EDEN BEING | ISSUE 06

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E R N AT I O N A L PA R K , S O U T H A F R I C A

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“Welcome to the latest edition of Eden Being, Oetker Collection’s lifestyle magazine”

We always take great pleasure in greeting new visitors to our hotels, where we hope our traditions of hospitality and excellence shine through. As hoteliers, though, we hold a special place in our hearts for the visitors who come back to us, again and again. That means we have achieved our goal – and that is to become a “home from home” – somewhere you will always return to, a familiar pleasure. That is the feeling that comes across in our feature celebrating the enduring appeal of St Barths for one regular visitor – the writer and artist David Coggins, who has holidayed on the island with his family every year for more than two decades (p58). Regular visitors will be delighted to read about the triumphant return of Eden Rock – St Barths (p106). And we explore Baden-Baden’s fascinating Russian heritage, from Dostoyevsky to Fabergé (p68). Elsewhere in this issue we take a stroll through the leafy yet buzzing London neighbourhood of Belgravia; we meet the artist Mat Collishaw and tastemaker Tyler Ellis; and we explore a château in France that’s just waiting for your visit. We hope that somewhere in this mix of old and new you’ll find plenty you enjoy.

FR ANK M ARRENBACH

CEO, Oetker Collection

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C A S T IN A N E W L I G H T A N E W TA K E O N T H E I C O N I C R I M O WA ORIGINAL ALUMINUM SUITCASE

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CONTENTS

Left: a detail from The Centrifugal Soul by Mat Collishaw, p26. Right: poolside fun at Jumby Bay

B E L G R AV I A N R H A P S O D Y

A tour of Belgravia, London’s smartest district

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H I S DA R K M AT E R I A L S

The terrible beauty of artist Mat Collishaw’s work

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THE GA M E CH A NGER

We head to Provence to test-drive the new McLaren GT

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FR EE TH E SPI R IT

Golden sands, turquoise sea – Jumby Bay Island life

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T H E B E AT G O E S O N

Tracing the unsung creative impact of the São Paulo Bienal

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H E AV E N O N E A R T H

The new book celebrating St Barths in words and paintings

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F ROM RUS SI A W I T H L OV E

How a Romanov marriage helped put Baden-Baden on the map

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HEROES’ R ET U R N

US World War II vets in Paris, the city they helped liberate

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THE A RT OF FR ENCH LI V ING

Château d’Estoublon, Masterpiece Estates’ Provençal gem

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HEA RT OF GOLD

Our sparkling round-up of this season’s jewellery trends

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NAT U R A L WOM A N

Meet skincare star and “Queen of Green” Tata Harper

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HOM E FROM HOM E

Designer Tyler Ellis on why she loves The Lanesborough

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PR I DE OF PLACE

Exquisite gifts inspired by Oetker Collection properties

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C A L E N DA R

Upcoming highlights from Oetker Collection

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PE OPLE , PL ACES , N EWS

From wellness to wildlife photos, welcome to our world

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T H E MOM EN T

A snapshot of Sixties chic on the slopes of Courchevel

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CONTRIBUTORS

D AV I D C O G G I N S

LUCINDA RO GERS

Artist and writer

Artist

David Coggins is a Minneapolis-based illustrator, set designer and author whose paintings and prose capture the appeal of some of his favourite destinations around the world. For us he shares memories of the island of Saint Barthélemy, where his family have holidayed for 25 years and which is the subject of his latest book, Blue: A St Barts Memoir.

Cities are a constant inspiration and frequent subject-matter for artist Lucinda Rogers, who for this issue of Eden Being has depicted the leafy streets of Belgravia, the grand and buzzing quarter behind London’s The Lanesborough hotel. Further afield, London-based Lucinda has also painted the vibrant streets of New York and Marrakech.

ERIN BAKER

S T E P H E N B AY L E Y

Journalist

Cultural critic

For this issue Erin Baker had the enviable assignment of flying to the South of France to test-drive the new McLaren GT on some of the world’s best grand-touring roads. A leading automotive journalist, Erin is editorial director of AutoTrader and writes for Vanity Fair, Elle and Goodwood Magazine.

Stephen Bayley is a leading design and cultural critic, magazine columnist and former curator of London’s Design Museum. In this issue Stephen takes a trip back in time to 1951 – and the heady moment in Brazil’s cultural and creative history that led to the creation of the São Paulo Bienal.

SAR AH ROYCE-GREENSILL

JORGE MONEDERO

Journalist

Photographer

Sarah Royce-Greensill is The Telegraph’s jewellery and watches editor as well as being a contributor to publications such as Vanity Fair On Jewellery, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler and Architectural Digest. In this issue she delineates the on-trend jewellery of the season.

In this issue portrait photographer Jorge Monedero – whose subjects have included the leading lights of London’s art scene – captured artist Mat Collishaw in his studio. Madrid-born and London-based, Jorge’s work has appeared in The Times and The New York Times, Vanity Fair and Vogue Spain.

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M A G A Z I N E

Creative Director, Eden Being Martin Tonks Head of Global Communications, Oetker Collection Anne Benichou Senior Brand Manager, Oetker Collection Laëtitia Guy-Debout

Editorial team, Uncommonly Editor James Collard Art Director Sara Redhead Picture Editor Emma Hammar Sub-editor Damon Syson

Commercial Director Chris Wilson, Luxx Media, chris@luxx-media.com

Special thanks to: All of our colleagues at Oetker Collection

ON THE COV ER The cover image is an illustration representing Eden Rock – St Barths by the artist Lea Morichon. To learn more about Lea’s work for Oetker Collection, turn to p108

© Copyright 2019 Eden Being. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain.

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BELGRAVIA

BE L G R AV I A N R H A P S O DY As Julian Fellowes puts the finishing touches to the TV adaptation of his novel Belgravia, set in the aristocratic milieu of 1840s London, Harry Mount shines a spotlight on this enduringly upper-crust area, famed for its leafy squares and fine classical buildings – including The Lanesborough ILLUSTRATIONS BY LUCINDA ROGERS

In the hugely popular television series, Downton Abbey, the British novelist and film director Julian Fellowes depicted English upper-class life in the country – in the era when families like the Crawleys lived in style in great country houses. And now he is about to do the same for upper-class life in town – in Victorian London, to be precise – and in the smart area called Belgravia, home of The Lanesborough and just a stone’s throw from the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

For almost 200 years now, Belgravia has been a byword for the rarified world of grand palazzi in London. No wonder it has provided rich pickings for Lord Fellowes, Britain’s preeminent chronicler of aristocratic life. In 2016, Fellowes wrote Belgravia, a novel of secrets and scandals set in 1840s London. Now it is being adapted into a six-part television series.

It begins at the legendary ball held in Brussels by the Duchess of Richmond on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. And it develops into a tale of high society in Belgravia in the first half of the 19th century.

Belgravia has long been the setting for grand drama. It has starred in the novels of Anthony Trollope and Henry James, while in Downton Abbey, Lady Rosamund’s London home was here, in this handsome quarter of stuccoed townhouses and leafy squares. Nor 15

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Eccleston Yards, a little piazza carved out between Ebury Street and Eccleston Place, is billed as “a new hub for creative enterprise”. Its handsome post-industrial architecture feels more hipster East End than old-school Belgravia

is this the first time that British television has made merry with grand Belgravia life. From 1971 to 1975 – and again in 2010 in a reprise boosted, no doubt, by the global success of Downton Abbey – Upstairs, Downstairs depicted the contrasting but domestically interlocked lives of the upper-crust Bellamy family and their servants in a Belgravia townhouse in Eaton Place. At its peak, the first iteration of the show attracted huge audiences – with, once again, the servants often stealing the limelight – the Bellamys’ butler Mr Hudson and cook Mrs Bridges emerging as rather severe but much-loved characters.

But the Bellamys and the Crawleys aside, the history of Belgravia, and indeed of much of central London as we know it today, is intertwined with the real-life saga of the Grosvenor family, who, over succeeding generations, developed most of Mayfair, all of Belgravia and much of the neighbouring quarter of Pimlico. They still own a sizeable chunk of central London, which makes the current head of the family, Hugh Grosvenor, the 28-year-old Duke of Westminster, the world’s richest person under 30, with a £10 billion fortune.

Hugh owes it all to the extremely wise marriage made by his ancestor Sir Thomas Grosvenor in 1677. Sir Thomas had been a modestly rich baronet in Cheshire in the north

of England, whose family had come over to England with William the Conqueror in 1066.

Sir Thomas struck gold with his marriage to Mary Davies, the heiress to the Manor of Ebury in what was then rural west London.

In those days, the Manor of Ebury was far from a grand place. Mary Davies’ 500acre estate was a mixture of marsh, pasture, orchards and a few scattered houses. The northern part of her manor took its name from an annual fete, the May Fair, and was known in the 17th century as a “place of vice and impurities”. It’s now super-luxe Mayfair, which is bordered by Oxford Street, Park Lane, Regent Street and Piccadilly. It was the southern parts of the dowry – known in Mary Davies’ day as the Five Fields, haunt of duellists and highwaymen – which was to become the fabled Belgravia.

Fellowes’ upcoming drama is set in the early 19th century, not long after Robert Grosvenor, the 1st Marquess of Westminster, built the great creamy stucco palaces that still fill Belgravia. The area is named after Belgrave – a village on the doorstep of the Duke’s country house, Eaton Hall, which along with the nearby village of Eccleston, also has a handsome square named after it – so that although few Londoners realise it, many of the city’s smartest addresses come with a dash of rural Cheshire in them.

Opening pages: the stucco mansions of Belgrave Square, at the heart of this historic district , with the statue of Belgravia’s founder, the 1st Marquess of Queensbury Right: located a short walk from Victoria Station, Eccleston Yards is a vibrant new development that brings a cool contemporary edge to the area

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Above: now a Japanese and Nordic-inspired food and retail emporium, the Pantechnicon in Motcomb Street was built in 1830 to house shops, warehouses and carriage showrooms

The 1st Marquess’s ancestor, Sir Richard Grosvenor, had made one fortune developing Mayfair as early as 1720 – Grosvenor Square was built by Sir Richard. And then, a century later, the 1st Marquess made his brilliant move – and acquired a second fortune – by appointing London’s greatest speculative builder, Thomas Cubitt, to build Belgravia, working alongside a host of the capital’s greatest architects.

Cubitt was a master when it came to the practical business of draining land, which could be marshy so close to the River Thames, and sorting out the sewers, along with all the paving and the planting. But he also had vision, and together with the Marquess and

his surveyor, Thomas Cundy, he was largely responsible for creating the charming, interlocking chain of crescents, squares and streets that today make up Belgravia – and which are a delight to explore on foot.

Start your walk in the centre-piece of Belgravia, Belgrave Square, just behind The Lanesborough. From a distance, each side of the 10-acre square looks like one huge palace. Look closely though and you’ll see lots of front doors, giveaways that these are in fact the grandest terraced houses in the land. The smartest houses are the detached ones, and many are now home to foreign embassies rather than wealthy Britons, such as the Portuguese Embassy at number 11,

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Start your walk in the centre-piece of Belgravia, Belgrave Square, just behind The Lanesborough.

From a distance, each side of the 10-acre square looks like one huge palace

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As you walk through Belgravia, you’ll notice how much green space there is, like the big green glade in the middle of Grosvenor Square

with its huge Doric columns, or the Spanish Embassy at number 24, built for Thomas Read Kemp, the MP who developed Kemp Town in Brighton. The German Embassy at number 23 may not be detached but it’s still vast, taking up three terraced houses on Belgrave Square.

From Belgrave Square, wander southwards down Belgrave Place, through Eaton Square (named after Eaton Hall, the Duke of Westminster’s Cheshire home), then through to Chester Square, where Margaret Thatcher would eventually settle after her retirement from Downing Street. The great creamy river of stucco keeps on running south, past the great train terminus of Victoria Station, towards the old Pimlico estate of the Grosvenors – and even more garden squares: Eccleston Square (once home to Winston Churchill) and Warwick Square.

As you walk through Belgravia, you’ll notice quite how much green space there is (although most of it, like the big green glade in the middle of Grosvenor Square, is open only to local residents). And that’s all thanks to the 1st Marquess and Thomas Cubitt. In 1828, the Marquess asked Cubitt, “Will you ensure you bring a little country into the town by having garden squares?” And so Cubitt filled the Grosvenor estate with them. There are also pockets that feel charmingly village-like – such

as Kinnerton Street, with cottages and cosy pubs just a few paces from the grandeur of Hyde Park Corner, home of The Lanesborough hotel, and the spot where Belgravia’s borders abut those of Knightsbridge and Mayfair.

You can see the statues of Belgravia’s creators today. The 1st Marquess’s statue is in Belgrave Square: look out for his coat of arms, distinguished by gold wheat sheaves, and the family motto, “Virtus non stemma”, meaning “Virtue not pomp”. Cubitt’s statue is in Denbigh Street. Both statues were commissioned in the 1990s by his descendant, Hugh’s father, Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster (Queen Victoria having conferred on the family a title commensurate with their financial and social status). The Queen-Empress also greatly admired the man she called “our dear old Mr Cubitt”, saying on his death that “a better, kindhearted or more simple, unassuming man never breathed”.

Today, the Duke owns more than 4,000 properties, from studios to sumptuous houses, though many of these are now developed laterally into apartments, the most covetable of which might stretch across several townhouses. Some flats are on short leases of 20 years or less, while a quarter of the estate is given over to affordable housing, managed by bodies such as the Peabody Group.

