Tempus Magazine | Issue 73 | April-May 2021

TIMELESS INSPIRATION

EXCLUSIVE

FAWAZ GRUOSI The king of diamonds returns to London with a dazzling new mission

JEAN-MICHEL GATHY | INSIDE WATCHES & WONDERS | THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH ISSUE

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elcome to this new edition of Tempus, with features full of the joys of spring and pages bursting with optimism. If we’re completely honest, it was coincidence that saw the timing of this issue meet so perfectly with the new easing of lockdown measures, and yet it was our unshakeable faith in the good days to come that guided our journey into the brands and personalities that fill this issue.

And here we are! Ready to enjoy the buzz of London’s hospitality as our favourite boutiques, restaurants and – just on the horizon – theatres throw open their doors once more. For so many of us, the opportunity to experience a world outside our bubbles is a welcome one (and we’re certainly not going to complain about a glamorous al fresco evening or two), but it’s also an opportunity to get back to ourselves, as we integrate the self-discoveries of a tumultuous year back into a more normal day-to-day.

The question, then, as the world of luxury fights to capture our reawakened desire for experience and adventure, is what do we want to take with us? For our cover star, Fawaz Gruosi – known as the king of diamonds and perhaps the most influential man in jewellery – the answer is very simple: our individuality.

Having recently launched his own eponymous boutique in Berkeley Square, Fawaz has lofty goals – he is determined to make precious amber as popular as he did black diamonds during his time at the helm of luxury high jewellery label de Grisogono – and says that his goal is always to do “something totally different” but that is still aligned with his “DNA”. Read our exclusive interview on page 42.

Fawaz’s focus on creating unique designs is mirrored in our investigation into the “secret services” (38) offered by our favourite luxury brands, from champagne to fashion, who are meeting our desire for hyper-personalisation head on with exclusive members’ club-style experiences.

The travel world, too, has cottoned on to our need for individualisation, with savvy hotels offering everything from drastically new wellness programmes to work-from-anywhere facilities, so we can better mix business and pleasure (16). And, of course, the Covid-19-inspired health and wellbeing necessities that design legend Jean-Michel Gathy says will encourage a new wave of seamless architecture and design in the world’s best hotels (72).

Elsewhere, we speak to 21-year-old Le Mans champion Phil Hanson about what it takes to be a record breaker (34), explore the world of whisky with The Last Drop MD Rebecca Jago (64), and head online to check out the latest novelties from the second annual Watches & Wonders fair (48) –before turning to the UK’s up-and-coming retail brands that will delight and inspire as stores reopen (78).

With all this and more, we hope you enjoy the issue.

Michelle Johnson Editor

Tempus Magazine is published by Vantage Media Limited. www.vantagemediagroup.co.uk © 2021 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.

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CONTRIBUTORS

EDITORIAL TEAM

Jonathan Baker Turnbull & Asser’s managing director Jonathan tells us about the community spirit that makes London’s shopping experience the best in the world (14)

Editor Michelle Johnson michelle@tempusmagazine.co.uk Creative Director Ross Forbes ross@tempusmagazine.co.uk Digital Editor Gabriel Power gabriel@tempusmagazine.co.uk

Judy Cogan When exclusive service is the name of the game, there are some brands who really go the extra mile. Luxury expert Judy explores the best inviteonly services on the market (38)

Wealth Editor Lysanne Currie Motoring Editor Rory FH Smith Sub-Editor Dominique Dinse COMMERCIAL TEAM

Juliet Herd Freelance writer and editor Juliet meets the inimitable Fawaz Gruosi to discover how he is revolutionising high jewellery once again with his new London venture (42)

Sales & Content Executive Freddy Clode freddy@tempusmagazine.co.uk Sales & Event Enquiries info@tempusmagazine.co.uk VANTAGE MEDIA LIMITED Chairman Floyd Woodrow

Farah Nabulsi Oscar-nominated filmmaker and human rights activist Farah tells us about the trip to Palestine that inspired her critically acclaimed short film The Present (58)

Managing Director Peter Malmstrom Operations Director Colin Clark GET IN TOUCH Tempus Magazine Vantage Media Limited 22 South Audley St London W1K 2NY info@tempusmagazine.co.uk

tempusmagazine.co.uk @tempusmagazine @tempusmagazine

Responsibly printed Printed by Park Communications, UK on Edixion Offset (FSC® certified paper) using vegetable inks and sustainable printing methods.

COVER IMAGE Fawaz Gruosi © Damian Foxe Article on page: 42

www.parkcom.co.uk 7

CONTENTS

10 The luxe list Our pick of the must-have gifts of the season 14 Community Spirit Turnbull & Asser’s Jonathan Baker on why the future is bright for London retail 16 Freedom for the senses Little Emperors founder Rebecca Masri on the most exciting post-pandemic travel trends 22 In the driver’s seat David Beckham announces his new global ambassador role with Maserati 24 When in Rome Norbet Stumpfl, creative force behind Brioni, on the brand’s newest launch 28 The high life We find out why private jet travel is taking off 34 Built for speed Tempus meets Phil Hanson, the record-breaking 21-year-old who is dominating Le Mans 38 The secret services These luxury brands are combining personalised service with members’ club-style benefits 42 Return of the king High jewellery innovator Fawaz Gruosi shares his new ambitions 48 Out of this world Inside the second virtual Watches & Wonders horology fair 54 An extraordinary life We pay tribute to the remarkable life of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh 58 Farah Nabulsi The investment banker-turned-filmmaker shares the inspiration behind her Oscar-nominated short film 60 Raise a glass Alcohol-free beverages have come a long way from flavoured water. We take a sip of the NoLo drinks trend 64 A spirited history The Last Drop’s Rebecca Jago talks finding rare spirits and breaking gender barriers in the world of whisky 68 Cruise control We find out how Italian shipyard CRN’s custom megayachts take shape 72 Shaping places Hotel architect and design legend Jean-Michel Gathy shares his predictions for the future of hotels 78 The future is now We meet Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow – the innovative British brands becoming household names 82 Blooming lovely With spring in full bloom, these are the floral trends to brighten our homes, offices and events 84 Forging her own path Philanthropist Anita Choudhrie on supporting Paralympians on their road to Tokyo 2021 88 Block party From diamonds to real estate, music to money, these blockchain entrepreneurs are changing the world 92 Building bridges Could the growing bond between the UK and Canada be the first sign of a ‘Canzuk’ union?

94 Save the date The finest events of the season 100 Tried & tasted The Perfect Cellar’s Moez Seraly shares his favourite French cuisine

ISSUE 73

Fawaz Gruosi Enlaced Collection @Isabelle Bonjean

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The LUXE LIST Our essential guide to the most exciting new launches and finest seasonal gifts

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Breathing Rooms by FOKUS

This new garden room concept by global design agency Sheridan&Co puts contemporary design at its core, with an eco-friendly way to make more of your garden space. Whether you’re looking for an outdoor office space, gym, yoga studio, dining or games room, Breathing Rooms provide a fully adaptable space. The sleek contemporary design is uplifted further by its sustainable credentials – all materials used are recyclable, with solar power options for lighting and low-voltage appliances. And breathe… spacetofokus.com

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Onda Limousine Tenders

When we think of the conventional limousine tender, most of us think of the classic Venetian water taxi. Now Onda has reimagined this elegant but rather staid design to appeal to a younger, cooler generation of yacht owners seeking something fresh, fast, flexible… and fun. With a growing fleet of options for superyacht and resort clients, Onda says we should expect more from our tenders, from sun pads for lounging at anchor, swim platforms for convenient sea access, and the balance between ample deck space – to enjoy the al fresco pleasure of a day boat – and climate-controlled luxury interior. What’s more, these limos are custom built to ensure your personal style can make waves. ondatenders.com

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Omega Seamaster 300

Ever since its debut in 1957, the Omega Seamaster has been one of the world’s most famous diving watches. This year’s Omega Seamaster 300 sees the classic design re-engineered for today, with plenty of vintage touches paying tribute to the original. Each 41mm timepiece is delivered in classic stainless steel, with thinner, more durable bezels and reintroduced lollipop central seconds hand with a SuperLumiNova tip. Omega’s new sandwich dial features a base layer with Super-LumiNova and a second plate over the top, with recessed laser-cut hour markers and numerals kept in the 1960s style, of course. Available in stainless steel with black or blue dial (left), as well as a pioneering Bronze Gold – Omega’s new patent-pending alloy.

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Ferrari Trento

This award-winning Italian sparkling wine is in a class of its own thanks to its sporting new three-year partnership with Formula 1. The official sparkling wine of the 2021 F1 World Championship, Ferrari Trento will be served at the most lavish grands prix across the globe, and join racers on the winners’ podium – a moment traditionally celebrated with champagne. Ferrari’s Trentodoc labels are bottle-fermented sparkling wines produced with chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, cultivated following the principles of sustainable mountain viticulture in northern Italy’s Trentino.

Celebrateyour own triumphs with this very sporting toast – salute! ferraritrento.com

omegawatches.com

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Chaumet Joséphine Collection

Avant-garde high jewellery brand Chaumet’s updated Joséphine collection is an elegant and bejewelled tribute to Joséphine de Beauharnais, wife of French Emperor Napoléon I. Highlights include the Aigrette timepiece (left, with necklace and ring) – a delicate teardrop of white or rose gold, with pavé diamond bezel or dial available – and the remarkable Joséphine Valse Impériale parure, which evokes all the sovereign allure of its namesake with an airy dance of pear-shaped diamonds across the tiara, earrings and necklace set. Complementary rings, earrings, necklaces and more complete the collection. Maison Chaumet will mark the French emperor’s bicentennial with a truly sparkling exhibition Joséphine et Napoléon, une Histoire (Extra) Ordinaire at its hôtel particulier at 12 Vendôme, Paris, until 12 June. chaumet.com

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Globe-Trotter

Luxury luggage maker Globe-Trotter holds the philosophy that adventure is not just about where you go, but about how you carry yourself – and what you carry. Established in 1897, the company exemplifies the golden age of travel with its classic shapes and production methods – all cases are handmade in England, while many still employ the methods and machinery of the Victorian era. The brand boasts customers such as the Queen, who still uses the Globe-Trotter suitcase gifted to her for her honeymoon in 1947. Another famous fan is James Bond, thanks to contemporary collaborations with the likes of 007, Turnbull & Asser, Hermes, Gucci and Tiffany & Co. With the launch of the chic Centenary Black & Gold and nostalgic Albion collection (right) just in time for international travel to begin again, we know what we’ll be packing for our travels… globe-trotter.com

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Brora Triptych

After a three-year brick-by-brick restoration, the famous ghost distillery Brora will finally reopen its gates in mid-May. For its first release, Brora master blender Dr Craig Wilson has curated a three-piece showcase of the legendary distillery’s most famous styles. The Brora Triptych includes the 48-Year-Old Elusive Legacy, the oldest ever public release from the distillery; the Age of Peat, drawn from the casks of 1977 and elegantly exemplifying the highly-peated Highland whisky from the era; and Timeless Original, a 38-Year-Old limited edition that showcases the distinct waxiness that made Brora famous. Each crystal bottle is completed with Glencairn crystal stoppers, and the ash wood cabinet is crafted by NEJ Stevenson.

Each collectible set of the Brora Triptych is accompanied by a personal invitation from Brora’s master distiller Stewart Bowman to visit the distillery. A true celebration, for the love of peat. diageo.com 12

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Ulysse Nardin UFO

This remarkable marine-style chronometer from Ulysses Nardin was debuted at this year’s Watches & Wonders – the watch fair’s second virtual showcase. Celebrating the brand’s 175th anniversary, Ulysse Nardin’s UFO is a desk clock pushed to the limits of one’s imagination, combining its horological history into one single machine. Built in collaboration with clockmaker Maison L’Epée, the UFO is inspired by the ocean – built on an imbalance so that it’s gentle swing emulates the waves – and features 663 components and triple-dialled time zones. Its base is a blue half-spherical aluminum containing a tungsten mass, joined to the hand-blown glass bell by a bayonet mounting system, and it is limited to just 75 pieces. Do you believe in UFOs? Read more from Watches & Wonders on page 48 ulysse-nardin.com

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Valmont Essence of Gold Sturgeon

Luxury cosmetics house Valmont has released two exceptional new skincare products in its third l’Elixir des Glaciers collection. Fluide Merveilleux (£281) and Crème Merveilleuse (£800, right) are both formulated to pamper your senses and remineralise your skin. Using ethically and sustainably sourced sturgeon DNA and rare marine oligo-elements – combined, of course, with the pure hydration of glacier water for which the Swiss skincare specialist is so famed – these haute blends stimulate the production of proteoglycan, which encourages a hydrated complexion, and blocks elastase, which degrades elasticity – leaving your skin radiant and soothed. The ultimate indulgence at a time when self-care has never been so needed. lamaisonvalmont.com

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Byblos Confidential

Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez has created a new luxury apartment concept for guests who want to maintain the seclusion of their own private address but desire all the amenities of a sojourn on the French Riviera. Byblos Confidential offers longer residence-style stays, extra space for family and friends plus additional exclusive services – from 24-hour concierge and in-room breakfast, to chauffeur service, privileged access to spa, boutiques, and suite remodelling.

New apartments are designed with the brand’s classic mix of contemporary interior design and timeless village charm, and kitted out with all the latest technologies to meet guests’ homefrom-home needs. Perfect for those looking for an office with a view after a year of limited travel and lockdowns. byblos.com

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Community spirit Turnbull & Asser MD Jonathan Baker shares his hopes for the future of luxury retail – and tells us why the special symbiosis between retail and hospitality put London’s shopping destinations in a league of their own

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ayfair’s Jermyn Street is the spiritual home of shirt-making in the same way that Savile Row is synonymous with suits. Turnbull & Asser has been on Jermyn Street for 135 years – we’re certainly a mainstay of British shirt-making – and I think our resilience is really down to staying relevant and modern in changing times.

That can be a difficult sell for a heritage institution, but I believe if a business has survived that long it’s because it is incredibly adaptable, open to change and constantly evolving.

Turnbull & Asser has survived the Spanish flu, both world wars, economic depressions and more, and so I have always been confident we would weather the storm of Covid-19.

Our approach throughout has been to focus on further modernising the business, broadening our appeal to a wider demographic but also really responding to an increasingly casual workplace and society – our dress code is not nearly as formal as it was 135 years ago. The second aspect of our adaptation was the rapid digitalisation of the business. We were already working on both of these elements before the pandemic but, of course, we really invested and embraced digital when it became our only way to communicate with our customers.

During the past year, it’s become very clear that there is a symbiotic relationship between retail and hospitality – one that is particularly key to places like Jermyn Street both as a community and as a shopping destination. When we reopened our store prior to restaurants, between previous lockdowns, the difference was tangible. When you add dining to the community, the change in energy is incredible. It’s part of what makes London, and particularly the West End, such a vibrant shopping destination.

Ironically, since first closing our stores in March 2020, the Jermyn Street community

is closer than ever. We’ve all had to pivot our business, often relatively small operations or British boutiques, and that shared challenge has brought us closer together in order to foster positivity.

Before Covid-19, the shop floor was the beating heart of our business. But, as a familyowned retail business, our team and “family” is key to our culture, and I’m incredibly proud of how incredibly resilient, adaptable and productive our team has been.

