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“Britain’s luxury brands represent the very best this country has to offer –Walpole’s mission is to help those businesses realise their potential.” Michael Ward
Walpole British Luxury
Michael Ward Chairman of Walpole & Managing Director of Harrods
Ethos Five Pillars
£1. 1 t r i The value of the global luxury market in 2017
Walpole British Luxury
Source Bain/Altagamma luxury goods worldwide market study autumn/winter 2017
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Walpole is the independent, non-profit industry association for the British luxury sector, funded by its members and by commercial sponsorship.
What we do ►
Walpole’s mission to promote, protect and develop the business of luxury in the UK is based on five pillars.
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To be the collective voice for the UK luxury sector with key stakeholders, including policy makers and media.
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To provide a forum for exchange of best practise and business development.
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To develop the knowledge base of the sector through education and insight.
4
To secure the pipeline of future sector growth through mentorship programmes.
5
To promote British luxury internationally in key export markets.
Walpole British Luxury
llion
Walpole in 2018 Our strategy
206 Walpole British Luxury
There are 206 British luxury brands in the Walpole membership
1,282 Walpole brings together 1,285 British luxury decision makers...
004 / 005 Walpole in 2018 ► 12 fledgling luxury brands will be transported to the next level as part of the Walpole Brands of Tomorrow programme. 15 MBA students at London Business School will prepare for the luxury C-suite with the help of Walpole members. 60 brands and individuals will be recognised at the annual Walpole British Luxury Awards.
36 Walpole British Luxury
...who build powerful, personal connections at the 36 events Walpole hosts every year
2018 Yearbook Inside
£ 32 bill Walpole British Luxury
The value of British luxury to the UK economy
Contents
The Luxury Landscape ►
8 10 14 18 20 28 30 34 36 40 46 48 52 56
International Trade Domestic Powerhouse The Lion and the Butterfly by Helen Brocklebank Looking Ahead by Daniel Franklin Best in Class by Alex Bilmes The ‘L’ Word by Justine Picardie House Style by Lucia van der Post Special Relationship by Jessica Fellowes Have a Heart by Lorraine Candy Handmade by Guy Salter Banging your Drum by Jeremy Langmead What’s next for the Influencer? by Frances Wasem On his Watch by Robin Swithinbank Future Perfect by Ticky Hedley-Dent
The Luxury Index ►
65 67 68 70 72 74 77 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 98 100 102 104 106 108 112 114 117 118 120 122 124 126 129 130 133 134 137 138 140 142 144 146 149 150 152 154 156 158 160 162
Ardbeg Astley Clark Bentley Boodles Cadogan Church’s CTO Lighting DAKS Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour Edward Green Elegantes Ettinger Fiona Barratt Interiors Gieves & Hawkes Gleneagles Glenmorangie Gordon & MacPhail Grace Belgravia Hamptons Wealth Partnership Harrods Heathrow VIP Home House Hotel Café Royal Hudson Walker IDP Group Jimmy Choo Johnnie Walker Johnstons of Elgin Jo Malone London The Lakes Distillery Laurent-Perrier Mark Wilkinson Noble Isle Peter Reed Rachel Vosper Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Rory Dobner The Royal Mint RWD Savoir Beds Shaun Leane Smallbone of Devizes St Edward Studiofibre Swarovski Atelier The Thinking Traveller Tom Howley Wedgwood
Walpole ►
164 170 178 186 188
Member Guide Brands of Tomorrow Walpole British Luxury Awards Walpole Events Calendar Walople Members List
Walpole British Luxury
ion
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£25 billion Global Reach International Trade
The value of exports of British luxury Key markets include the US, Europe, China & the Middle East
“ Walpole plays a vital role in helping companies to access export markets; providing expertise, insight and a valuable brand platform to help businesses realise their ambitions.”
SarahAnderson Sarah Anderson Head of Brand & Partnerships, GREAT Britain Campaign
Helping Walpole members to do better overseas ►
Europe 54% of Walpole members say Europe is one of their key markets by revenue. Summer 2018 European Excellence Summit in Madrid (Spain named as key European growth market for British luxury brands).
USA
Walpole British Luxury
75% of Walpole members say the US is their priority market. $85 billion The value of the US luxury market The US market is the world’s largest luxury market, and is growing all the time. A further $18.5 billion of growth is forcast by 2021. October 2018 The second British luxury trade mission to New York.
78 Percentage of production value destined for export
%
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54% 75%
7%
46% 4%
50% 25%
4%
Top future international markets ► 75% USA 54% Europe 50% China 46% Middle East 25% Other Asia 7% Japan 4% Australia 4% Russia 4% India
Walpole British Luxury
Source Walpole Brexit study 2016 & 2017; percentage of Walpole respondents who selected option as 1 of top 3 international markets by revenue
4%
£57 billion Forecast value of British luxury by 2019
UK Manufacturing The National Picture
Source Frontiers Economics for Walpole 2015
“London has long been luxury’s shop window, but its engine room is entirely national. Businesses the length and breadth of the British Isles make and manufacture the products and experiences that make British luxury famous throughout the world.”
k n a b e l k c o r B n e l He Helen Brocklebank Walpole Chief Executive
Icon Key
Luxury in the Making “As the world’s leading luxury car company we are passionate about developing the skills and crafts base of British automotive manufacturing. We currently have 250 trainees learning all aspects of our business. The importance of craftsmanship in all our cars can be seen in our use of the finest materials, and the attention to detail in our exterior and interior styling. This embodies the ultimate in automotive artistry. Our customers expect nothing less.”
Walpole British Luxury
Christophe Georges Director of Product & Marketing, Bentley Motors
Bentley Motors Luxury Maker of the Year at the 2017 Walpole British Luxury Awards
Jewellery
Paints
Winemaking
Spirits
Clothing
Estate
Polo
Chocolatier
Glassware
Footwear
Flowers
Biscuits
Paper
Royal Mint
Mobile Phones
Tapestry
Perfume
Leather
Millinery
Hotel
Cars
Opera
Yacht Building
Furniture/Kitchen
China/Porcelain
Racecourse
Spring Water
010 / 011 More than three-quarters of Walpole members manufacture in the UK
Walpole British Luxury
Illustration ► Neil Gower
“ To be British is to share a collective spirit. One that changes, sure, over time, like the weather. But remains, in some deeper sense, consistent, like the seasons.”
Walpole British Luxury
Alex Bilmes Editor-in-chief of Esquire
Helen Brocklebank The Lion & The Butterfly Walpole British Luxury
Illustration ► Rory Dobner
The Lion & the Butterfly by Helen Brocklebank
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► A Question of Identity
Helen Brocklebank ► Helen Brocklebank is the Chief Executive of Walpole. Immediately before joining Walpole, she ran a content agency for luxury brands, but built her career - as well as her passion for British luxury - in publishing, working on Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE and other iconic media brands. In October 2017, she was named one of Harper’s Bazaar’s 150 Visionary Women.
Walpole British Luxury
What does British luxury mean? What is it about the British bit of British luxury that makes it so alluring? Is it tangible things like craftsmanship and creativity, design, quality and attention to detail, service and experience? Or is there a uniquely British sensibility, a spirit; something that’s hard to define or measure, but has to do with national identity, with idiosyncrasy and irreverence, tradition and heritage, mavericks and makers, the creative and the curious? The 2018 Walpole Yearbook offers some responses to these questions and more. Esquire’s Alex Bilmes, writing on British luxury (see page 20), says that “to be British is to share a collective spirit” and suggests it can mean being “at once a diehard traditionalist and a committed subversive”. Lucia van der Post explores the role cultural heritage plays in setting a luxury agenda, exploring how “the myths of British country-house style have subliminally shaped the aesthetic thinking of much of the nation” (page 30). Guy Salter argues that the craft renaissance in British luxury is symptomatic of “a new, more thoughtful, openminded and knowledgeable consumer mindset” on page 40, and Jessica Fellowes, writer and niece of Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, asks what makes Americans, the world’s number one luxury consumers, fall for all things British, and why the lessons ►
Helen Brocklebank The Lion & The Butterfly
“ Patriotism has nothing to do with conservatism. It is devotion to something that is changing but is felt to be mystically the same. It is the bridge between future and past.”
Walpole British Luxury
George Orwell Novelist, essayist, journalist, critic
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► of the past “may guide us towards an ever brighter, better future”
Walpole British Luxury
(page 34). Moving beyond questions of identity and into luxury’s wider context, The Economist’s executive editor, Daniel Franklin, gives us his view from the bridge of the ‘known unknowns’ in store for luxury in 2018 (page 18); Jeremy Langmead offers advice on storytelling for luxury brands and reminds us of the importance of “conversational catnip” (page 46); as brand purpose and social impact become fundamental in engaging the new luxury customer, Lorraine Candy shares her thoughts on why luxury needs a heart on page 36. Frances Wasem examines the changing nature of the digital influencer (page 48); Robin Swithinbank talks about his grandfather’s watch to illustrate the emotional connection central to the luxury experience, one that has the power to transform objects into talismans (page 52); and in What’s next for the super-rich (page 56), Ticky Hedley-Dent looks at the trends being set by billionaire gods of the universe, and which soon trickle down to more ordinarily affluent mortals. Last but by no means least, on page 28 Justine Picardie analyses the etymology of the ‘L’ word, looking not at the meaning of Britishness, but at the meaning of luxury itself. Returning to the idea of what it means to be British in 2018, I’m reminded of George Orwell’s brilliant 1941 essay on English national identity, The Lion and The Unicorn, written as a rallying cry for a revolutionary patriotism at a time of war. In it, he is clear that “patriotism has nothing to do with conservatism. It is devotion to something that is changing but is felt to be mystically the same. It is the bridge between future and past.” If it’s a British characteristic to be diffident and modest about our achievements, perhaps it’s time to stop, to be immensely proud of what we produce, to learn how to take the compliment given by the many customers around the world who value British luxury so highly. When I first joined Walpole, Rolls-Royce Motor Car’s Richard Carter urged me to “trumpet the importance of British luxury”. I hope my first year at Walpole shows that I took his words to heart, but perhaps it’s time for a little revolutionary patriotism of our own; if British luxury is an example of the best of which we’re capable in this country, there’s never been a better time to shout about it.
Walpole British Luxury
Illustration ► Stuart Patience.
Looking Ahead Daniel Franklin
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Looking Ahead by Daniel Franklin
Global trends to look out for this year – and how they might affect the luxury industry.
► What to expect in 2018 economy, and the question of how long the relatively good times will roll. It may feel to many people that the real recovery has finally begun after the great recession, but in fact this business cycle is already rather mature. By the end of 2018 America’s recovery will be the country’s second-longest ever, and approaching the longest. It will be time to watch out for what might cause the next dip. Might trouble come from the further build-up of Chinese debt, perhaps? Or, more likely, could the culprit be central banks, through overzealous efforts to unwind the extraordinary monetary stimulus of the past few years, with higher interest rates and withdrawal of ‘quantitative easing’? Or maybe (and this is the second known area of risk) a political crisis could disrupt the economy. Brinkmanship over North Korea’s nuclear threat is only the most glaring, and scary, example of potential threats. There are plenty more, from a bustup over Brexit to an old-fashioned oil crisis brought on by, say, upheaval in Saudi Arabia. The third known unknown has to do with technology, or rather the gathering backlash against the tech giants. The coming ‘techlash’ has many causes: worries about cybersecurity, concern at the power of a few over-mighty companies, suspicion of their use of massive quantities of personal data, anger at their ability to minimise their tax bills, and in some cases investigations into the possible abuse of their platforms to spread fake news and disrupt politics. So just as many luxury brands start to venture into the new digital landscape, they could discover that it is full of surprising hazards that require careful navigation. The new data-protection rules in Europe (known as GDPR) will be just the most obvious example of this in 2018. What about the unknown unknowns? By definition, these are impossible to predict. But if recent experience has taught us anything, it is that it is foolish to rule out game-changing surprises, whether they come from politics, terrorism, natural disasters or technology – or a combination of such forces. The change can happen with stunning speed. All the more reason, in 2018, for the luxury industry to combine its carefully cultivated aura of timelessness with a finely tuned sense of agility.
Daniel Franklin ► Daniel Franklin has been executive editor of the Economist since 2006 and editor since 2003 of its annual publication The World In…, which focuses on the year ahead. His book on long-term trends, Megachange: The World in 2050, was published in 2012.
Walpole British Luxury
When looking into the future, it helps to remember the famous insight of Donald Rumsfeld. America’s former defence secretary drew a distinction between the ‘known knowns’ (that is, the things we know that we know), the ‘known unknowns’ (the things we know that we don’t know) and the ‘unknown unknowns’ (the things we don’t know that we don’t know, that tend to lead to unexpected or ‘black swan’ events). Viewed through this Rumsfeldian prism, how does the world of luxury look in the year ahead? Start with the known knowns. The world economy is in good shape, with synchronised growth – that is, all regions are now contributing to the generally positive outlook – of a sort we haven’t seen for quite a while. America has been in the midst of a Trump bump, the euro zone has been oozing optimism for the first time in a decade, ‘Abenomics’ has obtained a fresh mandate from voters in Japan. As for the emerging markets, Russia and Brazil are out of their deep recessions, India will lead the big-economy growth league and China will once again power ahead. President Xi Jinping may have cracked down on corruption and associated bling, but the impressive spending power of Chinese consumers is surging both at home and (increasingly) abroad. All this ‘macro’ momentum bodes well for the luxury industry, after a flat few years. In the coming year we can be fairly sure, too, that the core trends that have started to drive the luxury industry will only strengthen. Through force of numbers, millennials will command ever more attention: the big brands know their future depends on them. Millennials increasingly prize experiences, not just fancy stuff, so luxury brands need to find imaginative ways of appealing to those values (leading to a scramble to get serious about brands’ ‘purpose’). And the digital world will impinge ever more on the physical reality of luxury – through the increased use both of data to target customers with uncanny accuracy and of social media to reach them cleverly and directly. As a result, creative marketers in the luxury sector should find they have rich new territory for innovation. But savvy strategists will also keep a wary eye on the known unknowns – three of them in particular. The first concerns the
Alex Bilmes
Best in Class
Alex Bilmes Alex Bilmes is editorin-chief of Esquire and Esquire’s Big Black Book. He also writes for the Financial Times and The Telegraph among others. He lives in West London with his family and a very badly behaved dog.
Walpole British Luxury
Pictured Gieves & Hawkes
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Best in Class by Alex Bilmes
Walpole British Luxury
His tech may come from other countries, but from his hat to his shoes and everything in between only British will do for Alex Bilmes.
Alex Bilmes
Best in Class
►
Creativity knows no borders. Artistry cannot be constrained by arbitrary international boundaries, lines on a map. No nation state has the monopoly on craft or skill. You can’t tell a person’s talent by looking at her passport. Nationalism – patriotism perverted – might be on the rise here, there and everywhere, but not, please, among the sophisticated and the urbane. Like the man said, it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.
Walpole British Luxury
All true, I hope, and yet… There are histories and attitudes and traditions and skills handed down across generations that are specific to places and peoples, and that result in particular areas of expertise and spheres of interest and influence. And there are geographical facts. The ultimate borders of the British Isles are not artificial. The clue is in the name: we are an island people. In this we have more in common with the Japanese, say, than the French, though both of those countries have an equally impressive history of artistic and artisanal excellence, of making beautiful things, gifts to the world. To be British is, then, at least on some level, to share a collective spirit. One that changes, for sure, over time, like the weather. But remains, in some deeper sense, consistent, like the seasons. From outside, this spirit is relatively easy to fix: the British combine orthodoxy with irreverence, stoicism with wit, formality with eccentricity. We are funny, we are adventurous, we are tough, we are kind, we love pomp and circumstance but we don’t stand on ceremony. We respect the rule-breakers just as much – whisper it, but maybe a little more – than the law-makers. In British fashion and luxury and style, we have long been presented with a false dichotomy between, on the one hand, the sticklers for the old ways of doing things: the Mayfair haberdashers and the Northampton bootmakers and the Scottish crofters; and on the other hand the trendies and the tearaways: the ultra-modern, bleeding-edge East London design students with their wacky innovations and eyebrow-raising, outré creations. But it won’t wash, really. Many of our most maverick figures have been steeped in tradition. I always think of the late Lee McQueen, who combined a truly avant-garde vision with a rigorous approach to his craft, taught to him on Savile Row. McQueen was British to his bones, which is why he could be at once a diehard traditionalist and a committed subversive. “You’ve got to learn the rules before you break them,” he once told me. But I digress. We hear quite a lot about the death of manufacturing in our country, and yet from Cornwall to the Highlands there are people making items and objects of extraordinary quality. If you’ll indulge me in a little eccentricity of my own, can I take a moment to walk you through today’s working wardrobe? The shirt is from Emma Willis, made to measure in London, by the lady herself, at her shop in St James, manufactured at her factory in Gloucester. The charcoal flannel suit is an old Kilgour bespoke job, cut for me by Will Adams, for my money the best cutter on the Row, using cloth from Yorkshire. The tie is knitted silk from Drake’s, made in Clerkenwell. Socks are Pantherella, from Leicester. Underpants, if you must know, are Sunspel, of Long Eaton, Derbyshire. The shoes are Church’s, from Northampton. The spectacles are EB Meyrowitz bespoke, fitted at the atelier in Mayfair. My cufflinks are from Alice Made This, of Southeast London. My wallet is Ettinger, of Walsall. My notebook is from Aspinal of London. My pen is Dunhill. My diary is Smythson. My correspondence cards are ►
Below Bentley GT Continental
Walpole British Luxury
Below, right Kilgour
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Bottom. left Drake's
Walpole British Luxury Alex Bilmes
Best in Class
Opposite Alexander McQueen fashion show for the Spring-Summer 2003 ready-to-wear collections in Paris. Photo © By Pool Bassignac/Benainous, Getty Images
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McQueen was British to his bones, which is why he could be at once a diehard traditionalist and a committed subversive. “You’ve got to learn the rules before you break them,” he once told me.
Walpole British Luxury Alex Bilmes
Best in Class
026 / 027 Above, from the top Private VC Bremont Begg & Co Ettinger Opposite 1960 Aston Martin DB4. The classic Burbery tartan scarf and trench. Below Paul Smith dog collar.
Walpole British Luxury
Mount Street Printers. The biscuit I am chomping as I type this is from Fortnum’s as is the tea in the cuppa I’m chasing it with. (Bone china: William Edwards of Stoke-on-Trent.) As soon as I’ve finished typing this, I’m off to take the dog for a walk. It’s a bitter afternoon so I’ll be putting on a pair of cashmere gloves from William Lockie, of Hawick in Scotland, alongside a worsted cashmere scarf from Begg & Co, founded in Paisley but now based in Ayr, and a woolly hat from the great Richard James. The raincoat I’ll be pulling on is from the excellent Private White VC, of Manchester. It’s made of cotton Ventile, the stuff developed to keep downed RAF pilots alive when crash landed into the North Sea. Which ought to be sufficient for a brisk stroll into Shepherd’s Bush. The hound will be wearing her Paul Smith leather collar and lead. Spoilt dog. Tonight, when I turn in, I’ll put on my Derek Rose jimjams, though not before filling my Hackett hot-water bottle. (You think I’m making this stuff up; I’m ashamed to say it’s all true.) All of which makes me sound completely mad and jingoistic, the Nigel Farage of the lifestyle pages. I’m not, really I’m not. I also love Italian kit, and I have lots of it. And I have plenty of French stuff, and some American gear too, sportswear mostly. But it is perfectly possible to dress oneself, and to accessorise – to coin an ugly phrase – in homegrown-only. Not only is it possible, it is desirable. When we Brits do something well, we do it better than anyone. A few years ago, at Esquire, the magazine I edit (that’s British Esquire, by the way, not the American edition) we published a special issue devoted to celebrating the best homegrown products. We had an Aston Martin, from Warwickshire; Catcheside cutlery, from Hereford; a Bremont watch, made in Oxfordshire; Corgi socks, from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire; a Dualit toaster, from West Sussex; a John Smedley polo shirt, from Derbyshire; a weekend jacket from Oliver Spencer, made in London; a Roberts bicycle, from Surrey; a Burberry trench; a Thomas Pink dress shirt; an umbrella from London Undercover; a suit from Thom Sweeney. On the cover? Croydon’s finest, Kate Moss. The message: all across the country skilled craftspeople are designing and fashioning and manufacturing some of the very finest products in the world. (And in Croydon the genes are stunning.) We also had beer from Suffolk, doughnuts from Bermondsey a terrier from Yorkshire, a motorcycle from Leicestershire, fish and chips from Hammersmith, and I could go on but you’re getting the picture, I think. There are other areas of course, where British products might not be one’s first choice. Or perhaps the choice is not offered. My TV is from South Korea. (I had to look that one up.) The laptop I’m typing this into was designed in California and assembled in China. (Though it was a Brit, Jony Ive, who did the designing.) The same goes for my phone and tablet. My fridge is German, as are my dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer. I don’t know about you but I find it hard to get excited about white goods. I appreciate what they do, but my emotional connection to my tumble dryer is remote, to say the least. It doesn’t speak to me, and I try not to talk to it, except on those occasions when it develops a fault, at which times I’m afraid I speak to it in the harshest possible terms. (You have to show these things who’s boss.) My clothes, on the other hand. My wallet. My pen. My notebook. These are my companions, my friends. I feel a kinship with them. They say something about me. They say I’m British. ►
The ‘L’ Word Justine Picardie
The ‘L’ Word by Justine Picardie
The meaning of luxury is evolving. Justine Picardie looks at its etymology, from lust and guilt to today’s need for stillness and contemplation.
Walpole British Luxury
Illustration ► Rory Dobner
Justine Picardie ► Justine Picardie is editorin-chief of Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country. She was formerly a journalist for the Sunday Times, features director of Vogue, editor of The Observer magazine and a columnist for The Telegraph. She is the author of six books, including her critically acclaimed memoir If the Spirit Moves You, and her Sunday Times bestselling biography Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life.
Walpole British Luxury
I am writing this at the beginning of January, beneath the weight of a dark grey sky, but at my desk, the heady scent of unfurling petals of indoor narcissus is a welcome reminder of spring. These hopeful flowers seem to me to be the height of luxury on a winter’s day, as are the graceful white orchids that are growing in a plant pot alongside my computer, and the feel of a soft silken blouse against my skin. Scent, touch, human emotion… these are the true luxuries in a digital age. Similarly, as the pace of technology becomes ever more swift, our yearning for time to slow down appears overwhelming. It’s an odd state to find ourselves in: infuriated by everyday delays (whether caused by erratic broadband or unreliable transport), yet also longing for a less frenetic tempo of life. Perhaps this ambivalence about what we yearn for – whether it is the time to do nothing, or the space in which to find ourselves – is rooted in the contradictions that are inherent in the meaning of luxury. We associate the word with wealth, comfort, sumptuous finery – but its original connotations were more to do with lechery and lust. Luxus, in Latin, denoted indulgence, excess and debauchery; hence Chaucer referred to “the foule lust of luxurie”, while for Shakespeare, it represented adultery. (“She knows the heat of a luxurious bed,” declares Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing. “Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.”) Eventually, the word evolved from its original meaning, and by the last century, it had come to signify material riches. Yet this definition, in turn, was also questioned: by Coco Chanel, for example, who observed, “Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.” Meanwhile, Cassandra Mortmain, the spirited heroine of I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith’s wonderful coming-of-age novel set in the 1930s – finds herself wondering if luxury is altogether to be trusted. “I had never realised before that it is more than just having things; it makes the very air feel different. And I felt different, breathing that air… And though I cannot honestly say I would ever turn my back on any luxury I could come by, I do feel there is something a bit wrong in it. Perhaps that makes it all the more enjoyable.” Elsewhere in the book, however, she enjoys “the blissful luxury” of being in love; the “great luxury [of] letting myself cry”; and “contemplation… the only luxury that costs nothing…” All of which suggests, at the very least, that luxury is a shapeshifting concept; an emotion, as much as an object to caress; an idea that is as elusive as it is sought-after. But desire is at its heart – the desire to have and to hold; to escape, while also being cocooned; to love, and be loved. And as with true love, real luxury should be cherished for ever, in the knowledge that what we hold most dear may not be ours to possess.
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► What’s in a word?
House Style Lucia van der Post
House Style by Lucia van der Post
Walpole British Luxury
British luxury has its roots firmly in the country.
Of all the things that foreigners find puzzling about the British, it is British taste that they find perhaps the most baffling, and if there has been a more potent influence on the aesthetics of the nation than the romantic imagery that surrounds the English country house it’s hard to think of what it might be. From the council-house dweller to the urban loft-living sophisticate, the successful sportsman in his Cheshire mansion or the business tycoon in his Notting Hill villa, myths of English country-house style have subliminally shaped the aesthetic thinking of much of the nation. Country-house style in its imagined platonic form, if you think about it, exemplifies what the British do best. To start with they are perfect expressions of the interests
of their owners, which is to say they are idiosyncratic – idiosyncrasy being a universally admired British virtue. The British don’t take easily to diktats of any kind. While many of these houses were built as status symbols (the equivalent, says Michael Snodin, head of design at the V&A, of owning a private jet today), their owners were minded to impress and mostly nonetheless followed their own tastes and inclinations, so what fascinates still is that no single country house is like any other. What today we think of as old money and traditional taste, we have to remember, was once spanking new money and often very avant-garde, adventurous taste. Today Chippendale is revered as the master cabinet-maker of all time, but once he was the new upstart and it took courage to commission him. ►
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Pictured ► Goodwood House, West Sussex. The seat of the Duke of Richmond is a Grade I listed building.
House Style Lucia van der Post Walpole British Luxury
► So what we have when we look at some of the oldest of our country houses is an almost perfect aesthetic history of the moneyed classes. What we see is a wonderfully layered amalgam of the tastes and fashions as they changed over the centuries. We see the fruits of the fascination of the owners with the grand tour and the classical statues and artefacts they brought back. The owners were usually great travellers, as trade and travel opened up we see the arrival of carpets from the ’Stans, porcelain from China, battered trunks from Beijing, charming sculptures from Bangkok, silks from India, rugs from the Himalayas, possibly all mixed in with a few antiques found while rummaging around in la France profonde. But the owners also commissioned contemporary work from carpenters, gardeners (Capability Brown was little known when he was commissioned to do the landscaping of Chatsworth by the 4th Duke of Devonshire), plasterers, textiles (think of the great tapestries bought by the Countess of Shrewsbury for Hardwick Hall), portrait painters and cabinet makers of the day. But the owners were seldom committed to a single style. You might see a Roman bust, an Italian Renaissance painting and a modern sofa all together just because the owner fancied them. This is what gives the country-house style its allure – it has an authenticity that is impossible to fake and it can’t be done overnight. It has endured because it didn’t remain preserved in aspic, because most of its owners were interested in the contemporary art and design of their day and commissioned the best they could find. And this is why it has also such a hold on the public imagination – it has charm, it has authenticity, it has elegance and, that crucial British ingredient, idiosyncrasy. Still today the most enterprising inheritors of these great estates intuit that their survival depends upon innovation – the need somehow to leverage their distinctive history while at the same time making it relevant to the modern day. At Goodwood Charles March, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, has done it brilliantly. He took its sporting DNA and turned it into a global business. At Cliveden, at Blenheim, at Althorp, the owners have discerned a hunger for learning, for culture, for education and have devised literary festivals that create a buzz and interest round their ancient homes. At Chatsworth, there are regular exhibitions of avant-garde design and modern art linking the history of the house and the many Dukes of Devonshires’ patronage of creative crafts with the modern day. It is this unbeatable combination of history, authenticity, real stories to tell that makes the allure of the country house still so vivid. It’s why so many luxury houses like to be aligned with them, why Gucci and Hermès and Cartier and all sorts of other purveyors of fine things want to be associated with them. What they have is unique. There is the layered history, the romance, there is the beauty but also, unforgettably, there is the innovation, the genuine interest in creativity and craft forming a magic potion that it’s hard to find elsewhere. British luxury at its best has those qualities in abundance. Think of Smythson, of Burberry, of Mulberry, of our great jewellers and perfumers, of our Savile Row tailors, and they one and all have these quintessentially British traits – a slight eccentricity that seems bred in the bone, coupled with quality, a connection to the past combined with a commitment to innovation, to craftsmanship and quality and a willingness to think out of the box. Today these qualities are admired the world over and one needs to look no further than the paradigm of the English country house to see where it all began.
