The Mayfair Magazine July 2017

J U L Y 2 0 1 7 s i ssu e 0 7 0 s ÂŁ 5

globe trotting

Cartographers map out the past while guilt-free eco-travel forges a philanthropic future

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Dream of sun-soaked Spain with Penelope Chilvers espadrilles and Michelin-starred Basque cuisine

helen mCcrory’s new drama s lessons from a life coach s truffle hunting in Italy

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CONTENTS July 2017 24

Regulars 10 Editor’s letter 12 Five minutes with...

Modern globemaker

Peter Bellerby 14 Couture culture

The worlds of fashion, film and art collide 56 Queen of the desert

Bold prints and vibrant

colours for summer 104 Remembering Mayfair

Imperialist opponent

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

48

37

56

16

Features 16 Planet deluxe

Chris Allsop

reports on luxury eco-travel 20 A guide to the past

Rare maps offer a

golden opportunity for

budding collectors, says

Tom Hagues 24 Lady Penelope

Marianne Dick talks

Duke Street and design

with Penelope Chilvers 30 London calling

Helen McCrory on her

latest prime-time role

48 New horizons

The landscape artists

redefining the genre 72 Where inspiration strikes

Interior designer Martin

Waller’s fabrics of time 80 Hungry for more

Can a life coach boost

your happiness?

86 Feminine flair

Michelin-starred chef

Elena Arzak reveals her

homely side 90 The quiet man

of motorsport

Behind the wheel with

the former chairman of

Aston Martin 100 Earthly desires

Take an Italian truffle

hunting voyage

of discovery

30

35 Collection

53 Fashion

79 Health & beauty

95 Travel

45 Art

69 Interiors

84 Food & drink

106 Property

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08/06/2017 10:34

editor’s letter

editor

From the JULY 2017 s issue 070

Editor Hannah Lemon Deputy Editor Camilla Apcar

FEATURE

Planet

Be green, be selfless and have a holiday?

Chris Allsop investigates the new face of luxury travel

deluxe

I

t was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, recalls Miguel Cunat, CEO of luxury tour operator Sri Lanka In Style, that philanthropic travel to Sri Lanka began in earnest.

“First came the volunteers to help with the relief effort through grassroots organisations or international agencies,” he says. “The second were the ‘traveller donors’ – affluent guests who were keen to donate to the relief effort wanted to see exactly how their money was being used on the island, and exactly what was needed on the ground.”

The response was about awareness. Sri Lanka, a destination that combines natural pulchritude with an extraordinary cultural heritage, captured the world’s attention as a result of its recent tumultuous history. When its civil war concluded in 2009, Cunat says the philanthropy that began in 2004 sparked something larger, with high-net-worth individuals flooding in to be a part of it.

The legacy of this phenomenon is that visitors to Sri Lanka can easily find routes into engaging positively with local communities. Cunat explains how, for example, guests can feed back into a domestic charitable organisation, The Foundation of Goodness. They can take part in spice mixing workshops at the charity’s centre, play cricket or rugby with the kids there, or learn to paint traditional Sri Lankan masks with local families.

Sri Lanka is a microcosm for what has been happening pretty much globally over several decades, with the ever-pressing issue of climate change – the slowly unfolding catastrophe that most of us (some presidents excluded), are in some way or another doing our bit to help prevent. And with 2017 designated by the UN as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the emphasis on travel that gives back as you kick back has never been greater.

For the most part, sustainable travel remains relatively niche (in a 2016 survey, booking.com found that of 57,000 hotels, only around a quarter had sustainable initiatives in place), but in the luxury sector it’s fast gaining ground.

Contributing Editor Lauren Romano Jewellery Editor Olivia Sharpe Watch Editor Richard Brown Acting Assistant Editor Marianne Dick Editorial Intern Sandra Vedeld Senior Designer & Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong Production Alice Ford Jamie Steele Hugo Wheatley General Manager Fiona Smith Executive Director Sophie Roberts Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Proudly published by

LEFT AND ABOVE: SINGITA FARU FARU LODGE

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21

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” André Gide The above words are often misattributed to Christopher Columbus, but as we found out on page 20, it is easy to make mistakes. On an expedition to the New World, the explorer thought that Japan was the Caribbean thanks to the miscalculations of the map he was using. Since then, geogaphical guides have been resketched and renamed – local booksellers tell us how to invest in sought-after parchment. The travel bug is everywhere: landscape artists take inspiration from Kyoto, Tuscany and everywhere inbetween (p.48), while shoe designer Penelope Chilvers shoots her latest campaign in Andalucía (p.24).

Meanwhile you can enjoy a chic sojourn to Bodrum (p.98), truffle hunting in Italy (p.100), or a Peruvian eco-escape (p.16). But sometimes the biggest adventures are on our own doorstep, as Helen McCrory reveals with her new British drama Fearless (p.30).

RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP

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DISTRIBUTION: The Mayfair Magazine is distributed in Mayfair, St James’s and Belgravia as well as selected parts of Knightsbridge and Chelsea

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Hannah Lemon Editor Follow us on Twitter @MayfairMagazine and Instagram @themayfairmagazine

On the

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Also published by

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Photography: Mazen Abusrour at Things by PeoplE Styling: Natalie Read

luxurylondon.co.uk A website. A mindset. A lifestyle.

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WATCHES-OF-SWITZERLAND.CO.UK

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Regulars

5 minutes with...

I was born in Buckinghamshire but now live in Shoreditch.

I studied economics at Bristol.

I wasn’t brought up to think art and design was a career option.

For many years I worked at ITV and spent a few more in property development. I also helped a friend open a bar/bowling alley.

We have a waiting list of six months to a year. We once

I was looking for a globe for my father’s 80th birthday when I

made globes for Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, but now 90 per cent of our clients are private homes.

decided to start Bellerby & Co., because the only globes available were poor quality replicas or fragile expensive antiques.

You only have one life, so you have to take risks.

Too many people stay in jobs, relationships or cities they’re unhappy with.

Travel is something I love.

I always go back to India, Thailand and the great cities in Europe – it’s hard to compete with a road trip through Italy.

Peter Bellerby The 52-year-old founder of Bellerby & Co. globemakers talks beers, souvenirs and venturing to India

No matter the weather I wear a long-sleeve shirt from Gant, a pair of Converse and quality mosquito spray.

We use traditional techniques with modern materials.

I buy too much tat abroad. I was in McLeod Ganj in Northern India recently and bought a large handcarved elephant.

Train with us and we’ll let you in on the secrets once you pass a six-month apprenticeship.

If I was stuck on a desert island I could take my fiancée, but she is a

Wetting and stretching a piece of paper across a sphere is difficult.

vegetarian and not a huge fan of the sun and sea. So instead, I would hope for a doctor or a chef. Someone at least who could make a joke every now and then to help pass the time.

It naturally wants to turn to mush under your fingers and rip.

For a customer in America, we recently drew various versions of his girlfriend as a mermaid swimming in the ocean and sunning herself on a rock.

We made a Moby Dick globe that was just 23cm – our smallest. The whole story was illustrated with travel routes and handwritten quotes.

I try to look like a local when I’m on holiday.

My guilty pleasure is the after-work beer.

“You only have one life, so you have to take risks”

And the after-work two beers.

I never have regrets.

There is no point being stuck in the past.

clockwise from top centre: peter bellerby, image credit: Kasia Bobula; shoredtich, IMAGE CREDIT: Claudio Divizia, Shutterstock.com; mcleod ganj, IMAGE CREDIT: suronin, Shutterstock.com; working on a bellerby globe, image credit: tom bunning; bellerby & Co. globes, bellerbyandco.com; working on a bellerby globe, image credit: gareth pon

12

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

UNMISSABLE SALE 24 TH JUNE – 23 RD JULY

Ligne Roset Westend 23/25 Mortimer Street 020 7323 1248 www.ligne-roset-westend.co.uk

Regulars

image ©Regent Street Summer Streets

Regent in green

COUTURE CULTURE

1

The annual Summer Streets celebration is returning for the fifth year in a row this month.

Regent Street will be closed to traffic from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus on Sundays, offering a range of culture, style, wellness, food and drinks. Each week will explore a new theme, and local shops, restaurants and bars will host a variety of activities. The urban Garden Party on 17 July is set to be our favourite with a lavish green lawn for Londoners and visitors to enjoy while soaking up the sun – ideally – and listening to British bands.

Sundays 2-23 July, regentstreetonline.com

2

Ludovica Gioscia, Infinite Present, 2017, for max mara’s Shapeshifters Exhibition during MAyfair art weekend 2017, Courtesy of Ludovica Gioscia

Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell in The Beguiled, image ©focus features

Women’s tales Sofia Coppola is back in the spotlight with her new flick The Beguiled. Set in an all-girls school in Virginia in 1864, the young women there (Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning) are thrown into disarray when a wounded Union soldier (Colin Farrell) from the Civil War takes refuge. Sexual tensions, rivalries and an unexpected turn of events threaten to obstruct the peace.

In cinemas from 13 July

5

F r o m t r anqui l y oga r e t r e at s t o 24- h our pa rt i e s , Ibi za has long been an es cap e for arti s ts , intelle ctual s , hip p ie s an d Holly wood star s ali ke. read all about it in i biz a b o he mi a b y M aya Bo yd, £ 6 0 , a sso uline .co m

6 14

3

C h loé Pay s t r i bute t o L ond on’ s pearly k i ngs and queens, with the relea se of thi s limite d- edition fay e bag in time for it s new s tore la unch. £2,200, 143 Ne w Bond S tre e t, W1S , ch loe.com

4 Drama queens Rising star Emily Owen will sing Handel’s The Rival Queens in an interactive performance at the Handel House Museum. A perfect mix between classical and contemporary, watch the drama about two rival 17th-century sopranos unfold in this famous historic setting. £25, 7 July, 6.30-7pm and 8-9pm, 25 Brook Street, W1K, handelhendrix.org

Eye on the Arts In a three-day celebration of our neighbourhood’s creative credentials, Mayfair Art Weekend will bring together more than 60 galleries, restaurants, auction and fashion houses in a series of open exhibitions and events. Luxury is no exception: Max Mara has called on Italian artist Ludovica Gioscia to create Shapeshifters, an elaborate and colourful collage, while French creator Mathilde Nivet will decorate the Burlington Arcade’s Victorian architecture with 300 delicate paper birds. Meanwhile, Globe-Trotter will launch a new capsule collection of flashy and fun travel accessories in collaboration with illustrator John Booth. As many as 50 other events will take place, including painting, sculpture, ceramics and design exhibitions; emphasising exactly why Mayfair is the capital’s haunt of choice for artists and collectors alike.

30 June – 2 July, mayfairartweekend.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Jenson Button F1 World Champion, wearing the Legacy limited edition.

Ground-breaking jewellery of dynamic originality and daring beauty. www.parhamramezani.com

Planet

Be green, be selfless and have a holiday?

Chris Allsop investigates the new face of luxury travel

deluxe

FEATURE

I

t was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, recalls Miguel Cunat, CEO of luxury tour operator Sri Lanka In Style, that philanthropic travel to Sri Lanka began in earnest.

“First came the volunteers to help with the relief effort through grassroots organisations or international agencies,” he says. “The second were the ‘traveller donors’ – affluent guests who were keen to donate to the relief effort wanted to see exactly how their money was being used on the island, and exactly what was needed on the ground.”

The response was about awareness. Sri Lanka, a destination that combines natural pulchritude with an extraordinary cultural heritage, captured the world’s attention as a result of its recent tumultuous history. When its civil war concluded in 2009, Cunat says the philanthropy that began in 2004 sparked something larger, with high-net-worth individuals flooding in to be a part of it.

The legacy of this phenomenon is that visitors to Sri Lanka can easily find routes into engaging positively with local communities. Cunat explains how, for example, guests can feed back into a domestic charitable organisation, The Foundation of Goodness. They can take part in spice mixing workshops at the charity’s centre, play cricket or rugby with the kids there, or learn to paint traditional Sri Lankan masks with local families.

Sri Lanka is a microcosm for what has been happening pretty much globally over several decades, with the ever-pressing issue of climate change – the slowly unfolding catastrophe that most of us (some presidents excluded), are in some way or another doing our bit to help prevent. And with 2017 designated by the UN as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the emphasis on travel that gives back as you kick back has never been greater.

For the most part, sustainable travel remains relatively niche (in a 2016 survey, booking.com found that of 57,000 hotels, only around a quarter had sustainable initiatives in place), but in the luxury sector it’s fast gaining ground.

LEFT AND ABOVE: SINGITA FARU FARU LODGE

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

17

Companies such as the ultra-luxury One&Only, which is branching out into nature resorts in Rwanda, are leading the pack. Guests will have the opportunity to ‘give back’ while staying in some of ‘nature’s best kept secrets’. For Cunat, it was the 2008 financial crash that led to a paradigm shift, “when the notion of luxury travel completely changed. It was no longer about excess and bragging rights, but about experiential travel, about connection and insight into the country and culture.

It is about what you do in the destination as opposed to just where you stay.”

However, it’s fair to say that, with eco-tourism, where you stay can often be the start of what you do.

Eco-friendly travel, defined by the International Ecotourism Society as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment”, is another facet of luxury travel’s positive experiential shift.

For eco-tourism pioneer José Koechlin, founder of luxury hotel group, Inkaterra, it has taken decades to raise awareness. His company offers stays in five-star hotels or in the more rustic (but also more

CLOCKWISE FROM top right: IN THE CANOPY AT INKATERRA RESERVA AMAZONICA; INKATERRA MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO; the view at INKATERRA HACIENDA URUBAMBA; TAMbOPATA suite AT INKATERRA RESERVA AMAZONICA

involved), Inkaterra Guides Field Stations – it opened its third in the Amazon’s Madre de Dios

region this year.

“When Inkaterra was founded 40 years ago, very few people had heard of ‘eco travel’, so it was a concept that we have worked hard to promote and pioneer in Peru,” says Koechlin, whose company has trained more than 4,000 members of the local community. “One of the biggest misconceptions about eco-travel is the idea that guests have to sleep in rough conditions, with cold water and no electricity. There certainly are options like that available but, here at Inkaterra, we offer guests five-star luxury with a zero-carbon footprint.”

With the number of international travellers in 2015 at 1.2 billion – up from 674 millon in 2000 – a zero-carbon footprint is a matter of increasing desirability. No surprise then that luxury tour operator Jacada Travel has this year launched a new initiative to fully carbon offset all trips booked, including the international flights that their clients arrange for themselves.

The company is also offering new itineraries with a focus on community and conservation, such as a luxury safari in Kenya, where you track wildlife with a Maasai guide through ancestral land. With wildlife conservation having long been a momentous issue in Africa, it’s unsurprising that

“One of the biggest misconceptions about eco-travel is the idea that guests have to sleep in rough conditions”

FEATURE

such a wealth of conscientious travel options on the continent are available. Another new safari for 2017 involves staying at one of conservation leader Singita’s luxury lodges in the Serengeti, Tanzania, and being privately guided by Stephen Cunliffe, a renowned conservation specialist and photojournalist who gives “insider access” to projects such as the Black Rhino conservation program. Meanwhile, travel companies are also playing their part through philanthropic initiatives, such as Abercrombie & Kent’s program to deliver used bicycles to rural African communities.

Making your holiday more eco-friendly doesn’t always have to involve immersion in the world’s great wildernesses. More and more hotels, resorts and holiday home providers are polishing their green credentials, regardless of the destination, and going beyond just installing low-flow shower heads.

Beachfront Anguilla hotel, The Reef by CuisinArt, is solar powered, saving £1.2 million of carbon dioxide emissions a year, while also generating potable water that it gives back to the island. The US group 1 Hotels describes its brand as “fiercely committed to eco-

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

ABOVE: SINGITA SABORA TENTED CAMP BELOW: SINGITA FARU FARU LODGE

friendly practices”, a philosophy that translates, in its properties in New York and Miami, into clothes hangers made from recycled paper, guestrooms with water filters, and electric car services from Tesla (similar initiatives can be found at Six Senses, Shangri-La, Soneva and Lefay resorts). Quirkier is the ‘Run for Green’ app offered by five-star Turkish resort, Hillside Beach Club, where guests completing sports activities are rewarded with a tree planted on their behalf (by the end of a fortnightly stay you could be responsible for an entire copse). Closer to home, Lower Mill Estate, located in one of England’s – and Europe’s – most significant nature reserves, is the Cotswolds equivalent of one of Inkaterra’s Amazonian Field Stations, where you can appreciate pristine nature safe in the knowledge that you’re not impacting the ecosystem.

So, does travelling with a conscience always carry an extra cost? “Not at all,” Koechlin says. “Just as with conventional travel, there are lots of different price brackets for eco-travel”. But what price can you put on a holiday that, long after you’ve returned home, continues to travel with you?

19

A guide to

the past Rare and historical maps offer the chance to see how the world was perceived when technology was limited and parts of the globe were yet to be discovered. But how in demand are these parchments – and what are collectors looking for?

Words: Tom Hagues

FEATURE

T

he Italian explorer Christopher Columbus found fame and fortune through his tales and records of globetrotting – most notably ‘discovering America’. He may have found new lands, people and cultures, and navigated treacherous seas aboard Spanish ships, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.

