Walpole Yearbook 2022

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Creativity is the British superpower

MICHAEL WARD CHAIRMAN OF WALPOLE & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARRODS

wHelen Brocklebank ► Helen has been the Chief Executive Officer of Walpole since 2017.

Illustration ► Cole & Son

HELEN BROCKLEBANK

Green & Pleasant Land

“The world turns. And it turns. And it moves and you don’t. You’re still here.” Those lines from Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, now enjoying a sell-out revival in London’s West End, resonate with new meaning in the summer of 2022. The seismic shock of the pandemic has rolled into a state of perma-crisis. The world turns and it turns, and yet – thank heavens – we are still here, working hard, determined to rise phoenix-like from the ashes, to build on what went before, but create something even more compelling.

Britain’s cultural and creative ecosystem has had a tough couple of years: the impact of successive lockdowns on theatres, galleries and museums, on high-end hospitality and retail, and the absence of international visitors has taken a particularly heavy toll, but it is exactly these organisations and businesses that will help us speed into recovery.

In truth, they’re already doing so. The charge began with luxury goods: Even before the end of 2021, according to figures released by Bain & Company at Walpole’s annual British Luxury Summit earlier this year, they were already powering ahead of 2019, luxury’s high watermark, with, as Lucia van der Post puts it in The Resilience of Quality (page 68), customers “latching onto quality in every area of their lives… determined to live life to the full.” She cites Jessica McCormack Chief Executive Officer, Colleen Caslin, who says people “feel like celebrating life again and they want to do it with something really special… We see ourselves as the architects of memory.”

Restaurants, galleries and theatres have also come sprinting out of the starting gates: in restaurants, customers treat themselves by trading up to fine wines and champagnes, and shows like Yayoi Kusama at Tate Modern, Fabergé

at the V&A and Jerusalem in London’s West End all sold out the minute tickets came on sale. High-end hotels including Gleneagles and Chewton Glen, deep in the countryside, have enjoyed record occupancy from UK visitors, and as international travel returns, suites in The Dorchester, Claridge’s and The Savoy are once more welcoming visitors from the US and the Middle East. Everywhere you look, there’s a renaissance of creativity from brands; renewed resolve to create something exceptional, imaginative and unforgettable. It seems that crisis can be the grit in the oyster that results in the most magnificent of pearls because, as Farrah Storr writes in Is Britannia Cool? (page 45) “creative talent does not die in times of hardship. It only gets fiercer… When the challenge is real, that’s when true flights of creative fancy lift off.”

Domestic demand can only drive the recovery so far, joyful and enthusiastic as it is. The critically important opportunity to rebuild the post-pandemic economy and support future prosperity for the UK comes from reigniting Great Britain’s appeal for affluent, discerning international visitors, particularly those from the US and the Middle East. According to a report Walpole published at the 2022 Summit, the kind of high-end tourism Walpole members attract, as distinct from mass tourism, is worth a cool £30 billion to the UK. Pre-pandemic, we had the highest high-end visitor spend in Europe – more than £1,600 per person per day. Not only that, more than half that expenditure is on culture, shopping and entertainment, and if we can attract high-spending internationals back to the UK our badly affected museums, galleries and theatres will rebound more quickly and more jobs can be created for UK residents, contributing much-needed cash to the Exchequer.

Fortunately, we have some unique advantages as a country when it comes to attracting those all-important international luxury visitors. Walpole members – the UK’s superb hotels, restaurants, high-end shops and exceptional cultural institutions – play a crucial part. As Talib Choudhry notes in As Others See Us (page 74), “something picked up on a jaunt down Bond Street also boasts bragging rights; a casually uttered, ‘Oh, I got it in London,’ confers an air of international sophistication.”

It’s about the complete package a trip to the UK offers, says Mark Ellwood in A Love Letter to British Luxury (page 65):

“For America,” he writes, “British luxury sets the benchmark… luxury in the UK isn’t just about the product per se, but also about the experiences surrounding it. After a long period of disconnection and disjointed life around the world, experiences like that are more prized than ever; a chance to buy, in as much as to buy.”

It’s not only our excitingly diverse and dynamic cities that draw highend visitors here from abroad. The particular beauty of the British countryside with its historic houses set in Capability Brown pleasure gardens, our rugged national parks with their lakes and hills, our wild, ancient places like Salisbury Plain’s Stonehenge or the Hebrides, our coastline, our pleasant pastures and clouded hills sing their siren song too.

We also have one of the bestknown list of events and most varied annual calendars with destination moments set throughout the year, whether Cheltenham, Wimbledon or Goodwood, the Chelsea Flower Show or Frieze, Glastonbury or Glyndebourne, the Edinburgh Festival or London Fashion Week. “We must never underestimate the influence of our cultural institutions,” writes Sarah Sands in Soft Power and Pageants (page 30), in a year that celebrates some important anniversaries, not least the centenary of the BBC, and where the shiniest possible highlight in our national calendar, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, will have drawn the eyes of the whole world towards Great Britain.

“The scenes on The Mall on 5th June will be an armistice day for the culture wars.” Unquestionably, Her Majesty is

the ultimate beacon of soft power. As the most famous woman in the world, she calmly radiates quiet power as well as the virtues of duty, service and stability; a symbol of strength no matter how much the world might turn. She is also, suggests Kev Chesters, in Be More Queen [page 22] “…the best example we have of a British luxury brand… The key to success? An authentic tone of voice.”

“Creativity is Britain’s superpower,” says Walpole Chairman and the Managing Director of Harrods, Michael Ward. Our film and television productions and our peerless acting, writing and directing talents are global emissaries for Britain’s soft power – particularly potent when the only window on the world has been our screens. This year, one of our finest cinematic exports, James Bond, celebrates its 60th anniversary, and as Alex Bilmes proposes in Licence to Sell (page 32), “Along with a handful of others (The Beatles, the BBC, Burberry) Bond has, for 60 years, sold Britain to the world. For all the blunt instrumentation, his greatest power is soft, and the Britain that Bond flogs is upmarket, expensive and refined. Bond has long been, and remains, our luxury industry’s most muscular pitchman, the model, literally and figuratively, for a certain kind of highspending sophistication… He is our not-so-secret weapon.”

Perhaps the secret of 007’s enduring success – not to mention his not-so-secret services to British luxury – is that he cleverly evolves to meet the zeitgeist without ever losing sight of what built his appeal. In this, as Nick Carvell notes in Trendy Tradition (page 58), he has a lot in common with all British luxury brands, “long-standing, storied makers known for their intrinsic values of quality and craftsmanship”, yet for whom age is far from a barrier to that all-important connection with a younger consumer, but “an advantage”. The answer lies, he argues, in the spirit of the founder, quoting Mark Weston, dunhill’s Creative Director, who says, “Alfred Dunhill was about change, innovation, and experimentation, more than anything else, he was always looking ahead”, and it’s this timetravelling ability always to be looking towards the future at the same time

as cherishing a storied past that gives British luxury – and our entire cultural and creative ecosystem – its edge.

Sometimes, as Will Hersey reminds us in Bright Sparks (page 51), there can even be an eerily prophetic quality to luxury. When examining how legendary motor car manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Bentley are powering away from the internal combustion engine in this age of sustainability, he quotes Charles Rolls who, a few years before co-founding Britain’s defining luxury brand RollsRoyce, had seen an early example of an electric car, noting “they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged”. And 122 years on, that kind of prescience sends shivers down one’s spine.

Looking forwards, Tom Standage’s Predictable Unpredictability (page 19) offers a word to the wise, writing, “there will be no going back to normal… the rest of the 2020s are more likely to look like 2021 or 2022 than they are like 2018 or 2019”, a view shared by astrologer Neil Spencer in The Age of Uncertainty (page 77). But, no matter how different or disrupted the backdrop, when we’re trying to rebuild we have to “focus on looking for the opportunities that change always presents”, as Standage says. For reasons of amour-propre as well as the necessity of super-charging an economic recovery, there can be no post-pandemic convalescence, only going forward, full throttle.

The lessons of the past show us that British luxury is an innately resilient beast, never shy of turning adversity into opportunity. As you read this, the historic occasion of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will, like the London Olympics ten years before, with its potent reminder of our creativity and our cultural treasures, not to mention the power of our extraordinary brands, have shot its arrows of desire into every corner of the world, laying a trail of breadcrumbs for high-end international visitors, bringing that £30 billion back to these shores. And perhaps, as Sarah Sands suggests, “as we see the potency of the British brand on the world stage, creative and freedom loving, this is the season in which we can also learn to celebrate ourselves”.

The lessons of the past show us that British luxury is an innately resilient beast, never shy of turning adversity into opportunity

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Uncertainty is the new normal

Tom Standage ► Tom Standage is Deputy Editor of The Economist, Editor of The World in 2021, and Editor of its future-gazing podcast, The World Ahead.

Illustration ► Harriet Lee Merrion

TOM STANDAGE

Predictable Unpredictability

For a brief moment in late 2021, it looked as though things might be getting back to normal after the chaos and disruption of the pandemic. But then three unexpected shocks arrived in quick succession: the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a surge in food and fuel prices, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This unholy trinity will continue to shape the business landscape in the coming months. There will be no going back to normal. Indeed, the rest of the 2020s are more likely to look like 2021 or 2022 than they are like 2018 or 2019. The pre-pandemic world is gone, and is not coming back. And there are sure to be more shocks to come, whether from extreme weather events or unexpected technological shifts. Welcome to the era of predictable unpredictability.

Start with the coronavirus. For vaccinated people in the rich world, particularly if they have survived a bout with the virus already, it no longer poses a deadly threat. But do not count it out just yet. It still poses danger in less vaccinated parts of the world – and in China, where the population has been jabbed with a less effective vaccine, and where the government favours a “zero covid” strategy. This means brutal, city-wide lockdowns that close factories,

disrupt supply chains and clobber GDP growth, both within China and globally. The virus will hamper both supply and demand for high-end electronics and other goods, and feed into inflation for months to come.

One way to think of the current outbreak of inflation, in fact, is as a lingering economic side-effect of the virus. Since 2020 consumer spending has shifted from services (such as going on holiday) to goods (including big TVs, video-conferencing gear and other items to make staying indoors more palatable). That was good news for anyone selling fancy goods, but it overloaded supply chains and drove up prices. Governments’ efforts to juice the economy after the slump of 2020 added fuel to the fire. In retrospect, America in particular went too far with its stimulus, and its central bank failed to hit the brakes soon enough. The big question for the coming months is whether the Federal Reserve can now engineer a soft landing, taming inflation without causing a recession.

In the meantime, people on lower incomes face a cost-of-living crisis, though for wealthier consumers the post-pandemic urge to splurge seems set to be only slightly dented, at least outside China.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine further exacerbated price surges, as a major energy exporter invaded a major food exporter, disrupting supplies of both. But it affected the business world in another way too, prompting many companies to pull out of Russia in response to its invasion. Such withdrawals were, in many cases, driven by cold economic logic. Russia is a relatively small market for most Western firms, and economic sanctions have made it difficult to keep doing business there anyway. Firms that stay face a backlash from Western consumers. It is the latest example of how companies increasingly find themselves caught in geopolitical struggles, in industries from apparel to chipmaking.

Were China to attack Taiwan, companies would face much more difficult choices, given how tightly integrated their supply chains are, and China’s much greater importance as a market for Western firms. But

such an attack seems less likely in the short term considering the unexpected strength both of Ukraine’s military response and of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the West. Both have given China pause. Meanwhile, a lasting consequence of the war will be to accelerate Europe’s transition towards clean energy. Buying an electric SUV now lets wealthy consumers signal their opposition not just to climate change but to Vladimir Putin too.

In this time of turmoil, it is no use waiting for things to go back to the way they were, or hoping for the emergence of a reassuring new stability. The much more unstable world we now find ourselves in – whether because of the unpredictability of the pandemic, the economy, geopolitics, climate change or rapid technological advances in areas from digital currencies to hybrid working – is the new normal. It is already here, so we might as well get used to it, and focus on looking for the opportunities that change always presents.

There will be no going back to normal. Indeed, the rest of the 2020s are more likely to look like 2021 than 2019

Be more Queen

In celebration of the Platinum Jubilee, we reveal what all British luxury brands can learn from Her Majesty

She has endured & thrived as the

1950s ► Queen Elizabeth II Coronation. 5th November, 1953

1960s ► Queen Elizabeth II State Visit to Ethiopia, 1965

1970s ► Children waiting to see Queen Elizabeth II during her Silver Jubilee tour

1950s ► Queen Elizabeth II attending a film premiere at the Empire Leciester Square, London

1980s ► Queen Elizabeth II taking a picture at the Royal Windsor Horse Trials

head of state across seven decades

2000s ► Queen Elizabeth II departs from Buckingham Palace on her ceremonial journey to mark her Golden Jubilee

1990s ► Queen Elizabeth II hands the trophy to the winning captain at the 1996 European Championships at Wembley, London

2020s ► Queen Elizabeth II Queen in bright spirits at Royal Windsor Horse Show, 2022

2010s ► Queen Elizabeth II is accompanied by James Bond (actor Daniel Craig) to the Olympic Games 2012 Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, London

Her Majesty is Britain’s number one luxury brand

er Majesty is the best example we have of a British luxury brand, and all companies could learn an invaluable lesson from how her personal brand has endured and thrived over the decades. The key to her success?

An authentic tone of voice.

In my day job as a strategist and brand consultant, I have worked with, and for, some of the most famous and fêted British brands out there –British Airways, British Telecom, Vodafone, The Ritz and Sipsmith Gin to name a few. I am often asked to develop positionings for clients to help them separate successfully from the rest of their category, and to bring their most attractive side to the fore for consumers. The key to brand success is, and always has been, authenticity. Judy Garland put it best all those years ago when she said: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else.” Pretend to be something you’re not and you’ll quickly get found out, in the luxury category more than any other.

The biggest element in establishing a successfully authentic brand is to develop an authentic tone of voice. This is key because once you get beyond a certain size you won’t always be in the room to represent your product or service. So, your communications in all their forms –from packaging to advertising – will have to act as your proxy. As well as representing your key values when you’re not there, how do you stay true to what you believe across audiences, borders and cultures? Probably one of the most famous brands out there is Nike, with one of the most famous lines: Just Do It. My old boss Dan Wieden (who wrote that line) once told me, “We never gave Nike an idea, we just helped them to find their voice”.

There is a simple rule, which I’ve gleaned over my three decades of experience, to developing an authentic tone of voice. And Her Majesty has nailed it and continues to nail it perfectly, regardless of her age or the changing sociological and political climate. It is the reason she is consistently top of the YouGov poll of most popular royalty with an approval rating that any brand, regardless of sector, would kill to have. It is why I have always described Her Majesty as Britain’s number one luxury brand. The one-rule-to-rule-them-all is having a simple set of timeless beliefs and values, and then working out how to stay consistent to them regardless of the audience you are engaging with. Think about Her Majesty. She has endured and thrived as the head of state across seven decades. She has reigned through 14 US Presidents, plus 14 UK Prime Minsters (and counting). She has been there from Bill Haley to Harry Styles, from Lady Thatcher to Lady Gaga, from Marilyn M through Jessie J to Kim K.

Your brand will often have to talk to multiple audiences, in multiple countries about many different things at the same time. Across age groups, borders, categories and sectors. But if you think your brand has to flex to talk to different audiences, just imagine the average day of the Queen. She may begin by talking to a town mayor, then have to speak to a four-year-old flower girl, followed by the bereaved parents of a deceased soldier, and finish the day having dinner with a head of state.

She doesn’t morph. Her values don’t change. She doesn’t try to be something she isn’t. She has a strong belief system and simply flexes intelligently and empathetically based on the audience she is in front of. It works. It works brilliantly. I don’t know anyone who has been lucky enough to talk to Her Majesty without coming away believing that she spoke to them personally. And if you want perfect proof for this, just look up the story of David Nott, the author of War Doctor, who tells about the time he had a PTSD attack at dinner with the Queen. It is a masterclass in adaptation and empathy.

Brands often have to talk to multiple audiences at the same time. This is the lesson all brands must learn. My mum always said that you should learn from studying the best at what they do. So, learn the lesson from the greatest luxury brand we have. One that has adapted, survived and thrived across 70 years.

you.

be tempted to forget

you stand for, or try to be something you’re not.

authentic.

personal.

credible.

According to this year’s Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index, published in March, the UK is second to the US, but ahead of all other European countries

wA springtime look ahead to a summer of creative freedom and ceremonial spectacle

Sarah Sands ► A leading journalist and author, Sarah Sands is the former Editor of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and London Evening Standard, and was the first female Editor of The Sunday Telegraph.

Illustration ► Harriet Lee Merrion

SARAH SANDS

Soft Power & Pageants

We are not the only country to have blossom but there is something about the unfurling of spring in the UK, blackthorn to hawthorn to wild cherry and crab apple blossom, that feels particularly special this year.

It really does seem to be the end of the pandemic-induced Narnia winter.

At the time of writing, we look across to Shanghai and shudder. Delayed gratification lends an added frisson to crowd events. The wall-to-wall weddings, the literary and music festivals across the country, the FA Cup Final, the Chelsea Flower Show and, of course, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant on 5th June.

I have been part of an outer ring advisory board for this event and have watched the determined optimism of its Co-chair Nicholas Coleridge despite the questions that hung over those dark winter months. Would the pandemic be over? Would Her Majesty be in robust enough health? What would be the nation’s mood? The Pageant is to be a celebration for everyone, not just for royalists. In which case, what are we celebrating?

Despite the war in Ukraine and the frightening cost of living crisis, spirits are frisky in the spring sunshine. I walked through Hyde Park on a recent balmy evening and it looked like the start of the summer of love. Young people in large circles, ball games and Union flags carried as companions to Ukrainian ones. Our solidarity with Ukraine seems to have made us more patriotic.

We talk of recreating the atmosphere of the 2012 Olympics, but that crept up on us too. There was an early clumsy attempt to control the politics. Some Conservatives questioned Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony plan to elevate the NHS. To his credit, the then-London mayor Boris Johnson called for absolute creative freedom and Boyle presciently

defined patriotism as the NHS.

The UK was depicted on stage in all its ingenious, anarchic brilliance. I remember Thomas Heatherwick telling me that he preferred the term inventor to designer. His Olympic cauldron was a tribute to that ambition. The London Olympics was our triumphant display of soft power. The Queen, James Bond, the Mini, the mini, the internet. Scientific, creative, larky.

I was editing the Evening Standard at the time and when I was tipped off that the ceremony would include the Queen parachuting with James Bond into the Olympic stadium, I could not get it past the news desk. It turned out to be a stunt double, but even so. I know that the Platinum Jubilee Pageant will be exuberantly playful as well as ceremonial. The scenes on The Mall on 5th June will be an armistice day for the culture wars.

According to this year’s Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index, published in March, the UK is second to the US but ahead of all other European countries. We must never underestimate the influence of our cultural institutions. The BBC, when I worked there, was a little nervous about celebrating its centenary this year in case it attracted the wrath of the Government. In fact, the Prime Minister recently spoke warmly of the BBC’s Ukraine coverage. In an age of disinformation, the BBC is a beacon of trusted news and social cohesion.

A cheekier British organisation, Channel 4, marks its 40th anniversary this year. It celebrates its birthday with a reassertion of its founding principles of taboo, trouble-making shows. So British. And finally, let us not forget Walpole’s 30th anniversary, representing British excellence. As we see the potency of the British brand on the world stage, creative and freedom loving, this is the season in which we can also learn to celebrate ourselves.

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ALEX BILMES

James Bond Licence to Sell

“blunt instrument.” “Ironical, brutal and cold”. These are Ian Fleming’s early descriptions of his ruthless assassin, James Bond. This is the 007 that the Bond films’ producers returned to in 2005, when Daniel Craig’s casting was announced. This is the Bond who rescued cinema’s longest-running series from its anachronistic, turn-of-the-century torpor, and returned it, arguably for the first time since the Sixties, to a sleek, potent pop phenomenon: from flaccid to priapic at a single stroke.

We Brits have a funny thing about Bond, British men especially. He occupies a uniquely delicate position in the national psyche. He is a source of both pride and embarrassment. In his twisted way, he exemplifies qualities we believe distinguish us: he’s brave, he’s tough, he’s stylish, he’s drily witty, he’s worldly and he knows exactly what to do with Johnny Foreigner (shoot him) and Johnny Foreigner’s girlfriend (steal her, then let someone else shoot her).

It’s perhaps best not to linger too long on what it says about us that our most enduring aspirational male fantasy figure is a borderline sociopath with acute abandonment issues and a job that involves state-sponsored killing. But hey, he’s nicely turned out, knows an awful lot about wine and has a bitchin’ beach bod. Lose some, win some.

