Innehållsförteckning för October 2016 från Robb Report

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” —Marcus Aurelius THE LAST OF Niccolò Machiavelli’s so-called good emperors may seem at first an unlikely figure to invoke in a special issue that unapologetically salutes life’s finest pleasures. After all, despite his family’s wealth and position, Marcus Aurelius, the 2nd-century sovereign of the Roman Empire, was by all accounts an ascetic from his youth, preferring rough cloth to fine robes and sleeping on the hard floor to a bed. In his Meditations—a series of personal reflections on his own nature and the tenets of Stoicism—he wrestles with the question of whether a person of material means can also lead a moral life. “Where a…

Gere’s attire marked a watershed moment for the then-little-known Italian designer Giorgio Armani. THE ESCORT Richard Gere portrayed in the 1980 movie American Gigolo had a proclivity for handsomely tailored suits. In one scene, he meticulously lays his clothes out on the bed, taking pleasure and satisfaction in matching the right necktie and accessories with his suit. Gere’s stylish attire played a pivotal role in establishing his character as an upscale playboy with an appreciation for the finer things in life. It also marked a watershed moment for the then-little-known Italian designer Giorgio Armani. Commissioned to design clothing for the film, Armani created lightweight suits that appeared more like a second skin and allowed Gere to move and strut his stuff with ease. His confidence and clothing helped make Gere…

FIFTY YEARS AGO, Robert Mondavi built a big, beautiful winery in Napa Valley and started making Cabernet Sauvignon. Isn’t that what everyone does up there? Well, not in 1966. Napa then was a simple farming community, planted with acres of Petit Syrah and French Colombard and pumping out jugs to fill supermarket shelves. Mondavi’s architectural winery represented an entirely new vision: Designed by none other than Clifford May, it was the first major construction in the valley since Prohibition, and it was meant to produce wines that could rival the best in France. May created the winery’s famously arched facade to attract the eye—and the tourist, a first for a wine region anywhere in the world. “Robert Mondavi redefined what a winery should be,” says winemaker Zelma Long, a Mondavi…

“WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS COMMERCIALLY NONVIABLE AND ECONOMICALLY INSANE, BUT I HAD TO DO IT.” INDEPENDENT WATCHMAKERS ARE now an integral part of watch-collecting culture thanks in large part to Max Büsser. During his successful career working with established Swiss watch brands, a combination of good instincts and a strong sense of fairness prompted him to begin openly promoting the cadre of exceptionally talented individuals who had labored anonymously at the leading houses for most of the 20th century. This campaign to give prominent billing to contributing watchmakers began with the series of Opus timepieces he created under Harry Winston and continues with more fantastical designs he has created under his own brand, MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends). —JAMES D. MALCOLMSON Independently Driven From the age of…

“I’m a huge fan of anything Roman and Williams does, from their restaurant and hotel design to the set of the film Practical Magic. ” Being an actress, Brooklyn Decker might naturally be drawn to the work of Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer. The husband and wife were movie-set designers before opening the residential and commercial design firm Roman and Williams in 2002. “I’m a huge fan of anything Roman and Williams does, from their restaurant and hotel design to the set of the film Practical Magic ” says Decker, who stars in the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. For that 1998 film, Alesch and Standefer designed a three-story Victorian home, inside and out. Their work on the sets of the Ben Stiller films Zoolander and Duplex…

There’s a reason you don’t see many 40 year old whiskies. To age a whisky in wood for four decades requires patience, luck, and skill. It takes the right temperature, the right barrels, the right spot in the warehouse. And it takes a Malt Master like The Balvenie’s David Stewart, who’s been working with our whisky since 1962, to know when it’s ready for bottling. His decades of experience helps him know when a whisky is perfectly balanced and at its peak. One taste of The Balvenie Forty reveals a whisky aged to perfection—and not a day longer. It was aged in European ex-sherry casks, from which come the rich, fruity nose and delicate notes of citrus and ginger. American ex-bourbon barrels impart cinnamon spice, vanilla, and dry oak. The…