Columbus used the Henricus Martellus Germanus map, regarded as the first attempt at a map of the world, but which proved somewhat inaccurate when it informed Columbus that he had reached Japan, when he had actually arrived in the Bahamas.

Naturally, geographical guides have since developed, and their latitudes and longitudes are a source of great fascination for collectors and antiquarians. In Mayfair alone, there are a number of specialists dealing in rare and antiquated maps, including Daniel Crouch Rare Books on Bury Street and Sotheran’s on Sackville Street.

Richard Shepherd of the Sotheran’s print department confirms that map enthusiasts are growing in number. “They are one of the most popular subjects we sell at the moment,” he explains. “Especially large early maps of London.

It’s fascinating to see how the city has grown and developed over the years, and this is best observed by looking at old maps and seeing what has been added, such as bridges and name changes.”

What do collectors usually look for? “People often have something specific in mind, but obviously we don’t always have what they’re looking for,” Shepherd says. “Occasionally, other areas of interest become apparent and then the customer ends up buying something that they didn’t originally think they wanted.”

Miles Baynton-Williams at Altea Gallery on St George Street finds customers frequently looking for pictorial plots of Notting Hill. “Very little was published focusing on this small area of London, so we have to show them a map of London from the 1820s that uses the district’s original name – Kensington Gravel Pits,” he explains. “I always joke that it would not be a good name for a rom-com.”

There’s always an element of the unknown when buying a map. With only a finite number available to buyers, stumbling across something

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

Map Trap

an Inkling

Cartography is a competitive industry: not something you would necessarily expect when imagining illustrators hunched over parchment with a magnifying glass in a quiet study. In order to avoid copyright infringement, some publishers input ‘trap streets’ into editions to ensnare potential violators.

These red herrings (which are even included in Google Earth imaging) can take the form of fictitious side roads, or existing roads with bends added so as not to muddy navigation too much for the user. Any map published afterwards with the trap street included acts as evidence that the cartographer has published illegal replicas.

Are you a fan of dusty parchment and Victorian explorers? Ink Fair London, the international antiquarian book and art fair, returns to Embankment this autumn.

There will be 38 European and American dealers of rare books, artworks and manuscripts showcasing their wares – as well as a champagne reception from 5pm on 25 October.

26-27 October, Two Temple Place, WC2R, inkfair.london

opposite page: Cosmographia universalis ab Orontino olim descripta, [Verona or Venice] by Giovanni Cimerlino, 1566, £200,000, from crouch rare books This page, clockwise from top: Moscow after 1575, £2,750, from shapero rare books; New Plan of London and Its Environs by george Frederick Cruchley, 1847 £7,000, from crouch rare books; Map of china by mercator, c.1636, £2,250, from sotheran’s

21

FEATURE

else that interests them or piques their interest is all part of the enjoyment. And the customer base is changing, too. Shepherd notes: “Most of our customers are English, but since the recent fall in the pound we’re beginning to see more overseas buyers – particularly from America.”

In 2015, the Martellus map was subjected to multispectral imaging – a form of electromagnetic analysis – at Yale University, allowing researchers to uncover information that Columbus would have been presented with on the document. Twelve frequencies of light were used to expose faded notes, drawings and annotations otherwise hidden to the naked eye.

Unsurprisingly, these ancient maps are of great interest to researchers and museums, but there’s also a marked desire among a younger generation of private collectors, as Pierre-Yves Guillemet, specialist at Shapero Rare Books, explains. “Today, there are many contemporary artists creating modern maps,” he says. “Such works attract a lot of attention, particularly from a younger audience, which indicates that the interest in cartography remains strong.

“We recently had a show of contemporary porcelain globes created by the artist Loraine Rutt, organised in conjunction with London Craft Week, and it was a total success.”

Prices range wildly. At Altea Gallery, some historical maps are priced at less than £100, although the majority are under £1,000. Its most expensive piece at the moment is a 1513 map depicting America two decades after Columbus arrived, for £90,000.

In 2011, a collection of 106 maps, including the first of Australia, were auctioned for £35,000. One map dated from the 1500s, preceding Captain James Cook’s arrival on the continent by 200 years. Another, from 1753, depicted Australia without the east coast, allowing Cook to sail in 20 years later and almost ‘fill in the gaps’.

Earlier this year, a wall map of Southeast Asia and Australia by leading 16th-century atlas publisher Willem Janszoon Blaeu was sold at Sotheby’s for £248,750.

For cartographers and those simply wanting to glimpse into the past, it would seem that the industry is alive and well. Who needs a treasure map when the maps themselves are the prize?

22

Mistaken identity In 1611, cartographer and historian John Speed published a new atlas based on the first maps of English counties. When Wiltshire was being drawn an unnamed village (actually Burcombe) was found, so the draftsman drew a line and wrote the word ‘Quaere’ (Latin for query) as a note to find the right information later.

However it was forgotten, and the engraver dutifully added the note onto the printing plate, where the village of ‘Quaere’ remained, to be copied by other mapmakers, for nearly 150 years.

like the back of your hand The National Archives has plenty of rare and historical maps, but there is one that stands out from the rest. A leather glove has a map of London landmarks painted on to it, designed to help ladies find their way to and from the Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park in 1851.

from top: Carte tres curieux de la Mer du Sud [Americas] by Henri Abraham CHÂTELAIN, Amsterdam, 1719, £15,000, from peter harrington; Glory by Crouch England, 1676, £11,500, FROM Daniel Crouch Rare Books

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Penelope Chilvers

Lady Penelope There’s more to Penelope Chilvers than shoes. Marianne Dick talks to the Duke Street designer about travel, saving the planet and planning new adventures

Nonno espadrilles, ÂŁ149

INTERVIEW

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

25

“I

’ve done a first and designed a shirt,” Penelope Chilvers confesses to me over a Fernandez & Wells coffee in the Duke Street Emporium, two doors down from her Mayfair boutique.

“Well, it’s more of a jacket actually.”

The ‘shacket’ in question is a patchwork piece that she has created using the raw materials left on her factory shelves. It is part of Chilvers’ ‘waste not want not’ line, which stems from her love of the natural world and interest in environmental issues. “The urban planet is growing so fast, I’m concerned about the nature that we have in and around it,” she says.

While this may be the first foray into clothing under the Penelope Chilvers umbrella (and, according to her, the first step towards slowly becoming a lifestyle brand), it doesn’t signify a completely new creative path for the designer.

Chilvers graduated with a degree in fine art before moving to Spain – her childhood holiday home and now it appears, spiritual home – to pursue a career in painting. She lived in Barcelona for several years, where she applied her artistic flair to various projects, including woodturning and helping to restore the Museu Picasso.

This is where her journey into footwear design, and now burgeoning brand, all began.

“I was lucky enough to live in a nature reserve in the hills just north of Barcelona, and I used to go riding at the stables there. I had a pair of boots made for me by an artisan, who I struck up quite a friendship with,” says Chilvers.

“It sounds very glamorous but it wasn’t. It’s absolutely what people do when they’re into riding in Spain.

A few years later, when I came back to live in London, everyone loved my boots, so I started selling them to friends.”

Patchwork jacket, £425; Lisbon Metallic Boots, £299

After that, Chilvers sold 100 pairs to a boutique in Notting Hill, before taking a mere six pairs to Paris Fashion Week.

“I put them on a table at Tranoï [the international fashion trade show] and sold them all over the world: to Italians, to Americans, even to Spaniards.”

Chilvers’ signature lies in her affinity with Iberian culture, which clearly permeates her designs, campaigns and store concepts.

“All my collections are inspired by travel, and I go backwards and P on y p il l ow b ag, £ 3 4 9 ; m e tal l ic p il l ow b ag, £ 2 7 9

INTERVIEW

new season forwards to Spain where I make everything. The pre-collection, which came out in June, is inspired by Andalucía and the colourful adornments that people and horses dress up in for festivals.

Da n dy s lippers , £259 “I went to South Africa and we stayed on an organic fruit farm called Tierhoek cottages. The neighbours were inspiring people – they farm organically and use local restaurants’ cooking oil to fuel their tractors. They lent me the valley to shoot the Gam ine Carnival heel, campaign (pictured).” £229 Chilvers also recently visited the Wild West-esque town of El “The pre-collection is inspired by Rocío, also in Andalucía, Andalucía and the adornments that the people and horses wear to festivals” with up-andcoming model and daughter of the Earl of St Andrews, Lady Amelia Windsor, to shoot a short film.

“We bought a dress together and Amelia had it fitted in the back of a little tent in the market, then we N onno es pa drilles , £149 joined some people to dance. It was

very equestrian-inspired but also very colourful and eclectic.”

In the film, Amelia’s traditional dress is accessorised with some of Chilvers’ new season styles, including saddlebags from her Castanet capsule collection that were made using a decorative layered leatherwork technique called trocollage.

“It stems back to the history of the Arabs when they lived in Spain and brought horses over the peninsula,” explains Chilvers.

Lady Windsor might be 36th in line to the throne, but she isn’t Chilvers’ most regal fan. The Duchess of Cambridge was first spotted wearing a pair of the brand’s brown tasselled boots in 2004, and has been snapped wearing exactly the same style several times since – the most recent sighting was in May. “I think the Penelope Chilvers customer is quite a practical, adventurous woman aspiring to a healthy lifestyle,” summarises the designer. “Whether it’s in the city, the country, at a party or at work, it’s an easy look that is not too try-hard and

Hi g ht o ps , £279

Barro w bo o t s , £349

C lo g s , £149

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FarRah applique boots, £495

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INTERVIEW

“Our shop at 69 Duke Street belonged to the amazing 1960s art dealer Robert Fraser” not too pretentious. It’s effortless and cross-generational.”

While much of Chilvers’ inspiration originates from her experiences overseas, Mayfair also has a special place in her heart, particularly around Duke Street.

“It’s an old area, but what’s happening here is very exciting with Crossrail, and our lovely new neighbours like Private White and E. Tautz,” she says.

“I’m particularly enamoured by the history of our shop at 69 Duke Street, because it belonged to the amazing 1960s art dealer Robert Fraser. People like Willem de Kooning – who

Ruc ks ack, £ 2 4 9

From top: Applique Clog, £179; pony clutch, £179; Moccasin Friesian, £199. all lookbook images courtesy of Anya Holdstock

is one of my favourite artists – showed their work here, and Yoko Ono apparently met John Lennon here too. It was a very glamorous place to hang out,” Chilvers adds.

Despite her affinity with Spain, Chilvers seems to be just as enthusiastic about exploring the history of Mayfair, and this – not to mention her inimitable bright designs and displays – makes her one of the most colourful characters on Duke Street.

69 Duke Street, W1K, penelopechilvers.com

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Working Lunch.

T WO CO U R S E S £ 2 0 p p O R T H R E E CO U R S E S A N D A G L ASS £ 3 0 p p

Monday to Friday | 12pm to 3pm

cubitthouse.co.uk

CH-LondonFoodMonth_FOODISM_FINAL.indd 1

08/06/2017 17:40

HELEN MCCRORY IN FEARLESS, ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF JONATHAN FORD/ ITV

INTERVIEW

LONDON CALLING British actress Helen McCrory explains why her latest role in ITV’s new prime-time thriller Fearless is the “most refreshing” she has ever played W O R D S : S c a r l e tt R u ss e l l

T

hat Helen McCrory is starring in a new prime-time thriller called Fearless is rather apt. This is a woman who is no stranger to playing feisty, fiery, even controversial characters. Her stage roles range from Lady Macbeth, Medea and, most recently, Hester Collyer in Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea; while on film she’s played Cherie Blair and Queen Elizabeth I. She’s perhaps most loved as matriarch Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders or Evelyn Poole in Penny Dreadful.

Her latest role is the lead in new ITV political drama Fearless, penned by Homeland writer Patrick Harbinson. She plays the chain-smoking, vodkaswilling, brilliant solicitor, Emma Banville, who is known for defending some of society’s most disliked suspects. The plot follows her as she attempts to free a man she believes was wrongly convicted of killing a schoolgirl in East Anglia. As she delves deeper into the case, she discovers that there is much more to it than she first imagined – and that police and intelligence services around the world will do anything to stop her uncovering the truth.

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McCrory is just as sharp and astute in person.

She sits poised and elegant in London’s Soho Hotel where she has arrived, right on time, for our interview. It’s midday, the start of a busy press afternoon and she apologises when, halfway through our chat, a spinach omelette arrives. “Do you mind?” she asks, glancing up. “I had a very early breakfast today; I’m just having another with you.” Between dainty mouthfuls, she carefully considers questions before answering them, as often as possible referring back to Fearless and her character.

“I really like Emma,” she says when I ask why the part appealed to her. “I hadn’t read a female character for television that doesn’t explain herself. She’s entirely unapologetic. She’s courageous and focused and tenacious and quietly chips away until she gets to the truth.

Patrick is celebrating people defending and sticking up for each other. I liked that. And I think particularly at the moment, when reading the news is so depressing, creating someone who is fighting for what she feels is justice and not

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trusting anybody but herself, is really refreshing.”

Tellingly, the only time she answers instantly is when I broach the subject of her husband, fellow actor Damian Lewis. Do they talk about work at home or is that off-limits?

“Like any other couple we talk about work as far as scheduling is concerned with the kids and where we’re going to be living and filming, but that’s it really.” Who does the bulk of the cooking at home? “Whoever is there.”

Point taken. Today she is here to discuss her work, not her husband.

There is an interesting parallel, however, in that Fearless is written by one of the scriptwriters and producers of Homeland, in which Lewis starred.

“I didn’t know Patrick before and actually I’m not sure if he wrote the episodes Damian was in because he came on much later, quite a few series on from when my husband left,” says McCrory. “But there are clearly similarities. You can tell that Patrick has worked in America. Fearless covers more plot in an hour than most British dramas will cover in six hours.

Plot is king in American drama and you see it in this. So much is introduced in the first episode.”

While it may read like an American drama, McCrory is quick to poke fun

at the fact it was made on a very British budget. “We do it slightly differently,” she laughs. “You’re not going from Hawaii to Lebanon to Berlin. On £7.50 you’re going from Solihull down to Peckham then up to Tufnell Park. But it doesn’t matter in a thriller – what matters is the plot.”

The cast also includes Sir Michael Gambon – with whom McCrory starred alongside in the Harry Potter film franchise, in which she played Narcissa Malfoy – and the comedian John Bishop as Banville’s policeman boyfriend: “so charming and fantastic,” says McCrory.

In preparing for the role of Emma Banville, McCrory read and listened to interviews with Gareth Peirce, a leading solicitor who represented the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead at Stockwell station in a bungled terrorism raid. She also befriended a human rights lawyer whom she happened upon by chance.

“I was on the Tube and heard a man chatting about human rights and I thought, ‘oh Christ I’m late but I don’t care.’ He got off at Embankment and I ran down the Strand after him, asked him if he was a human rights lawyer and he told me, guarding his wallet closely, that he was,” she tells me.

“I said, ‘I promise you I’m an actress and please can I just come and talk to you?’” she continues. “It turned out that he ran a website, a small charity all about representing human rights lawyers. I would go and chat to him after rehearsals for The Deep Blue Sea in various cafés by the Strand. It was fascinating.”

The actress is mid-way through filming the fourth series of Peaky Blinders, the hit show set in 1920s Birmingham starring Cillian Murphy as blue-eyed gang boss Thomas Shelby, McCrory as his aunt Polly and a host of other top British talent including Tom Hardy.

“People don’t expect women to behave in a certain way; nobody expects anything anymore.

We’re all breaking barriers”

INTERVIEW

“I love Polly,” says McCrory. “One minute she’s a bad-ass with these great one-liners and shooting a gun with a flick-knife in her garter, and the next she’s got a really beautiful love story or a breakdown. The whole season is brilliant; the best season we’re going to do.”

While she may be known for playing tough characters in gritty performances, home life in the Tufnell Park McCrory/Lewis household involves lots of satires and comedies.

Her favourite shows are “Catastrophe, Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm. I mean I’m still on The Simpsons”. She’s also “a bit of a news junkie, so I listen to and watch a lot of current affairs”.

McCrory has two children with Lewis: Manon, ten, and Gulliver, nine. She tells

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me, proudly, that her daughter walked in the Women’s March in January. “I didn’t march because I was working and my son didn’t because he was playing football but, yes, Manon did. She also had to dress up for school, so she made a suffragette’s outfit and took the placard she had used for the march, which was great.”

As highlighted by shows such as Big Little Lies and House of Cards, roles for women on TV are getting better and better. “It’s interesting where writers are taking women now,” McCrory muses.

“We have proven again and again that people don’t expect women to behave in a certain way; nobody expects anything anymore. We’re all breaking barriers.”

Speaking of her latest role, McCrory is quick to point out that Banville

represents so much more than just a solicitor. “She’s a lone warrior, a new type of woman who discovers things for herself and trusts no one. A 21stcentury heroine.”

A 21st-century heroine? Now that sums up McCrory.

Fearless continues Mondays at 9pm on ITV, or catch up on the ITV Hub, itv.com

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Photography: Karen Collins

Free spirit

Soak up the feel-good vibes of warmer, longer days in the coming months with Chaumet’s new jewellery collection, Summer Spirit.

Dainty floral earrings and dazzling mini watches bring a touch of glamour to the pool.