Above, from the top ► Mulberry – a quintessentially British brand. The combination of history, authenticity and real stories to tell makes the allure of the country house so vivid, and why luxury brands like Cartier (pictured) want to be associated with them.
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Lucia van de Post Lucia van der Post was born and educated in South Africa, where she spent the first 20 years of her life. She started her career in journalism writing on interior design matters for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper before joining The Sunday Times and becoming one of the feature writers on the newly-launched Look pages. In 1973 she became the editor and main feature writer on the How To Spend It pages of the weekend section of the Financial Times which she turned into cult Saturday reading. She was the launch editor of its award-winning monthly colour supplement also called How To Spend It which is now a hugely successful part of the weekend FT. She still writes regularly for How To Spend It where she is an associate editor. She has an abiding love of Africa which she visits as often as she can. She has lived in London ever since she first arrived in the UK and is married with two grownup children and five grandsons.
Above & left ► The breathtaking Chatsworth House. Last year it staged House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion, sponsored by Gucci, starring a stellar roll call of iconic women connected with Chatsworth throughout the centuries.
Jessica Fellowes
Special Relationship
Special Relationship by Jessica Fellowes
Walpole British Luxury
What makes Americans fall in love with British historical drama, particularly Downton Abbey?
What strange alchemy draws the attention of Americans – a vast and divided country – almost as one to Britain? It’s a question I have asked myself, and others, frequently over the past six years as I have travelled to speak before audiences in 25 of the country’s 50 states. The circus I brought to town, as it were, was a talk on Downton Abbey, written and created by my uncle, about which I have researched the real-life inspirations behind his plots and characters. Audiences could be as large as 2,500 and frequently came in costume. Whether in Iowa or Georgia, their fandom was never in question. The appeal of Downton is perhaps obvious: richly English in its locations, actors and sensibility; a period drama about posh people and their servants. Don’t Americans always love that kind of thing? Perhaps, but plenty of other period dramas have failed and most do not capture viewers from all social spheres. Fundamental to its success is, of course, the brilliant writing, acting and production values. But more compelling, I suggest, is that it reflects some of today’s concerns. In watching it, viewers identify with the characters in a way that connects them to the past and today. At first glance, there is nothing relatable about, say, Lord Grantham, who loses all his fortune in one bad investment, only to recoup it by selling a painting. Or a servant who spends his working life pouring the wine at dinner and is thrilled to do so. (I jest, but only slightly.) The crux of the show is that it is set in the post-war years that are now recognised as the true beginning of the 20th century. It was, in short, an era of enormous and fast-developing change politically, socially and scientifically. The rapid advances in technology – cars, aeroplanes, tanks, forensics, radio – made a
seismic impact on society. Many of these things came from America, which had continued to invest and invent while Europe’s factories were turned over to the war. America taught us how to embrace change and break with tradition, breathing life into stuffy England with its exported jazz, flappers, nightclubs and cocktails. In parallel, we too have taken on at speed technology that has changed the way we live, work and play, almost beyond recognition: in less than 20 years, the internet, social media, space travel and stem-cell science has created a world that is both exciting and terrifying. It is only as we approach 2020 that we are able to conceive of how the 21st century will look with these things in it. Each one of us must ask: do I embrace this change (like Rose, Edith and Branson) or do I resist it (like Carson, Violet and Robert)? There’s more. The devastation of the First World War meant there were two million more women than men in the British population when it finally ended. These women could not marry or have children; single, they were forced out to work to support themselves. For many, this was heartbreaking but it was also liberating: a quarter of the country’s undergraduates were female in 1922. These women had no guidance from their forebears but forged a new existence that changed the fabric of society and its view of them. We see that today, too. In presenting itself to the world, Britain has a wonderful advantage in its art, culture and heritage. But we can – and should – also demonstrate our lessons learned from the past, the cyclical nature of development and how this may guide us towards an ever brighter, better future. It is this that the Americans want from us. They can give us shiny new things; we can give them the connection between the future and the past.
034 / 035 Jessica Fellowes ► Author, journalist and public speaker Jessica Fellowes wrote the international bestselling companion books to the TV series Downton Abbey. Her debut novel, The Mitford Murders was published in 16 countries.
Walpole British Luxury
Above One of the great draws of Downton Abbey is that its story lines document an era of enormous social and technological change.
Have a Heart Lorriane Candy
Illustration ► Stuart Patience
Have a Heart Walpole British Luxury
y d n a C e n i a r r o by L
When it comes to luxury brands, ethical is cool and kindness is key.
036 / 037 Lorraine Candy ► Lorraine Candy is the luxury content director of The Sunday Times and editor-in-chief of The Sunday Times Style magazine. She started her career in national newspapers before becoming editor of Cosmopolitan, subsequently taking the helm at Elle UK, where she ran a fully integrated, award-winning, 360-degree editorial team working across both print and digital. She recently spearheaded an iconic redesign of Sunday Times Style and introduced Style Play, a new video-only channel in front of the paywall for all to view.
Below ► In an environmental first, Glenmorangie has reintroduced native oysters to its nearby coastal waters. This enriches an important marine habitat for a sustainable future and creates new jobs and investment in the local area.
Walpole British Luxury
The world of luxury has long been aware of the need for transparency around the provenance of its creations. Both super brands and niche producers alike enjoy a tradition of dedicating time and effort to the ‘journey’ their consumer goods take before hitting retail. And this is because luxury listens to its loyal customers. So, when we ask “does luxury need a heart?”, we know the answer is “yes” because this is what customers want. In the modern world, it makes sense to care and to show you care. Transparency and proof of a conscience are on the top of today’s more enlightened consumers’ shopping lists. The words ‘organic’, ‘ethical’, ‘local’ and ‘sustainable’ are key for this new ‘woke’ generation of aspirational shopper who wants the companies they buy from to buy into their own personal beliefs. It makes business sense, too, because companies with genuine sustainability goals show financial growth. Brands must provide a positive, meaningful footprint to younger and more eco-conscious consumers. And most importantly they must make this more ‘green’ approach part of their communications strategy, because it is often something many have always done but not shouted about loudly enough. Consumers today are more questioning of what they spend their money on – if they are prepared to pay for the elegance and artistry of a luxury product they want to know the story behind it. The value of what you pay for is more than the price tag, and now that value must include investment in the people of the product as much as the piece you purchase. From Gucci no longer selling real fur to Glenmorangie’s reintroduction of native oysters into the Dornoch Firth, the luxury industry is constantly embracing sustainability and talking about it more consistently. In my mind, Kering has led the way in this ever-changing world of the luxury fashion shopper, particularly with its support of the Stella McCartney brand, which has invested a significant amount of money and time into new sustainable production processes and dedicated collaborations with organisations like Sea Shepherd Parley, which uses plastic bottles from the ocean to make textiles for clothing. Kering has given projects time to come to fruition and been fleet about changing a process when it needs to; it has also marketed this credible belief in sustainable production well. ►
Have a Heart Lorriane Candy Walpole British Luxury
► The buy better philosophy is a good retail strategy that pays off in business terms for both luxury and high street. It is a good story to tell at a time when all luxury brands are looking for a story. Today’s ethical offering is ever more authentic and in many cases it is finally cool (witness Veja: the sell-out eco trainer). Alongside this you have inspiring ideas like Jo Malone London’s gardens support for mental health charities and projects like Cadogan’s Pavilion Road scheme, which gives small-scale artisans prime retail space for reduced rates, or YOOX NET-A-PORTER’s CodeLab, which encourages school-aged girls to learn computer coding. In the same way that the younger luxury shopper looks for ethical awareness in the companies they want to work for today, they desire a heart in the businesses they shop from; what people are essentially asking is “are you similar to me?” from employers and retail. Kindness as a guiding principle seems to be the overarching trend here, and I witness it every day on social media as a message opposing the darker side of the internet. People also want diversity – they want the businesses they deal with to reflect society as a whole and to reflect the way they grew up and the people they are surrounded by. The key, of course, is to be authentic about having a heart and not just paying lip service with the liberal use of the words attached to the movement. As with all affairs of the heart the truth will always out.
Above ► The cookery school at country house Chewton Glen. Chewton Glen is committed to the sensitive custodianship of the property, its natural environment, and their educational and charitable endeavours.
Positive luxury
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Diana Verde Nieto ► Diana Verde Nieto is the co-founder and CEO of Positive Luxury, the company behind the Butterfly Mark, awarded to luxury lifestyle brands in recognition of their positive impact on people and the planet. Diana is an advisor to the British Fashion Council and the European Council of Conservation International.
The five things companies will need to think about in 2018. One neuro linguistic and data-driven trend – emotion – saw consistent representation in 2017 despite a volatile and often divisive global landscape. And emotion’s role is only set to grow in 2018. Its sheer scope is breathtaking and, alongside sustainability, is the omnipresent factor for luxury brands to prosper in 2018 and beyond. Positive Luxury connects consumers with luxury brands that care. The company’s interactive Butterfly Mark is awarded to trusted luxury brands that are doing good for people and the planet.
Emotionally driven ► Professor Antonio Damasio’s ground-breaking research into decision making found that where there are no emotions, humans are incapable of making the simplest of decisions. In short, emotion is the tipping point in consumer behaviour, pre and post-sale. C-Ventures founder Adrien Cheng says a brand is either building a globally connected eco-system that’s emotionally aligned with consumer values, or will be replaced by a pipeline of disruptors.
2 Above ► Cadogan has a long-term commitment to ensuring they are making a positive contribution towards a sustainable environment, protecting the area’s unique heritage and supporting a thriving community. Above, top ► Jo Malone London supports the creation of peaceful, safe gardens, designed to nourish and nurture those who have become vulnerable and isolated due to mental ill health. Left ► The Imperial CodeLab powered by YOOX NET-APORTER GROUP aims to boost digital skills, particularly among girls aged eight to 14, and develop a diverse talent pool of future innovators.
Interface between workforce and consumer ► By 2020, 50% of the global luxury consumer market and the workforce supplying its demands will be under the age of 30. They’ll be playing by the same rules, and speaking the same consumer language. The entire supplydemand ecosystem will be radically transformed by the increased call for transparency and purpose afforded by technology.
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Looping ► Brand loyalty is predicated by a brand’s ability to provide products and experiences that enable consumers to distinguish their identity through organically sharing content about themselves –
and the brand – on social media. This bolsters self-belief and a further connection to the wider community. When a brand provides this validation authentically, it creates loyalty and a post-purchase return known as ‘social validation feedback loop’.
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Brand-built experiences ► Consumers must feel that they can align themselves with a brand’s community. They need to engage with environmental and social justice issues as well as eco-friendly or environmental paradigms. Today’s consumer is seeking a holistic point of interconnection that allows their community to be better consumers, better people, and better brands. For instance, cult beauty brand Weleda offers a health platform, further demonstrating its dedication to well-being.
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Curating retail ► Curating individual consumer data enables retailers to provide a seamless emotional connection at the physical point of purchase that is highly personalised and memorable. Farfetch founder, co-chairman & CEO, José Neves, says it will be imperative for retailers to collect data while customers are browsing in-store, just as they would online. In light of this, Farfetch created ‘The Store of the Future’– a seamless example of these ‘offline/online’ experiences.
Walpole British Luxury
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Guy Salter
Handmade
Walpole British Luxury
Guy Salter Dubbed ‘Mr Luxury’ by the press, Guy Salter OBE MVO is a long-standing specialist retailer and investor. His pro-bono work includes founding London Craft Week, the GREAT Britain Campaign, and 18 years with Walpole, including establishing the Crafted programme in 2007. By a happy coincidence, one of his portfolio businesses is a Walpole Brand of Tomorrow this year.
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Handmade
Walpole British Luxury
by Guy Salter Guy examines the craft renaissance and asks if it is here to stay?
Guy Salter
Handmade
Walpole British Luxury
“Nowadays, you won’t find many brands that don’t sound like they value craftsmanship.”
042 / 043 Pictured ► Craftsmanship is alive and well at Gaydon, Aston Martin's HQ in Warwickshire
Walpole British Luxury
As the little boy who always wanted to know how something was made, or the slightly older boy discussing every detail of his first bespoke suit with his tailor or buying his first pot in the artist’s studio, it seemed clear to me that craftsmanship mattered. So, it’s been reassuring to see the explosion of interest in craft. Of course, this goes well beyond my personal interests or, for that matter, either Britain or luxury. Indeed, I first sensed the change not in Bond Street but in farmers’ markets. I still see signs wherever I go: new galleries in Seoul or Taipei presenting the work of local artists, the popularity of exhibitions like the V&A’s McQueen blockbuster, Kyoto overrun by tourists declaring craft cool, dropin studios in Shanghai department stores where you can throw a pot in your lunch break. Like so many iceberg peaks they point to something going on. But is it of any real lasting significance and, if so, what? And what does it mean for the luxury sector, especially given the challenges to traditional business models from disruptive technologies? In my view, the luxury sector was both first and late to the craft party. First because most heritage luxury brands started as family-owned businesses, whose focus on the highest quality of materials and making was taken for granted. However, while the best never forgot, some lost their way when transforming into brands responding to waves of new customers, who didn’t ask tricky questions and were quite happy with the pulling power of a logo. This meant that when some of those consumers gradually became as super-picky and opinionated as their 19th-century predecessors, several luxury houses had to play catch up. Nowadays, you won’t find many brands that don’t sound like they value craftsmanship. However, inevitably there are some who have more craft credentials than others. Does this mean they are more likely to be successful? Not necessarily. For while skimping on quality was always going to be self-defeating in the end, the challenge for luxury continues to be to inspire and excite. Cristóbal Balenciaga’s genius was to cut, sew and shape startling new silhouettes that captured the spirit and aspirations of the time. But such talent is rare. As is such a craft-first approach. And in an era when many fashion houses see their main task as providing millennial customers with newness, when collaborations with streetwear brands generate block-length queues and when bloggers out-influence fashion editors, is the talent that’s really required that of the storyteller? Maybe the so-called craft movement is merely a scratching of a nostalgic itch that will pass, so the real winners will be brands who pay lip service to craft and heritage but concentrate on new stuff as the only way to win the Instagram wars. There has always been an element of truth here (Coco Chanel was as much showman as couturier) but I think this is to misread ►
Walpole British Luxury Guy Salter
Handmade
Above, right ► Hand-painted plates at Wedgwood: Each highly decorated plate can take up 36 hours of handcraft by several craftsmen at Wedgwood's Barlaston factory in Stoke-on-Trent.
Opposite, Clockwise from top ► Master glass-blower Michael Ruh designs and crafts his luxury glassware from his South London studio.
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► the tea leaves. This isn’t about fame. Nor is it about craft. It’s not
even about creativity. For it's all these things and more. In many ways the most useful word is authenticity; you know it when you see it. Affluent consumers have become immensely more sophisticated at making these judgments and this is playing out around the world in a powerful projection of knowledge, selfexpression and values. And while the continued growth in wealth could be said to be a universal global trend, clearly those able to afford luxury are by no means a monolith block. But while their interests differ, I believe the considered and self-confident way that they will spend and express their point of view increasingly unites them. And is here to stay. This is fundamentally changing the outlook for not just for the luxury sector but all businesses who depend on the consumer, from fast-moving consumer goods behemoths to adventure holiday boutiques, from online platforms to Michelin-starred restaurants. To this list I would add museums and the visual and performing arts, who also compete for footfall and attention. For this is as much a cultural as a commercial phenomenon. Indeed, once one starts to join the dots, it’s not too much of a leap to see the relevance for cities, governments and nations, too. Bringing this back to where we started, my view is that the craft renaissance is important. Both to British luxury and the sector as a whole. But less because of the renewed interest in how things are made but as a symptom of a more thoughtful, open-minded and knowledgeable consumer mindset, in which the established players are scrutinised and expected to live up to more, while there is an increased desire to find out about and champion less-well-known talent. Looked at this way, while the disruption heading our way from artificial intelligence and the like is real, probably the more telling shift is going to come from how human beings have been changing (aided and amplified by new technologies). A valuable reminder that the best long-term hedge and repository of value remains a sustainable brand franchise based on a consumer’s love and respect. The other reason I find the interest in craft so heartening, is that it’s one of a number of straws in the wind that something I call ‘mass discernment’ may one day be possible. The place that comes closest to this now is Japan, where appreciation of beauty and quality is widely based. To some this may sound nightmarish but to me it’s a natural evolution that at its best will promote higher standards of creativity and transparency, as well as spread prosperity and shared values. In this scenario, a luxury brand who tries to boast about ersatz craftsmanship looks just as silly as a politician pedalling fake news.
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the V&A.
Method's Callum Robinson manufactures bespoke objects for brands such as Burberry, Aesop, Vacheron Constantin and Bentley. Isatu Hyde makes wheelthrown homewares using British stoneware clays and hand-mixed glazes.
Walpole British Luxury
Paper sculptor Zoe Bradley's stunning handmade chandelier displayed at London's Burlington Arcade.
Walpole British Luxury
Illustration ► Stuart Patience.
Banging your Drum Jeremy Langmead
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Banging your Drum by Jeremy Langmead
An entertaining, inspiring and informative tale will help your brand speak for itself.
► What’s your story? unaligned reference points, and perhaps an attractive guest seated on their other side trying to catch their eye, your answer needs to be succinct and memorable, with a beguiling mix of fact and anecdote. In sort, conversational catnip. You won’t here, and neither, with few exceptions, should you on your website, in your exhibition, or on a press release, use terminology unique to your industry that is mostly meaningless elsewhere. In-house jargon tends to bore the pants off, or at the very least puzzle, those outside your office. As soon as you’ve finished your answer, if you were brought up well, you will then ask a question of them. If what you told them about your brand ignited their interest, the conversation will naturally return to the subject without you having dominated or bored anyone with details that weren’t initially asked of you. If this sounds pretty obvious, it is. And yet so many of us leave our good manners at the dinner table and forget to bring them into the boardroom when planning a PR campaign or content strategy. So many brands forget to be interesting (yet have so much of interest to tell), so many brands still talk at their customers rather than with them, so many brands fail to spend five minutes asking themselves if what interests them is truly interesting to others, too. The basic rule of storytelling, in whatever format or platform it appears on, is to be entertaining, inspiring or informative (ideally all three if you’re a retail brand). Imagine you’re telling your story to a table of acquaintances (earlier in the evening, before too much has been drunk) and you will find your brand comes alive in a way it never could otherwise. In the 12 months I’ve been editing LUXX, I’ve had the fortune to visit the factories and workshops of everyone from Rolls-Royce to Zegna, George Smith to Smythson. There, on the ground, seeing and hearing the brands’ stories and expertise as told by the people who work there to a real person standing right next to them, in a personable as well as a professional context, brings everything truly alive. And in every case there are facts and anecdotes I’m able to take away, eagerly wanting to share with others. How best to share those stories, you ask. Well, first, tell me something about you… how do you know our hosts?
Jeremy Langmead ► Jeremy Langmead is editor-in-chief of The Times Luxx, and brand and content director at MR PORTER, which he helped to launch in 2011. A former editor of Esquire and Wallpaper*, Jeremy has a strong reputation for innovative ideas and sharp social trend analysis. In a career spanning 20 years, he launched The Sunday Times Style magazine, was life and style editor of Evening Standard and chief content officer at Christie’s.
Walpole British Luxury
Close friends and family aside, do you get excited by someone else’s birthday? Once you’ve turned 40, the chances are you don’t even get excited by your own. Yet, in the (also beyond-celebrating) years I’ve been in this business, my eyes have always rolled at the number of press releases and requests from brands telling me it’s their birthday and how they’d love us to publish a piece to celebrate this wonderful achievement. Of course, I wish them every happiness – and, if it’s a true milestone, such as a centenary, then, wow, let’s see what we can do – but otherwise I honestly don’t think the readers or customers, especially those pesky millennials, are overly interested. Of course, many brands such as yours will have intriguing tales to tell, histories with narrative and relevancy, a heartwarming approach to craftsmanship, plus ethical and sustainable working practices that all contribute to the ‘story’ around the product you make in your workshop or manufacture in your factory. And none of these facts should be ignored. So, I often get asked, how best to tell this story – especially in an age when the story-telling medium is changing on almost a daily basis? The good news is that to start with, and perhaps most importantly of all, the basic skill set you need doesn’t involve degrees or data. It simply requires you to be engaging about yourself, and interested in your customer. The easiest approach to take is to imagine you’re at a dinner party with people either side of you, one older and one younger, who you haven’t met before. The chances are, and I promise not to mention anniversaries again, that your opening gambit wouldn’t be: “It’s my birthday… are you very happy for me? Perhaps you’d like to give me a gift?” See what I mean? Ideally, you will have had a cursory conversation with both of them and discovered what may or may not interest them, the touchpoints you have in common, and how best to engage them: do they like listening, talking or, ideally, do they enjoy a combination of both? At some point, one or perhaps both of your dinner party guests will ask: “And what do you do?” And for the most part the way you answer that question is the key to the entire content strategy for your brand. Aware that they will both have varying degrees of interest,
What is next for the influencer? Frances Wasem
What is next for the influencer? m se a W s e c n a r F by
Walpole British Luxury
Frances Wasem examines the rise and integrity of those whose opinions affect what we buy, and asks what the future holds for them.
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Frances Wasem ► Frances Wasem is a writer and creative consultant working with luxury brands on influencer marketing strategies and creative concepts, as well as VIP securement and event production. She is a former editor at Harper’s Bazaar and both a PPA and Hearst award-winning journalist. Clients include Crème de la Mer, Clinique, Bulgari, Tod’s and Somerset House.
To understand the power of the influencer, we need to take a quick trip back in time. Not far, but back to 2008, when Anya Hindmarch’s marketing strategy included gifting a new season bag to each magazine fashion editor. I remember how friends swarmed my way at ‘film night’, intent on checking out the latest-season bag for themselves. Anya was clever indeed. It was influence… on a dozen or so girls in a small corner of London. Fast forward to 2018 and the new digital influencer is queen. But instead of reaching 12 women, she reaches 12 million women – across a global market. Be in no doubt, this is big business. One influencer friend earned £25,000 in affiliate sales commission in one month alone. Even micro-influencers can earn hundreds of pounds for one Instagram post. Many influencers now employ their own managers or assistants and hire photographers. Luxury brands should be – and are – part of this brave new world. Fashion and Beauty Monitor report that 73 % of luxury brands are now active in influencer marketing, with more brands planning to explore the market in 2018. The high-end jewellery sector is dipping a toe in the water, too. De Beers (UK) launched its first influencer campaign in December 2017, and Bulgari (UK) is working on its first influencer omni-channel campaign. ►
What is next for the influencer? Frances Wasem
Previous page & right ► Journalist Simon Crompton’s collaboration with Private White VC – the design sold out in one day.
Walpole British Luxury
Below right ► Photographer Jonathan Daniel Pryce featured in a film for GQ and AX Hybrid Smartwatch.
Above ► Shini Park's collaboration with Mulberry.
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Top ► Shini Park’s recent film for Maison Margiela Fragrances.
► Vincent Reynes, Bulgari’s Managing Director UK, believes influencers “bring a unique, independent voice through their own style and vision”. This is what all luxury brands need to understand. Influencers have built followings (often over a period of several years) through the popularity of their own editorial voice. But it’s not that influencers are cut from the same cloth as traditional magazine editors. They’re the whole magazine team combined – from the editorin-chief to the advertising department. Give them creative freedom (too much control kills energy) because they know how to engage and inspire their followers. The sheer number of influencers now in the market is disorienting. So much so that even established influencers are taken aback. The Danish/Australian influencer Sarah Mikaela has been blogging since university and feels “Instagram is saturated with photos of girls in different outfits, drinking coffee”. Instead, the new breed of content creator – whose vision and creativity is driving the industry forward – is inspiring her strategy for 2018. Shini Park’s recent film for Maison Margiela Fragrances (waves crashing and ropes twisting artfully capture her memories of sailing) set a new industry benchmark. Influencers working in traditional professions are also on the rise. Make-up artist Violette curated a trio of lipsticks for Estée Lauder, photographer Jonathan Daniel Pryce featured in a film for GQ and AX Hybrid Smartwatch and journalist Simon Crompton’s collaboration with Private White VC – the design sold out in one day. With so much happening so fast, there are swirling rumours of a bubble burst; even influencers mention it in hushed tones. Be assured, a seismic shift – although I don’t think the bubble will burst – in the industry is definitely in the air. With no auditing system (reflecting traditional media, where audience numbers claimed are vetted) it’s frankly a Wild, Wild West out there. Brands have inflated that bubble by paying wildly excessive budgets. Influencers have been known to buy followers and engagement, affecting the integrity of the industry overall. But as technology catches up, this sleight of hand will become easier to spot. The influencers with integrity, a proven return on investment and editorial vision will be the ones that rise to the fore. Instagram incidentally culled ‘paid followers’ a couple of years ago (some influencers lost 100,000 overnight) but another ‘reaping’ is needed. Be careful not to throw money into influencer marketing without a long-term but flexible strategy in place. This industry shifts at speed as platforms rise and fall – last year (late 2016/early 2017) Instagram Stories took over from Snapchat within months. Equally a new challenge now faces the luxury industry. Instagram has introduced a much-needed ‘paid partnership’ sub-heading in an attempt to be open and transparent. It’s still in trial stage, but it’s commenced at a time when luxury brands are beginning to invest budget. It doesn’t really say ‘exclusive and aspirational’ if you’re one of 12 paid posts in the past fortnight and, even worse, your paid content comes straight after eBay’s or indeed your main competitor. Don’t build your campaign in isolation and do discuss what other paid content is scheduled. Equally, it’s important for the luxury industry to build an authentic, long-term relationship that gives any paid campaign substance. When the British influencer Lydia Millen got engaged she just happened to be wearing the Bulgari Serpenti Forever shoulder bag she’d bought for herself. Millen subsequently talked about the Serpenti Forever as her ‘spirit bag’. The video of her surprise engagement garnered 380,000 (out of a 470,000 subscriber base) views. That’s a narrative with integrity that no budget could ever buy.
Robin Swithinbank
On his Watch
Walpole British Luxury
Robin Swithinbank Robin Swithinbank is the founder and editor-inchief of upmarket men’s lifestyle media brand The Jackal. Robin has been covering the luxury watch industry for 15 years and is a contributor to The New York Times.
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On his Watch nk
The wristwatch that was once his grandfather’s carries with it stories of bravery and rank. You won’t get that with a smartphone...
Walpole British Luxury
by Robin Swithinba
Right Boodles Raindance Watches.
