The Mayfair Magazine November 2017 by Runwild Media Group

NOVEMBER 2017 s issue 074 s £5

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Claridge’s first cookbook, the new Annabel’s and a decade of Alain Ducasse

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60 YEARS OF ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY

CONTENTS November 2017 88

Regulars 14 Editor’s letter 16 Five minutes with... Lady Melissa Percy 18 Couture culture The worlds of fashion, film and art collide 66 Monochrome mayhem Experiment with a quirky kaleidoscope of checks, stripes and zigzags 116 Remembering Mayfair The Royal Institution’s scientific history

30 35

Features 20

Alain’s empire Chef Ducasse marks a decade at The Dorchester

24 24 30 58

Looking through the keyhole The Annabel’s makeover is finally unveiled Unlikely neighbours Brook Street’s hidden gem has much to offer, writes Nikki Mohan The mythical estate Hannah Wilson steps inside the world of sculptor Sophie Ryder

82 Candy crush What makes best friends and fashion designers Suki Waterhouse and Poppy Jamie tick? 88 Into the woods Camilla Apcar marvels at some thoroughly modern marquetry 100 The best of both worlds Jamavar’s co-founder reveals her new venture to Marianne Dick 104 Be our guest Discover Claridge’s culinary secrets in its first cookbook 112 Great escape: West Sweden First choice for a lobster safari and rustic lodges 114 Snow time Hannah Lemon takes to the Swiss slopes at Tschuggen Grand Hotel

104

35 Collection

62 Fashion

94 Health & beauty

109 Travel

54 Art

86 Interiors

96 Food & drink

117 Property

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the guest... if th n to ey ste wa “Li ourse meal in one n ho -c 20 ur

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m” ve the elie

t all began with a guesthouse on Brook Street. After expanding gradually over a number of years, the Mivart family sold their business in 1854 to a Mr and Mrs William Claridge, owners of a smaller hotel across the road. For more than a decade the business boomed and the property quite literally flourished through Brook Street, sprawling over a number of addresses, gathering momentum as it went. Although for a while it was still known locally as Mivart’s at Claridge’s, it wasn’t long before the now prestigious hotel dropped the prefix, as socialites and royals from all over the world sought a room at one of Mayfair’s finest establishments. With the likes of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert regularly crossing its threshold, gossip would have it that on more than one occasion when a caller would request to speak with the King, the response was often “certainly sir, may I ask which one?” The hotel closed for a period in the 1890s for a rebuild, redesign and refurbishment on a truly grand scale. The new Claridge’s boasted a number of additions including the Mirror Room, Ballroom, Reading Room and Foyer, which encompassed the original sprawling, 250-cover restaurant. And so to the heart of the celebratory

Watch Editor Richard Brown Assistant Editor Marianne Dick

new tome Claridge’s: The Cookbook, its first, co-authored by the resident executive chef Martyn Nail and food writer Meredith Erickson. From omelette Arnold Bennett and Cornish crab salad, to pineapple coconut tarts and lobster Wellington, the book takes you from breakfast through to dinner via some of the best-loved dishes and drinks from the Foyer and Reading Room, Claridge’s Bar and Fumoir, one mouthwatering recipe at a time. Sitting down to write the book’s foreword, Danish Michelin-starred chef René Redzepi sums up what has sustained the hotel’s longevity for well over a century. “I tried to distil what it is that I like so much about Claridge’s and why it feels like home to me, because it is very much the opposite of what I grew up with: luxury in its fullest, an extra-sized king bed and people everywhere to help carry your luggage,” he writes.

With the release of its first cookbook, Claridge’s reveals the secret recipes enjoyed by everyone from Queen Victoria to David Downton, writes Kari Colmans

b we

Jewellery Editor Mhairi Graham

our

Contributing Editor Lauren Romano

Food & drInk

ial

akes Clarid hat m ge’s “W sp e people there ec ” is th

NOVEMBER 2017 s issue 074

“It really boils down to the culture of Claridge’s – that thing that only happens when a group of people work together every day in a profound way. The more I think of it, the more it becomes clear that what makes Claridge’s special is the people there.” Martyn Nail, “the captain of this ship”, so writes Erickson, has been an integral part of the culinary direction at Claridge’s for more than 30 years (a rarity in the restaurant world), overseeing up to 2,000 diners a day, all while conducting an orchestra of special events. And you won’t just find the recipe to the perfect chicken pie inside, but also top tips such as how to go about hosting dinner for 100 people (or more). Indeed, we could all do better by adhering to the hotel’s strict event rules: “Listen to the guest,” readers are told. “If they want a 20-course meal in one hour we believe them, which leads to the second rule. We never commit to something we can’t achieve. The meal has to come together in a complete way, from start to finish. Review the menu well. We have to be able to make a dish for 240 as well as we would for one. The expectation

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” - Virginia Woolf With the release of the 2018 Michelin UK Guide, Mayfair comes out on top once again as London’s go-to culinary destination. The £300 per person, nine-seater sushi restaurant Araki on New Burlington Street was upgraded from two to three stars, while Aquavit in St James’s Market and Jamavar on Mount Street were awarded their first. It’s a remarkable celebration of relentlessly talented international chefs, dedicated waiting staff and the finest British produce. But we don’t need Michelin to tell us that. From Claridge’s age-old culinary secrets (p.104) and Alain Ducasse’s ten years at The Dorchester (p.20), to fresh new flavours from StreetXO (p.98) and Bombay Bustle (p.100), we see extraordinary gastronomy every day. And as the calendar of Christmas festivities begins, it seems others are turning to food too: Bulgari transforms olives into amethysts (p.35), while we serve necklaces on a platter (p.76). Go forth, eat, drink and be merry.

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afternoon tea at claridge’s, photography: John Carey. turn to page 104 for the full story

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5 minutes with...

ALNWICK CASTLE

If I am in Mayfair, I usually visit Hakkasan. I love London for its food scene and markets that pop up all over the place.

I love spending time with family and friends, ideally while cooking for them.

Aged 14, I was training to be a professional tennis player –

For the ultimate dinner party I would invite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Roger Federer and James Martin.

now I’m the owner of the country fashion label Mistamina. If that hadn’t worked out, I would have liked to own a food truck selling homemade pasta.

I grew up in Alnwick Castle, Northumberland.

LADY MELISSA ‘MISSY’ PERCY

It was perfect for playing cops and robbers with my siblings.

My parents always encouraged us to achieve our dreams, no matter how big or small... to always be kind and to never give up.

The best piece of advice I’ve received is: don’t make

They’re a waste of time.

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Setting up Mistamina in Alnwick has been exciting,

FRANK BOMBER, £160, MISTAMINA.COM

The most treasured piece of clothing in my wardrobe has to be the Alexander McQueen dress I got for my 30th birthday.

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The North is great for beaches, stunning views, the great outdoors and all the adventures it provides.

I couldn’t live without my gun, my scrambler (dirt bike) and my dog.

I’m not scared of much,

I don’t have any regrets.

The Duke of Northumberland’s daughter on growing up in a castle and starting out in fashion

stressful, a little bit terrifying at times, but ultimately the best experience of my life.

just crocodiles.

assumptions. My advice? Trust your gut.

“I grew up in Alnwick Castle. It was perfect for cops and robbers”

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If there was a fire in my house, I would have to save my KitchenAid and my life-size plastic great white shark’s head. My guilty pleasure is sausage with batter and chips.

I am looking forward to Christmas – as always I will be with my family and dogs at home. Hopefully I’ll get that sausage-making machine I’ve been asking for.

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Regulars

Advent countdown

COUTURE CULTURE

Svetlana Zakharova photography: Vladimir Fridkes

carols by candlelight

ca ndl es an d toi l etri es fro m Di ptyq u e, £300, s e l fr idges. com

that’s amore Mu si c Box fro m k u rt a dl er, £250, h ar r o ds.com

Bolshoi ballerina Svetlana Zakharova comes to London for three nights only to dance in Amore, a triptych of performances with music from the English National Opera Orchestra. A spectacle not to be missed. From £20, 21, 24 and 25 November, London Coliseum, WC2N, londoncoliseum.org

Ra re tea fro m Fortnu m & Mas o n , £125, for tn uman dmason.com

Celebrate 35 years of international children’s charity Operation Smile with a festive singalong. All ticket proceeds will go towards free, life-changing surgery for children in developing countries living with a cleft lip or palate. From £15, 7pm, 7 December, Grosvenor Chapel, W1K, operationsmile.org.uk

GET YOUR SKATES ON Canary Wharf’s showstopping ice rink returns, this time with a skate path and more than 1,000 twinkling Edison lightbulbs. From £9.95, 4 November – 24 February 2018, icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk

SET THE TONE

1 2 gi ns of Chris t m as f rom edenmill, £69, e d e nmill.com

Chocol ates and vouchers fro m Ga i l’ s Bak ery, £30, gailsbr e a d.co.u k

Go barmy for baroque with a series of music recitals presented by Bennie Gray and Andrew van der Beek. £5, every Thursday at 1pm, until 16 November, The Music Room, 26 South Molton Lane, W1K, themusicroom.co.uk

5 prime position Local bookshops Hatchards and Heywood Hill can regale endless tales of historic chairs courtesy of Swedish art historian Gun Bjerkander Handberg’s second book. Please Be Seated: More Historic Chairs, £14.99, published by Vind & Våg s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

ALAIN’s empire The chef reflects on a decade at The Dorchester, where he will be serving a special menu to mark his anniversary at the hotel W OR D S : C AMILLA A P C AR

he total tally seems almost unreasonable for a chef dealing in haute gastronomy: Alain Ducasse has 26 restaurants. There are the two in Tokyo, another in Doha, the one at Versailles and the one up the Eiffel Tower. But should one man have quite so many? Ducasse is perfectly relaxed on the subjects of food and cooking, if not a little weary from his international travels. Yet on his creative vision, he sparks up. So the French chef’s answer to the question of numbers is of course yes, but not without explanation. “No two of them are the same.” For Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, his vision back in 2007 was to conjure a casual yet chic elegance on Park Lane, with maybe one Michelin star – but never, he imagined, three. The chef gained his first in 1984, then struck out on his own to open Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse in 1987. He had been in training since he was 16 years old (and now holds 18 stars). “Initially we didn’t want to do haute gastronomy at The Dorchester, it was meant to be a more

“We understood there was an audience for something

from left: sautÉ gourmand of Lobster; Dorset CRAB, celeriac and caviar; alain ducasse

informal restaurant. But we understood that there was an audience for something that would go a bit further.” Further it does go – imagine tasting langoustines with Earl Grey tea, for example – and as he sits in the hotel reflecting on the decade since it has opened, it seems Ducasse has no regrets about how the restaurant may have deviated from his original designs. On a typical evening, its contemporary French cuisine might come in the form of wild mushrooms, Anjou pigeon, veal medallions or, in an unexpected Entente Cordiale sort of turn, an Eton Mess. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, a special menu will be served from until 23 December, celebrating the restaurant’s past, present and future. There will be duck foie gras, white truffle and a mysterious citrus iced chestnut dessert among the seven courses, plus a one-night-only dinner with the chef himself (£430, 24 October). Of culinary changes over the past ten years, Ducasse regards an uptick in quality as the most notable, and the

FEATURE

that would go a bit furtherâ&#x20AC;?

s l u x ury l o n d o n . c o. u k s

FEATURE

menu than a trendy boast. As he describes recreating a connection between producers and those eating out – by making them understand where their food has come from – it appears Ducasse has a sense of social responsibility about food. “It’s a virtuous circle,” he says. “We will have to pay more for our produce, but we will eat less. Then, paying more to the suppliers will encourage the producers more.” now widespread use of local, seasonal produce (something Back in the realms of gastronomy, Ducasse’s definition of he says that his outpost at The Dorchester “has always done”). haute cuisine is about creating a “unique experience”. Is it It all echoes Ducasse’s first memories of the kitchen at 12 not just the food, but the tableware, a perfectly paired wine years old – the smells coming from his grandmother’s list and everything in between – another evolution of the cooking. “She would use local produce from the farm we past decade, with diners increasingly expectant of that were on in south-west France, the river and forest nearby. something ‘extra’. “I choose everything. Everything. The Poultry from the farm, vegetables from the garden,” he place settings, the thickness of the paper used for the reminisces. “Very local and very healthy.” menus... it’s not a democracy,” he jokes, in seriousness. His taste has not changed so much: when at home, For chefs themselves, the most notable change has been Ducasse likes to go to the market and cook with whatever is that kitchens are more comfortable – less hot, with tools that on offer. “Very simple, of course, as there is no commis to perform better, allowing technical precision. Understanding help,” he smiles. Just as important is his garden, where his what the competition is doing, but not being influenced by harvests include gourds, from it, is paramount. He cites molecular cuisine as an example of pumpkins to butternut a pitfall when new techniques become available. squash, as well as the Yet falling prey to a ‘this is how we have always done it’ mentality is a bugbear for Ducasse. “The th the 10 anniversary menu key to the success of this company has been the Hand-dived sea scallop, citrus, caviar capacity to innovate and create all the time,” he Seared duck foie gras, salsify and apple says. “My job is to push that, to be demanding Fillet of turbot artichokes, white truffle and – almost – never happy with what we have. Native lobster, ratte potatoes, wild mushrooms The greatest challenge is still knowing how to ‘Volaille de Bresse’, Albufera sauce “seduce” guests, appealing to the local market Comté Garde Exceptionnelle, cru 2014 but without losing the cuisine’s French roots. Iced chestnut and lime – £280 “It’s a balance between what we know about the place and what we think could work, but there’s no recipe – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.” Ten figs, prunes, plums and kiwis years in, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is still striking it. now in season. “Although it makes sense for a restaurant to have one, it is a personal luxury 53 Park Lane, W1K, alainducasse-dorchester.com to have a garden,” says Ducasse. “It costs more to have one than to buy your food in the supermarket.” The chef’s views on sustainability and the future of food are, in turn, sensibly reasoned. “We ought to pay a lot more attention to taking care of the planet, how we use the resources available,” he says. He recommends less sugar, salt, fat and animal protein, as well as eating sustainable fish. “If we eat animal protein, it’s about producing and eating less, but in a better way, so everyone can have their fair share of what’s available on the planet.” So there must be something more to the Dorset crab and Scottish seafood on The Dorchester restaurant’s à la carte alain ducasse at the dorchester; Seared Foie Gras, salsify and apple from the 10th anniversary menu, all photography ©Pierre Monetta

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LOOKING

through THE

KEYHOLE Like an unsuspecting Alice in Wonderland, Hannah Lemon discovers a world of intrigue at the redesigned venue for Annabelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

FEATURE

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would be panicking if I was the site manager of the new Annabel’s right now. As number 46 Berkeley Square goes under renovation – it has the delightfully vague finishing date of “the end of the year” – sleepless nights would have taken over. Because when I visit the site in a hard hat and high-vis, I can’t see Annabel’s for all the builders. It’s difficult to imagine the plush furniture and detailed finishes when in their place are loose wires, cement, wooden boards covering the floor and plastic sheets stuck to the wall. But business mogul Richard Caring has it under control. Caring, who bought The Birley Group in 2007 (under which Annabel’s sits), decided to move the private members’ club next door from its original premises at number 44, where it had been for more than 50 years, to create a bigger and more diverse offering for its members. Partnerships with the biggest names in art, perfume and fashion have been formed to ensure that the new destination won’t fail to impress. Following the trend of private members’ clubs that provide daytime as well as evening hangouts,

members will be able to enjoy breakfast business meetings, a work space and a creative cocktail or two. The legendary Martin Brudnizki of Scott’s, 45 Jermyn St. and The Ivy fame – what hasn’t he designed? – is in charge of the interiors. Alongside him, a ‘cultural committee’ has been enlisted to sculpt this new Annabel’s, each with a vision for a certain area of the club. The board includes Mario Testino as creative counsel, Charlotte Tilbury as beauty director, Hikari Yokoyama as contemporary art director, and Derek Blasberg as style director. How

FEATURE

There are 600 types of tequila for the Mexican restaurant alone

3,000 bottles in the cellar

much change they actually govern remains to be seen, but in this world it’s all about who you know – and they know the whole of Hollywood. Doubtless we will be seeing the likes of Cara Delevingne, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Anna Wintour walk through the doors. Meanwhile, the rest of the Birley Group is hard at work planning the members’ offerings. There will be a garden room brasserie covered by a retractable roof, with a staff member on hand to study weather reports and determine whether it should be open or closed. Apparently, it will take only four minutes to wind in. Then there is the temperature-controlled cigar room, which will have bespoke cocktails for those who like to puff away on a Havana. Two private dining rooms will create space for more intimate events, while the bar will be the main attraction. The circular structure is being built in the middle of two rooms, so the barmen can serve both sides from underneath the gold leaf ceiling. Up the dramatic staircase, which is to be surrounded by pricey artwork, a lounge area awaits for business heads who want to plug in their laptops. The ladies’ powder room will be a destination in itself – expect unnecessarily large vanity sinks and poufs on which to recline. Then, of course, there is the club in the basement; a private place to meet for a secret tête-à-tête in one of the alcoves, reminiscent of the original

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600 wines on the main list

46 wines by the glass

70 founding members pay the original annual fee of £5.25 A joint membership of

£4,000 plus a joining fee of £1,250, is the highest rate The new club is

26,000 sq ft, spread over four floors Opening hours:

