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CONTENTS 16

Grand Designs

Below the Surface

Ross Lovegrove is a man with vision; there isn’t a 3D object that has escaped his innovative touch. Hannah Lemon reports

Susan Alnajafi finds out how photographer Zena Holloway captures ethereal and hypnotising underwater worlds

Where the Art Is

Le Freak C’est Chic

Can a house be a home as well as a gallery? Local artists and designers Dominic Harris and Dara Huang answer our question

Nod to the 1970s this season with fringed edges, flowing silhouettes and vivacious colour palettes

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The Life of Lowry

Lady of the Manor

L.S.Lowry, famous for depicting scenes of industrial Britain, has a new retrospective exhibition at the Whitewall Galleries

Lauren Romano steps back in time at Ireland’s sleepy Ballyfin Demesne, an hour’s drive from Dublin

The Notting Hill & Holland Park Magazine is distributed in W8, W11, W14 and parts of W2, W9 and W10

On the Cover... Zena Holloway’s first camera, a gift from her mother on her 18th birthday, was a little yellow underwater motor marine made by Sea & Sea. Ever since then, Holloway has made the underwater world her home. Her latest collection of photographs chronicle a series of female protagonists in stunning chiffon dresses against an oceanic background. Holloway has achieved international success and is revered for her ability to create truly magical photographs; see for yourself at Notting Hill’s Calken Gallery.

Notting hill & Holland Park APRIL 2015 s issue 027 Editor Annabel Harrison Acting Editor Hannah Lemon Assistant Editor Olivia Sharpe Contributing Editor Kari Rosenberg Editorial Assistants Susan Alnajafi Phoebe McDowell Senior Designer Sophie Blain

Cover image: The Old Grey Teacher by Zena Holloway

30 On Stage and Screen

40 Mangrove & Co

55 150 Years of Zenith

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Editor’s Letter

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From the EDITOR “I believe that interiors and architecture are a form of art.” Dara Huang is a sculptor by trade but set up her own interior design company because of the dynamic link between the two. She is not alone in this. Ross Lovegrove creates other-worldly three-dimensional objects, transforming mundane car seats and water bottles, into something striking and eye-catching (p. 16). Dominic Harris is part of the creative clan too. He calls himself an interactive artist, experimenting with sound and light in the interiors of people’s homes (p. 20). For one of his clients, Harris ingeniously disguised an extensive collection of works by Monet and Picasso with a fish tank simulation. If that client in question is looking to expand his body of paintings, Whitewall Galleries is showcasing some limited edition works by L.S. Lowry. We take this as an opportunity to research the artist’s life in the industrial hub of England in the 1930s on p. 25. He was notoriously insular during this time, once commenting: “Had I not been lonely, none of my work would have happened.” But one thing Lowry did get enjoyment out of was people-watching. Another talent who also shares this passion is actor Arthur Darvill, who is able to transform his observations into spell-binding performances on stage and screen. On p. 30 he tells us what it was like acting in the British television drama Broadchurch and about his current role at the National Theatre. We are continuously astounded by the local talent that pops up in the area and no more so than this month with female duo Lulu Moura and Nina Litchfield; the founders of the interior design company Mangrove & Co are bringing the bright colours of Brazil to the homes of Notting Hill (p. 40). And if all this isn’t enough, broaden the horizons of your interiors further with Zena Holloway’s underwater photography on p. 46, available to purchase from the Calken Gallery this month.

Acting Editor

Hannah Lemon

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the

Big Idea? Ross Lovegrove is a man with vision. From water bottles to car seats, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a 3D object that has managed to escape his innovative touch. Hannah Lemon reports

FEATURE

n aluminium spaceship in the rafters of a railway station in Lille, France. The future of street lighting in the shape of solar trees for the Summer Palace in Beijing. Stacking chairs for Moroso made using contemporary aluminium-pressing technology. A carbon fibre Twin’Z electric concept car for Renault. An innovative water bottle for Ty Nant. All of these innovative creations and more are listed on Lovegrove’s pioneering CV but finding out his job title proves a tricky business. “I’m an innovator and visionary; a sculptor of technology,” he tells me, over the phone. Although later on in the conversation I manage to eke out of him the words “industrial designer”, a phrase his contemporaries Jonathan Ive and Marc Newson use. This profession wasn’t something he always wanted to do. “I was brought up in a little place in Wales with no design around me,” he explains. So how did an interest in design come about? “It came out of the idea of invention and innovation. The idea of making three-dimensional objects for people, you know. It’s a wonderful bandwidth from furniture to transportation to architecture. I like the idea of making people beautiful three-dimensional objects.” After studying design for seven years, first at university in Manchester and then at the Royal College of Art, he quickly launched a successful career trajectory. In the early 80s, Lovegrove worked as a designer for Frog Design in West Germany on projects such as Walkmans for Sony, computers for Apple, and later moved to Paris as consultant to Knoll International. He was then invited to join the Atelier de Nimes along with architect Jean Nouvel and designer Phillippe Stark, consulting Cacharel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Dupont, among others.

Lovegrove divulges details on what it was like to work for Apple in the early days and be part of creating the success that launched it into the tech phenomenon it is now. “We were setting out their very first principles, so the design, which is even relevant today, was all about purity and linearity. Something that you couldn’t copy; a certain simplicity.” I say Apple must have changed beyond recognition since his work with the company, but Lovegrove surprises me by saying, “In terms of the spirit of the company, it was the same then.” He returned to London in 1986 and in 1990 he started his own company under the Westway. “I’ve been in Notting Hill forever, but I don’t think people know what I do, which is quite good to some extent,” he says. “Only when couriers come do they suddenly see the shapes

“I like the idea of making people beautiful three-dimensional objects” and certain objects [in the office] and suddenly wake up.” I can picture a looming UFO behind Lovegrove as he signs for a delivery and chuckle. On the phone Lovegrove sounds quite serious and often diverges into existential ideas and comments. He matter of factly answers questions and I get the impression he would be a fairly intimidating presence in the workplace, leaving no margin for error in thought or design. I ask him which past projects have stood out for him but he interjects, “It doesn’t work that way really because you form a pool of innovation.” And when I ask if he has enjoyed working with certain materials he replies: “No, because you could say you want to design a milk bottle but you’re not going do that with

Above from left/ Ty Nant water bottle; Diatom chair, Moroso; Carbon fibre MOOT chair, Established & Sons

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carbon fibre are you? There is a relativity between the material, the cost and the application.” The authority and confidence he has in this field of work is admirable but so is his belief in himself. When I question which modern designers inspire or interest him, he answers: “I’m not inspired by contemporary design.” Lovegrove’s passion for experimentation never ceases. Most recently, he has worked in 3D printing creating gold jewellery for the luxury market. “I think that’s what

I’m known for actually,” he explains. “High innovation. You know, risk-taking to some degree and looking at how we can use new technologies.” But however modern the creation, much of Lovegrove’s inspiration for his inimitable design comes from nature. “Nature only really adapts to a level of relevance and intelligence,” he says pensively. “Nature is a very intelligent entity so the more that we can get design within that framework, the better. It’s very obvious that nature should be the model. We’ve entered an age now where the tools that we use, which are computer-based, can produce the forms that nature can produce. We can also break down the materials to a nano and atomic level like

“The studio is like Star Trek. It’s otherworldly and fascinating” biochemistry so, the way nature was copied in the past aesthetically, is not really copied like that now. It’s taking the values and the embedded intelligence of nature and re-working that.” The majority of Lovegrove’s current projects are under wraps but he divulges that he is setting up a luxury group and also working on new limited edition furniture pieces, lighting, transportation projects, solar-wind projects, property and environmental design, sculptural and limited edition pieces, and more 3D printing. I have a feeling this list goes on.

FEATURE

The Lovegrove studio where all these designs start, which is next to David Hockney’s original studio, is just as modern as the products that come out of it. “The studio is like Star Trek,” says Lovegrove. “It’s otherworldly and fascinating.” But despite the groundbreaking and novel design that takes up his day, his home, which is a short commute upstairs, is on the other end of the spectrum. “It’s all tribal art, organic materials and Carlo Mollino furniture. It’s all soulful, full of incredible and original books from 1642 on Leonardo Da Vinci.” Living above his office must make it difficult to switch off or stop work but this hub provides a peaceful place to wind down. “I don’t stay in designer hotels. I don’t do things like that because I need to get away from design. I don’t need to be talked to all the time for my inspiration. I need to revert inwardly and just look at opposite things.” I ask if he enjoys anything in his spare time but he laughs wryly. “I don’t have any spare time. I have to travel more than people actually work.” This doesn’t leave much time for family life but his son, who is studying architecture, and his wife, who is an architect, are just as busy as him. And when I ask if his son will be following in his footsteps he confidently replies no. “He has a very different perspective on architecture and I admire him. I actually think it’s incredible. I’ve seen his drawings and they’re extraordinary,” he says. “I learn from him.” The Lovegroves are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Lovegrove Studio 21 Powis Mews, W11 1JN rosslovegrove.com Clockwise from above/ Limited Edition: Liquid Table Trilobal; Solar tree, Artemide; Limited Edition: Liquid Table Megabioform; Gingko Carbon table; Cosmic Angel, Artemide; Foliates 3D-printed gold jewellery, Louisa Guinness Gallery

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FEATURE

Art

Where the

Can a house be a home as well as a gallery? Hannah Lemon asks local artists and designers Dominic Harris and Dara Huang the important questions when it comes to housing art installations

Clockwise from top left/ DH Liberty Paddington Street; DH Liberty Analog Folk; DH Liberty Analog Folk; Moon Chandelier by Dominic Harris/Cinimod; DH Liberty Origamix Lamp; DH Liberty Paddington Street

Home is where the heart is; an oft over-uttered clichéd expression one must admit but it sums up the essence of interiors rather well. Stepping over the threshold into a comforting, warm sitting room or a sleek, marbled kitchen – whatever you predilections – interiors are an expression of personality. But decorating your living space can be an expensive hobby. Sotheby’s recently announced that it is reintroducing modern and contemporary design sales to London, having shifted them to Paris in 2011. The decision, headed up by Joshua Holdeman as Worldwide Head of 20th Century Design, follows the buoyant sales figures globally (£52 million last year), and the increased number of UK-based buyers present at sales in Paris and New York. And there is obviously some mileage in this. At Christie’s in November, David Collins’ estate reached £1.8 million, with a pair of wastepaper baskets fetching £21,250. When moving into a new property, homeowners may struggle to accommodate existing artistic features. Last year, a couple had this problem when they moved into wealthy property tycoon Jamie Ritblat’s Fulham house. With little taste for contemporary art they tried to sell a wall in the house that was painted by Damien Hirst. Hirst, however, managed to stop the escapade by making it invalid for them to perform any transaction without a signed certificate from him. Others may struggle to bring in suitable statement pieces to furnish their home. As Nicky Haslam recently said: “Having ‘taste’ – by which I mean the love of whatever pleases us – is one thing. But a discrimination and an innate desire to choose what we’re surrounded by is something quite different.” As such, we often rely on the expertise of professionals to guide us and the fine line between art and interiors has meant that interior designers take the form of artists as well. Dara Huang is a sculptor by trade but established DH Liberty in 2012, an architectural firm that has designed stores for clients from Manolo Blahnik to Samsung. The store started in Westbourne Grove but its HQ is now based by Bedford Square, although a small satellite office remains in Notting Hill. Its projects include everything from residential – most recently a six-storey Notting Hill home – to offices. One project for the Analog Folk office in Shoreditch, an industrial loft-like working space, involved the creation of a

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tremendous chandelier light. Using recycled bottles and digital applications such as scripting and 3D computer programmes, DH Liberty formed a cascading sculpture in the office stairwell. Huang tells me: “I believe that interiors and architecture are a form of art. Art is a form of self-expression which I feel can be achieved through architectural and design schemes.” Some of the tables and lights in Huang’s Lux Elements and Lumens collections look like art pieces in their own right. “I think we aim for all our pieces to be completely original statement pieces and that they all stand out in their respective spaces. For example, the copper island is a sculpture that also becomes functional as a kitchen island.” The luminous colour stands out almost as a work to be admired rather than used, but Huang assures me that it aims to be both. Huang’s favourite project to date is the Jam Jar installation at Analog Folk, a surprisingly inexpensive lighting design. “It was quite personal as well because I went to an antique market and personally picked out the little Mudra sculptures [placed in the jars], which all had different meanings to them. The space was supposed to be a think tank room so the Mudras I chose were symbolic as they are supposed to invoke ideas.” The thought involved in each design makes it unique to the client, whether it’s an installation made out of handblown glass or with spinning metals. Dominic Harris is another local designer, an architect by training, who calls himself an interactive artist. No stranger to the area, he founded Cinimod (his name backwards) eight years ago when he was working from home in Clanricarde Gardens, just off Bayswater Road. Harris has worked with Itsu, Microsoft (he flew a customised UFO over Tower Bridge for one of its campaigns) and Snog frozen yoghurts. Harris has always worked in the realm of light, art and interactive design but it wasn’t until Ron Dennis came along, the CEO of McLaren, that the artistic side of his business really began to flourish. “About three years ago, he bought an artwork from me at an art fair. He didn’t know anything about me and he didn’t know what else the studio did. In the process of customising it and delivering it to him, he realised that even though he was buying an artwork

the methodology through which we were executing it just resonated with him.” The natural progression for Dennis, of course, was to become a shareholder and an investor. This has given Harris the chance to concentrate on his work as an artist using light and sound. He has exhibited at some of the top design fairs across the globe: Art 14 London, Design Basel in Switzerland, Design Miami, and Art Genève. “Suddenly I found myself in the art world selling increasingly ambitious pieces,” he explains. “With that kind of exposure and with the kind of budgets that we can work to ... at this point I see myself as more of an artist than an architect.” One of his latest projects is in Heathrow Terminal 2 at Caviar House & Prunier, which was completed last summer. “It was a bonkers project,” says Harris. “It’s all carbon fibre and LEDs. It goes 14 metres high. It’s like a three storey house standing on one single pole; there is

“People will actually move walls to integrate our installations” no support from anywhere else. The engineering of it is just staggering. We designed the lighting and electronics; there is an incredibly smooth line of light.” But how would you exhibit these at home? Well, not all Harris’ work is for commercial projects. The interactive relationship that people have with these installations means they are perfectly placed for a more intimate setting. One project called Flutter is a linear array of 88 video screens with flying butterflies that respond to passersby. “As you move along it, it is interactive,” explains Harris. “You can slow down the flight of the butterflies. It’s a little bit romanticised but it truly captures their essence.” This is the art piece that Dennis has at home and another one is in the penthouse at the Candy brothers’ One Hyde Park. “It’s fantastic because it’s surrounded by all their Picasso pieces,” enthuses Harris. Another fascinating installation by Harris is of screens that depict an aquarium – viewers don’t even realise the fish are animated. “It is on three sides of a

Clockwise from top left/ DH Liberty Analog Folk; Flutter by Dominic Harris/Cinimod Studio; Deep Blue by Dominic Harris/Cinimod Studio; DH Liberty Geo Island; Ice Angel by Dominic Harris/Cinimod Studio

FEATURE

huge room for a private art collector,” Harris explains. “Behind the motorised screens there are Monets and Picassos on the wall. He has an incredible collection of art from the masters. And then these screens come down and turn into this immersive interactive aquarium.” It shows that no matter how wacky or modern the installation, people will always find a suitable home for it whether that’s in a stairwell or next to a classic oil painting. “People will actually move walls and do all kinds of stuff to integrate our installations,” says Harris. “People put the real value on art.” Cinimod Studio, Unit 108, Canalot Studios, 222 Kensal Road, W10 5BN; cinimodstudio.com DH Liberty London, 14 Bedford Square, WC1B 3JA dhliberty.com

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FEATURE

Matchstick Men L.S.Lowry, famous for depicting scenes of industrial Britain, has a new retrospective exhibition at the Whitewall Galleries. Hannah Lemon looks at why the life and work of the painter is shrouded in intrigue plumes of GREY smoke billow from soaring chimney tops. Neat rectangular buildings framed by rows of red bricks stand straight and flat. A mist shrouds the skyline of industrial towers, which loom tall against a stark white background. Below, crowds of dark figures run, walk and wobble across roads; a sombre but simple scene of a working day in 1930s England. Welcome to the world of L.S.Â Lowry. The stick figures and drawings of people at work are an instantly recognisable style of this painter, who has now become one of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most widely recognised painters of the 20th century. Transferred onto everything from placemats to postcards, Lowry has become a

From top/Market Scene, Northern Town; Man Lying on a Wall, courtesy of kingandmcgaw.com

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household name and his artwork has toured the world, most recently and for the first time in China. To mark this man’s legendary acclaim, Whitewall Galleries in Notting Hill will be exhibiting original signed lithographs and signed limited editions of Lowry’s selected works. The gallery manager Clare Gosling is eager to exhibit this collection, particularly after the success of the Lowry exhibition at the Tate Modern in 2013. A quick internet search on recent sales brings up some record breaking prices. Notably, Derby Council has been targeted to sell its Lowry painting in the face of austerity cuts, which it bought for £42 in 1946 and is now estimated to fetch £1 million. However, there has been much deliberation over Lowry’s style by critics in recent years. Some have hailed him as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century while others have not been quite so gracious. Of the Tate exhibition, The Daily Telegraph’s chief art critic Richard Dorment went so far as to say: “I always come to the same conclusion: Lowry was an artist of such limited ability and narrow emotional range that I sometimes wonder whether he is best seen as an Outsider Artist who may have suffered from a mild form of autism.” Admittedly, the ‘matchstick’ figures that Lowry created are painted with a straightforward style and technique and a basic range of colours. He said himself, “I’m a simple man, and I use simple materials.” But Gosling argues that this is part of Lowry’s charming interpretation

L.S. Lowry’s paintings shine light on industrial Britain through a romantic filter of northern England. “He has stick men that aren’t detailed but he is putting a spin on it. His paintings are a fun depiction of the architecture of Britain. He has a unique style and creates his own world.” The uncomplicated versions of a far from glamorous reality is what people love about his art. Going to Work and Coming from the Mill are white canvases depicting neat queues of people and regimented housing; there is no rubbish, dirt or tiredness of a real working town. The paintings shine light on industrial Britain through a romantic filter. “People buy a Lowry because they feel like they are getting part of history and culture. People like that he has captured a moment in time,” says Gosling. Lowry, who worked as rent collector for the Pall Mall Property Company, was able to wander the streets of Manchester and watch the people go about their working days with fascination. “I’ll always be grateful to rent collecting. I’ve put many of the tenants in my

pictures.” From industrial chimneys to old working mills, he observed the changing face of this urban landscape through the Blitz, rebuilding, new houses and slum clearances, painting it all partly from observation and partly from his own memory. Another reason for the attraction to Lowry’s work, as Gosling suggests, is because “British people love an underdog”. Lowry was certainly one of those. Born Lawrence Stephen Lowry, his mother was never one to bestow praise on her son, openly declaring that she would have preferred a girl. She was sickly after the birth and Lowry acted as her carer for the majority of his adult life, always seeking her praise and acceptance,

FEATURE

Clockwise from top left/ Peel Park, Salford; Portrait of Ann; Self Portrait; Going to Work; Coming from the Mill, courtesy of kingandmcgaw.com All artwork by L.S.Lowry

which was often hard to come by. Despite his family’s financial difficulties, Lowry received private art classes in his youth, but it wasn’t until his mid-30s that he really began to indulge in an occupation as a painter, whilst still retaining his job as rent collector. After Lowry’s father died, the sad state of the family’s finances truly came to light and painting was a way for him to escape reality, particularly after the death of his mother that soon followed. Lowry saw life as a struggle and his art was one way to get through it,

commenting: “Painting is a wonderful way of getting rid of the days.” Lowry was not a particularly sociable man. He once said: “Had I not been lonely, none of my work would have happened.” He kept to himself and didn’t have a huge circle of friends. His character in general procured an air of mystery and the peculiar. He kept a handful of clocks on his wall all set at different times. He is also the record holder for most honours declined, an OBE and CBE among them. Even when he began to get recognition

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FEATURE From top/ Industrial Town; Our Town

for his work later in life he would make excuses to avoid strangers. Rumour has it he kept a suitcase by his front door so that he could pretend to passerbys that he was on his way out to avoid talking to anyone. And for those who did know him, he added to the obscurity of his character by making stories up. For example, Portrait of Ann, which drew attention because of the drastic change in subject from landscapes, accumulated much speculation over the identity of the sitter. Lowry told a features reporter from the Manchester Guardian that Ann was 25 years old and from Leeds, then his friend Frank Badly that she was in fact a pupil of his mother’s, and also friends Harold Riley and Pat Cooke that she was a friend from Lytham St Annes who had died in her 20s. However, the most common conclusion was that Lowry amalgamated several young women he knew into one imaginary figure. When he died in 1976, aged 88, he bequeathed his estate to a girl he had befriended: Carol Ann Lowry. The girl (who was no relation) had been in touch on her mother’s persuasion to gain some insight into the life of an artist when she was 13. Lowry struck up a friendship with the girl lasting nearly two decades, taking her and friends on outings to see the ballet. He enjoyed watching their reactions to the world around them, much like his earlier days as a rent collector. The exhibition at

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Whitewall Galleries allows us to take a similar view of the world, giving us time to enjoy other people’s reactions to the environment around them. People-watching was something that Lowry had enjoyed throughout his life, although he never quite felt comfortable enough to join in the action himself when he stopped. 22–26 April, Whitewall Galleries, 100 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RU; 0207 229 0952 whitewallgalleries.com

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05/08/14 15:28

Setting the

Stage Hannah Lemon meets actor, singer, musician and occasional puppeteer Arthur Darvill to discuss the perks and quirks of being cast in some of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular dramas

The cast of Treasure Island on board the Hispaniola Photography by: Johan Persson

FEATURE

Arthur Darville as Paul Coates in Broadchurch Courtesy of: ITV

ntil recently, my Monday nights have been fraught with tension. I am one of the many who locked the doors, drew the curtains and tuned in to witness detective inspector Alec Hardy and detective sergeant Ellie Miller in action. The success of television drama Broadchurch has been an exciting trajectory to follow for British television. The first series, a eight-part whodunit, received international acclaim and seven nominations at last year’s BAFTAs. The hype and success has been great for the fans (we have a second series) and also for the actors involved with putting it together. Having just finished episode five at the time of the interview, I rather apprehensively meet Arthur Darvill, who plays local reverend Paul Coates in the drama. I’m fairly reluctant to talk about the series at all, as many of the characters have yet to come clean with their alibis for the Sandbrook murders and I really don’t want any spoilers, but luckily for me Darvill is on the same page. “I’m hooked on it as well,” he tells me. “Because there are so many other storylines apart from the one that I was involved in.” I sigh with relief but still want to avoid talking about it – not hugely helpful for an interview – so I revert to asking him what it was like to be part of the drama from the beginning. Darvill assures me that it was great fun from the outset. “Chris [Chibnall, the creator] phoned me up and said: ‘Look, we just want to let you know that there is a no-t***s policy for casting. So everyone is going to be really nice. Just to let you know,’” he says, his eyes flickering with humour, “they managed to stick to that, which was great.” We are sitting in a room off a maze of offices in the National Theatre; the afternoon sun is slowly disappearing behind the skyline of the Southbank. Darvill sips on a cup of milky tea, giving off an air of nonchalance in his faded black jeans, shirt, hat and smattering of brown stubble. He has a few hours to spare before he takes to the stage as Long John Silver for his current project Treasure Island. Robert Louis Stevenson’s coming-of-age tale has been adapted by

This image and left/ In rehearsals for Treasure Island; As Long John Silver Photography by: Johan Persson

successful British dramatist Bryony Lavery and directed by Polly Findlay for the National’s Olivier Theatre. I went to see it a few weeks beforehand and it is a monumental undertaking, partly because of the fluid adaption process that meant scenes were being changed right up until opening night, and partly because of the epic and intricate labyrinth that is the set. “We had a model box showing of the set in the first couple of days,” says Darvill. “It took 45 minutes because of all the different elements. We knew we were in for something of an epic scale.” During the two hours of the play, the scene lithely transforms from tavern, to schooner, to desert island, and to an underground maze of tunnels

Theatre is a real bit of magic – something that children can’t get from iPads and television concealing buried treasure. “Rehearsals were massively enjoyable,” continues Darvill. “It was like coming to work in a playground every day. It had all these things you could climb and fall off.” And did he? “Yeah,” he laughs. “There was lots of falling off.” The set is the backdrop to an exciting child fantasy of adventure complete with sword fights and pirates. At one point, Long John Silver’s parrot is shot at and its feathers fall in a flurry over the audience. When I went, children fought their way during the interval to a clump of feathers on the floor and scrabbled to grab a few handfuls. Darvill is in agreement with me when I say that there is something magical about this experience, something that iPads, television and touch-screen phones can’t give children. “I had a friend come the other day. She is seven years old,” he says, deadpan. “She managed to get some of the feathers and she just held them so tightly after the show like she had won something.” It must be great to have that affect on the younger generation I say. “It is a real bit of magic,” Darvill agrees.