Right: The Nag’s Head in Kinnerton Street is one of Belgravia’s bestloved pubs, complete with wood-panelled rooms, charming memorabilia and a famously “colourful” landlord, Kevin Moran.

Mobile phone use on the premises is strictly forbidden

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There are pockets which feel charmingly village-like, with cottages and cosy pubs just a few paces from the grandeur of Hyde Park Corner 21

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A favourite phrase of the 6th Duke of Westminster was: “When we build, let us think we build for ever” – first said by John Ruskin and inscribed on the statue of the 1st Marquess, the man who built Belgravia

LOCAL FAVOURITES Marco Novella, MD of The Lanesborough, selects his Belgravia must-visits...

Belgravia feels like a village, and at the heart of every village is the local pub. The Star Tavern was a favourite haunt of actors such as Peter O’Toole and Albert Finney in the 1960s, but also the hangout of London’s inner circle of master criminals – in fact, it’s where most of the planning took place for the Great Train Robbery.

Motcomb Street is becoming a top fashion retail destination and it’s also home to great eateries such as Amaya, one of my favourite Indian restaurants, and Ottolenghi, the perfect spot for a heathy lunch. When visiting The Halkin Arcade I always pop into The Fine Cheese Company – it’s a cheese lover’s dream.

Another of my favourite streets is the newly built Pavilion Road. It’s part of a £205 million development and follows a consultation with residents which showed that most want to see more independent traders in the area.

There are also offices and shops across the estate. In recent years, the Grosvenors have followed the fashion – instigated in the 1990s in Marylebone High Street by the Howard de Walden estate – for creating “microhoods” of upmarket boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants. In Mount Street, Mayfair, in 2011, the Grosvenors brought in smart cafés as well as upmarket retail brands like Lanvin, Balenciaga and Christian Louboutin. In Belgravia, Elizabeth Street and Motcomb Street are the latest fashionable thoroughfares.

Motcomb Street was one of Britain’s earliest shopping streets. Here you’ll find the Pantechnicon, built in 1830 as shops, warehouses and carriage showrooms. Later this year, it will reopen as a Japanese and Nordic-inspired food and retail emporium over five floors. Opposite is the Halkin Arcade, also of 1830, designed as a series of opulent bazaars. It’s now a Waitrose supermarket. Round here you’ll find popular independent restaurants like Zafferano and Motcombs brushing up against ritzy shops like Rococo Chocolates, the Fine Cheese Company and the Carolina Bucci jewellery shop.

Elizabeth Street is just yards from Victoria Station, but light years ahead in terms of sophistication. Here is the Thomas Cubitt pub, named after the great man himself; Oliveto, a modern Italian restaurant; and the Tomtom

Coffee House with its neighbour, Tomtom Cigars.

Around the corner is the estate’s newest microhood, Eccleston Yards, a little piazza carved out between Ebury Street and Eccleston Place, billed as “a new hub for creative enterprise”. The most low-key of the recent trio of royal weddings – that of Lady Gabriella Windsor to Thomas Kingston – concluded with a family supper at a restaurant here. But its handsome postindustrial architecture feels more hipster East End than old-school Belgravia, as does its contemporary urban mix of co-working offices, a gym, cafés and cool pop-ups. And the same goes for the flower-bedecked mural of Frida Kahlo looking down at the shoppers and co-workers playing ping-pong in their lunch break.

This kind of placemaking shows the determination of the Grosvenor family to keep their centuries-old estate fresh and alive, and it’s a reminder of a favourite phrase of the 6th Duke: “When we build, let us think we build for ever,” first said by John Ruskin, and inscribed on that statue of the 1st Marquess, the man who built Belgravia.

Belgravia may not have lasted forever just yet, but it has survived for 200 years as London’s gilt-edged gem. Long may it continue. lanesborough.com Harry Mount is the author of How England Made the English; Lucinda Rogers’ upcoming book of New York drawings 1988-2018 can be ordered on her website: lucindarogers.co.uk 23

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H I S DA R K M AT E R I A L S Artist Mat Collishaw has never shied away from difficult questions about life, death and society’s ills – and now he has turned his critical gaze on our growing addiction to social media. Claire Wrathall meets the former YBA whose work will be exhibited at The Lanesborough in 2020. Portrait by Jorge Monedero

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MAT COLLISHAW

Previous pages: artist Mat Collishaw in his studio, a converted South London pub Right: The Centrifugal Soul (detail), 2016, a zoetrope installation that features bowerbirds and birds of paradise as they perform mating rituals Below: All Things Fall, 2014 is another zoetrope, this time referencing Scarsella’s 1610 painting, The Massacre of the Innocents Overleaf: Albion, 2017, takes as its subject the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest

L E F T : C O U RT E S Y O F T H E A RT I S T A N D B L A I N | S O U T H E R N ( P H O T O : A N D R E A S I M I ) . R I G H T A N D O V E R L E A F : C O U RT E S Y O F T H E A RT I S T A N D B L A I N | S O U T H E R N ( P H O T O : P E T E R M A L L E T )

Sitting in the sunny, book-lined office above his studio, once the bar of a handsome Victorian pub in a suburb of South London, the artist Mat Collishaw is talking about the work of BF Skinner (1904-1990), the American psychologist and behaviourist who experimented with rats and pigeons.

“When they pecked certain buttons, they got food,” he explains. But when Skinner introduced “variable” rewards, and the animals could no longer figure out what they needed to do to generate food, “they became completely addicted to tapping the button. Something strange happens when you don’t know whether you’re going to get a reward or not; you become addicted to trying. It’s the same psychology they use in gambling, in slot machines and in the interfaces and architecture behind Instagram and Twitter and even email.

The not-knowing is what keeps you locked in, so the spectre of Skinner’s experiments lives on today in everybody’s iPhones.

I think there’s something chilling about that, about how suggestible we are and how predetermined it all is.”

Skinner’s research is also the inspiration for a new installation, The Machine Zone, which will go on show at London’s Somerset House this autumn: a room filled with six boxes each housing “a cute little” animatronic skeletal bird, “a kind of machine-animal hybrid peck, peck, pecking away. And then on the wall, we’ll have photographs of expired pigeons” based on those in 17th- and 18th-century old-master paintings.

“I like to reference art history,” Collishaw says, though equally there are few conceptual artists whose work embraces leading-edge technology quite like his. Think of the epic, highly complex virtual-reality installation Thresholds, first seen at Photo London in 2017. Or his zoetrope sculptures – works such as All Things Fall, first shown at the Galleria Borghese in Rome, a moving 3D evocation of the 16th-century painter

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Ippolito Scarsella’s savage Massacre of the Innocents, involving hundreds of minutely calibrated 3D-printed figures.

Collishaw is both a deep thinker and an artist with a conscience, horrified by the “real-world consequences” of, among other things, our addiction to synthetic communication and its deleterious effect on mental health. To which end he is also working on a VR reconstruction of London’s Bethlem Hospital, known as Bedlam, as it was at the start of the 17th century, “a hellish institution” that the public would visit “as a form of entertainment”, goading and taunting the inmates.

“We look back and are appalled, but it’s not that different to what we’re doing now with [reality-TV programmes such as] Love Island and The Jeremy Kyle Show. The internet has given us a voyeuristic appetite for spectacle of the debasement of human behaviour and unprecedented access to it.”

Collishaw, in contrast, was “brought up to be deeply moral.

That’s what my parents impressed on me. And it’s important for me that my work has some kind of moral content, even 29

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MAT COLLISHAW

You’re struck first by the loveliness of the saturated colours, the delicacy of the patterns, the powdered gold

if it’s just nudging people” to think. Born in Nottingham in 1966 and trained at Goldsmiths, now part of the University of London, he was one of the fabled cohort of artists known as the YBAs (Young British Artists), but his childhood was an unconventional one. His parents are Christadelphians, a Christian sect founded in the 19th century, and “really quite religious but not in a traditional sense. We didn’t celebrate Christmas. We didn’t go to assembly at school. We didn’t have a television. And the Bible was really drummed into us. We read it for two hours every day. That gives you a slightly different perspective on things, which in retrospect is quite a good thing. A lot of the Bible is quite boring when you’re a child. But once you get past the language, there are great stories that were designed to engage people. Whereas [children’s TV] was basically rubbish.”

He has no regrets about his childhood and remains close to his parents, who have always been supportive of his art – and have just been looking after his young son while he and his partner, the taxidermy artist Polly Morgan, were away. Indeed his father, a keen amateur photographer, assisted in the creation of some of his early works, notably Catching Fairies, a series inspired by the Cottingley Fairies hoax, photographs taken in 1917 by two young girls in Yorkshire that even the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was convinced were evidence of paranormal phenomena.

Collishaw first came to fame (or notoriety) when his work Bullet Hole, a massively blown-up photo of an ice-pick wound, displayed across 15 light-boxes, was exhibited at Freeze in 1988, the seminal group show organised by Damien Hirst (who phones Collishaw during our conversation). By the mid1990s, however, as Elizabeth Fullerton puts it in ArtRage!: the Story of the BritArt Revolution, “having made seductive works about pornography, bestiality, rape and murder, Mat had tired of gore and horror”. That said, for all the beauty in his latter work, a sense of abjection, an underlying horror and darkness, are often inherent. Look at a photograph from his Insecticide series, and you’re struck first by the loveliness of the saturated colours, the delicacy of the patterns, the powdered gold. It takes a moment to realise that it’s actually the massively enlarged remains of a moth at the point of death.

Exquisitely arranged and lit to resemble Dutch or Spanish vanitas or memento mori paintings of the 17th century, the foodstuffs in the photographs that comprise his Last Meal on 30

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MAT COLLISHAW

Death Row, Texas series also pack a punch when you realise they’re the final requests of prisoners facing execution, a tradition that “adds a civilised veneer to a barbaric act” in all US states with the death penalty except, now, Texas, which withdrew the custom in 2011. “A lot of people seem to choose comfort food,” he says, “things that take them back to happier times. There’s something poignant about that.”

Occasionally his own suffering informs an image. “About 10 years ago, I thought I was dying,” he tells me. A perforated stomach ulcer had haemorrhaged, “and suddenly I was aware how fragile life is.” Recovering in hospital, he drew comfort from Albrecht Dürer’s 1503 painting The Great Piece of Turf – a delicate yet densely detailed watercolour of wild grasses – both “from the fact that Dürer had given something seemingly insignificant so much attention”, and by the actual plants… “Things that didn’t need any nurturing at all, that grew despite everything else. They’re a natural life force. And I thought: that’s it. That’s life. That’s everything! Those little weeds represent life in all its glory and fortitude.”

So Dürer’s study of grasses became the basis of Whispering Weeds, an animated reinvention of the painting in which the grasses are caught by air currents – “I just wanted to breathe life into it, to bring it to life” – that exist both as a framed LCD screen (with hard drive and fan) and as a digital edition.

Nature also informs his series Gasconades – an 18th-century word for extravagant boastfulness – of life-size oil paintings and prints of English garden birds, each tethered to a perch, exactly like the one in Carel Fabritius’s 1654 masterpiece The Goldfinch. Collishaw, though, had the advantage of 3D computer modelling, which he used to plot the position of each bird’s shadow in order to perfect the composition.

“We get a lot of gorgeous birds,” he says, drawn by the birdfeeder that hangs from the wisteria tree on the luxuriantly planted roof terrace beyond his office. “They’re always there twittering away in the morning. It’s quite sad to see them here in the city.” At first he struggled, he says, “to find a background to paint them against. I wanted them to look urban and out of their natural environment,” but greyness and concrete seemed too obvious. “And then I thought graffiti might be interesting because it’s not so dissimilar to their livery, so their plumage becomes almost like camouflage again.” It proved a challenge to paint. “To make it work I had to be so meticulous.

Sometimes you can be rewarded by the minimal effort you put into something. Look at [John Singer] Sargent. If you stand close you can see the way the paint has been worked. The problem for me was that I just couldn’t get the graffiti to look like graffiti by doing a few strokes. But I quite enjoy the fact that something that took a kid on the street less than a second took me weeks of close observation to get right.”

The Lanesborough, in association with Blain|Southern, will exhibit work by Mat Collishaw in 2020. “24/7: A Wake-up Call for Our Non-Stop World”, will be at Somerset House from 31 October to 23 February 2020 (somersethouse.org.uk)

GET T Y IMAGES

From top: Collishaw with (L-R) Thomas Heatherwick, Tracey Emin and Ron Arad at the 2017 Royal Academy summer party; with his wife, the artist Polly Morgan

“About 10 years ago, I thought I was dying… and suddenly I was aware how fragile life is”

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THE GAME CH A NGER McLaren has always been famed for producing lightweight performance cars that prize pure driving pleasure over creature comforts, but now the marque has released its first fully fledged grand tourer. Erin Baker puts the revolutionary new McLaren GT through its paces

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ART PHOTOGRAPHY

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Above: having first made his name as a war photographer, Don McCullin has continued to work throughout the world. His epic photograph of the ruins of Palmyra in Syria demonstrates the unrivalled graphic quality and texture of film images

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MCLAREN GT

The sun glints off the glass roofs of the McLaren GTs, which are poised, waiting for their handful of privileged guests to set off along the roads of the French Riviera. This car may be McLaren’s entrance into the distinguished world of grand touring, but at first sight it remains unmistakably a McLaren, with its sloping silhouette, deep windscreen, glass roof and dihedral doors linking the GT to the rest of the range.

