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AUTUMN 2012 

THE MAGAZINE

“1932” COLLECTION 

80TH ANNIVERSARY 

173 NEW BOND STREET - LONDON W1 

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PHOTO©MARIANOHERRERA 

Nine 

IN THIS ISSUE 

PRIVATSTYLE 

Th is season, take inspiration from 

the world’s most glamorous ever 

opera star, Maria Callas 

 

Taupe jumper by Maison Martin 

Margiela; houndstooth skirt by Marni; 

brown fox fur coat by Diane von 

Furstenberg; crocodile bag by 

Tom Ford; taupe tights by Levante at 

mytights.com; cream peep-toe shoes 

by Manolo Blahnik; long white gloves 

by Aspinal of London; white angora hat 

by Paul Smith; black oval sunglasses 

by Cutler and Gross; white pearl and 

diamond earrings by Mikimoto

Russell Norman 

found inspiration for 

his restaurant empire 

in Venice’s informal 

restaurant-bars, 

page 34 

Cover: Alberto Seveso’s 

striking ink-in-water 

photography is inspired 

by our creative dining 

story. Turn to page 

22 for Alvin Leung’s 

extreme cuisine 

Th e elaborate 

wrought-iron atrium 

at the Royal Mansour’s 

sumptuous spa, page 15 

Ten 

PRIVATDIARY 

Claire Martin visits a palace fi t for a king 

(or queen) in Marrakech’s old Medina 

PRIVATSELECTION 

Timothy Barber says if you want to stand out 

of the crowd, commission a bespoke timepiece 

PRIVATDRIVE 

Piet van Niekerk talks to F1 champion 

Sebastian Vettel about designing an SUV 

PRIVATDINING 

Elizabeth Winding meets Alvin Leung 

ahead of his fi rst London restaurant opening 

PRIVATDESIGN 

Rory Ross speaks to Paul Sandilands, 

the designer, architect and revamp man 

PRIVATCITY 

Russell Norman takes Jenni Muir on a 

culinary journey through Venice 

PRIVATPERSON 

Nina Caplan meets legendary photographer, 

painter, fi lmmaker and rebel William Klein 

PRIVATART 

Elizabeth Winding asks fi ve collectors to 

share the story of their very fi rst piece of art 

PRIVATTRAVEL 

Mike Carter journeyed to Sudan to see the 

country’s hauntingly beautiful pyramids 

PRIVATESCAPE 

Stephanie Plentl explores Umbria’s forgotten 

jewel on a hill, Civita di Bagnoregio 

PRIVATAIR 

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1 JENNIFER MUIR 

As editor of the Time Out London Eating & 

Drinking Guide Jenni Muir reviewed 

restaurants undercover. Now she enjoys 

working behind the scenes with top caterers. 

When interviewing Russell Norman for this 

issue (see page 34), she was delighted when 

he called her interview technique ‘old school’. 

3 HELEN MUSSELWHITE 

Paper-cut artist Helen Musselwhite trained as 

a graphic designer but is best known for her 

striking, creative paper sculptures and 

illustrations. She’s created work for Audi, 

Stella McCartney and Cadbury, to name a 

few. Turn to page 16 for Helen’s beautiful 

paper cut of a deconstructed watch. 

Contributors 

PRIVATCONTRIBUTORS 

2 NICK BALLON 

London-based photographer Nick Ballon 

takes delight in capturing the quirks of 

everyday life. Nick works regularly for the 

Guardian Weekend, Monocle and the 

Independent on portrait commissions. See his 

shoot with Hong Kong’s demon chef, Alvin 

Leung, on page 22. 

4 STEPHANIE PLENTL 

Stephanie writes for the Sunday Telegraph, 

Globe and Mail (Canada), Condé Nast Traveller 

and Bombardier Experience, among others. She 

is also the author of A Hedonist’s Guide to 

Toronto. In Italy to celebrate her parents’ 40th 

wedding anniversary, she experienced love at 

fi rst sight with Civita di Bagnoregio (page 78). 

Twelve 

AUTUMN 2012 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Michael Keating 

EDITOR 

Claire Martin 

DESIGN DIRECTOR 

Julia Murray 

FEATURES EDITOR 

Elizabeth Winding 

PICTURE EDITOR 

Julia Holmes 

FASHION DIRECTOR 

Nino Bauti 

SUB-EDITOR 

Steve Handley 

PRODUCTION 

Karl Martins 

REPROGRAPHICS 

KFR Reprographics 

PRINTING 

Stephens & George Print Group 

Associated Agencies Ltd 

LOGISTICS 

www.goferslogistics.com 

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR 

Duncan Pringle 

+44 (0)20 7749 6282 

duncan.pringle@ink-global.com 

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR 

Simon Leslie 

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 

Hugh Godsal 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE 

Jeff rey O’Rourke 

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Ink, www.ink-global.com 

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is prohibited without prior permission from the 

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Magazine are not necessarily those of PrivatAir 

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THE ROYAL MANSOUR 

Expect the very best at this palatial property in Marrakech where 

guests are treated like royalty. Claire Martin adjusts her tiara 

IN 1999 KING MOHAMMED VI INHERITED 

a country, a fortune and countless beautiful 

homes, but shortly into his reign, Morocco’s new 

king decided to build another palace: the Royal 

Mansour. Set within Marrakech’s old Medina 

walls, the royal residence was intended to serve 

nobility and state guests, but it is also open to 

those that can aff ord it – rooms start at €1,625 a 

night. Privacy is key. Even though you’re a short 

walk from the buzz of the Djemaa el-Fna, Royal 

Mansour is hidden away from prying eyes. 

Th e King didn’t set a budget or a completion 

date, and you’ll see the results as soon as 

you pass the four-ton wood-and-bronze door. 

Th e opulent lobby boasts a glistening marble 

fl oor, rich drapes, a dramatic chandelier and a 

central fountain with pools. Th e hotel is painstakingly 

perfect – almost too perfect. You worry 

that you might brush up against and accidentally 

end up smashing a priceless heirloom: 

every furnishing, fi nishing touch and everyday 

item looks like a work of art. Th e palace took 

three and a half years to build, with more than 

1,500 skilled artisans creating intricate ornamental 

tilework and cedarwood carvings. 

Th e Royal Mansour is made up of 53 individual 

riads (townhouses), dotted along winding 

paths. It’s like an absurdly opulent Medina, with 

shaded squares, fountains and patches of brightpink 

bougainvillea. Each three-storey riad opens 

onto a central courtyard with a circular fountain, 

fi lled with fl owers each morning. An electronic 

Fifteen 

PRIVAT 

DIARY 

canopy automatically unfolds at the fi rst sniff of 

rain. Downstairs is a living room, dining room and 

small kitchen, and upstairs is a bedroom and bathroom. 

Th e roof terrace holds a Bedouin-style 

tented area, sumptuous sun loungers and a private 

plunge pool, with views of the Atlas Mountains. 

Each riad has its own personal butler as 

well as 10 members of staff – but you’re unlikely 

to see them. Just like a traditional Moroccan 

palace, the Royal Mansour has an underground 

network where the staff move around without 

being seen by the guests. It might seem unnecessary, 

but it’s all part of the experience, and 

there’s no question that the level of detail and 

attentiveness here is unprecedented. 

www.royalmansour.com

Prime 

Time 

Bespoke watches may be nothing new, 

but in the last few years, a one-off 

timepiece has become the last word 

in luxury, says Timothy Barber. 

Illustration by Helen Musselwhite 

PRIVAT 

SELECTION 

IN 1783, ABRAHAM-LOUIS BREGUET BEGAN WORK ON 

a timepiece that would seal his reputation as history’s fi nest watchmaker. 

It was commissioned as a gift to the French queen, Marie Antoinette, a 

great fan of his work. It was to be the most spectacular piece of horology 

ever created, but by the time the watch was completed, both Marie 

Antoinette and Breguet himself were dead: the job took 45 years. 

Today things are a little diff erent. Roger Smith, a modern-day maestro 

who works with a small team in his atelier on the Isle of Man, is able to 

create a bespoke piece in a relatively sprightly two or three years – although 

clients will spend seven years on his waiting list before work even starts. 

You should set aside a decade – and a minimum of £200,000 – if you have 

your heart set on one of his bespoke masterpieces. And masterpieces they 

are: since his mentor Dr Charles Smith passed away last October, there are 

many who regard Smith as the fi nest watchmaker in the world. His unique 

talent is that he can produce every element of a watch – from the tiniest 

cogs and pinions to the decorated dial and case – in his studio. 

‘First of all we have to work out a basic specifi cation for the watch, 

and I go away, sketch out some ideas and come up with a basic price to

develop that piece,’ says Smith, who makes around 10 watches a year. 

‘When the time comes I sit down and design a complete watch from 

start to fi nish, including a new mechanism, case design – every aspect. 

One client told me the reason he wanted [a bespoke timepiece] was 

because he knows he’s the only man in the world with that watch.’ 

Even in the grandes maisons of horology, watchmaking is a volume 

game, and creating one-off pieces a resource-draining, uneconomic 

enterprise. It can be diffi cult to track down a watchmaker that will 

create something bespoke. But there are degrees of one-off . Just as with 

tailored suits, a step down from custom-made comes customised. In 

this area brands are often highly active, if rarely talkative on the subject 

– this is a behind-closed-doors world in which requests will be 

forwarded by dealers or made to the brand directly. Cartier, for 

instance, has departments responsible for processing special requests, 

which may range from particular engravings or jewel arrangements to a 

watch in a special confi guration of materials and colours. Th e premiums 

paid will vary according to the job, but may be substantial, with a 

six-month minimum for completion. 

One esteemed name that creates both unique watches from scratch 

– around one exceptional piece per year – and customised models is 

Vacheron Constantin. Its Atelier Cabinotiers department has around 40 

projects on the go at any one time, ranging from simple embellishments 

of existing models to the creation of massively complex bespoke pieces. 

For example, last year it produced a watch, the Vladimir, on commission 

for a private collector, with 17 complications, 890 components and dials 

on both sides of the watch. Its case is embellished with beautifully carved 

Zodiac signs. Its price is undisclosed, but certain to be in the millions. 

Th is watch took four years to produce. Another will take twice that. 

Th e Atelier Cabinotiers was launched in 2006, though the company’s 

made-to-order services existed before this. ‘Vacheron Constantin has been 

creating bespoke watches since its foundation,’ says the company’s artistic 

director, Christian Selmoni, who points out that every project the atelier 

undertakes must be approved by the brand’s ethical committee and the 

CEO, Juan-Carlos Torres. ‘Our brand has always been close to collectors and 

watch afi cionados and, in this respect, the atelier makes, we believe, total 

sense.’ Total sense – as long as you’re prepared to be very, very patient.

PRIVAT 

DRIVE 

WINNING FORMULA 

Piet van Niekerk takes a look at the fi rst road car 

to be designed by an F1 driver: the limited-edition 

Infi niti FX Sebastian Vettel

PHOTO©GETTY 

T A SECRET LOCATION 

in the south of France this September, a small 

group of individuals gathered on a racetrack to 

learn how to drive. But this select few weren’t 

novice drivers. And their instructor wasn’t from 

your average driving school, either. Th e tutor in 

question was the exceptionally gifted Formula 

One driver Sebastian Vettel, twice crowned the 

fastest man in the world, and the motor 

enthusiasts had been invited to this under-wraps 

location because they were the fi rst to purchase 

one of the cars Vettel has given his name to. 

