,” she says. A more unsuspecting subject was her glazier, the “power” of whose thumb while changing a window inspired a larger than life study of that single digit. It took two years to bring this body of work together, and Farhi watched a number of films about anatomy to inform it. The exhibition will also include some of her first ever work; sculptures of David Rothschild’s hands; her playwright husband David Hare’s; her 100-year mother’s and a study of Paolozzi’s hands, which she created around 15 years ago.

“It doesn’t matter if people don’t like it. What’s important is that you do exactly what you want” While working in fashion gave a sense of community, sculpture is different, Farhi says. “When you sculpt, you work alone own all the time, except at a foundry to make a bronze. The creative style is totally your own.” It has, in a sense, been a liberating move for the 70 year old – and one well away from the commercial imperatives of the fashion world. “When you create a piece of art, you never think that you might sell it,” she explains. “It doesn’t matter if people don’t like it. What’s important is that you do exactly what you want.” Farhi has no regrets about having left the fashion industry. The sculptor hasn’t yet considered her next exhibition (the relentless pace of creating one seasonal collection after another is far behind her), but will stick to the same subject matter in some way. “It’s an incredible source of ideas – the human body and human being. Whether [my next exhibition] will be more abstract or not, I don’t know. I can’t say until I start doing it.” The Human Hand, 13-30 September, Bowman Sculpture, 6 Duke Street, SW1Y, bowmansculpture.com

FROM TOP: JEU D’EAU, BRONZE, 33CM, EDITION OF NINE; DANCER ETOILES, BRONZE WITH WHITE PATINA, 40CM, EDITION OF NINE; VIOLINIST, BRONZE, 34CM, EDITION OF NINE. PHOTOGRAPHY: COLIN MILLS; COURTESY OF NICOLE FARHI AND BOWMAN SCULPTURE

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Decadence Defined

Crafted to showcase complexity and depth, Rare Cask is drawn from the broadest spectrum of casks, 16 different types, ever identified by the Master Whisky Maker. Far less than 1% of those casks maturing at the distillery have been identified as fitting to bestow the Rare Cask name. With rarity at its core, this is a whisky crafted from casks so rare they will never again be used in any Macallan whisky. Combining Spanish and American sherry seasoned oak casks, a high proportion of them first fill, gives rise to an exquisite whisky with a splendidly rich hue, and an unmistakable woody whisky. This is a single malt which captures a true decadence; its creation goes beyond any other Macallan whisky and its rarity is absolute. It is a single malt of such diversity and intricacy it challenges the very conventions of whisky creation.

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18/08/2016

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A MODERN

CLASSIC

arolina Herrera is celebrating 35 years in the fashion business this year, however her focus is firmly fixed on the future of her elegant brand. For her Resort 2017 collection Herrera has tapped actress Kiernan Shipka: most recognisable from her role as Sally Draper in the successful and stylish television series Mad Men. Shipka brings a youthful irreverence to the labelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic, feminine silhouettes and modern couture techniques. In the rest of the collection, Herrera plays with proportion: fashioning super high-waisted, billowing trousers with sharp peplums, and contrasting sugary tulle with bold monochrome polka dots and thick, vivid stripes. carolinaherrera.com

PHOTO CREDIT: MARIO SIERRA

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Baker street The cinematic new lookbook from Ted Baker tells a sultry tale of spying and sleuthing, against a provocative backdrop of shadowy hotel rooms and misty alleyways. The collection’s sharp silhouettes and monochrome accessories make for a ruthlessly slick wardrobe with a touch of that definitive Ted Baker daintiness. Fit-and-flare dresses and asymmetrical hems are updated with prints of lemons and roses, frayed bouclé and embroidered detailing. 54 South Molton Street, W1K, tedbaker.com

Style update WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

The bright side Roksanda Ilincic is rarely spotted without her signature crimson lipstick – an empowering, feminine statement for any woman. This attitude exudes from her clothing line too, which has won the hearts of high-profile fashion icons such as the Duchess of Cambridge. The Serbian-born designer has now introduced handbags to her colourful, creative repertoire; architectural shapes and creamy pastels contrast with burgundy velvet and gilded flourishes in this covetable collection. 9 Mount Street, W1K, roksanda.com

From Los Angeles to London Anine Bing is more than a fashion designer, she’s a modern-day lifestyle guru. The Dutch ex-model documents her world via her popular blog, curates her own in-store playlists and hangs portraits of her sartorial idols – mostly nonchalant 1960s models – on her brilliant white shop walls. Her new Harvey Nichols boutique is a haven for effortless, well-designed basics and shiny one-offs, with new pieces introduced weekly rather than seasonally. harveynichols.com s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

FEMME FATALE The inspiration behind A/W16 Agent Provocateur is a smorgasbord of pin-ups including Bettie Page, Liv Tyler and Madonna, resulting in a spectrum of styles from minimalist scalloped edge two-piece sets to lavish flapper-style embellishments. The pared-back, monochrome campaign – shot by Mario Sorrenti and starring supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw – is reminiscent of Helmut Newton’s timeless and alluring photography, another key influence on the coming season. 1-3 Grosvenor Street, W1K, agentprovocateur.com

THIS PAGE: MODEL LINDSEY WIXSON IN THE FENDI SPRING/SUMMER 2015 ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN © KARL LAGERFELD; OPPOSITE: © ASSOULINE

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WHEN IN

ROME This month, a new Assouline book celebrates 90 years of luxury fashion house Fendi. Kari Colmans traces the brand’s legacy through fashion, family and female empowerment

t seems somewhat ironic that one of the most matriarchal fashion houses in the world has a name that derives from ‘effendi’, which means lord. Established in 1925 by Edoardo Fendi (the son of a lady in waiting to Queen Margherita of Savoy) and his wife Adele Casagrande, the maison has been steered by and designed for powerful, intelligent and glamorous women for 90 years. With its family motto “nothing is impossible”, the impact of the luxury fashion house on Italian

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life is observed and admired through a number of windows in new coffee table book Fendi Roma, from theatre, film and opera, to art and architecture, as well, of course, as the international fashion stage. From the outset, it was Adele who enlisted the help of Rome’s master saddlers to create the quality of leather goods she desired. After opening their boutique in 1926, it was six years before the husband and wife team presented their first collection of luxurious leather handbags – named Selleria, modern designs of

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: OVER FIFTY YEARS, KARL LAGERFELD HAS MADE MORE THAN 50,000 SKETCHES FOR FENDI © FENDI ARCHIVES; TREVI FOUNTAIN, ROME © FENDI ARCHIVES; SKETCH BY KARL LAGERFELD FOR THE FALL-WINTER 1970-71 COLLECTION © KARL LAGERFELD/ FENDI ARCHIVES; FUR ATELIER ARTISANS IN FRONT OF THE PALAZZO DELLA CIVILTÀ ITALIANA © FENDI ARCHIVES; TOOLS BY FENDI ARTISANS © FENDI ARCHIVES; “BIG BANG” PATTERN FUR TABLET, SPRING/SUMMER 2013, PRINTED CALF, MINK, FOX, KIDASSIA © FENDI ARCHIVES

which are available today. After passing the baton to their five daughters (Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda) in the late 1940s, it was these determined and talented women who made the brand synonymous with fur, and garnered a following that permeated all cultural avenues in Italy. At a time when even the thought of a woman working was contentious, the Fendi sisters were making waves. As the book highlights, from one generation to the next, the Fendi women have successfully “invented and reinvented” the house’s narrative “without ever losing the original thread”. Among the sisters, it was Paola who really had the eye for fur. Not only was she responsible for revolutionising the tanning process, she infiltrated a once fusty area of the market with young and chic designs. In 1950, Fendi presented its first fur capsule collection at the Grand Hotel in Rome. In 1965 the sisters approached a then up-andcoming designer named Karl Lagerfeld. “We met in Via Borgognona,” Lagerfeld recalls, “in a former cinema that had been converted into a boutique and fur atelier. It looked like a Luchino Visconti set. When I saw them I thought they were a good mix of personalities. I love being surrounded by women when I work!” In the same year, Lagerfeld’s emblematic double F logo (which signified ‘Fun Fur’) became a defining fashion moment for the decade, making fur more accessible for the fast-changing ready-towear market. As the authors surmise, Fendi “diametrically changed the history of the material, altering the very idea of it”. The legend that is Lagerfeld has been a constant presence ever since. “My 50-year collaboration with Fendi may be the longest in the history of fashion,” he says. “And it might seem strange, but I’ve never become tired of it. Actually, I think my work is

better now, because my vision is clearer and more focused. My relationship with Fendi has developed independently, like an open marriage.” Adele, who died in 1978, is remembered fondly as an industrious and glamorous matriarch, characterised by a string of pearls around her neck and a walking stick. “She was definitely not your typical Italian grandmother who stayed at home and cooked,” recalls her granddaughter Silvia Venturini Fendi. “She didn’t need to impose her authority. She was the authority.”

At a time when even the thought of a woman working was contentious, the Fendi sisters were making waves Although Silvia’s career first began with an appearance as a model in an advertising campaign for the A/W67 unisex collection, shot by Lagerfeld, she didn’t officially join the family company until 1992, becoming director of leather goods and accessories two years later. Most notably she designed the wardrobe-defining baguette, and more recently the Peekaboo bag, both of which sparked an instant cult following.

