The Mayfair Magazine May 2017 by Runwild Media Group

CONTENTS May 2017 52

Regulars 10 Editor’s letter 12 Five minutes with... Carpenters Workshop Gallery co-founder Loïc Le Gaillard 14 Couture culture The worlds of fashion, film and art collide 64 Blooming lovely The most fashionable of flora and fauna 102 Local news What to see and where to go this month 104 Remembering Mayfair Sir Richard Westmacott’s affair with Audley Street

Features 16 London Craft Week A personal guide to Mayfair’s special events

30 Join the club Hannah Lemon picks her ten favourite private members’ establishments 52 The art of darkness Old and new tech collides in Mat Collishaw’s latest show 60 Crowning glory Behind the doors of London’s oldest shop, Lock & Co. Hatters 78 Fabric of time Peek inside Stefano Ricci’s storied silk mill 84 Natural selection Camilla Apcar reports on skincare inspired by the great outdoors 100 Great escape Lizzie Pook discovers Margaret River in Western Australia

78 21 26

Jumping the Broom Kari Colmans delights in Lee Broom’s take on Wedgwood Jasperware Carving a niche Marianne Dick seeks out the finest firearms, leatherwork and suits

35 Collection

57 Fashion

80 Health & beauty

90 Travel

45 Art

75 Interiors

88 Food & drink

105 Property

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selected range available at har veynichols.com

editor’s letter

editor

From the MAY 2017 s issue 068

Editor Hannah Lemon

FEATURE

oppoSite and inSet left: anderSon & Sheppard

Deputy Editor Camilla Apcar photo credit: ian teh

Who is the typical customer?

Contributing Editor Lauren Romano Jewellery Editor Olivia Sharpe Watch Editor Richard Brown Acting Assistant Editor Marianne Dick Editorial Intern Sandra Vedeld Senior Designer & Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong Production Alice Ford Jamie Steele Hugo Wheatley General Manager Fiona Smith Executive Director Sophie Roberts Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Proudly published by

carving a

niche

The Tailor

Our clothes are often described as timeless, giving the wearer decades of enjoyment and use. Fashion changes quickly: the typical Anderson & Sheppard customer is one who really appreciates the craft, dedication and time that goes into beautiful handmade garments.

Colin Heywood, managing director of Anderson & Sheppard

Are there any parts of your suit-making process that are completely unique?

Anderson & Sheppard may have moved premises from Savile Row to Old Burlington Street in 2005, but it is still a founding member of the Savile Row Bespoke Association and its practices remain true to The Row’s time-honoured standards. Its house style, the English drape, was invented by the Duke of Windsor’s tailor Frederick Scholte who trained Peter Gustaf (‘Per’) Anderson. Anderson and trouser cutter Sidney Horatio Sheppard made the softer and less constructed cut their trademark when they founded the business in 1906, drawing custom from Fred Astaire, Noël Coward and Laurence Olivier. More recently, Tom Ford called it “the best tailor in the world”. To this day, suits are made bespoke in its Old Burlington Street shop, with measurements recorded by hand in a leather-bound ledger. Around the corner, its Clifford Street haberdashery sells trousers, suits and accessories.

What has been the secret to Anderson & Sheppard’s enduring success?

Mayfair and St James’s have cultivated some of Britain’s most quintessential craft industries. Marianne Dick meets the characters behind three of the area’s premium trades: gunmaking, tailoring and leatherwork

inSet right: williaM evanS gun rooM; williaM evanS craft tour event

Our house style is extremely popular and is a break from the more structured garments associated with other tailors. We continue to make them in the same way today, more than 110 years since the company was formed. Other contributing factors are the consistency and dedication to our craft, and attention to detail. Many of the workforce – cutters, sales staff and tailors – have been with the company for more than 30 years, with several gaining more than 40 years’ experience with the firm.

At Anderson & Sheppard we have always crafted a hand-drawn pattern, cut from card for every customer and based on more than 30 measurements. For us, this is paramount to the consistency we are striving for. Combined with our high armhole, minimum padding on the shoulders and soft drape through the chest, the finished result is a coat that is not only extremely comfortable to wear but looks incredibly stylish too. anderson-sheppard.co.uk

The Gunmaker Alastair Phillips, general manager of William Evans William Evans founded his gun manufacturing empire in 1883 after learning the ropes from Holland & Holland and James Purdey & Sons, and the name has been synonymous with Pall Mall ever since he set up shop there in 1888. Being in the heart of St James’s meant that the company attracted high-ranking customers from the surrounding gentlemen’s clubs and, notably, The Duke of Connaught.

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“Beautiful forms and compositions are not made by chance, nor can they ever, in any material, be made at small expense” Josiah Wedgwood We all remember the sticky back plastic and cereal packet creations of our childhood – a brief introduction to the world of craft. Some of us found ourselves with fingers glued to odd cardboard cutouts that parents would attempt to look at with fond admiration. Others excelled. It is the latter group, fortunately, that have made it into this craftsmanship special. London Craft Week starts the month off with an array of opportunities to see local talent at its best, from Savile Row tailors creating a capsule wardrobe for a fictional hotelier to an expert watch engraver at Vacheron Constantin; Wedgwood is revitalised by product designer Lee Broom; and Lock & Co. Hatters talk us through millinery masterpieces in time for Ascot. There’s not a piece of Blu Tack in sight.

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Hannah Lemon Editor Follow us on Twitter @MayfairMagazine and Instagram @themayfairmagazine

On the

cover

Also published by

R u n w i l d M e di a G r o u p

Overblown Roses hat, £1,250, lock couture, lockhatters.co.uk

luxurylondon.co.uk A website. A mindset. A lifestyle.

Regulars

5 minutes with... chic works of bronze. Studio Job is equally fascinating – their creativity is really pushing the boundaries of design. Maarten Baas is also very inspiring.

I keep seeing things I want to buy, but my big problem is resisting. I recently bought a piece by Mexican artist Jose Dávila, who transforms iconic paintings into something very different from their original.

I was born and brought up in Paris, but I moved to the UK when I was 20.

I studied corporate finance.

I spend a lot of time in Kyubi, the Japanese restaurant upstairs at The Arts Club. The food is extraordinary. I probably spend a lot of time at the Pret A Manger opposite the gallery, too.

Four years of that makes you realise the last thing you want to do in life is corporate finance.

The idea behind Carpenters Workshop Gallery on Albemarle Street was to develop the fine line between contemporary art and design, where a piece could be as sculptural as it is functional.

I’m a fan of contemporary art. I love to go to Marlborough Gallery, or Hamiltons Gallery on Carlos Place for great photography.

I also love tribal art. When a collection is eclectic, that’s when it becomes interesting. One of the most important designer-artists of her generation is Ingrid Donat, who creates timeless, extremely

Loïc Le Gaillard The Carpenters Workshop Gallery co-founder lists his leading luminaries of art and design

clockwise from top left: Studio Job, Cat Fight, photography: Adrien Millot; Loïc Le Gaillard; san francisco skyline, mandritoiu/Shutterstock; kyubi at the arts club; ingrid DONAT, Cabinet Klimt; studio job, banana lamp; Jose Dávila, Untitled (Femme d’Alger) IX, 2016, archival pigment print paper, 173 x 150cm, ©Jose Dávila, Photo by Jason Wyche, Courtesy of Sean Kelly Gallery

The most valuable advice I’ve ever received: the best time to say no is straight away.

My words of wisdom for my children when they grow up: to live your life fully and with plenty of passion.

I would like to experience living somewhere along the west coast of the United States. The mix of culture and nature there is exceptional.

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BEEF UP YOUR WEEK 23 April - 1 May

To celebrate Great British Beef Week we are showcasing the best of British beef cuts in specially designed dishes and set menus throughout our Cubitt House pubs.

cubitthouse.co.uk

literary itinerary

top left and right: Adam Veevers Honey pot and dipper; inset: Zoe watts Riders of the storm bud vase

AGENDA Inspired returns for the fifth time as part of The Festival of Silver. Pop by this free exhibition to admire the work of 21 furniture makers and 60 silversmiths at the Goldsmiths’ Centre during London Craft Week in May. The selling showcase of contemporary luxury silverware and furniture aims to promote the skills and design of both high-profile silversmiths, such as Brett Payne, Rebecca Joselyn, Karina Gill and Fred Rich, as well as young graduates making their debut into the industry. The Goldsmiths’ Centre, 3-6 May, festivalofsilver.co.uk

Couture culture photography: tristram Kenton

theatre

Nell Gwynn

The fun and light-hearted Nell Gwynn is set to return to the Globe for a limited run this month, after its time in the West End last year. Set in 1660 on Drury Lane, the plot follows the life of heroine Nell (Laura Pitt-Pulford), an orange seller, as she becomes an actress for the King’s Company, the mistress of Charles II, and ultimately, a national treasure. Loaded with double-entendres and sparkling wit, be sure not to miss out on this hilarious play by the Olivier Awardwinning playwright, theatre director and screenwriter Jessica Swale. From £5, 2-13 May, Shakespeare’s Globe, shakespearesglobe.com

In the glossy Timeless Icons, Italian author Carlos Mazzoni stages the effortless elegance and refined glamour of famous faces through a series of photographs. The selection includes emblematic figures of past and present (from Brigitte Bardot and Steve McQueen to Charlize Theron and George Clooney), divided into two sections: male and female. Sponsored by Tod’s, the tome of legendary celebrity charm and style aims to personify the everlasting aesthetic of the fashion house. Timeless Icons by Carlos Mazzoni, £55.78, available at Harrods, harrods.com

Regulars

top picks

Best of British For authentic style, choose handcrafted

FILM

The Zookeeper’s Wife

irected by Niki Caro, The Zookeeper’s Wife reveals the real-life story of the keepers of Warsaw Zoo, Antonina (Jessica Chastain) and Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh), who helped save hundreds of people in World War II. Upon the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the couple are forced to report to Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl),

the Reich’s appointed chief zoologist. In an attempt to fight back, they start working with the Resistance to organise escape plans for people trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto. Based on the book by Diane Ackerman, this film gives an intriguing insight into the couple who courageously put themselves at risk. In cinemas now

#1 Douglas Fitch jug, £360, thenewcraftsmen.com

#2 Earrings, £89, jandcmartin.com

#3 Shoes, £475, church-footwear.com

Be seduced by one of Christian Louboutin’s eye-popping Mexicaba bags, brought to life by Mayan artisans from the Yucatan peninsula

£1,145, christianlouboutin.com

#4 Glasses, from £450, ebmeyrowitz.co.uk

#5 Shaving set, £100, norse.london.co.uk

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London Craft Week

Interior designers, jewellers and tailors are preparing to open their doors for special events and workshops for the third edition of this citywide celebration of creativity. Here’s when and where to find some of Mayfair’s finest highlights W o r d s : C a mi l l a a p c a r

St James’s Palace Take a step in a regal direction with a visit to the Marlborough House workshops, where furniture and decorative objects from the royal residences are conserved. Only 20 will be able to enter the palace, which is usually closed to the public. 5 May, 6-7pm, York House, St James’s Palace, SW1A, royalcollection.org.uk

The New Craftsmen Inspired by Renaissance paintings hung in the National Portrait Gallery, six carved vessels created by 26-year old Leah Jensen will take centre stage here, one created by the ceramicist each day. The set will be made from stone, terracotta and porcelain combined with rough burnt wood bases. 3-7 May, 34 North Row, W1K, thenewcraftsmen.com

image courtesy of Georg Jensen Archive

For more information on these events and to book, visit: londoncraftweek.com

Georg Jensen Meet a silversmith from the Danish silverware specialist’s Copenhagen workshop as they demonstrate the techniques required to create its harlequin patterned Bernadotte cocktail set. Contemporary design married with more than 100 years of experience. 4 May, 12-6pm, 89 Mount Street, W1K, georgjensen.com

FEATURE

The New Craftsmen dley N Au

Mulberry

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Hussein Chalayan

Boodles

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Georg Jensen

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Ever wondered how a high fashion dress is actually made? Find out during this one-night-only event with the experimental designer and his expert team of pattern cutters and seamstresses. £30, 3 May, 6.30-7.30pm, 2 Bourdon Street, W1K, store.chalayan.com

w Ne

Hussein Chalayan

Vacheron Constantin

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St James’s Palace

Mulberry The fashion flagship will welcome fans to watch craftsmen from its two factories in Somerset as they demonstrate the manufacturing of its trademark Bayswater bag (pictured above). Introduced in 2003, creative director Johnny Coca revamped the style last year. Head behind the scenes of chic simplicity. 3-7 May, 50 New Bond Street, W1S, mulberry.com

Vacheron Constantin

Boodles At a preview of its high jewellery collection – The Poetry of Landscape – that will launch in June, Boodles’ director and head of design will discuss the creation of its nine unique diamond and coloured gemstone suites. An exhibition of specially commissioned photography will also be on display. 4 May, 6-7.30pm, 178 New Bond Street, W1S, boodles.com

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Just when it seems that Swiss watchmakers have scaled every imaginable height, a new timepiece takes things one step further, like Vacheron’s intricately engraved Copernicus. Watch live as its master shows off his supreme skill. 3-6 May, 11am-5pm, 37 Old Bond Street, W1S, vacheron-constantin.com

The Jimmy Beaumont

capsule

A wardrobe for the fictional Jimmy Beaumont, who inspired the Balderton Street hotel’s 1920s aesthetic, has been created by tailors from Savile Row and beyond. Outfits will be displayed in each shopfront throughout London Craft Week

collection Budd Shirtmakers A formal neckband shirt, a baseball shirt and a Marcella dress shirt will provide the basis for Jimmy Beaumont’s wardrobe, and demonstrate the 117-year-old brand’s expertise. Budd’s workshop has sat above its Piccadilly Arcade premises for more than 60 years. 3 Piccadilly Arcade, SW1Y, buddshirts.co.uk

Maurice Sedwell A hand-cut three-piece city suit will see a breasted coat with long peak lapels plus a double-breasted waistcoat with a wide shawl collar in a specially woven navy Holland & Sherry cloth, with Beaumont’s name forming a subtle pink stripe. “Jimmy is bursting out of his old Savile Row seams into an exciting new era of dressing to reflect his successes,” says master tailor Andrew Ramroop. 19 Savile Row, W1S, savilerowtailor.com

Dege & Skinner In flannel grey, a double-breasted belted back suit and Oxford bag trousers – which became particularly popular in 1925 – will establish Jimmy as a gentleman of leisure. “I hope our suit will pay homage to his unique, fun and charismatic transatlantic style,” says head cutter Nicholas De’Ath. Quite so. 10 Savile Row, W1S, dege-skinner.co.uk

Henry Poole & Co No doubt Jimmy would have rowed at Henley representing Harvard and later joined the Royal Yacht Squadron. It’s time for him to take to the water once again with Henry Poole’s navy West of England flannel (and a pair of two-tone buckskins from Cleverley Shoes, and a Lock & Co. hat). The buttons will come courtesy of a trip to the yacht club itself. 15 Savile Row, W1S, henrypoole.com

FEATURE

New & Lingwood “I wanted to create something that felt decadent and redolent of the Great Gatsby era, but still felt relevant,” says product and marketing director Simon Maloney. A silk dressing gown and pair of slippers with a bold navy and burgundy print is just the ticket. 53 Jermyn Street, SW1Y, newandlingwood.com

Dashing Tweeds An appropriately dashing ensemble for a summer weekend away in a country house with friends – this checked sporting jacket and striped trousers in a Merino wool worsted cloth will be tailored with a three-button blazer and patch pockets. Anyone for tennis? 26 Sackville Street, W1S, dashingtweeds.co.uk

Gieves & Hawkes A cashmere quilted sports coat with tweed, corduroy or moleskin trousers – and a detachable bib – will make for a tailored ski outfit with an Alpine edge, taken care of by head cutter Davide Taub. For those experiencing pangs of jealousy, the tailor offers bespoke, private and ready-to-wear from its townhouse headquarters. 1 Savile Row, W1S, gievesandhawkes.com

Anderson & Sheppard Legend has it that Jimmy ran the Carlyle Hotel in New York during the 1920s, but frustrated with prohibition, moved to London. As well as creating a midnight blue velvet smoking jacket with embroidered cuffs and panels, Anderson & Sheppard will add ‘James Beaumont’ to its ledger, which already holds the autographs of his contemporaries Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. 32 Old Burlington Street, W1S, anderson-sheppard.co.uk

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ORIGINAL, LIMITED-EDITION ART DECO POSTERS

Limited to editions of 280, our newly-commissioned Art Deco posters feature glamorous holiday destinations around the world, ski resorts in the Austrian, French and Swiss Alps, and the world’s greatest historic automobiles. Over 100 designs to choose from, all printed on 100% cotton fine art paper, measuring 97 x 65 cms.

Priced at £395 each.

Private commissions are also welcome.

Pullman Editions Ltd 94 Pimlico Road Chelsea London SW1W 8PL www.pullmaneditions.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 0547 Email: georgina@pullmaneditions.com

Our central London gallery

View and buy online at w w w.pullmaneditions.com Pullman Ed-M-F.indd 1

06/04/2017 21:04

INTERVIEW

Below: lee broom, image credit: jermaine francis; right: opticality for London design festival 2016, image credit: luke hayes

Y Jumping the

BROOM A decade after his debut collection, Lee Broom is marking the anniversary with a Wedgwood collaboration and a ten-piece anniversary showcase. The product designer reflects on the pivotal year with Kari Colmans

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ou may not necessarily know you’re a Lee Broom fan. But if you’ve been sprucing up your living room, or even just perusing Pinterest, chances are you will have fallen for one of his designs – be it a crescent chandelier or hanging hoop chair – without even knowing it. With his conceptual creations ingrained in the last decade’s interior design psyche, many will be surprised to learn that the company is only ten years young. “I wanted to create a design brand first and foremost,” says 41-year-old Broom, who is in the middle of putting the final touches to his ten-piece anniversary collection when we speak. “When I launched it, most of my peers were designing for other brands, but for me it was about opening up, creating and owning the whole experience from start to finish: from the inception of the design to it landing on someone’s doorstep. I think we have achieved it and more.” Broom is one of the country’s most high-profile product designers. Over the past decade he has released more than 100 pieces manufactured under his own label, as well as numerous products for other brands and more than 45 commercial retail, restaurant, bar and residential interiors. His smattering of accolades spans the British Designer of the Year Award in 2011, as well as four nods in three years at the same awards, including one for his renowned lighting product, the Crystal Bulb. His trophy cabinet also features a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – the UK’s

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea was to focus on reinterpretations for a more modern audienceâ&#x20AC;?

wedgwood by lee broom, image credit: michael bodiam

INTERVIEW

lee broom at the wedgwood factory, barlaston, stoke-on-trent

highest accolade for business success – in the category of International Trade. “Receiving that award at Buckingham Palace was a very special moment,” he says. With a background in theatre and fashion, Broom previously worked under Vivienne Westwood (after winning Young Fashion Designer of the Year) and went on to study for a degree in fashion design at Central Saint Martins. He still takes inspiration from the sartorial world (The Guardian commented that “Lee Broom is to furniture what Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford are to fashion”) and has collaborated with a number of brands including Christian Louboutin, Mulberry and Matthew Williamson. “Growing up I was a huge fan of Vivienne Westwood, but also John Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier,” he says. “I was incredibly passionate about theatrical fashion designers and the visuals and techniques they created.” The move to products was an organic one. His first collection, Neo Neon in 2007, stemmed from advising a number of bars on interior design. Since then, including two collections in 2008, Broom is not so much pausing to take stock, but jumping back on the merry-go-round. He’s currently presiding over his anniversary collection, Time Machine: a ten-piece range of Lee Broom hero products re-imagined in an all-white palette. By the time you read this, he will have just presented them at Salone del Mobile in Milan. “I wanted to look back to pieces we

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had created over the past decade, but also to do something different,” he says. “I’m not always a fan of looking back; when I release new collections, I usually move forward. I thought if I was going to do that, then I wanted to reinvent the pieces, and to create new versions of them.” The show was staged in a derelict vault inside the Milano Centrale station, a vast concourse that hadn’t been used by the public in more than 30 years. “That really appealed to me. After seeing the space I decided to present the collection on an all-white rotating fairground carousel. It’s quite a modernist, theatrical presentation,” he adds. Broom’s favourite pieces are always his latest, but he names the solid Carrara marble grandfather clock with polished brass detailing as his most impressive, which is the only totally new product among the reimagined versions of Bright On Bistro, Carpetry Console, Crystal Bulb and Drunken Side Table. “I chose a grandfather clock because as well as marking the passing of time, people often give clocks or watches to signify a special occasion. It felt like an appropriate product to present, but it’s a totally contemporary version.” It’s been a busy year for Broom, not least because his company has expanded stateside to New York. Then there’s the small matter of his collaboration with the 250-year-old English heritage brand Wedgwood to reimagine its iconic Jasperware. He tells me he was attracted to the timeless black and white stripes of the Panther Vase for its sense of modernity, and used this as a starting point for the collection. He combined the graphic stripe with postmodern elements and introduced vibrant colours and glossy lacquered textures, which juxtapose the matte finish of the traditional Jasperware. “I think a lot of people are familiar with that product; they’ve seen it in their parents’ or grandparents’ homes,

THIS IMAGE AND RIGHT: TIME MACHINE COLLECTION AT SALON DEL MOBILE 2017, IMAGE CREDIT: LUKE HAYES; BELOW: TIME MACHINE GRANDFATHER CLOCK, IMAGE CREDIT: ARTHUR WOODCROFT

especially the blue and white pieces with ornamentation that were invented in the 1700s. The idea was to focus on reinterpretations for a more modern audience,” he explains. “With my own experience of working with craftspeople in crystal and marble, going back to traditional techniques was a really good fit. I think the designs strike a good balance between the Wedgwood archive and my own aesthetic.” It’s clear from the way he speaks that Broom lives and breathes design. His home, a south London apartment in which he’s lived for more than 12 years, is a converted fire station that dates back to the 1800s. “It still has the tower on the top of the building where you could look out across London for fires and then ring the bell for the horse-drawn carriages below. It’s a very old industrial building, but my apartment is quite open plan with a few architectural details to it.” It’s also home to much of his work. “It almost acts as an extension of our showroom. It’s

constantly evolving. When we’ve created a new product, I take it to my apartment in the prototype stage and put it in the space and live with it for a period of time to see how it reacts. It’s important that things don’t just look good in the showroom but that they work in people’s homes.” Broom and his partner also love to collect art. He’s a big fan of Pop, Surrealist and Cubist art as well as photography and anything Art Deco. He describes his favourite piece by the artist Keith Haring, who painted the back of three leather jackets (for himself, his partner and Madonna).