Robin Swithinbank
Walpole British Luxury
On his Watch
Below Rolex Air-King; the making of the Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Princess Royal Pink Heart Bottom Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso collection. Opposite Robin Swithinbank's most treasured possession: his grandfather's Rolex Air-King.
Image courtesy of Harrods
Whether in tailoring, shoes, cabinets, watches or, as in my case, print magazines, there’s a lot of talk in luxury today about how ‘you can’t fake touch’, the underlying moral being that fingertips are excellent arbiters of quality and meaning, and by extension that anyone in luxury would be daft to ignore them. The idea has the ring of truth about it. The humble mechanical wristwatch is often wheeled out to illustrate the point. The touch of a crown turned to wind a watch’s mainspring or to adjust its display communicates not just how well-made the watch is, but also an inherited philosophy – craftsmanship first, progress second. Compare that with the smartphone, a universal symbol of progress touted as the wristwatch’s nemesis, and instead you find only homogeneity and the promise of imminent obsolescence. That’s not to say smartphones are bad, but they democratise experience and have no lasting emotional value. The longevity of the mechanical watch suggests consumers are hungry for what it represents – it’s both a product that can be owned and enjoyed, and an experience that can be had, repeated and passed on. The act of giving or buying a watch more often than not accompanies a significant moment in life, one that can be shared (but doesn’t have to be validated) and returned to. A mechanical watch is a portal to an important memory. The example I always use to demonstrate this is my grandfather’s Rolex. He was given it when he was 21, shortly after he returned from Greece where he had been held as a prisoner of war, before escaping and spending months hiding from his captors. At home, he was considered dead, so definitively his wife remarried. On returning, his parents gave him a Rolex Air-King. He would then spend years in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Commander and would, my uncle believes, have worn it on reconnaissance missions in the North Sea. He died when I was 16, and a few years later my father passed that watch to me. It still works and I wear it when we gather as family, just as he would have worn it many times before. I have nothing else that connects me to my grandfather’s memory so directly, nor indeed to existential thoughts of how his neardeath affects me. My children and hopefully their children beyond them will inherit this watch, and mine, one day. With any luck, mine won’t carry such powerful stories, but they will remind future generations of me when I’m gone. And you can’t fake that.
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n e t f o e r o m h c t a w a g n i y u b r o g n i v "The act of gi s a significant moment in life, e i n a p m o c c a t o n than ." o t d e n r u t e r d n a d e r a h s e b n a c t a h t one
Ticky Hedley-Dent
Future Perfect
Future Perfect by Ticky Hedley-Dent
Walpole British Luxury
Will the super-rich continue to have it all?
Top right & below The 82-metre super yacht RoMEA, the marque of superior wealth.
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Right, below Art Basel Miami. Another accoutrement of the super-rich: contemporary art.
Ticky Hedley-Dent Ticky Hedly-Dent is an author and journalist. She was editor-at-large at Boat International and features director at Tatler. She has written for the Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Times, How To Spend It, Condé Nast Traveller, House & Garden, Harper’s Bazaar, You magazine and more. Her first novel, Murdered in Chelsea, was published in 2014. She lives in London with her husband and two sons and is working on a children’s book.
RoMEA - Abeking & Rasmussen 82m. © Guillaume Plisson & Jeff Brown for Imperial. Exclusively available for charter with Imperial.
Walpole British Luxury
Whether celebrating on the slopes of Aspen, soaking up rays on their superyachts in Barbados or partying with A-listers in Tulum, what is certain is the super-rich will have seen in 2018 in enviable style somewhere far from home. ‘Home’ being an interesting concept for this group of individuals who have a generous scattering of properties spread across a few continents. Thus home is usually where their business is, be it Silicon Valley, New York, Hong Kong, London, Moscow or elsewhere. The much-used, amalgamated quotation of Fitzgerald and Hemingway that “The rich are different from you and me”, “Yes, they have more money” is just as true today as it was in the 1920s. What is striking is how much more money the rich have these days (the top 0.1% –approximately 7 million people – captured as much of the world’s growth since 1980 as the bottom 50% of the world’s population). And boy do they use it. Travel is top of the spending list. Even if they are not turbocharged socialites flitting to the Cannes Film Festival to hang out with Tarantino, sailing in regattas at Porto Cervo or snapping up contemporary works at Art Basel Miami Beach, they will be enjoying bespoke holiday experiences that meet their childhood fantasies. This might mean taking their explorer yacht to Norway to ski and climb the Lyngen Alps peninsula (a holy grail for ski mountaineers) or having the Uffizi Gallery closed so they can enjoy their own private viewing of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. ►
Right Table made from 50,000-year-old ancient Kauri wood. Opposite Bespoke commission 2018 Rolls-Royce Dawn Overdose by Spofec.
Ticky Hedley-Dent
Future Perfect
Below, right Modgliani nude.
Walpole British Luxury
► With money anything becomes possible. Rita Ora, Rihanna, or the star of the moment will sing at your themed birthday bash, usually somewhere exotic, and to which you have jetted in all your friends. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will let you design your own car, or with the help of an expert training team you can become a judo black belt in a year. Normal rules don’t apply to the super-rich. What is clear is these highly successful people not only need to be the best at their business but they want the best in everything and will pay for it, be that acquiring a special Kauri wood table (Kauri trees are found in a small area of New Zealand’s North Island, where they fell around 50,000 years ago and have been preserved under the mud) or bidding £170 million for a Modigliani nude. Is there one-upmanship among this group? You bet. There’s a reason superyachts keep getting longer. One offs and entirely bespoke interiors are the norm – heaven forbid you should have a dinner service that someone else could buy! Some Bernardaud porcelain painted by Jeff Koons is just the thing. Unsurprisingly, the gap between this elite group and mere mortals is ever widening. With developments in science and medicine, they won’t just live differently from us but potentially much longer. Rich Californians are already using telomere therapy (when an enzyme is added to the tip of a chromosome to stop them shortening and in theory extend cellular lifespan) to increase the life of their pets. PayPal co-founder and billionaire Peter Thiel and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have invested in Unity Biotechnology, which aims to develop drugs that get rid of many of the debilitating consequences of ageing. With access to the best drugs, doctors and not-so-far-in-the-future medical technologies, the benefits for the super-rich are truly life-changing. For this elite group, the future has never looked better.
058 / 059 Walpole British Luxury
“With money anything becomes possible.”
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LUXURY INDEX
From aged Scottish whisky to fine bone china crafted in Stoke-on-Trent, this A to Z of Walpole members will take you on a tour across the British Isles.
Walpole Luxury Index
Stop off at the finest five-star hotels, browse elegant handmade clothing and accessories, and immerse yourself in exquisite fragrance and beauty as you discover the definitive guide to all that is great about British luxury.
Established 1815 064 / 065
/15 Below ► Ardbeg Single Malt Scotch Whisky range.
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Above ► Inspired by Islay’s most untamed spot, Ardbeg An Oa is smoky, sweet and singularly rounded.
Sector Food & Drink
With towering cliffs that stand defiantly against the raging Atlantic storms, the Mull of Oa is the most untamed spot on Ardbeg’s remote Scottish island home. And yet...the headland’s protective bulk offers welcome shelter to the Ardbeg Distillery, nestled behind on Islay’s rocky south coast. Inspired by this place where storm meets calm comes Ardbeg’s sweet, smoky Ardbeg An Oa. Since Ardbeg was first distilled more than 200 years ago, the world’s smokiest, peatiest Islay malt whisky has embodied the untamed spirit of its homeland. Now, the rugged beauty of the Mull of Oa – with all its contradictions – is summoned in Ardbeg’s bespoke Gathering Room, just a few miles down the coast. There, lies the vast Gathering Vat, especially created to bring Ardbeg An Oa into being. Within its depths, select parcels of whisky are gathered together by an Ardbeggian alchemy, culminating in a peaty, yet rounded single malt whisky which reaches new levels of complexity. Waves of powerful intensity are set against a sweet silkiness, in homage to the exquisite contrasts of Islay’s southernmost point. “Ardbeg An Oa is far more complex than the sum of its parts,” explains distillery manager Mickey Heads. “Its subtly smoky, rounded aromas hint at creamy toffee, aniseed, dates, peach and banana. On the palate, it is smooth and sweet. Milk chocolate, orange and smoky tea leaves mingle with sweet spices and cigar smoke, before a seductively smoky finish. We hope smoky malt whisky fans everywhere will be drawn to Ardbeg An Oa.” You can also taste Islay’s swirling mists and the waves which crash on its rugged shoreline in the peaty, briny intensity of Ardbeg Ten Years Old. In the luscious, treacly richness of Ardbeg Uigeadail, you may sense the mysterious depths of the distillery’s unique water source, Loch Uigeadail. Meanwhile, the turbulent, peppery taste of Ardbeg Corryvreckan evokes the treacherous Corryvreckan whirlpool, off Islay’s coast.
+44 149 630 2244 ► ardbeg.com Port Ellen, Islay, Argyll PA42 7EA
A deliciously untamed whisky
Ardbeg
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Below ► Biography Bracelets featuring talismans and meaningful symbols.
Established 2007 +44 207 706 0060 ► astleyclarke.com 6 Junction Mews, London W2 1PN
Above ► A selection of Astley Clarke fine diamond rings.
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With its design studio and showroom situated in a cobbled mews in the heart of Paddington, Astley Clarke has been creating fine jewellery collections that imbue colour, meaning and innovation for 10 years. Since collecting an MBE for Services to the Jewellery Industry, founder Bec Astley Clarke has maintained an ethos that fine jewellery should be enjoyed every day with pieces designed to withstand the test of time. A sense of Britishness is central to Astley Clarke, which stands for irreverence as much as it does excellence. Acute attention to detail is central, pieces are refined yet easy-to-wear, intelligent and joyful. From a beginning purely online, Astley Clarke has since developed a multichannel international following counting Selfridges, Liberty, Saks and Neiman Marcus, de Bijenkorf, Tangs, Brown Thomas and David Jones amongst its global department store partners. Adwoa Aboah, Georgia May Jagger and Ellie Goulding are amongst the many trendsetters following the brand.
Sector Jewellery, Watches & Precious Metals
Celebrating design, innovation and colour in jewellery
Astley Clarke
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Walpole British Luxury
Bentley Motors Be extraordinary
Established 1919 068 / 069
/ 19 Below ► As with all Bentley veneers, the new Koa is sustainably sourced and adds a contemporary mid-tone to the new car.
+44 127 065 3653 ► bentleymotors.com Pyms Lane, Crewe, England CW1 3PL
Below left ► The exquisite cabin includes a flowing dashboard with cutting-edge digital displays.
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Bentley has a vision for the future. A vision that has driven the company from the moment it first came into existence. It is about creating the kind of excellence that results from the unique tension between uncompromising luxury and outstanding performance. Strive to achieve these extremes and the unexpected happens. Limits are pushed. Expectations are exceeded. Myths are shattered and new ones forged. With each new model, Bentley stretches the bounds of possibility, turning dreams into reality and producing cars for the discerning few who seek a different kind of adventure. The truth at the core of the Bentley brand always has been – and always will be – the desire to build extraordinary cars for extraordinary customers. Bentley founded its reputation on the racetracks of the world and is recognised as the pinnacle of motoring amongst discerning drivers and owners. Its range of luxury performance cars are second to none, backed by an organisation that is as fine-tuned as the cars themselves. One that continues to set new benchmarks for authenticity, performance, British craftsmanship, innovation and technology. From its beginnings to the present day, Bentley has never rested on past glories. It continues to build on its success in motorsport whilst regularly introducing groundbreaking new models. Recently Bentley introduced the next generation of the Continental GT. When it first emerged in 2003, the Continental GT was revolutionary. Building on the glorious reputation established by the R-Type Continental, it is a symbol of everything a grand tourer should be, embodying Bentley’s unique blend of exquisite style, unrivalled craftsmanship and thrilling power. The new Continental GT takes things further still. A new 6.0 litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine is paired with an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission system to deliver phenomenal acceleration and a drive unlike any other car. And inside the cabin, it looks and feels like a wholly new level of luxury. A stunning demonstration of Bentley’s unrivalled attention to detail, it delivers a true journey of discovery for the driver. Designed to delight every sense, this is a car to see, feel, hear and appreciate. State-of-the-art technologies have been integrated throughout, to enhance the driving experience, without ever overpowering it. Designed and built at the Bentley factory in England, this is a car unlike any other. Consider it the definitive grand tourer. This beautifully balanced marque continues to deliver its message with passion – one that is as challenging as it is reassuring: springboard off yesterday, race today and, above all, chase tomorrow.
Opposite ► The new Continental GT, the ultimate grant tourer.
Sector Automotive, Aviation & Yachting
Be extraordinary
Bentley Motors
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Walpole British Luxury
Boodles Always a story
Established 1798
/ 78 Always a story
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Above ► ‘The Tide’ Collar from ‘The Poetry of Landscape’ collection. Opposite ► Boodles new campaign featuring Arizona Muse wearing the ‘Sophie’ collection.
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Below ► ‘The Raindance Watch’ featuring a blue aventurine dial and diamonds.
+44 207 437 5050 ► boodles.com 178 New Bond Street, London W1S 4RH
Below left ► ‘Sophie’ studs featuring diamonds and pink mother of pearl set in 18 carat rose gold.
Sector Jewellery, Watches & Precious Metals
Boodles is that rarest of creatures: a brand with centuries of brilliant craft heritage, while at the same time always fresh as spring blossom. Quintessentially British, it is the only remaining family-owned jeweller on London’s Bond Street. Timeless, and yet utterly modern. The secret of Boodles is simple. As a sixth-generation family enterprise, it cares passionately about all that it does. And despite receiving many outside offers to buy the business, Boodles remains resolutely committed to doing things independently, in their inimitable way. Boodles’ customers reward this commitment, with many travelling to London from far-flung reaches specifically to see new collections. It’s easy to understand the excitement. Take the case of ‘The Million Pound Necklace’. The subject of its own television documentary, it was watched by over two million viewers worldwide. And one lucky lady now wears it. But part of the charm of Boodles comes from its warmth and accessibility. Despite a reputation for breathtaking high jewellery — exemplified for 2018 by the incredible ‘Boodles Orange’, a 3.03 carat fancy vivid yellow-orange diamond — it is proud to offer pieces for everyone. It is still possible to acquire a Boodles diamond engagement ring for under £5,000 — meaning dreams do have a chance to come true. Founded in 1798, Boodles is known for the quality of its precious gemstones and the skill of its creations. Thanks to an inspirational team of in-house designers, the company’s visionary philosophy continues to champion exemplary British craftsmanship. Brothers Nicholas and Michael Wainwright now lead the company from the head office in Liverpool and flagship showroom in Bond Street. They are ably assisted by the next generation: Nicholas’s son Jody is director of precious gemstones, while Jody’s cousin, James Amos, is in charge of the brand’s public image. The beauty, creativity and attention to detail for which Boodles is renowned have made it a red carpet favourite. Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Dame Helen Mirren and Sophie Dahl are among Boodles’ most loyal friends. Each finds something unique to admire, for every Boodles creation is different. Yet Boodles’ admirers tend to share a love of flowing lines, harmony, and inspiration drawn from the natural world. Boodles’ signature style is so iconic in fact, that their Raindance ring was chosen by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to represent the very best of British jewellery. The team at Boodles go out of their way to exceed expectation. Customers often become friends, and Boodles is known for bending over backwards to meet their precise jewellery needs. Stories abound of Boodles’ gems being driven through the night to reach all-important celebrations — and of Boodles’ employees hopping onto jet planes to help customers ‘pop the question’ in style. There’s an effortless sense of grace, discretion and fun about Boodles. Fans of Boodles say you simply won’t find it elsewhere. Perhaps that’s because Boodles recognise — and express in their byword — that behind each stone there’s ‘always a story’.
Boodles
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Walpole British Luxury
Cadogan The historic estate shaping a 21st-century Chelsea
Established 1717
/ 17 Below, left ► ‘Zebras’, an installation as part of the alternative floral art show ‘Chelsea in Bloom’ – an initiative from Cadogan in association with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Transforming the streets of Chelsea in the spring. Below ► Provenance, the neighbourhood’s new butcher on Pavilion Road.
+44 207 730 4567 ► cadogan.co.uk 110 Duke Of York Square, London SW3 4LY
Opposite, bottom ► Al fresco yoga outside the Saatchi Gallery at Duke of York Square.
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Opposite, top ► Distinctive red brick architecture on Sloane Street, synonymous with the surrounding area.
Sector Property & Estate
Cadogan is a property manager, investor and developer with a 300-year history that informs its modern and dynamic approach to estate management. The foundations of the estate were established in 1717 when Charles, Baron Cadogan married Elizabeth Sloane, daughter of Sir Hans Sloane, who had purchased the Manor of Chelsea in 1712. Today, it spans a 93 acre area of Chelsea and Knightsbridge and the family’s stewardship continues in the hands of the present Viscount Chelsea. London’s most stylish neighbourhood, it is renowned for its mix of dazzling luxury flagships, characterful independent shops, thriving arts scene, tempting restaurants, great pubs, iconic hotels and stunning homes - against a backdrop of rich history, elegant architecture and beautiful green spaces. Chelsea is the epicentre of high-end London shopping. Originally commissioned by Charles, 1st Earl Cadogan in the 18th century, Sloane Street has evolved into one of the world’s most exclusive retail destinations. Impressive flagship stores – including designers Tom Ford, Alberta Ferretti, Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Emilia Wickstead and Giorgio Armani – line a catwalk stretching from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square. In partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, an enhancement of Sloane Street’s public realm is proposed, which will create a greener, even more elegant streetscape. From the dazzling international flagship stores lining Sloane Street, to buzzing Sloane Square, Duke of York Square and along the iconic King’s Road, Cadogan manages its retail and leisure portfolio in the context of the wider community – continually evolving the area’s vibrancy and attractiveness for those who live, work and shop here. One of the most recent developments was the creation of a gourmet food haven on Pavilion Road, tucked away behind Sloane Square. The transformation follows a public consultation held in summer 2015, when 75% of respondents said they would like to see artisan, independent shops in the new units being created. Cadogan spent more than a year actively seeking the right ‘artisans’ who would become part of the community – small, independently run shops. The result is a destination that sees a butcher, baker, wine merchant, greengrocer and cheesemonger in their new home. More will follow in 2018. Chelsea has a rich cultural heritage as a home for artists, authors, musicians and designers, from Dante Gabriel Rossetti to the Rolling Stones. Thanks to Cadogan’s long term commitment to protecting the area’s heritage and character Chelsea remains a hive of world-class artistic endeavour, home to major institutions of contemporary theatre, art and music, among them the Saatchi Gallery, a world leading contemporary art gallery in a beautiful listed building. The Royal Court Theatre pioneers new work by innovative writers and Cadogan Hall, a converted Byzantine-style church, is now one of London’s leading concert venues and home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. An active community events programme includes ‘Chelsea in Bloom’, which extends the famous Chelsea Flower Show out into the neighbourhood, ‘Strawberries & Screen’ Wimbledon screenings and a colourful Summer Fete. Stewardship and community are the watchwords of the estate. Over the years the Cadogan family has donated millions to local and national charitable concerns, along with land and buildings around Chelsea for schools, social housing, churches, the Town Hall, fire station and a hospital. For 300 years, Cadogan has been at the heart of Chelsea, contributing to a vibrant and inspiring area through active stewardship. Over the next 300, Cadogan aims to encourage its evolution while preserving the rich heritage and identity that make Chelsea unique.
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The historic estate shaping a 21st-century Chelsea
Cadogan
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Walpole British Luxury
Church’s Beyond fashion
Below, left ► Church’s, 133 New Bond Street. Below ► Production steps.
Established 1873
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Above ► Church’s Shannon Black, in polished binder leather.
Sector Fashion & Accessories
Church’s historical involvement in the manufacture of handmade gentlemen’s shoes can be traced back to 1675 Northamptonshire, a county which has been the centre of a flourishing leather and footwear industry since the Middle Ages. But it was two centuries later, in 1873, that Thomas Church and his three sons – Alfred, William and Thomas Jr. – founded the ‘modern’ Church’s company, consolidating production, which had traditionally been carried out in workers’ own homes, into a modern factory in Northampton, where the company’s worldwide headquarters are still based today. In just a few years, Church’s was transformed from a craft workshop into a benchmark firm for top-quality footwear, becoming the first footwear manufacturer to introduce the concept of left and right shoes, since most others brands at that time still sold ‘straights’. With the dawn of the 20th century, Church’s began exporting to new markets including the United States, Canada, China, and South America, and appointed distributors in many mainland European countries. The company opened its first UK store in 1921; in New York in 1929; and boutiques in mainland Europe and Asia over the next 30 years, all dedicated to showcasing the very best English shoemaking excellence and unparalleled customer service. The company now operates from three factories in Northamptonshire and continues to receive numerous plaudits, the culmination of which was the prestigious Queen’s Award for Exports – officially recognising Church’s status as a leading international brand. In 1999, Church’s was bought by the internationally renowned PRADA Group, with the declared desire to grow and develop the business while fully respecting its English heritage and identity. As a result, Church’s now sells from 57 stores throughout the major cities of the world, including three exclusively dedicated to selling the newly launched women’s collection. The manufacture of Church’s shoes is still to this day inspired by its history, heritage and handcrafting techniques: the welted shoes are handmade by dedicated specialised craftsmen using a process that can take up to eight weeks and involve over 250 detailed manual operations. This method enables Church’s to offer exemplary aftercare to clients with full refurbishment facilities available in the Northampton factory, utilising the same quality materials and craftsmanship as in the original manufacturing process. With proper care and attention Church’s shoes can and do, last a lifetime. Church’s shoes are beyond fashion. The great men’s styles such as Oxfords and Brogues never date, although colours and details may vary from season to season. Next to the traditional collection, Church’s also offers a gentle evolution of design and style to appeal to new and discerning customers throughout the world.
Church’s
Beyond fashion
+44 160 475 1251 ► church-footwear.com St. James, Northampton NN5 5JB
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Above ► Triptyque. Below, left to right ► Columbo table, Ring Wall Tall.
Established 1998 +44 207 686 8700 ► ctolighting.co.uk 9 Cloudesley Road, London N1 0FH
Top ► Founders Chris & Clare beneath their Nimbus Pendant.
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CTO Lighting are well known within the design cognoscenti as a luxury contemporary lighting company, whose designs grace the interiors of iconic landmarks and interior designed houses in the world’s major cities. A London-based company, with a showroom in a Georgian building in Islington, Chris and Clare Turner set up their business in 1998 to fill a gap in the market for a more modern, sophisticated luxury which could be manufactured in the UK and allow for total control of quality and craftsmanship. Chris says “the aim of our brand is to produce lighting of refined modernity with a decidedly luxury edge for the most sophisticated interiors. We use the best craftsmen and artisans who hand finish the noble materials we use.” The solid brass and bronze metalwork is meticulously sculpted and teamed with glass that has been through several processes to achieve its ethereal quality. Marble and alabaster are designed and sculpted in modern forms which showcase the beauty of the material. The statement lights produce a warm, ambient glow which sets a mood of sophistication and elegance. With a passion for British manufacturing, CTO believe in investing in artisans and skills that can set them apart where experimentation and design are a top priority. There is a longevity to CTO lights, the design and manufacturing process is never rushed, always considered and lasts beyond any fleeting trends. Quality never dates. CTO Lighting’s products are also behind a number of high-profile establishments such as Marcus Wareing’s The Gilbert Scott, Andre Balazs Chiltern Firehouse, The Dorchester, Rosewood London, Harrods and Selfridges. In addition to their in-house range, they offer a bespoke service where they work to the same exacting high standards within the commercial interiors sector collaborating with international designers such as David Collins Studio, Philip Starck and Fiona Barratt Interiors on projects worldwide.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Quality never dates
CTO Lighting
076 / 077
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Walpole British Luxury
DAKS A revolution in menswear tailoring
Established 1894
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+44 207 409 4040 ► daks.com 10 Old Bond St, Mayfair, London W1S 4PL
Above, opposite & below ► DAKS SS18 Collection.
Sector Fashion & Accessories
Founded in 1894 by Simeon Simpson, DAKS Simpson began life as a bespoke tailors in London’s Middlesex Street. At the time Middlesex Street, being at the heart of the garment trade, was better known by its nickname ‘Petticoat Lane’. Simeon’s ingenious artistic talents and enthusiasm for business created a perfect environment to develop the mass production of quality tailoring for the first time anywhere in the world. The company sought to produce factory made, ready-to-wear garments of the highest quality and at the same standard as bespoke tailoring. DAKS Slacks were created in 1934 and revolutionised menswear tailoring. It was at this time that the brand name DAKS was created, derived from the words ‘DAD’ and ‘SLACKS’. Under the DAKS name, the company became the largest manufacturer of top-quality menswear in Britain and went on to sell throughout the world. The company was the first to invent and patent the self-supporting trouser, which featured an adjustable waistband eliminating the need for belts and braces. This unique invention has influenced fashion for over 80 years. This heritage has allowed DAKS to build a strong reputation as a quintessentially British luxury brand, which has maintained unbroken integrity with tradition. The DAKS House Check, incorporating the colours of camel and vicuna contrasted with black, was devised in 1976. This three-colour combination was used not only for DAKS products but also for DAKS packaging and advertisements. DAKS Tartans, together with the House Check, became synonymous with DAKS and are still seen in the current collections. DAKS proudly holds three Royal Warrants, one of only 15 firms to do so. These are a hard-earned reflection of excellence of product and service. DAKS’ success is not just limited to the UK; it is distributed worldwide and sold in speciality shops, department stores and concessions globally. The company has a strong reputation in the Far East markets, having been sold under licence in Japan for more than 30 years and, in Korea, it is the number one non-domestic brand. Standalone stores in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan confirm DAKS’s strong position as a truly global player. All DAKS collections are developed by the London-based design team and overseen by Creative Director Filippo Scuffi. Each season the team select the finest fabrics available, which are often UK sourced. DAKS also shows its collections seasonally on the international catwalk in Milan. The DAKS SS18 collection is inspired by the British social season with the Henley Royal Regatta as the main focal point. In keeping with this, DAKS have developed an exclusive striped cloth called ‘The DAKS Regatta Stripe’ for the runway and commercial collections. The seasonal campaign for DAKS SS18 has been created by Japanese fashion illustrator Yoco Nagamiya.
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A revolution in menswear tailoring
DAKS
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Walpole British Luxury
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour The most luxurious names in international design
Established 2003
/ 03
+44 207 225 9166 ► dcch.co.uk Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 OXE
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Images courtesy of Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.