We set off just after sunrise, an early September chill settling in the hills beyond the honeycomb villages. Inside, the infotainment screen, an all-new system that will hopefully banish the satnav gremlins of old, still occupies a small area of the cabin, echoing the McLaren insistence that life is all about the drive. The only styling concession to the GT genre is the luggage space: a deep area under the bonnet, big enough for two holdalls, is matched by a rear shelf that could accommodate a set of golf clubs and a weekend bag.

McLaren bosses describe their new progeny as possessing “continent-crossing capabilities and competition levels of performance, in a lightweight body”. That’s a lot to ask from one car, and it takes a considerable amount of R&D to do justice to the twin heritages of the McLaren badge and the concept of a grand tourer car. Make a mess of either and a niche performance marque is severely compromised.

Still, what a drive the GT provides. Anyone who imagines that this is McLaren going soft should reserve their judgement until they get behind the wheel. For starters, the 4.0-litre, turbocharged V8 engine sits in the middle of the

While it’s quiet enough to cover long distances without a headache, if you turn the dial to “Sport” the valves crack open and unleash the full fury of a McLaren soundtrack

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Opening pages: putting the new GT to the test on the scenic mountain roads above the Côte d’Azur Above: with its sloping silhouette and signature dihedral doors, the car is every inch a McLaren Opposite: the interior is sleek and luxurious but with a low-slung, sporty feel

car, below the driver’s hips, for more balanced handling, instead of under the bonnet, as is traditional for GTs. Then there’s the noise: while it’s quiet enough on the move to cover long distances without a headache, if you turn the powertrain dial to “Sport” the valves crack open and unleash the full fury of a McLaren soundtrack. Make sure you start the car in “Comfort” mode if you don’t want to annoy your neighbours.

Unleashed at speed, the acceleration is immense for a GT (620 horsepower, 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds). The steering is supercar-sensitive, the pro-active damping system works like crazy to filter out jolts while still allowing feedback and grip, and the car clicks imperceptibly through its seven gears.

Strangely, you get a smoother ride in Sport mode, which is also where the noise lies, so happy days.

The question remains: why has McLaren, that stalwart of pure driving pleasure, last bastion of the pursuit of lightweight performance – to the detriment of any traditional creature comforts – finally appeared to capitulate with the launch of a grand tourer, an automotive model which, despite its racing connections, prioritises sumptuous, heavy materials like wood, glass and leather, space and sounddeadening over spirited acceleration and agile cornering?

It was the influence in the 1950s of GT racing – essentially a competition class for cars that had two seats and a closed

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MCLAREN GT

cockpit and therefore resembled road cars – that inspired perhaps the greatest, and most valuable, GT of all time: the Ferrari 250 GT and its many derivations. But the upper echelons of grand touring cars these days are increasingly the polar opposite of sports cars, with an emphasis on “lifestyle” – an umbrella term for softer design and engineering qualities. The power is sublime, not pushy, and the exhausts provide a distant thrum (with a loud button if you want a dash of Sport). For one does not want to tire of noise and vibration 50 miles into a 400-mile trip. This is precisely why the suave James Bond drove Aston Martin GTs, and not a shouty supercar. In other words, this territory doesn’t seem very McLaren at all – bearing in mind McLaren’s F1 pedigree and track record of producing high-octane road cars.

“It’s a natural evolution of things we’ve learned from our customer base,” says Ian Digman, who was the project boss in charge of developing the McLaren GT. “We tried it [the grand tourer form] with the 570GT, but customers told us we didn’t go far enough.” That’s not surprising – the only nods to the spirit of grand touring in the 570GT, launched by McLaren in 2016, were a side-opening rear window for a tiny piece of luggage, a bit more leather, a glove box and – shock, horror – an actual cup holder, the kind of thing that had up until then been anathema to this uncompromising marque.

Still, the new GT is not quite the radical departure for McLaren Automotive it might at first appear. If you go back to the birth of the badge, you’ll find Bruce McLaren’s first prototype road car, the 1969 M6 GT. This was essentially a coupé version of the M6 Can-Am car, the race series in which he had been so successful. Having stuck a roof on the M6, the young entrepreneur’s next thought was that it might make a decent road car. Only three were built before he died during testing at Goodwood circuit and the vision died with him.

Fifty years later, McLaren is back in the business of sticking a GT label on a car. It is the automotive ideal that won’t die. And for good reason, for as Digman says: “People want to have fun while crossing continents.” That requires a car that’s comfortable, quick, quiet, and with a silhouette that exudes some of the fabled romance of the open road… Think stretched lines, an elongated tail and sleek nose, all of which have the practical benefit of reducing drag but also echo an existential quality: a sense of yearning for the next frontier.

If you think I’m straining the metaphor, take a look at the pantheon of GTs inspired by an endless public appetite for the

ALAMY

The McLaren 570GT had – shock, horror – an actual cup holder, the kind of thing that had until then been anathema to this uncompromising marque

From top: the Ferrari 250 GTO is arguably the most famous – and certainly the most valuable – grand tourer; the aptly named Bentley R-Type Continental Opposite: Sean Connery as James Bond, with the iconic Aston Martin DB5

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GRAND TOURS TO WHET THE APPETITE Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and Château SaintMartin & Spa are within easy driving distance of the extraordinary Col de Turini, an Alpine mountain pass that’s one of the most famous stages of the Monte Carlo Rally. Considered among the world’s most scenic drives, the Col allows you to test your mettle on an engineering masterpiece, complete with 34 tight hairpin bends. A circular route from either hotel will take just under four hours, but if you’re feeling peckish, you could take a small detour to the town of Menton and enjoy lunch at the three-Michelinstarred Mirazur. Run by Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco, in 2019 it was named “Best restaurant in the world” at the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards.

BLACK FOREST Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden is the perfect base for driving excursions around the Black Forest. The most famous road in the area is the Schwarzwaldhochstraße, or “Black Forest Highway”, which connects Baden-Baden with Freudenstradt. The northern stretch of this 60km road, which is also known as the B500, is a driver’s dream, combining amazing views with smooth sweeping sections elevated above the forest. The only downside with this particular road is that it does get quite busy – so get an early start to enjoy it at its best.

It’s worth noting, too, that Freudenstradt is home to the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Bareiss – the ideal place to stop for lunch. Afterwards, you can turn around and enjoy the drive all over again.

GETTY IMAGES

CÔTE D’AZUR

perfect combination of performance and practicality. While the 1950s really mark the start of grand touring as a strong consumer desire, with the 1957 Maserati 3500 GT, the origins stretch back to the early decades of the 20th century, with Bentley’s 3-Litre of 1921. In true GT style, the Bentley dominated endurance racing at Le Mans but transferred its triumphs to the highway, too, where Autocar magazine praised it for “combining docility in traffic with exceptional speed potentiality on the open road”.

In 1952, five years before the arrival of the seminal Maserati 3500 GT, Bentley unveiled the R-Type Continental.

More than any GT produced before or since, including the Aston Martin DB5, this iteration nailed the glorious, epic sweep of trans-continental travel. The name helps, of course.

But it’s the way the design embodies the ambition and optimism of travelling great distances: a distinctive power line running from the waist to wrap around the front wheel, that fastback roofline, the lifted nose to scent the horizon and a stretched rear overhang and covered rear wheel for better aerodynamics. Best of all, that distinguished Flying B mascot straining at its tether, etched with longing for the horizon.

All of which the new McLaren GT echoes, salutes and evolves. Compared with the notable grand tourers that preceded it, the McLaren, at first so subtle and simple in its styling, appears to be a bold departure from the standard, broadening the definition slightly by redirecting the gaze towards engineering standards. One senses the genre has turned the page here. And this seems fitting. Grand touring is, after all, about that next tantalising bend in the road.

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J UMBY BAY ISLAND

FREE THE SPIRIT

The palm-fringed private island of Jumby Bay is that rare thing: a haven of laid-back Caribbean luxury that mixes natural charm and fun-filled days with exquisite hospitality.

Welcome to your desert island idyll

PHOTOGRAPHER Grégoire Kalt

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Simple pleasures are the order of the day – whether meeting (and cuddling) the four-legged neighbours, or savouring a breakfast plate of fresh local produce

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You’re never far from nature on Jumby Bay Island, whether enjoying the pure pleasures of the elements or tucking into a breakfast plate of deliciously fresh fruit

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Home-grown produce is cooked to perfection at the weekly farm dinner, or simply enjoy the space to soak up the moment – island life at its most natural

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Young free spirits, splashing through the crystal waters, a hammock swaying in the afternoon breeze... the pleasures of the day pass softly and sweetly in this unspoilt Caribbean idyll

The spectacular shoreline and shimmering blue waters are your playground: whether swimming, snorkelling or paddleboarding, it’s a time to embrace new adventures

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An enchanting finale to a fun-filled day – relaxed and revived, enjoy a delicious dinner on the beach as the sun’s rays fade into the sky. Memories made, tales shared - and tomorrow beckons...

To book your stay at Jumby Bay Island, go to reservations.jbi@ oetkercollection.com

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S ÃO PAU LO B I E N A L

T H E B E AT GOES ON For nearly 70 years, the São Paulo Bienal has been South America’s most influential cultural event, introducing the continent to some of the art world’s biggest names. Stephen Bayley traces the history of this enduring success story 51

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Previous pages (left): the poster for the first bienal in 1951, designed by Antônio Maluf. Right: Ciccillo Matarazzo (far right) visits Picasso’s Guernica in 1953

What do we think about when we think about Brazil? Football, coffee, the bossa nova, the samba, carnivals, caipirinhas, Astrud Gilberto, Copacabana, the Amazon, Gisele Bündchen…

But major art exhibitions? Perhaps not.

Next year, however, sees the 34th edition of the São Paulo Bienal. In the fractious, bitter and competitive world of art, longevity is rare.

Roberto Muylaert, a one-time president of the São Paulo Bienal, said: “In Brazil, anything that endures even a decade deserves to be celebrated. Even some of our currencies have not lasted that long.” And that’s true, but the Bienal has endured since 1951.

Of course, along the way there have been calamities, wild vicissitudes, lurches in taste, management crises and political interference (especially under the military dictatorship of 1964-1985, when the musician Gilberto Gil, among others, chose exile abroad over fascist oppression at home), but the São Paulo Bienal became and remains the Southern Hemisphere’s outstanding art event.

It was created in deliberate imitation of the Venice Biennale, inaugurated in 1895

on the silver anniversary of King Umberto I and Margherita di Savoia. But São Paulo’s Bienal was more commercial than royal in inspiration. Its founder was an apex-predator industrialist called Ciccillo Matarazzo, also founder of MAM-SP, the city’s Museum of Modern Art. His ambition was to confirm Brazil’s place at civilisation’s top table by reviewing, biannually, current movements in international art. Since the 1920s, modernism had been seen by Brazil’s intelligentsia as a welcome repudiation of the colonial past, and while the Bienal has flirted with indigenous and non-European art, it has essentially been a celebration of the modernist aesthetic – and that, of course, is no bad thing.

From the very beginning, this aesthetic has been boldly declared with the graphics that are the real glory of the São Paulo Bienal, and a survey of every poster since 1951 is no less than a survey of the entire history of graphic design in the second half of the 20th century.

The force, clarity and variety are all remarkable, but there is a unity in the diversity – because a certain freshness is shared by every print.

A survey of every São Paulo Bienal poster since 1951 is no less than a survey of the entire history of graphic design in the second half of the 20th century

OPENING PAGE: © ANTONIO MALUF; RIGHT: © ANTONIO BANDEIRA

Left: a visitor surveys a sculpture by Alexander Calder at the second Bienal, held in 1953.

Right: Antônio Bandeira’s poster for the 2nd Bienal

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OPENING PAGE: © ANTONIO MALUF; RIGHT: © ANTONIO BANDEIRA

S ÃO PAU LO B I E N A L

In 1957 the Bienal acquired its own permanent premises designed by Oscar Niemeyer, who declared: “Curves are the essence of my work because they are the essence of Brazil”

Historically, many cultures have created their own bathing rituals for spiritual, religious, therapeutic or social reasons

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Below: opened in 1957, the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, headquarters of the Bienal de SĂŁo Paulo, was designed by stellar Brazilian architect Oscar

Niemeyer. The sinuous three-storey interior provides an exhibition space of 30,000sq m.

Below left: the catalogue for the second Bienal

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S ÃO PAU LO B I E N A L

The poster for the first Bienal was designed

by Antônio Maluf: a São Paulo-born artist and muralist then just at the beginning of his career, who would later emerge as an important dealer and collector of Brazilian art. In this work, an illusionistic corridor leads the eye into the distance while a primitive but simultaneously modern sans serif font seems to occupy the picture-plane. (This device appeared again in 2008). The second Bienal’s poster was designed by Paris-based Brazilian artist Antônio Bandeira, who employed a Miró-like device, at once decorative and surreal. And then we trip through the history of graphics: op and pop appear, so do whimsy, sampling of Hans Arp, photo-realism, Push Pin Studios and Robert Indiana derivatives, and exquisite typography.

But let’s not forget the art itself. Signal events in the Bienal’s history included showing Picasso’s 1937 Guernica in 1953, while the heroic canvas was lodging at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, since the artist refused to show it in Franco’s Spain. In 1955, Mexican socialistrealist heroes Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros headlined, as did Jackson Pollock in 1957 (Jack the Dripper was even given his own room). Knowing people, meanwhile, declared that exhibitions of work by Max Bill and Piet Mondrian exerted a decisive influence on the course of Brazilian neo-concrete art.

