The Mayfair Magazine January 2013 by Runwild Media Group

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Editor’s Letter | The mayfair Magazine

From the

Editor A

nd breathe. The stress of Christmas and the excess of New Year can be safely confined to memories and you can get on with the business of starting 2013. In the interest of sparing you a sanctimonious issue concerning belt tightening in every sense, we have dedicated our January issue to travel, allowing you to escape the winter blues, either mentally, via planning your next big escape, or literally, with ideas for places you can visit tomorrow; simply pack your bags and go. If you are looking for inspiration, Angelina Villa-Clarke has searched the world over for the best places to go this year, whether it’s a new resort in Jamaica harking back to the glory days of Errol Flynn or Finnish Lapland to see the earth showing off its ability for epic natural spectacles in the illustrious Aurora Borealis (page 13). Meanwhile, Stephen Doig jets off to Thailand to find the true meaning of switching off, which unsurprisingly involves sand, cocktails and someone to polish your sunglasses… (page 25). However, for those who believe two weeks on a beach is akin to watching Farrow & Ball’s Dorset Cream dry, then turn to page 28, where Mike Peake investigates the new trend for serious adventure holidays. Think SAS training in the desert or learning to fly a Russian military jet – not for the faint of heart. I, thankfully, found a nice balance between the two, with a visit to Courchevel’s most impressive new opening, Chalet Edelweiss (page 32). I was also lucky enough to spend some time with the travel industry’s most impressive power couple, James and Tamara Lohan, aka Mr & Mrs Smith, discussing the latest offshoot of their travel guidebook company, Smith & Family. It’s safe to say you won’t see Butlins in there… (page 21). And of course we remain firmly at your service right here in Mayfair, bringing you the latest news, openings and insider knowledge to see you through to February. Kari Rosenberg meets world-renowned chef Alvin Leung as he brings his Michelin-starred brand of ‘X-Treme Chinese’ food to W1 with the opening of Bo London (page 92), while Rebecca Wallersteiner explores the remarkable collection of Manet paintings that will be taking centre stage at the Royal Academy this month (page 74). Great travel, delicious food and eye-opening culture; let’s start this year as we mean to go on…

Elle Blakeman Editor

P L E A S E E N J OY O U R C H A M PA G N E R E S P O N S I B LY DRINKAWARE .CO.UK

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Contents

January 2013

013 036

086

Features

Fashion

Interiors

013 | The great escape From Lapland to Peru and back to Morocco we bring you the key places to travel to in the year ahead 021 | Checking in with Mr & Mrs Smith We meet the original undercover travel spies 025 | Paradise found Stephen Doig waves his cares away on a pristine beach in Koh Samui, Thailand 028 | Going Maverick Why hit the beach when you can fly a military plane or go swimming with sharks? Mike Peake tries out some very adventurous holiday activities 032 | The art of skiing Elle Blakeman visits the newest and most glamorous chalet in Courchevel 1850 098 | The challenge Near Year: new hobby – Richard Yarrow explains how to get into motorsports

036 | Cabin fever Luxury layering, cosy knits and a chic colour palette; our shoot in Bodo’s Schloss is a real winter warmer 045 | Style spy/Style update 048 | Cruise control We explore the evolution of the Resort collections

084 | Interiors news 086 | Treasure trove To mark Mallett Antiques one-year anniversary in Dover Street, we take a guided tour of the beautiful history-steeped Ely House

Collection 053 | A vision shared Patek Philippe collaborate with Tiffany & Co. 055 | Watch news 056 | Start your engines Race-inspired accessories for men this season 058 | Brand Breitling As the label sign their biggest ambassador to date, David Beckham, Richard Brown meets with Vice President, Jean-Paul Giardin 063 | Jewellery news 065 | Family heirlooms Vintage-inspired pieces

Regulars

Art

071 | Art news 072 | Exhibition focus The Turner Prize: Tamsin Pickeral examines the controversial accolade 074 | Manet’s amazing masterpieces Manet’s most iconic paintings take their place at the Royal Academy 079 | Prize lots

Food & Drink 091 | Food & drink news 092 | Hidden Dragon Kari Rosenberg discovers ‘X-treme Chinese’, the latest culinary craze to hit Mayfair, and meets the man behind it all, Alvin Leung 096 | Restaurant review: Coya

Beauty 105 | Beauty news 107 | Spa review: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental

Travel 111 | Travel news 112 | City break: Santa Monica Trade in winter blues for the ambient Californian sun

Property 134 | Property news 149 | Property focus 150 | A voice from the country: Oxford landing 152 | On the continent We bring you the hottest international properties on the market – will it be Cannes, Mykonos or San Martino – you decide

Contributors | The mayfair Magazine

The contributors NOVEMBER 2012 s issue 014

Editor Elle Blakeman Contributing Editor Kari Rosenberg Art Editor Carol Cordrey Food & Drink Editor Neil Ridley Collection Editor Annabel Harrison Editorial Assistants Kate Racovolis, Katie Randall Editorial Intern Sandra MacKenzie Head of Design Hiren Chandarana Senior Designer Lisa Wade Production Manager Fiona Fenwick Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell Editor-in-Chief Kate Harrison Client Relationship Director Kate Oxbrow

KATIE RANDALL A post-graduate of the University of Westminster, Katie is a fashion and lifestyle journalist who has written for a number of publications and websites, including Handbag.com and The Publican. richard yarrow Richard is a freelance motoring journalist and a former associate editor of Auto Express. He writes for national newspapers, consumer publications and the automotive business press.

Carol Cordrey Carol is an art critic and editor. She organises the annual London Ice Sculpting Festival and is permanently on the art scene bringing us the latest happenings.

kari rosenberg Kari is the deputy editor of Canary Wharf and The City magazines. This month she meets Mayfair’s newest michelin-starred chef, Alvin Leung.

mike peake Mike has written extensively The Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph. This month, he researches the most interesting adventure holidays money can buy.

Stephen Doig Stephen is an award-winning fashion writer having worked for Harper’s Bazaar and Mr Porter. This month, he visits the stunning beaches of Koh Samui, Thailand.

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins Associate Publisher Sophie Roberts Managing Director Eren Ellwood

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Image: TAKEN FROM ‘the great escape’ See page 13

aNGELINA VILLA-CLARKE Angelina has been a travel and lifestyle journalist for over 20 years. She has lived in Venice and Barbados and has travelled widely. She cites the British Virgin Isles as the most stunning location she has been to. kate racovolis An alumnus of Columbia University’s Journalism School, Kate comes from a background in fashion writing and is working on her first book. She brings us the latest style news in Mayfair.

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The mayfair Magazine | Feature

The great

escape

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better time than the chilly month of January to start planning your escape for the year ahead. Angelina Villa-Clarke gets the map out and pinpoints the hot destinations for 2013

Finnish Lapland

below: Husky-sledding, courtesy of Martin Prcychodny & The Aurora Zone

One of life’s ‘must-dos’ is witnessing the aurora borealis. It’s one of nature’s most magnificent displays and watching the sky light up with twisting multicoloured rainbows is a thrilling and strangely spiritual experience. If you’ve ever wanted to see the celestial disco first hand, then this is the time to do it as, according to NASA, 2013 will see some of the best displays of the Northern Lights in a decade, due to a predicted upsurge in solar storms. It also means, of course, that traditional hotspots, such as Norway and Finland, will be hugely popular this year. Our tip is to head to the remote plains of Finnish Lapland. The epic display, that lights up the night sky with glowing greens, reds and purples, is exceptional when it occurs in this remote Arctic region. It is worth noting, however, that these are naturally occurring phenomenons and sightings are not guaranteed. The best

viewing months are considered to be February to March and September to October. Thankfully, you can get a helping hand with The Aurora Zone’s itineraries (theaurorazone. com), in which you can proactively hunt the Northern Lights using dogsleds, skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles to race to locations where the Borealis have been spotted, or are predicted by advanced geophysical forecasting. New for 2013 is a seven-night trip to the Finnish Lapland town of Kilpisjärvi. Truly far-flung, it sits by a three-country border with Norway and Sweden and boasts regular Aurora Borealis sightings If that sounds too much like hard work, head instead to a glass igloo through which you can have a panoramic view of the night sky. Lapland’s Igloo Village (kakslauttanen.fi/en), at Saariselkä, has a choice of glass or snow igloos, an ice bar, ice gallery, an ice chapel and the world’s largest snow restaurant.

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

Vietnam

Following on from last year’s launch of a new direct flight from the UK to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (vietnamairlines.com), the buzz surrounding the country grows even further in 2013. Known for its design-led properties in stunning locations is Fusion Resorts (fusionresorts.com). The group opened its first forward-thinking retreat in Danang, in which spa treatments are available at no extra cost. Now, opening in Hoi An in the early part of 2013, is Fusion Alya, a specialised culinary resort. It’s the first of its kind in Asia, offering guests inspiring food experiences included in the room rate, while the design reflects the Portuguese architecture of the area with a choice of apartments, penthouses and villas. What’s more, further down the line for mid-2013, is Fusion Maia in Phu Quoc. It’s found on one of the area’s most beautiful beaches and offers an all-inclusive spa on the water. Genius. Among the other new additions to Vietnam’s hotel scene is the new Anantara Mui Ne resort (anantara.com). It boasts a wonderfully untouched beach location and a charming spa with treatments inspired by the lotus flower. But it is Lang Ko, a stunningly beautiful coastal area in the shelter of the Truong Son Mountains, which is set to be the country’s new playground for jetsetters. Both Banyan Tree (banyantree.com), with its pagoda-style rooms, and Angsana (angsana.com), which uses traditional Vietnamese architecture as its design inspiration, have just opened two exciting new ventures, both with showstopping spas and innovative dining options.

Portugal

Portugal’s somewhat sedate image is set to change this year as it steps into the limelight with a host of exciting new openings. One such area, perfect for oenophiles and nature lovers alike, is the rural Alentejo region, just an hour’s drive east from Lisbon (visitalentejo. com). It produces 46% of Portugal’s wine and is home to many high-end vineyards, such as the historic Cartuxa Winery (cartuxa.pt), a former Jesuit house, or the Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, a family-run estate (vinhosdoalentejo.pt). The coastal area, the Costa Alentejana, boasts some of Europe’s most pristine beaches and beautiful landscapes dotted with the area’s famous medieval ‘white towns’. A must is a visit to the stunning World Heritage Site Évora – a wonderfully atmospheric town that dates back to Roman times, and features many preserved buildings from different eras (Sunvil Discovery offers a variety of itineraries to the area, including ones on wine routes (sunvil.co.uk). One highlight in Alentejo, is the Blue & Green Troia Design Hotel (troiadesignhotel.com). Located on the Troia Peninsula, it is based on a nature reserve teaming with wildlife. Enjoy a host of activities, from mountain walks in the nearby Arrábida Mountains to golf on the Robert Trent Jones Senior-designed course.

left: the alentejo region, portugal; below: the fusion resort in danang, vietnam

Scotland

Peru

ABOVE: Palacio Nazarenas, PERU; RIGHT: GLENEAGLES, SCOTLAND; FAR RIGHT: THE CANDLE-LIT POOL DECK AT PARROT CAY COMO, CARIBBEAN

After the London openings late last year of Peruvian eateries Coya, Lima London and Ceviche, the country’s foodie scene has been the talk of the town. Latin America’s newly acclaimed culinary capital is the result of a 500-year melting pot of Spanish, African, Japanese and Chinese immigration and native Quechua culture. You can digest it all for yourself onboard with boutique cruise company Aqua Expeditions’ vessels, who journey into the heart of the Amazon (aquaexpeditions.com). The five-star M/V Aqua and M/V Aria will be offering travellers unique interactive cookery lessons for 2013. You’ll learn how to make ceviche, Pisco Sours and shrimp escabeche. When not ensconced in the kitchen, you’ll also be able to get hands-on with some of the wildlife, including fishing for piranha and feeding baby manatees. Peruvian travel experts Inkaterra are also highlighting the foodie appeal with new packages. At Inkaterra Machu Picchu (inkaterra.com), based in 12 acres of cloud forest, guests are invited to pick their own lunch in the hotel’s garden. Honey-making classes are also available and guests can pick their own organic tea and coffee, which are processed and served at the hotel. Due to open mid-2013, also from Inkaterra, is the Hacienda Urubamba, a farmhouse hotel located in the remote area of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is set at high altitude, and will serve as a living showcase of authentic Andean mountain farming. On offer will be llama riding through the valley and learning about quiñales (quinoa culture) by meeting the native community. Excursions to nearby Inca ruins and the Sacred Valley of the Incas will also be available.

Forget Switzerland – traditionally the home of luxury spas – it’s Scotland that is reinventing itself as the home of the spa retreat. First up came Cameron House in Loch Lomond (devere-hotels.co.uk). Although not new, this baronial-style retreat on the banks of Loch Lomond offers a ‘souped-up’ spa experience normally found in glitzier locations. From its rooftop infinity pool with spectacular views of Ben Lomond to its range of thermal experiences, such as the Roman-inspired Caldarium – The Carrick Spa is beautifully thought out and as sumptuous as it gets. New for 2013 are ESPA signature treatments and a golfer’s spa package for men. Meanwhile, The Fletcher’s Cottage at Archerfield House, East Lothian, continues to wow since its opening in 2012 (archerfieldhouse. com/spa). This year it is due to open private Bath Huts, complete with log fire, fur blankets and champagne on tap. Here guests can enjoy personalised treatments and relax in a steamy seaweed or aromatherapy bath. But most exciting of all, perhaps, is the UK’s first Guerlain Spa, which has just opened at the re-launched The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Edinburgh (waldorfastoria.com). It’s part of the hotel’s £24m restoration, in which inspiration has been taken from the origins of The Caledonian as a luxury railway hotel. Enter the hotel and you’ll be faced with a sweeping staircase, marble flooring and an oversized chandelier overhead. It perfectly sets the tone for the spa experience. Available treatments can all be personalised, plus there’s make up artistry sessions, reflexology, Chinese massage and aesthetic drainage on offer. To finish up, you’re even offered a touch of make-up as you leave, to keep you feeling suitably groomed – as any spa-connoisseur would expect.

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

Caribbean

The islands are a hive of activity this year with some truly inspiring new openings. In Jamaica, for instance, two new projects look set to return Port Antonio to its 1950s heyday, when the likes of Errol Flynn made the Victorian seaside town his ‘home from home’. Trident Castle and Trident Hotel, from the A-listers’ hideaway specialist Geejam Collection (geejamcollection.com), are both new for 2013 and set in this exotic area on the northeastern side of the island. The nine-bedroom Trident Castle (which can also be exclusively hired) has a stunning dining room, outdoor lounge, library and a games room. Meanwhile, the ocean-front Trident Hotel offers laid-back luxury with super-slick contemporary interiors, including amazing music systems and outdoor bathtubs. Also lined up is the Blue Hole Restaurant, Club and Spa, a laid-back hangout offering cocktails, treatments and food on the shores of the town’s lagoon. One of the most talked-about resorts in the Caribbean is Parrot Cay by Como in the untouched Turks & Caicos islands (comohotels. com/parrotcay). They’ve further upped the ante with three new, super-luxe ocean-view beach houses. Perched on the top of a pristine sand bluff, each has undisturbed views across the ocean. Interiors are contemporary and flooded with light, with furnishings sourced from Bali. There are outdoor decks and showers, private pools and butler service. And finally, sure to put the tiny islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines on the map is the new £148 million international airport, which is due to open in early 2013. It follows the opening of the swish Buccament Bay Resort (buccamentbay.com) whose villas look out over baby-soft beaches and the revamp of the private island resort of Petit St Vincent. (psvresort.com)

Morocco

Since the hippies discovered it in the 1960s, Morocco has been a hip destination. It’s currently riding a new wave of popularity with travellers lured in by the abundance of cool openings. Mosaic Palais Aziza & Spa (mosaicpalaisaziza. com) in Marrakech, is one such example. The 28-room luxury hotel opened a few months ago in the Palmerie area of the city. With its five acres of magical gardens, a pool awash with roses, its own spa with hammam and Italian restaurant, it is a true oasis. The gem features Moorish-designed rooms, rain showers and private courtyards. Adding a glitzy appeal to the city, and sure to appeal to a Miami-loving crowd, is the new Delano Marrakech (delanomarrakech.com), designed by lauded interiors guru Jacques Garcia. It’s an all singing and dancing homage to glamour. Exotic interiors feature marble, traditional lighting and rich velvets with a jaw-dropping lobby (think soaring white columns and a hand-carved wood ceiling). Guests can order room service on their in-room iPads and kick back in the Sky Lounge with panoramic views over the city, not to mention some retail therapy in the curated selection of boutiques. Jacques Garcia also had a hand in designing Marrakech’s other sophisticated new opening, The Selman (selman-marrakech.com), which came to life last summer to great acclaim. It’s owned by a local family, whose collection of priceless Arab show horses are stabled on site, and were the inspiration for the hotel’s concept. The project was four years in the making with no expense spared throughout. Using elite artisans, the overall effect is dramatic and palatial with ornate tiling on pillars and floors, suede walls and studded furniture. Aside from the two restaurants and immense pool, the spa by Henri Chenot will no doubt have the starring role here, with signature Bio-Lite treatments on offer. New for 2013 will be a riding programme for guests and a Moroccan restaurant with an intimate table for two snuck away in its own tower.

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

Maldives

In terms of tourism, the islands belonging to the Maldives are the babies of the world. Just 40 years ago, the Maldives opened its first two resorts in Kurumba Villas and Bandos Island. Nowadays tourism is the largest economic industry in the country, with more than 500,000 tourists visiting the Maldives each year. 2013 may see this number increasing further with a new regional airport in the Gaafu Atoll expected to open up the unexplored south. The Kooddoo airport will dramatically reduce the journey time to the pristine southern atolls and to barefoot-luxe resorts, such as the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa (maldives.hadahaa.park.hyatt. com). It is the group’s first sustainable tourism development and is surrounded by some of the most amazing reefs in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile 2013 looks likely to be a busy year for Carlson Hotels, owners of Radisson Hotels, with two new openings slated for the end of the year. Located on Naagoshi Island, a remote island in the Northern Haa Dhaalu Atoll, 45 minutes by sea-plane from Male International Airport, will be the Radisson Plaza Resort Maldives, Naagoshi. The £56 million resort will feature an overwater seafood restaurant, which has five private dining pods in the sea, providing a ‘want to be alone’ moment for meals à la deux. The second luxury resort, the Radisson Blu Hotel Maldives will be based on Hulhumale, north of Male (radisson.com).

FAR LEFT: THE SELMAN, MOROCCO; LEFT: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, MALDIVES

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The mayfair Magazine | Feature

Checking in with

Mr & Mrs

Smith

After an incredible ten years in the industry, the couple behind luxury travel company Mr & Mrs Smith can do no wrong. As they launch Smith & Family, we meet to discuss children, tantrums and the importance of giant beds WORDS: ELLE BLAKEMAN 21

‘I

t’s a testament to the success of Mr & Mrs Smith that googling their company will no longer bring up pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, looking impossibly attractive in distressed eveningwear, but rather a collection of stunning, hand-picked boutique hotels around the world. They have overtaken the biggest actors in the world! So how did this story begin? In Pizza Express, naturally. ‘We ended up in Pizza Express in Windermere with a Palm Pilot and we wrote out what our perfect guidebook would be,’ says Tamara Heber Percy, one half of the travel power couple Mr and Mrs Smith. Perhaps not the most obvious place for brainstorming what would become one of the world’s most luxurious travel companies, but then that was exactly the point. One disastrous weekend in a Lake District hotel drove them to the point of action. ‘It was like an OAP home,’ she recalls grimly. ‘We sat there and said “Look, this hotel is so dreadful,

why don’t we just throw money at the problem and go and book ourselves into the nicest restaurant in town.” So we tried, and of course they were all booked.’ Hence the Pizza Express, whom I personally think should erect some sort of plaque as a claim to fame. Over what I picture to be the infamous garlic dough balls, they worked out what would be in their perfect guidebook, and for a young, chic, London couple, it couldn’t have been further away from what was available at the time – the ones who insist on telling you about the nearest rock formation and the history of the local church. ‘We didn’t want to know any of that; we wanted to know where’s the best place for Sunday lunch and which table in the restaurant should I book, does it have amazing cotton sheets, is the bed big enough for three – that sort of thing.’ And so with a list that would have terrified the clipboard-clutching Rosette man still looking for the trouser press and long-life milk cartons,

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

they reviewed a selection of hotels – once causing a paparazzi field day when they jokingly checked in as Mr & Mrs Smith, whom the media believed to be a (frankly terrible) code name for Pitt and Jolie – and pitched their boutique hotels guidebook to several publishers. Sadly for them, all said no (clearly not learning anything from the J. K. Rowling story). ‘We got turned down by the publishers, found it very hard to find a distributor, and ended up publishing it ourselves,’ she says. ‘Not quite Harry Potter though,’ she insists. I’m willing to bet they don’t regret it. The guide sold 25,000 copies by Christmas (after an initial print run of just 5,000). Following this came another guide, when in 2005 they were travelling to a hotel in Brighton that they had featured. ‘The owner happened to be in the bar. He told us that we initiated 40 per cent of his business.’ Seeing and seizing the opportunity, the couple then added a new string to the Smith bow and launched a bookable website, essentially adding a travel agent feature to the brand. Now ten years in, with offices in three countries – Australia, America and London (with plans to open in Hong Kong in the very near future) – the company has weathered the recession with a 40 per cent growth year on year. ‘It’s not that we haven’t been hit by the recession,’ says James Lohan (Mr Smith), ‘but we’re well placed because people don’t tend to give up their travel plans; they just travel smarter.’ The couple met, fittingly, abroad – in Ibiza, where Tamara once lived and James was visiting with friends. ‘It was a holiday romance,’ she says. Now with two children in tow, three- and five-years-old, the next part of this seemingly unstoppable empire is Smith & Family, launched this month, with a view to helping families who want to travel in style. Could they have done this pre-children? ‘Absolutely not,’ says Tamara with a wry smile that will register with every parent in the land. ‘There is no way I could’ve possibly understood what it is that a mother and a father need to know. When you have children and you’re not

in your own home, it’s very difficult to relax. You need a place that makes you feel like it’s not a problem if your child careers around or bursts into tears in the middle of the place. Some hotels do this very well and are very welcoming and some hotels would very much prefer you to leave the kids at home – which is fine, as long as you know that in advance.’ It’s clear that despite the children, they have no intention of spending two decades suffering organised fun in Butlin’s. ‘I want to spend as much time with them as possible, but generally, it’s got to be right for all three sets: for you, for your kids and as a family too. I don’t want to spend time in a kids play area that is a bit sticky and not very nice, but I do want to do fun things with my kids.