Knowing the man’s vocation, you’d be 

forgiven for assuming that the vehicle in 

question was a single-seater race-car or an 

elegant and energetic sports model. Instead the 

group were presented with an SUV: the Infi niti 

FX Sebastian Vettel Version. Of course, it’s not 

your average SUV. Faster, lighter, more powerful 

and aerodynamic than any rival, this 

collaboration between the F1 champion and 

Japanese carmakers Infi niti is so exclusive that 

only 50 are being distributed in Europe. Vettel’s 

SUV is also so light that owners need to be 

shown how to handle it – and who better to 

teach them than the man himself? 

Th e idea for the SUV was fi rst introduced 

shortly after Infi niti became partners with 

Vettel’s employers, the Red Bull F1 racing team, 

early last year. Vettel’s version of the Infi niti FX

Previous page: the 

Infi niti FX Sebastian Vettel 

Version and its designer, F1’s 

youngest-ever champion. 

This page: chrome and 

carbon-fi bre fi nishing make 

the car stylish inside and out 

SUV is the fi rst road car – or at least an edition thereof – to 

be designed by an F1 champion. 

‘It’s not every day that you get to help design a road car,’ 

says Vettel. ‘For me it was important that the vehicle had a 

sporty look and feel, which was inspired by my day job 

driving an F1 car. I worked closely with the exterior and 

interior designers, including Shiro Nakamura, Infi niti’s chief 

creative offi cer in Japan. It was an interesting process to sit 

down and discuss in detail what we could achieve and a great 

pleasure to see the end result.’ 

Vettel says that his knowledge of motor racing played a 

vital role. ‘Driving an F1 car is all about feeling and understanding 

the car to maximise performance. I took the same approach 

when talking to the Infi nity engineers about my FX. Of course, 

an F1 car is completely diff erent to a road car, but the objective 

is similar in that you want a car that is easy to handle and 

produces high performance. I think we have achieved that.’ 

Compared to the already impressive Infi niti FX50S 

Premium, Vettel’s FX takes power, precision and style to the 

next level. His car is much lighter, as a result of using carbonfi 

bre components similar to those in his F1 car. It has less 

drag and is more powerful, as he challenged the engineers to 

increase the power output of the fi ve-litre V8 engine from 

390 to 420 BHP. To create more downforce and roadholding, 

he insisted that the front-end design be streamlined, the 

ride-height lowered and a carbon-fi bre rear wing added to 

increase downforce and reduce drag. 

‘In addition to its increased performance, what it looks 

like is also important,’ says Vettel. ‘Inside and out it is very 

stylish and includes bespoke chrome and carbon features plus 

21-inch wheels. I am pleased to say that my signature FX is a 

beautiful-looking car.’ 

Andreas Sigl, the global director of Infi niti F1, shares the 

champion’s enthusiasm, but admits that in the early stages 

of design there were no guarantees that Vettel’s special 

edition would ever see the light of day. But what started 

out as nothing more than an idea at last year’s Geneva 

Motor Show gave birth to a concept car on display at the 

Frankfurt Motor Show a mere six months later. Although 

it happened in record time, Sigl insists that Vettel’s version 

of the FX is the product of the F1 star’s personal dedication 

and enthusiasm, as well as long hours and hard work from 

both Vettel and the development engineers. 

Th e asking price for the limited edition is not being 

advertised and Infi niti will only disclose the amount to those 

who are serious about buying. Th e price does, however, 

include those exclusive driving lessons in the South of France 

with Vettel, to those who order early. As Sigl puts it: ‘It’s great 

having the world champion as your salesman.’ 

PRIVATDRIVE 

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PRIVAT 

DINING 

TAKEN TO EXTREMES 

He’s won two Michelin stars for his ‘Xtreme Chinese 

cuisine’, but chef Alvin Leung has the critics divided. 

Is he a culinary radical, or a master of smoke and 

mirrors? Elizabeth Winding takes the taste test 

PHOTO©NICKBALLON

Forty-Three

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LVIN LEUNG IS NOT A MAN LACKING 

in self-belief. ‘His X-treme cuisine is an art form,’ declares his 

website. ‘He does to Chinese food what Picasso did to art.’ 

Th ese are bold claims, but bold is what Leung does best. 

Habitually dressed all in black, with electric-blue streaks 

in his hair and a cigar in hand, he cuts a fl amboyant fi gure on 

Hong Kong’s fi ne-dining scene. Th ough he’s not fond of the 

term, his approach is informed by the tricks and techniques 

of molecular gastronomy. At Bo Innovation, his two 

Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong, lap mei fan 

(preserved Chinese sausage with rice) might be deconstructed 

into ice-cream and puff ed rice crispies, xiao long bao 

dumplings distilled into quivering, yolk-like spheres. 

Now, the self-proclaimed ‘demon chef ’ is preparing to go 

global. Bo London will open at the end of October on a 

prime Mayfair site at a cost of over £1 million. As Leung’s 

fi rst venture outside Hong Kong, it’s a huge – and high-profi le 

– gamble. ‘I’m risking a lot, aside 

from a million pounds,’ says Leung. 

‘If I fl op here, that’s going to be a big 

setback for me: New York would be 

out of the question.’ 

Today, aside from two glittering 

cross-shaped earrings (one jade, the 

other studded with diamonds), 

Leung is looking relatively subdued. 

Th e ‘demon chef ’ tattoo on his 

PRIVATDINING 

shoulder is covered up and the streaks gone from his hair; he is, rather 

sweetly, worrying about his blue-tinted glasses. ‘I use them for my TV 

series, and they were very diffi cult to fi nd. We’re shooting on Saturday: if I 

lose them, it’ll be odd that I have diff erent glasses for the next six episodes.’ 

Th e rebel image that has taken him to the top is, he says, grounded in 

reality. ‘Th e rock ’n’ roll persona, the demon chef tag; all that has signifi cant 

elements of my character.’ Combined with his boundary-pushing cuisine, 

it has helped him to become one of Asia’s best-known chefs – a remarkable 

feat, considering that until 2003 he had never set foot in a professional 

kitchen. He was an acoustic engineer until, aged 43, he began cooking at a 

friend’s 25-seater speakeasy in Hong Kong, called Bo InnoSeki. Six years 

later, the self-taught chef was awarded two Michelin stars. 

Not everyone is convinced that Leung has the talent to live up to his 

star billing. Back in 2005, the International Herald Tribune published a 

damning review by Patricia Wells; comparing Bo InnoSeki to El Bulli, she 

declared, was ‘a bit like saying that Kentucky Fried Chicken is on par with 

Twenty-Five 

Previous page and 

top: Leung creating 

his sandalwood-smoked 

almond sorbet with 

strawberries. 

Above: oysters with 

green onion and lime 

sauce and ginger snow

PRIVATDINING 

‘I want to st ay away from signature dishes. If you have 

too many, there’s no need to go on creating something 

even more spect acular. I want to keep myself hungry’ 

a restaurant run by Joël Robuchon’. Leung is 

philosophical about such setbacks. ‘I had some 

rave reviews and I had some horrible reviews. 

Patricia Wells slammed me, but that was good. 

I thanked her for it. It’s always important to 

know where you are, and you can only know 

that from what people tell you.’ 

He’s optimistic, though, that Londoners 

will appreciate his food. Th ough the full eff ect of 

his inventive twists may be lost on diners less 

familiar with Chinese cuisine, Leung is 

unperturbed. ‘Food is about tasting, stimulating 

your senses,’ he says. ‘It’s not a puzzle.’ Th ough 

reluctant to reveal too much of the menu (‘If I 

give away too much, you won’t get that element 

of surprise’), he says that British ingredients and 

infl uences will play a part. And if all goes 

according to plan, it could be the start of a global 

empire: London, he says, is the testing ground 

that will prove his culinary mettle. 

If on paper he attracts mixed reviews, in 

person he is just as contradictory. His success is 

clearly a matter of calculation as well as passion, 

and he likes to analyse the eff ect of his bad boy image and attentiongrabbing 

culinary experiments. At the same time, his more self-important 

pronouncements are undercut by a disarming honesty. After holding forth 

about the mystery conferred by his all-black wardrobe and ‘the challenges 

of creating in sheer darkness’, he sits back and smiles. ‘And it also makes 

fat people look thin.’ (For the record, he’s stocky rather than fat.) 

What is evident is his will to succeed. ‘Psychologically, people are lazy,’ 

he says. ‘It’s a scientifi c fact, called the conservation of energy.’ With that 

in mind, he refuses to divulge which dish he is most proud of. ‘I want to 

stay away from signature dishes. If you have too many, there’s no need to 

go on inventing new dishes and creating something even more spectacular. 

I want to keep myself hungry.’ He keeps a notebook to hand to record any 

fresh inspiration: so far, he says, he has fi lled seven or eight volumes. 

Is there any fantastical dish that eludes him, anything he dreams of 

creating? After all, Heston Blumenthal – another self-taught culinary 

maverick – spent years trying to perfect a savoury candyfl oss, but never 

succeeded. ‘I could never spend four years on a dish,’ says Leung. ‘I’m too 

hyperactive; my thoughts fl y everywhere.’ All the same, his mind is 

already at work, assessing the problem and contemplating possible 

solutions. And if he cracks the formula? ‘I’m going to sell it back to him 

for a big price,’ he smiles, only half in jest. 

Bo London opens at the end of October at 4 Mill Street, London W1, 

www.bolondonrestaurant.com 

Twenty-Six 

Left: fermented black 

bean and organic-honey 

cod, pickled bak choi 

and ginger shoot. 

Right: Leung’s xiao long 

bao – not your ordinary 

Chinese dumpling

www.alpina-watches.com 

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PRIVAT 

DESIGN 

Architect Paul Sandilands specialises 

in renovation – be it of rundown 

neighbourhoods or brands needing a 

refresh. Rory Ross meets the revamp man

AUL SANDILANDS ISN’T 

interested in the conventional architect’s ego trip of planting 

new landmarks on maps. He and partner Alex Lifschutz are 

more interested in making deserts bloom: reviving dead 

buildings, postcodes and brands, and in doing so creating 

spaces and environments that off er experiences, memories and 

emotional attachments. Bundled up, these are what enhance 

the value of a property and the surrounding area. Sandilands’ 

conversation is all about ‘context’ and the inner ergonomics of 

a building, the interplay of light, space and functionality, rather 

than adding another protrusion on the skyline template. 

I meet him at Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (LDS)’s 

studio in the former headquarters of Island Records, cleverly 

concealed behind the elegant Georgian architecture of St 

Peter’s Square in leafy west London. At 54, he looks exactly 

as he did when he was 40: short, straight greyish hair, glasses, 

pointy nose, cheeky grin, mouth poised to pontifi cate on 

whatever topic springs to mind. He speaks in a rambling 

Birmingham drawl. Sometimes you want to jump in and give 

him a good edit. Th e other about him is his indestructible 

confi dence. I can’t see him ever being fazed or outwitted by a 

fi ring squad of developers, bankers 

and lawyers. But then Sandilands 

has a lot to be confi dent about. 

