THE Stylemate 03|2020 what is of value to us

NEWS ABOUT LIFE, STYLE & HOTELS ISSUE N o 03 | 2020 thestylemate.com

Stylemate AU S T R I A S P E C I A L

what is of value to us?

T H E S T Y L E M AT E .C O M

LKS – Das goldene Kalb, artwork by Martin Grandits

THE

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

Essentials Page 3 What is of value to me?

Pages 4 – 7 Interview with Martin Grandits: Obsessive about art Page 6

LIFE:

We’re addicted to stories Pages 8 – 9 Cellar secrets Pages 10 – 12 From wellies to fine threads Page 13 Franzobel Page 14

STYLE:

Designer profile: Systematic, analytical, focused Pages 15 – 18 Picked by: Lukas Klingsbichel Page 19 Column by Helder Suffenplan: The heart of the matter Page 20 What to wear in ...

Pages 21 – 23 The art market is blooming Pages 24 – 25 Workmanship Page 26

HOTELS: LIFESTYLEHOTELS selection:

The Crystal Page LH 01 New Member: Alpenhotel Kitzbühel Page LH 02 Gradonna ****S Mountain Resort Chalets & Hotel Page LH 03 dasMAX Page LH 04 Bergland Design and Wellness Hotel Sölden Page LH 05 Hotel Eder & Hotel SEPP Page LH 06 Alpin Juwel Hotel ****S Page LH 07 Puradies Hotel & Chalets Page LH 08 Almmonte Sensum & New Member Präclarum Suites Page LH 09

The year 2020 is drawing to a close and most people probably have the same thing on their minds – mostly, wishing for the arrival of the New Year. We hope we’ll be able to overcome Covid-19, and that this period of worry and uncertainty that far exceeds normal levels will soon be a thing of the past.

We’re dreaming of once more being able to move around freely, to travel and to meet new people. To discover new places and to feel unlimited well-being when we get there.

In this issue, we have reflected on what is important to us, when something has value and what notions of value there are. Our cover shows an image by Austrian artist Martin Grandits, who deals with this topic in a humorous way in his works. And that takes us onto the second theme of this issue: Austria. So often (and so readily) we have looked beyond the horizon in previous issues of THE Stylemate and explored the whole wide world. But this time, we contemplate what’s closer to home, and we do it with great passion and no small amount of pride. We’ve had many great conversations with interesting people, and attempted to debate the value of things.

We talked with innovation consultant Mario Pricken about the value of objects and the change in our value compass caused by Covid-19, with Viennese wine merchants about “cellar secrets” and the emotions they can evoke, and with Graz-based designer Lukas Klingsbichel about the value of the function and mindful use of materials.

For all of them, the most important things are those that they do often, and the sense of value they find in their occupations.

And that reveals a lot about the true value of things.

Nidum Casual Luxury Hotel Page LH 10 Gästehaus Krenn Page LH 11 Directory lifestylehotels Page LH 12

The best of the best Big City Page 27

Thomas Holzleithner & Hardy Egger

Be sure to subscribe to THE Stylemate so you’ll never miss an issue! thestylemate.com

IM PRIN T Media owner and publisher: Prime Time Touristik & Marketing GmbH, Schmiedgasse 38/1, 8010 Graz, Austria Editors: Thomas Holzleithner & Hardy Egger Editor-in-chief: Mag. Nina Prehofer Managing editor: DI (FH) Christin Maier-Erlach Cover photo: Object by Martin Grandits Layout: VON K Brand Design Writers: Franzobel, Hedi Grager, Helder Suffenplan, Lisbeth Wild Translators: Katherine Nussey, Lisbeth Wild Advertising: office@thestylemate.com Printed by: Medienfabrik Graz, 8020 Graz Published in: Graz Publication: 3 x yearly

Photo: Heldentheater

EDITORS

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

essentials REGAL This chain with a white gold pendant, exquisite Sardinian coral and black brilliant-cut stones is the workmanship of jewellery designer Barbara Gressl.

The Sardinian coral is the finest of its kind and has been seen adorning the heads and décolletés of queens.

The stunning coral comes in shades ranging between pink and dark red, and can be worn for any and all occasions. gressl.com, € 1,890

SAFE What should we do with all the valuable and beautiful items that we like to have around us but also want to keep safe? The winding, storage and presentation pieces from Buben&Zörweg appeal with their eye-catching design, unexpected movement mechanisms, secure closure systems and state-of-the-art technology, such as the TIME MOVER automatic winding technology.

The multi-award-winning pieces are made at the company’s own factory in Pforzheim, and they’re real masterpieces that can even be customised by hand on request. There are (virtually) no limits to what can be requested, in terms of both features and size, resulting in works of art with secret compartments and sophisticated opening and display mechanisms.

FRAGILE ART These beautiful pieces are made by glass artist Robert Comploj at the heart of the 7th district in Vienna.

With his GLASHÜTTE COMPLOJ glass studio, he is one of only a few traditional glass blowers throughout the whole of Austria. But the Tyrolean native learned his trade from the world’s greats: the master glass blowers of Murano. He travelled around the world to expand his knowledge, and later settled back down in Austria as a master of his craft. He became famous for his innovative manufacturing technology, new colours, experiments in the shape and structure of glass and an almost “punk” approach to the craft. Anyone wanting to try out glass blowing for themselves can do just that at one of his glass making courses. Everyone else can see the talent of the artist for themselves in selected stores. glashuettecomploj.at, price on request

Available at Michael Kruzik – Luxury Concept uhrenkruzik.at, from € 18,000

F O R T H I S

E D I T I ON

S TAT E M E N T B O O T S The ankle boots by Rani Bageria combine the ancient with the modern and impart confidence with every step.

She always uses the same shape for her iconic boots, but they still come in different versions, with high-quality leather in various colours and cuts. The shoes are designed in Vienna then manufactured by a small family company in La Marche, the traditional shoemaking region of Italy. The Anubis 5 Verde model is a platform ankle boot made out of black calf’s leather with green studs and grey piping. There is a zip fastening up the back, and the lining is made out of vegetable tanned leather.

Photos: provided by/photo credit: © Buben & Zörweg, © Gressl, © glashuettecomploj.at, © Looops Kerzen, © Rani Bageria, © LaKatz

ranibageria.com, € 545

M O U N TA I N A I R

MIAOW!

For anyone that just can’t get enough mountain air, we recommend the natural, sustainable and regional products from Salzburg candle manufacturer Looops. The idea of the founder to harness the fragrances of her local area brings us scents of mountain air, meadow flowers and mountain streams. The candles are made using natural essential oils and a healthy dose of craftsmanship, and the wax is obtained from plants that grow back quickly so as to protect the environment. That also means that Looops candles burn for longer and with less soot than candles made out of mineral oil-based wax. Rather than using ready-made fragrance combinations, founder Julia preferred to immerse herself in the world of scents and completed a course in aromatherapy. The gentle extraction of essential oils from herbs, flowers and fruit blends with the plentiful inspiration to be found in the spectacular natural surroundings of the Salzkammergut region.

New label La Katz creates classic and timeless silk items like this beautiful silk coat, which is perfect for both indoor and outdoor wear. For label founder Laura Sänger, beauty and quality need to work hand in hand, and so she insisted on local production. From the thread to the packaging, every material used comes from Germany or Austria.

Toxic substances are avoided at all costs in the processing of the Indian silk they use – it actually carries the strictest international certification, GOTS, which guarantees organic materials and fair working conditions, as well as having another distinctive feature: instead of boiling the silkworms, they are gradually freed from the silk cocoons, meaning the metamorphosis of the silkworm into a butterfly is made possible. Laura Sänger says: “We believe in timeless elegance and beautiful clothing that lasts.”

looopskerzen.at, approx. € 30

lakatz.com, € 740

THE Stylemate

What

Issue No 03 | 2020

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

Photo: © Johanna Marousek

TO ME?

IS OF

value

HAVE YOU BEEN ASKI NG YOU RSEL F T H I S QUES T ION MOR E OF T EN RECEN T LY ? C OU L D I T BE T HAT, SI NCE T H E C ORONAVI RUS , WE’VE BE E N PAYI NG CL O SER AT T EN T ION TO WHAT REA L LY M EANS S OM E T H I NG TO US , WHAT WE WAN T TO K EEP I N OUR L I VE S AN D WHAT WE CAN L ET G O OF ?

The White Socks

by Martin Grandits

I can never forgo my first espresso in the morning. There’s a lot of things I would rearrange if my morning routine were to be threatened and my personal start to the day was suddenly taken away from me.

I love everything about it – the smell of the coffee, which seems so much more intense so early in the day, the first mouthful as it hits your palate, the comforting sensation of the warmth spreading throughout your body and the caffeine starting to kick in.

Afterwards, I have a cup of herbal tea that gives me an early-morning feeling of giving my body the liquid refreshment it needs.

One coffee and one tea – one liquid may cost more than the other, but neither of them could be considered an asset. They’re also not hard to get hold of, nor are they particularly rare. These are all characteristics that would drive up the value of an item. Coffee and tea in the small quantities we use them as individuals are supposedly not that valuable, but after an early start to the day, they mean the world to me.

I also have a very intense relationship with particular objects: with the cup I prefer to drink my coffee out of and, for obvious reasons, with the coffee machine that for the last 13 years has unfailingly prepared the morning elixir that has brought me to life every day. When I look around my home office, I consider what attracts my attention, what has become especially important to me as an object. There are, of course, the books, old and new, that have journeyed with me for many years. I’ve carted every single one of them around with me between different houses, and done everything in my power to ensure they haven’t got mixed up with anyone else’s collection during previous relationships. In doing this I don’t only respect my allegiance to my own books, but also the allegiance of others to theirs.

I’ve laboriously carted around with me all of my books, even those that didn’t really grab me, like One Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel García Márquez – unfortunately, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature just didn’t manage to captivate me with his writing.

But I’ve always wanted to take the book with me, as it was a gift with a fond dedication.

Then of course there’s my laptop, on which I’ve written these and so many other pages.

It’s a commodity that has incredibly high value for me, and if anyone were to steal it, I would be frantic! Not so much because buying a new one would incur unexpected costs, more because I detest having to familiarise myself with a new device.

With me, laptops can expect to have a good home for many years, because the keys work better when it’s me that’s been using them, and I don’t have to suffer the criticism from any IT guys aimed at my file or folder system. I earn my living with my laptop, it accompanies me to countless destinations and it’s my window to the world when searching for ideas, people and stories – something that now has such greater meaning, especially since the coronavirus.

Most of us maintain an intense relationship with things. They could be the commodities mentioned before that become objects of value to us, things without any recognisable benefit that for one reason or another we become attached to, and of course things that have high material value.

We’ve spoken to innovation consultant and author Mario Pricken (see the interview on page 8) and asked: who actually decides what is valuable and what its value is?

“Let’s assume you and I both agree that this USB stick is the most valuable in the world – it wouldn’t do us any good. We don’t have the agreement of others on the market. Value therefore isn’t something that’s contained in an object – that’s one of the most important aspects in the question of value. Value is a projection of our psyche onto an object.”

Just like a film projector, we project value onto objects ranging from our favourite T-shirt to a diamond ring. It’s us that creates the value. That explains everything written above – the coffee, the books, the laptop. Having said that, the more people that agree that an object has value, the more stable that value will become. But there’s a further aspect that’s interesting in establishing a general understanding of value: not everyone can have the object of desire. “When everyone wants it, but only a few have it, an object becomes incredibly stable.” This belief in what’s valuable is well known in the art industry. An original is worth more than a print. A well-curated collection is worth more than a bad one. In this industry, prices are achieved that only our beliefs and desires could ever explain.

But you might wonder whether the art industry is now driven less by inspiration or inner desires and more by demand. After all, artists have always and will continue to set up studios, and even have employees.

Damien Hirst’s business, for example, is driven by enormous demand – wouldn’t he have been foolish if he hadn’t responded to it? And doesn’t that also change the true value the object holds?

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Artist Martin Grandits is known as the “King of Irony”, and gives things like food, logos and beer garden benches a whole new meaning. We talk to him about value and being valued in life and in art.

obsessive

have charm and sex appeal, but they’re still in some way in a class on their own. They don’t have much power or money, but they do have a reputation. That then filters into the rich upper class, the patrons of the arts, and they benefit one other. It’s a good field of tension. I don’t think success is a bad thing, because it means you can reach lots of people with your ideas about life.

So applause is the bread and butter of artists. How important is recognition and being valued for your work?

MARTIN GRANDITS succeeds in bringing aesthetics into everyday life through his work. With impressive nonchalance, Martin Grandits positions himself between Tinder and Picasso, with a splash of pop culture and art history, and usually stops at the point where you would least expect him to. His pieces always display critical insight and a touch of humour, on the one hand as a stylistic element, and on the other as a weapon against the pathetic. Martin Grandits was born in Vienna in 1982, studied at the University of Applied Arts (Transmedial Art with Brigitte Kowanz), and now lives and works in Vienna.

and draw on political and everyday themes.

If you can communicate critical things with a smile, that, in my opinion, is a great way to start a conversation. If you can open up people’s perspectives in that way, that has real value.

came in – and the sense of being valued.

Suddenly my art was being seen, bought and appreciated. That was really important for my well-being. When you don’t receive any money or feel like you’re valued for your work, you’ll burn out at some point.

You often work with logos and brands.

Do you have a favourite brand to use?

Chanel appears quite often.

How much structure do you impose on yourself in your work?

Chanel is following me somehow. When I was younger and studying art, I had no money. But there were these VIP parties with free food and drink, so I started making my own fake Chanel T-shirts.

A T-shirt like that would get you in, even if you weren’t on the list.

Did that actually work?

What is valuable to you in your life?

