Burlingtons Magazine | Issue 08 | Spring 2022

From the Crown Jewels to Elizabeth Taylor, we celebrate the world’s most impressive gems

FOIL SKIS How one company is creating truly artistic skis

ARMOURED SUPERCARS The protective services making motoring more secure

CULT WINES How fine wines became a bulletproof investment

N O 08 | SP R I N G 2022

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INFINITE with its unlimited, rich, constantly present youth and freshness in a constant cycle of flavours, each more precise and harmonious than the one before. While already a pleasure to drink, this vintage has now acquired an exceptional complexity and mineral character, punctuated

with

exotic

spices

notes

promise infinite longevity.

Régis Camus Cellar Master for Rare Champagne

rarechampagne̲official www.rare-champagne.com

“

“

Rare Millésime 2008 embodies the infinite,

that

Please Drink Responsibly

urlingtons Group provides a co-ordinated and centralised suite of regulated professional services, drawn from an international team of carefully selected advisors sharing the highest standards of excellence and service.

Drawn from lawyers, accountants, wealth managers, tax and fiduciary advisors and other experts and complimentary business services across the globe, we come together to provide a seamless service for all your business and personal needs, no matter where you are located.

Headquartered in the heart of London, we are a multi-lingual team with offices in Geneva, Malta, Gibraltar, and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

We work with our global community of professional advisors sharing the highest standards of advice and care with a deep respect for our varying cultures and heritage.

www.burlingtons.group | +44 (0) 20 7529 5420 | info@burlingtons.group

FROM THE

CEO

S

PRING IS FINALLY HERE and, as always seems to happen as the sun begins to shine, there a sense of renewed hope and optimism just around the corner. Not only have we celebrated International Women’s Day recently (as a female-owned business, Burlingtons Group is a proud champion of women in business), but we also have Easter on its way.

This year, that period of reflection and family will be followed swiftly by another landmark event in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Marking the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II’s ascension as monarch of the United Kingdom in 1952, the historic event is the first of its kind – no other British sovereign has celebrated 70 years on the throne. Join us in celebrating the Platinum Jubilee with a look at the most incredible diamonds on the planet – the British Crown Jewels leading the pack – on page 36.

The Queen, who describes herself as the “servant” of her people, will oversee four days of traditional pomp and pageantry in June, as well as inviting contemporary artists, musicians and technological wizards to be part of the event. Just as we have all had to adapt to modern technical world in the last two years, so too does the Queen’s enthusiasm for innovation show us that there is joy in embracing the new.

It is in this spirit that we present our new issue of Burlingtons Magazine, which is packed with must-read information: from the benefits of engaging a private office (28) to what to do when hiring from overseas (54). We introduce you to our strategic partners Cornwalls Lane (50) and hear from our insurance partners Vizion about some priceless private collections (64). Elsewhere, we discover a new trend in armoured cars (24), meet the interior designers helping us travel in style (32) and sit down with Foil founder Andreas Pichler (44) to find out why his bespoke skis could belong in an art gallery.

I hope you enjoy this new issue’s insight into the very best of business news and luxury lifestyle.

Deborah Mills Chief Executive Officer Burlingtons Group Limited

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BURLINGTONS GROUP Deborah Mills Chief Executive Officer deborah.mills@burlingtons.group Henry Mills Director – Burlingtons Private Office henry.mills@burlingtons.pro Nicholas Portelli Managing Director – Burlingtons Real Estate nicholas.portelli@burlingtons.realestate Jacob Kett Liaison – Burlingtons Private Office jacob.kett@burlingtons.pro CONTACT For advertising enquiries or to find out more about Burlingtons Group contact: info@burlingtons.group Burlingtons Group 5 Stratford Place London, W1C 1AX +44 (0)20 7529 5420 EDITORIAL TEAM Burlingtons Magazine is published by Vantage Media Limited Director of Editorial: Michelle Johnson Director of Art: Ross Forbes

Responsibly printed

Contributors: Emma Jane Howcutt (design), Emily Nash (illustrator), Lauren O’Neill, Gabriel Power

Printed by Cambrian Printers, UK on GalerieArt Matt Woodfree FSC Mix (FSC® certified paper) using vegetable inks and sustainable printing methods.

Vantage Media Limited 25 Wilton Road London SW1V 1LW info@vantagemediagroup.co.uk +44 (0)20 3519 1005

www.cambrian-printers.co.uk

Cover credit: The Cullinan diamonds ©Shutterstock

© 2022 Burlingtons Group Articles and other contributions published in this journal may be reproduced only with special permission from Burlingtons Group. Burlingtons Group and the publishers (Vantage Media Limited) accept no responsibility for any views or statements made in the articles and other contributions reproduced from any other source. No responsibility is accepted for the claims in advertisements appearing in this journal and the publishers reserve the right to accept or refuse advertisements at their discretion.

Burlingtons Magazine is published by Vantage Media Limited. www.vantagemediagroup.co.uk 7

CONTENTS Global connection

10

CEO Deborah Mills on reconnecting after Covid-19

Take 5

18

Start Your Engines

14

Find out what Burlingtons Club Members are excited about this season

Start Your Engines

18

Gear up for a thrilling new season of Formula One

Safety First

24

How bulletproof cars and armoured serenity zones offer powerful protection

Seamless Support

28

Helen Weaving shares the benefits of Burlingtons Private Office

Finding Their Muse

32

Interior design firm Muza Lab on redefining luxury interiors

Bright Legacy

36

The rich and colourful history of the world’s most famous diamonds

Postcards from Lugano

42

Celebrate the Swiss-Mediterranean culture of Lugano

42 Postcards from Lugano 8

32 Finding Their Muse

High Performance Art

44

Foil Skis founder Andreas Pichler on his quest to make the world’s most luxurious skis

Rock Steady

50

Family office service providers Cornwalls Lane on Gibraltar’s innovative solutions

Global Workforce

54

Burlingtons Legal shares some home truths about employment immigration

Urban Wellness

58

The luxurious London establishments offering a new kind of fitness

For What it’s Worth

58 Urban Wellness

64

Vizion founder George Seatter on the importance of personalised insurance

Fine Wine Investing

68

How fine wine’s stability in uncertain times makes it a perfect addition to any portfolio

Scents & Sensibility

72

The extraordinary fragrances that are stopping us in our tracks this season

Ask Boris

76

Burlingtons’ resident bulldog shares his favourite luxury luggage brands

72

68 Fine Wine Investing

Scents & Sensibility

9

GLOBAL CONNECTION

10

Burlingtons Group CEO Deborah Mills celebrates the evolution of flexible working post-pandemic

BURLINGTONS GROUP

A

S THE UK GOVERNMENT announces an end to all Covid-19 restrictions, and we see British Airways stopping the mandatory requirement to wear masks on aircraft, there is still another extreme reminding us that the pandemic is still present, with China putting tens of millions

of its own people into a fresh lockdown due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Although the spectre of Covid-19 continues to fade in the West, I believe we all recognise, deep down, that the pandemic will be omnipresent in our lives as we continue to move forward in the ‘new normal’. »

11

At Burlingtons, we are seeing more of our team returning to our London headquarters at Stratford Place, and it has been really special to see the old team camaraderie that we had pre-lockdown burst back to life. I was shocked to realise I hadn’t seen some of my colleagues in person for two years, since closing our Stratford Place offices on 13 March 2020 and making a smooth transition to home and remote working, as we faced a lockdown unlike anything we had experienced before.

The question we face now is whether we will ever get back to the old ways.

In my opinion, we will never return to our previous way of working – and I think that’s a good thing.

Before the pandemic, I would be in the office at 7am and not leave until late into the evening. Lockdown has shown me I don’t need to work in this way and, in fact, I have become more efficient and technically savvy since we were forced to first switch to remote working.

Just last weekend, we had a Teams call on a Sunday with participants located on Dubai, London, Malta and Spain.

We don’t hesitate to jump on these calls now no matter what time or day, and it has become second nature to communicate in this way.

Our team also seems happier to be able to enjoy the flexibility of coming to the office as they choose, rather than returning to the rat race of the daily commute, while respecting the trust and responsibility we place on them to continue to deliver excellence for the business at all levels – which they do in spadefuls.

I can’t thank the Burlingtons team enough for continuing to support and sail the business and, as we emerge from a tough two years, we can see just how successful we have been in developing our business units, and becoming more creative in our branding, marketing and networking with recognisable results.

Like many businesses, our Burlingtons Group has evolved during this time, and has seized the opportunity to become a global boutique player.

And, since we share one planet, it is not just the pandemic which has showed us that, no matter where we live and how different our cultures are, we owe a strong responsibility to each other. Our worldwide community is important to us – as much now as it’s ever been – and our friendships across the planet make us honoured to bring together people from all over the world, sharing common values and benefits, as we continue to expand and strengthen our service offering across the business divisions.

Find out more about Burlingtons Group by visiting burlingtons.group or emailing deborah.mills@burlingtons. pro

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“It is not just the pandemic which has showed us that, no matter where we live and how different our cultures are, we owe a strong responsibility to each other.”