7am until 4am

Annabel’s, or to party hard on the hydraulic dancefloor that floats up and down as required. Yet, we haven’t even scratched the surface. As with any undertaking like this, the details are the most impressive part. The drinks offering will be increased; there are 6oo types of tequila for the Mexican bar and restaurant alone. Guillem Kerambrun, head sommelier and wine buyer, has been hard at work choosing vintages. “The selection will change frequently to follow the evolution of the different food menus, but also each season,” he says. “I will make a specific wine list for each restaurant and bar. We are lucky that we are able to keep the wonderful cellar of the old Annabel’s and have all our wines close to us, but I have to keep that address secret.” There will be a dynamic programme of wine events, lectures, presentations and tailor-made tasting dinners with winemakers as hosts. The team of nine sommeliers, who have been trained in Michelin-star restaurants or by master sommeliers, will provide members with a thorough knowledge on their favourite bottles. No request will go unanswered, no matter how demanding. “A part of my duty is to maintain a good relationship with my 80 suppliers and the different wineries to resolve [any client’s request]. For example last month, a winemaker put six very rare bottles from his personal cellar into his own luggage and made the delivery to me himself.” Elsewhere, British perfume designer Azzi Glasser has come up with a signature perfume for the club. “I am still finalising the scent, but so far the fragrance opens on top with sequoia wood and natural cypress oils. The heart and main character of the fragrance is filled with Chinese cedarwood, rose de mai and jasmine sambac, which is balanced with the animalistic tones of mousse de saxe to add a rich complexity and depth.” Heart, character and a few animalistic tones? The destination may have changed, but the essence d’Annabel’s seems very much the same. annabels.co.uk

PROMOTION

2017 Voting has now closed and the winners of the 17 prestigious categories will be announced after the awards ceremony on 27 November, in the January issue of The Mayfair Magazine Best exhibition at an art gallery Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne at Ben Brown Fine Arts Ed Ruscha: Extremes and In-betweens at Gagosian Eden/Simafra at Maddox Gallery Mat Collishaw: The Centrifugal Soul at Blain Southern Mike Kelley: Framed and Frame at Hauser & Wirth teamLab: Transcending Boundaries at Pace Best new retailer Berry Bros. & Rudd Chloé Connolly England Kat Florence Luisa Spagnoli Varana Best SPECIALIST BOUTIQUE E.B. Meyrowitz Floris London Holland & Holland Paxton & Whitfield Thomas Goode Turnbull & Asser Best HOMEWARE Asprey Carpenters Workshop Gallery Christian Liaigre Francis Sultana Linley The New Craftsmen

HEADLINE SPONSOR

Best WINDOW DISPLAY Fenwick Fortnum & Mason Hedonism Wines Louis Vuitton Mount Street Printers Mulberry Best Tailor Anderson & Sheppard Gieves & Hawkes Henry Poole & Co Kathryn Sargent Norton & Sons Richard Anderson Best Fashion Boutique Amanda Wakeley Chalayan Charlotte Olympia Christopher Kane Gucci Roksanda

Best Bar 45 Jermyn St. Cecconi’s Mayfair Dukes Bar Mr Fogg’s Residence Sartoria Sketch Best Private Members’ Club 5 Hertford Street 67 Pall Mall The Academicians’ Room at The Royal Academy of Arts The Arts Club Chess Club Harry’s Bar

Best New Restaurant Aquavit London Ferdi Ginza Onodera Jamavar Jinjuu ●StreetXO

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

Best CHARITABLE Initiative Local Hero Award Outstanding Contribution to Mayfair Award

Best Jeweller Annoushka Fabergé Jessica McCormack Richard Ogden Van Cleef & Arpels

Best Hotel The Beaumont Brown’s Hotel The Connaught Claridge’s The Ritz London The Stafford London

Promoting Craftsmanship Award Bentley & Skinner Foster & Son James Purdey & Sons Ronald Phillips Royal Academy Schools Savile Row Bespoke Association

William & Son Best Local Event E.Tautz 150th Anniversary Charity Exhibition London Fashion Week Men’s: St James’s Show

One lucky voter has received our prize: a bottomless brunch for six at the GBR (Great British Restaurant), DUKES LONDON. But don’t worry if you missed out, you can also visit for the bottomless brunch menu.

London Craft Week Mayfair Art Weekend The Mayfair Collective: The Women’s Space The Residents’ Society of

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Y L IKE

L N U

NEIGHBOURS Next time you hurry down Brook Street, take a moment to glance up at the blue plaques side by side at numbers 23 and 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; marking the dwelling place of two remarkable musicians, Handel and Hendrix

iving two centuries and one wall apart, court composer George Frideric Handel and rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix were legends in their own time and remain so today. Handel, born in Germany in 1685, moved to London in 1714 and into 25 Brook Street at the age of 38. He remained there until his death in 1759. Hendrix, born in Seattle in 1942, came to the UK in 1966 to seek fame and fortune. By 1967 he had gained huge popularity with live performances at London clubs and hit records, including Hey Joe. Such was his success that he became the highest paid musician in the world. In 1968 Hendrix and his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham moved into 23 Brook Street and lived there for about a year, with their flat providing an exotic and colourful backdrop to the many photoshoots that took place in their bedroom. For both Handel and Hendrix, Brook Street provided a vital central base for their artistic lives and a proved a magnet for contemporary fellow musicians and composers who visited, worked and played with them there. In the 1990s, admirers of Handel set up the Handel House Trust to raise funds to purchase and restore the building that had been home to the great composer for more than 30 years. They used the upper floors of number 23 as offices. While Handel House opened to the public in 2001, the Trust gradually restored the upper floors in

FEATURE

s l u x ury l o n d o n . c o. u k s

STRUMMING ALONG When Jimi Hendrix discovered that Handel had lived next door, he rushed to the local record shop and bought himself recordings of Messiah and the Water Music, which he added to his collection of LPs, some of which are still in his former flat.

number 23 and in 2016 the Hendrix museum was opened. Both spaces are being gradually worked on; meanwhile they bustle with musical activity. Today, Handel House is a pilgrimage spot for admirers of both musicians. The entrance to the museum is not on Brook Street itself, but tucked away at the back in Lancashire Court. The building is a traditional 18th-century London townhouse, built over five floors, with kitchens in the basement and servants’ rooms in the attic. The wood-panelled rooms of 25 Brook Street are part-museum and part-chamber concert venue. Handel’s bedroom and dressing room on the second floor were where he could retreat from the world and the pressure of his life as the most famous musician of his day. Here he recovered from two strokes and, if the rumours are true, retreated to gobble all the best items from the dinners he offered to his guests. The rooms are furnished as they might have been in Handel’s time, with an elegant short four-poster and storage chests for his clothes and wigs. The first floor, however, is the nerve centre of the museum today. You enter through the rather curious Costume Room where you can dress up as Handel – or Hendrix if you prefer –

and take photos. Then you enter the great man’s Composition Room, where some of the most famous operas and oratorios were written (Handel wrote his Messiah there in just over three weeks). Prolific even by the standards of his age, Handel was to complete about 50 operas, 30 oratorios and several organ compositions, producing his first opera at the tender age of 20. Many of these were created in this fairly small windowless room in bustling Mayfair. The Music Room, where Handel and his friends and pupils gathered to play and rehearse, is today, as then, a place of musical adventure. Regular concerts of Baroque and new music are held here. The space in the Music Room and the companion Parlour, where concerts also take place, is tiny. Performers and musicians are right on top of each other, giving an intimacy and immediacy that is hard to match elsewhere in London.

There’s an exhibition room with photographs and memorabilia from Hendrix’s short yet immensely colourful life, but the main attraction is the room where he lived, slept and held court for his friends and fellow musicians. It’s a scruffy, young man’s room, with knotted and fringed fabrics and rugs in glowing colours. There’s a black and white TV, an overflowing ashtray, a whisky decanter and empty bottles of Mateus Rosé, the only wine regularly available in the benighted days of 1960s London. Hendrix was a night owl, playing sets at Soho clubs in the evenings, partying until the not-too-small hours and then sleeping well into the afternoons. This was a man of huge talent who, like many gifted musicians of his era, lived hard and died tragically young – aged 27 – of an accidental drug overdose.

FEATURE

jimi hendrix photography: Barrie Wentzell; handel portrait: image courtesy of the Royal Collection 2017, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hendrix flat, photography: Michael Bowles, Handel & Hendrix in London below: soprano Emily Owen, photography: Sandra Vijandi

The Handel Trust is busy helping spread the music of Handel and his contemporaries, with outreach programmes for children and young adults. They also run an excellent year-long programme for young professional musicians called Handel House Talent, choosing a number of performers who specialise in Baroque music. The musicians perform for audiences in Handel House, at St George’s Hanover Square – where Handel worshipped – and elsewhere. Currently on the scheme is soprano Emily Owen. “I’ve had the chance to perform varied evening recitals and do a masterclass with my idol, Carolyn Sampson,” she says. “The community at the house and knowledgeable and enthusiastic audiences have given me the confidence to create ambitious and unusual recital programmes.”

Owen was also commissioned to create a promenade operatic experience in the house with her own ensemble, Ceruleo – her first bid at directing and creating a new piece of drama. She continues: “You can absolutely feel Handel’s presence in the house, which is one of the most exciting parts of being on the scheme. The closeness of the audience allows performers to use the full range of their contrasts and dynamics, which you might not be able to do in a huge concert hall. I’ve felt really free to experiment and invite the audience to join me in my research and discovery of Handel’s work.” Meanwhile, beyond the wall, would-be Hendrixes compete to riff like their guitarist hero. 25 Brook Street, W1K, handelhendrix.org

SEASON’S MEETINGS Battle of the Guitarists at the Studio, 25 November The Beggar’s Opera, 9 December Pioneer of Panto, 15 December Christmas Showcase – the end of year concert for the Talent Musicians – at St George’s, Hanover Square, 21 December

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A feast for the eyes

Bulgariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delectable Festa high jewellery collection honours the Mediterranean olive harvest between October and November. Designs are crafted from white gold and festooned with amethyst and peridot olives, sprinkled with diamonds. POA, bulgari.com

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The Art of de Grisogono diamond necklace will tour New York and Dubai before being auctioned at Christie’s in Geneva in November. The largest D-colour flawless diamond ever to come to auction, it weighs 163.41 carats and is suspended from an elegant emerald and diamond necklace. Auction on 14 November, christies.com, degrisogono.com

A street-smart collaboration

Under the

hammer Pinky promise Boodles’ new collection of Pinky Rings is a creative play on words, made of rosy pieces for the little finger. Decorative designs are inspired by traditional henna handpainting and feature butterflies, flowers and swirls, set with white – and the jeweller’s signature pink – diamonds. From £4,000, boodles.com

British jeweller Stephen Webster has joined forces with Thames, a streetwear label founded by skateboarder Blondey McCoy. The star-like ‘T’ from the Thames logo is a recurring theme throughout the 12-piece collection of pendants, rings and earrings, embellished with diamonds, black onyx and citrine. Thames by Stephen Webster, from £340, stephenwebster.com

Perfect geometry Chanel’s storied past twinkles in its Gallery collection, which reinterprets the 2.55 handbag chain and the octagonal shape of Place Vendôme in Paris. Stylish geometric designs in yellow gold are fashioned with diamonds, vivid green tourmaline and malachite for a mesmerising finish. POA, chanel.com

Cocktail hour Add a burst of colour to dark November nights with a striking cocktail ring by Hirsh London, the fine jeweller renowned for its unique stones and unusual cuts. Rare rubies, sapphires and tourmalines are flanked by diamonds – and handcrafted in Mayfair. POA, hirshlondon.com

COLLECTION

The silversmith of Tuscany Born from a passion to keep local craftsmanship alive, Giovanni Raspini’s jewellery and homeware is painstakingly sculpted in the hills of Arezzo in Italy

t’s nearly 50 years since Giovanni Raspini’s eponymous silver jewellery and homeware brand was founded, but there has been no time to slow down. The Italian label has arrived on English shores to launch its flagship store in London. Each necklace and earring displayed in its neat Mayfair boutique is still handmade in Tuscany, straight from Raspini’s sketches. The designs are created back at his home in a 16th-century villa perched on a hillside in Arezzo. It couldn’t be a more apt place for creative inspiration. Surrounded by rows of vineyards bulging with ripe fruit and the soft glow of terracotta farmhouses, the Tuscan countryside plays an important role in the finished pieces. Once drawn up, the sketches are painstakingly moulded into a three-dimensional wax model and then cast in silver using traditional techniques involving scorching temperatures. Fashioned with the utmost care by skilled local artisans in the company’s Arezzo workshop since 1972, each piece is then buffed, burnished and occasionally embossed with a precious stone. Originally an architect, Raspini has merged his eye for contemporary design with the romance of the Mediterranean to create his unique collections. Influenced by nature, they are centred on plants and animals, resulting in stems of elegant leaves that interwine to make a bracelet or the spots of a leopard imprinted on a ring. “My eyes are full of beautiful things and I want to share them with those who love my world, with those who share my enthusiasm,” says Raspini, a man with a mission to convey the beauty of Italy in a little piece of silver.

“My eyes are full of beautiful things and I want to share them”

5 South Molton Street, W1K, giovanniraspini.com

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gem

OF AN

IDEA

As the time-honoured tradition of gouache continues to defy the tech era, discover the craftsmen turning paint and paper into precious jewels WORDS : R a c h a e l T a y l o r

This page: The Coeurs Enlaces bracelet from the Le Secret collection by van Cleef & Arpels; Right: A to-scale drawing of a necklace from the Hiver Imperial collection by Boucheron

f you’re not familiar with gouache, you could be forgiven for thinking it sounds vaguely like an awkward fashion mistake or perhaps a hearty Hungarian dish. Dig a little deeper and a ravishing world of colour opens up. Gouache is the art of painting in opaque watercolour and was used by masters such as Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec. What is less well known is that for centuries bespoke jewellery designers have been using the art form to guide craftsmen when they create the final pieces. Even now, top houses like Boucheron, Dior and Piaget insist on using a delicate painting, known as a ‘render’ in the trade, which is passed from stone setters to goldsmiths to polishers.

COLLECTION

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This page, clockwise from right: Conchiglie bracelet in titanium with pearls and gemstones by Giampiero Bodino; Primavera ring with three rubies by Giampiero Bodino; A sapphire, pearl, diamond and enamel cocktail ring from the Hiver Imperial collection by Boucheron

Houses insist on the creation of jewellery in paint and ink before gold and diamonds

Chelsea-based fine jewellery designer Luis Miguel Howard explains: “The process of creating a gouache is quite straightforward, but it is also time-consuming and requires some skill. “Most are painted on vellum, tracing paper or coloured Ingres paper. Shadows are painted in Chinese ink, while metal and stones are in washes of gouache of varying intensities, often leaving areas unpainted to give a sense of lightness and delicacy.” Once the jewel has been created, brands will keep the gouache on file, dated and signed by the designer. This will be used in the future for designers to refer back to and also when trying to authenticate a gem. Cartier’s archives include 30,000 sketches that track the history of the brand from its origins in the 19th century. They are kept in pristine condition in temperature and humiditycontrolled rooms. Surprisingly, gouache is managing to evade the grasp of modern technology. Although computergenerated images can take the place of sketches

done by hand, the finest houses insist on the creation of jewels in paint and ink before gold and diamonds. Chopard’s artistic director Caroline Scheufele recently unveiled a new series of gouache to celebrate its Silk Road collection. She says: “The process of creating gouache can take from a few hours to several days for the most complex pieces. “It doesn’t have to be 100 per cent accurate – another more technical design will then be made from it and used by the jeweller – but it still has to give the best possible idea of the final piece.” Scheufele relies on her in-house designers, but some creators prefer to do the work themselves. Giampiero Bodino, creative director of Richemont, is also the master of his own fine jewellery brand. Passionate about his art, he explains: “I am blessed by being very fast – once I get inspired, the whole process can take less than an hour.” His latest collection, revealed during Paris Couture Week, was a radiant ode to the Mediterranean Sea, with seed pearl shells on bright titanium and rolling wave motifs in diamonds and sapphires.

COLLECTION

He adds: “The high jewellery world is still very much craft-oriented, therefore the original handmade drawing must be part of the process, from creation to purchase.” While handing over gouache to a customer is a rite of passage at Bodino’s eponymous label, it’s a case of don’t ask, don’t get at other houses such as Chopard. Scheufele says: “We normally keep them for our archives, but if a client wishes to keep it, we would of course gift them with a copy.” Having the original could add up to 20 per cent to the price, should the piece go to auction. In fact, jewellery gouache is valuable enough on its own. A collection of 17 Cartier drawings recently fetched £5,000 at Bonhams.

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This page, clockwise from top: Message des Hirondelles necklace from the Le Secret collection by Van Cleef & Arpels; Earrings from the Silk Road collection by Chopard

Exclusive jeweller Nirav Modi, who opened in London last year, says: “It is about the entire process – the vision behind it and the creativity, the craftsmanship that goes into making each and every jewel a piece of art. “I believe what goes from the head to the hand truly has an emotional influence and there is something about its beauty that moves you from within.” He adds: “As someone who has always looked up to art and architecture for inspiration, the allure of an actual sketch is certainly a whole lot more [inspiring] than that of a computerised rendering.” This year, designer Anna Hu became the first contemporary jeweller to host a solo exhibition at Christie’s. Her art is so enchanting that she often sells jewellery straight from gouache to clients. She says firmly: “It’s a very important process and one that I focus on the most. Often during this stage I’ve got to communicate with my clients and learn more about their personal stories and needs, which always touch me so much. This is not something that technology could replace.” It’s good to know that in our tech-dominated world, the traditional method is hard to beat.