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FEATURE

Arthur Darville in Broadchurch Image courtesy of/ ITV

Darvill is no stranger to the stage though. His mother is a puppeteer and he used to help her out with props for puppet shows growing up. His father is a creative too, a musician, and was on tour for portions of Darvill’s childhood. The latter certainly explains why Darvill is not afraid to show off his pipes. He was in the musical Once on the West End and Broadway (before Ronan Keating got there) and he composes music. Doctor Who is also on his list of accolades; you would have to be living in a cultural desert not to notice the mass following (and obsession) this science fiction phenomenon has accumulated. “It’s a weird thing,” Darvill comments on the Time Lord enthusiasts. “I’m not that much of a fan of anything, maybe certain bands, but not to that extent, so I don’t really have a frame of reference for it. But I realise it genuinely means a lot to people and that knitting me a little version of myself can bring them happiness.” I splutter on my water. Has he actually received woollen idols? “Yes, I’ve got a few.” How big is this collection? “I’m saving up for a cabinet. That’s my DIY project,” he laughs. “But, yeah, it’s important for them to feel they have a little part of that world. I think any of that

Top right/ Patsy Ferran ( Jim Hawkins) and Arthur Darvill (Long John Silver) This image/ Arthur Darvill (Long John Silver) and Nick Fletcher (Squire Trelawney) Photography by: Johan Persson

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kind of celebrity stuff has to be looked on with a slight tongue in cheek.” I ask if all this ‘celebrity stuff’ will take him to America, the land of Making it Big. “I think it’s possible to do. I don’t know this yet because I haven’t done it, but I spent a year in New York doing a play which was amazing,” he says. “I have a rule that it has to be a really good part for me to go over there.” Although he was brought up in Birmingham, he calls London home and, until recently, Notting Hill. “I was in Notting Hill for ages and I absolutely loved it. It’s a really, really fun place to live and it’s a really easy place to be creative.” Until he makes the move across the pond, we can still enjoy the work he does over here, after all, Broadchurch series three is already on the cards. And for those who are verging on Doctor Who levels of fandom for the British drama, Darvill offers up one must-see attraction: “You can get a Broadchurch burger now. Although I’m not quite sure what’s in it.” Treasure Island runs until 8 April nationaltheatre.org.uk

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spotlight

To the Manor born

One of our favourite local chic boutiques on Westbourne Grove has released its new collection for S/S15. War The Robe’s fierce and fresh new look is here to prep you for spring’s better weather (finger’s crossed) with light flowing linen trousers and fresh white silk blouses inspired by the vibrant lifestyle and captivating aesthetics of urban Lisbon. Models have been strutting their stuff for the new campaign in Banbury’s Aynhoe Park. The Grade I-listed 17th century country house is the perfect backdrop for these sophisticated looks. We can’t wait to get our mitts on this new wardrobe, although apparently the impressive pile of bricks is not included. More’s the pity. War The Robe, 188 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RH wartherobe.com

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Illustration: Mai Osawa

A Right Royal Ride Don your cap and cycle your way through Holland Park on 25 April for what is both a great cause and a lovely way to kick-start your Saturday. The Right Royal Ride has been organised by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea’s cycling campaign Bikeminded and The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation to raise money for mental health charities in the area. Suitable for all ages, the event will be marshalled and is a fantastic opportunity for families, couples and friends to absorb the picturesque views of Holland Park on a crisp April morning. Everyone will be welcome to enjoy the post-ride celebration with refreshments, entertainment and further information on mental health services.

notting hill

The Right Royal Bike Ride, Saturday 25 April, 10am–3pm Holland Park, W8

& holland park

Reach For The Stars Count your lucky stars from the heart of Westbourne Park. The Royal Observatory’s public astronomer Dr Marek Kukula and Dr Grant Miller from Oxford University decipher the secrets of our intergalactic neighbourhood at the Astronomy Evening held at The Idler Academy. They will leave us pondering over our otherworldly surroundings and you will have the chance to find the answers through the latest robotic technology and stargazing. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert; no previous knowledge is required. The evening aims to untangle the many myths and mysteries around space and its planets, concluding with a sublime stargazing session from the Idler’s garden. An Astronomy Evening, 29 April The Idler Academy, 81 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QH; idler.co.uk

spotlight on... news, events, reviews & local interest stories

SPOTLIGHT

Twin Fusion Identical twin sisters and designers, Lisa and Tida Finch, have merged the tribal and elegant look into one with their stunning brand Finchittida Finch. Having made its way into the jewellery boxes of FKA Twigs, Mila Kunis and Beyonce, the London-based duo bring out the lioness in every queen. Inspired by their mother’s experience with the war-torn Laos, every purchase helps fund the work of the Mines Advisory Group, a non-governmental organisation that assists people affected by landmines. The twins also teach jewellerymaking to young children at Kensington Aldridge Academy, leaving an everlasting philanthropic impression on contemporary fashion.

Tweeting At Dawn By tweeting, we don’t mean Twitter. The days when mobile phones and alarm clocks never existed meant the world relied on the oldest wake-up call; the dawn chorus. Discover the beauty of birdsong at the crack of dawn in Holland Park, with a guided walk led by professional ornithologist Bill Haines. Sponsored by The Friends of Holland Park, the event starts at 5am and promises an extraordinary experience for any early bird enthusiasts. Dawn Chorus Bird Walk, 25 April Abbotsbury Road Car Park, Holland Park rbkc.gov.uk

Finchittida Finch Studios, Kensington Aldridge Academy, 1 Silchester Road, W10 6EX finchittidafinch.com

Image courtesy of: RBKC Ecology Service

May the Best Man Win

Hit the Ground Running Eight ladies from Strutt & Parker and Monsoon Accessorize are off to a running start this year, with less than two months to go until the Virgin London Marathon. The team are supporting the Rugby Portobello Trust, a children’s charity based on Walmer Road that provides outreach, education and a range of youth services to over 1,150 young people. With an incredible target of £6,000, the runners aim to raise funds to support this work for the children and youth in the area. The women have been training hard throughout the winter months and need your generous support. All donations can be made through the Just Giving website. Rugby Portobello Trust, 221 Walmer Road, W11 4EY; rugbyportobello.org.uk; justgiving.com/teams/RPT2015

Calling all future Best Men, are you struggling with writing your speech? It’s safe to say that many of you involuntarily (or voluntarily) fall into the rson Photography: Alexander Hende trap of letting your nerves get the better of you, whether it’s a plethora of pauses, slurs or uncomfortable past-life stories to rile the in-laws. Annabella Forbes eases these nerves through her bespoke speech-writing service. With a degree in English and Anthropology from Durham University, she has the know-how to coach Best Men to deliver witty and memorable words of sentimental blessing. At £120 for a two-hour consultation, Annabella promises speech success. Annabella Forbes, 14 Clareville St, SW7 5AW helpwithbestmanspeech.co.uk

covering holland park, notting hill and the surrounding area

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State of the Art German poet Bertolt Brecht once said that to make the strange familiar, you must make the familiar strange. The Serpentine Sackler Gallery presents Cameroon-born, Belgiumbased artist Pascale MarthineTayou, who puts Brecht’s initiative into practice with his first solo show in London. Demonstrating a matchless artistic inversion of materials such as cloth, wood, plastic, glass and consumer waste, Tayou’s sculptural forms display unique craftsmanship. His 100-metre snake Africonda imbued with colour and thick material incorporates the essence of the Cameroon culture with the snake, an animal capable of forming a tight knit within itself. These connotations reflect a national identity and a familiarisation with the strange. Pascale MarthineTayou: Boomerang 4 March–17 May Serpentine Sackler Gallery, West Carriage Drive, W2 2AR serpentinegalleries.org

Image courtesy of: serpentinegalleries.org

A Bag of Tricks Ever wanted to hit the town after work but declined the offer because of your inordinately huge work bag? The new Olive Cooper detachable two-in-one bags are the answer for working women everywhere who don’t want the extra baggage. Setting an inimitable trend with her innovative brand, London-based Olivia ‘Olive’ Martyn has achieved so much at the age of 22. The tote-sized bags are ideal for the working day and have a smaller clutch-sized bag attached to the front. All products are quintessentially British and beautiful, made in the UK by genuine leather craftsmen. Tempted? Bag yourself one at Wolf & Badger in Notting Hill. Olive Cooper at Wolf & Badger 46 Ledbury Road, W11 2AB olivecooper.com

A Breakfast of Eels Robert Holman’s world-renowned success with Jonah and Otto left critics curious and impatient for his next project, which is previewing at none other than the Print Room at The Coronet. A Breakfast of Eels tells the story of two orphans who wake up in a mysterious garden in London on the day of their father’s funeral. Set on a late summer’s day, this poignant plot sees Holman’s muse Andrew Sheridan and winner of the Evening Standard’s Outstanding Newcomer, Matthew Tennyson as the leading actors. Directed by Evening Standard award nominee Robert Hastie, A Breakfast of Eels is sure to bring you out of your comfort zone. A Breakfast of Eels 16 March–11 April; Print Room at the Coronet 103 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3LB the-print-room.org

spotlight on... news, events, reviews & local interest stories

Connect With Your Angels Introduce angelic guidance into your life at this influential one-day workshop led by celebrated medium, angel communicator and best-selling author of Connecting with Your Angels, Kyle Gray. Published by Hay House Publishers in Notting Hill, the purpose of Kyle’s book is to enlighten his students with healing processes and spiritual techniques that help build a connection with a divine guidance within each individual. Through guided meditations and visualisation, this workshop aims to clear, open and recharge your energy field. Connecting with Your Angels with Kyle Gray kylegray.co.uk hayhouse.co.uk

Easter Events Oh My Ganache With twenty years of culinary experience under his belt, Damian Allsop has taken chocolate to a whole new level with his Spanish sea waterbased ganaches. Available to purchase at Alexeeva & Jones, these smooth and elegant looking bundles of sweetness hold water instead of cream and butter. Alexeeva & Jones, 297 Westbourne Grove, W11 2QA alexeevajones.com

Above and Below Artisan du Chocolat have done it again. A new Easter collection As Above, So Below is sure to please. Inspired by the paradox of what’s beneath the ground and what’s above the skies, this cute collection traces the journey of chocolate humming birds, rainbows and bunnies during Easter. Artisan du Chocolat, 81 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UL artisanduchocolat.com

Baa, Ram, Ewe

Photography: Nathan Browning

May the Thoughts Be With You Having battled with clinical depression, local Charlotte Reed uses her difficult journey to remind readers that they are not alone and should channel negative energy into happy thoughts. In a spectacular self-published story May The Thoughts Be With You, Charlotte uses a creative literary platform to incite individuals with views that push for positive self-development. With quirky illustrations that fish out our inner child, Charlotte’s optimism is infectious and intellectually-engaging. Charlotte has seen unquantifiable amounts of success since her publication, with celebrity endorsements, official translations and a pending TV animated series. That said, she continues to sell her book at Portobello Market every Saturday. Her humble nature enlightens us to the reality of mindfulness; to be mindful, not mind full.

Daylesford farm will be getting into the spirit of things with an Easter egg hunt and lambing tours over two weekends. But if you are unable to make it to Gloucester for a day trip, head to Westbourne Grove to sample the organic spring menu at the café or some indulgent treats from the farmshop. Easter egg hunt on 5 April; lambing tours on 12 April at Daylesford Farm Daylesford Farmshop & Café, 208–212 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RH daylesford.com

Charlotte’s stall is open every Saturday, 9.30am–3.30pm, outside 281 Portobello Road, W10 5TZ

covering holland park, notting hill and the surrounding area

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Under the Mangrove Tree Hannah Lemon meets Nina Lichfield and Lulu Moura, two bright young interior designers who are splashing colour around the homes of Notting Hill I want Nina Lichfield’s house. I know interior designers are there to help you find your own style, but I don’t care. I want hers. Nina and her business partner Lulu Moura are showing me around her striking Victorian family home near Westbourne Park, which doubles up as the headquarters for their interior design company Mangrove & Co. The colour scheme is startling. Dark ultramarine wallpaper and white painted floorboards are the backdrop to a luminous sapphire-coloured sofa and crimson chair. A diverse collection of art decorates the wall, from old family portraits to a lovingly framed child’s drawing (which turns out to be the work of Nina’s husband, aged four). And a rainbow of bags and shoes line the shelves of Nina’s dressing room, which is also their office. Nina started a career in fashion PR but when she fell pregnant she decided to pursue her passion for interior design. When her son was eight months old, she took up a course at Inchbald School of Design and six months after her second child was born she set up her own company. Balancing a career and a family required a helping hand, so she called in her brother’s friend Lulu, who had just completed an interiors course at KLC School of Design, as reinforcement. “Two days later, she asked me to be her business partner, “ laughs Lulu. “I was always on my own and I wanted to have a second opinion,” continues Nina in a delightful Brazilian twang. “Besides company and companionship, it’s good for someone to say, ‘No, maybe that’s not quite right. How about this colour? Maybe the proportions aren’t right.’ You open each other’s minds to different things.” Between them politely applauding each other for mutual hard work, I decipher that Lulu is in charge of the spreadsheets and Nina acts as the face of the brand, utilising the experience from her PR days. But when it comes to design, it’s equal footing. They explain that Nina is “English heritage does Modernism” and Lulu is “New England with Palm Springs”. This eclectic mix All photography by: ingridrasmussen.com

means that their designs are malleable and able to reflect any home owners’ passions and tastes. The vibrant textures of Mangrove & Co echo Nina and Lulu’s Brazilian roots. “We like exposed wood and materials, and very clean spaces but at the same time our style includes opulent fabrics and patterns,” says Lulu. She lists Scandinavian and French as part of the aesthetic, as well as the vibrancy of South Asia. “I can’t wait to go back to India every year. I love it. It’s a very overwhelming experience but the culture is so colourful.” They source a mixture of Nina Lichfield (left) designer and antique furniture and Lulu Moura from local places including Chelsea Design Centre, Alfie’s Antique Market in Marylebone and Two Columbia Road. “We are obsessed with Serge Mouille. We love his lighting. There is also another designer, Philip Arctander; I got his clam chair for Christmas.” The two women currently have four projects on the go on Bassett Road, Gilston Road, The Little Boltons and for a friend of theirs who moved into David Bowie’s old residence. “She bought it, as Brazilians would say, ‘all doors locked’ meaning with every piece of furniture in it,” says Nina. “When she first took me to her house, she showed me the chair where Iman used to sit.” They tell me that it is these sentimental pieces of furniture that make a house a home. “When clients tell us, ‘I’m thinking of getting rid of it’. We’re like, ‘No, this is special, keep it. Let’s make it fun. Let’s make it look different. Paint it. Do whatever you want to it to make it beautiful and give it new life.’” This rejuvenation concept is inspired by the behaviour of mangrove trees, which filter impure fluids into drinkable water. This is famously depicted in Life of Pi, when Pi is shipwrecked on an island made of the plants. “When the tide is low, the roots of the trees clean the sea water for him so he can drink it. That’s the mangrove effect,” explains Nina. And that’s what they do to the interiors of houses, I offer. “Yes, exactly.” mangroveandco.com

SPOTLIGHT

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BESPOKE HANDMADE FURNITURE www.oficinainglesa.com London Showroom

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

ART ANTIQUES BY Rebecca Wallersteiner

Modern Icons

Below/ The Guests of Abraham; Creation of Man; both by Julia Stankova

With Easter approaching The Sacred Space Gallery, situated in the southern transept of St. John’s Church, Lansdowne Crescent, welcomes internationally renowned Bulgarian artist Julia Stankova. From 24 March visitors will be able to see the artist’s latest mystical paintings inspired by 18th and 19th century Bulgarian icons. Painted directly onto wood, her modern take on iconic art is imbued with the devotion of Orthodox Christianity and has a timeless beauty. Julia draws inspiration from biblical texts to develop her symbolic imagery using traditional techniques. She poignantly captures the innocence of the human being by stripping away layers of sophistication. Her beautiful new paintings offer a powerful exploration of her personal spiritual journey. Iconic Art; 24 March–6 April Sacred Space Gallery, St John’s Church, Lansdowne Crescent, W11 2NN sacredspacegallery.com

with interior stylist Sania Pell on an exhibition of contemporary craft at the Flow Gallery Q: What are your inspirations for the exhibition Line Up? A: My inspiration for the show derived from the collections at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, where the British art collector Jim Ede pioneered the curation of arts and crafts in a domestic context. In the spirit of Ede, the exhibition examines the relationships between objects and how they combine and interact in styled groupings. I will also explore compositions of objects, including vases, jugs, teapots, bowls and jewellery, creating beautiful still lives that could be displayed in any home. Q: How did you select the artists? A: I have chosen to include artists that frequently feature in my editorial shoots and reflect my love of contemporary craft and art. They include a mixture of established design makers alongside exciting emerging new talent, including Akiko Hirai, Astrid Keller and Bettina Dittlmann.

Q: How important is pattern to you? A: If you have a monochrome palette, pattern is especially important as it creates layers. The handmade objects chosen for Line Up examine shape, pattern and texture. The shapes tend to be graphic and bold with expressive markings. Q: What is your background? A: A fascination for fabrics led to studying textile design at the Edinburgh College of Art. I have been passionate about interiors from an early age. After graduating I worked for one of London’s top textile studios, which led to working with Elle Decoration, The Observer and The Sunday Telegraph, as well as leading brands. I like to paint and have painted canvases as a backdrop for some of the still lives. A love of travel helps me see the world through fresh eyes. Line Up, 20 March–15 May Flow Gallery, 1-5 Needham Road, W11 2RP flowgallery.co.uk; saniapell.com

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Art and Flowers

At the Cutting Edge Over four days, Debut Contemporary and the UK’s first art incubator will present The Alleviation, an exhibition of 18 paintings by internationally acclaimed Bahrain-based artist, Ella Prakash. Her figurative paintings explore her personal inner life and the evolution of feminism in the 21st century. Sensitively drawn figures juxtaposed with geometric shapes act as allegories for the ever changing self. Debut Contemporary’s entrepreneurial founder Samir Ceric recently won the prestigious h.Club 100 Industry award as one of the top 10 visionaries, pioneers and innovators in art and design, competing alongside Turner prize nominees. The Alleviation, 16 April–20 April Debut Contemporary, 82 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RT debutcontemporary.com

18 April–26 April The Orangery, Holland Park Exhibition supported by Killik & Co

Right/ In Silence by Ella Prakash Construcción de lo Divino by Gabriela Tolomei

Celebrate African Art Over three weeks Transcending Boundaries 2015 presented by Lacey Contemporary Gallery in collaboration with Aabru Art will bring together over 30 West African artists under one roof. It features work by first-time exhibitors and experienced artists. Curated by experts it aims to show African artists as part of a global history of modern contemporary art. There will be works in mixed media, oil on canvas, wood and metal, with objects ranging from dramatic masks and sculpture to paintings and drawings. A highlight of the exhibition includes Kehinde Sanwo’s Tribal Influence, which pays tribute to Picasso who was influenced by the raw energy and power of African art. Throughout the exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to talk to artists and curators about their work and get tips and advice. There will be a fundraiser for Safe Child Africa, a fashion show, industry talk and African wine tasting. Transcending Boundaries 2015; 24 April–11 May Lacey Contemporary Gallery, 8 Clarendon Cross, W11 4AP; info@laceycontemporarygallery.co.uk

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From 18 April, among the spring blossoms in Holland Park, you will find the annual Friends of Holland Park Annual Art Exhibition in the Orangery. Around 80 artists entered the competition which was judged in March by sculptress Isabel Langtry, amongst others. Works on display will include ceramics, jewellery, paintings, bronze, prints and photography. This year’s show spotlights the lifetime’s achievement of the late Marika Eversfield, born in 1914, in Hungary, who exhibited art at the Orangery for 32 years until her death last year. Although her family tragically perished at Auschwitz, Marika married the love of her life and lived to be 100.

Figuration by Sam Ebohon

Tribal Influence, 2015 by Kehinde Sanwo

Angel 2 by Zena Holloway

ART

Still Waters Run Deep Susan Alnajafi delves underneath the surface to find out how photographer Zena Holloway captures ethereal and hypnotising underwater worlds

magine if you could bring the underwater realm up onto ground level; a startling yet beautiful concept. The subaquatic world holds multiple layers of clandestine entities that many of us have an inevitable fear of facing. But for underwater photographers, water is their second home. The concept of underwater photography was introduced in 1856 by natural historian William Thompson from Dorset. Assisted by his friend Mr Kenyon, he rowed out into Weymouth Bay and lowered a box containing a 5x4 inch plate camera into the sea. They run a piece of string from a boat to operate the shutter and expose the plate to create the first ever underwater photograph. As groundbreaking as this would have been for a 19th century audience, its documentary purpose is far removed from the contemporary underwater photography by Zena Holloway. Using the solitary and open space of the ocean environment, Holloway takes the underwater aesthetic and makes her own magical environment. Born in Bahrain in 1973, Holloway’s father was an airline pilot and her mother an airline stewardess for Gulf Air. An avid traveller at 18 years old, she went on holiday to Egypt where she stayed an additional two years to become a full time scuba instructor. She gained enough experience to apply for a job as an underwater videographer, spending subsequent years working the boats for shoots and diving into the water almost three times a day, a routine which she describes as “another mode of transport like driving to work every day”. Holloway’s first camera was a little yellow underwater motor marine made by Sea & Sea, which looked more like a toy than the basis of her future career. Her mother bought it for her as an 18th birthday present. “I used to swim around and try and take pictures of the wildlife that I came across while I was in Egypt,” she says. “I took a picture of a blue spotted ray with it. I remember feeling quite chuffed with myself that I had got close enough to it and that the pictures came out so well. It was the first time I had got

the camera to work correctly I suppose. It turned out properly exposed which was quite a new thing for me at the time.” Working with the likes of GQ and the Financial Times, Holloway’s style deviates from the stereotypical factualness associated with underwater photography. There is an essence of reverie imbued in her photos. Where does she get the inspiration for this surreal quality? “I think the water, actually,” she replies. “When you get in the water and look at what’s in front of you it just happens. The water acts as a blank canvas. What the camera might capture in reality is taken back a step and becomes more like a painting. I can’t really take the credit for making it so ethereal; the water does that.” Although most of Holloway’s dreamlike and eerie photos are staged, they have a natural appearance. There is something profound about underwater

The photographs chronicle a series of female protagonists in stunning chiffon dresses movement, as you never get the same action twice. Both the model and photographer must grab onto and let go of a position instantly. Not to say that the majority of underwater photography stems from luck, but the shift of focus, position, mise-en-scène and body language rely heavily on the movement of the water. Holloway’s Angel and Fire Woman exude an empowering air of underwater joie du vivre. These particular photographs chronicle a series of female protagonists who are clad in stunning lengthy red and white chiffon dresses that complement the contours of their figure, with artfully styled hair and oil-based make-up merging with the oceanic background. “It is quite difficult to control sometimes,” she says. “A lot of it is knowing how people and things behave in the water and how the light is going to travel. I spend so much time underwater that it’s not that difficult for me.”

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Clockwise from left: Sleeping Beauty; Fire 1; The Old Grey Teacher; Scattered 2 by Zena Holloway

The protagonists use the weightlessness of the water to experiment with various positions; coiled, curved, floating and deviating from what would be seen in studio-based photography. What many of us are probably wondering is how long it actually takes to capture the perfect shot? But Holloway has no simple answer; it depends what the shoot is of and who it’s for. Underwater photography is far removed from the average person’s working day in a warm, cosy office. And it is without doubt that being submerged is a far more interesting, albeit difficult, day job, especially when working with clients who have had little exposure to underwater activity. “My background in diving instructing means I am pretty au fait with making even the most nervous people relaxed. I was on Britain’s Next Top Model to see if I could get any reaction from the models but I’m usually very calm in the water,” Holloway laughs. “I think it’s just about how you speak to the models and what you get them to do. I don’t really get any wild reactions from people!” What does she find challenging about underwater photography? “I think it can be quite limiting,” she replies earnestly. “There are lots of scenarios where I wish I had a broader range of skills but then the flip side is that there are many perks to being a specialist.” The main one being that the unique results of her photography make her style instantly recognisable. At 21, the underwater pedagogue returned to the UK and began freelancing as a film camera assistant. With a range of underwater shoots on the side, she managed to get a commission from Fabergé. Since then, Holloway has worked as a commercial underwater photographer and is currently exhibiting at the Calken Gallery. Already a fan of the area, Holloway used to cycle through Notting Hill to go to college in the late 1990s. “I love the old Electric Cinema. I once worked as a clapper

loader on location for a feature film there and we spent quite a few days filming in the main cinema area. It wasn’t nearly as trendy then as it is now and I love to go back to watch the occasional film.” Now living in London with her family, Holloway has achieved international success and is revered for her ability to create truly magical photographs. Zena Holloway at the Calken Gallery, 117 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN calkengallery.com zenaholloway.com

ART

Sleeping Beauty 3 by Zena Holloway

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collection

Out of the Shell If you hadn’t already worked it out, after seeing Lupita Nyong’o’s show-stealing custom-made Calvin Klein Oscars dress made entirely from a staggering 6,000 ivory pearls, you surely will have by now: this year, in the worlds of both fashion and fine jewellery, it’s all about pearls. It was little wonder, then, that the official jewellery sponsor to the 2015 BAFTAs was none other than Yoko London, one of the world’s leading luxury pearl jewellers since 1973. To mark this honour, the British company produced a series of show-stopping pieces, all of which highlight founder Michael Hakimian and his team’s commitment to using only the finest and rarest of these precious orbs, perfect in size, colour and lustre. Visit the Knightsbridge flagship to see the latest collections. Yoko London, 49 Beauchamp Place, SW3 1NY yokolondon.com

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WORLD

of WATCHES BY RICHARD BROWN

The Collectors’ Chronograph Until a century ago, all pocket chronographs had only one pushpiece, housed in the crown, which successively handled their start, stop and zero-reset functions. In 1915, Breitling became the first brand to offer a wrist chronograph, and, in doing so, became the first company to create a pushpiece independent of the crown that controlled the three chronograph operations. It chose to place the push piece at two o’clock, where it remains on nearly every chronograph to this day. To celebrate the invention, Breitling is introducing a limited series of its Transocean model; equipped with a brand new, twotiered, double column-wheel calibre, the Transocean Chronograph 1915 will provide its 1,915 owners a handsome tribute to watchmaking history. Transocean Chronograph 1915 £6,790, Breitling breitling.com

Defying Gravity Introduced more than 200 years ago, as a mechanism designed to eliminate the effect of gravity on the regulating organ of a watch, the tourbillon remains one of the most complex components in watchmaking. Taking its complexity to new limits is Girard-Perregaux, which has developed a tourbillon with a regulating organ that rotates on three axes instead of the traditional one. It takes almost 160 hours for watchmakers to assemble the 317 components of the movement, which collectively weigh just 1.24g. Find it inside the recently launched white gold version of GP’s Tri-Axial Tourbillon. White Gold Tri-Axial Tourbillon, POA, Girard-Perregaux girard-perregaux.com

The Art of Engraving

One to Watch Each month we select our timepiece of the moment from the watch world’s most exciting creations:

“Comprising a Luminor 1950 case and classic Panerai bracelet, the Tuttonero is made entirely of matte black ceramic: a watch to get you noticed wherever you go”

Tuttonero PAM438, £10,700, Panerai, panerai.com

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Vacheron Constantin has updated its Métiers d’Art collection with two new timepieces equipped with beautiful, hand-engraved movements. The plates and bridges of the calibre 2260/1, which sits inside the Mecaniques Gravees 14-Day Tourbillon, feature acanthus leaf floral motifs lineengraved to a depth of 2/10ths of a millimetre – a fine example of art for art’s sake. Mecaniques Gravees 14-Day Tourbillon, £272,050, Vacheron Constantin vacheron-constantin.com

Trident_ redefined.

