Indice dei contenuti per October 2017 in Robb Report

Cognac’s Modern Classics Provenance and heritage are critical to Cognac’s allure, but some of the oldest maisons are introducing new editions that take a modern approach to transcending time. robbreport.com/ moderncognac STORY OF THE MONTH Best in Shows After making the rounds at last month’s boat shows, our experts share their top discoveries. robbreport.com/ cannesmonaco2017 READER SURVEY RESULTS Which autumn fashion trend are you falling for? RobbReport.com  readers shared their preferred styles for the season: SOCIAL STANDING Popular posts @RobbReport Instagram @robbreport Our followers loved the infinite ocean view from the new @gansevoortvillas in Turks and Caicos. Facebook Facebook.com/robbreport Our fans were split on the question of whether even a Lamborghini phone is worth $2,500. Twitter @robbreport The retweets were flying when we presented #BestoftheBest winner @Lamborghini Aventador S…

1 On the Range At the Dr. Franco Loro Piana private nature reserve, located in a remote stretch of the Peruvian Andes, the once nearly extinct vicuña is protected and studied. 2 Wild and Free Every 2 years, the vicuña are captured, sheared, and released by Peruvian farmers, whose Incan ancestors called the animals’ supremely soft and warm fleece the “fiber of the gods.” 3 Good Sort The sheared vicuña fleece is examined and sorted—traditionally by the women in the community—before being washed and readied for inspection. 4 Touch Test The very fine vicuña fibers are examined by hand for impurities before being shipped to Loro Piana’s facilities in Piedmont, where scientific inspections and analyses begin. 5 Splitting Hairs At Loro Piana’s Roccapietra plant, fibers are magnified by 34,000 to…

A NEW ADDITION to the growing ranks of six-figure loudspeakers is the Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit (vivid audio.com): It’s priced at $102,000 for any single-tone paint finish ($93,000 in pearl white or piano black). The Spirit evolved from the Giya G1, which debuted in 2008 and turned the audiophile community on its collective ear with an organic form in service of state-of-the-art sound. Laurence Dickie, the chief designer for Vivid Audio, first introduced the concept of a gastropod-inspired cabinet in 1994 with the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus, a sonic and artistic breakthrough of its day. The neutral sonic signature of the Giya G1 Spirit begins with a cabinet made of fiber-reinforced plastic resin that is much lighter and stiffer than conventional cabinets and shaped to eliminate resonances and distortion…

LOUIS XIII COGNAC has been a most prestigious potable since Rémy Martin (remymartin.com) created it in 1874. Because the liquid contents of each decanter require up to 100 years to craft and contain a blend of as many as 1,200 of the finest eaux-de-vie, the cellar master’s vision for those decanters extends a century into the future during the selection of the grapes for each year’s eau-de-vie. The newly released Louis XIII Legacy ($12,000) honors this tradition: Only 500 decanters are available worldwide, making each crystal bottle—ensconced in a coffret of Italian calfskin leather bearing a numbered plaque—a rare keepsake. Add the signatures of Rémy Martin’s four living cellar masters—André Giraud, Georges Clot, Pierrette Trichet, and current cellar master Baptiste Loiseau—and the decanters rise to heirloom status. Their inscriptions serve…

a gem of a stopper Crown your most elegant wines and decanters with an Art Deco–inspired stopper. The Regal Lion (theregallion.com) designs, by Cameron–Zemtsov Design Associates, are created in signed and numbered limited editions sculpted in elite silver, 18-karat gold, and 950 platinum. The lion heads (from $6,300) are accented with diamonds or golden sapphires. —JANICE O’LEARY edible homage When chef Steve Samson opened Sotto in Los Angeles, he knew he was breaking his mother’s heart. The restaurant’s menu—from appetizers to wine—was devoted to the cuisine of southern Italy, eschewing the traditions of his northern Italian mother. But at his newest restaurant, Rossoblu (rossoblula.com), he’s brought the dishes of her native Bologna to Downtown L.A. Inside what used to be the city’s oldest produce market, Samson serves exceptional pasta dishes,…

“Our strength is that we are always respecting the DNA of the brand while trying to move forward and make the tailoring more modern.” —Lorenzo Cifonelli CIFONELLI Lorenzo Cifonelli gives the impression of a European aristocrat with his impeccably tailored double-breasted jacket, his salt-and-pepper beard, and the way he gracefully greets a woman with a brief kiss on the wrist. As a fourth-generation tailor, Lorenzo, like his cousin Massimo, was trained by Adriano Cifonelli—his father and Massimo’s uncle—to measure, cut, and sew the perfect suit. He is used to cavorting with aristocrats and international industrialists who come to him to outfit their wardrobes. While the Cifonellis often travel to meet their worldly clients, many customers prefer to visit the family’s upstairs Parisian salon on rue Marbeuf that their grandfather established…

