Walpole Book of British Luxury 2021

Through adversity to the stars ‘A D A S T R A P E R A S P E R A’

Eighteen months on from the start of the pandemic and the Latin phrase inscribed on our front cover rings true: luxury has proved its remarkable resilience once again.

With the global luxury market set to reach £370 billion by 2025, Walpole’s mission to make Britain the best place to grow a luxury brand continues unabated as we put the strength of our community, the representation of our brands worldwide and the depth of our shared knowledge at the heart of everything we do.

MICHAEL WARD CHAIRMAN OF WALPOLE & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARRODS

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HELEN BROCKLEBANK

Through Adversity to the Stars w Helen Brocklebank ► Helen has been the CEO of Walpole since 2017.

Illustration ► Sabina Savage

By the time you read this, I hope the pandemic will have begun to recede into the distance. But the world – our worlds – will never be the same again. Just as the cataclysm of the Second World War was the defining moment for our parents and grandparents, Covid-19 will be ours. It’s only human to want to turn tragedy into triumph, or to prognosticate about lessons learned during such a difficult time.

It’s equally tempting to say everything will change, or that a correction to the constraints of Covid-19 will play out as a new Jazz Age, with an accompanying luxury boom. But as The Economist’s Tom Standage asks in the first essay in this year’s book, What’s Over the Horizon, is it too soon to articulate “the extent to which pandemic era habits will endure”? Wealthy consumers have accumulated a lot of cash, but will they spend it? Will the acceleration of technology – from e-commerce gains to increased remote working – continue? The past 18 months have also seen big geopolitical shifts in luxury’s mega-markets, China and the US, and the emergence of a customer for whom purpose is as important as a brand’s product.

There will continue to be new

challenges ahead, not least, as Standage suggests, “More than ever, CEOs need to be politicians”.

Closer to home, living with lockdown gave us time to meditate on the things we missed most. For Lucia van der Post (In Support of Beauty, page 68), “the long, tedious months of Covid have shown us… the human spirit cannot do without beauty”. For the perennially suave Alex Bilmes (Home Dressing, page 30), it’s about dressing snappily – his experience of spending lockdowns one, two and three wearing the kind of WFH casual espoused by tech giants in Silicon Valley convinced him “you shouldn’t take your business ethics from the world-conquering media barons… and you certainly shouldn’t take your style pointers from them… a return to dressing to impress is the most radical style statement.” Sasha Slater, too, anticipates a world in which dressing up, decadent parties and haute-hedonism make a magnificent comeback, where the allure of the scene and of being seen will be everything – do you crave a Gatsbyesque party, or the glittering glamour of a Parisian nightclub, as seen in Chanel’s autumn/winter 2021 show?

Read All that Jazz on page 22 and decide for yourself.

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The constraints of confinement have not only shown us what we miss, but taught us to appreciate more of what’s under our noses. A hotelier interviewed by Lisa Grainger in Home Sweet Home (page 38) believes “one of the few positive outcomes of Covid-19… is that Britons who have been forced to holiday in their own country are bowled over – especially by the scenery. It’s magic.” Can we finally see ourselves as others see us, and recognise the extraordinary treasures we have on offer in the UK, not only the exceptional landscape but the creativity and craftsmanship, too? This could just be the boost to the national self-esteem the doctor ordered, a springboard for a new vision of ourselves in the world.

Lockdowns forced us to appreciate our domestic environment, too, and as Dr Seán Williams writes in Expensive Tastes (page 44), “Historically the past year has been unlike any other. But in other respects, there are surprising similarities with the age that shaped our modern luxury consumer culture across Europe: the late-18th and early19th centuries.” Sometimes, after a seismic shock to the system, it’s good to go back and re-examine the origin story, and his analysis of luxury’s roots does just that. And anyone who was fascinated by the cause celebre of the refurbishment of the Prime Minister’s Downing Street apartments will be amused to learn that then, as now, “one sign of domestic fine taste was hung paper”.

Meditations in an emergency help us work out where we are, what we’ve lost and what we want to return to.

But is a return to the old normal, or

even a newish normal, to paraphrase Churchill, letting a good crisis go to waste? Does British luxury need a manifesto for change? Peter Howarth throws down the gauntlet in Where Next for Luxury? on page 51 when he says we must ensure “luxury really earns its elevated reputation” and not “take refuge in the security of established ideas”. But if we’re to press the reset button in a time of technological advancement, we should remember that if luxury is to be more than a statement of wealth then it rests on ‘man the maker’ and “the human ability to create wonderful, life-enhancing, beautiful things”.

If it is human to create, and creativity is the essence of luxury, who are the creators of the future?

Are we looking for them in the right places, asks Farrah Storr in Bright Young Things on page 61. “Luxury’s gatekeeper is not its price, but its singularity”, she believes, and the very best, most interesting ideas come from those on the outside of luxury, who bring a diverse set of views, references and backgrounds to the luxury party and conjure something new, enchanting and unexpected. We must challenge ourselves to seek out these outsiders.

Guy Salter agrees it’s essential to take an interventionist approach in Cultural Capital and asks: “Whether, after everything we’ve been through, we can seize the day with sufficient vision, ambition and panache”. His view is “cities don’t mend themselves, that falls to us citizens”, and with the role of London so politically contentious, luxury must pick up the baton. You’ll find his manifesto for

what luxury should do next on page 65.

Sarah Sands believes we have the right building blocks in place to make a huge success of the recovery: while “invention is not a uniquely British gift… there is an inventive British sensibility” that will stand us in good stead as we get on with the tough task of building the future. “Up and down the Walpole list of members,” she writes in Creative Spark (page 56), “we see original thought, invention and reinvention and perseverance.”

There are other, equally British, qualities that have come to the fore throughout our recent trials and travails – loyalty, companionship, consideration for others, a sense of being a team – and will be crucial to getting to the other side in better shape than ever. “After months of misery and isolation – in which the rampant individualism of Brexit and Trumpism were the prevailing political forces – we are all surely in need of heightened loyalty, companionship, consideration for the pack,” writes Hannah Betts on page 36, “… shouldn’t we all be more dog?”

Being part of a supportive, loyal and companionable pack has always been something Walpole and its members have treasured. The long time we spent apart made us value companionship – the fellowship of Walpole – more than ever, and if man’s best friend became a symbol of that, well, it was something we wanted to celebrate with Sabina Savage’s wonderful cover design for this book.

The lion-hearted spirit of British luxury will roar once more, and as we start to come through adversity, let’s set our sights on the stars: Ad astra per aspera.

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There is no greater luxury than our planet.

Walpole Book of British Luxury 2021 proudly printed by Pureprint “ A great British company ticking all the boxes of innovation, craftsmanship, quality and sustainability. Walpole is delighted to once again be working with Pureprint as our partner on the Book of British Luxury. Pureprint is the gold standard for luxury printing, combining not only the visible essentials of quality and beauty, but also the invisible with its commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality. ” Helen Brocklebank, CEO, Walpole

Pureprint Group became the world’s first CarbonNeutral® printer two decades ago. Today we help brands on their journey to become carbon negative and to achieve their environmental goals.

To have a conversation about how we can help you achieve your environmental goals contact us 01825 768811 walpole@pureprint.com www.pureprint.com

Contents THE LUXURY LANDSCAPE 19 What’s Over the Horizon by Tom Standage 22 All that Jazz by Sasha Slater 30 House Dressing by Alex Bilmes 36 Be More Dog by Hannah Betts 38 Home Sweet Home by Lisa Grainger 44 Expensive Tastes by Seán Williams 52 Luxury, Where Next? by Peter Howarth 56 Creative Spark by Sarah Sands 61 Bright Young Things by Farrah Storr 65 Cultural Capital by Guy Salter OBE MVO 68 In Support of Beauty by Lucia van der Post

WALPOLE 76 Membership Guide 78 Sustainability 80 The Power List 84 Brands of Tomorrow

MEMBER INDEX 94 A-Z of Walpole Members

166 Regent’s University London Walpole Professorships 168 Member List

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TOM S TA NDAGE

What’s over the horizon? w Will 2021 prove to be a lucky number?

Tom Standage ► Tom is deputy editor of The Economist, editor of The World in 2021, and host of its future-gazing podcast, The World Ahead.

Illustration ► Aurore de La Morinerie

Do you feel lucky? The number 21 is connected with luck, risk, taking chances and rolling the dice. It’s the number of spots on a dice, and the number of shillings in a guinea, the currency of wagers and horse racing. It’s also the name of a family of card games, including blackjack, that are popular with gamblers.

All of which seems strangely appropriate for a year of unusual uncertainty. The great prize on offer, of course, is the chance of bringing the coronavirus pandemic under control. The race is on between injection and infection, as vaccines are rolled out on one hand and the virus mutates on the other.

Increasingly, though, the prospect of a return to some kind of normality seems within reach. But it will be a new normal, rather than a return to the pre-pandemic world – and getting there will be a bumpy ride.

So here are some things to watch for in the coming months.

First, the economy. The world’s wealthiest consumers are sitting on piles of cash. Will they spend it?

Excess savings in America – the amount by which consumer saving exceeded normal levels of saving

– exceeded 6 per cent of GDP in the first nine months of 2020 alone. It’s a similar story in Britain, Canada and Australia. The result could be a spending spree and a strong global recovery. Too strong, perhaps: there is an active debate about whether this could cause a dangerous rise in inflation. Another source of uncertainty is how, when consumers open their wallets again, their spending habits will have shifted. Will they want to spend less on goods and more on experiences they have been denied during the pandemic, such as luxury holidays or fancy meals?

Much depends on the answers, not just for the luxury industry but for the economy as a whole.

And that’s the second thing to watch for: the extent to which pandemic-era habits will endure.

Whether it’s working from home, online shopping, food delivery, remote learning or mobile payments, adoption of a wide range of technologies has been accelerated by several years in the past few months.

Clearly people are not going to keep doing everything virtually, but nor are they going to give up these new behaviours entirely.

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Instead they will end up somewhere in the middle – and exactly where will vary by industry, country and activity. New business models and retail trends, such as remote personal shopping appointments, and subscriptions to everything from chocolate to running shoes to cars, have also proliferated lately. All of which means that, as the new normal comes into focus, companies in every industry will need to combine analytics to monitor customer behaviour with the agility to respond quickly to new patterns of demand.

Third, politics. The chaos and unpredictability of the Trump presidency may have ended, but companies increasingly find themselves caught up in geopolitical struggles, and in particular that between the US and China. Whether it’s telecoms gear from Huawei, cotton from Xinjiang, or access to lithium, cobalt and rare-earth elements – high-tech commodities where China controls the supply – managers face tough choices as a result of China’s clout as a supplier, a manufacturing hub, a vital market and an increasingly assertive superpower. Tech giants suddenly care about the South China Sea, now that semiconductors have emerged as the new oil, and Taiwan,

the world’s leading supplier, as the new Middle East. At the same time, companies face demands from employees and customers to take stands on climate change and racial justice, areas where politicians have done too little. More than ever, CEOs need to be politicians.

Finally, some potential bright spots to watch out for. One silver lining of the crisis is that governments in Europe and America are investing in green recovery plans to create jobs and cut emissions. If the UN climate conference goes well in November, 2021 could come to be seen as the year when the world got serious about tackling climate change. The gradual return of travel offers a chance to reinvent tourism in more sustainable forms. The rise of remote working presents opportunities to improve diversity, by broadening access to global talent.

The enforced experiment in remote schooling may end up destigmatising online learning, making high-quality education more widely available.

And in all these areas, as well as in medical science, the pandemic has accelerated innovation. Navigating the uncertainties of the coming months will require strong nerves and a willingness to take risks. But complacency that things will simply go ‘back to normal’ is one luxury that nobody can afford.

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w S A SH A SL ATER

All that Jazz Can we expect the rest of the decade to be as decadent and glamorous as the Roaring Twenties?

Sasha Slater ► Sasha is head of magazines at The Telegraph.

Pictured ► Baz Luhrmann’s vision of the Roaring Twenties depricted here in The Great Gatsby (2013).

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is overcast and chilly on the evening I sit down to write, just as the UK begins to emerge from lockdown, yet on the streets around my house what sounds like a fin-de-siècle party is kicking off. The strains of Ella Fitzgerald float on the air, mingling with shouts of laughter, clinking glasses and the scent of roasting meat, flowers and cigarettes. I may live in north London, rather than West Egg, but nevertheless I feel the spirit of Jay Gatsby is abroad. And whereas, in my pre-pandemic life, I would probably have slammed the window shut, now I lean out and take deep, wistful breaths, thrilled at the novelty of experiencing a little FOMO. “Never miss a party… good for the nerves – like celery,” F Scott Fitzgerald declared, and now I see how right he was.

There has been much speculation about how the pandemic will permanently change our society. Not least because after a year of sedulously avoiding one another, wearing masks and sanitising every surface, who will feel comfortable partying in close proximity ever again? No wonder many have turned their backs on cities in favour of rural serenity and space, swapping Balenciaga for Barbour, and high heels for sturdy wellies.

But the lessons of history are all the other way. According to the contemporary writer Boccaccio, wild hedonism gripped survivors of the 14th century’s plague outbreak. “They spent day and night moving from one tavern to the next, drinking without mode or measure… engaging only in those activities that gave them pleasure.” And almost exactly a century ago, society was reeling from the devastating impact of the First World War, followed by the even more devastating Spanish flu epidemic that killed 50 million people – most of them young – around the world. Yet the decade that followed was a byword for lavish spending and an explosion of creativity and social change.

So will the 2020s roar like the Jazz Age? Certainly there seems little of the anticipated reluctance to re-enter society. On the first day we were legally permitted to meet (in groups of six, outside), I took a stroll in the park and found a crowd of Woodstock proportions, carefully distanced, picnicking, drinking, playing games and dancing, the air thrumming with their happy chatter. Now that restaurants and bars are open, the socially distanced tables are seething with happy and self-indulgent diners, who had the foresight to telephone the instant the lines were opened. “The aperitif is back, our Horse’s Neck Martini is basically ordered by everyone on arrival,” says Will Woodhams, CEO at The Fitzdares Club. “The most exciting aspect we have seen is the return of the long lunch. On reopening the terrace this week, every single table stayed until 6pm from a 1pm start. It’s wonderful to watch.”

At The Dorchester, executive chef Mario Perera tells me there were more than 2,000 booking requests within the week of the hotel’s announcement of the launch of The Dorchester Rooftop. “We have definitely seen a rise in guests ordering champagne,” he continues. A spokesperson for Claridge’s – a favoured hotspot of the Bright Young Things in the 1920s – says there were “waiting lists for all our terraces, bars and restaurants, and there is a feeling of people wanting to treat themselves with food and drink while reuniting with friends and family making up for lost celebrations.” At the River Café, there is no getting a table for months, even if its owner Ruth Rogers herself lobbies to get you a spot on the restaurant’s Thames-side terrace, as I know to my cost.

The fashion shows are often eerily prescient, and though planned long in advance, the same spirit of hedonism has been visible in the most directional brands. Chanel’s autumn/winter 2021 show was an ode to the joys of hitting the town in your glad rags.

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Above, right ► Claridge’s – a favoured hotspot of the bright young things in the 1920s – had waiting lists for all its bars, restaurants & terraces.

Above, left ► The Dorchester Rooftop had over 2,000 booking requests within a week of opening.

Insert ► The Fitzdares Club Horse’s Neck Martini.

“Never miss a party… good for the nerves – like celery” F SCOTT FITZGERALD

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Pictured ► Chanel Fall-Winter 2021/22 Ready-toWear collection shot at Parisian nightclub Castel.

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“I don’t know if this is because of the times we live in, but I wanted something warm, lively” VIRGINIE VIARD CRE ATI V E DIRECTOR, CH A NEL

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It featured models heading into a Parisian nightclub, Castel, and getting dressed up in disco-inspired party wear to strut a glittering catwalk. “I don’t know if this is because of the times we live in, but I wanted something warm, lively,” the designer Virginie Viard said in her show notes. “I imagined the models doing a show for themselves, going from room to room, crossing each other on staircases, piling their coats up in the cloakroom and going up to the next floor to get changed.”

The latest Gucci collection, Aria, was also set in a nightclub, this time at The Savoy hotel – a nod to the house’s founder, Guccio Gucci, who worked there as a bellhop. It featured models sashaying down a catwalk exploding with flashbulbs, clad in glamorous, logo-bespattered outfits; while at Celine, a show set amid the gilded fountains and lawns of Vaux-le-Vicomte incorporated a firework display and models in outsize glittering crinolines.

Michael Kors celebrated his 40th anniversary show with a tribute to the stars of Broadway and a look forward to when we can applaud a sellout show in real life. The trend for unapologetic glamour reached its apogee at Lanvin, where, to the soundtrack of Gwen Stefani’s Rich Girl, a group of models partied together at Paris’s Shangri-La Hotel in fake fur and feathers, velvets, sequins and gem-coloured silks. Nary an elasticated waist in sight.

I have passed through the same trajectory, on a personal level, over the past year. At first, swapping trousers for a tracksuit and high heeled boots for slippers seemed a consoling response to a terrifying situation; gradually, they began to symbolise the shapeless dreariness of lockdown, and eventually I found myself getting dressed up to stay at home.

My heels, relegated to the depths of the wardrobe, reasserted themselves in the front row, just because they are so much nicer to look at. At work, I now dress as for a party, deeming a polka-dot sequinned net Michael Kors skirt and Rupert Sanderson heels just the thing for a humdrum Thursday. But then, a Thursday in the office isn’t routine any more – it’s a thrill all of its own.

Male colleagues are finding that getting back into a suit is both a mental sharpener and a reality check. At Thom Sweeney in Old Burlington Street, they’re rushed off their feet by customers who’ve put a suit on for the first time and realised not everything has stayed in limbo over the past year. As one of the in-house tailors says, “some have had a fitness drive and dropped two sizes, others have gone up two sizes, no one seems to have kept stable.”

And that return to smartness has led to a mini boom for Savile Row. Lest we forget, Jay Gatsby was the epitome of a flashy dresser, sporting a white suit, silver shirt and gold tie to his own parties. Nothing under the radar there.

If we’re entertaining at home, we still feel the desire to do it in style. Even an evening in is an excuse for a sartorial and gastronomic flourish these days.

Last night I had friends round for an outdoor supper and, having got in the habit of ordering seafood straight from Cornwall, I spoiled my guests with lobster, and served it to them wearing a Brunello Cucinelli ball skirt and a vintage navy blue mink jacket. Because… why not? No wonder that top of Net-A-Porter’s bestsellers is a £26,000 pair of rubellite, diamond and sapphire earrings by Martin Katz. After all, a year in which none of us could take holidays, eat in restaurants or shop has meant that in the UK we’ve accumulated extra savings of £100bn and a burning wish to spend them on having the best time possible.

In France, the Roaring Twenties were known as Les Années Folles, the Crazy Years. It certainly feels as though we’re bouncing out of a year of fear and suffering with the appetite for 365 days of fun. For our time on this Earth is short and, as Coco Chanel said, “We live but once; you might as well be amusing.”

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At work, I now dress as for a party, deeming a polka-dot sequinned net Michael Kors skirt and Rupert Sanderson heels just the thing for a humdrum Thursday in the office Opposite ► Gucci Aria Collection at The Savoy hotel. Above ► Michael Kors & Thom Sweeney.

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w ALEX BILMES

Home Dressing Some of us were never at home with lockdown ‘casual luxe’.

Indeed, after a year of T-shirts and trainers, being well dressed could be seen as a radical sartorial statement

Alex Bilmes ► Alex Bilmes is editor-inchief 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.

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Opposite ► No Problemo Hat by Aries.

Left ► Relaxed British tailoring

by Oliver Spencer.

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What was the point of dressing for the office & the post-work cocktail party, when I was to spend the day at the kitchen table, or on the sofa?

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esistance was, ultimately, futile.

During the early months of the first lockdown, in the spring of 2020, I tried hard to maintain standards – if only in dress. I told myself it was important that I remain in character, at least during working, if not quite waking, hours, although the border delineating those two became increasingly porous. For me, dressing for work means, or meant, tailoring. Suits, blazers, trousers with creases, business shirts, proper leather shoes, and even a tie. As they say on the internet: I know!

And so each morning, after a shower and a shave – very important to stick to the grooming regime, I felt, not wishing to appear on anyone’s Zoom screen looking like Tom Hanks in Cast Away – I proceeded to select a crisp, freshly laundered shirt and to knot an unnecessary yet attractive slash of silk fabric around my throat, before selecting from one of my parade of formal suits, a sober symphony in charcoal and navy, and shoe-treeing my way into a pair of stiff brogues or shiny Oxfords.

After a time – not a long time – it became apparent that I was engaged in a rather uptight version of cosplay. What was the point of dressing for the office, and the formal lunch meeting, and the post-work cocktail party, when I was to spend the day at the kitchen table, or on the sofa, or even sitting on the stairs, writing emails and eating biscuits, interrupting my virtual meetings only to take the dog out for a stroll around my closest area of rubbishstrewn urban scrubland?

I switched to a more relaxed approach, though still smartish: casual shirts from Sunspel, chinos from Paul Smith, lightweight crewneck sweaters from John Smedley, a soft, unstructured jacket from Oliver Spencer. No tie. (Shh!) For a while I wore my Church’s loafers around the house. But then I switched to trainers.

“Please tell me you’re not wearing jeans,” texted a friend, a fashion stylist who cares very much about these things, when she saw me on a video call in what I can only describe as a T-shirt.

“Certainly not!” I typed back. Gentle reader, this was a lie.

In the summer – remember how hot and sultry it was, that first plague summer? – I reconnected with my 17-year-old self and began to shop for limited-edition streetwear, online, at our brilliant national etailers: Matches, Mr Porter, End. I bought a pair of Adidas tennis shoes designed by Grace Wales Bonner. (Never let it be said I don’t do anything for our great British brands.) I bought a baseball cap – a dad hat, as they will insist on calling them – from another excellent homegrown label, Aries. I told myself this was a practical move, to keep the sun off my dad head while dog-walking. “No Problemo” read the legend on the hat.

And it felt like there really wasn’t one – a problemo, that is, apart from the apparent collapse of the world was we knew it.

Left ► Farsley Bookbinder Fumè Penny Loafer in Tabac, by Church’s.

Right ► Adidas Originals designed

by Grace Wales Bonner.

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This was, I suppose, another form of cosplay. A more comforting one. My family thought I’d lost the plot and were not too polite to say so. But I was having fun, and Lord knows fun was what was required at that dark time. I never went so far as to buy a tracksuit – it wasn’t that desperate – but hoodies with slogans on them, colourful trainers, trendy Tees, these formed the basis of my pandemic uniform. And then, as autumn shaded into winter, and the news became grimmer, and then the third lockdown began to bite, I grew tired of slouching around in clothes for kidults. The terms began to grate: ‘casual luxe’ (yuck); ‘loungecore’ (sounds like a lamentable music genre for playing in ‘chill-out’ rooms), ‘casualisation’ (Gesundheit!). I am a 48-yearold media executive with children and a mortgage. This whole streetstyle thing was infantilising. Leave it to the kids, grandad, I told myself.