They once caused a paparazzi field day when they jokingly checked in as Mr & Mrs Smith As a parent, I think you need a hell of a lot more information than you do about just a romantic weekend away. If you have babies, you need to know if you can get a warm bottle of milk in the night, can my child fit in the cot, and so on.’ Taking their fabulous brand of both ‘Need to know’ and ‘Want to know’ information to the family market is clearly a smart move for the business, but also – and I speak as someone who spent year after childhood year in the same apartment in Brittany – a great way to encourage people to really travel with their children. ‘Absolutely,’ says Tamara. ‘I took my kids to Morocco for the first time this year and it was their first experience of something that was not a normal European culture. My five-year-old had snakes around his neck, and he saw the charmers and all the henna tattoos – all that kind of culture and he loves it, he was just wide-eyed. It was incredible.’ Snakes? Tattoos? Travelling to the continent of Africa with two small children in tow? Maybe they really are Mr & Mrs Smith.

The The mayfair mayfair Magazine Magazine | Feature | Travel

Paradise

found

Stephen Doig escapes the winter gloom in Thailand

he colossal gates at the Four Seasons Koh Samui peel back to reveal a view so utterly mesmeric that it’s enough to make Alice’s tumble through the looking glass look like a trip to the garden centre. It’s clear that the resort’s mission statement is to make the real world melt away. Guests arrive at the hotel (mint-scented, chilled towels at the ready) to a scene of paradise found; 42 acres of lush tropical jungle, dotted with villas, meandering down to a coastline of azure water lapping onto sand the shade of pale crumble. It’s the visual equivalent of a pair of masseur’s hands on the shoulders; life’s daily soundtrack replaced within hours of arrival with the lapping of waves and the chirruping of cicadas. The hotel sits on a peninsula, with villas dotting the hillside overlooking the beach, and beyond, the romantic outline of neighbouring Koh Phangan. On the site of a former coconut plantation, the resort is the last word in indulgent tropical luxury. Imagine Robinson Crusoe with an impossibly high thread count. Want to amble along to the beach but the

thought of walking simply too arduous? At the touch of a button, a buggy appears to whizz you through snaking hillside lanes. An experience that takes a wholly more dizzying turn after a few of the bar’s lethal champagne cocktails. Want to take a dip in solitude? Each villa has its own private infinity pool. No sooner do I silently lament the fact that my Ray Bans are smudged in sun cream than a staff member (clairvoyance clearly being a requirement of the job) glides towards my sun lounger like a serene angel and offers to have them cleaned. Whilst part of 

ABOVE: BEACH PICNIC AT THE FOUR SEASONS KOH SAMUI (PHOTO: Andrew Richey); LEFT: BEACH BAR AT THE FOUR SEASONS KOH SAMUI (PHOTO: Markus Gortz)

the appeal of Four Seasons Koh Samui lies in its remoteness and its capacity for making a day spent horizontal seem entirely justifiable, the hotel offer a wealth of things to do for those who might want to drag themselves away from their private infinity pool. It’s this fit of dynamism that sees us cracking and swooping through the jungle tree-tops one morning, ten feet in the air, atop Emma the Asian elephant. Our heads duck under branches as she gamely negotiates forest thickets and waterfalls with the steady march of a school matron, happily guiding us through viewing points and luscious glades and splashing us with water from rock pools; the experience is magical. And only very slightly hair-raising. Further afield, the hotel can arrange boat trips to the renowned Koh Phangan, around the marine park in the neighbouring islands, to the Na Tian Butterfly Garden and local religious sites. Closer to home, a beautiful, wide-ranging library is stacked with DVDs and tomes you promised yourself you’d read, and the beach laden with watersports paraphernalia. After such exertion, it’s only reasonable to book some time in at the spa. Nestled deep within the jungle, in a series of individual verandas, it makes for a transcendental few hours. From aromatic caviar and pearl facials to a soothing algae wrap to cool sunburnt skin, the expert masseurs and beauticians work to the sounds of the forest. The spa also offers astrology and palmistry reading and crystal chakra healing. While quiet isolation is undoubtedly part of the USP of the resort, the chance to kick up your heels in the hotel bar is a seductive one. Situated on the beach (perhaps opt for flat sandals as opposed to Louboutins), a series of squashy ‘pods’ unfold on the sand, each lit by the glowing cobalt orbs that act as ambient (and flattering) lighting. The menu is happily cocktail heavy; Mai Tais can’t fail to taste that little bit sweeter when

right: BEACH VILLA AT THE FOUR SEASONS KOH SAMUI (PHOTO: Markus Gortz); far right: ROMANTIC BEACH DINNER AT THE FOUR SEASONS KOH SAMUI (PHOTO: Markus Gortz)

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

waves are lapping at your feet and the aroma of jasmine and gardenia scent the night air. The two restaurants specialise in both local cuisine and international food, and, if you should so wish, they will prepare a candle-lit table ensconced in a private bay inlet, with lanterns and petals bobbing in the breeze and musicians playing. If you asked the staff to arrange for a series of cherubs to carry you there, they’d probably pull it off somehow. After a week spent in the womb-like bliss of the Koh Samui, it felt like a jolt of the senses would be needed to prepare us for impact with the cut and thrust of 21st century city life. To that end, we travelled north for a stop-over in the resort’s sister hotel in Bangkok, a city with a take-no-prisoners approach to sensory assault. Our jellified selves were suitably shaken awake within moments of decamping to the city centre; the hiss of street food, screaming cars, layers of smog and vast market stalls laden with bartering locals ensured that. The Bangkok Four Seasons is a haven of serenity in this sizzling cityscape; hand-painted silk frescoes dapple the ceilings in the cavernous lobby, koi carp drift in the hushed quiet of the courtyard pond and the polite clink of china over afternoon tea is as loud as it gets. The unique location of the hotel in the Ratchaprasong district means that Chanel, Prada and Lanvin are a stone’s throw away (or a tuk tuk

The Bangkok Four Seasons is a haven of serenity in this sizzling cityscape if you’re feeling adventurous), whilst the Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple) and Chatuchak Weekend Market are also within easy distance. This city does high octane like no other, which is why the Four Seasons Bangkok works so hard to act as a port in this frenetic storm. The hotel boasts an 82ft outdoor pool on a sundeck surrounded by gardens, waterfalls and lily ponds. And once your batteries are suitably charged, you’ll be ready to do battle with Bangkok again. Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui: villas from around £475 a night for two adults. Four Seasons Bangkok: rooms from around £140 a night for two adults. (www.fourseasons.com)

Not everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea of a dream holiday is two weeks by the sea or a shoppingfuelled city weekender. For some, the chance to do something incredible is the greatest break there isâ&#x20AC;Ś words: mike peake

Going

maverick

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

taring into the darkness, you make out a dim shape staggering towards you. Then you see another – and another. Loading up your weapon, you break cover, let rip with a volley of fire, and dash for the door, where your friends are holding fort. But still your undead adversaries advance. Slow, murderous, and relentless, they seek you out with a grim determination that sends shivers down your spine. Will nothing stop them? Well, actually, yes – a nice tea break should do the trick. The bullets are soft, your ‘enemy’ are actors, and you’ve paid good money to be in their company to take part in the latest addition to an ever-expanding list that could loosely be summed up as ‘unusual things you can pay to do instead of splashing around by the pool.’ Not so much adventure holidays as once-in-a-lifetime-experiences in their own right, they can help turn a humdrum day into something unforgettable. And they have taken the world by storm. It’s hard to know exactly when ‘experience holidays’ like this began, but the idea really gathered momentum once scuba-diving companies started taking clients out in shark cages to swim with Great Whites. Once skydiving and super-car experiences were thrown into the mix, an industry was born, and over the past two decades it has steadily grown. Now, with prices and adventures to suit all budgets, they not only provide thrill seekers with endless opportunities to ‘live the dream’, they have proved a winning source of gift ideas for hard-to-buy-for dads and done-it-all brothers. Today, though, people want more than a chance to drive around a track in a Ferrari. They want to drive off in the car when they’ve finished and then park up outside a top nightclub, where their own VIP area awaits them. And if your pockets are deep enough, there’s someone out

there who can make it happen. ‘For us, it all started with MiGs,’ says Jane Reifert, president of Florida-based Incredible Adventures. ‘It was 1993, and a young American entrepreneur was in Moscow recruiting computer programmers when he was offered a flight in a MiG-29. He loved it and signed a deal to market the flights worldwide.’ The fledgling company next took out an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, but for

Think back to when you were a kid and were watching James Bond or Top Gun and thought, ‘I want to do that!’ many, it was all too much: the idea of flying a Russian military jet seemed like it could only be a joke. An adventurous few jumped at the chance, however, and signed up to do something utterly out of the ordinary. Almost 20 years on, flying MiGs in Russia remains one of the company’s most popular adventures, and is now complemented by a huge catalogue of experiences that will thrill, test or scare the pants off you. ‘I guess a lot of people have a “bucket list” of things they want to do,’ says Reifert’s colleague Greg Claxton. ‘Think back to when you were a kid and were watching James Bond or Top Gun and thought, “I want to do that!” We give people that chance.’ In the UK, Red Letter Days – the company bailed out by Dragon’s Den stars Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones following a trading blip in 2005 – remains one of the big players, but there is also Virgin Experience Days as well as several others. Between them, they offer everything 

 from being a zookeeper for the day to flying in a helicopter alongside a lovingly restored Spitfire. Whatever tickles your fancy, options increase dramatically if you’re prepared to travel, the true home of the ‘experience’ holiday being America. And it’s not just gung-ho, 20- and 30-something males signing up to be thrown out of aeroplanes or fly to the edge of space; the latest demographic to go wild for adventure is 50- and 60-year-olds. ‘Our client base is right across the board,’ says Greg Claxton at Incredible Adventures, ‘but lately we’ve seen a real increase in older people with a little money put aside wanting to try something new and exciting.’ One relatively recent phenomena in the world of experiences is military-style adventures, where participants pay rather large sums of money to shoot live ammunition and train with ex-soldiers. There’s often a fake kidnap scenario as part of the deal, and the people who organise these weekends are hell-bent on making them ever more realistic. It’s as close to being John Rambo as you can get without actually enlisting for the special forces. ‘Our Covert Ops, counter-terrorism adventure is phenomenal,’ says Claxton, who is quick to point us towards some very complimentary customer feedback when we suggest that faux-‘ops’ like this can never hope to match the real thing. ‘It lasts four days, you use an AR-15 assault rifle, you’ll engage in live fire – about 1,000 rounds – and it’s all under duress, you’re not just out there shooting at targets,’ he says. Claxton happily admits that it’s all ‘very dangerous,’ and adds that, ‘Doing any of our adventures is inherently risky.’ ‘But,’ he says, ‘I think for many people that’s why they do it in the first place. When you have the kind of personality where you want to live life on the edge and stare death in the face – risk can be very appealing.’ (www.wish.co.uk; www.incredible-adventures.com; www.redletterdays.co.uk; www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk)

Hot-air Balloon adventures

Shark encounter s

Covert Ops *

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

bat Air Com

USA

Sardine run

Ba ll oo ni ng ad ve nt ur es *

ters

Hol lyw ood Top Gun *

em T a n d p i n g* u J m HALO

MiGs over Russia

* IMAGES COURTESY OF Incredible Adventures; **IMAGE COURTESY OF Air Combat USA

The MAYFAIR Magazine | Feature

The art of

skiing

Forget everything you know about luxury chalets. With its own spa, nightclub and more contemporary art than most galleries, Chalet Edelweiss in Courchevel 1850 is redefining snow-side glamour WORDS: ELLE BLAKEMAN

t’s strange to go somewhere like Courchevel 1850, arguably home to some of the best pistes and soft, powder snow in the world, and have skiing not be the main event. But then Chalet Edelweiss is unusual. How often, for example, are you greeted by a seven foot-high bronze-cast head of David by Arman as soon as you kick off your snow boots? Or find yourself able to soak off the journey in your own spa, complete with 13-metre pool? Or party in your personal nightclub, run – if you so wish – by the owners of Mayfair’s hottest new club 2&8 who will fly out (!) to make sure that your nights are as interesting as your days? Unless you are Berlusconi, then probably rarely. But I’m getting ahead of myself, back to the bronze head. The man behind this seven-storey homage to luxury is Chris Levett, serious art collector and owner of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art and a partner in Mayfair’s contemporary art gallery, VIGO. With that kind of knowledge and spending power behind him he

‘In this chalet we are no longer just weary skiers looking for warmth and comfort, we are connoisseurs of art’ did the only reasonable thing to do when building an extravagant ski chalet in Les Trois Vallées and filled Edelweiss with a mesmerising selection of contemporary pieces: Johan van Mullem, Miró, Picasso and Hirst illuminate your path here. The effect is incredible, transforming the elegant tartan- and wood-filled chalet into something more chic and stimulating than your ‘average’ luxury place to stay. In this chalet we are no longer just weary skiers looking for warmth and comfort, we are sophisticated connoisseurs of art. We have interests! And we have more to talk about at dinner than the snow – nothing makes a talking point quite like a Salvador Dalí piece entitled Vénus à la girafe. Art aside, the place is beyond impressive. Built around a seven-storey spiral staircase

The mayfair Magazine | Feature

(not that you need to use it – Edelweiss has a lift. A lift. I just wanted to reiterate that; you know you’ve made it when you have a lift in your home). On the ground floor is a pool straight out of a Bel Air mansion, flanked by a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and bar (back to Berlusconi). The nightclub is pure decadence – tall speakers, tiny spotlights everywhere and sofas for when dancing gets too much – and you don’t even need to leave the chalet to party in it. 2&8 will provide the finest Mayfair DJ’s at your request courtesy of Carlo Carello, a Mayfair man who believes no party is complete without a detritus of depleted Moët cases. Surrounded by so much excess – in the best possible use of the word – champagne feels like the only thing to drink and it flows like water during nights here. Of course, Courchevel 1850 is no stranger to luxury, nestled among the pleasingly French tabac and boulangerie lay the beacons of high-end retail. The usual suspects are all there: Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Graff, all tempting you in with promises of a souvenir whose allure won’t fade when you pack away your ski gear. And so finally we come to the reason we came. The ski-in/ski-out access is true heaven for any desperate to get on the slopes as soon as they get their boots on, while the lifts are virtually queue-free – one of the reasons Levett choose this spot, along with the fact that it caters for all levels. Indeed, unlike most resorts where the beginners and intermediates are forced to do a treadmill of the same handful of blues and greens, Les Trois Vallées allows you to ski for hours across different slopes without ever touching a red run; the chalet also has private ski instructors who know the slopes backwards and will ensure you really improve your technique. For those who want to however, there are plenty of more exciting runs, with sleek blacks, invigorating off-piste and for the truly fearless, a good line in heli-skiing. And of course, there is the lift system linking to Meribel and Val Thorens – meaning that even the most gifted athletes will struggle to get bored. And if boredom is a worry, simply head back

to the ranch (take the main gondola and swish your way down the blue run straight into Edelweiss), head to the cinema room/pool/ Jacuzzi, nightclub (hell you can even just go up and down in the lift – as one of our party decided to do one evening…), relax, and remind yourself just how fun life can be. And despite the glamour, decadence and stunning art at every turn, that is my lasting memory of this place – fun. Pure, enjoyable, leaves-you-smiling-for-weeks fun.

THE ESSENTIALS sleep & stay Chalet Edelweiss is part of Courchevel Prestige Chalets (www. courchevelprestigechalets.com). Summit Retreats (this season’s newest luxury ski chalet agency) offers Chalet Edelweiss from £9,950 per person, per week; this includes flights and extras (www.summitretreats.com) fly away Easyjet offers daily flights from London Gatwick and London Southend to Geneva airport with prices starting from £50. (www.easyjet.com) party time For more information on Morton’s 2&8 club hosting the nightclub at Chalet Edelweiss please visit www.mortonsclub. com/2-8-club or call 020 7499 0363. discover Courchevel Tourism (www.courchevel.com) see & do Snow Descent Ski & Snowboard School. (www.snowdescent.com) getting about Locatax taxi transfer company. (www.locatax.com)

Fur gilet, £4,750, Missoni (www.missoni.co.uk). Top, £325, Dsquared2 (www.dsquared2.com). Sunglasses, £132, House of Harlow 1960 (www.houseofharlow1960.com) 36

The mayfair Magazine | Fashion

Cabin

fever

Take chalet style to a new level this season with oversize knits, sleek trousers and super-soft accessories â&#x20AC;&#x201C; wrapping up for winter never looked so good S T Y L I S T: W e n d y t e e P H O T O G R A P H E R : A n to n y No b ilo

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ABOVE Trousers, £239, DvF (www.dvf.com). Quilted jacket with fur cuffs, £2,700, Nina Naustdal (nina-naustdal.com). Jersey turtleneck top, £61, Splendid (www.net-a-porter.com)

LEFT Jersey and leather leggings, £530, Gomez-Gracia (www.gomez-gracia.com). Waistcoat, £370, Madeleine Thompson (www.net-a-porter.com). Fur headband, £120, Marielle Designs (www.marielledesigns.co.uk). Sweater, £120, Boutique by Jaeger (www.jaeger.co.uk). Calfskin leather backpack, £308, Rachael Ruddick (www.rachaelruddick.com). Nappa boots, £395, United Nude (www.unitednude.com)

The mayfair Magazine | Fashion

Cashmere scarf with leather pockets, £285, Madeleine Thompson (www.net-a-porter.com). Fur headband, £120, Marielle Designs (www.marielledesigns.co.uk). Cashmere sweater, £315, Madeleine Thompson (www.net-a-porter.com). Leggings, £99, James Lakeland (www.jameslakeland.net)

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Shot on location at Bodoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Schloss in Kensington, a new restaurant, bar and old-fashioned disco, reminiscent of an Austrian alpine lodge. 2 Kensington High Street, W8 4PT (020 7937 5506; www.bodosschloss.com). With thanks to the Royal Garden Hotel, a luxury hotel and meeting venue in the heart of Kensington. 9 Old Court Place, W8 4PL. (020 7937 8000; www.royalgardenhotel.co.uk) 42

The mayfair Magazine | Fashion

ABOVE As before

left Vienna Joplin style jeans, £148, MiH Jeans (www.austique.co.uk). Boots, £765, Sergio Rossi (www.sergiorossi.com). Linen T-Shirt, £70, Filippa K (www.london-boutiques.com). Leather quilted jacket with fur collar, £475, Marielle Designs (www.marielledesigns.co.uk)

credits Stylist’s assistant: Tarra Chong Hair: Leigh Keates Makeup: Yuko Fredriksson using Shu Uemura Model: Anya Barker at Storm

IWC Pilot. Engineered for aviators.

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The mayfair The mayfair Magazine Magazine | Food |& Fashion Drink

Monsignor Porter However annoying the ‘New Year, New You’ headlines can be, there is something about the start of a new year that demands a slight change in your life. Leave the detoxing and instead make this the year you get a great new tuxedo. MrPorter.com has collaborated with Italian tailors Brioni to produce a perfect set of modern eveningwear: a midnight blue tuxedo with matching shirt, bow tie and cummerbund all available exclusively at the online retailer – effortless style for any black-tie event 2013 may throw your way. (www.mrporter.com)

style SPY mackenzie W O R D S : s a n dr a

Made for walking Back in the 1880’s, William Church pioneered the ‘adaptable’ shoe, realising that shoes might fit better if they were made specifically for left and right feet and came in different sizes. As if this wasn’t reason enough to be thankful for the British shoemaker, their newest innovation takes their traditional welted sole and makes it flexible and lightweight. Ticking boxes for practicality as well as style and comfort, the shoes come in a range of five models and nine colours. (www.church-footwear.com)

Looking to the future Don’t be fooled by their size – Leica’s Ultravid binoculars may be compact, but they’re packed with the best technology around to provide an uncompromisingly sharp optical service. Fully waterproof up to a depth of five metres, they also have the patented AquaDura coating which forces water to simply roll off the lenses, making them the ideal choice for yachting trips or sailing holidays. Precision meets practicality in one conveniently portable device. (Leica Ultravid 8x32 HD, £1,575, www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk)

A man’s world The second edition of the London Collections: Men looks set to confirm its place as a major event in the capital’s fashion calendar when it opens this January at the ever-chic Hospital Club. The three-day A/W 2013 event boasts over fifty designers, including British heavyweights Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen, whose labels will be making a first time appearance at the event. One glance at the schedule provides a dazzling display of British heritage brands, international designers and exciting new talents, so there’s sure to be a show to suit you, whatever your style. Look out for other celebratory events across the capital during these days. (London Collections: Men, 7th-9th January; www.londoncollections.co.uk) 45

Fashion | The mayfair Magazine

Eye spy Finding the perfect pair of sunglasses in the middle of winter can pose quite the challenge. Luckily for jet-setters, the queen of glamorous shades has redesigned her website which now stocks her most comprehensive eyewear collection to date, including its own line Linda Farrow Luxe – just in time for booking those all-important mid-winter expeditions. Keep eyes peeled for a beautiful edit of rare iconic glasses from Farrow’s archive and beautiful, exclusive limited-edition frames. (www.lindafarrow.co.uk)

e t a d p u e l y st ndall W O R D S : k at i e r a

Tropical totes Opulence incarnate, Anya Hindmarch’s S/S 2013 collections were awash with 18th-century grandeur and glamour. We spied these woven beauties amongst the collection, a sartorial breath of fresh air after a season filled with rich hues and gothic glamour. The raffia totes, which come in a neon pink and lime green (and in a smaller clutch version) are the perfect size for carting around various belongings, as well as being a spritely antidote to winter’s bleak landscape. £495, Anya Hindmarch SS13 collection, (www.anyahindmarch.com)

Luxe luggage Sophie Hulme’s ready-to-wear collections will be jovially inspired by that most tropical of fruits, the pineapple for S/S 2013. This lightness of mood will also be translated into her designs for her upcoming collaboration with Globe-Trotter. Following on from the previous success of the link-up, a line of beautiful cases and structured bags is set to be produced this year. Featuring brighter hues, cream leather accents and soft curving lines – we’ve got passports at the ready. Sophie Hulme for Globetrotter Cream case, £875; Navy case, £1,330 (www.coggles.com) 46

Hermès goes back to basics Indigo is clearly the colour du jour for tastemakers Hermès. They are going ‘back to denim basics’ with a limited-edition run of scarves, printed to celebrate the marriage of the traditional art of natural indigo dyeing, kept alive by the craftsmen of Bangladesh and Hermès’ silk print know-how. The scarves will be available in different sizes and hues, but will all feature the signature Hermès Ex-libris – our little tissue-lined box is already in the post. Carre Shibori Scarf, £390, Hermès, (www.hermes.com)