Friendship. These days, your friends are also your family – people you know you can rely on. But it’s not just about taking on responsibility for each other when one of you isn’t doing so well, it’s also about having fun together and sharing experiences. And of course art has great value in my life. I would even go so far as to say that it’s an obsession. That can sometimes be very tiring, but I don’t know what I would do with my life if it weren’t for art. It’s my purpose in life. That’s really valuable – finding your purpose in life. Something that fulfils you and that you believe in.

Do you wonder about the value of your work?

Yes, both in terms of monetary value and recognition. Art pays my bills. There are of course other elements that have value: when art is observed and people are fascinated by it, and it creates an enthralling energy. It’s the same in small children when a Barbie house or a knight’s castle is sitting under the Christmas tree – their eyes light up. With my art, there’s perhaps another aspect. My works are often conceptual pieces that are very satirical

art

Yes! It had “Chanel pour Clochard” on it. They didn’t read it at all. Chanel is especially interesting, because the brand is perceived positively from every possible business angle. There’s hardly anyone that doesn’t like the brand or doesn’t think it has value. But I don’t just work with luxury brands, I also work with the trashy, more budget ones like Clever and Billa.

For me, logos are like hieroglyphs – if you put them next to one other you create messages, and you can use those messages to communicate.

What’s the best thing art can do to a person?

It broadens horizons and triggers something in people. Different types of art speak to different people. Some associate more with conceptual art whose aesthetic is totally minimalist. Others tend more towards enormous Chanel handbags in their back garden.

What’s your view on the art market?

The capitalist aspect to art has always been there. It’s just part of how it is. Art has also always been about beautiful things for people with lots of money. The poor artist may

I’m trying to incorporate more and more structure – I’m a chaotic person and I need it for the quality of my work. Structure is essential when you tend towards chaos.

It’s no fun when you do a botch job.

I read somewhere that you’re religious, is that correct?

Yes, I think so, but not in the sense that I go to church or pray every day. Religion for me has a lot to do with the afterlife.

I want to believe in life after death because it’s horrible when a loved one dies and you know you’ll never see them again. Maybe I see religion as a method and a path to being able to deal with death.

If death isn’t the end, what would you take into the afterlife?

My friends and a bottle of vodka. Celebrating and having fun are like nourishment for me. Maybe also a credit card. You can do anything with one of those.

Order art easily online in the Martin Grandits online shop martingrandits.com

Photo credits: © Johanna Marousek

about

My work was without bread and butter for quite a while. That makes you start to doubt yourself. You look for the flaws in your own art when it’s not selling, not being seen or not working. I became almost manic, and I just kept trying and trying. I was obsessed with becoming better. I wanted to reinvent the wheel – no, something newer than the wheel.

It was a feeling of helplessness. That changed when the positive feedback

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

by Ramón Monegal Perfumer: Ramón Monegal 2019

Schnitzel hammer Ketagrill iPhone case

I

by Martin Grandits

Photos: © Johanna Marousek

F ROM P O SSE SSION S TO EXPER I E NCES

s the question of value also a question of what we yearn for? Is it a designer handbag, a cool sportscar, a special painting by a particular artist or an expensive watch that makes us feel more attractive when we wear it? “Objects are often just a means of getting to something else, they’re a vehicle.

They can trigger emotions in us, but we often only get out of them indirectly what we actually want. And we’re perhaps disappointed when the effect doesn’t last,” explains Mario Pricken. So what is it that we want? “Things like love, appreciation, joy, comfort, security, for example,” believes Pricken. In this sense, objects are representatives of our deep-rooted desires that actually have very little to do with material things. That probably explains why many rich people still can’t find inner peace, or why the value of newly purchased objects wears off so quickly.

“It’s not the object itself that is of benefit to people – more often than not it’s more to do with what the object evokes in others.

If I have a totally unique sportscar and I’m out on the road, the looks I get because of it give me value. Or a collection – if I have an art collection then surely that is a way of storing value. It could of course be the case that while I find it interesting as a whole, I’m somehow bored of it. But what does fascinate me is when I show it to other people and it brings tears to their eyes. That’s what appeals to me.”

That takes us a little closer to the fact that being valued can be a long way from actual monetary value. Perhaps we’ve learned in the last few months that we also find it in other things: walking hand in hand through nature, looking for places to be on your own that are as far as possible from another soul, reading a good book in the garden, lovingly nurturing the herbs on your balcony, finding out that it’s possible to bake your own bread or how nice it is to spend more time with your children. We’ve learned what it means to look at ourselves, to design our schedule in our own favour, to prioritise regular self-care as far as is possible and to say no to yet more things we need to deal with. We’ve replaced consumerism with experience – with the simple things, because our options have been limited. We’ve discovered things that are important to us, that have little to do with our otherwise ubiquitous material desires. We have created experiences for ourselves that soothe our souls. We’ve gone to the woods, scaled mountains or settled down in the meadow for a giant picnic, and hopefully recognised the value of these experiences and been able to enjoy them to the full.

WHAT IS LUXURY ?

F ROM VALU E TO APPR E C IAT ION

When we talk about value, the first thing that comes to mind is something mundane – gold, diamonds, big houses and expensive cars, an extravagant lifestyle.

But here is where you have to make the distinction between bling-bling luxury on the one hand, with all its obscene excesses, and genuine luxury on the other hand, as shown by the example of the hotel that Mario Pricken talked to us about. It’s the story of a hotelier who gives his interpretation of what true luxury looks like in the hotel industry: “When our cleaning staff are doing their rounds in the corridors of the hotel, of course they’re busy cleaning and hoovering. But if they notice that a guest is coming towards them, they naturally stop what they’re doing. They turn off the machine, stand to the side, wish the guest a good morning, wait until they’re far enough away again, then carry on with what they were doing. That’s luxury and it has value. It’s very easy to do and it costs nothing.”

Our perception of luxury is currently undergoing a transformation, as we live in a time when our entire society is experiencing change. In democratic society, the definition of luxury is probably moving more in the direction of that of the hotelier we’ve just described. We would call it genuine luxury. Even though we may still surround ourselves with a few luxury items, we presumably no longer perceive them as such from the outside.

In recent months, we’ve been lucky enough to learn a bit more about what is good for us, and have felt to some extent what happens within us when we focus on our own needs. We’ve put consumerism to one side and returned our attention to simple experiences. We may have discovered new sides to ourselves or rediscovered things we’d forgotten, we’ve surprised ourselves with which thoughts we wish to pursue and which new dreams come to the surface. But we have also established, rather painfully, what it is that we miss. It might actually be the case for one or two people that they missed the Louis Vuitton store, but the majority of us will have become aware of what we actually need in our lives in order to feel good. We’ve longed to be able to see extraordinary paintings in a museum, witness passionate performances at the theatre or travel the world in order to discover new insights in different places. It’s not just been a time of spatial restrictions, but also spiritual. We’ve longed to meet and make friends with unknown people in new places.

We’ve craved hugs, intimacy and security.

It was the feeling of connection that we were lacking, and it’s sure to still be sorely lacking in the months to come – connection with our family and our friends, but also with the salesperson at the supermarket and all the other people in the world that we could have got to know and value.

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Mario Pricken knows what’s valuable, and most importantly, he knows why.

THE Stylemate spoke to him about the value of objects, good stories and how the value compass has changed as a result of the coronavirus.

we’re addicted to Why do we remember that, of all things?

What is the most valuable object you own?

It’s a 1967 Fender Stratocaster. It’s less a case of the market value of the guitar and more about its personal value to me, which is extremely high as I got it from my father.

This is a good question as it shows quite clearly the different types of value. There’s personal value, market value, then another layer above that – for example the guitar would further increase in value if it had belonged to a famous musician.

MARIO What fuels our desire for certain objects?

If objects have a story. We’re addicted to stories! An extraordinary story totally changes how we look at an object. I also like hearing the story of an object and gauging how my opinion and perception of the object changes with it. That’s where magic happens.

You say that highly prized objects are actually stories dressed up as objects. What is currently the best story being told?

I don’t know if it’s the best story, but someone who goes about storytelling in a really professional way, in my opinion, is Elon Musk with Tesla. Although this might be more of an exaggeration than the truth, a little while ago I read that Tesla’s marketing budget apparently only amounts to $2,000. How can a global brand establish themselves with only $2,000?

It’s only possible by deviating from the norm and using extremely engaging stories.

What do you mean by “deviating from the norm”?

Deviating from the norm means doing what others don’t, showing the courage to convey it in a narrative format and, most importantly, it’s about always being at the top of your game. Am I the first, am I in front, am I winning at everything? It’s like being the first to reach the summit of a mountain. Everyone knows who was the first to climb Mount Everest, but very few people know who the second was.

Because it’s a unique accomplishment being a pioneer. Stories naturally mutate and gain embellishment over the years, but that’s how they become mythical.

It’s like the myths that get told about the foundation of companies.

What’s the most bizarre story you’ve ever heard about an object that still became this kind of myth?

There’s a story I always think of – it’s less about a product and more about an event.

Towards the end of the Second World War, two bomber aircraft were in flight over Greenland when they encountered some bad weather and had to make an emergency landing. Everything went smoothly and the pilots were unhurt, but they were picked up and the aircraft were left in Greenland. It snowed on the planes for many years and they sank further and further into the snow and ice.

Then someone heard about the story and located the aircraft – they were 20 metres beneath the ice. They were rinsed with warm water and were found to be fully intact. A team set to work dismantling one of the machines into pieces and it was taken away back to England, where it was put back into service. It’s a fascinating story.

A story worthy of Hollywood treatment, surely?

At the heart of a film plot is essentially whatever will trigger the biggest reaction in an audience – surprise, amazement, curiosity. A good story surrounding a product is based on exactly the same things. A hotel might become famous or stand out because something historical has happened there, or it could be something legendary, intriguing or scandalous.

Secret meetings between politicians, perhaps, who conclude a deal at the hotel in order to defeat an enemy. You can’t escape that kind of story anymore.

How can I give a new hotel an instant biography to put it up there with the likes of The Gritti Palace, the Bellagio or the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc? Does this biography really have to evolve organically?

That’s a really interesting question.

On this subject, I would say: stay away from anything that isn’t authentic. Making up stories like in advertising and trying to tie it all together just doesn’t work.

It reminds me of a speech by Obama, who when he was a presidential candidate said: You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still

a pig. Above all, you must beware of telling stories that aren’t true. We live in a time of great transparency and it’s no longer possible to hide. That’s something the fashion industry needs to learn – making clothes cheaply in Indonesia then selling them as luxury items just doesn’t wash anymore.

In your book The Essence of Value, you describe 80 value parameters that can be identified in “valuable” items. How can I determine the value DNA of a product?

For my book, I looked at 300 objects and analysed them – I effectively asked them what made them valuable. I also considered their entire biography. Every object has one, starting with the extraction of the raw materials to make them and ending with recycling or disposal. During this assessment, there were events at several points in the biographies that made the objects unique and special. These 80 value parameters of course don’t apply to all objects, but usually between six and 15 of them do.

What’s remarkable about this?

When you consider an object that’s so extraordinary and evokes such intense desire, the deciding factor isn’t that it’s got these parameters, for example that it’s been made out of rare materials – that’s not what it’s about. You’ve got to be at the forefront. You need to be the first, you need to be ahead of the game. You need to be the one that does something in such a way that no one else can keep up. When I achieve that, I am noteworthy and charged with value.

That doesn’t sound very straightforward.

Can you give an example?

Aston Martin did it very well, I think it was in 2008 at the start of the financial crisis.

They had already started manufacturing the Aston Martin 177, meaning there would only be 177 editions of the car made, and the model had already sold out before they even finished production. What set it apart from the rest of the market was that the moment it was bought, it had already gone up in value. It became even more valuable.

Value had been systematically created – thanks to a story.

How has the value compass changed as a result of the coronavirus?

My personal view is that the crisis only exists in the books, and by books I mean in the context of bookkeeping. People are gradually going back to cash, assets are being liquidated, gold is being sold. When

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. you’re out on the street, there’s barely any evidence of the crisis. The façade is still holding strong. But behind all that, it’s fragile. I suspect that throughout autumn and into next year, it will start to become much more visible. I think there will be a turning point, in that society will head in a more conservative direction. We will refocus more on old values, and everything society has been pushing up to now may well be thrown into doubt.

What does that mean for travel?

I think this endless consumerism will cease, generally in the luxury sector.

Travel has increasingly become a quick succession of experiences. It hasn’t been enough to travel to a destination – Venice, for example – spend five days there and experience and enjoy it with all of your senses. Instead, it has to be a tour of the whole of Italy, preferably 16 cities in eight days, running around everywhere taking selfies and photos, snapping up souvenirs and consuming as much as possible. That will change. People will once again refocus on the quality of an experience, and not on the quantity.

Will there be a general swing away from objects towards experiences?

There’s a great saying, “The last shirt you wear has no pockets”, meaning you can’t take anything with you when you die.

If you believe in life after death, you’ll only be able to take what you’ve experienced as a person. If not, at least you’ll have made the most of your life. Experience beats “things” – that’s how I envisage the future.

For those who might not remember who first climbed Mount Everest, it was Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

LIFE MARIO PRICKEN is one of the world’s most sought-after experts on the topics of creativity, idea management, strategy development and innovation. Together with Europe’s largest research establishment, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany, Mario Pricken has spent recent years developing new innovation processes for researchers and engineers, and also teaching as a university lecturer at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. He works as an innovation director with international companies, renowned agencies, design firms and TV stations. In 2014, following numerous other publications, he released “The Essence of Value”.

PRICKEN

stories

Photo: © www.mariopricken.com

mariopricken.com

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

CELLAR

WHAT D O YOU T H I N K OF WI N E AS AN I NVE ST M E N T ?

