Innholdsfortegnelse for Apr 2016 i Tatler Singapore

SHANGLIU TATLER DESIGN FLAIR CARINA LAU’S GLAMOROUS SENSE OF STYLE is showcased on the cover of the Fashion Issue. The actress and philanthropist talks about life as one of China’s most recognisable faces, her favourite fashion brands, and the causes that are close to her heart. Elsewhere, Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa shares his love of shapes and his unique creative philosophy. THAILAND TATLER FASHION FORWARD Eight of Thailand’s most followed style influencers grace the cover. Ploypayap Srikarnchana, Ploychompoo Umpujh, Pimpisa Chirathivat, Boonyapha Bencharongkul, Nathaporn Donavanik, Parama Raiva, Pitcha Thanalongkorn and Paipannee Techanarong describe their favourite looks and fashion designers. INDONESIA TATLER TASTING NOTES In the Food Issue, chef Farah Quinn tells how her success has opened the doors for other women to pursue their interests. She reveals her plans…

A study by Bain & Company and the National University of Singapore’s Center for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation reported that hunger is a concern for about 12 per cent of local HDB households who survive on less than $1,500 a month. But this hasn’t gone unnoticed. “We need to redistribute food where they’re needed—into hungry mouths and stomachs,” says Ronald Stride, chairman of Food from the Heart (FFTH). To sustain its food distribution initiatives for the needy, FFTH holds its annual Passion Ball fundraiser on April 9 at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, where it hopes to raise $800,000. There will be an auction of items such as an Audemars Piguet watch. To buy a table, call 6280 4483.…

CHEAP DATE One lady, “supporting” her restaurateur friend by dining with a group of friends at the establishment, was visibly annoyed that her patronage did not warrant perks like complimentary drinks. When splitting the bill, she loudly reminded the waiter not to charge her for the bottle of water that her dining companions had ordered. GIVEN THE TOSS Unable to make it to a friend’s lohei lunch, one woman took it upon herself to have the event rescheduled. When the host declined, as everyone else could make it, she slyly rang the other guests to cajole them into getting the host to change the date. Of course, no one took the bait, and the lunch went on swimmingly without her. PICKY EATER During their tete-a-tete, two ladies pored over the…

apr 4 IL DIVO, AMOR & PASION TOUR 2016 Back for a night of love and passion, operatic pop quartet Il Divo is set to captivate fans with its sexiest concert yet, featuring traditional tangos, titillating boleros and classic mambas. At The Star Theatre. hyperecords.com 15 VOILAH! 2016 Say oui to all things French at this annual festival that brings together more than 40 events highlighting the best of French creativity and innovation in performing arts, film, music and even gastronomy. Till May 31, at various locations. voilah.sg ENERGIES UNLEASHED Challenging Heraclitus’ theory that “nothing ever stands still”, Icelander Katrin Fridriks and Chinese Liu Jiu Tong explore the different representations of energy and movement in their paintings with this exhibition at Opera Gallery Singapore. Till May 1. operagallery.com 15 THE…

Close friends and long-time supporters of the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) came together in late February at its home in Bugis+ for its inaugural The Moon and The Stars fundraiser (a reference to the Singapore flag and SDT’s position as the nation’s “flagship” professional dance company). The evening was also a showcase of what SDT, led by artistic director Janek Schergen, was capable of and the support it needs to bring the company to the next level. As SDT board member Laura Hwang said later that evening, “We want our friends to appreciate what we do in our own home.” Guest of honour and SDT patron, president Tony Tan Keng Yam, who was accompanied by Mrs Mary Tan, took the seats in the front row in the Founder’s Studio to…

Reds, pinks, a melange of bold floral prints and cheongsam dresses were the order of the day at Nana Au-Chua’s Chinese New Year luncheon thrown for her friends on Jan 30. The foyer of the light-filled Empress restaurant at the Asian Civilisations Museum was quickly filled with ladies and the sound of chatter and laughter as friends caught up over cocktails and prosecco. Lunch began with the restaurant’s festive signature dish, salmon and silver bait yusheng, with Nana busily flitting between different tables to join her friends in the hearty prosperity toss. The courses that followed saw a creative spin on Chinese favourites including the restaurant’s signature char siew and black olive fried rice, along with jasmine tea poached pear and red dates for a sweet welcome to the Year…

