Tempus Magazine | Issue 77 | December-January 2022

T I MEL ESS I N SP I R AT ION

EXCLUSIVE

PAULINE DUCRUET How Grace Kelly's fashion designer granddaughter is transforming the style world

JENSON BUTTON | BRITISH LUXURY REVIEW | THE FUTURE OF DRIVING ISSUE

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Wellness from within

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health, wealth and wellbeing, so too are we learning to embrace authenticity at every turn.

Few understand this better than our cover star, 27-year-old fashion designer Pauline Ducruet. The stylish entrepreneur learnt the power of dressing for confidence and self-expression from her mother, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, and grandmother, iconic actress Grace Kelly. Now, she is creating fashion for every body, with sustainable pieces defined by colour, fabric and attitude rather than conforming to gender expectations. Pauline tells us about her inspirations, and ambitious design ethos, in our exclusive cover story on page 40.

As we set about designing this issue, it became clear that this sense of self-expression, authentic storytelling and desire for self-improvement is everywhere in the world of luxury – from the increasing popularity of responsible travel to rise in environmental investment, electrification in the automotive industry to the art of haute horology – we all want to make a real and positive impact on the world.

And that, more than anything, is a resolution worth celebrating as we ring in the new year.

From all at Tempus, we wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

ooking back on the last year, it seems incredible that we have faced so many challenges and changes in so short a time. From the continued impact of Covid-19 across industries to the unified stance against the climate crisis that we saw during Cop26, we are living in what may prove one of the most pivotal moments in our history.

With these revolutions comes another important change, as never before have we been so united in the improvement of our quality of life. At the start of the year – and in no small way inspired by the trials of the pandemic – Google searches for “self-care” rose by a whopping 250%. With more people taking an active interest to empower themselves in their health care – both physical and mental – it is becoming increasingly clear that wellbeing starts from within.

This can be seen in the rise of mindful wellness trends and activities offered in the world’s best resorts (page 52) and in the wide range of treatments – from sensational sound baths to olfactory indulgences, all designed to soothe the soul (page 58) – that are gaining ever more popularity with those in the know.

Self-improvement goes hand in hand with selfexpression and, as we learn to take better care of our

Michelle Johnson Editor

WE ALL WANT TO MAKE A REAL AND POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD

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update from the world of luxury lifestyle

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Contributors

Editorial team Editor Michelle Johnson michelle@tempusmagazine.co.uk

Judy Cogan Indulge each of your senses with luxury expert Judy’s comprehensive wellness feature on page 58

Creative Director Ross Forbes ross@tempusmagazine.co.uk Digital Editor Gabriel Power gabriel@tempusmagazine.co.uk Wealth Editor Lysanne Currie Motoring Editor Rory FH Smith

Rikesh Chauhan Menswear maven Rikesh launches his column with a look at the mental health benefits of a well-tailored look (100)

Chief Sub-Editor Dominique Dinse COMMERCIAL Business Development Director Remi James remi@tempusmagazine.co.uk +44 (0) 203 519 1005

Nick Hendrix Actor and motoring expert Nick explores the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in our exclusive photostory (26)

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

Françoise Peretti The Champagne Bureau’s Françoise shares her top tips for occasion tipples on page 16

Managing Director Peter Malmstrom COVER IMAGE Alter founder Pauline Ducruet (©Frederic Nebeinger) Article on page: 40

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CONTENTS

10 The luxe list A special edition of our pick of the must-have gifts of the season 16 Creating the occasion The Champagne Bureau’s Françoise Peretti on choosing the perfect festive fizz 18 Driving the future As Rimac’s electric hypercar looks to elevate the driving experience, we explore the futuristic world of automation 22 Buttoned up Jenson Button talks his stylish collaboration with Hackett and the excitement of Formula One 26 The heart of the action Tempus heads to Goodwood Members’ Meeting for an exclusive photostory 32 Finding their muse Muza Lab’s Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins on their transporting design philosophy 36 Animal magnetism Artist David Yarrow shares his wild new exhibition, Changing Lanes 40 Alter ego Alter founder Pauline Ducruet is transforming fashion with a bold new purpose 48 The British Luxury Review We examine the world of luxury – and prepare for feel good future trends 52 Remote revival How Cheval Blanc Randheli is creating a brand new wellness escape in the Maldives 58 The five senses of wellness Explore the hottest new trends to delight your senses 64 The spirit of reinvention As St James’s welcomes a fashionable new port bar, we look at the reemergence of this classic wine 68 Natural wonder Get back to nature on the historic Croatian island of Hvar 72 Head for the horizon Tempus sets sail to the Greek islands to find out how yacht charter is staying buoyant 76 High fashion Test driving the stylish Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge 80 Take the prize It’s time to meet the winning watches of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 86 Hot topic We look back at Cop26 to find out if world leaders have done enough to battle the climate crisis 90 RE:VIEW Donna Air on her most important role yet, plus our guide to the best shows, books and events 96 Save the date The finest events of the season 100 Sartorial self-care Menswear expert and CALM ambassador Rikesh Chauhan on the power of dressing well

ISSUE 77

40 Alter ego

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The LUXE LIST A festive edition of our essential guide to the most exciting new launches and seasonal gifts

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Westley Richards Sutherland Safari Bag

Created as the ultimate safari bag, the Sutherland Bag (right) embodies all the qualities associated with Westley Richards’ handcrafted goods. It is easily foldable for stowage – important when flying into the African bush – while its robust saddlery construction and bespoke brassware means it can more than stand up to the harshest treatment and the toughest conditions. This signature design from Westley Richards is destined to play a part in generations of adventures. westleyrichards.com

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Cask of Distinction Bottles from Justerini & Brooks Luxury drinks retailer Justerini & Brooks has launched a collection of rare and unique whiskies known as Cask of Distinction Bottles, comprising hard-to-find expressions that will liven up even the most dedicated whisky connoisseur’s collection.

Particular highlights include this Brora 40-year-old (left), and an 18-year-old Lagavulin and a 25-year-old Blair Athol – each worth just over £1,000 – as well as a stunning 50-year-old Glenury Royal worth more than £7,000. Well and truly worth raising a dram to. justerinis.com

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Tradition 7035 by Breguet Watches Does someone you know need a timepiece that both inspires with modernity while oozing the charm of a classic design? The Breguet Tradition 7035 (left) is the one for them. This 18-carat gold watch comes with a bezel set with 68 diamonds and features a self-winding movement with retrograde seconds. Just 88 of these spectacular pieces have been made by the Swiss horologists, so there’s no time to waste. breguet.com

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Budrevich Sapphire Drop earrings These stunning new Sapphire Drop earrings (right) by Budrevich fine jewellery studio were introduced in December. Taking one week to set, the earrings showcase a central sapphire haloed with eight diamonds and a ninth as the star on top. Arseniy Budrevich, who founded the Hatton Garden studio in 2015, uses the traditional skills of his family of distinguished Russian jewellers to create intricate pieces, and specialises in earrings, cocktail rings and bespoke pieces. These elegant new earrings, which retail at £9,000, are sure to add some sparkle to any occasion. » budrevich.co.uk

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LG Signature Wine Cellar The LG Signature Wine Cellar (left) enhances any wine collection, be it comprised of a beginner’s haul or vintages older than the building in which it sits. With innovative preservation technology which focuses on vibrations, temperature and humidity, this state-of-the-art wine cellar provides the perfect solution to preserving and showcasing the precious cargo within. Its sleek stainless-steel design and under-shelf LED lighting enables specially selected wines to take centre stage, while SmartThinQ technology allows for voiceactivated commands, seamlessly providing quick and easy access – we’ll drink to that. lg.com

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Bronze Drinks Trolley by The White Company This glass-topped drinks trolley from The White Company (right) is sure to impress through the festive season’s hectic round of cocktail and dinner parties – and beyond. With two tempered glass surfaces it makes an elegant display for your bottles and glassware and, with a trolley-style handle and casters, you’ll be the host with the most as you move it around to serve your guests. And when the party’s over, its stunning brass frame makes it the perfect display base for your photo frames and accessories. thewhitecompany.com

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La Boite Concept Square La Boite Concept, a luxury Hi-Fi company founded in 2008, has this year unveiled the gorgeous Square turntable (left), a retro piece with a minimalist design that mixes modern sensibilities with antique chic, using durable materials for an efficient design. The Square is presented in a suitably quadrilateral case with a slightly off-centre turntable, and is designed to offer the best sound quality and meet the needs of vinyl lovers across the world, with a pre-amplified and not preamplified setting so your inner audiophile can tune the sound to meet your tastes. Music to our ears. laboiteconcept.com

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Edward by Mackage The quirkily named Edward by Mackage is a durable, versatile and sleek 2-in-1 down parka with a hooded bib and natural fur, offering Scandinavian style and insular efficiency for when the real winter bite kicks in. Available in army green (right), black, charcoal and smart navy blue, it’s engineered for warmth in the coldest temperatures while also being windproof, water resistant/repellent, breathable – and super stylish.

The perfect winter warmer. mackage.com

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Junsei Brand new to London’s Marylebone, Junsei is a sophisticated yakitori restaurant offering an authentic flavour of Japan. A stunning central table gives guests views of the traditional charcoal grill while kitchen stars, led by Chef Aman Lakhiani, whip up everything from chicken meatballs to flavoursome fish and vegetable dishes. The drinks menu, meanwhile, wows the tastebuds with complementary cocktails – don’t miss the Akashi whiskey-based Bincho Sour – sake, and wine options. A standout sensation for the senses. » junsei.co.uk

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Truffle Caviar from Petrossian This brand-new offering from French luxury food retailer Petrossian is a combination of two of the most indulgent food items on the market. It’s an innovative play on textures, with melt-in-the-mouth caviar meeting the bite of truffle (right). This decadent experiment brings notes of iodine and hazelnut from the Ossetra caviar, followed by the rugged earthiness of truffle. Presented in a sleek black tin, this is one extremely stylish culinary treat. petrossian.fr

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Transparent Flugel by Edelweiss Pianos Edelweiss Pianos creates bespoke, self-play pianos for high-end interiors, and the Transparent Flugel model is without doubt the brand’s magnum opus. It comes fitted with a custom LED light display and optional interior colour for the ultimate stylish, statement piece that complements any space in which it is placed. The Transparent Flugel can, like all other Edelweiss models, be customised with your choice of bespoke colours, veneers, or personalised with a name or inscription, and all pianos are delivered ready to plug and play. Play it, Sam… edelweisspianos.com

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20th anniversary 2018 vintages from Vérité To celebrate its 20th birthday, Californian winemaker Vérité has released the 2018 vintages of its delicious wines; La Muse, La Joie and Le Désir. Vérité (right). Located in the sunshine state’s Sonoma County, the brand produces three reputable Bordeaux-inspired wines that represent a union of grape varieties, climate, soil expression and winemaking technique. Impeccably balanced and sumptuously textured in their youth, they have the weight and foundation to age for many years and are deemed to be outstanding investor wines. Bottoms up! veritewines.com

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St James’s Hotel & Club For a local escape with real staying power, the historic St James’s Hotel & Club (right) in the heart of London is perfectly placed to access the culture of the West End, shopping of Mayfair and culinary delights of the city. With plenty of seasonal events to delight guests all year round, this legendary address is also home to Michelinstarred restaurant Seven Park Place by William Drabble and brand new 1857 The Bar, which is home to the widest selection of fine port wines and port-based cocktails in the UK, for a sophisticated twist to any evening. Find out more on page 64 stjameshotelandclub.com

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Truly Magnificent Christmas Hamper from Dukeshill One of the most impressive hampers on the market this Christmas, the Truly Magnificent offering from Dukeshill (left) contains an astonishing 39 luxury items in not one but two 20in wicker baskets with fashionable leather straps. Those lucky enough to get their hands on this will be treated to such savoury delights as a St George’s boneless ham, sliced oak-smoked salmon side and Colston Bassett stilton, plus sweet titbits including an extra-large Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, chocolate selection and 18 mince pies in sumptuous flavours. All topped off with Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne, Nuit St Georges, Chablis Grand Cru, Barolo and Vintage Port 2004 – doesn’t that all beat a bit of figgy pudding… dukeshillham.co.uk

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Lady A Alexandra Dunhill’s range of tinctures, balms and candles are all designed to relax and soothe through the power of natural ingredients and the science of CBD oils. All its pampering products are made in the UK and vegan-friendly, with even the clean and elegant packaging designed to clear the mind. Lady A’s Unwind candle (right) is a particularly lush experience, fusing the indulgent scents of lavender, bergamot, essential oil and a hint of cedar wood and musk to blanket the senses –perfect for a chilled evening in when it’s cold outside. ladya.health

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Creating the

OCCASION The Champagne Bureau’s Françoise Peretti on choosing the perfect fizz for the festive season

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he Champagne Bureau is the UK educational and promotional arm of Comité Champagne, the trade organisation representing the 12,600 growers, 130 cooperatives and 360 houses in the Champagne region of France. My role is to educate and engage with trade, influencers and lifestyle media on all matters pertaining to champagne, while our educational programme includes masterclasses, trips to the region and digital activations.