“The brand did stray from its course—not in blending its Cognac but in bottling it.” During the past four decades, many producers of fine spirits have allowed fleeting consumer trends to guide their offerings. Yet one unsinkable flagship throughout this marketing maelstrom has been Louis XIII, the Grande Champagne Cognac from Rémy Martin comprising as many as 1,200 different eaux-de-vie that range in age from 40 to 100 years. This sublime digestif has remained unchanged since 1874, when Paul-Emile Rémy Martin registered the Louis XIII name. Yet in 1997 the brand did stray from its course—not in blending its Cognac but in bottling it. That year, Louis XIII introduced a 1.5-liter version of its distinctive decanter, styled after a flask from the 16th-century Battle of Jarnac. In 2011 the house…

“Mille gave every surface of the watch a high-performance racing aesthetic.” In the weeks following the 2001 launch of the RM 001, Richard Mille’s debut model, the tenor in the executive suites and product-development meetings throughout Switzerland’s watchmaking region was less smug than usual. A relative outsider, not an independent Swiss watchmaker or specialist, had created a breakthrough timepiece by tapping a basic yet somehow overlooked quality: the aesthetics of the mechanical movement. Mille, a longtime car enthusiast, recognized its potential as a canvas for his art. With help from the movement specialist Renaud & Papi and other top suppliers, he gave every surface of the watch a high-performance racing aesthetic. Its new shapes, finishes, and materials opened the eyes of the industry to an array of creative possibilities. The…

WHEN HOMER WROTE “the journey is the thing,” suggesting that the transit is more rewarding than the destination, Odysseus wasn’t on his way to an exclusive resort that is off the beaten path or on the other side of the world. And he didn’t have only a limited amount of time to enjoy the visit. When you’re in that situation, the journey is the thing you want to complete as quickly as possible. A private jet makes that feasible with these seven resorts, each of which has an airport or landing strip on-site or in close proximity. Laucala Island The grounds of Fiji’s Laucala Island resort include a private airstrip for Air Laucala charter flights to and from Nadi International Airport, which is about 45 minutes away by plane. The…

THE MARKET OFFERS an overwhelming number of choices in new aircraft models, each with its own set of variables to consider, including speed, range, cabin amenities, seating options, and overhead costs. When buying a pre-owned aircraft, you have those factors plus many more to consider, such as the plane’s vintage, its maintenance history, its possible need of major repairs and refurbishment, and its cost relative to others of its kind on the market. The task of choosing the right plane may be daunting, but it’s only the starting point in a long process that can be fraught with pitfalls. The acquisition of an aircraft is a complex transaction that can trigger many unexpected expenses for inexperienced buyers. Members of the Robb Report Private Aviation Advisory Board (see page 249) weigh…

THE JET-CARD and charter provider Delta Private Jets (deltaprivatejets.com) plans to offer Gogo Biz 4G Wi-Fi service in all of its aircraft by this time next year. According to company executive vice president and chief operating officer David Sneed, the system will provide passengers with the same level of broadband Internet service they have at home or work. “The productivity that I have in the office conference room is at a certain level, but the ability to be as productive when I get on an airplane is not there today” says Sneed. “We’re bringing it there. You’ll be able to use your smartphone to make calls and text from 40,000 feet. Anything you can do on the ground you’ll be able to do in the air. It will be truly…

THE FULL-SCALE cabin mock-up of the Gulfstream G600 (gulfstream.com) that toured the country this summer didn’t just promote the aircraft; it also illustrated how well the company listens to its customers and potential customers. The mock-up, which debuted in November in Las Vegas at the National Business Aviation Association’s annual convention, is a revamped version of the original design, which the company unveiled in 2014. Among other enhancements, the new model features additional passenger space, seats that are more comfortable, better lighting, and stone flooring in the entryway and the forward lavatory. Gulfstream made the changes based on feedback it had received from owners of its aircraft. The tour, which visited 10 cities, beginning with Washington, D.C., in June and concluding with Houston in September, gave Gulfstream a chance to…