Get Bond right, as Craig has done so magnificently, and the films can be spectacular fun. Get him wrong and Bond risks seeming risible, a post-Imperial fantasy of a Britain that is still the leading player on the world stage, as well as a pub bore’s idea of traditional (white, straight) masculine cool. Unattached middle-aged men in overpowered twoseaters delude themselves into thinking the rest of us are looking on in admiration, when in fact we suspect they’re overcompensating for a lack of thrust in the trouser department. And, at the risk of sounding like Jeremy Clarkson, another somewhat suspect exemplar of British blokeishness, a Bond with no thrust in the trouser department is –pause for emphasis, change down a gear – no Bond at all.

Pictured, this page ► Waiting patiently in the Moroccan desert, James Bond (wearing a two-piece Brunello Cucinelli) and Madeleine Swann keep their eyes peeled for the next brand to join the fray (in this instance a 1948 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith)

Opposite, bottom Omega’s partnership with the franchise

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What he wears, drinks, drives: these things are important

It’s a heavy weight to carry, then. Bond matters to the Brits: as an idea, but also as a business. Along with a handful of others (The Beatles, the BBC, Burberry) Bond has, for 60 years, sold Britain to the world. For all the blunt instrumentation, his greatest power is soft, and the Britain that Bond flogs is upmarket, expensive and refined. Bond has long been, and remains, our luxury industry’s most muscular pitchman; the model, literally and figuratively, for a certain kind of high-spending sophistication. What he wears, drinks, drives: these things are important. At least they are if you are invested in him – and plenty of us are. He is our not-so-secret weapon, a maverick sales executive on the longest hot-streak in history. If Bond were working on commission, he’d have retired to the Bahamas years ago.

His associations (brand and otherwise) are familiar to generations, except when they’re not. We know he drives an Aston Martin, except when he doesn’t. We know his suits are from Savile Row, except when they’re from elsewhere. We know he drinks Vesper martinis, except when he orders a beer. We know he buys British, except when he shops overseas: Swiss watch, French fizz, German pistol.

And that’s the slightly odd thing. So established are his predilections in the public consciousness, so widely known are his tastes, that his image seems all but impervious to the lucrative global endorsement deals struck by his paymasters, some of which might have made Ian Fleming raise an eyebrow, Roger Moore-style.

In Goldeneye, Pierce Brosnan drove a BMW Z3, a whiny little mosquito that even a shirtless Sean Connery would have struggled to make macho. Brosnan did, eventually, get his hands on an Aston, in the unspeakable Die Another Day. Unhappily, it was invisible. Since Skyfall, the most financially successful Bond film of them all, Craig has worn suits and shirts from Tom Ford, an American my dears. On the road in last year’s No Time to Die he wears Brunello Cucinelli shirts and Alexander Olch ties under his Massimo Alba suit. Yet still he projects a quintessential Britishness.

I’m not suggesting those international brands are wasting their marketing budgets. On the contrary, any association with 007 –certainly with Craig’s 007 – must be worth its weight in beluga caviar. Omega’s investment in Bond has surely paid off handsomely. When the brand and the man match, as they do in the case of his timepiece, it all makes sense. He’s only human, after all, as the final scenes of No Time to Die prove, and who wouldn’t want to go out in style, with a Seamaster on his wrist?

For the most part, though, we prefer to see MI6’s top operative flying the flag. In No Time to Die, the villains drive Land Rovers, the hero rides a Triumph. Bond carries a Globe-Trotter case. He wears a casual Connolly jacket over an Anderson & Sheppard T-shirt. His support for British brands – Orlebar Brown trunks, Sunspel polos, Crockett & Jones shoes – is not simply patriotic: these are labels that any smart, modern secret agent would be proud to sport, whichever nation he represents.

Now, as all the world knows, it is time for Craig to throw the keys of the DB5 to a younger model. Speculation as to who this replacement might be is, to put it mildly, feverish. I’m afraid that, at the time of writing, I have no more idea than any other Bond maniac. But to whoever does get behind the wheel, a word of advice: don’t trade it in for a Beamer. They’ve tried that before. Didn’t work.

Opposite, clockwise from top-left ► Omega Seamaster

Connolly Giubbino jacket

Martini (shaken not stirred)

Sunspel Riviera polo shirt

La Perla Grigioperla trunks

Barbour Beacon Heritage jacket

Spirit 46 sailing yacht and

Orlebar Brown trunks Aston Martin DB5

Any association with 007 –certainly with Craig’s 007 –must be worth its weight in beluga caviar

Farrah

Is

Britannia Cool

Post-Brexit & lockdown, are conditions right for another creative surge?

FARRAH STORR

This was Cool Britannia, a progressive, boundarypushing era

t’s been 25 years since Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit were photographed on the cover of Vanity Fair, sprawled post-coitus-like on a bed festooned with the Union flag. “London Swings Again!” read the coverline, and for once it didn’t seem like publishing hyperbole.

This was 1997. London was frothing at the mouth with creative talent and a whiff of cultural change was in the air. Tracey Emin, the Chapman Brothers and Sarah Lucas ushered in a new form of art with their unmade bed installations, three-dimensional tableaux and fried eggs. Home-grown indie bands – Mansun, Rialto, Longpigs – saturated the music charts. Not to mention Oasis and Blur, two guitar bands from either end of the country who managed to dominate cultural conversation for much of 1995 and 1996. (Were you Blur or Oasis? Your choice being somehow indicative of your class status).

British fashion was truly swinging too. Ozwald Boateng, a selftaught twenty-something son of a Ghanaian teacher, stormed Savile Row with his bold colours and redefinition of what it meant to tailor clothes for men. Working-class boys John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, meanwhile, were snaffled up by the Parisian fashion elites, to take over the reigns at Dior and Givenchy respectively. (Within a few years the French would do the same with two young British women, Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo, who skipped off to reinvent Chloe.)

London nightlife meanwhile was electric; crackling with the energy of a hundred new openings. Oliver Peyton lead the charge, combining food with art and architecture. The Atlantic Bar & Grill, Isola, Mash and Coast brought something new and exciting to the city. Tim Noble and Sue Webster art installations hung from the walls, and on any given night you might find yourself sat next to Sam Taylor-Wood or Damien Hirst. That, or someone’s granny. It was that sort of time. A mash-up of tastes and talent and everyone operating at the top of their game.

Ingénues were everywhere, but more importantly they were homegrown; the kids from the council estates upending culture. There goes Marco Pierre White with his three Michelin stars. Oh, and author Irvine Welsh with his new book, Trainspotting, a sweary, shocking but hilarious look at junkie life. The book couldn’t be bettered. Or at least we thought. And then along came Radcliffe-born Danny Boyle with his 1996 film adaptation of Welsh’s book, a glorious, filthy riot of a film that created Britain’s own Brat Pack of actors including Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller and Kelly Macdonald.

This was Cool Britannia: a progressive, boundary-pushing era where talent came from every corner of the country and, more importantly, was allowed to romp free. D:Reem’s “Things Can Only Get Better” was Tony Blair’s theme tune when he made a bid for Number 10. Part of that sea change, of course, was born from the cultural swell that came before him. A time where working class and middle class united through arts, culture and ideas. A place where a recession-reeling generation decided that the best thing you can do when you’re down on your knees is to take a risk. And boy did those risks pay off. They united Britain in a collective cultural pride not seen since the Swinging Sixties; something a 43-year-old Tony Blair replicated with his New Labour ideology. Never before had so many middle Englanders voted Labour. And never before had they seen so many rock stars invited into 10 Downing Street.

If you’re misty-eyed for that time, I wouldn’t blame you. Brexit, Covid and increasing divisions across the country could easily spell trouble. The Union Flag, once a source of cultural pride befitting of a Spice Girl to wear at The Brits now feels jingoistic and at odds with the very notion of a united country.

Can we ever bring Cool Britannia back? Should we want to? Has the time for a culture born of misbehaviour, misfits and risk-taking passed? And if so, has the opportunity for creating another era of cultural dizziness passed too?

I think not. If every downturn brings with it renewed hope and a

fresh creative flush, then by rights we are in for another wind of creative change. Just as the Great Depression brought ‘the blues’; the post-war years begot the Swinging Sixties and the recession of the early 1970s cleared the way for punk and the resurgence of feminist art, the next ten years could bring its own cultural resurgence.

There are already signs that Britain is powering away. Harris Reed, 25, has spearheaded the vogue for genderless fashion. Thomas Heatherwick is one of the world’s most in-demand designers, bringing emotional well-being to the buildings he creates, while Riz Ahmed has set a new template for the Hollywood polymath: a writing-rapping-poetry-reading actor who also produces and directs.

Creative talent does not die in times of hardship. It only gets fiercer. London may feel a little emptier, but Britain has Margate, Hastings and Folkestone, collectively known as England’s creative coast. Dundee is strutting its stuff as an arty alternative to Glasgow and I hear the music scene in Sheffield is electrifying.

Without Europe we are indeed alone, but alone is not always a bad place to be. It means we can stop awhile, take stock of what we have and reach out to the rest of the world with the culture we create right here. Yes, Covid has meant the arts have taken a kicking, but as Cool Britannia proved, feeling like you’re on the bottom is when risk-taking really happens. When the challenge is real, that’s when true flights of creative fancy lift off.

Above

Above

Above,

Will Hersey ►

Will Hersey is an awardwinning men’s lifestyle journalist and Content Director for Esquire

Pictured ► Rolls-Royce 103ex concept car, the marque’s revolutionary electric motor car

w WILL HERSEY

Bright Sparks

How the brains behind iconic motor brands are driving a seamless switch to more sustainable electric energy

Left ► Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid coasts down Rodeo Drive

Below, right ► Bentley Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Hallmark. The original Bentley Blowers parade outside the company HQ in Crewe, UK

Opposite, bottom ► Bentley Flying Spur and Bentayga Hybrid Range at The Macallan

CHARGING AHEAD

Britain’s other luxury players are each finding their own – occasionally scenic –routes towards electrification. In Woking, McLaren Automotive is yet to announce its first fully electric model, and with a clientele of self-confessed ‘petrolhead’ drivers who will want to enjoy the combustion engine for as long as they can, McLaren Automotive petrol engines will likely not be phased out until nearer 2035 (McLaren Artura Navarra hybrid pictured right). The pandemic has left its mark too, and the small size means the shift is harder to action, though as a technology brand it is banking on innovating its way forward, potentially as a supplier to other brands.

Halfway through a five-year turnaround plan under Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin’s first all-electric model will arrive in 2025, followed by a succession plan for the rest of the range. With scale expected from its SUV, the DBX, an F1 team to broaden its appeal and sporting credentials as a Ferrari rival with Valkyrie and Valhalla, it’s hoped that its recent travails will be put behind it.

In Norfolk, meanwhile, Lotus has undertaken the most comprehensive and ambitious electrification programme of them all despite being in big trouble back in 2017. Having since had a fast-track investment from Chinese auto giant Geely, it is hoping to sell 100,000 cars a year by the end of the decade, kicking things off with the allelectric Eletre SUV on its way next year.

nly a decade or so ago, when the electric car era began to loom ever more purposefully into view, there were many who were already wincing at what such a seismic shift in technology might mean for prestigious brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Could these two grand dames of British automotive tradition, whose long histories are so entwined in the combustion engine, even survive such an earth-shaking transition?

Well into the 21st century, both brands have continued to play on their timeless associations and original spirit. Think of the Bentley boys and girls of the Thirties who put driving pleasure at the heart of the brand, or of those flagship V12 Rolls-Royce engines whose reassuring sound had long been a key part of the company’s allure. How would the tradition of hand-built engines translate into an era of shopped-in motors, wires and batteries?

And yet 10 years on, Bentley’s Chief Executive Officer Adrian Hallmark has confidently announced that the first of its all-electric models will launch by 2025 with four to follow until 2030, when Bentley will no longer offer a combustion engine model. This year alone, various Bentayga and Flying Spur hybrids are available, with 20 per cent of all sales in 2022 likely to be hybrid. Rolls-Royce’s Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös, meanwhile, has declared that its first electric model will be the Spectre. A spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupé, it will be delivered at the end of 2023 and is currently being tested to within an inch of its life. The entire Rolls-Royce range will be electric by 2030. But when did this sea change start looking so natural and, well, seamless?

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The Bentley boys of the Thirties put driving pleasure at the heart of the brand

This

Below

Right,

Right

The first thing worth saying is that it’s taken time to get here. And before we get the bunting out, the two brands still need to deliver on their plans. There’s also nothing better at focusing the mind than government legislation compelling the entire industry to embrace electrification – and realising that no one gets special treatment. As low-volume producers still operating in their own factories, there’s no doubt that for Bentley and Rolls-Royce being part of big automotive groups – Volkswagen and BMW respectively – has had its benefits too. Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess has been an almost zealotry leader on electrification among traditional OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer), and Bentley falls into the group’s ambitious plans, helping to fund the £2.5bn required to upgrade the Crewe factory and roll out its five electric model plan.

Customer tastes regarding electric cars have also changed quickly. Hallmark cites research from five years ago that stated 30 per cent of luxury car buyers wanted to buy electric in the next five years. Now that figure has doubled. Perhaps the most overlooked piece of the puzzle has been just how well electric power seems to suit these brands and vice versa. Serene progress, hushed cabin noise and instant and effortless acceleration are existing attributes for both brands that will only be improved in the electric era. Let’s not forget that Charles Rolls was interested in electric cars more than a century ago, noting: “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” How right he still is. Though charging stations are less of a concern

when your customers tend towards shorter trips and have charging options at home and work.

Range still matters, of course, and the freedom to drop everything for an impromptu grand tour if the whim strikes you is a brand requirement. Here recent improvements in battery technology have certainly helped make these first electric models feasible. Expectations are that another jump will come in the second half of this decade, which can be used on later models in the line-up.

In the wider conversation around sustainability, both brands are essentially craft businesses whose products are built to last decades, so they have a head start over large-scale manufacturers. Bentley’s Crewe factory achieved carbon-neutral status in 2019, while upwards of 65 per cent of Rollers are still on road.

Both brands have enjoyed strong sales periods during the pandemic, which helped add pep to their new directions – as well as a sense that they control their own destinies. Indeed, in 2021, RollsRoyce Motor Cars delivered the highest-ever annual sales in the marque’s 117-year history. As the embryonic electric market grows, there are further opportunities ahead to shape the experience: how to replace the theatre of the engine, what the luxury refuelling experience looks like, what new opportunities and details might arise from the new configuration. After all, innovation has been another constant in their respective histories.

Those who were worried how these two might survive in this brave new world probably overlooked a simple fact – they’ve been around more than 100 years for a reason.

Customer tastes regarding electric cars have changed quickly. Hallmark cites research from five years ago that stated 30 per cent of luxury car buyers wanted to buy electric in the next five years.

Now that figure has doubled

Trendy Tradition

2022: the year tradition got trendy. Younger male customers are rethinking their wardrobes and, unlike the high street, heritage luxury brands are perfectly positioned to provide

Nick

n March 2022, the men’s suit was removed from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) ‘basket of goods’, a selection of more than 700 representative goods and services used since 1947 to assess the UK’s cost of living. Of course, this factoid ricocheted around seemingly every morning editorial meeting in the country, leading to a slew of articles in all major newspapers and magazines about the impending implosion of two-piece tailoring, killed off by a pandemic that irrevocably changed the way we all work and thus fundamentally changed what we needed to wear to do so. Already edging its way towards extinction thanks to office dress codes that had been relaxing since the

importation of Casual Fridays from America in the Nineties, the humble suit was getting its final nudge into sartorial annihilation thanks to remote working – and younger men were to blame. Or so the yarn was spun in copy.

However, that was only half the story. High-street heavyweights might have been pulling business suits from both virtual and physical shelves thanks to dwindling sales, but tailoring was having something of a revival when it came to time off-the-clock. On the men’s catwalks and on celebrities, non-traditional suiting (whether through form or fabrication) was being embraced in a new way by the sartorially minded of all genders for going out-out.

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What continues to resonate with younger customers are the values that luxury brands, especially here in Britain, hold dear: quality, craftsmanship and an understandable justification of what makes something worth its price tag

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“I think it’s clear that our younger customers, both men & women, highly value our provenance & Britishness as a brand”

ROGER STEPHENSON DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF LOCK & CO.

What was more surprising is that this movement was being led by a number of luxury menswear labels here in the UK that we tend to think of as “heritage” – long-standing, storied makers known for their intrinsic values of quality and craftsmanship. And it wasn’t just true when it came to suiting. From headgear to shoes to accessories, British luxury brands showed that age was not a barrier to reinventing themselves to connect with a younger, fashion-focused customer. In fact, it was an advantage.

“Alfred Dunhill himself was about change, innovation and experimentation,” says Mark Weston, Creative Director of dunhill. “More than anything else, he was always looking ahead. This drives me to create forward-thinking products that are relevant and useful for today, always with a subtle and respectful nod to the past.”

Nowhere can this philosophy be seen better in the look he crafted for British actor Damson Idris at this year’s Met Gala in New York City (otherwise known as the most high-profile event in the global fashion calendar). Inspired by the white tie ensemble legendary actor Sidney Poitier wore to accept his Oscar for Best Actor in 1964, Weston designed a suit for Idris that had all the sleek hallmarks of ultra-traditional formal dress, but remixed in a way that felt exciting and relevant for a younger actor wanting to stand out from the crowd.

“Different elements were incorporated to pay tribute to Poitier. The black evening jacket was crafted in a classic British-milled barathea and cut in a house wrap style, combining a structured silhouette with a silk ottoman peak lapel and signature gold button detailing. A tailored wrap waistcoat featured a silk satin lapel and bonded seams, while underpinnings including a white cotton sateen point-collar shirt and a cotton silk rollneck alluded to the legendary actor’s white tie dress,” says Weston of the design.

“The precision and expertise of tailoring is synonymous with dunhill, but it’s how these are represented and recontextualised for now that is the key to success. The wrap jacket and split hem silhouette is a new expression, but it’s the evolution of the materials, engineering and how these elements give purpose to the wearer that is important to me, however someone identifies themselves.”

Re-interpreting brand DNA has also been high on the agenda at historic shoemaker Church’s. In a curveball release that took many by surprise, the nearly 150-year-old Northampton label dropped a collaboration in March 2022 with American streetwear label OffWhite – one of the last projects worked on by the late designer Virgil Abloh before his passing in November 2021. Entitled “Off-White c/o Church’s”, the collection featured a riff on the cobbler’s Burwood

brogue Oxford (originally introduced in 1953), with black brushed calfskin replacing the shoe’s usual brown suede upper, and “Special Events” (screen-printed in Off-White’s signature script) adorning the outside of the shoe, not to mention a trademark Off-White hangtag.

“The new Burwood is a bold reinterpretation of Church’s quintessential sophistication and heritage, recoded through Off-White’s spirit of rebellious realism,” says Denni Manzatto, Chief Executive Officer of Church’s. “The launch begins a new chapter of our brand’s journey, pointing to the exploration of the new formal codes.”

What continues to resonate with younger customers are the values that luxury brands, especially here in Britain, hold dear: quality, craftsmanship and an understandable justification of what makes something worth its price tag. While the items offered by brands might change, these values allow luxury brands to reinvent their pieces to appeal to contemporary tastes. Take Lock & Co., a hatmaker founded in London in 1676. Famed for its bowlers and top hats over the centuries, 2022 saw the company introduce a new range of bang-on-trend bucket, beanie and baseball caps for a younger, more casual clientele. The result? Men’s baseball cap sales are up by 115 per cent year on year, men’s bucket hats are up by 11 per cent and, according to data from the site, customers aged 18 to 24 now account for 15 per cent of the brand’s total online traffic, up from 8 per cent in 2019.

“No matter the customer, what everyone has come to expect from Lock & Co. is the best: the best designs, the best fabrics, the best service,” says Ysabel De Ornelas, Buying Manager at Lock & Co. “These principles of excellence were established at the beginning by our founder James Lock and continue to be upheld by the seventh generation of the family, who still run the business from the shop at 6 St James’s Street in London today.”

“I think it’s clear that our younger customers, both men and women, highly value our provenance and Britishness as a brand. However, the world of retail is continually changing and even the most established brands can’t stand still,” echoes Roger Stephenson, Deputy Chairman of Lock & Co. “As a heritage brand with over 346 years of history, we must blend innovation with tradition, and it is this ability to continually evolve that has kept us in business for so long.”

In short, the whims of fashion may change the attitude to certain items over time – even ones as seemingly long-standing as the suit – but if luxury brands continue to elevate and adapt to suit the changing needs of new wave customers, they will be relevant for many years to come.