Collection

Reinventing the

wristwatch Has Zenith just created the world’s most accurate timepiece? W O R D S : R i c h a rd B row n

ow to future-proof an analogue product in the digital age? While TAG Heuer is pinning its hopes on capturing Generation Z through smartwatches and partnerships with electronic dance DJs, LVMH stablemate Zenith is looking forward by revisiting the past. The Le Locle-based brand has been working with mathematical physicist Guy Sémon, a one-time jet pilot, whose reputation in watches was acquired through a series of specialist precision projects for TAG Heuer. Sémon’s latest innovation does no less than reinvent the way a mechanical watch ticks. Since 1675, when Dutch horologist Christiaan Huygens presented his sprung balance principle to the French Academy of Sciences, mechanical watches have relied

on the force of a coiled spring to drive a gear train via a pallet fork and an escape wheel (collectively known as an escapement). Packaged inside the new calibre ZO 342, which finds a home in Zenith’s new Defy Lab series, is a regulating system that does away with an individual balance wheel, hairspring and pallet fork, and instead incorporates some 30 components into a single, circular disc. The Zenith Oscillator, as the component has been coined, measures just 0.5mm thick and, being etched from silicon, is impervious to both magnetic fields and that other great obstacle to accurate timekeeping – friction. The result, says Sémon, is an accuracy to within one second across the calibre’s 70-hour power reserve. If that’s true, the ZO 342 will be the world’s most accurate mechanical movement. Zenith has produced ten, all slightly different, Defy Lab watches, selling them collectively in one ultimate gift box. Reportedly, this is to meet the stipulation of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – colloquially referred to as the ‘Oscars of the watch world’ – which specifies that all entries must have been available for sale. All ten timepieces feature a 44mm case constructed from Aeronith, a new aluminium composite that’s 2.7 times lighter than titanium and, incredibly, ten per cent lighter than carbon fibre. After a three-year hiatus, organisers of Switzerland’s International Chronometry Competition (the industry’s most rigorous, independent testing panel), have said that the contest will return in 2018. We might have to wait until then to see if Zenith and Sémon have really rewritten the watchmaking rule book.

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28241 Creed Viking_210x297_MayfairAd.indd 1

13/09/2017 09:51

COLLECTION

Pierre Salagnac’s sculptural centrepiece with 437 gold leaves is hewn from a single block of brass – it took 250 hours to make

bottoms up

K ossif l or e B on saii £ 6 9 , 3 6 3 , r u b e l l i . c om

cor k scr e w £ 4 9 5 , pu r de y. co m

Objects of

Desire

Go for gold when entertaining at home

ch am pagn e b u c k e t c rystal and go l d , £ 3 , 7 0 0 , b ac c ar at. co m

THE INNER CIRCLE Forget elaborate swans and lotus folds: employ a not-so-humble napkin ring to set the tone for dinner. £140 for a set of four, l-objet.com

b ottl e sto p p e rs ste r l i ng si lv e r , fr om £ 8 0 0 ea ch , aspr e y. c o m C ry stal gl asswar e fr om £ 2 5 5 pe r pai r , wate r for d. c o. u k

OPULENCE FOR MINIMALISTS French-Lebanese designer Carla Baz has created a pared-back candelabra of dreams, in rings of matte and polished brass. £1,200, bonadea.com

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b ottl e op e n e r £ 4 9 , J oanna B u c h a n a n at h ar r ods. c o m

All I want for Christmas With the big day fast approaching, avoid last minute panic and shop our guide to the luxury gifts youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wish were yours

shine bright

Catherine Best’s handmade fine jewellery is renowned for its use of unusual gemstones. The Antiquity diamond pendant in 18-carat white gold is set with an exceptional 1.5-carat tourmaline from Brazil, and is reminiscent of tropical seas in its azure brilliance. For an even more extravagant offering, opt for the classic Flutterby earrings, which can be bought alongside a matching ring and pendant. £POA, catherinebest.com

buying time

A gift that offers the chance to relax and unwind during the hectic festive period is sure to go down well, and Rituals has the perfect product combinations, and scents, to fit the bill. The Ritual of Dao’s white lotus and yi yi ren create a sense of calm, while The Ritual of Ayurveda balances body and mind with Indian rose and Himalaya honey. The environmentally-friendly keepsake boxes also come in four sizes. From £19.50, rituals.com

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3 tuck in

Harvey Nichols food and wine hampers take the hassle out of mixing and matching festive treats. The Buyers’ Picks contains a selection of the newest products on the shelves this year, from artisan gin to coffee, while Party Starter is packed with prosecco and pre-dinner snacks including pepper and chilli mixed olives and duck pâté. Each comes presented in a matt black wicker hamper with leather straps and silver detailing – perfect for future picnics. Hampers from £60, harveynichols.com

treasure trove

Family-owned jewellers Hancocks has been in business since 1849 and is the expert on vintage pieces, which it showcases alongside its own contemporary collections. Engraved signet rings offer a personal touch, while this pair of 1950s Van Cleef & Arpels diamond earrings, with petals centred on a claw-set round brilliant-cut diamond, is a gift to be passed down through the generations. Signet ring, from £775; Gold and diamond ring, £8,500; Earrings, £65,000, hancocks-london.com

reinvent the wheel

For a gift that speaks of contemporary craftsmanship, BOSS has collaborated with luxury toy car maker Playforever. Its Holiday collection features bespoke motoring motifs, which adorn clothing – look out for a satin bomber jacket embroidered with a retro-style race car – and stocking fillers, including key charms, phone covers and wallets. Zipped pouch, £219; Key ring, £89, hugoboss.com

future classics

Vintage Art Deco posters can be hard to track down at auction, but Pullman Editions provides a far easier way to adopt the style. It commissions artists to depict the themes of historic automobiles, glamorous holiday resorts and winter sports. Each design – and there are more than 100 to choose from – is signed and numbered, with editions limited to 280, to ensure exclusivity. £395 each, pullmaneditions.com

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7 raise a glass

Rémy Martin XO is a mixture of up to 400 eaux-de-vies from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne vineyards of the Cognac region. Combined by its expert Cellar Master, the velvety blend of candied orange, hazelnuts and cinnamon is a worthy dinner party gift, and the perfect pairing for dark chocolate and parmesan cheese. £134, thewhiskyexchange.com

ship shape

Viking, Creed’s first major scent launch for men in seven years, takes inspiration from the boldness and ingenuity of the intrepid Scandinavian explorers and their longships. Spicy, gritty peppercorn is warmed by Indian sandalwood and invigorated by Sicilian lemon to evoke a spirit of determination and success in the new year. From £185 for 50ml, creedfragrances.co.uk

9 say my name

You can count on Aspinal of London to make a gift personal, and this year its signature monogramming service ties in with its theatrical-inspired A/W17 collection. Choose either one or two hand-embroidered letters from its golden Aspinal Alphabet to customise an iPhone case in croc, lizard or saffiano leathers. £75 for an iPhone case with one letter, £95 for two letters, only available in store, aspinaloflondon.com

in the frame

It might be winter, but Tom Davies’ exquisitely crafted sunglasses deserve to be on show all year round. The Silver 925 collection couples classic shapes with handmade sterling silver frames, with nine styles to choose from, while lenses come in platinum, 18-carat gold or coloured mirrors. Choose from the ready-to-wear options or a custom made-to-order pair, for a gift no one can match. From £1,300 per pair, from £1,500 for bespoke frames, tdtomdavies.com

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queen bee

Only 120 editions of this luxury coffret by Valmont have been produced, as part of its Essence of Bees collection. The lacquered wooden box contains three vials of its Cure Majestueuse anti-ageing beauty oil, with one housed in an 18-carat gold-plated sheath inspired by the intricacy of honeycomb and the work of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. £3,042, available at Urban Retreat at Harrods, harrods.com

12 lucky charm

Each Bee Goddess jewellery collection is designed around mythological and talismanic symbols. Fitting for the festive season, the Star Light collection features star shapes set in both 14-carat yellow and rose gold, adorned with white pavé and baguette diamonds. A gift to symbolise hope, guidance and new beginnings for the wearer. Earrings £6,490; Ring, £1,750, harrods.com

Wishing you a very merry – and luxurious – Christmas from Luxury London Discover more covetable Christmas treasures in your curated guide to the festive season on our website...

luxurylondon.co.uk

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ART

Spectator sport

Hank Willis Thomas, Hand of God, 2017, ÂŠHank Willis Thomas, 2017, courtesy of Ben Brown Fine Arts, London

Art and geopolitics are the subject of a solo show by American conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas. New sculptures and quilts explore sport as a culturally acceptable form of social division, and question the promotion of African players to top international teams. Hank Willis Thomas: The Beautiful Game, until 24 November, Ben Brown Fine Arts, 12 Brookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mews, W1K, benbrownfinearts.com

ART

Prize lots

Sold £1,569,000 E st i m ate : £ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 – £ 9 0 0 , 0 0 0

Untitled, Jean-Michel Basquiat, c.1984 “On the heels of the opening of the extraordinary exhibition at Barbican Art Gallery, which marks Jean-Michel Basquiat’s first large-scale exhibition in the UK, Phillips was delighted to have been entrusted by the artist’s estate with such a wonderful example of his work. Basquiat’s highly energetic and innovative approach to making art is palpable in Untitled, which also documents his lifelong fascination with the human figure, presenting the viewer with confidently painted anatomical fragments of the lower torso.” – Dina Amin, head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Phillips Europe

Upc

in om

Sold £3,196,250 Estimate: £1,200,000 – £1,800,000

Legendary Space Travellers’ Watch, George Daniels, c.1982 “This watch is certainly one of Daniels’ most important. One can only be mesmerised by the beauty of its dial and the complexity and wonder of its movement. Named in honour of the American landing on the moon in 1969, it shows both the mean solar and sidereal times.” – Joanne Lewis, head of watches, Sotheby’s London

Art for life Following the success of the Art for Life sale at Christie’s last year in aid of Cancer Research UK, Chris Beetles Gallery in St James’s is set to host the second of what will hopefully become an annual event. An exhibition of donated pieces from the likes of Tracey Emin, Judith Gardner and Ken Howard will culminate in a live auction hosted by Jeffrey Archer. Art for Life exhibition & sale, 30 October – 2 November, chrisbeetles.com

sold, from Top: Untitled, Jean-Michel Basquiat, 167.6 x 152.4cm, acrylic and oilstick on canvas, Executed c.1984, PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, 20TH CENTURY & CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE, 6 OCTOBER, PHillips LOndon, Image courtesY of Phillips/pHILLIPS.COM; A UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT 18K YELLOW GOLD CHRONOGRAPH WATCH WITH DANIELS’ INDEPENDENT DOUBLE-WHEEL ESCAPEMENT, MEAN-SOLAR AND SIDEREAL TIME, AGE & PHASE OF THE MOON AND EQUATION OF TIME INDICATIONS C.1982 SPACE TRAVELLERS’ WATCH, George Daniels, FINE TIMEPIECES INCLUDING GEORGE DANIELS MASTERPIECES, 19 SEPTEMBER, sOTHEBY’S lONDON, iMAGE COURTESY OF sOTHEBY’S upcoming From left: Nydegg Church & Berne Minster, Ken Howard obe RA, 2011, signed by artist, Oil on board, 9.5in x 7.5in; Martin Kramer and Chris Beetles at last year’s event at christie’s, photography: carol moir, courtesy of cancerresearchuk.org

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CARDS AS UNIQUE AS EACH FLAKE OF SNOW

ART

photography unbound

Highlands-born artist Allan Forsyth digitally manipulates the natural world in the next exhibition at Hotel Café Royal: his lenticulars (moving 3D portraits) are created by placing hyper-real photographs behind a motion lens. Those with a penchant for GIFs will be delighted. 6 October – 1 December, Hotel Café Royal, 68 Regent Street, W1B, galleryelenashchukina.com

NEW Colnaghi Foundation Jorge Coll and Nicolas Cortés, owners of Colnaghi art gallery, reveal their new venture

The Colnaghi Foundation is a not-for-profit championing historic art for a 21st-century audience. We have been in business together for more than a decade now, and during that time the contemporary art world has grabbed more and more of people’s attention. This has led us to do some hard thinking about how the Old Master business will look in another 30 years. Great art is timeless, but we could be much better at making the Old Master world accessible and relevant. We want to encourage people to think and learn about old art in new ways. One of our first projects is a series of video masterclasses filmed with the Wallace Collection. A dance company will bring sculpture to life through a specially choreographed interpretation of a bronze in the museum’s collection; while chefs will recreate dishes seen in still life paintings.

against the odds The Six Dynasties era – 220 to 581 CE – was full of trials for China, with upheaval following the collapse of the Han dynasty. Yet art, poetry and the Silk Route blossomed – as gallery Eskenazi is set to celebrate with 38 pieces from a private collection. 2-25 November, 10 Clifford Street, W1S, eskenazi.co.uk

colnaghifoundation.org

a perennial obsession Sometimes the greatest joys are right on your doorstep, as Geoff Uglow illustrates with new paintings inspired by the rose garden surrounding his Cornwall studio. It has taken the artist a decade to cultivate his patch, gathering seeds from Scotland and Italy. 26 October – 25 November, Connaught Brown, 2 Albemarle Street, W1S, connaughtbrown.co.uk clockwise from top left: Allan Forsyth, Pride & Glory, Roebuck, 2013; Pride & Glory, Macaw, 2012; Jorge Coll and Nicolas Cortés; Colnaghi; Geoff Uglow, Sappho, 2017; two painted earthenware caparisoned horses, Northern Qi period, 550-577; two earthenware figures, Northern Wei period, early 6th century; painted earthenware ox, Northern Qi period, 550-577

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The

mythical Sophie Ryderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sculptures are monumental and otherwordly. Hannah Clugston speaks to her about the home she built in the Cotswolds, where art is abound

minotaur and lady hare torsos, 2000

estate

ART

ophie Ryder’s practice is defined by her large-scale, mythical creatures that have presided over landscapes as varied as Palm Desert, West Yorkshire and Chicago. Constructed from bronze as well as much less conventional materials such as sawdust, wet plaster, machine parts and scraps of paper, Ryder’s sculptures take the form of dogs, hands, feet, horses, rabbits and hybrid beings that reflect both human and animal features. Educated at the Royal Academy of Arts, the artist has spent the past 30 years dreaming up a whole catalogue of characters, most famously the Lady Hare, a female partner for the Minotaur. With Ryder’s interest in the interaction between giant structures and the landscape,

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perhaps it was a natural transition when she started building her own home in the Cotswolds. In 1989 she purchased Lampits Farm, and has spent the past 28 years creating a very different type of art; one that is home to her family, staff, studio, dogs and – of course – plenty of art. Appropriately named Ryder Park, the house was originally a threshing barn, but woodworm put most of the original structure to rest. So, Ryder and her ex-husband had a rather large job on their hands. She explains: “We designed everything, did drawings, chose craftsmen who worked in the style we liked. We worked with very traditional and very solid long-lasting materials. It’s a stunning house, really beautifully built, and all done in an Arts and Crafts style, so there is lots of wood.”

A large proportion of the house was made by Ryder herself: the doors, windows and metalwork, alongside the large sculptures and artworks dotted around the property, inside and out. Her most recent addition pays homage to her “Dogman in a Mirror is beloved greyhounds: looking at himself. He sees “I just made a a man but we see a dog.” steel-cut lamp in Italy with dogs cut out of it. The light reflects the dogs’ shapes onto the ceiling. In the kitchen, I’ve done another and inscribed my family’s names into it.” It was important to Ryder that the house didn’t just reflect her family, but also the Gloucestershire landscape. “I tried to choose things that looked in keeping with the landscape, so it didn’t stand out. The thing about this house is that it feels like it belongs here, not like it was built 28 years ago. It feels like it has always been here.” This success in timeless construction can be attributed to Ryder’s commitment to using

materials lifted from the surrounding area. A lot of the stone used was sourced from the land itself and each of the roof tiles were made from moulds to mimic a traditional Cotswoldian stone roof. She also hired mostly local craftsmen, although does acknowledge the practical benefit, too: “because they were working here for so long they needed to be local – they were here every day for years!” Although construction of the house is largely finished, the work at Ryder Park is far from over. Ryder has two studios on the property where she crafts new works. The larger studio is a newly refurbished cowshed, while the smaller one doubles up as a gallery. Ryder’s art can be found all over the place: as a centrepiece on her dining table; as a point of interest on her mantelpiece; and a decorative flourish on the windowsill. Meanwhile, outside Ryder planted 4,000 trees on her 20 acres and intends to build a private sculpture park peppered with a number of her large-scale pieces. “The Minotaur and Lady Hare torsos are like sentinels to welcome you into the property,” she says. “They have always been a pair. They are six metres tall, framing the entrance to the sculpture park.” Creating

“Minotaur with Guitar is a plaster I made for my friend and guitar teacher. The minotaur used to hold a daisy, but I made a guitar for my friend as it was more relevant.”

ART “The Lady Hare looking out of the window is part of Lady Hare and hare in a mirror, where again the lady is looking at herself in the mirror. She sees a lady and we see a hare.”

new spaces for viewers to inhabit is a reoccurring theme in her work. “It’s something I’ve done from a very early age. I used to make little villages of people and create whole environments for them with lakes and ponds and waterfalls. I just absolutely loved creating a space where things happened, not just creating objects, but creating places for people to be in.” This desire to create a new world appears again in her exhibition Tepozteco at Mayfair’s Hignell Gallery. Temple to the 200 Rabbits is an immersive, multisensory piece where the visitor is invited to enter a room adorned with 200 sculptures,

All photography by Tania Dolvers, courtesy of Hignell Gallery

serenaded with music. The work seeks to recreate a moment from Ryder’s childhood, when she visited a rabbit farm and saw hundreds stuck in a small, dark shed. Many were dying, jumping around or breeding. This encounter made a big impact on Ryder, who invites her audience to step back in time to revisit this memory with her. The rabbit is a familiar character in Ryder’s practice, but Tepozteco also includes the introduction of a new character – the Boar. This creature slotted itself into the artist’s imagination when she was in Provence, where she has a second home, and found a wild boar shot dead in “Kneeling Lady Hare is a the vines. Winemakers in the plaster is in my gallery. region shoot them to protect Sometimes the plasters their grapes, and in response, get destroyed when Ryder’s is positioned on top of moulded but if they’re in wooden barrels rather than on a good condition, I keep traditional plinth. some of them.”

