Compendium Volume 6 Australia

VOLUME VI
TRAVEL
BEGUILING
DESTINATIONS FOR
THE YEAR AHEAD
GASTRONOMY
CHEFS EXPLORE
AND EXPLAIN THEIR
INFLUENCES
INTERIORS
THE ENDURING
APPEAL OF
SCANDI CHIC
STYLE
SUSTAINABLE FASHION,
HIGH JEWELLERY,
ARTFUL WATCHES
PLUS
ARCHITECTURE,
YACHTING AND
FINE WINE
THE COMPENDIUM
2021
M M X X I
by

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
The Compendium by Centurion 2021
The
Overview
1
P 82
OUR SCANDINAVIAN SPACES P 58
Why mid-century Nordic designers continue to influence our homes
THE BIG AND THE BOLD P 64
Three women at the top of the yachting world on the benefits of building on a larger scale
URBAN STRATEGIST P 68
A conversation with architect Deborah Saunt about our evolving public sphere
THE FUTURE OF FASHION P 72
A tidal wave of ethical thinking is changing haute couture for good
BLACK TIE OPTIONAL P 76
The latest styles for dressing smart – no matter what the occasion
VIRTUALLY PERFECT P 82
Digital supermodel Shudu shows off the latest high-jewellery masterpieces
CHANGING TIMES P 90
Behind the scenes as leading watchmakers transition to online sales
6
PHOTO THE DIIGITALS

COLLECTION
Villeret
©Photograph: patriceschreyer.com
BEIJING · DUBAI · GENEVA · HONG KONG · KUALA LUMPUR · LAS VEGAS · LONDON · MACAU · MADRID
MANAMA · MOSCOW · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PARIS · SEOUL · SHANGHAI · SINGAPORE · TAIPEI · TOKYO · ZURICH

P 42 P 16
2T he
Digest
20 DESTINATIONS FOR 2021 P 16
Captivating locales where the focus is on the great outdoors
FROM THE MIND TO THE PLATE P 42
On the inspirations and influences of the world’s most creative chefs
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS P 62
New and recent Scandi-inspired furnishings that are already collectors’ pieces
THE EXPANSION PACK P 66
The five most important superyacht launches – and their smart innovations
VISIONARY BUILDS P 70
This year’s architectural standouts are changing the way we live
NOUVELLE VOGUE P 74
Fashion designers and collections that put a premium on sustainability
EXTRAORDINARY EDITIONS P 92
These rare timepieces show off the remarkable artistry of their makers
SOMMELIER’S CHOICE P 96
Global wine experts pick emerging vintages from their own regions
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: © QUINTONIL, BACHIR MOUKARZEL
8

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k m'p ndI m/
a collection of concise but detailed information
Contributors who
made this issue possible
JONATHAN BELL
is an editor at Wallpaper*
magazine
THE DIIGITALS
created Shudu, the world’s first
digital supermodel, in 2017
Welcome to the sixth edition of The Compendium by
Centurion, our annual wide-angle assessment of the year
gone by and the one that lies ahead. We pride ourselves on
our ability to take the measure of the luxury world from top to bottom –
and this year is no different, though of course it is different in just about
every other way.
The challenges of the past months have affected all of us, humbling
the prognosticators and inspiring the creative visionaries. We were
proud to continue publishing for you, adapting our editorial focus to
match the moment across all four of our issues of Centurion Magazine.
The one thing we weren’t able to do in 2020 was to celebrate our 20th
anniversary – a significant milestone that, like so many occasions of the
past year, will be feted a little late. We look forward to doing so, in all
proper style, at the right time.
One aspect of the production of this issue of Compendium that we
think we hit at precisely the right time was our collaboration with Shudu,
the world’s first digital supermodel. Our high jewellery feature, on page
82, was crafted entirely on a computer – which meant that maintaining
social distance was no problem at all as we got an exceptionally lifelike
glimpse of what the future of modelling might hold.
Our incisive, long-form articles combine with trend-based shortlists
throughout the issue to keep you up to date on everything from
collectable interior design and sustainable fashion to ascendant young
winemakers and the world’s most creative chefs. There is much more
to discover, and be inspired by, across the issue: we wish you happy
reading and a good start to 2021.
Christian Schwalbach
SOPHIE DJERLAL
has written about fashion
for years, most recently for
Vogue Italia
HANNAH GEORGE
uses watercolour, pen and ink
to illustrate wine bottles as
well as children’s books
MELANIE GRANT
is a devoted horolophile and
is luxury editor of 1843
JEFFREY T IVERSON
is a Paris-based American who
covers food, wine and culture
JÖRN KASPUHL
illustrates for publications
ranging from The New Yorker
to GQ
BILL KNOTT
is a food critic and
restaurateur in London
CORNELIA MARIOGLOU
covers yachts and the people
behind them for Centurion
SEBASTIAN SABAL-BRUCE
was born in Chile and now
photographs in New York
ELISA VALLATA
has been the style director
of Centurion for more
than a decade
MELISSA VENTOSA MARTIN
consults on fashion
and style
CLAIRE WRATHALL
writes on design, art and travel
for a myriad of publications
10

THE COMPENDIUM
BY CENTURION
GROUP PUBLISHER /EDITOR IN CHIEF
CHRISTIAN SCHWALBACH
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ART DIRECTOR
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PROJECT EDITOR JAPAN
PHOTO EDITOR
PRODUCTION MANAGER & SEPARATION
CHIEF SUB-EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FASHION
YACHTING EDITOR
PROPERTY EDITOR
FASHION CORRESPONDENT, PARIS
THOMAS MIDULLA
ANJA EICHINGER
MARTIN KREUZER
CLAUDIA WHITEUS
JOHN McNAMARA
BRIAN NOONE
ELISA VALLATA
FRANZISKA SENG (Germany)
PERZ WONG (Hong Kong)
PAUL HICKS (Asia)
ISABEL ARESO (Spain & LatAm)
MITSUYO MATSUMOTO (Japan)
ANNE PLAMANN
TOM BURSON
DING XIALEI
HIROKO KAMOGAWA
TERESA LEMME
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VICKI REEVE
AVRIL GROOM
CORNELIA MARIOGLOU
PETER SWAIN
KATRIN SILLEM
ASSOCIATE GROUP PUBLISHER
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CHRISTOPH GERTH
LAURA TIVEY
ALBERT KELLER
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DISCOVER AN
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Even in a country as big as Australia, the Kimberley always makes
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something else: time to reflect on the region’s ancient human history
and consider the wonders of nature in their purest, most raw forms.
Cruise by Zodiac ® to feel the thunder of waterfalls, explore spectacular
gorges, witness variations of Aboriginal rock art, and search for Western
Australia’s wildlife in destinations that are accessible only by ship.
After a full day exploring, return to your luxury expedition outpost —
Silver Explorer. She’s the perfect platform for viewing these untamed
landscapes and will allow you to create memories that last a lifetime.
The onboard ambience is warm and friendly, and with just 144 guests
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your Expedition Team and fellow travellers.
When you are ready to book, you don´t have to look far away. Join us, for
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See Silversea.com for full T&Cs

20
THE
ESSENTIAL
DESTINATIONS FOR 2021
WHETHER THEY ARE FORTHCOMING, FAR-FLUNG
RESORTS OR LONG-LOVED REGIONS WITH EXTRA
BUZZ, THE PLACES ON OUR GLOBAL SHORTLIST
ARE SENDING OUT A SIREN CALL AS WE RETURN
TO TRAVEL
16

PHOTO © SONEVA
1
MALDIVES
TRUE BLUE
17
The Indian Ocean archipelago has long been the go-to place for those
seeking seclusion in sumptuous surrounds, as epitomised by the
groundbreaking Soneva, which opened its first resort there in 1995. While
2020 might have been a muted 25th anniversary, Soneva has kept growing
and innovating. In October, its original “no news, no shoes” resort Soneva
Fushi (above) unveiled the world’s largest overwater villas – a selection of
one- and two-bedroom retreats, all with their own water slides – while in
December, its sister property Soneva Jani launched its Chapter Two, with
27 new overwater villas, complemented by three new eateries, including
Swedish chef Mathias Dahlgren’s pescatarian and plant-based Overseas.
The island nation will soon also play host to a trio of new resorts in its
Fari Islands – a Ritz-Carlton, a Capella and a Patina, a new concept from
the Capella family of brands – alongside a marina and a first-of-its-kind
hospitality campus for local residents.

2
FINNISH LAPLAND
WINTER WONDER
Hauntingly silent, unyieldingly white and sparsely populated: the
bitter, foreboding yet awe-inspiring conditions of Lapland’s harsh
winter are its very draw. By day, this ethereal backdrop serves as a
blank-white canvas for adventure – from snowshoeing to crosscountry
skiing – while at night, high above a vast canopy of fairytale
forests, the aurora borealis illuminates the sky in a mind-bending
spectrum of multicoloured light. The year-old Octola Lodge and its
new two-bedroom private villa (above), not far from the provincial
capital of Rovaniemi, sets a new standard for accommodations in
this land of extremes. Designed in line with the local Sámi building
tradition, the well-appointed ten-suite chalet – which can be rented
in full or in part – offers plenty of après-outdoors respite, even in
the summer, when it’s the midnight sun that guests are fleeing.
PHOTO © OCTOLA
18

PHOTO LANCE GERBER
3
ALULA
DESERT BEAUTY
19
The Unesco World Heritage Site in the northwest deserts of Saudi Arabia
is the talk of the hospitality world. Aman has pledged to open three
new resorts in the sublime surrounds in coming years, and so too have
Banyan Tree, Habitas and Janu, a new hotel company from Aman.
Architect Jean Nouvel is planning to carve a hotel into the freestanding
sandstone pillars that give the sunwashed region its distinctive look
– some of which, nearby, have carvings of their own and have been
home to civilisations for millennia. Last year, Desert X AlUla (above), a
site-responsive art installation, became the first such exhibition in the
country, bringing in works from global artists in what promises to be an
annual, headline-making spectacle.

4
ARAN ISLANDS
BEWITCHINGLY BARREN
20
Austere, blustery and fringed by steep-faced limestone cliffs, this
trio of diminutive isles off Ireland’s western coast is imbued with a
deep sense of romantic desolation. A hike across any of the islands
– none of them longer than 14 kilometres – will take you past the
odd sleepy village, a smattering of lonely Celtic ruins and timeworn
chapels, and ponies that graze stone-walled pastures. Irish remains
the primary language for its 1,200 residents, adding to a time-capsule
feel that extends to Inis Meáin Restaurant & Suites, set on the
eponymous island – population 183. Sheathed in the traditional drystone
walls ubiquitous across the region, the rustic interior belies the
contemporary comforts of its five ocean-facing suites (think Philippe
Starck bathrooms and Japanese iroko beds), while its much-lauded
restaurant champions homegrown produce and seafood caught fresh
from around the coast.
PHOTO CHRIS HILL

5
BLACK FOREST
CULINARY QUEST
22
This vast swathe of dense woodland, fragrant meadows and softly
undulating hills in Germany’s southwest has long sparked the
collective imagination, from fairytales like Rapunzel and Hansel and
Gretel – said to have been based on local lore – to, more recently, a
gilded cachet of internationally feted chefs inspired by its rich bounty.
While the region’s culinary epicentre firmly remains the hamlet
of Baiersbronn – with a whopping eight Michelin stars, the biggest
little culinary capital few have heard of – in 2020, it was the lakeside
village of Schluchsee making waves. At Oxalis, rising young chef Max
Goldberg dreams up thoughtful locavore dishes with subtle Nipponese
influences, served kaiseki-style. The above creation is a medley of
homegrown flavours: peeled, lightly mottled tomatoes, wood-grilled,
vinaigrette-steamed artichokes from nearby Bötzingen and crisps and
cream made with fermented shallots and garlic.
PHOTO ENRICO MARKX

6
BOTSWANA
SPLENDOUR IN THE TALL GRASS
24
Long one of the world’s premier safari destinations, centred on the
Okavango Delta, the charismatic landlocked country has recently
expanded its wildlife opportunities across a range of landscapes.
Try Cookson Adventures for a bespoke itinerary and wildlife-guided
heli-safari accompanied by leading experts. Or go back to the
retro-styled but utterly revamped Jack’s Camp, which has just put
on a new face after 25 glorious years. Entirely new to the mix is
Xigera, a 12-suite camp that ticks all the boxes, from sustainability
to contemporary art – and is family-owned to boot. For a family stay,
try Little DumaTau from Wilderness Safaris, which has just four tents
and sits amid a private reserve.
PHOTO ISTOCK

PHOTO KARA ROSENLUND
7
SATELLITE
ISLAND
YOUR OWN PERSONAL SANCTUARY
25
As if Tasmania weren’t remote enough, the tiny, windswept speck of
land between its southern coast and Bruny Island broadcasts its siren
song louder than ever at the moment. Formerly a creative retreat just
45 minutes from Hobart, it’s now a private island for hire that feels on
the edge of the world. Not that it isn’t stylish: Australian designer Tess
Newman-Morris has seen to the effortlessly chic decor in both the
hilltop main house and the beachside boathouse. Slow living is the
goal – and inevitably a successful one, though a private chef can be
arranged for those who desire a bit of civilisation.

8
NEW ZEALAND
ANGLING FOR ADVENTURE
26
Rugged, rustic and ready to be discovered, the Land of the Long
White Cloud is an outdoor adventurer’s dream that offers increasing
opportunities to bond with nature. Poronui Lodge (above) in Taharua
Valley on the North Island offers one such irresistible option – helifishing
in some of the most challenging rivers in the world. Brown
and rainbow trout may be abundant but are never an easy catch,
though the difficult nature of a day’s angling can be offset in the
environs of the rustic, if quite comfortable, lodge – grand leather
armchairs provide strong support for weary bodies, an extensive
wine cellar proffers rejuvenation, and utter relaxation can be found
in the superb spa. For those wishing to explore the islands further,
DM Concierge can arrange private helicopter tours that take in
everything from Auckland to Queenstown, with activities including
fishing and golfing along the way.
PHOTO © PORONUI

PHOTO © ARCHIV APT SERVIZI REGIONE EMILIA ROMAGNA
9
EMILIA-ROMAGNA
LITERARY LEGACY
27
As a difficult year closes for the Bel Paese, 2021 remains cause for
celebration of poet Dante Alighieri and the rich oeuvre of works –
including the seminal Divine Comedy – he left behind upon his death
exactly 700 years ago. Some 100 events are set to draw culture vultures
to the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, among them a muchanticipated
collaboration with Florence’s Uffizi museum in Forlì, the
pretty city that gave refuge to the condemned poet in 1302. Scheduled
for a March to July run, Dante: The Vision of Art will showcase artworks
ranging from rarely seen portraits of Dante himself to Michelangelo’s
drawing of a doomed man in The Divine Comedy, while in Ravenna, the
newly restored Dante’s Tomb hosts daily readings of the poet’s magnum
opus and, nearby, a colourful Dante mural by enigmatic Brazilian street
artist Kobra (above).

10
MADAGASCAR
SURPRISE HAVEN
28
The fourth-largest island in the world has long charmed with its idyllic
setting in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and unique flora and
fauna, though for years it lacked a truly standout luxe resort. Time & Tide
Miavana has changed that. Located on Nosy Ankao – a private island
in the Levens Archipelago, off the country’s northeastern coast and
only accessible by helicopter – Miavana consists of 14 villas, built from
hand-hewn rock and featuring private pools, sunken baths and butler
service. It’s surrounded by beautiful vegetation and fascinating wildlife,
and rather than intrude on the environment, Time & Tide has actively
enhanced it. More than 60,000 native plants have been restored to the
island, while five endangered crowned lemurs were introduced there in
2017 – the colony that has since grown to 11.
PHOTO RICHARD L‘ANSON

PHOTO BACHIR MOUKARZEL
11
DUBAI
PRINCE AMONG EMIRATES
29
Abu Dhabi may have risen to greater prominence in recent years
and the attractions of the five lesser-known emirates are gaining
more publicity, but, with 2021 marking the 50th anniversary of
the UAE’s foundation, Dubai is issuing plenty of reminders that it
was the first of the septet to come to global attention. No stranger
to grand gestures and large structures, such as the Dubai Frame
(above), the emirate will be centre stage again in October when
a 438ha site near the border with Abu Dhabi, designed by the
American firm HOK, will host the postponed World Expo 2020. The
theme is particularly apt: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.
And Dubai will further burnish its credentials as both a travel hub
and destination du jour, with the imminent opening of a selection
of high-end hotels, including The Palm Jumeirah St Regis, Langham
Place and the Edition.

12
CHENOT PALACE
PRESCRIPTION FOR WELLNESS
30
Scientifically informed Alpine health retreats have been with us
for centuries, but they may have reached new heights with the
recently opened Chenot Palace in Switzerland. Perched alongside
Lake Lucerne in the picturesque hamlet of Weggis, the wellness
group’s flagship property has sensitively repurposed the handsome
space of the former Park Hotel and added a 5,000sq m state-ofthe-art
spa. Personalised, week-long treatments benefit from the
holistic Chenot Method, aiming towards one of three goals: detox,
rejuvenation or prevention and ageing well. Nutrition is a crucial
part of the programme and so too is the splendid setting, with
views out across the water to cascading hillsides and snow-capped
mountain peaks.
PHOTO ROBERTO PELLEGRINI

EXCELLENCE
by A&R
www.abeking.com

13
SEYCHELLES
SPLENDID ISOLATION
32
Home to white-sand beaches, pristine waters and vibrant
rainforests, the Seychelles archipelago has everything one might
seek in a secluded island paradise, but while there is no shortage
of choice, for the ultimate private rentals, some isles offer much
more than others. Take Cousine Island, which can be rented in
its entirety, allowing guests full access to the four villas and the
spacious Presidential Villa, which features two stylish master
bedrooms, an elegant study, gym room, lounge and infinity pool.
Equally exclusive, Fregate Island is just 15 minutes from the
Seychelles’ centre, Mahé, but a world away in terms of solitude
and can also be hired in full – all 16 residences and access to
amenities such as the Rock Spa and a professional dive club. And
with 11 accommodations hidden amid lush vegetation and eateries
with menus by Michelin-Star chef Akira Back, North Island also
embodies the isolation that Seychelles provides so perfectly.
PHOTO ANDREW HOWARD

5:28PM
The moment screen
time was the furthest
thing from their minds.
Since time immemorial, the Hawaiian
people have called Maui home. And at
Fairmont Kea Lani—or any of our 80+
hotels and resorts around the world—
we strive to be your home away from
home, with a relaxed lifestyle that helps
the whole family unplug and connect
with the essence of the destination.
Gateway to your moment of connection.
fairmont.com

14
COMPORTA
BAREFOOT CHIC
34
Portugal’s central coast – stretching from the spit of land due
south of the Lisbon metro area down to the dunes near Melides
– is the destination that no one wants to talk about too loudly.
It’s too wonderful, at least for now. Earmarked by several hotel
conglomerates over the past decade, nothing has yet come to
fruition, which means the longtime escape of the Lisbon elite has
maintained its warm, casual embrace. Quinta da Comporta is the
wonderful established hotel, but the best way to experience the
coast is in a private villa, whether it is the modern grace of 3 Bicas
or the picturesque, thatched-roof simplicity of Casas Na Areia.
PHOTO ROOM THE AGENCY / ALAMY

PHOTO JONTY WILDE
15
YORKSHIRE
SCULPTURAL LEANINGS
35
The arts have been central to this northern English county for
centuries – most famously in textile form, both before and after the
Industrial Revolution. But these days it is fine art that is making a
name for itself, creating one of Europe’s leading rural destinations
for those seeking an art fix. The place to go first is Yorkshire
Sculpture Park (which features Joana Vasconcelos’s Solitaire,
above) now 44 years old and still the largest in Europe. It is set in
the grounds of Bretton Hall, which mega-gallerist Hauser & Wirth
is currently in the process of renovating into an art-filled hotel. Not
far away, the Hepworth Wakefield is a jewel box of a museum led
by its collection of works by Barbara Hepworth, and farther north
still, the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds offers an in-depth look at
the career and sculptures of Hepworth’s contemporary, in addition
to other artists at the neighbouring Leeds Art Gallery.