13

TAKE 5 The incredible places, places and products Burlingtons Club members are talking about this season...

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1.

ELECTRIC AMBITION The second concept car from all-electric supercar brand Polestar takes its sustainability and technology ambitions to the next level with the new Polestar O2 (below) . The hard-top convertible builds on the previous Polestar Precept model with a bespoke aluminium platform, recycled polyester thermoplastic mono-materials, and an autonomous cinematic drone. CEO Thomas Ingenlath describes the new model as “the hero car for our brand”, adding he plans to launch three new cars over the next three years. » polestar.com

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2.

RED SEA READY The iconic Four Seasons Resort Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt has undergone an extravagant expansion and enhancement project, adding 22 hectares to the private beachfront resort in Egypt. The project has doubled the size of the property to make room for more luxurious guest accommodations and residences (above), five new dining options, renovated spa and fitness facilities, while a new on-site PADI centre opens up a new world of diving and snorkelling for guests. fourseasons.com

3.

SWEET TREATS If you’re looking for a truly luxurious Easter Egg for your spring celebrations, look no further than these deliciously decorated examples from Fortnum & Mason. Crafted exclusively for the London department store by master chocolatiers in Wales, these hand-painted eggs come in two styles – bunny or chick (left) – at a size of 500g. The egg is made from 45% cocoa single original chocolate couverture from Colombia, with a layer of 40% cocoa white chocolate. The cute images, created using all-natural cocoa butter paints, take many weeks to complete. At £100 an egg, these are well worth hunting for. fortnumandmason.com 16

4.

ROYAL TIPPLE The Royal Collection Trust has released a special edition Buckingham Palace English Sparkling Wine (right) to mark the occasion of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The vintage wine is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier all grown in vineyards in Kent and West Sussex, and pairs perfectly with mature cheddar and seafood – including crab, langoustines and classic fish and chips. With the label taking inspiration from the Queen’s 1953 coronation, all profits from sales benefit The Royal Collection Trust, which funds the conservation of the Collection – including the Crown Jewels. rct.uk

5.

PACK YOUR BAGS Travel in style with Globe-Trotters’ centenary collection, which has launched a modern new colour range of grey and caramel for 2022.

Taking the classic luggage shapes perfected over decades, presented in lightweight and hard-wearing ‘Vulcanised Fibreboard’, the new collection combines a sleek deep grey with camel leather accents on corners, handles, straps and guides. From small watch and jewellery cases to attachés (right) and suitcases, this is an elegant new range to the brand that boasts the Queen, Daniel Craig and Eddie Redmayne among its clientele. globe-trotter.com

17

START YOUR ENGINES Jacob Kett gears up for a thrilling new season of Formula One

18

MOTORING

2022 pre-season testing in Barcelona [©LAT/MercedesBenz Grand Prix Ltd] 19

20

MOTORING

Q

UITE UNBELIEVABLY, in what seems like no time at all, the 2022 Formula One season is upon us. By the time you read this issue, we will already be gearing up for the third race weekend of Australia on 8-10 April, swiftly following by the Italian Grand Prix on 22-24 April.

The build-up to that first race weekend of the year was palpable, with the F1 teams revving up their fans through car livery reveals, confirmed driver line ups and testing completed – all ahead of the curtain-raising Bahrain Grand Prix on 18-20 March.

Even the off-season has never been so exciting, with the championship organisers firmly grabbing international headlines following Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen’s controversial victory against Mercedes-Benz’s Lewis Hamilton – on the last lap of the last race of a pulsating season, no less.

If this new season has even a fraction of the tension and excitement of the 2021 championship, then we are in for a treat. Hamilton and Verstappen, alongside their respective team principles Toto Wolff (Mercedes) and Christian Horner (Red Bull Racing) are set to renew their fierce rivalry, which has all the makings to become as legendary a combat as that of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda and James Hunt, and Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell.

Such competition is a testament to the staying power of Formula One, but also reveals some canny marketing when one considers how much the sport has dominated newspaper headlines ahead of the eagerly anticipated new season.

The attraction of Formula One has, in part, been the sheer adrenaline and sense of danger, available direct to your living room on a Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the Netflix produced series Formula 1: Drive to Survive – which has just aired its fourth season – has done an unprecedented job of marketing F1, through highlighting the drivers as multifaceted personalities and giving behind the scenes footage of the teams and individuals that make the sport. However, the most important part of Drive to Survive has been its skill in taking all the tension and drama of the global grands prix and condensing them into 40-minute episodes. »

Defending champions: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen (inset) won the 2021 F1 championship [©Red Bull Racing] 21

RACE READY If the Russian Grand Prix – which was cancelled by F1 organisers in March – is replaced, as expected, 2022 will remain a 23-race season. This makes it the longest and most international yet, and marks the F1’s growth towards increasing to a 25-race season in the next few years.

Along with the famous circuits of Spa (Belgium), Silverstone (UK) and Monza (Italy), there is also a new circuit to be excited about – Miami. Scheduled for the weekend of 8 May. The Miami Grand Prix totals a distance of 308.37km spread across 57 laps. The track will circumnavigate the Hard Rock Stadium, which is home to NFL outfit the Miami Dolphins. It is expected that top speeds will reach 320 km/h (198 mph).

But the most exciting part of any F1 season is surely the driver pairings – not just the cars. The drivers have to work together to help their team finish as high as possible in the constructors’ championship while still, paradoxically, competing against each other as individuals to finish highest in the driver standings and impress other teams for future moves.

The most obvious pairing to draw attention is that of Lewis Hamilton and 24-year-old George Russell – the king against the heir-in-waiting if you will. Hamilton will go down as one of the best – if not the best – in the history of the sport, and rightfully sees himself as the number 1 in the

Mercedes garage.

However, Russell, who achieved his first podium with Mercedes in 2021, will be desperate to make an impression, having felt destined for Mercedes since he first started out in F1. There is no better way to do that than to go wheel-towheel with a seven-time champion.

While last year it seemed clear that Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was Hamilton’s number two in a purely supporting role, I have a feeling Russell is going to be a little less obliging on that front.

Over at Red Bull Racing there is a much more settled pair in reigning champion Max Verstappen and his number two Sergio Perez – but where is the fun in stability? Red Bull were looking imperious during testing, with Verstappen looking particularly quick in Bahrain. However, testing is always a game of smoke and mirrors with teams eager to give nothing away ahead of the season start.

It is hard to look past Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, both vying for the top sport after their controversial end of the season in November last year. However, there is still plenty of excitement in the middle of the pack with the likes of Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly looking to build on promising seasons last year – and it is always nice to have former champions like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel in the mix.

As we head into a thrilling new seasons, its “lights out and away we go…”

Greatest of all time: Lewis Hamilton, for Mercedes, is hoping to reclaim his title [© Finn Pomeroy/ MercedesBenz Grand Prix]

23

SAFETY FIRST Bespoke Home & Yacht Security founder Matthias Fitzthum shares the powerful protection available to ultra high net worth individuals

I

T IS A FACT that more than 80% of threats to HNWIs are insider threats, and particularly dangerous because they come from people that already have authorised access to your physical assets or privileged information, which makes approaching them – from a technical perspective – challenging.

Our disruptive approach is the redefinition of security “Made in Germany”.

A unique one-stop-shop for comprehensive security via a single point of contact in order to guarantee utmost secrecy – such as private staff, anti-drone, intrusion detection, bulletproof doors and windows, exclusive panic rooms, finest serenity zones, bespoke armoured cars, and other seamless home and yacht security.

Bespoke Home & Yacht Security are the world’s leading architects of state-of-the-art security for high net worth individuals, family offices and top executives. »

24

SECURITY

25

BESPOKE ARMOURED & BULLETPROOF CARS: DRIVING FORTS Wealthy families and top executives are rightly worried about ambushes or random acts of street violence while driving.

Being frightened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, exposed persons require peace of mind as they drive around.

Armoured and bulletproof cars are able to withstand a pipe bomb explosion from point-blank range and weather rounds of bullets shot by firearms such as AK-47s and 9mm pistols.

Besides the extensive bulletproof protection, they must be able to escape on run-flat tires in case of an assault.

The global demand for exclusive bespoke armoured and bulletproof cars, SUVs, and more is increasing every day.

Especially these days, facing a despicable war within Europe.

Clients all over the planet are ordering armoured and bulletproof SUVs, like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Aston Martin DBX, Range Rover or MercedesBenz G63 AMG. Highest protection during the week, mobile forts for your family and executives.

But, on the other hand, we are seeing our esteemed clients enjoying their weekends and holidays in fascinating sportscars, supercars or hypercars, completely unprotected – an easy target for any criminal.

This is why we developed, in Germany, the first lightweight armouring (stopping 9mm bullets) for sportscars, supercars or hypercars, such as bulletproof Aston Martin DBS, Bugatti Divo, Ferrari LaFerrari, Lamborghini Centenario and more, with any supercar available for bulletproofing upon request.

We love cars, and are highly specialised in the supervision of the production of any armored and bulletproof vehicle, sourcing bespoke armoured cars and special-purpose vehicles, and the discreet sourcing of rarest off-market cars, ranging from finest Ferraris to modern hypercars.