Sector Retailers & Etailers
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour has long been a catalyst of creative connections, but now an exciting new chapter is unfolding. With strategic expansion on the horizon, some highly influential names moving in and a landmark building project, the sense of community (already one of its greatest strengths) is set to get stronger. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is where great design thrives. The largest of its kind in Europe, it is renowned as the place to discover world-class talent and share ideas with influencers, established makers, emerging innovators and luxury brands. With 120 showrooms and over 600 international brands, no wonder it is the design destination of choice for professional designers, architects and styleseekers from across the globe. Nowhere else will they find design diversity of such breadth and scope – all at one address. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is an astonishing treasure trove of fabrics, furniture, lighting, wallcoverings, accessories, kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor living, trimmings, leather, hardware, tiles and carpets of the highest calibre. What is on offer is ‘couture for the home’. On every floor, there are exquisite designs of originality, invention and character conjured up by great British brands as well as star names from around the globe. All are celebrated for their quality, creativity, skilled craftsmanship and technical ability. Details like impeccable materials and finishes are at their best close up, and in an increasingly fast-paced world, visitors can experience exceptional products in person as well as seek out expertise in the showrooms. Bespoke products is another forte – with countless companies creating tailor-made pieces. Show-stopping events are an essential ingredient: every year Focus and London Design Week are a must on the international design calendar, while other events such as Superyacht Design Week or Spotlight on Contract Interiors are more tightly focused to closely mirror specialist needs. Recent high profile exhibitions have included ‘East Meets West’, ‘Marilyn Monroe: Legacy of a Legend’ and ‘Art & Interiors’. Sharing ideas and generating a deeper understanding of design are at the heart of it all, from the Access All Areas sessions to workshops, discovery tours and the acclaimed Conversations in Design programme. This fusion of design encounters offers a dynamic collective unseen anywhere else. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour not only has its pulse firmly on global trends, but is setting them. With access to the latest new directions, designenthusiasts can also get the inside track on the pieces and people making waves via authoritative social media channels. New initiatives are a constant refrain, offering specialist interest and inspiration. From launches and creative showcases to pop-ups and seated dinners, collaborations with luxury brand partnerships play a key role in encouraging exchange of ideas and social interaction. There is even Design Club, a private members’ club for like-minded people in the design and creative industries. With so much to inspire, visitors to Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour are encouraged to spend time in the domes and Design Centre East. As well as scouring the showrooms for everything they need, they can lunch at the Design or Dome Cafés or get some gentle guidance from the personal shopping service. The spotlight is now on Design East which boasts over 40 showrooms, and work has already started on the Design Avenue, a permanent atrium linking it with the domes. Critical mass is hugely powerful and, by extending the design offering, a world of new possibilities is opening up with even more opportunities for visitors to connect with design connoisseurs, attend events and engage with experts in their fields. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is bricks, mortar and beyond.
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The most luxurious names in international design
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
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Walpole British Luxury
Edward Green Excellence without compromise
Established 1890 082 / 083
/ 90 Opposite, bottom right ► The Malvern women’s brogue, cut from redwood antique calf and clove suede. Below ► A craftsman finishes a sole edge in Edward Green’s Northampton workshop.
+44 207 839 0202 ► edwardgreen.com 75 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6NP
Ever since Edward Green established his workshop over a century ago, his name has been synonymous with supreme craftsmanship and quintessentially English style. Today, the company continues to focus on making the very finest Goodyear welted shoes, upholding the highest standards of Northampton’s shoemaking tradition. Shoes are still hand sewn using boar’s bristle needles much as they would have been a century ago. The Dover’s apron takes over two hours a pair to hand sew. It has developed an iconic status amongst shoe aficionados with hand sewing demonstrations held from Chicago to Osaka. Edward Green is renowned for their antiqued calfskins, with layer upon layer of careful handwork developing a rich and characteristic patina across the shoe. In recent times these have been augmented with softly waxed leathers, ideal for a growing casual market yet true to the Edward Green ethos of making shoes that age handsomely. Indeed shoes can be re-crafted again and again, and sometimes last decades, being a testament to the value of products made with care and integrity. No detail is missed and it’s that combination of meticulous attention to detail and sartorial style that has served the company well internationally. Over 80% of production is now exported with key markets including the US and Japan, where the company has recently opened a Tokyo flagship store, joining those in London and Paris. Edward Green’s online store has seen significant growth, engaging a new clientele and allowing loyal customers to easily make repeat purchases wherever they happen to live. The stores carry an unrivaled stock of widths and last shapes, allowing customers to find a style that is a perfect fit. Many will go on to have shoes made to order and develop a long lasting relationship with the company who with the scale and flexibility of production, specialise in custom work. After more than a century at the pinnacle of shoe-making, Edward Green continues to evolve, with new lasts and patterns introduced. The core business value stays the same however – elegant, quintessentially English footwear worn by gentlemen of distinction, charm and wit.
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Excellence without compromise
Sector Fashion & Accessories
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Opposite, bottom left ► Edward Green’s signature Galway boot, cut from burgundy delapré and Utah calf.
Edward Green
Opposite ► The Chelsea on the 202 last — the definitive cap-toe Oxford.
Walpole British Luxury
Elegantes Uncompromising perfection
Established 2012 084 / 085
/ 12 Opposite, below left ► Founders Thomas & Dagmar Smit. Opposite, below right ► Julien Rasquinet – the ‘nose’. Below, left ► Perfection has no compromise – technical drawing and inspection of solitaire, crystal crown. Below ► Quartz flacon – quartz monolith, inspired by a determined and powerful personality and made from black crystal.
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Opposite ► Signature 200ml hand-made crystal flacon.
Sector Beauty & Grooming
Founders of Elegantes, Thomas and Dagmar Smit, are known internationally for establishing some of the world’s finest hotels. Inspired by the many personalities they have met, and by moments from their journeys around the world, they created Elegantes London, the world’s rarest perfumery. They have a vision to return fragrance back to its traditions and to create a perfumery that transcends luxury without compromise. From its conception in 2012, Elegantes understood that creating the world’s rarest perfume would require finding the world’s greatest perfumer. The ‘nose’ behind the perfumes is Julien Rasquinet, the last prodigy of the legendary perfumer Pierre Bourdon; Pierre was responsible for perfumes that shaped the industry, including YSL Kouros and Cool Water by Davidoff. Julien was given an extremely unique brief by Thomas and Dagmar: to create a collection of the finest and rarest perfumes, with no financial or time frame constraints. The collection took over four years to perfect. In keeping with the Elegantes Rare Perfumery philosophy, the perfume itself is captured in a hand-crafted crystal flacon. The shape of the flacon is inspired by Thomas’ mother’s wedding gown, when viewed from underneath it is reminiscent of the delicate petals of a beautiful flower. Each flacon is unique and created from a four-piece mould – the only type of its kind in the world – and is hand polished for between eight to 10 hours. The crown, inspired by a brilliant-cut diamond, has 85 facets and is also hand finished, another nod to the attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into every perfume. The quartz flacon has been created in the shape of a black quartz monolith, inspired by a determined and powerful personality and made from black crystal. Elegantes is positioned at the very top of the niche, prestige perfume market and attracts global customers. Elegantes is dedicated to creating new products, in addition to launching the brand in other key cities including New York, Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Elegantes delivers a unique and exquisite experience for guests who understand ‘life with style’ does indeed exist and are looking for something which goes ‘beyond first’.
elegantes.co.uk No 1, 45 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4JL
Uncompromising perfection
Elegantes
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Walpole British Luxury
Ettinger Timeless appeal
Established 1934 086 / 087
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+44 208 877 1616 ► ettinger.co.uk 215 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2NY
Below, right ► The young Robert (left) and Paul Ettinger enjoying the mountains during their well-travelled childhood.
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Ettinger was founded in London in 1934 by the well-travelled, multilingual and charismatic Gerry Ettinger, who had set aside a budding film career to launch his own luxury gifts and leather goods company based on quality and innovation. Today, nearly 85 years later, Ettinger’s accessories are sought out by discerning customers worldwide who appreciate their classic designs, superb quality and beautiful colours. In the 1930s, international travel was still on the exotic side but not for Gerry Ettinger, who used his extensive contacts to quickly establish Ettinger in the leading department stores in London and as far afield as Canada and Japan. These luggage and small leather goods were originally made in London’s Clerkenwell Leather Quarter where there were dozens of specialised workshops and factories. However, as gentrification took hold, Ettinger moved out of London and bought its own factory in Walsall, near Birmingham, where its team of highly skilled craftspeople is still growing to this day. It take five years to train fully in the art of leather craft, as each craftsman masters the 50-plus stages involved in an item’s production and is able to deliver the exceedingly high quality required. Like his father, Robert Ettinger – the current CEO and Gerry’s elder son – is also multi-lingual and extraordinarily well travelled, taking over as CEO in 1990. In 1996, Ettinger was appointed a Royal Warrant holder to HRH The Prince of Wales and this great honour has helped cement Ettinger’s reputation as an internationally recognised leather goods and accessories brand. The company now exports 80% of its products and is available in the Far East, Asia, Australia, the US, Canada and in Europe. Ettinger products are also known for their bold and distinctive use of colour which is perfectly exemplified by their bestselling Bridle Hide Collection. The collection is available in nine beautiful colours on the exterior using the finest bridle leather, with Ettinger’s signature London Tan yellow colour on the interior. The collection also possesses a timeless elegance which endures as fashions fade and are as current today as they were in years gone by. Many Ettinger products can be personalised with customers’ initials and there is a bespoke service available on its handcrafted classic St James and Bank Lid-over attaché cases. Customers are welcome to make an appointment at Ettinger’s luxury showroom in Putney, London, to discuss purchases or bespoke projects. Corporate gift enquiries are also welcomed.
Sector Fashion & Accessories
Timeless appeal
Ettinger
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Below, left ► A 1950s Ettinger press launch attended by Gerry Ettinger pictured on the far right.
Walpole British Luxury
Fiona Barratt Interiors Fluid and elegant spaces
Established 2006
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Opposite, top ► Impressive grade II listed Georgian country family house with a modern, integrative, bespoke family style kitchen featuring a handcrafted La Cornue cooking range and island. Opposite, middle ► A full redevelopment in Moscow, the master bathroom has old world depth to the design through artwork and antiques, with a preference for 20th century pieces. A large selection of luxury accessories along with curated works of art by a collection of inspiring creatives.
Below, right ► ‘Curated Design’ featured in the ‘Living Room’ of the inaugural Holiday House London. A beautifully designed space that showcases the unique style and textures that encapsulate furniture brand, FBC London.
088 / 089 +44 203 262 0320 ► fionabarrattinteriors.com 12 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QN
Below, left ► A luxury coastal residence in the Balearic Islands, Fiona Barratt Interiors created the ultimate bespoke villa. Silk carpets, specialist wall finishes, antique brass and bronze details, bespoke lighting, furniture, specialist artwork and accessories add an essence of exceptional luxury and individuality.
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As a leader in luxury, Fiona Barratt Interiors prides itself on the attention to detail and personalised service that enhances the homes and lives of clients. Award-winning British designer and entrepreneur Fiona Barratt-Campbell established Fiona Barratt Interiors in 2006 and is increasingly recognised as one of Britain’s leading figures in the international world of interior design. Fiona, with over 16 years of experience in the industry, was born and raised in Northumberland, England. She draws on the history of the rugged landscape in which she was immersed growing up, and is shaped and influenced by Northumberland’s underlying geology. Roman influence is a further stimulus, including Hadrian’s Wall and its archaeology. Design is embedded in Fiona’s DNA. Her chief mentor and greatest inspiration was her grandfather, property developer Sir Lawrie Barratt, who founded one of the largest residential property development companies in the UK in 1958, Barratt Homes. These influences inspired her to establish her own successful interior design studio. Fiona’s silhouettes are bold and geometric and her finishes are intricate, with materials ranging from solid cast bronze and sandblasted wood to Brazilian fish skin. Her signature style blends sophisticated neutrals interlaced with bursts of accent colour, and although this more modern theme remains core to her interiors, she experiments with antiques, particularly 20th century pieces. Her philosophy behind creating fluid and elegant spaces is born of an understanding of the aspirations of the client, the relevance of the location and maximization of the existing elements of the space. She develops these with imagination and vision. The result of this attention to detail is an interior that tells a story and, most importantly, an interior that reflects the client’s individuality, to enhance, not dictate, the way they live. Fiona’s achievements include Wallpaper* Magazine’s Top 20 Globally recognised Interior Designers and one of the UK’s Top 100 Interior Designers listed by House & Garden Magazine. With projects spanning the globe, Fiona Barratt Interiors offers not only bespoke luxury interior design services, but custom-made furniture designs, through FBC London, and installs complete residential and commercial properties working with high-net-worth individuals. Designing an interior is an art form and it’s crucial to deliver this as a solid and engaging story with a narrative that is subtle. Fiona and her team ensure to live and immerse themselves in the experience throughout the design concept, from inception to completion.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Fluid and elegant spaces
Fiona Barratt Interiors
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Opposite, below ► Grade II listed private English family home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. A floating mezzanine level was incorporated within the interior architectural design.
Walpole British Luxury No.1 Savile Row
Gieves & Hawkes
Established 1784
/ 84 Below ► No.1 Savile Row.
+44 207 432 6403 ► gievesandhawkes.com 1 Savile Row, Mayfair, London W1S 3JR
Opposite, below ► Gieves & Hawkes Ready-to-wear.
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Opposite ► Bespoke jacket made for Michael Jackson.
Sector Fashion & Accessories
Headquartered at No.1 Savile Row, Gieves & Hawkes is the ultimate mens’ style destination and an internationally renowned bespoke tailor and menswear brand with stores around the UK and international distribution in China, Europe and the United States. No.1 Savile Row itself has a legendary history. Originally an aristocratic private home in the 18th century, the Royal Geographical Society moved in during the 19th century and it became the epicentre of Victorian exploration and adventure. Hawkes moved in to the famous address in 1913 and the building has been well known to the most stylish and influential of men ever since. The history of Gieves & Hawkes is in reality the story of two separate houses, which merged just 40 years ago. Established in 1784. Gieves became a celebrated supplier of the British Royal Navy and Hawkes, founded in 1771, of the British Army. Their most famous customers, Admiral Lord Nelson and Field Marshal The Duke of Wellington, were the two most important commanders in British history, whose great victories at Trafalgar in 1805 and Waterloo in 1815 against the French emperor Napoleon established Great Britain as a major maritime and land power and precipitated the growth of the British Empire during the rest of the 19th century. Both Gieves and Hawkes played their part in this enterprise through their service to the Royal Navy and the British Army. Furthermore both companies have supplied no less than ten generations of British Royalty, from King George III in 1809 up to the present day Queen Elizabeth II, her son the Prince of Wales and her grandsons, the Princes William and Harry. The ultimate expression of mens’ style, bespoke tailoring is still handmade on the premises at No.1. Clients come from all over the world to be fitted for their orders, or come to see our head cutter at our Bespoke Trunk Shows at The Mark Hotel in New York. Famous clients include David Beckham, Colin Firth, Daniel Craig, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Robbie Williams, Jonah Hill, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andy Murray, Luke Evans and former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Gordon Brown MP. Historic clients include: FM The Duke of Wellington, Admiral Lord Nelson, Sir Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Ian Fleming, Michael Jackson. The Gieves & Hawkes brand is infused with aristocratic, royal and political heritage and timeless style which resonates internationally. The beating heart of this rich provenance is our commitment to handmade, Bespoke tailoring and the associated craft and an unyielding commitment to quality. With many generations of venerable clients, Gieves & Hawkes is uniquely positioned to meet the strictest codes and rules of dressing from black tie, white tie, morning dress or creating unique garments for coronations and state occasions. Just as important, a gentleman’s every day wardrobe is taken care of with military precision and customary style.
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No.1 Savile Row
Gieves & Hawkes
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Walpole British Luxury
Gleneagles The glorious playground
Established 1924
/ 24 Opposite, below ► The Century Bar by day. Below, left ► Clay shooting. Below ► The American Bar.
+44 176 466 2231 ► gleneagles.com The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder PH3 1NF
Opposite, middle ► Royal Lochnagar Suite, bedroom.
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Opposite, top ► Gleneagles, the glorious playground.
Sector Hospitality & Services
A glorious playground for fun, a warm country house, a Scottish adventure, a glamorous retreat – Gleneagles is five-star hotel like no other. From its world-class golf courses, award-winning spa and country pursuits, to its programme of annual social events, Michelin-starred dining and breathtaking location, there are few places in the world that offer the same breadth of opportunities. Since opening its doors in June 1924, Gleneagles has been one of Great Britain’s most iconic hotels and sporting estates. Set beneath the Ochil Hills in the heart of Perthshire, it has been the must-go destination for travellers for nearly a century. Beginning its life in the glamorous age of travel when guests arrived in great style at Gleneagles’ very own train station, the 850-acre estate celebrates both the natural beauty of Scotland and almost a century of heritage. A range of luxurious bedrooms and suites offers stylish accommodation, while eight bars and restaurants present everything from classic 1920s-inspired cocktails to craft beer, and from fine dining to relaxed French brasserie-style brunches. Offering the best of both worlds – from mud, sport and action to relaxation, charm and tradition – Gleneagles has an unrivalled range of over 50 pursuits and outdoor activities, led by a passionate team of expert instructors who are truly the leaders in their field. Whether guests come to fly Harris Hawks; ride horses; go fly-fishing or game shooting in the Perthshire countryside; hike up the surrounding hills with Garron ponies; play tennis; walk in the footsteps of golfing legends on three championship courses; test their off-road driving skills; train gundogs; or improve their shot at the shooting school and field archery range, the warm and friendly staff inspire everyone to try something new and guests are welcome to do as little or as much as they want. After a day of brisk activities, guests can get cosy by the fire; head to The Century Bar to sip on a single malt from one of Scotland’s best collections of old and rare whiskies; take it easy in the Health Club; have a causal supper with friends; enjoy a relaxing treatment at the Spa; or simply unwind with a coffee, a book and some dreamy views in The Glendevon Room. Those who love a bit of glamour can shake off their muddy wellies and jeans and have their tresses blow-dried to perfection in the Bob & Cloche beauty salon; dress up to the nines for a champagne cocktail in the 1920s-style American Bar, with its marble fireplaces and cashmere-lined walls; or experience the culinary theatre of The Strathearn Restaurant, where the talented team of sommeliers and waiters evoke the heyday of French fine dining amidst silver cloches, gueridon trollies and Les Arts de la Table. Gleneagles is just one hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, and has its own railway station serviced by regular trains from London and across the UK – ensuring our warm and friendly welcome is only a train or car ride away. Before they know it, guests will be trying new things, enjoying countryside adventures, and settling into their home from home.
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The glorious playground
Gleneagles
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Walpole British Luxury
Glenmorangie Creators of extraordinary whisky since 1843
Established 1843
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+44 186 289 2477 ► glenmorangie.com Glenmorangie Distillery, Ross-shire IV19 1PZ
Below ► Glenmorangie’s director of whisky creation Dr Bill Lumsden celebrates the whisky’s rare beauty with virtuoso pianist Aaron Diehl.
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Opposite ► Glenmorangie Pride 1974, the Highland distillery’s oldest, rarest and deepest whisky to date.
Sector Food & Drink
For 175 years, Glenmorangie’s Highland whisky creators have summoned all their mastery and vision to craft the exceptional. In Glenmorangie Pride 1974, the oldest, rarest and deepest expression ever to emerge from its award-winning distillery, Glenmorangie shares its most remarkable single malt whisky yet. Complex, smooth and intensified with age as never before, Glenmorangie Pride 1974 is the pinnacle of Glenmorangie’s illustrious Pride series, comprising the distillery’s most rare and treasured malts. Brought together by creativity and skill, each expression is composed of precious parcels of venerable whisky, nurtured for decades to ensure that they might achieve the utmost depths of character – yet retain their vibrancy. The story of Glenmorangie Pride 1974 began decades ago, in the awardwinning distillery’s towering copper stills. The tallest in Scotland, they allow only the finest vapours to rise to the top, for a light and fragrant spirit. On 30 October, 1974, Glenmorangie’s expert craftsmen, the Men of Tain, laid down two select parcels of this delicate distillate – one in the finest ex-bourbon casks, the other in superior ex-oloroso sherry butts. Then, in the peace of a warehouse, on the Dornoch Firth’s beautiful banks, began a maturation longer than any Glenmorangie had previously achieved. More than a generation later, Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s acclaimed director of distilling, whisky creation & whisky stocks, discerned that the venerable spirit in these casks had reached its very best. And, with the artistry for which he is renowned, he brought the two parcels together in inspired union. “After 41 years of maturation, each parcel had reached a sublime completeness, without sacrificing its character to age. I envisaged in their marriage a whisky intensely rich and deep – yet with a smooth elegance and finesse too,” he explained. “Just as I had hoped, the parcels came together in unparalleled harmony. With its depth of colour, its salty and spicy aromas and wonderful tastes of baked apples, toffee, oranges and molasses, Glenmorangie Pride 1974 is simply beyond comparison.” With only 503 crystal decanters of Glenmorangie Pride 1974 produced, its rare beauty inspired a pioneering collaboration with renowned piano maker Steinway & Sons. And as Steinway artist Aaron Diehl celebrated the brands’ shared passion for craftsmanship and creativity by visiting the Distillery, the whisky became his muse. One of the most sought-after musicians of his generation, Diehl was captivated by the whisky’s evolution. Almost immediately, the virtuoso pianist began to compose a work evoking its complexity, with hints of folk and classical music, as well as jazz improvisation. Honouring Glenmorangie Pride 1974’s Highland provenance, the influences of its casks, its unprecedented maturity – and the vision which brought it into being – Diehl’s creation, which can be downloaded at www.glenmorangie.com, pays homage to a peerless spirit, crafted and timed to perfection.
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Creators of extraordinary whisky since 1843
Glenmorangie
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Walpole British Luxury
Gordon & MacPhail Maturation experts for four generations
Established 1895
/ 95 Maturation experts for four generations Opposite, top ► Stephen Rankin, director of prestige and one of the fourth generation of the Urquhart family, inspecting one of the rare and historic casks in the company’s inventory.
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Opposite, below ► Casks of single malts showcasing the depth of the Gordon & MacPhail portfolio.
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+44 134 354 5111 ► gordonandmacphail.com 1 George House, Boroughbriggs Road, Elgin, Moray IV30 1JY
Below ► The rare and exclusive Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & MacPhail.
Sector Food & Drink
In 1895, a humble grocery shop opened in the Speyside town of Elgin. A young John Urquhart joined founders James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail and together they curated groceries from around the world. Their appreciation of the rich tapestry of flavours they encountered led them to seek out and complement their varied stock with spirits from Speyside’s many distilleries, which they matured and blended to create their whisky portfolio. John Urquhart quickly established himself as a valuable associate in the selection, purchase and maturation of whiskies and, by 1915, he was the sole owner. Over a long career, he developed his skills as a master of malt whisky maturation, which he passed on to his son, George, who also dedicated his life to progressing his knowledge and, in turn, shared his deep passion with subsequent generations of the family. George Urquhart was described by many as a pioneer. It was George’s vision to mature Scotch whisky for long periods of time and bottle it as single malt during an era when the industry had turned its hand to producing blended whiskies. As a result, Gordon & MacPhail bottles the greatest selection of aged single malts Scotch whiskies in the world today. Since the business was founded, the Urquharts have continued to build relationships with Scottish distilleries, purchasing new-make spirit and growing their understanding of how the varied styles of spirit mature in different casks. It is the understanding of this interaction, where oak gently cradles spirit until it is ready to be released, that makes Gordon & MacPhail one of the world’s most respected maturation experts. Managing a portfolio of casks is complex. The company has honed its expertise over four generations to fully understand how the different styles of spirit mature in each type of oak. Today, Gordon & MacPhail matures and bottles award-winning single malt Scotch whiskies from many of Scotland’s distilleries, including several that would otherwise have been resigned to the history books following closure. The foresight of previous generations and the patience and skills of the current generation mean Gordon & MacPhail has an unrivalled inventory of aged casks and expressions from which to innovate. In 2015, the company raised the curtain at the Royal Opera House in London to unveil the world’s oldest and most exclusive single malt whisky, Generations Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail. Laid down in 1939 as the world teetered on the brink of war, this historic whisky has become a benchmark for rare spirits. The release of rare whiskies continued in 2017 with Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & MacPhail, an exceptionally rare single malt whisky that was laid down by George and his father John at the height of rationing. Distilled on a crucial date in World War Two when most distilleries lay silent, only 40 beautifully presented decanters were released for worldwide sale. Stephen Rankin, Gordon & MacPhail’s director of prestige and fourth generation member of the Urquhart family, explains: “Our extraordinary whiskies offer consumers a delicious and unique taste of history, with luxurious and complex flavour profiles that are guaranteed to enchant and surprise. Offering more than 300 expressions that we mature and bottle from distilleries across Scotland, we take our consumers on an exciting journey of discovery. This year, we look forward to introducing a small number of extremely rare and limited edition casks to intrigue connoisseurs and collectors alike.”
Gordon & MacPhail
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Walpole British Luxury
Grace Belgravia A healther, younger-feeling, revitalised you
Below, right ► Body Revolution integrates training, eating and therapy to transform the body.
+44 207 235 8900 ► gracebelgravia.com 11c West Halkin Street, London SW1X 8JL
Below, middle ► An award-winning spa providing results driven, exclusive treatments.
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Below, left ► The Grace Belgravia Salon, immerse yourself in luxurious, intimate surroundings.
Sector Hospitality & Services
Opposite ► The Grace Belgravia Atrium provides a beautiful space for art exhibitions, panel discussions and networking events.
Grace Belgravia
Grace Belgravia is London’s exclusive health, wellbeing and lifestyle club for women, built on the philosophy that to enjoy life to the full you need to invest in your greatest asset, your health. A place for your mind, body and soul to reconnect, Grace is far more than a luxurious sanctuary for London’s elite. Creating the blueprint for true health, the Club is led by a team of internationally recognised medical experts and therapists with preventative medicine and ageing well informing every aspect, from the integrated wellbeing and medical clinic to the award winning wellness spa, gym and restaurant. There is also a dynamic events and networking calendar with a focus on arts, fashion, culture, current affairs, health and wellbeing. Here is a space to focus on becoming the best possible version of yourself. Open to both men and women, Grace Medical Clinic is home to over 40 pre-eminent medical professionals, led by Dr Tim Evans, Apothecary to HM the Queen and The Royal Households. The Clinic offers environmental and nutritional medicine, female GPs specialising in bio identical hormone therapies, cosmetic medicine and laser treatments, acupuncture, psychology and life coaching, as well as physiotherapy, orthopedics and osteopathy. Partnerships with leading medical practices and hospitals around the world provides access to the very best fertility treatment, gynaecology services and much more. Advanced DNA and Telomere testing is available to each new member at the beginning of their Grace journey, with the findings informing a personalised programme of training, nutrition and therapies to transform health and wellbeing. Personal trainers, specialising in the female form, work closely with nutritionists, therapists and the dedicated wellbeing team to tailor member’s training. Alongside state-of-the-art facilities, over 100 fitness classes each week provide a stimulating variety, from calming, restorative yoga and Pilates classes to high intensity fat burning, sculpting sessions. Comprehensive training programmes take full advantage of the Grace integrated approach to health, combining training with bespoke food programmes, medical treatments, sports massage and more to support individual goals. In the Grace Restaurant nourishing soul food is served all day. Grace Chefs and nutritionists work together to create carefully balanced dishes and the menu is a rainbow of delicious fresh ingredients, flavours and nutrition. Choose from post-workout breakfast smoothies, Grace to Go, personalised food plans delivered daily or dinner for two in the evening, when the lights in the restaurant dim, candles are lit and a tempting array of superfood cocktails and fine, biodynamic wines are served. So much more than an indulgence, advanced spa treatments are key to looking and feeling your very best. The award-winning Grace Wellness Spa is unique in its ability to blend the latest beauty and anti-ageing innovations with world-class expertise to provide results driven treatments, in a beautifully relaxing environment. Ease tension, achieve a radiant glow or simply relax and rejuvenate. At Grace you will discover a range of beauty, grooming, holistic and detox treatments you will not find anywhere else in London, including Capri Leg School®, Margy’s Monte Carlo and 100% organic JK7®. All treatments are expertly performed by world renowned therapists, who have practiced across the globe in Japan, South America, South Africa and beyond, each bringing a unique experience to their practice, while sharing a common belief in healing from within to create beauty without. Through adopting a completely unique, 360 approach to health, Grace is a sanctuary for women looking to prioritise their wellbeing, with the best of the best coming together to support each member on their unique journey. It’s time to live life in Grace.
