Luxury London Magazine Spring 2023

MAGAZINE

Spring 2023 £8.00

Adam

SMITH FINALLY GETS HIS NAME ABOVE THE DOOR

HUGH

Bonneville

Peoplewatching with

Michael KORS

From Downton Abbey to Darkest Peru

LUKE THOMPSON

The Bridgerton star on bringing A Little Life to the stage PLUS: WORLD-FIRST DRIVES OF THE ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE AND LAMBORGHINI URUS S, HOW TO EXPERIENCE NAPLES LIKE A LOCAL & YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLANNING THE PERFECT WEDDING

CARE FOR WONDERS

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CONTENTS 94

76

32 UP FRONT

52

13 THE BRIEFING

LUKE THOMPSON

32

HUGH BONNEVILLE

From Highclere Castle

The rise and rise of sneaker

for the West End stage

marketplace The Edit Ldn

DRIVE 58

C U LT U R E

62

48

Fashion pieces in chiffon, transparency is in 78

to Royal Ascot 2023

The new Lamborghini Urus S 80

COUTURE

THE TANGLE OF TANGO

68

LVMH WATCH WEEK

Why, 50 years on, the controversy

Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith

shows no signs of abating

start the year with a bang

AT THE RACES Hats on! What to wear

HUNG LIKE A BULL

to culture in the capital

SHEER BLISS gauze and mesh – because

THE WHOLE HOG is very un-Harley-Davidson-like...

40 THE AGENDA Your curated guide

76

Harley-Davidson’s new Nightster

to Hollywood

JUST SELL IT

On swapping period dramas

The latest news from the world of luxury

72

MICHAEL KORS The American designer on building a billion-dollar global fashion empire

52

122 ESCAPE 88

18 HOMES & INTERIORS

STREET APPEAL Forget pizza and ice cream –

110 SURFACE LEVEL

to make the most of Naples, do

Hyper-textural home

as the Neapolitans do

furnishings for a super-satisfying space

94

Spring 2023 £8.00

BETWEEN THE WOODS AND THE WATER

type of punter

SMITH

112 ON A WING

Why Ibiza’s latest five-star hotel is attracting a new

MAGAZINE

Adam

FINALLY GETS HIS NAME ABOVE THE DOOR

AND A CHAIR

HUGH

How a political scandal

From Downton Abbey to Darkest Peru

Bonneville

Peoplewatching with

Michael KORS

turned the ‘Keeler’ chair

How two hoteliers turned

116 THE NEW OFFICE

fantasy into reality on

Why turning your back

St Lucia’s west coast

on WFH might actually be good for you

W W W. L U X U R Y LO N D O N .C O. U K

into an icon

102 GREEN LIT

The Bridgerton star on bringing A Little Life to the stage WORLD-FIRST DRIVES OF THE ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE AND LAMBORGHINI URUS S, HOW TO EXPERIENCE NAPLES LIKE A LOCAL & YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLANNING THE PERFECT WEDDING

COV E R Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson on taking A Little Life to the stage.

Photographed by Lee Malone (p.52).

FROM THE EDITOR

C

SPRING 2023 Issue 31

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Richard Brown DIGITAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Zoe Gunn ASSISTANT EDITOR Anna Solomon

ould I make up my mind? Could I hell. First I was set on tails. But then we/she vetoed the whole hymns and Bible thing so out went the morning suit. Black tie then. Black tie always looks smart, great in photos. No, black tie is for charity dinners – eveningwear, clue’s in the name. Keep it simple. Business suit. Yeah. Grey. No. Washes you out. Blue. Has to be. Dark blue. Navy. Yeah. Sorted. Bit boring? Hmm, yeah, maybe. How about double-breasted? Oooo, now we’re talking. Double-breasted could be cool. Old school. Proper. Done. But how you gonna dance? Good point. Great point. Carrying a bit more timber now, too. Might split. Christ. By this point she’d already sorted her dress, the flowers and the bridesmaids.

I ended up getting married in a three-piece tux, with exaggerated shawl lapels and a deep-cut U-shaped waistcoat, a piqué bib-front shirt (I bought a ruffle-fronted one but bottled it last minute), and a slightly too-big-looking-back handtied bow-tie. The lady in the shop had tied it for me and, for fear of not being able to re-tie the thing, I left it tied until the night of the wedding, when we both passed out.

I loved working out what to wear for our wedding. More so than my wife (no surprise there). Not as much as my Dad, arguably. Trudging down Savile Row with the old man felt like a rite of passage. I’ve tried to share the tips imparted to us by the great and good of the street that day in this issue’s Wedding Supplement, which begins after page 64. (NB. I went high street in the end; Dad looked better in his Ede & Ravenscroft number). If you happen to be planning your own big day, we asked the UK’s leading wedding planner and London’s top dress designers to proffer some advice. We hope they can help.

If you’re not getting married, are married, or have no interest in ever getting married, fear not, this issue is packed full of plenty of other stuff. People like Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson, who’s about to bring Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life to the stage; Downtown Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, who’s just written a memoir; and America’s Michael Kors, who’s not been off the runway for 20 years. Plus, there are places like 7Pines Ibiza, which is attracting a new type of punter to the White Isle; St. Lucia, where two visionary hoteliers have transformed accommodation on the Caribbean island; and an exploration of that most maligned and misrepresented of Italian cities, Naples.

Also: private islands, nice yachts, fast cars, restaurants you’ll want to book, plays you’ll want to see and exhibitions you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy the issue. Good luck with the wedding. Bring on the summer.

ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR Annie Lewis EDITOR-AT-LARGE Annabel Harrison CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rob Crossan Josh Sims HEAD OF DESIGN Laddawan Juhong DESIGNER & PRODUCTION Georgia Evans MARKETING MANAGER Tom Henry ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Fiona Smith MANAGING DIRECTOR Rachel Gilfillan BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Miles Dunbar BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Asleen Mauthoor CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Alice Ford CHAIRMAN Eren Ellwood

PUBLISHED BY

RICH ARD B ROWN Editorial Director 6 SALEM ROAD, LONDON, W2 4BU T: 020 7537 6565 LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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BY APPOINTMENT TO HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON

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The Briefing T H E L AT E S T N E W S F R O M T H E W O R L D O F L U X U R Y

ADAM SMITH FINALLY GETS HIS NAME ABOVE THE DOOR, P14

14 The Restaurant The triumph of Woven by Adam Smith 18 The Car Behind the wheel of the fastest Aston Martin ever built 22 The Private Island There’s a reason Velaa’s reputation precedes it 26 The Spa Lucknam Park receives a facelift courtesy of 111Skin 28 The Yacht Heesen targets a new type of customer with its new crossover 30 The Cognac Introducing a very special Louis XIII

01 T H E R E S TA U R A N T

Woven

by Adam Smith COWORTH PARK’S SECRET WEAPON FINALLY GETS HIS NAME ABOVE THE DOOR Words: Richard Brown

A

dam Smith. Name not familiar? That’s because unlike other hotel-affiliated, rock-star super-chefs – Gordon Ramsay at The Savoy, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, the list goes on, so I will too, Tom Kerridge at Corinthia London, Anne-Sophie Pic at that weird Four Seasons in the City that no one seems to talk about, Alyn Williams at The Westbury before he got himself sacked in 2019 for hosting a private knees-up while the restaurant was closed (probably worth pointing out that last year an employment tribunal ruled that Williams had been dismissed unfairly on the grounds that he’d hosted parties in the past. You’ve got to appreciate that defensive backhand) – Adam Smith’s name never appeared above the door.

Of course, if you knew, you knew. But no one visiting the red-and-copper confines of the resourcefully-named Restaurant Coworth Park – flagship diner of that stately pile where Prince Harry bedded down the night before his wedding – was made explicitly aware that the delicate plates of British posh nosh dancing out of the kitchen were the work of Adam Smith. They just knew that the poached lobster was a work of art and to order the pork belly every time.

There were, naturally enough, plenty of people who did know.

Michel Roux Snr knew. He marked Smith as ‘one to watch’ even before the young chef had gone to work with Yannick Alléno at Le Meurice (from Paris, Smith leapfrogged to London, spending 10 years at The Ritz). Observer Food Monthly knew. The magazine named Smith as its Young Chef of the Year all the way back in 2012. And the guys at Michelin knew. Yes, sir! The guys at Michelin were, as ever, delighted to tell people they knew, extolling Smith with one of their shiny asterisks a year after the working class lad from Birmingham had taken up residence in the aristocratic gaff in Berkshire.

Now, a full six years into his tenure, Smith having maintained that shiny asterisk for five consecutive years, it seems Coworth Park

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Adam Smith deserves his name above the door.

It should be illuminated in spotlights. Written in boldface, underlined and then highlighted with a neon marker pen has cottoned on too. Because there it is. Finally. In big shiny lights. ‘Adam Smith’. Well, ‘Woven by Adam Smith’, technically, but Smith’s name above the door all the same.

It’s going to be difficult, I’ll lay it out now, for me to tell you how good I thought Woven by Adam Smith was. Let’s start with the physical space. The restaurant closed in July and reopened in September. Martin Hulbert Design – interior force behind the Treehouses at Chewton Glen, the dining room at Cliveden House, most of The Grove, and the rest of Coworth Park – chose to do away with the reds and coppers of the previous restaurant, opting instead for a not-too-dissimilar palette, if we’re being honest, of rich browns and deep golds. It’s very autumnal.

Money has been spent. And wisely. There are beautiful golden looms on the ceiling (‘Woven’, geddit?), paper etched with fallen leaves on the walls and contemporary pendant lights above each table that illuminate decorative ceramic conkers that you won’t believe aren’t real. On the back wall, there’s a giant plaster relief of root vegetables by Locker & Riley, the stucco specialists behind the plasterwork at both The Lanesborough and St. Pancras Renaissance hotels.

If, as a colleague recently wrote, the most important thing in any hotel room is water pressure (I’d say a lock on the door, followed by central heating, but I get his point) then surely the most important thing in any restaurant is for it to feel intimate.

Warm, cosy, inviting. A pleasant place to spend some time.

(That’s why I’ve never really understood Hide. Cracking food.

Super staircase. But as cosy as a draughty igloo.) Woven by Adam Smith is a toasty ski chalet after a long day on the slopes. Except that it feels like you’re in Mayfair, or Manhattan. Soft, subtle, hard luxury.

Money. Money. Money. There’s plenty of it in these parts.

Coworth Park backs onto Virginia Water. Ascot, Sunningdale and Wentworth are all a stone’s throw away. My wife counted the Chanel handbags while I added up the value of the watches.

There needs to be. There are few places outside prime central London that could sustain a place like Woven by Adam Smith.

Lunch costs £80 per person. Add £65 if you want to pair that with wine. Dinner is £130 per person, plus £80 for wine. Here’s how it works…

Guests are invited to pick three dishes – one from the ‘pantry’, one from the ‘larder’, and one from the ‘stove’. Starter, main, dessert, essentially. These are bookended by a selection of tasting dishes. We went for dinner, which includes more courses, hence the higher price. I counted 11. It lasted for three hours, which felt like the right amount of time. These are some of the notes I made: Eel soup – wow Coronation chicken – cor The bergamot – FROZEN WITH NITROGEN!!!

John Dory – super stuff Brown crab – best thing I’ve ever tasted? maybe Truffle chestnuts – F**k. Me. Halibut – not on menu. Coming soon – dilly ding, dilly dong I expect Jay Rayner jots down similar notes.

I’m no food critic. Can you tell? Me attempting to critique Adam Smith’s cooking would be akin to an A-level art student picking holes in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Or a first-year architecture undergraduate digging out Norman Foster. Worse.

At least they’d be able to appreciate the complexity of what they were talking about.

But any village idiot can appreciate when someone’s poured their heart and soul into something. Michelin grub always looks good – doesn’t always taste that good, though, does it? Adam Smith deserves his name above the door. It should be illuminated in spotlights. Written in boldface, underlined and then highlighted with a neon marker pen.

See ‘Truffle chestnuts’ as to why.

Coworth Park, Ascot, SL5 7SE, dorchestercollection.com

02 THE CAR

Aston Martin Valkyrie A WORLD-FIRST DRIVE OF THE BRITISH MARQUE’S LONG-OVERDUE HYPERCAR PROVES THAT THE VALKYRIE WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT Words: Jeremy Taylor

A

ston Martin’s first hypercar has been a long time coming. Beset with technical issues, the launch of the Valkyrie was delayed multiple times. At the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed, it had the misfortune of breaking down. It’s also currently the focus of a £150 million lawsuit related to unpaid deposits by two Swissbased car dealers.

And yet, just like James Bond at the wheel of his favourite British getaway car, against the odds the 250mph coupé refused to give up and die. Now, six years after the concept was first unveiled, the most astonishing car that Aston Martin has ever made is finally here. And it’s a £2.5 million homage to what can be achieved when the automotive rulebook is thrown out of the window.

The work of F1 design guru Adrian Newey – the engineer behind more than 190 Grand Prix wins – the Valkyrie is, essentially, a Formula 1 car for the road, delivering 1,140bhp and capable of 0-60mph in a crazy 2.5 seconds.

Hurtling around the Bahrain International Circuit in blistering heat, I’m starting to understand why, despite everything that has troubled this remarkable car since it was first announced in 2016, Aston Martin was determined to make the Valkyrie a reality.

I might be wearing a helmet and race suit behind the detachable, F1-style steering wheel, but this is a car that can be legally driven around the streets of London. That includes number plates, a rear-view door camera system and a must-have

suspension raise button – to creep over all those speed bumps.

Still, it’s almost inconceivable to imagine the Valkyrie anywhere else than on a racetrack. It’s so staggeringly quick that the twoseater could probably outpace a speed camera. How fast? The first Grand Prix of the 2023 F1 season was held in Bahrain earlier this month. The race saw Max Verstappen and company scream down the home straight and into the first corner at just over 200mph.

On the same track, I hit 187mph. Of course, anyone can drive fast in a straight line, but it just goes to prove how much driver confidence the Valkyrie’s incredible aerodynamic downforce and handling can inspire after just three laps.

A naturally-aspirated, 6.5-litre V12 engine created by British engineering firm Cosworth screams as I flick through the gears in ‘Track’ mode, the most dynamic of three settings. There’s no ‘Drive’ button in a Valkyrie – every change of the ‘old-school’ single clutch, seven-speed sequential gearbox is made via the paddle-shifters.

Grip is phenomenal but it’s the sheer shove-in-the-back power of the Aston Martin as it exits bends that astonishes most. Then comes the sting in the tail – an extra boost of 160bhp provided by a rear-mounted, Rimac-sourced hybrid system. Those same 1.7 kWh batteries power the Valkyrie’s reverse gear.

The car, capable of a head-spinning 11,100rpm, is silly quick, but unlike the two F1 cars I’ve driven, the Valkyrie is also remarkably easy to steer, with mid-engine balance and that epic

A S T O N M A R T I N VA L K Y R I E - T H E N U M B E R S

ENGINE

HORSEPOWER

TORQUE

0-62MPH

TOP SPEED

6.5-LITRE, V12 HYBRID

1 ,1 6 0

663 LB-FT

2.5 SECONDS

250 MPH

downforce to keep everything firmly glued to the track.

Harnessed into a teardrop-shaped cockpit, my modestly-sized cocoon is air conditioned and surprisingly relaxed. All the driving controls are on the oblong-shaped steering wheel, while a central screen operates the ventilation and navigation. If you don’t like the howl of a 12-into-one exhaust, Aston Martin offers bespoke headphones for music, instead of weighty door speakers.

Just 150 examples of Aston Martin’s first hypercar are slated for production, plus a further 25 ‘track-focussed’ AMR Pro cars – if you’re a proper lunatic. A run of 85 roofless Spiders will be the last model off the company’s Gaydon production line in Warwickshire. All versions sold out a long time ago and there’s even a waiting list for cancelled orders.

Back in the pit, I climb out of the Valkyrie like an astronaut returning to Earth. Miles Nurnberger, Aston Martin’s director of design, is waiting to give me a hand and talk through the car’s radical shape, originally created by Newey, Red Bull’s legendary chief technical officer.

The striking aerodynamic exterior is complemented by an open underfloor. Two large channels pass around the cockpit, serving up air to the car’s massive rear diffuser. The resulting downforce is in the region of 1,100kg at 93mph.

“Adrian had always wanted to design a car for the road,” says Nurnberger. “He thought that creating a road car would be less constrained by the regulations he faced in F1 and therefore easier – he soon realised it wasn’t.

“His idea was a teardrop-shaped cabin as compact as possible.

It was an aerodynamic concept that challenged us every step

“We used so much titanium that the Ministry of Defence called from London to ask exactly what we needed it for – they thought we might be building something we shouldn’t”

of the way. In car design, most mornings you go to work and already know the answers. With Valkyrie it was solving a new problem every day.”

Engineers didn’t use a single steel component in the car’s structure, which is 100 per cent carbon-fibre. Every part has been on a strict diet, with magnesium alloy wheels weighing less than the tyres, the world’s smallest, high-level brake light – just 6.5mm wide – and fantastically-efficient titanium brakes with carbonceramic discs.

“We used so much titanium that the Ministry of Defence called from London to ask exactly what we needed it for – they thought we might be building something we shouldn’t,” chuckles Nurnberger.

Among the many conundrums facing his team was the issue of the famous Aston Martin winged badge – a logo that has adorned every one of the British marque’s cars since the 1920s.

“Adrian didn’t want our badge on the front of the car because it was 6mm deep, weighed too much and created vortices that affected the aerodynamics.

“Once again it was left to the team to innovate, so we developed a metal badge that was 40 microns thick, or about two-fifths as wide as a strand of hair. It weighs 95 per cent less than the one we currently use on a Vantage. We could have designed a sticker or painted it on, but that wasn’t good enough.”

The windscreen wiper alone took more than a year to design.

Sweeping water off a curved section of glass at high speed, as well as meeting strict road regulations, forced Aston Martin to scour the internet for solutions.

“We even challenged the regulations and spoke to firms who specialised in high-tech glass. In the end, we contacted a company that designed the windscreen on the Space Shuttle and they came up with a solution. The Valkyrie wiper actually has a torsion bar and pivots as it crosses the curved surface.”

Nurnberger is currently working on the next generation of Aston Martin models. He says each will utilise features from the Valkyrie in their design. That’s likely to include hybridisation and a number of high-performance versions, similar to the barnstorming DBX707 super-SUV. It sounds like it’s going to be a busy year for Aston Martin.

Expect some sensational, new-generation models the like of which we’ve not seen before. I’m almost certain, however, that none will provide the thrills of the Valkyrie – an F1 car with two seats that you can drive absolutely anywhere. astonmartin.com

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03 THE HOTEL

Velaa Private Island, Maldives AFTER BEING NAMED THE WORLD’S BEST BEACH HOTEL IN 2022, A NEW BAR AT VELAA PRIVATE ISLAND AIMS TO SOLIDIFY THE RESORT’S ALREADY RAREFIED STANDING Words: Anna Solomon

T

here are no mosquitos on Velaa Private Island. Or very few, anyway. The staff make sure there’s nowhere for the insects to nest. The odd bug bite might strike you as a minor inconvenience, given that you’re in the Tropics.

At Velaa, however, ‘inconvenience’ is a dirty word.

Case in point: the resort is on its own time zone – ‘Velaa time’ – one hour ahead of the rest of the Maldives, for the sole purpose of allowing guests to watch the sun set while having dinner. You can walk around the circumference of the island in 20 minutes, but a buggy is never more than five minutes away should the sun be particularly punishing, or if you’ve had one too many wines over lunch.

Velaa was founded by Czech businessman Jiří Šmejc, who wished to purchase a private island but was prevented by a law that states that, for foreigners to do so, they must agree to develop the island into a resort. In 2011, Velaa was constructed on a former watermelon farm – it’s Šmejc’s holiday home as much as anything else.

So far, Velaa has been named the Indian Ocean’s Leading Private Island Resort by the World Travel Awards on four consecutive occasions, from 2018-2021. Last year, it won World’s Best Beach Hotel in the Boutique Hotel Awards. Velaa’s reputation has begun to precede it. So of course I jumped at the chance to see for myself.

Anyone who has ever been on a seaplane will tell you that it’s not the most relaxing experience. Some of the aircraft that whizz around the Maldives are scaled-down commercial affairs, with padded seats and little bottles of water in the armrests. The one that takes us from the capital Malé, however, is a little more retro. The seats are plastic benches and the barefoot pilot yanks various pulleys and levers like a mad scientist. Perhaps thankfully, I’m so exhausted from my 14-hour journey to the middle of the Indian Ocean that I fall asleep as soon as we hit 1,500 feet.

Having last been properly conscious leaving the concrete

jungle that is Malé, waking up in Velaa is like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia – if Narnia was a white-sand, crystal-sea paradise averaging between 27 and 29°C all year round.

Blinking in the glare of the beach, I disembark and am promptly handed a cool towel (the first of about 30 during my three-night stay – they really, really like cool towels at Velaa) before being ushered into a buggy by our butler, a charming local named Addo.

And yes, I do feel a bit weird about having a butler, as though it’s the 1920s and I’m an eccentric aristocrat. But Addo isn’t the white-gloves and silver-plate kind of butler. He is simply on-hand, 24/7, to book tennis courts, order room service, arrange laundry, leave petit fours on the kitchen counter for you to snaffle when you come back from dinner… you name it.

As we’re driven to our villa, I feel the exhaustion and discomfort of a long-haul flight almost physically fall away. Velaa is covered in dense vegetation crisscrossed by sand paths that muffle the sound of buggies and bikes – the quiet is pervasive, disturbed only by the leathery flapping of fruit bats overhead. The effect is that you feel like you’re all alone in an enchanted tropical forest; indeed, we

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You’re more likely to see a UFO than a washed-up Coke can here

encounter so few people during our stay that I assume the resort must be relatively empty. I later discover that Velaa is at 60 per cent capacity. You would never know.

We’re staying in one of 17 grass-roofed buildings suspended over the water, connected by a slatted wooden structure.

Cornflower blue fixie bikes are propped up outside the villas for easy transit around the island. It sounds quaint – provincial – but stepping inside tells a different story. The space is massive, with vaulted ceilings, walnut wood accents and a big glass hole in the floor through which you can observe silver fish slinking by. The bathroom is about the size of my bedroom at home, with a hot tub taking pride of place, while floor-to-ceiling sliding doors span the rear of the house, opening to a terrace with double sunbeds, an infinity pool and steps leading right into the cyan sea.

Maldivian beaches are insane, as you already know. White-toblue ombrés fringed by swaying palms. At Velaa Private Island, they’re even better. You’re more likely to see a UFO than a washedup Coke can here – the staff literally sweep the beach to remove imperfections. It takes hard work to look this good.

You’ll never engage in a war of attrition over sunbeds, either.

Even on the ‘public’ beaches, you’re sharing with two, three other parties, tops. As I mist myself with Evian spray one slow afternoon, I can just about make out a child and his Velaa-provided nanny watching an undulating stingray in the shallows, and a longsuffering boyfriend crouching in the swell to snap the perfect angle of his influencer girlfriend.

If you’re the type to get itchy feet lying on a beach all day (I can’t relate), there’s a bunch of stuff to do at Velaa. You can luxuriate in the spa, or go big game fishing, or take an authentic Batheli boat cruise to a deserted island and spot dolphins at sunset.

There’s scuba diving on the Noonu Atoll, which is home to sharks, eagle rays and the largest coral restoration programme in the Maldives. Plus, water sports; we opt for the ‘sea bobs’ – motorised devices that you cling to as they speed up to 20 km per hour through the water – but Velaa possesses an arsenal of high-tech equipment from electric foil surfboards to the latest tandem jetovator.

Foodies won’t be disappointed, either. There are three restaurants on Velaa Private Island: Athiri is your all-day dining spot, while Tavaru, which means ‘tower’ in the local dialect, is the first of two speciality restaurants. Sure enough, this teppanyaki restaurant is housed at the top of a long, thin structure covered in an oddly-shaped canopy that makes it look like something a child might draw if asked what buildings will look like in the year 2100.

You access Tavaru via an industrial-style lift, and the restaurant space is understated to the point of feeling like a caterer’s kitchen, which, in many ways, it is: you sit at benches surrounding the chefs, who cook top-grade octopus and A5 Wagyu before your eyes on an iron griddle.