Also the idea – imported, as so many dangerous ideas are these days, from Silicon Valley – that to be casual is somehow to be more modern, more switched-on, more successful, better.

It’s incorrect. You shouldn’t take your business ethics from the world-conquering social media barons and the California startup honchos and the fintech nerds, and you certainly shouldn’t take your style pointers from them.

Enough with the logo’d kagoules and the tie-dye socks. I realised that in surrendering to kidult casual, I’d lost something of myself. I missed the feeling that wearing clothes for adults gave me. For me, as for so many others, dressing with a certain amount of effortful formality straightens the back, stiffens the resolve and sharpens the mind. I wanted to be smart again.

I missed shirts and jackets and tailored trousers and proper shoes. I missed my beautiful suits! Putting them on again would be like swapping a diet of Deliveroo for a regular table at The Wolseley, like putting down Marian Keyes and picking up Middlemarch, like switching off Strictly and going to the theatre. No disrespect to fast food and pulp fiction and Tess and Claudia, but you can have too much of a good thing.

There is a pointy-headed theory known as ‘enclothed cognition’: what you wear affects not only how others see and feel about you, but how you see and feel about yourself. When you put on a suit, for example, you are saying to the world and yourself that you mean business. When you have finished with business for the day, you can take it off. The line between work and play, blurred to indistinction for so many of us over the past year, is much clearer if you wear a suit. That’s healthy, as any headshrinker will confirm.

I am writing this in early April, as the nation prepares for the lifting of the most stringent lockdown restrictions. In my diary for the weeks ahead are, for the first time in a long time, a handful of in-person work appointments with colleagues and contacts and clients, as well as a number of social engagements: reservations for al fresco lunches and pub garden catch-ups. The sun is out, and yet never in my life have I felt so eager to replace T-shirt and jeans and sneakers with bespoke blazer and leather-soled shoes.

Hard to remember now, so long ago and far away does it seem, but the big story in men’s fashion at the beginning of 2020 was the so-called return of tailoring. At that time, a chap might have been forgiven for scratching his head and wondering, given its continuing ubiquity, that anyone, least of all a fashion designer, could seriously suggest that a daring trend in menswear might be to wear a matching suit jacket and trousers, in a style barely changed in a century.

The fact is that even before the pandemic, formal clothing was facing a serious challenge from dress-down culture. The obituary for the tie has been written, published, pulped, recycled and written again, an endless loop. And yet, I can’t help feeling that, as we drop our tracky bots and shrug off our hoodies and prepare to re-enter the real world, that the tie, and the shirt, and the suit, will have their days in the sun again.

There is, of course, or at least used to be, a notion that to wear a suit is to be a suit. In 2021 a return to dressing to impress is the most radical sartorial statement I can think of.

Opposite, top ► British sprezzatura brands Oliver Spencer & Sunspel take on smart-casual.

Right & Opposite ► Savile Row tailor Kathryn Sargent’s more traditional approach to well-dressed gentleman’s attire.

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HANNAH BETTS

Be more dog w Loyalty, consideration for others, living in the moment. There is much we can learn from our canine companions

Hannah Betts ► Hannah is a feature writer, interviewer, and columnist across a range of subjects for an array of British broadsheets and magazines, most notably The Times and The Telegraph.

Illustration ► Aurore de La Morinerie

George Bernard Shaw remarked “If you eliminate smoking and gambling, you will be amazed to find that almost all an Englishman’s pleasures can be, and mostly are, shared by his dog.” Chief among these pleasures will be his dog.

Noël Coward famously linked mad dogs with Englishmen. However, he might just as easily have sung that the Englishman is mad about dogs – along with the Scot, Irish and Welshman, for that matter. It is a passion that transcends the class system that divides us: the retired miner as mad about his lurcher as the duchess about her dachshund.

Dogs’ ability to make the stiff upper lip tremble is exhibited most strikingly by our menfolk, not least the kind of Establishment male packed off to school aged eight with the instruction not to sob.

Compare Uncle Matthew in Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love, who had only ever read one book in his life, Jack London’s canine-narrated White Fang, declaring: “It’s so frightfully good I’ve never bothered to read another.”

Writer and sister to the PM, Rachel Johnson, has recalled sitting through a play in which various epic traumas were endured sans comment, until the death of a dog reduced her husband to “heaving sobs”. Jeremy Paxman confessed to falling apart at precisely the same moment. While journalist Max Hastings revealed that – in a 56-year career spanning over 60 countries and 11 wars – the article that provoked most reader reaction concerned whether to put his Labrador to sleep.

I say British men are more susceptible to this passion, but I myself am pretty bad. In my thirties, I slept with hot men. In my forties, I slept with the man of my dreams. At 50, I sleep with a warm dog. The man of my dreams remains in evidence, but my tenderest romance is with my hound: silky, soulful, devoted.

Throughout adulthood, I yearned for a

blue whippet called Pimlico, knowing my life would only be complete when she arrived. And here she is: reclining in my every bodily crook, letting out contented little groans.

She wasn’t supposed to share a bed with us. But, at six months, Pim nearly died of meningitis, which involved hugging her back to health.

And, once we had discovered the primeval joy of human bedding down with hound, then how could we ever go back? Manolo Blahnik has observed: “When I am with my dogs, I sleep divinely.” The late critic Brian Sewell was so enamoured of said act, he penned an autobiography with that title. Other cultures may deem dogs unclean, banishing them to backyards. Brits bed down with them for primal pleasure.

If cynophilia (fondness for dogs) were already a national tendency, never has it been more obvious than after a year of lockdown. Britain’s canine population is estimated to have increased by at least 10 per cent during the pandemic to more than 11 million. A whacking 2.2 million mutts are believed to have been purchased between March and September alone.

Forget the predicted baby boom, think pup-demonium.

And it is not merely that we have needed dogs themselves during this disaster. As we begin to emerge from global catastrophe, doesn’t homo sapiens need to be more canine in its behaviour? After months of misery and isolation in which the rampant individualism of Brexit and Trumpism were the prevailing political forces – we are surely all in need of heightened loyalty, companionship, consideration for the pack.

Humans – like hounds – are social animals, at their best when they appreciate that they thrive only as part of a greater whole.

No man is an island, while recovery will require the most dogged determination. As we drag ourselves out of the Great Awfulness, shouldn’t we all be more dog?

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Home Sweet Home If lockdown has taught us anything, it’s the value of what we have

Pictured ► The Pierhouse Hotel on Argyll, Scotland.

Lisa Grainger ► Lisa Grainger has worked for The Times – from the arts and news desks to The Times Magazine and LUXX – since 1995. She has won awards for her travel writing on Africa, and is a regular contributor to panels on conservation and luxury travel. Her compilation of African myths and legends, Stories Gogo Told Me, funds schooling for orphaned girls through the CAMFED charity.

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Below ► Loch’s Creran, Linnhe & Etive all supply fresh seafood for the dining room of The Pierhouse, Argyll, Scotland.

m going to start off with a list of words. Odd, I know, but bear with me: cagoule, collywobbles, kilt, spotted dick, maze, Ley line, dram, Beefeater. As I leaf through one of my current favourite bedside books – a compendium of the most interesting things to do in Britain – I am struck, for the umpteenth time, by the delightful oddities of our island nation and the words that have evolved to describe our idiosyncrasies. Just the idea that someone, other than Mary Poppins, still uses the word collywobbles makes me smile.

Our oddness – of our clothing, our food, our customs and our words – is an intrinsic part of who we are, and part of what makes visiting Britain such a treat. We are perhaps the greatest hotch-potch of any nation, which explains not only the diversity of our life and languages, from Scottish Gaelic to Cornish, but our people. People who are inventors, of things from the telescope to the toothbrush. People who are great thinkers, from Adam Smith to George Monbiot. People who celebrate the unusual – what other nation has a museum devoted to lawnmowers, or an annual race that involves chasing a cheese down a hill? And people who take pleasure extremely seriously; who else castellated, crenellated and sculpted follies in their gardens just for the hell of it? Or built such extraordinary private residences? Or brought back such bonkers souvenirs as Roman pencils and prehistoric sloths from their travels which, thankfully, we can still see in such institutions as the National Trust and English Heritage.

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We are, as the great British hotelier Olga Polizzi puts it “a people like no other – and a country unlike anywhere else”.

That’s not just because we have the most fabulous cultural riches on our doorsteps in towns and cities from the Tate St Ives to the Scottish National Gallery. It’s the other things that we sometimes forget about. For instance, the 225,000km of pathways that crisscross the English and Welsh countryside which, thanks to our right to roam, give us access to some of the most photogenic stretches of our planet. (Of the latest poll of Europe’s 200 best hiking routes, more than 30 are in the UK.) It’s the ease of our public transport: “People moan about the [London] tube, but it whisks you across the city at incredible speed,” Polizzi says, remembering times she has spent in other cities stuck for hours in traffic. And it’s our food.

“When I bought Tresanton [the Polizzi Collection boutique hotel she owns with her daughter, Alex] more than 20 years ago,” she says, “hardly anyone went to Cornwall on holiday, because unless you had access to a house, there was nowhere nice to stay and nowhere nice to eat. Now there must be five or six really lovely hotels nearby, and absolutely delicious food.” That’s partly because, she says, thanks to technology, “chefs have realised that they can be in touch with the world, and live in the middle of nowhere. They can be in the countryside or by the sea and still run world-class restaurants.”

Gordon Campbell Grey, who sold his eponymous hotel chain to buy the two small Scottish restaurants with rooms that now make up his Wee Hotel Company, says it’s not just the chefs who

have improved in rural hotels but the produce they use. At The Three Chimneys on Skye, he says, the award-winning food isn’t just based on “the very best produce in Scotland, but the freshest.

It’s the DNA of the hotel. The chef grows, and sources locally and forages. It’s as good as anything you’ll get in the world.” (Which might explain why even in May, tables are fully booked until September.)

Plus, at his Pierhouse Hotel in Argyll, seafood is all plucked straight from the sea, he says: oysters handpicked from nearby Loch Creran; mussels and langoustines harvested from Loch Linnhe and Loch Etive; and crab, lobster and white fish caught in local waters. It’s become so renowned, he says, that many of their international guests will make a reservation and then arrange their holiday around the booking. “People really care now about fabulous food,” he says. “And if you get a good reputation, they’ll fly across the world for dinner.”

What they come to Britain for is no longer Michelin-starred, ultra-fussy food, he adds, or the sort of refined service for which he was known 30 years ago at his super-slick, ultra-modern One Aldwych hotel in London, where even the width of the slices of limes for cocktails was measured. “Luxury now, I think, is exquisite simplicity without too much fuss and froufrou,” he says.

One of the few positive outcomes of Covid-19, the Scottish hotelier adds, is that Britons who have been forced to holiday in their own country “are bowled over – especially by the scenery.

It’s magic: the mountains, the lochs, the big skies. There’s so much to discover here. And so much to do: fishing and hiking and biking. There’s a lot to recommend – apart from the weather, of course. But we have apps now, to figure that out.”

Previously, Campbell Grey says, around half of his clientele were foreign. But in the past couple of years “it’s been glorious seeing British people coming back and the same old-fashioned holidays I had as a child – the same scenery, same rain, same backpacks – and having an amazing time.

His observations are backed up by figures from Visit Britain; in 2019, Scotland had the best tourism figures for a decade – with 80 per cent of overnight stays attributed to local UK visitors.

And in the rest of the kingdom, hoteliers are increasingly reporting seeing more British guests. That might be, Campbell Grey predicts, because as hotels modernise, they’re offering experiences to rival those in any foreign country: cooking classes and horse riding, falconry and wine-tasting. “When you look at resorts such as Gleneagles now, there’s very little you can’t do there,” he says. “For someone who wants a grand hotel, with all-singing, all-dancing experiences, and riding and shooting and golf, they showcase some of the best in Scotland, if not the world.”

The power, and wealth, of this country is precisely why foreign hoteliers continue to invest extensively here. In autumn, two new luxury hotels will open in Edinburgh: the 33-bedroomed Gleneagles Townhouse in New Town and Red Carnation’s 30-bedroomed 100 Princes Street. And in London, following the opening of the NoMad London, Mondrian Shoreditch and Pan Pacific London, the city’s first super-boutique hotel, The Londoner, will open in September, followed by the highly anticipated Peninsula London in 2022.

Above, left ► British hotelier Olga Polizzi & the Tresanton Hotel of the Polizzi Collection.

Left ► The Three Chimneys on Skye, part of the Wee Hotel Company.

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A London Peninsula, says its general manager Sonja Vodusek, has been the dream of the group’s chairman for the past 40 years. He wanted to be here, she says, “because London is one of the greatest – if not the greatest – city there is. There’s nothing else like it: the theatres, the food, the countryside, the landscape, the sightseeing, the history, the art – and the amazing number of parks.” Which is why, she explains, everything they create in the new hotel will reflect the best of Britain, from the Rolls-Royce transfers “from the plane door to the hotel door” to the uniforms by a British fashion designer and staff “many of whom we will find through the Prince’s Trust”.

The enduring appeal of London, which has more five-star hotels than any other city, might also explain the high levels of investment here. More than £300 million has been spent on The Londoner, which opens on Leicester Square in September, says its hotel director Charles Oak, and more than £5 billion by the Crown Estate on the surrounding area in the past decade.

That’s because, he says, “this city is unlike any other.”

The recent surge of local visitors has also been, according to Olivia Richli, the general manager at Hampshire’s award-winning Heckfield Place, because as Britons have started to understand just how hard the hospitality sector has been hit, they want to help. (According to Visit Britain, in 2020 about two-thirds of the value was wiped off the domestic tourism industry, amounting

to a £58 billion loss, on top of a £24.7 billion loss from inbound tourism – or about £285 million a day.) And it’s not just older wealthy people who are coming to stay, she says. “It’s young Londoners, who might go to a festival one week and an Airbnb another – and come to us for a treat. That’s been a delightful eye-opener.”

Lockdown is also given us an added appreciation of the value of being looked after by other people, says Polizzi. “I’ve always said that having someone lovely look after you is the greatest luxury, above good food or a comfortable bed. But this summer, having not gone out for a year, it’s going to feel better than ever.”

The other benefits to staying put, all the hoteliers add, are that we won’t have to go to an airport or do a PCR test. Polizzi says she is booked into The Newt in Somerset, which opens its new Farmyard hotel in June, and cannot wait, not only because she’s heard so much about it, but “can go walking and exploring, and won’t have to go through a border”. Richli says she intend to explore London like a tourist “and see all of those incredible things you often don’t do as a local”. And Campbell Gray says he’s just going to soak in the magic of the place in which he lives: on the edge of a loch, with two labradors. “One day, when I was leaving to travel abroad yet again, it dawned on me that I lived in the most beautiful part of the world, and I didn’t want to leave.

So I’ve stayed ever since. And I’ve never been happier. It’s magic.”

Left ► Hampshire’s awardwinning Heckfield Place.

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Seán Williams ► Dr Seán Williams is Senior Lecturer in German and European Cultural History at the University of Sheffield.

Pictured ► ‘Welcome to Wedgwood’: a celebration of colourful lifestyle & the inspirational world of eclectic originals around the globe.

n a sunny, spring day I’m sitting on my front step at home in Sheffield, tasked with taking the long view on luxury and culture over the centuries.

With thinking beyond the particularity — and the platitudes — of the pandemic. My pen is poised over a handmade Italian notepad my boyfriend had given me as a keepsake. I take another sip of strong coffee from a Wedgwood cup with a glaring, campy pattern. It’s a rococo-inspired design I hold dear, if with a dash of irony. Such a scene of life (still) in lockdown seems a world apart from the boutiques and venues I was able to visit when making the BBC radio documentary, The Deluxe Edition, a couple of years ago — a programme in which I’d wanted to understand the allure of the

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luxurious. Historically, the past year has been unlike any other.

But in other respects, there are surprising similarities with the age that shaped our modern luxury consumer culture across Europe: the late-18th and early-19th centuries.

That era gave rise to the word ‘keepsake’; the term ‘de luxe’ made its way from French into other European languages; and Wedgwood’s wares were marketed to popular acclaim here in Britain, on the continent and further afield. Around 1800, luxuries were defined as pleasures, conveniences and curiosities. For enthusiasts, they enabled the expression of individual personality and the progress of civilisation. In other words, the self and society were projected on to material things like never before.

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Expensive Tastes A look at how the meaning of luxury has evolved over the centuries

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Forget the grandeur of the world at large, luxury objects were often exquisitely crafted in miniature and were for the most part made for the body and the home. For the delight of others about town or as invited guests, yet also for one’s own enjoyment behind closed doors. People bought watches, glamorous postiches, linen garments, high-quality paper (though at this point made from old rags), pieces of furniture, and porcelain or glazed pottery for the table. The success of luxury in the emotional and domestic domains, giving character to ourselves within our own four walls, strikes a chord with present-day lockdown living.

Back then, material mania was evident in a tea or coffee service, for example. The kings of Poland, France and Naples, not to mention many petty German princes, set up or sponsored porcelain factories in the 18th century. Their subjects were loyal customers. A little later, Britain’s Josiah Wedgwood made his name — and money — with entrepreneurial pottery. He secured royal patronage, at home and abroad, and his products took the European middle classes by storm. But it’s easy to misinterpret luxury, then as now, as necessarily a top-down trend. Critics have long made this interpretative mistake. In the late-19th century, Norwegian-American theorist Thorstein Veblen was despondent that the proletarian revolution he hoped for would never materialise, because he thought luxury products and fashion aped aristocratic taste. As ever, the truth is more complex. When luxury went mainstream in the late-18th century, its influence didn’t travel in only one direction. Marie Antoinette no less, perhaps the person most vilified for her supposed profligacy and exclusive mindset, sent her hairdresser into other Parisian boudoirs so that her own style would be trendsetting — but still in line with the what the chattering classes were already talking about.

Modern luxury is not only because of the rich, nor is it just for the rich. Though its value relies on such rhetoric. Luxury doesn’t boom only because of the bourgeoise, either. Adam Smith may have meant that the less well-off benefit from the general effects of a liberal economy when he wrote of “universal opulence that extends itself to the lowest ranks of society”. But at the outset of consumer capitalism, the working poor themselves participated in luxury culture, albeit to a smaller extent (and more in urban areas than in the countryside). In 1700, average French servants spent ten per cent of their earnings on clothes. By 1780, they splurged around a third, though their wages did not rise much.

They actually bought little, investing instead in select, expensive items, complementing a showy watch or a coffee pot, if not the matching cups and saucers. That most can have some purchase on luxury living, perhaps focusing on a few objects for ourselves or — especially during lockdowns — for the home is a maxim that continues into today. Even in a pandemic, perhaps also because we redirect money from previous areas of expenditure.

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As well as having a meta purpose, the material pleasure of a Wedgwood vase or seemingly naive wallpaper were simply part & parcel cultural production.

Top ► Josiah Wedgwood – entrepreneur, potter & abolitionist.

Opposite & above ► Wedgwood’s latest ‘Welcome to Wedgwood’ collection.

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The ways in which material things were all stored around 1800 explains the shift in social structures that wasn’t a simple division into upper and lower classes, and in which labour became ever-more specialised. Palaces, townhouses and some farmsteads were cluttered with new stuff, and some objects helped consumers to sort or think through their lives.

If the old order and aristocratic power was represented by a vertical wardrobe, the peasant and working classes once packed everything into indiscriminate chests that held all and sundry. Just as the modern taste in furniture wasn’t necessarily top-down or generic, nor was the furniture itself. Increasingly, chests of drawers became luxury items around 1800 across the social spectrum. These pieces of furniture had a new, compartmentalising function with discrete sections, sometimes in parallel with each other, at others above one another. They stood in for the organisation of society in miniature, which had split into ever-more sub-groups.

Hence luxury objects in the late-18th and early-19th centuries also brought philosophy, the fine arts and history into the home.

One sign of domestic fine taste was hung paper instead of plastered wall coverings. The German philosopher Kant even elevated wallpaper with leafy squiggles to the status of pure, free beauty in his third critique — alongside parrots, flowers and creatures of the sea. Luxury interior design was theorised together with nature, as examples of empty phenomena that created space for aesthetic sensibility and abstract reflection.

In contrast, Wedgwood promoted the view in his catalogue from 1787 that pottery was ‘contentful’ — and in more ways than an item’s intended, practical use. His “copies of fine works, in beautiful and durable materials” — that is to say, replica images of the classics — apparently had the same effect for the arts as the printing press had for literature and the sciences. Material things mediated history and educated people, reducing ignorance and barbarity, so Wedgwood claimed, pot by pot. So much for the presumed aura of original artworks, which, later critics like Walter Benjamin lamented, was destroyed in the modern age capable of technical reproduction.

As well as having a meta purpose, the material pleasure of a Wedgwood vase or seemingly naive wallpaper were simply part and parcel cultural production. Irrespective of whether luxury could also be intellectual(ised). Wedgwood tea sets designed by Lady Templeton in the 1780s were inspired by fiction, such as Goethe’s novel The Sufferings of Young Werther.

The Austrian author Karoline Pichler wrote a poem praising Wedgwood tableware, which she’d received as a gift. And the romantic Novalis, another German, gave Goethe the back-handed compliment that he had achieved within German literature what Wedgwood accomplished in English arts and manufactures. It’s a comparison that made its way into a political speech of 1863 by William Gladstone, who as British Chancellor of the Exchequer

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understood it as a celebration of two, similarly exemplary men.

Pottery was art, it was the muse for art, and was a means of disseminating and making sense of art — and society.

Although luxury goes hand in hand with the Enlightenment, self-expression, with liberalism and arguably also domestic bliss, it is of course contested as well. At certain moments in time, luxury is especially controversial. After the French Revolution, at the turn of the 19th century, there was not so much a concern about whether people could afford luxuries — but rather whether luxuries might impoverish them. Equality was at stake, not least for those involved in the production of luxury objects (as free, or as enslaved peoples). In 1805, the early socialist thinker Charles Hall objected that when the poor produced luxuries such as pottery or jewellery, they were robbed of valuable labour time that they could have spent tending their own land. Fast forward more than two centuries, and the coronavirus pandemic has proved to be another politicised epoch for material pleasures. In early 2020, resorts in the Austrian alps were said to hide Covid-19 cases; in the salubrious suburbs of Connecticut, a soirée was reported to have been a ‘superspreader’ event. These stories may or may not be borne out by fact or, indeed, epidemiology.

But the idea that upscale splurges lead to the downfall of society is a popular narrative with a notorious heritage. It’s applied — sometimes erringly — to the end of the Roman Empire, the Dutch Golden Age or the French monarchy.