In 1959 the Bienal introduced Brazilians to Van Gogh and, as if to prove art’s relationship to the zeitgeist, in 1965 – when the creepy military dictatorship came to power – Max Ernst, Man Ray, Magritte, Delvaux and Picabia were presented as a surreal affront to conventional, uniformed authority. Then, in 1967, the US delegation used the Bienal to present Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein, in this way introducing Brazil to the luminous absurdities of New York pop.

Meanwhile, the 10th Bienal was boycotted by

artists protesting political freedom; then, more positively, in 1973, Kandinsky was shown for the first time in South America. By the 17th Bienal in 1983, performance art and video had become part of the programme. Perhaps as a result of this inclusiveness, in 2008 the entire second floor of the Bienal building was left empty to demonstrate the crisis in contemporary art.

But the Bienal was at least as much associated with architecture. In the early years, it took place in temporary premises in São Paulo’s Parque Ibirapuera, a lush imitation of an English park. But in 1957, the Bienal acquired its own permanent premises. These were designed

by Oscar Niemeyer, the superhero of Brazilian architecture who had come to international notice with his design of the Brazil Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

Niemeyer designed a three-storey building and aimed to maximise the sense of large open spaces. The plan is sinuous and Niemeyer, who had an explicit thing for women, declared that “form follows feminine”. He said of his design: “It is easy to understand and hard to forget.”

He believed that “curves are the essence of my work because they are the essence of Brazil, pure and simple”. He would soon confirm his form-giving genius in the designs for Brasilia, the nation’s new capital.

So when we think of São Paulo Bienal, what it represents is a compelling demonstration of an evolving national identity: “Novo homem, Brasileiro e moderno.” palaciotangara.com The 34th Bienal de São Paulo starts in March 2020. For more information, go to bienal.org.br; Other art fairs near Oetker Collection properties in 2020: London Art Fair, UK, 22-26 January, (londonartfair.co.uk); Art Karlsruhe, Germany, 13-16 February, (art-karlsruhe.de); Contemporary Art Fair Paris, France, 26-29 March (contemporary-art-fair-paris.com); PAD Paris, France, 1-5 April (pad-fairs.com/paris)

L-R, FROM TOP LEFT: DANILO DI PRETE; MARÌA ARGENTINA BIBAS; REGIS MADUREIRA CARDIERI; CLÁUDIA STAMACCHIA; JOSÉ MARIA LOPEZ PRIETA; FERNANDO BAKOS; LEONILSON, RAUL LOUREIRO E RODRIGO CERVIÑO LOPEZ; ANDRÉ STOLARSKI, ANINHA

“In Brazil, anything that endures even a decade deserves to be celebrated. Even some of our currencies have not lasted that long” – Roberto Muylaert, former Bienal president

Right: a selection of posters for the Bienal, showing the varied styles that have dominated graphic design over the past six decades

To find out more about Palácio Tangará’s packages for the 34th Bienal, scan the code above

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L-R, FROM TOP LEFT: DANILO DI PRETE; MARÌA ARGENTINA BIBAS; REGIS MADUREIRA CARDIERI; CLÁUDIA STAMACCHIA; JOSÉ MARIA LOPEZ PRIETA; FERNANDO BAKOS; LEONILSON, RAUL LOUREIRO E RODRIGO CERVIÑO LOPEZ; ANDRÉ STOLARSKI, ANINHA DE CARVALHO E FELIPE KAIZER; © ARP.JEAN/AUTVIS, BRASIL, 2017, FORMAS EXPRESSIVAS. COLECÁO MAC-USP. REPRODUCÃO: EDUARDO ORTEGA/FUNDAÇÃO BIENAL DE SÃO PAULO. PREVIOUS SPREAD: ANDRÉS OTERO/FUNDAÇÃO BIENAL DE SÃO PAULO

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H E AV E N O N EA RTH For the past 25 years, writer and illustrator David Coggins has been making an annual family pilgrimage to St Barths, recording his impressions in the vibrant watercolour sketches featured in his recent memoir of the French West Indian paradise. He tells Damon Syson what makes it so special

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“The perfect combination of beauty, isolation, privacy and that French lifestyle – casual but always chic”

For David Coggins and his family, arriving on the island of Saint Barthélemy in 1994 was like experiencing love at first sight. Winding their way up a steep mountain road in a hired Moke, they reached their rented villa and were greeted with an astonishing 180-degree panorama of lush hills, verdant valleys and azure seas dotted with islands.

“Coming from a particularly harsh winter,” he recalls, “it felt like we’d arrived in paradise. And that feeling has repeated itself every year.”

Like many Minneapolis residents, Coggins and his wife Wendy try to seek refuge – at least for a week or two – from the snow that blankets Minnesota from November to April. In the early years, when their children David and Sarah were little (they’re now in their early forties), they followed the snowbird flock to the Bahamas, but for the past quarter of a century they have made an early spring sojourn in St Barths an annual family ritual. Last year Coggins, an award-winning writer, artist, and set designer, published Blue, an illustrated memoir of their stays on the island.

As the book explains, while the fabulous views might have sparked their initial passion, it was the Gallic savoir vivre so abundantly displayed in this corner of the French West Indies that has continued to enchant the Francophile Coggins family. “It’s a small, intimate island with no huge hotels, no golf courses. You have a sense of being away from it all – and yet you have access to great food and wine, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and as much privacy as you want. It’s the perfect combination of beauty, isolation and that French lifestyle: casual but always chic.”

Like Blue’s charming paintings, a selection of which can be seen within these pages, the text is

lyrical and evocative, an impressionistic blend of anecdotes, vignettes and aperçus – peppered with the odd literary reference. While the book is predominantly personal – the distillation of 25 years’ worth of paintings and journal entries – it captures the essence of life on the island: the scent of frangipani and freshly baked brioche; elegant sailboats gliding past on the Sargasso Sea; visits from doves, hummingbirds and the occasional iguana; a sense of life lived in a languid but fruitful way: painting, reading, drinking, talking.

Of course no visit would be complete without dinner at Eden Rock – St Barths. “It’s really magical,” says Coggins. “They had an outdoor restaurant on a headland jutting out into the bay, so you were looking out over the water with underwater lights showing off the fish swimming by. They also have excellent chefs, and it’s always very stylish. The history is pretty special, too, with all the famous people who have stayed there – it all adds to the general aura of glamour.”

Yet the glamorous side of St Barths, while undeniably seductive, is not what draws them back each year. Rather, it’s a sense of coming home. In his acknowledgements, Coggins writes: “Some of the best hours of our lives were spent together on this small island in the French West Indies.”

For Blue is much more than just a book about St Barths. It is, as he puts it, “a celebration of family, and of spending time together in a beautiful place.” He adds: “In a way, you’re outside of time, unencumbered by work, shopping, everyday life.

You talk more freely, feel more at ease. You’re funnier and happier. You almost become better versions of yourselves. Doing this keeps you close as a family – it’s one of the greatest things in life.”

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MEMORIES OF ST BARTHS

Previous pages (left): sketched scenes of St Barths – including an emerald-green hummingbird, local rum, a cruise ship en route to the port of Gustavia and an old French Franc banknote; books are a major feature of the family’s stays; the view from the first villa they rented 25 years ago, high on a cliff above the sea in Lurin; (right): David Coggins These pages, clockwise from left: the hills around Gouverneur beach, seen from the villa where the Coggins family now stays each year; the island is home to many varieties of cactus; an iguana

“What I love about St Barths is that alongside the incredible luxury you have beautiful nature all around you… frangipani bougainvillea, cacti. Iguanas are a common sight too. They’re wonderful creatures – so prehistoric-looking”

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MEMORIES OF ST BARTHS

“Doves fly through the house, kingbirds dip in the pool.

Humpback whales spout and splash in the distant blue.

Tortoises peer at us from the garden ledge”

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MEMORIES OF ST BARTHS

“Much of life on St Barths is given over to the simple stimulation of the senses: sunbathing, massage, exercise, dress, jewellery. Not to mention epicurean delights – voluptuous mango, tender langouste, old rum. Decadence?

No, enjoyment, plain and simple”

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From left: Wendy reading Virginia Woolf; the old lighthouse in the capital, Gustavia, “complete with a couple of defunct cannons”; cartwheels and sunbathing on Gouverneur beach – “I painted the two girls there because it looked so joyful” “Blue: A St Barts Memoir”, written and illustrated

by David Coggins (davidcoggins.com), is available now, published by powerHouse Books To book your stay at Eden Rock – St Barths, go to reservations.edenrock @oetkercollection.com; to book a luxury villa, go to edenrockvillarental.com

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BADEN-BADEN

F R OM RUS S I A WITH LOV E

Above: Princess Maria Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg, the Russian bride of Prince Wilhelm of Baden. Right: the Russian Orthodox church she had built there in the 1880s

BADEN-BADEN KUR & TOURISMUS GMBH

The marriage of Princess Louise of Baden to Catherine the Great’s grandson, the future Tsar Alexander I, led to Baden-Baden’s crowning as the most fashionable spa town in Europe.

In the century that followed, it became a magnet for Russia’s most prominent figures – including writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Turgenev, who lived, worked and played there. James Collard traces this fascinating nexus of high society and bohemia, the legacy of which lives on today, with Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa at its heart

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BADEN-BADEN

SUPERSTOCK; AGEFOTOSTOCK

Baden-Baden is an elegant German spa town, tucked away beside the wild, natural beauty of the Black Forest. But it has always been cosmopolitan, as you’d expect from a resort once known as “the summer capital of Europe”.

The French brought gambling to Baden-Baden, which is just over the border from France. The Bénazet brothers opened the Kurhaus casino in 1838, soon after France banned gambling. And the British brought sport – in the form of Germany’s first tennis courts and golf course. The Russian contribution?

Literature, argues local historian Renate Effern.

“There were other resorts in Europe where the tsars and aristocrats went,” argues Effern. “But only Baden-Baden had tsars, aristocrats and writers.” The leading lights of Russian literature – novelists Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and the poets Vasily Zhukovsky and Pyotr Vyazemsky – all spent time here in the middle decades of the 19th century.

Tolstoy wrote a novel here, while Dostoyevsky and Turgenev both wrote novels in which Baden-Baden played a starring role, and for many Russians today, Baden-Baden is a place they feel they know – from these classic novels.

So what attracted the Russians to Baden-Baden? Then, as now, taking a cure at the spa’s thermal waters was a draw. Likewise, all the elegance and luxury of a fashionable spa: fine dining and great hotels, with the property we now know as Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa opening in 1857. And a world-class cultural life. Back then, that meant Liszt or Paganini performing in the summer concerts sponsored by the Bénazets; today, that could be the Berlin Philharmonic’s or the Mariinsky Ballet’s seasons in the town’s stunning Festspielhaus. Plus there was society – high society from across Europe, and of course other Russians, both visitors and a substantial colony of Russians who lived in this handsome town more or less permanently.

It was here, in the 1850s, that Tolstoy wrote Marital Happiness – sadly not something that characterised the author’s own domestic life. We tend to think of Tolstoy as the bearded, wise old man he became, a prophetic figure living a life of rustic simplicity. But as a young man he enjoyed the bright lights of Baden-Baden. He loved the gambling and was often to be found at the roulette wheels of the Kurhaus. “I just couldn’t separate him from the roulette table,” wrote one friend, the poet Yakov Polonsky. “I was afraid that he would lose everything because he spent even his last money. But thanks to God, he won it all back in the evening.” He didn’t always win though, and although friends like Turgenev, the novelist, or the theatre critic Mikhail Kublitsky tried to bail him out, Tolstoy ultimately had to leave town.

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Clockwise, from left: Princess Louise of Baden, who would became Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeievna after marrying Tsar Alexander I in 1792; an 1856 banquet hosted by Russian families resident in Baden; Turgenev (on the right) with friends at the Malyutins’ country house

Dostoyevsky was similarly drawn to playing roulette at the Kurhaus.

His novella The Gambler depicts the kind of life he’d led in Baden-Baden, renamed “Roulettenberg” in this cautionary tale. The central character – a young tutor employed by an aristocratic Russian household living there – finds his life turned upside-down by gambling. Let’s just say that it doesn’t end well. Dostoevsky had been forced to write the novella at breakneck speed – dictating whole passages to his bride-to-be, Anna – to settle urgent gambling debts. His story did have a happy ending, for having promised Anna he wouldn’t gamble again, he didn’t.

It was love, rather than gaming, that brought the writer Turgenev to Baden.

He was hopelessly in love with his friend, the married opera diva, Pauline Viardot, and divided his time between Paris and Baden, where this ménage à trois shared what’s now called the Villa Turgenev on Fremersbergstrasse.

Turgenev had no interest in gaming; he preferred hunting in the Black Forest, preferably bears. The Turgenev-Viardot home became a centre of social and intellectual life in Baden – a place where the conversation flowed, in many languages – and where Russian intellectuals, artists and aristocrats might mingle. That was until 1867, when Turgenev published Smoke, his satirical novel depicting the Russians of Baden-Baden, which went down badly – not unlike Truman Capote’s Answered Prayers, which alienated the New York high society friends whose company the writer so enjoyed.

Smoke is a story of ill-starred lovers. Its hero, Litvinov, is torn between two loves – one old, one new – and (spoiler alert) ends up with neither. Another sad ending, then, but what outraged his compatriots was his unfavourable depiction of themselves – and the unflattering mirror he held up to them of their lives of parties and chatter. The Russian upper classes were at the time divided between liberals who looked to the west for the solutions to Russia’s problems and “slavophiles”, who looked to the east, and revolutionaries who sought to overthrow the Tsarist system and start anew. Turgenev’s book spared no-one, and there was a sharp decrease in invitations to dinner, and what Turgenev felt rather more keenly, in invitations to join the hunt.