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MARK ELLWOOD

A Love Letter to British Luxury

Home thoughts from an accidental New Yorker

Fortnum & Mason

William Grant

Hendrick’s

Johnstons of Elgin

Anya Hindmarch

I

never planned to become a New Yorker. But more than 20 years after arriving with two overstuffed suitcases and a battered copy of The Bonfire of the Vanities, I’m still here. And clutching white-knuckled on to my accent, mostly, of course, for the utterly unfair uplift it confers in my perceived intelligence among my peers. But when it comes to luxury, I think Americans are the smart ones, and certainly far cannier than snooty Old Worlders might often assume.

For America, British luxury sets the benchmark. The French might tout their wine, or the Italians boast about fashion, but they’re bested by the Brits for one simple reason: luxury in the UK isn’t just about the product per se but also about the experiences surrounding it. After a long period of disconnection and disjointed life around the world, experiences like this are more prized than ever; a chance to buy in as much to buy.

Rather than simply selling a single malt, British luxury encourages visits to the distillery to see how it’s made (and perhaps offer a sneak peek snifter of an upcoming rarity). British luxury is about buying a cashmere sweater then wearing it to keep cozy during a country house weekend or clubbing together to tee off at Gleneagles after investing in a new iron or two. It’s Wimbledon and regattas, a Sunday roast served up in a Michelin-starred restaurant or recreating high tea at home with a spread of Fortnum’s goodies. I’d venture it’s no coincidence either that private members clubs stateside come with a British imprimatur. That might be by origin – The Ned is about to land in New York for its

second outpost after London – or by affect, a deliberate aping of that stern but genteel vibe synonymous with the best-of-British VIP PLU. What’s more, British luxury has another advantage that’s perfectly primed for the world we face now. It’s shot through with an element that’s equal parts commodity and characteristic: humour. Think the Warm & Wonderful-designed black sheep sweater made world famous by Princess Diana (and that an American firm recently enthusiastically revived, to sell-out level success). Or the subversive wit in the work of any YBA that’s undeniably British, or Anya Hindmarch’s I’m Not A Plastic Bag, McQueen’s bumsters and the Heath Robinson-like eccentricity of Hendrick’s Gin. The Dowager Countess Grantham, one eyebrow permanently raised and zinger-primed at any moment, could only be British.

Of course, the world has never craved that sly, witty joy more than right now – in the US more than anywhere. “This summer, to misquote Cyndi Lauper, Americans just want to have fun,” my friend Paul Croughton notes – he’s another expat Brit, and Editor-in-Chief of Robb Report here. He believes that there is nowhere better now to strike the right balance between casual and cachet than the UK: “If a British brand were to put on elegant but laid-back picnics in one of the parks in good weather, inviting important overseas guests, I suspect they’d be very popular.”

As for me, I’ll just be happy to spread out a blanket – Johnstons of Elgin, please – in Central Park and gorge on the contraband goodies I always smuggle stateside in my suitcase after a jaunt to London. It’s British good taste, in every sense.

British luxury is about buying a cashmere sweater then wearing it to keep cozy during a country house weekend or clubbing together to tee off at Gleneagles

Alexander McQueen

Gleneagles

The Resilience of Quality

High-end shoppers are celebrating the post-pandemic era with a new philosophy: buy less, spend more, invest better. But is this

hedonism here to stay?

LUCIA VAN DER POST

Photo

Peter’s Basilica, Rome

Mark’s

Venice

Photo Alexandru Ionescu

hoever would have guessed?

Mired in the deep despond of the pandemic, the country still jittery over the fallout from Brexit, few, I suspect, would have risked a bet on where the luxury market was heading in such uncertain times. And yet here we are in 2022 and not only has most of the sector survived, much of it has positively thrived. And while the war in Ukraine has made gazing into a crystal ball even murkier than ever, most of the companies involved

in producing some of the world’s finest and most desirable products are still full of optimism.

What seems to have happened is that ‘cheap and cheerful’ lost its gloss. Quite apart from the ethical problems the throwaway culture posed, the general mood turned towards products that seemed to have meaning, that came with evidence of quality, with an engaging narrative and a real connection between the product and craftsmanship. As Colleen Caslin, Chief Executive Officer of the Jessica McCormack jewellery brand puts it, “during the pandemic people took stock of their lives and now that it is over seem to feel like celebrating life again and they want to do it with something really special.”

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We’re seeing a move beyond traditional leisure experiences, which are naturally ephemeral & transient, to a consumption of meaningful knowledge & learning

ADAM SEBBA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE LUMINAIRE

Photo Thomas Weng / The Luminaire

What they don’t want is cheap gewgaws. “We see ourselves”, says Caslin, “as the architects of memory,” which she sees as helping customers create heirlooms for the future, which in turn means buying quality pieces. Jessica McCormack must be doing something right because in one month alone it sold four of its diamond riviere necklaces (prices are well into the double-digit thousands) and over the past two years its business has grown by 62 per cent compared to the previous couple of years.

In the meantime, Chanel, generally agreed to be one of the most cherished brands in the world (though not renowned for overly friendly prices), is rebounding strongly after suffering a fall in sales through the pandemic. The first quarter of 2021 saw double-digit growth and the brand is still having to ration sales of two of its most iconic handbag styles to one bag each per year, per customer. The same is true at those other two high-flying brands Louis Vuitton and Hermès. Both limit sales of some of its most iconic products to a few items per customer per year. No wonder vintage models are going for eye-watering sums in the secondary market with companies such as Luxury Promise and Farfetch Second Life reporting booming demand and prices. (At Farfetch a pre-owned Chanel medium double flap shoulder bag is going for £5,396 and a second-hand Hermès Tri-Colour Kelly 28 model is £14,423).

While overall sales of most whisky companies suffered quite badly during the pandemic, there is now a noticeable trend of customers trading up to premium brands, with a 55 year old rare Japanese Suntory Yamazaki whisky selling at Harrods for £300,000. Sales of single malts and American and Irish whiskeys are helping to restore sales and profits – the single malt Scotch category alone is predicted to grow in value from £394 million in 2018 to £439 million this year.

Wherever we look the trend is the same – volume may sometimes be down but quality is more in demand than ever. Hotels report that more visitors want the best rooms, premium watches such as Patek Philippe and Rolex are increasingly difficult to get hold of and Omega has had its best year ever. The demand for iconic brands like Rolex has been unprecedented – and with Rolex so highly sought after, it isn’t surprising to find that it is commanding very high prices in the secondary market. Similarly, a Patek Philippe Aquanaut available on Watchfinder for £138,995 was originally £46,910 at retail.

The big conundrum, of course, is: can this go on? Might there be a return to spending more money on the experiences we were all denied during the pandemic – theatres, holidays, restaurants and their ilk – rather than on the silken scarves, the pens, the precious jewellery, the designer clothes, the one-off arts and crafts that the luxury goods market needs to sell us in order to prosper? The Ukraine war has undoubtedly cast something of a pall over the economy, but for the moment the happy news is that consumers seem to be doing both. They’re latching onto quality in every area of their lives and seem determined to live life to the full now that the pandemic is virtually over.

Vintage models are going for eye-watering sums in the secondary market. A second-hand Hermès Tri-Colour Kelly 28 model is

Above ► Jessica McCormack diamond riviere necklaces Opposite, top ► Vintage Chanel from Luxury Promise, Patek Philippe Aquanaut Left ► Hermès Tri-Colour Kelly 28 bag

TALIB CHOUDHRY

As Others See Us

wRecent research from Bain & Company for Walpole shows British luxury has a strong affinity with Middle Eastern customers. We asked Dubai-based Talib Choudhry to explain the strong appeal

Talib Choudhry ► Talib Choudhry is Editorin-Chief for Architectural Digest Middle East. He was previously Design & Interiors Editor for Telegraph Magazine and is author of The New Creative Home: London Style.

While a quaint sense of Englishness has a certain appeal, diversity –in every sense of the word – and London’s position as a global city, is the main draw for well-heeled Khaleeji shoppers. Dubai and Doha have some of the most exceptional shopping experiences in the world, but the variety of products available in UK stores (and a slightly better value proposition) means many people find that it’s worth the trip. Something picked up on a jaunt down Bond Street also boasts bragging rights; a casually uttered, “Oh, I got it in London,” confers an air of international sophistication.

Of course, many of the luxury houses that Middle Eastern shoppers flock to are Italian or French (note the queues outside Chanel and Hermès), so why do they prefer to shop in London rather than Milan or Paris, especially now that the tax-free shopping scheme has been scrapped? One word: service. A welcoming, personal approach is a key factor.

“As GCC citizens, when you walk into a store in London you’re generally made to feel extremely welcome and there are usually Arabic-speaking sales people who take the time to understand your requirements,” says a prominent Kuwaiti interior designer. “They’ll share their WhatsApp number, send regular updates and make you feel like a valued customer. That only happens in London. In Paris it’s the complete opposite: they barely even look at us. If anything, they just don’t want to serve you.”

In good news for niche British brands, top-tier GCC shoppers aren’t just looking for this season’s It products; the Gucci effect is waning

as a more discerning set are on the hunt for unusual, high-quality pieces with longevity. In short, they want something special, preferably handmade and limited edition. That doesn’t just mean an oud-soaked spin on a fragrance or a Ramadan capsule collection. Both are appreciated if they are done thoughtfully, but the new, younger breed of GGC customer is searching for the exceptional, whatever the season.

Gone are the days when whole families would descend upon a department store and were willing to buy almost anything without knowing much about it; Khaleeji clients are now very well informed and often underestimated in terms of their levels of aspiration and refinement. Just as Aston Martin, McLaren Automotive, Bentley and Rolls-Royce are beloved car marques in the Gulf, the idea of quality British-made goods (bespoke tailoring, fine tea blends, timeless handbags) is a seductive proposition.

“I think Middle Eastern consumers are completely aware nowadays in terms of where they want to spend,” a thirtysomething Emirati businesswoman comments. “Despite the stereotypes, they don’t just go for things that are heavily branded. In fact, if something is very high quality and not branded, they’re willing to spend more on that than on something that has a ubiquitous brand name.”

The staggering success of ultraluxe Italian clothier Loro Piana is a case in point; after a high-profile sheikh commented on the quality of the fabric on social media, sales of menswear boomed. So how can a British brand boost awareness of its

high-end wares without serendipitous royal endorsement? Confidently demonstrating a commitment to the region and building relationships with intimate, curated events in the Gulf is a worthwhile investment.

When a rush of brands first began targeting the Middle East, the offering veered toward the generic and mildly condescending, but then the smart ones began creating campaigns and products specifically for the GCC and having memorable in-store events and dinners. Those that move beyond traditional advertising tap into the culture to understand the nuances and spend time getting to know the customers really thrive. The smart brands are thinking in a nuanced way about the cultural norms across the region and offering experiences that match the setting – what works in Doha may not have the same resonance in Riyadh or Abu Dhabi.

Coming back to the subject of elevated service levels, smaller companies with a loyal Middle Eastern customer base that don’t have a bricks and mortar presence in the region would be wise to think about how they could still offer personal shopping services.

“If I bought leather goods in London, I would love that brand to tell me, ‘By the way, if you ever need maintenance for the piece or help sourcing more, we have someone in Riyadh who can assist you with whatever you need,’” suggests a style maven who is based in the Saudi capital. “That trust, that level of customer service would encourage me to spend more and get another piece for my friend, or my sister and my family. That relationship is what Middle Eastern people always look for.”

wWhile the road to recovery might feel rocky right now, is an impending renaissance written in the stars?

Neil Spencer ► Writer, broadcaster and astrologer Neil Spencer is former Editor of the NME, founding editor of Arena magazine and now regularly writes for The Observer on astrology, music and popular culture.

Illustration ► Brett Ryder

NEIL SPENCER

The Age of Uncertainty

How do you like the Roaring Twenties?

The 2020s, that is. Astrology has long foreseen the decade as one of upheaval, its challenges reflected in several era-defining planetary cycles. It certainly started bang on astrological time, with the global pandemic arriving in January 2020 simultaneously with the meeting of Saturn and Pluto, a conjunction whose deadly history includes the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the partition of India in 1947. As these two examples show, Saturn-Pluto events have a long tail, and the ravages of Covid-19 (or other zoonotic outbreaks) are similarly not vanishing any time soon.

The decade has roared on in alarming fashion. The gruesome conflict raging in Ukraine is a reprise of Pluto’s deathly themes and began as Mars – Gustav Holst’s ‘bringer of war’ –conjoined Pluto in late February 2022.

Amid the gloom, the cosmos is offering hopeful omens. The response to war in Ukraine has seen a collective revulsion and a renewal of alliances, at least in Europe. As much reflects the ongoing emphasis on the sign of Aquarius, where Saturn and Jupiter met in December 2021 (the pair conjoin only every 20 years), and where Pluto will arrive in March 2023 for a twodecade residency.

Astrology holds all signs equal, but the 1960s made Aquarius more equal than others, thanks to hippy hullabaloo

about the Age of Aquarius, a deeply suspect concept with an anthem hoisted up the pop charts by the appropriately named 5th Dimension. Those still anticipating an era of ‘harmony and understanding’ clearly have a long wait.

Yet Pluto in Aquarius signals both hope and deep change. Contrary to its reputation as a sign of wild liberation, Aquarius is fond of order, though it is humane and egalitarian in orientation. An air sign much concerned with knowledge – which the urn bearer pours for all – and centred on community and co-operation, Aquarius stands in contrast to the materialist sign of Capricorn, where, since 2008, Pluto has reigned over an era of kleptocracy, where might is right.

Pluto shows where power lies, so the age of populist strongmen will perhaps give way to a more democratic dispensation once the planet is fully present in Aquarius in 2024. Yet Pluto, as lord of the underworld, is often a dark force and on the downside suggests more micro-controlled societies where the authorities know what’s best and privacy is a mark of guilt. Face recognition of people ‘predisposed to crime’ is already with us. So too algorithms gleaned from online spying. Merely checking one pukka TV chef’s online recipe requires the data-wary to refuse ten different cookies; Big Brother with a smile.

Pluto’s transition from Capricorn to Aquarius hangs over several national horoscopes, not least those of Ukraine (born 24th August, 1991), Communist Russia (born 8th November, 1917), modern Russia (born 12th June, 1990) and the US (born 4th July, 1776). In Ukraine’s case, Pluto suggests the country’s resurrection in spring 2023, whether as a puppet Russian state or as a neutered, landlocked entity is unclear. In the 1990 Russian chart, Pluto reaches Saturn in 2025 and likewise describes resurrection, not necessarily as a friend of democracy. This follows economic chaos in 2022 and 2023 as Uranus transits its banking system.

The US continues to face its Pluto return, as the planet goes back to its position at the nation’s birth 245 years ago. Under this transit – ongoing until 2024 – the US is confronted by its ‘shadow’, its darker episodes and failures. Slavery is the big issue here, as it was when England faced its own Pluto return in the late 1550s when the birth of the Elizabethan golden age also saw the first British slave ship sail in 1562 under captain Sir John Hawkins. England’s next Pluto return in 1801 saw both The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 and the country’s formal Union with Scotland to become the United Kingdom in 1801.

Similar transformations await the US. Will the country become the multi-racial democracy promised in its constitution? Or ossify into a gerrymandered Republican fiefdom

prepared to declare martial law, as almost happened in the 2021 attack on the Capitol? How about independence for California? The stakes are high, though the Aquarius Moon in the US horoscope suggests which side will prevail.

While Pluto and Aquarius hog the headlines, they are not the only omens in focus during the early 2020s. The two other ‘outer’ planets, Uranus and Neptune, likewise signify global change.

Uranus is now halfway through its seven-year transit of Taurus, an earth sign much concerned with economics, and has lived up to its reputation as an inventive, disruptive force. Crypto currencies, a marginal phenomenon a few years back, have proliferated dizzily, as have online apps like Agru and the fintech banks including Revolut and Monzo that handle them. Conventional banks will surely follow suit. Gibraltar’s bourse has already become the first stock exchange to deal in crypto. Government versions of crypto – Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) – are also with us; October 2021 saw the launch of the e-Naira, Nigeria’s own CBDC.

Crypto’s sibling, non-fungible tokens, have likewise taken a vigorous hold. NFTs are computer-only art, images that can be reproduced though copyright remains with their owner –so far more likely to be a Silicon Valley slicker or pop star. NFTs now command big bucks; just last year Sotheby’s, that bastion of the art world, held its first NFT sale.

The other domain governed by Taurus is the natural world and its bounties: agriculture, food and produce. Here too revolution remains in the air, be it as plant-based vegan diets or as lab-grown meat that takes cells from living animals but requires no slaughter. Insect-based foods and menus are another facet of the new frontier.

Pisces is the other sign under emphasis this year and next. The meeting of expansive Jupiter and idealistic Neptune is not uncommon, arriving every 13 years, a cycle closely linked to humanitarian political initiatives, but their conjunction in Pisces in April 2022 was the first in the fishes since 1856. In the UK, the sign’s visionary spirit was reflected in the foundation of the National Portrait Gallery and the Science Museum, and in the heyday of the Pre-Raphaelites. Utopian ideals, currently conspicuous by their absence, may yet return to a fragmented, cynical UK.

In 2023 Saturn moves into Pisces, Jupiter into Aries and Pluto into Aquarius, followed in 2025 by Neptune and Uranus moving on to Aries and Gemini respectively. That all the solar system’s heavy-hitters should change sign in such a short period is a rarity that heralds profound change, with the ecological crisis its most obvious focal point. Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2011 with strong Aquarian placements in its horoscopes, will then be coming of age; a youthquake to save the most important planet of all: Earth.

Pluto’s transition from Capricorn to Aquarius hangs over several national horoscopes, not least those of Ukraine (born 24th August, 1991), Communist Russia (born 8th November, 1917) modern Russia (born 12th June, 1990) and the USA (born 4th July, 1776)

AboutWalpole

About Walpole

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.

WALPOLE BY NUMBERS

250 MEMBERS

Partners, Members and Friends

11 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

144 BRANDS OF TOMORROW

Since 2007, including Bremont, Orlebar Brown, Nyetimber, Miller Harris and House Of Hackney

37,500

Our digital audience - online, email and social media

JOIN US

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

2. 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 Luxury 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.

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

CONTACT membership@ thewalpole.co.uk

Our Pillars

“Walpole’s mission is to help businesses realise their potential and make the UK the best place to grow a luxury brand.”

MICHAEL WARD CHAIRMAN OF WALPOLE & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARRODS

REPRESENTATION

The UK’s high-end creative and cultural industries generate £48bn of revenue annually, and 80 per cent of this is destined for export* We represent and promote our members’ interest 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, Germany and Sweden. 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, leverage 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

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 the ideas and build best practice.

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 2000 members attended our business support and member insight webinars as well and our face-to-face events in 2021, where key topics included responding and recovering from the pandemic, marketing, diversity, sustainability 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 May 2022 we launched our tourism report, an action plan to make the UK the world’s best luxury destination for affluent international visitors. Emphasising the strengths of the UK and its appeal to wealthy visitors through its unique combination of history, culture, hospitality and shopping, the manifesto also outlines to policy makers, how we make sure the legislative context is there to allow British luxury to maximise our economic contribution to the country.

Community

We curate our community and develop member networks

Representation

We actively promote our members’ interests at home and abroad, and campaign on their behalf

Promote Protect Develop

Knowledge, Insight & Expertise

We provide our members with information, support and advice

What it’s worth:

Europe is the undeniable home of global luxury. With its rich history, culture, desirable high-end hospitality and retail industries, the continent holds an extraordinary appeal for affluent international visitors.

To understand the value of high-end tourism (over mass tourism) to both the British and European economies, Walpole partnered with its fellow associations in ECCIA* and Bain & Co on a unique pan-European report which valued luxury tourism at €130-€170bn in 2019. With tourism so severely affected during the pandemic, Walpole wanted to further examine what the UK specifically needs to do to accelerate the economic recovery of luxury tourism, which is valued at £30bn to Great Britain.

The study showed that high-end visitors deliver 8 times more in terms of daily spend than mass tourists, with that figure rising to 14 times more in the UK, where spending on accommodation is 20 times higher and 18 times more on culture, entertainment, shopping and dining. Overall, around a third of the UK’s £85bn domestic and international tourism market can be attributed to luxury tourism –in other words, for every £3 spent by tourists, £1 is spent by the high-end. These results underlined the importance of the luxury eco-system: with the virtuous circle of hospitality, culture and retail delivering the real economic value.

How, then, can the UK capitalise on this and build back an even stronger tourism experience for these high-value visitors? Walpole launched its five key recommendations for luxury tourism recovery – practical recommendations and creative ideas that together enable the UK to become a leader in luxury tourism, and the best and most desirable shopping destination in the world:

1. Bring back Tax Free shopping and ensure a level playing-field across Europe

2. Visitor Visa Reform to lower barriers to entry for tourists

3. Extend Sunday trading hours in the busy tourist shopping areas of the West End and Knightsbridge

4. Change the working visa system to make working visa more accessible

5. Sell Brand Britain to a global audience and showcase the amazing spectrum of experiences stretching across the country.