The UK has been the first export market for champagne for many years, and the British are connoisseurs and true lovers of champagne.

40% of all champagne is sold between October and December each year, and this means that the year-end and new year periods are massively important for champagne. This year, due to champagne consumption having picked up quicker than expected post-lockdowns, we are experiencing fewer bottles available, not only in the UK but around the world. Fortunately, this is not a shortage, but it means that consumers might want to consider buying their champagne sooner rather than later for year-end celebrations.

My recommendations for the festive season are in no way exhaustive, but include a crisp and fragrant blanc de blancs brut NV (100% chardonnay) for the ideal aperitif. It pairs exquisitely with seafood, shellfish and sushi, should you prefer alternative dishes to the traditional turkey, goose or roast. If you are going for a classic roast, a vintage champagne would be a good choice. Vintage champagne

is aged on lees for a minimum of three years, although most are aged for longer, up to a decade. This allows plenty of time to develop deeper layers of complexity and new aromas, resulting in a complex nature of style that will complete the more powerful festive flavours of your Christmas roast.

For sweet treats such as Christmas pudding and mince pies, try a demi-sec champagne.

Still incredibly fresh but slightly sweeter, this is a softer champagne style on the palate when paired with sugary treats. Although demi-sec has a little more sugar in it, it is not “sweet” per se, and will keep the unique freshness and acidity champagne is famous for.

With so many styles on offer – non-vintage, vintage, prestige cuvée, rose, blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs, ultra brut or sweeter styles, we are spoilt for choice in the UK. Champagne is the only wine we drink standing and with which we toast the most memorable occasions in our lives, or celebrate the people we most love and admire. We sip champagne; its finest bubbles add to the experience and the diversity of styles gives us plenty of choices. It is the ultimate wine of celebration.

The one myth that is persistent – yet scientifically proven to be untrue – is to put a silver spoon in the open bottle to keep the bubbles in. It always makes me smile. Much better to invest in a champagne stopper – from inexpensive to much-adorned these stoppers make great year-end gifts and stocking fillers.

People often ask me how they can choose the

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perfect champagne for their tastes or occasion. I always say that the ‘perfect’ or ‘best’ champagne is the one you like best, that matches your occasion and fits your budget. The most widely known champagne in the UK is a classic brut non-vintage, but there are many other styles to drink. You can start with what you know about your taste preferences. If you are a fan of red wine, you might favour a blanc de noirs (meaning white of blacks) as it is made from 100% black grapes. Similarly, if you prefer a drier style, you might enjoy a zero dosage as it has no sugar added, while someone with a sweeter palate may opt for a demi-sec.

Recently, the Champagne region opened two brand new cultural attractions. Pressoria is an exciting new sensory centre that allows guests to uncover champagne in a playful and interactive way. This year also saw the opening of the eagerly-awaited Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology, where visitors can delve into Champagne’s rich history and witness the impressive heritage of the world’s most prestigious wine region.

The ongoing sustainability drive in Champagne is also something that is vital. Champagne was the first wine region in the world to carry out a carbon footprint assessment, back in 2003, to identify the main sources of its emissions – and it has already reduced the emissions generated by each bottle by 20%. Another cause for celebration – and a really exciting time to visit Champagne. champagne.fr

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DRIVING THE FUTURE As Rimac’s new all-electric hypercar looks to elevate the driving experience through automation, we ask what this means for the future of cars – and those who drive for the sheer pleasure of it Words: Rory FH Smith

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C

ast your mind back 20 years and there’s a chance you’ll remember the 2002 Steven Spielberg blockbuster Minority Report, starring a fresh-faced Tom Cruise. In the film, Cruise rides in an autonomous car, which seamlessly integrates with thousands of other driverless vehicles, all zipping along a transit system that wraps its way around, up and down a fictional metropolis.

The year is 2054, and the fictional car is a Lexus Maglev Pod, which requires no driver input other than spoken directions.

While the technology envisaged by Spielberg might, two decades later, still seem a little far-fetched, it is one of the most comprehensive visualisations of what the future of driving might become.

Since then, nearly all major

car manufacturers have released autonomous concepts, with many placing the driver in a lounge-like setting, far away from the steering wheel and pedals. If their predictions are correct, the future promises more time to work, play or even sleep while on the move. But, for those who drive for pleasure, this is a major cause for concern. What’s the appeal of a sports car if the driving elements are stripped away?

Despite the turn towards autonomy, performance car manufacturers such as McLaren and Lamborghini insist that human involvement and manual driving will remain, with autonomy aiding and adding to the driving experience, not detracting from it. This has, in fact, been their standpoint since the mid 2010s. »

“If you’re a luxury car company, you could have more from the entertainment system or, if you’re in a sports car like a McLaren you could go to a track and let the car drive you,” said former McLaren, Ferrari and Maserati designer Frank Stephenson in a 2016 interview with Blackbird Automotive. “The car basically takes you around the track at the right speed, the right RPMs, the right gears, the right lines, and you learn through the car showing you the best way.”

Lamborghini Chief Engineer Maurizio Reggiani similarly told Wired in 2017: “[Automation] can be a tool for our customers, like having a tutor.”

With both performance car chiefs aligned on their hopes for the future of driving, it would seem those with the most to lose are eager to try to find a way for humans and AI to work together in harmony.

But while those well-known supercar makers talk a good game, many of them are yet to put their words into action – unlike Croatian hypercar manufacturer Rimac. Founded by engineer Mate Rimac in 2009, the company designs, develops and manufactures the £1.72m all-electric Nevera hypercar, which promises self-driving capabilities, initially for use on track.

“The driver coach is the autonomous driving system intended for supercars and for racetrack use,” says the marque’s founder. “Basically, the idea is that you might have a supercar but not necessarily the skills to use it properly, so it coaches you to be a better driver – when to brake, when to accelerate and when to turn in.

So, you have a personal coach that is learning all the time and can, in theory, help you become as good as a Formula One driver, for example.”

For the past three years, Rimac’s team of AI engineers and software developers have masterminded ways for autonomous systems to work alongside humans to elevate the driving experience. “The idea is that you can push the car to the limit of what the vehicle can do but still have a guardian angel that helps to keep you safe,” says Rimac.

With production versions of the Nevera nearing completion ahead of the first customer deliveries, the Croatian hypercar looks set to

Drive or be driven: The all-electric Nevera hypercar by Rimac Automobili offers owners innovative machine intervention; inset, founder Mate Rimac

provide those who drive for pleasure with their first taste of machine intervention.

Whatever that feeling might be when the first examples arrive on racetracks around the world, it is something drivers will need to become accustomed to. Already, automation has crept into our cars through everyday features such as cruise control, automatic wipers, lights and parking sensors. More recently, cars can perform a parallel park, avoid a collision or follow the course of a road with no human intervention whatsoever. If other realms of technology are anything to go by, these systems that subconsciously monitor, measure and aid our everyday driving will become more sophisticated and commonplace in all aspects of driving – despite what performance car makers and petrol heads may wish.

While the future for those dedicated to the art and act of driving is still shaping up, a degree of comfort can be drawn from history and the story of the humble horse. After serving as the main form of transportation for mankind since 3500 BC, the horse was unceremoniously outperformed and put out to pasture by the popularity of cars at the turn of the 20th century.

Despite this, horses are still ridden 100 years later. While it’s a pursuit largely confined to the countryside and rarified sporting circles, this tale of technology usurping the established experience could play out in the way humans interact with cars.

In the interest of preserving the freedom and skills associated with driving and the open road, we can hope there’s still some avenue to exercising the art of driving for pleasure in years to come.

After all, as impressive as Spielberg’s visualisation of the future of driving looked, where’s the fun in being a passenger? rimac-automobili.com

YOU CAN PUSH THE CAR TO THE LIMIT OF WHAT THE VEHICLE CAN DO, BUT STILL HAVE A GUARDIAN ANGEL THAT HELPS TO

KEEP YOU SAFE

– Mate Rimac

MOTORING

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Buttoned up Tempus talks to British Formula One icon Jenson Button about his new collaboration with luxury menswear brand Hackett – and his views on the state of modern racing Words: Gabriel Power

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or a hefty chunk of the 21st century, Jenson Button was the face of British Formula One. Unassuming and polite off the track yet ruthless on it, he played a key role in revitalising the sport among the UK population.

Together with a young Lewis Hamilton, the Somerset-born driver (right) helped cement Britain’s dominance on the world stage by the end of the 2000s, bringing to an end a barren spell for the country – the last British F1 Champion had been Damon Hill, a decade earlier in 1996.

Despite now being four years into his retirement from the sport, Button has been keeping busy, recently taking up a senior advisory position at Williams, the team where he started his F1 career more than two decades ago. But he’s also finding time to collaborate with iconic menswear brand Hackett London on a campaign for its autumn/winter 2021 collection under the concept “embrace the curves of life”, shot at the Brands Hatch racing circuit – a location Button knows all too well.

According to the brand, the new collection “includes a new take on the classic Hackett London parka and the iconic tech Velospeed jacket” among other pieces, and demonstrates that Hackett is “committed to its British core”.

But what is it about this collection that Button finds so enthralling? Here, he speaks exclusively to Tempus about his appreciation for fine menswear, his standout items from the new collection, and the current F1 season. »

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Jenson, do you feel there is a crossover between fashion, design and racing?

From a design aspect, absolutely. Fashion as an industry, much like the world of automotive or racing, doesn’t happen by accident; it’s fuelled and underpinned by some incredibly talented people who are able to push boundaries and constantly evolve. Neither industry can sit still for a second without being left behind.

What have you enjoyed most about this collaboration with Hackett?

It’s a brand I have long admired and am delighted to be working with. The overall feel of the brand really suits my style and how I like to dress.

Fashion for me largely sits around confidence and how a particular outfit or item of clothing can make you feel. I especially get that from well-tailored suits – I love nothing more than the occasions where I get to dress more formally.

Which item of this new Hackett collection are you most fond of ?

There’s a Velo jacket I wore for the initial shoot which I love – it’s a great autumn jacket and actually has a real ‘driving’ feel to the style.

What about the collection do you feel represents Hackett’s commitment to its “British core”, as the brand puts it?

I think it’s a collection that you can tell straight away is made by a British brand. Now, it’s hard to articulate why that is, but the general look, style, shape and colour scheme throughout just feels classically British. There are plenty of items in there to keep you dry and warm; we know that British autumns and winters are always going to keep you guessing when it comes to weather.

What are your thoughts on the current F1 season and the rivalries that are developing in the sport – such as between Hamilton and Verstappen?

It’s fantastic and exactly what the sport and the fans want. To see two such talented drivers going at it in competitive cars is what F1 is all about.

Equally there are some other brilliant story lines occurring at the same time – you’ve got the resurgence of McLaren and their remarkable one-two, you’ve got George Russell showing what he can do at Williams ahead of his move over to Mercedes next season and we’ve already been given a taste of just how quick George can be. F1 is in a brilliant place at the moment with some unbelievable talent coming through. hackett.com

FASHION, FOR ME, SITS AROUND

CONFIDENCE

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STYLE

Driving fashion: Jenson Button stars in Hackett’s autumn campaign, titled Embrace the curves of life.

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The heart of the action In an exclusive photo story, Tempus heads to the 2021 Goodwood Members Meeting to look beneath the hood of this historic automotive event Words: Nick Hendrix | Photography: Michael Shelford

B

ack in 1948 the 9th Duke of Richmond had the brilliant idea to transform the perimeter road of the airfield on his Goodwood Estate into a racetrack.

73 years later, this playful notion has led to some of the most iconic automotive events this country has ever seen. I doubt the Duke could ever have envisaged what the estate would become or how well his grandson would drive this legacy into the 21st century.

While photographer Michael Shelford and I are more used to putting a car through its paces on a road trip, we could not resist the allure of the wonderful world of Goodwood as its annual Members’ Meeting returned this year, hosting one of the most concentrated collections of priceless museum pieces of any event – anywhere. The best thing about this gathering is that, despite the cars’ prestige, their owners don’t tip toe around them with kid gloves; instead, they thrash them around the Duke’s back garden in a weekend of epic motor racing and high speed demonstrations.

Alongside the behemoth Festival of Speed and the costumed Revival, the Members’ Meeting is the third leg in Goodwood’s trilogy of annual events. With access reserved only for Goodwood Road Racing Club members, the meeting harks back to the 1950s and ‘60s when members would race around in their BRMs and Vanwalls – bygone British brands of yesteryear – as well as the odd Ferrari. After the track closed in 1966 it wasn’t until 2014 that this event was resurrected – and it’s gone from strength to strength ever since. »

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MOTORING Festival atmosphere: Members and car owners enjoy the vintage vehicles on display; Inset, Nick Hendrix

RACING DREAMS As with any classic car event, one must arrive in something suitably special. An understated British brand would probably be best suited to an event like this but, ever the performer, I decided that standing out from the crowd was more important. So, I opted for a bright orange Lamborghini Urus. I could sense my father rolling his eyes and calling me a showoff. It is a ridiculous car, I’ll admit – you can hear it from space and probably see it from there too. I’m a big fan.