IT HAS BEEN 65 years since a Junkers F13 was in active service, but a replica of the aircraft, the Rimowa F13 (rimowa-f13.com), was scheduled to make its first flight in September (after Robb Report Private Aviation Sourcebook went to press), taking off from and landing in Dübendorf, Switzerland. The German aircraft designer Hugo Junkers launched the original F13 in 1919 as the first all-metal passenger aircraft. The F13’s enclosed cabin contained four leather seats, and it could be heated for passenger comfort. The pilot and mechanic sat up front in an open cockpit, where they relied on visual navigation—as everyone did at the time. Dieter Morszeck, CEO of the German luggage company Rimowa, got involved with the replica project in part because his company has a strong connection to…

A. Lange & Söhne, page 89 lange-soehne.com 800.408.8147 Adirondack Beaver Blankets, page 290 adirondackblankets.com 440.286.1998 Alfa Romeo, page 165 alfaromeousa.com American Standard, page 223 dxv.com Armani Hotel Dubai, page 143 armanihotels.com 971.4.888.3888 Armani/Casa, page 91 armanicasa.com Armin Strom, page 177 arminstrom.com Ascot Chang, pages 14-15 ascotchang.com 877.486.9966 Balvenie, The, page 179 thebalvenie.com Becker Automotive Design, page 181 beckerautodesign.com 805.487.5227 Bell & Ross, page 141 bellross.com 888.307.7887 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, page 211 berkshirehathawayhs.com Blancpain, pages 18-19 blancpain.com 212.396.1735 Breguet, Cover 2-page 1 breguet.com 212.288.4014, 877.403.8160 Brickell Flatiron, pages 276-277 brickellflatiron.com 305.400.7400 Brunello Cucinelli, page 83 brunellocucinelli.com 212.627.9202 Bruno Magli, page 93 brunomagli.com Buccellati, page 123 buccellati.com Bulgari, page 36 bulgari.com 239.592.7707, 800.BVLGARI…

1976  The Robb Report is born. What starts as a publication devoted to advertisements for new and vintage Rolls-Royces will eventually become the nation’s first widely circulated luxury lifestyle publication. During the 1980s and ’90s, the magazine will take new shape, losing the definite article from its title and introducing its three most popular annual features to date: the Ultimate Gift Guide (1984), Best of the Best (1989), and Car of the Year (1994). Today, Robb Report delivers the best in luxury across the globe, with a multimedia platform that includes RobbReport.com, the Robb Report iPhone app, and 17 international print editions from Singapore to Spain. British wine merchant Steven Spurrier assembles a panel of French critics and winemakers for a blind tasting that pits California wines against the top…

325 KETEL ONE The Nolet family has owned and operated Ketel One’s distillery in the Netherlands since 1691. 260 RIEDEL Founded in 1756 and still owned by the same family, the Austrian glassworks pioneered the concept of varietal-specific wine-glass designs in the 1970s. 250 CHRISTIE’S James Christie quickly made a name for himself within the art community after opening his London salesroom in 1766. 225 GIRARD-PERREGAUX In 1791, a 19-year-old Jean-François Bautte signed his first watch and with it founded the haute horlogerie trailblazer Girard-Perregaux. 210 LOUIS MOINET Credited with inventing the chronograph, Louis Moinet established his eponymous watch brand in 1806. 160 BURBERRY A 21-year-old Thomas Burberry started the now-vaunted British fashion brand in 1856. 150 JACK DANIEL’S The oldest registered distillery in the United States opened in Lynchburg,…

WHEN MY parents started the company 50 years ago, safari tended to be hunting. In many ways it was a glamorous era, particularly in East Africa, where you had the old Hollywood set, the William Holdens and Clark Gables, who were at the Mount Kenya Safari Club and used that as their hunting base. In the ’50s, ’60s, and even the early ’70s, it was still considered a fairly glamorous activity, but obviously the definition of luxury was quite different. There were comfortable camps, but they were fairly basic. Probably the most luxurious part of it was the wide selection of alcohol, which was consumed in great quantities. The big evolution came with the end of hunting as we knew it in most of the countries in Africa and the…