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There’s a handy timeline at the back of the weighty illustrated compendium, which takes you through the brand’s history (1985 marks its first fragrance; 1987 the launch of Fendi Casa; 1988 luxury timepieces; and 2001 its joining with LVMH). It’s the more in-detail stories at the end of the book which make for a better read, under the A Family Affair chapter. Many pages are also given to the brand’s involvement with the cultural fabric of the country, specifically its love affair with Rome. Committed to the restoration and conservation of the city’s artistic heritage, Fendi for Fountains remains the brand’s most well-known funding initiative. The foundation’s venture has transformed Rome’s Trevi Fountain. Responding to the city council’s plea, Fendi pledged €2.18m to restore the marble sculptures within it to their former glory. Other film and theatrical involvements are relatively vast, illustrating the extent to which the Fendi name is entwined with Italian history and nostalgia. While today fashion films and fashion-as-art exhibitions are still seen as cutting edge and ‘new’, Fendi paved the way decades before its contemporaries. The first fashion house to stage an entire collection (Lagerfeld’s ready-to-wear debut) in a film named Histoire d’Eau, it was described in the December 1977 edition of Vogue Italia as “the new idea-capsule for choosing a mink or… a swimsuit”. The 15-minute film also featured a cameo by the then 17-year-old Silvia. She says: “Karl is never banal, and with him, nothing is ever the same as the last time. He is crazy about new technology, which he consumes avidly. He is extremely serious but also knows when to be lighthearted, when to be ironic and

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poke fun at himself. He has such a strong sense of humour, and he’s a master of the quick-fire response, the perfectly timed punch line. To us, he’s just Karl.” Silver screen collaborations are endless (many Italian, but also international), but British audiences will recall the more trite cultural reference of Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) in Sex and the City correcting a mugger while held at gunpoint screaming, “It’s not a bag, it’s a baguette!” Silvia Venturini Fendi may be referring to living outside the old-school style capitals of Paris and Milan when she says “we feel like – and want to be – outsiders” but it is also a philosophy for the brand’s legacy, and, perhaps, its future with the fairly recent addition of the word Roma to the brand name. Fendi is a celebration of more than just clothes, shoes and handbags. Current chairman and CEO, Pietro Beccari, summarises it succinctly: “People do not want to just buy products. They want to hear beautiful stories… and Fendi has plenty to tell.” Fendi Roma, text edited by Carlo Ducci, Lella Scalia, and Erika Langlois, published by Assouline, £130, available for purchase this month at Assouline and Fendi boutiques, Maison Assouline, 196A Piccadilly, W1J, 020 3327 9370, assouline.com

LEFT: Jacket, £3,050; Dress, £1,650; Trousers, £610, all Céline, 103 Mount Street, W1K, celine.com; Shoes, £495, Jimmy Choo, 27 New Bond Street, W1S, jimmychoo.com

RIGHT: Dress, £3,860; Boots, £1,030; Belt, £1,200, all Hermès, hermes.com

Autumn sleeves From buttercup coats by CĂŠline to lace maxi dresses by Temperley London and pencil skirts from Dior, swot up on the latest designer offerings for a wardrobe that will see you through this season and beyond P H O T O G R A P H Y: P H I L L I P W AT E R M A N S T Y L I N G : D AV I D H A W K I N S

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ABOVE Dress, £1,295, Temperley London, temperleylondon.com; Boots, £1,145, Paul Andrew, paulandrew.com; Necklace, £7,750, Stephen Webster, 130 Mount Street, W1K, stephenwebster.com

RIGHT Coat, £ 3,630; Shirt, £1,140; Tie, £147; Boots, £668, all Ralph Lauren Collection, ralphlauren.co.uk; Trousers, £332, DVF, dvf.com

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LEFT Jumper, £760; Skirt, £960; Bag, £1,950, all Dior, 31 Sloane Street, SW1X, dior.com

ABOVE Dress and jumper, POA, both Phillip Lim, 31philliplim.com; Bag, £2,495, Jimmy Choo, as before; Ring, £19,400, Stephen Webster, as before

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ABOVE Jacket, £940; Trousers, £495; Shoes, POA; Bag, £795, all Mulberry, mulberry.com

RIGHT Coat, £3,995; Dress, £1,595; Bag, £1,295, all Burberry, 2 Brompton Road, SW1X, uk.burberry.com

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CREDITS Model: Sonya Derviz and Tijana Tamburic from Select Model Management Hair: Bettybeehair using Unite Eurotherapy Make-up: Molly Portsmouth Stylist’s assistant: Annie Ounstead Photography assistant: Kiti Swannell Shot on location at ME London, the flagship hotel for the ME by Meliá brand. Designed by Foster + Partners, ME London is one of the leading hotels in the capital and is home to the renowned Radio Rooftop Bar, which offers panoramic views of the city’s skyline. Rooms from £285, ME London, 336-337 The Strand, WC2R, melondonhotel.com

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3.1 Phillip Lim

Acne S tudios

pr a da

Bottega V eneta

Mulberry

BRIT SCHOOL

Carven

Altuz arr a

Hermès

Chloé

dior

Tweed, Prince of Wales check and paisley prints decorated the catwalk this season, with brands from across the world embracing British heritage chic. 3.1 Phillip Lim stole the show with its take on a classic tweed blazer, using the traditional fabric to create a smarter, more sophisticated version of the everyday parka.

Opt for a classic shearling coat this autumn – practical, stylish and, when the temperature dips, near-on essential. If you missed out on Acne Studio’s signature aviator style, don’t worry: this season offers a wide range to choose from, including an all-over number by Chloé.

Tomm y Hilfiger

Balenciaga

FEELING SHEEPISH

We may be nearing the finale of another British summer, but there’s no reason to feel blue when there are so many gorgeous new garments on the horizon. Seasonal favourite velvet is having a bit of a moment: coming in all shapes and colours, it remains elegant with the potential to be eccentric. Outerwear is firmly focused on shearling, and as the nights draw in earlier, one’s dark side is encouraged to come out to play in sheer fabrics and delicate embroidery. Whatever your style, our A/W16 trend report will make sure you aren’t left out in the cold. Words: LAUREN STEVENS

Roberto Cavalli

V etements

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Rag & Bone

Balenciaga

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WORK IT OUT

BARE NECESSITIES Miu Miu

Roksanda

Luisa Becc aria

Valentino

Alberta Ferretti

Erdem

Giambattista Valli

Valentino

Balmain

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It looks as though journalist Kirsty Wark knew exactly what she was doing when she presented Newsnight in a pair of high-end tracksuit bottoms, as the trend for athleisure shows no signs of slowing down in the fashion industry (no doubt partly due to the recent Olympics). Get the look with a smart-casual mix from Rag & Bone, or opt for a fully tailored tracksuit, such as the ones that Vetements and Amanda Wakeley are currently sporting.

For yet another year, velvet made a strong appearance on the catwalk and we are now spoilt for choice with the variety of shapes and colours available. Luisa Beccariaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple gowns radiate elegance, but perhaps one might be more inclined to try a tailored suit by Alberta Ferretti. Regardless of preference, the silky soft material is sure to add a stylish touch to your wardrobe.

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SOFT TOUCH

Designers are clearly having some fun with sheer material, combining it with lace and delicate embroidery to give evening gowns a romantic edge this A/W16. Be prepared to flash the flesh with one of Valentinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s alluring dresses, or dare to bare all in a see-through sequin design by Roberto Cavalli.

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Magnum opus

IMAGE : PAOLO PELLEGRIN FOR BELSTAFF

Belstaff’s latest collaboration showcases both the superb design and everyday utility that the rough and ready brand is best known for. This time it has taken the advice of Paolo Pellegrin – a member of the illustrious artist’s cooperative Magnum Photos and the eyes behind the campaign shoot – to create an essential accessories line. The Magnum weekend bag is ideal for separating all your vital tech kit, yet easily converts into a casual holdall for a weekend away. £750, Belstaff, 135-137 New Bond Street, W1S, belstaff.co.uk

Style spy WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

The brilliant bomber

COVETED CUFFS Regarded as England’s oldest family jeweller, Deakin & Francis immerses itself in its heritage. To celebrate the company’s 230th anniversary, a limited-edition capsule of gold-plated cufflinks will sport emblems such as the age-old skull and crossbones or the Royal Britannia. From £75, deakinandfrancis.co.uk

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This season, look to Berluti for a selection of cashmere, shearling, wool and suede bomber jackets to see you through the bracing winter months. The elite Italian label has taken inspiration from the drama of the desert: with shades of scorpion black, burnt ochre and stark salty white causing quite a stir. We’re lusting after this deep sea-green leather number complete with an embroidered graphic snake motif designed by A-list tattoo artist Scott Campbell. Scott bomber, £3,500, Berluti, 43 Conduit Street, W1S, berluti.com

Choos like Jagger

IMAGE COURTESY OF JIMMY CHOO

Jimmy Choo is resurrecting rock and roll this autumn with a campaign fronted by Mick Jagger’s son, James. Creative director Sandra Choi describes the young actor as having a “rebellious gentleman spirit”; contemporary and edgy yet retaining that thrilling flamboyance spearheaded by musicians such as his father. The collection flaunts star-studded green suede, tasselled patent loafers and our favourites – and James’s too – the bold, black suede Kurt boots. Kurt boots, £695, 35A Dover Street, W1S, jimmychoo.com

IAN GRIFFITHS

I always loved fashion. But when I was at school the arts weren’t considered suitable for intelligent kids. Architecture was the only ‘acceptable’ face of design so I studied that. I loved it but I kept drifting back to fashion, even while I was at architectural school in Manchester.

My friend showed me how to use her sewing machine. I made outfits from cheap lining fabric – it was the ’80s, so the idea counted for more than the execution. I had no formal training at that point. I taught myself by taking apart vintage clothes.

I spent a couple of years partying and hanging out with bands. Ian Brown (from The Stone Roses) lived next door and Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) was just along the street. Then, I enrolled at Manchester Polytechnic to study a degree in fashion. I was extraordinarily lucky to have Ossie Clark as a tutor and he encouraged me to go on to the Royal College of Art.

It was all happening at the RCA. Anna Wintour would call you into Vogue to see your work, and there was always a chance that Princess Diana would ask you to make something for her.

My tutor, Anne Tyrrell, who sadly passed away last year, always gave me the most precious advice. It was

The Max factor Before Ian Griffiths arrived at MaxMara, he was partying with Mick Hucknall, listening to ’80s new wave and chatting to Anna Wintour. The creative director spills the beans on the fashion industry

thanks to her that I got the job at MaxMara after graduation. She taught me to imagine a woman walking down the street in my designs. When I’m mentoring young students I always ask them, “Who would wear it?”. If they can answer the question, I’m happy.

I was content to put up with squalid living conditions and zero money back then. I worked at Browns on Saturdays. Founder Joan Burstein taught me that commercial

FASHION

rules apply to the luxury market, not only the high street.

Like many of my generation, David Bowie was my lifelong inspiration. He showed us that you can stay creative by keeping your ear to the ground. Never stand still.

I was really caught up in the new wave scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s. I worshipped Elvis Costello, Ian Curtis and the phenomenal Tony Wilson who created Factory Records and the legendary Haçienda nightclub.

MAXMARA A/W16

Lunch. I love the strict pencil skirts with their floppy pleated hems, fishnet tops and studded belts. It gives an edgy, dark glamour to our classic coats.