Last spring, the billionaire David Geffen may have sparked outrage or open-mouthed disbelief for posting an idyllic shot of his superyacht on Instagram, when the world first went into lockdown. The sentiment that accompanied the sunset in his isolated, Caribbean spot expressed a hope that everyone was staying safe. The tone was tactless, even by the standards of lines attributed to Marie Antoinette. But behind the social media story and main headlines, there’s a broader point about how the pandemic has panned out. Our luxury experiences have since retreated to our living spaces. Our homes may feel like islands, if not floating palaces. And while luxury purchases have always been about the affects, a global pandemic has heightened our emotions and brought us closer to the power of the natural world. Amid the earlier political upheaval of the era around 1800, the author Jean Paul sought to redefine the very meaning of luxury. He extolled a “luxury of enjoyment” over mere “furnishing luxury”. Opulence was the sun shining into the soul, not ostentatious decor brightening a room. Material splendour instead could become a state of mind, he thought. More than two centuries on, and whenever we look towards the future, history can be instructive. Post-pandemic, we may well return to the roaring 1920s. To my mind, though, a more utilitarian, understated, still pretty domestic and perhaps sentimental idea of luxury lies ahead. In that case, I’ll be ordering another Wedgwood coffee cup.

Top ► Early advocate of luxury consumerism, Marie Antoinette.

Opposite & above ► By the late 1800s a sign of domestic fine taste was hung paper instead of plastered wall coverings – contemporary examples here courtesy of House of Hackney & Cole & Sons.

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Peter Howarth ► Peter Howarth is an editor, content expert and CEO of luxury creative agency, Show Media. He was previously Style Director for British GQ and Editor-in-Chief of Arena, British Esquire and Man About Town magazines, and has written for numerous publications including The Guardian, The New York Times Style Magazine, Men’s Health, The Times and the Financial Times.

Pictured ► The Giorgio Armani attired Richard Gere, in American Gigolo, 1980. A period that heralded the democratisation of ‘luxury’.

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Luxury Where Next?

Beauty, longevity and authenticity are among the qualities to look for in tomorrow’s pieces

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ike many, I suspect, I’d like to think that we will learn from the past year. Otherwise, it will just be like a bad dream that we wake from, and although that notion brings with it a degree of comfort, surely it represents a lost opportunity. In speaking to designers and those who run luxury businesses in the UK and abroad, over the past 12 months I’ve been struck by the overwhelming sense that despite the unforeseen interruption to business as usual and the difficulties this has caused, business as usual pre-pandemic was not so great.

And arguably, unsustainable.

This feeling among those steering luxury brands is not so much a comment on bottom lines, growth or demand, but something more existential. It was put best to me by one who has lived through his fair share of the vagaries of the luxury story, Giorgio Armani. The Italian designer is convinced that somewhere in the not-so-distant past we took a wrong turn as makers and consumers of luxury goods. He believes that luxury firms have been over-influenced by the methods of fast fashion and set about producing too much product and promoting the idea of trend-driven obsolescence. He now advocates a slower approach, talking of how luxury labels should make less but make better, and the consumer, in turn, should be educated to buy less and buy better.

Armani is outspoken on the subject. He makes the case that the slowdown he is suggesting would lead to a more environmentally friendly approach. And as part of this readjustment, he also champions the concept of more timeless aesthetics. If products are designed to date quickly, people will not be inclined to keep using them. Instead, says Armani, if pieces are designed to last, not just in terms of the quality of manufacture but also with regard to style, they will see greater service over a longer period of time. Again, this is better for the environment. But it also speaks of a more considered approach to how we consume and a greater appreciation we might have of what we purchase.

I for one can only hope that Armani is right about a shift towards a less frenetic pace of consumerism, where luxury is not a matter of price, but of design excellence. And aesthetic beauty. Another Italian springs to mind here.

I remember seeing a documentary made by Italian furniture company Molteni & C explaining that polymath architect Gio Ponti believed Italy could be rebuilt after the war through beauty. Ponti is a personal favourite of mine, and Molteni & C still makes some of his extraordinary furniture to this day, a testament to alluring design that has resolutely stood the test of time. He once said, “Half of Italy was made by God, the other half by architects,” and it is in this idea of the human ability to create wonderful, life-enhancing, beautiful things that I see the essence of true luxury, and the hope for its future.

Beauty is key. Was there ever a luxury product that was not beautiful? Talk of beauty always makes me think of Keats’ Ode on a Grecian Urn, a poem about a luxury good – a Greek vase. The characters depicted, while full of life, are fixed: a pair about to kiss, their moment of ardour and anticipation captured by the artist and held there: “Forever wilt thou love, and she be fair” says the poet to the young man depicted with his lover. The urn captures beauty, and though we will fade it will remain “a friend to man”: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

If luxury is a celebration of human creativity and artistry, rather than merely a statement of wealth, it rests on the notion of our ability, like Keats and the imagined artist who made his urn, to fashion things. There is a Latin phrase, homo faber, meaning ‘man the maker’, which encapsulates the idea that we can have agency over our lives, that we can be creators of tools and our fates. This ancient concept was taken up by the humanists and later loomed large in the Italian Renaissance. Now it has been adopted by a contemporary Geneva-based organisation, the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, which celebrates specialist craftsmen and their work around the world. There is a Homo Faber exhibition in Venice; the first was staged in 2018, under the title ‘Crafting a more human future’, and the second aims to be revived this September. Meanwhile, the Homo Faber Guide website showcases the work of creators around the world.

What is fascinating is that one of the men behind this is Johann Rupert, the chairman of the Swiss-based Richemont group. Rupert in his day job presides over some of the world’s most famous luxury brands, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget and Chloé. And yet the Homo Faber project mentions none of these. It is not about global brands but small-scale enterprises, sometimes even individuals, who make exquisite pieces, mostly by hand, and always with immense skill and artistry.

This begs the question: why would Rupert care to invest time, money and energy in an enterprise that has no bearing on Richemont? I will hazard a guess: because like many of us, he is interested in the future of luxury and understands that it begins with the act of creating, not with a marketing campaign or a SWOT analysis identifying business opportunities.

Behind the very brands that Richemont owns are a host of stories about people just like those on the Homo Faber platform who started off with ideas and talent, and who planted the seeds that have flourished into global businesses today – people like Louis-François Cartier, Alfred Dunhill, Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels, and Mario Buccellati. Rupert knows that the lifeblood of luxury depends on nurturing inspired creative craftsmanship. It is no accident that his group’s slogan is: ‘At Richemont, we craft the future’.

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“Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all Ye know on earth, & all ye need to know” JOHN K E AT S

Opposite ► 1. Gucci 2010 ‘Forever Now’ Campaign.

2. Giorgio Armani, the pioneer of the deconstructed suit jacket.

3. The work of ceramicist Sophie Kate Curran.

4. John Keats’ Ode on a Grecian Urn. 5. South London cycle manufacturer Caren Hartley.

6. Gio Ponti & Molteni & C. 7. Homo Faber 2021 Curators & Designers with Founder Franco Cologni & Executive Director Alberto Cavalli.

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Significantly, a tour of the Homo Faber website reveals that while there are certainly makers celebrated here that are keeping traditional skills alive – like bookbinding, globe-making, glassmaking and scagliola (imitation marble creation) – there are also those pioneering new techniques. Textile designer Kazuhito Takadoi, for example, uses grasses from his garden to make wall hangings; and ceramicist Sophie Kate Curran employs used teabags in her conceptual sculptures. I am particularly intrigued

by Caren Hartley, who makes bicycles from titanium and steel in a workshop in South London. A former silversmith, Hartley’s machines are a perfect example of what luxury goods should be: beautiful and beautifully made, best in class, and emblematic of the human spirit that created them. Of course they are expensive and of course they are rare. But for me what designates them as true luxury is the fact that Harley starts with a delivery of metal tubing, and only weeks later a machine that could compete in the Tour de France rolls out of her workshop, the frame having been cut, welded and painted on site.

Like Keats’ poem and the Greek vase it describes, one of Hartley’s Isen Workshop bikes is evidence of human ingenuity, skill and imagination. And because it is made by a young former silversmith and is a piece of ultra-modern design and technology, it is also emblematic of the fact that luxury need not be about heritage. This is important in the context of the future of luxury, as when things are tough, there is a natural tendency to take refuge in the security of established ideas.

One Gucci advertising campaign from 2010 sticks in my memory: a black and white shot of men in white overalls at wooden benches in a workshop, fashioning leather hides; another iteration of the same campaign, captioned “Gucci, Firenze, 1953”, has rows of women in black at their sewing machines, again in black and white. With the slogan ‘Forever Now’, these ads were designed to celebrate 90 years of the company, and in using genuine archive shots made the point that the Italian house is steeped in the story of its founder, Guccio Gucci. The copy running on the executions talks of how “Guccio Gucci lived the artisan’s life of Florence in 1921”, and how “His spirit inspires our traditions today”. The idea, of course, is to establish the authentic luxury credentials of Gucci in pointing to its nine decades of creating beautiful, desirable pieces, inspired by the spirit of the founder, a spirit that still pervades the house: “Touching our past as we craft our future”.

This year sees the house’s centenary, and what a contrast we have in Gucci’s just-released advertising imagery that presents a fantasy late-night talk show hosted by James Corden in which an eclectic collection of celebrity guests – among them Serena Williams, Awkwafina, Diane Keaton and Harry Styles – appear with their Gucci handbags. This is the product of Alessandro

Opposite ► Gucci’s 2021 advertising campaign.

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Michele, today’s creative director at Gucci, who while deeply respectful of what Guccio Gucci started a hundred years ago, wants to make it clear that today’s label is rooted in the present, to the point where a handbag is no longer a gender-specific item.

I need not tell you how successful Gucci has been since Michele took over the creative reins in 2015. And much of this is, I believe, down to the fact that he is focused entirely on making this historic brand thoroughly contemporary.

British luxury firms can learn from this. Heritage is a fine thing, but every luxury brand began without any. It is a useful part of a brand’s narrative, for sure – useful in establishing trust with a consumer, evidence that products are designed and made with expertise acquired over years. But it cannot be the whole story.

Better by far, I believe, is the notion of luxury authenticity and this, though often confused with heritage, has nothing at all to do with the number years you have under your belt as a business.

Authenticity is about attitude. As a maker and seller of products, ask yourself this: is your output created with the genuine passion and commitment and care that makes it authentic? A new maker of shoes/bags/knitwear/pens/jewellery/whatever can be more authentic than one that has been around for years, just as a new restaurant can be far more authentic than one that has been serving food for decades. The makers on the Homo Faber website are clearly authentic and many are young, with young enterprises.

The danger, I believe, is that in our post-Brexit, post-Covid world, there may be a tendency in the UK to hark back to some sort of imagined glorious past, and to allow this to feed and steer our luxury narrative. Walpole members – both those with heritage and those who have only recently established themselves – could therefore take heed of Armani, Gucci and Homo Faber. And though that might sound like I am advocating a peculiarly European lens through which to view our homegrown luxury enterprises, I am not. After all, Hartley and her bicycles in Mitcham are as British as you can get.

The point is this: luxury should be about making wonderful things with consideration, care and skill, and making them to last. It should be about embodying the imagination, creativity and passion of the people behind these wonderful things. It should be about being the best, instead of merely the most expensive. And about bringing beauty into people’s lives through a celebration of artistry and aesthetics. It should be about creating products that are relevant to the here and now, to the lives we live and aspire to live – and in this sense it should embrace concerns about waste and sustainability and ethical manufacturing.

In short, we have an opportunity now to ensure luxury really earns its elevated reputation and so becomes much more than a mere status symbol. And therefore so much more valuable and meaningful to all of us.

Alessandro Michele, today’s Creative Director at Gucci, who while deeply respectful of what Guccio Gucci started a hundred years ago, wants to make it clear that today’s label is rooted in the present B R I T I S H

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Creative Spark Invention, reinvention, beauty, perseverance – and a sprinkling of magic – are among the qualities found in the finest British brands Sarah Sands ► Sarah Sands is a former editor of The Sunday Telegraph and The Evening Standard and of Radio 4’s Today programme. She is a board director of Hawthorn Advisors, chair of Bright Blue think tank, on the board of the Berkeley Group and of London First, and a trustee of Index on Censorship.

She is also the Chair of the Gender Equality Advisory Council, G7, and a Walpole Board Director.

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Above ► The 2012 Olympic Cauldron & its architect, the inventive Thomas Heatherwick.

Opposite ► The Vessel, Hudson Yard, NYC. If creativity is one of the UK’s greatest exports then Heatherwick’s stunning new building is a portent example.

s the clouds of Covid part, the first invitations arrive.

Here is one for June: tea and cake with a Benedictine monk at the studio of Thomas Heatherwick. It is the charm of the casting, and the mention of cake, that is so cheering. Thomas’s studio is a fairy-tale secret of King’s Cross. Behind heavy wooden doors, another world exists. A youthful, bright-eyed staff wander round a hanger-like space, examining models of cities, or furniture or wheels or sketches.

You can almost see their minds whirring. I asked Thomas once – naturally, over tea and cake – how he would describe himself.

A designer? An architect? He shook his curls: “I would like to see myself as an inventor.”

Invention is not a uniquely British gift, but there is an inventive British sensibility. From Alan Turing to Tim Berners-Lee to Demis Hassabis and Sarah Gilbert, there is an enthusiasm for working things out. Gilbert, one of the creators of the Oxford vaccine, very simply summed up her breakthrough to me: “It is an original thought and then confirmation of the hypothesis.

Plus perseverance.” It is that original thought that connects so much of what is great about British brands. With it comes a pride of execution. When Danny Boyle wanted to convey Britishness at the opening of the Olympics he showed the Industrial Revolution, the internet, the Mini, the NHS, music, fashion, and launched a brilliant climax with Heatherwick’s Olympic cauldron.

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Opposite ► Thomas Heatherwick’s Coal Drops Yard in London.

“We are a nation of wand wavers”: Harry Potter is a very British wizard, in the tradition of Gandalf & Merlin.

Below ► British invention comes in many forms: The NHS - the heroes of 2020; James Bond & Nomi in 2021’s No Time to Die; & the up-and-coming Festival UK in 2022.

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The British invent and export.

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The James Bond films are full of inventive gadgets, the brand itself a combination of heritage and futuristic. Harry Potter is a British wizard, in the magical British tradition of Gandalf or Merlin. We are a nation of wand wavers. It is a love of problem solving that starts with crossword puzzles and ends with the genius of Bletchley Park and GCHQ. The British invent and export. It is why international investors are greedy for our science and tech. I am working with a committee on what we hope will become the British Davos – a showcase for our inventors. From new drugs to AI to hydrogen vehicles, the British government is placing a gigantic bet on British science.

It should not forget our more down-to-earth inventions. This is the country that invented rugby and the suit. We may have seen less of the suit among working from home businesses, but politicians have taken to wearing them with ties again. Who wants to see casual wear now from those in charge? We not only invented and exported the suit, but encouraged women to wear it. We have seen it brilliantly reinvented in the American Vice President Kamala Harris. The suit is a symbol of confidence rather than stuffiness.

In the Festival UK 2022, in which art will meet science, we must showcase both creativity and quality. When Sir Nicholas Hytner was asked for guidance about the particular slant a theatrical production should take, he offered the best advice I have ever heard: “Just be good.”

I have tried to use this on occasion. When I edited the Today programme on Radio 4 I had to wade through a long list of compliance and corporation pledges. We needed to please the left, the right, the north, the south, the young, the old. Poor

frazzled producers asked what they should prioritise, so I quoted Hytner. If we are good at what we do, audiences or customers will come.

I am reminded of this looking down the list of Walpole businesses, finding not only invention but also beauty. Why else has Rolls-Royce entered our language as an expression of quality? I heard it this year from my son, as he bought gear for his first child: “It’s the Rolls-Royce of prams.”

Of course, what gives enduring quality is the inventor’s appraising eye. How can we answer a need? What can we improve? As soon as we were in lockdown, engineers and entrepreneurs were examining virtual reality and looking to take things on in leaps and bounds. Invention demands reinvention and we saw retail pivot online. Problems must be solved. Our entrepreneurs found ways to keep supply chains running.

Up and down the Walpole list of members we see original thought, invention and reinvention and perseverance. Whether it is the suit, the hotel, the jewellery, the tea, the scent, the champagne, it is the same evolution of quality.

In the brief respite from lockdown in the early autumn, I got an email from the British Library. It was open, on a booking system, and I was welcome to come to look at one of the treasures on display. It was the Lindisfarne Gospels. I had always wanted to see them, and here was the book in real life, bigger, heavier and more magnificent than I had imagined. The monks had found a way of keeping straight lines through tiny pricks in the goatskin page.

Ingenuity and quality. I shall raise that with the Benedictine abbot when we meet over tea and cakes at Thomas Heatherwick’s.

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Farrah Storr ► Farrah Storr is editor-inchief of ELLE UK and on the board of the Social Mobility Commission.

Pictured ► Lee McQueen, son of an East End cabbie who redefined the classic suit silhouette.

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Bright Young Things Luxury is not about exclusivity but singularity, and smart employers should look to more humble sources for free-thinking future makers

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he most luxurious thing I ever owned was a white tablecloth. I bought it on a windswept beach somewhere on the coast of Brazil from a young woman who had no shoes and just three front teeth. She moved from sunlounger to sunlounger, nervously presenting it to the wilting crowd of tourists. They looked up, looked down, then performed the perfunctory dance of the First World tourist when presented with a Third World reality: a shake of the head, a jutting bottom lip and a whispered “No”, whose tone hovered somewhere between annoyance and shame.

Finally, she alighted on my friends and me, where she remained for some time. Perhaps it was the offer of a little shade. Or the desperate need for a final sale. The truth is, I’ll never know. But as she stood there, hot, tired, holding it out to us with all the care and pride of a Savile Row tailor, I noticed that it was not a tablecloth at all but a sort of gossamer-light blanket.

It was made entirely out of lace and was not so much white as the palest cream, a hue so perfect I’d only ever seen the like on the fresh buds of a gardenia. I held it in my hands. Its edges were scalloped, made to appear like a hundred little open seashells, and its entire body was a swirling canvas of geometric shapes mixed with almost psychedelic swirls. It should not have worked; it defied ‘good’ taste. “Six weeks,” she said, pointing to the needlework. I didn’t question it. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Over the years it travelled with me from home to home, dressing corner tables and the backs of chairs, bringing a quiet luxury to every room it sat in. When, after two decades or so, it finally gave up the ghost, I took it to one of the best embroiderers in the land to have it repaired. They stared at it in awe, handed it back to me and said they had never seen anything like it. Which was exactly why they couldn’t fix it.

This, by the way, is not a story about a tablecloth. It is a story about the lie we tell ourselves about luxury. Ask the man in the street what he thinks luxury is, and he will proudly tell you: exclusivity. But luxury’s gatekeeper is not its price but its singularity. Which is why it often takes an outsider to create something truly luxurious.

If you are not born into luxury you have a clear sightedness about what it can be: an ability to cut through all the gilt and gloss.

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You are not swayed by other perceptions of what luxury is and this, of course, is its dichotomy. Sometimes the further away you are from luxury, the better you are able to understand what it can be.

Take Alexander McQueen, the working-class son of an East End cabbie, who approached the rarefied art of tailoring with an audacity never seen before, filleting out the back blades of the classic suit silhouette and narrowing the shoulders to create an elongated, almost tail-like profile. Then there’s Roland Mouret, the son of a butcher from rural France, who learned the complexities of form and shape by watching his father fold his leather apron at night and slice through animal muscle with a blade. (The result: he intrinsically understood that luxury is as much about utility as it is aesthetics. “A dress is a tool, and a tool has to work,” he famously said.) And who can forget Gabrielle Chanel, the French girl who grew up in an orphanage, and went on to set the template for women’s luxury fashion. And yet her influences came from the simplest and most unorthodox of places: a nun’s wimple, a sailor tricot, the white cuffs and collar of the working waitress.

But if great, original talent is to be found in those who have had the furthest to travel, then we have a problem. The creative industries have always been difficult to penetrate for those short on cash, networks and the confidence to take risks. But in the slipstream of Covid it will become ever harder. Scholarships, access programmes, the willingness to take a chance on an unknown will become thinner on the ground as economic hardship grips. This isn’t projection, by the way. This is the reality no matter what the proclamations in the boardroom. We have seen it before and if we’re not smart about it, we will see it again.

So, what can you do? Firstly, look for talent in those places most affected by inequality. A good place to start is the UK’s geographic ‘cold spots’, areas where opportunities for those coming out of education are thinnest on the ground. Secondly, stress potential over polish. Is a dazzling and eloquent performance at interview really crucial to what you do? Thirdly, ask yourself, is an ability to think differently more important than a CV filled with glittering educational merits? Lastly, put the time and thought in. Make sure your doors are wide open and the stairs inside easy to climb and navigate no matter what your background. Do this now and you will have a business that, like the products you create, is built to stand out and last the distance.

Pictured ► Butcher’s son Roland Mouret shows his stunning ability to make prime cuts on model Grace Bol – walking the runway during the Roland Mouret A/W19 Womenswear show in London.

Opposite, below ► After a trip to the French coast Coco Chanel was so inspired by the sailors’ uniform that she incorporated the stripes into her 1917 collection. Since then the Breton top has become one of the most stylish items in the world, worn and adored by many of the biggest fashion icons in history such as Brigitte Bardot, Edie Sedgwick, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Birkin and Alexa Chung.

With her love for sailor tops she forever changed the face of casual womenswear.

“A dress is a tool, & a tool has to work” ROLAND MOURET

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Cultural Capital w What have the ups and downs of the past decade taught us about London’s luxury market?

Guy Salter ► 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 19 years with Walpole, including establishing the Crafted programme in 2007.

Illustration ► Ana Yael

Déjà vu but different. An inelegant way to sum up how things feel now compared to this time ten years ago, when the 2012 London Olympics were on the horizon. Then, as now, I felt a significant opportunity within touching distance. Albeit one that could easily slip away from us.

In 2011, my itchiness was around how the UK could take advantage of those millions of eyeballs and visitors to boost our reputation and business.

Now it’s about how we shore up and rebuild. Then I saw an important role for the luxury sector. Now is the same.

The differences are self-evident and 2012 seems a world away. A distant era of optimism, when the UK seemed more at ease straddling old and new, sure-footedly navigating East and West. Europeans envied us and spent their euros here, as did Americans their dollars and Chinese their yuan. The Arab Spring was still warm. Pre-Covid, Trump, Brexit.

Then I felt the worst that could happen is we shot ourselves in the foot by missing or fumbling that moment. Now, my sense of urgency is more about saving ourselves. And those who rely on us to be stewards.

Whether, after everything we’ve been through, we can seize the day with sufficient vision, ambition and panache.

Maybe, though, there is more similarity in the mood now and then. It’s easy to forget that we were downbeat about the chances of us pulling off the Olympics. And little sense we were living in good times, especially given the post-financial crisis austerity. National self-doubt was its usual drag on positive thinking.

The one thing most of us felt we

were getting right then was London.

It seemed to symbolise our most optimistic vision of what we could become and our place in the world.

More confident, more diverse, a creative and commercial powerhouse with global pulling power. This feeling was shared by many others, others who matter, as evidenced by numbers of students, visitors and investors.

To say nothing of those who chose London for product launches, fashion shows, to start up their business, for their HQ or home.

It’s London, and other great cities like it, that encapsulate both a pressing opportunity and a challenge.

One that our sector can do much to influence and contribute to – and get the greatest return from.

