QUINTESSENTIALLY | Insider | Style

Winding up the coast of Sotogrande, Southern Spain, NH Almanera is a bewitching haze of pine, eucalyptus and giant palm trees; of sudden vertiginous plunges with tiny red flags that ruffle on pure green fields; of golden sands and pinkish sunsets that fall in the tides along the Straits of Gibraltar. You get closer, and you hear the laughter of those that play good golf, eat good food and know a thing or two about the benefits of deep breathing and dreaming very deeply.

You wake up to views of conifer-lined greens and pearly blue lakes, with mellow horses trailing around fragrant gardens on the fringes of the ocean. You leave your chalet-pad, the one with the king bed and the deep, deep bath, and there is a five-star breakfast waiting, and later there are hydrothermal bubble treatments and yoga sessions at the Elysium Spa. The group I arrive with split off after champagne in the hotel lobby; those professional-eyed types that came to refine their approach shots; those smiling sun-kissed lovers of the mud treatment and tropical rain shower; and those ambiguous, undecided few that catch a buggy ride through the almost perfect silence of Los Pinos, Las Lagos and The Cork Oaks – 27 hole’s of course designed by renowned golf architect Dave Thomas, full of par 3’s and 5’s that hang tight to every hazard in the book.

I marvel as someone swings a club – a really beautiful thing in the winter sun, a thing that obviously requires well crimped shoulder blades to give it the proper edge. To the Spa then…

But I was distracted, and on scoping out the club house and bar, I found that the golf tribe had stopped off to sharpen their blades. Here, everything strikes the eye with the nonchalant gait of the champion; its all dark leathers where you sink to drink the pre-golf martini and talk handicap’s, making out as if you know all about the ‘greens being in brilliant condition’ and the ‘course being just a three iron from the spa’; if not, you might admit that you came to trek horses through the romance of starlit wildernesses, or perhaps, you still don’t know, and you came ‘to just chill’, with a reserved demeanour as you reflect on a solid year, shimmering at the bottom of the glass.

I wanted to talk golf, I really did, but what do I know? And so my next stop was moments away at the Sotogrande Golf Academy, where I stood with other startled amateurs as some suave gent who we knew was a professional hit it 400 yards on his knees while telling us about hip and forearm placement; he soon had the sun-kissed spa-hards hacking the ball out of the turf and then I managed 250 yards, and thought it a good time to celebrate with what one euphoric chap said was ‘the most fun you can have with bubbling mud on your back’ – a beauty treatment that made me shiver as if my whole body was floating above itself in the scented Jacuzzi afterwards.

After a five-course lunch in the Club (Andalucian hams and cheeses and gourmet sensations that need no prior adjective to tempt the palate), I caught up with the ‘real’ golf, the victors standing off to the side, looking just a little too confident to convince me to take up my new swing just yet. Instead, I walked a little distance to find the horse whisperer, a Nordic-looking ex-Polo player called Ferdie with a gilded smile that makes these rare South-American breeds dance over high white gates, and canter Flamenco style to the sound of his clicking jaw as my white beauty stopped and chewed the wild flowers of twilight.

You could cycle to Gibraltar; Marbella is forty five minutes away, and from my horse, now cantering down the hill in search of her stable, through the mistiness, I could see the exotic souks of Tangier across the sea, and decided that the next day I would catch a boat and make it back in time to take on the professionals.

Telephone: +34 95 6582000
Email: almenara@sotogrande.com

Website: www.nh-hotels.com/nh/en/hotels/spain/sotogrande-cadiz/hotel-almenara.html

NH is currently offering a 5% discount on the best available rate. Please note that this is subject to availability.

Monarch offers year-round flights to Gibraltar from London Luton and Manchester airports with fares, including taxes, starting from GBP 38.99 one way (GBP 69.99 return). For more information or to book, visit www.monarch.co.uk.

