St John's Wood magazine June 2016

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CONTENTS June 2016 Features

54 House of cardies

Regulars

18 Power player

The Fashion and Textile Museum prepares to host a new exhibition dedicated to Missoni

10 Editor’s letter

Homeland actor Damien Lewis holds forth on politics, private jets and preparing for a role in new Sky Atlantic drama Billions

70 An eye for detail A new sense of perspective from custom spectacle maker EB Meyrowitz

22 Glow getter Famous for her Foxy Cushions and Rude Lampshades, Sera HershamLoftus talks mood lighting and seductive interiors as she launches her furniture collection

13 Five minutes with...

Motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss talks life in the fast lane ahead of his appearance at the St John’s Wood Classic and Supercar Pageant

84 Smile like you mean it As national smile month kicks off, it’s time to refine the health and appearance of your teeth

14 The agenda Our pick of this month’s exhibitions, events and openings in and around St John’s Wood

90 Generation game 26 The secret gardens Explore historic medicinal gardens and floating flower beds this month as Open Garden Squares Weekend throws more than 200 outdoor spaces into the limelight

Michel Roux Jr. celebrates 25 years at the helm of Le Gavroche with a series of pop-up events

62 Fashion shoot Faded pinstripes, checks and blue hues bring a touch of sophistication to summer suiting

96 A walk on the wild side Setting up camp for the night among the elephants on a safari in Botswana

30 Ivy league With the imminent arrival of The Ivy Café St John’s Wood, the restaurant’s interior designer Martin Brudnizki reveals how his lack of ‘signature style’ is working in his favour

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34 Collection

51 Fashion

81 Health & beauty

94 Travel

43 Art & antiques

77 Interiors

88 Food & drink

101 Property

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

DAW N A striking, seductive encounter A touch is all it takes to transform Dawn’s seductive shape, as the sleek hood folds away in silence.

A true four-seater, crafted in anticipation of unexpected last-minute escapes.

Enjoy the luxury of choice with a bespoke funding solution from Rolls-Royce Financial Services.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London 15 Berkeley Square, London W1J 6EG +44 (0) 20 3699 6608 www.rolls-roycemotorcars-london.co.uk Official fuel economy figures for the Rolls-Royce Dawn: Urban 13.2mpg (21.4l/100km). Extra Urban 28.5mpg (9.9l/100km).

Combined 20.0mpg (14.1l/100km). CO2 emissions 330g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions. Š Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited 2016. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

JOHN’S WOOD

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J U N E 2 0 1 6 s i s s ue 0 0 1

Acting Editor Lauren Romano

From the editor

Contributing Editors Hannah Lemon Katy Parker Jewellery Editor Olivia Sharpe Watch Editor Richard Brown

“If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?”

Sir Stirling Moss

Editorial Assistants Ellen Millard Marianne Dick Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong Senior Designer Grace Linn Production Hugo Wheatley Jamie Steele Danny Lesar Alice Ford General Manager Fiona Fenwick Executive Director Sophie Roberts Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Proudly published by

We launch full throttle into our inaugural issue of The St John’s Wood Magazine this month by talking to Sir Stirling Moss. The legendary motor racing champion reflects on getting behind the wheel of his first car, crossing the chequered flag and the state of modern day Formula 1. Read all about racing life on page 13, and if that leaves you wanting more, meet the octogenarian himself at the St John’s Wood Classic and Supercar Pageant on 19 June.

Damian Lewis is no stranger to life in the fast lane either. As the St John’s Wood born actor hits our screens playing his latest baddie in Billions, find out what would be on his wishlist if he actually hit the jackpot on page 18. Elsewhere we get some interiors advice from decorator to the stars Sera Hersham-Loftus (p.22) and round-up the north west London events not to be missed this month. Talking of diary dates, ahead of the launch of The Ivy Café St John’s Wood, we probe its interior designer Martin Brudnizki for a sneak preview (p.30). No doubt the race to bag a table will be on when booking lines open next month. See you there.

Lauren Romano

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DISTRIBUTION: The St John’s Wood Magazine is distributed in St John’s Wood and the surrounding areas

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On the

cover

SIR STIRLING MOSS, COURTESY OF STIRLING MOSS COLLECTION, TAKEN FROM STIRLING MOSS: MY RACING LIFE, PUBLISHED BY EVRO PUBLISHING, 2015. Read the interview on page 13

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

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

Regulars

5 minutes with...

I was brought up with good, fast cars; my father had raced at Brooklands and Indianapolis and my mother had done trials and hill climbs. We had a BMW 328, which I drove on my first-ever sprint rally. I was offered a contract with Hersham and Walton Motors and went around racing in different towns every weekend.

In my day I was doing 50 races a year, but nowadays they do a lot less. It was a wonderful life; I was allowed to travel all around the world. I had a Facel Vega that I could travel from race to race in. It was a really superb French car.

When I was young, I read Prince Bira’s book about Formula 1 and thought ‘oh god that sounds fantastic’. I sent an entry into Shelsley Walsh’s hill climb but they turned me down, so I entered a hill climb at Prescott the next week and won it. Shelsley Walsh has still got the letter telling me that I couldn’t do it.

The first car I ever drove was a Lancia up and down the drive at my parents’ home in Berkshire. Then my father

I used to come up to London every day with my father, who was a dentist. I would go to try

SIR STIRLING MOSS The motor racing legend talks classic cars, Formula 1 and his love for London

bought me an old Austin 7 for a fiver. We had a 14-acre estate, so I was able to drive all around and I learnt a lot.

I watch all the Formula 1 races and I must admit that they’re so efficient now. It’s a completely different sport altogether. I admire Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. This season is quite interesting actually because Hamilton is dropping back and Nico Rosberg is leading, but I hope Vettel wins.

and pass my matriculation for grammar school, which I didn’t manage to do. That’s why I took up racing. I’m not that brainy.

I’ve lived on the same street in Mayfair since 1955. It was a bomb site when I bought it.

It’s very central, but there’s no thoroughfare, so if a car comes down here it’s either lost or looking for me.

London is the centre of the world. It’s a great city and it’s got

“I watch all the Formula 1 races and I must admit that they’re so efficient now. It’s a completely different sport altogether”

so much to offer. There are six or seven restaurants within 50 yards of my house, but I like eating at home best of all because my wife’s a bloody good cook.

All images courtesy of Stirling Moss Collection, from Sir Stirling Moss: My Racing Life, Evro Publishing, except above right: After winning the British Grand Prix in 1955, courtesy of Sir Stirling Moss, stirlingmoss.com

Sir Stirling Moss will be attending the St John’s Wood Classic and Supercar Pageant on 19 June, where he will be signing photographs for a charitable contribution in the Knight Frank tent. 10am-5pm, St John’s Wood High Street, NW8 s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

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Images courtesy of Wigmore Hall & Benjamin Ealovega

NOW SHOWING This summer, Wigmore Hall will open its doors after dark for a series of late night one-hour shows. Internationally acclaimed musicians, cabaret performances and Baroque music will be performed on several Friday nights throughout the coming months. Book tickets now to see the principal players of Aurora Orchestra, flute and harpsichord performances by Adam Walker and Mahan Esfahani and a one-woman cabaret show starring Zoë Martlew. £15, wigmore-hall.org.uk/lates

The agenda Local news and events from in and around the area

JUST OPENED Images courtesy of DAVID BAILEY GALLERY AT THE CHILTERNS

David Bailey has temporarily swapped his East London stomping ground for Marylebone, where a gallery dedicated to the photographer’s work has opened in the lobby of luxury apartment building The Chilterns. The artist took 46 photographs of the local area for the project, 19 of which will be displayed in the gallery and the rest in the apartments. Keep an eye out for black-and-white images of the BBC headquarters, Baker Street Underground Station and Regent’s Park.

The Chilterns, 24 Paddington Street, W1U, thechilternsw1.com

BOOK On your bike

In another life, fashion designer Sir Paul Smith would have been a racing cyclist, but a serious accident when he was young shattered his Tour de France dreams and resulted in a six-month spell in hospital.

Fortunately for the fashion world, this led to the opening of his first boutique in Nottingham in 1970. Today, Smith is one of the world’s leading designers, with stores across the globe, but his love for cycling has never faded. In a new book, the fashion mogul reveals his devotion to the sport, from his favourite athletes and races to his personal collection of cycling jerseys and publications.

Paul Smith’s Cycling Scrapbook reveals how the humble sport has influenced one of the world’s leading designers, through his heroes Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil and collaborations with bike-makers Mercian, Condor and Gary Fisher. £29.95, Paul Smith’s Cycling Scrapbook by Paul Smith and Richard Williams, paulsmith.co.uk

Regulars

EXHIBITIONS

Starman

Flying colours Icelandic painter Katrin Fridriks has created a brand new body of work for her first ever solo exhibition in London, which opens this June at Fizrovia’s Lazarides Rathbone. Flying Awareness will take over the gallery’s ground floor, where Fridriks’ abstract paintings – partly inspired by her hometown – will bring an explosion of colour to the space.

27 June – 24 July, Lazarides Ltd, 11 Rathbone Place, W1T, lazinc.com

ABOVE: nOBLE & AWAKENING FORCE; BELOW: NOBLE AWARENESS & SPIRITS, BOTH BY KATRIN FRIDIKS, COURTESY OF LAZARIDES RATHBONE

In recent months, Heddon Street has become a hotspot for musical fans thanks to its blue plaque commemorating the late David Bowie, who’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars album cover was photographed here. Now, a new exhibition will be held on the landmark street in honour of the star’s career. David Bowie: Fame, Fashion, Photography will showcase previously unseen images of the performer by photographers Chalkie Davies, Tony McGee and Denis O’Regan, which will be sold in a silent auction in aid of Cancer Research UK. 7-19 June, The Hub, Heddon Street, W1B, cruk.org/BowieFFP

In focus

RUE THOLOZE A MONTMATRE, PARIS, 1954 © DOROTHY BOHM

This June, works by legendary photographers Wolfgang Suschitzky, Dorothy Bohm and Neil Libbert will arrive in St John’s Wood by way of the Ben Uri Gallery & Museum. In a new exhibition, Unseen: London, Paris, New York, 1930s-60s, the 20th century photographers will explore three major cities and the social movements that have defined them. Discover blasts from the past such as Oxford Street in 1945 and Grand Central Station in 1960.

20 May –27 August, Ben Uri Gallery & Museum, 108a Boundary Road, NW8, benuri.org.uk

DAVID BOWIE BY CHALKIE DAVIES, COURTESY OF THE HUB, HEDDON STREET

IMAGE/WOMAN/TEXT BY MARIE YATES, COURTESY OF RICHARD SALTOUN GALLERY

The four-one-one In conjunction with Tate Britain’s Conceptual Art in Britain: 1964-1979 exhibition, Fitzrovia’s Richard Saltoun Gallery will hold a series of four one-month long shows featuring work by artists from the 1960s and 1970s. First up is sculptor Roelof Louw, best known for his pyramid of more than 8,000 oranges. The rest of the series will focus on land artist Marie Yates, filmmaker Tony Morgan and environmental artist Ed Herring.

Until 30 September, 111 Great Titchfield Street, W1W, richardsaltoun.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

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Regulars

OUT & ABOUT

Let it grow

Images courtesy of GROW LONDON

The green-fingered residents of north west London will unite this June at Hampstead Heath’s third GROW London festival, a weekend event dedicated to horticulture and contemporary design. Talks from leading gardeners, free workshops and family activities will be held during the event, which will host more than 100 exhibitors of outdoor furniture, rare plants, flowers and striking garden sculptures.

24-26 June, £16, Hampstead Heath, NW3, growlondon.com

The wheel deal

Food for thought Last year’s Fork to Fork Food Festival raised more than £30,000 for the Open Air Classroom charity initiative, a project that teaches children to cope in the modern world through conservation, marine science and gardening. This June, the event returns to Kensal Rise, where leading chefs Tom Aikens, Brett Graham and Angela Hartnett will be in attendance along with restaurants such as Hoppers and Kitty Fisher’s. Pop along for small plates and signature dishes as well as local beer and wine.

11 June, Ark Franklin Primary Academy, Harvist Road, NW6, franklinforktofork.com 16

Petrol heads will be pleased to hear that St John’s Wood’s annual Classic and Supercar Pageant is returning once again this June.

Collectable cars will line the high street on Father’s Day, which will be packed with food stalls and pop-up bars. Sir Stirling Moss will be signing autographs for a charitable contribution in the Knight Frank tent.

Read our interview with the motoring legend on page 13.

19 June, St John’s Wood High Street, NW8, stjohnswoodnw8.com

Fair game While Regent’s Park has Frieze, diary highlights for Hampstead’s art aficionados come in the form of the Affordable Art Fair, one of London’s biggest art and design events. Works by contemporary painters, printers, sculptors, photographers and illustrators will be on display this June, when more than 100 galleries will come together for the occasion. For those feeling inspired, a workshop programme, including abstract painting and portraiture classes, will be held over the weekend, so you can try your hand at making your own masterpiece.

16-19 June, £10, Lower Fairground Site, East Heath Road, NW3, affordableartfair.com

Clockwise from bottom left: Liberty Gallery, Oddly Head, © Licked; Hybrid Gallery, Celeste Catro, © IRENE JONES; REN Fine Art, In Safe Adventurous Hands © Kristin Vestgard

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Power Player Homeland actor Damian Lewis holds forth on politics, private jets and preparing for a role in new Sky Atlantic drama Billions W o r ds : B e n j i W i ls o n a n d C h a r l o t t e P h i ll i ps

D

amian Lewis is somewhat enigmatic. A well-respected British actor (he was awarded an OBE in 2014), he’s attractive, but doesn’t exactly fall into the heartthrob mould, and he maintains a sense of easy likeability despite his often gritty roles.

Lewis is playing self-made billionaire Bobby Axelrod in new TV show Billions, a man conflicted by the trappings of greed and power that come with newly acquired wealth.

Lewis is no stranger to portraying complex characters, you need only look at his turn as Nicholas Brody in Homeland to see how he thrives in this type of role. For Billions, Lewis worked to get to grips with all facets of Axelrod’s character, incorporating the good, the bad and the ugly.

“His self-belief and confidence and the way in which he epitomises the rise of the working man and prescribes in some way to the American dream is attractive to people. He

comes from a background of fire chiefs, nurses and police, an Irish blue-collar background, and I think it’s appealing that he’s married to a woman of his own background,” Lewis explains. “Malin Åkerman, who plays his wife, is staggeringly beautiful, but she is not a trophy wife. She’s someone that he’s known for most of his life and she comes from the same sort of neighbourhood.”

Lewis has not shirked on his homework, something instilled in him from his Guildhall School of Music & Drama days.

When preparing for Billions, his bedtime reading included trawling the Investopedia website and gleaning tips for the starter investor from the works of Andrew Ross Sorkin and Michael Lewis. “There’s lots of literature out there,” he smiles.

Then, he spent time with some seriously successful hedge fund billionaires, looking for common psychological behavioural traits, which, he says, was “pretty enjoyable and helpful.” Naturally, playing a successful financier and reading around the subject must lead to thoughts of one’s

INTERVIEW Damian Lewis as Bobby “Axe” Axelrod in Billions (Season 1, Episode 1) Photo: JoJo Whilden/ SHOWTIME, ALL IMAGES © BILLIONS AND Showtime, Networks Inc. All rights reserved

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own portfolio; but Lewis is already set up on that front and disarmingly modest. “I have some investment, but I don’t think anyone would take my meagre sums of money into their hedge fund. I have a typical layman’s portfolio, which is a little bit of moderate risk, a little bit of greater risk, something put aside for my kids, the usual stuff.”

The actor’s home life sounds reassuringly normal.

Born in St John’s Wood, he lives in Tufnell Park with his two children: a daughter, Manon, aged nine, and a son, Gulliver, aged eight, and his British actress wife Helen McCrory. When asked what he would do with Axelrod’s billions, Lewis responds quickly, in much the same way as you or I might when asked to spend fantastical sums of money, without the jaded, blasé air that so many in his position could easily adopt.