Elsewhere, Aragu is helmed by Executive Chef Gaushan de Silva, who used to be the Queen of Jordan’s private chef. The fine dining restaurant is ocean-themed, with a shoal of fish sculptures swimming overhead and a tasting menu of sublime fish-focused dishes including an outrageously fragrant consommé in a conch.

It’s here that we meet Lisa Jakobsson, Head of PR, Marketing and Events at Velaa, for dinner. She’s a petite Swede in a glamorous pencil skirt, who only ever meant to move to the Maldives for a season or two. But, as she found out, it’s not the sort of place that people leave. She fell in love with island life (and a Maldivian man) and hasn’t looked back for eight years. Doesn’t she get bored, living on a speck in the middle of the ocean? Nope, she says, and neither did the droves of UHNWs who stayed at the resort for months on end during lockdowns. That’s the thing about Velaa, it might be a sub-twenty-hectare landmass, but it casts a spell on you.

When I get back to Malé, the luggage-ferrying crowds, speedboats spluttering in the harbour and planes roaring overhead pose a stark contrast to the Velaa’s silent undergrowth and lapping waves. I feel like I’ve stumbled back through the wardrobe after years in Narnia, only for minutes to have passed.

Enter ‘Velaa time’ and the real world falls away.

Villas from $2,900 per night (around £2,360), velaaprivateisland.com

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04 T H E S PA

Lucknam Park, Chippenham THE SPA AT THE WILTSHIRE COUNTRY-HOUSE HOTEL RECEIVES A FACELIFT COURTESY OF HARLEY STREET’S 111SKIN Words: Rob Crossan

I

f there’s one thing my visit to the Lucknam Park Spa taught me, it’s that male ageing is the looming terra incognita; portentous terrain that our inner cartographer will only discover when we least expect it. It has happened to you already, by the way. You can trust me on that. And it began far earlier than you realised. Well, far earlier than you’d ever publicly admit, anyway.

It could have been when you started not just noticing garden centres, but wondering if you had time to actually pop into one. Or when you stopped throwing away free cruise brochures and asked yourself why you hadn’t considered two weeks on the Amalfi Coast before now?

Lucknam Park is a parabola to the ageing process; the upward curve of the U-shaped graph that makes you realise that a world of slip-on shoes and a lack of grime nights out in Elephant and Castle isn’t a reason for turning off the life support machine.

Just yet.

A Georgian manor house hewn from honeyed Bath stone near Chippenham (one of the less ersatz of the Cotswold border towns, it must be said), this is a place that rewards those of us whose cultural reference points extend a little further and deeper than the first series of Big Brother.

If you know who Oliver Mellors is, then you’re in your happy place here. This is a land of D.H. Lawrence erotic fantasies; a beech-and-lime-tree-festooned retreat of ladies who look good in jodhpurs, and where men who still know how to tie a proper Windsor knot take your bags to your room without expecting you to genuflect with gratitude. A place where the magazine rack in the lobby contains Country Life and The Daily Telegraph, rather than OK! and Hello.

And yet, even when surrounded by the comforting oldworldliness of a place like Lucknam Park, there’s still a part of us that wants to believe that we can be mistaken for someone a decade or so younger. Despite my own attempts at getting

comfortable with growing older, I have no desire to appear as a man so aged that someone already in their 30s feels the need to explain to me who they mean when they talk about Sampha or Michaela Coel.

Lucknam Park seems to understand this. The hotel is aware that there is now an emerging generation of 40-something men who, like myself, simultaneously want to know who scooped what at the MOBOs, but who are also rather comfortable in the knowledge that they’ll never have to wear a pair of skin-tight jeans again. A demographic that the hotel presumably had within its crosshairs when it invited cutting-edge skincare specialist, 111Skin, to reinvent its spa.

Headquartered in Harley Street, and founded a decade ago by surgeon Yannis Alexandrides and his wife Eva, 111Skin caused a stir when it created a serum called NAC Y2 to help heal patients’ skin after surgery. Tested, incredibly, in outer space, it was proven to dramatically slow down the fast-paced ageing process experienced by astronauts.

Products by 111Skin are used by Lady Gaga and Victoria Beckham – personalities that have invested more than most in trying to prevent the realities of middle age intruding upon their carefully-managed image. Now, visitors to Lucknam Park can see what all the fuss is about for themselves.

The 90-minute Black Diamond Celestial Non-Surgical Face Lift is, at £205, not completely in the rock-star-and-royalty-only price range. Despite being a) a bloke and b) having a pretty thick beard, I was invited to give it a go.

It’s hard to describe what, exactly, my clinician Sammy was doing to my face for most of the 90 minutes. My eyes were covered but I do recall that I got an extremely thorough scalp massage, while an innumerable number of 111Skin serums, creams and peels were applied to my face.

Apparently, my treatment included the use of ‘diamond powder’ and aesthetician-grade exfoliating acids. The science of all this is, of course, somewhat irrelevant. The only question that really matters: does it actually work?

I’m a cynic about this sort of stuff, and I’m more than aware of the ‘cash-induced false positivity’ matrix where, in front of the bathroom mirror, I have physically willed myself into believing that an expensive spa treatment actually did anything at all.

And yet, I went out to a party that evening and three separate friends, none of whom have the slightest interest in my skin routine, all commented that I looked like I was “glowing”. That was the exact adjective all three used.

“Not a radioactive glow,” one added with some force. But he was right. It’s four days on now and my skin is definitely the smoothest and most crinkle- and wrinkle-free it has been since around the time of the first Kings of Leon album.

No longer shall I retort that ‘non-surgical’ really means ‘not as good’. 111Skin is onto something here. And there are few finer things in life than looking too young to enjoy an afternoon tea in the Cotswolds, while knowing, deep down, that you’re actually exactly the right age to appreciate it. lucknampark.co.uk; 111skin.com

05 T H E YA C H T

XV67 HEESEN YACHTS TEAMS UP WITH WINCH DESIGN TO TARGET ADVENTUROUS TRAVELLERS Words: Alexander Mark Jones

“W

e have put a lot of development into this,” said Jim Dixon, Director of Yachts and Aviation at Winch Design, at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show. “This is creating a new DNA.” Dixon was talking about the XV67, a 67-metre high-latitude cruiser that the British design studio has masterminded with Holland’s Heesen Yachts. Engineered to be capable of navigating the Galapagos Islands and the Arctic Ocean, while styled to look at home on the French Riviera, the ‘crossover’ yacht hopes to tap into a new market – adventurous oceangoers who value luxury comforts as highly as the ability to sail away from the beaten track.

The concept for the XV67 was originally unveiled in 2019. In the ensuing years, the yacht was extended by 10 metres. Tenders were added to the open aft deck, providing the opportunity for a personal submarine. A garage space was also reconfigured so as to accommodate larger guest rooms, including a three-story master suite with a private deck.

A fully-certified helipad functions as an al fresco cinema when not in use. Elsewhere, there are two bars, a large sundeck with a pool, a sky-lounge, a fire pit, and a wellness area with a spa and gym.

According to market data, there are currently more superyachts in construction than at any other time in history, already up 17.48 per cent on the high of 2022. The United States continues to be the first market for the superyacht industry, in Heesen’s case accounting for 50 per cent of all commissions.

heesenyachts.com

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THE BRIEFING

06 THE COGNAC

LOUIS XIII RARE CASK 42.1

RÉMY MARTIN RELEASES ONLY ITS THIRD EVER SINGLE-CASK LOUIS XIII Words: Anna Solomon

B

ig news in the world of rarefied spirits. The House of Rémy Martin, the legendary cognac producer, is releasing a brand new batch of its Louis XIII Rare Cask line. To give you an idea of just how big that news is, this is only the third time in the company’s history that the House has released a singlecask Louis XIII offering, rather than a blended cognac.

Traditionally, Louis XIII is created by blending 1,200 different eaux-devie. But, in 2004, cellar master Pierrette Trichet found a tierçon (cask) so unusual in aroma and bouquet that she designated it as a single, unblended cognac, which became known as Rare Cask 43.8.

Then, in 2009, Trichet, with the help of her deputy Baptiste Loiseau, discovered another cask that was just as unique. Thus, Rare Cask 42.6 (the numbers refer to the percentage of

alcohol by volume) was born.

Now, it’s happened again. The third iteration of Rare Cask was found by Loiseau, who took over from Trichet to become the fifth-generation cellar master at Louis XIII. “A year ago, I noticed something subtle and extraordinary about a singular tierçon. It had been almost 10 years since discovering the last Rare Cask, and then the gift from nature came,” said Loiseau, of the discovery.

Only 775 decanters are to be released, each requires more than 50 operations to produce and is hand-crafted from rare black crystal by famed French jeweller Baccarat.

The decanters feature gold-and-rhodium

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finished necks and are accompanied by Pillet crystal glasses and a serving pipette featuring an ornate black medallion.

For cognac connoisseurs unable to stretch to the not-exactly-inconsiderable investment needed to secure a decanter – available exclusively through Harrods – good news. This summer, the Rare Cask 42.1 will be available to taste by the glass at the recently refurbished Vesper Bar at The Dorchester Hotel.

See you there.

£47,000, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, harrods.com

Luxurious Handmade Tea The leading healthy living tea brand in the U.K. Our teas are designed by herbal scientists using natural ingredients and handmade techniques.

www.camelliasteahouse.com

HUGH BONNEVILLE always thought he’d be a

lawyer.

He had no idea that you could do what you

loved for a living.

But then one door led to another Words: Richard Brown

‘O

K,’ says Hugh Bonneville, leaning across a New York restaurant dinner table, in a scene I’ve stolen from his entertaining new memoir, Playing Under the Piano, for the purpose of starting this interview with a quasi-dramatic, big-money Hollywood anecdote. Our actual interview, arranged to promote said memoir, and Bonneville’s latest gig – the BBC’s Brink’s-Mat-inspired miniseries The Gold – took place in a restaurant in Soho. But every interview you’ve ever read starts with the interviewer saying that they’re sat in a restaurant or hotel or members’ club in Soho. And then by describing what the interviewee is wearing. (Kettner’s, if you really must know.

Hugh’s choice, not mine. A good choice. Less clichéd than Soho House, my suggestion. A green, three-piece tweed suit.

Very English-country-gent-up-in-the-Big-Smoke-for-the-day. Very Hugh Bonneville.) Back to the scene...

‘How much does the film have to gross on its opening weekend,’ says Bonneville, ‘for Allen and I to get the chopper to Santa Barbara next weekend?’

The journey, it is explained, will take around two hours by car, more with traffic. The chopper can do the distance in a skip. Hugh has never ridden a chopper. And the usually-reserved, unfailinglypolite, Cambridge-educated, typically those-who-ask-don’t-get Brit is feeling uncharacteristically un-British.

‘Hmmm’, muses Peter Kujawski, Chairman of Focus Features, financiers and US distributors of the film in question. Kujawski thinks for a moment. He likes the movie. But he’s also acutely aware that he’s taken a punt in fronting the money for the thing. “$25 million,” he says, finally, confident he won’t be putting his hand in his pocket to indulge the mad helicopter fantasties of the tipsy, red-cheeked Englishman.

That weekend, 20-22 September 2019, Downton Abbey, the first of the two films the hit ITV period drama will spawn (thus far), makes $31 million at the US box office. It goes on to become Focus Features’ biggest ever domestic hit, grossing more than $96 million in the States and $194 million worldwide. Kujawski is good to his word. The chopper from the Van Nuys airfield to Santa Barbara takes 25 minutes. On the way back, as the helicopter charts a course along the Californian coast, Bonneville looks down at the schmucks in their cars on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Wankers. He doesn’t actually say ‘wankers’, in the book. But he is drinking Whispering Angel.

‘Taking off in that helicopter and drinking overpriced rosé at someone else’s expense was the most unashamedly glitzy Hollywood moment of my life,’ he writes. A mountain-top moment in a life that, by Bonneville’s own admission, has had plenty more peaks than pitfalls.

Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams was born in Paddington, ironically, in 1963. His father was a Cambridge-educated urological surgeon; his mother trained as a nurse before joining MI6 on the sly. “I had no idea for 30 years.” After clocking mum in the hospital canteen, Dad had asked her to the annual dance. They were married for 64 years, before a respiratory infection took her “in less

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INTERVIEW

Hugh Bonneville is one of the luckiest actors Hugh Bonneville knows.

Theatre, radio, television, film.

The work hasn’t stopped coming

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HUGH BONNEVILLE ATTENDING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF DOWNTON ABBEY AT CINEWORLD, LEICESTER SQUARE, 9 SEPTEMBER 2019

“Without Downton, I don’t think I would have met a small bear from Peru. Or have worked with George Clooney. Or have been invited to The White House” than a day” in 2015 (Hugh’s brother, Nigel, died suddenly two years later. His Dad’s twin brother passed away not longer after).

When Hugh was six the family relocated from East Sheen to Blackheath. Dulwich College Preparatory paved the way to Dorset’s Sherborne School for boys. Culture was always there, in the background. Museums. Exhibitions. Art galleries. “A low level exposure to the arts, not that I really realised.” Out of everything, it was theatre that really hit the mark. Seeing Peter Cook and Dudley Moore on stage are fond early memories. “The power of comedy, you know. Wow, just wow.”

He studied theology at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge,

thinking he’d maybe become a lawyer. He wound up at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, then the National Youth Theatre. Bonneville’s first pro gig involved bashing a cymbal in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, 1986. “I was understudying Ralph Fiennes as Lysander.”

Fine place to start. Bonneville, by his own reckoning, hasn’t stopped since.

Roger Spottiswoode, Tim Fywell, John Hay, Kenneth Branagh and George Clooney are among the directors with whom he’s worked – though it is Howard Davies and Roger Michell that he speaks of most fondly. He’s starred alongside Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Matt Damon and Bill Murray. Plus, fleetingly, Pierce Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh. Then, for the past decade, Dame Maggie Smith. “Ten years of getting to call her ‘mum’. Brilliant, just brilliant.”

Hugh Bonneville is one of the luckiest actors Hugh Bonneville knows. Theatre, radio, television, film. The work hasn’t stopped coming. The secret? ‘Beyond turning up on time and not punching the director if you can possibly help it, I have no great tips of the trade to impart,’ he writes in the book.

There have been notable gear changes. Shifts in acceleration.

Doors that opened doors that opened doors. Tomorrow Never Dies

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INTERVIEW

for a moment before disappearing out of view. Calm, content, I like to think.’

It’s poetic. On Carry On actor Bernard Bresslaw: ‘His deep baritone voice had a timbre that sounded as if it had been created by mooing into an empty wooden cask of madeira, warm and rounded but with an intrinsic echo of melancholy.’

And, on the 2012 Olympics, which provided Bonneville with one of his meatiest and most-loved roles to date, Head of Deliverance of the Olympic Deliverance Commission in the highly-acclaimed mockumentary Twenty Twelve, it is, as elsewhere, introspective. On himself, and on us: ‘As the Games approached, the Great British national sport of Cynicism limbered up in the pubs and in the press, ready to express its flabby, sneering, lazy self in action. The Games were going to be a disaster, Britain couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery, or if it could it would be a brewery like the Millennium Dome that had promised to blow our minds and in the event was Quite Interesting.’

The book is non-political. Bonneville is not apolitical. A Deputy Lieutenant of the County of West Sussex since 2019 (an unpaid public service role), he Tweets, or re-Tweets, regularly. About US politics. About Ukraine. About Gary Lineker. “Social media, hmm, yes, we all have good things and bad things to say about social media, don’t we? When one does put their head above the parapet, the number of times I get ‘Shut up, sit down. You’re just an actor’.” All Bonneville can say to that is “Thank God for President Zelenskyy – because he’s ‘just an actor’ and now he’s probably the most inspiring national leader since Churchill.”

I can see it. The Rt Hon Hugh Bonneville MP. Bonneville can’t.

“No. I reserve the right to change my mind every five minutes.”

He might vote Labour in one election. Lib Dem the next. “I voted Tory once, I think.” Ultimately, he believes that power corrupts.

“We’ve had awfully poor leadership of late. Despite the pandemic, which you’d have thought would have brought us closer together, we’ve had even more division.”

The last time Bonneville felt like we were united, properly, as a set of nations, was that fairy-tale Olympic fortnight, now more than a decade ago. “Those two weeks where we all felt good about being in this country. I think Britain felt truly great and the kingdom properly united, in a way I hadn’t felt in my adult lifetime. Ever since then there seems to have been this fracturing.

God knows we need to find a way of healing.”

He says he’d never bite his tongue. Then, “no, err, hang on, let me be really honest, yes, I do.” He thinks cancel culture is “terrifying” – no, not “terrifying”, “revolting.” He worries about his words being taken out of context. So he’s increasingly judicious about what comes out of his mouth. But every citizen should be able to express themselves, shouldn’t they? Just because you’re an actor doesn’t mean you’re no longer a citizen, does it? “But because you’re off the telly, there’s a belief among some people that you should shut up.”

Well, Hugh Bonneville has a message for those people. “I think anyone who says ‘stay in your lane’ can just fuck off.”

taught him that actors are commodities. Livestock and meat.

Success equals currency, no matter how small the part. Bonneville had just a single line in James Bond’s 1997 outing. But that single line led to eight lines in 1999’s Notting Hill. Five years previously, Bonneville had narrowly missed out on Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Notting Hill felt like recompense. “It’s nothing to do with your talent, really, more about your perceived market worth.”

Downton Abbey. Fifth gear. Six seasons. A torrent of awards.

A Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations for our man Hugh.

Three Screen Actors Guild awards for the cast. A special BAFTA in recognition of the unique contribution the series made to UK television. “Without Downton, I don’t think I would have met a small bear from Peru. Or have worked with George Clooney. Or have been invited to The White House.”

The bear. Bonneville wasn’t sure. ‘Giving Michael Bond’s beloved character the Hollywood treatment had disaster written all over it.’ The first Paddington (2014) grossed more than £220 million worldwide and earned two BAFTA nominations, including Best Film. Paddington 2 (2017) made another £180 million. Three BAFTA nominations, also Best Film.

‘Michael Bond [author of the original books] appeared in the first Paddington film, sitting outside a café, raising a glass of wine to his creation as the bear first took in the sights of London. He died on the last day of filming for Paddington 2, aged 91.’

The book, a “‘memoir’ because ‘autobiography’ seems to have a claim of factual accuracy about it”, is good. So good that Bonneville has lost count of the number of times someone has asked whether he actually wrote it. Ahem. He’d stabbed at screenplays before, none of which ever quite got off the ground, but nothing properly long-form. It was his son, Felix, a university student who last year knuckled down to his own bit of writing, that shamed him into it. After that, Bonneville managed his first draft in less than three months. Show off.

“The working subtitle was Highclere to Hollywood, but my son said ‘No, it should be From Downton to Darkest Peru’. Those were obviously the two projects that most landed with him. And others, I expect.” The main title, Playing Under the Piano, is a nod to a memory from nursery school. Bonneville would hide from the rest of the class, playing by, not with, himself under a piano.

The book is funny: ‘Sometimes you read of actors going into the audition room and smashing up the furniture and impressing the director so comprehensively with their I Don’t Give a Shitness that they instantly get the part. Other times the police turn up.

Tricky to know how to pitch it.’

It’s touching. On his father, who the family is slowing losing to dementia: ‘It’s as if he’s in a glider, high up there, silently, elegantly, effortlessly circling, peeking out of cottonwool clouds

“Because you’re off the tele, there’s a belief among some people that you should shut up”

‘Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru’ is available at amazon.com; ‘The Gold’ is available to watch on BBC iPlayer LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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THERE’S YOU YOU, THEN THERE’S

20-24 JUNE

TICKETS FROM £49 FINE DINING FROM £299+VAT BOOK AT ASCOT.COM TODAY

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03/03/2023 14:17

Kenny Scharf’s Closet #42 Bestest Ever, which can be viewed at Beyond the Streets London at the Saatchi Gallery until 9 May 2023

Culture MUSIC, MUSEUMS AND MASTERPIECES

40 The Agenda The shows, plays and exhibitions to see this spring 48 Last Tango in Paris The fallout from the controversial Marlon Brando film continues 50 years after its release 52 Luke Thompson The Bridgerton and A Little Life actor on exploring the darkest aspects of the human psyche

14:17

T H E A G E N DA YOUR CURATED GUIDE TO CULTURE IN THE CAPITAL Edited by: Anna Solomon

1

Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-1970, Whitechapel Gallery Until 7 May

UNTITLED, WOOK-KYUNG CHOI, 1960S

This East London exhibition looks beyond the predominantly white, male proponents associated with Abstract Expressionism, to uncover an overlooked generation of female artists working in the aftermath of the Second World War. It proves that, far from the movement being US-centric, people all over

the world were exploring artistic themes of materiality, freedom and perception in the mid-century period, from Arte Povera in Europe, to calligraphic abstraction in East Asia and politically-charged works in Central and South America. £16.50, whitechapelgallery.org

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2

Medea,

Soho Place Until 22 April

Sophie Okonedo plays one of literature’s most iconic female protagonists, whose complexity and contradictions have kept audiences invested for almost 2,500 years.

Adapted by Robinson Jeffers from the play by Euripides, Medea tells of a woman laid bare by grief and rage, and her quest for revenge against the men who have abandoned her.

From £25, sohoplace.org

PHOTO: JANE MCLEISH KELSEY

3 PERSIAN DRINKING CUP © THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

GILT SILVER RHYTON © THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

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Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece, The British Museum 4 May - 13 August

Drawing on dazzling objects hailing from Europe and Asia, this exhibition explores the relationship between riches and politics in the first millennium BC. It examines how Persia used precious goods as markers of authority, and Alexander the Great’s role in fusing eastern and western styles of luxury. These pieces shaped societies – and continue to inform our perception of wealth today. £12 (free for members), britishmuseum.org

4

Sculpture in the City, Various locations Until 30 April

Upgrade your weekend walk and catch the end of the annual Sculpture in the City exhibition. The 11th edition includes 20 artworks scattered throughout London’s financial district, from spindly, alienlooking pillars to huge flowers in iridescent technicolour. Keep your eyes open for The Granary, a traditional English grain store rendered in shiny orange, and Nests, ceramic cocoons suspended, unassumingly, in trees.

Free, sculptureinthecity.org.uk

ROUGH NECK BUSINESS MIKE BALLARD, 2019, COPYRIGHT THE ARTIST © NICK TURPIN

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INSTALLATION OF DAVID HOCKNEY’S A BIGGER GRAND CANYON 1998, OIL ON 60 CANVASES, 81 1/2 X 293” OVERALL, © DAVID HOCKNEY COLLECTION NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA

David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (Not Smaller & Further Away), Lightroom

6

5

Alice Neel: Hot Off The Griddle, The Barbican

Until 21 May

Alice Neel was a radical and a rebel. She painted figuratively when it was deeply unfashionable to do so, and portrayed those on the fringes of society – civil rights activists, black and Puerto Rican children, Greenwich Village eccentrics, queer performers... She persisted in her subject, even though it meant sacrificing critical recognition during her lifetime; it was only recently that the humanity of her portraits garnered acclaim. This exhibition offers, therefore, a rare chance to see Neel’s work. £18 (free for members), barbican.org.uk

LEFT SELF PORTRAIT, 1980 RIGHT GEOFFREY HENDRICKS AND BRIAN, 1978 LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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Until 4 June

Immerse yourself in the colourful universe of David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. This exhibition stretches the possibilities of media, utilising the vast space of Kings Cross’s Lightroom, with a specially-commissioned score ringing from its revolutionary soundsystem. Audiences are led on a journey through 60 years of painting that takes them up into the Santa Monica mountains, through the Yorkshire Moors and into the world of theatre for an animated re-creation of Hockney’s famous opera designs. £25, lightroom.uk

7

Crown to Couture, Kensington Palace 5 April – 29 October

LEFT COURT SUIT © AMGUEDDFA CYMRU – NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES ABOVE SPITALFIELDS MANTUA BOTH © ROYAL HISTORIC PALACES

8

The royal Georgian court wasn’t so different from a celeb-studded event in 2023. Fashions were trailblazed at Kensington Palace and, indeed, 18th century apparel inspires couture today.

Experience objects that draw parallels between historical courts and the preparations, stylings and spectacles of today, including Lady Gaga’s green MTV Awards dress and the Silver Tissue Gown worn at the court of Charles II. £25.40 (free for members), hrp.org.uk

Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s Globe Until 15 April

Shakespeare’s first revenge tragedy centres around a Roman general who goes on a killing spree after ending up on the wrong side of Tamora, Queen of the Goths.