THE NEW

TRIDENT

C60 TRIDENT GMT 600 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Swiss made dual time watch with automatic mechanical movement, graduated rotatable ceramic (ZrO2) bezel, arrow-headed 24 hour hand and water resistance to 60 bar/600m. Available in 38mm and 42mm case sizes, three dial/bezel combinations and four strap styles.

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christopherward.co.uk

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M ESUR E ET D ÉMESUR E *

TONDA METROPOLITAINE

Steel Automatic movement Steel bracelet Made in Switzerland www.parmigiani.ch

ATELIER PARMIGIANI 97 MOUNT STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON W1K 2TD, TEL. 020 7495 5172 EDINBURGH ROX DIAMONDS AND THRILLS | KENT RIZON JET UK LIMITED LONDON SELFRIDGES, THE WONDER ROOM | ARIJE | HARRODS, MONTREUX JAZZ CAFE WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND | FROST OF LONDON WINDSOR ROBERT GATWARD JEWELLERS

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Reaching for the

stars As Zenith notches up its 150th anniversary, Robin Swithinbank looks back at the iconic Swiss watchmaker’s highs and lows

Academy: Georges Favre-Jacot, £56,400

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Much is made of a watch company’s ability to make a watch movement ‘in-house’. Verticalisation, to use an industrial and far less romantic term, carries a kudos you won’t find attached to the outsourcing alternative, as if a watch built using a third-party case and movement is somehow inferior to one with a mechanical heart made under the same roof as the case, dial, hands and so on. Forgetting the debate this provokes for now (you can find arguments for both sides), what is less equivocal is that the roots of the theory lie in a decision made by a man named Georges Favre-Jacot some 150 years ago. Favre-Jacot believed making a watch more accurate, more precise and more reliable was only possible if all the skills required were brought onto the same premises, and if the processes involved were industrialised. With Rolex at the apex of brands trumpeting this approach today, that hardly sounds a revolutionary idea – but at the time, no one else in Switzerland was doing it. In 1865, Favre-Jacot founded a watchmaking company in the town of Le Locle in the Swiss Jura, and began turning his vision into a reality. He must have been some fellow – he was only 22 at the time, and within 10 years he was giving work to a third of the town’s working people. By the turn of the century, his company was producing 100,000 timepieces a year. At around the same time, Favre-Jacot gave his company a name, choosing an allegorical word that would associate it with the highest point in the firmament – he called it Zenith. To use today’s parlance, Zenith is still a manufacture brand. Bar a brief period last year when it flirted with the idea of outsourcing movements to a specialist manufacturer (the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Extra Special is one of a handful of Zenith watches with a Sellita movement), Zenith makes all of its own movements, on the same site in Le Locle where Favre-Jacot set up a century and a half ago. Very recent history has been good to Zenith. During the Noughties – if we must – Zenith was consumed by the bigger-is-better vortex, and rather lost its way. A change of management in 2009 brought an inventory clear-out, since then we’ve been spoiled with watches such as the Captain; all manner of models fuelled by the iconic

El Primero calibre; and the pretty-and-smart Star ladies’ watch. Annual production had dropped to around 8,000 movements by the end of the last decade. Now it’s north of 45,000, with demand said to be outsourcing supply. But Zenith hasn’t always had it its own way. After more than a century of success – the company has 2,333 prizes for chronometry, more than any other watch brand – the nadir came in the 1970s. In 1972, Zenith had been sold to the Chicago-based Zenith Radio Corporation, a US electronics giant, which determined the Swiss company would make nothing but quartz watches (as was the prevailing trend at the time), and in 1975 ordered a depleted, demoralised workforce – 850 of 1,000 Zenith staff had been laid off – to bin all tools and parts associated with mechanicals. That would have meant consigning Zenith’s greatest gift to watchmaking – the El Primero – to the history books. Originally introduced in 1969, El Primero was supposed to be the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre. It was conceived in 1962 and due for delivery in the brand’s centenary year, but Zenith’s ambitions led to numerous delays. It wanted its flagship calibre to beat at 10 times a second, or 36,000 vibrations per second, making it the most accurate chronograph in the world. That aspiration also made it the most complex chronograph in the world, and development was constantly held up, so that when it finally launched it was no longer ‘el primero’, pipped at the post by the Calibre 11 automatic chronograph, a joint venture by Heuer, Breitling and the now defunct Buhren. Calibre 11 did not have the El Primero’s racing heart, but despite its superiority, only six years later Zenith’s masterpiece appeared destined for the scrapheap, jettisoned by its American namesake. Into the picture, though, came a group of Zenith employees, led by a man named Charles Vermot. Between them, they hid tools, parts and ébauches (unfinished movements), mothballing them in the hope that one day they might be needed again. They were. By the late 1970s, Zenith was in trouble. The model adopted by its American owners hadn’t foreseen the advance of the Japanese electronic giants, and they put Zenith up for sale. It was bought

Above/ El Primero Chronomaster Power Reserve Tribute to Charles Vermot, £7,000 Opposite, clockwise from top/ Zenith workshop, early 1900s; Academy Hurricane Grand Voyage II, £240,600; Stamping Tools; Zenith’s factory in Le Locle, early 1900s

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in 1978 by a Swiss consortium and limped on for a few years, before luck played its hand. In the early 1980s, fellow Swiss watch brand Ebel approached Zenith with a request to revive the El Primero in its own collection. Vermot got wind of this, and revealed his covert operation of almost a decade previously. In 1984, as the green shoots of recovery were beginning to appear in the traditional watch industry, El Primero was brought back into production. It’s been in production ever since, is still the world’s most accurate series-produced chronograph, and is now a collectors’ favourite. Last year, Zenith launched a limited edition Charles Vermot version of the El Primero Chronomaster in tribute to the man who saved its most prized possession. These days, El Primero accounts for the lion’s share of Zenith’s annual output, but it splits a little of the limelight with sister calibre Elite, an ultra-thin automatic launched

Dior all use Zenith movements, as did Rolex through the 1990s in its iconic Daytona chronograph. Quality signifiers all. For its 150th anniversary year, Zenith has launched a number of spectacular pieces. One of the headliners is the Zenith Academy: Georges Favre-Jacot, a watch limited to 150 pieces with a fusée and chain mechanism, designed to deliver the watch’s 50-hour power reserve evenly, or at ‘constant force’. Another is the Academy: Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II, which features a ‘self-regulating gravity control module’ and a mesmerising hand-engraved and hand-painted case back. Columbus may have long-since sailed his last voyage, but Zenith’s adventure continues.

In 1999, Zenith was bought by LVMH and in the years since it has thrived in 1994. In the early 1990s, it was becoming clear that quartz watches that ticked and beeped were disposable and rather inelegant compared to the delicate microengineering and natural longevity of a mechanical watch, and Zenith’s addition to the canon of credible calibres was deliberately timed. Today, it enjoys a reputation as one of the calibres that helped revive the Swiss watch industry, an accolade it shares with El Primero. In 1999, Zenith was bought by LVMH and in the years since it has thrived. Sister brands TAG Heuer, Bulgari and Above / Back of the Academy Hurricane Grand Voyage II, £240,600

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An auction of Vintage & Modern Wrist Watches

Monday 20th April at 10am A selection of wrist watches previously sold at auction.

ELIZABETH STREET ELIZABETH STREET SW1 SW1 Bespoke fine jewellery We invite you to visit our website www.devroomen.co.uk 59 Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9PP +44 (0)207 730 1901

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JEWELLERY BY OLIVIA SHARPE

Jewels of the Sea Fabergé recently re-hatched its one-of-a-kind egg object in the form of a new Pearl Egg in celebration of the jeweller’s forthcoming centenary. Created in collaboration with the Al-Fardan family, one of the industry’s most well-regarded pearl collectors, the egg’s design has been inspired by the precious gemstones’ formation in the oyster; it features a crafted mother-of-pearl exterior which carefully opens up through the use of a built-in mechanism to reveal its treasure – a unique 12.17-carat grey pearl sourced from the Arabian Gulf. A total of 139 white pearls (handselected by company chairman Hussain Ibrahim Al-Fardan from his private collection), adorn the outside, along with 3,305 diamonds and carved rock crystal. The piece is accompanied by a necklace of white pearls, diamonds and mother-of- pearl, finished with a 19.44-carat white pearl drop. Pearl Egg, POA; faberge.com

Penny for your Thoughts After being given an exclusive sneak-preview of Tessa Packard’s latest fine jewellery collection, Fat Free, back in January, we have been craving to see the finished results and only now has our curiosity been satisfied. The irresistible spring range sees a playful new side to the designer who was inspired by the quintessential English penny sweet to create her fourth line. With mouth-watering pieces including a gummy bear necklace, fried egg earrings, a waffle heart bracelet and an ice-cream ring, it’s almost good enough to eat. However, be warned: each piece, crafted in 18-carat white or yellow gold and incorporating precious diamonds and gemstones, will be sure to cost you a pretty penny. Fat Free collection, available from 19 March tessapackard.com

Winging it Cutting Edge One of the most anticipated auctions taking place at Bonhams New York on 31 March and 1 April will see a selection of late Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall’s jewellery collection comprising more than 30 pieces, go on sale as part of an extensive 700-lot auction of her estate. Susan Abeles, Bonhams’ head of jewellery in the United States, comments:

“The pieces offered are timeless, understated and classic in design and represent the sophistication and glamour of a true Hollywood legend. As a result, we’re anticipating great interest in the March auction.” Clockwise from top / Lot 725, sapphire and 22-karat gold earrings, Darlene de Sedle; Lot 711, 14-karat yellow gold long chain, Tiffany & Co; Lot 739, Amethyst, turquoise and diamond ring, Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.

Those of you who regularly frequent Loulou’s members’ club will already be familiar with the charms of Shepherd Market and its surrounding streets but may be unaware of another one of its gems: Guy & Max. The unassuming jewellery boutique, founded by two brothers, is a contemporary treasure trove of unique fine jewellery pieces made in-house using 3D printing technology alongside traditional techniques. One of the latest collections to catch our eye is Phoenix: inspired by the concept of movement within a bird’s wing, the innovative structural design (invented by Max), enables the metal wings to move freely as if in flight. Phoenix pendant, £2,000; 8 Shepherd Street, W1J; guyandmax.com

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Pearl Jam There's no disputing that pearls are in vogue. Look away from your grandmother's jewellery box and towards these daring new designs

1 Cages diamond earrings, £3,500, Melanie Georgacopoulos, melaniegeorgacopoulos.com 2 Coralline circle pendant, from £720, Ornella Iannuzzi, ornella-iannuzzi.com 3 18-karat white and rose gold pearl necklace, POA, Yoko London, yokolondon.com 4 Faux pearl and Swarovski crystal necklace, £615, Ben-Amun, net-a-porter.com 5 18-karat white gold cuff with South Sea pearls and diamonds, POA, Yoko London, as before 6 Tribal earrings, £380, Dior, dior.com 7 Monsieur Dior ring, £370, Dior, as before 8 18-carat yellow gold classic Baroque pearl drop earrings, £295, Annoushka, annoushka.com 9 Coralline Reef ring, from £300, Ornella Iannuzzi, as before 10 Duet pendant, £585, Melanie Georgacopoulos, as before 11 Sterling silver, diamond and pearl earrings, £3,400, Amrapali, 55 Beauchamp Place, SW3 12 Silver sapphire and pearl Mitra ring, £325, LeiVanKash, leivankash.com 13 Silver vermeil and pearl Rose ring, £240, LeiVanKash, as before 14 18-karat black gold, South Sea pearls and diamond earrings, POA, Yoko London, as before 15 18-carat white gold, black and white diamond tassel earrings with cultured pearls, £16,800, Shaun Leane, Selfridges Wonder Room, 020 7318 3603 16 Perle au Trésor shoulder brooch, POA, Boucheron, boucheron.com 17 Mise en Dior necklace, £2,350, Dior, as before

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The Family

Stone

Jewellery designer and fourth-generation member of the Fendi dynasty Delfina Delettrez always wanted to carve out her own identity. Now opening on Mount Street, we discover what makes this fashionista Mayfair’s new name to know. CHANEL DE YONG finds out more

Delfina Delettrez Fendi may come from one of the first families of fashion, but she is evidently not the kind of woman to rest on her industryentrenched laurels. It was always her ambition to revolutionise the jewellery industry on her own. “I understood that women needed to change the way they were approaching jewellery,” she says in her heavy Italian accent. “Traditionally, jewellery is passed down through the generations. There was a time when women did not have a choice about what to wear and were scared by its opulence.” It’s hard not to admire the 27-year-old’s desire for success. Her first standalone shop outside of Italy opens on Mount Street this month, and will sit among the many traditional and global brands that line the now iconic street. The store, designed by renowned architect Rafael de Cárdenas, represents the very essence of Delettrez, with a green faux malachite leather feature wall exuding a sense of glamour but in a contemporary way. “There are lots of different materials and surfaces used – matte, industrial organic, and reflective surfaces – it looks futuristic,” comments Delfina. “I like to imagine the store as a modern jewellery box, and it has to be an intimate space to represent this.” While Delfina has never been guilty of using her family’s name to her advantage, being born into such a globally successful fashion house has undoutedly had some influence on her work. “They are a continuous inspiration

to me. They have taught me respect for each aspect of the creative process from the mental to the manual,” she explains. “I had huge freedom of expression as a child. I was taught to consider beauty as not something that is ephemeral, but of great substance.” Ultimately being surrounded by a family run business was always going to be an advantage: “Business-wise, they prepared me to understand what I had to face by starting my own brand. I knew I would have to sacrifice aspects of my life.” However, in some ways, it is evident that the designer has sometimes found it difficult living up to such high expectations. “You carry a lot of responsibility,” she states, matter-of-factly. “There is a positive and a negative aspect [to it] like everything. It is a big presence on your shoulders – like a ghost behind you – but it made me work harder because I wanted to create my own identity.” It seemed that Delfina was destined to work in the world of fashion in some way. “I knew I had artistic DNA. Since I was a child I was immediately drawn towards my mum’s work, but I was more inspired by the [process] rather than the end result – this aspect is reflected in the choice of my work,” she says. Unlike many conventional jewellery brands, her designs tends to break all the rules. “My way of working is totally led by making mistakes and experimentation. This way you have total freedom – you can create your own guidelines.” Despite having access to an array of creative forces, her inspiration instead comes from her own life. “My experience is my mentor – I am inspired by

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the past, present and future. I am of course very curious about human beings – not just by their anatomy but by their physiology.” We only need to look at Delfina’s past to fully appreciate and understand where her self-sufficient drive came from. Born and raised between Italy, Brazil and Rome, she became a mother at the age of 20 while studying costume design. And without formal jewellery training, it was her natural curiosity that has led her to create her own, incredibly successful brand. Her inquisitive nature led her to look beyond the obvious definitions of what constitutes a stone; she believes that certain gems can carry a spiritual meaning of their own. Naturally, one of her favourites is one of the most luxurious – white diamonds. “They are extremely poetic, strong and pure – they are unbreakable,” she says. Her pieces are made by hand, which means they all differ, as no two stones can be cut in the same way. It’s a detail-focused business – particularly when it comes to delicate stones and designing jewellery. For S/S15, the jeweller is continuing to create conversation pieces, rather than mere accessories. Certainly not your average display of fine jewellery, the new collection is showcased on a robotic arm, which is aptly named Handroid. The pieces are inspired by the simple, traditional form of

wedding rings, but she completely re-interprets them in her own, very ‘Delfina’ way. “I always say women are not content with a standard ring – I wanted to change this idea. I worked with platinum for the first time, but ultimately I was looking for the perfect shape and the end result was a spiral. In nature, this is a symbol for perfection. “The collection had to be comfortable. For me, comfort is just as important as the aesthetic and I wanted a piece that is just as beautiful when worn, as when it isn’t. I created one ring in many different versions because I like the fact that women can choose to get engaged with one, two, or even with eight diamonds, but I guess the more diamonds you have, the more engaged you feel!” So who is her typical customer? “I don’t think I have one but I am really surprised by classic women who can wear the most extreme jewellery – I call them ‘icebreaker pieces’,” she says, laughing. “They wear these pieces so naturally as if they were a classic pearl necklace – almost like an extension of their body. I don’t want to stop on one theme; I want to create a vast universe, and this is why women from different generations and worlds are intrigued by my creations.” Delfina Delettrez, 109 Mount Street, W1K delfinadelettrez.it

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www.my-perfect-t.com

fashion

Pocket FLOWER British luxury brand Mulberry was inspired by the vibrant colours of an English country garden on a summer’s day for its new S/S15 campaign, Flower Stories, starring Georgia May Jagger. The campaign depicts an impromptu photoshoot in a country house complete with a classic tea set, chessboard, a vintage bicycle and of course, beautiful flowers. In one shot, 23 year-old Jagger is pictured sporting close friend and fellow Mulberry ambassador, Cara Delevingne’s best-selling bag, with pretty perennials conspicuously peeping out of the back pocket of her jeans. In another, we see her modelling the latest addition to the brand’s classic repertoire; the Delphie. Named after the delphinium flower, it features a reversible, two-in-one style. 171-175 Brompton Road, SW3 mulberry.com

Photography: Inez and Vinoodh

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Great Minds Finke Alike Shortly after being commissioned by McQ to take part in one of its ‘Instagram Takeovers’ – which sees a young creative talent take over the Instagram channel for a limited period – London-based artist Ophelia Finke was once again called upon to collaborate on the fashion brand’s S/S15 campaign. Shot by Laurence Ellis, the arresting images showcase Finke’s powerful art installation ‘Carrara’, which was inspired by a quarry site and brings together seemingly unconnected objects that have been unified by the neutral colour palette. Completing the image, models Michael Sharp and Sunniva Wahl pose statuesquely in the latest collection. alexandermcqueen.com

HER STYLE By olivia sharpe

Dressed to the Nines One is never too old to play dress up, particularly when it comes to fantasy footwear, it would seem. In anticipation of the release of the new Cinderella film starring Downton Abbey’s Lily James in the title role, nine international shoe designers – including Charlotte Olympia, Jerome C. Rousseau and Stuart Weitzman – were called upon by Disney to design their own versions of the legendary glass slipper, all of which can now be purchased exclusively from Harrods’ Shoe Heaven department. Our personal favourite is Jimmy Choo’s Swarovski-encrusted design featuring a crystal bow at the front. Dainty, elegant and feminine, it is the stuff of every girl’s (and woman’s) dreams.

A Pinch of Salt We wouldn’t have thought it possible for Elizabeth Street to get more fashionable; that is, until we learnt of the recent arrival of ready-to-wear store Salt, which has just taken up residence at 77 Elizabeth Street (right next door to Jenny Packham). With its blend of edgy, up-and-coming designer labels alongside established names, from Delpozo and Michael van der Ham to Preen and Linda Farrow, we feel sure it will be right at home in its new surroundings.

Available at Harrods Shoe Heaven, Fifth Floor, Brompton Road SW1X Salt boutique, 77 Elizabeth Street, SW1 saltresortwear.com

Fit for a King Recently dubbed the ‘new king of fashion’ by the press, it would seem that Christopher Kane can do no wrong and this year signals what we’ve all been waiting for since the Scottish designer first appeared on the fashion scene back in 2006; the opening of a UK flagship store. Joining fellow contemporaries Roksanda Ilincic, Roland Mouret and Nicholas Kirkwood, the new boutique is the joint vision of Kane and British minimalist designer John Pawson, who worked together to create a modern, conceptual space. Custom-made features include a floor-to ceiling totem, formed of glass cylinders with an internal light source. However, the minimalist design has meant that the sole focus remains on the clothes, which frankly is all we’re interested in. Christopher Kane, 6-7 Mount Street, W1

The Key to Success

Tang-tastic

Like fellow designers Anya Hindmarch and Lulu Guinness, Sophie Hulme believes in taking a more playful approach to fashion and her first ever silk scarf collection exclusively for Liberty London highlights this. Summing up the collection as a “nice, tongue-in-cheek nod to those serious vintage scarves” Hulme’s 70s-inspired prints give a quirky twist to what is typically considered a basic and mundane object, incorporating chip forks, spirographs, lollipop sticks and whistles onto vibrant backgrounds of klein blue and hot pink, along with more sober colours of black, navy and burgundy.

Continuing its 20th anniversary celebrations, luxury fashion house Shanghai Tang recently joined forces with Chinese designers Masha Ma and Wang Pei Yi on a capsule collection for S/S15. This is part of its ongoing China Fashion Chic initiative, which was launched last October to champion exceptional international Chinese talent by giving them the opportunity to design for a luxury brand as well as for catwalk on their home territory in China. The Masha Ma & Wang Pei Yi x Shanghai Tang collection will be available from April at selected Shanghai Tang stores and online.