“It’s important to surround yourself with things that make you feel happy and comfortable” He found Madonna’s in the I. Brewster gallery in Philadelphia many years ago and brought it back home where it hangs on the wall “very casually”, even though it’s actually very rare. “It’s important to surround yourself with things that make you feel happy and comfortable,” he says. “Your home should reflect your personality.” I ask if he could have designed one famous piece of furniture, which would it be? He names the Bentwood chair by Thonet, although he did include a reinterpretation of it in one of his first furniture collections, where he adorned the silhouette in neon lighting to accentuate the flowing lines. “I think people often take that chair for granted because they see it so often in cafés. But if you actually look at it as a piece of furniture, it’s an incredible design and the basis for a lot of modern chairs.” Pausing to celebrate the past ten years, I wonder what the next decade holds for him – a

INTERVIEW

return to fashion, perhaps? He says no, although he wouldn’t be averse to a jewellery collaboration (if you were to look inside his sketchbook, you’d find jewellery designs doodled in every margin). “The boundaries between the different types of design – art, fashion, industrial and decorative – has tended to blur a little more over the past decade, which is healthy. But

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who knows, things have a habit of developing quite organically and I have a habit of seizing opportunities as they come.” The Wedgwood by Lee Broom collection from £7,500 is available exclusively at Harrods in numbers of 15 per piece, as part of the Harrods’ Art Partners initiative. Lee Broom’s Time Machine collection is now available on a made-to-order basis, leebroom.com

Carving a

niche

FEATURE

opposite and inset left: Anderson & sheppard

photo credit: ian Teh

Who is the typical customer?

The Tailor

Colin Heywood, managing director of Anderson & Sheppard

Are there any parts of your suit-making process that are completely unique?

What has been the secret to Anderson & Sheppard’s enduring success?

inset right: william evans gun room; william evans craft tour event

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hunting and preparing their own meals. Immediacy and convenience became a priority.

Traditionally, William Evans is associated with conservative designs – as popular with gamekeepers as they were with Maharajas – rather than the more elaborate models of other companies, however its bespoke service gives the customer ultimate control. There is now a full lifestyle range available to buy in the Piccadilly store, as well as European guns. William Evans is also a partner of Bisley Shooting Ground, where customers are encouraged to ‘test drive’ their purchases. The company will be attending the fifth annual World Gunmakers evening by GunsOnPegs, on 18 May.

Have your gunmaking processes had to change or adapt? We are still providing a similar product and service compared to what was provided all those years ago. There is a bit of machining to save some time, but the oil finishing, the engraving and the checkering is all done by hand in almost exactly the same manner as it was in 1883. We still use the same tools, systems and methods, because they have always worked and provide the guns with their particularly unique fingerprint.

How does William Evans maintain the standards of its craft?

How has the industry changed over the past century? The end of World War I was the start of the decline in the number of gunmakers in the UK. The economics of the gun trade changed as well because it became more costly to work with the few craftsmen who were left. That has made it quite tough for UK businesses, even now. I don’t think hunting as an activity is the same as it was at the end of the World War II, either. The public’s attitude to food changed, and a decade later people didn’t care as much about

From Top: Anna Lascata Melanie Moss Herringbone Jacket, £399; canvas cartridge bag 100, £180; orange jumper, £89; St James Gun, poa, all available at williamevans.com

We employ a range of gunsmiths across the country who are each best suited to working on different types of guns across a range of manufacture and design processes. When a gun is handmade and incorporates that level of craft, it is much more specialised to repair and replace its parts. If a gun is machine-made, a spring can be easily switched out. A handmade gun has its own identity and uniqueness in design. williamevans.com

FEATURE

The Leatherworker Trevor Pickett, owner of Pickett Visiting Trevor Pickett’s Mayfair establishment at Burlington Gardens is an experience that one is unlikely to forget in a hurry. The store is a labyrinth of snug, twisting staircases and corridors that lead off into various rooms filled with bright and precious gifts. Pickett began working in a leather shop in Burlington Arcade after leaving school at the age of 16, becoming the manager at 18. Seven years later he bought the business and transformed it into his own luxury emporium, specialising in high-quality leather goods that are made entirely in England. While the store sells other adornments such as pashminas and slippers, leather is where Pickett’s expertise lies. There is a library filled with all variations of the material, from butter soft goatskin to exotic shagreen and ostrich. Pickett offers bespoke and corporate services, and finishing touches, such as deep green and orange giftwrapping, that make visiting Pickett truly special.

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What does the Pickett brand represent? Quality, quintessentially English leather goods for those who have an inner strength of their own taste and style, and don’t need to wear branded goods to reaffirm it.

You describe yourself as an editor rather than a product designer. What do you mean by this?

clockwise from top: Pickett shop interior; overnight holdall, £615; Pickett leather library; Rosie Ostrich mini handbag, £995; Ladies’ Kilim Slippers, £145, all available at pickett.co.uk

Products need to evolve with the customer – we take them on a journey where their use of what they buy has relevance. Evolution, not revolution.

What inspired you to start a bespoke service, and how does it work? The service takes the client from the start of the process, selecting leathers and discussing design, to the final product that is a unique piece, individual to their commission. I am often asked what luxury is: it is having the ability to create something utterly and completely yours that embodies your style and spirit. It is not about money or opulence; it is an individuality and self-confidence that no-one else can possibly replicate. That is what we strive to provide at Pickett, especially in a world where services like this are seriously diminishing. pickett.co.uk

Join the

club Whether you’re passionate about sauvignon, go crazy for truffles or like to party until 3am, there’s a private members’ establishment for you. Hannah Lemon sneaks a peek behind ten of the most discreet doors in the area

LOU LOU’S AT 5 hertford street

magine sitting at a bar and ordering any drink in the world, knowing that if it were not stocked, the barman would nip out and do his very best to source the liquor of your choice. Think of this, too: a night out at a club where you don’t have to queue and where they remember your favourite table. Private members’ clubs have enjoyed a makeover since the gentlemen’s gaffs of old, but they’re still just as popular. From cigar rooms and Italian truffles to womenonly study areas, there’s something for everyone and each venue aims to do more than your average hotel, bar or restaurant – going above and beyond the call of duty. Here’s where you should go and why, but it’s up to you to find a proposer and seconder to get you in.

5 Hertford Street Robin Birley, son of the late Mark Birley – chieftain of running, owning and selling private members’ clubs –

learnt a thing of two from his dad. The five-year-old establishment is a rabbit warren of rooms in four adjoining townhouses with themed décor in the restaurants (try Venetian Ottoman or Russian), as well as food (everything from sushi to tapas). There’s a cigar room, three bars, a library, drawing room, alcoves for bookworms – in fact, there’s not much you wouldn’t find here, including Lou Lou’s, the famous late-night watering hole for celebrities. Owner: Robin Birley Why: For an all-day retreat. If you’re only going to join one, this should be it Number of members: Around 3,000 Price: A rumoured £1,200 joining fee and £1,500 per annum Best for: Socialites and socialisers Alumni: George and Amal Clooney, Sir Mick Jagger and Leonardo DiCaprio Dress code: Smart: shirt and jacket for men Fun fact: When boy band One Direction turned up to Lou Lou’s dressed in the wrong attire, doorman Claude Achaume rejected them with the cutting line: “You’re only going in one direction, and that’s away from here” 2-5 Hertford Street, W1J, 5hertfordstreet.co.uk

67 Pall Mall Former hedge fund manager Grant Ashton launched this haven for wine lovers in St James’s in December 2015. 67 pall mall

FEATURE

After 30 years in the City, he and his friends had amassed a hefty collection of vintages that were waiting to be drunk. So he started a place where they could be enjoyed with minimal mark-up. Choose from an instantly updated wine list on an iPad, take tips from 15 in-house sommeliers, store wine on the premises and make the most of super connections – one member recently experienced a money-can’t-buy private tour with winemaker Laura Catena around her Argentinian vineyard. Owner: Grant Ashton Why: Choose from 2,500 bottles, of which 500 come by the glass (from £7.50) thanks to a Coravin contraption that siphons wine through the cork Number of members: 2,300 Price: £1,250 joining fee, £1,250 per annum Best for: Oenophiles Alumni: Hugh Johnson, Sam Neill and Olivier Krug Dress code: Men: jacket and shirt; ladies: stylish Fun fact: The most expensive glass costs a whopping £667 67 Pall Mall, St. James’s, SW1Y, 67pallmall.co.uk

The Arts Club With 16 bedrooms that come with 24-hour butler service, including a gigantic penthouse suite, you really could live at The Arts Club. Plus you get unrivalled access to five floors of luxury including a sushi restaurant, oyster bar, brasserie and bright terrace, and in the evenings you can chill out to live soul and jazz in the basement. Perfect for relaxed meetings and, of course, a peek at exhibitions on display around the club. Owners: Property developer Gary Landesberg and Arjun Waney, who co-owns Roka and Zuma restaurants Why: For your very own private pied-à-terre Number of members: Undisclosed Price: £2,000 joining fee, £2,000 per annum Best for: Creative types Alumni: Auguste Rodin, Gwyneth Paltrow and Grayson Perry Dress: Stylish – jeans and trainers allowed at the discretion of management

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the arts club

the cavalry and guards club

Fun fact: Originally founded in 1863 by a group including Charles Dickens 40 Dover Street, W1S, theartsclub.co.uk

The Cavalry and Guards Club Walk into this hideaway for Cavalry and Guards officers and you’ll be greeted by paintings of honorary members, the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Cornwall. Decorated with grand pillars and oil paintings of the Battle of Waterloo and Antarctic explorer Captain Lawrence Oates, this impressive building is made up of a snug bar with a terrace, bright and airy dining rooms, function and meeting rooms, a resident barber, as well as a few simple suites for overnight stays – everything a young officer could ask for. And it’s not just for uniforms: civilians can be nominated if they’ve known two members for three years or more. Owner: The members Why: A celebration of tradition and Britishness Number of members: 2,900 (1,000 serve in The Forces) Price: Up to £775 Best for: Officers and gentlemen

harry’s bar

Alumni: King Abdullah of Jordan, The Sultan of Brunei and HRH Prince William Dress code: Jacket and tie Fun fact: The first female serving officer is to join this year 127 Piccadilly, W1J, cavgdsclub.co.uk

Harry’s Bar Founded in 1979 by Mark Birley and James Sherwood, who used to own the Hotel Cipriani, this venue was based on the famous bar of the same name at the Venetian hotel. While the chairs and tables might be similar, the plethora of framed cartoons on the wall are a decidedly British touch. Here, it’s a love of all things Italian – Murano glass, Fortuny fabrics, and a wholesome menu of pastas, pizzas and risottos. With just one restaurant and one private room, the focus is on food. Make sure you come for truffle season: the club has unrivalled connections in Piedmont to acquire the biggest and best. Owner: The Birley Clubs Why: Because even when you’re not at the club, members have been known to get food delivered to their house in times of need Number of members: Undisclosed Price: £500 joining fee, £1,500 per annum Best for: Foodies Alumni: Beyoncé, David Walliams and Amanda Wakeley Dress: Smart Fun fact: All forks are laid prongs-down on tables, as Mark Birley wanted to avoid guests getting stabbed in the hand during heated discussions 26 South Audley Street, W1K, harrysbar.co.uk

Little House Little House came into being in 2012 as part of the creative and cool conglomerate Soho House, which was originally launched for film, media and creative industries and now includes clubs, restaurants, cinemas, spas and hotels globally from Somerset to Chicago. The salon bar, drawing room and modern European restaurant all on one floor cater for a relaxed clientele.

LITTLE HOUSE

MARK’S CLUB

Owner: Soho House Why: For laid-back luxury Number of members: Undisclosed Price: From £400 joining fee, £625 per annum Best for: Young start-ups Alumni: Keira Knightley and James Corden Dress: Subversively casual Fun fact: Pay £1,650 and you can be a member of all Soho House clubs 2 Queen Street, W1J, littlehousemayfair.com

Mark’s Club This neat townhouse opened in 1973 as an alternative to St James’s gentlemen’s clubs. A mixture of old and new, there is William Morris wallpaper alongside a circus-themed meeting room. It feels most like a home-away-from-home than any other. British and French dining, cocktails around an open fire or an afternoon on the covered terrace – the classic setting is perfect for both business and pleasure, the idea being that your drink, dice for backgammon and cigar should be no further than a pivot of your elbow. Owner: The Birley Clubs

FEATURE

Why: For modern tradition, such as champagne with caviar served casually on jacket potatoes Number of members: Undisclosed Price: £1,000 joining fee, £2,000 per annum Best for: The modern gent and lady Alumni: Boris Johnson and Edward Enninful Dress: Smart Fun fact: When David Cameron rescinded a place at the men-only White’s Club, Mark’s offered him an honorary membership 46 Charles Street, W1J, marksclub.co.uk

the savile club

retains many of its original features thanks to a hefty renovation bill footed by the club. There are private ballrooms as well as bedrooms and food is provided by Michelin-starred chef, Michael James. Friendly conversation is encouraged (mobile phones are banned), so if you’re dining on your tod you’ll have to sit at the members’ table. Also home to The Flyfishers’ Club. Owner: The members Why: To surround yourself in rich Victorian history Number of members: 1,000 Price: £350 joining fee, £1151 per annum Best for: Writers, poets and literary enthusiasts Alumni: Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy and Henry James Dress: Jacket and tie Fun fact: It’s £2.50 a pint 69 Brook Street, W1K, savileclub.co.uk

University Women’s Club morton’s club

Morton’s Club Morton’s has been at the centre of Mayfair’s social life for the past 40 years. The Grade II-listed building was erected in 1823 and has seen a rich history of inhabitants. Once the private residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was also home to the fast-driving Bentley boys in the 1920s. Art hangs on every wall and the USP of this place is the open view and balcony overlooking Berkeley Square. Owner: Marlon Abela (MARC Ltd) Why: For the best view of Mayfair Number of members: 2,500 Price: £1,000 joining fee, £1,500 per annum Best for: Professionals, ambassadors and oligarchs Alumni: Sir Paul McCartney, Jeremy Hackett and Rafael Nadal Dress code: Elegant attire encouraged Fun fact: Marc Bolan from T.Rex once jumped from the balcony into a moving vehicle below 28 Berkeley Square, W1J, mortonsclub.com

Founded in 1883 by Miss Gertrude Jackson of Girton College, Cambridge, this club provides a quiet corner for scholarly women. Much like the atmosphere of an old school, there are worn-out sofas, chipped paintings and mismatched cushions. Thursday evenings offer up club suppers and the libraries, grand rooms, 22 bedrooms and even a secret door make this an exciting place to investigate. Poetry, music and embroidery add to a diverse calendar of events. Owner: The members Why: To take part in intellectual conversation Number of members: 834 Price: £300 joining fee, up to £670 per annum Best for: Graduates, professionals and businesswomen of all ages Alumni: Dorothy L Sayers and Xanthe Clay Dress code: Smart casual Fun fact: Rooms were used for filming Downton Abbey 2 Audley Square, W1K, universitywomensclub.com the university women’s club

The Savile Club Harking back to the era of the traditional club, here you’ll find leather banquette seating, a snooker room and a dark wooden-panelled bar. Founded in 1868, the men-only club moved home in 1927 to an old Victorian house, which

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THE RESIDENTS’ SOCIETY OF MAYFAIR & ST JAMES’S PRESENT THEIR

Summer Garden Party MAYFAIR STYLE

Wednesday 6pm - 9pm 14th June 2017 Mount Street Gardens Mayfair, London W1K 2PB

Drinks | Canapés | Barbeque Entertainment | Live music | Casino Mayfair in Focus photography competition For details & tickets www.rsmsj.com Email events@rsmsj.com or call Howard Evans 07950 776 704

COLLECTION

Flying Colours

ware that the 21st-century woman cannot be pinned down to a single definition, Piaget chose five colours to represent the multi-faceted lives of women today. The result is an updated version of its 25-year-old Possession line, comprising malachite, lapis lazuli, onyx, turquoise and carnelian stones. Piaget called on model and entrepreneur Olivia Palermo to star in the new campaign and film. “I think women in this day and age should be more supportive of each other than ever, and give each other a great platform and stability,” she comments. From £990 to £11,200, piaget.com

Olivia Palermo, Piaget brand ambassador, wears a selection of fine jewellery from the Piaget Possession collection, piaget.com

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BASELWORLD 2017

watch wish list An industry in consolidation mode is good news for punters, says Richard brown, as watchmakers focus attention on more affordable collections

A pair of unlikely bedfellows It costs a watchmaker millions of pounds to launch a new movement. Hence why many brands that survived the quartz crisis of the 1970s grew reliant on calibres from third-party suppliers, most notably from Swatch Group-subsidiary ETA. When, in 2002, Swatch chief Nicolas Hayek Jr. announced plans to restrict the flow of movements to companies outside his own portfolio, brands were forced to invest in becoming more self-reliant. Thus the industry’s prevailing obsession with the term ‘in-house’.