Without people, a city becomes pointless. So much, so self-evident.

But nonetheless starkly illustrated by shuttered shops and empty streets.

During the bleakest mid points of our lockdowns, I was struck by how we were existing on the thin gruel of memory for all those urban-based, life-enhancing, simple pleasures we’d taken for granted, from a Monmouth espresso sipped in the early summer sun to an ethereal experience at the Royal Opera House. With those worst of times receding, maybe the best we can do is repair our balance sheets, adjust our business model, hope that the consumer spends that hoarded up cash and time – and our cities will look after themselves, bouncing back along with everything else.

Certainly there’s no doubting the deep resilience of world-standard urban centres. London has not only survived far worse but gone on to thrive every time.

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But I wonder if we are as wellequipped as our forebears to play our part this time round. After all, cities don’t mend themselves, that falls to us citizens. Does civic pride, a sense of what we could do and why come as naturally to us as the Victorians?

They, and their predecessors, needed no urging to invest in not just palatial town halls but museums, galleries, broad avenues, public parks, concert halls and much else. Assets that have become so much a part of our urban fabric that their enduring value easily gets taken for granted. They did this not just for their cities and communities but for themselves, their families and their businesses.

Not a complicated Corporate Social Responsibility-type formula, just a simple investment. Like planting a tree. As straightforward as a nonfungible token isn’t.

Maybe we need to take a leaf or two from their playbook.

This might seem unnecessary and not our role these days.

Especially when governments, national and local, to say nothing of influential commentators and non-governmental organisations, have been vocal about the future of our cities and prolix with multiple theories and solutions long before the pandemic. If some of the more imaginative and practical of these come to pass, especially on mobility, air quality and greening, so very good. But the waxing and waning of cycle lanes over the past year, to say nothing of a straightened exchequer may not bode well. Plus ten years ago, London’s growth and vitality were universally accepted to be good for us all; now it seems more contentious. In other words, this time it may be best not to rely on others but help ourselves.

Our industry is especially well placed to play a part. Not just because each of our brands’ DNA is infused with national and cultural values, but super-healthy city centres, even with

fewer physical stores, remain vital to our futures. Hands up anyone who disagrees. What’s the point of buying beautiful things if there is nowhere to wear or display them? Or treat your loved ones to world-class theatre, gastronomy or art? Luxury thrives as part of a wider cultural universe in which a determination to live life to the full is everything.

Here are three suggestions of the sort of thing we could do now, together and individually. Firstly, a big thought, a coalition of all those businesses, institutions, public and private, who have a stake in not just a revival but a renaissance. Do what we have never done before and work together, rather than in silos, with the simple aim of generating more activity and spending. The practical focus would be on joining the dots between our individual efforts, so we optimise both London’s attractiveness and diversity of experiences, especially ensuring choice, stickiness and sufficient high points in the calendar. Success would be more of the right type of people, more of the time. And managing this in a low-cost, peer-to-peer way, so the coalition grew if it worked – and faded away if it didn’t.

Secondly, we each develop one initiative that aims to enrich our municipal culture, ideally over a number of years. One that is a natural extension of our brand’s raison d’être. And of our physical retail, so we can become more integrated into and active in our local communities.

Ideally this creates or adds something new, even if an evolution of what we are doing now. La Maison LVMH will no doubt do exactly that for Paris.

Chanel’s Culture Fund is less about one place but potentially just as powerful.

Thirdly, adopt one public monument or a part of our built heritage that is endangered and needs some love to bring it back to life, as Fendi did with the Trevi

fountain, or create a new one.

London is overdue a leap forward in its contemporary public artwork, too clogged with pre-Covid, developerfunded, councillor-approved fare.

Think another Fourth Plinth-type space. Not that this need be a grand, centrally based statement – our neighbourhoods often offer much greater potential.

Clearly we all have different aims, aspirations and budgets. To say nothing of having had worse or better pandemics. Most of us are already engaged, especially with our communities. The bigger luxury groups, their foundations and the families behind them, have been doing a lot for years, often without fanfare or thanks. For giving is no longer as straightforward as it was, as evidenced by the Notre Dame blowback. Plus no business wants to look like it is following others or only reacting to fashion or pressure.

But a focus on our home city or neighbourhood, on something natural and unforced, at whatever level of ambition is possible, is hopefully achievable.

Ten years ago not only did we surprise ourselves with a brilliant Olympics but we developed the GREAT campaign, in which the creative industries, including the luxury sector, had a starring role that continues to this day. In March 2020 a number of us developed some super-short-term responses to the burgeoning crisis but face-mask or hand-sanitiser production was bound to be marginal. Now we can play a more meaningful and longerterm role, albeit one that is more bottom up, home grown and diverse, rather than government-led. One that is well suited to what we do best when the chips are down. Every so often our brands need a creative jab in the arm. Our great cities have nurtured us for decades, now it is they who need an injection of cultural capital.

Luxury thrives as part of a wider cultural universe in which a determination to live life to the full is everything.

There’s no doubting the deep resilience of world-standard urban centres. London has not only survived far worse but gone on to thrive every time.

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oethe said that few can make beauty but that many need it. We all of us know that he was right.

What the long, tedious months of Covid have shown us is that we can live pretty easily without the latest It handbag, we survive pretty well without another gewgaw or yet another fancy frock, but what the human spirit cannot do without is beauty. All through those dire times those inspiring spirits whose life’s work is creating beauty in the arts, whether in music, or the figurative arts, in dance or in literature, were thinking up ever-more innovative ways to keep their art alive. Like those brave spirits who were playing their violins and cellos in the extermination camps; they knew that to emerge psychologically whole some kind of beauty in their lives was not a luxury – it was a necessity.

Beauty comes in many forms. It has always been elusive, mysterious, compelling. Most of us recognise it when we see it and it has the capacity to evoke in us deep and powerful

emotions. Not long before lockdown shut down our major artistic institutions, I was at the Royal Opera House where one of the most ravishing productions of The Sleeping Beauty was playing. In the interval I turned round to talk to two young girls, one of whom I knew and who had brought a friend who had never seen a ballet before – tears were streaming down her face. “I have never seen anything quite so beautiful,” she whispered through her tears. It takes great art – and great beauty – to move people this deeply.

This need for beauty clearly lies deep in humankind’s DNA. If we look back into the mists of time, we see many different peoples from all around the world who clearly believed that there should be more to life than mere survival. We see that creating beautiful things – whether it be Mayan or Cambodian temples, Egyptian pyramids, Aztec pottery, Benin bronzes, Japanese Yayoi pottery or bronze swords, decorating ostrich shells in the deserts – was somehow essential for their psychological survival. In the strictest functional sense none of these things was necessary.

Superficially they appear to be indulgences, luxuries even, but to those who made them they were clearly, for spiritual and psychological reasons, deeply necessary.

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In Support of Beauty It can inspire us, give us hope and make us better people – and is essential to our happiness Lucia van der Post ► Lucia van der Post is the former 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, and was the launch editor of its award-winning monthly colour supplement also called How To Spend It. She still writes regularly for How To Spend It where she is an associate editor.

Opposite ► A defining moment in the history of beauty on the runway – Christian Lacroix’s AW 2003 haute couture collection.

Left ► Craftsmanship that stirs the soul – from an ornately decorated ostrich egg to a hand-illustrated Sabina Savage silk gown.

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Beauty is one of the things that makes us good.

It lifts the spirits, warms the heart, engages the mind SIR ROGER SCRUTON PHILOSOPHER & WRITER

Opposite ► The Sleeping Beauty at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

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I once discussed the matter of this human craving for beauty with the late, great Sir Roger Scruton, who wrote that: “Beauty is not confined to sublime vistas and visions at the edge of the world.” He believed, as do I, that it is something we can incorporate into our lives and which “we cherish as a proof that life is worthwhile. It is everyone’s ambition,” he believed, “to have a beautiful home and to live in it beautifully.” And he cited the care with which many of us take over the way we dress, the trouble we take when we lay a table, not just to provide the necessary utensils to eat with but to give us some deeper pleasure, to make us feel better about the place we are in. He believed not just that “beauty is good for us but that it is one of the things that makes us good. It lifts the spirits, warms the heart, engages the mind.” He also noted how it is that “when we beauty carelessly spoiled, we experience that strange innerving sense of desecration.”

I’ve never forgotten the great and widespread sense of sorrow when the monumental and wonderful Buddhas of Bamiyan were blown up by the Taliban. They were two 50-metre-high, 6thcentury statues of Gautama Buddha carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley of central Afghanistan. They were clearly of no practical value to the peoples of the valley but their beauty, their powerful spirit was crucial to their psychological sense of wellbeing. There is a very moving YouTube video on the subject and the heartbreak caused by their loss is summed up in the voice of one Afghan refugee: “I felt so much sorrow in my heart,” he says – and he clearly speaks for most of the Bamiyan people.

Which brings me to Walpole and its many members. Though almost everything they are engaged in producing is functional and has a purpose, this does not preclude the extra gift of beauty. For years it seemed that many were more preoccupied with the edgy, the ephemeral and the ruthlessly avant-garde and that beauty had been pushed into the shadows. But Covid has clearly caused many of us to have a rethink as to what it is that really matters to us, and I get the sense that there is a soul-deep craving to seek

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out beauty in this world. There is a longing for the timelessness that is an essential quality of true beauty – for beauty endures whereas the edgy and the avant-garde do not always survive for very long. I still remember the great sense of loss I felt when I heard, years ago now, that Christian Lacroix’s business was folding. This was largely because one bleak and cold evening in the depths of the South African winter we had found ourselves eating a grim meal in the only café open on a Sunday night in the small inland town we were in but playing on a video link, for some unfathomable reason, was the whole catwalk show of a Christian Lacroix fashion offering. I was blown away by both its ethereal beauty and how it illuminated our time in that dire café.

From time to time when I was editing the Financial Times’ How To Spend It magazine I would get letters of complaint about the title and the contents – some considered it vulgar, “an affront to our times” thundered another. Some would seem to feel that because not everybody could afford the things we showed it was crass to feature them at all. Always I would reply: yes, because we aimed to feature the best of the best, some of the things were necessarily expensive but we tried to emphasise the art, the craft, the skills and often the sheer beauty that justified the high prices.

Would they prefer, I would reply, to live in a world without these beautiful things? Would they be happy to see the skills and the crafts die out for lack of appreciation?

Not all of us can afford many of the beautiful things Walpole members are engaged in creating, but I sense there is a growing realisation of our collective need for their existence. We would all be the poorer if fine things were no longer made. And not all beauty comes with a high price tag. Quite apart from the natural wonders around us we can seek – and find – beauty in something as simple as a wine glass, in a soft linen handkerchief, in the curves of a wooden spoon, in a candlestick, in a silky scarf, or just a finely hued chopping board. Beauty, if one looks for it, comes in many forms and Goethe was right – we need it.

Opposite ► Mouth-blown crystal coupe from Richard Brendon’s Cocktail Collection.

Left ► Sabina Savage Silk Wrap Shirt & Lounge Trousers, hand-made at their London atelier. Handdrawn in London, and printed and hand-finished in Como, Italy.

Not all of us can afford many of the beautiful things Walpole members are engaged in creating, But I sense there is a growing realisation of our collective need for their existence

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Member Guide 2021 – 2022

Walpole is the United Kingdom’s official trade body for the luxury sector, with a mission to protect, promote and develop British luxury at home and abroad.

Our membership comprises more than 250 of the finest brands across a broad range of sectors: from retail to interior design & craftsmanship, food & drink to fashion, accessories to beauty, through hospitality, culture and the media to automotive and yachting. Walpole members are united by a common focus on discerning and affluent consumers and a shared mission to deliver world-class products and experiences. We achieve this by: Representing our members’ interests at home and abroad, building networks and encouraging collaboration within our Community and providing members with Knowledge, Insight & Expertise.

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Join Us

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MEMBERS PARTNERS, MEMBERS & FRIENDS

SECTORS AUTOMOTIVE, AVIATION & YACHTING BEAUTY & GROOMING CULTURE FASHION & ACCESSORIES FOOD & DRINK HOSPITALITY & SERVICES JEWELLERY, WATCHES & PRECIOUS METALS INTERIOR DESIGN, HOME & CRAFTSMANSHIP MEDIA PROPERTY & ESTATES RETAILERS & ETAILERS

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YEARS SINCE MEMBER LOCK & CO HATTERS WAS FOUNDED

133

BRANDS OF TOMORROW SINCE 2007, INCLUDING BREMONT, ORLEBAR BROWN, FITZDARES & HOUSE OF HACKNEY

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MILES THE DISTANCE FROM THE ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS FACTORY IN GOODWOOD, VIA THE ROYAL MINT IN PONTYCLUN, NEAR CARDIFF, TO HARRIS TWEED IN THE OUTER HEBRIDES

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SUBSCRIBERS OUR DIGITAL AUDIENCE THROUGH WEB, EMAIL AND INSTAGRAM

FOR AN UP-TO-DATE LIST OF MEMBERS, PARTNERS AND SPONSORS, PLEASE VISIT THE MEMBER LIST ON THEWALPOLE.CO.UK

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w The Joining Process

1 The Walpole membership team will discuss with you your application and relevant membership benefits.

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Once agreed, your application will be confirmed and a membership agreement will be sent to you for signature.

3 Membership renews automatically by direct debit.

4 Once payment is received membership will commence within 30 days.

5 The membership team will then: • Contact your designated representative to gather further details and named contacts.

• Announce your joining on the daily digest and provide details of all activities in which you can now participate.

• Work with you to establish a partnership plan for the next 6-12 months.

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The membership team will schedule regular check-ins to ensure you are getting the most out of your membership.

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Our Pillars Representation

“Britain’s luxury brands represent the very best this country has to offer.

Walpole’s mission is to help these businesses realise their potential”

The UK’s high-end creative and cultural industries generate £48bn of revenue annually, and 80% of this is destined for export*. We represent and promote our members’ interests at home and abroad. We lobby on behalf of our members, campaigning at the heart of Westminster and on a European stage via the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance (ECCIA) with partners from Italy, France, Spain and Germany.

Our collective strength enables us to influence policy and legislation on issues such as trade deals and post-Brexit market access, taxation and safeguarding selective distribution.

Our trade missions, leveraging our links with the GREAT campaign, the Department for International Trade, media partners and local experts, promote British luxury and Walpole brands in key markets, including the US, China, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. * Walpole Economic Impact Study 2019

MICHAEL WARD CHAIRMAN OF WALPOLE & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARRODS

Community Our members are individually stronger when they work collaboratively. We bring our community together and develop member networks, strengthening the brands and the ecosystem of British luxury. We convene a dynamic community of brand leaders who come together through Walpole’s channels to tackle common challenges and leverage the collective skills of the organisation to achieve their own business goals. We do this using a combination of actual and virtual events, both at scale and through smaller gatherings.

We connect like-minded brands, promoting both collaboration and brand partnerships, as well as co-ordinating digital round tables and working groups that bring members together.

We facilitate the exchange of ideas and build best practice.

REPRESENTATION WE ACTIVELY PROMOTE OUR MEMBERS’ INTERESTS AT HOME & ABROAD & CAMPAIGN ON THEIR BEHALF

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COMMUNITY WE CURATE OUR COMMUNITY & DEVELOP MEMBER NETWORKS

PROMOTE PROTECT DEVELOP

KNOWLEDGE, INSIGHT & EXPERTISE WE PROVIDE OUR MEMBERS WITH INFORMATION, SUPPORT & ADVICE

Knowledge, Insight & Expertise British luxury businesses support more than 150,000 jobs.

We help our members to develop and improve the effectiveness of both their brand and their people by providing knowledge, insight and expertise. More than 1,500 members attended our business support and member insight webinars in 2020, where key topics include responding to the pandemic, marketing, diversity, and the Chinese digital consumer. Our members benefit from exclusive research and insight from our partners including Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company and London Business School.

In January 2020 we launched the British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto, a commitment to helping the luxury sector become the global leader in sustainability. Eight sector working groups regularly collaborate on four key pillars: the transition to a circular economy, safeguarding natural resources and the environment, increasing sustainable practices and advocating for equal and respectful working conditions.

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Walpole’s British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto created in partnership with McKinsey & Company, is an ambitious and comprehensive aim to support the British luxury sector in lowering carbon emissions, reducing environmental impacts, and ensuring more sustainable future growth.

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Left ► Just a few of the Walpole brands which are Signatories of the Sustainability Manifesto: 1 Mulberry 2 Cadogan Estate 3 Harris Tweed 4 Molton Brown 5 de Le Cuona 6 House of Hackney 7 The Savoy 8 James Cropper 9 Harrods 10 Victor 11 JING Tea 12 Oliver Burns Right ► Burberry, The British Luxury Sustainability Report, published in 2021, Johnstons of Elgin

“Collaboration among peers is vital to achieving real system change.

By working together, we can transform our sector & build a more sustainable future” BURBERRY

Since launch, 70 Walpole members have joined founding signatories Harrods, Burberry, Mulberry, dunhill, Johnstons of Elgin, The Savoy and Chivas Brothers in support of the Manifesto – all of whom share an ambition to make the UK’s luxury sector the most sustainable in the world.

A central pillar of the British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto was to bring together the sustainability leads across the Walpole membership to form Working Groups, with a goal to enable collaboration, share experience and best practice, combine resources and align on areas of joint action to accelerate the pace of change towards a more sustainable future for luxury in the UK. These Working Groups – representing all sector verticals including Fashion & Apparel, Watches & Jewellery, Beauty & Fragrance, Food & Drink, Hospitality & Services, Automotive & Aviation, Retailers & eTailers, and Interior Design & Craftsmanship – are proving to be a powerful forum for the British luxury community with areas of knowledge sharing and action including: • Progress towards more sustainable packaging • Material-specific insights and the challenges of plastics in the supply chain • Carbon emission reduction • Social impact, including diversity and inclusion initiatives • How best to communicate brands’ sustainability work to customers and media The outcome of these discussions formed the basis of our British Luxury Sustainability Report, published in March 2021 in association with Investec.

Get Involved All Walpole brands are invited to become signatories of the Sustainability Manifesto or join our Working Groups, with three simple criteria to be involved: 1. Endorsement from senior leaders to prioritise sustainability at the highest levels in their businesses 2. Identify a person in charge of sustainability within the businesses 3. Promote proactive and transparent communications around sustainability both internally and externally Find out more at thewalpole.co.uk

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The Walpole Power List IN A S S OCI ATION W ITH IN V E S TEC

The second-annual Walpole Power List, naming the 50 Most Influential People in British Luxury, was revealed at the end of 2020. It celebrates the inspirational individuals within Walpole member brands who, despite enormous challenges throughout the past year, have continued to steer the sector to success.

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w “What does luxury mean in a time of necessity? Throughout this extraordinary year, that question has been answered many times over as British luxury has responded with courage, creativity and fortitude to the immense challenges of the pandemic. Sometimes it takes a crisis to show you what you’re made of, and the Walpole Power List is here to shine a light on fifty individuals who exemplify the exceptional calibre of those working in British luxury.”

The Heroes THIS CATEGORY CELEBRATES THE INDIVIDUALS WHO REACHED OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITY, SUPPORTING FRONTLINE WORKERS, THE NHS AND THE NATIONAL EFFORT DURING THE PANDEMIC.

Kristina Blahnik CEO, Manolo Blahnik Knut Wylde General Manager, The Berkeley Jonathan Baker Managing Director, Turnbull & Asser Leanne Roberts-Hewitt Managing Director, Wildabout & Kelly Yeomans Business Development, Wildabout Balthazar Fabricius & Chris Downham Co-Chairs, Brands of Tomorrow Simon Cotton CEO, Johnstons of Elgin

HELEN BROCKLEBANK CEO, WALPOLE

The Innovators THOSE WHO HAVE SHOWN TRUE INNOVATION IN PRODUCT, SERVICE OR MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

Rachel Waller Global VP Marketing, Digital & Innovation, Burberry Linda Plant Director of Strategic Relations, Edwardian Hotels Tracey Greaves Chief Commercial Officer, Goodwood Beatrice Descorps Global Vice-President, Molton Brown Cate Moore Director of Advocacy, Marketing Communications & eCommerce, William Grant & Sons Joost de Kruiff General Manager, Home Grown Club

The Game Changers INNOVATORS WITHIN BRITISH LUXURY IN PURSUIT OF SOMETHING NEW: WHERE THEY LEAD, OTHERS FOLLOW.

Dhavall Gandhi Master Blender, The Lakes Distillery Tom Marchant Owner & Co-Founder, Black Tomato Simon Mitchell Co-Founder, Sybarite Lucy Yeomans Founder & Co-CEO, DREST Farrah Storr Editor-in-Chief, ELLE UK

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The Legends HIGH-PROFILE FIGURES WHO HAVE LED THEIR BUSINESS IN A SUPPORTIVE AND INSPIRING WAY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.

Anthony Romano CEO, Church’s Demetra Pinsent CEO, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Ewan Venters Former CEO, Fortnum & Mason Robert Whitfield Regional Director UK & GM, The Dorchester Thierry Andretta CEO, Mulberry Simon Cundey Managing Director, Henry Poole & Co.

The Gurus INDIVIDUALS WITH EXTRAORDINARY EXPERTISE IN THEIR FIELDS.

Mark Duguid Managing Director, Carrier Simon Glendenning MD, Dugdale Bros. & Co. Stuart Johnson Managing Director, Brown’s Anna Bartle VP Corporate Affairs, The Estée Lauder Companies, UK & Ireland Alexandra Currie Senior Head of Strategy, Farfetch Margaret Sweeney Director of Business Development, G . F Smith

The Story Tellers THE PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF LUXURY WHO HAVE CREATED INSPIRING COMMUNICATIONS DURING THE CRISIS.

Samantha Strawford Brand Communications Director, Belmond David Kendall Marketing & Comms Director, David Collins Studio Stephen Rankin Director of Prestige, Gordon & MacPhail Zanny Gilchrist PR & Marketing Consultant, Ettinger Julia Record Global Director of Communications & Partnerships, Dorchester Collection

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w “Never has connection, collaboration and community been so important. As a bank with a deeply rooted entrepreneurial history, the success of our founders was built on meeting with like-minded people, sparking ideas to solve challenges, create opportunities or propel themselves forward. 2020 has shone a spotlight on the power and importance of community, and Investec is grateful to have this opportunity to join in celebrating and supporting UK entrepreneurs and business leaders. Congratulations to all Power List recipients.”

EILEEN REDMOND-MACKEN INVESTEC

The Rising Stars THE ONES TO WATCH.

Stephanie Foxley Digital Marketing Manager, Garrard Serena Riches Head of Marketing, Collector Services at The Royal Mint Francesca Lindberg PR Manager, The Hari Charlotte Unsworth Global PR Manager, William Grant & Sons Amabile Guglielmino-Brady Global Senior Brand Manager, Royal Salute / Pernod Ricard

The Taste Makers INFLUENCERS WITH A GREAT NETWORK WHO OTHERS LOOK TO FOR ADVICE AND INSPIRATION.