LDS sprang into being after 

Alex Lifschutz and Ian Davidson 

collaborated under Norman Foster 

on the remarkable headquarters of 

the Hongkong and Shanghai 

Banking Corporation (now 

HSBC) in the early 1980s. Th is 

revolutionary building turned 

architecture inside out: the skeletal 

structure formed the exterior, while 

the interior was a huge atrium, like 

a cathedral to Mammon. In 1986, 

PRIVATDESIGN 

Lifschutz and Davidson spun off and teamed up. Sandilands 

joined two years later. He’d previously worked at Powell & 

Moya, the practice that designed St Paul’s School in Barnes, 

and the art gallery at Christchurch Oxford. In 2003 Davidson 

died of a heart attack at 48 after a cycling trip. Sandilands 

shows no signs of fl agging as LDS’s front man. 

LDS got a pat on the head from God very early on. One 

of its fi rst commissions was the arching, tunnel-like roof 

extension for Richard Rogers’ design studio overlooking the 

Th ames (next time you eat at Rogers’ wife’s famous River Café, 

just go outside and look up). Rogers’ own team of architects 

were ‘too busy’ to do the work themselves, but the commission 

represented a benediction. Another notable LDS project is the 

twin Hungerford pedestrian bridges fl ung across the Th ames 

either side of the railway line that spans the river from Charing 

Cross to the Royal Festival Hall: a corridor sketched in lines, 

all steel pylons and cables, like the rigging of an old ship. 

Since then, the fi rm has refurbished, reinvented and 

reinvigorated dozens of old buildings. One of their most 

celebrated commissions is Oxo Tower Wharf on the South 

Bank in London. Th e last remaining wharf-site on that 

particular reach of the Th ames, the Oxo was stuck in a semiderelict 

no-man’s land. Drawing upon the building’s previous 

incarnations, a power station and a meat warehouse, LDS 

turned it into a mixed-use building of low-rent social housing, 

shops, art galleries and a gleaming ‘posh’ restaurant off ering a 

panoramic sweep almost as good as the London Eye’s. As 

architectural critic Jonathan Glancey wrote in Ian Davidson’s 

Thirty 

PHOTO©GETTY

PRIVATDESIGN 

Previous page: the 

showpiece top-fl oor food hall 

at La Rinascente in Milan. 

This page: the 

beaten-steel ceiling of 

Moscow’s Tsvetnoy Market. 

Opposite page 

from top: Harvey 

Nichols’ Fifth Floor; 

Hungerford Bridge; 

Paul Sandilands

Right: the Bonhams 

development on Bond Street. 

Below: LDS’s reinvention 

of the Oxo Tower began the 

transformation of London’s 

South Bank 

obituary, Oxo Tower Wharf ‘proved that it was possible to mix high 

glamour with everyday design, chic eating with low-rent homes’. Oxo’s 

‘recolonisation’ seeded the rebirth of the entire South Bank. 

One way in which development can raise the profi le of an area is with 

art galleries and museums; another is with sports facilities; but the snag with 

all these facilities is the astronomical cost in relation to their nebulous 

returns. However, you can take the grottiest part of town – the more driveby 

shootings and drug pushers the better – chuck in a decent restaurant and 

people will fl ock there because they think it’s cool. Food is the precursor to 

so many other things that lead to an area’s rehabilitation. 

Th e same approach seems to work for brands that need a little perking 

up. After the Oxo Tower, LDS revived the top fl oor of Harvey Nichols’ 

fashion store in Knightsbridge in London and turned it into the Fifth 

Floor, a dazzling emporium that wraps fi ne food in fi ne design, with an 

elliptical fl oor plan, domed ceiling and walls that change colour. Th e Fifth 

Floor laid the foundations for Harvey Nichols’ subsequent expansion into 

the provinces, hitherto considered beyond the reach of fashion. Turning 

east, Sandilands/LDS gave Tsvetnoy Market in central Moscow a similar 

Cinderella-esque makeover, with even more spectacular results. Th e entire 

ceiling of the top fl oor of the cavernous store has been lined with shiny 

beaten steel to refl ect the hubbub below, while providing the all-important 

bling factor that Muscovites demand. ‘A colleague came up with the idea 

when she saw a satellite picture of Dutch tulip fi elds,’ says Sandilands. ‘Th e 

fi elds of colour gave us the idea for a ceiling mirror that refl ected the 

market below.’ Sandilands adds with a shrug: ‘Inspiration comes from the 

strangest places sometimes.’ Speaking of outer space, Tsvetnoy reminds me 

of the golden foil coating of the Lunar Module of the Apollo space 

programme, as if the top fl oor of Tsvetnoy were about to take off , which 

indeed metaphorically it has. 

Sandilands and his team are now working for La Rinascente, the 11link 

chain of Italian department stores which dates from 1865, but which 

lost its way under the Agnelli family. By 2005, the brand was in dire need 

of its own rinascente when a consortium of investors appointed Vittorio 

Radice, ex-CEO of Selfridges, to act as midwife to its rebirth. Among the 

designers he turned to were Sandilands and co, whom he tasked with 

Thirty-Two 

transforming the Rinascente store in Milan. As with Harvey Nichols, the 

showpiece top-fl oor food hall has been transformed and now marks the 

return of La Rinascente as a retail force in Italy’s industrial fi rst city. New 

stores are planned for Verona, Venice and Bologna. 

Th e Sandilands touch has non-foodie read-across. He is presently 

working on the redevelopment of the Bond Street headquarters of 

Bonham’s auction house, part of a £50m upgrade of Bonham’s global 

saleroom empire. Th e project involves knocking seven buildings into one, 

and fi tting three new double-height salerooms, ‘skyboxes’ (where clients 

can watch sales anonymously), preview galleries and a cafe. Robert Brooks, 

chairman of Bonhams, who bought the brand 11 years ago and merged it 

with Phillips (so combining Britain’s fourth- and third-largest auction 

houses), is determined to break the saleroom duopoly of Sotheby’s and 

Christie’s, and make Bonhams the ‘best selling space in the auction world’, 

thereby recovering business lost to New York and Hong Kong. 

Looking to the future, developers Qatari Diar and Delancey have 

appointed LDS to transform the Olympic Athlete’s Village in 

east London into a vibrant residential quarter, to be called East Village. 

Residents of the 2,818 homes will enjoy shops, restaurants and views 

of the city and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with the fi rst 

apartments ready in spring 2013. It all fi ts perfectly with the LDS vision. 

‘We care about the world,’ says Sandilands. ‘We want to create spaces that 

are useful, long-lived, innovative, challenging and are something that 

people become fond of.’

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PRIVAT 

CITY 

VENICE ON A PLATE

Russell Norman gives Jenni Muir a food-lover’s tour of the 

city that inspired his Venetian-style wine bars in London

USSELL NORMAN 

won’t be taking a romantic break in Venice any time soon. Th e 

city that has for more than 20 years been his favourite 

destination for art, architecture, history, food and, yes, romance, 

is now, according to his wife, all about work. ‘She says I’ve 

ruined it for her,’ says the restaurateur who made his name 

bringing Venetian-style wine bars (bàcari) to London. 

Canoodling in bàcari turned into research for Polpo, Norman’s 

fi rst venture with business partner Richard Beatty, and 

subsequently into more research for the hit eatery’s fi rst 

cookbook. Norman and Beatty now run three branches of 

Polpo in London (in Soho, Covent Garden and Smithfi eld), 

plus two other hotspots: Spuntino (a hip New York-style diner) 

and Mishkin’s (Norman’s take on a Jewish deli). 

Whether you call it irony or destiny, Beatty is the college 

friend who fi rst invited Norman to Venice in the late 1980s. 

Th e story of Polpo is full of such coincidences. Th e Beak 

Street building in which their fi rst branch is housed was once 

home to baroque-era Venetian painter Canaletto, and it was 

on the pavement outside that Norman fi rst met Venetian 

cookery teacher Enrica Rocca, whose studio apartment is 

right by the Dorsoduro hotel where Norman always stays. 

PRIVATCITY 

Thirty-Six 

‘The places that inspired Polpo 

are dotted around Venice and I 

visit them every time I’m there’ 

‘She told me off for serving capers in an octopus salad,’ 

he says wryly. Rocca has since become something of a 

culinary mentor to Norman, though Polpo’s kitchens and 

recipes have always aimed to reference Venetian bàcari 

rather than replicate them. 

‘Most of the places that inspired Polpo are dotted around 

Venice and I need to visit them at least once every time I’m 

there,’ he says. Th at’s a personal requirement rather than a 

business one. ‘It’s like I have to touch base or mentally tick 

them off my list of things to do,’ he reveals. With fans now 

using the Polpo cookbook’s bàcari guide as a route map away 

from Venice’s notoriously poor restaurant tourist traps, you can 

expect his favourites to be busy. 

Also on Norman’s Venetian to-do list is catching a 

traghetto, one of the beaten-up gondola ferries that locals use 

Previous page, left: Ai 

Barbacani restaurant (and 

right) whole sea bream. 

Right: Polpo’s Russell 

Norman was inspired by 

Venice’s informal 

bar-restaurants. 

Below: catching a 

traghetto is a must. 

Bottom: warm octopus 

salad (without capers) 

PHOTOSTHROUGHOUT©JENNYZARINSTIMWHITE

RUSSELL 

NORMAN’S 

BÀCARI 

CRAWL 

CANTINONE GIÀ SCHIAVI 

‘From the outside 

Cantinone looks like a 

wine shop. When you are 

inside, it still looks like a 

wine shop. Actually it is a 

wine shop, but it also 

happens to be one of the 

most characterful bàcari 

in all of Venice.’ 

Dorsoduro 992, 

Ponte San Trovaso, 

+39 041 523 0034 

AL PONTE 

‘This is one of those 

places that seems to 

appeal more to locals 

than to tourists and that, 

it has to be said, is a fi ne 

thing. Of special note is 

the excellent muséto – a 

sticky, rich sausage similar 

to cotechino but made 

with the pig’s head rather 

than its trotters.’ 

Cannaregio 6378, 

Ponte del Cavallo, 

+39 041 528 6157 

ALLA VEDOVA 

‘The meatballs – or 

polpette in Italian – are 

especially deserving of 

mention. They are soft 

spheres of ground veal, 

seasoned with white 

pepper and coated in 

breadcrumbs before 

being fried. They are 

rightly famous and alone 

worth the pilgrimage.’ 

Cannaregio 3912, 

Ramo Ca’ d’Oro, 

+39 041 528 5324 

ALL’ARCO 

‘A real bàcari – standing 

room only, point and eat, 

simple local wines by the 

glass and an eclectic 

social melting pot. Ask 

nicely and Francesco [the 

owner] will conjure up 

an impromptu bìgoli in 

salsa (pasta with 

anchovies).’ 

San Polo 436, 

Calle dell’Occhialer, 

+39 041 520 5666

Right: braised scallops, 

pancetta and peas. 

Below: even on a hot 

summer’s day you can fi nd 

your own spot of tranquillity 

to cross the Grand Canal. ‘Th ey’re very handy 

little things for getting where you want to go, as 

there are so few bridges across the Grand Canal,’ 

he explains. ‘But for me there’s also something 

quite evocative and charming about standing in 

one next to an old lady dressed in black (as all 

widows are) with her little shopping bag and 

parcel of fi sh from the market. Also: the 

traghetto sits very low in the water and that 

gives you a diff erent perspective on the city.’ 