Industry consensus is that it costs around £13.5 million to procure the industrial machinery needed to mill the requisite parts of a movement. At trade price, a watchmaker will need to shift a lot of units to make that money back. Since a verticalised company will be capable of manufacturing more movements than it can possibly use itself, one idea is to sell to others. Perhaps this explains the initially eyebrow-raising partnership between Tudor and Breitling. Breitling granted Tudor access to its B01 base calibre, into which Tudor has incorporated its own rotor and regulating system. The movement, the MT5813, allows Tudor to update its Black Bay collection with a COSC-certified chronograph – at a fraction of the price it would have cost to develop a similar watch by itself. Tudor, going the other way, has let Breitling use its three-hand MT5612 movement inside the second-generation Superocean Heritage – essentially an upgrade from the previously used ETA 2824. As with the first edition, the second series is available in either 42mm or 46mm, both of which now include a scratch-resistant ceramic bezel. Given that for the last two years the watch industry has been shrinking, expect to see more mutually-beneficial partnerships in the future. breitling.com, tudorwatch.com

Above: Black Bay Chrono, £3,430, Tudor Left: Superocean Héritage II Chronographe 46, £4,830, Breitling

collection

Under the sea Until the 1960s, the maximum depth to which a diver could descend was around 60 metres. Any deeper, and pressurised gas decompressed in the body could cause air bubbles to block blood vessels. Saturation diving mitigates the risk of a sudden build-up of gas within the body through acclimatisation. Divers live for up to 28 days in pressurised chambers before they are transported underwater in closed ‘bells’ set at the same pressure. In 1992, a diver from the Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises, the NASA of underwater engineering, descended to 701 metres – a record that still stands. It is considered the maximum depth to which a human body can descend before it implodes. The fact that Rolex’s new Sea-Dweller (£8,350) is waterproof to 1,220 metres, then, is a tad irrelevant. Here’s guessing you’re more likely to pair yours with a business suit than a wetsuit, anyway. To mark the watch’s 50th birthday, Rolex has enlarged the Sea-Dweller to 43mm; equipped it with the latest-generation Calibre 3235 (accurate to two seconds a day); and for the very first time, fitted it with a Cyclops lens at three o’clock. Another feature likely to excite is the red ‘SeaDweller’ inscription, a reference to the 1967 forebear. Red writing has become extremely valued among Rolex collectors. The ‘Double Red’ Sea-Dwellers produced between 1967 and 1977, with two lines on the dial, typically sell on the pre-owned market for far more than their white-text counterparts. rolex.com

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Clockwise from top left: SeaDweller 904L steel; The Bathyscaphe Trieste, ©Thomas J. Abercrombie/ National Geographic; the original 1967 Sea-Dweller (left) and Sea-Dweller 904L steel (right); James Cameron wearing a SeaDweller, ©Mark Thiessen/National Geographic;

Three is the magic number A tie-in between horological exhibitionist Hublot, sartorial superpower Rubinacci and Lapo Elkann, grandson of Gianni Agnelli, former Fiat chief and style deity of the 21st-century, was always likely to yield something rather dapper. The result is six 45mm Classic Fusion chronographs – two in ceramic, two in titanium, two in gold – that feature dials and straps made from a selection of prints (houndstooth, squared weaves and Prince of Wales check). Handpicked from the 60,000 square metres of cloth in Rubinacci’s archive, the selected fabrics date back to the 1970s. Classic Fusion Italia Independent collection, from £12,500, hublot.com

Power play By the late 1970s, Oris had clocked up 279 in-house calibres and was one of Switzerland’s largest movement manufacturers, producing as many as 1.2 million watches and clocks a year. Following the quartz crisis, it became dependent on third-party suppliers until, in 2014, the watchmaker developed its first fully-fledged movement for almost 40 years. To celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary, the Calibre 110 boasted a then industry-beating ten-day power reserve. Just another three years later, Oris presents the Calibre 113, updated by way of a calendar that shows the day, date, week and month of the year. Again, the watch will run for ten days before it requires winding by hand. £4,780, oris.ch

Shining bright At Baselworld 1997, Patek Philippe expanded its sports watch offering with the Aquanaut. A commercially savvy way of providing access to the Nautilus, it quickly became one of Patek’s best-selling watch models. To mark its 20th anniversary, the brand has launched the Ref. 5168G in 18-carat white gold – the first Aquanaut to be delivered in this precious metal. With a diameter of 42mm, it is the largest model in the Aquanaut family, paying tribute to the original 1976 Nautilus of the same size, a timepiece that continues to go by the nickname ‘Jumbo’ among Patek collectors. The watch is water-resistant to a depth of 120 metres, while a Super-LumiNova coating ensures that Arabic numerals are visible in the dark. Inside, the self-winding

calibre 324 S C, visible through a sapphire-crystal case back, is just 3.3mm in height, making for a timepiece that is only 8.25mm thick. £27,990, patek.com

collection

Vintage Appeal Faced with a turbulent economic climate, watchmakers are revisiting their back catalogues and reissuing rock-steady classics

Old School Chronographs Chronomaster Heritage 146, £5,500, Zenith

Autavia, £3,900, TAG Heuer

Arriving just before Baselworld, Zenith’s Chronomaster Heritage 146 acted as a precursor to the raft of retro revivals we’d see at the show. The big news here is that the modern Heritage 146 chronograph is now equipped with Zenith’s legendary El Primero movement – the world’s first (1969), and still the most accurate series-produced automatic chronograph calibre. zenith-watches.com

Last year, digitally savvy TAG Heuer devotees voted for their favourite Autavia model from 16 first generation pieces from the 1960s. The Autavia Ref. 2446 Mark 3, won out and, so, this year makes a comeback. Today’s Autavia has been modernised with a larger 42mm case and the latest self-winding movement from TAG. tagheuer.com

Retro Dive Watches Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC, £10,310, Blancpain Arriving in 1953, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms beat both the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster to become the world’s first bona-fide, series-produced dive watch. In 1957, the Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC 1 incorporated a circular water-tightness indicator that would turn from white to red should water penetrate the case. Now, it comes along with a unidirectional rotating bezel covered in scratch-resistant sapphire. blancpain.com

Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s, €12,000, Grand Seiko While this watch’s hobnail dial, contrasting bezel and circular hour marks may hark back to the golden era of dive watch design, the Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m

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Diver’s is actually the first professional diver’s watch from Grand Seiko. It is equipped with a hi-beat automatic calibre and a valve-free helium resistant system. seiko.co.uk

Speedmaster Limited Edition, £5,360, Omega When the Speedmaster arrived in 1957, it was the first chronograph to feature a tachymeter scale on its bezel rather than on its dial. Sixty years later, it is reborn with the brand’s manual-wind 1861 movement and a black ‘tropical’ dial. Only 3,557 will be produced. omegawatches.com

HyperChrome Captain Cook, £1,430, Rado Think Rado and most likely something sleek, slim-line and ceramic will pop into your head. Back in 1962, however, it unveiled the Captain Cook, a playful yet neat 37mm diver’s watch with oversized indexes and chunky arrow-shaped hands. Playing tribute, Rado has re-launched the model, sticking with the original size. rado.com

The Grand Phoenix ruby necklace, featuring 24 perfectly matched natural Burmese rubies totalling 59.83 carats and 100.21 carats of diamonds, POA, Faidee

BASELWORLD 2017

show

Best in

Olivia sharpe seeks out the latest jewellery trends and discovers fresh feats of craftsmanship

t is with some trepidation that I start to write a Baselworld round-up each year. The reason is that I never quite know where to begin. With more than 2,000 stands at the eight-day event, it all becomes a bit of a blur (not simply because of the copious amounts of champagne). This year marked the 100th anniversary of the fair. However, rather than celebrating in typically ostentatious style, there was a more subdued note in the air. With last year’s falling sales in the luxury sector and predictions of an economic downturn on the horizon, this had a knock-on effect: according to Forbes, exhibitor numbers reportedly dropped 13.3 per cent, to 1,300. Following this, the organisers announced it would be reducing the number of days by two for next year’s edition.

Given such news, it is hard not to feel gloomy, but brands are simply having to rethink their strategies. Rather than using Baselworld as the moment to showcase their most record-breaking priced pieces, some exhibitors were emphasising affordability and wearability. The buzzword is millenials and by targeting them with attractive entry-level collections, brands hope to weather the storm. The emphasis was on quality, not quantity. Of course, there were still plenty of showstopping pieces, including the astronomical $35 million ruby necklace by Faidee (pictured above). Named The Grand Phoenix, it stole the show in one fell swoop. With this and other pieces to uplift visitors’ spirits, there is no reason not to feel positive. Here’s to the next 100 years.

collection

Entry point Case in point for enticing millenials with entrylevel pieces was luxury pearl jeweller Yoko London – its new pieces start from £1,000. Fabergé showcased its accessible engagement ring collection, which launched at the end of last year and allows clients to enter the world of this historic and opulent jewellery house for £5,000. Elsewhere, Lebanese jeweller Yeprem argued that it’s never too early to get hooked on diamonds, with prices starting at £1,700. Finally, Chopard gave its Happy Diamonds collection a refresh with the more affordable material malachite. chopard.com, faberge.com, yepremjewellery.com, yokolondon.com

Clockwise from left: Happy Diamonds bangle in 18-carat rose gold with malachite, £2,400 and in 18-carat rose gold with diamonds, £4,390, both Chopard; Novus South Sea pearl ring, £6,000, Yoko London; Ruby rose gold fluted ring, £8,455, Fabergé; Pendulum pearl earrings, £1,500, Yoko London; Gold bracelet with round and marquise-cut diamonds, £4,100, Yeprem

History in the making

from left: Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Ruban, 36mm, £16,250, Dior; Mademoiselle Privé Décor Aubazine in 18-karat white gold with brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds on a black satin strap, POA, limited edition of five pieces, Chanel; Boy.Friend Tweed Beige Gold in 18-karat beige gold with 62 brilliant-cut diamonds, POA, Chanel

In tough times, a brand will often stress its history as sure signs of stability. This year, Chanel has commemorated its founder through its Mademoiselle Privé collection. The Décor Aubazine timepiece is inspired by the windows of the orphanage that Coco Chanel spent her childhood, while the brand’s classic tweed is used for the first time on the Boy.Friend watch strap, woven in beige gold or black steel threads. Celebrating its 70th anniversary, Dior also pays tribute to its heritage. Launched in 2011, the Dior VIII Grand Bal watch collection honours its founder’s love of couture and lavish feasts, and now includes the Grand Bal Plissé Ruban, featuring a pleated design similar to that of a petticoat. chanel.com, dior.com

Clockwise from left: 22.70-carat black opal necklace with white South Sea cultured pearls and diamonds, POA, Mikimoto; Serpenti watch with green leather strap, POA, Bulgari; Classic Butterfly emerald pendant, POA, Graff Diamonds; Mystery of Muzo cuffs, POA, Jacob & Co; Butterfly Swirl ring, POA, Sutra Jewels; Jade earrings, prices from £1,260, Marco Bicego

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Green fingers Pantone’s Colour of the Year is ‘greenery’, and many at Baselworld presented their own take on the trend. Emeralds were a common sight, but some experimented with more unconventional stones, such as Italian jeweller Marco Bicego, which showed a pair of jade earrings with visible imperfections and inclusions. Arguably the most unusual was from Jacob & Co – a rare fancy intense green radiant-cut diamond ring. Its Mystery of Muzo cuffs also featured Colombian Muzo emeralds in the same vivid shade. marcobicego.com, jacobandco.com

collection

HIGHLIGHTS Diamonds in the rough Messika made quite a statement, having upgraded its stand and positioning itself next to players such as Hermès and Graff, with a bed of roses outside its booth. It has launched a new high jewellery collection, Paris est une Fête, which pays tribute to the city’s cultural heyday in the 1920s. It sees the designer play with different diamond cuts: the Swinging necklace includes more than 2,500 diamonds, assembled using discreet elastic threads so the stones appear to float on the wearer. Another diamond jeweller worthy of a second mention is Yeprem. Loved by the likes of Rihanna and Madonna, the edgy jeweller made its debut into watches with a high jewellery timepiece collection called Y-Memento. messika.com, yepremjewellery.com

Lydia Courteille The intrepid jeweller travelled to the Sahara and fell in love with its arid landscape. She captures its shades with Australian boulder opals and yellow sapphires. Sahara collection, POA, lydiacourteille.com from top: Swinging necklace; Swan asymmetric earrings, both POA, Messika; Y-Memento timepiece, POA, Yeprem Jewellery

High time There was a time when watchmakers got away with smattering ladies’ watches with diamonds and gemstones, covering up a lack of any proper mechanism. All this is fortunately behind us: today brands are seeking both style and substance. Chanel celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Première watch by launching the Première Camélia Skeleton. The calibre is the brand’s second stab at an in-house movement and masterfully bridges the gap between design and function. Harry Winston took us down memory lane with an update to its Avenue collection. It now arrives in Dual Time: a second time zone function designed for globetrotting women, or with a moon phase complication (one of the smallest of its kind on the market). Graff, meanwhile, brought out a new Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon for ladies. chanel.com, harrywinston.com, graffdiamonds.com Clockwise from top left: Avenue C™ Mini Moon Phase in 18-karat rose gold with 53 brilliant-cut diamonds on alligator leather strap, POA, Harry Winston; Première Camélia Skeleton in 18-karat white gold with brilliant-cut diamonds on a black satin strap, numbered edition, POA, Chanel; Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon, POA, Graff Diamonds

Dolce & Gabbana Reminiscent of the enchanted flower in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the Rose high jewellery watch has enamel petals, while the leaves and stem are adorned with emeralds and tsavorite garnets. The dial is decorated with a pavé of diamonds. POA, dolcegabbana.com

Picchiotti Founder Giuseppe Picchiotti celebrated his brand’s 50th anniversary with a special ring. The 8.05-carat ruby L’Anfiteatro is inspired by an amphitheatre. “It is for the true connoisseur,” he describes, “an heirloom for an exceptional collection.” POA, picchiotti.it

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Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most exclusive jet-set lifestyle event

11TH - 13TH MAY 2017 LONDON BIGGIN HILL AIRPORT

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art

Strike up A

Aaron Kasmin, Cheers, 2016, Coloured pencil, 21 x 15cm, courtesy of Sims Reed Gallery

uthor F. Scott Fitzgerald would have surely approved of Sims Reed Gallery’s next exhibition, Up in Smoke: a collection of 28 pencil drawings by British artist Aaron Kasmin, inspired by American single matchbooks from the late 1920s to the early 1960s. The artist was inspired by his own Lion Match Company collection, made of examples originally mass produced as advertising. Each A4 or A5 sized drawing is for sale, from £850 to £2,000 – take your pick from post-prohibition era glamour to pure Americana. 17 May – 9 June, 43a Duke Street, St James’s, SW1Y, gallery.simsreed.com

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Photography by Levon Biss - www.microsculpture.net

Moooi presents a life extraordinary! Moooi London · 23 Great Titchfield Street · London, W1W 7PA Moooi Amsterdam · Westerstraat 187 · 1015 MA Amsterdam Moooi New York · 36 East 31st Street · New York, NY 10016 Moooi Tokyo · Three F 6-11-1 Minami Aoyama · Minato-ku, Tokyo www.moooi.com

ART

Jonathan Leaman Find the British artist’s latest paintings on show at Beaux Arts

Rebecca Louise Law’s site-specific floral wonderworlds have sprung up in Mayfair before, at the Royal Academy and J&M Davidson – her latest can now be found at Sake no Hana, Hakkasan’s Japanese sister restaurant. The tradition of celebrating the cherry blossom (sakura) season is known as hanami, for which Law has hung clouds of white flowers from the ceiling by copper wire. A special menu offers yuzu champagne miso salmon and a sakura-inspired mousse. A treat for all the senses. £37, until 10 June, 23 St James’s Street, SW1A, sakenohana.com

Art news

words: camilla apcar

clockwise from top: sake no hana; Jonathan Leaman, D’Adieu, 2012-2017, oil on canvas, 67 x 47 inches; Sam Francis, Evergreen Licks, 1987, acrylic on canvas, 152 x 183 cm, courtesy of Bernard Jacobson Gallery

All cherry well

Your 1995-1996 painting A Jan Steen Kitchen is part of Tate Modern’s collection. How has your work evolved since then? I’m always proud of what I’ve done, but I couldn’t do it again. I have changed a lot. I’m just older, I see the world as so much more complicated now. Where do you find inspiration? I try and look at the world and make use of it. The four pictures in this new exhibition took five years. It is a long process of creation. I’ve got pictures in my head and I just want to get them out. Why have you chosen to work in oil paint? It takes a long time, and when you go wrong you still have to wait for it to dry to correct it. I should paint much faster, but I just like to see what’s happening. What themes do your new paintings explore? They are about how the world lets you down, but is still wonderful – however you don’t understand that [at the time]. Life hurts you, but it is still extraordinary. Until 27 May, 48 Maddox Street, W1S, beauxartslondon.uk

Making a splash If your appetite for Abstract Expressionism was increased by the Royal Academy’s winter show, hone in on the late Californian artist Sam Francis at Bernard Jacobson Gallery. This retrospective takes in large s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

canvases and paper studies, with an inside track: the gallerist enjoyed a close friendship and worked with Francis for more than a decade. Until 27 May, 28 Duke Street, SW1Y, jacobsongallery.com 47

Elliott Erwitt, 2015

Michele De Lucchi - Giancarlo Fassina: Tolomeo

art

Prize lots Sold: £187,500

Sold: £106,250

Es t im a t e : £ 5 0 , 0 0 0 - £ 7 0 , 0 0 0

Es t im a t e : £ 5 0 , 0 0 0 - £ 8 0 , 0 0 0

Lightness of Being, Chris Levine, 2004 “Without doubt one of the most iconic images of Her Majesty, created by one of Britain’s most celebrated and progressive artists, this work came with impeccable provenance and is the largest version of the image that the photographer made. It was a real highlight, and brilliantly captured the strength and essence of British art, crafts and design over the course of the past century.” – Robin Cawdron-Stewart, head of sales and Modern British pictures specialist at Sotheby’s

UPCOMING

A lacquered brass bookcase, Geoffrey Bennison, c. 1974 The late Baron George Weidenfeld of Chelsea moved to London from his native Vienna before the outbreak of World War II, and co-founded the publishing house Weidenfeld & Nicolson. The notoriously private antiques dealer Geoffrey Bennison revamped Weidenfeld’s Chelsea apartment in the early 1970s, which Weidenfeld kept in almost exactly the same arrangement until he passed away last January – with the exception of his art and antique collection. Among his possessions that will be auctioned in May was a lacquered brass bookcase designed and supplied by Bennison himself. Estimate £2,500-£4,000, A Life of Ideals and Ideas: The Collection of the Lord Weidenfeld GBE, 18 May, christies.com s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

Sold, from left: Chris Levine, Lightness of Being, Unique pigment print, 128.3 x 102.3cm. Made in Britain at Sotheby’s, 5 April, sothebys.com, image courtesy of Sotheby’s Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton P.R.A., R.W.S., An Athlete Wrestling a Python, brown patina, 52.5cm high. Important Design at Bonhams New Bond Street, 5 April, bonhams.com, image courtesy of Bonhams Upcoming, from left: Geoffrey Bennison (designer and supplier), lacquered brass bookcase, c.1974, 370 x 150 x 27cm, image courtesy of Christie’s Wang Changming, Tears of the red candle, image courtesy of lyon & turnbull

An Athlete Wrestling a Python, Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton P.R.A., R.W.S. “It is unsurprising that this sculptural masterpiece achieved such a fine price. It depicts a dramatic life and death battle between two powerful forces, in a strikingly realistic way and is a one of a very limited edition of Leighton’s most iconic sculptures. The bronze has not been seen in public since 1934, having been part of the same family collection since then.” – Michael Lake, head of works of art and sculpture at Bonhams

UPCOMING

Tears of the Red Candle, Wang Changming This contemporary artist was born in Wuxi, near Shanghai, in 1964. His paintings feature juxtaposing symbols of traditional and modern China, reflecting the contradictions of the culture he grew up in. The wooden jewellery box in Tears of the Red Candle reveals a photograph of a Chinese woman in a Republic period costume; a nearly burnt out candle drips red wax; while what seems to be a drawer is in fact Lenin’s Selected Writings. Experts have related the composition to a line in a poem by Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin: “when the candle wax becomes ashes, tears shall stop”. Estimate £3,000-£5,000, Fine Asian Works of Art, 9 May, lyonandturnbull.com 49

In devilish detail There’s never a dull day at Ronald Phillips’ antique restoration workshop. Camilla Apcar discovers a concealed studio brimming with expertise and fine furniture

ayfair houses hidden treasures at every turn. On Bruton Street, 18th and 19th-century English antique furniture dealer Ronald Phillips has always had a restoration workshop its premises – but only those in the know will have caught a glimpse of it. Three full-time restorers and an upholsterer – who also deals with antique coverings, needlework and tapestry – are based below its glass-fronted showroom. They might, painstakingly, work on just one piece for an entire month. While most other dealers have workshops outside London, “the fact that we have it in-house means that we keep total control”, says owner Simon Phillips, son of founder Ronald. “One can go and see the progress five times a day if necessary. If there’s something going wrong, we can catch it within a matter of seconds.” Thomas Lange is a trained cabinet maker and restorer who oversees the artistic side of the workshop. His passion started early on. As a child he collected pieces that were thrown away as rubbish,

“We have control over the restoration process, to make sure we retain the original as much as possible” repaired them as best he could, then sold a few on. He trained as a cabinet maker for four years in Germany, where he was born, and came to study furniture restoration at the London College of Furniture. Lange worked for a number of dealers and restoration companies before joining Ronald Phillips, 21 years ago. “The main thing is that we have control over the restoration process to make sure we retain the original as much as possible: not to embellish things, and to retain the colour and patination,” he says. This requires a great deal of research to begin with; Lange has an enviable library of resources on site. He gathers as much information as possible from books, the internet and the house that the piece has come from. Photographic evidence is a bonus. The workshop deals with cabinet making, woodwork and general repair. For gilding, paper or stone restoration, it employs specialists. “The benefit of having the workshop on site is that you have the expertise at hand,” says Lange, “so should something turn up that has a problem, we can deal