Richard Carter Director of Communications, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Rachel Vosper Founder, Rachel Vosper Shelley Tichborne Founder & Managing Director, mou London Jason Heward Managing Director, Leica Conor O’Leary Managing Director, Gleneagles Mats Klingberg Founder, Trunk Clothiers

The Custodians THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PROGRESSED THEIR BRAND’S SUSTAINABILITY GOALS DURING A DIFFICULT YEAR.

Melissa Mullen Vice President, GM UK & IR, Jo Malone London Lucy Thornton Head of Marketing, JING Tea Bernie de le Cuona Founder & CEO, de le Cuona Jocelyn Wilkinson Responsibility Programme Director, Burberry Debra Patterson Quality Executive, The Savoy

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Brands of Tomorrow IN A S S O CI AT ION W IT H MI SHC ON DE R E YA & MONE YC OR P

“Since its launch in 2007, Walpole’s flagship development programme for fledgling luxury brands has been central to our strategy for driving the growth of British luxury. We have taken 130 early-stage businesses through a tried and trusted programme of mentoring and masterclasses, immersing them in the support, help and advice of the British luxury eco-system, and it is the most satisfying thing imaginable that so many Brands of Tomorrow alumni are now famous around the world – Bremont, Nyetimber, House of Hackney and Orlebar Brown, to name just four. Every year I am awed by the creativity, entrepreneurship and determination of these future luxury players: it’s a huge privilege to play a part in their journey.”

HELEN BROCKLEBANK CEO, WALPOLE

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w TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE BRANDS OF TOMORROW PROGRAMME BRANDS MUST

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Introducing the Class of 2021 Brands of Tomorrow...

BE POSITIONED IN THE LUXURY SECTOR BE A BRITISH BUSINESS REGISTERED IN THE UK HAVE A TURNOVER BETWEEN £200K & £5M HAVE BEEN FOUNDED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS HAVE A CLEAR VISION FOR THEIR FUTURE & AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT STYLE BRANDS SHOULD EXPECT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF WALPOLE AT THE END OF THEIR YEAR ON THE PROGRAMME

Bramley 1

HE ALTH & BE AUT Y

Born out of the great British countryside, bath & body brand Bramley blends their unique apple seed ingredient with therapeutic essential oils, creating products that smell wonderful, evoke a sense of wellbeing, and have genuine benefits for skin and hair. Launched in 2012 by Chloë Luxton, with sustainability at its core, Bramley set out to change the excessive overuse of plastics by introducing refillable, full-size products to hotels. Maintaining a strict ingredient promise, Bramley is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly certified. bramleyproducts.co.uk

Eight Lands 2

FOOD & DRINK

Eight Lands is an award-winning organic spirits brand from the Speyside region of Scotland, developed by the father and stepson team of Alasdair Locke and Alex Christou. Built around the values of quality, people, experience and sustainability, everything from the bespoke distillery equipment through to the signature serves have been thought through to ensure that Eight Lands vodka and gin excite leading bartenders and discerning drinkers alike. The products are made using 100% organic ingredients and Scottish spring water, distilled and bottled at Glenrinnes Distillery on the family’s estate. eight-lands.com

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INTERIOR DESIGN, HOME & CR AF TMANSHIP

Exceptional nutritional supplements formulated to optimise female health, wellbeing and beauty. Created by women, for women, EQUI London is an multi award-winning, concise and perfected product range, backed by science and led by nature, comprising synergistically blended powder and capsule supplements that have the power to bring the body back into balance. The EQUI portfolio offers the ultimate in holistic supplementation. Using a synergy of adaptogenic herbs, medicinal mushrooms, vitamins, minerals, plant super foods and probiotics, the products optimise health, beauty and wellbeing. equilondon.com

Tom Cotton is a British designer and the creator of Eto: a beautiful wine decanter that offers the best in both form and function. The Eto story began in 2012 with the ambition to reduce waste and enhance drinking pleasure for wine-lovers everywhere. Six years later, Eto reached their goal. Eto’s innovative, patented preservation system uses an airtight seal over the wine, which halts the oxidation process, and preserves the wine’s full flavour. Its elegant design makes a beautiful centrepiece to your dining table, and gives you the freedom to enjoy wine on your time. The decanter reinvented. etowine.com

Hancock

Harper

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Inspiring customers through style, creative expressionism and innovation” is the guiding principle of Hancock. With collections made exclusively in their Scottish factory, Hancock offers a range of unique, covetable products that are created using an inimitable blend of traditional and modern manufacturing techniques. A global leader in producing handmade raincoats, Hancock’s modern approach to design combined with their heritage manufacturing process has led to a notable portfolio of collaborative work with many of the world’s leading fashion houses and young designers. Leveraging these unique skills, Hancock pushes boundaries as both a creative studio and as a manufacturer. hancockofscotland.com

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Harper is a luxury last mile service that enables luxury retailers to provide an elevated, try-before-you-buy shopping experience to customers at home. The company was founded in 2016 by disgruntled online shopper Liam Young after growing tired of the laborious, one-size-fits-all delivery service provided by the incumbent couriers.

Harper now works with labels including Salvatore Ferragamo, Mary Katrantzou and ME+EM, helping them to engage and better serve today’s consumer who demands convenience and craves experiences. harperconcierge.com

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British brand Marfa Stance designs an ever-evolving, unique and essential wardrobe that fuses a versatile, seasonless and multi-functional approach with beautiful luxury designs. Founded in 2019, designer Georgia Dant, a former transatlantic commuter, identified an opportunity in the global luxury fashion space for a buildable and transportable brand to effortlessly transition across climate, seasons and occasions. Signature Marfa Stance pieces can uniquely build, adapt and reverse; allowing each customer to personalise their style in multiple ways and adapt each garment to suit their lifestyle. Marfa Stance is a collection for women with select unisex pieces shareable by both women and men. marfastance.com

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JE WELLERY, WATCHES & PRECIOUS METAL S

Founded in 2018 by Cecily Motley and Ilana Lever, Motley puts original jewellery design back onto the hands, necks, wrists and ears of the world.

Motley collaborates with the world’s best independent jewellery designers, taking production in-house to eliminate the upfront costs they normally face. Exclusive collections crafted in sterling silver and 18 karat gold vermeil are sold direct to consumer, making exceptional jewellery design affordable for the first time ever.

In an industry notorious for poor quality and ethics, Motley doesn’t cut corners – creating a model that’s fair to craftsmen, designers and consumers. motley-london.com

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Launched in 2019, My Wardrobe HQ is the world’s first online fashion platform allowing individuals and brands to explore all areas of the afterlife of luxury garments, offering both rental and resale options.

MWHQ believe fashion rental is the solution to consuming fashion in a sustainable way, and are a truly circular offering - all items available to rent can also be bought, so if a customer wears something and loves it, they can keep it. My Wardrobe HQ encourages consumers to understand the logic of ‘buy less buy better’- kinder to the planet while also provides individuals with a monetising option of their own. mywardrobehq.com

Founded by Victoria Rothschild and Mark Bickers, Rothschild & Bickers is renowned for its sophisticated and unique designs. Behind the exquisite lighting which adorns stylish hotels, restaurants and homes is a passion to keep the craft of glassblowing alive. Molten glass is hand-formed employing only callipers as a measure, making products that are truly unique. Every design produced adopts traditional techniques, creating glass that will be cherished by future generations. This quality is matched in every detail from delicately woven flexes to hand spun metal canopies and ceiling roses. rothschildbickers.com

Sarah Haran Accessories

The Deck

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Bags that Bring Joy. Sarah Haran Accessories design and produce a range of luxury handbags for modern women, which perfectly balance beauty and function. In today’s hectic world, your handbag needs to do more than look good – it must keep you organised, and transform to suit your every occasion. The Sarah Haran collection features a unique restyle innovation - by day the bags provide maximum functionality and by night they can be restyled by detaching a clutch which can be used as a chic evening bag.

Customers can pick from a range of accessories to restyle their bag, all of which include a lifetime guarantee. sarahharan.com

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The Deck made history by becoming the first women’s tailor to have a shop front on Savile Row in 2020. A London-based madeto-measure tailoring house, for women by women, The Deck was launched in 2019 by Daisy Knatchbull. The Deck’s primary focus is crafting timeless, beautiful, and versatile suiting and separates.

The process allows for a fully customisable experience of the four styles offered (named after the suits in a deck of cards) including your own choice of cloth, linings, buttons, monogramming and styling details. The Deck offers an empathetic women-for-women service; understanding its clients’ needs and emotional relationship with clothing. thedecklondon.com

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Working with Walpole since 2018

Nous (formerly Buffalo), is a brand development & design agency servicing luxury brands since 1995

contact@nous.partners

Member Guide 2021 – 2022

Walpole is the United Kingdom’s official trade body for the luxury sector, with a mission to protect, promote and develop British luxury at home and abroad.

Our membership comprises more than 250 of the finest brands across a broad range of sectors: from retail to interior design & craftsmanship, food & drink to fashion, accessories to beauty, through hospitality, culture and the media to automotive and yachting. Walpole members are united by a common focus on discerning and affluent consumers and a shared mission to deliver world-class products and experiences. We achieve this by: Representing our members’ interests at home and abroad, building networks and encouraging collaboration within our Community and providing members with Knowledge, Insight & Expertise.

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11 CADOGAN GARDENS

45 PARK LANE

11 Cadogan Gardens was built by Lord Chelsea in the late-19th century and originally comprised four separate Victorian town houses. More recently 11 Cadogan Gardens was home to a private members’ club, and a sense of privacy and exclusivity remains. If the walls could talk, they would regale with tantalising tales and gossip from days gone by.

45 Park Lane is a vibrant beacon of contemporary culture in a luxury hotel. An invigorating blend of art and landmark architecture in the middle of classical London. dorchestercollection.com

11cadogangardens.com

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AG of C

AIVEEN DALY

AG of C is a British interior design collective with a portfolio of awardwinning interior design brands. The Accouter Group of Companies is home to Accouter, A.LONDON, BoxNine7, Bazaar and an innovative build-to-rent service, and delivers interior architectural and furnishings to the global property market, private clients and consumers.

Aiveen Daly is an textile artistry studio based in London. Specialising in leather work, contemporary fabric manipulation and hand embellishment, the studio designs and makes commissions for elite interior designers, yacht builders and architects across the globe.

Sculptural wall murals and decorative furniture are studio signatures.

agofc.com

aiveendaly.com

ALEXANDER McQUEEN

ALEXANDRA LLEWELLYN

Alexander McQueen was founded in 1992 by Lee McQueen, and in less than 10 years he became one of the most respected fashion designers in the world. Today Alexander McQueen designs, manufactures and distributes four collections of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories and is represented in 58 stores worldwide.

Designer of beautifully crafted and intricately detailed games, Alexandra Llewellyn’s work makes play into something magnificent.

From her famed backgammon boards to poker sets, and from games tables to card boxes, each piece is conceived in London before being handmade by specialist artisans across the UK.

alexandermcqueen.com

alexandrallewellyn.com

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AURIENS Redefining later living Truly mould breaking, Auriens Chelsea is designed for those whose see their later years as an opportunity to do more, rather than less. With a mission to enrich the lives of its residents with exquisitely designed apartments, superb services and exceptional health and wellbeing, Auriens is redefining later living.

Auriens combines the style and services of a luxury boutique hotel, the technology of a world-class wellness facility and the ambience of a private members’ club. Residents are looked after by a world-class team with experience from Four Seasons, the Island of Mustique, Goodwood and Claridge’s.

With an outstanding location just off the King’s Road in the heart of London’s Chelsea, each of the private apartments, which are available to lease, have been thoughtfully designed and intelligently future-proofed. They are complemented by beautiful communal areas including a private garden designed by the acclaimed garden designer Andy Sturgeon, multiple gold medal winner and twice Best in Show at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The investment in health and wellbeing at Auriens Chelsea goes well beyond outstanding care provision with a focus on active ageing and creating a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

All of this is supported by a partnership with Draycott Nursing & Care who provide expert assistance if and when required.

Living at Auriens is not about slowing down, it’s about living life at your own pace. auriens.com

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ANABELA CHAN

ARAMINTA CAMPBELL

A Walpole Brand of Tomorrow in 2020, Anabela Chan is the world’s first fine jewellery brand to champion laboratory-grown and created gemstones with high jewellery design and artisanal craftsmanship, and a focus on sustainable and ethical innovations. See more at the newly opened Anabela Chan flagship boutique at 35B Sloane Street, London.

Embracing traditional craftsmanship and timeless design, Araminta Campbell designs and creates exceptional textiles. From the flagship studio in Edinburgh, the SIGNATURE collection of British alpaca accessories is handcrafted, while contemporary interiors line MINTA and tweed and tartan service CUSTOM are also offered.

anabelachan.com

aramintacampbell.co.uk

ASPREY

BBC WORLD NEWS

Asprey London, established in 1781, has defined British luxury based on its core values of quality, refinement and innovation. In addition to its silver, crystal and leather collections, Asprey has taken a premier position in the jewellery industry with its collection of rare coloured diamonds and the launch of the Entheus R2 timepiece collection.

BBC Global News operates BBC World News and BBC.com; the BBC’s commercial international English news platforms. BBC World News television reaches more than 450 million households, and BBC.com has over 145 million unique users. BBC StoryWorks is the content-led marketing arm, helping brands connect through storytelling.

asprey.com

bbc.co.uk/news/world

BELMOND

THE BERKELEY

Belmond has been a pioneer in luxury travel for over 45 years, offering one-of-a-kind experiences in remarkable locations. Its portfolio extends across 24 countries with 46 properties including the illustrious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire. Belmond is part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

When it comes to five-star hotels in London, The Berkeley is one of a kind. Stunning interiors by A-list designers, afternoon tea with a twist, service that raises a smile… Everything about this luxury hotel is refreshingly different. And if you feel like exploring the neighbourhood, Knightsbridge and Belgravia are on your doorstep.

belmond.com

the-berkeley.co.uk

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BISCUITEERS The original hand-iced biscuit company With a mission to spread biscuit magic, Biscuiteers has been selling its beautiful biscuit gifts since 2007. Every Biscuiteers biscuit is a work of art, intricately iced by hand at the brand’s London headquarters, the Ministry of Biscuits. They are then packaged up in the brand’s iconic hand-illustrated tins and gift boxes to be delivered worldwide.

Biscuiteers is renowned for its personalised gifting offering and witty designs. Launched seasonally, its collections are inspired by all things British – be that the catwalk, London or much-loved British traditions. Perfect for thoughtful gifters, Biscuiteers offers beautiful designs for all of life’s occasions, from birthdays to thank yous and simply just because.

A favourite of the fashion world and christened the ‘NET-A-PORTER of biscuits’ the corporate arm of the business has created bespoke designs for the likes of Saint Laurent, Cartier and NET-A-PORTER. Biscuiteers has also designed popular licensed collections with Beatrix Potter, Paddington Bear and The Royal Horticultural Society among others.

Available from biscuiteers.com and leading retailers including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, Biscuiteers also has two London icing cafés. Named as ‘one of the most instagrammable shops in London’ by the Evening Standard, the icing cafés are home to the School of Icing, where children and adults can learn how to ice like a Biscuiteer.

The brand also hosted a pop-up in Bicester Village this year. biscuiteers.com

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BOODLES The quintessential British jeweller The Boodles family story started in Liverpool in 1798, and thanks to Boodles’ talented design team and visionary philosophy, the company continues to champion exceptional British fine jewellery more than two centuries later. It is 20 years since the renowned Raindance ring was created, and 10 years since the V&A Museum’s jewellery curator chose the classic ring as “an icon of British jewellery design” to showcase in their permanent exhibition. To celebrate the anniversary, Boodles revealed the new ‘Raindance’ ring set with rare pink and white diamonds. Boodles has also unveiled a special one-off piece featuring an extremely rare 10.05 carat pink diamond. Cut from a rough stone that weighed almost 20 carats, the diamond has been cut into a pear shape and mounted into a spectacular ring, also set with white and Argyle pink diamonds. Jody Wainwright, Boodles Director, heralds this as one of the most precious stones in the company’s 223 year history.

In the last year, despite tight restrictions and lockdowns making entertaining almost impossible, the team still managed to find a way to look after their customers. Socially distanced picnics in Hyde Park featuring luxury hampers were encouraged, the Bond Street apartment was converted into the ‘Boodles Brasserie’ – exuding British charm as always – and a series of client Christmas parties took place at Mosimann’s Club, all within ‘government guidelines’, of course.

A firm with a history stretching over 200 years, Boodles is encouraged to think in ‘generations’ rather than individual years. The Chairman, Nicholas, and his brother, Michael, represent the fifth generation of the Wainwright family to run Boodles. Cousins Jody and James are the sixth generation. And, in the autumn of 2020, Michael’s daughter, Honour, joined the company. Boodles is well and truly ‘A Family Story’.

boodles.com

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THE BICESTER VILLAGE SHOPPING COLLECTION

BLACK TOMATO

Discover something extraordinary every day at The Bicester Village Shopping Collection: 11 distinctive shopping destinations in Europe and China. The brands are world-class. The hospitality is unprecedented. The restaurants are renowned. The savings are exceptional. All designed for the world’s most discerning guests.

Founded in 2005, Black Tomato was created to guide, inspire and create unique travel experiences tailored to the precise needs of its clients. Since launching, the team has grown to become one of the world’s most celebrated luxury travel and lifestyle brands, with Forbes naming it “the world’s hottest luxury travel company”.

tbvsc.com

blacktomato.com

BOWMORE

BREMONT

Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky is defined, shaped and crafted by time. For over 240 years the Bowmore distillery has captured the essence of Islay from the shores of its remote island home. Shaped by the sands of time, Bowmore single malt harnesses the power of this time in every drop, telling a story of the past, savoured in the present.

Bremont is a British luxury watch brand, manufacturing mechanical watches in Henley-on-Thames. It was co-founded by brothers Nick & Giles English in 2002. The brand remains true to its original principles of aviation and military, British engineering and adventure, and is now in the top handful of chronometer producers in the world.

bowmore.com

bremont.com

THE BRITISH LIBRARY

BROWN’S HOTEL

Every day, The British Library feeds curiosity and sparks creativity to help people do amazing things: find inspiration for a new design; write a novel; or discover the world through major exhibitions and events. The British Library creates VIP moments for their partners and helps their them to tell unique and engaging stories.

Brown’s Hotel is a microcosm of chic, modern and arty Mayfair, making it the ideal base for luxury travellers. Moments from the fashion houses of Bond Street, in one of the world’s leading art districts and within walking distance of five royal parks, Brown’s Hotel is at the centre of London’s finest experiences.

bl.uk

roccofortehotels.com

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BURBERRY

CARRIER

Burberry is a global luxury brand with London headquarters. It makes luxury clothing, leather goods, accessories, fragrance and beauty products that marry the finest craftsmanship and design with digital innovation. Creativity has fuelled Burberry throughout its 165-year history and a shared conviction in its power is central to how it operates.

How you choose to see the world creates the world you see. Why merely see it when you can experience the best of it? In the hands of exceptional people, your sojourns will be sensational, your escapades flawless. Carrier harnesses the power of travel to enable you and the communities you visit to live extraordinary and fulfilled lives.

uk.burberry.com

carrier.co.uk

CHANEL

CHAPEL DOWN

Founded by Gabrielle Chanel at the beginning of the last century, Chanel offers a broad range of high-end creations, including ready-to-wear, leather goods, fashion accessories, eyewear, fragrances, makeup, skincare, jewellery and watches. Chanel is dedicated to ultimate luxury and to the highest level of craftsmanship.

Chapel Down is England’s leading winemaker, changing the way the world thinks about English wine by making the coolest, cool-climate wines on the planet accessible and contemporary. Chapel Down wines and spirits are available through many leading retailers, online and from the Chapel Down winery, which is open daily for visitors.

chanel.com

chapeldown.com

CHARLOTTE TILBURY

CHEWTON GLEN

Charlotte Tilbury MBE is a beauty entrepreneur, influential global make-up artist and founder, president and chairman of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. This 380+ award-winning, digital-first, hybrid skincare and make-up brand revolutionised the industry by decoding beauty for everyone at every age, with first-to-market breakthrough innovation.

This five-star Relais & Châteaux luxury hotel and spa is one of the finest in the country. Located within 130 acres of gardens on the edge of the New Forest and a few minutes’ walk from the coast. Recent additions include the Treehouse Suites and The Kitchen, a meet, eat, cook venue overseen by TV chef James Martin.

charlottetilbury.com/uk

chewtonglen.com

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CADOGAN Safeguarding the spirit of Chelsea’s community and creating a sustainable future An unwavering long-term commitment to the community and careful curation of the Estate’s 93-acres, spanning Chelsea and Knightsbridge, sits at the very heart of property manager Cadogan’s strategy. Since ‘reopening’, an additional 900 alfresco seats have been added across the neighbourhood, while newly pedestrianised Pavilion Road has become more central to the community than ever. Running parallel to Sloane Street, it is home to independent artisans – including a butcher, baker, grocer, cheesemonger and wine merchant – the go-to for enjoyable essential shopping. Nearby at Duke of York Square, the weekly Fine Food Market is now hosted on the green opposite the Saatchi Gallery, allowing for a more spacious and relaxed environment. The architecturally award-wining restaurant central to the Square, Vardo, provides Chelsea’s first rooftop bar and a perfect indoor/outdoor dining experience with its retractable glass walls.

Looking ahead, Chelsea will welcome the first Costes hotel outside Paris and chic Beaverbrook launch a Town House on Sloane Street. Exciting new experiential retail concepts include Anya Hindmarch’s ‘The Village’ – five stores focused on experience, collaboration and sustainability. Other flagship openings include Burberry and Balenciaga on Sloane Street, Ralph Lauren on Sloane Square and Ganni and Rixo on King’s Road. More will also be revealed for Sloane Street, with significant investment into one of the world’s most famous luxury shopping destinations. An exciting outdoor events schedule is also in place, including an Art Week, Summer Festival and the return of ‘Chelsea in Bloom’, London’s largest free flower festival.

Cadogan is focused on minimising its impact, ensuring sustainability is integrated into every aspect of the business. With 12 ambitious targets, ‘Chelsea 2030’ will be announced in summer, a strategy reflecting both local and global approaches to tackling the climate emergency and societal issues - and promising Chelsea an even greener, more vibrant and sustainable future. cadogan.co.uk

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CHURCH’S The English shoemaker walking the world stage Church’s history can be traced back to 1617, when Anthony Church, a master shoemaker, was handcrafting shoes in Northampton, England, a town renowned for producing fine footwear since medieval times. His descendants followed in his footsteps, establishing Church’s & Co in 1873. Church’s still proudly manufactures in Northampton, where it nurtures and protects the time-honoured traditions on English shoemaking. With 62 directly owned and operated retail stores that span the globe, its store locations include London, Paris, Edinburgh, Milan, Berlin, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Beijing.