My mother has always loved fashion. She used to make her own clothes and I would spend hours watching her cutting and sewing. When I started at MaxMara, she was delighted. She now has a bulging wardrobe and all her friends are mad with jealousy. When I’m designing, I always have my mum at the back of my mind.

When Grace Jones published her memoirs it prompted us to revisit her sleek, powerful style. We had great fun exploring that in our resort collection, which hits stores late 2016.

At MaxMara, we think like architects: clothes that will last need the best quality materials. Knowing what a fabric will or

MaxMara helped define the image of the working woman in the ’80s. In those early days, there was a kind of conformity – women were in completely new territory.

won’t do requires years of experience and a certain sensitivity. Our designers know how to select the right fabric to execute different designs, silhouettes or lines.

MaxMara always follows the same basic principle: real clothes for real people

Architecture is never far away. I nearly always have some kind of project on at one of my homes in Islington, Suffolk or Spain. Some people are traumatised by building work, but I can’t get enough of it.

I loved putting together our pre-fall collection. I always admired the smart, sardonic style of poet Dorothy Parker. I spent a few happy afternoons by the fire re-reading her work and it dawned on me that she was an archetypal punk, 50 years ahead of her time. For the collection, I fused her look with the style of punk queens Siouxsie Sioux and Lydia

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MaxMara always follows the same basic principle: real clothes for real people. There MAXMARA PRE-FALL

will always be camel coats, but from season to season there is a different message. Our heritage is precious to us, but we don’t want to overplay it or become predictable. Like Bowie showed us, never stand still. MaxMara, 21 Old Bond Street, W1S, gb.maxmara.com

INTERIORS

POP MUSIC A

s technology becomes an inherent part of our daily ritual, it’s only right that it should integrate seamlessly into our chosen living aesthetic. The Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A9 is already one of the sleekest sound systems around, with its statement circle design and striking presence when displayed freestanding or mounted on a wall. Interior designer Maurizio Pellizzoni has dreamed up a special cover for the speaker, which will be available exclusively in the B&O section in Harrods. Inspired by the films of Federico Fellini and sirens such as Sophia Loren, Pellizzoni’s sultry image of a pair of parted scarlet lips exudes both the glamour of Italian cinema and a bold Pop Art attitude. From £1,999, cover available separately from £300, exclusive to Harrods, harrods.com

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T H E B E A U T Y I S I N E V E R Y D E TA I L

w w w. t h e r i t z l o n d o n . c o m / r i t z - r e s t a u r a n t

A winter’s tale As we approach the final meteorological act of the year, Roberto Cavalli Home presents its winter garden-inspired collection, which debuted at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April. Deep midnight blues and forest greens create a dramatic, moonlit setting and a new outdoor furnishings line makes an intriguing addition to the range. Kings of Chelsea, 387 King’s Road, SW10, kofc.co.uk

Interiors news WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

Culti classic Italian brand Culti is said to be the originator of the home diffusion technique that uses rattan sticks to carry a scent into the atmosphere. Founded in 1990 by Alessandro Agrati, the company has since explored the worlds of perfume, spa products and textile accessories. This year Culti modernised its bottle designs and launched a selection of new fragrances. The classic citrusy Aramara remains one of our favourites, at a generous full litre size: its blend of bitter orange, bergamot and sandalwood creates a fresh yet sensual aroma. Aramara diffuser, £93, culti.com

THE BEAUTY OF BESPOKE

Everything and the kitchen sink Rossana kitchens are custom-built according to the size and shape of the space available, allowing architects and interior designers to exercise greater creativity when choosing a model. The brand has launched a service called Atelier that offers an extended range of materials and finishes. The options can be combined in any way – with a particular focus on beautifully-finished sinks, doors and worktops – to create a completely bespoke arrangement. rossana.it

If you find yourself in need of a foldaway picnic set complete with a full-length mahogany table or a miniature toothbrush that retracts into a gold case, Asprey remains the premier choice for the weird, wonderful and bespoke – even after 235 years. The Venice collection is no exception: each piece is composed of five parts, handmade using a technique that dates back to the 15th century. The Venice Collection, from £995, asprey.com ALI WALKER FOR ASPREY

PROMOTION

Ahead of the game ‘T

he box’ was a term coined when televisions resembled clunky pieces of machinery. Thankfully, those days are long gone – as illustrated by the new LG OLED TV (E6). An aesthetically remarkable piece of technology, the device has an ultra slim 2.57mm OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panel that has been bonded to a glass plate, ensuring a super sleek finish. Unlike most other screens where a backlight dims entire sections, the OLED technology means that each pixel switches on and off independently. This results in crisp viewing for all your favourite high-definition films, with images displayed in the deepest of blacks alongside vivid colours. This revolutionary television has Ultra HD 4K resolution and supports HDR with Dolby Vision to bring incredible detail, colour and contrast to your living room. The incredible contrast and colour reproduction of OLED, coupled with HDR 4K capability are key factors in the entire 2016 OLED range being awarded Ultra HD Premium Certification. To complement this incredible cinematic picture, the sound quality has also been excellently designed. A unique, integrated ‘sound bar’ speaker – engineered by the audio experts at harman/kardon – directs sound forward, enhancing the multi-sensory experience. As consumers continue to customise their viewing schedules more and more, LG’s

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exclusive smart TV webOS is also included – now featuring All 4 and ITV player. “By upping our OLED TV game every year, we are driving innovation in the TV space so that more consumers will see and hear about the benefits of owning an OLED TV,” remarks Brian Kwon, president and CEO at LG’s Home Entertainment Company. It appears that LG’s TV will be a game changer for years to come. To experience the best in TV home cinema viewing then look no further than the LG OLED TV 4K range. lg.com

FASHION

HOUSES As an influx of interior design-led boutiques arrive on Bond Street, Marianne Dick looks at the sleek stores leading the fashion pack

t is said that Mayfair’s Bond Street flourished significantly as a luxury retail destination in the late 1700s when socialite and darling of the beau monde the Duchess of Devonshire led a boycott against shopping areas in Covent Garden because the residents had voted against one of her dalliances, Britain’s first Foreign Secretary Charles James Fox. This coincided with the rise of the ‘Bond Street Loungers’ – an upper class division of society who would strut around the city flaunting their wares. While there has been much rebuilding and renovation since, the street still retains a certain charm in many of its narrow, lofty townhouses. In the past year international fashion houses have flocked to make it their address in the most wonderful and imaginative of ways.

INTERIORS

In April, Valentino joined the catwalk of buildings on Old Bond Street. Creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli teamed up with none other than worldrenowned British architect Sir David Chipperfield to re-imagine the store concept. “We’ve tried to reflect the history of Valentino – a history wrapped up with Rome, glamour, and, in a way, another time. The challenge has been to make it contemporary without losing the essence of the brand,” explains Chipperfield. “In the Bond Street store we wanted to find continuity with the architecture of the street rather than make the building a fashion store billboard. The new five-storey façade engages with the surrounding historic streetscapes. For example, the doorways, which are framed in Portland stone, provide consistency with the geometry of neighbouring buildings.” The same month, Bulgari reopened its New Bond Street boutique showcasing a new architectural design concept developed by flamboyant American architect Peter Marino. The brand’s heritage emanates through the fine marble, Italiandesigned furniture, and the magnificent Carlo Scarpa-inspired staircase, which is surrounded by bronze latticework based on the floor pattern of the Pantheon in Rome. Exceeding expectation, as always, Marino also included a gesture to British heritage in the ceiling vaults, which are inspired by the neoclassical architect Sir John Soane.

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“Living in a house that doesn’t reflect who you are is akin to wearing someone else’s clothes”

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BULGARI, COURTESY OF MASSIMO LISTRI; CHANEL; DIOR; MONCLER THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: BULGARI, COURTESY OF MASSIMO LISTRI; CHANEL; VALENTINO

Another impressive feat from Marino, basking in a pastel glow at 160 New Bond Street, is the Dior flagship. The four-storey emporium is a beacon of French elegance, which exudes the fanciful spirit of Paris’s Hôtel Particuliere while staying faithful to the character of the original building. It’s a palace that you can imagine Dior himself residing in. As the couturier himself once said: “Living in a house that doesn't reflect who you are is akin to wearing someone else's clothes.” That’s not all that has kept Marino busy. He revamped the Chanel watch and fine jewellery boutique last November, basing it on Gabrielle Chanel’s Parisian townhouse and her apartment at 31 Rue Cambon. It is a lavish yet intimate space filled with contemporary art, antiques and at the centre: a stunning Goossens rock crystal and bronze staircase, which encircles a glass lift. It’s been a busy year for Bond Street and it shows little sign of slowing down, underpinned by the recent opening of the three-storey ‘haute montagne’ Moncler flagship designed by the Gilles & Boissier architecture studio. What seems to prevail throughout these interior concepts is the fusion of a brand’s heritage with the prestigious location’s rich history. These timeless elements still have us strutting around the city flaunting our wares like true Bond Street Loungers.