From ÂŁ2,290, 174 New Bond Street, W1S, chaumet.com

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COLLECTION

Necklace, £1,900

Sword in the Stone

Lily of the valley

A new collaboration between Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian and Kate Moss marries the pair’s rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic. Inspired by old English legends, the collection features medieval emblems such as Saint George’s sword, as well as sickle moon symbols and amulets carved into pendants, earrings and rings.

From £700, available at Harvey Nichols, harveynichols.com

“Luxury is meant to be lived” is Indian jeweller Nirav Modi’s motto – and why the brand’s new campaign sees its spectacular jewels displayed in full glory. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stars alongside actress Priyanka Chopra, modelling the Water Lilies necklace and earring set.

From a selection, uk.niravmodi.com

Ring, £2,800

photography by Patrick Demarchelier

Chopard at Cannes

Earrings and Cuffs from the Chopard Red Carpet Collection 2017

Chopard once again took centre stage at Cannes, where it has been official jewellery partner for nearly two decades. Celebrating this milestone, along with the 70th anniversary of the film festival, co-president Caroline Scheufele went all out with a 70-strong collection featuring coloured gemstones and pieces set in titanium with an arabesque motif.

POA, chopard.com

CUTTING EDGE Revolutionary English jeweller Grima, founded in the 1960s by the eponymous Andrew, presents its groundbreaking jewels at Masterpiece London. Visit the fair on Chelsea Embankment to see this necklace featuring a kaleidoscope of gemstones.

29 June – 5 July, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW3, masterpiecefair.com; grimajewellery.com Multi-coloured necklace in 18-karat yellow gold with amethysts, citrines, aquamarines, tourmalines and diamonds; Lapis Gherkin ring by Francesca Grima, 2017

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petals in motion This year, Chanel has followed its first in-house movement with a calibre designed specifically for women. Laura McCreddie-Doak speaks to Nicolas Beau, CEO of the house’s watchmaking division, to find out more

COLLECTION

opposite page: CALIBRE 2 WITH 726 diamonds, totalling 22.66 carats

M

ademoiselle Chanel was never one to do what was expected of her. At a time when fashion was for flounce and excess, she flouted this in favour of masculine lines, minimal decoration and a muted colour palette.

Since her passing, her eponymous house has carried on the tradition of going against current trends and expectations. It certainly did that with aplomb when it launched its Monsieur de Chanel timepiece last year. The watch itself, with its jumping hour marker at six and enlarged retrograde minute track, would have been newsworthy enough, but when the press discovered it housed Chanel’s first in-house movement, the Calibre 1, everyone was talking about it.

At this year’s Baselworld, Chanel unveiled the follow-up.

Admittedly, the name, Calibre 2, doesn’t really sound like much to get excited about. But don’t be deceived, for this is another incredible feat of watchmaking – a skeleton movement in the shape of a camellia, one of the house’s most famous symbols.

While the name also suggests that Calibre 2 will be very similar to its parent watch, it is significantly different. “We took a completely different approach here,” states Nicolas Beau, CEO of Chanel’s watch division. “Calibre 1 was all about style and complexity, while Calibre 2 was much more about beauty and the idea of making a skeleton.”

While Calibre 1 was designed to highlight the components within the timepiece, the intention was completely the opposite the second time round. It was, as Beau states, “all about pure aesthetics”. The intricate, three-level floral pattern of Calibre 2 has been crafted to conceal the watch’s mechanics, with the wheels hidden within bridges that make up the camellia design.

Calibre 2 makes its debut in the Première watch – the case shape of which was originally modelled on the Place Vendôme – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It is quintessentially Chanel: feminine without being overtly girly, and unlike anything else (the case has been set with diamonds). This isn’t the first time the camellia has featured in the Première – it was previously used to hide a flying tourbillon, created for the house by renowned watch manufacturer Renaud & Papi.

“We wanted to create something mechanical, but with the technical element hidden,” explains Beau. “After a few discussions, Renaud & Papi understood we were not trying to impress with teeth and wheels, but with beauty. Creativity is king here; we do whatever we think is right and the technicians need to adapt.”

It is this need to future-proof Chanel’s watchmaking arm that has led to setting up an in-house department, which is

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: the front and back of Calibre 1; A SKETCH OF THE CALIBRE 2

Calibre 2 is an incredible feat of watchmaking – a skeleton movement in the shape of a camellia

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“Creativity is king here; we do whatever we think is right and the technicians need to adapt�

COLLECTION

Clockwise from left: calibre 2 front and back; Working on the intricate bridgework in the Calibre 2; 3D sketches of an uncased Calibre 2

The man safeguarding Chanel’s future is the legendary watchmaker Romain Gauthier

responsible for Calibres 1 and 2 and now in the midst of working on Calibre 3.

“If it were 1980, I would probably not have invested in movements and continued to work with experts, and been very proud of that fact,” says Beau. “However, in this world where we are surrounded by big groups, you can’t really depend on anyone because they could be bought tomorrow. It has been a massive investment, but if you don’t control your production, you open yourself up to issues in the future.”

The man safeguarding Chanel’s future in the watch industry is none other than Romain Gauthier – the legendary watchmaker and protégé of Philippe Dufour – as well as eight other people who work exclusively for the house on movement conception and construction.

“When I started, I thought it would be hard to convince great watchmakers to work at Chanel,” says Beau. “But I found mavericks who want to be part of a story, not a big machine.” It was these mavericks who embraced what Beau describes as a “crazy” challenge simply to prove that it could be done.

It almost sounds ridiculous when Beau refers to the Calibre 2 as “basic” and a starting point from which Chanel can develop other time-only movements. “We could call it the 2.1 or something,” he says, in what is perhaps a nod to the classic quilted 2.55 handbag.

Whatever does come next, whether that be the Calibre 3 or the hinted-at entirely new women’s watch that will apparently be Chanel’s “vision of the next 30 years of feminine watch design”, you can be sure it will be unexpected. As the house’s founder once said: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”

Première Camélia Skeleton watch, from £111,000, 173 New Bond Street, W1S, chanel.com

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COLLECTION

a s pac e

Odys s ey Associated with some of humankind’s greatest extraterrestrial adventures, the Omega Speedmaster has become one of the world’s most recognisable watches, 60 years after its inception W O R D S : R i c h ard B row n

P

ick apart a watch press release and I’ll wager the Schofield Signalman on my wrist that the two words repeated most will be ‘tradition’ and ‘innovation’.

Coming in a close third will be the worn-out and hackneyed ‘icon’.

Of course, since the end of the Second World War, when wristwatches became de rigueur for gentlemen of taste, few timepieces have acquired truly legendary status. One watch that has is the Omega Speedmaster. In July 1969, the sporty chronograph earned its place in the horological Hall of Fame by becoming the first watch to be worn on the moon. The Speedmaster story, however, begins more than a decade before Apollo 11.

Tracing its DNA to racing chronographs made by Omega prior to the Second World War, the ‘Speedy’, and its novel tachymeter bezel, first landed in 1957, its name in keeping with a convention set out by the Omega Seamaster and Railmaster.

In October 1962, Wally Schirra, one of the first Americans in space, took

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his personal Speedmaster on board the Mercury-Atlas 8, making it the first Omega to go stratospheric.

Two years later, in search of a timepiece robust enough to survive the rigours of space, NASA requested chronographs from four heavyweights – Breitling, Rolex, Longines-Wittnauer and Omega.

After testing the watches to destruction, Omega’s

top right: Edward H. White II becomes the first American to perform a spacewalk on 3 June 1965. An Omega Speedmaster can be seen on his left wrist, ©NASA; right: Moonwatch Professional Chronograph 42mm, £4,080; all other images ©Omega Ltd

entry was the only timepiece declared “flight-qualified for all manned space missions”, and, in June 1965, was strapped to the wrist of astronaut Edward H. White II during America’s first spacewalk. The Speedmaster earned its ‘Moonwatch’ moniker four years later when Buzz Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong onto the moon wearing his (Armstrong had left his own watch inside the Lunar Module).

Earlier this year, Omega celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Speedmaster with a star-studded event at the Tate Modern. Joining Buzz Aldrin on stage was ex-NASA engineer James Ragan, the man in charge of certifying the original Moonwatches as space-ready, as well as a presentation of 60 highly significant Speedmasters – surely one of the greatest tool watches ever produced. omegawatches.com

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Photography by Levon Biss - www.microsculpture.net

Moooi presents a life extraordinary!

Moooi London · 23 Great Titchfield Street · London, W1W 7PA Moooi Amsterdam · Westerstraat 187 · 1015 MA Amsterdam Moooi New York · 36 East 31st Street · New York, NY 10016 Moooi Tokyo · Three F 6-11-1 Minami Aoyama · Minato-ku, Tokyo www.moooi.com

ART The hand of Rodin Be it The Thinker, The Kiss or a ballet dancer, Auguste Rodin’s bronze figures never fail to delight. Marking the centenary of his death, Bowman Sculpture explores his prolific career. An early maquette for The Burghers of Calais – the memorial for those who sacrificed themselves during the Hundred Years’ War – steals the show, closely followed by this individual cast of one of the brave citizens, Jean de Fiennes.

The Birth of Modern Sculpture, until 27 July, 6 Duke Street, SW1Y, bowmansculpture.com

rodin, Jean de Fiennes, c.1945

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FINE PAIRING

Rose & King Galleries Brook Street’s latest addition from left: Bronzino, The contest of Apollo and Marsyas, 16th century; Pietro Lista, Nudo of Bronzino, 2017

What is Rose & King?

We are a new gallery and art curation service seeking to bring both established, international names and exciting local talent to the London art scene.

Why have you chosen a serviced office as your gallery space?

We saw an untapped market for art lovers. A serviced office might seem an unusual venue, but this building is unique. No. 43 is just two doors down from Claridge’s and shares all the hotel’s elegance, standing among Mayfair’s most luxurious serviced offices.

During London Art Week, decorative antiques from King’s Road specialist Guinevere will be peppered among the Old Master, Impressionist and contemporary artworks at Dickinson gallery.

Inspired by Conti’s portrait of Antonio Canova at work, a corner of an artist’s workspace will be recreated, while another room will be hung with plein air paintings.

“We’ve had this room painted a beautiful Siena marble colour and have used mostly Italian furniture to create a sun-drenched, high summer mood,” says Dean Robinson, Guinevere’s in-house designer. A taste of Chelsea, without leaving the comfort of St James’s.

30 June – 7 July, 58 Jermyn Street, SW1Y, simondickinson.com

grand tour sculptures at guinevere

strikingly simple As enthusiasm for mid-century Abstraction continues to grow, Waterhouse & Dodd presents a retrospective on British artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham. Discover the paintings and drawings of a relatively unsung heroine – whose work fetched £106,250 at the David Bowie sale at Sotheby’s last year.

Until 8 July, 47 Albemarle Street, W1S, waterhousedodd.com

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Construction in Space, 1989

What will your first exhibition explore?

Timelessness will showcase more than five centuries of art, with Renaissance masters alongside contemporary artists (30 June – 29 September).

What do you have planned next?

We will exhibit at Contemporary Istanbul, then Art Miami in December.

43 Brook Street, W1K, rosekinggalleries.com

don’t miss...

Seven Paintings, a solo exhibition of monochrome works

by Korean artist Chung Sang-Hwa at Lévy Gorvy.

Until 21 July, 22 Old Bond Street, W1S, levygorvy.com Chung Sang-Hwa in his studio, Gyeonggi-do, 2016. image credit: Choi Youngjun, ©Chung Sang-Hwa, Courtesy of Gallery Hyundai

ART

Prize lots Sold: £51,975

Sold: £155,000

Es t im a t e : £ 3 6 , 0 9 4 – £ 4 2 , 1 1 1

Es t im a t e : £ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 – £ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0

Untitled, Valay Shende, 2008 “Our summer online auction showed compelling interest in not just the modernists, who are always a crowd favourite among collectors, but also in contemporary works by South Asian artists. Valay Shende’s buffalo achieved the highest bid in the contemporary section, exceeding its pre-sale estimate by 1.2 times. This lot saw enthusiastic international bidding, and was finally won by a US-based buyer, all of which is suggestive of a renewed interest in Indian art overseas.” – Abha Housego, sale lead and head of Saffronart UK

UPCOMING

A Roman marble head of a satyr, c. late first – early second century This head is part of a copy of a statue by Greek sculptor Praxiteles. The full statue, which was at the foot of the Acropolis, portrayed the youthful satyr pouring wine and, if displayed on a private premises, would communicate that the owner had particularly high taste.

Estimate £30,000-£50,000, Antiquities, 6 July, bonhams.com

“The inaugural London handbag sale at Christie’s set a new European record price for this bag – a very good start. The hardware made the big difference here: made out of white gold and encrusted with diamonds, the bag became the ultimate collector’s item. Furthermore, its condition was impeccable, and the shininess of the midnight blue skin illuminated by the diamond hardware is just rare to find.” – Matthew Rubinger, international director of handbags and accessories at Christie’s London

UPCOMING

Sold, from left: Untitled, Valay Shende, metal discs, first from a limited edition of three and one artist’s proof, height: 73.5 cm, width: 219.3 cm, depth: 137.7 cm, summer online auction, 6-7 June, saffronart.com, image courtesy of Saffronart AN EXCEPTIONAL SHINY BLEU MARINE POROSUS CROCODILE DIAMOND BIRKIN 35 WITH 18K WHITE GOLD & DIAMOND HARDWARE, HERMÈS, 2007, GRADE: 1, Featuring a total diamond weight of 10.7 cts set in 171.23g 18K white gold, includes lock, keys, clochette, small leather pouch, small box, small dustbags, rain protector, dustbag and box, width: 35 cm, height: 25 cm, depth: 18 cm, Handbags & Accessories, 12 June, christies.com, image courtesy of Christie’s Upcoming, from left: A ROMAN MARBLE HEAD OF A SATYR, CIRCA LATE 1ST-EARLY 2ND CENTURY A.D., 25.4cm high, image courtesy of Bonhams Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Lady Lilith, signed with monogram and dated 1867, watercolour heightened with bodycolour and gum arabic, Image courtesy of Sotheby’s

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Hermès porosus crocodile Birkin 35 handbag

Lady Lilith, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, c.1860 Rossetti’s painting depicts the Pre-Raphaelite artist’s first mistress, Fanny Cornforth, and compares her to the Babylonian character of Lilith (synonymous with female independence). The piece remains in its original frame and has a handwritten poem attached to its backing board.

Estimate £400,000-£600,000, Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art, 13 July, sothebys.com 47

New horizons Contemporary landscape artists are defying conventions and the laws of nature, writes Camilla Apcar

B

etween 1974 and 1977, Anselm Kiefer painted a book of watercolours – Transition from Cool to Warm – of seascapes morphing into orange female nudes. It broadened the definition of what landscape painting could be, and what we expect such images to portray.

An exhibition at Gagosian’s sister gallery on West 24th Street in New York is showing more than 40 of Kiefer’s sketchbooks and new watercolours until 14 July, marking the artist’s return to the medium. A collection of sometimes dreamy, sometimes moody landscapes will be displayed alongside.

The standards set in place by the likes of Claude Lorrain’s hazy Baroque visions, John Constable’s early Romanticism, and Claude Monet’s Impressionist works still remain, but the landscape genre has moved far beyond the territory of literal depiction and aesthetic showmanship.

Sarah Adams has been based on north Cornwall’s coast for 12 years, where rock formations such as caves and natural arches inform her paintings. “I’m interested in the parts of the coast I can get to on really good low tides, which are normally underwater,” she says.

Adams works with a sketchbook or portable easel, taking them back to her studio to continue. “I don’t want to paint like they did 200 years ago, even though the processes are the same – and I don’t think one can. We are products of our age. However traditional one’s work may look, you’re still in and of your time.

“I think landscape painting tends to be slightly overlooked because it isn’t as cutting edge,” says Adams, who is represented by Maas Gallery. “But it’s about the spaces that we inhabit, so it’s always going to be relevant.”

A trio of contemporary artists, all represented by White Cube, is enough to demonstrate the breadth and

clockwise from right: Ori Gersht, Floating World 04, 2016; Ori Gersht, Evaders, Far Off Mountains and Rivers, 2009, both ©Ori Gersht, 2017, Courtesy of Ben Brown Fine Arts, London; David Hockney, 19 May 2011, 2011, COURTESY OF Lyndsey Ingram; Anselm Kiefer, aller Tage Abend, aller Abende Tag (The Evening of All Days, the Day of All Evenings), 2014, ©Anselm Kiefer, photo ©Charles Duprat, courtesy of Gagosian

ART

freedom of expression that has made it increasingly difficult for landscapes to be thought of as a straightforward artistic ‘category’.

The most recent canvasses by the gallery’s 92-year-old LebaneseAmerican artist Etel Adnan are landscapes painted from her memories of Beirut and California, simplified into large shapes in bold block colours. Kenya-born Michael Armitage draws deeply on his East African heritage, working in earthy shades on

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traditional Ugandan bark cloth.

Meanwhile, Raqib Shaw’s fantastically detailed paintings borrow much from Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. His vibrant, hedonistic visions are created using metallic industrial paints with a porcupine quill, enamel and gold embossing.