It was the smart set and Russian royalty who had led the way in making Baden-Baden fashionable. The Romanov dynasty was in the habit of choosing brides from the families ruling Germany’s various kingdoms and principalities, and in 1792 Catherine the Great picked Princess Louise of Baden to marry her grandson, the future Tsar Alexander I. As Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeievna, as she would be known after her conversion to Russian

Turgenev had no interest in gaming; he preferred hunting in the Black Forest, preferably bears.

His home became a centre of social and intellectual life in Baden – a place where conversation flowed and where Russian intellectuals, artists and aristocrats could mingle

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BADEN-BADEN

Right: a bust of Ivan Turgenev sits in pride of place in the Lichtentaler Allee, adjacent to Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, which is pictured below

orthodoxy, this daughter of Baden would often visit her former hometown with a large party of courtiers, in the process introducing wealthy Russians to the spa town. Baden-Baden was at its zenith in 1863 when another Romanov marriage cemented the connection between this genteel little grand duchy and the vast Russian empire to the east. Maria of Leuchtenberg was part Romanov, part de Beauharnais – Empress Josephine’s family, adopted by Napoleon. This wasn’t the first de Beauharnais marriage in Baden though.

Josephine’s cousin Stéphanie had been married off to the Grand Duke of Baden in the 1800s to cement the town’s military alliance with Napoleon; Oetker Collection’s Villa Stéphanie is named after her. Princess Wilhelm, as Maria was now known, probably wasn’t the jolliest of Russians to come to Baden-Baden. She was a fierce campaigner against immorality, but she created the most lasting monument to the town’s Russian heritage: the small but beautiful Russian Orthodox church she had built here in the 1880s.

Like similar churches in resorts such as Nice and Cannes – also home to expat Romanovs and wealthy Russians during this era – the church is a relic of a way of life that would soon vanish. The Russian Revolution would consume many wealthy Russians and leave the survivors impoverished and scattered, their exile from Russia a matter of life or death, rather than the pursuit of pleasure. And although right up to the outbreak of war in 1914, Romanovs were regular visitors to Baden-Baden – not least the Tsar’s younger brother, Grand Duke Michael, who stayed at Brenners Park-Hotel – this was no longer an era in which dynastic marriages ensured peace.

The recently republished memoirs of one of these survivors, Edith Sollohub, give a glimpse into Russian life in Baden-Baden before the First World War. As an old lady living in England, she described a childhood spent between St Petersburg, the family’s country estates and annual trips to Baden-Baden. “Life in Grandfather’s villa in Baden-Baden was smooth, ordered and happy for us children,” she recalled. While the children played and explored – and Edith learned the local Badisch dialect from Anton, the coachman (“my special friend”) – her father played tennis on the new courts in the Lichtentaler Allee, while her uncle admired the splendid horses in their neighbour Prince Menshikov’s stables.

But in 1914 the war would bring this cosmopolitan existence to an end, while the Revolution deprived the upper-classes of their wealth – meaning that in the 1920s and ’30s, Russians in exile were more likely to be hardup than high-rollers, although a small “White Russian” émigré community continued to live there.

It wasn’t until the final decade of the 20th century that a new wave of wealthy Russians began to rediscover Baden-Baden, staying once more at Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, or perhaps next door at the Villa Stéphanie.

For some, part of Baden-Baden’s appeal was Russian heritage, and it is not unusual to see Russian visitors, a copy of The Gambler in hand, aiming to retrace Dostoyevsky’s steps. On a grander scale, the businessman and regular visitor to Baden-Baden, Alexander Ivanov, is one of a number of art collectors drawn towards artefacts from Russia before the Revolution – most notably the exquisite jewellery and jewelled Easter “eggs” produced by the jeweller Fabergé, so beloved of the Romanovs and other wealthy Russians in the 1900s. Much of his collection is now housed in a private museum in a townhouse in Baden’s Sophienstrasse – a homecoming of sorts, and like that jewel-box-like Russian church, a reminder of Baden-Baden’s Russian past, in this little town beside the Black Forest. brenners.com

Right up to the outbreak of war in 1914, Romanovs were regular visitors to Baden-Baden, not least the Tsar’s brother, Grand Duke Michael, who stayed at Brenners Park-Hotel

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WWII VETERANS

H EROES ' RETURN To mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Paris, a group of US World War II veterans were invited to return to the city they helped free from Nazi occupation.

At a special gathering at Le Bristol Paris, they shared with Rebecca Rosman their stories of combat, loss and the triumph of the human spirit PHOTOGRAPHER JORGE MONEDERO

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WWII VETERANS

On a sunny August afternoon in Paris, six former soldiers, all aged in their nineties, are gathered in the courtyard of the historic Le Bristol hotel in Paris.

Smartly dressed, with their numerous medals on display, they’re in town to mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris. “It was my division that liberated the city,” recalls 96-year-old Harold Angle. “I was in Paris that day.

After four years of Nazi occupation, the French were so happy to see Americans walking down the Champs-Elysées. It was a very joyful time.”

Angle and the other five veterans are visiting the French capital with the help of The Greatest Generations Foundation (TGGF). Launched in 2004, the nonprofit organisation has provided nearly 7,000 war veterans with fully funded pilgrimages back to the battlegrounds where they fought.

For more than 40 years, Steven Melnikoff refused to talk about World War II. But as the years went on, the former D-Day combat soldier began to open up to fellow veterans of his 29th infantry division. Then, in 2016, he became the infantry’s last surviving member. “At that point, I decided I had a mission,” says Melnikoff, who (at the time of the gathering) is a few months shy of his 100th birthday. That mission was to share his infantry division’s story with as many people as possible.

Melnikoff was introduced to Timothy Davis, founder of TGGF, and has since become one of the foundation’s WWII ambassadors, making multiple trips to Europe each year to mark various anniversaries and speak about his experiences. “It’s especially important for me to talk to children,” says Melnikoff. “The younger they are, the longer these stories will be told.”

Educating children about war is one of the pillars of TGGF. “It’s just common sense that in order for us to understand history, we need to engage the living,” says Davis, a kindergarten teacher by trade. He organises talks in schools across France and Europe at which the veterans speak with students.

The foundation is also working on a programme to send US school groups to France to visit the battlefields of Normandy and engage with French veterans.

“Once this generation is gone, the WWII cemeteries scattered throughout the world will all just become another cemetery,” Davis adds. “So while we still can, we must engage our veterans and bring their stories forward so that tomorrow’s generation can understand what yesterday’s heroes did for us.”

Pete Dupre, 96 (bottom left), US Army.

Better known by his nickname “Harmonica Pete”, Dupre has played his harmonica for audiences all over the world. As a medic in the 114th General Hospital Unit, Dupre spent three years overseas treating servicemen from all over Europe. “I would say to these kids, ‘Oh, you’ve got a free trip home now!’ And they would say, ‘What do you mean? No! Stop the bleeding, I gotta get back out with the guys!”

Donald Cobb, 94 (below), a Navy veteran from Evansville, Indiana, spent World War II aboard the USS Murphy. His travels sent him across Europe, to North Africa and Japan.

“I don’t think children are learning enough about what went on at that time,” he says.

“We could have lost our democracy.”

Harold Radish, 94 (opposite), US Army, 357th infantry regiment, 90th Division.

A combat intelligence observer, Radish was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and served the remaining months of the conflict as a prisoner-of-war. “World War II hasn’t really ended,” he says. “We still have veterans who are going through PTSD.”

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“When I got back, I went to a phone booth and called home, and my mother screamed: ‘He’s alive!’”

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WWII VETERANS

“It’s especially important to talk to children. The younger they are, the longer these stories will be told”

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Steven Melnikoff, 99 (opposite), 17th Regiment of the 129th infantry division.

A combat veteran, he is one of the few living soldiers who landed in Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944. Melnikoff, whose medals include three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, admits he still finds it hard to talk about the past: “Occasionally I have a moment where I have to stop and readjust, but I know the message has to get out there.

Gregory J Melikian, 95 (above), radio operator at US Army SHAEF HQ. Melikian was 20 years old on May 7, 1945, when he was given orders from Supreme Commander General Dwight D Eisenhower to broadcast one of the most significant cables of World War II – informing the world that the Nazis had surrendered. “I want to be remembered as a peacemaker,” he says.

Harold Angle, 96 (right), US Army, 112th infantry regiment, 28th division. Angle landed in Normandy in July 1944 to join Operation Cobra as the allied forces fought their way through France. One month later, he celebrated as they marched down the Champs-Elysées during the Liberation of Paris. He returned the following year on VE Day: “I had been in the hospital with scarlet fever but I got a pass to travel into town on the Métro. Everyone was so happy, they were dancing in the streets.”

For more information about The Greatest Generations Foundation, go to tgg f.org

For Parisians, of course, “what they did” has never been forgotten. On the eve of August 24, 1944, French and American troops entered the city with the aid of French Resistance fighters. By mid-afternoon on August 25th, the French tricolour once again flew at the top of the Eiffel Tower, replacing the Nazi flag that had been there for over four years.

It would be some time, however, before the war was officially over. “I remember feeling then that things were still rough and we hadn’t won yet,” says Gregory Melikian, who was 40 minutes outside Paris on the day of the city’s liberation, working as a radio operator in Reims. Nine months later, however, he was given an order from his boss, Supreme Commander General Dwight D Eisenhower, to send a 74-word telegram declaring that the war in Europe was over. “He chose me because I was the youngest one in the room,” says Melikian, who was only 20 at the time. “[Eisenhower] said, ‘I want Melikian to do this, and I want him to talk about it for the rest of his life.’”

Despite playing such an historic role, when asked how he wants to be remembered, Melikian’s answer is as a “peacemaker”. “I don’t believe in war any more,” he says. “General Eisenhower said that for a man who knows something about war, war is terrible, war is ridiculous, war is stupidity.”

This sentiment is echoed by each of his TGGF colleagues. “Nobody wins a war,” sighs Harold Radish, who was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and spent several months as a prisoner-of-war. For Radish, one of the hardest things to come to terms with was how much his family had suffered during his absence. “My mother and father had received a telegram that I was missing in action,” he recalls. “When I got back, I went to a phone booth and called home, and my mother screamed: ‘He’s alive!’ When I’d left, my mother had been a vivacious dark-haired woman. When I came home, she was grey-haired and bent over. It took her a year or two to recover.”

Radish joined TGGF in June as a way to meet other veterans. “We’re like a band of brothers,” he says. “We take care of each other.” For veteran Donald Cobb, it’s not just about coming to terms with the past, but having a duty to the future. “I want to tell people about the war as much as I can,” he says.

“Because I don’t want it to ever happen again.” lebristolparis.com 79

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TH E A RT OF FR ENCH LI V I NG Château d’Estoublon, the newest addition to Oetker Collection’s Masterpiece Estates, is an exquisite blend of Provençal charm and historic grandeur. Colette Forder takes a tour of this wine and olive oil-producing “diamond of the Alpilles”

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CHÂTEAU D’ESTOUBLON

Previous pages: the rear of Château d’Estoublon with its elegant outdoor swimming pool Opposite and above: the estate now produces 100,000 bottles of wine each year using organic and biodynamic methods

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DAVID HOUNCHERINGER

The notion of terroir is peculiar to France.

Just as the word château has no real English equivalent – embracing as it does everything from a palace such as Versailles to a fortified farm or tumbledown manor house – so is this apparently singular description of land equally far-reaching. To the French, terroir encompasses the soil, the topography, the environment and its micro-climate – all the elements that combine to produce something with a particular taste, imbued with the flavours and characteristics of its origins.

Nowhere can these ideas – and their fruits – be better observed than at a working château, one whose grape and olive crops take in the heat of Provence to produce wines and olive oils of exceptional quality, and one that is itself an example of exquisite French taste. Welcome to Château d’Estoublon, an immaculate whitestone picture-postcard example of an 18thcentury grand country house, presiding over its 500 acres of vines and olive groves, lavender beds, parkland and woodland, since 1731.

Indeed, welcome is the mot juste, since Château d’Estoublon, set between the cities of Arles and Avignon in the Vallée des Baux-deProvence, is one of the Masterpiece Estates in Oetker Collection’s hand-picked selection of extraordinary retreats. Each property in this exclusive line-up offers a bespoke experience

that combines the indulgent pleasures of a fivestar hotel with the intimate attention to detail and relaxed charm of a private home: Château d’Estoublon describes this special blend as “slow luxury”, a phrase that harks back to the wines and oils that are produced here.

Among the many USPs of Oetker Collection’s Masterpiece Estates is an emphasis on the art of hosting, providing a dedicated team at each property to offer guests not just a charming welcome but invaluable insider knowledge.

Here, for owners Valérie Reboul-Schneider and her husband Rémy Reboul, this is quite literally a labour of love.

Valérie’s father, Ernest Schneider, the chairman of the board of the iconic Breitling watch company, purchased the estate in 1999 when it was in a state of utter disrepair. At first she was reluctant to get involved with the renovation project, so immense and challenging did it seem, but her father eventually managed to persuade her. “This property is the diamond of the Alpilles,” she recalls him telling her, “the most beautiful of them all. Valérie, it’s an opportunity you cannot let slip… and he was right.” So while in château-years the Reboul-Schneiders have been proprietors for a comparatively short time, its renaissance as an estate of distinction is down to their vision, dedication and sheer hard work.