On Saturday mornings Norman heads to 

Cannaregio and the fl ea market surrounding the 

beautifully refurbished Santa Maria dei Miracoli 

church. ‘Th ere are 10 or 12 streets, all full of brica-brac, 

antiques and fascinating found objects. I 

normally make a beeline for that place.’ He used 

to spend a lot of time in Venice’s galleries and 

museums but reckons he’s largely got them out of 

his system. Norman favours modern art. ‘I like 

the Peggy Guggenheim, which has a wonderful, 

eccentric collection of 20th-century pieces, 

including a Francis Bacon and Rothko. And Ca’ 

Pesaro – a beautiful palazzo on the Grand Canal 

– has a not-too-big collection of modern pieces 

including an amazing painting by Klimt, of 

whom I’m a big fan.’ 

PRIVATCITY 

‘In Oct ober I can guarantee my hand 

luggage will be st uffed full of Treviso tardivo. 

It keeps well and makes lovely risotto’ 

Th e Rialto fi sh market is naturally a priority 

– utterly authentic, centrally located and used 

daily by local residents and restaurateurs. ‘It is a 

showstopper for good reason,’ says Norman. 

‘Th e fi sh stalls are in a very dramatic, beautiful 

setting under the medieval arches. Large red 

curtains keep out the heat and, when the sun is 

shining, everything is imbued with a warm, red 

glow. Th e fruit and vegetable market next door is 

so colourful, too – a visual barometer of the 

seasons and a diff erent place depending on 

Thirty-Nine 

when you visit. In October and November it has 

the beautiful deep-purple colours of the local 

Treviso tardivo (a distinctive elongated variety 

of radicchio), and orange from the pumpkins 

and squash. In spring it’s all about asparagus and 

the green palette, while in summer the whole 

place turns red with tomatoes.’ 

His hand luggage is invariably like a 

miniature greengrocer’s. ‘I don’t necessarily 

bring back the most convenient things. I tend to 

eschew the usual sealed packets and bottles of

oil in favour of seasonal produce you just can’t 

get in the UK. My wife thinks I’m mad but the 

fl ight is only one hour, 45 minutes. I’m going to 

Venice again in October and can guarantee my 

hand luggage will be stuff ed full of Treviso 

tardivo. It keeps well, makes lovely risotto or 

salad, and in one small package conveys all that 

wonderful bitterness that is so characteristic of 

the region’s food and drink.’ 

Sometimes he’ll bring back a truffl e or two 

packed in a tub of risotto rice or, for his children, 

the esse (S-shaped) biscuits that Venetian bakers 

traditionally produce at Easter. But seafood such 

as moéche (tiny soft-shell crabs taken from the 

lagoon during moulting season and cooked live) 

and canestrèli (pilgrim scallops, the same size as 

little clams and ‘not what we think of as scallops’) 

are delicacies to be enjoyed only in Venice. 

PRIVATCITY 

Like many amateur cooks, Norman feels 

the frustration of not having a private kitchen 

to play in while there. ‘I always stay in the same 

Dorsoduro hotel, La Calcina, by the Zattere,’ 

he explains. Th e English know it as John 

Ruskin’s house but the former limestone 

warehouse has been a favourite pensione of 

creative people for centuries. ‘Th e parts of 

Venice I like are bohemian. I socialise and stay 

in the Dorsoduro. It’s where the university is. 

It’s where you fi nd the artists, the bohemians, 

the piss artists.’ 

Is there a parallel with London’s Soho, of 

which Norman is now considered culinary 

king? ‘Yes. It has the same villagey feel even 

though it’s in the centre of London. What 

interests me [in both Venice and Soho] is the 

real people who live, work and play there and 

Forty 

Far left: aubergine 

and Parmesan wrap. 

Left: Russell Norman, 

the man behind Polpo. 

Below: it may be 

dominated by its canals, 

but Norman believes it’s the 

Venetian people who make 

this city so inspiring 

‘The parts of Venice I like are bohemian. I socialise and st ay in 

the Dorsoduro. It’s where you find the artist s, the bohemians’ 

how they contribute to the character of the 

place. Despite the fact that Venice is a city, it’s 

very small and absorbs tourists in a remarkable 

way – even on a hot day in the middle of 

August you can walk into the Ghetto and still 

fi nd tranquillity. Soho is the same.’ 

Autumn is a particularly nice time of year to 

be in Venice, he says. ‘It’s warm enough to walk 

around in a shirt and perhaps throw a sweater 

over your shoulders in the evening. Th ere was a 

time when summer was high tourist season, 

autumn and spring were medium and winter 

was low, but these days Venice is busy year 

round. It quietens off a little in winter, but the 

city is great in the snow too.’ 

Polpo: a Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts) is published 

by Bloomsbury. For more information on Polpo 

restaurants, visit www.polpo.co.uk

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PRIVAT 

PERSON 

WILLIAM KLEIN 

“ Y O U H A V E 

He may be the esteemed subject of a show at London’s Tate Modern, but at 84, 

E X H I B I T I O N S 

William Klein still has a refreshing, irreverent take on life and art. Nina Caplan met with 

T O M E E T 

the legendary photographer, painter, fi lmmaker and rebel 

G I R L S ”

ILLIAM KLEIN IS NOT 

a dedicated follower of fashion, although 

fashion has often followed him. He is not a 

royalist, but nor is he a republican. He is an 

American who lives in France, a photographer 

who makes fi lms, an 84-year-old with attitude. 

He may be a hard man to pin down but he’s an 

easy one to talk to – or he will be, when he 

shows up. I’ve been wandering around his 

gorgeous living room for two hours now. I’m 

not bored: there’s a maquette of the rooms at 

Tate Modern where his show will take place 

this winter, a library’s worth of books, a great 

photograph of him during last year’s Royal 

Wedding, snapping a policeman reading the 

Evening Standard, the happy couple and cheesy 

headline ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ clearly visible. 

Th e walls are packed with paintings by 

Klein’s wife, Jeanne Florin, who died in 2005, 

and the couch piled high with paperwork. 

And there are the full-length windows 

overlooking the Jardin du 

Luxembourg and its palace, built 

in the 17th century for Marie de 

Médicis, widow of King Henri IV, 

art-lover and arch-meddler in 

politics. Whatever he thinks of 

royalty, Klein has them to thank 

for a great view. 

‘I don’t understand the 

monarchy,’ Klein tells me when he 

Previous page: metal 

dresses from Who Are You, 

Polly Maggoo?, 1965. 

Right: Antonia + Mirrors, 

Paris, 1963. 

Below: William Klein 

back in the day 

eventually appears and I ask him about last 

year’s jaunt to London. ‘I went to photograph 

street parties: I like these events. I went to 

Hyde Park, where there was a tremendous 

screen and 250,000 people and they all had 

their picnics, and they were very generous, they 

all off ered me things to eat… Th at was kind of 

fun. But I don’t understand how you people 

stand having a queen with 45 castles and a 

yacht.’ Th is sally makes up in power what it 

lacks in precision: actually, Her Majesty has 

seven residences and the yacht has been 

decommissioned. Still, the comment is 

delivered with the grace and economy of a 

good right hook: no wonder he became 

interested in boxing. 

Forty-Four 

PHOTO©GETTY

PRIVATPERSON 

Forty-Five

William Klein has been living in Paris 

since he left the army in 1948. He had been a 

painter (he studied with Fernand Léger) before 

switching to photography, then was taken up 

by American Vogue’s legendary art director 

Alexander Liberman, and given a contract. Th e 

magazine also footed the bill when he said he 

wanted to make a book about New York, since 

he had been living an ocean away from his 

hometown for six years. Th e result, Life is Good 

and Good for You in New York, was not what 

they expected; not only did the magazine refuse 

to run the pictures (although they continued to 

employ Klein) but the book wasn’t published in 

America until half a century later. Th e 

photographs are fantastic, but they cede 

nothing to expectation: they are blurry, or 

gritty, or cheeky. Th ey are smart and sassy and 

pull no punches. 

‘I grew up with everybody saying: “Th is is 

the centre of the universe,’’’ says Klein, in mild 

disgust, of New York. ‘My father, you know, he 

was like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, 

he used to say: “Th is is the land of opportunity!”’ 

Klein preferred Paris, and the aff ection was 

mutual: his book was published there, in 1955, 

and within a year its author had got himself an 

assistant director gig with Federico Fellini on 

Nights of Cabiria. ‘I was a groupie. When I 

wanted to meet him, I called up his hotel and 

said: “Can I speak to Mr Fellini?” And they 

said: “One second,” and put me through. 

Which doesn’t happen nowadays.’ He wasn’t 

after a job, he says, he just wanted to give 

Fellini his book. But the training proved useful 

when Klein found a young boxer as smart and 

sassy as he was. Actually, it was the politics – 

rich white men funding a young black talent – 

that piqued him into making a documentary. 

Th e boxer in question was Muhammad Ali, 

about to become heavyweight champion of the 

world. Th e two men were hardly buddies – Ali 

called Klein ‘England’, because that was the 

only part of Europe he knew – but they shared 

a willingness to poke American certainties in 

their soft belly. Or punch them in the head. 

Klein has made other fi lms, since: Mr 

Freedom, a satire on American imperialism, and 

Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?, a satire on the 

fashion industry. He’s not one for the niceties, 

which is what makes his photographs and fi lms 

so fantastic, but one does require a certain 

lightness on one’s feet when talking to him. We 

meet during the Olympics, some of which he’s 

enjoying and some less so. Th e Opening 

PRIVATPERSON 

Ceremony won his approval (‘What’s his name 

– Danny Boyle? He’s no dope’) as did the 

badminton and the Swedish women’s football 

team – the latter for reasons which may or may 

not have anything to do with their sporting 

prowess. But the synchronised swimming was, 

he said trenchantly, the worst kind of sport, and 

the wrestling he found boring (and not just 

‘boring’: I’ve left out a couple of adjectives). 

I get the impression he was no less 

combative with the Tate, when organising this 

autumn’s exhibition. It’s a joint show with 

Daido Moriyama, who has also photographed 

If ever there was 

an advertisement 

for doing your own 

thing, rather than 

anything expect ed 

of you, William 

Klein is it 

New York and Tokyo, and the shared limelight 

was certainly their idea, not his. But it is about 

time he got proper consideration in the UK. 

He used to visit London with his wife, and 

waxes lyrical about the afternoon tea with thin 

sandwiches at Brown’s Hotel, but although he 

did books on Rome and Moscow as well as 

Tokyo and New York, he never honoured 

London with his gimlet attentions. Now, the 

city has forgiven him: there’s currently a show 

of his early paintings at HackelBury Fine Art 

as well as the Tate’s superb selection of 

photographs, fi lm stills and even drawings – he 

sketched out the costumes for Mr Freedom, he 

tells me, and his wife made them. 

Th e 1969 fi lm, which he also wrote, follows 

a right-wing American superhero on his 

odyssey to save France from communism, and 

Forty-Six 

features Delphine Seyrig, Philippe Noiret, 

Donald Pleasance and even, briefl y, the singer 

Serge Gainsbourg. Th e Americans appreciated 

it about as much as the French, in the fi lm, 

appreciate Mr Freedom’s attempts to rescue 

them, which include blowing up Paris. 