A touch of rouge Since its first makeup collection launched in 1924, red has been a core lipstick colour for Chanel. But Lucia Pica – the new global creative designer for makeup and colour – has led the brand out of its comfort zone for her first collection. From orange and rosebud to shades of brick and burgundy, crimson undertones run throughout the fall 2016 collection. Try the Rouge Radical polish, which gives nails a jelly-like coat of transparent colour. From £17.50, chanel.com

Beauty

news

THE ONE AND ONLY

The family jewels Founded by her grandson, the fragrance house that bears Diana Vreeland’s name has launched a trio of scents inspired by her fearlessness. Each is a pure parfum absolu presented in bold jewel-toned glass: Simply Divine offers sultry sandalwood and tuberose, while Outrageously Vibrant is a dark floral with punchy patchouli and oud notes. Daringly Different completes the set in smoky style. £250 each, harrods.com

Perfumer Linda Pilkington has created an exclusive scent for Selfridges to mark her brand Ormonde Jayne’s arrival into the store. The bespoke gender-free fragrance, One, is set to form a trilogy. The result is an opulent but smooth palette with cardamom absolute, bergamot and sandalwood notes that stand out. We can’t wait to welcome Two and Three. £235, selfridges.com

ABOVE: KRISTEN STEWART PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIO TESTINO, COURTESY OF CHANEL

WORDS: MELISSA EMERSON

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Painted perfection Suffering from a severe case of chipped nail varnish and unkempt toes? OPI has teamed up with Elemis to make The Speed Spa at The House of Elemis the ultimate antidote for hands and feet in need of a little TLC. With a treatment menu that offers both signature and GelColor manicures and pedicures, you can be sure to be pampered, even if half an hour is all you have to spare. For those with a little more time, the paraffin wax treatment is an unusual manicure add-on. Hands are immersed in gloves filled with the hot wax which, when it sets slightly and is removed, leaves skin feeling enviably soft. 2 Lancashire Court, W1S, elemis.com

SCENTS WITH SECRETS Penhaligon’s new Portraits collection pays tribute to the British aristocracy, with four character-based fragrances for men and women. A social butterfly with a dangerous bite, Lady Blanche is a refined and delicate green floral, while the Duchess Rose’s woody undertones hint at hidden indiscretions. Great as a gift, each is topped with a gold spirit animal stopper and encased in an illustrated box designed by Icelandic artist Kristjana S Williams. £178 each, penhaligons.com

A splash of basil Following the success of its signature lime, basil and mandarin scent – launched in 1991 – Jo Malone is venturing back into the herb garden with its Basil & Neroli collection this September. The fragrance performs like a green floral, with the herby, peppery edge of the leaf freshened up by neroli and white musk (and it works well when layered with other Jo Malone scents, too). The classic cologne can also be enjoyed as body crème or body and hand washes – alternatively, light the candle as the autumnal evenings begin to draw in. From £28, 101 Regent Street, W1B, jomalone.co.uk s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

EARLE OF WISDOM With more than two decades of experience in the beauty industry, Liz Earle knows her stuff. She talks to Hannah Lemon about hard graft, life in the West Country and motherhood

iz Earle founded her eponymous company in 1995 with her friend Kim Buckland to offer affordable beauty products and first-class customer service. It was a formula that worked and their wares were soon snapped up by Avon in 2010 for an undisclosed amount of several millions (subsequently purchased by Walgreens Boots Alliance for £140 million in 2015). Unsatisfied with an early retirement, Earle has since kept herself busy launching a book SKIN as well as the Liz Earle Wellbeing website and magazine. She continues to consult for Liz Earle Beauty Co (she has been working on new skin treats that are set to launch next year) and attends regular events as a beauty spokesperson, including for Kirstie Allsopp’s The Handmade Fair this month. Based at a farm in Wiltshire with husband and filmmaker Patrick Drummond, it seems that there is nothing this mother-of-five can’t achieve.

“My working mantra has always been: build it slow to build it strong” Why did you start your brand? Back in 1995, skincare was very polarised. You either shopped at over priced department store counters or inexpensive self-selection chemists and supermarkets. My co-founder, Kim Buckland and I spotted a gap in the market for affordable, premium quality, botanical beauty products – and so the Liz Earle beauty brand was born.

Where did your passion for natural ingredients stem from? My father was a great botanist and I used to spend hours with him in the garden weeding, sowing and planting. He is an engineer and

HEALTH & BEAUTY

loves functional plants that do things, either edible or practical, so I think that’s where my early passion started.

of my beauty career. I have a lot of respect for their use of genuine essential oil blends and their therapeutic effects on mind and body.

Why did you decide to move to the West Country?

Are your children set to follow in your footsteps in the beauty industry?

I’ve always loved country living, and with my children growing up, I wanted them to have a bit more freedom and outside space to play. It seemed the perfect way to buy them a bit more childhood. Plus, I love being able to see the horizon as well as notice the changes in the seasons. My Liz Earle Wellbeing publishing and TV studios are in Battersea, so I enjoy the best of rural and urban living.

My eldest daughter Lily is a fully qualified primary school teacher but she has taken time out of teaching to work as digital editor for Liz Earle Wellbeing. She also has her own beauty column in the east London magazine E1 Life, so I guess she might be following in my footsteps.

What do you like to do when you’re in London? I do the things I can’t do in the countryside – go to the theatre, try out a new sushi restaurant, visit a gallery and catch up with my city friends.

What is your cleansing regime? That’s an easy one. Twice a day, every day, I use my most awarded creation: the Liz Earle cleanse and polish hot cloth cleanser. It’s so automatic now, it’s a bit like brushing my teeth – only much more of a treat. As a working mother of five I really don’t have much time for hype or faff.

What other beauty brands do you admire? I’ve always liked Aromatherapy Associates and used to work with their founders in the early days

How difficult is it to balance motherhood with a challenging career? It’s never easy for any parent, but I do think modern technology is a huge help. When I’m travelling, I use FaceTime and Skype to join family suppers or help with homework. Having that daily face-to-face connection is such a huge improvement on the phone call.

What was it like receiving your MBE? Meeting Her Majesty The Queen was one of the most memorable moments of my life. The whole day at Buckingham Palace is ‘awesome’ in the proper sense of the word. I feel incredibly fortunate to have received this award and am very grateful for it.

What helped get you through the challenges of setting up your own business? My working mantra has always been: build it slow to build it strong. Crawl, walk, then run to build a business that will stand the test of time. You must have an absolute passion for what you do, as running a business will consume your life. 16-18 September, Kirstie Allsopp’s The Handmade Fair (sponsored by Hobbycraft) at Hampton Court. Liz Earle will be at the Fair on 17 September, thehandmadefair.com

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

S PA R E V I E W

Shine bright like a

DIAMOND As the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park adds two indulgent spa treatments to its menu, Marianne Dick finds out if diamonds are your skin’s best friend

decide that it must be the old-world glamour of the grand Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park that makes me feel far away from London – or even England – as I descend the stairs to the lower ground floor spa. Without a smidgen of telephone signal or Wi-Fi access, I relax in the aromatic vitality pool at the heart of the cavernous oasis before my Carita Precious Diamond facial, the latest addition to the hotel’s treatment menu. Clients can opt for either the holistic-style facial or the Cinetic Lift Expert treatment – a high-tech process often chosen as an alternative to surgery. I try the holistic approach, which begins with a gentle back and shoulder massage that serves to ease away the day’s mental and physical tensions. Both the Precious Diamond and Gold Perfection facials include Carita’s renowned Rénovateur scrub: an exfoliating blend of sunflower seeds and essential oils created by the French Carita sisters in 1956. My therapist Tanuja applies the product in gentle motions and then massages my face, focusing on the jawline and cheekbones. I can feel the blood flowing and my skin waking up. The cooling Diamond of Beauty mask is then applied thickly and while it works its magic on my

complexion, I am treated to a hand, foot and scalp massage. The Diamond of Beauty range contains concentrates of plant and gem extracts with key ingredients such as radianceenhancing diamond and tourmaline powder, and a red algae extract that boosts cell energy. After around an hour and a half, the treatment ends. It’s not just my face that feels rejuvenated – my entire body feels lighter. I’m told the facial is a good introduction to other Carita therapies and that the anti-ageing Gold Perfection facial is the next step. Tanuja recommends that I leave the remaining product on overnight, assuring me I will notice a difference in the morning. She is absolutely right: when I wake, the tiniest of lines have disappeared and my skin feels like it’s so luminous that it’s sparkling. Carita Precious Diamond Facial, from £220, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X, mandarinoriental.com

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A question of time With more than 17 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience as a specialist, Professor Ellis Downes, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at The Wellington Hospital, discusses the symptoms of and treatments for urinary leakage and prolapse

UROGYNAECOLOGY SERVICE AT THE WELLINGTON HOSPITAL The Wellington Hospital runs a nurse-led Urogynaecology Service, accepting referrals from women seeking advice, investigations and treatments for pelvic floor problems, including incontinence, urinary leakage and prolapse.

PROMOTION

p to 40 per cent of women, at some stage in their lives will experience symptoms of urinary leakage or prolapse (uterus descends into the vagina). Historically, many women used to ‘put up with it’ believing that these miserable symptoms were a normal part of the ageing process, or that they couldn’t be helped. Over the past few years there has been a revolution in the way we treat urinary leakage and bladder symptoms, and for the vast majority of women, significant improvement can be made. Women nowadays are much less likely to ignore their symptoms and will see their GPs who can refer them on for specialist assessment and treatment. The main cause of urinary leakage is childbirth, specifically vaginal delivery. Damage can be sustained to the bladder neck causing – immediately, or years later – stress incontinence (leaking when coughing or exercising), urgency (needing to rush to urinate), getting up at night to urinate or needing to void frequently. Stress incontinence is generally treated with lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or smoking cessation, and pelvic floor exercises taught by a specialist women’s health physiotherapist. This helps the majority of women with urinary leakage. In some cases, surgery called a sling procedure is required, which generally has a low complication rate and a high success rate. Women who often ‘can’t wait’ and rush to the toilet may have a condition called detrusor over-activity, where the bladder muscle is over-active. Again, pelvic floor exercises and biofeedback monitoring can be helpful. Sometimes oral medication is prescribed to relax the bladder, or tiny amounts of Botox are injected into the bladder to relax it, which avoids many of the side effects of the oral medication, such as dry eyes and a dry mouth. Some women are aware of a ‘lump in their vagina’ caused by either the front or back wall of the vagina prolapsing, or the uterus itself prolapsing. This is easily diagnosed and treated with a combination of exercises, sometimes pessaries to support the prolapse or a vaginal repair surgical procedure, which may include a

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Women who often ‘can’t wait’ and rush to the toilet may have a condition called detrusor over-activity

hysterectomy. Surgery is generally straightforward with good results. A number of women may have a combination of bladder and prolapse symptoms that need a careful assessment to formulate an individual treatment plan that is right for them. The good news is that the majority of women with miserable bladder and prolapse symptoms can have a significant improvement in their quality of life with appropriate treatment. The initial step is to recognise the issue and address a small problem before it becomes bigger. The GP is the first point of call, who can then arrange referral to the appropriate specialist for further assessment and treatment. Professor Ellis Downes is a highly experienced obstetrician and gynaecologist whose particular focus is treating menstrual problems, urinary leakage and prolapse. If you’d like to arrange an appointment at The Wellington Hospital, please contact the Enquiry Helpline on 020 7483 5004.

A PUB THAT DOESN’T PLAY BY THE RULES.