Church’s continues to present men’s and women’s collections that are unparalleled for craftsmanship and luxury. These handmade shoes are loyal to the artisanal traditions of English shoemaking. Timeless in aesthetic and exceptional in quality, they are among the most long-lasting and desirable in the world. church-footwear.com

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Verdure Tapestry Silk 117/18039

Pugin Palace Flock 116/9033

COLE & SON Pioneering new wallcovering bases Since 1875 Cole & Son has been at the fore of wallpaper innovation with the design house’s founder, John Perry, pioneering new print techniques throughout the late Victorian and early Edwardian period. Under Perry’s guidance new methods of printing striped textures were introduced, as well as a revolutionary way of incorporating ground mica into the base of the wallcovering to give a silken effect. Both were embraced throughout the wallpaper industry and are still used today, as well as his work to reintroduce the technique of flocking, which had originally been popular in the late-17th century.

This pioneering spirit is still prevalent throughout the design house today, with the select team of just five in-house artists trialling new ways in which to translate each hand-rendered design into an exquisite product and push the boundaries of wallcovering production. Most notably within Cole & Son’s second collaborative collection with Historic Royal Palaces, Great Masters, came the debut of the House’s first 100 per cent pure silk wallpaper. Available as a standard panel, Verdure Tapestry Silk can also be produced as a ready to hang bespoke item, adding a new ultra-luxury offering to Cole & Son’s vast portfolio.

Silk is not the only new substrate that will become a part of Cole & Son’s product catalogue, with every new collection the design house continues to work with the very best of Great Britain’s printmakers in order to test innovative bases and champion a new age in wallcoverings through Cole & Son’s signature colour and pattern. cole-and-son.com 1 0 6

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Fanfare Flock 116/7026 with Colour Box Velvet Rose F111/11046 & Viridian F111/11040

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CLARIDGE’S

CLIVEDEN HOUSE

Set in the heart of Mayfair, Claridge’s is an art deco icon and a byword for timeless elegance. Since the 1850s, Claridge’s has excelled at the finer things in life: glamorous design, inspiring dining, impeccable service. There are many five-star hotels in London but there’s nowhere quite like Claridge’s.

An escape from the city, this historic National Trust country house, just 40 minutes from London and 20 minutes from Heathrow, is set in 376 acres of Grade-I listed formal gardens with panoramic views over the River Thames. It has a heritage as a venue for entertaining royalty and prime ministers, with tales of parties, privilege and power.

claridges.co.uk

clivedenhouse.co.uk

COMO HOTELS

THE CONNAUGHT

COMO Metropolitan London combines contemporary design with a Park Lane location. Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Piccadilly are within a short walk, and West End theatres are nearby. Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Nobu has award-winning cuisine, and COMO Shambhala Urban Escape offers holistic therapies, yoga and a private gym.

Stepping into The Connaught feels a little like entering another world.

Elegant yet effortless, it is set apart from the bustle of London but is still immersed in its culture. Dedicated to fine art and the finer things in life. Every guest receives The Connaught’s world-famous service. the-connaught.co.uk

comohotels.com

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CORINTHIA LONDON

COWORTH PARK

Corinthia London is an elegant retreat in the heart of London, where grandeur and heritage meet exquisite, intelligent design, and where every comfort is considered. Whether you’re interested in arts and exhibitions, cultural traditions, gastronomic delights or child-friendly activities, London offers opportunities to explore your passions.

Coworth Park, Ascot, is the Dorchester Collection’s luxury country house hotel and spa, set in picturesque parkland. This luxurious country house hotel on the borders of Windsor Great Park is an idyllic place for a romantic retreat and a favourite with families seeking a relaxing break just 45-minutes’ drive from London.

corinthia.com

dorchestercollection.com

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COWDRAY A unique country estate The 16,500-acre family owned Cowdray Estate is set in the heart of the South Downs National Park, an area of exceptional beauty in West Sussex. Cowdray is a dynamic and progressive Estate, renowned as the home of British Polo, hosting the prestigious Gold Cup tournament. Cowdray has secured a reputation for being a great sporting Estate set in one of the most picturesque locations in England.

Alongside polo there is a diversity of other attractions including a thriving events business.

Cowdray House is a stunning country house with 22 bedrooms set discreetly in 110 acres of private gardens which is available for exclusive-use private stays, weddings, and other celebratory events. The Walled Garden is another popular Cowdray event venue located in the centre of Midhurst overlooking Cowdray Ruins, one of England’s most important early Tudor houses. At The Walled Garden, visitors can enjoy afternoon teas during the week in the summer months surrounded by the stunning garden.

The award-winning Cowdray Farm Shop stocks Estate and locally grown produce and has a celebrated deli and a popular butchery. The bustling café next door serves a seasonal changing menu. For guests looking to stay on the Estate, there are several pretty holiday cottages as well as bed and breakfast lodge accommodation. As a destination Cowdray offers a range of premium country pursuits including golf on the Championship course, the award-winning clay-pigeon shooting school, fly-fishing on the river Rother, walking, cycling, riding, polo – both spectating and learning to play as well as truffle hunting, guided nature tours and walks with the Estate Forager. The wellbeing centre hosts a varied programme of classes from yoga to pilates to meditation and weekend retreats.

Cowdray is a diverse English country Estate which aims to provide something for everyone. cowdray.co.uk

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THE CONRAN SHOP The home of iconic designs & future classics Founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1973, The Conran Shop is the favoured destination for the latest and greatest in furniture, lighting and gifting. Hosting diverse and compelling collections from established designers and fresh talents worldwide, the brand has nine international locations and an online presence delivering to 70 countries. A global brand with a British heart, The Conran Shop has collaborated with many renowned brands, including Knoll, Vitra and Carl Hansen & Søn. Its limited and exclusive editions of world-famous icons draw on Sir Terence’s legacy of crafting plain, simple and useful objects. These collaborations recently saw Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Table honoured with an extraordinary Brazilian granite tabletop and the Eameses’ LCW Chair in a stately ash and walnut finish. An ever-growing private range saw the triumphant launch of new furniture and lighting pieces, from ‘Hatch’ to ‘Highline,’ alongside extensions of Gabriel Tan, Samuel Wilkinson and Daniel Schofield’s existing collections. The brand’s acclaimed first store in South Korea has asserted The Conran Shop as the world’s best design store, and a second location opened in July 2021 in Dongtan.

Having been under Sir Terence’s ownership since its inception, The Conran Shop was acquired by British businessman Javad Marandi OBE in early 2020. Not long after, the world mourned the passing of Sir Terence Conran. The trailblazing innovator and great British success story left a formidable legacy for The Conran Shop, not just to enjoy but also to prolong. Thus, Sir Terence’s founding vision to showcase only the best in design endures, and the brand honours its British roots with thoughtfully curated products that champion creativity and innovation. Ever-changing and evolving, where design classics stand proudly alongside future collectibles, The Conran Shop offers an unbeatable shopping experience with aesthetically pleasing and investment-worthy designs. conranshop.com

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CRAFTS COUNCIL

DAI

The Crafts Council’s goal is to make the UK the best place to create, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft. Its mission is to build a strong economy and infrastructure for contemporary craft, increasing and diversifying the audience and championing high-quality contemporary craft practice nationally and internationally.

Dai is tailored performance wear at the intersection of innovative fabrics, elegant tailoring and minimal, functional design. Launched as an omnichannel, direct-to-consumer brand, Dai brings luxury craftsmanship to the contemporary womenswear market and is committed to sustainability and social impact that empowers women.

craftscouncil.org.uk

daiwear.com

DAVID COLLINS STUDIO

DECOREX

Founded in 1985, David Collins Studio is an award-winning interior, architecture and product Studio, delivering internationally recognised hospitality, residential and retail destinations across the globe. The Studio works with brands that represent the best in their field and with private clients who share its obsession with detail, craft and refinement.

Decorex is Europe’s leading high-end design event, with a 43-year history of bringing the community together to celebrate design in all its forms. Continuing its legacy of excellence in 2021, Decorex will host a hybrid event, a physical exhibition taking place 10-13 October, shortly followed by a virtual event from 16-18 November.

davidcollins.studio

decorex.com

DONMAR WAREHOUSE

DUGDALE BROS & CO

This 251-seat theatre in London’s West End is led by artistic director Michael Longhurst and executive producer Henny Finch.

It creates world-class theatre with international impact and develops new artists and future audiences through its renowned training programmes.

Dugdale Bros & Co is the last remaining, independently owned cloth merchant in Huddersfield, the town that created luxury fine worsted cloth. Dugdale Bros supplies cloth to tailors, garment manufacturers, couture houses and luxury goods brands across the world, from Savile Row to Southeast Asia.

donmarwarehouse.com

dugdalebros.com

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DOWNEY Creative design & luxury print specialist Downey is a specialist creative partner to luxury and top tier brands. For over a century, this third-generation and independent family business – with foundations rooted firmly in craftsmanship and quality-led attention to detail – has been the best-kept secret for its highly enviable list of clients. With a commitment to sustainability and extensive knowledge of techniques, finishes and materials, Downey guides clients through the possibilities available when bringing design excellence and print production together for their branding, event, CRM and marketing needs.

Downey’s heritage and wide-ranging capabilities make the business a comprehensive authority on creating bespoke and luxurious packaging, memorable event invitations and exquisite business stationery, which it delivers on a local and global level. Downey has a discreet way of working and as such is regularly commissioned by many private family offices and UHNWI with its custom personal stationery, bespoke gift packaging and invitation suites for events. One of Downey’s specialities is its in-depth knowledge and experience when working with key visual elements such as Royal Warrants, crests and coats of arms.

Headquartered in London and with a UK-based production facility, Downey is a small company with a global reach and is a champion of the creative industry whilst supporting British craftsmanship since 1903. downey.co.uk

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DE LE CUONA Fabrics for interiors, responsibly crafted from the world’s finest natural fibres de Le Cuona is a purveyor of luxury textiles for interiors with a 27-year history. It is known for exquisite, understated linen and natural fabrics united by their beauty, quality and mastery of execution. Traditional techniques and craftsmanship with the latest technology and innovation has always been at the heart of this brand. The Pure collection is the first organic linen fabric range in the interior textile industry to be GOTS certified (Global Organic Textile Standard).

This collection now also extends to bed linen. delecuona.com

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THE DORCHESTER The place to be in London Redefining the luxury British hotel experience, The Dorchester celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2021. From the moment the famous doors first opened back in 1931, it has attracted high-profile guests from royalty to Hollywood elite and been a home for culinary excellence and a luxury retreat in the heart of Mayfair. The hotel has stayed true to the classic English residential style, fusing contemporary comfort with the timeless glamour of the property overlooking Hyde Park.

The Dorchester has marked its ninth decade with a celebration of its unrivalled culinary credentials, beginning with the launch of its first ever rooftop restaurant. The Dorchester Rooftop showcases a series of culinary pop ups throughout summer, with live music and views across Hyde Park.

Frequently referred to as ‘the drawing room of Mayfair’, The Promenade is the heart of The Dorchester. Open all day for informal dining, and a London institution for British afternoon tea, experience The Promenade’s seasonal calendar of specialty teas and pastries, accompanied by resident pianist.

The Grill at The Dorchester sees Head chef Tom Booton offer his interpretation of a modern-day British grill with vibrant atmosphere to match. Offering a relaxed approach to the dining experience, the legendary dining room features a statement six-seater Pudding Bar, intimate banquette seating and exciting cocktail concept: The Grill Bar at The Dorchester.

The Dorchester Spa combines art-deco style with timeless elegance. The spa’s relaxing aromatherapy massages and deep cleansing facials are particularly popular with guests, followed by some quality time in the spa’s steam room and showers.

Awarded three Michelin stars, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester offers contemporary French cuisine in a modern and elegant environment. Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet interprets Alain Ducasse’s cuisine with a refined approach, championing current seasonal produce sourced from British and French suppliers. dorchestercollection.com

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DUNHILL

ECHLIN

Design driven, with style, innovation and excellence, dunhill is a luxury brand led by the vision of Creative Director Mark Weston and CEO Andrew Maag. Founded in 1893 by Alfred Dunhill, the House maintains the values of craftsmanship, tailoring and quality, while leading a discreet revolution in ready-to-wear and accessories.

Echlin is a multi-disciplinary studio specialising in high-end architecture, interiors and residential property development. Its ethos focuses on personal experience, wellbeing and craftsmanship explored through space, materiality, light and connections with nature for private and corporate clients alongside landmark developments.

dunhill.com/gb

echlinlondon.com

EDWARD GREEN

EDWARDIAN HOTELS LONDON

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.

Edwardian Hotels London owns and operates a portfolio of fourand five-star hotels, including The May Fair and The Edwardian Manchester, both part of premium lifestyle brand Radisson Collection; 10 Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels across London, and The Londoner – the world’s first super boutique hotel, premiering in 2021.

edwardgreen.com

edwardian.com

ETTINGER

E X M O O R C AV I A R

Founded by Gerry Ettinger in 1934, Ettinger has established its reputation in the UK and internationally as one of the finest leather goods manufacturers and British leather accessories brands today.

Its extensive portfolio can be purchased online and in leading luxury department stores and men’s style retailers around the world.

Exmoor Caviar, the UK’s first sturgeon caviar farm, has been operating in Devon since 2012 and now supplies their products into 64 Michelin Star Restaurants including The Fat Duck, The Ledbury and The Araki, all of who have been supporters since the beginning of their journey.

ettinger.co.uk

exmoorcaviar.com

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FARFETCH

FINANCIAL TIMES

Farfetch is the leading global platform for the luxury fashion industry.

It began as an e-commerce marketplace for luxury boutiques around the world and today connects customers in more than 190 countries and territories with items from over 50 countries and 1,300 of the world’s best brands, boutiques and department stores.

One of the world’s leading business news organisations, the FT is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. It has a record paying readership of more than a million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions, and is part of Nikkei Inc, providing information, news and services for the global business community.

farfetch.com

ft.com

FITZDARES

FLORIS

Founded in 2005, Fitzdares immediately heralded a return to the turf accountancy principals of yesteryear. It sought advice from the best games players in the world and built a range of goods that are widely considered classics of their kind. Fitzdares is constantly looking to find ways to make the experience of betting as enjoyable as possible.

Delighting fragrance connoisseurs with its classic and contemporary scents since 1730, London perfumer Floris was founded by Menorcaborn Juan Famenias Floris in St James’s. This first shop remains at the heart of the business, which is still run by family descendants, producing finely crafted fragrances for women, men and the home.

fitzdares.com

florislondon.com

FORTNUM & MASON

GARRARD

First founded in Piccadilly in 1707, Fortnum & Mason has remained an essential London destination for anyone in search of extraordinary food, exceptional service, and unforgettable experiences ever since.

Recently opening its first overseas outpost in Hong Kong, Fortnum’s mission is to make joy for all who pass through its doors.

Founded in London in 1735, Garrard’s royal legacy lives on in exceptional handcrafted jewels. The house’s industry-leading designers, gemologists and craftspeople continue to be entrusted with extraordinary new designs, each bearing the quintessential British hallmarks of heritage and handcraftsmanship.

fortnumandmason.com

garrard.com

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GORDON & MACPHAIL Rare whiskies created by unique experience For over 125 years, Gordon & MacPhail has been driven by a simple mission: to create single malt Scotch whisky of exceptional quality. Founded in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail, their Speyside grocery shop in Elgin soon became a beacon for quality produce, including Scotch whisky.

In the first year of trading a young apprentice, John Urquhart, joined the business. After John MacPhail’s retirement and James Gordon’s passing, both in 1915, John Urquhart became Senior Partner and in 1933 John was joined by his son, George. Throughout his tenure, George developed a deep understanding of Scotch whisky, especially the unique interaction that occurs over time between spirit and cask. He understood the benefits of long-term thinking and continued to lay down whiskies to be matured for decades.

George is widely acknowledged to be one of the industry’s true pioneers. In 1968, when the vast majority of spirit went to make blended whisky, George created the Connoisseurs Choice range to provide little-known distilleries a platform to have their whisky enjoyed in its purist form, as a single malt. More recently, members of the third and fourth generations of the Urquhart family have continued to apply a century of experience to the whisky-making process, perfectly matching spirit from over 100 Scottish distilleries to oak casks made to their exacting specifications. Each cask is then matured to its full potential, creating exceptional single malt Scotch whiskies found nowhere else in the world.

Gordon & MacPhail Whiskies is presented within four standard ranges: Private Collection, Connoisseurs Choice, Distillery Label, and Discovery, each comprising some of the rarest single malts in the world; genuine one-offs found nowhere else. Periodically, Gordon & MacPhail releases a whisky under its Generations range. These whiskies are landmark moments for the sector – iconic chapters in Scotland’s liquid history, typically the oldest single malt Scotch whiskies ever released. Gordon & MacPhail whiskies define the pinnacle of quality for single malt Scotch, as discerning drinkers all around the world will testify. gordonandmacphail.com

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GLENEAGLES

THE GLENTURRET

A warm country house, a glamorous retreat, a Scottish adventure – Gleneagles is a luxury hotel and sporting estate like no other. From its country pursuits, award-winning spa and range of restaurants and bars to its iconic golf courses and breathtaking location, the Glorious Playground celebrates almost a century of heritage.

The Glenturret Distillery has been visited through the centuries by writers and poets, including Robert Burns, and fêted by prime ministers and princes. Today, it brings together the hard-won wisdom of generations of distillers with the imagination of contemporary masters to craft moments to treasure in spirit and glass.

gleneagles.com

theglenturret.com

GOODWOOD

GRAHAM SHAPIRO DESIGN

Goodwood is best known for the Festival of Speed, the Qatar Goodwood Festival and Goodwood Revival. The 12,000-acre estate also has an organic farm, four restaurants, two 18-hole golf courses, a culture park, a private members’ club, an aerodrome, a motor circuit, a health club, a country hotel and a 10-bedroom sporting lodge.

Graham Shapiro Design is one of the leading providers of creative visual communication in the United Kingdom. Founded 25 years ago, the company has been working online and offline, creating brands and websites for some of the world’s most respected companies, from its Tudor House head office in Cheshire.

goodwood.com

gsd.net

GRAYS

HACKETT

Founded in 1960, Grays believes in creating unique tactile experiences through sustainably made packaging and bookbinding. With no minimum order quantity, Grays strives to push the forefront of creative packaging and is committed to building long-term relationships with brands. Grays is truly a place where British heritage meets innovation.

The home of British menswear, Hackett’s collections are built around impeccable tailoring, complemented by luxurious casualwear. From its origins in London’s fashionable Chelsea, Hackett has a history of providing the best for discerning men, and its stores offer a range of products and services to cater for all of a man’s sartorial needs.

graysbbb.co.uk

hackett.com

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HALFPENNY LONDON

HALSTOCK

Founded in 2005 by costume designer, celebrity stylist and Central St Martin’s textile graduate Kate Halfpenny, Halfpenny London is one of the UK’s leading luxury bridalwear brands. It weaves Brit cool with a luxe sensibility, creating innovative, chic dresses and separates for the modern woman. Made in England, worn around the world.

Halstock designs, manufactures and installs luxury bespoke interiors, working with architects, interior designers, project managers, quantity surveyors and private clients to produce exacting results.

Each library, gun room, dressing room, wine cellar and kitchen is unique, carefully considered and handmade.

halfpennylondon.com

halstock.com

HARRIS TWEED HEBRIDES

HELEN AMY MURRAY

Harris Tweed Hebrides manufacture each metre of handwoven fabric in accordance with The Harris Tweed Act, maintaining the integrity and distinctive character of the fabric which is recognised globally as Harris Tweed®.

Helen Amy Murray’s eponymous London studio hand-sculpts leather, suede, silk and other textiles into unique 3-D works of art, interior installations and furniture. Her globally sought-after work can be found in private collections, residences, superyachts, jets and cars, as well as luxury boutiques and multi-star hotels across the world.

harristweedhebrides.com helenamymurray.com

HENRY POOLE & CO

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

Henry Poole & Co, on London’s Savile Row, has offered the best in bespoke British tailoring since 1806. Every item is handmade by a master craftsman to the client’s individual pattern. James Poole started stitching military uniforms during the Napoleonic Wars, and his son, Henry Poole, is still seen as the founding figure of Savile Row.

Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that cares for some of the United Kingdom’s most iconic royal landmarks – the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, the Banqueting House and Hillsborough Castle & Gardens – telling stories about the monarchs you know, and the lives you don’t.

henrypoole.com

hrp.org.uk

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HAMILTON & INCHES An experience like no other Hamilton & Inches has stood the test of time, with 155 years of passion, creativity, artistry, and dedication to craftsmanship, and continues to be Edinburgh’s premiere destination for fine jewellery, luxury watches and hand-crafted silver. Dedicated to enhancing the customer experience, Hamilton & Inches recently embarked on an incredible transformation, with elegant upgrades taking place across its showroom, workshops, and service department, creating a space that celebrates heritage whilst innovating with contemporary design. To accentuate the elegance of the new showroom, a striking new store front is clad in Scottish Whinstone and sees Hamilton & Inches rejuvenate its original design by installing curved glass panels set in an antique bronze, with jewellery displayed on a carved breccia marble plinth topped in silk. New interior features, influenced by historic photographs of the Victorian Hamilton & Inches, include an extravagant traditional design palette, reimagined for today.

The new, beautifully curated lifestyle area situated beside the 19th century Adam fireplace now offers clients a space where they can drop in to shop, and stay for a cup of coffee, or a glass of champagne – incorporating residential elements into a retail environment to achieve an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. Hamilton & Inches has maintained its own onsite workshops since inception and is home to a team of highly skilled craftspeople, including master polishers, goldsmiths, silversmiths and engravers, all of whom have honed their craft through the knowledge and skills passed down from previous generations. It also houses exclusive facilities for some of the world’s finest watch and jewellery collections, including a state-of-the-art Rolex accredited workshop, with a significant Rolex and Patek Philippe presence across the showroom. hamiltonandinches.com

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THE HARI A luxury five-star hotel in the heart of Belgravia Welcome to The Hari, a luxury five-star hotel in the heart of the quintessentially British neighbourhood of Belgravia, London. Moments from Harrods and the high-end shops of Knightsbridge, The Hari is also within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and The Royal Albert Hall, as well as the city’s most famous museums.

The first hotel of The Hari brand, The Hari brings together a long heritage of hospitality and service bestowed by its owners, the Harilela family. As a result, the hotel is renowned for impeccable and personalised service, and always strives to create exceptional guest experiences by paying meticulous attention to every detail, no matter how small.

With interiors by the acclaimed British designer Tara Bernerd, The Hari is a mix of plush velvet upholstery, marble bathrooms, contemporary art and cosy furnishings. All 85 bedrooms, of which 14 are luxury suites, are designed to make every stay as relaxing as possible. Social spaces within the hotel include the stylish yet intimate Hari Bar and the beautiful Garden Terrace, which, complete with a retractable roof, transforms from an elegant suntrap on warm days to a cosy retreat in winter.

The Hari is also home to Italian restaurant, il Pampero, which prides itself on serving exceptional homemade cuisine, mastering the art of combining traditional Italian recipes with creative and contemporary techniques. As well as serving the great classics, the team love to experiment and find new combinations to amaze guests, working with the best Italian suppliers to source everything directly from its place of origin. Signature dishes include fresh pasta prepared in a parmesan wheel, sea bream cooked in sea salt, and tiramisù served chef’s style.