In fact, Titus is so graphic that it comes with a disclaimer: ‘This play contains incidents and themes of anti-black racism, sexual assault and its aftermath, extreme violence and death, including bodily mutilations, cannibalism, rape and self-harm.’ Nice.

If you’ve got the stomach for it, this new production by theatreland darling Jude Christian is one of the most exciting new openings of the year.

From £5, shakespearesglobe.com

© CAMILLA GREENWELL

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F E AT U R E

9 LADY LILITH, DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI, 1866-1868, ALTERED 1872-1873 © DELAWARE ART MUSEUM, SAMUEL AND MARY R. BANCROFT MEMORIAL

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The Rossettis,

Tate Britain 6 April – 24 September The Rossettis were probably the most culturally influential family in modern history. Gabriele Rossetti, a political refugee from Italy, and his wife had four children – all of whom became pioneers of the arts during the era of Romanticism, including poet and painter Dante Gabriel and poet Christina. Their remarkable careers and unconventional relationships will be explored in an immersive show, using spoken word, drawings, paintings, photography, and design. £22, tate.org.uk

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07/11/2022 15:21:15

The TANGLE of

TANGO

F O R I T S G R A P H I C P O R T R AYA L O F S E X , M A R L O N B R A N D O ’ S

L A S T TA N G O I N PA R I S WA S C E N S O R E D I N E U R O P E A N D D R E W W I D E S P R E A D C R I T I C I S M I N T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S . Y E T, T H E F I L M WA S L A U D E D B Y C R I T I C S A N D B R O K E R E C O R D S AT C I N E M AS . F I F T Y Y E A R S A F T E R I TS CO N T R OV E R S I A L R E L E AS E , A N E W S E R I E S S E TS O U T TO E X P LO R E T H E F I L M ’ S N OTO R I O U S PRODUCTION PROCESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BRANDO’S O N - S C R E E N L O V E R , T H E N - 1 9 -Y E A R - O L D M A R I A S C H N E I D E R

Words: Rob Crossan

MARLON BRANDO AND MARIA SCHNEIDER IN LAST TANGO IN PARIS, DIRECTED BY BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI, 1973 © GRANGER, NYC.

J

eanne: Why do you hate women?

Paul: Because either they always pretend to know who I am, or they pretend I don’t know who they are, and that’s very boring. *

Paris in the early 1970s. Brown, severe, tired, ashen. A place where austerity had waged a rancorous, and victorious, war over innocence and beauty. In thrall to the intellectual nihilism of Beckett, Sartre and Camus, the French capital was mired in a fug of cigarette smoke, existential philosophy and ennui as grey and unremitting as the flow of the Seine. The City of Light. Never had a moniker rang so vacantly.

It was also, if we are to believe the Paris created by director Bernardo Bertolucci in 1972, a place where broken men were free to destroy younger women. A way to rage against and further nullify, we’re invited to believe, their own ravaged lives.

Such is the wont of Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris, who played 45-year-old widower Paul, to the 19-year-old actress Maria Schneider, cast as aspiring actress Jeanne.

The two meet when searching for an apartment on Rue Jules Verne. They use the apartment for sex, which is animalistic, a retreat from the city outside. At no point, at Paul’s insistence, do the two ever reveal their names to each other.

Jeanne is a smear of beauty against a backdrop of dereliction and decay. Far from non, je ne regrette rien, the Paris of 31-year-old

SCHNEIDER, BRANDO AND BERTOLUCCI ON SET, 1 JULY 1972

Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci is a city that appears to regret everything. From the bottle of pastis last night, to the street battles of the previous decade.

When explaining how he wanted the film to look, Bertolucci took the film’s cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro, and, later, Brando himself, to see an exhibition of Francis Bacon paintings; two of which are displayed in the film’s opening credits. The wasted figure depicted in Portrait of Lucian Freud encompassed the brown colours, the despair, the suffering, for which Bertolucci was aiming.

“You see that painting?” the director is said to have asked Brando. “Well, I want you to re-create that same intense pain.”

Bertolucci would later say: “That was virtually the only direction I gave him on the film.”

At its most prosaic level, Last Tango in Paris explores how the cynicism and sexual demands of an ageing Lothario are surmounted by a far younger, much more impetuous woman. The strength of Schneider’s performance, however, and the power of the film in general, has been seriously tainted by later revelations.

At the time, Pauline Kael, then possibly the world’s pre-eminent film critic, wrote in The New Yorker that Last Tango in Paris had the ‘same kind of hypnotic excitement as Sacre [a reference to the debut performance of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring in Paris, which caused the audience to riot in 1913]... the same primitive force, and the same thrusting, jabbing eroticism.’

Kael went on: ‘Tango has altered the face of an art form. This is a movie people will be arguing about for as long as there are movies.’ To Kael, Tango was ‘the most powerfully erotic movie ever made, and it may turn out to be the most liberating movie ever made.’ This, from a female critic who had just witnessed a scene in which Paul rapes Jeanne in the apartment, using butter as a lubricant. As it later emerged, the pain on Jeanne’s face as she is abused was not purely theatrical.

Upon Tango’s release in Italy in December 1972, there were few showings, censors having refused to officially pass the film. That didn’t prevent the film grossing an unprecedented $100,000 in its first six days, some cinema-goers reportedly offering up to $100 per ticket. In 1976, the Italian Supreme Court ordered all copies of Tango to be destroyed. Bertolucci was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and banned from voting for five years.

In France, where Tango received critical acclaim, filmgoers queued for two hours. To get around censorship in their home country, Spaniards crossed the border into France. The film’s 1973 US release prompted cover stories in both Time and Newsweek magazines.

The weight of contemporary censors’ condemnation, and subsequent criticism, centred on the rape scene, a scene that critics like Kael chose largely to ignore, fixating instead upon the eroticism of Tango’s numerous other sex scenes.

“I should have called my agent, or had my lawyer come to the set, because you can’t force someone to do something that isn’t in the script,” Schneider said of the scene during an interview in 2007. “But at the time, I didn’t know that… Even though what Marlon was doing wasn’t real, I was crying real tears… I was too young to know better. Marlon later said that he felt manipulated – and he was Marlon Brando – so you can imagine how I felt. People thought I was like the girl in the movie, but that wasn’t me.”

In 2007, Schneider’s comments failed to ignite a serious reassessment of the film. In the wake of #MeToo, however, it’s

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DIRECTOR BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI, 14 OCTOBER 1972 © UNITED ARTISTS

BRANDO AND SCHNEIDER © UNITED ARTISTS

treatment of female actors by Harvey Weinstein.

Can abuse factor in the creation of great art? Undoubtedly.

Whether non-consensual behaviour should play a part in the creative process is a question that, two generations on from Last Tango in Paris, has shifted from the ambiguous to the definitive. No. We would like to think that there is next to no possibility of a contemporary actor having to endure what Maria Schneider went through during the filming of Last Tango. An overdue array of protective measures aims to ensure that artists are in control during every step of the filming process.

Back in 1973, however, it seems an actor giving in to the degrading directorial whims of a filmmaker like Bertolucci was something of a Faustian pact. Quite rightly, it has brought Bertolucci posthumous infamy.

Last Tango in Paris stands as a half-century-old celluloid document that has helped prompt two successive sexual revolutions. The first, upon release, was one of sexual liberation and euphoria among viewers. The second, after the death of Brando and Schneider, came from a re-positioning of the film’s perceived intentions and expositions.

Far from a tale of ennui, despair and sexual escapism, the film no longer resides in retro Parisian aspic, but serves as a cautionary tale as to what happens when artistic freedom reaches its absolute limits, evolving from emancipation into entrapment and coercion.

The sex, the décor, the clothes, the city of Paris of 1973, may now feel dated. But the conversations, explorations and progressions triggered by Last Tango in Paris continue to advance. In the truest, most enlightened sense of that great cliché, this is a film that could never be made today.

become almost impossible to watch Tango through anything other than the prism created by her admission. Schneider died in 2011, aged just 58. Leading Hollywood stars, including Chris Evans and Jessica Chastain, have subsequently taken to Twitter to rage against Tango, the latter tweeting, ‘To all the people that love this film, you’re watching a 19-year-old get raped by a 48-year-old man.

The director planned her attack. I feel sick.’

Bertolucci, before his death in 2018, insisted that the entire scene was in the script, and that Schneider knew what was going to happen during filming. Schneider, Brando and Bertolucci all agreed that there was no actual rape, with the director saying that the only improvised part was the use of the butter. That, in itself, was enough for Bertolucci to admit to feelings of shame about his treatment of Schneider.

“I’ve been, in a way, horrible to Maria because I didn’t tell her what was going on, because I wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress,” Bertolucci said in a 2013 TV interview. “I wanted her to react humiliated... And I think that she hated me, and also Marlon, because we didn’t tell her [about the butter]… and I still feel very guilty for that.”

Schneider remained friends with Brando until his death in 2004, but she never spoke to Bertolucci after filming was finished. With both actors and director having passed away, there can be no further questioning of the participants or the victim.

What is undoubtedly clear, is that abuse of female actors by powerful men has a long and miserable history in Hollywood.

From the treatment of Shelley Duvall by Stanley Kubrick during the making of The Shining – when his bullying caused the actress’ hair to fall out – to Alfred Hitchcock’s harassment of Tippi Hedren during The Birds – which saw the director throw live birds at the actress until she had a nervous breakdown (Hedren had refused to sleep with Hitchcock during shooting) – right up to the

Bertolucci insisted that the entire scene was in the script

America’s CBS Studios is in the process of co-producing ‘Tango’, a limited series that will explore the 18 months before, during and after the making of ‘Last Tango in Paris’.

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Enter

STAGE RIGHT B R I D G E R T O N , T H E N E T F L I X S M A S H H I T, T H R U S T L U K E T H O M P S O N I N T O T H E S P O T L I G H T. N O W, A S H E P R E P A R E S T O T R E A D T H E B O A R D S I N T H E S TA G E A D A P TAT I O N O F H A N YA YA N A G I H A R A’ S A L I T T L E L I F E , T H E A C T O R D I S C U S S E S P R O T E C T I N G H I S P R I VA C Y, T H E P O W E R O F T H E AT R E , A N D P O R T R AY I N G T H E D A R K E S T A S P E C T S O F T H E H U M A N P S Y C H E

Words: Anna Solomon

I

Photography: Lee Malone

had one objective when I interviewed Luke Thompson: break him. Find the chink in his armour and pry it open until he spills his deepest, darkest secrets. I’m joking, of course – I’m no Lynn Barber. But Thompson is something of an enigma, and I have my work cut out when it comes to cracking the code.

For one, Thompson doesn’t have social media, so I can’t stalk him before our interview. “I realised I was finding it hard to focus on a book or anything like that,” says the 34-year-old. “And I was like, God, this constant information-sharing is wrecking my ability to concentrate.” Media appearances? Not much there, either.

Aside from a couple of online interviews, Thompson isn’t one to bare his soul to the broadsheets.

So I go in blind. We’re on an early morning video call; Thompson appears wearing a striped shirt and thick-rimmed glasses. Your quintessential English gent: dapper and debonair with a Hugh Grant-esque furrow to his brow and very captivating green eyes. Thompson speaks with a slightly plummy, RADAcertified twang. “We’re just finishing up filming,” he tells me.

Filming, that is, for Season Three of Bridgerton – the moststreamed series on Netflix after Squid Game. Set in Regency London, the programme follows the romantic lives of the titular family. Season One focused on Daphne Bridgerton’s liaison with the marriage-averse Duke of Hastings, while Season Two traced eldest son Anthony’s quest to find a wife. “I’m extremely proud of the show,” says Thompson. “You’re enabling people to drift away on a bit of romance, you know?”

His character, Benedict Bridgerton, is the second son. With none of his brother’s responsibility, Benedict is free to dabble in the bohemian life – he writes poetry, paints, and engages in trysts with various women. Anthony is all brooding glares and martyred monologues; Benedict is frippery shirts and strategically-fitted breeches. “One of the quotes from the book [it was the novels

by Julia Quinn that formed the basis of the television show] is something along the lines of, ‘he wishes he was a little less Bridgerton and a little more himself’. I think that drives his whole story. He’s trying to know who he is outside the family.”

Benedict is yet to have his moment in the limelight; the third book is about him, so it was assumed that he would take the mantle for the next Netflix series. Instead, the third brother, Colin, will take the floor. “Because [Benedict] is not front and centre – he’s sort of leaning in the back of the ballroom with a grin on his face, judging people – he’s available a little bit to the audience, but not fully,” Thompson has said.

Sound like someone else we know? Thompson is guarded, albeit good-naturedly, on the more personal stuff – questions that might give me an idea as to who he is after a scene has wrapped.

Does he enjoy a night out, or is he more of a takeaway and box-set sort of guy? “To be honest, after rehearsal, I’m comatose most of the time.” No joy there.

Indeed, Thompson won’t even elucidate on his favourite film, claiming not to “have any”, so I should have known that naming the craziest thing he’s ever done would be beyond the pale (“oh, goodness. Whatever you want it to be. Let your imagination run

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wild”). I do manage to wheedle out of him that he enjoys French cuisine, but then, he did grow up in France. Good job, Sherlock.

I think I’m beginning to get it, though. For Thompson, it’s all about the art. On the social media thing, it’s not just about a diminishing attention span, it’s about projecting, or not projecting, a certain image: “If you don’t know much about [an actor], you’re more likely to be able to fill them with yourself. The more you give people, the more you’re limiting their ability to imagine you into something else,” he explains. “It’s sort of like those old cameras where, if you opened them at the wrong time, you’d ruin the negative.”

It’s almost like Thompson feels that, if he deigned to reveal his favourite film, or admit that he enjoys a Domino’s pizza once in a while, the spell would be broken and I wouldn’t be able to think of him as a Serious Actor Who Does Shakespeare.

That wasn’t just an analogy – it was Thompson’s love of the bard that got him into acting; his debut performance was as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and he has since appeared in productions of Julius Caesar, Hamlet and King Lear. “[TV] is not the same as someone looking at you. It’s sort of like a cubist painting, all taken to pieces and you don’t really get to feel it,” he says. “What I love about theatre is being in the room with people.

You can get a bit drunk on an audience.”

Now, after a hiatus in the frothy, bodice-ripping world of Bridgerton, Thompson has a suitably meaty stage role to get stuck into. It’s Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, premiering at the Harold Pinter Theatre this spring. “I’d read the book, and I knew [director Ivo van Hove’s] work and found it very exciting. So, with the combination of those things, I thought, ‘Wow, this is really special’,” he says.

The 2015 novel follows the lives of four friends in New York: Malcolm, JB, Jude, and Thompson’s character Willem. Jude’s is the central storyline, and it’s not happy, comprising abuse, rape, suicide and self-harm. Happy Valley’s James Norton, who plays the protagonist in A Little Life, has discussed having therapists on hand for the “disturbing” role. It’s going to be intense. Which is exactly what intrigues me – and everyone else that will be fighting for tickets – about this production.

Critics’ reception of the novel was fairly unanimous. Yes, it’s heavy, but Yanagihara averts ‘trauma porn’ territory with remarkable prowess. Will van Hove be so lucky? How does one transpose such subject matters onto the stage without it feeling overblown and dismal?

For Thompson, it’s a moot point – he feels strongly that the content of the play should not be sanitised: “It’s very important not to be too – what’s the word – polite? Yanagihara wanted to write something unignorably visceral, and just hit you in the face with it. That has to translate into the play.”

“Obviously, there’s space for theatre to be somewhere you go and forget your troubles,” Thompson continues. “But I also think we also go there to be upset. The whole exercise is, you know, provocative. It has to be provocative.” Plus, he refuses to see A Little Life as simply ‘sad’. Through the hardship, he says, it is a beautiful character study and depiction of love and friendship.

“And, actually, it’s a very relatable story, which I know sounds mad because of the Baroque nature of the suffering,” he continues.

“But it’s just about pain and how we nurture our pain because, if we let go of it, we wouldn’t really know who we were anymore.”

“What you hide is just as important as what you reveal” Thompson is incredibly articulate when discussing his roles, adopting the tone of an English university professor. Unsurprising, perhaps, for a man whose favourite book – he granted me an answer to that question at least – is Dostoevsky’s philosophical 840-page tome The Brothers Karamazov. When he’s not reading Russian literature, the actor can be found playing the piano, before, presumably, popping off for a bit of escargot and never, ever scrolling memes or watching TikToks.

On paper, it sounds affected. As well as refusing to be drawn on light-hearted inquiry, Thompson won’t take the bait when I probe him on those famous Bridgerton sex scenes, instead launching into a high-minded meditation on the creative power of eroticism (“actually, it’s a piece of physical drama”). When I ask him about the series’ ‘colour blind’ approach (where actors are cast irrespective of their ethnicity or race) he corrects me pointedly: “Colour conscious. Colour blind would mean that [race] is completely disregarded. Genetics exist in this world, it’s just a slightly parallel fantasy.”

But, and I cannot stress this enough, Thompson is not affected.

A giddy, slightly boyish sense of humour shines through as he reminisces about filming an episode where Benedict and Colin drink opium tea: “It was a bit gross because it was a dinner scene and, by the end of the day, the food absolutely stank,” he grins. “It was a hot room and, to be honest, I did start to feel a bit high.” He has an easy smile, effortless warmth and, despite clearly doing the press rounds for A Little Life, appears to have time for everyone.

“Are you going to come?” he asks, earnestly.

Celebrity certainly hasn’t gone to Thompson’s head. “[Being a public figure] changes a lot of things, but it can also be a choice.

You can choose to let it become this watershed thing,” he muses, towards the end of our interview. “I get noticed [in public] occasionally, that’s really nice. I hear about fan accounts, and that’s rather charming. But the main way Bridgerton changed my life, for which I’m extremely grateful, is that it provided me with more hours in front of the camera.”

And that, I think, is what it all boils down to for Thompson.

Here is a man who genuinely loves his craft and wants nothing more than the opportunity to hone it.

So, no, I didn’t necessarily peel back the layers of the onion.

What I did do was check my own cynicism. Not everyone who’s off social media is doing it to be sanctimonious. When people wax lyrical about their passions, they sometimes mean it. And, in the age of information, it’s nice to have a bit of mystery.

“What you hide is just as important as what you reveal,” Thompson has said, and I’m coming around to that mode of thinking. I no longer want to spoil the negative.

‘A Little Life’ runs at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 25 March until 18 June 2023, tickets from £15, haroldpintertheatre.co.uk

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HYPERCARS, HOT

H ATC H E S & S U P E R S U Vs

Looks aside, the new Harley-Davidson Nightster is a completely different bike from anything that’s come from the brand before, p58.

58 Harley-Davidson Nightster Has the famous Milwaukee brand lost its soul in the rush to join the future?

62 Lamborghini Urus S Behind the wheel of Lambo’s brand-new, 190mph ‘entry-level’ super-SUV

THE WHOLE HOG H A R L E Y- D AV I D S O N ’ S B R A N D N E W N I G H T S T E R I S V E R Y U N - H A R L E Y- D AV I D S O N - L I K E , B O A S T I N G H I G H -T E C H D R I V E M O D E S , T R A C T I O N C O N T R O L , D R A G -T O R Q U E S L I P C O N T R O L A N D A N E W L C D D I S P L AY. A H A R L E Y- D AV I D S O N F O R T H E 2 1 S T - C E N T U R Y, T H E N , B U T H A S T H E L AT E S T S P O R T S T E R L O S T I T S C L A S S I C M I LWA U K E E S O U L I N T H E R U S H TO J O I N T H E F U T U R E ?

Words & Photography: Charlie Thomas

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T

he road seems to lead to nowhere. It dissects a flat, desert-like stretch of land populated by a mixture of simple, wood-panelled shacks, telephone poles and two lighthouses. A power station looms in the background, while a single tavern provides a welcome break for weary travellers. The grey-and-black Harley-Davidson looks right at home. Despite feeling like it, I’m not in a dusty, remote California outpost. Rather, I’m on the most southerly tip of Kent, just 75 miles south of London.

Dungeness is a unique headland that looks about as far removed as possible from anywhere else in the UK. The protected area of land houses some of the rarest wildlife in this part of Europe, as well as alien-sounding plants, like ‘Viper’s Bugloss’ and ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’. It’s a uniquely flat, sparse stretch of shingle, said to be one of the largest in Europe, but it’s become as well known for its architecture as it has its nature. Dotted around are converted Victorian train carriages, reconfigured as homes for local fishermen. Elsewhere, there are strikingly modern, Grand Designs-style holiday homes. The lighthouses watch over everything, all-seeing concrete guardians.

To get here, I took the all-new Harley-Davidson Nightster, which stands out in its own way. First off, you don’t have to know much about bikes to recognise that it’s a Harley-Davidson.

The distinctive silhouette has been immortalised in film 100 times over. But throw a leg over and this new iteration becomes a completely different Harley than the bikes you thought you knew. This is a thoroughly modern motorcycle – far from the basic, unpretentious bikes upon which the brand has built its name. It’s caused quite the stir among the Milwaukee faithful as a result.

It’s said to be based on the company’s Sportster line of bikes, which Harley-Davidson has produced continually since 1957. One of the longest running families of any motorcycle manufacturer, the Sportster has always been the brand’s most versatile bike. It has competed in, and won, numerous dirt track races over the years.

It was Evel Knievel’s favourite bike. The Sportster is often thought of as the entry point into Harley ownership, with its winning combination of smaller size, unintimidating riding position and less powerful engine.

In the UK, however, the Sportster as we know it is no more.

Emissions laws made its distinctive air-cooled V-Twin engine defunct, unable to pass strict Euro 5 tests, so changes had to be made. The new Sportster, released in 2021, took things in a drastically new direction. The old thumping V-twin was replaced with the brand’s new Revolution Max engine, resulting in sports bikelevels of power and torque. The styling was beefed up, too, meaning that it possessed little resemblance to what had come before.

In truth, other than the looks, there are few similarities between the new Nightster and the Sportsters of yesteryear

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H A R L E Y D AV I D S O N N I G H T S T E R – T H E N U M B E R S

ENGINE REVOLUTION MAX 975T

D I S P L AC E M E N T

TORQUE

HORSEPOWER

FUEL ECONOMY

975 CC

95 NM

89 HP @ 7500 RPM

5 .1 L / 1 0 0 K M

This is where the 2022 Nightster comes in. It’s got the classic Sportster silhouette, including the signature peanut tank, rear guard and upright forks. But it, too, is powered by a Revolution Max engine, and it features sophisticated brakes and suspension.

In truth, other than the looks, there are few similarities between the new Nightster and the Sportsters of yesteryear. But is that necessarily a bad thing?

It certainly doesn’t feel like it riding south out of London and down into Kent. The bike is light and nimble, making it easy to navigate through hordes of busy city traffic. The relatively slim profile ensures filtering is a breeze, while the large, two-into-one exhaust lets cars know you’re coming through. On that note, the sound is something that sets this bike apart from any other Sportster made from the 1950s through to last year. It’s made by the liquid-cooled, 975cc Revolution Max engine, Harley’s new, 21st-century take on the V-twin engine around which its bikes have always been forged. It produces 89 bhp, and a hefty punch of torque that far outperforms any other Sportster. Just don’t expect that signature bassy rumble you’ve come to expect from Harley-Davidsons. Start up the Nightster and it clatters to life, making a strangely tinny, empty idle that will disappoint purists.

Things make more sense under load. As I escape the stopstart traffic of London and make it onto the A2, a twist of the throttle produces a surprising roar that seems to want to go on forever. The bike rushes forward, the addictive intake noise willing you to tease every ounce of the bike’s seemingly infinite torque. I eventually make it to the M20 and once settled in, the Nightster is right at home cruising on the motorway. Which makes sense as long, wide roads are the ancestral seat of the Harley-Davidson brand.

The bike is also fine for short journeys. The M20 is no Pacific Coast Highway, but you could happily relax on it for an hour or so. Anything longer than that and you might find you get a sore backside. The slightly forward foot pegs and low-slung seat mean that most of your bodyweight goes through your rear, which looks far cooler than it feels.

Things improve on Kent’s flowing B roads. While often too narrow for extracting the most out of a car, the Garden of England is perfect for exploring on two wheels. The Harley dices up the back roads leading down to the coast; its light, easilychuckable weight and explosive torque making it feel more like a sport bike than a traditional cruiser. On the longer stretches it’s an effortless overtaker, while on the more technical, tighter bends it inspires confidence with its predictable, easy turn-in and surprising ability to lean.

It’s perhaps on these roads that the Nightster makes most sense.