To download the full Tourism Report, visit www.thewalpole.co.uk

* The European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance (ECCIA) is composed of six cultural and creative industries organisations: Comité Colbert (France), Altagamma (Italy), Circulo Fortuny (Spain), Meisterkreis (Germany), Gustaf III Kommitté (Sweden) and Walpole (UK)

Far & wide

While London may be the shop window for luxury, the engine room is regional.

Walpole member headquarters and manufacturing hubs can be found throughout the British Isles (see map) with around 70% of Walpole members manufacturing all or part of their products domestically, creating highly skilled, long-term, sustainable employment in all regions of the UK.

High-end hospitality and visitor experiences are a key driver of tourism the length and breadth of the country, creating wider benefits, such as ensuring the preservation of historic and culturally relevant sites, regional employment, and generating significant capital and long-term investment.

MAP KEY UK MEMBERS BY SECTOR*

Automotive, Aviation & Yachting Beauty & Wellness Culture

Fashion & Accessories Food & Drink

Hospitality & Services

Jewellery & Watches

Interior Design, Home & Craftsmanship Media

Property & Estate Property & Estate Retailers & Etailers

Illustration ►

Antoine Corbineau

The Best of the Best

BY CAMILLA AKERS-DOUGLAS

As Walpole’s flagship development and mentoring programme for fledgling luxury brands turns 15, we celebrate 15 successful alumni

Luxury brands, great craftsmanship and excellent customer service are part and parcel of Britain’s heritage. Fortnum & Mason, purveyor of groceries to the Queen, is now 315 years old. In the 18th century, Josiah Wedgwood created a global export success from this country’s ceramics business. And Alexander McQueen became one of the most celebrated fashion designers of his generation, with his renegade designs that married artistry with exceptional technical ability.

Success in the British luxury industry requires great business leadership and collaboration. For the past 15 years the Walpole development programme has sought to support today’s leaders and help them to grow. “British luxury is all about its creative, visionary, determined founders,” says Helen Brocklebank, Chief Executive Officer of Walpole.

Building a luxury brand involves an understanding of the importance of excellence – be it craftsmanship or customer service, or the power of consumer advertising and marketing. Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow programme helps businesses deliver this, with workshops that cover all areas of running a business: finance, distribution, online, PR and marketing, law and copyright. These give founders a support framework and a sort-of sanctuary from the day-to-day stresses of running a business. The programme also provides time for young entrepreneurs to think about the big picture and hear from experts on how to solve operational issues.

The programme is supported by an extraordinary level of expertise. The law firm Mishcon de Reya and the payments fintech Moneycorp provide legal and financial advice. Demetra Pinsent, now Chief Executive Officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, was instrumental in setting up the programme while a partner at the management consultancy business McKinsey & Co. And John Ayton, the CoFounder of Links of London, was key to initiating the programme.

“Speakers at the workshops are captains of industry, and Mishcon de Reya gives each founder a legal mentor for the duration of the programme,” explains Balthazar Fabricius, co-chair of Brands of Tomorrow. “It’s incredible if you stop to think about it. Every brand has grown because of the vision and phenomenal hard work of their founders, building great products, teams and giving amazing customer service. They’ve done that all on their own. But the programme is undoubtedly a very helpful handrail and comes as the perfect stage for the brands and the founders alike.”

Its alumni are testament to its success...

“Giles and I had no shortage of innocent passion and confidence in the Bremont brand,” says its Co-Founder Nick English, “but the Brands of Tomorrow programme gave us access to a knowledge base and luxury infrastructure that we couldn’t have achieved otherwise. We saved an awful lot of time and costly mistakes by talking to people who’d done it before.”

The sense of achievement is tangible. “The exposure, business and creative connections and support within the Walpole family have been both an accelerator for growth professionally and a joy to be part of personally,” says Anabela Chan, jewellery designer.

And for many the benefits are game-changing. “Through the Brands of Tomorrow programme, I met brilliant founders and mentors,” says Tom Broughton, founder of Cubitts. “It’s been transformative to share war stories, and it directly led to collaborations, for us with the brilliant GF Smith. Jonathan Heilbron, then Chairman of Brands of Tomorrow, has been a huge influence, and become a trusted friend.”

“Working with Walpole has been pivotal to the business. We were incredibly lucky to have Michael Ward from Harrods as our mentor and his help and advice has been invaluable,” says Sacha Newell, Co-Founder of My Wardrobe HQ.

“The Brands of Tomorrow Programme made me think more commercially about my brand,” says Richard Brendon. “As a designer, my focus and priority has always been the design of the product, but there’s much more to consider. Some of our most significant collaborations stemmed from introductions and meetings I had as a Brand of Tomorrow, including our partnerships with Corinthia London and Jancis Robinson, which propelled us into new markets.”

Some alumni have achieved extraordinary success. Adam Brown, founder of Orlebar Brown, sold his resort-wear business to Chanel. Castore now sells in more than 50 countries worldwide. ME+EM now plans to take on America, courtesy of a £55 million investment. (To qualify for selection in the Brands of Tomorrow programme, a company needs to show a turnover of between £200,000 and £5 million) The Brands of Tomorrow programme is a milestone on the road to success. All of these businesses have their eye on the future –not just on future profitability but on building brands with a legacy, often using innovative ways to create a more sustainable future.

Bremont

2007 ALUMNUS

Fifteen years ago, this British luxury watch business was selected to be part of the inaugural Brands of Tomorrow programme. Founded in 2002 by brothers Giles and Nick English, Bremont makes watches hand-built in the UK, designed to be precise, reliable and durable. “It all began in the workshop of our father,” says Nick English. “He was an incredible aeronautical engineer and craftsman. As children we made and restored things with him – historic aircraft, vintage cars and clocks.” From the outset the brothers wanted to reinvigorate the art of watchmaking in this country. Last year they opened a £20 million facility in Henley-on-Thames, where they continue to build watches inspired by a love of aviation, engineering and adventure.

bremont.com

Fitzdares

2007 ALUMNUS

The high-end bookmaking firm Fitzdares is also one of the original alumni. Founded by Balthazar Fabricius in 2006, it is a business that places an exceptional emphasis on customer service, for people with a passionate love of sport. “I wanted to re-establish the personal relationship that used to exist between punter and bookmaker,” says Fabricius. Members can place their bets via the Fitzdares superresponsive app, or by phone or text, and enjoy the privacy of Fitzdares’ private members’ clubs, watching sport while punting and eating a lobster croissant, perhaps. There are currently two Fitzdares Clubs in the UK, one in Mayfair, the other in the Cotswolds. This summer the business plans to open a third in Toronto.

fitzdares.com

“The exposure, business & creative connections and support within the Walpole family have been both an accelerator for growth professionally and a joy to be part of personally.”

Nyetimber

2007 ALUMNUS

This inaugural alumnus is a British sparkling winemaker. Nyetimber is made in West Sussex from a blend of classic champagne grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The vineyard was planted in 1988, and the sparkling wine launched in 1996. Eric Heerema purchased the Nyetimber Estate in 2006, and since then has become a pioneering figure within the British sparkling wine market, working hard to position Nyetimber as a ‘contemporary luxury brand’. The turning point came in 2012. “It was a very British year, with the Olympics, the first British man’s victory in the Tour de France, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee,” says Heerema. “And it was a set of events that linked with English sparkling wine and Nyetimber”.

nyetimber.com

Orlebar Brown

2009 ALUMNUS

This men’s resort wear label specialises in tailored men’s swim shorts. Photographer Adam Brown founded the business in 2007 after he was turned away from a restaurant for wearing swimming shorts. This gave him the idea for trunks with a trouser fit that you could wear from pool to restaurant, one style, four lengths. In 2012, having built the brand around a single quality product, Orlebar Brown expanded beyond shorts into polo shirts, blazers and trainers, as well as a mini-me boys’ collection. Twelve years later, with a bit of help from 007 – Daniel Craig wore Orlebar Brown trunks in the film Skyfall – Adam Brown sold OB to Chanel. “OB is a teenager now,” he says. “We were 15 this year and we will continue to find exciting ways to enable, encourage and excite everyone to holiday better.” orlebarbrown.com

ME+EM

2009 ALUMNUS

Clare Hornby and Emma Howarth set up ME+EM in 2009 with £100,000 of savings. Since then their ‘athleisure’ business has grown into a modern woman’s clothing brand that creates affordable wardrobe classics that last. ME+EM’s primary business model is direct-to-consumer and has always focused on its “quality-to-price proposition”. This is “fashion Lego,” says Hornby. “It’s important to me that each individual piece is designed to work with other pieces in present and past collections.” Indeed, every piece is designed to meet “three Fs: to be flattering, functional and forever”. The company has recently announced that it is taking on America, courtesy of a £55 million investment, and is currently valued at £130 million.

meandem.com

Emilia Wickstead

2015 ALUMNUS

This New Zealand-born, London-based designer’s signature look is stunningly simple dresses that are modern, yet traditional. They are frequently flattering with high necks and nipped-in silhouettes. Wickstead started her business as a bespoke and made-to-measure service in 2008, and did not show her collections to the press or wholesale until five years ago. Along the way she has redefined high-society dressing. Today she employs 40 people and has a loyal following that includes, most famously, the Duchess of Cambridge. “For the first few years, I was quite literally working in the store, meeting clients and learning first hand from them about what they wanted,” she says. “That dialogue and closeness to the customer, and to the women around me, is integral to my work.” emiliawickstead.com

House of Hackney

Husband and wife team Frieda Gormley and Javvy R Royle founded House of Hackney 11 years ago to “create interiors that are inspired by the past but influence the world we live in”. “It was a time of white-walled living and we wanted pieces and prints that sparked joy and made our walls sing,” says Gormley. So they created an interiors brand that worked with British makers and manufacturers in the most sustainable way possible. With their signature Gothic-tinged, Victoriana-meets-Seventies style, and William Morris-inspired prints, Gormley and Royle have grown the business on three guiding principles: compassion, creativity and consciousness. Today they have offices in London and New York, and a flagship store in an 18th-century clergy house in Shoreditch. houseofhackney.com

Cubitts

2016 ALUMNUS

This bespoke glasses-maker offers statement frames with prescription lens at a price that is not too expensive. Founder Tom Broughton developed myopia as a child. “When you start wearing spectacles at school, it becomes a pretty indelible part of who you are. Many of my cultural icons had done the same: Morrissey, Michael Caine, James Dean, Jarvis Cocker. But I soon realised most people didn’t love wearing spectacles in the way that I did, and there was a real gap for spectacles that people actually want to wear.” Broughton is continually looking to innovate and plans to bring made-to-measure eyewear to everyone via their mobiles. “We’re launching a Cubitts app this year that uses lots of clever tech such as facial scanning, machine learning recommendations and parametric design to solve the question of precise fit and bring bespoke spectacles to a new generation of customers.” And he also has plans for 15 nationwide stores by the end of the year, and to open his first international store in 2023. cubitts.com

Richard Brendon

2016 ALUMNUS

Richard Brendon makes British bone china tableware and cut crystal glassware, using traditional techniques to create contemporary tableware collections. “It all began when I was walking through Portobello Road antiques market one weekend and noticed there seemed to be many saucers missing their cups,” he says. “Perhaps obviously I realised cups are more likely to break.” So he created a collection of reflective teacups in gold and platinum that mirror the patterns of orphaned saucers. At the heart of the company’s continued success is the ongoing relationship with Stoke-on-Trent’s iconic ceramic manufacturers, which produce his collections. “The answer is to always work with crafts people in heritage industries because that’s where the true skills are,” says Brendon. richardbrendon.com

Tom Raffield

2016 ALUMNUS

Tom Raffield designs steam-bent furniture – elegant wooden lighting, furniture and accessories, made in Cornwall. “Since discovering the traditional, age-old technique of steam-bending wood while studying for my degree, I knew I could make unique pieces that would not only be made sustainably but also last a lifetime, an alternative to the massproduced, poor-quality homeware flooding the market,” he says. Together with a small team of craftspeople at his BREEAM Excellent workshops, Raffield has continued to develop the process to create intricate curves and twists, mimicking organic shapes and celebrating nature. “We started this long before the word ‘sustainability’ was fashionable,” he says. “We want to be at the forefront of this movement and help change the way people buy.” tomraffield.com

Castore

2018 ALUMNUS

This British premium sportswear brand set out to build the lightest, most durable, highest performing sportswear in the market. It was founded seven years ago by two brothers from Liverpool, both former athletes. It now sells in more than 50 countries worldwide. As an ‘aspirational premium alternative’ to the world’s biggest sportswear brands, Phil and Tom Beahon have looked to expand into elite sport by seeking partnerships with teams overlooked by the likes of Adidas, Nike and Puma. Today the brand’s winged logo can be seen in sportswear partnerships with McLaren, the Premier League and English cricket. And, according to the company, its sales for the year to the end of January 2022 exceeded £100 million for the first time, more than double the figure for the previous 12 months.

castore.com

Votary

2018 ALUMNUS

Created by British make-up artist Arabella Preston, this plant-based skincare range is vegan and cruelty-free. “In my work as a make-up artist, I used my own skincare creations to prep clients’ skin and my own blend of cleansing oils to remove make-up,” she says. “I launched Votary to make those products available to everyone.” It is now available worldwide, with the Cleansing Oil and Super Seed Facial Oil its core products.

“Being selected by the Brands of Tomorrow programme in 2018, when the company was three years old, provided an invaluable opportunity to view the business with fresh eyes,” says Arabella. Votary is now looking to expand into the US. In the UK Arabella has recently launched Verden, a natural fragrance sister brand for bath, body and home.

votary.co.uk

Kathryn Sargent

2018 ALUMNUS

Savile Row’s first female master tailor, Kathryn Sargent blends tradition with a contemporary vision to make bespoke suits and garments for men and women. Originally from Leeds, she spent 15 years at Gieves & Hawkes, rising through the ranks to head cutter before opening her first store on Brook Street in 2012. Since then Sargent has dressed royalty, actors, politicians and business leaders. In 2016 she became the first woman to open a tailoring house on Savile Row but, for her, being a woman is incidental. First and foremost she is a tailor. “The business is continuing to ‘reboot’ following Covid,” she says. “The next steps will be to expand my team not only to be able to meet current strong demand, but to proactively anticipate business growth so that it continues to evolve as a successful brand.”

kathrynsargent.com

Anabela Chan

2020 ALUMNUS

This Hong-Kong born, London-based designer was the first to champion the use of laboratory-grown gemstones in fine jewellery to avoid the environmental, humanitarian and traceability concerns around mining for some of the most highly priced commodities in the world. “I’m learning from the past to offer a different perspective in the present,” says Anabela Chan. “My aim is to educate, empower and inspire better design and professional practice, to be both mindful to the planet and of people.” As a designer and maker with no formal business training, she built her brand organically, winning a host of international awards along the way. She opened her first stand-alone boutique at the Ham Yard Hotel in Piccadilly Circus in 2014, and a flagship boutique on Sloane Street in 2020. Her statement creations have been worn by celebrities including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa. anabelachan.com

My Wardrobe HQ 2021 ALUMNUS

This clothes rental platform with sustainability at its core, rents out current and past season collections from big name designers and sells pre-loved pieces. Notably Carrie Symonds wore one of its dresses when she wed Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“I wanted to create a completely circular platform,” says Sacha Newell, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. “One that would allow fashion shoppers to shop however they wanted, to purchase, to rent, to subscribe and also to resell their own wardrobes. With 40 per cent of clothing items going into landfill less than 12 months after purchase, it seemed that this could allow shoppers to trade up and buy less, but buy better.” As more and more businesses embrace a circular future, My Wardrobe HQ is preparing to announce new big brand partnerships and is expanding into Europe and the US. It already works with Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger, Jigsaw and Anya Hindmarch, to name a few. mywardrobehq.com

Class of ‘22

This year’s selection encompasses what modern British luxury stands for. From heritage skills that Walpole’s luxury forebears would recognise, through to brands with sustainability and innovation at their core, all 12 serve the evolving tastes of affluent and increasingly thoughtful customers.

Circle of Style

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Circle of Style is where personal style meets sustainability. Circle is the world’s only styling subscription service for second-hand fashion. Bringing stylist expertise, science and technology together to create order out of a chaotic and effortful resale marketplace, as well as elevating Circlers’ style with fashion expertise. Circle believes in helping clients express their unique style, whilst being kind to the planet and their pocket.

Because style doesn’t need to cost the earth. circleofstyle.com

Decree

Decree is a succinct, doctor-led skincare range created by Dr AJ Sturnham, that cuts through the cluttered, confusing skincare space. It is a range that achieves demonstrable results without necessitating an unappealing complicated, clinical product regime: Decree is efficacious, elegant and beautifully executed. Decree is calibrated to marry tolerance with maximum results. The concise product line-up comprises therapeutic doses of skincare actives in synergistic formulas, separated into a Daily, Weekly and SOS protocol. thedecree.com

Feldspar

3 INTERIOR DESIGN, HOME & CRAFTMANSHIP

Feldspar was founded by Jeremy and Cath Brown, and in just five years has become a sought-after luxury brand stocked in the best design stores worldwide. It is focused on creating eccentric pieces for the everyday: ’Objects for Life’. Each is designed based on the needs of their own home in rural Devon, but driven by the goal of keeping heritage crafts and skills alive. With an elegant and simple aesthetic designed for longevity, each object Feldspar produce is made by the hands of talented craftspeople in the UK.

feldspar.studio

LIHA Beauty

LIHA Beauty has been described by US Vogue as ‘bottling Africa’s best kept beauty secret, and see themselves as a heritage brand of the future. Its products encourage people to slow down and take time for self care, whilst empowering consumers with knowledge of raw ingredients and how to make their own natural cosmetics.

LIHA beauty’s products are, like the founders, a mixture of natural african roots and a quintessentially British attitude.

lihabeauty.com

Lauren Dickinson Clarke

4 INTERIOR DESIGN, HOME & CRAFTMANSHIP

Lauren Dickinson Clarke creates scented candles and home accessories that celebrate the muses, misfits and rebels - those who have liberated culture and inspired artistic movements. Its expressive creations are for the bored of the norm, creative souls who reject the status quo. More than just candle makers, Lauren Dickinson Clarke delight in telling empowering and authentic stories whilst surprising their customers at every turn. Every piece is made in England to the highest standards of craftsmanship and imagination.

lurendickinsonclarke.com

Luxury Promise

Luxury Promise is the leading next-generation community-driven social commerce platform where people can buy, sell, exchange and repair preowned luxury goods within a globally inclusive community. It is fuelled by omnichannel selling and an inclusive and interactive community-driven experience via live shopping. Luxury Promise provides a new and engaging way for its audience to experience the world of preloved shopping by a combination of edu-tainment and personality focused selling.

luxurypromise.com

Marion Ayonote

Ocean Bottle

INTERIOR DESIGN, HOME & CRAFTMANSHIP

Ocean Bottle is on a mission to create the most sustainable and practical reusable water bottle on the planet. Every bottle sold funds the collection of 1,000 ocean-bound plastic bottles, working with collectors in coastal communities who exchange the plastic for money, healthcare, education, tech and microfinance. Ocean Bottle is dedicated to creating a long-term network of recycling infrastructure to collect plastic before it enters our ocean and making it easier for people everywhere to protect our seas. oceanbottle.co

With Nothing Underneath

With Nothing Underneath was born out of the wish to create the perfect shirt. A wardrobe staple that you don’t have to think about, a piece you could throw on without thought, or anything underneath. Inspired by men’s tailoring, but adjusted for women, these button-downs had to be an affordable luxury, sustainably sourced and stand the test of time. From cotton workwear to travelling linens and evening silks, WNU shirts are for women who have a great sense of style. withnothingunderneath.com

Petit Pli

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

It all started when Petit Pli’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ryan Mario Yasin gained a nephew – Viggo – in late 2016. Shortly after Viggo was born Ryan gifted him clothes. However, on arrival they were already too small. This served as a signal: childrenswear today fails to recognise the dynamic and rapidly changing bodies of Earth’s ‘little humans’. Ryan created a garment that would grow with his nephew, reducing water and carbon footprints. Clothes That Grow has won multiple awards, starting a sustainable childrenswear revolution. shop.petitpli.com

YOLKE

YOLKE is a London-based fashion and lifestyle brand offering new fashion, luxury sleep and homeware printed in archival prints with a contemporary twist. Run by Creative Director and Founder Ella Ringner, YOLKE creates wardrobe favourites in modern silhouettes, encouraging individuality, whilst retaining relevance and quality over time. Focusing its efforts on quality over quantity, YOLKE is committed using to natural fibres, beautiful finishing, feminine styles and playful prints. yolke.co.uk

Savin London

The British Luxury Awards

THE DORCHESTER, LONDON

The 2021 Awards rounded-off an extraordinary year with a much-needed celebration of the exceptional talent, design, creativity and innovation at the heart of Britain’s luxury sector.