With all these mystical creations and spaces around, one has to wonder whether Ryder sees the home she created as another character in her oeuvre. “I suppose someone else would have to tell me that, because for me it just feels like home,” she describes. “It’s a lovely feeling. It’s so much more personal because everything you look at you think, ‘I helped to do that, I made that, I designed that.’” Tepozteco, until 1 December, 12-14 Shepherd Street, W1J, hignellgallery.com

ÂŠStefanoRicci S.p.A.

Strike it Ricci

Stefano Ricci continues to celebrate his home town of Florence with his latest campaign, shot at the Stibbert Museum, once home to collector Frederick Stibbert. The intricate paintings and gilded armours provide a dramatic setting for both the sharp sportswear, and cashmere and silk tailoring. 56 South Audley Street, W1K, stefanoricci.com

FASHION

Rock And row CHESTER BARRIE opened on Savile Row in 1937; 80 years on, its flagship sits proudly at number 19. The tailor was one of the first to offer ready-to-wear suiting and maintains a revolutionary approach to this day. This season, the camel blazer is reimagined (ideal with grey flannel trousers), and the traditional tux is updated with a bold Mogador shawl collar. chesterbarrie.co.uk

#00benn In honour of Mr Benn’s 50th birthday, Turnbull & Asser has immortalised David McKee’s cult character in a limited edition range of Bondinspired pocket squares. £75, turnbullandasser.co.uk

essential indulgence When it comes to luxury, the Swiss know what they’re doing. Founder of Zimmerli Ida Pauline Bäurlin invented the first two-needle knitting machine – since then, the fine underwear brand has thrived. Some of its new silk pieces are so exquisite that you might be tempted to wear them in public too. From £45, zimmerli.com

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New establishment Richard James swaggered onto Savile Row 25 years ago and made his name by dressing lovable British rogues like the Gallagher brothers and Hugh Grant in his daring designs. This year, the audacious tailor has expanded its Clifford Street bespoke store upwards and given it a swanky 1960s-style revamp. There’s a new customer lounge and bar, more than 15,000 fabrics to peruse, and a neon portrait of James that takes pride of place above the fireside. We look forward to seeing what the next quarter of a century holds. 19 Clifford Street, W1S, richard-james.com

Showroom: 1 Western Avenue, London, W3 0BZ 020 8993 4415 | info@thesofaandchair.co.uk www.thesofaandchair.co.uk

FASHION

LEather weather photography: Ben Weller

what LINKS the House of Commons, the desks in the British Library and the QE2? They have all been lined with Connolly leather at one time or another. The respected brand is expanding its presence with a new ‘Connolly corner’ in Fortnum & Mason, which harks back to its roots in motor racing by focusing only on driving and leather accessories. There’s also a full-size model of a Formula 1 car, just in case you miss it. From £95, fortnumandmason.com, connollyengland.com

Wear it pink This year marks a quarter century of the pink ribbon: a worldwide symbol of breast cancer awareness. Stella McCartney has designed a dusty pink lingerie set in Japanese lace, the proceeds of which will be donated to Memorial Sloan Kettering Breast Examination Center of Harlem as well as the Linda McCartney Center in Liverpool. Bralette, £125; briefs, £65, stellamccartney.com

Winter garden

tRAVEL LIGHT The latest addition to St. James’s Market is Aspinal. The brand’s new 3,500sq ft flagship will be laid out in the style of a country manor with sections such as a ladies’ boudoir. Don’t miss the ivory and camel capsule collection in celebration of new film Murder on the Orient Express. From £55, 16 Regent Street, St James’s, SW1Y, aspinaloflondon.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Huishan Zhang has opened his first stand-alone store on Mount Street. The store was designed by Fran Hickman – who also fitted The Chess Club – and is inspired by Chinese gardens. Its clean, pared-back palette allows Zhang’s feminine designs to shine. 5b Mount Street, W1K, huishanzhang.com

Monochrome

mayhem

Not sure how to pull off black and white prints? Delve into our quirky kaleidoscope of checks, stripes and zigzags Photographer Turi LĂ¸vik Kirknes Stylist Victoria Wright

Bag, ÂŁ995, Charlotte Olympia, charlotteolympia.com; dress, ÂŁ1,025, Bora Aksu, boraaksu.com

THIS PAGE – Ava Hat, POA, House of Holland, houseofholland.co.uk; earringS, £235, Anissa Kermiche, anissakermiche.com OPPOSITE PAGE – dominique Bag, £995, Anya Hindmarch, anyahindmarch.com; sequin dress (worn as top), £1,530, Ashish, brownsfashion.com; skirt, £520, Bora Asku, as before; Shoes, £995, Christian Louboutin, christianlouboutin.com

“Fashion is about

dreaming and making

other people dream” — D o n at e l l a Versace

Left – Ava dress, POA, Vilshenko, vilshenko.com; right – Dominique dress, £1,295, Temperley London, temperleylondon.com

THIS PAGE – dominique Coat, £1,550, Michael Kors, michaelkors.co.uk OPPOSITE PAGE – ava Dress and body, POA, Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com; shoes, £675, Charlotte Olympia, as before Photographer’s assistant Justyna Radon Make-up Mario Brooksbank at Carol Hayes Management, using Bobbi Brown Hair Alexandru Szabo at Carol Hayes Management, using Bumble and Bumble Nails Stephanie Staunton at Carol Hayes Management, using OPI Models Dominique at Established Models and Ava at Premier Model Management

Under

loch

& key

Pringle of Scotland’s head of knitwear, Allan Godfrey, divulges the secrets of the historic fashion house’s supremely soft cashmere WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

utside the Pringle of Scotland S/S18 show that took place at One Marylebone during London Fashion Week in September, there was a relatively polite protestor trying to persuade the audience and passers-by that the brand sold “just expensive jumpers”. Perhaps Pringle should have invited the gentleman in, and he would have witnessed something quite different. Pringle was founded by Robert Pringle in Scotland in 1815 as a hosiery manufacturer, making it one of the oldest fashion houses in the world. Its iconic twinsets have adorned the shoulders of actresses such

FASHION

as Joan Crawford and Grace Kelly, and in 1956 Pringle was bestowed its first Royal Warrant. One of the reasons why the house is so respected and consistently successful is the importance it places on its fabrics, and in particular its cashmere. “The whole thing starts off with the raw material, the fibre,” explains Allan Godfrey, Pringle’s head of knitwear and soft accessories. “For cashmere, we only use the best fibre – the white fibre – and this comes from the underbelly of the goat; to make any one sweater, it’ll take the hair from between three and four goats.” Pringle sources this white fibre from goats that are reared in Inner Mongolia because the extreme change in temperature forces them to produce the finest but strongest hairs of any animal. The thinner the fibre is, the softer the handle (feel) of the finished material will be, and the longer the fibre is, the less the finished product will bobble. The yarn is spun by Scottish cashmere spinners Todd & Duncan who use more oil than other companies in the spinning process to achieve a tighter twist, making the yarn more durable. After it is scoured to remove the oil and impurities, the cashmere is milled to open up the fibres so that they are at the optimum softness. This part of the process is kept secret. “We’re lucky in Scotland that we’ve got soft water because when it comes to the lovely handle on the cashmere, the water you use the first time you wash it is very important,” says Godfrey. “We don’t want to over-soften it and we don’t want to over-wash it, because what you’ll find is that it’ll actually get better over time. After you wash it three or four times it’ll get softer and softer.” There are a minimum of 27 processes that a Pringle garment goes through, and it can reach to more than 40. In terms of timescale from start to finish, the fashion house allows around four weeks. While Pringle might be steeped in tradition, relying on age-old mills and processes that have been perfected over decades, the label is far from old-fashioned or “just jumpers”. At the S/S18 show there were slinky, sheer dresses, chunky off-the-shoulder necklines and even some ruching. If you visit the Mount Street store now, you’ll see bold prints on flared dresses and glittering disco-worthy co-ords. The latest campaign (pictured) is shot by 20-something photographer-of-themoment Harley Weir and fans of the brand include cult fashion figures Tilda Swinton and Stella Tennant. It goes to show that Pringle still has its finger firmly on the fashion pulse.

“To make one sweater, it’ll take the hair from between three and four goats”

94 Mount Street, W1K, pringlescotland.com

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Shot in the

P h oto g r ap h e r A le x B ee r S t y l i st Rebe c c a Cass

DARK

From the unique to the indulgent, create your shopping list for the person who has everything

LEFT LUGGAGE TAG, £85, WILLIAM & SON, williamandson.com; AVENTUS fragrance, £170, creed, creedfragrances.co.uk ABOVE SHAVING SOAP AND BOWL, £35, FLORIS london, florislondon.com; shaving set, £38.99, TAYLOR OF OLD BOND STREET, tayloroldbondst.co.uk right watch, £4,150, TAG Heuer, tagheuer.co.uk; Card holder, £145, Richard James, richard-james.com; Sunglasses, £310, KINGSMAN x Cutler and Gross, MRPORTER.COM

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Glitz &

glamour

left shoes, £449, and bag, £499, Boss, hugoboss.com above left FINLAY & CO. SUNGLASSES, £150, and Clutch, £2,560, both william & son, as before above right SHOES, £685, christian louboutin, christianlouboutin.com

Good enough to eat

Above necklace, £399, and EARRINGS, £199, ATELIER SWAROVSKI, swarovski.com right (IN GLASS, FROM LEFT) BAND, £2,675, DE BEERS, debeers.co.uk; DOUBLE RING, £199, ATELIER SWAROVSKI, as before; HEART ring, £10,300, Chopard, chopard.com; SOLITAIRE RING, POA, DE BEERS, AS BEFORE; pavé diamond BAND, £6,450, Tiffany & CO., tiffany.co.uk (ON SET, Clockwise from left) DIAMOND RING, POA, DE BEERS, AS BEFORE; Bow cuff, £6,450, Tiffany & CO., AS BEFORE; DIAMOND PENDANT, £6,850, de beers, AS before; bangle, £2,470, chopard, AS BEFORE; DIAMOND BAND, £3,400, and petal band, £2,575 (stacked together), DE BEERS, as before; SPIRAL RING, £159, ATELIER SWAROVSKI, AS BEFORE

FASHION

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Candy crush Best friends Suki Waterhouse and Poppy Jamie talk to Lauren Romano about sisterhood, style icons and starting their accessories brand on social media

fashion

uki Waterhouse and Poppy Jamie first clapped eyes on each other across a dance floor in Hollywood and have been all but inseparable ever since. “Our bond kind of surprised us. It was a huge relief to find a soulmate in the jungle of LA,” begins Waterhouse. “Sometimes you meet people and realise that some things are just meant to be.” Fast forward six years and the pair has gone from throwing shapes together to designing handbags. Their accessories label, Pop & Suki, turns one this month and to celebrate, the brand’s first pop-up store in the capital will open in Selfridges. Here, shoppers will find arm-candy in the form of leather or velvet (as well as veganfriendly) camera bags; and totes in new emerald, plum or midnight blue shades, all of which can be personalised with monograms, charms and accessories. The bags will sit alongside a new desk collection of customisable stationery. As you’d expect from a model turned Hollywood actress and a TV presenter/social media entrepreneur, the pair and their pals are never far from the glare of the paparazzi flashbulb, which is handy when you’re trying to spread the word about your new brand. To date everyone from Lena Dunham and Laura Bailey to Cara Delevingne and Doutzen Kroes have been snapped sporting their monogrammed numbers, but the duo insists that they get just as excited spotting a stranger in a restaurant carrying one of their designs as they do Lady Gaga on stage – “although the day I saw Pippa Middleton wearing one I did an internal scream,” concedes Waterhouse. Launching Pop & Suki in London (their home town) “really means the world”. It’s not where they thought they would end up when they had their first eureka moment in an LA vintage shop. “We became inspired by this bag we found and began brainstorming how we could do it ourselves. The starting point was to design something that could match all scenarios in life for a woman on the go,” says Jamie. Practicality is always at the forefront of their minds throughout the design process. “You can play with the straps to change your day bag from a cross body to a clutch, a belt-bag or even a backpack,” she explains.

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If anyone could pull off a belt-bag, it’s Waterhouse, whose style is nothing short of chameleonic. “When I started modelling, I was allergic to heels or dresses, or anything that wasn’t really baggy. Now I just enjoy fashion and love experimenting,” she says. Her style icon is Anita Pallenberg, while Jamie is a fan of feminine dresses and Brigitte Bardot: “she’s my ultimate heroine”. Their wardrobes might differ, but they both feel empowered when wearing labels that were started by female entrepreneurs (La Ligne and LemLem are favourites). Do they think it’s harder for women to succeed in business, particularly in a fashion industry which is still fairly male-dominated? “Times are changing and there are structures being set up to end historic, outdated trends,” says Jamie. “There’s still a tonne more to be done but look at Natalie Massenet, Stella McCartney and Hannah Weiland – what inspirations.” “It’s not harder; you just have to voice an opinion and not back down if it’s questioned,” adds Waterhouse. “That’s inherently harder for women to do but you just have to go for it.” Pop & Suki launched on Instagram, a move which the duo says enabled them to speak to their customers directly. But however advantageous as a tool for promotion, social media is not without its pitfalls, as Jamie understands perfectly. This summer she launched mental wellbeing app Happy Not Perfect – designed with help from her mother, a psychotherapist, and a team of neuroscientists at UCLA. Daily exercises focus on mental health in the digital age and aim to enhance relaxation

OPPOSITE PAGE (AND OVERLEAF): POPPY JAMIE AND SUKI WATERHOUSE, BOTH ©MASHA MALTSAVA, MASHA.PHOTO ABOVE: COTTON CANDY CARRY ALL BAG, £400; alphabet charms, £15 each; BELOW: metallic CAMERA BAG, £180

FASHION

MAKE-UP CASES, FROM £75

“The day I saw Pippa Middleton wearing one of our bags I did an internal scream”

and emotional resilience. “We might not have 20 minutes to meditate but we have five minutes to pause and play a game that has a positive effect on the mind,” she says. “Our world has become more intense than ever, especially since we all got smartphones; the pressure to do more, be more, achieve more is exhausting, because more doesn’t necessarily make us feel better.” Instead, Jamie seeks solace from social media by taking a yoga class five times a week and walking for half an hour every day. Waterhouse meanwhile relies on an app called Freedom which she can set to block Instagram and Twitter for a few hours or even an entire day. But do they ever need downtime from each other? And is running a business with your best friend the ultimate test of friendship? It appears not. “It’s the absolute dream [to run a business together],” Waterhouse insists. “Pop & Suki is like a favourite hobby. We’re sort of chalk and cheese; we both have in buckets what the other doesn’t. Poppy is a great people person, she can persuade anyone to do anything.” “And Suki is basically the barometer of cool,” Jamie interjects. And together, they are the #dreamteam. Pop & Suki launches in Selfridges on 21 November, popandsuki.com

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

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

@luxurylondonofficial 

@theofficialll

INTERIORS

Viennese Walt

To celebrate 20 years of successful alliance with Austrian design trio Eoos, Walter Knoll has added six new products to its collaborative collection. Among them, the Tama: a broad, structural corner settee with built-in leather side tables for smart and stylish requiescence. From ÂŁ510, walterknoll.de

INTERIORS

Monochrome dreams Frette has partnered with renowned designer Paola Navone to deliver B&W Signs, a new capsule collection that includes this decorative cushion embroidered with the wording ‘buonanotte’, which means good night in Italian. Sweet dreams. From £150, frette.com

Bold as brass ALESSI HAS A wonderful way of making the everyday incredibly playful, and its recent collections do not disappoint. Extra Ordinary Metal is a 16-piece range of trays and vessels that revive the ancient goldsmith’s technique of Etruscan granulation, where tiny metal spheres are used as decoration. The Golden Pink collection is a rose gold-tinted offshoot of the delightful pocketsized inventions, Objets-Bijoux. It’s even fun trying to work out what each trinket is used for. From £15, 22 Brook Street, W1K, alessi.com

FASHION IS ARCHITECTURE Narmina is Francis Sultana’s fourth full collection since 2011 and as usual, every product could be a hero piece. Sultana has married elements of the lavish lifestyles of Indian maharajas with techniques used by Coco Chanel. The results of this can be best observed in the jewel-like hues and tweed references of the Narmina (pictured below) and Victoire (pictured above) daybeds. From £900, 2-4 King Street, SW1Y, francissultana.com

Aladdin’s c av e teapot , £450, ann a new y o rk, A mara.c om

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

cr a z y Str aw, poa, Tiffa n y & c o. , tiffa n y. c om

H one y p ot, F r o m £ 3 8 0 , C H rist op h e r Je nne r , th om as g o o d e . co m

Into the

woods WORDS: Camilla Apcar

INTERIORS

From Linley to Lotusier, discover the designers championing the intricate 16th-century craft of marquetry

n 17 October, a macassar ebony and bird’s eye maple cabinet by Studio Job went under the hammer at Sotheby’s for £56,250. It is one of an edition of six, made in 2006 when the Dutch design duo, Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel, were at the forefront of a renewed and revived interest in marquetry. Such graphic skeletal designs were far from the conventional use of the technique, in which incredibly thin veneers are cut to a design, pieced together and applied to a solid wooden base. Studio Job turned heads, and created an appetite for the technique that – as the Perished cabinet’s appearance at auction suggests – has not diminished. Veneer marquetry evolved in the 16th century from the idea of stone inlays and intarsia. A new jigsaw blade made it possible to cut precious woods into ever thinner sheets; the technique swept through Flanders and into France, with cabinetmaker André-Charles

from top: Studio Job’s Perished cabinet; Zelouf+Bell’s Othello credenza; Jungle cabinet

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Boulle leading the way at the Palace of Versailles. A century later, elaborate veneer designs had outstripped most decorative furniture techniques. At Decorex in September, bespoke specialist Zelouf+Bell launched a number of designs that offer a delightfully contemporary approach to marquetry, in their own way. “What interests us is not so much the making for its own sake, but the ability to use different techniques as a way to express ourselves and our interests,” says cofounder Susan Zelouf. “We’re more interested in style and expression than woodworking.” At the moment, geometric and repetitive patterns are inspiring the duo, such as the Othello credenza, where 22,000 triangles of macassar ebony are inlaid into a grid of pale pink sycamore (£28,000). The pattern is inlaid back into the timber, like a jigsaw. Other new projects have taken particularly artistic cues from nature. A champagne cart mirrors one of the largest mazes in the world, at Reignac-sur-Indre (£8,100); and for the Jungle cabinet (£16,500), the pair worked with a fashion illustrator, playing with asymmetrical offset marquetry. To achieve such vibrant colours, pressure-dyed veneers are used, although care must be taken with placing – like any fabric or painting, all woods react to sunlight. Zelouf+Bell’s new feather cocktail cabinet, meanwhile, marries both graphic and naturalistic inspirations (£26,150). “We were excited by the idea of a very formal and linear joinery, then

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modern marquetry is very much about bringing in some colour and wit, making it really relevant for nowâ&#x20AC;?