The somewhat shudder-inducing portmanteau word athleisure was bandied around following the surge in popularity last year of gym gear too stylish to save for the gym. But how far should this exercise-wear-as-leisurewear trend go? For those concerned that we’re unwittingly okaying women to live from dawn till dusk in their Lululemon Lycras, fear not; the S/S16 runways provided some welcome revisions to the trend. The latest take on athleisure is sleeker and more sophisticated. Not a pink mesh panel in sight, this garb is less the sort one actually runs, catches or downwards dogs in, more the desk-, dinner- or disco-ready kit that combines the coolest aspects of streetwear with the attitude and comfort of basketball and track favourites. Well in that case, resume play. THE RAFIA MAFIA Weave a…

SHE’S YOUNG, charming, mysterious… and she dearly loves to laugh. This lively lady is the vision behind Rose Pompon, the latest fragrance by Annick Goutal. The iconic ribbed bottle, now adorned with shades of soft pink lacquering, houses a rose-centric scent with spicy notes of pink pepper and blackcurrant with velvety raspberry. At its heart, a duo of roses. Rose pompon, aka the garden Centifolia rose, is matched with Taif rose for a fresh and fruity, yet sensual bouquet that lingers. We speak to perfumer Camille Goutal, daughter of Annick, about what her 20s were like and her own joie de vivre that inspired the Rose Pompon. When you take a whiff of this perfume, what do you think of? I’m reminded of the Parisian girl on the street who…

TURN AROUND, BRIGHT EYES Go goo-goo eyed for standout eyeshadows, liners and creams ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPLE 1. Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencil in Amethyst Aphrodisiac 2. Clé de Peau Beauté Powder Eye Color Solo in 203 3. Chanel Le Volume de Chanel mascara in Ardent Purple 4. MAC Flamingo Park Technakohl Liner in Purple Dash OCEAN’S ELEVEN 1. Guerlain Ecrin 1 Couleur Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Silky Powder in Enjoy 2. NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Tarvos 3. YSL Beauté Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in Hippie Green 4. Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Pacific Green SUNSET…

“In the spring of 1954, I put forward the ‘Lily of the Valley’ line, inspired by my lucky flower, a line which was at once young, graceful, and simple...” —CHRISTIAN DIOR, IN HIS BOOK DIOR BY DIOR NO CREATIVE DIRECTOR in the house, no problem. Or at the very least, the house of Christian Dior collectively put on a brave face as it put out its spring/summer 2016 haute couture collection designed by an in-house team, with Lucie Meier and Serge Ruffieux heading the studio. Staying true to the luxury maison’s classic codes while continuing to modernise the clothes, the collection cleverly incorporated emblematic motifs such as the lily of the valley, Mr Dior’s favourite flower, and paid homage to the French couturier’s lasting legacy of refined femininity. A symbol…

A THREE-PIECE SUIT, a herringbone overcoat, bespoke Italian shoes and a pocket squarethey’re not things you’d immediately associate with the wardrobe of a hip twenty- or thirty-something. Yet given the looks being sported by men on the catwalks, red carpets and pavements around the world, it’s clearly time for a rethink. When it comes to fashion for today’s modern gentleman, traditional tailoring and all-round snappy dressing is having a massive moment. It’s a sea change that has been happening for a while. “For 15 odd years, we’ve had a resurgence in tailored men’s clothes,” explains Patrick Grant, the extremely well-turned-out director of Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons and ready-to-wear fashion label E Tautz, and a general poster boy for this generation. “We’ve seen young guys wearing three-piece and double-breasted…

WHAT HAS TO BE THE toughest vintage in Bordeaux for two decades produced some superb dry and sweet wines, including such great Sauternes as Yquem, Rieussec and Suduiraut, and some excellent Pessac-Léognan whites such as Haut-Brion, Domaine de Chevalier and Pape-Clément. I wish the same could be said for the reds, although I was not expecting 2013 to make many memorable ones. “Considering what happened, it’s a lot better than anyone thought,” says Stéphane Derenoncourt, one of the leading consulting oenologists in Bordeaux, who makes his own estate-produced wine, Domaine de l’A, in Côtes de Castillon. I couldn’t agree more after tasting about 400 bottled wines in Bordeaux in late January. I rated more than half of them 90 points or above. I obviously tasted the best wines of the…