I remember, when we first went into lockdown, all we could do was think about how we could contribute, and so we set about manufacturing PPE for the NHS from our factory in Gloucester. It was all done on a voluntary basis, and I was amazed at how many people wanted to contribute – especially because we were all pretty terrified at that point. The pandemic was very new, and measures were extreme.

There was a lot to consider in order to create a Covid-secure facility: dedicated entry and exit points, sanitisation stations, getting new machines and spacing them out. It was all very new, but we were able to create a really refined, safe environment and I think it gave us all a sense of purpose.

I’m not under any illusions that we will open our doors on 12 April and spring back to a preCovid world. There will be some structural, permanent changes from this experience and, like everyone across physical retail and hospitality, we’re waiting to see how it evolves and how we need to adapt accordingly.

But I do feel confident that there is positivity out there. As a formal brand, we feel that people are starting to want to transition back to the workplace and to socialise, and there’s a lot of pent-up demand to feel good and dress well. There’s a resilience among the nation and a sense that people want to get out and create 14

memorable experiences with their loved ones, so I’m excited to be a part of that.

There’s also been a cultural shift towards sustainability and social responsibility, turbocharged over the last 12 months. These elements have long been at the heart of our business, so that also gives me optimism. We have grown our audience, grown the product and strengthened our culture and community.

When I think about the business going forward, there is a lot of positivity to be had. turnbullandasser.co.uk

Turnbull & Asser MD Jonathan Baker (left) says adaptability is key to longterm success

COLUMN

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FREEDOM for the senses When it comes to our holidays, the days of following the crowd are long gone. Instead, writes Little Emperors founder Rebecca Masri, we should prepare to welcome a new world of hyper-personalisation, curated wellness and freedom-focused travel

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uxury hotel members’ club Little Emperors was formed in 2008 while I was still working in the banking sector. When the market took a tumble, I saw an opportunity to create partnerships with luxury hotels who were losing a lot of their corporate contracts – partially because people who were traveling on business no longer had the budget or no longer wanted to be perceived as having the budget to travel in luxury hotels. This was coupled with the smallbusiness boom, where many entrepreneurs did not have the volumes within their companies to negotiate corporate rates.

My goal was to create an app-based members’ club that allowed people to use corporate rates that they would not normally have access to. Now 12 years later, through a collective buying power of more than 35,000 app users, we negotiate corporate rates in more than 4,000 hotels around the world as well as providing what we call ‘leisure benefits’ for non-corporate travel.

I remember when I worked in the City, I was going on a business trip to Milan and called our concierge company to book some great restaurants. The concierge booked me into a

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string of the best, most expensive restaurants in the city, but what they had failed to consider is that I’d never been to Milan before – some nights I just wanted to experience real Italian food in a local restaurant.

It really made me think. Because it wasn’t the concierge’s fault for recommending those establishments, it was my fault for not taking control of my own time or guiding them on my needs. That experience really stayed with me and, when we were creating Little Emperors, I knew we needed to understand our members and their behaviour, and to use that information responsibly to give them exactly what they want in a practical, tactical way.

So, the whole purpose of Little Emperors is providing value in luxury; our members can extend preferred rates or enjoy exclusive upgrades but, equally, our technology allows us to create an extremely personal service for our members, helping curate their experience by being incredibly accurate with our recommendations.

Most positively of all, I predict that 2022 will be explosive with the resurgence in travel and events. Here are some of the key travel trends for the post-pandemic boom. »

Views of Burj al-Arab, Dubai; Little Emperors founder Rebecca Masri (left) 17

HEALTH IS WEALTH When it comes to travel trends, the industry has, obviously, been heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. But we have seen that wellness has been paramount, and health-focused bookings have quadrupled in the last few months.

But what does wellness look like in 2021?

Initially, a “wellness hotel” might have just had a steam room, but today our members are looking for entire wellness programmes built into their stay – whether that’s detox, fitness, meditation or more. We work quite closely with a hotel in Zurich, the Chenot Palace Weggis, whose 10-day detox program has never been more in demand.

The need for personalised wellness has also been amplified by the pandemic. It’s not luxurious or sanitary to be sweating with 10 other people in a group workout. Instead, hotels need to understand what individual clients are looking for in today’s world. For example, mindfulness remains at the forefront of so many people’s needs, because 2020 forced so many people to look at their mental health needs differently.

Health-focused hotels will have a multitude of meaningful wellness and recovery programmes that focus on inner and outer wellbeing, from highly tailored therapies to treatments with expert instruction.

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From top: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru; Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo; Shangri La Hotel Paris

MINDFULNESS IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF PEOPLE’S NEEDS. OUR MEMBERS ARE LOOKING FOR

ENTIRE WELLNESS PROGRAMMES BUILT

INTO THEIR STAY – BE THAT DETOX, FITNESS, MEDITATION OR MORE

TRENDY AND TRUSTED When we started the business, we were very focused on signing large hotel brands, creating partnerships with the likes of Four Seasons, Rosewood Hotels and more. Since then, our membership base has proven itself to be a younger, trendy group – between the ages of 30 and 50, entrepreneurs who travel frequently for work – and our hotel partnerships all reflect their requirements.

Today’s travellers want to stay in ‘cool’ hotels, there’s no other word for it. Trendy, design-led hotels – whether new launches like Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Miami – are far more in demand than traditional Grand Dames.

But although independent boutiques do well, it’s clear that even the most adventurous traveller is keen to book hotels they can trust.

Luxury travellers often turn to hotels that fall under trusted umbrellas – such as SLH Design Hotels, or Leading Hotels of the World. »

Tried and true:: Gstaad Place in summer and (inset) the Shangri-La Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, Mauritius

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THE FUTURE OF LUXURY TRAVEL WILL BE HIGHLY PERSONALISED AND PROVIDE THE FREEDOM LOST IN 2020. LUXURY WILL MEAN FRESH

AIR, FREEDOM TO ROAM AND SPACE TO BREATHE

BACK TO NATURE There is a clear shift towards hotels located in nature, which I believe is strongly connected to the evolving wellness trend. People are craving fresh air; they want to be outside, breathing in the scent of pine rather than pollution.

It’s closely linked to the sense that, for so many people, we have been cooped up during this pandemic. I think we will see a huge trend of programmes really angled towards regaining our freedom – a shift towards nature, local culture – in a way that has never really been relevant to business travel before.

The Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku, which means ‘forest bathing’, has become incredibly popular all over the world, and really it’s about the health benefits of being in the forest and among trees. That’s very interesting to us as a trend and definitely something we would look for in hotels looking to attract corporate travellers. Are the hotels near areas in which people can hike? Is there a running trail nearby, or a remote rural area such as woodland?

This is something we’re bound to see more of as we head towards 2022; luxury no longer means great service, hygiene, design, location. It also means fresh air, freedom to roam and space to breathe.

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TRAVEL

WORK FROM ANYWHERE Another interesting trend that has come out of the pandemic is the blurred line between home and work, and the increased ability to work remotely. With remote infrastructure better supported than ever, I believe the line between corporate and leisure travel will get thinner. Although people may not be travelling for business, they may be travelling and working as they do.

This could open up a lot of opportunities in travel and revise the way hotels approach corporate offerings. For instance, people could head to the Alps and work from there.

This is supported by what we saw in bookings in 2020, where the average length of stay in a hotel increased significantly, with trips

Clockwise from below: The French Alps; ancient pine forests; White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire; Bamboo forests of Kyoto, Japan

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lasting at least 10 nights – double that of 2019.

That’s because, last summer, people didn’t have an office to come back to. They were able to go away by themselves or with their families and continue their work with no obligation to be home. I think we will see this trend continue, particularly as multigenerational trips become more popular over the next 12 months and those who perhaps missed their honeymoons want to extend trips.

What is sure is that the future of luxury travel will be highly personalised, tailored to individual needs – and provide the freedom that was lost in 2020. littleemperors.com

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT David Beckham announces a turbo-charged new partnership with Maserati

Words: Gabriel Power

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talian car manufacturer Maserati has teamed up with sporting superstar David Beckham for a series of new campaigns, including a short film shot in Miami, Florida.

The film sees Beckham glide around the city in a Levante Trofeo, Maserati’s stylish V8 SUV, which was first unveiled in 2018.

“It’s an exciting time for me to begin this partnership with Maserati; an iconic Italian brand which shares my appreciation for the very best innovation and design,” says Beckham, who will be the brand’s new global ambassador.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with the brand at such a pivotal time in their history and continuing their growth on a global scale.”

The former England football captain, who is now the president and co-owner of American soccer club Inter Miami CF, is described by Maserati as a “global sporting icon, philanthropist, businessman and style trailblazer” – a “perfect partner” for the brand, who say the collaboration will be “breaking boundaries and driving the brand forward to the forefront of luxury motoring in the 21st century”.

The film, which was shot in March, was directed by Harmony Korine, notable for his film work including Kids and Spring Breakers. It shows a casually-dressed Beckham preparing for the day ahead with a relaxed drive – and expertly performing a neat series of doughnuts.

“Maserati is driven to challenge the status quo, being innovative by nature, powered by passion, and unique by design,” says Paolo Tubito, Maserati’s chief marketing officer. “The partnership with David is the embodiment of all these values.” maserati.com 22

SPEED

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STYLE

Brioni’s executive design director Norbert Stumpfl reveals the timeless Italian style that inspires his collections – and the brand’s sophisticated new scent Words: Michelle Johnson

Roman style: Brioni’s S/S 21 collection (left) and the new Eau de Parfum

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talian menswear brand Brioni is known for creating chic and stylish suits beloved by the likes of Brad Pitt and Barack Obama. Under executive design director Norbert Stumpfl, the brand embodies classic cuts, fine materials and timeless sense of Italian nonchalance, and has become a masterclass in how tailoring can bridge the gap of skilled heritage to modern maven – thanks to the careful carelessness stitched into every detail.

Now, the fashion house is completing the look with a new signature scent – Brioni Eau de Parfum – designed to take that studied devilmay-care ethos a step further, offering a final olfactory touch to truly finish an outfit.

The men’s fragrance was created in collaboration with master perfumer Michel Almairac, and is presented in a blue bottle – the colour inspired by the brand’s classic navy suits – made by crystal designer Lalique.

“Our new fragrance, like all things Brioni, perfectly balances between sophistication and charisma,” says Stumpfl. “A perfume that does not shout, yet envelops the wearer with an irresistible presence, a comfortable caress and masculine charm.” »

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SCENTS OF CHARISMA Launched in March via a high-production webcast, it was immediately clear that the Brioni Eau de Parfum has benefitted from as much attention to detail as any of the brand’s bespoke tailoring. In fact, even its tagline “tailor your legend” evokes some of the importance of the new product to the 75-year-old brand.

The purpose of the Brioni Eau de Parfum is to create a signature scent for the world of Brioni – “the perfect complement to its sartorial universe” – an invisible touch to complete the impeccable outfit.

For this dinstinct task, Stumpfl turned to French master perfumer Almairac. Born in 1953, Almairac is one of the world’s most prolific modern masters, creating signature fragrances for the likes of Gucci, Burberry, Escada, Van Cleef & Arpels and Chopard.

Working with sustainable fragrance company Robertet, which specialises in uses raw materials, Almairac set out to define a simple but perfectly balanced scent.

“For this fragrance, I sought to glorify Brioni’s sophisticated and refined elegance. A creation with few raw materials, this perfume sublimates them all,” he says. “They are juxtaposed perfectly to create this authentic sillage which translates the savoir-faire of the Italian couture studio.”

The crisp top notes are lifted by a modern ozonic accent and pink peppercorn and luminous apple; at the heart notes, green, powdery violet contrasts with the musky warmth of ambroxan to represent the “discreet charm” of the Brioni man. The base notes are structured by the clean scent of cedar, lined in smooth almondy tonka bean and soft musk.

Guided by Brioni’s sustainable ethos, Almairac selected responsibly sourced ingredients including pink peppercorn harvested in Madagascar and the island of La Réunion from trees planted around villages – which support their inhabitants by bringing work to the region’s unemployed – and Virginia cedarwood, sourced via Robertet’s partnership American distilleries, the wood comes from upcycling scraps and unsuitable logs from sawmills.

“Working with Michel Almairac was a real pleasure,” says Stumpfl. “He is a master perfumer and quickly understood what I was looking for. I wanted to create a perfume like a Brioni suit, something which gives you comfort and a feeling of strength without overpowering the personality of the wearer.

“Michel created a formula which is rather short for a perfume, ingredients are limited and the effect is delicious, like Italian food: few ingredients which under the right hand become unforgettable.”

ROMAN NONCHALANCE The brand is renowned for its high-profile fans of statesmen and celebrities; a quality Stumpfl credits to the brand’s understanding of its customer – what he calls “the Brioni man”.

“The Brioni man is someone who is at the top in his field. Someone who appreciates quality,” he says. “He is not looking for fashion but something which makes him feel amazing.

“When I am designing for our customers I wish to create something which fits into the times without ever overwhelming the personality. My key features are to always make the Brioni man more desirable; my personal style is almost invisible. The customer is more important than what I do. I just create garments that have a light and desirable signature.”

Stumpfl’s Spring/Summer 21 collection exemplifies this in its playful approach, which focuses on a softening of the formal codes and a celebration of the social – perfect for the upcoming season post-lockdown. The collection is, Brioni describes, about “men at ease with themselves and the way they use clothing to represent who they are into the wider scene of social life” and always keeping “Roman nonchalance” in mind.

Pieces include classically tailored suits with refreshed fabrics – sourced sustainably from Italy – including a lightweight 210s wool, soft cashmere, linen and silk, all available in a seasonal colour palette of soft beiges, blues, greys and greens. Leisurewear is crafted from super-light leggera fabric and silk, while blazers are crafted from wool combined with silk, linen, cashmere and rare Escorial wool.

“Brioni is a company with a long history of style. In its beginning it was ‘avant garde’ with many revolutionary ideas,” he says. “After a long period, Brioni became a synonym for classic tailoring. I want to challenge that.”

Founded in Rome in 1945 by master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and Gaetano Savini, Brioni tailoring soon became the epitome of Italian craftsmanship and discerning sartorial style, going head to head with London’s Savile Row. The brand’s first store was on Via Barberini 79 and became a beacon to international clients.

1952 saw Brioni host the first ever men’s fashion show at the Sala Bianca de Palazzo Pitti in Florence – returning there in 2020 for its 75th anniversary celebration.

“Brioni is, for me, a place of innovation and in this way, we always offer garments which are right for their purpose. I uphold the eccentric feeling of Brioni, beginning in the eveningwear, where I really let myself go,” says Stumpfl, adding that the real key to Brioni’s longevity remains the fearless mix of innovation, quality and heritage.

“What sets us apart is the use of our fabrics, the modernity and wearability of our garments, the technical expertise and the tradition.”

Success in a bottle. brioni.com

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BRIONI WAS ‘AVANT GARDE’ WITH MANY REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS, BUT IT BECAME A SYNONYM FOR CLASSIC TAILORING. I WANT

TO CHALLENGE THAT.”

-- Norbert Stumpfl

STYLE

Scents of style: Norbert Stumpfl (inset); Brioni Eau de Parfum campaign 27

Tempus discovers why private jet travel is taking off once more Words: Rory FH Smith

Taking flight: the Bombardier Global 7500

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who were previously flying commercial or with competitors, but have come to realise that the ultimate luxury is peace of mind.”