Harley-Davidsons have never been known for their performance.

But the new, incredibly responsive engine and large, Brembo disk

brakes means you can start and stop as quickly as most things on the road. There are three ride modes, including ‘sport’, as well as a fancy drag torque slip control, which better manages the power in slippery conditions. Combine this with its lightweight feel and low centre of gravity, and it makes for a thoroughly modern package – one that’s more than capable of keeping up with sport bikes. For younger riders who may not have that nostalgic attachment to the thumping V-twins of old – yet still appreciate the classic cruiser silhouette – this might be the perfect bike.

Regardless of how it rides, the Nightster certainly looks like it belongs in Dungeness. The vast, desolate landscape opens out as I crawl along the single tarmac street that splits the shingle expanse in two. At first glance, it looks as though Dungeness hasn’t changed a great deal in 100 years. But look a little closer and you notice the trendy fish hut serving fresh catches, the modernist black holiday homes, and, famously, that power station. Time moves forward, places adapt, design evolves.

A remote headland in Kent isn’t immune, and neither is the longest-running model in Harley-Davidson’s history.

From £12,995, harley-davidson.com

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S O M E H O W, T H E N E W L A M B O R G H I N I U R U S S PA C K S E V E N M O R E P O W E R T H A N I T S P R E D E C E S S O R .

L U X U R Y LO N D O N D R I V E S T H E F I R S T M O D E L T O A R R I V E I N T H E U K T O D I S C O V E R T H AT AWAY F R O M T H E S P E E D O M E T E R , I T ’ S D I F F I C U LT T O S P O T M A N Y OT H E R D I F F E R E N C E S

Words: Jeremy Taylor

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he original Lamborghini Urus was quick. Properly quick. The new version, the Urus S, is, marginally, even faster. It is also, implausibly, even noisier, and, not so improbably, even more expensive.

The Urus S, which goes on sale this year, shares the same 4.0-litre V8 as the original Urus but now boasts 657 bhp (upped from 641 bhp), trimming its 0-62 mph credentials by 0.1 seconds to 3.5 seconds. Prices for the outgoing model started at £182,000. The new version kicks off at £188,000. In reality, most buyers will spend in excess of £200,000, after they’ve dived into an extensive, and suitably extortionate, accessories list.

Alongside the S, there’s also the new, and even faster, Urus Performante. Last year, the Performante broke the record for an SUV on the fabled Pikes Peak hill climb in the United States.

Performance enhanced, the Performante is much harsher on the road, utilises the same engine as the S but will hit 62 mph in 3.3 seconds. Prices begin at £209,000.

Think of the S, then, as the new ‘entry level’ Urus. I suggest, however, very few drivers will be able to spot the difference between the new and the old on a public road. That will prove especially true in Central London, where holding the Lamborghini back to just 20 mph requires saintlike restraint.

I was lucky enough to have been invited to drive the first Urus S to arrive in Britain. So, other than the souped-up engine, what else is new?

Well, ‘streamlined’ front and rear bumpers are the most obvious changes. A matte black skid plate another. Most of the other visual updates come at extra cost: 23-inch Taigete wheels in bronze and diamond polish are, for example, one of three designs on offer.

The standard model comes with 21-inch wheels.

A retuned exhaust system improves the sound at start-up and offers a more distinctive note in each drive mode, of which there are now six. The new, and appropriately named, ‘Ego’ mode allows drivers to tailor the drivetrain and air suspension to their individual preference. Like the Off-Road drive mode, very few Urus drivers will likely ever engage it.

The original Urus gate-crashed into the UK’s booming SUV market in 2017. Porsche had recently caused a stir with the Cayenne Turbo – arguably the first of the super-SUVs – but the prospect of a front-engined, practical Lamborghini capable of carrying an entire family must have had accountants at the Volkswagen Audi Group rubbing their hands together.

At the launch, Lamborghini’s ex-CEO, Stefano Domenicali, former team principal of Ferrari Formula One and current CEO of the Formula One Group, said the company wasn’t watering down the brand by building an SUV. “Lamborghini is still a macho car and no, we are not softening the brand with an SUV. Lamborghini had to develop for the future if it was going to survive and have the finances to build more supercars. In the past we polarised people – you either loved or hated our cars. With the Urus you either love it or you

don’t... You are going to love it.”

Instead of a rear-mounted V10 or V12, like Lamborghini’s Huracán and Aventador supercars, the Urus 4.0-litre twinturbo V8 was borrowed from the Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne Turbo. The Lamborghini also used the same platform as the Audi SQ7.

Judging by sales since then – more than 200,000 have rolled off the production line – Domenicali was right. If the Urus was the price Lamborghini had to pay to build more bonkers supercars, then the model has paid dividends. A lunatic of a car that terrorised other SUVs, the original 641 bhp Urus was a tearaway. It was also, I’d go as far to say, the best looking of the bunch, until Aston Martin created the DBX. The new Urus S, given enough traffic-free tarmac, is, as you’d expect, a blast. Burbling around town, the Lambo can be restrained. Yet the merest blip of the throttle and all hell breaks loose. Hard cornering is flattened out by an active anti-roll system, four-wheel steering sharpens up handling and, when you finally lose your bottle, some of the industry’s largest carbonceramic brakes bring everything back to reality.

Inside, the S cabin is considerably better than the Aston Martin DBX, which still suffers from an old Mercedes infotainment system – it hasn’t even been upgraded to a touchscreen configuration. The Lamborghini, on the other hand, has several connected services, including navigation and security features, all of which can be managed from a mobile phone app.

LUXURY LONDON

DRIVE

For the S, Lamborghini is offering revised colour and trim packages, with a range of funky, dual matching schemes branded ‘Sportivo’, as well as fancy new stitching patterns for the leather.

Domenicali’s successor, Stephan Winkelmann, said of the new S: “Urus has proven its appeal for those seeking the decisive combination of the sportiest SUV and a Lamborghini to drive every day. The Urus S sits perfectly alongside the new Urus Performante, for those choosing the purest sublimation of performance, luxury and versatility.”

Of the Performante? It might come with a little more under the bonnet, but the mix of comfort and raw power in the S model

seems just about right to me. You’d think the 20 mpg credentials of the Performante might prove painful. But perhaps not at this end of the market.

A ‘green’ Lamborghini SUV might sound like something of an oxymoron, but rumours are that there will be a hybrid variant introduced to the line-up in the next couple of years.

For now, the Urus S makes a strong claim for being the best super-SUV that money can buy. A lot of money, yes. But also an insane amount of car.

From £188,000, lamborghini.com

LAMBORGHINI URUS S – THE NUMBERS

POWERTRAIN

TRANSMISSION

4.0-LITRE, TWINTURBOCHARGED V8

8-SPEED A U T O M AT I C

POWER/TORQUE

0-62MPH

TOP SPEED

6 57 B H P/ 8 5 0 N M

3.5 SECONDS

190MPH

U R U S S – T H E R I VA L S

ASTON MARTIN DBX The British marque’s first, full-size five-seater looks sensational and competes with the Lamborghini in the beauty stakes. Beautifully styled both inside the out, the Aston’s Achilles’ heel is the outdated dashboard technology that doesn’t keep pace with the thrilling performance of a twin-turbo V8.

P O R S C H E C AY E N N E C O U P E G T The Coupe GT feels more like a lowslung sports car than an SUV. It may beat the Aston and Lamborghini on price but that doesn’t mean Porsche has cut any corners on build quality and performance.

The V8 turbo is a brilliant machine, while the GT is also available with hybrid options that will raise the appeal for many buyers. porsche.com

astonmartin.com

B E N T L E Y B E N TAY G A V 8

L A N D R OV E R R A N G E R OV E R P 53 0

What the Bentayga lacks in visual appeal it more than makes up for in luxuriousness. The exquisite cabin is a design masterclass, equipped with the very latest connected services and high-resolution graphics. The 4.0-litre twinturbo V8 is kept in check with Bentley’s Dynamic Ride system.

The P530 is loaded with a 523 bhp twin-turbo BMW engine that gives the ultimate, go-anywhere luxury limo a serious turn of speed.

This Range Rover-on-steroids is a blast to drive and few drivers will need more performance from their SUV. The waiting list for a Range Rover is lengthy, so don’t expect to own one until 2024.

bentleymotors.com

landrover.co.uk

LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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MRMARVIS.CO.UK

THE WEDDING ISSUE 2023

WALKING on

SUNSHINE LUXURY LONDON’S GUIDE TO PLANNING THE PERFECT DAY

PHOTOGRAPHER: ADAM FUSSELL

STYLIST: SARAH ANN MURRAY

EDITED BY: RICHARD BROWN & ANNA SOLOMON

CONTENTS

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our wedding: the best day of your life, hopefully.

And, most likely, the one that requires the most planning. There are myriad things to think about, from choosing exactly the right engagement ring, to settling on a venue. So, you’ll be pleased to know that we cover both those boxes in this special wedding supplement, as well as the all-important question of what to wear on your feet and how to pick the perfect accessories. We’ve also recruited one of the UK's leading wedding planners, Charlotte RicardQuesada, to impart her words of wisdom, and, yes, tackled the looming question of what to wear on the one day when all eyes will be on you. The memory-making starts here. AS

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THE ONE It all starts here – your complete guide to buying an engagement ring

TOP TIPS The UK's leading wedding planner offers some insider advice

HEART'S DESIRE What stylish brides will be wearing in 2023, according to top dress designers

20 16 34 16

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BLACK MAGIC Everything you need to know about nailing black-tie style

LOOKS OF LOVE How to slide from the ceremony to the reception in style

WEDDING READY Beauty products guaranteed not to fail you on the big day

36 38 42

STATEMENT SHOES Footwear for her, from the traditional to the nonconformist

ONCE UPON A TIME Smart dress watches to match your suit

WHEN THE STARS ALIGN Ever wondered where the A-list gets married?

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HARRY WINSTON'S BRIDAL COUTURE ROUND BRILLIANT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING FEATURES A 3.20 CARAT ROUND BRILLIANT CENTRE STONE SURROUNDED BY A RING OF 88 MARQUISE, PEAR-SHAPED AND ROUND BRILLIANT DIAMONDS

T H E

ONE T H E CO M P L E T E G U I D E TO B U Y I N G A N E N G AG E M E N T R I N G

Words: Annabel Harrison

T

he biggest question – the all-important ‘Will you marry me?’ – is necessarily preceded by a string of smaller questions. Choosing an engagement ring, after all, involves working out a lot of answers.

Which style? Which cut? Which carat? Are you sure she even wants a diamond? Which metal? Which size? Do you go alternative? Do you go bespoke? And, most importantly of all, which ring will tell her you love her the most? (Clue: it’ll be the one of which she’s always dreamt).

Thankfully, the brands designing today’s most covetable engagement rings know their stuff. For them, rings are about much more than the materials from which they are made. For Valérie Messika, solitaires and wedding bands are “loaded with meaning and modernity, symbolising forever lasting love”. For the team at Graff, engagement rings symbolise the “love story between a jewel and its wearer”. Meanwhile, Chupi Sweetman finds it magical when her jewellery becomes part of one of the most important, exciting and love-filled days of people’s lives, while Kiki McDonough is still, after 35 years, amazed and inspired by how varied people’s ideas can be.

THE STYLE There are so many options to choose from that it can be overwhelming. But, when it comes to choosing the perfect engagement ring, the answer is often right in front of you. Chupi Sweetman, who founded Chupi in 2011, asks you to remember that “money doesn’t make magic".

“It’s easy to get caught up in old traditions when choosing an engagement ring, but it’s the love that goes into it that really counts. When thinking about what ring you should choose, think about your partner’s style, what pieces they already own and the metal they usually wear. Would they love a statement, unique stone or something more pared-back and traditional? When in doubt – ask for help!”

Like Chupi, many jewellers have in-house diamond specialists offering one-to-one consultations to take the uncertainty out of what can be, Chupi concedes, an “extremely daunting” process.

Come prepared with images of pieces she already owns and (importantly) wears and let the experts turn the process into something exciting and enjoyable.

THE DIAMOND Boodles has been looking after happy couples for more than two centuries “and yet it’s still exciting every single time,” says Boodles’ Director James Amos. “We’re captivated by diamonds, and search the world for the best.” The most important things to consider when choosing a diamond are, of course, the famous 'Four Cs': cut, colour, clarity and carat.

“These are the barometers by which the world judges the beauty of a diamond,” explains Amos. The cut is the only C that is entirely manipulated by the diamond cutter and reflects the quality of how the diamond has been crafted and shaped. Colour refers to how clear or discoloured a diamond is (rated from D to Z); the whiter the diamond, the higher its value. Clarity refers to a diamond’s blemishes (or lack of, ideally) with each stone graded on a scale from FL (flawless) to I3 (imperfect); carats, very simply, are what’s used to measure the size of diamonds.

THE METAL This is one of the easier questions to answer, because there aren’t too many options: white gold (most popular), yellow gold (more traditional), rose gold (increasingly popular) and platinum (pure and clean-cut, with a beautiful shine) are the most obvious. Black gold is more unusual but some designers use it to create amazingly unique rings. If sustainability is at the forefront of your requirements, recycled golds are always an option too.

GOING SUSTAINABLE Chemically identical to their natural counterparts, labgrown diamonds eliminate the need for mining and, while greater research is needed, may be more environmentally friendly too. Statista forecasts that, by 2030, lab-grown diamonds will represent 10 per cent of the global diamond market and they're currently particularly popular among a younger demographic of socially- and ecologically-conscious consumers.

Research is power when it comes to ascertaining a brand's sustainable credentials; scour their website, call them up, visit them in person and ask lots of questions. If ever the answers feel too faltering, vague or non-committal for you to be sure, go elsewhere.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS Solitaire diamonds tend to take centre stage when it comes to engagement rings but some people “seem to be tiring of that look”, says Kiki McDonough, who has always designed jewellery that incorporates a range of beautiful coloured stones. “Green tourmaline, blue indicolite, morganite and rubellite are all wonderful alternatives.”

This is a trend that has no doubt been helped on its way by the Duchess of Cambridge (who sports an exquisite sapphire and diamond engagement ring) and the likes of Eva Longoria (ruby), Halle Berry (emerald), and Gwyneth Paltrow and Princess Eugenie (both sapphire). When it comes to alternative styles, turn to London-based designer Tessa Packard. “We are best known for engagement rings that are very design-led and therefore not typically ‘bridal’ looking. We like to create engagement rings that feel more ‘cocktail ring-like’ and that really reflect the personality of the wearer.”

HOW MUCH TO SPEND A loaded question, and we’d like to take the opportunity to remove all mention of the word ‘should’. The idea that one should spend a month’s salary, or two, or even three, is rooted in advertising campaigns of decades past. Today, it’s all about how much you can, or want, to spend, and there are no rules. Certain grades or cuts of diamonds will be more expensive, of course, so ask plenty of questions and remember, the more you spend on the ring, the less money you’ll have for the honeymoon.

Good luck!

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Meet the wedding planner

CHARLOTTE RICARD-QUESADA T H E AWA R D - W I N N I N G E V E N T C O O R D I N AT O R O N S P E C TA C U L A R V E N U E S , W H E R E T O S TA R T W H E N P L A N N I N G A W E D D I N G A N D H E R O W N B I G D AY

Interview by: Alexander Mark Jones

S

even years ago, Charlotte Ricard-Quesada quit her job in the fashion industry to pursue her true passion – creating beautiful and memorable events. Today, La Fête, which means ‘the party’ in French, specialises in creating stylish, often multicultural, parties across Europe. Last year, the company was named ‘Best UK Wedding Planner’ at the 2022 Bridelux Awards.

"It was the biggest compliment,” says Ricard-Quesada, “especially after the pandemic, already having an 18-month-old, and just about to give birth to my second child, it made me think, if I can win this, in these circumstances, I can do anything!”

What differentiates La Fête from other event planning businesses?

My parents are multicultural Europeans and I grew up bilingual in Geneva. I speak four languages – English, French, Spanish and Italian – and am married to a Spaniard. I instinctively understand, live and breathe multiculturality, the blend between traditions and the desire to make all parties involved happy and valued. At La Fête, we just get it because that’s our story too.

What’s the starting point for styling a wedding? It depends on each couple; some couples have a very clear vision, some don’t. Firstly, it’s a question of understanding who they are, what makes them tick, what they like or dislike. I then build a mood board based on what we have discussed and accompany it with a sentence that encapsulates the essence of the wedding. Once approved by the couple, this becomes the guideline for the whole event.

What is the most challenging request you’ve ever been asked to fulfil?

One of the first weddings I planned after setting up La Fête was in the Tuscan hills for a Paris-based couple. Their Catholic priest was undecided about travelling to Italy, which meant we had to find a local French-speaking priest, willing to marry them in a church that wasn’t his, as well as an Italian priest who would agree for his church to be used! Quite miraculously, we were able to set all of this up in a church that the couple loved, coordinating with two priests that were well into their 80s and who only had access to a landline.

What is the most beautiful wedding venue you’ve ever seen?

This is a difficult one, because each wedding venue has a style that can then be decorated a certain way. There are several wedding venues that make my heart flutter though. The Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna, La Foce in Tuscany and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte just outside of Paris. All three venues are majestic in different ways.

Which do you think is London’s most spectacular wedding venue? London is full of remarkable venues, in every shape, size and style, but one in particular is very close to my heart.

Banqueting House, part of the Historic Royal Palaces in Whitehall, is such a grand space where there are infinite options to create something unique. It’s also always incredible to look up and see the ceiling – it’s the only Rubens in the world that’s still in the original place for which it was commissioned.

Which celebrity wedding would you most like to have attended?

I would have loved to have been a guest at Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in India.

They seamlessly blended their cultures in such a beautiful, respectful and unique way that truly showed who they are as individuals and together as a couple.

Tell us about your own wedding day... Technically, I had several wedding days! The day I got married was a very small affair in Seville’s city hall, followed by a cocktail hour on a rooftop. We had a black-tie celebration with 265 guests the next night in a Moorish palace with late-night dancing in the former palace stables. A few months later, we had a blessing on Île de Ré, a small island on the French Atlantic coast where I have spent each summer since I was a child and where I dreamed of getting married. The blessing was held in the 12th century ruins of a Cistercian abbey and the party took place in the neighbouring Fort de La Prée, a 17th century military fort designed by Vauban.

Where did you honeymoon? We honeymooned around Japan for three weeks – a lifelong dream that brought together our two passions: architecture and history.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give a couple about to start planning their own wedding? Take your time! If you want a summer wedding, plan it for the following summer.

You only get to be fiancés once, so enjoy it! The magic of having time on your side is that you can chat wedding talk every now and again, and tick things off. If you rush it, you will end up having to chat wedding every single night and it will take away the pleasure of planning your big day. la-fete.com THE WEDDING ISSUE

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Celebrating your best

Love, Life, Legacy

Your journey of a lifetime begins at Pan Pacific London, as we set the stage for you to say “I do”.

We love nothing more than curating your special day, whether it be designing bespoke menus, organising floral and lighting arrangements, coordinating food and wine tastings, recommending suppliers, and ensuring the day is devoted to you.

Let us make your dreams come true, with magical moments celebrated and treasured memories captured.

For more information call +44 (0) 20 7118 6888 or email weddings.pplon@panpacific.com @PANPACIFICLONDON PANPACIFICLONDON.COM

t ' r s a D e H

e r i s e L O O K I N G F O R S O M E B I G - D AY I N S P I R AT I O N ? H E R E ’ S W H AT S T Y L I S H BRIDES WILL BE WEARING DOWN THE A I S L E I N 2 02 3 , ACCO R D I N G TO LO N D O N ’ S L E A D I N G W E D D I N G DRESS DESIGNERS

Words: Francesca Lee-Rogers

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SUN TAFFETA SLEEVES, £925, HALFPENNY LONDON, HALFPENNYLONDON.COM

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S TAT E M E N T S L E E V E S

EUPHORIA CAPE, POA, CAROLINE CASTIGLIANO, CAROLINECASTIGLIANO.COM

“Brides are loving these options more than ever, taking the opportunity to add the 'wow' factor to a classic, simple, effortless dress" F E AT H E R S Adding texture and glamour to wedding attire, feathers are an alternative embellishment to the usual lace and crystals. Keep it subtle with a simple feather cuff or go all out with a couture feather-adorned gown; this look also nods to Hollywood glamour, another top trend for 2023.

A further way to incorporate this trend into your look is through accessories – whether it’s a feathery headpiece or even feathery bridal shoes, you’ll certainly be aflutter as you make your big entrance. Award-winning milliner Katherine Elizabeth has seen a rise in big ostrich feathers specifically, which she thinks is “due to classical dramas such as Bridgerton”. She has also seen “architectural quills and stripped coques” surge in popularity when it comes to the hats of wedding guests.

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Not solely for colder climes, statement sleeves have made a splash on the 2023 runways. Puffed sleeves are just one of the ways to encapsulate this style – and the bigger the better.

Once reserved for bridesmaid dresses, they add volume to a wedding dress and are a sure-fire way to make a statement – as are full-flared sleeves.

For a more structured look – as well as one that’s stood the test of time – a ballgown style with full-length illusion lace-fitted sleeves is the way to go. It’s a regal take on a traditional dress – as epitomised by Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen-designed gown for her wedding to Prince William – and remains popular to this day.

“Long sleeves with accentuated shoulders are hugely popular,” says Chelsea-based Phillipa Lepley. “They are perfect for winter weddings or those wanting more elegant cover.”

For those still undecided on whether to sleeve or not to sleeve, detachable designs could be the solution. “I love a sleeve,” says luxury wedding dress designer Caroline Castigliano, “and if they are detachable, it is a good way to change your look from day to night.”

Kate Halfpenny of Halfpenny London, whose flagship boutique is in Bloomsbury and who has styled some the world’s most high-profile brides, including Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett and Emilia Fox, agrees: “Brides are loving these options more than ever, taking the opportunity to add the 'wow' factor to a classic, simple, effortless dress. We have so many gorgeous statement sleeves which look amazing with a ballgown silhouette, yet equally stunning with a slinky dress. They can be traditional if they want to be, while also playing with the drama!”

SUN TAFFETA SLEEVES, £925, HALFPENNY LONDON, HALFPENNYLONDON.COM

B OWS A R E B AC K Bows have made a big reappearance in 2023 bridal collections, and their versatility means that they can add a striking feature to all types of wedding dresses. From supersized bows, such as statement shoulder adornments, to smaller nods, like bow-style straps, this elegant and pretty detail adds an extra dimension to nuptial elegance.

Opting for a gown with a low-cut back? This is where the bow trend comes into its own, with a big bow adding a touch of romance. And in keeping with some of this year’s other wedding dress trends, you can also always opt for a detachable bow to change up your look, or incorporate this theme into the bridal party’s attire too.

OLIVE DRESS, £4,000 WITH INGA BOW, £1,650, HALFPENNY LONDON, HALFPENNYLONDON.COM

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Couture designer Stewart Parvin agrees: “The bride should make the dress come alive, not the other way around, so when women approach me to design their wedding gown, who they are and the sort of wedding they are planning are absolutely pivotal to inspiring the right design.” He also offers a word of advice: “Don’t get bogged down in making your wedding gown especially ‘current’. The goal is a dress you love today and will look back on in 20 years’ time and still feel joyful about.”

"The key to finding your perfect wedding outfit is choosing a style that makes you feel like the very best version of yourself" OLIVE DRESS, £4,000, WITH SUN SLEEVES, £925, HALFPENNY LONDON, HALFPENNYLONDON.COM

VIENNA JASMINE IVY DRESS, POA, PHILLIPA LEPLEY, PHILLIPALEPLEY.COM

A LENGTHY DECISION Mini wedding dresses were one of the biggest bridal fashions of 2022, and while this is set to continue, expect to also see a variety of other raised hemlines including midi, ankle and high-low designs – also known as a waterfall hem.

The latter has seen a reemergence since its popularity in the noughties, and gives brides the effect of a full-length gown at the back along with the practicality of a shorter dress at the front – meaning that there’s no need to pick your dress up as you walk. Waterfall hems also showcase your all-important designer bridal shoes.

Another variation of this high-low style is to pick a short wedding dress and wear it with a long train to give a similar impact. “Brides have been rocking mini or midi dresses for registry office weddings for decades but we’re seeing more and more women choose shorter hemlines, regardless of the venue, and pairing them with sheer overskirts or long veils for a dramatic look," says Halfpenny.