“Landscapes in the past tended to look back on a golden age, whereas today’s artists are engaged with it in a completely new way, particularly if we look at the urban landscape,” says

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clockwise from top right: sarah adams, Arch and cliff at Tregurrian, 2016; scarlett hooft graafland, Vanuatu, Resolution, Malekula, 2015; scarlett hooft graafland, Carpet, 2010; scarlett hooft graafland, journey, 2007, all ©Scarlett Hooft Graafland, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery London and New York

Christie’s post-war and contemporary specialist Paola Saracino Fendi.

“Viewers can be very drawn to figurative approaches at a time when conceptual and abstract art can be distancing,” she continues. “Landscape gives a connection to everyday human life, and depicts something that lasts forever.”

At Waterhouse Dodd, British artist Juliette Losq’s urban watercolours are built up in hyperreal layers of paint, as if an

etching – much at odds with the abused, littered landscapes that she focuses on. Her graffitied riversides and desperately overgrown green spaces are equally at odds with the idyllic imagery we are used to, and challenge the often sad impact of humankind on nature.

Modern mediums have also affected the type of landscapes that artists are able to portray, as well as how they are able to do so. Two of the works currently for sale at

ART

Lyndsey Ingram are landscapes from 2011

by David Hockney, painted on his iPad but printed on paper. Working digitally, Hockney is free from overworking a canvas with too much paint; the colours are vivid (plausible but not necessarily true to life), and lines are heavily layered without smudging.

The advent of photography – and the ease with which we can now travel the globe – has allowed artists to capture the world’s farthest reaches. Dutch photographer Scarlett Hooft Graafland visits as diverse destinations as possible, “to show the beauty of nature all over the world”. Her photographs – taken in analogue and printed from the negatives – can be found at Flowers Gallery.

Hooft Graafland searches for empty landscapes that are almost abstract in themselves, then adds people or objects to create surreal visions. A woman might emerge from a mound of ice, in the middle of a glacier; a sun made of bananas might be laid out in front of a mountain peak. Human figures are often minuscule in her work, emphasising the vastness of the surrounding landscape.

“It’s the power of nature that really fascinates me,” she says. “In Holland, where I’m from, everything is very cultivated and all the landscapes are designed. I love to go to places where you can feel the roughness.”

After researching her destination, she then spends a month or two there, sourcing a team who can assist her on the ground – often local artists, finding ways to communicate with them. “I try to respond to the cultural traditions of a place, in a way that’s playful but also says something about the life of the people who live there.”

The relationship between man and nature is central to the work of Israeli photographer Ori Gersht. “Landscapes have existed for millions of years, but whenever I intervene through my work, I come with my baggage as a human being,” he says. “In all my work I’m interested in the tension between the two.

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“I always find it difficult to photograph people. There’s something very intrusive about photography... it’s incredibly intimate. But there’s something about landscapes that liberates me.”

Gersht’s most recent body of work, Floating World, is inspired by reflecting ponds in Japanese zen gardens. The painterly photographs explore where reality starts and finishes – a pertinent concept for our modern world, where images can dominate perceptions of reality so much that they become more than just a visual representation of the world.

“I try to create a fusion between the two worlds,” says the artist, whose work is at Ben Brown Fine Arts. “Melting the boundaries into one another so that the viewer can no longer distinguish which is which. Photography was often used as historical evidence, but I’m interested in creating photographs that question and create places of uncertainty.”

As with Kiefer’s Transition from Cool to Warm, contemporary landscapes are often as much to do with portraiture: artists being drawn to put more of themselves into their work, and to comment – not always kindly – on humanity.

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Rivers of pastel

The epitome of eternal love, the Taj Mahal was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. Now, this story has been interpreted by clothing brand Varana, which has opened its first shop on Dover Street.

Working with craftsmen in India, creative director Sujata Keshavan uses traditional techniques on Himalayan cashmere, delicate muslins from Bengal and chikankari embroidery from Lucknow. Varana is testimony to South Asia’s rich cultural heritage – and is taking Mayfair’s heart by storm.

Umbrella dress, £745, 14 Dover Street, W1S, varanaworld.com

FASHION

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WHITE CAVIAR ILLUMINATING PEARL INFUSION

INFUSE YOUR SKIN WITH LIQUID LIGHT TARGET THE THREE CHROMATIC BARRIERS TO A LUMINOUS COMPLEXION. UNIFY, BRIGHTEN AND CLARIFY WITH THE FIRST CONCENTRATE OF LIGHT.

AVAILABLE AT PETER JONES

FASHION

STar-studded Line-up

Image courtesy of Jimmy Choo

SANDRA CHOI’S pre-fall collection for Jimmy Choo aims to complement the many facets of a woman’s character. As she argues, “looks shouldn’t define us but enhance our personal style.” Elegant vintage rose suede is toughened up with star-shaped studs; chunky, oversized embellishments adorn graceful stilettos; and trainers are given a glittery makeover in this delightfully diverse capsule.

From £350, jimmychoo.com

Cocktail hour Black tie doesn’t have to be humourless.

Sophie Hulme’s pre-fall collection sees her trademark metal charms – we adore the cocktail stirrer – transformed into working catches for minimalist evening bags.

From £295, sophiehulme.com

Throw some shade

beach mod Eres takes inspiration from the runway in its S/S17 range. From the bang on trend oneshoulder mustard swimsuit, to the 100 per cent silk crepe jumpsuit with a braided belt (ideal for a swift move from beach to bar), the pioneering brand has us covered for yet another summer.

From £85, 12-13 Burlington Arcade, W1J, eresparis.com

Acn e , £ 2 8 0 , 1 3 Dove r Stree t, W 1 S , AC NE STU DI OS. CO M

c ÉL I NE , £ 2 3 9 , 1 0 3 mO U NT sTRE E T, w 1 k, Ce l ine .com

D o l ce & G a b b a n A , p o a , 6 - 8 oL D bOND sTR EE T, w 1 s , do l ceg abbana . com

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Queen

of the

desert

Spread your wings this summer and live life like a nomad in bold prints and vibrant colours Photographer M a z e n A b u s r o u r at Things by People S t y l i sT N a t a l i e R e a d

Dress, ÂŁ800, Barrus, barrus.com.tr

THIS PAGE top, POA, Jonathan Simkhai, jonathansimkhai.com; earrings, £510, kalmar, kalmar.uk.com OPPOSITE PAGE Dress, POA, Ashley Isham, ashleyisham.co.uk; Bangles, £70 each, Dinosaur Designs, dinosaurdesigns.co.uk; Scarves, £165 each, Celia Gould, celiagould.co.uk; Sandals, £1,275, Aquazzura, aquazzura.com

Soak up the sun and stand out from dusty sands with sultry silks, exotic gems and tanned leather

Jacket, POA, Dsquared2, dsquared2.com; skirt, POA, Ashley Isham, as before; ring, ÂŁ145, Pebble London, pebblelondon.com; boots, ÂŁ1,355, Valentino, valentino.com

THIS PAGE Scarf, £165, Celia Gould, as before; shirt, £250, House of Holland, houseofholland.co.uk; skirt, £1,620, Mary Katrantzou, marykatrantzou.com OPPOSITE PAGE Scarf, £165, Celia Gould, as before; dress, £2,900, Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com; collar choker, £90, Pebble London, as before

THIS PAGE jumpsuit, £1,300, Tim Ryan, timryan-knitwear.com; belt, £455, Agnona, agnona.com; shoes, £605, Roberto Cavalli, robertocavalli.com; bangles, £75 each and earrings, £145, both Pebble London, as before OPPOSITE PAGE Dress, £795, Rocky Star, rockystarworld.com; scarf, POA, Valentino, as before; ring, Pebble London, as before

Fashion Assistant Remy Farrell Hair and make-up Sharon Drugan at Things by People Model Angelina Jesson at Premier Model Management location with thanks to: the Oberoi hotel, Rooms from AED 650 (approximately £140), oberoihotels.com; and Qantas A380, which flies twice daily from Heathrow, Economy return from £318, qantas.com

FASHION

Capsule travel Ermenegildo Zegna’s Second Skin capsule collection features trans-seasonal clothes, shoes and accessories in a rich palette of colours. Ticking both the smart and casual boxes, the Assola moccasin is our favourite.

From £275, zegna.co.uk

New Era Billionaire – part of the Philipp Plein Group – has more than tripled its space in Harrods.

This season, the designer Mr Plutus introduces crocodile trench coats (at a stellar £96,240), metallic jacquard jackets and colourful tuxedos, once again challenging the classic conventions of sophistication. billionairecouture.com

Makes scents Frédéric Malle’s Vetiver Extraordinaire set promises to be this summer’s new obsession. The shaving cream offers an effortless glide for a razor, and the aftershave balm contains a high concentration of vetiver essence, topped with fresh aromas of citrus and menthol.

From £60, 14 Burlington Arcade, W1J, fredericmalle.com

F r e s h pa i r s

V ILEBRE QUIN X K AR L L AGE R F E L D , £20 0 , v i l ebr e qu i n. c om

Cardi man OR L E B AR B R OW N X ON E & ON LY, £ 2 2 5 , o rl ebarbr own. c om

Paul Sm i th X Martin Parr, £110, d ov e rstr e e tmark e t. c om , pa u l s m i th . c om

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Hardy Amies’ new cardigan can be paired with everything from a white T-shirt to a smart blue shirt, making it the perfect garb whatever the occasion. Its blazer-style silhouette and soft cotton fabric prevents it from creasing, so don’t forget to take it on your next trip. £350, 8 Savile Row, W1S, hardyamies.com

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london

20 GRAFTON STREET UK.HOLLYHUNT.COM

INTERIORS Walk of fame

The Sahrai family’s fascinating journey in traditional oriental rug weaving began in 1830 in the Tehran Grand Bazaar. Now, the company has opened a flagship showroom on Brook Street. In-house designers are on hand throughout the bespoke process to allow customers to create truly personal pieces, which can even incorporate Swarovski crystals for true pizazz.

62-64 Brook Street, W1K, sahrai.com

late 19th Century Agra wool rug (437 x 357cm), HERITAGE ANTIQUE COLLECTION, SAHRAI

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1817-2017.

200 YEARS DURAVIT. RE YOUR FUTUR BATHROOM.

Luv. Nordic elegance.

The design of Cecilie Manz‘ bathroom series Luv combines Nordic purism and timeless, emotional elegance. Soft shapes follow a stringent geometry. The result is a new unique design language with precise, clear and ďŹ ne edges. For more information please visit www.duravit.co.uk or contact info@uk.duravit.com

UK_MayFairMagazine_Luv_001_210x297.indd 1

03.03.17 14:40

INTERIORS

Galerie gods

In Good Hans Another celebration of a 20th-century classic sees Carl Hansen & Son reissue a special soap-treated edition of Danish modernist Hans J. Wegner’s CH23 armless dining chair. It features recognisable Wegner trademarks such as cruciform cover caps and a double woven paper cord seat. It’s a minimalist snob’s dream. £644, available at The Conran Shop, 55 Marylebone High Street, W1U, conranshop.co.uk

Introducing marble into your home doesn’t necessarily mean confining it to the kitchen and bathrooms. Galerie refashions the age-old stone in its new digital marble mural collection, Era, offering four delectable swirling colourways. Continuing with this large-scale trompe l’oeil style, the updated Era wallpaper range is inspired by heavily textured fabrics such as brocade.

Era wallpaper collection, from £54.95 per roll; Era marble murals, from £299.95 per panel, galeriehome.co.uk

Stage right

Sip back and relax Riedel fuses the best of both worlds in its new collection: Fatto a Mano (handmade). The coloured stems and bases are made by hand, but the bowls are machine blown for precision. £80 each, riedel.co.uk

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It might claim to be the world’s oldest kitchen company, but Poggenpohl – established in 1892 – continues to design fittings of the future. Stage, its latest, can be whatever you want it to be, from a breakfast bar to a wardrobe. It is made to order, completely customisable, and comes in that high gloss finish the company has perfected so well.

From £6,200, Wigmore Kitchens, 118 Wigmore Street, W1U, poggenpohl.com 71

Where inspiration strikes Interior designer Martin Waller reveals his adventurous side to Camilla Apcar – and how his travels from Nagaland to Timbuktu are central to the work at his interiors studio Andrew Martin

A

couple of months ago, Martin Waller found himself gazing at El Mirador, the lost city in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle. It had taken two helicopters and a private plane to get there, and the interior designer was alone save for a local guide and guards.

“This was a city that might once have been the largest in the world, and is now completely deserted, like something out of Ozymandias,” he describes. “It’s poignant, moving, and you become fascinated by the culture.

There’s also an astonishingly rich textile heritage in Guatemala, with wonderfully bright colours and beautiful handwoven designs.”

Waller founded the interiors company Andrew Martin in 1978, then based in Richmond, specialising in fabrics and home accessories. A decade later, it had moved to Walton Street, where the company’s headquarters remain, selling furniture, lighting and wallpapers alike.

Its distinctions include showrooms across India, the Middle East, Russia, China and the United States; as well as

INTERIORS

F A B R I C S

O F

T I M E

Martin Waller charts international interior influences through the decades

1980s

1990s

India

China

Dh u r r i e s, w oo d c ar v i ngs an d Raj asth an

C al l i gr aph y, ca b i n e t s and l ac qu e r t r un ks

2000s

Africa Tr i b al ar t an d te x ti l e s

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2010s

And beyond...

America

Britain

Vi ntage fr i d ge s, m ov i e poste r s and old tr u nk s

G l ossi e r , gr an d e r a n d m or e c ol ou r f ul

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“Through our licence with the National Gallery, if you want Michelangelo to design your wallpaper, we can do it�

INTERIORS

from top: National Gallery, Fra Angelico, The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs, £139.90 per sq m; National Gallery, Michelangelo, Leda and the Swan, £139.90 per sq m left: National Gallery, Canaletto, Venice, The Feast Day of Saint Roch, £139.90 per sqm PREVIOUS PAGE: Ladder fabric in Brick, £125 per m

a licence with the National Gallery that permits the company to reproduce any of its artworks on textiles or wallpapers. “If you want Michelangelo to design your wallpaper, we can do it.”

The designer has also worked on film sets – from James Bond in the 1980s to Harry Potter – and for hotels including the Marbella Club and The Langham.

Yet it is Waller’s passion for travel that has long epitomised Andrew Martin. He has set foot on every continent, travelling to Siberia in search of mammoths, through Nagaland and visiting some of the most remote locations on earth. He spends around half the year on the move, but finds that travel is as much about people as the actual place.

“People are endlessly astonishing,” the designer says. On his way to Timbuktu, Waller met Bozo and Dogon communities that live clinging on to the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. “They have this culture of carving and ceremonies that is so different from our sculptural history,

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INTERIORS

which is based on the classical Greek style, yet so familiar because it was such an inspiration for Matisse and Picasso through the wars. One is so astonished by man’s endless creativity.”

Almost all Waller’s creations reflect something of these experiences, be it in colour, texture or print. “To translate an experience into a fabric, you either buy vintage artefacts and textiles from that place,” he says, “or you take inspiration from a quintessential motif.”

An Andrew Martin interior isn’t about transplanting cultures or creating themed rooms, however. “We bring an African sculpture into a room that might also have a Chinese wedding cabinet and a comfortable English sofa or a Turkish rug,” he says. “We’re not about direct pastiches of looks. We bring influences from all over.”

Waller has also found that his travels have raised a number of deeper questions about our modern world.

He cites people in Timbuktu who take camel trains and caravans across deserts just by following the stars, walking for days on end. “UNESCO is now putting computers in schools there. Do you try to preserve the culture that does this astonishing thing, or do you let them develop the skills to use GPS?” Waller poses.

“I don’t know the answer.

There’s no doubt that cultures and languages are being lost all over the world at an incredible rate. Even British culture is completely different from 500 or 1,000 years ago – and we think it’s progress that we don’t have ferocious Vikings pillaging churches. But sometimes we think about other cultures being isolated and preserved like that forever.”

Waller’s bags are probably already packed for his next trip. The rainforest in Cameroon has been on his hit list for a long time, but he laughs that his top interiors tip is far closer to home. “The great bargain of our age is English antiques. The next place one should travel to is the Cotswolds.”

clockwise from top pinboard charcoal wallpaper, £57.71 per roll; Kilim Coffee table, £1,550; Savannah Cushion in Storm and Paradise Cushion in Storm, £49 each; ark parchment wallpaper, £67.90 per roll

“Andrew Martin is not about direct pastiches of looks. We bring influences from all over”

andrewmartin.co.uk

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City Magazine_Demetra.indd 1

26/04/17 11:48

It’s never too late...

LUXURY BODY BUTTER IN WHITE CASHMERE FROM THE BATH & BODY COLLECTION

www.lilouetloic.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

1

SUN

shields The sun ages skin more than genetics – and with creams, drops and even a lip balm, there’s no excuse for skipping the SPF step in your routine

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2

45 Bright & beautiful Dior’s new eye collection has a rather unusual element – a bendable mascara.

The new Pump’n’Volume tube has elastic properties, allowing it to be squeezed to soften the creamy formula for clump-free application. Add colour with ten new 5 Couleurs eyeshadow palettes inspired by catwalk fabrics – experiment with the velvet, satin and glitter effects – or reduce redness with the flesh-toned edition of the Diorshow Khôl waterproof eye pencil.