‘I remember a couple of guys who were 

distributors in America came to a screening,’ 

laughs Klein, ‘and after about 20 minutes they 

got up and said: “Lots of luck,” and left.’ He 

doesn’t seem perturbed. Unlike Muhammad 

Ali, whose mouthiness seemed always to be 

about proving something, Klein appears 

entirely comfortable being at odds with pretty 

much everyone. He’s not grumpy: he clearly 

enjoys life. When he went to shoot the Royal 

Wedding street parties, he made up for lost 

mobility (he recently had a knee operation) by 

hiring a rickshaw. And when I ask him why 

he’d chosen to take that assignment – which 

must have been busy and dusty – he replies, 

simply, that it amused him. He takes jobs as 

and when he pleases; he has that incredible fl at, 

an assistant and a secretary, a son (also an 

artist) and he mentions a girlfriend, a 

Portuguese fi lm star. It’s not a bad life: if ever 

there was an advertisement for doing your own 

thing, rather than anything expected of you, 

William Klein is it. 

I am sure he has a temper, when he wants 

to unleash it, but I only see one fl ash. We are 

discussing Slovakia, and he mentions that he 

was invited there once, but didn’t go. ‘Well,’ I 

say without thinking, ‘it probably wasn’t that 

much fun to visit, back then.’ He snaps at me: 

‘Back then? What, you think I’m older than 

Coca-Cola?’ I backtrack hastily, but still, he’s 

hardly a spring chicken. He’s done everything, 

worked with everyone and even a major 

exhibition at a prestigious institution like the 

Tate is nothing new: he had a retrospective at 

the Pompidou Centre in 2005. So, what, if 

anything, is he hoping to get out of this show? 

Th at doesn’t require much refl ection. ‘Listen,’ 

he tells me, ‘you have exhibitions to meet girls.’ 

So it seems that William Klein is likely to 

continue a lifetime habit of getting just what 

he wants, when he wants it. Tate Modern is the 

world’s most visited modern-art gallery; he is 

going to meet a lot of girls. 

William Klein/Daido Moriyama, 10 October – 20 

January, Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1, 

tate.org.uk; William Klein: Paintings, Etc, until 

20 December, HackelBury Fine Art, 4 Launceston 

Place, London W8, hackelbury.co.uk

Clockwise from 

below: Isabella + 

Opéra, Paris fashion from 

1967; Gymnasts, 1949; 

Muhammad Ali, Miami, 

1964; Smoke and Veil, 

a 1958 Klein shot for 

Vogue; B-movies, a fashion 

series from 1970; Philippe 

Noiret as Mr Freedom 

with Klein’s wife Jeanne; 

lettrist painting for mural, 

1963-64

PRIVAT 

STYLE 

Charismatic, beautiful and utterly original, Maria 

Callas was not just one of the greatest sopranos of 

modern times, she was also one of its most enduring 

fashion icons. We pay homage to the opera star and her 

unparalleled style in our fashion story 

Photography by 

MARIANO HERRERA 

Fashion direction by 

NINO BAUTI

PRIVATSTYLE 

‘I PREPARE MYSELF FOR 

REHEARSALS LIKE I WOULD 

FOR MARRIAGE’ 

Maria Callas 

previouspage: Maria wears: taupe jumper by Maison Martin Margiela; houndstooth skirt by Marni; fox fur coat 

by Diane von Furstenberg; crocodile bag with gold detail by Tom Ford; long white gloves by Aspinal of London; 

angora hat by Paul Smith; oval sunglasses by Cutler and Gross; white gold brooch with 

paved pearl by Boucheron; white pearl and diamond earrings by Mikimoto 

above: David wears: cashmere roll-neck jumper by Crombie; checked trousers and grey wool cardigan 

with leather detailing by John Varvatos; spectacles by Cutler and Gross 

right: Maria wears: cream silk blouse by Cos; black pencil skirt with gold belt buckle by Marni; fox fur gilet with 

hood by Zadig and Voltaire; two-tone shoes by Chanel; tights by Pretty Polly at mytights.com; white pearl earrings 

by Mikimoto; 18ct white gold Milano ring by Mikimoto; yellow gold serpent bracelet by Boucheron; yellow gold and 

diamond watch by Noa Fine Jewellery; gold ring by Shambala 

Fifty-Two

PRIVATSTYLE 

above: Maria wears: see previous page. Rupert wears: cotton shirt by Lanvin; grey fl annel checked waistcoat 

by Richard James; grey tweed trousers by John Varvatos; Midnight Case 18ct white gold watch by Harry Winston. 

Anna wears: bouclé dress with pockets by Chanel, fi ne black tights by Pretty Polly at mytights.com; black 

satin slingback heels (on the fl oor) by Manolo Blahnik; ruched leather gloves by Paul Smith; Envoûtant Sillage white 

gold brooch with pavéd diamonds by Boucheron 

Fifty-Four

PRIVATSTYLE 

‘I WOULD LIKE TO BE MARIA, BUT THERE 

IS LA CALLAS WHO DEMANDS THAT I CARRY 

MYSELF WITH HER DIGNITY’ 

Maria Callas

PRIVATSTYLE 

‘I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS 

TO ME ON STAGE. SOMETHING ELSE 

SEEMS TO TAKE OVER’ 

Maria Callas 

above: Anna wears: black and aubergine silk dress by Maison Martin Margiela; 

brass ridged arm bangle by Pebble 

right: Maria wears: white strapless draped silk-chiffon gown by Alexander McQueen at 

Harrods; red velvet shawl, stylist’s own; large golden metal crown with red fl ower and 

leaf detail by Pebble; gold serpent bracelet by Tom Ford 

Fifty-Six

PRIVATSTYLE 

above: Maria wears: dress by Thakoon; white gloves, stylist’s own; red leather bag by Valentino; pearl necklace and pearl and diamond earrings by Mikimoto. 

Rupert (left) wears: tuxedo cotton shirt by Viktor & Rolf Monsieur; velvet tuxedo by Hackett; bow tie by Armani. Dimitrij (centre) wears: silk shirt 

by Lanvin; tuxedo with silk detailing by Roberto Cavalli; bow tie by Giorgio Armani. David (right) wears: tuxedo shirt by Roberto Cavalli; black velvet 

tuxedo jacket and black wool trousers by Versace; bow tie by Gieves and Hawkes; black leather lace-up brogues by Canali 

right:Maria wears: silk blouse by Temperley; gold jacket by Chanel; pencil skirt by Etro; mink shawl by Todd Lynn; snakeskin-effect clutch by Vionnet; 

hair band with net by Stephen Jones; leather gloves by Sermoneta; open-cluster diamond and platinum earrings by Harry Winston. 

Neil (left) wears: white cotton shirt by Krisvanassche; grey checked suit jacket by John Varvatos; knitted tie by Crombie; spectacles by Cutler and Gross 

Make-up by Nicola Hamilton using Chanel / Hair by Jay Zhang using Shu Uemura Art of Hair / Fashion assistant: Gemma Talbot / Models: Jude (as Maria) at 

Models 1, David Frampton, Anna G at Oxygen / Digital Retoucher: Shervorn Monaghan / Flowers by the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers / Extras: Neil Smith, 

Dimitri Stukalin, Adrien Collilieux, Nada Menlji, Rupert Baird-Murray, Celine Zha, Chris Wright, Michael Keating, Liesl Lamare (dog owner) 

Special thanks to 

Thank you to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, especially the Gielgud Theatre where our Maria Callas-inspired fashion story was shot. 

Delfont Mackintosh own seven of London's most beautiful theatres including the Noel Coward, the Novello and the Wyndham. 

They offer exclusive VIP experiences not found elsewhere in the capital, including meeting the cast of their latest West End hit, 

enjoying a workshop, or simply a classic Champagne reception with the best seats in the house. www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk 

Fifty-Eight

FROM R USSIA WITH LOVE 

BOCHUM | STUTTGART | BERLIN | NEW YORK WWW.JAN-KATH.COM

PRIVAT 

ART 

Even the biggest art collections have to start 

somewhere. Elizabeth Winding asked fi ve 

collectors what was the fi rst work they bought 

COLLECTOR: ROSE ISSA 

First piece: Nature et Reverie by Manuel Duque, 1984 

The First Piece 

Rose Issa has been a champion of visual art and fi lm from the 

Arab world and Iran for over three decades. Now the owner of 

a private project space in Kensington, London, she has helped 

introduce numerous artists to the West, including Monir 

Farmanfarmaian and Chant Avedissian. She has also acted as 

a guest curator at an international array of public institutions 

and museums, including the Barbican, Tate Britain, the 

Hermitage in St Petersburg, the House of World Cultures in 

Berlin and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de 

Barcelona. Her involvement in the arts began in 1982, when 

she launched the fi rst Arab Film Festival in Paris. 

I bought my fi rst artwork in Paris. I’d been living there for a 

few years, planning to go back to Lebanon after the war. 

Instead the situation got worse. In 1983, my sister was killed 

in the bombing near the American Embassy. Before then I’d 

never felt settled and couldn’t imagine even buying any 

furniture, but after that I decided to stay. To me, that meant 

having something of my own; a painting fi rst, then a fl at. 

I’d become great friends with the artist Manuel Duque, 

who taught me everything about the arts scene. My background 

Sixty-Two 

was as a mathematician, journalist and historian, not in the 

arts, but every day we’d go and see exhibitions together. He 

taught me the diff erence between a painter and an artist; I 

still can’t explain it, but now I know it intuitively. One day he 

showed me some works he was taking to a gallery, and I 

thought: ‘No, I want that one!’ and bought it. 

It was a strange eff ect the painting had on me. I still can’t see 

an acacia tree or the coming of spring without thinking of him: 

it’s like when people discover Van Gogh, and from then on can 

never see a sunfl ower in the same way. For me, every acacia tree, 

every forest, every mass of greenery reminds me of Duque’s 

work. He died in 1998 in Spain. At the start of his career his 

work was almost totally abstract, but towards the end it became 

almost fi gurative; the piece I bought was a transitional moment. 

Works of art speak to you at certain times in your life, I 

think, and say something about your own life; looking at my 

own collection, I can trace the evolution of my ideas through 

the works that I acquired. I loved Duque as an artist, and have 

a fantastic respect for the decision he made to remain himself 

and not to sell himself. Even now, when I go to see an 

exhibition, I see it through his eyes: he’s always there. 

PHOTO©GREGFUNNELL

PRIVATART 

COLLECTOR: PROFESSOR NASSER D KHALILI 

First piece: pen box by Mohammad Isma’il, AH 1266 (AD 1849-50) 

orn in Iran, Professor Nasser D Khalili has amassed 

the largest private collection of Islamic art in the 

world. Four further collections span Swedish textiles, 

enamels of the world, Spanish damascene metalwork and 

Japanese decorative art: pieces from his collections have 

been exhibited in the British Museum, the State Hermitage 

Museum and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Plans 

are now afoot for a dedicated museum where the Khalili 

Collection will be on permanent display. 

When I was a boy in Isfahan, my father used to take me 

everywhere with him. He was an art dealer like my grandfather, 

and I was interested from the start: even aged seven I’d spend 

my lunch money buying stamps from classmates. 

When I was about 12, my dad went to see the former 

minister of education, a Dr Mehran, and as usual I went with 

him. Th ere were some little lacquer boxes lying on the table, 

and as the adults were talking I picked up a pen box and 

started looking at it. When the conversation was over, 

Sixty-Five 

Dr Mehran turned to me and said: ‘Son, I’ve been watching 

you. Why are you so mesmerised by that piece?’ 

