Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Fabergé returns to London

A new beginning

With the opening of a boutique in the Piccadilly Arcade, Fabergé is starting a new chapter in its historic love affair with London, which dates back to 1906, when the first Fabergé boutique outside Russia opened in Dover Street. Four years later, it relocated to Bond Street. The store was patronised by royalty, nobility and the socialites of the day. The Brits simply fell in love with the creations of the famed Russian jeweller.

Of the many celebrated names in the global history of high-end jewellery, that of Gustav Faberge, is perhaps one of the most revered. Born in 1814, Gustav trained as a goldsmith under Andreas Spiegel in St. Petersburg in the late 1820s, later joining Keibel – a rapidly growing firm that had begun receiving commissions from the Russian Imperial Court – before opening his own shop (and adding a chic acute accent to the last ‘e’ of his surname) in 1842.

Left: the new Fabergé store in London’s Picadilly Arcade. Right: the first Fabergé store in New Bond Street, 1910.

It was however Gustav’s son, Peter Carl, who, along with his…

Home, Lifestyle

Damian Hurley

Unapologetically me

Damian Hurley was born famous. Even though his mother, Elizabeth Hurley, put her career on hold to look after him, paparazzi would harass them on a daily basis. His teenage years were tainted with the death of important people in his life, the mark of which is palpable in his short film The Boy on […]

Lifestyle

Sotogrande Villa Noon

The world’s first zero-emissions villa

Located on the hills of Sotogrande, one of the most sought-after destinations in southern Europe among lovers of golf, polo and luxury life in general, Villa Noon is billed as the world’s first zero-emissions villa. Not only that, Villa Noon also generates its own water… from the sun. Viewed as a ground-breaking achievement in sustainable […]

Lifestyle

OMEGA and EON celebrate a new James Bond inspired timepiece

Introducing: The Seamaster Diver 300M “Commander’s Watch” Limited Edition

At a special event in London on July 5th, the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA unveiled a new
timepiece that timepiece that celebrates the rank and regalia of James Bond. OMEGA President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann revealed the watch alongside Bond film Producer Michael G. Wilson. To bring the occasion to life, OMEGA transported guests by boat along the River Thames to arrive at the Tate Britain. The MC for the evening, Samantha Bond introduced Raynald Aeschlimann, who spoke to guests about the new watch and said, “James Bond is a character with a lot of depth and intrigue. We were fascinated by his connection to the Royal Navy, which is an

“James Bond is a character with a lot of depth and intrigue. We were fascinated by his connection to the Royal Navy, which is an organisation that OMEGA also has history with, and we wanted to pay tribute to his rank as Commander.”

2017 marks three noteworthy anniversaries for Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios’ (MGM) Bond franchise including: the 50th anniversary of “You Only Live Twice”; the 40th anniversary of “The Spy Who Loved Me”; and the 20th anniversary of “Tomorrow Never Dies.” In each of these films, James Bond can be seen wearing his official military uniform. To celebrate these anniversaries, OMEGA created a unique watch design inspired by the red, white and blue colours of the Royal Navy as well as the Commander’s insignia itself.

Guests at the event were treated to a display of historic props and artwork from the James Bond archive. OMEGA has been the choice of James Bond since 1995, when the spy first wore a Seamaster watch in the film “GoldenEye”. Since then, the character and OMEGA have shared every on-screen adventure together.

The Seamaster Diver 300M “Commander’s Watch”.

Cased in stainless steel, the “Commander’s Watch” follows the Royal Navy’s ensign colours with a polished white ceramic dial, facetted blue skeleton hour-minute hands and a varnished red seconds hand with a “007” gun logo counterweight. The see-through caseback reveals a rotor with the Royal Navy’s Commander rank insignia. The watch is presented on a 5-stripe blue, red & grey polyamide NATO Strap, with an additional metal bracelet, and is powered by the exclusive OMEGA Calibre 2507. The stainless steel version is limited to 7,007 pieces. Additionally, the Commander’s Watch also comes in an 18K yellow gold model, limited to just seven pieces.

More details on: www.omegawatches.com/CommandersWatch

Culture, Lifestyle

DAY-z

Artist Day-z grew up in London and studied Fine Art at Central St Martins. She combines techniques learned from the classical masters with current culture to create a signature style that fuses street style with fine art. Using pen and pencil to create intricate and exquisite drawings, Day-z’s unique talent speaks to a growing audience of followers and collectors.