Every year this event highlights the best and the brightest names of both now and tomorrow, shining a light on the people and brands that have contributed outstanding work within this country, and those that have exported their expertise and influence globally. Attracting an eclectic mix of VIPs, celebrities, tastemakers and luxury industry leaders, our 2021 ceremony was hosted by actor Natalie Dormer in the prestigious setting of The Ballroom at The Dorchester, with guests enjoying a pre-ceremony dinner, live music, and drinks courtesy of Laurent-Perrier and Royal Salute.

THE 2021 WINNERS

Made in the UK Bremont • Great Creative Britons Richard Quinn and Monica Galetti Game Changer McLaren Automotive • British Artistic Icon Rita Ora • Visionary Anya Hindmarch Best of British Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Dr Catherine Green & Burberry

Presented by: Richard E Grant, Jason Fox, Taika Waititi, Giles Coren, Emma Weymouth, Yinka Ilori, Niclas Baker and Bimini.

With thanks to all our sponsors and partners: The Dorchester, Laurent-Perrier, Royal Salute, Mishcon de Reya, ALR Music, ANM Comms, Department for International Trade, News UK, Asprey, Biscuiteers, Downey, G.F Smith, Moriarty, RUUBY, Wedgwood and Wildabout.

The next Walpole British Luxury Awards will take place in November 2022.

The British Luxury Summit

THE LONDONER, LONDON

Walpole’s annual British Luxury Summit is an unmissable event in the luxury sector calendar, bringing together some of the most influential names and brightest creative minds to explore in depth what’s next for British luxury.

Across a day of panel discussions and keynote talks, guests of the annual British Luxury Summit gain access to cutting-edge research, unique insights and game-changing analysis to prepare them for the future, as well as the chance to network with some of the industry’s key players.

Attracting luxury leaders and expert commentators, names taking to the Summit stage in 2022 included: Tom Athron, Chief Executive Officer of Fortnum & Mason; Kering’s sustainability chief Marie-Claire Deveu in conversation with Vogue journalist Dana Thomas; Brian Duffy, Chief Executive Officer of the Watches of Switzerland Group; Leanne Elliott-Young, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Digital Fashion; Misan Harriman, Chair of the Southbank Centre; Rosie Blau, Editor of 1843 magazine; brand expert Kev Chesters; Sharan Pasricha, Founder and CoChief Executive Officer of Ennismore; Ian Earnshaw, Commercial Director of Mulberry; Sam Falic of BlockBar; and Adam Knight, Co-Founder of TONG.

This year’s Summit welcomed over 280 luxury professionals and exceptional speakers, who tackled the power, purpose and paradox at the heart of luxury through engaging discussion on tourism, why experiences are retail and hospitality’s secret weapon, the return of the global luxury shopper, brand building in the metaverse, the importance of British cultural institutions to our global industry, and the business of uniting people, planet and profit.

With thanks to all our partners and supporters: The Londoner, TONG, Luxury Marketing House, Cab-E Media, Eight Lands, Ettinger, RUUBY, Wildabout

FIND OUT MORE

The next British Luxury Summit will take place in spring 2023. For further information and to see pictures from the event, visit thewalpole.co.uk/walpole-summit

Working with Walpole since 2018

MemberIndex

Meet the brands defining the new era of British luxury

The Walpole Member Index offers an enticing look behind the scenes of some of the UK’s most exciting established and up-and-coming brands, celebrating the extraordinary heritage, innovation, design, quality and craftsmanship at the heart of the sector.

PARK LANE

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.

AG of C

AGC is a future-focused British interior design collective, delivering worldclass luxury interior, design and furnishings to the global property market, private clients and consumer market. Home to seven innovative elite brands, AGC and the hand-picked international award-winning team is the only collective to excel in all sectors of the industry.

agofc.com

ALEXANDER M c QUEEN

Alexander McQueen was founded in 1992 by Lee McQueen, where in less than ten 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 with 58 stores worldwide.

alexandermcqueen.com

ABERCROMBIE & KENT

Born in the wilds, Abercrombie & Kent is an award-winning, luxury travel company that has been changing the game since 1962. Drawing on its long experience of creating bespoke holidays for discerning travellers, it specialises in connecting world wanderers to interesting places, peoples and cultures in real and authentic ways.

AIVEEN DALY

Aiveen Daly is a textile artist based in London specialising in leather work, contemporary fabric manipulation, hand embroidery and embellishment. Her London-based studio designs and makes commissions for elite interior and yacht designers across the globe. Sculptural murals and large-scale embroidered artworks are studio signatures.

ALEXANDRA LLEWELLYN

Since 2010, Alexandra Llewellyn Designs has put the magic in play with a unique vision of the most exquisite board games. British designer Alexandra Llewellyn works with an incredible network of British craftspeople to ensure that any design or material is possible, with each luxury game crafted to the very highest standards.

alexandrallewellyn.com

ALLBRIGHT

A women’s members’ club in Mayfair

Created by women for women, AllBright is an all-female members’ club in the heart of Mayfair. Climbing up the stairs of this beautiful five-storey townhouse, you’ll find an all-day restaurant showcasing Michelin star experience, two rooftop terraces overlooking the city, a stylish hair salon, and one of London’s most captivating collections of female art.

As a space designed to inspire and open opportunities, AllBright invites like-minded women into its home to create invaluable connections over coffee, learn business lessons over lunch, and wind down into the weekend with wine. From inspiring panel discussions and interactive workshops to intimate live music sessions and exclusive events, AllBright has something for every woman.

Scan the QR code (right) to discover our club and community today. allbrightcollective.com

Photography Taran Wilkhu

ALR MUSIC

ALR Music is a unique music agency that creates, manages and books exceptional entertainment for luxury parties, weddings and brand events in the UK and around the world. Elegant, energetic and effortlessly cool, ALR Music’s artists do more than just perform, they create an unforgettable experience your guests will be talking about for years to come.

alrmusic.co.uk

ANNA MASON

Anna Mason is a leading independent British luxury womenswear designer. RCA alumna Anna has held prestigious design roles at Karl Lagerfeld in Paris, Max Mara and Valentino in Italy. Anna Mason London was launched in 2012 and the brand offers authentic day-to-day dressing solutions and go-to wardrobe favourites.

ASPREY

Founded in England in 1781, Asprey is a British luxury house offering unique, handcrafted products in jewellery, timepieces, leather goods and homewares to a distinguished clientele including royalty, heads of state and international connoisseurs, currently under the patronage of HRH Prince of Wales.

asprey.com

ANABELA CHAN

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

anabelachan.com

ARAMINTA CAMPBELL

Embracing traditional craftsmanship and timeless design, Araminta Campbell designs and creates exceptional textiles. From the flagship Edinburgh atelier, it handcrafts the SIGNATURE collection of luxury one-off alpaca accessories; offers MINTA, the limited-edition interiors line; CUSTOM, the custom tweed and tartan service; and the HERITAGE limited-edition collection.

aramintacampbell.co.uk

AXMINSTER CARPETS

Britain’s most prestigious carpet designer and manufacturer, Axminster Carpets high-quality carpets, rugs and runners can be found in royal palaces, the finest hotels and private homes. With the highest definition traditional looms in the world, the highly skilled team offers the finest carpets from its base in Axminster, Devon. Beautiful British manufacturing.

axminster-carpets.co.uk

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 Mustique, Four Seasons, The Savoy and Claridge’s.

With an outstanding location just off the King’s Road in the heart of London’s Chelsea, each of the 56 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, a multiple goldmedal-winner 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. All of this is supported by a partnership with Draycott Nursing & Care, which provides expert assistance if and when required. Living at Auriens is not about slowing down, it’s about living life at your own pace.

BENTLEY MOTORS

Extraordinary journeys

Since 1919 Bentley has been shaped by extraordinary people, from the 1920s Bentley Girls and Boys to today’s diverse and talented colleagues and the life achievers around the world who buy Bentley cars. Inviting customers to create their own unique vehicle, every Bentley is built around the needs and desires of the discerning few who will own them. With each car combining high performance with the ultimate in luxury, there really is no feeling like travelling in a Bentley, whether you prefer to drive or be driven.

In addition to the Mulliner and Speed offerings, the new Azure range is designed to boost the comfort and wellbeing of all occupants, with craftsmanship and technology delivering an experience that is both effortless and inspiring. Whether you choose the Continental GT coupé or GTC convertible, the Flying Spur saloon or Bentayga SUV, each unique Azure model provides a cosseting haven for you and your passengers. Intelligent in-car technology adds refinement and makes every journey enjoyable, and Bentley Dynamic Ride maintains stupendous stability without compromising ride comfort. The Seat Comfort Specification makes long journeys easier than ever and mood lighting can be adjusted according to your mood. Even when you’re not in the car, the My Bentley app can locate your car and check locks and fuel levels.

The new Bentayga Extended Wheelbase Azure offers a true sanctuary, setting new standards in luxurious comfort and wellbeing. For rear-seat passengers, choose the Airline Seat Specification with ground-breaking Seat Auto Climate, making every journey feel like a first-class flight. For the driver, Bentley’s latest powertrain technology is paired with cutting-edge chassis systems and driver assistance features, making every-day driving effortless yet engaging. This car has been described as the best luxury SUV in the world.

For the next 100 years Bentley’s success depends on celebrating existing owners and connecting with the next generation of extraordinary customers, each on their own extraordinary journey. Will you be one of them?

BBC WORLD NEWS AND BBC.COM

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

bbc.co.uk

THE BICESTER COLLECTION

Discover something extraordinary every day at The Bicester 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. Designed for the world’s most discerning guests.

thebicestercollection.com

BISCUITEERS

Biscuiteers is the original hand-iced biscuit company. Each biscuit is intricately iced by artists at the London headquarters, creating unique gifts for all life’s important occasions. Launched seasonally, collections are inspired by all things British. To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Biscuiteers has designed a special collection inspired by her 70-year reign.

biscuiteers.com

BELMOND

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 that include the illustrious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire. Belmond is part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

belmond.com

THE BERKELEY

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, all the boutiques and treats of Knightsbridge and Belgravia are on your doorstep.

the-berkeley.co.uk

BLACK TOMATO

Black Tomato creates imaginative, immersive and deeply personal private travel experiences around the world for a discerning and global clientele. Founded in 2005, the team has grown to become one of the world’s most celebrated luxury travel and lifestyle brands, named by Forbes as “the world’s hottest luxury travel company”.

blacktomato.com

BOWMORE

Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky is defined, shaped and crafted by time. For over 240 years the Bowmore distillery has been capturing 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 single drop, telling a story of the past, savoured in the present.

THE BRITISH LIBRARY

Home to great stories and ideas, the British Library presents major exhibitions and events inspired by the treasures in its care. Thousands of people access its collections every week, generating lightbulb moments of creativity and inspiration that can lead to a successful novel, fashion design, product or discovery. It’s all there. For everyone.

BURBERRY

Burberry is a global luxury brand, headquartered in London. Burberry 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 the brand’s 165-year history and a shared conviction in its power is central to how it operates as a company.

BREMONT

Bremont is a British luxury watch brand, manufacturing mechanical watches in Henley-on-Thames. It was co-founded by brothers Nick and 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.

BROWN’S HOTEL

Located in London’s most exclusive borough, Brown’s Hotel is a microcosm of chic and arty Mayfair, making it the ideal base for luxury travellers. Moments from leading fashion houses and within walking distance of five royal parks, Brown’s Hotel is at the centre of the capital’s finest experiences.

CARRIER

Carrier has been crafting trips for 40 years as if they’re works of art – beautiful, intriguing and intricately detailed, each one is a bespoke commission. It’s Carrier’s human ingenuity, personal connections and skilled craftsmanship that travel connoisseurs seek out and the reason the brand has long been considered the pinnacle of luxury travel.

BOODLES

Always a story

Boodles is that rarest of creatures: a brand with centuries of brilliant craft heritage, while at the same time always fresh as spring blossom. Quintessentially British, it is one of the only remaining family-owned jewellers on London’s Bond Street, staying timeless and yet contemporary. Founded in 1798, Boodles is known for the quality of its precious gemstones and the skill of its creations. Thanks to an inspirational team of in-house designers, the company’s visionary philosophy continues to champion exemplary British craftsmanship. Brothers Nicholas and Michael Wainwright lead the company from the head office in Liverpool and flagship showroom in Bond Street. They are ably assisted by the next generation: Nicholas’s son Jody is Director of Precious Gemstones, Jody’s cousin James Amos is Director of Marketing and Sustainability and Michael’s daughter, Honour, is the newly appointed Marketing Manager.

This year brings many exciting new developments for the brand. March saw Boodles come onboard as the lead sponsor for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and in May the second Boodles Garden appeared at the Chelsea Flower Show. In June Boodles will be a Pageant partner for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, a momentous and historic event for the entire country. Boodles high jewellery collection for the year, entitled Peace of Mined, sources diamonds directly from the world-famous Cullinan Mine, the same mine that produced two of the crown jewels’ most important diamonds. The perfect way to mark the occasion.

There’s an effortless sense of grace, discretion and fun about Boodles. Fans of Boodles say you simply won’t find it elsewhere. Perhaps that’s because Boodles recognises — and expresses in its byword — that behind each stone there’s always a story.

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.

Despite recent challenges, Chelsea has seen a raft of exciting new retail and leisure openings. On Sloane Street, the chic Beaverbrook country house hotel launched its first London Town House, new flagships for Ralph Lauren and Burberry arrived, while on Pont Street British designer Anya Hindmarch realised her long-held dream and opened The Village, five neighbouring stores encapsulating creativity and innovation with community at its heart. The first Costes hotel outside Paris will also open on Sloane Square and the UK’s first Catinetta Antinori, from Italy’s famed Antinori family, opens on Harriet Street, both in late 2022.

On nearby King’s Road, Copenhagen-cool Ganni, Positive Luxury jeweller Daniella Draper and Lampoo, championing pre-loved luxury, opened their doors, further cementing Cadogan’s ambitions to recapture the road’s independent spirit. Europe’s first standalone Soho Home Studio can be found at Duke of York Square, and neighbourhood pubs including The Surprise and The Cadogan Arms, which often attract rave reviews from critics and are much loved by locals and visitors alike, reopened following extensive renovation.

Pedestrianised Pavilion Road remains the go-to for enjoyable artisan food shopping, and along with some of the neighbourhood’s 900 alfresco seats it is now home to the newest Ottolenghi deli. At nearby Duke of York Square, the weekly Fine Food Market alternates between the Square and the green opposite Saatchi and an exciting outdoor events programme is in place, adding further vibrancy to the neighbourhood, including an Art Week, Summer Festival, London’s largest free flower festival Chelsea in Bloom, themed British Icons.

Cadogan remains focused on minimising its environmental impact, ensuring sustainability is integrated into every aspect of the business. With ambitious targets, its Chelsea 2030 strategy reflects both local and global approaches to tackle the climate emergency and societal issues, promising Chelsea a greener, more sustainable future. cadogan.co.uk

CHANEL

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, make-up, skincare, jewellery and watches. Chanel is dedicated to ultimate luxury and the highest levels of craftsmanship.

chanel.com

CHIVAS REGAL

Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch brands including Chivas, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet, which are exported from Scotland to more than 100 countries worldwide. Chivas Brothers is committed to upholding the heritage and pursuing the progress of Scotch and ensuring its sustainable future, as well as opening it up to new audiences across the globe.

chivas.com

CLARIDGE’S

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 nowhere quite like Claridge’s. claridges.co.uk

CHAPEL DOWN

Chapel Down is England’s leading wine producer with an award-winning range of sparkling and still wines. Based in Kent, in the heart of the garden of England, Chapel Down wines are served in some of the finest bars and restaurants across the country.

chapeldown.com

CHURCH’S

Church’s history can be traced back to 1617, when Anthony Church, a master shoemaker was handcrafting shoes in Northampton, England. His descendants followed in his footsteps, establishing Church & Co in 1873. In 1999 Church’s was taken over by the PRADA Group, with the declared desire to optimise the brand’s business opportunities while fully respecting its English identity. Church’s still manufactures in Northampton.

church-footwear.com

COMO HOTELS

COMO Metropolitan London combines contemporary design and a vibrant Park Lane location. The city’s most glamorous neighbourhoods are within a short walk including Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Piccadilly, with the West End’s theatres nearby. Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Nobu features award-winning cuisine. COMO Shambhala Urban Escape offers holistic therapies, yoga and a fully equipped private gym.

comohotels.com

CLIVE CHRISTIAN PERFUME

The world’s finest perfumes

Clive Christian creates the world’s finest perfumes that are timeless classics, made without compromise. These matchless and elegantly confident scents are made using exquisite ingredients with intense and complex formulations and true craftsmanship for opulent, highly expressive, pure perfume pleasure – the ultimate form of self-expression. In 1999, visionary designer Clive Christian OBE acquired the storied Crown Perfumery Company, which dates back to Victorian England. Clive Christian’s iconic collections creatively blend the company’s history of perfume opulence with future-forward vision. A rich heritage is embodied by an iconic crown, the rights to which were first granted to the Crown Perfumery Company by Queen Victoria in 1872, it is this crown which still adorns every bottle to this day.

Clive Christian creates perfume of exceptional concentration with a perfume oil inclusion of 20 per cent or more in every bottle to ensure a long-lasting impression. The blends also carry a complexity unique to the world of perfumery; between 120 and 300 different ingredients can be found in every perfume, creating a scent that evolves on the wearer’s skin for true self-expression. Only the finest ingredients are used, whether this is perfectly aged 50-year-old Indian sandalwood, the rarest rose or the latest groundbreaking molecules. With a richly nuanced portfolio blending creative classics with bold innovations, Clive Christian is for those who appreciate true, timeless, opulent perfumes.

clivechristian.com

COLE & SON

Cole & Son’s New Chapter Read and Style meets The Gardens

Since 1875 Cole & Son has been creating unique, exceptional wallcoverings for the world’s most stylish homes. Hand-crafted products and exquisite artistry are at the heart of everything that is created; from the Design House’s iconic prints in both classic and seasonal palettes, to a range of eye-catching textiles, and, most recently, sumptuous natural fibre bases with the introduction of raw silk and grasscloth.

2022 sees a plethora of new product launches for the House. Firstly, Cole & Son’s inaugural Ready to Style collection, an assortment of luxury cushions featuring the patterns that have made the House so iconic.

The motifs making their debut as Ready to Style pieces are the much-loved silver birch print, Woods, the verdant fronds of Palm Jungle, and Hummingbirds in embroidered silk. Handmade in Great Britain, Cole & Son continues to work with the very best craftspeople in British luxury.

Joining this assortment later in the summer is The Gardens: Volume I, a new wallcovering concept of elegant garden landscapes, each with their own distinct mood and style. Emanating from the world of art, The Gardens are hand-drawn and hand-painted with countless hours of brushstrokes delicately capturing nature’s ever-changing light, colour palette, and organic movement. Each Garden is comprised of a number of panels, allowing the artworks’ focus to be entirely the tastemaker’s choice; grand in both scale and detail, each design feels endless. The romance of the sweeping English garden is met with the fanciful whimsy of flora and foliage from a sun-drenched land, with the triad complete in the understated natural beauty of a woodland throughout the seasons. The Gardens: Volume II offers an exclusive selection of fabrics, from exquisitely crafted jacquards to lush velvets.

Ushering in a new chapter for the Design House, The Gardens establishes Cole & Son walls as the ultimate in haute couture, with the complement of Ready to Style as unquestionably the fine jewels.

THE CONNAUGHT

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.

COWORTH PARK

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.

dorchestercolelction.com

DAVID COLLINS STUDIO

Founded in 1985, David Collins Studio is an award-winning interior architecture and design studio that has developed its own globally recognised luxury ecosystem. Since its inception, The Studio has worked across hospitality, residential and retail projects, its portfolio now extending to the maritime sphere.

davidcollins.studio

CORINTHIA LONDON

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

corinthia.com

CUNARD

Cunard is a luxury British cruise line, renowned for creating unforgettable experiences around the world for over 180 years. Its experience is built on fine dining, hand-selected entertainment, inspiring guest speakers and outstanding service. Cunard currently has three ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne joining the fleet in early 2024.

cunard.com

DUGDALE BROS & CO

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.

dugdalebros.com

COWDRAY

A unique country estate

Cowdray is a modern, progressive rural Estate. Located in stunning English countryside, the 16,000acre Estate is centred around the town of Midhurst, West Sussex, in the heart of the South Downs National Park. The family-owned dynamic brings a strong sense of continuity as well as stewardship towards both the land and the estate’s businesses. There is a diverse range of businesses across the Estate, which all work together to offer unique attractions to visitors. Cowdray is known as the home of British polo with Cowdray Park Polo Club hosting more than 500 matches from April to September with the highlight being the prestigious British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup.