And this is just the beginning for The Hari brand. Bringing together unique concepts and creative collaborations that illuminate the Harilela’s passion for service, The Hari London is the first step of a globetrotting journey that will explore the world. The next stop, Hong Kong (pictured, right), is where the brand’s second hotel opened in December 2020.

Watch this space! thehari.com

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HOME HOUSE & HOME GROWN

HOUSE OF HACKNEY

Home House offers an exceptional range of facilities including restaurants, bars, an intimate garden, elegant bedrooms, a gym, a boardroom, and a thriving calendar of exclusive events. Home Grown is the private members’ club that provides entrepreneurs with unique resources to unlock the true value of their business potential.

Founded by Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle in 2011, House of Hackney creates designs that infuse the home with colour, print and life. The brand marries sublime artistry with social and environmental responsibility, supporting local communities and championing methods that safeguard our precious wildlife.

homehouse.co.uk

houseofhackney.com

IAIN BURNETT THE HIGHLAND CHOCOLATIER

INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE

Master Chocolatier Iain Burnett is internationally recognised as a master truffle specialist for his unique truffle petit four, the Velvet Truffle®, created for high-end dining, events and VIP gift boxes.

The passionate young family business delivers rare artisan quality to Michelin restaurants, master distillers, hotels and businesses.

InterContinental London Park Lane presents modern luxury accommodation in the heart of Mayfair. Overlooking the Royal Parks, the hotel delivers elegant natural interiors and award-winning seasonal cuisine. The flagship InterContinental® property provides exemplary service and brings true hospitality to life.

highlandchocolatier.com

parklane.intercontinental.com

JAMES CROPPER

JESSICA McCORMACK

James Cropper is a prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District, supplying distinct, custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers. The business is renowned globally for individual expertise in colour and fibre innovation.

London-based diamond jeweller Jessica McCormack is known for her distinctive aesthetic, bringing modernity to craftsmanship. She combines Georgian techniques, modern and antique diamonds and contemporary design. Handcrafted in-house, her pieces are designed to be worn today and passed down from one generation to the next.

jamescropper.com

jessicamccormack.com

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JING TEA

JO MALONE LONDON

Single garden tea brand, JING, is on a mission to give you the best drinking experience while helping tea producers and their environments to thrive. To do this, they select distinctive single garden teas from Asia and build long-lasting, personal relationships with the tea masters who produce them.

Jo Malone London is internationally known for its unexpected fragrances and distinctly British character. An understated style, defined by a rather unconventional sense of sophistication. With taste that is rarefied, yet a touch audacious. Authentic, unexpected scents, coveted luxury candles and sumptuous bath and body care.

jingtea.com

jomalone.co.uk

THE JOCKEY CLUB

KATHERINE ELIZABETH

Governed by Royal Charter and with HM The Queen as its patron, The Jockey Club owns some of the country’s most prominent racecourses and stages several of the nation’s highest-profile events, including the Randox Grand National, Cheltenham Festival and four of the five ‘classics’, including the Derby. It reinvests all profits into British racing.

Katherine Elizabeth is an award-winning milliner based in central London with a Flagship store in the iconic Oxo Tower. Katherine began her career in millinery under the talented eye of Stephen Jones, creating pieces for the Dior runway shows and the John Galliano boutique in Paris.

thejockeyclub.co.uk

katherineelizabethhats.com

KATHRYN SARGENT BESPOKE

THE LAKES DISTILLERY

Kathryn Sargent is leading the new generation of Savile Row bespoke tailoring houses. Focusing on the needs of the client Kathryn advises and collaborates, creating garments that are entirely individual.

Kathryn, the world’s only female Master Tailor, creates for men and women who require garments for business or leisure.

Blending science and art to ensure every flavour possibility is achieved, The Lakes Distillery is a whiskymaker with an artistic ethos.

Established in 2011 and inspired by the majestic surroundings of the Lake District National Park, their state-of-the-art distillery can be found nestled on the shore of Bassenthwaite Lake.

kathrynsargent.com

lakesdistillery.com

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HARRODS The art of the possible Harrods was founded 186 years ago when an ambitious young miller from Clacton by the name of Charles Henry Harrod opened a small grocery shop in Stepney. In 1849, two years before The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, Harrod realised that if his store moved to up-and-coming Knightsbridge it could attract adventurous, curious customers – those eager to sample the new and exotic. Today, Harrods is still in SW1 doing just that. As the world’s most famous department store, it spans seven (and-a-half) storeys of wonder, a shop floor that covers 4.5 acres and 40 lifts that travel 40,000 miles each year.

Now, the next chapter of the Harrods story is being written with the largest, most ambitious renovation of the Knightsbridge store in the brand’s history that will turn Harrods into a veritable cultural hub. Many of the newly transformed departments have already been unveiled; customers can purchase a made-to-measure suit in Men’s Superbrands’ elegant club rooms, discover gastronomic delights within the Food Halls, or up their gaming with the new and noise cancelling from the expansive fifth floor Technology department. In a time which has seen many of us spending more time at home, Harrods Interiors department has been completely reimagined. Spanning over 160,000sqft, the stunning new home and furniture destination is one of the largest luxury interiors departments in the UK. Harrods has always pioneered the art of the possible – after all, it installed Britain’s first-ever revolving staircase in 1898 (with Cognac and smelling salts at the ready to calm customers’ nerves). Today Harrods reflects how retail is changing. It’s no longer about simply shopping; it’s as much of a stimulating cultural hub as a retail emporium, and will continue to inspire and delight anyone who enters its doors, or who desires to connect with Harrods products, services and experts from the comfort of home. harrods.com

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JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN A combination of Scottish heritage, innovation & craft Johnstons of Elgin’s luxurious lifestyle designs utilise 224 years of experience in the world’s finest fibres, with authenticity, quality and a commitment to delivering ‘slow luxury’ among the family-owned heritage brand’s core values. Johnstons of Elgin’s unparalleled craftsmanship, thirst for innovation and focus on sustainability prevail, and with consumers re-evaluating what is important the brand’s well-made pieces are perfectly designed for today’s ‘less-is-more’ lifestyle. Johnstons of Elgin’s exquisite collections – including cashmere clothing, knitwear, accessories and home interiors fabrics and throws – are made in its own Scottish mills, and its global retail outlets include Bond Street in London and Edinburgh’s Multrees Walk. Earlier this year, CEO Simon Cotton was named a hero on the Walpole Power List, recognising his passion for improvement and innovation, coupled with a commitment to meaningful work on sustainability.

This year, Johnstons takes customers on a sensory journey back to its textile roots, with the Autumn Winter ‘21 collection: ‘Tartans, Textures and Twists’. The senses are woven and knitted into every piece, with fluidity and drape key. The comprehensive collection exemplifies the brand’s expertise, with a lifestyle loungewear edit that understands the recent shift in our sartorial needs. Woven accessories feature pixelated designs, saturated colour options and debut the stunning Johnstons of Elgin House Check – a combination of the brand’s signature colours in a playful, contemporary tartan. Meanwhile Johnstons of Elgin’s interior fabric collections – for upholstery, drapery and soft furnishings – offer durability with a soft finish, in sleek, tonal colour palettes. Elegant throws, crafted from super-soft cashmere, merino wool and lambswool, are investment pieces, designed to bring texture, interest and colour to any space. johnstonsofelgin.com

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THE LAST DROP DISTILLERS

LAURENT-PERRIER

The Last Drop strives to bring the world’s finest aged spirits to those who appreciate the extraordinary. As curators, collectors and creators, The Last Drop searches for a blend of age, character and vitality. Since 2008, its uncompromising standards have seen the release of fewer than 10,000 bottles of Scotch whisky, cognac, bourbon and rum.

Laurent-Perrier is one of the last Champagne houses to be still family owned. Bernard’s two daughters now oversee the running of the business, carrying on the work that Bernard did to produce one of the best Champagne brands in the world. laurent-perrier.com

lastdropdistillers.com

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LEICA

LINLEY

Leica stands for craftsmanship, design and experience. With over 100 years of history, the brand represents a beautiful combination of art and engineering with the future of form and functionality. The German company is an internationally operating, premium-segment manufacturer of cameras and sport optics products.

Founded by David Linley in 1985, LINLEY is world-recognised for fusing striking design with exemplary craftsmanship. Renowned for distinctive design, everything LINLEY conceives is recognisable by the quintessentially British characteristics of ingenuity and creativity, imagined and realised by world-class artisans and engineers.

uk.leica-camera.com

davidlinley.com

LISA REDMAN

LOCK & CO HATTERS

Lisa Redman founded her eponymous label in 2007, creating bespoke luxury womenswear and accessories from her Notting Hill atelier.

Having long championed trans-seasonal investment dressing, she uses traditional couture methods and natural materials embellished by hand. These designs are made to last a lifetime.

Lock & Co is the oldest hat shop in the world. Its passion for hats is limitless and its knowledge unrivalled. For 345 years, Lock & Co has worked with the best felts, tweeds, cloth and cashmere fabrics sourced exclusively from around the world. Two Royal Warrants attest to Lock & Co’s commitment to quality that is trusted and respected.

lisaredman.com

lockhatters.com

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LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL

LONDON CRAFT WEEK

London Business School’s vision is to have a profound impact on the way the world does business and the way business impacts the world. The School is consistently ranked among the best business schools globally and is widely acknowledged as a centre for outstanding research.

London Craft Week is an annual event which showcases exceptional craftsmanship through a journey-of-discovery programme featuring hidden workshops, celebrated makers, other lesser known makers and highly specialised skills alongside famous shops, galleries and luxury brands.

london.edu

londoncraftweek.com

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTR A

London Design Festival is the UK’s largest annual design event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world, and as the gateway to the international creative community. The Festival is made up of over 400 events and exhibitions staged by over 300 partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world’s finest orchestras, balancing a long and distinguished history with a reputation as one of the UK’s most adventurous and forward-looking ensembles. It is resident orchestra at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall and at Glyndebourne Opera.

londondesignfestival.com

lpo.org.uk

THE LONDONER

MAISON ASSOULINE

The Londoner, situated in Leicester Square, is the world’s first super boutique hotel, comprising 16 storeys and 350 guest rooms and suites, two private screening rooms, six concept eateries, bars, a tavern, meeting spaces, a gym and a spa. Guests at The Londoner have exclusive access to a new member’s club, The Residence.

A concept store for culture, founders Martine and Prosper Assouline created Maison Assouline as a refuge for those seeking style, culture, and art de vivre. The Maison Assouline London international flagship has served as an oasis of culture in the heart of bustling Piccadilly since 2014.

thelondoner.com

eu.assouline.com

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THE MACALLAN Experience the wonders of The Macallan Estate A visit to the Scottish Highlands would not be complete without experiencing The Macallan Estate, a world-leading hospitality destination and home to every bottle of The Macallan’s single-malt whisky since 1824. Located amidst breath-taking natural landscapes in the heart of Speyside, the 485-acre Estate is unlike any other distillery in Scotland, with the internationally acclaimed architectural masterpiece at the centre of this incredible location.

Those fortunate enough to experience it will be taken on a journey of discovery, exploring The Macallan’s rich heritage and dedication to mastery and craftmanship, which has made it Scotland’s most iconic Scotch whisky.

As part of their experience, guests will be taken on an immersive tour through the award-winning distillery, followed by a tutored tasting of carefully selected The Macallan whiskies in the Cave Priveé, a stunning circular vault warehouse. There is also the opportunity to explore the legendary River Spey, learning about the native wildlife and forests which inhabit The Estate, before enjoying a dram with The Macallan’s Ghillie.

The Macallan Estate also houses The Macallan Bar, which enjoys panoramic views of the surrounding hills of Speyside, and Elchies Brasserie, where guests will be treated to exquisite dishes created using exceptional seasonal produce. The Macallan Boutique is also onsite, allowing guests to explore whiskies from limited collections as well as specialist gifts. themacallan.com

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MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP

MANOLO BLAHNIK

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Having grown from its Asian roots into a global brand, the group now operates 34 hotels and seven residences in 24 countries and territories, each reflecting its heritage and unique sense of place.

With a career spanning 50 years in 2021, Manolo Blahnik is one of the world’s most influential footwear designers. The brand is known for its original, creative flair as well as timeless classic styles, which sees loyal customers, from film stars to leading editors, to women who simply trust his perfectionism, come back again and again.

mandarinoriental.com

manoloblahnik.com

MATTHEW COX

McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

As a third-generation antique dealer, Matthew Cox distils his knowledge of designs and finishes into an original collection of furniture made to age gracefully with time and use. Made by hand in rich, natural materials, Matthew’s restrained designs are simple yet generous, giving each piece a sense of presence and permanence.

McLaren Automotive creates luxury, high-performance supercars.

Every vehicle is hand-assembled at the McLaren production centre in Surrey, and the company’s portfolio of GT, supercars, Motorsport and Ultimate models are sold in 40 markets. Most recently, McLaren unveiled the high-performance, lightweight hybrid McLaren Artura.

matthewcox.com

mclaren.com

MILLER HARRIS

MORIARTY EVENTS

Miller Harris is a couture British fragrance house, founded in 2000, with a spirit of bespoke fragrance creation at its heart.

The brand is committed to using beautiful natural materials while pushing creative boundaries.

Moriarty’s rapidly growing team acquired its multi-faceted, luxury event-planning knowledge through hands-on experiences. It has worked with some of the top names in UK luxury, designing and organising prestigious charity events, private parties, award ceremonies and high-profile weddings for aristocracy and celebrities.

millerharris.com moriartyevents.com

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MOU

MR PORTER

Cult London label mou offers original, hand-crafted footwear in premium natural fibres. Warm, durable and soft, mou shoes are loved by fans for the offbeat back-to-nature feel and eclectic styling. Design innovation is combined with traditional hand-craft manufacturing techniques and ethical and eco-friendly production is a priority.

MR PORTER is the award-winning global retail destination for men’s style, combining the best international menswear with editorial content. The site sells over 300 leading international brands, with content and new products added weekly. MR PORTER offers express worldwide shipping to 170 countries and free collection for returns.

mou-online.com

mrporter.com

MULBERRY

THE NED

Founded in 1971, Mulberry creates luxury lifestyle goods that are made to last, to be loved and passed onto the next generation.

Originally a family-run business, today it have grown to be the largest manufacturer of luxury leather goods in the UK with factories in Somerset and a design studio in London.

Set in the former Midland Bank building, The Ned was designed by Sir Edwin ‘Ned’ Lutyens in 1924. The space includes 10 restaurants, 17 bars, 250 bedrooms, a range of men’s and women’s grooming services and ‘Ned’s Club’, where members have access to a rooftop pool, gym, spa, hammam and late-night lounge bar in the bank’s original vault.

mulberry.com

thened.com

NET-A-PORTER

THE NEW CRAFTSMEN

Since launching in June 2000, NET-A-PORTER has established itself as the world’s premier luxury fashion destination. It offers more than 800 designer brands including Gucci, Chloé, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Isabel Marant, Prada and Stella McCartney, 200 specialist beauty brands, and new arrivals on site three times a week.

The New Craftsmen was established in 2012 as a platform for unique, handcrafted collections and pieces for interiors, imagined and made by British artisans. Founded on a belief in the joyful, enduring value of finely crafted pieces for the home, it has grown to become a community of makers of textiles, furniture, lighting and artwork.

net-a-porter.com

thenewcraftsmen.com

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MOLTON BROWN British makers of fragrance, created with care Molton Brown is deeply proud to be celebrating its 50th year in 2021 – the perfect moment to reflect on its rich heritage and how it lives on today. Its story began in 1971, with the pioneering duo Caroline Burstein and Michael Collis, who founded the brand as a hair salon on South Molton Street, London.

During this free-thinking decade, these beauty innovators were ahead of their time, creating natural products in an environment filled with the scent of freshly-cut herbs and flowers. To this day, Caroline and Michael’s progressive thinking remains close to the brand’s heart.

Over the years, Molton Brown has become an icon of uniquely British style. Its Eaux de Parfum and Toilette, and Bath, Body, Hair and Home collections have been made in England since day one, and the brand is committed to this for its future. Sourcing only the best ingredients in exceptional fragrance concentrations, Molton Brown’s quality has been awarded a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and as part of the brand’s ever-evolving sustainable journey, it never has, and never will, test on animals. Molton Brown runs its own manufacturing facility in Elsenham – from which it champions beauty that’s kinder to the environment – and inspired by its progressive home, London, the brand works side-by-side with its eclectic set of perfumers to empower customers with long-lasting, distinctive fragrances. “When you look at any brand that has sustained 50 years, they have always stayed true to themselves, true to their core values. And I would love to see, and can foresee, Molton Brown being here in another 50 years and beyond.” Caroline Burstein, Co-founder. moltonbrown.co.uk

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NORTHACRE Leading the way in experiential living When Swedish architect Klas Nilsson founded Northacre over 30 years ago, it was with a single-minded vision to preserve and celebrate some of London’s most treasured addresses.

Nilsson understood the influence of great architecture and its enduring impact on culture and communities. Today, under the leadership of Niccolò Barattieri Di San Pietro, Northacre is proud to continue leading the way in preserving stunning heritage buildings to create beautiful spaces that will be cherished by generations to come. But the company is also creating the heritage spaces of the future, with cutting-edge materials, new build design and the attention to detail that has been The Northacre Way since the very beginning.

No. 1 Palace Street An extraordinary undertaking, unique in London for its ambitious mixing of traditional and contemporary design, No. 1 Palace Street encompasses five different architectural styles.

Delivering a project of this magnitude requires extraordinary vision, blending specialist craftsmanship with creative thinking to sensitively restore and enhance this distinctive island site adjacent to Buckingham Palace. World-class facilities and unprecedented attention to detail are brought together in one of the most illustrious locations in the world, making everything about No. 1 Palace Street superlative.

The Broadway The Broadway will create a dynamic new lifestyle quarter in the heart of one of London’s most historic districts. Located on the former site of New Scotland Yard, the unique location presented Northacre with an entirely blank canvas, allowing every aspect of the development to be crafted with uncompromising care and attention. Comprising six Art Deco-inspired towers, The Broadway boasts a collection of 258 design-led apartments that are the epitome of contemporary cool. With iconic views over the Westminster skyline, it will become a lively destination with offices, carefully curated retail, and a dynamic public square with cafés, art, music and markets. northacre.com

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NEW WEST END COMPANY

NEWS UK

New West End Company is a business partnership of 600 UK & international retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers and property owners in the world’s top shopping and leisure destination, anchored by Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. It works across 80 streets, representing 150,000 employees.

News UK is the proud owner of a stable of news and media brands that span the most popular to the most respected, cover the highbrow to the lowdown, provide the first flash and the last word. Their awardwinning stable of titles provide world-class news, sport, analysis and opinion to an audience that crosses race, age and class.

newwestend.com

news.co.uk

NOBLE ISLE

OLIVER BURNS

Noble Isle is an exquisite fine fragrance bath & body brand inspired by the natural and cultural riches of the British Isles, featuring extracts sourced from local celebrated producers including rhubarb from England, sea oak from Ireland, barley from Scotland and Beetroot from Wales.

Oliver Burns luxury architectural interior design studio thoughtfully designs the world’s finest homes. Working across an exclusive portfolio of international turnkey projects, the Oliver Burn’s team has a world-class reputation for bespoke commissions, super-prime developments and elegant spaces synonymous with a luxury lifestyle.

nobleisle.com

oliverburns.com

ORMONDE JAYNE

THE OUTNET

Ormonde Jayne founder Linda Pilkington made scented candles and bath oils as a teenager before going on to travel the world in search of exotic scents and ingredients. Combining English craftsmanship with the art of French perfumery and sensuality of the Orient, the brand is renowned for its luxurious approach to scent conception.

Since its launch in 2009 by the NET-A-PORTER GROUP, THE OUTNET. COM has become the go-to destination for style-conscious shoppers looking for designer products at great prices. It stocks previousseason designer fashion from over 350 brands, collaborations with high-profile designer labels, and its in-house label, Iris & Ink.

ormondejayne.com

theoutnet.com

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OUT THERE

PEPA & CO

OutThere is an award-winning luxury and experiential travel journal that is proudly rooted in diversity, discovery and discernment. For over a decade, it has curated opinion-leading content for affluent and discerning LGBTQ+ travellers and their friends; and have evolved to become a truly inclusive 21st-century media brand for all.

Luxury childrenswear and accessories, designed in London and manufactured in Spain. Pepa & Co fuse traditional Spanish heritage with an old-school British sentiment to create beautiful designs for boys and girls aged 0 to 10. pepaandcompany.com

outthere.travel

PETER REED

PORTER

Peter Reed has been making fine bed and table linens in Lancashire since 1861. The manufacturing process is entirely in-house, and everything is made to order ensuring the highest possible level of finishing. Peter Reed can design monograms, match embroidery and cording thread colours to any interior scheme.

Published bi-monthly and powered by NET-A-PORTER.com, PORTER is the most talked-about fashion magazine, showing what a publication can do through beautiful curation, a global point of view, authoritative fashion, innovative shopping technology, an international multilingual concierge service and distribution in 60 countries.

peterreed.com

net-a-porter.com

JAMES PURDEY & SONS

RACHEL VOSPER

Steeped in history and craftsmanship for over two centuries, James Purdey & Sons has been perfecting the art of the ‘Best’ London gun since 1814, making the finest-quality shotguns, rifles and shooting equipment. Such artistry transcends to Purdey’s range of clothing and accessories, complementing the lifestyle of any passionate enthusiast.

Rachel Vosper is a British candle chandler and home fragrance expert specialising in hand-poured, pure beeswax candles and signature home fragrances. Rachel Vosper also offers a bespoke fragrance and design service and a resourceful, unique refill service, which allows clients to bring or send in any vessel to be refilled and enjoyed.

purdey.com

rachelvosper.com

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PENHALIGON’S A year to reminisce, and reimagine the coming years of Penhaligon’s Penhaligon’s is perhaps the world’s most esteemed fragrance house. Its first fragrance, Hammam Bouquet caused quite a stir, as did its first boutique on Jermyn Street when William Penhaligon first flung open its doors in 1870. Since then, Penhaligon’s has been presented with two Royal Warrants and continues to offer a dizzying array of unusual and electrifying scents to those with discerning noses, be they royalty or not.

Now, Penhaligon’s certainly isn’t the type to have a year stricken from memory. No matter how little semblance of norm there appears to be. After all, on the rare occasion that they don’t come in a Penhaligon’s bottle, blessings arrive in disguise. So, amid the still, quaint quiet, it was decided that a spot of reflection and reverie was called for.

So, this summer, the summer in which sport makes its glorious return, Penhaligon’s has become as agile as the lawn tennis champions we all so ardently adore. And it has even reimagined a former fragrance as an ode to the tenacity of tennis and the triumphant spirit of humankind. Yes, yes, Racquets has been restrung. It’s an unlikely match up of citrus and leather that makes the euphony of ‘oohs and aahs’ the crowd are serving its way justified. In true Penhaligon’s fashion, it’s just not cricket if one cannot participate with a cocktail in hand… because it’s tennis. Tipsy tennis, that is. A spritz of Racquets turns singles into doubles as lemon rebounds off woody leather. It’s a fragrance as fresh and bright as one’s tennis whites, as charming as the stranger stood at the bar of the Club House. It’s advantage Penhaligon’s (if we do say so ourselves), and cheers all round!