“A jet. I’ve been on a private jet only two or three times and it’s one of life’s great luxuries. You arrive at a small airport that looks more like your sitting room and are offered a cappuccino while your bag is whipped from out of your hand. And then just ten minutes later you’re asked to step onto the plane and then you’re off. It’s just totally terrific.”

Should aviation purchases fail, or if there happens to be enough cash left over, there’s always the option of buying Liverpool Football Club, of which Lewis is an avid supporter. “Liverpool FC could do with a bit of help, so yeah, why not?”

Clearly not adverse to taking risks, Lewis has made some savvy choices in his career, landing him both a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award and his role in Billions looks set to generate a similar buzz. He tells me that filming in New York was a highlight. “I had doubted it was still a great city having been there a lot in the mid ’90s and knowing that it had been somewhat tamed, shall we say, by Giuliani and Bloomberg, but it is still a great city; it’s one of the greatest cities.”

When fans ask Lewis if he thinks Axelrod would vote for Donald Trump in the forthcoming US Presidential elections, his answer gives little away: “he might,” he shrugs. On a micro level, politics and political attitudes trickle down to how people approach the TV show itself. Is Axelrod a villain or a character to be supported? “I think it depends on how conservative you are. A more liberal viewer enjoyed and supported Brody in

“TV sort of changed, it became more global, less parochial, less provincial”

ABove: Malin Akerman, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Paul Giamatti.

Creator: Jeff Neumann LEFT: Damian Lewis as Bobby “Axe” Axelrod in Billions (Season 1, Episode 1). Photo: JoJo Whilden/ SHOWTIME ALL images copyright billions © showtime networks inc. all rights reserved

INTERVIEW

Homeland, while a more conservative viewer thought he was just an outright terrorist who deserved to be condemned. So, it depends on the personal politics, with a small ‘p’, of the viewer.”

Along with travel and politics, music is another of Lewis’ interests. Axelrod is a serious Metallica fan, and the band appears in the first season. Lewis admits he likes their music, but his tastes sound somewhat eclectic. “We filmed a scene with Metallica, which was just fantastic… When I was 15 or 16, a lot of my friends were walking around with Metallica and Iron Maiden jackets and I think I was doing a bit of that. But there was also a bit of Bill Haley thrown in and quite a lot of Supertramp, if I remember correctly, which is the other end of the musical spectrum.”

Perhaps the person who most appreciates Lewis’ encounters with Metallica is his son. “I’ve met Lars Ulrich from the band a couple of times, and he was kind enough to give a pair of his drumsticks to my son, who is a

drummer. So that’s pretty cool.”

Lewis’ humility seems at odds with the big budget, internationally acclaimed shows he’s come to be associated with, and he’s acutely aware that he’s lucky to be acting at a time when so much is possible.

“Premium cable TV has had a golden age for the past ten to 15 years. TV sort of changed, it became more global, less parochial, less provincial. It started to follow a film model, with directors and writers [and actors] filming all over the world. It suddenly became a more global enterprise, just like film. But because you have 12 hours to tell a story, rather than just over two, you can have these more complex, ambiguous characters and heroes who are flawed – anti-heroes who you want to like”, he explains.

“It’s very exciting. I feel lucky that I came of age as an actor at a time when there was this sort of tectonic shift between film and TV. It’s great fun.”

“I’ve been on a private jet only two or three times and it’s one of life’s great luxuries”

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Billions is on Sky Atlantic and Sky Boxsets now

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Glow Getter Her Foxy Cushions and Rude Lampshades have been a hit with everyone from Courtney Love and Sadie Frost to Yoko Ono, and now Sera Hersham-Loftus is branching out into furniture. The designer gives Lauren Romano a lesson in seductive interiors

“You know the term ‘randy’?” Sera Hersham-Loftus purrs, tucking her bare feet beneath her. “It was coined by a gentleman called Sir Randolph. This is Randolph Avenue and all these buildings here were for politicians’ mistresses, or so the story goes,” she begins, like a wayward estate agent gone wildly off-script with the rehearsed particulars. “This floor would have been where they all had dinner and laughed and then they would have gone upstairs…,” she adds, coyly, as she beckons me to join her on the sofa where she has settled, her chin resting on the knees of her baby pink lounge pants. “People used to call me Madame Sera, so it’s apt that I ended up living in a former brothel.”

As raconteurs go, the softly spoken HershamLoftus spins a compelling yarn. I follow as she starts padding barefoot around her Little Venice apartment with a certain slow sashay, stopping to stroke silky fabrics and tinkle with glass droplets hanging from lampshades of her own creation. She resonates the same calming, soothing aura as her home. Little jungles of

INTERVIEW

foliage are clustered here and there, giving the space the air of a 1930s Parisian boudoir crossed with the Palm House at Kew Gardens.

The date of our meeting has been pending for a couple of weeks because Madame Sera has been decorating. It’s not an unheard of pursuit for an interior designer, but the frequency with which she plays Changing Rooms with her own home is quite astonishing. This happens every few months and has done ever since she moved into the first floor flat that she bought from her DJ friend, Mark Moore, of S’Express fame.

Hersham-Loftus set about altering the “bloke’s pad” with the help of a sledgehammer.

Knocking down walls has transformed four rooms into two huge salons that have a louche, romantic feel. Period grandeur has been reinstated via a dilapidated house in Amsterdam. “They were selling everything, so I bought the panelling, the floorboards, the doors. It was complete luck”, she says as she gives me the house tour, pointing out the cornices and chimneys, stripped back to the original bare bricks, as well as an impressive assortment of 20th-century Russian paintings left to her by her late father, along with a stash of old auction catalogues.

“My father was an art collector. He was one of the first dealers to bring the works of Russian artists to London”, she adds, reminiscing about childhood weekends spent attending

LEFT: sera hersham-loftus at home; ABOVE: THE OYSTER LOVE SEAT AND OCCASION CHAIR and rude lampshades by sera of london. all images by jake fitzjones

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auctions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Growing up surrounded by Lowrys and Hockneys led Hersham-Loftus down a creative path of her own, first as a set designer working on backdrops for the likes of La Bohème at Sadler’s Wells and later as an interior designer. She launched Sera of London more than two decades ago and since then her home has become an ever-changing showroom for her latest creations. Her first furniture collection, Les Follies, is on display when I visit.

Named after the Folies Bergère cabaret music hall in Paris, the collection comes in two styles: a high-backed, lime green slipper satin Firemonkey sofa, armchair and footstool; and a scalloped, silk velvet Oyster love seat and occasion chair. To complete the look HershamLoftus has added fresh additions to her lighting range, including a slightly tipsily angled Anthurium lampshade in peppermint satin, and fuchsia pink Festooned Bustier and Tulip lampshades, finished with vintage glass beads and droplets.

“My ideas are always evolving so my home changes all the time,” she says. “It’s like a canvas to me. Everything can be changed. I love keeping things fluid, evolving a space. It’s really good for the energy. When I was younger I would come home from school, dump my satchel and move my bed over to one side of the room, just to see what it was like to sleep in a different place. I used to borrow my mum’s scarves and drape them over lampshades to create atmosphere. I like things to feel calm and tranquil and overhead lighting suddenly gives you this glare. It doesn’t matter what you put in a room if it’s not lit well.”

The light is dimmed lowest in the bedroom, where a frankincense-laced fire casts shadows on the gold-leaf Chinese wallpaper and an enormous bed covered with silky cushions – “they’re called Aroused Rose”, she adds, following my gaze. Vintage lace pelmets and net curtains veil the entrance to what was an en suite shower room, but is now a store cupboard for an impressive collection of Natacha Marro platforms and vintage clothes. “I use them like art. They’re not just for wearing but for draping around,” she says of her Vivienne Westwood

ABOVE: THE FIREMONKEY SOFA, ARMCHAIR AND FOOTSTOOL BY SERA OF LONDON; SERA HERSHAM-LOFTUS WITH ONE OF HER RUDE LAMPSHADES OPPOSITE: SERA’S LONDON HOME

numbers and Pam Hogg cat suits.

“I’m not like most interior decorators. I consider decorating as more of an art form.

People who ask for my help have to trust me to do this. Nobody would come to me, open a magazine and say: ‘can you do a minimal look, or something like that?’”

Among her loyal clientele is a smattering of famous names. A quick Google search throws up Patsy Kensit, Twiggy, Yoko Ono and Howard Jacobson, although her lips remain tightly shut when I implore her to spill the beans about exactly who is listed in her little black book.

“When I was younger it was more exciting, but as you get older you realise people are people. I remember when I first worked for Liam Gallagher; I was so young and so ecstatic,” she recalls. She’s more forthcoming about her decision to share her “grown-up bohemian” vision with fashion brand

INTERVIEW

Ghost; last year she was approached by the creative team to design an interiors collection for Ghost Home after her pad was used to shoot the A/W16 campaign.

When the flat isn’t being invaded by film and photography crews, HershamLoftus restores order by surrounding herself with treasured possessions. These include a glass side table by her sculptor boyfriend Danny Lane (made with materials left over from a commission for the Victoria & Albert Museum), and a shell-andfossil-covered fireplace in the kitchen. “My kids made it when they were young. It’s mounted on a piece of MDF so I can unscrew it and take it with me wherever I go.”

The fireplace has made it through many house moves, including the last upheaval from the former family home, a Georgian townhouse in St John’s Wood, where Hersham-Loftus raised her three children. Her daughter Anoushka has inherited an eye for interiors, decorating her West Hampstead apartment in white muslin and scattering plants everywhere. “She’s a white witch”, Hersham-Loftus explains, as if it’s the most commonplace profession. “She holds meditation evenings for women every full moon. Women have so much power; we just need to harness it.”

A dusky pink sunset is filtering through the windows by the time the house tour is complete.

Hersham-Loftus begins adjusting the dimmer switches of countless lamps as I settle in one of two high-backed wicker chairs. “I’ve always had this fantasy that they are the originals from the film Emmanuelle. Have you seen it?” comes her innocent reply when I ask where she got them from. I’m hardly expecting her to name a department store, but even so, I can’t help but smile as she continues: “It was a soft porn film from the ’70s and the heroine used to sit on a chair just like that...” I’m sure Sir Randolph would approve.

“Everything can be changed.

I love keeping things fluid, evolving a space. It’s really good for the energy”

seraoflondon.com

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The

Secret Gardens From historic medicinal gardens to floating flower beds on barges, Open Garden Squares Weekend throws more than 200 outdoor spaces into the limelight this month. Lauren Romano speaks to event organiser Sarah Hesketh about preserving the capital’s green appeal

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It’s estimated that 40 per cent of the city’s surface area is reserved for publically accessible green space

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s far as the green stakes go, London isn’t fairing too badly.

A report commissioned by the City of London Corporation back in 2013 declared it to be the greenest major city in Europe and the third greenest city of its size in the world. Residents and visitors to the capital’s concrete jungle have access to 35,000 acres of public parks, and it’s estimated that some 40 per cent of the city’s surface area is reserved for publically accessible green space. But for every sprawling heath or ornamental rock garden, many more spaces are concealed behind gates and kept under lock and key.

Open Garden Squares Weekend, organised by the London Parks & Gardens Trust, was established in 1998 to acquaint Londoners with the open space network on their doorsteps. For one weekend, hidden, secret and under-the-radar green spaces across 27 London boroughs will open their gates to the public – from roof gardens and community allotments to ecology centres and the back yards of historic institutions.

“We want to encourage people who live in a city like London to understand the value of these green spaces and the benefits they have,” explains the event’s organiser Sarah Hesketh. “Open Garden Squares Weekend is about engagement, but it’s also about sharing. People in the local area need to be made aware of gardens that are part of their neighbourhood. We have visitors who come to the event and say: ‘Oh, I live just around the corner and I never knew this was here’. It also provides the gardeners working away in the background an opportunity to talk to the public.”

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ABOVE: rOYAL coLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS’ medicinal garden; BRANCH HILL ALLOTMENTs OPPOSITE PAGE: PARK CRESCENT GARDENS all images by dIANA JARvIS, COURTESY OF OPEN GARDEN SQUARES WEEKEND

Although the event was initially started as a way for budding horticulturalists to explore the prestigious garden squares of Mayfair, Bloomsbury and Belgravia usually reserved only for its residents, it is now open to any green space. Last year Open Garden Squares Weekend welcomed 18,000 visitors, who made approximately 50,000 individual garden visits.

“There’s roughly a 70:30 split on gardens that are never normally open to the public and public spaces that are often overlooked or unknown,” explains Hesketh. “The criteria for those gardens is that they have to put on a special event that weekend.” This could mean a pop-up market, gardening talks, bike tours or even a spot of amateur dramatics. The Poets in Residence programme returns by public demand for a second year, and 27 poets will perform recitals and work with the public to compose collective

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poems. “Thinking about contemplative space is something we don’t do enough,” Hesketh muses. “We’re often talking about getting our hands dirty and getting on and doing something, but gardens are also quiet places in the city for lots of people, a place to step back and think about things more broadly.” In a bid to bring some peace and quiet to proceedings, Open Garden Squares Weekend has partnered with The Silent Space scheme to designate quiet areas of reflection in several of the gardens, as well as a number of yoga and Tai Chi sessions.

The perennially-popular garden at Downing Street is out of the running due to the referendum (there were 19,000 entrants to its garden ballot last year), but 21 new green spaces will be added to the line-up. Taking up the mantle from number 10, it looks as though this year’s hotspot will be over at City Centre in the Square Mile, where an ethereal flower installation by artist Rebecca Louise Law will be suspended from copper wires above the heads of passersby.

“We’d love to get ourselves inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace too, if the Queen ever felt like letting us in,” Hesketh laughs. Pipedreams aside, creating a programme of temporary outdoor installations conceived by artists like Law is also high on Hesketh’s wishlist. Of course, this all takes time and manpower – or rather, volunteer power: Open Garden Squares Weekend is supported by an army of 1,250 active volunteers.

“The feedback we’re getting at the moment is that because of cuts to local councils the burden for funding, protecting and maintaining lots of these green spaces is falling increasingly on volunteer groups. Of course, that’s great for building a community of people who are engaged with the space, but I think the city wide responsibility needs to be better as well,” Hesketh says. “You hope that the next generation will pick it up too, but there is increasing pressure on people’s time and finances. The younger generation is being pushed out of living in central London as well, so that will pose problems too.”

There’s still cause to be optimistic, however. Developers and planners are increasingly recognising the fundamental importance of outside space and are considering ways to uphold the capital’s green credentials as land becomes ever scarcer. “I certainly think we’ll see more and more roof gardens,” says Hesketh. “The increasing demand for new homes raises some interesting questions about how you maintain and develop new green space in a city that gets ever denser, and the answer might just be to go up.”

5 north west LONDON gardens not to miss:

Fenton House Garden

Dorset Square

Bryanston Square

Gainsborough Gardens

Open Garden Squares Weekend, 18-19 June, advance tickets £12, for more information about the events or the gardens taking part, visit opensquares.org

Waterlow Park Kitchen Garden

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IVY LEAGUE The interior designer that is both everywhere and nowhere, Martin Brudnizki’s lack of a ‘signature style’ is keeping him in demand both here, with the imminent arrival of The Ivy Café St John’s Wood, and in New York where his vision for The Beekman hotel is about to debut, writes Chris Allsop

M MARTIN BRUDNIZKI, COURTESY OF MBDS

artin Brudnizki isn’t a bartender or a chef, yet he’s probably added a certain je ne sais quoi to your French 75 cocktail or cod chitterlings. The blond-haired, blue-eyed Stockholm-born interior designer established Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) in Knightsbridge in 2000 – although he first moved to London 20 years’ ago, with “no clue” about interior design. Since then, he has been responsible for the environmental pulchritude and panache that has enveloped and enhanced some of your most memorable evenings in places such as Sexy Fish, 45 Jermyn St., The Ivy (and The Ivy Café St John's Wood, which is set to be the hottest ticket in town when it opens next month), The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant, Le Caprice, The Academicians’ Room, and, well, it goes on. It really does.

