The Mayfair Magazine December 2016 by Runwild Media Group

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CONTENTS December 2016 Regulars

10 Editor’s letter 12 Five minutes with... Footwear impresario Cesare Casadei 14 Couture culture The worlds of fashion, film and art collide in December’s cultural round-up 70 Winter wardrobe Deck the halls – and yourself – with as much sparkle as you can 116 Remembering Mayfair Gentlemen’s clubs through the ages

Features 18 Twenty-four karat magic Marianne Dick meets the trailblazers behind Mayfair’s top jewellers

23 30

58 Transfer window Camilla Apcar is captivated by Robert Rauschenberg’s drawings 66 The long run Stuart Weitzman talks career highlights and thigh-high boots 99 Emerging market Discover the key culinary players in The Crown Estate’s new St James’s development 112 All of the lights Gabrielle Lane explores Hong Kong’s glamour and hidden treasures

112 23 The line of beauty Fashion designer Elie Saab speaks to Katy Parker about his new flagship and influences 26 Dancing with diamonds Hannah Lemon goes behind the scenes at the English National Ballet 30 Unbridled fashion Step into the chic world of J&M Davidson

35 Collection

63 Fashion

88 Health & beauty

107 Travel

53 Art

79 Interiors

93 Food & drink

117 Property

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EDITOR’S LETTER

editor

From the DECEMBER 2016 s ISSUE 063

Editor Hannah Lemon Deputy Editor Camilla Apcar Contributing Editor Lauren Romano Jewellery Editor Olivia Sharpe Watch Editor Richard Brown Editorial Assistant Marianne Dick Editorial Intern Jacinta Ruscillo Sub Editor Francesca Lee-Rogers

Senior Designer Daniel Poole

“Mayfair offers the finest of what any city can – the atmosphere is really magical”

Design Intern Paris Fielder

Harvey Cyzer

Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong

Production Hugo Wheatley Jamie Steele Danny Lesar Alice Ford General Manager Fiona Fenwick Executive Director Sophie Roberts Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Proudly published by

It’s finally here! The month of ridiculous jumpers, holidays with the in-laws, homemade mince pies, extravagant feasts and generally far too much food. Loathe it or love it, Scrooge or Santa, we have everything to prepare you for the best and the worst. Still hunting for the perfect present? Venture into Elie Saab (p.23) or J&M Davidson (p.30), order a bespoke necklace from the best local independent jewellers (p.18), or indulge in a selection of our favourite tipples (p.93). The end of the year is also a great opportunity to reflect on what has been – and back in October we did just that with The Mayfair Awards 2016. From Best Perfumer to Local Hero, we celebrated the area’s unique businesses and hard-working individuals. Flick to our special supplement for all the highlights. Here’s to an even better 2017.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILLIP WATERMAN; STYLING: DEBORAH LATOUCHE (SEE PAGE 70)

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

REGULARS

5 MINUTES WITH...

My parents put the shoe business in my blood. They founded Casadei together in 1958, and from a young age my father taught me the technical side of design, and I learnt about materials and colour from my mother.

I love sneakers. I have a collection in different materials: python, crocodile, leather… I used to wear them with suits, years before it was considered a trendy look.

When I started this job, my father said to me: “Cesare, don’t create shoes that women can’t walk in. It’s a waste.” I’ve never forgotten that.

Fortnum & Mason has such a beautiful selection of everything. I like choosing

From the beginning, the idea was to make shoes that combined innovation and craftsmanship – we share the same sentiment today, but the brand has evolved. It’s about looking back as well as to the future.

My latest collection was inspired by the 1980s. The Technoblade is my favourite shoe from it, with a steel cap on the heel. It’s extremely feminine and innovative too.

CESARE CASADEI The Italian shoe designer celebrates the opening of his shop on Albemarle Street and reveals his favourite haunts

different teas, champagne, caviar and going to the delicatessen. There’s a typical English feeling to the building that I adore.

My favourite Mayfair restaurant is Scott’s. It has such a high standard of fish and meat. I actually prefer to go there for lunch than for dinner.

Brown’s Hotel feels like home. Although you’re in a city, with lots of people around, you can just relax at Brown’s. I stay there every time I’m in London.

Champagne is my guilty pleasure. I have so many bottles, and love visiting vineyards in the south of France. Krug and Salon are among my favourites. At my wedding I had Laurent-Perrier, because they have a rosé called ‘Alexandra’, which is my wife’s name. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: SCOTT'S, COURTESY OF PAUL WINCH-FURNESS; LAURENT-PERRIER ALEXANDRA ROSÉ; BROWN’S HOTEL; CASADEI TECHNOBLADE, £745; FORTNUM & MASON; CESARE CASADEI, COURTESY OF DONATA CLOVIS

“At my wedding I had Laurent-Perrier's rosé 'Alexandra', which is also my wife's name” 12

If I wasn’t designing, I would have been an estate agent. That was what I wanted to do when I was really young. Whatever you do in life, it’s important to have a vision, and that’s true of those working in both the shoe design and property worlds. s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

AGENDA LUMINOCITY is the place to skate this winter at Canary Wharf’s Canada Square Park. More than 8km of LED lights have been laid beneath the ice, making it a mesmerising rink and the first of its kind in London. It plays host to a variety of sports from curling to ice hockey and is an ideal destination for private parties. Once you’ve tired of carving your blades, retire to the bar for bespoke cocktails and hot drinks. Make sure to work up an appetite – street food including waffles and pulled pork burgers will have you nicely refuelled. Until 25 February, from £9.95, LUMINOCITY, Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, E14, icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk

Couture culture THEATRE

IMAGE CREDIT: MARK DOUET

An Inspector Calls

J.B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls returns to the West End for a limited season in Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of the legendary crime thriller. In a visually stunning spectacle, the death of an unknown young woman spirals into a whodunit inquiry, which tests moral consciences and reveals the curiously intertwined nature of the characters’ relationships. Set in 1912 but written in 1945, the play is packed with dramatic irony and startling revelations that teach lessons still relevant to the modern day. This production is the longest running revival of a play in history and is the perfect performance for a winter night at the theatre. Until 4 February, Playhouse Theatre, playhousetheatrelondon.com

The global bestseller The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich has been regarded as one of the finest introductions to art ever written. First published by Phaidon more than 60 years ago, a new luxury 17th edition has been released with a cloth-bound cover, elegant slipcase and colour images, as well as a new preface written by the author’s granddaughter Leonie. This thoroughly informative and passionate account of art history is a collectable treasure that will transport scholars, students and enthusiasts from ancient to modern art. The Story of Art: Luxury Edition, £49.95, E.H Gombrich, published by Phaidon, phaidon.com

JAN VAN EYCK, THE BETROTHAL OF THE ARNOLFINI, 1434; OIL ON WOOD, 81.8 X 59.7CM, THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON. REPRODUCED BY COURTESY OF THE TRUSTEES, THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

LITERARY ITINERARY

IMAGE CREDIT: ©FABRIZIO MALTESE

REGULARS

TOP PICKS Advent calendars Count down to Christmas with tea, perfumes and more

FILM

The Music of Strangers

ore than 16 years ago, worldfamous cellist Yo-Yo Ma established the Silk Road Ensemble, inspired by a fusion of music from the ancient trade routes. It is a project that seized the world by storm in a fascinating study into instrumentalists from around the globe. Morgan Neville directs a

beautiful and passionate film of the company’s work in The Music of Strangers. Bringing expert talent together in a sensual delight of cross-cultural harmony, the film pays a touching tribute to musicians, the emotional and physical pain of war and a melody’s healing powers for the soul. The Music of Strangers is in cinemas now

#1 Candles, £250, diptyqueparis.co.uk

#2 Socks, £350, Corgi x MR PORTER, mrporter.com

#3 Beauty products, £280, jomalone.com

#4 Tea, £48, newbyteas.co.uk

Give festive well-wishers the warmest of welcomes with this decadent wreath from Pulbrook & Gould, garnished with gilded cones and hand-tied cinnamon clusters

#5 Confectionery, £125, fortnumandmason.com

MAYFAIR WREATH, £695, PULBROOKANDGOULD.CO.UK

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Local news Choir of angels

The heights of comfort A winter cinema on The Berkeley’s rooftop might just be the most romantic way to spend a December evening. The Health Club & Spa will once again transform the rooftop garden into a pine forest cinema with mince pies, Moncler blankets and mulled wine to keep guests extra cosy. Chalet-inspired cabins for two create a perfect setting for festive romance and a place to relax. It is also a great opportunity to indulge in the Christmas classics such as Miracle on 34th Street and Santa Claus: The Movie. 1-26 December, The Berkeley Health Club & Spa, Wilton Place, SW1X, the-berkeley.co.uk

The enchanted wood

FAIRY-TALE FEAST

The Stafford Hotel clearly knows how to do Christmas decorations – 100 trees have been placed throughout the establishment, festooned in extravagant garlands. Dine here throughout December and January to enjoy special menus from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day, accompanied by bottles from the 380-year-old wine cellar. Not only will the hotel host a variety of events in-house, but on 22 December it will pay a visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea to host an afternoon tea party for Chelsea Pensioners who are too poorly to make it out. 16-18 St James’s Place, SW1A, thestaffordlondon.com

For a dinner with a difference, Once Upon a Time presents The Little Treasured Toy Shop. With a theatrical edge, the five hour-long party will amuse guests from the moment they step into the fairy-tale world. A drinks reception and three-course meal will be followed by an evening packed with interactive entertainment. Expect to be blown away. Until 22 December, £99 per person, 40-41 Conduit Street, W1S, onceuponatimepresents.com

In Association with The Residents’ Society of Mayfair & St James’s Committee Members

The Grosvenor Chapel will be hosting Carols by Candlelight in partnership with the medical charity Operation Smile. The charity offers free surgery to children in the developing world with a cleft palate and other facial deformities. Supporters hope to fundraise for this excellent cause during an enjoyable evening of music and festivities with readings from opera singer David Webb and songs from the IDMC Gospel Choir and the Treblemakers. 1 December, Grosvenor Chapel, 24 South Audley Street, W1K, operationsmile.org.uk

CHAIR

SECRETARY

(Policy & Traffic)

(Crossrail & Finance)

Lois Peltz

Richard Cutt

PLANNING APPLICATIONS Ronald Cottee (Planning)

REGULARS

Wrap up warm For the sixth year running, Chestertons will be collecting coats for the homeless, elderly, refugees and people in need. The Calling London Winter Coat Drive will work across each of the estate agents’ 35 offices in London. It hopes to beat last year’s record by collecting more than 4,000 coats. The clothes will then be distributed to charities, homeless shelters, schools and food banks and will go a long way to keeping the less fortunate warm this winter. Find the full list of Chestertons offices at chestertons.com/offices

Illuminating Mayfair Once again, Pastor Real Estate will sponsor the Christmas lights party at Shepherd Market. Elizabeth Hurley will flick the switch and live music, dancers, street performers and carol singers are set to follow. Pastor will also be sponsoring a carol service at St James’s Church where mulled wine and mince pies will be served alongside a healthy helping of festive spirit. Shepherd Market Christmas lights, 8 December, Shepherd Market, W1J; Christmas Carol Service, 14 December, St James’s Church, 197 Picadilly, W1J, pastor-realestate.com

MEMBERSHIP

Howard Evans

(Events & Membership)

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

TRAFFIC

Lois Peltz

POLICE

Marie-Louise Burrows

LICENSING

Derek Stratton

karat

magic

Mayfair is an internationally renowned treasure trove, and home to some of the most pioneering contemporary jewellers, many located within walking distance of each other. Marianne Dick meets the trailblazers behind the area’s most enchanting and innovative collections

n Mayfair, you don’t need to venture far to realise you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to jewels. Finding something truly original, however, requires a little more effort. “Somebody once said to me, if you threw all the jewellery from Bond Street into the middle of the road, you’d be hard pressed to know which shop it came from,” says jewellery designer Barbara Tipple. I meet Tipple and her husband, master goldsmith David Ward, at her eponymous showroom and workshop located just off Piccadilly, where it has remained modestly under one of the ochre brick arches of Albemarle House since it opened 13 years ago. And it’s full of original pieces. Tipple won her first Diamonds International Award in her second year of jewellery design studies in 1973, becoming one of the youngest ever winners. She went on to become the first woman to win the prestigious annual competition three times. Such rare credentials can only be reserved for the most inimitable of creations. Tipple is inspired by the ocean (her original shop is still up-and-running near her birthplace in Southsea), THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LARGE NIGHT & DAY PENDANT, £3,800 + CHAIN; AQUAMARINE AMMONITE CLUTCH, £11,000; MARINE LIFE BRACELET, £18,000, ALL BARBARA TIPPLE

DAVID WARD AND BARBARA TIPPLE

FEATURE

DAVID WARD AT WORK

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: IMPERIAL RING, POA; STARDUST NECKLACE, POA; UNDER THE DUOMO EARRINGS, POA; 7-ROW BOA BRACELET, POA, ALL NOURBEL & LE CAVELIER

celestial scenes and even Japanese armour – but never other jewellery. “Funnily enough, about three prominent people in London have got this,” Tipple says, jangling the thalassic aquamarine ammonite clutch on her wrist, “and they have been known to meet on social occasions, which is unusual.” A coincidence indeed: she describes her jewellery as attractive only to those certain buyers

“Everything is still done in a personalised way. on a small scale: from the sourcing of the stones, designing, manufacturing, all the way to the sales” who simply “get it”. The couple’s long-term plans include making the business appointment-only – so next time you find yourself around Piccadilly, take the opportunity to simply pop in and marvel at the incredible designs while you can. Nourbel & Le Cavelier has already made this transition, now focusing on appointment-only trading that is supported by a strong digital presence. The duo behind the name, Valerie Le Cavelier and Georges Karam, originally opened their showroom in Burlington Arcade in 2011, however they recently swapped this traditional setting for the glossier Hanover Square.

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“It’s the story of a friendship between two second-generation jewellers who decided to create a UK brand combining their knowledge, savoirfaire, creativity and complementary styles,” summarises designer Le Cavelier. “Everything is still done in a personalised way, on a small scale: from the sourcing of the stones, designing, manufacturing, all the way to the sales.” Karam’s father founded Nourbel in Geneva in 1976 and Le Cavelier’s mother opened her boutique, Nada Le Cavelier, in Beirut in 1991. Consequently, the new collections sit alongside Nada Le Cavelier’s intricate micromosaics and the Nourbel-inspired signature Boa range: a sensual and fluid haute joaillerie design made using a patented technique. Across Hanover Square I find another jeweller with a similar ethos, but one whose journey has been quite the reverse. 77 Diamonds was set up ten years ago by ex-banker Tobias Kormind, who originally intended it to be an entirely online business, however the demand for human interaction led to the opening of an appointment-only showroom. The company sets itself apart from the competition by working directly with diamond manufacturers, as opposed to trading centres. Customers can build their own piece of jewellery (most often engagement rings), buy loose diamonds or choose from one of the in-house designs, including the Galaxy Collection – a glittering array of pavé pieces. “I think what differentiates our customers is that they are not willing to accept what they’re fed on the high street, but are inclined to research and make an informed choice,” explains Kormind.

LEFT: MYSTIQUE EARRINGS, £3,660; RIGHT: ETERNELLE, LILY AND LUMINA PENDANTS, £780, £960 AND FROM £600, ALL 77 DIAMONDS

TOBIAS KORMIND

While 77 Diamonds might be a digitally forward-thinking concept, its methods align with many other independent Mayfair jewellers. The company hires apprentices, and all pieces are made-to-order in a workshop located just over the other side of Regent Street.

“I still think my proudest moment was when my boss (my mother) chose to keep one of my pieces” The presence of jewellers like 77 Diamonds and Nourbel & Le Cavelier contributes to the diverse and evolving landscape of the industry in Mayfair: the former reaches a new generation of consumers, while the latter brings in international influences. “After almost 18 years in the business with many great compliments from friends and clients around the world and customers asking for ‘Valerie’s designs’, I still think my proudest moment was when my boss (my mother) chose to keep one of my pieces for herself instead of selling it,” says Le Cavelier. “I felt I had really made it as a jewellery designer.” Amy Burton echoes this sentiment when she talks about her HALO RINGS, FROM £1,100, father. 77 DIAMONDS Stephen Burton bought Hancocks in

1992 with his wife Janie, and moved it from Bond Street to the Burlington Arcade, where the first Amy Burton Fine Jewellery collection is now being exclusively sold. Amy joined the family business in 2009. She began buying and selling (her brother Guy is now bespoke director at Hancocks), but her passion always lay in design. She began a hand-drawing course at the Gemological Institute of America in London, and soon after her designs took form thanks to three master craftsmen. However, she waited three years until the full collection was ready before launching her brand. “Emotionally, it was a big challenge putting it out there, but my dad’s very much of the opinion that he’d rather a jewel provokes some reaction than none at all, and I agree because I never want to be forgettable.” For Burton, her defining collection is Disorient, a sort of chaotic yet elegant array of sculptural designs that feature gems such as icy blue aquamarine.

AMY BURTON ABOVE: DISORIENT GOLD AND DIAMOND RING, £8,500; RIGHT: CASSIOPEIA DIAMOND RING, POA, BOTH AMY BURTON FINE JEWELLERY AT HANCOCKS

FEATURE FROM TOP: CRESCENDO NECKLACE, £48,000, AND EARRINGS, £3,750, AMY BURTON FINE JEWELLERY AT HANCOCKS; GRAVITY DROP EARRINGS, £22,000; INSIDE OUT DIGITAL NATURE CELLULAR EARRINGS, £6,000, BOTH GUY&MAX

Burton is inspired by everything from architecture to Victorian jewellery. When we meet, she is wearing a mourning pendant around her neck – complete with a lock of hair – that she found at a trade show in Miami. The initials read ‘A.B’, and it is this typography that inspired her logo. “Even though I didn’t know the man it commemorates, it sort of stays alive somehow,” she says. These kind of family values remain very much at the heart of Hancocks, and Amy and Guy represent both a new generation of jewellers and a new wave of design. Another sibling success story lies a few streets away at Guy & Max, within the historical Shepherd Market. “The bohemian, romantic and artisan atmosphere here suits our pioneering style of jewellery,” says sales director Guy Shepherd. “The Shepherd Brothers of Shepherd Street has a certain ring to it too…” Brothers Guy and Max Shepherd (sons of Richard, the founder of Hatton Garden jeweller Shepherd & Taylor) opened their boutique in 2008. Guy was already in the jewellery business, while Max was an interior designer experimenting with methods of 3D printing. Their professional partnership came about over a conversation in the pub about this technology. “It totally changed my life, because the whole manufacturing process as I knew it had been rewritten by Max,” says Guy. “We quickly realised that 3D printing was the way forward.” The key philosophy behind Guy & Max is that 3D printing is used only to create pieces that couldn’t exist otherwise. Max uses the modelling software rather than jewellery CAD so that he can design freeform. “We’ll spend the same amount of time designing

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and building it as someone who is hand-making it,” Guy explains. “I’m just a technician to the customer’s imagination – it’s a collaborative effort.” Guy and Max use freelance craftsmen and workshops in Hatton Garden and the West End for any traditional specialist work. “It is a lovely marriage between 3D technology, digital software and old-school hand-setting and polishing,” Guy says. Hailing from a background in furniture design, Max is mostly inspired by architecture, sculpture, science and photography. “I love the way architecture defines a period in time,” he says. “If people can build multi-million pound buildings, then why can’t you make a £10,000 ring that defines a particular era rather than harking back to what’s been done before?” The process allows the brothers to engineer parts that work in a different way. An example of this are the Gravity drop earrings from their Digital Nature collection that move with the wearer, similar to the way a compass or a ship maintains its equilibrium at all times. Achieving the right balance seems crucial to the success of all these jewellers, whether it’s between siblings, partners or even the right sales strategy. Coupled with an unbridled passion, these independent businesses showcase unique designs, inspirations and values incomparable to any conglomerate. So next time you’re looking to commemorate a special occasion with something sparkly, venture off the beaten track and seek out something bespoke. GUY AND MAX SHEPHERD

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INTERVIEW

The line of beauty

Elie Saab, the designer who put Lebanon on the fashion map, is famed for his jaw-dropping red carpet gowns. He speaks to Katy Parker about Middle-Eastern influences and why he chose Bruton Street for his first UK flagship

“F

rom a very young age, I would spend my time watching people – the way they walk or dress. I wouldn’t see them as they were, but as they could be if they were dressed differently.” Elie Saab is reminiscing. And as he does so, it quickly becomes clear that here sits a man who was never in any doubt as to his calling in life. He continues: “I used to look at the world around me in a different way from other children. My perspective on women was different: I have always been surrounded by beautiful women who inspire me, and I wanted to underline their personalities.”