16
ZAKYNTHOS
PRIVATE VILLA PERFECTION
36
The Ionian Islands, off Greece’s west coast, transcend Hellenic
stereotypes with their abundant greenery and towering rocky cliffs.
These are the isles of endless natural wonder and, if you find the
right spot, splendid isolation as well. Try the all-villa Porto Zante, on
Zakynthos, for the right blend of friendly, personal hospitality and
stunning beachside properties. Each of the villas is kitted out with
top-of-the-line amenities and works by leading Greek artists, while
both culinary and spa experiences are exceptional, whether you are
in the panoramic dedicated spaces or enjoying them in the privacy of
your villa. Watersports are the recreation of choice – and a cruise to
nearby islands puts Mother Nature on full display.
PHOTO ISTOCK

PHOTO CHRISTIAN HORAN
17
RIVIERA
NAYARIT
PARADISE FOUND
37
It seems like the central stretch of Mexico’s Pacific Coast has been on
the tip of everyone’s tongue in the past few years – and for good reason.
With its pristine beaches, untouched rainforests and an increasing
number of top-tier, ultra-private resorts, it feels light years away from the
clichés of coastal Mexico. Perched on a verdant cliffside, the One&Only
Mandarina is the past year’s standout newcomer, sleeping guests in
lavishly outfitted standalone treehouses and villas as well as offering
cuisine by Mexico’s chef du jour Enrique Olvera and spa treatments
inspired by pre-Hispanic remedies. Due south, another tropical oasis,
Costalegre, boasts likewise immaculate natural scenery, and now, the
Four Seasons Tamarindo joins with alluring accommodations adjacent to
the celebrated Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed 18-hole golf course.

18
WESTERN CHINA
EARTHLY DELIGHTS
The Danxia landforms’ strikingly blended swirls of eye-popping
yellow and sunset orange – like these at Danxia Zhangye National
Geological Park in Gansu province – count among Mother Nature’s
most brilliant paintings, a series of brushstrokes spurred by the
erosion of sandstone and minerals some six million years ago.
These unearthly behemoths are hardly the only awe-inspiring
geological spectacles in this stunning part of western China. In
Qinghai province, Chaka Salt Lake’s stark-white salt-crystal bed
and deep blue water render such clear reflections it’s been dubbed
the Mirror in the Sky; not far away, springtime in the handsome
surrounds of Qinghai Lake – China’s largest – is a postcard-perfect
study in contrasts, with vast fields of bright-yellow rapeseed fields
beautifully complementing the deep turquoise of the water.
PHOTO ISTOCK
38

PHOTO JORDAN ROBINS
19
GREAT BARRIER
REEF
A CORAL ESCAPE
39
The fragile ecosystem of Australia’s most revered natural treasure
demands respect and care but also the awe of those discovering it for
the first time or simply drawn back by its majesty. As popular as the
reef is, among its 344,400 square kilometres there are opportunities to
experience the splendid isolation we often crave – such as Wilson Island
(above). The natural coral cay is 80 kilometres off the Queensland coast
– only accessible from nearby Heron Island – and hosts just 18 guests
in its nine sumptuously equipped permanent tents. With no wifi or
phone signal, digital detox is enforced, but with ample activities – from
kayaking and snorkelling in the water, to birdwatching and, when the
season is right, catching a glimpse of turtle eggs hatching on land –
allied to the simple relaxation of a cocktail at sunset on the beach, the
cares of the modern world should feel a million miles away.

20
SETO
INLAND SEA
MASTER AT WORK
40
There will be an enchanting new addition this spring to the
almost-3,000 islands of Japan’s Setouchi region. The latest project
from Aman founder Adrian Zecha, Azumi (above) – named for a
seafaring tribe who settled in Japan – is a modern reimagining of
the traditional inn, or ryokan. Zecha has collaborated with Naru
Developments to create a blend of highly recognisable structures
with modern sensibilities, all the better to maintain the supreme
levels of hospitality for which the ryokans are renowned and to
create an intimate experience with the staff showing an innate sense
of what guests need to make them feel most at home. With Setouchi
an increasingly desirable destination – a well-regarded art triennial
and Tadao Ando’s stylishly designed seven-suite hotel in the region’s
eponymous capital are examples of its attractions – Azumi will add
the art of high-end hospitality to the reasons to visit.
PHOTO MAX HOUTZAGER

FROM THE MIND
TO THE PLATE
GOURMET GREATNESS COMES FROM A DIZZYING
VARIETY OF SOURCES, BE THEY GEOGRAPHY,
HISTORY OR CIRCUMSTANCES. BILL KNOTT
SPEAKS TO A SELECTION OF THE WORLD’S TOP
CHEFS ABOUT THE INSPIRATIONS THAT HAVE
LED THEM TO REACH – AND REMAIN AT – THE
PINNACLE OF THE CULINARY WORLD
Early in 1987, 24-year-old Ferran Adrià attended a
masterclass for young hospitality professionals in
Cannes. It was hosted by Jacques Maximin, the
renowned head chef of Le Chantecler, the restaurant in
Nice’s Hôtel Negresco.
Somebody asked Chef Maximin to define creativity.
“Creativity,” he replied, “means not copying.” Inspired
by this piece of advice, Adrià returned to El Bulli, where
he had just taken over as head chef, and started on the
path that would lead him to be feted as the best chef in
the world.
Even those who disagreed with that assessment
(and there were many) had to admit that Adrià was an
innovator. The rarefied world of gastronomy had not
felt such shockwaves since la nouvelle cuisine in the late
1960s: molecular, avant-garde, techno-emotional… call it
what you will, it influenced a whole generation of chefs.
Some embraced it completely, others reacted against it,
but nobody could deny Adrià’s influence.
But, to use a musical analogy, how does the conductor
become the composer? How do chefs, after years honing
their skills by cooking someone else’s dishes, make the
leap to creating their own menus and opening their own
restaurants? Adrià may have been inspired by Maximin’s
comment, but there were dozens of other chefs at that
masterclass who did not go on to revolutionise haute
cuisine or appear in The Simpsons.
For Virgilio Martínez, chef/proprietor of Central, the
critically acclaimed, ground-breaking Lima restaurant,
inspiration comes from nature: specifically, the
indigenous food culture of his homeland. He admits,
however, that he took a while to find his voice. “I’d served
my time in top European restaurants, from the pot
wash to the pass, and I’d come back to Lima to open my
restaurant. But what I realised was that I was serving an
international menu with Peruvian touches.”
Inspiration came during a week-long trip to the Andes,
staying with a local family. “It was only when I stood
on top of a mountain that I started to feel some kind of
connection.” Looking down, he could see ancient Incan
terraces, and started to form the idea that his menu could
be broken up by altitude, with each dish representing a
different culinary microcosm of Amazonia and the Andes.
Clare Smyth, the Northern Irish chef who cut her teeth
as head chef in Gordon Ramsay’s three Michelin-starred
flagship restaurant in Chelsea, draws inspiration from
what is best called confidence. “When you’re a young
42

“Maybe it’s just about having the guts to make
the jump and risk making a fool of yourself.
Nature is part of it – having a curious mind
when you’re a kid – but nurture, good teaching,
is what helps you to be fearless”
chef, you’re developing your skills and you copy what
you’ve been taught,” she explains. “Then you get to a
stage when you want to throw it all out and do your own
thing. It’s only when you have the confidence in your own
ability that the creative process really works.”
Smyth opened Core, in Notting Hill, in August
2017, and rapidly achieved two Michelin stars.
Perhaps her most celebrated dish at Core is a
potato: perfectly cooked, in a beurre blanc flavoured
with seaweed, and topped with trout roe – but still, in
the end, a potato. “My family are potato farmers: it’s a
dish that speaks of where I’m from.” As does her dish
of braised lamb and carrots: “It sounds a bit mad, but
I don’t want to hide behind luxury ingredients. With
humble ingredients, I’m setting a challenge for myself.
The conventional view in haute cuisine kitchens is that
British vegetables are crap: I know that’s not true. I apply
as much skill, labour, creativity and intricate technique
to a vegetable as I do to an expensive ingredient: maybe
more, because that’s the challenge.”
She encourages her staff to keep thinking, tasting,
training their palates – “some people tell chefs off if
they eat in the kitchen; I tell them off if they don’t” –
but doesn’t believe that everyone is creative. “I can tell
when someone is creative, but I personally think that
lots of chefs aren’t. I see them still cooking recipes from
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay ten years ago. I thought they
were good back then, but they haven’t moved on.”
Mehmet Gürs, chef/proprietor of Mikla in Istanbul
and a master of what has been dubbed New Anatolian
cuisine, wonders whether a fear of failure holds some
chefs back. “Why are there some super-talented chefs
working in restaurants but you’ve never heard of them?
They’re a bit like artists in their lofts,” he says. “Maybe
it’s just about having the guts to make the jump and risk
making a fool of yourself. Nature is part of it – having
a curious mind when you’re a kid – but nurture, good
teaching, is what helps you to be fearless.”
Gürs was born in Finland and grew up in Stockholm
and Istanbul, and much of his inspiration comes
from reconciling those two very different styles
of cooking. “Scandinavian cuisine is calmer, more
monochromatic – buttoned up in the frozen North –
whereas Turkish food is all about heat, spice, sunshine,
vivid colours and flavours. You might love or loathe
Turkish food, but it’s never bland: I take it, play with it,
43

efine it, distil it, calm it down … that’s the Scandi in me,
I suppose!”
As a committed internationalist, Gürs is scathing
about the rigidity of classic French training. “It’s absurd
that schools are teaching Chinese or Japanese kids
French techniques before anything else. The so-called
‘mother sauces’, for instance – béchamel, hollandaise
and the rest – I’m tempted to ask, ‘Whose mother are you
talking about? It’s not mine!’” Gürs balks at restrictions
of any kind. “I would happily throw away my passports
… except I need to travel.”
Back in Stockholm, chef and restaurateur Niklas
Ekstedt, whose eponymous restaurant specialises
in food cooked in, over and around fire, also muses
on the nature of culinary creativity. “Why do some
chefs think differently from others? I surround myself
with young chefs: maybe they can’t actually cook a fish
properly yet, but they can still be creative. My job is to
help them think freely and develop their own style.”
His style has developed from exploring ancient culinary
techniques. “I was kind of stuck in a corner with the New
Nordic cuisine, when Noma was at its peak and chefs like
René [Redzepi] were drawing their inspiration from the
environment, foraging in particular,” he says. “I started to
look at old techniques instead, scouring old cookbooks
for them: one 18th-century book has a recipe for oysters
cooked in hot fat from the spit, which we’ve adapted
and serve in the restaurant.” His researches have also
turned up long-forgotten techniques for curing salmon,
preserving game and fermenting vegetables.
He picks up a point also made by Gürs: that culinary
artistry is all very well, but a chef is also responsible for
the manufacturing process, and the two skills are very
different. “The most challenging thing in the future is to
find a venue to showcase your cooking: the competition is
enormous. I’d be terrified to start over again.”
It has been a tough year for restaurants around the world,
especially those that rely on an international clientele.
Gaggan Anand, the avant-garde Indian chef whose
Bangkok restaurant was voted the best restaurant in Asia
for four consecutive years, has been forced to adapt, but is
relishing the chance to create a new menu for a different
audience. “I’ve never spent so much time in my own
kitchen. Because we’re now cooking for a local clientele,
we have had to think differently.” Anand has halved his
prices and cut down on luxury ingredients “although some
of our diners want them – caviar, Spanish carabineros, sea
urchin,” he says, “so we offer them for a supplement.”
He continues, “It’s been really eye-opening to discover
more local produce, and to give diners the same experience
but without exotic ingredients. I’ll die before I cook a
lobster again.”
Mixing unexpected flavours has been a lifelong
preoccupation for the so-called “Picasso of Pastry",
Pierre Hermé. He is fascinated by the way they interact
and completely uninhibited about combining unlikely
ingredients to produce uniquely flavoured pastries and
desserts. A macaron flavoured with hogweed and lemon,
for example – “that one sprang from a meal I had at Marc
Veyrat many years ago” – or another made with lovage
and citrus: “lemon completely changes the strong celery
flavour of lovage. And I fill it with pineapple confit for
another twist of flavour.”
Hermé thinks about aroma like a sommelier or a
parfumier: he took wine lessons when he was
young, helping him to learn about flavours not
just in wine but in nature in general, and he has even
designed a range of fragranced products for his friend
Olivier Baussan, founder of L’Occitane en Provence.
“When you’re in a creative phase,” he says, mirroring
the thoughts of all six chefs, “you can have no constraints.
You need to think without boundaries, even if it throws
up a few problems: you can find the solutions to those
when you have the product in front of you. If you don’t
do that, if you let other factors affect your thinking, then
that isn’t creativity, it’s marketing.”
44

FRUITS OF THE SOIL
AGRICULTURE
CLARE SMYTH,
CORE, LONDON
Illustrations by JÖRN KASPUHL
Core, Clare Smyth‘s Notting Hill restaurant, was awarded two stars as a new entry in the 2019 Michelin Guide
and many pundits tip her to gain a third soon. After all, she held three stars as head chef of Restaurant Gordon
Ramsay, and the 42-year-old Northern Irish chef was named World’s Best Female Chef by the World's 50 Best
Restaurants in 2018, so she is no stranger to the rarefied world of haute cuisine. Smyth's menu at Core takes
her back to her roots … and her tubers: father William is a potato farmer, and her signature dish of potato with
herring and trout roe and dulse beurre blanc was inspired by her habit of eating a potato – “plain, with just salt
and pepper, and maybe a little butter” – each day before service, prompting her head chef Jonny Bone to say,
“You've got to put a potato dish on the menu.” Vegetables are the supporting cast in the classic French cookery
in which Smyth was schooled, but she has taken a leaf from L'Arpège chef Alain Passard's book and lets them
take centre stage. Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, onions – in Smyth's hands they become things of beauty.
“Taste everything,” she says, “and understand the matrix of flavours. Greed is good.”
46

2 3
WHERE THE PRODUCE IS STAR
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: EDUARDO TORRES, SANDRA DELPECH
1 ORA, HELSINKI
Finland’s short growing
season means that
pickling and preserving
are part of the country’s
DNA, as demonstrated
at Ora, chef/proprietor
Sasu Laukkonen’s
small, Michelin-starred
restaurant in central
Helsinki. Depending
on the season, the open
kitchen might serve up
pickled celeriac, spruced
up with Scots pine;
smoked lake fish with
turnip and trout roe; or
goose with fermented
rhubarb and crisped husks
of Jerusalem artichoke.
2 MIRAZUR,
MENTON
Argentinian Mauro
Colagreco’s gastro-palace
in the South of France
goes from strength to
strength: first, a third
Michelin star, then the
top spot on the World’s
50 Best list. Colagreco’s
gardens provide much of
his superb produce, and
his latest innovation is his
Mirazur Universe Menu,
compiled according to
biodynamic principles,
and divided into Roots,
Leaves, Fruit and Flowers.
Tours of the garden are
available on request.
3 L'ARPÈGE, PARIS
Alain Passard’s decision
in 2001 to take meat
and fish off his menus
at the three Michelinstarred
L’Arpège in
the French capitals
seventh arrondissement,
concentrating instead
on vegetables, was
controversial at the time:
now, it seems hugely
prescient. Passard has
three “kitchen gardens”
in different terroirs of
western France, producing
40 tonnes of organic fruits
and vegetables each year,
and his menus do them
full justice.
4 CASA MARCIAL,
ASTURIAS
Nacho Manzano was born
in the Asturian farmhouse
that is now his lovely, two
Michelin-starred restaurant,
and his menus are rooted
as firmly in the local soil as
he is. Located among rolling
hills in a picture-perfect
hamlet, between the ocean
and the mountains, Casa
Marcial offers a gastronomic
tour of the Spanish region
in every menu. Manzano’s
most celebrated dish is
pitu caleya (“road hen”,
literally) cooked in a rich
stock and served with
saffron rice.
47

ARTFUL APPROACH
THEATRICAL
GAGGAN ANAND,
GAGGAN, BANGKOK
The term “rock star chef” might have been invented for Gaggan Anand. Take a seat for dinner at the kitchen
table of his eponymous Sukhumvit restaurant and – as he cranks up the volume, and Prince belts out
Purple Rain – it will not surprise you to learn that, in his native Kolkata, a young Anand once earned his
living as a drummer. That he chose cooking as a career, not rock music, is something for which Bangkok's
visiting gourmets should be profoundly grateful. However, should your tastes run to steak frîtes, claret and
some gentle Vivaldi, this is not the place for you – and a menu written entirely in emojis won't help. But
for those who relish the avant-garde, watching Anand work his audience is spellbinding, with more licks
and riffs than Hendrix in his prime. Expect a dazzling series of dishes – spherified yogurt infused with curry
(Anand once worked at El Bulli), a psychedelic plate of spices, to be licked clean – and an equally offbeat
pick of matching wines from Vladimir Kojic (aka Vlad the Intoxicator). There might be, as Anand puts it, “75
other lunatics in my circus”, but the identity of the ringmaster is not in doubt.
48