It’s unsurprising then that, during the elevated trajectory of his extraordinary career, the 49-year-old, immaculately attired designer has been showered with praise (Wallpaper* described him as ‘one of the best restaurant and hotel designers of his generation’) and he’s a regular presence on lists featuring the word ‘influential’, such as the London Evening Standard’s 1,000 Most Influential People in the UK or Debrett’s 500 Most Influential People. Because, if you’re eating or sleeping at all the right places, then you are being influenced by Brudnizki’s aesthetic and ideas, although indirect influencing is, it transpires, his preferred M.O. For example, try to pin him down on what has been his most enjoyable or successful project to date, and you’ll find he’s not one for favouritism (perhaps prudent when you’re working within industries barnacled with muscular egos).

“It really is difficult to choose a favourite,” he replies,

interview

evenly. “The Royal Academy has certainly been a highlight as it is a British icon and the Academicians’ Room is such a hallowed space. Scarfes Bar and Holborn Dining Room was another highlight, as the building was wonderful to work with, as was 45 Jermyn St. at Fortnum & Mason… as I said, it’s impossible to choose.”

The anti-signature

THIS PAGE: SCARFES BAR AT ROSEWOOD LONDON

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His inability or decision not to choose is also what lies at the heart of his design philosophy and his enduring popularity.

Eschewing a rigid “signature style”, Brudnizki brings a lived-in luxurious feel to high-glamour projects that is achieved through the layering of elements sourced from various decades.

“I have always been an advocate of not following trends,” Brudnizki explains.

“Instead I aim to capture and harness a character or a sense of history and place.

For me, this is timeless and will endure all the changing trends.”

His Scarfes Bar in the Rosewood London hotel is an elegant example of this approach, layered with pieces and styles from several

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decades to create the classic wingback-contours of a gentleman’s lounge but imbued with a sexiness in place of the stuffy. And while his palette remains temporally broad, Brudnizki’s trademark equanimity drops when pushed for a favourite decade.

“The 1920s,” he enthuses. “It marked the birth of Modernism, yet still retained a strong sense of Classical influences. It was also such a vibrant time – I imagine after the devastation of the First World War, the lively spirit of the Roaring Twenties was a welcome retreat. Just think of those parties, clothes and developments in engineering... thrilling!”

Cross-over appeal For such a chameleonic designer, it’s no surprise that MBDS has a New York office (founded in 2012) and Brudnizki travels regularly between the two metropolises. Debuting over there in June is his latest big project – the spanking new The Beekman hotel, found within the vintage vessel of the 19th century Temple Court building; a handsome brick edifice – and one of New York’s first skyscrapers. It is crowned by a nine-storey atrium with a pyramidal skylight that’ll shed light on the hotel’s new cocktail bar (overseen by acclaimed restaurateur Tom Colicchio).

“We have stripped back the interior to its purest form,” Brudnizki explains, “which allowed us to focus on quality finishes, rich materials as well as some beautiful furnishing.

The end result is something that has actually changed very little; we’ve restored the nine-storey atrium, complete with its original iron balustrade and detailing and reinvented the

interior – but in a subtle way that is still very relatable to its original story.”

The Beekman in Lower Manhattan follows on from his work at the Sessanta restaurant in NYC’s SoHo, which opened to very positive reviews last spring. Offering a menu of Sicilian cuisine, Brudnizki took inspiration for the “warm and organic” 90-seat interior from mid-century Italy, blending linen, marble and wooden timbers with contemporary art and brightly coloured seating to evoke the avant-garde aesthetic of Giò Ponti with the glamour of Federico Fellini. Brudnizki’s work on Toronto’s Café Boulud exudes a similar mid-century glitz offset by a “modernist playfulness”.

“There is something strong yet simple about mid-century design that creates harmony in an interior,” he says. “The chairs in Café Boulud share a 1950’s shape but are upholstered in ruched leather, the walls finished in walnut work beautifully with the Hermès wallpaper. The end result is an abstraction of mid-century design principles, as each element evokes the period but takes on a contemporary element, to ensure the interior exudes an elevated sense of intrigue and quality.”

It’s a pleasure to examine the curves and lines, feints and thrusts of the interiors of Boulud, Sessanta, and Scarfes together. Admiring the leather and marble, the clusters of pictures on the walls and the immaculate tailoring of the custom seating, I begin to wonder if a signature of a kind is coming into focus, or am I simply reacting to what is recognised as the height of good taste?

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The language of design In past interviews, Brudnizki has veered away from pinpointing design trends, preferring to describe design as an evolving “language”. The UK, he claims, speaks either “rustic or refined”. With his vision sought after on both sides of the Atlantic, has he become aware of a unifying design language being devised that transcends national borders (besides, of course, the one Brudnizki speaks)?

“Every city is so diverse and individual so it’s impossible to say they share one design language,” he replies. “Of course, with globalisation, concepts do cross over between the big cities, but at the same time this impacts design as well – for example, Japanese design principles have had a huge impact on Western design since the 19th Century. Places such as New York or London are essentially a melting pot of cultures and ideas and notoriously hard to pin down aesthetically.”

I scale back my question’s ambition – how about the lingo of north west London?

“From the green expanse of Hampstead Heath with its accompanying village-feel to the idyllic waterways of Little Venice, the north-west is a very beautiful part of London,” he says. “I wouldn’t be able to say whether it had a specific design language, as again the architecture is diverse, from Victorian villas to Modernist apartment blocks.

With such wonderful exteriors one would hope to make the most with your interior.”

To do this, Brudnizki offers a five-point plan that offers an insight into what underscores his own approach to projects: “context is key – look at the existing building, street or neighbourhood when designing”; “design around your lifestyle”; “don’t be afraid to mix different styles, materials, colours – it’s all about layering histories and personalities”; and, finally, “invest in beautiful, high quality materials”.

In a desperate bid to have him admit to a signature of some kind, I ask him: how he would feel if the world ran dry of his favoured marble?

“I am certainly a fan of marble but I think I could survive without it if the inevitable happens,” he shoots back. “There are so many other materials out there that create exquisite surfaces and textures so I would find an alternative. Pyrolave is a volcanic glazed stone that is a good alternative.”

He’s too prepared for the question, having modelled a resilient approach from what has

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“Every city is so diverse and individual so it’s impossible to say they share one design language” THIS PAGE: THE BEEKMAN HOTEL OPPOSITE PAGE: THE IVY CAFÉ MARYLEBONE

evolved organically over time. His anti-signature is also refreshingly out of time as well; in our selfie-obsessed age, it seems almost paradoxical that the sought-after designer offers subtlety in place of self – but perhaps he understands best that we’re all just looking for an elevating backdrop.

Currently on his plate in London is a hush hush interior of a brasserie in St. James’s, although Brudnizki admits that a dream gig for him would be Argyll House on the King’s Road.

“I always drive past and think it would make a fascinating project. It’s an iconic building built in the 18th century with a glamorous past having once been owned by renowned interior designer Lady Sibyl Colefax… it would be great to breathe some new life into its walls.”

With his enduring appeal, this designer might just get his wish… and then we’ll finally have a definitive answer as to which is his favourite project.

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Out of the blue Salma Hayek for Pomellato, photography: Mert & Marcus

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o illustrate the exotic allure of Capri, there is no one more suited to the task than the sultry Salma Hayek.

The actress has returned as the face of Pomellato’s S/S16 campaign, shot by renowned photography duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (of Mert & Marcus) in London.

First launched in 2011, the bold pieces continue to live up to their namesake. Each one perfectly captures the Italian island’s colourful environment; precious earrings, necklaces

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and rings in turquoise and coral have been interspersed with ceramic beading and precious stones, including blue sapphires, rubies, amethysts, and tsavorites. This marks the first time Pomellato has incorporated ceramic into the Capri range and the innovative material has helped to reinvent this popular collection.

Capri Ceramics collection, POA pomellato.com

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MBII

A PI LOT ’S WATCH SH O U L D EN DU R E E VERY T H I N G T H E PI LOT DO E S .

The Bremont MB range is built in collaboration with British firm Martin-Baker, the pioneers of the ejection seat. At their test centre, the watches are strapped to the wrist of a crash-test dummy and shot out of the cockpit. Enduring forces of between 12G and 30G in the process.

But this doesn’t mean the MB is built for endurance at the expense of performance. It’s a beautifully-engineered mechanical chronometer certified 99.998% accurate by COSC.

City of London Boutique 12 The Courtyard, Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LQ Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 7134

www.vanessagounden.com

55A Conduit Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2YY

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Flying the flag

Jewellery news

In celebration of its new boutique in Mayfair, French maison Dior flies the flag for the UK with a selection of limited-edition jewellery and watch pieces that draws on the colours of the Union Jack.

Among the collection, the Milieu du Siècle bracelet, ring and earrings set, along with the Archi Dior Bar en Corolle ring, have been decorated in either sapphires or rubies, with an abundance of diamonds.

POA, available at 160-162 New Bond Street, W1S, dior.com

WORDS: OLIVIA SHARPE

Schwartz sparkle

Bird song Mexican jeweller Daniela Villegas delved into Salvatore Ferragamo’s vast archive and unearthed the Italian fashion house’s vintage silk scarves featuring colourful wildlife, along with the Ars shoe designed by the founder in the 1950s, as inspiration for her new capsule jewellery collection. The menagerie-themed line sees parrots, parakeets and other birds of paradise brought to life in necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets crafted in sterling silver and showcasing green topaz and purple amethyst. The birdcage has become a Ferragamo hallmark and is therefore a recurring motif in Villegas’ collection, available now.

From £165, ferragamo.com

Pearls of wisdom As June’s official birthstone, Mikimoto has fittingly dedicated this month to pearls. The Japanese jeweller, which is renowned for its exquisite collection of cultured pearls, invites us all to learn more about how these precious gems are sourced by the brand. This begins with a rigorous selection and culling process to ensure only the best are chosen. Once those Mikimoto CultureD Akoya pearlS 100” Uniform selected have been cleaned, next is the painstaking Strand, £19,500 process of matching each pearl by size, shape, colour and lustre so that they’re identical, before they can be drilled and made into a single Mikimoto necklace. Only then can the strand be hand-knotted using the finest silk thread. Finally, the piece is finished off with the M-circle logo charm; Mikimoto’s hallmark.

Pearl Month, Mikimoto, 179 New Bond Street, W1S, mikimoto.co.uk s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Type Lorraine Schwartz’s name into Google and a host of famous female faces will appear in its wake, from Beyoncé and Blake Lively to Kim Kardashian. As of this June, the New York-based jeweller to the stars will be available in Harrods, having become the first retail destination outside of the US to carry her coveted designs.

Schwartz’s full jewellery collection, encompassing the red carpet, bridal and bespoke ranges, will be given pride of place this month in the department store’s newly renovated Fine Jewellery Room, designed by David Collins Studio.

All pieces available exclusively in the Harrods Fine Jewellery Room from 1 June, harrods.com

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Watch news WORDS: RICHARD BROWN

speed merchant The London Marathon and Premier League now runs on TAG Heuer time

Every Ferrari driver would wear a Heuer chronograph engraved with his name and blood group on the caseback

Watch brand sponsorship may have seeped into every class of motorsport, but only TAG Heuer can claim to be the original horologic speedster. Before the company’s partnership with McLaren became the longest-standing watchmotorsport collaboration in history (1985 – present), the company had acted as the official timekeeper for Ferrari.

From 1971, during the decade that constituted Formula 1’s heyday, every Ferrari driver would wear a Heuer chronograph engraved with his name and blood group on the caseback. Speed, you see, is in TAG Heuer’s DNA. Fitting, then, that the brand was the official timekeeper to the Virgin Money London Marathon in the year that Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge set a new course record in 2hrs 3mins and 5secs. Not so fitting that I was offered a place as part of TAG’s media allocation.

For the previous year, TAG Heuer had been uniting all of its over-achieving ambassadors under the social media slogan #DontCrackUnderPressure. It’s not the sort of jingle you need in the back of your head when three weeks before race day you realise the furthest you’ve run is eight miles, and suddenly your calf explodes.

Putting a brave face on a pulled popliteus, I managed a halfrespectable 4hrs 38mins, staggering over the finishing line not so much cracked as utterly broken.

Two days later, the Swiss manufacturer became the official partner to the Premier League. The most followed football

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Steel a looker Vacheron Constantin won plaudits for the contemporary nature of its Quai de I’Ile when the collection launched in 2008. Eight years later, the cushioncased timepiece, which features an exposed date indicator ring within its hour markers, is now available in stainless steel. The new material brings the entry level price of the Quai de I’Ile down from £45,000 to a less dizzying £10,500. Choose between a silver-toned or black dial.

Quai de I’Ile in steel, Vacheron Constantin, vacheron-constantin.com

Relaunch of a sports star

league in the world will be running on TAG Heuer time – the company will be supplying referees with tailored versions of its Connected smart-watch, and fourth officials with timing boards shaped like Carrera timepieces.

Attending the announcement was Claudio Ranieri – now, there’s a man who knows a thing or two about not cracking under pressure. The Leicester City manager has subsequently become a TAG Heuer ambassador himself. Welcome to the family, Mr Ranieri. tagheuer.co.uk

Girard-Perregaux celebrates its 225th anniversary with the relaunch of a sporty classic. Debuting in 1975, the original Laureato arrived in the decade of the steel sports watch, landing three years after Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and one year before Patek Philippe’s Nautilus. The latest Laureato comprises a 41mm case and is 1cm thick. While the original housed an industry-leading quartz movement, the 2016 version is equipped with an in-house mechanical calibre, visible through a sapphire crystal caseback.

Only 225 pieces of two variants will be made – one with a blue dial, the other with a silver. Interestingly, the watch takes its name from the Italian translation of The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman’s 1967 pivotal movie.

Laureato, from £8,750, Girard Perregaux, girard-perregaux.net

A first for Chopard Baselworld saw the launch of Chopard’s first in-house perpetual calendar chronograph. The brand’s L.U.C. range of timepieces is where it houses its most high-end complications – the Perpetual Chrono, for instance, features a moonphase display that will deviate by only one day every 122 years. As both a COSC-certified chronometer and a perpetual calendar, this is a rare timepiece indeed. So rare, that it will cost you £61,710.

L.U.C. Perpetual Chrono, Chopard, chopard.com

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Time is

money With the Swiss watch industry under pressure, watch brands big and small are striving to offer the best value possible.

Chris Hall reports on the most compelling launches of Baselworld 2016

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oo often as a watch writer, you find yourself hearing – or repeating – the mantra of the uncurious: ‘a watch is worth whatever somebody will pay for it’. It’s a callous maxim that is as insulting to wealthy buyers as it is to craftsmen. It is deployed to snipe at price tags that seem to be hovering several thousand feet above reality, as well as the buyers happy to uncritically part with large amounts of cash.

Yet it conceals an awkward truth – there is little discussion about value in the modern watch market. It’s an immensely thorny issue – many will simply say watches are a ‘passion product’, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that you can’t put a price on happiness. Maybe that’s true; I’m not so sure.

One thing is for certain: at Baselworld 2016, we saw a lot of watches whose most arresting attribute was their price. It’s undeniable that brands are having to chase sales harder than in recent years, and that’s being reflected across the board. Some have cottoned on quicker than others, which makes for interesting times.

I’m not just talking about ‘cheap’ watches – whatever that may mean. This is about value, and no matter how hard that is to define, it exists at every level of the market.

Take, for example, Jaquet Droz; one of the highest-regarded producers of Métiers d’Art

from top: Carrera Heuer Calibre 02 Tourbillon, £12,000, TAG Heuer; Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante

watches, mechanical automata and elegant dress watches. This year, it released stainless steel versions of its Grande Seconde range for the first time, with prices starting at £9,400, and rising to £17,900 for a very handsome dual time reference.

It wasn’t the only high-end brand leaving precious metals to one side; Girard-Perregaux has taken the bold step of releasing the entire 1966 collection (its most mainstream range) in steel. This has brought the brand – which still sells six-figure tourbillons and minute repeaters – into the £5,000-10,000 range for the first time, and it’s a seriously tantalising prospect for watch lovers. We’re talking stylish dual time or triple calendar watches with in-house movements for around £6,000-7,000, and a shade over £5,000 for the standard automatic. Overall, prices have been reduced by approximately 17 per cent across the entire range. Elsewhere, Moritz Grossmann, Chopard L.U.C and Blancpain were all making similar moves.

It’s not just about swapping steel for gold.