There seems to be a sense of snobbery about fashion that it’s always skin deep and never art in its own right. The curators of the ‘Aware’ exhibition have highlighted the interchangeability of fashion and art and have come up with what might be described as the thinking person’s wardrobe.

Critics have suggested that this forced marriage of fashion and art is a contrived attempt to trade on the fact that more people read fashion magazines than go to art galleries. This may well be true, but it didn’t stop me going down to get up close and personal with some Alexander MacQueen.

As an unashamed fashion lover I was pleased to see that I recognised the names of some of the artists as well as the designers, albeit this is probably due to their celebrity rather than their artistic credentials. Ironically it was the pieces created by artists that I deemed the most wearable. A cape adorned with eyes by famed eccentric Grayson Perry was a lot closer to ready to wear than a dress constructed from wood by Yoshi Yamamoto.

Standout pieces include a dress by Susie Macmurray, which from a distance sparkles with beguiling seduction only to reveal itself to be made from sharp needles upon closer inspection. A highlight was a chance to view a red, lace, veiled dress from Alexander McQueen’s Joan collection. His 1998 show is was a landmark in fashion history and looked completely at home being displayed as art.

Fashion fans will be delighted by the exhibition and sceptics will be pleasantly surprised. Never has art been more in fashion and the marriage of the two looks set to carry on well into the future.

‘GSK Contemporary – Aware: Art Fashion Identity’ runs until 30 January 2011 at The Royal Academy, 6 Burlington Gardens.

The iconic tailor Gresham Blake is a favourite of sharply suited men from Nick Cave to Ray Winstone, and he’s just launched his next collection, ‘Tough Tailoring’. This modish series takes its inspiration from the values of the traditional working class to complement his off-the-peg and made-to-measure offerings.

For this collection, Blake has created donkey jackets in cashmere leather and has used heavier fabrics such as winter tweeds and herringbone for his off-the-peg suit range. It’s accompanied by a stylish two-minute film, set within ‘The Engineerium’, an engineering and steam power museum in Hove, West Sussex. The film introduces models dressed in Gresham Blake working up a sweat by shoveling coal. The action gets altogether steamier as male and female models remove their clothing. The two-minute glimpse into this erotically charged, cinematic world is the work of Steve Glazier for Plastic Pictures.

For Gresham, the undisputed star of the film is the engineerium itself. He explains, ‘I wanted to mix old details with modern pieces so this was the ultimate juxtaposition. As for setting the film in ‘The Engineerium’, I am obsessed with craftsmanship, longevity things that were built to last. I love the way that steam engines were functional and but well designed. If you look at the boiler door, even that is embellished with fine details.’

While the steam age was one of history’s most significant revolutions, Blake notes how technology has impacted on advertising, design and visual culture. He says, ‘Steam was as important to the Victorians as technology is to us today. When it comes to interactive technologies, I am a receptive audience and I wanted to put myself at the forefront at the moving image revolution, which is the future of fashion and luxury communication.’

Whether you’re a receptive Steampunker in the making or just intrigued by what promises to be one of this year’s most striking developments, there’s no denying that the talented Mr Blake is continuing to push boundaries and create new worlds of fashionable attainment.

Find out more at www.greshamblake.com

The Late Night Chameleon Café, set to open this month, is a new concept store in East LondonThe Late Night Chameleon Café, set to open this month, is a new concept store in East London. Based on Shacklewell Lane, it seems pretty far off the beaten track to go hunting for luxury, but then, LN-CC, as it’s known, is all about having an entirely different experience. Half shop, half art installation, with an interior by set designer and illustrator Gary Card, LN-CC opens up, almost literally, a whole new world of high fashion shopping. What LN-CC has tried to do is create an “all-encompassing world”, and the fantastical interior certainly reflects a departure from the traditional retail experience.