This lean towards leisure travel isn’t entirely unexpected. After commercial flights almost ground to a complete halt this time last year and the majority of meetings went online, the demand for business flying plunged as bookings for repatriation and holidays soared. For those on the edge of affording private travel, the idea of sitting in a cramped cabin with over 500 people, in an age dominated by infection fears and touchpoint paranoia, convinced many to spend a little more when it comes to their holiday.

“When you fly commercially, there are typically 700 touch points on every flight, whereas a private jet traveller will typically experience fewer than 50,” says Roland Dangerfield, a former British Army Officer turned commercial aviation pilot and owner of Sentinel Aviation. “Using small, private VIP terminals means you interact with fewer people, further reducing exposure to health risks and they also allow for relaxation before a flight compared to the hustle and bustle of big terminals.” »

ver since Elvis Presley popularised private flight in the early 1960s with his Lockheed JetStar known as Hound Dog II, flying private has become synonymous with power, exclusivity and fame. Nothing says success quite like boarding your own PJ, does it?

The allure of skipping the queues at the checkin desk, shaking hands with the pilot and soaring off straight to your destination is hard to beat.

But while these ultra-exclusive craft are usually the chosen method of travel for corporate executives and company CEOs as they crisscross the skies to make it to the next meeting, private jets are now becoming the ultimate holiday vehicle for ultra-high net worth travellers.

Shifting away from time-poor corporate chiefs, the use of private jets for tourism and leisure has risen dramatically in the past 12 months. “Before the pandemic, leisure flights accounted for approximately 60% of NetJets’ flights, and business flying was at about 40%,” says a spokesperson for American private jet seller NetJets. “Currently, leisure and business travel constitute 80% and 20%, respectively. Leisure flying has eclipsed its pre-pandemic levels thanks to new entrants

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Tailored travel: The Bombardier Global 7500 flew between New York and London in style – in just five-hours and 26-minutes 30

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THE ALLURE OF FLYING BY PRIVATE JET IS UNDENIABLE: THIS WAS ONCE THE DOMAIN OF ONLY ULTRA-HIGH NET WORTHS – Pascal Bachmann, Jetcraft

THE WORLD AWAITS But the pandemic isn’t the only reason private jets are fast becoming the ultimate vehicle for high days and holidays. As private flight has become more accessible over time, new products, experiences and even industries have come to market, making the prospect all the more enticing.

“The allure of flying by private jet is undeniable and where this was once the domain of only UHNWs, over the past decade it’s become increasingly accessible with the growth in charter, fractional, membership and block hours programs,” says Pascal Bachmann, SVP Europe, Jetcraft.

With more people gaining access to the world of private aviation, tour operators such as Roar Africa have teamed up with Emirates’ private jet arm to launch super-exclusive packages powered by private jets. Roar Africa’s latest tour starts onboard Emirates’ A319, which takes no more than 10 people on a private safari.

The same size as a commercial aircraft, the 31

A319 boasts ten suites with a private shower and powder room. Starting from just short of £100,000 per person, the 12-day trip covers four of the continent’s greatest landmarks, using the jet as a means to travel between them.

While super safaris and exclusive itineraries make the private jet life all the more alluring, some of the world’s most enticing beauty spots have restricted access to private jets only during the pandemic. When mass tourism stopped overnight, some savvy nations spotted an opportunity to attract the wealthy private jet set during the global lockdowns.

The Cayman Islands, Fiji and Botswana were some of the countries that closed to mass tourism but remained open to charters, making private jets the only option for those seeking a holiday there. Despite appearing to be at odds with the idea of a lockdown, it’s a well thoughtthrough strategy as industry website Private Jet Card Comparisons points out, the average spend per passenger on a private-jet arrival is more than 50 times that of a commercial passenger. »

Past and future: The iconic 1960s Lockheed JetStar (left); The Aerion AS2 Supersonic sets down in carbon-neutral Aerion Park, Melbourne (right)

SUPERSONIC LUXURY “With commercial airline schedules disrupted to near extinction, the value of private aviation has been further realised and, in some areas of the world, has become more attractive to firsttime users,” says Bachmann. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen many first-time buyers purchase pre-owned, well-priced midsize and long-range models such as the Dassault Falcon 2000S and 7XS, the Gulfstream G280 and G650 and the Bombardier Challenger and Global series… ultimately, private aviation offers flexibility and control.”

Since the early days of Elvis’s 1960s JetStar – the world’s first business jet – the technology in the air has moved on considerably, making private aviation more efficient, faster and, ultimately, more attractive and accessible. Had the supersonic airliner Concorde still been in service, it would have been celebrating 45 years of flying 100 passengers at twice the speed of sound. But when it was mothballed in 2003, private jets became the next best thing for those wanting to hop off for a quick break at a moment’s notice.

“Aircraft are now flying longer and longer ranges and at faster and faster speeds – Bombardier’s Global 7500 set the city-pair record between New York and London of five-hours and 26-minutes,” says Dangerfield. “You can now fly from Sydney to Detroit, non-stop, which is 8,255 nautical miles. The first prototype supersonic business jets are just a few years away – the age of supersonic private jets is just dawning.”

Of course, the return to supersonic flight comes at a cost – the Mach 2-capable Aerion AS2 jet is priced at $120m (£87m) and slated to begin production in 2023. With an order backlog of over $10bn (£7.25bn) already, it seems the appetite for super-fast private flight is stronger than ever.

As the supersonic private jet age approaches, the number of possible holiday destinations that fall within reach for the global, time-poor elite increase significantly. From day trips to New York, to a weekend dash to Delhi, it’s no wonder ideas of next-generation private jets are proving popular to global travellers.

But whether you’re flying for business or pleasure, the main benefit of a private jet is neither the sumptuous interior nor

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the exclusivity factor, but undoubtedly the timesaving. “Aircraft ownership affords the UNHW traveller time and flexibility that no other form of transport can,” says Bachmann.

“When we sell a private jet, the most valuable asset we’re selling our client is time.”

For those with barely a break in their calendar all year, time is everything. Paying a premium for fast and effective travel to and from a destination isn’t a luxury, it’s essential. Advances in technology and an increasing appetite for exclusive exploration, set against a backdrop of a global pandemic has seen the use of private jets for leisure surge beyond all expectations in the past 12 months.

With flight only scheduled to get faster and more efficient in the years to come, time will tell if the trend continues to rise in a post-pandemic world. For now, at least, be sure to book your next private jet adventure well in advance – the queues outside the private terminals are already starting to build. netjets.com; sentinel-aviation.com; jetcraft.com; roarafrica.com

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Caption: Goes here

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BUILT FOR SPEED Meet Phil Hanson, the 21-year-old racing driver who is making his mark after a record-breaking year at Le Mans Words: Michelle Johnson

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ritish driver Phil Hanson is just 21 years old, yet the endurance racing champion is already dominating the world of motorsport. In 2020, amid the pressures of the global Covid-19 pandemic, Hanson became the youngest Brit to win the historic Le Mans 24 Hours (LMP2, pictured left).

His subsequent victory in the United Autosports entered Oreca earned him the 2019-20 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 title – becoming the youngest-ever WEC champion in his first full season – with a race remaining. A mere three weeks later, Hanson won the 2020 European Le Mans Series title at Monza, Italy, securing his place as the first driver in history to scoop this hattrick.

It is a high point for the already many-titled young driver, whose skill is evidenced by his notable accolades. In previous seasons, he was the youngest driver to win Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 in 2017 and 2019.

Despite his tender age, Hanson’s dedication to his craft is evident – and impressive. From a punishing physical training regime to a self-awareness that underpins his ambitions, Hanson is a force to be reckoned with on and off the track. The Berkshire-born driver lists the Fuji Speedway, Japan, as his favourite racing circuit, while off the grid enjoys skiing and surfing – a need for speed also evident in his hobbies.

As Hanson heads into a new season, with higher expectations than ever before, we discuss what it takes to be a record breaker. »

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Phil, what are your hopes for the upcoming season?

I get asked that question a lot because, obviously, we set the bar quite high last year. We won both championships we entered, and we won Le Mans 24 Hour. I’d love to equal that result, but my main goal is to go out there and try to improve my personal performances. If that results in being able to accomplish what we did last year, that would be ideal, but I think it’s going to be very tough to match our performance in 2020.

How do you motivate yourself to improve after such a successful season?

My motivation has actually been very focused on improving my individual performances – from lap times, sectors, etc – rather than simply focusing on race results. When manufacturers come into the sport and are looking across the list of drivers, it’s that individual data that puts you at the top of the list. While winning races brings you to their attention, it’s also about your individual performance, so this year I want to better myself in a lot of different areas.

What distinguishes rally racing from other motorsports?

What makes endurance racing so different to Formula One is the fact that we have a lot more traffic. We’ll race at the same time as two or three other classes of cars, racing for the same duration on the same track. I’m in LMP2 [Le Mans Prototype 2], which means we’re overtaking slower cars constantly. Stint averages rely massively on that traffic management across all your lap times. You have to be able to anticipate the road and become really efficient while you’re out there. That skill grows with experience, and I can definitely improve on where I was last year.

My general pace is always getting incrementally better. Efficiency and consistency are the two things you can never have enough of.

You have broken multiple records with your title wins at WEC and Le Mans.

What does that mean to you?

When I started, it was an ambition to win these titles, but I never imagined I’d doing it at such a young age. It’s great, because it brings the spotlight and attention towards you, which can be helpful when you’re competing in a sport dominated by people with typically five to 10 years more age and experience than you. As the years go on, I still find myself being the youngest year after year – although this year might be the last as my teammates are two years younger than me. As the next generation of drivers comes through the roster, it then becomes about setting the benchmark for them to look up to.

Winning races, breaking records, winning championships; those goals are always at the top of my list. It’s nice if I can pick up some pretty cool accolades along the way – like becoming the youngest Brit to win Le Mans in LMP2.

How important is teamwork?

There’s a lot of involvement with the team to make sure that we’re in a very position to tackle a championship. The difficulty is balancing different drivers and characters – you want the fastest three drivers, the most consistent three drivers, and the three drivers who are going to harmonise and work well together. Sometimes they’re not the same people. Luckily, United Autosport have a fantastic work environment and I’ve been able to prosper and share the car with fantastic people, from drivers and engineers to the behind-the-scenes crew.

What are the physical demands of racing?

Motorsport is incredibly different to other sports.

Most of the fatigue comes from the strength of the G-forces while you’re manoeuvring at high speed, and it’s a full body workout. You need a huge amount of core stability and midline stability. There’s the weight of your helmet, which is multiplied by G-forces, but you need to protect your neck, which is unsupported; you have to hold your legs in position, because they need to be free for driver changes. The other element that makes racing incredibly tough is the endurance that’s required. One of the races on our calendar is a 24-hour race, split between a three-driver team. You need to be in top shape and definitely have strong mental strength in order to avoid mistakes.

Has your training changed over time?

Definitely. I wasn’t the fittest driver when I started racing, but that’s something that’s changed massively in the last two and a half years. Moving up through the ranks, from GTs to LMP2, there are different physical and mental loads you need to be able to endure. I’ve been much tougher with my training in recent years, and I have a personal trainer who has altered my programme to target different weaknesses.

I think I’m probably one of the fittest drivers on the grid now, which gives me a lot of confidence and mental strength heading into any weekend.

You mention mental strength; how do you achieve the right mindset ahead of a race?

I think mental training is really personal to different people. Some use meditation to better their mental health and strength. Personally, I find the best way to train mentally is to get into a state of complete physical fatigue, where

Record breaker: Le Mans champion Phil Hanson

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BREAKING RECORDS,

WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS;

THOSE GOALS ARE ALWAYS AT THE TOP OF MY LIST

you’re only left with your mental strength to get you through a workout. It’s a pretty nasty way of training, and I certainly don’t do every day. I’m really fortunate to be able to continue training through lockdown, so I’m not squandering the opportunity – I’m trying to use this time to get ahead of everyone else!

Who are your influences?

I got into the sport quite late, at 14, so I didn’t really have an idol growing up. But I have massive respect for the generational greats, those people who come along and dominate the sport. It’s good in a way – I think it would be pretty heartbreaking to see your idol’s record get defeated, and records are there to be broken. Look at Lewis Hamilton in 2020, breaking Michael Schumacher’s win record in Formula One. What are your goals for the future?

I hope to stay racing at Le Mans and, potentially, race in the top class in the coming years but I’m open to see where the sport grows and changes.

Environmental aspects are taking over the motoring industry, and I think everything will be going hybrid and electric soon – we’ll see how that affects motorsport, but I’m excited for the change. philhansonracing.com

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The SECRET SERVICES Meet the über-luxury brands combining customer service with exclusive members’ club-style experiences Words: Judy Cogan

Chateau de Saran 38

LIFESTYLE

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uxury is built on a foundation of secrecy. The high-end and unattainable will always be alluring, whether bound to the satisfaction of topping the waiting list for a rare and exceptional watch, or the anticipation to check in to the world’s ritziest addresses. Luxury has never really been about what looks good, but what makes you feel good.

With this is mind, recent research from the Global Web Index reveals 77% of luxury consumers prefer to buy a product or service simply for the experience of being part of the community built around it. As a result, luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce, Moët & Chandon and Chateau Marmont have upped the ante to offer exclusivity and privacy as a service through elevated invitation-only, experience-led micro-communities.

“Luxury is becoming more and more about experiences,” says Berta de PablosBarbier, the president and CEO of Moët & Chandon, a brand that has always pioneered exclusive experiences. “Beyond the quality of our champagnes our role is to craft – with our savoir-faire and creativity – experiences, such as a stay at the Chateau de Saran in the heart of the Champagne region, that are bound to create memorable and lasting impressions by immersing the consumer in epicurean journeys.”

Dominating the landscape of Chouilly and the Côte des Blancs, in France the

Château de Saran is an iconic invitationonly stately home owned by Moët & Chandon since 1801. A masterful five-year renovation, led by interior designer Yves de Marseille and landscape architect Peter Wirtz, was unveiled in 2019 and has revived its family spirit, while the château is now well-poised to begin a new chapter in its impressive 200-year-old history.

Priceless experiences here may include listening to the brand’s chef de cave tell the story behind an exquisite vintage rosé; having chef Marco Fadiga cook a lunch of saffron fish risotto sprinkled with courgette flowers, bacon and scallops; enjoying an early morning walk to a chorus of Eurasian blue tits around the manicured gardens; or simply basking in views over the fields of Champagne at sunset. The palatial suites pay homage to destinations such as Japan and former guests, who include Christian Dior and Napoléon Bonaparte.

“Experience and luxury have always gone hand in hand,” says Kathryn Bishop, foresight editor of trends intelligence platform LS:N Global, and consultant for the luxury sector. “As a luxury brand whether you are producing diamond rings, offering luxury yachting or you are Aston Martin, the whole point of what you do is to provide an elevated experience, a momentary thrill or that special sense of adventure unlike anything else.” »

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS According to Bishop, there is a pressing need at play to honour brand loyalty while actively attracting younger generations.

“We have started to see luxury brands think about how they can better serve longer-term customers,” she says. “When, on the flip side, they are also being challenged to be more inclusive and to democratise. We are seeing this real rub, between luxury brands having to be more accessible but still playing into the ideas of rarity and scarcity that really underpin what luxury is all about.”

