Tempus Magazine | Issue 64 | October - November 2019

TIMELESS INSPIRATION

THE NEW PHILANTHROPIST How an affluent generation is taking action to change the world

ISSUE

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THE WEALTH REPORT | EXTREME HOROLOGY | LUXURY TRAVEL TRENDS WEALTH EDITION

The Breitling Cinema Squad Charlize Theron Brad Pitt Adam Driver

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CONTRIBUTORS

Lysanne Currie Joining Tempus as our wealth editor, journalist and Meet the Leader CEO Lysanne delves into the changing behaviours of the world's top companies before turning her pen to the unprecedented impact of a growing affluent generation. Read her introduction to our Wealth Edition (right) to find out more.

Lauren Jade Hill Travel journalist Lauren meets some of the world's leading chefs (page 54) to find out how their approach to sustainability is changing the fine dining industry.

Gareth Herincx Motoring journalist Gareth gets behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Aventador and discovers a raging bull dying to get on the track (page 86).

Cheryl Markosky Our property expert explores the latest luxury listings to pinpoint the cities we should be investing in. Discover her pick of the best global properties (page 80).

Lizzy Dening Freelance journalist Lizzy Dening takes a front row seat during London Fashion Week, to explore how one designer duo's spirit of rock and royalty is challenging the fashion industry to become more sustainable (page 92).

Responsibly printed Tempus magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper that’s been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable way. All paper stock can be traced back to the original tree.

Shortlisted for: Editor of the Year – Independent, 2018 Art Director of the Year – Independent, 2018

WELCOME

Y

ou may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,” said former Unilever CEO Paul Polman in July, announcing his new charitable foundation and for-benefit corporation (or B-Corp) IMAGINE. This organisation, evidently taking inspiration from The Beatles legend and activist John Lennon, focuses on accelerating the transformational changes needed to achieve global goals especially climate change and poverty alleviation.

Polman is one of many pioneering leaders who are celebrating and supporting ‘conscious capitalism’, the phrase coined by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey back in 2013. In this issue, we chart the rise of business and wealth as a force for good on page 26 and look at the new methods and structures being used by philanthropists to give back.

But it’s not just big business devoted to becoming a force for good. In fact, as we prepare to head into a new decade, 2019 has shaped up to be a pivotal year in all areas – politically, artistically, and in society.

Celebrating the movers and shakers making a difference and redefining how we measure success, we chat to eco-adventurer David de Rothschild about using his family legacy for good (page 22) and meet four female finance executives who are capturing how best to engage the rapidly emerging market of women's wealth (page 62). We also report on lifestyle choices of the new generation of UHNW – still luxury loving, for sure, but informed in their choices by the important issues of the day and, more importantly, ready and able to change the world. The lifestyle choices of our environmentally-conscious cover star, Leonardo DiCaprio, are case in point.

Finally we’re proud to introduce you to some of our favourite luxuries-with-a-soul: we meet the founders behind sustainable fashion brand Vin + Omi (page 92), talk to the man who believes fine coffee should be savoured like fine wine (page 50) and talk to the Michelin-star chefs changing the face of sustainability in fine dining (page 50).

We hope you enjoy the issue.

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor Michelle Johnson michelle@tempusmagazine.co.uk Creative Director Ross Forbes ross@tempusmagazine.co.uk Wealth Editor Lysanne Currie Sub-Editor Dominique Dinse COMMERCIAL TEAM Chairman Floyd Woodrow Managing Director Peter Malmstrom Operations Director Colin Clark colin@tempusmagazine.co.uk Events and Partnerships Director Georgia Peck georgia@tempusmagazine.co.uk REACH OUT

Lysanne Currie Wealth editor

Address Tempus Magazine Vantage Media Group 22 South Audley St London W1K 2NY Contact +44 (0) 203 519 1005 info@tempusmagazine.co.uk www.tempusmagazine.co.uk

tempusmagazine.co.uk @tempusmagazine @tempusmagazine

Tempus magazine is published by Vantage Media Group. www.vantagemediagroup.co.uk

© 2019 Vantage Media Limited Articles and other contributions published in this journal may be reproduced only with special permission from the Publishers. 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.

COVER IMAGE Credit: Jessie Craig / BAFTA/ Camera Press Article on page: 38

CONTENTS

10 The luxe list This season’s top 10 must-haves 14 A global vision Julius Baer CEO David Durlacher on why Britain must hold its nerve 16 Awakening the wander list Tempus heads to Las Vegas to discover the booming new luxury travel trends 22 Call to arms Eco-adventurer David de Rothschild on his mission to inspire a generation 26 The rise and rise of conscious capitalism Why the big business shift towards society action is truly historic 32 Sparkling company Hatt et Söner champagne invites Tempus to discover a unique personal vintage 38 The changing face of wealth From Leonardo DiCaprio to impact investors, how UHNWs are changing the world 46 The soul of discretion Inside London’s most discreet private members’ club 50 A different blend Difference Coffee Co’s Amir Gehl introduces Tempus to the world’s best coffees 54 Serving up sustainability We meet the leading chefs taking a fresh approach to sustainable fine dining 60 More than wealth Family office Sandaire shares the new wealth management trends 62 A woman’s world London’s top female financiers weigh in on women’s wealth 66 Setting the scene The opulent London hotels designed for entertaining in style 72 In pursuit of perfection Tempus heads to Salon Privé to test drive Maserati’s new luxury SUV 76 Time for change How Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens has created a Smartwatch with Swiss soul 80 City slickers The most promising properties to invest in around the world 86 Animal magnetism Test driving the ferocious Lamborghini Aventador 88 Dreaming big Morpheus London’s Rickesh Patel on bringing pure fantasy to the interior design world 92 Fashion forward How sustainable design duo Vin + Omi are challenging the fashion industry 94 Eastern delights Tempus take a culinary tour of Japan with Prince Hotels & Resorts 96 Save the date The finest events of the season

ISSUE 64

The Summit ideas festival is being embraced by a mindful affluent generation (Page 38)

The LUXE LIST Our essential guide to the most exciting new launches and finest seasonal must-haves

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Matteo’s at Annabel’s Exciting news as one of London’s oldest private members’ clubs introduces a new luxury restaurant. The opulent Annabel’s on Berkeley Square opens its doors this month to Matteo’s, serving an array of fine Italian dishes in decadent interiors designed by Martin Brudnizki. Look out for artwork that pays homage to the original – and infamous – Annabel’s club. Ciao bella…

Annabels.co.uk

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Chelsea Barracks

The first, long-awaited residences at the historic Chelsea Barracks have been launched by Qatari Diar.

Designed by Elicyon, the stylish four-room show apartment pays homage to the complex’s military history in its design. The first residences are on the market for £24m and residents will have access to the Garrison Club, an extensive underground complex complete with cinema, spa, lounge, business suite and billiards room. You’ve had your marching orders… make an appointment to view now.

Chelseabarracks.com

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Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda Unique Piece for Only Watch

Created exclusively for Only Watch Tour, this Fifty Fathoms Barakuda model features a 40mm steel case, water-resistant to 300 metres.

Reinterpreting Fifty Fathoms’ 1960s design, its black dial features broad white hourmarkers coated in Super-LumiNova with blue luminescence. Launching in Monaco, it is visiting 10 cities around the world as part of the Only Watch Tour Exhibition, including London’s Christie’s from 11-13 October.

If you’re keen to get your hands on this singular timepiece, it will be auctioned at the AMM’s Biennial Charity Auction in Geneva on 9 November. Make time in your diary now!

Blancpain.com

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Brora 40-year-old This exceptional Single Malt Scotch whisky from Brora – a long-closed ‘ghost distillery’ – has been released to celebrate the maker’s 200th anniversary. The limited-edition Brora 40-Year-Old was drawn from 12 casks from the original ghost stocks from 1978, an era known as ‘the age of peat’. With just 1,819 bottles available – each one costing £4,500 – every sip is a precious bit of whisky history for Brora’s cult following. What’s more, the gates of the distillery will reopen in 2020 as part of a £35m investment.

We’ll raise a glass to that. harrods.com

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Charabanc luxury car fragrance

Dovedale watch box and humidor

Dovedale Design Studio made its mark on London Design Festival in September with its bold collection of exquisite wood carving pieces.

Founded by sculptors Oliver Tebbutt and Charl Heynike, the studio is known for its minimalist and masculine style and intriguing choice of rare materials, including bog-oak – a dark hardwood sourced in England. Watch boxes (pictured) and humidors come in a range of sizes so you can store your classic timepieces and premium cigars in surroundings as sleek as they come. Talk about boxing clever…

The world’s first luxury car fragrance brand, Charabanc takes inspiration from classic cars and their inimitable attention to detail. Comprising a finely handcrafted, stencilled-steel pomander encased in leather, each ‘fragrance journey’ has been designed to evoke the aromatic qualities of some of the world’s most exciting drives. Across the Pennine Fells is an earthy fragrance while Journey to Tai Mo Sha evokes after-the-monsoon freshness. this will allow driving enthusiasts to indulge fantasies of their wildest rallies – even at home in the City.

dovedaledesignstudio.com

Charabanc.com

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The Betterment by Jason Atherton Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton has made a triumphant return to London with his new launch of The Betterment. Located at The Biltmore Mayfair, LXR Hotels & Resorts, the all-day restaurant offers a seasonally driven menu focused on the dramatic, rustic open grill that dominates the kitchen. Separated from diners by frosted glass, this is a sophisticated dining experience led

by Atherton’s head chef, Paul Walsh. Book now if all that exquisite detail has whet your appetite. thebettermentmayfair.com

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Valkyrie Sentinel Covert Tracker

The most discreet security device for car collectors, this tracker by security specialists Valkyrie can be quickly and easily ‘wired’ in to your treasured vehicles to protect from theft. Difficult to identify or remove, these covert trackers can be installed and tracked in real time. Utilising tri-capable tracking solutions (GSM, GPS and WiFi) via its internal power supply, this is a simple solution to add world class security.

Valkyrie.co.uk

Moser Pizarro Glass

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Crystal glass designer Moser has teamed up with London-based Spanish chef José Pizarro to create a sherry-tasting experience like no other. Frustrated by the miniscule size of traditional sherry glasses, Pizarro approached Moser Glassworks to create a drinking receptacle that would allow premium sherries room to breathe. The result? 300 intricately detailed, hand-blown and engraved glasses – designed around the shape of the chef ’s cupped hands – and allow you to truly appreciate the aromas of a good glass of sherry. Salud!

Moser.com

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Just For You: a Night at the Museum

Europe’s yacht show season may have sailed away for another year, but ocean lovers can still experience the life aquatic thanks to Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo’s Just For You programme. Exclusive to guests of the Monaco hotel, A Night at the Museum sees the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco open its doors for you and your guests to be mesmerised by grand displays of coral reefs and 6,000 specimens of marine life after hours. Then head to the rooftop terrace for a private supper overlooking the Mediterranean. An experience to splash out on. metropole.grandluxuryhotels.com

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A GLOBAL VISION As Julius Baer International expands in the UK, CEO David Durlacher tells Tempus why the UK’s economic uncertainty must be placed within a global context

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his is not a unique moment in time. The truth is that Brexit is not so different from other political shocks that have been with us for generations.

Of course, when you’re in the thick of any political shock it can lead to uncertainty, which is very much what we are seeing in the financial market today.

It’s true that, right now, people on every economic level are watching what’s going on in the UK with ever-increasing concern. But it’s also important to bear in mind that this is true around the world.

If you look at the current oil crisis in Saudi Arabia or, more broadly, the trade war between the U and China or the tensions between South Korea and Japan, you start to notice a common picture of political uncertainty.

Year after year we see major shocks to economies and to political landscapes. It’s no different today than it was in the 1980s and 1990s, but today’s news flow is relentless. The markets can move on the basis of a tweet, and that means market volatility is extremely high.

Our aim at Julius Baer International is to try and pull back from that noise and make sense of it in a wider context. Yes, the UK is in uncertain times now, but this is still a domestic story within a global context. Whatever the outcome of Brexit, our clients need to understand that context in order to be wise with their money, rather than trapped by the political news flow.

We have been established experts in wealth management for 130 years, with 50 years of operating here in the UK, looking after the interests of high net worth to ultra-high net worth private clients. This means our focus is extremely specialised; we aim to see the world through our clients’ eyes so they can be wise in navigating the financial market, and how they plan their wealth in the long term.

Despite the shift in financial management to online, which allows people to feel more in control of their

wealth, and has been a good disrupter for the financial services world, what we have found is that nearly 60% of high net worth individuals still prefer meeting in person when making important investment decisions.

Those relationships with our clients are only growing more important. People look for a person they trust to advise them, rather than a computer algorithm.

Add to that the globalisation of wealth, which means that as people have multiple properties and assets around the world, they want to see the world as one overall picture rather than just focus on the country they reside in. The vast majority of our clients are entrepreneurs or at the helm of family-owned companies; they are very much in control of their life and business activities, but we often find they are time-poor, and so our aim is to provide them with the information they need to be as wise about their finances as they are about their businesses. We want to ensure their wealth is working hard for them in a way that has value and vision.

This is what is driving our significant expansion around the world. It’s been notable in the UK, where in the past few years we have expanded our footprint from offices in London alone, to a further four wealth centres around the UK – Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and Belfast. This allows us to provide our clients with that global view, but also understand their local economies and pressures.

Our clients want proximity and personalisation, and we’ve found client demand to be unprecedented – in the last year we have opened more new accounts than in the previous two years combined – and we’re determined to provide our clients with unrivalled, individualised focus.

That’s what I think makes us different in a time where our clients want truly global value.

Juliusbaer.com 14

TODAY’S NEWS FLOW IS RELENTLESS.

MARKETS CAN MOVE ON THE BASIS OF A TWEET

COLUMN

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AWAKENING THE WANDER LIST Where in the world do those with exceptional wealth vacation? Tempus goes beyond the glamour of the 31st Virtuoso Travel Week for the latest HNW travel trends Words: Georgia Peck

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Sunrise at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

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as Vegas might seem an unlikely location for the world’s biggest travel conference. But when one considers Sin City’s homage to those most famous of Grand Tour destinations – the Paris Hotel’s Eiffel Tower, the Luxor Resort & Casino’s Pyramids of Giza, the Statue of David in Caesar’s Palace – it starts to make a little more sense why Virtuoso Travel Week would choose to host its 31st event in this staple of US vacation fun.

