ART & DESIGN THE
ART & DESIGN THE CENTURION SELECTION THE GLASS MENAGERIE The sky’s the limit for the Czech glassmaker Lasvit Leon Jakimič has no qualms about saying that his Czech glass company, Lasvit, could make pretty much anything a client desired. “If you wanted a bespoke chandelier, a crystal wall or a set of glasses made by a specific designer, we could do it,” he says. The firm, with glassworks in Bohemia, has worked with architects and designers from André Fu and Zaha Hadid to Yabu Pushelberg, creating made-to-measure glass objects as well as reconstructions of old designs. Its most ambitious project, Jakimič says, was completed last September: a sculpture made of thousands of glass pearls that spans three floors of the atrium of Dubai Opera (above). Other recent commissions have included bespoke works for hotels, from The Peninsula Paris and the Four Seasons Trinity Square to the St Regis Istanbul, as well as for high-profile homes. “What our glassmakers design will be entirely original,” says Jakimič. “We make glass artworks that tell a personal story.” lasvit.com SUBJECTIVE SPIRITS What does British Airways taste like? According to the Cambridge Distillery, it’s a strong juniper base with intermingling notes of basil, rosemary and thyme – comforting tradition blended with refreshing complexity. The bespoke spirit, which has been available in BA lounges at Heathrow T5 and JFK T7 since November, is the most high profile of the British distillery’s new tailored gins, but it is not alone. With the world’s first Gin Tailoring service, the Cambridge Distillery explores your palate in a comprehensive tasting session before crafting a gin to suit a personal preference, to please both members of a couple or to pair with a restaurant’s taste profile. cambridgedistillery.co.uk PHOTOS FROM LEFT: JAN KUDEJ, LYDIA WHITMORE 46 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
The Armani/Casa-designed Maçka Residences, Istanbul DESIGNER HOMES Giorgio Armani started his design career as a window dresser in a Milan department store. Sixty years later, he’s back in the business, going beyond his Armani/Casa creations to craft entire living spaces. The bespoke service – the interior-design analogue for haute couture – immerses clients in the fabrics, the concepts, the colours and the world of Armani. And what a beautiful place it is: the designer’s precise, subdued hues take centre stage, with every detail tailored to both the client and the surrounding geography and architecture. There is always space to breathe – it is almost impossible to feel intense stress in an Armani-designed home – and whether it is a St-Tropez villa or an exclusive block of flats in Istanbul, the painstaking process includes built-in elements that are entirely unique as well as custom-designed furnishings that turn the home into a catwalk of creations. armanicasa.com PHOTOS FROM TOP: © ARMANI/CASA, © GEORGE BAMFORD GEORGE BAMFORD: In Conversation The Bamford Watch Department founder on the appeal of bespoke timepieces Why is there a demand for customised watches? A watch is an expression of individuality, especially for a man who has to dress suited and booted. Certainly, individuality is not at the forefront of most of the watches coming out of the big watch fairs like Baselworld. What’s possible? Most people love their watch and just want a tweak, but some are inventive: one couple wanted a heart to show in the date window on their wedding anniversary each year. bamfordwatch department.com CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 47
