ISSUE 2 | VOLUME 1 | WINTER ‘18
T H E H O LI DAY I S SU E TROORAMAGAZINE.COM
2019 Land Rover Discovery SUV The Pinnacle Of Redefined Capability
Hotel St George Helsinki,Finland
Trystanne Cunningham Creative Director Style Curator/Founder Daniella Schoeman Travel/Wellness Contributor
Alex English Writer
Rare Luxury Living Magazine LLC A Fortunest Group Company 1530 Yosemite Avenue San Francisco, CA 94124
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Jannely Espinal Contributor
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Diane Presler
Mathew Paul Robinson Fashion Contributor
RareTribe
Graphic Design Consultant Creative Inspiration
Jeanette Smith Copy Editor
Morghan Medlock Culinary Contributor
CONTENTS 70
34 The Best Umbrella
128
176
50
56
Unusual Spa Experiences
140 Giving Back
Getting Hygge With It
Festive Cocktails
Buon Natale
20
Favorite Wreaths
Magical Xmas Markets
Rare Luxury Living 13
DEPARTMENTS 16 Rare Luxury Living
Contents 13
Spectrum Wreaths
20
Sip & Savor
Festive Cocktails
56
Vigor & Vitality
Unusual Scandinavian Spa Experiences
140
Techie
Travel Smart
162
Rare Affairs 192
34
Under My Umbrella 50
Magical Xmas Markets 70
A Few Of Our Favorite Things 112
Buon Natale 128
European Xmas 168
Giving Back 176
CREDITS PHOTOGRAPHERS: David Baxendale171 Eric Danhier74 Will Steacy80 Malcolm Brown80 Marley White80 Michael Setzpfandt173 Philippe de Rexel100 Christophe Hamm100 Astrid Barti 106 Sonja Burtscher106 Steffen Oliver Riese94 Uwe Niklas94 Gustavo Lopes 172
IMAGES & CONTENT: Tourism Offices of: Belgium, NYC, Copenhagen, Toronto, Manchester, Nuremberg, Prague, Strasbourg, Austria Arctic Bath Loyly Solar Egg Certain Standard Senreve
R
A
R E
LUXURY LIVING
FEATURES
Getting Hygge With It
Rare Luxury Living 17
Christmaswreath.uk A glorious faux Christmas wreath adorned with an abundance of glossy red berries, enhanced by a mixture of textural faux evergreen foliage.
20 Rare Luxury Living
Wreaths
T
he history of the wreath dates
literally means, “a thing bound around,”
back to ancient Greece &
from the Greek word diadema.)
Rome, where members of
Today still, the Christmas wreath is symbolic
Greco-Roman society would
of immortality, as the circle and sphere both
hand-make ring-shaped “wreaths” using fresh
represent immortality. No holiday is complete
tree leaves, twigs, small fruits & flowers. Worn
without the festive wreath, they are an easy
as headdresses, these wreaths represented
way to add holiday cheer to any door. We’ve
one’s occupation, rank, achievements
chosen our favorites for this festive season.
and status. (The Laurel wreath was most
From glam gold tones to lush greens, there is
commonly used then.) Laurel wreaths were
a wreath out there for everyone.
used to crown victors of the ancient GrecoRoman Olympic Games. (Wreath translated
Rare Luxury Living 21
Getting
HYGGE T
With It
he Danish concept of
encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment
hygge, which helps the
and well-being through enjoying the simple
Danes get through the
things in life.
long, dark winter, is now
To get hygge, you need to create an
catching on with the rest of the world.
atmosphere of cosiness, warmth and
Collins Dictionary declared it one of the
homeliness. Invite friends over to share a
top 10 words of this year and more than 20
meal – oh, and light some candles.
books were published about it. We’re sure
Create your own spot of hygge. Evoking
you’ve come across the word in the past
a sense of hygge means adding personal
few months, but what in the world is hygge
items and lots of natural texture to create
exactly? First, let’s start with how you say it.
an intimate and comforting space.