Liberty X Sophie Hulme Charms Scarf collection, from £190 Exclusive to Liberty London, liberty.co.uk

shanghaitang.com

Small World Pippa Small is known in the industry as a jeweller first and foremost but this month sees the designer step out of the world of jewellery and into lifestyle. Her boutique on Westbourne Grove will shortly become home to the Upstairs Shop; located on the second floor, this will house handmade artisanal products which stay true to Small’s commitment to providing employment and empowerment in areas of the world that need support. Products on display will include coats by Zarif, an Afghan brand which employs over 50 local men and women in order to keep the country’s traditions and skills alive; embroidered and beaded shawls made by Syrian refugee women, and alpaca wool accessories made by Udružene, a Bosnian women’s co-operative which employs female war victims. The Pippa Small Upstairs Shop, opens April 2015; 201 Westbourne Grove, W2 pippasmall.com

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Le Freak

C'est

Chic Nod to the 1970s this season with fringed edges, flowing silhouettes and vivacious colour palettes Photographer:

Phillip Waterman

Stylist:

Jess Stebbings

Silk headscarf, £310, Hermès, 179 Sloane Street, SW1X; Jumper, £550, Bally, 45-46 New Bond Street, W1S; Trousers, £430, Stella McCartney, 91-95 Fulham Road, SW3; Ring, £180, CARAT*, caratlondon.com

Dress, £195, Aquascutum, 15 Brompton Road, SW3; Bag, £1,950, Loewe, 125 Mount Street, W1K; Earrings, £165, Amishi, 45 Maddox Street, W1S; Rings, £194 each, both CARAT*, as before

Dress, £445, and boots, £435, both Max Mara, 21 Old Bond Street, W1S; Ring, £4,000, Chanel Fine Jewellery, 26 Old Bond Street, W1S

Jumpsuit, £165, Tommy Hilfiger, 63-65 Brompton Road, SW3; Bag, £1,695, Jimmy Choo, 27 New Bond Street, W1S; Ring, £217, CARAT*, as before; Earrings, £190, Eddie Borgo, harveynichols.com; Shoes, £1,595, Jimmy Choo, as before

Dress, £1,100, Mulberry, 171-175 Brompton Road, SW3; Bracelet, £4,100, ring, £4,000, and earrings, £3,325, all Chanel Fine Jewellery, as before

Dress, £595, Mother of Pearl, The Shop at Bluebird, 350 King's Road, SW3; Fedora, £165, Rag & Bone, net-a-porter.com; Diamond bracelet, £41,987, Shamballa Jewels, Harrods Fine Jewellery Room, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X

Jacket, £2,450, skirt, £850, belt, £455 and shoes, £415, all Ralph Lauren Collection, 105-109 Fulham Road, SW6 Clutch bag, £425, Wilbur & Gussie, wilburandgussie.com HAIR & make-up: Lou Box @ S MANAGEMENT using Chanel S/S15, Chanel Body Excellence and Redken Hair MODEL: Melissa Bell @ Select Models Shot on location at: Hotel Hospes Palacio de los Patos, Granada, hospes.com

British Airways currently flies from London City to Granada twice a week, with three flights a week in the summer, and is the only airline operating to the Spanish city from the UK, ba.com/londoncity

Attention to Detail Residents of Savile Row and outfitters to debonair gentlemen for more than 160 years, Huntsman sets the benchmark when it comes to men’s tailoring. Welcoming the warmer climes, the S/S15 collection is distinctly light in both weight and colour; blue, beige, cream, oatmeal and grey are staple hues for the season, with textured weaves, half linings and patch pockets lending themselves to the more relaxed aesthetic that spring brings with it. What’s more, the classic collection of silk ties and pocket squares has been expanded, enabling men to lift their wardrobes with just one colourful accessory. 11 Savile Row, W1S h-huntsman.com

Va-Va-Vroom If you thought Aston Martin was solely concerned with motoring, think again. The marque has launched a new Power Series collection of cufflinks that combines automotive inspiration and technology with its beautifully honed crafting techniques. The range comprises three designs, but our personal favourite is the rose gold-plated and gunmetal version. Understated and sleek, it’s perfect for any gentleman looking to channel just a little bit of 007. Rose gold-plated cufflinks, £245 Available in Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X grantmacdonald.com/ astonmartin

HIS STYLE By PHOEBE MCDOWELL

Soles Apart Travel Light The luxury leather goods brand TUMI is celebrating its 40th birthday and, to mark the occasion, will be unveiling a commemorative collection named 1975 this April. Design excellence and outstanding product innovation are at the heart of this limited-edition line, which is crafted from full grain and cowhide leather. It includes a carry-on case, duffel bag, travel kit, cross-body and rucksack styles, with pieces taking nostalgic cues from the year of the brand’s inception, which, it just so happens, ties in nicely with this season’s biggest runway trend. The tan international carry-on case (pictured) bearing a unique embossed number is an investment piece for any discerning jetsetter. International carry-on, £1,895, uk.tumi.com; Available in Harrods from April, 87-135 Brompton Road SW1X; harrods.com

Gaziano & Girling has caused quite a stir in the cobbling world (and on Savile Row for that matter). Although a relatively new company – founded in 2006 – its strong background in shoemaking has meant that the methods and techniques it employs are as traditional as they come. The brand philosophy is to produce ‘benchmade’ shoes that have the look and feel of bespoke models; made in a Kettering-based factory using additional hand processes and top-quality materials set these soles apart. From £852 39 Savile Row, W1S gazianogirling.com

Photography: Peter Haynes

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13 Cheyne Court, Flood Street, London Sw3 5tp 020 3055 0090 studio@aprilrussell.com www.aprilrussell.com

lifestyle Italian Artistry

The name of Rubelli’s new Venezia 2015 collection pays homage to the company’s values; Substance and Extravagance. The latest range heralds the dawn of what the Venetian textile house considers to be an expressive period, which sees it reinterpret its staple fabrics as wallcoverings for the second time in its history (a beautiful floral version features on this month’s cover). Staying true to its heritage, Rubelli has also created some beautiful fabrics and one of our personal favourites, pictured here on this Arflex sofa for a campaign shot at the Museo Canova in Possagno, Italy, is Gropius. A sumptuous duck egg blue in jacquard velvet, it will give any room an instant facelift. Gropius, £195 per metre; The Chambers, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, SW10; rubelli.com

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INTERIORS

Spring to Life With spring on our doorstep, Alice BLUNT speaks to Nina Bigbie, founder of Danish furniture company Nina’s House, on why clients are looking to bring nature indoors when it comes to designing their homes The minimalist, stripped back aesthetic one often associates with the Nordic countries, otherwise known as ‘Scandi’ style, has recently taken the interiors world by storm. No longer considered a cheap and easy way of furnishing your home (by way of Ikea), it has instead become recognised as a luxurious and stylish design trend that people the world over are keen to emulate in their homes. One company leading the way in this current “Scandimonium” is bespoke furniture store Nina’s House, based on the King’s Road. Founded by Copenhagen-born Nina Bigbie, the three words she immediately chooses to describe her company when we meet are: “Simple. Bespoke. Luxury.” After a successful career as an international property developer in London (which saw her work on various prestigious projects, including an award-winning Swiss chalet with an emphasis on wood and natural materials), Nina decided to hone her experience in interior design by launching her own concept store specialising in custom-made, crafted contemporary furniture. Today, this encompasses everything from seating and tables to storage and lighting. Nina’s clients are able to have their say in every aspect of the design process, from the choice of wood right down to the finishes and fabrics, in order to create their own unique piece. Much of the furniture on display in store can also be made-to-measure to suit any room or home. This is no doubt why the company has proven so popular among the “mainly international, successful, design-conscious Londoners in their 30s and 40s” who make up its current client base. Living as we do in a current age of austerity, many people are looking to invest their money in longlasting products that stand the test of time. The interiors world has recently witnessed a surge in people wanting to bring nature indoors – a trend that originates from the ‘Scandi’ aesthetic of finding beauty

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in the great outdoors. Indeed, Nina herself notes how there has been a move away “from the raw, industrial looks of the past few years” and she predicts that “2015 will focus more on classic, simple, luxurious furniture design with slender, delicate lines.” This is especially the case for “large urban areas where there is a need to soften your surroundings and remind yourself nature exists”. Situated in Chelsea – an area she has lived in for many years and which she loves for its vibrancy – it is easy to see why Nina’s House is very much at home in its surroundings. The majority of the company’s products are made from solid wood, a material the founder believes “adds warmth to modern and minimalist city homes with lots of concrete, stone and marble.” The different varieties are typically sourced from Europe but the most popular – In spite of it taking the longest to produce (10 to 12 weeks) – is walnut. Grown high up in the Balkan Mountains, it subsequently needs time to acclimatise at a lower altitude before it is ready to be used. Aside from this, most of the other beautiful, handfinished products take as little as four to six weeks to produce and Nina’s suppliers also incorporate metals (brass, copper, iron) and other recycled materials such as laser-treated cardboard in order to create minimal, elegant and functional pieces. It must be true what they say: sometimes the simplest ideas really are the best. Nina’s House, 281 King’s Road, SW3; 020 7751 5827; ninashouse.com

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12/01/2015 13:21

INTERIORS

Timeless

Design Whether it’s a luxury bedroom in Azerbaijan or a restaurant at The Savoy, Robert Angell exceeds expectations, as Hannah Lemon finds out

Robert Angell opens the windows of his office and leans out over a small balcony overlooking the River Thames. It is a crisp clear day and all the way from Wapping Wall I can see the sun blinking back in the reflection of the windows of One Canada Square. “I love the buildings in Canary Wharf,” he states. Despite being a regular commuter to that part of town, I have to admit that I have never once stopped to appreciate the buildings’ designs. It comes as no surprise then that the one time I do, I am standing with one of London’s most established designers. “I think London is an amazing city,” Angell muses. “Probably one of the most amazing cities in the world. There is a very eclectic mix of architecture in London and that’s what makes it so vibrant.” He then begins to list some of the more prominent buildings he has been inspired by – the Shard by Renzo Piano and the Lloyd’s Building by Richard Rogers – as well as some of the interiors by Ron Arad and Eileen Gray. I start a list of my own: The Berkeley, The Connaught Hotel, The Five Fields, the Markham Inn and The Savoy. But these are not just a series of the capital’s most iconic hotels and dining spaces; they are part of Robert Angell Design International’s impressive portfolio. Originally from a farming family, design wasn’t the most obvious career choice for Angell, but arts and crafts was a passion he could not shake off. After completing a degree in interior design at Nottingham Trent University, he headed to London ready to be immersed by its exciting creative industry. “I like design history – having stuff around you rather than being forced to look at a Clockwise from top/ Kaspar’s Seafood Bar & Grill, The Savoy Hotel; Five Fields; Cicchetti Bar, Piccolino, Heddon Street; interiors and knife clock, Tredwell’s

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gallery. I like the idea of creating stuff that people go in every day, where they enjoy the hotels or the restaurants and enjoy the surroundings they live in as well.” Although he tried to make it on his own in London he soon realised that enthusiasm and hard work just wasn’t enough to get noticed. But a chance meeting with the late interior designer David Collins through a friend enabled him to set up a career with his studio that lasted over 15 years. “It was an amazing experience [working with him],” reminisces Angell. “It was very inspirational. His loss has affected us all and a day doesn’t go by where I don’t think about him. I will always be a great admirer of his work.” One thing in particular he highlights from his time there is an appreciation and ability to offer a “broadness of style” to each new project. This is a skill that Angell took with him when starting his own company in 2010. Does he never follow a trend? “No we set them,” he replies defiantly. “I think the worst thing to do is to follow a trend.” This seems obvious when we discuss the industrial vibe that is rocking the interiors world; something that would not sit well with the Caramel Room at The Berkeley. “That trend was born out of people having less money for their interiors,” says Angell. “I look at the luxury end that we’re in and the level of luxury that people aspire to – I want to exceed that aspiration. I want to give them something better than tiles and light bulbs.” Each timeless design for a client is individual; Angell shares his thoughts and knowledge to come up with something that will integrate the client’s requirements and the building’s aesthetic. “We create the architectural shell – so we create the volume in a white box – and then we will layer in the detail whether it be a specialist paint finish or a wall panelling.” The company offers an endless inventory of bespoke services. “We design the furniture; we design the lighting; we design the carpets. Pretty much everything you can think of in a space we have designed. We will also style it with objects and art that we find but it allows us to create something that very much fits the space.” In the case of Tredwell’s (Marcus Wareing’s haunt), he wanted to make something unique. “We ended up designing a beautiful clock that was the eighth dial from an Agatha Christie novel, The Seven Dials Mystery. We made it out of knives.” For Kaspar’s Seafood Bar & Grill, on the other hand, he designed an intricate sculpted flooring. “[It’s] almost a kind of scalloped knit and if it was something we had done years ago it would have cost a fortune and taken forever, but there is now amazing

water-cutting technology. High pressure water jets can cut the marble very accurately and it looks amazing.” Overseas clients are also scrabbling for a piece of the action, but travel is one of Angell’s passions, so he is more than happy to oblige. “I have travelled all over the place to virtually every continent and many cities. You see so many things on your journeys. I love seeing the styles of the architecture and the culture and the people. That’s what makes it so exciting.” When we speak, he has just got back from Azerbaijan and Gstaad in Switzerland. In the former, he has an enormous project to undertake – an 811 bedroom hotel – as part of a new city-wide development in preparation for the first European Games in June. I ask what we can look forward to on our own shores but he is hesitant to relay any details of his latest project, apart from the fact that it’s for a renowned American diamond dealer’s new store in Knightsbridge. It sounds like this doesn’t leave much time to work on the interiors of his own house. “I collect a bit of art and furniture,” Angell replies. “I love going to flea markets and antique shops. If I like it I will buy it. You want the style of your house to go one way and then it goes another. It’s a work in progress.” This seems surprising for a perfectionist interiors designer, but with such an impressive client list, I guess he has to get his priorities sorted. Is it hard to pick out the best achievement to date? He smiles. “I would always say the next one is the best.”

A chance meeting with the late David Collins through a friend enabled him to set up a career

robertangelldesigninternational.com

Above/ Kaspar’s Seafood Bar & Grill Opposite, clockwise from top left/ Tredwell’s kitchen view; Lime Wood Lodges; Lime Wood Lodges; Caramel Room, The Berkeley; Lime Wood Lodges; Kaspar’s Seafood Bar & Grill

INTERIORS

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Interiors

The Case for a Curator Is a painting the final piece to go up when you decorate your home? If the answer is yes, it’s time to reevaluate your interiors. ella harris talks to April Russell about the finer details of art collecting Pictures are the last items in place when I move house. They are to me a slightly inconvenient afterthought. Plus, hanging them straight is always a problem; several holes in the plaster usually end up illustrating my desperate attempts to put nails in the wall. But for April Russell, art comes first. Working with clients on both sides of the Atlantic, she focuses their existing or growing art collections in tandem with the layout of each room and the flow of space and architecture throughout. “We look at how the design will fit into their lifestyle. It’s one thing having an art collection but when it’s in a home, one has to balance the two,” she tells me over the phone in a soft American voice. Russell founded her eponymous bespoke interior design company in 1999. With her keen eye for space and architecture and a passion for art, she is able to show clients how these elements might affect the layout of your interiors. Dividing time between her studios in Chelsea and New York, Russell tries to make each experience with a client hands-on. She also offers masterclasses on art, framing and lighting, and publishes a monthly blog, to ensure this unique service continues long after she has finished a project. Much like designing the interior of a home, art collecting needs to be overseen by somebody who can

guide the collector, particularly in the early stages. “If you don’t have that eye, you could be jumping from one thing to the next,” Russell explains. “Collections need to be balanced. They need to be curated.” And that’s when she steps in. Russell deciphers what the focus of a collection will be, what pieces the client will collect going forward and how she can guide them with future purchases. But it’s not always easy; part of the curating process involves parting the client from some pieces. “Tactfully, we have to go through the collection and weed out things, which, for various reasons, we feel are inappropriate. We suggest where they can take the pieces and put them. There are small institutions that don’t have the funds to have collections and it’s a very good way of the clients we’re working for to donate those pieces and be appreciated for those donations.” Whether working in a luxury condo in Palm Beach, with a contemporary art collection in Cadogan Square or on a commission for property developers, Russell makes the process a personal one. This involves visits to art galleries and meetings with art consultants, as she believes that painting and sculpture are powerful ways to convey a person’s interests and individuality. “Very often clients want to experience the journey with me; they want to learn,” she says. I nod in understanding, trying to ignore the wonky Warhol print on my TV room wall. April Russell, 13 Cheyne Court, Flood Street, SW3 5TP aprilrussell.com; 020 3055 0090

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DREAMS THAT LIVE IN REALITY.

Piuma bed. Designed by Claudio Bellini. Made in Italy.

We all have the desire to dream. Natuzzi Italia gives shape to that desire, with a new collection of beds, bedroom accessories and bedlinen featuring exclusive comfort and craftsmanship. Visit our stores and discover a world of dreams made real. www.natuzzi.co.uk

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BY Phoebe McDowell

Italian Renaissance Italian production company and leader in high-end furniture and luxury accessories, London Luxury Living, has landed on the Brompton Road, joining the likes of Sub-Zero & Wolf and Smallbone of Devizes. Spanning two floors, the showroom displays Trussardi Casa and Bentley Home as well as the company’s own signature line, Heritage. Large furniture pieces, along with carpets, curtains, tableware and decorative lighting, are all available in store but for us, the showstopper would have to be British motoring brand Bentley’s expertly crafted collection, incorporating high-end materials such as briar root and marble. 20 Brompton Road, SW1X luxurylivinggroup.com

Line Up Bentley Wellington four-seater sofa and Cliffden coffee tables, Bentley Home lifestyle collection 2015 © Luxury Living Group

Table Talk When one considers Sophie Conran’s parentage, it’s clear to see that she inherited her father’s genes for design and her mother’s talents in the kitchen. It seems almost inevitable, therefore, that she would – as an offshoot of her interiors brand – venture into something that combines the two: kitchenware. The Sophie Blue collection is distinctly British, encompassing all crockery essentials. Available in four different patterns with quintessentially English names – Eliza, Maud, Betty and Florence – the charming range would be a welcome addition to any refined table.

When it comes to evoking the look of understated luxury, Ralph Lauren undoubtedly has the Midas touch, and the brand’s new spring homeware collection is no exception. The complete range of large mahogany dressers and cabinets, nauticalstriped fabrics and white lacquered finishes has been inspired by the glamorous world of yachting on the Riviera. Covetable accessories include glass hurricane candle jars with silver finishes and alden mahogany and polished nickel picture frames. 105-109 Fulham Road, SW3 ralphlaurenhome.com

sophieconran.com

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HOME Silver Fox

The story behind James Hares’ new Evolution Collection is just as enchanting as the pieces within it. Back in the 19th century when the company was founded, the wool merchant began to stockpile black fabric upon hearing that Queen Victoria had fallen ill and when she died, Hare sold it in droves. The small fortune he made enabled him to gift his wife a stunning diamond bouquet brooch. Today, the still family-run business has used this heirloom as the sole inspiration for its latest collection. Silver flowers have been delicately embroidered onto layers of satin fabric, mimicking the natural sheen of diamonds. Available in three colourways, the fabric is a handsome fusion of classic and contemporary. From £150 pm james-hare.com

One to One West One Bathrooms is the latest gem to have descended on the King’s Road and with its contemporary egg-shaped baths and sleek walkin-showers, it has definitely filled a gap. What’s more, it is home to an outdoor courtyard with comfy seating and a bespoke gazebo, so you can stay for a coffee or two while poring over the designs when the showroom opens this spring. 610 King’s Road, SW6 westonebathrooms.com

The Hermès Helm

All a-Flutter A little known fact about British artist Damien Hirst: he spent his formative years smashing rocks to find hidden crystals to collect. It seems fitting, then, that working with the artist was high on Lalique’s wishlist. The collaboration, named Eternal, is based on the butterfly – a subject close to the heart of the glassware company’s late founder René Lalique, not to mention Hirst, who has made the insect his signature motif. Arriving in three forms – Hope, Love and Beauty – this limited edition collection comes in 12 colours. lalique.com Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates © Damien Hirst and Lalique, 2015

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Ever since there was an interiors equivalent to the Birkin bag (the cashmere Avalon blanket), the Hermès home collection has elicited an insatiable desire for all things branded ‘H’. The exquisite new porcelain collection, Voyage en Ikat (launched at this year’s Maison & Objet), takes its cues from the age-old Indonesian dyeing and weaving culture of ikat and has been designed by Damian O’Sullivan and Benoît-Pierre Emery. The range of tableware translates the beauty of the technique in a bold and exotic fashion by employing a robust colour palette of ruby, sapphire and emerald. Each piece has been gilded with a 24-carat matte gold finish. From £87 Available at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X

Bespoke furniture on the King’s Road, specialising in wood & natural materials.

Nina’s House, 281 King’s Road, London SW3 5EW T: 0207 751 5827 E: nb@ninashouse.com

www.ninashouse.com

Kids KINGDOM BY Phoebe McDowell

Asian Persuasion Luxury clothing brand Pale Cloud has launched its new S/S15 collection and true to form, it is exquisite. Inspired by ancient Japanese culture, the pieces feature Oriental prints and vivid colours. While designs are elegant and sophisticated, fabrics have been specifically chosen for their wearability so are perfect for active little ladies. The Ora dress in silk crêpe comes in high on our favourites list, closely followed by the more casual, utility-style Wilma coat. pale-cloud.com

Daisy Chain The Margherita Missoni S/S15 collection has landed on yoox.com and far from boasting the zig-zag patterns synonymous with the adult range, this collection comprises fish sketches, polka dots, stripes, fun geometric motifs and daisies (the English translation of the name Margherita, in case you didn’t know). The separates strike a harmonious balance between pastels and punchier colours, and in keeping with popular S/S15 trends, you’ll find some boho tassels on some of the girls’ pieces. We can’t go without mentioning the rompers: oh so adorable.

The Great Escape Hours of fun are to be had in the Christopher Treehouse cabin bed, brought to you by bed specialist Noa & Nani. Designed with both children and adults in mind, the handy area underneath the bunk can be used for storing away toys. Featuring a pitched roof, cut-out windows, skylight and a ladder, its white finish makes it easily styled to suit the decor of either a little boy’s or girl’s bedroom. Treehouse cabin bed, £399.99, noaandnani.co.uk

From £25; yoox.com

Get the Party Started Whether it’s a birthday, a corporate party or a seasonal celebration, new bespoke children’s party planning service Ruby & Roo (brainchild of Rochelle George and Kim Asprey) will handle your event from start to finish. From swashbuckling pirates to woodland fairies, truly anything goes as this dynamic duo has a team of dedicated entertainers to ensure that everything runs smoothly and most importantly, your little ones have the time of their lives. An indispensable addition to any parent’s little black book, visit the website now and get the party started. rubyandroo.com

Twits in Town Roald Dahl’s The Twits is coming to The Royal Court Theatre this month in an exciting stage adaptation of this children’s classic. Considering the rip-roaring success of recent productions, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, we predict this will be just as well-received among audiences. Giggles are guaranteed as Mr Twit swaps Mrs Twit’s spaghetti for worms and the gruesome twosome subject their pet monkeys to standing on their heads all day. Running alongside the production is a series of family and children’s workshops for budding writers and Roald Dahl fanatics. 7 Apr – 31 May From £12, under 16’s: 50 per cent off royalcourttheatre.com

Bunny in the Oven This Easter at Biscuiteers you’ll find all your favourite Beatrix Potter characters. If you’re a Peter Rabbit enthusiast, these winsome little creations may just be too adorable to eat (if only there were a Mr McGregor; in his case we wouldn’t think twice). Following in the footsteps of the legendary children’s author, the hand-iced biscuit company has created a collection that includes a personalised cake, biscuit cards and a tin that contains everyone, from Jemima Puddle-Duck to Samuel Whiskers. Guaranteed to be a hit this Easter. From £10.95; 194 Kensington Park Road, W11; biscuiteers.com

See You Later, Alligator The latest collection from Mini Rodini, the eco-friendly Swedish childrenswear brand founded by illustrator Cassandra Rhodin, has taken some aquatic inspiration for its S/S15 line. The ocean and all of its inhabitants have been filtered through the founder’s kooky vision in statement playful prints of handsome mermen, snapping crocs, smiling dolphins and goggle-eyed fish. What’s more, in a bid to sustain the environment, the swimwear collection is made from a weave recycled from plastic waste that pollutes the seas and in turn, kills our animals. Whoever said you couldn’t save the planet and make a sartorial statement clearly didn’t know where to shop.

Down the Rabbit Hole Just as fantastical as the images in Lewis Carroll’s original Alice in Wonderland tome are the idiosyncratic yet distinctly British creations of Dame Vivienne Westwood. Drawing upon her previous experience of translating Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into a reality on the catwalk with her A/W11 Red Label line, the fashion matriarch has designed a harlequin-inspired front and end cover and has contributed to the introduction of the hardback 150th anniversary gift edition. Read me. £15; randomhouse.co.uk

From £15 minirodini.com

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Bourne Free When visiting the Chelsea home of Joubi London founder Joanna Bourne, Olivia Sharpe discovers that the jewellery designer’s passion for design extends to all aspects of her life IT’S 3pm on a Monday afternoon: I am walking down the familiar Old Church Street just off the King’s Road, passing one of my favourite pubs, The Pig’s Ear, followed by Manolo Blahnik, before I turn a corner and suddenly find myself in uncharted territory. The inconspicuous, hushed mews known as Justice Walk, located behind Cheyne Walk and home to just a few seemingly small, quaint-looking houses, is completely unknown to me. And yet, something about it – perhaps it is the historic pub sign bearing a picture of an imposing judge or the scrawled lettering above the house I am about to enter reading ‘The Court House’ (built in the 18th-century, it is supposedly the only surviving courthouse-jail in the capital) – makes me feel as though I have just stumbled into a time warp. Stepping inside Joanna Bourne’s house, however, and it’s quite another story. As I am welcomed in by the beaming jewellery designer, I feel as though I have just taken a draft of ‘Drink me’ potion, so dwarfed am I by the giant wooden doors leading into a vast and contemporary living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. “Please eat, I’ve laid out so much food,” she says, smiling warmly as she beckons me over to the dining table where she has prepared quite a spread of sandwiches, cakes and tea. However, I find myself unable to concentrate as I take in my impressive new surroundings. From the conversation-starting statue of a naked tennis player (“I cover up his modesty when guests come over,” she insists, laughing) to the modern water feature designed by Mauro Perucchetti, there is, in fairness, a lot to take in (and this is only the ground floor). Joanna has lived in the house since the age of nine

and the current design owes a good deal to her family’s passion for contemporary art and antiques, as well as their eastern heritage. Joanna resides here with her partner and as well as being her home, it is also where her inspired jewellery creations originate. After I have finally exhausted my curiosity, Joanna and I sit down to discuss her ambitions for her jewellery line, Joubi London. Founded in 201O, it has since been going from strength to strength: On Joubi… “The collection has expanded quite naturally, I think. I started with fine jewellery and then the diffusion line followed. I’ve noticed from my Instagram followers that this range generally appeals to a younger clientele, while the fine jewellery is definitely for an older woman looking for something a bit edgier. All of the pieces have a playful feel to them and you find you develop a loyal fan base of women who come back and buy the same model in a different colour or slightly different style. I try to make things that people like but also, importantly, things that I like. I will only create pieces that are 100 per cent ‘me’ and not because someone has told me I am going to sell a lot of them.” On her home…“The building was once a courthouse and apparently there is still a secret underground passage once used to transport the prisoners to and from their trials. When we bought the house it was completely derelict. I was nine and I remember my dad doing it up with the help of an architect, Mauro Perucchetti, who designed pretty much everything. The whole process took

lifestyle

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lifestyle

about two years and the overall look is Balinese in style. We lived here for about five years and then we bought the house next door and turned it into a two-bed with a gym and a study.” On her favourite piece of art… “It would have to be a piece I recently purchased by John Stark from the Charlie Smith Gallery in Old Street. The painting is so surreal, alluring and mystical. I find his work so original and when you see the painting in real life it’s so perfect, almost like a glossy photo.” On her love of jewellery… “A lot of jewellers talk about how they used to play with their mum’s jewellery when they were little but that wasn’t really me. I think naturally being a young girl I was drawn to sparkly things and I’ve always believed accessories make an outfit. I remember going to Tiffany & Co and wanting to buy a chunky ring for myself to go with an outfit, but I couldn’t find any, so I just thought, ‘f*** it, one day I’ll make my own’.” On her pets… “I have three dogs, Lola, Kimchee and Milo, aka the angry chihuahua (laughing). They’re all rescue dogs from Thailand. They have their own system whereby a dog walker comes and picks them up for about five hours a day and then they spend the rest of the time downstairs. I used to have chickens but there was nowhere to keep them so we left them in our country house. I’m a bit of an animal rights activist at heart.” On her most treasured possessions… “I am completely OCD about my shoes. As soon as they get a tiny bit damaged I don’t want to wear them anymore so I really look after them. I have about 30 pairs, so nothing too ridiculous.” On her favourite designers…“At the moment it’s Balmain. Charlotte Olympia is a good friend of mine and I think she’s an incredible designer. Fashion-wise, I like to mix it up so my new favourite bag is from Topshop and I have a pair of trousers I bought from

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Thailand which were only about £20 but I practically live in them. I’m also obsessed with my new Linda Farrow sunglasses, which are quite daring so look great just with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.” On her beauty regime… “I swear by Elemis. For my hair, I have become obsessed with Tamara Ecclestone’s line, Show Beauty; it smells a bit sickly but it works really well. When it comes to make-up, I like to keep things natural; I use Bare Minerals and a brand I discovered in LA which is supposed to have no preservatives.” On Chelsea’s foodie haunts…“I love the restaurant Made in Italy; the gnocchi is really good. I do a Big Easy trip about twice a year. The new Japanese, Korobuta, is also a great addition to the area.” On entertaining… “We re-did the kitchen with Gaggenau before we moved in because my dad knows how I love to cook. When we used to live together he would often beg me to stop cooking because I was always chopping up onions and garlic. My signature dish is Pad Thai; I tend to cook a lot of oriental food and my boyfriend and I eat in the majority of the time.” joubi.com

Above/ John Stark painting

Lilou et Lo誰c L O N D O N

S I Z E D O E S M AT T E R . . .