ART

with it straight away. We can also supervise the work here and make sure everything is done in the best possible way.” Lange’s own favourites are, perhaps unsurprisingly, rare pieces. “We worked on a desk made by Chippendale, and as a cabinet maker you could read the handwriting of the maker – you can tune into the work. We could see that three different people worked on the same desk, because there were ever so slight differences in the drawer bottoms.” Some pieces are harder to restore than others. One of the first projects Lange undertook at Ronald Phillips was a breakfast table that had gone to a good private home, but the maid decided to iron the tablecloth on the table itself. The wax finish – 250 years old – had been removed. “It had gone from a nice mahogany colour to having a dark red patch,” Lange recalls. “Trying to bring that back and blend it in with the rest was a challenge. I spent probably a week on about a square foot.” The company concentrates on dealing in fine, functional pieces. “When people buy something they have to like it, but we also want it to be used. These things are sturdy pieces of furniture... although not for abusing like ironing on top of,” he jokes. A prime example of Ronald Phillips’ broadranging expertise are a pair of George III giltwood consoles with Japanese lacquer tops from around 1650 (pictured far left and right). “They came up at a major sale in London a few years ago,” says Phillips. “Even though they hadn’t had a tough life, they were neglected and had not been touched for years.” Over centuries, the intricate bases had been regilded, meaning that by the time they came to the workshop, several layers of gesso, gilding and paint had to be carefully removed by dry stripping, layer by layer, with a very small tool. The tops, meanwhile, were cleaned and the over-painting removed, which revealed the

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the workshop. left: ronald phillips’ showroom

originals in full glory. The pair took about seven months to restore. Some projects take the workshop more than a year to complete, with a variety of skills involved. The George III tables required a gilder and lacquer specialist for the tops, carvers for the bases and a metalworker to look after missing pieces. By invitation, Lange also regularly visits certain private collections for maintenance. “We’re very proud that we have a following of serious collectors that come back to us,” he says. “My day is never the same; I’ve never had a repeat. Every piece of furniture is different, and that makes it very exciting.” 26 Bruton Street, W1J, ronaldphillipsantiques.com

The art of

darkness From sexual selection to the menace of digital media, Mat Collishaw speaks to Camilla Apcar about his latest exhibition at Blain Southern

Mat Collishaw, The Centrifugal Soul, 2016, Courtesy of the artist and Blain Southern, Photography RĂŠmi Chauvin. opposite page: Mat Collishaw, Photography: Jake Curtis; Mat Collishaw, The Centrifugal Soul, 2016, Courtesy of the artist and Blain Southern, Photography: RĂŠmi Chauvin

ART

at Collishaw doesn’t do things by halves. In his new exhibition at Blain Southern, the Nottingham-born artist tackles the digital revolution, Victorian technology and the human condition in one fell swoop. Collishaw started out exhibiting with his Goldsmiths and Young British Artist contemporaries, but – as we have all become used to looking at the world through images and digital media – his work has also evolved. Collishaw’s preferred mediums have stretched from photography to film, video projections or, in this latest case, virtual reality. “It is very frustrating because I’m not very technical at all. I’m interested in ideas from old paintings and books, and I just want to do them in a contemporary way,” he says. “My work is combining new technologies with old ideas.” To bring this to life, Collishaw works with a variety of teams: from the computer science department at Nottingham University to a studio developing virtual reality walkthroughs, as well as architectural and photographic historians. The star of The Centrifugal Soul exhibition is a zoetrope (a wheel of still images that, when spun, creates an animated scene). Collishaw’s huge version illustrates birds of paradise performing their elaborate mating rituals. At face value, it’s a mesmerising display of colour. But the idea behind the piece was influenced by the work of

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller, whose writing considers why humans show off to one another – and how. “It has to do with Darwin’s theory of sexual selection, and that our means of showing off by buying a Rolex watch or an SUV or another Gucci suit is the same as birds of paradise having exotic plumages and doing seductive dances as courtship rituals,” says Collishaw. “Although it appears very superficial that we decorate ourselves in a certain way to the people around us, it’s absolutely instrumental to our survival: if we don’t have courtship and spread our genes around, our species will die out. “I try to make those ideas come alive, using all these colours, shapes, designs and movements to draw the viewer in and attract them by using all those tricks of seduction to entertain and captivate,” he laughs. Collishaw has built his contemporary take on the Victorian optical toy by computer design, 3D printing and then hand-painting individual pieces, which are assembled on a motor with a shaft and LED lights. As it starts to furiously

Robin Hood’s 1,000-year-old Major Oak in Sherwood Forest rotates like a lifesize ghost

spin, birds reveal their plumage, hummingbirds flap their wings on the spot and flowers bloom over and again. The exhibition is not all just technical wizardry, though. It also includes a dozen trompe l’oeil oil paintings of British garden birds chained to brightly graffitied walls, layering a 17th-century artistic tradition on top of 21st-century subculture. “The subtext is a kind of warning about this spectre of the digital revolution,” Collishaw says. “It’s a lot of fun putting on a virtual reality headset, but what are the social implications? In the background there’s something quite forboding about digital media. “It’s also about the fact that a lot of jobs in factories, clerical or routine work are going to go to computers or robots, and that the consequences might be even more dramatic than during the Industrial Revolution. I’m trying to comment on new media, as well as working with it.” Another large-scale optical illusion in the exhibition is a ‘Pepper’s ghost’, a reflective technique popular during the Victorian era when it was often used for stage productions of Hamlet when his father’s spirit enters. Today, a laser scan can collect data about an object and turn it into an image, as a teleprompter might. “It’s more like the way a bat would see an object than how the human eye would,” says the artist. “Nothing like a photograph.” His chosen subject is the Major Oak, Robin Hood’s rumoured shelter in Sherwood Forest, in the county where Collishaw was born. The 1,000-year-old tree is projected like a lifesize ghost itself, present in the room but not tangible as it slowly rotates. In reality, the tree is hollow and rotten within the trunk, but has been supported by scaffolding for more than a century.

From top: Mat Collishaw, albion, Installation view, 2017, Photography: Peter Mallet; Albion, 2017, Photography: Peter Mallet; Albion (detail), 2017, all Courtesy of the artist and Blain Southern

ART

Collishaw seems preoccupied with the dark. Viewing his installations usually involves being plunged into shadow; even his photographs shot in daylight are punched onto black surroundings like explosions of colour. “It just seems to be a method I am instinctively drawn towards,” he says. “I think it focuses attention on something quite specific, rather than going into a contemporary art exhibition where everything is white. Your eyes are drawn towards the light source, like a moth to a flame.” More wonderment in pitch black surroundings will take place from 18 May at Somerset House,

From top: Mat Collishaw, GASCONADES (Killing It); GASCONADES (The ChampIsHere); GASCONADES (The New King), all 2017, Courtesy of the artist and Blain Southern

“The subtext is a kind of warning about this spectre of the digital revolution”

where the artist will take visitors back in time to the birth of photography. Using virtual reality he will recreate the exhibition where William Henry Fox Talbot first presented his photographic prints to the public in Birmingham in the 1830s. Unlike Collishaw’s other works, which can be viewed in an instant, wandering around the eight-by-six-metre installation at Somerset House will require more time, but only a little: six minutes. “I don’t think you should make works that demand more time than people have,” he explains. His methods and mediums are intensive, but this seems to suit Collishaw down to the ground. “I get bored very quickly. If I’m resting for more than a day I get slightly irritable,” he admits. “I like to meet people about different projects, sniffing around like a detective and finding little leads for new ideas.” What’s next on his agenda is truly anyone’s guess. Until 27 May, 4 Hanover Square, W1S, blainsouthern.com

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS VISIT www.luxurylondon.co.uk

@luxurylondonofficial 

@theofficialll

FASHION

fter a Favourbrook creation made a cameo appearance in Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994, Oliver Spencer’s waistcoat shop in Piccadilly Arcade began to enjoy a steady stream of loyal customers. More than two decades later, it still specialises in flamboyant formalwear as well as tailored classics. With Ascot just around the corner and no doubt a few wedding invitations flying through the letterbox, now’s the time to start measuring up for the summer season. We recommend the Kristina print dinner jacket (pictured, £1,100). Wary of upstaging the bride? Opt for a patterned waistcoat beneath traditional suiting. 18-21 Piccadilly Arcade, SW1Y, favourbrook.com

Fancy

Plants

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WHITE CAVIAR ILLUMINATING PEARL INFUSION

INFUSE YOUR SKIN WITH LIQUID LIGHT TARGET THE THREE CHROMATIC BARRIERS TO A LUMINOUS COMPLEXION. UNIFY, BRIGHTEN AND CLARIFY WITH THE FIRST CONCENTRATE OF LIGHT.

AVAILABLE AT PETER JONES

PhotographY: Ash Reynolds

FASHION

Salon 1851 Aquascutum began as a humble tailor on Piccadilly in the mid-19th-century, before founder John Emary patented his waterproof fabric and coined his business after the Latin phrase ‘water shield’. The brand makes reference to its West End roots in a new range of trench coats launching this season. The Mayfair is a modern double-breasted cut with military-inspired epaulettes, cuff straps and horn buttons, while the classic Trafalgar features a gun flap, short collar tips and a belted waist. It is available as single or double-breasted. From £65, 106 Jermyn Street, SW1Y, aquascutum.com

Style

update WORDS: Marianne Dick

Handbag designer Nathalie Trad has turned her hand to heels in a new collaboration with Rupert Sanderson: a match made in accessory heaven £745, rupertsanderson.com and theshopatbluebird.com

Archive Print tOTE, £650; mOTO jACKET WITH wHIPSTITCH EYELET, £2,600

Feel the cinch Hells angels Coach’s utilitarian aesthetic meets Rodarte’s ethereal and feminine flair in what promises to be the most covetable collection since the former’s Rexy the dinosaur capsule. Six types of leather are hand-embroidered to resemble sequins on pieces such as the Moto jacket (left). From £100, Coach & Rodarte, uk.coach.com; rodarte.net

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La Perla’s spring collection emphasises the feminine silhouette by seamlessly integrating its expertise in shapewear into an expanded ready-to-wear line. The range aims to perfect wardrobe essentials such as the crisp white shirt and tailored jacket. It seems that its bi-stretch wool corset jacket, which has built-in underwear and is sized accordingly, has swiftly become a multi-functional wardrobe staple – Gwyneth Paltrow is already fan. £1,441, 9 Old Bond Street, W1S, laperla.com

Crowning

glory

St Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is home to the oldest shop in London, which has one of the few remaining on-site workshops in the area. Marianne Dick uncovers the magic of millinery at Lock & Co. Hatters

Amber light, ÂŁ1,650, by prudence for lock couture, all available from lockhatters.co.uk

FASHION

clockwise from Top: a duplicate of Admiral Lord Nelson’s bicorne hat and the original ledger displayed in Lock & co; Barbershop Boater, £1,350, lock & Co. Hatters Men’s Collection

here’s something indescribably comforting about visiting Lock & Co. Hatters on St James’s Street. As the oldest manufacturer in the world of arguably the most definitive British accessory, this Grade II-listed, late 17th-century terrace has dressed some of history’s most prominent figures – from Sir Winston Churchill to Charlie Chaplin. The tale of Lock & Co. begins with a love story between James Lock, grandson of George, who established a coffee house at 6 St James’s Street in 1686, and Mary Davis, the daughter of hatter Robert Davis, whose shop – founded in 1676 – was just across the road. In 1747, James became an apprentice at Davis’s store and from this appointment a new family was formed. In 1759, James married Mary and his new father-in-law handed him the keys to his millinery business. “We were originally on the other side of the street but we moved over in 1765, because traditionally you do more business on the sunny side of the street than on the shaded side,” explains Roger Stephenson, deputy chairman of Lock & Co. and seventh-generation family member. This was undoubtedly a wise decision. As we chat, sunlight fills the shop from the wide thoroughfare and reflects off the Daniel Quare grandfather clock, which has been on the premises for over three centuries – since before James Lock moved in. The front counter where transactions are made is more than 200 years old and there’s the outline of a doorway that once led to apartments upstairs, one of which was rented by American actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr for a time. Such a rich history could fill a museum the size of the whole building, but instead there is a modest room of memorabilia at the back of the main floor where precious items are kept, including Her Majesty The Queen’s wooden head shape that was made by Stephenson’s grandfather to fit the crown for her coronation. One of the walls is filled with signed celebrity head measurements – from Sacha Baron Cohen to the late Princess Diana – that have been made using a Victorian contraption called a conformateur. Stephenson describes it as “a sort of steampunk top hat that makes a sixth-scale diagram

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The Queen’s wooden head shape was made by Lock & Co. to fit the crown for her coronation of the head shape”. Lock & Co. still use this device to measure customers for hard hats today. One such style is the bowler, which was actually created by the shop’s chief hatmaker Thomas Bowler in 1849 as a riding hat for gamekeepers at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. “Victorian railway workers wore them too, and that’s why you see them in the Wild West, because when we sent our workers over to build the railways in America they took the bowler hat with them,” says Stephenson. “In Bolivia, the ladies in the villages wear really small bowler hats perched on their heads. It turns out that when we built the railways in Bolivia, the people who supplied the bowler hats to the railway workers got the size wrong, so the women picked

Clockwise from top: the workroom at Lock & co.; Sweet Disorder, £1,650, by prudence for lock couture; A Luxury Occupation, £1,650, as before

The attic workroom is just as you would imagine in a shop from a Charles Dickens novel them up and started wearing them, and now they are traditional.” While peaked caps are enduringly popular – made even more desirable recently by the television series Peaky Blinders and what Stephenson calls “the David Beckham effect” – the bowler hat was the store’s fourth biggest seller last month. “To be truthful, 20 years ago we struggled a bit, but hats are really back in now,” says Stephenson. “My pet theory is that you have to skip a generation, because nobody wants to look like their dad. We’re seeing hipsters in Shoreditch

wearing a bowler hat with a checked shirt and denim shorts and it’s great – it’s giving the hat a new lease of life,” he enthuses. Indeed, back in the main area of the shop a pair of young, well-dressed male customers are trying on traditional styles. For people who are serious about millinery, Lock & Co. is the most elite name in the industry. “People might come in because they are new to hats and they want the advice of an expert. Being a specialist business, we’ve never deviated from that: we’re hatters, we stick to making hats, and so that’s what’s made us last,” says Stephenson. While Lock & Co. is renowned for men’s hats, customers are often surprised to learn that it also caters to women. One aim of the current collaboration with high fashion milliner Prudence is to increase the number of fashion-forward clientele that Lock & Co. has built up over the past few years. Many have come through other collaborations with brands like Vivienne Westwood, Johnstons of Elgin and Carhartt. Alongside Prudence’s whimsical, English garden-inspired creations – some of the tulle is actually stained using Earl Grey tea – sits Lock & Co.’s couture collection, which can be tailored and dyed to the customer’s wishes. This range is made on the top floor of the building, accessed by one of the oldest Victorian coffin staircases in London. Even though men’s hat production has moved to Europe or elsewhere in the UK, Lock & Co. remains one of the few places in St James’s where goods are still manufactured on site. The attic workroom is just as you would imagine in a shop from a Charles Dickens novel or the Harry Potter series: colourful ribbons and threads overflow onto surfaces and intricate silk flowers lie daintily half-finished like they’ve just fallen from a tree.

FASHION

Napoli Hat, £250, lock & Co. Hatters Men’s Collection; Acapulco Panama, £195, as before

Q&A with Prudence Millinery

“Our client base is so wide, we have everything from a 99-year-old Californian granny to a very fashion-forward Japanese lady,” says creative director Ruth Ravenscroft, who has been at Lock & Co. for 17 years. Even if a hat is ordered online, it is picked, steamed and prepared at 6 St James’s Street, which is quite hard to believe after manoeuvring through the tight doorways and corridors. As we descend the suitably creaky staircase, Stephenson cheerfully relays the pitfalls of such ancient architecture. Part of the company’s success, I realise, lies in the zealous attitude of custodians such as Stephenson, which is why Lock & Co.’s future will be as colourful as its past. There’s another Prudence collection in the pipeline, a new range of bespoke Panamas and an upcoming film based on Sir Winston Churchill, Darkest Hour, for which Lock & Co. has befittingly supplied the headwear. But for just how long is the business likely to remain within the same family? “I have two children and I wouldn’t want to pressure them, but at the same time I’m keeping a little bit of an eye on who could carry it on. There’s an appetite within the business, and we don’t want to sell,” says Stephenson. “I’m related to James Benning, an eccentric member of the Lock family who was the original mad hatter on which Lewis Carroll based the character in Alice in Wonderland. I’m quite proud of that.” I can understand the connection. Number 6 is St James’s very own enchanting rabbit hole and one of the only living, breathing time capsules of London now left in the West End. Hats off to Lock & Co.

Avant-garde mononymous milliner Prudence has designed headwear for fashion houses including Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci and Balenciaga, and her creations have graced countless magazines. This season she launches her debut collection for Lock & Co.’s progressive women’s line, Lock Couture. The nine-piece range is called The Creation of a Garden.

Where do you find inspiration for designs? I am influenced by dedication and genius, such as that of Mozart, Picasso, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent. But also the beauty of hardship: the will to carry on through difficulty.

How did you go about creating the new Lock Couture spring/summer collection? I had a very large bunch of peonies delivered to my studio. The older they became, the more beautiful they looked. The petals were falling on the table making a lovely sound. At the same time I was planting a white garden at home. The days planting were stormy and cloudy with bursts of sun. The idea for the hats came from all this. Hats that are past their best, faded and stained flowers, torn tulle and colours of cloudy summers. This idea of imperfection appeals to me.

What are your fondest memories? Working on Vive la Cocotte for Vivienne Westwood and at the Saint Laurent main studio, with a large photograph of Yves Saint Laurent watching over me.

How have you seen the world of millinery change throughout your career? I find people and makers know less and less about millinery. We have been faced with the same shapes for decades and as a result, quality has suffered. But I’m changing that. prudencemillinery.com

lockhatters.co.uk

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Blooming

LOVELY How does your garden grow? Follow the magical pattern of flora and fauna with perennial prints, ruffles and accessories that whole-heartedly embrace the outdoors P h o t o g r a ph y : ph i l l i p w a t e r m a n Styling: Caroline Scianna & A n g e l a R a d c l i ff e

Regulars

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Dress, £3,075, Erdem, available from Harrods, harrods.com; necklace, £29,000, Cartier, cartier.co.uk; ring, £1,400, Stephen Webster, stephenwebster.com 65

fashion

ABOVE Dress, £2,840, Marni, marni.com; hat, £820, Victoria Grant, victoriagrant.co.uk; ring, £9,800, and bracelet, £7,800, both Stephen Webster, as before; ear cuff, £1,000, Nush Gems, nushgems.com

left Dress, £1,595, Roksanda, available from Selfridges, selfridges.com; shoes, £505, Malone Souliers, malonesouliers.com; ring, £3,450, and earrings, £22,900, all Stephen Webster, as before

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fashion

ABOVE Dress, £2,900, Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com; bag, £1,195, Alexander McQueen, available from Harvey Nichols, harveynichols.com; ring, £3,650, Stephen Webster, as before

RIGHT Dress, £1,160, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, available from Harvey Nichols, as before; harness, £495, Agent Provocateur, agentprovocateur.com; shoes, £525, Sophia Webster, sophiawebster.com; ring, £3,650, Stephen Webster, as before

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Regulars

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CREDITS Model: Alice Rausch at Premier Model Management Make-up: Julie Cooper at Terri Manduca Hair: Simon Maynard at Terri Manduca Photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant: Kai Gurung Stylistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assistant: Chloe at Terri Manduca Location: Studio House, Unit 6B, Stamford Works, 3 Gillett Street, N16

fashion

ABOVE Blouse, £195, Donna Ida, donnaida.com; skirt, £2,435, Valentino, available at Harrods, as before; belt, from a selection, Miu Miu, miumiu.com; shoes, £505, Malone Souliers, as before; ring, £21,000, necklace, £29,000, both Cartier, as before

left Top, £4,100, shorts, £580, and skirt, £8,000, all Dior, dior.com; shoes, £695, Jimmy Choo, jimmychoo.com; earrings, £7,300, bracelet, £6,950, and ring, £3,650, all Stephen Webster, as before

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fashion

Against the tide Peter Lindbergh captures the changing course of Sicily’s Mediterranean climate in Salvatore Ferragamo’s summer campaign. From serene, leafy passageways to jagged, rocky coastlines, the backdrops reflect the new hybrid collection. Light brogues are reinforced with chunky soles in bold reds and blues, while printed silk scarves are inspired by primitive sketches. Bags are equipped with multiple pockets in a nod to the season’s military trend, arming the modern man with all he needs to look refined – whether he’s in the city or beside the surf. From £130, 24 Old Bond Street, W1S, store.ferragamo.com

Style spy W ORD S : m a r i a n n e d i c k

Boys of summer This year marks the launch of Vilebrequin’s first sunglasses collection. In typical Riviera-influenced style, the devil is in the detail: even the French-made spring hinges on the 24-piece range are engraved with tiny turtles and the date 1971, the year the company was founded in Saint-Tropez. From £200, 1-2 Burlington Arcade, W1J, vilebrequin.com

Photographer: Peter Lindbergh, model: Andrés Velencoso

During your next jaunt to Savile Row and its surrounds, drop into Drake’s on Clifford Street to admire its newlyrefurbished interior and pick up a custom shirt or tie from its expanded made-to-order service 3 Clifford Street, W1S, drakes.com

Wool Sweater, £364; Water Resistant Uniform Jacket, £448

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The Green light Craig Green established his fashion house in 2012 shortly after graduating, but despite his young career, he has had a notable string of successes already – including an award for British Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in December. His utilitarian pieces have become staples for the sartorially savvy, and his new core collection sees archive cuts reworked and a new lead-weighted version of his trademark string fastening. From £98, available at Dover Street Market, 18-22 Haymarket, SW1Y, london.doverstreetmarket.com 73

reader event INSPIRED 2017 INVITES YOU TO

An exclusive preview of the latest designs in luxury bespoke furniture and contemporary silverware

Wednesday 3 May 6 - 8pm Goldsmithsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Centre 42 Britton Street London EC1M 5AD Join us for a private preview and meet world-class furniture makers and celebrated silversmiths, who will be showcasing new, never seen before works available to buy or commission. Leading experts, curators and designers will be on hand to offer astute advice and insight into these original, highly collectible pieces.