D OE S I T MAKE SE N SE ?

secrets

Photo: trinkreif © Alexander Chitsazan

WE ASKE D T WO WI N E M E RC HAN TS I N VI E N NA WHO WE R E B OU N D TO KNOW. T H E Y E XPL AI N E D TO U S WHY WI N E IS F I R ST AN D FOR E MO ST A PA SSION AN D T R E AT E D WI T H AWE AN D HUM I L I T Y, AN D WHY AL L ROAD S L E AD TO BU RGU N DY.

I

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

Photo: Maywines © Anna Stöcher

t’s another beautiful summer’s day when I arrive at the mansion in the leafy Hietzing district of Vienna. The perspective is just as I had expected: an inspiring and passionate conversation about wine and its value.

The mansion is home to Berndt and Andrea May, who a few years ago established the exclusive wine merchant May Wines, a company that sells the top wines from the most renowned wine regions around the world. The welcome from both of them is warm, and in light of the current situation, it is of course distanced. We are by the open windows in the lounge, a spot that also serves as the venue for the regular MasterClasses that see wine buffs gathering to enjoy tastings.

Before Berndt May devoted himself entirely to wine, he was a finance manager. Because of this, my first question is about investing in wine, and whether it makes sense to invest in more expensive wines during times of crisis. “Generally speaking, it makes sense to spread your assets when it comes to investments. In terms of “real assets” there are things like art, vintage pieces of furniture and musical instruments, and even special wines.

May Wines is an exclusive wine merchants that specialises in top vintage wines from the most renowned wine regions around the world. The brain behind it all is Berndt May, who at 53 made the leap from finance manager to wine merchant. Together with his wife Andrea, Berndt has spent the past 20 years accumulating comprehensive wine expertise and a unique wine cellar, and the distinguished drops can be purchased via their online shop. When it comes to the mature vintages, May takes great care to verify the top condition of the wine and to keep it that way. As passionate hosts, Berndt and Andrea also offer regular MasterClasses in their private tasting lounge in the Hietzing district of Vienna. maywines.com

But not every wine is an investment, and investing in wine isn’t actually that easy,” he explains. He goes on to say that investing in wine is rather demanding, as you need a place where you can store it properly, and you must also be able to determine, to know, what you’re buying and have the ability to make purchases based on reasonable conditions. If you buy a wine that you need to drink in the next two years, that’s not an investment in the traditional sense, it’s more about investing in enjoyment.

“My experience with friends and clients is that very few wines are bought as an investment – most of them are for pleasure.

And because a wine connoisseur is usually also a collector, they buy more than they can drink at once. At some point they discover that they have several thousand bottles in the cellar, start doing the calculations and realise that they’ve built up quite an asset.”

The worlds of pleasure and investment meet when it comes to wine. Only the best is good enough as an investment, which mostly means French wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, as it has long been proven that wines age extremely well in these regions. They have a long history and everyone likes them – an important factor considering where there’s no demand, there’s no possibility of making a profit.

These regions introduced a universal classification system at a very early stage, therefore making it possible to compare one wine with another. The wines were also classified very highly early on. In order to really make an investment, you’ll ideally need to buy a case of 6 or 12 bottles and have an air-conditioned cellar, or a natural cellar that’s very deep underground. The fill level of the bottles also has to be right – the warmer and drier the place where they’re stored, the greater the danger that the fill level will go down. The more humid the location, the better the conditions for the

wine, but all the worse for the label: at 80 % humidity, the label starts to suffer, but of course collectors and investors want a nice-looking label. It’s not that simple at all.

You sometimes also get valuable wines that have a bizarre story behind them. Like the 2008 Château Lafite, for example. When it became known that the renowned winery had engraved the number “8” onto the bottles, which incidentally is the Chinese number of good fortune, the value of the wine went up by 20 %. Another example is the 1945 Mouton, which is still recognised and enjoyed today as an exquisite wine.

The combination of a great wine in the bottle and the exogenic factor of the end of the war made it a highly sought-after rarity.

A bottle these days will cost you between 8,000 and 10,000 euros. You must never take your eye off the market when investing in wine – just because critics agree that a particular wine is “great” doesn’t mean it has to be that expensive, and in turn that doesn’t make it a good investment.

the flavour in the glass and brings a ‘wow’ to my lips.” During their tastings, Andrea and Berndt May serve many such great wines. “There are very clear criteria: the range of aromas, the complexity of a wine – how long it stays on the palate, whether it has depth and body – and whether the acidity adds structure and makes the wine elegant and crisp,” adds Andrea May. It’s on the basis of these criteria that they value wine. Quality is the primary focus during their tastings, but it is even more important in their business of selling wine. May compares it to his time as a banker, where the biggest risk was considered to be that to your reputation. When a wine is offered for sale, everything has to be right: the cellar, the provenance, the fill level, the cork and the label. Customers mustn’t be allowed to be in any way disappointed – a May bottle must represent the utmost quality. The Mays’ current personal favourite wine is a Haut-Brion from 1989, which commands a price of around 1,500 euros.

GREAT WI N E

SE ARC H I NG FOR A HOBBY

So what does make a wine great? According to May, there are various answers to this question. “A wine producer would say it’s the terroir – the ground, the right vines, the sun and the coldness, the microclimate and old vines. I would mostly say it’s the opposite, as the wines from the 60s and 70s that we now regard as good came from vines that weren’t that old at the time, although in general, I can of course understand that an old, deep-rooted vine brings interesting things to the plant. The wine producer would therefore conclude that it’s mostly down to what happens in the vineyard.

As a wine merchant, I would say that a great wine is one that sells well. As a wine connoisseur, I would say that a great wine is one that gives me goosebumps when I smell

It all started with Andrea and Berndt May looking for a joint hobby. They thought they were still too young for golf, and they couldn’t find another sport that they agreed on. But the couple were extremely good hosts, so they decided to get to grips with wine, and did so with the utmost diligence.

Together, they did blind tastings, tested each other, read a lot, and above all tasted a lot. “The objects of our desire are French wines, mainly those from Bordeaux and Burgundy. They’re also the wines that we sell the most of because we can contribute our experience. We know the right vintages, the vineyards and the conditions, as well as the time period in which you should buy and then drink a wine,” says Andrea May. And they never get bored of it.

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

“WE’RE NOT r e s p e c t f u l IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, RATHER WE’RE s u c c e s s f u l BECAUSE WE’RE RESPECTFUL.” T H E MO S T BEAU T I F UL T RI VIA L I T Y I N T H E WORL D Change of scene. It’s still hot in the city and we couldn’t have chosen a better meeting point for a refreshing conversation: one of the cellars belonging to trinkreif, which is located near the Stadtpark in Vienna. trinkreif was started by Markus Inzinger and Clemens Riedl in 2015, when they devoted themselves to “the most beautiful triviality in the world” – vintage wines.

Our conversation gets right to the point.

“What was important to us from the very beginning was our own passion for wine and understanding the collectors who want to sell their wines. If someone wants to sell their wine collection, it’s not always for the happiest of reasons,” explains Clemens Riedl. Because of this, you need to understand that there’s always a touch of wistfulness involved, and the seller is less interested in getting the maximum value for their collection than they are in making

sure their wine goes to a good home, where it will continue to be valued. “We’re not respectful in order to be successful, rather we’re successful because we’re respectful,” believes Riedl. “We would also never say that a wine has no value. It may have no material value, but it usually has sentimental value.”

They also place huge value on their reputation at trinkreif – it’s important no matter whether you’re dealing with the secondary market or buying directly from the vineyard. In a community that isn’t really that big, those who have proven their character will be rewarded with great wine.

“A wine producer in the premium sector always enquires about the retailer, as their goal is to get their wines to the right people. That’s why they need a retailer that can guarantee that will be the case,” says Markus Inzinger from experience.

If you’re buying on the secondary market, it’s always done in person, so a visit to the seller is arranged in order to get a better idea of the scope of the sale. There are many anecdotes about this kind of purchase, like the one about the electrician with the Petrus. “We’d received an inventoried list in advance and it was impressive.

I already had an idea in my head of the kind of person that had accumulated this collection, but when I turned up in a tiny town in an even tinier pedestrianised area, I got quite a surprise. He was the village electrician.

He took me to his property, where next to his modest house he’d built an outbuilding.

And that’s where I was totally blown away.

I was so taken aback that I had to stop for a second. It was an enormous collection and he had never drunk a bottle himself.

Just incredible.” You can tell that this story still has a huge impact on Clemens Riedl.

For the two wine aficionados, wine isn’t a means of investment but rather of enjoyment. They want no part in fuelling the spiral of speculation and instead sell wine to people that want it for themselves.

The Romanée-Conti domaine is considered the most expensive in the world, and hypothetically, their wine achieves an extortionate price on the secondary market – the Austrian importers can expect to pay several thousand euros for a case, for example. When the wine is first released, this case could rocket in value overnight, which makes selling it on straight away a very attractive option. Importers are therefore required to sell the wines mainly to the hospitality trade and not to private clients, and if anyone abuses what can be strict instructions from the vineyard, they risk losing their allocation. It’s also a way

for vineyards to prevent speculation, even though there may be some people who like to try out a few tricks, like ordering a bottle to be brought to your room in a hotel and asking for it not to be opened. But of course, that’s something we would never do in a hotel (again).

VI N TAGE WI N E The core business at trinkreif is vintage wines. But how do you get a vintage wine?

It requires someone to invest their time, money and passion, because anywhere between five and thirty years could go by before a certain wine is ready to be opened.

Added to that, you need storage capacity, capital and patience. “We live in a time when waiting has become very unpopular.

For a long time now, patience has no longer been a virtue and has been seen as more of a waste of time. However, waiting often leads to a better result. That’s what we relieve people of – we do the waiting for them,” grins Riedl. And it’s something they like doing, because the wines are just as much a passion for Riedl and Inzinger as they are for their clients. But why is that? “If we’re being honest, wine is a drug.

When you drink wine, you get tipsy. There’s something liberating about occasionally being able to put to one side the restrictive corset you might normally wear. Obviously there’s also the complexity of the flavour that can be extracted from a fermented grape, plus I’m also fascinated by its shelf life. I once had the honour of drinking a 1945 Mouton and it’s incredible to think about what they were able to do in a year when Europe was in ruins.”

So, water makes beer, the earth makes wine, and it would appear that France was blessed

by God. Even those who are wine-lovers by trade will drink a glass of wine in awe.

Wines like these from Bordeaux and Burgundy. “Basically, if you drink wine for long enough, you’ll always end up in Burgundy.”

After all, that’s where the pinot grapes grow that are used to create the most nuanced wine with the most complex flavour profile.

But you shouldn’t drink it when it’s too young, as that would be “like having a fillet steak that’s been cooked for so long you could knock someone out with it,” laughs Clemens Riedl.

And what is good wine worth now? It is worth being drunk under any circumstances, and best of all among good company, because that’s when we can all agree on the value we find in wine.

A passion for vintage wines is what originally brought Markus Inzinger and Clemens Riedl together. For the two IT professionals, wine is “the most beautiful triviality in the world”.

Under the name trinkreif, they started a premium wine business in 2015 specialising in vintage wines. They wanted to share the opportunity to drink vintage wines at a reasonable price, and in doing so provide new insights. trinkreif.at

Photo: trinkreif © Udo Titz

“We constantly drink the same wines, but we’re still able to talk about them for hours on end.” However, it’s not just the wines that the pair are able to enthuse about, but also their guests. “Most of the people we meet here in our home who have a passion for wine are always generally interesting people as well.

We really love being hosts – that’s why we do the MasterClasses at our home.

After only a short time it’s no longer possible to tell who are our friends and who we’ve only just met. With wine, everyone meets on the same level.”

In order to get to know their customers even better, May Wines has recently opened a collection point where you can pick up the wines you ordered online by appointment. This allows the opportunity for personal contact, which the Mays find “especially great”. As an aside, they would never open a bottle of their current favourite wine just for the two of them – “only ever with friends, as it’s more fun that way.”

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

ADVERTORIAL MARKUS KIRNBAUER is a winemaker and manager of the Weingut K+K Kirnbauer winery in Blaufränkischland, in the Burgenland region of eastern Austria. The grapes for his wine come from all of the best vineyards in the town of Deutsch­ kreutz, and are then sorted three times before they make it to fermentation. The wines are aged in selected Barrique barrels and are certified sustainable. The Das Phantom “cuvée” is considered an iconic wine in Austria.

Markus Kirnbauer, what’s the current situation for wine producers?

A great many wine producers have unfortunately seen a drop in sales due to the downturn in the hospitality and tourism industries. The hotels have been buying considerably less, so the market is flooded with promotions where wine is almost being thrown out the door.

And how is it for you?

We haven’t been affected. There are many reasons for that. We don’t want to be forced into having to go down that path – the value of our brand and our commitment to winemaking is much too important. We’ve also entered into distributi on partnerships, meaning even in times like these, we don’t deal with the food retail industry. For us, the partnership with the hospitality industry also means that we help to share the burden of the downturn to the benefit of the value of our product.

channels. And all that despite the fact that buyers from the food retail industry are knocking at our door every week!

How is the value of wine doing?

When we see our wines appearing in an online shop on the grey market, we buy it back ourselves – purely to preserve the value of the wine. After all, the value of the wine constitutes the primary lifeblood of the wine producer. A good wine is like a work of art, a special piece of music – it starts to take shape in your head before

What constitutes value in a good partnership?

Where long and complex contracts are required in order to get a partnership up and running, there’s got to be something

M A R K U S

K I R N B AU E R

wrong. We’re focused on handshake quality, trust, mutual respect and benefit, and standing together in bad times as well as good. This year is extremely challenging, but we’re sticking with our partners and not looking for alternative distribution

From wellies to

Photos: WG K+K Kirnbauer

Wine producer Markus Kirnbauer’s wardrobe is as varied as his job.