Watchmakers are exercising all their cunning to bring out advanced, complicated watches at hitherto unseen prices. A couple of years ago, the watch world was stunned when Montblanc released a perpetual calendar – the Heritage Spirit Perpetual – for less than £10,000 (in steel, it costs £8,500). This year in Basel, Frederique Constant showed us its Manufacture Perpetual

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Calendar with a price tag of £7,480 in steel or rose gold plate. That is frankly astonishing when you consider that it’s produced entirely in-house (Montblanc uses a bought-in movement with another, separately sourced, perpetual calendar module on top). It’s also better looking than the Montblanc.

It goes on. From meeting to meeting, we were confronted with watches that, in some cases, made us think a zero had been missed off the end of the figure. First prize in this category must go to recently revived alternative brand Angelus. Last year, it announced its return to watchmaking after a 40-year absence with the slightly odd U10 Tourbillon. This year, it wowed us with three new, highly-advanced pieces. All are seriously avant-garde watches cooked up by some incredibly talented chaps, but the U30 stands out in particular. It’s a flyback, splitseconds chronograph with a tourbillon, with a finely skeletonised movement and carbon-fibre case – yours for around £18,750. This is Ferrari watchmaking at Ford prices. Scarcely a handful of watchmakers can pull this off, and few at Baselworld were taking the risk to invest in new movements, let alone ones as complex as this.

Back with the powerhouse brands, only one man could cause a stir two years running with exactly the same watch. TAG Heuer’s CEO Jean-Claude Biver managed it by finally ‘releasing’ the Carrera Heuer Calibre 02 Tourbillon, which we first saw in 2015.

Tourbillons – love them or loathe them – are pretty much the definition of prestige watchmaking. You don’t need one on your watch, but they are so hard to make that they always command a high fee. Not any more. TAG Heuer’s Swiss-made tourbillon comes in at £12,000 – hardly small change, but a figure so unprecedented that Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern recently accused Biver of devaluing the very concept of Swiss watchmaking. How did he do it? In a move that may yet reverberate around the industry, Biver admitted that he slashed the usual profit margin on such a watch.

So what does this all mean for the high street shopper? There is good news here as well. It can be the hardest area in which to define true value because most mainstream customers know – or care – less about the innards of their

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From TOP: The Frederique Constant Manufacture Perpetual Calendar; BASELWORLD 2016; Jaquet Droz Stainless steel Grande Seconde, from £9,400; Girard Perregaux 1966 44mm, from £5,000

watches than us watch-obsessed geeks. But when a brand such as Tudor introduces its first in-house movement and barely changes the watches’ prices (as it did last year), you know you’re on to a good thing. It was more of the same this year, with the Heritage Black Bay Black, as well as a 36mm Black Bay, following suit.

Design is also coming to the forefront – good-looking watches for less than £2,000 are usually scarce, but this year the likes of Oris, Junghans and revived-dive-brand Zodiac released cool watches that, while they owe a distinct debt to Tudor’s Heritage Black Bay, are great entry-level options in their own right.

Baselworld 2016 was likely to be a tricky year.

The focus on realistic prices is a cautionary sign of the times, but could prove a boon to buyers – freemarket economists would say that things are heading towards some sort of ‘equilibrium’.

It is also telling that in the weeks after Baselworld, news started to circulate of a company called Goldgena (yes, terrible name), promising to “blow wide open” the “truth” behind Swiss watchmaking’s dirty tricks, exposing the fat profit margins and – not so altruistic, this bit – start marketing a range of Goldgena watches that claims to offer true value to the customer.

At the time of writing, this amounted to little more than some naff ‘viral’ marketing videos and a good deal of hot air, but the key point being made here is one the industry might do well to heed; there is a perceived demand for openness. A watch is worth whatever somebody will pay for it – until, of course, they won’t.

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ART

EVERYDAY PEOPLE T

here’s something especially fascinating about watching clusters of humans interact in their natural habitats; happily for us peoplewatchers, photographer Massimo Vitali shares this voyeuristic tendency. Vitali started his career working in photojournalism, however he soon decided to take a more artistic approach. This led him to develop a style that is an unusual clash of objective scenarios and gorgeous, saturated colours: cool, azure oceans are peppered with bright, fleshy figures in a way that is inexplicably satisfying. To see his photographs in all of their sun-drenched glory, stroll along to the Ronchini Gallery. It is currently exhibiting Vitali’s later works in what is his first UK solo exhibition in five years – summer has certainly arrived.

Until 18 June, Massimo Vitali, Ronchini Gallery, W1S ronchinigallery.com

Cala Mariolu Coda, 2014, by massimo vitali, courtesy of the artist and Ronchini Gallery

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Q&A with…

Art news As the weather starts to heat up, so does London’s art scene, with a range of shows from internationally renowned artists words: carol cordrey

Bright and beautiful A painterly, abstract artist, Barbara Rae exhibited her first solo show in 1967 at Edinburgh’s New 57 Gallery. Thereafter, her style roamed across energetically painted symbols and forms to calmer interpretations of the world, though the common denominator throughout is Rae’s juxtaposition of textured colour. South Alpujarra has a clashing palette that boldly defines the heat and disparate features of that Southern Spain location, whereas Lacken Boat has a more tranquil mood.

Rae’s talents forged a path to her election as a Royal Academician and the awarding of a CBE. Her work is owned by numerous collections around the globe and this month can be seen at Portland Gallery.

Barbara Rae, 2-17 June, portlandgallery.com

Flying colours Awaiting us at Stern Pissarro Gallery this month will be no less than 40 oils and works on paper by Russian-French artist Marc Chagall – most of which, until now, have been in a private collection that emerged only for brief public gaze at a 1989 exhibition in Bonn.

Chagall is famed for his paintings and stained glass, the inspiration for much of it springing from his Jewish upbringing and Russian folklore. The latter lent a dream-like character to the work which, together with his love of colour, always set him apart from other artists and makes this rare show all the more special.

Marc Chagall, Master of Colour, 16 June – 16 July, pissarro.net

Q: Antony Gormley is best known for sculpting human figures, such as the Angel of the North, so why have you chosen to work with him on prints for this exhibition and how did it come about?

A: Drawings and prints are key elements of his working practice. Our specialty as a gallery is works on paper, so we approached him two years ago to create a cohesive exhibition of prints and this is the result.

Q: The use of crude oil and petroleum jelly in printing is unquestionably innovative, was this process challenging?

A: Antony continues to push himself in the most challenging ways. To make the Body Prints, Antony was covered in crude oil mixed with petroleum jelly and then ‘fell’ onto sheets of paper laid on the floor, creating several distinct standing poses. The size of the prints, combined with the use of a hazardous material, required experimentation and extensive planning.

Q: What themes are explored in CAST? A: The exhibition explores how our physical freedom and imaginative potential are increasingly conditioned by the built environment.

Antony Gormley: CAST, 13 May – 2 July, alancristea.com

Clockwise from top left: barbara rae, Lacken Boat, 39 x 34, mixed media on paper; barbara rae, South Alpujarra, mixed media on paper, 48 x 40 inches, both courtesy of barbara rae and portland gallery; Show, 2016, Crude oil, linseed oil and petroleum jelly on paper, 237.1 x 134 cm, Courtesy of Antony Gormley and Alan Cristea Gallery, London; Marc Chagall, Salomon; Marc chagall, Les Fiancés sur Fond Rouge, both Courtesy of Stern Pissarro Gallery, London

Alan Cristea as he unveils a landmark exhibition of new work by British sculptor Sir Antony Gormley RA

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Prize lots 1. Reclining Figure by Henry Moore OM, CH, FBA This month’s Modern British and Irish Art sale features a special collection from C.S. Reddihough, who was a close friend of painter Ben Nicholson and subsequently had strong ties with the rest of the Unit One artists. The movement included sculptor Henry Moore who was wellknown within Surrealist circles for his sensual and abstract reclining figures.

Estimated value £150,000-£200,000, Modern British and Irish Art at Bonhams, 15 June, bonhams.com

2. Bords du Loing by Alfred Sisley

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Alfred Sisley was born in Paris to affluent British parents and sent to be educated in England, however the Impressionist painter chose to spend the later years of his life living in Moret-sur-Loing, a medieval French town on the edge of the forest of Fontainebleau. This picturesque position inspired many of his vibrant paintings, including this summer scene on the banks of the river Loing.

Estimated value £1,500,000-£2,000,000, Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale at Sotheby’s, 21 June, sothebys.com

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3. Roman Notes V, from Roman Notes by Cy Twombly Cy Twombly is an artist who has often divided the opinions of many with his abstract sploshes and scribbles. American-born Twombly actually based himself in Rome for most of his life, where he could absorb the mythology and classicism that often inspired his work – including pieces such as this one from the Roman Notes portfolio.

Estimated value £20,000-£30,000, Evening & Day Editions Auctions at Phillips, 9 June, phillips.com

4. Madame Hanka Zborowska by Amedeo Modigliani Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian-born, Parisianbased artist and sculptor who moved among the avant-garde characters in the French capital in the early 20th century, ultimately succumbing to the lure of absinthe and narcotics, which led to his untimely death. Despite this, his instantly recognisable work – such as this elongated, mask-like portrait of his dealer’s wife – continues to thrive.

Estimated value £5,000,000-£7,000,000, Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale at Christie’s, 22 June, christies.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

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#1 image courtesy of bonhams #2 image courtesy of sotheby’s #3 image courtesy of phillips #4 Christie’s images limited 2016

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A Page

Turner

Jack Watkins delves into the latest tome on J.M.W. Turner that brings a new insight into the painter’s early career to life

“H

e lived to paint. Nothing else mattered,” writes Eric Shanes in Young Mr Turner. “For over sixty years he rose at dawn and painted with enormous energy until sunset. Everything was sacrificed to painting, sometimes brutally so…it is useless looking for a life beyond painting, for it barely existed.”

An obsession with art meant Turner never married, instead finding fulfillment in the creative processes of his work. It is also why this small-statured man, uncouth and awkward in

This page: Fishermen upon a lee-shore, in squally weather, R.A. 1802, oil on canvas, Southampton City Art Gallery Left: Artist unknown but possibly Dr Thomas Monro, J. M. W. Turner at a drawing table, c.1795, pencil on off-white laid paper, Indianapolis Museum of Art

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polite society was nevertheless a great joiner of art clubs, suddenly at ease when talking shop with fellow painters. Despite being a tight-fisted hoarder, Turner would also devote much of his energy in later years to improving the lot of painters less financially fortunate than he was.

Shanes’ book, Young Mr Turner: The First Forty Years, 1775-1815 may well be the definitive biography on the great British landscape and maritime artist, though it won’t be the last word from him, for we are promised a second part that will deal with the remainder of Turner’s life, resuming the thread from where it is dropped here in 1816, up until his death, aged 76, in 1851. As it is, this first part is a whopping great slab of a monograph, featuring 350 colour and 100 black and white illustrations. It’s Shanes’ tenth book on Turner and the fact that he is a professional artist in his own right, as well as an art historian, helps no end.

Turner knew the career he wanted to follow from boyhood. The “supreme painter” of idealised English landscapes explored the banks of the Thames from Kew to Putney and further upstream at Eton and Windsor for subject matter. His love of maritime scenes, of men at war and fishing boats, turbulent oceans, sea mists and, ultimately, the

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effects of the setting sun, were fostered by trips to Margate. Quite early on he also learnt how to depict light reflecting off a building, and Shanes devotes much time to showing how brilliantly he handled tonality. A disciple of Joshua Reynolds, whose lectures at the Royal Academy of Arts expounded upon ideal beauty, Turner was also a seeker of the sublime. He learnt how to adopt a low viewing point for a surer command of perspective, and to make his buildings look even grander and more awesome in scale. Like many a later landscape photographer adopting a prone position in search of an unusual angle, Turner was quite prepared to sketch while lying on the soil.

By 17, Turner’s work was on display in the Royal Academy and he was being hailed as “an extraordinary new talent.” No-one worked harder in refining his skills, or seeking subjects to draw and paint. Around this time he walked 120 miles through Wales in seven days, from the River Severn to Aberystwyth, before returning from Hereford via stagecoach. This gave him his first acquaintance with Tintern Abbey, which had long been a favourite subject for romantically inclined artists. A later tour through the Midlands was largely spent sketching the old cathedrals of Lichfield, Lincoln and Peterborough, and ruined abbeys such as Buildwas and Crowland. These images would be reproduced endlessly in publications over the decades.

Given that his works continually reflected an interest in the derelict and run-down, some have speculated that Turner was a follower of the likes of William Gilpin and other advocates of the charms of the picturesque. Shanes argues, however, that this aspect of his work also conveyed his acute awareness of the passing of time. The obsession with decayed and crumbling structures, notably castles and religious buildings, appealed to his deep attraction to the past. A non-believer in the conventional religious sense, he was still deeply inspired by the majesty of Britain’s medieval cathedrals. Drawing and painting them on a massive scale, frequently exaggerating their proportions, reflected the spiritual dimension he felt in the stones.

Turner was a famously gruff fellow, and in youth, was highly conscious of his ordinary appearance and lack of height. He was tough, though, steeled by adversity, and adept at bowing and scraping when it was necessary to make his way through the careeradvancing corridors of the Royal Academy. So

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this page: Dido and Æneas, R.A. 1814, oil on canvas, Tate Britain, London Left: Sun rising through vapour; fishermen cleaning and selling fish, R.A. 1807, oil on canvas, The National Gallery, London; Tintern Abbey, West Front, 1792, watercolour on paper, Henderson Bequest, British Museum, London

Young Mr Turner: The First Forty Years, 1775-1815,

by Eric Shanes, published by Yale University Press, yalebooks.co.uk

though he despised convention, he knew how to work things to his advantage. Shanes offers interesting glimpses of Turner’s approach to business, such as the way he categorised the sale of his works, and how he was prepared to knock down prices for canvases that missed their initially intended market. Early setbacks when he’d been left out of pocket after undertaking a commission made him chase every penny. Delivering a commissioned picture by coach to the famous Sussex eccentric ‘Mad Jack’ Fuller, he received a cheque for the work on the spot and departed, only to return within five minutes. “Oh! I’d forgotten,” he told the laughing

Fuller, who ever after delighted in retelling the story to his friends, “there is another three shillings for the hackney coach.”

Sadly Turner’s attempts at following in the footsteps of his great inspiration, Sir Joshua Reynolds, fell flat. His lectures at the Royal Academy were not in the same league. He had a meandering style, and his lecture on perspective was laughed at for being “ignorant and ill-written.”

Shanes shows that, in fact, his talks were far from that. He had much in common with Byron, he says, being ready to “strike out in ways his contemporaries could not understand.”

Long before the end of the book, though, Turner’s art had made him a wealthy man, sufficiently so to have financed the building of his own villa, Sandycombe Lodge, at Twickenham. Not bad for the cockney son of a Covent Garden barber and wig-maker.

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FASHION

Over the rainbow image courtesy of salvatore ferragamo

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alvatore Ferragamo’s original rainbow sandal may look like it was designed for a member of Studio 54’s glitterati in the sparkling ’70s, however it was in fact created by the designer for Judy Garland in 1938 – making Ferragamo the likely pioneer of the platform shoe.

In honour of this sartorial objet d’art, Sara Battaglia has collaborated with the splendiferous fashion house to create

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a modern capsule handbag collection, which takes inspiration from the wedge’s classic design and the brand’s renowned craftsmanship. Whether it’s a furry bucket bag that takes your fancy or a boxy golden clutch, Battaglia’s fairy-tale designs have the power to brighten up both your outfit and your outlook.

The Sara Battaglia for Salvatore Ferragamo collection, available to purchase in stores and online at ferragamo.com

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Fashion

Hat tip

Style update WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

The new mini Just like the maison’s jewels, the new mini C de Cartier bag is small but joyous. The classic style is given a cheerfully modern twist, with a spectrum of colours: from a fresh peridot green to a deep and delicious burgundy.