Day-z is represented by leading London and International Galleries, and has exhibited in shows from Chicago to Switzerland and Salzburg. Some of Day-z’s more mischievous antics include sticking up pieces in the Tate Modern and taking on parking wardens across the world with her celebrated ‘Parking Ticket’ sticker (available as a limited edition print).

Her debut solo show, ‘BRANDED’ in collaboration with the multinational financial and government firm, Ashurst LLP, was named as one of London’s most exciting exhibitions by the Young Art Prize. Day-z also holds ‘The People’s Choice Award’ by the Derwent Art Prize for her piece ‘London Riots’ and has been named as one of the top 9 upcoming artists to watch out for by After Nyne Magazine.

Her most recent solo show entitled ‘Re-Branded’, took place last May in the Cyprus capital, Nicosia. This exhibition re-questioned the effect of brands and how they make us feel. The exhibition was sponsored by KPMG and revealed unseen pieces by the artist for the first time.
Following Banksy’s style, Day-z keeps her identity secret so no face to face interview with this young artist, just a Q&A via email.

Q: How old are you and where are you from?
A: I’m 27 and I am from London. I am British-born, and of Cypriot heritage.

Q: Is art the only thing you ever wanted to do?
A: Art was the only option for me.

Q: What did happen that led you to create your parking ticket sticker?
A: My dad kept on getting parking tickets and it was only when I got my first parking ticket on my 21st birthday that I had the light bulb moment to create the Parking Ticket piece.

Q: Where from do you draw your inspiration?
A: I draw my inspiration from anywhere although my best ideas come when lying on the beach

Q: How do you look into the future as a woman and as an artist?
A: Only recently have women become as recognised and successful as men in the art world and I’d like to continue to grow and be a part of this new era.

Beautiful Crime will be doing a solo show with Day-z this autumn in London. I wonder if maybe she will finally reveal her identity…

Culture, Lifestyle

Filip Palmén

The Rise Of Young Talent

We live in a wonderful time. Easier access to education and information has facilitated the development of unimaginable amounts of young talent. I-M has selected two artists from very different backgrounds who have devoted themselves to very different fields to be featured in this issue. We hope you find them as inspiring as we do.

As a kid, Filip was told by a teacher that drawing wouldn’t take him anywhere because “art has not tangible value, Filip”. Well, at the tender age of 26, he is already an internationally recognized artist and winner of the Best Work in Silver at the Gilded Youth Project Awards organized by the Royal College of Art.

Soft-spoken, humble, and terribly likable, Filip Palmén was born in Southern Sweden in 1990 and raised in the countryside. His grandfather was an engineer but also a painter. Filip has an easy smile, which he displays when sharing with us some of those memories: “He could make a realistic drawing of anything you’d ask him for. I used to ask him to draw something and I’d watch him, then I’d take his drawing, trace it and add things myself. I’ve always been allowed my artistic side, I’ve been encouraged from home, but I think the environment outside my home hasn’t been as accepting. I studied really hard and got top grades in high-school, just because I was convinced by school that if you didn’t you wouldn’t be able to make anything of yourself. A teacher once caught me sketching in physics class in secondary high-school and he made an example of me in front of the class. “Drawing won’t get you anywhere!” he said and convinced us all that art doesn’t have any tangible value. I wish he could see where my drawing has taken me. I wish I could tell my grandfather”.

Filip Palmén spent a year in Japan as an exchange student in his teens. It was after his return to Sweden that he felt an urge to devote himself and pursue his dreams to become an artist. Over the years, he has studied art forms that somehow relate to the body, the main motivation being able to create something that can be worn. He chose to do an MA degree in jewellery at the Royal College of Art in London, to utilize the medium’s ability to connect sculpture to the body. Now graduated, Filip is working multidisciplinary in his studio in Stockholm to launch his next jewellery project.

Palmén’s aesthetic has changed from literal to more figurative over the past few years, and this has come with a bigger emphasis on presentation. By combining analogue with digital techniques, he creates a virtual imagery to realize his ideas. The jewellery is all made by Filip from very traditional means: carving, casting, soldering and welding, while the pieces themselves tend to be more expressional than classical fine jewellery.