Take Chateau Marmont, Hollywood’s storied ‘castle of the hill’, inspired by the Château d’Amboise in the Loire Valley, the 15th-century Gothic castle beloved of French kings. It opened as a hotel on 1 February 1929 and has hosted the great and good of Tinseltown from Marilyn Monroe to the Duchess of Sussex (before she swapped a faux castle for a real palace) and has always been the byword of discretion.

Its owner, the famed hotelier Andre Balazs, is currently transitioning the hotel into a members-owned pad. Note members ‘owned’ not ‘only’ – access will be granted by owning shares in the property. In exchange for their investment, members will enjoy benefits such as private dining areas, a personal butler and the ability to stay for longer periods.

From here, Balazs plans to expand his supremely private concept globally in key cities such as London, New York and Paris, plus outlier properties are planned for the South of France and a private Greek Island.

“What we see here is this push to augment what the luxury experience is and so different types of services are coming to the fore,” explains Bishop. “In the next year we will see more of these very private hyper-personalised experiences as luxury brands are tuning into how they can provide less of a one size fits all experience.”

In the wake of the pandemic, safety and privacy are paramount, both influencing a draw to this new luxury experience. If your invitation for Château de Saran gets lost in the post, for example, you can still block-book deserted resorts, such as Devil’s Thumb Ranch

in Colorado, or rent Kokomo, a private island in Fiji, for roughly £120,0000 per night with VIP access to all amenities and activities.

“We’ve dubbed these ‘anti-social sanctuaries’,” says Bishop. “They’re for luxury consumers who want to reclaim their liberation in the pandemic and maybe beyond.”

With the loyal, nuanced and long-term customer in mind it’s not just the hospitality industry that is elevating the exclusivity of its services. The Whispers app from luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce provides clients with rare experiences – including everything from painting tutorials to backstage-access at the Grammys and cookery classes with Michelin-starred chefs – along with secure, private connections to fellow owners and company executives.

“Whispers is the digital house of RollsRoyce and acts as a gateway to a curated world of luxury,” explains Verena Masters, head of Whispers at Rolls-Royce. “Our clients are patrons of the arts, philanthropists, collectors of fine and exquisite items; individuals untethered by common constraints such as time and money. They have been seeking a means to have more regular personal involvement with the marque – more experiences, more access, and more immersion in the luxury world.”

The fashion world is also encouraging the quest for unique and memorable experiences – such as the concept offered by luxury streetwear platform Scarce. “It has tapped into the surprise-and-delight aspect of this luxury trend by working with brands from Moncler to Gucci to design mystery boxes for those who follow high-end streetwear and fashion,” says Bishop. The content of the boxes can be worth from $3,500 upwards.

“You don’t know what you are going to get, but it will be surprising, luxurious and tailored and there’s this whole unboxing ceremony that makes it really special,” she adds. “It shows the alternative ways of providing a mysterious, private and rare luxury experience in a novel way.” Proving luxury is a feeling – not just a commodity. lvmh.com; chateaumarmont.com; rollsroycemotorcars.com; scarce.us

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77% OF LUXURY CONSUMERS BUY A PRODUCT OR SERVICE SIMPLY FOR THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY BUILT AROUND IT

Personalised pleasure: Chateau Marmont, luxury consultant Kathryn Bishop and Head of Whispers Verena Masters (this page); luxury streetwear platform Scarce (right)

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f ever a party brought to modern minds the era of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, it would be high jewellery brand De Grisogono’s annual extravaganza at the legendary Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc during the Cannes Film Festival.

The sit-down dinners for 600 people or more overlooking the glittering Cap d’Antibes represented a headcount of the rich and famous, every table heaving with supermodels, Hollywood A-listers, rock stars, business tycoons and general movers and shakers: Sharon Stone, Kim Kardashian, Natalie Portman, Naomi Campbell, Cara Delevingne, Paris Hilton and The Great Gatsby (2013) actor himself, Leonardo DiCaprio, to name a handful.

At the centre of this glamorous melange was one man – Fawaz Gruosi (right), founder and face of the company he had built from a niche luxury brand in the early ’90s to world-famous high jewellery player, known for its spectacular statement pieces and trailblazing designs.

However, three years ago Gruosi left De Grisogono and, in January 2020, the Genevabased firm filed for bankruptcy, caught in the cross-fire of a corruption scandal involving Africa’s richest woman Isabel dos Santos, whose husband part-owned the business along with Angola’s state diamond firm.

Today, speaking exclusively to Tempus, Florence-born Gruosi, 68, admits it was an unhappy time and that the situation with dos Santos had made his position untenable. But he insists he was ready for a change and, with his customary vigour and optimism, has thrown himself into a new high jewellery venture under his own name.

“It’s a new beginning,” Gruosi says of the opulent art deco-style boutique he opened in December 2020 in Mayfair’s Berkeley Square, just two weeks before the UK went into its third Covid-19 lockdown. Even the pandemic has failed to quash this irrepressible »

Speaking exclusively to Tempus, the most influential man in jewellery, Fawaz Gruosi, shares his dreams for his new London-based brand Interview: Juliet Herd

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Caption: Goes here

©Damian Foxe 43

Creative spirit: A bangle of black rhodium-plated pink gold pavé-set with rubies and emerald and diamond earrings. Fawaz Gruosi (below ©Damian Foxe); and with Cara Delevingne at Cannes Film Festival. Right, inside his Berkeley Square boutique (©James Mcdonald)

jewellery maverick’s entrepreneurial and creative spirit – “I am always positive”, he says.

What he misses most is the ability to jump on a plane to visit international clients and suppliers. “All my life, I used to travel everywhere – to Russia, the United States, China and the UAE – to bring showcases [of jewellery] from Geneva,” says Lebanese-Italian Gruosi, who has had to content himself with taking his dog, Paddington, for daily walks around London (where he is now based, close to his daughters and five grandchildren), instead.

Still, he has hardly had much thumbtwiddling time between sketching designs for his hand-crafted creations and setting up his own workshop, headed by his long-term collaborator Patrick Affolter.

“I never give up; I always try to do something totally different to the past, but still with my DNA,” self-trained Gruosi says when asked how it feels to be back in the design seat. Renowned within the industry for pushing the boundaries of technique and structure, and for working with unexpected materials (he was an early champion of black diamonds), he has revelled in the creative freedom of producing a 380-piece new collection, which he considers to be more personal and audacious than anything he has done before.

“Expect the unexpected,” teases the man who introduced complex articulated mechanisms, whimsical jewel-encrusted fruits and animals and mismatched earrings. »

RENOWNED FOR PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF HIGH JEWELLERY, GRUOSI'S NEW COLLECTION IS

MORE PERSONAL AND AUDACIOUS

THAN ANYTHING HE HAS DONE BEFORE 44

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A NEW MOOD Inspired by whatever catches his keen eye, whether an object, flower, sunset or even fleeting gesture, his new collection is a kaleidoscope of colour and juxtaposed materials, including jade, onyx, turquoise and coral, alongside sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

Pieces like a sea urchin-inspired rotating 18-carat rose-gold ring set with an emeraldcut rubellite, white diamonds and pink opal, and an 18-carat white-gold bracelet set with pear-shaped emeralds, brilliant-cut rubies and turquoise (which reminds Gruosi of the colour of the sea under a full sun), represent what he describes as a “new mood” in high jewellery.

Ever since he opened his first de Grisogono boutique in Geneva in 1993, after learning the intricacies of the industry with diamond expert Harry Winston in Saudi Arabia followed by a global role with the Bulgari family, Gruosi has blazed his own trail, unafraid to disrupt a traditionally conservative industry with his strong, sculptural and sensual pieces; the

epitome of modern femininity and glamour.

“I didn’t want it [the brand] to be like everyone else, doing minimalist pieces,” recalls the jeweller, whose first major commission was a pair of earrings for the Begum Aga Khan.

“There were all these big brands and I was really nobody. I decided to do the opposite and do something bold and colourful. At the time, I had nothing to lose; I was doing crazy things. It took me four years to break through and then there was an explosion.”

When he launched his ground-breaking Black Diamonds collection in 1996, he remembers “everyone was laughing at me”.

But the precious black diamond went on to become de Grisogono’s signature jewel, drawing the international elite and sealing Gruosi’s reputation as a master innovator. Now, he’s planning to do the same with golden amber, crafting unconventional yet exquisite pieces that elevate the fossilised tree resin gemstone to new heights. “It is incredibly beautiful but so far, I don’t think a lot of people realise that,” he says.

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“Like with black diamonds, we will start to show how unique it is.”

Does he think, post-pandemic, that women will still want to wear show-stopping jewels?

“Yes and no,” he replies. “There are two kinds of women – the ones who don’t want [to wear] jewellery anymore and the others who are just dying for the shops to open and are ready to come in and buy.” In particular, he predicts that the China market will continue to grow as travel begins to open up again and the jet-setting East Asian clientele “start to be almost European” in their taste and outlook.

Can Gruosi ever imagine hosting epic Gatsbyesque parties again? He laughs as he recalls the “craziness” of those times, describing the soiree scenes at Hotel du Cap as “like a movie”. “We will not do this [again],” he says, soberly. “We will do a party for maybe 30 people. Things have changed. I will still go everywhere, but not with the craziness like before.” fawazgruosi.com

Left: Model wears emeralds and rubies with a Florentine Renaissance flavour (©Isabelle Bonjean).

Above: Enlaced ring in rose gold and black ceramic; Colorissima ring in citrine, orange sapphire and rose gold; Sea urchininspired ring featuring emeraldcut rubellite, carved pink opal and diamonds, set in rose gold; Three-row emerald necklace with rubies and pavé-set diamonds

OUT OF THIS WORLD The second virtual Watches & Wonders fair, which opened on 7 April, was a triumph of 2021 novelties and oneoff pieces from the world’s biggest horological brands.

Tempus gathers our favourite timepieces from this year’s event…

A LANGE & SÖHNE TRIPLE SPLIT The Triple Split, debuted in 2018, was lauded as the only split-seconds chronograph to measure additive and comparative times for up to 12 hours. A Lange & Söhne’s newest expression of this ground-breaking watch is presented in a stylish pink-gold case, blue dial and rhodiécoloured subsidiary dials, and is limited to just 100 timepieces.

An ingenious contrast of material and colour makes it easy to clearly interpret the wealth of information displayed on the dial and assign each of the 10 hands to specific functions. The extension of the rattrapante function to the hour counter allows the wearer to compare the times of two opponents in a Formula One race, a Tour de France stage, or a marathon – and all in inimitable style. alange-soehne.com 48

WATCHES

ARNOLD & SON PERPETUAL MOON OBSIDIAN AND GLOBETROTTER Of Arnold & Son’s collection of intricately designed 2021 novelties, the Perpetual Moon Obsidian (above) is remarkable for its rare materials and distinctive visual look. Limited to just 28 pieces, this complication features a statement dial made from rare Mexican obsidian, from behind which a rhodium-plated moon occupies almost the entire aperture.

One of the largest moons to be found in the watchmaking sphere, the piece – housed in a red-gold case – a is a perfect representation of the British Swiss brand’s stand out style.

Likewise, its Globetrotter novelty (left) reinterprets the marine chronometer the brand was so well known for in the 18th century. A large central arched bridge spans the entire 45mm diameter of the dial, and a three-dimensional terrestrial dome takes centre stage to create one of the world’s largest rotating world time displays on a wristwatch. » arnoldandson.com

LOUIS MOINET MOON RACE Louis Moinet’s journey through space combines the adventure of the Space Race’s lunar conquest with materials that have travelled through space themselves in four timepieces, all featuring handengraved bezels. The first of the set, First on the Moon celebrates the Soviet Luna 9 with a handengraved spacecraft on the dial. The sky is made of black astralite and the dial includes an original piece of woven fibre from Luna 24. Man on the Moon marks the 1969 Apollo 11 moonlanding with a hand-engraved and painted astronaut – the visor is an authentic fragment of the polyimide film from the Apollo 11 itself.

Around The Moon depicts the spectacular rescue of the ill-fated Apollo 13, hand-engraved and enhanced with a fragment of the ship’s polyimide film, while precious stones like onyx and Pietersite complete the dial. Finally, Last on the Moon’s image of the Luna 24’s successful proof of water on the moon features a real piece of the ship in its dial, with the earth made of azurite-malachite and a yellow Pietersite sun.

The collection is beautifully presented in an elm trunk (top right). louismoinet.com

PANERAI SUBMERSIBLE ELAB-ID PAM01225 When Tempus spoke to Panerai CEO JeanMarc Pontroué last year, he spoke of his dream to create the world’s first 100% recycled watch.

Just a few months later, Panerai is a step closer to that lofty goal with its Submersible eLAB-ID PAM01225 (left) – which, with a record 98.6% of recycled-based material by weight, marks a huge step in sustainable watch manufacture. The case, sandwich dial, and bridges are all composed of EcoTitanium, a lightweight aerospace-grade titanium alloy that is made of more than 80% pure recycled content. What’s more, the Submersible eLAB-ID is the first watch to use 100% recycled Super-LumiNova on its dial and hands, and 100% recycled silicon for its movement escapement.

Both materials are collected through dedicated, small-scale recycling processes that reuse raw material waste. panerai.com 50

JAEGER-LECOULTRE REVERSO HYBRIS MECHANICA CALIBRE 185 Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 is a typically ground-breaking feat of horology from the brand, this time six years in the making. The world’s first wristwatch with four functioning display faces, Jaeger-LeCoultre racked up a remarkable 12 patents and 11 new complications to create the piece. The intricate design features three separate displays of lunar information, and the ability to predict the next global incidence of astronomical events such as supermoons and eclipses. The design also celebrates 90 years of the Reverso line, originally launched in 1931. Priced at £1.17m and limited to just 10 pieces. jaeger-lecoultre.com 51

PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS Patek Philippe presents four new expressions of its classic Nautilus timepiece for 2021. While this will be the last production year of the stainlesssteel model, the brand has launched a stylish olive-green sunburst dial for this icon of casual elegance, which is also available with a bezel set with baguette diamonds. The stylish racinggreen colour is emphasised by a subtle sunburst finish that contemporises the cult classic. The Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph is now available in a rose gold with a blue sunburst dial, while a new Nautilus Haute Joaillerie debuts featuring a full diamond pavé setting (right).

The collection keeps to the Nautilus’s classic porthole-inspired octagonal bezel patek.com

VACHERON CONSTANTIN MÉTIERS D’ART TRIBUTE TO GREAT EXPLORERS A pure aesthetic treat, Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers d’Art Tribute to Great Explorers pays homage to the Portuguese sailors Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama (left) and Pedro Álvares Cabral – three of the most prominent explorers of the 15th century – with intricately designed miniature masterpieces. Each of the three exquisite two-level Grand Feu enamel dials are inspired by maps from the 1519 Miller Atlas, with movements powered by the brand’s in-house Calibre 1120 AT – distinguished by its 5.45mm depth, enabling the 41mm-diameter 18-carat gold case to maintain a trim 11.68mm thickness.

Each expression is limited to just 10 pieces and starts at £115,000. vacheron-constantin.com 52

PIAGET POLO SKELETON HIGH JEWELLERY Following the launch of the Piaget Polo Skeleton earlier this year, Watches & Wonders saw the brand unveil four new skeleton models, each with 18-carat gold cases. One of only a handful of watchmakers equipped with its own gold foundry, Piaget is well-known for its expertise in crafting with gold and other precious metals, as well as its penchant for ultra-thin models.