FESTI-BALLER WALKIE-TALKIES Absolutely not joking here. Phone reception at music festivals is notoriously dodgy and these old-school gizmos have great range. Zero Instagramming potential, but tune in to the right channel and get the backstage goss. GLAMPING Whether a 5* Burning Man camp, luxury yurt or full-blown inn a la the Pop-Up Hotel at Glastonbury ... No one likes sitting in a soggy tent, so get organised and do the right thing. You know you want to. GROUPIES Think about it. You love their music, you know the middle name of their pet goldfish ... What could be better than hanging out backstage with the band? Get creative with your method of approachpanty-hurling optional. FESTI-FAILURE NATIVE AMERICAN HEADDRESSES Never ever is this acceptable. It’s offensive. In fact, cultural appropriation of…

POSE FOR ME Spanish designer rug maker Nanimarquina honours the renowned sculptor Eduardo Chillida with a collection that features his abstract works. Looking at the sensuous back-view outline of a lady (Figura Humana, 1948) that defines one of the rugs in this series feels almost like we’re entering into Chillida’s mind. So wherever you lay it or hang it, the hand-knotted wool rug brings a sense of intimacy to your space. Available at Space Furniture (tel: 6415 0000) TO INFINITY AND BEYOND It looks like it could be a hybrid of a Transformers and a Star Wars robot. But the stunning structure of the Cygnus display case by Portuguese luxury bathroom fittings brand Maison Valentina is actually inspired by one of the brightest and largest constellations (thus its name). The…

YES SHARON HENG It is completely appropriate to repeat an outfit. Fashion should be timeless and effortless, but a “wear-it-once” approach is the antithesis of that. Besides, repeating an outfit doesn’t have to be boring because you can easily jazz it up with different accessories for a new spin each time. I’m also a sentimental person, so certain pieces of clothing I own are linked to personal memories I’ve made while wearing them. When you see clothes as highly disposable items, you lose the chance to form fond memories with a beautiful or unique piece. On a larger scale, being open to repeating outfits is a practical and eco-conscious decision that could help reduce the pressure on fashion brands and garment factories to come up with fresh, new fashion pieces…

A GRAND MEAL OUT World Gourmet Summit celebrates 20 years with parties, workshops and collaboration dinners, running from March 28 to April 24. Look out for Michelin-starred chefs at local hotspots such as Odette. worldgourmetsummit.com ALL ABOARD Superyachts, supercars and superfoods await at the sixth Singapore Yacht Show, from April 7 to 10, at ONE°15 Marina Club. Its annual Red and Black Ball will be on April 9 at W Singapore Sentosa Cove. singaporeyacht show.com STRONG TIES Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg, along with key industry leaders, will speak on energy, offshore and shipping matters at the Norway-Asia Business Summit 2016. From April 12 to 14, at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. norway-asia.com…

HAD KNEE INJURIES NOT ENDED HER BALLET CAREER, Jane Seymour might not be the triple-threat actress that she is today, with roles in film, television and theatre. She gained Hollywood celebrity as a Bond girl in Live and Let Die and later the titular role in the TV series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, and among other awards earned an Emmy, two Golden Globes and the Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This month, the British-born actress will make her Asian theatre debut with the British Theatre Playhouse’s staging of Noël Coward’s The Vortex (April 27 to May 15, at Raffles Hotel Singapore’s Jubilee Hall), directed by acclaimed West End director Bob Tomson. “I haven’t done theatre in a long, long time—36 years! I was in the original cast…

OPERA BRINGS WITH IT images of intimidatingly loud, heavyset singers. However, Hong Kong-born soprano Nancy Yuen is anything but a diva. Contrary to her various larger-than-life onstage personalities such as her critically acclaimed title role of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Nancy is soft-spoken, easygoing and jokes about her misunderstood profession: “People are scared because they think you’re singing and shouting in foreign languages. But we’re normal people—we just happen to have a voice.” And a voice she has, having sung professionally all over the world for almost 30 years with the likes of the English National Opera and the Bangkok Opera. Last August, she expanded her repertoire to directing as the first honorary artistic director with the Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO). Nancy, who’s also a member of the Artistic Committee…

BARDOT Elevate a casual floral print with your favourite platform heels like these blush Saint Laurents FREDERICK LEE COUTURE Pearls never go out of style. Add classic charm to a sophisticated look with these ones from Chanel’s spring/ summer 2016 collection ISABEL SANCHIS What’s a cocktail mini without a sparkly ring to set off your glass of bubbly? With this Chopard Fleurs d’Opales ring, you’re all set for a night out…