In a shouty rumble of biturbo V8 we arrived at Goodwood House with all the subtlety of Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura, and were swiftly transferred into a Goodwood Land Rover Discovery to be shuttled to the event. The whole ethos and energy of Goodwood Members’ Meeting is one of egalitarian, pretention-free access to all classic car lovers.

These cars and the fascinating people that own them are there to share their stories and their wonderful machines. You can walk up to a Lotus from 1958, an Alfa Romeo from 1923 or a Ferrari from 1960 and touch them, look inside them, ask the owner questions and hear its fascinating history from someone that speaks with passion and knowledge. This isn’t a museum. It’s noisy, oil-stained, living history.

In short order, we got ourselves trackside to dive headfirst into the event’s racing schedule.

Watching the vintage cars and motorbikes being thrashed around this iconic racetrack with love and abandon in equal measure is quite a potent sight.

Over a soundscape of passionate racing, we chatted and ambled around the event – not as gargantuan a task as the sprawling Festival of Speed, but large enough to need a whole day to feel satiated. The pit lane and final straight of the track sits at the centre of the action, with space for people to watch without grandstand tickets.

There are also a reasonable number of large screens to cover what you can’t see, but it’s a welljudged balance of enough tech to be useful but little enough to retain a timeless feel.

The open paddocks are where we spent a lot of time – this is the beating heart of the event, where the thoroughbreds are tucked up in simple garages, being fettled, cleaned and generally

adored by the many passionate petrolheads that converge here each year. It’s a bustling atmosphere but, once again, organisers have perfectly judged it so that you feel part of a crowd but never strain to see the main attractions.

Although a very carefully scheduled day of racing forms the bones of this event, there is a festival atmosphere with plenty to see and do away from the track. So, whether you’ve studied the start times or simply want to bob around soaking it up, you can do that without feeling like you’re missing out. The natural ebb and flow of cars from garage to waiting area to track and back again means the action is all around you – as a collection of 1960s sports cars are coming in, a queue of 1930s open-wheelers are going out. You’re unlikely to ever see a finer traffic jam. »

WATCHING VINTAGE CARS BEING THRASHED AROUND THIS ICONIC RACETRACK WITH LOVE AND ABANDON IN EQUAL MEASURE IS A POTENT SIGHT

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On the track: The Goodwood Motor Circuit is the beating heart of the action FUN OF THE FAIR Keen to retrieve our collective jaws from the floor, we head away from the track to sample some of the numerous food and beverage options. In a large agricultural-looking barn you can find a wonderful food and drink area named the ‘Members Market’, which has a level of design and style one would expect at trendy festivals like Wilderness or Secret Garden Party.

After a couple more laps of the grounds we started to wane and felt that it was time to leave and head to the cosy Park House Hotel in nearby Midhurst. To truly enjoy this kind of event, it’s best to make a weekend of it, and sourcing nearby accommodation is an important part of that – not to mention that it allows for a few extra glasses of Veuve Clicquot at one of the event’s many bars.

A final deep inhale of Goodwood’s exhilarating atmosphere, a last gasp of awe at a parade of passing E-Types, and we were off.

Whether you can recognise the exhaust note of a Jaguar XK120 from a mile away or think Alfa Romeo was set up by a romantic guy called Alf, Goodwood Members’ Meeting has something for everyone. As with all Goodwood’s events, it’s a day out for families, couples, enthusiasts and novices alike, and should sit alongside Wimbledon and Royal Ascot as one of this country’s great events.

Visit goodwood.com to book your tickets for 2022 With thanks to: DRIVEN (@therealdriven); Lamborghini; Barbour; Belstaff; Park House Hotel & Spa

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Andean Explorer, A Belmond Train, Peru 32

DESIGN

Finding their muse Notting Hill-based design duo Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins have mastered the art of creating spaces that leave you speechless, from island resorts in the Maldive to luxury train interiors in the Peruvian Andes. Under the name Muza Lab, they are now redefining what it means to create luxurious interior spaces Words: Gabriel Power

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

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

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

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

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

Hutchins steps in, describing what they look for in a project: “Uniqueness is important. Inge and I are easily seduced by unique buildings and sites, as well as clients with an incredible vision 33

to do something out of the ordinary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s the same as every project, really,” he says.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Muza Lab: Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins (below); The Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel, London (top right); Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro (right)

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ANIMAL

MAGNETISM Photographic artist David Yarrow puts conservation to the catwalk with his new London exhibition, Changing Lanes

Catwalk by David Yarrow (Maddox Gallery)

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ontemporary photographic artist David Yarrow’s series of new photographs captured throughout the Covid-19 pandemic is a tribute to both the Wild West and the best of modern cinema, showcased in a powerful new exhibition titled Changing Lanes at London’s Maddox Gallery.

Launched on 19 November, Changing Lanes marks Yarrow’s shift in focus on the art of capturing the natural world to the power of visual storytelling, and includes images inspired

by Hollywood hits including Wolf of Wall Street, American Beauty and Thelma & Louise – and featuring Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, and Ciara and Russell Wilson.

“Storytelling, whether behind the scenes or within the photograph itself, has always been a vital component to my work,” says the artist of the new collection. “There are so many photographs that I’ve taken in the last year that I don’t think I could have made a couple of years ago. I have always fought for my work with wildlife to offer a little more but, in many ways, my latest images have been even more of a challenge because the stakes are much higher. There are so many moving parts, multiple characters and so many talented people not to let down; it’s a style of photography that I’ve found to be so exciting.”

The renowned photographer’s talent for capturing animals – such as wolves, bears, elephants and big cats – up close and personal is present in his new exhibition, with wolves taking centre stage in iconic scenes from modern »

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ART

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Clockwise from left: American Beauty, Dead Man’s Hand, Mars Attacks, The Thundering Herd by David Yarrow (Maddox Gallery)

cinema and culture.

As part of the exhibition, Yarrow has also released an exclusive image captured in October 2021 in South Africa at the lion sanctuary of wildlife conservationist Kevin Richardson. Entitled Catwalk, the piece features an adult male lion called Vayetse surrounded by Zulu tribespeople.

“In building the story, my instincts were to play on the vibe of a Paris catwalk – after all, we had access not just to any cat to strut down our catwalk, but the King of Africa; a magnificent adult male lion,” Yarrow writes on his website.

Yarrow captured the magnificent image over three days. First, he photographed 100 Zulus in and around a temporary stand before getting the shot printed on a tennis court-sized canvas. The following morning, from the safety of a cage, Yarrow shot Vayetse the lion on the catwalk. Finally, he photographed the lead extras slightly further back from the lion’s position.

“This was an ambitious production effort demanding precision, speed of thought and experience. The end result is better than I could ever have asked for and I thank each and every member of a big cast and crew,” he writes. “They say that the best photographs can be looked at for a long time… this is surely the definitive catwalk.”

Yarrow hopes to use the captivating image to raise funds for The Kevin Richardson Foundation, a non39

profit organisation founded by Richardson – known as ‘the lion whisperer’ – in 2018. The foundation is dedicated to tackling Africa’s declining lion population by purchasing habitat and raising awareness to create safe, natural spaces where lions and other native species can flourish. The foundation also aims to minimise human/wildlife conflict while improving living conditions in local villages.

“David has an exceptional talent for capturing oneof-a-kind and era-defining moments,” says Jay Rutland, creative director of Maddox Gallery. “His commitment to his craft has seen him endure frostbite in an effort to get the perfect shot, and his latest body of work is no different.

“David persisted throughout the pandemic, shooting within the Americas as much as feasibly possible to create a collection of images that are as visually arresting and storytelling as those shot when the world was entirely open. We’re excited to be hosting his latest show, Changing Lanes, and to hear the stories behind what is set to be another iconic collection of photographs.”

Changing Lanes is exhibited at Maddox Gallery, Westbourne Grove, London, until Wednesday 5 January 2022 maddoxgallery.com; davidyarrow.photography

ALTER EGO Designer Pauline Ducruet on how her gender-free fashion label is embracing self-expression – and the stylish legacy of her grandmother, Princess Grace of Monaco

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ransforming clothes, transforming society.” This is the ethos at the heart of fashion designer Pauline Ducruet’s genre-defying label, Alter. With imaginative tailoring and bold colours, Ducruet (right) creates clothing without gender, drawing inspiration from her dual homes – the riviera glamour of Monaco and the metropolitan chic of New York.

Ducruet’s 2021 collection – Drop 3 – is an exquisite blend of practical outerwear and statement jumpsuits, co-ords and separates, all presented in riotous colour and sumptuous fabrics. It is difficult to summarise the collection – at once urban and contemporary, but also romantic and with a delightful sense of whimsy. There is a sophistication of tailoring that could cross from dancefloor to

city boardroom with ease, along with a driving theme of self-expression.

“I always wanted to have my own, beautiful fashion line, but it was always important to also to have a message and a purpose behind it,” Ducruet, 27, says of the brand, which holds community and eco-responsibility at its core.

The designer cut her fashion teeth working for the likes of Rabih Kayrouz, Louis Vuitton and Vogue Paris before launching Alter in 2018. But, where many brands grow to embrace responsible fashion, sustainability was always at Alter’s core. “Alter started as an upcycling brand – I showed my first runway show in Paris in 2019, and then the second in February 2020,” she says.

The collection is stocked online on boutique and eco-responsible platforms, such as Wolf

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& Badger, and available at Galeries Lafayette in Nice, with pop-ups and expansions in the works for 2022.

While Ducruet’s resumé is impressive, her first exposure to high fashion was from her family’s substantial style credentials. Her mother, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, started her own fashion career as an apprentice of Christian Dior’s head designer Marc Bohan in 1983, launched a swimwear collection in 1986, and has modelled for publications including Vogue and Vanity Fair. Ducruet’s grandmother was silver screen icon Grace Kelly, who became the Princess of Monaco when she married HSH Prince Ranier III in 1956.

Here, Ducruet shares her style inspirations, design philosophy and approach to creating clothing designed for all. »

IMAGE: MORGAN CARLIER VANELSLANDE

Words: Michelle Johnson

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Pauline, could you tell us about the ethos at the heart of Alter?

There are two main values for Alter. The first one is equal responsibility: it started as an upcycling idea, so there’s no production of denim or leather. Now I’m trying to source fabrics even more responsibly, in terms of certification for silk, cottons and more.

The second big value is gender fluidity. As a creative, I grew up in New York, and it was there that I faced a lot of difficulties with my friends in the LGTBQ* community to find a resonance in fashion for them. I wanted to mix these two values for Alter, because I really wanted my fashion line to have a purpose and a message.

What inspires the colours and shapes of your collections?

The first collection was really inspired by the contrast between the south of France and New York – the luxury of the Riviera and the more raw side of urban life – while my new collection was inspired by the nightlife in New York. I usually have an idea, and then look at colours and shapes; I draw a lot and take a lot of photos that inspire me – from architecture and art, to my friends and people in the street whose look I love.

How does your desire to be representative of all gender expression affect your design process?

That’s actually really interesting, because bodyshape is a really big part of the process of pattern making. If I design a shirt, I try it on different body shapes and genders so we can adjust the places where we might need some space for the reality of people’s bodies. For our trousers, we make a few different sizing options, because obviously the bottom of people is very different from one person to the other. Now we have sizes for the pants and buttons on the waistband that you can adjust to wear them high-waisted or low-waisted. It’s a time-consuming part of the pattern-making process, because actually it really does have to fit every body. That’s the biggest challenge, I think.

How did the women in your family – Princess Grace and Princess Stéphanie – influence your love of fashion?

They taught me that fashion does change, but when you’re someone who is genuine with your style, you just want to express yourself.

I think that’s the common point between my grandmother, my mother and me. We believe in what we do and we believe in our self-expression.

We’re not scared to go for it. Obviously, my grandmother was an iconic actress in the 1950s, but I feel like my mother had the most impact on my fashion journey. I would see her getting dressed up for balls when I was a kid, but the day after she was wearing jeans and a leather jacket.

And, again, the freedom of expression that she had, and her way of doing what she thought was great at this moment – I think that’s what I got from her. »

FASHION DOES CHANGE, BUT WHEN YOU’RE

GENUINE WITH YOUR STYLE,

YOU JUST WANT TO EXPRESS YOURSELF

Celebration of style: Alter’s Drop 3 collection (above and opposite) combines responsible fabrics, bold colours and adaptable style

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STYLE Is that freedom of expression something you wanted to capture?

Yeah. We have that with Alter– like you can say, ‘Who do I want to be today?’ and you can have the same shirt styled in such different ways. You can pull it loose, wear with a belt or something different. It’s really what I wanted to create with Alter: the ease of going from one look to another with just one piece of cloth. We try to get people involved and get our values out there through more than just the designs – on social media, for instance, we have a sense of community with the people that are following us.

Eco-responsibility is important to you.