3kg Scented Candle From The Emperor Collection

www.lilouetloic.com

HEALTH BEAUTY BY OLIVIA SHARPE

The Sky’s the Limit While the majority of women have always loved floral scents, fragrance director of Jo Malone London Céline Roux notes how modern women are now looking for “a different kind of floral expression” from the one we would associate with our grandmothers. She has therefore refreshed this traditionally heady bouquet and created a fragrance that truly epitomises what we associate with blossoms in springtime. The result? A limited edition collection of three unique scents – encompassing sakura cherry, exotic osmanthus and plum blossoms – each of which ticks the boxes of being “fresh, natural, authentic and much easier to wear.” Blue Skies & Blossoms £86 for one 100ml bottle jomalone.co.uk

Welcome Matte

Butter Up

Dolce & Gabbana has introduced its first ever matte lipstick range and staying true to the Italian brand's signature colour, the collection includes a variety of red shades that are both powerful and seductive. From the bold Dolce Fire to the even more passionate Dolce Jealous, there is one to suit every lustful mood. To create the most natural look, apply lipliner first in short strokes to fill lips (but without contouring) before applying the lipstick in the same shade.

It’s time to put away your sombre, autumnal shades and embrace the fresh new colours of the season with Butter London’s new High Tea collection. The latest range includes a veritable palette of pastel hues and bright colours for the eyes, lips, cheeks and nails, thereby ensuring that your make-up complements your couture outfit this spring. Choose from the ‘Tiddly’ bright orange nail polish or the Wink eyeshadow in ‘Treacle’. Alternatively, those of you who wish to keep a slightly rock-chic vibe can instead opt for the patriotic Union Jack black eyeliner or the daring Lippy lipstick in ‘Ruby Murray’. The four-piece lacquer limited edition box set is also available for £25.

Dolce Matte Lipstick, available in 13 shades from Harrods harrods.com

The High Tea collection, Butter London butterlondon.co.uk

Sneak Preview

Face Value

With the worlds of sportswear and luxury women’s fashion having now fully collided, it is no longer considered a fashion faux pas for women to be seen sporting a pair of trainers on her daily commute to work. In fact, it’s regarded as a fashion statement. Cue Harvey Nichols’ ‘The Sneaker Concept’; launched this month, the luxury department store has proven its one step ahead by creating the first ever women’s floor dedicated to sneakers that have a fashion rather than a sports focus, thereby elevating this humble form of footwear to new heights. The new space offers more than 120 styles from across 20 premium brands, including Y-3, Rick Owens, Adidas and Maison Martin Margiela, along with exclusive styles from the likes of Buscemi, Eugène Riconneaus and Mason Garments. In addition to this, Harvey Nichols has also collaborated on capsule collections with Filling Pieces and Opening Ceremony. Step into a new world of fashion.

Along with getting your eyebrows perfectly prepped this season, you can now give your face a much-needed refresh at Shavata Brow Studio; it recently launched a new collection of anti-ageing facial treatments, delivered by Mina Lee. The facial expert has partnered with global skincare brand Biologique Recherche to create five bespoke facials, ranging from healing to deep cleansing. If your skin has been suffering from the effects of a fast-paced city lifestyle, why not try the Deep Cleansing Facial? As the name suggests, this treatment is designed to unclog congested or acne prone skin and includes exfoliation, extraction and an antibacterial face mask, followed by a relaxing head and shoulder massage – altogether resulting in skin being restored to a healthy and glowing state. Now you can shed the layers of foundation along with your winter coat this spring.

From £60 to £550 The Sneaker Concept, 3rd Floor of Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge harveynichols.com

Deep Cleansing Facial, £100 for 60 mins Purchase a course of five treatments and get the sixth free Mina Lee at the Shavata Brow Studio, 60 Beauchamp Place, SW3 020 7112 8990; shavata.co.uk

Raising the Bar

Expert of Light If a product has originated from Switzerland (just consider watches, chocolates and cheese), you can pretty much bank (no pun intended) on its commitment to quality. And the same applies to skincare. For more than 25 years, luxury cellular cosmetics brand Valmont has been on a mission to master the visible signs of ageing among men and women, drawing on its country’s traditional medicines in order to do this. Its latest innovation, unveiled last month, is called Expert of Light and features eight new products designed to brighten one’s complexion through its unique blend of ingredients. Each product – ranging from an illuminating brightness mask to a toner – acts like a ‘high pressure wash’, unclogging pores and eliminating cells laden with melanin.

For those of you looking to add a bit of fun into your exercise regime, we heartily recommend you having a go at Barrecore’s latest workout class, barreSANA. Exclusive to the newlyopened Kensington studio (the sixth in the company’s portfolio), it incorporates all of the classic barrecore signature positions but these have been blended with the uplifting beats of rock, reggae and hip-hop to get you truly pumped up and in the zone. What’s more, you do not have to be a pro to partake in barreSANA, with the class being open to people of all levels. 18 Kensington Church Street, W8 020 7937 6901; barrecore.co.uk

Expert of Light, from £55 evalmont.com

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The Real

Candidate

Photography: Sarel Jansen

Lifestyle

Having led a life more colourful than the most implausible soap star, Ivan Massow talks to Henry Hopwood-Phillips about why he’s ready to get serious and succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London…

London mayoral candidate, Ivan Massow, seems like a real guy; not the most sexy of descriptions, admittedly, but in the age of Spock-lite politicians it’s a powerful card. He also looks real. Though he’s wearing the ubiquitous open-necked shirt, the London mayoral candidate comes across less like the sandblasted goblin of the Blairite and Cameronian yesteryear, than a wizened salt-and-pepper haired pin-up. The post has relatively limited formal powers but its appeal has, perhaps paradoxically, up until now, been restricted to the personalities of Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. So having a candidate who appears so regular feels slightly anticlimactic, even incongruous… But of course Ivan isn’t normal. The menagerie, full of dogs and parrots hints at this. Raised near Brighton, he admits to being an “instinctive” Tory “despite a politically tribal narrative that might insist my natural position is on the left!” due to an early “street urchin” existence that included dyslexia, adoption, and homosexuality. “I cannot remember what qualifications I left Brighton with”, his eyes glint, “because I’ve had to fib so much about that period in the past – I think I left school with one O-level.” Clearly his life trajectory wasn’t a conventional one – with a launchpad of qualifications – but Ivan was a man with an idea. “I found a niche in the market making sure gays weren’t financially penalised in the financial products they were offered.” Millions of pounds soon flowed in to his coffers. “I was so happy proving to teachers, parents and friends that I was worth something, that I wasn’t a dead-end,” he beams. That particular high, however, closed when he lost a lawsuit to a firm he had accused of failing to uphold his ethics. A period of alcoholism followed and spanned a time of self-exile in Barcelona, a sad hiatus that nevertheless ended with a fairy-tale rescue by none other than Joan Collins – “who by the way, insists on being named the godmother of my child”, he adds excitedly. The controversy didn’t end with the alcohol intake though. Never shirking the right to hold real opinions, he recollects being “forced to resign as Chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) after observing that much of conceptual art was ‘craftless tat’”. Looking to pick himself up, Ivan jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, throwing his hat in the mayoral ring at the end of last year. The first shot across the boughs came from Mark Wallace at Conservative Home, describing Ivan as an “unconvincing candidate”, a man who seemed destined to be little more than a careerist and “loose cannon”. “I understand why he said that,” Ivan

comments humbly, “so I set things straight by inviting his editor to interview me.” The follow-up makes for interesting reading, and captures Ivan’s tone well. It’s a mischievous tenor that flirts with gravity and comedy simultaneously – it is apparent that he is sensitive to the lightness and heaviness of both life and the task he has set himself. Another accusation is that what Ivan sells as “blue-sky thinking” amounts to little more than headline chasing. Policies aimed at housing the homeless in City Hall and naming a prison after himself on ‘Boris Island’ seem to add noise rather than solutions to a city that proffers itself as one of the few ‘world-capitals’. “That’s not fair”, he protests, giving the example of a volunteer transport brigade that would potentially stop London coming to a halt on strike days, “I set out a poll on a website that attracted large numbers of voters. In the end over 40 per cent said they would participate if such a scheme materialised, which I thought rather impressive.” Other statistics don’t look so rosy. YouGov published a poll at the end of 2014 claiming Ivan’s recognition in London hovers around the nine per cent mark. It’s a superior presence to other Conservative hopefuls but also undoubtedly worse than the Labour big-guns such as Tessa Jowell and Sadiq Khan. This has caused consternation within the party; some have voiced concerns that they need a bigger name – Zac Goldsmith is often touted – a person Boris has made no secret of supporting as a possible heir apparent. The lack of acclaim has perhaps kicked Ivan into making sure his vision is not lacking. He is able for instance, despite platitudes on his website about embracing modernity, to articulate the planks of policy in detail. Most of this centres on devolution. He certainly begrudges the fact “the [London] economy generates 22 per cent of the UK’s total wealth and yet has less control over its money than either Scotland or Wales”, believing part of tackling this problem should involve setting a London budget and creating a tourist tax. A Conservative for 33 years, a Londoner for 25, one cannot fail to be impressed with the energy the silver fox is applying to his candidature. One gets the impression some in the public realm believe his campaign to be more about energy than sense; a political example of a man on a collision course with a brick wall. Looking back at Ivan’s life though, it seems the walls have sustained far more damage than his head. ivan.london

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high life moorish or less Clinging to the shadows of the Sierra Nevada peaks, Granada is defined by its Moorish legacy. Given the historic surroundings, the Hospes Palacio de los Patos hotel – a beautifully restored 19th-century palace – is an apt place to lay down one’s head. A seamless and stylish fusion of old and new, a contemporary wing was recently added to the original edifice, which now houses 40 rooms. A quiet sanctuary a stone’s throw from the popular Granada Cathedral, guests can unwind at the Bodyna Spa, which comes complete with a Turkish bath, and tuck into the Andalucían cuisine on offer at Los Patos restaurant. British Airways currently flies from London City to Granada twice a week, with three flights a week in the summer. Fares available to book on ba.com/londoncity; hospes.com

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Travel

THE WORLD BY Phoebe McDowell

A Certain Kudos Sightseeing fatigue is a common holiday conundrum, but anyone who has ever experienced a pang of guilt for vetoing crowded museums for the sun lounger will like the sound of Kudos Life Experiences. The company creates bespoke trips to Greece that avoid the usual tourist traps. For an authentic snapshot of the country’s 3,000-year old civilisation, take a helicopter tour of it most remote landmarks, attend a traditional Greek tragedy play performed in an amphitheatre or meet the local fishermen and catch and cook your own dinner straight from the Aegean sea. kudoslifeexperiences.com

Crystal Clear We’ve been itching to tell you about The Baccarat Hotel but because of a continued delay in its opening, we’ve had to show some restraint. Thankfully, we can now reveal that the historic crystal company’s first hotel (which opened its doors in March) can be found on New York’s 53rd and Fifth, directly opposite the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This location is particularly fitting given the hotel’s awe-inspiring design, courtesy of Gilles & Boissier. The Parisian-based design duo has made good use of Baccarat’s heritage with an abundance of crystal featured throughout, as well as an impressive collection of contemporary art and furniture created by various artists. The 114-room hotel also houses America’s first La Mer Spa, which resembles a sunken ballroom, and a Frenchstyle brassiere restaurant headed up by Michelin-starred chef Shea Gallante. Rooms from £595; baccarathotels.com

The Pearl of Asia

Right Foot Forward After 104 years of its historic doors being open, The Goring Hotel briefly closed this January in order to complete extensive renovation works just in time for its 105th anniversary. The new interior is the work of four esteemed English designers, including Russell Sage and David Linley, who had to put their creative thinking caps on for briefs such as: imagine that all the animals from London Zoo have escaped and are now roaming the park. Other new touches include a fleet of impeccably dressed, handsome footmen who greet guests in true Downton Abbey fashion. Owner Jeremy Goring believes this will “add another dimension to our service” and we wholeheartedly agree with him.

With hammocks slung between coconut trees, sands the colour of sugar cubes and turquoise toned seas, Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam is the very picture of paradise. Its first luxury retreat, Salinda Resort and Spa opened at the beginning of the year with 121 luxury guest rooms and villas. All the activities on offer, from the water sports to the comprehensive spa menu, have been devised to match the peaceful pace of island life. Rooms from £254; salindaresort.com

Rooms from £430 Beeston Place, SW1W thegoring.com

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Lady of the Manor Lauren Romano steps back in time at Ireland’s sleepy Ballyfin Demesne, an hour’s drive from Dublin

Pulling up the sweeping mile-long gravel drive, the approach to Ballyfin Demesne in rural Co. Laois appears like a setting Austen may have imagined. Our mini-van feels anachronistic; a horse and carriage would be more apt. Skirting a glassy lake worthy of a Mr Darcy wet shirt moment, the country house looms into view, its stone portico dwarfing the men in waistcoats lined up on the steps waiting to greet us. In the early evening light the Regency mansion looks as though it has barely altered since it was built for Sir Charles Coote in the 1820s. Appearances can be deceptive, however. Re-opened in 2011, Ballyfin underwent a painstaking eight-year restoration to return the premises to its former glory. When Irish independence threatened to turf the British Cootes off their lavish estate, the family sold the house to the Patrician Brothers who ran a school there for much of the 20th century. The religious order couldn’t afford the enormous maintenance costs involved, and eventually the building started to crumble. “When the ceiling fell down in one room, the brothers closed the door and moved to the next,” Butler Lionel (a former pupil of the school) recalls as he ushers us into the imposing entrance hall, pausing in the shadow of a pair of 10,000-year-old antlers once belonging to a beast of an Irish elk. With only 15 rooms, a maximum of 29 guests have the sprawling 600-acre estate at their disposal at any

one time. Rambling around the rugged terrain, dotted with ancient woodland, crumbling follies and an eerie medieval-style watchtower, I feel very much like the lady of the manor, complete with fetching Hunter wellies picked out from the fireside selection in the hallway. My practical choice of footwear comes in handy when the dependable Irish elements ink the sky with ominous clouds. Thankfully, at the first hint of rain, a horse and trap comes to the rescue and our steed in shining armour, Billy (Ballyfin’s very own version of Uber) trots our group, huddled in blankets, back to the great house. Once inside, the roaring fires in the magnificent state rooms are a welcoming sight. The palatial saloon becomes the natural gravitation point for my two-night stay, filled with enough curiosities for a lengthy game of I Spy. A curator spent years tracking down pieces of furniture that used to belong to the original house, so I’m told, including the task of sourcing the family portraits that hang above the cantilever staircase. Curled up in a regal-looking armchair with attentive but unintrusive staff on call with cups of tea, the setting is far from being as formal as it appeared on first sight. With a sumptuously furnished library and an ornate goldleaf drawing room, I rarely bump into fellow guests other than in the dining room. The corridor leading to my state boudoir – the Westmeath Room – is similarly deserted,

TRAVEL

so much so that I chance the walk to the spa in nothing but my dressing gown. Overlooking the lake, the space is dominated by a beautifully carved four-poster bed which sits in the centre of the sunny yellow- and gold-toned interior. In the spacious bathroom portraits hang above

Raid Ballyfin’s collection of period costumes from the Lyric Opera Company the fireplace and the twin sinks, turning my morning tooth-brushing into a succinct art history lesson. With so much to explore within the grounds, my stay passes by in a whirl of croquet, clay pigeon shooting, archery and horse riding. Guests can explore the grounds by golf buggy and tandem or, for those with the best balance, you can take a penny-farthing for a spin. All this activity drums up an appetite and the chefs at Ballyfin certainly step up to the plate. From elegant lunches in the light-filled conservatory (remember your sunglasses) to a five-course tasting dinner by candlelight, the menu incorporates seasonal produce, much of which is grown on the estate. On my first night I gorge on Irish Black Dexter steak tartar; Jerusalem artichoke soup with summer truffle shavings; Kilmore Quay line-caught halibut with native lobster; and pearl barley and local cheeses. Each course is expertly matched with wines, but for those who want to get better acquainted with the tipples on offer, a sommelier can guide you around the well-stocked cellar, home to vintages from 14 vineyards established by Irish exiles in the 18th century. If you’re struggling to decide what to wear for the occasion, do as me and the other guests did and raid Ballyfin’s collection of period costumes from the Lyric Opera Company, which you can don as you dine. I spent

an hilarious hour riffling through the rails of blancmangelike frocks, petticoats, fans and bonnets, before vetoing my pencil skirt for a more regal look. Bidding farewell to Ballyfin is hard, but the blow is slightly cushioned by the fact that the estate is part of Relais & Châteaux’s Route du Bonheur. Anyone who wants to continue their journey around this part of Ireland in style should stop off at Marlfield House in Gorey, Co. Wexford. The family-run hotel is lovingly presided over by the Bowes, who have run this scaled down, cosier version of Ballyfin for more than three decades. There’s a similar abundance of blast-from-thepast charm to be enjoyed here, too. With 35 acres to explore, walkways weave through dense undergrowth to a courtyard area that has been transformed into a delightful farm-to-table bistro. As I walk off a delicious lunch of cod and home-grown samphire I discover that Marlfield House also has a lake, but sadly the only thing strutting around it is a resplendently plumed peacock and not a Gallic Colin Firth.

more information All-inclusive rates at Ballyfin Demesne start from €800 (Sunday-Thursday) and €915 (FridaySaturday) per double room per night (1 October – 31 December excluding Christmas and New Year). In high season ( June-August) double rooms start from €1,075. Marlfield House offers rooms on a B&B basis from €230 per room per night ballyfin.com; relaischateaux.com 00 800 2000 0002 For more information about Ireland, visit tourismireland.com, 0800 039 7000

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Art A Work of

Rooksana Hossenally soaks up the irresistible allure of the French Riviera in picture-perfect Saint Paul de Vence

TRAVEL

alfway between Antibes and Nice on the French Riviera – just three miles inland from the sandy shores of Renoir’s charming village retreat, Cagnes-surMer – is a tiny hilltop medieval village that has captivated the imaginations of the world’s artists for almost a century. Within its 16th-century ramparts, cobblestoned streets lined with fuchsia bougainvillea wind up the hill and culminate at the 10th-century Saint-Michel chapel, where the Saint Paul de Vence story all began. Up here, the breath-taking sight of sun-soaked Provence stretches all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. However, the dazzling views are no more than a bonus to this bewitching little Provençal village. Ever since the 1940s, Saint Paul’s picturesque setting has provided writers and artists with a bottomless source of inspiration, and world-famous actors with a spot away from the bright lights of Cannes and Nice. As a result, news of its charms has travelled far and wide so in peak season (May to September) the village’s streets tend to teem with visitors. However, when I arrive just on the cusp of peak time, the narrow streets are still, and aside from the souls of long-gone artists who have chosen the village as their final resting place, I have it all to myself. Its small squares are often underpinned by intriguing artworks made from iron horseshoes by the contemporary French artist Rémi Pesce. But an artists’ retreat wasn’t always Saint Paul de Vence’s raison d’être. A border stronghold between Provence and Savoy from 1388, it was from this time that its ramparts were built. Saint Paul also held a strategic position in France’s defence against Italy until the 18th century, when the village experienced a religious renaissance attracting noble families who established themselves here. The village later became known for its mills where olives and flowers would be brought to be ground until the 1930s, after which it became a retreat for countless writers, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Bernard Shaw, and artists including Franco-Russian artist Marc Chagall, who spent the last

three decades of his life here. For him, Saint Paul was “the only place where the true light of the south can be found” and it is here that he painted his most famous works. A veritable icon, Chagall is actually buried in the village graveyard alongside Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, the founders of the nearby Fondation Maeght. Artists like Paul Signac began visiting Saint Paul in the 1920s, and in the 1940s the village was inundated with young writers, who were drawn to its irresistible tranquillity. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s when top French actors of the day Yves Montand and Simone Signoret moved into the village, where they met and married, that it reached its glitzy peak. Around the same time, French poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert also came to live in Saint Paul and moved into ‘La Miette’, an

Director Alfred Hitchcock was yet another to fall under Saint Paul’s spell enchanting stone mansion that can still be found on rue de l’Allée in the centre of the village. The new residents paved the way for other celebrities who flocked to the haven in search of a quiet bucolic break. Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo visited the village regularly, as well as international icons like Kirk Douglas, Orson Welles, Gene Wilder, Michael Caine, and Roger Moore, to name a few. Alfred Hitchcock was another to fall under Saint Paul’s spell. He even wanted to feature its streets in his film To Catch a Thief, a request the mayor refused (much to the outrage of Hitchcock). This beau petit monde would be seen at La Colombe d’Or, the most prized spot of the village at the time. Established in 1920 by local artist Paul Roux, the restaurant with rooms is located at the village entrance, where it still operates. The place to see and be seen, its clientele included Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Henri

Above, from left/ Marc Chagall; Michael Caine & Roger Moore

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From left/ Jacques Prévert; Simone Signoret; Fondation Maeght; La Colombe d’Or; Folon Chapel

Matisse, Georges Braque and Jean-Michel Folon, among others. It became a veritable icon in its own right, and as a result, boasts an impressive collection of artworks bequeathed by its guests. In fact, the inn was so emblematic of the village’s arty heyday that it even had the motto, “(Guests are) Welcome here on foot, on horseback, or on canvas!” Today, Saint Paul still draws artists from across the globe and while it is true that much of the works found in the art galleries within the village are replicas, there are a handful of places that still maintain the standards of the village’s creative reputation. The most popular galleries include the Frédéric Gollong Gallery, which was one of the first in the village, and Le Capricorne,

When it comes to the village’s art heritage, the real showstopper is Jean-Michel Folon’s chapel for its works by Chagall, Picasso and Matisse. Another favourite is the gallery of artist and close friend of Folon, Guy Pieters. It is possible to browse works by Folon but also pieces by the likes of Yves Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle and Robert Indiana. Visitors can meet working artists at their studios like Jean-Claude Tron, Danielle Alarcon Dalvin, Mesha Sendyk, and Cybèle. However, when it comes to the village’s art heritage, one of the real showstoppers is Jean-Michel Folon’s chapel, also known as the White Penitents’ Chapel. The 17th century building saw a complete overhaul by the Belgian artist and reopened in 2008. Homage to Folon’s 30-year love affair with Saint Paul de Vence, his vibrant pastel mosaic, his smooth sculptures, stained glass windows and murals took a team of eight artisans a painstaking two years to finish. The spectacular interior evokes a warm and harmonious backdrop depicting Saint Paul de Vence bathed in the unique golden light that has inspired so many visitors over the years. Back down the hill, along the rue Grande, the village’s main artery, past its art galleries, boutiques and restaurants, and on the way out of the village is the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as Place du Jeu de Boules, which La Colombe d’Or shares with the famous Café de la Place. It is another key spot where artists and actors were seen nursing a glass of chilled rosé while

playing a game of pétanque (bowls) with the locals. A 20-minute stroll away from here is the must-see Art Deco Fondation Maeght, which holds one of the world’s most impressive modern art collections. Inaugurated in 1964, the Fondation nestles in a garden scattered with in-situ works. Designed by Catalan architect Josep Lluís, the private museum was a work of love for the aforementioned founders Aimé and Marguerite, who built it in remembrance of their deceased son. A magnificent homage, exploring the museum is akin to stepping into an enchanted dream world of lives past. Artworks by Alberto Giacometti and Joan Miró, mosaics by Marc Chagall and Pierre Tal-Coat, stained glass works by Georges Braque and a fountain by Pol Bury, are featured throughout the building’s glass-wrapped interiors and courtyards.