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A healther, younger-feeling, revitalised you
Established 0000
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Walpole British Luxury
Hamptons Wealth Partnerships A bespoke service from Hamptons International
Below, left ► Cudworth Manor, Surrey. Below, right ► Benahavis, Spain.
Established 1890
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Opposite, below ► Loma Vista, California.
Sector Property & Estate
Hamptons Wealth Partnership is the benchmark in international estate agency and property wealth management. Operating as a specialist private office, they advise, manage and represent the property requirements of ultrahigh-net-worth clients in the UK and across the globe. Combining the highest standards of service, discretion and professionalism, the department was established in 2015 by Andrew Phillips, global director, whose 30 years’ experience of the prime property market has enabled him to build a team of the most experienced and talented agents. Andrew’s vision for the Hamptons Wealth Partnership is to bring a personalised and private approach to property related wealth management. Acting as a single point of contact for client property needs, Hamptons Wealth Partnership is all-encompassing in its capabilities. As part of Hamptons International - whose pedigree stretches over 200-years and includes auctioning RMS Lusitania (the Cunard liner launched in 1906) - it provides access to the finest Prime Central London homes and UK country estates through a network of over 90 branches across the south of the UK. Related services include New Homes investment opportunities, Corporate Relocation, Property Management and Property Finance, as well as access to carefully selected associates and partners. Additionally, Hamptons International’s network of 7,000 overseas affiliate partner offices provides visibility of over 100,000 international properties; the largest selection of any UK agent. And, recently, Hamptons Wealth Partnership’s global audience was further extended by an invitation to join Global Luxury, the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage network of over 3,000 independent brands in 43 countries and territories across the world. This relationship has resulted in the appointment to privately dispose of a $350m estate in California. Taking a long-term approach to property matters: private residence, investment portfolio or commercially focused, Hamptons Wealth Partnership delivers trusted and sustainable growth strategies to safeguard and enhance clients property wealth assets. The department works with only a handful of clients to develop strong relationships that are built to last and it is the personal insights that these relationships garner, that enables the team to create and implement tailored strategies for their client’s property assets. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Hamptons Wealth Partnership’s trusted advice as valuable today as it is tomorrow.
+44 207 288 6900 ► wealthpartnership.hamptons.co.uk 180 Oxford Street, London W1D 1NN
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/ 90 A bespoke service from Hamptons International
Hamptons Wealth Partnership
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Opposite, top ► Stanley House, Chelsea.
Walpole British Luxury
Harrods Redefining luxury
Established 1849
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+44 207 730 1234 ► harrods.com 87 – 134 Brompton Road, London SW18 7XL
Below, from left to right ► The Roastery & Bake Hall, Salon de Parfums, Harrods Wellness Clinic.
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Opposite ► The iconic exterior of Harrods department store.
Sector Retailers & Etailers
For a 169-year-old institution, Harrods doesn’t rest on its laurels. 2018 sees one of the most exciting transformations yet at the world-famous department store (and London landmark): The Taste Revolution, an ambitious redevelopment of the historic Food Halls. Constructed in 1901 – with a few extensions along the way – the Food Halls have become a tourist attraction in their own right, with their elaborate Art-Nouveau décor and dizzying expanse of mouthwatering produce from all over the world. Those halls are undergoing their first major reimagining in decades, beginning with the unveiling of the Roastery & Bake Hall last year. Within this space, gourmands will find an in-house coffee roaster; a from-scratch bakery where the store’s chefs prepare freshly baked goods in full view throughout the day; an Art Deco-style coffee bar; a Tea Tailor where customers can create their own custom-blend of tea; and (not losing sight of the essentials) an extensive Gourmet Grocery stocking all manner of pantry essentials, from everyday staples to exotic spices and exclusive blends. And this is only a taste of things to come. This spring sees the opening of the new Harrods Fine Wines and Spirits department on the lower ground floor, which – in addition to a spectrum of drinks sourced from premium producers around the world – contains a space where wine-lovers can learn more about the provenance and science behind their favourite vintages. In summer, the Decadence Hall will launch, offering an abundance of indulgent goods including chocolate and caviar – plus a couture florist – and ready to design bespoke creations for any occasion. Last but not least, later in the year the Fresh Food Market will open its doors, housing the highest-quality cheese, meat and fish sourced by the Harrods buyers. While food might be the main event, it’s certainly not the only change on the cards this year. Harrods’ youngest visitors will be delighted to discover a completely new toy department on the fourth floor, brimming with on-trend gadgets (think STEM-accredited games that help to develop cognitive skills) as well as timeless gifts, plus a fitting room for the all-important business of dressing-up, and a dedicated events space for demos, arts-and-crafts, and fun-filled activities. Meanwhile, at the very top of the store – up on the Sixth Floor – the newly extended Salon de Parfums continues to uphold Harrods’ reputation as the world leader in bespoke luxury fragrance. Brands including Chanel, Dior and Roja Dove have now been joined by names such as Penhaligon’s, Floraïku and Frédéric Malle. In the Fine Watch Room, too, it’s time for an update. A newly reopened, dedicated street entrance leads into the department, where leather-panelled walls, bespoke lighting and bronze accents lend a members’-club atmosphere to five large boutiques and two VIP suites. A marble staircase sweeps down to further boutiques, a multi-brand counter, an after-sales service, and three on-site watchmakers. Thanks to the increase in space, each horological house will enjoy more scope for introducing world exclusives and rare one-off pieces. Finally, for those after something even more restorative than retail therapy, 2017 saw the launch of The Wellness Clinic. An oasis of calm ingeniously tucked away from (yet within easy reach of) the bustle of the store, the space boasts 14 purpose-built treatment rooms, not to mention a wealth of world-renowned experts from Harley Street and further afield. Visitors can enjoy a bespoke vitamin drip, unlock a more positive outlook with a mindfulness session, or try the wholebody cryotherapy chamber (cooled to an invigorating -90°C). With these new additions, Harrods continues to anticipate and respond to the ever-changing needs and tastes of its discerning visitors, redefining luxury for the modern age.
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Redefining luxury
Harrods
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Walpole British Luxury
Heathrow VIP Airport luxury redefined
Established 1998
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Sector Hospitality & Services
Heathrow VIP’s ambition is to provide our customers something money truly cannot buy: peace and tranquility amongst the stress of travel.Our ambition is to provide the perfect journey, changing the perception of Heathrow from the one of the busiest airports in the world into a sea of calm. Customers arrive - in style of course - in one of our fleet of bespoke BMW 7 series at Heathrow VIP’s own private terminal, totally separate from the main terminals of the airport, minimising travel and check-in time and offering a completely new level of privacy. Heathrow VIP private lounges are for our guests and travelling companions only; no sharing with other travellers. A dedicated private security area and in-suite immigration and passport control ensures there are no queues at Heathrow VIP. While guests relax in their own private suite, the Heathrow VIP team takes care of everything: unlimited food created just for Heathrow VIP by Michelin starred chef Jason Atherton, and drinks made to order, all designed for every dietary need. When it is time to depart the private lounge, a chauffeur service is ready to take Heathrow VIP guests to the steps of the plane. For guests arriving at Heathrow, rather than departing, a BMW will collect them from the steps of the plane to the lounge. This private chauffeur is also available for any onward journey in the UK. Additional services include personal shopping to VAT reclaims carried out in-suite at a time to suit our guests. Heathrow VIP’s philosophy ensures a private and personal service like no other, offering a truly special transition through Heathrow. Understanding every journey is unique; Heathrow VIP is committed to ensuring that every guest’s journey is truly perfect.
+44 208 757 2227 ► heathrowvip.com The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2GW
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/ 98 Airport luxury redefined
Heathrow VIP
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Walpole British Luxury
Home House Welcome home
Established 2008
/ 08 Below, left ► Dame Zaha Hadid’s bar in House 21. Below ► Elegant dining in the restaurant overlooking Portman Square.
+44 207 670 2000 ► homehouse.co.uk 20 Portman Square, London W1H 6LW
Opposite ► Robert Adam’s iconic grand staircase rises to an ornate glass dome revealing the sky above.
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Opposite top ► Enjoying champagne afternoon tea in the Grade 1 listed Drawing Rooms.
Sector Hospitality & Services
Home House private members club has welcomed and accommodated a wealth of aristocracy and guests over the centuries since its creation for Elizabeth, Countess of Home in the late eighteenth century. Located across three Georgian town houses at 19, 20 and 21 Portman Square, Home House offers its members the dramatic fusion of the old and the new. Designed by James Wyatt in 1773 with Robert Adam interiors, the elegance and grandeur of the club is perfectly juxtaposed with cutting-edge minimalist interiors at ‘21’ with an edgy bar and reception area, designed by internationally renowned architect, Zaha Hadid and finished in sumptuous detail by the celebrated Candy & Candy team. Home House will be celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2018 with a plethora of decadent parties and soirees. The house is a veritable ‘Pleasure Palace’ with restaurants, bars, opulent party rooms, an intimate garden, boutique gym, spa and suites fit for royalty. Their enviable calendar of social events and societies is unrivalled by any other members’ club in London, or indeed beyond! For members, the best bit is probably that there are no stuffy rules – in fact there really aren’t any rules at all. Well, just one: nudity is discouraged. Naughtiness, on the other hand, is de rigueur. Home House represents a truly unique experience in the concept of private members clubs. All that you would expect in terms of luxury, service and exclusivity are the Club’s cherished hallmarks. Home House is unique, bringing together people from all cultures in a vibrant melting pot, where members come to the house to meet friends, do business and relax. The house offers members a community; a hub from which to base both their social and professional lives. It’s almost impossible to imagine anything happening at Home House that doesn’t involve the best in food and drink at the club’s bars and restaurants. Well, it’s home-from-home to their members, so you would expect to find the finest range of wholesome and fresh as a daisy breakfasts, nourishing mid-morning snacks, brunches for entrepreneurs who graze, power lunches, champagne afternoon teas and elegant dining. Oh, and don’t forget al fresco eating in the Raj Tent throughout the summer months. After all, Home House was originally designed to be a temple to entertaining. The relaxed and airy restaurant in House 19 with its south facing views over leafy Portman Square is brasserie style dining at its best. Great classics of British cuisine are exquisitely prepared and perfectly complemented by the extensive cellar. The Octagon Restaurant in House 21 is a vibrant melting pot of design, history and modernity and the food and drink reflect the eclectic nature of this unique venue. You might enjoy a daytime bento box in the peace and quiet of the luxurious member lounges, or an intimate lunch in the magical beauty of the jewelbox Octagon Restaurant with its Pan-Asian menu. Home House is constantly alive with an energetic buzz beloved by an eclectic collection of members and famous faces. From intimate socials over cocktails to legendary house parties including their renown Halloween, New Years and Summer Balls. It truly is a home away from home!
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Welcome home
Home House
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Walpole British Luxury
Hotel Café Royal A London luxury address like no other
Below, left ► Empire Suite bedroom. Below ► Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre.
+44 207 406 3333 ► hotelcaferoyal.com 68 Regent Street, London, W1B 4DY
Opposite, bottom ► The sumptuously decorated Oscar Wilde Bar.
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Opposite, middle ► The historical entrance on to Regent Street.
Sector Hospitality & Services
Opposite, top ► The magnificent archtecture of Hotel Café Royal, curving alongside London’s buzzing Regent Street.
Hotel Café Royal
Previously the haunt of famed patrons, from royalty and celebrities, to the creative and the notorious, Café Royal, London has been an established and iconic landmark on the British capital’s social scene for over a century. In its recent reincarnation as a luxury hotel, Hotel Café Royal remains a firm favourite for locals, while also becoming a global destination for the discerning traveller. Located in the heart of London, with elegant Mayfair to the West and creative Soho to the East, the hotel is perfectly positioned within walking distance of London’s finest shopping destinations, culinary highlights and cultural attractions. Paying homage to the illustrious history of the building, original and historic features, dating back to the 1860s and 1920s, have been sensitively restored, while the 160 spacious bedrooms, including 49 suites and seven incredible signature suites, have been created in a contemporary yet refined style, designed by David Chipperfield Architects. Created to feel like luxurious private apartments, the guestrooms and suites at Hotel Café Royal are some of the largest in London. Contemporary yet serene, and designed with meticulous detail, the rooms feature rusticated Portland stone or fumed English oak panels and beautiful bathrooms made in the hotels sleek, signature Carrara marble. All rooms feature Frette bed linen, a fully stocked butler’s pantry and British bathroom amenities from Floris. Each one of the seven signature suites is a masterpiece of contemporary design mixed with architectural heritage, with bespoke furniture and sophisticated marble bathrooms set against restored original elements. With a passion for excellence a butler, guest relations and exceptional concierge team are available to ensure a seamless stay, both inside the hotel and within London. Hotel Café Royal offers a selection of restaurants and bars including The Oscar Wilde Bar (formerly the iconic Grill Room, established in 1865) which has been exquisitely restored to its original Louis XVI décor and is now the place to enjoy afternoon tea. Papillon on Regent Street emulates the European tradition of café culture featuring both British and French influences and the finest seasonal ingredients. In addition the Green Bar with its botanicals and tonics is the perfect place to relax and unwind with a cocktail. To complete the full experience, the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre is an urban retreat spanning over 1,200sq/m. Offering a new concept and approach to holistic wellbeing, it is a hidden sanctuary deep underneath the bustle of Regent Street, featuring a state-of-the-art gym, large lap pool, Watsu pool, sauna and private hammam. Hotel Café Royal is a founding hotel of The Set hotels, alongside Conservatorium, Amsterdam and Lutetia, Paris, opening in Spring 2018. These unique properties, in impressive locations, capture the hearts and minds of their guests and enhance the most vibrant destinations in the world.
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A London luxury address like no other
Established 1865
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Walpole British Luxury
Hudson Walker Celebrating 25 years of luxury executive search
Established 1993 +44 203 858 8181 ► hudsonwalker.com The Clubhouse, 8 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4JU
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Below ► Hudson Walker International discretely present worldwide.
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Hudson Walker International was established in London in 1993 as an executive search business focusing specifically on finding talented people for premium and luxury goods and services. Since then the company has built long-term partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious brands – from large corporates with a global presence to private equity-backed brands and founder-led businesses – across fashion, footwear, accessories, fine jewellery and watches, fragrance and beauty, travel, hospitality, and luxury lifestyle services. By securing for them exceptionally talented individuals, Hudson Walker International has helped shape their growth and success. Equally, those same individuals who have advanced their professional paths via Hudson Walker International inevitably become future clients. This may be taken as a firm endorsement of the longevity of relationships promoted by the company. Hudson Walker International is located in a prime position on St James’s Square, one of London’s most prestigious garden squares. Their neighbours include many prominent businesses and corporate headquarters together with internationally renowned art galleries, vintners, auction houses, theatres, chic hotels and exclusive boutiques, many of whom are Royal Warrant holders. St James’s has a justified reputation as London’s showcase of the best in modern heritage and luxury craftsmanship. Hudson Walker International’s business ethos is free of corporate frills: simply put, they promote integrity and fair value in the delivery of their services. Their clients, and the individuals they approach to join them, are safe in the knowledge that unconditional discretion and confidentiality are their watchwords. The company believes there should be no exceptions whatsoever to honesty and integrity. At the heart of the business is Executive Search which offers clients a full retained and exclusive executive search service with penetrative research, confidential networking, market analysis and strategic talent acquisition. This is recommended for leadership and board level positions, where confidentiality is paramount, where the role is complex, or a rare mix of skills is sought, or where there may only be a few suitable candidates in a sector. Hudson Walker International also offers a non-retained, multi-solution contingency service that allows agility, flexibility and speed and which may be appropriate for middle-management roles, where there are likely to be more candidates qualified for a particular position or when the client wants to take more responsibility for screening, interviewing and negotiating with candidates. Beyond the exacting standards in the execution of their searches, Hudson Walker International also firmly invests in identifying, nurturing and mentoring the next generation to become tomorrow’s luxury world decision makers. As part of this agenda the firm were appointed as external advisers in the revalidation process of a London-based MA Luxury Brand Management Programme and continue to participate in post-graduate mentoring. In addition, as industry specialists, Hudson Walker International is regularly invited to advise established brands looking to move, change and grow. This work is handled by the leadership team and through a group of associate consultants with relevant expertise. Hudson Walker International’s business and reputation has been built on global executive search and over the years the company has represented businesses and placed candidates in many parts of the world, as shown below.
Sector Executive Search
Celebrating 25 years of luxury executive search
Hudson Walker International
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Opposite, bottom ► Number 8 St James’s Square, home of The Clubhouse and the offices of Hudson Walker International.
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Opposite ► St James’s Square, under the watchful eye of William III, whose equestrian statue was erected in 1808.
Below, left to right ► Packaging and carrier bags for Coach, The Conran Shop, Space NK.
Established 1993
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Above ► Alexander McQueen packaging.
Sector Packaging
Some consider packaging as important as the product that goes inside – and luxury brands are becoming ever more creative in the ways they present their precious wares to surprise and delight their customers. The last 15 years have brought a revolution in retail packaging. It has reached the point where many shoppers keep their luxury carrier bags as a treasure, even a trophy, using it as an extension of their handbags. One leading British newspaper conducted a survey on the life expectancy of a luxury shopping bag. It turned out that the average repeated use was eight times, underlining the enduring appeal, longevity, and sustainability of high-quality packaging. International Direct Packaging is one of the world’s leading luxury packaging manufacturers, supplying Prada and Stella McCartney amongst many other famous names. Headquartered in Cambridgeshire in the UK, with five offices throughout Europe and its own fully certified Asian factories (China and Indonesia), International Direct Packaging works closely with brand owners to produce innovative packaging totally in-house and without the need for intermediaries.
+44 148 780 2082 ► the-idp-group.com Norfolk House, 4 Station Road, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire PE27 5AF
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/ 93 The art of packaging
The IDP Group
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Walpole British Luxury A 21st century accessories brand
Jimmy Choo
Established 1996
/ 96 Below, from left to right ► Craftsmanship. The monograming service. Sandra Choi, creative director.
+44 207 493 5858 ► jimmychoo.com 27 New Bond Street, London W1S 2RH
Opposite, bottom ► The Emily, Romy & Celeste.
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Opposite ► Fabric swatches.
Sector Fashion & Accessories
Founded in 1996, Jimmy Choo encompasses a complete luxury accessories brand: their renowned women’s shoes sitting alongside handbags, small leather goods, scarves, sunglasses, eyewear, belts, fragrance and men’s footwear. Creative director Sandra Choi’s keen eye for detail, glamour and elegance have resulted in shoes that successfully grace the red carpet and fashion’s front rows as well as catering to every aspect of the modern woman’s busy lifestyle. Jimmy Choo introduced their made-to-order service in 2014 offering customers a tempting suite of signature styles that can be custom made in a myriad of colours, textures and finishes, tailored to personal style preferences. Made-to-order has since evolved with the introduction of evening bags with the option of personalised text, featuring a name or a special date engraved on the interior metal plaque. To make the bag truly unique there is also the opportunity to choose both the bag’s colour and the finish of the hardware with either silver or gold options. The tradition of made-to-order shoes can be traced back to the roots of the brand and has continued quietly throughout the company’s evolution as it has grown from a small London atelier to a global luxury fashion brand. Occasionally, by special request, a client would order a bespoke design – an exotic material or unique colour for a special event – most notably on the red carpet, where Jimmy Choo made-to-order shoes continue to have a steady presence. Representing the house signature style, creative director Sandra Choi has selected her favourite Jimmy Choo silhouettes for inclusion in the made-to-order programme. These shoes are time-honoured iconic designs, continually adored by clients worldwide and perfectly suited for customisation, and include the Anouk, Romy, Lance, Emily, and Ren in varying heel heights. Dream shoes become design reality with the stunning offering of material and colour options. Clients may choose from delicate suedes, lustrous satins, sumptuous leathers, glitter, crocodile or exotic snakeskins, and be creative with a palette of colourways. Decadent and luxurious velvet is a new fabricatio joining the line-up; the velvet is on offer in a palette of seven hues including navy, bordeaux and bottle green. For the last word in personalisation, customers are able to monogram the sole of their shoes with initials or numbers to create an enduring bespoke memento of a special day, moment or gift. “Throughout the years at Jimmy Choo, we set out to maintain the same level of personalised service and attention to detail as when we were crafting shoes one pair at a time, for one client at a time. Bringing this made-to-order service directly to our customers in our stores allows us to faithfully preserve our heritage of personalisation, and allow every woman to have a bespoke pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and evening bag.” Sandra Choi, creative director. Ideally suited for shoe aficionados looking to build a bespoke wardrobe or for brides planning their wedding shoe wardrobe, the made-to-order service combines quintessential skilled Italian Jimmy Choo craftsmanship invested with the luxurious quality of materials used.
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A 21st century accessories brand
Jimmy Choo
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Walpole British Luxury
Johnnie Walker A toast to the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky
Below, from left to right ► Johnnie & Ginger garnished with a slice of orange. Johnnie Walker Blue Label, the gift to give.
Established 1820
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Opposite ► Jim Beveridge, master blender and the John Walker & Sons Private Collection.
Sector Food & Drink
Born of humble beginnings, Johnnie Walker has taken blended Scotch whisky from the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world and boasts almost 200 years of crafting heritage. The iconic slogan ‘Keep Walking’ has been adopted and embraced as a rallying cry for progress and a joyful expression of optimism, perfectly reflecting the pioneering and innovative spirit at the heart Johnnie Walker. The Johnnie Walker story begins in 1820 with John Walker who opened a small grocer’s store in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock, where he started to apply his tea blending expertise to craft whiskies to suit the palate of his clientele. After his death, his son Alexander took over the business and as a true pioneer he exploited the ships coming from various parts of the world bringing exotic goods to take his whisky back and sell it on his behalf. He introduced the iconic square bottle with slanted label to improve standout and reduce breakages. By 1886, the name of Walker was known worldwide. In due course, the company passed to Alexander’s sons, Alexander and George, who began the tradition of naming the whiskies after the colour of the labels, starting with Johnnie Walker Red Label, which went on to become the world’s best-selling whisky. Leading illustrator of the day Tom Browne was asked to capture the progressive attitude of the brand and created the famous striding man motif. In 1934 John Walker & Sons was granted a Royal Warrant by King George V and, as the 20th century progressed, the pioneering brand established itself as part of the global culture. The same pioneering spirit is relevant today, as the Johnnie Walker whisky makers spend their days in their Whisky Room with the biggest library of malts available. Led by Dr. Jim Beveridge, Master Blender of the Year in 2015 and 2016, a small team of blenders continue to create iconic, quality whiskies. The pinnacle of their blending efforts is Johnnie Walker Blue Label, a rich and rounded liquid made from some of Scotland’s rarest and most exceptional whiskies. Only 1 in 10,000 casks are handpicked and expertly blended to create this ultimate luxury whisky and perfect gift. Personal taste differs and therefore there is no ‘correct’ way to enjoy Johnnie Walker. If you’re looking for inspiration, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, is delicious served neat alongside a glass of chilled water. Or try a Johnnie & Ginger – a spicy mix of Johnnie Walker Black Label and ginger ale, served over ice and garnished with a slice of orange. As Johnnie Walker prepares for the next 200 years, the brand remains committed to crafting rich and vibrant whiskies for people to enjoy during quality time with friends and family, all over the world. Keep Walking.
+44 370 192 5021 ► johnniewalker.com Diageo, Lakeside Drive, Park Royal, London NW10 7HQ
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/ 20 A toast to the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky
Johnnie Walker
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Walpole British Luxury
Johnstons of Elgin Cashmere & fine woollens
Opposite ► Merino/Cashmere Olive & Navy Handmade Pea Coat. Macleod of Lewis Tartan Cashmere Stole. Merino/Cashmere Black Single Pleat Tapered Trouser. Below, left to right ► Cashmere Cobalt Blue Batwing Sweater paired with Cobalt Blue Cashmere Cable Knitted Scarf. Merino/Cashmere Handmade Double Face Tartan Kimono. Cashmere Navy Blazer paired with Navy Chalk Stripe, Merino/Cashmere Straight Leg Trouser.
Established 1797
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Above, from top ► Navy & Red Bold Paisley Extra Fine Merino wool scarf. Wallace Tartan Cashmere Stole. Navy Horizontal Stripe Cashmere Lightweight Stole.
Sector Fashion & Accessories
When Alexander Johnston established his Elgin mill in 1797, so began a story of craft, fabric and innovation, which put Johnstons of Elgin on the global map. In 2017 Johnstons of Elgin won the prestigious accolade for Commitment to British Manufacturing at the annual Walpole British Luxury Awards, but their credentials began in the reign of Queen Victoria. The brand pioneered cashmere and vicuña in the UK, first acclaimed with a medal for our “superb vicuña stoles” at the Great Exhibition of London in 1851. The famous Estate Tweeds pioneered the concept of camouflage and received the Royal Warrant of Appointment to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2013. Johnstons of Elgin’s impeccable credentials stem from their mastery of the yarn and how they handle, finesse and manipulate it in ways impossible for any other manufacturing brand to match. This expertise, however, is only one strand of their story. The other lies in their ability to innovate in the truest sense of the word. Today, Johnstons of Elgin lead the way in technical innovation, using state-of-the-art techniques and tools, such as Shima Seiki whole garment technology, digital knitting, ultra-fine jacquard weaving and 3D design to create fashion forward collections that transform perceptions of the brand. This is no ordinary British manufacturing story. Johnstons of Elgin has successfully established a flagship store at 77 New Bond Street in London, with further retail presence in Elgin, Hawick, St Andrews and Nantucket, USA. Their new e-commerce website, launched in autumn 2017, completes the retail circle. Johnstons of Elgin introduced their broadest and most cohesive collections, allowing designers and makers to showcase the breadth of the true creative and technical potential of Johnstons of Elgin. Their new collections are specifically designed to appeal to modern, international customers. As versatile and mobile as the people who wear them, their clothes are easy to wear, timeless, fashionable and superb quality. Johnstons of Elgin’s lightweight innovations in both knitwear and woven accessories help to provide the ranges with year-round and global commerciality. Whilst seasons and influences may change, one constant remains; the quest for beauty and luxury. Their story originates in Scotland but it takes in the couture houses and catwalks of Paris, New York and Milan, the sartorial elegance of Savile Row and beyond. Johnstons of Elgin’s long-standing partnerships with the world’s leading luxury fashion brands are based on quality, honesty and trust. Some of the team have more than 50 years’ service and commitment to their people is Johnstons of Elgin’s pledge to the future. Their new training centre in Hawick offers apprenticeships to people of all ages, nurturing their community and fortifying their greatest asset: their people.