From £19.50, dior.com

polish up RMK’s new nail shades in clear, matte, shiny and pearl textures hydrate nails with jojoba seed oil and avocado extract. £14 each, selfridges.com

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1. p e r f e ct l e gs sk in p r ote cto r, £ 4 0 , th i sw or k s. c om 2. ur b an e n v ir on m e n t UV p r ote ction cr e am p l us sp f 50, £ 3 2 , s h i s e i d o , h ou se offr ase r . CO . u k 3. S ugar S p o rt l i p tr e atm e n t sp f 30, £ 2 3 , fr e sh . c om 4. S u n D ro p s SPF 50, £ 1 0 5 , D r . b ar b ar a stu r m , m r po r t e r . co m 5. uv p r ote ction v e il , £ 1 3 1 , l apr ai r i e . co . uk

seeing red Barcelona-born perfumer Ramón Monegal took cues from the passioniate flamenco dance for his latest scent, with rose, strawberry and raspberry sweetening up its smouldering woody notes. £180, available at Harrods, harrods.com

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hungry

for more Michael Serwa claims to be the highest paid life coach in the country. Camilla Apcar visits his Savile Row office to find out the true value of his wellbeing sessions

HEALTH & BEAUTY

W

ho needs a life coach? What even is a ‘life coach’? These are the two questions I want Michael Serwa, one of this golden breed, to answer as soon as I arrive at his Savile Row apartment office for my first ‘session’.

As he describes, having a life coach is not therapy: it is about taking already “highly functional” people and encouraging them to step things up another gear. “It’s about helping people find fulfilment and happiness in different areas of their life,” says Serwa. No one ‘needs’ a life coach – a life coach is something you should want.

Serwa quit school in Poland when he was 17 and moved to London when he was 22. He has been a life coach for six years, now specialising in working with high net-worth individuals, chief executives and everyone inbetween, from dancers to entrepreneurs.

Yet he doesn’t take just anyone on. An initial meeting might end in rejection... from him.

“I only work with people who I would be happy to spend time with even if I wasn’t going to get paid for it,” he says. “People who are resourceful, fun and inspiring, with a hunger to be or have more.”

Serwa’s style is not for the faint-hearted, as I soon learn – it deserves a no-holds-barred 18+ rating; casual swearing is part and parcel. He is a fan of WhatsApp voice notes, which come thick, fast and very often funny (a good sense of humour is a must). Serwa is positive, but admits even he is not always happy. Plus, he has a life coach himself. “Every coach needs a coach,” he grins.

His book, From Good to Amazing, reads more as common sense than self-help. It opens with “I believe our ultimate purpose in life is happiness”, and the chapters are brief: from ‘Stop Making Excuses’, ‘Learn To Be Ambitious and Content’ to ‘Recognise You Always Have A Choice’.

Having passed the compatibility test, I receive a few questions to answer by email: what I want to get out of coaching, when I have failed, what have been my most fulfilling accomplishments so far, and how my attitudes towards others have changed over the years.

A couple of weeks later, I find myself once again sat opposite Serwa on a sofa with a view of Mayfair’s skyline, targeting the areas we will ‘work on’. He asks me to rate my happiness across 25 aspects of my life, a gruelling exercise that takes

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no prisoners. Romance, friendships, work, sleep and self-confidence are all under the microscope.

From there, we get down to what my aims are, and boosting any low scores. Sessions can be arranged to suit your own schedule, but Serwa likes to keep them spaced out enough to allow time to actually complete any goals. A three-month run is a minimum (with fees from £10,000 up to £35,000), going up to a year or even longer – as long as you still have goals waiting to be achieved.

Many of my own are simple. Why haven’t I taken Irish dancing lessons, if that’s what would make me happy? Book yourself in by next time, Serwa says. Others might be more drastic. If a client needs to break off a relationship, he tells them to do it. If they need to quit their job in order to improve their overall happiness – and are in a position to – then that’s the plan of action.

Nothing is too large or too small, as long as it contributes to your joie de vivre. If it is something Serwa doesn’t feel expert enough to advise on, he refers clients to his wide-ranging network of contacts – from nutritionists to style advisers.

One of his greatest professional challenges has been helping a man override a ten-year cocaine addiction, taking him from two to eight on the happiness scale in three months. “I can make an impact on people using my personality,” Serwa describes. “I don’t need sophisticated techniques.

I just talk some sense to them, and that’s often all that’s needed.”

Another highlight was attending the wedding of a client who met her husband as a result of his coaching, which had been entirely over Skype.

“She introduced me to her mother by saying ‘this man is the reason we are here today’.”

The answers are now clearer. Not everyone will want a life coach. This is not like school – Serwa’s suggestions are there to take or leave, and there is no point lying or beating around the bush if you disagree or haven’t worked towards the goals you mutually agreed on. But for those who want to gain some perspective and raise their ‘life game’, with someone 100 per cent on side while doing it, Serwa might be just the ticket.

“I believe our ultimate purpose in life is happiness”

str aigh t to th e p oin t se r wa’ s b ook of n o b u l l sh i t ti ps for th e l i fe you always wante d

michaelserwa.com

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health & beauty

tr eatm ent RE VI E W

Recharge your body Hannah Lemon attempts to leave her cynicism at home when she enters Master Oh’s place of energy healing

I

am lying on my back while Master Oh, a South Korean energy healer, presses hard and directly into my bladder. Not only is this painful, it’s also a bit disconcerting, because while I’m trying not to think about how quickly I could get to the loo, I’m also attempting to pass off Master Oh’s loud exhalations as normal.

It’s not easy for me – I tend to take a stern approach to health (if you’re not dying, you don’t need a doctor), and am doubtful about most spiritual therapies. But maybe that’s exactly why I need them. My emotions are locked up – in my stomach, according to Master Oh. His theories focus on ‘qi’, which translates as ‘breath’ or ‘air’. The main principal is that energy systems flow through our bodies and any blockages in the flow can cause physical and emotional issues. Master Oh’s job is to find these black knots and release them.

Testimonials show that he has relieved patients of myriad ailments: from back pain to sleep deprivation, even helping one woman to conceive.

Master Oh tells me that the trigger for launching a practice was to help his

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friends and family who suffered similar symptoms.

One vital part of the treatment is that you have to be open to receive advice. Which is why, when I enter the room, I attempt to leave my doubts at the door.

I am pleasantly surprised. After I outline my current issues (occasional migraines, lower back aches), Master Oh responds with an acutely accurate description of my personality and how these elements are affecting my energy levels, thus my physical condition.

I have to hand it to him: if nothing else, he can certainly read people.

It’s at this point that I lie down on the table while he exhales, chants, blows noise and kneads my stomach (where he finds the blockage), arms, neck and legs, and occasionally pauses to hover his hands over me. At one point I’m sure I hear him burp.

Despite my negativity, I do feel different; a little lighter and the pain I felt as he pummelled the centre of my abdomen has subsided almost entirely.

The average person is advised to sign up for five sessions to ensure the best results. Others make regular appointments once or twice a month.

While I may not be a repeat customer, Master Oh offers me future consultations via Skype. Just think – now I can have positive energy on tap.

First treatment and consultation is £180, Jung Shim Wellness Centre, 47-50 Margaret Street, W1W, masteroh.org

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

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CHAMPAGNE

JUST OPENED

LOVERS’ LUNCH BERRY BROS. & RUDD “But it’s been there for 319 years”, we hear you say. You aren’t being deceived – the UK’s oldest wine merchant has launched a new outlet around the corner from its St James’s Street HQ. 63 Pall Mall, SW1A, bbr.com

“My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne.” Don’t make the same mistake as 19th-century British economist John Maynard Keynes – get yourself down to 34 Mayfair. Anyone who buys a glass of Bruno Paillard Champagne will receive complimentary top-ups throughout their meal. It’s a good thing bubbles go so well with truffle and lobster macaroni and light butter leaf salads.

Available 1 July – 31 August, 34 Grosvenor Square, W1K, 34-restaurant.co.uk

IKOYI This West African restaurant will fling wide its doors on 13 July, dishing up wild Nigerian tiger prawns and Asun lamb ribs.

1 St James’s Market, SW1Y, ikoyilondon.com

LADURéE’S SUMMER SPONGES

Fraisier, £57.40 for eight servings

Religieuse rose fraise, £4.90

Fig and chestnut honey tart, £45.60 for eight servings

All available at 71-72, Burlington Arcade, W1J, laduree.com

NEO BISTRO Inspired by Parisian bistros, ‘relaxed’ is the buzz word here. Think craft beers, house cocktails, fresh ingredients and simple flavours.

11 Woodstock Street, W1C, neobistro.co.uk

BONNIE NEW FACE Brown Hart Gardens has welcomed Bonnie Gull’s pop-up seafood shack into its leafy space on Duke Street for six months. Loch Duart salmon, Cornish octopus, Selsey brown crab and Scottish langoustine have washed up in north Mayfair – watch out, too, for an event schedule that includes Wimbledon screenings and a champagne and oyster festival.

The Garden Café, 4 Brown Hart Gardens, W1K

food & drink

R estau r a n t R e vie w

Umu WORDS: HANNAH LEMON

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n a recent visit to Japan, I was surprised by the secrecy with which the country’s culinary sector operates. Wondering through the busy streets of Osaka or the quiet passages around Mount Fuji, all the restaurants are hidden behind shoji (paper doors) and noren (curtains). This aura of privacy is the same when I look for the two Michelin-starred Umu. Firstly, there is no website – unusual for the modern age, but somewhat intriguing. Secondly, as my mother and I arrive outside by taxi, we are greeted only by a blank wall. A small sign signals that we are in the right place and as we walk towards it the wall automatically withdraws to reveal the restaurant.

Inside, we are shown to a table laid with chopsticks and offered a small wet towel to refresh. Umu is part of restaurateur Marlon Abela’s collection of luxury eateries, which include the two Michelin-starred The Greenhouse and private members’ club Morton’s.

Umu offers traditional ‘kaiseki’ cuisine, which hails from the ancient capital Kyoto – a variety of small dishes, from sashimi to soups, that allow the chefs to show off their finely-tuned skills.

Without knowing what zensai, kawariage or usuzukuri mean (appetisers, deep-fried food and sashimi, respectively), we decide to take recommendations from our waiter. If you are also opting for this tactic, be prepared to pay the price as the plates range from £28 for grilled seasonal vegetables to £90 for grade 11 wagyu beef – which has resulted in the restaurant being dubbed the most expensive in London.

Head chef Yoshinori Ishii not only masterminds the exquisitely crafted seasonal menu, but as an avid potter and flower arranger, he has made some of the chinaware and picks bouquets Head chef Yoshinori Ishii from a local florist to fill the vases.

Ishii sources fish from the south of England under the ‘ikejime’ method of killing that is considered to be the fastest and most humane technique, and one that produces the best quality meat.

As each course arrives, our eyes are opened up in childlike delight. Paper thin slices of Cornish white fish melt in the mouth, brightened slightly by a touch of grated fresh wasabi root; pairings of mango with prawn, and scallop with cucumber are presented in delicate sushi parcels; while a plate of ‘fish and chips’ is artfully served in an origami cone with sweet potato chips and sea bass tempura. The platter of wagyu beef, each slice a densely rich mouthful of tender pink meat marbled with fat, is balanced with small salad leaves and a soft dressing.

Finally, dessert comes in a small plant pot that requires sprinkling with a miniature watering can of sake.

The combinations, preparation and execution of such playful presentation alongside subtle flavours and top-grade ingredients is astounding. This has got to be one of the best restaurants in the city.

As my mother points out as we pick up our coats to leave: “You don’t come here to eat, you come here to taste.”

“You don’t come here to eat, you come here to taste”

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14-16 Bruton Place, W1J, umurestaurant.com

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A Feminine

FLAIR

Elena Arzak splits her time between San Sebastián and Belgravia, where she holds a total of four Michelin stars. Kari Colmans talks to the chef about her two greatest passions – food and family

n award “that doesn’t separate nominees based on their gender says something about how we perceive the human experience,” said Emma Watson as she accepted MTV’s gender-neutral acting prize in May. While the debate over gender-specific awards rages on, Elena Arzak, winner of the Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef Award in 2012 regards the distinction between men and women as a badge of honour.

She is nothing but proud of the accolade – among the many others she has received.

Born and raised in San Sebastián, Arzak split her time between a German school and her family’s famous threeMichelin-starred kitchen, then run by her father, Juan Mari Arzak. Yet it was equally upheld by her mother and aunts.

“I grew up in a very matriarchal society,” says Arzak, in a thick Basque accent. She is currently in London for the launch of her new seasonal menu at Ametsa, her own Michelin-starred restaurant at COMO The Halkin. “I grew up in an environment where being the woman in the kitchen was normal. This [Veuve Clicquot] prize is to encourage women who aren’t in my situation. I took it as recognition of my career, but if it can help a woman under different conditions, then even better.”

Arzak is bubbly and friendly, and gives the impression she would happily spend the whole day chatting endlessly about her two greatest passions: food and family. She describes an almost idealistic childhood, where everything revolved around the eponymous family restaurant.

“I would go to the restaurant to be with the family,” she reminisces. “It wasn’t really work.” Marking 120 years this year, the Spanish Restaurante Arzak has been a local attraction since she can remember, and today she runs it with her father. When she was younger, Arzak would spend two hours a day helping in the kitchen during the summer holidays in order to spend time with her parents and aunts,

food & drink

Elena Arzak

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as much as to slowly absorb the culinary wisdom around her.

Although as a pre-teen she wasn’t responsible for any tasting menus, or signature dishes such as the Red Space Egg, she was given small tasks to whet her appetite. “I would do bowls of chocolates, separate the herbs and make a julienne of orange zest,” she says, “and also clean the squid.”

To me, this doesn’t seem too run-of-the-mill for a child. “Every day I wanted to stay longer. I would ask, ‘please let me plate for the dining room’.”

Arzak was raised on a diet of fresh fish, seafood and soups. Hake with garlic parsley and clams – “simple but very nice”– and potatoes with leeks and squid in its own ink were two of her favourite dishes growing up. “In my home the most important thing was the food. My father always wanted to discover new ingredients.” She remembers tasting her first truffle at the age of eight, hating it initially but faring better second time around. “I was so lucky to try all that food.”

As Arzak grew up, she was given the freedom to research different combinations. “I liked to experiment, so I tried salty soufflés with ham and with cheese. The first dish I cooked from start to finish was tuna with peppers. It was a little bit dry, but my family ate it.” At 16, she was expected to cook Christmas dinner for the entire Arzak clan. “They said: ‘Elena, it is your time.’ It was like an

examination – they taught me to accept criticism and to improve… they always found something.”

A year later, she told her parents that she wanted to study gastronomy. It was a decision they neither encouraged nor dissuaded her from, but insisted she had a university education first.

While her older sister Marta, who spent the same hours in the kitchen, decided to stick to academia and pursue a career in art history, Arzak was always pulled back to food.

She spent the next seven years earning her stripes in Europe at some of the best restaurants in the world, including Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and elBulli in Catalonia. But things weren’t smooth sailing every day.

While in Paris training in the pastry section, she made a catastrophic error with a tarte tatin. “I used sugar instead of salt!” she laughs. “Just 15 minutes before service I noticed there was no shine. It tasted awful and it was my fault.

But they said don’t worry, that this is life.”

During six months stationed at Le Gavroche, she got her first taste for British ingredients (albeit with a French twist). After listing various vegetables, fish and meat, knowing each of their origins in immense detail, what she learned most on her travels was the number of different ways to run a restaurant. “The human side [is the most important],” she says. “To show your personality in the way you want to cook and serve.”

With summer approaching, Arzak doesn’t get much time off, splitting her hours between San

food & drink

At 16, she was expected to cook Christmas dinner for the entire Arzak clan. “They said: ‘Elena, it is your time.’ It was like an exam” Sebastián and the wonderful Ametsa at the COMO in Belgravia. Often the family will come to London, and she says her husband and children – Nora, 12 and Matteo, ten – adore discovering new restaurants and attractions while they’re in the capital.

Arzak is reluctant to pinpoint any favourites to save hurting any friend’s feelings, testament to her warm and instantly likeable nature. This time she hopes to try Jason Atherton's Pollen Street Social. “Mayfair is very big for gastronomy, no?” Her good friends Heston Blumenthal and Hélène Darroze also get nothing but praise.

When she’s not working (about ten days a year), Arzak likes to stick to the Mediterranean, enjoying simple picnics on the beach with her family. She implores me to come to San Sebastián with my own, and to try the food at Restaurante Arzak, having so enjoyed the sardine doughnuts and langoustine crunchy-crêpe at Ametsa.

As for her favourite aspect of British food culture, her answer doesn’t surprise me – it is not so much to do with the food, but what it implies. “The Sunday roast,” she says, “because it brings the family together.”

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D

avid Richards may not be as well recognised as Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton, but in the high-octane world of motorsport, he is a living legend.

Often described as the Richard Branson of racing, Richards has a contacts book that reads like a who’s who of the business. He holidays in the Mediterranean with Ron Dennis, keeps Sir Stirling Moss on speed dial and once helped put Jenson Button on course to Formula One glory.

The former chairman of Aston Martin first tasted success in 1981, when he won the World Rally Championship as Ari Vatanen’s co-driver. In charge of Subaru during the 1990s, Richards’ team was virtually unbeatable with the barn-storming drivers Colin McRae and Richard Burns at the wheel.