Tempus joined Virtuoso’s 6,500 guests – among them luxury travel advisors, hotel group CEOs, property and experience experts as well as select members of the global travel press – at the event, which is best summed up as the global fashion week of the travel industry. Such is its influence within the worth travel market – worth a staggering $8.8tn (£7.1tn) in the last year alone – that it was this year hosted by two of Las Vegas’ biggest resorts, including MGM’s opulent and iconic Bellagio Hotel.

There are more than 20,000 Virtuoso travel advisors across 50 countries, and it is estimated that the 340,000 partner meetings that occur during the event lead to almost £340m spent in travel sales worldwide.

The question asked by Virtuoso’s expert speakers this year was ‘What’s on your Wanderlist?’ – an odd question, perhaps, for an industry leader, but one that inspired attendees to indulge their childhood dreams and life-long ambitions. It’s this, they say, that forms the basis of lasting relationships with the top-spending demographic, and what allows them to predict accurate travel patterns for the coming year.

“In a world where there is more pressure and speed than ever before, you can’t take the human out of humanity,” says Matthew D. Upchurch, Virtuoso’s chair and CEO. “We are in the business of helping people optimise their memories. That’s one of things we are trying to scale here.”

To this ene, Virtuoso introduced a travel planning process and digital platform to support its face-to-face method of creating a bespoke travel experience. “It’s estimated a future traveller spends an average of 8.4 hours on the internet planning a trip,” is how one speaker explained the move, adding that the modern user interface keeps customers within reach. “The tools of artificial intelligence are becoming more workable and therefore maximising planning, booking and management capabilities – but we will always require a human touch for true luxury, bespoke assistance and Virtuoso service.”

Clockwise from top: Trinidad de Cuba, Zebras drinking at sunrise in Namibia, the Northern Lights in Iceland

IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS MORE PRESSURE AND PACE THAN EVER BEFORE, YOU CAN’T TAKE THE HUMAN OUT OF HUMANITY

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TRAVEL

SUSTAINING THE ECO-TRAVEL TREND The sustainable travel trend has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and Virtuoso reports that this has shown no sign of stopping. No longer is the desire of HNW travellers just to visit beautiful, famous or nostalgic destinations – or, despite the hype, travel thousands of miles to recreate the ‘it’ Instagram photos.

Instead, affluent individuals are reporting a wish to do good.

Upchurch says that Virtuoso’s clients actively seek to avoid locations experiencing over-tourism. They actively seek out ways their travel can assist local habitats and eco-systems at their destinations. This means there is rising demand from travel experts for research-intensive, personalised trips, as well as longterm travel planning by serious and sophisticated travellers.

“Sustainable tourism represents a transformative movement — from saving endangered species to supporting community development projects around the world,” says Upchurch. “I believe we’re reaching a tipping point as more travel companies across the Virtuoso network embrace sustainability and focus on educating their guests on how to have a great vacation while also giving back to local people and the planet.”

TRAVEL ACROSS THE GENERATIONS This year, a particularly interesting trend was noted in the influence children have in family holiday planning – and it would seem today’s youngest generations are enjoying a high level of environmental education. Yes, when it comes to the environment, kids today are not afraid of speaking up.

One luxury travel advisor spoke of how one HNW family cancelled a trip to Rwanda worth more than £200,000 because the parents’ teenage children felt strongly that “the gorillas should be left alone”. The industry, therefore, is adapting quickly to the concerns of the youngest travellers among us.

But that’s not to say today’s planet-protecting youth is not clamouring for adventure. The top travel destinations for family holidays are, according to Virtuoso, Iceland, the Galapagos Islands, Cuba, Botswana, Mongolia and, for an extraordinary glimpse of the Earth’s extremes, Antarctica. »

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Above: Foraging for black truffles in Abruzzo, Italy Right: Sailing the Nile, Egypt

RIVERS OF GOLD The art of personalised river cruising promises to blow the ocean-cruising trend out of the water. Not only does river travel allow for shorter, more curated trips but it affords intrepid HNW travellers to embark on cultural experience ashore.

There is particularly interest growing in the waterways of Europe, where the Rhine, Danube, Rhône and Moselle rivers connect you with picturesque cities and towns without the deluge of tourists created by disembarking cruise liners.

And it’s not just Europe seeing this trend take to the water.

Personalised trips along the Nile in Egypt, as well as China’s stunning Yangtze River, are showcasing the very best of these countries and allowing small groups and families to experience life on the water paired with a unique adventure

INDULGING THE SENSES While the wellness travel trend is still going strong, Virtuoso says travellers today are turning their backs on spartan yoga retreats and detox diets. Instead, it’s now about indulging the senses with gastronomic adventures that take us to the very source of our treats.

For true foodies, culinary-focused holidays might feature anything from multiple Michelin-starred meals to hands-on cookery classes with local gastronomes, complete with fishing, hunting and truffle foraging.

“The gastronomic trend allows travellers to experience a destination’s soul through its cuisine,” says Upchurch, noting that many luxury hotels around the globe specialise in culinary travel, offering catered plans that feature award-winning restaurants, local delicacies, food tours and private dining. The perfect way to give guests a true taste of their surroundings.

Virtuoso.com 20

TRAVEL

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CALL TO ARMS David Mayer de Rothschild is on a mission to inspire the next generation of eco warriors

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he Rothschild dynasty needs no introduction. One of the world’s richest banking families, the Rothschilds possess a portfolio so strong and diversified it’s almost impossible to quantify; the name itself conjures a vision of wealth, power, and suited and booted businesspeople.

However, there’s one family member who cannot be pigeonholed into this stereotype. David de Rothschild was educated at Harrow like his financier father Sir Evelyn, and seemed primed for a career in banking. But upon graduation, he veered away from the financial road his family had set out in favour of a course in environmentalism and a lifelong passion for adventure. Now 41, British ecologist Rothschild boasts a world record for the fastest crossing on the Greenland ice cap and is the youngest person to reach both geographical poles.

In 2010, inspired by his trips to the Antarctic, he combined the enterprising Rothschild spirit with his expertise of the natural world, expedition experience and global contacts base to become what is best described as an “eco-adventurer”. His most famous project was sailing from California to Sydney in 2010 in a boat called Plastiki – made from 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles – to raise awareness of plastic pollution.

More recently, Rothschild has joined fellow adventurers Inge Solheim and Bertrand Picard on Breitling’s Explorer Squad – and it was at the fine watchmaker’s Bond Street boutique that we meet Rothschild. The night before, he’d unveiled Breitling’s new Superocean Heritage Ocean Conservancy, a limited-edition timepiece with an environmentally-conscious strap made of ECONYL yarn – created from recycled fishing nets – a piece he seemed genuinely fascinated by.

After very little small talk (it’s not his style), we launch into conversation about his biggest passion – the environment – and how he hopes to inspire the next generation of eco warriors. »

CHANGE ONLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU BECOME CURIOUS, AND THAT ONLY BEGINS WHEN YOU

START TO ASK QUESTIONS 22

INTERVIEW David de Rothschild is an ambassador with Breitling’s Explorer Squad

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David de Rothschild’s Sculpt the Future Foundation supports eco-friendly ventures. Right: Breitling’s Superocean Heritage Ocean Conservancy.

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INTERVIEW What drives your passion for the environment?

I’m driven by curiosity. In my early 20s I finished a degree in natural medicine, which connected me into the understanding that you are what you eat, you are what you breathe. If we start to look at what we’re eating, and what we’re breathing, we’re intrinsically looking into an environmental conversation. You can’t separate the two.

We used to think health was one thing, education another, security another and environment yet another separate concept. But we now know that all the pillars blend together.

You can’t have a healthy world without safe world; you can’t have a safe world without an educated world; you can’t have an educated world without a sustainable world. It gets to a point where you look at the world and think, ‘Where do I want to put my energy?’ And if you’re really lucky, like me, you can find a passion that actually connects to something that you can do.

What was the tipping point when you found your life’s purpose?

In 2004, I was invited to Antarctica. That trip was a Sliding Doors moment where all of those worlds collided. When I came back, everything changed. I launched my organisation, Adventure Ecology, as a platform that used adventure as a medium to inform and inspire, and to make learning an adventure around fragile ecosystems.

We are in a golden age of exploration where we can explore our relationship with nature and develop our understanding.

People like David Attenborough and the creators of all these great nature programmes that watch nature through lenses have inspired people. I call it ‘nature porn’. The tools that we are able to film and record with have allowed us a much greater depth of understanding. We can go to the bottom of our oceans and take samples of soil from the seabed. We can fly drones up into the canopy of the jungle to count species in the top of the trees, which we could never do before. We can monitor the world like never before.

Technology has opened up a massive opportunity for exploration. So then the question is: how do you translate the data and the science into emotional stories that people can gravitate towards? People don’t become motivated by a statistic or a number, they become motivated by a story. And this is what we do at Adventure Ecology.

What are you hoping to achieve through the Sculpt the Future foundation?

Sculpt the Future Foundation is really focusing on people who have big ideas, and a lot of passion, and giving them small grants that go a long way. It’s focused mainly on two main brackets. One is creativity for change, and one is innovation for change.

We’ve funded some really interesting projects such as Litre of Light, which started in Manila in the Philippines. They take empty soft-drink bottles that they find in the street, put a little bit of water and chlorine in and drop it through a hole in the roof, then seal it. This creates light without any risk of fire. They’re like little sky walls. It’s really smart. We also helped explorer Ed Stafford walk the Amazon and we helped Roz Savage, the first female rower to cross the oceans. There’s an eclectic mix of people who are adventuring, exploring, creatives, but it all comes back to storytelling.

How do you hope storytelling will inspire change?

Hopefully it will allow you to make a connection to how the big picture works, and how you can play a part. That might be only supporting brands that you believe are having a positive impact or, for a business, this might be supporting charities or looking after its workers and its supply chain correctly.

I think change starts from curiosity, and that only starts 25

when you start to ask questions. When you feel engaged, then that’s the starting point for you to then say, ‘You know what? I really do feel strongly about that. I want to make sure that my councillor is recycling. Who sits on the head of my council? What is their policy? When did they vote?’ Because everything’s there for us to see, but we’re busy and we’re not looking. As a society, we should open our eyes and ask, “How do we do our best to contribute to living just better? Just living a little bit better.”

How do you choose which brands to work with?

I work with brands I believe have the capacity to effect change; brands that think bigger than just focusing on creating a profit.

Transparency is number one – you can’t make an informed decision if you can’t see what’s going on. It’s also more than just the product experience, it’s what the brand stands for and who it stands for.

I work with people whom I trust and value; people who allow me to be authentic. That’s what Breitling does – it allows all of its ‘squads’ to be authentic. It allows all of us to be able to operate in a way that we would normally operate. This way the audience is engaged.

How did you get involved with Breitling?

I know CEO George Kern well – I’ve had a relationship with him since 2006. George has always stood by his word – he helped me with Plastiki and my trips in Ecuador. Through Breitling, he gave me a voice and a platform to talk to people like Tempus’ readers, and get my message out there.

I want to be involved with people who are doing interesting things and be supported by a brand that is on the move.

Breitling will be the first to say that they’re in a transition period and that we can always improve. I think it was exciting to see the use of interesting materials that you can then use in the watch strap, say. Here, you’ve got a watch that is generating capital that can go back to ocean conservancy, while elevating this important issue to a new audience. By buying the watch, people are wearing the message as well as spreading it.

Do you think luxury brands are changing as a result of increasing conversations on climate change?

I think brands are realising that it’s not just about commercialism. They’re asking: ‘How do we do more?’ Because that’s what the audience is now demanding. They want transparency. For the first time ever, we’ve got devices that allow us to see every part of the process. And if you’re not authentic and you’re not transparent, at some point you’re either losing customers, or customers are calling you out.

What’s the biggest challenge to progressing further?

What I’ve tended to notice is that one of the stumbling blocks in the way of progress to make things better is that we have a tendency to want to focus on the negative. I get comments from people saying: ‘Yeah, but you flew to this talk.’ Of course I did, but I look at it as a means to an end.

I hope that when I have this conversation, it will inspire someone to think differently. And that’s worth me offsetting the carbon for getting here. You have to look at the balance.

I hear the same thing about Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s done incredible things. His foundation does amazing stuff. He does a tonne of incredible work with the Amazon. ‘Oh, he’s a celebrity, and he flies on a plane.’ So that’s what you’re going to focus on?

Instead, we need to focus on saying, ‘Look, nobody’s perfect. I’m not perfect. You’re not perfect, but we’re all trying to do things better.’ It’s not black and white. breitling.com; sculptthefuturefoundation.org

Silicon Valley

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The rise and rise of conscious capitalism Big business and society have always been considered separate entities. But there’s a very particular behavioural shift happening within the world’s most successful businesses.

We find out what’s behind this revolutionary restructure.

Words: Lysanne Currie

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n 16 January 2018 the world’s top CEOs woke up to a startling missive from one of their own.

Laurence D Fink, founder of BlackRock, the most influential investment firm on Earth, wrote: “To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society.”

His letter, hailed as a pivotal moment in ‘conscious capitalism’, was all the more surprising having come from a CEO who, just four years previously, had claimed that activism harmed job creation. But Fink had since wised up: businesses that failed to engage with the community, he warned, would “ultimately lose the licence to operate from key stakeholders”.

The term ‘conscious capitalism’ itself was first popularised by John Mackey, CEO of high-end grocery chain Whole Foods. Mackey spent the 1960s studying Eastern philosophies and living in Texan communes.

His 2013 book Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business argues for “a way of thinking about business that is more conscious of its higher purpose” and asks leaders to think about how they can create more value for their stakeholders.

Significantly, Mackey also argues that huge amounts of value can be delivered to every stakeholder without sacrificing profits. In this, he shares the viewpoint of economist Professor Colin Mayer, whose recent book Prosperity: Better Business makes the Greater Good, says corporations can create both wealth and social wellbeing.

“Business should be a force for social change as well as for social good,” he told BBC Radio 4 last year. “But increasingly over the last few years it has been the cause of inequality, environmental degradation, and growing mistrust in business.”

Fast-forward to 19 August 2019: The Business Roundtable, a lobbying group of leading American CEOs, announced they were no longer putting shareholders before everyone else. Instead, they were pledging a responsibility to their customers, workers and communities, helping to “set a new standard for corporate leadership”; a response to a changing world in which businesses are expected to do more than just maximise profits.