Our boutique is located 20 Motcomb Street London SWIX 8LB tel. 020 7823 2176

www.annickgoutal.com

The mayfair Magazine | Fashion

cruise control Stephen Doig chases the sun by recounting the history of the cruise collection

‘C

ruise collections’ – even the name conjures up images of watery Portofino vistas or coral Bahamian sunsets sinking into the sea – have long been synonymous with the glamour of the international jet set. Not for those who share their names with W1 streets and first families the arduous slog of winter and the grey, soggy skies of London (or, for that matter, Paris, New York or Venice); winter is, for a chosen lucky few, a time of travel and an opportunity to seek out sunbeams far afield. Cruise collections, once a capsule output by a select group of designers, are now big business, with cruise – or resort – ranges becoming a key component in a designer’s production schedule. Indeed, the idea that a contemporary fashion brand (whether working from an East Village loft or a Shoreditch warehouse) wouldn’t conjure up a cruise collection is as unthinkable as Karl Lagerfeld hanging up his sketch pad and declaring that he doesn’t quite feel like making an Autumn/Winter line, thank you very much. How did this curiously rarified strata of fashion evolve? The fact that designers are more than willing to go against the grain of the season and produce flimsy sundresses in the midst of bleak mid-winter points to a fashion lust that, for those who have the budgets and the yachts booked, must be sated. Although there’s no

‘Cruise now represents Chanel’s biggest and most important delivery of the year’

FROM LEFT: GUCCI; EMILIO PUCCI; GLOBETROTTER SUITCASES; OSCAR DE LA RENTA; THAKOON

The mayfair Magazine | Fashion

definitive start date on cruise collections, like so many facets of style and the way we live, Coco Chanel was clairvoyant in her understanding of winter getaways. One of her first ventures was a store in Biarritz, the French coastal town that acted as a summer enclave to Paris’ elite. When she noticed that her aristocratic pack of friends often lamented the need to drag out summer clothes on their various winter sojourn, she began offering her easy, elegant jersey pieces during the colder months too. Today, Chanel is one of the standard bearers in the world of cruise collections. Talking to trade bible WWD last year, Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlosky said ‘Cruise now represents Chanel’s biggest and most important delivery of the year’. It’s little wonder that the cruise collections produced by Karl Lagerfeld are subject to such showmanship and theatrics. The label transplants their cruise presentations in locations away from Paris, to celebrate the travel element so inherent to cruise. This year saw the Palace of Versailles gardens play host to a procession of latter day Marie Antoinettes in shades of pastels, with other renowned sojourns taking the Chanel staple marks to India and the South of France. As a world of accessible international travel opened up to the A-list elite in the Sixties and Seventies, so too did a rising raft of designers to cater to their demanding clientele – the woman that had her suits made at YSL was hardly going to settle for anything less when she packed her case to escape to the Côte d’Azur or Capri. Designers such as Emilio Pucci and Yves Saint Laurent began creating capsule ranges in lighter fabrics, somewhat more merry of print (it’s far easier to don a bright floral design whilst lazing on a sun drenched terrace than in the Rue Saint Faubourg) and in looser, freer fabrics. For both, the kaftan became something of a cruise collection calling card – an

exotic way to embrace bohemian style and cool fabrics without losing one iota of style when it came to cocktails at Basil’s Bar in Mustique. Marisa Berenson and Talitha Getty came to act as examples of international, jet-set glamour; they were the ideal that the cruise collection woman hankered after. Images of Princess

‘Marisa Berenson and Talitha Getty came to act as examples of international, jet-set glamour’ Margaret at her Mustique retreat (the island became a haven for stealth wealth when British aristocratic Lord Glenconner turned it into a palm-dappled playground for his rich friends) further served to underline the importance of Not Letting Standards Slip when reclining on a hammock – here she donned Pucci and Dior to pass the days watching azure seas. Today, what’s remarkable about the cruise collections is that even for the most fledgling of designers, they act as a crucial part of their fashion DNA – relative London newcomers such as Christopher Kane, Erdem and Roksanda Ilincic all produce cruise collections, alongside luxury conglomerates like Gucci and Oscar De La Renta (his is a woman that rarely sees grey skies). As Michael Kors says; ‘It has become the season when you sell the most clothes. And they’re clothes that can be whatever season you want them to be. Often it just depends on what’s on your feet’.

New Zinc showroom now open 1 Chelsea Wharf, 15 Lots Road, London SW10 0QJ

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09/03/2012 16:51

The mayfair Magazine | Collection

atch-collectors looking for something unique to kick off their New Year could do a lot worse than procuring a 4987G or 5396G. They’re the reference numbers of the limitededition timepieces Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. jointly released towards the end of last year. Commemorating the fifth anniversary of the former’s boutique in the latter’s world-famous Fifth Avenue flagship store, the watches pay homage to a partnership that stretches back to 1851. Limited to 50 pieces, the Art Deco-inspired Ladies Gondolo watch (the 4987G) features a curved, tonneau-shaped case in 18-karat white gold, accented with no less than 164 round brilliant-cut diamonds. Two dial options are offered: choose the matt blue sunburst dial with white painted Roman numerals for understated elegance or the white mother-of-pearl dial with powdered gold numerals for a perfect day-to-evening timepiece. For men, the Annual Calendar creations (5396G) display the day, date and month in apertures, moon phases and 24-hour indication on a smart black dial. The watches are limited to an exclusive 100 pieces and all have a sapphire-crystal case back, as well as featuring an exclusive engraving. As these are available only in the States, you’ll have to factor in the cost of a flight to get one.

A vision shared:

The power players The most revered name in watchmaking collaborates with jewellery’s most famous Maison W O R D S : r i c h a rd b row n

We prefer not to be measured by dimensions. Unless it’s a new dimension of accuracy.

No fewer than four exceptional mechanisms enhance the precision of the RICHARD LANGE TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite”: the tiny fusée-and-chain transmission, the delicate tourbillon, the ultra-thin Lange balance spring, and – not least – the patented stop-seconds device for the tourbillon which makes it possible to

set the watch with one-second accuracy in the first place. Never before has an A. Lange & Söhne watch been endowed with so many complications that simultaneously enhance its rate accuracy, settability, and readability. And so, this remarkable timepiece truly deserves the honorary attribute “Pour le Mérite”.

Arije 165, Sloane Street London • George Pragnell 5 and 6, Wood Street, Stratford-upon-Avon Hamilton & Inches 87, George Street, Edinburgh • Harrods 87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London Watches of Switzerland 16, New Bond Street, London • Wempe 43-44, New Bond Street, London Lange Uhren GmbH • Tel. +34 91 454 89 82 • www.lange-soehne.com

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Watch news For treasured timepieces, horological heirlooms and modern masterpieces, watch this space... WORDS: RICHARD BROWN

And the winners are…

Gold Rush

When experts from the watch world gathered at the 2012 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix at the end of last year, it was TAG Heuer’s Mikrogirder that they voted the best overall watch of the year. ‘Our chronograph is the ultimate in highprecision timing; it consigns quartz to historical oblivion,’ said Jean-Christophe Babin, the company’s CEO, upon accepting the award. Other brands scooping gongs at what are effectively the Oscars of the watch industry included Chanel with its Flying Tourbillon Première (Best Ladies’ Watch) and MB&F with its Legacy Machine N°1 (winner of both Best Men’s Watch and the Public’s Choice award). Another noteworthy victor was HYT’s H1 Titanium Black DLC (Innovation Watch Prize), a watch that uses two reservoirs of fluorescent liquid to indicate the time. (www.gphg.org/horlogerie)

Fresh from plugging the Seamaster Planet Ocean as 007’s wristwatch of choice, 2013 sees Omega extend the collection with the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ceragold. Distinguished from the rest of the range by ceramic Ceragold bezels (a material new to the world of watchmaking), the models come equipped with a helium escape valve and Omega’s own Co-Axial calibre 9301 movement. The timepieces feature 18-karat red gold cases and allow would-be James Bonds to descend to a depth of 600 metres. Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 45.50 mm Chronograph Ceragold £20,950 (www.omegawatches.com)

ONE TO WATCH Each month we select our timepiece of the moment from the watch world’s most exciting pieces:

‘With its shiny, grey, hand-stitched alligator strap and moon phase display, the 4968G is an illustration of why Patek’s complicated watches are among the most distinctive and valuable timepieces a woman can own’ 4968G, £39,380, Patek Philippe (www.patek.com)

Dual-Winging It While nearly all of the top watchmakers now produce worldtime timepieces, none have managed to mastermind a creation that enables the user to adjust the time in the travel zone to the nearest minute. None, that is, except JaegerLeCoultre. Thanks to a new dual-wing movement that uses two independent barrels and gear trains, the company’s Duomètre Unique Travel Time does just that. Unveiled towards the end of last year, the stunning 100-piece limited edition series comes in 18-carat white gold and features a globe-shaped day/night indicator at six o’clock. Yours for £30,400. (www.jaeger-lecoultre.com) 55

Collection | The mayfair Magazine

#1 #2

For him

Start your Forget the January blues; kick-start the New Year with a range of race-inspired accessories

#7 #6

#1 Ducati Quattroporte 4 Wheeled Extended Trip, £695, Tumi (uk.tumi.com) #2 DS Podium Big Size GMT, £495, Certina (www.certina.com) #3 Bentley-inspired Number 1 Monza weekend holdall, £420, Caracalla (www.caracalla1947.com) #4 RT Watch Mechanical Racing cufflinks, £175, Tateossian (www.tateossian.com) #5 Submariner Date in Steel, £6,050, Rolex, One Hyde Park #6 Aston Martin Racing driving gloves, £125, Hackett (www.hackett.com) #7 Bridle Hide green travel shoe horn, £60, Ettinger (www.ettinger.co.uk) #8 Contemporary cufflinks, £200, Montblanc, 13 Old Bond Street #9 C7 MK11 British Racing Green, £399, Christopher Ward (www.christopherward.co.uk) 56

Swiss movement, English heart

Swiss made / 250 piece limited edition / ETA Valjoux 7750 self-winding chronograph with ĂŠlaborĂŠ finish / Bi-compax, galvanic, sapphire blue dial / 45 hour power reserve 316L stainless steel case / 43mm diameter / Transparent case back / Blue alligator deployment strap

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26/11/2012 17:19

Brand No one does aviation watches quite like Breitling. As the company takes to the skies with new ambassador David Beckham, Richard Brown speaks to Vice President, Jean-Paul Girardin, about the future flight path of this famous brand

The MAYFAIR Magazine | Collection

AG has Diaz and DiCaprio; Omega, Kidman and Clooney; Rolex, Federer, Woods and Placido Domingo. Breitling, comparatively, has wing-walkers, a jet-man and, err, John Travolta. Danny Zuko aside, when it comes to the employment of international ambassadors, Breitling hasn’t exactly invested in household names. Until, that was, last year drew to a close. Then, as December reared its head and Christmas wish-lists were being written, the brand unveiled its newest emissary: a marketing masterpiece in the shape of a (soon-to-be-Sir, surely?) David Beckham. A footballing-superstarcome-style-guru may not have been the most obvious choice for a brand more associated with aviation than sporting achievement but in terms of mass appeal, few come as universally adored as old Golden Balls.

‘In December, Breitling unveiled its newest emissary, a marketing masterpiece… David Beckham’ ‘It has to be more than a product placement,’ said Breitling’s Vice President, Jean-Paul Girardin, of celebrity endorsements when I spoke to him two weeks before the Beckham news broke. ‘It is important that they are professional, that there should be a clear link between product and ambassador.’ Other than the fact that he spends a lot of time in the air, flitting between time zones, the link between Beckham and the Transocean Chronograph Unitime (the watch for which he is now the face) might not be the most transparent. Not that it will matter too much to Breitling; for the company, the association allows for a press release that can be littered with words like ‘precision’, ‘style’ and ‘icon’, as much to describe the footballer as the time-teller. Launched at this year’s Baselworld watch fair, 

the modern Unitime is a reinvention of a watch originally launched in the 50s, a self-winding worldtimer that now exists as a sought-after collector’s piece. It’s an important watch for Breitling, one that simultaneously signifies its 21st century technical prowess, in the use of an in-house movement, and recognises its aviation-dominated past. As Girardin explains: ‘In 2004 we started developing our first in-house mechanical movement which launched in 2009. Three years later [with the Transocean Chronograph Unitime] we have proved we are able to produce not just quantity but quality. It’s important to be able to show our consumers that we have that sort of in-house innovation capacity.’ So confident is Breitling in the quality of that innovation that the watch comes with a five year warranty. As the images on these pages will testify, Breitling is a brand dedicated to aerial endeavours. What started in the 1930s, when the company began producing onboard chronographs for aircraft cockpits, progressed into World War II, when Breitling became the go-tobrand for The Royal Airforce in equipping their Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes. Seven years after the end of the war, the company launched the watch that would arguably define it: the Breitling Navitimer. With looks that animated aviation enthusiasts and mainstream watch lovers alike, the timepiece would quickly become a cult chronograph and design classic. Having celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, the Navitimer is today the world’s oldest mechanical chronograph still in production. ‘Technically, it is completely different from the originals,’ points out Mr Girardin. ‘It is now water resistant, it is made with sapphire crystals and it uses different movements. But from a design point of view, it is very similar. We are the only watch company truly dedicated to aviation. In the Navitimer you can see that dedication and the consistency of our brand.’ You can see it in other places too. Breitling’s sustained commitment to aviation sees it sponsoring the fixed-wing jet pack flights of Yves Rossy, as well as its own jet team, a team of wingwalkers and the first balloon to successfully circumnavigate the globe (the Breitling Orbiter) without stopping. But while the Navitimer may continue to act as the cornerstone of Breitling’s range, you can’t accuse the brand of relying on its most popular

The mayfair Magazine | Collection

timepiece to swell sales. In 1995 Breitling launched the Emergency, a watch equipped with a radio transmitter that when activated broadcast at the frequency used for distress calls. Following a crash or a forced landing, and the unscrewing a protective cap, the Emergency would send out a signal on which rescuers could home in. Mr Girardin explains that the watch’s USP proved to be more than a novelty. ‘We have already located more than 20 people by using the Emergency. We have some examples we cannot tell you about, relating to the Air Forces; they are happy to be saved, but it seems not happy to talk about being saved. We had two UK helicopter pilots flying from South America to Darfur. When they hit a patch of high pressure they began to experience autorotation [where a helicopter’s rotor system begins turning through air pressure rather than engine power] and were forced to jump 30 feet from the helicopter into the sea. They both had an Emergency watch

presenting their customers with a collection titled Breitling for Bentley. ‘These were not just recreations but a completely new brand, almost; a new product, a new aesthetic, a new pricing position. It was a meeting of high performance and luxury.’ The range now stretches to some 16 models, with customers being able to tailor the details of each to their specific requirements. No other watch-car collaboration can count itself such a triumph. Tracing its roots back to 1884, yet still independently owned, Breitling is a rarity within its industry; having served the same single company for more than 20 years, so is Girardin. In the next year or so, Breitling will hope that Brand Beckham proves as lucrative an investment as Brand Bentley did, but what of the future after that? ‘There are now many brands claiming they have close links with aviation but we are the only ones truly focused on that relationship. Most of

‘We have already located more than 20 people using the Emergency watch’ and we were able to save them.’ More recently, there’s been Breitling’s collaboration with Bentley. Predating the relationships between the likes of Hublot and Ferrari, and Ball and BMW, the partnership has proved to be one of the more successful unifications between the automobile and watchmaking worlds. It came in 2003 when Bentley announced its return to the supercar sector with the world’s most powerful sedan: the Continental GT. ‘Bentley had been taken over by Volkswagen and completely repositioned as a truly luxury car, not just the production factory of Rolls-Royce. This made it a perfect match,’ explains Mr Girardin. ‘They wanted to rejuvenate the classic days and the GT became the symbol of this new Bentley brand. They asked us to bring a little dynamism to the dashboard and we designed the Breitling of the Bentley GT dashboard clock.’ The company then went one step further by

our technical features have been gained through this association. Some brands try to do everything; we know we cannot. We will continue to focus our energy and resources on that segment.’ Of the luxury watch industry as a whole? ‘There won’t be as many changes as we have seen in recent years. There was a trend for the merging and acquisition of independent brands by big groups but now I think that the remaining independent brands are the ones that stand a good chance of coming into their stride. We are quick; we can create special products. ‘If you talk about the size of the watch, I think we’ve achieved the ultimate diameter. Breitling, for one, will not be going any bigger. You still have to wear your watch in a convenient manner. Geographically, I think the Swiss watch industry is about to go to war over China.’ Let’s hope the Chinese like planes. If they don’t, Breitling can always rely on Beckham. (www.breitling.com)

CONTESSA To own a rare Argyle pink diamond is to own a truly magnificent heirloom. Contessa, beautifully handcrafted in Platinum and 18ct Rose Gold, features an exquisite combination of stunning craftsmanship and the rarest of Australian Argyle pink diamonds. Simply, they are the rarest diamonds in the world and are revered for their unique provenance and intrinsic beauty.

UNITED KINGDOM The Royal Arcade, Old Bond St, Mayfair London W1S 4SW AUSTRALIA Sydney Gold Coast calleija.com

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The mayfair Magazine | Collection

Jewellery news Jewels, gems, pearls and diamonds; the essential components of any jewellery collection WORDS: OLIVIA SHARPE

Hidden gems The newly-refurbished Manguette is anything but your average jewellery shop, specialising in semi-precious stones, amber and pearls set in 22 or 24-karat gold. Founder Michelle Manguette has more than 30 years’ experience in the jewellery industry and, being a born traveller, she has sourced gemstones from distant climes. Also stocked in this treasure trove are Parisian brands Adelline and Vaubel (both exclusive to Manguette UK) and US designers Margo Morrison and Coralia Leets. Whether you’re looking for small trinkets or investment pieces, Manguette has something for everyone. 40 Gordon Place, W8 4JF 020 7937 2897 (www.manguette.com)

CUTTING EDGE Spotted on the wrists of Jay Z, Gwyneth Paltrow and Karl Lagerfeld, the rest of the world soon followed suit when they saw the universality and versatility of the diamond-studded gold-ball bracelets, created by Shamballa jewels. The jewellery label has now added a new design to its growing repertoire;

‘Featuring a diamond pavé ball and a connecting Tibetan purpa dagger, and symbolising victory over evil, the Laughing Skull pendant is a testament to the founders’ of Shamballa Jewels, brothers Mads and Mikkel Kornerups, desire to explore further their fascination with spirituality and ancient cultures through their fine jewellery creations’ Laughing Skull Purpa pendant, £24,400, available at Harrods (www.harrods.com)

Out of the Woods This limited-edition Alhambra collection was discovered by chance, as the jewellery house was refurbishing its Place Vendôme residence and some planks of letterwood resembling hieroglyphs were unearthed. Untouched for 25 years, the founders set about carving the speckled black wood into the lucky four-leaf clover shape. The pieces were contrasted with rose-gold motifs and placed on simple chains. (www.vancleefarpels.com) Keeping with Tradition We have always loved Fabergé’s sense of tradition. Its latest Matelassé collection is inspired by lavish furnishings of the Romanov palaces, featuring the quilted Fabergé design which recalls the classical-revival style of the turn of the century. However, the house has always drawn on the contemporary fashion world, fusing fabric and jewels. This Bandeau ring is a highlight of the most recent collection. (www.faberge.com) The Man with the Golden Touch British designer Alex Monroe is loved for his commitment to capturing the English countryside in his signature designs. The popular Goldcrest collection, named after the designer’s favourite British bird, now includes the Teeny Tiny range, a selection of his most iconic pieces created in miniatures, along with wedding bands and engagement rings. (www.alexmonroe.com) 63

The mayfair Magazine | Collection

#3 #2

For her

Family heirlooms

#12

From vintage Chanel earrings and bejewelled rings to ornate brooches and pendants, raid your family’s jewellery boxes for accessory inspiration this January

#11

#6 #7

#10 #8

#1 Gold-tone resin flower clip earrings, £560, Dolce & Gabbana (www.dolcegabbana.com) #2 Allegra three-band ring in 18-karat yellow gold with pink tourmaline, peridot, citrine quartz, blue topaz and pavé diamonds, from a selection, Bulgari (www.bulgari.com) #3 Gold-tone crystal and velvet necklace, £610, Dolce & Gabbana (www.net-a-porter.com) #4 Gold-plated glass pearl Virgin Mary necklace, £385, Dolce & Gabbana as before #5 Vintage earrings, £295, Chanel Vintage (www.farfetch.com) #6 Mini Luna 18-karat gold-plated vermeil bracelets, £105 each, Monica Vinader (www.monicavinader.com) #7 24-karat gold-plated crystal ring, £210, Oscar de la Renta (www.oscardelarenta.com) #8 24-karat gold-plated crystal bracelet, £295, Oscar de la Renta, as before #9 24-karat gold-plated Swarovski crystal and pearl clip earrings, £270, Bijoux Heart (www.net-a-porter.com) #10 Vintage cuff, £950, Chanel Vintage (www.farfetch.com) #11 Girlie Queen gold-plated Swarovski crystal earrings, £330, Erickson Beamon (www.net-a-porter.com) #12 Love of God gold-plated Swarovski crystal necklace, £1,305, Tom Binns (www.tombinnsdesign.com) 65

www.bachet.fr

mayfair

Resident’s Journal

From the Editor Dear Resident Welcome to the fourth edition of the Mayfair Residents’ Journal. May we be the first to wish you a very happy New Year. This Journal is designed to bring you the latest news and updates from the Mayfair and St James’s area, in collaboration with The Residents’ Society of Mayfair and St. James’s, with whom we look forward to a continued relationship over the on-coming year, delivering area-focused insights. Our pages this month are bursting with fun and inventive ways to spend your time sagely and kick start the New Year with a bang. Burns Night on the 25 January will see celebrations popping up across Mayfair, with special events at Fortnum & Mason and the Mayfair Sporting Club at the Millennium Hotel – get ready to don your kilt! There is also an abundance of cultural highlights to pencil into the diary, from opera to world cuisine cookery classes. January looks set to be a busy month. Keep your Journal close to navigate the whirl of social engagements or cosy up by the fire to read up on the local planning news – it would appear that some most interesting trends are emerging and art galleries are finally ready to start fighting for prime Mayfair retail space. Enjoy! Katie Randall, Editor The Mayfair Residents’ Journal