“Men seem to love the sense of discovery when it comes to hunting for the stone.”—James de Givenchy JAMES DE GIVENCHY On the 25th floor of a nondescript midtown Manhattan office building, James de Givenchy has created a sublime living-room-like salon where he discreetly meets his clients for private commissions. The magic begins when he presents a tray of colorful stones—large, juicy-red rubellites and velvety purple amethysts, say—and then closely considers his client’s reaction to see which jewel sparks a response. “It all starts with a stone,” says the 54-year-old, who is known for creating imaginative and colorful jewelry. He advises women on which jewel will embolden their sense of style and directs men on which will dazzle their wives. He often meets with couples to create a special gift…

At Ristorante Lorenzo in Forte dei Marmi—a seaside town in Tuscany—manners, not Michelin, setthetone. Here, Jeff Joseph orders Domaine J.F. Coche-Dury Meursault Les Genévrières, a premier-cru white Burgundy. Though we are in Italy, Italian whites, in my friend’s opinion, are charming, whereas their French counterparts are irresistible. “That’s very good,” remarks the sommelier. “I know,” says Jeff, subtly establishing his credentials. As is inevitable, with wine being a bond, they chat. The sommelier knows that a Coche-Dury drinker is a gentleman to be coddled. Jeff knows that during every fine meal, there will come a moment at which a lifelong relationship between himself and the restaurant is forged. He says to the sommelier, “I was here a year ago and ordered your last bottle of 1971 Monfortino,” referring to a…

SENTIENT JET PROVIDES PERKS FOR FOODIES AND ART AFICIONADOS Andrew Collins, the president and CEO of the flight-card provider Sentient Jet, calls the client perks listed in the company’s annual Exclusive Benefits Guide “the surprise-and-delight piece of what Sentient offers.” One of this year’s offerings involves a partnership with the auction house Sotheby’s, and it promises to delight art aficionados. It begins with a private tour at Sotheby’s headquarters in New York, which hosts dozens of high-profile auctions each year. Cardholders then visit—by town car or limousine—two renowned Manhattan galleries: Otto Naumann and Adam Williams Fine Art, both of which specialize in Old Master paintings. “You get three [including Sotheby’s] gallery tours, Champagne along the way, and exclusive access through Sotheby’s,” says Collins. “It’s very much in line with the…

GARMIN 5 SPORTS WATCH Launched earlier this year, the Fenix 5 is one of the most feature-rich fitness watches available. Along with health-monitoring features, it includes special modes for a range of sports—from running and swimming to stand-up paddleboarding and golf (even providing pin distance). A larger version supporting color route maps is also available.garmin.com (from $600) BOSE SOUNDSPORT PULSE WIRELESS EARBUDS Sure to be music to the ears of athletes, the latest Bose wireless sports headphones have a built-in heart-rate monitor that takes readings through the earpiece. The SoundSport Pulse is sweat and weather resistant, and its shape keeps the earbuds firmly in place. bose.com ($200) KILLSPENCER FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL Los Angeles designer Killspencer makes stylish versions of sports equipment with premium, full-grain leathers. The football’s laces are hand…

“There are many forms of thirst.” —William Langewiesche 1 MEANT THE ABSOLUTE BALM Armed with hydrating coconut and pomegranate extracts, this skin-saving balm warms to the touch, melting into an easily absorbed oil. Antioxidant-rich ingredients like East African Shea Nilotica aim to improve the texture and overall health of the skin. Plus, the balm’s slightly citrusy, bergamot-tinged scent is subtle enough for every day. meantsimply.com ($45) 2 LANCÔME ADVANCED GÉNEFIQUE SENSITIVE Hey, it’s a tough world out there. Lancôme’s dual-antioxidant serum is stocked with ingredients to protect against moisture-sapping environmental offenders like pollution, infrared radiation, and UVA rays. Pure vitamin E strengthens skin while ferulic acid—derived from the seeds of apples and oranges—fights redness and dryness caused by free radicals. Give the bottle a good twist, and shake…