Alongside world-class polo, Cowdray has a thriving events business. Cowdray House sits at the heart of the estate and is available for exclusive use hire. Set in 110-acres of private landscaped gardens, Cowdray House has 22 luxury bedrooms, beautiful entertaining rooms including the spectacular Buck Hall as well as an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and even a bowling alley. With dining, recreation and accommodation all expertly handled by Cowdray’s events team, Cowdray House is a spectacular venue for corporate retreats, conferences, press launches and team-building events. It is also a superb venue for house parties, weddings and celebrations. The Walled Garden is another popular event venue located in the centre of Midhurst overlooking Cowdray Ruins, one of england’s most important early Tudor houses. There is also extensive accommodation across the Estate including picturesque holiday cottages and lodge bed and breakfast accommodation.

Guests can enjoy everything that Cowdray has to offer. There is a thriving farm shop and café, an 18-hole Championship golf course alongside premium country sports including clay-pigeon shooting, fly-fishing on the River Rother and polo lessons. There is also truffle hunting, guided nature tours and walks with the Estate forager. Whatever the season, there is so much to enjoy at Cowdray.

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. It is known for the beauty, quality and mastery of execution of its exquisite, understated natural fabrics, crafted from the world’s finest natural fibres: flax, cashmere, wool, alpaca and silk.

This pioneering fabric house with a 30-year history combines traditional techniques and craftsmanship with the latest technology and innovation. It was the first to launch GOTS-certified 100 per cent organic linen collections and bed linen – the ultimate sustainable luxury for interiors. de Le Cuona’s bespoke interior tailoring service includes curtains, cushions, throws, bedspreads and upholstery. Everything is expertly made in the UK by in-house specialists.

delecuona.com

THE CONRAN SHOP

The home of iconic designs and future classics

A legacy brand with a contemporary edge, The Conran Shop is the favoured destination for the latest and greatest in furniture, lighting and homewares. Founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1973, the design-led brand is represented throughout ten international locations in London, Paris, Japan and South Korea, and online, delivering to more than 200 countries globally.

With a heritage spanning almost 50 years, The Conran Shop continues to innovate with its collection of exclusive editions from world-famous designers and brands, including its latest collaborations with the renowned furniture manufacturer Knoll. The fruits of this labour include Eero Saarinen’s instantly recognisable Tulip Table with a mesmerising Santos rosewood tabletop, and Marcel Breuer’s signature Cesca Chair in four gratifying hues, available only at The Conran Shop. Its ever-developing own-brand edit also continues to blossom with new additions from Matthew Hilton, including the Mr Bibendum-inspired Arbor Sofa in homage to the brand’s flagship Michelin House store, the streamlined Domus Desk and a complete reimagining of Magnus Long’s award-winning Cross Leg Chair collection.

An unabating leader in shaping future heroes within the design sphere, The Conran Shop’s partnership with New Designers thrives thanks to invaluable support from The Marandi Foundation. Its annual awards scheme celebrates emerging talents who demonstrate growth potential within the industry and reflect Sir Terence Conran’s fundamental ethos, most recently judged by the likes of Lord Norman Foster, Anya Hindmarch and New Designers 2019 victor, Huw Evans. Meanwhile, young talents Frank Winter and Cameron Rowley, winners of 2020 and 2021 respectively, are now under the mentorship of The Conran Shop team to bring their designs to life.

While The Conran Shop nurtures new talent, it also paves the way for new global business, from expanding its Marylebone retail space in the UK with a new kitchen and dining floor, to opening its hotly anticipated second location in Dongtan, South Korea, in 2021. Elsewhere, the brand continues to support London Craft Week, London Design Festival and Paris Design Week, consistently collaborating with talents from home and afar to spotlight its latest developments. As The Conran Shop approaches its 50th anniversary in 2023, the brand continues to adapt, develop, and evolve, driven by Sir Terence Conran’s founding vision of considered design and curated living, championing established designers and emerging talents across the globe.

conranshop.com

THE DORCHESTER

Where the spirit of London thrives

Since 1931, The Dorchester has been one of the world’s most recognised and acclaimed hotels, standing tall in London’s Mayfair with Hyde Park on its doorstep. Exceptional dining experiences within the hotel reflect the social energy of London with The Promenade at its heart, serving world-renowned afternoon tea and classic fare. Beyond, guests will find some of the city’s best-loved restaurants: three-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse, iconic Cantonese favourite China Tang and modern British dining at The Grill. Following significant renovation, in September 2022 The Dorchester will introduce a patisserie and flower shop, a new bar for The Promenade and a show-stopping destination bar designed by Martin Brudnizki. The Dorchester Spa offers innovative treatments by pioneering partners such as aesthetic medicine expert Uliana Gout. Ten event rooms enable creative event planning from intimate dinners to cocktail receptions for up to 1,000 guests.

The Dorchester Rooftop

Your table awaits at the most sought-after spot in town, The Dorchester Rooftop. The sensory experience combines alluring artwork with live music and cocktails with views across Hyde Park. French chef Jean-Philippe Blondet introduces a sharing concept inspired by his memories of growing up with friends and family around a dining table under the toasty coastal sun. His French- and Italianinspired menu is prepared using the best produce of the season and pays homage to the Mediterranean lifestyle with ageless flavours.

The Grill

Tom Booton presents his interpretation of a modern-day British grill, with a vibrant atmosphere. The legendary dining room features a statement Pudding Bar and banquette seating. Booton’s everevolving menu shines a light on British growers with dishes including homemade stout bread served with black pudding and freshly churned butter; prawn Scotch egg, warm tartar sauce and pickled gherkin; The Grill’s Lobster Thermidor Tart; and ribeye, beef roll, mushroom and tarragon mayonnaise.

DUNHILL

Driven by innovation and style, dunhill is a British luxury house founded in London in 1893 by Alfred Dunhill. Today, dunhill maintains the values of creativity and craftsmanship, with a complete offering for men that includes ready-to-wear and accessories.

dunhill.com/gb

EDWARD GREEN

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.

edwardgreen.com

ETTINGER

Founded by Gerry Ettinger in 1934, Ettinger has established its reputation in the UK and internationally as a brand that manufactures some of the finest British leather accessories. Its extensive portfolio, which ranges from bespoke attaché cases to small leather accessories, is handmade by highly skilled Ettinger craftspeople at its factory in England.

ettinger.co.uk

ECHLIN

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. The Echlin portfolio includes design commissions for private and corporate clients alongside landmark developments and brand collaborations.

echlinlondon.com

EIGHT LANDS

Eight Lands produces exceptional, award-winning organic spirits. Distilled and bottled at the family-owned Glenrinnes Distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Our gin and vodka are made with only organic ingredients and the spring water that flows past our door at the foot of the Ben Rinnes mountain. They are naturally gluten-free, vegan and delicious.

eight-lands.com

EQUI LONDON

By precisely calibrating the ingredients we blend into each of our products, each of the body’s 10 systems are comprehensively nourished. Every ingredient we incorporate is selected for its benefits to the female body and heavily researched within the scientific database for its benefits and safety for women.

equilondon.com

DOWNEY

Creative design and luxury print specialist

Downey is a specialist creative partner to luxury and top-tier brands. For more than a century, this third-generation independent family business, with foundations 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 will guide you through the possibilities available when bringing together design excellence and print production for your branding, event, customer-relationship management and marketing needs. Downey’s heritage and wide-ranging capabilities makes it 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.

The brand has a discreet way of working and is regularly commissioned by many private family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals for its custom personal stationery, bespoke gift packaging and invitation suites for events. One of its specialities is its in-depth knowledge and experience when working with key visual elements such as royal warrants, crests and coats of arms. With its headquarters in London and a UK-based production facility, Downey is a small company with a global reach and a champion of the creative industry supporting British craftsmanship since 1903. downey.co.uk

FORTNUM & MASON

Making joy since 1707

An ever-present part of the London landscape since opening its doors in Piccadilly in 1707, Fortnum & Mason has been home to joy-giving things, unforgettable experiences and exceptional service for more than three centuries. Renowned for its iconic wicker hampers, inventing the Scotch egg, stocking a near-endless collection of extraordinary food and drink from around the world – and for the glorious afternoon tea made and served daily in the elegant Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon –Fortnum’s is equally famous for its regal connections.

The half-burned candles from Queen Anne’s household (collected by the entrepreneurial William Fortnum, then a footman to the Queen) were the first items sold by Fortnum’s, while its ever-popular Royal Blend tea was created at the express request of King Edward VII in 1902. The brand is also the proud holder of royal warrants from both Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Prince Charles.

Defined by the same spirit of adventure that’s carried Fortnum’s hampers up Mount Everest, over oceans and across continents (in search of ancient Egyptian artefacts and the source of the Nile, to name just two such expeditions), Fortnum’s pursuit of all things extraordinary has seen the launch of many new ventures in recent years, including Fortnum’s Bar and Restaurant at The Royal Exchange and a store in Hong Kong.

Back at home, Fortnum’s newest in-store restaurant, FIELD by Fortnum’s, is building on the brand’s long-held passion for food with genuine provenance, through an ingredients-first menu rich with locally grown and seasonal produce, grown and made by producers with memorable stories to tell.

And, of course, there’s the small matter of Fortnum’s unmatched tea counter, where exceptional leaves from almost every corner of the planet can be found – and where resident experts in the fine art of brewing can help even the pickiest sipper to find their perfect cup. No wonder it’s been three centuries and counting at 181 Piccadilly.

fortnumandmason.com

EXMOOR CAVIAR

Exmoor Caviar, the UK’s first sturgeon caviar farm, has been operating in Devon since 2012 and now supplies 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.

exmoorcaviar.com

FINANCIAL TIMES AND HTSI

The Financial Times combines trusted, global news and analysis, together with award-winning lifestyle journalism that enriches the leisure time of its loyal readership. Its FT Weekend and HTSI editions bring content across print, online and social that delights the wealthiest and most discerning consumers on the planet.

ft.com

FLORIS

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

florislondon.com

FARFETCH

Farfetch Limited is the leading global platform for the luxury fashion industry. The Farfetch Marketplace connects customers in over 190 countries and territories with items from more than 50 countries and over 1,300 of the world’s best brands, boutiques and department stores.

farfetch.com

FITZDARES

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.

fitzdares.com

THE GAME FAIR

The Game Fair – the largest, tweediest, doggiest, most immersive, comprehensive and joyous countryside festival in the world. The three-day event is a British institution and a must-attend diary fixture that brings together not only rural folk but the town too. Dubbed ‘Glastonbury for the green welly brigade’ it provides a unique insight into country life.

thegamefair.org

THE GLENDRONACH

Masters of sherry cask matured Single Malts since 1826

Hidden away in the East Highland hills you will find the home of The GlenDronach, one of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries, where the finest whisky making craft has been honed for almost two hundred years. Built on the legacy of founder, James Allardice, it has become a place of true mastery, where steadfast commitment to creating the most exceptional, richly-sherried Single Malts using time-honoured methods, has been passed down through generations.

The GlenDronach’s signature style marries characterful Highland spirit with rare Spanish oak Pedro Ximènez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía; creating exceptional depth of colour; rich, full-bodied complexity; and an enduring, elegant finish. Nothing truly mastered comes easily.

The distillery’s distinctive character is embodied by Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, who has over 30 years of expertise in the industry and intricately composes both the core Single Malts and limitededition expressions revered in the whisky world. The GlenDronach Original Aged 12 Years is a multi-award-winning Single Malt, while in 2021 the distillery released its oldest and rarest expression to date; The GlenDronach Aged 50 Years. Generations of custodians have nurtured this rich and seductive liquid over the decades, until the pinnacle of their craft was realised. Guided by the vision that character this rich takes dedication this rare.

glendronachdistillery.com

GARRARD

Garrard has created some of the most famous jewellery in existence for clients including Queen Victoria and Diana, Princess of Wales, rock ’n’ roll’s own royalty and Indian maharajas. The formula is uniquely British: designs that endure an eternity, jewels that make history and craftsmanship that delivers a bold vision.

garrard.com

GLENEAGLES TOWNHOUSE

Presenting the perfect urban gateway, Gleneagles Townhouse has 33 bedrooms, each uniquely designed to imbue a sense of understated luxury with a nod to the heritage of the building, wellness and fitness facilities, a vibrant all-day restaurant and a rooftop terrace where guests will enjoy extraordinary views over Edinburgh.

gleneagles.com/townhouse

HACKETT

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.

hackett.com

GLENEAGLES

A charming country estate, a rural family adventure, a cosy couples’ retreat, a home from home – Gleneagles is a luxury hotel, spa and golfing destination in the heart of the Scottish countryside. From country pursuits, award-winning spa and a range of restaurants and bars to iconic golf courses, the Glorious Playground celebrates almost a century of heritage.

gleneagles.com

GOODWOOD

Goodwood is England’s greatest sporting estate, seat of the Dukes of Richmond for more than three centuries and home to the world-famous Festival of Speed, Goodwood Revival and Glorious Goodwood. Guests are welcomed to the estate to share in their love of sport and enjoy the hospitality that comes with it.

goodwood.com

Founded in 2005 by costume designer, celebrity stylist and Central St Martins textile graduate Kate Halfpenny, Halfpenny London has become one of the UK’s leading luxury bridalwear brands. Coveted by the fashion elite, Halfpenny London weaves Brit cool with a luxe sensibility, creating innovative, chic dresses and separates for the modern woman.

halfpennylondon.com

HALFPENNY LONDON

THE GLENTURRET

By hand & heart since 1763

Originally owned by Sir Patrick Murray of Ochtertyre, Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery, The Glenturret, has an extraordinary provenance that is second to none in Scottish whisky. The Glenturret Distillery is mentioned in the purchase records of the Barony of Ochtertyre as far back as 1763. Today, the distillery still resides in its original location on the edge of the historic town of Crieff, Perthshire. This peaceful place known locally as ‘The Hosh’, is a picturesque and secluded setting surrounded by green rolling hills overlooking the fast flowing river Turret, the distillery’s water source.

The Glenturret is dedicated to slow batch production and traditional handcrafted whisky making. The distillery’s vast range of casks, each unique in flavour profile are elegantly brought together by Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno. The Glenturret Single Malt range is constantly evolving, carrying different strengths and characteristics each year that showcase each individual expression at its best, whilst also retaining 100 per cent natural colour from the aging process.

Home to the Lalique Bar and The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, the first Michelin Star restaurant within a whisky distillery, visitors can additionally explore the exclusive Lalique Boutique, the only one of its kind in Scotland, showcasing signature creations from the Lalique collection. To discover more about The Glenturret, to purchase a special expression or to book a distillery experience; theglenturret.com or contact enquiries@theglenturret.com

theglenturret.com

GORDON & MACPHAIL

Creators of rare Scotch whiskies since 1895

Gordon & MacPhail is a family company based in Elgin, Morayshire, in the Highlands of Scotland. It was founded in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail, whose Speyside grocery shop in Elgin soon became a beacon for quality produce, including Scotch whisky. George Urquhart joined the business in 1933 and worked with his father, John, the company’s senior partner, to develop a deep understanding of Scotch whisky, especially the unique interaction that occurs over time between spirit and cask. They understood the benefits of long-term thinking and continued to lay down whiskies – in their own casks – to be matured for decades.

Widely acknowledged to be one of the industry’s true pioneers, George created the Connoisseurs Choice range in 1968 to provide little-known distilleries with a platform to have their whiskies enjoyed as a single malt at a time when the vast majority of spirit went to make blends. Renowned whisky writer Charlie MacLean refers to George Urquhart as ‘the father of 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, matching spirit from more than 100 Scottish distilleries to oak casks made to their exacting specifications in the relentless pursuit of perfection.

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, creating typically the oldest single malt Scotch whiskies in the world at the time of release. Gordon & MacPhail whiskies define the pinnacle of quality and rarity for single malt Scotch, as discerning drinkers all around the world will testify.

HAMILTON & INCHES

Handcrafting jewellery since 1866

Hamilton & Inches has stood the test of time with more than 155 years of passion, creativity, artistry and dedication to craftsmanship, continuing to be Edinburgh’s premiere destination for fine jewellery, luxury watches and handcrafted silver. Dedicated to enhancing customer experience, in 2021 Hamilton & Inches embarked on an incredible transformation with elegant upgrades taking place across its showroom, workshops and service department, creating a space that celebrates heritage while innovating with contemporary design. To accentuate the glamour of the new showroom, a striking new storefront is clad in Scottish Whinstone and sees Hamilton & Inches rejuvenate its original design by installing curved glass panels set in antique bronze, with jewellery displayed on a carved breccia marble plinth topped in silk. Hamilton & Inches has incorporated 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 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 Approved Service Centre, with a significant Rolex and Patek Philippe presence across the showroom.

CEO Victoria Houghton was honoured to be named one of the 50 Most Influential People in British Luxury in The Walpole 2022 Power List. hamiltonandinches.com

HARRIS TWEED HEBRIDES

Harris Tweed Hebrides manufactures 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®.

harristweedhebrides.com

HENRY POOLE & CO.

Henry Poole & Co on London’s Savile Row has offered the very best in fine British tailoring since 1806. Every item is handmade by a master craftsman at the Savile Row premises to the client’s individual pattern. Generations of the Poole family have proudly served customers since James Poole stitched military uniforms in the Napoleonic Wars. His son, Henry, is seen as the founding figure of Savile Row.

HOTEL CAFÉ ROYAL

Hotel Café Royal is in the heart of London with Mayfair to the west and Soho to the east. Within the hotel, grand historic areas have been restored and there are 159 contemporary-yet-refined guestrooms and suites. The hotel offers a selection of restaurants, bars and holistic wellbeing concept, Akasha.

HELEN AMY MURRAY

Helen Amy Murray creates meticulously hand-sculpted works of art, using leather and textiles as her medium, to portray the aesthetic of bas-relief. The works depict both naturalistic and abstract imagery and take a variety of forms including framed pieces and architectural installations, sought after by leading global interior architects, luxury brands and collectors.

HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

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

HURTWOOD

Hurtwood is a British heritage fine art publishing house. Heroes of the art world, rock aristocrats, fêted designers and global institutions all trust Hurtwood to deliver beautiful books on time, on brief and on budget. Big or small, many or few, lavish or restrained, you can trust Hurtwood to make a book for you of timeless quality and great beauty.

ICONIC LUXURY HOTELS

An eclectic collection of unique properties, distinguished, authentic and intriguing, they include Cliveden House, Chewton Glen, The Lygon Arms, 11 Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea, and the Mayfair Townhouse, London.

effortless comfort, sublime locations, absorbing stories and an ability to deliver the unexpected.

INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE

InterContinental London Park Lane presents modern luxury accommodation in the heart of Mayfair. Inspired by its location overlooking the Royal Parks, the hotel delivers elegant natural interiors, award-winning Italian cooking from Theo Randall, and outdoor dining at Number One Park Lane terrace.

JAMES CROPPER

James Cropper is a prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District, making distinct, tailor made paper products and COLOURFORM moulded packaging for many of the world’s leading luxury brands and designers. With expertise in colour, sustainable fibre and textural finishes, the options are limitless.

JING

JING is on a mission to revolutionise the world of tea. Through its single garden approach, it connects tea-lovers with a world of distinctive flavours, diverse cultures, human stories and incredible tastes. JING builds personal relationships with master producers and prioritises sustainable agriculture to support tea communities and their environments to thrive.

JESSICA M c CORMACK

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.

THE JOCKEY CLUB

Today, governed by Royal Charter and with Her Majesty 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.

THE HARI

A luxury five-star hotel in the heart of Belgravia, London

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 and sister hotel to The Hari Hong Kong, 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. With interiors by acclaimed British designer Tara Bernerd, The Hari is a mix of plush velvet upholstery, marble bathrooms, contemporary art and cosy furnishings. All 85 bedrooms, 14 of which 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, the beautiful Garden Terrace, which transforms from an elegant suntrap on warm days to a cosy retreat in winter thanks to its retractable roof, and Italian restaurant il Pampero, which prides itself on serving exceptional homemade cuisine.

At the centre of The Hari is the brand’s love for art. Since opening in 2016, A Space For Art has curated the hotel’s public spaces on a rolling art programme and has recently collaborated with The Hari on launching its very own annual Art Prize. The Hari Art Prize will be uniquely owned and hosted by the brand, building on the success of the Class of 2020 exhibition, which offered a platform to graduate artists who sacrificed their essential degree shows due to the lockdown of summer 2020, and the hotel’s 2021 residency programme.