Richards later became team principal of the British American Racing (BAR) and Benetton Formula One teams. With the help of a young Jenson Button, BAR finished second to Ferrari in the 2004 Constructors’

The quiet man of motorsport David Richards boasts an impressive motor racing CV – now he has become a hotelier in exclusive St Mawes. Jeremy Taylor joins him behind the wheel of his Aston Martin DB6 Championship, in which Michael Schumacher won 13 of the 18 races.

Three years later, Richards led a buy-out of Aston Martin from Ford.

“I thought the whole thing was a flight of fancy but after a six month rollercoaster ride we had bought the company. It was a very exciting time and we helped Aston get back on its feet again,” says Richards.

As chairman of automotive engineers Prodrive, he has set up major motor racing teams for the likes of Volkswagen, Mini and Aston Martin.

Last month, the company provided the hydraulic technology for Sir Ben Ainslie’s boat and his assault on the America’s Cup in Bermuda.

Despite a life in the fast lane, his latest business venture has proved the most challenging. He and wife Karen now own two hotels in the upmarket Cornish fishing of St Mawes – The Idle Rocks and the St Mawes Hotel.

Competing with Hotel Tresanton, Olga Polizzi’s nearby coastal retreat, has required all his business acumen.

MOTORING

OPPOSITE: DAVID RICHARDS THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: St Mawes Classic Car Rally, iMAGE CREDIT: FISH N PIX; THE IDLE ROCKS; DINING AT THE IDLE ROCKS, IMAGE CREDIT: DAVID GRIFFEN; GRAND SEA VIEW ROOM AT THE IDLE ROCKS

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“We’ve had a house in the village for years,” explains Richards, who has just turned 65. “We would walk by the harbour and talk about running a hotel here. Then the Idle Rocks came up for sale and we couldn’t resist. I had no idea setting up a hotel venture would be so tough and so time-consuming.”

At least Richards can avoid the holiday traffic – he pilots his own £6 million helicopter between St Mawes and a home in Warwickshire.

“I received my pilot licence when I was

17 – at the time I was the youngest person in the country to go solo.”

Despite reaching retirement age, Richards has no plans to opt for the quiet life. As if to prove it, every spring for the last seven years he has run the St Mawes Classic Car Rally around the Cornish coastline. Places are limited but participants have included Sir Stirling Moss, and Nick Mason of Pink Floyd.

Just 25 cars were on the St Mawes start line in May, but many were worth

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“I found my DB6 by accident in 1991 and persuaded the owner to sell it to me”

hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Among them, a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM owned by Nick Mason, a 1956 Bristol 405 and a Frazer Nash Le Mans replica, driven by Richards’ wife Karen.

I joined Richards in his own car, a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante. Just 38 of the convertibles were built – one of the rarest models made by the marque. “I’ve always loved Astons, long before I bought the company,” explained Richards.

“They are quintessentially British and instantly recognisable, not just because James Bond drives one.

I found my DB6 by accident in 1991.

It was under a cover in a London garage after an engine fire. I eventually persuaded the owner to sell it to me.”

The four-day rally is obviously one of Richards’ most enjoyable events of the year. Each day, participants follow a route around the coast, visiting a vineyard, the Eden Project and gardens at Caerhays and Tregrehan, before returning south-west to the peninsula fishing village for dinner.

MOTORING

“I was always a petrolhead but I never dreamed it would lead to the career I’ve enjoyed”

opposite, CLOCKWISE FROM top: THE IDLE ROCKS; DINING AT THE IDLE ROCKS, IMAGE CREDIT: DAVID GRIFFEN; St Mawes Classic Car Rally; THE RESTAURANT AT THE IDLE ROCKS this page: St Mawes Classic Car Rally

Richards grew up in Ruthin, North Wales, and studied at the local comprehensive school. He wasn’t a great academic and found out later that he suffered from dyslexia. “That’s not an excuse – it just made me all the more determined.”

He was offered a scholarship with the RAF but turned it down in favour of becoming an accountant. However, Richards and his three brothers loved rallying cars and it wasn’t long before he turned it into a proper job as co-driver for Tony Drummond, the rally racing ace.

“I would borrow my mum’s car and go rallying around the Welsh lanes. I was always a petrolhead but I never dreamed it would lead to the career I’ve enjoyed. I could very easily have become a pilot in the RAF and none of this would have happened!”

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TRAVEL

contemporary

feeling fresh

concept

LUXURY FOR ALL isn’t a phrase one expects to hear every day, but such is the aim of Ian Schrager’s new Public hotel in New York. Tech-savvy, international and sophisticated, there is an iPad and Apple TV in every room, mobile key and self check-in – and it claims to have the fastest WiFi in the city. In the restaurant, replete with wood-burning oven and grill, Jean-Georges Vongerichten has put together menus of healthy world cuisine – from French to Korean – and the hotel also houses a multimedia performance space that will host anything from film screenings, theatre, music and dance productions to lectures, talks and comedy nights. All this fun is to be found, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Manhattan’s Bowery district.

From $150, publichotels.com

four seasons pa r k l a n e Five Mayfair suites, restyled by designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, have just opened. Think marble bathrooms, large windows and bright green accents to match Hyde Park below.

From £2,050, fourseasons.com

t h e s ta f f o r d On a peaceful courtyard behind the main hotel, 11 renovated Carriage House suites are set within 380-year-old former stables. Cosy, yet modern.

From £750, thestaffordlondon.com

the green light You’ve explored the maze and water garden at Cliveden House, taken a dip in its pool (the only historically listed one in England), as well as a boat trip down its Berkshire stretch of the Thames. What next? The countryside hotel is opening a garden spa this summer, unveiling an indoor pool, outdoor hot tubs and seven luxurious treatment rooms. A clear answer. clivedenhouse.co.uk

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Suite dreams COMO Metropolitan london Words: Marianne Dick

W

hen the COMO Metropolitan London – affectionately known as the Met – originally opened on Old Park Lane two decades ago, it became particularly popular with the paparazzi for snapping the ‘Brit pack’ celebrities of the time in their glamorous and scandalous glory.

Home to the notorious Met Bar (originally members-only, a rule that changed with its recent revamp), and Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant Nobu (that boasts an infamous broom cupboard), this new breed of hotel was cool, minimal and all about having a good time.

Alas, like many aspects of A-list life, there is usually something younger and more exciting around the corner. The rest of Mayfair caught on and consequently the Met couldn’t hold its superior status forever. Following in the footsteps of some of its hedonistic regulars, the hotel was ‘reinvented’ at the end of 2015, shifting its focus to wellbeing.

The Met feels far from daunting when I enter the marble-clad lobby on Old Park Lane. The bright and cool seating area to the left, where you can order drinks and light bites, has 1960s touches and an earthy palette that makes it warm and inviting.

The Met Bar to the right has a sexy feel with a black lava stone bar top and leather details, although it now offers British classics and superfood salads alongside its legendary cocktail list. Despite a typically busy Friday evening, checkin to the Met’s premier suite – the COMO – is

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swift, meaning I have more time to enjoy the hotel’s pièce de résistance.

On a corner between Hyde Park and Green Park, the Met makes the most of its spectacular position. London has never looked so green and spacious as it does from the hotel’s tenth floor: the floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the living area frame an impressive sunset.

The 110 sq m suite includes a dining area that can seat six, a 60-inch interactive Loewe television and a pantry complete with hob and oven. Akin to the rest of the hotel, the interiors are paredback and fresh: natural oak floors and shades of blue, green and yellow mirror the Hyde Park skyline itself.

In the bedroom, a king-size custom-made bed takes centre stage and is swathed in Frette’s finest Egyptian cotton. Meanwhile, the bathroom also takes full advantage of its position. A freestanding bathtub is situated in front of wall-to-wall windows and a walk-in rain shower has a clear glass viewing square within the frosted wall.

Come sunrise, the breakfast menu caters to the fussiest of eaters, and the range of options is sure to satisfy most cravings. The COMO Shambhala menu is chock-full of raw and organic treats, such as a superfruit apple smoothie or the egg white frittata with shitake mushrooms.

I make the most of the continental offering of zesty fresh fruit and buttery pastries before heading along to the celebrated spa. A return visit is definitely required in order to make the most of the fully-equipped gym, steam room, yoga classes and holistic therapies.

This time, though, I indulge in a COMO Shambhala massage, during which my therapist uses blended oils for a gentle yet invigorating treatment, which is exactly what I need before facing central London again.

The Met was once the place to see and be seen; now it has become the place to see and be serene.

Guests are no longer expected to stay up until the early hours, but if that did appeal, I imagine the Met staff would do everything in their power to cater for that too.

London has never looked so green and spacious as it does from the tenth level

From £2,725 per night, 19 Old Park Lane, W1K, comohotels.com

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S

lowly but surely, tourists are making their way back to Turkey. In April, the number of foreign visitors rose by 18 per cent compared to 2016.

Yet for those making a long overdue return, there’s still a certain degree of ‘been there, done that’. The solution?

Swap the classic Bosphorus experience for the Aegean. New discoveries can be made in Bodrum: a peninsula paradise steeped in antiquity – Persian, Dorian, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman alike.

It is this rich history that characterises Bodrum. Known in ancient times as Halicarnassus, the ‘Father of History’ Herodotus was born here in 484 BC. By 351 BC, the Bodrum Mausoleum had been built – one of the former Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Sadly, 16 centuries later, a series of earthquakes destroyed everything except its foundations.

Some of the mausoleum’s original sculptures can still be seen in the British Museum, while blocks of marble and polished stone were built into Bodrum castle, which is still open to visitors under the guise of the Museum of Underwater Archaeology (with a number of ancient shipwrecks).

Historical credentials aside, this is a destination that begs serious relaxation.

Throughout the summer months and well into autumn, the sea air remains warm. With two private beaches on the north side of the peninsula, the ever-chic and sleek Mandarin Oriental beckons (see Where to Stay).

Bodrum is a small city on a relatively small peninsula, but still just 40 minutes from the local airport. Hiring a car – or chauffeur is advisable – as some of the best sights are to be seen by winding through the surrounding tiny towns. However you choose to explore it, Bodrum’s millennia of history and coastal marvels are waiting, not a million miles away.

mandarin oriental spa

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Bodrum On a Turkish sojourn with historical esteem, Lily Devan enjoys a chic sleep and spies some ancient Aegean views mandarin oriental villa

mandarin oriental bodrum

bodrum castle sculptures

koruchan at mandarin oriental

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Where to stay

mandarin oriental bodrum mandarin oriental spa tea lounge

There are 26 suites, seven villas, 37 apartments and 59 guest rooms at Mandarin Oriental Bodrum – and in classic style, each exudes an air of elegant simplicity and calm. Whether a stay is long or short, a visit to its 2,700 sq m spa ought to be on the cards (including for the modern man, for whom the hotel has put together three special face and body treatments). Outside, the resort’s plot boasts one million native plants, as well as an olive grove and huge blooms of vibrant bougainvillea. And even when not lounging on its 2.5 km stretch of sandy beach, almost everything overlooks the sea – from restaurants to bathtubs.

From €1,095, mandarinroriental.com

SUITCASE E S S E N T I A L S

n ote b ook c ov e r , £ 1 9 0 , Etti nge r . c o. u k

Where to eat

bodrum castle

Stray too far, and you risk missing out on the Mandarin Oriental’s own gastronomic delights. There are no less than eight restaurants and bars (plus a cake shop), which serve everything from Italian to Japanese cuisine. Try the tea-smoked robata lamb with a spicy miso sauce at Kurochan, followed by a sharp yet sweet yuzu meringue tart or earl grey brûlée with banana rum and coffee crumble. For authentic local fare, the market-style Bodrum Balıkçısı serves mezze, casseroles and grilled fish, using fresh ingredients that are on display and weighed before your eyes.

Mayfair recommends If in doubt, take to the sea.

Mandarin Oriental has a traditional gulet – a wooden double-masted ship that is made by hand – that guests can take to explore the peninsula’s pretty coves. Slightly further afield around Gümüslük, divers can peek at the very last remains of Myndus, a Dorian city now largely underwater.

Sh irt , £ 5 0 , r oyal r ob b i n s . co . uk

J a c k e t, £ 3 , 6 0 0 , ste fanor i c c i . c om

Col ogn e , £ 6 9 , th om asc l i p p e r . co m

Sh oe s , £ 2 6 0 , T od’ s x MR PORTER , m r por te r . c om

bodrum theatre

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Earthly

desires Truffle hunting is an ancient cultural tradition in parts of Italy, still often shrouded in mystery and villainy.

Marianne Dick travels to two of the country’s most popular culinary regions to uncover some truths and hopefully, some truffles too

I

n his epicurean bible published in 1825, The Physiology of Taste, Jean Anthelme BrillatSavarin defined truffles as “the diamond of the art of cookery”.

Brillat-Savarin’s deduction of the rarest member of the fungus family still rings true almost two centuries later. Even in today’s technologically and scientifically advanced world, the elusive truffle still resists mass cultivation.

This stubbornness could be attributed to its dependence on tree roots (they can only grow in a symbiotic relationship with certain species), its fussiness when it comes to the conditions of its subterranean dwelling, or its rare mode of dispersal – via the insects and mammals who devour it. Even if you do chance upon one of these precious nuggets, they will only stay fresh

for around 20 days and need to be carefully cared for. Ideally, they should be cleaned with a toothbrush and then kept loosely wrapped in newspaper and put in a glass jar in the fridge.

In Britain, we have two main species: the black summer truffle and the autumn burgundy truffle.

The most highly valued black type however, the perigord, is usually found across in France. And when it comes to the mythical white ones (if we’re still talking about diamonds, then these are the sparkliest), the majority of Tuber magnatum, better known as Piedmont truffles, are found in northern Italy – particularly the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

Tuscany When one imagines a trip to Tuscany, it is often visualised as a sun-drenched, high summer affair.

Yet, the autumn and winter months are ripe for harvesting – and consuming – the area’s gastronomic riches: olive oil, Chianti, wild boar, and of course, the truffle.

The Tuscan landscape is diverse, with coastal assets as well as the Apennine Mountains. It also boasts the most woodland of all the Italian regions, resulting in six thriving spots where truffle hunting is most concentrated. I visit one of the most prolific, San Miniato, a town that holds a festival on four weekends in November and December solely to celebrate the tartufo bianco.

The Camugliano estate, belonging to an old Florentine family, has villas available to rent, a private chapel and offers guided tours and pheasant hunting. It is also where truffle hunter

this page, from top: A white truffle; truffles served at the Locanda di Camugliano, both images courtesy of Kirstie young photography; Il Borgo di Petroio, image courtesy of Tuscany now & more

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from top: The Camugliano estate; Truffle hunter Cesare Profeti and Gina, both images courtesy of kirstie young photography

Cesare Profeti and his canine companion, Gina, lead hunting expeditions for specialist business Savitar Tartufi. While pigs are most commonly associated with sniffing out truffles, dogs are now preferred as they are easier to train and handle – and less likely to scoff the treasure. Truffles smell like male pig saliva, which more often than not renders the females helpless to resist.

Using dogs still comes with its fair share of problems, though: they can often be stolen and used by unlicensed hunters, and in some extreme cases, tricked into eating poisoned meat to eliminate them as competition.

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Local Legends Antica Macelleria Cecchini On a side street in Panzano, Chianti, Dario Cecchini blasts AC/DC and serves red wine inside his raucous butcher’s shop, which buzzes with chatter and excitement as people spill out onto the street, usually heading straight across the road to his legendary restaurant. dariocecchini.com The Frescobaldi estates The majestic Castello Nipozzano and Castello Pomino are part of the Frescobaldi family estate. You can take a tour of the vast cellars, enjoy various vintages with traditional Tuscan food, and even stay the night. frescobaldi.com

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We’re only a few minutes into the trek when Gina is suddenly distracted. She hurries to a spot at the base of a Linden tree – one of the truffle’s preferred partners – and digs furiously before Cesare restrains her and finishes the job with his special long-handled tool, revealing a waxy white truffle around the size of a marble. As the search goes on, we have less luck and it becomes clear just how scarce this unassuming yet €4,000-perkilogram gourmet mushroom really is – we come away with just one more conker-sized find.

Our meagre haul is put into perspective when we are served a five-course lunch at Locanda di Camugliano, one of the villas where chefs are available to hire. Piles of pungent truffle shavings sit atop pasta, are swirled into fondue cheese, and even used to garnish ice cream. It makes even the

simplest fried egg taste rich and decadent. By the time the coffees arrive we are all giddy, seduced and positively truffle drunk. The words of Brillat-Savarin begin to ring true: “Whosoever says truffle, utters a grand word, which awakens erotic and gastronomic ideas.”

The villa I stay at, Il Borgo di Petroio, is a renovated stone farmhouse high in the hills above the village of Rufina, yet only a 40-minute drive from Florence. The pool and tennis courts evoke idyllic summer scenes, but the wild, misty hills and dewy make it an It becomes clear just how greenery enthralling and scarce this unassuming yet scenic setting in November too. €4,000-per-kilogram The villa sleeps up gourmet mushroom is to 14, and there is even an industrial kitchen to accommodate professional cooks.

During my stay, I am lucky enough to have Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens rustle up dinner; he incorporates some of the wild boar hunted that morning on the 900-acre grounds.