BULLETPROOF DOORS & WINDOWS: ARMOURED SERENITY ZONES Bulletproof doors and armoured windows are tested every day by burglars and kidnappers all over the planet, in merciless confrontations with unlimited criminal energy. So, how can you ultimately protect your family members, as well as your precious collections of jewellery, cars, watches or art, within your home or yacht?

The effortless solution at any required armouring level includes bulletproof doors, bulletproof windows, bespoke panic rooms and armoured serenity zones.

Armoured serenity zones – the evolution of panic rooms – are a part of your home which happens to be a truly impenetrable fortress when called upon, which it achieves in a subtle manner, without compromising on design, style or comfort.

Serenity zones are a new security concept which takes the old idea of the panic room and turns it around completely.

Serenity zones are the most secure and welcoming place in your home. The solutions we have implemented not only make these areas resistant against any attack, they also make the room beautiful and peaceful: a safe refuge.

Serenity zones are a room or a series of rooms within your home, fitted with all the necessary features to make it resistant against attacks and completely safe. Normally, the chosen room is your bedroom, which is transformed in a truly discreet and imperceptible way into an impenetrable fortress. This is all done without compromising the comfort and beauty of your private space.

Serenity zones bring together a range of integrated technological solutions that moni-tor and protect these rooms in your home that are part of the system. With biometric fingerprint and facial recognition, voice control and integration into security systems, the serenity zones represents a new standard in home security.

We have created architectural entrances and finest reinforced doors for decades, using expert Italian craftsmanship and cutting-edge perimeter security technology, exceeding the highest international security standards.

Our armoured window surfaces represent the symbiosis of form and function to enrich and protect your property, in harmony with the style and security needs of each client.

All enquiries will be dealt with absolute integrity and discretion.

Please get in touch with: Mag. Matthias Fitzthum, CEO & Founder +49 151 564 23 149 mf@bespokehomesecurity.com bespokehomesecurity.com

Bespoke security: Drone technology (left), bulletproof cars (top right) and armoured serenity rooms (below right) are just some of the ways you can protect your loved ones

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SECURITY

27

SEAMLESS SUPPORT The best private offices blend concierge, business and family services to make your life seamless. Helen Weaving introduces some of the key areas of Burlingtons Private Office

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S

PRING IS HERE, the flowers are blooming and there are exciting things going on within Burlingtons Private Office. We provide our clients with a full range of lifestyle management services, from insurance and compliance to foreign exchange, relocation and security services.

Our aim is to provide you with an uncompromising service, whether that’s assisting with the acquisition of real estate assets, yachts or jets, opening bank accounts, project management, and even paying your bills. Our team is available to help with anything pertaining to your lifestyle. We work closely with team members at Burlingtons Legal, giving us the ability to take care of your legal matters, as well.

Some of our recent challenges have included working with a financial institution in Europe looking to open a bank in the UK, assisting a client raise equity for their growing business and, through the assistance of our head of tax and fiduciary at Burlingtons Legal in Gibraltar, guiding a prospect client of a tax-related matter.

Our aim is to make life easier for you. With your international lifestyle our priority, we have the fundamental management process in place to look after your needs, working closely with our colleagues across Burlingtons Group around the world – with representative offices in London, Geneva, Almaty, St Petersburg, Gibraltar and Malta – to provide a professional, discreet service that you can trust with any need.

PRIVATE OFFICE

FOREIGN EXCHANGE Through our partner of choice, Rational FX, we can arrange for all your foreign exchange needs to be quoted at better exchange rates than can often be offered by commercial banks. Whether for your business or personal needs – from purchasing real estate or paying school fees – this foreign exchange service provides competitive exchange rates and low transfer fees. We provide expert guidance and insight tailored to meet your every need and in nearly every currency around the globe.

COMPLIANCE DESK With significant changes in compliance regulations, we provide discreet assistance and forethought in approaching banks, identifying the best banking partners for you as well as assistance in opening bank accounts and client on-boarding.

We assist you in appropriate advice and advisory documentation as well as liaising with banking and other regulatory compliance on-boarding. »

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INSURANCE We work in conjunction Vizion Insurance Brokers Ltd to simplify comprehensive insurance for your assets and precious items – from real estate to vehicles, jewellery to fine art. Through Vizion, we offer a highly personal service and are well placed to advise across a number of key insurance areas, including cover for all types of luxury assets, real estate, indemnity, business and medical insurance.

LIFESTYLE With the busy lifestyles so many have today, we know how important it is to set aside the stresses of day-today lifestyle issues. We support you to enhance your lifestyle, providing you with a dedicated manager to accomplish your goals, from paying school fees, bookkeeping and bill payment, opening bank accounts, and recruitment of household staff.

Our service is personally tailor-made to meet any lifestyle requirements.

Whether you are seeking lifestyle assets such as jets, yachts or artwork, we have an international reach and advisory service to assist you.

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RELOCATION If you are interested in moving your business or family to a new country, we are here to guide you through the process involved. Burlingtons Group is pleased to partner with London-based LSS Relocation to provide a superior range of services to assist with your relocation, whether short- or longterm. Working in conjunction with Burlingtons Real Estate Advisory, we provide you with the highest level of support, from removals to schooling, immigration to accommodation negotiation. We can assist you with residential property acquisition, rentals, managed sales, tenancy management and general settling-in services.

SECURITY We understand that threats to personal security and reputation can surface in varied and unexpected ways. This can range from opportunistic street crime to targeted criminal planning and obsessive stalkers, harassment, extortion, blackmail, bribery and cyber-attacks. In addition, medical emergencies, accidents, kidnap and even natural disasters can leave you and your loved ones vulnerable. Valkyrie delivers a marketleading solution by implementing a proactive, pre-emptive and preventative risk management programme while reacting in real time to any developing situations. We have partnered with specialist private security group Valkyrie, which has established a global reputation providing the highest quality security services across the world. As part of these services, they provide tailored and complete security and lifestyle management for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), families and businesses.

To find out more about how Burlingtons private office can help you, please call 020 7529 5420 or email helen.weaving@ burlingtons.pro 31

FINDING THEIR MUSE Notting Hill-based design duo Muza Lab have mastered the art of creating spaces that leave you speechless. Gabriel Power finds out how they are redefining everything from island resorts in the Maldives to luxury train interiors in the Peruvian Andes

F

OR AN INDUSTRY so rife with creativity and innovation, the world of design is one that often finds even its most accomplished practitioners slip into cliché when describing their approach; or, worse yet, when they are actually designing something.

Genuine unpredictability is a rare and precious commodity in interior design – it is one of very few industries in which this is the case – but attempts to create truly one-of-a-kind spaces will frequently fall into the realm of the overwrought, cluttered by superfluous flourishes and embellishments that serve little purpose.

“Everything needs to have a meaning; everything needs to make sense.”

This was the first piece of design-based wisdom imparted to me by Inge Moore, interior designer and one half of Muza Lab, a studio founded in west London in 2016 with her long-time collaborator Nathan Hutchins. Since creating their own design firm, the pair have turned heads with their meticulously curated interior designs the world over – from London to the Maldives to Brazil and back – and their success on the global stage can be partially credited to knowing the limits of human perception and working under the ethos that less, more often than not, really is more.

“Everything needs to work and be practical,” she says. “This makes people understand and enjoy the space more, rather than us all living in purely aesthetic white spaces.”

Hutchins steps in, describing what they look for in a project: “Uniqueness is important. Inge and I are easily seduced by unique buildings and sites, as well as clients with an incredible vision to do something out of the ordinary.

“We don’t want to do the same thing over and over and sometimes the right project will come up at the right time; one of us will say ‘hey, we haven’t done an amazing spa in three years’, and then an amazing subterranean site comes up and we think ‘of course we have to take that on’. We like variety, » 32

DESIGN

The Belmond Andean Express 33

34

DESIGN

we like new challenges and we like fascinating destinations rich in character and history that we can draw on.”

“We’re lucky that we have so many projects in such amazing destinations, from Shanghai to Saudi Arabia to Palm Beach,” says Moore. “We’re really into promoting multiculturalism through our design, something we feel is reflected in our team here in London – we have 15 staff members and 28 passports between them. We are at the crossroads of the world here. If we had lived several hundred years ago, I’m positive we would have been explorers, not designers.”

The studio’s name is derived from the Greek word for “inspiration” (and where we get the word “muse”), and thus they like to refer to themselves as the “inspiration laboratory”.

“All different kinds of inspirations are brought to our laboratory and made to work together so that they are practically, ergonomically and environmentally ready,” says Moore. “Our lab is a place where science meets inspiration.”

Using this mantra, the duo has, so far, kept nearly everyone in their sphere of influence guessing with their highly contrasting designs, including their classically muted vision of the Park Hyatt Milano, the untamed spacious Eagle Island Lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, to a luxury desert resort in Saudi Arabia or contemporary One and Only Athens .