“It’s the woman who makes the outfit—a hat can add intrigue, allure and inspire confidence in the wearer” DYNAMIC DUO Paul Stafford and Selina Horshi bring out the best in each other—in life and at work. He, an alumnus of the Royal College of Art with a specialisation in millinery, and she, an advertising and editorial expert with five years at The Economist. They got married in 2013, but not before creating The Season Hats. The first hat Stafford made was a headpiece for Horshi to wear to a May Ball. BACKGROUND CHECK Pre-Hats, Stafford, who trained under royal milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan, designed a perfume bottle for Thierry Mugler. He has also collaborated with Yiqing Yin for Paris Couture Week and Steffie Christiaens in Paris Fashion Week. HAT TRICK Unlike…

TWO TIMES Estée Lauder’s New Dimension Firm + Fill Eye System is a two-step anti-ageing regime. The first is a serum-like gel to tighten and tone the skin around eyes with a collagen complex; the second is a rich cream boasting light-diffusing optics that smooth the eye area. SEA RED Who doesn’t want sculpted eyes? Aside from its legendary Miracle Broth, the Lifting Eye Serum by La Mer has red algae, a unique plant that when combined with kelp gel, forms a natural lifting polymer which gives a tightening effect on eye contours. GOLD RUSH The Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Eye Serum by Tatcha is also formulated with red algae. Here, the botanical ingredient from Okinawa is mixed with 23K gold dust to reduce the appearance of lines and illuminate…

THERE IS LITTLE LEFT TO BE said of our modern romance with the digital world that hasn’t already been tweeted, posted or uploaded. In the age where the new generation is accused of being husks of who they were when unplugged, Nicolas Ghesquière looked into his own screen and saw a place beyond the future, where the real and the imaginary meet head-on. On paper, the kitschy idealism derived from a video game-inspired collection by a 162-year-old French fashion house sets the stage for unbelieving critics. It is a good thing the Louis Vuitton women’s spring/summer ready-to-wear runway at the Frank Gehrydesigned Fondation was made of significantly sturdier materials. The designer reportedly said, “We are all managing how to integrate these new notions of digital, virtual, and cyber with our…

GEMS AND JEWELS ARE beautiful on their own, but when you place hundreds of them together in an exhibition, the sight can be a fine line between stunning and overwhelming. To avoid the latter, jewellery houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, which will hold its largest heritage exhibition The Art and Science of Gems in Singapore at the ArtScience Museum from April 23 to August 14, approach experts like Canadian architect Sanjit Manku of design studio Jouin Manku to design the scenography and set the sparkle. Having worked on several of its projects before, Manku has developed a close relationship with the French maison. He has visited its Paris atelier, where he developed a deeper understanding and respect for the art and history of jewellery. “It’s really quite extraordinary…

THERE MIGHT NOT BE A FOODIE who hasn’t heard of André Chiang. Here is a man with a buzz cut, almost tall enough to pass off as a professional basketball player, who plays a mean improv game in the kitchen and makes slam dunks with dishes that never fail to surprise. “Call it instinct, or maybe it’s talent or a gift, the way chefs come up with a dish or idea out of nowhere. My style changes all the time—I never have a fixed formula or dishes or flavour. But I always have eight different elements that I realised is ‘André’, so I called it Octaphilosophy,” Chiang explains. Meals comprise degustation menus, which change according to the fresh produce delivered each day. Each dish is characterised by one of the…

IT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING. ION Orchard was so still at 8am, we swore we could hear a pin if it dropped. Mall lights were scarce. The escalators haven’t been powered yet. But no matter—this crew of eight was fuelled up on hot coffee and mini croissants, thanks to our gracious hosts at Dior. As Ho Ching Lin, one of the inductees for this year’s Singapore Tatler Fashion Hall of Fame, sat down for hair and make-up, she told us about her long night at a ball the evening before. We couldn’t tell. She greeted everyone with the same bubbliness most of us would after an energy bar. “Good morning, gorgeous!” hair and make-up expert GregO reverberated with air kisses. The glitter and glamour were officially underway. The photo shoot…

ATROUPE OF 24 LADIES WILL walk the runway on April 16 at the black-tie gala dinner co-organised by the Chinese Women’s Association (CWA) and the French Association of Singapore. Members from both associations, they will model the latest whimsical hats from the SS16 collection by homegrown milliner Eskpade. The joint gala at the Tower Ballroom of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore will be hosted by Hossan Leong in English and French to celebrate both the Singapore and French cultures, and raise funds for the Jurong Dementia Prevention Programme, a collaboration between the National University of Singapore and the People’s Association that supports those affected by mental decline. To reserve a table, call the CWA office on 6253 9212. 07 FEBRUARY: The day of double celebrations for Royal Group Holdings scion Bobby Hiranandani,…