I told him I’d counted all of the horsemen painted on the 

box and found there were 800; even more wonderful, not one 

was the same as the next. I was amazed: it wasn’t like an oil 

painting on a canvas, with room to work and cover any 

mistakes. Th is was on a tiny scale, and it was perfect. 

Dr Mehran told me that in 40 years of collecting he’d never 

thought to look at each individual fi gure, never counted each 

one. He said I had a great future as a collector, then gave me 

the box – and that was the start of my collection. 

Th ese days people collect objects like buying stocks and 

shares. Th ey don’t buy for the love of it: fi nances and money 

should never be brought into collecting. It has to be done for 

the sake of it, and collections should be shared and exhibited. 

Two or three years after I’d left Iran for New York, my dad 

met Dr Mehran again. He was in his 80s by then, and had 

heard that I’d bought a couple of important pieces in Sotheby’s. 

‘You see?’ he told my father. ‘My prediction’s coming true!’

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COLLECTOR: 

SIMON DE PURY 

First piece: Ne Prislonyatsa – 

Do Not Lean by Erik Bulatov, 1987 

wiss-born auctioneer Simon 

de Pury began his career at 

Kornfeld & Klipstein in Bern 

before joining Sotheby’s in London. 

After a fi ve-year spell as curator of 

the Th yssen-Bornemisza Collection 

in Switzerland, he returned to 

Sotheby’s as its principal auctioneer 

and presided over some of the most 

high-profi le art sales of the 1990s, 

including the $29m sale of Picasso’s 

Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto. 

He was appointed chairman of 

Sotheby’s Europe but left to found 

Phillips de Pury & Company, an 

international auction house that 

specialises in contemporary art, 

design and photography. He is both 

its chairman and chief auctioneer. 

Until I was in my mid-thirties, I 

didn’t feel the need to own any 

pieces. It was my privilege to work 

with outstanding art and to be 

surrounded by it on a daily basis – 

and I think perhaps I felt that 

whatever I’d be interested in buying 

was out of my reach. 

Th en, in the early 1980s, I 

became fascinated by a group of 

highly talented artists producing 

work in Russia. Th ey were ‘unoffi cial’ 

artists, who didn’t work in the style 

that was encouraged by the 

communist system, and as a result 

had trouble getting studios or even 

materials. In 1988, I organised the 

fi rst international art auction in 

Moscow for Sotheby’s. It was the 

early days of glasnost and a time of 

huge change; after the auction those 

artists began to be allowed to show 

their works publicly and to travel. 

One of the artists was Erik 

Bulatov, and I attended an exhibition 

of his works in Zurich. It included a 

Sixty-Seven 

piece called Do Not Lean, which 

showed a beautiful Russian 

landscape with those words written 

across the canvas. I was so struck by 

it, I bought it. At the time I was an 

employee at Sotheby’s and had a very 

modest salary, so it was quite a 

fi nancial sacrifi ce to acquire it. 

I’ve seen it with my clients, and 

it’s always the same. Once you’ve 

taken the fi rst step, the second 

follows automatically. My focus is 

mostly contemporary art and 

design, but I buy what appeals to 

me, from skateboards and Godzilla 

fi gures to ceramic mugs shaped like 

cartoon characters and superheroes… 

When you have a whole group of 

them they’re quite funny together. 

To collect is not an issue of money. 

I’ve seen great collectors who have 

put together remarkable collections 

with very limited means. And vice 

versa as well, of course. 

Collecting is a kind of artistic 

process in itself. After a while, the 

works that you have bought show 

your handwriting; a collection 

becomes the self-portrait of the 

person that put it together.

orn in Manchester, Frank Cohen is sometimes referred to as ‘the 

Saatchi of the North’. Th e founder of a successful chain of DIY 

stores, he began collecting modern British artists such as LS Lowry and 

Edward Burra in the 1970s, before turning his attention to the 

contemporary art scene. In 2003 he was among the panel of judges that 

awarded Grayson Perry the Turner Prize, and in 2007 he launched Initial 

Access, a vast exhibition space on the outskirts of Wolverhampton. Sir 

Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate, has dubbed him ‘one of the great 

collectors working anywhere in Europe or America today’, and his 

collection includes works by Stanley Spencer, LS Lowry, Edward Burra, 

Franz West, Carsten Höller and Ai Weiwei. 

Th e very fi rst piece of art I bought was a Lowry, in the late 1970s. It was 

six inches by four inches, postcard size. It’s funny how it came about. I was 

in the paint and wallpaper trade, in Manchester, and one day a guy came 

in and asked if I wanted to give a nice-looking girl a job for the summer 

PRIVATART 

COLLECTOR: FRANK COHEN 

First piece: Th e Family by LS Lowry, 1962 

Sixty-Nine 

holidays. I was single in those days, and I thought: ‘Send any bird you 

want!’ So Cherryl – now my wife – began working in the shop. 

It turned out her father was an art dealer, a very funny man called Jack 

Garson, with a warehouse full of objets d’art: Renaissance Italian paintings, 

suits of armour, snooker tables, all sorts. He was also selling signed Lowry 

prints, just pieces of paper, really, with a photograph of the painting. 

Anyway, when I started to take Cherryl out, I used to go to the house to 

pick her up – and every time I went round there, her father made me buy 

another signed bloody Lowry print from him. 

Did I want them? Did I heck! But it got me interested in buying an 

original. I paid £1,100 for Th e Family; even back then, you could never buy a 

Lowry dead cheap. I’m a northern lad, that’s why I liked his work. And I 

didn’t know anything else; I’d just started looking at art, and had no idea 

about other artists. After that, I kept buying more and more Lowrys, 

whenever I had the money. I ended up with about 47. I’ve still got three or 

four, but not Th e Family; it was tiny, and I traded it in for something bigger. 

Father & Two Sons by 

LS Lowry, 1950. Cohen’s 

fi rst piece by the same 

artist was Th e Family

COLLECTOR: 

NICHOLAS LOGSDAIL 

First piece: 4 Colour Drawing 

by Sol LeWitt, 1971 

PRIVATART 

icholas Logsdail founded the Lisson Gallery in 

1967, when he was still an art student at the 

Slade. A champion of conceptual and minimalist art, 

the gallery helped to launch the careers of a new 

generation of artists, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd and 

Sol LeWitt among them. Logsdail’s keen eye for 

emerging talent has proved crucial to the gallery’s 

success, and with a roster of artists that includes Ai 

Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, Tony Cragg and Marina 

Abramovic, the Lisson is today considered one of the 

world’s leading contemporary art galleries. 

Th e fi rst pieces that I remember buying – and still have 

– are some early drawings by Sol LeWitt, from his fi rst 

solo exhibition at the gallery in 1973. On the back of 

one, it says ‘not to be sold for more than $100’: he 

believed art should be democratic, and anyone who 

loved the work should be able to buy something. Today, 

those pieces sell at auction for $10,000 to $20,000. Th e 

other drawing was from the same exhibition and didn’t 

cost much more; now, it’s probably worth $60,000. 

Th e real excitement of being involved in 

contemporary art, I think, is being able to meet the 

Seventy 

artists, to have that relationship with them. From the 

start, I wanted to work with artists I could have real, 

fi rst-hand knowledge of. Can you imagine being a 

collector and meeting Cézanne, or Manet, or Modigliani? 

But looking at art history, of course people did. 

Th e best collectors buy out of recognition and love 

for the work, not because they think they can double 

their money. If you’re following the money, just as you 

might follow the stock market when the prices are 

going up, you’re almost always going to be too late. 

And artists are not hedge funds or corporations that 

you can trade in. Th ey are human beings, and some of 

the few individualistic people left in our culture. Th ey 

can reveal strange and mysterious truths. Th at’s what 

makes art so beautiful and fascinating – and that’s why, 

at the age of 67, I’m still running the gallery. 

Collectors have asked me to sell those drawings, 

but I’ve had them for a long time. Th ey’re important to 

me symbolically; it’s not about money. Th ey still hang 

in my home: one in the bathroom, the other in my 

bedroom. Th ey’re very modest pieces, but that’s why I 

like them. Th ey’re there to remind me not to be 

grandiose or pompous. 

IMAGE©TIMWHITE

PHOTOS©DONMCCULLIN/CONTACTPRESSIMAGES 

Th e horizon broken 

occasionally by a train 

of Sudanese camels

PRIVAT 

TRAVEL 

KINGDOMS 

IN THE 

SAND 

Egypt may boast the world’s 

most famous pyramids, but those 

in northern Sudan are more 

haunting, says Mike Carter. 

Photography by Don McCullin 

KHARTOUM IS DOUBLY BLESSED. A RIVER IN THE 

desert is a godsend and Sudan’s capital city of six million 

has not only the wide, lazy White Nile slithering in from 

the fl atlands of the south, but also the Blue Nile, rich in 

dark, alluvial silt, which tumbles in from the Ethiopian 

highlands to the east. At the northern tip of the city’s Tuti 

Island, the two bodies of water merge, retaining their 

distinct colours for a few hundred metres before blending to 

become the single, indomitable Nile. 

Th e confl uence acts as a metaphor for Khartoum, and 

indeed Sudan, which since ancient times has been an 

economic crossroads, a meeting point between the Arabs 

and the cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. A walk through the 

vast, labyrinthine souk in the Omdurman district off ers a 

vivid illustration of Sudan’s unique Afro-Arabic culture, 

which led the former US president Jimmy Carter to talk of 

the ‘essential humanity of Sudan’. 

Here, men in dazzling white djellabas and taqiyah prayer 

caps sell 19th-century Mahdi-era swords or grind sesame 

seeds into tahini by hand; other traders, dressed in rainbow 

dashiki shirts and with skin the colour of teak, sell beads or 

snakeskin shoes. In dusty alleyways, burka-clad women pour 

chai infused with cardamom. Alongside them, Dinka women 

in tight-fi tting batiks, with henna tattoos on their ankles, sell

PRIVATTRAVEL 

Long gone and virtually forgotten, the 

Kingdom of Kush left behind some of the most 

st riking archeological treasures in the world 

karkadé, a juice made from hibiscus blossom. 

Th is dialogue between African and Middle 

Eastern cultures is nothing new: Sudan’s history 

has long been entwined with that of Egypt. 

Th eir alliances, rivalries and cultural ties 

stretch back to antiquity, and the time when 

Sudan, then known as the Kingdom of Kush, 

was a superpower, a military and economic rival 

to the emperors in Rome and the pharaohs of 

Egypt (indeed, Kushite kings ruled Egypt for a 

century, before being routed by the Assyrians). 

Long gone and virtually forgotten, this kingdom 

left behind some of the most striking 

archeological treasures in the world – including 

more pyramids than Egypt – which lie in the 

desert unheralded and largely unvisited by 

tourists. It was this Sudan I had come to see. 

I headed north out of Khartoum with a guide 

and a 4x4, and we were soon in the immensity of 

the Nubian Desert. Since the south seceded in 

2011, Sudan may only be half the country it used 

to be, but the distances are still vast. We drove for 

300 miles through an empty landscape baking 

under the desert sun, great waves of sand blowing 

across the road in the ferocious wind, the horizon 

broken occasionally by a huddle of squat mud 

houses, or the occasional train of ghostly pale 

Sudanese camels. 

After several hours of this yellow and 

brown world, the horizon to the right fi lled 

with a mirage-like strip of dark green, which 

came closer as our path converged once more 

with the Nile. We left the road and drove 

towards groves of date palms and suddenly, like 

Oz after Kansas, we entered a new world of 

colour: a lush, benign place with villages of 

people, and fi elds of sorghum grass being 

worked by emaciated-looking cattle. 