INTERIORS linley’s CASSIOPEIA SCREEN made with jonathan yeo

introducing one organic element,” says Zelouf. To wit, hyper-real marquetry hen feathers decorate its rippled sycamore drawer fronts, while opening the plain centre drawer reveals a matching tray. The idea of marquetry as artwork in its own right is continued at Linley, where the craft is at the company’s core. It was founder David Linley’s specialisation when he studied fine furniture, admiring the work of Boulle and William Kent. This year at Masterpiece, Linley brought a triptych screen made in collaboration with artist Jonathan Yeo, using 40 different veneers (£125,000). “It brought a figurative element to marquetry,” says Linley’s creative director Carmel Allen. “Our designer really looked at brushstrokes and chose the grains of the wood to reflect that. We are constantly experimenting and trying to push the boundaries a little.” Each panel rotates on its own support; a Connolly leather-clad valet and drinks bar sits on the reverse. “Modern marquetry is very much about exciting surface design and pattern, bringing in some colour and wit, making it really relevant for now,” says Allen. “So often people associate marquetry with brown furniture – and it really doesn’t have to be.” Case in point is the striking royal blue Girih cabinet in sycamore and satinwood (£75,000), inspired by an eight-pointed star mosaic tile that Linley spotted on a visit to Doha. Huge city skyline screens, which Linley first started producing around the turn of the millennium, each include more than 30,000 pieces and take more than 750 hours to put together (£75,000 for London). Every time he goes to New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s room of 15th-century trompe l’oeil marquetry tops furniture designer Tim Gosling’s list. “It’s one of those incredible techniques that never seems to fail to amaze you as you approach it –

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

realising it’s not threedimensional, but flat,” he describes. “It’s an extraordinary illusion even in this day and age of movies and iPads. To still see craftsmanship that makes you look at it differently is wonderful.” When in his 20s, Gosling met Jack Wild, a craftsman who worked on the Orient Express. “He had perfected the art of marquetry like no one else,” says Gosling. “He was in his 80s then and we had a couple of years of him being able to train younger people. To hand that baton on is incredible.” One of Gosling’s concerns is that such crafts are less likely to be commissioned if the intricacies of the techniques are not understood – and then might die out.

from top: christophe pourny’s bratislava wall; francis sultana’s Jordanna coffee table and jacopo cabinet

Some pieces might take months to create. One of Gosling’s most impressive creations is a private commission: a door at the end of a corridor that turned out like a drawing in itself, with about 4,000 pieces of hand-cut wood creating an optical illusion as if looking further down the corridor and out over a balcony. Many of the edges were sandburnt to provide extra shading (the wood is shuffled gently into a pile of hot sand, charring the edge). In the coming centuries, as the woods start oxidising, the dark woods will become light and vice versa. The most modern aspect of marquetry today is the use, in some cases, of laser cutting instead of cutting by hand, to achieve painstakingly detailed designs. But there is little space for purism, says Gosling, and this in turn helps crafts survive. “I sometimes think it’s really great to use laser cutting. It does a very different thing as opposed to cutting it by hand – you end up with a slightly burnt edge. But straw cutting is all done by hand, and remarkable because in a photograph it doesn’t capture the light in the same way as if you walk past it and see the iridescence of the straw.” When Hermès reissued a selection of Jean-Michel Frank pieces in 2013, which Gosling also worked on, he was spurred to find craftspeople expert in straw. “A lot of them are based in Normandy because Mont Saint-Michel was used as a prison during the Napoleonic wars, where they had nothing else to do all day except use the straw on the bottom of their cells to make pictures,” says Gosling. “It was born out of that tiny little industry in the 1800s.” Gosling has now started to look at inlaying bone and mother of pearl into the straw. “It’s using three sets of different craftsmen to create something that wouldn’t have happened before, a century ago,” he says. Another table features a three-metre accent of green straw, dyed in the south of France and worked on in Normandy, before the panels are sent to Gosling’s workshop in Whitby. Christophe Pourny, a French furniture designer based in New York, has worked on public projects including the restoration of City Hall, and countless private commissions involving straw. “Marquetry was always reserved for the ‘happy few’ that could afford it, or had the lifestyle or home to welcome it,” says Pourny. Straw was originally

INTERIORS

tim gosling’s privately commissioned door

“It’s an incredible technique that never seems to fail to amaze as you approach it – an extraordinary illusion even in this day and age of movies and iPads”

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used by those wanting a cheaper alternative to wood marquetry in the 1700s, but its rediscovery by Art Deco designers created a demand and expense that could only be afforded by the wealthiest households in Paris. Today there is an additional obstacle. “The process of creating is not as challenging as creating the desire for clients to appreciate it. We worked for several years promoting this craft, before we saw large projects planned.” The rye straw that Pourny uses is grown organically in France, specifically for marquetry. The bundles are imported to Brooklyn, where each stalk is split by hand and ironed flat. Only the best are kept. The designer’s speciality includes impressive waterfall tables inspired by Jean-Michel Frank, shimmering over the curve of the wood, and covering entire walls in straw. The foyer of a new European home took nearly two years to complete. Where Pourny sticks to infinitely mesmerising golden hues, Francis Sultana’s latest work uses straw marquetry to colourful effect. The designer’s imagination was captured by straw marquetry on trips to Baku and Istanbul, combining strong colours with the natural straw. The result is a collection of chevrons and blocky stripes in bright green and blue (from £7,225). “Whereas in the 1920s and 1930s it was all natural in colour, we have created something entirely contemporary,” says Sultana. Hundreds of years on, the horizons of marquetry are still expanding. Bethan Laura Wood focuses on laminate marquetry for her limited series of Hot Rock furniture (POA at Nilufar Gallery), while Allen notes a trend for incorporating metal. Meanwhile, at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Lizzo has just introduced wallcoverings by Japanese specialist Tomita (£309 per m). Thin sheets of lustrous paulownia wood are cut then placed together, alternating the grain of the wood, with more paulownia or paper mulberry inlaid in a contrasting direction to complete the effect – intricate, and ever enchanting.

poetic perfumery Floraïku has made its fragrance debut with a collection of 11 scents inspired by Japan. Each bottle is engraved with a haiku and comes packaged bento box-style, with the illustrated cap serving as a travel spray. £250 each, exclusive to Harrods, harrods.com

shine bright Dolce & Gabbana’s Royal Parade collection is exclusive to Harrods this Christmas, and mixes classic red and festive gold shades with brighter metallics. From £21, harrods.com

en pointe Kjaer Weis has added lip and eye pencils to its growing organic make-up collection. Candelilla wax and coconut oil soften the points for gentle application on skin, while the pencils are also available without the heavy silver cap, as eco-friendly refills. £24 each, £20 for refills, contentbeautywellbeing.com

green fingers The Romans marked the winter solstice with evergreen boughs and fir trees – a feature still used in homes today. But if vacuuming needles is too much hassle, turn to L’Artisan Parfumeur’s winter foliage-inspired collection. Our pick is the Coffret Iconique fragrance and candle duo with wild blackberry notes. £118, artisanparfumeur.com

another door opens Swapping chocolate for beauty products is a trend that shows no sign of abating in the Christmas countdown, and a dose of Elemis a day will keep your skin hydrated, toned and radiant this December. £150, elemis.com

health & beauty

salon R E VIE W

Great hair Day Is a Brazilian blow dry really the answer to a straightening addict’s prayers? Marianne Dick finds out

’ve been a serial straightener ever since I was given my first pair of pink GHDs in the early noughties, yet no matter how long I spend on this morning ritual, I always seem to notice an inexplicable kink or a halo of infuriating flyaways by lunchtime. With this in mind, I make my way to meet elite hair stylist Gille at the Daniel Hersheson salon in Harvey Nichols, feeling intrigued about how transformative a semi-permanent straightening treatment can be. This kind of procedure is usually referred to as a Brazilian blow dry – a nod to where it originated. I realise quickly that I couldn’t be in better hands. Brazilianborn Gille has been in the industry for 32 years and now flits between London, Monaco and wherever his high profile clientele might need him. Despite his extensive career, his own hair care range includes just six products: two of which are new straightening treatments – one for coloured hair and one for natural hair. The beauty of Gille’s latest creations is that – unlike other products – they are formaldehyde-free, meaning the process doesn’t emit any undesirable fumes. Instead,

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From top: Daniel Hersheson salon in harvey nichols; The new brazilian treatment, £150; brazilian treatment hair oil, £24.99

Gille has blended nourishing ingredients such as murumuru butter, coconut oil, aloe barbadensis leaf extract and keratin silk amino acids. The process begins with a standard wash using Gille’s scrumptious-smelling shampoo and conditioner that contain shea butter and maracujá oil (from passion fruit seeds). Gille then applies the treatment for natural hair to my locks, combs it through and leaves it on for 20 minutes while we have a coffee and natter about celebrity tresses. According to Gille, my hair is the healthiest in the salon, meaning my treatment isn’t as intense as it would be for those with extremely curly, coarse or coloured-treated hair. After another rinse, mine is blow-dried and then straightened to lock in the magic ingredients. The whole process is delightfully simple and in around an hour and a half I have swishy, flickable, advert-standard hair. Two weeks later, it still feels shiny and healthy, can be blow-dried completely straight and should last another ten weeks. If, like me, you’re never far from your straighteners, I’d highly recommend treating your hair to some Brazilian warmth this winter – at the very least it means you get an extra half hour in bed. The new Brazilian treatment by Gille, from £250, Gille By Appointment Only is available at Carol Joy Hair Salon at The Dorchester Spa, Park Lane, W1K or Daniel Hersheson at Harvey Nichols, SW1X, gillestylist.com

food & drink

Truffle

SUPPER ON THE STRAND

season Francesco Mazzei and his team at Sartoria have created an entire menu dedicated to the white truffle. Beef battuta, cheese and pepper tagliolini, and risotto Grana Padano all come with the rich flavours of the Italian delicacy. It’s not solely reserved for mains either; scoop up a few mouthfuls of the truffle-infused zabaglione dessert. 20 Savile Row, W1S, sartoria-restaurant.co.uk

BRONTE Take in Trafalgar Square while tucking into a new menu of crispy duck, soft-shell crab and truffle katsu bao buns. 1-3 Strand, WC2N, bronte.co.uk

the northall You’ll never fail to impress a guest with a seat at the bar in the Corinthia’s chic restaurant that serves the best of British gastronomy. 10a Northumberland Ave, WC2N, corinthia.com

the nutcracker

whisk-y away We’ve found it: a gift for whisky lovers who have everything. Purchase a limited edition Japanese bottle at Roka and you’ll be taken on a ‘Whisky Journey’. Each time you visit the restaurant, your liquor – complete with personalised metal name tag – will be served as requested to match your favourite dishes. From £275, 30 North Audley Street, W1K, rokarestaurant.com

Any attempt to eat healthily at this time of year is surely a waste, so take indulgence to the next level with Pierre Marcolini’s decadently rich chocolate and hazelnut spread (£13.50). We added some cakes and biscuits for good measure, too. marcolini.com

RADIO ROOFTOP Reach the heady heights of ME London’s tenth floor for a signature cocktail with 360-degree views. 336-337 Strand, WC2R, radiorooftop.com

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We are delighted to announce that Cubitt House, the group behind The Thomas Cubitt,The Alfred Tennyson, The Orange and The Grazing Goat, are bringing you The Coach Makers Arms on Marylebone Lane. Cubitt House, the team who like to celebrate the history of their local neighbourhoods by restoring public houses to former character & present glory. The Coach Makers Arms will offer a large array of beers, both bottled and on tap, a selection of cocktails and an eclectic wine list. These complement mouth watering seasonal dishes and an all day menu using only the best farms and suppliers. Set over three floors this public house will encompass a hidden bar in the basement, the ground floor will house an impressive floor to ceiling bar, and a relaxed first floor dining room surrounded by portraits of coach makers of yesteryear.

Stay informed about our opening via our website and social channels. TheCoachMakersArms.co.uk

The_CoachMakers

TheCoachMakersArmsW1

food & drink

R estau r an t R e vie w

StreetXO WORDS: Hannah Lemon

here was once a time when Mayfair was frequented solely by discerning gents. Three-piece suits, silver-handled walking canes and shiny new brogues flitted from private members’ club to hotel bar. Slowly but surely the area has evolved to welcome new generations of hipster fashion and creative concepts. So quite why I am shocked every time I encounter a boutique or restaurant that doesn’t fall into the sensibility of the old Mayfair is baffling. But that is exactly what StreetXO aims to do: shock. As soon as I step into the European, Asian and South American fusion restaurant, I know I’m in for an interesting evening. Although it’s only 7.30pm, I feel like I’ve stumbled across a Soho club in the early hours of the morning. Dark black walls are lit up by neon signs and strip lighting. A plastic hand, like something out of The Addams Family, clasps tips in its palm on the cloakroom counter and looks like it’s ready to make off with them. As my dinner guest

and I wander down into the basement, we are greeted by a woman with a shaved head and tattoos. She introduces us to the spacious lines of tables and chairs that make up this dungeon-cum-madhouse; the chefs’ whites are even replaced with what look like straitjackets. The mastermind behind StreetXO is David Muñoz. Chef patron of StreetXO Madrid and DiverXO, Madrid’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant, he has had time to perfect his punchy palette. Similar to the other restaurants, emphasis here is on a fusion of flavours, which is no wonder as Muñoz spent his formative years under the tutelage of head chefs at Hakkasan, Nahm and Nobu. We opt for the eight-dish degustation menu – a highlight of the chef’s favourites, which arrive as small plates with either a generous mouthful per person or a larger portion to share. You can’t help but be wowed by the crunchy pig’s ear with sweet strawberry hoisin that is splattered over the dish like a bad accident. The so-called ‘fish and chips’ is a platter of light, delicate slices of white fish sashimi served with potato crisps. My personal favourite is the steamed club sandwich – a soft squelch in the mouth of suckling pig, ricotta and a runny quail’s egg. Each mouthful is a provocative challenge from Muñoz – how about Korean lasagne? Or Indonesian beef taco? I wonder what Regency socialite Beau Brummell would have thought of this new Mayfair. I suspect he would have been seduced as quickly as me. 15 Old Burlington Street, W1S, streetxo.com

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Available exclusively in fine wine shops and in the best restaurants. www.champagne-billecart.com

AP 210x297_Mise en page 1 11/07/2016 16:37 Page1

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FOOD & DRINK

The best b o t h

wo r l d s

Co-founder of Jamavar, Samyukta Nair, has had enough of the boys’ club nature of Mayfair – yet she’s just about to open another Indian restaurant on Maddox Street. Marianne Dick finds out what keeps drawing her back, and how she strikes a balance between two cultures

ome-cooked food is so important in India that every day thousands of workers called dabbawalas deliver freshly made lunches to the city from each employee’s home, where they are prepared by a family member: often a parent or a partner. You might recognise this tradition from the 2014 feature film The Lunchbox, which follows the relationship of two lonely people in Mumbai who meet via notes slipped into a wrongly delivered tiffin (the vessel the food is put in). Mistakes like this would never happen in reality, as the dabbawalas use a complex system of colour coding and symbols to sort the tiffins. This custom is often described as the transfer of love through food, and it is the basis of Samyukta Nair’s new restaurant venture Bombay Bustle, which opens on 10 November on Maddox Street – just weeks after Jamavar on Mount Street earned its first Michelin star. Both Jamavar and Bombay Bustle’s menus are overseen by head chef Rohit Ghai, who was previously group executive chef of the Sethi family’s restaurants, which include Trishna and Gymkhana. “When you walk into Jamavar your expectations are heightened – it’s very luxe and occasion-orientated, a feast for the eyes,” says Nair. “But with Bombay Bustle we wanted it to feel easy, like your neighbourhood place to just go and grab a bite. Very convenient, but also very authentic in its flavours.”