This year, be a good sport, enjoy the game of life and double up with Penhaligon’s – but do keep courting off the court, won’t you? – as the brand reimagines the potentials of perfume, while maintaining its sterling reputation as the creators of the globe’s most curious concoctions.

After all, you only live once. But you get to serve twice. penhaligons.com

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R OLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS ‘Take the best that exists and make it better’ Sir Henry Royce After 117 years, Sir Henry Royce’s famous words still resound through the Home of RollsRoyce at Goodwood, West Sussex - the only place in the world where the motor cars that bear his name are designed and handmade. For the company, this memorable quote is the intellectual and practical foundation of its business operation and culture.

Rolls-Royce products and service reflect and influence trends in the wider luxury market.

Some clients have sought a less overt expression of luxury, based on design, materials and craftsmanship that stand the most intense scrutiny, and discreetly tell their own story.

This insight and understanding is most dramatically embodied in the new Ghost, launched to universal acclaim in 2020. Continuing the most successful product line in Rolls-Royce’s long history, Ghost redefines luxury in terms of pared-back minimalism and elegance. Yet this apparent simplicity is delivered through engineering and innovation that make this the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce ever created.

What truly sets Rolls-Royce apart, however, is that clients can personalise virtually every aspect of their motor car through the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective. Every Goodwood built car now includes Bespoke elements, from subtle interior details to a completely individual commission – all inspired by another ringing instruction from Sir Henry himself: ‘Strive for perfection in everything you do’. rolls-roycemotorcars.com

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RADA

REGENT’S UNIVERSITY LONDON

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) offers vocational training for actors, stage managers, designers and technical stagecraft specialists. Priding themselves on the exceptional standard of their facilities, teaching and productions, and the personalisation of their training tailored to the needs of each student.

Regent’s is the UK’s most cosmopolitan university with more than 80 per cent of its students drawn from 140 countries. Alumni include founders and entrepreneurs, chief executives of luxury brands, social media influencers, royalty, actors, fashion designers, politicians, business executives and board members of global family firms.

rada.ac.uk

regents.ac.uk

RICHARD BRENDON

ROJA PARFUMS

From his kitchen table Richard Brendon launched his brand in 2013, designing contemporary tableware collections produced entirely by master craftspeople and heritage industries around the world. By bridging the gap between quality craftsmanship and contemporary design, Richard and his team continue their mission to re-set the table.

Created by British perfumer Roja Dove, Roja Parfums is recognised as the world’s most luxurious fragrance house. Roja Dove is renowned for working with only the finest quality materials from rose de Mai and jasmine de Grasse to making handmade silk-lined boxes, bespoke crystal-encrusted 24-carat-gold-coated caps, and candles.

richardbrendon.com

rojaparfums.com

ROLEX

ROYAL COURT THEATRE

Founded in London in 1905, Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacturer recognised for its expertise and the quality of its products. Rolex pioneered the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926.

The Royal Court Theatre is the writers’ theatre. It is the leading force in world theatre for energetically cultivating undiscovered, emerging and established writers. Through these writers, the Royal Court is at the forefront of creating restless, alert, provocative theatre about now.

rolex.com

royalcourttheatre.com

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R APPORT LONDON Preservers of time A true British brand built on a strong foundation of heritage. Rapport London’s horological products will help preserve and extend the life of your timepiece. Four generations later, Rapport remains a family-run business with the core values and philosophy laid down by its founder of innovation, quality and service. Throughout the years Rapport has invested in new technology, unmistakable craftmanship and sourcing the highest quality materials in order to produce world-class products.

Rapport strives to produce travel and lifestyle products that combine genuine leather and luxurious soft suede. Watch winders that use latest technology to keep your watch ticking when you’re not wearing it and watch boxes to store a fine watch collection. rapportlondon.com

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ROYAL SALUTE Bringing enchantment & wonder in contemporary luxury Royal Salute, the master of exceptionally aged Scotch whisky, has been at the heart of British luxury since its inception in 1953 when it was created as a gift for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Royal Salute draws on its unique heritage and enchanting world of enrichment and wonder to contribute to the definition of luxury in today’s contemporary world.

The past year has been an accelerator of innovation and cultural advancements, as consumers follow new values to appreciate luxury, craftsmanship and authenticity. Royal Salute recognises that the power of luxury today is in its ability to evoke emotion and draws on its rich heritage and the craftsmanship behind its blends to illuminate the senses and invite consumers to cultivate a life of enrichment. The esteemed collection of rare and precious blends starts at a minimum of 21 years in tribute to the ceremonial 21 Gun Salute that is fired at the Tower of London for royal celebrations, and extends up to highly aged whiskies, such as the intricate Time Series 52 Year Old Single Cask Finish; a real display of the finest art of blending and a true collector’s item.

This committed belief to finding wonder in contemporary luxury has seen Royal Salute open up its extraordinary world to new cultural avenues. Most recently, announcing its support of British designer Richard Quinn as a key sponsor at his Autumn-Winter 2021 show.

‘This is a dynamic time for Royal Salute’ commented Mathieu Deslandes, Royal Salute Global Marketing Director. ‘Royal Salute was designed as the embodiment of British luxury, and by collaborating with the magical talents of contemporary creatives and skilled craftsmen – whether in fashion, the arts or sport, through our proud commitment to polo – Royal Salute continues its role in defining the expression of luxury for generations to come.’ royalsalute.com

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ROYAL DOULTON

THE ROYAL MINT

London is Royal Doulton’s home, a city of stories and flavours, a melting pot for open minds and cultures, where imperfections spark ideas and food is an invitation. To connect with meaning, form friendships, explore, inspire and be inspired. Royal Doulton a life made of meaningful moments.

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is a British maker of thoughtfully designed products and services as well as being the world’s leading export mint. It makes original coin collections and gifts, and offers eye-opening experiences, investment opportunities and currency solutions.

royaldoulton.com

royalmint.com

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

RWD

The Royal Opera House aims to enrich people’s lives through opera and ballet. Home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, performing with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the Royal Opera House seeks to be accessible and engaging, to develop audiences across the UK and to break new ground in the presentation of lyric theatre.

RWD is a superyacht design studio based in Beaulieu on the south coast of England, where they have been creating award winning designs since 1993. Working with many of the finest yacht builders, RWD are extremely proud to have earned a reputation for their elegant and thoughtful designs.

roh.org.uk

rwd.co.uk

RWHA

SAATCHI GALLERY

The Royal Warrant Holders Association was formed in 1840. Its main objective is to ensure the continued existence of the Royal Warrant as a treasured and respected institution. It helps to administer applications for new Royal Warrants and changes to existing ones.

It is not part of the Royal Household, but belongs to its members.

Saatchi Gallery exists as a registered charity to provide an innovative platform for contemporary art and culture. It is committed to supporting artists and rendering contemporary art accessible to all.

It strives to present projects in physical and digital spaces that are engaging, enlightening and educational for diverse audiences.

royalwarrant.org

saatchigallery.com

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SYBARITE A global design studio leading the evolving world of experiential culture in retail A meeting of minds, Torquil McIntosh and Simon Mitchell set out with a shared expansive creative vision for luxury retail in 2002. Sybarite has since become synonymous with an architecture and design that surprises and seduces.

Sybarite partners with visionary operators and developers committed to leading contemporary culture in retail hospitality and lifestyle.

Projects convey the essence of a brand through a distilled design narrative that seamlessly merges into the interior of an environment. A deep commitment to storytelling is what subliminally connects the space to the customer experience.

Scale, scalability and longevity are always key, with innovation being the driver.

Projects range from the micro to the macro – whether a perfume bottle, an international store roll-out or a department store. sybarite.com

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SABINA SAVAGE Heritage inspired, elaborate prints on exquisite fabrics Fantastical stories are woven through each hand-illustrated collection, meandering across continents and delving headfirst into the depths of history. Each detail within a design holds a key to the tale, and every design is a treasure trove of references. The animals in each illustration will gladly narrate you their story. Tales of explorers, sultans and the fall of Pompeii sit alongside a Royal Menagerie, ancient Persepolis and ritual divination ceremonies. Witness the events unfold through the eyes of the animals present; take a journey into their imaginary version of events. Discover the detailed collections and follow a silken thread through time and across the globe, stitching a connection through our wildlife, our history and the natural world.

You may just find a happier ending for all the protagonists.

Each illustration is intricately hand drawn by Sabina, sometimes taking up to six weeks for a single design, before being printed onto the finest silk, wool and cashmere. The detailed and multifaceted illustrations are carefully engineered around the fabric to create a unique scarf with a signature aesthetic. A capsule collection of clothing accompanies each collection, the illustrations delicately rearranged to create artisanal, placement prints on elegant, timeless silhouettes. From silk twill lounge trousers to silk velvet jackets, there is an offering for everybody. Each scarf and garment is designed in London then printed and skillfully hand-edged between England and Italy. sabinasavage.com

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SARAH HAYWOOD

SAVERNAKE KNIVES

Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations specialises in complex, multi-day celebrations. Be it a wedding, a milestone celebration, a small private party or a product launch, every event is meticulously curated and planned to engage all five senses, with exemplary service at the core of the planning and production experience.

From its Wiltshire workshop, Savernake crafts handmade kitchen knives independently tested to be among the top 2.5 per cent of knives in the world. Customers include Michelin chefs, enthusiastic amateurs and professional butchers. Founder Laurie aims to spark joy with Savernake’s custom-made featherlight, superlatively sharp knives.

sarahhaywood.com

savernakeknives.co.uk

THE SAVOY

SHACKLETON

The Savoy is perfectly located on the River Thames, in the heart of all that London has to offer. At the forefront of the luxury hotel scene for over 130 years, The Savoy offers guests an experience that continuously evolves to meet the desires of the modern traveller.

Shackleton designs and develops performance apparel for people living and working in the world’s extremes. Driven by exploration and innovation, the company is built on the life and values of polar titan Sir Ernest Shackleton and exists to inspire and equip people to live courageously.

thesavoylondon.com shackleton.com

SHAWSTEPHENS

SIGNATURE ELITE CLASS

Shawstephens’ artisans make bespoke cabinetry and furniture from the finest materials, sourced worldwide, drawing design inspiration from all traditions. The company works with interior designers to create the perfect unique piece, or an entire room; heirlooms, backed by impeccable service.

For long or short haul flights, or everyday business travel, Signature ELITE Class offers a luxurious, private and seamless experience to start or end your journey, with exclusive access to a private VIP lounge and bypassing the queues at the main terminal. signatureeliteclass.com

shawstephens.com

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SIMPSONS’ WINE ESTATE

SLOANE HOME

Simpsons’ Wine Estate creates award-winning, estate grown, English wines, which reflect the exquisite characteristics of their iconic, chalk terroir in the North Downs of Kent. The Estate was founded in 2012 by Ruth and Charles Simpson, who have been producing highly acclaimed wines at their French Domaine since 2002.

Luxury Sloane hampers and gifts are made by hand and heart to create an impression that endures. A combination of the finest quality local ingredients and age-old traditional techniques have been used to create an elegant collection of multi-award-winning, handmade small-batch spirit infusions and exquisite treats.

simpsonswine.com

sloanehome.co.uk

SMYTHSON

STEPHEN EINHORN

Established in 1887 on London’s New Bond Street, Smythson has since become synonymous with beautiful, functional and timeless pieces.

From bags and accessories to leather-bound notebooks, diaries, stationery and home accessories; every Smythson piece embodies meticulous craft and an unmistakable sense of British sophistication.

Stephen Einhorn makes beautiful things for interesting people. From classic diamond solitaires to skull designs, from modern pearls to ancient wood, this bold, contemporary jewellery in gold, platinum and silver is all handcrafted with care in the Islington workshop. Stephen Einhorn pieces embody timeless luxury, elegance and individual style.

smythson.com

stepheneinhorn.co.uk

TIFFANY & CO

TIMES LUXX

In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany founded his company in New York City where his store was soon acclaimed as the palace of jewels for its exceptional gemstones. Since then, TIFFANY & CO has become synonymous with elegance, innovative design, fine craftsmanship and creative excellence.

TIMES LUXX is the quarterly luxury lifestyle magazine from The Times. It is an informative, aspirational and entertaining look at the good things in life, the things that make all that hard work worthwhile. thetimes.co.uk

tiffany.co.uk

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SAVOIR Extraordinary beds We spend a third of our lives in bed. Our little piece of sanctuary, away from the modern world, it is where we relax, wind down and spend time with loved ones. From quiet reading time to Sunday mornings with the kids, your bed should be where good mornings begin and delectable evenings finish. If we get it right, a bed will not only last for many years to come, it also has the power to transform how we sleep and impact our well-being.

Savoir has spent over a century perfecting the art of sleep with a collection of beds made to a legendary standard of luxury. In 1905, impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte unveiled London’s Savoy Hotel, introducing the ultimate in luxury and innovation. Guests marvelled at en suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water, electric lighting and ‘ascending rooms’ (we now call them lifts). With no existing bed meeting these standards of pioneering luxury, D’Oyly Carte set about creating one. The result is still made today, the Savoir Nº2 and the spirit of its creation governs Savoir’s approach to every bed it creates.

Crafted completely from natural materials using traditional techniques, skilled craftsmen work intently at individual oak trestles in the Savoir Bedworks in London and Wales.

It takes 30 hours to craft a Nº4 and over 120 hours for a Nº1. The craftsmen take their time; their goal is simply to make the best beds, not the most. Only when they are completely satisfied do they sign their name on the label, like an artist signs their work. This is handcrafted sleep, 100 years in the making. Step into any of Savoir’s 15 showrooms around the world, and bed specialists will guide you to a lifetime of quality sleep. From required support to the style of the room, dimensions, materials and fabric can all be personalised.

Welcome to a lifetime of quality sleep. savoirbeds.com

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TRAVELLER MADE

TRUNK CLOTHIERS

Traveller Made® is a network of luxury travel designers dedicated to providing unique and exclusive bespoke journies to travellers looking for different and original experiences, requiring skilled and knowledgeable advisors who are committed to fully servicing their clients.

Trunk is a menswear store for those looking for a contemporary take on classic style. Founded in September 2010, Trunk features emerging and established brands from Japan, Italy, UK, Sweden, US and beyond, alongside their own label collection. Trunk offers a high level of personal service, underpinned by a belief in the art of dressing well.

travellermade.com

trunkclothiers.com

TURNBULL & ASSER

UNITED PERFUMES

Established in London in 1885, Turnbull & Asser is Britain’s most esteemed bespoke shirtmaker, with workrooms in Gloucester.

Turnbull’s reputation for quality, craft and impeccable service attracts society’s leaders, past and present, from prime ministers to Turner Prize winners, evidenced by the bestowal of its Royal Warrant.​

United Perfumes is a licence holder and distributor working across a portfolio of luxury lifestyle brands within home fragrance.

Clients include Fornasetti Profumi, Cire Trudon, Anya Hindmarch Smells, Ostens, Tom Dixon, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Culti Milano and Orla Kiely Home.

turnbullandasser.co.uk

united-perfumes.com

V& A

VICTOR

The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance. It was established to make art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections span over 5000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium and come from all over the world.

Victor is the award-winning jet charter marketplace, enabling flyers to search, book and manage private flights easier and faster than ever before. On Victor’s mission to deliver a better way to fly, every flight is 200 per cent carbon offset as a standard making Victor the world’s first carbon negative aviation company.

vam.ac.uk

flyvictor.com

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VIVIEN SHERIFF

WATERFORD

Vivien Sheriff sits resolutely at the forefront of contemporary British millinery. Spearheading a renaissance in bespoke and acutely luxurious designs, the milliner has amassed a suitably impressive roster of high-end clients, including prominent members of the British Royal Family.

Earth, wind, fire, water and spirit, Waterford has forged these elements into fine crystal for over 200 years. Inspiring moments and creating lasting memories. Crafted since 1783 for this very moment. waterford.com

viviensheriff.co.uk

WEDGWOOD

WESTLEY RICHARDS

The home of curious, creative and imaginative people.

A place fuelled by creativity, self-expression, humour and lots of tea. Welcome to Wedgwood the home of eclectic originals.

Established on a heritage of wild adventure, Westley Richards has long been regarded as one of the finest gun and rifle makers. At the side of generations of audacious sportsmen, Westley Richards has proudly handcrafted history’s most prized guns and rifles, leather goods and outdoor attire, taken on journeys like no other.

wedgwood.com

westleyrichards.com

WILDABOUT Wildabout has a reputation for creating awe-inspiring floral installations for its clients. With an eye for detail and Wildabout anything floral, it is one of London’s most innovative floral designers, discreet in its approach, flawless in its execution and providing floral designs for events and weddings in the UK and Europe. wildabout.co.uk

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WILLIAM GRANT & SONS Family distillers since 1887 William Grant & Sons was founded on one man’s dream to make the ‘best dram in the valley’.

Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of the family and crafts some of the world’s most loved spirits. William Grant, his wife Elizabeth and their nine children built the Glenfiddich distillery by hand in Scotland in 1887. The first drop of spirit flowed from the stills on Christmas Day and five years later they were able to open a second distillery, The Balvenie.

This relentless pioneering spirit set the tone for over 130 years of innovation, passion and creativity. Glenfiddich is the world’s most awarded single malt. Sandy Grant Gordon, great grandson of William Grant, launched it globally in 1963. Until then, whisky drinkers around the world were used to drinking blended whisky and single malt was a well-kept secret of the Scots.

One of the most recent innovations for William Grant & Sons is The Glenfiddich Grand Series, which includes the exquisite 26 Year Old Glenfiddich Grande Couronne, finished in rare French Cognac casks. This pioneering collection pushes the boundaries with aged liquid and intriguing finishes. The Balvenie is the most hand-crafted of all the single malts. Staying true to centuriesold traditions, it is the only distillery in Scotland that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both a coppersmith and a team of coopers on site. With over 130 years of authentic craftsmanship to build on, William Grant & Sons continues to innovate, to remain true to its roots, to build genuine partnerships and to always distil the highest-quality liquid. williamgrant.com

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P A R T N E R S H I P

Regent’s University London DEVELOPING TOMORROW’S GLOBAL LEADERS

Regent’s is the UK’s most cosmopolitan university with more than 80% of its students drawn from 140 countries around the world. Its global alumni network comprises founders and entrepreneurs, chief executives of luxury brands, social media influencers, royalty, actors, fashion designers, politicians, business executives and board members of international family firms.

As a member of Walpole, Regent’s shares a common interest in strengthening the luxury sector’s talent pipeline and, in 2021, introduced its latest collaboration: The Walpole Professorships.

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Harrods Case Study Michael Ward, Harrods Managing Director and Chairman of Walpole, is one of the founding members of The Walpole Professorships scheme. He regularly invites Regent’s students on behind-the-scenes tours of Harrods, provides exclusive guest lectures on campus and, above all, shares his unique insight into the world-famous store.

Regent’s Walpole Professorships With a belief that the luxury leaders of today can inspire the leaders of tomorrow, Regent’s University London has developed an innovative new partnership with Walpole that both honours and connects influential senior figures from some of the world’s best-known luxury brands – starting this year with Harrods, McLaren Automotive, The Peninsula London and dunhill – directly with students.

THE 2021 VISITING PROFESSORS

In addition to Michael Ward, the following senior leaders have been appointed as inaugural Walpole Professors:

SONJA VODUSEK MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE PENINSULA LONDON

“As The Peninsula Hotels enters London’s remarkable hotel landscape, we’re very excited to share our perspective on luxury hospitality with students from Regent’s University London.

The Visiting Professorship role is an honour, as well as an exciting opportunity for us to inspire our future hospitality leaders through first-hand experience. We will invite them behind the scenes at The Peninsula London, sharing the innovation, passion, creative thinking and even challenges required to open and set a new standard of luxury in a city. It will also be a wonderful opportunity to learn valuable insight from the students, and to nurture the next generation of hoteliers.”

As part of the relationship, Regent’s Fashion Marketing students Shrimithraa (Shri) Dhandhapaani and Hsieh-Tse (Jeff) Hsiao completed a two-month internship at Harrods’ Knightsbridge store. Shri worked with Harrods By Appointment team, which offers an unrivalled service that makes personal shopping an effortless pursuit. She said: “[The internship] was an eye opener to the fastpaced environment of luxury fashion retail and I’ve learned the importance of building relationships with clients. My experience at Harrods is the highlight of my time at Regent’s”.

Jeff completed an internship with Harrods Digital Marketing and Social Media Content team and found his new calling from the experience. He said: “As a Mandarin speaker, I was able to use this skill to work on content for Harrods Chinese customer base. This is definitely something I would like to explore further in the future!”.

MIKE FLEWITT CEO OF McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

“Inspired by our founder Bruce McLaren’s arrival in England and his vision for creating truly engaging cutting-edge supercars, McLaren is now the epitome of modern handbuilt luxury and technological excellence around the world.

The Walpole Professorship is a unique chance to share McLaren Automotive’s journey as a luxury supercar maker only a decade into our story with an audience of future luxury leaders. It is also a great opportunity to hear from Regent’s University London students and to understand their valuable perspectives on the evolving luxury landscape.”

ANDREW MAAG CEO OF dunhill

“I am delighted to be part of The Walpole Professorships programme, in partnership with Regent’s University London.

Our founder Alfred Dunhill was a visionary and innovator – dynamic in his approach to retail, business and the needs of people. In this spirit, I am excited to speak to the next generation of global leaders and executives to share how we continue to shape the legacy of the House today, and offer a unique viewpoint as the leading British luxury menswear brand.”

“The future of British luxury is being shaped by the next generation; a generation that is entirely global in its mindset and shaped by our digitally interconnected world.

For Harrods, the partnership with Regent’s University London provides their international students with real-world experience of a fast-paced environment, while allowing us to learn from this next generation of leaders from around the world.”

MICHAEL WARD CHAIRMAN OF WALPOLE & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARRODS

B R I T I S H

L U X U R Y

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Through adversity to the stars With the dawn of a new post-pandemic era, the 2021-22 Walpole Yearbook takes a look at luxury’s next boom with essays from Esquire’s Alex Bilmes, ELLE UK’s Farrah Storr, The Economist’s Tom Standage, Sasha Slater from The Telegraph and other leading luxury commentators. Walpole is the official body for British luxury, representing 270 of Britain’s finest brands from Alexander McQueen to Wedgwood. Walpole promotes, protects and develops British luxury, a sector worth £48 billion to the UK economy and celebrates the extraordinary creativity, design, innovation, talent and craftsmanship that make it a global calling card for Britain.

DI S C OV ER MORE AT THE WA LP OLE .C O.UK

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Credits ► Cover illustration by Sabina Savage sabinasavage.com Design & art direction by Nous nous.partners Cover & paper stocks courtesy of G . F Smith gfsmith.com Printed by Pureprint pureprint.com

£30.00