These exquisite new Polo Skeleton Gold models will be available in rose gold, white gold with a diamond-set bezel, and two fully paved high jewellery expressions featuring cases and movements decorated with up to 573 brilliant and baguette-cut stones. The Piaget Polo Skeleton High Jewellery (top right) measures just 7.99mm thick, but case and flange are set with 148 brilliant-cut diamonds and 132 baguette-cuts, while the white-gold skeletonised 1200D1 movement carries 292 brilliant-cut diamonds and 11 brilliant-cut sapphires. If that’s not enough, for a finishing touch, the piece is available with an equally bejewelled bracelet. piaget.com

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An EXTRAORDINARY life Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021

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rince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, died at Windsor Castle on Friday 9 April. At 99 years old, the Duke was the longestserving royal consort in British history, carving out a unique path in his role of supporting the Queen and serving to modernise the royal family.

In an official announcement, Buckingham Palace stated: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

As royals, led by The Queen, entered a period of mourning, Philip’s oldest son Charles, the Prince of Wales, paid tribute in a video statement made from his Highgrove estate.

“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time,” he said.

“I particularly wanted to say that my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth.” »

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Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo 55

LIKE THE EXPERT CARRIAGE DRIVER THAT HE WAS, HE HELPED TO STEER THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THE MONARCHY

A life of service: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attend the Trooping of the Colour (main and top); Tribute to the Duke in London’s Piccadilly Circus (top right)

- BORIS JOHNSON

MERIT AND DISTINCTION Born in Corfu on 10 June 1921, Philip was the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. The young Philip had a tumultuous upbringing; his father was accused of treason and the family were forced into exile in 1922 during the Greco-Turkish war. He was educated in France, Germany and the UK before attending Gordonstoun School in Scotland, where he flourished due to his love of sports.

Philip’s youth was eventful. His four sisters married German princes, while his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent time in an asylum. In 1937, his much-loved sister Cecile died in an air crash in Ostend, in which her husband Georg, two sons, newborn infant and mother-in-law also tragically perished.

Philip’s uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, was a guiding figure, encouraging the young man to follow his own footsteps into the military and helping him gain UK citizenship. Philip became a celebrated British naval officer. His distinguished 14-year career included courageous acts in the Second World War – including serving on the battleship HMS Valiant, where he was mentioned in dispatches in 1941 for his role in the Battle of Matapan against Italian naval forces.

As the sad news broke of the Duke’s death, his wartime heroism was remembered by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who noted that he was “one of the last surviving people in this country to have served in the Second World War”.

“At Cape Matapan, where he was mentioned in dispatches for bravery, and in the invasion of Sicily, where he saved his ship by his quick thinking,” said Johnson. “And from that conflict he took an ethic of service which he applied throughout the unprecedented changes of the post-war era. Like the expert carriage driver that he was, he helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy, so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.

“We remember the Duke for all of this and, above all for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen.”

STRENGTH AND STAY Philip first met his future wife in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent.

Princess Elizabeth was eight.

The pair would meet several times over the next few years and eventually announced their engagement in July 1947. Before they wed, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish royal titles, converted to Anglicanism and adopted the name Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

They married in Westminster Abbey that November, and Philip was subsequently given the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich. After Elizabeth became Queen, he became known as Prince Philip of the United Kingdom.

The couple welcomed their first child, Prince Charles, on 14 November 1948 and Princess Anne was born in 1950. During this time, Philip was stationed in Malta, where the couple spent some of their happiest months. Prince Andrew was born in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964.

The couple went on to enjoy a long and happy marriage of almost 74 years, during which time they welcomed eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Despite once describing himself as “a discredited Balkan prince of no particular merit or distinction”, the Duke was known as a great moderniser. He encouraged the televised filming of the Queen’s coronation in 1953 and took on the running of the royal estates at Windsor, Balmoral and Sandringham.

He is also reported to have introduced Buckingham Palace’s informal lunches, inviting guests from a variety of backgrounds.

Philip was the active patron of 992 charities throughout his life, including co-founding the WWF and establishing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956. He held particular interest in engineering, architecture and sports, chaired a committee for the Queen’s Award to Industry and authored several books on horsemanship and the environment.

Ruth Marvel, chief executive of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “The Duke’s timeless vision for young people has never been more relevant or needed. The Duke was a lifelong advocate for young people, believing in each individual’s potential and creating in the DofE what he saw as a ‘do-it-yourself growing up kit’.

“We’re honoured to continue HRH’s work, to ensure that all young people – especially those from marginalised groups – can benefit from the better educational outcomes, employment prospects, community ties and better mental health that are associated with doing DofE.” 56

CONSTANT SERVICE While he was often featured in the press for his candid nature and sense of humour – and his controversial one-liners – Philip’s fascinating life gained a new generation of fans thanks to Netflix series The Crown, in which he was portrayed by actors Matt Smith (series 1-2) and Tobias Menzies (series 3-4). Both actors paid tribute to the Duke, with Smith offering his condolences in a statement.

“Prince Philip was the man. And he knew it.

99 and out, but what an innings. And what style,” said the former Doctor Who actor. “Thank you for your service, old chap – it won’t be the same without you.”

Menzies shared a quote from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It in tribute, writing: “O good old man! how well in thee appears / The constant service of the antique world…”

In recent years, the Prince had been in ill health, but depite this he did not step down from royal engagements until 2017 – his final official public appearance was a Royal Marines parade at Buckingham Palace. It is thought that much of the Duke’s role in supporting the Queen and his charitable causes will now fall to senior royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as the couple’s children including the Princess Royal, who shared a special bond with her father.

“My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate,” Princess Anne said in a statement. “His ability to treat every person as an individual in their own right with their own skills comes through all the organisations with which he was involved. I regard it as an honour and a privilege to have been asked to follow in his footsteps and it has been a pleasure to have kept him in touch with their activities… We will miss him but he leaves a legacy which can inspire us all.”

In line with his wishes, the Duke received a ceremonial royal funeral, rather than a larger state funeral, attended by just 30 people in line with Covid-19 guidance on Saturday 17 April.

During a speech in 1997, the Queen said of her husband: “He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments. But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”

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“As an art form, film can transcend borders” Filmmaker Farah Nabulsi shares the inspiration behind her BAFTA-winning – and Oscar-nominated – short film, The Promise

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merican writer Dale Carnegie said: “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion.” This rings true to me. We are all creatures of emotion and, if we are ever going to truly understand what people are going through, faraway from our lives on different shores, we have to be able to empathise with each other.

I believe being able to put yourself into the shoes of another person is one of the most important things we need to do as human beings. Art is possibly the most powerful means of human communication the world has ever known and, as an art form, film specifically can transcend borders. It has the power to tear down stereotypes and overcome misconceptions. It speaks to the heart rather than the mind – and if you want to access people’s minds you have to open their hearts.

The Present, my fourth short film, sheds light on how Palestinians are deprived of a basic right to freedom of movement. On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter, Yasmine, set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. They face soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints just to go shopping, a situation which has been going on for decades.

I wrote this film long before the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has come at an interesting time. The world premiere was in January 2020 at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short

Film Festival and the world started to go in a domino effect of shutdowns not long after.

Thanks to Covid-19, everybody has been forced to reflect on the really basic right of freedom of movement, and all the simple things we took for granted. I think everybody has been brought a little bit closer during this pandemic.

Of course, no one can compare a decadeslong military occupation [the West Bank has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East War] to people around the world going into lockdown for their own safety. But you can take a moment to reflect on that connection to restricted movement and all the civil liberties we take for granted.

HUMAN STORIES I am British born, raised and educated and I live in London, but my heritage is Palestinian.

The story spoke very much to my own identity as a Palestinian and as a human being. This is not something in the past, it is very much a reality of the present. Thus, the name, The Present, with its double meaning.

I was previously an investment banker and ran corporate businesses before moving into the film industry in 2015. I loved my previous career, but a life-changing trip to Palestine drew me to film. It was the first time I had visited as an adult. You think you know what’s happening but, I realised quickly, really you don’t. I saw the reality of what was happening on the ground

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— checkpoints, refugee camps, separate road systems, the war. It hit me like a tonne of bricks.

Many people I met had heartbreaking stories.

I was literally sitting with families on the ruins of their demolished homes.

I came back to my life of privilege and I just kept thinking, these are the human stories I want to tell. I have always loved film, so I wrote and executive produced three short films, which highlight the stories of refugees and prisoners of war. However, I have a very visual and vivid imagination, so I decided to jump in at the deep end to direct The Present. I didn’t study at film school so it was sink or swim.

I’m thrilled and grateful to have received a BAFTA [win] and Oscar nomination. It’s a beautiful thing when you work really hard on something and it resonates so far, and receives such high appreciation and acknowledgment.

I have already written my first feature film, which is currently in development, and so I am currently full on. My sister said the nicest thing to me: “Anyone who knew you as a teenager knows you are exactly where you’re supposed to be right now”. I know she was right.

The Present won Best British Short Film at the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2021. It is nominated for Best Live-Action Short Film at the Academy Awards (26 April).

As told to Judy Cogan

COLUMN

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RAISE A GLASS Could the future be alcohol-free? Tempus takes a look behind the NoLo trend and toasts the premium beverages redefining the market Words: Chantelle Billson

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n 2015, when Ben Branson launched Seedlip, the concept of premium nonalcoholic drinks was brand new. Since then, the NoLo (no- or low-alcohol drinks) trend has seen an unstoppable rise in demand, which has led to a plethora of new premium products being released into the market with wellness and tradition at their core.

Branson’s pioneering approach answered a single question. “[Seedlip] exists to solve the dilemma of what do you drink when you’re not drinking,” he says. His answer was to create a distilled non-alcoholic spirit available in three blends – Spice 94, Garden 108 and Grove 42 – that could be served with tonic or as a base for non-alcoholic cocktails.

Seedlip’s aromatic Spice 94 debuted in Selfridges in late 2015, with the first batch of 1,000 bottles selling out in just three weeks. It was soon served in such exclusive venues as The Fat Duck, Dandelyan, The Savoy, The Ritz London – and even Buckingham Palace.

“My family’s 300-year farming heritage coupled with a career working on drinks brands laid the foundations to spend two years working with distillers, growers and historians to create adult, complex drinks when, for whatever reason, you’re not drinking alcohol,” explains Branson. “The response from both the trade and

consumers has been overwhelming, and we are both proud and humbled to be championed by the world’s food and drink pioneers.”

Alcohol-free beverages are defined as having no more than 0.5% ABV, while lowalcohol drinks are at 1.2% ABV or less. More brands than ever before are investing in this new category of drink and capitalising on the ever-growing number of health-conscious consumers who wish to have more options without compromising on taste.

The complex blends of ingredients available in these brands show this growing thirst for more interesting flavour profiles than has been found in traditional soft drinks. The success of Seedlip saw Branson launch sister brand Æcorn Aperitifs in the summer of 2019, offering a range of adult non-alcoholic aperitifs inspired by 17th-century English herbal remedies and made with English grapes. Containing less than 0.5% ABV, the aperitif is available in three variations – dry, bitter and aromatic.

“We’re becoming increasingly more knowledgeable and therefore more demanding in our desire for greater access to a range of food and drink options, without having to compromise on taste, our health or wellbeing,” says Claire Warner, co-founder of Æcorn. “Our

recipes are inspired by an ancient recipe for acorn wine and acorns are a long-forgotten powerhouse of brilliant British bitterness.”

Entering this thriving market in 2019 with a mission to make drinks “happier and healthier”, Three Spirit – the “world’s first plant-powered functional elixir” – saw sales rise by 200% from January 2020.

Its eponymous three blends are the very definition of feelgood: vegan-friendly, glutenfree and sustainably packaged, each is designed to tap into a different state of mind.

Ultimate partystarter The Livener combines guayusa and schisandra berries to improve energy; the moodboosting Social Elixir includes zen green tea and cacao to lift the spirits; and soothing Nightcap’s lemon balm, valerian root and hop blend is designed for winding down.

“Consumers are seeking new products and experiences that reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, boost their moods and ultimately have a feelgood effect,” says co-founder Tatiana Mercer. “For so long, nonalcoholic drinks always felt less than alcoholic drinks. Functional non-alcohol is about what goes into a drink to create exciting experiences – in terms of feeling and flavour – for nondrinkers. A ticket back into the party.” »

Seedlip

PREMIUM PORTFOLIO According to a report by global drinks market database IWSR, more than 58% of NoLo consumers switch between full-strength and booze-free beverages on the same occasion and, although the NoLo category currently makes up just 3% of the total beverage alcohol market, the total volume is forecasted to grow to 31% by 2024.

This figure is supported by the ambitions of individual drinks conglomerates such as Asahi Europe & International, which aims to have 20% of its portfolio dedicated to nonalcoholic products by 2030. Its newest superpremium release is Peroni Libera 0.0%, a “crisp and refreshing” alcohol-free beer created with signature Italian Nostrano dell’Isola maize.

In February, Peroni Libera 0.0% announced a multi-year partnership with the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, which is returning to the sport after more than 60 years.

“This is a landmark moment for Peroni Libera 0.0% and an opportunity to take our alcoholfree beer brand to consumers through the platform of Formula One,” says Richard Ingram, global brands director at Asahi. “As health and wellbeing continues to drive innovation in the beer category, this partnership will widen the awareness of Peroni Libera 0.0% to ensure it remains the number one choice for those seeking an aspirational non-alcoholic option as part of their balanced lifestyle.”

Similarly, Brooklyn Brewery is a communityfocused New York company which released its celebrated Special Effects Hoppy Amber 0.5% ABV to taste “just like beer”, while Estrella Damm’s 0.0% ABV Free Damm Beer offers a refreshing flavour and is best-rated by Which, praised for being the best premium substitute to a pint.

Small Beer Brew Co, meanwhile, offers an alternative that “doesn’t get in the way of tomorrow” – a sustainable selection of beers between 0.5-2.8% ABV. The London-based brewery includes a classic lager, dark lager, session pale ale and ‘Steam’, a rye-style amber beer.

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INDULGE A SPARKLING ALTERNATIVE A smaller but sensational section of the NoLo trend is premium non-alcoholic spirits.

CleanCo’s CleanRum uses traditional techniques, while its CleanGin boasts a “crisp botanical blend” of juniper, grapefruit, cardamom, mint, cinnamon and ginger. Both offer a “healthful replacement” to much-loved tipples and are a great base for mixers.

Winning the gold medal in the Spirit Business Low and No Masters 2021, Nona is a gin alternative created in Belgium with input from top chefs and sommeliers, using nine herbs. It works beautifully served straight with ice.

With abundant depth in flavour, Nine Elms’ award-winning No.18 is a sophisticated red winestyle drink full of soft tannins and gentle acidity that pairs perfectly with rich, savoury food.

Fortnum & Mason Sparkling Tea contains zero alcohol, but all the complexity and fizz of a classic champagne. Likewise, new-to-the-market Saicho is a sparkling cold-brewed tea available in Hong Kong and the UK – including Jasmine, Darjeeling and Hojicha. Served in a champagne flute these new NoLo favourite fizzes make the perfect alternative for that special toast.