“The key to finding your perfect wedding outfit is choosing a style that makes you feel like the very best version of yourself.

Feeling bridal has nothing to do with a particular style of dress, but everything to do with the emotion wrapped up in that garment; so be yourself, whether that’s in a ballgown, trouser suit or mini dress.”

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"Be the bride you want to be... if that slinky green dress or red gown is calling your name, then go for it!"

O L D H O L LY W O O D G L A M O U R Inspired by the grandeur of Hollywood’s Golden Age, this style embraces decadence. Channel the icons of the era like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, and pick from luscious silk and satin dresses, shawl and cowl necklines, curvehugging silhouettes and luxe detailing as you walk down your very own red carpet. You can pair your 1930s or 40s-inspired gown with a fitting up-do and a bold red lip colour to exude the glamour of the age.

Stewart says that “elements of old Hollywood glamour feature in most wedding gowns I do – it’s such a rich era to draw inspiration from. These elements certainly aren’t taken literally; there’s a modern and very sophisticated edge to how they are interpreted in my work.”

LOVE DRESS, £6,300, HALFPENNY LONDON, HALFPENNYLONDON.COM

SYMMETRICAL SCROLL TIED BACK DRESS, POA, PHILLIPA LEPLEY, PHILLIPALEPLEY.COM

ADDING COLOUR This year, brides are embracing colour for the big day and stepping away from traditional bridal-white wedding gowns.

Whether picking a hue to match your colour scheme, having your wedding dress as your 'something blue', or adding pops of colour to bridal trains, there are various ways to brighten up your gown.

“For 2023/24 we are seeing a shift in more brides opting for colourful dresses, especially soft elegant shades of pink and coloured floral embroidery in soft tulle overlays,” says Lepley.

Halfpenny, who has also recently unveiled a Be Colourful edit of gowns for Harrods, says: “Brides are feeling braver with their choices and are feeling free to really express themselves on their wedding day. We always say ‘be the bride you want to be’, and if that slinky green dress or red gown is calling your name, then go for it!”

phillipalepley.com; carolinecastigliano.com; stewartparvin.com; halfpennylondon.com; katherineelizabethhats.com THE WEDDING ISSUE

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SHAWL COLLAR DINNER JACKET, £995, BLACK DINNER TROUSERS, £350, CLASSIC BOW TIE, £65, ALL NEW & LINGWOOD, NEWANDLINGWOOD.COM

BLACK MAGIC

W H AT T O W E A R T O A B L A C K T I E W E D D I N G : A G U I D E T O C H O O S I N G T H E P E R F E C T D I N N E R S U I T

Words: Richard Brown

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lack tie. The tuxedo. Hard to get wrong, right? All you need is a penguin suit and a bow tie and you get to play James Bond for the big day. Not so fast soldier.

Unless you know your mohair from your barathea, your pleated shirts from your piqué, it’s easy to end up looking more cocktail waiter than secret service agent. There’s a fine line. It could come down to the depth of the cut of your waistcoat. Yes, really. Here’s everything you need to know about nailing the perfect dinner suit...

WHAT WILL IT BE, SIR, A SINGLE OR DOUBLE?

The single most important aspect of the black tie ensemble is the dinner jacket. Single- or double-breasted, the choice is yours.

A single-breasted jacket, perhaps surprisingly, is considered the more formal option, as it can be paired with a waistcoat, which a double-breasted cannot. Shawl lapels are the most traditional, and therefore arguably the most formal. Avoid notch lapels, which belong on a business suit. Whichever lapel you opt for, they must be cut from silk and be as close to the colour of the main suit fabric as possible.

The jacket should not feature pocket flaps or vents, traditionally.

BLACK OR BLUE? In the late 19th century, when denizens of St James’s gentleman’s club, White’s, began wearing their new-fangled evening suits to dinner, their outfits were actually cut from midnight blue silk – the material appearing darker than black under artificial light.

Today, midnight blue cloths can add a depth and warmth to a black tie look, but be warned: not all midnight blues are the same. There’s a surprisingly wide spectrum when it comes to what cloth manufacturers define as ‘midnight blue’. The darker the better.

WHEN TO GO WHITE? At al fresco weddings in Italy and the south of France. Never to a marquee do in Birmingham.

the great uncouth, a chap had one of two ways of concealing his midsection: behind a cummerbund, the go-to option if he’d chosen a double-breasted jacket; or behind a waistcoat. There remain rules to follow with each.

Cummerbunds, which can be worn with or without braces, should be made of silk in the colour and finish of your lapels, and worn so that the pleats face upwards; a waistcoat should be low-buttoning and invisible when a jacket is done up, so as to showcase the detail of the bosom of a dress shirt. The most traditional of evening waistcoats feature lapels and are often double-breasted. Single-breasted, high-buttoning V-shaped vests belong with business suits. Toe the line.

THE SHIRT A few rules to stick to here. The shirt must be white, obviously, and feature a textured front, either in dimpled, waffle-like piqué or Marcella fabric (ostensibly the same thing today) or pleated in the curved space between the waistcoat. Avoid ruffles, unless you’re actively looking to court Austin Powers comparisons.

Collars should be of the turndown variety (wing-tips are for white-tie occasions) and cuffs of the French kind (when the fabric is folded back on itself and fastened with cufflinks). Black stud buttons add a decorative touch and help break up the expanse of white that’s usually hidden by a necktie.

THE BOW TIE Do you know how to spot the difference between a pre-tied and handtied bow tie? Perfection. A pre-tied bow tie will be perfectly symmetrical. The beauty of a hand-tied bow tie lies in its wonky imperfection. You’re an adult, so it’ll be the latter option for you. In black or midnight blue. Satin silk or grosgrain. Nothing that’s geekishly small; nothing clownishly large. And best to get in some practise tying one before the big day – otherwise you’ll be fumbling for that clip-on in your tie drawer after all.

THE SHOES

WAISTCOAT OR CUMMERBUND AND BRACES? Choices, choices, choices. Time was when the flashing of a waistband was considered something of a sartorial sin. To avoid coming off

Plain, patent and not too pointy. If you’re tempted to give those velvet George Cleverley slip-ons you bought during lockdown a run out, don’t be. Enjoy the wedding.

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ROCCO FORTE HOTELS

H OTE L D E RO M E B ERLIN

H OTE L A M I G O B R US S ELS

TH E BA L M O RA L E DIN B URG H

H OTE L S AVOY F LO REN CE

B ROW N ’ S H OT E L LO N D O N

TH E CH A RL E S H OT E L MUN ICH

VIL L A I G I E A PA LERMO

M A S S E R IA TO RRE M A I Z Z A PUG LIA

H OTE L D E L A V I L L E RO ME

H OTE L D E RU S S I E RO ME

ROCCO F O RT E H O U S E RO ME

ROCCO FORT E P RI VAT E V I L L A S S ICILY

VE R DU RA RE S O RT S ICILY

H OTEL A STO RI A ST P ETERS B URG

F U T U RE O PEN IN G S :

ROCCO F O RT E H O U S E M ILA N

TH E C A RLTO N M ILA N

RO CCO F O RTEHOTELS .CO M

Elegant settings for memorable occasions THE NIAGARA ROOM AT BROWN’S HOTEL, MAYFAIR

HEELS

Head over

PHOTOGRAPHER: ADAM FUSSELL | STYLIST: SARAH ANN MURRAY

THIS PAGE AND PREVIOUS: NICOLE WEARS: SONEVA DRESS, OPULENCE COLLECTION, POA, SUZANNE NEVILLE, SUZANNENEVILLE.COM BAYLEY BRIDE SANDAL, £770, DI MINNO, DIMINNOSHOES.COM CLASSIC WINSTON PEAR-SHAPED ENGAGEMENT RING, CUSHIONCUT DIAMOND MICROPAVÉ PENDANT, CUSHION-CUT DIAMOND EAR STUDS, ALL POA, ALL HARRY WINSTON, HARRYWINSTON.COM ANTE WEARS: PLEATED-BIB POPLIN TUXEDO SHIRT, £540, RALPH LAUREN, RALPHLAUREN.CO.UK ICON SOHO TUXEDO, £2,500, SILK BOWTIE, £90, BOTH GIORGIO ARMANI, ARMANI.COM CALATRAVA 5227G DRESS WATCH, £32,380, PATEK PHILIPPE, PATEK.COM DANVERS BLACK SOCKS, £16, PANTHERELLA, PANTHERELLA.COM KENSINGTON BLACK PATENT LOAFERS, £520, CROCKETT & JONES, CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

NICOLE WEARS: DEEP ILLUSION V WHITE GOWN WITH WISTERIA BOUGAINVILLEA PLEATED OVERSKIRT, £4,750, HERMIONE DE PAULA, HERMIONEDEPAULA.COM PIROUETTE DIAMOND EARRINGS, CLASSIC WINSTON PEAR-SHAPED ENGAGEMENT RING, DIAMOND MARQUISE CLUSTER NECKLACE, ALL POA, ALL HARRY WINSTON, HARRYWINSTON.COM

ANTE WEARS: PINK EVENING LINEN DOUBLE-BREASTED SHAWL LAPEL PIPED WAISTCOAT, £250, CHARCOAL SHAFTESBURY CASHMERE WOOL MORNING COAT, £990, BOTH FAVOURBROOK, FAVOURBROOK.COM SPRAY STRIPE SILK TIE, £110, PAUL SMITH, PAULSMITH.COM LIGHT WOOL CLASSIC TROUSERS, £280, EMPORIO ARMANI, ARMANI.COM GLASSES, MODEL’S OWN

NICOLE WEARS: COURAGE DRESS, POA, HALFPENNY LONDON, HALFPENNYLONDON.COM ALLIE HEADBAND, £545, LOCK & CO. HATTERS, LOCKHATTERS.COM GOLD-TONE DOUBLE BOW GLITTER PUMPS, £790, MACH & MACH, BROWNSFASHION.COM CLASSIC WINSTON PEAR-SHAPED ENGAGEMENT RING, SEMIRA HIGH JEWELLERY TIMEPIECE, SPARKLING CLUSTER DIAMOND BRACELET, CHANDELIER EAR CLIPS, ALL POA, ALL HARRY WINSTON, HARRYWINSTON.COM

ANTE WEARS: BROWN VELVET HERITAGE JACKET, £1,300, BROWN VELVET PARALLEL TROUSERS, £480, CHOCOLATE BROWN POINT COLLAR SILK SHIRT, £420, ALL EDWARD SEXTON, EDWARDSEXTON.CO.UK EMERALD 33MM DRESS WATCH, POA, HARRY WINSTON, HARRYWINSTON.COM KENSINGTON BLACK PATENT LOAFERS, £520, CROCKETT & JONES, CROCKETTANDJONES.COM GLASSES, MODEL’S OWN

NICOLE WEARS: RED ROSE HAND-PAINTED BUSTIER GOWN, POA, HERMIONE DE PAULA, HERMIONEDEPAULA.COM JUST QUEEN 70 MM GLITTERED SANDALS, £925, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, CHRISTIANLOUBOUTIN.COM

ANTE WEARS: WINE VELVET SMOKING JACKET, £995, SINGLE PLEAT FLANNEL TROUSERS, £395, SILK SATIN CLASSIC SIZED SELF-TIE BOW TIE, £65, ALL NEW & LINGWOOD, NEWANDLINGWOOD.COM OVERTON DRESS SHOE, £460, CROCKETT & JONES, CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

ANTE WEARS: PINK VELVET DINNER JACKET, £795, BLACK WOOL TROUSERS, £395, SILK BOWTIE, £65, ALL NEW & LINGWOOD, NEWANDLINGWOOD.COM BLUE-AND-WHITE SILK POCKET SQUARE, £55, EDWARD SEXTON, EDWARDSEXTON.CO.UK

NICOLE WEARS: STRAPLESS SILVER SHIMMER DRESS, £26,000, PHILLIPA LEPLEY, PHILIPPALEPLEY.COM CLASSIC WINSTON PEARSHAPED ENGAGEMENT RING, SEMIRA HIGH JEWELLERY TIMEPIECE, PRINCESS DIAMOND NECKLACE, DIAMOND CHANDELIER EAR CLIPS, ALL POA, ALL HARRY WINSTON, HARRYWINSTON.COM

NICOLE WEARS: IVORY TUXEDO SUIT, RALPH LAUREN, 1 NEW BOND STREET, W1S 3RL IVORY SILK FASCINATOR, £425, LOCK & CO. HATTERS, LOCKHATTERS.COM JUST QUEEN 70 MM GLITTERED SANDALS, £925, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, CHRISTIANLOUBOUTIN.COM RED-AND-TURQUOISE SILK POCKET SQUARE, £55, EDWARD SEXTON, EDWARDSEXTON.CO.UK ANTE WEARS: IVORY TUXEDO JACKET, BLACK WOOL TROUSERS, PLEATED-BIB POPLIN TUXEDO SHIRT, SILK BLACK BOWTIE, ALL RALPH LAUREN, RALPH LAUREN, 1 NEW BOND STREET, W1S 3RL KENSINGTON BLACK PATENT LOAFERS, £520, CROCKETT & JONES, CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

WITH THANKS TO: ANTE PADOVAN @ KULT LONDON NICOLE MEYER @ SQUAD MANAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANTS: SAM COURT ASHLEY BOURTON ASSISTANT STYLIST: BETHANY PARKINSON HAIR: ELVIRE ROUX @ CAROL HAYES MANAGEMENT MAKEUP: CAROL MORLEY @ CAROL HAYES MANAGEMENT SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE HAMILTON PENTHOUSE, CORINTHIA LONDON. AVAILABLE FROM £10,000 PER NIGHT. CORINTHIA LONDON, WHITEHALL PLACE, SW1A 2BD, CORINTHIA.COM

Texturising hair spray, £26, OUAI, lookfantastic.com

The slim lipstick £35, YSL, yslbeauty.co.uk

Les beiges foundation, £43, Chanel, chanel.com

READY

WEDDING

Purifying clay mask £45, Beauty Pie, beautypie.com

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Triple hyaluronic acid £60, Beauty Pie, beautypie.com

The Elemental cleansing balm and exfoliating refiner £172, Noble Panacea, noblepanacea.com

Your wedding day is arguably the biggest day of your life. How does one even begin to choose a nightbefore face mask? Or settle on a foundation that won’t look cakey in pictures? Or trust a hairspray with maintaining your painstaking ’do? Well, these products are a good place to start – failsafe beautifiers that will help you get through the Most Photographed Day Of Your Life. An anti-breakout exfoliator, a statement lipstick that won’t smudge, a highlighter that will have you looking radiant until the reception…

Beyond powder £34, Illamasqua, illamasqua.com

PROMOTION

E L E M E N TA L T H E F I R S T S TA G E S I N A N Y S K I N C A R E R E G I M E N – C L E A N S I N G A N D E X F O L I AT I N G – A R E W E L L E S TA B L I S H E D . B U T J U S T W H E R E T O F I N D T H E P E R F E C T C L E A N S E R A N D E X F O L I AT O R ?

S

kincare can be daunting. There are so many options out there that it’s difficult to know where to start. Well, how about at the beginning? The latest launch from Noble Panacea – The Elemental Cleansing Balm & Exfoliating Refiner – is the ideal jumping-off point, covering steps one and two in any good beauty routine.

As the name ‘The Elemental’ suggests, this two-step product provides the building blocks of effective skincare: cleansing and exfoliating. These introductory stages help you achieve what Noble Panacea calls ‘skin initialisation’ – preroutine ‘initialisation’ is so important, in fact, that it becomes a treatment within itself.

So, let’s start at the very beginning: the Cleansing Balm.

Simply apply to dry skin and gently massage onto the face, neck, and eye area, then rinse. The silky balm melts into an oil which then transforms into a milky emulsion with water – the formula contains oil octet, which captures and removes makeup and pollutants, almost like a magnet to impurities. Other ingredients include rosehip seed oil to even out the skin tone, papaya seed oil to brighten skin, jojoba seed oil to rebalance the skin barrier, and black cumin seed oil to detoxify.

Then, the Exfoliating Refiner: press into skin with the fingertips or swipe across the skin with a pad. This formula also contains valuable natural ingredients like niacinamide, which minimises the appearance of pores, and rosa damascena flower water, which helps balance the skin’s PH. Most importantly, the Exfoliating Refiner releases powerful AHAs and PHA, which are among the most-touted chemical exfoliants in the industry.

The product clarifies and refines texture; clinical results have found that, after use, the skin appears smoother and brighter, and that the appearance of dark spot pigmentation is improved.

Noble Panacea is all about the science behind beauty – the brand was founded by a Nobel laureate. The Cleansing Balm & Exfoliating Refiner is powered by OSMV™ Technology, which is, in a nutshell, a system for delivering active ingredients to your skin. OSMV™ ensures that ingredients are maximally protected at a molecular level, preserving their integrity so that full potency is unleashed upon application. The technology also has the ability to control the level, sequence, and period of time over which each ingredient is released to the skin; this enables long-term microdosing which means that ingredients are delivered over an extended period of time, never exceeding their optimal therapeutic level.

Talk about starting off with a bang. The Cleansing Balm & Exfoliating Refiner will leave skin clear, glowing and primed for the next step: the Hydrating Preparation Essence, which has also now launched at Noble Panacea… £172 for 30 doses, Cleansing Balm & Exfoliating Refiner, Noble Panacea, noblepanacea.com. Also available at harrods.com.

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SOPHIA WEBSTER AMORA PUMP The perfect pop of personality (and sparkle) for the non-traditional bride.

AMINA MUADDI BEGUM MULE A crystal embellishment and martini heel proves that the devil really is in the detail.

£550, sophiawebster.com £1,226, fwrd.com

JIMMY CHOO SACO R A 8 5 This vintage-inspired sandal is hand-crafted with floral ivory lace. Chic.

M AC H & M AC H DOUBLE BOW SA N DA L S A sassy statement for the bride who's going all out. £900, selfridges.com

£675, jimmychoo.com

MALONE SOULIERS MISSY 45 This blush pink kitten heel merges style with comfort.

LK BENNETT E L I A N A SA N DA L S Why not ditch white for ivory, and pumps for a summer-ready sandal in metallic satin?

£575, malonesouliers.com

£329, lkbennett.com

Statement

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Edited by: Anna Solomon

Once upon a

TIME The maxim ‘less is more’ has never rung truer than when applied to dress watches. Like your suit, you’ll want your wedding day timepiece to be clean, crisp and classy. The less cluttered the better – leave the chronograph at home. Baton hour markers are, arguably, chicer than Arabic and Roman numerals. Choose a black leather strap to match your patent shoes, and a case in 18kt red, pink or yellow gold to pop against your suit. Keep it classic. Keep it to three hands, tops.

1966 dress watch in pink gold, £16,800, Girard-Perregaux, girard-perregaux.com

Edited by: Richard Brown

Portofino Automatic in rose gold, £11,100, IWC, iwc.com

De Ville Tresor Co-axial Master Chronometer in Sedna gold, £17,300, Omega, omegawatches.com

Altiplano Origin dress watch in rose gold, approx. £14,600, Piaget, piaget.com

Elegant dress watch in pink gold, £4,300, Longines, longines.com

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ABOVE The dress gets the limelight, which makes perfect sense. But, as with any outfit, on any day, the devil is always in the detail. A pair of elegant drop earrings, a perfectly-placed pendant and, of course, a show-stopper of a ring help ensure a wedding day look that guests will never forget.

Edited by: Anna Solomon

Aloria calibré cut aquamarine pendant £11,600, Garrard, garrard.com

Merveilles bridal ruby and diamond ring, POA, Boghossian, boghossianjewels.com

Jardin de coeurs POA, Sophie Bille Brahe, sophiebillebrahe.com 18kt white gold mix diamond ring, £3,817, Yeprem, farfetch.com

Round and marquis diamond shaker necklace £33,104, Anitako, anitako.com

Chatelaine® pavé bezel stud earrings £2,800, David Yurman, davidyurman.com

18kt pearl spiral earrings, £25,842, Mateo New York, mateonewyork.com

Rose-cut triple bangle, POA, David Morris, davidmorris.com

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Led by Charlotte Ricard-Quesada, a luxury fashion industry veteran, La Fête is the high-end wedding & event planning company with a difference, particularly in its multicultural approach.

Operating from their Central London offices, Charlotte and her quadrilingual team work nationwide and globally, delivering award-winning magic, with especially close ties to the UK’s leading wedding suppliers and most unique vendors.

Creating memories is the company’s credo, and beautiful memories are exactly what we can promise you when you choose to work with La Fête on your big day.

www.la-fete.com • @officiallafete • charlotte@la-fete.com • +44 (0)207 427 6088

When the stars

ALIGN E V E R W O N D E R E D W H E R E T H E A - L I S T G E T S M A R R I E D ? T H E S E A R E T H E F I V E - S TA R V E N U E S C H O S E N B Y E N T E R TA I N M E N T R O YA LT Y F O R T H E I R O W N B I G D AY

Words: Annie Lewis

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GEORGE CLOONEY AND AMAL ALAMUDDIN ARRIVE AT VENICE CITY HALL FOR A CIVIL CEREMONY TO FORMALISE THEIR WEDDING, 29 SEPTEMBER 2014 © ALESSANDRO BIANCHI

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WHO: AMAL ALAMUDDIN & GEORGE CLOONEY WHERE: AMAN CANAL GRANDE H O T E L , V E N I C E , I TA LY WHEN: 27 SEPTEMBER 2014

©ANDREA RAFFIN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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After arriving in the City of Water on a boat aptly named 'Amore', Clooney and Alamuddin officially wed in Venice’s City Hall. For their wedding reception, the couple chose the 16thcentury Aman Canal Grande hotel.

After Bill Murray had given a speech,

guests including Matt Damon, Cindy Crawford and Emily Blunt watched the newlyweds take to the dancefloor to Cole Porter's Why Shouldn't I? Having met in Italy, and with George owning a property on Lake Como, you might have expected the couple to stay in the country for their honeymoon. Nope. Somewhat surprisingly, they choose to escape to, er, England. aman.com

INSTAGRAM/@CHRISSYTEIGEN

WHO: CHRISSY TEIGEN & JOHN LEGEND W H E R E : V I L L A P I Z Z O, L A K E C O M O, I TA LY WHEN: 14 SEPTEMBER 2013

After discovering the area on holiday, Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend chose Villa Pizzo on Lake Como for

their 2013 wedding. Boasting one of the longest shoreline gardens on the lake, it’s easily one of the prettiest villas in the area and was decorated with blush-pink flowers and petals for the couple’s big day. After dinner, guests,

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian among them, danced to live performances from Stevie Wonder and, as you might expect, the groom himself. villapizzo.eu

©FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

W H O : E M I LY B L U N T & JOHN KRASINSKI WHERE: VILLA OLEANDRA & VILL A D’ESTE, L A K E C O M O, I TA LY W H E N : 1 0 J U LY 2 0 1 0

In 2010, The Devil Wears Prada actress Emily Blunt married American actor John Krasinski at George Clooney’s private Villa Oleandra estate on Lake Como, before hosting a party just down the shore at the fêted Villa d’Este. The 152-bedroom palatial property dates back to the 16th century and features intricate English gardens, an enormous 25-acre park, countless walkways, sun-bleached stone fountains and breath-taking terraces. Guests, including Meryl Streep and Matt Damon, were treated to a fiveday stay at the luxurious villa over the course of the wedding celebrations. villadeste.com THE WEDDING ISSUE

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©BAKOUNINE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

WHO: VICTORIA ADAMS & D AV I D B E C K H A M WHERE: LUTTRELLSTOWN CASTLE, IREL AND W H E N : 4 J U LY 1 9 9 9

INSTAGRAM @CINDYCRAWFORD

W H O : C I N D Y C R AW F O R D & RANDE GERBER WHERE: THE OCEAN CLUB, FO U R S E A S O N S , PA R A D I S E I S L A N D, T H E B A H A M A S W H E N : 2 9 M AY 1 9 9 8

The barefoot beach wedding between American businessman Rande Gerber and supermodel Cindy Crawford at the Four Seasons' Ocean Club in 1998

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helped start a trend among A-listers for tying the knot in The Bahamas.

In keeping with the casual island vibe, Crawford chose a John Galliano lace mini dress for the ceremony before the wedding party ditched the formalwear in favour of swimsuits for a pool-party reception. When in Rome.