How can we be more aware of our impact?

I think people need more details about what they buy, and brands need to be more transparent about their supply chains. For example, my first two collections were more about upcycling, but now I’m getting more and more into sourcing, and so I’m asking for certificates and transparency from the people I source my fabrics from. A lot of my collection was made locally, in France, so I could check that the sustainable credentials were not just on paper.

How did your early fashion roles shape your eye for the industry?

I think they most definitely shaped my vision that fashion is a tough world; it’s not all glitz and glamour. The people working in this industry, from interns in design houses to fashion publications, are really hard working. So, though I’d always want my own brand, I knew it would be hard. There are a lot of small brands that want to get started but not everyone can be successful.

But the more I learnt, the more I knew I needed to do this.

What’s next for you?

At the moment we’re focusing on getting the right retailers around Europe and, again, spreading the message about eco-responsibility and gender-fluid fashion. This will be my main focus, so I can’t wait to share the next collection. alter-designs.com

Express yourself: Pauline Ducruet (left, black and white) credits the contrasting styles of New York and Monaco as an inspiration for Alter

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Targeted protection Valkyrie CEO Floyd Woodrow shares how the security specialists combine high-tech expertise with on-the-ground experience to protect individuals, families and businesses from modern threats

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alkyrie is a well-established private security company based in central London. We have established an enviable reputation in providing the highest quality security services in London, the wider UK and globally.

“Our suite of services has been tailored to provide complete security and lifestyle management for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), families and businesses,” says cofounder and CEO Floyd Woodrow MBE DCM. “Our services are professional and highly efficient, while our highly experienced team has extensive and diverse backgrounds spanning the British Military, Police, Security Services, government departments, and highly trained and unique civilian operators.”

Valkyrie fully understands that threats to personal security and reputation can surface in varied and unexpected ways. This can range from opportunistic street crime to targeted criminal planning and obsessive stalkers, harassment, extortion, blackmail, bribery and cyber-attacks.

In addition, medical emergencies, accidents, kidnap and even natural disasters can leave you and your loved ones vulnerable. Valkyrie delivers a market-leading solution by implementing a proactive, pre-emptive and preventative risk management programme that not only protects you but everything – and, most importantly, everyone – that you hold dear, while reacting in real time to any developing situations.

Valkyrie provides various security risk management services to family offices, HNWIs and businesses to ensure the integrity of information and security at home, in the office and while travelling or living abroad. Our objective is to recommend a security strategy that provides the required personal protection to enable our clients to enjoy a balanced, safe and secure lifestyle. Our specialist services include Technical Surveillance

Counter Measures (TSCM – more commonly known as ‘bug sweeping’), Investigations and Surveillance, Access Control, Household Security and Management, Chaperones, Close Protection Officers, Security Drivers, Security and Cyber Audits. In addition, Valkyrie operatives have extensive experience working in hostile and remote locations.

Our TSCM or ‘bug sweep’ teams use the latest technology combined with years of practical and technical experience to identify physical listening and monitoring devices in homes, offices, vehicles and aircraft.

“With a rise in domestic surveillance in the home, our skilled teams can work around you, ensuring the minimum of disruption as they go about their task, from examining a single meeting room to the whole of a private residence or office complex,” explains Woodrow.

“Our work can ensure that you, your family and your business have total privacy wherever you are, and that sensitive commercial or personal details remain behind closed doors.”

Our Valkyrie Cyber Concierge (VCC) Programme assists our clients, families and their data from any malicious threats designed to harm. We provide expert advice tailored to your needs and designed to make you more secure when things go wrong, as well as ongoing practical support from digital and physical compromise. You may not notice when a data breach has happened.

Even if a criminal has targeted you, they might not use your data for a few days or even months.

But any violation of your personal or private sensitive information can cause considerable stress – let alone reputational damage. We work with our clients to tailor the security needs for your mobile, tablet and computers; home infrastructure; social media profiles; and implementing secure comms protocols to send

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and receive sensitive information.

Our surveillance operatives/private investigators are highly experienced, and all have backgrounds in law enforcement, the military and government. “Our operatives have all the skills needed to obtain intelligence to support any investigation covertly, and our teams use the latest technical surveillance methods combined with physical surveillance techniques,” says Woodrow. “They will use a target’s psychology against them to secure effective results in the quickest possible timeframe.”

All surveillance operations are conducted within guidelines set out by UK law, including the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, the Data Protection Act and Human Rights Act, and privacy legislation. Our worldwide surveillance services are managed through our trusted local partners, and we ensure that all intelligence is gathered legally within the varying global evidential and privacy laws.

“Valkyrie applies the latest technological advancements to enhance the effectiveness of our work. This approach enables us to drive cost efficiencies that directly benefit our clients,” says Woodrow. “We value technological innovation combined with expert strategies based on tried and tested principles that have stood the test of time.

This ensures our plans are resilient in the face of any challenge. Our experienced and highly-trained personnel ensure that every step is undertaken with pride, passion and consummate skill.”

Valkyrie continues to build our reputation as a market leader by delivering excellent advice to the UK and international individuals and families, private offices/professional advisors and businesses. Our performance-based reputation is built on the foundations of professionalism and absolute discretion. valkyrie.co.uk

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BRITISH LUXURY REVIEW Tempus examines the world of British luxury in numbers – and predicts what consumers and businesses alike can expect for 2022

Words: Polly Jean Harrison

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LUXURY

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and honouring our collective duty to the environment and the planet.

This represents another shift in the luxury market – as gen-z and millennial clientele emerge as major spenders, brands must now account for new values and lifestyles, such as the rising tide of fashion rental and e-commerce. Finally, technology has seen a huge rise this year, not only in digital transformation and push to online experiences, but also in the emergence of NFTs in both art and fashion (seen in the digital collections of Dolce & Gabbana and Jean-Paul Gaultier).

Here we take a deeper dive into some of the trends that have shaped the last 12 months – and some that will still be present in years to come. »

or many, 2021 has been a year of hope and cautious recovery, despite the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic – and nowhere has this been more apparent than in the luxury sector.

Even in the face of this latest apparent resurgence in the virus, the luxury sector is bouncing back from the initial impact of the global crisis. The trends that have emerged in its wake reflect our desire to live life in the moment and enjoy meaningful experiences.

Travel plans are back on the radar, with luxury holidaymakers back to jet-setting and exploring the world they’d missed, while the recent Cop26 conference has also underlined the importance of thinking sustainably 49

GLOBAL RECOVERY The global luxury sector has seen a significant rebound this year and some sectors – particularly the personal luxury goods sector – is on the road to an historic growth. Thanks to a strong Asian market, increase in local spend post-lockdown, and the move to digital by heritage brands, the global industry is heading fast towards record revenue growth.

In 2021, the UK luxury goods market is worth [1]

UK luxury goods saw a revenue growth of [2]

11.9%

€12.35bn

THE GLOBAL LUXURY WATCH MARKET IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY $1.78BN BETWEEN 2020-2025 [3] CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTIONS ACHIEVED AN ALL-TIME ANNUAL HIGH OF

$2.7BN,

BOOSTED BY ONLINE SALES AND THE EMERGENCE OF NFTS [4]

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION A significant percentage of luxury sales in the UK now take place online, with e-commerce booming between 2019-2021. While a proportion of this can be linked to boutique closures during lockdowns, it is also connected to the increase of millennial and gen-z consumers driving global luxury sales growth and causing brands to engage with their consumers in new ways. Similarly, the health of the UK’s technology sector is booming in kind, generating record investment in 2021.

A U C T IO N S A LE S T URN OVE R: Global art sales in 2021 [5]

China

Millennial (born 1981-1996) and gen-z (born 1997-2012) consumers are driving

The UK’s tech sector saw a record year of investment with

85%

£13.5bn

of the global luxury sales growth and now represent 30% of all luxury spending [6]

invested in the first six months of 2021, triple the amount made in the same period of 2020 [7]

US

UK

16%

32%

40%

Watch: CIGA Design Blue Planet

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ETHICAL ECONOMY While personal luxury goods are seeing a boom this year, from designer fashion and beauty to yachting and travel, the desire for meaningful consumerism and ethical shopping is still increasing. The UK’s HNW shoppers are keen to find brands with sustainability and ethical storytelling at their heart.

THE FUTU R E OF CAR S :

Britain’s favourite automotive innovators [9]

Tesla 28%

62%

BMW 19%

Toyota 19%

of consumers find brands with high U K T R AV EL IN N U MBER S

ethical values attractive [8]

M O S T P OPULA R LUX URY B R A N D S I N T HE UK

Rolex

Swarovski

•

UK travel & tourism sector’s national contribution predicted to grow by 32% year on yer – in line with global average of 30.7%

•

2022 contribution to GDP could rise by 53% (£66bn), while international visitor spending could see a significant increase reaching £29 billion – 20% below 2019 levels

•

Boom in ‘staycations’ has seen domestic spending growth experience a year-on-year rise of 49% in 2021 [11]

[10Z]

Calvin Klein

Estee Lauder

Pandora

NEW YEAR TRENDS Predictions for 2022 suggest the global economic recovery will only continue, particularly in the travel sector, where high end holidays and luxury experiences are already seeing a boom.

Environmental awareness continues to shape the year’s trends, with renting and reselling – particularly in the fashion world – set to be a major trend for the new year. Finally, the virtual boom we saw in lockdown is here to stay, with NFT collections and marketplaces (such as Sotheby’s Metaverse) launching to great acclaim.

Sources: [1, 2] Statista.com [3] Technavio.com [4, 5] theguardian.com/Artprice Annual Report 2021 [6] Luxe.Digital [7] Digital Economy Council and Technation.io [8, 9] YouGov.co.uk [10] Q3 2021, YouGov.co.uk [11] World Travel & Tourism Council/wttc.org

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Water Villa at Cheval Blanc Randheli (©S Candito)

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TRAVEL

REMOTE R E V I VA L How Cheval Blanc’s Maldivian maison, Randheli, is heightening its wellness offering for returning travellers Words: Lauren Jade Hill

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ith long-haul destinations now opening back up to UK travellers, we can at last return to some of our favourite far-flung idylls – not least the Maldives.

As resorts emerge from a challenging 18 months, many are rethinking the experience they provide to realign themselves with travellers’ newly formed needs and desires. With wellness of both body and mind now at the core of many guests’ priorities, this has become an even greater focus for remote retreats across the world.

Cheval Blanc Randheli is among the Maldives’ most exclusive private island hideaways. Part of the LVMH hotel group, this lavish retreat spanning six isolated islands of the Noonu Atoll pairs the white sand, turquoise water and tropical flora the Maldives is known for, with the maison’s signature expression of French l’art de vivre — seen through art, architecture, fine wine and food — and a growing wellness offering.

“Around the world, people are more aware than ever about the benefits of taking care of yourself through mindfulness, yoga and wellness treatments,” says Cheval Blanc Randheli’s spa manager, Sofia Naji. “This goes from the way we eat to our everyday lifestyle.

A lot of health issues come from anxiety and stress levels. Practices like meditation and mindfulness benefit us by improving sleep and helping us deal with our emotions. »

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“Spas are now looking for new ways to support this and more resorts are becoming increasingly focused on wellness, offering complete wellbeing stays with yoga and meditation and personalised food programmes, as well as holistic treatments and other details like providing essential oils in the villas. It’s about trying to guide the guest to a better lifestyle within the cornerstones of health.”

The maison first addressed this growing demand by launching a new yoga and meditation retreat designed to restore wellness of body and mind while also reconnecting you with nature.

During the retreat, guests benefit from a series of massages, meditation sessions and yoga classes led by the master yogi Puneet Sharma, with the tailored experience beginning before you arrive at the resort and providing guidance to continue after you’ve left.

“This new retreat will lead you to very personalised treatments, a lot of yoga practice and mindfulness activities,” says Naji. “We plan to give guests a notebook to write down their negative thoughts, as well as positive, and try to

change the way they deal with these thoughts, focusing on the positive. We’ll also take people on mindfulness walks. The maison has a beautiful island called Maakurandhoo where we have meditation and yoga sessions amid the jungle. It really gives people the feeling of being connected to nature.”

Now, the resort is preparing to launch a series of new wellness experiences, in partnership with Guerlain, at the beginning of 2022. Heightening the current offering by curating complete wellbeing retreats, the resort will tailor all guests’ treatments and experiences and work closely with the chef to offer wellbeing menus, personalised according to their health consultation, wherever they are in the gastronomy focused resort from the Spa Bar to the beachfront White Restaurant.

“We have all the resources we need for full wellbeing retreats, including an amazing culinary team. We already have all the pieces of the puzzle. We are now putting all of that together for something guests are requesting more and more.”

The maison’s spa is located on its own idyllic »

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Idyllic escape: Garden and Water Villas (this page, ©F Nannini); the zen-like entry to the beachfront White Restaurant (opposite, ©S Candito)

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island in the cluster of islets making up Cheval Blanc Randheli. Accessed exclusively by the resort’s traditional dhoni boat, the tranquil enclave is home to a collection of ocean-facing single and double treatment villas tucked into lush tropical vegetation and connected by meandering white sand paths.