The Residents’ Society of Mayfair & St James’s Committee Members Chairman Anthony Lorenz (Events & Traffic)

Secretary Richard Cutt (Crossrail & Finance)

Planning Applications Ronald Cottee (Planning)

Membership Pol Ferguson-Thompson (Membership & Website)

Traffic Lois Peltz

Police Mary-Louise Burrows

Licensing Derek Stratton

The Notebook The most local of news and events happening in the heart of the area this month

Rags FOR SOCIAL riches The Rag Members’ Club on Pall Mall (officially ‘the Army and Navy Club’) sits in the heart of the Mayfair and St James’s area, and has a strong connection to the local area having previously hosted splendid social evenings for members of both the Club and of the Residents’ Society of Mayfair and St James’s. It is currently offering a ten percent discount on the joining fee for all Residents’ Society of Mayfair and St James’s members – an extremely tempting offer considering the dazzling social calendar and competitive room rates subsequently made available. At a recent event, attendees were met and greeted by the Club’s Chairman and staff before enjoying delicious canapés prepared by superb in-house chef Matthew Edmonds. With a history dating back to 1837, the Club is a local institution known for its impeccable service and ideal location. The RSMSJ highly recommends taking advantage of this exclusive discounted offer. (www.therag.co.uk)

Taste the world Two-time Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar is throwing open the doors to his world-renowned kitchen at Benares this month, in anticipation of his new cookbook Curries of the World. On 20 January at 9.30am, guests will be able to join Kochhar on a taste-bud tour of the world as he creates some of the innovative dishes that inspired his book. He will be hosting an interactive demonstration, with lunch to follow – what’s more, guests will be ahead of the pack gaining a sneak peek at his recipes, as the cookbook is not due to be released until March. Classes accommodate a maximum of 15 guests for £180 per person. Included in the price is a signed copy of Atul’s cookbook – Absolute Press, £20 – and an embossed Benares apron. To make a booking call 020 7629 8886 or email events@benaresrestaurant.co.uk

mayfair RESIDENTS’ JOURNAL | The Notebook

PHOTO: Sophie Cunningham

Contemporary art for Crisis From the very old to the very new – make sure to stop by the Cork Street Open Art Exhibition. Compiled entirely of public submissions, the thousands of entrants will be whittled down to two-hundred outstanding works, to be displayed in the gallery for eight days, raising money for the charity Crisis in the process. Encompassing every imaginable field from sculpture and painting, to photography and graphic prints, this is the UK’s fastest-growing open exhibition and is certain to be a hotbed of exciting talent. Along with the judge-assigned prizes there’s a viewers’ choice award up for grabs, so remember to cast your vote for your favourite piece. (18-25 January, 28 Cork Street)

For Auld Lang Syne If you have even the most tenuous connection with the land over the border, 25 January can mean only one thing. Burns Night is fast approaching making it time to dust off the kilt, tie on the sporran and prepare for a night of haggis, whiskey and, of course, the odd poem or two. For those not quite committed to a trip up north, there is a range of local festivities to choose from – enjoy a traditional Scottish supper in style at Fortnum and Mason, or for a twist on the classic, check out Burns Night Boxing as organised by the Mayfair Sporting Club at the Millennium Hotel. Wherever you choose to celebrate, as long as the night ends in a fantastic ceilidh, you’ve done it right. (www.fortnumandmason.com; www.mayfairsportingclub.com)

Vive la vie bohème The latest offerings from the Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season are guaranteed to put a romantic spin on January’s bleak mid-winter. Its screening of La Bohème at the Curzon Theatre lets you travel to 1830s Paris from the comfort of a Mayfair cinema seat. Brought to you directly from the Royal Opera House, Puccini’s masterpiece is traditional opera at its best, with haunting music and an atmospheric setting guaranteed to transport you into the timeless love story. (15 January, 38 Curzon Street)

‘The screening of La Bohème at the Curzon Theatre lets you travel to 1830s Paris from the comfort of a Mayfair cinema seat’

Aletheia by Darren Harvey-Regan Courtesy of Darren Harvey-Regan and Sumarria Lunn Gallery

Ode to a photoshopped urn An upcoming solo show by Darren Harvey-Regan at the Summaria Lunn Gallery this month promises to be a perfect collaboration between an exciting new venue and a fabulous new talent. The artist is already known for his photographic works which challenge our ideas about the truthful representation of objects, inserting modern tools and references such as Photoshop into stereotypically classical works. The Gallery itself is one of the Mayfair art scene’s latest additions, having opened its doors on South Molton Lane in May 2011. The venue already has a reputation for producing dynamic and stimulating exhibitions, and this latest venture is likely to raise the bar even higher. (31 January-8 March, ‘A Shifting Sense of Things’, Summaria Lunn Gallery, 36 South Molton Lane) Ye olde London town It’s an exciting month for lovers of fine art: Mayfair Antiques and Fine Arts Fair makes its London debut in Grosvenor Square. For four days, the Marriott Hotel will play host to the world’s finest dealers and purchasers, with stalls from Galerie Arabesque, WR Harvey & Co., David Foord-Brown Antiques and Willow Gallery, to name only a few. The stylish Marriott Hotel should provide an ideal setting for the assembled treasure, and is offering a special package allowing passionate collectors to stay in the hotel throughout the fair. Highlights include a rare French Empire ormolu mantel clock depicting ‘The Oath of Horati,’ (£22,500) and a pair of Regency period rosewood and brass inlaid tables (£39,500). (10-13 January, London Marriott Hotel)

WORDS: SANDRA MACKENZIE

Planning & Society

left: South Audley Street, image courtesy of Brian Girling from Mayfair Through Time (AmberleyPublishing, £14.99)

Ground-level developments and societal structural changes in the area

The office debate The conversion of properties from offices to residential sites has proved a contentious issue in Mayfair for decades, with the attitudes of developers and property owners drastically shifting several times in the past fifty years. In the 1960s, many former bomb sites which had been redeveloped in central Mayfair became office space throughout. However, as the demand began to escalate, a massive shortage of office space led to property owners scrambling for licences to convert their houses into offices, particularly in desirable areas such as Upper Brook Street, South Audley Street and Upper Grosvenor Street. The licences given out at this time expired in December 1990, provoking a series of legal fights from businesses seeking to retain occupancy of their offices. By this time, the spaces were worth on average £1,500 per square foot, making untenable the mathematics of their conversion back into similarly valued residential properties. In the past twenty-two years, residential values have climbed astronomically to £3,000-£4,000 per square foot, while the values of these converted office properties remain at about £1,500-£2,000. This, of course, provides a huge incentive to convert the period buildings back into lucrative residential properties. The large number of planning applications being pursued are testament to the changing priorities of Westminster property owners. The area seems to have changed tack

from the office boom of the twentieth century, with even larger buildings such as 30 Old Burlington Street, 77 South Audley Street and 7 Clarges Street currently subject to applications for redevelopment from offices to residential. ‘There is obviously some pressure on office tenants who are currently in buildings which are being redeveloped or refurbished, to move from residential schemes into designated offices,’ says The Lorenz Consultancy, an agency specialising in the acquisition and disposal of premises. They also reveal that, ‘rents have risen by about 30–40 percent in the last year and a half alone, in Mayfair.’ The top rents are now hitting £120 per square foot for the best spaces and £50-£70 per square foot for reasonable quality, air-conditioned space. Mayfair provides a particularly intriguing case study in the modern office property market, as it continues to defy the European recession with steadily rising prices. The Lorenz Consultancy provides optimism for locals by dismissing suggestions that we could see a repeat of the 2008 crash from which the market took almost four years to recover: ‘There is only one Mayfair, and people want to be located here because of the unique and prestigious environment and the availability of fantastic restaurants, bars, clubs and endless amenities.’ Anthony Lorenz, The Lorenz Consultancy

mayfair RESIDENTS’ JOURNAL | Planning & Society

Planning applications in the local area

Galleries set to outbid retailers for Mayfair property The art world is ready to start bidding against retailers for prime retail space in Mayfair. Anthony Lorenz (left), Senior Partner of The Lorenz Consultancy, reveals that ‘interest rates are now at an all-time low and are projected to remain so, therefore, investment in contemporary art is booming and the galleries appear to be thriving.’ The Lorenz Consultancy, an agency specialising in the acquisition and disposal of premises with a particular emphasis on Mayfair, currently has four major art galleries looking for premises on its books. These galleries have budgets available to them which, according to Lorenz, ‘will outbid retailers as and when sites become available.’ Eight acquisitions and disposals have been handled by the company in the last two years, including an acquisition for the Carlson Gallery (55 South Audley Street) and for Pippy Houldsworth Gallery (8 Heddon Street); and a disposal of 5-7 Dover Street by the Alexia Goethe Gallery. There are plans for major development in Cork Street, and there is little doubt that galleries that have been in situ for many years will have to relocate to adjoining thoroughfares. Over the decades Mayfair has seen its art galleries shunted from prime locations; in the ‘70s and ‘80s most of Old Bond Street was occupied by galleries, book sellers and antique shops. The fashion retailers and jewellers followed and forced galleries to premises slightly off pitch, in locations such as Conduit Street, Bruton Street, Mount Street and South Audley Street. From the ‘90s onwards, the influx of European and American fashion brands clamouring for ground-floor retail space was a challenge to which the galleries could not rise in terms of bidding for prime sites. Mount Street was awash with retailers such as Louboutin and Marc Jacobs taking previous potential gallery space. This situation looks ready to change, with the demand for sites greater than supply: ‘There is just no stock available’, says Lorenz. He would like to hear from anybody who is thinking of closing a retail or gallery unit, adding that substantial premiums will be paid. (www.thelorenzconsultancy.co.uk)

Application received: 21 November Address: 27 Shepherd Market Proposal: Use of the public highway for the placing of two tables and four chairs in an area measuring 1.2m x 2m and six tables and twelve chairs in an area measuring 1.2m x 4.5m in connection with an existing ground floor unit. Application received: 22 November Address: 21 Brook’s Mews Proposal: Lowering of existing chimney stack and associated works. Application received: 26 November Address: 19 Charles Street Proposal: Alterations, including infill extension at basement level, creation of terrace at ground floor level, new conservatory to rear of first floor, installation of a new lift and associated internal alterations. Application received: 29 November Address: 36 Bourdon Street Proposal: Details of drawings (sections and elevations at a scale no greater than 1:10) of all the new external windows pursuant to Condition 1 of planning permission dated 6 November 2012 (RN:12/08404).

‘Investment in contemporary art is booming and the galleries appear to be thriving’

Application received: 29 November Address: 36 Bourdon Street Proposal: Details of Method Statement of Removing paint; detailed drawings (sections and elevations at a scale no greater than 1:10) of all the new external windows and kitchen doors pursuant to Conditions 1, 2 and 5 of listed building consent dated 6 November 2012 (RN:12/08405).

Planned road works and closures in and around January STREET

PLANNED WORK

DATES WORKS OWNER

Mayfair Place, between Stratton Street and Berkeley Street, West End

Installation of kerbs and cycle racks and the paving of the footway along Mayfair Place between Stratton Street and Berkeley Street

3 Jan-1 Mar

City Of Westminster 020 7641 2000

88 Brook Street, West End

Main clamp in the C/W in carriageway. Permanent reinstatement to be completed in same phase

7 Jan-9 Jan

Thames Water 0845 9200 800

Davies Street, West End

OSV repair in the C/W in carriageway. Permanent reinstatement to be completed in the same phase

7 Jan-9 Jan

Thames Water

Brook’s Mews, West End (footpath side of 21 Brook’s Mews, disconnecting services to 19 & 20 Grosvenor Street)

Disconnect 1x63mm PE service from main in footway

8 Jan-14 Jan

National Grid Gas PLC 0845 605 6677

57 Berkeley Square, West End

Permanent reinstatement in the carriageway

10 Jan-14 Jan

Thames Water

Grantham Place, Old Park Lane, West End

Permanent reinstatement in the carriageway

10 Jan-14 Jan

Thames Water

29 Green Street, West End

Excavate and disconnect existing gas supply

18 Jan-24 Jan

Fulcrum Pipelines Limited 0845 6413010

36 Bruton Street, West End

Repair to a main in the carriageway, permanent reinstatement to be completed in same phase

19 Jan-22 Jan

Thames Water

WORDS: KATIE RANDALL

The Mayfair Concierge Some of the most interesting requests made to Mayfair’s most experienced concierges



FIX IT QUICK

Dry cleaners/repairs Buckingham Dry Cleaners 83 Duke Street, W1K 5PF 020 7499 1253

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Electric cars The Electric Car Corporation 1st Floor, 5 Aldford Street, W1K 2AF 020 7495 5270

Luxury car rental Mayfair Prestige 0845 862 2142 Luxury yachts Princess Yachts 64 Grosvenor Street W1K 3JH 020 7499 5050

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mayfair Residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journal editor@residentsjournal.co.uk 020 7987 4320

If you have a view that you would like to share with the Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Journal team, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact the Editor, Katie Randall, above or one of the following teams: for matters of culture: culture@residentsjournal.co.uk for news-related items: notebook@residentsjournal.co.uk for planning stories: planning@residentsjournal.co.uk for schooling news: education@residentsjournal.co.uk for local events: calendar@residentsjournal.co.uk

The mayfair Magazine | Regulars

Couture

culture Whimsical fantasy, Oriental intrigue and exotic imagery all make for the perfect escape, we’ve got a serious case of wanderlust this month W O R D S : k at i e r a n d a l l

‘These moments of escape are not to be despised.’ Virginia Woolf wisely remarks in The Waves, ‘They come too seldom.’ We agree; moments of unadulterated escapism are few and far between, yet should be sought out with relish. You do not have to look far in W1 to find a slice of this proverbial pie, Kirsty Mitchell’s fantastical Wonderland series of photographs is currently hanging around the bar at Quaglino’s on Bury Street. Mitchell’s images appear plucked straight from a child’s imagination; think fairies in wooded glens and paint-pot explosions of colour. The exhibition will be running until 14 January and we heartily recommend popping by to revisit the unbridled world of childhood fantasy and to appreciate the bounty of nature – the accompanying cocktails inspired by the images are anything but childish. And from one unique visionary to another, the revered creative director of American Vogue, Grace Coddington, has just published her autobiography – a tantalising read in an orange coffee-table tome. Grace: A Memoir charts the wild and wonderful life of the former model. Meanwhile, a very different type of image is on display at the V&A this month; ponder the world at large with a trip to Light from the Middle East: New Photography, which explores the social challenges and political upheavals of the Middle East today (throughout January, in the Porter Gallery). With cultural yearnings sated, we’ve moved swiftly onto our beauty cravings and Black Saffron by Byredo hits the spot. This Oriental composition of Asian Pomelo and Kashmiri saffron whispers of the exotic; saffron itself is holy to all Hindus and has become synonymous with India (£130, www.byredo.com). Equally, this colourful Matthew Williamson cashmere-blend scarf instantly transports us to tropical climes, whilst brightening up winter wardrobes (£195, www.net-a-porter.com). Time travel is another fantastic way of escaping quotidian life and there is no better way to do this than by flicking through the pages of Brian Girling’s Mayfair Through Time; a book which we have been poring over thanks to its collection of historical images of the areas most famous streets and squares. Holding a magnifying glass up to this fair area, historian Girling reveals a captivating past – a must read for all Mayfairians.

LEFT: SPIRITED AWAY, BY KIRSTy MITCHELL (www.kirstymitchellphotography. com). FROM TOP: GAMMELYN’S DAUGHTER, also BY KIRSTy MITCHELL; GRACE : A Memoir, GrACE CODDINGTON (£25, Chatto & Windus); image From the 1998 series Qajar BY Shadi Ghadirian AT THE V&a’S LIGHT FROM THE MIDDLE EAST: NEW PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION; mATTHEW WILLIAMSON SCARF; Byredo Black Saffron PERFUME; BERKELEY SQUARE PHOTOGRAPH FROM MAYFAIR THROUGH TIME BY Brian Girling, (Amberley Publishing, £14.99).

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The mayfair Magazine | Regulars

My life in MAYFAIR giles english co-founder, bremont

‘Bremont is about discovery and the elegance of Mayfair was a perfect fit for us’ – Giles English

FROM TOP: NICK and giles ENGLISH; Victory watch gold, £20,000, bremont (www.bremont.com); THE BREMONT store INTERIOR; A WWII PLANE (PHOTO: Margo Harrison / Shutterstock.com); EXTERIOR OF BREMONT

t is fair to say that Giles and Nick English had an extraordinary introduction to life, with more time spent tearing through the clouds in old WWII aircrafts with their father, than on the ground. Thanks, in part, to their father’s passion for aviation and his work restoring old aircraft, these boys literally had their heads in the clouds, and as Giles reminisces, ‘would always be flying off to airshows all around Europe,’ before acknowledging that the excitement of turning up to an old airfield in a foreign land ‘never fades’. The brothers’ tales of travel and adventure led to the formation of the now award-winning Bremont, manufacturer of beautifully engineered British-made chronometers, and while their love of flying and mechanics is clearly hereditary it also marks them as a resilient duo. It was the death of their father Euan in a plane crash, together with another unexpected emergency landing in a French farmer’s field two years later, which proved a catalyst in the creation of the formidable watch brand: the farmer who assisted them after the crash, Antoine Bremont, revealed himself to be a former WWII pilot and a ‘great mechanic’ – a man not dissimilar to their late father. The three men still share a strong friendship. When the pair do touch down, they spend a lot of time in Mayfair, especially now that they are nurturing Bremont’s first stand-alone store, opened last July on South Audley Street. ‘We had been looking for a location that was more of a destination,’ says Giles, ‘Bremont is about discovery and the elegance of Mayfair and South Audley Street was a perfect fit for us.’ The boutique is more than a retail space, it’s a platform for their ‘adventure evenings’ produced with Chivas Regal whiskies. Twice a month, they invite one of their ambassadors to come in and talk about their latest ‘mad’ adventure, in the words of Giles, ‘it is a wonderful way for us to give something back to our clients.’ Running a tight ship requires excellent time management. On average, Giles spends a third of his time in London; a third in Henley-on-Thames – the location of Bremont’s new workshop – and the final third promoting the brand abroad. When in the city Giles favours George for lunch and adds that, ‘there is nothing better than a stroll around the neighbourhood.’ The brothers travel for work – although Giles admits he wouldn’t call flying hard-graft – and so when it comes to trips abroad for leisure, he favours low key holidays to his mother’s place in Menorca or short-haul trips skiing in the Swiss Alps. Naturally, the only way to travel for the Bremont boys is by plane, even commuting is done via the highways in the air, a habit which Giles assures is economical, ‘everyone thinks it is an expensive hobby, but if I fly to the office from home, I am using less fuel than I would driving’ – we’ll take your word for it, Giles. (www.bremont.com) 69

The mayfair Magazine | Art

Q&A with… Q: What was the reason for creating such a comprehensive exhibition of your paintings? A: One doesn’t reach the age of 80 every year! As I had 70 paintings at Richard Green [gallery] when I was 70, we decided to have 80 paintings for this celebration.

Art news

Paintings that look good enough to eat and a ‘global’ gallery opening on our doorstep – it’s been an exciting month in the art world. WORDS: CAROL CORDREY

Exciting new year for new Mayfair gallery The Ayyam Gallery already promotes established and emerging high-quality, Middle-Eastern artists through its locations in Damascus, Beirut and Dubai, but two new premises in Jeddah and London are on the cards. From 25 January, Ayyam will open its doors on New Bond Street and owner, Khaled Samawi, predicts that its London presence will transform Ayyam from, ‘a gallery representing regional artists, to a global gallery representing artists with global reach’. First to promote this new image will be Lebanese artist and architect, Nadim Karam. Alongside his richly coloured paintings that offer an innovative perception of love and war, Karam will show his iconic steel sculptures inspired by the urban environment. Nadim Karam, 25 January – 9 March, 143 New Bond Street (www.ayyamgallery.com)

Painting at its most perfect Only the best will do for Luciano Ventrone and his exquisite paintings at the Albemarle Gallery testify to that. Wonderful arrays of food and flowers are portrayed with such perfection that he leaves us peering at his canvases in search of brushstrokes, desperately needing to convince ourselves that each leaf, petal, grape, and fig is not set within real life, but within still-life compositions. Ventrone’s bunch of mixed roses appeals so fully to our senses that we want to breathe in the heady scent; his basket of winter leaves and fruits causes the development of an irresistible urge to crumple the leaves; and those gnarled stalks on the pot of cherries contrast so faultlessly with the shiny, succulent fruits that digestive juices begin to flow. Luciano Ventrone, 6 December – 5 January (www.albemarlegallery.com)

Q: Where did you go to find inspiration for all these compositions? A: I went to Venice and Cornwall where I have studios, but I also made three trips to Switzerland and one to India, which I fell in love with. My wife wanted us to visit the Greek island of Santorini as well. Zurich was my favourite location, I’m very much a cityscape man. Q: You are famed for your love of light and painting ‘en plain air’, did both apply to this body of work? A: Absolutely! The light in Switzerland was magical. I was following in the footsteps of Turner who was the RA’s first Professor of Perspective, but unlike Turner, who used to record scenes with sketchbook drawings then make them into paintings in the studio, all my work for this new book was completed en plain air. Q: Having been Professor of Perspective at the RA Schools, what do you hope your students valued most in you? A: I hope I instilled in them a love of drawing. Artists communicate through drawings and not just through words. ‘Ken Howard at 80’, 16 January – 2 February Richard Green, 147 New Bond Street, W1S. The artist will sign copies of his book, ‘Ken Howard’s Switzerland: In the Footsteps of Turner’ (RA Publications, £25.95), at the gallery on 16 and 17 January (www.richard-green.com)

LEFT: Nadim Karam & Atelier Hapsitus (Makram el-Kadi, Naji Moujaes, Karim Moallem, Micheal Habib), Untitled, 1997-2000, Downtown Beirut, Courtesy Nadim Karam; BELOW: ‘Gemelle’ by Luciano Ventrone;

Professor Ken Howard OBE, RA talks about his exhibition at Richard Green

Exhibition Focus:

The Turner Prize: But is it art? T

Tamsin Pickeral investigates the controversial art prize

he Turner Prize is synonymous with angry critics and passionate advocates; it is Britain’s most prestigious and talked about art prize and as much a part of the cultural calendar as Fashion Week. The prize was established in 1984 by the Patrons of New Art, a group who had formed two years before to promote public interest in contemporary art and to expand the Tate Gallery’s contemporary collection. The group named it after British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), whose work was both applauded and reviled for its originality and controversial style – much the way the prize is perceived today. His work was radically modern for the period and brought about a tangible change in public opinion about landscape painting, elevating the entire genre to a higher

level. Significantly for the Patrons of New Art, Turner had also been keen to found an art prize for young artists. In addition, the Tate Gallery is home to a large number of works by the artist who bequeathed around 300 paintings to the nation. Held annually, the prize is open to British artists under the age of 50 and is awarded based on an exhibition or presentation of work during the 12 months preceding. Just four artists are picked for the shortlist, who are then invited to exhibit in a show at Tate Britain – which is on now until 6 January – and guarantees maximum exposure for the artist’s work. This year’s winner, Elizabeth Price won the £25,000 prize for her trilogy of video installations that explore our relationship to objects and consumer culture. Other shortlisted artists were Paul Noble, selected on his dark, satirical drawings of the

‘The Turner Prize has come to be recognised as one of the most important and prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe’ 72

The mayfair Magazine | Art

fictional metropolis Nobson Newtown; Luke Fowler and his film based on the life and work of R. D. Laing and Spartacus Chetwynd, based on her solo exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ of performance and installations. Without doubt, the prize has come to be recognised as one of the most important and prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe – whether or not you subscribe to contemporary art in its widest form. It is intended to promote public discussion surrounding new developments in contemporary British art. This is in itself a subject that has caused serious debate and in essence for many people comes back to the question of ‘What is art?’ since for traditionalists the notion of conceptual art, for example, is nigh unattainable. Equally on the reverse there is a tendency for some to mindlessly embrace any ‘new’ art irrespective of measure of talent involved, heralding it or the artist as the next big thing. In this respect, clever marketing has much to answer for. Painting, that great bastion of the (traditional) arts is generally a surprise addition to the shortlisted artists each year, though not unheard of. Conceptual, performance, video and installation art on the other hand is fairly commonplace; there is an emphasis on innovation and stretching boundaries. The filmatic work of Price, The Woolworths Choir of 1979, is instantly compelling, bringing together two disparate topics – Gothic architecture and the fire at a Manchester Woolworth’s store in 1979 that killed ten people – with arresting focus. Visually splicing the two together and accompanied by music, silences, words and images, she relates huge, unforgettable pieces of information about both in a subtle, clever manner. Fowler’s piece similarly relied on film; All Divided Selves featured a montage of archival footage about the controversial Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing. It is a moving film, but at 93 minutes long, pushes the boundaries of elective concentration for an ‘art’ exhibit. Then there is the zany work of performance artist Chetwynd; briefly entertaining and to be applauded for its enthusiasm, but certainly for me, falling on the wrong side of ‘art’. Finally, there was the minutely detailed drawings of Noble, with their subversive humour and superb draftsmanship. His pieces in the exhibition are intriguing, even enthralling but they are also heavily introspective. His world is one that’s hard to connect to and seemingly remote, made more so by its lonely presence. There is a fifth ‘exhibit’ at the very end of the Turner Prize rooms and this is the comments wall where the public can write down and pin up their views on the exhibition. Perhaps this eclectic and humorous pin board might make it to the short list next year… MAIN IMAGE: The Woolworths Choir of 1979 BY elizabeth Price; FROM TOP: Villa Joe (Front View) 2005-6, BY PAUL JOE; Public Toilet, 1999, BY Paul Noble; Odd Man out, 2011, BY Spartacus Chetwynd; User Group Disco, 2009, BY Elizabeth Price; All Divided Selves, 2011, BY Luke Fowler

THIS IMAGE: Portrait of M. Antonin Proust (1880) by Édouard Manet; RIGHT: ‘Le Chemin de Fer’ (The Railroad) (1872-73) by Édouard Manet

The mayfair Magazine | Art

MANET’S AMAZING MASTERPIECES We take a look at the Royal Academy’s collection of paintings by Manet: the French artist who so gracefully bridged the Traditional and Modern periods words: Rebecca Wallersteiner

t promises to be the art highlight of the year. More than 50 paintings, spanning Manet’s career, from private and public collections around the world, have been assembled at the Royal Academy. Édouard Manet died of syphilis in 1883, aged just 52; now, 130 years later, he is regarded as one of the most exceptional artists of his time and the founder of modern art. In his lifetime his radical ideas divided contemporary critics right up to his death and earned him a reputation as a revolutionary. On 26 January, a new exhibition will open at the Royal Academy, focusing on the artist’s portraiture for the first time. Portraying Manet has moved to London from the Toledo Museum of Art in America, where its atmospheric paintings of 19th century Parisian society drew enthusiastic crowds during the autumn. ‘It is incredible that this is the first large retrospective of Manet’s work in the UK, offering fresh insights into his portraiture which has hitherto been comparatively neglected,’ says curator MaryAnne Stevens. She has selected 60 paintings, pastels and contemporary

photographs, spanning Manet’s entire career for the show – some of which have never been shown outside France. ‘It proved an organisational challenge as paintings of high profile artists tend to form centrepieces of major collections and owners have to be persuaded to lend,’ she adds. Well-known works are fragile, priceless and always in demand for exhibitions. What sort of a man was Manet? ‘Definitely very enigmatic, ambiguous and difficult,’ says Stevens. Born to a wealthy Parisian family he became a debonair man-about-town and was someone you would glance at twice. His pictures of street scenes and café life provide snapshots of everyday nineteenth century Parisian life. see key 57, Street Singer (1862) and key 20, Boy Blowing Bubbles (1867). People would gather around his table at cafés. But although he was sociable he was also private and only one hundred of his letters and few papers survive – so much of what we know about him is second-hand. Antonin Proust, Manet’s old classmate and friend provides tantalising glimpses of him in his memoir, Souvenirs (1897). ‘There was a steady rhythm to

‘His facility is phenomenal and his brushstrokes are – MaryAnne Stevens, Curator 76

The mayfair Magazine | Art

LEFT: ‘Mme Manet in the Conservatory’ (1879) by Édouard Manet; RIGHT: ‘Boy Blowing Bubbles’ (1869) by Édouard Manet

his carriage. His gait – the swing of his hips – even this had an air of refinement. Manet’s eyes were small but quite lively and his very glance spread good cheer’. They met most evenings to gossip in the local cafés and Stevens has included Manet’s affectionate portrait of Proust in the exhibition: Portrait of M. Antonin Proust (1880) (see key 53). Feeling increasingly depressed and lonely after Manet’s untimely death, Proust committed suicide in 1905. Unlike many artists Manet was outgoing with a wide circle of devoted friends and admirers. He even hosted a salon on Thursday evenings, which provided somewhere for avant-garde artists, writers and poets to meet and exchange ideas. Leading thinkers Charles Baudelaire, Émile Zola and Stéphane Mallarmé dropped in to relax and flirt. Manet fell for the beautiful artist, Berthe Morisot, feeling inspired by her soulful dark eyes and jet-black hair. ‘I have never seen such an expressive face as Manet’s’ said Morisot, who willingly became his muse. Manet’s stunning portrait, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, (1872), is in the show. Unfortunately she never sat for Manet again after marrying his younger brother, Eugene. Although he never completely forgave his brother for marrying Morisot, Manet was a family man and his deep affection for his wife and mother is apparent in his portraits. He painted both together in The Swallows, (1873) and his wife, Suzanne is also depicted in a domestic scene with Manet’s stepson in Madame Manet in the Conservatory (1879), (see key 15). Both of these paintings have been included by Stevens. Why was Manet thought to be revolutionary? ‘He was fully aware that his ideas were radical,’ says Stevens. Manet wanted to refresh painting as he felt that the accepted academic style had become stultified. He therefore rejected tradition and developed a new realist style of painting, infusing new vitality into nineteenth century nude, still life, or landscape painting. ‘His facility is phenomenal and his brushstrokes are subtle and bold – but always appropriate,’

says Stevens. He is now widely regarded as one of the founders of modern art and the precursor to Impressionism, but in his day his introduction of new modernist techniques, such as starker lighting, caused an outcry – as conceptual art does today. One of the biggest draws of the show will surely be the exquisitely painted Olympia, now owned by the Musée d’Orsay. Manet chose flame-haired prostitute Victorine Meurent as his model and when this picture was first shown, critics denounced her uninhibited nudity as obscene. He chose Meurent to be his muse again for the iconic, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (1863) - first shown at the Salon des Refusés, an exhibition of paintings rejected by the Paris salon, but now highly acclaimed. Stevens has selected an earlier, less well-known version of this painting, owned by the Courtauld for the Royal Academy. Through Morisot, Manet befriended younger Impressionists Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Pierre Auguste Renoir. Although he admired their work, he refused to exhibit alongside them as he felt that his work was different. ‘Manet’s palette, with its darker more subdued tones was more influenced by old Masters – Velasquez, Titian and Rembrandt, in contrast to brighter colours favoured by the Impressionists,’ explains Stevens. Manet was friendly with Monet, who was eight years younger and their work was often mixed up by the Salons. ‘Is this a Manet or a Monet?’ became a popular joke in their circles. Manet generously provided financial support for Monet, who reciprocated years later by purchasing Olympia to keep it in France. Stevens promises that Portraying Manet holds many surprises. ‘Despite his development into a phenomenal painter, Manet’s portraits have never been studied in either exhibition or book form before; this show is bound to establish his reputation as an outstanding portraitist - thanks to generous lenders from Paris to Washington.’ ‘Manet: Portraying Life’, 26th January 2013 to 14th April 2013, Royal Academy of Arts, London

subtle and bold – but always appropriate’ 77

14 Brook Street, London W1S 1BD. T. +44 (0) 20 7629 8811 www.halcyondays.co.uk

The mayfair Magazine | Art

BONHAMS | PRIZE LOT A Pair of Eighteen-Inch Thomas Malby Library Globes

Particulars: Expected Value (item): £60,000-80,000 Expected Value (auction): £1.4m Estimated Range: £150,000 - £180,000 No. of Lots: 920 Place: Bonhams, Knightsbridge Date: 30 January 2013

elics of a time when the British Empire stretched across a world still being explored, these stunning library globes from 1860 pride themselves on including ‘all the latest geographical discoveries’ of their age. The Malby family of map and globemakers are responsible for some of the most impressive cartographic implements of the nineteenth century, ranging from a 36-inch ‘colossus’ globe created in honour of 1851’s Great Exhibition to miniature pocket globes for students. This elegant pair of 18-inch spheres are mounted in brass meridian within a horizon ring, printed with both zodiac and calendar scales. The

fluted mahogany supports stand 44 inches high and include magnetic compasses at their base. The rapid and exciting scientific advances of the era are exemplified by the pairing of these globes; it was considered necessary to have both celestial and terrestrial representations in the home. Charting the positions of the constellations, the sun, moon and planets are omitted due to their varied positioning, but the sun’s ecliptic passage through the stars is indicated clearly. Malby Globes still remain highly coveted objects and are a timelessly intriguing addition to any study or library. (www.bonhams.com)

image courtesy of bonhams

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The mayfair Magazine | Art

CHRISTIE’S | PRIZE LOT An Anglo-Indian polychrome decorated caned daybed, second half of the 19th century

Particulars: Expected Value (item): £8,000-£12,000 Expected Value (auction): £1,500,000 Estimated Range: £400 - £10,000 No. of Lots: 699 Place: Christie’s, South Kensington Date: 29 January 2013

hristie’s popular ‘Interiors – Style and Spirit’ auction series returns to South Kensington this January, bringing another selection of must-have antique furnishings from around this world. The caned daybed dates to the late 19th Century and is a stunning example of the Anglo-Indian style favoured at the time. The combination of classic European design and expert local craftsmanship created an exciting new style which remains highly sought-after today. The Eastern influence was traditionally made apparent through elaborate, ornate detailing, and this daybed is no exception to this. Decorated with scrolling red flowers and green foliage, the distinctly Indian heritage is clearly apparent in a decorative tiger motif. The feet of the bed are carved into paws, the sides of the headrest into tiger heads, and the twisted top-rail is flanked by a pair of painted yellow tiger rampant figures. The daybed has been preserved in excellent condition, with the colouring of the paintwork still vividly bright and the caned back intact. (www.christies.com)

image: CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2012

Kerry Darlington Exhibition – September 15th-23rd Kerry Darlington Exhibition – September 15th-23rd Personal Attendance –flux, September 15th 2pm-4pm With stock markets in a major state of and people experiencing poor or modest Personal Attendance – September 15th 2pm-4pm returns, many are looking for alternative investment angles. Acquiring art has long

been seen as a viableRouge and important the mix of an investment portfolio. Gallery are theelement proudwithin primary representatives

Gallery Rouge are the proud primary of Kerry Darlington in the representatives UK Here we explore the work of three artists who are worth keeping a careful eye on. of Kerry Darlington in the UK Hessam Abrishami Kal Gajoum Kal Gajoum paints in the style of French Impressionism, but with a modern feel. His crisp palette knife oil paintings are both compelling and powerful, conveying real depth and emotion. His skill is undeniable and it is little wonder that he is creating quite a stir.

Born in Shiraz, Iran in 1951, Hessam has been greatly influenced by the ancient history that surrounded him as a child. His style is loose, vibrant and full of movement. Hessam describes his work as expressionistic, being influenced by the Italian masters.

Bill Mack

Kerry Darlington Kerry Darlington

Sculptor Bill Mack works in such a rare art form that there is nowhere to go to learn his art and no one teaches his technique. Combining low and high relief, incised lines, and elements in the full-round in sculpture works that are light enough to be hung on a wall, Bill Mack directly involves the viewer in thea 3-dimensional Year 2012,experience, Fine Artboth Trade Guild Awards textural and tactile, that is often startlingly real.

Artist of Artist of the Year 2012, Fine Art Trade Guild Awards

Please contact the gallery for further details. Please contact the gallery for further details.

The mayfair Magazine | Art

SOTHEBY’S | PRIZE LOT Portrait of Mariano Goya

Particulars: Expected Value (item): £3m – £5m Expected Value (auction): £44 m Estimated Range: £31,000 - £5,500,000

rancisco José de Goya holds a unique place in the European artistic canon, hailed simultaneously as the last of the Old Masters and the Father of Modern Art. This portrait of his twenty-one year old grandson epitomises his signature style, whilst the intriguing story behind the painting provides an insight into the life of an artist who survived eighty-two years of dramatic social change. The work is dated 1827, making it one of the final, if not the very last portrait completed by the artist, who died the following year in Paris. The subject, a beloved relative, is a marked change from the fantastical dark imagery prevalent in his work between 1819 and 1823. This painting represents Goya’s last visit to his native Spain, and his last meeting with his family. He had signed over his famous country retreat, Quinta del Sordo, to his grandson when he first left the country in 1823, fleeing the Inquisition’s criticism of his work. This knowledge also contributes to recent conspiracy theories surrounding Las Pinturas Negras, the famous paintings covering the walls of the dwelling. Modern academics have hypothesised that these were in fact the work of Goya’s son, Javier, completed after Goya Sr. had departed for France. The theory suggests that years later Mariano, finding himself in need of funds, saw an opportunity to profit from his grandfather’s reputation and deceptively publicised them as Francisco Goya originals. The veracity of this announcement is hotly contested, but the story is a classic example of the mystery that inevitably gathers around the work of every great artist. The painting has been out of the public eye since 1954, in the private collection of Greek shipping magnate George Embiricos. (canvas, 52 x 41.2cm). (www.sothebys.com)

No. of Lots: 90 Place: Sotheby’s, New York Date: 31 January 2013

IMAGE COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

Interiors | The mayfair Magazine

Lounging around Do as they would in Italy and take an afternoon siesta on this leather armchair and matching pouf. From Promemoria, the interiors boutique in Belgravia, this chair comes in smooth black and ‘crocco’ printed leather (below) – promoting a rather decadent way to relax (obligatory glass of cognac in hand). All of the stitching and detailing is done by hand and should you think that this colour doesn’t match your current living space, you can always have it made up in another material. From £10,440 (www.promemoria.com)

Interiors news

Image courtesy of Promemoria

Celebrate simplicity with monochrome pieces and designer finishing touches WORDS: k a t e r a co v o l i s

Wander cooking

Illuminate with Issey

FINISHING TOUCH

Wall to wall We love this chic, simple combination of Farrow & Ball paint colours to get a perfectly balanced and elegant look – a lovely blank canvas on which to display your art collection, or simply keep minimal and classic just as it is. Wall: ‘Hardwick White’, No.5 Estate Emulsion, from £34.50. Woodwork: ‘Pointing’, No 2003. Estate Eggshell from £50. Floor: ‘Cornforth White’ No 228. from £55, all Farrow & Ball (www.farrow-ball.com)

You’ll want to keep this Fornasetti candle long after the wick has burned down. Following in the footsteps of the Italian brand’s tongue-in-cheek plates and stools, this ‘Burlesque’ candle will display some serious style credentials – not to mention filling your home with a beautiful woody scent. £99 (www.selfridges.co.uk)

Issey Miyake is known for his ability to transcend the catwalk norm, incorporating technology into many of his collections. Now, he has moved on from the runway, delving into the world of lighting with Artemide. The new collaboration, IN-EI (Japanese for ‘shadow, shadiness, nuance’), is a reflection of Miyake’s design precision. The pieces are made entirely from recycled materials and include free-standing, table and hanging lights using 2 or 3D principles. From a selection (www.artemide.com)

IN-EI ISSEY MIYAKE, Photo by Hiroshi Iwasaki © Miyake Design Studio 2012

Marcel Wanders is known for his eccentricity. The Dutch designer has created pieces for almost every corner of our homes for some of the world’s top design brands, from Poliform to Kartell and Baccarat. His latest project is with Alessi – the brand known for turning everyday kitchen objects into sophisticated statements of style (such as silver pick-up-sticks arranged in the shape of a fruit bowl). Now, Wanders has turned pots and pans into works of art, adding symmetrical patterns to the lids, handles and bases. They are also, of course, set in aluminium with non-stick coating, so your next meal can be beautiful from the moment the oil hits the pan. Casserole dish, from £83 (www.alessi.co.uk)

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The mayfair Magazine | Interiors

Treasure trove Established by the church as a palace for bishops before falling under ownership of the infamous Albemarle Club, Ely House has been shaped by its multifarious inhabitants. We catch up with Mallett, one year on from their acquisition of this historical Georgian building W O R D S : k AT I E r A N D A L L

‘T

Images courtesy of Mallett Antiques

his is the Bishop of Ely’s old morning room,’ says Justin Evershed Martin, associate director of one of Mallett, one of the oldest and most established antique dealers in the world. ‘And this bedside table is probably the most important piece of Russian decorative art of its kind,’ he continues. The antiques enthusiast, who has been with the company for eight years, is taking me on a guided tour of the architecturally stunning Ely House, the Grade I listed building to which Mallett moved one year ago. He is weaving the story of these beautiful and intricate antiques, primarily sourced from the 18th-century and Regency periods, with the illustrious history of Ely House, located at 37 Dover Street. The bedside table in the morning room was commissioned by Tsar Alexander I, after he made a state visit to Prussia in 1802, Evershed Martin explains. During my visit it is sitting in the striking morning room, with its printed statement wallpaper, amongst a collection of rare antiques and objets d’art. ‘The Tsar was attempting to get the King of Prussia to side with Russia against Napoleon and whilst visiting had supposedly fallen in love with the King of Prussia’s wife, who was a famed European beauty,’ says Evershed Martin, ‘On arrival home he decided to send a diplomatic gift. Instead of set of porcelain, or something one might

expect, he commissioned a pair of bedside tables and a dressing mirror. The theory being that first thing in the morning and last thing at night she would think of him.’ The history behind Ely House makes it the perfect platform to showcase Mallett’s carefully selected pieces, and, although unconsciously done, this space recreates the quintessential 18th-century London abode. Ely House, importantly, has not been transformed into a clinical retail space, quite the opposite in fact; Mallett has created an intimate and personal setting in which clients, antique-aficionados and the general public can step back in time and peruse beautiful objects away from the hustle and bustle of Mayfair. As I

‘Mallett has created an intimate and personal setting in which clients, antique aficionados and the general public can step back in time’ quickly learned whilst being whisked through the various rooms, the Mallett specialists are not only knowledgeable about the company’s variety of antiques, but also about the very building in which they work. Ely House was built between 1772 and 1776 and was originally in the hands of the church 

as the palace for the Bishop of Ely. They had vacated the premises by the early 20th century and the building had a refit in 1910 under its new owners the Albemarle Club. A private members club for men and women founded in 1874, the Albemarle Club had a distinctly bohemian character in comparison with some of the other social clubs in London; Oscar Wilde being one of its most notable members. The club’s ciphers are still visible littered in alcoves and above doorways, signalling the areas where alterations to the original building were made. The house’s final inhabitants, before Mallett moved in, were Fleming Family & Partners. John Mallett founded the company in 1865 in Bath. They first opened up shop in London in the early 20th century, taking a long lease on New Bond Street. Evershed Martin says that the this address was given up as the need to rely on passing trade dwindled, ‘We gave up New Bond

Street after 105 years because our clients either knew where we were or could find us very easily.’ It seems that the company had been looking for a period house to transform into a salon privé in the heart of Mayfair for a while, seeking something to showcase the inherently vertical 18th-century furniture in which it deals. It is a completely unsubstantiated rumour Evershed Martin says, ‘but apparently the Brazilian embassy was interested in this building but Westminster City Council wouldn’t let them put a flagpole at the front.’ He jovially completes the story, saying, ‘We love a flagpole but weren’t going to pass on this house because of that.’ Ely House is a rather perfect fit for Mallett, evidence of this fact is most poignantly seen in the hanging of a beautiful thirty-light chandelier. This delicate marvel hails from Spain, from the royal manufactory outside Madrid at the beginning of the 19th century.

The mayfair Magazine | Interiors

After intense restoration work to clean the intricate antique, Mallett was finally able to hang the light in the graphite drawing room. No other gallery or showroom space in London would have been able to hang this chandelier, and certainly, Mallett were unable to show it off at the New Bond Street premises. Another of the striking rooms at Ely House is the longitudinal red room, designed as a dining room. When I visited, it featured a 30ft dining table, the largest outside of Buckingham Palace, which extends to 50ft if you add all of the leaves. The rich oxblood red currently adorning the walls is not typically a colour that the company would have opted for, the same can also be said of the dramatic graphite grey in the upstairs reception room, but on consultation of a historic paint specialist Mallett were persuaded to plump for these striking hues to return Ely House to its former glory. When they first took over the building it was ‘very corporate having been a bank for however many years,’ says Evershed Martin.