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The interior of Bombay Bustle is decorated like a train compartment. “The train is such an integral part of the dabbawalas and the commuters’ life in Mumbai and it was given to us by the British, so for us it all ties in really well,” explains Nair. “The menu is deeply rooted in nostalgia, because Rohit has brought his family recipes to it and then I have my favourites from my childhood in Mumbai that we want to expose to the market here.” While Bombay Bustle is a completely new concept, Jamavar was originally exclusive to The Leela Group’s hotel chain in India (Samyukta is the daughter of Dinesh Nair, co-chairman and managing director of The Leela Group). The intention of Jamavar was to have a pan-Indian menu. Nair explains how the north and south use very different flavours: dishes in the north are generally thicker and creamier with a focus on spice blends, while the south is more traditional in its heavy use of coconut and subtle, underlying layers. “London diners are very suited to quick meals and aren’t so used to sharing, so we had to adapt. We had smaller plates and had to alter spice levels but still keep things very authentic, and of course Rohit has a fantastic understanding of the tastes and preferences of the London market,” says Nair.

The restaurant has recently introduced a game menu to suit the tastes of Mayfair diners, something that would be unheard of in the Indian outposts since many people are vegetarian and there’s little or no access to game meats. For Nair, the Mayfair culture is second nature, which is why she chose to open both of her restaurants here. “I went to school in London and I lived in the area, so I’ve always been in the West End,” she says. “When I was a little girl we spent all our summers here.

“Rohit has a fantastic understanding of the tastes and preferences of the London market”

FOOD & DRINK

“We couldn’t think of a better location that was steeped in history and luxury, but in a very understated way.” It might often be assumed that in India the food is prepared by a female family member – a wife or mother – while the man of the house goes out to earn. Yet Nair’s own experience is quite different: The Leela chain is named after her grandmother. “We’re from south India, so back home we’re very community based and very matriarchal. The woman always plays a dominant role,” Nair describes. At the end of July, Nair organised the first in a series of Jamavar Women’s Clubs, an evening gathering influential women in London from all walks of life for a talk by a female speaker, then dinner and a discussion. The series has included presentations by chef Florence Knight, Savile Row tailor Kathryn Sargent and Tamara Rojo, artistic director of the English National Ballet. “Mayfair has a very ‘boys’ club’ feel, so we just wanted something where women can come together, hear interesting stories and have a community based around all the wonderful things that women do,” says Nair. “It’s an opportunity to meet people who are on the same wavelength.” Although the series has ended for this year, it still has tongues wagging in Mayfair, and Nair is now considering its potential to become an annual event. As well as Bombay Bustle, she is launching a concept store in Mumbai called Clove, which will curate artisanal Indian décor, design, fashion and homewares. “When I come here, I see stores like Anthropologie with such beautiful things that are all made in India, then I go to India and I don’t see them. So it’s my attempt to bring my favourite picks, or my version of India.” Nair’s family actually used to manufacture clothing; when her grandfather made his foray into

“Back home we’re very matriarchal – the woman always plays a dominant role”

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opposite page: jamavar interior This page from top: jamavar table detail; gulab jamun malai dessert at jamavar; jamavar exterior, all images courtesy of jamavar; dishes at bombay bustle, photography: adrian lawrence

hotels, her father took over the garment business. “I’ve always grown up around discussions about hospitality and clothing, so being exposed to [those industries] at a young age makes it seem a little easier,” says Nair. “But I don’t think previous success has everything to do with it. It comes if you realise that you’re gifted and privileged, but don’t wear that on your sleeve, and you’re willing to work for it. “It’s also about the books you read, the places you travel to, the food you eat... they’re all inspirations for bigger things.” Bombay Bustle opens on 10 November at 29 Maddox Street, W1S, bombaybustle.com; Jamavar, 8 Mount Street, W1K, jamavarrestaurants.com

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our

With the release of its first cookbook, Claridge’s reveals the secret recipes enjoyed by everyone from Queen Victoria to David Downton, writes Kari Colmans

guest

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akes Clarid hat m ge’s W “ sp ople ther e p e ec h e” is t

FOOD & DRINK

o the guest... if the t n yw ste i a e l m L i n e an “ one ours c h ou 20 r

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FOOD & DRINK

ing m?” dd rea d

cooking a Christm e as ew r pu w e e r cook “A or a ing a

that people have when they come to Claridge’s is they’re the only one. And we like that. We want them to feel that. It is en masse but it’s not en masse. Every event to us is unique and individual.” With the festive season fast approaching, it is true that through the years the hotel has come to be seen by many as a beacon of Christmas celebrations. From who will design the famous tree (lest we forget Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s beautiful creation in 2013, and then again the following year), to the angelic children’s choir and the stockings left out by

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Claridge’s: The Cookbook by Martyn Nail and Meredith Erickson, £30, published by Mitchell Beazley, octopusbooks.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY: John Carey

guests to be filled on Christmas Eve, the warmth is felt far beyond the kitchen. “Are we cooking a Christmas pudding or are we cooking a dream?” So reads the inspiring introduction to the unveiling of the legendary Christmas pudding recipe. “The secret to this century-old recipe has been kept in the vault until now… the whole pastry team gathers around a giant basin to stir the mix by hand and make wishes of good fortune and goodwill to all.” From mince pies to cheddar and pear Eccles cakes, readers will get a taste of the festive season like never before and the chance to recreate them at home. Everyone has their own story to tell, their favourite dish, their chosen table either in full view or tucked away in a cosy corner. The hotel’s artist in residence David Downton likes to sit at table number four in The Fumoir for his nightcap as well as to interview and draw. “Claridge’s is Claridge’s, and everywhere else is everywhere else,” he says. “London’s grandest hotel guards her legacy but wears her legend lightly, her eyes trained on that famous revolving door, noting the next, the new (and the who is who). “Here, the ghosts of Sir Winston Churchill, Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn converse with the tech billionaire, the Upper East Side maven and the indie designer who are checking in. At Claridge’s there is a continuum.” Cheers to that.

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TRAVEL

bungalows among bushes

camellia hills

Goatfell is the latest of four former planters’ bungalows to be opened by Teardrop across Sri Lanka’s central tea country. Following the more poetically named Camellia Hills, which launched this summer, Goatfell’s four en-suites and two stand-alone chalets are set on a working tea estate. Next year comes Pekoe House in Kandy – where croquet and mountain trekking will be all in a day’s leisure. From £212, teardrop-hotels.com

well read photography: Giorgio Baroni

ch r isto a n d j e an n e -cl a u d e : T h e F l oatin g Piers, £650, taschen.com

climb every mountain The small, south-eastern ski resort of Megève has remained relatively quiet for decades – a purposebuilt antidote to the buzz of St Moritz and Courchevel, boasting plenty of off-piste action. The French village is full of medieval charm, but a Four Seasons will open for its first season on 15 December, upping the ante with 55 slopeside rooms, an indooroutdoor pool and a rehomed two Michelin-starred restaurant. Season until 15 April, from £550, fourseasons.com

Experience Puglia’s olive oil culture by picking, tasting and cooking with ‘Apulian Gold’ Apulian Gold package, 4-30 November, from €925, borgoegnazia.com

E l e p h an ts in H e ave n , £ 5 0 , te ne u es . co m

Far an d Away: H o w T r av e l C an C h a n g e th e W or l d , £ 1 2 . 9 9 , pe ngu i n. co . uk

V e r sail l e s : A P r ivate I n v i tat i o n , £ 6 5 , fl a m ma r i o n . co m

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S u i t e drea m s

Gleneagles Words: camilla apcar

ubbed the ‘glorious playground’, Gleneagles opened in 1924 to the delight of golfing and grouse enthusiasts. It came after 14 years of development and wartime delay, with two James Braid-designed courses. The moniker – and all its rollicking connotations – stands true today. Completely at liberty on its 850-acre Perthshire estate, the only object is to have fun – and, as I found, run around with glee and no one to stop me. Ennismore, the group also behind The Hoxton, took ownership of the hotel from Diageo in 2015. Among the 232 rooms and 1920s-inspired public spaces that have been refreshed, the Blue Tower suite is a playground unto itself, unfolding at every exciting turn. In its bumper configuration of a double bedroom and another with two singles, it sets the tone from the start: there are three sets of

TRAVEL

doors to enter by (one a double). Arriving late at night, two sets of cocktail ingredients are ready and waiting to be mixed. By my accidental hand, both Vesper and Raspberry Collins end up rather potent – not that any additional hedonistic excess is required here; this is a private kingdom that just keeps on giving. A short flight of stairs leads to the master bathroom: a corridor arrangement that holds a walk-in shower large enough to fit 15, which can also become a steam room; double sinks, of course; toilet; and a sunken bath that defines decadence. The suite is laid out for supreme levels of fun, without being silly. A smart metal staircase spirals from the reception area to a lounge library equipped with trinkets galore (telescopes, miniature obelisks, compasses and hourglasses). A long, firm sofa has cushions best for bouncing or serious non-fiction reading. Unsurprisingly, the opportunity to sprint up and downstairs, revelling in the volume and variety of spaces, proves a distraction from my hefty Romanov biography. For the curious, flicking every switch and opening every cupboard, drawer or door is a highlight of any stay away from home. But those less inquisitive might miss the Blue Tower suite’s eponymous asset altogether: upstairs, an unmarked door opens onto an outdoor staircase. At the top awaits a view of the estate and mountains beyond, with Gleneagles’ Scottish saltire flapping directly overhead. It is the ultimate hotel explorer’s reward. All this unbridled joy is coupled with smallerscale delights. A bathmat in its own zipped cotton case. Thistle-patterned paper linings in each drawer. Sonos soundsystems that link up – and in a rare turn of events, function properly – for seamless listening across every room. Impressed friends have mentioned the 18-hole, par-three PGA Centenary Course here – but like guns, clubs are not my calling. Yet once again, Gleneagles excels. Alternative activities might include gundog or falcon training, zip wiring, a spot of croquet or a carriage ride with a picnic

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hamper of more than generous proportions. All this, kitted out in Barbour jackets and Hunter boots, which I’m generously told to keep for the remainder of my stay. It is worth, however, a ceremonial nine-hole pitch and putt. There are bunkers, yes – but no pressure. Those who share my fear of missing out would be well advised to stay for at least three days: dining is a question of sheer choice. Of the eight boltholes – including Scotland’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant – breakfast and dinner should be taken in The Strathern, the largest and grandest. The day can start with an overwhelming buffet and end with silver service, where waiters wheel salmon and meats that are carved or finished with theatrical expertise at the table. The new Birnam Brasserie, meanwhile, is best for lunch in the palm-dotted conservatory (particularly the milkshakes and creamy desserts). The intimate American Bar is among the areas to have received a David Collins makeover, and will feel welcoming to those familiar with the Blue Bar at the Berkeley. One night would barely be enough to sample all the cocktails that appeal. This, really, is what crosses my mind when checking out. Leaving the playground feels just as miserable when you’re an adult.

This is a playground unto itself, laid out for supreme levels of fun

clockwise from top left: the blue tower suite bedroom; staircase; lounge library; a falconry lesson; gleneagles with a view of the saltire flying from the blue tower suite

Blue Tower suite, from £1,820, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland, PH3 1NF, gleneagles.com

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on’t ask a Swede who Camilla Läckberg is. I had no idea either, yet it seems everyone I come across has an opinion of Sweden’s literary star who sets all her crime novels in her tiny native town of Fjällbacka, a two-hour drive north of Gothenburg. She even comes up in conversation when I meet Linnéa Sjögren and Jonas Pettersson – ex-city workers and founders of trendy seaweed farming company Catxalot, which supplies most of Sweden and many international restaurants too. They aren’t wholly impressed. My immaculately-dressed Fjällbacka tour guide Åsa, on the other hand, seems thrilled to show me all the sites mentioned in the novels, despite coping with up to ten busloads of tourists per day in the summer season. Fjällbacka was originally put on the map by Ingrid Bergman. The actress visited the nearby island of Dannholmen every summer from 1958. When she died, her ashes were scattered there. Before this stardom though, locals relied on unpredictable herring seasons and granite quarrying to stay afloat. The first Monday after 20 September marks the start of the lobster season, which ends in April. I witness this daily ritual first-hand in Sweden’s oyster capital, Grebbestad – around half an hour north of Fjällbacka – at Everts Sjöbod: a rustic lodge named after a legendary local fish dealer. We pull up ten baskets that have been luring in the ocean’s ‘black gold’ since dawn. When it’s my turn I find an enormous female lobster, but she is carrying a number of eggs and under conservation laws I must return her to the ocean. These same laws apply to any other lobster that is shorter than a certain length, which changes annually. On our way back to shore, we enjoy a fika – a traditional Swedish coffee break usually accompanied by pastries, which I find I am quite adept at. In order to make the most of a trip to Bohuslän, I’d recommend driving: it will take you through mountainous tunnels, over epic bridges, and above glassy lakes. And it’s not just the outdoors that will satisfy the senses, but the Instagramworthy interiors and fascinating cuisine too. There’s a lot more to West Sweden than Camilla Läckberg.

Kayaking at dawn, image credit: Henrik trygg

Gre at E s ca p e

West Sweden There are around 8,000 islands scattered along the Bohuslän Coast, but the best way to explore this picturesque region is by car, Marianne Dick finds Slipens hotelL, image credit: Magnus Skoglöf

catxalot workshop, image credit: madeleine landley Slipens hotelL

Captains table, image credit: Lisa Nestorson

travel

Where to stay

Everts Sjöbod, Grebbestad, image credit: robert dahlberg

If you fancy completely shutting off for a few days, then make a short detour to Fiskebäckskil, where you’ll find pretty fishing cottages, two modern hotels, and not a great deal else. Slipens Hotell is cosy and full of character, with an outstanding restaurant, Brygghuset, plus a whisky bar. Just a couple of minutes along the coast is Gullmarsstrand: a minimalist hotel that has been owned by the same three brothers for 35 years. During this time it has steadily expanded and now boasts two spas that overlook the expansive ocean. slipenshotell.se, gullmarsstrand.com

SUITCASE E S S E N T I A L S

B ino c u l a rs , fro m £ 9 1 0 , swar ovs ki o p t i k. co m

scar f , £ 2 5 5 , e tr o. c om

Where to eat Brygghuset, Slipens hotell

Fiskebäckskil

Stenungsbaden Yacht Club is only half an hour outside of Gothenburg, yet it feels more like a Hamptons members’ club with its American East Coast-inspired décor. The top-floor restaurant, Captains Table, boasts panoramic views over Hakefjord beach and the menu revolves around locally sourced fish. The gratinated seafood platter includes some of the finest shellfish I have ever tasted. stenungsbaden.se

card i g a n , £ 3 9 5 , dr a ke s . co m

Mayfair recommends

fishing boat at Everts Sjöbod, image credit: robert dahlberg

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Fjällbacka is dominated by the Vetteberget cliff, which is accessed by climbing through Kungsklyftan: a rocky path above which four massive boulders are wedged. This dramatic tunnel is an unusual sight, and the views over the peaceful archipelago from the top are unmissable – especially around sunset. Another way to experience the archipelago is on the water (no less adventurous). An excursion with kayak specialist Skärgårdsidyllen to Grebbestad usually includes a locally sourced picnic – including a sample of Catxalot’s moreish seaweed salt – on a nearby island. skargardsidyllen.se

b oots, £ 2 9 9 , ti ge rofsw e de n. c o m

b ag, £ 6 7 5 , R i c h ar dande r sonltd. co m

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S NOW TI ME

Feeling stuck in a rut, yearning for adventure or just desperate for a change of scenery? A five-star weekend break on the Swiss slopes is all you need, writes Hannah Lemon

TRAVEL

here’s nothing like a good break-up to make you want to leave the country. It’s this exact sad state of affairs that had me yearning to hit the slopes, despite it being late November. Searching for places that will deliver a good dump of snow and a five-star experience so early in the season are few and far between. But then I stumbled across Tschuggen Grand Hotel’s Private Mountain experience in the small Swiss village of Arosa. The two-night excursion celebrates the start of the ski season with drinks, food and music on the slopes. To top it off, breakfasts, a dinner and a ski pass for the surrounding 225km of pistes are included. With my friend in tow as a boyfriend replacement, I booked our tickets. The flight to Zurich was a quick hour and a half, but the following changes at Zurich train station, then Chur, and finally Arosa took several hours more. The long journey didn’t seem to matter too much however, when I found myself sitting on the quaint Arosa Express gasping at the startling alpine views. Once checked in, we cracked open the Tschuggen own-label bottle of bubbles and raised a toast to the stunning mountainside panorama from our balcony as the sun set. The décor of the hotel may not have been a masterpiece of interior design (the retro look seemed unintentional rather than styled), but the basement restaurant – complete with ten-pin bowling alley – and cigar lounge made up for it. The following days unfolded like a whirlwind, to which I imagine only movie stars are accustomed. A red carpet was rolled out (literally) to the van where our skis were taken off us and we were whisked off to a gondola. Here, croissants and coffee awaited us and our laid-back ski guide Harry Umscheid stepped in to show us the slopes. As he patiently handed out expert tips, I could feel my skis carving into the snow like a pro (almost) – it turns out that an exOlympian can do wonders for your skiing form. It helped, too, that at every chair lift we were greeted with canapés, champagne and even singers. At one point, there was a bright orange

clockwise from left: Mario Botta’s BergoaSe spa; Deluxe room; cigar lounge; skiing at the private mountain event

hot air balloon to offer a better view of the valley. On our return via the Tschuggen Express, which connects the hotel directly to the pistes, we were offered warm Aperol cocktails, just in case we hadn’t received enough refreshments. Trudging through the lobby with sore limbs meant that a visit to the Bergoase spa was a necessity; a glass walkway that connects it to the hotel provided a closer view of architect Mario Botta’s distinctive glass structures outside. A steam room and sauna presented the usual relaxing experience, but the heated outdoor pool was a personal highlight. Our last evening ended with a traditional dinner, where guests were encouraged to don lederhosen and sample local dishes. As my friend and I took a break outside from the merriment and dancing, we proclaimed that there was truth to the saying that everything happens for a reason. I mean, my boyfriend couldn’t even ski.