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The eldest son of a wood merchant, the self-taught fashion designer is one of the most illustrious talents to come out of Lebanon, and became the first Lebanese designer to dress an Oscar winner in 2002, when Halle Berry wore one of his burgundy gowns to collect her Academy Award for Best Actress. Raised in Beirut, Saab started sewing as a child and by the age of eight had already turned his attention to fashion and design. His tools were anything that came to hand; he raided his mother’s wardrobe for lace, cut patterns out of newspapers and used his sister as a model. The preparation paid off. In 1981 Saab moved to Paris to study fashion, before returning to his hometown to launch his eponymous

label a year later, when he was just 18 years old. “I was only a teenager when I began my career, he says, “but I knew where I was headed. Working in fashion was more my destiny than anything else.” Women the world over owe much to the young Saab’s steadfastness. His exquisite designs have been seen on numerous brides, Oscar-nominated actresses, Grammy award-winning singers, and royal family members – Queen Rania of Jordan wore one of his dresses for her coronation in 1999. Scroll through the ‘best dressed’ image gallery of any star-studded event, and you will be greeted by a dazzling array of glamorous figures wearing Saab’s creations. I ask the designer if it was always his desire to carve out a niche in show-stopping eveningwear. “I started my business more than 30 years ago by creating evening gowns and wedding dresses because that was what I wanted to do and what inspired me. I always found that my inspiration was limitless when creating haute couture.” While nowadays he is in demand by the likes of Rihanna, Helen Mirren, and everyone in between, it took time – almost 20 years in fact – for Hollywood to sit up and pay attention to the dressmaker from Beirut. In an industry dominated by French and Italian designers, Saab was something of a pioneer. “The industry was non-existent in the region when I started as a teenager, so I’m proud of having created a profession that didn’t exist in my country before.” In this sense, Saab feels a certain sense of responsibility to emerging Lebanese talent, prompting him to launch a fashion degree in collaboration with both the London

THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS: BRIDAL FALL 2017 INSET: BOTH RESORT 2017

INTERVIEW

College of Fashion and the Lebanese American University. “I want to help and encourage talented young generations to pursue a career in fashion design,” he tells me. Saab’s original clients were the well-heeled women of Beirut, who were drawn to his feminine yet structured silhouettes, delicate attention to detail and use of rich fabrics, lace, detailed embroidery, pearls, crystals and silk threads. Today, his fans are drawn to much the same aspects, but it is his unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures that really sets Saab apart. He describes how much he is

“I always found that my inspiration was limitless when creating haute couture” inspired by the Middle East – its “culture and richness” – while “living in Beirut has been a great source of creativity”, particularly “in the luxurious fabrics and intricate embroideries that I choose”. Saab’s S/S17 collection, however, displayed a lighter, more playful side. Showcased in Paris, Saab tells me it was inspired by 1970s disco and the golden era of Studio 54: “in an effusive mix of pattern, colour, texture and tailoring of bold sensuality”.

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Heralding a new era of “easy glamour”, the collection was a triumphant blend of “the lightness of summer and the extravagance of eveningwear”. It has been a busy year for Saab, who alongside the seasonal shows, announced both a return to bridal wear and unveiled a new four-storey flagship on Bruton Street, with another to come on New York’s Madison Avenue. I ask why Mayfair was the chosen spot for his European store. “We spent three years looking for the right space, as we were looking for a location that could encompass haute couture, ready-towear, accessories and bridal. Mayfair was always top of my mind, as its elegance and flair very much reflects our brand DNA.” When I visit the premises on Bruton Street, there is an obvious emphasis on customer experience: the need for shoppers to take their time, to feel the fabrics, to immerse themselves in the splendour of couture. With this in mind, I wonder how Saab views the world of e-commerce, and whether he thinks digital has a place in the rarified world of luxury fashion. He seems wary. “I appreciate the role online has played in globalisation,” he says, “however, the digital sphere is a double-edged weapon, which can have a positive or negative impact on the brand. “For me, it’s important to stay true to the brand DNA – at the same time maintaining a common ground between the online and offline portrayal of the Elie Saab universe.” And what of the designer’s personal universe – does he ever find a quiet moment to relax? “My day revolves around my work,” he describes, “but when I find the time, I like to visit art galleries and exhibitions that might be a source of inspiration for a future collection. I try to relax in the evenings by spending time with my family and friends.” For Saab, the focus for the future is maintaining the quality that the brand is renowned for. He assures me that, while it is expanding – the brand launches an eyewear line in January – it will never be mainstream. “It should, and always will, remain high-end and highly desirable.” Well, Mr Saab, you had me at hello. 24 Bruton Street, W1J, eliesaab.com

with As Backes & Strauss partners with the English National Ballet for the fourth year, Hannah Lemon speaks to ambassador for the campaign and principal ballerina Laurretta Summerscales about sore toes and eating too much chocolate

aurretta Summerscales is not how I pictured a ballet dancer. Neither snooty nor standing en pointe, she wanders in with her feet cushioned in Mongolian slippers (a souvenir from one of her travels with the English National Ballet), dressed in a black hoodie and tracksuit. The same can be said for the other dancers who lounge around the reception area of the company’s headquarters, eating lunch from Tupperware (yes, they have an appetite, shocking, I know). I’m almost a little dejected by the banality of it all – until I see them move. Up two flights of stairs, I peek into a rehearsal

room. A pianist (not unlike the gruff musician in Billy Elliot) plays a tune in the corner, while a muscly dancer, clad in tights and a leotard, stands centre stage. In one swift movement, he raises a ballerina above his head with one hand. The waif-like creatures are mesmerising and I’m in awe at every tightened calf and pointed metatarsal. It’s the same when Summerscales answers my questions after we find a space in an empty office. She sits regally, like a swan, back straight, legs crossed and delicate fingers floating around her like feathers. At 24, she has flown straight to the top. She started dancing aged three. In 2007 she joined the English National Ballet School and two years later, the

OPPOSITE: backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina collection THIS PAge: Laurretta summerscales wearing the Piccadilly Renaissance Diamond Heart

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INTERVIEW

English National Ballet. “It’s not been as easy as everyone thinks,” Summerscales says. “There have been peaks and troughs.” At “normal school” she says the other kids saw her as “a bit weird”. “I wasn’t very quick. I was bright, but I’m not very good at essays or having debates.” However, her mother, who runs the Karen Clarke Theatre School in Surrey, encouraged and nurtured her talent. “I started off doing modern, tap, singing and dancing. I just loved dancing. I was a huge fan of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.” Soon realising that the back row wasn’t for her, Summerscales quit singing and applied for a scholarship at ballet school. They were quick to say yes, and with hard work, determination and a healthy competitive spirit, she soon soared. “I loved every second of it,” she says. “I worked a lot. I didn’t party or go out with people. I just went to bed and went to school.” How did it feel, then, to become principal – her ultimate goal – in January? Her face lights up and she throws her head back in a smile. “It was so… Wow!” It turns out the pace doesn’t slow down with a promotion. Summerscales is rehearsing for and performing in Mary Skeaping’s Giselle, Akram Khan’s Giselle as well as seasonal favourite, Nutcracker. “I don’t just do the principal roles, I do other roles too. This way, I get more chances to dance on stage.” Does she still get nervous before a performance? “Yes, I have to put on my make-up and do my hair just before the show starts. If I do it too soon, then, that’s it, my brain starts over-thinking.” There are always rumours of people eating tissues to feel full and being caged in by corseted tutus. Is this a reality? “It is a lot of pressure on the body but you get used to pushing through it. You have to, otherwise there’ll be a girl who wants it more than you.” For the part of Myrtha in Giselle, Summerscales is on her toes for the whole of the second act. “It’s more painful than any other ballet. I bandage my toes up before, but it still hurts and throbs so much. You just have to work through it. As soon as you finish, the pain goes.” She looks at my horrified face and laughs, “You get used to it.”

THIS IMAGE: LAURRETTA SUMMERSCALES WEARING PIECES FROM THE PICCADILLY RENAISSANCE BALLERINA COLLECTION INSET: BACKES & STRAUSS REGENT RENAISSANCE WITH DIAMOND BRACELET

What about food? Is she allowed any? “For me, it’s my weakness. My downfall is chocolate. Anything with a big flavour.” Like crisps, I venture? “My mum got me off those. For me, it’s fizzy drinks mainly. Once I have one, I get into a habit.” As she speaks I glance at the bling looped around her dainty wrist and remember the reason I’ve come here today. Summerscales and fellow dancers Shiori Kase and Jinhao Zhang have been selected as ambassadors for Backes & Strauss’s partnership with the English National Ballet, now in its fourth year. For the occasion, the diamond company has crafted a collection of watches with diamond-set bracelets recalling the graceful movement of ballerinas. Summerscales fashions the Regent 2DR Renaissance, a mother-of-pearl dial set with 209 ideal cut diamonds. “It’s really nice to see another art form of such high quality,” explains Summerscales. “We aim for high quality too. It’s great to see how much we have in common.” On Tuesdays and Saturdays, Summerscales still visits her mum’s school, but now as a teacher. “She’s given me so much that I feel like I should return it.” I ask her what advice she would give her teenage self. “Always be grounded, always listen to other people and always be respectful.” Somehow, I think the young Laurretta Summerscales has it covered. Nutcracker, until 2 December; Skeaping’s Giselle, 11-22 January, ballet.org.uk; backesandstrauss.com

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UNBRIDLED

F A S H I O N It all began with a leather dog lead for fashion boutique J&M Davidson. Camilla Apcar meets Mount Street’s chic husband-and-wife creative team, the eponymous John and Monique

ixing business and romance is rarely advisable, especially with creative temperaments and an abundance of mohair involved. But for John and Monique Davidson, it has proven a winning combination for three decades and counting. The husband-and-wife team behind J&M Davidson met in Spain in 1969, and after four years separated by the English Channel, Monique moved to London from her home in Paris. By 1984 their boutique fashion brand was born. “I was once a Mod, or something like that,” John describes, “and even though I was a photographer we were

both always very interested in clothes, brought up in the golden era of Biba and Mary Quant.” For the supremely stylish designer Monique, even back then, walking into a shop wearing a gabardine with a belt tied around it proved cause for others to stop and ask where they could find her outfit. “I had to tell them the truth – the school department at Peter Jones,” she laughs. In mirror image of themselves, the duo have dedicated 34 years to honing a brand that mixes French chic (Monique, her accent steadfast) with English tradition (John, now pocket squared and in statement trousers). Fashion brands Joseph and Margaret Howell were among the first to buy into their smart aesthetic, visiting the Davidsons’ house in

INTERVIEW

FROM TOP: J&M DAVIDSON ON MOUNT STREET; CAROL POLO NECK, £195, SLIM-CUT COAT, £2,070, TRAVEL POUCH, £320; GATHERED SKIRT, £520, STUDDED DAISY BAG, £760; LEATHER BANDED DRESS, £1,110, MITZI CROSS BODY BAG, £780; MITZI SEAL PRINT HAIR-ON AND CALF LEATHER BAG, £795. OPPOSITE: MONIQUE AND JOHN DAVIDSON

Chiswick for meetings around the kitchen table where they worked. Their taste has changed little since, and they have kept their mission simple: to create clothes based on their own sense of style, with independent female consumers in mind. “We like something chic, but with a bit of eccentricity,” says Monique. “Classic can be boring.” The pair admire Hermès most of all, identifying with its French heritage and emphasis on fine craftsmanship, clean lines and textures. J&M Davidson’s current collection is full of jewel-toned silk shirts (£820), neutral wool or camel hair coats (from £725) and elegant mohair or cashmere jumpers (from £170). Calf, grain, two-tone and metallic leather bags come in all shapes and sizes (from £350), with studs and tassels embellishing the most individual styles.

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Accessories are J&M Davidson’s foundation, and where it all started in 1984. Having found a beautiful leather lead and studded dog collar made of English bridle in a shop in Brighton, John and Monique then visited its manufacturer in the Midlands and asked whether a longer – human – version could be made as a belt. The rest is history. Next came bags – many made from furnishing fabrics, in brocade, kilim or embroidered. They began producing knitwear in the 1990s, made in Belgium, and a small collection of carefully considered clothing soon followed. “For us, clothes are like an accessory to the accessories,” says John. In February a long-held dream came true, as J&M Davidson opened shop on Mount Street. It now sits snugly between Céline and Gianvito Rossi, just across from The Connaught and moments away from international heavyweights such as Christian Louboutin, Marc Jacobs and Balenciaga. This isn’t the brand’s first spell in Mayfair, however. For seven years it occupied a shop on Grosvenor Street, on the corner of Avery Row, with an office on Grafton Street. It then moved to Notting Hill Gate in the 1990s, where an exhibition of work by Grayson Perry was once held, and a studio remains.

“Mount Street feels like a village where everyone knows each other. It’s the best street in London” But it was Mount Street and its well-kept terracotta façades for which the pair really held a flame. “Mount Street feels like a village where everyone knows each other. To me, it’s the best street in London,” says John. “It’s not as big as Avenue Montaigne, but it’s the equivalent. Every shop here is a jewel.” “Its identity never changes,” adds Monique.

INTERVIEW FROM TOP: REBECCA LOUISE LAW’S INSTALLATION; V-NECK TOP, £890, BELTED JEAN TROUSER, £580. TALL MAKE UP POUCH, £180; TIE SHIRT, £820, PLEATED SKIRT, £880; MOHAIR GOWN, £1,800; OONA BAG, £1,170 – WITH TANYA LING ART COMMISSION, £2,670

An appreciation of art comes naturally to the Davidsons and their clientele. The couple started working with fashion illustrator Tanya Ling – whose work has been bought by the likes of Damien Hirst – more than ten years ago. J&M Davidson’s latest limited edition bags see the artist painting personal commissions (£1,500) straight onto the leather, in a vibrant abstract expressionist style. The collection is available until the end of January. Some of the leading ladies from this year’s Frieze art fair were dressed at the new premises, attracted by the colours and textures to be found inside. In the summer the shop also took part in Brown’s London Art Weekend with a curated fashion and art tour. “Everything in the art world feeds into us and our work,” says John, “especially colour.” Inspiration was drawn from Johannes Vermeer’s paintings for the Deep Flemish collection; elsewhere from Singer Sargent; as well as Saul Leiter and the films Carol and Testament of Youth for the new store’s interior. Indeed, upon entering the boutique, an ethereal installation of dried flowers by Rebecca Louise Law hangs overhead.

“The fashion business is all-consuming – you’re either in it or you’re out” Downstairs, a Murano glass chandelier is suspended above 1950s armchairs, and handbags are displayed on polished microcement pedestals. It’s a vision of warm, understated modern luxury, with plenty of burnished gold. The brand’s loyal following have already flocked here – many from Japan, where it is well-established with a flagship in Tokyo’s smart Aoyama neighbourhood. There, sometimes the pair are even asked to sign inside a bag (“We have to be careful not to ruin it by making a mistake with a felt tip,” jokes John).

J&M Davidson is certainly niche, and only a discreet logo serves a subtle reminder that a piece is one of the couple’s creations. A bag might come in a run of around 1,000 pieces, while some of the select evening gowns are made on an almost couture scale (a gold and plum brocade dress, £1,560, is particularly striking this season). All its wares lend an immediate, timeless sophistication, and quality is all-important. Many of the leather goods are made in England, some in Italy. “We want something that is authentic, not disposable,” says Monique. They are already working on collections for 2018 (each season takes around six months to create), but this summer will see bright and cheerful colours – including hues developed especially for J&M Davidson’s leathers. “There’s nothing to replace leather, although you can’t say that to some designers,” John jests. The couple work on everything together. “It’s like a marriage itself,” says John. “In the end you have to come to an agreement. Not many people could live and work together like we do. The fashion business is allconsuming – you’re either in it or you’re out.” And although others often marvel over how they handle both a marriage and working relationship (arguments come and go), the Davidsons can’t imagine it any other way. 104 Mount Street, W1K, jandmdavidson.com

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THE JOY OF GIVING Treat someone special to an ELEMIS experience with our luxury Gift Card at The House of ELEMIS, Mayfair

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COLLECTION

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SARPANEVA/BLACK BADGER NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLECTION; ORBIS TERRARUM SPECIAL EDITION GREAT BRITAIN, MONTBLANC; THE C1 GREAT MALVERN POWER RESERVE, CHRISTOPHER WARD; GENÈVE TEMPUS TERRAE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, ANDERSEN; PETITE HEURE MINUTE THOUSAND YEAR LIGHTS, JAQUET DROZ; SARPANEVA/BLACK BADGER NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLECTION; L.U.C GMT ONE IN 18-KARAT ROSE GOLD, CHOPARD; OVERSEAS WORLD TIME, VACHERON CONSTANTIN; SARPANEVA/BLACK BADGER NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLECTION; MEISTER DRIVER CHRONOSCOPE, JUNGHANS

SALONQP 2016

ontblanc and Chopard celebrated SalonQP with the launch of new timepieces in November. Montblanc used the UK’s largest premium watch show to unveil the Orbis Terrarum Special Edition Great Britain, a world-time wristwatch with a dial adorned with a Union Jack; Chopard debuted an 18-karat rose gold version of its L.U.C GMT One. Elsewhere, Girard-Perregaux marked its 225th year by exhibiting a collection of 225 unique timepieces that are usually housed in its Swiss HQ. Curated shows educated guests on the history of the diving watch, the emergence of ‘travel time’ pieces, and a range of rare skills that the watch industry is almost single-handedly responsible for keeping alive. Established in 2009, SalonQP has been hosted at the Saatchi Gallery for the last six years and now has more than 70 exhibitors. salonqp.com

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211 REGENT STREET • WESTFIELD SHEPHERDS BUSH • LONDON CITY AIRPORT CASE • HARRODS • SELFRIDGES • TUMI.COM/19DEGREE

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Watch news WORDS: RICHARD BROWN

f you’re familiar with MB&F, you’ll know that the brand’s creations seldom sit within one product category. While they do indeed tell the time, MB&F watches display the hours, minutes and seconds of the day in such inventive and intricate ways that to categorise them merely as timepieces would be to do a disservice to the company’s founder, Max Büsser. Büsser doesn’t create watches; he conceives machines. Büsser’s latest, the Horological Machine N°8 (HM8, pictured below right), is inspired by a Can-Am race car. It inverts a Girard-Perregaux base movement so that a battle-axe-shaped winding rotor faces upward, positioned between two ‘roll bars’ and visible through anti-reflective sapphire-crystal glass. Dual optical prisms vertically display bi-directional jumping hours and trailing minutes. As you can see, it’s not your typical piece of wrist wear. Then again, there’s rarely anything conventional about MB&F’s works of art, watch-wise or other. Having previously worked with high-end clockmaker L’Epée 1839 to co-create a table clock, and with music box specialist Reuge to launch a mechanical mini-space-ship, Büsser recently branched even further away

from traditional watchmaking. His latest partnership with Caran d’Ache, the coveted pen and crayon maker, is the Astrograph – a fountain pen designed to resemble a space rocket. Available in high-gloss rhodium, sandblasted matt rhodium or anthracite ruthenium, an ‘entry door’ to the rocket, concealed in the ring of the pen, activates the lowering of three stabiliser legs, on which the Astrograph can stand. Comprising 99 components, the pen comes with a miniature magnetic astronaut figurine and a presentation box in the form of a launch pad. What to get the man who already has everything this Christmas? Max Büsser has just provided the answer. Horological Machine N°8, £66,900; Astrograph pen, £19,995, mbandf.com

Joyeux anniversaire All year the watch world has been waiting to discover just how Patek Philippe would honour the 40th anniversary of its most famous timepiece, the Nautilus. The answer arrived in October in the shape of the platinum, time-only 5711/1P (44mm, £82,310, far left), and the enormous (49.25mm) white gold chronograph 5976/1G (left, £69,960). Both watches arrive with blue dials bearing anniversary inscriptions, and feature baguette-cut diamond hour markers. patek.com

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RED-HANDED Maurice Lacroix has made a limited-edition version of its Masterpiece Skeleton Chronograph for Harrods. The 45mm timepiece was unveiled at SalonQP and incorporates a new automatic chronograph movement, produced exclusively for Maurice Lacroix by calibre creators Concepto. The hour and minute hands are diamond-cut and lined with luminescent coating. The Harrods edition comes with a red seconds hand and a red 30-minute chronograph disk at three o’clock. Masterpiece Skeleton Chronograph Harrods Edition, £5,350, mauricelacroix.com

JUNGHANS’ RETRO RACING LINES In a year characterised by nostalgic reinterpretations of a great swathe of halo timepieces – five of the most notable being Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas, Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato and Piaget’s Polo – Junghans has presented a vintage-inspired showstopper of a stopwatch. Inspiration for the Meister Driver Chronoscope came from the dashboard instruments of 1930s Maybachs and 1950s Mercedes models. With colour-contrast sub-dials and large minute markers, which take precedence over smaller hour numerals, the Chronoscope is a tool watch designed with time measurement in mind. The selfwinding, stainless steel, 40.8mm chronograph comes in at £1,790. The mid-century German automobile you need to complete the look might set you back a little bit more. junghans.co.uk

Reaching for the moon Your closest Glashütte Original boutique is now just a two-hour Eurostar journey away. October saw the German watchmaker open a new flagship store on Paris’s Rue de la Paix. It now operates 21 boutiques across the world, though, sadly, London still remains lacking. To mark the occasion, the brand bolstered its Senator Excellence line with the launch of the Panorama Date (steel, £7,100; red gold, £14,100) and the Panorama Date Moon Phase (above; steel, £7,900; red gold £14,900). Both models are equipped with Glashütte’s Calibre 36, which provides a 100-hour power reserve from a single spring barrel. This impressive

feat – power reserves of more than 48 hours typically require more than one spring barrel – was achieved by compacting the case in which the movement’s silicon balance spring sits. The Panorama Date mounts two concentric display discs on the same level, eradicating the need for a bar in its date window. Elsewhere, once properly set, the Panorama Date Moon Phase needs correcting just once every 122 years. Glashütte Original was founded in 1994, following the privatisation of Germany’s Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe, a collection of watch, clock and instrument companies that had been nationalised in 1951. glashuette-original.com