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FOOD & DRINK

SIMON SAYS... M

ichelin-starred cuisine goes casual at Simon Rogan’s Fera at Claridge’s this month with the launch of a new bar snacks menu. Forget focaccia or olives – the nibbles served here are all part of Rogan’s à la carte menu, but can be sampled by those without a dinner reservation. Swing by for chickpea wafer with curd and flowers; seaweed cracker, lemon sole and sea herbs; stewed rabbit with lovage (pictured); and other dishes that showcase the best in organic ingredients, many of which are produced on Rogan’s 12-acre farm in the Lake District. From £10 for three snacks or £15 for five, available to dine on a walk-in basis, feraatclaridges.co.uk

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Bengali bites Shrimoyee Chakraborty’s family recipe book provided the inspiration for her first restaurant. In an attempt to recreate an authentic Bengali home-dining experience, Calcutta Street has a noreservations ground-floor space, where you can pop in for doi phuchka (crispy, tangy semolina balls stuffed with potato, black chick peas, tamarind and yoghurt), while downstairs guests can take a seat with up to 20 other diners at the communal table to enjoy shared rice dishes, chutneys and pickles. 29 Tottenham Street, W1T, calcuttastreet.com

Food & drink news Food for thought After successfully launching Primrose Hill Market, north London local Mike Norledge opens a new weekly food market in Hampstead on 10 September, promising artisanal delights from award-winning farmers, small batch producers and street food traders. “By visiting Hampstead Market, shoppers are supporting local producers and helping to preserve farming traditions,” says Norledge, who also works with the schools that host his markets to ensure the community benefits as much as the local enterprises taking part. Saturdays 10am-3pm, Hampstead Parochial School, NW3, hampsteadmarket.com

RISE AND SHINE This year, Gail’s annual street party aims to raise money for 10,000 breakfasts for school children. The bakery will be donating at least 22p from every item sold at the street party to Magic Breakfast, a charity that provides children with a wholesome start to the day. As well as baked goods, look out for stalls from Buchanan’s Cheesemonger, Cobble Lane Cured Meats, The London Beer Factory and more. 17 September, 11am-5pm, 64 Hampstead High Street, NW3, gailsbread.co.uk

Trading recipes Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean, is the starting point for Charlotte Street’s latest opening. Samarkand is London’s first destination restaurant to focus on Uzbek cuisine. The country’s melting pot of cultures is referenced in the food (try the aubergine caviar and somsa pastry parcels filled with lamb or sweet potato), while the mezzanine bar serves an impressive selection of traditional vodkas. 33 Charlotte Street, W1T, samarkand.london

FOOD & DRINK

REVIEW

Two for me, one for you As it progresses from pop-up kitchen to permanent residence, Melissa Emerson wants the globally inspired tapas at Foley’s all to herself

itzrovia recently welcomed the aptly named Foley’s to Foley Street. Having mastered the feat of converting a successful pop-up (Foley’s Tasting Kitchen) into bricks and mortar, the new restaurant is presided over by head chef Mitz Vora, who hails from buzzy Soho favourite The Palomar. As we sit at the ‘queueing’ bar close to the entrance, the child in me opts for a Sherbet Fizz cocktail with its lemony kick, while my more grownup guest goes for the Chai Old Fashioned. Its surprise ingredient: maple syrup. As we sip, I’m not sure whether to feel smug or sad for all the curious passers-by whose requests for tables are turned down. Weeknight dinners are clearly already a busy time for the 70-cover restaurant, which is also open for breakfast and lunch. The smell of barbecuing tempts us downstairs to sit at the bar area around the open kitchen – more comfortable than expected thanks to chunky curved leather bar stools – and we’re close enough to the action to get food envy of every other dish we don’t end up ordering. It almost feels like the chefs aren’t stressed enough – clearly I’ve seen too many Gordon Ramsay shows – and instead, an efficient and confident regime is on show; we were often more interested in watching the chefs plate up dishes than talking to each other. The décor details, from the dimpled metal cutlery to the exposed brick and copper panelling on the stairwell (it’s difficult to polish, our host

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informs us) give the restaurant a warm, relaxed feel, and eclectic tunes – from Michael Jackson to Kelis’ Milkshake – liven things up later on. Being right by the kitchen, sometimes the chefs cut out the middleman and hand over the dish they’ve just prepared. It’s a personal touch, and we indulge in numerous small plates on the global tapas-style menu, largely inspired by the Spice Trail. The pace is good, and orders come out in sensible succession with the lighter fish and vegetable dishes arriving before our more meaty choices. Top marks go to the cornflake-crusted popcorn chicken with pickled shimeji, corn, endive and chorizo – which is crispy and smoky – and the aubergine with pomegranate, dates, chilli lime yoghurt, puffed quinoa and feta. The bread – grilled sourdough you dip in almost-melting fennel butter – also deserves an honourable mention. We end up being seduced by the Fatboy Elvis, a warm chocolate chip banana cake laced with strawberry jam. It provides a sweet end to a journey through a menu of world flavours, which Vora has managed to make cohesive with his flair for combining colour and texture. It’s my kind of comfort food. 23 Foley Street, W1W, foleysrestaurant.co.uk

Sunshine

STATE Matt Robinson, head chef at Dickie Fitz, tells Lauren Romano why Australia cuisine isn’t all prawns on the barbie and why he’s put kangaroo on the menu

he idea of tucking into a marsupial for tea isn’t to everyone’s taste, but that hasn’t stopped Sydney born and bred Matt Robinson, the chef behind all-day restaurant Dickie Fitz, trying to sway the minds of the Great British public. His kangaroo tartare will no doubt have a Vegemite effect on diners at the restaurant’s first Aussie Supper Club this month. Skippy aside, the Pacific-inspired all-day menu has plenty of other crowd pleasers, from barbecued halibut with yuzu hollandaise, to tuna tataki with avocado and ponzu. Come the weekend, the buttercup yellow dining room is open for brunches of courgette fritters with wilted chard and goat’s curd, or buttermilk waffles. Opt for the bottomless option and wash everything down with sparkling Aussie wine for a little taste of Bondi in Fitzrovia.

FOOD & DRINK

My first food memory is cooking with mum in the kitchen. She’s quite a prolific cook and baker and we used to make a lot of things together. I was halfway through an economics degree when I finally packed it in and committed to being a chef. I didn’t have the balls to go out and do it until then.

The menu at Dickie Fitz is inspired by flavours of the Pacific. Australian cuisine is typically a mix of Southeast Asian, Mediterranean and Japanese influences. We try to keep things full of flavour and bright and colourful. We don’t use a lot of cream and butter, so everything’s quite light and healthy.

Australian food is as misunderstood as British food. Everything’s very fresh. We’re quite self-sufficient when it comes to produce back home, but I think Australia’s always struggled because you can’t call it Italian, you can’t call it French... it’s a pretty new, evolving style of food.

I’m really proud of the Australian beef that we’ve managed to source. It’s a fantastic Queensland breed, which is grain fed for 250 days. It really stacks up with some of the best beef in the world. We also have kangaroo tartare on the menu. It’s got the texture of venison and a really mild beef taste. The health benefits are incredible: it’s probably the leanest form of red meat you can get because it’s very low in fat and rich in iron.

Fitzrovia’s a fantastic area. There’s a lot of development going on. In two or three years, this will be a real hub of energy, as big companies like Facebook and Estée Lauder are all moving in. They should swing by for a Tim Tam martini – the Dickie Fitz take on a classic espresso martini.

The idea behind our recently launched supper clubs is to source some great Australian products. We’ve got everything from fantastic Australian spirits and wine to craft beers. Australian beer has always had that kind of Foster’s Paul Hogan image to it, but there are some amazing producers now, such as Coopers and Little Creatures. Hopefully the supper clubs will be a monthly event, where guests can meet some of the producers involved. I’m going to start organising meat raffles too, which are quite common in Australia. The idea is you have platters of sausages, steaks and pork chops and you raffle them off over the course of an evening.

My last meal would be a big family Sunday lunch – really sociable with great red wine. Or maybe something as simple as a bacon and egg roll. That would probably be sorely missed. 48 Newman Street, W1T, dickiefitz.co.uk

The Dickie Fitz brunch is not just about eggs on a muffin with ham and hollandaise. We’ve got everything from a pulled lamb flatbread to our take on the popular smashed avocado on grilled sourdough, which we serve with kale and feta. We do some great falafels too.

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Ready, set, Goa Spread over 25 acres overlooking the pristine sands and coconut palms of Vagator Beach, W Goa is in the ideal location to soak up the local way of life. Explore the Hindu temples and flea markets on the hotel’s doorstep, hike up to the 500-year-old Chapora Fort, or simply watch fishermen hauling their catches at Big Vagator and Ozrant beaches. But if you’d rather not stray far from your villa, enjoy local cuisine with a contemporary twist at on-site restaurant The Kitchen Table, go for a dip in the rock pool carved out of the mountain, or relax at the Clarins spa. Special opening rate from £231 a night, w-goa.com

SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE

Travel news

Actor-turned-interior-designer Anouska Hempel is behind the redesign of The Franklin, Knightsbridge, which opens this month with 35 rooms and suites, a fine-dining restaurant and martini bar, all set within Egerton Gardens. To mark the date, a celebration package has been launched. Enjoy a night in a junior suite, a four-course menu by chef Alfredo Russo, two cocktails at The Franklin Bar, use of the hammam, a special gift from Penhaligon’s and a £100 voucher to spend at Harrods. Celebration package from £830 a night, thefranklinlondon.com

That’s a wrap The hand-drawn illustrations on Sabina Savage’s scarves take up to six weeks to perfect before being printed on to the finest silk, wool and cashmere and hand-edged by renowned artisans in Como, Italy. Look out for the Canine Collection’s heritage prints of jumping Jack Russells and coronation Corgis, or for something more exotic, the Circo Libro range features tasselled tigers, bears and parrots. From £225, sabinasavage.com

Florentine fashion It’s not often you get to rifle around the wardrobe of a Sicilian aristocrat (in this instance, Donna Franca Florio), but Villa La Massa in Florence is hosting Fashion & Style Week this month. The specially curated itinerary includes a visit to the Costume Gallery at Pitti Palace, as well as a trip to the Roberto Capucci Foundation Museum at Villa Bardini, where guests will have the opportunity to flick through sketch books from the designer that Christian Dior once described as “the best curator of Italian fashion”. 13-18 September, from €7,240 for a double deluxe room based on two people sharing, villalamassa.com

TRAVEL

HOTSPOT

ZIMBABWE

WORDS: MELISSA EMERSON

IMAGES COURTESY OF ANDBEYOND.COM

STAY

imbabwe lives up to its reputation as nature’s territory, with Big Five wildlife roaming its national parks and dramatic landscapes and features such as Victoria Falls – where water gushes over 100m into the gorge below. Now, with new lodges opening and the expansion of Victoria Falls Airport, it’s rapidly climbing the ranks of global safari destinations. Visit Hwange National Park to see one of the world’s largest elephant populations, or take to the waters for a different perspective with a canoe safari on the Zambezi river. Sunsets on Lake Kariba are another golden photo opportunity, or for those who feel like getting out of the jeep, take a guided hike in the rugged Eastern Highlands mountain range.