IN 1999, during the rowdy heyday of the cosmopolitan and the sweet martini, Sasha Petraske opened a small bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side called Milk & Honey. In many ways, this civilized establishment—hidden behind an unmarked door and specializing in perfectly made classic cocktails—marked the beginning of the modern cocktail era, with an influence that reached around the world. Petraske died last year, but this month the book he was writing, Regarding Cocktails, will be released by Phaidon. Completed by his wife, Georgette Moger-Petraske, it features contributions from a who’s who of today’s drinks world. Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Eric Alperin, Sam Ross, and many others offer a final tribute to the man who taught a new generation of bartenders the art of making cocktails—and a new generation of…

 IN THE ’90s, Christian Louboutin brought unabashed sexiness to women’s shoes with his signature red-lacquered soles and fierce 5-inch heels. Since launching his eponymous collection 25 years ago, the French designer has continued to redefine the look of luxury, creating everything from elegant sky-high stilettos to bags, cosmetics, and men’s footwear. His artfully edgy products have garnered a loyal following, and many of his fans collect his designs the way some women collect jewelry. Guided not by trends but by the desire to make the wearers of his pieces feel attractive and empowered, Louboutin has set a higher standard for accessories. —MELISSA MAGSAYSAY “MORE THAN DESIGN AND MORE THAN COLORS, IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OF THE STREET.” Fashion’s New Frontier Fashion is a game, and fashion needs to think…

 WHEN THOMAS KELLER began cooking in earnest in the 1970s, there was no clear and obvious route to becoming the United States’ greatest professional chef; he had to blaze that trail himself. He began the journey washing dishes in the restaurant his mother managed, where the outgoing chef mentored him to take charge of the kitchen after the chef’s departure. His monkish dedication to his craft earned him the honor of being the first U.S. chef to win three Michelin stars at two restaurants simultaneously—the French Laundry, in Yountville, Calif. (which was recently renovated), and Per Se in Manhattan. He holds one more star at Bouchon, also in Yountville. Keller continues to go his own way, flouting restaurant-business diktats and helping his best people to leave his employ. —SHEILA GIBSON…

WHILE GROWING UP in the 1970s in Scottsdale, Ariz., Craig Jackson had a front-row seat as his father, Russ, and car collector and auto enthusiast Tom Barrett established and built Barrett-Jackson, one of the world’s first car-auction companies. Now the chairman and CEO, Jackson continues to grow the business and adapt to changes in the car-collecting market. —SHAUN TOLSON The Barrett of Barrett-Jackson The first partnership between my father and Tom Barrett was the Fiesta de los Autos Elegantes, a local car show for charity here in Scottsdale in 1967. That was the real start of the Barrett-Jackson company. At that time, Tom was considered the godfather of classic cars and spent decades tracking them down. When he learned who owned rare examples of vintage Rolls-Royces, for example, he’d go…

“You’re small and weak, so you’d better start exercising.” When Gary Player was 9 years old, his older brother, Ian—about to leave their native South Africa to fight in World War II—gave him a set of free weights. “You really want to be a professional athlete?” Ian said. “You’re small and weak, so you’d better start exercising and taking care of your body” Remembering that day more than 70 years later, Player says, “I promised him I would, and those words still echo through my head.” At 5 feet 6 inches, Player was always smaller than contemporaries like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. But thanks largely to his dedication to fitness, he amassed an amazing professional golf career, with 165 tournament victories including nine major championships. Now 80, Player is…

“As a tech entrepreneur, I was delighted that an artist who is almost in his 80s and at the top of his game could use cutting-edge technology to speak to the genre.” The entrepreneur and philanthropist Trevor Traina first saw David Hockney’s digital drawing Yosemite II, October 16th 2011 in an exhibition 3 years ago at San Francisco’s De Young Museum of Art, where he serves on the board of trustees. It wasn’t for sale at the time, but when Pace Gallery offered it in an edition of 12 earlier this year, Traina jumped at the chance to own an example of the monumental work, which measures nearly 8 feet by 6 feet. Hockney, who is 79, hails from Yorkshire, England; lives in California; and has fearlessly explored many different…