Johnstons of Elgin
Cashmere & fine woollens
+44 134 355 4000 ► johnstonscashmere.com Newmill, Elgin , Moray IV30 4AF
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Walpole British Luxury
Jo Malone London Celebrating the unexpected
Established 1991
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Sector Beauty & Grooming
Scent creates powerful memories. The day you met. That trip you took together. A special celebration. Jo Malone London has curated a world where simple, elegant fragrances come to life through stories. Inspiration. Passion. Celebrating discovery. The unique. The unexpected. With a dash of whit and whimsy thrown in for good measure. From timeless classics to truly personal signatures, its palette of scents offers countless combinations. When Jo Malone London launched its very first fragrance – Lime Basil & Mandarin – in 1991, the use of unexpected ingredients was considered pioneering. To this day, each scent is characterised by a sophisticated simplicity with a surprising element. Working with leading perfumers, Jo Malone London has built a reputation for excellence in fragrance. Travelling the world to unearth fine ingredients. From the ruby-rich juices in Pomegranate Noir to the surprising inclusion of suede in Peony & Blush Suede. Scents are inspired by life in the surrounding city and beyond; British character, culture and history are intrinsic to each and every scent. It might be the magic of the forest captured in The English Oak collection or childhood memories of blackberry picking in Blackberry & Bay. The clarity of Jo Malone London fragrances allows them to be worn either alone or with other complementary colognes and crèmes to create a truly bespoke scent. From luscious fruits and spectacular florals to intense spices and aromatic woods. This is the art and adventure of Fragrance Combining™ – the idea is to play and combine until you find the perfect pairing. To be truly immersed in fragrance, drop into a Jo Malone London boutique. Here, you can explore ingredients at the Tasting Bar™. Indulge in a one-to-one tailored experience with a stylist. Or, discover how to decorate everything with scent. Want to go a step further? Visit the brand’s global flagship boutique on London’s Regent Street, where personalisation is taken to a whole new level. Clients can customise their purchase in real time at special events, alongside highly-skilled artisans and craftsmen. Cologne bottles and candles can be engraved and the Jo Malone London box can be personalised with the help of expert illustrators and calligraphers. And, this is all before we mention the art of gift giving – what the brand is arguably best known for. Each present is exquisitely wrapped in the iconic cream and black box and tied with the signature grosgrain ribbon. This charming ritual has become the embodiment of the brand and represents the tasteful, often subtle and elegant scents on offer. Synonymous with sophistication, every gift is instantly recognisable, yet remembered forever. All in all, Jo Malone London is a model brand, representing all that’s most coveted in British style and attitude.
Jo Malone London
Celebrating the unexpected
+44 370 192 5021 ► jomalone.co.uk 101 Regent Street, London W1B 4EZ
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Walpole British Luxury
The Lakes Distillery Leaders of world whisky
Opposite ► The Lakes Distillery site aerial view.
Established 2006
Below, left ► The distillery ornate gates.
+44 20 3262 0320 ► fionabarrattinteriors.com 12 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QN
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Below ► Steel Bonnets – world first, released spring 2018.
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Celebrating its third anniversary in December 2017, The Lakes Distillery – nestled by Bassenthwaite Lake in the heart of the Lake District National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site – is making its mark as a single malt whisky distillery. Led by Dr Alan Rutherford, ex head of whisky production at Diageo PLC; Paul Currie, ex Arran Distillery; Nigel Mills, entrepreneur; and Dhavall Gandhi, ex whisky maker at The Macallan, the team working at The Lakes Distillery has chosen to play a significant part in the growth and development of the English whisky industry, born of their love and respect for Scotch whisky. They learned their trade in Scotland and are obsessive about quality – from sourcing the highest-quality raw materials to hand-selecting the finest sherry and bourbon casks. This attention to detail gives confidence that The Lakes’ single malt whisky will be world-class and of the highest quality. As there is no set standard for English whisky, there is a greater focus and emphasis on educating the consumer about the variety and complexity of this magical spirit. The production processes are derived from the team’s detailed involvement in the Scotch whisky industry. The Distillery plans to take the best of the historical knowledge available and add inventive flair, technological advances and the imagination of its highly talented whisky makers to ensure that the English single malt whisky will be of the greatest quality in its own right. English whisky will offer a new perspective on the global whisky industry by showcasing quality, provenance and clarity behind the journey the spirit has taken in its production. The aim will be to excite and inspire existing and future consumers to learn and savour this incredible spirit. Whisky distilleries in England, and in particular The Lakes Distillery, will add a valuable further dimension to the already established global reputation of the Scotch whisky industry. Driving awareness through education, continuous innovation of the brands and the visitor experience on site has secured The Lakes Distillery a number of accolades; Best Distillery Facility in the World; Best Consumer Experience in the World; and, by Time Out New York, one of the world’s top five new distilleries. The Distillery has welcomed over 300,000 visitors over three years, including tour groups from Asia, Australia and America, as well as guests from neighbouring European countries. It has also created several world firsts including The ONE in 2013, the only British Isles blended whisky, followed in Spring 2018 by the release of Steel Bonnets, a blend of the finest English and Scotch single malt whiskies. In Summer 2018, whisky collectors, enthusiasts and connoisseurs can purchase The Lakes Malt Genesis, the first single malt whisky from The Lakes Distillery Company, exclusively limited to 99 bottles via auction, and in Autumn 2018, The Lakes Single Malt Quatrefoil collection, spanning four years to 2021, will be released, embodying the DNA of the Distillery with four named bottles: Faith; Hope; Luck and Love. In addition, the Distillery produces exquisitely crafted newly released gin and vodka liqueurs with natural unique flavours, not to mention The Lakes Salted Caramel Vodka Liqueur, recognised as The Liqueur Master, The Spirits Business’ top accolade, and special edition seasonal gifting, including luxury spirit-filled baubles. Sales of its whiskies and other spirits has led to rapid global expansion for The Lakes Distillery, notably in Japan, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, with further significant growth forecast in the USA in 2018. Enhanced by exclusive and very special limited range of collectable editions, the continuous innovation that typifies The Lakes Distillery means it is a business which will continue to flourish.
Opposite, below ► The Lakes Distillery distinctive entrance.
Sector Food & Drink
Leaders of world whisky
The Lakes Distillery
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Opposite, top ► The Lakes Distillery, situated in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Below ► La Cuvée Rosé, created in 1968.
Established 1812
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Above ► The Laurent-Perrier estate in the heart of Champagne in Tours-sur-Marne.
Sector Food & Drink
Originally founded in 1812, the House of Champagne Laurent-Perrier is recognised as one of the foremost brands in Champagne. Based in the heart of Champagne, in Tours-sur-Marne, this success is the outcome of a deliberate policy to honour traditional values: a respect for nature and wines, a passion for quality, and strong, lasting relationships among the people who drive the company – both inside and outside of the House. The wines crafted by the Champagne House are unique not only because of the philosophy that has inspired them, but also for their style, flavour and consistent quality, from one cuvée to the next. The result is a range of vins de plaisir – a diversified range of wines to be enjoyed at every occasion, each connected by the lightness, freshness and elegance that distinguishes Laurent-Perrier. Laurent-Perrier’s success must also be attributed to the energy of the Nonancourt family, headed by Bernard de Nonancourt. Working in a very demanding business environment, Bernard successfully avoided many pitfalls and managed to preserve the independence of his champagne house and its related values. These same principles guide the current management team headed by his two daughters, Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt and Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt.
+33 326 589 122 ► laurent-perrier.com Domaine Laurent-Perrier, 51150 Tours-Sur-Marne, France
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/12 The House of Champagne
Laurent-Perrier
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Walpole British Luxury
Mark Wilkinson Furniture alchemy
Opposite ► Eclectic and contemporary, this Portobello kitchen has the signature Mark Wilkinson hand crafted island and stunning dresser. Below, left ► Mark Wilkinson can create bespoke spaces - this utility room has floor-to-ceiling cabinetry open shelves and stylish worktops. Below, right ► Marble-topped circular island features clever quadrant drawers and recessed handles for the ultimate storage solution.
Established 1981 +44 138 085 0007 ► mwf.com 126 Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UE
Above ► A quintessentially British kitchen with timeless details including intricate beading with raised and fielded panels – a true English classic.
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For more than three decades, Mark Wilkinson Furniture has redefined the craft of cabinet-making. Transforming tools and timber into furniture alchemy, the very essence of this exacting English brand is the enduring passion and pioneering vision of its late founder, Mark Wilkinson OBE. A talented designer whose thinking is as philosophical as it is imbued in his craft, Mark Wilkinson’s early kitchen designs inspired a generation of makers and became the model for the ‘English Country Style’. Using the finest reclaimed timber and ornamenting his work with handcarved detailing, the style completely reimagined the most practical space in the home as its warmest and most welcoming. Though Mark Wilkinson sadly passed in 2017, his legacy lives on through the brand’s bespoke furniture, which is rich with heritage and imbued with his infectious creativity. Everything produced out of the Mark Wilkinson workshop is handcrafted by artisans, many of whom are third-generation joiners whose skills have been passed down by family members. Though its heart remains in England, Mark Wilkinson Furniture has also seen considerable success internationally. As the global appetite for high-quality craftsmanship increases, it’s easy to understand why the brand’s parent company, Canburg, has seen an exponential growth in international sales. Its success was recognised when it was once again listed in the Sunday Times HSBC International Fast Track 200. Mark Wilkinson’s furniture alchemy is best known for its six permanent collections, though bespoke cabinetry and individual pieces are also par for the course. These range from fluidly elegant ‘Milan’, neoclassical ‘English Classic’ and whitewashed timber-clad ‘New England’, to the timeless Edwardian-influenced elegance of ‘Cook’s Kitchen’ and the ‘Newlyn Collection’, which is inspired by the eponymous school of Victorian-era Cornish art. Its newest collection, ‘Portobello’ is inspired by the vintage eclecticism and confident style of the eponymous West London district. Though each is distinct, every collection perfectly expresses the spirit behind Mark Wilkinson’s designs, which combine considered solutions to modern living. Mark Wilkinson Furniture continues to bring its unique brand of luxury to the rest of the house whether a boot room, dressing room, wine room or media room and provides storage solutions for every space.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Furniture alchemy
Mark Wilkinson
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Below, from left to right ► Fine fragrance, single wick candles made in Suffolk with beautifully embossed snuffer lids. Sun grown barley from The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown used in the Whisky & Water collection. Ideal for a mini-break or gift, the Trio Gift Set, contains three sumptuous bath & shower gels.
Established 2011
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Top ► A collection of Noble Isle fine fragrance, unisex Bath & shower gels with the crowning bottle design inspired by the satisfying shape of an old British whisky keg.
Sector Beauty & Grooming
A distinctive and exquisite modern bath and body brand, Noble Isle is made in the UK and inspired by the natural and cultural riches of the British Isles. The founders of Noble Isle have travelled the length and breadth of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to source authentic, quintessentially British ingredients that celebrate the country’s rich cultural history, and deliver products worthy of the Noble Isle crest: The Coat of Balms. Noble Isle’s sumptuous lotions and washes feature extracts sourced from some of the most celebrated producers, including English rhubarb, Irish sea oak, Welsh beetroot and Scottish barley. The brand is steeped in history, with its name ‘Noble Isle’ the first recorded term used for Great Britain in the 15th century. “This Nobill Isle, callit Gret Britanee”, declared James III of Scots while negotiating the marriage of his son to Cecily of England in 1474. The efflorescent emblem of Noble Isle is the work of a Cornish artist, created from a series of bespoke hand drawings to represent the great flowers of the British Isles – daffodil, rose, shamrock and thistle – arranged in the iconic British roll-top bath. Noble Isle is a great believer in the power of fragrance to enhance mood, trigger memories and create a sense of place – which is why each Noble Isle fine fragrance has been carefully composed to take you on a journey, revealing layers of sumptuous scent. Noble Isle uses a top ‘nose’ in the industry to create evocative fragrances with distinct top, heart and base notes that leave a unique and lasting sensory impression, creating a new tradition in luxury bathing.
+44 800 157 7838 ► nobleisle.com Guilden Sutton Lane, Guilden Sutton, Chester, Cheshire CH3 7EX
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/ 11 Reinventing the Great British bath time
Noble Isle
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Walpole British Luxury
Peter Reed Luxury linens
Established 1861
/ 61 Below ► Adding a monogram – making your own mark – bespoke luxury. Available in hundreds of coloured threads.
+44 128 261 6069 ► peterreed.com Butterworth Mill, 30B Churchill Way, Lomeshaye, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 6RT
Below, left ► New 100% made in England cotton pillowcase.
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Opposite ► A perennial favourite, cable is the epitome of classic design. Available in hundreds of coloured threads.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Peter Reed represents the pinnacle of English linen making with a reputation for quality second to none. It’s a reputation based on 150 years of heritage and craftsmanship. For generations its bedding, hand crafted in Lancashire from the highest grade cottons, has symbolised authentic British luxury for the home. The story began in 1861 when Peter Reed and his son William set out to create the luxury linens that would be appreciated by an emerging cash-rich middle class of wealth-makers. It wasn’t long before only Peter Reed bed linen would do. Instead of weaving the cloth itself the company sourced the finest fabrics woven by master artisanal mills in Italy and focused on the higher end skills of cutting, sewing, hemming, embroidering and finishing. It was a brave move but this clarity of purpose was rewarded in 2008 with the Royal Warrant of manufacturing bed linen for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which they still hold today. Still based in Lancashire, the pursuit of perfection remains Peter Reed’s focus today. Cloth, craft, collection: the best of the best. The current ownership still have the same sense of family pride as the original Reed family, and utilise the remarkable artisanship of people born and bred in the beautiful Lancastrian hills. In a world of mass-produced bedding most bedrooms look the same. Peter Reed’s bespoke service gives customers the opportunity to create their own, completely unique bedding. They are welcome to search through the Peter Reed archive for inspiration or provide their own artwork, which might be a family crest, a digital design created by a graphic artist, a photograph of an architectural feature, a swatch of fabric or a child’s drawing. In consultation with Peter Reed’s design team almost anything can be referenced or recreated in embroidery for luxury bedding of the highest quality. Monogramming is a particularly popular choice among bespoke customers. All designs and monograms can be crafted in any bed size, any sheeting fabric, any thread count and almost any thread colour – selected from hundreds of colours in the Peter Reed thread library – and crafted within three weeks. Monogrammed towels are also available to provide a completely seamless bed to bathroom experience. There are no minimums – no order is too small or too large. The latest and most exciting news for Peter Reed is that, for the first time in many, many years, they are introducing a collection made with cotton sheeting spun and woven in England. Produced in collaboration with English Fine Cottons of Manchester, it is the only 100% English made luxury bed linen currently available. Peter Reed’s general manager, Sean Clayton, is excited by the potential: “As someone whose background is from the weaving sector I jumped at the opportunity to create bedding that is 100% made in England. We have already had a lot of interest from customers wanting to sell this product as it follows the current thinking of moving high-end manufacturing back to the UK. It’s a really exciting development and a proud moment”
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Luxury linens
Peter Reed
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Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Below, left ► A trio of THG Bowls.
+44 207 235 9666 ► rachelvosper.com 69 Kinnerton Street, London SW1X 8ED
Above ► The fragrance library and founder Rachel Vosper pictured at the flagship Belgravia store.
Rachel Vosper
After a chance encounter with a candle maker on a Barbados beach in 1994, Rachel started working with them in their studio. She fell in love with the process at first pour, eventually buying the company. As she built the business up, Rachel’s new-found interest developed into a lifelong passion. In 2011 she opened her flagship store in Belgravia, selling beautifully scented candles to a mix of retail customers, corporate and private clients. Now with over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Rachel Vosper is one of the leading British candle chandlers and home fragrance experts, specialising in hand-poured candles and signature home fragrances. Using only the finest European sourced ingredients, Rachel employs traditional methods in her Belgravia boutique to ensure the longevity of fragrances and an optimum burn. “I like to focus on balancing top, middle and base notes, approaching it in much the same way as a winemaker would,” says Rachel. “When choosing a fragrance, I look for simplicity and don’t like to overcook combinations. It’s also important for me to consider the occasion and season.” One of Rachel’s most unique features is her refill service, which allows customers to bring back used votives from the shop or provide their own vessels to be made into candles. “I like being given the chance to use something sentimental and old that has been brought in by a customer – perhaps it has been tucked away in a cupboard for years or inherited – and then give it a new lease of life.” As demand for bespoke scents increases, Rachel Vosper has been commissioned by a number of property developers to create bespoke scent packages for their latest projects. She also provides corporate clients with personalised gifts and fragrances for exclusive private and commercial properties. Her latest project is with Virgin Atlantic, developing a new signature scent that will be used throughout the customer’s journey - on the ground and in the air. An industry first! Rachel Vosper updates her fragrance library every season, including limited edition and new signatures, the latest of which is ‘Scent 69’, which combines elements of all her bestselling fragrances. Rather fittingly, Rachel Vosper was chosen as one of the four interactive areas at Decorex this year, as she works closely with a number of high-end interior design professionals, recently filling Baccarat and Lalique glass for a 16-bedroom house on Belgrave Square. If you have an idea for your very own fragranced candle, Rachel Vosper is the one that can make it for you. “My clients are a constant source of inspiration to me,” says Rachel, “and I love meeting the people who buy my candles, some of whom are now old friends.” This year, Rachel will launch a diffusion range with one of Britain’s leading home furnishing retailers, which includes candles, diffusers and spa-inspired toiletries.
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Handmade, individual & with a personal touch
Established 2011
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Walpole British Luxury
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Phantom - an art gallery on wheels
138 / 139 Below ► The Phantom Rose, immortalised in porcelain for The Gallery.
+44 124 338 4000 ► rolls-roycemotorcars.com The Drive, Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0SH
Below, left ► Nymphenburg’s ‘Immortal Beauty’ Gallery installation. The eighth generation Rolls-Royce Phantom.
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Opposite ► Step inside New Phantom’s serene interior.
Sector Automotive, Aviation & Yachting
Rolls-Royce Phantom is the longest-running nameplate in automotive history and over the last 92 years, the marque’s flagship has conveyed the world’s cognoscenti to some of the most defining moments in history. Now in its eighth generation, Phantom proudly remains at the pinnacle of the marque’s collection and is the canvas for some of the boldest and most personal interpretations of true luxury today. Tasked with bringing these ambitious personal visions to reality is a collective of highly-skilled designers, engineers and craftspeople, The Rolls-Royce Bespoke department, who reside at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex. An intrinsic part of their responsibility is to understand and immerse themselves in a world of luxury far beyond automotive horizons. Drawing inspiration from the worlds of fashion, art and design, they continually examine the work of experts in these fields, furthering skills and knowledge in order to push the boundaries beyond the limitations car designers are usually confined to. On designing the eighth generation Phantom, hailed by critics as ‘An Art Gallery on Wheels’, inspiration was sought from the marque’s patrons, who increasingly collect and commission unique works of art. This led Rolls-Royce Design Director, Giles Taylor, to examine Phantom’s interior. At the heart of New Phantom’s wholly modern design aesthetic, Taylor has created ‘The Gallery’, a contemporary and luxury reinterpretation of a motor car’s dashboard. A pure application of glass runs across the fascia, a space which provides an unprecedented opportunity for patrons to curate and to commission, to exhibit, admire and reflect. The glass runs uninterrupted, emphasising Phantom’s elegant proportions, positioned front and centre of the serene interior, becoming a focal point for the motor car’s esteemed inhabitants. “In the 18th century, miniatures were highly-fashionable, valuable items of art that allowed their owners to carry images of their loved one with them wherever they travelled. I really loved that idea of taking your art with you, when travelling, and so I acted on it,” commented Taylor. “Now, our clients will be able to do the same.” As a Bespoke Commission, customers are able to choose a favoured artist or designer to work with Rolls-Royce to create a truly individual work of art that spans the width of ‘The Gallery’ in their New Phantom. As a source of inspiration, Rolls-Royce has worked with a number of artists, designers and design collectives to demonstrate a multitude of possibilities to put behind the glass of ‘The Gallery’ for the owner’s pleasure. Works as complex as a sculptural painting inspired by the South Downs of England by renowned Chinese artist Liang Yuanwei, a gold-plated 3D-printed map of an owner’s DNA created by the enfant terrible of German product design Thorsten Franck, a collection of roses, bred for Rolls-Royce by Harkness Roses and hand-made of the finest porcelain by world renowned porcelain manufacturer Nymphenberg, a silk sculpture depicting the female form of the Spirit of Ecstasy by British artist, Helen Amy Murray, a milled solid billet of aluminium encapsulating the trailing wake of Phantom by Based Upon, a gemstone encrusted starburst by designer and goldsmith Richard Fox and a configuration of iridescent feathers by materials specialists Nature Squared are some of the creations inspired by this most unusual of Gallery spaces. In addition to these Bespoke Commissions, Rolls-Royce’s in-house artisans and designers at the Home of Rolls-Royce have created a stunning collection of forward-looking Gallery treatments of silk, wood, metal and leather. New Phantom’s Gallery presents patrons with an unparalleled opportunity for Bespoke personalisation, elevating Rolls-Royce Bespoke to new heights, whilst reaffirming that the marque is a House of Luxury, like no other.
Established 1904
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Phantom - an art gallery on wheels
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
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Walpole British Luxury
Rory Dobner Playfully whimsical and eccentric hand-drawn intricate ink illustrations
Playfully whimsical and eccentric hand-drawn intricate ink illustrations
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Below, left to right ► Rory at work, The Fantastic Mr Fox.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Opposite ► Circular Cat Monocle Trays.
+44 20 7431 8896 ► rorydobner.com Main Stockist: Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER
Above ► Fine bone china plates hand-finished in 22 carat gold; Smokey Fish, Fortnum & Mason, Sir Lancelot.
Rory Dobner
British-born internationally renowned artist Rory Dobner, with his playfully eccentric hand-drawn ink illustrations, is fast becoming one of the freshest, most exciting lifestyle brands around. Born in England in 1978, Rory always dreamed of being an artist. Studying for a Fine Art foundation at Chelsea School of Art & Design before going on to graduate from Central St. Martin’s enabled him to realise his dream. Soon after graduating, Rory was awarded the prestigious title of Burns Young Artist of the Year in 1998 and, following his consequential success as a solo artist, he founded the company Rory Dobner in 2011. Rory’s mission remains steadfast to this day; to put a little piece of art from England into homes and workplaces across the world, while adding luxurious flair to any room. His work quickly has drawn attention from prominent figures in the arts and interior worlds, leading to numerous high-profile UK and international exhibitions. Rory has displayed his iconic hand-drawn ink illustrations and homeware pieces all over the globe, receiving recognition for his unique, unconventional style. Rory has unlocked a world of wonderfully idiosyncratic characters through his quirky illustrations showcased on a wide collection of homeware pieces. With all products designed by Rory and made in England, his eye-catching pieces captured the imagination of luxury emporium Fortnum & Mason, which has quickly become one of the biggest UK stockists of his collections. Other global retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, New York and Isetan, Japan also stock his work. From ornately decorated candles and delicate fine bone china cake stands to a large range of dinnerware, clocks and trays, Rory Dobner boasts an extensive variety of high-end kitchen and dining pieces, home accessories and stationary. Every product is adorned with remarkably intricate artwork lovingly drawn by Rory himself, making each piece a statement work-of-art collected by fans worldwide. Rory’s artistic talent and skill at creating bespoke artworks for clients has also resulted in several impressive commissions and collaborations so far with the likes of Soho House Group, Dior, The Walt Disney Company, London Fashion Week, The Natural History Museum and Stephen Webster to name but a few. Whether gleaning inspiration from his global adventures or from his ever changing eclectically furnished Hampstead art studio, Rory is constantly etching new imaginative intricate ink illustrations. This means that bespoke commissions or personal requests, however unusual, are relished. Whether creating a family coat of arms, a corporate brand identity or logo through to loved original pet portraits mounted and housed in beautiful antique frames, Rory is the talent to partner with. Named a Brand of Tomorrow 2017 by Walpole, Rory Dobner is one to watch now and in the future.
Established 2011 140 / 141
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Walpole British Luxury
The Royal Mint Established for Tomorrow®
Below, left to right ► The Royal Mint at Tower Hill, London in the nineteenth century. Jody Clark is the youngest designer to have created a coinage portrait of Her Majesty The Queen. Britannia 2018: A British Classic.
+44 144 322 2111 ► royalmint.com Llantrisant, Pontyclun CF72 8YT
Opposite ► The tools, or dies, used to strike the coins produced by The Royal Mint are often worked on by hand to ensure the coins are of the highest quality.
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Coins are more than tokens of trade. They are miniature works of art – pieces of history you can hold in your hands. For more than 1,100 years The Royal Mint has been striking the stories of the British Isles. Through conflict and adversity, dynastic change, and social and scientific progress, it has produced currency for kings and queens; working with leading artists and driving innovation in manufacturing, producing coins sought-after by investors and collectors all over the world. Walk the factory floor of the purpose-built facility near Llantrisant in South Wales and you’ll see technology and tradition side-by-side. State-of-the-art machinery and artisanal skill combine to create the coins that mark the important anniversaries and events of the year. Inspired by the legacy of Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most famous Masters of the Mint, the coins are renowned for their precision and accuracy. From the 22 carat gold Sovereign, the ‘chief coin of the world,’ to the humble penny, each coin produced must face the rigours of the Trial of the Pyx – the oldest and most exacting test of minting quality control anywhere in the world. Held amidst the grandeur of Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, the ritual is a living piece of history, dating back to medieval times. Coins carried in the ancient wooden Pyx boxes that give the ceremony its name are put before the jury to be inspected by hand for the tiniest flaw or imperfection. Today The Royal Mint is the world’s leading export mint, supplying the national banks of more than 40 countries. While tradition remains at the heart of the production process, innovation is relentless. New technology and diversification helps position the business to meet future challenges. Royal Mint Gold offers a convenient way to trade physical gold, while its high-security storage facility protects valued possessions. Industry-wide, the new 12-sided £1 coin has been hailed as the most secure coin in the world. Each year The Royal Mint produces new commemorative and bullion coin collections. These include its annual flagship releases, The Sovereign and Britannia – icons of British minting excellence. Struck in gold and silver and finished to bullion or our finest Proof standard, designers realise complex themes. It takes great skill to work creatively within the dimensions of a coin and when the finished coin finally comes off the press, the results are extraordinary. Tangible investments or luxury collectables – the commemorative and bullion coins recount the stories and themes of British history in a unique and fascinating way, exquisitely etched on a backdrop of gold or silver.
Opposite top ► The Sovereign: a constant through change.
Sector Jewellery, Watches & Precious Metals
Established for Tomorrow®
The Royal Mint
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Established 886
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Walpole British Luxury
RWD Original British yacht design
Established 1993
/ 93 Below ► The recently launched MY Hasna, a completely custom interior and exterior designed by the team at RWD.
+44 159 061 1300 ► rwd.co.uk The Old Electric Light Station, Beaulieu Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7YF
Above ► SY Twizzle, an iconic yacht designed both inside and out by RWD.
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Opposite ► The beautiful lines of 96.5m MY FAITH.