On a small hill on the east bank of the Nile, 

we came to a phalanx of mud-brick coned 

tombs, 50ft tall. Behind them were the ruins of 

Old Dongola, once a medieval boomtown and 

capital of the Christian kingdom of Makuria 

from the seventh century until 1323, when 

Islam arrived and converted the Coptic churches 

to mosques. Today it is slowly returning to dust, 

a collection of crumbling walls and marble 

columns sticking carcass-like out of the sand. 

Th e ground was strewn with bleached sheep 

bones and clay pots, many intact, some of which 

may have been up to a millennium old. 

Th at night we camped in the desert, driving 

away from the road for 15 miles, across golden 

dunes and then a barren rocky landscape that 

resembled images of the moon. 

Next to the Nile’s Th ird Cataract, we 

stopped to see Paleolithic drawings carved into 

the soft sandstone – exquisite hunting scenes, 

anywhere up to 40,000 years old, with 

Lowryesque fi gures chasing giraff es, lions and 

tigers – evidence that the Nubian Desert wasn’t 

always so barren. We climbed a high hill to a 

ruined Ottoman fort to look down on the Nile, 

a muddy ribbon with a green ruffl e, cutting its 

way through one of the most unforgiving 

Seventy-Four 

landscapes on earth. Th is was the erstwhile 

superhighway of those seeking riches, adventure 

and blood: the pharaohs, Romans and slave 

traders; Gordon, Kitchener and Burton. 

Th e Th ird Cataract was as far north as we 

would go. From here we doubled back, driving 

south for the next week and clinging to the river’s 

serpentine course. In Tombos, we saw 14thcentury 

BC stellae carved with hieroglyphics and 

pharaonic granite statuary, lying lonely in the 

sand. We journeyed on to the market town of 

Kerma, the seat of the fi rst Kingdom of Kush, 

where we climbed the ruins of one of two giant 

deff ufas (a Nubian word meaning ‘mud-brick 

building’); dating from 1500BC, they are possibly 

the oldest man-made structures in sub-Saharan 

Africa. In Karima, alongside the hulks of the now 

redundant Victorian Nile steamer fl eet, gently 

rotting on the banks, we ate a lunch of fuul,

PHOTOS©DONMCCULLIN/CONTACTPRESSIMAGES 

Sudan’s salty staple of bean stew, and wafer-thin 

kisra bread made from sorgham, washed down 

with baobab juice. In a back room, a group of 

Nubian men drank strong Sudanese gingerinfused 

coff ee and puff ed furiously on hookah 

pipes, the fug eddying under an old, clattering fan. 

We scrambled up Jebel Barkal (Holy 

Mountain in Arabic), a giant sandstone mesa that 

the Egyptians and Kushites thought resembled a 

pharaonic crown, thus indicating that the god 

Amun must dwell within. From the top, we could 

look down on the ruins of a temple to Amun to 

the south and a row of steep-sided pyramid 

tombs of third-century BC Napatan kings to the 

west, while countless kites wheeled overhead. 

Th at night, in the shadow of Jebel Barkal, 

we gave the tents a miss and slept at the Nubian 

Resthouse in Karima, one of Sudan’s few luxury 

hotels, with a courtyard fi lled with oleander and 

bougainvillea, around which Somali bee-eaters 

and African hoopoe birds fl itted. 

Th e next day we drove 250 miles across the 

Bayuda Desert. Eventually, Sudan’s greatest 

treasures came into view: the pyramids of the 

royal city of Meroe. Th is was another of the 

ancient capitals of the Kushite kingdom, dating 

back to the eighth century BC. Its surviving 

monuments stand alone, high on a sandy ridge; 

at 90ft high, they are far smaller than their 

Egyptian counterparts and now resemble a row 

of broken teeth, thanks to their decapitation by 

Italian treasure hunter Giuseppe Ferlini in 1834. 

It’s the sheer scale of the site – in total, there 

are 100 pyramids, in various states of decay – 

that makes Meroe so spectacular. With not a 

tout in sight, we walked in the desert among the 

silent, ancient tombs. We wandered into the low 

funerary chapels that adorn each pyramid, their 

Seventy-Five 

Opposite: a Bedouin 

stops at Meroe in front of 

one of the twin-pyloned 

funerary chapels that adorn 

each pyramid. 

Above: Nubian men 

smoke hookah pipes 

at a cafe in Karima

walls covered in bas-relief carvings depicting scenes of funerary 

processions, often with the goddess Isis in attendance, and long 

passages from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. 

Th at night we stayed in a permanent luxury tent 

settlement set up on a ridge overlooking the site. Nomadic 

tribesmen passed in front of us on camels and shouted: 

‘Salaam’. It was easy to imagine ourselves as the fi rst Victorian 

adventurers who had just chanced upon the place. 

And still onwards we drove, now across the sands, to 

Naqa to see the beautifully preserved, dune-haunted Meroitic 

temples of Amun and Apedemak – dedicated to the lionheaded 

god, with their massive carved reliefs of Kushite kings 

and queens. And afterwards we headed to the temple complex 

at Musawwarat es-Sufra, where long ramped corridors and 

carvings of elephants suggest a centre where elephants were 

trained for war – although, as with much of Sudan’s ancient 

history, nobody is exactly sure. 

In Moheli, on a dusty, windswept plain just outside 

Khartoum, we stopped at Sudan’s largest camel market, 

where hundreds of camels were complaining bitterly, having 

walked 600 miles from Darfur. After being sold, they would 

be walking, and doubtless complaining, another 600 miles to 

the dinner tables of Cairo. Men sat on their haunches in 

PRIVATTRAVEL 

pairs, drawing fi gures in the dirt with their fi ngers. A man 

approached me, his face peering out from the tumbling white 

folds of his turban. He gesticulated wildly in the direction of 

a shelter made from rags and sticks and bade me to follow 

him. Inside was a solitary camel. 

‘Th is is a racing camel,’ my guide said. ‘Th ey come from 

eastern Sudan and are world-famous. Th ey go to Saudi Arabia.’ 

Th e man in the turban drew a fi gure in the dirt. 

‘He says he’ll sell it to you for £12,000,’ said my guide. 

‘But fi rst, you’ll want to test-ride it.’ 

My protests that I’d never ridden a camel before, much 

less the Formula One equivalent of the dromedary world, fell 

on deaf ears and, before I knew it, I was perched precariously 

on its back, high above the ground. Th e vendor handed me a 

rope, slapped the beast hard on its rump and I was off , 

clinging on for grim death, fl ying across the desert, passing 

crowds who waved and pointed and laughed, always with 

that certain warmth in the eye I had come to know so well in 

this remarkable country. I should have been terrifi ed, but I 

was laughing so much I simply forgot. 

Mike Carter travelled to Sudan with Journeys by Design, 

specialist in bespoke African adventures, +44 (0)1273 623790, 

Seventy-Six 

Above: An elephant 

carving in a temple at 

Musawwarat es-Sufra 

journeysbydesign.com PHOTO©DONMCCULLIN/CONTACTPRESSIMAGES

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AVING SUFFERED A DELUGE 

of rain in Assisi and pin-balled through hordes 

of people in Siena, I found myself reaching the 

limits of my normally insatiable cultural 

appetite. It was a holiday in Italy in June, and 

Umbrian friends had insisted I join them on one 

last excursion that was ‘off the beaten track’ near 

Orvieto, in the province of Viterbo. As we 

twisted round dizzying bends on the fi nal 

approach, the latent teenager in me grumbled: 

‘Th is had better be good.’ 

I was lead to a vantage point. What I saw 

demanded a music score heavy with crescendo: 

it was a small cluster of pale medieval houses 

poised upon a jutting nub of volcanic tuff ; a vast 

valley spouting a fl oating walled village, 1,400ft 

high, that loomed like a giant, resilient sandcastle 

after the water’s retreat. My inner child was 

utterly enchanted; my well-travelled adult self 

was overwhelmed. Everyone remembers their 

fi rst encounter with Civita di Bagnoregio. 

Th e village sits on an unforgiving base of 

clay, and two major earthquakes, persistent 

winds and rain erosion have sculpted its 

current silhouette and carved its isolation. 

Founded over 2,500 years ago by the Etruscans, 

Civita was once a thriving community 

capitalising on its location on the main road to 

the north from Rome. It was the birthplace of 

Franciscan St Bonaventure – who died in 1274 

– whose home, like so many others, has long 

since tumbled into the valley. 

An earthquake in 1695 caused the collapsing 

of the natural bridge to what is currently 

Bagnoregio, forcing the bishop and most of 

Civita’s inhabitants to abandon it. Today, a 

narrow footbridge (inaugurated in 1965) acts as 

an umbilical cord connecting the remaining 

10 permanent residents to land. It’s a steep 

climb at times – and vertigo-inducing – but the 

supply-laden Vespa passed us with seasoned 

ease. Before the Vespa and daily visits from a 

motorised cart, mules ferried goods and people 

up winding tracks. 

Passing under the Etruscan-cut archway 

embellished with 12th-century lion sculptures, 

I was immediately enveloped by a curiously 

calm and dignifi ed atmosphere. Golden-hued 

stone buildings lined narrow walkways; some 

had balconies and outside steps – proff erli, 

which are typical of medieval architecture in 

Viterbo – adorned with cheerful fl owerpots, 

vines and several dozing cats. Every corner was 

seductively photogenic. 

PRIVATESCAPE 

Eighty-One 

Previous page: two 

earthquakes, persistent 

wind and rain 

have sculpted Civita’s 

striking silhouette. 

This page: cheerful 

fl ower pots, cats and vines 

adorn golden-coloured 

stone buildings

T H E L U X U R Y YA C H T C H A R T E R S P E C I A L I S T S 

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A large, dusty piazza studded with cropped Etruscan columns looked 

curiously like a spaghetti western set (donkey races take place here in 

early June and September). Dominating the humble square was the cool 

and sombre Romanesque church of San Donato, remodelled in the 16th 

century to include frescoes by the school of Perugino and an enormous 

wooden crucifi x by the school of Donatello. A modest bell tower stood 

poised beside the church. Undamaged by war and unravaged by modernity, 

Civita felt strangely enduring. Without the gaping crowds and gaudy 

souvenir stands, it was soothingly quiet. 

It was surreal to fi nd, tucked behind the deserted piazza, a tiny 

but thriving restaurant, Osteria al Forno di Agnese, run by delightful 

Manuela and Raff aele Settimi, who inherited it. In its charming leafy 

courtyard, our excellent lunch confounded all expectations: plentiful 

bowls of delicious antipasti (such as warm beans with anchovies or 

fagiole con alici), handmade pasta (including the local speciality, 

umbricelli) and decadent tiramisu. Th e restaurant is certainly a passion 

for the young couple, who commute there daily – by Vespa, naturally. 

Th ey are part of the community that runs the tiny collection of Civita’s 

three restaurants, six snack places and crafts shops, and are committed to 

the ‘sinking’ city by family history: Raff aele’s grandmother was born here 

in 1913 and founded the osteria in 1968. 

Eighty-Three 

Below: Paolo Crepet, 

an eminent psychiatrist, 

moved to Civita in 1994 

and opened luxury B&B 

La Corte della Maestà. 