HARRODS

The art of the possible Harrods was founded in 1834 when an ambitious entrepreneur from Clacton by the name of Charles Henry Harrod opened a small grocery shop in Stepney. In 1849, Harrods moved to Knightsbridge to attract curious customers – those eager to sample the new and exotic. Today, Harrods is still in Knightsbridge doing just that, as the world’s most famous department store, spanning seven-and-a-half storeys of retail magic.

The latest chapter in the story of Harrods has been its largest renovation yet. New to Harrods in 2021 - a theatrical Chocolate Hall complete with an in-store Chocolaterie. 2021 also saw the fanfare opening of a state-of-the-art Harrods Hair and Beauty Salon on the Fifth Floor, a blush-hued haven where customers can indulge in exclusive spa services and be the first to discover must-have products and treatments. Whether looking for a fresh cut, colour and blow-dry, or a next-level mani-pedi, a trip to the salon is an experience like no other.

Beauty at Harrods has undergone a milestone expansion with the introduction of H beauty stores. H beauty brings the magic of Harrods’ make-up, fragrance and skincare to new towns and cities across the UK – making beauty at Harrods more accessible than ever. Customers can visit H beauty stores in Essex, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, Bristol and Gateshead. Each beauty playground is filled with local and cult-favourite brands, and has everything from a curated mask bar to an Instagram-worthy Harrods Champagne Bar. Customers can also expect exclusive services from the Knightsbridge store, including Townhouse Nails and DryBar hair experiences. Harrods is no longer about simply shopping; it’s as much of a stimulating nexus of creativity and community as a retail emporium, and will continue to inspire and delight anyone who enters its doors – be they the historic halls of the Knightsbridge store or the newly-established H beauty destinations.

KATHERINE ELIZABETH

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.

katherineelizabethhats.com

THE LANESBOROUGH

The Lanesborough is a masterpiece among London’s five-star hotels, adja cent to Hyde Park and a short walk from London’s most exclusive shopping districts. Grand in its Regency architecture, it is a London mansion of the grandest order, home to 93 luxurious suites and bedrooms, all serviced by our elite team of butlers and the magnificent Lanesborough Club & Spa.

oetkercollection.com

LAURENT-PERRIER

Laurent-Perrier is one of the few champagne houses that are still family-owned. Bernard de Nonancourt’s two daughters now oversee the running of the business, carrying on the work that he did to produce one of the best champagne brands in the world.

laurent-perrier.com

KATHRYN SARGENT BESPOKE

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.

THE LANGHAM

The Langham, London has an unrivalled location at the top of Regent Street. The hotel offers luxurious guestrooms and suites, classically styled and evoking a warm residential feel with flawless service. The Langham’s bars and restaurants include the award-winning Palm Court, Artesian Bar, The Wigmore and cookery school Sauce.

langhamhotels.com

LINLEY

Founded by David Linley in 1985, LINLEY has a world-renowned reputation for fusing striking design with exemplary craftsmanship.

LINLEY conceives is recognisable by those quintessentially British characteristics of ingenuity and creativity, imagined and then realised by world-class artisans and engineers.

davidlinley.com

LOCK & CO HATTERS

Established in 1676, Lock & Co is the oldest hat shop in the world, the oldest shop in London and one of the oldest family-owned businesses still in existence. Its passion for hats is unbounded and its expertise unrivalled, attributes that make Lock & Co the best hat brand in the UK and globally.

lockhatters.com

THE LONDON SOCK COMPANY

Socks may be a little thing, but the right pair has the power to make a big difference - to your style, your wardrobe and your state of mind. Since 2013, London Sock Company has been crafting socks from the finest materials with the mission of inspiring you to Walk Brighter. Loved by celebrities and CEOs the world over, these socks are the first steps to effortless style.

londonsockcompany.com

MADDOX GALLERY

Maddox is a global contemporary gallery driven by a passion for art and a desire to do things differently. Maddox creates inspiring spaces for collectors, investors and artists alike. Established in 2015, Maddox showcases emerging, established and blue chip art throughout its locations in London, LA and Gstaad.

maddoxgallery.com

LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

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.

lpo.org.uk

THE LUMINAIRE

The Luminaire is the world’s first bespoke travel company which specialises in accessible knowledge and enriching perspectives for curious travellers. We create personalised journeys to destinations across the globe in the company of some remarkable people expert minds with a lifetime of experience in their field. Carbon offsetting is built into every journey to compensate for emissions.

theluminaire.com

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. The group now operates 34 hotels and seven residences in 24 countries and territories, with each property reflecting the Group’s heritage and unique sense of place. Mandarin Oriental is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

mandarinoriental.com

JO MALONE LONDON

Delight in the unexpected

Jo Malone London is a British fragrance and lifestyle house synonymous with simple, elegant colognes, candles, bath and body products and room scents created to celebrate the spirit of generosity and giving. From a Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse in London’s Marylebone, the brand’s creative studio shapes the story behind every scent. Each new fragrance is then developed in partnership with one of the most distinguished master perfumers, using the highest-quality ingredients.

Scents synonymous with Britain, including bluebells, King William pears, oak trees and lavender, infuse the products and light up the imagination. Everything is shot through with a distinctive British wit, creative flair and sense of charm and elegance. Since the launch of pioneering Lime Basil & Mandarin, Jo Malone London has remained at the forefront of perfumery with its use of unexpected ingredients.

The brand’s philosophy of scent pairing allows you to pair and personalise fragrances to express yourself and leave a lasting impression. Each fragrance is designed to be worn alone or layered with another to tailor the scent. Whether it’s a token of affection or the grandest of gestures, every gift is presented in an iconic cream or black box, with multiple packaging personalisation services and products available.

jomalone.co.uk

JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN

Scottish heritage, innovation and craftsmanship combine in Johnstons of Elgin’s luxurious lifestyle designs, utilising 225 years of experience in the world’s finest fibres.

This year sees Johnstons of Elgin celebrate a landmark 225 years of manufacturing excellence – more than two centuries of traditional craftsmanship, commitment to innovation and expertise in the world’s finest natural fibres. Authenticity, quality and a commitment to sustainability remain among the essential values honoured by this family-owned heritage brand.

For Autumn Winter, Johnstons of Elgin comes full circle with an inspired edit reflecting the people, places, products and provenance associated with the brand, a global company with a Scottish heart. Exquisite craftsmanship commands a carefully curated collection of most-loved silhouettes, luxurious handles and unique finishes in the finest cashmere and merino wool. Scotland is both home and inspiration for Johnstons of Elgin, with designs reflective of the natural landscapes surrounding its own weaving and knitting mills. Elegant neutrals such as camel and silver meet soft peregrine and quartz in a fresh, seasonal colour palette. There has never been a better time for the brand to showcase the best of its iconic yet contemporary designs.

In woven accessories, a stunning collaboration with fellow Walpole member Sabina Savage tells the story of Johnstons of Elgin’s success at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 in a tapestryinspired scarf featuring majestic animals, foliage and fauna. Johnstons of Elgin’s home interior fabric collections offer durability with a soft finish in sleek, tonal hues. Exquisite craftsmanship remains at the centre of every piece, from traditional checks to herringbones and geometric patterns. Elegant throws and bed throws, crafted from super soft merino wool and lambswool, are investment pieces designed to bring texture, interest and colour to any space. Johnstons of Elgin’s brand values have held fast since 1797 and will carry the company into the future, creating luxurious wardrobe staples that will stand the test of time.

johnstonsofelgin.com

THE LAKES DISTILLERY

A whisky-maker with an artistic ethos

The Lakes Distillery looks not only at what whisky is but what it can become. This design-led whisky-maker is open to a world of new inspiration, pushing boundaries as it seeks to express emotions, ideas and feelings through the language of whisky. Inspired by the natural beauty of its home in a meticulously crafted state-of-the-art whisky distillery, the brand is building a reputation for exceptional flavours and opulent whisky by nurturing flavour at every opportunity. Using only the finest bespoke oak casks, it is its approach to maturation and blending that defines The Lakes Single Malt. Rather than sealing its casks and simply waiting to blend the result, it regularly samples every cask, frequently effecting change to evolve an array of intriguing layers of flavour.

Whether moving a cask’s location or transferring the spirit between casks, it is only by knowing each cask intimately, understanding how the flavours are developing and can be blended to complement, enhance, deepen, broaden or contrast, that the brand can create the depth and complexity it desires. This age-old art is élevage. It is pro-active involvement demanding patience and time. Hand-selecting the final casks, The Lakes whisky is married together for up to a year before bottling. It is this process that sets The Lakes apart.

MATTHEW COX

Cox designs and makes furniture to be as essential and beautiful in 100 years as it is today. By balancing time-honoured methods

innovative practices, the team creates elegantly customised furniture made for graceful longevity. The 100-year plan supports both the pieces they

the

THE MAY FAIR

Edwardian Hotels London owns and operates a portfolio of four- and 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.

MILLER HARRIS

MANOLO BLAHNIK

With a career spanning 50 years in 2021, Manolo Blahnik

one of the

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M c LAREN AUTOMOTIVE

McLaren Automotive creates luxury, high-performance supercars.

vehicle is hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC)

Woking, England. Launched in 2010, the company also launched the world’s first hybrid hypercar, the P1TM, and is now the largest part of McLaren with over 100 retailers in more than 40 territories worldwide.

MORIARTY EVENTS

craft memories.

multidisciplinary

strategy, concept,

pushing creative boundaries.

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

THE LAST DROP DISTILLERS OF LONDON

Curators of the world’s most remarkable spirits

The Last Drop seek out the world’s finest, rarest and most remarkable aged spirits to share with its discerning customers. Its philosophy is demanding but meritocratic: the quest is for the liquid and not the label – that elusive but exhilarating blend of age, character and vitality. Occasionally, the brand comes across something so unique and so special that it is entranced, and these discoveries are what make their way into The Last Drop bottle. In 14 years, these uncompromising standards have seen just 28 releases from The Last Drop, across the worlds of Scotch whisky, cognac, bourbon and rum and now Japanese whisky.

You will find The Last Drop in the four corners of the world, talking to friends old and new, tasting extraordinary liquids and sharing the stories behind them. Most important, however, is the joy that the brand takes in sharing its discoveries and stories with customers and friends. In 2022, The Last Drop launched its podcast The Remarkable, a series of conversations with remarkable people, hosted by Rebecca Jago. lastdropdistillers.com

MOU

Cult London label mou offers original, handcrafted footwear in premium natural fibres. Warm, durable and sensually soft, mou shoes are loved by fans for the offbeat back-to-nature feel and eclectic styling. At mou, ethical and eco-friendly production is a priority. Design innovation combines with traditional handcraft manufacturing techniques, to maximise the natural beauty of leathers.

mou-online.com

MY WARDROBE HQ

My Wardrobe HQ is the UK’s leading rental and resale platform. Working with iconic brands such as Harrods, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood and many more. My Wardrobe HQ offers recommerce to brands and retailers both on its direct to consumer facing platform and on a B2B basis as a tech and logistics solution.

mywardrobehq.com

THE NEW CRAFTSMEN

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

thenewcraftsmen.com

MULBERRY

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 has grown to be the largest manufacturer of luxury leather goods in the UK with factories in Somerset and a design studio in London.

mulberry.com

THE NED

Set in the former Midland Bank building, The Ned was designed by Sir Edwin ‘Ned’ Lutyens in 1924. The space includes ten restaurants, 17 bars, 250 bedrooms channelling 1920s and 1930s design, 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.

thened.com

NEW WEST END COMPANY

New West End Company is a business partnership of 600 UK and 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.

LEICA CAMERA

The art of photography

With more than 100 years of history, Leica represents a beautiful combination of art and engineering, form and functionality. Leica’s legendary status is founded on the long tradition of excellence and supreme quality found in its cameras and lenses. Since the birth of the first 35mm camera in 1913, Leica has continued to create innovative products while remaining timeless and elegant through its commitment to design. This is represented through the continued assembly of products by hand and the Made in Germany seal that applies to the cameras, as well as a longstanding dedication to sustainability through the design of longer-lasting and reliable products.

Leica is committed to supporting the creation and preservation of iconic photography from the past, present and future and the artists behind them. Throughout history, important photographers around the world have been capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments with their Leica cameras. These are moments that remain unforgettable and Leica photographers globally continue to add to this legacy.

As part of its ongoing commitment to the art of photography, Leica supports photographers both classic and contemporary through a programme of exhibitions at its 27 galleries worldwide, including Leica Gallery London. Further inspiration can be found at any one of its global academies, where the current and next generation of photographers discover all they need to achieve their creative goals. leica-camera.com

NOBLE ISLE

Noble Isle is a fine-fragrance bath and body brand, inspired by the rich, cultural heritage of the British Isles. The collection is natural, vegan, cruelty free, sustainable and made in the UK using natural extracts from producers around the British Isles including rhubarb from Yorkshire, samphire from Ireland, barley from Scotland and beetroot from Wales.

nobleisle.com

ORMONDE JAYNE

Ormonde Jayne’s fragrances and scented candles encapsulate British elegance, imagination and craftsmanship. Unmatched in originality, perfumer Linda Pilkington has pioneered rare ingredients including oudh, Ta’if and black hemlock with her repertoire of intelligent, wearable fragrances.

ormondejayne.com

OYSTER YACHTS

Since 1973, Oyster has built and supported extraordinary bluewater sailing yachts, capable of sailing safely anywhere in the world, in complete comfort and luxury. A thoroughbred British luxury sailboat builder, today we continue to design and handcraft the world’s finest bluewater sailing yachts.

oysteryachts.comm

OLIVER BURNS

Oliver Burns is a luxury architectural interior design studio that 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 spaces that are synonymous with a luxury lifestyle.

oliverburns.com

OUTTHERE

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

outthere.travel

PEPA & COMPANY

Luxury childrenswear and accessories, designed in London and manufactured in Spain. Pepa & Co fuses traditional Spanish heritage with an old-school British sentiment to create beautiful designs for boys and girls from birth to ten years old.

pepaandcompany.com

THE LONDONER

The world’s first super boutique hotel

Imagine an urban resort – but with an immersive Yabu Pushelberg design, modern art collection and exquisite furnishings. Welcome to The Londoner, a super boutique hotel brought to life across 16 storeys on Leicester Square, curated to reflect the drama and elegance of West End life.

Open since September 2021, The Londoner features 350 bedrooms and suites, two screening rooms, a state-of-the art ballroom, a curated programme of events and six restaurants and bars including a Japanese rooftop bar, a signature French Mediterranean restaurant and a tavern. Aside from opening bedrooms, room keys unlock three private spaces within The Residence, including a secret, green velvet whisky parlour accessed via the powder rooms. Each room has a unique personality where guests can eat, drink, work, relax and enjoy the art of British hospitality, with complimentary antipasti, soft drinks, tea and coffee served throughout the day.

The Retreat is an entire floor dedicated to wellness and beauty. It’s the ultimate destination to relax and rejuvenate with cabanas surrounding a tranquil pool, treatment rooms, 24-hour gym, hair and nail salon, gentlemen’s barber and a superfood bar.

An industry-first £175m Green Loan funded innovative, sustainable technologies to help The Londoner achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating, with 30 per cent less carbon usage than regulations demand. The Londoner is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection.

thelondoner.com

PETER REED

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 in a huge selection of colours.

peterreed.com

RACHEL VOSPER

Rachel Vosper is a leading 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 unique refill service that allows clients to bring or send in any vessel to be refilled – from previously bought and burnt votives to colourful glass vases, unused silverware or vintage chinaware.

rachelvosper.com

RICHARD BRENDON

Richard Brendon makes the everyday exceptional with beautifully crafted tableware that showcases quality, integrity and longevity, to be enjoyed and admired by generations to come. With a focus on the provenance of materials, traditional craftsmanship methods and timeless design, the brand seeks to enhance the everyday dining experience by delivering the highest-quality tableware products.

richardbrendon.com

PURDEY

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.

purdey.com

RAMSBURY

The Ramsbury Estate is based in the Kennet Valley, stretching over 19,000 acres of land. The distillery creates award-winning single estate gin and vodka with an imitable British taste, combining exceptional quality ingredients that are almost entirely grown on the estate, living by the motto ‘Grow everything, waste nothing’.

ramsbury.com

ROKSANDA

ROKSANDA is defined by its unmistakable feminine design aesthetic.

As a woman consciously designing for women, ROKSANDA creates pieces that reveal personality while providing a sense of shelter and refuge through unique design, signature colour blocking and modern, architectural shapes, cemented with a dedicated focus on craftsmanship.

roksanda.com

THE MACALLAN

Experience the wonders of The Macallan Estate

Welcome to The Macallan Estate, the world-leading hospitality destination and birthplace of every bottle of The Macallan single-malt whisky since 1824. Situated amid breathtaking 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 are taken on a journey of discovery, exploring

The Macallan’s rich heritage and dedication to mastery and craftmanship, which makes it Scotland’s most iconic Scotch whisky. As part of their experience, guests encounter 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 vaulted warehouse.

Guests can enjoy the nature of the Estate and explore the legendary River Spey, learning about the native wildlife and forests, before enjoying a dram with The Macallan’s Ghillie. The Macallan Estate also houses The Macallan Bar, which boasts panoramic views of the surrounding hills of Speyside, and Elchies Brasserie, where guests will be treated to an exquisite fine-dining experience created using exceptional seasonal and local produce from Speyside’s natural larder. The Macallan Boutique allows guests to explore whiskies from limited collections as well as specialist gifts and accessories. themacallan.com

MOLTON BROWN

British makers of fragrance, created with care Molton Brown’s story began in 1971 as a trendsetting hair salon on South Molton Street, London, founded by pioneering duo Caroline Burstein and Michael Collis. These freethinking beauty innovators were ahead of their time, creating natural, cruelty-free products in a relaxing environment filled with freshly cut herbs and flowers. To this day, their progressive thinking remains close to the brand’s heart.

Ever since, Molton Brown have become an icon of uniquely British style. The eaux de parfum and toilette, bath, body, hair and home collections have been made in England since day one, and the brand is committed to this for the 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. Inspired by their progressive home, London, the company works side-by-side with an eclectic set of perfumers to empower you with long-lasting, distinctive fragrances you’ll love.

Molton Brown are devoted to doing good, while making people feel good. As part of the brand’s ever-evolving sustainable journey, they never have and never will test on animals. All the formulas are free from parabens, phthalates and are 100 per cent vegetarian – they will become completely vegan in 2022. Molton Brown also runs their own carbon-neutral manufacturing facility in Elsenham, where they make bottles from 50 per cent recycled plastic in continuing efforts to reduce waste. And as champions of sustainable packaging, the company provides a bath and hand refill collection, as well as a fragrance refill service in selected UK stores. moltonbrown.co.uk

Right Heritage bottle

ROLEX

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.

ROYAL DOULTON

To connect with meaning, form friendships, explore, inspire and be inspired. Share the plate, the story, Royal Doulton a life made of meaningful moments. Since 1815, Royal Doulton has been at the forefront of contemporary design and craftsmanship, creating authentic connections around the table and bringing an individual look to everyone’s home.

ROYAL SALUTE

Royal Salute is an exceptionally crafted and aged Scotch whisky, starting where others end at 21 years old. Created to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 21 gun salute that honoured her, the brand is steeped in tradition and proud of its royal lineage but is firmly engaged in the modern world by constantly pushing the art of blending into new, creative and ambitious forms.

royalsalute.com

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS

The Royal Academy of Arts, founded in 1768, is an independent, privately-funded institution led by eminent artists and architects to promote the creation and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate. As an independent charity, the Royal Academy receives no government funding.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

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

RUUBY

From manicures to massage, waxing to tanning, Ruuby offers five-star beauty treatments straight to your door in as little as 90 minutes in London, the Cotswolds and Manchester, with over 1,000 beauty providers and exclusive treatments with brands including Dr Barbara Sturm, Aromatherapy Associates and Bamford.

RWD

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

rwd.co.uk

SABINA SAVAGE

Sabina Savage offers elaborate, heritage-inspired prints on exquisite scarves and clothing. Fantastical stories are woven through each hand-illustrated design, meandering across continents and delving into the depths of history. Each drawing takes from four to six weeks to complete and is drawn in its entirety. All collections are printed in the UK and hand-assembled in London.

sabinasavage.com

SAVERNAKE KNIVES

On the edge of the eponymous ancient forest in an old sawmill, Savernake Knives harnesses the power and precision of technology with the finesse and attention of handcraft to create exceptionally sharp and beautiful custom knives that bring the joy back into everyday cooking.

savernakeknives.co.uk

SAATCHI GALLERY

Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has presented contemporary art exhibitions showcasing the work of emerging artists. In 2019, Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity committed to supporting living artists and rendering contemporary art accessible to all, by presenting exhibitions that are engaging and enlightening to a diverse audience.

saatchigallery.com

SARAH HAYWOOD

Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations is a quintessentially, authentic British brand specialising in complex, multi-day celebrations, often with short lead times. Be it a wedding, a milestone celebration, a small private party or a product launch, every event is meticulously curated to engage all five senses.

sarahhaywood.com

SHAWSTEPHENS

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.

shawstephens.com

NORTHACRE

Leading the way in experiential living

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 relentless passion for craftsmanship continues to drive the architecture to the finest standards, which will be apparent to all when the project completes later this year.