‘Mallett has been incredibly flexible when working with Ely House to nurture it back to life’

mainly stemming from the very reason that the company loved the building, its history. As a Grade I listed building, English Heritage views all of the features added to the building by its multifarious inhabitants as part of Ely House’s history. Therefore, the 19th-century fireplaces in the red room and also in the graphite room upstairs cannot be removed, even though Mallett has some magnificent fire surrounds to show from the 18th century by great artisans such as Robert Adam. In this case the existing fireplaces were carefully boxed in and the surrounds placed in front. Mallett has been incredibly flexible when working with Ely House to nurture it back to life and every detail of the showroom has been carefully considered. The underground level, where the bones of the original house can still be seen, has been utilised as a studio to shoot antiques and one of the upstairs rooms is a dedicated showroom for contemporary pieces, showcasing furniture by designers such as the iconic American architect Hani Rasheed. It is this attention to detail that has served the brand so well when transforming this history-drenched house; it has managed to stamp Ely with its own style whilst teasing it back to vibrant Regency life – and not a flagpole in sight. (www.mallettantiques.com)

The work done by Mallett is much less obvious than that of the Albemarle Club with its blatant ciphers. In fact, it is often not detectable at all, a painted faux-wooden panel so painstakingly recreated in the upstairs barrel room (so named for its curved barrel ceiling), that I’m not sure anyone would notice it wasn’t an original wooden panel feature. The architect that worked on the renovations for the Albemarle Club, Mr. Brewer, stayed true to the original architecture, designed by the renowned Robert Taylor. Lots of the period features, such as the guilloché underneath the arches, were maintained and revitalised. Issues with renovation inevitably arose when Mallett was preparing the space for its needs,

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

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

The mayfair Magazine | Food & Drink

Suitcase essentials Being in The Luggage Room, nestled on a quiet corner of Grosvenor Square, feels like sitting in a Louis Vuitton suitcase, one destined for the Riviera. Mayfair’s latest drinking destination harks back to the days of Bentley Boys, movie-star glamour and the decadent Art Deco spirit. Relaxed yet elegant, it’s the ideal place to linger over a well-made cocktail or two, and a great spot to plan any upcoming travel. The Luggage Room, 10-13 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair (www.luggageroom.co.uk)

Food & drink news Ignore the New Year guilt and indulge in some decadence and glamour this January W O R D S : K AT I E R A N D A L L

Belle of the ball Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque Florale Edition 2004 has caused quite a stir since its release last summer, so much so that Harvey Nichols created a complete floral-inspired menu around it at Christmas. The elegant and delicate floral detailing on the bottle is courtesy of renowned Japanese artist, Makoto Azuma and marks the first redesign of the bottle in over a century. Azuma pays reverential homage to Émile Gallé’s original 1902 Art Nouveau design with his use of the floral motif. Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Florale Edition, available exclusively from Harvey Nichols for £195 (www.harveynichols.com)

Detox o’clock After being bombarded with mince pies and alcohol for so long, most of us are in need of a break from rich winter food. Those in the know contact The Detox Kitchen, a delivery detox that will ensure you are fighting fit in no time. Firm believers in the old adage, ‘you are what you eat’, they focus on cooking delicious home-grown balanced meals and then deliver them straight to your door – all you have to do is stick to it! (www.detoxkitchen.co.uk)

A match forged in the forest One of Mayfair’s most revered female chefs, Angela Hartnett MBE, is set to join forces with the country house hotel Lime Wood and its head chef, Luke Holder, to launch a new restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co next month. The launch of the brasserie-style restaurant presents the perfect opportunity to leave London’s smog for a few days and travel down to the luxurious grounds of this boutique hotel set in New Forest parkland. This is the first collaboration for Michelinstarred chef Angela Hartnett since 2001. Both chefs are famed for their informal, grounded style of cooking and their respect for provenance and foraging. Expect an extensive menu of mouth-watering Italianinfluenced forest dishes served up in a revamped contemporary space created by interior designer du jour, Martin Brudnizki (Le Caprice, Corrigan’s and Hix). (www.limewoodhotel.co.uk) 91

Hidden

dragon 92

The mayfair Magazine | Food & Drink

As Bo London opens at 4 Mill Street, Kari Rosenberg meets its world renowned ‘Demon’ chef, Alvin Leung and tastes his brand of ‘X-treme Chinese’. Is Mayfair ready?

lvin Leung doesn’t do nervous. Why would he? It’s only the opening night of his much anticipated debut London restaurant where dedicated foodies, some of whom have followed him all the way from Hong Kong, are waiting to be ‘Bo’ed’. But Leung, I fear, doth protest too much: the tough-talking chef (whose eccentricities will surely propel him to Saturday Kitchen audiences within weeks considering the success of his Maverick Chef TV series in Hong Kong) looks a little on edge as he sips a coffee from his custom-made crockery, all of which depicts his very own ‘Demon Chef’ emblem of honour – but more on that later. Born in London, Leung moved to Hong Kong for a couple of years before emigrating and growing up in Canada. University in London then followed (where he studied engineering), before returning to Hong Kong to work as an acoustic engineer. He then decided to become a chef. And from the two-Michelin-starred Bo Innovation in Hong Kong (plaudits he acquired after only four self-taught years in the kitchen) Leung has no doubts that Mayfair will welcome Bo London, his very own brand of ‘X-treme Chinese’. Combining centuries old recipes with modern cooking methods – provoking obvious ‘Heston of Asia’ plaudits, although such comparisons seem trite for a chef of equal calibre in his own right – he hopes to revolutionise Chinese gastronomy in London. But good food is one thing – desserts dressedup as exploding contraceptives (‘Sex on the Beach’) – is another. As we meet for the first time a few weeks prior to the opening night, I have to ask: Is Mayfair really ready for Leung?

‘I know Mayfair fairly well – it has the most expensive property on the Monopoly board. I think people here are after quality, but they also want value for money. People must leave thinking they had a fantastic experience and that it was good value. ‘But you’re not going to go to a lingerie shop to buy a tuxedo. So when people come to Bo London, they’ll have the expectation of getting something that’s innovative. For the people that prefer classic food, or a piece of grilled fish, there are many other restaurants they can go to.’ Boasting two set dining menus – one, an ‘Ode to Britain’, the other a mixture of Bo Innovation Chinese favourites coupled with

‘I think the English are not only very discreet and sophisticated but they also like to explore’ – Alvin Leung others inspired by our shores – Leung pays homage to his host country with twisted classics such as toad in the hole, filled with, you guessed it, frog meat. And quite delicious frog meat at that. Leung explains: ‘Everybody criticises British food; fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, haggis. But a lot of great innovative restaurants have opened in London, so there must be a demand here. You don’t go to Saudi Arabia and open a snow shovelling business. If I didn’t think there was a market in London, I wouldn’t come here. I 

think the English are not only very discreet and sophisticated but they also like to explore.’ Growing up on a mixture of Canadian food, ‘which consists, basically, of steaks, macaroni cheese and hamburgers’ and the North American hybrid of Chinese food that was available in Canada, Leung was around ten years’ old when he cooked his first meal. ‘I did a spaghetti and meat sauce dish. At the time I thought it was good – but I don’t think I could sell it in Mayfair.’ Nowadays he likes to trial Chinese food wherever he travels – and no, not because he ‘misses rice’. He is ‘interested in innovation’; what has been done to utilise local ingredients to create a version of Chinese cuisine. ‘The thing about Chinese food is that like any ethnic group; when the Chinese emigrate to another country, they’re more comfortable with their own cuisine. And that’s why England is a fantastic place for Chinese food, because there are so many Chinese people in London, and in particular from Hong Kong.’ You may have witnessed some of Leung’s televised food trials, such as feeding what appeared to be dog food to blindfolded diners (it was actually a dish of wagyu beef and foie gras)but he insists these aren’t Blumenthal-style experiments. ‘I don’t do experiments. I like to

going out skydiving, pulling the cord at the last possible second. You pull it one second late and you’ll probably break your knees, you pull it three seconds late, and you lose your life. Extreme means taking you to the point where you get excited; you’re still in your comfort zone but you’re beginning to enter the twilight zone. It’s something exotic, something exciting… and something expensive, but in Mayfair that’s acceptable.’ Is this where his ‘Demon Chef’ tag comes from? ‘I’ve had all kinds of names like ‘the rock ‘n‘ roll chef’ but I decided Demon Chef was a good name for me. It’s from the Greek word dæmon which means a playful spirit. It’s nothing sinister – I’m not going to kill you, I’m not going to rob you, I just want to have fun with you. I’m a showy person, so I’ll feed you some trailers, but I’m not going to tell you whether or not James Bond gets his man at the end. The only thing I’d say is; be surprised. Be entertained. Be ready for a culinary experience. Be amused, and hopefully, have a good meal.’ Wholly self-taught, Leung approaches his trade from an engineering point of view; the creation of a perfect meal being a problem in need of solving. ‘There are certain approaches that I go with that probably differ from most people. Other than that, I’m still in the kitchen,

‘Be entertained. Be ready for a culinary experience. give people an experience and then measure and record. These are things I do, dishes I create; dog food, sex on the beach, whatever, and I record people’s perceptions. I can’t see it as an experiment; I was trying to see how people would perceive being made to eat something that they would consider not very pleasant. I think we have a lot of hidden demons in us. As children we have fears of certain flavours, and textures and I’m trying to bring you away from those fears and get you to experiment more. ‘I’m trying to take you to the border of ultimate excitement;

frying, steaming, beating. I do about six menus a year just because I enjoy doing it. Some people do it out of necessity; I do it for the pure pleasure of creating. Of course, one always has to look after the business interests, especially in a location such as Mill Street.’ A perfectionist (to the extreme), Leung has charisma in bucket loads, but I can only imagine how his temper can turn. ‘I am a perfectionist. At the end of the day, a good team is a team that’s been together for a long time, like a marriage that’s stayed together through thick and thin. I do demand precision at my

The mayfair Magazine | Food & Drink

restaurants; most of my team have been with me from the beginning, which is very important. I’m not the nicest guy in the world, I’m not a pushover, I can be a dictator, I can be arrogant, I can be egotistic, but name me someone who’s successful who’s not. I don’t take mistakes nicely. ‘I’m never off duty. When I’m not in the kitchen, monitoring and supervising I’ll be thinking of other dishes, of other ways I can upgrade my culinary experience.’ But despite his gastronomic dedication, Leung won’t cook

opposite page: Crispy glutinous rice dumpling with chocolate; above, from left: bo london (photo: Ivan Crispo); alvin leung’s meat knife; left: wagyu beef, black truffle sauce, cheung fun

Be amused, and hopefully have a good meal’ anything extraordinary for himself. Ever. ‘I’m an impatient man, so when I cook for myself it won’t take more than three minutes to get a hot bowl in front of me. My wife Abby cooks for me (she also created the delicious ‘Abby’s sauce’ for the foie gras and lettuce wrap dish on the Chef’s Menu, a recipe she is happy to share if you manage to spot her walking around).’ Abby does the cooking? Is that really true? ‘Everyone’s scared of cooking for me because I’m a chef, they’re intimidated because they think I’m very critical, and I’m not. I’d enjoy whatever you

cook for me. It could be something great, it could be awful, but to me it’s the effort that counts. ‘But remember; just because you’re doing something you like, it doesn’t mean you’re good at it.’ Personally, I love cooking and I tell him so, and I don’t think I’m too bad either. ‘Great’ he says, ‘you can cook for me’ as a mischievous ‘put your money where your mouth is’ expression unfolds. Alvin Leung may have nerves of steel, Kari Rosenberg doesn’t. Bo London, 4 Mill Street (020 7493 3886)

Food & Drink | The mayfair Magazine

Images courtesy of Sagrada

f Arjun Waney didn’t exist, Mayfair would have had to invent him. His new venture is one of the most exciting openings this year and has confirmed that the Peruvian invasion of London gastronomy is here to stay. Standing discreetly in a Georgian townhouse on Piccadilly, Coya is an homage to the vivid colours, music and food of Latin America. With a strict members-only bar upstairs, the restaurant itself is tucked away below ground. An electric blue bar gives way to a lively dining area, via a wine cellar in pitch black where you will see the sommeliers search for their selections by lantern as if in Aladdin’s cave. Prevent too much damage to the sommelier’s eyes and order a Pisco Sour from the dedicated bar, (with over 40 tequilas). The wine list is fabulous though so do move on. The kitchens are open, which, added to the close tables, creates a warm, social, family-style environment. The Ceviche Bar provides impeccably seasoned fish – all of which is wonderfully fresh – and offers the chance to experience all of the key flavours of Peruvian cuisine which has benefited from several global influences, including Japan, Spain, China, Africa and Italy. Fresh tomatoes and lime juice feature heavily in the flavouring (head chef Sanjay Dwivedi admitted to drinking gallons of the stuff in the months leading up to the opening). For the main, order from the Open Charcoal Grill – a traditionally crafted oven that adds a smoky flavour to the dishes, which are expert and pack a serious punch of flavour and technique. My personal favourite was the Cola de rape, a whole monkfish cooked with purple corn, marjoram Amarillo and chilli – sticky, tangy and cooked to perfection. Overall it’s hard to work out what makes Coya so far above other places in Mayfair; the chilled, virtually soporific by London standards ambiance (aided by a strong Pisco Sour), the staff or the exquisite food. No, wait, definitely the food. Coya, 118 Piccadilly London W1J (020 7042 7118; www.coyarestaurant.com)

DINING OUT Coya, Piccadilly WORDS: elle blakeman

‘Sommeliers search for their selections by lantern’ 96

Ever wanted to get into motorsport? Here’s the how and why by an expert who believes it’s never too late to start W O R D S : R I C H A R D YA R R O W

THE

E G N E L CHAL N

Molson Indy Car Racing (photo: Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com)

eed a new hobby? Few leisure activities test human fitness, determination, bravery, mental strength, reaction times and tactical awareness like motorsport. While most of today’s professional track stars started their careers in youth karting – many wearing a helmet soon after they stopped wearing nappies – there’s no reason why enthusiasts of any age with the right resources can’t get involved. It’s simply about having the money and commitment. Fifty years ago the car company philosophy

was that you won a race on Sunday and sold a vehicle on Monday. Motorsport as a marketing tool has got more complicated, but high-profile competition still appeals as a way of raising brand awareness and sales. Almost all premium manufacturers are involved and many have customer programmes, often known as ‘pay to race’ initiatives. Most run for a season, but some are tailored around competing in a specific event such as a 24-hour race. Perhaps the most comprehensive programme is offered by Ferrari, and for many novices it starts with the Pilota driving course. Staged at the

The mayfair Magazine | Motoring

firm’s in-house Fiorano test track in Maranello, instructors nurture their clients from learning how to fasten a three-point race-seat harness to lining up on the grid in a competitive series. The first of those is the Challenge, based around a track-oriented version of the 458 Italia road car. It costs €200,000 (+ VAT) then it’s €30,000 for entry to a seven-race season. There are three series, USA, Europe and Asia Pacific, which are open to anyone. Ferrari itself manages the races while its dealers – for example, Graypaul Birmingham and Stratstone Manchester – oversee drivers and teams. The pinnacle is access to the company’s historic Formula One cars, a completely unique proposition in customer motorsport. Two years after the pro-drivers have finished with them on the F1 circuit they’re available to buy. Prices depend on pedigree – a title-winning Michael Schumacher car still fetches top dollar – and the starting price is around €1 million. Full factory support is available and at the most recent

event, at Silverstone in September, ex-racer Marc Gené was on hand to help customers understand their telemetry and improve lap times. Bentley has no racing programme of any sort, but has signaled its intention to start one very soon. Executives recently unveiled a GT3 based on the Continental GT road car and customer versions will be available within two years. Another Volkswagen Group brand, Lamborghini, does have its own series, the Blancpain Super Trofeo. It has just completed a fourth season in Europe – with 58 competitors – and a debut year in Asia. The company has a clear stipulation that it’s for ‘gentlemen drivers, not professionals’. You simply arrive at the circuit and your Gallardo LP 570-4 is ready to drive. Just as important is the lifestyle aspect of a race weekend, with the Lamborghini Village providing world-class hospitality throughout. Going it alone means buying the car for €220,000, €25,000 in entry fees and more for parts and logistics. The cut-price alternative is joining the UK ‘team’ which charges 

Property ||The Motoring Themayfair mayfairMagazine Magazine

‘Going it alone means buying the car for €220,000, €25,000 in entry fees and more for parts and logistics’

Goldstein/ Sundberg in action at FIA WTCC Trofeo GranTurismo MC Maserati August 1, 2010 in Brno, Czech Republic. (photo: Jemny / Shutterstock.com)

around €15,000 per race. Another VW brand with a proud racing history, particularly in endurance events, is Audi. The R8 LMS GT3 is a lightweight version of the road car, stripped of all unnecessary features and powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine. It’s €3,200 for race training and then €25,000 to enter the challenging 24-Hour race at Germany’s famous 13-mile Nürburgring circuit. The attraction of Maserati’s series, the Trofeo MC, is that there are two levels of entry. The International Series is all six rounds and costs €110,000 (+ VAT) but the European Series is only four of them and €70,000 (+ VAT). Racing in identical GranTurismo MC coupés, it takes in Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Indianapolis and the Paul Ricard circuit in France. If you want to stay in the UK how about a season in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge GB? Offered on what the company calls an ‘arrive and drive’ format, the price is £60,000– £80,000 for 12 races over six weekends at some of the nation’s most famous tracks. The price covers hire of the car, a team of mechanics, test days, race fees, driver coaching, tyres, travel and accommodation. Key to its appeal is that drivers only require a ‘National B’ racing licence – the most basic competitive motorsport permit

available – so novices can and do compete with reasonable success. Also close to home is Aston Martin’s GT4 Challenge of Great Britain. Established in 2010, races last up to three hours in identically prepared Vantage GT4 cars, with full factory support and hospitality for up to 20 drivers and their guests. Entry for the upcoming six-race season is £15,450 (+ VAT), with the £125,000 car plus a budget for parts on top of that. Perhaps circuit driving isn’t your thing and you fancy a different kind of challenge. Derbyshirebased Bowler is one of the best known names in Rally Raids, high-octane racing through mountain passes and desert dunes. Around €20,000 will get you competing in a European Baja Championship event, and includes hiring a Bowler EXR car and full race service from the company’s pit crew. Entry to March’s Tuareg Rallye in North Africa is around €45,000. For some events you need an FIA ‘International C’ Cross Country Licence or to have competed in six qualifying events. For others like the Tuareg you just turn up and go. The ultimate off-road challenge is The Dakar, for many years finishing in the Senegalese capital in West Africa but more recently staged in South America following security concerns. It’s too late for the 2013 event – it’s always held in January – but €250,000 will get you a Bowler for 2014. And that will give you plenty of time to practice. You’ll want to; the one thing about competitive motorsport is that it’s very, more information very addictive. www.ferraricorseclienti.com www.audi.com www.porsche.com/uk www.maserati.com www.lamborghini.com www.astonmartin.com/racing www.bowlermotorsport.com

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SHOPPING

London Ice ScuLptIng FeStIvaL

he UK’s biggest international ice sculpting competition returns to Canary Wharf for three unforgettable days, with live sculpting and free ice-themed fun for people of all ages. This year, eleven teams of celebrated sculptors, including newcomers from the USA, are set for a dramatic showdown on Wood Wharf. As well as watching world-class sculptors carve unique designs from giant ice blocks, visitors to the Festival can try their own hand at sculpting by signing up for a Masterclass*, get in touch with their inner Banksy on the ice graffiti wall or show off some moves on the ice chess board. If all the action gets too much, the Winter Market offers visitors a breather from all the excitement with warming drinks and snacks such as Alpine raclette, sweet crêpes and hot chocolate. If that’s not enough, there’s plenty of entertainment with ice-themed activities throughout Canary Wharf and its shopping malls, including face painting and arts and crafts workshops, live ice carving, a snow pit with real snow to play in and mysterious glow entertainers. Other highlights during the Festival include “illuminated” twilight performances, a Northern Lights laser show and, for art-lovers, Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights exhibition ‘Voyage’ by Aether & Hemera: A Journey into Imagination on Canary Wharf’s Middle Dock. Plus, don’t miss the last opportunity to skate at Ice Rink Canary Wharf, located beneath the soaring buildings in Canada Square Park and bathed in twinkling festive lights. The new rink’s season finishes with the festival so this is the last chance to explore London’s first skate path and Boisdale On Ice, the pop up bar and restaurant created exclusively for the rink by famous Scottish restaurant and music venue, Boisdale of Canary Wharf. With so much to see and do, Canary Wharf and London Ice Sculpting Festival provide the perfect mix of free entertainment and more than 240 shops, cafes, bars and restaurants offer Festival fans warming respite from watching the chilly creations unfold. For more information visit londonicesculptingfestival.co.uk, canarywharf.com and skatecanarywharf.com Throughout Canary Wharf, FREE Friday 11th January, 11am – 7pm Saturday 12th January, 10am – 8pm Sunday 13th January, 11am – 6pm

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

*Visitors must sign upon arrival for Masterclasses. Children must be 12+ and accompanied by an adult.

3 hours free parking

at weekends and bank holidays when you spend £10 at Canary wharf*

Canary Wharf

bars & restaurants • fashion & style • arts & events canarywharf.com *terms and conditions apply.

@yourcanarywharf

Put this at the top of your To Do list 1 in 8 women in the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Many cases show no symptoms and have no family history of the disease. With The Wellington Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital mammogram technology, abnormalities can be highlighted earlier, allowing for a greater chance of a full recovery. Now it is even easier to get peace of mind. The Wellington Hospital is offering a 30% discount off the cost of a screening mammogram, until the 31st December 2012.