WHETHER YOU READ IT IN school, saw it on film or watched it on stage, you know or have at least heard of the story of Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. See one of the Bard’s most well-loved plays in a new light as the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) reprises its annual Shakespeare in the Park series at Fort Canning Park from April 27. Set in a modern dystopia, the SRT staging recaptures the passion of young love that is tragically nipped in the bud. With 2016 being the 400th death anniversary of Shakespeare, this year’s edition is extra special and an apt celebration of the great playwright’s legacy. With acclaimed British theatre director Daniel Slater at the helm, the production features Thomas Pang and Cheryl Tan as the…

MARK LEE HAS MORE than 6,000 employees under his charge and his businesses rake in millions of dollars annually. A fine example of entrepreneurial success, he led his company on a successful IPO listing on the main board of the Singapore Exchange in 2000 before multiplying its turnover fivefold to over US$230m. But stuffy corporate suits aren’t his cup of tea. Most days, the CEO and third-generation heir of Sing Lun Holdings is outfitted in something that came out of his apparel manufacturing plants across Asia, which produce sportswear for top-names such as The North Face, Under Armour and Puma. “Since young, I’ve mostly been wearing products my company manufactures. It’s a way to showcase them and do quality checks. I also wear brands I feel are good value,” he…

From cheongsams with side slits to thick furs, the glamour of old Shanghai filled the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel during the special Lunar New Year luncheon for the Chinese Women’s Association. As president Betty Chen noted in her address, the Year of the Monkey also marks the start of a new centennial for the association. With that, a prosperity toss commenced before lunch was served. Music and dance performances kept guests entertained. A highlight was the gaming tables where guests tried their luck at winning luxurious prizes using tokens from goodie bags they purchased. All proceeds went to the Jurong Dementia Service Project, headed by Professor Kua Ee Heok. THE MINISTER SINGS! Guest of honour, senior minister of state for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah, crooned the oldie Shanghai Beach…

In keeping with tradition at Art Stage Singapore, Ruinart vested its VIP lounge to an artist’s work inspired by the venerated champagne house. This year, illustrious French artist and scenographer Hubert le Gall presented The Glass Calendar, 12 Murano glass sculptures that captured the effervescence of the drink and abstracted the vineyard cycle through a year and the white Chardonnay grape that gives rise to Ruinart’s iconic cuvee, Blanc de Blancs. VIP guests were feted with flutes of this very champagne as they previewed the contemporary art fair on the January 20 vernissage before retiring to Adrift at Marina Bay Sands for dinner prepared by chef-owner David Myers himself. The irrepressible Le Gall further charmed guests with autographs personalised with cute doodles.…

“I won’t lie—I consider myself a fashionista” EVERYTHING GOOD SITAL GILL PHICHITSINGH has in her, she owes to her father, she says. Her impeccable fashion sense, keen eye for design, that smooth confidence. “It’s the littlest of things; how to smile, talk to people and to always polish my shoes,” she says of the most rewarding lessons from her old man. She was five when she began picking out lipsticks for her mother. Over two decades later, no family purchase is passed without her nod of approval. Not the abstract artwork from Chatuchak Market hanging on the dining room wall, nor the Jim Thompson upholstery in the family area. Her closet is just as impressive, filled with international labels and then some. “Almost everything I buy goes to a tailor,…

CHANEL Where a pedestrian sees beige, Karl Lagerfeld sees a field of hues, namely ecru, ivory, sand, dove, putty, taupe and mocha. “Gabrielle Chanel was the queen of beige,” the Kaiser told reporters at the spring/summer 2016 haute couture show at the Grand Palais in Paris in January. But that was merely the tip of the iceberg. The collection wasn’t as much a nod to his namesake predecessor as it was an ode to nature. Words such as “eco-couture” and “biodegradable” were exchanged backstage as models—dressed in luxuriously textured capes, flared culottes, fitted tweed jackets and fringed midi skirts—walked out of what can only be described as a tree house-meets-dollhouse, into a zen garden among the floating lily ponds and impossibly green pastures (real grass!) of the set. Keen eyes…