THE INSIDE TRACK But one project has grabbed the attention of the industry for its inversion of the design norms one might expect from such a venture; the Belmond Andean Explorer, a luxury sleeper train that runs between the Peruvian cities of Cusco and Arequipa. The stunning interiors of the train, which launched in 2018 and replaced the old Pullman day service that ran the route, were Moore and Hutchins’ take on using minimalism within to enhance the maximalism of nature outside, with pristine whites and airy interiors complementing the rugged terrain of the Andes. Hutchins is quick to quell the notion that designing in such limited space posed any unique challenges to the pair.

“It’s the same as every project, really,” he says. “Just because it’s small doesn’t mean much; it’s still about making people feel good when they’re in that space, and I think the pictures show that it’s very light and fresh. Nobody wants to be in a small, dark room.”

“Lots of older trains used on great journeys use a lot of dark timber, dark wood, velvet and tassels and we just wanted to get rid of all of that,” adds Moore. “The Belmond is an old train and we stripped out all that darkness and wanted to replace it with light so that when you travel, the amazing landscape of Peru becomes the real picture.”

The train, due to the somewhat idiosyncratic nature of a major design studio taking on a railway carriage interior, has garnered Muza Lab a fair amount of attention in the art news world. But while both Moore and Hutchins are immensely proud of their work on the Belmond, I sense that it would be too obvious a choice for either of them to call it their favourite. And so, I ask which they might choose in its place.

“Most designers have a project that was a major turning point in their career, and for me that was The Alpina Gstaad,” says Hutchins. The Alpina is an intimate five-star luxury hotel high in the Swiss Alps, east of Lake Geneva, which has been enrapturing guests for years with its stunning interiors

that make ample use of the generous natural resources of the surrounding area.

“I went on probably 80 trips to the site and knew every inch of that property by heart,” he adds. “On opening night, I was there rewiring lamps myself – I had blood on my hands from converting British plug sockets to Swiss ones – and so to me, the Alpina will always be special.”

“It’s like choosing your favourite child,” Moore exclaims.

“But, realistically, it’s often the project that you’re currently working on that is your favourite. You work on these things for so long that seeing them come together just feels great.”

Their current project – one which, once again, comes as something of a surprise for Muza Lab – is the refitting of the 1931 classic superyacht Marala. Rather than attempting to emulate the ultra-modern stylings of most superyachts, the pair have harnessed the ship’s remarkable heritage to create an art deco masterpiece, due to launch for charter later this year.

“The cast of characters that have holidayed on this yacht is quite extraordinary. It was a private yacht for the last royal family in Italy, and Salvador Dalí used to spend his summers on it,” Hutchins says. “After being converted to a navy ship during the Second World War, it was completely bastardised when it was converted back into a yacht in the 1950s. It has been renovated and added to so many times that it was practically ready to tip over by the time we got to it.

“We have completely redesigned it and stripped it back, taking out some of the incongruous additions made to it over the decades and brought back her natural lines, restoring the interiors to 1930s glamour,” he adds. “We even spent time in the National Maritime Museum’s archives to find the blueprints for the original design, which gave us more inspiration.”

To sum up the vessel, Hutchins makes a statement that could fit all of Muza Lab’s projects, and is part of what makes their vision so unique: “It’s a mix of reusing what we have, repurposing things that were already there, finding a bit of history and then adding our own splash of colour on top.” muzalab.com This article originally appeared in Tempus Magazine; tempusmagazine.co.uk

Design for life: The Copacabana Palace (left); and Muza Lab founders Nathan Hutchins and Inge Moore (right) 35

BRIGHT LEGACY

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Burlingtons Group CEO Deborah Mills casts her eyes over some of the largest and most famous precious stones in the world – and their rich and colourful history

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F THE WORLD’S most famous and precious gems could only talk, and let us know their secrets, they would speak volumes.

When one thinks of the world’s most famous gems, one naturally – and immediately – thinks of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Tower of London. Consisting of 142 objects featuring heraldic devices and national emblems of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the regalia includes orbs, spurs and even a 12th-century coronation spoon. In all, there are a total 23,578 stones owned by Elizabeth II. These objects symbolise more than 800 years of monarchy, the regalia being the only working set in Europe and the most historically complete in the world, with a rich lineage dating back to Edward the Confessor. Edward established the collection in the 12th century, after being made a saint.

Perhaps the most precious in the collection is Cullinan I, a 530-carat diamond also known as the Star of India. Set today within the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, it is the world’s largest clear-cut diamond. It was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII, having been named after the owner of the mine where it was discovered.

There are, in fact, nine stones cut from the original Cullinan. At 317 carats, its sister stone the Cullinan II is set in the front of the Imperial State Crown – worn by the Queen at the State opening of Parliament – and keeps good company with precious gems such as the Stuart sapphire and the Black Prince ruby – given to Edward the Black Prince by a Spanish king in 1367 – and the largest red spinel in the world.

Another of the Queen’s famous diamonds is the Koh-iNoor, which weighs in at a comparatively meagre 105-carats and was acquired by Queen Victoria after the British annexation of the Punjab in 1849, at the end of the AngloSikh war. It was Prince Albert who, feeling the cut of the jewel failed to impress, had it re-cut as an oval brilliant.

Rumoured to bring bad luck to any man who wears it, the Koh-i-Noor has only ever been worn by female royals, and is currently set in the coronation crown of Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother. »

“When one thinks of the world’s most famous gems, one naturally – and immediately – thinks of the 142 Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom”

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All that glitters: The Cullinan I (top left) and Cullinan IV, known as the lesser Star of Africa, are both among the Crown Jewels; St Edward’s Crown (above) is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels 39

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STYLE SHINING BRIGHT But it is not just our monarchy which has been the proud possessor of such fabulous jewels.

Elizabeth Taylor immediately springs to mind, famed for her acting career as much as for her passionate relationship with on-off husband Sir Richard Burton. Burton gave Taylor a substantial collection of jewels including a 69.42 carat diamond – said to be more a gift of penance than a love token, after he told her that she had fat fingers. She retorted that if she had this diamond around her neck her fingers would not look so fat.

A nod should also be given to the Hortensia diamond, bought by King Louis XIV of France and later named by emperor Napoleon Bonaparte – after his step-daughter, Hortensia de Beauharnais, the Queen of Holland. Bonaparte was said to wear the diamond on his epaulette when going into battle. The stone was snatch along with many of the French Crown Jewels during the French Revolution, and was later recovered from an attic in Paris. It is now housed in the Louvre.

Like Hortensia, the Hope diamond is another of the world’s most famous Golconda diamonds. It could be said to be the bad boy in the pack, weighing in at 45.52 carats.

Mined in India in the 17th century, it too was once owned

by Louis XIV and subsequently stolen. Believed to be cursed, the diamond was blamed for the misfortune of its owners – including Prince Ivan Kanitovski, killed by Russian revolutionists; Simon Mencharides, who was murdered along with his wife and child; explorer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who was supposedly torn apart by wild dogs; and jeweller Hendrick Fals, who murdered his father William to steal the jewel and later died by suicide.

Eventually, the diamond came into the possession of New York socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean, who called the blue diamond her lucky charm until a spate of unfortunate events saw her son die in a car accident, her husband divorce her, and her daughter die of an accidental overdose. The family donated it to the Smithsonian in 1952.

I have always held wonder for the earthly beauty of such precious stones. Though the nearest contact I had was to hold the Chester Beatty diamond, which was said to have been picked off the ground by Sir Alfred Chester-Beatty, famous philanthropist and miner. The diamond went to auction in the early 1990s in New York, and I had the privilege to see it in London’s Hatton Garden, where it was stored for examination before being sent off to auction.

These stories only go to show that diamonds, as the songs suggest, are a girl’s best friend – not just sparkling on our fingers. We are merely the custodians of something wonderful, thrown up from the belly of the earth and made to last forever.

Very superstitious: the Hope diamond (left) is believed to be cursed 41

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ESTLED ALONG LAKE LUGANO in Southern Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino region, Lugano is an important banking hub with roots as an ancient market-town. The location was the source of constant clashes between Italian feudal lords during the Renaissance era, and later between Switzerland and Napoleon’s Helvetic Republic. Now Switzerland’s third most important financial centre, there are more than 100 financial institutions present in the city.

Yet, Lugano is also a vivacious tourism hub, with a Swiss-Mediterranean culture reflected in everything from its cuisine to its colourful neoclassical architecture, exemplified by an historic town centre that exudes Lombardy style. Lugano is known for its vibrant art scene, and museums and galleries are interspersed with upmarket boutiques and cosy cafés. Interestingly, in 1956, the city was the inaugural host of the Eurovision Song Contest. If that’s not inspiring enough, hikes of nearby Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatore offer panoramic views of the lakeside town and alpine surrounds.

Lake Lugano Bordering southern Switzerland and northern Italy, this picturesque lake is the heart of many lakeside communities and tourist visits alike.

Piazza della Riforma Bistros, bars and boutiques abound at Lugano’s historic Piazza, which is home to the city’s music festivals and markets throughout the year.

POSTCARDS FROM...

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Lugano Cathedral The Cattedrale di San Lorenzo is dedicated to the martyr Saint Lawrence. The historic church has existed on this site since 818.