 Kirk Hammett embracedthe dark side long before his days as a heavy-metal musician. The lead guitarist for Metallica was just 5 years old when he watched his first horror film: Day of the Triffids, a postapocalyptic thriller about human-eating plants. “I realized that Day of the Triffids was a different kind of movie,” Hammett recalls in the 2012 book Too Much Horror Business. “It gave me another sense, another feeling. And I enjoyed this ‘other feeling’ very, very much.” “There’s a lot of melancholy in Frankenstein. He is the ultimate outsider who’s also perhaps misunderstood.”-KIRK HAMMETT He immersed himself in the shadowy, cinematic worlds of Dracula, Nosferatu, and Frankenstein’s monster, collecting movie posters and other ephemera. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s, when he acquired an original Bride of Frankenstein…

“Today you are YOU, that is TRUER than true. There is no one alive who is YOUER than you.” -DR. SEUSS TO QUOTE THE INIMITABLE Theodor Geisel in these pages has been a long-standing ambition of mine—not only because the amphibrachic cadence of his rhymes prepared my then-youthful ears for a later appreciation of verse, but also because he was the first celebrity I ever met (at age 6, in the Santa Barbara Public Library). Given that this issue’s cover story, “The Bespoke List” (page 105), celebrates the rewards of personalization, this moment seems the proper one to indulge my whim. Because life is not, in fact, all about us, the instances when we can have things our own way are particularly sweet. And often we’re not the only beneficiaries…

1 A FIRST-RATE V-8 ASTON MARTIN DB11 V8 :“My inner secret agent is anxious for the new Aston Martin V-8-powered DB11 (astonmartin.com). Able to hit 62 mph in 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 187 mph, the 503 hp coupe is a lighter and sportier sibling to the marque’s original V-12 version. Arriving this month with a starting price of $198,995, the V-8 variant definitely delivers more Bond for the buck.” —VIJU MATHEW 2 LUXURY IN LIMERICK ADARE MANOR :“I’ve already booked my trip to Ireland’s Adare Manor (adaremanor.com), which reopens this month after a nearly 2-year renovation. The classic country-house hotel in County Limerick has updated everything that existed on the property and added a few things that didn’t, including a 42-room wing and a La Mer…

AS THE CHAIR of the Swatch Group, Nayla Hayek boldly orchestrated the purchase of Harry Winston (harrywinston.com) in 2013, vowing to stay true to Mr. Winston’s legacy as the King of Diamonds. Later that same year, she affirmed her commitment to that promise, paying a record-breaking $26.7 million for a 101.73-carat, D-flawless, pear-shaped diamond at a Christie’s Geneva auction. After buying the stone, which she aptly named the Winston Legacy, the CEO charged her diamond buyers with building a cache of D-color internally flawless stones. A 3-year quest ensued, the results of which were unveiled in September with the Legacy Collection: 22 one-of-a-kind designs featuring large D-color, internally flawless diamond center stones. “We wanted to create a series of jewels that reflected the heart of the brand and spoke to…

Disciples of Yves Saint Laurent know the couture master’s affection for Marrakech, but now they have a new reason to visit the Ochre City: The Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech will open this month. Museum director Björn Dahlström explains. —KATHRYN ROMEYN Tell us about the design. Pierre Bergé [Saint Laurent’s partner and cofounder of Yves Saint Laurent Couture House] wanted a building that would be contemporary and Moroccan at the same time. Contrasting curves and cube-shaped volumes are harmoniously combined. The proportions are pleasing and of a human scale. Local materials such as brick have been used to adorn the exterior walls, evoking the warp and weft of fabric. Is there an underlying theme to the exhibitions? We will be underlining the bond between YSL and Marrakech. The influence of…

Heavy BOMBARDIER GLOBAL 6000 PRICE: $62.31 million RANGE: 6,900 miles CRUISING SPEED: 560 mph TYPICAL PASSENGER CAPACITY: 13 CABIN LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT (IN FEET): 43.3/7.9/6.2 BAGGAGE VOLUME: 32 suitcases IN SERVICE SINCE: 2006 businessaircraft.bombardier.com BOMBARDIER GLOBAL 7000 PRICE: $72.8 million RANGE: 8,516 miles CRUISING SPEED: 560.4 mph TYPICAL PASSENGER CAPACITY: 17 CABIN LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT (IN FEET): 54.6/8.2/6.3 BAGGAGE VOLUME: 32 suitcases EXPECTED TO ENTER SERVICE IN: 2018 businessaircraft.bombardier.com DASSAULT FALCON 2000LXS PRICE: $34.7 million RANGE: 4,603 miles CRUISING SPEED: 508 mph TYPICAL PASSENGER CAPACITY: 8 to 10 CABIN LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT (IN FEET): 26.3/7.7/6.2 BAGGAGE VOLUME: 22 suitcases IN SERVICE SINCE: 1994 (upgraded to 2000LXS in 2014) dassaultfalcon.com DASSAULT FALCON 8X PRICE: $58.4 million RANGE: 7,422 miles CRUISING SPEED: 561 mph TYPICAL PASSENGER CAPACITY: 12 CABIN LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT (IN FEET): 42.7/6.2/7.7 BAGGAGE VOLUME: 23 suitcases IN…