“The design has not changed since 1984, which means a Birkin you bought 10 years ago will be the same as a Birkin bought 10 years from now.” The story of the Hermès Birkin bag is one of happy coincidences, and it begins on an airplane. During an Air France flight from Paris to London in 1981, the British actress Jane Birkin was upgraded to first class and seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then the CEO of Hermès. During the flight, Birkin’s bag broke and her belongings spilled onto the cabin floor. Dumas told her she should have a bag with pockets, and so Birkin sketched one—on the back of an airsickness bag. Three years later, in 1984, Hermès delivered to her the first Birkin bag. Since then, demand for…

THE COMPLETE EXPERIENCE of buying a new aircraft from Embraer Executive Jets, the business-jet division of Embraer, includes a visit to the global Customer Center in Melbourne, Fla. You can bring along your family—and your pilot—for a test flight with a sales representative, who will point out the small touches that make the interior special. The rep will show you the fabric-lined compartments near each seat in which you can stow your tablet or phone. He or she will note that the interior’s side panels are easy to remove so that repairs to any of the cabin’s systems can be done quickly and time on the ground can be minimized. You’ll be invited to swivel in the seats and recline them, to feel how smoothly they operate. Then you’ll peek…

HONDA AIRCRAFT HAD good reason to celebrate when the HondaJet received its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification this past December. The event in Greensboro, N.C., where the company is headquartered, included more than 2,000 guests, who were showered with confetti when FAA Administrator Michael Huerta presented an oversize ceremonial certificate for the aircraft to Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino. That act marked the conclusion of a very long saga. Honda, which conceived the personal jet as early as 1986 and first flew it in 2003, initiated the certification process in 2006, expecting to complete it by 2009, or 2010 at the latest. Problems with the original engine caused delays, but even after the FAA approved the new engine, it still took two years for the company to…

Columbia Room, Washington, D.C. Three- and five-course cocktail menus are paired with small bites of food in a clubby, secluded back room. Menus are themed and complex, with whimsical presentations, and customers are encouraged to book seats ahead of time via ticket purchase. columbiaroomdc.com, $75–$100 Walker Inn, Los Angeles This pretty backroom bar at the Normandie Club offers a themed omakase cocktail menu as well as individual drinks. thewalkerinnla.com, $50 for omakase menu, $20 for each additional cocktail The Aviary, Chicago This multilevel venue serves a three-course cocktail tasting menu, a seven-course cocktail-and-food pairing menu at the “kitchen table,” and à la carte drinks and food. Expect owner Grant Achatz’s signature science-lab sensibility in drinks and glassware. Reservations must be made via ticket purchase. theaviary.com, $35–$165 Blue Ribbon Downing Street…

Now known simply as Robb Report, we carry on the connoisseur’s tradition first established in 1976, even if that tradition has at times tested the boundaries of good taste. Cars have always been at the core of our coverage, from the early days in October (top left) and (above left, from top) December 1979 to November 1984 and January 2013. Our penchant for pairing fashion with automobiles and boats is on display in (above right, from top) September 1994, April 2000, and September 2015. Home covers (bottom right) evolved from dreary in March 1980 to decadent in April 2009. From Pat Riley in June 1997 to a grid of luxury goods in June 2008 (below), our Best of the Best issue is always a winner. The Robb Report journey has…

THE FIRST car to break the 100 mph barrier was a 90 hp Napier, which in 1905 reached 104.65 mph—and then had its record broken 15 minutes later. Top-speed leapfrog has been the name of the game ever since. Some standouts from the past 40 years: 1976 Ferrari 365 GTB4 BB It got past 180 mph, depending on who was driving and the phases of the moon. 1976–1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 The factory claimed 196 mph, but real-world tests placed it closer to 179 mph. 1984–1987 Ferrari 288 GTO The twin-turbo racecar for the road topped 188 mph. 1986–1988 Porsche 959 Souped-up versions went even faster than the official 198 mph. 1992–1994 Jaguar XJ220 At 231 mph, it reigned briefly before being toppled by British rival McLaren. 1992–1999 McLaren F1…