Featuring both smart handles and a crossbody strap, the mini C can be worn casually with jeans or dressed up with heels for all manner of summer fêtes. £1,180, cartier.co.uk

Kors a stir The polished and glamorous brand Michael Kors has arrived at one of the world’s most famous shopping destinations – Regent Street – following the recent opening of Kate Spade New York down the road. The store will be the label’s largest flagship in Europe, covering three floors across a vast 15,000 sq ft, and will include a menswear section.

Jacqueline sandals, £345, Michael Kors Collection, 169-183 Regent Street, W1B, michaelkors.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Royal Ascot is one of the most sartorially important events of the summer season, where flamboyance is not only encouraged, it is practically a rule.

While the scale of peacocking is ultimately an individual’s decision, event supporters Fenwick of Bond Street and Hugo Boss have published a style guide to inform guests of the etiquette within each enclosure (pictured). Fenwick has also welcomed the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective for a second year: an exclusive range created by well-known milliners such as Rachel Trevor-Morgan, Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy.

Royal Ascot will be held from 14-18 June, ascot.co.uk; fenwick.co.uk

Back to basics Renowned for its flatteringly fitted T-shirts and classic denim, LA brand Velvet by Graham & Spencer bought its off-duty style to the UK last month when it opened its first London flagship.

Alongside simple ready-towear staples, the summer collection includes Moroccan-inspired prints, feminine slip dresses and crochetdetailed peasant blouses, in a range of neutral shades to add some laid-back luxe to your holiday wardrobe.

Californian sunshine not included.

From £88, 16-17, St Christopher’s Place, W1U, velvet-tees.co.uk

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House of

Cardies

Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, Image credit: Giuseppe Pino, 1984

As the Fashion and Textile Museum prepares to host a new exhibition dedicated to Missoni, the founders’ son and curator Luca Missoni speaks to Ellen Millard about growing up with the family business, wearing high fashion to secondary school and his parents’ global influence

C

ast your mind back to April, 1967: the Palazzo Pitti in Florence has been taken over by a siege of stylists, journalists and models dressed in bright knitwear ensembles. At the last moment, somebody notices that their bras can be seen through their tops and they’re told to remove them. They strut down the runway, unaware that the blinding stage lights

have made their lamé blouses completely transparent. The photographers go crazy; the show organisers go ballistic.

It was this minor blunder that catapulted Missoni into the spotlight. Needless to say, the brand wasn’t invited back to the palace until 1970, but this only served to improve its prestige in the fashion world. Thriving on a sea of controversy, a blessing from Italian fashion editor Anna Piaggi and a far from decorous portfolio, the fashion

FASHION ‘La sala degli arazzi’ insallation of Ottavio Missoni’s patchwork of knitted fabrics at Missoni, L’arte, il Colore, 2015

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house powered on. In December that same year, the founders Rosita and Ottavio Missoni presented their show at the Solari swimming pool in Milan. Professional swimmers pushed knitwear-clad models around on inflatable armchairs created exclusively by designer Quasar Khanh. It turned out to be a pivotal moment in Missoni’s career. The founders’ son, Luca Missoni, remembers it well. “It was the very first event that I remember going to. The reaction from the audience was like a piece of theatre,” he recalls. “It was the first time I realised that our parents were doing something that people were getting very excited about.”

Two years later the design duo met Vogue editor Diana Vreeland for the first time, who, on seeing Missoni’s

Missoni has pioneered the move for perennial style and is unique in its still family run status

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: MISSONI IN Vogue Italia, 1969; Ottavio Missoni, Untitled, 1973, 173x98cm, acrylic on board; Gino Severini, Ballerina, c.1957, 81x59cm, oil on canvas; Ottavio Missoni, Arazzo, 1978, 207x204cm, courtesy of Fondazione Rosita e Ottavio Missoni; Ottavio Missoni, Untitled, 1971, 72x72cm, acrylic on board

signature technicolour designs, famously declared: “Who says there are only colours? There are also shades!” Shortly after, the label had a stand-alone store in Bloomingdale’s and was soon being photographed by a roll call of famous photographers, from Helmut Newton to Richard Avedon.

Today, Missoni is ubiquitous. It has pioneered the move for perennial style and is unique in its still family run status.

It’s a far cry from the early days when the label produced tracksuits, a nod to Ottavio’s former career as an Olympic track athlete and Rosita’s background in textiles (her family

ran a shawl-making company). It’s this trajectory – from sportswear enthusiasts to fashion heavyweights – that will be highlighted this summer at the Fashion and Textiles Museum’s exhibition Missoni, Art, Colour.

First shown in 2015 at the MA*GA Art Museum in Gallarate – the birthplace of the Missoni brand – the exhibition has a new home in Bermondsey, presenting pieces from the label’s archive, which spans some 60 years, alongside paintings by leading 20th-century European artists who have influenced the brand, such as Sonia Delaunay and Gino Severini.

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Luca was given the enviable job of delving through the Missoni archive, a task he’s undertaken for several exhibitions before, including Missonologia in Florence and Workshop Missoni in London. The latest exhibition ignores chronology, mixing garments from different eras to give the audience an idea of Missoni’s timelessness. “It’s always more surprising than it is challenging when you start preparing and documenting the work, because there are always pieces from the past that are actually very contemporary,” Luca explains. “Even if there’s something from the early 1960s or 1970s or yesterday, they’re all part of the same look. That’s the nice thing: it’s never vintage.”

It was a trip down memory lane for Luca, whose teenage years coincided with the start of the brand. I wonder if it was strange growing up in that environment, but Luca assures me that it felt normal. “It was something that I was just grown into, and it was the same for my brother and my sister.

I think that’s the reality of a family business,” he shrugs. “We didn’t know at the time but we had some very trendy clothes as teenagers, amazing sweaters and shirts that we were given for Christmas. I remember we had these woollen jersey pants with a sewn pleat down the front that for us was normal because it was what our mother gave us to put on, but in school it was a little different. Our friends loved them; well, maybe not the jersey pants, but the sweaters.”

A childhood spent behind-the-scenes of a fashion powerhouse has certainly served the Missoni clan well, as it’s hard to find a family member that isn’t involved in the business today. Luca designed menswear until 2008 before taking charge of the archive and events, while his sister Angela – the label’s creative director – is responsible for

womenswear, his niece Margherita the accessories line and his mother Rosita the homeware collection.

“They’re not unique in Italy in being a family firm, but I think they are distinctive in the world of fashion as a whole because they still have control of their business,” Celia Joicey, the director of the Fashion and Textiles Museum, says. “The exhibition represents that sense of a family that is at all levels incredibly creative.”

Missoni’s ability to create timeless motifs is in part responsible for its success. The famous zigzag print is recognised on a global scale, which makes the fact that it was born through a brief experiment with a machine all the more impressive. “That typical combination of colour and strong, graphic mark-making is immediately recognisable as a Missoni statement and it’s exciting that they haven’t turned their back on what they’re best known for,” Celia agrees. “It may not be that everybody has had the wherewithal to own a Missoni garment, but what we’ve already got a sense of is just what a strong brand identity they have and what a huge appreciation there is for that Missoni look.”

More than six decades since the Missoni label was born, how has the fashion house continued to keep up with an industry that’s constantly changing? “We have a great heritage and we try to keep it exclusive, not in terms of choice, but in the way that it’s made,” Luca says. “Missoni is iconic in many ways because it’s not just one symbolic thing. It’s more like a language of many other items that are put together, and they work as a whole.” Here’s to the next 60 years.

Missoni, Art, Colour, until 4 September, Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1, ftmlondon.org

The Forms of Fashion installation of Missoni garments dating from 1953 to 2014

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Photographer: Ian Walsh

Wild thing

S t y l i s t: V a n i s s a A n t o n i o u s

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FASHION Clockwise from top left: Small trotteur shoulder bag in printed watersnake, Céline, £1,950, 103 Mount Street, W1K; Double circle gold-plated earrings, Arme De L’Amour, £195, net-a-porter.com; Suede and python shoes, £925; Galleria crocodile bag, £10,220, both Prada, prada.com; Zebra calf hair sandals, £480, Marni, marni.com

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Fashion

An adventure in style Orlebar Brown’s spring collection is inspired by the adventures of the early 20th-century Mato Grosso jungle explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett and the flora and fauna that he would have encountered on his expeditions. Brazilian-inspired printed shorts are styled with cool and comfortable towelling polo shirts; while seersucker enjoys a season in the limelight. In case that wasn’t enough, the brand has also joined forces with Linda Farrow to produce a capsule sunglasses collection for a faultless finishing touch.

24 Sackville Street, W1S, orlebarbrown.co.uk

Style spy WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

Fast fashion For the second year running, Hackett is the official clothing supplier for Williams Martini Racing. To celebrate this partnership, the brand has released a viral video of pro longboarder Liam Morgan tackling the Paul Ricard race circuit at 70mph – while fully clad in Hackett’s new limited-edition racing suit. The suit is made from lightweight wool, is waterproof and boasts a flexible fabric for adrenaline junkies both in the office and on the track. £700, 193-197 Regent Street, W1B, hackett.com

Spec-tacular Dunhill has just launched its S/S16 eyewear range, which offers the best of British design paired with sharp Italian engineering from De Rigo Vision. The collection offers four different styles including Icon – aimed at those with an individual, statement look – and Heritage – which harks back to the brand’s automotive history.

From a selection, Bourdon House, 2 Davies Street, W1K, dunhill.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Well-groomed A man’s morning ritual is an important intermission when he can reflect and prepare for the day ahead. Acqua di Parma has introduced three new additions to its Collezione Barbiere range to make this time even more enjoyable: including a new almond oil beard serum (£30) that will leave facial fuzz exceptionally silky, and a cooling eye roll-on (£39) for early starts and late finishes. acquadiparma.com

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STREETS

AHEAD Faded pinstripes, quintessentially British checks and hues of blue bring a touch of sophistication to summer in the city

P h o t o g r a p h y : K E N K A M ARA S t y l i n g : J O S E P H C RO N E

Suit, £750, Chester Barrie, chesterbarrie.co.uk. Shirt, £160, Dunhill, dunhill.com. Tie, £80, Hardy Amies, hardyamies.com. Pocket square, £70, Canali, canali.com. Bag, £1,395, Louis Leeman, louisleeman.com.

Shoes, £330, Hugo Boss, hugoboss.com

LEFT Suit, £2,210, Brunello Cucinelli, brunellocucinelli.com. Shirt, £125, Hardy Amies, as before. Vest, £125, John Varvatos, johnvarvatos.com. Tie, £69, Tiger of Sweden, tigerofsweden.com. Watch, £7,100, Panerai, panerai.com. Pocket square, £40, Caruso, carusomenswear.com

ABOVE Jacket, £800, and trousers, £800, Aquascutum, aquascutum.com. Shirt, £95, Chester Barrie, as before. Tie, £125, Dunhill, as before. Pocket square, £40, Caruso, as before. Watch, £3,495, Bremont, bremont.com

ABOVE Suit, £750, Chester Barrie, as before. Shirt, £175, Canali, as before.

Tie, £95, Dunhill, as before. Watch, £640, Tissot, uk.tissotshop.com

RIGHT Suit, £800, Hugo Boss, as before. Shirt, £135, New & Lingwood, newandlingwood.com. Tie, £85, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk. Pocket square, £60, Dunhill, as before. Cufflinks, £245, Salvatore Ferragamo, ferragamo.com. Glasses, £196, Burberry at David Clulow, davidclulow.com.

Shoes, just seen, £950, John Lobb, johnlobb.com

LEFT Jacket, £395, trousers, £195, and pocket square, £70, Hardy Amies, as before. Shirt, £343, Just Cavalli, robertocavalli.com. Tie, £98, Shaun Gordon, shaungordon.co.uk. Watch, £1,600, TAG Heuer, tagheuer.co.uk.

Umbrella, £295, New & Lingwood, as before. Socks, £8, Hugo Boss, as before. Shoes, £380, Crockett & Jones, crockettandjones.com

ABOVE Suit, £795, and shirt, £155, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk. Tie, £130, Ermenegildo Zegna, zegna.com. Pocket square, £55, Turnbull & Asser, turnbullandasser.co.uk. Glasses, £196, Burberry at David Clulow, as before.

Shoes, £450, Church’s, church-footwear.com

CREDITS Photo tech: Nick Rees Fashion assistant: Cali Lew Hair and make-up: Monica Caneo Model: Gary Greenwood at Storm Model Management

An Eye for Detail Pioneers of early aviation and motor-racing eyewear, E.B. Meyrowitz, a custom spectacle maker, continues to remain practically peerless. Ken Kessler reports

FASHION

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alking through the Royal Arcade, it’s easy to leave a trail of nose-prints on glass.

Covet Cleverley’s shoes, cross over to the Watch Club’s vintage timepieces, then linger at optical boutique E.B. Meyrowitz. If you must wear glasses, specs take on a significance that individuals blessed with perfect eyesight cannot grasp. For the rest of us, if contacts are not an option, E.B. Meyrowitz is without peer.

Unlike objects with highly visible badges, eyeglasses free of shouty brand emblems are not identifiable. You could be wearing vintage, custom-made or off-the-peg. Yet the finest frames exhibit intrinsic style and quality. The proof? Every time I don logo-less Meyrowitz frames, compliments follow – a remarkable reaction to something that should otherwise seem prosaic.

Meyrowitz, established in 1875, supplies some of the finest frames money can buy. Its practices include traditional craftsmanship, sublime design, innovative use of materials and a supreme understanding of which frames suit which faces. Even in this era of inescapable luxury branding – when ‘cool’ specs are the norm for everyone from hipsters to politicians – Meyrowitz frames stand apart.

Is there any boutique more convivial than the Meyrowitz premises? The charming Sheel Davison-Lungley, Hiran Acharya-Matt and Vidu Acharya welcome clients with genuine, oldschool warmth. I gaze at the figures of jazz musicians that form part of the display, antiques amid serried rows of frames. I lust for pair after pair. Half the pleasure is watching how the ladies guide their clients to the correct frames, surprising them with choices they otherwise might not have made.

Founder, Emil Bruno Meyrowitz, was born on 20 October 1852 in Greifenhagen, Prussia, launching his company in 1875 and opening stores in London, Paris and New York during the next 20 years. The company played a role in the early days of aviation, motor racing and mountaineering, impact still seen to good effect in eyeglasses custom-made for those pursuits.

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Tailoring glasses to suit each client requires attention to face shape, hair style and profile, as well as appropriateness to the wearer’s career or pursuits. The service may also include the eye test, for Meyrowitz also matches the frames to the wearer’s ocular requirements.

During a consultation, the client chooses the shape, colour and material of the frames.

Offerings include cotton-based acetates, naturally sourced horn, precious metals, jewels, exotic skins, tortoiseshell and even Pleistocene mammoth ivory crafted from a tusk preserved in permafrost for more than 10,000 years.

Despite its traditions, Meyrowitz does not stand still; 3D printing offers clients a more interactive and immersive role on the quest for the perfect set of frames. For those without access to London, 2017 will see the first Meyrowitz ‘tour’, so clientele abroad can enjoy the same bespoke services.

What sort of client employs Meyrowitz?

During the company’s 140-year history, past customers would have driven Delages, smoked Balkan Sobranie cigarettes and piloted Rivas.

Today, he or she would not have to be told about shoes from Stefano Bemer or the wines of Siepi.

‘Bespoke’, like ‘iconic’, has been misused to a point of meaninglessness. With Meyrowitz, the term regains its significance. So, should you prefer to wear something made expressly for you, what is more personal than that which improves both how you see, and how you look?

6 Royal Arcade, W1, ebmeyrowitz.co.uk

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Brute force It’s taken 50 years for Ford’s mighty Mustang to get here but it’s been worth the wait says Matthew Carter

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ames Bond’s Aston aside, no car has seared itself into popular culture as strongly as the Ford Mustang. What car did Lieutenant Frank Bullitt drive when policing San Francisco? A Highland Green ’68 Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback. Eleanor, star of Gone in Sixty Seconds? A silver and black ’67 Mustang. And what type of car did Sally ride around in, according to Wilson Pickett? You’ve got it – a brand new Mustang, a 1965…

Despite being in the global spotlight for more than 50 years, however, the Mustang – the car that inspired our own Ford Capri – has never officially been sold in the UK. But now that’s all changed. The 2016 ’Stang is overpowered, it oversteers and it’s over here. It’s finally in right-hand drive and it’s great.