In a conference room at Magellan Jets’ headquarters in downtown Quincy, Mass., just south of Boston, president Anthony Tivnan recalls how he and CEO Joshua Hebert first ventured into the private-aviation business with a web-based charter-brokerage company—and how that company went through some name changes. “We started that business around 16 years ago,” recalls Tivnan. “We called it Bid Jet Charter. But think about a couple Boston guys calling around to prospective clients saying, ‘Hey, it’s Anthony and Joshua from Bid Jet Charter.’ People would say, ‘What? Chowder? What are you talking about, Chowder?’ We decided, all right, that’s not working.” Bid Jet Charter soon became Charter Auction, but that didn’t help much. “Eventually,” Tivnan said, “Jets.com became the name.” (Companies called Charter Auction and Jets.com are operating today, but…

FAMOUS FOR dressing ’80s jet-setters in strong shoulders and wide lapels, Bijan (bijan.com) is now catering to a new generation of power players—a number of whom don’t even wear suits. “Many of the people that can afford to buy an $18,000 jacket don’t need to wear a suit every day,” says Nicolas Bijan Pakzad (left), the 26-year-old son of the brand’s fashion-designer founder, Bijan Pakzad. The scion, who goes by Nicolas Bijan, took the helm of the ritzy Rodeo Drive store when his father died in 2011. Since then, he has been updating the brand with a focus on casual but still luxurious clothing. New pieces and fresh ensembles—think kangaroo-suede blazers paired with T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers with alligator accents—have become instant hits with clients of all ages, he says.…

About Time $180,000–$200,000 This month, Heritage Auctions will bring to market a collection of significant modern timepieces at its Manhattan gallery. The large consignment will contain numerous noteworthy offerings from Patek Philippe—including the ref. 5204p-001 shown at left—and a 2009 Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 in platinum, shown at right. The latter is one of just 75 limited-edition examples. HERITAGE AUCTIONS, TIMEPIECES SIGNATURE AUCTION, OCTOBER 24, NEW YORK, HA.COM Window Treatment $14,000–$18,000 Ormond Gigli’s iconic“Girls in the Windows, New York City,” depicting colorfully dressed women posing in the windows of Manhattan brownstones, will be a highlight at Swann Auction Gallery’s October 19 Art & Storytelling photography sale. The image—which includes Gigli’s wife posing in pink on the second floor, far right—will be auctioned alongside other expressive works by Ansel Adams, Robert…

CONTRIBUTORS Jackie Caradonio Danielle Cutler Sheila Gibson Stoodley James D. Malcolmson Viju Mathew Roger Morris Phoebe Neuman Jill Newman Janice O’Leary Kareem Rashed Robert Ross Bruce Wallin…

“We get many requests for pocket watches with unusual size and complications.” —Dominique Bernaz VACHERON CONSTANTIN For the last 3 years, most of Vacheron Constantin’s major horological achievements—including the most complicated watch ever created—have come from the Les Cabinotiers bespoke watchmaking service. Led by Dominique Bernaz, the program has grown from three watchmakers and developers to 30 employees working on as many as 50 different projects at any given time, all driven by customers’ desire to have a timepiece unique to them. Unlike many watch houses, which restrict themselves to the customization of exterior details, Vacheron Constantin empowers its Les Cabinotiers watchmakers to create special movements and complications. The watchmakers do much of the construction by hand, using techniques that were prevalent before mass production became common. Recognizing the wide…

“It’s like being a shrink and a scholar all wrapped into one.” —Barbara Guggenheim GUGGENHEIM, ASHER, ASSOCIATES, INC. Barbara Guggenheim was there when Vincent van Gogh’s Irises became the most expensive painting ever sold. She was there when Pablo Picasso’s Boy with a Pipe became the first painting to command more than $100 million at auction. She championed Jean-Michel Basquiat when he was a relative unknown painting canvases that would later fetch double-digit millions at auction. She’s seen impressionism’s revival in the marketplace—and its subsequent fall—and the no-holds-barred growth of contemporary art that continues to break records today. She’s endured two major recessions and any number of smaller ones. And she’s still in top form. Indeed, Guggenheim is the kind of art-world power player you need on speed dial. The…