These pathways also lead to two hammams, thermal facilities, a yoga deck, orchidarium and beachside Spa Bar spilling out to an infinity pool overlooking the ocean where healthful dishes range from tomato-raspberry gazpacho to reef fish ceviche and rock lobster summer rolls.

Guests are greeted on the jetty before being led into the high-ceilinged, open-sided reception area showcasing Guerlain products.

Overall, the private island resort encompasses 45 luxurious one- and two-bedroom island, water, lagoon garden and garden water villas, as well as a private island sanctuary featuring just one four-bedroom villa. The experience here is defined by the maison’s culinary offering, perhaps most notably including fine dining restaurant Le 1947, and a wealth of experiences from dhoni cruises to riding waves on the Maldives’ first surf simulator. Each space is distinguished by the soaring architecture of Jean-Michel Gathy and contemporary artworks by artists such as Vincent Beaurin, all set against the backdrop provided by this tropical idyll.

How does Cheval Blanc’s Maldivian Maison retain its status as one of the archipelago’s most covetable island hideaways? “It’s about emotion,” says general manager Laurent Chancel. “This is what always brings people back.” chevalblanc.com

THE MAISON REALLY GIVES PEOPLE THE FEELING OF BEING

CONNECTED TO NATURE

– Sofia Naji Mindful maison: the spectacular Island Villa

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Th re e More to Travel For COMO CASTELLO DEL NERO | ITALY When Italy opened up to vaccinated UK travellers this summer, Como Castello Del Nero set itself apart by launching the new Como Shambhala Retreat. The first Asian-inspired wellness centre for the bucolic Tuscan region, this retreat brings targeted treatments, world-class experts and state-of-the-art facilities, as well as Como Shambhala cuisine, to the historic 740-acre estate immersing guests in Tuscany’s verdant countryside. comohotels.com

NAYARA RESORTS | COSTA RICA In Costa Rica, Nayara Resorts is introducing a new wellbeing concept to the rainforest surrounding Arenal volcano with the launch of a new wellness programme at Nayara Tented Camp, Nayara Springs and Nayara Gardens. This programme was designed to connect guests with all the aspects of wellbeing associated with the four elements — fire, water, earth and air — through activities like yoga, meditation and sound therapy, along with a series of spa treatments, Ayurvedicinspired meals and detox juices. nayararesorts.com

DUMATAU | BOTSWANA It was also as the world began to open up that Wilderness Safaris launched its new series of restorative journeys combining elements of wellbeing with an immersion into the great outdoors. These retreats are curated across several of the safari operator’s lodges, including the recently relaunched DumaTau Camp and Little DumaTau in Botswana following their complete rebuild. Overlooking Osprey Lagoon in the Linyanti Reserve, these two neighbouring camps are now joined by the central Osprey Retreat providing a secluded space complete with pool for Healing Earth treatments and yoga. wilderness-safaris.com

The

SENSES Words: Judy Cogan

Start the new year right by indulging in our pick of the most luxurious selfcare for each of the senses

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hen it comes to self-care rituals, engaging mindfully in your five senses can bring calm and rest to your life – along with a slew of surprising wellness benefits. Ancient holistic therapies such as Ayurveda have focused on sensory wellness for centuries. Here we investigate what the future holds for our well-being through each sense. »

Silver leaf facial by Carole Joy London

of wellness

WELLNESS

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SOUND

Indulging in a sound bath will hugely benefit your health and mental wellbeing, according to The Sound Therapist, Farzana Ali. “Tapping into your senses is about giving time back to yourself in an easy and active way to self-soothe,” she says. “Sound therapy is a holistic treatment that uses sound, frequency and vibrations to decrease anxious feelings and increase feelings of rest, relaxation and clarity and even help lower your blood pressure.”

Ali uses instruments such as Himalayan singing bowls, drums, and gongs to lull her clients into a sleep-like meditative state. All you need to do is lie under a cosy blanket. “Unlike traditional meditation styles you don’t have to actively engage in any kind of activity to take yourself into that meditation. I am trying to get my clients into an altered state of consciousness.

It’s a lovely, dreamy, trance-like state. People can expect to see rolling colours and incredible visual imagery to go with what they’re hearing.” thesoundtherapist.com Want another antidote to the noise of modern life? Visit the recently opened Still Room as part of Studio Corkinho in Antwerp. It’s a tranquil minimalist space inspired by sacred monastic places and designed to give you somewhere you can escape to for peaceful contemplation by reducing external brain stimulation. The Still Room is housed inside an 18th-century listed maritime building in Antwerp’s historic harbour.

The steps up to the Still Room on the second floor are set up to slow down steps, and visitors are asked to take off their shoes and leave all devices outside.

“We enter through a noren [Japanese curtain] and we take a moment of silence before I invite the guests to do an olfactive silent meditation to ‘land’ in the space,” says founder Cédric Etienne, who promises levels of focus will rise immediately. Most stay in the room for 90 minutes. studiocorkinho.com

TAPPING INTO YOUR SENSES IS ABOUT GIVING TIME BACK TO YOURSELF

Sound mind: Farzana Ali, The Sound Therapist (above) and Amass dry gin (right)

– Farzana Ali

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WELLNESS

TASTE

Expect a wave of modern beverages providing functional benefits in 2022. From Ayurveda to fermentation these ‘remedy’ drinks draw on cutting-edge science and bygone drink-making methods to offer you youth, relaxation and even sleep in a glass. Take UK start-up Jin Jin (above), a new cordial that uses traditional fermentation techniques from Japan to improve gut and mental health. “A healthy gut equals a healthy mind and body,” says founder Sohn Supradya Aursudkij.

Each small bottle contains 35 fermented fruits, vegetables and mushrooms and important enzymes such as ‘GABA’ and an important antioxidant ‘Superoxide Dismutase’ which helps slow down the ageing process and defends our bodies from disease. Jin Jin is a cordial, similar in consistency to honey and can be added to smoothies, or used as a mixer in cocktails. “It’s a magical drink that’s really good for you,” Aursudkij says. “And so delicious.” drinkjinjin.com Pointing to the future of savoury sips, Fungtn’s low-alcohol craft beer contains myco-adaptogens (medicinal mushrooms) that have been used for centuries for their restorative properties to the immune system. “We’ve created a mindful beer with amazing adaptogenic properties,” explains Zoey Henderson, the brand’s founder. “These combat the stresses of modern life.” fungtn.com Or, for boozy Los Angeles cool, try Amass.

The distilled spirits contain Californian wild botanicals such as reishi and lion’s mane mushrooms with rich undertones. Riverine is the latest spirit, a non-alcoholic option, distilled with 14 verdant botanicals. amass.com » 61

SMELL

Breathing deeply to feel rejuvenated will be easy this year. Nascent unisex fragrance brand Vyrao offers scents intended to boost the wearer’s energy through ‘high vibrations’. Its founder Yasmin Sewell worked with energist and healer Louise Mita on the fragrance formulations, which Vyrao positions as spiritual and restorative. vyrao.com Meanwhile Trelonk Wellbeing is the new new generation of essential oil formulas by aromacologist Kim Lahiri. The oils combine science-led innovation and ancient botanical knowledge to focus on pain, the mind and sleep.

“We are looking to nature to create solutions to modern day issues and have formulated plantbased products all centred around smell,” says Lahiri. trelonkwellbeing.com Art de Parfum’s eighth and latest fragrance Kimono Vert launches in mid-February 2022.

The unisex scent comes from the “floral green” olfactory family and includes oils of cedar wood known for their soothing and anti-stress effects. The number 8 is symbolic of balance and harmony and in Japan it also symbolises prosperity and growth. “My new perfume was born as a direct result of the pandemic to find calm and stability in uncertain times with balancing effects for overall wellbeing,” says founder Ruta Degutyte. artdeparfum.com

Scent-sational: Art de Parfum's Encore Une Fois and founder Ruta Degutyte (above); the Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall (below)

TOUCH

It’s true massage therapy can have a profound effect on a person’s wellbeing. The Made for Life Organics mindfulness ritual, available in Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, starts with a selfcare meditation practice and uses botanical oils to clear the mind and soothe the soul.

“Michelangelo said “to touch can be to give life” and in my opinion this is true. A mindful, caring and warm touch will release oxytocin in the body, boosting the immune system and lowering cortisol,” says founder Amanda Winwood. madeforlifeorganics.com The Gaia Affinity Experience, a bespoke foot ritual and full body massage, recently launched at the five-star Boringdon Hall Hotel in Devon.

The treatment is divided into three categories: Nurture, Nourish and Thrive, each tailored to the individual - such as positioning, duration, pressure and direction of flow. “Most people could benefit from the physical and mental benefits of a spa experience. None need it more so than those experiencing emotional distress and physical discomfort,” says founder Diane Nettleton. boringdonhall.co.uk In China, menswear designer Xander Zhou creates fashion that wanders ‘on the boundary between science and Eastern philosophy’ adding a wellness aspect to the catwalk. Conceived during the pandemic, his recent collection features garments bejewelled with needles in patterns that reference acupuncture points from traditional Chinese medicine. xanderzhou.com 62

SIGHT

Most of us are glued to devices all day, every day.

But Givaudan Active Beauty Synchronight is a new active cosmetic ingredient that acts as a shield against the aggravation of blue light – hurray! Created with gardenia fruit, it also encourages the skin’s melatonin to naturally regulate the sleep-wake cycle. “Creating a natural ingredient with the strength to fight the effects of digital stress and improve sleep quality is a turning point for innovation in the beauty space today,” says head of active beauty at Givaudan Laurent Bourdeau. givaudan.com Mirror, mirror on the wall… another brand working to combat the skin’s response to ‘cultural stress’, is skincare’s best kept secret, Murad.

The brand focuses on products and advice to prevent and combat the effects of stress on our appearance. Dermatologist, pharmacist and professor of medicine at California’s UCLA, Dr Howard Murad has accumulated over 50,000 clients with his unique, holistic approach to treating the skin. murad.co.uk Meanwhile the art world has captured a renewed momentum surrounding nature and spirituality as artists try to make sense of the current moment the world is experiencing.

Taking cues from the late Agnes Pelton, the mystical painter and notable member of the Transcendental Painting Group of Santa Fe, artists are combining wellness, peace and art through their work – a retrospective of Pelton’s work was exhibited at the Whitney in 2020. This trend of nature and escapism will continue into 2022, with mindfulness-art projects like Sammy Lee’s Aviary, at Tate St Ives, available until early Jan. tate.org.uk

Natural remedy: Givaudan uses natural ingredients such as jasmine (top), lemon (left) and spices

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THE SPIRIT OF REINVENTION As St James’s welcomes 1857 The Bar – a fashionable new port bar – we discover the history behind this premium wine (and why it’s not just for Christmas) Words: Michelle Johnson

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f you enjoy glass of port at Christmas and wonder why we don’t make more of its depth of flavour, sweet taste and versatility the rest of year, you are not alone. Over the last ten years, as our taste for cocktails has become more daring and experimental, mixologists have been putting this fortified wine to good use in a myriad of bold concoctions and, as a result, port is fast becoming a much more enticing tipple all year round – particularly to millennial drinkers.

In fact, imports rose by 11.5% in 2020 to make the UK the third largest port market by volume – and second by value – and the newly launched port bar, 1857 The Bar at St James’s Hotel & Club (pictured right), is showing London’s fashionable foodies exactly how exciting this trend can be with its range of bold cocktails and aged vintages.

Port, a fortified wine produced in Portugal’s Douro Valley since the 15th century, first gained international popularity in the 16th century, when winemakers found their produce did not travel well in hot, humid cargo ships unless the alcohol content was 20% or higher.

For British port and wine producers Symington

Family Estates, based in the Douro Valley for more than 130 years, the current renewed interest in port is a welcome resurgence – but not unexpected.

“Like with everything, you go through waves, and you have to modernise and adapt as the world does. Top mixologists are discovering that port lends itself well to cocktails thanks to its sugar level and lower alcohol content, so we’ve recently launched a new range of ports specifically designed for mixing, which appeals to a younger audience who are only just discovering port,” says Anthony Symington, the estate’s brand manager and fifth generation family member.

“Historically, port was shipped to the UK and bottled for private clients, big country houses and country hotels. That has changed, obviously, as that Downton Abbey lifestyle doesn’t exist any more. We do still have a lot of private clients, but we’ve also expanded into the restaurant and hotel business. Our port is served in most of the Michelin-starred restaurants in London and the UK and, increasingly, in bars, and even used for mixing, which has been the big new trend.”

Among Symington’s portfolio are prestige

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brands including Graham’s, Dow’s, Prat’s & Symington, and Quinta do Vesuvia – a wide selection in which connoisseurs can sample a range of styles and profiles. Ranging in colour from deep red to white, there are seven styles of port.