It all reflects a wider and accelerating trend. Highnet worth individuals – such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who donated $2bn to the homeless in 2018, or Jeff Skoll,

whose eponymous foundation is the world’s largest for social entrepreneurship – don’t simply want to manage problems anymore; they want to fix them.

Allied to this, donors are actively seeking out companies that fulfil a social purpose. “Consumers will analyse charities and come up with what they think are the most effective ways of giving,” says Anna Josse, CEO and founder of gift fund company Prism.

As younger, technologically adept generations come to age, they also play a big factor: “Millennials are more inquisitive, and are used to a level of transparency and having things at their fingertips,” says Lucy Edwards, partner at law firm Penningtons Manches LLP. “They’re in a position to hold companies to account in a way we haven’t in previous years, because the information simply hasn’t been there.”

With the rise of a new socially-minded generation, a spirit of ‘effective altruism’ is in the air. If post-war investors in an economically fragile world followed the rapacious likes of free-market economist Milton Friedman, the needs and preferences of socially conscious millennials have turned outwards, towards building a better and brighter solar-panelled tomorrow.

Various tax incentives have also made life easier for UK-based philanthropists, such as funds within charitable organisations, allowing donors to receive tax relief, along with tax breaks available for those bequeathing art to British charities (provided the art is in ‘the national interest’).

Edwards has also identified a trend in “parents helping children dip their toe in financial responsibility, by involving them in charitable endeavours… they want their children to be socially aware; the conversation emphasis has changed from ‘I want to make sure my children are financially mature’, to ‘I want my children to be aware of the privileges their wealth brings them’, and tailor the impact of their social footprint accordingly.

“The old method of philanthropy was that you could be a robber baron, pillage resources, do harm to the planet and treat your staff badly – but as you got closer to God, you could make up for it by buying everyone a library,” says Peter Cafferkey, founder and CEO of Boncerto, a network which acts as a bridge between charities and wealthy donors. “[But] people are now seeing through that. You need to look at your whole legacy.” »

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Above: BlackRock founder Laurence D Fink has shaken up the business world Below: The Amazon Spheres, Seattle

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Eva Longoria (left) attends the eighth London Global Gift Gala (Photography Š Colin Hart)

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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s Day One Fund helps the homeless, funding food banks, schools and shelters

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WEALTH

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PHILANTHROPIC GIVING 1. DONATE MORE WITH GIFT AID In 1990 the UK introduced Gift Aid, a scheme to support charitable giving to registered foundation by allowing them to reclaim income tax levied on the donor – effectively increasing the value of that donation. While the scheme has evolved over time, the main principles remain the same.

Subject to the required conditions being met, a qualifying charity can increase the value of a donation by 25% – that is, 25p for every £1 donation they receive through Gift Aid from an eligible UK tax payer.

There is also good news for donors, who can potentially reclaim UK income tax levied on the cash they donate via Gift Aid. For HNWs, this will typically mean a refund of income tax equivalent to 25% of their donation.

2. GIFT YOUR SHARES Share giving can be particularly useful for HNW individuals, such as those who receive their bonuses in shares, or founders floating their company who want to unlock some of the value of their holding before the ‘lock-in’ period ends.

While giving shares as a gift can be tax effective, it is not a donation method that is widely used. Those who give qualifying shares to charities can be exempt from capital gains tax, and could potentially claim income tax relief too.

The charity receiving your share can then either use cash arising from dividends, if the shares are retained, or from sale proceeds if the shares are sold.

3. BEQUEATH YOUR PROPERTY Tax breaks are also available to those bequeathing property.

A gift of property has the same tax relief as your gifted shares.

Charities can choose to use cash from either renting out the property or from property disposal, in order to fund its charitable activities.

4. DONATE YOUR ART

HIGH-NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS DON’T SIMPLY WANT TO MANAGE PROBLEMS ANYMORE,

THEY WANT TO FIX THEM 31

Under the Cultural Gifts Scheme you can also donate different types of artworks and objects, and claim income or capital gains tax relief on these gifts.

There is one condition – the artwork needs to be of ‘preeminent’ quality, as judged by a designated panel, and approved by the government.

5. GIVE VIA DONOR ADVISED FUNDS For many new philanthropists in the process of setting up their own foundation but concerned about the complex regulatory requirements, one potential option to make things easier is Donor Advised Funds (DAFs).

Administered by a third party, these vehicles allow an organisation, family or individual to donate cash, shares, real estate and personal property. They receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend where to direct their gifts.

Donors can contribute to a DAF as often as they like – so it’s similar, in fact, to a savings account. It allows people to ring-fence money for long- or short-term charitable giving.

It comes with flexible funding options and can be set up to operate anonymously. Finally, a DAF offers the ability to track all investments within a single vehicle, even for international giving. Good news for everybody.

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SPARKLING COMPANY Kristofer Ruscon, founder of Hatt et SÜner, explains the story behind his exclusive champagne house’s remarkable history and invitation-only personal vintages

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t was during the 1940s, in the French Alpine town of Annecy, that Joseph Ruscon made his vow to never pass a day of his life without drinking a bottle of wine. A seemingly strange pledge from a former beermaker, it was inspired by the three years he spent hiding in a wine cellar during the Nazi occupation of France, alongside the Jewish people he was sheltering from discovery.

Years after the war, Joseph kept this promise, discovering his favourite vintages in a niche champagne created by the Vallois family. He would order 1,000 bottles a year to share with his family, and forge such a close connection that his grandson, Kristofer Ruscon, would grow up knowing winemaker François Vallois like a “second father”. In 2006, feeling mounting pressure from the competition of the big champagne houses, Vallois decided to sell the vineyard and Kristofer, then aged just 21, stepped up.

“I’ve been naïve my whole life, but it’s actually been very good for me. I hope I never lose that quality, actually,” Kristofer says, explaining how he presented Vallois with a handwritten contract to buy the champagne house. “I actually talked to my grandfather about it, and he told me I was young and stupid – and he was so right. He said, ‘You have no idea how difficult it’s going to be’ It has been a struggle, but we have survived and I’m so happy, especially as a small champagne house. I’m fighting hard to show how small champagne houses can survive – especially since, today, the biggest group controls more than 30 per cent of the region.”

Kristofer named his newly acquired winery Hatt et Söner – blending his French father’s family legacy of hat-making with his Swedish mother’s language – and set about taking it from a small house to one of the most unique and sought-after champagne concepts in the world. »

OUR PERSONAL VINTAGE IS ABOUT BEING PART OF THIS WORLD, AND A PART OF

SOMETHING BIGGER

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INDULGE This page: The vineyards of Hatt et Sรถner. Left: founder Kristofer Ruscon (top) and barrels of champagne

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“What we have created is the world’s first ever champagne for private clients,” Kristofer says. “I remember when I first explained the idea to François, asked if he thought we could do it and he said ‘never’.

“Our clients create a personal vintage, starting with choosing between the top four of the winery’s 55 vineyards, which is over 4.2 hectares (11.4 acres) of vine, which vinification method they prefer, if they want steel tank or oak barrel. We give our clients their own space in our cellar and then let them choose the maturation level, the sugar level, everything. It has become something far more than just choosing a vintage – it’s about creating individual wines for unique clients, but always to the highest quality.

“For me, one of the true joys of winemaking is following the wine’s maturity – every vintage is so different – but that’s only been something that winemakers themselves have had access to before. I wanted to give that opportunity to people, let them see what champagne is really about.”

Such is the rarity of Hatt et Söner’s publicly available wine that London’s connoisseurs can only find it in private members’ club 67 Pall Mall. And while the brand does supply certain events to introduce new prospective clients, its main focus is on supporting charities. Hatt et Söner has collaborated with charitable organisations such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Unicef and amfAR. “We work with individuals to create a champagne that is totally bespoke to them. We really connect with our clients on a very human level, and so it seemed like a natural move for who we are as a brand – as well as an act of rebellion against our investors,” he laughs. “We defined what our personal vintage is about, and it’s about being a part of this world, being part of something bigger. We decided to give 10% of

Watch our exclusive interview with Kristofer Ruscon at tempusmagazine.co.uk

our revenue to charity, and it’s been amazing.”

Now, Kristofer has launched the Hatt et Söner members’ club in Champagne – the first ever private members club in the illustrious region. “We’re a genuine members’ club, with a clubhouse and everything. But of course it’s all about connecting to the wine. We invite our clients down for the harvest, where they can enjoy learning about the process and connect with each other – but in creating the right ambiance, with the right people, we also help our clients make connections with each other as well.”

While Hatt et Söner’s expansion plans are being kept firmly under the hat, Kristofer is excited to share the brand’s move into the art world, particularly his collaboration with Stockholm-based German artist Carsten Höller. Best known for his quirky Tate Modern project Test Site (which saw him install slides in the London gallery’s Turbine Hall), Höller and Kristofer plan to test how touch and light affect wine.

“The project we’re doing in the Art Field is very, very cool. It’s not like some artist collaborating on a bottle label – this is a true art project that will tell us more about our wine in an intriguing, edgy way,” he says.

Kristofer’s passion for champagne goes far beyond just the smell and taste of the wine itself. In fact, just days after his grandfather Joseph died, Kristofer opened a bottle of Hatt et Söner’s Le Grand-Père Dignitas – originally created as an homage to Joseph.

“What you taste is just as much about how connected you are to yourself as it is the ingredients, and that’s what I really love about champagne. It is so diverse. And where you are, how you feel, can create totally different experiences,” he says. “My grandfather was such an important part of this house, he made everything possible. Without him we wouldn’t have our personality.

“He was a very strong character, very trusted but imposing. Everyone loved him, but people were often afraid of him. He was the head of the family, always bringing everyone together and driving us in the right direction. He was a great man,” Kristofer says. “And, you know, just before he passed away, he asked for wine. It is our greatest passion.” hatt-soner.com

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Hatt et Sรถner offers unique personal vintages of champagne. Far left: winemaker Franรงois Vallois

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The changing face of wealth Move over status-driven, profit-chasing Baby Boomers, gen X and Y are not only giving the planet priority but also changing how society perceives wealth and measures success. From Leonardo to Greta, we examine the real influencers behind the new UHNW, and the behaviour trends that will affect us all

Words: Lysanne Currie

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his is Leonardo DiCaprio. You know him from Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, and this year’s triumphant Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His 30-year résumé of award-winning performances and box office smashes have earned him an Oscar, a Bafta, two Golden Globes and a swag of nominations besides. Yes, he’s a successful actor –the sort of success that’s landed him the kind of financial reward mere mortals can only dream about. So DiCaprio owns a 104-acre island in Belize, as well as a $100,000 car which he can park in the driveway of any one of his three homes – situated in Los Angeles, New York or Palm Springs – or his various California beachside pads.

At 44, he is something of a poster boy for the generation X super-rich. Frankly, who else could have played Jay Gatsby with such effortless excess and convincing charm in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 blockbuster?

But for all this charismatic actor’s physical wealth, he constantly counterbalances it with an eco-friendly ethos. His Belizean island, Blackadore Caye? Well, he wants to turn it into an eco-resort entirely powered by renewable energy that may open as early as next year. Likewise, that $100,000 car? An environmentally friendly Fisker Karma hybrid, the first electric sports car to use lithium battery cells. And all those homes? Powered by solar panels – his $10m NYC pad also pumps out twice-filtered aromatherapy air and incorporates reflexology flooring.

His record of environmental activism and acts of philanthropy have shamed politicians. Far from just offering pledges and good intentions, DiCaprio deals with a problem as he sees it. Not only has he donated his own funds to worthy causes, but his climate crisis-tackling Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) works in more than 50 countries around the world. Through his eponymous foundation, he has awarded $15.6m to organisations actively protecting wildlife, ecological systems and the rights of Native Americans, and has made two online documentaries about climate change. He previously sat on the board of the World Wildlife Fund, donated $35,000 for an eponymous computer centre at Los Angeles public library, and gave $1m to the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society at Russia’s Global Tiger Summit in 2010.

He uses his considerable fame as a platform to raise awareness at every opportunity.

“To be able to talk about climate change on a platform that hundreds of millions of people are watching… to say this is the most existential crisis our civilisation has ever known,“ DiCaprio said while accepting his 2016 best actor Academy Award for The Revenant. “The time is now. It’s imperative we act.

“I feel there is a ticking clock, there is a sense of urgency that we all must do something pro-active about this issue.“ While the climate crisis is evidently DiCaprio’s foremost concern, he has also been active combining work and philanthropy for other causes. He worked with Mozambican orphans while filming »

Clockwise from right: Leonardo DiCaprio won a swag of awards for The Revenant; His Fisker Karma car; Ethical investment benefits the future of the planet

I FEEL THERE IS A TICKING CLOCK, THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY THAT WE ALL MUST

DO SOMETHING

ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE 40

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Right: Lush Amazon rainforest in Yasuni, Ecuador

Blood Diamond, donated $1m to the Haiti earthquake relief and the Hurricane Harvey fund, donated $61,000 to an organisation furthering LGBT+ rights. He’s also been vocal in his support for the Standing Rock tribe’s opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, has travelled to Indonesia to criticise the government’s palm oil industry. He organised a 2013 art auction which raised $40m for his foundation – the highest-grossing environmental charity ever – and, most recently, he made headlines after pledging $5m to an emergency Amazon Forest Fund. Oh, and he’s vegetarian.

“Clean air, water, and a liveable climate are inalienable human rights,” he explains on the LDF website. “And solving this crisis is not a question of politics, it is a question of our own survival.”

With his big-screen appeal and desire to do good with the wealth it has brought him, DiCaprio is one in a million. Actually, statistically speaking, as an ultra-high net worth individual (UHNWI), he’s one of just 0.003% of the world’s total population with assets of at least $30m – a group that holds around 13% of the world’s total wealth. But, like DiCaprio, this group is not only putting its considerable influence to practical use, but also inspiring millennial UHNWIs who, following in the footsteps of influential philanthropists like DiCaprio, differ from their forebears in both their decision-making style and their concern for environmental factors. There are a number of key trends that distinguish them in this.

MILLENNIAL MOVEMENT

The bridge between the youngest gen X and oldest gen Y (more commonly known as millennials) is marked by a rise of technology, but also increasingly evident environmental and economic instability. Having come of age during the 2008 global recession, younger UHNWIs have proven to be quite risk-averse compared to their predecessors – particularly when it comes to investing – while a craving for socially conscious impact and positive experience has seen this rise in philanthropic giving.