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Situated within 25 miles of Victoria Falls, the andBeyond Matetsi River Lodge reopened in August after significant renovations. Made up of two camps – each with nine suites – it also boasts a fourbedroom villa, complete with chef, butler and private vehicle. With a 17-mile stretch of river frontage to call its own, the lodge offers game drives twice a day as well as canoeing and bush walks. Bringing nature inside, locally crafted furniture is complemented by wood and stone sculptures and hints of copper, while each suite also has its own private plunge pool. From £475 a night, andbeyond.com

Zimbabwe lives up to its reputation as nature’s territory

Dukes London Discerning gentlemen booking a room at Mayfair institution Dukes can have a selection of bespoke and ready-to-wear suits from Hackett laid out for their arrival. The menswear selection is picked out by stylists according to personal taste and size, and presented in a Globe-Trotter trunk, along with a few complimentary gifts from Hackett and Murdock London to try in the comfort of your hotel room. The Dukes concierge will be on hand to arrange any alternative items, leaving stylish guests with more time to unwind in the hotel’s cognac and cigar garden. From £311 a night, dukeshotel.com

HOTELS FOR

FASHIONISTAS Sartorially minded travellers can lay their heads on lavish Versace sheets in Australia’s Gold Coast, live like Dior in the Big Apple or have bespoke suits waiting in a quintessentially British hotel room. Clare Vooght brings you eight of the world’s most delightfully luxurious fashion-focused hotels

TRAVEL

Armani Hotel Milano

Les Sources de Caudalie, Bordeaux Every three years L’Ile aux Oiseaux summerhouse at Les Sources de Caudalie, a boutique lakeside hotel complete with vineyards in a bucolic setting outside Bordeaux, receives a makeover from a different fashion designer. This year, in came the creative vision of Parisian bridal designer Delphine Manivet – whose fans include Vogue and Lady Gaga – with a fresh, clean ‘under the veil’ theme. The feminine décor reflects Manivet’s commitment to reinterpreting traditional wedding dress designs while always remaining elegant, with a mix of vintage and couture fabrics in whites, pale pinks, ivories, pearls and shades of cream. Intricate touches fit for an 18th century marquise are found in a pink silk and velvet chaise longue and upholstered headboard. Recline in the freestanding bath, then be pampered like a countess in the Caudalie vinotherapy spa.

It wouldn’t be right to leave out Milan: the home of Italian fashion, and also the home of the man behind the label, Giorgio Armani. Personally designed by Armani himself, the sculptural, sensual and minimal qualities of the brand’s style and philosophy are present in the finer details – in stone bathrooms, greyscale colour palettes and in the sleek Michelin-starred Italian Armani/Ristorante. With its location in the Quadrilatero della Moda (fashion quarter) in central Milan, you’re also in prime position should you be inspired to make any fashion purchases. From £388 a night, milan.armanihotels.com

Suite from £790 a night, slh.com/caudalie

Le Saint Géran, Mauritius On a secluded Mauritian peninsula overlooking the Indian Ocean, Le Saint Géran is surrounded by verdant tropical gardens. Guests can book in for a treatment on the snow-white sand beach in a cream silk cotton tepee, designed by Alice Temperley. Don’t let the word tepee fool you, as it’s far from basic: the outside is hand sewn and decorated with jewels and mirrored glass, and an antique Murano glass chandelier hangs above the white and gold treatment space inside. There’s also a chest filled with champagne – which comes in handy during the tepee ‘experiences’ that include dinner outside served by a butler, accompanied by fireworks and local music. From £620 a night, oneandonlyresorts.com

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Vivienne Tam Suite at Hotel ICON, Hong Kong The designer suite in Kowloon’s Hotel ICON was created by New York-based fashion designer Vivienne Tam, known for her ‘East meets West’ and ‘China chic’ aesthetic. The suite features a vermilion sofa – a shade of red symbolising good fortune in China – and a multi-hued palette of smooth wood furniture. Textures range from a Japanese cherry wood table and Swarovski crystal ‘Opera Girl’ portrait to a red velvet carpet in the Shanghai Art Deco-inspired bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the Victoria Harbour view inside. Suite from £2,900 a night, hotel-icon.com

The House Collective, China and Hong Kong Swire Hotels’ hip House Collective hotels in Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong are constantly hooking up with big fashion houses. Previous collaborations include a Lanvin afternoon tea, with French desserts and a bespoke fan by former Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz as a parting gift and a Christian Louboutin stay, including ‘red slipper’ welcome drinks and in-room pedicures. Now The Upper House is currently collaborating with Hong Kong’s Harvey Nichols, with special gifts, shopping coupons and beauty treatments from local salon The Nail Library until the end of September, while The Temple House in Chengdu (pictured) has a Kenzo collaboration in the offing, due to open this month.

Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast, Australia Queensland’s sub-tropical Gold Coast is home to Versace’s first hotel – in fact Palazzo Versace is said to have been the first entirely fashionbranded hotel in the world. The opulent property is Versace-focused right down to the finer details: from the bespoke fuchsia pink chairs in Le Jardin, where guests are served couture high tea on Versace china, to a 13-metre painting depicting the life of Gianni Versace in its Vanitas restaurant. The epic walk-in wardrobe in the Imperial Suite is intended to impress. Another Palazzo Versace opened in Dubai late last year, under the artistic direction of Gianni’s younger sister Donatella. Rooms from £230 a night, palazzoversace.com.au

From £175 a night, the-house-collective.com

TRAVEL

The Dior Suite at The St Regis, New York The Dior atelier in Paris is the inspiration for this suite’s elegant pale greys, rich velvets and armchairs that evoke Louis XIV’s Versailles; while wall illustrations by the fashion house’s artist in residence Bil Donovan depict long-limbed models in vintage designs. Linens are from Italian family brand Pratesi, while the large marble bathroom is topped up with Laboratoire Remède products. You’d be forgiven for not noticing the views of Central Park and Fifth Avenue when you arrive. From £7,980 a night, stregissuites.com

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the house that

Versace built The latest in a slew of fashion hotels, the Palazzo Versace Dubai is as ostentatious as its name suggests. Katy Parker reports

he announcement that another hotel is opening in Dubai is hardly news. Ever since the desert metropolis emerged as a global city and the financial hub of the Middle East, luring in business travellers and tourists alike, hotels have sprung up with the proverbial frequency of mushrooms after rain. One name, however, that may give cause to sit up and take notice is this: Versace. Following the trend for fashion hotels (the past six years have seen the launch of a Bulgari hotel in London and Armani hotels in

both Milan and Dubai), the brand has unveiled Palazzo Versace – a palatial tribute to this behemoth of Italian fashion. The hotel is in fact the second of its kind: Versace’s first branded outpost opened 16 years ago on Australia’s Gold Coast, with 200 rooms and 72 privately-owned apartments. The new property is situated at the heart of Dubai’s Culture Village – one of the city’s more up-and-coming areas – which, when completed, will comprise a harbour in addition to cultural and exhibition centres. The lobby gives a first taste of the opulence synonymous with the brand and it continues

TRAVEL

Chief designer Donatella oversaw the conception of the entire hotel herself throughout the hotel. Case in point, a gargantuan chandelier hangs overhead, crafted from 3,000kg of hand-blown Bohemian glass. Versace’s design influence is evident everywhere – from the patterns on cushions to staff uniforms. Most of the furniture was created exclusively for the hotel; some pieces are replicas of items that founder Gianni Versace once displayed in his villas. Depending on how much of a Versace aficionado you are, specific patterns may call to mind certain fashion collections or a particularly iconic gown. The green-and-white leaf pattern that decorates the all-day dining Giardino restaurant, for example, is reminiscent of the dress that stunned the world when worn by Jennifer Lopez to the Grammy Awards in 2000. This all comes as no surprise when one learns that Donatella herself oversaw the conception of the entire hotel. The chief designer’s personal touch can be found on the hallway walls (look out for sketches of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell sporting Donatella’s own couture creations). In the suites upstairs, which are decked out in striking hues of turquoise or salmon, exquisite Versace artworks line the walls and stunning mosaics sit over the bathtubs.

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If you’re looking for the last word in luxury and unobstructed views of the ever-developing Dubai skyline, reserve one of the two Imperial suites, which offer 360-degree vistas, as well as private patios, pools and jacuzzis. The Palazzo’s superlative offering also extends to its fine dining. A total of eight restaurants and bars offer a range of international cuisines. The gastronomic pièce de résistance is Enigma. With a rotating roster of world-class chefs, the restaurant seeks to offer immersive dining at the highest level. Every three months a new Michelin-starred chef will arrive at the restaurant, with a new team, a new concept and a new menu. This may sound like a logistical nightmare, but in a city like Dubai – one that never stands still – this may be exactly what its restaurant scene needs. Just don’t arrive expecting your average three-course meal and wine pairing – this is experiential dining at its most shocking and exciting. An evening might

This is experiential dining at its most shocking and exciting

involve appetisers that resemble pebbles, starters served on dry ice and a theatrical dessert course during which diners are plunged into darkness, served by waiters wearing bull masks. Next on Enigma’s line-up is Vladimir Mukhin, whose restaurant White Rabbit in Moscow currently sits at number 18 on the list of the world’s best. When it comes to relaxation, there are two swimming pools, both of which overlook the

Dubai Creek and echo the neoclassical style found throughout the Palazzo. But there’s more to come, and soon. The hotel will unveil the world’s first Versace spa in October, with 11 treatment rooms, men’s grooming services and a hair salon. No Versace spa would be complete without an exquisite mosaic, and this one – carved from mother of pearl – looks primed to top the lot. Palazzo Versace Dubai will “officially” launch amid much fanfare at the end of the year with a star-studded event hosted by Donatella. It will no doubt be an opulent and lavish celebration, which is just what we have come to expect from fashion royalty such as Versace. From £575, palazzoversace.com

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Where the wild things are Karen Bowerman immerses herself in ancient rituals and mother earth on a trek through Peru

ÂŠKLUBLU / SHUTTERSTOCK

TRAVEL

LEFT: OLLANTAYTAMBO, OLD INCA FORTRESS AND MARKET IN THE SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS BELOW: PLAZA DE ARMAS IN CUSCO CITY

ucas, dressed in a bright orange poncho and a finely-knitted chullo (a traditional ear flap hat), raises his eyes to the sky. “We ask for protection of our own,” he says respectfully, “and balance for our path through life.” He speaks in Quechua, the language of his people, and in a voice as gentle as the breeze. But the intensity of his eyes draws us in. Lucas is a shaman, a spiritual healer, who’s come to bless us as we journey through Peru. He sits crosslegged in the landscaped grounds of the plush Tambo del Inka hotel, Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where we’re staying. My group gathers in a small circle, surrounded in turn by the mountains.