The latest version of the Mustang harks back to its glory days with menacing muscle-car looks and incorporates a number of iconic styling features. The ‘tri-bar’ tail-lights (LED these days), the ‘shark-bite’ front bumper and, of course, the long hood/short rump fastback styling are all redolent of the first of the breed.

Underneath the skin it’s a little more sophisticated than its predecessors, but only a little. There’s a proper multi-link back axle in place of the antiquated cart springs used up until now, but beneath the bonnet lies a pleasingly oldfashioned and decidedly non-PC 5.0-litre V8 that drinks like a fish and has a deep rumbling soundtrack.

Overpowered and oversteers? Well it boasts 416 horsepower, more than a Porsche 911 Carrera and enough to give it a pretty rapid 4.8 seconds time for the 0-62 mph sprint and a top speed of 155 mph.

But the performance is brutal rather than subtle, especially in manual form, and although the chassis has been retuned for Europe – our Mustangs feature Ford’s Performance Pack as standard, which includes stiffer springs, extra bracing for the suspension, a thicker anti-roll bar and upgraded brakes – it still needs handling with care.

Too much right pedal at an inopportune moment and the rear end will do its best to overtake the front. And that’s despite the chassis-taming four selectable driving modes: snow/wet, normal, sport and track.

MOTORING

The latest version of the Mustang harks back to its glory days with menacing muscle-car looks

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The V8 manual has launch control, allowing you to take full advantage of all that performance

MOTORING

Ah, yes track. This is where the Mustang V8 can perform its party trick. The V8 manual has launch control, allowing you to take full advantage of all that performance when starting a hot lap. More interesting is an electronic system called Line Lock. This holds the car on the front brakes while you spin up the rears and engulf the thing in bellowing tyre smoke. Ford, coyly, suggests this allows you to ‘warm’ the tyres prior to some serious track work. Use it too often, though, and your tyre bill will quickly overtake your fuel bill.

Out on the road it feels like the big, heavy car it is. In performance terms the Mustang is up against compact sports cars such as the Porsche Cayman or the Toyota GT86 and, in truth, both the German and the Japanese machines Ford Mustang are more agile and, Fastback 5.0 V8 GT size-wise, betterPrice: £34,995 suited to narrower Engines: Front-mounted, European roads.

4,951cc, V8 petrol But neither has Power: 416 hp anywhere near Performance: 155 mph max, the character of 0-62 mph in 4.8 secs the Mustang.

Drive: Rear-wheel drive, six-speed In fact, in many manual transmission respects the Ford verges on the crude. The interior is heavy on vinyl and bare metal and the switches and dials lack a premium feel. Standard features include automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers and an auto dimming rear view mirror. The front seats are power adjustable and there are power-folding door mirrors. These incorporate a neat touch – puddle lamps that project the Mustang badge on the ground when the door is opened at night.

There’s also a central eight-inch screen for the infotainment system but, in standard form at least, it lacks sat nav. As a result most cars will be specified with the Custom Pack, which, for a bargain £1,750, adds a ‘Shaker Pro’ premium audio system, nav, climatecontrolled seats, fancy alloy wheels and extra chrome outside. It also includes rear parking

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sensors, which is a little belt and braces given that the Mustang already has a reversing camera as standard.

Just so that no one can miss the fact that you’ve got a V8, it comes with a large ‘5.0’ badge on the forward flanks. And given that you are going to stand out from the crowd no matter which Mustang you’ve got, you might as well go for an in-yer-face colour: Competition Orange, Race Red or Triple Yellow for example.

In truth, if you are looking for an everyday sports car with performance, handling and a little discreet style, the Mustang is not for you.

But if you want something that really makes a statement, something that the cognoscenti will appreciate and something that will give you a thrill every time you fire it up, then there’s nothing to beat the flashy Ford.

And that’s before we get to the really amazing bit. Despite the huge amount of metal on offer, the power and the formidable heritage you will be buying into, the Mustang costs less than £35,000 on the road. That makes it the performance bargain of the decade.

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BESPOKE HANDMADE FURNITURE www.oficinainglesa.com London Showroom

info@oficinainglesa.com +44 (0) 207 2264 569

INTERIORS

A symphony of COLOUR

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ante is said to have once described Ravenna’s spectacular UNESCO World Heritage mosaics – which date from the 4th century – as “a great symphony of colour”.

Specialist interiors brand SICIS was founded in this same Italian province in 1987, however it has only just landed in the UK, opening a 5,500 sq ft showroom on Mayfair’s chic Dover Street. The Byzantine boutique showcases SICIS’s intricate, shimmering wall art alongside complementary Daliesque furnishing, but if an entire mosaic is too much to commit to, then the exquisite micro-mosaic watch and jewellery collections are bound to intrigue.

15A Dover Street, W1S, sicis.com

IMAGE credit: SICIS’ I’ Pix collection

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Interiors Image courtesy of Christian Lacroix Maison and Moooi Carpets

Curious carpets Christian Lacroix is a label synonymous with extravagant French design influences such as the 18th-century aristocratic subcultures: the Incroyables and Merveilleuses. This flamboyant aesthetic marries excellently with the eccentric Dutch interior brand Moooi, whose recent Salon del Mobile exhibit included an upended Chesterfield sofa as a chair; and is why the labels have come together once again to produce two new vivacious carpet designs – Mal Maison and Palais Royal. This is perfectly timed with the launch of the new Moooi store, opening this month at 23 Great Titchfield Street.

Christian Lacroix Maison for Moooi Carpets, christian-lacroix.com; moooi.com

Interiors news WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

A new leaf The French way of life can sometimes seem enviable on dreary London days, so it’s fortunate that Paris-based brand Manuel Canovas has injected exactly this art de vivre into its new collection. This botanical print will brighten up the gloomiest corners – we recommend transforming your bathroom into a tropical jungle.

Malfa wallpaper, £120 per roll, Manuel Canovas at Colefax and Fowler, manuelcanovas.com

FINISHING TOUCH

Cocktails and dreams We are heading steadily towards peak summer garden party season when ice-cold, thirstquenching cocktails are often preferable to the standard tipples. Even if you don’t have a natural bartender’s flair, these impeccably cool copper designs from Tom Dixon will ensure you channel Bond rather than Del Boy. The collection includes a futuristic shaker with tapered ends for a firmer grip and minimal Martini glasses, which could probably make even a miniature paper umbrella look chic.

Plum Cocktail collection by Tom Dixon, tomdixon.net s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

SQUAT is an ongoing, roaming exhibition that combines art, architecture and design into one conceptual decorative living space. This month a display will launch in Mayfair in collaboration with Shalini Misra Ltd and will feature covetable items such as this chair by design duo David-Nicolas.

Chaise Maurice armchair, POA, David-Nicolas, davidandnicolas.com; nilufarsquat.com

IMAGE credit: Mattia Lotti

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HEALTH & Beauty

Sun care heroes While the temptation is there to lie in the sun with a sense of reckless abandon once the summer arrives, looking after your skin and hair is crucial.

Rituals has unveiled three new products aimed at shielding you from UV rays while encouraging a natural-looking tan. We love the Sun Protection Hairspray, which smells divine. £15, St Christopher’s Place, 9 Gees Court, W1U, rituals.com

Beauty news W O R D S : K a t y P a rk e r

image courtesy of WelleCo

Superwoman Summer is now just around the corner and inevitably thoughts turn to bikini bodies and getting into shape.

Supermodel Elle Macpherson has the answer with her Four Week Body Reboot; a plan that combines the use of her Super Elixir Alkalising Greens and Nourishing Protein formulas with simple, easy-to-follow rules such as avoiding carbohydrates after 5pm. Not only will you feel and look healthier, but you will also sleep better and see benefits to your skin. Well, if it works for Elle... welleco.co.uk

Enough to make you blush The word ‘iconic’ is often attributed to beauty products – but the naughtily named Orgasm blush by Nars is arguably truly worthy of the label; initially launched in 1999, it created a sensation, spawning multiple copycat versions and quickly became the number one selling blusher in the US. Now, the brand is launching the blush in a limited-edition oversized custom compact – because you can never have too much of a good thing. £28, narscosmetics.co.uk s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Summer loving Jo Malone London and artist and wallpaper designer Marthe Armitage are collaborating on a collection to capture the essence of dreamy summer days. The limited-edition range features a Green Tomato Leaf Home Candle and is packaged in boxes and bottles adorned with Armitage’s handprinted designs. We’re in love with the Nectarine Blossom & Honey Glass Decanter Bath Oil. 101 Regent Street, W1B jomalone.co.uk

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

S PA R E V I E W

In equal measure Strolling along Park Lane, Hannah Lemon soon finds herself inside London Marriott Hotel’s refurbished spa for a rejuvenation of body and soul

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full body massage can be a hit or miss affair.

Whenever I stumble into a spa after a hectic day at work, I expect its warm embrace to soothe my mind of stress and knead out the knots in my back. In the past, I have been lampooned by hefty knuckles, while my limbs are pulled out at awkward angles, reminding me more of a visit to the doctor than a relaxing retreat. Similarly, I have had to lie through the sound of tweeting birds from a distant radio or monks humming from a Buddhist soundtrack, while a woman tentatively dribbles oil up and down my spine – is that really going to rid me of the tension in my left calf?

What a relief it is, then, when I visit The Club at London Marriott Hotel Park Lane. I am welcomed with a gentle smile from an experienced therapist, who immediately asks how I would like the experience to be tailored. I’m shown through to the changing area, which shares a space with the gym, pool and steam room, all of which have undergone a stylish revamp by RPW Design. The pool, in particular, has me stunned into silence, with its moody, dark lighting, grand mosaic pillars, and relaxation beds placed along the side.

But it is the Bespoke Body Ritual that I am here for. And once I have disrobed and looped my head through the hole of the massage bed, the soft lull of classical music (perfectly chosen and at just the right volume, too) has me nearly drifting off. I pick a lemongrass and geranium AromaWorks oil for my tailored massage, which is performed at the

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pressure I request. My muscles are unwound and stretched the same amount for nearly an hour. The masseuse isn’t afraid to hone in on the tricky spots and my shoulders (thanks to my years of slouching over a keyboard) are rewired and then expertly soothed.

On my way out the therapist hands me an AromaWorks candle, which is chosen to match the oil I picked. This final touch makes it just about bearable to face the bustling streets near Marble Arch, safe in the knowledge that I can continue the aromatherapy experience as soon as I return home.

140 Park Lane, W1K, marriott.co.uk/park-lane

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Smile like you mean it As national smile month kicks off, it’s time to refine the health and appearance of your teeth. And, say the experts, dentistry has come further than you think

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n 16 May, the British Dental Health Foundation launched National Smile Month, an annual reminder of the importance of good oral hygiene.

According to its research, a quarter of adults in the UK don’t brush their teeth twice a day and three in ten suffer from regular dental pain. We’re still among the most likely in Europe to visit a dentist for a check-up though (the UK was ranked second after the Netherlands), and half of all adults surveyed were said to attend every six months.

These statistics may seem surprising given international stereotypes of the imperfect British smile, but at elleven, a multi-disciplinary clinic in Marylebone that has previously

been named Best Practice in the UK, business grew by 35 per cent year-on-year during the recession.

Admittedly, elleven benefits from being one of the most attractive and friendly practices you’ll find – housed in a townhouse in Devonshire Place – which makes visits more appealing, and you might even bump into regulars including David Gandy in the waiting room, but its clinical director Dr Sameer Patel explains that there are broader factors at play.

“People are becoming more health-conscious and mirrorconscious. For those who want to look good without a scalpel or a blade, the first way to do that is through dentistry.”

While the most common concerns that patients raise with the team are discolouration and teeth alignment, Dr Patel insists that all treatment courses begin with a hygiene and

HEALTH & BEAUTY

periodontal consultation, to ensure the health of the teeth and gums. “When you’re building a pyramid, the base layer is the most important. Addressing long-term neglect before you build on the second layer of function and aesthetics is critical.”

Silent symptoms At elleven the periodontal team includes Dr Petros Moschouris, an international specialist in treating gingivitis (an inflammation of the gums that can cause bleeding) and periodontitis (a progressive breakdown in the structure of the gum and bone supporting the teeth). The conditions can often have minimal symptoms, leading to pain and tooth loss at an advanced stage. What’s more, any misalignment of the teeth is not a superficial issue – an incline or overlap that impedes brushing can cause harmful bacteria to flourish below the gum-line.

Treatment can range from deep-cleaning to surgery to graft healthy gums, and Dr Moschouris is armed with diagrams, pragmatic advice and a background in research into bone regeneration to keep teeth secure.

The trends Gone is the millennial public fascination with large, gleaming veneers. “Aesthetics should take a facially driven approach,” says Dr Patel. “The organic English smile is still something to be desired: people don’t want a generic, fake-looking smile.” The solution often involves orthodontics. “The general ethos of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry is minimally invasive treatment. If the same result can be done by moving your own teeth into place, that’s what we do.”

Braces The good news is that brace-based technology has advanced ten-fold since your school days. Opt for the SureSmile method developed by NASA and you’ll see your treatment time reduced by around 40 per cent. The system uses both 3D images and robots to precisely bend the wires into shape.

These are then adjusted once every four to six weeks and straighter teeth should follow between nine to 14 months later. If you want your braces to go unnoticed, white ceramic wires can be used. Alternatively, lingual braces, known as ‘invisible’ braces, can be applied behind the teeth.

Veneers in one day When teeth are misshapen or have large gaps, or a straighter, whiter smile is needed very quickly, a thin but strong overlay can be applied to the tooth surface. The application of veneers used to be a more lengthy process, but in response to the demands of international clients in town

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A quarter of adults in the UK don’t brush their teeth twice a day for short periods, elleven has developed the One Day Smile Makeover. For those concerned about the process of filing the tooth surface, so-called prep-less veneers are typically used to provide the desired effect without drilling into the tooth enamel. It’s not a process that’s suitable for all, but it does open the door to the possibility of a reversible result.

Whitening By far the most common cosmetic procedure is the removal of stains and whitening of the teeth. When it comes to visibly lightening the tooth surface, the advice is straightforward.

“If you’re seriously considering whitening, please do see a professional – the whitening process has been around for many years and is safe in the right hands,” says Dr Patel. The latest treatment incorporates nano-hydroxyapatite to help remineralise the tooth enamel and give a smooth finish.

Is it for you?

While innovation is increasing the range of improvements that can be made to our teeth, according to the British Dental Health Foundation’s findings one in seven of us suffers from extreme dental anxiety. For this reason, it is often advisable to visit a practice where various specialists work together as part of one treatment programme. The advice from Dr Patel is to be proactive and optimistic with our oral health. “There are small changes we can make with most smiles to enhance what people have. I’m enjoying the fact that we are in an era of minimally invasive dentistry.”

Prices on consultation, elleven, 11 Devonshire Place, W1G, ellevendental.com

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Travel tips With the summer holiday season fast approaching, Dr Lisa Anderson, a private GP at The Wellington Hospital, provides us with some tips for staying healthy before and during your trip

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Health Promotion

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e all worry about forgetting to pack something important before going on holiday, but we don’t always think about our health when we’re getting ready to go away. As well as ensuring you have adequate holiday insurance for your destination, here are some other simple things to think about before your flight:

Vaccinations

Sunscreen should always be reapplied after swimming even if the sunscreen is ‘waterproof’.

PRIVATE GP Children’s skin is much more delicate and SERVICES AT more easily damaged by the sun, so a high THE WELLINGTON factor sunscreen should be used as well as protective clothing and a hat.

HOSPITAL Our private GP service provides: Blood tests • Immunisations • Travel vaccinations • General health checks including ECGs, urine tests, weight control, cholesterol and blood pressure checks • Wound care • Well women services, including family planning, cervical smears and breast checks

Many countries do not require travel vaccinations other than those needed for daily life in the UK (tetanus, polio and diphtheria), but others do require vaccinations and these should be thought about at least three months before you go. The NHS has an excellent website fitfortravel.nhs.uk where you can search for immunisation requirements and malaria recommendations by country. Some of the vaccines are free through your NHS GP and others will incur a charge. Travel vaccines are available at The Wellington Hospital.