Yet, in 2017 alone, millennial donors gave £2.7bn to charity; according to a Fidelity Charitable study, 77% of wealthy, passionate and idealistic millennials and 72% of gen X donors have funnelled funds into impact investments – those aiding the environment, technology (companies including Tesla, for example) and areas such as gender diversity and affordable housing – while also generating a return. By contrast, among older generations impact investments make up just 30% of their portfolios.

Also in 2017, a Morgan Stanley survey revealed that millennials are much more apt to put their money into environmental or social investments. “Millennials are twice as likely to invest in a stock or a fund if social responsibility is part of the value-creation thesis.” Impact investing is also an area the UN General Assembly is currently looking at, as it wants to top up its sustainable investment goals via the private sector.

This trend looks set to strengthen, amid concerns about everything from socioeconomic diversity to microplastics. As Peter Cafferkey of Boncerto, which supports those looking to engage in impact investing, says: “These changes take a generation to kick in. Hopefully, we’re just seeing the start of that.”

The increasing visibility of environmental issues – due in no small part to key figures such as evergreen eco-campaigner Sir David Attenborough and 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg – is among the factors contributing to more than £50bn of net inflows to environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds marketed to UK investors, according to Investment Week.

Funds managed with environmental considerations based » 42

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Left to right: SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante, DiCaprio with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino

in the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg raked in approximately €61.1bn (£54.7bn) over 18 months to the end of June.

Explicitly ethical funds represented £20bn of the £1.3trn in total assets under management in Investment Association funds as of July – a significant increase from £16.8bn in July 2018 and the £5.9bn invested a decade ago.

But while impact investments are on the rise, financial literacy among younger generations is not. Michael K Spencer for Utopia Press says: “Millennials would rather travel and find a work-life balance that suits them… their financial literacy with regards to investing seems worrisome.” They’re also more likely to invest in cryptocurrencies than older HNWIs – with 17.9% of millennials choosing crypto before any other long-term investment option as recently as July 2018, according to a Bankrate survey.

They’re prone to spending money on experiences rather than goods – sales of cars have nosedived among this group. As financial expert Jean Chatzky told Business Insider: “When you experience something, you make memories. That allows you to go back and revisit, which brings the original burst of happiness you felt in the moment back to the fore.”

Altogether, this generation of HNWI is much more health and wellness focused. Wellness is something of a status symbol, as evinced by the rise of boutique fitness classes and luxury yoga retreats, plus the latest fads coming out Silicon Valley: nootropic drugs, conscious breathing, cryofacials and vitamin IV drips.

Then there’s the boom in wellness festivals: according to Vanity Fair, Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent Goop Summit in London 45

saw millennials shelling out $5,700 (£4,500) on tickets, which included a $3,000 (£2,200) gift bag. Summit, meanwhile – an ultra-exclusive three-day ideas festival described as a ‘Davos for millennials’ – was referred to by The Guardian as “comparable to TED and Burning Man, featuring speakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Jane Fonda, Peter Thiel and Jeff Bezos”. Tickets costs $3,000-$8,000 (£2,200-£5,800), with events hosted everywhere from cruise ships in the Caribbean to beaches in Mexico.

As well as a focus on the body, young UNWIs also want to improve their minds, which is something a life coach can assist with. HNWIs can hire personal wellness trainers to accompany them on holiday; the likes of former Royal Marine Calum Morrison, founder of the Extraordinary Adventure Club, which offers epic journeys for mind, body and soul. Or they can seek out unique experiences via bespoke, experiential travel companies such as Black Tomato, which reconnects clients to themselves.

Whether it’s their wealth or holidays, the new generation enjoy sharing their fortune with their friends. However, as well as planning trips on yachts and parties on private islands, the move towards celebrating sustainable clothing, eco retreats and yoga poses also continues to gather pace. These are, after all, members of the Instagram generation and they wants to share their permanent values as well as their disposable belongings.

And it’s to the West Coast – to San Francisco, or Portland Oregon – they’re heading, rather than New York, for a higher standard of living. Or, indeed, a beautiful, sustainably powered island just off the Belize barrier reef…

THE SOUL OF DISCRETION Tempus ventures behind the doors of the London’s most discreet private members’ club Words: Michelle Johnson

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estled between towering buildings of glass, steel and chrome just a stone’s throw from the Bank of England is a single Queen Anne-style townhouse. This is the home of The Walbrook Club, an exclusive and discreet family-owned private members’ club, offering fine dining, unparalleled networking and absolute privacy to its high-flying clientele.

“It’s an anachronism, this little townhouse,” explains The Walbrook’s managing director Philip Palumbo. “I think members are proud of it. It stands out despite being the smallest building around, perhaps the smallest members’ club in London.”

The house was built in 1953 by Palumbo’s grandfather, property developer Rudolph Palumbo, who was famed for redeveloping London’s bombsites after the second world war. “That’s the first deception; the building is not particularly old, but it’s in a very traditional part of town,” says Palumbo. “And then you come in and you’re surrounded by pop art.”

The club’s four rooms – a bar, dining room, boardroom and private meeting or dining room – are abundant with artworks, combining the inimitable style of Annabel’s and Mark’s Club founder Mark Birley and Philip’s father, Lord Peter Palumbo who, as well as inheriting Rudolph’s property development firm, was chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1989 to 1994.

“After my grandfather’s death, the family operations started to wind down a bit and the house became too big a space for my father,” Palumbo continues. “One day – over a very boisterous lunch at The Connaught, London in 1997 – my father and Mark Birley decided to turn it into the Walbrook Club. There was no contract. They shook hands and three years later this place opened.

“It’s a sort of irresistible blend of the two of them.

My father’s taste in art is evident in every room, while Birley had an overwhelming influence and bearing on everything from the shape of the rooms to the colour damask on the walls – you can see he spent the most amount of time in the bar, with its dramatic oyster bar – and I’m so pleased that they managed to do this, because there’s nothing quite like it.”

The Walbrook Club remains Birley’s only venture outside of Mayfair, yet retains his signature quirky mix of decadent décor, rich fabrics and colours, and stand out pieces of art – including an enormous swan and a model ship, illuminated by fairy lights, dominating the wall of the bar. In the dining room, family portraits of Rudolph and Peter adorn the walls while a hat belonging to Sir Winston Churchill is displayed in a glass case. Next door, the Green Room is a cosier dining or meeting room featuring a pretty Victorian table and a rare painting of the Cini Foundation, Venice, by cityscape artist Ben Johnson. Downstairs, the bar features prints of famous models next to originals from the pop-art movement and painted frescoes of dog breeds. A complete collection of city-scape prints lines the stairs down to the private Oak Room, while photographs

PRIVACY IS OF THE UTMOST

IMPORTANCE TO US. IT’S OUR LIFEBLOOD

Clockwise from top left: Albert Roux’s influence on club dining; Mark Birley’s giant swan takes pride of place; the art-filled entrance; the green room; the Birley-designed bar features eclectic art Antarctic vistas paint the hallway in an eerie blue.

This private boardroom is also served by a hidden entrance to the club, allowing dignitaries and businesspersons to enjoy complete discretion in the heart of the City (“Privacy is of utmost importance to us,” Palumbo insists. “It’s our lifeblood.”). If still in any doubt of its impressive clout, the club is located in next door to Rothschild’s UK HQ and opposite the Bloomberg European headquarters, and regularly attracts monthly speakers including sitting heads of state, captains of industry, authors, activists and more.

“The programme of events here is outrageous,” says Palumbo. “I think that’s one of our big draws for members. They’re great networking opportunities, and the dining room is a fairly modest side, so you’re not lost in a crowd. Most importantly, all our talks are under strict Chatham House Rule – a code of silence.

We had a politician a few years ago who said, ‘You heard it here first, I’m running to be Prime Minister’.

Then he went to the BBC later that evening.

“One of my favourite speakers was a former South African president, who spoke about his experiences while in office. He provided a fascinating perspective on an iconic moment of recent history. It was deeply insightful. In October we have over dinner the Argentinian Ambassador exploring Anglo-Argentine relations - alongside Argentinian culture, food and wine - during what will be a highly memorable occasion aiming to build greater understanding.”

The club’s fine dining is another string to its bow; The Walbrook Club’s original manager – Palumbo’s mother, Hayat – partners with Albert Roux and his Gavroche restaurant to set up a Michelin-quality kitchen that also took influence from her native Lebanon.

“When we opened, the idea was to introduce elegant rooms and good food to the city. Albert Roux set up the kitchen, and for some 12 years ran it with Gavroche staff. We still use the infrastructure he put in, such as the suppliers and the way we run the kitchen, and he’s still involved informally. My mother’s Mediterranean palate definitely plays itself out in our menus.”

Her culinary insight wasn’t the only area where Palumbo has benefited from his predecessor’s 18 years of wisdom. “She kept the place going from strength to strength, through two recessions and the development of Bloomberg’s 1.1 million sq ft headquarters,” he says.

“I learnt the benefits of compromise and collaboration.

She taught me to consult with our members, to have vision and show leadership – that’s why we’ve introduced our under-35s membership. and expanded our events and partnerships with members’ clubs around the world. We now have annual Fine Wine Dinners as well as a competitive shooting syndicate.”

And that leadership is in clear evidence as Palumbo enters his second year at the helm of a city club that provides celebration, connection, commiseration and, most importantly, keeps safe within the Chatham House Rule. walbrook-club.co.uk 48

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A DIFFERENT BLEND As Difference Coffee Co brings gourmet coffee to London’s top restaurants, founder Amir Gehl shares his passion for the world’s finest and rarest roasts Words: Michelle Johnson

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ritain isn’t doing its coffee justice. It’s true. With 95 million cups consumed every day in the UK, coffee has been firmly established as a staple of our national diet but, despite the variety of specialty roasts on offer, relatively few of us seem to be in the know when it comes to coffee grading.

While we might be well-versed in Fairtrade and sustainablysourced coffee, the true quality of the bean is measured much like a fine wine and, says Difference Coffee Co founder Amir Gehl, it’s worth being enjoyed in the same way.

Founded five years ago, Difference Coffee Co offers awardwinning coffees from the world’s most outstanding estates and is beloved by three-Michelin-starred chefs the world over – with chef patrons including Guy Savoy, Alain Passard, Sat Bains and seven-star chef Anne-Sophie Pic. While restaurants and private members’ clubs including 67 Pall Mall and Ten Trinity Square serve Difference Coffee to its guests, this year the brand became the exclusive partner of Park Lane’s Parcafé, offering three different roasts – including the award-winning Esmeralda Geisha – to its Mayfair café customers.

Here, Gehl tells Tempus how he’s making a difference in the coffee trade, and why his award-winning coffees are delighting the world’s best chefs… »

WITH 95 MILLION CUPS CONSUMED EVERY DAY IN THE UK, COFFEE HAS BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AS A STAPLE OF OUR NATIONAL DIET 50

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Difference Coffee Co serves up some of the world’s best speciality grade coffees

This page: Park Lane’s Parcafé. Right: Difference Coffee Co founder Amir Gehl

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I now believe capsules are the best way to drink coffee at home.

Firstly, because more people used espresso machines than coffee grinders or cafetières, so it’s convenient for them. We only sell our capsules online – although we may start selling them in Parcafé, because customers have been asking for them –and we source the beans for our Hawaii Kona capsules from the winner of the annual Kona Coffee Cupping Championship each year.

Amir, What do you look for in an extraordinary coffee?

Essentially, coffee is all about taste and flavours. But 99% of all arabica coffee in the world is sold as a commodity – it’s approximately priced at $1 USD per pound. When we take a speciality coffee, it is sourced directly from specific farms where roasters, like ourselves, are prepared to pay a premium for higher grades. There’s a 100-point grading system created by the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA), which works in a similar way to wine grading. The SCA will reward attributes such as fragrance, flavour, aftertaste. The main difference is that in coffee, unlike wine, you have to be licenced to grade coffee.

The quality graders give the coffee a grade out of 100 – for speciality coffees, we’re looking for high 80s and 90-plus. And because Difference Coffee Co buys some of the highest-scoring coffees in the world, they are also some of the most delicious.

How did your reputation as a restauranteur’s coffee of choice come about?

We’ve seen fantastic growth in the past few years and are now sold in about 30 Michelin-star restaurants around the world. I’m very lucky that chefs know us and are now starting to seek out our coffee for their restaurants. We want to add value for our clients and so it’s great to have the support of these restaurants, as well as 10 chefs who have all got at least three Michelin stars to their name, all using our product around Europe. These are the most talented chefs in the world, who have the most discerning palates, and so that gives me great confidence.

After all, I can come in and explain what we do and hope they are on board but, ultimately, it’s all down to the taste.

What are coffee quality graders looking for?

Coffee grading looks at various elements, including the effect of the roasting process.

Coffee has a degree of bitterness and acidity coming from the bean, and in roasting the bean it absorbs all those aromatic flavours from the caramelisation of sugars in the cherry.

Coffee beans can be chocolatey and nutty, floral or citrusy. If you taste our Esmeralda Geisha coffee, it’s very floral and sweet.

It tastes almost like an Earl Grey tea. It’s really, really special.

Many commercial coffees aren’t so great; they’re roasted really dark so you get a lot of burnt ash on the palate. But then, milk is a flavouring agent; it brings out a lot of the flavours of a great coffee, so there’s no reason you can’t drink a speciality coffee your own way. Like wine and whisky, the best coffees in the world are not blends – they are from single estates, single expressions. The consistency of quality is down to the farmers, the water, the soil. Just like great wine, if it didn’t happen in the field, it’s not going to happen in your cup.

How did you come to exclusively supply Parcafé?

I approached The Dorchester in 2018 and said, “Look, you have the best clients in the world – you consider yourselves among the best hotels in the world – so if you can’t offer the best coffee beans then who can, right?” If you look at speciality coffee shops, one of the problems is that nobody really understands what speciality means. I wanted to make it simple to offer really incredible coffees. We introduced a really solid filter, a solid espresso and then two premium offerings.

We offer a Brazilian coffee called Daterra Espresso Collection, which is graded 80-plus and really chocolatey and nutty. For filter and cold brew, we offer a coffee called Moonlight – another from the Daterra collection – it’s one of my favourites, much better than you’ll get elsewhere. And then, of course, we have Jamaica Blue Mountain as a premium espresso and the Esmeralda Geisha from an estate called Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. They won best producer in Panama just this year; they’re unbelievable.