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CHÂTEAU D’ESTOUBLON

While Ernest died in 2015, the revived château keeps his memory alive. Valérie’s exquisite taste has overseen the décor, and one of the ten guest suites, named L’Horloger, or the Watchmaker’s Room, is a fondly created memento of his working life. Elsewhere, there are portraits from his art collection and pieces that reflect his love of nature and hunting. All the bedrooms have an individual feel, offering spacious luxury and Provençal features, such as the traditional hexagonal tomettes, the warm brick-red tiles that adorn the turret bathroom of La Suite Familiale. Throughout, the rooms are bathed in that inescapable feature of the region, the alluring light that has attracted artists from Cézanne and Van Gogh to Matisse and Chagall.

As with the other properties in the Masterpiece Collection, the fundamental idea is to provide guests with a luxurious home from home, for those who want a retreat with a difference. “It is not a hotel, but a private family home,” Valérie explains. “Our personal challenge is to make our guests feel as if they had always lived in Estoublon.”

With more than 1,500 square metres of living space, the château forms quite a home.

The ten bedrooms comfortably accommodate up to 20 guests over three floors, but there is

also a wealth of other places to relax, including a home cinema, billiard and reading rooms, a well-equipped fitness room, an exotic hammam and of course an outdoor swimming pool. There’s even an English-style club bar, all plush red velvet and high-backed bar stools, just waiting for guests to order an apéro.

Wine production is Rémy’s department.

Like Valérie, he had been thrown in the deep end when the château was first bought, and the wine it produced then was virtually undrinkable.

Rémy turned all that around, reorganising and restructuring both the vineyard and the cellars, and deciding to opt for organic and biodynamic methods. “We respect the land and, above all, categorically refuse to use any chemicals,” he has stated. “We owe it to our planet and our children.” His commitment to terroir shines through the elegant, supple, sophisticated wines now made at Estoublon, where up to 100,000 bottles are produced each year, along with the six varieties of organic olive oil.

Grapes, olives, and a château of exception in Provence: the art of French living, distilled.

To book your stay at Château d’Estoublon and any other Masterpiece Estate, please visit masterpieceestates.com, call +44 (0) 207 079 1621 or email info@masterpiece-estates.com

OPENING PAGES: MARC BERENGUER; THIS PAGE, LEFT: DAVID HOUNCHERINGER

Above: young guests enjoying harvest time on the estate. Right: the château’s stylish décor was overseen by owner Valérie Reboul-Schneider

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MASTERPIECE ESTATES

YO U R C O U N T RY R E T R E AT Oetker Collection’s Masterpiece Estates is a portfolio of superb homes, set in stunning landscapes – with great service and a host on hand to cater to your every whim

KINROSS HOUSE

GORDON CASTLE

Described by Daniel Defoe as “the most beautiful and regular piece of architecture in Scotland”, Kinross House is a stunning, art-filled 17th-century mansion overlooking Loch Leven. Set in vast grounds, the lovingly restored home has 14 bedrooms while the adjacent Coach House has a further 10.

Gordon Castle is one of Scotland’s great sporting estates, home to the Gordon Lennox family. There is superb fly-fishing to be enjoyed, a fine walled garden, and the castle itself, which combines elegant Georgian interiors with a dramatic ancient tower. Fully staffed, with a host on hand to anticipate your every need, Gordon Castle sleeps 18 guests.

Lismore Castle in Ireland’s County Waterford belonged to the aristocratic Cavendish family from the 1750s onwards. Sleeping up to 27 guests in great style, the castle contains important Old Masters, while the superb gardens contain a number of contemporary sculptures, yet it retains the intimate feel of a family home.

FA R L E I G H WA L L O P With a history that dates back a thousand years, Farleigh Wallop is one of England’s most extraordinary private homes. The beautifully restored stone house, which has 11 bedrooms, is set at the end of a tree-lined avenue, surrounded by 4,000 acres of peaceful woodland and rolling Hampshire countryside.

GLEN AFFRIC

C O W D R AY PA R K The ancestral home of Lord Cowdray is a country house (pictured below) set in parkland in leafy West Sussex. With 22 en-suite bedrooms, the interiors of the house are sumptuous and the facilities exceptional – from indoor and outdoor pools to a billiards room, tennis court, a polo field and a bowling alley.

LISMORE CASTLE

STOCKTON HOUSE Stockton House was built in 1600 but has recently been stunningly restored to make it a classic English country house with the occasional contemporary twist.

There are nine en-suite bedrooms and superb spaces for entertaining, including the famous Great Chamber in this stunning home set in Wiltshire’s Wylye Valley.

This celebrated sporting estate is located in a glen, or valley, often described as the most beautiful in the Scottish Highlands. There’s fine shooting, deer stalking and fishing to be enjoyed here – and glorious accommodation for up to 20 guests overlooking Loch Affric in the Victorian Lodge and Stable Cottage – set in 10,000 acres of wilderness.

HOUND LODGE In the chalky downlands of West Sussex lies the Goodwood Estate, home of the world-famous Goodwood Racecourse – and the elegant yet cosy bolthole, Hound Lodge, restored by leading architect Ptolemy Dean. Twenty guests can be accommodated in 10 rooms, named after the canine stars of the historic Goodwood Hunt.

To book your stay at one of Oetker Collection’s Masterpiece Estates, please visit masterpiece-estates.com, call +44 (0) 207 079 1621, or email info@masterpiece-estates.com

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JEWELLERY TRENDS

H EA RT OF GOLD From the triumphant return of yellow gold to flagrantly romantic motifs and a cool reinvention of formerly prim-and-proper pearls, Sarah Royce-Greensill rounds up the major trends in jewellery this season

The age-old tradition of stringing candles and baubles on fir trees was conceived as a way of symbolising light and life amid the depths of winter – and jewellery can serve the same purpose at this time of year. When almost every inch of skin is hidden beneath cosy layers, why not decorate the parts that remain with something bright, shiny and precious – not to mention on-trend? So whether you’re treating yourself or choosing a gift, these are the jewels of the season…

LOVE TOKENS Perhaps it’s a reaction to these fraught times, but it seems like we all want to feel the love right now, and jewellers are more than happy to oblige. What was once seen as kitsch is now the height of cool, and we’re wearing our hearts on our wrists, necks, fingers and earlobes.

What social commentators are calling the “cult of cute” has infiltrated the fine jewellery world in this trend, with contemporary designers championing chubby, childlike heart motifs. Carolina Bucci’s solid-gold hearts are covered in diamonds or a rainbow of gemstones,

and Irene Neuwirth’s big, flat, seemingly handdrawn hearts are cast in brushed gold, or hewn from pink opal or turquoise. Mayfair-based Jessica McCormack finds perfectly proportioned heart-shaped diamonds and gemstones to set into her signature Gypset earrings and buttonback rings, crafted using traditional Georgian techniques, while her heart-shaped rings range from everyday bands to extravagant, gemstoneencrusted affairs.

If you’re seeking a less obvious love token, look to Graff, whose new Kiss collection is a gracefully minimalist interpretation of a timeless symbol, featuring a contrast between baguette-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds and crafted in the same Bond Street workshop as the house’s one-of-a-kind high jewellery.

Parisian house Chaumet celebrates love with its Liens line, in which the “X” symbol appears in myriad colours and forms, while British brand Boodles has no shortage of bejewelled displays of affection, from the diamond-dusted flowers of its Blossom range to its personalised Love Letters collection. So it’s now easier than ever to show someone you care.

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1. Irene Neuwirth rose gold earrings; 2. Chaumet Jeux de Liens necklace; 3. Graff Kiss earrings; 4. Jessica McCormack Heart diamond ring; 5. Boodles Love Letter pendant; 6. Carolina Bucci Heart multi-stone ring

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JEWELLERY TRENDS

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1. Sophie Bille Brahe Venus 14-karat gold pearl earrings; 2. Tasaki yellow gold Danger Tribe earrings; 3. David Morris Pearl Deco ring with akoya pearl

PEARLS – BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW THEM Pearls have emerged from their staid, ladylike stereotype to figure once more in the world’s most stylish jewellery boxes. And their return to favour shows no sign of slowing down, with designers finding ever more inventive ways to reimagine pearl jewellery, with modern incarnations bearing little resemblance to the prim and proper strands worn by great-aunts.

Japanese pearl house Tasaki may be turning 65 this year, but its designs are among the most contemporary on the market. It enlisted fashion designer Prabal Gurung to apply his New York edge to its pearls cultured in rural Japan, and the results are wholly unexpected. The Balance line is a masterclass in modern minimalism, while the Danger range adorns pearlescent spheres with punky gold studs.

Elsewhere, Tokyo-born designer Mizuki Goltz experiments with pearls in all shapes and

sizes: her oversized hoop earrings are strung with perfect glossy spheres. New York-based Brazilian jeweller Ana Khouri celebrates the beauty of misshapen baroque pearls, while Danish designer Sophie Bille Brahe mixes pinky-peach and ivory pearls to beautiful, complexion-enhancing effect.

London jewellery house David Morris is best known for its coloured gemstones, but in the Pearl Rose collection the delicate lustre of Akoya pearls takes centre stage. Paired with diamonds, graduating-sized pearls form voluminous cuffs, rings and earrings – just about anything but a necklace – while the Pearl Deco ring is a particularly beguiling blend of antiquity and modernity. For a more everyday option, look to the Forest Berry ring: a single Akoya pearl on a simple rose-gold band, set with a blue sapphire and diamond flower.

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JEWELLERY TRENDS

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1. Atelier Swarovski Themis Z Evil Eye bracelet; 2. Boucheron Jack de Boucheron wrap bracelet; 3. Pomellato Brera choker 4. Tilly Sveaas T-Bar

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THE RETURN OF YELLOW GOLD The Nineties grunge look was inescapable on the autumn/winter 2019 catwalks: from Versace’s dishevelled models in slinky slip dresses to bucket hats at Burberry and Dior, and stompy biker boots at Alexander McQueen. But you don’t have to go the full Courtney Love to embrace the trend.

Simply swap your delicately pink-tinged rose-gold for layers of chunky yellow gold, as the precious metal’s classic colour stages a triumphant return.

On the runway at the JW Anderson show, models wore oversized gold chain chokers. But look to Italian fine jeweller Pomellato for a glamorous, Milanese take on the trend. Its signature Tango collection offers smooth, rounded links of gold – plain or embellished with gemstones. In the new Brera range, the chains are lighter and more

refined, but just as impactful. For vintage vibes, opt for a gold curb-link necklace: try Tilly Sveaas or Stockholm-based brand All Blues, whose DNA necklace comes in two lengths, ideal for layering.

More is more with the yellow-gold trend. Wrap Boucheron’s gold Jack cable around your wrist, secured with an 18ct gold “headphone jack” – it’s an industrial-chic departure for this venerable French maison. Or dig out that other 1990s staple, the charm bracelet. If you don’t have a collection of charms at the back of your jewellery box, plenty of brands do the hard work for you. Atelier Swarovski’s collaboration with Greek designer Themis Zouganeli has a chain embellished with crystal-dotted interpretations of the evil eye motif: glamour, with a grungy edge. We’re mad for it.

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Courchevel • Baden-Baden • Paris • Vence - Côte d’Azur • St Barths • Cap d’Antibes • Antigua - West Indies • London • São Paulo

Oetker Page Pub Host of choice 230x305.qxp_Mise en page 1 10/04/2019 15:18 Page2

06/11/2019 15:15

TATA HARPER

N AT U R A L WOM A N

“My Self-care Sundays are about taking time to decompress before the week ahead,” says skincare guru Tata Harper, beaming serenely. “It doesn’t have to be a whole day – for me it never is because I’m usually running around with my kids all weekend. But it’s about taking even just a few minutes to care for yourself. Personally, I like to do at-home spa facials. My kids love to do them with me, so it’s another way I get to spend time with them and teach them about wellness.”

If one isn’t careful, 44-year-old Harper’s life can sound storybook perfect: working away at her beautiful brand, with her beautiful children, on her beautiful 1,200-acre Vermont farm, with its blackberries and lavender fields.

So far, so Waltons Mountain. However, the woman dubbed the “Queen of Green”, whose “life-changing” products (the quote is Vogue’s) represent the apotheosis of skincare’s farmto-face movement, is no less an imposing entrepreneur. For this is natural beauty sans hemp and hair shirt, coming of age as an ultra-luxe, ultra-scientific experience with supernaturally gleaming results.

Harper’s formulae are famed for being at once genuinely natural and fabulously hightech, while doing what they say on the tin. As she notes, “My principal beauty philosophy is that skincare needs to be effective, because people buy products to see results. That has driven our approach to formulation, engineering, and innovation. By buying one of our creams, you’re basically getting the same number of ingredients

that you would usually need 10 or 12 other products to receive. We don’t believe in hero ingredients and simple formulas; we believe in multi-targeted, multi-benefit concoctions. We’re a brand for beauty maximalists who believe that more ingredients equal more results.”

Harper concedes that creating products of this exacting quality presented an uphill battle.

“Making such a revolutionary line while refusing to use synthetic chemicals was really hard. I was faced with a lot of negativity. There are also challenges from the formulation perspective, because we don’t start with pre-made bases and we don’t use fillers. Every single ingredient has a purpose and every formula starts completely from scratch, so it can take up to three years to perfect a new product.”

