The light at sea May 23, 2014 A new exhibition showcasing the Modern British painters is testament to their lasting impact Ben and Winifred Nicholson – the power couple of the Modern British painting movement – were classically trained but had their heads turned by the visionary painters of mainland Europe. For Ben, meeting Mondrian and Picasso inspired him to break [...]
Frozen movement May 23, 2014 Professor Harold Edgerton: the 20th century photography pioneer who showed the world the invisible Who says science isn’t creative? For Harold Edgerton (1903- 1990), Institute Professor at MIT and inventor of the strobe flash in the early 1930s, a lifetime devoted to engineering culminated in one of the most highly regarded fine art photography [...]
Beautiful things May 23, 2014 William & Son leather bag William & Son may be best known as a maker of fine guns, but its leatherwear range is irresistible. This duck egg blue travel case is our particular favourite, featuring a dark blue zip, luggage label and a drill cotton lining. The colour is dead on trend this season, and [...]
Best British staycations May 23, 2014 In the space of just over twenty years, a remarkable resurgence in the quality and quantity of luxury British hotels has transformed the fortunes of our seaside resorts and rural destinations. Pioneers like millionaire industrialist Jim Ratcliffe, Robin Hutson (of Hotel du Vin and The Pig fame) and Olga Polizzi have given the industry a [...]
Luxury holidays… to the moon May 23, 2014 The Virgin Galactic zero gravity holiday plane As the global super-rich multiply, their travel demands get more and more extravagant. These days, a stay in a five star hotel fails to impress… Meet the companies who say the next frontier in luxury tourism is above the clouds. The rise of the global super-rich [...]
Roger Federer interview May 23, 2014 Roger Federer is celebrating the birth of his second set of twins As one of only seven male players to win all four grand slams, one of four to win the junior and men’s title at Wimbledon and one of two to win four different tournaments at least six times, Roger Federer can already [...]
Perfect watches for summer afternoons May 23, 2014 Nomos Glashutte Lux Weissgold, £13,800, available at Wempe, 43-44 New Bond Street, wempe.com You might assume that the more hands and functions you add to a watch, the more interesting it gets; and by extension, there’s nothing terribly exciting about a time-only timepiece. It tells the time; it does so cleanly and simply. Done, [...]
Women’s watches: fashion houses May 23, 2014 Chanel J12 White Classic, £3,300, chanel.com There are many subtle nuances of snobbery in the world of watches. One particular favourite is when a group of watch journalists gather and someone inevitably asks: “what are you wearing?” Those with Swiss-made, in-house movements look down on those whose watches contain an off-the-peg one. Those wearing [...]
Fun, fun, fun on the autobahn May 23, 2014 The Porsche 911 Carrera Germany’s roadways offer the ultimate high-speed driving experience From Fawlty Towers to ‘Allo, ‘Allo!, we have a rich history of making fun of the Germans. If 1970s and 80s sitcoms are to be believed, they’re earnest, serious, ever-so-slightly humourless. Most of all, they like making rules and following them. The [...]
The Chic Geek’s guide to fashion: intellectualisation May 23, 2014 Raf Simons T-shirt, £155, mrporter.com (click the image to buy) Fashion labels want to have an intellectual conversation about your jeans. What do your style choices say about you? To some, fashion is just a way to hide your nakedness. It’s about putting a shirt on your back, adding a tie if you have to, [...]