We learn which values are upheld at his winery K + K Kirnbauer and why he would give a Kingdom for a grape.

fine threads

it becomes a reality. Before we even harvest the grapes, we already have the wine sorted in our heads. It’s the body of thought and the philosophy, the optimum location of the vineyard, the right grape variety and the vines that make up the value of the wine. Then of course we think about the right price-enjoyment ratio, as we call it.

How important is appreciation in the production of wine?

We invest a huge amount in each individual grape, because our yield is lower than most. You could say we spoil the grapes at the winery.

You’re fully devoted to sustainable cultivation. What impact does that have in terms of the earth, the work in the cellars and ultimately the wine?

Sustainability starts with the choice of grape and the set-up of the vineyard.

It’s also about the ecosystem of the vineyard, in the sense that we interfere as little as possible. That’s why we try to complete as many processing stages as possible at the same time, we don’t need any air conditioning and we’re conscious phantom.at

of our social responsibility towards our employees. For us, sustainability is a holistic approach to grape processing that everyone should benefit from – the environment, the earth, the wine, people.

For the last two years, we’ve also been cultivating organically.

How adventurous are you in your wine production?

You always have to sail close to the wind in order to produce the best wine. For us in the Blaufränkischland wine producing area, every vintage is different. As a consequence, every day we’re experimenting and guessing what’s best for the year and the current wine. The 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages are absolutely brilliant – climate change has really contributed to the maturity of our grapes.

The job of a wine producer is varied.

What are your favourite tasks?

The variety offers enormous advantages because you can’t get bored of any single task. Added to that, anything from wellies to the finest threads passes as possible work attire.

What makes your wines distinctive?

The varied nose of the fruit, the spice and the clarity, which continues on the palate, then follows into a long finish. It’s the overall harmony that it creates.

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

LIFE His great historical adventure novel “Das Floß der Medusa” (published by Zsolnay) was awarded the Bayerischer Buchpreis (Bavarian Book Award) 2017 and was on the shortlist for the German Book Prize 2017.

Perfection is fleeting, so we need to see the beauty in the imperfect.

FRANZOBEL That’s how the Japanese live with their philosophy of wabi-sabi, according to which all things are charming, even those with flaws.

But it hasn’t been possible to carry this idea over to people, because in the land of the rising sun, it’s still business as usual: pressure, perfectionism, success.

The world has seen many political woes: class struggles, racism, the fight for equality.

Fifty years ago, demonstrators were shot at in Western Europe, resulting in violence and retaliation. First came the student riots, then there was the German Red Army Faction (RAF), who burnt down department stores, carried out kidnappings and committed murders.

Hansel and Gretel were in the thick of it. Both groups came from homes with authoritarian parents and saw the state as an extension of their tyrannical, abusive fathers. Both groups fell in with the RAF, wanting to show those in power that they were no longer safe, leading to attacks, prisoner liberations and escape. Hansel and Gretel were young and believed they were invincible. They may not have actually been violent themselves, but they were prepared to be, so they were arrested, they sat in prison and they survived.

Today, the former troublemakers of the middle class live in a modest little house on the edge of the forest and receive a small pension for the jobs they did after being released from incarceration. Every morning, Hansel mixes olive oil with oats and spoons the porridge onto a plank of wood next to the veranda, and blue tits, nuthatches, starlings and young woodpeckers arrive not long after. The best singer is the blackcap, an unremarkable grey bird for whom the vitex shrub, which is also known as the chaste tree and is alleged to lower libido, was especially planted. Next to it are the gazanias, because they attract the greenfinches, and elder, which is meant to deter moles. The birds have barely had their fill when Harvey the squirrel arrives and collects up the nuts that Hansel always has in his pocket. Harvey quite literally eats out of the palm of his hand. Then there’s Susi, the mother fox who has to support her cubs in two burrows – she looks understandably emaciated, but Hansel and Gretel don’t feed her, as you’re not supposed to feed predators.

Frogs live in the pond and racoons come to visit at night.

Books about songbirds and garden plants are piled up on the dining table. Whereas before Hansel and Gretel read Marx and Mao and ranted about the demon that is capitalism, they now take great interest in flora and fauna and are happy. They have found nature, and in doing so have found themselves.

People are happy when life is affordable, when it has flavour and they’re able to enjoy it.

This last part in particular is lacking for many.

Most people think that money makes you happy because it can act as an iron to smooth out all the lumps and bumps. But money only serves to make you unhappy when you don’t have any.

There is no such thing as a perfect life, so we have to learn to accept the minor flaws and be more wabi-sabi. There are no definitive truths, but for Hansel and Gretel life now seems to be much more honest. They no longer want to change society, preferring instead to focus on helping Harvey and the birds make it safely through the winter. For them, their life is less about anti-imperialist class struggles and more about species-specific feeding and the phases of the moon – the kind of cottage garden mentality they would have laughed at before, but which now gives them great joy.

hansel & gretel reloaded

Photo: Dirk Skiba

Franzobel is an Austrian writer. He has published numerous plays, works of prose and poems. His plays have been produced in countries including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, France, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Italy, Russia and the USA.

LIFESTYLEHOTELS LIFESTYLEHOTELS.NET

Selection Austria

03 | 2020

Photo: Daniel Zangerl

Crystal-clear water.

Levity, crystal-clear water and the magical purity of the elements. Enjoy all-round well-being in the 2,000-square-metre spa at The Crystal hotel in Obergurgl in the Austrian Tyrol region.

This is where refined materials and flawless aesthetics come together in a seductive duet and strike up a symphony of perfection, balance and harmony. The exclusive four-star hotel is an exquisite and modern-purist retreat that’s situated right on the slopes, offering regional cuisine and natural wellness with views of the impressive Tyrolean mountain backdrop.

T H E C RY S TA L lifestylehotels.net/hotel-the-crystal

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LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

NEW MEMBER ALPENHOTEL KITZBÜHEL

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The thin layer of snow crunches gently underneath your feet as you head out early in the morning from the Lakeside Lodge to the banks of the Schwarzsee lake.

A holiday by the lake in winter – how wonderful!

A M S C H WA R Z S E E * * * *

leisure at the lake TYROL / KITZBÜHEL

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rooms and suites Peaceful setting on the Schwarzsee Book online lifestylehotels.net/ alpenhotel-kitzbuehel

After taking in a deep breath, you can go back to your cosy suite suitably refreshed and enjoy the idyllic panorama that towers above the shimmering layer of ice on the lake from the warmth of the interior.

Although the Alpenhotel Kitzbühel is located in the middle of the infamous winter sports resort of the same name, Alpine luxury here is more about the peace that can be found in nature. And time seems to stand still for a moment.

Those who prefer things a little livelier can get to the centre of Kitzbühel in just a few minutes and make the most of the luxury boutiques and cosy cafés that entice more than just fashionistas to take a relaxed stroll around.

Afterwards, it’s back to the Lakeside Lodge, where you can put your feet up and allow your gaze to once again wander peacefully across the lake to take in the stunning Wilder Kaiser.

A RRI VE. BREAT H E. E N JOY. As soon as you arrive here by the lake, surrounded by the incredible mountain landscape of this unique region, you immediately feel a sense of slowing down, and find it much easier to unwind than during a normal hectic day at home.

Before you treat yourself to a culinary experience in the famous town of Kitzbühel, or even within the Alpenhotel itself, we recommend stopping for a moment to first take in a deep breath in this truly special place, as the fresh mountain air is known for its healing properties. And it is this winter air that will always draw you back outside for a lovely stroll along the picturesque lakeside path, until you start to feel the cold and return to the Lodge.

You make the spontaneous decision to pay a visit to the spa with its sauna and steam room, which for ski fans will be just as deserved a treat for tired muscles after a day on the slopes.

The warmth and tranquillity will soon have you feeling totally relaxed and reinvigorated for the evening, when there are yet more gastronomic delights to be devoured before you round off the day in the Lodge with a good book.

It goes without saying that you should venture onto the pistes – you are in Kitzbühel, after all, and the world-famous Streif downhill slope is right in front of you. Whether you’re brave enough to take on the up to 85 % gradient and the fastest descent in the world is up to you, but it’s definitely worth heading up there for the view from the top and a stop at the Streif­ alm restaurant. Beyond that, you’ll have to see ...

Photos: Alpenhotel Kitzbühel

AUSTRIA

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

03

That’s what you’ll be shouting with glee when you’re able to glide down freshly prepared pistes first thing in the morning, then in the afternoon swing right into the hotel bar.

beat you to it!

area in East Tyrol and will be able to make the most of the 15 cable cars and lifts at up to 2,426 metres above sea level. A total of 42 kilometres of pistes are just waiting to be discovered, and no matter whether you’re a pro or a newbie, a snowboarder or a freerider, there is guaranteed to be a slope for everyone. And to top it all off, snow is a given here until spring.

AL L I N ON E PL ACE

AUSTRIA EAST TYROL / KALS AM GROSSGLOCKNER

GRADONNA ****S M O U N TA I N RESORT CHALETS & HOTEL

156 rooms

East Tyrol’s largest ski resort

Photos: Gradonna Mountain Resort Kals © Gert Perauer

Book online lifestylehotels.net/ gradonna-mountain-resort

These and all of our other winter wishes were granted at the Gradonna Mountain Resort in the sun-drenched town of Kals am Großglockner. After all, when we’re on holiday we want everything to be straightforward, especially in winter when our ski equipment is bulky and our clothes fill more than one suitcase. The best bit is that we’re staying right on the slope: no shuttle buses, no trudging through the snow – simply clip in to your bindings and enjoy the gentle crunch of the freshly prepared snow on the piste. One of these pistes, the valley run towards Kals, goes straight through the Gradonna Mountain Resort past the hotel and its chalets. Here we’re just moments away from the largest ski

We found everything straightforward at the superior four-star resort, and not just because of the direct access to the pistes and the fact you can ski in, ski out. We got the equipment for our sporting adventure right here at the hotel, for both adults and children, and were even able to book the little ones into ski school at the same time. And because the youngsters just couldn’t wait to get started, we had a go on the magic carpet behind the hotel, where the professionals of the future captivated us as they took their first unsteady turns out on the snow with huge grins on their faces. Tobogganing, cross-country skiing, ski tours, winter hiking: at the Gradonna Mountain Resort there is so much on offer.

If the kids don’t want to go out with you, leave them to let off steam at the kids club: when we pick them up they tell us all about their trips to the enchanted forest, the action-packed adventures in nature and all the new friends they’ve made in the play area. After such a diverse programme of activities, it’s time for the more peaceful part of our holiday. We definitely still want to have a go at the family yoga, swim a couple of laps of the pool and try out the slide in the family area. Before dinner, and after so much physical exertion, we schedule in a relaxing massage, which includes access to the sauna afterwards.

That’s how couples and families alike can achieve a balance between adventure and relaxation at the Gradonna – it’s really quite straightforward.

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

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We’re in Seefeld in Tirol, a picturesque village at 1,200 metres above sea level that has twice been a venue for the Winter Olympic Games. That sporting spirit can still be felt today when you leave the lower station and the mountain railway behind you and take a stroll through the pedestrianised town centre.

DA S M AX

AUSTRIA TYROL / SEEFELD

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rooms in prime location maxRelax with rooftop chillout area Book online lifestylehotels.net/ das-max

Olympic region. Today, however, we opt for a snowshoe hike, because skiing all the time can be a bit boring, even when the ski resort around Seefeld in Tirol has so much to offer – maybe tomorrow. For now, it’s snowshoes, which we get without any hassle from the nearby ski hire shop.

And off we go to the idyllic snow-covered Wildsee lake, which you can also comfortably walk around without snowshoes, even in winter. But we’re enticed to go higher – 300 metres higher up a five-kilometre route. After two and a half hours, we’ve made it to the Gschwandtkopf, one of the local Seefeld mountains, which promises spectacular views. The warm winter sun beats down on our faces as we gaze out over the Inntal valley and for a brief instant forget that anything else exists. We enjoy this moment of pure relaxation and a feeling of elation sets in, before we make our way back via the glittering snowy surface of the Gschwandtkopfmähder meadows.

MAXBIST RO & MAXR E L AX Upon our return to the hotel, the first thing we need is light refreshment. It won’t be opulent Tyrolean delicacies today, although the Seefelder Stube is just around the corner and we get a 10 % discount there as guests of the dasMAX lifestyle hotel.

Right now, the tasty snacks from the maxBistro do us just fine, followed by a glass of wine in the hotel’s honesty bar. There’s no partying today either – although there are plenty of options to choose from in the Seefeld town centre. Today is more about rest and relaxation, so we make our way back to maxRelax later in the afternoon.

In the wellness area in the rooftop chillout zone, we warm ourselves up in the power sauna and enjoy the 360-degree view of the sunny plateau. When you see the region looking like this, it’s no wonder that Seefeld is considered amongst the “Best of the Alps”, the twelve most popular destinations in the Alps. And dasMAX shows us Seefeld in a totally new light: flexible and straightforward, just how we like it.

Photos: Archiv Marcati

In this pedestrianised area, alongside all the cafés and fashion boutiques, sports shops line up one after the other to leave us with a big decision to make: to buy or to rent our ski equipment? It’s perfect for anyone who prefers to decide for themselves how their holiday unfolds, and it’s these free spirits that will be best catered for at the dasMAX lifestyle hotel in the heart of the town centre. Here you will find the perfect base for a holiday that meets your requirements and embraces the motto “Holiday your way”.