All this, combined with the fresh Tuscan air, the finest of wines and cosy quarters makes for CLockwise from three nights of blissful sleep. top left: Ghetto Ebraico; Piazza municipale; Teatro communale; Delizia Estense del Verginese, Portomaggiore, all in Ferrara, all images courtesy of emilia Romagna tourism

Tuscany Now & More offers seven nights self-catering in Il Borgo di Petroio from £5,074 per week, based on 14 people sharing, and truffle hunting from £400 per group, tuscanynowandmore.com

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Emilia-Romagna This is a foodie’s hidden paradise, quietly producing some of the finest cured meats, stone fruits, parmesan cheese and egg pasta in the world. I taste delicacies in this area that I’ve never experienced before, including sparkling red wine, passatelli (pasta formed of bread crumbs, eggs and parmesan cheese), and zuppa inglese – an unusual cake made using English trifle ingredients.

I join Sauro, a tartufo hunter with around three decades of experience, and his springer spaniel, Kiko, on one of their expeditions in some woodland near the small medieval town of Sant’Agata Feltria in Montefeltro. When Kiko follows a scent he scrabbles at the earth excitedly, with Sauro standing close, encouraging him until just before the truffle is unearthed. Sauro then takes over in the more delicate final stages, passing Kiko a well-deserved treat.

We find a couple of black truffles: there is less demand for these and they’re sold for around £25 per kilogram. Dark, mottled and covered in soil, one could easily dismiss them as chunks of earth or stones. Curiously, Sauro tells us, if a white truffle is found in a certain place one year, exactly a year later to the day, there will be another in the same spot. It is also believed certain moon phases can affect the fungi’s development – the most prosperous period is when the moon is waxing.

Every October, Sant’Agata Feltria holds truffle festivals on Sundays. When I visit, the picturesque cobbled streets are teeming with people buying fresh truffles and Porcini mushrooms. The truffle’s aroma naturally overpowers that of any other product, and wherever you go its sharp earthiness fills the nostrils. In Time magazine, the late food writer Josh Ozersky once described it as: “a combination of newly plowed soil, fall rain, burrowing earthworms and the pungent memory of lost youth and old love affairs”. It is true: once the scent is associated with a specific time it will forever inspire nostalgia, and I will always think of last autumn in northern Italy.

Clockwise from top: Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe; mosaics in Basilica of San Vitale; mosaic in basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, all in Ravenna, all images courtesy of emilia Romagna tourism

The rest of the region Castello Estense, Ferrara Ferrara’s castle cuts a statuesque figure against the skyline, even 600 years after it was built. The interior is impressive too, despite suffering some damage during the 2012 earthquakes. It is worth taking an afternoon to marvel at its intricately painted ceilings and explore the impressive orangery. castelloestense.it Mosaics, Ravenna The octagonal Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia are home to incredible mosaics from the fifth and sixth centuries, which have inspired fashion collections from designers such as Dolce & Gabbana.

Cookery classes, Collina dei Poeti Learn how to make traditional Piadina flatbread and filled egg pasta at the rustic villa Collina dei Poeti with the rosy-cheeked Marina, who claims that “Piadina is like love, every woman makes it differently…”

From €90pp, foodintour.com; collinadeipoeti.it

Food in Tour truffle hunting tours from ¤100pp, foodintour.com; for more on what to do in the area visit: emiliaromagnaturismo.it; emiliaromagnawelcome.com

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

103

Regulars

Rem em be r ing M AY FA I R

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt (1840-1922) Words: Sandra Vedeld

FROM TOP: Elliott & Fry, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, C.1910 ©National Portrait Gallery; Carlo Pellegrini, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, published 31 January 1885 in Vanity Fair, ©National Portrait Gallery; A PAGE FROM Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates with preface by Blunt ©The British Library

Blunt was many things, from politician to casanova – but first and foremost a rebel

104

T

he sprawling British Empire reached its apogee in the 1920s, when it covered almost 24 per cent of the world’s land. Imperialism nevertheless met opponents who promoted the independence of these territories.

One such campaigner was Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. Born in 1840 at Petworth House in Sussex, he received a Catholic education at Stonyhurst College and at St Mary’s in Oscott. He had a charming apartment at 15 Buckingham Gate in St James’s London, but spent a considerable amount of time abroad.

In 1858, he entered the diplomatic service and successively worked in Greece, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Argentina and Switzerland. In 1862, he was sent to Madrid where he met Lola, the first of his

many mistresses. Two years later, Blunt was transferred to Paris but spent most of his time in Bordeaux with a new lover, the notorious Victorian courtesan Catherine Walters. Further travels led to more passionate affairs; despite his libertine ways, he wed the First Earl of Lovelace’s daughter, Lady Anne King, in 1869.

Soon after having a daughter in 1873, Blunt retired from diplomatic service and the family embarked on a horseback-trip throughout Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, Syria and India. They initially gained fame for breeding Arabian horses at Blunt’s inherited estate, Crabbet Park in Sussex, and at Sheykh Obeyd, a stud they purchased near Cairo.

Blunt’s travels were spiritually and politically formative. Seduced by Islamic religion and culture (he read the Qu’ran, and published The Future of Islam in 1882), he eventually rejected the Catholic faith.

In England, he promoted himself as a fervent opponent of British rule in Sudan, lobbied Prime Minister William Gladstone for Egyptian sovereignty, and campaigned for Irish independence – for which he was sentenced to three months in prison.

After his incarceration, Blunt retired to Crabbet Park where he ran the stud with his wife. He also spent time in Cairo and fathered another child with Prime Minister Arthur Balfour’s cousin, Mary Elcho.

His wife asked for legal separation, which was granted in 1906. After the couple parted ways, Blunt continued writing and enjoying amorous adventures until his death in Sussex in 1922.

Blunt was many things, from politician to casanova – but he was first and foremost a rebel who upset the establishment. In the words of his biographer, Elizabeth Longford, his controversial life was a “pilgrimage of passion”.

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

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

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

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

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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

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

showcasing the

finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Decision

TIME

Local agents react to the general election result

IMAGE COURTESY OF beauchamp estates

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KnightFrank.co.uk

24/05/2017 16:23

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

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Charles Street, Mayfair W1J Beautifully refurbished apartment located just off Berkeley Square. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 3 further double bedrooms all en suite, dining room, kitchen, reception room and private courtyard. Available furnished. EPC: D. Approximately 331 sq m (3,562 sq ft). mayfairlettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7799

16:23

Mayfair Mag June

15/06/2017 15:55:01

SUPER PRIME TIME for London lettings We spoke to Tom Smith, Partner and Head of Super Prime Lettings, to find out what’s driving the 33% jump in transactions in the last year

Tom Smith Head of Super Prime Lettings London tom.smith@knightfrank.com

Significant changes in the highest reaches of the London property market in recent years have seen a fundamental shift between the sales and lettings activity. One of the results has been a 33% jump in transactions in the last year for Knight Frank super prime lettings – the team focused entirely on clients with property interests upwards of £5,000 per week across prime central London. We spoke to Tom Smith, Head of Super Prime Lettings to find out what’s driving this growth and how the balance between the two sides of the market have been playing out.

RENTING VS BUYING “Stamp duty has been a really significant factor in the expansion of the super prime rental market,” he notes. “The recent tax rises on buying a primary residence or second home are making renting a sensible alternative for many. At the £15m level, for example, stamp duty will be at least £1.8m, which equates to three years’ rent in a property of a similar standard, without the attendant responsibility of ownership. There’s also the advantage of handing it back after two years and trading it in for the very latest version of what you had before.”

At the same time, the corresponding fall in super prime sales prices has also encouraged many owners – whether developers, investment funds or families – to decide to let their property while waiting for some clarity on the direction of the market.

“Recognising these trends, we have

CT2189-420x297mm-SP-ADVETORIAL-V10.indd 2-3

Jemma Scott Head of Super Prime Lettings Home Counties jemma.scott@knightfrank.com

made it simple for ultra high net worth (UHNW) clients to access Knight Frank’s super prime sales and lettings advice as their circumstances and property needs change,” says Smith.

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH Smith’s team of consultants each specialise in one of the capital’s prime areas as well as covering the Home Counties. This means they are very well positioned to help UHNW clients with any requirements.

“Increasingly the top-end of the market has become product-led,” Smith says.

“It’s not a forever choice, after all. If a client is looking for a super-luxury family home in St John’s Wood, for example, they could be equally happy to consider the right property in Notting Hill or Kensington. Our collaborative approach is key. It enables us to spread the net wider, working with colleagues in both lettings and sales to source and offer homes that satisfy the most demanding wishlists.”

THE HOTSPOTS The net effect of slowing super prime sales prices and increasing rental stock has been a sharp rise in the number of Knight Frank super prime lets, with hotspots in Kensington, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, St Johns Wood and Holland Park.

“Our recent lets range from luxury apartments to 20,000 square foot, staffed family homes,” says Smith. Turnkey properties are in great demand as they offer the easiest way to enjoy a high specification home.

FIVE STAR SERVICE A recurring theme at this level of the market is access to five star amenities such as on-site spas, gyms, 24 hour concierge and in some instances even room service. At One Hyde Park, for example, for most the benchmark in luxury, not only do residents have exclusive run of the exceptional facilities they are also able to tap in to the neighbouring Mandarin Oriental.

“For UHNW individuals who pass through London regularly, but that prefer their own private space, these type of developments offer the best-of-both-worlds scenario for some,” says Smith. “They can have the kind of service ordinarily associated with a £5,000 a night hotel suite, but for a significantly lower amount.”

THE OUTLOOK Looking ahead, Smith says there is still a degree of uncertainty – from Brexit to London property sales prices – and he feels that this is likely to maintain the status quo in this rarefied corner of the lettings world.

“For those with property interests at the super prime level, the rental market feels like a safe place to be right now and offers real flexibility. It provides the opportunity to observe the political and financial landscape and make a move – whether that’s buying or selling – at just the right time.”

For more information, please contact the super prime let tings team on +44 20 8022 7468

“ I think our team’s Pan-London approach to letting is hugely important ” Tom Smith Head of Super Prime Lettings London

15/06/2017 15:36

KNIGHT FRANK LET

Heath Hall

Upper Grosvenor Street 15

HAMPSTEAD, N2

GUIDE: £25,000 PER WEEK Knight Frank Hampstead

EPC: LISTED

Holland Green

EPC: B

GUIDE: £11,950 PER WEEK Knight Frank Kensington

+44 20 7938 4311

CT2189-420x297mm-SP-ADVETORIAL-V10.indd 4-5

EPC: LISTED

+44 20 7499 1012

Eaton Square 4

KENSINGTON, W8

GUIDE: £27,500 PER WEEK Knight Frank Mayfair

+44 20 7431 8686

12

MAYFAIR, W1

4

BELGRAVIA, SW1W

GUIDE: £20,000 PER WEEK Knight Frank Belgravia

+44 20 7881 7730

EPC: C

KNIGHT FRANK TO LET

Avenue Road

Kensington Park Gardens 7

ST JOHN’S WOOD, NW8

GUIDE: £20,000 PER WEEK Knight Frank St John’s Wood

EPC: D

Elm Park Road

GUIDE: £10,500 PER WEEK Knight Frank Chelsea

+44 20 7349 4300

EPC: D

+44 20 7985 9990

Egerton Crescent 6

CHELSEA, SW3

GUIDE: £15,950 PER WEEK Knight Frank Notting Hill

+44 20 7586 2777

7

NOTTING HILL, W11

EPC: E

6

KNIGHTSBRIDGE, SW3

EPC: D

GUIDE: £12,950 PER WEEK Knight Frank Knightsbridge

+44 20 7591 8600

15/06/2017 15:36

A COLLECTION OF 7 APARTMENTS LOCATED IN ST JAMES’S Oceanic House presents the rare opportunity to purchase a unique apartment at the heart of London’s West End, in an exclusive new development steeped in history. The imposing former White Star Line headquarters - the booking office of the glamorous Titanic ocean liner - has been sensitively redeveloped to provide six apartments and one two-storey penthouse for private sale.

Leasehold

Prices starting

Approx. 125 years

from

remaining

ÂŁ4,750,000

paul@beauchamp.com +44 (0)20 7158 0915

ONE HYDE PARK KNIGHTSBRIDGE SW1 A BRIGHT, MODERN RECENTLY REFURBISHED THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT Comprising some 3,475 sqft and moments away from Knightsbridge and Hyde Park, the apartment offers the very best in luxurious living. This prestigious area has an array of high-end fine dining restaurants and bars and some of London’s leading hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel just next door.

Accommodation: Entrance hall, Reception room, Kitchen, Dining room, 2 Bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and dressing rooms, 1 Further bedroom, Guest shower room. Amenities: Terrace, 24-hour concierge, Residents-only spa and leisure facilities.

£12,000 / Week

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+44 (0)20 7205 2481

www.beauchamp.com

·

24 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TF

·

+44 (0)20 7205 2481

www.pastor-realestate.com

MIXED-USE INVESTMENT FOR SALE SHEPHERD MARKET, MAYFAIR, W1J

£2,150,000 VIRTUAL FREEHOLD

Mixed-use | Retail Unit & 1 Newly Refurbished Apartment A rare opportunity to acquire a fully-let, mixed-use investment property in the heart of Shepherd Market. The retail unit is spread over ground and basement with a stunning one bedroom duplex apartment benefiting from its own entrance on the upper floors. The apartment has been refurbished to a very high specification by the current owner and includes a custom designed Italian kitchen with granite counter.

FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL SALES CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3879 8989 sales@pastor-realestate.com 11 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HJ

TO LET: SACKVILLE STREET, MAYFAIR W1S

£895 p/w

TO LET: SHEPHERD STREET, MAYFAIR W1J

£4,000 p/w

2 Double Bedrooms I Quiet Mayfair Location I Air Conditioning

3 Bedrooms I Garage I Cinema I 3 Terraces I High Specification

Spacious well presented two double bedroom property in a modern luxury development moments from Old Bond Street.

Unique mews house in quiet Mayfair location benefitting from garage, three terraces, cinema, wine room and Crestron System.

TO LET: BROOK MEWS NORTH, LONDON, W2

£725 p/w TO LET: ST. JAMES’S, LONDON SW1A

£1300 p/w

Loft Style 2 Bedroom I High Specification I Fully Furnished

2 En-Suite Bedrooms I Exclusive Development I Interior Designed

Striking loft style two bedroom apartment with unique features in a quiet mews moments from Hyde Park & Lancaster Gate.

High specification interior designed two bedroom apartment in a small prestigious development close to Green Park and the tube.

FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL LETTINGS CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3195 9595 lettings@pastor-realestate.com 48 Curzon Street, London, W1J 7UL

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

Coleridge Gardens, SW10 £9,000,000

A truly exceptional six bedroom penthouse apartment located in a prestigious Chelsea development.

This property has undergone extensive refurbishment and offers fantastic living/entertaining space with the additional benefit of four terraces, six bathrooms and underground parking for three cars, energy rating c.

Dexters Chelsea 020 7590 9510

Green Street, W1K £7,500,000

A six bedroom penthouse apartment located within this attractive period house with south facing views over the private gardens of Green Street. With direct lift access, there is a spacious reception room with separate kitchen and dining room, four bathrooms and a roof terrace, energy rating c.

Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590

dexters.co.uk

Brook Street, W1K £7,500 per week

This attractive family house with a lift is arranged over six floors providing spacious and flexible accommodation.

There are four reception rooms, seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. This well located house benefits from one of the largest private gardens in Mayfair, energy rating d.

Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9595

Babmaes Street, SW1Y £1,850 per week

A luxury three bedroom apartment with a balcony on the sixth floor of an exceptional development in the heart of St James’s. The property has a large open plan kitchen/reception room, two double bedrooms, a further single bedroom and a guest WC, energy rating b.

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).

West Halkin St Belgravia SW1X Asking Price ÂŁ4,000,000 Leasehold

Situated in one of the most sought after locations in Belgravia, this fully refurbished 2 bedroom apartment offers an exceptional lateral layout and is flooded with natural light. Amazing sized terrace, ideal for entertaining. The property has the added advantage of a resident caretaker and a long lease. EPC E.

020 3284 1888 mayfair@humberts.com

48 Berkeley Square, Mayfair London W1J 5AX

Eaton Mews Belgravia SW1X Asking Price ÂŁ6,750,000 Freehold

A light and spacious, newly refurbished property with a glass atrium providing natural light throughout. Open plan living/entertaining areas, eat-in kitchen, fully air conditioned, with iPad controlled lights and music throughout. Includes a good sized garage with internal access. JSA Knight Frank, Sloane Avenue. EPC C.

Stay in touch with us

image credit: pcruciatti/ Shutterstock.com

election fever Five London estate agents share their thoughts on June’s general election result and its future impact – from Brexit and the economy, to stamp duty and the Housing White Paper later this year

DEXTERS Andy Shepherd, group managing director

The result Theresa May’s approach to “Brexit at all costs” looks to have caused many voters to place their vote elsewhere. As far as the London property market is concerned, the prospect of a different approach to Brexit, or even another referendum, is likely to excite buyers and investors. We expect the summer market to be a case of business as usual – we believe that sellers and buyers will see no reason to put off decisions. There are lots of buyers about and the mood is to get on with buying.