TRAVEL

The Fondation is a welcome peaceful break from the village streets, which can be crowded in the hotter months. The tranquillity and pastoral Provençal backdrop are the reasons why I opt to stay outside the ramparts. A five-minute drive from the Fondation is the laid-back five-star boutique hotel Le Mas de Pierre. An oasis of glorious gardens planted with centuries-old olive trees and lavender, Saint Paul’s art heritage lives on here with poetic works by Folon and pop-art pieces by Robert Indiana, which give the cluster of bastides (typical stone houses of the region) a contemporary twist. A Relais & Châteaux hotel, the quaint and compact Le Mas de Pierre has seven bastides, of about 10 rooms each, spread across the luxuriant gardens. However, for ultimate bliss, I stay in one of the six spacious and individually decorated suites of the hotel’s Bastide des Fleurs annex, inaugurated

just last year. This bastide has a separate pool that comes lined with smart white cabanas for sunbathing in the utmost comfort – and for that extra touch, a butler is on call to satisfy guests’ every whim. When it comes to dining, guests can choose to have room service, but the restaurant is worth the detour. Located in the gardens, the terrace looks out onto surrounding vineyards and rolling hills all the way to the horizon. I found this spot to be a heavenly corner to indulge in a delicious lunch of fresh turbot fish caught that morning and full-flavoured, locally grown vegetables, teamed with a glass of chilled Sancerre to round-off the experience that strikes as close to perfection as it gets.

MORE INFORMATION London Heathrow to Nice Airport from £218 return with British Airways or a TGV (high-speed) train from Paris to Nice, from £140 return per person. A Prestige Suite at Le Mas de Pierre’s Bastide des Fleurs from £141 per night (for two people). 2320 route de Serres, 06570 Saint Paul de Vence lemasdepierre.com A suite at La Colombe d’Or from £330 per night. 06570 Saint Paul de Vence la-colombe-dor.com

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The Drive of your

Life

Marcin Krzyzak / Shutterstock.com

Anwer Bati explores Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Motor Valley, basing himself in Bologna and nearby Modena, in order to sample the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claims to fame

Pagani Zonda

MOTORING

he northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna is called The Land of Motors, for the excellent reason that it is not only home to many legendary performance car makers, but also a range of automobile attractions to bring out the inner Jeremy Clarkson in anyone. Since the area also boasts the best food in Italy, it’s a dream destination for car lovers who want to combine wheels with meals. It’s best to base yourself in the bustling university city of Bologna, with its splendid arcaded buildings and convenient transport links. Of several good hotels, easily the finest is the Grand Hotel Majestic, housed in an 18th-century palazzo in the heart of the city; recent guests include Paul McCartney and Jennifer Lopez. Four privately owned boutique hotels, ranging from the stylish Corona d’Oro to the more modest Orologio, are all conveniently central too. The area’s greatest motor attraction is undoubtedly the Ferrari museum in Maranello. If ever there was a company town, this would be it, with Ferrari uniforms, logo and colours in every corner. More than 150,000 people visit the dynamic venue annually to experience all aspects of the dream supercar, from F1 models raced by its champions to special displays and exhibitions of road cars. You can even try your hand at recreating a pit-stop or using an F1 simulator; and there is also a bus tour of the firm’s factory and test track nearby. A little south of Bologna is the Imola race circuit, formerly home of the San Marino Grand Prix. After Ayrton Senna suffered fatal injuries in 1994, it was no longer used for F1, though it has been redeveloped and now hosts several other races and events; a statue of Senna, erected in 1997, means that it is still a place of pilgrimage for F1 fans. For lovers of two wheels, Imola is also home to the Battilani Collection of early bikes, including Harley Davidsons. Other motorbike attractions include the Ducati factory and museum (book in advance) and the Bruno Nigelli collection – both just outside Bologna. The centre of Motor Valley is Modena, where the highlight is the Museo Enzo Ferrari. The museum, which opened three years ago, next to the house where Ferrari’s founder was born, is a shrine to motor sport and luxury cars; costing €18 million, it was designed by London-based Future Systems, most famous for the Media Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The aluminium roof is painted in the iconic yellow, a symbol of Modena, used as a background for Ferrari’s prancing horse trademark. Its dramatic curved spaces feature awesome Italian cars displayed like works of art in themed exhibitions, and it’s one of the key stops of a classic car parade commemorating the legendary Mille Miglia race in May. There is a festival of cars and motor cycles in the

town in the same month, and other automobile events year round. You can get a shuttle bus from the Museo Enzo Ferrari to the museum at Maranello. Modena is also home to the Stanguellini collection of cars, mainly those made by the firm, once a major name in motor sport until it stopped production in 1981. The collection features engines as well as motor racing artefacts and memorabilia. On the outskirts of town is the Autodromo di Modena – a circuit frequently used for new model launches, test drives and special events. There you can book high-powered cars to drive at speed (usually accompanied by a professional driver) or be driven around in race vehicles. There are also courses to sharpen your skills. Pagani is the newest marque to be built near Modena, founded by Horacio Pagani, an Argentinian designer, who formerly worked for Lamborghini. He launched the extraordinary carbon fibre Zonda in 1997, followed by the Huayra in 2011. Book in advance to visit the showroom and factory, where you can see the custom-made supercars – with top speeds of more than 200mph – being built for clients willing to pay up to €2 million per car. Maseratis are also made in Modena – although the famous trident logo is actually a symbol of Bologna where the cars were first produced – and at the Panini Museum, just outside town, you will find one of the world’s best collections. Models on display include a car

Apart from cars, Modena’s most iconic product is Balsamic vinegar raced by Stirling Moss, as well as motorbikes, cars from several other manufacturers and even tractors made by Lamborghini before the firm started making automobiles. The collection, a passion of the late Umberto Panini, who made his fortune by selling collectable football stickers, is based at his Hombre farm, which produces Parmesan cheese, one of the culinary stars of the region. See it being made early in the morning and buy some, vacuum packed, to bring back; the older, the more expensive. Apart from cars, Modena’s most iconic product is Balsamic vinegar. Two of the best producers, who welcome visitors for tastings, are Acetaia di Giorgio and Villa San Donnino, where the grand house on the estate was used as a location for Bertolucci’s film 1900. Smooth and syrupy, real Aceto Balsamico – rarely found outside Italy – is very different from the supermarket product. Marked D.O.P. (of protected origin) it comes only in bulbous 100 ml bottles created – true to the region – by motor designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, and is aged for either 12 or 25 years. It can sell locally for more than €150 so it’s a precious

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Ferrari Museum

motoring

product used very sparingly as a seasoning; never for cooking or salad dressings. Modena also takes pride in being home to the best restaurant in Italy; Massimo Bottura’s three Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana. Tradition is honoured by his playful signature dishes based on local favourites, including Parmesan served in five different ways; tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce; and his take on a mortadella sandwich. The svelte Bottura recently published a cookbook Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef and co-owns Franceschetta 58 where, if you’re in a hurry, you can try the delicious, good value buffet at lunch in a relaxed atmosphere (it’s a more conventional bistro in the evening). The other top choice in Modena is L’Erba del Re (one Michelin star) serving fine ingredients in neatly presented, deeply flavoured dishes. Once again, tradition is important, but rising chef Luca Marchini is expert at modern techniques. In Bologna, though, things don’t come much more homely than at Anna Maria. Freshly made pasta, including local speciality tortellini, dominates the unchanging menu, enjoyed by everyone from opera stars from the nearby Teatro Communale to students. At Cantina Bentivoglio the cavernous space, once the cellars of a palace, attracts dinner guests for the reliable food and for some of the best live jazz in town. Tamburini, another local institution, is not only the finest food shop in Bologna but also an immensely popular self-service restaurant and wine bar. Bologna’s most luxurious gastronomic experience, however, is at I Carracci, helmed by new chef Giuliano Tassinari, at the Grand Hotel Majestic, where the menu features delicious regional dishes alongside more exotic offerings, impeccably served under a 15th century frescoed ceiling. Spare yourself the trouble of organising an itinerary by going through British tour operator Motor Passion or locally through Modenatur. Both can arrange meals, stays, visits and transport so that you can concentrate on what really matters: the cars and cuisine.

Art Deco Terrace Suite

MORE INFORMATION Where to stay: lhw.com/ghmajesticbaglioni; bolognarthotels.it What to do: museiferrari.com; autodromoimola.it; ducati.com; nifo.it; stanguellini.it; autodromodimodena.it; pagani.com; paninimotormuseum.it; acetaiadigiorgio.it; villasandonnino.com Where to eat: osteriafrancescana.it; lerbadelre.it; trattoriannamaria.com; cantinabentivoglio.it; tamburini.com Who to book with: motor-passion.co.uk; modenatur.it EasyJet flies daily from Gatwick to Bologna (easyjet.com)

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On the Dock

of the

Bay Jennifer Mason explores the cultural and culinary melting pot of Hamburg

TRAVEL The Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

Hamburg is a place of contradictions. Each district appears to represent not only a different era in the city’s development, but also a distinct social climate. The Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten situated in the Binnenalster, is renowned for offering visitors access to the finer things in life. But travelling further out will allow those looking for a little more action to relive the early days of The Beatles in the trendy St Pauli quarter, home to numerous clubs, bars and the city’s seedier side, along the infamous Reeperbahn. Or, if you’re in search of real historical treasures, navigate your way to a hidden unnamed street ‘off the Krayenkamp’ near the beautiful St Michael’s Church in the Neustadt district. It’s the last 17th century courtyard remaining in the city and a well-preserved example of original (if crooked) architecture from the mid-1600s. In this way, Hamburg is the perfect city to get lost in – each district has a unique atmosphere and you’ll discover something unexpected around almost every corner. Driving from the classical architecture of the Binnenalster to the Speicherstadt or ‘warehouse district’ is another surprise. As a lass with a whole lot of Lancashire in her genes, I’m immediately struck by the similarities between this part of the city and the newly regenerated dock areas of Liverpool. The buildings have been restored thoughtfully – with original warehouse pulley systems still swinging from each roof – and there’s plenty to see and do here, with bars, museums and restaurants popping up like mushrooms in the old industrial quarter. For anyone with an interest in all things oceanrelated, the International Maritime Museum in the warehouse district is a must-see. Set over nine floors, the collection, collated by German businessman and enthusiast Peter Tamm and made up of more than 40,000 items, covers 3,000 years of maritime history – comprehensively. Our guide explains that taking the time to peruse the entire collection means packing snacks for the journey – he recommends a full ninehour experience to get the most from the museum. Thankfully for my feet, which are already feeling the effect of a day exploring the city, our tour is a whirlwind one, and soon we’re whisked away from tales of the

Doc Cheng’s restaurant

high seas back to our hotel, accompanied by rumbling stomachs that are more than ready to dig into the culinary delights for which the establishment is famous. Dining at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten is a indulgent experience that your tastebuds will certainly thank you for. During our stay, we visited several of the restaurants and cafés under its more than 100 year-old roof and tried cuisines from around the world. Well worth a mention was the legendary Doc Cheng’s, an award-winning basement restaurant serving up European-Asian fusion cuisine against a vibrant Far Eastern and Western 1920s-themed backdrop. Although the food was delicious – unusual flavours married well with traditional classics – the best part of the experience (and indeed my entire trip) was the exquisitely balanced

The Haerlin Restaurant is where the majority of the culinary action is Tarragon Smash aperitif; gin muddled with passion fruit, lemon juice, bitter orange and a hint of tarragon. Fresh and fruity, the subtle hint of herb elevated this cocktail to something I would happily drink every day for the rest of my life – and I don’t even like gin usually. Of course, it would have been rude not to try its sister – the Basil Smash – which is very nearly just as good. The Haerlin Restaurant is where the majority of the culinary action is – although keen diners should be prepared to book months in advance to enjoy head chef Christoph Rüffers’ two-Michelin starred cuisine. We didn’t manage to sample the delights during our stay, but we were given a tour of the unique glass-walled dining room set up in the middle of the restaurant’s kitchen. Sit at the chef’s table and you can count on a fascinating dining experience for those who want to see the inner workings of a top-class kitchen – and grill the chef for details about his techniques. After dinner, if you’re the kind of person who likes a cigar with their nightcap, the Jahreszeiten Bar is the coolest place to visit. Set over two floors just off the hotel lobby, this Mad Menesque bar oozes style and elegance, and is usually packed to

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TRAVEL

the rafters with Hamburg’s elite – particularly at weekends. Of course, after a long day exploring all that the city has to offer, it’s essential to find a place to relax and unwind – and the Vier Jahreszeiten certainly has plenty of those. Whether you prefer to lounge in front of the fire with a cup of tea in the traditional Wohnhalle, enjoy a treatment at the newly-refurbished spa, curl up with a good book in the modern, Scandinavian-inspired ‘reading room’ relaxation area or catch some rays on the rooftop terrace, there really is something to suit all tastes – and that’s not even taking into consideration the plush, understated luxury of the bedrooms and suites. My favourite thing about the hotel is the seamless fashion in which the classic opulence of the original design has been integrated with the new, more modern refurbishment. Time and care has been taken to ensure no details are overlooked, and the results speak for themselves. Charming quirks, like the seat in the old-fashioned lifts, have been preserved to ensure that the hotel, like the city it calls home, remembers and protects the triumphs of its past as it focuses resolutely on its future. For a long weekend filled with history, good food and a lively atmosphere, all topped off with a little luxury, Hamburg is just the ticket. Single rooms from €220 (£175) double rooms from €270 (£215) per night fairmont.com/vier-jahreszeiten-hamburg

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Live like a local After a hard night of partying on the Reeperbahn, locals head to the Fischmarkt (yes, it’s exactly as it sounds) an historic auction hall at the Hamburg harbour. From 5am every Sunday the market is packed with a mix of locals, tourists, and night owls who come to enjoy the live music, local beers and fresh produce straight off the boat. I’m told the pickled fish baguettes are a popular pre-emptive hangover cure. St Pauli Fischmarkt, Große Elbstraße 9 fischauktionshalle.com

not just a hotel,

a way of life

VISIT HRHI.COM

More than just a name, Snow Lepoard vodka was created to help save this beautiful creature from extinction. 15% of profits from the brand are given directly to Snow Leopard conservation projects. Award winning Snow Leopard vodka is the first luxury vodka to be made from the Spelt grain, which provides a unique and distinct, nutty fresh taste. Available from Selfridges, Hedonism Drinks and Fortnum and Mason

www.snowleopardvodka.co.uk

& DINING

DRINKING

BY PHOEBE MCDOWELL

The World is our Oyster The World’s End Market dates back to the time of Charles II but it has been years since this historic watering hole has been open for business. Until now. The abandoned old English tavern has been brought back to life in the form of a brasserie-style restaurant. The rustic and informal interior, featuring subway tiled walls, distressed wooden tables and industrial lighting, perfectly complements the simple and hearty menu, which incorporates the freshest market fish and meat produce. For starters, you’ll be hard-pressed to select just one, as all of the options taste as good as they sound. That being said, we would heartily recommend the white asparagus, shitake mushrooms, poached egg and parmesan, which brings together beautiful local ingredients in one tasty dish, or the carpaccio of tuna which is served with preserved lemon salsa and harissa and packs a zesty, flavourful punch. While the burgers are delicious, we feel you cannot go to The World’s End Market without sampling the fish, which sit invitingly in a display case in front of the open-plan kitchen and are listed on the menu according to their origin. For a decadent choice, opt for the whole lobster from Canada, which is reasonably priced at £26.50. What makes the mains even better is that they all automatically come with a side of fries (so you don’t have to feel guilty about ordering them yourself), along with a salad and choice of sauce. Puddings are a bit uninspired (cake or ice cream, pretty much), but with such generous portions, you won’t need one anyway. 459 King’s Road, SW10; theworldsendmarket.com

High Expectations Aussie chef Scott Hallsworth started out at Nobu, the Ferrari of London’s Japanese restaurants. In 2014 he opened a pop-up called Kurobuta in Chelsea and fortunately for the locals who live nearby, it has now become a permanent fixture. Inspired by Japanese izakayas – tavern-style establishments where locals go to drink and share small plates – the restaurant’s decor is plain and simple; music equipment boxes double up as seats and KB (Kurobuta) emblazoned flags hang on the exposed brick walls. While Japanese food is lauded for its precision, Kurobuta takes its cues from a whole host of other cultures. The tuna sashimi pizza is more like an Asian taco, with fiery pieces of chilli harmoniously balanced with truffle ponzu. Equally as delicious are the beautifully tender Wagyu beef sliders, served with pickled cucumber and crispy onions; our only criticism is the bitesize portion. The unexpected star of the show, however, is the miso-infused grilled aubergines smattered with audibly crunchy pieces of walnut. All in all, the innovative and daringly quirky menu goes hand-in-hand with the refreshingly nonchalant atmosphere of this King’s Road hotspot. Definitely worth a visit. 312 King’s Road, SW3; kurobuta-london.com

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& DINING

DRINKING

Fashionable Fancies We could not have believed it was possible to make macarons more irresistible than they already are; that is, until we learnt that luxury Italian fashion house Emilio Pucci had partnered with Ladurée on a limited edition collection in time for Easter. To mark this collaboration, rose and lemon flavours have been specially blended by the French bakery house in honour of la dolce vita of the Italian Riviera. Take yours away in a trademark Pucci psychedelic silk box in either blue or pink, depending on your fancy. Silk box of eight macarons, £24 Available in Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X harrods.com

W10

New Kid in Town

What happens when the restaurateur and visionary behind Beach Blanket Babylon comes together with an ex Soho House Group head chef? The answer is West Thirty Six. The concept behind this four-storey, all-day enclave is a modern take on a traditional grill, which fuses British and American cuisine. The interior is reminiscent of a traditional gentlemen’s club: think wood-panelled hideaways, soft lighting, velveteen banquettes, sinking chairs and trinket-filled bookcases. A troupe of young, good-looking waiters is always on hand to recommend just about everything on the refreshingly simple menu which includes decadent options such as lobster and shoestring fries accompanied with a dinky bronze pan of béarnaise sauce. If it hasn’t already, we predict West Thirty Six will undoubtedly become the locals’ new go-to place. 36 Golborne Road, W10 w36.co.uk

Traditional Treat Hot cross buns at Easter are ten a penny, but melt-in-the-mouth ones with a delicate sweet spicy balance and a perfect fruit-to-bread ratio are far harder to come by. That is why Chelsea-based Gail’s Bakery has spent years refining the recipe to ensure that all of these criteria are met in every single one of their renowned buns. Fresh out of the oven and glazed with spicy syrup for added stickiness, how could anyone possibly resist? £1.25 each or £6.50 for six 209 King’s Road, SW3 gailsbread.co.uk

Choux Fit From its first store in Brussels, Pierre Marcolini has experienced a meteoric rise to success with stores based all over the world. And now, it’s London’s turn. The new chocolate boutique on Marylebone High Street, set to open this April, will feature a bespoke chocolate counter, macaroon carousel, sweetie bar and tasting area. Exclusive to the boutique is a range of freshly made éclairs in exotic flavours such as mango, pineapple, coconut and raspberry. Don’t mind if we choux! 37 Marylebone High Street, W1U marcolini.be

Good Egg

Words to Live By

Only the finest chocolate could have inspired Willy Wonka’s mouth-watering factory in Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book. That being said, we were far from surprised when we discovered that the British author’s preferred chocolatier was none other than Prestat, creators of chocolate truffles since 1891. This Easter, Prestat has hatched its largest assortment of eggs yet, including a brand new, delicious flavour: red velvet. Silky milk and dark chocolate eggs encase award-winning truffles and come in signature gold swirled boxes. I guess the rumour Grandpa Joe once heard is true: “I’ve heard tell that what you imagine sometimes come true”.

A new book, Food & Life is the work of world-renowned chef Joël Robuchon and Dr. Nadia Volf, a professor of medicine who specialises in nutrition and acupuncture. Working on the premise that foods have underestimated healing qualities, the cookbook offers a range of wellbeing recipes through Robuchon’s Michelin-starred lens. It encourages readers to make informed choices that should lead to a more healthy and balanced lifestyle.

From £15 prestat.com

£35, Food & Life assouline.com

W11

At Home in Italy

Valentina was founded in East Sheen in 1991 by two Italian families and they have made sure that their heritage takes the lead role in this gastronomic production. Sepia photographs of distant relatives hang in picture frames around the restaurant next to clumps of chillis and garlic and the shop at the front provides some mouthwatering recipes to take home. Authentic Italian food is on the menu but you had better hold back on the antipasti because the mains require some gusto. The langoustine linguini is served on a platter big enough for two (or maybe one hungry Italian), while the simple pacherri with wild boar ragu hits the spot just right. For a soothing finish, opt for the zingy lemon sorbet or a rich, sweet affagato to wake you from your food-induced slumber. 145 Notting Hill Gate, W11 valentinafinefoods.com

All Images ©Harald Gottschalk

The Art of Drinking The Spice Route A long time, go-to favourite among Chelsea’s discerning residents has been Chutney Mary; however, in a quest for expansion, the contemporary Indian recently made the decision to relocate and has now taken up residency on nearby St James’ Street. And it’s not just the gamut of dishes that has been extended but also the service times too, as the new establishment will serve both breakfast and brunch, along with dinner. What’s more, if you were rather partial to its old spot on the King’s Road, you’ll be happy to know that the Masala Grill that has just opened in its place, brought to you by the same team. And while their exotic interiors may be brand new, the much-loved ethos thankfully remains the same. 73 St James’ Street, SW1 chutneymary.com

It took a lot to distract guests from Julien Macdonald’s dazzling 2015 LFW show; a chocolate and vodka cocktail, to be precise. The two naughty but nice ingredients came courtesy of luxury brands Snow Leopard Vodka and Artisan du Chocolat, and were expertly combined by mixologists to create two very memorable and unique options. We rather fancy the sound of a ‘Fig-ment of my imagination’; a tipple that includes fig liqueur and chocolate-infused Snow Leopard vodka stirred over ice. We only hope guests weren’t fooled into thinking the green chocolate-coated almond accompanying it was an olive. Snow Leopard vodka, £36; snowleopardvodka.co.uk

125

Photography: Dave Benett Phoebe Collings-James and Harriet Verney

Amber Le Bon

M.I.A.

Ella Catliff

Portia Freeman and Alice Naylor-Leyland

Susie Lau Warpaint Stephen Jones Nick Grimshaw

Whitney Port

Harley Viera-Newton, Leigh Lezark and Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor Bip Ling

Cailli and Sam Beckerman

Pixie Lott

Kate Foley

LONDON LIVING Photography: Dave Benett

High Praise WHAT: Launch of Kelly Hoppen by apaiser WHEN: 5 February WHERE: Iris Studio, Chelsea WHO: Donna Air, Yasmin Le Bon, Kelly Hoppen, Julien Macdonald and Bruno Tonioli WHY: Guests raised their glasses of Perrier-Jouët to toast interior designer Kelly Hoppen and her new bathware collection in collaboration with luxury Australian manufacturer apaiser on the evening of the 5 February. While admiring the sleek white bath tubs on display, close friends of the designer – Julien Macdonald, Yasmin Le Bon and Jasmine Guinness – were seen tucking into the selection of cheeses provided by Alex James and tapping their toes to popular London DJ Ben Bridgewater's tunes. Although Hoppen has announced that she is leaving Dragon’s Den, that didn’t stop James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne attending the event to wish their fellow dragon well.

Nancy Dell'Olio, Bruno Tonioli, Yasmin Le Bon, Duncan Bannatyne and Kelly Hoppen

Yasmin Mills and Donna Air

Back to the Future WHAT: Coach Future Contemporaries party WHEN: 21 February WHERE: Serpentine Sackler Gallery, Kensington Gardens WHO: Amber Le Bon, Mary Charteris, Princess Eugenie, Nick Grimshaw and Daisy Lowe WHY: There was something for everyone at the Future Cotemporaries party this year, hosted alongside luxury fashion house Coach. Whether celeb guests fancied letting their hair down and partying, listening to some poetry from Michael Horovitz or nibbling on some Kofler & Kompanie treats, the annual fundraiser did not disappoint. LA indie rock group Warpaint put on a rip-roaring performance and Nick Grimshaw did what he does best and took to the decks for a memorable DJ set. Altogether, the evening was a thoroughly civilized affair jam-packed with culture and cocktails. Who could possibly ask for more?

Jasmine Guinness

Julien Macdonald, Kelly Hoppen, Melissa Odabash and guest

Haydn Gwynne

Spaced Out WHAT: The Old Vic's Clarence Darrow guest night after-show party WHEN: 5 March WHERE: Mondrian London, South Bank WHO: Niamh Cusack, Laura Dockrill, Robert Emms, Sally Greene, Haydn Gwynne, Kevin Spacey and Hans Zimmer WHY: Kevin Spacey returned to the stage at the Old Vic for the final time to star as Clarence Darrow in the one-man play about the famous civil rights lawyer. If you’re quick, you can still catch it and we would certainly recommend you do. Spacey was joined by fellow thespian friends at the Mondrian’s Sea Containers restaurant to toast the six-week run of the drama and Spacey’s 10 year tenure as artistic director of the theatre. Refreshments shared the limelight with divine canapés including Chaplin Swan smoked salmon and muscovite cone and Oscietra caviar, all of which were washed down with Olsson Smith garden-themed cocktails. Encore!

Kevin Spacey Niamh Cusack

Old Vic CEO Sally Greene and director Thea Sharrock

Barbara and David Dein

Kevin Spacey and David Liddiment

Dina de Luca Chartouni and Hans Zimmer Photography: Getty / Dave Benett

127

New Lease of Life

Joël Robuchon Mark Francis-Vandelli

WHAT: Food & Life book launch WHEN: 11 February WHERE: Maison Assouline, Piccadilly WHO: Achille Checuz, Joël Robuchon, Dr Nadia Volf and Mark-Francis Vandelli WHY: Publishers Maison Assouline hosted a very tasteful affair at its Mayfair flagship store (which recently reached its 20th anniversary) to celebrate the launch of Joël Robuchon and Dr Nadia Volf’s new Food & Life cookbook. The two authors signed copies while guests sampled Michelin-quality edibles and witnessed the unveiling of The Aerial Oxygen Cocktail, a unique formula created by Dr Nadia Volf. Made with 99 per cent oxygen and infused with herbs, vitamins and gemstone elixirs, we can guarantee that none of the guests in attendance woke up the next day with a raging hangover (unless they went on afterwards, that is).