Unnecessary luxury is nowhere to be found at the dasMAX lifestyle hotel, which instead favours Scandinavian minimalism of the highest quality. We also don’t pay for anything we don’t need – it couldn’t be a more personalised experience. Despite that, the options seem endless and are just waiting to be tried out. We also receive from the hotel a free cross-country ski pass for the incredible 245 kilometres of cross-country ski trails in the Seefeld

holiday your way

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

tyrol on a plate

Fresh, healthy and conscious – it’s in line with these principles that the Bergland Design and Wellness Hotel in Sölden started its Regional 200 initiative, which requires all goods to be locally sourced.

BERGLAND DESIGN AND WELLNESS HOTEL SÖLDEN

Photos: eye5.li // Christoph Schöch // Klaus Lorke

200. This number represents the maximum distance items such as food and cosmetics products are allowed to travel – 200 kilometres (as the crow flies). That’s something like the distance from Vienna to Budapest – or even from Sölden to Venice. “We wanted to further strengthen our collaboration with regional suppliers from the surrounding area to help create a greener future: basically, green makes greener,” explains hotel owner Sigi Grüner, who not only runs the Bergland with his family but also breeds sheep on the site.

In the pastures around the hotel, summer will see an average of 25 ewes and 40 to 50 lambs grazing. It also explains the name of the hotel’s own gourmet restaurant: the aptly named “black sheep” has long placed great emphasis on local produce, and what could be more local than lamb you’ve bred yourself? Here, regional is synonymous with flavour and authenticity – which you won’t only find in the gourmet restaurant but also from the moment the day begins with breakfast. In keeping with the Regional 200 initiative and to complement the produce from the hotel’s own sheep farming exploits, breakfast serves up vegetables from Kematen, near Innsbruck (37 km away), fish, milk products and honey from Längenfeld (12 km away), and meat from Imst (37 km away). And there is still plenty of scope for new products considering the hotel’s position in the heart of the Tyrolean Alps, meaning 200 km will take you into Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

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F ROM RES TAURAN T T O BA R , TO SPA It’s not just food we enjoy with a clean conscience at the Bergland – the wine list also boasts numerous sustainable bottles from Austria and South Tyrol. Even those who insist on organic wine will find themselves richly rewarded – the hotel’s sommelier Johannes Hochschwarzer might recommend, for example, the pinot blanc or the chardonnay from Sanct Valentin in South Tyrol, which meets the Regional 200 criteria. An organically produced South Tyrolean red called Storlond is also sure to get the pulse of any wine connoisseur racing. Beyond gastronomy, sustainability and regionality are also evident in the Sky Spa, where we are indulged with natural cosmetics products by Alpienne, a brand based in the Pitztal region of Tyrol: arolla pine and arnica lotion, natural salt peels, Alpine herb mud packs and much more.

So regionality certainly isn’t lacking in the spa. Proof that the tireless commitment of the Grüner family is paying off can be seen in certifications like Bewusst Tirol (Conscious Tyrol), which is awarded to tourism operations that use a large proportion of local products and therefore act as role models for tourism that is conscious of its surroundings. In turn, the award serves as a sign for guests that they are promised “100 % Tyrol on a plate” – and not just promised, but guaranteed.

AUSTRIA TYROL / SÖLDEN

86 rooms

100 % Tyrol on a plate Book online lifestylehotels.net/ bergland-design-undwellnesshotel-soelden

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

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If any a family were to have hotel management in their blood, it would be the Schwaigers from Maria Alm, south of Salzburg.

We are greeted in their modern hotels by a relaxed atmosphere and a distinctly chilled vibe, which makes the Eder establishments the perfect holiday accommodation – all the ski, none of the chi-chi.

EDER

FAM I LY AC T IVI T I E S VS. ADU LTS ON LY

AUSTRIA S A L Z B U R G / HOCHKÖNIG SKI RES ORT

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rooms at Hotel Eder

HOTEL SEPP

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If you’re looking for individuality with a touch of elegance in your winter holiday, look no further than the Schwaiger family’s SEPP boutique hotel, a real dream offering.

“Luxury with a twist” is the order of the day here, and just like in all of the hotels in the Eder Collection, it is characterised by a laid-back atmosphere that we should all embrace a little more in everyday life.

Guests over 21 make friends quickly in this convivial, adults-only setting, but can also easily whisk themselves away at any time. Probably the best place to escape to is right at the top of the Hotel SEPP, where the Airstream sauna reigns supreme on the rooftop amidst an outdoor oasis with a spectacular infinity pool and chillout area. Or you can take yourself back off to your room, because an unconventional yet relaxed atmosphere prevails even here – the comfortable, luxury rooms boast panoramic windows, swings on the balconies, freestanding baths and so much more. And before you leave to go home, you just need to get an original souvenir from Maria & Josef, the new village shop – or as the Schwaigers call it, the new “conSEPP” store in the heart of Maria Alm. We’re happy to defer our long-haul winter holiday and place our trust in the Schwaigers to make sure we have an unforgettable break.

rooms at Hotel SEPP

Wellness and spa Book online lifestylehotels.net/hotel-eder lifestylehotels.net/hotel-sepp

Photos: Eder Hotels GmbH

The Eder Collection: it is under this title that the creative Schwaiger family brings us four uniquely laid-back holiday destinations in Maria Alm: the Eder lifestyle hotel on Dorfplatz, the on-trend, adults-only SEPP boutique hotel, the somewhat alternative tom Almhütte up the Hochkönig mountain, where we are welcomed by charming host and pug Choupette, and the Eder Apartments, with their natural pond in a peaceful spot on the outskirts of town.

There’s something for everyone in this collection, no matter what you’re looking for, especially since winter in the Maldives or the Caribbean has been cancelled this year. So why not spend your holiday with the Schwaigers in Maria Alm – winter adrenaline junkies will enjoy the direct access to the Hochkönig resort and with it an incredible 760 kilometres of pistes, 270 lifts and 260 eateries. Simply get yourself settled in the Hotel Eder, head out the door and jump in the cable car.

We start the day early with the legendary Königstour ski circuit, which keeps our eyes happy all day. But before we relax in the wellness area of the hotel with its pool, steam room and sauna, we enjoy a sundowner at the tom Almhütte, which also belongs to the Schwaiger family.

Here we encounter Choupette the pug, not only in the flesh but also in the décor – a witty concept that will bring a smile to everyone’s face, whether you’re a dog lover or not.

eder by design

HOTEL

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

ALPIN JUWEL

Photos: Alpin Juwel GmbH

HOTEL ****S

The fact that nature plays a vital role at the Alpin Juwel, which is set within the famous Saalbach Hinterglemm ski resort, is obvious from the very first glance, as the timber façade of the superior four-star hotel draws you in, with the beautiful mountains of the Pinzgauer Grasberge gathered around behind it. Here we enjoy the pure mountain air and really take a moment to feel it before we head into the hotel – that special atmosphere that evokes an instant holiday feeling as soon as you arrive. Inside, we encounter natural materials at every turn, and it soon becomes clear that this is a hotel that places its entire focus on people and on nature. When cleaning, the Alpin Juwel doesn’t resort to the usual chemical cleaners, but instead chooses to use 180-degree steam, which is just as reliable in dealing with bacteria and viruses. Special flow regulators economise the energising spring water, while essential oils enrich the air with positive vibrations. At night, we tuck ourselves into a sophisticated sleeping system from SAMINA, which doesn’t just gently send us off to the land of nod, it also improves our chi and boosts our immune system. Because of this, we’re ready to enjoy every day of our holiday to the max: from start to finish with regional organic delicacies for breakfast, mind-blowing mountain panoramas during leisurely walks and authentic Ayurvedic massages from Sri Lankan therapist Manjula.

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The attribute of being “virus-free” is of particular importance in the current climate, but it has always been the case at the Alpin Juwel Hotel, and it continues to be so now. The fact that chemicals are not required to achieve this has been proven by the Salzburg hotel, whose sustainable concept applies to all areas, from the rooms to the restaurant and the spa.

back to nature T H E PERF ECT RECHA RGE: AT MO SPH ERE, S OUL FO OD AN D AYURVEDA It is well known that body and soul go hand in hand, and we come across this kind of holistic approach throughout the Alpin Juwel hotel. Alongside the architecture and the Ayurveda focus in the wellness area, the food concept of the certified organic hotel is further evidence of the harmony between people and nature, with emphasis

AUSTRIA SALZBURG / SAALBACH HINTERGLEMM

80 rooms

on the exclusive use of organic produce from the surrounding area, total avoidance of artificial flavours and refined sugar, and ingenious, simple preparation.

The result is soul food of the highest order and we treat our bodies to the best that nature has to offer, no matter whether we spend the whole day on the extensive network of pistes and carving it up in the Skicircus snow park – it’s right on the doorstep, by the way – or prefer to take it easy with a winter hike and an hour of yoga at the hotel. The Alpin Juwel offers a laid-back atmosphere that makes us feel totally relaxed. And it certainly has us wanting to come back again if it means we can harmonise body and soul away from our hectic day-to-day lives.

Total relaxation and Ayurveda Book online lifestylehotels.net/ alpin-juwel

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

PURADIES

A holiday in a hut evokes images of a rustic atmosphere – a four-star hotel, on the other hand, is all about luxury. You’ll find both in the cosy chalets at the Puradies nature resort, where you can spend your holiday in private as a couple or as a family, and enjoy unobtrusive luxury combined with sleek, Alpine flair.

HOTEL &

AUSTRIA

CHALETS

SALZBURG /

PU R E E N JOYM EN T

Your own little hut from which to go off and enjoy skiing and hiking – for many, that sounds like a dream. And sometimes a hut sounds a long way off luxury.

It’s different at the Puradies nature resort, which boasts several four-star chalets to choose from that will comfortably sleep up to six people. There’s also a comprehensive range of services to make the most of, including professional childcare and a separate wellness building with a sauna, spa and much more. Back in the luxury huts, which have been constructed in an organic way using lots of wood, you will feel an overall sense of well-being from the

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As a chalet guest, you’ll also be spoilt for choice when it comes to cuisine: will you go for choosing from over 300 regional products in the hotel grocers, then enjoying a glass of wine and some local cheese in your chalet, or would you rather opt for the hotel’s own gourmet restaurant ESS:ENZ, which is right next door? There, you will savour natural cuisine on another level: homemade pasta, truffles, dry-aged steak, rainbow trout from Saalfelden and radish sorbet. With delicacies like these, even dinner will become an unforgettable experience. Afterwards, why not try one of the Alps-inspired drinks with wild herbs from the mountain pastures and the forest around the hotel, served in the open area

SAALBACH HINTERGLEMM in the hotel bar. It’s worth taking a closer look around, as the bar and seating areas are made out of around 16,000 cubes of oak that combine together to form a cohesive work of art that won the German Design Award 2018. And speaking of a “cohesive work of art”: that would also be the best description for this spectacular location, where nature can be experienced with all of the senses and our dream of a luxury holiday in a hut comes true. It’s simply paradise.

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rooms, chalets and suites Spa with 360º view Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-chalets-puradies

rustic luxury

Photos: PURADIES

minute you arrive to the minute you leave.

It’s almost as if you were at home, but then again, nothing like it – because here, you can have your organic breakfast brought right to your chalet in the morning, so you can sit by the open fire, flick through the newspaper or let your gaze meander across the view of the Salzburgerland region. It makes for a fortifying start to the day. No matter whether you then venture out onto the 270 kilometres of ski runs in the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm resort (remember: ski in, ski out) or would prefer a romantic sleigh ride, as long as the sun is shining, no one can resist the snowy winter wonderland that’s right on your doorstep. The crunch of your shoes gently sinking into the snow, the warmth of the sun on your face, the choice between adventures on the slopes and the tranquillity of nature … The Puradies is a small slice of paradise in the middle of the immense Salzburg mountain landscape.

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

NEW MEMBER ALMMONTE SENSUM & PRÄCLARUM SUITES

Whether you’re looking to enjoy the tranquillity of nature or for winter adventures on the slopes, Salzburg ski resort Wagrain is sure to grant the wishes of peace seekers and adrenaline junkies alike. You’ll find the perfect starting point at the Almmonte – and from December 2020 that will include the new Präclarum Suites.

AUSTRIA S A L Z B U R G / WA G R A I N

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rooms and suites at Almmonte Sensum

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rooms and suites at Präclarum Suites

Ski in, ski out Outdoor infinity pool Book online lifestylehotels.net/ almmonte-sensum-suites lifestylehotels.net/ almmonte-praeclarum-suites

Photos: Almmonte Sensum Suites Hotel

ski & relax Meandering cross-country ski runs or fast-paced, world-class descents? Wellness break or fun park stunts? Whatever winter means to you, everyone will strike it lucky at the Almmonte in the Salzburg winter resort of Wagrain. Snow Space Salzburg is just a stone’s throw away, boasting 210 kilometres of pistes, 70 lifts, 85 ski huts and 100 % guaranteed snow. The resort is one of the largest and most diverse in Austria, and the modern Flying Mozart cable car is right on the doorstep of the Almmonte ready to carry jovial snow fans to their departure point for chilled-out snow shoe hikes, some of which will take you to the summits of this imposing mountain range. For those who love the more speedy descents and exhilarating stunts on one or two boards, the Flying Mozart is the ideal place to set off on unforgettable adventures on the slopes. Fancy working your way around the entire resort in a single day? Well, that’s possible with the Hermann Maier Tour, which will take you on a journey in the tracks of Flachau’s top skier of the same name to the most beautiful spots, the biggest highlights and the best panoramic views. That way you’ll be able to pick out your preferred runs from the very first day.

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P OWER I N T RANQUI L L I T Y If you’re less into the mountains and more into crackling fireplaces on your winter holiday, you’ll be treated to pure luxury at the Almmonte Sensum & Präclarum Suites. In the sleek, fuss-free rooms and suites, you’ll find high-quality furnishings in a blend of refined architecture and natural materials that creates a sense of well-being that means you’ll never want to leave. Several suites have a free-standing bath where you can lay back and enjoy the unparalleled view of the breath-taking winter landscape outside the window.