Before entering the world of beauty, Harper studied industrial engineering and was working in real estate development with her New Yorker husband and co-CEO Henry. Her Damascene moment came when her stepfather was diagnosed with cancer, and she started to examine everything she was putting in and on her body. None of the natural unguents she sampled came up to scratch, so she set out on a mission to create her own.

The Tata Harper brand first went on sale in 2010, in the wake of five years’ research. Within the next five years it had expanded from 12 to 38 wares. Today it boasts whole ranges and pops up in all the right places, including: Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora,

ALL IMAGES: ERICA ALLEN

The global success of Tata Harper’s luxurious organic skincare products has made her the poster girl for the beauty industry’s farm-to-face movement.

Hannah Betts charts the meteoric rise of the “Queen of Green”

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TATA HARPER

Tata Harper’s ingredients are harvested at her Vermont farm. Made to the highest standards, her skincare products have been described as “life-changing”

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“I think Latin women like myself have a different appreciation for beauty; it’s viewed as a way of taking care of yourself, whereas in other cultures it’s sometimes considered a chore”

Printemps, Le Bon Marché, Selfridges, Harrods, SpaceNK, Net-a-porter and goop – with Gwyneth Paltrow, one of many radiant acolytes, stating: “Pretty much everything I use is Tata Harper.”

If the products feel headily pleasureinducing, it’s because indulgence is written into Harper’s – and her brand’s – DNA. For our Vermont farm girl is originally from Barranquilla, Colombia. “My mother and grandmother would have spa parties with their friends and they all took the time for beauty. This meant a lot of DIY face masks and treatments using ingredients like avocado, honey and lemon – things growing around us locally, or fresh from the store. I grew up learning about beauty as a ritual, something you experience on a daily basis. I think that Colombian and Latin women like myself have a different appreciation for beauty; it’s viewed as a way of taking care of yourself, whereas in other cultures it’s sometimes considered a chore.”

Now Harper is bringing her brand of self-care to The Lanesborough Club & Spa, in her first UK collaboration. There will be three exclusive treatments: the Grounding Yogic Facial; the Sculpt & Define Facial; and the Cellular Repair Facial. Her products will also be available in the spa shop, meaning club members need never run low on her cult Elixir Vitae Serum – which some have compared to a daily dose of injectables – or endlessly award-winning Resurfacing Mask.

Harper loves to travel – having lived in Canada, Paris, Mexico, Miami and New York – and naturally, she does it in style. “Even though I don’t usually wear make-up, there are times when I look a little fatigued, so I always have an Alima Pure Cream Concealer with me. I also carry two of our products: Very Naughty, because I can’t live without blush, and our aromatherapy Irritability Treatment, because you never know when you’ll need a second to calm your mind.

Another travel essential is my Denis Colomb hoodie – I take it on every flight.” Next stop may be Thailand: “Koh Phi Phi looks otherworldly, as does the Khao Yai National Park.”

Beauty, of course, is as much about what we put into our bodies as what we put onto them.

Our heroine is not big on diet restrictions, but has recently started cutting down on red meat and chicken. “What I really relish eating is a lot of vegetables, fish, and seafood. I love trying these things wherever I am in the world. In Colombia, I always eat local fish with coconut rice and a big avocado salad.”

Fresh, natural, beautiful, and feel-good these are qualities on which Harper has built an empire. As one diehard enthusiast observes: “Tata Harper’s potions smell and feel incredible, won’t destroy my body, or the planet, and make me look about six. What’s not to like?” We second that emotion. lanesboroughclubandspa.com

WHEN TO FIND THE TATA HARPER RANGE...

Tata Harper’s products are available at The Lanesborough (lanesborough.com) and Le Bristol Paris (lebristolparis.com)

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THE T URTLE & COR AL C ANDEL ABR A IN STERLING SILVER

1 0 4 - 1 0 6 F u l h a m R o a d, L o n d o n, S W 3

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OETKER COLLECTION GUEST

H OM E F R OM H OM E OET K ER C OLLEC T ION GU EST: T Y LER ELLIS Accessories designer Tyler Ellis talks to Laura Lovett about her love of London and The Lanesborough, holidays at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and suppers at Le Bristol Paris

The daughter of fashion designer Perry Ellis, LAbased designer Tyler Ellis felt there was a niche for a luxurious, authentic independent label amid the global conglomerates and launched her namesake handbag brand in 2011. With a focus on thoughtful touches, practical details and immaculate finishing, Ellis travels the world, presenting her collection direct to customers at series of global trunk shows and shopping events. Her handbags have been sported by Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lopez.

Your father, Perry Ellis, was a fashion pioneer. How has his legacy informed your approach to work and style?

My father was an iconic American fashion designer.

He passed away when I was only 18 months old, so I have no actual memories of him, but through stories from my mother and his friends I’m able to feel a close connection to him. His views on fashion have strongly shaped my perspective on the industry. He believed fashion should be light-hearted and not taken too seriously. Unlike many designers, he urged his models to frolic happily down the runway with huge smiles, to laugh and enjoy every step of the way. He wanted women to feel comfortable and beautiful in equal measure when wearing his timeless clothing. Today, over 30 years after his death, his designs still remain extremely relevant.

You spend a lot of time in London. When did you first visit and which are your favourite places to go when you’re in town?

I first came to London when I was 11 with my mother.

I instantly fell in love with the small-town charm of this legendary, historic city. I loved how elegant it was and I knew this was a city I would be spending lots of time in. A few years back I had a flat in Belgravia – which I miss terribly – but I do try to get to London as often as possible. I do most of my shopping when I’m there.

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OETKER COLLECTION GUEST

TAKE OUT PALM TREES. BILLBOARD AND HOTEL NAME SIGNAGE TOP RIGHT

Joseph on Fulham Road is my go-to store – the curation of clothing and accessories is impeccable. I also love hanging out at The Arts Club, Scalini for delicious Italian, The Araki for traditional sushi omakase and the many great Lebanese and Indian restaurants. That’s something we’re really missing in LA.

As a regular patron of The Lanesborough, what continues to draw you back each time?

I’m enamoured by the hotel’s neoclassical architecture and its elegantly opulent traditional interior design.

The suites are all different, each beautifully decorated in a unique illuminating rich hue, with polished deep wood accents and spectacular mosaics lining the bathroom walls. And the recently redone Club & Spa is always my first stop upon arrival for decadent face and body treatments. I truly feel like a princess from a bygone era when I’m staying at The Lanesborough.

“My husband and I end our holiday every summer at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. It is one of the most outstanding properties I have ever visited”

What made you decide to start designing handbags?

I found that women around the world were all wearing similar things. The word “luxury” has lost its meaning.

To me, it means exclusivity, rarity, the very best quality, 98

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and I think very few brands really represent that. I wanted to create something that didn’t cut any corners, where every detail was perfect, where a focus on functionality and beauty came together. The TE logo remains solely on the interior of my bags, in an effort to let the design and materials speak for themselves, rather than the logo commanding the sale. I love that my clients get stopped in the street to ask where their bags are from. From a personal point of view, the detail that’s most important to me is my Tyler Ellis logo, which is in my father’s handwriting, making him a part of every piece I create.

Clockwise from left: Tyler Ellis with one of her range of accessories; tasty morsels at Le Jardin Français at Le Bristol Paris; an iconic view from Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

Your designs are often inspired by celebrated destinations.

How does travel inform your work?

It’s all about the detail. Lars Nilsson [former Creative Director of Nina Ricci] was a mentor to me in the beginning of my career. We would walk around the magical City of Lights and he would point out old brick walls, or doorknob handles, and inspirations for new designs would roll off his tongue. I began to really pay attention to my surroundings and realize how much the world has to offer. The pine cone symbol which is now a constant in my designs was inspired from a trip I took to the Vatican years before I began the brand. To this day, I still remember standing in the Fontana della Pigna looking up at the beautifully aged pine cone fountain, enthralled. Who knew years later it would become the core signature of my brand!

When you travel, what do you look for in a great hotel?

Service. Spectacular properties exist all over the world, but what makes me want to return is the staff. You may be in the most beautiful surroundings, but sometimes you find yourself waiting and waiting for attention. I’d love a five-hour lunch but I have things to do, so service – and that innate knowledge of a property by its staff – really makes all the difference. I really appreciate seeing the same faces at a property over and over. It significantly enhances my stay when I know them and they know me.

Which are your favourite Oetker Collection hotels – and what is it that you love about them?

My husband and I end our holiday every summer at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. It is without doubt one of the most outstanding properties I have ever visited. Sitting in the restaurant or the champagne bar, gazing at the endless sea and the hotel’s iconic pool, immortalised

by Slim Aarons, with the wind blowing through my hair, sipping a glass of Château Minuty 281 – these are moments I will never forget. And I also have many fond memories of Le Jardin Français Restaurant at Le Bristol. I’ve spent hours chatting with friends, nibbling on delicious snacks and getting lost in the moment, in that spectacular garden right in the very centre of Paris.

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SIGNATURE AND LIMITED EDITION PRODUCTS

PR I D E O F PL A C E We all like to recall the best of times spent in our favourite places.

So when you’re choosing a gift, Eden Being’s carefully curated and crafted collection of signature pieces capture the spirit of the world’s finest hotels and most beguiling destinations

L E B R I S T O L PA R I S

Gifts as chic as the hotel that inspired them

BOXING CLEVER

T.T.Trunks “Mademoiselle” jewellery case

TEA TIME

BABY DRIVER

Raynaud afternoon tea set for four

Phim push-along car

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For more information visit boutique.edenbeing.com

B R E N N E R S PA R K- H O T E L & S PA

Unique artefacts capturing the spirit of Baden-Baden’s most elegant hotel

T R AV E L I N S T Y L E

TWINKLE TWINKLE

Globe-Trotter x Brenners suitcase

House of Garrard double knot earrings

W I N E L OV E R S

C O U N T E R C U LT U R E

T.T.Trunks “Millésime” drinks trunk

Backgammon board by Alexandra Llewellyn

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SIGNATURE AND LIMITED EDITION PRODUCTS

EDEN RO CK – ST BA RT HS

Exquisite clothing and accessories encapsulating the easygoing style of this Caribbean paradise

S HORT A N S W E R

Orlebar Brown Eden Rock swimming shorts

ON THE MAP

Eden Rocks St Barths bracelet

KEEP A COOL HEAD

FINE TIME

Eugenia Kim “Let’s Rock” sunhat

Limited edition Eden Rock watches by Hublot

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For more information visit boutique.edenbeing.com

H O T E L D U C A P -E D E N - R O C

Channelling that Riviera blend of old-world glamour and modern luxury

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

Patrick Mavros “Sea Urchin” pendant

SHADES OF BLUE

Pascal Mathieu aviator sunglasses

GET THE TUBE

Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc inflatable toy lifebuoy

E D E N B E I N G : Q UA L I T Y, PA S S I O N , C R A F T

Eden Being creates a diverse range of products through carefully curated brand

To find out more about Eden Being Boutique, scan the code below

collaborations. We seek out authentic, like-minded partners and exceptional artisans BAGS OF STYLE

Marina Vernicos waterproof beach pouch

with whom we can bring the passion of our iconic destinations to life in a tangible way that may be cherished for years to come.

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OETKER COLLECTION CALENDAR

CA L E N DA R Upcoming events taking place near Oetker Collection’s hotels around the globe, from fashion shows in Paris to carnival celebrations in São Paulo

COURCHEVEL

The PLUM MOONtain Races 10 January, 7 February and 6 March This magical ski mountaineering climb to the Col de la Loze takes place during full moon. After dining at Le 1928 restaurant, participants then ski back down holding a torch.

S Ã O PA U L O

São Paulo Bienal February–July The 34th edition of South America’s most important art festival begins with a solo show by Ximena Garrido-Lecca (see p50).

Steve McQueen Exhibition Tate Modern, 13 February–10 May Oscar- and Turner Prize-winner McQueen is one of the most important artists and film-makers working today. This blockbuster exhibition at Tate Modern – his first major London show in 20 years – will bring together all the immersive video and film installations he has made since 2000. Unmissable.

Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race 29 March Dating back to 1829, the Boat Race is an annual rowing contest between crews from Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs. Join the festivities at one of the many Thameside pubs along the course.

J UM BY BAY

Above: award-winning British film-maker Steve McQueen is the subject of a major exhibition at London’s Tate Modern this spring

Antigua Sailing Week 25 April–1 May Considered the sailing capital of the Caribbean, Antigua’s yachting calendar reaches its climax with this superb regatta – considered among the top three in the world – which attracts as many as 200 yachts.

S T BA RT H S

The St Barths Bucket 19–22 March Every March, St Barths hosts this prestigious regatta, with the world’s best superyachts meeting in Gustavia’s harbour for three days of racing and onshore partying.

ANTIBES AND THE RIVIERA

Printemps des arts 13 March–11 April A classical music festival founded in 1970 under the Presidency of Princess Grace, who wanted it to embrace as much diversity as possible – so expect the eclectic in this month-long programme.

BA D E N - BA D E N

Easter Festival 4–13 April Baden-Baden’s Festspielhaus is Germany’s largest opera house, making it the ideal venue for Berlin Philharmoniker’s Easter Festival.

JOHN RUSSO; VG BILD-KUNST, BONN 2019; GETTY IMAGES

LONDON

São Paulo Carnival 21–26 February A heady cocktail of dancing, street parades, vibrant costumes and samba music. Unforgettable.

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Karin Kneffel “Still” 12 October–8 March The photorealist paintings of acclaimed Düsseldorf-based artist Karin Kneffel are the subject of this hotly anticipated show at BadenBaden’s Museum Frieder Burda.