The Aerial Oxygen Cocktail

Brief Encounter

Dr Nadia Volf

Chelsea Leyland and Kate Foley

Whitney Port

Christene Barberich and Piera Gelardi

WHAT: La Perla flagship boutique launch party WHEN: 20 February WHERE: La Perla, Old Bond Street WHO: Robert Cavalli, Melissa Hemsley, Zara Martin, Alice Naylor-Leyland and Joëlle Pellegrin WHY: Any man passing the windows of La Perla’s newly opened flagship store in Mayfair on 20 February would have had quite the shock; hoards of beautiful ladies (and a few very lucky gents) were stood admiring the luxury brand’s exquisite lingerie and racy swimwear. The launch of the new three-storey space coincided with the unveiling of the Atelier collection, first debuted during Paris Haute Couture Week in January. Designed by Emiliano Rinaldi, the sophisticated and sporty line includes bodysuits, satin hoodies, sheer skirts and lace baseball jerseys. In homage to the brand’s Italian roots, guests drank prosecco and amalfitana cocktails and nibbled on canapés.

Quentin Jones

Party Time Bianca Jagger and Ellie Stephens

Jasmine Guinness and Tiphanie de Lussy Photography: Nick Harvey

Alice Naylor-Leyland

WHAT: Club Monaco London Fashion Week party WHEN: 21 February WHERE: Club Monaco, Sloane Square WHO: Quentin Jones, Katie Foley, Bianca Jagger, Chelsea Leyland, Alice Naylor-Leyland and Whitney Port WHY: Despite hectic and conflicting LFW schedules, the Club Monaco and Refinery29 party was not an evening to miss – not least because of the prosecco on tap. Bianca Jagger and Chelsea Leyland certainly got the memo as they hotfooted it to the Sloane Square boutique to get some much-needed sustenance after their hectic days. Guests feasted on mouthwatering Vietnamese chicken, teriyaki salmon and crispy chilli beef, while flicking through co-host Refinery29’s new fashion tome, which launched back in December. Though judging by guests' sartorial statements, it doesn’t look like they needed a copy.

LONDON LIVING Photography: Getty Images / Nick Harvey Zara Martin and Sunday Girl

Olivia Buckingham and Alice Naylor-Leyland

Guests

Tessa Kuragi

Sara Brajovic and guest

Eric Underwood

Atlanta de Cadanet Taylor

Robert Cavalli and Mark Francis-Vandelli

Laura Jackson

Henry Conway and guest

Betty Bachz Lise Grendene

Guests

Ella Catliff

Alexandra Shulman

Hikari Yokoyama

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The Concierge What is it you require, sir? How may I help, madam? The Concierge is here to help with every need, whim or wish, however great or small Apparel

Ligne Roset

Hydrohealing Spa

Bibendum

Repairs & Cleaning

23/25 Mortimer Street, W1T 3JE 020 7323 1248 ligne-roset.co.uk

216a Kensington Park Rd, W11 1NR 020 7727 2570 hydrohealing.com

81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD 020 7581 5817 bibendum.co.uk

Jeeves of Belgravia 123 Fulham Road, SW3 6RT 020 7589 9229 jeevesofbelgravia.co.uk

Sloane Tailors & Dry Cleaners 69 Lower Sloane Street SW1W 8DA 020 7824 8644 sloanetailorsanddrycleaners.co.uk

Precious Pieces

April Russell Design

Strip Wax Bar

Le Café Anglais

13 Cheyne Court, SW3 5TP 020 3055 0090 aprilrussell.com

112 Talbot Road, W11 1JR 020 7727 2754 stripwaxbar.com

8 Porchester Gardens, W2 4DB 020 7221 1415 lecafeanglais.co.uk

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture 202 Kensington Park Road W11 1NR, 020 7792 9022 rachelashwellshabbychiccouture.com

Urban Retreat at Harrods

Chelsea Brasserie

87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL 020 7893 8333 urbanretreat.co.uk

7-12 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EG 020 7881 5999 chelsea-brasserie.co.uk

Medical & Dental Services

The Cow

251 Brompton Rd, SW3 2EP 0845 250 0010 subzero-wolf.co.uk

Cadogan Street Dental Office

89 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QH 020 7221 0021 thecowlondon.co.uk

Nina’s House

Chelsea Consulting Rooms

Cartier

281 King’s Road, SW3 5EW 020 7751 5827 ninashouse.com

2 Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8BJ 020 7763 9100 chelseaconsultingrooms.com

143-144 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BL 020 7312 6930 cartier.co.uk

Pampering & Wellbeing

Medicare Français

Jewellery Valuation & repair

Sub-Zero & Wolf Hawkes and Son 50-52 Walton Street, SW3 1RB 020 7589 2523 hawkesandson.com Watch Repair

Electric House

Hairdressers

The Watch Gallery 129 Fulham Road, SW3 6RT 020 7952 2731 thewatchgallery.co.uk

47 Cadogan Street, SW3 2QJ 020 7581 0811

191 Portobello Road, W11 2ED 020 7908 9696 electrichouse.com

Gaucho 3 Harrington Gardens, SW7 4JJ 020 7370 4999 medicare-francais.co.uk

Hari’s

89 Sloane Avenue, SW3 3DX 020 7584 9901 gauchorestaurants.co.uk

The Ledbury Restaurant Smile Style Dental Care

Vintage Watch Sellers

305 Brompton Road SW3 2DY 020 7581 5211 harissalon.com

146 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UE 020 7727 5810 smilestyledental.co.uk

Watches of Knightsbridge

Light Hair Studio

42 The Dental Practice

64 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7JF 020 7590 3034 watchesofknightsbridge.com

293 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7792 0100 lighthairstudio.com

42 Pembridge Road, W11 3HN 020 7229 5542 42thedentalpractice.com

127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ 020 7792 9090 theledbury.com

The Lonsdale

For the Home

Richard Ward

& APPLICANCES

82 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY 020 7730 1222 richardward.com

Hutch Interiors 61 Golborne Road, W10 5NR 020 3659 4320 hutchinteriors.com

12 Raddington Road, W10 5TG 020 8962 0635 portobelloclinic.com

Haute Cuisine Dining

Beauty Salons & Spas

Katharine Pooley 160 Walton Street, SW3 2JL 020 7584 3223 katharinepooley.co.uk

The Mitre The Portobello Clinic

FurniturE, SOFT furnishings

48 Lonsdale Road, W11 2DE 020 7727 4080 thelonsdale.co.uk

40 Holland Park Avenue, W11 3QY 020 7727 6332 themitrew11.co.uk

One Kensington 1 Kensington High Street, W8 5NP 020 7795 6533 one-kensington.com

Bar Boulud The Chelsea Day Spa 69a King’s Road, SW3 4NX 020 7351 0911 thechelseadayspa.co.uk

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA 020 7201 3899 barboulud.com

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP 020 7352 4441 gordonramsay.com

CONCIERGE

Scalini 1-3 Walton Street, SW3 2JD 020 7225 2301 scalinionline.com

Umami 100 Cromwell Road, SW7 4ER 020 7341 2320 umamilondon.co.uk

Members Clubs

cleaners

dog training

Chelsea Arts Club

Hillside Clothes Care

M.A. Dog Training and Services

143 Old Church Street, SW3 6EB 020 7376 3311 chelseaartsclub.com

118 Kensington Park Road W11 2PW 020 7243 6900 hillsidedryclean.co.uk

07547 716076 madogtraining@gmail.com madogtrainingandservices.co.uk

The Sloane Club Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8BS 020 7730 9131 sloaneclub.co.uk

moving services

Infusion Haberdashery and Dry Cleaners

La Bottega

Business Affairs

14 Gloucester Road SW7 4RB 020 7581 6980 labottega.co.uk

computer & technology help

3 Chepstow Road W2 5BL 020 7243 8735 infusion-haberdashery.co.uk

Richard Darsa

Housekeeping

78 Cadogan Place, SW1X 9RP 07768 200 551 richard@darsa.net

St. Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Housekeeping

Delicatessens

Ottolenghi Delicatessen 63 Ledbury Road W11 2AD 020 7727 1121 ottolenghi.co.uk

Partridges 2-5 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY 020 7730 7102 partridges.co.uk Chocolatiers

Melt Chocolates 59 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA 020 7727 5030 meltchocolates.com

William Curley 198 Ebury Street, SW1W 8UN 020 7730 5522 williamcurley.co.uk

PICTURE FRAMER

Frame Set & Match

Couriers

19 Bolsover Street, W1W 5NA 020 3397 7495 stanneshousekeeping.com

Runners 4 U Couriers

Pets

111 Old Brompton Road SW7 3LE 020 7589 7635 sk@framesetandmatch.com

Canine Culture

psychotherapist

15 Elgin Mews, W11 1PU 020 6305 8941 runners4u.com

Selena Courier Service 27 Eardley Crescent, SW5 9JS 020 7912 0062 selenacourier.co.uk Luxury Car Services

Avolus Luxury Transport

Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, W10 4JL 079 4952 3710 canineculture.co.uk

Purple Bone 95 Notting Hill Gate W11 3JZ 020 7985 0903 purplebone.com

38 Lombard Road, SW11 3RP 020 7978 6506 avolus.com

Little Luxuries

lifestyle services

Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart

london lifestyle service

222 Westbourne Grove W11 2RH 020 7727 3095 wildatheart.com

Drinking

White Circle Collection

Boujis

71 Walton Street, SW3 2HT 020 7989 9890 whitecirclecollection.com

43 Thurloe Street, SW7 2LQ 020 7584 2000 boujis.com

Abels Moving Services UK Residential, European and International Removals & Storage 020 3773 5796 info@abels.co.uk abels.co.uk

Flowers

specialist services BUILDER

Childcare

William Gaze Ltd The Cadogan Arms

Kensington Nannies

298 Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, SW3 5UG 020 7352 6500 thecadoganarmschelsea.com

3 Horton Place, Kensington High Street, W8 4LZ kensington-nannies.co.uk

Basement, Loft & Extension Specialist 28 Imperial Square 020 7078 8874 williamgazeltd.com

Suzanne Thomas 07770 378791 suzannethomas @suzannethomas.co.uk suzannethomas.co.uk SHORT-LET RENTAL MANAGEMENT

Easy Rental Services aurelie@easy-rental-services.com +44 7817 722073 easy-rental-services.com EMOTIONAL WELLBEING THROUGH WRITINg

Ease your emotional baggage through writing. Sit with a writer and, using a specially developed format, write out your traumatic event or problem to release it. To book 60 or 90 minute appointments email info@lilybass.com or call 07733 112333 lilybass.com

131

Suppliers of quality bespoke doors and ironmongery to some of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest homes. Showrooms: Esher, Surrey & Chelsea Harbour 01932 851 081 or 0207 376 7000 info@solidwoodendoors.com www.solidwoodendoors.com

HOMES showcasing the

finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Lateral living Investing in Kensingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luxury developments

Election fever

Estate agents make their predictions for Prime Central London

Image courtesy of JLL

Featured Estate Agents carterjonas.co.uk HOLLAND PARK & NOTTING HILL 8 Addison Avenue W11 4QR 020 7371 1111

NOTTING HILL 17 Kensington Park Road W11 2EU 020 7727 1717

KENSINGTON 8 Hornton Street W8 4NW 020 7937 9371

hlrlets.com

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 37 Alexander Street W2 5NU 020 7908 9338

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 168 Brompton Road SW3 1HW 020 7584 2044

CHELSEA 117 Sydney Street SW3 6NR 020 7351 7822

KNIGHTSBRIDGE & CHELSEA 47 Beauchamp Place SW3 1NX 020 7584 7020

hogarthestates.co.uk

CHELSEA 45 Sloane Avenue SW3 3DH 020 7225 1225

NOTTING HILL 10 Clarendon Road W11 3AA 020 7229 1414

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

KENSINGTON 172 Kensington Church Street W8 4BN 020 7792 1881 KENSINGTON GATE 22 Gloucester Road SW7 4RB 020 7581 1152 NOTTING HILL 299 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7727 7777 SOUTH KENSINGTON 25-27 Harrington Road SW7 3EU 020 7581 8888

dominiclondon.com KENSINGTON 38 Gloucester Road SW7 4QT 020 7581 0154

BAYSWATER 78 Westbourne Grove W2 5RT 020 7221 7817

PADDINGTON 4c Praed Street, W2 1JX 020 7717 5313 PIMLICO & WESTMINSTER 50 Belgrave Road SW1V 1RQ 020 7717 5315 SLOANE SQUARE 7 Lower Sloane Street SW1W 8AH 020 7717 5317

HAMPTONS COUNTRY HOUSE

8 Chertsey Street, Surrey GU1 4HD 01483 339740

knightfrank.co.uk EARLS COURT 16b Hogarth Place Earls Court SW5 0QT 020 7373 5222

BELGRAVIA 82-83 Chester Square SW1W 9JH 020 7881 7722 CHELSEA 352a King’s Road SW3 5UU 020 7349 4300

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

FULHAM 203 New King’s Road SW6 4SR 020 7751 2400 Hyde Park 1 Craven Terrace W2 3QD 020 7871 5060

harrodsestates.com CHELSEA 58 Fulham Road SW3 6HH 020 7225 6700

joneslanglasalle.co.uk

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 82 Brompton Road SW3 1ER 020 7225 6506

KENSINGTON 375 Kensington High St W14 8QH 020 7087 5696

henryandjames.co.uk

WEST END 30 Warwick Street W1B 5NH 020 7201 6699

BELGRAVIA 1 Motcomb Street SW1X 8JX 020 7235 8861

kfh.co.uk

CHELSEA 2 Cale Street SW3 3QU 020 7581 5011

BAYSWATER 23 Leinster Terrace W2 3ET 020 3280 3504

hamptons.co.uk CHELSEA 134 Fulham Road SW10 9PY 020 7717 5291

domusnova.com

HOLLAND PARK 128 Holland Park Avenue W11 4UE 020 3282 1550

NOTTING HILL 301 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7717 5311 douglasandgordon.com

century21uk.com

FULHAM 29 Effie Road SW6 1EN 020 3280 3528

KENSINGTON 54-56 Kensington Church Street W8 4DB 020 7938 4311 KNIGHTSBRIDGE 60 Sloane Avenue SW3 3DD 020 7591 8600 NOTTING HILL 298 Westbourne Grove W11 2PS 020 7229 0229 SOUTH KENSINGTON 157 Gloucester Road SW7 4TH 020 7871 4111

sothebysrealty.co.uk CHELSEA 62-64 Fulham Road SW3 6HH 020 7808 8540 MAYFAIR 26a Conduit Street W1S 2XY 020 7495 9580

Notting Hill 2-6 Kensington Park Road W11 3BU 020 7313 2890 South Kensington 29 Harrington Road SW7 3HD 020 7590 0800

pattersonbowe.co.uk

malverns.co.uk

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 49 Beauchamp Place SW3 1NY 020 7581 3253

KENSINGTON Malvern Court Onslow Square SW7 3HU 020 7589 8122

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 188 Brompton Road SW3 1HQ 020 7581 5234

waellis.co.uk KNIGHTSBRIDGE 174 Brompton RoadÂ SW3 1HP 020 7306 1610

Notting Hill 168 Westbourne Grove W11 2RW 020 7727 5750

wilfords.com

SLOANE STREET 139 Sloane Street SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822

KENSINGTON 6 Holland Street W8 4LT 020 7361 0400

rokstone.com

winkworth.co.uk

Marylebone 5 Dorset Street W1U 6QJ 020 7580 2030

Kensington 118 Kensington Church Street, W8 4BH 020 7727 1500

struttandparker.com CHELSEA 43 Cadogan Street SW3 2PR 020 7225 3866

marshandparsons.co.uk Chelsea Rawlings House 2a Milner Street, SW3 2PU 020 7591 5570 www.russellsimpson.co.uk Earls Court 246 Old Brompton Road SW5 ODE 020 7835 0620

KENSINGTON 145 Kensington Church Street W8 7LP 020 7535 3300

Chelsea 5 Anderson Street SW3 3LU 020 7225 0277

Holland Park 57 Norland Square W11 4QJ 020 7605 6890

WEST CHELSEA 140 Fulham Road SW10 9PY 020 7373 1010 KENSINGTON 103 Kensington Church Street W8 7LN 020 7938 3666

Knightsbridge & Chelsea 289 Brompton Road SW3 2DY 020 7589 6616 Notting Hill 178 Westbourne Grove W11 2RH 020 7727 3227 South Kensington 123a Gloucester Road SW7 4TE 020 7373 5052

KNIGHTSBRIDGE 66 Sloane Street SW1X 9SH 020 7235 9959

Kensington 9 Kensington Church Street W8 4LF 020 7368 4450

savills.co.uk

North Kensington 136 Lancaster Road W11 1QU 020 7313 8350

CHELSEA 196-200 Fulham Road SW10 9PN 020 7578 9000

NOTTING HILL 303 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7221 1111

135

PROPERTY

PrimeQResi

Property News

Journal of Prime Property

PRIME RESI provides us with a comprehensive monthly round-up of key news about the local luxury property market

One Sloane Gardens (to become Hotel Costes) Image courtesy of: The Cadogan Estate

primeresi.com

Market Comment Intelligent Marketing Tom Lewis, Partner at Carter Jonas, embraces the trend of off-market purchases in the run up to the General Election

The Kensington and Chelsea sales market has had

J’taime Paris Sloane Gardens resi-to-hotel conversion gets A-list Parisian twist: The Cadogan Estate has brought in Parisian celebrity hotelier JeanLouis Costes, the man behind Hôtel Costes on Rue St Honoré, to add some chicness to a new hotel project at One Sloane Gardens. The Victorian building (designed by Liberty architect Edwin Thomas Hall) within braying distance of Sloane Square is currently full of residential apartments, but works are due to begin this year to turn it into a 40-room high-end hotel that is slated to open in 2016. Costes has been tasked with conceiving the project’s “brand, character and soul, to combine a private and intimate feeling with the distinguished and historic pedigree of the Sloane Square Conservation Area. “It was crucial for us not only to find the best possible partner in terms of experience and skill,” says Hugh Seaborn, CEO of Cadogan, “but someone who shares our passion for creating a destination that is truly exceptional and inspiring. We are delighted to be working with the great visionary behind the iconic Hôtel Costes – he has a unique way of creating beautiful environments for the world’s most discerning travellers.”

136

an absolute rollercoaster of a year with some properties achieving record prices whilst others, sometimes seemingly inexplicably, languished unappreciated. Estate agents have had to learn to ‘box-clever’ in the spectre of the General Election on 7 May. Many of the properties that we have sold at Carter Jonas this year have been off-market, a trend that seems to be increasingly prevalent in Prime Central London and one that requires agents to be extremely well-connected with their buyers. Many purchasers appreciate this approach, the feeling of exclusivity, of being the first to see the property and a level of discretion. From a vendor’s perspective a period of ‘pre-marketing’ can also provide a good deal of market intelligence on the guide price to ensure that if we do openly market the property, that it is priced at precisely the right level. We can assess the marketing strategy without having already ‘set out our stall’ by releasing the property to the open market. This is a course that we have encouraged prospective clients to explore, especially if they were unsure of when to make their move. Stamp duty has long been a divisive and polemical tax. First introduced in the late 17th century to fund the war on France, it was initially raised on the sale of paper and parchment rather than properties. The attempted enforcement of the Stamp Act in the British Colonies in America led to cries of: “No taxation without representation!” and contributed towards the outbreak of the American War of Independence. Back to the present day and the political posturing in the run up to the General Election is somewhat less dramatic. As with the previous changes to the Stamp Duty in 2008 the effects of the latest legislation (and even the Mansion Tax if implemented) will likely be absorbed by the market in due course and will encourage investors to diversify their property portfolios. The not knowing is generally worse than the eventual reality and the pre-election blues will hopefully soon be banished and long forgotten. We anticipate a surge in buying activity in Kensington and Chelsea during the second half of 2015. Carter Jonas LLP, 47 Beauchamp Place, Chelsea, SW3 1NX carterjonas.co.uk

LONDON

•

H O N G KO N G

•

DUBAI

Our expertise translates the world over. Market your property in one of the most exclusive, international exhibitions taking place this year – The Collection. This event will showcase the very best UK and international properties to active buyers and investors in London, Far East and Middle East. For more information and to be part of this bespoke event, please contact your nearest Hamptons International branch or visit our website today.

www.hamptons.co.uk/thecollection2015 Deadline for entries is 17th April 2015

Beyond your expectations

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Ennismore Gardens, SW7 A superb three bedroomed third and fourth floor apartment situated in a Grade II listed period building (with a lift). The property offers well proportioned split level accommodation with a roof terrace and direct views over one of Knightsbridge’s most sought-after garden squares. EPC: E

£2,950,000 Share of Freehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Knightsbridge Office Sales. 020 7717 5461 | Lettings. 020 7717 5463

Reception room Kitchen Master bedroom suite Two further bedrooms Shower room Utility room

St Petersburgh Place, W2 An elegant refurbished lateral apartment over the second floor of smart portered building on St Petersburgh Place, moments from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The apartment has flexible accommodation with excellent storage space. Ideally situated for Notting Hill, Westbourne Grove and Queensway with their wonderful array of fashionable shops, bars and restaurants. Excellent transport links are also on the doorstep including direct links to the City, Paddington Station/Heathrow. EPC: D

Hamptons Notting Hill Office Sales. 020 7717 5311 | Lettings. 020 7717 5341

£1,700,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Kitchen Reception room Master bedroom en-suite Second bedroom en-suite Third bedroom Separate bathroom

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Beaufort Mansions, SW3 An exceptional two bedroom flat, recently refurbished by an award winning architect and interior designer. Key features include a stunning west facing 35’9 reception room/ kitchen, direct access to communal gardens, master bedroom, second double bedroom and spa style bathroom. Additionally there is an integrated sound system, state of the art sound-proofing and under floor heating. EPC: D

£1,495,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Chelsea Office Sales. 0207 835 1444 | Lettings. 020 7717 5433

Two double bedrooms Stunning kitchen/reception room Recently refurbished Direct access to communal gardens Integrated sound system Under floor heating throughout

Belgravia, SW1X An immaculately presented third and fourth floor duplex apartment (with direct lift access) offering very generous proportions throughout and excellent natural light. The property is situated in a handsome Grade II listed stucco fronted building and features a private roof terrace. EPC: D

£6,395,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Sloane Square Office Sales. 020 7717 5481 | Lettings. 0207 717 5483

Three bedrooms Two reception rooms Roof terrace Third and fourth floor Lift Long lease

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Academy Gardens, W8 £1,800 per week* Unfurnished A fantastic two bedroom apartment in this exclusive development boasting concierge, pool and underground parking. The property has been recently decorated and has two private patios. EPC: F

Argyll Road, W8 £1,500 per week* Furnished A bright three bedroom apartment available for short let on the second floor of this pretty conversion located on one of the most sought after streets in Kensington. Bills included. EPC: D

Hamptons Kensington Office Lettings. 020 7717 5459 | Sales. 020 7937 9371

*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Farrier Walk, SW10 Two bedroom mews house situated in an ideal position just off the Fulham Road, SW10. Located within a portered and secure gated environment, this home is offered in immaculate condition with wooden floors throughout having just been redecorated. In addition, there is an integral garage, private terrace and visitor parking. EPC: E

£995 per week • • • • •

Hamptons Chelsea Office Lettings. 020 7717 5433 | Sales. 0207 835 1444

Two bedrooms Two bathrooms Private terrace Garage Wooden floors

(charges apply)*

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Queens Gate, SW7

£750 per week Furnished

Situated on the second floor of this imposing period building, this newly refurbished apartment has been finished to exacting detail and is presented in a contemporary style.

•

EPC: C

•

• • *Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Hamptons Knightsbridge Office Lettings. 020 7717 5463 | Sales. 020 7717 5461

•

(charges apply)*

One bedroom One bathroom High ceilings Contemporary styling Balcony Wealth of natural light

West Eaton Place, SW1X A beautifully refurbished three bedroom apartment situated on the third and fourth floors of a handsome stucco fronted building in the heart of Belgravia. The apartment has a fantastic reception room with plenty of light and also has a generous eat in kitchen and exquisitely decorated throughout. EPC: E

£1,400 per week • • • • •

Hamptons Sloane Square Office Lettings. 0207 717 5483 | Sales. 020 7717 5481

Eat-in kitchen Reception room Duplex Three bedrooms Two bathrooms

(charges apply)*

The Flat Specialist Hannah Lemon gets an update from Sami Robertson, Partner at Knight Frank’s Kensington branch, on the rise of developments in Kensington Period or new build? Traditional or turnkey? Communal garden or swimming pool? The choice for investors looking at developments is endless. Sami Robertson, Partner at Knight Frank’s Kensington branch, has 10 years of knowledge under his belt and a considerable insight into the high calibre of flats the area has to offer and the prices they are achieving. “These developments fall into three categories: mansion blocks, new builds and post-war blocks,” he explains. “There are similar patterns in each area but the principal thing the buyers are attracted to are the services they provide, such as a porter and security. For example, in Academy Gardens you have valet parking and a swimming pool along with 24-hour concierge – it’s the lifestyle.” These exclusive investment opportunities attract a mixture of international and UK buyers. “The profile of buyers in the prime developments include European, Middle Eastern, Asian, American and British – a real mixed bag,” says Sami. Historically, buyers have not been attracted to post-war blocks as the architectural design hasn’t been considered aesthetically pleasing, although this attitude has changed. The investment in the post-war blocks has recently gone up considerably. Sami cites Plane Tree House as a prime example.