Ultimate relaxation is also promised during a visit to the Almmonte spa, where you can do a lap of the heated outdoor infinity pool all year round, or soak up the warmth of the Finnish sauna and infrared sauna – it’s the perfect place not only to relieve tired muscles but also to simply let yourself rest. Everyone will find their power place at the Almmonte and make the most of being able to relax to the full.

What about the food? The culinary offering at the Almmonte is also varied – guests can choose between international cuisine in the Almmonte restaurant, which also features traditional dishes on the menu, and the Italian way of life in Ciao Ciao – both options are uncompromising in their quality, naturally, and in their use of organic ingredients. All of this means that a holiday at the Almmonte is always true to their motto “ingeniously simple”. And that applies to everyone.

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

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Anyone that enjoys a cosy holiday with a touch of luxury will feel right at home at the NIDUM hotel in Tyrol thanks to its casual luxury concept. It’s clear as soon as you arrive that values are the top priority here, above all quality, so everyone will feel in safe hands – from the guests to the employees, and even the manager.

full of value

AUSTRIA TYROL / SEEFELD

57 rooms

1,500 m² spa area Book online lifestylehotels.net/ nidum-hotel

NIDUM C A S UA L L U X U RY HOTEL

the diverse culinary and scenic highlights.

While in summer we might be tempted by the golf course, bike trails and hiking routes, in winter we discover the Seefeld plateau on skis, snowboards or snowshoes.

WE L L-BEI NG AN D WE L COM E BACK If an active holiday isn’t what you’re after, why not go for a pleasant stroll or take some time out in the hotel spa with its infinity pool, jacuzzi and sauna. We find there’s plenty of room here to spend the whole day relaxing as we please. If you choose to have one of the wellness and beauty treatments, you’ll be pampered with first-class products by expert hands.

The high-quality service continues in the fitness studio, which offers an impressive view and top-of-the-range Precor machines. Whatever it is you need, you’ll always be in safe hands at the NIDUM – even during the current pandemic.

Photos: NIDUM Hotel

Your host at the NIDUM is Michaela Lechthaler, who is convinced that “Success can only possibly be sustained with true values.” After quality, which has been top of the list of priorities from the very beginning, comes hospitality – and in this case, it’s the kind of hospitality that doesn’t just happen, it’s a way of life. People love working here, which is just as obvious to guests at reception as it is in the spa and the restaurant. The NIDUM is especially proud of its young but nevertheless experienced team in the kitchen, who conjure up Austrian dishes with international influences. They are also conscious that when sourcing produce, they do so in a way that reflects the natural cycle, resulting in ingredients that are regional, seasonal and always fresh. The service provided is characterised by professional restraint, but not only in the restaurant. As guests, we are left to enjoy the whole hotel in peace so we can concentrate on what we came here for: on ourselves, and of course on

The casual luxury concept is based on true values that are a way of life here, and even though 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year, many regular guests have come back as they know the hotel acts professionally and regards its values highly.

So despite the turbulent times, or perhaps especially now, you’ll feel safe at the NIDUM. This is confirmed on Tripadvisor and, just three years after its reopening, has earned the hotel the title of Best of the Best, which is only awarded to the top 1 % of hotels in the world. Congratulations!

We’ll definitely be back again soon.

THE Stylemate

LH

Issue No 03 | 2020

In the picturesque village of Pürgg, high above the Ennstal valley and with a population of just 150, time seems to stand still.

Austrian poet Peter Rosegger described the idyllic spot as the “cradle of Styria”, and it’s where we discover the Krenn restaurant and guesthouse, both of which boast centuries-old charm.

G Ä S T E H AU S KRENN

how to stop time Anyone arriving in the wildly romantic village of Pürgg will notice straight away that the clocks here just seem to tick differently.

Slower somehow. Quieter. We also notice it at the Gästehaus Krenn, the beautifully renovated former focal point of the village, which used to provide lodgings for poets, artists and guests looking for a summer retreat. Here, it really doesn’t matter whether we go for one of the three cosy deluxe double rooms or one of the three spacious suites – every room embodies a piece of history that has been painstakingly and thoughtfully brought into the present thanks to the addition of modern elements. You can almost picture the young artists that would have come here in summer in olden times to kick back and take inspiration from the rawness of the location. And the building still delivers inspiration today, be it in the form of a book from the well-stocked library, the breath-taking view from one of the windows in the cosy breakfast lounge or while pondering in the homely dining room. At the Gästehaus Krenn, you’ll find yourself in a temporary home away from home where you’d like to stay a little longer, and where you’re bound to come back – preferably sooner rather than later.

AUSTRIA S T Y R I A / S TA I N A C H - P Ü R G G

4

double rooms

3

apartments

Gasthaus Krenn Residenz Krenn Krenn’s delicatessen

Photos: Armin Walcher

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Book online lifestylehotels.net/ gaestehaus-krenn

A LT E RNAT I VE A DVE N T I N PÜ RG G Yet the global situation has still managed to reach the small village at 650 metres above sea level, so things are somewhat different in Pürgg this year. The autumn/ winter 2020 season will be rather quieter and more reserved than usual – the famous advent market, for which every house in Pürgg would normally open its doors to numerous guests year after year, will have to give way to a more sedate yet no less atmospheric advent experience given the current circumstances. But we’ll still be able to hear the crunch of the snow under our shoes as we step out into the festively decorated village for a stroll following a relaxed evening meal at the Gasthaus Krenn. This gem of a pub from the 16th century is run with the greatest of respect for the history of the region and warm hospitality. The kitchen conjures up traditional dishes straight out of grandma’s recipe book, including Blunzengröstl (fried potato with black pudding) and Sauerrahmsoufflé (sour cream soufflé) – traditional and hearty at lunchtime, a bit more refined in the evening. Alternatively, you can pick up heavenly desserts, a tasty homemade bread roll with ham, or one or two delicacies from the selected producers from further afield in the guesthouse’s own delicatessen. It’s a superb village shop where we again encounter the unique charm of the past that, Christmas sparkle or not, will transform every visit into something truly special. It’s at this point that we’ll be more than happy for time to stand still.

THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

DIRECTORY LIFESTYLEHOTELS

AU S T R I A

CHINA

Wildkogel Resorts Alpslodge Life.Style.Hotel.Fiss FÜGEN Alpina Zillertal family.lifestyle.hotel GASCHURN Montafon Lodge Luxury Lodgehotel und Spa GEINBERG Geinberg 5 Private Spa Villas GRAZ Augarten Art Hotel GRAZ Lendhotel GRAZ Roomz Graz GROSSARL Hotel Nesslerhof HALLSTATT Hallstatt Hideaway KALS AM GROSSGLOCKNER Gradonna Mountain Resort KALTENBACH Das Kaltenbach KITZBÜHEL Alpenhotel Kitzbühel am Schwarzsee LÄNGENFELD Naturhotel Waldklause LEOGANG Puradies MARIA ALM Hotel Eder MARIA ALM Hotel SEPP MAYRHOFEN ElisabethHotel Premium Private Retreat MELLAU Sonne Lifestyle Resort MÖSERN Nidum Casual Luxury Hotel MÜHLDORF LA PETITE IVY NAUDERS Aparthotel Arabella OBERGURGL Hotel The Crystal OBERTAUERN Hotel Panorama Obertauern SAALBACH HINTERGLEMM Alpin Juwel SALZBURG CITY Hotel Goldgasse SALZBURG CITY Hotel Stein SALZBURG CITY Hotel & Villa Auersperg SCHLADMING Stadthotel Brunner SEEFELD dasMAX SERFAUS Alfa Hotel SÖLDEN Bergland Design and Wellness Hotel Sölden STAINACH-PÜRGG Gästehaus Krenn TURRACHER HÖHE Hollmann am Berg UDERNS Sportresidenz Zillertal VIENNA Hollmann Beletage VIENNA Hotel Das Tyrol VIENNA Hotel Schani Salon VIENNA Hotel Schani Wien WAGRAIN Almmonte Präclarum Suites WAGRAIN Almmonte Sensum Suites ZELL AM SEE Eva Hof Lakeside Suites ZELL AM SEE Seehotel Bellevue ZELL AM SEE Senses Violett Suites BRAMBERG

NANJING

I TA LY

Kayumanis Nanjing Private Villas & Spa

Casa Angelina Relais Blu BRIXEN Hotel Pupp CALABRIA Praia Art Resort CAMAIORE Locanda al Colle TIROLO NEAR MERANO Der Küglerhof ISSENGO Gourmet & Boutiquehotel Tanzer LAZISE Quellenhof Luxury Resort LIMONE SUL GARDA EALA My Lakeside Dream MERANO Suiteseven Stadthotel Merano MERANSEN Hotel Gitschberg MONTEFOLLONICO Follonico RIMINI i-Suite SICILY Monaci delle Terre Nere TRIESTE Hollmann Trieste AMALFI COAST AMALFI COAST

FISS

C R OAT I A STARI GRAD

Maslina Resort Hotel Lemongarden

SUTIVAN – BRAČ

F RA NC E PARIS

Hollmann Paris

GERMANY P O R T UG A L

Das Graseck NORTH FRISIA Hotel Landhafen NUREMBERG art & business hotel PIRNA Laurichhof SANKT ENGLMAR Berghotel Maibrunn STUTTGART V8 Hotel STUTTGART V8 Hotel Classic TIMMENDORFER STRAND SAND TIMMENDORFER STRAND Hotel Seehuus GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN

Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & Spa Vila Valverde ALGARVE Vila Vita Collection CASCAIS The Oitavos MADEIRA Quinta da Bela Vista ALENTEJO ALGARVE

S PA I N

Lavida Hotel Convent de la Missio MALLORCA Fontsanta Hotel Thermal Spa & Wellness MALLORCA Hotel Can Simoneta MALLORCA Hotel Glòria de Sant Jaume MALLORCA Pleta de Mar GIRONA

GREECE SANTORINI SANTORINI

Myst Boutique Hotel Saint Santorini

MALLORCA

H U NG A RY S R I L A N KA BUDAPEST BUDAPEST

Hotel Collect Lanchid 19

DICKWELLA SOUTH

UTMT – Underneath the Mango Tree

SWITZERLAND

Hotel des Balances Alpinlodge & Spa ZERMATT Hotel Matterhorn Focus LUCERNE

SAMNAUN

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

STYLE

THE 1 0 MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS Designer Graz

LUKAS

KLINGSBICHEL

Photo: Lukas Klingsbichel

the product designer asks himself about his work:

With this product, what advantages will the manufacturer or the brand have over their competitors?

Which manufacturing technologies are used and what are the resulting opportunities and limitations for the manufacturers’ products?

How do the shapes affect the observer and what associations are triggered?

How can costs be controlled during the design stage and influence greater efficiency?

How can materials and effort be saved through the design?

What do today’s end consumers expect from a product in the relevant segment?

What do other products in the segment do right and wrong?

How can the design help the end consumer develop a long-lasting relationship with the product?

What are the current challenges, and what can we learn from the past in order to find a solution for the future?

What is the future of consumerism, manufacturing and logistics?

THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

systematic

AN D M I N DF U L OF F EA SI BI L I T Y. T HAT ’S HOW GRA Z-BASE D PRODUC T DE SIGN E R LUKAS KL I NGSBIC H E L DE S C R I BE S H IS WAY OF WOR KI NG. BEC AU SE I T ’S ON LY WH E N S OM E T H I NG IS R E AL LY F E ASI BL E T HAT R E AL I T Y C AN BE C HANGE D – AN D T HAT ’S WHAT H E ’S I N T E R E ST E D I N.

Photos: Lukas Klingsbichel

“WHAT IS beautiful WILL ALWAYS BE b e a u t i f u l .”

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A

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

nalytical

Photos: Lukas Klingsbichel

s a child or teenager, Lukas Klingsbichel had no idea what he actually wanted to be. He wasn’t seized by any classic job aspirations, and luckily there wasn’t any pressure to follow a particular direction.

But there was one thing he had always done: design things. “I created street art, and even music. The creative activity was always with me, and this urge to be creative has never gone away, nor has it got any quieter,” explains Lukas Klingsbichel.

Quite the opposite.

The urge became stronger and stronger, and at some point, one thing led to another and as a young man he moved into the furniture sector. “I originally learned joinery skills, but that didn’t make the most of my capacity to be creative. For the people doing the making, there usually remains little to no room to introduce any creativity, you’re just a pair of hands.

Quite soon that wasn’t enough for me.”

Following the thorough technical training, he therefore took the decision to embark on a qualification in interior design in Austria, and subsequently completed his master’s. He then went straight to London.

His target was a large interior design firm.

“The company appealed to me because of its large projects. We even worked on the most expensive building in the world, the luxury One Hyde Park development, which later became home to Arab sheikhs and oligarchs.” But even working there didn’t quite hit the spot, as once again, technical development was the focus of interior design projects, less so the design. “I perfectly mastered the technical foundations of furniture design, and I didn’t see why I shouldn’t also design it.”

And so he went back to Graz, as well as for family reasons, in order to lay the foundations for the future: Lukas Klingsbichel established his own product design studio.

STYLE

SHA PED

BY A ES T H ET IC S For Lukas Klingsbichel, an object has value when it uses not a scrap of material too much, and every material in the object performs a function. It has to justify itself and therefore be understandable to the user. “Careful use of materials and meaningfulness are important to me. Practical value is also vital: how well does something fulfil the task it was designed to do? Behind the simplest designs is often the greatest ingenuity, and that’s where the value lies for me.”