Chain of command When Apple was looking for a way of elevating its first smartwatch from the realms of geeky gadget to executive accessory, it was telling that it chose a collaboration with Hermès. The Apple Watch Series 2 dropped in September; and Hermès will continue making leather straps for a special edition of the timepiece, which incorporates faces based on its own Clipper, Espace and Cape Cod – the last of which is currently celebrating its 25th birthday. Several new iterations have launched this year: a men’s version with a cuff-style wristband; dial options that include onyx and lapis lazuli; and new gem-set editions. From £1,750, uk.hermes.com s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

COURVOISIER.COM

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Oro Rosso gold watch, £17,800, Luminor Panerai, panerai.com; Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 steel and yellow gold watch, £9,350, Rolex, rolex.com; Historiques Cornes de vache 1955 watch with brown strap, £45,000, Vacheron Constantin, vacheron-constantin.com; G-Timeless silver watch with blue dial, £660, Gucci, gucci.com; Globemaster Annual Calendar with leather strap, £5,925, Omega, omegawatches.com; DRIVE De Cartier 18-karat pink gold watch, £15,500, Cartier, cartier.co.uk; Mechanical Perpetual Calendar Watch, £119,350, Patek Philippe, patek.com

Ice age P h o t o g r a p h y: e m m a t o d d S t y l i n g : n ata l i e r e a d

The

REAL DEAL Once one of Switzerland’s largest watch companies, Oris navigated its way out of the quartz crisis to reclaim a spot at the top table of watchmaking. Ulrich W. Herzog, its long-serving CEO, explains how the independent brand earned its seat alongside the industry’s heavyweights, writes Richard Brown

ULRICH W. HERZOG

ris’s slogan is ‘Real watches for real people’. Everton Football Club is known as ‘The People’s Club’. This provides a pithy comparison with which to kick off this piece: Oris is the Everton FC of the watch world. It’s true. Let me explain. As we know, watches, like football, are big business. The most successful brands, like the most successful clubs, are typically those propped up by the most powerful backers. (This isn’t always the case; the two most lusted-after brands, Rolex and Patek Philippe, are both independently owned, but this doesn’t help our argument, so we’ll be discounting these and moving swiftly on.) Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai and Vacheron Constantin all belong to Richemont. Breguet, Blancpain, Omega and Longines coexist within Swatch Group. Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith form part of LVMH. These brands benefit from collective resource, huge spending power and large economies of scale – important in an industry where your end product is reliant on a snaking chain of suppliers and hundreds of components that typically can only be ordered in the thousands. In this big-money arena, independent Oris punches above its weight. Like Everton, Oris has secured its position within the Premier League of watchmaking through performance alone. The brand has been churning out solid watches, away from the limelight, for several seasons now. David Moyes managed Everton for 11 years. Ulrich W. Herzog has helmed Oris for the past 34. The son of ex-general manager Oscar Herzog – a man who himself notched up 43 years at the company – Ulrich was already serving Oris when, in 1970, it became part of the ASUAG group (later to transmute into Swatch Group).

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Unlike the arrival of the Apple Watch, the advent of the quartz wristwatch really did devastate Switzerland’s mechanical watch industry. Seiko’s Astron landed in 1969. At that time, Oris was producing around 1.2 million units a year. In the decade that followed, the company slashed its staff from 900 to just a few dozen. During the 1970s, to combat what became known as the ‘Quartz crisis’, Switzerland’s banks united a number of watchmakers under the holding company Swatch Group. Oris regained its independence in 1982, when Ulrich led a management buyout. He subsequently abandoned Quartz in favour of producing solely mechanical timepieces. It was a punchy move. The industry was being undercut and out-sold by vastly more affordable, more accurate battery-powered pieces from Japan. Few had the gumption to bet on the industry’s reawakening. Yet Herzog believed that if Japan was responsible for derailing Switzerland’s

traditional watch industry, then ultimately, it would be Japan that helped with its revival. Travelling the country during the mid-1980s, Herzog felt a tangible shift in the way people were appreciating mechanical wristwatches. “The Japanese were the first ones to see the potential of these things,” he explains. Aware of Japan’s influence over global trends, Herzog predicted that this rediscovered appetite for watches made of gears, cogs and springs would spread. It did. “The guy you should be really proud of in [the UK] is Paul Smith,” says Herzog. “He was the first guy to take our watches and sell them in his shops. He had a vision. At that time, no jeweller wanted mechanical watches, they all wanted quartz watches. Paul Smith said ‘no, I want these ones.’” Fast forward three decades, and an Oris timepiece will now almost invariably appear within the annual ‘Best of Baselworld’ round-ups that appear across the internet in the days that follow the world’s largest watch jamboree.

AQUIS DEPTH GAUGE, £2,100

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In 2012, the attention-grabber was the Artix GT Chronograph, a watch with a retrograde small seconds display that ingeniously mirrored the rev counter of a racing car. A year later, the Aquis Depth Gauge set watch websites alight when it became the first timepiece to indicate depth by allowing water to enter its case via a small hole at 12 o’clock. “It’s really cool,” says Herzog. “It uses Boyle’s law [which states that the pressure of a given mass of an ideal gas is inversely proportional to its volume at a constant temperature] to measure depth accurately to 40 metres.” Still, it was only in 2014 that unassuming Oris really cemented its position alongside horology’s heavyweights. The Calibre 110 that debuted that year was the company’s first in-house movement for 35 years.

“Independence is a huge advantage. We can innovate the way we want; we can move very quickly... we don’t want to sell £100,000 watches; that’s not our way of doing business” While the brand was in the business of manufacturing its own calibres prior to the 1982 buyout – archives suggest Oris made around 275 variants – its modern watches had been reliant on base movements from other manufacturers. “We’d add functions like world timers or regulator alarms to movements from ETA,” says Herzog. The 110 was the first to be designed by Oris itself since the company regained its independence. Spectacularly, for Oris’s 110th anniversary, the Calibre 110 delivered a

Calibre 111, £3,600

Calibre 110, £3,750

Calibre 112, £4,200

Divers Sixty-Five Carl Brashear Limited Edition, £1,900

previously-unheard of ten days of power from a single mainspring barrel. (Typically, watches that offer more than a three-day power reserve will have to incorporate a second mainspring.) A patented, non-linear power reserve indicator illustrated how much power was left in greater detail the further the watch ticked towards empty. “That really was a breakthrough for us. We didn’t manufacture the calibre completely – we have the parts made for us, according to our specifications – but as a movement, it was designed completely by Oris.” Remarkably, for an in-house, industry-beating, patentboasting timepiece, the Calibre 110 was available for £3,750. In 2015, Oris added a date window to the same base movement to present the equally elegant Calibre 111. This, in turn, mutated into the Calibre 112, when it was upgraded by way of a GMT function earlier this year. Both watches commanded considerable buzz during their respective Baselworld debuts. Both watches were priced, again, astonishingly, for under £4,200. You can see a theme emerging. Herzog believes that the respect Oris now enjoys among watch journalists is the direct consequence of three decades of autonomy. “Independence is a huge advantage,” he explains. “We can innovate the way we want; we can move very quickly. There’s not a big company in the shadows saying ‘you’ve got to make this and move within this price bracket.’ We don’t want to sell watches for £100,000; that’s not our way of doing business.” Independence means that when the market moves, so can Oris. The previous 18 months have seen a range of brands attempt to combat – or capitalise on – the emergence of the smartwatch. Recent figures may suggest that smartwatch sales are on the slide (down 48 per cent from Q4 2015 to Q1 2016, according to Strategy Analytics;

COLLECTION

AQUIS DEPTH GAUGE, £2,100

down 32 per cent year-on-year in Q2 2016, according to the International Data Corporation), but TAG Heuer, Breitling, Frédérique Constant and Alpina have all invested heavily in the connected sector. As unimaginative as it has become for watch interviewers to provoke their subjects on the point of smartwatches, it seemed pertinent with Herzog. Apple had just unveiled its second crack at getting us hooked on the miniaturised computers it’s invented for our wrists. At the launch, the company claimed that it has become the world’s second largest watch brand, trailing only Rolex. That’s massive. “For guys like Apple, of course smartwatches make sense,” says Herzog. “But I said from the beginning, I don’t see any future in this for Oris. There’s no long-term value with a smartwatch. Yes, I like to know how many steps I’ve done during the day – but tomorrow that function is outdated. “There’s always a newer smartwatch around the corner. You have to throw away this one and buy the next one. If

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you look at an Oris watch, you have something that after ten years you’ll still like to look at, you’ll love to see it on your wrist. You don’t have the same emotion with a smartwatch.” The truth, of course, is that no one really knows the extent to which the smartwatch sector will grow, not even the CEOs of watch companies. It would be naïve to dismiss the smartwatch movement as a fad; it would be equally naïve to overplay the threat smartwatches pose to the mechanical watch industry at large. Thirty-five years ago, Herzog wagered that traditional timepieces would always win over the hearts and minds of the style-conscious. So far, history has proven him right. Oris can thank its recent success on a run of solid watches delivered at sensible prices. While the brand stays committed to that formula, its winning streak looks set to continue. Up the Toffees! oris.ch

Birds of a

feather P h o t o g r a p h y: e m m a t o d d S t y l i n g : n ata l i e r e a d

Clockwise from top left: Hortensia white gold, sapphire and diamond Voie Lactée earrings, £24,770, Chaumet, chaumet.com; Oceana 18-karat white gold, diamond and sapphire cuff, POA, Vanleles Diamonds, vanleles.com; Swallow emerald and diamond earrings, POA, Jessica McCormack, jessicamccormack.com; 18-karat white gold and diamond Serpent Bohème necklace, POA, Boucheron, boucheron.com; Marquis diamond necklace, £90,000, Yeprem, yepremjewellery.com; Rose cocktail ring, £7,800, Piaget, piaget.com; double finger amethyst, emerald and black diamond cocktail ring, £28,524, Ara Vartanian, aravartanian.com; 18-karat white gold Thorn bracelet, £20,950, Stephen Webster, stephenwebster.com; 18-karat white gold and diamond Angel bangle, £22,000, Messika, messika.com; 18-carat white gold and emerald drop earrings, £39,000, James Ganh, jamesganh.com; Secret Combination platinum and diamond hoop earrings, POA, Harry Winston, harrywinston.com; white gold and diamond Flower Chain, £23,000, Chanel, chanel.com

CONNECT FOUR

Strictly come dancing The sizzling Spanish flamenco was the inspiration for Annoushka Ducas’ latest collection. The undulating folds of a fan – a traditional prop used by dancers to send coded messages to their suitors – have been captured in smoothly-carved pink mother-of-pearl, cleverly offset with black rhodium and baguette diamonds and a distinctly Art Deco feel of true vintage glamour. The limited edition range was recently extended to include pale green jade pieces. Flamenco 18-karat white gold with diamond and mother-of-pearl cuff, £39,000; jade and diamond earrings, £16,500, Annoushka, 1 South Molton Street, W1K, annoushka.com

Jewellery news

WORDS: OLIVIA SHARPE

Be Boodles Boodles invites us all to be more like the jeweller with its latest collection, launching just in time for Christmas. Available from 1 December, it sees Boodles’ signature letter ‘B’ woven into a delicate lace openwork motif, and set into feminine jewellery pieces including a bracelet, pendant, earrings and two rings. Each comes in 18-karat rose gold and platinum, featuring a dazzling combination of diamond pavé and round brilliant-cut diamonds. From £6,850, 178 New Bond Street, W1S, boodles.com

Boucheron has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to mixing metals in fine jewellery, as illustrated by its Quatre collection. The bold yet strikingly simple four-stacked ring design has become a signature style, and since its launch in 2004 has been reinterpreted around the four iconic motifs: the Double Godron, Ligne Diamants, Grosgrain and Clou de Paris. This year, the jeweller has deconstructed two layers (the Grosgrain and Clou de Paris motifs), which can now be worn alone or together. The former’s ribbed, vertical lines reference Frederic Boucheron’s family of drapers; the latter’s 3D design traces the cobblestones on Place Vendôme, where Boucheron famously set up shop in 1893. From £5,100, boucheron.com

WRITTEN IN STONE While diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, they are often our bank balance’s worst enemy. And that is why Steven Stone – a family-owned jewellery company founded in 1937 – prides itself on offering its clients only the highest quality, GIA-certified diamonds and fine jewellery at competitive prices. Its Marylebone showroom houses a stunning selection of diamond and gem-set jewellery, as well as samples of its wedding and diamond ring collections to try before buying. Visit the store for expert advice on the best gifts, especially if you’re looking to propose to that special someone this Christmas. 24 St Christopher’s Place, W1U, stevenstone.co.uk

MAGIE BLANCHE BRACELET, POA, MAGICIEN, T. DESCHAMPS & J.CLAESSENS, ©CARTIER

COLLECTION

DRIVING SEAT Laurent Feniou, managing director of Cartier UK, looks back on this year’s highlights and speaks to Olivia Sharpe about the jeweller’s plans for 2017

his year has certainly been a busy one for Cartier. Kicking off with SIHH in January, the prestigious annual watch fair in Geneva, the French jeweller launched the men’s DRIVE de Cartier collection. Next came Magicien: a collection of one-off jewels first glimpsed this summer in the French Riviera, which have since been making a tour around the globe. This was followed by Cactus, its cooler, more contemporary offering. And as the year closes, Cartier plans to extend its signature Love range with new pieces in time for Christmas.

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The man behind the wheel of Cartier’s UK operations is Laurent Feniou. Formerly at Rothschild, last year he took over when executive chairman Arnaud Bamberger stepped down after 23 years at the helm. Moving from the corporate world to the luxury realm of fine jewellery, watches and accessories might not seem the most obvious career step, but sitting opposite him in his London office, I couldn’t imagine a man more suitable for the job. Feniou evidently hasn’t forgotten his former banking roots, being smartly suited up in formal business attire for our meeting, but one flash of the Frenchman’s own DRIVE watch tells me that

he is Cartier through and through. Indeed, the French brand couldn’t have hoped for a better ambassador for its latest and most masculine model to date. Despite the sporty connotations, DRIVE hasn’t been designed for the action man, but rather for the modern day gentleman in need of a watch for all occasions. “I believed from day one that DRIVE de Cartier would be a success in the UK market – and it was,” he comments. “It’s very elegant, timeless and English. Men are becoming more educated about watches, and they like to have a collection with different models depending on how they dress and what they do.” While not exactly a departure from Cartier’s collections to date, it is true that DRIVE is a new direction for the brand, having steered away from its traditionally unisex timepieces. As Feniou notes, the clean, crisp aesthetic of the Cartier Tank or the elegant curves of the Ballon Bleu sit well on both male and female wrists, but DRIVE’s strong lines, defined proportions and masculine guilloche dial could only really work on a man. Cartier’s fresh take on its watch offering is hardly surprising, given the house’s long-standing reputation for innovation. This summer’s Cactus de Cartier collection immediately spiked interest thanks to its daring aesthetic. Drawing on one of the hottest trends of the season (cacti have cropped up everywhere, from Paul Smith and Gufram’s psychedelic coat stand collaboration to Prada’s plant-based fashion collection), the range is a far cry from Cartier’s more traditional blooms. Pieces are bold and sculptural, featuring spiky and curved shapes in vivid shades of green chrysoprase, emerald and warm yellow gold, perfectly capturing the arid desert landscape.

“When you think about Cartier over the years, and the many collections we’ve launched, you can see how we’re constantly trying to create something that’s daring and different”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Illumination bracelet/ ring, POA, Magicien, Vincent, Wulveryck ©Cartier; Drive de Cartier, £18,200; Luminance necklace, POA, Magicien, Vincent Wulveryck ©Cartier; Quetzal ear cuffs, POA, Magicien, Vincent Wulveryck ©Cartier; Cactus de Cartier bracelet in 18-karat yellow gold, lapis lazuli, brilliantcut diamonds, £62,000; Cactus de Cartier ring in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds, £12,000; Quetzal necklace with 68.85-carat rubellite cabochon and diamonds, POA, T. Deschamps & J. Claessens ©Cartier, Magicien

collection

“Cactus de Cartier is the great novelty of 2016,” confirms Feniou. Unlike classic collections such as the Paris Nouvelle Vague or the Juste un Clou – “the key pillars of Cartier”, he says – Cactus is not immediately identifiable as Cartier. It presents an edgier, more contemporary image, with chunky cocktail rings, well-proportioned cuffs and statement earrings. Cartier has never been afraid to explore new ground when it comes to unusual stones: this collection experiments with different and more unusual gemstones, mixing emeralds with lapis lazuli and carnelian beads. “In the past, we’ve worked with fossilised stones for instance, which aren’t as precious as diamonds, but are extremely rare,” argues Feniou. “So what we’re looking at is the rarity and the interest from a design perspective.” And if you know anything about Cartier’s history, you’ll know this isn’t the first time the jeweller has been avant-garde – the now iconic panther design caused quite a stir when it was first unleashed in 1914. “When you think about Cartier over the years, and the many collections we’ve launched, you can see how we’re constantly trying to create something that’s daring and different,” he adds. Every year, Cartier unveils a new high jewellery offering and 2016’s Magicien is arguably its most spellbinding to date. The collection aims to highlight the magic of transforming a precious stone into a priceless piece of jewellery, an act performed by its dedicated team of craftsmen. Feniou explains how the design process always begins with the stone. In reverence for its skilled artisans – many of whom have been with the maison for years – each was given the choice of which stone they’d like to work with.

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The later stage of the process involved the finished creations being presented in front of a committee to ensure that they reflected Cartier’s DNA. The managing director’s favourite piece is the Illumination bracelet, featuring brilliant-cut diamonds, carved rock crystal and one central 31.16-carat D IF emeraldcut diamond, which can be transformed into a ring. “There are some pieces that one can imagine ending up in the Cartier Collection one day – and this is it,” he says. “It’s a true masterpiece and requires the know-how of people who have been working as craftsmen for generations.” Feniou is well-placed to give advice on the best gifts for Christmas. The Frenchman, who unsurprisingly has a taste for the finer things in life, says you cannot go wrong with a bottle of Château Lafite or a holiday abroad. He has already given his two sons, aged 11 and 13, two Cartier watches each in the hope that they will continue to build their collections for years to come, and to his wife, a beautiful Ballon Bleu. While Feniou cannot predict which will be Cartier’s most popular products this Christmas, he notes that the internet is an increasingly essential source of sales; and something the company is investing in for the future. “It is an extremely important element in the luxury world. It’s not just buying, it’s the whole experience. Before entering our boutique, clients spend lots of time on the website, educating themselves on products, style and price so that they come to the store fully prepared.” Plans for 2017 don’t suggest that Cartier is slowing down, as the director reveals that the team is in the midst of planning an exciting exhibition in London. And while he refuses to go into too much detail, he hints that it will be of international weight. “London is an extremely interesting, international hub. People from all over the world visit and live here – so it will always remain a very important place for Cartier.” 175-177 New Bond Street, cartier.co.uk

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ART

Lovingly Lalanne

t was, really, not until an auction at Christie’s in 2009 that the sculptures and furniture by Les Lalanne – 92-year old Claude and her late husband FrançoisXavier – were appreciated on a truly international scale. From her studio near Fontainebleau, Claude has continued to create natural yet fantastical works, some of which are on view at Ben Brown Fine Arts. As Choupatte Géante, a larger-than-life edition of her bronze cabbage that stands on the legs of a chicken (so tall that it dwarfs the sculptor herself), and the 1994 Vache Fleurie (pictured) demonstrate, this is a special and ever-playful show of sculpture, old and new. Until 26 January, Ben Brown Fine Arts, 12 Brook’s Mews, W1K, benbrownfinearts.com

FRANÇOIS-XAVIER LALANNE, VACHE FLEURIE, 1994, PATINATED GILT-BRONZE WITH COPPER LINER 30 X 55 X 22CM, COURTESY OF BEN BROWN FINE ARTS

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H.CLAUDE PISSARRO (b.1935) Vallée de la Vère, Matin d’Hiver, oil on canvas, 46 × 38 cm (18 × 15 inches)

Impressionist | Modern | Contemporary | Camille Pissarro and his Descendants Stern Pissarro Gallery 66 ST. JAMES’S STREET, LONDON SW1A 1NE 020 7629 6662 STERN@PISSARRO.COM

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ART

with Brook Street gallerist KAMEL MENNOUR

Art news

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: KAMEL MENNOUR ON BROOK STREET, ©ADAGP CLAUDE LÉVÊQUE, COURTESY KAMEL MENNOUR; BRYAN ELLERY, BERTRAM WEATHERALL, 2010, BRONZE; ED RUSCHA, GALAXY — U.S.A. — DOT, 2016, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 182.9 × 315CM; ED RUSCHA, BIO, BIOLOGY, 2016, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 182.9 X 315CM; ED RUSCHA, INCH MILE, 2016, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 182.9 × 315CM, ALL ©ED RUSCHA, COURTESY OF GAGOSIAN