Sector Automotive, Aviation & Yachting
Established in London in 1993, and now situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River in Hampshire, RWD is responsible for pushing the boundaries of superyacht design. With an extensive portfolio of no less than 75 of the most sophisticated, head-turning and technically-advanced superyachts ever made, RWD handles all elements of interior and exterior design, making it one of the most prolific and experienced yacht design companies in the world. Recent prestigious projects include the much anticipated 73m MY Hasna, built by Van Lent in the Netherlands, featuring an extraordinary 8m swimming pool with infinity waterfall; the 69m MY Samaya, built by De Vries, with unique interior spaces designed and decorated by RWD; and the exterior and interior design of Feadship’s much lauded 96.5m MY Faith, whose vast foredeck incorporates a helipad with sheltered helicopter storage in a concealed hangar. What really sets RWD apart however is the truly personal nature of its design service. “We really listen to our owners, to their needs and desires,” says director Polly Sturgess, “after all, how can we fully realise their dreams if we don’t.” RWD’s founding partner, Justin Redman takes the approach that ideas flow more freely outside the confines of conference rooms. As such, it is not unusual for an initial consultation to take place on board a potential client’s current yacht, or in the comfort of their home. “I find that by spending real time with clients, I can find the answers to many of the most important questions” asserts Redman. Given that each superyacht takes between three and five years to complete, RWD recognises that nurturing strong collaborative relationships is vital to the success of the finished article. “We take great care and pleasure in ensuring that our owners enjoy the very best experience with our team,” says Redman. What’s more, RWD is brimming with young blood and as such the enthusiasm in the office is almost palpable. An eclectic team of product designers, naval architects, cabinetmakers, automotive stylists, architects and textile designers work closely together to create fresh and inspiring designs, all driven by the same enduring passion; to surprise and delight yacht owners. As trends in the superyacht world have shifted, owners are increasingly looking to explore the lesser-known regions of the globe. RWD’s equally dynamic and tailor-made approach allows the team to be nimble and create superyachts capable of reaching anywhere. This might explain why the company currently has almost 2 kilometers of project work in build and development. To this tune RWD’s celebrated Vava II – the largest private superyacht ever to be built in England – successfully travelled more than 100,000 nautical miles in her first four years, exploring remote locations such as the Indian Ocean islands, Indonesia, Alaska, Polynesia, Patagonia and Antarctica. With many more exciting concepts in the pipeline, and an inherent desire to continue successfully launching highly personal yachts, RWD will ensure they remain grounded and continue to deliver truly individual projects to their wonderful owners.
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Original British yacht design
RWD
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Walpole British Luxury
Savoir Beds Sleep beautifully
Established 1905 146 / 147
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+44 207 493 4444 ► savoirbeds.co.uk 7 Wigmore St, Marylebone, London W1U 1AD
Below ► Savoir Moon 01 in collaboration with Teo Yang.
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Your bed is your retreat, your haven away from the world and, most importantly, where you spend one third of your life restoring your body and mind after each day. Waking up rejuvenated and rested is absolutely paramount, thus Savoir Beds have been perfecting and crafting the perfect night’s sleep since 1905, when the beds were first commissioned for London’s Savoy Hotel. Purchasing and owning a Savoir is a unique experience. Starting with a ‘fitting’ at one of its showrooms, expertly trained staff will discuss your needs and support options in order to tailor-make your bed. Beyond comfort is the design and styling of the bed, in which the Savoir team will work to your requirements with unlimited fabric options for upholstery and styles for the headboard and base. Craft, heritage and skill lie at the heart of Savoir. The company continues to hand craft beds at its North London bedworks and in Wales, just outside Cardiff. Every Savoir bed is made to order for a particular client, built by hand to meet specific needs and deliver unsurpassed comfort. Focusing on the best also applies to the use of natural materials such as curled horse tail, which provides a breathable sleeping surface and the ultimate temperature control for enhanced sleep. The end result is not only a wonderfully comfortable bed for Savoir clients, but one that matches their style aspirations, as only a bespoke product can. Savoir can now count a number of celebrities as followers, with a range of actors, entertainers and singers having invested in a sound Savoir sleep. Perhaps most notably, actress Emma Thompson spoke to the London Evening Standard about her first night sleeping on a Savoir bed, and said, “I’ve never had a sleepless night since”. Savoir collaborates with some of the world’s leading names in design, 2017 brought partnerships with the likes of Madeline Weinrib from New York, Arik Levy, from Paris, and the innovative designer, Teo Yang from Seoul. With their eye for form and detail coupled with Savoir’s mastering of comfort and craftsmanship, these partnerships have become a beautiful collaborative collection. These new designs, as well as sumptuous mattresses and supportive boxsprings, are available from all Savoir showrooms in London, New York and Paris, as well as China, Germany, Russia, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong.
Below, left ► Savoir master craftsman T.J. Brown.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Sleep beautifully
Savoir Beds
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Opposite ► Savoir Hugo 01.
Below, left ► Bespoke Majestic Grasslands Earrings crafted with sweeping strands of pavé set white diamonds and green emeralds. Below ► Bespoke handcrafted earrings in 18ct white gold, amethyst, sapphire and diamond deco fringe.
Established 1999 +44 207 493 9601 ► shaunleane.com 18 Woodstock Street, London W1C 2AL
Above ► The tusk motif first debuted in the 1996 Hunger collection for Alexander McQueen and has become an iconic signature of the house reimagined in these Sterling Silver and Diamond Crossover Tusk Earrings.
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Award-winning British designer-jeweller Shaun Leane is celebrated world-wide for his exquisitely refined modern-romantic jewels that push boundaries of contemporary design. Founding his eponymous jewellery brand in 1999, Leane leads the way forward for a new generation of both jewellery-makers and wearers. Nurturing an entirely new genre, he has created a new wave of jewellery that fuses the finest traditional craftsmanship and precious materials with a young-at-heart, poetic modernity. Through his mastery of age-old artisanal skills, Leane has brought the history and heritage of jewellery, its sentiments and stories, into the 21st century, combining the jewel’s innate sense of eternity with a fresh, contemporary relevance. Leane’s longstanding collaboration with the late Lee Alexander McQueen drove him to push boundaries in the realm of couture jewellery and body adornment resulting in some of the most influential catwalk imagery of the last decade. The blend of technical perfection with creative freedom that came out of this special partnership lies at the heart of the Shaun Leane jewellery brand and what it stands for today; challenging femininity and fashion, and the perceptions of form, preciousness and meaning. Through special bespoke commissions, Leane has introduced his distinctive style of vibrant, modern romance into the hallowed realms of High Jewellery, taking the customer through a compelling personal design journey, transforming jewels into treasures for a lifetime. It’s this process of immortalisation that has taken Leane from the jewellery house to the auction house. Leane was thrilled to partner with Sotheby’s and present his personal archive at the inaugural auction series, A Life of Luxury, in New York, defining his creations as collectable antiques for the future.
Sector Jewellery, Watches & Precious Metals
The art of jewellery
Shaun Leane
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Walpole British Luxury
Smallbone of Devizes The furniture maker
Established 1978 150 / 151
/ 78 Above ► The Wine Wall to showcase the finest vintages with almond-gold-plated racks and a temperature controlled cooling system. Opposite ► Inspired by neo-classical style with the use of richly opulent veneers, mirrored strips, glass and marble. Below, from left to right ► Smallbone’s dining area taken from a large private project in Florida –‘the jewel-box bungalow’. Classic Smallbone original hand painted kitchen with signature bespoke larder.
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Above, left ► The clean lines of this Mulberry kitchen showcase the handcrafted cabinetry from sustainable European oak.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Celebrating 40 years at the forefront of British furniture design in 2018, Smallbone of Devizes has an unparalleled global reputation for producing the finest bespoke cabinetry. Throughout its history, the Wiltshire-based furniture-maker has pioneered key innovations, including the larder and kitchen island, that have transformed the kitchen from a cooking space to a multifunctional social hub. From strong British roots, Smallbone’s stock is rising as a directional international luxury lifestyle brand, with an impressive rise in overseas sales as well as significant growth in its UK market. It is an evolution that was recognised when its parent company, Canburg, was once again listed in the Sunday Times HSBC International Fast Track 200, the definitive guide for Britain’s top 200 companies with the fastest-growing international sales. Major international projects sporting Smallbone interiors are rapidly appearing on the global stage. Across the Atlantic, upmarket architects and superprime developers are proving hungry for both the Smallbone name and the luxury brand’s visionary design ingenuity. Its projects include a raft of residences in New York City, from One57 New York’s Central Park Tower and Walker Tower to 210 West 77th Street. Here, covetable kitchens and elegant bathrooms, bedrooms, wine rooms, libraries and dressing rooms created by Smallbone have added substantial value to these headline-hitting buildings, and contributed to the breaking of Manhattan residential real estate price records. In the Arabian Gulf, recent clients include the top-end developer Emaar, which favours Smallbone cabinetry in numerous rooms of the home. Smallbone’s strong fusion of British handmade artisanship with design kudos has seen it work with leading names including renowned architects Jean Nouvel and Bill Sofield. Though its furniture continues to clock up the air miles, each piece is still produced in the original Wiltshire workshop, and is inscribed with the name of the joiner that created it. Though a seemingly small finishing touch, this inscription captures the spirit of Smallbone. It is both a revolutionary trailblazer at the forefront of design innovation and a British icon with its artisanal roots in plain sight.
+44 207 589 5998 ► smallbone.co.uk 220 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW3 2BB
The furniture maker
Smallbone of Devizes
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Walpole British Luxury
St Edward Creating communities for everyone
Established 2008
/ 08 Opposite, bottom ► Regeneration project Hartland Village. Below, left ► 190 Strand five-star leisure suite. Below ► 375 Kensington High Street garden party.
+44 207 118 0303 ► stedward.co.uk Berkeley House, 29 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7GR
Opposite, middle ► Kensington Row luxury apartment.
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Opposite, top ► St Edward Flagship development 190 Strand.
Sector Property & Estate
Celebrating a decade of delivering first-class service, St Edward is renowned for transforming underused sites into landmark buildings that provide not only homes but also benefit the local community. Their sites vary hugely, from apartments in London’s zone 1, to a village of 1,500 homes in Hampshire Creating a home and a community is at the heart of everything St Edward does. Every St Edward development, whether a luxury refurbishment or a brownfield regeneration site, has its own identity inspired by the site’s heritage and surrounding environment. St Edward has six developments in London and two in the South of England. The first, Stanmore Place, marks the transformation of a former DVLA testing centre into a thriving neighbourhood of nearly 800 homes. It is best known for its award-winning landscape, feature lake and business hub for small start-ups. Over the last 10 years, Stanmore Place has become a model for how to develop a strong community in a new development. It has a proactive residents association, as well as dozens of clubs and events all year round. The second is 190 Strand, a landmark address on one of prime central London’s most iconic streets. It comprises 216 beautiful homes, five-star hotel style facilities and the first London outpost of fine-dining Japanese restaurant Yen. The third, fourth and fifth are 375 Kensington High Street, Kensington Row and Royal Warwick Square. These are transforming the local area with over 1,000 homes including affordable housing, a new primary school for hundreds of pupils, a hectare of landscaped open space and retail space. The sixth is perhaps the most telling of a commitment to heritage, design and iconic location. The forthcoming 9 Millbank is a refurbishment of a Grade II listed riverside address with panoramic views over London’s skyline, located just a short stroll from the Houses of Parliament. Whilst predominantly known for its impressive portfolio within central London, St Edward is also making a significant impact on the landscape outside of London, creating communities for the future across the country. In Reading, St Edward is developing Green Park Village, a stunning collection of New England inspired houses and apartments in a lakeside setting. Meanwhile, it has started work at Hartland Village in Hampshire with an ambitious 15 year regeneration programme to transform a brown-field site into a new village of 1,500 homes alongside shops, a primary school, community facilities and country park for the residents and wider community. Beyond the bricks and mortar, St Edward is a developer that is always innovating to create and deliver stunning homes within fantastic communities, turning them into places where people love to live and work for many years to come. St Edward is a joint venture company owned by the Prudential Assurance Company and Berkeley. Together, they deliver fantastic communities where people enjoy a great quality of life.
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Creating communities for everyone
St Edward
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Walpole British Luxury Architectural interiors & bespoke furniture
Studiofibre
Established 2007
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+44 144 287 6335 ► studiofibre.com The Coach House, Boxwell Road, Berkhamsted HP4 3ET
Below ► Pretzel Rocker.
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Opposite ► Selected Studiofibre projects including workplace (Farfetch HQ London), retail (Mary Katrantzou, Chaos, Concept Store) and Furniture (Meeting Booths, Phone Booths and Button Bench).
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Since its inception in 2007, Studiofibre has spent 10 years designing and crafting experiential spaces globally for a host of iconic luxury brands including Farfetch, YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP and Mary Katrantzou. Headed by Fiona and Ian Livingston, Studiofibre is a talented team of architects, interior designers and bespoke furniture makers who bring brands to life in 3D, creating spaces as luxurious and unique as the brands that commission them. Be it a workplace, retail unit or a pop-up installation, each new project begins with an in-depth analysis of a brand’s identity, which is then expertly woven into a design narrative, enveloping those using or visiting the space in the very essence of the brand. This very ‘human’ approach to design ensures that clients are able to maximise their two key assets: their brains (workforce) and their brand. Design details are included in every scheme which serve to nudge the brain into different modes, helping to optimise both productivity and wellbeing. A new collaboration between Studiofibre and a highly respected doctoral researcher, and brain scientist now ensures that a client’s space allows their team and their business to thrive. “Studiofibre were my chosen design-partners to develop the striking designnarrative for the NET-A-PORTER spaces globally. Their talent lies in delivering design solutions that are born out of a deep understanding of brands, and they challenge conventional ideas of what a space should be. I am a big supporter of their work.” Dame Natalie Massenet. Specialising in creating memorable, tailor-made brand experiences in bricks and mortar, Studiofibre also designs and makes bespoke furniture and fittings for every project, ensuring each space has its own, beautifully branded identity, expertly crafted from the highest-quality raw materials. Recent projects include a London HQ, and a series of workspaces and showrooms globally for pioneering digital luxury brand Farfetch. The brand’s roots in luxury fashion and technology inspired Studiofibre to create a design language which treated each space as an installation, resulting in a series of stylishly deconstructed gallery-style areas. Bespoke statement furniture pieces, featuring ‘sliced’ details inspired by the Farfetch logo, provide the finishing touches. Today’s world of rapid change means that every space is designed to flex and adapt to engage returning shoppers (retail spaces), to accommodate growth and neighbourhood-style working (workspaces) or to be refreshed to drive both sales and digital engagement (pop-up installations). Having recently celebrated 10 years, Studiofibre is proud to embark on its next decade by launching a capsule range of contemporary furniture, available by special order. The latest addition to the capsule range is a modern ‘phone booth’ which elevates plywood to a luxurious level and provides a stylish, practical solution to the lack of privacy in open plan spaces.
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Architectural interiors & bespoke furniture
Studiofibre
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Walpole British Luxury
Atelier Swarovski Innovation & inspiration
Opposite ► Atelier Swarovski by Mary Katrantzou SS18. Below, left ► Atelier Swarovski by Zaha Hadid, ‘Crista’ 2016. Below ► Emerald Atelier Swarovski Fine Jewellery Collection.
Established 1895 atelierswarovski.com
Above ► Atelier Swarovski by Lanvin SS17
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Atelier Swarovski was founded by Nadja Swarovski in 2007 as a showcase for innovation, craftsmanship and the art of crystal cutting - the qualities on which her great-great-grandfather Daniel Swarovski founded his company in 1895. The cutting-edge jewellery, accessories and home décor pieces of Atelier Swarovski are the ultimate expression of Swarovski crystal. The Atelier Swarovski range is built on a spirit of sustainability and collaboration, which inspires the world’s leading talents in fashion, jewellery, architecture and design to push the boundaries of conscious luxury, with breath-taking results. Alongside its constantly evolving core collection, Atelier Swarovski presents seasonal jewellery and accessories collaborations twice a year during New York, London and Paris fashion weeks, as well as exquisite objects for the home at Milan design week. Past collaborators include Jean Paul Gaultier, Viktor&Rolf, Christopher Kane and Maison Margiela for jewellery, and Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Ron Arad for home décor. To celebrate a dazzling ten years of creativity in crystal, Swarovski and Condé Nast have published a lavish art book that tells the story of the Atelier brand. With introductions by Karl Lagerfeld and Hubert de Givenchy, Brilliant – the Story of Atelier Swarovski features unique contributions from some of the most celebrated names in fashion and art, including Jason Wu, Mary Katrantzou and architects Hariri & Hariri. Building on Daniel Swarovski’s founding vision, Swarovski is committed to luxury with a conscience, grounded in humanity and a recognition that our business has an important role to play in the wider world. Swarovski’s Fine Jewellery collection embraces materials of the future, including Swarovski Created Diamonds, which have a lower environmental impact than mined diamonds. In the future-facing designs of Atelier Swarovski, beauty and humanity go hand in hand.
Sector Jewellery, Watches & Precious Metals
Innovation & inspiration
Atelier Swarovski
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Walpole British Luxury
The Thinking Traveller Exceptional villas, local knowledge & personal service
Established 2002
Opposite, below ► Looking out to the Ionian Sea from Rocca dell Tre Contrade, Sicily.
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Opposite, top ► The stunning pool area at Don Arcangelo all’Olmo, Sicily.
Below, from left to right ► Madreterra, Ionian Islands. Villa Elia, Puglia. A Torra, Corsica.
+44 207 377 8518 ► thethinkingtraveller.com The Old Truman Brewery, 91-95 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
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Sector Hospitality & Services
The Thinking Traveller was conceived one night in 2000 atop the incandescent volcanic island of Stromboli in Sicily’s Aeolian archipelago. The morning after, as dawn blushed the skies a Homeric pink, Huw Beaugié, an engineer from the UK, and Rossella d’Anna, a cell biologist from Sicily, descended to the translucent ultramarine waters below, a new life mapped out. They quit their jobs in Paris, founded The Thinking Traveller in 2002, and set about providing discerning travellers not only with luxury villas but also access to Sicily’s enormous but little-known riches. The Thinking Traveller quickly became the first port of call for luxury villa experiences in Sicily. The company’s winning formula of exceptional villas, unrivalled local knowledge and expert personal service has been carefully extended to other destinations, and today The Thinking Traveller offers privileged access to the most desirable properties in the heart of the Mediterranean, more specifically in the south of Italy (Sicily and Puglia), Greece (the Ionian and the Sporades Islands) and Corsica. The properties in The Thinking Traveller’s portfolio are exclusively available through the company. This unique feature not only allows them to guarantee quality, but also to create tailor-made solutions for their clientele. The exceptional range of villas begins with five-star oases of fully serviced luxury (the so-called Think Exquisite collection) but also includes dreamy beachfront summer houses with pools, gems of contemporary architecture, sumptuous masserie, charmingly chic trulli, romantic retreats and much more besides. All potential properties continue to be vetted personally by Huw and Rossella, thus ensuring that only the very best villas make it into the company’s collection. The Thinking Traveller’s dedicated team of villa experts is fundamental to the company’s success. Those based in London visit the company’s destinations and villas several times a year, allowing them to offer transparent, first-hand advice to clients. The resourcefulness and unparalleled knowledge of the company’s locally-based concierges, meanwhile, knows no bounds. Available 24/7, they are always on hand to ensure that guests experience only the very best their destination has to offer. Those booking with The Thinking Traveller don’t only get the pick of the most exceptional villas in the heart of the Mediterranean, however. They also have access to the company’s range of Think Experiences, a selection of enriching activities that includes luxury boat charters, helicopter trips, wine deliveries, in-villa chefs, masseuses and personal trainers, PhD-qualified tour guides, transfers, vineyard visits, and cooking lessons with Michelin-starred chefs. The Thinking Traveller’s mission is a simple one: to hear their clients saying, “That was the best holiday we’ve ever had… we’ll be back.” That the company consistently manages to exceed its clients’ expectations, there can be no doubt: on three occasions, including back-to-back successes in 2017 and 2016, it has been voted “Best Villa Rental Company” at the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards..
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Exceptional villas, local knowledge & personal service
The Thinking Traveller
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Walpole British Luxury
Tom Howley Exquisite British craftsmanship
Established 2004 160 / 161
/ 04 Below ► Choice of colour is critical to any kitchen design, here Tom Howley’s bespoke paint colour, Nightshade is used to create a dramatic look throughout the kitchen.
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Opposite ► The Hartford collection is an inspired modern update on the classic shaker style kitchen designed with simplicity and elegance in mind.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
Attention to detail and superb craftsmanship are the hallmarks of a Tom Howley bespoke kitchen. Time honoured expertise and uncompromising design, paired with the highest specification appliances have established Tom Howley as an award-winning brand, realising the lifestyle needs of its discerning clientele. As part of the long-established luxury British furniture group BHID (Bespoke Home Interior Design), Tom Howley has many years’ experience specialising in millimetre-perfect kitchen design. Having invested in a large network of showrooms in prestigious areas across the UK, including Tunbridge Wells, Harrogate and prime central London locations, Tom Howley has established itself as the go-to brand for bespoke kitchen design across the country. The quality of service, design and craftsmanship has positioned Tom Howley as a first choice for design-conscious homeowners. From the first showroom visit, clients can expect a tailored and individual service from inhouse experts who will guide them on the journey to their perfect kitchen. Tom Howley’s signature style is elegant, simple and refined. The development team has created a collection of kitchen furniture that blends seamlessly into both modern and period homes. With unrivalled design accuracy and execution, Tom Howley offers clients a leisurely and enjoyable experience from design conception to completion. With a host of luxury brand partnerships such as Miele, Sub-Zero and Wolf to its name, Tom Howley prides itself on the level of quality specified in each individual kitchen. All appliances feature the latest technology in cooking and refrigeration to achieve the best culinary results, sitting perfectly alongside bespoke cabinetry. Manufactured at the Tom Howley hub in the rolling Derbyshire hills, each kitchen is crafted to exacting standards by skilled craftspeople, many of whom have been with the company since its earliest days. Each bespoke piece of furniture is measured against strict quality control standards before being carefully installed in exquisite British homes across the UK. Timeless, elegant kitchen design with unparalleled attention to detail is what makes Tom Howley special.
+44 161 848 1200 ► tomhowley.co.uk 3 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1PB
Exquisite British craftsmanship
Tom Howley
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Walpole British Luxury
Wedgwood Innovation and craftsmanship
Established 1759
/ 59 Below ► Wedgwood; A Story of Creation & Innovation in partnership with Rizzoli.
+44 178 220 4141 ► wedgwood.co.uk Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST12 9ER
Below, left ► Wedgwood Burlington Pots.
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Opposite ► The Wedgwood Tea Conservatory pop-up at the 2017 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Sector Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship
The iconic British luxury brand Wedgwood has been a testament of British lifestyle innovation since 1759. The brand was founded by Josiah Wedgwood in 1759, primarily a potter, but also a pioneer, scientist, philanthropist and family man, regarded as one of the greatest innovators and businessmen of the Industrial Revolution. Its 250+ years of heritage and ‘Made in England’ craftsmanship is accessible to the public at the World of Wedgwood, the global Wedgwood Brand Experience Centre in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, which attracts 100,000 visitors a year from all over the world. This unique attraction ranges from the award-winning Wedgwood Museum to seeing the artisans at work at the factory tour, enjoying a pottery workshop, and exploring Wedgwood at the Wedgwood Tea Conservatory – the heart of Wedgwood Flagship store. Wedgwood was bought by Fiskars in 2015, kicking off a brand journey to bring the spirit of its founder back in a new way and make Wedgwood relevant again; evolving it from offering great products to consumer-centric experiences. Wedgwood introduced its first coffee table book Wedgwood: A Story of Creativity & Innovation in partnership with international-leading publisher Rizzoli in November 2017 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as well as New York, and will continue its global voyage to Tokyo and Sydney throughout 2018. Wedgwood has partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which was founded by John Wedgwood (Josiah’s eldest son) in 1804, which forms the perfect platform to show its evolution and newness in a surprising and relevant context. The new Wedgwood Tea Conservatory was launched during the various RHS Flower Shows – from Chelsea to Chatsworth and Tatton Park – where thousands of people could enjoy the updated Wedgwood Tea Experience served in its new Wonderlust Collection, with a focus on ‘well being’. Wedgwood engaged Bernadine Tay, a global tea curator, to create an innovative tea offering in a credible and authentic way to perfectly fit Wedgwood’s renowned fine bone china teaware. Meanwhile, the new Wonderlust Collection, inspired by the historic ‘Grand Tour’, is an eclectic mix of gifts and innovative tea blends with extraordinary flavours – all inspired by the wonders of travel taking you to different parts of Asia and Europe. The globally recognised signature Wedgwood blue and white Jasper, unique to the company and invented by Josiah in 1775, was relaunched during the RHS shows with a new Flower Pot Series: the ‘Wedgwood Burlington Pot’ – in partnership with Lady Laura Burlington, the future Duchess of Devonshire – and a nod to Wedgwood Heritage of the ‘Devonshire Pot’ from 1785. Made in England, it layers blue and white clay to form a unique marbling effect, organic texture where every product is unique. Discover Wedgwood at the RHS Flower Shows in 2018 or visit the World of Wedgwood in Barlaston or follow the brand on #wedgwood, and be the first to explore how Wedgwood continues its path of again becoming an innovator of British lifestyle, making the everyday extraordinary.
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Innovation and craftsmanship
Wedgwood
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Walpole British Luxury
Walpole Members guide
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WA L P OL E Walpole is a unique membership association of more than 200 of Britain’s finest luxury brands, including Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Boodles, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Harrods and Jimmy Choo, brands that have been described as ‘a business card for Britain’. Walpole promotes, protects and develops the unique qualities of luxury in the British Isles: the tradition, heritage, craftsmanship, innovation, design, style, and service at the heart of an industry that contributes more than £32 billion to the UK economy and is a leading creator of jobs. Part trade association, part private members’ club, Walpole is dedicated to ensuring the best possible business context in which the luxury sector can flourish. Walpole lobbies governments in Westminster and Brussels, commissions new research, and tells the story of British luxury to key media and the wider industry.
Walpole is committed to helping create a strong pipeline of future growth for the sector by nurturing the next generation of Britain’s luxury talent; every year, its flagship mentoring programmes, Brands of Tomorrow and the Programme in Luxury Management at London Business School, connect Britain’s most talented up-and-coming entrepreneurs and future leaders with a network of senior mentors from Walpole’s established membership, and help hone their talents through workshops in luxury fundamentals.
Walpole British Luxury
Walpole helps support its members’ international growth aspirations through trade missions, insight and connections. Walpole nurtures and develops next generation talent in British luxury brands, its craftspeople and its leaders. Walpole helps members do better business with their peers, facilitating strategic brand partnerships. Walpole brings its members together at more than 30 events each year – from high-level dinners and insightful workshops to the globally recognised Walpole British Luxury Awards, which celebrates and honours the significant achievements of luxury brands and leaders.
Walpole Member guide
WA L POL E: A COL L EC T I V E VOICE FOR LU X U RY ON PU BLIC A FFA IR S
Below, from the top ► Walpole's Director for Public Affairs and International Charlotte Keesing at the residence of the British Consul General in New York City. Jeweller Stephen Webster, CEO of Fortnum & Mason Ewan Ventners, and Marcus Wareing at the 2018 Chairman & CEO Dinner at Rosewood London. Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, addresses guests at the 2017 Creative Dinner at Design Centre, Chelse Harbour. Guests at the 2017 Women in Luxury network lunch at The Corinthia.
Walpole represents members’ interests and acts as a collective voice in Westminster and Brussels, ensuring the sector is recognised, valued and protected.
► Economic value and impact
Walpole commissions annual studies analysing and examining the financial indicators and wider benefits the luxury sector provides for the UK economy.