Left: one of the 

imaginatively designed 

rooms at La Corte 

della Maestà 

Bolst ered by whimsical furnishings, an enchanting garden and 

antiques and art, La Corte is a sophist icated haven of tranquillity 

After lunch, I came across an elderly resident perched outside a gate 

who ushered me gently into her garden. What Maria was so eager to show 

was an epic panoramic view of the canyon. At the eastern end of the 

village, a small staircase led down to Etruscan burial caves, now used for 

storage, which also house a chapel. Never far from the edge of the abyss in 

this small village island, the most disconcerting monument I encountered 

was the facade of a Renaissance Palace. Th e rest of the structure had been 

lost in a landslide and the windows looked through to thin air. Exposed, 

vulnerable and housing just a handful of people, it’s unsurprising that 

Civita became known as La Città che muore (the Dying City). 

It was a depressed patient who drew Paolo Crepet, one of Italy’s most 

eminent psychiatrists, to Civita in 1994. ‘She said she was living in such a 

diffi cult place, a little town with a bridge,’ he tells me over an espresso in the 

piazza’s chic little cafe. ‘I was working in Rome, but had never heard of 

Civita. I was curious so she invited me to visit her. I drove up here in horrible 

weather, and what I saw looked like a fable, or a drawing. It was such a 

strange feeling and I immediately asked about fi nding a house here.’ 

Other wealthy urbanites from Rome and Milan have also recently set 

up home here (though merely as a holiday retreat), transforming ruins into 

subtle luxury residences and quietly reinvigorating the fl ailing city. Crepet 

bought the bishop’s former residence (though in grave disrepair, it featured

PRIVATESCAPE 

Undamaged by war and 

unravaged by modernity, 

Civita feels st rangely enduring 

fi ne original frescoes) and later, he secured the adjacent building too. Th is year, together 

with his wife Christiana, he opened a luxury bed and breakfast hotel, La Corte della 

Maestà, in the latter building. ‘Civita is wonderful but terribly challenging to live in,’ 

says Crepet, who has written almost all of his 20 books here. ‘With no disturbance and 

no noise, it is the best place to write; but the wind, the nature and the loneliness make 

it hard. You can’t be neutral about Civita.’ 

Another resident who savours the peace is Giuseppe Tornatore, the Italian fi lm 

director and screenwriter best known for Academy Award-winning Cinema Paradiso. 

Tornatore was encouraging of Crepet’s idea to open a stylish B&B, even suggesting 

that he name the fi ve elegantly appointed rooms after women. ‘Th e Writer’, in honour 

of Virginia Woolf, features a study with a reproduction of the fl owered wallpaper from 

Woolf ’s London home, while the spectacular, airy master suite, ‘the Abbess’, has a 

19th-century four-poster bed that was sourced from a convent. Bolstered by whimsical 

furnishings, an enchanting garden and carefully selected antiques and art, La Corte is a 

supremely sophisticated haven of tranquillity. Actor Geoff rey Rush, star of Tornatore’s 

latest fi lm Th e Best Off er, was La Corte’s fi rst guest last Easter. 

Th ough it sounds like madness to invest in a village that, as the former Mayor 

admitted in 1997, is crumbling like ‘ricotta cheese’, measures have been taken to 

stabilise it. Seven cavity wells in reinforced concrete (25m deep) now secure the areas 

Eighty-Four 

Far left: lacking 

gaping crowds and gaudy 

souvenir stands, Civita is 

an oasis of peace. 

Left: La Corte della 

Maestà’s fi ve rooms are 

elegantly decorated. 

Below: American 

Tony Costa Haywood 

has worked on Civita’s 

restoration since the 1960s 

of tuff that are most unstable, and next year sections of the 

base of the mountain will also be reinforced. Th e permanent 

residents have conscience and clout: Tony Costa Heywood, 

an American architect, and his wife Astra Zarina, a professor 

emeritus of architecture, began working on Civita’s restoration 

in the 1960s and founded a fellowship with the Northwest 

Institute to off er accommodation for design professionals to 

visit and monitor Civita. It’s a great comfort to know that this 

magical place is in such good hands. ‘Don’t worry,’ says Crepet 

reassuringly, ‘it’s not a dying village any more.’ 

La Corte della Maestà, Vicolo della Maestà, Civita di 

Bagnoregio, +39 0761 792548, www.cortedellamaesta.com. 

Suites from €300 per night

Eighty-Six

PRIVAT 

AIR 

DESIGN TAKES OFF 

Th e expertise, creativity and passion generated by 

PrivatAir’s new partnership with BRABUS are 

set to transform the luxury aviation industry 

WHEN YOU GLANCE ACROSS THE 

tarmac of an airport in the private jet zone, what 

do you see? A lot of white planes. Th ere are 

many shapes and sizes, branding and tail designs, 

but honestly, they all look more or less the same. 

Now imagine a black jet, its curves enhanced by 

beautifully traced lines in red. Or a green 

fuselage, embellished with a subtle print. An 

exterior design that is not just diff erent but 

aesthetically stunning. Th at would stand out. An 

aircraft, like a car, is an object of desire and 

Eighty-Seven 

fascination. Man never tires of developing the 

automobile, searching for the ultimate shape 

and feel. Now it’s the turn of the private jet. 

BRABUS Private Aviation is a new venture 

that combines automotive design elements and 

German precision to off er unique aircraft 

refurbishment, transforming the experience of 

private jet ownership. And in the pilot’s seat, you 

have BRABUS, the world’s largest independent 

automobile-individualisation brand. Th is is the 

company that will transform a car into the kind

www.fpa2.com

of vehicle that kids dream of and that men step into with a 

defi nite frisson. Constantin Buschmann, son of BRABUS 

Group CEO Professor H. C. Bodo Buschmann and head of 

BRABUS Private Aviation, is crystal clear about what drives 

the brand: ‘When you sit in a BRABUS car it smells diff erent, 

feels diff erent, it is more elaborate. We pay great attention to 

the fi nish, both technically and aesthetically. Our clients are 

used to such quality in the important areas of their lives; they 

expect it.’ For a number of those clients, it’s an obvious step 

to extend such customisation to the private jet. ‘Our clients 

were asking us to go in this direction. It makes sense.’ With 

the challenge of entering a new industry, governed by the 

strictest regulations, BRABUS needed a partner. 

PrivatAir, a leader in the world of business aviation with 

a reputation for excellence built up over 35 years, was a sound 

choice, off ering the expertise, the network and the industry 

knowledge BRABUS was seeking. With an overlapping 

client base, the paths of the two companies often crossed, 

forging relationships that sparked ideas. Th e moment that 

stuck in everyone’s mind was at the Dubai Airshow in 

November 2011. Th e conclusion? ‘Let’s create a completely 

diff erent jet, the BRABUS way!’ Here, the key players sat 

PRIVATAIR 

PrivatAir, with its reputation 

for excellence, offered the expertise, 

the network and the indust ry 

knowledge BRABUS was seeking 

around a table, planning and sharing their expertise. PrivatAir 

brought in RUAG Aviation, one of the most respected 

companies for maintenance and refurbishment. Its location 

close to Munich was key, enabling BRABUS to maintain the 

valuable Made in Germany image for this new venture. Th e 

Dubai Airshow was the perfect opportunity to examine a 

whole range of aircraft cabins. Th e BRABUS team saw 

potential areas for improvement and impact, and were 

convinced that they had found their niche. ‘Th e industry is 

primarily focused on what makes the aircraft fl y; less attention 

is paid to the cabin,’ says Buschmann. ‘We want to change 

that. A signifi cant part of the clients’ experience of the aircraft 

is the cabin; that’s what matters to them.’ 

Eighty-Nine 

Previous page: 

a Bombardier Global 

Express XRS sports 

BRABUS Private 

Aviation’s stylish 

Sportive livery. 

Above: BRABUS 

Private Aviation’s 

Elegance interior off ers 

classic, sophisticated comfort

As for exterior design, Buschmann had a clear insight into 

customers’ preferences, developed over years of experience in 

automobile customisation. ‘On the one hand you have the 

“wolf in sheep’s clothing” owner, the person who focuses all the 

visual design on the inside and keeps the exterior subtle and 

discreet. Th en you have those who are out to make a bold 

statement, whether it’s personal or corporate.’ To handle such 

varying demands, BRABUS Private Aviation chose to work 

with Happy Design Studio. Based in Strasbourg, France, the 

company is renowned for creating unique liveries and exclusive 

customised fuselage designs. ‘Th e design of a fuselage is like a 

second skin. Discreet and airy, powerful and bright, there are 

infi nite possibilities, all driven by a profound awareness of 

balance and aesthetics,’ says the company’s CEO, Didier Wolff . 

He also says that his designs for BRABUS Private Aviation are 

limited editions, to maintain a sense of exclusivity. 

Sitting together in the cabin of a Bombardier Global 

Express, the BRABUS Private Aviation partners decided to 

change the way that private jet owners felt about their aircraft. 

Th ere was a strong sense of 

momentum. Th ey set themselves the 

deadline of EBACE 2012 to make a 

big industry impact. Despite no prior 

announcements, the presentation of 

the fi rst two design lines created the 

kind of buzz that any company 

would strive for. Calls started coming 

in straight after the event from 

Russia, Asia and the Middle East. 

For business aviation clients, 

BRABUS Private Aviation is a 

desirable concept that responds to a 

growing trend both for exceptional 

Top: a matching 

customised jet and car. 

Middle: the 

Sportive interior with 

BRABUS’s signature 

red double stitching 

and carbonfi 

bre fi nishing. 

Bottom: the 

BRABUS Private 

Aviation team 

PRIVATAIR 

customisation and for integrated technology. Th e fresh outlook 

of an outsider can be a catalyst for change in a particular industry, 

introducing ways to simplify or to modernise. BRABUS had 

already developed cutting-edge systems for technology 

integration in cars, focused around Apple products: a docking 

station for the iPhone and a port for the iPad, which becomes 

the control panel for the vehicle, completely in tune with the car 

systems. Th e same concept is being applied to aircraft cabins, 

making it easy for the passenger to control every aspect of the 

cabin experience. From the moment they enter the aircraft, their 

phone captures the signal and welcomes them aboard. Th e 

technology is easily updated or replaced – a new iPad is no major 

investment – and the passenger is in control. 

When it comes to design, for those clients who know 

precisely what they want, BRABUS Private Aviation aims to 

give their creativity a free rein. For those who are keen for 

guidance, the company has created two design lines, Elegance 

and Sportive, both displaying some of the brand’s signature 

elements: red double stitching, lighting along the features 

beneath the seats, a cushion eff ect on the leather, carbon-fi bre 

fi nishing and chrome along the edge of the tables. Passengers 

will experience the same buzz as the owners of a customised 

BRABUS car: that satisfying sense of superior quality. 

Clients can tailor their entire journey: BRABUS also 

off er a customised car to match their refurbished aircraft. Th is 

is just one of many advantages. ‘It’s currently a buyer’s market, 

a good time to purchase a second-hand jet. We can deliver a 

tailor-made, cost-eff ective aircraft, complete within six 

months,’ says Dennis Göppel, who heads up the BRABUS 

Private Aviation project for PrivatAir. ‘It’s a smart, fast way to 

buy a private jet that will truly refl ect who you are.’ 

www.brabus-aviation.com, +49 (0)2041 777100 

Ninety

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