To secure your place please RSVP rsvp@festivalofsilver.com Inspired is a must-see luxury silverware and bespoke furniture selling showcase. Now in its fifth year, this exhibition is renowned for bringing together the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest and most highly skilled artisans under one unique curated platform.

More about Inspired at www.festivalofsilver.co.uk

INTERIORS

New romantic T

he New Feminine spring collection from The Sofa & Chair Company is an opulent take on some of the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest interiors trends, marrying botanical greens and plush pinks with sumptuous fabrics like crushed velvet. If this scheme doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite suit your taste however, then each piece of handmade made-to-order furniture can be customised. The Camille ottoman (pictured) can be refashioned from pink to a peacock print, or if you have something completely different in mind, the design team will transform your sketches into entirely one-off pieces. thesofaandchair.co.uk

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1817-2017. 200 YEARS DURAVIT. RE YOUR FUTUR BATHROOM.

Luv. Nordic elegance. The design of Cecilie Manzâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; bathroom series Luv combines Nordic purism and timeless, emotional elegance. Soft shapes follow a stringent geometry. The result is a new unique design language with precise, clear and ďŹ ne edges. For more information please visit www.duravit.co.uk or contact info@uk.duravit.com

UK_MayFairMagazine_Luv_001_210x297.indd 1

03.03.17 14:40

INTERIORS

Armchair revolution Earlier this year, it became illegal to replicate design classics within 70 years after the inventor’s death. But with impeccable celebratory timing and the blessing of the Eames Office, The Conran Shop has created 25 new Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman sets in white walnut and sandy leather, with the help of Vitra. Originally designed in 1956 by the husband-and-wife team, the chair encapsulates a fast-changing era that would be majorly influenced by television culture. £6,465, 55 Marylebone High Street, W1U, conranshop.co.uk

Grate shape

Interiors news WORDS: MARIANNE DICK

Selfridges celebrates home-making and craft in its Our House campaign, which debuts objets d’art from two of Mayfair’s brightest contemporary fashion houses: Roksanda and Temperley London

Visiting Alessi can feel like being a child in a toy shop, and it surprises us with another weird and wonderful contraption every time. Of the numerous thrilling pieces this season (look out for the twisted measuring jug), one stands out. The Forma cheese grater was one of the last objects designed by Zaha Hadid for Alessi. Its shape mimics a pebble and the sleek black stand can be left on the table to allow diners to grate to their heart’s – and stomach’s – content. £45, 22 Brook Street, W1K, alessi.com

ITALIAN ESCAPE If you haven’t already noticed New Bond Street’s latest addition, then bear it in mind next time the city’s rising temperature and crowds get a little too much. Italian fashion and homeware label Agnona has transformed number 124 into a cool, calming continental apartment. The concept pop-up offers scents by Laboratorio Olfattivo alongside couture-quality Murano glassware from Salviati and even biscotti from a bakery in Biella. Until the end of the year, homeware from £350, 124 New Bond Street, W1S, agnona.com

until 9 June, Temperley london backgammon set, £5,800; Linck X Roksanda ceramics, from £1,270 selfridges.com/ourhouse Image courtesy of AGNONA

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Fabric of time What do Leonardo da Vinci, a Chinese empress and Moscowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kremlin all have in common? Hannah Lemon delves into the archives of Florenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest silk mill to find out

INTERIORS

egend has it that Empress Lei-tzu, the young wife of the Chinese Yellow Emperor, discovered silk while sipping a cup of tea. Sitting under the leafy bows of a mulberry tree, a silkworm’s cocoon dropped into her cup. The heat of the drink forced the silk to unfold and the young empress watched in awe as the magical thread unravelled, and she immediately determined to weave it. Sure enough, it made the perfect fabric, and soon Lei-tzu taught her ladies-in-waiting how to fashion garments from these fine fibres. Thus, she became known as the Silkworm Mother. Of course, the more likely story was that Catholic missionaries brought sericulture back from China to Europe in the 12th century. One of their final destinations was Florence, a city that would flourish in the silk trade from the 14th century onwards, bringing enormous wealth to merchants. Florentine silk continued to prosper during the Renaissance and well into the 18th century. So much so, that during the 1700s, a group of noble families clubbed together to establish a single workshop for their looms, patterns and fabrics located on Via dei Tessitori (the street of weavers). And so, Antico Setificio Fiorentino (Antique Florentine Silk Mill) was born. In recognition of the importance of this factory and to toast increased silk production, in 1780 the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II donated several looms, which still work today. Thanks to acquisitions by Marquis Emilio Pucci in the 1950s and subsequently Stefano Ricci in 2010, the future of the remarkable handcrafted tradition remains alive, as do the centuries-old Florentine techniques. Today, Renaissance damasks, brocades and taffetas are woven on 12 looms – six handlooms dating from the 18th century and six semimechanical looms from the 19th century. The quality of the fabric is guaranteed by various phases of delicate workmanship: the hand dying, the preparation of the antique looms, yarns that are specially prepared for Antico Setificio Fiorentino, no chemical treatments and the lengthy weaving process. It doesn’t stop there. The Antico Setificio Fiorentino uses a unique orditoio (warping

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machine), designed by Leonardo da Vinci for embellishments; as well as a loom for silk trimmings and another for custommade fringes. As is to be expected of such meticulous creativity, the silk products are sought after by every luxury institution from royal palaces to national museums – the Amalienborg Palace in Denmark, the Royal Palace of Stockholm, Moscow’s Kremlin and Villa Medici in Rome, to name a few. You don’t have to be a royal to get a slice of the action though; bed, bath and table linens, bespoke services, and limited edition evening wear can be found on the lower ground floor at the Stefano Ricci menswear store on South Audley Street. And it’s all thanks to an imaginative empress and her cup of tea. Antico Setificio Fiorentino products and services are available through Stefano Ricci, 56 South Audley Street, W1K, stefanoricci.com OPPOSITE: THE Guicciardini Loom (1786), Photo credit: Stefano Ricci/ASF by Bernardo Conti top RIGHT AND INSET: Weaving the iconic Broccatello Michelangelo, made of silk and linen threads. Photo credit: Stefano Ricci/ASF by Egon Ipse; textiles from the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, Photo credit: Stefano Ricci/ ASF by Marco Curatolo left: Spool changing during the processing of the Doria fabric, Photo credit: Stefano Ricci/ASF by Rossano B. ManiscalchI

health & beauty

back to burberry basics British model Iris Law stars in Burberry’s new campaign for The Essentials collection, an edit of products focused on three elements: prime, contour and highlight. Pink Pearl and Rose Gold shades join the Fresh Glow Highlighter powder range, while the Lip Colour Contour is totally new. The domeshaped tip of the nude pen is inspired by backstage make-up techniques, where lips are smoothed and accentuated before before colour is applied. From £24, uk.burberry.com

fine art fragrances

Beauty news W O R D S : m e l i ss a e m e rso n

sun-kissed This limited-edition ivory and gold Soleil contouring compact from Tom Ford is blush, highlighter and bronzer combined. Blend the cream-like powders to give cheekbones new definition. £78, tomford.com

Haute hair

Inspired by its 1872 fragrance Hammam Bouquet, Penhaligon’s new Savoy Steam scent is a mist of rose, pink pepper and geranium

Jo Malone’s new Bloomsbury Set celebrates the 20th-century group of English bohemian artists, philosophers and intellectuals, including Virginia Woolf. Members were known to spend time at Woolf’s sister’s house in Sussex, and the limited-edition colognes – from Blue Hyacinth and Garden Lilies to Leather & Artemisia – reflect the scents of the country pile’s grounds, library and creaking wooden floors. The bottles are a departure from the brand’s traditional designs, with colourful abstract brush strokes replacing its logo. £46 each, jomalone.co.uk

£134, penhaligons.com

Paris-based hair stylist David Mallett is popular with fashion houses and photographers alike, and was personally invited by The Ritz in Paris to open a salon. For those hoping to emulate his stylish creations at home, his eponymous product line is now available in the UK, with vitamin-rich Japanese Nori (edible seaweed) and magnesiumrich Murray River Salt products that include serum, shampoo and salt spray. From £16, satindays.com 80

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promotion

Follow your nose James Craven, Creed fragrance expert at perfumery Les Senteurs, advises how to select the perfect scent in nine easy steps

Take your time

Pick an occasion

Try the skin you’re in

ever rush: that usually ends in N disaster. As they say, it is better to travel well than to arrive, so enjoy the journey – you might even end up finding more than one prize on the way.

ecide what you are buying the D perfume for: is it for work, a wedding, a holiday? How do you intend to use it?

Perfume and flesh must be brought together to see how they will interact. It can take hours for a fragrance to reveal its whole bag of tricks.

Lap up luxury

hop only when you feel in the S mood: relaxed, patient, instinctive and curious. Don’t make perfume selection a tiresome chore: make it your delight. You are shopping for a luxury, remember.

Heed advice

Visit a specialist independent store for impartial guidance. Make friends with the staff and ask advice from a knowledgeable, sympathetic but objective sales assistant who knows the product – and you.

Avoid layering

Put it on paper

Go it alone Never take your mother, best friend or lover with you. Each of us perceives smells differently. The opinion of companions is irrelevant and will only distract and disturb you. You need to concentrate, think and feel.

se card to make an initial U acquaintance with each scent. A paper strip will be enough to introduce the fragrance, and to discover whether you wish to explore it in greater depth. Samples are really invaluable – use them as an aid to selection.

If possible, try no more than one scent at a time. Don’t lather the body with different options: you are bound to confuse yourself. Leave the shop, take some air, and observe what is happening to you and the fragrance.

Listen to your gut

on’t neglect your instinct. D Perfume is all about emotion. Be wary of overanalysing and you’ll find the bottle of your dreams. 99 Mount Street, W1K, creedfragrances.co.uk

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too late...

LUXURY BODY BUTTER IN WHITE CASHMERE FROM THE BATH & BODY COLLECTION

www.lilouetloic.com

health & beauty

S PA R E V I E W all images: The Lanesborough Club & Spa

Sanctuary from the city The Lanesborough Club & Spa’s Deeper Connections treatment is so much more than a massage, writes Francesca Lee-Rogers

irst impressions count, and the attention to detail at The Lanesborough Club & Spa is exceptional. Inspired by the ceremonial spaces of Roman baths, interior design practice 1508 London has created an opulent wellness area with the very best of British materials and craftsmanship that spans more than 18,000 sq ft. Wood panelling and leather upholstery add to the grand ambience, while peacock blue satins, deep green silks and bronze trims complement the classical beauty of the oak, marble and stone. Each room and space has its own character, yet together the hybrid of club and spa blends effortlessly. As I await my treatment in the lounge area, a butler is on hand to cater to my every whim. There’s almost no need to move from here, as I slip into relaxation mode – the hubbub of London feels a world away.

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My therapist greets me, and we head to one of five treatment rooms (one is a double VIP spa suite) for the 90-minute Deeper Connections massage. My knots need regular untangling due to my desk-bound job, so I’m intrigued as to how this deep tissue experience will differ. A lot, as it turns out. My therapist, like all the therapists at the Club & Spa, has been trained by Beata Aleksandrowicz of Pure Massage. The massage uses a combination of eastern and western techniques including rolling and stretching to pinpoint tension. After spending 30 minutes on my back, she has opened up a whole new space between my shoulder blades. A similar pattern follows for the rest of my body, and towards the end

concentration focuses on my abdomen with a lymphatic drainage massage to bring balance to my digestive system and my body as a whole. It’s a full detox. I leave feeling truly soothed and retire to the spa where I use the hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room, until I can finally muster the energy to face the world again. Days later, I’m still feeling the positive effects: first impressions certainly lived up to expectations. The Deeper Connections Massage is £175 for 90 minutes or £140 for 60 minutes, The Lanesborough Club & Spa, Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA, 020 7333 7064, lanesboroughclubandspa.com

Natural selection From golden caviar pearls to the quiet power of algae, Camilla Apcar finds a new wave of skincare supercharged by the great outdoors

HEALTH & BEAUTY

arnessing the wonders of the natural world has long been the mission of the best skin creams, serums and oils – whether for their nutrifying, illuminating or fragrant qualities. “Over the course of time, man has learned to live in harmony with nature and has harnessed it not only to nourish and care for himself, but also as a means of protecting and beautifying his skin,” says Sisley’s scientific director, José Ginestar. This summer, Mother Nature meets scientific evolution in a host of new products that stand out for their particularly innovative and sometimes unusual organic ingredients. One major motivation for mimicking the green kingdom is hydration. In April, Chanel launched its Hydra Beauty Micro Crème (£66), which uses camellia to hydrate and help skin become more resistant to environmental stress. The floral extract is captured in 5,000 jellified micro-droplets that preserve the active ingredient, plus a dash of antioxidant blue ginger. Microfluidic technology – the science behind controlling and manipulating liquids – means the droplets don’t burst when they are scooped from the jar, but only when the moisturising face cream is applied. Knowledge is power, as proven by Clarins’ Hydra-Essentiel range that hit the shelves in March. It evolved following research that showed our skin experiences up to 17 thermic shocks every day: changes in temperature and humidity that impact the skin’s water retention. Its saviour is the succulent Madagascan kalanchoe plant, the ‘leaf of life’, which retains water despite sudden fluctuations in temperature. “Clarins’ ethnobotanists were inspired by plants capable of surviving in conditions of extreme drought,” says its scientific communications director, Marie-Hélène Lair. The brand is working with local communities to cultivate the leaves in northern Madagascar. Around 500kg are harvested during the dry season from April to November. The leaves are picked by hand and left out to dry in the sun, then turned two or three times a day. The new range includes an SPF 15 cream and cooling gel (£36 each), as well as a serum (£44). At Dior, its Hydra Life range was borne of studying the skin – and, in particular, the upper layer of skin flora, with its microorganisms – as a living organ. Its key component is Haberlea

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rhodopensis, a Swiss flower that can survive several months of drought, only to be revived by a single drop of water. “With Hydra Life, we have ‘tamed’ flora. Haberlea makes it produce what the skin needs to retain its moisture,” says Édouard Mauvais-Jarvis, Dior’s environmental and scientific communication director. “The result, beyond hydration, is healthy, lastingly fresh skin that is naturally beautiful.” Hydra Life’s second star ingredient is mallow, a vibrant purple and pink bloom found in Dior’s gardens in Anjou, France. It has been cultivated on a 30-hectare estate by the same family of horticulturists for more than 30 years, and encourages water circulation within the skin. A combination of the sorbet crème (£45.50) and water essence (£49.50) promise the ultimate effect. While algae might not be the most attractive of organisms, Estée Lauder has recognised its power. Using specially cultivated, cold-processed and nutrient-dense algae, its new Nutritious MicroAlgae range (from £20, available from June) is all about ridding skin of impurities and pollution that are a by-product of urban life. Glowing skin and refined pores are to come courtesy of a triple algae blend: the emerald

Dior has captured the hydrating qualities of a Swiss flower that can survive months of drought

HEALTH & BEAUTY

chlorella (rich in vitamin B12, protein, 18 amino acids and omega 3); bluish spirulina (known for its detoxification powers); and brown Laminaria saccharina, which controls excess oils. All three are cultivated in France, then either broken down by chemical reactions with water, washed and freeze-dried, or cold-processed in a gentle water-extraction process. The pursuit of luminosity also preoccupies the skincare realm, and such is the aim of La Prairie’s new White Caviar Illuminating Pearl Infusion (£360) – its concentrated formula includes golden caviar extract and an oil form of vitamin C. It targets dark spots on the skin, predominately caused by sun damage; the irritated or inflamed skin brought on by everyday stress; and atmospheric pollution (the shell of the caviar pearls shields the skin from harmful particles). “The Pearl Infusion ‘infuses’ the skin with light by acting at several levels,” says director of strategic innovation and science at La Prairie, Dr Jacqueline Hill. “Subtle pigments reflect light to add a soft glow to the skin, and vitamin C together with La Prairie’s cellular complex supports the collagen cycle.” Ingeniously, the caviar eggs are extracted from the Russian sturgeon species with an oily solvent, but the pearls will remain intact until the last drop of gel has been used. On a similar wavelength, the Iris florentina in YSL’s new Forever Youth Liberator Y-Shape concentrate (£66) and crème (£67) pursues a lasting glow for the face, neck and décolleté. The white flower is often used in perfumery or decongestants and its root can also be found in Bombay Sapphire gin. It’s no secret that flora and fauna can feed our skin as well as our stomachs – but some plants do this better than others. Lancôme’s Énergie de Vie range launched last April, and later this year, an eye gel, day cream, exfoliating mask and clay mask will be added. “Énergie de Vie is a recipe containing three active ingredients chosen to address the consequences of urban fatigue on the skin,” says Lancôme’s scientific director, Véronique Delvigne. Designed to boost the skin’s metabolism, it is packed with antioxidants: goji berries, lemon balm and gentian root. Sisley, meanwhile, has added a purifying mask (£80) and a rebalancing lotion to its Tropical Resins range (£59). “Hubert d’Ornano created

La Prairie has extracted caviar eggs from Russian sturgeon, which ‘infuse’ skin with light Sisley in 1976 with an intuition that plant extracts and essential oils combined with technological innovation could be a great success in beauty products,” says Ginestar. “He thought that plants’ capacity for regeneration, protection systems and fragrances could be used for the skin’s beauty.” The mask includes burdock to balance the skin’s ‘ecosystem’ and meadowsweet to stimulate defences against bad bacteria (apply a thick layer after cleansing, once or twice a week); the lotion adds Java tea extract to unclog and soften. “Our researchers are always looking for plants with new efficiencies or that target new biological pathways, and we give a great deal of importance to the traceability and quality of our plant extracts,” Ginestar continues. “That’s why we work with the best specialists for each type of plant and have a specific interest in organic farming.” In the dead of night, wild night-scented stock awakens to release its perfume and attract nocturnal insects. In July, Elemis will introduce a Peptide Night Recovery Cream-Oil (£49) with plenty of omega 3 and vitamin E – ten times higher than many other known natural oils used in skincare – from the plant. This is the first time the pink, purple and mauve bloom has been grown on a commercial scale for skincare in England. Elemis has developed a formula that will get to work during sleep, when skin cells renew and repair – especially stepping in when sleep is disturbed and cells are otherwise compromised. From day to night, Mother Nature has us covered.