7 8
WHERE DINNER IS THE SHOW
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: SCOTT WRIGHT, © TICKETS
5 L’ESCAMOTEUR,
KYOTO
Climb the narrow
staircase and walk into
L’Escamoteur (French
for “conjurer”), and you
may well feel you have
stumbled onto the set
of a Harry Potter movie.
Owner Christophe Rossi,
from Marseille, trained
as a magician and there
is much wizardry behind
the bar: plumes of smoke,
dry ice and the occasional
flame. Try the Smoky
Old Fashioned or the
Rossi Gin Fizz and admire
the steampunk decor
as your drink magically
disappears.
6 ITHAA
UNDERSEA
RESTAURANT,
MALDIVES
You have to feel sorry
for chefs who, however
spectacularly they plate
their dishes, will inevitably
be upstaged by shoals of
fish and panoramic views
of coral gardens. Five
metres below the ocean,
the dining room at Ithaa
(“mother-of-pearl”, in the
local language) is made
from transparent acrylic,
offering guests a stunning
270˚ view. The menu
deftly blends Western and
Maldivian cuisines, but it’s
the fish that steal the show.
7 ULTRAVIOLET,
SHANGHAI
A truly avant-garde
experience, especially
for a Michelin three-star
dinner. Meet for drinks
at Ultraviolet chef Paul
Pairet’s other Shanghai
restaurant, Mr & Mrs Bund,
then be taken by van
to a secret, nondescript
location on the city’s
outskirts. What follows
is a kind of gastronomic
son et lumière, featuring a
20-course, multisensory,
interactive menu, inspired
by Pairet’s “psycho-taste”
theories and delivered
by a team of wellchoreographed
waiters.
8 TICKETS,
BARCELONA
Albert Adrià’s delightful,
circus-themed Barcelona
restaurant in the vibrant
El Raval barrio builds on
the legacy he and brother
Ferran created at the
legendary El Bulli, but this
is gastronomy at its most
convivial. Now a decade
old, it still wows diners
with its witty, clever and
imaginative tapas-style
dishes, served among the
riotous exuberance of the
carnival decor. Choose à
la carte, or let your server
choose: the waiters will
bring you plates until you
tell them to stop.
49

BEST OF BOTH
FUSION
MEHMET GÜRS,
MIKLA, ISTANBUL
The son of a Turkish father and a Swedish/Finnish mother, Mehmet Gürs’s diet as a child was unusual: Turkish
feasts on Islamic holidays; herring and pig’s trotters at Christmas. For him, however, it is perfectly natural and
“the only reality I know, although sometimes I feel like a lunatic with a split personality”. On the plate, Gürs’s
food looks restrained, even minimalist – “I don't just throw colours all over the plate; my food looks like food” –
but its flavours are unmistakably, vibrantly Anatolian. His restaurant, Mikla, sits atop the Marmara Pera Hotel
and boasts panoramic views of Istanbul, the city that has become his home and his inspiration. In his hands,
for example, a rustic fish sandwich from the Galata Bridge is transformed into a dish of hamsi (Black Sea
anchovies) with a crisp wafer of olive oil-fried bread and an elegant lemon sauce. Further afield, he nurtures
relationships with scores of small producers throughout the region. Gürs loathes boundaries, whether cultural,
political, religious or geographical, and sees them as the enemies of creativity. He loves to travel, absorbing
ideas wherever he goes. “I think everyone has creativity in them,” he says, but sees it as a muscle that needs to
be exercised. “Some people are content with the landscape as it is. I like looking under stones.”
50

9 11
WHERE CULTURES MEET ON THE PLATE
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: © KEI, © JL STUDIO
9 KEI, PARIS
Kei Kobayashi is the first
Japanese chef to earn three
Michelin stars in France:
a protégé of Alain Chapel,
his restaurant near Les
Halles in Paris has become
a must-visit spot for the
city’s gourmets, offering
Kobayashi’s unique
interpretation of modern
cuisine, backed up by
extraordinary technique
and painterly presentation.
His sense of aesthetics
was honed in Japan and
his technical wizardry was
learned in France – but his
style is all his own.
10 MINGLES, SEOUL
Chef Kang Mingoo’s
influences come from
training under Basque
chef Martín Berasategui
and working at Nobu, but
also from Jeong Kwan, a
Buddhist nun and Korean
food expert, and Cho
Hee-sook, the godmother
of Korean cookery.
At Mingles, he melds
European technique with
traditional Korean cuisine
(hansik) to great effect,
winning two Michelin
stars for his interpretation
of his homeland’s rich
food culture.
11 JL STUDIO,
TAIWAN
Singaporean chef Jimmy
Lim grew up cooking at
his father’s street stall. In
2017, he opened JL Studio
in Taichung City, fulfilling
his dream of showcasing
modern Singaporean
cuisine in a gourmet
restaurant. Lim deconstructs
traditional Singaporean
dishes using fresh
Taiwanese ingredients: satay,
for instance, is reworked as
a peanut ice cream shaved
over frozen foie gras, with
crisped chicken skin,
cucumber and onion.
12 L'EFFERVESCENCE,
TOKYO
Shinobu Namae’s CV
includes a five-year stint at
Michel Bras and a year at The
Fat Duck. At L’Effervescence,
which he opened in
2010, his playful blend of
European and Japanese
cuisines has earned him
two Michelin stars. Standout
dishes include blowfish roe
matched with sushi rice
risotto, dried scallops and
white truffle, and oak-grilled
duck with red wine sauce,
pasta in brodo, and the
duck’s legs, offal and bones
with black truffle.
51

SUMMIT VIEW
GEOGRAPHY
VIRGILIO MARTÍNEZ,
CENTRAL, LIMA
Growing up in Lima, Virgilio Martínez knew very little of Peru’s indigenous food. “We were told that the Andes
and Amazonia were out of bounds, full of drugs and terrorists,” he says. He served his time at restaurants in
Europe, returned to Lima, opened Central, then – frustrated at not cooking what he considered to be “true
Peruvian food” – closed the restaurant, took a six-month break to travel around Peru, and started to discover
indigenous ingredients that most Peruvians had never seen before. Because of the country’s topography,
says Martínez, “our food culture is vertical, not horizontal. Discovering it changed the way I thought about
Peru.” He launched his Altitude menu in 2012: a series of 20 plates, each from a different altitude and with
its own culinary integrity. “Nobody had laid out Peru like that before,” he says. He stresses that his is a
collaborative approach to creativity: his wife, Pía León, and sister Malena are integral parts of his team, as are
anthropologists, researchers and biologists. “My inspiration comes from nature, from the wisdom of ancient
cultures, and I am spurred on by the things people in our team challenge me to do. Our philosophy is simple:
how many rules can we break today?”
52

13 15
WHERE DISHES ECHO PLACE AND PEOPLE
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: © QUINTONIL, ARTRA SARTRACOM
13 QUINTONIL,
MEXICO CITY
Head chef Jorge Vallejo’s
menu at Quintonil is a love
letter to Mexico’s culinary
heritage, celebrating the
country’s indigenous
ingredients: a disciple
of Enrique Olvera, with
whom he worked at Pujol,
Vallejo makes lavish
use of herbs (including
quintonil) and flowers
from his nearby garden.
Dishes might include
smoked tomatoes with
grasshoppers and Oaxacan
herbs, charred avocado
tartare with escamoles (ant
eggs), or a pickled mussel
tostada with fried beans.
14 DUKE’S BAR
& RESTAURANT,
ROTORUA
Dotted around the menu
at this clubby bar and
restaurant in Rotorua’s
Prince’s Gate Hotel, is
a koru, the traditional
Maori coil symbol. It
signifies dishes made
with Maori ingredients:
start with hupa kiko
nui, a classic boil-up of
pork, puha (sow thistle),
root vegetables and
dumplings, and follow
with te kainora paoa:
smoked venison with
horopito (a peppery
leaf), juniper and
manuka honey.
15 CHARCOAL
LANE,
MELBOURNE
A social enterprise
restaurant funded by
Mission Australia and
staffed by young Aboriginal
people, Charcoal Lane
showcases native
Australian ingredients on
its intriguing menu: slowcooked
wallaby shank with
pepperberry and pickled
peach, for example.
Executive chef Greg
Hampton is a passionate
advocate of local, seasonal
produce, fusing his topnotch
ingredients with
modern techniques to
winning effect.
16 FEAST,
WINNIPEG
The menu at chef/
proprietor Christa
Bruneau-Guenther’s
Winnipeg cafe and bistro
is firmly rooted in First
Nations cuisine: Manitoba
bison, for instance, slowroasted
with rosemary and
served with a compôte of
wild blueberries, or seared
lemon pepper pickerel
sliders. A member of
the Peguis First Nation,
Bruneau-Guenther has
become a leading light
in North America’s
indigenous cooking
movement, despite having
no training as a chef.
53

BLASTS FROM THE PAST
TRADITION
NIKLAS EKSTEDT,
EKSTEDT, STOCKHOLM
Niklas Ekstedt’s eponymous Stockholm restaurant, with its focus on food from fire, has a notably young and
enthusiastic brigade – “I like to surround myself with young people,” he says – but his cooking methods are
far older than his team of chefs. He has even designed what he calls “a Stone Age microwave” and enjoys
the challenge of working with a limited number of techniques. “It's like a painter restraining the number of
colours on his palette,” he explains. “It's more focused, it's easier to define your style. And I realised some time
ago that the period we've spent cooking with electricity is just a tiny fraction of the time we've spent cooking
without it; similarly, smoking, pickling and fermenting are methods that we have mostly forgotten, but add
so much flavour to food that refrigeration, freezing and canning can't.” Considering inspiration, he says “I
think it's a myth that you're born with creativity: it needs to be nurtured. The creative process is never-ending:
thinking, shopping, cooking… teaching young chefs to be creative thinkers is a huge part of my job, and very
rewarding. For me, creativity is a lot to do with happiness. You are more at peace if you have a creative mind.”
54

17 20
WHERE OLD BECOMES NEW AGAIN
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: EVAN SUNG, © BURNT ENDS
17 OX, PORTLAND
Opened by James Beard
Award-winning chefs Greg
Denton and Gabrielle
Quiñónez Denton, and
inspired by the arts of the
Argentinian parrilla, Ox
boasts a huge wood-fired
grill: order the Asado
Argentino – grilled short
rib, house chorizo, morcilla
sausages, skirt steak,
sweetbreads, fried potatoes
– and put it to the test.
Local Oregon pinot noirs
and Argentinian malbecs
dominate the wine list, and
there’s a good selection of
craft beers.
18 MARBLE,
JOHANNESBURG
There is nothing so
quintessentially South
African as meat meeting
fire, and chef David Higgs
– who also owns Saint, an
Italian joint in the north
of the city – makes the
most of it at Marble. His
kitchen boasts various
grills, including one
especially imported from
Michigan, and the menu
features steaks from
Japan and the USA, as
well as from South Africa.
Wash it all down with a
Stellenbosch cabernet.
19 HÄRG, TALLINN
The brainchild and second
restaurant of Estonian grill
masters Enn Tobreluts,
Hanno Kuul and Andres
Tuule, Härg opened
in 2018. A spacious,
contemporary space with
an open kitchen, the
restaurant’s speciality
is, unsurprisingly, meat
cooked over charcoal
– or, in the case of the
restaurant’s “dirty steak”
signature dish, actually in
the charcoal. There is some
nose-to-tail action, too,
with both ox tongue and
duck hearts on the menu.
20 BURNT ENDS,
SINGAPORE
Chef/proprietor Dave
Pynt’s pride and joy is his
four-tonne, wood-fired
brick kiln with two ovens
and four grills. It’s not
just meat that gets the
treatment: langoustines
feel the kiss of the flames,
to be served with kombu
beurre blanc; and grilled
leeks are smothered in
brown butter, capers and
hazelnuts. Flat-iron beef
with burnt onion and
bone marrow tempts
many, though – and
rightfully so.
55

SWEET MEDLEY
AVANT-GARDE
PIERRE HERMÉ, PARIS
Heir to four generations of traditional boulangers-pâtissiers from Alsace, Pierre Hermé has taken pastry
to a new level. His inspiration comes, he says, from many sources: “From something I have read, or a
picture, a journey, a memory.” The windows of his string of boutiques around the world sparkle with his
edible bijouterie, and behind each macaron, each mille-feuille, is Hermé's restless imagination, his ability
to create what he calls “scenarios of taste, the architecture of flavour”. While his sublime pastries and
chocolates have legions of admirers, it is macarons for which he is most famous: they have become
emblematic of the nouvelle vague of patisserie. Their shape and texture may resemble the macarons
of times past, but their flavours are often audaciously contemporary: “Since 1984, I have continuously
explored new flavours and techniques,” he says. “This is how I came up with macarons flavoured with lime
and basil, with hazelnut, and white truffle, or with olive oil and vanilla.” He identifies three characteristics
as vital to the creative process: “Curiosity, knowledge of ingredients and the constant ability to question
your own work. Only when you have these things can you let your imagination flourish.”
56

21 22
WHERE UNEXPECTED FLAVOURS MIX
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: THOMAS SCHAUER, © LASARTE
21 DOMINIQUE
ANSEL BAKERY,
NEW YORK
French-American pastry
chef Dominique Ansel
will forever be known
for inventing the cronut
– half croissant, half
doughnut – that provoked
huge queues outside his
tiny bakery in 2013. But
he is not the kind of chef
to rest on his laurels: his
Spring Street cafe offers
his version of the Breton
Kouign-amann, a kind of
caramelised croissant, as
well as madeleines served
warm from the oven and a
whole host of other treats.
22 LASARTE,
BARCELONA
As if Spanish uber-chef
Martín Berasategui’s threestar
menu were not enough
reason to visit Lasarte,
the Barcelona restaurant
can now boast the world's
finest pastry chef. Xavi
Donnay picked up his gong
at The Best Chef Awards
2020, recognition from
his peers for his superb,
often Asian-inflected
artistry in patisserie. His
desserts include ginger
and passionfruit sorbet
with coconut and carrot,
and chestnut cream with
smoked ice cream.
23 BACHOUR
CORAL GABLES,
MIAMI
Puerto Rico-born Antonio
Bachour’s love of all things
sweet was fostered by a
childhood spent in his
family’s bakery; since then,
he has worked his way up to
the very top of the culinary
tree, winning World’s Best
Pastry Chef in 2018 and
opening his flagship Miami
restaurant and bakery the
following year. His hugely
creative desserts include
the Bachour Brownie, with
cinnamon caramel and
cocoa nibs, and Paris-Brest
made with pistachios.
24 HET GEBAAR,
ANTWERP
Dutch chef and
restaurateur Roger van
Damme knew at the age
of 12 that he would be a
pastry chef. He opened Het
Gebaar, peacefully located
in Antwerp's botanical
garden, in 1994. It serves
a terrific steak tartare and
– this being Belgium –
exemplary frîtes, but most
diners are there for Van
Damme's extraordinarily
complex and precise
desserts: Black Jack, for
example, which features
edible playing cards,
printed on both sides.
57

OUR
SCANDINAVIAN
SPACES
DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS FROM NEW YORK TO
HONG KONG REMAIN ENCHANTED BY SCANDINAVIAN
MODERNISM. CLAIRE WRATHALL EXPLORES
THE ENDURING APPEAL – AND HOW IT’S ONLY
BLOSSOMED FURTHER IN THIS PAST YEAR
Leisure in the 21st century may be all about
experiences and adventures, but for the best part
of 2020 we found ourselves housebound, turning
our gaze inwards rather than outwards – and focusing our
attention on interiors like never before.
It’s a transformation that transcends socio-economic
status: Ikea’s ubiquitous Billy bookcases, designed by
the late Gillis Lundgren in 1979, sold at a rate of one
every 10 seconds in 2016; now, the brand estimates, it
sells one every five. But the embrace of interiors was
especially pronounced at the top of the market, where
collectors of important 20th- and 21st-century furniture
and lighting are bidding in force. “I think buying design
represents a kind of freedom in this strange period,” says
Flavien Gaillard, head of the 20th-century decorative arts
department at Christie’s in Paris, where business has been
brisk since it held its first pandemic-era design auction on
30 June. Needless to say, much of the bidding was remote.
Nordic designers are proving an enduringly fashionable
choice. “People just love that furniture and want it in their
homes,” says Marcus McDonald, UK director of modern
decorative art and design at the international auctioneer
Bonhams, speaking after its live Design sale in October,
the auction house’s first-ever such offering, at which
pieces by Alvar Aalto, Kaj Franck, Axel Einar Hjorth,
Frode Holm, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Kai Kristiansen,
Flemming Lassen, Paavo Tynell, Tapio Wirkkala, among
others, changed hands, many of them for comfortably
above their estimates – a bounty for sellers that has also
been seen at recent sales at Sotheby’s in New York and
Dorotheum in Vienna.
No wonder manufacturers such as Artek in Finland,
Knoll in the US and Vitra in Germany continue to produce
so many classics of mid-century Scandinavian design.
Should you yearn for the PK52 Professor desk that Poul
Kjærholm designed for the Royal Danish Academy of Fine
Arts in 1955 or Hans Wegner’s elegant oiled-walnut and
stainless steel CH110 model from 1970, they can be yours
in a matter of weeks, the former priced at about €3,000,
the latter nearer to €10,000.
True collectors, however, tend to eschew box-fresh
versions of modern classics in favour of pieces
from the original edition, even if that requires
compromising on the condition. “The design is still great,
but they have no value in the secondary market,” says Victor
Gastou of the Parisian dealer Galerie Yves Gastou. (The
present auction record for a piece of Scandinavian design
stands at £602,500, realised by a 1952 oak-and-maple
dining table by Peder Moos that Phillips sold in 2015.)
However finely fabricated, newly constructed pieces “have
no patina, no marks that distinguish them, no story”, he
continues. “Objects are like people; they have experience.
It’s much richer to have something original. Pieces can
58

e a way into understanding the time in which they were
designed. They can carry emotion and memories. They
can be food for your spirit, for inspiration.”
Not that everyone necessarily desires emotion in,
say, a dining chair. Aesthetics aside, considerations
such as comfort, practicality and a seat that
complements the rest of your decor tend to carry more
weight with most homeowners, which perhaps accounts for
the enduring popularity of Wegner’s CH24 or Wishbone
dining chair (and the many imitations it has inspired), the
latter a bestseller more than 70 years after its launch.
“My Wegner Wishbone chair is one of my most treasured
possessions,” says the Hong Kong-based architect and
designer André Fu, whose interiors can be found in several
of the world’s leading hotels, notably The Upper House
Hong Kong, The St Regis Hong Kong, the Waldorf Astoria
Bangkok, The Berkeley in London, Villa La Coste in
France and the just-opened Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto. He
acquired an original while still a student at Cambridge
in the UK, and continues to “think of [Wegner] as a true
master. I particularly admire his ability to infuse oriental
joinery traditions into designs that are quintessentially
Western. His creations are pure, and genuinely timeless.”
Question a handful of the world’s leading interior
designers about their principal influences, and the
chances are, they’ll all name a Nordic designer. Take
Martin Brudnizki – the visionary behind hotels such
as The Beekman in New York and the Villa Kennedy in
Frankfurt, not to mention the occasional residence – who
nominates a fellow Swede Gunnar Asplund, the Nordic
father of functionalism. “I grew up in Stockholm around
the corner from Asplund’s Stockholm Public Library,” he
says. “It’s a behemoth of early 20th-century modernist
design and it sits on Sveavägen, not far from Adolf Fredrik
Church, another Stockholm landmark but one that was
constructed two centuries earlier. “These two buildings
are not just on the same road, but at a crossroads in
architectural history: the church coming at a moment
when Sweden looked to reinterpret the classicism of
ancient Rome, and Asplund’s library referencing and
reducing classical antiquity to abstract geometric forms,
as the Neoclassical movement morphed into Modernism.
And that became a huge influence on my thinking.” He
cites Asplund’s design for Gothenburg City Hall as the
direct inspiration for the light-filled interiors of the
Michelin-starred, Swedish-owned London restaurant
Aquavit, a vision in warm timber panelling, richly veined
Swedish marble and rose-gold mirror. “The way Asplund
harnessed the history of classical design into something
so contemporary made me realise not only the impact
that architecture and design have on a person, but also
how history can shape that journey.”
Indeed, the recent history of Scandinavia, it transpires,
in part explains the dominance of its design culture. By
the early 20th century, newly independent of Norway,
“Sweden wanted to put itself on the world map,” says
Andrew Duncanson, co-founder of the Stockholm gallery
Modernity. And its pavilion at the 1925 International
Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts
in Paris, where Asplund’s furniture caught particular
attention, did just that. Denmark, too, having had
Northern Schleswig restored to it in 1920, also sought
to assert itself as a modern forward-thinking socialdemocratic
nation at that fair.
As Duncanson continues, “The philosophy
behind Swedish design of this time was that
it should be for the masses, not just for the
rich.” The political concept folkhemmet, literally “the
people’s home”, put the idea of home squarely at the
centre of Sweden’s nascent social-democratic culture.
A sommarstuga, or summer cottage, a second home in
the mountains, the forest or by the sea, should belong
to every Swede. The nation was going to need a lot of
furniture.
Neighbouring Denmark, however, was, says Duncan,
“less socialist. There wasn’t the same pressure to
produce inexpensive pieces in, for instance, pine.” Its
Cabinetmakers’ Guild, an exhibition of whose members’
creations was held every year in Copenhagen, promoted
increasingly rarefied skills and designs. “This is probably
why we got Ikea, and Denmark got [the premium
furniture makers] Fritz Hansen and Carl Hansen,”
both of which continue to produce now-classic Nordic
designs from the past.
It’s no surprise then that influence of these designers
began to spread. “The Italian Rationalist school from
the 1930s up to the 1960s was basically a synthesis
of all the European modern movements, and it was
particularly influenced by Nordic design,” says the
Italian interior architect and furniture designer Achille
Salvagni, citing specifically the work of Aalto, Asplund
and Sigurd Lewerentz, “who took a softer approach
than [Swiss-French and German] architects such as
Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.”
59