White port is made from white grapes and varies from dry to sweet – it is often served on the rocks as an aperitif; Ruby port is a red wine aged for two to three years in oak vats – as the bestknown style of port, particularly good harvests can be declared a Vintage port and these will be subsequently aged for several decades. Late bottled vintages were developed in the 1960s – for British restaurateurs who wanted a vintage port that could be served without decanting – and aged for four-to-six years before bottling.

Tawny ports are aged in oak vats and bottled at 10, 20, 30 and 40 years, the fastest-growing segment of the market, these become a beautiful amber colour through maturation. A small but special category is vintage-dated tawnies, known as Colheitas, and a new emerging style – rosé port – is also capitalising on the rising popularity of rosé wines. »

INDULGE

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WE’VE GOT INVOICES FROM THE 1920S FROM SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, REQUESTING HIS PORT TO BE DELIVERED TO ST JAMES’S CLUB – Anthony Symington

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Port in a storm: 1857 The Bar serves portbased cocktails and vintages like Graham's 1974; Inset, Douro Valley, Portugal

THE HEARTLAND OF PORT This combination of historic importance and innovation of style was the driving force behind choosing fine port as the heart of the stylish 1857 The Bar, which was designed by interior design firm Russell Sage Studio and features the widest selection of port in London.

“After the long period of Covid-19, we wanted to create a new bar with its own identity,” says Anjana Pandya (pictured left), general manager of the five-star St James’s Hotel & Club. “We did a lot of research and discovered that St James’s had an incredible history with port. Back when St James’s Club was first established in 1857 – the inspiration behind the bar’s name – this area of London was where port trading was really happening, so there is some real heritage.

Collaborating with the Symington family seemed the perfect opportunity because of their generations of history – which is so similar to our own – and range of luxury ports and wines; we knew this could be a long-term partnership.”

Symington echoes this sentiment. “We’ve been a family business for 130 years and, really, working with like-minded people is what it's all about. It's really nice to be working with St James’s to bring that excitement back into port, and launching 1857 has been incredible,” he says. “And there’s so much shared history and heritage. We’ve been back through our old ledgers from the 1800s to mid-1900s and discovered that we’ve always been shipping large quantities of port to St James’s – we’ve actually got invoices from the 1920s from Sir Winston Churchill, requesting his port to be delivered directly to St James’s Club.”

One of 1857’s nods to this shared history is a highlight of the venue’s menu: Graham’s 1882 Ne Oublie, which is the oldest wine available by the glass in the UK. “It’s a really special wine and means a lot to my family,” says Symington of the rarefied drop.

“My great-great-grandfather, Andrew James Symington, was involved in the making of this wine on the year our family arrived in Portugal.”

Other stand-out ports on the menu include Graham’s 1977 Vintage, made just after the Portuguese revolution, a 1940 aged tawny port, and selection of single quintas and vintage ports. Its cocktail menu includes a Port Sour – Pandya’s personal favourite, prepared with Graham’s Blend Series No.5 – a take on the Negroni, and the Queen of the Night, with Graham’s Tawny 10 Year Old. “At St James’s Hotel & Club, just as with our

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Michelin-star restaurant Seven Park Place by William Drabble, the whole purpose of creating 1857 is to make the hotel a destination for our visitors, both international and local,” says Pandya. “Our menus have so much personality and the bar is a wonderful uplift to the evenings – it’s very sophisticated but relaxed, for after dinner drinks or meeting with friends.”

With a bar menu designed by William Drabble to pair perfectly with your port choices, Symington says guests may be surprised at how well this wine compliments one’s food choices.

“With a vintage port, you want to look for differences in flavour, so hard, salty cheeses work well with younger vintage ports, and creamy cheese for older vintages. With tawnies, think about similarities – nuts and fruits work very well but also desserts, such as crème brûlée. And for the sweet toothed among us, any port works perfectly with chocolate,” he says.

While Symington adds that 1857’s menu is full of thoroughly modern and exciting flavours, for him, the magic of port wine is still in its history.

“What I love about port is that it has such great longevity,” he says. “If you think about what a vintage port has seen, what’s happened in the world in their lifetime… there aren’t many places you can sit and have a glass of something that was made during the war. You can pay tribute to all that’s happened in its lifetime by enjoying a glass.” stjameshotelandclub; symington.com

Natural wonder We explore the untamed heritage and hidden luxury of the Croatian island of Hvar Words: Ross Forbes

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TRAVEL

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clear how magnificently intertwined the design is. Natural stone and wood colours blend with the lush greenery, creating a modern spectacle that should stand out more on such a historically preserved island, and yet instead does a wonderful job of fitting right in.

The design doesn’t cease to amaze there, however. Walk into the reception and you’re greeted by a huge rough-hewn white stone weighing in at 12 tonnes and used as a stylish reception desk. It’s quite the centrepiece – so much so that the hotel was actually built around it.

Elsewhere, classic Mediterranean style is infused with French touches throughout the interior, with everything you see locally sourced, right down to the herbs and vegetables used in the restaurant’s food and spa’s botanicals – all grown in Maslina’s ever-evolving organic garden. This is a resort with much more than just good looks: it’s got meaning. It’s got purpose. »

espite the trials of the past two years, for many of us there has been a sudden and necessary opportunity to regroup with nature. I feared this reconnection might end once life had become more ordinary again, but the benefits of being more at one with nature have never been clearer. Much to my joy, it is this notion that sits at the heart of the Maslina Resort, a luxurious escape on the small island of Hvar in Croatia.

A short boat journey – complete with a glass of champagne – takes us from mainland Croatia to the coastal edge of rustic Stari Grad, the oldest town of this spectacular, secluded oasis in the Adriatic Sea. After a further short drive, I was surprised to arrive at our destination, which is so seamlessly blended into the natural surrounds that, at first, I didn’t even realise we had arrived.

The resort completely respects the area in which it inhabits, and it quickly becomes

Maslina Resort (©D Fabijanic) 69

AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES Part of the Relais & Châteaux group, Maslina features 50 rooms as well as three private villas. The panoramic suite offers grand Adriatic sea views from its private terraces as well as an abundance of space inside. While the rooms are a continuation of the hotel’s earthy looks, they are full of thoughtful technical touches, such as smart lighting with mood adjustments and multiple access points – no fumbling around out of bed to find the switch – and custom-built Japanese-inspired bathtubs big enough to fall asleep in.

The resort is also home to the Pharomatiq Spa for a healing environment inspired by Hvar’s natural resources, heated pools and private sandy beaches. And although it’s a thoroughly modern hotel, it pays true homage to its surrounds – the name Maslina means olive tree, named for the surrounding olive groves.

For cuisine, the simply named The Restaurant embraces the Mediterranean diet with a contemporary flair. The kitchen is led

by Michelin-star chef Serge Gouloumès (of Le Candille in Mougins, France), who offers seasonal dishes with local ingredients: an authentic recipe for excellence. My favourite dish, the Peka-style lamb, is a 28-hour-cooked lamb shank with roasted carrots and apricot and cinnamon confit, while an honourable mention must be given to the Buzara-style lobster risotto, which could delight even the harshest of food critics.

NATURAL STONE AND WOOD CREATES A MODERN SPECTACLE THAT SHOULD STAND OUT MORE ON SUCH A HISTORICALLY PRESERVED ISLAND, AND YET DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF FITTING RIGHT IN

Back to nature: Maslina Resort takes design inspiration from the glorious natural surroundings of Hvar (©D Fabijanic / ©Nikola Radovani)

UNESCO’S MOST PRIZED ISLAND While I could quite happily sit all day in the bar drinking cocktails created by the brilliant Chris Edwardes, grabbing a bite here and there at the wonderful restaurant and finishing it off with a swim by the sandy beaches by the bay, there is one thing for certain: for everything this resort provides, the location can top it.

Hvar is home to six Unesco-recognised cultural heritage sites – the most of any island in the world.

Among these gems is the beautiful city of Stari Grad – a city so old it was celebrating its 2,405th anniversary when I visited at the end of 2021. And it’s absolutely brimming with history.

Stari Grad has remained practically intact since it was first colonised by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC, and new discoveries are being unearthed even today.

During our visit, we managed to spot a team of archaeologists excavating the cathedral square, unearthing more stories of the past.

For more historical sites, head to Jelsa, on the east of the island, where you can find out about Croatia’s history of wine at the Dubokovic Winery, or head west to Hvar town to enjoy a hike up to the 16thcentury Tvrđava Fortress, which offers an unbelievable view you’ll be pining to see again for years to come.

Hvar’s legacy is its well preserved and truly authentic nature – both in its design and way of life. maslinaresort.com

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Head for the horizon The exclusive world of yacht travel is becoming more popular than ever. We set sail for the Greek islands to reflect on how Covid-19 has impacted European yacht charter

Words: Rory FH Smith

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YACHTING

Grecian beauty: The marina at Hydra Island in the Aegean Sea

THERE HAS BEEN A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING THE PRIVACY AND PEACE OF MIND THAT A YACHT EXPERIENCE OFFERS – Yannis Vasatis, Spetses Cruising

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hen Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 to be a global pandemic on 11 March 2020, the world stood still. Gone were any hopes that the disease would subside and in came the panic buying, online conferences, cancelled flights and isolation. Momentarily, life lacked the little luxuries so many of us had previously taken for granted but, for a select few, the high life continued, albeit out at sea.

“On a yacht, one can travel unfettered from the limitations and fears inspired by crowded spaces in a period of a pandemic,” says Yannis Vasatis, founder of charter company Spetses Cruising, named for the small Greek island upon which the company is based. “The environment is controlled and enables strict hygiene rules to be maintained without the limitations imposed by doing the same in larger, and more crowded settings.”

Despite ever-changing restrictions on travel since 2020, yacht charters and owner usage spiked the moment the world went into lockdown, as a fortunate few headed for their own private, floating bubble. With many vessels, like expedition yachts, able to host their occupants for long periods without needing to dock, many ships found themselves in constant use.

“In 2020 and 2021 some owners temporarily withdrew their yachts from charter because of safety concerns and not wanting to expose themselves, their families and crew to Covid-19,” says Lucinda Rosen, charter broker at St James’s-based broker Cecil Wright and Partners.

Although the demand for charters peaked in lockdown, as supply fell with some craft taken off the market, the trend of taking to the sea for an escape has proved popular well into the postlockdown age.

After starting Spetses Cruising with his wife Veneta more than three decades ago, to share their love for experiencing the Greek islands from a private boat, Vasatis has found demand for his fleet of day cruisers has been at an alltime high ever since lockdown, as people 75

continue to seek the solace of a private boat in uncertain times.

“Like we’ve seen with private jets, there has been a rise in the number of people seeking the privacy and peace of mind that a yacht experience offers,” he says. “Besides the obvious advantages during the pandemic, a bespoke boating journey offers the freedom and independence to explore and discover coves, bays and islands off the beaten track and to enjoy them at your own pace. This is the timeless advantage of the yachting experience and why we predict the trend will continue.”

With a fleet of capable and fully crewed craft available to charter, Vasatis’ boats usually find themselves hopping between secluded islands as part of a bespoke day trip, or acting as luxury water taxis to ferry guests from port to superyachts moored out in the Aegean sea.

With no tourists in sight and a friendly crew serving local delicacies while they impart their knowledge of the nearby coves and coastline, it’s easy to see the appeal of a holiday on the water.

What was already an attractive proposition long before Covid-19 existed has taken on a whole new level of relevance in a post-pandemic age.

But, says Cecil Wright, the trend for escaping at sea isn’t just confined to day cruisers and island hopping.

“We’ve seen expedition-style yachts are gaining in popularity,” says Rosen. “They have ocean-going capabilities and can remain completely autonomous for long periods in more remote destinations. There’s also an emphasis on wellness. Clients like to really unwind and be pampered, so yachts with spa facilities are more popular than ever.”

After both Cecil Wright and Spetses Cruising enjoyed bumper summers with many of their charters constantly occupied, attitudes towards taking to the seas for a getaway don’t look to be changing anytime soon.

“Covid isn’t going away,” admits Rosen. “But the popularity of charters is ever-increasing.” spetsescruising.com; cecilwright.com

High fashion As Tempus gets behind the wheel of the allnew Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost, we find out why burnout grey is the new black Words: Peter Malmstrom

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uch secrecy surrounded the launch of the new Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Black Badge Ghost. Press embargoes and NDAs were in abundance when I first saw the car on static display in a Wimbledon design studio in September. The car looked stunning in every respect, imbued with thought, abundant in every tiny detail.

While Tempus had previously reviewed the impressive new Rolls-Royce Ghost back in January, the new Black Badge Ghost looked significantly more aggressive and purposeful, with its dark electrolyte chrome detailing and 21-inch carbon alloy composite wheels. The barrel of each wheel is made up of carbon fibre and a 3D-forged aluminium hub bonded to the rim using aerospace-grade titanium. The wheels alone stretch carbon fibre and forged aluminium

engineering boundaries to the limit, exploring the art of the aesthetic and the possible, while retaining the now-familiar Rolls-Royce Floating Hubcap, ensuring the Double R monogram remains upright at all times. Careful observation shows the almost black on black hand-painted coachline, so subtle as to be almost invisible but adding to the lustrous detail that comes together to define Ghost’s dark alter ego.