THE DEMAND for elite diamonds continues to shine, as evidenced by the prices being paid at auction. Following are the five top auction sales—all of which have occurred in the past 6 years. $58 MILLION Oppenheimer Blue Diamond The highlight of a Christie’s Geneva sale last May, this 14.62-carat fancy vivid-blue diamond holds the record for the most expensive diamond sold at auction. The stone was unearthed in South Africa near the turn of the 20th century. Its longtime owner, mining magnate Philip Oppenheimer, had it cut and set into a ring for his wife. $48.4 MILLION Blue Moon of Josephine Unearthed much more recently in South Africa—in 2014—this 12.03-carat fancy vivid-blue diamond sold a year later to Hong Kong collector Joseph Lau through Sotheby’s Geneva. Lau named the gem…

WITH AN ESTIMATED net worth north of $3 billion, Nayla Hayek could easily sit back and enjoy her personal pastime of raising Arabian horses. Instead, the horse-breeding authority and international judge also makes headlines in her other realm of expertise: watches and jewelry. Hayek took over as the chair of the Swatch Group when her father, Nicholas G. Hayek Sr.—who created the conglomerate of brands that includes Blancpain, Breguet, and Omega—died in 2010. In 2013 she orchestrated the $750 million purchase (and assumption of up to $250 million of pro forma net debt) of the jewelry house Harry Winston, and a year later she acquired the world’s largest flawless blue diamond for $23.8 million at a Christie’s auction. Now 65, Hayek is known for giving, too: In 2015 she announced…

 Vintner and entrepreneur Darioush Khaledi came to make wine in Napa Valley by way of Bordeaux. A native of Iran, Khaledi emigrated in the 1970s to the United States, where he established a successful grocery-store chain. His passion, however, was wine, and in the late 1980s, he and his wife, Shahpar, began to search for a vineyard in their favorite region: Bordeaux. In the midst of that quest, the couple made their first trip to Napa. “Until then I had never tasted any California wine” says Khaledi. “It was all Bordeaux. We were at Auberge du Soleil, and I saw that beautiful vineyard below. I told the sommelier to bring some wine from that property, and he brought 1984 Caymus Special Select. I said, ‘Wow, that’s good wine’” Robert M.…

“Even though it is made in stones and metal, it appears as though the flower’s petals are going to bend.” Buying power alone does not guarantee entrée to the Paris atelier of jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, also known as JAR. For nearly 40 years the New York native has kept his Place Vendôme salon an exclusive club where only select clients vetted by him personally are welcome. His small coterie of international patrons and their privileged access seem only to increase demand for his lavish and colorful designs. When elusive JAR pieces hit the auction block, they typically fetch prices well above their estimates. In the eyes of Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s, it’s JAR’s painterly use of gemstones that draws people to the designer’s imaginative creations.…

“Its bold looks inspired a new clientele to take a fresh look at the brand.” It says a great deal about Audemars Piguet’s appetite for risk that the house transformed its most successful model into a massive new version with such radically unusual proportions that personnel referred to it internally as the Beast. While the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph—the brainchild of the young Audemars Piguet designer Emmanuel Gueit—raised hackles at first, its bold looks inspired a new clientele to take a fresh look at the brand. The big chronograph soon adorned a growing number of high-profile wrists, and the company cannily parlayed this unexpected publicity into a series of highly collectible editions featuring even bolder applications of color and materials. As with the original Royal Oak 20 years before, eager…

“Victoire de Castellane . . . brings great joy and energy to the brand’s jewelry.” I love everything about the Soie Dior high-jewelry collection. Victoire de Castellane, who serves as Dior Joaillerie’s creative director, brings great joy and energy to the brand’s jewelry, and her talents are on full display in this 53-piece collection. Each design seems to capture a moment that in real life slips away like silk. This necklace, the diamond-and-emerald Dénoué Saphir, is a twisting, loosely knotted ribbon, and the rubies, diamonds, and pink sapphires in these Fronce Saphir Rose earrings appear as delicately gathered strips of fabric. Perhaps most impressive is that while every piece in Soie makes a statement, none is overly serious. Inventive jewelry that elicits a smile resonates with today’s collectors.…