Having trained as an architect in Rome – “where
whenever you try to move towards Rationalism, in through
the window jumps Classicism”, he says – Salvagni moved
to Stockholm to continue his studies in an effort “to
refresh my mind and get rid of all the Imperial Roman,
Renaissance and Baroque history”, that he had grown up
with and which “had always dominated my thinking. Going
to Sweden was a way for me to cool down stylistically, a
way to learn to think internationally, not locally.”
He is not the only Italian designer to have felt
its influence. “The Nordic style,” he continues,
“was much more organic. Designers such as Gio
Ponti, Paolo Buffa and Tomaso Buzzi took the essence
of the main Rationalist message but tempered it further
in their consideration for Classicism and Italy’s own
history and heritage.”
Nordic designers have also influenced the New World:
New York-based Giancarlo Valle cites Swede Axel Einar
Hjorth as a key influence. “I love how freely he moved
between styles at a time – the 1930s – when Swedish
design was particularly mature and well defined,” says the
architect, who specialises in residential interiors, most
celebratedly a home on Rhode Island that subsequently
sold for $17.6 million, just a shade less than Taylor Swift
paid for the altogether larger property next door.
“While Hjorth is probably best known for bringing
Swedish decorative arts to the US in the late 1920s, he
also started to experiment with new, highly primitive
functionalist forms that had strong chunky silhouettes
and playful decorative elements. Later, he began to
incorporate these designs, which he would make
in pine.” Designs which, Andrew Duncanson notes,
remain highly sought-after despite the modesty of their
materials. “It’s ironic but these once-inexpensive pieces
are now among the most expensive.” (In 2014, Phillips
sold a snail-shaped nickel-plated aluminium-and-glass
ceiling light designed for a bakery in Stockholm for
£122,500.)
“Hjorth created a kind of functionalist Modernism,”
says Valle, “well before many of the better-known French
Modernists” – figures such as Le Corbusier, his colleague
Charlotte Perriand and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret –
“began to define their own work in such a way”.
You’ll find a Perriand console and a Jeanneret sofa and
chairs in the elegant apartment of the Parisian designer
Joseph Dirand, whom The New York Times has called
“arguably the most sought-after talent of the design
world”. Pressed for his influences, he mentions another
Nordic name, the Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen
– whose iconic buildings include the TWA Flight Center
at JFK International Airport and the Gateway Arch in
St Louis – whom he praises “for his global vision”.
“I love minimalist architecture,” he says. Its “precise,
clear vocabulary and the detail” is why he put Saarinen’s
1954 Conference chairs in the exquisitely beautiful
guest rooms at the Four Seasons at the Surf Club in
Miami as well as in the Palais de Tokyo’s Monsieur Bleu
restaurant, and his 1957 Tulip chairs in Loulou, the
restaurant at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Both
models are still made by Knoll. You can even buy a Vitra
1:6 scale miniature of the latter in the museum gift shop.
Saarinen’s motivation in designing these iconic chairs
was to resolve what he called “the ugly, confusing,
unrestful world” of chair and table legs. By placing an
upholstered seat, or a tabletop, on a pedestal, there is
more space for the diners’ legs, which makes them more
comfortable. And comfort is essentially what great
design should be driven by.
According to research conducted by Meik Wiking,
founder of the Happiness Research Institute, an
independent think tank in Copenhagen, “It really
matters that we feel comfortable [at home because] 73
per cent of those who are happy with their homes are
happy with their lives.” A truism borne out by the rising
demand, notes Duncanson, for pairs of upholstered
lounge chairs, and dining tables “even though people
aren’t entertaining at home”.
Homes, Wiking has discovered, “are three times as
important as income when it comes to happiness. But it
isn’t size that’s important; it’s the feeling of space.” Not,
he stresses, that this is a prescription for Minimalism or
a call to declutter. “Some well-chosen keepsakes can be
very hyggelig,” he says, using the adjectival form of hygge,
the ubiquitous and untranslatable Danish word that
connotes an atmosphere that is cosy and convivial.
Etymologically, hygge shares a root with the English
word hug, which perhaps explains everything. Because
ultimately, aren’t hugs what we’ve missed most this past
pandemic year? Deprived of physical contact with family
and friends, it’s no wonder we crave the warm embrace
of an ideal home, a haven of comfort and calm, safety and
order in a world full of dangers we cannot control.
60

1
2
CONTEMPORARY
CLASSICS
These midcentury-inspired pieces
from across the globe are keeping
Scandinavian design principles as
fresh as ever. By Claire Wrathall
3
1 FLOWER BENCH BY
SANAA FOR VITRA
The Pritzker Prize-winning
architects Kazuyo Sejima
and Ryue Nishizawa, known
as SANAA, first worked for
Vitra when they designed an
extraordinary oval factory
building for the German
furniture manufacturer’s
campus in Weil am Rhein
in 2010. Their Flower bench
went into production the
same year, an experimental
seat they had conceived for
the Istanbul Biennial intended
to accommodate three
people, who can look at each
other or face each other’s
backs, making it the perfect
perch for social distancing.
62

4
6
5
PHOTOS COURTESY THE DESIGNERS AND COMPANIES
2 ANDRÉ FU
INTERLOCK
LAPTOP TABLE
No one needs a desk at
home any more, says
André Fu. You can work
anywhere, as long as
there’s somewhere to rest
your MacBook. The name
of his table is a reference
to the intricate way the
components are joined,
resulting in a reassuringly
solid, stable surface
supported by three legs so
that it can be drawn close.
Available in grey or brownstained
oak and two heights
to suit most seating, it is
part of his furniture range,
André Fu Living.
3 ANTINOO BY
ACHILLE SALVAGNI
Marguerite Yourcenar’s
1951 novel Memoirs of
Hadrian may seem an
unexpected source of
inspiration for a credenza,
but this piece is named
after Antinous, sequestered
lover of the first-century
Roman emperor Hadrian.
Hence the narrow panel of
bronze, plated in 24kt gold,
on which two eyes and an
elongated nose have been
etched, a face reminiscent
of a Cycladian head or
the visor on a Roman
helmet, caught within the
“embrace” of its sculptural
curved doors.
4 ESSAY TABLE BY
CECILIE MANZ FOR
FRITZ HANSEN
When considering the
design of a table, the
Danish designer Cecilie
Manz has said, “I let my
ideas run wild in the
beginning, but as they
take shape I begin to
minimise as much as
possible.” Hence this essay
in minimalism, designed
in 2009, which comprises
just three elements: a pair
of reinvented trestles and
a solid oak or walnut top
(available in four lengths),
that can be extended with
black laminate leaves that
attach to both ends.
5 WASHINGTON
SKELETON CHAIR
BY DAVID ADJAYE
FOR KNOLL
To mark its 75th anniversary in
2013, US furniture maker Knoll
approached Ghanaian-British
architect David Adjaye, who
had won the commission
to design the Smithsonian
National Museum of African
American History, to create
his first-ever collection of
chairs and a table. Constructed
in die-cast aluminium, the
audaciously cantilevered
Washington Skeleton chair was
conceived, he says, “to mimic
the form of a seated person
in elevation so that it almost
disappears when in use”.
6 ARP CHAISE
BY PATRICIA
ANASTASSIADIS
FOR ARTEFACTO
Inspired by the sensuous
abstract forms that define
the art of Jean Arp, São-
Paulo-based architect
Patricia Anastassiadis
has created a seductively
voluptuous chaise longue,
an antidote to the angularity
of most contemporary
sofas. But then, curves are
increasingly a defining
form in her work: witness
the admittedly more
conventional seating she
designed for her reinvention
of three restaurants at the
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc.
63

THE BIG AND
THE BOLD
AS THE SIZE OF SUPERYACHTS INCREASES, SO
DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE OCEANS.
CORNELIA MARIOGLOU TALKS TO A TRIO
OF INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN THE YACHTING
WORLD ON HOW BUILDING BIG CAN HAVE
POSITIVE EFFECTS
In uncertain times, from the financial crisis of 2008
to the current pandemic, the yachting industry has
demonstrated perhaps surprising resilience by finding
ways to reinvent itself and to improve the quality and
sustainability of the vessels it creates. This surge of
innovative ideas has come, in part, because the onceconservative
coterie of yacht builders has been open
to new voices, including those of a growing number of
women who have central roles in the evolution of the
industry. Compendium by Centurion talked to three such
trailblazers about this new era of superyachts and the
challenges of balancing the aspirations for ever bigger
builds with a desire throughout the yachting world –
from designers, charter companies and shipyards to the
potential owners – to protect the oceans on which these
incredible vessels set sail.
There may be no fresher, outside-the-box perspective
than that of Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean. Her
background is in marine biology, and for 15 years she
worked for the World Wildlife Foundation, which
gives a remarkable texture to what might be the most
unusual project in the yachting world. “My passion has
always been for the ocean – making a difference for
life in the ocean is the one thing I am fighting for,” she
says. And the 182.9m REV Ocean will play a vital role
in this. The brainchild of Norwegian businessman and
philanthropist Kjell Inge Røkke, REV Ocean will be part
research vessel, part expedition yacht and part once-ina-lifetime
charter opportunity. Built at Vard in Norway,
with a design by the esteemed Espen Øino and interiors
by H2 Yacht Design, she is the biggest yacht of her kind,
capable of carrying 55 scientists and 35 crew members
to perform a primary objective of exploring and sampling
biodiversity and repairing damage to the ocean. Yet for
a third of the year, she will also provide the chance for
up to 28 guests to explore the polar seas, South Pacific
islands or the southern Indian Ocean in an onboard
experience that can also include lectures from scientists
and participation in data-gathering activities.
Since 2018, Jensen has worked closely with Røkke
to create something truly special, and, coming
from outside the industry, Jensen was able to
bring fresh eyes to many areas of design. “We had many
‘That’s not possible’s’, or ‘It can’t be done’s’. I challenged
that. Of course it can be done – it just hasn’t been done
before. By showing that it is actually possible to create,
for example, wooden decks that are 100% sustainable,
FSC-certified and that look great – it shows anything is
possible if you just ask the right questions and if you are
willing to go that extra mile.”
One of the factors, perhaps paradoxically, that made
the project possible was its sheer size, which allowed
designers the scope to really dig into new possibilities
64

that would be impractical on a smaller vessel. Øino
– the designer of some of the most remarkable and
recognisable yachts on the planet – has described REV
Ocean as one of the most important projects he will work
on, and Jensen sees the project as lighting the way in the
yachting community. “A lot of time and effort has gone
into reducing our environmental footprint – through
the entire construction phase of the ship, and from the
materials that are being selected to the propulsion,
the shape of the ship to reduce drag and friction, the
food, the uniforms, the interior, to all the operational
procedures, and more,” she says. “And we are hoping
that this will be something to showcase to the rest of the
yachting community.”
One notable piece of that yachting community, the
shipyards of the Netherlands, has another
increasingly prominent female voice: that of Rose
Damen, managing director of Damen Yachting the yacht
builder behind Amels shipyard. With sailing deeply woven
into her DNA – she is the third generation to be involved
in her family’s eponymous firm, which acquired Amels in
1991 – she is now tasked with overseeing its largest project
to date, its first 100m-plus yacht. She is conscious that with
great size comes great responsibility. “The environment is
an important topic for us, for our employees and for many
of our stakeholders, including our clients,” she says. “We
are focused on assessing the total footprint of the yacht.
Most of our new designs have hybrid propulsions, but it
is not just about propulsion, it is also about, for example,
total load – it is the full picture.” And that picture starts
with potential owners – and like REV Ocean, many have
exploration in mind. “It is a very personal decision that
the client is trying to achieve. One thing we see is that
clients really want to explore the ocean, or see their yacht
as a platform for research, and in that case to launch
submarines. For this, you need a larger platform.”
For many, though, megayachts still embody floating
palaces on the sea, a source of sumptuous indulgence
and bountiful fun, but this can go hand in hand with
an awareness for the environment, according to Julia
Stewart, director of Imperial Yachts since 2009.
Over the past decade, Stewart has helped make the
Monaco-based firm one of the preeminent charter
and management companies in the world – a standing
confirmed by the latest addition to its fleet, the 136m
“We had many ‘That’s
not possible’s’, or
‘It can’t be done’s’. I
challenged that. Of
course it can be done –
it just hasn’t been done
before. Anything is
possible if you just ask
the right questions and
if you are willing to go
that extra mile”
motor yacht Flying Fox, built by German shipyard
Lürssen. “With 11 cabins for 25 guests, she is the largest
charter yacht on the market,” Stewart says. “It is not just
the sheer size, but it is about what the client can enjoy
onboard. From the most amazing diving centre, you can
dive deep, you can see an amazing marine environment
– without damaging it. It is very educational for kids
— and also very educational for grown-ups. It is simply
highly enjoyable, also thanks to the state-of-the-art
water toys.” But for all the talk of the indulgences and
pleasures onboard, Stewart is also concerned with
sustainability. “We are a supporter of the Blue Marine
Foundation, an organisation dedicated to seeing at least
30% of the world’s oceans under effective protection
by 2030 and the other 70% managed in a responsible
way,” she says. “It is a subject that is constantly under
development – a team effort between the builders
of superyachts and the designers, who optimise fuel
consumption and reduce emissions.”
These efforts are undoubtedly part of industry-wide
measures to reduce carbon footprint and take better
care of our seas, for even as superyachts get larger
and larger it’s the Big Blue that remains the ultimate
fascination.
65

1
2
3
1 BENETTI
M/Y LUMINOSITY
Recipient of the Passenger
Yacht Code (PYC)
certification, enabling her
to carry more than the
12-passenger limit usual on
yachts, this 107.6m 2020
delivery has six decks,
allowing up to 27 guests on
board in 12 cabins, along
with 37 crew. She has a range
of 8,000nm at a cruising
speed of 10 knots and is easy
on the ears thanks to the
ultra-quiet diesel electric
Azipod drives.
2 LÜRSSEN
M/Y NORD
Announced in 2005
as project Redwood,
this 142m motor yacht
embarked on sea trials
from Lemwerder to the
Baltic Sea in November.
Instantly recognisable from
the nameplate on the tip of
the bow, Nord is also built
to PYC standards and will
accommodate 36 guests in
20 cabins. The construction
and handover processes are
overseen by Moran Yacht
& Ship.
THE EXPANSION
PACK
4
3 LÜRSSEN
M/Y SCHEHERAZADE
Fittingly named after the
weaver of remarkable tales
in the Arabian folklore
classic One Thousand
and One Nights, the
former Project Lightning is
something of an enigma.
What we do know is that
her maiden voyage took
her to Norway in 2020 and
the 140m build has great
features that come in pairs,
such as the helicopter
landing pads, and outdoor
jacuzzis and firepits.
When contemplating the future of yachting and the
directions in which the industry will travel, it is impossible
to ignore the impact that the increasing size of the new
projects from adventurous shipyards is having. For as
much as the demand for vessels of smaller dimensions
remains high, it is potential owners’ demands for yachts
of around 100 metres in length – and in some cases much
longer – that are pushing things to the next level. New
technologies are developed for the fulfilment of these, as
shipyards adapt to the novel challenges posed by these
supersized builds. The creative minds within the industry
are continually innovating, producing solutions that have
a considerable influence on all new yachts. Of course, there
are certain names that are synonymous with builds of this
size – the likes of Lürssen, Fincantieri, Feadship, Nobiskrug,
Benetti and Oceanco have been building megayachts and
impressing aficionados for some time now. But among our
five standout superyachts recently delivered or hitting the
water soon is a relatively new name, the Greek yard Golden
Yachts, with its O’Pari. More will join them in the pantheon
of large-scale builders in the years to come, including the
Dutch-based Amels, which in September signed a deal for
the construction of the 120m Project Signature, designed by
renowned Norwegian Espen Øino and due for delivery in
2025. Further proof that in yachting, size truly does matter.
By Cornelia Marioglou
4 FEADSHIP
M/Y MOONRISE
Just dipping below the
100m range, at 99.95 metres
this displacement yacht
was unveiled last year at
Feadship’s Makkum facility
in the Netherlands. With
a sleek exterior design by
Studio De Voogt and interior
by Rémi Tessier, Moonrise
cruises at a top speed of 19.5
knots, accommodates up to
16 guests in eight cabins, with
32 crew, and offers abundant
natural light through long
hull windows.
5
5 GOLDEN YACHTS
M/Y O’PARI
At 95 metres, the Greek
shipbuilder has presented
its largest build yet: O’Pari
will carry 12 guests in 14
cabins with a crew of 29.
The luxurious interiors
are by Rome-based Studio
Vafiadis and among the
superlative features on
board are a massage room,
warm Turkish hammam
and dry Finnish sauna. On
the forward deck, a touchand-go
helipad provides
easy access and exits.
PHOTOS COUNTER-CLOCLWISE FROM TOP: NICO FULCINITI , TOM VAN OOSSSANEN, GIOVANNI ROMERO / THEYACHTPHOTO.COM, © FEADSHIP, JEFF BROWN / BREED MEDIA
66