FUNCTIONAL NON-ALCOHOL IS ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO CREATING EXCITING DRINKING EXPERIENCES... A TICKET BACK INTO THE PARTY – Tatiana Mercer, Three Spirit

Clean living: NoLo beverages Peroni Libera 0.0% (top) and (l-r) Saicho, Nine Elms, Three Spirit and Clean Co 63

A SPIRITED HISTORY The Last Drop managing director Rebecca Jago tells Tempus about hunting rare spirits and tackling the patriarchal world of whisky head-on Words: Gabriel Power

I

n 2017, during an extensive restoration of his ruined barn, a French cognac distiller tore down an unassuming, hastily built stone wall – one of many that comprised the rustic old building. Expecting to be greeted with little more than damp or yet another pile of rubble, he instead found himself face-toface with an unmarked, dusty wooden barrel.

Without yet realising it, he had stumbled across a perfectly preserved container of 1925 Grande Champagne cognac, having just destroyed the wall that had been erected to hide it from advancing Nazi ground troops during the Battle of France in 1940. Skip forward a few incredulous late-night phone calls and dashes through the Bordeaux countryside and this astonishing discovery went from being a quirky passing news bulletin to a tangible consumer product; a remarkable slice of history bottled and served up by The Last Drop.

The world’s leading producer of ultrarare spirits, The Last Drop Distillers has made waves in the premium spirits markets with a rather fascinating USP. Soliciting the services of world-renowned experts in the fields of cognac, whisky, rum and more, The

Last Drop scouts out exclusive and even one-off barrels of the finest spirits – be they casualties of a shipping error or the leftovers of an experiment that never went public – and prepares them for the market by bottling them and offering them as the ultimate product for both collectors and those who simply want the best quaff money can buy.

Indeed, the story of the ’25 Cognac is just one of a dozen yarns The Last Drop managing director Rebecca Jago could spin about her company’s products, of which there are currently only 21 available. For her, the quality of the spirits themselves are on par with the often head-spinning stories of how they came to fall under her ownership.

“We currently have a pair of tawny ports, one of which is from 1870,” she says with a joyous vigour in her voice. “When this was being made, Thomas Edison was putting the finishing touches on the lightbulb and Alexander Graham-Bell was working on the early telephone. And here we are now, talking about that same port over Zoom in 2021. That’s one of the loveliest things about living in a world of old spirits; making that connection between the past and present.” »

ONE OF THE LOVELIEST THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD OF OLD SPIRITS IS MAKING A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PAST AND PRESENT

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INDULGE

Rebecca Jago, The Last Drop

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RARE PEDIGREE While there’s no denying that the pedigree attached to these spirits makes them an alluring prospect before one takes even a cursory glance at the tasting notes, the quality of the product remains of paramount importance. By Jago’s estimates, her team rejects around 90% of the rare samples they are led to, and only take on the best of the best – a core principle of her late father Tom, who founded the brand in 2008 with his business partner James Espey.

A pair of iconic spirits magnates – as well as the brains behind Baileys Irish Cream, Malibu Rum and Johnnie Walker Blue Label – Jago and Espey used their retirements to begin tracking down these ultra-rare spirits initially as a hobby that eventually blossomed into its own fully fledged brand.

“They’d go and find a few barrels of something old and exceptional and bottle it under their own name,” Jago says. “That’s what eventually became The Last Drop distillers, and their first release was a 1960 blended Scotch whisky that, until the day he died, my dad reckoned was the best thing he’d ever tasted.”

Eventually the pair branched out into brandies, ports and bourbons, among others, and it was at this point that they dusted off their Rolodexes and harnessed the knowledge of some of the greatest minds in spirits.

“My father was a whisky afficionado and so was familiar with what ‘aged’ could mean in the context of bourbons and Scotch whiskies,” Jago says. “But ageing is relative. Some spirits will evaporate far faster than others, meaning that while ageing for 100 years would be wonderful for one spirit, it might completely ruin another.”

And so The Last Drop compiled what Jago calls her “superpanel”; a group of experts on different spirits from across the globe to whom she can turn for an examination and evaluation should a rogue barrel pop up unexpectedly.

A WOMAN’S PLACE Being the head of a brand like The Last Drop has necessitated that Jago become a master of marketing, morphing the contents of a dusty, forgotten barrel in the corner of an urban warehouse into beautiful bottles of highquality spirits. And yet, somewhat ironically, it is marketing and public perception that poses one of her toughest challenges; as the face of the ultimate spirit connoisseur’s brand, she has had to overcome the unfortunate reality that she is one of just a handful of women leading the way in an industry dripping with patriarchal dominance.

“From a personal perspective as the only girl in a family of four children, from an early age I was never made to feel excluded or disadvantaged by being female,” she says. “I was brought up by very enlightened parents.

“But I remember when my father was working for a major drinks conglomerate and I visited his office, everybody there was either a male executive or a female secretary – there simply were no women in positions of power.

“Nowadays you have plenty of women who are master distillers and blenders – particularly in the US and particularly in whisky – but the consumer perception is still that women ‘don’t know about whisky’ and that they should be drinking a G&T or white wine,” she adds.

“Some 30% of whisky drinkers are now women, so it can only be outdated attitudes and historical marketing that are holding us back.

Marketing and advertising will lead to these sorts of ideas becoming ingrained,” she says, but offers a shimmer of optimism. “If anything, the advent of the cocktail revolution will surely make a huge difference to how we perceive dark spirits. For example, I’d be very surprised if even whisky cocktails are seen as inherently male as the classic whisky on the rocks.

“Women have to speak up and tell the world about their love of spirits,” she concludes. “Because something has to change, and I’m sure it will.” lastdropdistillers.com

Rare luxury: The Last Drop team takes on just 10% of the rare samples they examine

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CRUISE CONTROL CRN Yachts specialises in the custom creation of unique vessels – but what is the owner's experience? We cast off on a journey to discover the art of building a bespoke megayacht Words: Polly Jean Harrison

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S

ince its founding in 1963 in the historic seaport of Ancona, Italy, bespoke shipbuilder CRN has specialised in designing and fabricating fully customisable aluminium megayachts.

The concept behind each of their yachts is to makes her as special and unique as her owner.

With each construction, the owner’s vision is transformed into their perfect custom yacht, meeting exact specifications. To achieve this, the CRN team collaborates closely with a select bank of world-class architects and designers as well as the owner’s personal team, allowing them to create their own personal masterpiece of unmistakable style.

CRN operates an impressive production yard, one of the largest in Europe, fitted with state-of-the-art sheds packed to the gills with the latest technology and equipment. However, the self-professed heartbeat of the yard is its people. Made up of engineers, architects and technicians alike, they come together to create excellence, rising to any challenge their clients may throw at them. »

YACHTS

62m CRN MY Voice 69

THE LIMIT OF IMAGINATION Every voyage begins with one thing: a blank piece of paper. The process is focused on capturing the owner’s vision by way of an evolving listening process, to facilitate a thorough exploration of how the owner wishes to experience their pleasure boat.

“Bespoke is our DNA and our raison d’être,” a CRN Shipyard spokesperson tells Tempus.

“Starting from a blank sheet, listening to and shaping the client’s desires, CRN develops innovative concept designs that transform the owner’s vision into fully custom yachts of peerless beauty and highest quality through a winning blend of passion and expertise, flexibility and creativity.

“Embracing and reflecting the client’s wishes, every aspect of every yacht is crafted inch by inch, taking care of the subtlest details. Our in-house team of project managers, engineers, project architects, technicians and craftspeople give the client their passionate support: layout, design, styles, colours, materials – in short, everything – can be personalised and made to measure. CRN assures the owner this freedom of expression, empowering them to become the true author of their own masterpiece.”

The owner’s needs are considered at every step, whether that’s how much space they require for entertaining, or the colours and materials used to add the finishing touches. Everything can be personalised, with the owner’s creativity coming fully into play. The expertise of Italian master artisans is favoured wherever possible, creating tailor-made high-quality solutions.

With the project design beginning to take shape, the hull is then built in the CRN shipyard.

With an in-house carpentry team acting as an all-Italian master resource, the production continues until the yacht is ready to launch. In the months after her christening, the yacht is subjected to a “searching battery of tests” to verify that every detail meets the exacting standards of excellence that are a defining hallmark of CRN. What started as a blank piece of paper is spectacularly brought to life, with the magnificent yacht delivered to the client exactly as they envisioned living up to the company’s motto: “made by you with our own hands.”

EMBRACING AND REFLECTING THE CLIENT’S WISHES, EVERY

ASPECT OF EVERY YACHT IS CRAFTED INCH

BY INCH

Custom cruising: CRN’s 62m Voice was a collaboration with Italian architecture studio Nuvolari Lenard

FINDING YOUR VOICE A prime example of this approach to megayacht creation is clear in CRN’s most recent launch, Voice. Launched this year, the fully custom steel and aluminium work of art has met her owner, and embarked on her maiden voyage around the Mediterranean.

The 62m megayacht, with an 11.5m beam, was designed by CRN in collaboration with Italian architecture studio Nuvolari Lenard, who developed the concept and interior and exterior styling. With five decks, consisting of a master suite and five VIP cabins, it can accommodate 12 guests in exquisite comfort.

“The owner is a very determined man with precise ideas, passionate about the sea and with a clear vision: he wanted a yacht that would represent him and his strong personality. The vessel needed to be immediately recognisable from a long way off,” says the shipyard spokesperson.

“The yacht has been designed and built thanks to a constant dialogue with the owner; many hours were spent with him, his family and team, assimilating inspiring ideas. The result is a highly distinctive yacht that expresses beauty and majesty, that stands out for her instantly recognisable lines and equally striking bespoke colours. She a unique masterpiece with a forceful, sporty personality and yet a superb balance among all her elements” As well as the endless list of luxury amenities and elegant style, the yacht is also the first CRN megayacht to earn IMO Tier III certification – an environmental certification earned by the megayacht’s success slashing harmful nitrogen oxide exhaust emissions by 70%.

“IMO Tier III requirements are very important for the prevention of air pollution; in this sense, the owner’s attention to the environmental protection theme has found correspondence in CRN. At our yard, we are constantly working to mitigate the environmental impact of the materials used and the energy consumed by our bespoke yachts and in the process of making them.”

The CRN fleet currently boasts more than 200 vessels on the water, including military and commercial ships as well as their signature luxury yachts. With four more fully custom yachts in the process of construction, CRN continues its legacy as a global beacon of excellence in Italian shipbuilding. crn-yacht.com 70

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DESIGN

Shaping places For more than 30 years, design maverick JeanMichel Gathy has been credited with pioneering the luxury resort experience. Here, the architect talks exclusively about his latest projects and the direction of contemporary hotel design Words: Lauren Jade Hill Images: Courtesy of Denniston

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he luxurious Aman Venice, The Chedi Andermatt and Cheval Blanc Randheli: Jean-Michel Gathy is the man behind many of the world’s most talked-about hotels.

The French-Belgian architect (left) has personally conceptualised all the high-profile projects for his Malaysia-based architectural firm Denniston since he founded the practice in 1983.

Naming the world’s most prestigious hospitality groups among its clientele, the studio has worked with everyone from Mandarin Oriental and Aman to One&Only, Four Seasons and Armani.

Taking inspiration from the design philosophy of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa – who founded what’s now known as ‘tropical architecture’ – the renowned architect has developed a style blending Palladian symmetry and geometry with a more Asian concept of layering space with open flow, few doors and the creation of cosy privacy within one big volume.

What makes Denniston – and Gathy himself – so successful? “We’re not designing objects or commodities, we’re designing places to live.

I believe what makes the success of a hotel is the fact people are comfortable and want to come back,” he says. “I believe our biggest achievement is to have created places, which, because they have identity referring to symbolism or cultural values of a country, are attractive and the reason many people return.

“What has made certain hotels renowned or successful is the fact we have drawn in a clientele of a certain niche by being creative, with a vision that’s culturally valid. They have the right comfort, the right symbolism and the right sense of place.” »

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A WORLD OF FIRSTS To attract luxury travellers to the hotels they design, Denniston comes up with first-of-theirkind design features that will inevitably draw attention to the project and ultimately bring the property widespread fame.

“We designed a 100m-long pool for The Yama Hotel Phuket, which at that time, 25 years ago, nobody else had done. And we came up with a swimming pool that goes into the entry area of The Chedi Andermatt, so you see people swimming when you arrive. We then designed the rooftop infinity pool of Marina Bay Sands.

Why do people go to Marina Bay Sands? For 99% of them, it’s because of the pool.

“We’ve also created islands,” he continues.

“Many resorts in the Maldives are now built on reclaimed islands, but the first one was made by us. We built One&Only Reethi Rah by enlarging the island’s existing 12 acres to 109.

We created the notion that, if you are careful, with all the environmental considerations taken into account, increasing an island creates a new product.”

At Reethi Rah, Denniston was the first architectural practice to incorporate overwater nets instead of terraces for lounging in the sun and, in 2000, it was the first to put bathtubs in the suite’s main room. The practice was even credited with being the first to come up with the luxury tented camp concept.

“The whole of Africa has long had tented camps, but years ago these were all very basic.

They were just what you needed to be protected from the elements and animals – nobody took it to the next level.

In 1992, we created Amanwana [Aman’s resort in Moyo Island, Indonesia], which Condé Nast described as having pioneered the luxury tented camp. Now, if you look at the number of projects with this type of accommodation, it’s amazing.

My company is working on four projects like this right now. We continue coming up with new concepts like these everyday.”

New York state of mind: Aman New York’s spring debut coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Crown Building in which it is located, and its design pays tribute to the historic tower (right)

TWO DECADES AGO, ANY ‘GREEN ARCHITECT’ HAD BRAGGING RIGHTS. NOW, THIS EXCEPTIONALLY AVANT-GARDE POSITION HAS BECOME AN OBLIGATION VISION OF THE FUTURE In these Covid-19 times when how we use hotel space is being brought into question, architects are having to consider how they adapt to the new demands and navigate this transformative period. Describing how he believes hotel architecture will change due to the effects of the pandemic, Gathy uses an analogy: “Two decades ago, any architect who was a ‘green architect’, one who designs to environmental protection, was a star – they had bragging rights. But then, progressively, rightfully, all the local and federal administrations turned that environmental approach into rules.

Nowadays, what was an exceptionally avantgarde position has become an obligation.

“Architects continued in their same ways by adapting to the new rules and, over 20 years, as a result, architecture, interior and landscape design have become more and more environmentally friendly,” he says. “As a guest you don’t notice those changes because they’re progressively assimilated.

“I think what’s happening now with health issues is the same,” Gathy adds. “We are going to be subject more and more to health considerations and these are going to be integrated into regulations. As a guest, you will not know the hotel is following these new regulations – they’re going to go in at the kitchen level with air-conditioning systems; and with swimming pools.”

He explains that the reduced number of seats in a restaurant, due to social distancing, will mean hotels will have more dining outlets and that sensors and voice recognition will replace remote controls for air conditioning. All these things will change progressively, without fundamentally changing the experience. »

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REFLECTIONS OF LUXURY Gathy’s recently completed projects include the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, which opened last December, and Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, opened in September 2020. Upcoming launches include One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro and Jumeirah Bali – both due to open in May – and the highly anticipated spring opening of Aman New York. Denniston has also been named as masterplanner for Amaala Island in Saudi Arabia.

Aman New York’s spring debut coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Crown Building in which it is located. The hotel’s design pays tribute to this historic tower, while referencing Aman’s Asian roots. In this East-meets-West setting, designed with the New York lifestyle in mind, highlights include the three-storey Aman Spa with outdoor terrace and 20m pool, a jazz club, members’ club and indoor-outdoor restaurants with live cooking, a wine cellar and wraparound garden.