► Brexit
Walpole’s manifesto, Thriving after Brexit, produced after extensive collaboration with and input from members, outlined the British luxury industry’s position on Brexit. Published in February 2017, and updated after further member consultation in January 2018, it identifies five main priorities pertinent to the sector as negotiations to exit the European Union continue. They are: International exports, Investment and tourism; Free movement of people and skills; Trade with Europe; Intellectual Property; and Selective Distribution. The insights from the manifesto continue to shape both Walpole’s engagement with the British government to ensure the luxury industry’s interests are safeguarded during Brexit negotiations and to provide relevant, actionable advice to members as they prepare their businesses to leave the EU.
► ECCIA
Walpole co-founded the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance (ECCIA) with its European counterparts: Comité Colbert (France), Altagamma (Italy), Circulo Fortuny (Spain) and Meisterkreis (Germany) in October 2010, which collectively represents the interests of 80% of the world’s luxury goods businesses. Examples of the ECCIA’s lobbying success on behalf of the luxury and high end sector include the recent ruling on Selective Distribution, which gives luxury brands the right to block retailers from selling products on online marketplaces which do not preserve the ethos and quality of their products. The ECCIA ensures the European luxury and high-end industries are recognised, promoted and supported in Brussels. Areas of focus include recognition of the unique luxury industry business model, intellectual property, the digital agenda and distribution, employment and skills, tourism and market access. Through the ECCIA, British luxury brands will continue to have a voice at the EU table during and beyond Brexit, a significant advantage for the sector.
► UKCVA
Walpole British Luxury
Opposite ► Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank at the Walpole British Luxury Showcase in New York City.
As co-founders of the UK China Visa Alliance, Walpole works with government to simplify the process and encourage more Chinese visitors to the UK. This was in response to 2012 statistics showing the UK significantly underperforms in attracting Chinese visitors compared to other major European countries, costing the economy £1.2 billion per year. Since its launch, the Alliance has had considerable success in persuading the government to adopt a one-stop-shop approach for Chinese visitors applying for both a UK and Schengen visa, encouraging them to add the UK to a multi-country European trip, as well as improvements to the length of visas once granted. Since the UKCVA started its campaign, Chinese visitor numbers have grown 127% from 210,000 in 2012 to 478,000 in 2016. This outperformed Schengen, whose numbers increased by 72% in the same period.
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st e t a e r g e h t st g n o m a e b o t s i r e b m e m "To be a Walpole Britain has to offer" luxury brands Walpole develops international activities and opportunities to promote and support members in building their networks through relationships with the FCO, DIT, GREAT and embassies in key markets, as well as international business organisations. Walpole has strong relationships with its counterparts in Italy, France, Spain and Germany, and partners with international events and conferences including the FT Business of Luxury Summit (Global) and The European Excellence Summit. Walpole's priority market is the US which at $85 billion is the largest market for luxury worldwide with a further $18.5 billion of growth forecast by 2021; this represents a 52% market expansion in just 10 years. New York alone accounts for $25.5 billion or almost one third of the total US luxury market. Walpole’s inaugural British Luxury Showcase and trade mission to New York in October 2017 helped member brands optimise their opportunities in this market, attracted support from the UK Government and, in addition, brought nearly 100 members of the press to the brand showcase. Walpole will anniversary the British Luxury Showcase in October 2018.
► A programme of communications
Walpole delivers a strategic communication and media programme to promote British luxury and its brands to the membership, wider industry, business and consumer press through a combination of owned content and external media relations. Walpole’s Daily Digest is a digital round up of industry news and events from the past 24 hours, as well as opinion, exclusive interviews and insights from Walpole’s membership. Gillian de Bono, Editor of FT How to Spend It, said of the Digest "it is the only newsletter to read before breakfast" and it has a reach of over 20,000. The Walpole Digest is supported by thewalpole.co.uk and across social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Walpole hosts the annual British Luxury Awards; a key event in the luxury calendar which attracts the industry’s highest-profile executives, influencers and creatives, as well as leading luxury journalists and bloggers, generating media coverage for winners and the sector. The 2017 Walpole Awards coverage was worth £1.1 million in PR value and reached over 79 million people worldwide. Walpole provides opportunities for members to participate in media events – including press showcases, press conferences, media briefings, roundtables, and ’Meet the Media’ events with Walpole’s media partners. Walpole comments on key issues in the business press on behalf of the sector.
Walpole British Luxury
► Cultivating international growth opportunities
Walpole Member guide
WA L POL E: N U RT U R ING T HE N EX T GEN ER AT ION
► Brands of Tomorrow
Walpole Brands of Tomorrow, established in 2007, is a flagship mentoring programme that helps aspiring British luxury brands to take their businesses to the next level. Each year, Walpole selects 12 fledgling businesses and takes them through a programme of workshops and one-to-one mentorship with the UK’s most experienced luxury leaders. Over 10 years, the effectiveness of the programme is demonstrated by the ongoing success of those brands – alumni include Bremont, Orlebar Brown, Nyetimber, Charlotte Olympia and House of Hackney. For 2018, Walpole has established a Brands of Tomorrow Alumni Club, offering ongoing support to the brands who have finished their year within the core programme.
► Programme in Luxuy Management at London Business School The Programme in Luxury Management nurtures the next generation of luxury leaders through a series of seminars, project work and mentoring. The participants on this programme are selected from the current MBA intake at London Business School who wish to pursue a career in luxury post-graduation.
► A private members’ club for the British luxury industry
Walpole membership connects people, businesses and organisations to create tangible value for its community of highly engaged luxury leaders. Forged over its 25-year history, Walpole’s unique convening power brings together an influential network of luxury professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators, connectors and creatives, who meet regularly to collaborate and communicate, sharing best practice, and working to further the aims of the sector in the UK and overseas. Membership offers access to the full programme of Walpole’s events, and creates a distinctive, valuable platform for building and nurturing relationships at a range of activities, from high-octane industry gatherings like the annual Chairman and CEO Dinner or the British Luxury Awards, to intimate dinners or thought leadership breakfasts, with expert speakers on topical issues such as international growth, entrepreneurship, brand identity and public affairs. In addition, Walpole builds bespoke experiential events, facilitates targeted peer-to-peer introductions, supports strategic brand partnerships between members, and facilitates networking and information sharing through wider industry events.
Become a Walpole member ► To enquire about Walpole membership please contact Stephanie Robinson, Head of Membership on +44 (0)7342 031 230 or stephanie.robinson@thewalpole.co.uk The below membership criteria applies. All applications for membership will go to the Walpole membership committee for approval.
Membership critera ► • The Company is primarily based in the UK and must have or be a brand with a British product or service to offer. • The Company’s origins should be British, but need not, however, be British owned. • The Company is outstanding in its own particular field, and has a luxury brand or brands that exemplify the highest standards in terms of quality, style, design, craftsmanship, creativity, service and innovation. • The Company should have a brand or brands with an international reputation or aspire to promote them through international channels. • The Company is well established, has been trading for no fewer than three years and has a minimum turnover of £5 million.*
Walpole British Luxury
• The Company endorses Walpole’s purpose, shares the same objectives and will actively participate in pursuing Walpole’s aims on behalf of the luxury sector. Walpole: An alliance of Britain's greatest luxury brands.
* Exceptions apply for certain categories of
businesses, eg, crafts-led or eligible early stage businesses – please enquire for details.
Left ► Walpole board director and editor-in-chief of FT How to Spend It Gillian de Bono with Clive Christian OBE at Walpole's 2018 Chairman and CEO Dinner.
Helen Brocklebank in conversation with editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country, and Walpole board director Justine Picardie, at the annual Women in Luxury network lunch.
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Right, from the top ► Brown's Hotel was the setting for Walpole's Luxury and Location research launch, in association with CBRE, featuring discussions with (L-R) Charlotte Keesing; Hugh Seaborn, CEO of Cadogan; Rebeca Guzman Vidal, Director, CBRE; Michael Ward, MD of Harrods and Chairman of Walpole; and Mark Henderson, Chairman of Gieves & Hawkes and Walpole Board Director.
Chair of the Walpole Brands of Tomorrow programme Jonathan Heilbron with luxury consultant Sarah Elton and luxury entrepreneur (and former Brands of Tomorrow Chair) John Ayton MBE. Pictured at the 2018 Brands of Tomorrow launch party at Fortnum & Mason.
Walpole British Luxury
Below ► In October 2017, Walpole senior executives welcomed a delegation of 24 German luxury CEOs from Walpole's sister organisation in Deutschland, Meisterkreis – to London – led by its founder and president, Clemens Pflanz.
Walpole British Luxury 2018
Brands of Tomorrow
Malle London, Method, Rae Feather, and Votary – all perfectly encapsulate the extraordinary creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of luxury in the British Isles, and exemplify the highest standards of quality, style, innovation and craftsmanship. With Walpole’s help, they will maximise their potential and go on to drive UK growth, to export goods and services, to create employment, and to take up their place alongside the established British luxury brands. As we welcome the 2018 intake, I’d like to thank longstanding programme partner Mishcon de Reya, who not only invest in the programme, but also give generously of their expertise, providing each brand with a legal mentor to work alongside their luxury mentor. And of course to say a huge thank you to those Walpole members who freely give their time and talents to developing this next generation, either as mentors or workshop partners. Helen Brocklebank Walpole CEO
1 The Leisurewear Brand 2 The Sportswear Brand 3 The Online Floristry Brand 4 The Mens’ Loungewear Brand 5 The Spirit Brand 6 The Tailoring Brand 7 The Leather Goods Brand 8 The Adventure Accessories Brand 9 The Bespoke Objects Brand 10 The Luxury Accessories Brand 11 The New Media Brand 12 The Skincare Brand
Walpole British Luxury
Established in April 2007, Walpole launched its flagship Brands of Tomorrow programme with the vision to secure the long-term growth of the UK’s luxury sector by building a pipeline of next-generation brands. The programme’s inaugural intake is testament to its immediate success: Astley Clarke, Bremont, Fitzdares, Nyetimber, Miller Harris and Persephone Books are now beacons of the British luxury sector, known the world over. Since then, Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow has mentored 85 luxury start-ups. This year, 12 more fledgling brands will join the likes of Orlebar Brown, Charlotte Olympia, House of Hackney, Richard Brendon, Rococo Chocolates, Business of Fashion, Rory Dobner, Emilia Wickstead, and many more, as they move onto the next stage of their luxury journey. The 2018 Brands of Tomorrow – Asceno, Castore, FLOWERBX, Hamilton and Hare, The Jackal, J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey, Kathryn Sargent Bespoke Tailoring, LONB,
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BRANDS T O M O R R OW
2018
Brands of Tomorrow
1 ASCENO ► ASCENO is a brand ushered by both an insatiable desire to travel the world and the absolute necessity to look effortlessly cool while doing so. This sleek brand is best known for its bold stripes, vibrant prints, and unexpected use of colour. Fluid sandwashed silk pyjamas and premium swimwear are all perfectly proportioned for luxuriated globetrotting.
2 Walpole British Luxury
Castore ► Castore is the world’s first truly premium sportswear brand for men, utilising specialist technical fabrics and advanced engineering to create garments of unrivalled quality. Founded by brothers Phil and Tom Beahon, both former professional athletes, Castore supports some of Britain’s most talented young athletes. These individuals play a key role in product development, pushing garments to their limits during testing and combine with rigorous scientific analysis to deliver superior sportswear for more discerning athletes.
3 FLOWERBX is an online flower delivery service that is fundamentally changing the way individuals and businesses purchase flowers Because of its proprietary, inventory-less operating model, delivering flowers directly from the auctions in Holland, FLOWERBX is able to cut out the handful of middlemen that perpetuate the traditional bricks-and-mortar supply chain. As a result, FLOWERBX is able to offer extraordinary freshness while passing savings onto the customer.
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FLOWERBX ►
4 Hamilton and Hare was founded with the ambition of giving men’s underwear and loungewear the respect it deserves and set out to elevate the category beyond functional basics. The story started with a reinvention of the boxer short, inspired by the original boxing short worn in the ring. Combining an avid attention to detail, innovative natural fabrics and an obsession with fit, the ambition is to deliver ultimate comfort that looks good too.
Walpole British Luxury
Hamilton and Hare ►
5 2018
Brands of Tomorrow
J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey ► Founded by Louise McGuane in 2015, The Chapel Gate Irish Whiskey Co. has revived the once lost art of Irish whiskey bonding. The company sources the highestquality whiskey from multiple Irish distilleries, fills it into specially selected casks and matures it in a unique coastal microclimate on the McGuane family farm along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. When ready, the whiskey is blended and released under the J.J. Corry brand name.
6 Walpole British Luxury
Kathryn Sargent Bespoke Tailoring ► Kathryn Sargent Bespoke Tailoring creates garments of the highest quality for both men and women. As the first tailoring house established by a woman that has true Savile Row values of craftsmanship at its core, Kathryn infuses quintessentially British style with a fresh contemporary vision. The first female Head Cutter at a Savile Row tailoring house and first female Master Tailor to have a seasonal store on Savile Row, Kathryn founded her company in 2012.
7 Launched in April 2017 by Melissa Morris and Reinhard Mieck, LONB is a timeless collection of luxury leather goods for men and women which brings refinement, elegance and ease into everyday moments. Created for lives in motion, the collection is crafted to be beautiful and practical. Each detail, from the outside to the inside, balances relaxed confidence and intuitive purpose.
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LONB ►
8 Malle London was founded by two British designers, Robert Nightingale & Jonathan Cazzola. The pair set out to reinvent the world of motorcycle luggage, which led them into a new area they define as ‘adventure accessories’. Malle blend British heritage materials with contemporary design, robust craftsmanship and a unique sense of utilitarian style.
Walpole British Luxury
Malle London ►
9 2018
Brands of Tomorrow
Method ► Method is a boutique creative production house, specialising in the design, development, project-management and manufacture of remarkable bespoke objects and associated authentic content. From humble beginnings as a handmade furniture and trunk makers, the studio has grown into a multidisciplinary ‘Architects of Objects’ delivering a wide range of creative services with an unmistakable heart of craft and a playful, theatrical style, for the likes of Burberry, Aesop, Vacheron Constantin and Bentley.
10 Walpole British Luxury
Rae Feather ► Rae Feather believe in bringing a little joy to the simple things in life. Designed for work, play and everything in between, Rae Feather creates luxury accessories that become a faithful friend, whatever the occasion. Famed for their woven basket bags and clutches, which have become a staple in the wardrobes of fashion experts across the globe, the brand offers a bespoke touch in the form of monogrammed initials.
11 The Jackal is a disruptive new media brand and a vehicle for luxury brands. It was launched in March 2017 and targets an AB London commuter audience of smart-dressing, smartthinking, smart-living men in print and online through a magazine, a website, social channels, a weekly email and an events portfolio.
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The Jackal ►
12 Votary ►
Walpole British Luxury
Founded by Arabella Preston and Charlotte Semler in 2015, Votary is a luxury range of natural plant oils and active botanicals for dewy, glowing, healthy skin. Each unique formula is created by Arabella and made in England. Since its launch Votary has become adored by beauty buyers, editors and bloggers alike, and fuses simplicity, modernity and chicness with a passionate belief that healthy skin is beautiful skin.
Walpole British Luxury Celebrating excellence
British Luxury Awards
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BRITISH LUXURY AW A R D S
The Dorchester, London ► Was the splendid setting for the 2017 Walpole British Luxury Awards, hosted by Catherine Zeta-Jones CBE. For 16 years, Walpole has brought together the great and the good of British luxury to honour the extraordinary achievements of the sector. The Awards have an important tale to tell about the role luxury plays in the UK economy, not only celebrating the particular focus on export Britain’s brands have, or the importance of London as a market for international luxury brands, but also its regional manufacturing strength and contribution to creating skilled jobs and nurturing talent. What’s more, they also recognise the relationship between creativity and culture, the innovative and the artisanal, and the value of a sector worth £32.2 billion, as well as its values: its burgeoning desire to make the world a better place.
Walpole British Luxury
2017
Celebrating excellence
Walpole British Luxury
British Luxury Awards
Right Ruth and Tom Chapman, founders of MATCHESFASHION.COM and winners of the British Luxury Brand of the Year, in association with Laurent-Perrier. Below Award-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones CBE gets her glam on with the help of stylist Peter Lux, make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury, and a dress from Temperley London. Walpole Chairman and Managing Director of Harrods Michael Ward; Catherine Zeta-Jones; Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole.
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Right Social media influencer and blogger Jim Chapman presenter of the Digital Award – arrives at The Dorchester in style, courtesy of Bentley Motors.
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Below Host Catherine Zeta-Jones takes to the stage.
Walpole British Luxury
h c i h w t n ve e n a t r o p p su to e g e l vi i r p l a e r a 's "It’ g n i r su n e s l a u d vi i d n i d n a s d n a r b e l b i d e r c n i e th rewards ." r ve o d l r o w e th d e u l va British luxury is s. e n o J ta e Z e n i r e Cath
Celebrating excellence
British Luxury Awards
Top, left Lord William Burlington (centre left) accepted Chatsworth's Cultural Experience Award from Amanda Berry OBE, CEO of BAFTA, and Michael Moszynski, CEO of LONDON Advertising. Top, middle The Innovation and Creativity Award was presented to Toby Bateman, Managing Director of MR PORTER (middle left) by Gillian de Bono, editor-inchief of FT How to Spend It and Raphaël Aflalo, CEO and CoFounder of MY LOVE AFFAIR. Top, bottom Lifetime Achievement recipient Justine Picardie with Roksanda Ilincic and Helen Brocklebank.
Walpole British Luxury
Below Justine Picardie, editorin-chief of Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country, accepts her Lifetime Achievement award from fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic and Grant Morris, CEO of Elite Associates.
Below, left Influencer and blogger Jim Chapman presented Farfetch with their Digital Award; L-R Jenny Tsai, Founder & CEO of WEARISMA, Susannah Clark, VP Communications of Farfetch, Jim Chapman, Helen Brocklebank.
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k r o w s ' k r a M , n a m s t f a r c y r "A visiona a y b d n a t s r e d n u e w t a h w d e n i f e completely red " . n e h c t i k d e n g i beautifully des Above Helen Brocklebank presents the Walpole Honour to Cynthia Wilkinson, widow of Mark Wilkinson OBE, co-founder of Smallbone of Devizes and Mark Wilkinson Furniture. Right Charlotte Tilbury (right) with Demetra Pinsent, CEO of her eponymous beauty brand, who presented the British Luxury Brand of the Year award.
Walpole British Luxury
Below, right Johnstons of Elgin was rewarded for their Commitment to British Manufacturing. CEO Simon Cotton (middle left) was presented with the award by Patrick Grant (left), creative director of Norton and Sons, and Mark Harvey (right), Managing Director of Chapel Down.
Celebrating excellence
British Luxury Awards
Above Lady Kitty Spencer, presenter of the Luxury with a Heart Award.
Above, from the top Henrietta Jowitt, Deputy Director General of the CBI (left) and Victoria Berwick, Global Marketing Director at Reed & Mackay (centre right) with Ken McConomy from Jaguar Land Rover, winner of the Export Excellence award. Luxury with a Heart was presented to Marc Hoellinger, President & CEO at The Glenmorangie Company, LVMH, by Margaret Sweeney, Director of Business Development at G.F Smith (left) and Lady Kitty Spencer (centre right). Laurent-Perrier’s Managing Director, David Hesketh (left), Charlotte Tilbury and Demetra Pinsent (centre right) presented the British Luxury Brand of the Year award to MATCHESFASHION. COM founders Tom and Ruth Chapman (centre left).
Walpole British Luxury
The Leader in Luxury Award was given to Imran Amed MBE, founder and editor in chief of Business of Fashion (centre left) by Kevin Flynn, Head of Retail at ThoughtWorks (left) and Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods (centre right). Left Luxury Maker of the Year was presented to Bentley Motors: Left-to-right, Bentley’s Head of Design John Paul Gregory; Stefan Sielaff, Bentley's Design Director; Helen Brocklebank; Iain Watson, Managing Director of David Collins Studio; and Rosy Greenlees, OBE, Executive Director of the Crafts Council.
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Left Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle, founders of House of Hackney, one of the four winners of the Brands of Tomorrow Award for Emerging Talent, and stylists of the after-party lounge.
English winemaker Chapel Down provided fine wines with dinner.
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Below Presenter of the Commitment to British Manufacturing Award Patrick Grant, with Jaguar Land Rover's Ken McConomy, winner of the Export Excellence Award.
International Brand of the Year went to Gucci, presented by Lorraine Candy, editor-in-chief, Style magazine, and luxury content director, The Sunday Times, and Jeremy Langmead, editor-in-Chief of The Times LUXX to Niccolò Moschini, Global Director of Corporate Communications at Gucci. (left-to-right Lorraine Candy, Niccolò Moschini, Helen Brocklebank, Jeremy Langmead)
Walpole British Luxury
Right, from the top The Brands of Tomorrow Award for Emerging Talent was presented to House of Hackney, Aurelia Probiotic Skincare, Seedlip and Tom Raffield by Helen Brocklebank and Lewis Cohen, Partner at Mishcon de Reyan (far right).
Walpole British Luxury
t s i l s r e b m e m e l o &Walp
2018 Walpole events & members list
EVENT CALENDAR
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March ► GDPR Masterclass in association with Charles Russell Speechlys Walpole Book of British Luxury launch party CFO Dinner Luxury Insider Breakfast in association with Grace Belgravia
April ► • • • •
• • • •
White Paper report on Luxury in the Middle East in association with The Chalhoub Group Women in Luxury Salon Meet the Media Cocktail Party Launch of the Marketing in the Americas Trade Show
May ► International Sales & Marketing Seminar in association with Premier Tax Free The Medium is the Message, Creative Marketing Breakfast in association with Digital Cinema Media Women and Power Network Lunch
June ► • • • •
Walpole Board Directors’ Dinner One Day Summit: Secrets of the Luxury Entrepreneur ECCIA European Excellence Summit Brexit Briefing
July ► • •
Women in Luxury Salon Meet the Media Cocktail Party
August ► •
HNWI Roundtable
September ►
• •
Half Day Brand Forum in association with G. F Smith Brexit Briefing
October ► • •
CEO and Creatives’ Dinner US Trade Delegation to New York
November ►
Walpole British Luxury Awards
December ► • •
Walpole and RWHA Carol Service Women in Luxury Salon
Walpole Luxury Index
•
Walpole members list Partners, members & friends
Patrons ► G. F Smith
Strategic Partners ► Buffalo CBRE The Chalhoub Group Charles Russell Speechlys Forter Freight Brokers GGMR Global Blue Leagas Delaney McKinsey & Co Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Walpole Members
Automotive, Aviation & Yachting ► Bentley Rolls-Royce Motor Cars RWD Sunseeker Victor
Beauty & Grooming ► Bamford Charlotte Tilbury Clive Christian Elegantes Geo F. Trumper Jo Malone London Molton Brown Noble Isle Ormonde Jayne
Walpole British Luxury
Culture ► BAFTA Glyndebourne Historic Royal Palaces London Philharmonic Orchestra RADA Royal Academy of Dance Royal Opera House Sainsbury Centre Victoria and Albert Museum
Fashion & Accessories ► Alexander McQueen Burberry Charlotte Olympia Church’s DAKS dunhill Edward Green Ettinger Gieves & Hawkes Hackett London Henry Poole & Co. Holland & Holland Jimmy Choo Johnstons of Elgin Katherine Elizabeth Lily and Lionel Mulberry Mulo Suzie Turner Temperley London Thomas Pink Trunk Clothiers Vivien Sheriff Whitehouse Cox
Food & Drink ► Ardbeg Beefeater Chapel Down Charbonnel et Walker Chivas Regal Curious Brew Glenmorangie Gordon & MacPhail Haig Club Hildon Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier Johnnie Walker The Lakes Distillery The Last Drop Distillers Laurent-Perrier Nyetimber Plymouth Gin Rococo Chocolates Royal Salute Tanqueray The Singleton Walkers Shortbread
Hospitality & Services ► 11 Cadogan Gardens 45 Park Lane Adare Manor Ascot Racecourse Belmond Brown’s Hotel The Balmoral Hotel The Berkeley Chewton Glen Claridge’s Cliveden The Connaught Corinthia Hotel London Cowdray Coworth Park The Dorchester Fitzdares Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square Goodwood Gleneagles The Goring Grace Belgravia Heathrow VIP Home House House of St. Barnabas Lucknam Park The Lygon Arms Maison de Fleurs Marcus Wareing Restaurants Mosimann’s Orient-Express Hotels Rosewood London The Thinking Traveller The Real Flower Company The Savoy Traveller Made
Jewellery, Watches & Precious Metals ► Atelier Swarovski Astley Clarke Asprey Augustine Jewels Backes & Strauss Boodles Bremont Garrard Hamilton & Inches Jessica McCormack Rapport London The Royal Mint Shaun Leane Stephen Einhorn Struthers London Tiffany & Co W Nagel
Interior Design, Home & Craftmanship ► Caverswall China Cole & Son CTO Lighting David Collins Studio David Harber Echlin Farrow & Ball Fiona Barratt Interiors Fredrikson Stallard Gaze Burvill Halcyon Days Halstock Cabinet Makers House of Hackney James Cropper Janine Stone Josephine Home John Galvin Design Kitesgrove Linley Mark Wilkinson Oliver Burns Peter Reed Rachel Vosper Richard Brendon Royal Doulton Savoir Beds Shawstephens Smallbone of Devizes Studiofibre The Rug Company Tom Howley Waterford Wedgwood Winch Design
Media ► BBC World News & bbc.com Bloomberg BOAT International Digital Cinema Media ELLE ELLE Decoration Esquire The Economist & 1843 Financial Times & How to Spend It Harper’s Bazaar IN London PORTER The Sunday Times STYLE The Times Times LUXX Town & Country
Property & Estate ► Cadogan Hamptons Wealth Partnership St Edward
Retailers & Etailers Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour Farfetch Fortnum & Mason Harrods Maison Assouline MR PORTER NET-A-PORTER Selfridges THE OUTNET
Programme Partners
Brands of Tomorrow ► In association with Mishcon de Reya ASCENO Castore FLOWERBX Hamilton and Hare Kathryn Sargent LONB Malle London Method Rae Feather JJ Corry Irish Whiskey The Jackal Votary
Sponsors ► Cegid The Dovetail Agency Elite Associates LONDON Advertising MyLoveAffair New West End Company Premier Tax Free Reed & Mackay Spring Studios ThoughtWorks Wearisma WGSN
Friends ► CBI Crafts Council Creative Industries Federation The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award French Chamber of Commerce London Business School LAPADA QEST RWHA VisitBritain Women in Business
A unique alliance of 200 of Britain’s finest luxury brands, Walpole promotes, protects and develops the qualities of UK luxury: the long tradition, rich heritage, superior craftsmanship, innovation, design, style, and impeccable service at the heart of the industry – currently worth over £32 billion to the UK economy and a leading creator of jobs. Dedicated to nurturing the next generation of luxury brands, craftsmen and leaders, Walpole connects Britain’s best up-andcoming talent with a network of senior mentors from within the established membership. Its programme of events, thought leadership activities and political and media engagement furthers the collective interests of Walpole’s members, ensuring the continued and future success of British luxury on an international stage. Walpole is a not-for-profit organisation, funded entirely by a combination of annual member fees and corporate sponsorship.
Contact 2nd Floor, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JA ► +44 20 7803 1389 ► admin@thewalpole.co.uk ► thewalpole.co.uk
Cover illustration by Rory Dobner ► rorydobner.com Design & art direction by Buffalo ► studiobuffalo.com Cover & paper stocks (pages 1-60) courtesy of paper specialists G.F Smith ► gfsmith.com