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URBAN
STRATEGIST
LONDON-BASED ARCHITECT DEBORAH SAUNT IS
AT THE FOREFRONT OF HER PROFESSION WITH AN
APPROACH THAT VALUES PUBLIC SPACES AS MUCH
AS IT DOES THE STRUCTURES WITHIN THEM.
JONATHAN BELL SPOKE TO HER ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF OUR BUILDINGS – AND OUR CITIES
On the south bank of the Thames, the once
splendid, if licentious, Vauxhall Pleasure
Gardens are being transformed from the British
capital’s leading 18th- and 19th-century amusement
grounds into a contemporary park for the whole
community. It’s the brainchild of local architecture firm
DSDHA, and it epitomises the award-winning studio’s
unusual approach – which combines architecture, urban
design and spatial research to create everything from
modest private homes to the large-scale revitalisations of
some of London’s prime public spaces and buildings.
Deborah Saunt, who founded the firm with husband
David Hills in 1998 (the all-caps moniker is short
for Deborah Saunt David Hills Architects), is more
than an architect – she is an educator, lecturer and
broadcaster, all of which bolsters DSDHA’s focus on
research-driven work.
At a time when public space has been restricted
like never before – and the role of the conventional
office hangs in the balance – Saunt’s all-encompassing
vision of the changes in the architectural profession is
especially relevant. “We’re a research-led practice,” she
says. “Architecture school is all about designing amazing
projects and the journey to become a professional
somehow seems to diminish that imagination. What we
try and do is keep it going, by blurring the boundaries
between architecture, research and projects.”
DSDHA’s portfolio is varied, but at the heart of
everything is the idea that behaviours within the built
environment should be studied, mapped and analysed
before embarking on design. At a time of plummeting
retail footfall, restrictions on private and public
transportation and the upending of traditional office
culture, landowners, agents and local authorities all
want ways to make cities work again. New approaches
are needed. As Saunt points out, “You can’t have
innovation unless you invest in research. This is what
grounds us as a practice.”
Right at the start of the pandemic, once it was
obvious that seismic cultural shifts were playing
out, DSDHA seized the opportunity. “We started
a self-initiated project looking at the cultural impact of
the pandemic,” Saunt says. “Part of this was creating a
68

“ I think that listening skill is really
taking root in the younger generation
of architects. We all see ourselves as
agents of change for the public good”
toolkit that responded to the evolving needs of cities
and spaces.” This was partly driven by concern for the
future of cities – “it showed our clients we were on their
side” – but more than anything else it acknowledged that
disruption need not be negative. The report was shown
to a select few clients and professionals (it has not yet
been published) but one immediate upshot, according
to Saunt, was that “it made us a bit more optimistic”.
DSDHA’s clients include The Crown Estate, which
is a collection of more than £14bn of property holdings
owned by the British monarchy, including much of
central London’s prime retail space, such as Regent
Street and large parts of St James’s. “We’re doing a new
building for The Crown Estate on Piccadilly,” Saunt
says, “and they wanted to know if their building would
still work.” She uses the project to illustrate how the
pandemic accelerated long-term plans. “We’d originally
designed the scheme with opening windows, but new
offices rarely have these nowadays, especially with traffic
noise and pollution. But social distancing and hygienic
ventilation aside, you have to realise that in 20 years or
so the way we travel will change, all cars are planned to
be electric in the UK by then, so all that traffic noise is
going to go.” So now the opening windows are happily
being reinstated.
Other elements that future-proof urban design
include a closer integration with the wider
context, from promoting cycling to proliferating
green space. These have long been integral to DSDHA’s
work but are now much more prominent in everyone’s
minds. “The ultimate aim is positive behaviour change,”
the architect says. “How can you slow down the pace
of the city to let it breathe? People clearly need more
space, but the short-term solutions to widen pedestrian
areas often end up just looking unfinished.” Saunt and
her team are longstanding advocates of incorporating
this space from the outset. “The pandemic has allowed
us to go beyond iterative innovation to a period of very
intense, disruptive innovation,” she muses. “It has made
the connection between people and nature very explicit
and more critical.”
Her vision is, in many ways, representative of how
the approach of architecture more generally is
changing. “Ultimately, it’s an architect’s duty to
listen and not impose,” Saunt says. “I think that listening
skill is really taking root in the younger generation of
architects. We all see ourselves as agents of change
for the public good.” Even the image of the architect
is being transformed. “There was a point in history
where one person could really hold all the knowledge
of how to build a cathedral; now that’s just not the case.
It’s not so simple any more, the scale of spatial issues
and challenges we are dealing with are beyond that,
as technology and the environment demand more
sophisticated solutions. Instead, we have a collaborative
role, enabling a consensus that everyone agrees with,”
Saunt says. Pandemic-induced considerations aside,
DSDHA’s remit and approach are increasingly pertinent.
“We’re working on what’s known as ‘spatial justice’,”
Saunt explains. “What does the city feel like for different
people? What is the ongoing appeal of London’s West
End?” Current projects include several landscape-led
masterplans and a proposal to overhaul the area around
London’s Liverpool Street Station, including a new
park over the railway tracks and ground-level planting.
“It’s proven that people follow nature – they’ll always
walk down a street with trees on it, even if it takes them
slightly out of their way.” Recently, David Hills has been
appointed to the UK’s High Streets Task Force, looking
at ways to bring businesses and city centres back to life.
“We’re not traditional architects,” Saunt concludes.
“Instead, we consider ourselves spatial strategists. And
this is a really inspiring time to be working on public
spaces as well as buildings.”
69

VISIONARY
BUILDS
1
1 La Samaritaine, Paris
Built in 1870, this
department store is one of
the world’s foremost retail
palaces, long renowned for
its huge range of goods and
spectacular architecture.
The historic site has been
owned by LVMH since 2010
and is undergoing a lengthy
restoration and extension,
overseen by Japanese firm
SANAA. The old-meetsnew
project, with a facade
of rippling glass, ties an
entire city block together,
incorporating the original
structure, Henri Sauvage’s
Art Deco extension and
a sliver of historic 17thcentury
streetscape. A new
72-key Cheval Blanc hotel,
with interiors by Peter
Marino, will also open on
the site this year.
If there’s one thing that architects and engineers have always known, it’s that the best-laid plans and
most calculated predictions count for nothing in the face of unexpected events. Many major cultural,
commercial and infrastructure projects have been delayed or, worse, indefinitely shelved in the past
year. But the recent changes wrought on urban planning – promoting neighbourhood hubs, flexible
workspaces and a determination to minimise unnecessary travel and congregation – dovetail neatly
with long-term plans to cut emissions and create a more equitable, inclusive urban environment.
An optimist might say we’ll emerge from 2021 with a better world, starting with these forthcoming
landmarks across the globe – and one major event . By Jonathan Bell
2
3
2 Hotel GSH Extension,
Bornholm Island, Denmark
This modest project has farreaching
potential. Designed by
3XN Architects as an extension to
its 2015 project, the Hotel Green
Solution House on Bornholm
Island, the wooden structure
consists of 24 new rooms and a
rooftop spa. The material is the
star here: almost every facet of the
new building is rendered in timber,
including furniture made from
offcuts and stone finishes formed
from the debris of local quarries.
Natural ventilation will add to the
structure’s sustainable credentials..
3 130 William, New York City
Architect David Adjaye’s most recent
American project is a radical rethink of
the supertall apartment complex. Taking
inspiration from the old warehouses
of New York’s midtown, the structure
features an exterior of recessed concrete
arches, forming loggias for the apartments
and giving the building a strong, almost
brutalist urban presence. High-end
facilities and amenities come as standard,
and five of the upper-floor apartments
have been created in collaboration with
Aston Martin, each supplied with a
special-edition DBX SUV, the interiors of
which will be designed by the 2021 RIBA
Royal Gold Medal-winning architect.
PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: PIERRE-OLIVIER DESCHAMPS/AGENCE VU‘, CHRIS COE, COURTESY 3XN
70

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY BJARKE INGELS GROUP, COURTESY FOSTER + PARTNERS, COURTESY TATIANA BILBAO ESTUDIO, COURTESY T B A, MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/ REUTERS/PICTURE ALLIANCE
4
4 88 Market Street,
Singapore
The Southeast Asian city-state
continues its quest to become
the world’s most prominent
garden metropolis with this new
tower by Bjarke Ingels Group
and Carlo Ratti Associati. The
hulking structure rises 280 metres
above the heart of the Central
Business District, with the tower’s
ostensibly conventional high-rise
aesthetic given a tropical twist
thanks to the inclusion of several
sky gardens, where plantings spill
invitingly out of perforations in
the facade, creating a tower that
looks as if it is being taken over
by the jungle.
5 Datong Art Museum, China
A history-rich major city in
Shanxi Province, Datong will soon
have an art museum that will
put it firmly on the global map.
Foster + Partners has pulled out
all the stops to create an almost
incomprehensibly large gallery
space for truly monumental
art. Beneath a sawtooth roof of
cascading, interlocking triangular
forms clad in pre-weathered steel
is a main gallery with a ceiling
height of 37 metres and a span
of 80 metres, the centrepiece
of a museum that spans 32,000
square metres and is one of
four new buildings in the city’s
cultural plaza.
6 Grand Egyptian
Museum, Cairo
When your neighbours are 4,500
years old, a few years’ delay is
nothing. The seminal institution
is a career-defining project for the
Dublin-based studio Heneghan
Peng. Won in competition way
back in 2003, the 100,000sq m
structure is on a scale with the
work of the ancients. Defined by
its monumental geometric facade,
composed of translucent stone
triangles, the building is intended
to be the defining global centre of
Egyptology, housing the famous
Tutankhamun collection as well as
extensive conservation galleries.
7 Venice Biennale of
Architecture 2021
Having torn up its biannual
calendar (and pushed the art
biennale back to 2022), this 17th
edition promises a fresh look at
what we build and why, curated
by Hashim Sarkis, a Lebanese
architect and MIT professor. The
theme takes the form of a question
– "How will we live together?" –
which has become more pertinent
during the past 12 months. More
than 100 practices will explore
architecture’s role in creating a new
“spatial contract”, and there will
6 7
8
5
be increased representation from
Africa, Latin America and Asia,
with an emphasis on the practical
rather than the conceptual.
8 Mazatlán Aquarium,
Mexico
Created by Mexican architect
Tatiana Bilbao, the research
centre is a dramatic architectural
statement that matches its
spectacular site along the Sea of
Cortez. The building incorporates
research, marine conservation and
a publicly accessible aquarium,
with vast tanks set deep within the
gridded complex. From outside,
the structure looks like a vast
abstract sculpture, with a series
of interlocking cubes, cylinders
and spheres interspersed with
thick vegetation. The winding,
maze-like interior is designed to
create a voyage of discovery to the
spectacular tank rooms.
71

THE FUTURE
OF FASHION
A FRESH GENERATION OF CONSUMERS AND
PURVEYORS IS SPURRING A PERMANENT
SHIFT TOWARDS A KINDER AND GENTLER
FASHION WORLD. SOPHIE DJERLAL REPORTS
ON AN INDUSTRY IN FLUX
The world of fashion is approaching a dramatic
transformation, caught as it is between a host of
vanishing traditions and norms and a sustainable
and ethical future that is still in the process of being built. It
should come as no surprise that this mirrors wider trends
in society: clothes have always reflected the changing times
– and they’ve done so in the guise of a personal choice that
helps wearers feel good. There is something empowering
about looking in the mirror and saying, “What am I going
to wear today?”
But at the moment there is also something a bit
uncomfortable, almost controversial, about that question,
as the personal has become increasingly political – and
fashion, both as a concept and an industry, is in disarray.
“Consume less but better” is the near-ubiquitous mantra of
our moment, but it sits in tension with how we have long
conceived of fashion: creative, captivating, dynamic, a beau
monde fundamentally disengaged from sustainability and
constantly renewing itself each season.
The coming fashion revolution, best summed up by the
phrase “Ethic is Aesthetic”, is not a trend, but a movement,
led by consumer-citizens who insist on monitoring the
environmental, social and economic impact of their
purchases – and of the companies they buy from. It is a
change that appears to be permanent rather than fleeting,
and it is affecting the fashion industry from top to bottom.
“Young people today are independent, angry and, in some
ways militant. They no longer want to buy objects produced
without respect for people and the planet, looking only at
profit,” says Marina Spadafora, an expert in the sector and
author, with Luisa Ciuni, of La Rivoluzione Comincia dal
Tuo Armadio (The Revolution Starts with Your Wardrobe,
published in April 2020). “We must get involved, talk,
march, shout if necessary. I think of Jane Fonda, who was
arrested at a protest on the eve of her 82nd birthday.”
If Spadafora’s perspective sounds extreme, it is less so
than the young brands that are populating the fashion world.
“Sustainable natives” is what Carlo Capasa, president
of the National Chamber for Italian Fashion, calls them.
“They were founded with the concept of sustainability,” he
explains, “and they might even make it the central value of
their brand identity”.
We are replacing an era of storytelling with
one of “story-proving”, where brands are
fact-checked and audited to guarantee
that each product carries within it a true story about
the manufacturing process. “Sustainability is an
increasingly important issue”, Capasa continues. “We
conducted research with the US company Salesforce
and Bocconi University in Milan which showed that 90%
of Generation Z consumers believe that sustainability
should be integrated into a brand, and that companies
have a responsibility to address environmental and social
issues. I believe fashion houses today are aware that
sustainability needs not only to be a fundamental ethical
value but also an important factor in their operations.”
The longtime pioneers on this front are British designers
Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, who have
made slow fashion their signature. Climate change and the
72

pandemic are accelerating changes in this direction and,
at this point, it’s harder to find a brand that hasn’t taken
action. The two leading luxury conglomerates, Kering
and LVMH, each have their own sustainability initiatives
(Care and LIFE, respectively), while Chanel’s Mission
1.5° targets our carbon footprint; Hermès supports the
UN Global Compact; Prada, Gucci, Armani all recycle and
actively promote both ecological and humanitarian ends;
and no less than 200 brands signed The Fashion Pact at
the G7 summit in Biarritz in 2019.
For some, however, a deeper commitment is
needed. For instance, following the virtual
fashion weeks of 2020, Dries Van Noten wrote an
open letter to the industry, signed by some 40 designers,
which proposed an overhaul of the system that relies on
collections and seasonality. Other designers are taking
a different approach, using existing garments as their
raw materials and transforming them into new pieces.
Ronald Van der Kemp has often used repurposed
materials in recent collections, and Philippe Guilet,
president and artistic director of the Renaissance
Project, took the concept to another level when he held
the first Upcycling Couture fashion show last February.
“We have professionalised upcycling,” he says. “The
formula: zero waste along with social impact and
knowledge transfer via donations from our ambassadors
of luxury and ready-to-wear clothing. We deconstruct
the garments, and the recovered material is used to
create new pieces with techniques from haute couture.”
Summing up his philosophy Guilet says, “If fashion is
ephemeral, then luxury is, in contrast, supposed to be
sustainable – but it is possible to reconcile the two."
This reconciliation is one that many brands are trying
to do for themselves, often by integrating sustainability
into the promise of style. Gucci’s Antonella Centra, who
serves as EVP General Counsel, Corporate Affairs and
Sustainability, puts it this way: “We have an opportunity
and the responsibility to influence the fashion industry,
and we take this very seriously. For Gucci, the future of
fashion must include sustainability at every step of the
supply chain to reduce our industry’s impact on nature, and
beyond, to ensure the protection and restoration of nature
more broadly. For us, empowering our Gucci community
and young people will also help define the way we all treat
our planet and each other into the future.”
Bénédicte Epinay, CEO and General Delegate of the
Comité Colbert, which is dedicated to the promotion of
the luxury industry and French savoir faire, also sees the
concepts of luxury, fashion and sustainability as being
increasingly intertwined: “In an era of mass manufacturing
beyond what people can consume, luxury is on the side of
rarity, of lastingness, of heritage, of the culture of beauty, of
those who respect people and the environment,” she says.
“The pandemic has taught us a lesson: we don't need more,
we need beauty.”
This approach to sustainability is not confined to
clothing either: Manuel Mallen, founder of jewellerymaker
Courbet, has centred the prestige brand – which
is located in Paris’s Place Vendôme – on laboratorygrown
diamonds. They are cultivated to have the same
properties and qualities as mined diamonds (think the
four Cs), and the maison also uses recycled gold that
comes from obsolete industrial and computer equipment.
“Our commitment to environmental impact is essential to
our brand,” he says. “Our slogan speaks for itself: ‘Without
goodness, beauty means nothing’.”
Courbet’s diamonds demonstrate that the key to
a sustainable future involves the whole supply
chain, not just the final stiches. Pascaline Wilhelm,
fashion director of the Première Vision international
textile trade fair, is keenly aware of her position in this
respect: “We are upstream from the realities of the
market,” she says. “The textile industry is already in the
future. Science and technology are opening up what’s
possible: textiles are a living material and innovative
processes are presenting us with new ways to approach
a bespoke garment.” Uniqueness and personalisation
are, she says, built into the 3D manufacturing process.
“The garment is becoming a second skin, interactive,
intelligent, connected, virtuous, protective.”
And yet, despite Wilhelm’s hi-tech optimism, it is
undeniable that the industry requires a conscious
evolution of both customers and producers to move
beyond its consumerist orientation. “Crisis is the main
driver of evolution,” says Tom Van Der Borght, Grand
Jury Prize winner of the 35th International Fashion
Festival in Hyères, and as we enter 2021 we indeed find
ourselves in a moment of crisis. Visionaries like Van Der
Borght may have clear ideas of what is to come – “the
future is a durable, precious, tactile garment,” he says
– but with so much changing so rapidly, the only certain
perspective is that the future of the fashion world will be
different from its past. It is Carlo Ducci, longtime features
director at Vogue Italia and founder of Accademia de La
Felicina, who puts it best: “Evolution is in fashion’s DNA,
and sustainability is an added value. We are all entering
the Age of Awareness and we welcome the so-called ‘buy
better’ attitude,” he says. “It is a step forward towards
overcoming utilitarian consumerism and ensuring
gratification long beyond the act of buying.”
73