Machu Picchu is thrilling: neat stone buildings and emerald grassy plazas framed by soaring peaks Laid on the grass in front of us is a woven cloth, with a ring of flowers at its centre and scallop shells round the edge. The shells contain seeds, sugar and silver buttons, fava beans for luck and a magnet for positive energy. Lucas empties them onto the flowers, adds two cookies shaped like a car and a house and asks Pachamama (mother earth) to bless our travels. Then he wraps our offering in the cloth and bows his head. Our guide, Katherina Pinto, tells us he will burn it at midnight in the mountains. That evening the lawn where we marked the start of our journey is the setting for an exotic folklore show to send us on our way. Performers on stilts in billowing hoop skirts prance among pools and fountains, representing grace and agility, the apus or mountain spirits of the Andes.

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It’s a sign of things to come. Over the course of our 12 day Empire of the Incas trip through Peru to Bolivia, our tour guides are keen to immerse us in the traditions of the local people. They arrange a surprise meeting with Pablo Seminario, one of Peru’s renowned sculptors, at his workshop in Urubamba. On a visit to nearby Ollantaytambo, where the ruins of an Inca temple rise over a cobblestone village, we are introduced to Lorenza who invites us into her home. We take it in turns to enter. The cramped room has stone walls blackened with wood smoke. Guinea pigs shoot across our feet then quietly munch maize in the dark. “I want them to eat whatever they can; that’s

Guinea pigs shoot across our feet then quietly munch maize in the dark what makes them delicious,” Lorenza says, bending over a pot of corn boiling on the fire. Guinea pig or cuy is a delicacy that’s served on special occasions. Later, at Cusco Cathedral, Katherina points to a painting of the Last Supper, with Christ sitting down to the roasted rodent, which lies on its back, its feet in the air. The fusion of Andean and Catholic beliefs in Peru, seen particularly in Cusco, began in the 16th century, following bloody battles, Spanish colonialists realised religious compromise was an easy way for them to consolidate power. Hence they allowed local churches to display statues of the pregnant Virgin Mary in the role of Pachamama and said nothing when Jesus was given the rosy cheeks and dark hair of an Andean child. A century before, when pagan belief was strong, the Inca ruler Pachacuti created Machu Picchu. Built on a ridge, surrounded by auspicious mountains, it was initially thought that this, too, was a religious site. Now it’s believed it was a royal retreat with agricultural terraces, temples and baths. We board a Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes, the town

hemmed in by cliffs at Machu Picchu’s base. The track cuts through pink gorges and terraced fields beside the fast-flowing Urubamba River. I am anxious on the journey, aware of the citadel’s revered image, and fearing that in reality it might not live up to its reputation. But it’s thrilling: neat stone buildings and emerald grassy plazas are framed by soaring peaks. Eight of us return at sunrise when we scramble around the boundary where stone walls succumb to jungle. I get a sense of what it must have been like when the American historian Hiram Bingham discovered the site only a century ago. “But this was never a lost city,” Katherina says in frustration. “My people always knew it was here!”

TRAVEL

TOP LEFT: THE SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS THIS IMAGE AND ABOVE: THE FLOATING VILLAGE OF UROS ON LAKE TITICACA, PHOTO CREDIT: DAN BRECKWOLDT / SHUTTERSTOCK RIGHT: AGUAS CALIENTES, PHOTO CREDIT: DAN BRECKWOLDT / SHUTTERSTOCK BELOW: THE UROS PEOPLE OF LAKE TITICACA SELLING LOCAL CRAFTS

Our boutique hotel, Inkaterra, at Aguas Calientes, is hidden in cloud forest studded with orchids. I relax in its hot springs and dine on guinea pig – it tastes a little like quail and goes well with Peruvian wine. Our next stop is Cusco, where we stay in Belmond’s Hotel Monasterio, a former monastery owned by the Vatican. From here, we board the Andean Explorer, an Orient Express train, to Puno, a town in southern Peru on the banks of Lake Titicaca. Our first class carriage is furnished with armchairs and tables with linen and roses. During the day-long journey, the Andes seem to chase us then recede. In the plains, a woman with a bowler hat and long, black plaits waves at us from the fields. She has bright, striped leggings, one up, one down: an ageing Pippi Longstocking. Our trip through Peru ends at sunset at Lake Titicaca where the black outlines across the water depict the famous floating islands made from woven reeds, which have been home to locals for centuries. As we head to the Uros Islands in the middle of the lake, two men tow a reed bed from a motorised canoe. “It’s time for an extension,” our guide says. Further east is Taquile Island, a rocky outcrop, where we’re welcomed with a parade of panpipes and drums. Women demonstrate weaving; men sit on the grass and knit, creating intricate patterns to honour mother earth. I come to realise how reverence for Pachamama underpins people’s lives here, and marvel at how, given the extent to which Peru was fought over in the past, the country still extends such respect to all. N E E D • T O • K N O W Tauck World Discovery Tours’ 12-day Empire of the Incas trip includes airport transfers, meals, admission fees to historical sites, porterage and gratuities. Prices from £3,640, excluding flights. The tour also includes two rail journeys (to Machu Picchu and through the Andes) and various private cultural performances, tauck.co.uk

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PROPERTY

Property Listings See below for estate agents in your area

ASTON CHASE 69-71 Park Road NW1 6XU 020 7724 4724 astonchase.com

KAY & CO 20a Paddington Street W1U 5QP 020 7486 6338 kayandco.com

ROBERT IRVING BURNS 23-24 Margaret Street W1W 8LK 020 7637 0821 rib.co.uk

CBRE Henrietta House 8 Henrietta Place W1G 0NB 020 7182 2000 cbre.co.uk

KNIGHT FRANK 49 & 55 Baker Street W1U 8EW 020 3435 6440

ROKSTONE 5 Dorset Street W1U 6QJ 020 7486 3320 rokstone.com

HUDSONS PROPERTY 24 Charlotte Street W1T 2ND 020 7323 2277 hudsonproperty.com

5-7 Wellington Place NW8 7PB 020 7586 2777 knightfrank.co.uk

SOTHEBYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REALTY 77-79 Ebury Street SW1W 0NZ 020 3714 0749 sothebysrealty.co.uk MARSH & PARSONS 94 Baker Street W1U 6FZ 020 7935 1775 marshandparsons.co.uk

For estate agent listings please contact Sophie Roberts at s.roberts@runwildgroup.co.uk

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HOMES SHOWCASING THE

finest HOMES & PROPERTY FROM THE BEST ESTATE AGENTS

ELEGANT &

EXCLUSIVE

The latest prime properties

Image courtesy of Knight Frank

Westmoreland Street, Marylebone W1 An exceptional two bedroom mansion block apartment

KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebonexx marylebone@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7938

Located on the first floor (with lift) of an elegant period mansion block, this beautiful apartment has been completely remodelled to provide state of the art, luxury living in the heart of Marylebone. 2 double bedrooms, both with ample built in storage, family bathroom, open plan reception room with dining area, fitted kitchen. EPC: D. Approximately 77.1 sq m (830 sq ft).

Leasehold: 101 years approximately remaining

Guide price: £2,000,000

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/MRY150002

M&F Mag Sept 16 - Dorset House

16/08/2016 10:02:05

The Chilterns, Marylebone W1 A three bedroom apartment in a prestigious new development An exclusive three bedroom apartment offering generous lateral living space on the second floor of the prestigious new development The Chilterns. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (all en suite), double length reception room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room with utility room, guest WC, terrace. Residents' amenities include 24 hour concierge, gym, spa, private cinema, underground parking. Approximately 248.8 sq m (2,678 sq ft). Leasehold: 998 years approximately

Guide price: £7,950,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone marylebone@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7938

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/MRY150227

M&F Mag sept 16 The Chilterns

16/08/2016 10:34:07

Dorset House, Marylebone, NW1 A one bedroom apartment with private roof terrace

KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone marylebone@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7938

A beautifully finished one bedroom flat with private decked roof terrace on the eighth floor (with lift) of an iconic Grade II listed mansion block with 24 hour porter, located close to Regent's Park. Double bedroom, bathroom, reception room and separate fully fitted kitchen. Both the reception room and bedroom benefit from a bright double aspect with access on to the decked roof terrace. Approximately 66.2 sq m (713 sq ft). Leasehold

Guide price: £975,000

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/MRY160096

M&F Mag Sept 16 Dorset House

16/08/2016 10:00:16

Move Faster. Sell with Knight Frank.

Our understanding of the ever-changing market enables us to price your property accurately. And with over 97%* of our London properties selling within 10% or above of the asking price, you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving.

Find out more 020 3641 7938 @KFMarylebone

KnightFrank.co.uk/marylebone

*Based on properties in London that exchanged contracts through Knight Frank up to ÂŁ1m from June 2015 to May 2016.

Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park W2 Luxurious three bedroom property with private terrace overlooking Hyde Park

KnightFrank.co.uk/hydepark hydepark@knightfrank.com 020 3544 6140

An exceptional second floor apartment offering fantastic ceiling heights, an abundance of natural light and a south facing private terrace, extending to approximately 192 square feet. This recently refurbished property is situated within a beautiful Grade II listed period conversion with lift access and day porter and provides superb living accommodation throughout. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception/dining room, Bulthaup kitchen, sunroom, terrace, guest cloakroom, underfloor heating, climate control air conditioning and heating system. Approximately 158 sq m (1,692 sq ft). Share of freehold

Guide price: £4,950,000

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/POD160196

Mayfair Mag- 6, 106 Lancaster Gate- September Issue 2016

15/08/2016 16:07:27

LETTING HOMES LIKE YOURS ALL YEAR ROUND To arrange a free market appraisal of your property please contact us: KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings marylebonelettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5853 KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings hydeparklettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7941

Guide price: £2,950 per week Short Let: £4,500 per week

Cleveland Square, Hyde Park W2

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This beautifully presented, Grade II listed, split level apartment benefits from its own private entrance and direct access to the award winning gardens of Cleveland Square. 4 bedrooms (2 en suite), 2 family bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, fully integrated open plan kitchen, guest cloakroom, terrace, patio. Approximately 248 sq m (2,670 sq ft). hydeparklettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3641 7941

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

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £1,495 per week

Shouldham Street, Marylebone W1 A newly refurbished three bedroom family house which has been finished to an exceptionally high specification throughout. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, 2nd reception/dining room, kitchen, courtyard. EPC: D. Approximately 144 sq m (1,545 sq ft). marylebonelettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3641 5853

Mayfair Mag September 2016

15/08/2016 10:34:41

DUPLEX PENTHOUSE APARTMENT IN EDWARDIAN MANSION BLOCK Bickenhall Street, Marylebone, W1

• 4 Bedrooms • 4 Bathrooms • 3 Balconies • Terrace • Sixth Floor with Lift • Energy Rating: C

£2,495,000 Leasehold

Kay & Co Marylebone & Fitzrovia Sales

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

IMPECCABLY REFURBISHED TURNKEY APARTMENT Luxborough Street, Marylebone, W1

• Bedroom • Bathroom • Open Plan Kitchen/Reception Room • First Floor • Underfloor heating throughout • Energy Rating: C

£1,295,000 Leasehold £850 Per Week Furnished Kay & Co Marylebone & Fitzrovia Sales

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

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Mary

CHARACTERFUL APARTMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 2,342 SQ FT Bentinck Street, Marylebone, W1

• 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Reception Room • Dining Room • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Third Floor with Lift • Energy Rating: D

£2,250 Per Week Unfurnished Kay & Co Marylebone & Fitzrovia Lettings

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

BEAUTIFULLY REFURBISHED ONE BEDROOM FLAT Great Portland Street, Marylebone, W1

• Bedroom • Bathroom • Reception Room • Kitchen • Terrace • Energy Rating: E

£690 Per Week Furnished

Kay & Co Marylebone & Fitzrovia Lettings

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

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11/08/2016 15:36

Generation game Father and son team Samuel and Martin Bikhit have steered Kay & Co through 35 years of leadership. They explain why when it comes to investing in property, keeping it in the family matters

t’s been 17 years since Samuel and Martin Bikhit have sat down for an interview together. Considering Kay & Co is celebrating 35 years in business next year, it’s perhaps a little overdue, but the father and son team don’t often have time to sit and reflect. It might be all the rage now, but back in 1999 they were among the first to launch a touch screen device in their Marylebone shop window, which enabled the public to search a property database 24 hours a day. Innovation and exceptional customer service remain just as important to the business today. Founded by Samuel in 1982, Martin followed in his father’s footsteps in 1997 and joined the family business after he decided being a barrister wasn’t for him. “I didn’t stand in his way, but deep down I wanted him to stay and work with me,” Samuel smiles, as he reminisces about waving Martin off to Warwick University. He needn’t have worried. Martin returned after a term, eventually becoming managing director in 2008. He was swiftly followed by his sister Sarah, who decided to join the fold in 2013 and who now heads up the Hyde Park lettings team. “I obviously benefit from my father’s wisdom and knowledge, not only in terms of estate agency but running a business, dealing with people and building long term relationships, which is what we’re really about,” Martin explains. “I’ve got the advantage of bringing innovation and fresh ideas to the table and it works really well, it’s a good balance.” The family foundation gives Kay & Co a more approachable nature, which Samuel and Martin believe makes the agency stand out from the corporate crowd. “For long-standing clients it’s all about that continuity,” Martin adds. “How many companies can say that they’ve been under the same management for nearly 35 years? We’ve had people that we dealt with on day one who have come back to us time and time again.” “In that time, we’ve sold some properties four or five times. We know almost every property in the surrounding area,” Samuel adds.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAREL JANSEN

PROPERTY

Geographically speaking Kay & Co has always focused on Marylebone and Fitzrovia, and the team is well-versed on all that the areas have to offer. When it comes to defining a ‘typical’ client however, the duo claim that there is no such thing. This is in part due to the changing nature of the neighbourhood and its widespread appeal. And nowhere is this more apparent than in Fitzrovia, which is undergoing something of a revival. Kay & Co’s latest property, a contemporary duplex penthouse by Ridgeford and Manhattan Loft Corporation, boasts a 1,500sq ft roof terrace with spectacular 360-degree views of the London skyline, including the nearby BT Tower and The Shard. The property is proof of the investment being poured into Fitzrovia and the exceptional quality of housing stock on offer. “We deal with a breadth of clients,” says Samuel. “Last week the team agreed a sale on a studio for £350,000, but we also exchanged on a house for £15.5m.” The secret to their success is to treat everyone the same. “The studio buyer of today is the buyer of a £2m house tomorrow. That’s very much our view,” explains Martin. The second secret in the Kay & Co arsenal is its close-knit team. “We’ve got a very low staff turnover. We aim to impart our knowledge not just in terms of property, but customer service and attention to detail. In a more difficult market, like the one we’re in now, there’s no substitute for this kind of knowledge,” he says. The mood in the office is optimistic for the year ahead and Samuel even hints at expansion, with further sites to join the Marylebone office and the Hyde Park office, which opened in 2005, together with expansion of Kay & Co Asset Management, the company’s block and estate management subsidiary. This confidence and positivity is mirrored by his son. “Everyone’s talking about Brexit, but that’s just a further reason for people to procrastinate. The

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAREL JANSEN

central London market was already muted, due to the excessive stamp duty increases we saw last year.” Their advice for charting the uncertain waters is to be realistic. “Some estate agents are going around promising the earth and quoting unrealistic figures and it’s very misleading,” Martin says. There are still deals to be done, especially with overseas purchasers keen to make the most of the favourable exchange rate now that the value of the pound has fallen. Samuel heads up Kay & Co’s international property desk and estimates that because of this clients from the Middle East can currently purchase property at a reduction of up to 22 per cent. Just as Chiltern Street proved to be an attractive prospect for Samuel in 1982 when he opened Kay & Co’s original office, Marylebone, Fitzrovia and the surrounding enclaves still appeal to buyers today, both overseas and closer to home. And with this father and son team at the helm, the future is looking very bright indeed.

“We’ve had people that we dealt with on day one who have come back to us time and time again”

s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

Penthouse 2, Fitzrovia Apartments, 50 Bolsover Street, £6,995,000, contact Kay & Co for more information, 20a Paddington Street, W1U, 020 7486 6338 kayandco.com

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© 2016 UK Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty is a registered trademark licensed to UK Sotheby’s International Realty in the UK. Each office is independently owned and operated. All information non - contractual, approximate and subject to error, change and withdrawal without notice. Rent excludes administration fees. Please contact our offices who can provide this information.

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3398

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Simon Tollit Sales Director +44 20 3770 1246 simon.tollit@sothebysrealty.co.uk

13:12

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Olivia McSweeney Head of London Lettings +44 20 3714 0754 olivia.mcsweeney@sothebysrealty.co.uk

12/08/2016 13:13

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CLAREWOOD COURT, SEYMOUR PLACE, W1H A wonderfully 2 bedroom 2 bathroom flat in this much sought after and extremely well located apartment building, wonderfully positioned in Prime Marylebone. Extending to 736 SqFt (68 SqM), the apartment has been refurbished to a very high standard. Set on the 3rd floor the flat boasts spacious well-proportioned accommodation and high quality fittings throughout.. Viewings are highly recommended.

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Drawing of St Dunstan-in-the-West by SPAB Scholar Ptolomy Dean

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PROPERTY

Property news PrimeResi brings you the latest news in prime property and development in London

Rooms with a view Admiralty Arch residences hit the market

esidences in the muchanticipated reimagining of Admiralty Arch – the gatehouse to Buckingham Palace – have come up for sale, with the potential to create the largest serviced apartment in London. Spanish developer Rafael Serrano of Prime Investors Capital is turning most of the Grade I-listed building into a 100-room hotel, spa and private members’ club, after buying the 250-year lease from the government for a reported £60m in 2012. The first and second floors will contain some residential units. Final designs for these spaces are being left up to the buyers, but it seems that options include either one 15,000 sq ft unit with 12 bedroom suites or four separate flats ranging from 1,700 sq ft to 7,100 sq ft, with completion due in 2019. All residents will have access to the hotel’s amenities, including a 24-hour concierge service and security; private off-road valet parking service; private entrance and lift to the residences; and a lifetime membership to the private members’ club. admiraltyarch.com IMAGES COURTESY OF PRIME INVESTORS CAPITAL

Cash in the attic London’s untapped rooftop space worth “billions of pounds”

It’s been estimated that London could easily accommodate 140,000 new homes above existing public building rooftops, without even taking residential and commercial buildings into account. After completing a raft of rooftop projects across the capital, Marylebone-based “niche rooftop developer” Apex Airspace Development has been asked by the DCLG and the GLA for its views on new proposals to boost the contribution that airspace could make to new housing supply. Boss Arshad Bhatti puts the potential untapped market value at “billions of pounds”, adding; “the potential for airspace development is great news and provides a unique opportunity to create much-needed new homes.” Apex’s approach is to buy the rooftop development rights from property freeholders through a long term lease. Over and above the financial value unlocked, the development of the roof area generates additional value for the property, through creation of new ground rent, remedies to any roof top maintenance issues and improvements to the overall kerb appeal. IMAGE COURTESY OF ROKSTONE, MODULOFT AND CRAIG MOFFAT ARCHITECTS

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