The future People will just get on with their lives – moving for jobs, getting married, expanding families, downsizing – irrespective of what happens in Westminster. Our sales are up 20 per cent compared to the same period last year, we are seeing high levels of activity in the property market and we don’t see this slowing down over the summer.

London is robust economically and demand for property is very strong due to a continuing shortage of homes, which we expect to persist over the coming decades. The potential​soft Brexit is exciting for London ​–​the property market will rally as a result.

Theresa May at 10 Downing Street in april image credit: Drop of Light/Shutterstock.com

PROPERTY

KNIGHT FRANK

JLL

Harvey Cyzer, head of Mayfair and St James’s

Adam Challis, head of residential research

The market background A review of housing market data since early April, covering the period of the election campaign, confirms a continuation of the slow but steady recovery in prime market activity, with more mixed signals from the mainstream national market.

Prime London sales These volumes rose by 20 per cent in April and May, compared to the same period last year. The comparison flatters this year’s performance, as the 2016 data was adversely impacted by the introduction of the additional stamp duty rate, but this year’s sales volumes were at least equal to the levels we saw in the same pre-election period in 2015.

The impact The market will, of course, also be affected by both future Brexit negotiations and the wider economic outlook. The Knight Frank view is that despite renewed political uncertainty in the UK, recent trends will largely continue, at least for the remainder of the year.

Prime markets Mayfair and central London have been experiencing a tentative improvement in sales activity, from the very

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

low levels hit in mid-2016, while price growth remains subdued. Both trends seem likely to remain in place.

Mainstream sales markets will continue to see price growth squeezed by affordability limits and funding restrictions – although government support should help new-build sales volumes.

Housing White Paper The outcome, which was planned for release in the Autumn Budget, will potentially be delayed. The general pro-development policy bias is however likely to remain in place.

“The weak pound should provide some stimulus for the London market from overseas” The housing market as a whole will be likely to continue to be supported by ultra-low interest rates, despite the risk of higher inflation due to the weak pound, which should remain a fixture through this year.

The weak pound itself should provide some stimulus for the London market in the form of overseas inward investment.

Brexit The general election has given the country pause to consider the type of government it needs in the Brexit negotiations. The right leadership is, of course, crucial for the UK from a political standpoint; but will also directly impact the economic trajectory this country takes for many years to come. Under Theresa May, the UK has some political continuity, but a coalition provides less stability for the economy.

The short-term impacts are uncertain and this could drag on housing market activity if clear political leadership does not emerge quickly.

The cabinet It is likely that we will see some ministerial shake-ups in the coming days and weeks. For the most part, big changes would be unfortunate with respect to senior housing market posts, notably the loss of housing minister Gavin Barwell. It will be crucial that the new champions of housing market policy in government can reaffirm commitments to the current policy direction rather than to create further disruption or uncertainty.

Housing supply Importantly, the policy direction as set out in the White Paper on building more homes across the range of tenures, will be upheld.

Supporting new methods of delivery such as build-to-rent and off-site construction are also emerging, as are exciting sectors that will expand the pace of housing delivery.

Time for action JLL believes the housing crisis deserves greater ambition and bold action from the new government. This requires cross-party support to de-politicise solutions and provide longerterm backing for new solutions. It is vital that the UK government can forge a deeper commitment to housing supply solutions, recognising the common purpose of a wide range of stakeholders in the private sector.

125

PROPERTY

image credit: sarel jansen

PEGASI

ROKSTONE

Jo Upton, property director

Becky Fatemi, managing director

Currency woes

Stamp duty

The unknown

The pound is having an inevitable wobble. For the property industry (the private rented sector in particular), we will have to hold our collective breath and hope that the future of build-torent homes and the much hoped for Housing White Paper, with the lofty aim of fixing the housing crisis, are not going to fall victim to this latest period of uncertainty. Investors have no love of volatility, but in fairness, perhaps the UK is still a safer haven than many alternatives.

The biggest political policy affecting the prime London residential property market is stamp duty, which is already in place. It means that purchasing London property for homes above £5m has become a long-term five to ten year investment, with anyone looking to acquire a home in London for fewer than three years, choosing to rent rather than buy. The market is dominated by serious buyers and tenants now – there are far fewer speculators.

The biggest factor is whether we end up having a second general election later this year or in 2018. If this happens and either Labour or Labour coalition come to power, then it’s likely that future tax adjustments and incentives to boost mixed tenure housing will take place.

If Labour changes the current tax regime, the lower end of the prime London market – homes priced below £3m – will boom, while the £3m plus market will continue to be steady. The £5m plus and £10m plus sectors have polarised between turn-key dressed and perfectly

Brexit The EU wants us to get on with this negotiation, but no one wants the baby thrown out with the bath water. Our hotel, construction and leisure industries that rely so heavily on workers from across the EU, and indeed the world, may start to breathe a little easier as their employees sense the mood softening. The youth vote has reinforced the message that there is appetite for real change in the UK.

The Conservative vision A minority-led Conservative government means political

“The market is dominated by serious buyers and tenants now – there are far fewer speculators”

An uncertain road The UK seems determined to continue on a path of uncertainty. We voted for Brexit, seemingly against the odds; we voted for a hung parliament, at a time of high Tory expectations of growing their majority and the spectre of IndyRef2 has, for now, evaporated.

This is, perhaps, the most divided we have ever been in modern history and listening mode is recommended for any shape of government, which may need to take a more collaborative form to bring us together. ‘Keep calm and carry on’ has never been so apt, and will surely be the mantra for whoever leads us on the long Brexit road.

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policy effecting London will remain unchanged. PostBrexit, the party’s vision is for London to be a tax efficient offshore investment hub on the doorstep of the EU. High-net-worth individuals are aware of this scenario and we are getting a lot of interest from both domestic and international buyers and tenants, with a number of overseas investors looking at London heavily influenced by the dollar/sterling exchange rate position.

presented homes – which have still continued to sell – and undressed or poorly presented stock, which take more time to sell.

Central London It really is a market within itself; there is never the same property up for sale again, much like in the art world. The central London market has its own economic determents, but the overall level of demand will always outweigh the supply that is available.

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A world famous view only a few will call home Discover London’s new riverfront address The Dumont is the centre-piece of Albert Embankment Plaza, London’s most prestigious new riverfront quarter. Soaring 30 storeys it affords unparalleled views over the most famous stretch of the River Thames and a lifestyle without equal. Facilities include ten-pin bowling, games room, cinema, 12th floor lounge, dining room and roof gardens. Along with a state-of-the-art gym, infinity pool, spa and 24-hour concierge service. A collection of suites, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with a selection of elegant interiors are available.

Prices from £655,000 Show Apartment now launched – to register your interest please call +44 (0)20 3740 1946 or email dumont.london@stjames.co.uk To discover more visit www.thedumont.co.uk or the Marketing Suite at 21 Albert Embankment.

Sales & Marketing Suite open daily 10am to 6pm.

Prices and details correct at time of going to press. Computer generated image is indicative only.

www.thedumont.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

property

market

insight On top of the world Partner and head of Knight Frank Mayfair, Harvey Cyzer, reports on the highs and lows of the global property market

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he Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index now tracks the movement of luxury residential property prices across 41 cities with the recent addition of Istanbul and St Petersburg. Overall the index climbed 4.3 per cent in the year to March. Although the world is in a state of political and economic flux and inevitably we are seeing a degree of safe haven investment in luxury property markets, the index’s upturn this quarter can largely be attributed to China’s cities, which continue to dominate the top tier of the rankings.

Guangzhou witnessed a 36.2 per cent increase in luxury prices over the 12 months to March. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou recorded average price growth of 26.3 per cent. Prices in Guangzhou are rising from a lower base than in Shanghai and Beijing, the availability of residential stock is tighter and policymakers in the city were slower to introduce cooling measures, which are now widely evident across most tier one cities.

Cities in the world’s other major economy, the US, are rising up our rankings. However, the big story on the North American continent is the acceleration of prices in Toronto – across all price bands. At the luxury level, prices ended the year to March at 22 per cent higher, outpacing Vancouver (7.9 per cent) by some margin. Such price inflation failed to escape the attention of policymakers, leading to the

announcement of a raft of new measures in April including a 15 per cent foreign buyer tax putting the city on an equal footing with Vancouver. Other centres of growth include Seoul (17.6 per cent), Stockholm (10.7 per cent), Berlin (8.7 per cent) and Melbourne (8.6 per cent) – cities with notable clusters of technology businesses.

Knight Frank analysis has highlighted that the established financial centres of the world are seeing slower price growth – on average 3.2 per cent per annum – compared with the emerging tech hubs that saw prices rise by 7.4 per cent on average over the year-long period.

Although prime prices fell 6.4 per cent in London in the year to March, quarterly growth has climbed to its highest rate since May 2016, suggesting the capital is entering a period of stabilisation.

An Asian revival might be overstating it, but we are certainly seeing the region’s key cities – Hong Kong, 5.3 per cent; Singapore, four per cent – rise up the rankings following years of lacklustre growth. In March, Singapore reduced its sellers’ stamp duty from 16 per cent to 12 per cent, but such a move is unlikely to open the floodgates to speculators, given that the 15 per cent stamp duty for foreign buyers remains.

Established financial centres are seeing slower price growth compared with emerging tech hubs

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Knight Frank Mayfair, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 8166 7484, knightfrank.co.uk

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EXCLUSIVE LUXURY MAYFAIR APARTMENTS TO RENT

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www.residentialland.com

PRIME CENTRAL LONDON’S LARGEST PRIVATE LANDLORD

PROPERTY

Making headway Pastor Real Estate plans to expand its team and business across prime central London this summer from left: Simon Green, Corinna Wintjen, David Lee, Sebastian Greenwood, Philip Cook, Elizabeth Erard, Susan Cohen, Barry Daly, Fannar Haraldsson, Christopher Mitchell, Sofie Kofod, Spencer Taffurelli

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s observed by William Shakespeare, ‘people usually are the happiest at home’.

Subscribing to this precept with an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction, Pastor Real Estate – a leading boutique real estate company in Mayfair – is cementing itself in the prime London real estate market, expanding its team and office infrastructure into other illustrious areas of London.

The team’s first foray into London real estate was in 2011 when the company opened its flagship office in Mayfair. Since then, Pastor Real Estate has established a second sales office on Curzon Street and now has the blueprints for further expansion into other prime central London locations.

More recently, Pastor Real Estate welcomes the addition of two

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experienced sales negotiators, Phillip Cook and Sebastian Greenwood, who will bolster the team this summer.

“Both Phillip and Sebastian bring nearly two decades of experience to the company, with expert knowledge of Bayswater, Kensington and Chelsea,” says David Lee, head of sales. Cook will be at the helm of expansion into Kensington and Chelsea, while Greenwood will focus on developing business in W2, adding to Pastor Real Estate’s portfolio.

It is thanks to Pastor Real Estate’s proactive attitude that it can source the best properties, providing clients with an unparalleled service. Beyond the traditional offerings of real estate agents, Pastor Real Estate has set itself

up as a one-stop solution. From its two offices on Curzon Street, the company provides sales, lettings, property management, consultancy, design and architectural services.

Two new experienced sales negotiators are joining the Curzon Street team So, is the future looking bright? “We continue to play a pivotal role in the sale and rental of prime central London property,” Lee says. “We feel that with hard work and determination we will further cement our reputation as a leading independent agency.”

48 Curzon Street, W1J, 020 3195 9595, pastor-realestate.com

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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 London’s finest dining experiences.

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

A LB E RT E M B A N K M E N T

Enjoy a lifestyle that’s ahead of the curve Show Apartment now launched The Corniche, is an exclusive riverside address with panoramic views over the most iconic stretch of the River Thames.

With a 19th floor Skyline Club lounge and terrace above a beautifully landscaped piazza, The Corniche, with completions from Winter 2017, features a wealth of luxury amenities including an infinity pool, spa, cinema, gym and a 24-hour concierge. Luxurious three bedroom apartments and penthouses, within the exclusive Skyline Collection, are now available on the 16th floor and above.

Prices from ÂŁ3,600,000 To register your interest please call +44 (0)20 3883 5246 or email corniche.london@stjames.co.uk To discover more visit www.cornichelondon.co.uk or visit the marketing suite at 21 Albert Embankment Sales & Marketing Suite open daily 10am to 6pm.

Prices and details correct at time of going to press. Computer generated image is indicative only.

www.cornichelondon.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

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

Lutyens in London A Pall Mall penthouse with panache

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duplex four-bedroom penthouse apartment has been sold by Knight Frank at a guide price of ÂŁ8.95m. Configured over the fourth and fifth floors of a beautiful period building designed by Edward Lutyens in 1929, it embodies style and elegance while offering breathtaking views across Pall Mall, enjoyed from a number of outdoor spaces.

The residential development was crafted by award-winning developer Amazon Property. The same marble used by Michelangelo for his David

PrimeQResi JOURNAL OF LUXURY PROPERTY

statue can be found in the kitchen and bathrooms. The penthouse is one of four in the building, which was acquired by Amazon in late 2010.

To create this stunning home, the company knocked down a 1960s office building and an adjoining early 19th-century house, replacing them with a new-build construction but retaining the impressive renovated historic façade.

Knight Frank, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 8166 7484, knightfrank.com

property

In and out again

Clarges Mayfair, image courtesy of British Land

Reubens rethink £250m Piccadilly hyper-mansion plans One of the most anticipated hyper-mansion projects in London appears to be off the table.

After getting excited over the idea of seeing the former In & Out Club converted back into a showstopping residence worth an estimated £250m, the billionaire Reuben brothers have put in plans for a five-star hotel instead – plus four residential units.

The brothers’ Motcomb Estates bought the Grade I-listed No.94 Piccadilly/Cambridge House – along with a suite of adjacent buildings – for £100m in 2011.

The build was due to turn the rather faded pile, which has been empty since 1999 and sits on the “At Risk register”, into 60,600sq ft of ultra-prime mansion with 48 rooms, a 35,000bottle wine cellar and an underground swimming complex – all accessed by that well-known private carriage driveway opposite Green Park.

Now, plans have gone to the council proposing a hotel design with a 2,200sq ft ballroom and suites larger than your average one-bed. The landmark site stretches from Piccadilly all the way back to Shepherd Market.

Architects at PDP London have drawn up the new designs.

Named after the Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III, the centrepiece building at No.94 was originally built for Charles Wyndham, the Earl of Egremont from 1756 until 1761.

For 134 years the mansion served as the base of the Naval and Military Club, before the institution eventually moved to its current home on St James’s Square.

CGI of Cambridge House as a grand residence, produced in 2013, Image courtesy of Wetherell

Negotiating power Buyer snaps up off-market apartment at Clarges Mayfair for £21.2m

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lack Brick has reported closing an off-market mega-deal for a client at British Land’s super-prime Clarges Mayfair scheme.

Acting on behalf of a Russian buyer, the Mayfair-based acquisition firm sourced a four-bed apartment in the 34-unit boutique scheme overlooking Green Park, before negotiating £2.35m off the asking. The sale went through last month at £21.2m.

The firm said: “Our Russian client had taken advantage of our Rental Search Service when he first moved to London, allowing him to take his time getting to know the city. When he was ready to buy, he wanted to stay in the same neighbourhood, but had very specific requirements – lateral space, 24-hour concierge and security, a good view and ideally a swimming pool.

“Although Clarges ticked all the boxes, no apartments overlooking Green Park were available. However, through our network we found an off-market seller, and we were able to negotiate ten per cent, or £2.35m, off the asking price.”

British Land’s transformation of the acre-sized plot on Piccadilly – formerly dominated by a multi-storey car park – has delivered one of prime central London’s most sought after new schemes. Five of the apartments smashed price records for Mayfair, with a penthouse going for more than £5,000 per sq ft.

New figures from Knight Frank indicate Russian buyers are returning to the prime central London market in significant numbers. The firm recorded a 30 per cent increase in enquiries from the region in the first few months of 2017.

primeresi.com

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FOUNTAIN HOUSE PARK LANE MAYFAIR W1

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Weth

OVERLOOKING THE 350 ACRES OF LONDON’S HYDE PARK, THIS WEST-FACING DUPLEX APARTMENT HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL LIGHT AND AN IMPRESSIVE SENSE OF SPACE. ONE OF THE LARGEST APARTMENTS AVAILABLE IN MAYFAIR WITH 18 PARK-FACING WINDOWS, ALLOWING FOR UNINTERRUPTED VIEWS OF HYDE PARK AND LONDON’S SKYLINE.

Currently laid out with ten double bedrooms, mostly park-facing with en-suite bathrooms, and an additional two staff bedrooms, this family residence is truly a ‘villa in the sky’.

SOLE AGENTS

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH

£30,000,000 LONG LEASEHOLD

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

wetherell.co.uk

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Marvellous

Mount Street - £3,750,000

South Audley Street - £4,500,000

Dunraven Street - £7,500,000

Park Street - £1,999,999

North Audley Street - £3,495,000

bringing residential life back to mayfair

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Weth

Mayfair

Bourdon Street - £3,995,000

Mount Street - £6,750,000

Charles Street - £5,500,000

South Audley Street - £5,950,000

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

South Audley Street - £3,199,000

wetherell.co.uk

no-one knows mayfair better than wetherell

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