He explains,

“It’s about charging the jewellery with value, turning it into more than adornment and providing the wearer with a deeper connection.”

By exploiting the lesser boundaries of virtual reality he is allowed to not only expand on, but to visualize his inner world to the viewer. Palmén aims to continue making jewellery pieces that are tied into his augmented reality using sculpture, additional music collaborations and videos.

Palmén explains: “I consciously distance myself from the spotlight shone on my creations. If I stand in the light right next to them the viewer is not given the same chance to see them for what they are or what I have meant them to be. I want my creations to exist without me in the picture, to let them appear in the same manner they do when I experience them in my head. It’s similar to how some musicians chose to hide their identities behind masks on stage when performing: they let the music speak for itself and they become the music rather than making their individual selves the main part of the show.”

When asked about other influences in his art he confesses to be strongly influenced by music, “I’ve always been greatly influenced by the music I listen to and this probably contributed to my take on artist v. individual. Obviously Kiss was doing this long ago, but to me Daft Punk and The Knife are more relevant. Actually, I’ve been listening to both since their first releases. Today I’m drawn to more obscure music. Some of the artists I follow even use symbols that can’t be typed on a keyboard just to make it harder to find them online. Visually I’ve always looked at classical sculptors like Rodin, but I am also very interested in contemporary sculptors that focus on the use of the body, such as Berlinde De Bruyckere or Anthony Gormley.”

“At the end of high-school I realized I couldn’t pursue a well paid job just for the sake of making money. I felt I had been suppressing myself and I wasn’t going to anymore. After high-school and a year of preparatory art-school, I did my BA in Konstfack in Stockholm. Immediately after that I started an MA at the Royal College of Art in London. I graduated in summer 2016”.

After the success of his first work, one may think he could have given himself sometime off and to look for new sources of inspiration; but Palmén is tenacious and tireless in his work, “The past half a year I’ve had an idea for a project, but wasn’t sure by what means or where I could make it reality. It is an extension and development of the ideas and techniques I have featured in my work in the past year. It’s based on the concept of overcoming suppression by overcoming oneself, seeing what forms bind us and how to break them. I am working on presenting this as a metaphorical journey inside the mind, so a lot of effort is being put into the presentation itself. At the moment I’m having discussions with my friend and sound producer SMNM, to make sure the audio resonates the narrative.

Things are definitely moving in the right direction for Filip Palmén. He has secured a studio for two years and signed a contract with another retailer. Long gone are the days of high school, where he didn’t fit and was made feel awkward and insecure. He points up how at that time his appearance became part of his individuality, a way to express himself. “I still use my appearance to differentiate myself from my surroundings, as a sort of reminder, and I do get reminders!: I’ll just put something on that

I think looks really smart and ride the bus. People will tell me I look weird, that I look awesome, that I look like a f*cking faggot or that my parents must regret having had me. But my parents regrette rien about me and the whole thing is actually more of a reminder to myself to not be afraid of showing who I am or what I feel. No one should, and I’d like to show people that with what I do”.

Lifestyle

Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC

Blancpain re-interprets one of its vintage pieces from the 1950s, the Fifty Fathoms with a water-tightness indicator

The history of the Fifty Fathoms brings together two lineages. First is that of Jean-Jacques Fiechter a passionate diver who was Blancpain’s CEO for three decades, 1950-1980. The second is that of Captain Robert “Bob” Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, founders of the French Navy’s combat swimmers corps and who were searching for a reliable watch for their underwater missions.

In the early 1950s, Jean-Jacques Fiechter was a sport diving pioneer. Based on his personal underwater experiences, he came to understand that a diver’s life depended upon a reliable timekeeping instrument and he saw that none existed in the marketplace. As head of Blancpain, he tasked his watchmaking team with addressing the challenges of measuring time in the underwater environment. The rst criteria was obvious: water resistance. To solve the problem, he set about conceiving a double sealed crown system. Without a screw holding down the crown, this served to protect the watch from water penetration in the event that the crown were accidentally to be pulled during a dive. The presence of the second interior seal worked to guarantee the timepiece’s water tightness. Jean-Jacques Fiechter registered a patent for this invention. A second patent was awarded for the sealing system for the case back. This had indeed been a recurring problem with other pre-existing systems because of the way in which the “O” ring, used to seal the case back, might become twisted when the back was screwed into the case. In order to eliminate this risk, Fiechter invented a channel into which the “O” ring would be inserted and held in position by an additional metallic disk.