take to the slopes Tschuggen Grand Hotel Private Mountain package, 30 November – 2 December, from CHF565, tschuggen.ch SWISS flights, from £67 each way, swiss.com All-in-one ticket from the Swiss Travel System, myswitzerland.com/rail

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Regulars

left: statue of Michael faraday, credit: Claudio Divizia/ Shutterstock.com below: Faraday (1791-1867) discoverer of electromagnetic induction, Shutterstock.com

R e m e m be r i ng M AYFA I R

The Royal Institution of Great Britain Words: Anna Booth

he Royal Institution has long been the go-to destination for those curious about the world of science – informed by everyone from 19th-century scientist Michael Faraday to national treasure Sir David Attenborough. With a rich history that stretches back more than 200 years, the institution still maintains its status as a national centre of excellence in Mayfair for scientists and fellow enthusiasts. It all began in 1799 when Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society (the world’s oldest independent scientific academy), held a meeting in his home at 32 Soho Square to found the Royal Institution. George Finch, Earl of Winchilsea, was then elected president and acquired the ‘Royal’ appendage for the instituion through his acquaintance with King George III. Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford and philanthropist Thomas Bernard were tasked with finding a venue. The search ended with the grand townhouse at 21 Albemarle Street, the owner of which had been killed the previous year by a highwayman. After some negotiation it was purchased for the reasonable sum of £4,850 and rapid

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renovation took place to turn the site into a fully functioning scientific establishment with laboratories, lecture theatres, libraries and living quarters: and thus, the Royal Institution was born. It is a building that has since become a bastion for leading British scientists. Henry Cavendish, James Dewar and Sir Humphry Davy had active roles in the progression of science under its roof. These great minds each made groundbreaking discoveries, such as adding ten new chemical elements to the periodic table, crafting permanent skin grafts and demonstrating X-ray diffraction. In 1973, HM Queen Elizabeth II opened the doors to a new section of the building, The Faraday Museum and Archive. It stands as testament to the British inventor and electrical pioneer Michael Faraday, and features his original laboratory with instruments and equipment that was used in the 1850s. In the past century, the Royal Institution has carried on encouraging scientific research, discovering new technologies and educating the general public. It has become known for its series of events and talks, including the annual Christmas lectures, which endorse the importance of public engagement with science in a fun, interactive manner. While it is an organisation devoted to education, to see the building alone is worth a trip. The Grade I-listed Georgian structure has a palatial and elaborate appearance with authentic Roman-style columns designed by 18th-century architects Henry Holland and Sir John Soane. With many recent renovations, its expanded and grand salons have also been turned into fine dining restaurants – just another reason to pop in.

The building has become a bastion for Britain’s leading scientists

21 Albemarle Street, W1S, rigb.org

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Mayfair estate agents Beauchamp Estates 24 Curzon Street, W1J 7TF 020 7499 7722

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

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

Mayfair

Savills

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

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

Hyde Park

Beauchamp Estates Private Office 29 Curzon Street, W1J 7TL 020 7408 0007 beauchamp.com

carter jonas

Knight Frank

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

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

Marylebone and Fitzrovia

Marylebone

Sloane Street

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

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

22 Devonshire Street W1G 6PF 020 3527 0400

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

Harrods Estates

London, Marylebone and Regent’s Park

82 Brompton Road SW3 1ER 020 7225 6506

37 New Cavendish Street W1G 9TL 020 7486 8866 carterjonas.co.uk

Knightsbridge

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

Strutt & Parker Pastor Real Estate Ltd 11 Curzon Street W1J 5HJ 020 3879 8989 (sales)

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

Knightsbridge 48 Curzon Street W1J 7UL 020 3195 9595 (lettings) pastor-realestate.com

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

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

Wetherell 102 Mount Street W1K 2TH 020 7493 6935 wetherell.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

HUMBERTS 48 Berkeley Square W1J 5AX 020 3284 1888 humberts.com

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

Image courtesy of Taylor Howes Image courtesy of Haberdashery

Image courtesy of Pulse Cinemas

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showcasing the

finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Making it

COUNT

Hyde Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regeneration and how first impressions can make a sale

image courtesy of pastor real estate

MOVE.

Faster. Sell with Knight Frank. Our understanding of the everchanging market enables us to price your property accurately, so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving. Call us today to arrange your free market appraisal. KnightFrank.co.uk/mayfair mayfair@knightfrank.com 020 8166 7484 Guide price: £2,000,000

Mount Street, Mayfair W1K

A stylish one bedroom penthouse apartment situated on the fourth floor of a beautiful red brick building in central Mayfair. Bedroom, bathroom, open plan reception/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, hallway, guest WC. EPC: E. Approximately 85.75 sq m (923 sq ft). mayfair@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7484

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £5,250,000

Suffolk Street, St James's SW1Y A unique Grade II* listed period five storey property set behind an original and stunning façade. Master bedroom suite, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, study/5th bedroom, 2 reception rooms, kitchen, dining room, utility room, hallway, patio, vault. Approximately 222.4 sq m (2,394 sq ft). mayfair@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7484

Mayfair Mag Sales November

12/10/2017 10:01:49

MOVE.

Bourdon Street, Mayfair W1K

This beautifully presented three bedroom duplex apartment has been furnished to the highest of standards, offering contemporary living in the heart of Mayfair. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open plan reception/dining room, kitchen, hallway, guest WC, patio, garage. EPC: B. Approximately 146 sq m (1,572 sq ft). mayfair@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7484

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £9,500,000

Davies Street, Mayfair W1K An exceptional three bedroom lateral apartment with lift access and private parking. Master bedroom suite, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open plan reception/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, hallway, balcony, guest WC, porter. Approximately 201 sq m (2,163 sq ft). mayfair@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7484

Mayfair Mag Sales November 2

12/10/2017 10:15:58

Cambridge Square, Hyde Park W2 A superb five bedroom family house with private garage and roof terrace This terraced freehold property offers ample living and entertaining space, with generously proportioned accommodation arranged over five floors. Finished to a high specification, the house features an integrated sound system and a contemporary Poggenpohl kitchen. 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms, kitchen, utility room, guest cloakroom, private roof garden, 2 additional terraces, integral garage. EPC:C. Approximately 315 sq m (3,389 sq ft).

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

Freehold

Guide price: £4,750,000

@CentralLondonKF KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/HPE170026

Mayfair Mag November 2017 - Cambridge Sq

12/10/2017 13:32:11

property

market

insight When the price is right Partner and head of Knight Frank Mayfair, Harvey Cyzer, reports on the highs and lows of the global property market

emand holds steady in prime central London as key indicators point to a market that is moving towards recovery mode. There has been a steady recovery in transaction volumes in prime central London in 2017 as asking price reductions stimulate demand. The number of exchanges was five per cent higher in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2016. However, the process has not taken place in a uniform way across all markets, and price sensitivity remains high. Price declines continue to show evidence of bottoming out, while volumes were 21 per cent higher in June and July compared to 2016. Prices fell 0.2 per cent in August and annual growth was trimmed to -5.4 per cent, the lowest rate since November 2016. A number of economic, political and policy factors have affected the market over recent years, not least the snap general election, which weakened transaction volumes marginally over the summer. However, our view remains that buyers have become more phlegmatic over the course of the year regarding issues such as Brexit and stamp duty as there is a desire to get on with their lives. Buyers are still paying good prices for best-inclass property and turnkey apartments are performing strongly. There remain positives in

the marketplace; Mayfair is still a world-renowned destination and other factors such as currency fluctuations still entice a wide range of buyers. Furthermore, Knight Frank demand indicators reveal an improvement in forward-looking data, with an eight per cent rise in the number of new prospective buyers registering between January and August compared to the same period last year. Viewing levels were up by 14 per cent over the same period. The past several months have brought a general election result that few predicted, and the formal start of Brexit negotiations. Growth in higher price brackets continued to outperform lower price brackets, indicating how higher rates of stamp duty that initially affected demand at the top end of the market are becoming assimilated. It is no surprise that political uncertainty dominated a RICS report in July analysing the performance of the UK residential market. While the prime London property market is no exception to this rule, when considering the likely impact on pricing, it should be remembered that it has already faced political headwinds for almost three years.

Buyers have become more phlegmatic over the past year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there is a desire to get on with their lives

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Knight Frank Mayfair, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 8166 7484

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Chamonix ChamonixValley, Valley,Haute-Savoie, Haute-Savoie,France France One Oneofofthe themost moststriking strikingchalets in chalets inthe thevalley valley

KnightFrank.com KnightFrank.com roddy.aris@knightfrank.com roddy.aris@knightfrank.com +4 + 4 42 0 2 07 8 76 81 6 11 7 12 77 27

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Price Price onon Application Application

@KnightFrank @KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.com/ KnightFrank.com/ MBA170058 MBA170058

17/10/2017 17/10/201713:49:07 13:49:07

Just around the corner John White, associate and head of Knight Frank Hyde Park’s office, maps out the area’s future to Camilla Apcar

here is change coming to Hyde Park and its surrounds – and it is going to be significant. As he stands looking at the expanse of green from a parkside apartment currently on the market for £12m, John White, associate and office head of Knight Frank Hyde Park, as might be expected, is very excited. First, a regeneration of Queensway and Whiteleys shopping centre, with a development pipeline of five or six years. It will include a top-end scheme on Inverness Terrace and Queensway, boasting 55 apartments. “It’s all about smartening up the area, investment, regeneration and development,” White says. “Trying to draw people from surrounding parts of the park, from the mainstays like Knightsbridge, who have always bought there because ‘that’s all I know’.” The concept is to make the area more like Marylebone Village, with al fresco dining and a less touristfocused feel. It will be more functional, with health food shops, restaurants and a more pedestrianised high street. At Marble Arch, White estimates it will be another 18 months before a physical product can be visited at The Bryanston scheme, which will have 54 apartments of its own. Knight Frank’s Hyde Park office is about seven years old. “Over the past five or six years there has been a rapid rate of growth, but it has largely been from people that bought here as an investment,” White describes. “They’ve enjoyed huge upsides in capital value, and incredible rental yields.”

photography: sarel jansen

property

The area’s appeal lies in being either an investment or somewhere to live, with growth yet to come – the regeneration plans adding further weight to the argument. This particular property, on the north side of the park, enjoys south-facing sunshine all day and views from above the canopy. It is half an hour on the Heathrow Express from Paddington. “The idea is to draw someone from Mayfair who can’t get the same square footage there,” says White. “The reality is you can nip across the corner of Hyde Park, and you’re back in Mayfair.” At the top end of the market, buyers are less area-obsessed as five or ten years

squares to get onto the central London market. A good one-bedroom flat could be had from £500,000. “That very quickly changed to an investor market, buying for capital growth and renting to young professionals,” he says. “There was no emotion in buying. Now it’s starting to change again.” Having worked in the Hyde Park office for two and a half years, White now has a register of about 80, the highest it has ever been. “There’s a two-tiered market here. Around the Hyde Park estate, from £3m upwards, it tends to be people who have perhaps lived here for a long time with families that have grown up in the area. The

“The idea is to draw someone from Mayfair who can’t get the same square footage there” ago, he reports. White’s office recently sold a flat on Lancaster Parkside for more than £15m, to someone who had only wanted to buy in Belgravia. Buyers are being attracted from staid locations like Mayfair and Knightsbridge. Many longstanding clients living around the Hyde Park estate have Mayfair offices, enjoying the walk across the park, rather than living on the doorstep to their workplace. “Over the past two years we have seen less investors and more people looking for their home, whether that’s up or downsizing,” says White, whose seven years of experience in W2 have meant watching it transform. “There are also more domiciles.” When White started out, younger buyers were attracted to the garden

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

younger market is also starting to come back.” As to the future, whether interest rate rises will affect this market solicits a two-fold answer. “It depends how you look at it,” says White. “They’re a concern because over the past few years people have been able to borrow a lot for relatively little, which has been an incentive to buy. “The rises will probably see a flux of people trying to make a commitment before it happens. You could argue that’s why we’ve seen a very strong couple of months. Rate rises could be seen as a positive strengthening step for the economy, as fragile as it is.” 1 Craven Terrace, W2, 020 7871 5060, knightfrank.com

The regeneration game Park Modern 55 parkside apartments and two self-contained mews houses “I believe this will transform W2 into one of the true up-andcoming boroughs in prime central London” Whiteleys £1bn mixed-use scheme for the Grade II-listed building “This will transfer the heart of Bayswater into a real destination of choice, not only for recreational use but also offering great living accommodation. There is also significant contribution being made by both developers to the public realm to make improvements to the experience of tourists and residence alike.” Paddington Cube A £775m, 14-storey 360,000-sq ft proposed development “The developer’s vision is for creating office space and public realm, including restaurants, shops and entertainment” Marble Arch Place A new Rafael Vinoly-designed mixed-use scheme – scheduled to be completed in 2020 “Although being on the Marylebone side of Edgware Road, it also adds value to the area as it sits on the most eastern point of W2 facing south over the park”

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property

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

Making the connection Mayfair’s internet speed to be boosted to 200 times the national average The prime central London estate Grosvenor Britain & Ireland has teamed up with Britain’s biggest broadband provider, Openreach, to “transform London’s digital landscape”. It is Openreach’s first co-investment partnership with a major landowner, and comes as part of Grosvenor’s £2m five-year digital investment programme. This is all within the grand 20-year vision for Mayfair and Belgravia, which was published back in February. The two-year programme aims to move the estate’s patch of Mayfair from the five per cent worst performing in the country for internet speed, WiFi connections and mobile reception, to the top five per cent. Openreach says the partnership will deliver gigabit broadband speeds across 130 residential and business sites in Mayfair and Belgravia, giving more than 600 homes and businesses access to download speeds that are more than 200 times faster than today’s UK average. Many more properties “could benefit from significant upgrades” bringing speeds of up to 80 megabits per second. The project is due to be completed by July 2018.

A thing of beauty Beau House gets snapped up

he boutique Beau House development on Jermyn Street has been sold by Knight Frank and CBRE. The collection of eight elegant apartments was developed and designed by Dukelease, and named after the Regency dandy Beau Brummell. The jewel in the crown is a duplex penthouse that elevates standards of design-led property to new heights, showcasing the very best of luxury and craftsmanship. Knight Frank, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 3463 0320, knightfrank.co.uk From ‘A vision for Mayfair and Belgravia’, courtesy of Publica 2016

PrimeQResi

primeresi.com

JOURNAL OF LUXURY PROPERTY

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WILTON MEWS BELGRAVIA SW1 A STUNNING FAMILY RESIDENCE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF BELGRAVIA Wilton Mews is a luxury new build house which has been interior designed to an exacting standard. The property has large reception rooms ideal for entertaining, spacious bedroom accommodation and ensuite facilities. This unique home also has an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, passenger lift and garage. Accommodation: Entrance hall, dining room, kitchen, 2 large drawing rooms, master bedroom with ensuite bathroom & dressing room, 4 further bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, study, cinema room, staff bedroom with ensuite shower room. Amenities: Lift, roof terrace, swimming pool, gym, wine cellar, plant room, garage, parking. 9,803 sqft.

£24,750,000

Gary Hersham

Freehold

gary@beauchamp.com

Joint Sole Agents

+44 (0) 20 7158 0915

www.beauchamp.com

24 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TF

+44 (0)20 7158 0915

BUCKINGHAM GATE ST. JAMESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SW1 A UNIQUE 3 BEDROOM DUPLEX APARTMENT MOMENTS FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE This double-lateral apartment, 5,189 sqft, offers accommodation across two floors and two buildings, with a total width of c.60 feet (18.3 metres) across six windows. Offering views over the grounds of the Royal Palace, this meticulously designed apartment has been renovated for 21st-century living and is serviced by a range of private amenities. Accommodation: Entrance hall, drawing room, living room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom suite with ensuite shower, bathroom and dressing room, two further bedrooms with ensuite shower and bathrooms, guest cloakroom. Amenities: Lift access, secure underground car parking, 24-hour concierge, three private terraces, two utility rooms.

£14,000 / Week

louise@beauchamp.com

No tenant fees

+44 (0)20 7205 2481

www.beauchamp.com

24 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TF

+44 (0)20 7205 2481

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PENTHOUSE

HAMPSHIRE HOUSE HYDE PARK PLACE W2

A TRULY EXCEPTIONAL THREE BEDROOM LUXURY PENTHOUSE APARTMENT SET WITHIN A STRIKING RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE HYDE PARK The impressive private terrace spans the length of the property and provides an unparalleled aspect with unobstructed views above the treeline and across the vast open spaces of Hyde Park. EPC Rating D.

Leasehold: Approximately 173 years remaining Price on Application

Hyde Park

020 3641 7941 KnightFrank.co.uk

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020 3394 0018

kayandco.com

12/10/2017 15:00

Connaught Square –

H Y D E PA R K , W 2

A Wonderful Family Home on a Beautiful Garden Square Very Near Hyde Park £6,000,000

–

FREEHOLD

(Approximately £1,490 sq ft) K AY & C O H Y D E PA R K &

A Grade II listed Georgian townhouse providing approximately 4,033 sq. ft. of

B AY S W AT E R

exceptional family and entertaining accommodation, a few minutes’ walk from

020 3394 0018 K AYA N D C O . C O M

the West End. The property enjoys a prime central position on Connaught Square with commanding westerly views over the beautiful residents’ garden.