We were escorted, not without some trepidation, down some steps to a basement where it was as if we had entered Wonderland. A nest-like tunnel made from twigs and branches (complete with bird noises) led us through to the main corridor, which is lined with orange Perspex. Off this corridor are rooms housing such labels as J.W. Anderson, Lara Bohinc, Preen, Rick Owens and Maison Martin Margiela. It feels rather like being in a warren. The first room, entitled the “warmth space”, is all in grey, has a rather stylish bunker-esque feel. The second room, appropriately entitled the “light space”, is an all-white concept, and feels airier. The third, the “earth space”,  is positively playful, with clothes rails constructed from pine and a tree house in the corner which a couple of fashion editors had already nestled into for the evening.

LN-CC is far more than just a clothing shop. It also offers books and music, all of which are carefully selected to reflect the tastes of the curators, and stored in the wood panelled “celestial space”. At the back there is also a gallery/club space with sound system and a bar where events can be hosted, and where, on this occasion, East London’s fashion elite had gathered to network and sip on the very strong drinks that were on offer.

LN-CC is a bit of a hike for those not native to East London, but given their aim to get away from the average shopping experience, this is perhaps no bad thing. It’s hardly the bland assurance of a department store, but as an experience it’s certainly worth a visit, particularly if you have an appreciation for quirky Japanese fashion and interior design. Viewings are by appointment only.

To arrange a visit, contact: appointments@ln-cc.com

If I could offer one piece of advice before taking a trip to London’s first major exhibition of René Gruau illustrations, it’s to practice rolling your Rs. I, alas, didn’t manage to perfect the aura of Parisian chic that seems so fitting to Somerset House’s latest display, but I hope I managed to absorb some of Gruau’s effortless sophistication simply by witnessing it. Even fashion novices will recognise many of these iconic drawings and can leave better informed, which is both a gratifying experience and a testament to Gruau’s pervasive influence in the House of Dior.

It was Gruau that Dior entrusted with communicating his vision and who continues to inspire John Galliano’s creations. One of his dresses pays tribute to the illustrator alongside the Dior New Look creations on display. Galliano states ‘to be inspired by Dior is to be inspired by René Gruau’. Indeed, echoes of Gruau’s ‘Flower Woman’ can be found in the delicate florals and enveloping chiffons of the Dior Spring/Summer 2011 collection. The master lives on.

What I enjoyed most about this exhibition was the Eau Sauvage section. This is a rare glimpse at men’s fashion in a major fashion exhibition. Gruau’s taste for controversy and humour are a welcome surprise – it is rare that a fashion exhibition permits a snigger, even rarer that it solicits one.

The curator from Somerset House, who worked jointly with a curator from the Dior Parfum Archives, has cleverly picked out five contemporary UK-based illustrators whose work demonstrates the continuing legacy of Gruau. Fittingly, limited edition prints are on sale so you can take some of the exhibition away with you for your wall at home. I was faintly disappointed that they had not been quite as ingenious with the Gruau designed Dior Christmas cards from the display – I was hoping to have the most stylish seasonal tidings in town this year.

If you have an insatiable love of fashion illustration, get yourself to one of the Somerset House Late Studios, a series of late night workshops where you can indulge in a cocktail or two and create something fabulous to take home with you. Inspired by the Dior Illustrated Exhibition the next three Late Studios offer you the chance to whip up a breathtaking headpiece, fashion your own chic paper doll or turn designer muse as you take part in a life size fashion illustration class.

Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty is open daily at Somerset House, between 10am – 6pm, until 9th January 2011.

Some days in London Town it’s hard to make it down New Bond Street without some red lipped, pin curled, mink wearing minxlette uttering the fateful war cry of “oh, it’s vintage dahling.” These girls (and boys) are quite literally stealing the clothes off their grandparents backs and calling them high fashion. But I wonder if these dolly rocker babes and wandering troubadour types fully comprehend the true meaning of Vintage – or if one day their love of the eclectic antique will be banished back to the charity shop from whence it came.