He himself enjoys dealing with other people’s solutions and analysing how a problem has been solved. Learning from others has shaped him, as “anyone can be your teacher”. The product designer is heavily influenced by the work of Josef Hoffmann, which still to this day has a timeless quality that he finds fascinating.

“What is beautiful will always be beautiful.”

SPECIAL CONNECTION BETWEEN PERSON AND OBJECT Whether it’s the Celinde flat-pack coffee table that celebrates urban coffee house culture, or the biodegradable Seedling pendant light in the form of a seed capsule – designs by Lukas Klingsbichel convey conscious, sustainable experiences.

Furthermore, “It’s the ultimate proof that good work retains its validity even after 120 years. It has nothing to do with trends, you can learn that from Hoffmann.” He also considers embellishment to have validity, even if architects like Adolf Loos found it to be too fussy. For Klingsbichel, embellishment has a function and is therefore justified. Enough said!

In response to the question as to which piece of furniture he likes designing and

making the most, he replies: “Tables – they’re much easier than armchairs, which are notoriously complicated. I like tables because they allow a lot of creative freedom, and a beautiful table in the right place is worth its weight in gold.

I’m actually working on an armchair at the moment and it’s been a real challenge – both in terms of technology and design.

Beauty is universal and shouldn’t be underplayed.”

T H E BE AU T Y OF WOR KI NG WI T H WO OD IS …

WH E N I T ’S OVE R Lukas Klingsbichel wants his objects and furniture to be appreciated in a holistic way. You should live with, engage with and test them in real-life situations, as only then can you draw conclusions about what you’ve experienced. Despite his joinery training, Klingsbichel doesn’t automatically turn to wood. “I don’t have any preferences in terms of materials.

The choice of materials is determined by the purpose – you need to find one or more materials that best fulfil the purpose.

That’s part of my job.” His memories of working with wood are of hard physical graft that may make you muscular, strong and fit, but which also implies great strain.

“The beauty of working with wood is when it’s over – when the piece you’re working on is finished and it works. Many people pick up wooden items and admire the beautiful material, but what they should be saying is ‘What beautiful craftsmanship!’”

focused

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He chooses to use natural materials for both himself and his surroundings.

“There was no plastic in the world 120 years ago, but it was still possible to make lamp holders and cable. You can take a lot of inspiration from this. How can we avoid microplastics? By using plastic only when it is really necessary. That’s the best prevention.” In his opinion, it’s time and capitalism that are attempting to justify the use of plastic. It’s fast and cheap, but it’s not an option for him: “Being plastic-free is my selling point.”

The product designer is currently working on various projects, for example outdoor furniture for the Hochreiter eco-park, the foundation and development of a brand in the streetwear sector, and a folding chair and its manufacture. He sees his job as clients coming to him because they have a problem that they need to find a solution for, and him looking into all of the solutions already available and considering why they don’t work. That’s what he builds his own solution on, resulting in a new, improved product. Because of this, his way of working is systematic, analytical, focused and mindful of feasibility. The ongoing pursuit of perpetual improvement. Always curious, always considered.

Just like his choice of words in our conversation and how he presents himself: “Every word is important, how you express it, because words allow you to choose who you reach.” klingsbichel.com

Photos: Lukas Klingsbichel

“EVERY WORD IS important, BECAUSE WORDS ALLOW YOU TO CHOOSE who YOU REACH.”

UNIQUE PRODUCT EXPERIENCES The wooden desk organiser for smartphones facilitates the workflow at your desk. The Rough Beauty floor lamp is made out of raw, honest materials that complete their life cycle in an elegant lamp.

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picked by: WITH CELINDE, a range of coffee tables with cross-shaped legs and an integrated serving tray, Lukas Klingsbichel celebrates urban coffee culture and becomes part of the World Wide Things Collection, a selection of design objects taken from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Here, the designer talks about his favourite pieces in the collection.

STYLE

LUKAS KLINGSBICHEL C L I C K- C L O C K

M U LT I M E D I U M

S O L C E RA M I CA P I T C H E R I really like the idea of freezing the movement and translucency of the fabric.

A very timeless and futuristic shape, and made using a thousand-year-old material. It’s great!

by milli lux

The phrase “form follows function” certainly applies to this clock, which has ripples to denote the hours. But the piece is in no way boring, rather organic and floral.

by Ayako Aratani

by César López

O U T D O O R F I R E P L AC E

G OM

Photos: © Jaime Navarro / © Gizem Aytaç / © Aratani · Fay / © milli lux / © Miran Kambić / © ŞişeCam / © César López / © Nin Solis / © David Umemoto

The colours of this toy are vibrant and the geometry is also very stimulating.

Really well designed!

by Gizem Aytaç

B R U TA L I S T C ON C R E T E VA S E

3 D P R I N T E D S E R I E S

I think it’s good to see 3D printing being used more and more in the production of objects. It’s very bold of the manufacturer of this piece. It produces very efficient new shapes that give a glimpse of the future.

by Jaime Navarro

This product plays with associations and expectations. It makes me think of film scenes where curtains catch fire, but in this case the fabric doesn’t light. That really captures my attention!

by Miran Kambić

D UA L C O F F E E G L A S S

Vases offer enormous scope for creativity and I think in this piece, the designer has fulfilled the essential requirements and turned it into a microcosm.

It’s fascinating!

All products can be found at designcities.net/wwtc

by David Umemoto

I L I KE T H E I DE A OF A GL ASS T HAT F U L F I LS T WO F U NC T ION S. I T SAVE S SPAC E I N DAY-TO -DAY L I F E AN D IS F U N TO U SE . by Sevgi Kes

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

to their formation. Let’s take something glamorous, like the ukulele Marilyn Monroe played Running Wild on in the 1959 film Some Like it Hot. This object doesn’t just contain the musicality and innovative spirit of the entire history of stringed instruments, all the way back to a caveman stretching a dried piece of a saber-toothed tiger’s intestine across a fork in a branch. It also resonates, quite literally, with the life story of the instrument maker that created it, the atmosphere and the smell of his workshop, his mood on the day he started working.

And of course also with every growth ring of the mighty tree that was felled for this little ukulele, and the feelings of the people who wrested the waxy resin from a population of scale insects to give the instrument its beautiful shine. Last but not least, the fact that it was played by Marilyn and was pressed close to her heart is also a prominent factor!

It’s a similar thing with perfumes. Perhaps to an even greater extent, as a fragrance often contains dozens of ingredients that are sourced from very different parts of the world where they are planted, harvested and extracted, before the genius of a perfumer ultimately brings them together to form part of a greater whole in laboratories in Geneva, Grasse or New York. They become part of the narrative of the perfume, in which the personal vision of the créateur is rooted. And even the synthetic molecules that often lend perfumes their elegance and intensity were discovered or created by an expert. Then consider the design and creation of the bottles, the packaging, the brand identity, and it becomes clear that by pressing down the spray nozzle, you are transferring an immensely complicated interplay of people, technology and nature onto your skin. And when all of these elements have rubbed off on the aura of an object, with just one spray, we’re linked with all parties involved: “things” are touched by countless hands and hearts – and in turn touch us.

ALT HOUGH WE L I VE I N A MAT E R IA L I S T IC WOR L D, “ T H I NGS” HAVE A SUR PR I SI NGLY B A D REPU TAT ION : T H E Y A R E SE E N AS DE AD AN D S OU L L E S S , AN D I N F E R IOR TO T H E ORGAN IC WORL D OF PL AN T S , AN I MA L S AN D H UMAN S I N E VE RY R E SPE C T. ANYON E DE VO T I NG T H E MSE LVE S TO O EN T H USIAS T IC A L LY T O “ T H I NG S” I S QUIC KLY SU SPE C T E D OF BE I NG SUPER F IC IA L . YOU M IGH T F I N D T HAT S OM E WHAT H YP O CR I T ICA L CONSI DE R I NG WE A L L I NVES T A L O T OF E N E RGY I N T H E QUE S T F OR BE AU T I F U L AN D VALUA BL E T H I NGS , AN D I N OR DE R TO BU Y T H E M WE HAVE TO EA R N T HAT T H I NG CAL L ED MON EY ...

HELDER SUFFENPLAN is an independent journalist and creative consultant from Berlin, and has had a particular passion for perfumes since he was a child. With his successful 2013 launch of SCENTURY.com – the very first online magazine for perfume storytelling – Helder has become a recognised authority in the global world of fragrance.

of the matter

He has been on the jury for events such as The Arts & Olfaction Awards in Los Angeles and the Prix International du Parfumeur Créateur in Paris. As a writer, he combines his passion topic of fragrances with a range of fields such as contemporary art, popular culture, literature, film and geopolitics.

For me, objects are anything but soulless: some things have an aura, they speak to us and tell stories. We only have to pick up the pebble we collected on a faraway beach to be able to hear and smell the crashing waves, and feel the sun on our skin. The dried branch that was once part of a bunch of flowers is much more than just a dead plant – it’s a symbol of a special occasion long ago, a relationship, a goodbye. Other great examples are relics from the Middle Ages to which you could attribute not just value but even healing powers.

rather a continuous process of bonding.

Dürr therefore also referred to it as “solid spirit”. Because of this, a stone also has a small amount of consciousness – albeit less than that of an amoeba and infinitely less than (most) people.

My layperson’s brain only comprehends this on a purely suggestive level, but in my version of quantum physics, a stone has ample space for stored memories and feelings. I also believe that objects are influenced by the things that contributed

A perfume brand that has turned the magic of the creation of things into their main focus is Extrait d’Atelier. They have already made a lasting olfactory monument to the craftsmanship of tailors, jewellers, shoemakers, potters and gardeners. Their fragrance Maître Couturier, for example, conjures up the atmosphere of a light-filled studio and incorporates the charm and the smell of the materials and tools at the same time. Co-founder Chiara Ronzani has a poetic way of describing this as follows: “Copper thimbles, steel scissors, wooden tables; old sewing machines creak, a thread passes through the fabric; the orchestra of the needle.” scentury.com

Photos: Still life: Credit Romin Favre – C’est la Vie Agency / Portrait: Holger Homann

the heart

We obviously expect more from these things than the simple gratification we get from fulfilling basic needs such as food and shelter, as otherwise our passion for material items is difficult to explain.

It’s often a case of a vain attempt to fill an empty void in the soul with material things, whereas actually our yearning for meaning can only be satisfied within and by ourselves. I think we need to urgently put a stop to this vicious slandering of the humble “thing”!

How do we explain this? Is it just our human way of thinking that imposes our hopes and expectations on mere objects?

Or can a stone really store memories and emotions – even love? Physicist Hans Peter Dürr said: “There is no such thing as matter, there is only the in-between.”

If you imagine that the size of the nucleus in an atom is the same proportion as a grain of rice in a football stadium, you’ll begin to get an idea of the extent of this in-between. Physicists say that objects consist of collapsed waves that are only held together because of the relationships between them. So matter isn’t static, but

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SNOW- COVER E D PE A KS , T H E SUN ON YOUR FACE , WE A R I NG J U S T T H E R IGH T OU T F I T.

I N T H E P OPUL AR AU ST R IAN WI N T E R RES ORTS OF BA D G AST EI N, K I T Z BÜ H E L AN D L E CH ZÜR S , T H E R IGH T L O OK IS AL S O R EQUI R E D OF F T H E PI S T E .

Fashion photos provided by: © InWear / Boutique and Portrait: © WALLYGASTEIN / Bad Gastein Landschaft: © REGINA Hotel

B

what to wear in

STYLE

AD GASTEIN

“Leather is a real megatrend this season.

It’s best in warm earthy tones like camel and caramel, and it’s really hot for an oversized shirt.”

Bettina Schuh, owner of the Wally fashion boutique

WALLY Straubinger Platz 1, A-5640 Bad Gastein Mon–Fri 12.00–17.00, Sat 10.00–14.00 Appointments also available on request wallybadgastein.com

A lengthy visit to Bettina Schuh’s boutique fashion store WALLYGASTEIN on Straubinger Platz, right next to the waterfall, is not to be missed when in Bad Gastein. These sacred rooms have seen famous fashion designer Fred Adlmüller at work, and thanks to careful owners, it is still possible to admire the wood panelling he designed

as it was back then. With a sense of style and flair, Bettina Schuh has added her own contemporary twist.

In her boutique you will find a stylishly confident selection of young labels from Scandinavia, Berlin and Austria, from InWear to Luisa Cerano, from Veja and Beck

Söndergaard to Lena Hoschek and friendly hunting. Plus, you can discover the cosiest cashmere from NOT SHY. The shopping experience at Bettina Schuh’s is never too short, as not only does she provide professional advice, she also engages in great conversation.