Parco Ciani Considered one of Switzerland’s most beautiful parks, the 63,000sqm lakeside retreat sees manicured gardens meet “wild” local woodland.

Via Nassa A shopper’s paradise, historical Via Nassad has been transformed into a miniature Milan, with designer boutiques, jewellers, antiques and more.

Cornèr Arena This arena is home to Hockey Club Lugano as well as hosting the biggest sporting and cultural events in the city.

Mont Bré & Mont San Salvatore The twin peaks that surround Lugano provide perfect panoramas to hikers and cyclists, with 360˚ views of the lake and mountain region.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE ART Competitive skier and award-winning designer Andreas Pichler founded Foil to deliver the most luxurious bespoke skis in the world. Here, he tells Michelle Johnson about the quest for perfection – and love of Alpine living – that drives him

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OR MANY DESIGNERS, the adage ‘form follows function’ is the beating heart of innovation. But just because a design needs to meet its objective doesn’t mean it can’t also be a piece of art. This is the credo of Foil, the bespoke ski company founded by award-winning designer and former professional competitive skier, Andreas Pichler (right).

Foil creates skis that are, in Pichler’s words, “high performance art”. Using exquisite materials and designed to the buyer’s exact specifications, these bespoke wooden skis are as at home racing down the slopes as they are displayed as a piece of art upon the wall.

With famous fans including Arctic explorer Inge Solheim and actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, Foil is perhaps most widely known for its limited-edition OroNero skis, which went viral when announced in 2018. The decadent edition is crafted from 8,000-year-old certified BogOak with 14 carat gold plated bindings. Each order comes with a handcrafted leather carry, poles and inlays, and priced at an astonishing $65,000 (£48,000).

“The Oro-Nero skis really represent my love for this lifestyle, rather than being just a gimmick,” says Pichler.

“These really are the Rolls-Royce of skis. I wanted to use the most precious wood I could find, which is this Bog-Oak »

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that costs $550,000 per cubic metre for the wood alone. The material and gold binding don’t change the performance, but the finishing is beautiful.

“For me, I wanted to know how far I could go in perfecting a product, and this is truly a piece of art that should be kept on the wall,” he adds. “Although, I do have clients who use them every day.”

THE ARTIST’S WAY Foil’s story begins with the combination of Pichler’s two passions: skiing and design. A fifth-generation artist and designer from the medieval town of Doellach, Austria, he joined the country’s ski team at a young age, competing professionally until the age of 20 in events including the Alpine Ski Europa Cup. “I grew up in the Renaissance era of skiing,” he says. “My dad built his own skis, so I was surrounded by fascinating wooden and vintage skis. They didn’t have any real lifts in the town, so we prepared our own slopes to have races. It was really beautiful.

“But I was struggling with whether I wanted to be a skier or a designer. I was evaluating my gifts and, ultimately, the ability to be a great craftsman and designer was more appealing to me than pursuing a skiing career.”

Pichler moved to Los Angeles at 25 to work with musicians, creating custom guitars and design concepts for companies such as Fender and Red Bull. However, while his career went to new heights, Pichler did not ski for a decade until, aged 30, he hit the slopes with friends.

“When I picked up skiing again, I realised how much I love the whole lifestyle,” he says. “I found an amazing custom ski46

maker in Italy – Alessandro Marchi – and I was totally blown away. The difference in performance made me fall back in love with skiing.”

Pichler teamed up with Marchi to co-found Foil, offering the ski-makers bespoke, high performance approach with his own flair for sleek design and rare materials.

Two-and-a-half years later, the first Foil skis were hitting the slopes to great acclaim.

Schwarzenegger said: “Foil Skis are one-of-a-kind. I have never before seen such craftsmanship, nor have I experienced such balance and ease of control on a pair of skis.”

THE STEINWAY OF SKIS The quality of custom skis is night and day, says Pichler, who explains that Foil takes height, weight and physical form into consideration when designing for their clients.

“Often, with generic racing skis, it feels like you’re battling against all the forces. Our custom skis are in perfect balance with you, so they respond to you,” he says. “When your skis are in tune to your body and your ability, skiing feels effortless. You just dance down the slopes.”

Foil’s two central models are an all-mountain ski, which is perfect for any slope conditions and a racer-style ski for those »

SPORT

Off piste dreams: Foil’s bespoke ski are handmade by artisans (left); The Oro Nero (opposite), Rossastro (below) and Oro Nero Jackie Chan special edition (bottom)

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Art of snow: Foil’s 2018 collaboration with artist Bradley Theodor (above and left) and the brand’s Rossastro skis (right)

with a competitive edge. “When we begin the customisation process, we ask how often you ski, where you ski, what you preferred conditions are like. All this is important to making sure your skis fit like a perfectly-tailored suit.”

In addition to creating super-bespoke skis, Pichler is determined to ensure Foil is curating truly luxurious options for stylish skiers. With a lifestyle offering based in Courchevel, skiers can rent Foil skis and benefit from one of the brand’s own highly qualified ski instructors. Soon, Foil will offer customised boots, outfits and more to complete the experience.

“We want to offer the whole experience,” Pichler says.

“Skiing is becoming more and more of a lifestyle. So, our vision is to create a small club, more like a family, which offers all the benefits of Foil’s high-performance products and instructors – a kind of concierge service.”

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Pichler’s competitive nature certainly drives his quest for perfection, but when asked about his own favourite places to ski, there is a romance that shines through, too.

“I always like to ski where there’s a lot of sun,” he says.

“There are so many beautiful places in the US, such as Jackson Hole in Wyoming, and Aspen in Colorado. In Europe, the lifestyle of the French Alps is amazing. You get the whole experience: perfect slopes, the social aspect – you can connect with nature and with people.

“That’s what skiing means to me,” he adds. “When I compare today’s plastic skis to the wooden skis of old, I miss the superb art of the product. I want to create the Steinway Piano of skis, to represent the absolute pinnacle of this lifestyle – which is timeless beauty.” foilskis.com

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ROCK STEADY Family office service providers Cornwalls Lane share how Gibraltar’s innovative regulations are perfect for high net worth investors

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NOWN AS THE GATEWAY to the Mediterranean, the British overseas territory of Gibraltar has long been known in the financial world its high standard of regulation and oversight, abundance of well qualified professionals and benign tax regime, but this small hub is fast gaining a reputation for being at the cutting edge of regulation for up-and-coming markets – such as crypto and online gaming (the latter of which is relatively mature).

One company that has seen the benefits of these innovations is Cornwalls Lane, whose clients include private wealth managers and family offices serving high net worth families and individuals. Cornwalls Lane was founded by tax lawyer Peter Young and chartered accountant Ed le Feuvre, who describe the boutique companyas a “middle and back office for family offices”, facilitating both international and domestic investment structures and handling regulatory compliance.

Now fully regulated in company and trust management, Cornwalls Lane are preparing to create a strategic partnership with Burlingtons Group that will see the two companies form a “one stop shop” to provide a full suite of client solutions across a breadth of family office issues. Here, Young and le Feuvre tell Burlingtons Magazine about their range of family office solutions and the benefits of Gibraltar’s unique financial and regulatory status. » 51

Please tell us about how Cornwalls Lane assist private wealth managers?

Peter Young: “For a private wealth manager, hiring multiple accountants and lawyers in-house is an extremely expensive – and sometimes risky – proposition. That’s where we come in. Ed and I have complementary skillsets so we can offer a range of services to facilitate offshore and onshore investment structures for private wealth managers and family offices, without them worrying about the security of their clients.

“Our biggest clients are private wealth managers, who typically have multiple high-net-worth individual clients with a range of investments. While the manager is responsible for the investment recommendations and decisions for their clients, we put in place all the legal and accounting structures that enable them to do that successfully.”

How does this apply to private fund administration?

Edward le Feuvre: “On the private equity side we often get asked to do an assessment of the validity of making a particular investment. We create fund structures, where there is more than one client or where the investment manager wants to have a collective investment scheme to go into a particular project. For example, we have a few families investing together in one opportunity, so setting up a fund structure works very well for those multi-family structures.”

How does being based in Gibraltar add to your international scope?

ElF: “One of the main benefits is that we have close access to Europe, but Gibraltar is based on UK legal system and uses the same accounting processes. So, it’s a very familiar and comforting place for individuals who want their wealth protected and looked after in a benign tax environment provided their personal tax circumstances allow.”

PY: “Gibraltar is now the only country in the world that shares common financial services area with the UK, so we essentially more or less follow UK standards on financial regulation – and that has some benefits, especially when it comes to banking. Being based offshore, international clients can, in appropriate cases, draw upon our skills to provide management and control from Gibraltar for their investment structures.”

Why has Gibraltar become such a popular centre for flourishing markets?

ElF: “We have a very similar regulatory process to the UK, which is why insurance companies often work out of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar’s very proactive in the crypto sphere and has one of the few regulatory regimes in the world that’s flexible and usable – which means some of the largest exchanges in the world are licensed to operate from Gibraltar.