WORDS: CAMILLA APCAR

Loud and clear Ed Ruscha’s latest body of work takes a neutral and often monochrome tone that reflects on our place in the cosmos, and its future – over which the 78-year-old has long despaired. His canvases are super-sized as ever (and so right at home at Gagosian on Grosvenor Hill), and the message writ large, in every way. Ed Ruscha Extremes and In-betweens, until 17 December, gagosian.com

Face values From English aristocrats in their stately homes to Chinese shipbuilders in their downtown Shanghai offices, sculptor Bryan Ellery has portrayed an array of personalities the world over – always insisting his work should be done in the sitter’s own home, where “they tend to be more themselves”. After many years working on portrait commissions abroad, Ellery has decided to concentrate on clients closer to home in central London. “As I get older, I find one does not necessarily need to travel so far to discover exciting and beautiful people to portray,” he says. “London has them in abundance.” Having recently depicted an Asian head of state as well as a set of identical twins, Ellery feels ready for any challenge that the “varied and always beautiful faces of humanity” present him. bryanellery.com

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What inspired you to open your first gallery in Mayfair this autumn? I have always been close to London and come here regularly to see several of our artists, meet with collectors or visit exhibitions. We opened our third space in Paris in May, but London is one of the great capitals of contemporary art, and Mayfair is a historical and lively neighbourhood. What role does its interior design play? The gallery was designed by Pierre Yovanovitch as a soft, luxurious and intimate space to showcase poetic gestures and allow the privileged discovery of artworks. He showed me how it can also work as a white space for our artists to invest in. What unites your roster of artists? It is eclectic: we have young, exciting artists like Latifa Echakhch as well as more well-known names such as Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Daniel Buren, and Huang Yong Ping, who was the latest artist invited to fill the nave at the Grand Palais with his Monumenta sculpture. Who was the first artist you took on? One of the first to join us was Zineb Sedira, an Algerian artist based in London. You can see her work in different Victoria line stations, where she was commissioned by Transport for London’s Art on the Underground programme to create a series of films and large-scale photographs. Most recently we welcomed Jake and Dinos Chapman, who just had a solo show at two of our Parisian galleries. With humour and horror, their work changes the way we look at universal symbols. 51 Brook Street, W1K, kamelmennour.com

ART

Prize lots SOLD: £221,000 SECOND HIGHEST LOT IN SALE ACHIEVED £45,000

An ivory netsuke of a shaggy dog and pup, Gechu

SOLD: £236,750 E S T I M AT E : £ 4 0 , 0 0 0 - £ 6 0 , 0 0 0

Prototype Surface Table, Terence Woodgate and John Barnard, 2008 “In our London design sale we saw contemporary work truly step into the spotlight, with a particular demand for limited edition and unique pieces. This is the only existing prototype of the highly sought-after Surface Table by industrial designer Terence Woodgate and design engineer John Barnard – a fusion of innovative technology, perfect craftsmanship and aesthetic beauty. It sparked fierce bidding that ended in a remarkable result.” – Laetitia ContatDesfontaines, head of 20th-century design sales at Sotheby’s London

UPCOMING

The Tales of Beedle the Bard translated from the original runes, J.K. Rowling, 2007 After writing the final novel in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling handwrote and illustrated six uniquely embellished copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard for those who had played a significant part in the previous 17 years of her career. This copy is the only one of the six gifted books to be sold so far (Rowling produced a seventh manuscript specifically for auction and raised a record £1.95m for her charity, Lumos). It belonged to Barry Cunningham, Rowling’s first UK publisher. This precious piece of memorabilia will be sold alongside a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is estimated to sell for £20,000 to £30,000. Estimate £300,000-£500,000, English Literature, History, Children’s Books and Illustrations at Sotheby’s, 13 December, sothebys.com 56

“This piece is particularly famous and significant in the output of its carver, Gechu, not only due to its outstanding craftsmanship but also because it is one of the key source works for attributing other netsuke (small Japanese sculptures) to the artist. It had been in another, equally famous, collection before being bought by Arlette Katchen in 1969 in memory of her husband, Julius, a leading concert pianist who died tragically at the age of 42 and whose final wish was to add this piece – his favourite netsuke – to their collection.” – Suzannah Yip, director of Japanese art at Bonhams

SOLD, FROM LEFT: TERENCE WOODGATE AND JOHN BARNARD, PROTOTYPE ‘SURFACE TABLE’, 2008, PROTOTYPE 2 OF 2, LACQUERED UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBRE AND STEEL, 73 X 600 X 140.5CM, PRODUCED BY ESTABLISHED AND SONS. THE DESIGN SALE AT SOTHEBY’S, 15 NOVEMBER, SOTHEBYS.COM, IMAGE COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S GECHU, AN IVORY NETSUKE OF A SHAGGY DOG AND PUP, LATE 18TH/ EARLY 19TH CENTURY, SIGNED GECHU, 6.5CM HIGH. THE JULIUS AND ARLETTE KATCHEN COLLECTION OF FINE NETSUKE, PART I AT BONHAMS, 8 NOVEMBER, BONHAMS.COM, IMAGE COURTESY OF BONHAMS UPCOMING, FROM LEFT: THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL RUNES, 2007, J.K. ROWLING, INDIVIDUALLY HANDWRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR, 155 PAGES CONTAINING C.6000 WORDS AND 17 VIGNETTE ILLUSTRATIONS, SMALL 8VO (17.5 BY 12CM), IMAGE COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S EDWARD LEAR, THE FOREST OF BAVELLA, C.1878-1888, OIL ON CANVAS, 146 X 240CM, IMAGE ©CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LIMITED 2016

UPCOMING

The Forest of Bavella, Edward Lear, c. 1878-1888 In July, Christie’s Classic Week saw Rubens’ Lot and His Daughters sell for a staggering £44.9 million. The event returns in December with sales on a range of subjects including decorative arts, European sculpture, antiquities and classical Japanese art. This oil painting of the Corsican forest of Bavella by the multi-talented Edward Lear – which is said to have been left on the artist’s easel when he died – will appear in the Old Master & British Paintings sale alongside pieces by Francisco Goya and John Constable. Estimate £600,000-£800,000, Old Master & British Paintings Evening Sale at Christie’s, 8 December; December Classic Week, 6-15 December, christies.com s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

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A new exhibition at Offer Waterman explores Robert Rauschenberg’s first experiments with images from the mass media. Camilla Apcar discovers the power of his transfer drawings

n another era when the United States – and the world – was caught between a whirlwind of overachievement and a climate of political and social turmoil, American artist Robert Rauschenberg wrangled it all into his work, in an ever-changing array of mediums and styles. A five-month retrospective on the paintersculptor-printmaker-photographer opens at the Tate Modern on 1 December, the first since his death in 2008, but from 2 December an exhibition at Offer Waterman will focus on one lesser known strand of his work. Rauschenberg began experimenting with transfer drawings in 1952 on a trip to Cuba. These large sheets anticipate the multimedia Combines and silkscreen paintings for which he is perhaps best known (pictured overleaf), and are some of his first attempts at harnessing the power of mass media imagery. Offer Waterman will exhibit more than 30 examples from the 1950s and 1960s (a sizeable percentage of the total that Rauschenberg created), with almost half on loan from major private collections. Those for sale include a piece that was once in Andy Warhol’s personal collection, and none of the drawings have been exhibited publicly in London before. Despite the moniker, they cannot be considered as ‘drawings’ in the traditional sense. To create them, Rauschenberg cut out photographs and articles from newspapers and magazines, soaked them in solvent (turpentine or lighter fluid), then laid them onto white paper backgrounds. Next, he used a dry pen nib to rub or hatch the image – transferring it in reverse – onto the surface. According to Brice Marden, who worked as Rauschenberg’s studio assistant from 1965, the

ART

FROM TOP: APOLOGY, 1968, SOLVENT TRANSFER ON ARCHES PAPER WITH GOUACHE WASH, WATERCOLOUR AND PENCIL, 57.2 X 76.2CM, ©DACS; ORANGE BODY, 1969, SOLVENT TRANSFER ON ARCHES PAPER WITH GOUACHE AND PENCIL, 139.4 X 187.2CM, ©DACS

artist did most of his work at night: “For weeks there was a stack of Scientific American magazines sitting in the kitchen. Then, suddenly, they had been gone through overnight, and the images removed became Bob’s images.” The process is more precise than an actual drawing; removing any margin for interpretative error, since the photographs are true to life. And although the final visual effect is hazy (conjuring some idea of movement), both the artist’s message and choice of subject matter are quite deliberate. “One of the defining aspects of Rauschenberg’s work is its ability to challenge and push the boundaries of art and how we define it,” says Polly Checker, Offer Waterman’s exhibition director. “Like the Combines, which presented a hybrid between painting and sculpture, in these works Rauschenberg develops a technique that lies somewhere between monotype, collage, drawing and painting.”

“One of the defining aspects of Rauschenberg’s work is its ability to challenge and push the boundaries of art and how we define it” Rauschenberg continued to make transfer drawings after he had begun silkscreening, and even into the late 1960s. “For an artist whose work was marked by constant change, the fact that he worked with this process consistently from 1958 to 1968 reflects the potential for exploration and innovation that it offered,” says Checker. Having stuck with this form of visual art, Rauschenberg made more than 100 transfers in the 1960s. He created 75 in 1968 alone, a year of particular note in both American history and Offer Waterman’s exhibition. “1968 was one of the watershed years in post-war American culture,” says Checker. “Political Folly [pictured overleaf] was made for

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ART

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: POLITICAL FOLLY, 1968, SOLVENT TRANSFER ON ARCHES PAPER WITH WATERCOLOUR, 57.8 X 76.2CM, ©DACS; BED, 1955, COMBINE PAINTING: OIL AND PENCIL ON PILLOW, QUILT, AND SHEET ON WOOD SUPPORTS, 191.1 X 80 X 20.3CM, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK, GIFT OF LEO CASTELLI IN HONOUR OF ALFRED H. BARR, JR., COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK/ SCALA, FLORENCE; RETROACTIVE II, 1963, OIL, SILKSCREEN AND INK ON CANVAS, 203.2 X 152.4CM, COLLECTION MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO, PARTIAL GIFT OF STEFAN T. EDLIS AND H. GAEL NEESON, 1998.49, COURTESY OF NATHAN KEAY ©MCA CHICAGO

the one-day group show Response to Violence in Our Society, organised by ten Chicago art galleries in response to the violence between police and anti-Vietnam war protestors surrounding the Democratic Convention in August of that year.” Images of Senator Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey, as well as of protestors, were torn directly from various newspaper sources. Elsewhere, Rauschenberg wielded the power behind images of the Kennedys, the Olympics in Mexico City, and headlines about racial segregation and the space programme to capture the charged political and social issues – and emotions – of that eventful year. Popular and political culture come together time and again in the transfer drawings: Apology (pictured previous page) nods to Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ Black Power salute, while Ursula Andress rises from the sea in a still from Dr. No. The sources that Rauschenberg drew from were less sensational than those favoured by his contemporary, Andy Warhol, and more from what was then occupying the national interest. Rauschenberg used these images as signifiers that have only grown more potent over time, and allow his transfer drawings to be read – quite literally. More than 50 years on, these first experiments serve a timely reminder of just how influential mass media and its imagery are in the way that we view the world and its woes. Robert Rauschenberg, Transfer Drawings from the 1950s and 1960s, 2 December – 13 January, waterman.co.uk

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Pair of Russian icons: the Archangel Michael and Saint Stephen, 17th-18th Century AD, tempera on wood, 194 x 70 cm, Russia

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FASHION

eter Marino has transformed the Ermenegildo Zegna New Bond Street flagship into a 6,500sq ft fashion emporium, finished with his signature clean lines and rich wooden features. To celebrate the re-opening and this year’s appointment of Alessandro Sartori as Zegna’s artistic director, a new bespoke footwear range handcrafted by Gaziano & Girling will be sold exclusively at the store. Based on nine of Sartori’s close friends, the collection includes a pair of lace-up loafers designed with his art dealer associate in mind, while ballet star Benjamin Millepied was the inspiration behind a pair of double monk strap shoes. The brand’s Su Misura tailoring service spans an entire floor of the townhouse – complete with a bar – for the most blissful of bespoke shopping experiences. 37-38 New Bond Street, W1S, zegna.co.uk

Clean

CUT

IMAGE COURTESY OF ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

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Rule, Britalia! Another Italian name has appeared in lights in the West End as designer Luisa Spagnoli has chosen a prime Piccadilly spot to open her London boutique. Spagnoli has embraced quintessential British style in her A/W16 collection, which features tartans, checks, tweeds, and a hint of glam rock – all set against a backdrop of bold red telephone boxes and underground station signs. From £55, Luisa Spagnoli, 171 Piccadilly, W1J, luisaspagnoli.com

Style update WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

RETURN OF THE MACANDREAS MACANDR

From Milan to Mount Street Milanese accessories label Valextra recently joined the Mount Street elite: founded in 1937, it is best known for its structural handbags and practical luggage. The minimal interior scheme, designed by Philippe Malouin of Post-Office studio, reflects Valextra’s architectural aesthetic, and the lighter tones of the walls and carpet particularly enhance the bright patterns in this season’s collection (from £295). Valextra, 129 Mount Street, W1K, valextra.com

We first saw Vivienne Westwood’s MacAndreas tartan back in her 1993 Gold Label collection Anglomania (the show in which Naomi Campbell stumbled in those staggering blue platforms). The tartan is in homage to Westwood’s husband Andreas Kronthaler, and has been resurrected in a range of orange and navy scarves and stoles by Johnstons of Elgin. Cashmere blue tartan scarf, £150, Vivienne Westwood x Johnstons of Elgin, viviennewestwood.com

FASHION

All I want for Christmas is Choo If decorating your home doesn’t evoke quite enough seasonal cheer, Jimmy Choo has just the thing to brighten up each day of advent. Its Cruise Collection, which drops in stores in December, allows you to adorn your shoes and handbags with Swarovski embellishments – and even buy more if you feel so inclined. The vintage-inspired pearl, diamanté and fur brooches fit neatly in your handbag, taking you straight from dinner to the dance floor without a second thought. Charms from £35, Jimmy Choo, 27 New Bond Street, W1S, jimmychoo.com

A very British fairy tale British retail institutions Burberry and Harrods have joined forces for a spectacular Christmas collection, with a host of exclusive items to please even the most awkward of loved ones. The partnership has extended to the Harrods Christmas windows, revealed by actress Lily James (pictured), who also stars in Burberry’s festive short film: The Tale of Thomas Burberry. Pieces such as the shearling collar trench she wears almost make us wish that winter lasted more than just a quarter of the year. Sandringham shearling collar trench coat, £1,895, Burberry, available exclusively at Harrods, harrods.com

IMAGE COURTESY OF BURBERRY

Shine on

WINTER HUNTERLAND

Beirut-born Racil Chalhoub’s modern tailoring brand was launched just last year, but it has already made quite an impression with pieces that can easily be dressed up or down. Selfridges has now curated an exclusive eight-piece collection of Racil party separates in a glittering array of fabrics: from the slinky 1990s style Beverly dress à la Kate Moss, to the disco-ball tuxedo jacket (pictured above) that will add a little groove to any outfit. Phoenix tuxedo jacket, £710, available exclusively at Selfridges, selfridges.com

The great British rain is inescapable, so why not make it enjoyable? Heritage brand Hunter Original always manages to make practical outerwear look and feel stylish. We’ve got our eye on this streamlined, rubberised cape and the shearling-lined leather lace-ups from its North Sea-inspired A/W16 collection. They’re ideal for frolicking in the erratic festive weather and – fingers crossed – building some snowmen. Cape, £225 and boots, £185, Hunter Original, hunterboots.com

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THE

A/W16 CAMPAIGN STARRING GIGI HADID. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIO TESTINO OPPOSITE: STUART WEITZMAN

FASHION

As Stuart Weitzman generates footfall with its first ever UK store on London’s Regent Street, Olivia Sharpe speaks to its eponymous founder about breaking into the shoe business and the many highs of his career

such as Harrods and Selfridges – it seems surprising that this is his solo British foray. “London is a city that scares you away because of the high rental costs,” Weitzman explains, “but our success in the big stores proved to me that we could tackle it.” After a site became available on Regent Street, and with the business on a secure footing, the designer saw an opportunity that he couldn’t miss. He refuses to go into too much detail about what the store will look like, but hints that it will have a cooler, “more downtown vibe” than his existing stores as the company strives to meet the demands of the modern day consumer. Following Weitzman’s decision to sell part of his company’s shares to Jones Apparel Group, his empire has grown rapidly, generating substantial annual revenue thanks largely to its wholesale business. Jones Apparel

LONG RUN “I just like to see a good game. I often enter the stadium hoping someone will win and then find myself rooting for the underdog because I like to see a long battle.” Stuart Weitzman is full of surprises. Had it not been for the shoe designer’s soft American twang as he speaks to me on the phone from his New York office, I would have believed he was a Brit, as we discuss his love of tennis and the temperamental English weather. Secondly, had I not known he was a septuagenarian, I would have felt sure he was in his mid-30s. At 74, he is so full of vitality that he no doubt puts far younger men than himself to shame. Weitzman’s thriving shoe empire continues to go from strength to strength, as November sees the opening of his first flagship boutique in London. With footwear sold in more than 70 countries and in more than 78 retail stores across the US and in Europe – as well as department stores

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Group bought the remaining shares in 2012 before the company was sold in its entirety to Coach in 2015. However, Weitzman only agreed to sell under the condition that he would maintain creative control of the company as head designer. Weitzman possesses a strong head for business, which is no doubt why his company is the success story it is today. Revenue figures at the end of 2014 were reportedly $300 million. The designer was born into the shoe industry, his father having started a factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Yet he was initially drawn to the world of finance and so studied business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963, imagining he would end up on Wall Street. However, fate had other plans for him, and his father’s untimely death in 1965 instead led him to join his brother in the family business. It was then that he realised his calling. “As soon as I started selling shoes, it was so exciting. I had never experienced that feeling before and I hadn’t anticipated it,” he says.

After a few years running the business, Weitzman believed that there was potential in the European shoe industry and went to Spain to find a manufacturing partner. He eventually took full ownership of the company Stuart Weitzman in 1986. The designer notes how many businesses tend to shy away from investing in their own manufacturing facilities due to the strict EU regulations that often hinder the process. Stuart Weitzman operates several factories in Spain, enabling the luxury shoe brand to sell footwear at far more competitive prices than its peers. “Other designers are having to charge 50 to 100 per cent more for their collections because they are making them

on someone’s else plant – so it inevitably adds to the overall cost,” he says. Weitzman’s footwear currently retails from £295 for flat shoes to £735 for boots. Stuart Weitzman’s signature design, the Nudist sandal, was created in 2013. First favoured by Diane Kruger and now ubiquitous on the red carpet, the simple two-strap design and its four-inch heel broke with convention for combining comfort and style and has been dubbed ‘the giving sandal’. This year, Weitzman attended the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards with singer Ciara, who wore an updated version of the Nudist. “Giuliana Rancic from Entertainment Tonight was interviewing us and Ciara was saying how much she loved her shoes, at which point

fashion

ABOVE: A/W16 campaign starring Gigi Hadid. Photography BY Mario Testino

Giuliana called out to the crowd, ‘Is there anyone here not wearing Stuart Weitzman?’ I think there were about 16 girls wearing them. If they’d all been wearing the same dress, it would have been World War Three!” Another of Weitzman’s best-loved pairs are the thigh-high Highland boots. The designer was largely responsible for changing perceptions of this provocative design into an elegant and sexy staple – but he makes no attempt to deny that Julia Roberts’ appearance as Vivian in Pretty Woman was his source of inspiration. “I love that movie. I wanted to turn it into a shoe that every girl would want. Not every hooker, but every woman.” Initially, not everyone shared Weitzman’s vision, and he had to trial about 19 different designs before he struck gold. He adapted the pointed toe into a softer, rounded version and made the stiletto heel stronger and thicker. Gone too was the tacky vinyl leather sported by Roberts; replaced with elegant velvet, soft suede and leather materials. The first person to wear the boots was Kate Moss. “I brought a pair to a shoot with Mario Testino and Kate, even though we had never planned on including them,” he explains. “But then I asked her to try them on and she walked over to the mirror and said, ‘wow’ and asked for a pair. I said I would give them to her on one condition – simply tell me why you want this boot and you know what she said? ‘Strong heel’. That was it.” Moss debuted the new style in the A/W13 Stuart Weitzman video campaign. A media frenzy ensued, and women of all ages were demanding their own pairs from Weitzman. Their ageless appeal has since seen them worn by everyone from Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift to Heidi Klum and Jennifer Aniston. The forward-thinking designer has always had a democratic approach to design, but only now have others caught up with him. “I’ve never acted as a dictator, but the industry definitely used to,” explains Weitzman. “If you’re a good designer you will make one cohesive collection with each style working with any kind of silhouette.” From round, peep toe, pointed and oval-shaped to high heels, platforms, pumps and trainers, there are endless choices of footwear on the market, and Weitzman believes that the internet is

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overwhelmingly responsible for women’s elevated confidence with regards to what choices to make. Weitzman has never ventured into men’s shoes, finding the opposite sex’s options far more exciting and diverse. His love affair with shoes seems to have gone hand in hand with his love affair with women: he first realised the power of shoes to transform the wearer when he was 16 years old and had fallen in love with a cheerleader.