* UNT O C Y DIS CTOR U D O R T N I SPECIAL

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020 7483 5009 www.thewellingtonhospital.com *Terms and Conditions apply, please see the website or scan the QR code for details

11/10/2012 15:41

The mayfair Magazine | Beauty

Treatment of the month It may seem a little extreme, but the Drip & Chill lounge, where vitamins and minerals are intravenously infused into your system, is one of the most effective ways to give your body and skin an immediate boost. One quick injection (in spa surroundings – so the process feels more like a treatment than medicine) and then the drip is applied: a heady cocktail of everything you need from magnesium to vitamin C. Around 30 relaxing minutes later and you’re done. I left feeling much more awake, with energy levels back to pre-Christmas normality, and healthy, glowing skin. Drip & Chill, £225, EF Medispa (www.efmedispa.com)

Beauty news

Feel good inside and out this January as we bring you the best ways to stick to all those good intentions – from vitamin drips to high-tech gadgets words: ELLE BLAKEMAN

Clean living This cleansing set is the ideal way to distance yourself from the excess of Christmas. With a serious knowledge of detoxification, James provides a comprehensive combination of supplements and cleansing agents from around the world, including supervitamins, oils and probiotics, which work together to leave you lighter, heathier and glowing inside and out. Chris James Mind & Body Cleanse, £120, available at Harrods

3 of the best…

Beauty gadgets

Work of art

Luxury tresses We think nothing of spending a fortune on a moisturiser, yet often happily make do with basic haircare. US superbrand Alterna are on a mission to remedy this with their new Caviar Repair collection. The caviar infuses fatty acids and vitamins into the hair, allowing it to repair and rebuild from the outside in. There’s some serious science behind it and the results are incredible, turning weatherbeaten, damaged hair into shiny, strong tresses. From £33.50, Alterna available at Hob Salon (www.alternahaircare.com)

RéVive are celebrating ten years of exquisite skincare (featuring Nobelprize winning ingredients no less), with a collection of signature products chosen by founder Dr Gregory Bays Brown, artfully presented in a stunning abstract Art Box designed by New York artist Pat Steir. A great introduction to the range and a great start to 2013. Limited-Edition Art Box, £345, RéVive (available at Space NK and Harrods)

2 1 3

#1 Clarisonic Mia 2, £130 (available at Space NK)

#3 Bodybuffer, £295, BabyBelle (available at Harrods)

#2 Blue Light Skin Perfector, £229, Tria (available at Harrods)

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The mayfair Magazine | Beauty

Spa review T The Spa at Mandarin Oriental WORDS : K A T E R A C O V O L I S

he first thing you will notice here is the sound. Not only the calming music that gently plays as you check in and swap your heels for spa-prescribed slippers and enjoy a cup of spearmint green tea, but the trickling water that seems to be coming from down the stairs one level below. Such a sudden change from the whirring of car engines and street noise forces you to attune to the very natural surroundings. Arrive early and spend some time in the Amethyst Crystal Steam room, where your body will be enveloped in steam, loosening every muscle and opening your pores, ready to be soaked in nourishing oils and creams. The spa uses a range of classic brands, including Aromatherapy Associates and Gaylia Kristensen among others. Kristensen’s products are new to the spa, and after several months of rigorous selection processes, it is easy to see why her natural anti-ageing products were the final choice. Her Utopia Advanced Anti-Ageing Facial is a treat no matter what your concerns. Skin is polished and exfoliated, followed by a firm pressure-point massage including your neck, head and décolletage using the Kristensen’s Passion Oil (she even popped some on my cuticles to sink in during my treatment). The massage is quite vigorous, but it boosts your circulation and is incredibly detoxifying, which prepares your skin for the pure plant facial mask. This rubbery mask seeps into your skin, helping to stimulate collagen and elastin production – the anti-ageing properties are remarkable. To finish, Kristensen’s serums and treatment creams are massaged onto the skin which will keep all of the nutrients locked in. After a wonderfully placid 80 minutes of peace, spend a few minutes afterwards in the spa’s relaxation room before you re-emerge back up to the real world. Utopia Advanced Anti-Ageing Facial, £170 for 80 minutes, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X (www.mandarinoriental.com)

‘The massage is quite vigorous, but it boosts your circulation and is incredibly detoxifying’

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Too much of

something Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common digestive condition, which can be triggered by bad eating habits over the festive season

here are those lovely champagne truffles, and that cheeky Irish coffee with lunch and it seems a shame not to slice another slither from the cheese board, or pour another glass of wine. Christmas is a prolonged period of indulgence, and no matter how careful you plan to be, the temptation is often too much to completely avoid. Add this to Christmas stresses at work and at home and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mixed two of the major causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome into one unwanted cocktail. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is stomach pain or discomfort which is accompanied with unpredictable bowel habits. Sufferers complain of bloating, urgency and difficulty going to the

108

loo. Patients tend to also have urinary disorders, gynae symptoms and suffer from lethargy. Eating foods which may irritate your stomach, on top of being stressed or worried may mean that you experience your first bout of IBS this Christmas. Symptoms tend to be worse just after eating, and may last two to four days. After this time you may find that although the symptoms improve, they do not completely disappear.

Symptoms and triggers The most common symptoms are: 1. Abdominal pain and cramping 2. A change in your bowel habits â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bloating and swelling of your abdomen 3. Excessive wind

The mayfair Magazine | Health Promotion

4. An urgent need to go to the toilet 5. A feeling that you need to open your bowels even if you have just been to the toilet 6. A feeling you have not fully emptied your bowels Certain foods and drinks can trigger the symptoms of IBS, though this varies in each person. The most common include all the usual Christmas culprits: 1. Alcohol 2. Fizzy drinks 3. Chocolate 4. Drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea, coffee or cola 5. Processed snacks, such as crisps and biscuits 6. Fatty food 7. Fried food Wheat and dairy can also aggravate symptoms, so it is worth excluding these for a short period to see if symptoms improve. Keeping a food diary can help pinpoint specific foods which affect you. The colon is partly controlled by the nervous system, which responds to stress by exacerbating digestive symptoms, so trying to keep as relaxed as possible is also very important. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the condition many people, who can be offered a successful management plan, avoid visiting their doctor because of embarrassment or discomfort. Although there is no treatment for IBS, there are many methods to manage and control it.

Meet the Specialist Dr Deepak Suri, MBBS,BSc,MD,FRCP, is a consultant gastroenterologist and liver specialist treating patients with abdominal pain, dyspepsia, reflux, diarrhoea, constipation, rectal bleeding as well as assessing and treating abnormal liver tests. He undertakes the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, and believes in a holistic and individualised approach to patients and their symptoms. Often natural and complementary approaches can be very useful as part of a management strategy and he is willing to explore these avenues with patients.

Managing IBS Dr Deepak Suri, Consultant Gastroenterologist at The Wellington Hospital, offers his expert advice on how Irritable Bowel Syndrome is managed. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, though very common, can be debilitating when left unmanaged. There is currently no single test which confirms or refutes IBS. Investigations are undertaken to exclude major digestive disorders, however, not all patients need or have exhaustive investigations. Blood tests, including wheat allergy, are required as is a visualisation of the bowel, which will be considered if there are worrying symptoms (rectal bleeding, anaemia, weight loss) or if the patient is older. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments can be helpful. One big change you can make is through your diet; careful eating can reduce IBS symptoms. Taking pro-biotics has shown to have some benefit and are often favoured by patients as they are a natural treatment. Care is needed in the use of fibre in IBS. Soluble fibre found in fruits can be helpful, but in many patients consuming large quantities of insoluble dietary fibre (bran, roughage) can make matters worse by exacerbating pain or bloating. Stress management such as relaxation training and therapies such as meditation can help, as can regular exercise such as walking or yoga and getting adequate sleep. No single drug works for everyone with IBS, so each patient needs an individualised approach. Drug treatment aims to alleviate symptoms with medications to act on pain, constipation, and diarrhoea. You may be offered antispasmodics to help with spasms or cramps and anti-diarrhoeals to help with loose bowels and urgency. If dietary fibre supplementation is unsuccessful then a number of laxatives can be considered. Due to the key role the nervous system plays in the digestive tract some anti-depressant drugs can be very effective when used at low doses too. If you think you may have IBS and would like to see a specialist, you can make an appointment at The Wellington Hospital with Dr Suri by calling the Enquiry Helpline team on 020 7483 5004

109

In Safe Hands The wetter weather can make hand and wrist injuries hard to avoid.

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19/11/2012 16:23

The mayfair Magazine | Travel

Long haul

Four Seasons, Bora Bora Head to the tropical paradise of Bora Bora and the luxury of a Four Seasons resort. Book a villa and enjoy a private garden and whirlpool with spectacular views of the lagoon and Mount Otemanu. Celebrating Polynesian culture is an important theme of the hotel, with locally sourced South Seas cuisine and spa treatments inspired by native practices. For the more actively inclined, a hike through the Valley of the Kings reveals mysteries such as a Banyan tree containing the mummified bodies of at least five ancient kings, or stay closer to home with snorkelling, sailing and shark feeding. (www.fourseasons.com/borabora)

Travel news January is the month to escape; with this firmly in mind we’ve cherry-picked two exotic destinations perfect for 2013 get-aways w o r d s : San d r a macken z ie IMAGE: COURTESY OF Morgans Hotel Group

TRAVEL TIPS

Short haul

Delano Marrakech The main attraction of the Delano Marrakech has to be the Sky Lounge, a lavish rooftop bar featuring panoramic views across the ancient city to the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. If you can tear yourself away from the beauty of Morocco’s scenery, you’ll find that the interior of the hotel more than lives up to its surroundings. Designed by Jacques Garcia, the luxury restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine from Michelin-starred chef Giancarlo Morelli, while The Pearl Spa is 20,000 square feet of pure relaxation and indulgence. Swim in the subterranean mosaic pool, enjoy luxurious spa and beauty treatments, or utilise their personal trainers so that you return from holiday feeling fully revitalised. (www.delanomarrakech.com)

Don’t leave home without A Lanvin silk-satin travel kit in soft taupe and black. A light addition to your carry-on, the silk slippers and cotton-lined eye mask are ideal to make your journey ultra-stylish on the plane or at your hotel. £295, Net-a-porter.com (www.net-a-porter.com)

There’s an app for that… JetLag Genie Enter your flight times, dates and your usual sleeping time and this app will come up with an individual alarm to help get your body clock back to normal with specialised wake-up times. £1.99 from the iTunes App Store

‘I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on a train’ – Oscar Wilde 111

ife in California is set on an entirely different wavelength; it must be something in the water. Santa Monica in particular has this seemingly oxymoronic relaxed-yet-pulsing atmosphere down to an art. While the throb of downtown Los Angeles undoubtedly provides serious entertainment, the necessity of spending hours behind the wheel whilst on holiday doesn’t have everyone running for their passport. Santa Monica, a beach community, on the western shore of LA is, however, is right on the water and therefore everything you want can be found on your doorstep. With less time spent stuck in a traffic jam, holidaymakers can soak up the sun and enjoy all that the area has to offer. Typically, the area enjoys more than 340 blissful days of sunshine a year, so postcard-style weather along with a refreshing sea breeze is more than likely to be on the cards. Santa Monica is also littered with historical relics of a bygone era. A national landmark, the Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome (a carousel) sits on the Santa Monica Pier, which was built in 1909, and the La Monica Ballroom, also on the pier, was once the largest ballroom in the US. Retail therapy in LA is a particularly enticing prospect and Santa Monica’s Third Street and Montana Avenue do not disappoint. The former is the beating heart of the area housing a vibrant mix of boutiques, high street stores, cinemas and cafés; while the latter features luxury brands and fine-dining establishments. Later, when you are finished sipping coffee from America’s patented oversized cups, Shutters on the Beach is the only place to go for dinner. Its prime location means that their restaurant is the ideal place to soak up the final rays of the day whilst enjoying fresh fish dishes and wine selected with the assistance of sommelier Peter Neptune. (www.shuttersonthebeach.com).

Where to stay Without a doubt one of the most stylish hotels on the Santa Monica coastline is the Art Deco Hotel Shangri La. Originally opening its doors to the Hollywood glitterati in 1939, the hotel has recently undergone a £20 million renovation under interior designer Marc Smith. A stone’s-throw from the pristine white sands and frivolity of Santa Monica beach, this is a place to see and be seen under the pool-side monochrome black and white cabanas. 1301 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (www.shangrila-hotel.com)

Eating & drinking Tucked away on Wiltshire Boulevard is a fine-dining experience not to be missed – French restaurant Mélisse. Michelin-starred chef and owner Josiah Citrin is a Californian native who trained extensively in Europe and his food is a perfect fusion of gourmet cuisine with just a hint of surfer attitude. (www.melisse.com)

[city break]

santa suite at the hotel shangri la exterior of the hotel shangri la

Mayfair recommends Get a culture fix at the Hamilton Galleries, an eclectic Modern Art gallery featuring the work of Californian artists. The quirky art is ideally displayed in this spacious venue and the stunning views across the bay provide the perfect natural backdrop. (www.hamiltongalleries.com)

melisse restaurant exterior of shutters on the beach

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The mayfair Magazine | Travel

California dreaming conjures images of bright sunshine and the sparkling ocean, but Santa Monica is much more than just another a surfer-community W O R D S : K A T i e ra n da l l

SUITCASE E S S E N T I A L S #1 Davy Jones’ Locker ring, from a selection at Theo Fennell (www.theofennell.com)

monica

courtyard pool at the hotel shangri lA

AERIAL VIEW OF SANTA MONICA

#2 Gwen handbag, £960, Williams British Handmade (www.williamshandmade.com)

#3 Maxi dress, £490, Diane Von Furstenberg (www.harveynichols.com)

Aerial View of Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey hamiltons gallery

#4 Swimsuit, £170, We Are Handsome Sunset (www.matchesfashion.com)

#5 Wedge sandals, £385, Stella McCartney (www.net-a-porter.com)

RESTAURANT AT SHUTTERS ON THE BEACH houses on santa monica beach

santa mOnica pier

the dining room at the hotel shangri la

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★★★★★

Overlooking Kensington Palace and Hyde Park this gracious hotel offers exceptional value and service and is a landmark of unique character and 21st century elegance. Knightsbridge shopping, Kensington High Street antiques, the Royal Albert Hall and magnificent museums are all near at hand. From the stylish design and decor to the small thoughtful details and the discreet, yet warm personal service, our aim is to make every guest feel special, cared for, and most of all, at home.

1 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL T: +44 (0)20 7917 1000 E: bookms@rchmail.com www.milestonehotel.com For ‘Best Available Rates’ quote Kensington and Chelsea Magazine when booking.

The mayfair Magazine | Regulars

Suite

dreams

… at InterContinental London Westminster W o r d s : K AT I E R A N D A L L

s the rest of London was celebrating the end of the year, the InterContinental London Westminster was celebrating a beginning. Following a massive £150m project, the hotel opened its doors to become the brand’s first new London hotel for over 36 years. Needless to say, it has been hotly anticipated and upon entering the building we are certain it will give other establishments in the area a run for their money. Situated in Queen Anne’s Chambers, a former government building, the smart townhouse exterior is matched by contemporary and cosy interiors – all in a muted colour palette of soft beige, cream and dark wood. Staff are immediately welcoming and cannot do enough to help, creating a lovely atmosphere. On entering the room, the large flatscreen TV integrated into the wall, along with all the latest mod-cons were duly noted. The immaculate en suite features an enormous shower enclosure, with a rainforest shower head the size of a dinner plate. The hotel’s personal touches make all the difference – the concierge helpfully divulged

some of London’s best-kept (until now) secrets. Dinner at The Blue Boar Smokehouse is a relaxed affair with traditional British pub dishes such as such as ribs, pork belly, burgers and fish and chips elevated to sophisticated heights. Headed up by Head Chef Jon Ingram, formerly of The Grove – the menu, as its name suggests, revolves around authentic smoke-house techniques, taking inspiration from the American pit masters. Sampling the rather simply named ‘Chocolate’ from the dessert menu is a must, with seven divine variations on the theme, from brownie squares to creamy ganache. Check-out is as smooth as check-in and it is with great reluctance that we finally say goodbye to this central London hotel and all the indulgence and elegance found inside. InterContinental London Westminster, 22-28 Broadway SW1H 9JS (0871 942 9200; www.intercontinental.com)

115

Captivate Your Senses The first internationally-acclaimed Chuan Spa in Europe is now open at The Langham, London. Rediscover your source with luxurious treatments inspired by the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The Langham, London 1c Port land Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA T 44 (0) 20 7973 7550

tllon.info@chuanspa.com

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AUCKLAND • BOSTON • HONG KONG • LONDON • LOS ANGELES • MELBOURNE • SHANGHAI

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15/3/11 13:35:46

The mayfair Magazine | Regulars

Remembering

MAYFAIR G I E V E S A N D H A W K E S , 1 SAVILE ROW

ieves and Hawkes’ presence at 1 Savile Row seems timeless, the natural first stop on a street of legendary tailors, but there was a time when the building was used for a rather different purpose. The clientele may have been a similar mixture of nobility, gentlemen and military officers, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the building was the central office of the Royal Geographical Society. It quickly became synonymous with adventure and travel, with Livingstone, Shackleton, Hillary and Scott just a few of the legendary explorers frequently visiting for discussions and dining. Although the façade of the building looked fairly similar, inside the offices included a glass-roofed map

‘Gieve & Co. dressed 98% of Royal Naval College cadets’

from top: a drawing of 1 savile row by Mr. W. Hymper; the building today

room in the former courtyard and a small astronomical observatory on the roof. The map room gained notoriety as the final British ‘residence’ of Dr David Livingstone, whose body was brought back to London by faithful followers and kept in state at the Royal Geographical Society until his funeral and interment in Westminster Abbey. The transformation from explorers’ club to bespoke tailors was a more logical step than it might immediately appear. When the Society decided in 1912 that their current lodgings were too cramped, they sold them

onto Hawkes & Co., a firm best known for their work with the Royal Family and their ingenious developments in the field of military uniform. The potential links between the old and new tenants are numerous – in 1867, Hawkes & Co. patented the ‘solar topee’ designed to protect soldiers from the hot midday sun abroad; standard wear for several notable explorers venturing into tropical climates. Hawkes & Co.’s eventual associates had an equally notable heritage. At a time when the British Empire ruled the seas, Gieve & Co. dressed 98% of Royal Naval College cadets and was every bit as inventive as their future partners. In 1914 they patented a life-saving inflatable waistcoat, which included a pocket for brandy as ‘additional support,’ – something sadly lacking in the modern lifejacket. In 1974, the two houses joined forces to create the tailors we know today, and set up shop at the Savile Row premises. Synonymous with tailoring, the street was the perfect location for such a historically significant union and the destruction of the Gieves’ flagship store on Old Bond Street by the IRA in the same year made the decision necessary as well as fitting. Nearly forty years later, Gieves and Hawkes is a Savile Row establishment, with three royal patents and a continued commitment to outfitting all three branches of the Armed Forces.

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Property Property| |The Themayfair mayfairMagazine Magazine

Mayfair estate agents Paddington & Bayswater Sales & Lettings Beauchamp Estates 24 Curzon Street, W1J 7TF 020 7499 7722 www.beauchamp.co.uk

4C Praed Street, W2 1JX 020 7717 5473 (sales) 020 7717 5343 (lettings)

Pimlico & Westminster Sales

John D Wood

Proprium

48 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PA 020 7824 7900 www.johndwood.co.uk

149 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BZ 020 7589 6298 www.proprium.co.uk

Belgravia

Sloane Street

50 Belgrave Road, SW1V 1RQ 020 7834 4771 www.hamptons-int.com

Kaye & Carey

Chesterton Humberts

Mayfair

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

Harrods Estates

Knightsbridge

Westminster & Pimlico

82 Brompton Road, SW3 1ER 020 7225 6506

10 Gillingham Street, SW1V 1HJ 020 3040 8201 (SALES) www.chestertonhumberts.com

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

Knightsbridge

Savills

4 Yeoman’s Row, SW3 2AH 020 7590 0066 www.kayeandcarey.co.uk

188 Brompton Road, SW3 1HQ 020 7581 5234

Knightsbridge Sales Mayfair Sales & Lettings 36 North Audley St., W1K 6ZJ 020 7578 5100

Mayfair

Sloane Street Sales & Lettings Knight Frank

Hyde Park Sales

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

55 Baker Street, W1U 8AN 020 7871 5060

Marylebone Sales Fine & Country

Mayfair

119 Park Lane, W1K 7AG 020 7079 1523 www.fineandcountry.com

Hamptons International

Chelsea Lettings 134 Fulham Road, SW10 9PY 020 7717 5433

Home House Estates 21 Woodstock Street, W1C 2AP 020 7493 1911 www.homehouseestates.co.uk

Horne & Harvey 23A St James’s Street, SW1A 1HA 020 7839 6006 www.horneandharvey.co.uk

55 Baker Street, W1U 8EW 020 3435 6440

Mayfair Sales & Lettings 120a Mount Street, W1K 3NN 020 7499 1012 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Pastor Real Estate Ltd 48 Curzon Street, W1J 7UL 020 3195 9595 www.pastor-realestate.com

London Sotheby’s International Realty 26A Conduit Street,W1S 2XY 020 7495 9580 www.sothebysrealty.com

Strutt & Parker

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

Knightsbridge

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

Knightsbridge Lettings 168 Brompton Road, SW3 1HW 020 7717 5463

118

Mayfair Sales & Lettings

Jackson Stops

Plaza Estates

32 Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HJ 020 7717 5465 (sales) 020 7717 5467 (lettings)

17C Curzon Street, W1J 5HU 020 7664 6644 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

29-31 Edgware Road, W2 2JE 020 7724 3100 www.plazaestates.co.uk

Mayfair Sales & Lettings

Marble Arch

For Estate Agent Listings please contact Fiona Fenwick at: f.fenwick@runwildgroup.co.uk

W.A. Ellis 174 Brompton Road, SW3 1HP 020 7306 1600 www.waellis.co.uk

showcasing the

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A freehold mews house with development potential This attractive mews house has the potential for the garage, underground vaults and loft space to be developed to create four floors of living space (subject to planning). Currently arranged as 2 bedrooms, bathroom, open plan reception with kitchen and dining area, large garage and 3 underground vaults. Approximately 188 sq m (2,024 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ2,850,000

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KnightFrank.co.uk/Mayfair mayfair@knightfrank.com 020 8166 7482

Knight Frank Luxborough Street, Marylebone W1

Pretty garden square views A well presented second floor apartment within a well maintained building, close to Marylebone High Street. 2 bedrooms, bathroom, reception room, kitchen, private balcony, lift, views of Paddington Square gardens. Approximately 57 sq m (614 sq ft) Available furnished/unfurnished Guide price: ÂŁ595 per week

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Stanhope Place, Hyde Park W2

Beautiful family town house A charming family house, ideally located moments from Hyde Park. Master bedroom with en suite dressing room and bathroom, 3 further bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, cloakroom, garden, terrace, 2 vaults. Approximately 257 sq m (2,766 sq ft) Available unfurnished Guide price: ÂŁ2,250 per week

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LET Dering Street, Mayfair W1S Guide price: £750 per week

Guide price: £2,000 per week

IT PAYS TO HAVE THE RIGHT TEAM BEHIND YOU We understand what matters to our landlords, from maximising yields to minimising void periods. Our experienced team uses the very latest market insight from around the Knight Frank network to ensure that our clients’ properties always have the right tenant.