NOUVELLE VOGUE
3
2
1
The latest couture styles that pair sustainability
in all its forms with high style. By Sophie Djerlal
1 TOM VAN DER BORGHT
Emerging onto the scene with a
bang by winning the grand prize
at last year’s Hyères Festival, the
Belgian designer started in fashion
late, in his thirties, and has proven
uncompromising in his commitment
to one-of-a-kind silhouettes
combining upcycled materials in a
playful, provocative way.
2 ARMANI
R-EA is an upcycled collection
focused on urban aesthetics.
Materials are recycled, regenerated,
or organic certified: the wool used
in this line, for instance, is “zero
kilometre”, having been recycled
from textile waste and scraps, while
the nylon and polyester fibres come
from plastic waste.
3 STELLA Mc CARTNEY
There are not many designers who
can match the sustained ethical
credentials of McCartney, who has
been a pioneer of industry upheaval
since she began her own label in
2001. Famed for her firm stance as a
vegetarian, here the dress and shorts
are in recycled lace, a repurposing of
an old collection.
4 THE MODERN ARTISAN
A partnership between The Prince’s
Foundation and Yoox Net-a-Porter,
the collection was inspired by
Leonardo da Vinci. All materials are
natural and organic – the culotte skirt
is cashmere, the petrol-blue dress is
silk with mother-of-pearl buttons –
and the profits go to Prince Charles’s
sustainability initiatives.
74

4
5
6
8
PHOTOS COURTESY THE COMPANIES AND DESIGNERS
7
5 AELIS COUTURE
German dancer Anne Jung wears an
organic silk satin dress (A/W 20-21)
from Sofia Crociani’s haute couture
brand, which focuses on slow fashion
and sustainable values and has
become a byword for looking beyond
the anthropocentric viewpoint to
a world where we are not taming
nature but rather a part of it.
6 PRADA
The Re-Nylon gabardine pinafore
dress is made using ECONYL
regenerated nylon, which is created
in partnership with Italian textile firm
Aquafil by taking residue from the
oceans – from fishing nets to industrial
waste – and transforming it through a
chemical depolymerisation process
into a new, durable material.
7 GUCCI
The Gucci Off The Grid rucksack is
also made using ECONYL, part of
the Italian brand’s drive towards
sustainability in all ways. Leather
pieces in the collection, for instance,
were upcycled as part of the Gucci-
Up recycling programme – which
has upcycled more than 20 tonnes of
such offcuts in the past three years.
8 RENAISSANCE PROJECT
This summer ballgown is made
with recycled silk scarves from
the uniforms of the Paris airports
operator, Groupe ADP. The top
is draped in Madame Grès style
with interlacing of bands and
pagoda shoulders and linked to
the billowing skirt with coppercoloured
brass chains.
75
Additional reporting by Davide Bussi

CHRISTIAN DIOR bustier
and trousers PIERS
ATKINSON Upturned Breton
with ostrich feathers ERDEM
gloves TIFFANY & CO tennis
bracelet VAN CLEEF &
ARPELS Snowflake bracelet;
opposite: ALEXANDER
McQUEEN jacket, shirt
and trousers ROGER
VIVIER loafers
76

Black Tie
Optional
This season's eveningwear is best
served with a twist – even if it's just
at home and à deux
Photography by SEBASTIAN SABAL-BRUCE
Styled by MELISSA VENTOSA MARTIN
77

FENDI velvet dress with
pleated skirt CAROLINA
AMATO gloves
78

Left: BRIONI tailcoat
with waistcoat, shirt and
bow tie TIFFANY & CO
1837 Makers watch and
Cobblestone necklace;
above: CELINE velvet
jacket, collared shirt, velvet
Bermudas and bow tie
CALZEDONIA tights

BRIONI dinner jacket
LOEWE silk gathered
apron dress; opposite:
TOD’S dinner jacket
and trousers DOLCE &
GABBANA dinner shirt
and silk bow tie LOEWE
silk dress and pumps
HAIR BY LEDORA FOR ORIBE. MAKE-UP BY AI YOKOMIZO USING CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ. MANICURE BY ELINA OGAWA AT BRIDGE USING CHANEL. MODELS: VICTORIA MASSEY AT ELITE; ROCKWELL HARWOOD AT IMG
80

81

VIRTUALLY
PERFECT
VIVID GEMSTONES IN MESMERISING HUES MAY BE
NATURE'S BOUNTY, BUT THESE TIMELESS HIGH-
JEWELLERY MASTERPIECES – WORN BY THE WORLD'S
FIRST DIGITAL SUPERMODEL – SHOWCASE HUMAN
INGENUITY AND ARTISTRY AT THEIR VERY FINEST
Photography by CAMERON-JAMES WILSON
3D Visualisation by THE DIIGITALS • Styled by TOM LOCKYER
82

CHOPARD white-gold
earrings set with turquoise,
tourmalines and diamonds
from the Red Carpet
Collection DIOR JOAILLERIE
white-gold Tie & Dior
ring set with sapphires,
tsavorites garnets, emeralds,
Paraiba-type tourmalines
and one pistachio cultured
pearl CHAUMET white-gold
Perspectives de Chaumet ring
set with one cabochon black
opal, sapphires, diamonds,
tsavorite garnets and lapis
lazuli TIFFANY & CO.
Schlumberger yellow-gold
and platinum Epine Starfish
brooch set with turquoise
and diamonds
83

84
HARRY WINSTON platinum
Fifth Avenue necklace set
with sapphires and diamonds
PIAGET white-gold Wings of
Light Dazzling Cascade ring
set with diamonds and one
sapphire

BULGARI white-gold High
Jewellery earrings set
with onyx, diamonds and
a cultured Akoya pearl
CHANEL white-gold Tweed
de Chanel necklace set with
diamonds and onyx
85

ADLER white-gold High
Gardens earrings set with
diamonds and rubies
BOODLES platinum,
yellow- and rose-gold Poppy
Meadow necklace
set with multicoloured
diamonds and rubies, from
the Secret Garden collection
BOGHOSSIAN white-gold
Remarkable bracelet set with
diamonds and morganites
86

87
About the Model
She has no surname, no
nationality and no past; in
fact, our model Shudu isn’t
technically a person. She’s the
industry-shattering invention
of British photographer
Cameron-James Wilson, a
hyper realistic digital persona
that, since her 2017 debut on
Instagram, has sky-rocketed to
international fame, whether it’s
making a hologram cameo at
the Bafta awards or appearing
in shoots for Ferragamo and
Fenty. “Each of the images
represents roughly two days'
work,” explains Wilson, whose
agency Diigitals now boasts
a line-up of seven virtual
models. “We carefully craft
each layer to make sure
when it all comes together it
looks as real as possible.” The
inherent benefit of creating
stunning visuals with a
minimal carbon footprint
has only been bolstered in
our current moment, with its
premium on social distancing.
“The pandemic has made it
more apparent than ever that
fashion needs to embrace 3D,”
says Wilson. “Digital models
play a huge part in this, and
their usefulness has never been
more clear.” thediigitals.com

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS whitegold
Merveille d’Emeraudes
earrings set with one emerald
and diamonds GRAFF
white-gold necklace set with
diamonds and emeralds
CINDY CHAO THE ART
JEWEL white-gold Ribbon
ring set with diamonds and
tsavorites from the White
Label Collection
88

MIKIMOTO white-gold
earrings set with cultured
Akoya pearls, one tanzanite
and diamonds CARTIER
platinum High Jewellery [Sur]
Naturel necklace set with
kunzite, opals and diamonds
BOUCHERON white-gold
Murmure d’Étoiles cuff set
with cabochon tanzanite,
aventurine glass and
diamonds
89

CHANGING
TIMES
THE RAREFIED WORLD OF HIGH HOROLOGY MAY ERR
ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, BUT WHEN IT COMES
TO PRESENTING THE FINEST WATCHES ON THE
MARKET, BRANDS ARE INCREASINGLY EMBRACING
THE INNOVATIONS THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS TO
OFFER, DISCOVERS MELANIE GRANT
One summer evening last year in the cigar room
of Ten Trinity Square, a private members’
club in London, I was relaxing with a couple of
watch collectors who were waxing lyrical about the best
watches of all time. One impeccably groomed barrister
was wearing an Alexandre Meerson D15, and the other,
I learned, had so many Pateks in his collection that his
Apple Watch was intended as a sardonic statement piece.
As plumes of smoke swirled around the room amid the
mentions of their prized timepieces and prospective
purchases, it became clear that the treasures they now
coveted were to be found online in the new digital hunting
ground of horology.
Digitalisation is par for the course in the Covid-19
era, but for these Londoners – and for watch collectors
more generally – the pandemic has only accelerated the
transformation of one of the world’s most tradition-laden
industries. Long dependent on personal relationships
and in-store visits, the high priests of horology are
increasingly connecting with clients through laptops and
smartphones. It’s a brave new world at the intersection
of personalisation and online ubiquity – and it’s one that
watchmakers are meeting with a remarkably disparate
array of strategies.
Luxury brands have generally been late adopters when
it comes to digital strategy, preferring to tempt customers
within the confines of their exquisitely curated showrooms
and events. The golden trio in terms of design cred – Rolex,
Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet – still, in fact, don’t
sell online themselves, relying on a network of retailers
and their own salons. They are dipping a toe into the
pool, just not diving into the deep end yet. In November,
Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak Selfwinding
Flying Tourbillon on a private livestream video from its
new museum. It was presented by CEO François-Henry
Bennahmias, who had memorised biographical details
of the members of the digital audience, each of whom
was sent a personalised hamper for the occasion. Daniel
Compton, general manager of AP UK, says the brand sees
its biggest challenge not in personalised communication,
but in managing disappointment when clients call and
demand outstrips supply. “It’s important for us not to be
arrogant when there is a scarcity of product – but still to
forge relationships even if we can’t satisfy everyone.”
In contrast, brands like Zenith are pursuing younger,
digital-native collectors. One recent model, the Defy
El Primero 21 Carl Cox, a chronograph with a carbon
bezel, saw the Swiss manufacturer turn tech into techno
by collaborating with DJ Carl Cox. Owners of the new
timepiece can access playlists created by Cox and talk
to him remotely, a very personal interaction that never
requires being in the same time zone, let alone room. “We
must be innovative, but not just in the mechanics,” says
Zenith CEO Julien Tornare, who is one of the youngest
chief executives in the industry.
Generation Z is undoubtedly the future, and to reach
it, the digital experience must be both highly curated
and Instagrammable. “Expectations are higher, which is
definitely a good thing for the evolution of luxury, whether
90

in terms of innovation, quality or global responsibility,”
says Marc Hayek, president of Breguet. Because there is
so much information online and clients now have such
a deep knowledge, anyone obsessed by a Breguet or
Blancpain timepiece (another brand Hayek oversees)
must be so totally immersed in brand DNA on every
channel that they can come to a personal relationship
with the object without ever touching it.
As if to emphasise this in the auction world, recent
livestreamed sales have seen prices go through
the roof. Phillips sold a Patek piece in November
for CHF 4,991,000 to an online bidder, the house’s
highest-ever online watch sale. Revenge spending – the
phenomenon where buyers splurge as they come out of
lockdown – saw 2,300 people bid online during a single
auction recently at Phillips. Arthur Touchot, head of
digital strategy, puts into words what everyone is thinking
about this digital evolution: “We aren’t going back.”
Collectors are even drilling down and buying
unique items – like signed pieces by master craftsman
Gérald Genta – at the online auctions of Antiquorum,
where virtual valuation days take place via Zoom.
“Traditionally, client tastes changed depending on
location,” says CEO Romain Rea, “but with digitisation
we are witnessing a globalisation, an international
standardisation of the market.” It is this shift that has
enabled Sotheby’s, for instance, to begin its Watches
Weekly, a programme of four-times-a-week digital
auctions which ostensibly take place in New York, Hong
Kong, Geneva and London, but are, given their online
nature, available everywhere to everyone.
There is a downside to all this visibility. “You can now
see every watch on the market,” says Jorn Werdelin, cofounder
of the independent Swiss-Danish watchmaker
Linde Werdelin. “Rarity is out the window.” A certain
mystique – and genuine scarcity – have been essential
aspects of the watch market for decades, carefully
cultivated by the manufacturers to pique curiosity at
the right times and in the right places. The new digital
ubiquity has fewer of these qualities – and is leaving
many watchmakers unsure about what repercussions
will follow.
What all watchmakers agree on is that gratuitous tech
shouldn’t be the aim. “When we launch a new initiative
or digital campaign,” says Jasmina Steele, director of
international communication and public relations for
Patek Philippe, “we know we are doing it for a purpose,
doing what is right for Patek Philippe and its clients.” In
an online marketplace where uncertainty reigns, there is
value is controlling everything you can.
The nuts and bolts of a purchase are not always easier
online, despite the simplicity of so many of our digital
transactions. Across all virtual platforms, engagement
is the key. “Digital is a great way to connect, but the
voice within it has to be true and sincere,” says Raynald
Aeschlimann, president and CEO of Omega, which
has been meticulously building its #SpeedyTuesday
Speedmaster community since 2012. The brand’s firstever
watch to be sold exclusively online came in 2017 as a
result of this community; all models were snapped up in
just over four hours.
It’s more commonplace than ever before to, say, spend
£76,000 on a Roger Dubuis Excalibur Blacklight Limited
Edition Automatic Skeleton while shopping for a pair of
trainers on Mr Porter, but not every watch flies off the
virtual shelf. Bell & Ross created the BR-X1 Skeleton
Tourbillon Sapphire in electric blue as an exclusive for
the e-boutique in 2019, retailing at £355,000. But it
didn’t budge online, selling only later in a brick-andmortar
store. “Luxury is a state of mind,” says Carlos-
Antonio Rosillo, co-founder and CEO of Bell & Ross,
with philosophic wisdom. And sometimes in this new
digital landscape, experimentation is the key.
The CEO of A Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid,
is in the enviable position of being able to sell
high complications such as the Tourbograph
Perpetual Honeygold sight unseen. Beyond launching
a few pieces at the digital version of Watches and
Wonders, one of the industry’s leading fairs, this year
he is staying resolutely focused on “being a source
of joy”, and he, too, is curious about the possibilities
presented by the increasingly digital landscape: “How
do you stay a secret but share it with a few more
people?”
There is, of course, no simple answer – but there’s no
putting Pandora back in the box either. More than 80
per cent of watch lovers are cruising online before they
even get to a store, says Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches
of Switzerland. Digital presentation has become our
new normal, especially for the younger generations,
and the race is on to make the most of it. For Duffy
and other forward-thinking brands, that involves not
only finding ways to reach connoisseurs in London
members’ clubs, but also introducing newcomers to
the world of fine timepieces – a task for which digital
presentation might be well suited. “Everyone wants a
watch, whether they know it or not,” says Duffy with
a laugh – and you can be sure that when that moment
of realisation comes, the watch world will be waiting
across a plethora of digital channels.
91

EXTRAORDINARY
EDITIONS
By ELISA VALLATA
Rare complications
and superlative
artwork come
together in these
singular timepieces
BLANCPAIN
Métiers d’Art Formosa
Clouded Leopard Boutique
Edition 45mm red-gold
case; hand-decorated and
engraved, gold-damascened
shakudō dial depicting the
Formosa clouded leopard, a
symbol of Taiwan; sapphire
crystal caseback; handwound
movement; alligator
leather strap
92

1 2
3 4
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WATCHMAKERS
1 A LANGE & SÖHNE
Tourbograph Perpetual
Honeygold “Homage to FA
Lange” 43mm case in the
brand’s proprietary honeygold;
black-rhodiumed,
honey-gold dial; hand-wound
movement; tourbillon;
chronograph with rattrapante
function; perpetual calendar;
moon-phase; leather strap
2 AUDEMARS PIGUET
[Re]master01 Selfwinding
Chronograph 40mm stainless
steel case and lugs; pink-gold
bezel, crown and pushpieces;
yellow gold-toned dial;
blue tachymetric scale and
chronograph hands; pink-gold
hour, minute and second
hands; hand-stitched brown
calfskin strap
3 BOVET
Récital 26 Brainstorm
Chapter Two 47.8mm sapphire
case with titanium lugs and
caseback; blue quartz dial;
hand-wound movement;
world time with indexable
second-timezone with
hemispherical city indicator;
3D moon-phase indicator;
alligator leather strap
4 BREGUET
Tradition Quantième
Rétrograde 7597 40mm
rose-gold case; silvered
gold dial at 12 o’clock;
open-tipped Breguet hands
in blue steel; self-winding,
openworked movement;
retrograde date display;
alligator leather strap with
pin buckle in gold
93

5 6
7 8
5 CHOPARD
LUC Skull One A tribute
to the Mexican Day of the
Dead; 40mm beadblasted
DLC-coated steel case; black
dial with lacquered-finished
skull motif; self-winding
movement; calfskin leather
strap with tone-on-tone
stitching
6 JAQUET DROZ
Grande Seconde Paillonnée
From the Ateliers D’Art
Collection; 43mm red
gold case; blue Grand Feu
paillonné-enamelled and
silver opaline dial with red
gold appliqué; self-winding
movement; alligator
leather strap
7 JAEGER-LECOULTRE
Master Grande Tradition
Grande Complication
45mm pink-gold case;
black dial with golden
laser-welded structure; handwound
movement; 24-hour
indication; orbital flying
tourbillon; minute repeater;
alligator leather strap
8 HARRY WINSTON
Ocean Moon Phase Automatic
44mm white gold case;
bezel and lugs set with
baguette-cut diamonds;
openworked and 3D dial with
carbon inserts; self-winding
movement; moon-phase
and retrograde date; alligator
leather strap
94

9 10
11
12
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WATCHMAKERS
9 MB&F
Legacy Machine Perpetual
Evo 44mm zirconium case
with bezel-free design;
orange CVD dial plate;
openworked, hand-wound
movement fitted with
FlexRing shock-absorbing
system; perpetual calendar;
rubber strap
10 PATEK PHILIPPE
5270J – Grand Complications
41mm yellow-gold case; silvery
opaline dial with tachymeter
scale and gold applied hour
markers; hand-wound
movement; chronograph with
instantaneous 30-minute
counter; perpetual calendar;
alligator leather strap
11 VACHERON
CONSTANTIN
Traditionnelle Tourbillon 42mm
pink-gold case; case, bezel and
lugs decorated with a handengraved
cloud motif; handguilloché
gold dial finished
with a black galvanic treatment
and decorated with two handengraved
Qilin figures
12 LAURENT FERRIER
Grand Sport Tourbillon
44mm stainless steel case;
gradient blue opaline dial;
white-gold hour and minute
hands featuring orange Super-
LumiNova; hand-wound
movement; tourbillon visible
through the sapphire caseback;
stainless steel bracelet
95