Clean water Many parts of the world do not have clean water and so you may need to buy bottled water not only to drink but to use for brushing your teeth.

If you have a baby less than 12 months of age who needs formula milk, remember that you will need to be careful about the sodium content of mineral water you buy. This information can be found on the contents label. The recommended daily amounts of sodium are: • Up to 12 months: less than 1g of salt a day (less than 0.4g sodium) • 1 to 3 years: 2g of salt a day (0.8g sodium)

Sun safety Protecting skin from the sun is vital to avoid sunburn and heat exhaustion. Use a sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 that protects against UVA and UVB rays.

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Protective clothing

Make sure to pack appropriate clothing for the activities you are doing or the place you are visiting. Long sleeves, long trousers and long socks can protect you from insect bites and weather extremes. Remember sunglasses to protect your eyes and a hat to protect your scalp from the sun.

Wasp and bee stings Wasp and bee stings can cause allergic reactions, which can range from mild skin irritation to more severe symptoms. If you know you are allergic to either wasps or bees, make sure you have your medication with you at all times.

Insect bites Mosquito bites can cause swelling, blistering and intense itching; if you know there are mosquitoes where you are then use a good insect repellent lotion with a high DEET content before going out in the evening. Other repellents include tea tree oil and citronella. Beware of sand flies, which can also cause nasty bites.

Footcare Remember that however comfortable flip flops are, do not be tempted to wear them all the time as they do not give any support to your feet and can lead to inflammation of the heel if worn for too long.

The Wellington Hospital have a team of experienced private GPs available daily. If you would like to make an appointment, you can call the Enquiry Helpline team on 020 7483 5004

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PHOTO credit: Ben Anders

From the source Provenance is key at Sourced Market Marylebone, where 90 per cent of the produce comes from home-grown, British suppliers. The indoor food market includes a coffee bar, bakery and hot deli counter, while down in the cellar bar, visitors will be able to sample a rotating selection of craft beers and wines on tap, which can be dispensed into refillable bottles to take away, too.

68-72 Wigmore Street, W1U, sourcedmarket.com

Food & drink news Spice of life Following its popular six-week pop-up in Shepherd’s Bush earlier in the year, Foley’s is poised to open its first restaurant in Fitzrovia this month.

Ex-Palomar sous chef Mitz Vora has created a menu of eclectic flavour combinations inspired by the spice trail.

Pop by to tuck into dishes such as sticky beef cheek with daikon cucumber som tam, avocado and kaffir lime puree; or cornflake-crusted chicken with pickled mushrooms, corn, endive and chorizo.

23 Foley Street, W1W, foleysrestaurant.co.uk

Take a BAO When Erchen Chang and siblings Shing and Wai Ting Chung opened BAO in Soho last year, little did they expect the around-the-block queues for their classic pork buns. Now the trio is opening a second, bigger venture in Fitzrovia. Those with an adventurous palate can order some of the more unusual-sounding specialities from the tick-off menu, including cured rib cap, or crispy bird’s feet with hot sauce. But if you want to stick with the bao buns, the Gold Coin Chicken(pork belly, chicken liver pâté and chicken skin) sounds worth waiting in line for, come rain or shine.

31 Windmill Street, W1T, baolondon.com

Waffle on Anyone suffering from eggs and avocado fatigue should check out Marylebone’s Pachamama, which has launched a Peruvian take on the traditional weekend fix. Choose from gluten-free waffles topped with everything from peanut butter and grilled plantain, to cacao nibs, coconut, toasted peanuts and Peruvian chocolate, or more substantial charcoaled meat dishes, ceviche and tiradito. And if you can’t decide, opt for The Bottomless Pisco Punch set menu, which comes with unlimited punch.

18 Thayer Street, W1U, pachamamalondon.com

FOOD & DRINK

On the grapevine

All images courtesy of the larder

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f you’re yet to visit the recently opened The Larder, don’t worry – this summer you will have all the more opportunity to do so, as the café and food store is extending its opening hours to include dinner.

The Fitzrovia space will transform into a 35-cover wine bar come evening, when guests will have the chance to sample a selection of wines and craft beers al fresco on Pearson Square. An evening menu of classic comfort food, such as smoked ham hock, chicken and mushroom pie and macaroni and cheese will be served alongside a salad and quiche selection. If that’s not enough, those who know their Merlot from their Malbec and their Chardonnay from their Pinot

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Grigio will be put to the test in a series of wine tasting events. On the first Thursday of every month, The Larder will serve this season’s most talked about vino alongside a curated selection of nibbles. The wine-themed nights kick off this month with Made in Britain on 2 June, when wine flights from Sussex and the South Downs will be served to coincide with English Wine Week. For international flavours, book a table for the Pretty in Pink night on 7 July when rosé will be the tipple of choice – from the classic Provençal variety to less traditional Tuscan delights.

The Larder, Fitzroy Place, 8 Pearson Square, W1T, thelarder.co.uk

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Generation

game Mayfair favourite Le Gavroche is celebrating 25 years with Michel Roux Jr. at the helm with a string of pop-up events. Katy Parker meets the chef and his daughter Emily to talk family, food and the force of female chefs

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n the day I interview Michel Roux Jr. and his daughter Emily, I am struggling to walk.

Having finished the London Marathon the previous day, I am hobbling around on wearied legs and receiving some pretty bemused looks from passers-by in the process. Fortunately for me, Michel is no stranger to how I’m feeling, having run the same marathon a staggering 13 times; he has completed 20 in total. “It’s a great stress-buster,” Michel tells me.

But looking at the chef, restaurateur and television star now, it is hard to imagine that he ever gets stressed.

Michel started in professional kitchens at the ripe old age of 16, when he embarked on an apprenticeship with master patissier, Hellegouarch in Paris. “Apprenticeships are so important,” Michel tells me, “because you’re not only learning a craft, but you’re also learning life skills. You can’t beat hands-on experience”.

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

Of course, as the son of Albert Roux and the nephew of Michel Roux, the chef was always destined for greatness, and benefited a great deal from the wisdom of his family members – “I grew up in the kitchen” – but Michel stresses the importance of expanding his learning outside the family. “While I was raised by two extremely good cooks – my father obviously, but also my mother, who was a terrific cook – it was important not to stay too long within the family circle. You go, learn your trade elsewhere, then come back.”

In the same way, Emily left London at 18 to attend catering college in Lyon, before cutting her teeth in the professional world under the likes of Alain Ducasse in Monaco and at institutions such as Le 39V and the two Michelin-starred Akrame in Paris – where she indulged her passion for contemporary cooking.

“I particularly enjoyed working [at Akrame] because chef Akrame has a modern style, and I

“What is great about London is that it’s not afraid to try different things” all photography: Issy Croker

would like to do more of that,” explains Emily.

“I’m classically trained, but the ideas and processes that surround contemporary cooking particularly intrigue me.” Is that how her way of working differs to her father’s? “Definitely,” she asserts. “I prefer a lot less butter and cream, a lot more herbs and more freshness.” Michel nods in agreement but is quick to add: “There’s a spine that runs through my father’s, Emily’s and my cooking, which is led through seasonality, the importance of great produce and is still very French.”

I wonder if being born into a culinary dynasty brings with it certain pressures. Emily assures me this is not the case: “I was brought up around food and restaurants, but there was no pressure whatsoever to become a chef or to go into that trade. My mum was quite the contrary – she asked me, ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’”

Le Gavroche will celebrate its 50th year in 2017, and the restaurant is acknowledging 25 years of Michel at the helm with a series of pop-up events.

I ask Michel why he thinks Le Gavroche has enjoyed such a sustained period of success in an increasingly competitive environment. “It is amazing when you think the average life span of a

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restaurant in London is five years and we’ve been here nearly ten times that,” he remarks. “It’s an amalgamation of several things that have made Le Gavroche so timeless: we’re true to our roots and are still inextricably French. We offer an experience that is about so much more than the food on the plate. While my father was here he spent the bulk of his working life in the restaurant and the same can be said for me.”

And how has the restaurant scene changed in the past 25 years? “What is great about London is that it’s not afraid to try different things and testament to that is the fact that so many internationally renowned chefs are vying to be here.”

Tonight I will be attending one of Le Gavroche’s pop-up events: A Celebration of Female Chefs, where we will enjoy a six-course feast prepared at the hands of Emily, the restaurant’s head chef Rachel and guest chef Angela Hartnett. I ask Michel and Emily why they think women are underrepresented in the profession. Michel responds: “There are many women in the catering industry, but they tend to be unsung heroes, like Rachel, the head chef here, who shies away from any publicity. Britain is doing a much better job than our contemporaries in France; they are still reluctant to accept female chefs into their kitchens.”

Emily believes part of the problem is down to the hours and challenges women face when balancing their careers and having children. “There needs to be more communication between chefs to make women feel more at ease when it comes to having a family. They need to be able to take a little time off and be able to come back, and at the moment that is so difficult in the catering industry.”

At the evening’s event, I revel in a foodie’s dream: seated next to London’s most discerning diner, Grace Dent, I munch my way through six courses of culinary brilliance, including a divine lobster and chipirón dish with squid ink beurre blanc – and at one point between the meat and fish dish, I receive a hug from Hartnett.

Undeniably classic but with a modern twist, it’s clear that Le Gavroche is staying true to its roots, and that Emily, with her steely determination and evident ambition, is steering the restaurant – albeit gently – into the future. At this point in time, it’s about paving the way for the next generation.

43 Upper Brook Street, W1K le-gavroche.co.uk

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Home from home From the brand that offers discerning travellers some of the wildest and most extravagant experiences on Earth comes the Mantis Owners Collection: around 30 extraordinary guest houses, from Scotland to South Africa.

Each villa is introduced by its owner and includes in-house services such as daily housekeeping, a private chef, butler and house manager. Conservationist Karl Ammann is the owner of Residence on the Rocks (pictured) – the only privately owned property at Banyan Tree in the Seychelles. mantisownerscollection.com Residence on the Rocks Image courtesy of Mantis Owners Collection

Travel news WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

Letters of note A sunhat is a holiday essential; however it’s often difficult to stand out on the sands when you’re surrounded by a sea of straw. Contemporary New York brand Eugenia Kim has cleverly provided a solution with its S/S16 decorated brims: featuring embroidered suede phrases such as ‘daydreamer’ and ‘wish you were here’.

We particularly love this preppy Brigitte boater hat, which displays a line from the poem Sacred Emily by Gertrude Stein – it’s the ideal accessory for sun-bathing bookworms. £260, net-a-porter.com

Welcome to Miami

IMAGE credit: Nik Koenig

The Faena district in Miami is a glitzy fantasy land straight from a 1950s Hollywood film, where every guest’s whim is catered for.

The main attraction – the Faena Hotel – was once the legendary former Saxony hotel where the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra performed, wined and dined. The elaborate interior has been designed by the splendidly cinematic duo Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, with work on display by artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. faena.com

Image credit: Jerome Galland

New look It is well-known that when it comes to fashion, Parisians take things very seriously.

The Dior Institut at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée – on the Avenue Montaigne where Christian Dior opened his flagship in 1947 – has recently been given a makeover, showing off a bright new interior, including a mirror ceiling with sparkling crystal in the couples’ suite. The sophisticated design combines tones of champagne and low-relief rose sculptures (one of the house’s most recognisable symbols), providing the perfect romantic setting in the city of love. dorchestercollection.com

TRAVEL

The sky’s the limit Holidaymakers are becoming more adventurous, but heading off the beaten track doesn’t have to mean compromising on luxury, says Alain James of Flight Centre First and Business

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lanning the perfect holiday is not without its pitfalls. A fortnight in the Algarve might be a guaranteed way of getting your dose of vitamin D for the year, but for those looking for the thrill of adventure, it doesn’t exactly tick all the right boxes. Similarly while jungle trekking will incite holiday envy among your friends and colleagues, the organisation involved isn’t for everyone – nor is the prospect of sacrificing creature comforts, or lugging around a backpack.

For those chasing a side order of luxury with their authentic local experience, or convenience over meticulous planning, Flight Centre First and Business is there to help. “We’re certainly seeing a trend for people in their thirties and upwards taking time out to explore more unusual destinations,” says Alain James, who works at the agency’s Thayer Street branch.

With 2,000 branches worldwide Flight Centre is one of the world’s biggest travel companies and has many levels of expertise; from its Flight Centre Business Travel to its Round The World Travel Experts, the team can help tailor make every aspect of your trip, whether you’re travelling for business or leisure.

The company recently launched two new specialisms: Escapes and Journeys. The Escapes team specialises in beach breaks at five star resorts, with business class flights and access to a dedicated travel concierge who is on call around the clock to make everything from excursion bookings to restaurant recommendations. Holidaymakers are provided with a comprehensive local guide and issued with resort credit that can be redeemed against activities such as scuba diving, camel trekking and helicopter rides. The Journeys team meanwhile will help those planning a multi-stop trip to curate a bespoke itinerary, whether that includes heli-gliding over glaciers or midnight fjord cruises.

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“All of our agents are well travelled and those helping to create itineraries have lived in the country concerned, meaning they are a font of local knowledge,” Alain adds. Popular destinations include Australia, Dubai, Bali and Thailand, as well as Las Vegas, New York and the Caribbean. “People come to us for the service and insider advice we offer that you don’t get when you book online. As well as the obvious luxuries of flying first or business class, the team can advise on the ultimate in high-end travel experiences available from different airlines and find the best premium airfares for long haul destinations,” Alain explains. It’s not just leisure travellers who can benefit from this service, corporate clients and frequent flyers can set up an account to take the stress out of handling multiple bookings.

With flights and accommodation taken care of, all you have to do is decide whether you want to go quad biking in the desert or discover the abandoned temple city of Bagan, Burma by hot air balloon. And you can leave the backpack at home.

8 Thayer Street, W1U flightcentre.co.uk/first-and-business

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Abu camp, photo Š dana allen

TRAVEL

A walk on the

Wild side Annabella Biziou sets up camp among the elephants on safari in Botswana

“Donkeys in pyjamas,” announces T-Rex, our guide, pointing to a herd of grazing zebra, “and an African skyscraper,” this time, a giraffe. We’re under Botswana’s relentless sun, jolting around in a particularly stylish jeep, courtesy of Abu Camp, a safari lodge at the heart of the Okavango Delta. “A flying banana,” he continues seriously, as we collapse into giggles and send the yellow-billed hornbill, squawking indignantly, into flight.

Abu Camp isn’t your average safari experience. Originally conceived as a refuge for orphaned and endangered elephants by American environmentalist Randall Moore in the early ‘90s, the camp is now owned by Microsoft tycoon Paul Allen who gave it a serious lick of luxury, not to mention internet access – and is operated by Wilderness Safaris. Here, aside from the thrill of pursuing game amid palm islands and mirrored waterways in one of the world’s most remarkable environments, guests can get up close and personal with a very special herd of rescued elephants.

“Cathy is the matriarch,” Witness, one of the elephant mahouts, tells me. “She was once a circus performer, but these days, she’s free to roam wherever she likes.” And roam she does, alongside her kin: Sherini, one of six young elephants saved from a culling operation in

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South Africa; her daughter Warona and adopted daughter Paseka, who was found in the aftermath of a hyena attack; Lorato, whose mother passed away due to illness; and her sister Naledi, the youngest of the bunch. The elephants remain here by choice, and over the years, a number of them have been successfully reintroduced into the bush, joining a thriving population of wild counterparts on the concession.

No longer are we seeking the thrill of the big five: the flick of a lion’s tail, the flashing eyes of a stalking leopard But for now, they’re watched over by devoted mahouts, who take us out to walk the marshes alongside the herd. We stop to watch them splash and spray mud in the watering hole as they wander uncharted and Witness coaxes me closer to feel the soft suede behind Cathy’s cabbage-leaf ears, to place a hand on her smooth tusks. I’m humbled to the core and the low thunder of her communication with the others sends vibrations from my fingers down to my toes. It’s undoubtedly a clever means of educating visitors on these majestic creatures and inspiring their preservation.