Or, in this case, The Bahamas. fourseasons.com/oceanclub

Victoria Adams married David Beckham at Luttrellstown Castle on the outskirts of Dublin. Ireland had become a special place for both the bride and groom: Victoria having lived there for six months when starting out in the Spice Girls; while it was the first foreign country in which David played for Manchester United. The couple said 'I do' in a small chapel nearby before celebrating in the 15th-century castle. Boasting an illustrious history, the stunning 560-acre estate played host to Queen Victoria in 1844 and again in 1900. luttrellstowncastle.com

INSTAGRAM @JESSICABIEL

WHO: JESSICA BIEL & JUSTIN TIMBERL AKE WHERE: BORGO EGNAZIA, P U G L I A , I TA LY WHEN: 19 OCTOBER 2012

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake first met at a party in 2007. The Grammy award-winner and former NSYNC boy band member proposed while the

couple were on holiday in Montana in 2011. Within a year they were married.

The venue? The celebrity Mecca that is Puglia’s Borgo Egnazia. Not only has the Italian resort hosted the wedding of Biel and Timberlake, it’s also where

Madonna celebrated her 59th and 63rd birthdays; and a hotel where the Beckhams have checked into, twice. And if it’s good enough for them... borgoegnazia.com

INSTAGRAM @SOPHIET

WHO: SOPHIE TURNER & JOE JONAS W H E R E : C H ÂT E AU D E T O U R R E A U, F R A N C E W H E N : 1 M AY 2 0 1 9

After officially tying the knot at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner and pop star Joe Jonas jetted off to the south of France for a somewhat more lavish affair at the 20-acre Château de Tourreau.

The property features a palatial pool, helipad and a basketball court, as well as a chapel built in 1614 and a château dating from 1770. The entire estate is available to hire, for anyone wishing to try it out before they commit to booking the property for their own big day. chateaudetourreau.com THE WEDDING ISSUE

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Alex Black Calf

BY APPOINTMENT TO HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

Our best-selling Cap Oxford Available in Black & Dark Brown Calf Classic English shoemaking at its finest.

CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

Embroidered tulle cocktail dress, £‌4,700, long sleeve embroidered gown, £‌5,800, Monique Lhuillier, moniquelhuillier.com, p76

Couture CUT

FROM

A DIFFERENT

CLOTH

68 LVMH Watch Week Inside the first horologic meet of the year 72 The Edit LDN How limited-edition trainers became an asset class 76 Style Her How to go sheer in style this spring 80 Michael Kors On how Queen Elizabeth II was the ultimate style icon

LVMH

WATCH WEEK

H U B L O T, TA G H E U E R A N D Z E N I T H K I C K O F F T H E H O R O LO G I C A L Y E A R

2023 Words: Richard Brown

I

f Bernard Arnault and the Paris-headquartered LVMH group had ended the year on a high – in December Arnault was named the world’s wealthiest man, and the conglomerate he founded Europe’s most valuable company – then the group’s watch division was looking to get 2023 started with a bang.

And so, to Singapore’s leafy Capella Resort, and to the fourth edition of LVMH Watch Week, where Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith had assembled to show off their latest creations.

Among a horologic gamut that ran from the spaceage – see Hublot’s Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM – to the decidedly nostalgic – a lot of time for Zenith’s DEFY Revival A3691 – it was a brace of commercially-minded collections from Hublot and TAG Heuer, and a starry limited-edition from Zenith, that most caught the eye.

W I T H A S E R I E S O F C O M M E R C I A L LYMINDED COLLECTIONS

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COUTURE

HUBLOT RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS In the beginning there was Carlo Crocco, a scion of the Italian Binda Group, best known for its Breil watches. In 1980, Crocco created a timepiece of his own.

Well, sort of. Inspired by the porthole of a ship and featuring a heavy-set bezel with 12 exposed screws, there was no denying that the original ‘Hublot’ (French for ‘porthole’) borrowed heavily from Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak (Gérald Genta’s octagonal masterpiece had launched eight years earlier). Crocco’s timepiece differentiated itself by pairing an 18kt yellow-gold case with a strap made of natural rubber – the first time in watchmaking the precious metal had been coupled with the organic compound.

In 2020, on occasion of Hublot’s 40th anniversary, the brand launched a commemorative collection that channelled Crocco’s original design. The

watches – available in titanium, ceramic, and gold – featured the word ‘Hublot’ at 12 o’clock, black lacquered dials and debuted without hour indices. They were chic. They were classy. The thing was, at 45mm, they were also gargantuan.

Regular-sized humans rejoice. Hublot has announced that the collection – renamed the Classic Fusion Original – is now available in three real-world sizes: 42mm, 38mm and 33mm. The larger two models house a Sellita-provided, selfwinding movement; the smaller watch is regulated by quartz. All three reference Crocco’s minimal dial and industrial bezel, now bolted in place with six, rather than 12, screws. Choose between yellow gold, titanium and ceramic.

Expect the brand’s new entry-level collection to turn the head of even the staunchest of Hublot naysayers. hublot.com

ZENITH’S NEW DEFY SKYLINE BOUTIQUE EDITION IS AN ABSOLUTE STUNNER As well as six new DEFY Skylines with vibrant dials and slimmed-down 36mm cases, Zenith used LVMH Watch Week to showcase two skeletonised versions of the original 41mm Skyline, and the hefty 45mm Extreme Glacier, a bruiser of a timepiece with a bezel made from semi-translucent stone. Yet, for sheer good looks, and everyday wrist appeal, we turn your attention to the Defy Skyline Boutique Edition.

What’s so special about this reference? Well, as with the new 36mm versions, the dial of the Boutique Edition has been engraved with hundreds of tiny, four-pointed stars, an emblem used extensively by Zenith in the past.

However, whereas the dials of the smaller Skylines feature just one colour – choose between blue, green or pink – the anthracite grey dial of the Boutique Edition contrasts with stars stamped, and then plated, with rose gold.

The effect is magic. £7,900, zenith-watches.com

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TAG HEUER TARGETS COLLECTORS WITH THE CARRERA CHRONOGRAPH 60TH ANNIVERSARY TAG Heuer’s Carrera, the first watch designed specifically for timing racing cars, turns 60 this year. To mark the occasion, the Swiss watchmaker has unveiled a limited-edition re-issue of one the earliest models to roll off the production line.

Given that it’s become the norm for watchmakers to mark milestone birthdays by dropping a string of ‘anniversary’ models throughout the year, it’s safe to assume that the Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary won’t be the last Carrera we see in 2023. Yet, for a number of

contributing factors, it might just turn out to be the most collectable.

Firstly, TAG Heuer has opted to kick off the new year with a ‘Panda’ dial – where the colour of a watch’s face contrasts with the colour of its sub-dials. Panda dials are the most sought-after of all chronograph configurations owing – beyond their primitive two-tone appeal – to the makeup of that Grand Daddio of all chronographs, the ‘Paul Newman’ Rolex Daytona (black sub-dials on a white dial).

The fact that this year’s Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary is based on Heuer’s Ref. 2447 SN of 1968 – the first Heuer chronograph to feature black sub-dials on a silver face – only adds to its stock.

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There are other factors, too. The general mania for all things stainless steel among collectors for one (tick); and the devotion of watch aficionados for anything related to motor racing (big, BIG tick).

A reminder: the Carrera takes its name from the Carrera Panamericana – a fiveday, 3,500km road race initiated by the Mexican government in 1950 as a way of promoting the recently-finished PanAmerican Highway.

Factor in the fact that only 600 units will be produced, and you can see why anyone looking to add a dreadnought of a chronograph to their watch arsenal better act quickly. £6,100, tagheuer.com

JUST SELL IT T H R E E Y E A R S AG O , M O S E S R A S H I D C O - F O U N D E D T H E E D I T L D N FROM HIS BEDROOM. LAST YEAR, THE ONLINE SNEAKER M A R K E T P L A C E T U R N E D O V E R £ 1 0 M I L L I O N . I T ’ S AT T R A C T E D I N V E S T M E N T F R O M N B A P L AY E R S A N D B E C A M E T H E F I R S T R E S E L L E R , E V E R , TO B E I N V I T E D I N TO H A R R O D S . T H E B U S I N E S S I S N O T T H E F I R S T T O T R E AT L I M I T E D - E D I T I O N T R A I N E R S A S A N A S S E T C L A S S , S O W H AT ’ S S TA N D I N G R A S H I D ’ S C O M PA N Y A PA R T ?

Words: Josh Sims

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M

oses Rashid has a lot of trainers. Three hundred pairs to be precise. “But that’s my limit,” he laughs.

“At 301, I force myself to sell a pair. It’s a way of keeping a lid on my collection.”

Rashid is wellplaced to move his old trainers on. Just three years ago, he launched The Edit LDN from his bedroom. It’s an online platform that acts as a middle man between people buying and selling limitededition sneakers. “Yeah,” he chuckles, “I’ll have to ask the team why we don’t call them ‘trainers’ – that’s a good point.”

It does good business. Rashid’s company handled something like 20,000 pairs of shoes last year, generating almost £10 million in revenue and witnessing year-on-year growth of 500 per cent.

Rashid hopes that revenue will be closer to £100 million within three years. He points to the fact that the site has just raised some £4 million in seed funding, in part from New York Giants’ Xavier McKinney and P.J. Tucker of the Philadelphia 76ers.

More traditional investors, those who would perhaps be happier speculating on the FTSE 100 in a solid pair of brogues, might be dumbfounded at the very existence of such a lucrative market. But in the past two decades sought-after shoes have gone the way of second-hand watches. They’ve become an asset class in their own right.

“I get that there are also people who just don’t understand how someone can spend £400 on a pair of sneakers,” says Rashid. “If you’re really deep into this world, it’s just your everyday norm.”

Those who do appreciate The Edit LDN are the hardcore sneakerheads, big-name collectors with access to the latest, hottest styles. These people make a tidy living surfing a tide of hoopla and enjoying a healthy margin when they sell their latest must-have sneakers via sites like Rashid’s.

“These guys, and girls, don’t have just one pair to sell, they have hundreds,” says Rashid. “They have early access to products.

They win sneaker raffles, or use ’bots, or buy within a very niche community ready to flip. Or, whisper it, they actually work for the sneaker brands themselves.”

Rashid had six pairs of Louis Vuitton Air Force 1s three months before they were even released. “That’s something we can sell to high-net-worth clients,” he says. “There’s a very keen interest in getting new sneakers first.”

The typical The Edit LDN customer, says Rashid, will buy at least five pairs of trainers a month. The Edit LDN provides both low-level investors and major re-sellers with easy access to a huge audience. For buyers, there are reassurances regarding the product’s condition and authenticity. For every transaction, the company takes a cut.

“If you look at the type of people buying these sneakers now, they’re not just nerdy sneakerheads,” says Rashid, who, before his current venture, launched a digital recruitment agency 13 years ago aged just 25. “Sure, a lot of them are what you’d expect: 15 to 20-years-olds, living at home with their parents,

but there are still people who are new to wearing sneakers. It cuts across age. In the US, especially, you’ll see middle-aged guys casually wearing a pair of [Air] Jordans. There are way more women really into sneakers now too.”

Trading in trainers is, of course, nothing new. Real-time online marketplaces, such as StockX and GOAT, mean that sneaker-obsessed teenagers no longer have to strike deals on street corners or over Instagram. What stands The Edit LDN apart, says Rashid, is service.

“The lightbulb moment for me came when I was at sneaker festivals buying sneakers and I’d be handing over 600 or 700 quid for a pair and the seller wouldn’t even have a plastic bag to put them in. That blew my mind,” he says. “It was clearly now a premium product but not a premium service.”

The average price of a pair of trainers sold on The Edit LDN is £360. But it’s not uncommon for a pair to sell for more than £15,000. “So customers don’t want a crappy experience,” says Rashid.

The Edit LDN aims to be as meticulous about the condition of the packaging as it is about the sneakers inside. It’s also why the company offers same-day delivery within the M25. “Like me, our customers are the kind of people who are happy to pay a £100 premium to get their sneakers today.”

This year, The Edit LDN aims to roll out to five other countries, including the United States, where it has already signed promotional deals with the NBA, and with the Chicago Bulls in particular. The company has also managed to secure a selling

“Frankly, if a style is easy to get, for a lot of people, it just won’t have that desirability” TOP NIKE’S SB DUNK LOW ‘CONCEPTS ORANGE LOBSTER’ SNEAKERS OPPOSITE THE EDIT LDN LAUNCHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHICAGO BULLS AT PARIS FASHION WEEK, A CGI OF HOW THE SPONSORSHIP MIGHT LOOK BELOW NIKE’S JORDAN 1 HIGH OG TRUE BLUES

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“Go right back to the very first Jordan shoes and there you’ll see culture turning into commodity – people queuing down the street to get hold of what’s an iconic piece of kit”

space inside Harrods – the first reseller, in any industry, ever, to be invited into the prestigious Knightsbridge retailer. A similar deal has been struck with Harvey Nichols in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In London, Rashid runs special shopping nights for Premiership footballers and similarly well-heeled young sneaker fans.

Contrary to how the market used to run – when customers were only interested in trainers in box-fresh condition – the sneaker marketplace has followed the trends witnessed in the wider fashion world. ‘Second hand’ and ‘pre-owned’ are no longer dirty words. Rashid illustrates the shift in mentality by way of one pair he bought himself.

He paid £1,700 for a pair of Jordan 1 Trophy Rooms – one of 12,000 made. He could, he says, have re-sold them for £3,000.

Instead, he chose to wear them for a year – “very lightly,” he stresses – and even then was able to sell them for £2,000.

“So, I still made £300 but got to wear them for a while. I have to wear my sneakers – I mean, to the gym, to walk the dog.

Anywhere I go, I typically have what I think is a very cool pair of sneakers on. It’s great when you do see people wearing their sneakers, and I get the warm fuzzy feeling if we play a part in that. I really want to change the sneaker market for the better.”

That market, says Rashid, is only going to grow. Even still, it would be dangerous to build an empire on trainers alone.

That’s why Rashid has expanded outside of footwear and into watches, clothes and handbags – products that inspire similarly feverish collecting.

All that said, £15,000 for a pre-worn pair of trainers? Really?

Watches have an inherent value in that they are made of mechanical cogs and gears; internal workings that leave most of us baffled.

What is driving the huge demand for factory-made trainers?

“Hype, of course,” says Rashid. “There’s an element of statusseeking, probably. But go right back to the very first Jordan shoes and there you’ll see culture turning into commodity – people queuing down the street to get hold of what’s an iconic piece of kit. Digital has just amplified that. Frankly, if a style is easy to get, for a lot of people, it just won’t have that desirability. For many, it’s still the thrill of the hunt.”

You know where to begin your search. theeditldn.com

STYLE HER

SHEER BLISS Edited by: Anna Solomon

HIGH TIDE BODICE When it comes to pretty, nostalgic fashion, Zimmermann can’t be beat.

This crop features a ruffled hem and blouson sleeves in diaphanous fabric.

N A P P A L E AT H E R M I N I B A G What could be better than a huge tulle embellishment in place of a handle? £315, pinko.com

£825, zimmermann.com

MOLLY GODDARD CREDIT: BEN BLOOMFIELD

MARIEL GOWN This dress is basically an explosion of tulle, masterfully refined with a grosgrain ribbon belt. It’s the perfect blend of campy and couture. £2,995, huishanzhang.com

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Victoria Beckham

SILK CHIFFON DRESS This vintage-inspired piece typifies Gucci’s flare for the romantic. £3,150, gucci.com

TWIST BOOTIE 105 A stretch-mesh shoe with a gold metallic heel? It’s a ‘yes’ from us. £950, aquazzura.com

CHRISTOPHER ESBER TOP This tie-front top is barely there; a fine-spun membrane in gorgeous lilac.

FRANCA PURSE Channel Glinda the Good Witch with this Swarovski-studded mini-bag.

PIA DRESS Indulge in this pink quartz confection of a dress from the master of whimsy.

£319, net-a-porter.com

£566, andreawazen.com

£1,895, huishanzhang.com

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LK Bennett

At the RACES Edited by: Anna Solomon

MAR CIE B ASKET As the weather gets warmer, woven bags are all the rage. £550, chloe.com

HIGH TIDE SHIRT DRESS This silk linen organza dress is both spring-like and sophisticated. £1,650, zimmermann.com

A day at the races is just as much about what you wear as on whom you bet. Not only are the paparazzi out in droves, but there are often strict dress codes to which to adhere.

These rules are curiously specific (‘hats’ must be worn; however, a headpiece with a base of four inches is acceptable), and, at Ascot at least, differ depending on which area you’re in (nothing shorter than kneelength in the Royal Enclosure; outside of that, you’re OK). Wherever you’re heading, dressing up to the nines is a must – here’s how to achieve the perfect race-day look.

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BLONDIE TOP HANDLE BAG You’ll see lots of clutches at Ascot, but this timeless shoulder bag will do just as well. £2,620, gucci.com

CA R N AT I O N - P R I N T D R E S S Upstage the racing action with this floral show-stopper in charmeuse.

DAZZLE FLARED COURTS The races equals florals – you can never have too many. It is spring, after all.

£1,600, dolcegabbana.com

£349, lkbennett.com

C H L O E W I D E B R I M H AT The timeless silhouette makes this the perfect headgear for a formal occasion.

WELLS JACKET British weather is unpredictable; luckily, a pastel blazer only enhances a look.

£115, johnlewis.com £1,944, alexperry.com LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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In his

SHOES F O U R D E C A D E S O N F R O M F O U N D I N G H I S E P O N Y M O U S B R A N D, M I C H A E L KO R S H A S A C H I E V E D T H AT R A R E S T O F F E AT S : T R A N S C E N D I N G T H E FA S H I O N I N D U S T R Y T O B E C O M E A P O P - C U LT U R E I C O N . S H O R T LY A F T E R H I S L A B E L C L O S E D N E W Y O R K FA S H I O N W E E K 2 0 2 3 , L U X U R Y L O N D O N C A U G H T U P W I T H T H E D E S I G N E R TO D I S C U S S H I S L AT E S T C O L L E C T I O N , LOV E O F T R AV E L A N D G O -TO LO N D O N H OT S P OT S

Interview by: Anna Solomon

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n Big Sean’s musical tour de force Dance (A$$), Ms Onika Tanya Maraj, otherwise known as Nicki Minaj, intones: “Couldn’t get Michael Kors if you was f*****g Michael Kors.” The American designer, in case you were unaware, has become something of a pop-culture icon; a Kors piece – particularly one of his bags – is a status symbol.

Kors started his fashion line in 1981, at the age of 22, but soon ran into financial issues and was forced to file for bankruptcy. The brand, however, was restructured in 1997 with investment from LVMH, and, this time, it’s fair to say that it found its rhythm.

The same year, Kors was appointed as the first women’s readyto-wear designer for Céline, and is widely credited for turning the French fashion house around. He left in 2003 to focus on his own brand; it was also around this time that he was hired as a judge on reality television series Project Runway, catapulting him to household-name status.

Kors is more than a designer; he is a businessman, with an eye on the big time. In 2011, Michael Kors Holdings went public; the following year it changed its name to Capri Holdings, later acquiring Jimmy Choo and Versace. In 2014, Forbes reported that Kors had a personal fortune in excess of $1 billion.

People often look at the childhoods of successful

individuals and cherry-pick instances that ‘demonstrate’ their exceptionalism. In this instance, to do so really would suggest that Kors was destined for greatness. He even chose his own name.

Born Karl Anderson Jr. on Long Island, his mother married Bill Kors when her son was five (he reportedly redesigned his mother’s first wedding dress for the occasion). Karl’s surname was changed, and he was allowed to choose a new first name.

Thus, Michael David Kors.

As a teen, Kors began selling designs out of his parents’ basement. In 1977, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, but dropped out after nine months when he was offered a job at a fashion boutique in Manhattan. A buyer saw his collections in the shop window, and agreed to stock them in Bergdorf Goodman.

Since then, Kors has dressed an inimitable list of celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum, Catherine Zeta-Jones... You get the picture. His designs have also proven a hit beyond the red carpet, worn by high-profile public figures like Hillary Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Kate Middleton. Michelle Obama wore Michael Kors for her first-term official portrait as First Lady, and later sported the designer at the 2015 State of the Union address.

So, who is the man behind the silhouette? Kors has piercing blue eyes, a whiter-than-white smile and an all-American tan. He wears a lot of black, and rarely appears without aviator sunglasses (“The way other men change their tie, I change my aviators,” he has said). Kors shares a Greenwich Village penthouse with his husband, and fellow fashion designer, Lance LePere, the couple having married in The Hamptons in 2011. He has two cats, and a love of the finer things – steak at Peter Luger, the beach in Capri, vodka on the rocks.

We caught up with the style titan to discover what goes on behind the shades...

How was New York Fashion Week 2023?

It was great! It’s always rewarding to see my collection come to life after working on it for so long. From the setting to the music to the front row, I loved seeing it all come together.

Where’s winning in the style stakes right now, London or New York?

I could never choose a winner, because I think Londoners and New Yorkers approach style very differently. I love that people in London have a strong sense of self and individual style. They don’t fall for every trend and they love to experiment. It makes for some great people-watching on any city street.

“I love that people in London have a strong sense of self and individual style. They don’t fall for every trend” ANNE HATHAWAY WEARS MICHAEL KORS TO A COCKTAIL PARTY IN NEW YORK

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EMILIA JONES WEARS MICHAEL KORS TO THE 32ND ANNUAL GOTHAM AWARDS

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What’s your favourite thing to do when you’re in London?

I always try to see a show when I’m in town – I’m a theatre fanatic. And no trip to London is complete without a meal at The River Café.

You described your SS23 collection, which is hitting stores now, as ‘urban resort’. Are you more of a beach or city break sort of person?

For a true vacation, I love a secluded beach surrounded by crystal clear water and white sand. But ultimately, I live a big-city life, so I was interested in bringing some of the best things about resort style into a metropolitan environment.

The collection is still very ‘New York’. What do you remember most about growing up in the Big Apple?

I went to my first Broadway play when I was five, I took acting classes in Greenwich Village when I was a teenager, and I went to Studio 54 instead of my high school prom! All of these experiences really shaped who I am and what it is I like to design.

Is it important to showcase all shapes and sizes in campaigns and on runways?

Absolutely. I’ve always dressed women of all sizes, ages and personalities – the truth is, our customers are diverse, and I like my runways to reflect our reality.

There was live music at both your SS and AW23 shows. What was the best decade for music?

Every decade has its highs and lows, but the ’70s will always hold a special place in my heart. I mean, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, the list goes on… it’s the music I came of age to, and it always takes me back.

How do you like to describe Michael Kors clothes? For whom are they designed?

I make luxurious ready-to-wear fashion and accessories for people who are always on the go. The Michael Kors customer is confident, polished and glamorous. They want luxury that can keep up with the pace of life today.

Who, past or present, would you most like to dress?

Both Audrey and Katharine Hepburn were before my time as a designer, so I was never able to see them wearing Michael Kors. But I think my love of tailoring, glamour and modernity would have appealed to them. And Queen Elizabeth! The ultimate icon.

What is your favourite way to spend a day when you’re not working?

Travelling – I love to explore new places, it’s the ultimate way to relax and recharge. Or a Broadway show, when I can’t get away.

What’s your biggest indulgence?

A few days without a cell phone or calendar in sight.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Clothes that don’t fit.

MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION SS23 SHOW

“I’ve always dressed women of all sizes, ages and personalities – our customers are diverse, and I like my runways to reflect this” You’ve dressed a slew of super-celebs and public figures. What has been your favourite ever project?

It’s hard to pick a favourite project over 40 years, but I was incredibly honoured when then-First Lady Michelle Obama wore one of our dresses for her first official portrait in 2009.

What is the purpose of fashion?

To give you the confidence and the means to show the world who you are. michaelkors.co.uk

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L U N A J E TS.C O M

L E A D I N G P R I VAT E J E T C H A RT E R LONDON +44 2074 095 095 | GENEVA +41 22 782 12 12 | PARIS +33 1 89 16 40 70 L u n a J ets U K ( Ltd ) i s a f l i g h t b ro ke r a n d a s s u c h a r ra n g es c a r r i a g e by a i r by s i m p l y c h a r te r i n g a i rc ra f t f ro m t h i rd - p a r t y a i rc ra f t o p e ra to rs, a c t i n g a s a g e n t , i n t h e n a m e a n d o n b e h a l f of i ts c u sto m e rs . L u n a J ets U K ( L td ) o n l y a c ts a s a n i n te r m e d i a r y, d o es n o t i tse l f o p e ra te a i rc ra f t a n d i s n ot a c o n t ra c t i n g o r a n i n d i re c t c a r r i e r.