MaximilianBüsser’s strength lies in packaging conventional micro-engineering within other-worldly, and oftentimes futuristic, contraptions EVER SINCE HE ESTABLISHED MB&F 11 years ago, Maximilian Büsser has unleashed his chimerical fantasies with timepieces that resemble spacecrafts, dashboards, automobiles and more. But where timepieces offer limited real estate on the wrist, MB&F has expanded the size of its canvas with table clocks and music machines that are, once again, far-fetched interpretations of these traditional devices. As is its modus operandi, MB&F has worked with specialists in the industry on the mechanics of the music boxes and table clocks. For the former, the brand leveraged on the expertise of Reuge, and the latter, L’Epée 1839. Both brands were founded in the 1800s. While the world has moved from music boxes to cassettes to MP3s, Reuge…

FOUR YEARS IS NOT A VERY LONG time to prove one’s mettle in the world of watchmaking—or the world of luxury, for that matter. But HYT demonstrated that age is but a number when it won top billing in the Innovation Watch Prize category at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève within the first year of its founding in 2012. The brand has established itself as the “Hydro Mechanical Horologists”— meaning that it has replaced conventional hour and minute hands with a viscous, coloured liquid that displays the time. The seed of the idea was sown by former nuclear engineer Lucien Vouillamoz. When in Geneva, the Swiss lakes captivated his imagination, and it prompted the idea of combining water and watchmaking. He worked on the mechanics for 10 years before…

“THIS SUDDEN INTEREST IN AFRICA IS CONNECTED TO THE DYNAMICS OF THE ART WORLD AND THE HUNGER TO FIND THE NEXT BIG THING. IT WAS ASIA, NOW IT’S AFRICA—IT ALL FALLS UNDER THE QUEST FOR SOMETHING NEW” “THERE’S A SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA HAPPENING right now. The contemporary art market is going crazy for us and the thing is, I can’t decide if it’s the answer to all our prayers or if it’s almost distasteful,” says Jonathan Garnham, founder of Blank Projects, a collective and gallery space in Cape Town for southern Africa’s emerging artists. It all happened so quickly. When asked about African art five years ago, people could possibly name Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, and then they just pictured a jumble of masks and wooden statues. Certainly nothing worth…

CHÂTEAU PAPE CLÉMENT BLANC PESSAC-LÉOGNAN Fantastic aromas of papaya, lemon and pear with hints of cream. A full body, very layered and intense. Superb flavours, vibrant acidity and freshness. Lasts so long on the palate. One of the best wines of the vintage. A blend of 54% semillon, 36% sauvignon blanc, 8% sauvignon gris and 2% muscadelle. Drink or hold. 97 points CHÂTEAU SUDUIRAUT SAUTERNES Phenomenal, with superb depth and texture. Full body. Very sweet, yet the bright acidity balances the wine. Creamy mouthfeel with phenolic undertones. Great finish. A super future for this. Better in 2021 but already great. 97 points CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION BLANC PESSAC-LÉOGNAN A special Haut-Brion with exotic aromas and flavours of apricot, peach and mango. Full body, dense and agile. Wonderful acidity. Loads of dried fruit…

1963 The fastest four-door of the ’60s with a top speed of 230km/h, the first series boasted an entirely new chassis design with box-sectioned rails. Powered by a new 4.5L V8 engine. Famous owners included Rainier III of Monaco 1973 The rarest Quattroporte of all. Maserati’s first front-wheel drive model. Its boxy Bertone styling that didn’t prove too popular, but it was the 1973 recession and oil crisis that put paid to the QP II’s production —all of 13 cars were ever made 1979 Opulent interiors earned it the nickname “The Italian Rolls-Royce”. The Royale version introduced in 1986 boasted a high-compression engine with 300hp that overcame a hefty 2,080kg of body weight to reach top speeds of 215-230km/h 1994 A compact sports sedan that clocked a mere 4,550mm in…

I’VE HAD A LONG-TERM LOVE AFFAIR with Japan, and Tokyo in particular, as it’s where I started my career 25 years ago. The Japanese and the residents of Tokyo are very passionate people and they are all about giving pleasure rather than collecting it. It’s a wonderful and vibrant place to visit. Tokyo’s residents are attached to heritage and authenticity while being rooted in the present, and are dedicated to excellence. This gives the city so much energy. On the one hand it has such soul and history, and on the other it invites you to go for the unexpected. This contrast catches my breath every time I visit. Of course, the food is also a key part of the mix. I usually wake up early and take my breakfast…