“It shows [his] way with precious stones: He doesn’t take costly jewels too seriously.” James de Givenchy never ceases to surprise and delight me with his colorful and imaginative jewelry creations. His playful style is best illustrated in a new series of vibrant ceramic-and-gemstone designs. This ring in matte red ceramic with a 3.3-carat brown-yellow diamond caught my eye because it shows de Givenchy’s way with precious stones: He doesn’t take costly jewels too seriously. Today, most women want this type of fun and distinctive jewelry that they can wear all the time, but it still must have the same quality and artisan-ship one expects in fine jewelry. Moreover, clients receive a very personal and special experience at de Givenchy’s by-appointment atelier in Manhattan; they meet directly with the designer,…

“There’s something special about putting on a jacket like that. It makes you feel so different from slipping into your chef whites.” Curtis Stone, the Australian-born chef and television personality, spends a good deal of time in chef’s whites, whether in the open kitchens of his Los Angeles restaurants Maude and Gwen or in front of the cameras on shows from Top Chef Masters to Iron Chef America. What Stone calls “haute fashion” is not a main ingredient in his life. And yet, a few years ago, he discovered a Paris fashion house that spoke to him with the same lustrous yet relaxed sensibility of his own cooking. “I was with my restaurant general manager, Ben Aviram, who’s a bit of a luxury hound,” Stone recalls. “We were walking past…

“What I like best about 3x1 is that the company keeps a record of your bespoke design.” In 2011, competitive golfer turned denim doyen Scott Morrison founded 3x1, a game-changing brand that takes an atelier-style approach to jeans. At his Manhattan flagship store, 22 seamsters work in a glass-enclosed space in view of customers. They handcraft made-to-measure and bespoke jeans with material from the store’s “denim wall” of more than 70 selvage varieties sourced from around the world. His revolutionary concept has brought a much-needed level of excellence to the wardrobe essential, appealing to such clients as NBA stars LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and Nike CEO Mark Parker. What I like best about 3x1 is that the company keeps a record of your bespoke design—so when it comes time…

THE DUTCH ENTREPRENEUR Peter Kütemann says that his aircraft receives compliments wherever it lands, and not just because it is a Dassault Falcon 2000LXS, a large-cabin business jet that has a cruising speed of 508 mph and can fly nonstop from New York City to Paris. Kütemann, whose business, Dietsmann, operates and maintains oil, gas, and power plants for companies throughout the world, has his jet decorated with an unusual paint scheme that his wife designed. “I don’t like bland-colored airplanes” he explains. “I wanted to give mine a personal touch.” The design features dozens of circles of various sizes, each a shade of green or gray, that suggest Champagne bubbles. “The airplane is lighter than air, and bubbles are filled with air and float upward,” says Kütemann. “The aircraft…

Peter Agur Jr. Chairman and Founder, The VanAllen Group vanallen.com Peter Agur Jr. has been a management consultant since 1985. His firm provides consulting services for large corporations, high-net-worth individuals, and royal families. Agur began his career as an army aviator and went on to work for several major airframe manufacturers. He has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical sciences from the Metropolitan State College of Denver and an MBA from Georgia State University. James Butler CEO, Shaircraft Solutions shaircraft.com James Butler is the CEO of Shaircraft Solutions, a private-aviation consulting firm that advises individuals and businesses on the full spectrum of private-air-travel options, including fractional jet ownership, jet card programs, and private-jet charter. A business attorney with expert industry knowledge, Butler has negotiated transactions ranging from multimillion-dollar fractional-share purchases and…

THE COMPANY THAT produces Cessna- and Beechcraft-branded aircraft, Textron Aviation has begun displaying a full-size cabin mock-up for the single-engine turboprop that it’s developing. Named the Cessna Denali (txtav.com), the single-pilot aircraft will carry as many as eight passengers and be powered by an all-new engine from GE Aviation, a division of General Electric. According to Textron, the aircraft will have a top speed of 328 mph and a range of about 1,800 miles, which is enough to fly from Chicago to Los Angeles or from New York City to Miami. Textron says the aircraft will have the widest and most comfortable cabin in its class and the lowest operating costs. The company expects the plane to make its first flight in 2018. It will be priced at about $4.8…

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