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PROMOTION

Reform your workout A new studio from Ten Health & Fitness, London’s leading Dynamic Reformer Pilates provider, has launched in the heart of Fitzrovia

ocated on Great Titchfield Street, Ten Health & Fitness’s new studio offers its trademark Dynamic Reformer Pilates classes, along with physio-led Pilates, physiotherapy, massage therapy, rehabilitation and personal training in a light and welcoming space. Along with its Mayfair and St James’s studios, this is the third West End location for Ten, one of London’s top boutique fitness providers and twice voted ‘best Pilates studio’ by Tatler magazine. The studio’s ground floor provides a dedicated retail store for innovative activewear brand HPE Clothing (Human Performance Engineering) – the label’s first standalone outlet. One of the UK’s fastest growing sports apparel brands, HPE Clothing has a legion of high profile advocates from the worlds of fashion and sport. The new studio will additionally act as a base for TenEducation, which offers expert industryaccredited external training to fitness, exercise and therapy professionals across the UK. As well as its central London locations, Ten Health

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

& Fitness also has studios in Hatton Garden, Notting Hill, Little Venice, the City and Chiswick. Ten Health & Fitness, 83 Great Titchfield Street, W1W fitzrovia@ten.co.uk, ten.co.uk

Let The Game begin

Food & drink news

Chef James Durrant – formerly at the Royal Hospital Road, Claridge’s and Maze – has opened The Game Bird at The Stafford London hotel. Expect modern British comfort food: pies, puddings and stews galore, as well as a fish trolley that is wheeled straight to your dining table. Make room for the roast pigeon signature dish, which is served with a meaty bullshot cocktail, a welcome beverage for any hunting aficionados. The Game Bird at The Stafford London, 16-18 St James’s Place, SW1A, thegamebird.com

WORDS: HANNAH LEMON

All things nice St James’s Market is the gift that keeps on giving. Last month had us gasping over Aquavit’s Nordic dishes and this month sees us change tack to Venice at Veneta. Vermouths and aperitifs sorted by region highlight the best of Italy’s drinking scene, while plates such as kid goat ragu and chicken braised in almond milk with Medjool dates and saffron hark back to the country’s historic silk and spice trade routes. 3 Norris Street, SW1Y, saltyardgroup.co.uk/veneta

Mayfair in bloom To signal the start of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this month, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is offering a limited edition horticulture-inspired lunch menu. Dig your fork into the Flowering Vegetable Garden or the intricate Pistachio and Strawberry Field dessert (pictured) to get your perennial passions enthused. Lunch Flower Menu, £60, 23-26 May, 12-1.30pm, 53 Park Lane, W1K, alainducasse-dorchester.com 88

Experience the fragrance of ripe fruit in a refreshing glass of the Wiston Estate Cuvée Brut 2013 – perfect for a day in the sunshine £32.95, wistonestate.com

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food & drink

r e s ta u r a n t r e v i e w

The house of Bernardi’s Sometimes all you need is a day at a table with good food and even better drinks. Hannah Lemon finds the Italian restaurant Bernardi’s more than happy to help

he wonderful thing about London is that there is always an excuse to eat. There’s breakfast, then elevenses, lunch followed by afternoon tea, which leads to supper and then drinks. It baffles me how we find time in the day to do anything else. Wonderfully, Bernardi’s has picked up on life’s extraordinarily indulgent pattern, providing locals with an all-day modern Italian eatery. A three-minute walk from Marble Arch, behind a bright white frontage, gleaming black railings and clipped green olive trees, breakfast awaits. A good morning at the restaurant starts with The Cure – two eggs on sourdough accompanied by a hearty portion of Italian sausage and crispy bacon, plus grilled tomato and Portobello mushroom. If you can wait until 10am, add a kick to your start with a Bloody Mary or a mimosa.

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Whether you have to flick idly through a business presentation or Instagram from your work account to make it look like you’re busy, it won’t be long before it’s lunch – so you might as well stay put in one of the comfy leather chairs. Lunch here is the best meal of the day. I opt for celeriac and leek risotto, oozing with soft smoked provolone, and sit at the bar watching the bartender dash back and forth along the gleaming selection of spirit bottles as he assembles

a healthy apple and sorrel juice with a refreshing boost of elderflower tonic. Strike 3pm and it’s happy hour until 6.30pm. Nothing pleases me more than a 50 per cent discount, especially when you are drinking a seasonal G&T with rosebuds and cucumber. But you’ll have to move downstairs because the cool and casual basement bar, The Dog House, serves up the best drinks, whether it’s an aperitivo, glass of dry Gavi or nightcap. Launched at the end of last year, Bernardi’s bar provides a great excuse to hang around until the end of the day. Rich grey and blue hued walls are brightened up by retro adverts and colourful quirky art selected by Marcello Bernardi, one half of the Australia-born brother outfit that runs the show – the other being Gabriel. There’s also a tiny terrace on which to bask in a few rays with a summer cocktail. And when the chill sets in, you can retreat to the banquette seating or the hidden snug. Whether you’re sipping on a Carpano Classic or a negroni like me, the staff will be waiting until closing time to boot you out (most discreetly, of course). 62 Seymour Street, W1H, bernardis.co.uk

IMAGE COURTESY OF CASA MADRONA

summer of love Where to find rock legends mingling amid 19th-century Victorian architecture? The Mansion at Casa Madrona was the first hotel Pink Floyd stayed in during their first US tour in 1967 – the same year more than 100,000 flower children came to San Francisco to celebrate love. In the spirit of this year’s 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, Casa Madrona offers renovated rooms, sea-salt scrubs at the spa, wine tastings, and private painting lessons. From £250, slh.com

Travel news W O R D S : S andra V e d e ld

ride in military style

Travel a little lighter without travelling light. The Bugaboo Boxer’s smart interlocking chassis allows the soft roller Jannissima bag to be attached on top From £249, bugaboo.com

a savoyard escape

Le Panoramique Mer de Glace/O. Frarier, MPM, DR

Departing from Chamonix, a little red Montenvers train will take you 1913m up to the Terminal Neige Refuge – a new Alpine hotel renovated from a historic 1880 Montenvers refuge that is set to open in July. Snuggle up in a cosy room or enjoy a dining experience enhanced by nature: Le Panoramique restaurant’s terrace boasts breathtaking views of the Mont Blanc valley. From £126, refuge.terminal-neige.com

Set up by former armed force officers to give soldiers a new career path, Capstar provides premium chauffeur services. Its fleet of Jaguar XJs (yes, the ones with the heated seats), Range Rover Vogues and Mercedes V Classes can go the distance, and the company also charters private jets and helicopters. Whether for an everyday commute or an airport transfer for a special occasion, these are some of the most highly skilled drivers around. Your ride won’t be late, and neither will you. capstar.co

TRAVEL

maremma minute Staying in what was once the holiday home of the region’s Grand Duke, Kate Harrison enjoys the spoils of the Tuscan way of life

’Andana is an idyllic 500-hectare wine estate and hotel situated in the heart of the Maremma, a rugged coastal patch of Tuscany. As I enter through the gates and travel past the cypress trees that flank its long driveway, I immediately feel myself begin to unwind. The property was once a palatial villa where Leopold II of Lorraine, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his court resided in the summer seasons during the 19th century. Nestled among lush green hills and lined with olive groves, yet only minutes away from the sea, a Medici-worthy sense of grandeur and Italian romance can still very much be felt. The Moretti family of Holding Terra Moretti – eleven companies within the construction, marine, wine and hospitality sectors – have lovingly restored the property into a southern Tuscan hideaway with just 33 rooms. The estate is housed in two main buildings, the Villa and the Fattoria, which are separated by a

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winter garden. Guests are left to explore the grounds at leisure: I soon discover the estate’s private chapel (which is consecrated for wedding ceremonies), golf club and beyond. The hotel itself is reminiscent of a more rural Medici style: warm, earthy tones are highlighted by rich purples and vibrant oranges. The 33 rooms and suites are elegant, not to mention authentically Tuscan. The hotel’s interior has a very intimate feel, with furniture designed especially for each room – there is thought behind every detail. L’Andana balances style with a home-fromhome level of comfort and ease; life is laidback and guests are encouraged to relax and unwind while soaking up the rural landscape. Each night I sleep with my huge windows wide open to take in the air for as long as possible. Breakfast is an indulgent affair with homemade pastries and jams, fresh eggs and an impressive variety of cheeses and cold meats. Overlooking the swimming pool and

countryside at the hotel restaurant La Villa, the setting makes for an even sweeter experience. At dinnertime, the kitchen is cosy and informal as you would expect to find in any Italian family home. The menu changes seasonally and incorporates local produce wherever possible. This approach provides the basis for the restaurant’s philosophy – fresh, quality ingredients cooked traditionally, deliciously, and simply. Guests can also partake in a range of cookery classes. For those looking to sample some of the finest gourmet dishes in the region, dinner at La Trattoria with new head chef Enrico Bartolini – the youngest two-Michelin-starred chef in Italy, gaining both by the age of 33 – is an absolute must. Located in what used to be Grand Duke Leopold’s granary, the large windows offer spectacular views

TRAVEL

across the vineyards. The restaurant has a refined yet rustic feel with an open kitchen and a wine cellar that contains more than 150 labels. The menu stays faithful to traditional regional cooking, although Bartolini injects some thoroughly modern twists. To wit, an unassuming cherry tomato turns out to be delicious liver pâté. Maremma used to be a salt marsh but is now one of the more fertile parts of Tuscany. As a result the Moretti estate includes 500 hectares of countryside covered with vineyards and olive groves. Much time has been invested into researching the best grapes to cultivate into excellent wines, taking into account the climate and soil composition. The estate produces high-quality white, red and rose varieties as well as bellavista, a light and clean sparkling wine. The unique location of the vineyard lends the fruit a distinctive taste; it is possible to detect the saltiness from the ocean in the white wine in particular. Make sure to accept the offer of a tour of the winery and then a tasting session. The award-winning ESPA spa is a treat for all the senses. The treatment menu offers a range of holistic experiences using pure, natural products and is accompanied by a herbal tea and cake menu that is tailor-made according to your chosen treatment. Lighting is also taken into consideration, with a spectrum of colour choices – from bright pink to a relaxing blue – to reflect the mood of the guest. Within the spa there is a vitality swimming pool with sea salt, water massage and waterfalls, a steam room with aromatherapy and chromotherapy – the use of colours to adjust the body’s natural vibrations to healthier

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

frequencies – as well as a fitness centre with Technogym equipment. For those who can tear themselves away from the peace of the hotel, there are plenty of local activities to enjoy. A day at the Fiumara beach club is highly recommended: the club restaurant offers the freshest seafood you can imagine. Those who prefer more active pursuits will want to take to horseriding in the hills, tennis, cycling, hikes to the hermitage church, or arrange boat trips to nearby islands. The Tuscan archipelago is home to the rich green Elba, the fishing village on Isola del Giglio and the automobile-free Giannutri. A stay at L’Andana offers guests a glimpse into the Tuscan way of life. Taking into account the food, wine, history and setting, this is one of the better kept secrets in a perenially popular region. L’Andana in Castiglione Della Pescaia, from €440, andana.it

A history of

speed

As Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel prepare to take to the road in Monaco, Jennifer Mason looks back over the history of this world-famous race

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THIS PAGE: THE HISTORIC Grand Prix; opposite: Monte Carlo skyline, French Riviera

D I D YO U KNOW? The only Monaco native to win the local Grand Prix was Louis Chiron, who took victory in the 1931 race driving a Bugatti

ach year since 1929, motorsport fans have gathered in their thousands to watch cutting-edge racing cars compete around the Circuit de Monaco. One of the most prestigious races in the world, the Monaco Grand Prix – along with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – is one third of the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Part of what makes the Monaco circuit so special is the twisting course, which is laid out on the city’s streets, with dramatic elevation changes and tight corners. Despite its relatively low average speeds, it is one of the most dangerous circuits on the F1 calendar. For this reason, Monaco is the only track that does not adhere to Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) mandatory 190-mile minimum race distance. Although local races had been held in Monaco before 1929, it was not until that year that an automobile Grand Prix was proposed for the city’s streets. Held on 14 April 1929, it marked the first race to use the Monte Carlo street circuit. Post-war racing in Europe began on 9 September 1945 in Paris, and the following year, a new premier racing category, Grand Prix, was created by FIA – the origins of the great championship we know and love. The first Monaco Grand Prix, in the form drivers still race today, took place in 1948. Since then, the track has become synonymous with one of the most luxurious, outrageous and memorable races in history. Thirty years later, in celebration of Monaco’s rich racing history, the Monaco Historic Grand Prix was born. Held every two years since 1997,

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two weeks before the annual Formula 1 race, the event focuses on the different eras of Monaco’s petrolhead past. The event is streamlined into seven races: pre-war ‘voiturettes’ and Grand Prix cars (up to 1939); F1 & F2 Grand Prix cars (pre-1961); sports cars (1952-1955); F1 Grand Prix cars (1961-1965); F1 Grand Prix cars (1966-1972); F1 Grand Prix cars (1973-1978); Formula 3 cars, 2000cc (1974-1978). Last year I visited Monaco to get a sense of how intertwined the racing community is with the city itself. According to the locals, life in Monte Carlo is more or less brought to a standstill for several weeks during the summer as the town prepares for Grand Prix season. I had visited Monaco before, for the Yacht Show in September, and despite trying my hardest to figure out where the Monaco circuit starts and ends, there was little or no evidence that such a mammoth event ever took place. Touch down in mid-May for the Historic Grand Prix, though, and it’s a different story. Red and white corner indicators dot the circuit, and traffic is almost halted all over the city. Unless you have a hotel or circuit pass to flash at the myriad checkpoints, much of Monaco is totally off-limits to visitors. I stayed at the Fairmont, which has one of the prime viewing spots in the city. At this time of year, the 600-room hotel is packed to the rafters. Its Nikki Beach club on the roof terrace overlooks the hairpin at turns six and seven, leading down to the infamous tunnel. As I arrived early on race day, there were spectators lining all edges of the roof terrace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the classic race cars winding past. Despite the excellent vista from the Fairmont, I made my way down to the marina for my vantage point on the fifth floor roof of the Palais Héraclès, an apartment building.

clockwise From left: japanese gardens; Cipriani; both fairmont monte carlo. Opposite: Musée Océanographique, Monaco, photography: jenniferjaffa/Instagram

Directly above the start-finish line (and opposite the VIP grandstand for drivers and their entourages), this is undoubtedly one of the best spots in the city from which to watch the race (if you don’t have a pit lane pass, that is). The views across Monaco are spectacular, and it’s a prime spot for witnessing the brilliantly noisy chaos of the racing start. The noise is one thing I had not anticipated. Although I had been to a race before the quieter hybrid engines were introduced, I didn’t expect the sheer volume that blasts from the track, particularly with the 1960s and 1970s-era cars. It was tremendous – but I was grateful for the earplugs the Fairmont had thoughtfully provided. For motorsport lovers, a weekend at the Historic Grand Prix or modern F1 Grand Prix in Monaco is a dream come true. For most, this is the ‘bucket list’ race: a race that year after year attracts the world’s most wealthy fans, with superyachts crammed cheek-by-jowel into the famous marina, and decadent yacht parties everywhere you look. But even for those who don’t feel the pull of petrol power, the buzzing atmosphere in Monaco during race weekends is enough to excite anyone with a taste for the high life.

Where to stay The Fairmont Monte Carlo was the first chain hotel to set up in Monaco and boasts a certain level of prestige. Its trackside spot and views over the Med are definite selling points for those looking for a slice of iconic Monégasque backdrop for their holiday snaps. A visit to Nikki Beach Club and the hotel’s spa are a must. fairmont.com

Where to eat Cipriani is a Monaco institution, and stepping inside the doors on race night it’s not hard to see why. Well-dressed punters in head-to-toe chic line the halls as only the most well-connected – or those who’ve made friends with the charming

maître d’ – will manage to get a table, particularly on busy nights over the race weekend. The food is both hearty and healthy, with a menu of Italian classics with a Monégasque twist. Think fresh salads, light pasta dishes and perfectly grilled meat and fish. This is the place to see and be seen, popular with long-time residents and discerning visitors alike. Just make sure you book a table well in advance of your visit. ciprianimontecarlo.com

What to see Even if visiting primarily for race weekend, there’s still plenty to see that does not revolve around four wheels and an engine. Art lovers will enjoy a visit to the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco’s Villa Sauber, which last year temporarily transformed into Villa Marlene, a tribute to Marlene Dietrich created by Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli. Those seeking a quiet space to soak up Monaco’s sunshine will find the Japanese Garden a tranquil respite from a Grand Prix weekend. Tucked away by the Grimaldi Forum, there are plenty of traditional buildings and shady spots in which to while away a few hours with a good book. Visitors who don’t mind some light exercise (particularly on race weekends when many of Monaco’s roads are closed to traffic) will enjoy a hike up the hill to the Prince’s Palace, which affords stunning views from the Musée Océanographique and the Saint Nicholas Cathedral. Make a stop at the Jardins de SaintMartin en route, dotted with sculptures and plenty of picturesque vistas. This route is also a great way to see the race circuit from above. nmnm.mc

D I D YO U KNOW? Ayrton Senna holds the record for the most wins in Monaco with six victories; five consecutively between 1989 and 1993

TRAVEL

NEED TO KNOW BLOC hotel at London Gatwick Airport, blochotels.com Return transfers from Nice airport to Monaco with Monacair, monacair.mc For more information, visitmonaco.com

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Suite dreams The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences Words: ella harris

he south-west corner of Mayfair has long been the ultimate destination for those looking to relax in five-star luxury. The heavyweights in hospitality like the Four Seasons, the Hilton and the Intercontinental consistently draw in discerning clientele from around the world. In the midst of all this, mirroring the leafy Green Park on the opposite side of Piccadilly with its living wall of clinging foliage is the Athenaeum Hotel & Residences. The gargantuan development blends in with its neighbours, but offers something a little unique. Originally built in 1849 as Hope House by Henry Pelham-Clinton, the sixth Duke of Newcastle, the building has maintained its grandeur even through the 1930s Art Deco redesign it underwent to transform it into an apartment block. It also saw a fair share of celebrities walk through the doors when it was bought by J. Arthur Rankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment company in the 1970s, attracting

Hollywood stars such as Steven Spielberg and Liza Minnelli. The hotel is now operated by Ralph Trustees Limited, a family-run business that also owns The Grove in Hertfordshire and the Runnymede Hotel & Spa near Windsor. It was the latter groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision that has transformed the venue. After a revamp at the end of last year, the finished product, a contemporary and slightly quirky establishment, now stands on the north side of Piccadilly.

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Clockwise from far left: A room in one of the residences; The lobby and lounge; Galvin at the Athenaeum restaurant; The living wall

British interiors company Kinnersley Kent Design has carried on the green theme with a spectacular double-height lobby and lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, which give the impression of being in, rather than opposite, Green Park. Outside a terrace provides a welcome breather when the sun is out. On arrival, guests are greeted with an informal hello – a new iPad check-in process starts the hotel’s more relaxed approach. There are 132 rooms, 12 suites, 18 residences and the penthouse suite to choose from. For a family, the residences are by far the best option. Although attached to the main building, they look like private Victorian red brick townhouses. Each apartment has its own front door and discreet internal entry to the hotel. A fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area and 24-hour room service allows you to come and go as you please. Some of the flats interconnect, meaning it’s an ideal spot for families who might be staying a few weeks or even months. What’s more, the hotel has a dedicated kids’ concierge service. They can keep little ones busy with Wii games, yo-yos, teddy bears and fun-filled itineraries that include kite-flying sessions in Hyde Park. The hotel will make sure they sleep well by providing milk and biscuits before bedtime. Plus, a team of nannies are on standby should parents take up the offer of a welldeserved night out. However, a night in might be more on the cards with a visit to the Ren Spa. A plethora of antiageing and brightening facials are available, as well as hot stone, detox and maternity massages. After a treatment, take time to indulge in the two cedar wood hot tubs, sauna, steam room and relaxation area. Those looking for something a bit more high octane can use the gym or ask for the jogging map from the concierge for a sprint around London’s best parks.

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For a family, the residences are by far the best option. Each one looks like a private Victorian townhouse For food, it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, and room service from Galvin at the Athenaeum run by Michelin-starred chefs and brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin. The seasonal menu, which uses home-grown British produce, offers an array of options from grilled Severn & Wye smoked kippers to a haunch of Denham Estate venison. In the evening, the bar is a buzzing destination in its own right, thanks to a private entrance on Down Street and its enviable selection of craft spirits. Make the most of it, because it’s only a 30-second walk home. Residences from £540 per night, 116 Piccadilly, W1J, athenaeumhotel.com

hink of Margaret River as the Napa Valley of Australasia, only with far fewer tourists and an irreverent off-thebeaten-path charm. Bustling Perth, a three-hour drive away, is perhaps the most isolated city in the world, so a trip here feels like a wilderness adventure in itself, filled with witchy old Jarrah trees, eucalyptus canopies and cackling Kookaburras. The verdant, sultry, sometimes swampy region is home to more than 150 wineries (many located along the ten-mile stretch of Caves Road), producing superlative chardonnays, rieslings and crisp, cold-weather cabernets. The landscape itself is ever-shifting: from a patchwork of honey-coloured farmland to dense forests and craggy coastlines. As well as its reputation as one of the most exciting gourmet destinations in Australia, there’s also a beachy vibe. Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park – a 145 square mile landscape buffeted by sea spray and filled with echoing caves and gaggles of lazing kangaroos – boasts pristine amber beaches (a mecca for surfers, who flock for the quiet sands and towering waves). You’ll be spoilt for fine wine choice, so head to the region’s most established winery, Leeuwin Estate, to sample its complex Art Series Chardonnays (often described as Australia’s best). Set on a former cattle ranch, the estate is unassuming – a warren of wood and adobe buildings with corrugated iron roofs – but its modern farm-to-table restaurant serves sophisticated fare, from fig and blue cheese sorbet to succulent Fremantle octopus with fennel, rhubarb and radish. Set aside time to walk at least part of the cape-to-cape coastal track (135 kilometres, between the lighthouses of Naturaliste and Leeuwin). There’s no better way to take in this stirring landscape and its spectacular sunsets.