He then addressed another problem: a secured rotating bezel that could be used to measure the time of a dive. His idea was to rotate the bezel so as to place its zero index opposite the minutes hand. In this way, the diver could read the passage of time while underwater using the minutes hand to read markings on the bezel. Here too, security was front and center in Fiechter’s thinking. Any accidental movement of the bezel could induce a timing error with dramatic consequences. Fiechter therefore perfected a blocking mechanism which would prevent accidental rotation of the bezel. For this he received another patent. Later, Blancpain introduced a uni-directional rotating bezel, a world- rst feature which also ensured safety during a dive.

Readability was also recognized a vital factor, in particular during dives in cloudy water. So Jean-Jacques Fiechter came up with the idea of endowing the Fifty Fathoms with large diameter and giving it the bold contrast of white luminescent indexes and hands set against a black background. Automatic winding of the movement was also seen as essential in this construction, as it would reduce the wear of the crown against its seals in comparison to manual winding.

In parallel, beginning in 1952, Bob Maloubier and Claude Riffaud began their quest to nd a watch suited for their aquatic missions. The two of cers envisaged nding a watch that would become an indispensable piece of equipment for their divers. Working together, they assembled a list of speci c criteria for an instrument that would meet their requirements. The rst tests which they conducted with water-resistant French watches were disastrous. These watches were far too small, the dials were hard to read, and the cases were far from water proof.

The paths of these two sets of visionaries nally crossed. In 1953, Blancpain was able to deliver to the French team a watch for testing that fully met their criteria. The watch performed brilliantly in all of the tests and it became one of the essential pieces of equipment for the French combat swimmers corps. Later, the same occurred for naval forces around the world. It was a unique timepiece: the Fifty Fathoms.

Jean-Jacques Fiechter continued with his pre-occupation for diver safety and soon incorporated an additional feature for his watches: a circular water-tightness indicator. If, by chance, liquid were to leak into the watch case, a disk at 6 o’clock would signal the problem by changing its color from white to red. This water-tightness indicator was present on the dial of the Fifty Fathoms model called the MIL-SPEC 1, which was introduced in 1957-58 to meet the strict requirements of the military. Beginning in 1958, the American Navy tested a variety of different watches with the goal of drawing up speci cations for a timepiece to be used in their underwater missions. Following those tests, the Fifty Fathoms became the standard-issue watch on the wrists of American combat swimmers, as well as the reference point for future production to take place in the US. Meanwhile, Blancpain obtained contracts to equip members of the elite UDT and the Navy Seals with MIL-SPEC 1 watches. Later on, in the early 1960s, those evolved into the MIL-SPEC 2 and, using the name “Tornek-Rayville”, the TR-900. The water-tightness indicator became a requirement of the American Navy, and was incorporated in all these models.

The new 2017 model
The “Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC” is tted with Blancpain’s in-house automatic winding caliber 1151, comprising 210 components including two series-coupled mainspring barrels and offering a four-day power reserve. Nestled into its stainless steel 40mm case, the movement as well as its solid gold winding rotor with a NAC coating (a platinum alloy) and Blancpain logo, are visible through the clear sapphire case back. The balance-spring is in silicon, a material that offers many advantages. Firstly, its low density makes it lighter and thus more shock-resistant. In addition, it is impervious to magnetic elds. The resulting balance spring is ideally shaped, thereby ensuring improved isochronism performance of the movement, resulting in enhanced timekeeping precision.

This new model naturally features the entire set of technical characteristics of a watch dedicated to diving, established by the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms and later followed by the entire watch industry. Its black dial features indexes in Super-LuminNova® and a water-tight- ness indicator recalling the designs of the 1950s MIL-SPEC 1. The unidirectional rotating bezel covered in scratch-resistant sapphire, a Blancpain innovation which rst appeared in 2003 with the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms, protects the luminescent indications underneath.