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 be a lively destination with flexible office space, carefully curated retail and a dynamic public streetscape, Orchard Place. Launching later this year, Orchard Place strives to become a new contemporary lifestyle destination, imagined to encourage wellness, nourish its community and reinvigorate Westminster. Curated with stylish simplicity, this blended lifestyle ecosystem hopes to define a new era, where mind, body and soul are catered for in every way.

Find us on Instagram: @northacre_london @orchard.place northacre.com

PENHALIGON’S

Entertaining the world’s nostrils with a dose of Britishness

Since its humble beginnings on a cobble-clad Jermyn Street until now, some 150 years later, Penhaligon’s has been propelled by the same unbridled desire. The steam rose from the neighbouring hammam and the cogs of our eponymous founder’s mind were set in motion. Nothing would stop that train. What was once a stimulus that, when spritzed, swayed one of the senses, became a bottled world. Liquid emotion. The dew of creativity. Stories told through scent. And no story is better read by the nose than the olfactive fiction that takes place in the Portraits Mansion. A web of titles and tittle-tattle. A world where nothing is quite as it seems. Where every crevice is scented with scandal. Where a stiff upper lip, caustic humour and a slither of provocation are oh so à la mode. Every family has its secrets. But some have more than others.

The Tragedy of Lord George and The Revenge of Lady Blanche, his darling, charming, scheming wife, set the tone in 2016. The following years brought promise of new arrivals to the mansion, each one more intriguing and gloriously scented than the last – though asking Penhaligon’s to announce its favourite, now that would be telling. One thing that must be divulged is the details of the newest arrival. His stint in the Far East has come to an end. Some say he fled his home and his career in law so as not to crumble under the weight of his family’s great expectations. Now, the older brother of Lord George, The World According To Arthur, has returned to the mansion wiser and wittier, to ruffle some feathers and turn some round tables. His scent drifts with incense and clary sage. Fresh resin. Spiced leather. Dragon’s fire, stirred. We all know what happened the last time George encountered the dragon. But will they set sibling rivalry aside? Will Arthur hold on to the serenity he gained during those days spent under the mulberry trees of China, where books became blankets and ideas puffed up like pillows? Arthur sheaths his silver spoon and words like a sword. His adventures have allowed him to master sage wisdom. For now. When incensed, he breathes fire. And nobody can get under one’s skin quite like family.

Fortunately, Penhaligon’s keen-nosed admirers can witness the goings on of the mansion from closer quarters than ever before. Right before their eyes, in fact. After all, Penhaligon’s simply isn’t one to fall behind the times. So, using the latest technology, we’ve brought the glorious gardens, the drawing room and the laboratory of the mansion to life. All by virtual means. Yes, the Portraits virtual reality experience is here. Never before have the doors burst open. But there’s a first time for everything. Guests are invited to step inside to learn the secrets and stories of the Portraits milieu. All uttered by the lips and scents of the characters themselves. It’s time to get up close and personal, wouldn’t you agree? One must be within sniffing distance to hear the most fascinating fragments of gossip.

SIMPSONS’ WINE ESTATE

Simpsons’ Wine Estate creates award-winning, estate-grown, English wines, which reflect the exquisite characteristics of the 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.

simpsonswine.com

SMYTHSON

Since 1887, when Frank Smythson opened the doors of his first store on London’s New Bond Street, Smythson has been creating pieces that capture life’s unfolding narrative. Every Smythson piece is crafted to be a companion to a storied life, accompanying extraordinary experiences and those beautifully ordinary moments in between.

smythson.com

STERLING STUDIOS

Specialists in decorative arts, Sterling Studios produce exquisite bespoke finishes in their West London workshop. Eglomise, antiqued, gilt, carved and cast glass, alongside lacquers, scagliola, crackled gesso and embossed leathers as well as a variety of resin, metal and painted finishes are commissioned worldwide by designers. Used in both contemporary and classical settings, high-end residential as well as commercial projects.

SLOANE HOME

A thoughtful gesture never goes unnoticed. Luxury Sloane hampers and gifts are thoughtfully made by hand and heart to create a lasting impression that endures. A combination of the finest quality local ingredients and age-old traditional techniques have produced an elegant collection of multiaward-winning handmade small-batch spirit infusions and exquisite treats.

STEPHEN EINHORN

As the slogan ‘we make beautiful things for interesting people’ suggests, Stephen Einhorn’s innovative approach is beloved by customers looking for strikingly unique jewellery. Focusing on quality materials and impeccable craftsmanship, every item is handmade in the brand’s London workshop from recycled metals and conflict-free diamonds, and has been certified with the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark.

SUITCASE

SUITCASE Magazine is an award-winning travel media company. Through its website, quarterly print, podcast, live events and newsletters, it focuses on providing the best quality content that inspires its audience to discover what matters. They are also home to SUITCASE Creative Studio – a fullservice agency helping clients connect with their audience through brand design, content strategy and creative solutions. The multi-disciplinary team are experts in content creation, production and strategic thinking.

THE PENINSULA LONDON

Heritage, glamour, innovation and service

For nearly a century, The Peninsula name has embodied an elegant combination of heritage, glamour, innovation and service. Peninsula hotel guests enjoy exquisite accommodation, luxury transport and exemplary dining and spa experiences, plus curated cultural programmes that invite an immersion in each property’s distinctive home city. Overlooking Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch in the heart of Belgravia, The Peninsula London will welcome guests from early 2023. The hotel, which will showcase the best of British culture, art and cuisine as well as The Peninsula’s peerless hospitality, is located at one of the city’s most prestigious addresses.

The architecture and design of the completed hotel will reflect the distinctive heritage and grandeur of Belgravia. A stately entrance and colonnaded courtyard lobby will greet guests, as will 190 beautifully styled guest rooms and suites. In addition, 25 luxury residences are for sale, which offer an oasis of serenity in the heart of the city, where residents can enjoy the luxury of Peninsula hotel services while also having their own dedicated facilities. Destination restaurants will tempt visitors to taste new dishes and savour familiar fare, The Peninsula Spa will provide revitalising wellness and beauty treatments and a grand ballroom will play host to London’s most glamourous events. The Peninsula London also features a single-storey shopping arcade, with a total of nine retail shops providing more than 1,100sq metres of shopping spaces to all discerning style seekers. The Peninsula Arcades around the globe house many international luxury brands, offering shopping with unparalleled hotel experiences.

peninsula.com/london

SUNSPEL

Sunspel is a British luxury apparel brand that makes exceptional everyday clothes, ethically made and designed to form the foundation of the modern wardrobe. The brand has been handcrafting garments in the UK for 160 years, building a global reputation for uncompromising quality, timeless design and luxury fabrics.

sunspel.com

ROYAL COURT THEATRE

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. royalcourttheatre.com

TIFFANY & CO.

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. tiffany.co.uk

SYBARITE

Sybarite is a global design studio leading the evolving world of experiential culture in retail. Co-founders Torquil McIntosh and Simon Mitchell focus on innovative luxury retail for monobrands, department stores and master plans. The studio’s projects have become synonymous with an architecture that surprises and seduces while conveying the essence of a brand through a distilled design narrative that merges into the environment.

THE SAVOY

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. thesavoylondon.com

TRUNK

Founded in 2010, Trunk is a menswear store for those looking to discover a worldly, contemporary take on classic style. From sharp tailoring to cosy knitwear, it presents a considered edit of quality, wearable clothes and accessories for every occasion and destination, matched with a high level of personal service.

RAPPORT LONDON

Preservers of time

A true British brand built on a strong foundation of heritage, Rapport London’s products will help to preserve and extend the life of your timepiece collection and jewellery pieces. After four generations, Rapport remains a family-run business with the core values and philosophy of innovation, quality and service laid down by its founder. Throughout the years Rapport has invested in new technology, unmistakable craftsmanship and sourcing the highest-quality materials in order to produce world-class luxury products. rapportlondon.com

REGENT’S UNIVERSITY LONDON

Connecting luxury leaders

In 2021, Regent’s University London set out to develop an innovative new partnership with Walpole, underpinned by the belief that the luxury leaders of today can help educate and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. The Visiting Professorships initiative connects influential figures from some of the world’s best known luxury brands – including Harrods, McLaren Automotive, dunhill and The Peninsula London – directly with students through masterclass lectures, focus groups, live projects and behind-thescenes insights. Above all, the project aims to develop the next generation of luxury leaders and gives luxury brands immediate access to a talent pipeline of exceptional students. Here, we look back on the partnership’s first year, and reflect on the deep connections and collaborations that have been ignited. regents.ac.uk

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS

The art of the possible

Throughout its history, Rolls-Royce has offered patrons the opportunity to specify almost every aspect of their motor car. This unrivalled capability is even more desirable today, when luxury is defined less by ostentation and opulence than by personalisation, individuality and a deep sense of connection and significance. Today’s commissions draw on the extraordinary skills and talents of the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective. This handpicked team of engineers, designers and craftspeople based at The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood work closely with clients in a unique process of co-creation to bring their vision to life.

These Bespoke commissions frequently involve genuine innovations in materials and technology. For example, the recent Phantom Orchid is finished in a specially created paint that mimics the subtle, white-violet hues of the rare exotic flower that inspired it. Inside, the Gallery – a feature unique to Phantom – houses a delicate orchid display handmade in crepe silk; the motif is repeated in the treadplates and hand-painted coachline.

In May 2022, Rolls-Royce presented Phantom Series II. This new expression of its pinnacle product incorporates subtle, carefully-considered changes balancing the wish of clients who have implored Rolls-Royce not to make any major changes to an already iconic car, while satisfying the marque’s constant desire to go further in pursuit of perfection. As the ultimate ‘blank canvas’ for Bespoke commissions, Phantom allows clients to define luxury on their own terms. It is not merely the ‘best car in the world’, but the best luxury item - technically, materially, aesthetically and dynamically – for them and their world.

For some, nothing but absolute uniqueness will suffice. For them, Rolls-Royce now offers Coachbuild services, allowing them to specify the design and form of the motor car itself. The first Coachbuilt masterpiece, Boat Tail, caused a worldwide sensation on its unveiling in 2021, and marked both the opening of a new chapter, and return to the marque’s historical roots.

SANDERSON

The home of iconic florals and explosive botanicals, pushing the boundaries of heritage design

Known the world over for its iconic floral designs and British eccentricity at its best, Sanderson is a timeless yet explorative brand of British beauty with a firm belief that interiors are unique places for memories to be made. A romantic connection to nature brings forth designs, rich in luxurious flora, which marry tradition with an unexpected, always modern, twist. Elegant, whimsical and yet honourably rooted in its heritage, Sanderson seeks out intricate storytelling details of the past and reinvigorates them for the future.

This is ever more evident in Water Garden, a collection that celebrates the end of the 19th and early-20th centuries as a divinely romantic period for English decoration. Newly discovered archive documents have been brought to the fore for this Sanderson collection, reflecting exciting, contemporary interpretations of designs that were heavily influenced by the decadence of Oriental styles.

From the striking blooms of Emperor Peony to Water Garden, created by Sanderson Design Co. Scholar, decorative painter Rachel Spelling, the collection charts the appeal of Eastern-inspired design and the joy of its application into the world of English interiors, all in vibrant, unexpected palettes that pair beautiful florals with splashes of British eccentricity.

It is this referencing of history, coupled with an appreciation of the contemporary, that produces an unapologetically expressive, unique take on British style through its fabric and wallpaper designs. Celebrating the sophisticated style of every individual, Sanderson remains thoroughly modern yet unmistakeably driven by its world-renowned heritage. Holders of the Royal Warrant, Sanderson produces exceptional fabrics and wallcoverings with a timeless appeal. Completing the brand’s portfolio, Sanderson paint is available in more than 150 colours and three finishes. sanderson.sandersondesigngroup.com

SAVIN

Encapsulating

With

SAVOIR Extraordinary beds

We spend a third of our lives in bed. Our little piece of sanctuary, a place to centre ourselves, wind down and spend time with loved ones. It’s where we rest and recharge, ready for the day ahead. If we get it right, a bed has the power to transform how we sleep and improve our wellbeing.

In 1905, when impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte unveiled London’s Savoy Hotel, he introduced the ultimate in luxury and innovation. With no existing bed meeting his pioneering standards, 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.

Since then, Savoir has mastered time-honoured techniques and made leaps of innovation, and the company continues to think innovatively and question assumptions to meet the needs of our times. And today, what the world demands is that we strive for a healthier and more ethical lifestyle. It is this thinking that has led to the introduction of the new Nº4v, The Reformer, Savoir’s first – and rather revolutionary – vegan bed. A plant-based bed that offers the same legendary comfort and support as the standard Nº4 bed model.

When D’Oyly Carte originally launched the Savoy bed on the principles of craft and heritage, the world was a different place. A century later, Savoir has maintained his mantle even though the issues faced around pollution, waste and biodiversity would have been unimaginable back then. Savoir will keep pushing to do things better, to build a brand to be proud of and, most of all, use the knowledge and respect that has been passed down through several generations of Savoir to benefit generations to come.

Welcome to a lifetime of quality sleep.

savoirbeds.com

SILENT POOL GIN

Justifiably extravagant

In a world now saturated with artisan gin, Silent Pool Gin is one of the original premium handcrafted gins that has made its mark across the globe and successfully established its own unique identity among luxury spirits. Born in a distillery deep in the heart of the Surrey Hills in lush English countryside and christened with the name of its legendary location, Silent Pool Gin has emerged as one of the preferred choices of the gin cognoscenti. It is a fresh, clean, juniper-driven spirit, a contemporary take on the classic London Dry gin. Delicate flavours of homegrown lavender and local chamomile have been combined with fresh citrus notes and velvety honey (sustainably sourced from a neighbouring farm) to produce a gin of outstanding depth and complexity.

Quality is never compromised. Every drop of Silent Pool Gin is handmade, naturally distilled and sustainably produced. And if the brand’s absolute insistence on sourcing only the finest ingredients and botanicals results in a production process that’s intricate and costly, then that’s inevitably worth the price. After all, contrary to popular belief, the best things in life are seldom free. Perhaps that’s why Silent Pool Gin, exuding a rare class and style, has acquired a reputation for being an extravagant purchase. And why, with a loyal following from the world’s best bartenders and many industry awards behind it, this superior gin with its distinctive bottle has become an icon in bars across the world.

Today, quietly confident Silent Pool Gin, Silent Pool Rare Citrus Gin and Silent Pool Rose Expression Gin stand apart on the shelves of restaurants and bars in luxury resorts and locations everywhere from San Francisco to Shanghai. Fiercely independent. Intricately realised. Justifiably extravagant.

TURNBULL & ASSER

Established in London in 1885, Turnbull & Asser is Britain’s most esteemed bespoke shirtmaker, with its workrooms in Gloucester, England. As the cornerstone of prestigious Jermyn Street in St James’s, the brand is renowned for its ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke shirts for individuals who appreciate superior quality and craftsmanship.

turnbullandasser.co.uk

VICTOR

Victor is an award-winning leader in private air charter, flight management and environmentalism. Its fully transparent, subscription-free service provides clients with unparalleled access to the world of private aviation. Since 2011, Victor has rewritten the jet charter rulebook and is proud to be the world’s first carbon-negative aviation company.

flyvictor.com

WATERFORD

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.

V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London, is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity, spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. Established in 1852, its purpose is to champion creative industry, inspire the next generation and spark everyone’s imagination.

vam.ac.uk

VIVIEN SHERIFF

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.

viviensheriff.co.uk

WEDGWOOD

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.

wedgwood.com

TEN LIFESTYLE GROUP

Start Living x Ten

Ten Lifestyle Group is now the leading travel and lifestyle concierge service, supporting wealthy individuals and families to discover, organise and enjoy dining, live entertainment, travel and luxury retail with better value and quicker than they could themselves. Founded in 1998, Ten’s vision is to become the most trusted service in members’ lives.

The service is available via private banks or wealth managers to more than a million high-net-worth individuals globally. Clients in the UK include Coutts, St James’s Place, HSBC Jade, Schroders and NatWest Private Banking. Internationally, the group works with three of the top five private banks in China and Japan, and leading private banks in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Scandinavia, Switzerland and the Middle East. Private membership is also available in the UK.

Every member can call on the expertise of specialist lifestyle managers. A thousand staff from 22 cities globally help support members. The personalised, member-only digital platform puts a world of travel, dining, entertainment and shopping experiences at members’ fingertips. Thanks to brand partnerships, browsing, booking and access to exclusive member benefits and access for members are effortless.

Start living the life you always wanted, for you and those closest to you. tenlifestylegroup.com

WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

Independent, family-owned distillers with a global reach and deep Scottish roots

As a fifth generation, 130-year family-run business, a relentless pioneering spirit has been running through the stills and beyond since the first drop flowed in 1887. Beginning with revolutionary methods and practices, our maverick approach to whisky production started the ongoing innovation, passion and creativity, leading to a celebrated luxury portfolio which includes some of the world’s most iconic spirits brands, and a Private Clients business providing rarefied access to the finest and oldest reserves in the world from the Grant family archive.

Ladyburn Edition Two has just been unveiled, an ultra-rare 55-year-old whisky from a transformative age, paired with rarely seen images from the archive of ‘father of fashion’ British fashion photographer, Norman Parkinson. Capturing the mood of the Swinging Sixties, this second edition in the Ladyburn 1966 triptych brings to life a ‘lost-gem’ distillery through the work of an era-defining creative icon, while celebrating Ladyburn’s revolutionary role in single malt whisky during this decade of cultural, social and technological change.

Creating categories has always been part of William Grant & Sons’ DNA. One of Grant’s great grandsons could see a visionary moment in the future for gin, so more than 20 years ago tasked Ms. Lesley Gracie, today named as one of the top 50 most influential people in British luxury, with creating a gin that the world had never seen before using two ingredients – rose and cucumber – and two vintage stills. Hendrick’s Gin was born, beginning a ginaissance.

And with a number of hugely successful limited-releases from Ms. Gracie’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the latest has just been released, inspired by the magical melody of the waves lapping the shore while Ms. Gracie was out walking her dog on the rugged Ayrshire coast. Hendrick’s Neptunia Gin captures the magic of the sea, with its coastal botanicals and bright citrus finish.

With partnerships and collaborations as a key focus for the William Grant & Sons portfolio of brands, there’s more to come, together. Visit williamgrant.com or email privateclients@wgrant.com. williamgrant.com

WESTLEY RICHARDS

Established on a tradition of sporting style and heritage adventure, Westley Richards is regarded as the finest maker of bespoke firearms, leather goods and outdoor attire. The brand’s independent spirit has cultivated an unparalleled culture of innovation, artistry and excellence for well over 200 years.

WINCH

With a 36-year heritage in superyacht design, the award-winning studio at Winch Design is now creating projects unrestricted by preconceptions, tropes or niches across land, air and sea. Each project is limitlessly creative and entirely bespoke, and the design language is built upon the DNA of the client’s dreams.

winchdesign.com

WILDABOUT

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

ZITA WEST

Zita West is a midwife, acupuncturist, author, clinic owner and founder of Zita West fertility supplements and Baba West premium supplements for babies and children. Zita’s holistic approach to fertility has also recently seen the launch of HUG, mindfulness courses and visualisations for fertility, IVF and early pregnancy.

zitawestclinic.com

WOLF

Protect your legacy

Since 1834 the WOLF mark has been a symbol of decades of innovation and the pursuit of the perfect design. This five-generation, family-owned company understands that extraordinary objects are representations of extraordinary moments in life. WOLF believes for a legacy to endure it must be nourished and upheld while melding beauty and functionality. The brand is dedicated to honouring people’s stories and the jewellery and timepieces entrusted to it.

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With Nothing Underneath Yolke

Green & Pleasant Land

The 2022-2023 Walpole Annual looks into the enchanted garden of British luxury, and asks key luxury commentators

– Alex Bilmes, Lucia Van Der Post, Will Hersey, Farrah Storr, Sarah Sands and more –what makes Great Britain so special. Walpole is the UK’s only business group for luxury brands. Effective and influential, it speaks on behalf of more than 250 of Britain’s finest and most famous brands from Burberry to Wedgwood, collectively worth £48 billion to the UK economy. Walpole promotes, protects and develops the British luxury sector and celebrates the extraordinary creativity, innovation and talent that makes it a global calling card for Britain.