SOMMELIER’S
CHOICE
ACROSS THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND HUNDREDS
OF CULTURES, WINEMAKING HAS ALWAYS BEEN
AN ART FORM IN SEARCH OF THE SUBLIME.
THIS DREAM CELLAR OF EMERGING VINTAGES –
HANDPICKED BY 15 GLOBAL SOMMELIERS – SHOWS
OFF THE BEST OF 21ST-CENTURY VITICULTURE.
BY JEFFREY T IVERSON
Illustrations by HANNAH GEORGE
The Ritz Paris has hosted innumerable galas in
its history, but doubtless the most consequential
of recent times came in 2016 when the hotel
reopened after a four-year, multimillion-euro renovation.
For this legendary institution, it was a chance to unveil
to the crème of high society all the ways it had redefined
luxury once again. Everything was to breathe elegant
modernity – the rooms, the spa – even the champagne.
Or so intended Ritz’s chief sommelier at the time, Estelle
Touzet. “The Ritz clientele has always been very attached
to tradition, and used to being served wines from France’s
biggest, most illustrious champagne houses,” she says.
“But for the reopening, I decided to serve a champagne
that was completely unknown to the general public
– a blanc de blancs by a 31-year-old, first-generation
vigneron named Etienne Calsac.” Why? Because for
Touzet, Calsac – a self-made, haute-couture winemaker
who cut his teeth in New World wineries from Canada
to New Zealand before beginning to produce champagne
on a tiny, organically farmed estate in Avize – represents
the future of French wine. And nowadays, divining that
future is the crux of her profession.
Being a sommelier in 2021, says Touzet, means making
sense of a wine world in movement. “Vignerons of my
parents’ generation made wine like their fathers did, and
didn’t leave their region. Whereas those of my generation
now seek training abroad – in Germany, Australia – to
learn how winemakers in other countries are adapting
today, and to acquire new techniques they can bring back
and apply to their terroirs and their grape varieties.” While
Old World winemakers are seeking inspiration abroad
and bringing home fresh ideas and innovations, New
World winemakers continue to experiment with novel
techniques, styles and vineyard locations. “The profession
of sommelier has never been more interesting than in
recent years,” says Italy’s Enrico Bernardo, 2004 Best
Sommelier of the World, “and it’s because of the evolutions
taking place all around the world now, with new estates,
new appellations and new generations of winemakers.”
Which is why, for this year’s Compendium, Centurion
magazine invited leading sommeliers from all across
the planet to paint us a portrait of this evolving world,
with each sharing a remarkable bottle from one young,
emerging estate that points to the future of wine.
96

1 2
3
1 ARGENTINA
Andrés Rosberg
PerSe, La Craie 2017
Today, new high-altitude vineyards are
being planted around the world by pioneering
winemakers seeking greater freshness
and elegance in their wines. Andrés
Rosberg, former president of the International
Sommelier Association, brings us a
wine from Argentina, home to the greatest
concentration of high-altitude vineyards in
the world. “After only six vintages, lifelong
friends Edy del Popolo (viticulturist) and
David Bonomi (winemaker) have established
their PerSe project as one of the
brightest stars in Argentinian wine. Their
recipe was clear: find a Grand Cru-quality
site, plant it with the varieties best suited to
that terroir, and then let nature talk. They
say simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,
and PerSe’s La Craie is a stunning cuvée
indeed, named for the abundant limestone
of their vineyard in Gualtallary – an increasingly
prized sub-appellation of Mendoza’s
Uco Valley. The combination of high
elevation (1,450 metres), cool, dry weather
and chalky soils give this brilliant malbec
and cabernet-franc blend unique finesse
and depth. Barely 900 bottles are made annually,
yet its personality and purity make it
well worth seeking out.”
2 AUSTRALIA
Bhatia Dheeraj
Traviarti, Nebbiolo
Given Australia’s history of Italian
immigration, it’s no surprise that
winemakers there would long to
cultivate nebbiolo, Italy’s most noble
– and notoriously difficult – grape.
Sommelier Bhatia Dheeraj, a Decanter
wine judge and director of the Coogee
Wine Room in Sydney, introduces us to a
rapidly growing wine region that is now
being touted as an ideal location for the
grape. “I was recently in Victoria visiting
the wine region of Beechworth when I
happened upon a very small producer
few people know about called Traviarti.
There, I tasted a nebbiolo that shocked
me. Nebbiolo doesn’t like the Australian
sun and heat. But in 2011, the couple
behind Traviarti decided to plant it at
600m altitude, on the theory you would
lose some of the heat extremes there.
The result is a wine that would be a beast
in a tasting. Drinking it, you’re struck by
the inherent contradiction of nebbiolo.
Delicacy, prettiness and floral aromas
together with robust, savoury tannins
drawn out by acidity … it’s enough to
make this the most moreish variety
striving in Beechworth, Victoria today.”
97
3 BELGIUM
Stéphane Dardenne
Domaine La Falize, Chardonnay
In the balmy Middle Ages, Belgium
was covered with vineyards. And today,
with global temperatures on the rise,
Belgians are making wine once again.
Sommelier Stéphane Dardenne of the
two-Michelin-starred l’Air du Temps (and
Gault&Millau’s 2020 Best Sommelier in
Belgium) couldn’t be happier. “About
ten kilometres from the restaurant l’Air
du Temps is a wine estate which, in my
opinion, has currently set the bar for
winemaking in Belgium – Domaine
La Falize. Launched in 2012 by one of
the owners of the AB InBev brewing
company, it now has a few hectares of
chardonnay and pinot noir in production,
and are already producing world-class
wines. The owner has invested in state-ofthe-art
equipment, has hired Belgium’s
most famous winemaker, Peter Colemont
– known for his Clos d’Opleeuw
Chardonnay – while Sylvain Pellegrinelli,
vineyard manager at Domaine Leflaive in
Burgundy, is supervising the biodynamic
viticulture. Today, the precise, Burgundian
approach in the winery is yielding
chardonnay reminiscent of the most
beautiful expressions of the Côte d’Or.”

4 5
6
4 FRANCE
Estelle Touzet
Champagne Etienne Calsac,
“Les Revenants”
What does the future of French wine
taste like? Probably like Etienne Calsac’s
champagne, says Estelle Touzet, former
chief sommelier of the Ritz who today
runs her eponymous consultancy firm.
“In France, many vignerons rested on
their laurels for generations with an
unchanging model of wine. Today they’re
starting to imitate foreign winemakers
by embracing innovation. Take Etienne
Calsac, a 36-year-old vigneron of less
than three hectares in Champagne. He
didn’t inherit a grand estate with beautiful
chalk cellars. He built his own winery
in an industrial area in Avize, using
intelligence, open-mindedness and new
ideas from his travels abroad. Low yields,
horse-ploughing, biodynamic viticulture,
Burgundy-style vinification – everything is
made-to-measure. Recently he released
a cuvée called Les Revenants, made only
with old champagne varietals – arbane,
petit-meslier and pinot blanc. It’s an
extraordinary wine, boasting purity,
precision and abyssal depth. We’re so
used to chardonnay and pinot noir, we
forget champagne can be more fine and
delicate. It’s a wine that reminds us that
building the future begins by looking to
our past.”
5 GERMANY
Markus Del Monego MW
Weingut Korrell Johanneshof,
Paradies Riesling trocken
Demand today for lighter wine styles
is raising the profile of German
winemakers who are vinifying riesling
in new ways – not for sweetness, but
for dry wines that are low in alcohol
yet bursting with aromatics. Markus
Del Monego, Master of Wine, 1998
Best Sommelier of the World, and
today the head of a consultancy firm
in Essen, introduces us to a young
German winemaker breathing new
life into his family estate. “Martin
Korrell represents the new generation
of German vintners. He is keen on
sustainability and organic viticulture,
for which he just started the conversion.
His wines are crystal clear and show
tremendous ageing potential. Paradies
is the name of his best vineyard, which
offers heavenly riesling with fragrant
fruit reminiscent of ripe apricots,
juicy peaches, lemon zest and fresh
mirabelle, blending with hints of
tropical fruits and white blossoms
in the background. An outstanding,
savoury riesling with discreet spiciness,
slightly earthy minerality, flavourful
depth, length and balance. A perfect
match with turbot in beurre blanc,
scallop sashimi or vegetable tempura.”
98
6 INDIA
Bhatia Dheeraj
Vallonné Vineyards, Riesling
It’s generally accepted that only
countries situated between 30 and
50 degrees latitude are capable of
producing fine wine. But today in
India, where wine consumption has
continually grown in recent years,
pioneering winemakers are proving
this axiom wrong by identifying
cool, high-altitude vineyard sites
and developing specialised farming
practices. We asked Bhatia Dheeraj,
sommelier and Decanter Asia Wine
Awards judge, to share the most recent
discovery from his native India. “There
are a number of promising Indian
producers today, such as KRSMA
Estates, whose picturesque vineyards
are located on the hills near the
Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi.
Its premium sauvignon blanc, cabernet
sauvignon and syrah wines are wines
to watch for. Another awesome wine
– and I mean it, try it blind – is the
stunning dry riesling first produced
in 2017, from Vallonné Vineyards in
Maharashtra. It’s crafted from grapes
grown 2,100 feet [640 metres] above
sea level on south-facing slopes
benefiting from the cooling influence
of the waters of the Mukhne Reservoir.
In a word, it’s a mind-blowing wine.”

“I like wines made by people who believe in the
soul of the land, wines made in the vineyards
rather than the cellar, wines made with heart that
remind us being imperfect is perfectly human”
7 8
9
7 ITALY
Enrico Bernardo
Passopisciaro, Contrada G
In the last decade, no region in Italy has
captured the imaginations of oenophiles
(and investors) like Sicily’s Mount Etna,
an active volcano where professional
viticulture had been mostly abandoned
after World War II. Italy’s Enrico
Bernardo, 2004 Best Sommelier of the
World, shares a wine that encapsulates
Etna’s allure. “For me, the wines of
Mount Etna are the quintessential
‘terroir wines’ of Italy today. It’s a
magical place – the volcano’s basalt
soil is jet black, the vineyards of
nerello mascalese grapes are planted
at 600-1,000 metres altitude, and
include ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines.
As in Burgundy, there are crus, called
contradas – walled, terraced vineyard
sites. Among my favourites is Domaine
Passopisciaro’s Contrada Guardiola,
planted at 1,000 metres. Wine lovers
see Sicily as an extremely southern
wine region, and expect very rich,
concentrated wines. Yet these are fresh
and floral, perfumed, almost light like a
Burgundy pinot, not dense but delicate,
with very seductive aromas – blood
orange, thyme, dried mint, cherries,
even salty notes. They are refined and
luscious, good young or old, and always
bring you pleasure and emotions.”
8 MOLDOVA
Raimonds Tomsons
Castel Mimi, Cabernet
Sauvignon Reserve 2012
With a winemaking renaissance
under way in eastern Europe, Latvian
sommelier Raimonds Tomsons, the 2017
Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa,
recently visited an estate whose wine
embodies the revival in Moldova: Castel
Mimi. “This historic winery and castle
was founded by Constantin Mimi, a
politician who drove the development
of Moldovan viticulture in the 19th and
early 20th centuries. In 2011, the castle
was renovated, and the winery upgraded
with the newest equipment. Today, its
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve boasts
an intense and opulent nose, showing
a plethora of ripe dark plums, cherries
and cassis jam complemented by very
fine toasted oak notes – cedar, vanilla,
Christmas spices – while also beginning
to reveal evolution notes of balsamic,
forest floor and dried mint. The palate
is rich and dense with expressive but
ripe and silky tannins and mild acidity, a
great concentration of flavours with dried
dark cherries and prunes, blackberries
and blackcurrant jam complemented
by sweet oak flavours of vanilla, sweetspices
and toast, fresh notes of mint and
capsicum followed by mild earthiness. A
very polished and balanced wine.”
99
9 PORTUGAL
João Pires MS
Vinhos Imperfeitos, I, Branco 2018
The current buzz over top-shelf
Portuguese wines reached new heights
in 2020 when the Vinhos Imperfeitos
I Branco 2018 became Decanter
magazine’s highest-scoring dry white
Portuguese wine ever, at 97 points.
Master sommelier João Pires recently
visited the producer. “I like wines made
by people who invest and believe in
the soul of the land, wines made in the
vineyards rather than the cellar, wines
made with heart that remind us being
imperfect is perfectly human. To my
surprise, I recently discovered a wine
project named Vinhos Imperfeitos
(imperfect wines), launched in June
2018 by the talented 36-year-old
Portuguese winemaker Carlos Raposo,
whose dream is to make the best –
and most expensive – white wines in
Portugal. His 2018 vintage includes a
vinho verde, a Dão and Verde blend
called D&V, and his crown jewel, the
Vinho Imperfeitos/I, from 100% Dão
region grapes. I was blown away by
their sapid, mouthwatering quality,
their salty umami character and their
lingering tension – there’s an emotional
strain, a never-ending suspense … as
a jazz lover, it reminds me of ‘Peace
Piece’ by Bill Evans.”

10 11
12
10 SOUTH AFRICA
Tinashe Nyamudoka
Kumusha, Cabernet Sauvignon
& Cinsault 2019
One of the most anticipated launches
in South African wine of recent times
was the Kumusha Wines project
by Zimbabwean-born Tinashe
Nyamudoka, former sommelier of
Cape Town’s acclaimed Test Kitchen
restaurant. Kumusha is Nyamudoka’s
paean to South Africa’s terroirs, but
it’s also a means to promote black
voices within an industry still rife
with inequality. “Kumusha Wines is
my source of livelihood, but it’s also
a vehicle to open opportunities for
the marginalised in South Africa and
Africa as a whole. I want it to serve as
a blueprint for aspiring young people
in the industry on how to unlock the
wine value chain. Since launching in
2017, I now export to the United States,
the Netherlands, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
I make my wines at Opstal Wine Estate
in the Slanghoek Valley. My cabernet
sauvignon and cinsault blend is an
ode to South African cabernet/cinsault
blends of the 1960s and 1970s – gems
which are still drinking well. I wanted
to emulate this style in the modern era.
I went for elegance more than power
and created a wine that is drinkable in
its youth yet will age gracefully.”
11 SPAIN
David Seijas
Bodegas Viñátigo, Elaboraciones
Ancestrales Blanco
After 11 years as El Bulli’s top sommelier,
David Seijas’s nose for emerging wine is
faultless. So what does he thi-nk is one
of the world’s most alluring, mysterious
wine-growing areas today? The Spanish
Canary Islands. “The Canaries have a
unique, spectacular landscape. Being
free of phylloxera, there are countless
wine varieties there that travelled
from Spain, Portugal and Italy, many
of which have now disappeared in
their places of origin, and thus can
be found nowhere else on the planet
today. The different islands, of volcanic
origin, also boast a great diversity of
soils from successive erosions, and a
multitude of microclimates – more
than five just on the island Tenerife
– making them a paradise for bold,
passionate winegrowers. And few
know the islands, their varieties and
climates better than Juan Jesús Méndez
of Bodegas Viñátigo, a talented,
erudite winegrower who with his
wife, Elena Batista, has recovered
and revived numerous nearly extinct
grape varieties. Their Elaboraciones
Ancestrales Blanco, made from the
gual variety, is a delight. Exuberant fruit
and thrilling texture. A bomb!”
100
12 SWITZERLAND
Marc Almert
Weingut Adank, Fläscher Pinot
Noir Alte Reben
Though the Swiss would be content to
keep it all to themselves, the quality
and diversity of Switzerland’s wines
is no longer a secret. Marc Almert,
head sommelier at Zurich’s Pavillon
and reigning Best Sommelier of the
World, reveals the last Swiss pinot
to make him swoon. “After working
in prestigious wine regions from
Burgundy to New Zealand, Patrick
Adank recently came home to work
with his parents, Rezia and Hansruedi,
who founded their winery in the
village of Fläsch 35 years ago. In 2020,
he was named Gault&Millau wine
guide’s rookie of the year. Adank is
making exciting wines that are true
to their origins and grapes, from
sparkling wine (one of the few truly
excellent ones in Switzerland) to a
great selection of mineralesque whites.
But his pinot noirs are particularly
outstanding – wines that can easily
compete with their famous French
counterparts. The Alte Reben –
German for ‘old vines’ – has especially
taken my heart with its intriguing fruit
and spice on the nose followed by its
longevity and minerality on the palate.
One to watch.”

“Before prohibition, Lake County had more
grapevine acreage than either Napa or Sonoma.
Today the county is on the rise once again”
13 14 15
13 UNITED KINGDOM
Clive Barlow MW
Gusbourne Estate, Barrel
Selection Pinot Noir
If global warming is altering the fortunes
of wine regions everywhere, England
ranks among the winners. Having
conquered critics with their sparkling
wines, now English winemakers are
chasing the holy grail – great pinot – says
Clive Barlow, Master of Wine and buyer
for the online English wine specialist
Corkk. “When I started working in wine
in the late 1980s in a small vineyard
near the coastal town of Lymington,
we dreamed of achieving 10% alcohol.
This year, pinot noir from one vineyard
in Crouch Valley, Essex was harvested
at 14.7%. Also a fabulous year was
2018, allowing a number of growers to
produce very good pinot noir, especially
in Kent. The star was Gusbourne Estate’s
Barrel Selection Pinot Noir, a jawdroppingly
hedonistic wine with deep,
dense, ripe fruit, exuding flavours of
morello cherries, star anise, blackberries
and cedar smoke. Silk-smooth tannins,
beguiling texture, a long sapid finish
… it’s a thing of beauty and shows all
that’s possible. Alas, only a few hundred
bottles were produced. Yes, ‘One
swallow does not a summer make’, but
one swallow brings the promise of a fine
future for pinot noir in Kent.”
14 UNITED STATES
Chad Walsh
Komorebi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
For decades, big California brands
have often overshadowed the quality
boutique wineries that first created global
excitement for American wine in the
1970s. That’s changing, says sommelier
Chad Walsh, US Portfolio Manager for T
Edward Wines. “In recent years, we’re
really moving away from American
wines with a sense of style – as in a
‘California chardonnay’ – towards wines
with a sense of place. Take Matt Taylor,
one of the winemakers developing a new
appellation on the West Sonoma Coast –
a cool, foggy area that’s climatically very
different from the rest of the Sonoma
Coast. After working for famed wineries
from California’s Araujo to Burgundy’s
Domaine Dujac, Taylor created his
tiny estate here called Komorebi. It’s
a labour of love: he uses dry-farming
and biodynamics, produces very small
quantities, and the wines are incredible.
In 20 years, few California wines have
blown my mind like Matt’s pinot noir. It’s
100% whole cluster, very similar to the
Dujac style. It has this wonderful texture
and structure, and incredible aromatic
complexity, from warm red fruits to that
‘sous bois’ earthiness you find in great
burgundies, which to me is the pinnacle
of the expression of pinot noir.”
101
15 VOLCANIC WINE
John Szabo MS
Obsidian RidgeVineyards,
Half Mile Proprietary Blend
In an era when belief in the primacy
of terroir has spread around the wine
world, a unique, international movement
has emerged of producers who literally
define their wines by their soils. Master
sommelier John Szabo, founder of the
annual International Volcanic Wines
Conference, shares one of these rising, fiery
estates. “Before prohibition, Lake County,
the most recently active volcanic AVA in
Northern California, had more grapevine
acreage than either Napa or Sonoma.
Today the county is on the rise once again,
helped by both the quality potential there
and its more down-to-earth land prices,
with big names coming north to get in on
the action. Obsidian Ridge Vineyards is a
leading producer, with 40 hectares planted
high up on volcanic Mount Konocti on
soils littered with obsidian – black volcanic
glass. Brothers Peter and Arpad Molnar
produce a dense and brooding Estate
Cabernet Sauvignon, while their The Slope
cuvée from the steepest, highest-elevation
cabernet parcels is more finely etched and
intricately woven. Their top cuvée, Half
Mile, is made in suitable vintages from top
vine blocks, yielding a cabernet sauvignon/
petit verdot blend that could almost be
called elegant and refined.”