Amaala Island will take over an entirely different setting on the northwestern coastline of Saudi Arabia. Designed as “an immersive and interactive art-inspired jewel”, this major development of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve, which will be several years in the making, will comprise an art community, Arabic botanical garden and contemporary art museum among other lifestyle components.

“This is truly unique,” he says. “Nothing like it has ever been planned before.”

So what does Gathy see as the future of hotel design? “In the luxury sector, hotel design is a reflection of a clientele niche’s lifestyle,” he says.

“The hotel is a reflection of the cultural values of the environment and it’s a reflection of the architectural language of the country.

“Luxury hotels normally integrate socially and physically into the environment in which they are built. So, if the world changes and if lifestyle changes – for example, with social distancing – the design will be adjusted.” denniston.com.my

Design for all seasons: Gathy’s recently completed projects include the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi (top) and theFour Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (right, designed by Denniston and courtesy of Four Seasons)

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THE FUTURE IS NOW Walpole’s 2021 Brands of Tomorrow reveals the future household names we need right now

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hile there’s much to be said for the wellness benefits of the intangible riches we’ve been learning to love during the last year – from self-care to the curative powers of nature – sometimes there’s nothing better than the material pleasure of discovering our new favourite things.

Enter the 2021 Brands of Tomorrow, luxury trade organisation Walpole’s list of the best indulgent, innovative and inspiring young British brands all pegged to be the next household names.

The Brands of Tomorrow initiative will nurture and guide these 12 luxury companies over the next year, providing the skills and support needed to take each business to the next level, with practical workshops, mentorships from senior leadership figures across the luxury sector, and access to Walpole’s membership of prestigious luxury businesses and cultural institutions. Brands will also be supported by Walpole’s first virtual boutique.

Launched in 2007, previous Brands of Tomorrow include Bremont, FLOWERBX, Osman and Emilia Wickstead. The programme is supported by Mishcon de Reya and moneycorp.

“It is with great delight that Walpole welcomes a new cohort of creative entrepreneurs to the 2021 Brands of Tomorrow,” says Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank. “This initiative was designed to help early-stage luxury brands drive their success, creating economic growth for the country. As we move beyond the pandemic, and forge a new vision of Global Britain, its role has never been so important.”

Here, Tempus meets the class of 2021.

BRAMLEY Indulgent bath and body brand Bramley is inspired by the British countryside, blending unique apple seed ingredients with therapeutic essential oils. Launched in 2012 by Chloë Luxton, Bramley has sustainability at its core, is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly certified.

thewalpole.com

bramleyproducts.co.uk

THESE INDULGENT, INNOVATIVE AND

INSPIRING YOUNG BRITISH BRANDS ARE PEGGED TO BE THE NEXT HOUSEHOLD NAMES

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LUXURY

EIGHT LANDS Award-winning organic spirits brand Eight Lands originates from Speyside, Scotland, and is the brainchild of father and stepson team of Alasdair Locke and Alex Christou. Eight Lands’ vodka and gin are sustainably-made using 100% organic ingredients and Scottish spring water, distilled and bottled at Glenrinnes Distillery on the family’s estate. eight-lands.com

EQUI These nutritional supplements were formulated to optimise women’s health, wellbeing and beauty. Female-owned EQUI London is a multiaward-winning product range backed by science and led by nature. Using a adaptogenic herbs and medicinal mushrooms, vitamins, minerals, plant super foods and probiotics, Equi products are created to balance health, beauty and wellbeing. equilondon.com

ETO Designer Tom Cotton created Eto, a beautiful decanter designed to reduce waste and enhance drinking pleasure for wine-lovers everywhere.

The innovative, patented preservation system uses an airtight seal over the wine, which halts the oxidation process and preserves the flavour.

It’s also beautifully designed and the perfect dining table piece. » etowine.com 79

HANCOCK Hancock offers a range of covetable products – including their iconic handmade raincoats – made exclusively in the firm’s Scottish factory, and blending traditional and modern manufacturing techniques. Hancock also boasts a notable portfolio of collaborative work with some of the world’s leading fashion houses. hancockofscotland.com

HARPER Harper is a luxury ‘last mile’ service enabling luxury retailers to provide an elevated shopping experience to affluent customers. Founded in 2016, Harper now works with labels including Dior, Stella McCartney and ME+EM, helping them to engage and better serve today’s experience-driven consumer. harperconcierge.com

MARFA STANCE Marfa Stance offers an essential, multi-functional wardrobe for all seasons. Designer Georgia Dant was inspired by her transatlantic commute to build a brand that could transition effortlessly across climate, seasons and occasions. Signature pieces can be built, adapted and reversed for ultimately flexibility, and are available for women, men and gender neutral. marfastance.com

MOTLEY Cecily Motley and Ilana Lever founded jewellery design company Motley in 2018, and collaborates with top independent designers to create remarkable and exclusive collections.

Motley’s direct-to-consumer ethos doesn’t cut corners, creating a model that benefits craftspeople, designers and consumers alike. motley-london.com 80

MY WARDROBE HQ My Wardrobe HQ is the world’s first online fashion platform offering both rental and resale.

MWHQ believe fashion rental is the solution to sustainable fashion and, uniquely, all items available to rent can also be bought. The perfect solution to ‘buy less buy better’ shopping. mywardrobehq.com

ROTHSCHILD & BICKERS Rothschild & Bickers is renowned for the exquisite lighting adorning stylish hotels, restaurants and homes across the UK. Founded

by Victoria Rothschild and Mark Bickers, who share a passion to keep glassblowing alive. Every design produced at the studio is created using traditional techniques and features exquisite attention to detail. rothschildbickers.com

SARAH HARAN Sarah Haran luxury handbag are the perfect balance of beauty and function, transforming for any function while keeping the wearer effortlessly organised. The transformative collection includes a detachable clutch that can be used as a chic evening bag, along with a range of accessories. sarahharan.com

THE DECK The Deck is Savile Row’s first women’s tailor created by Daisy Knatchbull. The made-tomeasure tailor creates timeless, versatile suiting and separates for women, offering a fully customisable experience that offers a range of cloth, linings, buttons, monogramming and styling details. thedecklondon.com 81

BLOOMING LOVELY As spring blooms work their magic on a capital emerging from lockdown, we discover the budding flower arranging trends of 2021 Words: Polly Jean Harrison

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here’s something wonderfully comforting about a bouquet of fresh flowers. They can light up a room, add a pop of colour to a space and nurture feelings of happiness. This is doubly true in London, with Mayfair in spring welcoming a cascade of dramatic floral arrangements gracing windows, tables and boardrooms everywhere from Annabel’s to The Hari.

And, after almost a year of London’s hospitality being closed for business during Covid-19 lockdowns, it’s no wonder many people have turned to flowers to bring a little bit of pleasure to their day.

This is likely the inspiration behind this year’s biggest trend of “sunshine yellow”, seen in many popular arrangements this year. These gorgeous bright tones are the very picture of happiness, brightening spirits and setting the perfect mood for a warm, joyful spring arrangement. Daffodils, of course, are the obvious spring flower but yellow tulips, quirky spherical craspedia, and even delicate ranunculus can bring sunshine into your living space.

There are also a multitude of health benefits to having fresh flowers around. The practice of flower arranging itself is a very mindful hobby, perfect for keeping hands busy and directing attention towards the flowers and away from

worries, and there has been an uptick of interest in the practises of flower arranging traditions, such as Japanese Ikebana.

For even greater mental health benefits, try working soft pastels and calming neutral blooms into your bouquets to help create a relaxing arrangement perfect for relieving anxious thoughts; or mix in some aromatic greenery such as lavender, mint and eucalyptus – all proven to soothe or enhance moods – for a gorgeous arrangement to suit any space that doubles as the perfect stress remedy.

GREEN SHOOTS Ultimately, the main trend seen this year has been one of sustainability. With attentions shifting to try to limit the consequences of climate change, many people are now beginning to change their behaviour to limit their personal effect on the environment –and floristry is no different.

“Over the past few months, we have seen clients taking a more thoughtful approach when it comes to ordering bouquets and arrangements. They seem to be more in tune with nature, paying more attention to the environmental side,” says Michal Kowalski, master florist of Blooming Haus.

“People want more foliage,” he says.

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“They see you can create a greener, more environmentally friendly design, still with amazing results, but with more thought towards their carbon footprint, which adheres to Blooming Haus’s sustainable practices.

Thankfully, this is a growing trend and this year we see more natural, loose organic designs, with more locally sourced flowers.”

An example of championing sustainability through your arrangements is finding an alternative to floral foam. Used by amateur and professional florists alike as a tool to hold flowers in place and keep them hydrated, it is generally not recyclable or compostable and ultimately ends up in landfill. Environmentally conscious flower arrangers are turning to greener, reusable alternatives such as chickenwire or pebbles, or simply not using it at all.

Dried flower arrangements are also increasingly popular. Traditional fresh cut flowers are often grown abroad and, due to their short lifespan, have to be transported quickly in controlled conditions. However, dried blooms last far longer, so are less wasteful and 100% biodegradable – perfect for special occasions where your blooms can double a long-lasting keepsake for years to come. bloominghaus.com

DESIGN

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FORGING HER OWN PATH Philanthropist Anita Choudhrie tells Tempus how her Path to Success charity is supporting Paralympians on their road to Tokyo 2021 – and why the future is female

Words: Michelle Johnson

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hilanthropy is far more than a fashion statement to Anita Choudhrie (right).

The Path to Success founder has been championing the rights and abilities of disabled athletes and wheelchair users for more than 15 years, providing equipment, training and wellness support for aspiring sportspeople and Paralympic medal winners alike.

Founded in 2005, the charity began as a way to support a school for disabled children in India, but soon aligned its focus to providing specialised wheelchairs for those in need. Now, with the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games back in focus, the charity is setting its sights on its #PathToTokyo campaign, supporting future female Paralympians including para powerlifters Louise Sugden and Olivia Broome, wheelchair tennis pros Lucy Shuker and Louise Hunt, and wheelchair basketball hopefuls Bethany Wheeler and Lucy Robinson.

Choudhrie’s philanthropic endeavours don’t stop on the sports field. Inspired by the art collection she shares with billionaire husband Sudhir – which includes works by MF Husain, Andy Warhol and Damian Hirst, and spans their homes in India and the UK – Choudhrie set up the Stellar International Art Foundation in 2008. Much like Path to Success, Stellar aims to champions female artists and level the playing field when it comes to the gender art gap.

Here, she shares her greatest philanthropic achievements, her passion for Paralympic sports, and tells us why we should be paying more attention to female success stories.

Anita, what inspired you to establish Path to Success?

My grandfather was a doctor who did a lot of work for the needy, and so my family grew up with that background. It felt very natural and instinctive to give back and support others, rather than being something that was socially fashionable. I had been supporting the Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust, a school for disabled children in India, for 15 years before starting Paths to Success. We were celebrating their 25th anniversary with a trip to the UK and US to raise funds. It was an extremely ambitious project – 16 children and six teachers to care for them.

Air India sponsored the group, and I supported them completely in the UK, from providing a five-day residency to hosting a fundraising event at the House of Lords. But I realised, in order to support them fully I would need to register as a charity, and so I created Path to Success.

What has been your proudest moment?

The biggest highlight was our ‘60 for 60’ campaign in 2012. Many long-term hospital patients can’t leave the hospital because they don’t have specialist wheelchairs, and so we set out to raise the funds for 60 specialised chairs for 60 NHS hospitals, to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

We were able to raise enough for 83 wheelchairs – ranging from £295 to £8,000 each, many of which had to be specially fitted out or made for specific patients – and to be able to give people a life outside of the hospital was amazing. It was one of the biggest moments for Path to Success.

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Tell us about your latest campaign, Path to Tokyo?

Our focus has always been wheelchairs, and we were associated with the wheelchair basketball club London Titans. As we got to know the team and chairman Jaspal Dhani better, we realised we had an opportunity to help support disabled athletes – and especially Paralympians. Of course, from there, we wanted to include more sports and support women athletes.

We did an enormous amount of research to identify Paralympic sports that do not receive government funding, from weightlifting to table tennis and badminton. What we aim to provide is a holistic level of assistance – from wellness programmes and psychologist support, to vitamin and muscular support – as well as funding for training and competitive equipment.

How involved are you with the athletes’ day to day training?

We’re not the kind of organisation where we just sit behind a desk and allocate funds. We are very much emotionally involved with the athletes, and we work a lot with them on their physical needs. We make them feel very supported. It’s not just a paper transaction; this is an emotional transaction, because competitive sport is extremely emotional. It is both physically and mentally challenging, and the stress is unbelievable. So, we make sure there’s funding for mental health, particularly in the run-up to Tokyo, where many of our athletes have been isolated in their homes due to Covid-19. »

PHILANTHROPY

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What impact has Covid-19 had on your athletes’ training?

It’s been very difficult. There have been times when they couldn’t even get trainers to come into their homes, and so they have had to create innovative ways of doing body support and exercises. For team sports, you can keep training by yourself but it’s not the same as being on a court and being with a trainer. So, it’s hard to know where they’ll stand at the Paralympics, let alone whether they’ll be able to win medals or break any records. I think our athletes need all the support we can give them, especially in terms of media coverage. It’s not just the Olympics that deserves our attention; I think more awareness needs to be created for the Paralympics and the incredible athleticism of the Games.

How important is it to raise more awareness about Paralympic sports?

It’s very important. We are constantly trying to expand awareness of female athletes, for example through social media, and link to events such as International Women’s Day. We’re trying to create a bigger loop of awareness, but there’s a lot of work to be done.

You could see with the Australian Open, where a lot of media attention was focused able-bodied tennis, but we barely heard about British star Alfie Hewett, who reached the wheelchair singles and doubles finals.

Why did you choose to champion female artists through your Stellar International Art Foundation?

It’s a similar drive in that female artists are not a given. Exhibitions and galleries always focus on male artists, and so women are always second choice for sponsorships, displays and media attention – and this means they are not valued in price as highly as their male counterparts.

I’ve collected art for 40 years and seen this time and again. Yet, I’ve found such amazing, talented artists.

Stellar follows the philosophy of all my philanthropic work, in that I aim to empower women who come from any kind of physical, mental, financial or socially challenged background. The three artists I am currently patronising are all immigrants to the UK. Chila Kumari Burman was the first artist we supported, and she has achieved amazing things. Today, her work is on the wall of Tate Britain, she is known by the media. She is blossoming; it’s wonderful.

IT’S NOT JUST THE OLYMPICS THAT DESERVES OUR ATTENTION; MORE AWARENESS NEEDS TO BE CREATED FOR THE PARALYMPICS AND THE INCREDIBLE ATHLETICISM OF THE GAMES

Tell us about your vintage car collection?

My husband has a big interest in vintage cars. We are going to be doing a book on his collection, which is involving a lot of research on each of the vehicles. His oldest car was made in 1898, and the newest is from 1938 – the full vintage period – or, as we call them, the Grand Old Ladies. pathtosuccess.org.uk From top: Anita Choudhrie with artist Faiza Butt; Wheelchair basketball star Maddie Martin; Paralympian Louise Sugden (left), London Titans chair Jaspal Dhani and Choudhrie. Right: British wheelchair tennis pro Andy Lapthorne at the US Open finals 2019

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PHILANTHROPY

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BLOCK PARTY An acceleration in digital transformation has led to a boom in blockchain business. From supply chain to shares, money to music, meet the entrepreneurs brilliantly disrupting the world...