Weitzman is largely responsible for changing perceptions of thigh-high boots “I had the serious hots for this girl, but whenever I asked her out she told me she was too busy. One day she finally agreed,” he narrates, smiling. “So I borrowed my brother’s car and picked her up in the suburbs of New York – and she was wearing these red leather high-heeled pumps. At that moment I got the message of how shoes can really tell you something about a woman and the message she wants to give off.” While Weitzman jokes how he considers ‘retirement’ to be a dirty word, he understands that he must consider the long-term future of his company, especially given that his children have all pursued different careers. His two-year goal is to put a strong team in place to continue his legacy. Earlier this year Coach announced Wendy Kahn, the former head of Valentino, as the new CEO of Stuart Weitzman. She has ambitious plans to expand the brand into further product categories. By taking a step back, Weitzman will have more time to focus on his organisation, the Weitzman Family Foundation, which strives to support the American Jewish community and to enrich the lives of Jewish youngsters through education, health and sport. For Weitzman, the symbolic importance of a person’s shoes can be summed up by fictional character Forrest Gump, who said: “My mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” And I’m sure if you were to look at Weitzman’s shoes, they would tell a very great story indeed. 200-206 Regent Street, W1B eu.stuartweitzman.com

HER Cape, £4,150, Andrew Gn, andrewgn.com; dress, POA, Dsquared2, dsquared2.com; gloves, £79, Karl Lagerfeld, karl.com; bag, £100, Edie Parker, edie-parker.com

HIM Waistcoat, £1,700, Julien Macdonald, julienmacdonald.com; shirt, £160, trousers, £195, both Brooks Brothers, brooksbrothers.com

Winter

wardobe

It’s time to deck the halls – and yourself – with as much sparkle as you can muster. From sequin-embellished capes to golden animal print blazers, discover the brands championing the festive spirit 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 lin g : D E B ORAH L ATO U C H E

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FASHION

HER Jumpsuit, £10,200, Julien Macdonald, as before; bag, £1,815, Roberto Cavalli, robertocavalli.com; shoes, £895, Christian Louboutin, christianlouboutin.com; ring, £88, Kate Spade, katespade.co.uk

HIM Jacket, £885, trousers, £395, Casely Hayford, casely-hayford.com; shirt, £160, Brooks Brothers, as before; shoes, £505, J.M. Weston, jmweston.com; pocket square, £55, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk; bow tie, £45, Gieves & Hawkes, gievesandhawkes.com

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FASHION

HER Dress, £1,495, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, preenbythorntonbregazzi.com; jacket, £978, Diane von Furstenberg, dvf.com; bag, £1,598, Philipp Plein, plein.com; ring, £300, Ternary London, ternarylondon.com

HIM Jacket, £900, Just Cavalli, justcavalli.robertocavalli.com; shirt, £435, Philipp Plein, as before; trousers, £195, Kenzo, kenzo.com; tie, vintage Yves Saint Laurent, stylist’s own

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CREDITS Models: Sally Jonsson at Milk Agency and Seb at Models 1 Make-up: Neusa Neves at Terri Manduca, using NARS Cosmetics and Zelens Nails: Amy Atkins at Terri Manduca, using Nails Inc Hair: Renda Attia, using Bumble and Bumble Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant: Julie Lee Hair assistant: Selasie Ackuaku Make-up assistant: Faith Eastwood Location: Quaglinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk With special thanks to: The Macallan, themacallan.com

DISCOVER THE NEW LUGGAGE AND AUTUMN WINTER COLLECTIONS

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11/11/2016 11:30

FASHION

Dress to impress One of the most thrilling aspects of the festive season’s social calendar is the opportunity to peacock. The Gieves & Hawkes A/W16 collection is filled with structured casualwear for cosy country retreats, but our favourite pieces are the tailored dinner jackets – particularly the one with a foliage pattern jacquard in bronze (pictured, £2,195). The campaign is modelled by Andre van Noord who stars alongside his son Parker, testament to the brand’s cross-generational appeal. 1 Savile Row, W1S, gievesandhawkes.com

Style spy WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

Blue velvet Fresh from a glistening refurbishment, member’s club Annabel’s on Berkeley Square has collaborated with father-and-son tailors Joe and Charlie Casely-Hayford to create a suave smoking jacket. The velvet limited edition is singlebreasted with a wide shawl lapel, in an inky hue that arouses nostalgia for 1950s glamour, while its camouflage lining is a nod to Casely-Hayford’s A/W16 collection, Irregimental Youth. £675, available at Harvey Nichols, harveynichols.com

Sole of a man TAKE A BOW Bow Tie by Design is a new e-store that works closely with designers of one rather divisive formalwear accessory: the bow tie. The brand is currently championing Matilda Flynn, Pascal Dino and Zarazz, who have created a range of tied and self-tied options. It’s worth a look, whether you’re ready to whip one out during party season or continue channelling your inner Bond or Blahnik. From £125, bowtiebydesign.com

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Tramezza translates literally from Italian to ‘something in-between’, which hints at the secret behind the unrivalled comfort and sturdiness of the shoe range of the same name from Salvatore Ferragamo. The defining feature of its 260-stage handcrafted process is a thick piece of buttery leather – elsewhere, cork is often used – placed between the sole and in-sole. A new made-to-order service allows customers to build their own Oxford brogue or monk strap shoe or boot, with options including ostrich and crocodile skin and engraving on the sole. From £590, 24 Old Bond Street, W1S, ferragamo.com 77

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INTERIORS

Ted’s

threads

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ed Baker adds another string to his suave bow this winter with an opulent new rug collection in collaboration with Dutch carpet craftsmen Brink & Campman. The enigmatic and elusive Mr Baker supposedly hatched the plan after he tripped over at the summit of a Siberian mountain and inadvertently discovered a piece of ancient tapestry beneath the snow. Many of the prints are recognisable from his ready-to-wear lines: glossy jewel-hued paisleys, futuristic florals and liquescent marble patterns are handcrafted to order using the softest woollen yarns. The brand’s quintessentially British style with a healthy dose of drama makes for a striking feature floor. From £545, tedbaker.com

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All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ÂŠ 2016 Crestron, Ltd.

INTERIORS

Paisley power The paisley pattern has always had a prominent and familiar place in British fashion. In the 19th century, the botanical motif was woven into shawls in its namesake Scottish town, before it swirled into the kaleidoscopic limelight of 1960s pop culture. Fascinated by the print, Gerolamo ‘Gimmo’ Etro introduced his own vibrant interpretation when he founded his textile brand in 1968. The arnica paisley remains symbolic of Etro, and adorns much of the regal and lavish A/W16 home collection. From £109, harrods.com

Interiors news WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

CHECKMATE As part of the department store’s shiny new accessories expansion, Selfridges is hosting a Swarovski Atelier pop-up until January. Our favourite piece is this mixed material chess set designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, using concrete, aluminium, marble, crystal and silver. The board shows maps of Milan and New York where Libeskind has spent the majority of his life, while the pieces represent some of his most prominent structures. It’s the perfect gift, but perhaps keep it out of reach once the champagne starts flowing. Architecture and the City chess set by Daniel Libeskind, POA, Atelier Swarovski, selfridges.com

A study in green In his biographical essay Pen, Pencil, and Poison: A Study in Green, Oscar Wilde describes the corrupt art critic at the centre of the piece as having: “that IMAGES COURTESY OF ACHILLE SALVAGNI ATELIER curious love of green, which in individuals is always the sign of a subtle artistic temperament”, before going onto describe his library, which features a “‘pomona-green’ chair”. For his latest collection, all for the study, Achille Salvagni has also taken inspiration from this curious colour. Expect his signature use of onyx, bronze and walnut alongside angular celestial light fittings and a curved, moss-hued sofa. A Study in Green, until 17 February, Achille Salvagni Atelier, 12 Grafton Street, W1S, achillesalvagni.com

Silver service There’s no other occasion quite like Christmas dinner, so it’s only right that the most precious tableware is reserved for such a feast. Alchimie’s shimmering selection of dining plates, bowls, beakers and even lanterns comes in a colour palette that will suit every yuletide scheme – whether it’s minimal and monochrome, a frosty silver grotto or simply dripping with gold. From £30, Alchimie, l-objet.com

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All she wants for Christmas...

LUXURY BATH & BODY AND HOME FRAGRANCE COLLECTIONS

www.lilouetloic.com

INTERIORS

GAME of HOMES For most, the festive season equals family time, which inevitably means having an argument over some form of competitive entertainment – let the games begin

Scrabble A classic pastime for the talking dictionaries among you (or for those who like to make up words and try to get away with it), this lambskin leather Scrabble set from Asprey is as good as it gets. With magnetic letters, our lives just got easier. £8,800, asprey.com

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Chess and backgammon Why play one game, when you can play two? This statement macassar ebony table with inlaid sycamore palms is a chess set at first, but flip it over and, hey presto, you have backgammon. £16,600, Alexandra Llewellyn, exclusive to Harrods, harrods.com

Bridge Crafted in walnut with veneered marquetry, this decadent Linley bridge box plays with the name of the game it houses within, by sporting a silhouette of Tower Bridge on its lid. Cards have never looked so sophisticated. £650, davidlinley.com

Snakes and ladders Release your inner child with this red leather William & Son snakes and ladders board – a true family favourite. With inlaid counters, shaker and spot dice, it’s fun for all the family, not just the big kids. £545, williamandson.com

Monopoly As residents of the most expensive street on the board, it’s only right that all Mayfairians should own a Monopoly set. Handmade in England, this Aspinal of London version comes with a jewel calf leather tray lined in felt. £995, aspinaloflondon.com

Founders of Scandinavian-inspired British lifestyle brand Lilou et Loïc, Aldis Firman and Malin Wright, discuss their love of home, design and fragrance with Olivia Sharpe

have serious home envy. It’s 10am and I’ve just arrived at the house of Aldis Firman, one of the founders of lifestyle brand Lilou et Loïc, located minutes from Barons Court station. The open-plan kitchen and dining area is as attractive and welcoming as its owner. The dark wooden dining table, sourced from Milan, and accompanying Ralph Lauren chairs perfectly complement the white Statuario marble kitchen countertops. I take mental notes of the Art Deco-inspired chandelier and the floor-to-ceiling mirror. If it hadn’t been for the highchair placed discreetly round the breakfast nook, I would never have guessed this meticulous residence was a family home. Aldis lives here with her husband, racing car driver Ralph Firman, and their two small children. The pair did up the property completely from scratch, although she tells me, smiling, that her husband had very little involvement in the design. The Icelandic businesswoman has had several homes in London, which have all been minimalistic in style – up until recently, that is. “My first home used to be completely Scandi,” she says. “You’d walk in and you’d know a Nordic person lived there.” However, her taste has evolved over the years and her latest home has traces of her brief sojourn to the States when she was a child and her travels to Japan. “Essentially it’s a Scandinavian home, but with touches of contemporary and classic.” This is the perfect way to sum up Lilou et Loïc, which specialises in fragrances and bath and body products, and which Aldis founded together with close friend, Malin Wright, in 2011. The former Swedish model – who arrives impeccably dressed in a cream poloneck and leather trousers – used to live in Fulham, but has since moved to the country with her husband and three children. The blonde duo first met ten years ago in London where they worked for the same company. “I think it’s our Nordic mentality, but we had an instant connection,” says Aldis. The pair then reconvened in France, where Malin had been spending the majority of her time, and bonded over their love of fragrance. “We spend summers in our house in Grasse. It is amazing the scents you discover there,” says Malin. “The jasmine, rose, violet and orange

INTERIORS

blossom, all of which can be found in our bestselling White Cashmere fragrance, originate from there.” Without further ado, the two set about creating their first product line, which developed organically thanks to a strong shared vision. Drawing on their personal tastes, the simple, monochrome packaging (designed by Malin) and the luxurious handmade, reusable glass bottles, reflect their Scandinavian sensibility, while the products have all been made in England, marking Lilou et Loïc out as a British brand. So engrossed were they in creating the products that they hadn’t even come up with a name for their concept. However, like everything else, this proved very easy.

OPPOSITE: ALDIS FIRMAN AND MALIN WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY: SAREL JANSEN THIS PAGE: LILOU ET LOÏC COLLECTIONS

“We believe people should be able to express their personality and fragrance choices freely” “Once we identified the name we knew it couldn’t be anything else,” says Malin, smiling. “It came from my daughter’s nickname, Lilou, and her imaginary friend, Loïc, who used to accompany us when we were in France. We then decided to add wings to illustrate her guardian angel.” All of the brand’s heavenly fragrances are inspired by Aldis and Malin’s travels. One scent that particularly resonates with Aldis is the Oriental Sandalwood & Black Pepper, which takes her back to her time in Japan. “I’ve been all over [the country] and one thing that travelled with me throughout, whether it was

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Nagasaki in the south or Sapporo in the north, is sandalwood. It retains its scent in the wood for centuries and it’s one of the most common incenses used for religious ceremonies.” While Aldis tends to lean towards the slightly sweeter smells, Malin prefers the traditionally more masculine elements. “I love Black Amber & Saffron,” she says. “It’s very sophisticated and I like the fact that it goes through all of our collections.” The fragrances in the Lilou et Loïc range are unisex, as the founders are keen to break down gender barriers. This once again highlights their Scandinavian roots, a region famed for being one of the most gender equal in the world. “Many women don’t want a typically feminine scent,” explains Malin. “We believe people should be able to express their personality and fragrance choices freely.” Aldis confirms that their male to female client ratio is 50/50, particularly when it comes to their Essentials range, launched earlier this year. The pair also hope to roll out their bespoke offering to companies next year, having recently been commissioned by a member of the royal family. One thing that unifies the brand is the two founders’ love of design and the home. As Aldis puts it: “Home is where you can really be creative and express yourself.” As we enter the festive season, I ask the two women how they will each be spending Christmas. While Aldis is taking her whole clan to Iceland for a Nordic affair, Malin is staying in the UK, where her family will celebrate in both Scandi and British style. We wouldn’t expect anything less. lilouetloic.com

Skate

SAFE

Ice skating has become an increasingly popular pastime for the winter, and with the festive season in full swing, Mr Chinmay Gupte, consultant knee trauma surgeon at The Wellington Hospital explains what happens if you have a knee injury on the ice

Meet the specialist

or those of us who recover with bracing and Mr Chinmay Gupte, PhD, MA (Oxon), stay in the city over physiotherapy. If the knee swells FRCS (Tr & Orth), BM BCh, is a consultant the festive period, ice immediately and weight-bearing is knee trauma surgeon. He is also a senior skating has become a impossible after the injury, it is lecturer and consultant orthopaedic staple winter activity. more likely you have anterior surgeon at Imperial College London. Even the most graceful cruciate ligament damage. An His interests include sports knee and skaters need to take care. Many injury that seems trivial at first, but knee arthritis surgery. injuries can occur during skating, becomes more painful and swells over including wrist, knee, back and ankle. the following hours or days, might be a This article will focus on knee injuries. meniscal injury. Damage to the bones The slippery surface combined with the could be bruising or a fracture. constant turning motion can put a lot of It is advisable to speak to an orthopaedic pressure on your joints, particularly the knees. consultant if you suspect a serious injury, or have Injuries can happen when the forces overcome pain and instability that persists for more than the resistance of your muscles and ligaments. two weeks. Winter sports knee problems can include Your surgeon will take a history surrounding ligament damage, cartilage injuries, and damage to the injury and your symptoms. Your knee will be the bones, knee cap and its associated structures. examined for swelling, tenderness, movement The most common knee injury (damage to the and looseness. Most types of knee injuries are inner medial collateral ligament) can usually best investigated with an MRI scan or sometimes

PROMOTION

an X-ray. MRI scanning is painless and usually takes less than 25 minutes.

Treatment of injuries

The surgeons at The Wellington knee unit have a tremendous wealth of experience

Medial collateral ligament injuries generally recover without surgery, but you may need to use a knee brace and crutches while it heals. In adults, the anterior cruciate ligament generally does not heal well. If it is injured, immediate treatment should consist of ice, compression, elevation of the knee and supporting the knee in a hinge knee brace. Surgery to reconstruct the ligament should be considered if you are particularly active or have an associated meniscal injury. Some anterior cruciate ligaments injuries can be managed without operation if the knee feels stable and you avoid high-stress activities. Meniscal injuries to the knee can sometimes heal with physiotherapy but persistent symptoms will require arthroscopy (keyhole operation). A torn meniscus can be stitched back together or the torn segment can be removed; your surgeon will discuss which option is best for you. Crutches and a brace may be necessary for recovery. Knee cap injuries are usually managed with physiotherapy and a brace, although recurrent dislocation may require an operation to stabilise the knee cap.

How to prevent a knee injury It is important to keep the muscles around your knees in optimum condition. One of the best exercises to strengthen and condition the muscles is cycling. This builds up your quadriceps, hamstrings and buttock muscles, which are all important for knee stability. Other activities that build up the abdominal core, such as Pilates, are also useful. Balance while skating is important so it is advisable not to drink alcohol. People with previous knee injuries may consider using a short hinged knee brace on the ice. The surgeons at The Wellington knee unit have a tremendous wealth of experience. They work closely as a team, and with radiologists and physiotherapists at the hospital to ensure the best chances of an excellent recovery. For more information or to book an appointment with the knee unit at The Wellington Hospital, please call our enquiry helpline on 020 3813 7294

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IMAGE CREDIT: ©CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS

HEALTH & BEAUTY

All that glitters Dior’s latest collection, Splendor, has raised the bar for party season. Eyeshadow palettes in white, black and smoky silver, or pink, mauve and violet feature an embossed sequin motif that pays homage to the artistry of its couture atelier; while pearlescent nail shades include pink and gold-specked garnet red. The two-in-one Diorific Matte Fluid – suitable for colouring both lips and cheeks – will serve unfailingly on any special winter’s night. From £20.50, dior.com

Beauty news WORDS: MELISSA EMERSON

Aesop’s adventures

GOLD DIGGER

A beautifully-presented gift set is always a winner, and Aesop’s new Pursuits of Passion theme leads the pack this Christmas. Six editions celebrate the work of naturalists including German-born Maria Sibylla Merian, who travelled – on what was said to be the world’s first purely scientific expedition – to the Dutch colony of Surinam in 1699 to study indigenous flora and fauna. Named in her honour, The Avid Explorer is a quartet of body products (think balms, cleanser and hand wash), while other sets focus on skin, hair or male grooming (in the aptly-named The Intrepid Gent). Sweet illustrations by Norwegian artist Bendik Kaltenborn lend a stylish finishing touch. From £50, aesop.com

Burberry’s festive collection is all about one precious metal in particular: from its limited edition metallic packaging to glittery Shimmer Dust. Gold flakes turn My Burberry Eau De Parfum into a sparkling snow globe, and for a unique extra touch, the bottle itself can also be monogrammed on request. From £15, uk.burberry.com

A bed of roses Diptyque’s 34 Collection – named after its first boutique at 34 Boulevard SaintGermain – sees new editions launched each year depending on the best harvest from its fields in Grasse. For 2016 comes Essences Insensées, a delicate May rose fragrance with honey hidden in its floral notes. Revel in the scent’s full intensity courtesy of this elegantly cased and handbag-ready solid format. £40, diptyqueparis.co.uk 88

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25-08-16 09:21

HEALTH & BEAUTY

S PA R E V I E W

Wonder water New hydrotherapy treatments make a splash at Hotel Café Royal, where Melissa Emerson puts a shower ritual to the test

s I entered the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre at Hotel Café Royal, it was serenely quiet – a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of Regent Street and Piccadilly. With low mood lighting throughout, tealights in rock-like crystal holders on the staircase and the pool glimmering below, it felt a little like entering a mystical subterranean grotto. I felt soothed even before my session began. I was in for a 75-minute Detoxifying Vichy Shower Ritual experience thanks to the new Vichy shower room at the spa, which has seen the introduction of three exclusive new treatments. Functioning like a wet room, six shower panels above a leather massage bed are integral to the process, and both the water pressure and temperature can be adjusted according to the treatment. My therapist Coralie, an aquatic bodywork and Vichy specialist, is a warm and calming presence and made sure I was comfortable before we began. A green tea, ginger and salt scrub is applied to begin the Ritual, exfoliating skin and removing impurities. Where you’d normally have to get up to shower and rinse the scrub off afterwards, here, you stay right where you are and let the jets above do all the work. A lengthy massage followed, and while different areas were worked on, the water rained down gently – giving sensation and warmth to the muscles in other parts of the body. Coralie encouraged me to focus on my breathing, to help me fully unwind and find a comfortable place under the water. Far from a one-size-fits-all

After emerging from my watery bed, I enjoyed a mint tea and apricots in the dark and cosy relaxation room

approach to relaxation, Coralie can adapt the treatment to how she feels the body move and react, and work with any strains or injuries. After emerging from my watery bed, I was offered a mint tea and apricots in the dark and cosy relaxation room, and stayed a little while longer to enjoy the rest of the facilities. Following a respectable number of lengths in the 18-metre pool, I retreated to the jacuzzi and then the hammam. Even through the steam, its marble interior is an impressive sight. With my mind calm, I was ready to head back up to ground level, step foot into the real world again and embark on a truly leisurely commute home. Detoxifying Vichy Shower Ritual, 75 minutes, £140, hotelcaferoyal.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Book a booth It is impossible not to pick up on Martin Brudnizki’s distinguished design at 45 Jermyn St. The pumpkin colouredbooths provide secretive areas for private tête-à-têtes, while the mirrored walls add a playful vibe recognisable from Brudzinski’s other haunt, Sexy Fish. Hints of the signature Fortnum & Mason eau de nil colour frame the restaurant, while the ingredients come straight from the department store’s food hall. The breakfast, lunch and dinner menus may be bursting with grand plates, but one option reigns supreme: the caviar cart. Impress a guest with the spectacle and have eggs scrambled at your table. 45 Jermyn St, SW1, 45jermynst.com

Food & drink news

IMAGE CREDIT: PATRICIA NIVEN

WORDS: HANNAH LEMON

IMAGE CREDIT: SIM CANETTY-CLARKE

Dapper drinks

Keeping it in the family

A single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a suit. This is why 34 Mayfair has joined forces with the likes of tailor Hardy Amies to create suitably stylish cocktails. The list of collaborators also includes gunmaker James Purdey & Sons (try A Walk in the Woods), silversmith Georg Jensen (The Modern Danish Martini) and coffee and tea merchant H.R. Higgins (A Clear Espression). 34 Grosvenor Square, W1K, 34-restaurant.co.uk

The Tuscan Frescobaldi family has been making wine since 1308 and, lucky for us, they pour it by the glass. Once trading carafes for works of art with Michelangelo, the Italian restaurant has since decided to focus on food pairings. Enjoy a bottle of two with homemade pasta and bread, tuna carpaccio, veal cheek pappardelle, or squid ink strozzapreti with prawns. 15 New Burlington Place, W1S, frescobaldi.london

Spirits of Christmas PORT

RUM

WHISKY

TRIPLE SEC

Indulge in Berry Bros & Rudd’s William Pickering port with Kokoh chocolates. £50, bbr.com

Banana, spice and all things nice are in this Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum. £150, selfridges.com

Don’t dawdle – there are only 100 of these Glenlivet Winchester 50-year-old single malts. £19,995, harrods.com

This Cointreau comes in a Liberty London box, complete with jigger, candle and notebook. £250, cointreau.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Location, location, location

othing says Christmas like warming the cockles with a fine whisky, and The Macallan adds an air of festivity to any evening. Stocked in bars across Mayfair – London’s best spot (we’re not biased, promise) – the only decision left to make is where to drink it.