Escape TO

STRIVE,

TO

SEEK,

TO

FIND...

A cliff-top development consisting of dozens of whitewashed houses, 7Pines Ibiza has been designed in the style of a traditional Ibizan village, p94

88 Do as the Neapolitans do To make the most of Naples, live like a local 94 7Pines Ibiza The magnetic appeal of the White Isle’s new ‘It’ hotel 102 Leading Light Turning fantasy into reality on St Lucia’s west coast

STREET APPEAL N A P L E S , T H AT G R I T T Y C I T Y I N T H E S H A D O W O F M O U N T V E S U V I U S , I S U N L I K E A N Y W H E R E E L S E I N E U R O P E . T O M A K E T H E M O S T O F I TA LY ’ S M O S T M A L I G N E D M E T R O P O L I S , S K I R T T H E P I Z Z A A N D D O A S T H E N E A P O L I TA N S D O

Words: Rob Crossan

I

taly barely counts as a country as far as most Italians are concerned. Only unified in 1861, the average citizen of Lombardy would assert that he or she has more in common with the burghers of Stockholm than they do with any denizen of Palermo or Reggio Calabria.

To make the comparison over a lethally strong shot of espresso, with a diabetes-inducing hillock of sugar, naturally, would at least be polite table talk. Tell a man from Northern Italy that he and a citizen of Naples are one and the same, however, and his response is likely to be anything but polite.

The rest of Italy, you see, wants nothing to do with Naples, a city that is variously labelled as chaotic, corrupt, polluted and dangerous. And, in fairness, they are the type of pejoratives that can be levelled at the southern city with an element of genuine verity. Gomorra, the savagely-violent, criticallyacclaimed 2008 film about local warring mafia clans, was never once slated by film critics, or Italians in general for that matter, for exaggerating the violence and poverty that plague the squalid outer suburbs of this city.

And yet, Naples is not a no-go destination. If you’re brave enough to take it on, you will be handsomely rewarded with ancient catacombs, grand opera houses, Rococo architecture, sumptuous seafood and a miasma of Grand Master paintings. All of it laid out in a labyrinth of narrow streets in the shadow of an active volcano.

Perhaps more than any other city in Western Europe, Naples is a metropolis where knowledge equals power. Street signage is poor, traffic is as chaotic as in Lagos or Dhaka, and potholes in pavements are big enough to swallow entire fleets of Fiat Puntos.

In order to embrace this most spontaneous, impassioned, noisy and cacophonous of metropolises, it pays to live like a Neapolitan.

Here are five, budget-friendly ways of doing so…

STAND UP FOR YOUR COFFEE The easiest way for Neapolitans to spot a tourist is to watch them enter a café, after which they’ll look around and make a beeline for a table. A Naples native would never, ever do this.

Coffee in these parts should always be drunk standing up, leaning against the bar counter. It’s not just sociable. It’s also infinitely cheaper. You can expect the cost of your coffee to double, at the very least, should you choose to plant your rear.

You won’t need long anyway. Naples coffee is the strongest in Europe and thus served in tiny doses after the immense, gleaming coffee machines press down the ground coffee with water heated to around 95°C. For the best coffee in the city, head to Caffe del Professore, near the elegant Piazza del Plebiscito, which sells 63 different blends of the stuff. If the standard, tiny, espresso, always served with a tall glass of water to cleanse your palate beforehand, doesn’t appeal, then opt instead for a caffe alla nocciola – hazelnut coffee. And remember, always leave a 50 cent tip.

Aperol Spritz is to Naples what sangria is to Valencia, or Guinness is to Dublin

GET SOME GREEN RESPITE AT VILLA COMUNALE During the summer, Naples’ streets simmer with more smoke and steam than the summit of Mount Vesuvius. For respite, do as the locals do and head to the upscale Chiaia neighbourhood, where you’ll find the bucolic Villa Comunale.

Originally opened just once a year on the feast day of the Virgin Mary, this Royal Park was constructed in 1781 with an enormous bowl, surrounded by four lions, as its centrepiece.

The villa, known as the Fontana della Papareile, gleams in the sunshine, while a fine wrought-iron bandstand puts Britain’s seaside promenade efforts to shame.

TREAT YOURSELF TO A €1 APEROL SPRITZ It’s nothing more than the Easyjet-orange liquor (gentian, rhubarb and cinchona) mixed with prosecco and soda water, but Aperol Spritz is to Naples what sangria is to Valencia, or Guinness is to Dublin.

Incredibly, in the hedonistic, free-for-all neighbourhood that is Quartieri Spagnoli, almost all the minuscule bars that spill out onto the cobblestones serve Aperol Spritz in plastic cups with a straw for just €1. On a weekend evening, things only really get going after 10pm. For the most potent spritz in the city, head to the shacklike Cammarota Spritz on Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo, which will be packed to the rafters with students, eccentrics and artists.

PAY HOMAGE TO MARADONA The gifted street kid from Buenos Aires was a surprise signing for Napoli in 1984. A bit like Lionel Messi signing for Aston Villa today. The club had won almost nothing prior to his arrival.

During his seven-year tenure, Maradona hauled the club to two Serie A titles (they’ve never won the league since) and the UEFA Cup in 1989 – arguably the club’s greatest ever achievement.

Neapolitans worship more than 50 saints, but very few are idolised with the same devotion as Diego. The club’s stadium is in the grim eastern suburb of Fuorigrotta. Even if you don’t have a ticket for a game, it’s worth heading there on a match day to soak up the atmosphere and the sea of blue-and-white shirts and scarves.

That said, tickets are usually available at the club’s website in advance for all but the biggest games, with prices starting at around €40.

BROWSE FOR BARGAINS AT PIGNASECCA MARKET This utterly chaotic slab of ancient Naples street life is absolutely unmissable. From trays full of (sometimes still wriggling) sea urchins and squid, to knock-off Italian designer sunglasses and handbags, to fresh fruit and vegetables, to cut-price perfume and kitchenware, the market is open from 8am to 1pm every day of the week and is still a place where Neapolitans do their weekly shop. There’s also more friggitoria (fried food) stands than you could shake a pork-filled arancini ball at.

Godere!

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ISIDE, A MURAL BY THE ARTIST FRANCISCO BOSOLETTI IN THE QUARTIERI SPAGNOLI NEIGHBOURHOOD; THE PIGNASECCA MARKET; CAFFE DEL PROFESSORE, WHICH REPORTEDLY SELLS THE STRONGEST COFFEE IN NAPLES; A WINE MERCHANT IN NAPLES OLD TOWN; THE STADIO DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA; VILLA COMUNALE

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BETWEEN THE WOODS AND THE WAT E R C L I N G I N G TO A C L I F F TO P O N T H E W E ST COAST O F T H E I S L A N D, I B I Z A’ S L AT E S T F I V E - S TA R H O T E L I S AT T R A C T I N G A N E W T Y P E O F P U N T E R W I T H T H E M AG N E T I C P U L L O F E S V E D R À

Words: Richard Brown

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uild it and they will come. The problem for anyone looking to build a five-star hotel in Ibiza, of course, wasn’t the lack of pent-up demand. The problem was the building bit. Thanks to some budgie-smuggler-tight construction regulations, getting proposals for new-builds past the White Isle’s planning department is akin to getting Gary Lineker to a champagne spray party at his younger brother’s O Beach club (believe it or not, we’ll run into that white-haired Lothario a little later).

Ibiza’s coastline can barely be touched and anything added to the interior of the island must be in keeping with what’s already there. It’s why most of the ‘five-star’ hotels that have sprung up since Ushuaïa opened in 2011 have launched in the shells of former, how shall we put it, crappier hotels.

Ushuaïa, which kick-started Ibiza’s transition from mainstream dance Mecca to VIP playground, was formerly the three-star Fiesta Club. Neighbouring Ushuaïa Tower, which opened in 2012, used to be the three-star Hotel Playa d’en Bossa. The no-frills Don Toni Hotel became the Hard Rock Hotel in 2014; a year later, the even less-frills Fiesta Club Palm Beach became the Grand Palladium.

Oku, which opened in 2021, is, partly, a reconfigured apartment block; workers on Six Senses Ibiza, the most ambitious reconfiguring of a former hotel yet, had to down tools when a group of dogged environmentalists managed to prove that developers had failed to gain proper planning permission (the hotel eventually opened in 2021, much to the chagrin of said ecowarriors). The only building purpose-built as a five-star crashpad remains the Ibiza Gran Hotel, which, at the tail end of 2021, became the first hotel on the island to be awarded a Michelin star.

If you’ve ever booked what’s been advertised as a ‘five-star’ hotel in Ibiza and turned up to a matchbox room with a poky bathroomm and weird layout, you now know why. You can’t always polish a turd.

The story of 7Pines Ibiza is a little different. A cliff-top development consisting of dozens of boxy whitewashed houses in the style of a traditional Ibizan village, the resort – as it exists today – is the vision of Dusseldorf-based investment group 12.18, which, in 2018, finished transforming a half-built hotel into an allsuite complex with three restaurants and three bars (one of which was designed by the Pershing Yachting group). The hotel briefly operated under the Kempinksi umbrella, before joining the Hyatt group in 2021 – the hospitality giant’s first foray into Ibiza.

The only clue that the original development probably wasn’t aiming to open with five stars next to its name is the size of the bedrooms and bathrooms – claustrophobics be warned. (Almost) Everything else (the shabby lobby doesn’t exactly scream ‘five star’) is pretty much bang on the money.

7Pines Ibiza styles itself as a ‘resort’ but ‘retreat’ might be a better word. It’s not just that the hotel is off the beaten track – it emerges out of a pine forest, hence the name, after a five-minute drive down an isolated dirt track – but its vast footprint (it covers the size of eight football pitches) and all-white colour scheme create the sense that you’re staying in a kind of sanctuary. There’s no road noise. No thudding background music. You can’t even hear the sea crashing against the cliffs below. It’s all very zen. The sort of place Russell Brand might once have checked himself into.

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Cone Club is also where breakfast is served. A clean, chic, sophisticated space. Not, in a word, the sort of setting you expect to bump into Wayne Lineker

Born-again, conspiracist Brand, you would imagine, would be all over the hotel’s full-moon yoga classes. We preferred the steam baths and saunas in the hotel’s ultramodern ocean-facing spa. It looks like a wing of Tony Stark’s gaff.

Santorini has Therasia. Ibiza has Es Vedrà. Both claim to mark the spot where Atlantis disappeared. Rumour has it that Es Vedrà is the third most magnetic point on the planet. Geologists may raise an eyebrow at that. It’s shaped like a spike on the back of a stegosaurus. During the day you can marvel at the giant submerged dinosaur from the hotel’s glass-ended, adults-only infinity pool. Come evening, you can track the sun sinking behind the uninhabited island from 7Pines’ Cone Club. A DJ serenades the process.

Come morning, Cone Club is also where breakfast is served.

A clean, chic, sophisticated space. Not, in a word, the sort of setting you expect to bump into Wayne Lineker. But there he was. What’s the rest of the crowd like? Worth a few bob, you’d have to say. But, then, anyone who wears a work shirt with swimming shorts looks like they’re worth a few bob, don’t they? It’s the billionaire-ontour look. Post-divorce Jeff Bezos glowing-up in St Tropez. Tatty old baseball cap knocking about? Bullseye.

We spoke to a DJ from Manchester, a wedding party from Surrey and a man who wasn’t Peter Stringfellow. He was a football fan from Frankfurt, about to catch a flight to the Europa League final. You got the impression on his own private jet. Everyone was lovely.

Ibiza changed a while back. It’s now home to the most expensive restaurant in the world, a badge Sublimotion wears with not-inconsiderable pride (it cost around £1,000 per head when I visited on a press beano a few years ago) and a cabaret club that used to hand out wads of fake cash for you to wave at scantily-clad dancers (Lío might still do that, I’ve not been for a while). 7Pines isn’t that. You won’t find anyone spraying champagne around the pool here. Although, if that is your sort of thing, you might just bump into a man who can help.

From approx £255 per night on a B&B basis, 7pines.com

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THE YEAR-ROUND TURKISH RESORT WHERE CONTEMPORARY DESIGN M E E T S S U S TA I N A B L E L I V I N G

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PROMOTION

I

n October 2022, the Lara Barut Collection, one of Türkiye’s leading five-star hotels, launched the Bayou Villas, an anthology of 24 private villas designed to provide private seclusion while offering access to the amenities of an adjoining luxury resort. The idea was simple. While you’re away, the villas belong exclusively to you. Your private home from home.

Secluded accommodation within a resort designed to take you on both a gastronomic and spiritual journey.

The contemporary villas, which range from one to four bedrooms, and from 250m² to 1,000m², boast well-appointed living rooms, with 65-inch smart TVs and Bang & Olufsen bluetooth sound systems, and fully-equipped kitchens. Each villa has its own garden, a private seawater pool, and a terrace with access to a shared swim-up freshwater pool.

Located a stone’s throw from a 200-metre stretch of Blue Flag beach, the villas provide direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. The spectacular Düden Waterfalls are just over 14 miles away, while the ancient city of Perge (or Perga) and the yacht-filled harbour of Antalya are even closer. It takes just 15 minutes to drive from Antalya Airport to the resort, perfect for those looking to fly and flop.

Guests staying within the Bayou Villas enjoy exclusive access to The Weik á la carte restaurant, as well as cocktail bar Bayou Lounge. When guests do want to venture further afield, the wider Lara Barut Collection resort offers 10 restaurants – nine á la carte options and one buffet – eight swimming pools, a gym, a spa, tennis and squash courts, and an on-site aqua park.

Established in 1971, Barut Hotels has become one of the most well-established hospitality brands in Türkiye. The group’s Lara Barut hotel was one of the first Green Energy Certified hotels in the Mediterranean and is fully powered by renewable energy.

As well as reducing its use of plastic as much as possible, using local products and working with local suppliers, the resort also contributes to ongoing archaeological studies at nearby Side. The ancient port city is home to an 1,800-yearold amphitheatre and is considered one of the best-known classical sites in all of Türkiye.

For the ultimate in home comforts, opt for one of the resort’s flagship four-bedroom villas. Spanning a total of 983m² – that’s 579m² of internal space, plus a 404m² private garden – the villas boasts their own gyms, massage room, billiards table, Jacuzzi, sauna, and bath and steam room. For the musically-inclined, the villas also come with a piano, and in case you’re feeling creative, a study room, too.

Open from January to December, and combining worldclass facilities with ultra-modern design, the Bayou Villas are your year-round ticket to luxury escapism. bayouvillas.com LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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07/03/2023 07/03/202314:56 14:56

GREEN LIT H O W T W O V I S I O N A R Y H O T E L I E R S T U R N E D FA N TA S Y I N T O R E A L I T Y O N S T L U C I A’ S W E S T C O A S T

Words: Anna Prendergast

LUXURY LONDON

F E AT U R E

ANSE CHASTANET’S 49 INDIVIDUALLY-DESIGNED ROOMS ASCEND FROM THE SHORE, WHILE JADE MOUNTAIN OCCUPIES A SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE HILL

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“I

’ll tell you the short version,” Karolin Troubetzkoy chuckles, as she tops up my wine.

It’s how most of the hotelier’s stories begin, and even the ‘short’ ones would fill a hardback.

From the marijuana pouch she crocheted for a guest, to Princess Margaret advising her that “one must never run out of Earl Grey”, Troubetzkoy is as entertaining as she is well-connected.

Having grown up in her aunt’s hotel near Munich, Troubetzkoy first visited St Lucia in 1980 – “my mother said I was mad, so, naturally, nothing could stop me”. Four decades later, she’s as much a part of the island’s story as the two hotels she runs with her husband, architect Nick Troubetzkoy.

The couple opened neighbouring properties Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain, on the same plot of land, in 2000 and 2006 respectively. Thanks to the Troubetzkoys’ visionary approach, both properties feel futuristic even now. “I don’t like the word sustainability,” says Karolin. “It’s overused. Everything we do is about leaving something better behind.”

Sure, the 600-acre resort falls firmly under the ‘luxury’ umbrella – there’s a Prince Harry-approved heliport, in-room massage therapists (ask for Phillippa), champagne-fuelled sunset cruises and your own ‘major-domo’ butler – but the real luxury here is the location.

A short, bumpy drive from the port town of Soufriére on St Lucia’s west coast, the resort encompasses two beaches, two hotels – Anse Chastanet has 49 rooms; Jade Mountain has 79 – and the Emerald Farm estate, where the Troubetzkoys live.

Nearby, Soufriére’s sulphur springs offer medicinal mud baths and the island’s botanic garden bursts with sleeping hibiscus, wax begonia, athenium lilies, elephant ear and lobster claw. Every

AN INFINITY POOL AT ANSE CHASTANET

view at Jade Mountain is angled towards St Lucia’s most iconic landmark, the volcanic peaks of the Pitons – and the hotel has become something of a landmark itself.

While your average hotelier might settle for Jade Mountain’s prime Piton-viewing position as its sole USP, visionary Nick Troubetzkoy is anything but average. The hotel’s name itself comes from Nick’s collection of exquisitely-carved jade sculptures – the largest collection in the world. Artisans spend a lifetime mastering the craft, and elements of their singularly improbable nature can be found throughout the hotel’s extraordinary design.

During Jade Mountain’s conception, Nick consulted designers, architects and engineers – all of whom told him that it would be impossible to make his vision a reality. He proved them all wrong.

It’s difficult to prepare for the visual impact of the hotel’s limestone pillars and criss-crossing bridges. Jade Mountain could be a perfectly preserved ancient city, or a portal to another planet; it’s a cinematic rendering of a fantasy, conjured by a mind for which the limits of science are merely challenges to overcome.

I almost believe that I could push off from the steps of my pool and come up for air in the shallows of the Pitons At the centre of the resort’s design is the concept of ‘watershaping’, in which structures use water in artistic ways.

“With no water, there’s no Jade,” says property manager Carl Hunter, who explains the lengths they went to in excavating an old water reservoir to provide for the hotel and local village, and shows me around the in-house water bottling facility and manmade wetlands. Beyond its life-giving qualities, watershaping springs from an appreciation of the way water moves and makes us feel; the way it interacts with light and alters perception.

Spread out over six levels, each of Jade Mountain’s 25 ‘sanctuaries’ has its exterior wall missing to accommodate its very own unique infinity pool from which to enjoy uninterrupted views of the ocean and the Pitons. From a certain angle, the blues melt together and I almost believe that I could push off from the steps of my pool and come up for air in the shallows of the Pitons. Even the sky plays up to its role: clouds intermittently snag on the peak of Gros Piton and shimmery pink sunsets are refracted back and forth between the sea and sky. The fluid, open-air effect is ethereal and elicits a sense of freedom – there’s a thrill in sleeping with one less barrier between you and the great outdoors.

Adjacent Anse Chastanet is thought to be one of the first ever hotels to offer jungle biking, but the humidity is hair-raising enough for me. Instead, Joevan Gabrielle guides me through the rainforest on foot, handing me sherbert-sour cacao beans, pointing out ginger

LUXURY LONDON

F E AT U R E

EVERY VIEW AT JADE MOUNTAIN IS ANGLED TOWARDS ST LUCIA’S MOST ICONIC LANDMARK, THE VOLCANIC PEAKS OF THE PITONS

THE RESORT’S HELIPAD HAS BEEN USED BY PRINCE HARRY

JADE MOUNTAIN

lilies and hummingbirds. The place is a playground: he recalls how kids turn the seeds of ‘shack shack trees’ into maracas; how they’d trap birds on branches using gum from the breadfruit trees; how bamboo shoots can be turned into makeshift fireworks.

Along a path that even I could have managed by bicycle, we come to a crumbling structure that the jungle has almost entirely enveloped and the tales of beauty give way to those of brutality.

Decaying 18th century machinery signals that we’re standing in what used to be a sugar plantation, where around 600 enslaved people were forced to work under French rule. For reasons I can’t fathom, it’s a popular spot for weddings.

Later, I learn that as well as lead bike guide and unofficial historian, Joevan is also a scuba diving instructor. Many of the staff are multi-taskers, something that Karolin encourages. During Covid-19, she was craving home-baked goods, and she knew that Joevan’s fellow scuba-diving photographer, Bernd, was a baker in a past life. “He gave me a sourdough starter from his family that’s more than 200 years old,” she says. Now, the bread is on Frank Faucher’s vegan menu at Anse Chastanet’s Emeralds restaurant.

It’s easily one of the most original and impressive meat-free menus I’ve come across – quite a feat, on an island the size of Chicago. Faucher’s fragrant Ital stew is his mother’s recipe and consists of breadfruit, dasheen, carrots and coconut milk, topped with moringa and microherbs grown on nearby Emerald Farm.

While farm-to-table dining is exactly what the resort’s restaurants deliver, Nick and Karolin are careful to ensure that the farm doesn’t create competition with local producers. As

a result, the team of young, agile farmers have space to experiment, toying with mushroom cultivation and beekeeping. The honey has been a huge success, and they’ve even created Antillia Brewing Company – their small-batch passionfruit ale is a brilliant beach beer, best sipped cold straight from the can.

One of the farmers, Imran, shows me around. He tells me that his grandparents used to manage the farm, and he’s proud that everything they produce here is organic. For 2023, there are plans to build an outdoor bar and dining space on the farm, but for now, chef Eli Jules hosts informal live cooking classes at a pop-up kitchen. He’s full of energy and his food is as vibrant as he is. He counts himself lucky: “There are no culinary schools in St Lucia, but Karolin has nurtured me.”

From the table, you can see the brightly-coloured rooftops of Soufriére, where Eli pays it forward by teaching kids in the secondary school how to cook. “Most of my team are students that came up through the school and found a passion for food.”

Karolin might hate the word ‘sustainability’, but by treating her hotel as a force for change, a platform for education, a fortress of slow travel and a community space, she’s ensuring that Jade Mountain’s legacy is an enduring one. I might have only got the ‘short version’, but it’s clear that Jade Mountain’s story has just gotten started.

Nightly rates at Jade Mountain start at approx. £1,470 in a Sky Sanctuary, jademountain.com; Rates at Anse Chastanet start at approx. £400 in a Standard Room, an-sechastanet.com

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THE HAMPTONS, NEW YORK The Spirit of the Southampton A rare opportunity exists in La Dune, highly regarded as one of the most iconic oceanfront estates in all of the Hamptons, and offers two residences on over four pristine stately hedged acres, with over 400 ft of bulkhead beach front. Inspired by Stanford White, the compound offers two gunite pools, sunken all weather tennis court, custom altos movie theatre, billiard room, fitness rooms, palatial grounds with court yards, private gardens and patio and decks. Built in the early 1900s, this classic Southampton home presides majestically over the rosa rugosa dunes . Completely updated to the modern day the main house consists of 4 levels, with large living rooms, formal dining and breakfast room and library. In all over 11,000 sq ft with 10 bedrooms with 8 baths, staff quarters and kitchen with large laundry room. The second residence has 9 Bedrooms and 8 baths designed to complement the main house in both design and proportions, with over 9600 sq ft of living area and a 6 car garage. . Both properties have access to beach.

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BEL AIR, LOS ANGELES A Spanish Revival Masterpiece Rising above the Hotel Bel Air in the heart of the most exclusive neighborhood in the world, The Estate on Somma is a modern Spanish Revival masterpiece that redefines luxury living. Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular private residences in the world, this masterfully constructed work of art spans 40,000 square feet and features 8 bedrooms, 21 bathrooms, and an endless array of awe-inspiring amenities. Neighbors include some of world’s most famous and accomplished icons, however, The Estate is undoubtedly the Star of the neighborhood. 10,000 square feet was acquired from the neighbor to redesign the approach. In fact, every detail of this majestic mansion was carefully considered to deliver a life of luxury beyond compare. Outdoors, park-like grounds feature multi-level terraces, a jaw-dropping infinity edge pool/spa, weather-proof Samsung wall, and a kitchen for entertaining. The floors have been newly sanded and stained, and the addition of a beautiful portico by the pool.

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All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and has been compiled from sources deemed reliable. Though information is believed to be correct, it is presented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice. © 2023 Nest Seekers International. All rights reserved. Licensed Real Estate Broker NY, NJ, FL, CA, CT, CO, LDN. Nest Seekers International fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing act and the equal opportunity act.