Difference Coffee Co began by offering capsules for private purchase. What inspired you to do this?

At first I didn’t like coffee; my family was in the tobacco business, and I have always loved wine, whisky and cigars. But I thought, if it’s about good taste, how can it be that I don’t enjoy coffee when it’s the most consumed drink in the world? I decided I had to learn about it and so I researched the best coffees, bought a selection from Harrods. Then, I bought a kilo of Kona from Hawaii for about £200.

I filled up some espresso capsules, put them in the machine to brew, and out came a drink that was substantially better.

I thought, hold on; I know lots of people going to Starbucks and artisanal coffee shops for speciality blends, so why not give them the best coffees in the world for their espresso machines at home?

That’s where we started learning about coffee grading, competitions and auctions, and working with graders to identify the best coffees.

How has the relationship with Parcafé developed this year?

I really like Parcafé because of its location on Park Lane and because of the opportunity I saw within the café itself. I saw a place that looks amazing, has all the correct equipment already, and has a diverse group of baristas who know exactly what they’re doing. The staff themselves are a huge part of what we loved about the café; we did a little bit of training with them, but they are so good at what they do that working with them is a no-brainer.

Differencecoffee.com

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Arnauld Donckele

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SERVING UP SUSTAINABILITY The world’s leading chefs are focusing more than ever on fusing fine dining with environmental responsibility Words: Lauren Jade Hill

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ine at one of the world’s most prominent fine dining restaurants and you’ll likely find out more than you ever expected about the local environment and people. The catalyst for this trend is the endeavour for sustainability, as chefs increasingly look to play their part in championing environmental responsibility, using native ingredients, working with local farmers and integrating more plant-based dishes into their menus. Tempus speaks to the celebrated chefs garnering attention for their sustainability efforts, as well as their culinary mastery.

ANDREAS CAMINADA The three-Michelin-starred restaurant Schloss Schauenstein lies within the castle hotel from which it takes its name, in Switzerland’s Domleschg Valley. The restaurant’s chef, Andreas Caminada, is an advocate for sustainability – so much so, he was awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2019.

“Sustainability should be important to anyone in this industry,” he tells Tempus. “As chefs we are privileged to work with what nature has to offer, and as food brings people together, the restaurant is one place you can easily create awareness. This topic has seen a major evolution within the food scene since starting in off-the-beaten-track restaurants with chefs who were bold enough to do things differently. Today at Schloss Schauenstein we are closer than ever to nature.”

Now, Caminada and his team harvest as much as possible from the restaurant’s gardens and they work closely with organic farmers who bring ingredients including artichokes, quince and saffron to the kitchen each day. They then pay tribute to nature by using 100% renewable hydro energy. “This is more than just a one-man-show,” says Caminada, “It takes the dedication and ideas of all the team.” schauenstein.ch

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ARNAUD DONCKELE Arnaud Donckele is the chef behind Saint-Tropez’s only threeMichelin-starred restaurant, La Vague d’Or, in the plush Cheval Blanc St-Tropez. With restaurant and hotel both open seasonally, Donckele dedicates the entire off-season to cultivating produce and working with local farmers and artisans. This approach is rooted in Donckele’s drive for sustainability.

“Society is realising the physical impact we are having on our planet,” he explains. “And people are reacting to this news in every part of their lives, including what they consume. It is not simply a trend, but rather a lifestyle we need to adopt if we wish to continue pursuing our passion and creation so freely.”

“Chefs are now taking more interest in sourcing their ingredients locally,” he continues. “Creating meaningful connections with farmers around them and altering their menus in a way that aims for zero waste. It gives you the opportunity to alter your philosophy in a way that doesn’t just benefit the planet, but your restaurant as well. By using nearby resources, chefs can invent dishes that remain native to the environment, creating a connection with the area as well as its people.”

This is a philosophy we can also expect to see through Donckele’s upcoming role as executive chef of the soon-toopen Cheval Blanc Paris. “Fine dining is just as much about the experience,” he enthuses, “as it is about the dish itself.” » chevalblanc.com 57

MAURO COLAGRECO When Colagreco opened Mirazur on the Cote d’Azur, he carved out an identity based on the restaurant’s position within lush gardens between the mountains and coast. This year, the restaurant was awarded its third Michelin star and it came top of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list. With such a focus on the surrounding environment, sustainability is key.

“We are all obliged to stop and focus on sustainability and the future of our planet,” Colagreco tells us. “As chefs, we are in direct contact with products and producers and we benefit from a visibility that allows us to have a very direct impact on the social fabric. We have a responsibility to dictate trends, educate our teams and share our values with a wider audience around the world.”

For Mirazur, along with other fine-dining restaurants, this awareness has continually grown in recent years. “At Mirazur, we are very aware of reducing our carbon footprint and food waste.

We cultivate the garden with organic permaculture techniques, work with small local producers and use seasonal ingredients.

We take every opportunity to deepen our knowledge on the subject of eco-sustainability.” This effort includes working with suppliers to eradicate the use of plastic. “It is a long process,” he says, “but we have already made great progress.” mirazur.fr

VIRGILIO MARTINEZ Each venture in Virgilio Martinez’s portfolio has one defining characteristic in common. They all champion Peru’s native ingredients and ancient culinary traditions. Martinez and his team collect indigenous ingredients from each elevation of Peru’s diverse landscape for the creative fine-dining plates at his Lima restaurant Central – which is currently number six in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list– as well as his 2018-opened restaurant Mil in the Sacred Valley.

“Fine dining and being sustainable cannot be in contradiction,” he says. “I used to see fine dining as a chef making food beautiful without any awareness of how much waste and how many resources they were using. Now the delicacy, uniqueness and beauty must come from sustainable values.”

“To increase sustainability you need to be open to change and your creativity must come from a sustainable way of thinking.”

It’s with this approach in mind that Martinez endeavours to seek out ingredients that benefit the natural ecosystems, territories and people. “For us, it is about drawing on traditions and presenting them in a contemporary way with sustainable values,” he concludes. “In this way, we create an understanding of what ingredients are coming to the restaurant.” centralrestaurante.com.pe; milcentro.pe 58

INDULGE

ALAIN PASSARD Chef of three-Michelin-starred, 1986-opened Parisian restaurant L’Arpège, Alain Passard proved his lasting influence on the culinary world earlier this year when he was presented with the Chefs’ Choice Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in Singapore. Having long devoted his creativity to cooking almost entirely with plants, many experts in the industry consider Passard a pioneer of plant-based cuisine.

The chef sources seasonal ingredients from his three biodynamic gardens, hand-harvesting produce before creating fine dining plates using the finest vegetables cooked over flames. “To give the best quality ingredients to diners, you need to respect the seasons and work with local producers who cultivate naturally,” he explains. “We don’t have to eat tomatoes in winter or cucumber in January; it’s wonderful to rediscover produce as nature offers it to us.”

“At L’Arpège, our entire system is sustainable,” he continues.

“We grow our own vegetables 100% naturally; we keep the peel to feed the garden; and we respect the seasons in menus that change daily according to what ingredients we receive.” All of this culminates in three-Michelin-star dishes each celebrated for retaining the essence of each plant.

TO GIVE THE BEST QUALITY INGREDIENTS TO DINERS, YOU NEED TO RESPECT

THE SEASONS

AND WORK WITH LOCAL PRODUCERS WHO CULTIVATE NATURALLY

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MORE THAN WEALTH Sandaire shares how its modern family office provides a unique level of experience to its affluent clientele

T

he rise of family offices means that families of wealth can expect their aspirations met, without constraint or compromise, through a unique level of real understanding and first-hand experience.

If your idea of the higher altitudes of wealth management brings forth images of archaic oakpanelled meeting rooms in private banks in the finer parts of London, you are sorely mistaken. More accurately, the modern face of exceptional wealth is planted firmly in the concept of a family office.

The modern concept of a family office was developed in the 19th century by J.P. Morgan and the Rockefeller family, who developed family-owned organisations to manage both their private wealth and family affairs.

Over time, as experience and expertise grew, offices opened up their services to other non-related families, evolving from single family offices into multi-family offices. The first multi-family office in the UK was built by the Scott family, founders of Sandaire – following the sale of Provincial Insurance – to serve their wealth and eventually other exceptional families, resulting in today’s multi-family office structure.

As the lucrative family office landscape grows, there are numerous firms who have been quick to reposition their offers – offering family office expertise. However, many of these family offices are still only restricted to financial and legal services and at best, may include succession planning or family governance in their remit.

But this is not the case with the truest form of a multifamily office. One that has evolved from serving a single family and brought that real understanding and firsthand experience to benefit other families.

“As the needs and requirements of families of significant wealth continue to evolve, they are looking for a service that can support them throughout their

lifecycle and with generations to come,” says James Fleming, Sandaire’s Chief Executive. “In addition to this, they are seeking family office services that relieve them of the burden of some of life’s complexities.”

Sandaire is completely independent. True family offices have no products to sell and the freedom to procure only the best financial talent, as well as providing a world of unfettered access, pooled resources and unrivalled purchasing power. To complement the financial clout, family offices have evolved to offer services that simply cannot be achieved by more traditional financial establishments.

“Consumer trends are changing and clients are increasingly seeking independent advice and key services in-house and under one roof, which can support the requirements of their family across a whole range of capabilities,” continues Fleming. “Many clients place great importance on the responsibility of the preservation and careful stewardship of their wealth across generations. They seek family offices 60

who can seamlessly lighten their load by supporting them with the challenges, as well as the pleasures, that living a life with wealth entails - including pursuits with philanthropic goals and passions.”

To be a part of a modern family office is an immersive experience, where educating the next generation on handling their wealth sits alongside looking after dayto-day admin. Whether it is offering support with purchasing real estate, researching impact investment options or supporting the creation of a family charter, all services are expertly and discreetly handled. This is the very definition of bespoke.

Fleming concludes: “While our founding family stands shoulder to shoulder with the families we serve, pooling their experience, expertise and assets, it has always been apparent that each family has unique circumstances and requirements that require a singular approach. To meet those requirements, 2019 has seen Sandaire build upon its investment office services, launching real estate, corporate finance and private equity businesses.

“A commitment to providing the broadest spectrum of advice to benefit the families under our guidance. We are also investing heavily in our already extensive family office expertise – Co-ordinating the day-to-day, Lifestyle Enhancements, Family Continuity, Client Information Management and Wealth Structuring – the list, like the service, is not exhaustive.”

Family offices are a relatively new, but extremely important force in global finance. As their influence grows, they are set to redefine the concept of service, helping families of significant wealth reclaim the most important asset of all. Time.

Sandaire.com

ADVERTORIAL

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A WOMAN’S WORLD With the reach of affluent women finally being realised, the WealthiHer Network makes their impact count. Here,Tempus meets some of the City’s most influential individuals Words: Michelle Johnson

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WEALTH

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hen it comes to global economic trends, women’s wealth has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing market. Yet inside the City, investment practises have been slow to change, still favouring return-focused wealth management and high-risk strategies despite new evidence suggesting that this approach, quite frankly, turns women off.

Realising the staggering untapped impact of affluent women, Cherry London’s Tamara Gillan teamed up with former financier Lauren von Stackelberg to create the WealthiHer Network.

Founded this year, the network’s creation is supported by 13 bigname founding partners, Barclays Private Bank, Brewin Dolphin, Brown Advisory, C5, Chubb, Close Brothers Asset Management, HSBC Private Banking, Investec Private Banking, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Julius Baer, Klienwort Hambros, Reddings Wealth Management and Irwin Mitchells.

Although rival firms, these financial giants have joined together to celebrate and empower this emerging wealth market – and find out what makes the female investor tick. According to the network’s 2019 report, nearly three-quarters of women surveyed believe they have different investment styles and attitudes to men:. 65% stated that ethical investment is a high priority, while 59% believe the role of wealth is to provide for their family and security. On the other hand, 71% believe men are more likely to take financial risks with their investments.

So what do these findings mean for the financial services industry – and how can investment companies tap into the wealth potential of its female investors? Tempus speaks to the experts to find out. wealthihernetwork.com

CHARLOTTE BOBROFF | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SENIOR BANKER

THIS INCREASE OF WEALTH IN THE HANDS OF WOMEN MEANS THERE

J.P. MORGAN PRIVATE BANK “I’ve worked in financial services for almost 11 years managing client relationships, finding ways to add value to the families and entrepreneurs that we work with and helping them to think about their long-term planning around wealth, businesses and philanthropy.

“I was very excited to be part of WealthiHer. From a professional standpoint, there are so many statistics about the rising wealth of women in the UK (and globally) and the growing number of successful female entrepreneurs, and yet the financial services industry on the whole hasn’t grasped how to cater for them.

“As a woman working in finance, I do feel personally responsible, and firmly believe that we all need to be better educated in order to champion this change. I’m very lucky to be at an organisation like JP Morgan where women make up more than 55% of our workforce and 30% of our global senior leaders.

“And now, when you look at the progress made even just across FTSE 100 directors, women now make up 32% of board seats as of 2019, up from just 12.5% in 2011. This increase of wealth in the hands of women means there also needs to be a mindset shift in the banking industry, to ensure that banks cater equally and appropriately to both men and women.

“One of the main behavioural differences that came out from the report is that when it comes to investing, women are not driven by financial returns alone and decisions are often driven by values. As a result of this we think that understanding our clients’ long-term goals and personal drivers is so important, whether that’s their family and children, making an impact through their investments, or their philanthropy and legacy. It’s a big shift for the industry overall.”

NEEDS TO BE A MINDSET SHIFT IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY

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SHERYL FOFARIA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EMEA

PATRICIA ASTLEY | RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

REBECCA CONSTABLE | DIRECTOR & HEAD OF PHILANTHROPY

J.P. MORGAN PRIVATE BANK

JULIUS BAER INTERNATIONAL

KLEINWORT HAMBROS

“I am head of The Philanthropy Centre, which is designed for our ultra-high net worth clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. My role is to advise individuals and families on how to meet their philanthropic goals by providing advice on mission and focus, strategy and governance as well as sharing best practices from across the field. I create connections with like-minded philanthropists and provide unique opportunities for clients to learn from thought-leaders in the issues they are most passionate about.

“At JP Morgan, we’ve seen a tremendous growth in demand from clients who want to be more socially and environmentally conscious about their investing. We were one of the first to create a dedicated sustainable finance team, and we continue to invest an enormous amount of time, money and effort in building a sustainable investment platform. This has expanded to include a dedicated sustainable investing practice within our private bank, to build a robust platform of options for clients who want to leverage their investment portfolios to pursue their mission and values.