Guide price: £1,950 per week

LET Kean Street, Covent Garden WC2 Guide price: £550 per week

LET

Discover more reasons why clients choose Knight Frank, speak to your local office or visit

LET

Wimpole Street, Marylebone W1

KnightFrank.co.uk/Lettings

The Lancasters, Hyde Park W2

LET

The Brassworks, Hyde Park W2

Craven Hill, Bayswater W2

Kendal Street, Hyde Park W2

Guide price: £5,750 per week

Guide price: £3,250 per week

Guide price: £2,700 per week

Guide price: £5,500 per week

Guide price: £2,000 per week

KnightFrank.co.uk/Lettings Mayfair Lettings 020 3641 6054 120a Mount Street, London W1K 3NN

282706 KF_Mayfair Mag Jan13.indd 1

Hyde Park & Marylebone Lettings 020 3641 7942 55 Baker Street, London W1U 8AN

17/12/2012 16:15

Vibrant, sophisticated and diverse, London is one of the world’s most exciting cities. Located at its heart, The Residences at W London offer a world-class lifestyle complete with all the perks of being a guest of W Hotels.® The Residences at W London are comprised of eleven exclusive two and three bedroom duplex penthouses situated on the top two floors of W London offering stunning views in a world –class location. wlondonresidences.com

Contact Kate Townrow 020 7499 1012 Gary Hall 020 7480 6848 coventgardenlettings@KnightFrank.com www.knightfrank.co.uk/lettings

Clarges Street, Mayfair W1 Striking penthouse with parking, porterage and terrace in Mayfair. Master bedroom with en-suite • Two further bedrooms • Two further bathrooms • Double reception/dining room • Kitchen • Lift • Conservatory Terrace • Porter • Underground parking • Approximately 2,188 sq ft / 203 sq m

020 7495 9580

svetlana.shcholokova@sothebysrealty.co.uk

Guide Price: £5,400,000 Leasehold with approximately 95 years remaining

Over 600 Offices in 46 Countries Mayfair Mag_Sothebys_Jan13.indd 1

sothebysrealty.co.uk 07/12/2012 17:15

May

uA ry 2013

I ND

1 - 3 F e br

Going the extra mile to find the perfect buyer UK Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Realty will be travelling to New Delhi to showcase our property portfolio at the India Art Fair 2013 between 1st and 3rd February. India Art Fair is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most attended art fairs showcasing modern and contemporary art, attracting high net worth individuals from across Asia and worldwide. By promoting our property portfolio at the heart of this emerging market we will be meeting those who want to invest in real estate within the UK. If you are considering selling your property and would like it to travel 4,170 miles to New Delhi, we would be delighted to hear from you. 020 7495 9580 mayfair@sothebysrealty.co.uk sothebysrealty.co.uk

17:15

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May

Mount Street, Mayfair, W1 The ultimate pied-à-terre situated in one of the finest Grade II Listed buildings in Mayfair. Master bedroom suite • Dressing room/bedroom two • Reception room Kitchen and dining room • Cloakroom • Integrated AV (Bang & Olufsen) Gardens • Approximately 1,087 sq ft / 101 sq m

020 7808 8540

patrick.lister@sothebysrealty.co.uk

Price on Application Leasehold

Over 600 Offices in 46 Countries 17:16

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Hamptons Mayfair

020 7717 5465 mayfair@hamptons-int.com

Mayfair Chambers, W1 Mayfair Chambers will present a rare opportunity to purchase one of just six luxurious residences designed and finished to the highest standard. Close to Berkeley Square and Grosvenor Square, Mayfair Chambers is situated in the genteel Mayfair Conservation Area, at the very heart of the London borough of Westminster. Hamptons Mayfair 020 7717 5465 mayfair@hamptons-int.com

From ÂŁ3,150,000 Leasehold 999 years 2 two bedroom duplex apartments 3 three bedroom lateral apartments 1 three bedroom penthouse apartment with terrace

Hamptons Paddington

Sales. 020 7717 5473 paddington@hamptons-int.co.uk

Cleveland Square, W2 An interior designed maisonette on this sought after garden square bordering Hyde Park. Unique features of this stunning apartment include a private entrance, grand entrance hallway, a swimming pool, gymnasium/games room plus maids quarters.

Hamptons Paddington 020 7717 5473 paddington@hamptons-int.co.uk

ÂŁ4,500,000 Share of Freehold White Stucco Fronted Building Interior Designed Apartment Private Entrance Ground Floor Double Reception Room Indoor Swimming Pool Four Bedrooms (All En-suite)

Hamptons Pimlico & Westminster

0203 281 7214 pimwest@hamptons-int.com

St. Georges Square London, SW1V

ÂŁ1,999,950 Share of Freehold

A beautifully finished top floor maisonette with stunning views overlooking St. Georges square from a west facing terrace, with a further terrace facing east. With bi-folding doors for access to either terrace and a further skylight over the stairwell the apartment offers exceptional light within a contemporary setting.

Four bedrooms Private Roof Terrace Direct lift access into apartment Views overlooking St. Georges Square

Hamptons Pimlico & Westminster 0203 281 7214 pimwest@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons Mayfair

020 7717 5467 mayfairlettings@hamptons-int.com

Hay Hill, W1 A stunning and extremely spacious four bedroom lateral apartment with porter. The property boasts impressive ceiling height with fantastic entertaining space and has excellent quality fixtures and fittings throughout. Located just off Berkeley Square this apartment is ideally placed in the heart of Mayfair. Hamptons Mayfair 020 7717 5467 mayfairlettings@hamptons-int.com

ÂŁ2,750 per week Part Furnished Reception room Kitchen Four bedrooms Three bathrooms Dressing room Porter

Property | The mayfair Magazine

s w e n y Propert Stunning Georgian buildings and sweeping park views – dream locations in Mayfair this month words: sandra mackenzie

Belgrave Square, Belgravia Dating back to 1826, this classic Georgian building is now on the market to be converted into a stunning residence in the heart of Belgravia. Designed by legendary 19th-century builder Thomas Cubitt, the property is constructed from Portland stone and covers 14,636 sq ft. Until recently, it has been the home of the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian council, but there is potential to convert it back into the spectacular family dwelling it historically was. As a house, the property could include six bedrooms and six bathrooms as well as the double drawing room, ground floor terrace and extensive balcony. The interior remains as stunning as it would have been in its Victorian heyday, making this a remarkable opportunity to re-establish the building as a magnificent home. After all, who wouldn’t want to be able to give their address as Belgrave Square? Sales for Belgrave Square are being handled by Savills. Contact Noel de Keyzer for further information: 020 7730 0822 (www.savills.com)

South Street, Mayfair Ideally situated close to the green open spaces of Hyde Park, this South Street apartment is the perfect town house for a discerning couple. Covering 1466 sq ft, the property features two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a reception room, all with fantastic views of the pleasant surroundings. The classic red brick mansion is just minutes away from the world renowned shops and restaurants of Mount Street and Berkeley Square, and enjoys 24-hour porterage. (£1,500,000; enquiries to Strutt and Parker at www.struttandparker.com) 134

Mayfair chambers

Planning permission for this elegantly modern new development in the heart of Mayfair was given to Real Estate Resolutions Ltd. in February 2012, and they are set to be finished by summer 2013. Located on the corner of Grosvenor Hill and Broadbent Street, the red brick building features large windows framed by Portland stone and an artist has been commissioned to design the entrance gates. Inside, there is a full Crestron home automation system and contemporary integrated appliances in the kitchens and bathrooms. Situated just a short stroll away from some of London’s finest restaurants and stores, the apartments are already being extolled as further proof of Mayfair’s continued rise in the global property market with two of the six already sold. Apartments at Mayfair Chambers start from £3.15million through Hamptons International (020 7758 8440; www.hamptons.co.uk)

GREAT CUMBERLAND PLACE, MARBLE ARCH W1 Stunning 3 bedroom flat on the ground and basement floors of this lovely Victorian conversion. The flat has 3 good size double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and is finished to a very high standard. The property is furnished with high quality furniture and has wooden floor throughout. Ideally located a few minutes from Oxford Street. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Reception Room, Kitchen.

FURNISHED

ÂŁ1795 PER WEEK MARBLE ARCH: 0207 724 3100

020 7402 9494 16 Park Road, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4SH Facsimile: 020 7724 7055 Email: enquiries@bargets.co.uk

A rare opportunity to acquire this 3 bedroom duplex apartment Regent's Park, NW1 The flat has the benefit of a large reception room with high ceilings, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, utility room, separate WC, balcony, lower floor store room, 24 hour porterage, private rear garden and 2 secure underground parking spaces. Clarence Terrace is located on the south side of the outer circle of Regent's Park with easy access to the West End. The park has 410 acres of glorious parkland with a boating lake, lawns and rose garden. Reception Room • 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Kitchen • Utility Room • Separate WC • Balcony • Private Garden • 2 Secure Underground Parking Spaces • 24 Hour Porterage

Crown Estate Lease

Sole Agent

Asking price £2,395,000

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A charming detached 4 bedroom property St John's Wood, NW8 A charming detached property comprising of 2,862 sq ft (266 sq m) of accommodation. The house is arranged over 3 floors and benefits from a delightful rear garden with access to a studio house and off-street parking for 2/3 cars. Abbey Road is located within close proximity to the American School in London and in easy reach of St John’s Woods fashionable shops, restaurants and nearby to transport links including St John’s Wood Underground station (Jubilee Line). 2 Reception Rooms • Kitchen • 4 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms • Parking.

Freehold

Price upon application

020 7402 9494 15:13

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13/12/2012 13:25

London has never looked

Chelsea

Fulham & Parsons Green

Kensington & Holland Park

Knightsbridge, Belgravia & Mayfair

020 7225 3866

020 7731 7100

020 7938 3666

020 7235 9959

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3895

struttandparker.com

better.

2012 was an extraordinary year for London. And for London property. Last year the world saw what a fantastic place London is â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and confirmed to all that it is the most desirable real estate capital in the world. Strutt & Parker sold and let more property than ever before and achieved 104% of our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; combined asking prices whilst doing so. Despite fewer people coming to the market, it took us on average less than a month to agree terms for our clients. Furthermore, 97% of our clients said that they would use us again, a statistic we cherish most.

2013 promises to be another excellent year for our clients. If your New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution is to get the most out of your property, whether you are considering selling or letting, contact your nearest office.

13:07

Notting Hill & Bayswater

South Kensington & Earls Court

020 7221 1111

020 7373 1010

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Seymour Street, London, W2 A beautifully presented four bedroom lateral apartment on the third floor (with lift) of this well-maintained mansion block. Accommodation comprises a large reception/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, three further bedrooms, family bathroom, and separate cloakroom. Seymour Street is located moments from Hyde Park and the shop & restaurants of Connaught Village. Leasehold approximately 103 years remaining Asking price ÂŁ2,000,000 020 7409 9205 Alexander.richards@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001

HARRODSESTATES.COM

The View, Palace Street, SW1 An incredible duplex penthouse over the 15th and 16th floors of this portered development with breathtaking panoramic views. The accommodation of approx. 4500 sq foot comprises three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a study, two guest WCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, fully integrated kitchen, double reception room, open air courtyard garden and roof terrace overlooking Buckingham Palace. Boasting wooden flooring throughout most of the apartment, it also benefits from one underground parking space. Long & short let, furnished 020 7409 9158 Robin.boghhenrikssen@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001

HARRODSESTATES.COM

75 Offices • 5 Continents • 11 Countries

this month’s

Mayfair Home to buy

• Russia • Italy • France • Spain • South Africa • Australia • Singapore • UAE • Barbados • Gibraltar • United Kingdom

uPPer Brook Street w1k

£2,550,000 long leasehold

A prestigious 1st ﬂoor period Mayfair apartment featuring an impressive entrance hallway, south facing reception room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms (1 en-suite), shower room, 3 balconies & a lift.

Mayfair & St James’s Sales 020 7629 4513 v sales.mayfair@chestertonhumberts.com

chestertonhumberts.com

Bruton Place w1

£2,850 per week

A substantial house with a large garage, located just off Berkeley Square. Comprising a large reception room, modern kitchen with separate utility room, 4 double bedrooms & 3 bathrooms.

uPPer Brook Street w1

£1,950 per week

A newly refurbished apartment superbly located just off Grosvenor Square. Comprising a spacious & bright reception room, modern kitchen, master bedroom with an en-suite, 2 further bedrooms & a 2nd bathroom.

Mayfair & St James’s Lettings 020 7288 8301 v lettings.mayfair@chestertonhumberts.com

curzon Square w1

£1,650 per week

A beautiful apartment finished to the highest standard. The accommodation consists of a spacious & bright reception room, modern kitchen, 2 bedrooms & 2 en-suite bathrooms. The property further benefits a lift & 24hr porter.

Harley Street w1

£850 per week

A lovely 3 bedroom apartment on Harley Street. The accommodation includes a reception room, dining room, kitchen & a bathroom. The property is superbly located within close proximity to Regent’s Park, Marylebone High Street & Oxford Street.

Mayfair & St James’s Lettings 020 7288 8301 v lettings.mayfair@chestertonhumberts.com

chestertonhumberts.com

St J o h n’ s Wo o d, N W 8 Set back behind a gated driveway, an impressive house providing family orientated accommodation of circa 3,787 sq ft/ 352 sq m, conveniently located within a few hundred yards of St John’s Wood High Street , St John’s Wood Underground station and a few moments walk from Regent’s Park. The house is presented to a high decorative standard and benefits from a rear patio garden and parking for several cars. 2 Principal bedroom suites with private sitting rooms and ensuite bathrooms, 2 Further bedrooms each with ensuite shower rooms, Drawing room, Dining room, Reception room, Kitchen/breakfast room, Guest cloakroom, Storage rooms, Terrace, Patio garden, Off street parking for several cars FREEHOlD

LHP_282738_Arlington_Vantage_Dec12.indd 1

JOINT SOlE AGENTS

GUIDE PRIcE £5,500,000

14/12/2012 13:35

RHP

R e g e n t ’ s Pa r k , N W 1 A third floor apartment of 3,309 sq ft/ 307 sq m within a sought after mansion block with 24 hr security porterage. The flat, which is one of the largest in the building, features 3 impressive reception rooms with high ceilings and is located 150 metres from Regent’s Park and Marylebone High Street. 4/5 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 2 Shower rooms, Drawing room, Dining room, Sitting room, Study/bedroom 5, Kitchen/breakfast room, Guest cloakroom, Crown estate parking permit 130 yeAR leASe

14:32

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SOle AGeNT

PRICe UPON APPlICATION

10/12/2012 14:32

The mayfair Magazine | Property

PROPERTY FOCUS 112 Whitehall Court, St James SW1

ondon’s original ‘palace of flats’ has a history almost as impressive as the building itself. Built in the late 19th century, the chateau-style block is the work of two separate teams of architects; Archer and Green at one end, and Alfred Waterhouse (best known for the Natural History Museum) at the other. The luxurious flats, combining period

‘The luxurious flats attracted residents including William Gladstone, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde’ opulence with modern conveniences, attracted residents including William Gladstone, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde among numerous other politicians and gentlemen. The building also played notable parts in both World Wars, acting as MI6 headquarters in the first and embassies for the US and USSR in the second. Today, the elegant apartments remain equally

Horne and Harvey: 020 7839 4551 (www.horneandharvey.co.uk)

desirable properties, with classically ornate features, high ceilings and lots of natural light. Comprised of a master bedroom suite, two further bedrooms, a reception room with study, a large dining room, kitchen, utility room and terrace, Flat 112 is spacious and luxuriously detailed. The advantages of the standout location include direct access to the Horseguards Hotel, potential membership of the Farmers Club and Liberal Club, and the pleasure of living on the bank of the Thames. 112 Whitehall Court, SW1. £7,250,000.

Horne & Harvey Est. 1803

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Property | The mayfair Magazine

a voice from the country

Oxford landing Rob Jones-Davies considers why Central North Oxford is proving consistently popular in a volatile market

ith the continuing volatility of worldwide investment markets, investors are looking towards bricks and mortar to weather the storm. However, even within the property sector, it is only the blue chip areas that are behaving reasonably predictably. So what keeps the hot spots hot? Looking at Oxford, one of the hottest of the lot is St Giles, to the north of the city and also the area south of Summertown and these provide a good insight into the forces at work. There are a number of key factors ensuring that property in central north Oxford remains a sound investment. A good number of the UK’s most sought after independent schools such as Summer Fields, St Edwards, Cothill House, The Dragon, Abingdon, and Radley are either in the city or within close proximity. It is also within the magic one hour journey time for commuting into central London, either by train to Paddington or driving via the A40/M40. Moreover, as you can walk to the city centre, or easily escape to the country, it is at that perfect juncture where you can enjoy a vibrant historical city rich with culture, yet still be a short drive from the Cotswolds. In this area there is a good stock of wellproportioned town houses with gardens and pleasing architecture, though it is a rarity for the best to come on to the open market. If such a

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property does, expect to pay between £800 and £1,200 per square foot to secure your investment. The market here, has a pleasingly predictable seasonality to it, with a buying/selling pattern closely tied to the school year. The highest level of competition is in March to June, when school acceptance letters are sent out and buyers are most motivated. From July to September, sales will slow down, but this is prime time for renting for those that haven’t secured a purchase. September to December is the perfect time to market a property that needs some work, as those that have rented may be willing to buy and refurbish while they run down their 12-month lease. January to March is when buyers start to register and view in parallel with school applications and interviews. Of course, many of the sellers are those whose children have finished school, but do not expect to see their properties in the local estate agents’ windows. A good buying agent will be able to predict when a property is likely to come to the market and negotiate a pre-emptive deal before the rest of the market is even aware of a potential sale. Off market and private sales are very much the norm here. ‘A Voice From the Country’ is a series of articles by Middleton Advisors who act on behalf of private clients looking to purchase country houses and estates in the UK (01235 436 272; www.middletonadvisors.com)

LONDON’S TALLEST RESIDENTIAL TOWER

†

THE PLATINUM COLLECTION

ELEGANT LUXURY

A Unique Opportunity 3 bedroom suites from £3,780,000 * The Buckingham Suite from £20,000,000 * Overlooking the River Thames and historic Houses of Parliament, at 50 storeys and 181 meters high The Tower, One St George Wharf will be one of Europe’s tallest residential towers. The Platinum Collection, on floors 33 – 44 will offer customers the opportunity to acquire suites on selected floors, or an entire floor plate, allowing 360 degree uninterrupted views of the world’s greatest capital city.

www.thetower-onestgeorgewharf.co.uk By appointment only:

Terry Wrightson +44 (0)20 7042 7700 Marketing suite open: Mon to Fri 10am – 8pm | Sat & Sun 10am – 6pm

Email: towersales@stgeorgesl.com

Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies †

Computer generated images are indicative only. Indicative view from the 33rd floor. *Prices correct at time of going to press. Correct at time of going to press.

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The mayfair Magazine | Property

On the continent Escape the winter blues with a place in the sun, Cannes, Tuscany or Greece – you choose Cannes, Côte d’Azur A villa in the south of France has long been the dream getaway home for those of us on this side of the Channel languishing through a British winter. This particular property comprehensively turns the dream into spectacular reality and then adds some finishing touches all of its own. Sitting in the hills above Cannes, this beautiful stone

‘This particular property comprehensively turns the dream into spectacular reality’ bastide’s sweeping views take in the city all the way down to the famed beaches and out to the Mediterranean. Inside, you’ll find six-metre high ceilings, creating a spacious, welcoming atmosphere enhanced by the numerous French doors opening out directly into the gardens. The interior is deigned to perfectly complement the surroundings and history of the area, with classic Riviera touches throughout in the bright furnishings and stone floors. If you’re looking to bring a party of guests with you, there is a fully equipped guesthouse in addition to the five en-suite bedrooms in the main building and a projection room makes sure even rainy days are comfortably occupied. Of course, since the sun typically shines in Cannes for 300 days a year… that’s unlikely to be too frequent an occurrence. (£10,475,000, Beauchamp Estates Cannes, +33 04 93 94 45 45, www.beauchamp.com)

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Property | The mayfair Magazine

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Lake Corbara, San Martino

Psarou, Mykonos

Sitting on the shores of Lake Corbara, this Italian farmhouse provides a perfect rustic retreat in a truly idyllic setting. With over 700m2 of quintessentially Umbrian scenery to enjoy, this property promises peace and privacy for you and your guests. The bright and spacious house has eleven bedrooms and bathrooms and has a small private lakeside beach as well as an outdoor swimming pool and extensive gardens. There are also two undeveloped properties included with the grounds – a perfect project for keen developers and renovators. Surrounded by hills and vineyards, the picturesque ancient towns of Orvieto and Todi are only a twenty-minute drive away, allowing you to combine the benefits of town and country in a single unique residence. (£2,400,000. Beauchamp Estates Florence, +39 055 2654089, www.beauchamp.com)

Most seaside properties measure the distance from your door to the beach in metres. Here, it’s in steps – five to be exact. Located in the prestigious Mykonos coastal area, this exceptional property comprises of a main house and four luxury guesthouses, making it ideal for large families or groups travelling together. The design of the complex integrates the building with the natural surroundings, with stone walls and steps leading past palm trees in the garden to marble staircases and rustic wooden rafters. The open design covers 500m2 and includes an open dining area and patio leading to a secluded pool cut into the rock face. With space for staff quarters, as well as offstreet parking, this property caters to your every need, providing easy luxury for every holiday. (£3,000,000. Beauchamp Estates +30 22890 24797, www.beauchamp.com)

ABOVE: THE POOL AT PSAROU, MYKONOS; BELOW: THE FARMHOUSE’S POOL AT LAKE CORBARA, SAN MARTINO

C U R Z O N S T R E E T M AY F A I R W 1 Prestigious newly refurbished Mayfair apartment in a luxury development close to restaurants, private dining clubs, boutiques and Green Park. Reception room, master bed suite +shower and dressing area, 2nd double bedroom, bathroom, fully fitted kitchen, solid wood flooring throughout. Use of private gym. Price: £1,350 per week – Furnished

C U R Z O N S T R E E T M AY F A I R W 1 Unique Mayfair Studio Flat that has been newly interior designed with access via a private street entrance. The property offers spacious accommodation and is finished to a high spec. Studio room with bedroom area, eat-in kitchen, luxury shower room, solid wood flooring throughout, underfloor heating, CCTV security cameras, WiFi and Sky points. Features include two large storage rooms which may be suitable as study/guest bedroom and use of the private gym in the building. Price: £625 per week – Furnished

E. lettings@pastor-realestate.com

HAPPY DIAMONDS COLLECTION

2012/49 - Spring Magazine / Rudell - 130WR - 225 x 320 mm - UK - 23/01/12