“Gaming has, over the years, become a much more regulated activity, and Gibraltar was quick to adopt regulations and regulatory procedures – which has seen William Hill and Ladbrokes both move major offices to Gibraltar. So, you can see how it’s a very attractive place, even for burgeoning regulated industries.”

How much does your experience in these growing areas assist your clients?

ElF: “Gibraltar is a very progressive jurisdiction, with only 30,000 people actually living on the Rock. Often you can get access to regulators and decision-makers in burgeoning markets very quickly, so you can actually feel that you’re contributing personally towards developing and building new regulations. A lot of the clients coming to us now are actually Bitcoin billionaires, because the regulatory environment and tax environment here is very attractive to them – both for business and as a home.”

Please tell us about your strategic partnership with Burlingtons Group?

PY: “We got to know Deborah [Mills, CEO] on a personal level through Helen [Weaving, head of private office]. As a tax lawyer, I was able to offer my skillset to Burlingtons to help with their taxation on deals and, equally, they were able to help us in aspects such as corporate deals. Having the backing of a law firm, which we’re now part of, is fantastic, and the cross-selling between us has already been quite significant in just three months.

“We have a very similar ethos and type of clients, who need an excellent, discreet and very personal service. Deborah and her team are very responsive, they’ve all worked in top-notch firms and are experienced across the city, and I can trust them implicitly to service our HNW clients.”

Find out more by contacting Cornwalls Lane via email at info@cornwalls.gi, or visit cornwalls.gi Cornwalls Lane is a member of Burlingtons Group. To find out more, email info@burlingtons.group

Gibraltar is a very progressive jurisdiction...

Often you can get access to decisionmakers in burgeoning markets very quickly – Edward le Feuvre 52

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GLOBAL WORKFORCE Burlingtons Legal’s Sarah Khawaja shares some home truths about employment immigration, and when a company should consider obtaining a Sponsor Licence

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T IS FAR TOO COMMON for businesses to request visa applications for successful candidates based overseas without realising that they first needed to have a Sponsor Licence in place. With so much to manage in the daily operations of any business, the formalities of who is being recruited and from where is rarely given much attention until the role has been identified and is ready to be filled.

However, if the successful candidate is based overseas and the employer is keen to have them start as soon as possible, the delays caused by first securing a Sponsor Licence for the employer can cause frustration and demoralisation on all fronts. For this reason, it is recommended that businesses consider obtaining a Sponsor Licence before the recruitment process has even begun.

There are many categories for which a Sponsor Licence could be obtained, with the most common being an intracompany transfer or a Skilled Worker application. Some of these Licences may be applied for together as a bundle, while some must only be applied for in isolation, but they absolutely must be secured before contemplating a visa application for a successful candidate.

Even the smoothest applications can take some months, which often means delays in starting the visa process for good candidates and, subsequently, means unnecessary delays in mobilising your workforce to commence important or even time-sensitive projects.

To avoid the risk of this last-minute panic, it is strongly advisable that businesses make plans for this process in plenty of time.

Rumentur similita quae. Ovitassit delCatem facerci magnimo ditatem rernati atiosti cor reperib usandae

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What is a Sponsor Licence?

This Licence, granted by the UK Home Office, would allow a UK company to employ workers that are based overseas. Once approved, the licence lasts for four years with the option of renewal. It will enable you to issue Certificates of Sponsorship (a kind of work permit) in a given category.

This process has become particularly important since Brexit, as ending the freedom of movement for a significant part of the workforce has meant that Sponsor Licences are now integral for overseas recruitment.

It is important for all the compliance to be in place before the application is submitted, as a refused application could trigger a cooling-off period, which would delay obtaining a Licence by 6-12 months. » Eligibility To obtain a Sponsor Licence, you first need to prove that you are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK. The employer needs to ensure they have no unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes, such as fraud or money laundering. Furthermore, they must not have had a licence revoked in the previous 12 months.

Suitability The Home Office will assess whether you have the infrastructure and capability as a business to hire overseas workers, but they will also need to be satisfied that there is a genuine need for the role that they are viewing to sponsor. Having said that, the role does not necessarily have to be marketed prior to licence application,

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and the Home Office accept that the recruitment phase will not necessarily have started.

For a tightly regulated process, such as that of the licence application, to permit employers applying for a Sponsor Licence to do so without having first secured recruitment, gives a clear indication that starting this process before interviews are under way makes commercial sense.

Therefore, it makes far more sense to focus your resources on obtaining a licence before undergoing a lengthy recruitment process, only to inform the successful candidate that you are not in a position to offer the role immediately.

Some of the systems that you will need to adopt to secure a Licence include monitoring sponsored employees – via the Sponsorship Management System, which is the Home Office’s online tool used by sponsors to meet their compliance responsibilities and administer their day-to-day licence management systems – and people to manage sponsorship in the business, in key roles which will need to be filled.

It is also important to be aware that UKVI may also chose to visit your business to make sure that the employer is trustworthy and capable of carrying out their duties. These thorough preliminary checks are another reason to ensure that the application is made sooner rather than later.

What documents are needed The type of documents required for submission are subject to the complex rules depending on what type of entity the employer company is. Sponsors will need to gather at least four documents from “Appendix A “, and experience has shown that retrieving items like VAT and insurance certificates can take longer than expected.

Types of Licence The type of licence could be either for long-term employment or temporary workers. Those considering this latter category should be particularly efficient in making a Sponsor Licence application so that they do not lose the season that is important to their business.

Overseas employment will not be suitable for every business, and many will not even contemplate the process. However, for those who have a history of employing candidates from outside the UK (even EU members) or for those who feel this will play a part in the growth of their business, it is certainly worth reflecting on the ease and efficiency that having a Sponsor Licence in place would bring.

To find out more about employment law contact Burlingtons Legal at info@burlingtons.group

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URBAN WELLNESS Looking to get back into your fitness routine in championship style?

Gabriel Power reveals the luxurious London establishments uncovering a whole new side of wellness

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ET’S FACE IT; while we all appreciate the tireless work of home fitness gurus like Joe Wicks – who has solidified his place in the heart of the UK populace with his lockdown classes – getting pumped up, heading out and hitting the gym is one of life’s great underappreciated pleasures.

Many of us have been reminded of that in recent months, as lockdown restrictions lift and workout

sessions regain their communal properties. The gym is where like-minded people, be they fitness fanatics or relative newcomers, can converge and diligently, work toward the same goal: bettering themselves.

Those looking to get back on the treadmill or elevate their gym experience need look no further, as we present the best and most luxurious member gyms in London for 2022 – as well as how to upgrade your home studio. »

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FIGHTING FIT | BXR The celebrity favourite boxing gym backed by British Olympian Anthony Joshua, BXR has multiple branches across the capital, including Canary Wharf and Marylebone (this page and previous), and offers studio-based, instructor-led classes including its renowned full-body cardio workouts.

But the sky’s not the limit for this ambitious gym chain, which is soon to open a new location inside London’s 22 Bishopsgate.

Located on the 25th floor of this towering building, BXR City will be the highest gym in the City of London, along with having the highest climbing wall in the capital. bxrlondon.com

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ELEVATED EXERCISE | LANSERHOF Lanserhof at The Arts Club is one of London’s leading private wellness clubs, offering what it describes as “an elevated approach to health, fitness and vitality”. The facility hosts a private gym equipped with cutting-edge fitness equipment (this page) and a wide range of different studio classes on offer such as yoga, reformer pilates or HIIT training.

Furthermore, medical services offered by orthopaedists, general practitioners and cardiologists are complemented by a team of physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors who use pioneering analytics and equipment to create bespoke health and wellbeing plans. » lhtac.com

CUTTING EDGE | KX Founded in 2001, KX has become a haunt of the high society figures of West London, from Hollywood A-listers to billionaire CEOs, all of whom swear by the club. This is in part due to its strict adherence to the latest academic developments in sports science, nutrition and beauty therapies. Over the years, KX has developed a reputation for introducing cutting edge technologies to its gyms, and the latest peer-reviewed dietary schemes to its kitchen, in an attempt to stay ahead of the curve.

Of particular note is the KX Red Fit Cardio Detox, an exercise space in which guests, be they partaking in pilates or a strenuous cycle, are blasted with infrared light (below) as they get their sweat on. This rather aesthetically intense feature, the first of its kind in Europe upon opening in 2021, is emblematic of KX’s drive to always be at the cutting edge of wellness by harnessing the power of bizarre – but effective – science. kxlife.co.uk

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UNIQUE REGIME | BODYISM Bodyism (this page), based in Notting Hill, is a holistic wellness club with a vast array of treatments and training programmes available to its members. Whether you are looking to sharpen your boxing skills or push through a thorough barre workout, performance specialists and instructors offer high-quality, unique classes designed to expand your exercise regime into uncharted territory.

Beyond this, the team also offers massage and body treatments along with nutritional therapy and osteotherapy to complement all aspects of its members’ lifestyles. bodyism.com This feature originally appeared in Tempus Magazine; tempusmagazine.co.uk 63

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH We speak to Vizion cofounder George Seatter about the importance of truly personalised insurance

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HEN IT COMES to insuring your home and valuables, there’s nothing worse than having to search around for new deals and brokers who can handle a multitude of requirements. Enter Vizion Private Clients, a boutique insurance brokers founded in 2017 to meet the needs of its high net worth clients.