Pronounced “hoo-ga,” this Danish concept
Continued Next Page
cannot be translated to one single word but
Rare Luxury Living 35
Under
My
Umbrella Written By: Alex English
B
y now, you may have heard
My issue with most of these brands
the phrase “peak stuff.”
is that they aren’t disrupting much of
If you haven’t, you will. It
anything, just adding to the noise and
means we—Westerners in
flood of unnecessary stuff. Certain
developed societies—are pretty much set
Standard, I’m happy to report, doesn’t
when it comes to new products, brands,
fall under that umbrella. But they do
etc. We need to start scrutinizing what
make umbrellas, and pretty great ones in
we’re buying and focus on quality over
fact.
quantity, because our world can’t sustain
The brand hails from infamously rainy
anymore disposable products.
city Seattle, one of my favorite spots,
That being said, if you’ve been on
where I lived for a summer in college.
Instagram at all this holiday season,
That summer, it didn’t rain even once.
you’ve come across any number of
But I know that the winter months can
sponsored posts from emergent, digital-
be brutally gray, drizzly, and dreary. So
native fashion, apparel or accessory start-
where better to hatch a truly thoughtful,
ups that want a piece of your wallet.
functional umbrella to top all others?
50 Rare Luxury Living
Sip
& Savor
Holiday
Cocktails
56 Rare Luxury Living
Written By: Trystanne Cunningham
Rare Luxury Living 57
M Written By: Daniella Schoeman
70 Rare Luxury Living
g a
l a ic
Xmas s t
M
e k ra
Rare Luxury Living 71
BuonNatale
Tutti! Written By: Alex English
I
n Italy, the holidays are an especially
Up to that point, I’d eaten countless pizze
festive, decorative, and family-orient-
and partaken in hundreds of aperitivi. I had
ed time punctuated by many an airy
my preferred gelaterias, which served flavors
panettone (Italian sweet bread), the best
like fig and nocciola (hazelnut). If it wasn’t for
brands of which are hotly debated. It’s a time
walking 10,000 steps every day, I’d have prob-
to relax, take stock, and enjoy nestling with
ably been at least one stone heavier.
those you love. Plus, shops, public spaces, and
I’d also dated some totally dreamy Italian uo-
sidewalks are all twinkly and welcoming.
mini. I lost my keys one night and slept out-
My family visited in December, just before
side. I rode a BikeMi bicycle all over town,
Christmas, as I was finishing my M.B.A. at
across wobbly cobblestones. I sweated under-
Università Bocconi, and it was a thrilling time
neath my winter coat, dragged my luggage
to be their tour guide. I’d been there for fifteen
on the metro, was hungover from too many
months, so I knew my way around the city, the
Aperol Spritzes—which I still can’t drink.
best museums to hit, the right restaurants and bars…
128 Rare Luxury Living
And I developed a subconscious love for this
Though my time there was short, I feel like I
crazy, backward, infinitely charming place.
discovered what “made in Italy” really means.
What’s so endearing about the country, and
From tangible products to a way of looking at
what I wanted my family and friends to grasp
life, it’s far more than a label. It’s a lifestyle, a
when they visited, is that there’s an emphasis
perspective. The country makes thousands of
on excellence in some very important arenas.
products and exports them to the world—every-
Italy is rich with culinary, artistic, and tactile
thing from Alfa Romeos to household textiles
traditions, which give it things like amazing food
and chocolate bars—but experiencing those
experiences, excellent coffee and wine, unbeliev-
things abroad is different than being on the
able art, and quite possibly the best leather shoes
ground, in the country of origin.
in the world.
Rare Luxury Living 129
l su a nu
U 140 Rare Luxury Living
Scandinavian
Spas
Written by: Daniella Schoeman
Unusual
Scandinavian Spa Experiences
S
candinavia and spas are
much of which has to do with their
synonymous, and you cannot
tradition of using water to aid wellbeing.
travel to this region without
All Nordic spas are based on the core
visiting a spa. Winter holidays
principle of healing through water, and
are not just about skiing, especially when
these wellness rituals are practiced in
in a winter wonderland like Scandinavia.
some unique locations. Scandinavian
This unique part of the world consists of
spa culture has evolved over the past 700
five countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway,
years to replicate and improve traditional
Iceland, and Denmark. Collectively, these
experiences through modern amenities in
countries bring to mind images of glacial
luxurious settings. This is our pick of the
streams, rugged mountain peaks, thermal
top three exclusive, rare, and luxurious
springs, and the northern lights. But
spa experiences you can have in this
most importantly, Scandinavia is known
beautiful part of the world.
for their healthy and happy inhabitants,
142 Rare Luxury Living
Xmas
In Europe Rare Luxury Living 169
Happy
New
Year
2019