MASTERY OF ULTRA- thin horology is a particular source of pride for the watchmakers of Bulgari, which earlier this year introduced the world’s thinnest self-winding wristwatch, the Octo Finissimo Automatic. “For us, Finissimo is really a statement,” says Fabrizio Buonamassa-Stigliani, the company’s lead watch designer. “Each is sort of a grand complication. It is the technical flagship of the brand.” Bulgari’s recent world records—which also include thinnest wristwatch tourbillon and minute repeater—result from genuine technical achievements backed by impressive design. Yet the skillfulness and competitive spirit driving the company’s efforts are the same dynamics that have guided the creation of ultrathin pieces throughout watchmaking’s history. Thinness and compactness have served as indicators of a watch’s technical sophistication for well over two centuries, especially after Abraham-Louis Breguet began to emphasize those…

Bentley Continental Supersports Considered the world’s fastest luxury sedan, the Continental Supersports can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 209 mph. It’s powered by a 700 hp W-12 engine that produces 750 ft lbs of torque. Bugatti Chiron The $3 million successor to the Veyron receives 1,500 hp from its 16-cylinder engine, enabling it to rocket from zero to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 261 mph. Dodge Charger (and Challenger) SRT Hellcat The Hellcat variants of the Charger sedan and Challenger coupe are the top dogs among American muscle cars. Each is powered by a supercharged Hemi V-8 that produces 707 hp and 650 ft lbs of torque. Top speed for…

Somewhere between flying first-class on an airliner and chartering an entire business jet lies the single-seat charter market. There, you can purchase a seat on a private aircraft that flies a set route at set times or is available for an unscheduled flight. (The latter often includes empty-leg flights on planes going from your location to your destination.) These flights can be available through companies’ membership programs—which may require a monthly or annual fee—or pre-purchasing programs or on a pay-as-you-fly basis. Many of the companies offer phone apps that simplify the booking process. The appeal of these flights is the savings in price and time. Because you’re sharing the cost of the flight, it’s afraction oftheprice ofchartering an entire aircraft. And whether it’s an unscheduled or scheduled flight, it’s usually…

RIGHT HOOKED GIORGETTI ALIAS PUNCHING BAG The milk-white leather of this heavy bag is so silky to the touch you might be more tempted to hug it than hit it, but the thick aniline-dyed leather is indeed meant to take the jabs and combos of intense boxing training. The 70-pound bag by the Italian design brand Giorgetti will dress up any home gym, whether in ice white, mud brown, or black. graye-la.com ($8,986)…

“Black-and-white always looks modern, whatever that word means.” —Karl Lagerfeld 1 VERB GHOST HAIRSPRAY Crafted by salon pros in Austin, Tex., Verb’s latest must-have is Ghost Hairspray. It already lives up to its name—naturally vanishing into hair moments after a spritz. Moringa oil and B5 vitamins deliver shine-enhancing nutrients that defuse frizz. verbproducts.com ($16) 2 OSEA OCEAN CLEANSING MILK Algae extracts hydrate, while a bouquet of water lily, rose, and cassie flowers soften. Amino-acid compound DPHP helps plump skin, seemingly washing away fine lines and wrinkles. oseamalibu.com ($48) 3 BYREDO RINSE-FREE HAND WASH Leave it to artist-turned-beauty-brand-founder Ben Gorham to invent a fresh take on an everyday essential. This lightweight, disappearing formula comes in two scents, Vetyver and Suede, both of which leave behind delicate bouquets of plum…

ART & ANTIQUES ARTWORK WANTED Inherited American paintings wanted. Premiums paid for new-to-the-market family-owned 19th and 20th listed artists. Hudson River school, American impressionists, modern, and postwar are desired. If you have one painting or an entire collection please call or e-mail Newportart. Contact: (401) 954-5078; E-mail: jay@newportart.com BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY LIFE IS GREAT! The most liberating feeling: knowing how to make consistent, confident gains on the stock market! We teach you how to day trade stock options using one very effective strategy for stunning daily gains. Work from anywhere, at your own pace. Free e-book/trial.www.daytradespy.com/robb FINANCIAL CONVENTIONAL & HARD MONEY LOANS U.S & International locations: Debt/Equity financing considered for new technologies, financial services, aviation, Internet/IT, oil & gas-energy, mining, gaming/ leisure, real estate and asset-backed lending. No up-front fees. Contact:…