This timepiece is water resistant to 30 bar, which is equivalent to 300 meters. It is limited to 500 examples and is offered with a NATO strap, sail cloth strap, or steel bracelet with a secure buckle.

Lifestyle

Lily James celebrated ‘My Burberry Blush’ last night in Paris

Last night British Actress Lily James hosted a cocktail party at the Burberry store on Rue Faubourg Saint Honore in Paris, to celebrate My Burberry Blush, the newest fragrance in the My Burberry family. Lily James stars as the face of the new My Burberry Blush campaign, photographed by Mario Testino, which launches globally at the end of July.

Created by Burberry Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bailey, in collaboration with perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, My Burberry Blush is a sparkling and intensely feminine new Eau de Parfum. The fragrance is inspired by a London garden in the first light of day as flowers blossom with a spirited burst of energy.

Lily said this evening

“It is so exciting to be in Paris in the sun to celebrate My Burberry Blush – I love the romance and energy of this city, it’s the perfect place to share the new fragrance with you all”

Lifestyle

Rihanna loves Chopard

Rihanna and Chopard Co-President and Creative Director, Caroline Scheufele, have worked closely together to combine their creativity and passion to develop Haute Joaillerie and Joaillerie collections. Inspired by Rihanna’s effortless confidence infused with strength, the limited edition RIHANNA ♥ CHOPARD Joaillerie Collection is defined by minimalist geometry and sharp, clean lines. A synergy of urban modernism and pure design gives Chopard’s classic Ice Cube shape a powerful sense of self and introduces new designs and coloured ceramic into the line.

The 9-piece capsule collection sees linear rectangular motifs link frosty rose gold cubes with solid ceramic blocks in a colour personally selected by Rihanna – Jungle Green. Crafted from 18ct rose ethical gold certified Fairmined, the limited edition collaboration will be available with icy polished or diamond set gold cubes.

“I have always been in love with Chopard’s exquisite jewelry, so to actually design collections with them is something I still can’t believe,” says Rihanna.

“It was a really incredible process and I learned so much!” “Rihanna and I collaborated closely on the collections so you can feel her unstoppable energy, strong creativity, and inherent sense of design in every piece,” says Caroline Scheufele. “With her unique style, she redefines the way people see and wear jewelry.”

“We’ve seen the relationship between fashion and music become even closer in recent years. Today many of fashion’s most influential names are music stars first and Rihanna is a prime example of this trend. Our upcoming AW17 campaign, Music Matters at Selfridges will explore the interaction between fashion and music and the most creative and unexpected collaborations – We’re thrilled to be the first retail destination to present RIHANNA ♥ CHOPARD collection to its customers in the UK.” Says Eleanor Robinson, Selfridges’ Director of Accessories.

Lifestyle

Tom Chaplin

The former front man of the multi-million selling British band Keane decided to fly solo and last year published his critically acclaimed album The Wave. Described as “incredibly beautiful” and “anthemic” by the media, this album has proven that Tom Chaplin is a consummated artist. In this interview, we go beyond the music, in search of the man behind it.

Q: Did you grow up loving music? Who taught you to love music?
A: I loved singing and making up songs as far back as I can remember. By the time I was 7 I was in school plays, recitals and carol services. As I got older I got more and more into pop music. There were several music teachers who encouraged this part of me. My friend Tim Rice-Oxley (of Keane) taught me how to play chords and write songs. I also got fully immersed in the technical side of recording – I bought a Foster 4-track as a teenager and would spend hours tinkering with weird and wonderful sounds. They probably sounded terrible but my love affair with making records was underway.

Q: Your first band, The Lotus Eaters, formed in 1995 with your friends Dominic Scott, Tom Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes. At the time it was simply a cover band, but all that changed in 1997 when the name changed to Keane and you became the lead singer. What precipitated those changes? Did you know by then that music was your career?
A: I think a lot of teenagers start bands, although they are often short-lived affairs before deciding on a “proper job”. It was different with Keane – we loved each other’s company and we felt like the band was the best way of expressing ourselves as people. In the early days, Tim, Dominic and myself all wrote and sang. This changed in the early 2000s when it became clear that Tim was writing incredible tunes and my voice really developed. Even though it took us a bit longer to get a record deal, we had a lot of faith in the strength of that combination. We also worked in a fair few different jobs and realised that nothing could touch the profound fulfillment of making music as a band.