Rolls-Royce debuted Black Badge with Wraith in 2016, followed by Dawn in 2017 and then Cullinan in 2019. The Black Badge Ghost is the newest expression of Black Badge to join the family and represents Rolls-Royce’s response to a younger, more fashion-conscious and performance-focused customer demand. No longer the reserve of captains of industry and the chauffeured elite, the Rolls-Royce motor

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car remains aspirational and relevant to all ages wanting to further enhance the post-opulent aesthetic of the 2021 Ghost.

Now accounting for some 27% of sales globally, the idea for Black Badge was inspired by a trip to Los Angeles. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, was leaving a hotel in Beverly Hills when he spotted a heavily “murdered out” (a Rolls-Royce alternative to the more vulgar colloquialism “pimped out”) Rolls being driven by a successful young owner, and engaged with him to talk about the car. MüllerÖtvös immediately recognised the need for Rolls Royce to respond to this younger more subversive customer demand and, from that moment, a more assertive direction for product styling was established and the official Black Badge programme was born. »

INFINITE STYLE The Black Badge is symbolised by the lemniscate motif – a mathematical symbol that represents potential infinity and seen on the legendary Bluebird K3 hydroplane powerboat commissioned for Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1937. This symbol is illuminated and displayed on the Illuminated Fascia, star cluster dashboard and the polished door tread plates, and continues to codify Black Badge or noir. The interior of this all-black car is just as impressive, with every attention to detail in the finest materials – right down to the cut glass decanters – giving a rich lustre and a beautiful medley of quality in both look and feel across every inch of the cabin.

The new Black Badge Ghost, even static as it was in the studio, promised a lot – with increased torque to 900Nm and additional horsepower taking it to 600bhp to add to the already immense performance of Ghost – so I couldn’t wait for the road test phase of the secret prelaunch build up.

When the big day eventually came, I was collected late in the afternoon for a drive to a secret location in the wilds of Northamptonshire, shocked to find my arrival was after dark.

Arriving at an aerodrome, I was welcomed inside a very large hangar by a reception committee in black suits. Inside was straight out of a James Bond movie, with a black-on-black helicopter and a line of beautifully prepared cars. The scene had a menace of cinematic villainy – the only things missing were ninjas abseiling from the ceiling. This was all about the subversive persona of the new addition to the Rolls-Royce Black Badge family.

I quickly found that the runway had been secured to put the new Black Badge Ghost through its paces. Had anyone ever told me RollsRoyce themselves would be asking me to hurl a brand-new motor car down an illuminated runway flat out, in the dead of night, to return in a series of high- and low-speed weaving turns to demonstrate the car’s unbelievable stability, I might have thought them mad – yet here we were.

This particular car, the embodiment of the new and youthful styling, has been crafted incorporating a high fashion sense with every detail fusing into elegant harmony. The exterior finish is in ‘Burnout Grey’, alluding to the tyre smoke that would have been abundant, had this huge 6.75-litre twin turbocharged V12 not have been properly harnessed by some very impressive electronics. A purple coachline complements the grey in this contemporary urban Ghost. The interior accents and contrast stitching in Tailored Purple, all brought together under the legendary shooting starlight headliner.

CELESTIAL NIGHT It was clear why Rolls-Royce wanted to show this car off at night: detail lighting from the interior merged with the electric lighting of the city as we drove back into the London metropolis.

The luxury and understated power fused with the meticulously designed cabin lighting and contemporary styling, which gave the whole experience an urban feel, was complemented by the music playing through the Bespoke Audio System as we drove through London to our final destination – where else, but the Black Rooms at the Mandrake Hotel.

It is easy to see how Rolls-Royce has captured the imagination of a younger demographic and delivered a series of cars that meet and exceed all expectations. My detailed understanding of the level of technical excellence built into the new Black Badge Ghost makes it a joy to both drive and be driven in.

However, it is not perhaps how this car feels, but how this car makes you feel that is the key.

This Ghost, combined with a night-time urban setting, makes me feel youthful and energised, and it is no surprise that the Black Badge range goes from strength to strength in the journey of this iconic luxury car manufacturer. rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Elegant style: Details from the Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge exude modern elegance

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IMAGES: JOHN WYCHERLY/ROLLS-ROYCE

THIS EMBODIMENT OF NEW AND YOUTHFUL STYLING HAS BEEN CRAFTED WITH A HIGHFASHION SENSE OF ELEGANT HARMONY

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Take the prize Tempus celebrates contemporary watchmaking with this round-up of prize-winning timepieces from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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elebrating its 20th anniversary, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) unveiled its 2021 prize list of award-winning timepieces on 4 November. The foundation honoured contemporary watchmaking excellence in a prestigious ceremony in Geneva, with 19 winners chosen by a 30-member jury headed by Nick Foulkes.

Historian and journalist Foulkes is an international authority in the field of horology, and is the author of Patek Philippe: the Authorised Biography. “It is an incredible honour to be invited to lead this year’s GPHG Jury and continue the

remarkable work of Aurel Bacs, my predecessor in this role,” he said. “It is both a privilege and pleasure to work alongside leading figures drawn from the many different sectors of watchmaking community. At what might – with understatement – be called an interesting time for the watch industry, the role of the GPHG in highlighting and rewarding horological excellence is more relevant than ever.”

The most significant distinction for best in show – the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix – was awarded to 80

Bulgari for its Octo Finissimo watch. MB&F (whose LMX Titanium is pictured), Audemars Piguet, Bernhard Lederer, Chopard, Christiaan Van Der Klaauw, CIGA Design, De Bethune, Furlan Marri, Grand Seiko, Louis Vuitton, Piaget, Tudor, Van Cleef & Arpels and Zenith were among the brands saluted by the jury in other categories, while Dubai Watch Week was rewarded with a Special Jury Prize for its influence on the watchmaking scene.

Here, we take a look at some of the most significant timepieces of 2021… gphg.org

WATCHES

THIS MIGHT – WITH UNDERSTATEMENT – BE CALLED AN

INTERESTING TIME FOR THE

WATCH INDUSTRY – Nick Foulkes

“AIGUILLE D’OR” GRAND PRIX | BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO PERPETUAL CALENDAR

LADIES’ WATCH PRIZE | PIAGET LIMELIGHT GALA PRECIOUS RAINBOW

The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar (above) broke the ultra-thin and ultra-complicated watch world records for the seventh consecutive year. Bulgari’s best in show timepiece features indications of hours, minutes, retrograde date, day, month and retrograde leap year. With a power reserve of 60 hours, a sandblasted titanium case, dial, crown and bracelet, the watch is a phenomenal 5.80mm thin. »

The first of two awards scooped by Piaget (whose Altiplano Ultimate Automatic won the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize), the Limelight Gala Precious Rainbow (above) is a re-interpretation of a vintage piece from 1973. It features an elegant pink-gold case and delicate bracelet accentuated by a bezel set with a rainbow of dazzling brilliant-cut sapphires and coloured tsavorite.

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MEN’S WATCH PRIZE | GRAND SEIKO HIBEAT 36000 80 HOURS The Hi-beat 36000 80 Hours watch (left) is powered by Grand Seiko’s revolutionary Caliber 9SA5, released in 2020 for the brand’s 60th anniversary. Its subtly textured, Zaratsupolished dial is inspired by the white birch tree forests of northern Japan – near the brand’s studio in Shizukuishi – and finished with bold hands and prominent markers ensuring perfect legibility. A brand new escapement increases efficiency while the free-sprung balance retains precision and is resistant to shock and friction. grand-seiko.com

MEN’S COMPLICATION WATCH PRIZE | MB&F LMX TITANIUM Celebrating 10 years of Legacy Machines, the MB&F LMX Titanium (right) is a stunning, statement timepiece that challenges the shape and space of horology. The LMX features the brand’s vertical power reserve, central flying balance wheel and double dials of stretched white lacquer, each with its own display of hours and minutes but tilted at a complex angle. Inside the spherical encasement, functional details are clearly visible, including the escapement bridge, gear-train components and wheels – including a new bespoke balance wheel at the heart of the LMX. mbandf.com 82

LADIES’ COMPLICATION WATCH PRIZE | VAN CLEEF & ARPELS LADY FÉERIE WATCH This new addition to Van Cleef & Arpels’ Féerie collection (left) features a dreamlike diamond fairy in a sapphire and diamond gown, marking the passage of time with her wand against a guilloché mother-of-pearl dial. Her wings are created using plique-à-jour and grisaille enamel – the first time the maison has combined these techniques. Just 33mm in diameter, the dial features a date window and a diamond bezel to complete the enchantment. » vancleefarpels.com 83

CALENDAR AND ASTRONOMY WATCH PRIZE | CHRISTIAAN VAN DER KLAAUW CVDK PLANETARIUM EISE EISINGA Astronomical watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw’s unique art piece CVDK Planetarium Eise Eisinga is inspired by the 1781 genius who built a planetarium in his living room. The timepiece is the world’s smallest mechanical heliocentric planetarium, displaying real-time solar orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The micro-oil hand-painted dial – with hand-painted planets orbiting a golden sun at 6 o’clock and date marker at 12 o’clock – is designed to mimic the wooden planetarium ceiling at the Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium Museum. Truly unique. klaauw.com

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AUDACITY PRIZE | LOUIS VUITTON TAMBOUR CARPE DIEM A 21st-century jacquemart watch, this statement timepiece by Louis Vuitton (right) is inspired by the brand’s special orders for private clients. The Tambour Carpe Diem combines striking art with humour and drama. Press a push-piece to bring the dial’s miniature scene to life, as the snake and skull indicate the time with a 16-second performance. The watch features a jumping hour, retrograde minute, power reserve display, and mechanism for four automata. To finish, the timepiece features enamelling by Anita Porchet and engraving by Dick Steenman. uk.louisvuitton.com

GRAND PRIX WINNERS Iconic Watch Prize: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Tourbillon Watch Prize: De Bethune DB Kind of Two Tourbillon Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Altiplano Ultimate Automatic Chronograph Watch Prize: Zenith Chronomaster Sport Diver’s Watch Prize: Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver Skyline Blue Jewellery Watch Prize: Chopard Flower Power Artistic Crafts Watch Prize: MB&F LM SE Eddy Jaquet ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ “Petite Aiguille” Prize: Tudor Black Bay Ceramic Challenge Watch Prize: Ciga Design Blue Planet Innovation Prize: Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer Horological Revelation Prize: Furlan Marri MR. Grey Ref. 1041-A 85

HOT TOPIC Amid calls for drastic action, world leaders gathered in Glasgow for the Cop26 summit – but have they done enough to take on the climate crisis?

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THE EYE OF THE STORM With Cop26’s central goal of getting back on track to limit global warming to just 1.5˚C above preindustrial levels, a key element of the Glasgow Climate Pact was mitigation of emissions.

Currently, under the Paris Agreement – which outlines plans to cut emissions by 2030 – countries are only required to update their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) every five years. Yet the current NDCs put forth are not enough to stop temperature rises and, according to statistics released during Cop26, would lead to a rise of 2.4˚C. To tackle this, countries will now look to revide their NDCs in 2022.

A major point of discussion was the impact of fossil fuels – such as coal – and it was made clear by the International Energy Agency that at least 40% of the world’s coal-fired power plants must be closed by 2030 to meet emissions targets. The commitment to “phase down” coal use was one of the toughest – and most contested – negotiations at Glasgow. While critics were disappointed by the amendment of “phase out” to “phase down” – a change insisted upon by India – it is notable that this is the first commitment to tackling fossil fuels by a Cop agreement, and a welcome step forward.

Another key takeaway was climate finance.

An agreement in 2009 pledged that, from 2020, developing nations would receive $100bn (£75bn) a year to help cut emissions and adapt to the climate crisis. Yet, this has fallen short.

The Glasgow Climate Pact has reflected the frustration of the global south, and promises increases that will bring climate finance to $500bn in the next five years.

Despite this, a call for loss and damage compensation to those ravaged by the impact of climate change – such as hurricanes and wildfires – was not passed, but instead scheduled for discussion next year. Elsewhere, a commitment to protect natural habitats saw 130 countries pledge to end deforestation by 2030.

Finally, Cop26 was able to reaffirm the importance of the Paris Agreement, particularly in terms of pursuing 1.5˚C rather than 2˚C, and finalised the Paris Rulebook – the guidelines for how the agreement is delivered – after nearly six years of discussion.

“We can now say with credibility that we have kept 1.5˚C alive,” Sharma said after the conference, before adding a stark warning: “But, its pulse is weak and it will only survive if we keep our promises and translate commitments into rapid action.”