K

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ITZBÜHEL

CA S UA L S T R E E T S T Y L E

ACNE Hooded Puffer Coat Cream beige Approx. € 990

ACNE Crewneck Sweater Bubblegum pink Approx. € 280

ACNE Gradient Velvet Trousers Chocolate/dark brown Approx. € 340

ACNE Market Bucket Bag Mink brown Approx. € 800

ACNE Leather Boots Off white Approx. € 590

SHISEIDO Future Solution LX Legendary Enmei Ultimate Renewing Cream Approx. € 490

Fashion and cosmetics photos provided by: Acne Studios – acnestudio.com / Shiseido – shiseido.de / Kitzbühel photo: © J. Heribert Pohl 2014

acnestudios.com shiseido.de

L

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STYLE

ECH

E L E G A N T S NOW B U N N Y MÜHLBAUER OLIVIA Cloche Red Approx. € 185

BOGNER Knit Pullover White/red Approx. € 499

BOGNER Blake Pleated Trousers Light beige Approx. € 279

Fashion and jewellery photos provided by: Mühlbauer Hüte – muehlbauer.at / Willy Bogner – bogner.com / Louis Vuitton – de.louisvuitton.com / Lech Zürs photo: © Lech Zürs Tourismus by Bernadette Otter

BOGNER Copenhagen Mid-calf Boots White/beige Approx. € 369

Z

ÜRS

BOGNER Snowbird Luana Shearling Belt Bag Light beige Approx. € 399

LOUIS VUITTON Céleste earrings Stellar Times collection Price on request

bogner.com muehlbauer.at louisvuitton.com

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the

J U ST L I KE T H E HYDRANGE AS I N OLGA WISI NGE R-F LOR IAN ’S WOR K T HAT WE N T U N DE R T H E HAM M E R I N T H E MO ST R E C E N T AUC T ION AT T H E I M KI N SKY, T H E ART MAR KE T IS BLO OM I NG E VE N I N T H IS PE R IOD OF C R ISIS. WE C AST A GL ANC E BE H I N D T H E S C E N E S OF T H E VI E N N E SE AUC T ION HOU SE .

art market

Timea Pinter, specialist in contemporary art

is blooming

The Palais Kinsky stands majestically on the Freyung square in Vienna’s 1st district.

It’s in this prestigious Baroque palace that the im Kinsky auction house has made its home for over 20 years following its establishment by Michael Kovacek and Ernst Ploil.

On the first floor of this magnificent building, we meet Timea Pinter, a specialist in contemporary art, and Anja Wolf, a specialist in Art Nouveau and design.

This is also where you would come if you had an item to auction off, or simply wanted it appraised or valued. “That’s the great thing about us: you can come in and have your items valued without any obligations. By appointment, of course, so you can be sure the right expert is available,” says Timea Pinter. To start off, they assess which artist they are dealing with by asking some standard questions: is there a title, is it signed, is it dated, can it be assigned to a particular period in the artist’s life, is it part of a series? “We are the secondary market, so in the contemporary division, we only take on pieces by artists who are already established and who have appeared on the auction market before. This is unlike the galleries, whose purpose is to build up the artists,” explains Pinter. If the artist fits in with the portfolio, a price will be established with the consignor. They agree on a starting price and an auction estimate, with the

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THE Stylemate Issue No 03 | 2020

STYLE

“The art space in Palais Kinsky invites you to time travel – AUSTRIAN ART FROM 7 DECADES” between 19 and 31 October.

Immerse yourself in the worlds of form and ideas of local artists. Big names and promising new discoveries united under one roof. Lay the foundation for your collection or find the right addition in the Kinsky.

starting price being at the lower end of the estimate. Industry-specific databases like Artprice, which has collated over 30 million auction results and indices, plus over 700,000 artists, can be used as a guide, meaning you can refer to previous auction results and rank the piece amongst those by the artist that have already been sold, comparing size, material, richness of colour and date. “Then at the auction, the main aim is to get the best result for the consignor, because from that point on, everything’s open to chance.” This was apparent at the last auction in June, where two dolls from the 17th century were up for sale at 5,000 euros. The price went up slowly at first, but then it came down to a real battle between two bidders. Over the phone, they drove each other higher and higher, until the hammer finally came down and the dolls were sold for over 200,000 euros.

In order for exciting moments like these to be experienced at an auction, a lot of time and effort has to be put in in the weeks beforehand so as to appeal to the right interested parties and buyers.

Pieces from the Wiener Werkstätte cooperative of artisans, of which Moser and Hoffmann were founders, weren’t affordable for Joe Public even at the time they were made. Along with Peche and Prutscher, they are names that are highly sought-after and in high demand, and therefore command a high value. Another reason for this is the level of perfection they achieved in their work, with every detail, every soldered joint and every screw being in exactly the right place. “I think aesthetics would have more meaning these days if the concept were given more space.

The eye picks up on so many things, and there are actually studies that have looked

into the change in mood that’s triggered when walking amongst pre-fabricated buildings or walking on a main road.” Anja Wolf believes that aesthetics are currently, and unjustifiably, undervalued, creating a deep-rooted desire within us to search for and long for something beautiful. “Who doesn’t like furnishing their home nicely?

Who doesn’t like looking at beautiful objects and taking joy from them? I think that’s what constitutes the value of art.”

She is looking ahead to the coming auctions with great anticipation, as the last one proved that the art market is very much alive. It seems as though in uncertain times, objects represent something

IS I T REAL? When it came to light just under a decade ago that a man by the name of Wolfgang Beltracchi had managed to sell countless forgeries that he had done himself, the art world was in disarray. “His interference with history and art history is unforgivable,” thinks Timea Pinter, who has often seen forgeries first-hand. “There have been both good and bad forgeries. Some of them were simply just a bit clumsy.” The main requirement in being able to distinguish an original from a fake is plenty of experience. Things like provenance, how the consignor came to have it and where it was acquired are always questioned with regards to an object. “It’s easy to spot when the story isn’t coherent.” Sometimes heirs come in to the auction house with items that have been in the family for many decades. “If you then establish that it’s a fake, it’s obviously disappointing for everybody.”

Photos: © Auktionshaus im Kinsky GmbH, Vienna

SEARCH I NG FOR S OM ET H I NG BEAU T I F UL Specialist in Art Nouveau and design Anja Wolf is also of the opinion that “experience is everything” when it comes to recognising a fake. “Forgeries can be good teachers, though,” she adds. It goes without saying that she also checks every item that’s brought to her. She gets carried away when she talks about designs and works by Kolo Moser or Josef Hoffmann. “Cigarette cases and silver boxes from this period are so timeless, I’m constantly amazed by them.

You’d also be forgiven for thinking that the Lötz vases are contemporary pieces because they look so modern and innovative. That’s what makes them so special.”

Anja Wolf, specialist in Art Nouveau and design

that people can gain stability from. This emotional value in art is felt very strongly when you participate in an auction. They’re also freely accessible to any interested parties. “When the bidding’s taking place at the auction, you really get a feel for how much people’s hearts are in it. It’s a form of love that makes the works of art more valuable in that moment. It encourages people not to give up. The love and passion for art enables these wonderful results at an auction. That’s worth far more than market value.” imkinsky.com

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ADVERTORIAL BY HEDI GRAGER

Innovative jeweller Barbara Gressl is celebrating her 55th anniversary this year – the perfect occasion to reflect on the value of craftsmanship and precious moments.

Values can be characteristics, beliefs, commodities and much more. What do they have to do with the word “value”?

In terms of my passion – my profession – I of course also link the word “value” with “valuable” in the sense of the rarity of materials such as gold. These kinds of resources are becoming ever-scarcer, and for this reason also increasingly more valuable, meaning it is all the more important to go about working with and managing this wonderful value in a more conscious and, crucially, sustainable manner.

For me, “value” also means embodying certain characteristics and behaviours in my day-to-day contact with customers.

Particularly valuable to me are loyalty, trust, transparency, sincerity and, most of all, the gift of being a good listener.

On a more personal level, there’s also the value of love.

What’s your personal favourite item, and what makes it so valuable?

My personal favourite item is an old photo of my father at a workbench with his colleagues. He was a master watchmaker.

It’s valuable because just one look at this photo, especially in difficult and challenging times, gives me the energy, courage and above all strength to continue pursuing my passion every day, in a way that is creative yet grounded in reality.

workmanship Craftsmanship has value – or has it just got its value back?

Craftsmanship has and always has had value, it’s just that awareness of this value is sometimes diminished. But it always comes back through skilled, friendly and conscious education.

Do you also find that customers perceive the sentimental value of a piece of jewellery to be greater than the material value?

Because what I offer primarily is handcrafted jewellery and I retain loyal customers over many years because of the wonderful way in which it is created, sentimental value is usually of equal importance. We listen. It’s all connected.

And I’m lucky enough to work almost every

day with cherished pieces that have already had many fabulous years of wear. I recently had the chance to create a simple gold ring from the wedding bands of the deceased parents of one of my customers. It’s now a daily companion that carries memories of her parents and symbolises their union and love. It’s so wonderful!

GRESSL

During our last conversation, you mentioned a small, very special collection. Has it been released yet?

We launched the “Lust auf Meer” (“Yearning for the Sea”) 2020 summer collection at the beginning of July. In collaboration with a small firm of precious stone cutters, small seahorses were cut by hand out of the most beautiful gemstones.

The result is some delightful examples of master craftsmanship, and my customers love the summer accessories made out of pink morganite, blue aquamarine and a stunning large piece in rare, intensely blue Arizona turquoise combined with white brilliant-cut stones and tiny white pearls.

You’re celebrating your 55th anniversary this year. Are there more celebrations to come?

We’ll be with the visitors to our exhibition at Schloss Piber in November, and I’m sure there will be a glass (or several) raised to the anniversary then.

You have always prioritised individuality and quality. Is that benefiting you now?

It has always been an advantage, because in my eyes, these values will ALWAYS prevail over fast-paced society, passing trends and brand hype.

How much progress have you made with your men’s collection?

BARBARA GRESSL is a jeweller in Graz, Austria. She made it to the elimination round of the Schmuckstück des Jahres 2019 jewellery competition with a white gold ring set with an extraordinarily large aquamarine and white brilliant-cut stones.

It’s a slow and steady process of growth.

gressl.com

Photo: © Gressl

BARBARA

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the best

of the uhrenkruzik.at

I am greeted by the best of the best at jeweller Michael Kruzik’s luxury concept store in the Hietzing district of Vienna.

The theme is “Diamonds as a store of value”, and I get to see one such diamond straight away. “This stone is the ideal,” smiles Michael Kruzik. He unfolds the tiny package and out comes a beautiful one-carat, brilliant-cut diamond with inconceivable sparkle. But size and colour alone aren’t enough for a stone as a store of value. We go through the stone’s certificate together – cut: brilliant, carat weight: 1, colour: D (the best there is), clarity: IF (which stands for internally flawless, so the highest quality), polish: excellent, symmetry: excellent, and fluorescence: none. In short, we have in our hands the ultimate example of a diamond as a store of value.

The price of high-quality diamonds has gone up by around 5 % annually over the last few years. “For really exclusive stones, we might even see an increase in value of between 7 and 10 % annually in the future. A consequence of the coronavirus is that everything that’s really valuable is currently performing even better.” When buying a diamond as a store of value, Michael Kruzik recommends not opting for something with a high carat weight.

In his experience, the ideal is a one-carat stone that you’ll more easily be able to find

a buyer for. He knows what he’s talking about – after all, his family has worked in the industry for 150 years. That’s obviously also an advantage when it comes to acquiring stones.

The diamonds you receive from Michael Kruzik are certified by either the IGI (International Gemological Institute) or the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). He also advises getting a laser-engraved stone, whereby the certificate number is engraved on the only non-polished place on the diamond. That means the stone is always traceable. But the stone doesn’t have to come top in all categories like the reference stone we looked at – to be a good store of value, it should always be in the top third.

The great thing about diamonds as stores of value, in Michael Kruzik’s opinion, is that you don’t leave them lying around somewhere like you might with a piece of gold, you can actually wear them and always be able to look at them, while also seeing their value go up. The certificate can be locked away in a safe, “where it belongs”.

Alongside diamonds, at the concept store you’ll also find gold jewellery pieces from

jewellery houses such as Marco Bicego and Messika that would also make good stores of value. But you don’t always have to think of the future – sometimes it’s also enough to adorn yourself with beautiful things in the here and now.

best

MICHAEL KRUZIK LUXURY CONCEPT Lainzer Straße 3–5, 1130 Vienna Mon–Fri 10.00–18.30, Sat 10.00–15.00

big city

Photos: Portrait: © www.stefanjoham.com / © Juwelier Kruzik – Michael Kruzik Luxury Concept / Collage photo: Rasmus Fischer

That’s the name of the latest and biggest piece of work by Austrian artist Alessandro Painsi, who has installed Denmark’s largest indoor artwork in an apartment building in Aalborg.

20 metres high, spanning six floors, with a total of 19 artworks mounted together as a collage – an oversized piece consisting of many smaller ones. Why not make the biggest collage ever, was the question, and the wall in the modern apartment building was perfect for it. It all came about because the Galerie Wolfsen and curator Rasmus Peter Fischer brought Alessandro Painsi together with a real estate investor and art-lover who wanted something special for his tenants. “When I saw this unbelievable space, I quickly had the idea of making small collages and combining them into one large one,” says Painsi. The collage enables the inhabitants of the building to see different parts of the artwork up close from each floor.

The collage contains an original artwork that adorned the cover of the previous issue of THE Stylemate.

hausofpainsi.com

Painsi’s work carries the title Big City, which is also the title of the overall collage.

The individual pieces are minimalist and abstract and consist of words, phrases, faces and letters. “Every observer can develop their own stories of what it’s about and find their own associations.”

But creating something on this scale wasn’t the main idea, it was simply about making the most of the wall. “Since then, everything has looked smaller somehow, even if the canvas is several square metres,” laughs Painsi. In response to the question as to what he associates with the term “value” in art, he replies: “The value of art shouldn’t be linked with prices. The value has to lie in the art. If it’s not good, any value is lost.”

The feeling of hygiene and cleanliness is more important now than ever. AROMEA Airdesign has therefore created intelligent fragrance blends to accommodate these feelings and to alleviate any anxiety, provide motivation, give a sense of cleanliness, and at the same time still allow your own personality to reign supreme. Whether you choose the new Wellness Collection with essential oils, the Genie Collection to combat stronger smells or the Hygiene Collection to provide a greater sense of cleanliness – AROMEA Airdesign has all the fragrances you need to feel good!

Fragrance with Design The AROMEA AERA for your own four walls.

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Aromea Airdesign GmbH I Klagenfurter StraĂ&#x;e 160 I 9300 St.Veit / Glan I T +43 4212 33 589 I info@aromea.eu