Q: You have had your ups and downs with substance abuse. I understand that whilst working on your solo album you went through a particularly challenging period. What was what finally made you pull through?
A: In the early stages of writing my solo record my life completely unraveled. It was a very sad and scary time because my daughter had just been born and I had lost all sense of who I was. By the end of 2014 I was basically running away from myself and from everything that was important to me. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what changed it all – I think it was a number of factors though. I took myself to a dangerous place and I think I got very scared. I realised that I was going to lose everything unless I turned things around. Despite the chaos, I did keep going to my therapist through those dark times – I think the fact that I kept that sacred was an indication that there was a part of me that wanted to fight to get well.

Q: The Wave, your debut solo album, has received high praise by both critics and the media. How long has been this album in the making? Where did you draw inspiration from?
A: The album is my story. It’s about going from a dark and lonely self-imprisonment to a place of redemption and happiness. I think it’s a very human story – we all experience these periods in our lives. The thing that was interesting to me was documenting how one emerges from that darkness – the reparation of the relationship to yourself and those around you.

Q: Which are your strongest musical influences? What other forms of art influence your work?
A: I’m a sucker for epic, beautiful and haunting melodies – I think my voice has always lent itself well to that style; so people like McCartney, The Blue Nile, Rufus Wainwright. I’m also obsessed with great lyricists – people like Lennon, The Divine Comedy, The Smiths. You can say so much in a song! I’m very particular about honing every word and phrase in the songs I write.

Q: What factors outside music play a role in your creative process?
A: I’m very interested in what makes human beings tick. I’ve done a huge amount of therapy over the years, exploring who I am and how I view those around me. I’m fascinated by what goes on underneath the surface for me and for other people. So often we present an image of ourselves that isn’t authentic. I’m fascinated by that contradiction. I honestly believe that a lot of the world’s problems relate to our inability to be open and vulnerable.

Q: In your professional and personal journey, how important has been your family?
A: When I was in self-destruct mode, the realisation that I could lose my family was the most terrifying prospect. It was the single biggest thing that brought me back to sanity. Now I’m able to enjoy my life with them and we have endless fun and happiness together.

The arrival of your daughter probably changed your life in more ways than you could ever expect. Could you share with us how the experience of being a dad is changing you?
It makes you less selfish. It makes you relieved to know that you are no longer the most important person in the world. It’s bloody tiring but it is, without question, entirely worth it.

Being on tour must often feel very lonely. Are you worried it would be easy to go back to the dark times when you are on the road? What are your “crutches”? Do your family travel with you?
I’m more worried about being at home than on tour, where I have structure and purpose. The most dangerous times for me are when I’m left to my own devices. But, in all honesty, I feel very strong when it comes to that dark part of myself. I know it’s there and it’s a powerful force and I know how ruinous it would be to invite it back in.

Q: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
A: I’ve got big plans but I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

Q: Are you thinking of your next album yet?
A: Yes.

Q: Last, I believe you love golf, football and cricket. When do you find time to pursue these hobbies? How important is sport in your life?
A: Fishing, don’t forget fishing. I go to France to try and snare monster carp for several weeks of the year. Basically I like things that are the opposite of what I do with the rest of my time. Anything that puts me in touch with nature or has a physical element to it (football twice a week) is a blessed relief for the permanent dialogue in my head and the stresses of life.

Lifestyle

A Coffee Experience

Fit For A Queen

Race season has descended upon us and Italian coffee company Lavazza is putting its mark on Ascot Racecourse with a stunning new coffee bar set to give race goers a coffee experience fit for the Queen. The new Lavazza ¡Tierra! bar, created exclusively for Ascot, will serve specialty blends from Lavazza’s ¡Tierra! Origins range to an expected 650,000 spectators.

David Rogers Lavazza UK Managing Director, comments: “Lavazza’s founder Luigi Lavazza was the artisan roaster of his day, caring about his products, sustainability, provenance, authenticity and – of course – quality. We are proud to open our Lavazza ¡Tierra! Bar at Ascot Racecourse and honoured to partner with an institution that shares the same sense of ethics and responsibility for its role in UK society. Ascot has been present for over 300 years and is regarded as the UK’s finest racing establishment, with its notoriety excelling beyond racing to a special lifestyle institution that has evolved over time. It is therefore with great pride that Lavazza partners with Ascot for a third year running. With the opening of the new Lavazza ¡Tierra! Bar we will give visitors an unrivaled coffee experience that underpins the values of two great institutional partners.”