While it is yet to be seen whether the Glasgow Climate Pact will prove a meaningful commitment or, as Greta Thunberg put it, more “blah blah blah” from world governments, the world can only hope it will be more than a lukewarm attempt to resolve the rising heat of climate change. ukcop26.org

Climate action: World leaders gathered in Glasgow (right) for Cop26; activists such as Greta Thunberg (above) led demonstrations 88

Images: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo, Shutterstock

I

n November 2021, world leaders from almost 200 nations gathered in Glasgow for Cop26, the UN’s landmark climate change conference. More than 100 heads of government and tens of thousands of negotiators and business representatives held talks over 13 days to tackle the planet’s greatest threat: the climate crisis.

The first major event since Cop21 in Paris 2015 – and delayed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic – the conference, under UK presidency, saw appearences from environmental activist Greta Thunberg and Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of the Vatican, as well as Sir David Attenborough, who addressed the summit in his role as people’s advocate.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Cop26 has been widely considered a make-or-break summit by climate experts, and the pressure to put solid plans in place for the planet’s future was immense. It was five years ago that, for the first time ever, the Paris Agreement saw every country agree to work together to limit global warming – aiming to hold temperature rises to 1.5˚C – by committing to national plan to reduce emissions. Yet, the commitments laid out at Cop21 did not achieve those lofty goals – and scientists and activists alike have been quick to point out just how little time we have left in which to meet the tempurature rise pledge.

And so, delegates of Cop26 assembled to agree on how to secure global net zero by midcentury, how to keep this crucial pledge within reach, and how to protect communities and natural habitats from the climate crisis.

“As countries begin to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, we must take the historic opportunity to tackle climate change at the same time – to build back better, and greener,” said Alok Sharma, Cop presidentdelegate, in his introduction to Cop26. “We can deliver green recoveries across the globe that bring in good jobs, trillions in investment and ground-breaking new technology. And we must.

“To keep the temperature of the planet under control the science dictates that by the second half of the century we should be producing less carbon than we take out of the atmosphere. This is what reaching ‘net zero’ means.”

Yet the results of the 13-day summit have received mixed reviews. While some success was reached in a new global agreement – the Glasgow Climate Pact – some campaigners have argued the agreement falls short.

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RE:VIEW ROMEO AND JULIET WOWS THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

PLUS + • Interview: Donna Air puts the spotlight on survivors’ stories • Fabergé celebrates a lustrous history of romance and revolution • Skate brings a winter wonderland to Somerset House • Save the Date: your luxury events calendar

William Bracewell and Fumi Kaneko in Romeo and Juliet, The Royal Ballet (©ROH/Bill Cooper)

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THEATRE | PUNCHED

Taking a stand Donna Air on the importance of standing together against gender-based violence, and how her new play is giving a voice to survivors

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onna Air’s involvement in Punched was first inspired by her pivotal role in TV’s The Split in 2020. Overwhelmed by letters from viewers who related to her character’s story of domestic abuse and gaslighting, Air established her own production company, Madre, to put the spotlight on these issues.

“It made me realise the responsibility we have as actors to tell stories that can really provoke positive change,” she says. “The truth is, we have all either had an experience with abuse or know somebody who has experienced abuse, and so it’s our responsibility to stand up and let these women’s stories be told.”

Soon after, she and writer Lorien Haynes set out to launch Punched, a star-studded play of survivors’ stories, to raise money for three charities that each supports vulnerable women and girls.

With proceeds benefitting Refuge, Southall Black Sisters and The Circle, the play is in support of the UN’s Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 Nov-10 Dec). Directed by Jude Kelly CBE, the impressive cast includes Sadie Frost, Tracy-Ann Obermon and The Circle founder Annie Lennox in a short film directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Here, Air tells us how she hopes the project will inspire and empower audiences to stand together against gender-based violence.

Donna, tell us about Punched...

Punched is a live fundraising theatre performance of monologues about gender-based violence, told by incredible performers. We’ve got one of the most interesting and diverse group of actors I’ve ever come across – a really wonderful array of female talent – which, as a producer, is a dream. The performance benefits three incredible women’s charities: The Circle, Refuge and Southall Black Sisters.

What inspired you and Lorien Haynes to produce the show?

I launched my production company, Madre, to collaborate with women and shine the light on important female stories. Lorien made a great film

called Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men, about the ongoing spectrum of abuse that women face. We spoke about the statistics of abuse in the UK and how, during the pandemic, they spiked to an alarming level, and we decided that that’s what we wanted our first project to be about.

The cast is incredible. Were you surprised how many women wanted to get involved?

It’s awesome. Annie Lennox wrote a wonderful call to action, which [director] Sam Taylor-Johnson filmed in her home in LA. Sadie Frost is performing a piece she has written. We’ve got some incredible new talent – such as Trinity Tristan and Storme Toolis – and actresses like Sofia Barclay. All these actresses, writers and survivors have given their time to the project because it’s something we all really believe in. I’m just really thrilled by everybody’s generosity of spirit.

What can we do to help combat genderbased violence?

I think one of the big problems with domestic abuse is that a lot of women, especially during lockdown, felt very isolated and didn’t know where to go or what to do. But there are places like Refuge that help women and children who need to escape very difficult situations. It’s important that victims of abuse know they are not alone. I hope that by speaking out and sharing our experiences, we can shine a light on a very dark issue and empower those in need.

What’s next for this project?

I don’t see why we couldn’t do Punched in other countries, as this is very much a global problem. Then creatively, as a production company, Lorien and I have many micro-stories that could be expanded. I would like to create and produce content that can actually help women – and we need lots of incredible men to stand up and help, too.

Punched, at the Criterion Theatre on 6 Dec 2021. unwomen.org

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Donna Air (©Andrew Woffinden)

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DANCE | THE ROYAL BALLET

Romeo and Juliet

Marcelino Sambé and Anna Rose O'Sullivan in Romeo and Juliet, The Royal Ballet (©ROH/Helen Maybanks)

K

enneth McMillan’s version of Romeo and Juliet has been hailed a modern ballet masterpiece since it first debuted in 1965.

The Royal Ballet’s contemporary performance at the Royal Opera House is imbued with all the choreographer’s nuance and detail, allowing lead dancers to interpret Shakespeare’s doomed lovers against Sergey Prokofiev’s entrancing music.

This balletic telling of Romeo and Juliet follows the star-crossed lovers as they meet, marry and get swept up in their families’ deadly feud – with all the sumptuous costumes, dramatic action and passionate love that anyone could want from such an event.

With well-known leads, including Francesca Hayward and William Bracewell, matched with talent such as Cesar Corrales, Marcelino Sambé (pictured) and Fumi Kaneko (making her debut in the role), and a chorus of dancers making each character their own, this is no mere return to form for the Royal Ballet’s most beloved work.

A classic tale it may be, but this triumphant run breathes fresh life into one of the most tragic and romantic stories of all time.

The Royal Opera House, until 25 Feb 2022 roh.org.uk

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RE:VIEW

EVENT | SOMERSET HOUSE

Skate at Somerset House

O

ne of the capital’s favourite winter experiences, and surely the most fashionable ice-skating in London, Skate at Somerset House returns this year with a new partnership with Moët & Chandon. This striking skating rink takes over the estate’s neoclassical courtyard – complete with a stunning 40ft Christmas tree (left) – to offer guests unrivalled skating, contemporary music, the perfect gift selection from Hotel Chocolat, and gourmet food and drink. Novices need not fear the rink as Somerset House also offers a Skate School, while partygoers will adore Skate Lates with Uniqlo, which features rinkside DJs offering the ultimate nightlife sets.

Somerset House, until 16 Jan 2022 somersethouse.org.uk

BOOK | FABERGÉ

Romance to Revolution

T

he House of Fabergé has long been synonymous with fine jewels and priceless craftsmanship, from its origins in Russia in the 19th century to modern-day global fame. A luxurious new tome by V&A Publishing, Fabergé: Romance to Revolution (right) accompanies the museum’s exhibition (running from 20 November 2021 to 8 May 2022) and shares the remarkable history of Carl Fabergé’s astonishing array of bespoke jewellery and objets d’art.

From Fabergé’s role in the glamorous world of the Romanovs, to the importance of the London branch in Edwardian high society, the book is rich with history, images and, yes, Easter eggs, with contributions from leading experts and edited by Kieran McCarthy, curator of the Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution exhibition, and the exhibition’s project curator, Hanne Faurby.

Available now at the V&A Museum vam.ac.uk

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the

SAVE DATE Your luxury events calendar for December 2021 and January 2022

10 December

NOBEL PRIZE AWARD CEREMONY The Nobel Prize Ceremony has been held in Stockholm on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death since 1901. The extravagant banquet honours the world’s most exceptional figures in physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature. nobelprize.org

10-12 December

FORMULA ONE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX Head to Abu Dhabi for one of the most thrilling and luxurious Grand Prix events in the F1 calendar. British champ Lewis Hamilton goes head to head with rival Max Verstappen over 55 laps of the Yas Marina circuit. f1.com

11 - 13 January

PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO Florence hosts Italy’s three-day Pitti Immagine Uomo. The menswear fair showcases the most exciting trends to come in a suitably stylish location – the Fortezza da Basso is the former fortress of Alessandro de’Medici, Duke of Florence. pittimmagine.com

17-23 January

RALLYE MONTE-CARLO The 90th Monte-Carlo Rallye opens in style this year as it sets off from Monaco for the first time. The new route takes the rally of stylish automobiles through the AlpesMaritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, before heading back to Casino Square. acm.mc

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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24 Dec -28 Feb

HARBIN ICE FESTIVAL The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China, is a winter wonderland like no other. Head early to experience the ice harvest, or wait until Chinese New Year ( from 21 Jan) to walk among intricate and ephemeral ice sculptures. icefestivalharbin.com

22-30 January

BOOT DÜSSELDORF The Düsseldorf International Boat Show is a benchmark for the boat and water sports industries, and it sets sail in high style this year. Whether your passion is superyachts or sailing, diving or destinations, Boot invites you to dive in. boot.com

23 – 26 JUNE

TICKETS AND HOSPITALITY NOW ON SALE GOODWOOD.COM 97

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COLUMN

Sartorial self-care Menswear expert and CALM ambassador Rikesh Chauhan shares how dressing well can help clear the winter blues

“I

f you want to change the world, start off by making your bed,” said Admiral William H McRaven, in his 2014 commencement address at The University of Texas at Austin. By making your bed, you have already achieved the first task of the day. I’ve always loved this sentiment as it helps break down seemingly overwhelming tasks into small, achievable steps. The next step, therefore, should be getting dressed.

Working in the menswear industry, dressing up is somewhat of an occupational hazard. Whether I’m on Savile Row or hanging out in my local London haunts, I’ll always spend a good proportion of my morning (or the night before) selecting what to wear.

I want to dress to make an impression on people that I meet and pass by – and looking good on the outside almost always helps me feel good on the inside. I feel productive, like someone with purpose.

Most importantly, though, by taking pride in my appearance and in the clothes I wear, I show respect to whomever’s company I’m in.

The Camel Wool Polo Coat by Drake’s Your coat is the first thing people are likely to see, so why not make a good first impression?

Drake’s new 6x3 Polo coat is made in Italy using 100% pure virgin wool and comes in camel as well as navy. drakes.com

I’ve always struggled with my mental health, through depression, self-image and anxiety. The former was particularly difficult because, often, you struggle to find the motivation to even leave your bed, let alone make it. Alas, I had to get up and go to work, so I would pick an outfit that almost always consisted of a double-breasted jacket, bespoke shirt, silk jacquard tie, full leg trousers and an overcoat for the colder seasons.

Often the simplest of things can elevate your mood if you genuinely enjoy it; by spending that time getting ready, I allowed myself a little distraction from my thoughts and, by the time I was ready to head out, I would take a passing glance in the mirror and suddenly feel a touch more confident.

It’s part and parcel of why, whenever it comes to investing in clothing, I take my time to make sure it fills a gap, is made of lasting quality materials, and makes me feel good about myself. This is especially important once the clocks go back and you suddenly find yourself waking up and going home to darkness.

Add in the cold, and you suddenly realise why they call it the January blues.

Self-care is something I believe we all need to invest more time into, and dressing for the day is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this. Before the pandemic, nights out were always a good enough reason to dress up. Fast-forward to now, and dress codes have rather unsurprisingly become a little blurred. It’s important to remember that ‘dressing up’ doesn’t necessarily mean being suited and booted, but rather to wear things that get you excited. It could be the coat you’ve always wanted to stride in, the jumper that feels like a hug, the shoes that have that extra polish.

Whatever it may be, take your time to appreciate those early morning moments when the only thing you need to care about are the clothes that will take care of you.

To find out more about the Campaign Against Living Miserably, visit thecalmzone.net or call CALM’s helpline on 0800 585858

Cream and Olive Cricket Sweater by Colhays

Brown Watch Tartan Aleksandar Trousers by Kit Blake

Now, I may have only played cricket perhaps three times in my 30-odd years on this planet, but don’t think that’s stopping me from getting this incredible lambswool sweater.

They’re definitely punchy but, my word, these trousers are incredible. You can’t help but feel that little bit more rakish when striding around in a pair of Kit Blake Aleksandars.

colhays.com

kitblake.com

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