The following morning we set off for another Wilderness Safaris property, Kwetsani Camp, a stilted

from top: kwetsani camp; ABU CAMP, PHOTO © MICKEY HOYLE; A LEOPARD AT ABU CAMP, PHOTO © OLI ANDERSON

lodge set high in the canopy of the nearby Jao Concession. From the wrap-around deck of our treetop tented suite, which was refurbished along with the rest of the camp in June 2015, there’s a full 180-degree view across the plains. In summer, the entire area is submerged, transforming into a lake flush with reeds and dotted with rising palm islands.

Even at its wettest, the topography throughout the Delta changes depth by just two metres, but within that two metres, a wealth of flora and fauna dwells, sustained by water that creeps across the savannah from its source in the highlands of Angola.

We waste no time hopping into a mokoro – a dugout canoe built from the trunks of sausage trees.

TRAVEL

Stealing through the reeds, at eye level with tiny frogs and jewel-toned malachite kingfishers, the notion of safari begins to take on a new meaning.

No longer are we seeking the thrill of the big five: the flick of a lion’s tail, the flashing eyes of a stalking leopard. We’re gliding on glassy waterways known as the jewel of the Kalahari Desert. Here, there’s time to consider every last detail, down to the skating waterman and the lily pads that fold beneath our canoe. The silence is broken only by the sudden appearance of a trio of lechwe, antelopes dressed in sable, white and black, leaping across our path and sending up a rainbow of spray in their wake.

Our evenings are spent in a state of idyllic exhaustion. We succumb to towering buffets fit for royalty, sup gin and tonic as if it’s water and lounge around campfires swapping stories with other guests, all of whom seem to be held under the same spell; one of agonisingly early mornings, waves of adrenaline and more food than any of us could ever dream to devour. Botswana, we learn, is a country in a state of contentment. Its people, particularly in the Delta, are largely in favour of the current president, Ian Khama, whose commitments to the environment are undisputed.

In a fit of spontaneity, we fly 45 minutes north to the Linyanti Reserve, which makes a perfect accompaniment to the Okavango Delta. Here, the landscape changes drastically with the seasons, from dense emerald greenery in winter to a vast dustbowl in summer, though wildlife viewing remains spectacular along the river all year round.

Of the few camps in the area, Wilderness Safaris operates two that stand out from the crowd. Kings Pool Camp is a design-aficionados delight; all

FROM TOP: KINGS POOL CAMP, PHOTO © MICKEY HOYLE; HIPPOS AT KWETSANI CAMP, PHOTO © OLI ANDERSON; SAVUTI CAMP, PHOTO © DANA ALLEN

smooth stone and aged wood, set before an oxbow-shaped lagoon, with cavernous suites featuring plunge pools overlooking the Linyanti River. About an hour away is the charming Savuti Camp, a classic lodge set on the mysterious Savuti Channel, famed for the fact that it stopped flowing altogether for 28 years, before the water broke its banks once more in 2008.

As the sun sets on Botswana, we head out for one last game drive. Rounding a corner, we roll straight into the midst of a herd of wild elephants stripping leafy mopane trees. Most sidestep our jeep and melt quickly into the vegetation, but one, the matriarch, remains. She stands defensive, emits a guttural sound and fans her huge ears in warning. I wonder if she senses the thumping of my heartbeat, but she only blinks long, tufted eyelashes, before thundering off into the bush. It’s a reminder that each of these moments is unique, and must be treasured, locked away for recall on a cold, winter’s day in the city.

NEED TO KNOW Wilderness Safaris designs bespoke itineraries across its portfolio of camps in Botswana, wilderness-safaris.com; Wilderness Air operates transfers between camps, wilderness-air.com; Fly MCC offers private aircraft charters, flymcc.co.za

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

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HOMES showcasing the

finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

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The latest prime properties

The Park Crescent, W1 Prices from ÂŁ4,500,000, Another prestigious development

by Amazon Property Image courtesy of Aston Chase and Knight Frank

WE ARE knight frank S Sales

James Simpson Partner

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S T J O H N ’ S W O O D • R E G E N T ’ S PA R K • L I T T L E V E N I C E • M A I D A VA L E

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k ST JOHN’S WOOD

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Lettings

Elizabeth Kareklas Team Secretary

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+44 (0)20 7586 2777 • stjohnswood@knightfrank.com 5-7 Wellington Place, London NW8 7PB

Elsworthy H ouse Primrose Hill, NW3

This detached, wide, lateral and picturesque house is approached by a gravel carriage driveway and has its own private garden with direct access on to a wonderfully landscaped private communal garden of over an acre. This freehold house has been in the same family ownership for well over half a century and was recently refurbished to a high standard whilst retaining all of the original features. It has to be viewed to be truly appreciated.

Located in this enviable spot, the house is situated only a short stroll from Primrose Hill Village and its wide selection of bespoke shops, boutiques, restaurants and cafĂŠs, whilst within close proximity of transport links to the City and West End.

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Price on Application Freehold

Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, shower room, dressing room and walk-in wardrobes . 3 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms . Bedroom with study/dressing room . 1 further bedroom . 7 bathrooms . 4 reception rooms . Breakfast/garden room . Kitchen . Self-contained staff studio flat .

Cloakroom with WC . Studio/games room . Upstairs kitchenette . Attic/roof space . Wine cellar . Utility/boot room . Balcony . Carriage driveway with private parking . Garden . EPC: D . Approximately 631.6 sq m (6,605 sq ft)

020 7586 2777 5-7 Wellington Place London NW8 7PB stjohnswood@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk

17/05/2016 17:15

KF_

CLIFTON H ILL ST JOHN’S WOOD NW8

Guide Price: £7,950 per week Furnished

An elegant and double fronted detached house, interior designed by Kelly Hoppen. This family home is in immaculate condition throughout, benefiting from a garage, a private garden and comprising 7/8 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms and a high specification kitchen. In addition there is a floating staircase, Lutron lighting, underfloor heating, air conditioning and a sophisticated security system. EPC: C. Clifton Hill is ideally located for the amenities of St John’s Wood.

Available to rent on a furnished basis.

020 8022 6433 5-7 Wellington Place London NW8 7PB stjohnswood@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk

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[ hot property]

Nottingham Place, Marylebone, W1

S

ituated a few moments’ walk from Marylebone High Street’s abundance of shops, cafés and restaurants, this striking period property presents a rare opportunity for families looking to immerse themselves in local life at the heart of the bustling, community-minded Marylebone Village.

Arranged over five floors, this town house boasts generously proportioned rooms, high ceilings and windows that enable an abundance of natural light to filter in throughout. Neutrally decorated, with several of the building’s original features intact, the living space has been

architecturally rearranged to an exceptional standard. The ground floor compromises a huge contemporary kitchen and breakfast room, with sleek wooden units and stainless steel work surfaces, and can comfortable accommodate all the family. A bright and airy reception room is found on the first floor, offering views out onto the street below, while the large cinema room tucked away on the lower ground floor offers ample space for entertaining, as well as access to two convenient storage vaults.

Five/six bedrooms are spread over four floors, including

PROPERTY

a principle suite, complete with a dressing room and en-suite bathroom. In an attempt to maximise outside space, three separate terraces can be accessed from the mezzanine floors, together with a spacious but secluded roof terrace up on the top floor.

As well as being a stone’s throw from the plethora of amenities on the nearby high street and the green expanse of sprawling Regent’s Park, nearby Baker Street Underground Station provides quick and efficient connections into the City, via the Bakerloo, Jubilee and

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Hammersmith & City lines. What’s more, there has never been a better time to move to Marylebone. The locale is currently undergoing several exciting changes, thanks to a major investment programme by freeholders the Portman Estate and De Walden Estate, including several landmark new-build developments, which look set to further boost the area’s appeal.

Freehold, asking price £7,250,000, Aston Chase, 69-71 Park Road, NW1, astonchase.com

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CARLTON HILL ST JOHN’S WOOD NW8 FREEHOLD GUIDE PRICE £6,750,000 JOINT SOLE AGENT

An imposing Grade II Listed, double fronted, detached house (308sq m/ 3,320sq ft) offered in excellent condition throughout. Carlton Hill is located within close proximity of the shopping facilities of St John’s Wood High Street, the transport facilities of St John’s Wood Underground Station (Jubilee Line), as well as the American School in London and Regent’s Park.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom with dressing room & en-suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, family room, dining room/living room (currently used as a gym), guest cloakroom, utility room, 65ft landscaped rear garden, front garden with secure gated off street parking for 2/3 cars.

astonchase.com

PRINCE REGENT COURT ST JOHN’S WOOD NW8 SHARE OF FREEHOLD GUIDE PRICE £3,450,000 SOLE AGENT

6 9 – 7 1 PA R K R O A D LO N D O N N W 1 6XU 020 7 7 24 47 24

An exceptional lateral apartment (171sq m/1,843sq ft) with a private terrace, situated within a prestigious block located on Avenue Road. Prince Regent Court is enviably located at the southern end of Avenue Road at the junction with St Edmunds Terrace and close to Regent’s Park. St John’s Wood High Street is within walking distance, as is St John’s Wood Underground Station (Jubilee Line).

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Reception hall, living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom suite with en-suite bathroom, bedroom 2 with en-suite bathroom, bedroom 3/study with shower and basin, lift, 24 hour porterage, terrace, underground parking. EPC=C.

CLIFTON HILL ST JOHN’S WOOD NW8 FREEHOLD GUIDE PRICE £4,650,000 SOLE AGENT

A beautifully presented four bedroom home set over four floors and located on one of St John's Woods premier roads.

Clifton Hill is conveniently situated within walking distance of the American School in London and the shops and amenities of St John's Wood High Street and Underground Station (Jubilee Line).

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom with en-suite shower room, 3 further double bedrooms, family bathroom, double reception room, fully fitted kitchen leading to dining area, 2 guest cloakrooms, rear garden, off street parking for 1 car. EPC=E.

astonchase.com

WELLINGTON PLACE ST JOHN’S WOOD NW8 FREEHOLD £5,350,000 JOINT SOLE AGENT

6 9 – 7 1 PA R K R O A D LO N D O N N W 1 6XU 020 7 7 24 47 24

An opportunity to purchase a superb newly refurbished period house in the heart of St John's Wood. Wellington Place is perfectly situated within moments of St John's Wood Underground Station (Jubilee Line), the various high quality amenities of St John's Wood High Street and only a few minutes’ walk from the green open spaces of Regent's Park.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Drawing room, family room, dining room, kitchen with breakfast room, media room, entertainment room, study, principal bedroom with dressing room & en-suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms (2 with dressing rooms), landscaped front garden, roof terrace, secure gated front entrance. EPC=E.

WARWICK AVENUE LITTLE VENICE W9 FREEHOLD £7,950,000 ALSO AVAILABLE TO RENT AT £4,750 PER WEEK JOINT SOLE AGENT

A Grade II Listed period house (382sq m/ 4,113sq ft) benefiting from off street parking for two cars and a delightful 68ft west facing rear garden. The house is offered in good condition throughout and retains many of its original features, with high ceilings and well planned accommodation.

Warwick Avenue is situated within walking distance of the shops and restaurants on Clifton Road and Warwick Avenue Underground Station (Bakerloo Line).

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Master bedroom with large walk-in dressing room and en-suite bathroom, 6 further bedrooms, 1 en-suite bathroom, 3 shower rooms (2 en-suite), reception room, study, gymnasium, dining room, garden room, Bulthaup kitchen/breakfast room, 2 guest cloakrooms, utility room, 68ft west facing garden, patio, off street parking for 2 cars, partial air conditioning, cellar. EPC=E.

astonchase.com

GLOUCESTER GATE REGENT’S PARK NW1 CROWN ESTATE LEASE £5,750,000 JOINT SOLE AGENT

6 9 – 7 1 PA R K R O A D LO N D O N N W 1 6XU 020 7 7 24 47 24

A charming low built house (332sq m/ 3,467sq ft) mainly arranged over two floors only. The house is in good condition throughout and offers spacious well planned accommodation. The property is situated on the outer circle of Regent’s Park and is within walking distance of Regent’s Park Underground Station and the fashionable shopping facilities of St John’s Wood, Marylebone High Street and The West End.

ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES Principal bedroom suite with dressing room & bathroom, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom, shower room, reception room, study, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, family room, garage, utility room, 2 store rooms, air conditioning. EPC=E.

MARYLEBONE, NW1 A rare opportunity to acquire a phenomenal, grand, trophy Georgian family house with a connecting mews house located in the heart of Marylebone. This splendid regal freehold home benefits from high ceilings throughout, a garage, outside space and grand proportions. The house is situated moments from Marylebone High Street, Regent`s Park and Mayfair. It is extremely rare in Marylebone to find such a house measuring in excess of 10,000 sq ft.

We strongly recommend viewing this magnificent freehold property, steeped in history. Marylebone is now considered one of London`s most prestigious area and is located moments away from Regent`s Park, Hyde Park, the famous Marylebone Sunday farmer markets. The influx of high profile commercial units on the Marylebone High Street has propelled Marylebone into being one of Europe`s most prominent locations to live in.

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

Price: £14,950,000 »»Eight bedroomed house »»Two bedroomed mews house »»Four large reception rooms »»Superb dining room »»Freehold »»10,040 sq ft

NEWLY REFURBISHED APARTMENT IN PORTERED MANSION BLOCK Bickenhall Mansions, Marylebone, W1

• Three Bedrooms • Three Bathrooms • Two Reception Rooms • Study • Third Floor (with lift) • Energy Rating: C

£1,875 Per Week Unfurnished £3,000,000 Share of Freehold Marylebone & Fitzrovia Lettings 20a Paddington Street, London, W1U 5QP

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

INTERIOR DESIGNED FIVE FLOOR GEORGIAN TOWNHOUSE Wyndham Street, Marylebone, W1

• Five Bedrooms • Three Bathrooms • Two Reception Rooms • Patio Garden • Outdoor Hot Tub & Shower • Energy Rating: D

£2,500 Per Week Furnished/Unfurnished

Marylebone & Fitzrovia Lettings 20a Paddington Street, London, W1U 5QP

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

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CLASSIC MARYLEBONE MANSION FLAT Luxborough Street, Marylebone, W1 Three Bedrooms • Two Bathrooms • Double Reception/Dining Room Approximately 1,412 Sq Ft • Energy Rating: C

£2,000,000 Share of Freehold

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Marylebone & Fitzrovia Sales 20a Paddington Street, London, W1U 5QP

020 3394 0027 marylebone@kayandco.com

kayandco.com

09/05/2016 11:31

Available now 50 apartments designed with flair.

Set amongst the new parks and gardens of King’s Cross. Starting from £725,000.

Marketing Suite 14–15 Stable Street King’s Cross, N1C 4AB Monday to Friday 10:00am – 6:00pm Register your interest 020 7205 4349 fenmanhouse.co.uk

Visualisation of a living room in a two bedroom apartment at Fenman House

Quintessentially British An exquisite collection of Grade II listed Lateral Apartments and Townhouses with concierge, set on a private garden square

Computer generated image

7-12 Leinster Square, Westbourne Grove W2 Lateral Apartments from ÂŁ4,450,000 Townhouses from ÂŁ6,250,000 Hamptons International | londondi@hamptons-int.com +44 (0)20 7758 8441 Carter Jonas | newhomes@carterjonas.co.uk +44 (0)20 7518 3240 leinstersquarew2.com

PHOTOGRAPHY OF GALLERY INTERIOR

A MARYLEBONE GALLERY SO PRIVATE, ONLY A FEW WILL EVER SEE IT

A new gallery now open in fashionable Marylebone is unmissable; but to visit this venue at The Chilterns, on Chiltern Street, you’ll need to buy a property there – and just three apartments remain, each designed by Rabih Hage. As a resident, you’ll have exclusive access to the gallery, displaying large-scale works by iconic photographer David Bailey, and there’s a five-star concierge, private spa, gymnasium and cinema. Minutes from Mayfair and the Regent’s Park, Chiltern Street has fabulous boutiques and restaurants, including the celebrated A-list Chiltern Firehouse - all on your gallery’s doorstep.

thechilternsw1.com For more information about The Chilterns or to arrange a private appointment, please contact Oksana d’Offay on +44 (0)20 8418 1070 or email oksana@thechilternsw1.com

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