Jonathan Parker, Director of Food and Beverage at Ascot, comments: “We are always looking to ‘Raise the Standard’ here at Ascot Racecourse, which is something we do time after time with our official coffee supplier Lavazza. The bar ¡Tierra! will allow our customers to enjoy the finest coffee in a wonderful new lounge area whilst appreciating the full provenance of the Lavazza journey from bean to cup.” The Lavazza ¡Tierra! Bar is located on Level 1 opposite the Brigadier Gerrard Lawn, and will serve race-goers blends specially selected for Ascot including the ¡Tierra! Brasile – a velvety, sweet espresso with an intense body and hints of caramel and hazelnuts, as well as the ¡Tierra! Tanzania, which produces an elegant cup of filter coffee with a balanced body, delicate acidity and a sweet, fruity aroma. A full coffee menu along with sweet and savory foods will be available.

Royal Ascot: June 20th to June 24th
Summer Mile Racing Weekend: July 14th – July 15th
King George VI Weekend: August 28th – August 29th
For a full schedule visit: www.ascot.co.uk

Culture, Lifestyle

London Craft Week 2017

Following on the success of the previous two years, the 2017 programme for London Craft Week brought together over 230 events from all corners of the globe fusing making, design, fashion, art, luxury, food, and culture.

This annual event showcases the very best international and British creativity and craftsmanship through a ‘beyond luxury’ journey-of-discovery. From the V&A to The Shard and RADA to The House of Lords, hidden studios to Mayfair stores and bustling workshops to Michelin starred restaurants, London Craft Week has spread across the capital’s iconic buildings, influential institutions and off-the-beaten track side streets, many of which are not normally open to the public.
London Craft Week works with both emerging and established makers and artists such as Tom Raffield, Bill Amberg, Felicity Aylieff, Julian Stair and Grayson Perry who have featured alongside luxury brands, including founding partner Vacheron Constantin, Princess Yachts, Rolls Royce, Mulberry and Georg Jensen.

Museums and galleries including the V&A, Geffrye Museum, British Museum and Wallace Collection have hosted events as well as fashion designers including Vivienne Westwood, Mary Katrantzou and Hussein Chalayan. At the launch event at the V&A on May 2nd, Julien Marchenoir, Director of Strategy & Heritage at Vacheron Constantin said in his speech: “London Craft Week has become the reference event for international craftsmanship, having created a platform to promote Crafts from all over the world. An impressive 40% of international content is now in the programme and so as London Craft Week continues to expand, enlighten and excite, we must remember why we are here this evening. It is our responsibility to continue to protect the skills that this week will highlight. And it is our responsibility to guarantee their longevity”.

This year’s programme included wood carvers from Japan, artisans from Korea, wood block printers from China, designer-makers from Hong Kong, ceramists from Taiwan, umbrella and cufflink makers from France, porcelain painters from Germany, glass artists from Sweden, furniture makers from Denmark and a guitar maker from Spain. Alongside makers from the UK’s regions and devolved nations including upholsters from Norfolk, knitwear from Derbyshire, steam bending from Cornwall and a special focus on Scotland’s creativity, with Scottish tailoring, weaving and woodworking demonstrations.

“London Craft Week is a response to a renaissance in the appreciation of creativity and craft; to the role of hand, head, unique skills and true talent. It is another example of what, at its best, the world’s creative capital does so well – mixing glamour with cutting edge; heritage and contemporary and the commercial with the cultural.” Guy Salter, OBE MVO, Chairman of London Craft Week
Founded on the ethos of making, LONDON CRAFT WEEK aims to introduce the talent, people and techniques behind beautifully made things to a wider audience. An accessible and immersive cultural experience, London Craft Week gives the public the opportunity to eat, drink and view performances, meet artists, designers, makers and engineers, get a glimpse behind-the-scenes of famous brands and landmark buildings, see familiar products deconstructed, learn how things are made and even have a go yourselves.