“Women are trailblazing in the sustainable investment market, as investors and entrepreneurs, and as leaders of the movement. Perhaps this is because women tend to look at investment more holistically, and proactively look for opportunities to align their values and investments.

“This has sparked the creation of brilliant networks, such as Women in Social Finance, to leverage the collective brainpower of senior women working to empower and advance other women in the sector. But there’s more to be done, particularly in senior sustainable fund manager positions, which are still male dominated.”

“I’ve worked at Julius Baer for the past six years and have close to 30 years’ experience in international wealth management. I’m Lebanese-American, raised in New York, and have lived in London for 20 years.

“For us, building trust is key and our aim with WealthiHer is to empower female wealth creators to help them achieve their financial goals.

“While it’s true we are all competitors, the interesting thing about collaborating on the WealthiHer Network is that we have same goal in mind, which aligns our thinking and drives us collectively to help change the status quo.

“The diversity of women’s wealth has a strong influence on the investment world. On risk appetite, we have seen a growing understanding from female investors about the benefits of taking bolder decisions and following their instincts.

“In terms of the dispersion of female wealth, while there is still some way to go here, there is less of a concentration in purely service-related organisations and signs of movement in industries such as technology.

“Many of my female clients like to make investments backed by strong beliefs and tangible outcomes, as well as feeling good about what they are investing into.

“At Julius Baer International, more than 65% of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) investing is done by female clients.

“There’s a strong understanding that investing responsibly does not compromise financial outcomes – if anything it’s the opposite, where they believe that investing in companies that are operating responsibly is aligned with their values and will ultimately create better financial returns.”

As a director at Kleinwort Hambros, I advise private clients, private foundations and charities on their wealth.

I also head up philanthropy for the bank and work with partners such as Global Philanthropic who offer advice on effective giving and strategic fundraising.

“As a private bank, we’re very aware of the importance of listening to clients and treating them as individuals.

Our clients don’t always have the same priorities or risk appetites and it’s very important to acknowledge this. For instance, I’m not sure if women really are more risk averse.

I would say they are more likely to pay greater attention to risk to start off with but can accept the benefits of taking risk for potentially greater reward.

“Women have become more empowered to take responsibility for their inherited or earned wealth; when I’m feeling optimistic, I feel progress has been made and women’s influence on the market is very significant.

However, when I attend certain financial events and I am very much in the minority as a woman, it’s clear that there is still a way to go.

“Gabrielle Branson, our deputy CEO, is very focused on making sure we’re a diverse and inclusive organisation: we have several women in senior positions including female private bankers and directors. We’re very proud that female employees play a key role throughout the organisation.

“Joining the WealthiHer network was a way to reinforce our ambition to work with female clients on their terms.

It’s been very positive and refreshing, and the fact that so many firms have come together shows how important this issue is to us all – it’s encouraging to see that we can put aside our business interests to work together to empower female clients and employees.”

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Home House

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SETTING THE SCENE When it comes to London hotels, these suites aren’t just for sleeping. Tempus discovers the five-star venues made for entertaining in style, no matter where you choose to rest your head Words: Georgia Peck

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CLASSIC REVELRY | THE CONNAUGHT The mist rising from the Tadao Anda-designed water feature as you sweep into Carlos Place, Mayfair, sets the tone for a grand reception at The Connaught. It’s a perfectly subtle meeting of traditional opulence and modern fun – especially on breezier days when the slight spray is rather difficult to avoid.

Despite its grandeur, this hotel retains a level of authentic class that tells you nobody is trying too hard to be cool. In fact, the aim of the game is to enjoy your time with like-minded individuals, interesting strangers, and the feeling that you've somehow ‘arrived’ in London.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the Connaught Bar. Designed by the late David Collins, the relaxed cocktail bar evokes 1920s English and Irish Cubist style with its textured walls and cool grey bar. It’s the perfect place to luxuriate in an informal cocktail – and at night it is notorious for its Martini trolley. For a more intimate space, the Coburg Bar is made to linger, offering a choice of rare vintages and premium spirits under very flattering lighting day or night.

Choose from two dinner options: Jean-Georges at the Connaught, overlooking Carlos Place, is perfect for those wanting to be seen, while two-Michelin-starred Hélène Darroze at the Connaught plates up precision and privacy in decadently comfortable surroundings.

If you’re not done entertaining, then The Apartment may be calling you home. The hotel’s £19,200-a-night premier suite features deep pile carpets, lavish upholstery, an abundance of in room gadgetry and, of course, 24-hour butler service.

Sleeping four, dining eight, and with extra connecting rooms available to accommodate your whole party, the Apartment has earned a reputation as one of the most lavish penthouse suites in London – and rightly so.

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PROPERTY EXQUISITE ECCENTRICITY | THE ZETTER TOWNHOUSE London is awash with boutique hotels. By definition, one expects something a little smaller, perhaps quainter, than one of the capital’s many luxurious five-star behemoths. But if you’re looking for an independent hotel with extraordinary quality, there are few better than the 24-room Zetter Townhouse. The Georgian building of the Townhouse’s Marylebone venue is gilded in history; the ambiance is more like stepping into the home of an eccentric relative than a conventional hotel and bar.

The luxurious Lear’s Loft penthouse suite is named for The Owl and the Pussycat poet Edward Lear – former resident of the townhouse – and his influence can be seen in the style, which begs its guests to have fun in the fabulous space.

And fun is exactly what you’ll find in the award-winning cocktail lounge, Seymour’s Parlour. A dark and sumptuous lounge with monthly parties – including boisterous Mardi Gras celebrations, roaring 20s-themed flapper-fests and Bastille Day parties peppered with all things French – all featuring bespoke cocktails by the talented bar staff and the guarantee of a wickedly entertaining night. » thezettertownhouse.com

THE AMBIANCE IS MORE LIKE STEPPING INTO

THE HOME OF AN ECCENTRIC RELATIVE THAN A CONVENTIONAL HOTEL AND BAR

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BEST OF BELGRAVIA | THE HARI A compact and classy five-star boutique in the heart of Belgravia, The Hari is known for its sophisticated restaurant Il Pampero – a truly excellent Italian restaurant that is still, somehow, something of a hidden gem – and elaborate window displays. But with its intimate 170-seat bar, private dining rooms and regular pop-ups, The Hari is a stunning venue with serious party potential.

Bordering Chelsea, Kensington and Knightsbridge – and surrounded by various embassies – The Hari with its sumptuous décor brings together a mix of international travellers, trendy Chelsea-locals and lovers of fine cuisine. Its latest pop-up has seen the covered Garden Terrace transformed into a colourful Japanese garden, in partnership with The House of Suntory.

Stay in the Penthouse Suite – with its cosy bedroom, stylish living area and spacious marble bathroom – and enjoy after-hours entertaining with views over the city from your beautifully secluded balcony. thehari.com

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FASHIONABLE FESTIVITIES |

This page: Suite photography © Louis Beausoleil

HOME HOUSE

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From the outside, with its discreet front doors on Portman Square, you could be forgiven for underestimating London’s Home House private members’ club. But step through the doors of Robert Adam’s finest surviving townhouse and you are transported into 18th century opulence. A breathtaking imperial staircase rises towards the magnificent glass dome and sky beyond.

But Home House is more than a members’ club, boasting one of London’s finest suites – the Duke of Newcastle suite, with its Georgian windows overlooking the square and a beautifully detailed country home interior style.

Guests looking to entertain have an array of choice. Enjoy local produce at The Restaurant, explore the Octagon Dining Rooms’ take on contemporary Asian cuisine, or take your afternoon tea in the lavish Drawing Rooms.

Come nightfall, however, it’s time to party. For sophisticated cocktails and nightcaps, head to the Bison Bar, or choose the Vestibule Bar for its stunning terrace. But for us, the House always wins – designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid, the House Bar combines astounding sculpture with chic cocktails Tuesdays to Saturdays until 3am. For after-hours revelry, head to the Vaults Bar’s private rooms for DJ entertainment or even karaoke on request.

Homehouse.co.uk

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IN PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

Tempus joins Maserati at Salon Privé to put the Italian marque’s competitive new Levante SUV to the test

Words: Peter Malmstrom

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n a beautifully sunny September day with hardly a cloud in the sky, there’s nothing better than a weekend that sees some of the finest classic and vintage cars in the world assemble here in the UK. Yes, I’ve returned to the annual Salon Privé, one of the world’s premier automotive shows, hosted in the grounds of Blenheim Palace and that, in its 14th consecutive year, has more than maintained its status as a leading concours d’elégance.

I’ve been invited by our friends at Maserati, the luxury Italian marque having taken somewhat pride of place at this year’s meet, showcasing the Levante V8 Trofeo and GTS. I was particularly keen to see the progress made on the Levante SUV offering. Launched specifically to secure Maserati’s credentials in the rapidly growing luxury SUV segment, market sales of which are increasing year on year as our appetite for impractical supercars continues to wane.

One of the first things that strikes me about Maserati’s approach is the exceptional array of options and specifications that the Levante offers. Naturally, this is reflected in the price points, which start from just over £60,000 for entry-level models and leads to high-specification variants at the top end for nearly three-times the price. These sporty SUVs contain Twin Turbo V8 engines, can deliver up to 580 hp and are tuned and trimmed to perfection. The top spec Levante V8 Trofeo is clearly designed to go head-to-head with the Bentley Bentayga and Range Rover Vogue SV. Having spent the morning experiencing Maserati’s outstanding Italian hospitality, I’m eager to get behind the wheel of these sleek SUVs. My morning began with the brand whisking me to the impressive Blenheim Palace – ancestral pile of the Dukes of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill – in a chauffeur-driven Levante. The model chosen for this drive was a fairly modest diesel model, finished in gleaming white with sports coupé lines. The interior was finished in simple black leather, but still carried the hallmarks of Maserati’s sporting lineage.

As I arrived at Blenheim, the long drive up to Britain’s most picturesque palace was a sight to behold: lines of the world’s finest motorcars flanked the entrance, with some of the finest cars in the world gathered from as far afield as Denmark, Dubai and the United States. With a garden-party ambiance, fine dining and pristine prestige vehicles assembled, the event is always well-attended.

After the supercar parade has made its way through the palace grounds – led, of course, by the Maserati Levante V8 Trofeo – it’s time for me to get behind the wheel myself. For me, it’s the V6 petrol-engine Levante S GranLusso SUV. Driving the Levante is a totally different experience to being in the passenger seat. The Levante S GranLusso’s 430 hp engine is perfectly tuned, with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission gearbox that, together with the responsive steering and choice of suspension settings, makes this SUV handle and perform like a high-performance GT car.

Throttle response is impressive and the glorious Maserati V6 exhaust note allows you to play sweet music as you fly through the gears and put the car through its paces along Woodstock’s country roads. It’s clear from the set up and tuning that Maserati has spent a lot of time harmonising the engine throttle up to the seamless gear changes, which means the car is not only quick, but immensely fun to drive.

THESE SPORTY SUVS CONTAIN TWIN TURBO V8 ENGINES, CAN DELIVER UP TO 580 HP AND ARE TUNED AND TRIMMED TO PERFECTION The interior specifications on this model, such as Italian leather-clad racing seats and meticulously hand-finished details, are stylish and comfortable while the technologies available – infotainment and app connected displays and a Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound system – are suitably high end.

Having not previously investigated the Levante in detail, I was impressed with its overall performance, which carried much of Maserati’s sporting lineage and driver experience into this lucrative luxury SUV sector. The Levante certainly provides a fun, practical and credible alternative to the usual suspects. Even better, the range of upgrades are enough to turn this solid luxury SUV into something very special indeed. While all Levante petrol-engines are developed in cooperation with Ferrari and assembled at its state-of-theart factory in Maranello, it’s the Ferrari-engineered V8 engine with more than 580 bhp beneath the bonnet – as well as the styling and tech to match – that is certain to be an interesting challenger toward to top end of the luxury SUV market.

As I return to the concours to end my day of fine motoring, it’s clear to me why Maserati so rightfully holds its admirable position in the world of performance motoring. What the brand has discovered in its history, and brings to its approach to new global challenges, creates a fusion of impressive performance, sporting style and now, effortless practicality. maserati.com 74

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Ressence Type 2’s E-Crown promises the most exciting hybrid to date of Swiss manufacture and technological innovation

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WATCHES

TIME FOR CHANGE Tempus meets the founder of Ressence to find out how these revolutionary watches combine smart technology and timepiece tradition Words: Michelle Johnson

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hen the quartz watch movement reached the peak of its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, it nearly called time on mechanical horology – particularly in Switzerland, where the ‘quartz crisis’ saw employment within the watch industry cut by nearly two thirds. So it would be easy to assume the latest technological trend – smart watches – would be approached with some trepidation by Swiss watchmaking.

In fact, smart watches have become a small but important part of the development of some the best-known Swiss manufacturers. TAG Heuer’s Connected Modular watches are uniquely customisable while Montblanc released a classy smart watch last year with its Summit 2. But it’s Ressence’s E-Crown that is promising the most exciting hybrid of Swiss mechanics and technological innovation to date.

Founded in 2010 by industrial designer Benoît Mintiens, Ressence’s unique orbital disc system replaces traditional dials, while the convex face and removed bezel make the time legible at any angle – especially useful in the brand’s Type 5 diver’s watch, which has a depth of 100m. Each model also features a manual lever rather than a crown.

But it’s the brand’s remarkable Type 2 that is breaking new ground; not only is it powered by tiny solar panels, but it combines this disc system with a bluetooth-enabled E-Crown interface, changing between time zones or communicating with its mobile app with just a tap of the glass face. Billed as the world’s first mechanical watch with a smart crown, it’s no coincidence that the independent Belgian company chose to manufacture in Switzerland.

“We began designing Ressence watches with the user experience in mind, wanting to bring the best of technology available today combined with traditional watchmaking. But we soon realised that the paradox of fine watchmaking is that, even if you’re wearing a very unique and expensive watch, if you’re looking for accuracy, you’ll check your smartphone,” says Mintiens. “So that’s where we began. We wanted a watch that was autonomous and mechanical with a power reserve of 36 hours, at least. But on top of that we wanted for the user to have extra convenience and accuracy when setting or changing the time.”