And it would seem that for once I am not alone in my quest to salvage the age of vintage; Lucy Evans and Robert Keylock are two vintage visionaries who, thanks to a chance encounter at the Goodwood Revival in 2007, crystallised their idea of creating the definitive online resource, where you could buy, wear, read and practically eat anything with a vintage or classic twist. Throw in former chairman and chief executive of Goldsmith Group PLC, Jurek Piasecki (who incidentally has a passion for Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, vintage watches and classic cars) and the three joined forces to create the online wonder emporium that is Vintage Seekers.

A brief gander at the site will show you that they deal in all things from wine and furniture, to fashion and memorabilia. Delve a little deeper and you will fall victim to the pages of excruciatingly fabulous items on offer, losing a whole afternoon (which I did) in the process. My personal favourites are the Eames ‘Time Life’ lobby chair (the perfect place from which to plot world domination), and an original costume sketch by Edith Head from the Audrey Hepburn classic film Sabrina – an ideal replacement for my rather tatty Holly Golightly print. And the Pièce de résistance? A white with red leather interior Mercedes 190 SL from which I would step a la Ava Gardner on the arm of my Sinatra-esque companion.

The collection is meticulously sourced from noted international dealers and only features items that are at least 25 years old and no older than 100 years old – the emphasis being on timeless style with not a hint of nouveau vintage in sight.

The Vintage Seekers ethos is ‘desirable, stylish, authentic, often iconic and always original’. Now what better mantra could there be for vintage lovers everywhere to seek by?

www.vintageseekers.com

The twinkling row of boutiques on the verge of Sloane Square welcomes a new addition. Ormonde Jayne, perfumery extraordinaire, blending fragrances that many women now swear by, puts the flag in the pole above 192 Pavillion Road, joining neighbours Tiffany’s, Cartier & Links of London.

Ormonde Jayne is all about sophisticated luxury, using speciality oils rarely used in the perfume industry today. Some say that the exotic vapours lend themselves well to the more mysterious woman (and man) whose sense of self is inextricably linked to their signature scent. The brand was born when Linda Pilkington – creator and owner of Ormonde Jayne – was asked to create the ‘perfect scented candle’; the project became a passion, and an inspired new vision of creating the ‘perfect scented body’ resulted in a breathtaking range of perfume. This independent, confident spirit is behind the successful growth of the company and its logical move to this highly coveted Sloane Square address. When Linda cast her eyes on the smoked glass and the antique gold shagreen walls at this very spot, she fell in love, and decided on impulse that this would be their new home, adding to the existing flagship boutique in Old Bond Street and an impressive presence in Harrods’ prestigious Fragrance Hall.

The new flagship store – designed by Caulder Moore – is a dreamscape of different aromas. Particularly enticing is the opportunity to discover the real ‘you’, a kind of psycho-sensory-analysis that takes you on a trip towards your perfect signature scent. The Portraits consulting table, exclusive to the Sloane Square address, is an expert led service offering clients the chance to breathe in 21 different raw materials, with or without blindfold (excellent for focusing concentration) before receiving their personally selected liquid emotions in a beautifully presented bottle.(If booked in advance, the Portrait can be accompanied by Champagne and truffles).

New must-haves for the festive season include the ‘Navidad Christmas Candle’- perfect for unwinding in the bath at the end of a long stressful day with its sensual notes of amber, cardamom, Tonka and mandarin. Then indulge your senses with a generous veil of the divine Orris Noir or Ta’if scented ‘Gold Crème’ for that perfect London shimmer and prepare to wow the crowd in that new cocktail dress.

‘There can be little doubt that Linda Pilkington’s boundless inspiration as the founder of Ormonde Jayne and her constant quest for perfection are inextricably linked to the success of her brand and a full blown British perfume Renaissance’ Nathalie Grainger, Perfume Expert

Ormonde Jayne Perfumery in Sloane Square
192 Pavillion Road
London
SW1X 0BJ