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Homes & Interiors I T ’ S W H AT ’ S I N S I D E T H AT CO U N T S

The view from Shoreditch’s Principal Tower (right) at dusk, p122

110 Interior Trend How to reject glossiness and embrace texture 112 On a Wing and a Chair Sixty years of the Keeler chair 116 The New Office How employers are using ESG to get staff back to their desks 122 On the Market The London properties near culture hotspots

INTERIOR TREND

Surface

LEVEL

Perla Valtierra candle holder £175, abask.com

Edited by: Anna Solomon

When it comes to interior design, there was a time when less was more.

Everyone was looking to the smooth lines of Scandinavian and Japanese design (or a fun compound of the two christened ‘Japandi’). But an opposing school is emerging; one rejecting glossiness and fluidity and embracing texture.

I mean, with the booming popularity of ASMR (you know, those YouTube videos of people popping bubble wrap, or brushing hair, or doing other things considered ‘satisfying’?), it was only a matter of time before we starting surrounding ourselves with all manner of squishy, bobbly, bumpy goodness.

So here’s to fluffy throws, fuzzy poufs and knobbly tableware. To objects that intrigue and have fun, and to spaces that are one oddly-shaped cushion away from feeling like an adult’s soft play area. Because who really wants to feel like they’re living in a high-end spa? This is a lot more fun.

Wiggle stool £529, conranshop.co.uk

Ultra cushion cover £80, amara.com

Risom lounge chair £1,200, conranshop.co.uk

Otterley vase £15, abigailahern.com

Laflin lamp £280, abigailahern.com House of Hackney flora fantasia ceramic vase £395, matchesfashion.com

Orsay candle £29, conranshop.co.uk

LUXURY LONDON

HOMES & INTERIORS

Lenny side table £750, sohohome.com

Umage Silvia shade £88, amara.com

Preston corduroy chair £800, abigailahern.com

Romi footstool £550, sohohome.com

Duplero candle £26, mociun.com

Colville rug £2,320, matchesfashion.com

Barrel coffee table £1,195, sohohome.com

Perla Valtierra dessert plate £200, abask.com

Knot cushion £30.99, belliani.co.uk

Bourton bowl £75, abigailahern.com LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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On a

WING and a

CHAIR

S H O T I N 1 9 6 3 D U R I N G T H E H E I G H T O F T H E P R O F U M O A F FA I R , L E W I S M O R L E Y ’ S I M A G E

O F A S U P P O S E D LY N A K E D C H R I S T I N E K E E L E R S T R A D D L I N G A P LY W O O D C H A I R C A P T U R E D A M O M E N T I N T I M E – A N D A T U R N I N G P O I N T F O R AT T I T U D E S C O N C E R N I N G S E X U A L M O R A L I T Y. Y E T, S I X T Y Y E A R S O N , I T I S T H E ‘ K E E L E R C H A I R ’ – T H E O R I G I N A L N OW I N T H E V I C TO R I A A N D A L B E R T M U S E U M – T H AT S E E M S TO H AV E O U T L I V E D I T S N A M E S A K E I N T H E P U B L I C C O N S C I O U S N E S S

Words: Rob Crossan

S

oho, 1963. It’s mid-morning in May and as a young woman ascends the rickety steps at the back of a nightclub, the wooden treads under her high heels creak in a manner that sounds, appropriately enough, vaguely indecent. In the name of publicity, those heels will shortly be removed, as will all other items of clothing worn by Christine Keeler that day.

Nineteen-year-old Keeler is a woman at the fulcrum of an inferno that is currently eclipsing the Cold War to make it onto the front pages of newspapers around the world. Her brief affair with Britain’s Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, and his subsequent denial of it to the House of Commons, has prompted a genuinely seismic scandal.

It’s a tempest of such magnitude that it will shortly bring down

the Conservative government of Harold MacMillan amid cries of moral iniquity from a public who, simultaneously, couldn’t get enough of this dazzlingly pretty young girl from Berkshire who, as would later emerge, was also sleeping with a secret agent from the KGB. Sixty years on from what became known as the Profumo Affair, the most famous image pertaining to the incident isn’t of a cringing politician being rough handled out of Parliament, or a baying mob of moral revisionists outside the Old Bailey.

It’s of a chair, turned back to front, with a solemn-looking Christine Keeler sitting upon it, wearing nothing but a slightly contemptuous look intended to demonstrate just how au fait – and bored – she already is with the sexual revolution for which she has unwittingly become a totem.

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‘THE CHAIR’, CHRISTINE KEELER

BY LEWIS MORLEY, 1963. WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO KEELER’S SON, SEYMOUR PLATT

CHRISTINE KEELER, RIGHT, WITH TWO FRIENDS, LEAVING MARYLEBONE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, OCTOBER 1963

BRITISH MINISTER OF WAR, JOHN PROFUMO, RETURNS HOME AFTER ADMITTING AN AFFAIR WITH KEELER, JUNE 1963

KEELER EN ROUTE TO SEE LORD DENNING IN CONNECTION WITH HIS INQUIRY INTO SECURITY ASPECTS OF THE PROFUMO AFFAIR, JULY 1963 OPPOSITE THE THEATRICAL RELEASE POSTER FOR 1989 FILM, SCANDAL

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HOMES & INTERIORS

‘At times over the years I have hated it,’ Keeler wrote of the image, years later. ‘It is always around and a constant reminder of those difficult days, but I do like it. I am now dealing fully with those times for I am no longer afraid of the fear.’

The photo was taken in a small studio on Greek Street, located above the Establishment Club, a short-lived but wildly successful cabaret and nightclub co-founded by the comedian Peter Cook.

For a brief period in the early 1960s, the club would act as a centre for the ‘satire boom’ that launched Private Eye magazine and, possibly less thankfully to many, instigated the careers of future mainstream media stalwarts like David Frost and Barry Humphries, aka Dame Edna Everage.

The photo was the last shot on a 12-exposure film, taken by photographer Lewis Morley during a session that lasted less than five minutes. It was meant to provide a publicity still for a proposed film about the scandal, The Keeler Affair – a film that was never made.

This wasn’t Keeler’s first visit to the nightclub studio. ‘When I explained to Lewis that the studio he’d hired was the studio that I’d had my portfolio taken in, and that I had already used all the props, he was a little taken aback,’ Keeler wrote in her memoir, Secrets and Lies.

‘But then looking around he [Lewis] grabbed the chair. Edgar Brind [the owner of the Greek Street studio] had sat on it to take my earlier photographs.

Lewis insisted on using that chair in every shot, which I found not particularly creative and quite boring – of course, it was anything but boring in the years that followed.’

The chair is an imitation of a design created by the Danish artist Arne Jacobsen, a former apprentice bricklayer who, to avoid deportation to a Nazi concentration camp, fled to Sweden during the Second World War. Jacobsen would later be held up as the ‘father of Danish modernism’; his ‘egg’, ‘swan’ and ‘ant’ chairs considered classic contributions to the canon of post-war domestic design.

Keeler’s chair was a cheap riff of Jacobsen’s ‘Model 3107’, Morley having bought half-a-dozen imitations from Heal’s department store in London for five shillings apiece in 1962.

With its pulchritudinous curves and cinched waist, the chair made a perfect silhouette to Christine’s naked form. Morley’s shot captured one of the most tinnitus-inducing explosions in post-war British society; turning the hard edges and unforgiving heft of Edwardian morality and its concomitant architecture into kindling.

This was the moment where the last, grimy sheaves of prewar rectitude disintegrated, to reveal a new decade where the things we looked at – from chairs, to the models sitting upon them – were no longer lathered in false layers of flyblown decorum and prudishness.

Chairs could be sexy. Christine Keeler was sexy. And despite

the rabble rousing from the Church of England and broadsheet newspapers, nobody could tear their eyes away. Sex, and designer furniture, it seemed, were getting as easy to acquire as a matchbox to burn your flat cap or demob suit.

Despite being under contract with the News of the World to reveal her story exclusively on successive Sunday instalments, it was the rival Sunday Mirror who first published the ‘Keeler chair’ picture, with the negatives having been ‘stolen’ from Morley’s studio. How exactly that happened remains unknown.

When the media attention finally died down, Keeler returned to relative obscurity, working as a dry cleaner and a dinner lady before her death, aged 75, in 2017. It was, arguably, Morley’s chair – the collections of furniture designers the world over still containing ‘Keeler chairs’ today – that would live longer in the public consciousness.

Having disappeared into the attic of his sister, who had almost donated it to a car boot sale, Morley’s chair was only retrieved when the poster for the 1989 film Scandal, starring Ian McKellen as John Profumo and Joanne Whalley as Keeler, revived interest in the famed chair in which the teenager had sat.

Now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum – along with Jacobsen’s original Model 3107 – the underside of the chair is signed by Morley and inscribed with the names of Humphries and Frost who, in the spirit of satire, couldn’t resist having their own nude ‘Keeler shot’.

Yet, to the disappointment of the more lascivious members of the public who devoured Morley’s pictures, Keeler spent much of the rest of her life having to insist that she was never actually naked at any point during the shoot.

‘I am always asked if I wore knickers for the shot astride the chair,’ she wrote.

‘I certainly did, but it had been a battle to keep them on. Morley had wanted to photograph me without any clothes on but I used the chair to cover my bust and pulled up my white knickers around my waist. Although the illusion was that I was totally naked, I wasn’t… Most importantly, I did not smile, believing that sex was a serious matter.’

Serious it may have been for Keeler, and certainly also for the Conservative party at the time. But Keeler’s more than slightly uncomfortable photoshoot, as exploitative as it may seem now, set free a generation of post-war youngsters who, for the first time, could see sex as something infinitely less laden with morality and fear. Sex, in the decades after Keeler’s photoshoot, would become as humdrum and unremarkable as the cheap plywood on which she sat during that May morning in Soho.

Morley’s ‘Keeler chair’ and Arne Jacobsen’s original ‘Model 3107’ now belong to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Furniture and Woodwork Collection, vam.ac.uk

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115

The New Office Words: Josh Sims

10 GEORGE STREET, CANARY WHARF. A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT DESIGNED BY ANGEL O’DONNELL ©Taran Wilkhu

E M P L OY E R S M I G H T B E S T R U G G L I N G TO G E T S TA F F B A C K TO T H E I R D E S K S , B U T S T U D I E S S U G G E S T T H A T I F P L A N N I N G W A S B E T T E R C O N S I D E R E D F R O M T H E O U T S E T, O F F I C E S C O U L D A C T U A L LY I M P R OV E T H E W E L L B E I N G O F T H E I R O C C U PA N T S . I N D E E D, LO N D O N I S N OW H O M E TO T H E F I R S T C O N S U LTA N C Y C A M PA I G N I N G F O R A R C H I T E C T S A N D D E V E L O P E R S T O R E -T H I N K T H E I R A P P R O A C H TO O F F I C E S PA C E I N T E R M S O F H O W T H E Y M A K E T H E I R I N H A B I TA N T S F E E L . B U T C A N A N YO N E B E C O N V I N C E D T H A T T U R N I N G T H E I R B A C K O N W F H M I G H T A C T U A L LY B E G O O D F O R T H E M ?

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ordan Relfe concedes that not everyone in the property sector gets it. When he pitched his idea to the first 40 or so possible clients, everyone simply asked how much it would cost. Now, he says, there’s more concern as to whether they can afford not to follow his advice.

Relfe is the co-founder, with Adam Hinds, of a ground-breaking consulting company – founded five years ago and relaunched earlier this year – called LifeProven. The idea is deceptively simple. It’s all to do with something called ESG – environmental, social and governance – which companies are paying increasingly more attention to. As far as the property industry has been concerned, ESG has boiled down to making building processes, and the resulting buildings, more sustainable, something government legislation has, over recent years, made a front-and-centre issue.

THIS IMAGE AND OPPOSITE LIVEPROVEN HELPED ADVISE ON THE ESG BENEFITS OF THIS CO-WORKING SPACE IN WEMBLEY

Relfe and Hinds want to add another layer: persuading developers that their residential and office buildings – new or retro-fitted – can be designed to have a positive effect on the wellbeing of their occupants.

“Wellbeing as a quality of building design has a long way to go before it’s widely understood,” says Relfe, “but it’s not hard to see how certain approaches [for building design and construction] lead to improvements for the physical and mental health of the people who work or live within them. It’s a more mature idea for commercial developers. But I think we can see it being adopted for residential properties too, given the greater diversity of those, the tight margins of the build-to-rent market and the older mindset of build-to-sell. All that’s going to change.”

So how exactly might a building be designed to improve occupant wellbeing? Any building designed to have, say, more natural light, better natural air flow – somewhat against the trend

“It can seem blindingly obvious that if we spend all our time in these spaces then they should work for us”

for hermetically-sealed and air-conditioned offices – access to green space, good acoustic and thermal characteristics, which offer privacy but also a dynamic that encourages interaction between occupants, and so on, will make living or working in it that much more of a positive experience. Conversely, in time, those that don’t may be better understood as having a negative impact on quality of life.

“It can seem blindingly obvious that if we spend all our time in these spaces then they should work for us. But there’s a sense that ‘real estate’ gets lost in thoughts of bricks and mortar, high finance, asset classes and men in suits, not what a buildings’ purpose actually is,” suggests Ben Prevezer of Mason and Fifth, a developer of community-oriented projects in London. But a greater focus on buildings “providing a more seamless experience [for those inside them]” is, he suggests, in the air – and not least because of a major shift in the culture of housing in the UK from ownership to rental, which necessarily encourages developers and landlords to take a longer-term perspective.

If the kinds of enhancements LifeProven proposes sound a little woolly, the company, in a first for the property sector, has sought to put them on a more scientific footing by backing them with hard data. The company has measured the success – or not – of buildings in terms of their wellbeing impact through the development of a metric, in conjunction with King’s College London. This is measured against ESG standards set by the World Health Organisation and mental health authorities, and based on LifeProven’s occupier surveys – with tens of thousands of data points, and growing – and a propriety data analysis process.

The property sector is not short of certification programmes – the likes of Well, or Fitwel – but LifeProven hopes that its stamp of approval will become the industry standard. Developers VervLife, Urban Splash, Dandi Living and Blackrock are the first to get on

THIS IMAGE AND OPPOSITE ANGEL O’DONNELL DESIGNED THE COMMUNAL AREAS AT 10 GEORGE STREET TO ALLOW OWNERS TO SEGUE BETWEEN WORK, REST AND PLAY ©Taran Wilkhu

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“It’s a merging of commercial and residential property – in a sense it’s about making workspaces homelier” board. What’s more, Relfe argues, is the growing awakening to the whole idea that has come post-Covid. London has seen its office stock hollowed out. Being able to demonstrate that a building is better for its occupants will likely prove crucial not just to landlords seeking tenants, but of persuading the latter to choose one building over another. And, of course, in the longer run it will allow those with a demonstrably good wellbeing standard to charge a premium. Likewise, prospective buyers of buildings increasingly see its wellbeing standards as underpinning its long-term value.

“Many companies have faced the challenge of bringing people back into offices, and in part that’s been about showing staff the value in doing so, which is, in part, increasingly about how they can fundamentally be better spaces to be in,” suggests Jack Hosea, director of architectural firm, Threefold. “What’s interesting is that it’s a merging of what have long been the very separate worlds of commercial and residential property – in a sense it’s about making workspaces homelier. Of course, most companies want a happy, healthy workforce because that’s more productive. But it’s not all about short-term profit. It’s also a recognition that wellbeing as part of ESG in the property sector is going to be huge.”

It’s already happening, according to Relfe. “What we saw [during the pandemic] was that those offices that supported the people who worked in them were pushed to the top of the market,” he says. “And, at the macro level, we’re now seeing that the big investment funds we work with are interested in occupant wellbeing because they see performance gains [on their property portfolios] following from it. The old idea of ‘refurbish a building, let it, leave it for 15 years and refurbish again’ is being replaced by one of ‘refurbish, let and monitor yearly to ensure its standards meet with new expectations’.”

Relfe is pragmatic about the limitations on developers regarding what they can do to make their buildings more or less wellbeing-friendly, given ever more tightly-squeezed budgets. But the data insight allows developers to understand the wellbeing value of their specific plans – that, for example, a gym may be half the price of a roof terrace, and seem like a good idea, but actually the terrace will offer greater return over time, both in terms of wellbeing and rental income.

“You can’t just make every window in a building massive,” says Relfe. “But having the data allows a developer to make extremely targeted decisions.”

Richard Angel, co-founder of interior designers AngelO’Donnell, which is working on some of London’s highest-spec residential properties, including Park Hyatt Nine Elms and Centrepoint, argues that while the idea of spaces designed with wellbeing in mind has, to date, been overlooked because “all this can seem intangible”, it’s not just being driven by the changes

brought by Covid-19. It’s also a product of changing demographics.

“The [luxury property] consumer especially has shifted.

They are younger, non-traditional and more conscious of both their prospective home’s environmental and wellbeing impact,” he argues. “And, of course, that generational shift applies to designers who are thinking about these spaces, too.”

Indeed, offices and residential buildings may come to be regarded as more or less desirable not based on their fixtures and fittings, their square footage or the fact there’s free juice in the breakout areas, but by how successfully they address other wellbeing enhancements – those that may be less glamorous but which nonetheless bring serious benefits. We’re waking up to these, says Relfe, who believes that ESG and wellbeing considerations will become a mainstream consideration, for commercial and residential tenants, for house-buyers, and for mortgage providers, within a decade.

“By then it will be a way of thinking about the spaces in which we live and work. We’ll all be much more attuned. We’ve been ahead of the curve but we’re expecting more competition in what we do, because there’s most definitely a shift in mindset coming.”

See you at the water cooler. lifeproven.co.uk

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CRITICS’ CHOICE T H E L O N D O N P R O P E R T I E S N E A R C U LT U R E H O T S P O T S T H AT A R E TA K I N G C E N T R E S TA G E

Words: Anna Solomon

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alling all art connoisseurs, theatre savants and music buffs.

Good news. You live in the right city. London is the arts capital of the world; casts, curators and troupes flock here to put on their latest performances.

But where are the best places to live for those who can’t get enough of London’s museums, musicals and masterpieces?

These on-the-market properties will place you right in the thick of the cultural mix.

HOUSE OF WALPOLE, NO. 1 PALACE STREET, SW1

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C H E Y N E R O W, S W 3

This family-sized property resides on one of Chelsea’s most sought-after streets, inside one of its iconic red-brick mansions. The historic façade conceals a recently-refurbished interior with a neutral palette; the perfect canvas for owners to put their mark on. Being in Chelsea, the Cheyne Row property is near culture-rich institutions including the King’s Road – which was the centre of the fashion universe in the 1960s – and the Saatchi Gallery, HQ of contemporary art and spiritual home of the YBAs, the proponents of the ‘Britart’ movement.

When the Chelsea Flower Show comes around, you couldn’t be better placed. £6,900,000, knightfrank.com

CADENCE, N1C

If you’re looking for property near culture, don’t discount King’s Cross; the area has been radically regenerated over the past 10 years with 50 new and repurposed buildings, including shopping, foodie and events hotspot Coal Drops Yard. A new Google HQ and Central Saint Martins campus has also helped lure the creative crowd. Cadence, which completes later this year, will comprise 103 studio, one, two- and three-bedroom apartments with interiors by Conran and Partners.

POA, cadencekingscross.co.uk

O N E C R OW N P L AC E , E C 2 A

The City isn’t a place that one typically associates with the arts, but rather suits, skyscrapers and the Stock Exchange. But you’d be wrong to write it off as a cultural wasteland: there’s Guildhall Art Gallery in Moorgate, the Museum of London on the London Wall, and, of course, the Barbican Centre – the largest performing arts centre in Europe.

One Crown Place resides on the city fringes, in close proximity to all of these resources. In total, 11 apartments crown two prism-shaped towers rising 28 and 33 storeys into the air; while each residence has its own personality, they’re all inspired

by Georgian architecture.

From £1,050,000, onecrownplace.com

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H Y D E P A R K G AT E , S W 7

This traditional, white stucco home is unusually wide, spanning some 36 ft – and its interior is just as expansive. The raised entrance hall leads to a sprawling 43 ft drawing room; elsewhere, discover grand entertaining rooms, a passenger lift, five spacious bedrooms, and a further self-contained flat with a bedroom in the mews house. The Hyde Park Gate property is near to all the cultural landmarks of central London, but music Mecca the Royal Albert Hall, in particular, is just down the road. £24,950,000, knightfrank.com

H O U S E O F WA L P O L E , N O . 1 P A L A C E S T R E E T, S W 1

Welcome to the House of Walpole, the flagship apartment within the No.1 Palace Street development – so-called thanks to developer Northacre’s collaboration with Walpole, the luxury sector advocacy body, which counts more than 250 British brands among its membership. The entire apartment has been kitted out with Walpole names, including Helen Amy Murray, Aiveen Daly, Cole & Son, Savoir Beds, Maddox Gallery, Asprey and Bentley Motors.

For culture vultures, the development sits opposite the Queen’s Gallery, the John Nash-designed pavilion that was completed in 1831 and since 1962 has housed the Royal Collection. The Guards Museum and Victoria Palace Theatre are also just a stone’s throw away. numberonepalacestreet.com

S O U T H B A N K P L AC E , S E 1

If you’re looking for property near culture, the South Bank is home to cutting-edge arts venues like the National Theatre, BFI and Southbank Centre. Not traditionally a residential destination, finding beautiful property here isn’t easy, which is why this development is so special. Situated right by the London Eye (like, right next to it), the five buildings of Southbank Place are each designed by a different architect, and encircle the existing landmark Shell Tower. And it’s not just culture on your doorstep; the development also brings with it a slew of restaurants, bars and leisure amenities.

From £880,000, knightfrank.co.uk

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P R I N C I PA L T OW E R , E C 2 A

Naysayers will argue that Shoreditch has had its moment – that the countercultural cool kids have been turfed out by hipsters with trust funds. But head over to the East London hotspot and you’ll still feel it – the fashion, the art, the clubs. Shoreditch is cool, and it always will be. If you agree, this may be the property for you: Principal Tower is a 50-storey-high, uber-modern development with amenities that include an infinity pool, spa, sauna, gym, cinema and residents’ lounge. £1,075,000, londonrealestateoffice.co.uk

THE OWO, SW1A

The OWO – close to the Household Cavalry Museum, The National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery – has been hot property since it was announced that Whitehall’s former Old War Office was being renovated six years ago. The building, where Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George held office, has undergone a monumental transformation and the Grade II*-listed space is now welcoming public guests for the first time in its 115-year history. The development is managed by Raffles – making it one of the most eagerly-anticipated branded residences since the trend took off.

Prices start at £5,800,000, theowo.london LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK

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F I NA L A PA RTM E N T S 020 3411 8737 wardianlondon.com Prices correct as at time of print.

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HOT PROPERTY

The Whiteley, W2 T H E R E S TO R AT I O N , W H I C H R E V E A L S A 1 1 0 -Y E A R - O L D FAÇ A D E , I S R E T U R N I N G Q U E E N SWAY TO I T S F O R M E R G LO RY

W

hen the original Whiteleys opened in November 1911, the Lord Mayor of London declared the department store as “perfect in every detail of architecture, equipment and service’’. The new Whiteleys development will be hoping to generate similar levels of admiration when it opens later this year.

The redevelopment of the former shopping centre – once one of the largest department stores in the world, and a rival to London’s Selfridges, Libertys and Harrods – began in 2018 and has seen the coming together of some of the most talented global architects and developers. Award-winning Foster + Partners was charged with the task of restoring the building’s Grade II-listed façade, while interior design heavyweight Finchatton has overseen the décor of the project’s 139 unique residences.

Residents of those properties, which range from one- to fivebedroom apartments, will also benefit from access to an onsite Six Senses Hotel & Spa – the first UK outpost from the fêted global luxury hotel brand. As well the Six Senses’ bars and restaurants,

residents can make use of a state-of-the-art fitness studio, an indoor padel court, a 20-metre indoor swimming pool, a steam room, sauna and the Six Senses Spa. The restoration of The Whiteley is part of a £3bn redevelopment of the Queensway/Bayswater area, the next phase of which will see work begin on The William, a major new mixed-use development set across the other side of the High Street.

Situated at the centre of an axis that includes Notting Hill, Westbourne Grove, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Paddington, The Whiteley is a stone’s throw from central London’s largest park and some of the city’s leading cultural landmarks.

Kensington Palace, The Serpentine and the Royal Albert Hall are all just a short stroll away. The development also presents the opportunity to own a unique piece of London history.

The Whiteley, Queensway, W2 4YN, from £1,680,000, savills.com

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