[Great Escape]

Margaret River From its tangled woodlands to its vast, sprawling pastures, Lizzie Pook explores this remote food and wine haven in Western Australia humpback whale, courtesy of NATURALISTE CHARTERS

the margaret river coast

Kookaburra (and above)

Naturaliste Lighthouse

Caves Road

travel

Where to stay

the cape-to-cape track seal, courtesy of NATURALISTE CHARTERS

In a tranquil vineyard valley in the town of Yallingup, the characterful stone and timber farmhouse at the heart of the boutique Empire Retreat and Spa was once the owner’s family home. It has blossomed into a collection of rustic rooms and a charming, restful day spa. Relax in the secluded jacuzzi, sauna and outdoor shower among the landscaped gardens, then take a stroll around the vineyard to sample standout chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons. From £181 per night, empireretreat.com

SUITCASE E S S E N T I A L S #1 Cufflinks, £220, deakinandfrancis.co.uk

Where to eat For breakfast, duck into Cape Lodge – a favourite of Sting, Bill Clinton and Katy Perry – for French toast with fresh figs, fig cream and vanilla labna, before whiling away an afternoon in the restaurant at the grand Vasse Felix wine estate (try the marron crayfish followed by hearty rabbit pappardelle with mushroom, fig, cocoa and blue cheese). The Gourmet Escape festival, which takes place each November, also offers a chance to indulge in fine cuisine amid breathtaking coastal surroundings. Previous headliners include Noma’s René Redzepi and the ever-experimental Heston Blumenthal. capelodge.co.au, vassefelix.co.au, gourmetescape.com.au

#2 Jacket, £570, fenwick.co.uk

#3 Rucksack, £365, troubadourgoods.com

Mayfair recommends

Boranup Beach LeeuwinNaturaliste national park

Wildlife lovers should consider snorkelling in the protected Ngari Capes: find an underwater landscape of neon coral and the impressive HMS Swan wreck, as well as around 100 species of fish. In winter and spring, humpback and southern right whales make their way past on their migration. The blue whale can also be spotted at Geographe Bay, particularly in November. Naturaliste Charters offer eco-friendly whale-watching tours, led by staff with marine science backgrounds. whales-australia.com.au

#4 Trousers, £360, marianorubinacci.net

#5 Shoes, £100, libertylondon.com

gourmet escape festival

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101

Local news Annabel’s back in town At the end of the year, Annabel’s will finally reopen in a Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse. Founded in 1963, the private members’ club has entertained the most exclusive and elusive personalities, including Hollywood stars, pop legends and royalty, from Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones to Elizabeth Taylor and Leonardo DiCaprio. For the first time ever, Annabel’s will offer an all-day and all-night experience, and the club will include newly renovated restaurants, bars, private dining rooms, as well as a cigar salon in its original Rococo-inspired décor. Coming to 44 Berkeley Square, W1J, annabels.co.uk

from left: cat with pope’s shoes; a game of notes; small garniture vase with notes; flow of blue words plate; all hylton nel

In Association with The Residents’ Society of Mayfair & St James’s Committee Members

Potty for it The Fine Art Society presents an exhibition of ceramics from the acclaimed South African potter, painter and sculptor, Hylton Nel. The artist’s idiosyncratic ceramics are a playful take on a plethora of literary, historical and religious sources: his imagery ranges from cats to mermaids; presidents to the Madonna; and angels to Adam and Eve. In an engaging peculiarity, the eccentric ceramicist distinguishes his pieces from traditional works with an unusual mix of whimsy and satire. 23 May – 16 June, 10am-6pm, Mon-Fri, 148 New Bond Street, W1S, thefineartsociety.com

Chair

Secretary

(Policy & Traffic)

(Crossrail & Finance)

Lois Peltz

Richard Cutt

Planning Applications Ronald Cottee (Planning)

Regulars

Lynn Chadwick, First Girl Seated on a Bench, 1987-1989, 117 cm high, Estimate: On request ©Christie’s Images Limited 2016

Natalia Miyar

From land to craft Carole Bamford, the founder of Daylesford organic farm shops and Bamford clothing on South Audley Street, has announced a new summer competition called ‘From land to craft: A collection inspired by the Daylesford Estate’. The shortlisted artists, who use traditional techniques and natural materials, will exhibit their work for one day only at the charming Daylesford Farm in Gloucestershire during the Daylesford Summer Festival. The finalists will be selected by a panel of judges that include Lady Bamford, interior designer Natalia Miyar and The New Craftsmen’s Natalie Melton. 20 May, 10am-5pm, Daylesford Farm, Gloucestershire, daylesford.com

Sculpture in the square St James’s Square has a certain charm of its own, but going for a stroll there will mean something entirely new this May and June. Christie’s will be staging an outdoor exhibition to accompany its summer season of 20th century sales, presenting a selection of

Aloha Thursday Nothing says ‘party’ quite like an Aloha Thursday at Mahiki. A haunt for royals and celebrities alike since 2005, the tropical tiki bar is offering Mayfair locals and businesses the opportunity to relax, socialise and network with special access and a 20 per cent discount during sunset hours (6-10pm). Enjoy fresh fruit cocktails and good music within the club’s Polynesian-inspired décor and take in the holiday-like ambiance at what has grown to be one of the capital’s most famous spots for a fun night out. Thursdays, 6pm-3am, 1 Dover Street, W1S, mahiki.com

DAYLESFORD FARM

Membership

Howard Evans

(Events & Membership)

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sculptures by prominent modern British artists such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Anthony Caro and Lynn Chadwick. If ever there was a time to visit the garden, this would be the one. 23 May – 30 June, St James’s Square, SW1Y

Police

Marie-Louise Burrows

Licensing

Derek Stratton

103

Regulars

Remembering

MAYFAIR

Sir Richard Westmacott (1775-1856) WORDS: SANDRA VEDELD

n 1818 sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott moved into his new studio at 14 Audley Street. It was one of the largest establishments of any English artist, second only to his contemporary Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey. This affluent address was down to Westmacott’s success; for more than 30 years he was Great Britain’s leading sculptor and the brains behind a variety of prestigious vestiges still defining the British art landscape today. Westmacott’s career began back in 1792, when he was sent to Rome by his father – who had a studio on Mount Street – to attend classes by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova: his influence would define the English artist’s style. Like Canova, Westmacott was a Neoclassical sculptor who drew inspiration from the art and culture of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. He returned to England six years later with an exhibition at the Royal Academy and was later made an associate and academician. Westmacott went on to work on a variety of large-scale commissions including a muscular 18-foot statue of Achilles (1814-22), erected in Hyde Park to commemorate the First Duke of Wellington’s military prowess and made from melted-down captured enemy cannons. The piece was

funded by a committee of women who raised £10,000 and voted to conceal the statue’s manhood with a fig leaf. Initially, it was too tall to bring through the gates of the park and a hole was created in the wall to get it in. Five years later, Westmacott completed one of his most acclaimed pieces: the 20-tonne Waterloo Vase (1820-27) commissioned by King George IV. Carved from a large block of Carrara marble, which Napoleon had originally intended to use for a trophy for his expected conquest of Russia, the vase ironically depicts George III’s victory over Napoleon. In 1851, the artist completed his final major work: the pedimental sculpture of the British Museum, The Progress of Civilisation. Westmacott’s work remains, more than a century and a half later, a delightful testimony to London as a cultural centre. During his lifetime, Westmacott completed around 275 works and distinguished himself as a leading sculptor of national and civic monuments. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1837, and prevails as a highly respected artist who moulded Britain’s Neoclassical architectural scenery. After a brief illness, Westmacott died peacefully on 1 September 1856 at his magnificent Audley Street address.

Westmacott prevails as a highly respected artist who moulded Britain’s Neoclassical scenery

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Mayfair estate agents Beauchamp Estates 24 Curzon Street, W1J 7TF 020 7499 7722

Crayson 10 Lambton Place W11 2SH 020 7221 1117 crayson.com

London, Mayfair and St James’s 127 Mount Street, W1K 3NT 020 7493 0676

Mayfair

Savills

120a Mount Street W1K 3NN 020 7499 1012 (sales and lettings)

Mayfair and St James’s 36 North Audley Street W1K 6ZJ 020 7578 5100 (sales and lettings)

Hyde Park

Beauchamp Estates Private Office 29 Curzon Street, W1J 7TL 020 7408 0007 beauchamp.com

carter jonas

Knight Frank

Dexters 66 Grosvenor Street W1K 3JL 020 7590 9590 (sales) 020 7590 9595 (lettings) dexters.co.uk

1 Craven Terrace W2 3QD 020 7871 5060 (sales) 020 7871 5070 (lettings)

Marylebone and Fitzrovia

Marylebone

Sloane Street

55 Baker Street W1U 8EW 020 3435 6440 (sales) knightfrank.co.uk

139 Sloane Street SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822 savills.co.uk

Pastor Real Estate Ltd 11 Curzon Street W1J 5HJ 020 3879 8989 (sales)

Strutt & Parker

48 Curzon Street W1J 7UL 020 3195 9595 (lettings) pastor-realestate.com

Knightsbridge

22 Devonshire Street W1G 6PF 020 3527 0400

London, Hyde Park and Bayswater 44 Connaught Street, W2 2AA 020 7402 1552 (sales) 020 7371 3377 (lettings)

London, Marylebone and Regent’s Park 37 New Cavendish Street W1G 9TL 020 7486 8866 carterjonas.co.uk

Harrods Estates

Knightsbridge 82 Brompton Road SW3 1ER 020 7225 6506

Mayfair 61 Park Lane W1K 1QF 020 7409 9001 harrodsestates.com

London Head Office 13 Hill Street, W1J 5LQ 020 7629 7282

66 Sloane Street, SW1X 9SH 020 7235 9959 struttandparker.com

ChestertonS

Mayfair

47 South Audley Street W1K 2QA 020 7629 4513 (sales) 020 7288 8301 (lettings)

Westminster and Pimlico 10 Gillingham Street, SW1V 1HJ 020 3411 8386 (sales) chestertons.com

Rokstone 5 Dorset Street W1U 6QJ 020 7580 2030 rokstone.com

For estate agent listings please contact Sophie Roberts at s.roberts@runwildgroup.co.uk

Wetherell 102 Mount Street W1K 2TH 020 7493 6935 wetherell.co.uk

Aristocrats,Artists, Artists, Ballerinas Aristocrats, Ballerinas, Bankers,CFOs, CFOs, CEOs, CEOs Bankers, Entrepreneurs, Generals, Generals, Gurus Entrepreneurs, Gurus, InteriorDesigners, Designers, Lawyers Interior Lawyers, Lecturers,Media Media Moguls, Moguls Movie Lecturers, Movie Stars, Oligarchs Stars, Oligarchs, Philanthropists, Philanthropists, Politicians Politicians, Presidents, Presidents, Rappers Rappers, Rock-Stars, Royalty… Rock-Stars, Royalty… to name but a few to name but a few

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finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Smart stays

The inside track on the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime movers

image courtesy of beauchamp estates

Lancaster Parkside, Hyde Park W2 Exceptional first floor apartment with private terrace overlooking Hyde Park A sensational Grade II listed lateral apartment, offering fantastic ceiling heights, detailed period cornicing, beautiful parquet flooring and an abundance of natural light. 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms (4 en suite), 2 reception rooms, media room, kitchen, guest cloakroom, private terrace, entrance hall, Lutron lighting, combined heating and cooling system, lift access, park views, daytime concierge service. Approximately 442 sq m (4,760 sq ft).

KnightFrank.co.uk/hydepark hydepark@knightfrank.com 020 3544 6140

Leasehold (approximately 987 years remaining) plus share of freehold

Guide price: £15,300,000

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/HPE170043

Mayfair Mag May 2017 - Lancaster Parkside

06/04/2017 12:04:32

MOVE.

Faster. Sell with Knight Frank. Our understanding of the everchanging market enables us to price your property accurately, so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving. Call us today to arrange your free market appraisal. KnightFrank.co.uk/mayfair mayfair@knightfrank.com 020 8166 7484 Guide price: £3,750,000

North Audley Street, Mayfair W1K

A beautifully presented three bedroom apartment located within an elegant Grade II listed building within the heart of Mayfair. Situated across two floors, this apartment offers a wealth of period features with stunning views over Grosvenor Square. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, open plan kitchen/reception room, 2 balconies, lift. EPC: C. Approximately 108 sq m (1,285 sq ft). mayfair@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7484

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £2,795,000

Maddox Street, Mayfair W1S A modern two bedroom penthouse suite situated on stylish Maddox Street, benefiting from its own private terrace and spacious, central living area. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open plan kitchen/reception/dining room, terrace, lift. EPC: D. Approximately 108 sq m (1,168 sq ft). mayfair@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 7484

297h 210w Mayfair Mag

04/04/2017 15:17:42

property

market

insight Give currency to the facts Partner and head of Knight Frank Mayfair, Harvey Cyzer, reports on the highs and lows of the global property market

rends in price growth in central London are pointing towards an end to the decline we saw last year. Annual growth improved slightly to -6.4 per cent as quarterly growth climbed to -0.1 per cent, the highest level since May 2016. Leading demand indicators turned increasingly positive towards the end of last year, a process that is now having an impact on pricing and should contribute to flat price growth this year. Transaction volumes in prime London picked up during the final quarter of 2016 and demand has remained relatively healthy through the first quarter of this year. Asking prices have been revised down as a result of higher rates of stamp duty, which has supported more stable levels of activity and led to a rise in transaction levels, as prices begin to align with buyer expectation. Amid increased levels of demand, the Knight Frank 2017 Wealth Report confirmed that London remains a key global city. Transactions in higher price brackets have had a relatively robust start to the year, reflecting a favourable exchange rate, reduced asking prices and strong demand for the best-located properties which, in some instances, has led to competitive bidding. Traditional safe haven assets like gold and secure government bonds have seen fresh investor inflows in the first quarter of the year and it is the same

trend that has traditionally benefitted the prime central London property market. The wider market backdrop is likely to remain uncertain over the rest of the year. While Brexit will merit a lot of media attention, it should be remembered that it has only had a marginal impact on the prime London property market so far. The total number of ÂŁ20m-plus deals recorded in the first quarter was last exceeded in the last quarter of 2014, a period that experienced a rush of deals ahead of a stamp duty hike. After the government triggered the formal process to leave the EU, the pound showed a degree of volatility on foreign exchange markets but was broadly unchanged against the dollar on previous daysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trading. Since the referendum, the sterling has weakened markedly. A dollar-based buyer in prime central London would have benefitted from an effective discount of 21 per cent between last June and February, given currency and house price movements. This is a good example of how currency markets are likely to act as a shock absorber for the wider economy and prime central market. The weakness of sterling is part of the reason overseas capital is targeting the UK more generally.

While Brexit will merit a lot of media attention, it should be remembered that it has only had a marginal impact so far

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Knight Frank Mayfair, 120a Mount Street, W1K, 020 8166 7484

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

One Park Drive overlooking South Dock, Canary Wharf

MayFairMag_DPS 13.04.17_AW.indd All Pages Computer generated images are indicative only. Prices are correct at the time of going to press.

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One Park Drive 3 typologies 58 storeys 483 apartments

Sales Enquiries +44 (0)20 7001 3800 canarywharf.com/residential residential.sales@canarywharf.com

18/04/2017 11:30

Haven is a place on earth Beauchamp Estates founder Gary Hersham talks Camilla Apcar through Brexit, the prime central market and the three topics you should never bring up at a dinner party Photography: Sarel Jansen at Academy Gardens, beauchamp.com

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lmost 40 years in the property business, Gary Hersham founded boutique luxury agency Beauchamp Estates in 1979. His biggest sale to date was for £198.5m in 1987 – “probably a £600m deal today,” he says – and retirement is quite out of the question at present. He might have a large English stamp collection of blocks of four with traffic lights from 1953 onwards that he started when he was nine years old, but he works Sundays – and whatever the headlines say about today’s property market, his mobile phone is almost constantly ringing. Hersham freely admits that the number of sales has dropped off over the past 12 months. After the Brexit vote, Beauchamp was involved in just three transactions over £40m last year: £42.5, £45 and £48m. “But that’s quite a lot less than we normally do,” he says. “We did one transaction in Mayfair pre-Brexit for £86m, and we did one transaction outside the UK for a UK client at over £100m.” Yet the Beauchamp Estates founder believes Brexit will be very positive for the UK. “There has been a period of unknown, but clarity is always a very good thing.” He highlights four significant factors for the property market, that are even more important than the banks and their lending. Envelope dwelling tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, and stamp duty land tax. “You’ll see a swing to purchasers of enveloped dwellings, because people save their stamp duty. Whereas you might think the very rich don’t care about an extra 15 per cent on a £50m purchase, you’re wrong. They do not like the idea of having to pay it.” With the fluctuation of the pound, Hersham says he is receiving calls from international clients asking if they should buy now. It seems there’s no time like the present. “I don’t believe there has ever been a time in the prime central London property market since Brexit that prices have really dropped,” he says. “There have been of course cases where sales in perception terms have sold at ten, 15 or 30 per cent below asking price. But when you look in greater detail, you realise that the asking price was never realistic.” Hersham suggests comparing why the market might have stagnated in relation to the Lehman crash. “I think buyers have realised that it was a misconceived idea – you

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can’t get 30 per cent discounts off asking prices, and most sellers are not distressed.” If buyers do not achieve a high price, they will instead either rent the property, decide not to sell or simply keep it vacant. The other realisation for buyers, he believes, is that currency is the main gain. “All of a sudden, a buyer can be 20 per cent richer per pound he buys. A discount can be between five and seven per cent depending on the property, plus the currency gain on top... overall it could be a 25 or even 30 per cent gain.” In this climate of realism and real values, Hersham believes the market is going to improve. Beauchamp Estates has a partnership with Leslie J. Garfield in New York (with the eventual aim of having a formal shareholding in each other’s business), as well as offices in Cannes, Mykonos, Florence and Israel. These markets share a similar political climate, he says. “France has its own, although you might find that Le Pen becomes the new president; Mykonos is almost the Saint-Tropez of the Greek islands, and somewhat isolated.” As for the United States, he believes Donald Trump “is a very good thing for America and the UK”. Two of the topics to avoid at a dinner party have already been covered: money and politics. But what of the third – does religion play a part in buying a property, and where do people choose to do so? “You have to bear in mind that England – and therefore London – is considered the safest haven in the world. It means ‘safe haven’ not in terms of tax structures or anything other than your own personal safety, and your assets’ safety. “You don’t have any example of the government saying ‘your money, house or office building is mine’, which you do in many other places. People understand that and come here for that reason, and they are accepted as foreigners here. Whether it’s the worst or best tax haven now is almost irrelevant.” Yet above all else – London’s cultural standing will make it an enduringly desirable place to live. “Please tell me where you can get that and all the other ingredients for a good life,” poses Hersham. If you can reach him for an invitation, ask him to your next dinner party – the conversation won’t disappoint. 24 Curzon Street, W1J, 020 7499 7722, beauchamp.com

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CARRINGTON HOUSE MAYFAIR W1 A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT IN THE HEART OF MAYFAIR A spacious one bedroom apartment located on the second floor of a period mansion block within the heart of Mayfair. The flat comprises of one double bedroom, large size reception room with dining area, separate kitchen & bathroom. Located within walking distance to all the amenities of Mayfair. Accommodation: Entrance hall, reception room/dining room, kitchen, bedroom ,shower Room. Amenities: Porter, lift.

londonsales@beauchamp.com +44 (0) 20 7499 7722

www.beauchamp.com

24 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TF

£1,200,000 Leasehold

+44 (0)20 7499 7722

CHESTERFIELD HOUSE MAYFAIR W1 AN EXCLUSIVE MAYFAIR APARTMENT A desirable one bedroom flat located on the 7th floor of this portered block in the heart of Mayfair. With an abundance of natural light and in excellent condition the property also has the benefit of wood flooring throughout plus communal heating and hot water. Accommodation: Reception room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, shower room. Amenities: 24-Hour concierge/porter, lift.

£1,700,000 Leasehold

www.beauchamp.com

londonsales@beauchamp.com +44 (0) 20 7499 7722

24 Curzon Street, Street , London W1J 7TF

+44 (0)20 7499 7722

ONE HYDE PARK KNIGHTSBRIDGE SW1 A BRIGHT, MODERN RECENTLY REFURBISHED THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT Comprising some 3,475 sqft and moments away from Knightsbridge and Hyde Park, the apartment offers the very best in luxurious living. This prestigious area has an array of high-end fine dining restaurants and bars and some of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel just next door. Accommodation: Entrance hall, Reception room, Kitchen, Dining room, 2 Bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and dressing rooms, 1 Further bedroom, Guest shower room. Amenities: Terrace, 24-hour concierge, Residents only spa and leisure facilities.