Mintiens explains that the ‘codes’ of industrial design are what inform Ressence’s unique interface. “Watchmaking traditionally starts at the technicality of the watch, whereas we try to dematerialise what you see as a design. We asked, ‘What is the essence of time keeping? What around this is necessary and what can we try to take away?’

“With a mechanical watch, the time is normally displayed in different layers, but actually our eyes don’t like layers. » 77

THE PARADOX OF FINE WATCHMAKING IS THAT, EVEN IF YOU’RE WEARING A

VERY UNIQUE AND EXPENSIVE WATCH, IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ACCURACY, YOU’LL CHECK YOUR SMARTPHONE

So, how can you solve that when you have all these dials that join at different levels? We took the approach of replacing traditional dials with discs, which turn within each other, and this is the basis of our orbital convex system.”

The Type 2 will be available to purchase from October this year, featuring a convex grade 5 titanium 75mm dial with three eccentric biaxial satellites on jewel micro-ball bearings. The engraved indications are filled with grade A superluminova for night-time legibility, and the patented self-winding ROCS 2 movement (Ressence Orbital Convex System) is driven by the minute axle of a specially customised 2892/A caliber. And although the smart functionality is currently basic, Mintiens says these are first- and second-generation models and that further merging of analogue and digital function is only a matter of time.

“With our Type 2 watch, you can change the time and time zone very easily using our mobile app [right], so you can align the mechanics of the watch with all the information and accuracy from the digital world,” he says. “But the mechanical aspect is important, because the watch will accurately retain the time you’ve set without having to stay online. And the accuracy of the time is much more precise than if you were only setting it manually, as once a day the watch will automatically correct any deviation via wireless connection.”

Ressence sells around 300 watches a year and boasts highprofile fans including Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and designer Philippe Starck. Its growing popularity, Mintiens suggests, is down to the soul of the product.

“We can see that there’s a shift in the way we are communicating. We are very confident that we’re on the right track, because people like the products. Our customers are often creative, in technical jobs, architects, engineers. They’re people who want to break the traditional codes but who still like fine watches and purity of design. They believe in the innovations that we’re making. It’s not just another gadget,” says Mintiens.

“Above all, we want to uphold the values of fine watchmaking, because there’s an emotional value to mechanical watches,” he says. “You will never have an emotional attachment with an Apple watch, or whatever, because you are treated like a consumer – you can feel from the moment you buy it that it will be outdated after a couple of years, maybe even months. Ressence watches, we believe, will last this generation and still be something you can hand down to the next generation – just like the amazing Swiss watches built 50 years ago.”

Crucially, Mintiens assures us that this is just the first step towards a lasting union between digital technology and Swiss watchmaking, that will see the industry step into the future while honouring the past. “Time is not something static,” he says. And who would know better than a watchmaker?

Ressencewatches.com

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WATCHES

The Ressence Type 5 diver’s watch is perfectly legible from any angle

GET SMARTER Make time for our pick of the best hybrid watches

TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 “Golf Edition”

Frederique Constant Hybrid Manufacture

Montblanc Summit 2

Breitling Exospace B55 Yachting

TAG Heuer is the titan of high-end fine watches. Its Connected Modular series was the first fully-functional smartwatch delivered by a fine watchmaker, with its most luxurious version paved with diamonds. This year, the brand’s new Golf Edition comes with a new app that lets the watch digitally map more than 39,000 golf courses globally – including distances to greens and hazards – track scores for up to four players and more.

The next generation of Frederique Constant smart watch launched this year with a Swiss-made automatic movement, a connected module allowing activity tracking, sleep analysis, dynamic coaching and a worldtimer, and a calibre analytics function that works with the Hybrid app to keep its movement up to date. The real draw for horological purists, however, is that all that clever tech is hidden beneath an elegant and timeless dial appearance.

A powerful hybrid of fine watchmaking and smart technology, the Summit 2 is designed for the gentleman runner, featuring a Running Coach app that logs heart rate and performance data for your workout, providing personalised insights and training guidance. Launched last year, CEO Nicolas Baretzki described the watch as combining “easy access to functional features and apps… while still enjoying the experience of wearing a fine timepiece”.

Breitling’s ‘connected chronograph’ allows its wearer to sail smoothly through its smart functions. The titanium-carbon watch contains an exclusive caliber that is tailor-made for pilots and yachtsman, featuring an electronic tachymeter, and a ‘chrono flight’ and ‘chrono regatta’ device for recording your best times for flight and regatta times respectively. Its two LCD screens features a backlighting system controlled by a tilt of the wrist.

tagheuer.com

frederiqueconstant.com

montblanc.com

breitling.com

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CITY SLICKERS Super-savvy financiers are moving their money into equally smart new developments in these modern metropolitan hubs Words: Cheryl Markosky

Reaching for the skyline at London ‘s Tower Bridge

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lobal wealth creation remains constant in 2019 – the year when the number of US dollar millionaires exceeded 20 million for the first time. And it’s good news for the UK, with London ranked number one in Knight Frank’s City Wealth Index, followed by New York and Hong Kong. Other urban powerhouses include Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, Seoul, Washington DC and Amsterdam.

“London is safe, central, and has great museums, restaurants and hotels,” says property expert Merlin Dormer, a partner of Heaton & Partners. He’s been purchasing residences in Battersea and also rates Chelsea, Paddington and South Kensington.

“Many investors want somewhere convenient, with concierge service and good amenities.”

Knight Frank International’s Edward de Mallet Morgan says savvy investors are still finding romance in the city of love. As well as beautiful architecture and character in each of its diverse arrondissements, Paris has, he says, “plenty of apartments with potential and scope to improve floor plans and layout”.

Berlin, an important hub for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs, is attracting people from all around the world.

“Berlin offers great opportunities to create the perfect home, if you’re willing to spend money. However, what’s considered luxury in Berlin may be considered good value elsewhere,” says Robert Green, managing director of Sphere Estates.

Hugo Thistlethwayte, head of residential at Savills International, advises heading to Los Angeles where a massive push to produce much-needed content for media firms is creating more money and opportunities. It’s a good time to buy, as “prices have flattened at the top end where there’s a lot of product and strong demand”.

LONDON | TOWER BRIDGE A penthouse only 50m from the Tower of London, with a spacious roof terrace off the open-plan living room and panoramic river views is a sound prospect. Hotel-style extras include 24-hour concierge assistance, spa, gym, business suite, cinema room and residents’ lounge. £10.75m barratthomes.co.uk

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PROPERTY JAPAN | TOKYO Light-filled Zen-like spaces flow in a sleek, three-storey, concrete and steel house. The 545 sq m property boasts floorto-ceiling windows and glass walls in its open entertaining spaces. Because commuting is a vital aspect of life in Japan, an added bonus is the reassuringly short seven-minute walk to Denenchofu station. ¥1.150m (£8.981m) sothebysrealty.com

FRANCE | PARIS As Paris emerges as the favoured financial trading hub for continental Europe, it has become de rigueur to own a chic, four-bedroom mansion in the French capital. A lift, gym, wine cellar, terrace, private garage and air-conditioning are prime assets in this soigné space. » €16m (£14.5m) knightfrank.com

IT’S A GOOD TIME TO BUY. PRICES HAVE

FLATTENED AT THE TOP END WHERE THERE’S STRONG DEMAND

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USA | LOS ANGELES Get the movie mogul vibe in a seven-bedroom Brentwood estate, where guests can sample vintages from your 650-bottle cellar and fare from the chef-ready Gaggenau kitchen – when they’re not lounging by the infinity pool. And if you tire of viewing Oscar-winning films in the home theatre, enjoy knockout vistas from downtown LA to the Pacific. $42m (£33.27m) savills.com

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PROPERTY

GERMANY | BERLIN The Torstrasse penthouse in Mitte offers five bedrooms, access to a rooftop swimming pool, indoor pool, sauna, whirlpool, massage and steam rooms, and a gym Add to that a concierge, in-house coffee bar and six underground parking spaces for even more mod-cons. Fantastisch. â‚Ź12m (ÂŁ10.88m) sphereestates.com 85

The Lamborghini Aventador

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ANIMAL MAGNETISM Tempus tames a fighting bull desperate to get out on the track Words: Gareth Herincx

A

sk any petrolhead to sketch a modern supercar and the result is likely to resemble Lamborghini’s evergreen Aventador. The dramatic wedge-shaped supercar has been with us since 2011, when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the Murciélago.

Eight years on and we’ve arrived at the final iteration, and the last hurrah for this mighty fighting bull.

The flagship Aventador SVJ is the most extreme, sophisticated version yet, featuring the most powerful V12 ever produced by the iconic company at its dream factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

SV stands for Super Veloce (Italian for ‘very fast’), while the J (or ‘Jota’) is Lamborghini’s way of denoting a race spec car.

As much a piece of automotive art as a motor car, the SVJ is an awesome sight. Long, low and wide, its blend of curves and sharp edges features a complex front spoiler, a spectacular rear wing, twin high-mounted exhausts and crowd-pleasing scissor doors. The SVJ is the pinnacle of aerodynamic design, minimising drag and improving downforce.

My introduction to the new Aventador took place on the roads of Sardinia; a memorable location to drive a true Italian thoroughbred. And this is an epic car in every sense. From its aggressive profile to the legendary growl of the V12, it’s a sensual delight. I lost count of the number of headlight flashes I received from oncoming cars, not to mention toots of the horn and waves from passersby.

Driving the SVJ is surprisingly straightforward. Once you’ve worked out how to open the doors, it’s just a case of lowering yourself down into the high-tech cockpit – a forest of carbon fibre, leather and Alcantara, switches, dials and digital displays.

Press the start button and the 6.5-litre 760bhp monster behind your head erupts into life.

The SVJ is wider than the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, but you soon learn to compensate for the car’s vast width as well as the almost complete lack of rearwards visibility. And indeed, compared to a road car, the steering is heavy, the suspension

rock hard and the seven-speed manual gearbox hardcore.

However, it’s also blisteringly fast, so much so that within a few seconds you’ll find yourself hitting the national speed limit.

Much like its closest rivals, the McLaren 720S and Ferrari 488, you really can only appreciate a fraction of the SVJ’s performance in legal limitations.

Its speed is no surprise. Apart from its official figures of 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 217mph, in 2018 it smashed the Nürburgring Nordschleife production car lap record. In fact, its best lap time of 6m 44.97s was a massive 2.27s faster than the previous holder (a Porsche GT2 RS).

Even driving on regular roads, it’s clear that the SVJ is special.

Whichever drive mode you choose (Strada, Sport, Corsa, or the customisable EGO option) it never feels anything other than totally planted on the tarmac. Choosing your drive mode is just a question of how ferocious you like your Lambo. One thing’s for sure, if a barrage of pops and crackles puts a smile on your face, then downshifting in Sport is addictive.

There’s exceptional wheel grip and huge amounts of traction thanks to its four-wheel-drive system and clever computer wizardry, while the addition of four-wheel steering and active aerodynamics allows the SVJ to corner at astonishing speeds. In short, it’s seriously swift and fantastically engaging.

With a starting price of £360,000 the Aventador SVJ is an expensive toy. That said, just 900 will be built, along with 800 soft-top versions and 63 SVJ 63 special editions, so it will be a wise investment too.

The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ is a piece of pure automotive theatre, especially if you can take it out on track to experience its full potential. But here’s the thing: as a daily driver I’d recommend its little brother, the Huracán EVO, which starts at £206,000.

Okay, it’s only got a V10 engine, but it’s more refined, comfortable and nimble on the road while still looking the part.

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IT’S AN EPIC CAR IN EVERY WAY. FROM ITS AGGRESSIVE PROFILE TO THE

LEGENDARY GROWL OF THE V12, IT’S A SENSUAL DELIGHT

Chelsea’s Ashberg House incorporates a sleek indoor pool

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DREAMING

BIG

Named after the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus London brings design fantasies to life with highly personalised interiors

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ondon’s luxury interior design industry is a fiercely competitive space. With myriad design houses already vying for a slice of the pie, and more cropping up every year, it’s difficult to stand out. “It’s competitive at this level of interiors,” explains Rickesh Patel, design director at premier design agency Morpheus London. “The competitors around us are exceptional; London is home to some of the best designers in the world. London design is global – it’s revered, it’s renowned, it’s wanted.”

The reasons for this are plenty. London is home to a number of excellent design schools, for one. Another is the quality of craftsmanship and materials available in Britain, and the boom in property development which, despite the dip in pricing caused by Brexit, continues to attract investors from around the world.

A fine property demands an even finer interior, and one that’s highly personalised to the owner’s exacting tastes and lifestyle. This is something that Morpheus London knows well and prides itself on delivering. Here, Tempus speaks to Patel about the design trends of the future and how British designers are dominating the world of high-end interiors. »

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What makes Morpheus London unique?

Morpheus is a brand, yes, but we don’t have a house style.

There are some big brands who have a house style that you get given, and that’s it. But Morpheus, being the god of dreams, captures the spirit of the client’s requirements, which forms the DNA of the projects. We don’t design for Morpheus; we design for individual clients or brands. The brand exercise is different for each client.

With so much competition in the capital, how do you source your clients?

Word of mouth is how we get a lot of our work – and that’s great. Whether that’s private clients talking to their network or developers we work with. When we work with architects, we work together, not against the grain, as some designers do. This leads to a good working relationship. I believe the future is collaboration.

How much of your work is dictated by your clients’ ideas, compared to your own?

We’re fortunate to work with some great clients who have good budgets, and we’re designing for some exceptional spaces, and sometimes you think, ‘This would be perfect’, but then you get home and see toys everywhere and it’s like, ‘No, it wouldn’t work.’

Some clients will show us pictures on Instagram and say: ‘I’ve been to this hotel, I want this.’ But what we try and do is take these images and re-energise them and say, ‘Actually this is how you live, this is what your lifestyle is’, and adapt that image. It’s not about just repeating something that they can see everywhere, it’s about creating something unique.

Some clients will say, ‘No, I categorically want that’, while others will want us to completely take the lead. It’s a balance.

We’ve got a quite intrusive set of taste and lifestyle questions that we ask each client, so we get to know everything.

What kind of questions do you ask your clients?

We ask about their favourite restaurants and hotels, their entertainment styles, even which side of the bed they get out of. It’s just bringing out their personality and lifestyle.

And it is a process – it’s not just a first meeting. It’s very strategic. We might take them for dinner somewhere we feel may be their look and feel and check what they think of the environment. We might take them to certain showrooms or other projects, because a lot of clients come to us when they’ve heard of a project and gone, ‘This is amazing; love it.’ Then, it’s just going back and understanding what they like about it and giving them something completely new.