Words: Lysanne Currie

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WEALTH

Singapore

Clockwise top left: HB Antwerp combines technology and diamonds; AREX founders Pablo Garnica de Juan and Migeul Linera Alperi; singer Imogen Heap (©Alexandra Arnold); Blockchain currency Dogecoin; Real estate; and Neufund founder Zoe Adamovicz

JESSI BAKER Jessi Baker is the founder of the British Blockchain company provenance.org, which The Telegraph has dubbed “one of 10 amazing science and technology innovations to watch”, and The Guardian says is “starting a revolution in consumer understanding”. Provenance is a software service for businesses to easily share the story and impact behind their products and their supply chains at the point of sale without having to invest in bespoke web development. A Cambridge University engineering graduate, Baker explains her vision: “I wanted to buy products from brands that are making robust efforts to better the environment and society, she says, adding her biggest achievement is being one of the first companies in the world to apply Blockchain tech to impact and supply chains.

ZOE ADAMOVICZ Zoe Adamovicz is CEO and co-founder of Neufund, a Berlin-based Blockchain platform founded in 2016 and which has been described as a “stock exchange without the operator in the back”. A graduate in Cultural Science from the University of Warsaw, the entrepreneur and angel investor, who has been named as one of Forbes ‘Five Female Rock Stars Leading the Crypto Scene’, has also founded numerous other startups, such as Xyo and Concise Software (providing software development), and has acted as an advisor for German and Maltese governments on digitalisation. “Blockchain is one of the greatest opportunities we’ve been presented with in modern history,” she says.

provenance.org

IMOGEN HEAP Grammy-winning British artist Imogen Heap (and 50% of British electronic duo Frou Frou), is the founder of the art and music collective Mycelia, a group that explores how Blockchain technology can be used to disrupt the music economy ecosystem and ensures fair pay for artists.

She practises what she preaches, having released her album, Tiny Human, on the Blockchain Ethereum in 2015. “Blockchain is the catalyst for change in the [music] industry,” she explains. “It’s a step in the right direction… Blockchains could enable artists to release their tracks themselves and gain greater control over the terms of the release and the profits received…

To have that constant connection with and control over your music would be amazing.”

ELENA SINELNIKOVA Russian born and MIET educated, Elena Sinelnikova is a California-based technologist and entrepreneur, currently the CEO and co-founder at Blockchain tech company MetisDAO. She also advises on Blockchain for companies including insurance provider MaxGapPlus and Indian millennial banking project Vease Technologies. Notably, Sinelnikova is also co-founder of non-profit global Blockchain network CryptoChicks, which has members from 56 countries. Although it started out as a meeting space for women to learn about cryptocurrencies and digital wallets, it has since turned into a wide-ranging educational hub for young women learn about Blockchain and AI. “Blockchain technology is borderless and we had an opportunity to connect women from different countries together… the more women we help, the better it feels.” metisdao.org MIGUEL LINERA ALPERI & PABLO GARNICA DE JUAN Miguel Linera Alperi and Pablo Garnica de Juan are the co-founders of AREX Real Estate Technologies. Their vision, they say, is to “fully digitalise the real estate transaction process for any user”, by providing smart real estate deal management, powered by blockchain technology. As Alperi explains, “In developing countries I think there exists a huge opportunity for Blockchain, not only to provide transparency and security in Real Estate transactions, but also to grant access to new participants in the market.” arex.technology

neufund.org

myceliaformusic.org CARL WEGNER Carl Wegner is the CEO of Contour, a Singapore-based global trade finance network, powered by R3’s Corda. Part of his role is to improve transparency between banks, corporates, and technology partners, expanding Contour’s reach in the trade finance space. Contour has also recently announced a partnership with CargoX, a blockchain platform for transferring data and documents. “Transforming trade finance can’t be achieved by a single company acting by itself,” says Wagner. “Collaboration is central to building a trade finance network that is truly global.”

SHAI DE TOLEDO Shai de Toledo is the co-founder – along with Rafael Papismedov and Oded Mansori – of HB Antwerp, a technology company focused on diamonds, and based, as the name implies, in Antwerp.

A tech-savvy supply chain whizz, Toledo uses blockchain solutions for the diamond supply chain management, with an international network of diamond specialists on speed dial. He says he is now using that knowledge to increase trust and transparency in the diamond supply chain. hbantwerp.com MARCUS RALPHS Having served in the British Army, Marcus Ralphs is founder and CEO of ByzGen, which uses blockchain for the security sector. Marcus says his fascination with technology was first sparked by the challenges facing the defence and security sectors when it comes to managing sensitive data. Prior to ByzGen, he’d been working on projects with the MoD using blockchain to track individuals’ security clearance. “ByzGen is the first blockchain company to focus exclusively on the defence sector,” he says. “Enabling the Defence and Security sector to be at the vanguard of developing and adopting game-changing blockchain technology is really exciting.” byzgen.com DIANA BIGGS Twice-named as one of the UK’s top 25 fintech Influencers by CityAM, Bitcoin thought leader Diana Biggs is CEO of Swiss blockchain company Valour, which allows users to buy digital currencies through their local banks. She has also served as industry engagement advisor for the University College London’s Centre for Blockchain Technologies, as HSBC’s head of business model innovation for the UK and Europe, and is on the board of the World Economic Forum.

Her previous company, Proof of Purpose, strived to aid in humanitarian causes via blockchain technology. “I have never seen this much attention to bitcoin and other crypto assets,” she says. “The time for decentralised technologies has arrived, and their potential is increasingly realised by institutional investors.” dianabiggs.com

contour.network To see our full list of blockchain entrepreneurs visit tempusmagazine.co.uk

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WEALTH

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BUILDING BRIDGES As Canada and the UK strengthen trade ties, could a Canzuk alliance – with Australia and New Zealand – flag the way forward post-Brexit?

A

s the UK ratified its post-Brexit agreement with Canada in March, and the two countries prepared to announce a new “enhanced” trade deal, many political commentators took note.

Trade between the United Kingdom and Canada is currently worth around £22.4bn each year and the new deal, according to the UK’s International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, will “take our trading relationship to new heights by starting negotiations on a new trade deal that will help us set the bar for 21st-century trade, bringing jobs opportunity, and prosperity for our people”.

Could this also be the beginning of a larger new economic and cultural alliance?

To those with a keen ear, the halls of Parliament have been echoing with the term “Canzuk”, an acronym for a potential alliance comprising of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, to fill at least part of the hole left in Britain’s global trading strategy by Brexit.

The notion currently has support from policymakers within each of the proposed member nations – particularly Canada’s Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole, who describes the union as a “top priority”.

Ostensibly, the key aims of Canzuk are to expand upon the historic cultural connections between the four Commonwealth countries by encouraging their governments to cement greater economic, political, trade and investment ties, as well as enforcing free movement between member states.

The new ratified trade deal between Canada and the UK alone is estimated to save around £42m on export tariffs including cars, beef, fish, chocolate and maple syrup. Meanwhile, Truss is in deep trade negotiations with New Zealand and Australia to add to the £200bn in global trade

deals she and her department have been lining up in the wake of Brexit – negotiations that advocates Canzuk International suggest could “set a framework upon which Canzuk agreements can be built, including mutual skills recognition between the four countries and reciprocal migration arrangements”.

COMMON GROUND To hear it from Canzuk activists, this new dawn in cultural diplomacy is a no-brainer.

Like similar economic alliances, its main focus would most likely be stripping back tariffs on trade, leading to a substantial increase in travel, investment and cultural engagement between all nations involved.

Canzuk International notes that the four nations share a disproportionately large number of hallmarks including the “same respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and the same westernised culture” – in addition to a common language, of course.

To them, these similarities can be felt across the distance between them – albeit perhaps through a nostalgic lens of Commonwealth ties – and, they say, could be the riposte to fears that the rise in populism could break the common ground valued by the West.

On the other hand, to suggest that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK share a significant cultural identity beyond language in the modern age may seem reductive, particularly to the millions of speakers of other languages in each country. So, could Canzuk serve to celebrate and represent the differences each country exhibits, highlighting and potentially serving to amplify the voices of, say, indigenous populations in Australia and New Zealand or the French-speaking Quebecois in Canada?

Left-leaning supporters of Canzuk

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Words: Gabriel Power

look to the example of New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, whose parliamentary record is an example of many firsts in the country’s politics. Last year she wrote of New Zealand’s ties with the UK in The Telegraph: “Our countries share common commitments, whether in relation to democracy, human rights, a rules based order, trade or preservation of peace and security. We are a natural partner on the key issues of our time.”

OCEANS APART Another aspect to consider is that, when push comes to shove, entering a crosscontinental trading bloc with member nations spread out across the globe could be a costly venture for all involved – and so the financials had better stack up, or Canzuk is sure to flatline on the floor of the Commons.

But, if formalised, there is little doubt that the agreement would create a formidable economic behemoth – representing 10% of the world’s wealth and affording its member countries considerably more clout on the world stage.

Furthermore, entering Canzuk would potentially grant the UK proxy access to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – one of the largest free trade deals ever ratified. It could also signal a boom in holidays and business trips between the farflung nations.

However, until terms can be fleshed out and proposals put forward, it seems likely that the four nations of Canzuk will continue to view the idea in cautious terms, at least until objections from both sides of the political aisle can be answered satisfactorily.

Until then, despite the power such an alliance might wield, Canzuk has oceans to cross.

Image: ©PjrTravel / Alamy Stock Photo

TO THOSE WITH A KEEN EAR, THE HALLS OF PARLIAMENT HAVE BEEN ECHOING WITH THE TERM

“CANZUK”

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SAVE the DATE Your luxury events calendar for April and May 2021

JEWELLERY Collectors should look out for the 25th edition of International Jewellery Kobe (IJK) (13-15 May), Japan’s largest jewellery show, which is followed shortly by Milan’s Chibimart (15-17 May) featuring precious stones and costume jewellery from Italy and further afield. Over in Geneva, Christie’s Live Auctions include Rare Watches (10 May)and Magnificent Jewels (12 May), followed in June by the more futuristic EPHJ – the world’s largest event for watchmaking equipment and microengineering technology.

CULTURE Arguably the biggest event in film, the 93rd Academy Awards (26 Apr, left) looks to be the most diverse edition of the Oscars yet. Two women – Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao and Promising Young Woman’s Emerald Fennell – are nominated for Best Director, while nine actors of colour have been nominated in their respective fields.

Meanwhile, the 2021 edition of the London Design Biennale (starting 1 Jun) will see artistic director Es Devlin oversee the theme of Resonance and pieces by designers from more than 50 countries. Finally, opera fans can head to Sussex for the start of the annual Glyndebourne Festival (20 May-29 Aug), with performances of pieces by Verdi, Mozart and Janacek. »

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®

P R I Z E D BY C OL L EC TOR S .

P R A I S E D BY T H E C R I T IC S .

Mark Squires, Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95 points

Neal Martin, Vinous 97 points

Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com 17.5++ points

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 96 points

Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast 98 points

James Suckling, James Suckling.com 96 points

AVAILABLE TO ORDER FROM ALL FINE WINE MERCHANTS WWW.TAYLOR.PT PLEASE ENJOY TAYLOR’S PORT RESPONSIBLY

YACHT AND AVIATION While we will have to wait until 2022 for the return of many international yacht shows, sailing enthusiasts can still enjoy a few meets throughout the spring season. Originally planned for September 2020, the East Med Yacht Show in Piraeus is expected to go ahead in May, while the Palma Superyacht Show (left) will bring together superyachts galore and shoreside exhibitors from 3-6 Jun. Those looking to take to the air, meanwhile, can virtually stop by the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition Connect (18-20 May), an online-only event showcasing the best in business aviation.

MOTORSPORT Formula One fans have grands prix in Portugal (2 May) and Spain (9 May) to look forward to before the month ends with the iconic Monaco Grand Prix (23 May, left). Petrolheads seeking some vintage luxury closer to home will be preparing for London Concours (8-10 Jun), an exclusive automotive garden party hosted in the heart of the City of London.

SPORT After a low-key April, the world of horse racing gets ready to burst to life in May. The Kentucky Derby (1 May, left) returns to its traditional schedule after last year’s disruption saw it pushed back to September, while Ascot hosts May Racing Weekend (7-8 May). In tennis, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic headline at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (11-18 Apr) and Madrid Open (30 Apr-9 May), as we wait to find out if the French Open will begin as scheduled on 17 May.

For more exciting events, visit our website:

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, changes to event calendars may occur. Please check with individual event organisers for more information.

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TASTED Words: Freddy Clode

Moez Seraly is the founder of The Perfect Cellar, a boutique online wine platform designed to introduce exceptional wines from artisanal producers from France and beyond. Here, the Madagascan-born French connoisseur shares a taste of his favourite vineyards… perfectcellar.com

SUPERB SOMMELIER | ALAIN DUCASSE AT THE DORCHESTER Alain Ducasse’s Michelin-star restaurant inside The Dorchester Hotel is a Park Lane institution.

Reopening on 19 May, the restaurant will also host a pop-up at The Dorchester Rooftop (26 April-9 May) under exec chef Jean-Philippe Blondet.

Seraly says: “The Dorchester’s master sommelier Christopher Delalonde never fails to find exceptional gems. He was rightfully awarded the title of Best Sommelier in the UK, and I can’t wait to work with him on some new wine tasting experiences.” alainducasse-dorchester.com

CHIC CITY DINING | THE BISTRO AT BLEEDING HEART

PERSONAL TOUCH | HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT

RAISE A GLASS | CHÂTEAU DE CÉRONS, BORDEAUX

This French bistro-style restaurant in Clerkenwell is well known for its electric atmosphere, chic décor and fantastic food – as well as an award-winning wine list of 450 carefully picked bottles. And, as of this month, al fresco dining is available again.

The secret ingredient to Hélène Darroze’s three-Michelin star restaurant is its seasonal produce personally sourced from farmers, makers and growers. Opt for chef ’s signature dishes delivered straight to your home, or dine at the Sommelier’s Table from 18 May.

Cérons is one of the oldest appellations in Bordeaux, and the history of Château de Cérons is as colourful as its surroundings. Husbandand-wife team Xavier and Caroline Perromat took over the estate in 2012, and now produce award-winning wines through five brands.

Seraly says: “Amazing, traditional European food and a great wine list. The owner once owned a vineyard in New Zealand, and their knowledge and passion shows. The steak and triple-cooked chips are worth the trip alone.”

Seraly says: “Hélène’s food is incredible, and her involvement in selecting everything – from produce to the wine list – is fabulous.

She also has a restaurant in Paris, Marsan par Hélène Darroze.”

Seraly says: “Château Calvimont Graves is not only an exceptional wine, but the beautiful estate, in a classic stone property in the village of Cérons, also has a homely but delicious rotisserie.”

bleedingheart.co.uk

the-connaught.co.uk

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Celebrate a reunion in complete privacy Not that we’ve ever needed an excuse for an adventure, but our recent requests for all-out celebrations tell us you’re ready to come back bigger than ever. Know that, with us, fun and safety go together. From private archipelagos to remote sailing expeditions and bespoke safari camps, we’ll find a corner of your own to enjoy the family or group reunion you deserve.

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