12 Hay Hill

The Chesterfield Hotel

Hush

Try a The Macallan whisky flight or a cocktail from the resident mixologist with live piano to boot. 35 Charles Street, W1J, chesterfieldmayfair.com

Walk down a pretty secluded mews and you’ll find an ideal date spot at the restaurant’s courtyard bar. Lancashire Court, 8 Brook Street, W1S, hush.co.uk

The private members’ club offers the most exclusive atmosphere at its New York deli-inspired lounge bar, offering everything from Jersey oysters to the finest Iberico Bellota ham – and a glass of The Macallan, of course. 12 Hay Hill, W1J, 12hayhill.com

Tasty pastries

Yule log from Ladurée

If your cooking skills don’t live up to those of the Great British Bake Off’s winner Candice Brown, the next best thing is to call in the Pastry Girls for bespoke treats. Macarons, chocolates, cake pops, biscuits and cakes – you name it, they make it. And the personalised touch is the best part: whether you’re asking for a giant minion for a nephew or a six-tier white wedding cake, there isn’t much the Pastry Girls can’t help you with. pastrygirls.co.uk

Chocolates. Macarons. Chocolates. Macarons. Choosing which to feast on first is one of the festive season’s most baffling conundrums. Ladurée, however, has added one more offering to the mix with its annual Yule log design. The almond biscuit filled with sugar almond cream, rosé champagne mousse and candied strawberry, solves every sweet decision. Six servings £51, individual cake £8, 71-72 Burlington Arcade, W1J, laduree.com

IMAGE CREDIT: ILYA KRYLOV

SHERRY

GIN

TEQUILA

VODKA

For a full stocking, pour Santa a glass of Barbadillo Palo Cortado Obispo Gason. £32.10, hedonism.co.uk

The Botanist has foraged 22 local herbs and flowers for this Scottish offering. £33, thebotanist.com

Mexico’s favourite drink comes as the triple distilled Gran Patron Platinum. £325, selfridges.com

Spread good cheer with Belvedere (RED) – 50 per cent of proceeds help tackle AIDS in Africa. £35.95, belvederevodka.com/red

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“Mayfair’s best kept secret”

info@hush.co.uk Telephone: 020 7659 1500 Fax: 020 7659 1501 No.8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, London, W1S 1EY

TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT www.luxurylondon.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK

REVIEW

Channel hopping A £15 million refurbishment has brought Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin to Flemings Mayfair. Camilla Apcar has a first taste of the new Ormer Mayfair

pening a new restaurant can be a struggle. Opening one inside a hotel – unless occupying the realms of the Chiltern Firehouse – is even harder; there’s the added challenge of encouraging diners other than those staying the night. Ormer Mayfair, which opened in September as part of the Flemings Mayfair hotel’s £15 million refurb, faces just such challenges. Set on the lower ground floor, with scaffolding currently outside, those who aren’t in the know may pass right by. But those who do have the inside track will recognise that it won’t struggle for long. Chef Shaun Rankin – whose Ormer restaurant in Jersey received its Michelin star only four months after opening in 2014 – offers a sharp balance of seafood, game and flavoursome fine dining in a smart 1930s-style setting. And, it’s laid-back enough to hold a proper conversation over lunch or dinner (although a large table hidden behind a heavy red velvet curtain is ready for more raucous parties). Rankin’s island roots break through in every course: to start, Jersey crab salad with the thinnest curls of Granny Smith apple and a vanilla dressing, or lobster ravioli with a crab and tomato bisque both serve a fresh taste of the Channel. Wines have been individually paired with each dish, a worthwhile endeavour that sees vintages from across the globe – most under ten years old – in perfect harmony with the menu. Young yet knowledgeable staff handle the lists with confidence and charm. While there’s turbot, sea bass, Scottish venison and secreto of Iberico pork as

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A sharp balance of seafood, game and flavoursome fine dining in a smart 1930s-style setting

main courses, vegetarians and vegans won’t be short of choices (an almost equal number, in fact). Roast grouse comes curiously well-matched with blackberries, more vanilla and toasted grains; and should you be as lucky as I was to come across a silver shot, you may well find yourself the delighted recipient of an extra sweet treat. Ormer is on top form in the dessert department, too. The chef’s Baked Alaska is of the impressive hedgehog variety, with a clotted cream ice cream that is almost too much to handle; and sweet cherry soufflé is well worth the short wait, served alongside a scoop of cherry sorbet and a square of black forest gâteau that arrives neatly topped by thick cream and black cherries. It is paired with a 2011 Semillon straw wine from Stellenbosch – and never have I been less willing to allow my companion a taste. Sometimes, caring actually means not sharing. Not even a bite. Ormer Mayfair, Flemings Mayfair, 7-12 Half Moon Street, W1J, ormermayfair.com

e v e n ts

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w w w. j ohnnas s ar i .co.uk

FOOD & DRINK

Emerging market As a host of new restaurants open up within The Crown Estate’s new St James’s development, Marianne Dick chews the fat with some of the key culinary players who have moved into the market

he small rectangle of St James’s brims with landmarks and charming character, but in recent decades it has become overshadowed by neighbouring Mayfair’s momentous transformation – one that has seen a new global flagship store or Michelin-starred restaurant pop up almost every week. Five years ago The Crown Estate, which owns half of the buildings in St James’s, set in motion a scheme that would increase interest in the area again. Finally, the St James’s Market development is reaching its grand finale, culminating in the opening of some much-anticipated world-class dining destinations. The area’s majestic structural design, and particularly 1 Regent Street – now the glamorous Greek fish restaurant, Estiatorio Milos – actually inspired Salt Yard Group’s newest concept, Veneta, which recently launched on Norris Street. “Architecturally and historically, it’s a grand part of town, and obviously Venice is packed with history,” says Simon Mullins, co-founder of Salt Yard Group. “We had a good look around 1 Regent Street and thought, ‘wouldn’t it be good to set up a Venetian grand café in here’, and the idea sort of stuck with us. “So what we’ve done is distilled that concept into a slightly smaller space – albeit 110 covers – and that’s where it began.” The company’s own story began back in 2005 with the opening of its namesake restaurant, Salt Yard in Fitzrovia, which serves Spanish and Italian tapas. Revelling in its success, the group opened three more sister restaurants: Dehesa,

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FROM TOP: ST JAMES’S MARKET; ST JAMES’S MARKET PAVILION, IMAGES COURTESY OF THE CROWN ESTATE

Opera Tavern and Ember Yard. Each one offers dishes from Spain and Italy (the two countries are “culinary cousins”, according to Mullins), yet adds its own twist. The secret to Salt Yard Group’s success is, says the co-founder: “great service, fantastic food and a very fun atmosphere”. While Veneta upholds these three components, its cuisine focuses keenly on Venice. It also debuted an all-day dining menu (from 7am until late), devised by chef director Ben Tish and executed by head chef Jamie Thickett, formerly of the Opera Tavern. “The food in Venice is underexplored. While there are some Venetian concepts already

(mainly cicchetti), we’ve gone a bit further and put our own spin on it,” says Tish. “There are nods to the city’s heritage and the spice routes; some parts are quite exotic, and then there’s the lagoon, so fish obviously plays a big part too.” Even for an all-day menu, diners are spoilt for choice. There’s a raw fish bar; small plates of pasta, fish and meat; two large plate options (35-day aged T-Bone or a half grilled octopus); a gelato bar; a hot chocolate menu; and a cheese trolley… not to mention breakfast. “Classic Venetian breakfast is a sweet pastry and a coffee, followed by a glass of Prosecco,” says Tish. “We’ll be making frittelles as well – essentially doughnuts with fillings like saffron custard, blackberry jam, cinnamon cream and chocolate.” Veneta caters to night owls too, with a carefully selected cocktail and aperitif menu. “We’re not using Aperol or Campari: we’ve got original recipes from old producers that are far more delicious and less ubiquitous,” says Mullins, “and from those we’ve created quite a unique cocktail list inspired by the flavours of vermouth.” Inside, Veneta has a “contemporary Deco, ocean liner feel to it,” according to Mullins. “We invited various artists and artisans to create some beautiful metal work – a balustrade and chandeliers, which will be deeply unusual, and we’ve got an amazing giant oil painting.” There’s a mezzanine that can be hired out for private parties, and in the warmer months the

FOOD & DRINK

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: AQUAVIT; SWEDISH MEATBALLS, LINGONBERRIES AND PICKLED CUCUMBER SERVED AT AQUAVIT; SMÖRGÅSBORD (SHRIMP SKAGEN, GLASSBLOWER HERRING AND BEECH WOOD SMOKED SALMON) SERVED AT AQUAVIT; VENETA; GAMBERO ROSSO, RED TUNA, MACKEREL TARTARE AND CARLINGFORD OYSTERS SERVED FROM THE RAW BAR AT VENETA; FARMISON’S HERITAGE 35-DAY AGED T-BONE (800G) AND HALF GRILLED OCTOPUS (LARGE PLATES) SERVED AT VENETA

south-facing, high glass doors will open onto the street. Undoubtedly, Veneta’s laid-back, stylish ambience and competitive menu will attract regulars from nearby offices, weary shoppers and occasion diners alike. It seems the only problem it may have is getting people to leave. Nearby, contemporary Nordic restaurant Aquavit has only just opened its doors, but there is already an incredible buzz surrounding its first European outpost. The excellent reputation of its sister restaurant in midtown Manhattan, which opened in 1987, precedes it. Emma Bengtsson joined the Aquavit team in 2010 as executive pastry chef, attracting attention with her innovative interpretations of traditional Scandinavian desserts. In spring 2014, she took on the role of executive chef and subsequently led the New York team to earn its second Michelin star. As a result, Bengtsson became the second female chef in the United States and the first ever Swedish female chef to run a two Michelin-starred kitchen. She will oversee Aquavit in London, but the head chef will be Henrik Ritzen, whose credentials include The Arts Club. “Aquavit London is much, much bigger,” says Ritzen. “And the way of executing and producing the dishes moves more towards classic and isn’t 30 things on the plate just for show,” he adds. “It’s very concentrated on good feelings and good flavour.” For those of us slightly in the dark when it comes to Swedish cuisine, dishes generally rely on the seasons and the landscape. Seafood is a central ingredient, while the dense forests offer gastronomic gifts of game, berries and fungi. For Bengtsson, inspiration stems from memories of what she used to love to eat. “Both my grandmother and my mother always cooked from home, everything was always planned days ahead and it was such a pleasure to be able to be in the kitchen,” she recalls. “I see it as two different cuisines: you have one that really traces back to how people cooked to survive, taking care of the produce and preserving

your food supply to last the winter. Nowadays there’s a new Nordic way of cooking coming forward where you don’t process everything so much – you look at what’s around and you keep to the flavour profile. “It’s a very time-consuming cuisine, not something you just throw together. It takes days or weeks of preparation.” You can expect to see a fusion of both of these styles on Aquavit’s menu: think seared duck breast with pickled quince and buckwheat porridge, as well as classic options like toast Skagen. Fittingly Martin Brudnizki, who hails from Stockholm, has equipped the space with Georg Jensen silverware, furnishings by Svenskt Tenn and a textile centrepiece designed by Olafur Eliasson. Even the uniforms, designed by Filippa K, are Swedish. The result is the perfect union of contemporary Nordic design – and that recognisable Brudnizki aesthetic that can be found all around Mayfair, from 45 Jermyn Street to Sexy Fish. Joining Veneta and Aquavit within St James’s Market development is Anzu: a modern Japanese restaurant from ramen noodle restaurant group Tonkotsu; and cult Danish bakery Lagkagehuset, founded by Ole Kristoffersen and Steen Skallebæk. It is the latter’s first international restaurant: “It’s a very similar site to our first one in Denmark, and looks like a layer cake – which is the exact translation of Lagkagehuset,” they remark. Anthea Harries, portfolio manager for St James’s at The Crown Estate, says: “Since we began our investment in St James’s, we have already seen how it has begun to attract and retain more businesses, retailers and restaurateurs who recognise the distinctive qualities of heritage, culture and craftsmanship that make this area special – from Dover Street Market’s arrival in Haymarket, to Café Murano on St James’s Street.” St James’s may be small, but these new arrivals are indeed mighty. Move over Mayfair, the market is now open.

“The distinctive qualities of heritage, culture and craftsmanship make this area special”

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St James’s Market, SW1Y, sjmkt.com

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M A K E IT P E R S O N A L T H IS C H R IS T M A S. C O R R E SPON DE N C E C HR I ST MA S

â&#x20AC;¢

I N VI TAT I ON S

SOC I A L

PICK A CA RD. A NY CA RD.

Family fortunes Most people inherit old vases from relatives. Antoine Roland-Billecart and his brother François, however, received the Billecart-Salmon champagne estate. Hannah Lemon finds out what it’s like to pick up the mantle

f Chris Campbell, the managing director of the Rothschild and Waddesdon estates, tells you to look into Billecart-Salmon as the first choice of champagne for The Mayfair Awards, you listen. Prior to its name being dropped into conversation, I had heard very little of the family-run brand, but that, I soon learnt, is part of its charm. Back in 1818, husband and wife Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon founded a champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Their motto? ‘Give priority to quality, strive for excellence’. Nearly 200 years later, the estate remains within the family and is now run by the sixth generation, François and Antoine RolandBillecart alongside their father, Jean. The House covers around 80 hectares and sources its grapes from 220 hectares, in 40 grands crus of Champagne in France. Within a radius of 20km three famous wine regions can be found – the Côte des Blancs, the Vallée de la Marne and the Montagne de Reims – where exceptional vintages of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier are selected. Insider knowledge and years of careful cultivation ensures the estate produces exceptional results harvest after harvest.

FOOD & DRINK

CloCkwiSe fRom ToP lefT: a haRveST; The BilleCaRT-Salmon CellaR; PinoT noiR GRaPeS aT CloS SainT-hilaiRe; a haRveST; anToine, Jean and fRançoiS Roland-BilleCaRT

However, it’s not just the family who has invested time into the bubbles that are brewed here – the winegrowers, oenologists, cellar masters and grape-pickers all play their part. General manager Alexandre Bader has been in charge of spreading the brand’s values since 1993, François Domi has been chief wine-maker for nearly 30 years, and Denis Blée has worked as director of the vineyard for the past 20, looking after everything from pruning to the harvest. So which bottle should first-timers to the brand sample? “For me, the ideal cuvée to start the Billecart-Salmon journey is the Brut Réserve,” explains Antoine, “because it’s the most approachable, soft and elegant.” With rising interest in prosecco and the simmering success of English sparkling wine, I wonder if the company feels under threat. “The champagne industry has to improve its quality when facing other sparkling wines,” says Antoine. “But its percentage in the sparkling wine world remains very small, and for this reason champagne will always maintain an image of particularity and exclusivity.” Antoine provides the example of the new wood-aged Cuvée Brut Sous Bois Non-Vintage, which took six years to work on. The care that goes into building, testing, pre-blending and ageing does not go unnoticed. Antoine recalls the moment when, at a tasting organised to find the Champagne of the Millennium, Billecart-Salmon came first and second with its Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 1959 and 1961. “More than 150 different vintage cuvées were blind tasted,” explains Antoine, highlighting this momentous achievement. “This prestigious event raised the brand among the key players of champagne producers.”

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A glass of fizz often goes hand in hand with winter festivities, so I ask Antoine what the family will be doing come 25 December. “We celebrate Christmas as a family at home in Mareuil,” says Antoine. “It’s a special occasion that brings together relatives who live in different parts of the world.” And the cuvée for such an occasion? “The Vintage 2006. It has a high proportion of pinot noir and is partly barrel-fermented with zero dosage.” Such are the perks of a family-run business. champagne-billecart.fr

TO P T I P S F R O M A N TO I N E R O L A N D-B I L L ECA RT POURING POINTERS Make sure the champagne is served at the right temperature. If it’s too cold, it destroys the aromas and blocks the expression. FOOD PAIRING Billecart-Salmon wines are delicate, so they won’t work well with strong or spicy food. Try some of the following: • Brut Réserve with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese • Brut Rosé as an aperitif with culatello or pata negra cold meats, or for dessert with strawberries and red fruit • Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru with oysters or scallop carpaccio • Cuvée Sous Bois with spicy beef tartare, wagyu beef, tempura or roast chicken SERVING SUGGESTIONS The type of glass determines the expression of aromas. The ideal glass style is the Riedel or Zalto chardonnay type.

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TRAVEL

Christmas island For those who prefer Christmas beneath the Indian sun, The Oberoi in Mauritius will host the ultimate in tropical island festivities. A nine-day stay with Scott Dunn includes dinner with carols on Christmas Eve and a visit from Father Christmas (in his best pirate attire). To ring in 2017, guests will indulge in caviar, Belon oyster and lobster during a New Year’s gala dinner, before a private firework display. From £5,850, scottdunn.com

Travel news W O R D S : J A C I N TA R U S C I L L O

The glories of nature Where better for Park Lane’s Grosvenor House, a Marriott hotel, to draw inspiration for its refurbishment than the neighbouring Hyde Park? The hotel lobby, the Park Room and the ballroom have been given a spruce with pale oak herring-bone flooring, white marble tables and magnificent chandeliers made from glass butterflies. Nature truly knows no bounds. From £365, marriott.co.uk

STATIONER’S SUITE Smythson and Brown’s Hotel have come together in collaboration, with the stationer’s hand-bound Featherweight notebooks hidden in garlands throughout the hotel, and a special suite package. Guests will enjoy a night at Brown’s with a bottle of Ruinart NV champagne, and wake up to an exclusive Christmas present in the form of a beautifully crafted Smythson cufflink or jewellery box. Mayfair Christmas with Smythson, until 28 January, from £950, roccofortehotels.com

Santa’s grotta In the rolling Tuscan hills, the 19th-century abode of poet Giuseppe Giusti is now home to Grotta Giusti, a hotel with its own natural thermal grotto and swimming pools. A three-night trip over the festive weekend will include an Italian Christmas lunch, two spa treatments and guided hikes. The town of Monsummano Terme is a stone’s throw away, where historical churches, art and – of course – local cafés serving panettone lie in wait. From 23-27 December, from £454, grottagiustispa.com s L U X U RY L O N D O N . C O. U K s

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Suite dreams PALÉ HALL HOTEL WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

s the car winds through verdant Welsh countryside, I imagine what would have been on the minds of two of Palé Hall’s most famous guests – Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill – as they journeyed through the same hilly landscape to the country estate on Snowdonia’s eastern edge.