In some cases, the pound per square foot rate for certain blocks has doubled over the last four years “It has so much to offer. The exterior, which to many is not attractive, is in fact a fine example of Michael Lyell Associates’ award-winning 60s architecture.” This change in attitude is certainly evident in the prices that are being achieved in Plane Tree House. “Every block has its day,” says Sami. “We have seen over the last few years, a shift away from four/five storey Victorian houses towards lateral living. The pound per square foot rate for blocks such as Palace Green, Wynnstay Gardens and Plane Tree House have, in some cases, doubled over the last four years. So what does the future hold for the world of Kensington developments? “Kensington has never had such a large new build residential pipeline with such an overwhelming focus on quality as it has now. Demand is especially strong for large lateral apartments, which have traditionally been in relatively short supply in Kensington. Prices have already been achieved in excess of £3,000 per square foot for the best new build schemes. Kensington and Holland Park are on track to reposition themselves as locations that are a match for Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair.” If you are looking for expert advice then Sami is the man to speak to, in the meantime we let the statistics of past sales do the talking. Knight Frank, 52–56 Kensington Church Street, W8 4DB; 020 7938 4311 knightfrank.co.uk; sami.robertson@knightfrank.com

NEW BUILD

Thornwood Gardens This gated development of 35 flats and 8 houses is located off Kensington Church Street. It is arranged around an open garden square with 24-hour porterage, security and secure underground parking.

Palace Green Placed on Billionaire’s Row, this is a highly sought-after development of 21 flats accessible only via secure private gates on Kensington Palace Gardens. The development comes with 24-hour concierge and underground parking.

Value in £/sq ft for 2009

£2,237

Value in £/sq ft for 2014

£3,272

Percentage increase

46%

Value in £/sq ft for 2010

£1,931

Value in £/sq ft for 2014

£4,000

Percentage increase

107%

Academy Gardens Academy Gardens, comprised of 67 flats, is one of the most prestigious gated developments offering a full concierge service, communal gardens, a gym, massage room and swimming pool. The development is situated off Campden Hill Road. Value in £/sq ft for 2011

£1,871

Value in £/sq ft for 2014

£2,493

Percentage increase

33%

PROPERTY

MANSION BLOCK

Campden Hill Gate This development offers 58 flats in a secure portered building on the sought after Phillimore Estate. Campden Hill Gate is located near High Street Kensington and the open spaces of Holland Park.

POST-WAR BLOCK

Value in £/sq ft for 2009

£1,200

Value in £/sq ft for 2014

£2,275

Percentage increase

90%

Plane Tree House Situated on Duchess of Bedford Walk overlooking Holland Park and the Phillimore Estate, this is a block of 22 award-winning flats, designed by Michael Lyell Associates in the 1960s, complete with resident porter and parking

Cedar House

Hamilton House

Cedar House is a portered mansion block of 15 flats on Marloes Road. It is located minutes from High Street Kensington and the open spaces of Kensington Palace Gardens.

This development of 29 flats on Vicarage Gate is situated just off Kensington Church Street in a quiet cul-de-sac close to the open spaces of Kensington Gardens, with views onto the communal garden.

Value in £/sq ft 2009

£943

Value in £/sq ft 2014

£1,800

Percentage increase

91%

Cottesmore Court The 67 flats comprising Cottesmore Court are conveniently located for Kensington High Street and Kensington Palace Gardens.

Value in £/sq ft for 2010

£1,021

Value in £/sq ft for 2014

£2,209

Percentage increase

116%

Value in £/sq ft for 2010

£1,211

Value in £/sq ft for 2014

£2,010

Percentage increase

66%

Value in £/sqft for 2010

£907

Value in £/sqft for 2014

£1,667

Percentage increase

83%

Wynnstay Gardens Wynnstay Gardens is located on Allen Street, just moments from High Street Kensington, Kensington Gardens and Holland Park. The 70 flats have 24-hour porterage and off-street parking.

£1,000

Value in £/sq ft 2014

£2,074

Percentage increase

107%

New builds £ per square foot

Value in £/sq ft 2009

Mansion blocks Post-war blocks

Year Above/ Prices achieved by Knight Frank for developments in Kensington

147

KnightFrank.co.uk

Hereford Road, Notting Hill W2

An immaculate family home with off‐street parking A beautifully presented semi‐detached house with a wonderful garden and a great street presence. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms ﴾1 en suite﴿, reception room, open plan kitchen/dining room, sunroom, utility room, 2 terraces, patio/garden, off‐street parking. EPC rating D. Approximately 261.51 sq m ﴾2,815 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £5,150,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449 Anthony‐sharp.com enquiries@anthony‐sharp.com 020 7243 8398

﴾NGH130245﴿

K&C april - 12 Hereford road

04/03/2015 11:44:25

KnightFrank.co.uk

Hewer Street, North Kensington W10 Two bedroom warehouse style conversion

A unique opportunity to acquire a beautifully designed warehouse conversion of an old Victorian dairy, offering wonderful living with huge volumes, space and a magnificent glass roof that illuminates the whole house. 2 bedrooms, en suite bathroom, 2 shower rooms, kitchen, reception room. EPC rating C. Approximately 194 sq m ﴾2,086 sq ft﴿

Freehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449 Domusnova.com sales@domusnova.com 020 7221 7817

Guide price: £2,750,000 ﴾NGH140237﴿

K&C April - 11 Hewer Street

04/03/2015 11:40:01

KnightFrank.co.uk

Queensdale Road, Notting Hill W11 Stunning four bedroom family home

A newly refurbished and well thought out family home with off‐street parking and a roof terrace in the heart of Holland Park. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms ﴾2 en suite﴿, reception room, kitchen, dining room, TV room, utility room, terrace, garden/off‐street parking. EPC rating E. Approximately 234 sq m ﴾2,518 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £4,500,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449 Carterjonas.co.uk gareth.jones@carterjonas.co.uk 020 7371 111

﴾NGH140221﴿

K&C April - 42 Queensdale road

04/03/2015 11:42:50

KnightFrank.co.uk

St Ann's Villas, Notting Hill W11

Stunning two bedroom flat

This elegant flat is arranged over the raised ground floor of a charming Victorian property in Holland Park and benefits from impressive volumes and an abundance of natural light. 2 bedrooms, bathroom, open plan reception room and kitchen. EPC rating C. Approximately 53 sq m ﴾570 sq ft﴿

Share of Freehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449

Guide price: £885,000 ﴾NGH140212﴿

K&C April - St Ann's Villas

04/03/2015 11:41:30

KnightFrank.co.uk

St. Petersburgh Place, Notting Hill W2 A light and spacious newly modernised house

Beautifully and architecturally designed by Michela Bertolini of MB Design Studio, this house has been through an extensive renovation project resulting in an amazing family home. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, dining room, gym, steam room, garage, garden. EPC rating C. Approximately 395 sq m ﴾4,252 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £6,950,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449 Domusnova.com sales@domusnova.com 020 7221 7817

﴾NGH140091﴿

K&C April - 40 St Petersburgh

03/03/2015 12:11:18

KnightFrank.co.uk

Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill W11 Four bedroom house in the heart of Westbourne Grove Arranged over five floors this beautifully presented house offers versatile living space with great proportions and light. 4 bedrooms, 2 en suite bathrooms, 2 en suite shower rooms, reception room, kitchen, dining room, guest cloakroom, 2 patios, garden, vault storage. EPC rating E. Approximately 256 sq m ﴾2,760 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £4,950,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449 Marshandparsons.co.uk primesales@marshandparsons.co.uk 020 7368 4197

﴾NGH140052﴿

K&C April- 209 Westbourne grove

03/03/2015 11:06:14

KnightFrank.co.uk

Stratford Road, Kensington W8 An immaculate house with off‐street parking

A beautiful south facing family house with wonderful proportions and ideally positioned on Stratford Road. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, balcony, roof terrace, garden, private parking. Approximately 265 sq m ﴾2,860 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £6,150,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/kensington kens@knightfrank.com 020 3551 5156

﴾KEN140162﴿

Kensington & Chelsea - 19 Stratford Road - Amended

06/03/2015 15:26:00

KnightFrank.co.uk

Bywater Street, Chelsea SW3 Classic Chelsea house in cul‐de‐sac

The property enjoys an abundance of natural light throughout, well balanced living accommodation and a roof terrace. Master bedroom with en suite shower room, 2 further bedrooms, family bathroom, reception room, open plan kitchen/dining room, terrace. EPC rating D. Approximately 149 sq m ﴾1,612 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £3,500,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/knightsbridge knightsbridge@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5913

﴾SLA140446﴿

K&C April Bywater Street

06/03/2015 10:45:14

KnightFrank.co.uk

Cresswell Gardens, Earls Court SW5 A beautifully presented ground and first floor flat on the desirable Cresswell Gardens. This red brick period building has fantastic ceiling heights and the flat features modern appliances while maintaining period charm. 4 bedrooms, reception room, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, balcony, EPC rating C. Approximately 141 sq m ﴾1,515 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/chelsea chelsea@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5903

Share of Freehold

Beautiful four bedroom duplex flat

Guide price: £3,150,000 ﴾CHL150019﴿

K & C March Cresswell Gardens 7

06/03/2015 14:21:00

KnightFrank.co.uk

Dovehouse Street, Chelsea SW3

Beautiful four bedroom duplex flat for sale An exquisite and beautifully refurbished wide and low built family house with a large west facing garden. The house has a fantastic balance of living and bedroom accommodation that is hard to find in Chelsea. 5 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, 4 bathrooms, utility room, garden. EPC rating C. Approximately 268 sq m ﴾2,890 sq ft﴿ Freehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/chelsea chelsea@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5903

Guide price: £7,995,000 ﴾CHL140269﴿

K&C March 15 Chelsea Dovehouse Street PH

05/03/2015 12:11:46

KnightFrank.co.uk

Bramham Gardens, Earls Court SW5 This wonderfully spacious property offers unique living spaces over the ground and first floors of a red brick period building with direct access into communal gardens. 2 reception rooms, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, roof terrace, balcony. Approximately 176 sq m ﴾1,898 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/southkensington southkensington@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6122

Leasehold: approximately 62 years remaining

A unique ground and first floor apartment

Guide price: £3,100,000 ﴾STK130157﴿

K&C SK March Bramham Gardens PH 4

06/03/2015 12:35:50

KnightFrank.co.uk

Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill W11

A contemporary house in the heart of Notting Hill

A fantastic house which has been refurbished to an extremely high standard. Master bedroom, 2 further bedrooms, ﴾1 en suite bathroom﴿, shower room, reception room, kitchen/breakfast room with double ceiling height and fantastic roof terrace. EPC rating F. Approximately 162 sq m ﴾1,743 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings nottinghilllettings@knightfrank.com 020 7985 9990

Available furnished Guide price: £2,250 per week ﴾NHQ211613﴿

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

Lonsdale Road

06/03/2015 15:34:07

KnightFrank.co.uk

Wynnstay Gardens, Kensington W8

A fabulous three bedroom apartment on the third floor of a popular Kensington Mansion Block. The apartment was refurbished for the landlord and is finished to a high standard. 3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, utility room and spacious kitchen which leads onto a double reception room. Approximately 174.2 sq m ﴾1,875 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings kensingtonlettings@knightfrank.com

A beautifully presented three bedroom apartment

Available furnished

020 3641 7308

Guide price: £1,850 per week ﴾KEQ212735﴿ All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

K&C March 2015

06/03/2015 12:49:06

KnightFrank.co.uk

Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge SW1X

A recently refurbished first floor apartment with a wonderful reception room perfect for entertaining. 3 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, media room, excellent storage, light and sound systems, air conditioning, balcony and access to communal gardens. EPC rating E. Approximately 170 sq m ﴾1,834 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings knightsbridge@knightfrank.com 020 7591 8601

Immaculate three bedroom apartment

Available furnished Guide price: £3,750 per week ﴾KNQ188618﴿

K&C Magazine April 2, 11 Cadogan Square

05/03/2015 12:39:33

A Grand Introduction The London Savills teams round up their local branches and update us on the hot properties and must-see events in the Royal Borough Chelsea: Charlie Bubear Head of Savills Chelsea • Properties: Since opening in July 2012, we have sold and let a range of properties from bijou mews houses to grand detached villas. • Local area: Chelsea is home to high-end fashion labels, as well as fantastic local eateries (The Henry Root is a favourite). • Market: Under the £5 million mark keeps us busy at present and with a forecasted growth of 25 per cent over the next five years, this looks set to continue. • One to view now: Take advantage of Spring in Cathcart Road, with its fantastic glass room leading out to a roof terrace. • Relationships: We have just sold a flat on Evelyn Gardens for the third time. • Come and visit: Our fantastic new office in Earls Court, with whom we will be working as one team, opened in March.

Savills Chelsea 200 Fulham Road, SW10 9PN 020 7578 9000

Kensington: Stephen Holmes Director of Residential Flats • Launch: Opened in 1987. • Local area: Kensington is culturally vibrant, boasting the national museums of South Kensington and the Royal Albert Hall. • The last 12 months: We have sold 70 properties across Kensington and Notting Hill. • Properties: Working as one team with the Notting Hill office, we sell incredible properties including ultra-prime mansions in Holland Park and new developments. • Record speed of sale: Two separate off-market deals sold to the first viewer at £5.5 million and £5.95 milion, both record prices for their buildings. • One to view now: We are marketing a flat on Airlie Gardens at £4.75 million, with the most fabulous views from the roof terrace of some of London’s most iconic buildings.

Savills Kensington 67 Kensington Church Street, W8 4BG 020 7535 3300

Knightsbridge: Barbara Allen Head of Savills Knightsbridge • Launch: Opened in 2006 • International market: Although 54 per cent of our buyers under £3 million are domestic, Knightsbridge is truly international, home to Harrods and the One Hyde Park development. • Sold last year: In excess of £525 million worth of houses from the Knightsbridge and Sloane Street offices. • Most unusual property sold last year: A converted church in Knightsbridge sold for over £40 million. • One to view now: A gorgeous period family house on South Terrace, with a fabulous triple reception room. • Market: With a growth of 36 per cent over the past five years in the area, Knightsbridge holds its own as a premium global destination.

Savills Knightsbridge 188 Brompton Road, SW3 1HQ 020 7581 5234

PROPERTY

Mews: Duncan Petrie Head of Mews Sales • Launch: Savills Mews was set up in November 2014 and brings together our successful sales and lettings offices • Market: In a sample of 20 mews streets in London, the average value of mews houses has more than doubled in the last 10 years, proving that these private little communities have not lost their appeal or charm. • Record price achieved: £2,249 per square foot in Linden Mews is a record for a mews in W2. • Most valuable mews in London: Debatable, but we love Pont Street Mews and Lennox Gardens Mews. • Back again: A stunning house on Coleherne Mews. Sold to a developer in 2013 and now back on the market with an incredible new basement.

Savills Mews 020 3430 6605

Notting Hill: Oliver Lurot Head of Savills Notting Hill • Don’t miss: The iconic Notting Hill Carnival passes right by our office each year. • Record price achieved: A house on Westbourne Grove sold at the end of last year, on the market at £6.95 million. • Most activity around: Properties with potential. We have a flat on the market with four people currently making offers. • Launch: Opened in late 2012, the Notting Hill office works alongside our Kensington team, allowing the two specialist teams to work as one. • Properties: We sell and let a fantastic range of properties, from apartments to sought after period houses like this one on Sutherland Place. • Market: The start of the year has been busy in the sub £2 million sector and our research department has forecasted a five year growth of over 25 per cent.

Savills Notting Hill 168 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RW 020 7727 5750

Sloane Street: Richard Dalton Head of Flats Department • Launch: The Sloane Street office is the longest standing in Kensington and Chelsea, open since 1979. • Market: In the sales department, we have separate houses and flats teams, working closely with our Knightsbridge office to give clients our combined experience. • Record price achieved: A flat was sold for close to £50 million last year, and in a separate transaction the office achieved £6,500 per sq ft for an un-modernised flat. • The only agent to go to: We were involved with over 93 per c ent of the sales in Eaton Square in 2014. • A must see: Look at 71 Rose Square, a penthouse apartment in the most beautiful building and with a gorgeous roof terrace.

Savills Sloane Street 139 Sloane Street, SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822

163

savills.co.uk

1 LATERAL FAMILY FLAT WITH 24 HOUR PORTER NEXT TO HOLLAND PARK oakwood court, w14 Reception room ø dining room ø 4 bedrooms ø 4 bathrooms ø sauna ø communal gardens ø 209 sq m (2,270 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Knight Frank

Savills Kensington

Sami Robertson sami.robertson@knightfrank.com

Stephen Holmes sholmes@savills.com

020 7938 4311

020 7535 3300

Asking £3.25 million Leasehold, approximatley 59 years remaining

savills.co.uk

1 IMMACULATELY PRESENTED FAMILY HOME WITH SOUTH-FACING GARDEN vicarage gardens, w8 3 reception rooms ø study ø kitchen/dining room ø master bedroom suite with dressing room ø 4 further bedrooms ø 2 further bathrooms ø utility room ø cloakroom ø terrace ø garden ø 307 sq m (3,304 sq ft) ø EPC=D Guide £7.395 million Freehold

Savills Kensington Sarah Birch sbirch@savills.com

020 7535 3300

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savills.co.uk

STRATHMORE GARDENS, w8

ABINGDON COURT, w8

Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bedrooms ø bathroom ø 67 sq m (713 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Entrance hall ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen/breakfast room ø master bedroom suite ø 2 further bedrooms ø further shower room ø porter ø 156 sq m (1,679 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Asking £1.2 million Leasehold

Guide £1.795 million Share of Freehold

Savills Kensington bharvey@savills.com 020 7535 2980

REDCLIFFE GARDENS, sw10

CHARLESWORTH HOUSE, sw7

Double reception room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø master bedroom suite ø further bedroom ø bathroom ø shower room ø 95 sq m (1,023 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Reception room/dining room ø kitchen ø 2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø lift ø porter ø communal gardens ø parking ø 82 sq m (891 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £1.65 million Share of Freehold

Guide £1.75 million Leasehold

Savills Chelsea plister@savills.com 020 7578 9000

Savills Chelsea cbubear@savills.com 020 7578 9000

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savills.co.uk

WESTBOURNE PARK ROAD, w11

DENBIGH CLOSE, w11

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø 3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø roof terrace ø off-street parking ø 109 sq m (1,174 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Reception room with dining area ø kitchen ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø 2 further bedroom suites ø utility room/office ø cloakroom ø mews parking ø 152 sq m (1,635 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £1.75 million Leasehold

Guide £2.75 million Freehold

Savills Notting Hill afrankish@savills.com 020 7727 5750

Savills Notting Hill bdavies@savills.com 020 7727 5750

CHEPSTOW ROAD, w2

THE BAYNARDS, w2

Reception room ø kitchen ø master bedroom suite ø further bedroom ø family bathroom ø 83 sq m (899 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø master bedroom suite with dressing room ø 2 further bedroom suites ø balcony ø lift ø porter ø gym ø communal gardens ø parking ø 120 sq m (1,297 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £1.6 million Freehold

Guide £2.25 million Share of Freehold

Savills Notting Hill afrankish@savills.com 020 7727 5750

3 4

savills.co.uk

1 SOUTH-WEST FACING APARTMENT WITH WONDERFUL VOLUME AND LIGHT hyde park gate, sw7 Reception room/dining room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 3 bedrooms ø bathroom ø shower room ø 24 hour porter ø non-reserved off-street parking ø 150 sq m (1,621 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Savills Kensington Stephen Holmes sholmes@savills.com

020 7535 3300 Asking £3.75 million Leasehold, approximately 92 years remaining plus Share of Freehold

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

NEWLY REFURBISHED CHELSEA HOUSE cathcart road, sw10 Master bedroom suite ø 5 further bedrooms (2 en suite) ø drawing room ø dining room ø open plan kitchen ø further bathroom ø garden ø 254 sq m (2,734 sq ft) ø Council Tax=D ø EPC=D

Savills Chelsea Sophie Tiarks stiarks@savills.com

020 7578 9011

Unfurnished £2,950 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

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savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

STAFFORD TERRACE, w8

WYNNSTAY GARDENS, w8

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø double reception room ø study ø kitchen ø further bathroom ø south-facing garden ø 155 sq m (1,674 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D

4 bedrooms (2 en suite) ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø further bathroom ø porter ø lift ø 172 sq m (1,860 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=E

Unfurnished £1,850 per week

Unfurnished £2,500 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Kensington shyde@savills.com 020 7535 3333

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Kensington ehannam@savills.com 020 7535 3333

BRIDSTOW PLACE, w2

CHEPSTOW VILLAS, w11

2 bedrooms ø reception room ø kitchen ø bathroom ø roof terrace ø off-street parking ø 69 sq m (752 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Bedroom ø reception room ø kitchen ø bathroom ø 45 sq m (488 sq ft) ø Council Tax=E ø EPC=D

Flexible furnishings £925 per week

Furnished £565 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill amackinnon@savills.com 020 7727 5751

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill ndennis@savills.com 020 7727 5751

3 4

*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

L L O

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savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

CADOGAN SQUARE, sw1

REDCLIFFE SQUARE, sw10

2 bedroom suites ø reception room ø separate kitchen ø lift ø communal gardens access via separate negotiation ø 116 sq m (1,249 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø reception room ø open plan kitchen ø further bathroom ø roof terrace ø 107 sq m (1,158 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=C

Furnished £1,700 per week

Furnished £925 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Knightsbridge cbshanahan@savills.com 020 7584 8585

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Chelsea jargles@savills.com 020 7578 9020

ONSLOW SQUARE, sw7

ENNISMORE GARDENS MEWS, sw7

Bedroom ø reception room ø kitchen ø bathroom ø roof terrace ø communal gardens access via separate negotiation ø 53 sq m (571 sq ft) ø Council Tax=D ø EPC=E

3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø reception room ø eat-in kitchen ø 2 further bathrooms ø 170 sq m (1,835 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=C

Unfurnished £695 per week

Unfurnished £2,250 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Chelsea stiarks@savills.com 020 7578 9011

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Knightsbridge cfgladwin@savills.com 020 7584 8585

3 4

Double fronted property of magnificent proportions Matching people and property in London for 150 years.

Pembridge Villas W11 ÂŁ4,950,000 Well located on this quiet central Notting Hill mews, this beautifully presented four-bedroom house provides great entertaining space with three reception rooms. Secure underground parking. Freehold. EPC=C

Prime Sales: 020 7368 4197 PrimeSales@marshandparsons.co.uk

Napier Place W14 ÂŁ3,300,000 An immaculate mews house refurbished to the very highest of standards, featuring wonderfully stylish contemporary interiors and located on a tranquil cobbled Kensington mews. Freehold. EPC=C

Holland Park: 020 7605 6890 sales.hol@marshandparsons.co.uk

Portobello Road W11 ÂŁ2,950,000 This beautiful three-bedroom house, arranged over three floors and with three reception rooms, is located on an iconic road in Notting Hill close to Westbourne Grove. Freehold. EPC=F

Notting Hill: 020 7313 2890 sales.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

Barkston Gardens SW5 ÂŁ2,550,000 This beautiful three-bedroom lateral apartment forming part of a stunning red-brick mansion, comprises two bright reception rooms, three bathrooms and communal gardens. Share of Freehold. EPC=D

Earls Court: 020 7835 0620 sales.ect@marshandparsons.co.uk

Kensington Church Street W8 ÂŁ2,200,000 An impressive three-bedroom, two-bathroom interior designed penthouse apartment combining elegant living and entertaining space with natural light throughout and two terraces. Leasehold. EPC=D

Kensington: 020 7368 4450 sales.kns@marshandparsons.co.uk

Lennox Gardens SW1 ÂŁ2,100,000 Located in a prime Knightsbridge garden square, this exceptionally spacious three-bedroom, portered apartment boasts high ceilings, three bathrooms and a beautiful garden square. Leasehold. EPC=D

Kensington: 020 7368 4450 sales.skn@marshandparsons.co.uk

Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gate SW7 ÂŁ1,795,000 This fabulous two-bedroom, two-reception room apartment situated within a sought-after red-brick mansion block, offers generously proportioned rooms and a resident porter. Share of Freehold. EPC=D

South Kensington: 020 7590 0800 sales.skn@marshandparsons.co.uk

Westbourne Park Road W11 ÂŁ1,600,000 Located in a superb Notting Hill location, this spectacular split-level three-bedroom apartment enjoys an impressive open-plan reception space ideal for entertaining and a beautiful garden. Share of Freehold. EPC=C

North Kensington: 020 7313 8350 sales.nkn@marshandparsons.co.uk

Stanley Gardens W11 ÂŁ1,400,000 A wonderful opportunity to acquire a rarely available two-bedroom end-of-terrace apartment with direct access to spectacular private communal gardens. Leasehold. EPC=E

Holland Park: 020 7605 6890 sales.hol@marshandparsons.co.uk

a Unique perspective on...

Lansdowne Court, W11 ÂŁ10,500,000 Leasehold A spectacular penthouse apartment of breath-taking design, with glass external walls taking full advantage of the sensational views offered by such an elevated position. The apartment is accessed through a discreet private courtyard and lift and features expansive living and entertaining space, both inside and out, four additional bedrooms. Six Bedrooms | Reception Room/Bar | Reception/Dining Area | Kitchen | Four Bathrooms | Private Lift | Roof Terrace | 4,056 Approx Sq Ft | Secure Private Parking

notting hill | 020 7727 3227 nottinghill@winkworth.co.uk

winkworth.co.uk/kensington