Unique experiences, glamorous locations, exquisite cuisine and,
of course, sumptuous rooms, suites and villas are all hallmarks of
this curated selection of luxury accommodation worldwide
Dear
Readers,
One of the silver linings of this difficult past
year has the been the opportunity to reflect on
the role of travel in our lives. As we’ve taken
fewer journeys, we’ve been able to recognise
and relish the central place that travelling plays
in so many of our fondest memories – and
also to renew our anticipatory joy about the
destinations on our bucket lists. The Fine Hotels
+ Resorts handbook on the following pages
highlights some of the hotels, restaurants and
destinations that we hope prove inspirational
both in the year ahead and beyond. Maintaining
the highest safety standards, these partners are
nevertheless governed by national restrictions,
so please do check property openings and
availability, either on the websites or by calling
Centurion Travel Service. And please remember
to consult the latest government advice before
booking travel and departing on any trip, as this
may affect the travel insurance cover provided
with your card account (if held).
– The Centurion Editorial Team

Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand
Otahuna Lodge, Tai Tapu, New Zealand
Jackalope Hotel, Victoria, Australia
InterContinental Hayman Island Resort, Hayman Island, Australia
When you’re ready to travel,
we’ll be here with inspiration
With Fine Hotels + Resorts your hotel stays become memorable experiences.
Stay somewhere you won’t soon forget. Escape closer to home at hotels
that are destinations unto themselves. When you’re ready to relax, enjoy an
unforgettable experience with Fine Hotels + Resorts, and rest assured that
American Express Travel will be here every step of the way.

Blanket Bay, Glenorchy, New Zealand
ROOM UPGRADE
UPON ARRIVAL, WHEN
AVAILABLE †
NOON CHECK-IN,
WHEN AVAILABLE
Book your Fine Hotels + Resorts stay with Centurion Travel Service
and receive the following complimentary suite of benefits:
•
COMPLIMENTARY WI-FI
•
UNIQUE AMENITY
VALUED AT US$100,
TO SPEND ON DINING,
SPA, AND RESORT
ACTIVITIES §
•
GUARANTEED 4 P.M.
LATE CHECK-OUT
DAILY BREAKFAST
FOR TWO
AND STAY TWO OR MORE NIGHTS at participating Aman, Belmond, Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Group, Oetker Collection, The Peninsula Hotels, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels &
Resorts, and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts properties AND RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL
US$100 OR US$200 FOOD AND BEVERAGE OR SPA CREDIT §
•
†Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. §Special amenity and Centurion benefits vary by property.
Valid only for new Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings made through Centurion Travel Service at participating Aman, Belmond, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Oetker Collection, The Peninsula
Hotels, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts properties. Payment must be made in full with an American Express Card in the Centurion
Member’s name. Available for Centurion Members only. Centurion Member must travel on itinerary booked to be eligible for benefits described. Noon check-in is based on availability
and is provided at check-in. Room upgrade will be confirmed at time of reservation subject to availability, and will replace Fine Hotels + Resorts room upgrade at time of check-in. Breakfast
amenity varies by property, but will be, at a minimum, a continental breakfast. Complimentary In-Room Wi-Fi is provided. In the case where a Property includes cost of Wi-Fi in a mandatory
resort fee, the Cardmember will receive a daily credit from the Property in the standard amount that the Property charges for Wi-Fi. The credit will be issued on the Cardmember’s final
statement upon check-out. Benefit restrictions vary by Fine Hotels + Resorts property and cannot be redeemed for cash, and may not be combined with other offers
unless indicated. Certain participating Fine Hotels + Resorts properties will offer with a minimum paid two consecutive night stay a Centurion benefit of (1) a $200
food & beverage or spa credit; (2) a $200 food & beverage credit only; or (3) a $100 food & beverage or spa credit. Call Centurion Travel Service for details. Credit is
applied in dollars or equivalent in local currency based on the exchange rate on the day of check out. Unused credit will be forfeited at check-out. Advance reservations
are recommended for services such as spa, dining or golf in order to take advantage of the Fine Hotels + Resorts special amenity during your stay. Benefits are only
applied at checkout and expire at checkout. Limit one benefit package per room, per stay. Three room limit per Centurion Member, per stay; back-to-back stays within
a 24-hour period at the same property considered one stay. Participating Fine Hotels + Resorts Fine Hotels + Resorts properties and benefits are subject to change.

The Chedi Andermatt
Oasis of the Far East at the heart of the Swiss Alps
Come in, take a deep breath, relax. The word “Chedi”
means “temple” in Thai, and guests of this five-star deluxe
hotel should feel as well cared for and heavenly as if they
were in a temple. It’s a place of peace and reflection,
nestled at the heart of the Swiss Alps. Within easy reach
of Zürich, Munich and Milan, Andermatt has become
a hotspot in the Alps for visitors from Switzerland and
further afield. Small boutiques, cafés and new restaurants
are transforming what was once a sleepy little village into
a popular year-round destination for discerning travellers
seeking something new, while the village streets and
historic buildings maintain their charm. Waterfalls, alpine
lakes and over 180 kilometres of slopes make the area a
paradise for hikers, mountain bikers and skier. With its Ski
Butlers and the “Magic Belt”, which takes guests almost
directly from the hotel to the ski lift, The Chedi Andermatt
offers an extraordinary ski-in/ski-out experience. In the
hotel Asian flair meets Alpine elegance and the open plan
design and generous spaces reflect the relaxed style of
hospitality here. Five outstanding restaurants and bars
along with a 2,400sq m spa make this deluxe hotel a place
of indulgence.
GOTTHARDSTRASSE 4, 6490 ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND - THECHEDIANDERMATT.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Raffles Seychelles
An unrivalled paradise
One of the world’s most far-flung destinations, Praslin is the
launch point for a myriad of activities and is also home to natural
wonders, including amazing Unesco World Heritage Sites. Raffles
Seychelles has been thoughtfully placed near the most charming
islands in the Seychelles, allowing travellers to seamlessly embark
on island-hopping adventures by boarding their private boat or
helicopter directly at the resort.
The resort boasts 86 private pool villas which are stretched
out along the hillside, offering stunning views of the opal-hued
Indian Ocean and Curieuse Island. Designed in a contemporary
style, the villas feature a bedroom flooded with natural daylight,
a strategically placed bathtub to soak up incredible views, an
outdoor pavilion and a spacious terrace with a private plunge pool
— the perfect place to refresh and take in the magnificent scenery.
The Raffles Spa is steps away from the coastline of Anse
Takamaka, amidst stunning surroundings and verdant gardens.
It has been carefully designed to calm the spirit and awaken
the senses. The luxurious spa features outdoor pavilions, each
showcasing spectacular views of the blue ocean, tropical
gardens and dramatic granite boulders. A pair of couple’s spa
suites are fitted with steam showers, Japanese soaking tubs and
observation decks, where residents can enjoy stunning vistas in
privacy.
Experience a gastronomic selection of culinary experiences
in four restaurants bringing you not only a taste of delicious local
cuisine but also dishes from around the world.
ANSE TAKAMAKA, PRASLIN, SEYCHELLES - RAFFLES.COM/SEYCHELLES
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Fairmont Banff Springs
No Better Place
From the snowcapped Canadian Rockies to Sydney’s bustling waterfront, Accor’s
global resorts offer both a front-row seat to some of the most jaw-dropping settings
on the planet, and ample opportunity to unwind, indulge and relax in style
Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver
This ultramodern hotel boasts multi-award-winning
culinary and cocktail destinations, the indulgent Willow
Stream Spa, a rooftop pool, lavish guest rooms and some
of Vancouver’s most luxurious suites. The property’s close
proximity to the mountains and wilderness, as well striking
cityscapes, make it easy to get lost in the charm of this
metropolis on the sea.
Fairmont San Francisco
World-renowned, this sumptuous retreats presents the
grandeur of the best luxury hotel in the city coupled with
a reputation for impeccable service, promising a truly
memorable experience for visitors from around the globe.
Guests staying in its 606 individually styled rooms and suites
can look forward to immersive in-house dining as well as
fitness and wellness opportunities aplenty.
Fairmont Pacific Rim
Fairmont San Francisco

Fairmont Orchid Hawaii
Fairmont Orchid Hawaii
Nestled amidst 13 oceanfront hectares of lush tropical
gardens, cascading waterfalls and a tranquil white-sand
beach and lagoon, this rarified resort is a temple of wellbeing.
The Four Diamond hotel commands over an award-winning
spa, a 930 sq m oceanfront pool, six restaurants, a beach
club, a year-round children’s programme as well as a fitness
centre and tennis pavilion.
Fairmont Kea Lani Maui
Set on the sunny southern shores of Wailea, a chic oceanfront
community, this nine-hectare resort features spacious onebedroom
suites and private villas, a state-of-the-art fitness
centre, indoor and outdoor spa experiences and islandinspired
cuisine. Hawaiian cultural activities along with the
resort’s three lagoon pools and prime beachfront access offer
guests their choice of active adventures and restful respites.
Fairmont Banff Springs
Strong body, clear mind, full spirit: this is the leitmotif at
the idyllic property at the foot of Rundle Mountain, in the
very heart of the Canadian Rockies. With 757 guest rooms
and suites, seasonally inspired fare and the expansive
Willow Stream Spa, it’s the perfect home base for countless
outdoor activities.
Sofitel Sydney Darling Habour
Revel in a world of relaxation and luxury in Darling Harbour,
with Sydney’s playground and natural wonders on your
doorstep. Enjoy five-star service, world-class hygiene
protocols and facilities unmatched across the city,
including 590 spacious rooms and suites with floor-toceiling
windows, French bathroom amenities, a stunning
gym, an outdoor infinity pool and four vibrant bars and
restaurants.
Fairmont Kea Lani Maui
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
Fairmont Pacific Rim, 1038 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 0B9, fairmont.com/pacificrim ∙ Fairmont San Francisco, 950 Mason St, San Francisco,
CA 94108, fairmont.com/sanfrancisco ∙ Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, 1 N. Kaniku Drive, Kohala Coast, HI 96743, fairmont.com/orchid-hawaii ∙ Fairmont
Kea Lani Maui, 4100 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea, Maui, HI 96753, fairmont-kea-lani.com ∙ Fairmont Banff Springs, 405 Spray Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1J4,
banff-springs-hotel.com ∙ Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, 12 Darling Drive, Sydney NSW 2000, sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Bvlgari Resort Bali
An exclusive and intimate destination for guests seeking privacy and luxury
Traditional Balinese forms and high Italian style meet in
the sophisticated contemporary design of Bvlgari Resort
Bali, blending perfectly with the breathtaking natural
beauty of the island’s coastline.
Uniquely positioned at more than 150 metres above the
seashore, the resort’s 59 villas and five mansions offer
unrivalled views across the Indian Ocean and have access
to exceptional features: Italian and Indonesian restaurants;
a spa offering a complete range of Balinese, Asian and
European therapies; and the cliff-edge pool among them.
Shopping figures highly, too, with a Bvlgari and Balinese
antiques store, while there are also business, conference
and wedding facilities, as well as the first Bvlgari wedding
chapel in the world. An impressive Hindu temple rises on
the highest point of the property to complete the resort’s
remarkable appeal.
With its incomparable backdrop, contemporary
interpretation of Balinese style and distinctive Italian
flair, Bvlgari Resort Bali is an exclusive destination for
discerning travellers.
JALAN GOA LEMPEH, BANJAR DINAS KANGIN, ULUWATU, BALI 80364, INDONESIA - BULGARIHOTELS.COM/BALI
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

The Legian Seminyak, Bali
A time to treasure
Set on an idyllic stretch of Seminyak beach, The
Legian Seminyak, Bali is an iconic hotel renowned for its
extraordinary location, authentic culture and beautiful
design, set in peaceful, tropical gardens overlooking the
ocean – and just a few minutes from the island’s bustling
shopping and nightlife.
Every one of our elegant suites has premium ocean views,
with terraces or balconies looking onto the golden beach
and rolling waves beyond. Styled by legendary Indonesian
designer Jaya Ibrahim, the suites have separate living and
dining areas and sumptuous bathrooms, along with original
art and artefacts from around the Indonesian archipelago.
The Club by The Legian Seminyak, Bali is set a discreet
distance from the hotel, with luxurious pool villas surrounded
by private, tropical gardens.
Within the grounds, the elegant surrounds of The
Restaurant feature a signature dining experience overlooking
the infinity pool. The menu, created by Michelin-starred
executive chef Stephane Gortina, is an enticing fusion of
European and Southeast Asian flavours using the finest
local and organic ingredients cooked with modern French
techniques. Meanwhile, Wellness by The Legian is an awardwinning
spa offering locally inspired treatments.
JALAN KAYU AYA, SEMINYAK BEACH, BALI 80361, INDONESIA – LHM-HOTELS.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley
Discover fresh air adventures, wholesome dining, blissful private villas and inspiring
wellness. Immerse yourself in the majesty of the Greater Blue Mountains
Nestled in more than 2,800 hectares of protected
wilderness among dramatic cliffs and valleys carved
by time, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is a chic
conservation retreat that immerses you in the majesty
of Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains. 40 freestanding
villas are crafted to showcase spectacular views. Beside
your crackling fireplace, on your peaceful veranda, in your
indulgent bathtub, around your private pool, you’ll find
secluded sanctuary to unwind with loved ones.
The resort’s unique blend of dramatic landscapes
and heritage can be explored through a range of outdoor
activities: hiking, mountain-biking and horseback-riding
along hidden trails, sparkling creeks, and epic ridgelines;
encountering iconic Australian wildlife on 4WD safaris by day
and night; stargazing around the atmospheric campfire; and
getting hands-on with our important conservation work.
And, feeling at one with nature, there’s no better
place to simply reconnect with yourself. Harness the
power of native flora in holistic spa treatments. Amplify
the thrill of yoga, swimming and tennis with rolling
mountain backdrops and the freshest air. Inspired by this
environment, our food philosophy celebrates seasonal,
organic produce sourced from regional farms and vintners
with country-style breakfast spreads, gourmet picnics
and mouthwatering barbecues as well as à la carte dining
and wine tastings. Experience Australia at its finest.
2600 WOLGAN ROAD, WOLGAN VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES 2790, AUSTRALIA - ONEANDONLYWOLGANVALLEY.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney
Perfectly positioned in the dress circle of Sydney Harbour, the panoramic views
enhance the luxurious glamour of Sydney’s destination hotel
Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney boasts an extraordinarily beautiful
view of Sydney’s international icons – Sydney Harbour
Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour.
Nestled in the heart of the historic Rocks District, the
contemporary hotel features 565 elegantly appointed guest
rooms and suites, reflecting the vibrant hues of Sydney
Harbour and beyond. The hotel stands alone in the city for its
unparalleled personal service, and its elevated, unobstructed,
270-degree views of Sydney’s glittering jewels. The Horizon
Club on Level 30 is Australia’s most sophisticated guest
lounge in a five-star hotel. The sumptuously decorated
space has 13m-high windows spanning four storeys, as
Sydney’s sweeping vistas glisten below. Altitude takes dining
experiences to new heights. Nowhere else in Sydney will
you find such an award-winning restaurant hovering high
above the city. The renowned Blu Bar on 36 serves creative
cocktails in a sleek space at the very top of the hotel. And
for those seeking a tranquil escape, CHI, The Spa is an urban
oasis which draws inspiration from ancient Asian healing
philosophies and offers more than 20 specialised treatments.
Let the breathtaking beauty of Sydney envelop you in its
magic at Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney.
176 CUMBERLAND STREET, THE ROCKS, NEW SOUTH WALES 2000, AUSTRALIA - SHANGRI-LA.COM/SYDNEY
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
A luxurious tropical sanctuary in the city with lush gardens, unparalleled culinary
experiences and family facilities to suit every indulgence
Celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary in 2021, this flagship
property, is where the Shangri-La Group’s legendary Asian
hospitality took root in 1971. Discover a world of luxurious
indulgence at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore the moment you
step into the striking lobby oasis. Nestled within six hectares
of tropical landscaped gardens, the property comprises
three distinctive wings that house 792 guestrooms and
suites — Zen-inspired interiors at the Tower Wing, a
nature-inspired resort experience at the Garden Wing,
and quintessential luxury at the Valley Wing. Interspersed
between the three wings are lush, open gardens that house
more than 110 varieties of plants, flowers and trees. A mustvisit
is The Orchid, a seven metre-tall, open-air greenhouse
dedicated to Singapore’s national flower. Located in the
heart of the city, the hotel boasts an extensive range of 11
restaurants and bars offering diverse culinary experiences,
unique family facilities including buds by Shangri-La, an
interactive play area for children to explore and learn through
play, and Splash Zone, a new outdoor water playground
and pool, and Chi, The Spa for divine pampering moments.
Escape to this urban sanctuary to indulge in the best of
everything or simply unwind and let the world go by.
22 ORANGE GROVE ROAD, SINGAPORE 258350 - SHANGRI-LA.COM/SINGAPORE/SHANGRILA
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CENTURION TRAVEL SERVICE

Luxurious getaway on the iconic Opatija Riviera, Croatia.
Indulge in pure hedonism in the exclusive privacy of Ikador hotel. 16 lavish rooms and suites, impeccable design, state-of-the-art
facilities and bespoke personalised service offer the most unforgettable curated experiences. Discover the exquisite health &
wellness programmes of the luxurious Ikalia Spa centre, savour the unique gastronomic specialties in the famous Nobilion restaurant
and their prestigious Riva Privée chef's table, or simply relax by the pool sipping on signature cocktails at the Riva Lounge.
Level up your experience and embark on an adventure of a lifetime, exploring the Kvarner bay archipelago with Ikador's private
Riva Aquariva yacht! The indulgence beckons you!
www.ikador.com | info@ikador.com | +385 51 207 020

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