The award-winning firm has scooped accolades at the National Insurance Awards and UK Broker Awards, and prides itself on its highly personalised services across property, travel and business.

“Vizion is about delivering excellence for our clients, building long term relationships with them and being there when it matters,” says founding partner George Seatter, whose 20 years’ experience in the industry has seen him specialise in providing tailored portfolios for clients covering all their general insurance needs.

Here, Seatter tells us his views on the property insurance market, shares some of the astounding artefacts he has insured, and explains the benefits of using a personalised insurance service. »

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Personalised protection: Vizion insures properties and yachts as well as home contents such as fine art, valuables and cars George, what are some of the benefits of using a professional insurance broker?

“Vizion Private Clients looks after the personal insurance needs of our clients and, typically, this covers insurance for buildings as well as home contents such as fine art, valuables and cars. Additionally, we insure annual travel including yachts and private aviation.

“The majority of our clients trust us to understand their requirements and then secure the best priced portfolio of insurance for their needs. They also expect us to be on hand to assist with any claims should the need arise. Insurance is a commodity purchase – but the necessary advice around this is the important part.”

are settled, to ensure that the sums insured are correct. We don’t charge for this appraisal process, which is another reason why our clients choose to work with us.”

What advice would you give around property insurance?

“Typically, there is a need for building insurance to be in place from the initial point of exchange – we often work with the team at Burlingtons Group to ensure that this is handled in plenty of time and not left to the last minute; although I am always ready to receive a call saying, ‘we are exchanging today and need cover’. Contents insurance tends to follow from completion of the purchase. We often organise a home visit once the clients

Tell us about your own background and how Vizion began?

“I’ve been involved in the private client insurance sector for more than 20 years, initially joining a small independent broker and learning the trade looking after their national relationship with a large wealth management business. I then set up a joint venture with this broker and a Mayfair-based financial advisos – this business was called Green Park, and it offered household, motor and travel insurance. I grew the business over

What are some of the more interesting properties or other assets you have been asked to insure?

“One of the nice things about my role is that we get asked to cover some amazing properties and their contents. One particular client had an incredible collection of books, which included a first edition copy of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, personally inscribed by CS Lewis to his friend (and Lord of the Rings author) JRR Tolkien.”

10 years into one of the leading private client brokers and then exited the company as part of a pre-agreed sale in 2015.

“I then spent a few years running the Savills-facing insurance business for SPF Private Clients, where I put together a referral programme that worked really well for their agents, before joining Vizion Private Clients as one of the founding partners to start my own insurance business.”

How does Vizion work?

“Vizion is a unique model in the market as it provides me with the back-office support to grow and build my own business in partnership with them. It’s quite tricky starting a new brokerage, but Vizion essentially derisks the process to allow me to focus on doing what I do best – which is providing a first class personal service to clients and managing their insurance needs with the support of an excellent team, which Vizion has recruited to help run the back office.”

To discuss your insurance needs, contact Vizion at vibl.co.uk or contact George Seatter via email at george@vibl.co.uk.

Vizion is a member of Burlingtons Club. Find out more by emailing info@burlingtons.group 67

Fine wine investing DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES Fine wine’s track record offers stability and diversification during market crises. Cult Wine Investment’s Aaron Rowlands tells us more

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F

INE WINE INVESTMENTS have enjoyed a sustained bull run. The Liv-ex 1000, an index that tracks 1,000 of the world’s most-traded fine wines, gained 28.2% in value over 18 months through the end of February 2022, with many of the top wines in Burgundy posting far higher price growth.

But global financial markets find themselves in turmoil once more in early 2022. When macro events such as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the Covid-19 outbreak or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine rock global markets, there is often no clear path on how to protect your investments.

While recognising this high level of uncertainty, we believe fine wine’s track record of stability and low correlation to equity markets mean it can offer a useful investment option during market volatility and over the long term.

Fine wine in the near term The impact of sudden market crises on fine wine markets have often been less severe as they have on equity or other

mainstream financial assets. Recently, the Liv-ex 1,000 climbed 1.6% in February. While the wider impact from the Ukraine could interrupt or moderate performance in the weeks ahead, we don’t expect to see significant week-by-week market swings as we might in other assets.

This is because fine wine is characterised by a degree of separation from sudden shifts in the macro environment. Fine wine held up relatively well during the GFC and the initial Covid-19 outbreak. At its lowest point at the end of 2008, the Liv-ex 1000 had fallen by 10.5% compared to drops of close to 30% or more in major equity markets. During the initial Covid-19 downturn, the Liv-ex 1000 had only lost 3.1% at its lowest point (30 Apr 2020) compared to many double digits declines in equities.

Fine wine’s defensive nature stems, in part, from the fact that it is less liquid than stocks or bonds. Assets that cannot typically be sold as quickly amid a market shock helps insulate them from sharp price drops. Consequently, they can form a more reliable store of value than highly liquid assets. »

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Looking ahead We view fine wine investing as a long-term endeavour that can also provide an important long-term source of diversification through different market backdrops. This is because fine wine has a low historical correlation to equity markets due to its internal supply-demand dynamic being the primary driver of prices. We believe holding diverse sources of potential returns becomes even more important amid an unprecedented backdrop when the outlook for all assets, from equities through to alternatives, is unclear.

Cautious investors might find comfort in fine wine’s favourable long-term real returns through different inflationary backdrops. In 2021, fine wine’s performance, as measured by the Liv-ex 1000, accelerated as inflation in most major economies hit multi-year highs last in the year. When inflation jumps, fine wine’s status as a real asset with limited supply levels can typically support sustained demand, which can keep inflation-adjusted performance in positive territory.

Current trends in the fine wine market Top wines from Burgundy and California have played leading roles in the current fine wine rally. Many champagnes have also posted some sparkling growth figures, as the region asserts itself as a core wine investment alongside its status as the world’s celebratory drink of choice.

We recognise that the economic impact from the current conflict could moderate the rally, especially among the wines that have seen the biggest price jumps in recent months.

Instead, buyers might seek more stability by seeking regions, producers and wines that may be undervalued. A shift to regions overlooked during 2021 could play a bigger role in the year ahead.

Bordeaux, still the largest wine investment region by trade share, has delivered solid returns in recent years but not to the degree seen in Burgundy and Champagne. The coming months could be when this steady stalwart of fine wine returns to the forefront of the market. Wines from the Italian regions of Tuscany and Piedmont also appear undervalued in many cases and could offer growth potential with less downside.

Visit wineinvestment.com to find out more about fine wine investment.

Cult Wine Investment is a member of Burlingtons Club. To find out more contact info@burlingtons.group

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INVESTMENT LOW VOLATILITY AND HEALTHY RETURNS Annualised volatility and returns of fine wine vs other assets

346%

-15%

Source: Liv-ex, investing.com as of 28 Feb 2022. Fine Wine = Liv-ex 1000; US Treasury Bonds = iShares 7-10 US Treasury Bond; Commodities = Bloomberg Commodity index; Gold = USD/ounce. Volatility calculated as annualised standard deviation of monthly returns. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns

Table 1

% total return Annualised return (2004-2022 YTD) Annualised volatility (2004-2022 YTD) % total return

346%

-15%

5%

360%

FINE WINE’S LOW EQUITY CORRELATION Correlation levels of major asset classes vs S&P 500 (28 Feb 2017 – 28 Feb 2022) 5.0%

16.5%

7.3%

17.3%

346%

-15%

5%

360%

5.0%

16.5%

7.3%

17.3%

Annualised return (2004-2022 YTD) Annualised volatility (2004-2022 YTD)

Source: Fine wine = Liv-ex 1000; Government Bonds = iShares 7-10 US Treasury Bond; High Yield Corporate Bonds = iShares High Yield Corporate Bond; Commodities = Bloomberg Commodity index; Gold = USD/ounce. Source: Liv-ex, investing.com as of 28 Feb 2022. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.

Table 1 Category A Fine Wine

0.031

Past performanceBonds is not indicative of future success; the performance Government -0.295 was calculated in GBP and will vary in other currencies. Any investment involves risk of partial or full loss of capital. The Cult Wines Index Yield Corporate Bonddepicted here are not based 0.795 isHigh a hypothetical tool. The results on actual trading and do not account for the annual management fees that may be charged to a Cult Wines customer which range from 2.25% to Commodity 0.475 2.95% depending on the size of the portfolio, and there is no guarantee of similar performance with an investor’s particular portfolio.

Gold 0.134 71

SCENTS

SENSIBILITY

The most extraordinary fragrances can stop us in our tracks.

Lauren O’Neill discovers the remarkable perfumes defining our signature scents

F

RAGRANCE HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN to leave a lasting impression and, thanks in large part to Gen Z influencing an overhaul of the beauty industry with their sophisticated appreciation of quality, as with the boom in skincare in recent years, attitudes to fragrance are also shifting.