Angela Harper, bought the estate last year and have worked tirelessly to rejuvenate the majestic manor. It is now the first hotel in Wales to become a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Palé Hall stands proudly at the end of a long driveway and as I step out of the car my luggage is immediately taken by one of the attentive staff, before I am quickly brought homemade biscuits and tea in the entrance hall. An open fire crackles away, and guests chatter softly over afternoon tea. In a nod to Roberston’s ancestry, tartan lines every corridor and staircase, while the rooms –

Just right for winter escapes, this relaxing retreat feels a world – and Palé Hall was built in the late 19th century for Henry Robertson, a railway engineer whose accolades included building tracks across Shropshire and the West Midlands, and who lived here until his death in 1888. It has since served as a military hospital, a nursery for evacuated children and a shooting lodge for the Duke of Westminster. From around 1984, the property switched between hotel and private home depending on the wishes of its owners. Its most recent, Alan and

other than the Westminster, the Victoria and the Churchill – are named after Scottish castles. I am shown to Denbigh: a warm gold suite with a feature fireplace and a view of the Berwyn Mountains. Impressively, all the interior design at Palé Hall was carried out by the Harpers, lending a real sense of comfort and personality. Angela sewed the skirts for the dining room furniture, and the books that fill the library shelves are from her personal collection. Care has been taken to

TRAVEL

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: DRAWING ROOM; PALÉ HALL; THE DENBIGH SUITE; LLANGOLLEN GUEST ROOM

restore the stained glass and panelled ceiling in the Churchill suite, but other happy surprises were revealed along the way – such as Victorian prints found behind the library wallpaper and the encaustic tiles discovered underneath the former (and questionable) 1970s carpet. It would be quite easy to abandon all gadgets at Palé Hall and imagine you have time travelled to a simpler era, as I do in the Denbigh suite. Even the televisions are hidden seamlessly behind mirrors. The original hydro-electric generator installed in the 1920s is still running and keeps the mansion warm for most of the year. In fact, this renewable source preserved many original features for the years it lay empty when the Duke of Westminster used the estate for its shooting rights. Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has worked closely with head chef Gareth Stevenson to create a fine dining menu inspired by seasonal and local cuisine. Ingredients are sourced from neighbouring towns and villages; a walled garden is being cultivated to grow organic produce out back. The tasting menu is fresh and flavoursome, including scallop ceviche, tender and deeply rich venison loin with baked beetroot and a dessert of marinated strawberries, pistachio meringue and lemon curd presented like a piece of modern art. Feeling happily full, the prospect of the wonderful, warm bed upstairs is too enticing to resist (however the drawing room operates an honesty bar for night owls who fancy a digestif). The next morning, I leave the tranquil cocoon of the house to explore its grounds. Sparkling frost and gentle mist make a magical scene in the sunlight: Palé Hall is just right for winter escapes, and this relaxing retreat feels a world – and

almost a century – away from London almost a century – away from London, despite only taking around three hours to reach. With a heavy heart I leave its warm glow, and as I drive away, I now imagine that Queen Victoria and Churchill would be thoroughly impressed with the Harpers’ restoration, and would have wondered – like me – when they would be able to return. From £360, Palé Estate, Llandderfel, Bala, Gwynedd, LL23, slh.com/palehall

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[CITY BREAK ]

BARCELONA

s far as quick escapes from London’s chill go, winter in Barcelona remains relatively mild and sunny. The city’s allure has long laid in its yearround offer of both friendly metropolis and beach, its cultural credentials and proximity to Catalonian vineyards. So much so that the number of hotel beds here sky-rocketed from 37,000 in 2003 to 69,000 in 2013. In response, the city’s mayor, Ada Colau, imposed a year-long freeze on new developments that ended this summer. But this brief moratorium didn’t stop Soho House from opening its doors in the Gothic Quarter in August, and has left no shortage of smart establishments scattered throughout the historic centre, along its edgy fringes and right down to the waterfront (see Where to Stay). An Edition hotel is also on the way next year, courtesy of hotelier du monde Ian Schrager. Colau’s ruling also served as a warning about preserving Barcelona’s rich artistic and architectural integrity. The Picasso Museum and Fundació Joan Miró are just as much for connoisseurs as those less well-versed in Surrealism, but while these two 20th-century masters figure prominently, the city is practically a playground in homage to Antoni Gaudí’s enchanting, colourful Modernist oeuvre. Art truly is all around: impressive ceramic collages, sweeping façades and bold turrets are revealed at almost every turn. Chief of all Gaudí’s creations, the Sagrada Família is due to be completed in 2026, almost 150 years after work began on the sprawling basilica and its 45-metre vaults. Beautiful modern stained glass panels have now been installed, and for those without fear of heights, ascending the spires to study the awe-inspiring intricacy of its exterior is highly recommended (and booking a timed entry slot is essential). Barcelona couples cultural history and modern infrastructure in a way rivalled only by its German counterparts. A day spent lounging indoors is surely a day wasted, and neck ache be damned – don’t forget to look up.

Both modern and Modernist, Camilla Apcar delights in the kaleidoscopic wonders of Catalonia’s capital

COURTESY OF SAGRADA FAMÍLIA

HOTEL ARTS BARCELONA CLUB LOUNGE

HOTEL ARTS BARCELONA

COURTESY OF SAGRADA FAMÍLIA

HOTEL ARTS BARCELONA

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Where to stay Backing onto Frank Gehry’s supersized fish sculpture, Hotel Arts Barcelona occupies one of two seafront skyscrapers: meaning guaranteed vantage points of the city or the glistening Mediterranean and Port Olímpic marina. On the 33rd floor sits a lounge, and those who stay in Club rooms and suites have private complimentary access. Here a dedicated concierge is on hand, as is a bar and supreme selection of treats throughout the day. Sleek service and design are de rigueur, but it is the hotel’s top standards – and top views – that really allow it to tower above the rest. From €245, hotelartsbarcelona.com

SUITCASE E S S E N T I A L S

#1 Vest, £7,515, Loro Piana, loropiana.com

#2 Sunglasses, £110, Calvin Klein, marchon.com

Where to eat It all starts with a shot of warm maple syrup topped with cream, cava, and a pinch of salt at Cinc Sentits, and this delightful sort of twist makes it easy to understand how the small restaurant earned its Michelin star. Three, four or seven-course menus change according to local supplies and chef Jordi Artal’s inventive whim, but impeccable wine pairing – or indeed vermouth – is a constant. For first-rate snacks, find Galician delicacies at Casa de Tapas Cañota (spicy potatoes and diced calf cheek); or for a rum baba with flair, Petit Comitè holds the key. casadetapas.com, cincsentits.com, petitcomite.cat

#3 Ring, £2,325, Georg Jensen, georgjensen.com

#4 Booties, £495, Sophia Webster, sophiawebster.com

Mayfair recommends

PARK GÜELL ©TURISME DE BARCELONA

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Contrary to popular belief, avoiding the tourist trap of Las Ramblas is exceedingly simple. A fuss-free day can be enjoyed taking a cable car up to Montjuïc Castle and winding downhill on foot, followed by a late-night stroll through Spanish architectural history at Poble Espanyol. Those with an appetite for visual art may prefer a personal tour of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona – past or present, all bases are covered. barcelonapremium.com, poble-espanyol.com

#5 Bag, £1,450, Tod’s, tods.com

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ALL of the LIGHTS With more direct flights than ever to Hong Kong, Gabrielle Lane investigates how to experience the city’s glamour and hidden treasures in equal measure

t’s surely possible to define the image and energy of a city by its public transport. New York has its yellow taxis, ruthlessly racing city executives and shopaholics coursing through wide avenues; Bangkok’s vivid fuchsia cabs stand out in cluttered tuk-tuk-strewn streets; and in London the black hackney carriage remains an enduring, familiar symbol of home, windows lashed by rain. In Hong Kong, however, you will hear of the Star Ferry that traverses Victoria Harbour, typically taking workers to the financial district and luxury fashion hub from the surrounding islands, and providing views of both the metropolis and lush greenery that surrounds it. Yet, for me, it is the tall, skinny trams that make this place feel like an exotic toy town, their stretched proportions and advert-clad sides juxtaposed against glass-fronted stores and huge skyscrapers. The city stretches up on a steep incline from the glossy Central district to mid-levels, where the wealthy live in modern apartment buildings on the hilltops. In between, narrow streets are cosmopolitan and frenetic, lined

While the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s approach is discreet, it has ten restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Man Wah

INSET: HONG KONG SKYLINE. CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: AMBER RESTAURANT; THE LANDMARK MANDARIN ORIENTAL BATHROOM; MAN WAH; MANDARIN ORIENTAL HONG KONG SUITE

TRAVEL

into a flatbed of around two metres, as well as lighting and power points designed to facilitate a workstation in the air. Service is friendly, and traditional Cantonese dishes are a great preholiday touch. Hong Kong is, of course, not short of haute hotels – the Peninsula, Four Seasons, Icon and Shangri-La all excel – but the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong has attracted well-heeled guests for more than 50 years. It is adjacent to both ferry piers and the city’s slick underground transport system, while a barber, a florist and watches in glass cases line its exits. Breakfast is a who’s who of international businesspeople enjoying eggs Benedict and delicious pastries just as much as plates of fried potatoes, omelettes and dim sum. Luxury here is about the linen thread count and impeccable service. While the hotel’s approach is discreet, it has ten restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Man Wah, which exudes the same traditional elegance with its pink tablecloths, silkscreen paintings and Chinese lanterns. Roast suckling pig is one of its specialities. A five-minute walk away, The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s younger fashion-forward sister, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, is the

with bars, restaurants and galleries. The ex-pat crowd might be slowly contemplating their next move, but the city is still one of the most exciting for a break for business or leisure. In either case, Cathay Pacific now flies directly to Hong Kong International Airport from London Gatwick four times per week, as well as from London Heathrow five times a day. Its pick of the slots and business class offering make a flight of just under 12 hours comfortable. Expect champagne upon boarding and a seat that turns

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epitome of contemporary decadence. Its suites have been styled by interior designer Joyce Wang and are intended to feel like glamorous apartments. Decked out in cream leather and fluted glass, they have cocoon-like beds, mood lighting, huge wardrobes and chocolate éclairs snuck into wall-mounted golden display cases. A nod must be given here to the seven-foot round bath-tubs in the largely open-plan en-suites, fit to enjoy with music and television shows projected through the bathroom mirrors, which all helps to create the perfect retreat from the city’s relentless pace (especially when coupled with an evening appointment at the hotel’s 25,000sq ft spa). Notably, the award-winning gastronomy of the hotel’s French restaurant, Amber, is widely said to

The best way to mitigate the many excesses of Hong Kong life is a hike – or tram ride – up to Victoria Peak CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: CAFÉ GRAY DELUXE; THE CONTINENTAL; THE PEAK TRAM; LAMMA ISLAND

be some of the best in the world, and the menu changes seasonally. Its dishes are intricate and beautifully presented: buttery pumpkin raviolis; artful flashes of lime and flowers; peppermint and white chocolate sorbets. Outside the realms of Mandarin Oriental glamour, the Michelin Guide commends Hong Kong’s street food – a whirl of spicy wanton soups, fresh seafood, egg noodles and dim sum, eaten elbow-to-elbow with locals in cafés that have stood for half a century. Yet it’s hard to find an authentic outpost near the centre of town. The wet markets are where locals go for fish, flowers and vegetables from stalls that line the street, but it’s threatened with redevelopment as high-rises move in. There’s a place in every high-end city for hearty mains, goblets of wine and a romantic, sociable atmosphere – and as night falls, Café Gray Deluxe certainly ticks the box, with views over Victoria Harbour and out to the rest of the city. Chef Gray Kunz presides over this glossy destination

TRAVEL

restaurant with a menu full of organic fresh ingredients. The foie gras terrine is rich and made interesting with pink peppercorns and sweet poached quince, as well as house-cured gravlax. Unsurprisingly, the steak is excellent too. The Kansas striploin cut is juicy and wellseasoned, served on the board with onion rings and creamed spinach. Its sister restaurant is The Continental; book for lunch if you’re one to frequent The Ivy. Its terrace has a conservatory-style feel, and while Hong Kong may sometimes be overcast, it doesn’t mean the palm trees don’t add something to this

homely, European-inspired brasserie. While afternoon tea is available, griddled scallops, roast chicken and flavour-packed Icelandic cod are all reasons to try a main course. The best way to mitigate the many excesses of Hong Kong life is a hike up to Victoria Peak. Various trails – and a traditional Peak Tram – snake up to the island’s highest vantage point for a panoramic vista across the water, and the best time to arrive is just before dusk, when a nightly light show is performed by the city’s skyscrapers. If you want to experience a more rural kind of beauty, a boat out to Lamma Island takes in both a pretty stretch of beach (Hung Shing Yeh) and views out across Lantau Island from its hilltop pavilion. Lush, green and family-friendly, it is largely open to the elements – and peaceful. On Lamma, there’s also a colourful main street selling local crafts and the opportunity to visit the traditional fishing village of Sok Kwu Wan, where a 150-year-old temple stands. But on Hong Kong Island, shopping is a must. Beyond the multitude of the luxury brands that can also be found at home is PMQ, Hong Kong’s equivalent of Dover Street Market. The industrial warehouse-style development was opened to relieve local artists of rising rents, and offers cookery courses back-to-back with jewellery studios, artwork and avant-garde fashion. It is home to more than 100 young entrepreneurs who hold workshops as well as ply their trade – a great place to source slightly more refined alternatives to market-forged souvenirs. While there is still a heavy Western influence in Hong Kong – shaping its vibrant nightlife and glamorous eateries – the hospitality of the locals, neon-lit highways and glimpses of tropical vegetation (as well as the heat), give this city a unique character. And it is definitely one you should experience, more than once in a lifetime. N E E D • T O • K N O W Cathay Pacific, Heathrow to Hong Kong, from £421 return, 0208 834 8888, cathaypacific.co.uk Landmark Mandarin Oriental, from £485, mandarinoriental.com/landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, from £395, mandarinoriental.com/hongkong cafegrayhk.com thecontinentalhongkong.com

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REGULARS

THE LIBRARY AND THE SUBSCRIPTION ROOM (INSET) AT BROOKS’S, ST JAMES’S

Remembering

MAYFAIR Gentlemen’s clubs W O R D S : J A C I N TA R U S C I L L O

‘U

nclubbable’ was coined by writer Dr Samuel Johnson in the late 18th century, referring to the unrefined and those not fit to be in the company of certain social circles. It is a word that most affluent upperclass men would have recoiled at, as many were members of gentlemen-only social and political clubs, popular since the 17th century. Many of these elite London institutions were formed in listed buildings around Mayfair and the West End, as well as in Chelsea and Fulham, where the clientele formed bonds that solidified gender and class segregation. Founded in 1832, The Carlton Club on St James’s Street is the longest-standing Conservative men’s club, and it took more than a century to accept female members. As one of the most prominent clubs in the capital, it came to the attention of Frankfurt-born artist Karen Knorr, who has collated a book of 26 photographs depicting four major private members’ clubs and the values of the people residing there. Along with The Carlton Club, Knorr has documented Turf Club, Brooks’s and The Arts Club in a satirical study of their patriarchal society, including the rights of the first-born, which remains an issue for some aristocrats. Published by STANLEY/BARKER in collaboration with Eric Franck Fine Art, the book uses humour to explore attitudes among the 1980s English establishment. Knorr also set out to raise awareness of the underrepresentation of women, who she considers to be

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considerably overlooked, despite their property rights in worlds of government, finance and academia. Knorr notes the absurdity that even Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was the leader of the Conservative Party, was not allowed full membership at The Carlton. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron and other old Etonians have belonged to clubs like these, and Knorr reveals that discussions behind the scenes still influence modern business and politics. The stereotypical assumptions of gentlemen’s clubs being musty, mahogany, misogynist houses with leather armchairs, free-flowing port and equally free-flowing Conservative ideals, are largely a reality for Knorr. Although they may be historically important, to Knorr, these secret societies are somewhat outdated for modern day London, where tolerance and acceptance is generally more the order of the day. As for being ‘unclubbable’, these days it may not be such a bad thing. Gentlemen by Karen Knorr, £40, published by STANLEY/BARKER, stanleybarker.co.uk

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Mayfair estate agents Marylebone and Fitzrovia ASTON CHASE 69-71 Park Road NW1 6XU 020 7724 4724 astonchase.com

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

KNIGHT FRANK

Mayfair 120a Mount Street W1K 3NN 020 7499 1012 (sales and lettings)

Hyde Park BEAUCHAMP ESTATES 24 Curzon Street, W1J 7TF 020 7499 7722 beauchamp.com

CARTER JONAS

DEXTERS 66 Grosvenor Street W1K 3JL 020 7590 9590 (sales) 020 7590 9595 (lettings) dexters.co.uk

London, Mayfair and St James’s 127 Mount Street W1K 3NT 020 7493 0676

London, Hyde Park and Bayswater 44 Connaught Street W2 2AA 020 7402 1552 (sales) 020 7371 3377 (lettings)

London, Marylebone and Regent’s Park 37 New Cavendish Street W1G 9TL 020 7486 8866 carterjonas.co.uk

CHESTERTONS

Mayfair

47 South Audley Street W1K 2QA 020 7629 4513 (sales) 020 7288 8301 (lettings)

Westminster and Pimlico 10 Gillingham Street SW1V 1HJ 020 3411 8386 (sales) chestertons.com

1 Craven Terrace W2 3QD 020 7871 5060 (sales) 020 7871 5070 (lettings)

22 Devonshire Street W1G 6PF 020 3527 0400

Sloane Street 139 Sloane Street SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822 savills.co.uk

Marylebone 55 Baker Street W1U 8EW 020 3435 6440 (sales) knightfrank.co.uk

SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 77-79 Ebury Street SW1W 0NZ 020 7495 9580 sothebysrealty.co.uk

HARRODS ESTATES

Knightsbridge 82 Brompton Road SW3 1ER 020 7225 6506

Mayfair 61 Park Lane W1K 1QF 020 7409 9001 harrodsestates.com

PASTOR REAL ESTATE LTD 48 Curzon Street W1J 7UL 020 3195 9595 pastor-realestate.com

STRUTT & PARKER

London Head Office 13 Hill Street W1J 5LQ 020 7629 7282

ROKSTONE 5 Dorset Street W1U 6QJ 020 7580 2030 rokstone.com

Knightsbridge

SAVILLS

WETHERELL 102 Mount Street W1K 2TH 020 7493 6935 wetherell.co.uk

66 Sloane Street SW1X 9SH 020 7235 9959 struttandparker.com

JOHN TAYLOR 48 Berkeley Square W1J 5AX 020 3284 1888 john-taylor.com

Mayfair and St James’s 36 North Audley Street W1K 6ZJ 020 7578 5100 (sales and lettings)

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

MAYFAIR £3750 per ft² CADOGAN TATE £1 per ft² WHEN YOUR SPACE IS WORTH A PREMIUM MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY SQUARE FOOT Store your seasonal sports equipment with us

Sports equipment - When the season starts, we deliver your skis & snowboard to your door & remove your flippers and surfboard Having a party - We clear the contents of your home for a party and carefully reinstall the next day Wine storage – Keep your fine wines on tap – one click and we deliver that case of Margaux for your next dinner party Seasonal wardrobe – As snowdrops emerge in the spring we deliver your summer wardrobe to your door and remove your winter collection Family heritage – Store valued furniture and family heirlooms preserving them for future generations Art collection – Store your art and view online with our itemised photographic inventory – iLive. Select items for delivery to Mayfair or any global destination Foil Oro Nero Skis – 8,000 year old certified bog oak with 14 karat gold-plated bindings & poles plus bespoke handstitched, full grain leather travel bag. From £41,000. Available at foilskis.com

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020 8108 4302 Home Contents Storage

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For our full range of Moving, Storage & Shipping services visit cadogantate.com

Everything, handled with care

SHOWCASING THE

finest HOMES & PROPERTY FROM THE BEST ESTATE AGENTS

Stepping out Expert commentary and the inside track on the property market’s prime movers IMAGE COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

2016 Mayfair Highlights

SOLD - RECORD BREAKING SALE South Audley Street, W1K

Guide price: £10,750,000

SOLD

SOLD Duke Street, W1K

Guide price: £2,500,000

Chesterfield House, W1J

Guide price: £2,350,000

SOLD Park Street, W1K

Knight Frank Mayfair - 020 7499 1012 120a Mount Street, London W1K 3NN KnightFrank.co.uk/mayfair mayfair@knightfrank.com

DPS LHP_342488_MayfairMag_KF_Nov.indd 1

Guide price: £6,500,000

SOLD Green Street, W1K

Guide price: £14,950,000

14/11/2016 17:13

DPS

SOLD Mount Street, W1K

Guide price: £3,850,000

SOLD - OFF MARKET SALE

SOLD Upper Brook Street, W1K

Guide price: £11,500,000

Albany, W1J

Guide price: £3,500,000

Knight Frank wish you happy holidays and a joyful New Year SOLD Mount Street, W1K

Guide price: £3,750,000

SOLD Whitehall Court, SW1

17:13

DPS RHP_342488_MayfairMag_KF_Nov.indd 2

Guide price: £3,250,000

14/11/2016 17:15

Mayfair Magazine - November - Lettings

14/11/2016 15:03:48

FOUND. Your perfect tenant. Let with Knight Frank. Call us today to arrange your free market valuation: KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings hydeparklettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 1708 KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings marylebonelettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5853

Guide price: £1,845 per week

Mansfield Street, Marylebone W1G

-->

An immaculate newly refurbished two bedroom apartment, designed with contemporary living in mind. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen/reception room and utility room. EPC: C. Approximately 16.4 sq m (1,253 sq ft). marylebonelettings@knightfrank.com Office: 0 2 0 3 6 4 1 5 8 5 3

All potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £1,845 per week

The Brassworks, Hyde Park W2 A contemporary apartment located on the second floor of this exclusive development. 4 bedrooms (3 en suite), open planned kitchen/reception room, guest cloakroom, utility room, concierge, lift, underground parking.EPC: B. Approximately 270 sq m (2,912 sq ft). hydeparklettings@knightfrank.com Office: 0 2 0 3 6 4 1 1 7 0 8

Mayfair Mag 11.11

15/11/2016 11:42:32

State of play Harvey Cyzer, proprietary partner and department head of Knight Frank Mayfair, takes stock of his patch – and the year – with Camilla Apcar

arvey Cyzer has lived in Mayfair all his life, which makes him not only an expert on its every road, court and mews – but perfectly placed as departmental head of Knight Frank Mayfair to help anyone who steps over the threshold to find the ideal property of their own. “Mayfair offers the finest of what any city can,” he enthuses. “The environment and atmosphere here, especially as we go into the Christmas period, is really magical. You don’t have to have already lived here to feel that – but once you do, there’s a real sense of community.” There are five negotiators in Knight Frank’s Mayfair office, and Cyzer’s team – which he has led for five years, having joined the company in 2007 – is still growing. “I look after the jewel in the Knight Frank crown, with the most experienced, dedicated and talented group of people working with me,” he says. Cyzer has headhunted a top performing negotiator to join the team in December, dealing with properties up to £5m. But shining bright is no mean feat. One might find a member of the team at their desk from as early as 7.30am, right until 10pm – as well as on Saturdays; their long working hours are testament to the level of dedication that Knight Frank is so well known for. “Our opening hours are considerably longer than any other agent,” Cyzer says. He reports noteworthy registrations coming from people on their way to work, and even more from those coming into Mount Street for dinner. “So I encourage the team to stay as late as possible – you just never know who is going to turn up.” Cyzer just about manages to take some time off at the weekends, but even going back to his home in Somerset doesn’t mean switching off altogether. “It’s quite infectious. I have a responsibility to my clients, so it’s essential that I’m always available to speak with them out of hours. I’m regularly communicating with them over weekends and late into the evening.” It has, of course, been a rollercoaster year for the property market, but Knight Frank Mayfair

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAREL JANSEN

PROPERTY

has weathered the storm. “With the increase in stamp duty and the vote to leave the European Union, a lot of our instructions have been ringfenced and not greatly affected. We are very lucky because we are instructed on some of the most outstanding properties in Mayfair,” Cyzer says. While the impact of these changes has affected all price sectors, “when you have the very best of the market, the impact is lessened,” he continues. In fact, Cyzer is sitting across from me in the living room of one such “outstanding” property on South Street: a newly built five-bedroom townhouse spread over six floors, with a cinema room, gym and roof terrace. Predicting whose hands it may fall into is too difficult to call, he says. “Over the years, I’ve often been surprised. Mayfair has such an array of nationalities and demographics.” A lot of younger buyers registering with Knight Frank are keen to buy on Mount Street and Mount Row, says Cyzer, while slightly older purchasers tend to favour Grosvenor Square and Park Lane. Yet there’s no predicting where the next Mayfair hotspot will be, either. “You’ll find that a street hasn’t had a sale for many years, and suddenly three flats come up at the same time. But you can’t say there are certain parts of Mayfair that are any less prolific in their number of instructions.” The months leading up to the end of June were a challenging period, and August was traditionally quiet. For Cyzer, it was a matter of riding out a wave. “There comes a point when you just have to accept that things are going to be just a little quiet for that period,” he says. “We held our nerve, and recognised that if we carried on doing what we do – as a traditional agent with modern methods of selling properties – with the instruction book that we’ve got, that the market would help us.” Indeed, the number of viewings, new prospective buyers and properties under offer rose in the three months to September, and the office has since found itself in one of its busiest periods in the past three years.

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SOUTH STREET, GUIDE PRICE £19.5M

“I think the spring market will be very strong indeed – it could be even as strong as 2014” “We’ve had a huge number of sales, at all price sectors. I think eventually people start feeling comfortable with any uncertainties, and it starts to become a little more ‘normal’. There are so many factors that had the potential to derail central London property, but there’s been a definite resurgence in interest.” Registrations are increasing month on month, from all nationalities. The department head has also noticed a change of mindset in vendors, now increasingly pragmatic. “If they haven’t quite got the price they want, they’re tending to accept those offers,” he says. Next year, he predicts a growth in values returning to Mayfair. “I think the spring market will be very strong indeed – and it could be even as strong as 2014. Confidence has come back.” But price remains king. “We would never recommend a sale unless we knew with a degree of certainty that it is the most amount of money that a purchaser would pay for it.” And however much that price may be, you can’t help but feel that Cyzer and his team really will achieve it. Knight Frank Mayfair, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 7499 1012, knightfrank.co.uk/mayfair

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[ HOT PROPERTY]

Dunraven Street, W1

newly-refurbished duplex penthouse has become available at an address that, rather curiously, has a strong history of residents named Alexander. The Dunraven Street townhouse was built in 1897 and was once the dwelling of Queen Victoria’s grandson, His Highness Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke. He took a bold and rebellious approach to royal life by entering the navy at the age of 16 and after the First World War became a clerk at the financial firm Lazard Brothers, working his way up in the industry instead of receiving state allowance.

Nearly 90 years after Mountbatten left Dunraven Street, fashion designer Alexander McQueen purchased the building – by then separated into apartments – with the intention of making the townhouse one home once again. McQueen had big plans for the space, which included a dedicated wine cellar, however two years later in 2010 he took his own life and the project was left incomplete. The top two floors of the property have now been transformed by interior designer Paul Davies London into a 1,790sq ft home that offers two generous bedrooms with

PROPERTY

Calacatta marble-lined en-suite bathrooms. In a nod to the late designer, Paul Davies London has decked the duplex in McQueen’s signature tones of black, cream and silver. Bespoke furnishings and minimal fittings contrast with decadent chandeliers and McQueen’s oft-repeated skull motif, which is referenced throughout. The sprawling roof terrace is accessed by a spiral staircase and offers unprecedented views of the surrounding Mayfair area. Between the two Alexanders, the 20th-century comic writer P. G. Wodehouse also spent a number of years at this

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address, during which he immersed himself in the area that infiltrated his famous Jeeves and Wooster novels. His time here is commemorated by a prestigious blue plaque. Long may the legacy of Dunraven Street’s eccentric and exceptional occupants continue. £8.5m (leasehold approximately 980 years remaining). For more information contact joint sole agents Knight Frank, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 7499 1012, knightfrank.co.uk and Wetherell, 102 Mount Street, W1K, 020 7529 5566, wetherell.co.uk

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Seasonal greetings to all our clients and colleagues and very best wishes for 2017

good

tidings we bring

020 7221 1117 www.crayson.com

10 Lambton Place London W11 2SH

to you and your kin

Campden Grove Kensington W8 Things ancient and modern â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a traditional Victorian London house, with an all new, all groovy interior 3,233 sq ft/ 300.4 sq m, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, EPC rating band C, Freehold Sole Agent

Guide Price ÂŁ6.25 million

020 7221 1117 www.crayson.com

10 Lambton Place London W11 2SH

St Charles Square North Kensington W10 Wildly chic, excellent location, newly decorated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a family house for someone with excellent taste 3,412 sq ft/ 317 sq m, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, EPC rating band E, Freehold Sole Agent

Guide Price of ÂŁ4.2 million

020 7221 1117 www.crayson.com

10 Lambton Place London W11 2SH

FOR SALE CHESTERFIELD HOUSE, MAYFAIR This beautifully refurbished apartment is located on the first floor of this purpose built and 24 hour portered block with lift in the heart of Mayfair. The reception room benefits from an original fireplace with elegant parquet flooring and is complimented with a 1940s antique crystal chandelier. The bespoke kitchen has integrated Siemens appliances, Carrera marble worktops and Buster & Punch brass handles. The spacious double bedroom boasts ample storage with bespoke, oak wardrobes with soft close doors and LED lighting. The separate bathroom comprises of a Duravit bathroom suite with Samuel Heath taps and shower fittings, Fritz Fryer vintage style wall hung lights and motion sensitive lighting. Positioned at the back of the building, the property is exceptionally quiet and would lend itself perfectly as a rental investment or pied a terre.

ÂŁ1,795,000 FURTHER DETAILS : Simon Green

E sales@pastor-realestate.com T +44 (0)20 3879 8989

Chesterfield House is perfectly positioned for all that Mayfair has to offer being situated just off Curzon Street, parallel to Park Lane and only a short walk to Piccadilly. Hyde Park tube station as well as Green Park tube station are both easily accessible. Leasehold with Share of Freehold.

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MAY

www.pastor-realestate.com

TO LET LANCASTER GATE, HYDE PARK, W2

£1,250 per week

Magnificent two bedroom split level apartment set within this white stucco building, moments from Hyde Park. This spacious 2093 sq ft (194 sq m) apartment benefits from a grand mezzanine stairwell with dome skylight, original cornicing, under floor heating and air conditioning. Entrance hall, huge reception/dining room with high ceiling and fireplace, fully fitted luxury kitchen, two double bedrooms with limestone tiled en-suite bathrooms, guest cloakroom and additional staff entrance at ground level.

FURTHER DETAILS :

Spencer Taffurelli

E lettings@pastor-realestate.com T +44 (0)20 3195 9595

TO LET CHESTERFIELD GARDENS, MAYFAIR, W1

£725 per week

Stunning newly refurbished and interior designed one bedroom Mayfair apartment for rental. This extraordinary property is quietly situated on the first floor of a prestigious sought after portered block located in a cul-de-sac off Curzon Street close to amenities, Hyde Park and the tube at Green Park (Jubilee & Victoria lines). The apartment is finished to a unique specification and extends to approximately 650 sq.ft (60 sq.m) to include a magnificent mirrored entrance hall with marble floor, large reception room with solid wood flooring, double bedroom with fitted robes, spectacular fully tiled bathroom with separate walk-in shower, fully fitted eat-in kitchen with quality appliances, and a 24 hour porter.

FURTHER DETAILS : Elisabeth Erard

E lettings@pastor-realestate.com T +44 (0)20 3195 9595

PASTOR REAL ESTATE 48 CURZON STREET, LONDON, W1J 7UL • T +44 (0)20 3195 9595 F +44 (0)20 3195 9596

11:45

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SALES LETTINGS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY INVESTMENT ARCHITECTURE COMMERCIAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

www.pastor-realestate.com Headline sponsor of

PASTOR REAL ESTATE 48 CURZON STREET, LONDON, W1J 7UL â&#x20AC;¢ T +44 (0)20 3195 9595 F +44 (0)20 3195 9596

EATON SQUARE, BELGRAVIA, SW1W A spectacular house designed by acclaimed and highly influential designer Nicky Haslam of NH Design, that has been meticulously refurbished to a breathtaking standard and is the epitome of city living chic. This white stucco fronted period house, extending to 2,253 sqft (209.31 sqm) is wonderfully positioned on Eaton Square, in the heart of Belgravia, and adjacent to Knightsbridge. One can enjoy peaceful fresh air, on the sun-trapped terrace and residents also have access to the private manicured gardens and green spaces of Eaton Square itself.

020 7580 2030 WWW.ROKSTONE.COM 5 Dorset Street, London, W1U 6QJ enquiries@rokstone.com

Price: £3,995,000 »» Nicky Haslam Design »» Period house »» Three floors »» Access to Eaton Square gardens »» 2,253 sq ft »» Leasehold

sothebysrealty.co.uk

Whitehall Court, St James’s SW1A

£3,950,000

Situated on the third floor of this imposing and highly sought after period building in the heart of Westminster, the apartment has been refurbished to an extremely high standard throughout. Benefiting from a fabulous double reception room with high ceilings and period features, the property is ideal for entertaining. Approximately 2,180 sq.ft. EPC rating C. Reception room | Dining room | Three bedroom suites | Kitchen | 24 hour porterage | Lift | Residents street parking

Leasehold 71 years approximately

77-79 Ebury Street, London SW1W 0NZ sothebysrealty.co.uk +44 20 7495 9580 | london@sothebysrealty.co.uk © 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 offïce 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 offïces who can provide this information.

Home for Christmas? Whilst the Sotheby’s International Realty luxury real estate network continues to expand worldwide, with more than 850 offices in 65 countries, let us help you discover your ‘home from home’ this Christmas.

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10/11/2016 13:33

PORCHESTER GATE,MAYFAIR, BAYSWATER, W2 FOUNTAIN HOUSE, W1K FOUNTAIN HOUSE, MAYFAIR, W1K With panoramic views of Hyde Park this well presented 3 double bedroom lateral apartment on the 6th floor has three balconies, porter/24

With panoramic views ofofHyde Park, on Park aa6th in this prestigious building with concierge services and Withsecurity, panoramic views Hyde ParkLane, Lane,double 6thfloor floorapartment apartment thishard prestigious buildingintegrated with24 24hour hour concierge andlift. lift. hour lift and parking. ThePark, largeonopen plan entertaining areainhas wood flooring, music system, services mood lighting, InInneed of refurbishment, the apartment has a large entrance hallway, formal sitting and dining rooms, fitted kitchen, family room, three need of refurbishment, the apartment has a large entrance hallway, formal sitting and dining rooms, fitted kitchen, family room, three good ceiling heights and opens onto a south facing balcony with spectacular views of the Park. The kitchen is separate and contemporary double bedrooms, staff bedroom, three bathrooms and Long Leasehold. EPC C. JSA Savills, Mayfair. double bedrooms, bathrooms andaaguest guestcloakroom. cloakroom. Longof Leasehold. EPCRating Rating Savills, with a breakfast barstaff and bedroom, doors ontothree a balcony. The master bedroom has a range built-in wardrobes, andC.aJSA marble en Mayfair. suite shower room. There are 2 further double bedrooms, both with ample built-in wardrobes, and one with access to a balcony, separate guest shower room with double shower, all immaculately presented with stone finishes. EPC Rating C.

£4,750,000 PRICE: PRICE: £6,950,000 £6,950,000 LEASEHOLD LEASEHOLD LEASEHOLD

John John Taylor UK JohnTaylor TaylorUK UK 48 Berkeley Square, 48 Berkeley Square, 48 Berkeley Square, London London W1J 5AX LondonW1J W1J5AX 5AX Tel: Tel: 020 3284 1888 Tel:020 0203284 32841888 1888 Email: Email: london@john-taylor.com Email:london@john-taylor.com london@john-taylor.com

AIX-EN-PROVENCE • •BERLIN • •BROOKLYN • •CANNES • •COURCHEVEL • DOHA • •GSTAAD • •LAKE • •LONDON • •MADRID • •MANHATTAN • MAURITIUS • •MEGEVE AIX-EN-PROVENCE BERLIN BROOKLYN CANNES COURCHEVEL DOHA• •GENEVA GENEVA GSTAAD LAKECOMO LONDON MADRID• •MALTA MANHATTAN MEGEVE FRANCE | GERMANY | ITALY | MALTA | MAURITIUS | •MONACO | QATAR | RUSSIA |COMO SPAIN | SWITZERLAND | MALTA UNITED KINGDOM • MAURITIUS | UNITED STATES MERIBEL MERIBEL • • MIAMI MIAMI • • MILAN MILAN • • MONACO MONACO • • MOSCOW MOSCOW • • PALM PALM BEACH BEACH • • PARIS PARIS • • STST JEAN-CAP-FERRAT JEAN-CAP-FERRAT • • STST PAUL PAUL DEVENCE DEVENCE • • STST TROPEZ TROPEZ • • THE THE HAMPTONS HAMPTONS • • VALBONNE VALBONNE

www.john-taylor.com www.john-taylor.com www.john-taylor.com

Property news TOP: TWENTY GROSVENOR SQUARE; BELOW, FROM LEFT: MICHAEL SQUIRE, ANDREW DUNN, ALEX MICHELIN, HENRY SQUIRE CREDIT: PAUL GROVER / FINCHATTON

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

Views from the top Four Seasons comes to Grosvenor Square as US Naval HQ development steams ahead

inchatton has topped out its highly-anticipated Twenty Grosvenor Square project with a flourish, confirming a tie-up with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. A suite of landmark developments are in the making on Mayfair’s best-known square, and the transformation of the prominent former US Naval HQ is delivering 37 apartments and penthouses, with prices ranging from £4m for a one-bed to £35m for a five-bed. The penthouses remain price on application. Finchatton co-founders Alex Michelin and Andrew Dunn took to the roof with Michael and Henry Squire of architects

PrimeQResi Journal of Luxury Property

Squire and Partners to mark the milestone, and picked the moment to announce some big news about who would be operating the luxury scheme. Twenty Grosvenor Square will be the first stand-alone residential building in Europe to join the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts portfolio, which means its

residents will be treated like the guests of the world’s most famous five-star hotel brand. This bar-raising tie-up promises “effortless, hotel-style living” with “world-class service and amenities” including a 25-metre pool, a spa, plus a gym, cinema and secure parking. Finchatton and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council bought the building for £250m from a consortium headed by entrepreneur Richard Caring. Established as a military HQ by Dwight D. Eisenhower during WWII, all 180,000sq ft had been employed as offices until 2009. Completion is slated for the first half of 2018.

PROPERTY

Flying high

Hotel and residential plans go in for the Old War Office

Piccadilly’s new luxury landmark tops out

IMAGE COURTESY OF PDP LONDON

Of hotel and home

he Hinduja Group and OHL Desarrollos have submitted their plans to transform the Old War Office into a luxury hotel and residential scheme with an estimated gross development value of £1bn. The Whitehall landmark was bought by the Hinduja brothers – in partnership with Spanish group Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarrollos – for £350m for last year. Proposals drawn up by EPR Architects and submitted to Westminster provide up to 88 residential dwellings across the rear western half of the 580,000sq ft building. The apartments will have frontages to Whitehall Court, Whitehall Place and Horse Guards Avenue, arranged around a relocated and reconstructed triangular courtyard. The hotel element involves 125 bedrooms, with facilities including a 600-guest ballroom, an 82-foot swimming pool, a rooftop bar, spa and wine cellars. Built between 1898 and 1906, the neo-Baroque Grade II-listed building played host to Churchill and Lloyd-George during some of Britain’s darkest hours. It was put on the market after being declared surplus to requirements by the MOD in 2013. The 250-year lease attracted around 25 bids.

ritish Land’s Clarges Mayfair scheme has officially reached full height. Also designed by Squire and Partners, and being built by Laing O’Rourke, Piccadilly’s latest landmark hit 40 metres in October and is also now fully clad in its fetching Portland Stone façade. The transformation of the “once-in-a-lifetime” acre-sized plot opposite Green Park – formerly dominated by a multistorey car park – is delivering 34 super-prime resi apartments and facilities, nearly 50,000sq ft of offices (now complete), just under 15,000sq ft of retail and leisure, and 10,500sq ft of social housing. The project has also involved the relocation of the Kennel Club to another position on the site. Twenty-two of the planned apartments were released in 2014 and high-net-worth buyers immediately pounced, snapping them up for a combined £259m at an average per sq ft rate of £4,750. A total of five smashed price records for Mayfair, with a penthouse going for in excess of £5,000 per sq ft. Eighteen of those sold were on floors four and below. The remaining 12 units will be marketed (again through Wetherell and Knight Frank) closer to completion in late 2017 “when buyers can fully appreciate the unique design of the building and the panoramic views over London”. Interiors are being taken care of by Martin Kemp Design and residents will be furnished with “one of the best private wellness spas in London”.

primeresi.com

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

143

so ld

sales highlights 2016

MAYFAIR MANSION

GEORGIAN TOWNHOUSE £35,000,000

so ld

£45,000,000

BERKELEY SQUARE

CURZON STREET £9,950,000

so ld

£10,500,000

SOUTH STREET

UPPER GROSVENOR STREET

so ld

£5,600,000

so ld

£5,950,000

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH

MOUNT STREET £3,750,000

T: 020 7529 5566 E: sales@wetherell.co.uk

wetherell.co.uk

WHITE HORSE STREET £3,200,000

so ld

sales highlights 2016

GREEN STREET

SOUTH AUDLEY STREET

£14,950,000

£10,750,000

69%

so ld

OF SELLERS CHOSE WETHERELL*

THE 21st

MOUNT STREET £3,850,000

so ld

£5,350,000

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH

CHESTERFIELD GARDENS £1,925,000

T: 020 7529 5566 E: sales@wetherell.co.uk

wetherell.co.uk

*£10,000,000+ properties 2011-2016

UPPER GROSVENOR STREET £950,000

MAYfair’s golden decadE LE T WEST PENTHOUSE

MAYFAIR MANSION £30,000 per week

N o.1 for super

£25,000 per week

LE T

Lettings highlights 2016 Lettings highlights 2016

prime lettings*

HEREFORD HOUSE

SOUTH STREET

£5,000 per week

£5,500 per week

AVENFIELD HOUSE

ARLINGTON STREET

£6,500 per week

£7,500 per week

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH

THE TOWNHOUSE £4,500 per week

T: 020 7529 5588 E: rentals@wetherell.co.uk

wetherell.co.uk

MOUNT STREET £3,500 per week

*By value for properties over £3,000 per week 1st Oct 2015 to 30th Sep 2016

Weth

The Directors and Staff of wetherell wish

Mayfair a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH T: 020 7493 6935 E: mail@wetherell.co.uk

wetherell.co.uk

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