Montagu Square –

MARYLEBONE W1

Fantastic Views over Marylebone’s Premier Garden Square £3,500,000

–

LEASEHOLD

A rarely available two bedroom, two bathroom apartment situated on the first and second floors of this converted Georgian town house. The property is situated towards the middle of the square and enjoys uninterrupted views into the residents’ only gardens from its impressive reception room, with floor to ceiling windows, and master bedroom. There is an additional room off the communal stairway that would make an ideal study and two storage cupboards.

K AY & C O MARYLEBONE & FITZROVIA 020 3797 8846 K AYA N D C O . C O M

PENTHOUSE BAYSWATER APARTMENTS 2 INVERNESS TERRACE, W2

A LUXURIOUS THREE BEDROOM DUPLEX PENTHOUSE APARTMENT IN BAYSWATER APARTMENTS, A PAIR OF METICULOUSLY REFURBISHED STUCCO-FRONTED GRADE II LISTED BUILDINGS. BAYSWATER APARTMENTS OFFERS DAYTIME CONCIERGE SERVICES AND BENEFITS FROM AN ENVIABLE CENTRAL LONDON LOCATION.

Tenure: Leasehold approximately 999 years Offers in excess: Â£4,000,000

A development by MHA London

Hyde Park

020 3394 0018

kayandco.com

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020 7871 5060 KnightFrank.co.uk

17/10/2017 17:59

Help keep vulnerable Londoners warm this winter. Visit your local Chestertons branch during the month of November and donate your unwanted winter coats. Please only do so whilst the branch is open. All coats in clean and good condition are welcome.

www.pastor-realestate.com

TO LET: ARLINGTON STREET, ST JAMES SW1

ÂŁ1,950 per week - Furnished

2 Double Bedrooms I 24 Hour Concierge I Quiet Location I Bespoke Furnishings I Excellent Storage I Overlooking Green Park A rare opportunity to rent a beautifully presented apartment with the benefit of 24 hour concierge close to the Ritz Hotel overlooking ornamental gardens and Green Park. Entrance hall, reception room with Clive Christian dining set, eat-in kitchen, two double beds 2 baths (1 en-suite) utility room & guest cloaks. FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL LETTINGS CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3195 9595 lettings@pastor-realestate.com 48 Curzon Street, London, W1J 7UL

FOR SALE: CHEYNE PLACE, ROYAL HOSPITAL ROAD, SW3

£12,000,000

7 Bedrooms | Swimming Pool | Garden | Roof Terrace | Lift | Freehold A truly exceptional family house in a sought after Chelsea location with views over Chelsea Physic Garden and beyond. The accommodation comprises: 3 reception rooms, large master bedroom suite with dressing room, 6 further double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 shower rooms, indoor swimming pool, sauna and roof terrace.

FOR SALE: CLEVELAND SQUARE, HYDE PARK, W2

£5,950,000

4 Bedrooms I Period Building I High Ceilings I Own Entrance I Swimming Pool I Communal Gardens This beautifully refurbished apartment benefits from its own front door and is conveniently located in close proximity to Hyde Park. Spanning 3,852 square feet, the property offers an exceptionally versatile entertaining space with three/four bedrooms, swimming pool and access to one of London’s coveted garden squares. Share of Freehold. FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL SALES CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3879 8989 sales@pastor-realestate.com 11 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HJ

Mayfair Showroom 66 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 3JL 28 offices in Central London and over 60 across London

Park Lane, W1K £4,675,000

A two double bedroom duplex apartment in a stucco fronted building on Park Lane. The property has a west facing reception room with three large doors giving access to a private terrace and stairs down to the paved garden. There is a separate kitchen and two bathrooms, energy rating c. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590

Park Street, W1K £4,250,000

An elegant two double bedroom apartment on the first floor of this conveniently located Mayfair building. The property has a double reception room, separate kitchen/breakfast room, three bathrooms and lift, energy rating d. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590

dexters.co.uk

South Audley Street, W1K £5,750 per week

This well presented five bedroom townhouse is located in the heart of Mayfair. The house is arranged across six floors and has three reception rooms, a separate kitchen and four bathrooms. The property has a private rear garden with a two tier terrace, energy rating e. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9595

Upper Brook Street, W1K £5,500 per week

A recently refurbished six bedroom interior designed Mayfair townhouse retaining many of its period features throughout. Arranged over six floors, there are four reception rooms, a large separate kitchen, five bathrooms and a private patio, energy rating d. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9595

dexters.co.uk

Tenants fees apply: £180 per tenancy towards administration, £60 reference fee per tenant and £144 towards the end of tenancy check out report (all inc VAT).

A savvy investment With a noticeable trend in flexible working hours and international travel, prime rentals are more popular than ever with high-net-worth individuals says Jo Upton, property director at Pegasi. Hannah Lemon reports

Photography: Sarel Jansen

“H

ow would you invest £16 million?” Jo Upton asks me at the Pegasi HQ on Sloane Street. It’s a hypothetical question the property director of the high-end management company is indirectly asking tenants – for by renting one of Pegasi’s Grosvenor Square apartments of the same value, residents gain the opportunity to invest that money elsewhere. “It’s a very sound investment when you think about the stamp duty and tax you would have had to take on. This way residents can avoid those extra charges but still live that luxury lifestyle.” At first glance it might seem unusual that the world’s wealthiest echelon has become part of

‘generation rent’ – but they are doing it by choice, not necessity. Residents in Pegasi’s Grosvenor Square property, for example, have been paying a premium for more than ten years, and as the only mansion block on the square it’s easy to see why. When a high-end property eventually does come to market, it is snapped up; the latest apartment at Pegasi’s Richmond Court was let in a record five working days. “It’s the flexibility that comes with a long-term let that appeals to high-net-worth clients,” says Upton. Pegasi knows how to manage this flexible living only too well. Alongside Grosvenor Square in Mayfair and Richmond Court in Knightsbridge, the company also rents and manages one- to four-bedroom apartments in the stunning period developments Stafford Court in Kensington and St George’s Court in South Kensington. As the sole letting and management agent, Pegasi is the one-stop luxury shop for a discerning resident. There are no service charges, the porters provide a 24-hour service and Pegasi can ensure all residents are appropriately vetted. As a consequence, international royal families and celebrities can rely on a thoroughly discreet service and high security. At a time when rental growth in the UK rose by 2.5 per cent in August year-on-year (the highest rate of annual inflation since November 2016), it makes sense to invest in the long rather than short-term let. “If you have a longer tenancy agreement you have a smoothing effect on your rent increases,” explains Upton. Pegasi offers CPI-linked increases as part of fixed three-year contracts to residents after their first year where a longer term is desired. “With the security and the discretion of an apartment entirely owned and rented by one company, it’s easy to see why high-net-worth individuals rent,” says Upton. “Plus, there will always be people who want to live in the Royal Borough and Mayfair because of its reputation – renting is a flexible and financially savvy way of living that lifestyle.” 207 Sloane Street, SW1X, pegasi.co.uk

property

PEGASI BY NUMBERS AVERAGE AGE

18-34: 30% 35-44: 25% 45-54: 20% 55-64: 15% 65+: 10% NATIONALITY

St George’s Court

Stafford Court

42-47 Gloucester Road, SW7 Number of bedrooms: 1-4 Price range: £700-£2,500pw

178-188 Kensington High Street, W8 Number of bedrooms: 1-4 Price range: £650-£1,600pw

30% Rest of EU and Scandinavia

20% Middle East

25% Asia

15% Far East

5% US and Canada

5% AVERAGE TENANCY LET 42 months

Richmond Court

Grosvenor Square

200 Sloane Street, SW1X Number of bedrooms: 1-3 Price range: £800-£1,700pw

35-37 Grosvenor Square, W1K Number of bedrooms: 2-5 Price range: £2,000-£8,000pw

RE-LET RENTAL GROWTH SEPTEMBER 17 8.26%* statistics are Indicative only *Applies to new lettings when compared with previous rent

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Grosvenor Square, Mayfair The Grosvenor Square Apartments are located in desirable Mayfair, between the wonderful, green, open spaces of Hyde Park and the vibrant, cosmopolitan bustle of the West End. Luxury retailers are a five minute walk away as are many of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest dining experiences.

Pegasi Management Company Limited 207 Sloane Street London SW1X 9QX E: enquiries@pegasi.co.uk | T: +44 (0)207 245 4500 pegasi.co.uk

020 3284 1888 mayfair@humberts.com

Wilton Row Belgravia SW1X Asking Price: ÂŁ5,500,000 leasehold

David Adams Director 48 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 5AX T: 020 3284 1888 E: david.adams@humberts.com

48 Berkeley Square, Mayfair London W1J 5AX

A spectacular apartment with a 2 storey high drawing room with triple aspect, open plan dining room, kitchen, sitting room, office, master bedroom with white marble bathroom and a separate bedroom suite. B and W sound system and air conditioning. Car parking space. EPC: E.

property

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

Developments at every turn The luxury renaissance of Grosvenor Square

t has been a bumper season for Grosvenor Square, with a trio of announcements and launches. Qatari Diar revealed that Hong Kong-based hospitality group Rosewood will be operating its David Chipperfield-designed reimagining of the US Embassy as a very swish hotel. Meanwhile, two major prime residential developments on the square promise to set new standards for luxury living in London. Finchatton has confirmed that its project at No.20 – the former US Navy building – will become the first ever standalone Four Seasons Private

PrimeQResi

Residences, and India’s biggest property developer, Lodha, launched its flagship London project – No.1 Grosvenor Square – to market. The tie-up between Four Seasons and Finchatton, which acquired the grand former home of the US Naval Forces in Europe for £250m in 2013, means that the 37 apartments at Twenty Grosvenor Square will have the full suite of Four Seasons services and amenities all to themselves, billed as “a luxury residential experience unlike any other in London”. Designed by Squire and Partners, the reworked 250,000sq ft building

will offer residents a private wine cellar, a spa with a 25m swimming pool, cinema, garden room and private landscaped gardens – all operated and managed by dedicated Four Seasons staff. Twenty Grosvenor Square is due for completion in 2018. Prices for the three-, four- and five-bedroom apartments range from £17.5m to £35m, with Knight Frank and Savills handling sales. Lodha launched its lavish proposition on the other side of the square a couple of weeks later, and in some style. Three years after its spectacular swoop on the former Canadian High Commission building, the company is nearing the business end of the hyper-luxe redevelopment project, which is delivering 39 lateral apartments and five duplexes as No.1 Grosvenor Square. Along with parking and concierge services, residents’ amenities will include a dedicated “lifestyle floor” with a 25m pool, state-of-the-art gym, private spa and treatment rooms, lounge bar with billiard table, on-site restaurant, as well as a library. Prices are starting at £8m, with completion due in Q4 2019. Knight Frank and Savills have been instructed to handle the sales.

primeresi.com

JOURNAL OF LUXURY PROPERTY

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READY FOR OCCUPATION

SHOW HOMES AVAILABLE

LUXURY LIVING IN THE HEART OF WESTMINSTER

1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS

2 4 H O U R C O N C I E R G E , P R I VAT E G Y M A N D S E C U R E U N D E R G R O U N D C A R P A R K I N G * RESIDENTS’ ROOF TERRACE C L O S E T O W E S T M I N S T E R A N D S T J A M E S ’ S P A R K T U B E S TAT I O N S B E A U T I F U L V I E W S O V E R W E S T M I N S T E R A N D T H E C I T Y **

PRICES FROM £899,000 R E G I S T E R YO U R I N T E R E S T AT

WESTMINSTERQ UARTER.COM PLEASE CALL

SELLING AGENT

020 3004 4434

* TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. **PLOT SPECIFIC. ALL INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS. CGI IS INDICATIVE ONLY AND PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICT THE SHOW APARTMENT, GYM AND CONCIERGE.

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Superior

interiors

Just how important is fine presentation to a property sale?

THE BASICS John White, associate and office head, Knight Frank Hyde Park

DESIGN NOTES Denise Neville, director of design and refurbishment, Dexters

“Good presentation is paramount especially when a market is difficult. The way buyers search for property has changed dramatically. With most now browsing on their phones, tablets or computers, the quality of the image or interior design can make something really stand out. “A property can look cold and stark in contrast to something that is beautifully designed. In a fast-paced world where time is precious, that buyers can literally walk in and drop their bags is making a huge impact on their lifestyles.” knightfrank.com

“It’s no surprise that properties in the best condition attract the most interest. If you’re short on time, just dressing an empty one with some simple main pieces can completely transform it. There are many services that our design and refurbishment team can provide, from simply supplying furniture to designing and supplying a fully furnished property, with everything right down to bedding and kitchenware for the long term.” dexters.co.uk

White Horse Street, £3,250,000

David Lee, heads of sales, Pastor Real Estate “‘Dress for success’ is as relevant for property as for job interviews. First impressions matter, and it’s vital your home is presented immaculately. Start with a top-to-bottom clean, then regular vacuuming and dusting. A strict regime will help ensure rooms and furniture are at their best. Fresh flowers will help add a sense of style and glamour.” pastor-realestate.com

Queen Anne’s Gate, £19.5m “The developer worked with Rachel Winham Interior Design to redesign the property while paying tribute to its historical features such as an original Queen Anne-style staircase.”

PROPERTY

Becky Fatemi, managing director, Rokstone “As an agency, we no longer sell or rent properties – we sell and rent lifestyles. The colour green is a huge trend, however using too much of one colour could also prove a pitfall. The essence is in the touches and attention to detail. Good light, good space and a welldesigned layout are every bit as important as the finer details such as the landscaping of the garden or floral arrangements throughout the interior. Artwork and its placement is also vital.” rokstone.com

A QUESTION OF TASTE David Adams, director, Humberts Mayfair “The influx of wealthy international buyers has increased the demand for well-presented luxury homes, and prices reflect the cost. £7.25m now buys a three-bedroom apartment in Mayfair, which combines period elegance with the latest technology; a state-of-the-art penthouse is around £35m to £70m. “However, presentation is also in the eye of the beholder. Europeans tend to prefer original period features because they want to know they are waking up in London. Middle Eastern buyers are very much focused on the quality of the marble in the bathroom and good presentation often relates to ‘bling’, although old money in England tends not to equate ‘bling’ with a well-designed home.” humberts.com

Alex Bourne, director, Beauchamp Estates Marylebone “Property that is pleasing to the eye tends to also appeal to the heart. At the very top end, it’s about knowing the buyer audience: what they don’t like and what is essential. These questions are not just about decoration, but about the property’s flow, how owners might live, styles that appeal and brands they are engaged with.” beauchamp.com

Elgin Crescent, £12.95m

Tite Street, £9.5m

The colour palette is neutral throughout with great use of colour pockets, amazing storage and real attention to detail and practicality.

“This is an excellent example of remodelling and working with an interior design team. It has been designed by leading interiors designers Taylor Howes to create a stunning family home.”

Alastair Nicholson, partner, Knight Frank Mayfair South Street, £11.5m “This property boasts interiors by Interiors With Art. Their experience with the ultra-high-net-worth market means they truly understand what any discerning purchaser will want. They believe in creating a home that reflects and enhances personalities, aspirations and lifestyles. No two are the same.” knightfrank.com

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G R E Y B R O O K H O U S E MAYFAIR

A Grade II Listed Art Deco building opposite Claridge’s, comprising a Duplex Penthouse with stunning private roof garden and three Lateral Apartments. The Duplex Penthouse offers 4,599 sq ft internal space and over 1,200 sq ft of terraces, with a private master bedroom wing and four further generous bedroom suites, an elegant kitchen and a substantial drawing room. Additionally the Penthouse benefits from a two bedroom ‘staff’ apartment located on a separate floor within Greybrook House. £25,000,000. Covering 2,700 sq ft of beautifully presented space, the three bedroom lateral apartments offer a superb standard of luxury living. £12,500,000 each. The apartments are being sold on new 999 year leases with the residents benefiting from a concierge, secure underground parking and access to both Claridge’s and The Connaught spas available by separate negotiation.

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Weth

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH T: 020 7529 5566 E: sales@wetherell.co.uk

wetherell.co.uk

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LEASEHOLD PRICE ON APPLICATION

M O U N T S T R E E T M AY FA I R The quintessential high fashion apartment in Mayfairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chicest street. A three bedroom first floor lateral of over 2,300 sq ft, immaculately refurbished and sold with the benefit of a long lease.

Joint Sole Agents

020 3641 5898 mayfair@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.com

020 7529 5566 sales@wetherell.co.uk Wetherell.co.uk

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Weth

RENT A

PARK VIEW

Three Elegant Apartments with Hyde Park Views

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH

T: 020 7493 6935 E: mail@wetherell.co.uk

wetherell.co.uk

Park Lane

Interior by Nicki Haslam. Three Bedroom Suites, Double Reception, Family Kitchen and Separate Guest Annex. 24hr Concierge and Parking by Separate Arrangement.

Interior by Fenton Whelan. Large Open Plan Reception/Dining Room with Direct Park Views from Terrace, Three Bedroom Suites and 24hr Porter.

Stunning Duplex Penthouse with Private Roof Terrace Overlooking Hyde Park. Three Bedroom Suites, Large Open Plan Reception, Porter and ‘In & Out’ Driveway.

£6,950 per week

£5,500 per week

£4,850 per week

Tenant Fees Apply - £240.00 inclusive of VAT is payable by the Tenant for Wetherell conducting tenant checks, credit checks and drawing up a tenancy agreement. Cost is payable per unit dwelling.

bringing residential life back to mayfair

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