In Q1 of 2021, a year into the pandemic, perfume sales surged 45% when compared to the same period the previous year (particularly in the luxury sector)

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as people sought to find comfort through scent – and, no doubt, escapism too. We’ve all experienced a moment where a familiar scent has stopped us in our tracks, transporting us to a bygone place or moment.

Scent is powerful. It has the power to evoke memory, and the power to alter mood.

If you’re looking for your next signature scent, or just to treat yourself to something new, try a spritz of something from one of these specialist perfumers. »

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MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN This French perfume house was founded in 2009 by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, and businessman with an eye for the arts Marc Chaya. At the very beginning of his career, aged just 24, Kurkdjian created what went on to become one of the world’s most iconic fragrances, Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier. The brand’s collection is loyal to the tradition of luxury French perfumery, with a contemporary vision. With what is described as a ‘wardrobe’ of fragrances, the house seeks to create a number of ‘sensory adventures’ and inspire emotion through its scents.

Launched eight years ago, Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 (right) has had something of a renaissance recently. Sweet, warm, and intoxicating, it combines top notes of saffron and jasmine with amberwood, fir resin and cedar. For Kurkdjian, the power of this intense scent lies not only in its careful composition, but in its silage – the trail a perfume leaves behind once its ingredients disappear. Created to celebrate crystal manufacturer Baccarat’s 250th anniversary, the fragrance was originally available only in 250 numbered, crystal bottles but, because of its popularity, it was later launched in partnership with Baccarat under Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Baccarat Rouge 540, £215 for 70ml franciskurkdjian.com

LA MAISON VALMONT More widely known for its luxury skincare, where it has been an elite staple for three decades, La Maison Valmont launched its first collection of perfumes in 2020, taking CEO Sophie Van Guillon back to where she began, in fragrance.

Storie Veneziane by Valmont is the embodiment of the company’s motto ‘Where art meets beauty’ – inspired by the vibrancy of Venice, and combining Sophie’s technical expertise and nose with her partner’s (Valmont president and artistic director, Didier Guillon) love of art, the seven bottles are all sculpted works of art featuring Venetian masks, each in a different colour, hand-blown by a master Murano glassblower, with caps trimmed in dyed saddle leather in Venetian tradition.

This storytelling runs throughout its boutiques, including its latest, Parisian flagship store La Maison Valmont pour Le Meurice, where a bold Murano chandelier takes centre stage alongside a personalised selection of artworks curated by Didier himself.

The latest scent in the collection is Zafferano I, launched at the end of 2021, a unisex scent inspired by trade at the San Polo Marketplace, which fuses saffron, bigaradier flower, and oud essence.

Storie Veneziane Zafferano I, £451 for 100ml lamaisonvalmont.com

FLORAÏKU This Parisian fragrance house takes its inspiration from Asian culture and its appreciation and respect of nature. Each of its three collections pays homage to the traditional ceremonies at the heart of Japanese heritage, customs in which flowers, incense and teas play a major role. Founded in 2017 by husband and wife, Clara and John Molloy, Floraïku follows the success of the duo’s niche perfume house Memo Paris, launched a decade prior. The name Floraïku is a nod to the haiku – a small, three-line poem rooted in Japanese literature – which co-founder and poet Clara creates to tell the story of each perfume.

Perhaps the most interesting and innovative of Floraïku’s scents is its Shadowing collection. Comprising just two fragrances, Between Two Trees and Sleeping on the Roof (right), these can be worn alone or layered with any other Floraïku scent to create a light or dark ‘shadow’, making your fragrance truly unique. Sleeping on the Roof is the light shadow, described as floral and musky with green accents.

Containing notes of sandalwood, geranium, lily of the valley, orange blossom and amber musk, it will lift another fragrance when worn side by side.

Sleeping on the Roof, €255 for 50ml floraiku.com

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LIFESTYLE

SERGE LUTENS The man behind this eponymous perfume house is a true artist, citing photographer, filmmaker, fashion designer and hairstylist alongside perfumer on his impressive CV. Prior to launching his own line, he took on the role of creative director at Shiseido and challenged gender rules with the idea for the first ever unisex perfume, Féminité du bois, a vision brought to life in 1992 by perfumers Pierre Bourdin and Christopher Sheldrake. 30 years later, the fragrance is now sold under his own brand, Serge Lutens, launched in 2000, where it remains one of its bestsellers.

The unique scent, which heralded a new approach to how we perceive and wear perfume, perfectly blurs the line between feminine and masculine, with the warmth of cinnamon and ginger, earthiness of cedarwood, musk and cloves, and sweetness of orange blossom, peach and rose.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of this revolutionary and timeless scent, Serge Lutens has launched this signature perfume in a limited-edition bottle, available exclusively at Harvey Nichols.

Féminité du bois, £110 for 50ml sergelutens.com

ELECTIMUSS Established in 2015, this independently owned, niche luxury British perfume house launched into the global market in 2019. Founded by Luke Granger and Jason Collison, it is driven by the creative forces behind brands such as Boadicea the Victorious and Thameen. Inspired by Ancient Rome and their obsession for perfume, which was woven throughout their everyday rituals, the name Electimuss is Latin for ‘to choose the best’, with the founders citing a shared obsession for ‘creativity and quality.’ Working with a selection of talented perfumers, including Julien Rasquinet, Christian Provenzano, and Sofia Bardelli, this relatively new-kid-on-the-block has expanded rapidly and now boasts 17 fragrances across four collections.

Mercurial Cashmere, part of the Nero Collection (previous page and above), is currently gaining a lot of attention thanks to its sweet, spicy and seductive scent. Telling the story of the god Mercury – who was fickle and untrustworthy but adored for his wit and irresistible charm – it has a spicy citrus top featuring Madgascan pink pepper and Italian bergamot, with a base of oud, musk, vanilla and cedarwood.

Mercurial Cashmere, £225 for 100ml electimuss.com

This feature originally appeared in Tempus Magazine; tempusmagazine.co.uk

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ASK BORIS Burlingtons’ resident bulldog is here to answer your investment questions...

Question: We’re finally travelling again, but my luggage is old and tired. What are the best brands to invest in?

When it comes to travelling in style there’s one element that budding jetsetters should never underestimate: their luggage.

The ultimate travel accessory, investing in a curated and durable luggage suite will make travelling a breeze for years to come. Not only can you find something unique and easy to identify, but the right brands are crafted to be spacious, hard-wearing, and designed to match your lifestyle.

Unlike run-of-the-mill suitcases, a well-made case will last a lifetime, thanks to superior materials and craftsmanship, and add flair to your packing needs.

For classic suites built to last, few brands encapsulate British heritage travel like Globe-Trotter. Founded in 1897, the brand is the maker of The Queen’s favourite suitcases – Elizabeth II has exclusively used GlobeTrotter luggage since her honeymoon in 1947 (high praise indeed). Globe-Trotter offers a range of styles and products for the modern traveller, from classic travel trunks and safari cases to stylish watch cases and vanity boxes. The brand handmakes its cases from Vulcanised Fibreboard, which, it says, is as strong as leather and as light as aluminium.

Similarly, Montblanc and Louis Vuitton both offer exceptional options for any travel needs, with durable cases made of high-end materials and a range of sizes to suit any length of journey – LV produces, perhaps, the most iconic set of long-haul luggage money can buy,

as well as sporty pull-along duffle bags for tennis, golf and more.

If you’re more likely to travel for business than pleasure, accessorising your short-haul luggage is just as important, especially if you have to juggle considerations such as laptops, mobile chargers and garment bags.

For overnight trips, Bennett Winch’s full leather tote is an effortlessly fashionable carry-on designed to fit your laptop with ease – as well as being spacious enough for a few days of essentials – and is the perfect carryon, especially when paired with the brand’s weekender duffle. Garment bags, too, need not be boring: look to Italian brand Brunello Cucinelli’s grained-leather garment bag for a suit bag (complete with inner zip lining and silver clothes hook) that looks the part even when buttoned up.

For those that prefer a classic holdall rather than a modern suitcase, look no further than the militaryinspired Gurkha range. The brand’s Cavalier III no 98 duffle, in vintage chestnut leather that becomes more beautiful with age, is classically and expertly crafted, and designed to stand up to any challenge – while, for a more American style of chic, T Anthony’s classic and colourful duffle was a favourite of President Ronald Reagan, Jackie Kennedy and even Marilyn Monroe. It’s hard to argue with such serious style credentials.

For expert investment tips or advice about the questions that have been hounding you, contact Boris by emailing: info@burlingtons.group

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WAT C H M A K I N G O N C E A G A I N F I N D S BRITISH SHORES The Limited Edition Bremont Longitude is a groundbreaking timepiece that not only looks back at our country’s legacy but also forward to an exciting future of British watchmaking. The watch’s case back incorporates brass from the original “Flamsteed Line,” in Greenwich, the very spot where the first Astronomer Royal made his celestial observations in pursuit of an aid to navigation.

It has long been the goal of Bremont to bring watch manufacturing back to Britain.

The Longitude represents a milestone in that journey, a homecoming of sorts, and proof that, to get where you’re going, you need to know where you came from.