What are Morpheus London’s signature projects?

We’ve had Ashberg House, an 8,500 sq ft new build, which we sold last year to a private client. We worked with our sister company, Icon 1992, to deliver a full design and build.

It’s special as it’s very different to anything in the London market. It’s on Cathcart Road in Chelsea, which was bombed heavily during the war. The location allowed us actually to create something quite unique – it’s glass fronted and quite monolithic with a strong black façade.

We’ve also just finished a 3,500 sq ft penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront. There’s a garden upstairs which we had quite a bit of fun with – we put a green wall in and some hanging beds overlooking the skyline of the Thames.

In Monaco, we worked on Thirty Nine Monte Carlo, our first foray into hospitality. The client gave us free rein

and said, ‘Design me a brand that I can take globally’. The majestic double height entrance hallway showcases the Grace Chandelier, an 8ft glass constellation designed to honour the past, present and future of Monaco and inspired by Princess Grace’s wedding bouquet – a delicate arrangement of lily of the valley, ribbons and sprigs.

Princess Grace of Monaco actually came and opened the actual health spa. It was amazing. We gave her a piece of glass from the chandelier as a memory.

We’ve had to become quite clever in how we work on a commercial or developed project, and how we entice high-end brands and the right calibre of people, by linking and designing certain elements that will capture their imaginations. We’re not just decorators, we’re thinking about the whole journey from sales to final use.

What are people asking for at the moment?

Sustainability and eco-friendly designs are important, but I think there are two strong sides to it. Big brands like Six Senses want to be seen as making a difference to the global market. On the private client side, however, it’s finding that balance. We’re having to advise them from the start.

At times, private clients want a certain look and a certain product. So, it’s up to us to say, ‘Yes, we could give you that’.

But then we go away and research how we can produce it locally. A lot of our furniture is bespoke and we make a lot in London or just on the peripheries, which cuts the carbon footprint. I think it’s almost, not cloak and dagger, but we design in a manner that, at times, they don’t even realise we’re being sustainable.

Above: Morpheus London design director Rickesh Patel Right: Monte Carlo’s Club Thirty Nine makes a statement with its opulent entrance

Have you felt the impact of Brexit at all?

For sure, some projects have been on hold and people have had to rethink. But with our work flow – we like to keep 50% overseas and 50 per cent in the UK – we’ve managed that quite well by making sure we’re out in certain locations.

We’ve done a fair bit of work in Marbella. We’re looking at stuff in Marrakech and West Palm Beach at the moment.

But there’s also the upside of falling property prices as there are some bargains to be had – some super high-end prices have been slashed by 20%. And then with the currency exchange, that’s another saving.

We review the market constantly, talking to the likes of Savills and Knight Frank every month to see what they’ve got to offer. Andrew Murray [director and founder of Morpheus London] is very entrepreneurial. He’s constantly thinking of ways of marketing certain properties and targeting to the clients. And it works. It’s about thinking outside the box and going five steps beyond what a designer would normally do.

What makes London such a strong design hub?

The British brand has travelled and has been very prevalent in architecture around the world. And it’s that nostalgia that people understand. Yes, we’re a small island but actually what’s been produced from here has been phenomenal.

London also has great design schools. We attract a lot of the international students who then stay in the UK. When it comes to products, I think quality is key. There are some incredible names – the Linley brand, for instance, is still exceptional. And it just resonates with what we’re about – high-quality products that are well finished, with elegance and longevity. Yes, you can have fun and be outrageous with certain pieces, but the clients know that the starting point is strong. If it is different and outrageous, it’s still going to be of high-quality. morpheuslondon.com

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WE’RE NOT JUST DECORATORS, WE’RE THINKING ABOUT THE

WHOLE JOURNEY

FROM SALES TO FINAL USE

INTERIORS

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Vin + Omi model paired the brand’s sustainably created pieces with facial accesories by Patch

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STYLE

FASHION forward Nettles, Olympians and punk spirit: how Vin + Omi is tearing up the couture rulebook Words: Lizzy Dening

O

so they could collect thousands of nettles to create a sustainable fabric, used in 10 of the items featured in the new collection.

“We love working with the Prince because of his stance on eco issues,” says Vin. “He is genuine and thoughtful about using his influence to help change the planet.”

Royal connections aside, the pair have always had friends in high places. Blondie singer Debbie Harry is their principal muse (it’s her voice that opens the show, ordering us to ‘stop fucking the planet’), and their collections have been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Kate Moss and Jodie Kidd.

That diverse clientele is reflected at the show at The Savoy, a Fairmont managed hotel; one of the joys of the runway is the diversity of its models, which includes several Olympic athletes plus perennial rock chick Jo Wood and daughter Leah. The models show off enough floor-sweeping gowns, edgy co-ords and statement jackets to bring punk spirit to the most modest dresser.

For Vin + Omi, the sustainable ethos doesn’t end with the show. In 2020 the pair will create bespoke uniforms for The Savoy’s doormen, while show attendees are each presented with entirely compostable products from headline sponsor Patch – whose bamboo plasters were used as innovative accessories by catwalk models –and wildflower seeds to offset the impact of brochures and other printed material.

It’s small decisions like this – from our bathroom products to where we buy our clothes – that Vin + Omi urge us to consider more carefully.

“Consumer habits will and have to change,” says Omi. “We need to buy less and choose much more carefully. Fashion is the second biggest polluter of the planet – so all companies need to act fast.”

utside The Savoy in London, a woman dressed in black is holding aloft a banner that reads: “RIP London Fashion Week: 19832019”. She is one of around 200 protestors clamouring for an end to fast fashion as they march to the home of London Fashion Week, 180 The Strand.

It’s just as well that the Extinction Rebellion protesters keep on walking, as inside the capital’s most stylish hotel tonight’s show – titled Sting – ecoactivists Vin + Omi might well be showcasing the fashion industry’s most sustainable collection.

Vin + Omi is named after its two founding designers – British Vin and his collaborator Omi, who was born in Singapore and worked for Christian Dior under John Galliano. The pair, who go only by their first names, are known for their creation of 100% sustainable fabrics – last year’s SS19 show presented pieces made from hybrid metal fabrics manufactured from discarded cans and plastic bottles.

“We actually love Extinction Rebellion and their take on London Fashion Week,” says Vin. “Sting is the largest show outside of London Fashion Week’s official selection. We are not associated with LFW as the British Fashion Council’s criteria for selection is focused around the number of stockists a brand has, and not the many other things that matter much more.”

This outsider attitude is embodied by their SS20 collection – a blend of punk and raw nature that sees models wearing branch crowns, patched anarchist jackets and roaring wildcat emblems. While the clothes might seem anti-establishment, the duo’s environmental ethos has found them an unlikely ally – The Prince of Wales.

The forward-thinking designers had a conversation with Prince Charles last year about weaving from plants, which culminated in the heir to the throne granting the designers access to his Highgrove Estate

Vinandomi.com

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イースタンディライトツ

EASTERN DELIGHTS Tempus goes on a journey through fabulous food and fascinating experiences in Japan with Prince Hotels & Resorts

I

’m sitting on a cushion on the floor at Sanyo-so, a Sukiya-style Japanese residence-turned-hotel in Izunokuni, which promised to fulfil all of my Memoirs of a Geisha fantasies. It’s taken me over two hours to travel here from Kyoto, but I’ve been promised the traditional Japanese feast I’ve journeyed for will be worth it.

Upon entering the Ryokan hotel, I’m encouraged to abandon my Western ways.

Instead of shoes, I wear special socks and, if I go outside, wooden flip flops (geta) that tilt as you step – quite the art to master on cobbled pathways. Putting aside my Western clothing – and English reserve – I wear a yukata (casual kimono) to bathe in the al fresco communal ladies’ onsen which steams hot against the cool country air.

My host is an elegant lady called Kazumi.

Despite us not being able to communicate easily, we quickly strike up a friendship as she teaches me how to properly tie a yukata and scorns at my hesitation to eat fish for breakfast.

She gives me a tour of the hotel, where paperthin walls and sliding doors separate tatamimatted rooms, and we walk through the gardens in the rain pointing out our favourite plants. At Sanyo-so, it’s this humbled simplicity that makes it so charming.

I’m here to experience a traditional Japanese feast, which is served to me in my room in a seemingly endless array of courses. The menu is in Japanese, so I hazard a guess at what most of the foods are as I make my way through bowls of colourful vegetables and tofu, raw sashimi, hot soups, rice with tiny fish in it and a fillet of tuna, washed down with a trio of sake.

Breakfast is a similar affair – cold and hot soup, vegetables and roots, tofu, seafood and what appears to be a Japanese omelette.

Setting sight on the sea of coloured bowls I’m intimidated, but ingredients are so healthy each bowl is light to stomach.

After a relaxed morning I board the bullet train to Tokyo. But my sadness to leave SanyoSo is wiped from my mind as I arrive at The

Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a modern Luxury Collection Hotel that towers over the Chiyoda Akasaka-Roppongi area.

I sit down for an aperitif at the Sky Gallery Lounge Levita, a striking 35th-floor space with dramatic architecture fighting for attention with dramatic two-storey floor-to-ceiling views of the city. I opt for the signature Kishu cocktail – a sweet yet refreshing blend of plum wine, sumo mandarin, orange bitters, lemon and sugar syrup.

For dinner, I head over to Washoku Souten, the hotel’s contemporary Japanese restaurant. The venue itself is stunning – blocks of crystal lights hang from the ceiling like ice and glass-panelled windows open up to the city skyline.

This time, English translation guides me through the seven-course menu. From the first course to the last, it’s clear that food here is an art form. Exquisitely presented dishes come out one-by-one, taking me on a seasonal journey, starting with a palette-cleansing trio of vegetable appetisers – seasonal greens, mushroom mouse and artichoke with truffle oil.

After an intriguing taste of foie gras custard, it’s onto the fish courses – exceptionally fresh assorted sashimi and steamed yellowtail – followed by rib served in a modern way –wrapped around asparagus. The main is flavourful Japanese pepper rice with beef and a side of miso soup. The meal is washed down with sparkling sake – a new type of sake that’s trendy in Tokyo and quickly became my new favourite beverage.

As I check out of the hotel the following day, I’m informed a package has arrived for me.

I’m surprised to find that my friend Kazumi has sent me a packet of my favourite Japanese sweets to wish me a safe flight. This is just another example of the Japanese hospitality that Prince Hotels, and Japan itself, is famous for. I leave with a sugar high and a promise that one day, I’ll return. princehotels.com 94

TRAVEL

Above and top left: Traditional style at Sanyo-so. Centre left and below left: Mesmerising menus at contemporary Tokyo Wahoku Souten

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SAVE the DATE Your luxury events calendar for October and November 2019

Art & Design

Culture

London’s art scene comes alive in October with Frieze London at Regent’s Park (3-6 October). See thought-provoking sculptures – including When I Sleep by Tracey Emin (above) as well as works from 160 of the world’s biggest galleries in the ultimate artistic shopping trip. This year’s London Design Festival (2-6 October) features remarkable installations. We love Please Be Seated by Paul Cocksedge as well as Take the Plunge inside the Bargehouse Oxo Tower. If these events have sparked your inner artist, head to the Royal Academy of Arts for an Autumn programme that includes a celebration of one of the greatest portraitists of our time in Lucian Freud: The SelfPortraits (opens 27 October).

Stars will gather for the prestigious BFI London Film Festival (2-13 October). The 63rd festival will return to Leicester Square’s Odeon Luxe cinema to introduce 229 feature films from some of the world’s greatest and emerging filmmakers – including an opening night gala premiere of The Personal History of David Copperfield, directed by Armando Iannucci and starring Dev Patel, and the closing night gala for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman (above), the director’s ninth collaboration with Robert De Niro.

Elsewhere, Cheltenham’s annual Literature Festival (4-13 October) celebrates its 70th anniversary with talks by former PM David Cameron, Richard Ayoade and authors including Ian McEwan and Kanako Nishi.

Exclusive INVITE

Tempus Whisky Rally Launching February 2020, Tempus is delighted to launch its inaugural Whisky Rally.

Visiting the most exclusive and remarkable distilleries that Islay, Scotland, has to offer, our guests can expect open roads, game shooting, luxurious accommodation and much more.

Bring your own car or borrow a luxury vehicle courtesy of our partners as we travel from Dalmore to Fettercairn, sampling rare whiskies along the way – curated by author John Purcell – and enjoying fine dining from our chef-in-residence, Jack Blumenthal.

To register your interest, or find out more, please email georgia@tempusmagazine.co.uk

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Sport November welcomes some of the most exciting sporting events of the year, including the England cricket team’s (left) tour of New Zealand (1 November-3 December). Rising from a difficult Ashes tournament, the team will play two tests and five Twenty20 International matches, including a stadium debut at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. Japan’s Nissan Stadium will host the Rugby World Cup Final (2 November), before we return to the UK to watch tennis aces Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic battle it out in the Nitto ATP Finals (10-17 November).

Motorsport The ABB FIA Formula E Championship kicks off its 2019/2020 season in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (22 November) with the electric street racing series (left) expected to be bigger than ever. Keep an eye out for A-listers – fans include this issue’s cover star, Leonardo DiCaprio. Over in Formula 1, petrolheads can expect more high-octane racing with stand out Grand Prix meets in Japan (11 October), Mexico (25 October), US (1 November) and Brazil (15 November) before moving to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina for the most extravagant Grand Prix weekend of the year (29 November). Start your engines…

Sailing Nothing takes you round the world like the boat and yacht fairs, and with the big three – Southampton, Monaco and Cannes – behind us for another year, it’s time to look to more distant ports. Sail into Abu Dhabi International Boat Show for the newest celebration of luxury yachting and leisure marine sports (16-19 October). Hosted at the UAE’s ADNEC Marina, the show’s second outing will feature more than 350 global marine brands. Then, it’s over to the US for the 30th Miami Yacht Rendezvous on Fisher Island (7-9 November) – three days of glamorous social functions (left), fundraising events and, most importantly, superyachts, all on a paradise private island. If you’ve still got wind in your sails, head to the United States Sailboat Show (10-14 October) in historic Anapolis; the world’s largest and most elegant sailboat show is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a host of exhibits guaranteed to make a splash.

For more exciting events, visit our website: WWW.TEMPUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK 98

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