PA R I S

El Greco at the Grand Palais 16 October–10 February This major exhibition of the work of El Greco (1541–1614) offers a fascinating look at this profoundly influential artist who helped define the Spanish Renaissance.

JOHN RUSSO; VG BILD-KUNST, BONN 2019; GETTY IMAGES

Paris Fashion Weeks January–March The French capital becomes the centre of the style universe, hosting the men’s collections from 14 to 19 January, Haute Couture from 20 to 23 January, and women’s shows from 24 February to 3 March.

Above: Karin Kneffel’s Untitled, 1996, will be one of the works on show at her upcoming retrospective in Baden-Baden. Left: Elie Saab haute couture show at Paris fashion week last July

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OETKER COLLECTION NEWS

PE O PL E , PL A C E S , N E WS The new faces, openings, and announcements from Oetker Collection’s hotels around the globe. Catch up on all the latest, from wellness to billiards, plus the reborn Eden Rock – St Barths

EDEN RO CK – ST BA RT HS

EDEN RO CK R EBOR N After two years of painstaking work, the reconstruction of Eden Rock – St Barths is complete. “The new designs are wonderful to see,” says Eden Rock co-owner Jane Matthews (pictured). “We can’t wait to open again to show our guests and friends what we’ve been up to for so very long.” With almost all of the property’s interiors devastated by Hurricane Irma in September 2017, the Matthews family decided to carry out a complete redesign, rebuild and refurnish – allowing this much-loved hotel to emerge from its misfortune ready to offer an even more exquisite experience for its guests than before.

Leading London-based designer Martin Brudnizki was brought in to weave his magic on Villa Nina and the Sand Bar, which has been positioned higher off the ground to safeguard against future storms; the five Eden Rock Owners Society houses and two Plantation houses have been remodelled; two new spa/gym/health centres have been built, one on the Rock and the other within Villa Rockstar, which now has six ultra-luxe suites; a library and new Rémy Room & Bar have been introduced; and the Eden Being shop – complete with nautical-themed decor and blue wave tiles – is now twice the size it was prior to the storm. Eden Rock plans to welcome guests again in mid-November. “We hope they will love the new designs as much as we do,” says Jane Matthews, “and be delighted with our interpretation of how to combine the heritage of this place from yesterday with the newly designed beginnings for tomorrow.” edenrockhotel.com

One of the island’s most prestigious properties, Villa Nina has been expanded from two suites to three super-prime suites. All Eden Rock’s rooms have been redesigned – each now contains a small library of well-bound books and original artworks on the walls

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Left: the hard work of rebuilding is over and the new-look Eden Rock is ready to reopen

The Sand Bar’s interiors have a fresh new feel featuring natural sackingcoloured cushions mixed with yellows and greens, and large plants combined with rugs – while at the bar’s entrance there is now a beautiful palm tree sculpture made of copper and brass

Named after Rémy de Haenen, Eden Rock’s first and only other owner before the Matthews family, the new Rémy Room & Bar honours his wild and pioneering spirit. The decor scheme for the new bar is bright, airy and comfortable, with a British-colonial vibe

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OETKER COLLECTION NEWS

THE LA NESBOROUGH

NEXT ST OP: W ELLNESS Bodhimaya, the award-winning wellness retreat specialist, has begun an exclusive residency at The Lanesborough Club & Spa, joining the existing collection of hand-picked brands that represent the “best in class” in their respective sectors. Combining expertise in personalised nutrition, authentic meditation and body movement, Bodhimaya will offer guests an array of programmes to choose from, including overnight retreats and bespoke one-to-one wellbeing experiences. lanesboroughclubandspa.com

J U M B Y B AY I S L A N D

A F R E S H L O O K F O R J U M BY B AY I S L A N D Ringed with coral reefs and just a short private boat ride from mainland Antigua, Jumby Bay Island is dreamlike isle of white-powdered beaches and winding bicycle paths. Surrounded by lush tropical foliage, the island spans 300 private acres – with not a car in sight – and it is home to 4.5 miles of pristine shoreline. The resort has just completed phase two of its restoration programme to inject a new lease of life into the much-loved island, following the renovation of all public areas, restaurants, spa and a new watersports centre last year. Continuing the resort’s tradition of blurring the boundaries of interior and exterior spaces, 16 Beachside Suites, 10 Pool Suites and two Estate Suites have been given a fresh and welcoming new look. The new decor schemes are a soothing blend of natural materials, woven textures and local botanical inspiration, while the colour palette is a combination of the island’s soft blush sunsets, lush foliage and crisp cool blues, giving the refreshed suites their own identity of sanctuary and repose. To celebrate this latest phase in the private island’s transformation, Jumby Bay Island is also proud to present a bespoke backgammon set designed by acclaimed luxury games maker Alexandra Llewellyn, to capture the spirit of this unique property.

To book your stay at Jumby Bay Island, go to reservations.jbi@oetkercollection.com

EDEN RO CK – ST BA RT HS

T H E A RT IST BEH I N D OU R CLA SSIC C OV ER Lea Morichon’s ongoing work with Oetker Collection is a celebration of old-world sophistication and travel glamour. The Paris-based artist and illustrator has been busy creating vintage-style luggage labels for each hotel, and has now turned her attention to drawing a series of poster-style artworks, one of which is featured on our cover, to herald the much-anticipated re-opening of Eden Rock – St Barths. With its signature red and white colours, sea-blue hat and spotless sand, Lea’s illustration perfectly communicates the classic appeal of a stay at this most loved of Caribbean hotels. As Lea herself says, “Oetker Collection’s properties are the quintessence of sophistication and wellbeing, so I want my illustrations to reflect that.” You can find the four latest examples of Lea’s exquisite vintage luggage labels inside this issue of Eden Being. edenrockhotel.com 108

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L’A P O G É E C O U R C H E V E L

H AU T E C U I S I N E H I T S N E W H E I G H T S Jean-Luc Lefrançois (right), Executive Head Chef at L’Apogée Courchevel, has two major passions in life: great food and superb skiing – and guests will have the opportunity to join him on an exclusive VIP experience that combines them both. The programme begins at 10am when you meet Jean-Luc and head out onto the slopes for a day of skiing tailored to personal preferences and ability. At midday, stop for a picnic-style lunch – pre-prepared by Jean-Luc himself – before returning to L’Apogée Courchevel. Between 5pm and 6.30pm, sip a glass of champagne as Jean-Luc demonstrates how to prepare the signature dish served at the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, Koori. A truly unforgettable experience. lapogeecourchevel.com

PA L Á C I O T A N G A R Á

TA L K O F T H E T O W N Palácio Tangará’s Burle Bar offers a cosy, sophisticated ambience, which makes it a perfect venue for the Burle Talks, a series of relaxed discussions on a range of different topics. For each session, leading figures in their field are brought in to discuss specific themes, which to date have included fashion, investment, female entrepreneurship, business marketing and more. Named in honour of the celebrated Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who created the spectacular gardens which surround the hotel, Burle Talks allow guests to interact with the speakers, and at the end of each session guests are offered light snacks and a glass of champagne. palaciotangara.com 109

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OETKER COLLECTION NEWS

B R E N N E R S PA R K- H O T E L & S PA

P O T LU C K Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa has taken delivery of an exquisite new piece of handcraft, a billiards set from the world-famous manufacturer Chevillotte. Since 1860, this legendary Paris-based company has elevated the craft of making pool and billiards tables to the status of an art form.

The new Brenners billiards table is 100 per cent French-made, crafted from solid aged walnut, while the cues are finest solid aged oak.

Playing on it is an experience not to be missed. brenners.com

L E B R I S T O L PA R I S

C H O C O L AT E H E AV E N Le Bristol Paris has always been a paradise for chocolate-lovers, but now this grand palace in the City of Light has raised its chocolate game to even loftier heights with the introduction of its very own “chocolate factory”.

World-class chocolatier and pastry chef Julien Alvarez is overjoyed to have been given his own workshop in which to create the glorious procession of artistic delicacies that weave their way to the Michelin-starred tables of the hotel’s restaurants, as well as to its bars, rooms and suites. Every week, 3,000 chocolate candies and up to 60kg of ganache are crafted in this extraordinary workshop, where the air is aromatic with exotic grand cru cocoas: Ecuadorian Jivara, Madagascan Manjari, Caribbean Bahibé, Madong, Jamaya, Macaé.

“I love the smell, the delicate touch, the malleability of chocolate,” says Alvarez. “It’s an incredible substance.” Over the past two decades, under the watchful eye of gastronomic maestro Eric Frechon, Le Bristol Paris has embraced culinary craftsmanship with the introduction of an artisanal flour mill and now the chocolate atelier, which is staffed by a brigade of worldclass chocolatiers, with Alvarez joined by award-winning Johan Giacchetti (winner of the Coupe de France de la chocolaterie at the age of just 21).

“Each chocolate might be remade ten times before it is perfected for its place on the marble,” says Giacchetti. lebristolparis.com

THE LA NESBOROUGH

S OM E T H I N G W I L D David Yarrow, whose work will be exhibited at The Lanesborough this autumn, is one of the world’s most highly regarded documenters of the natural world. The Glasgow-born photographer’s limited-edition images have been known to fetch over $100,000 at auction. In 2016, Rizzoli New York published his book Wild Encounters, with a foreword by HRH The Duke of Cambridge. All Yarrow’s royalties from the book are donated to the charity Tusk, which focuses on animal conservation in Africa, and through his work he is now able to pledge $1.2 million each year to conservation and charitable projects. lanesborough.com 110

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HOTEL DIRECTORY

#hostsofchoice

oetkercollection.com #meaningfulconnections

#endearingplaces

5 rue Emile Allais Jardin Alpin (Courchevel 1850) 73120 Courchevel, France T: +33 (0)4 79 04 01 04 F: +33 (0)4 79 04 01 14 reservations.apg@oetkercollection.com

Schillerstraße 4/6 76530 Baden–Baden Germany T: +49 (0)7 221 900 0 F: +49 (0)7 221 387 72 reservations.brenners@oetkercollection.com

112 rue du Faubourg Saint–Honoré, 75008 Paris France T: +33 (0)1 53 43 43 25 F: +33 (0)1 53 43 43 26 reservations.lebristolparis@oetkercollection.com

Avenue des Templiers BP 102 06142 Vence France T: +33 (0)4 93 58 02 02 F: +33 (0)4 93 24 08 91 reservations.csm@oetkercollection.com

St Jean Bay St Barthélemy F97133 French West Indies T: + (0) 590 590 29 79 99 F: + (0) 590 590 27 88 37 reservations.edenrock@oetkercollection.com

Boulevard JF Kennedy 06601 Antibes France T: +33 (0)4 93 61 39 01 F: +33 (0)4 93 67 76 04 reservations.hdcer@oetkercollection.com

PO Box 243, Antigua and Barbuda West Indies T: + (0) 1 268 462 6000 F: + (0) 1 268 462 6020 reservations.jbi@oetkercollection.com

Hyde Park Corner London SW1X 7TA United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 20 7259 5599 F: +44 (0) 20 7259 5606 reservations.lanesborough@oetkercollection.com

Rua Dep. Laércio Corte 1501 Panamby 05706 290, São Paulo Brazil P +55 11 4904 4040 F +55 11 4904 4002 reservations.tangara@oetkercollection.com

T: +44 (0) 207 079 1621 masterpiece-estates.com info@masterpiece-estates.com

T: +44 (0)207 079 1635 edenbeing.com concierge@edenbeing.com 111

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THE MOMENT

SI XTI ES CH IC ON TH E SL OPES OF C OU RCH EV EL

Clad in sleek pastel ski-suits, the stylish models in Frances McLaughlin-Gill’s 1963 Courchevel fashion shoot conjure an era when the ski scene was fast becoming a byword for jet-set glamour. Hard to imagine, then, that just a few decades earlier, this land was still a small cluster of farmer’s fields. By the mid-1920s, Courchevel was beginning to attract the first generation of mountaineer skiers – hardy souls capable of scaling its lofty peaks without a lift. In the 1940s, the French Commission for Tourism suggested creating a “super ski resort”, which changed the destiny of this Alpine village forever. Among those early superhuman skiers were the two Savoyards, Laurent Chappis and Maurice Michaud, who conceived the first plans for the resort, seamlessly integrating it into the landscape.

Chappis spent three gruelling months on skis, mapping the best routes of Les Trois Vallées. Around the same time, in

America, 24-year-old McLaughlin-Gill was signed up in 1943 as Vogue’s first female fashion photographer by art director Alexander Liberman, who saw in her the potential to breathe life into the rigidly formal fashion photography of the era. Fast-forward 20 years to 1963 and McLaughlinGill was in Courchevel, capturing the now world-famous ski scene for the pages of Glamour. She had emerged as a star photographer, covering the enchanting Paris fashion weeks of the 1950s, and was now on the brink of a new career as a film producer. By then, Courchevel 1850 had become a bustling resort – the skiers were chic and the hotels in high demand. Today, it remains the home of effortless style at altitude. Guests ski straight out from the L’Apogée Courchevel onto the resort’s lifts, enjoy an exquisite lunch at 2,000m, and then glide back into sumptuous comfort afterwards. And they still wear ski-suits of every colour.

FRANCES MCLAUGHLIN-GILL/CONDE NAST/GETTY IMAGES

In just two decades, Courchevel morphed from mountain village to the summit of Alpine chic, today exemplified by L’Apogée. This shot captures its evolving glamour

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