£12,000 / Week

Karolina@beauchamp.com

No tenant fees

+44 (0)20 7499 7722

www.beauchamp.com www.beauchamp.com · · 24 24 Curzon Curzon Street, Street, London LondonW1J W1J 7TF 7TF · · +44 +44 (0)20 (0)20 7722 7722 9793 9793

www.pastor-realestate.com

MIXED-USE INVESTMENT FOR SALE SHEPHERD MARKET, MAYFAIR, W1J

Â£2,150,000 VIRTUAL FREEHOLD

Mixed-use | Virtual Freehold | Retail & 3 Apartments A rare opportunity to acquire a fully-let, mixed-use investment property in the heart of Shepherd Market. The retail unit is spread over ground and basement with a stunning one bedroom duplex apartment benefiting from its own entrance on the upper floors.

FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL SALES CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3879 8989 sales@pastor-realestate.com 11 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HJ

FOR SALE MARKET MEWS, MAYFAIR, W1J

£4,500,000

FOR SALE SHEPHERD MARKET, MAYFAIR, W1J £6,500,000

Development Opportunity | Freehold | Planning permission for a New Build House

Mixed-Use | Virtual Freehold | Mayfair

A rare new build development opportunity with the benefit of full planning permission to extend and create a contemporary house.

A newly developed mixed-use building with retail unit and 3 brand new 1 bedroom apartments on the upper floors.

OFFICE TO LET BERKELEY SQUARE, MAYFAIR, W1J

OFFICE TO LET 11 CURZON STREET, MAYFAIR, W1J P.O.A

P.O.A

Office Space | 7 floors | Car Parking | Air conditioning | Fibre internet available

Office Space | New development | Air conditioning | High specification including fibre internet

3,169 sq ft (294 sq m) with parking to the rear within this historic period building enjoying views over London’s famous Berkeley Square.

Newly developed building in Mayfair. Up to 1,049 sq ft (98 sq m) of high quality office space available over the first and second floors.

FURTHER DETAILS FOR COMMERCIAL LETTINGS CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3195 9595 commercial@pastor-realestate.com 48 Curzon Street, London, W1J 7UL

www.pastor-realestate.com

TO LET NEW BOND STREET, MAYFAIR, W1S

£525 p/w

TO LET QUEEN STREET, MAYFAIR, W1J

£655 p/w

1 Double Bedroom | Great Location | Bright | Open-plan Fully Furnished

Well-presented one bedroom apartment close to the amenities of Bond Street & Oxford Street.

Unfurnished open-plan modern one bedroom apartment close to Green Park tube station.

TO LET CHESTERFIELD HOUSE, MAYFAIR, W1J £795 p/w

TO LET MARYLEBONE LANE, MARYLEBONE, W1U £975 p/w

2 Bedroom | Excellent location | Spacious | Wood flooring Comfort Cooling | Excellent storage

Recently refurbished 2 bedroom apartment in this prestigious Mayfair block.

Modern & bright 2 bedroom apartment in Marylebone a short walk from Bond Street tube station.

FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL LETTINGS CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3195 9595 lettings@pastor-realestate.com 48 Curzon Street, London, W1J 7UL

TO LET SACKVILLE STREET, MAYFAIR, W1S

£895 p/w

2 Bedroom | Wooden flooring | Passenger Lift | Secure development | Air Conditioning | Airy Reception Modern open-plan two bedroom apartment in this secure Mayfair development close to Piccadilly & Old Bond Street. Benefits from additional basement storage and excellent storage throughout.

TO LET GRAFTON STREET, MAYFAIR, W1S

£950 p/w

2 Bedroom | Stunning views | Porter | Passenger Lift | Superb Location | Fully Furnished | Spectacular Reception Fantastic two bedroom apartment conveniently located in Mayfair within moments from Old Bond Street. Features include wood flooring to entrance hall and reception area, air conditioning and entry phone system.

FURTHER DETAILS FOR ALL LETTINGS CONTACT: +44 (0)20 3195 9595 lettings@pastor-realestate.com 48 Curzon Street, London, W1J 7UL

Understanding the unsaid Akash Puri, director of international sales at India Sotheby’s International Realty, tells Camilla Apcar why the time is right for buyers to make a smart investment photography: sarel jansen

hen India Sotheby’s International Realty launched in July 2014, Akash Puri, its director of international sales was in the thick of the action. Akash spent six months there, but it was soon decided that he would move to London to learn about the market from the UK Sotheby’s International Realty team, working closely with them. The results were so successful that it was made into a full-time role. He deals with real estate advisory across sales as well as lettings.

“There’s a great bond between India and the UK,” says Akash. “There always has been, culturally and otherwise – and London seems to be the favourite destination for Indians moving west.” Akash’s own journey is an intriguing one. Just before the office opened, Sotheby’s International Realty found him through the client references he had made over the course of his first career: in investment banking. “I was based in Dubai, handling funds for non-resident Indians,” he says. “I worked in and travelled the Emirates,

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consulting and giving international advisory services to clients. Then I moved to Singapore, doing the same thing for different countries in Southeast Asia and India.” The move was a natural one, and Akash still deals with some of the same clients from his private banking days. The general process is relatively simple – when the India office receives an enquiry, an associate will handle the client’s interest and pass the information on to Akash. After conference calls with the potential buyer to understand what they are after, he works with the UK office to create a shortlist of properties. “We can fix meetings for them to do viewings, or if they like the property and find value in our advice, they invest while they are still in India. On visiting London I then take them to see what they’ve invested in.” Akash has noticed a great deal of interest for larger investments and off-plans. “It depends what stage of life the client is in; whether it’s for their own use or just as an investment,” he says. “First time buyers would rather go with something off-plan than getting a secondary market property, which would be larger and more expensive.” He is often purchasing numerous properties for clients’ portfolios, all privately owned. Sotheby’s International Realty can be found in 70 countries, with 880 offices and 20,000 agents. The brand achieved a total sales volume of $95bn in 2016. Sotheby’s International Realty also has desks in Seattle, Dubai and will open more in the United States and south-east Asia. “But here, I always say that ‘time is defined in London’. It’s the epitome of civilisation. And the properties are just amazing – there’s so much art, culture and heritage.” With the market value of the pound falling, “it’s a great time to buy”, he smiles. “Prices have come down a bit, and there’s a lot more interest recently. It is a buyers’ market at the moment.” “The conversion of the pound to the rupee hasn’t been this low for some time,” he reports. “There is approximately 20 per cent change in the conversion rate since the recent highs – that’s why enquiries are increasing.” In scenarios where buyers are comparing different international locations, London comes out top. Mayfair’s central location is a huge draw for Indian buyers coming for a few months in the summer (especially

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from May until July). “They like to enjoy being in the buzz of things,” says Akash. Only those of Indian origin can buy in India, but there’s also a degree of reverse osmosis – Sotheby’s International Realty helps those living in London find a property across the country, from Goa to a large number in other parts of India, including farmhouses. Much of Akash’s role is based on instinctively understanding his clients’ needs. “Indian buyers want to buy overseas, and I think having somebody who understands their culture, and is in London full-time, merges the gap,” he says. “When things are not said, just felt, you pick up the pulse of your client sometimes. That’s why I’m here. “The best part for me is bridging the gap between aspirations and reality. That’s one of the reasons I shifted from banking to real estate. If somebody helps you get your dream home, you’ll always remember that person.” 77-79 Ebury Street, SW1W, 07884 866 135, sothebysrealty.co.uk

akash puri with Amit Goyal, India sotheby’s international realty CEO

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Buckingham Gate, Westminster SW1H

ÂŁ895 per week

A stunningly located, three double bedroom lateral apartment situated within this grand red brick mansion building near to Green Park and Buckingham Palace. The property benefits from a large family kitchen, bright reception room and porter service. EPC rating B. Approximately 1,139 sq ft (106 sq m). Three bedrooms | Two bath/shower rooms (one en suite) | Reception room | Kitchen | Porter | Lift

Available furnished for a long let

77-79 Ebury Street, London SW1W 0NZ sothebysrealty.co.uk +44 20 7495 9580 | london@sothebysrealty.co.uk

sothebysrealty.co.uk

Whitehall Court, St James’s SW1A

£3,950,000

Situated on the third floor of this imposing and highly sought after period building in the heart of Westminster, the apartment has been refurbished to an extremely high standard throughout. EPC rating C. Approximately 2,180 sq ft (203 sq m). Master bedroom with en suite bathroom | Two further bedrooms | Two further bath/shower rooms | Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen| Four balconies | Lift | Porter

Leasehold: approximately 71 years remaining

© 2016 UK Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty is a registered trademark licensed to UK Sotheby’s International Realty in the UK. Each offïce is independently owned and operated. All information non - contractual, approximate and subject to error, change and withdrawal without notice. Rent excludes administration fees. Please contact our offïces who can provide this information.

Mayfair Showroom 66 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 3JL 28 offices in Central London and over 60 across London

Chesterfield Hill, W1J

£10,750,000

An exceptional six bedroom new build townhouse set behind an original Grade ll Listed Georgian façade, in the heart of Mayfair. It has a lift, games room, cinema room and separate staff accommodation. Located close to Mount Street Gardens, the property is well placed for enjoying the best Mayfair has to offer, energy rating e. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590

Park Lane, W1K £4,950,000

An elegant two double bedroom duplex apartment in a white stucco fronted building on Park Lane. Entering the property, the hallway leads to a west facing reception room with three large doors giving access to a private terrace and stairs down to the paved garden. There is a separate kitchen, two bathrooms and a spacious conservatory, energy rating c. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590

dexters.co.uk

Babmaes Street, SW1Y £2,495 per week

A luxury three bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of this exceptional development in the heart of St James’s. Comprising a large open plan kitchen/reception room, two double bedrooms both with en suite bathrooms, a single bedroom and a guest wc. Further benefits include a balcony and lift access, energy rating b. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9595

Anderson Street, SW3 £2,450 per week

This delightfully refurbished Grade II Listed family home has been finished to an exceptional standard. The property has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, two reception rooms and an open plan kitchen/dining room. There is also a private patio garden which leads to a secure, single garage, energy rating e. Dexters Chelsea 020 7590 9500

dexters.co.uk

Tenants fees apply: £180 per tenancy towards administration, £60 reference fee per tenant and £144 towards the end of tenancy check out report (all inc VAT).

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Raising the bar For 30 years, Pegasi has supplied discerning renters with luxury apartments in prime central London. Olivia Sharpe speaks to its new property director, Jo Upton, about the capital’s thriving rental market

hose of you knowledgeable about Greek mythology will know that Pegasus was the mythical winged horse that enabled Bellerophon to achieve many great things as his rider. A fitting choice of name, then, for Pegasi – which, since its inception 30 years ago, has raised the bar for luxury rental property in prime central London. Its portfolio includes six high-end developments, ranging from one- to five-bedroom apartments available for lease, spread across Mayfair, Kensington, Belgravia and Knightsbridge. I am currently sitting in one of the apartments in Pegasi’s Grosvenor Square development with Jo Upton, who was recently appointed the company’s new property director. The spacious three-bedroom flat in Mayfair is both elegant and contemporary. “It’s understated English elegance,” explains Upton. “The buildings are established, they’re in amazing locations, but they’re not super modern. So we have styled them in keeping with how they were originally built and for the kind of stylish, understated living people want today.” For modern renters in London, location is paramount. Situated in the heart of Mayfair, Grosvenor Square benefits from the best amenities and enviable transport links. “You cannot deny it’s an utterly beautiful place to live,” says Upton. “Wonderful shopping, superb restaurants; the transport links are excellent; you’ve got the schools and colleges. It’s a really lovely vibe out there.” As well as luxury interiors and unrivalled locations, what sets Pegasi’s properties apart is the concierge service. Unlike some large rental properties that are owned by multiple and often faceless landlords, Pegasi has full control of its developments, as they are fully owned and let by the company. The on-site staff is on hand 24/7 to cater to residents – the majority of whom have been with Pegasi for ten years or more – from collecting rubbish and changing light bulbs to arranging restaurant reservations. This personal element gives residents “a feeling of reassurance and security” which, as Upton notes, is crucial for those who are frequent travellers. From students and families to international clients and UK nationals, Pegasi has a diverse clientele. As such, the property director argues that the dramatic change in London’s demographic in the past ten years has meant that the team can no longer generalise by saying, “We are only letting to one ‘type of renter’.”

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St. George’s court, Kensington, Photography: Sarel Jansen

Pegasi prides itself on being very flexible in terms of what it can offer and as well as providing leases of up to three years for longer term clients, it recently introduced shorter term lets of just three months. With the UK’s buying sector having stalled last year due to changes in stamp duty, the uncertainty after the EU referendum, and currency fluctuations, the rental market is managing to buck the trend, with 80,000 units reportedly in the pipeline for build-to-rent. All good news, then, for Pegasi, which could not have chosen a better time to rebrand itself in the changing market. While Upton is keeping a tight lid on what the team has got planned, she does hint that Pegasi hopes to take advantage of the growing rental sector. “Currently, 40 per cent of residents come to us direct, which is great, but we would like this number to grow in the next few years and our 24/7 capability to meet, greet and listen to our residents ensures we can offer a uniquely attentive service.” Grosvenor Square Apartments, two-bed from £2,000 p/w, three-bed from £3,000 p/w, four- and five-bed from £4,000 p/w, 35-37 Grosvenor Square, WIK 2HN, 020 7245 4500 or email enquiries@pegasi.co.uk

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Grosvenor Square, Mayfair The Grosvenor Square Apartments are located in desirable Mayfair, between the wonderful, green, open spaces of Hyde Park and the vibrant, cosmopolitan bustle of the West End. Luxury retailers are a five minute walk away as are many of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest dining experiences.

Pegasi Managment Company Limited 207 Sloane Street London SW1X 9QX E: enquiries@pegasi.co.uk | T: +44 (0)207 245 4500 pegasi.co.uk

DOVER STREET, MAYFAIR, SW1X This exceptional apartment is situated on the third floor of a period building at the northern end of Dover Street in the heart of Mayfair. The apartment has been refurnished to the highest standards and consists of two bedrooms, a large master bedroom suite with walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom and a second bedroom, also with an en-suite. Grand double-heighted entrance doors lead you through to the luxurious open plan living and entertaining space. The building comprises of 22 exclusive apartments spread over five floors, all of which are serviced by a porter and can be accessed by lift or stairs. Dover Street is noted for its Georgian architecture and number of exclusive restaurants, hotels, bars and art galleries which have transformed it into one of Mayfair`s most exciting and desirable streets.

020 7580 2030 WWW.ROKSTONE.COM 5 Dorset Street, London, W1U 6QJ enquiries@rokstone.com

Price: £3,600,000 » Heart of Mayfair » Period building » Meticulously refurnished » Lift access » Long leasehold » 1,141 sq.ft

EXCLUSIVE LUXURY MAYFAIR APARTMENTS TO RENT

DUKE STREET

A SELECTION OF ONE, TWO & THREE BEDS PRICES FROM £1,600 PER WEEK

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PRIME CENTRAL LONDON’S LARGEST PRIVATE LANDLORD

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Property news PrimeResi brings you the latest news in prime property and development in London berkeley square, imageS courtesy of Grosvenor

More than meets the eye Mace lands £140m Grosvenor Square construction project

Watch that space Grosvenor reveals new plans for Berkeley Square

rosvenor is following through on its 20-year vision for Mayfair and Belgravia by publishing a suite of “bold commitments” for the public realm around Berkeley Square. Architects BDP have drawn up the £4m plans for Grosvenor, in partnership with Westminster City Council and Lancer, for public display. Plans will see the northern half of Berkeley Square – which forms part of the southern boundary of Grosvenor’s estate – transformed. Changes focus on the “notoriously busy, traffic-heavy junction” with Mount Street and Davies Street. This patch will receive upgrades including: significantly widening pavements and doubling overall pavement space; safer, more secure and attractive streets for cycling; replacing uncoordinated traffic signals and pedestrian crossings; planting new trees and installing high-quality paving stones and street furniture; and

PrimeQResi

creating a dedicated space for public art installations. “We have a 20-year vision for this great estate to adapt at the heart of our global city,” says Will Bax, executive director of London estate for Grosvenor Britain and Ireland. “We want better streets with world-class public realm that put the needs of pedestrians and cyclists over motorised traffic. We want it to be more flexible and more appealing to all.” “I welcome Grosvenor’s desire to improve Berkeley Square,” says Councillor Daniel Astaire, cabinet member for planning and public realm. “We encourage all proposals to enhance the public realm.”

Lodha UK has appointed construction giant Mace to build its super-prime development No.1 Grosvenor Square. Mace will be the main contractor under a design and build contract for the former Canadian High Commission. The expected construction cost is around £140m. Specialist firm McGee has already deconstructed the neo-Georgian façade, dismantling the structure and putting more than 2,000 pallets of stone and brick in storage. Now it’s up to Mace to put it all back together again – with some upgrades – to deliver 41 apartments. The façade will allow for ceiling heights of between 3.1 and 4.2 metres, which Lodha UK claims will be among the highest of any new residential scheme in London. Mace is due to start on-site in autumn. No.1 Grosvenor Square is one of Lodha UK’s two London residential developments, and is scheduled to complete in 2019. India’s biggest property developer acquired the site for £306m at the end of 2013, and won planning approval a year later.

grosvenor square, image courtesy of Lodha uk

primeresi.com

Journal of Luxury Property

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A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF A Kensington

C lassic

LAUNCHING SATURDAY 29TH APRIL The Cityhouse Collection is an exciting new approach to city living, available exclusively at Kensington Row. • Two-storey homes with private sunken gardens • Private front doors to landscaped courtyard and linear parks

• 24 hour Harrods concierge, luxury spa, cinema, swimming pool & gym • Car parking available*

• Beautifully specified and substantial open plan interiors

1, 2 & 3 bedroom Cityhouses available from £1,575,000 Call 020 3553 7578 for your private appointment Sales & Marketing Suite open daily 10am to 6pm (Thursdays until 8pm). Computer generated images are indicative only. Prices correct at time of print. *via separate negotiation.

www.kensingtonrow.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

Queen Street - £5,200,000

South Audley Street - £4,850,000

North Audley Street - £3,495,000

mount row - £3,250,000

MAY IN MAYFAIR

South Street - £2,650,000

Park Street - £2,250,000

bringing residential life back to mayfair

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Weth

Adams Row - £4,250,000

Park Street - £3,500,000

South Audley Street - £3,199,000

Curzon Square - £2,800,000

Did you know that Mayfair is named after the annual May Fayre which took place where Shepherds Market is today? Wetherell are passionate about Mayfair and have the ﬁnest selection of properties this May.

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH T: 020 7529 5566 E: sales@wetherell.co.uk

Hertford Street - £1,650,000

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no-one knows mayfair better than wetherell

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property

Hitting the hay The former Bishop of Salisbury’s stables on Mount Row come to the market as a mews-maisonette

early 300 years ago, Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Salisbury, picked 43 Grosvenor Street as the ideal spot for his London residence. The leading Whig churchman built a mansion from the ground up, where he entertained politicians and grandees alike. But what was a house in 1726 without a horse? The bishop also built a stable yard and stables for his official carriage, horses, groomsmen and household staff on Mount Row – then known as Bishop’s Yard. This part of the bishop’s former complex is now a 1,197sq ft two-bedroom mews-maisonette for sale through Wetherell at £3.25m. “Mayfair is without a doubt London’s most remarkable and historic address,” says chief executive Peter Wetherell. “Three centuries ago Mount Row was a humble stables and coach yard. Fast forward to today and it is one of the capital’s most fashionable mews providing beautiful luxury homes.” The property is thought to have housed the bishop’s groomsmen (while coachmen slept in the upper floors and rafters), before he was promoted to Bishop of Winchester in 1745 and moved to Chelsea. The stable yard and stables were then given over to the Earls of Northampton and were used for the horses and carts that served the shops and taverns of Mount Street (already the go-to destination for local residents). A century on, residential properties had been built above many of the stables on Mount Row, and in the 1930s the properties were rebuilt as the Tudor-revival mews houses seen today.

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“Three centuries ago Mount Row was a humble stables – today one of the most fashionable mews” This two-bedroom mews-maisonette has a private entrance; three floors of living space featuring plenty of skylights, an open plan design and wide glass doors; a south-facing, 450sq ft roof terrace; and two ensuite double bedrooms on the second floor. 102 Mount Street, W1K, 020 7529 5566, wetherell.co.uk

s l u x u ry l o n d o n . c o. u k s

The Ultimate Mayfair Lateral Apartment. Three Bedrooms, Three Bathrooms and Grand Reception across 3,555 Sq Ft. Includes Garage & Staff Studio. ÂŁ15,950,000 Share of Freehold

102 Mount Street, London W1K 2TH T: 020 7529 5566 E: sales@wetherell.co.uk

JSA: Knight Frank

wetherell.co.uk

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13/04/2017 13:39