GRETA SCACCHI Enjoys a little mid-life angst - Mayfair Times

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news
Kitchen class
Patriotic picture power
RegentStreetOnline.com has launched the What’s Great
About Britain To You? photography competition in
celebration of this year’s Regent Street Festival 2008: A
Great British Experience.
Photographs will be judged on originality, creativity,
artistic inspiration and, most of all, their Britishness.
The 10 most inspiring photographs will be professionally
printed and mounted, and displayed on Regent Street. An
overall winner will receive a £500 shopping experience on
Regent Street and £300 of Jessops photographic vouchers.
The competition closes on December 31. Upload your
photos at www.regentstreetonline.com
DAVID LINLEY has collaborated with chef
Tom Aikens (above) to create a collection of
high-end kitchen accessories, available from
both Linley stores in Albemarle Street and
Pimlico Road.
The range, made from solid black walnut
and stainless steel, includes a reversible
bread board/chopping board (£395) and a
knife block (£350) among various other pieces.
The collection will be displayed at the Tom
Aikens restaurant in Chelsea.
A month
in Mayfair
MADONNA CELEBRATED
her 50th birthday with a
private party at Mayfair club
Volstead in Swallow Street.
Her husband Guy Ritchie
accompanied her, along with
children Lourdes, Rocco and
David.
PA PHOTOS
Goodbye Giraldin
AFTER 37 YEARS fronting Le Gavroche,
Silvano Giraldin (below left), is to step
down this month. Giraldin joined the
restaurant founded by the Roux
brothers in 1971 as a waiter and
became maitre d’ in 1975. He has since
done more than anyone else to preserve
and develop table service in the UK.
Giraldin will remain a director of Le
Gavroche. His successor will be
Emmanuel Landré, who has worked at
the restaurant for the past ten years.
All change
A GIANT coat hanger
installation by designer Paul
Dart was suspended from a
roof in Carnaby Street as part
of Kingly Court’s fifth birthday
celebrations. Following its
launch in 2003 to help nurture
small businesses, Kingly Court
now has 27 thriving
independent retailers.
After a four-year, multimillion pound restoration,
the Grosvenor House in Park Lane – London’s
largest five-star hotel – has relaunched and
rebranded under the JW Marriott Hotel banner.
Rooms have been updated, while retaining
many original features. The eating and drinking
options include classic French brasserie
Bord’eaux, the Park Room for afternoon tea
and, from autumn, Corrigan’s of Mayfair, the
signature restaurant of chef Richard Corrigan.
Science by design
AN EXHIBITION exploring the relationship
between science and design takes place at the
Institute of Contemporary Arts from September
14-21. Part of London’s Design Festival, the
Nobel Textiles project is a collaboration between
five Nobel prize-winning scientists and five
textile designers from Central Saint Martins
College of Art.
The laureates include one of the
masterminds behind the human genome
project, Sir John Sulston.
RETAIL SALES to Middle
Eastern tourists saw a rise of 77
per cent this year over last year,
according to a Global Refund
Index report on the level of
sales to visitors from overseas
in July. The average spend of
Middle Eastern tourists was
£1,594, ranking them first in the
top 10 markets.
A short history
of fashion
ON/OFF, which brings emerging
talent to the attention of the fashion
world, has produced a book of
images and quotes from the past 10
fashion seasons.
Many designers have contributed
with Jasper Conran and John
Charles de Castelbajac producing
specially designed images. There are
also behind-the-scenes images from
some of London Fashion Week’s
most exciting catwalk shows.
The book, On/Off — 10 Seasons,
will be launched during London
Fashion Week (Septmber 14-19).
Sanderson homage
SHOE DESIGNER Rupert Sanderson is paying
homage to controversial Polish filmmaker Walerian
Borowczyk and baroque-rococo Italian composer
Domenico Scarlatti in an exhibition, La Bete, or the
Object of Desire, from September 3-7 at his store at
33 Bruton Place.
• From September 25-27, a sale of Rupert
Sanderson shoes is being held at Grosvenor Chapel
on South Audley Street from 9am-7pm. Prices for
the shoes start from £50 and
will include both samples
and stock from the
store.
London eye
PHOTOGRAPHER Barbara
Chandler, who has spent over 25
years capturing special moments
around London, is exhibiting her
work at Habitat’s flagship Regent
Street store. The images, which will
be on sale, are her personal take on
London sights and scenes.
Love London: An Exhibition of
Photographs, runs from September
3-21.
LEE STREETON, executive chef at
The Albemarle at Brown’s Hotel, set
a new world record for the largest
Scotch egg (6.2kg) – confirmed by
Guinness World Records. Streeton
used a 1.7kg Clarence Court
ostrich egg, 4kg of Gloucester Old
Spot sausage meat, 940g of haggis
and 800g of breadcrumbs for the
coating.
Nobu’s home comfort
NOBU MATSUHISA (pictured with
Rual Kana) was in town recently
to celebrate the launch of Nobu
London private dining. Over the
past 11 years, the restaurant has
been responsible for several
bespoke events around the world
and exclusive parties in its private
dining room.
Customers can now enjoy
Nobu’s Michelin star cuisine in the
private dining room at Nobu
London or in their own homes as
well as at exclusive events around
the globe.
The party coincided with the
launch of Nobu’s first film,
produced by John Charles Media.
For information on private
dining, call 020 7447 4777.
See interview with Nobu
Matsuhisa, page 34.
Mount St move
GROSVENOR IS to launch a public consultation
on improvement proposals for Mount Street
(including Carlos Place and the entrance to
Mount Street Gardens) and Elizabeth Street in
Belgravia.
The plans focus on ways of enhancing the
look, character and usability of the streetscape
in both locations – the first two schemes to be
progressed within Grosvenor’s public realm
improvements programme announced last year.
The outline plans will be on show at 100
Mount Street from September 17-20 and at 47
Elizabeth Street from September 24-27.
Grosvenor, designers and Westminster City
Council will be on hand to answer questions.
NEWS Selma Day selma@pubbiz.com
STYLIST Rebekah Roy,
Michael Hertz (Aquascutum’s
head of womenswear design),
and Courtney Blackman at
Forward PR’s summer cocktail
party. Guests were treated
to chocolate Martinis and
sushi at the party, held at
Blackman’s stunning
Mayfair home.
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