Indice dei contenuti per July 2016 in Robb Report

THE BEGINNING OF one thing often constitutes the end of another, as readers of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby discover in the novel’s closing pages. But endings, too, give rise to renewal. After June 6, 1944, when Allied forces landed on the northern shores of France, the Norman coastline became better known for its war memorials than for seaside déjeuners sur l’herbe. In this issue, writer Casey Hatfield-Chiotti explores Normandy’s rebirth as the seaside retreat of choice for discriminating travelers in search of a more laid-back version of luxury (“Beyond the Norm,” page 105). As hotelier Christophe Delaune notes, “It’s a rich area with many opportunities to create a very high level of service” SIMILAR ATTENTION TO detail informs the coastal haven pictured on this month’s cover. La Mansión del Señor…

AS WITH AUTO FABRICA’S OTHER MOTORCYCLES, THE TYPE 6’S NAME IS A NOD TO THE EARLY BUGATTI AUTOMOBILE MODELS, WHICH HAVE BEEN DESIGN INSPIRATIONS FOR THE BIKES’ CREATORS. GAZMEND AND Bujar Muharremi, the Kosovar brothers behind the British motorcycle shop Auto Fabrica (autofabrica.com), describe their designs as “complicatedly simple.” Their bikes appear minimalistic because most of the moving parts are concealed; yet they also feature intricate detailing. The distinguishing decorative element of the Type 6, the model shown here, is the fuel tank’s scalloped sides. While suggesting air intakes, they also enhance the bike’s streamlined look. The tank and seat base are a single unit, made from 2.5 mm aluminum that was rolled and hammered by hand. The Type 6, which was exhibited earlier this year with Auto Fabrica’s Type…

FOR A QUICK summer style update, consider footwear that will bring a flash of color to office or weekend attire. The Santoni suede loafer in royal blue with coconut-print tassels ($950, santonishoes.com) is classic yet fresh; Tod’s Gommino hand-painted loafer ($565, tods.com) is an artful take on a signature style; and the Fratelli Rossetti Hobo Sport tasseled leather loafer ($360, fratellirossetti.com) is perfectly in step with the season.…

STEPHEN FERBER HAILS from a family of Swedish furriers, tailors, and retailers, and now the creative director of Stephen F (stephen-f.com) has his own flagship store in New York City. Ferber’s mission: to make tailored clothing more readily available but in limited quantities. “The whole idea was to be unique but off the rack,” he says, noting that only six to 200 models of a suit will be made. In addition to his hand-sewn suits, which typically are priced in the $2,000 range, he offers $240 Egyptian-cotton shirts with mother-of-pearl buttons and $6,000 handmade reindeer-leather jackets.…

The Austrian businessman Wolfgang Pernsteiner was familiar with the Italy-based Dominator brand before he acquired it in 2010: He owned a Dominator yacht, and he had some ideas about improving the company’s offerings. Under Pernsteiner’s direction, and with input from his daughter and son, Dominator now offers the Ilumen (see page 42) and other “tailor-made” yachts—vessels ranging from 64 to 131 feet for which owners can choose all of the fittings and furnishings. You’ve owned yachts, but you bought this company with no experience in the yachting industry. What have you learned? We’ve learned not to listen to people who said we shouldn’t waste so much time developing the Ilumen. Dominator has never 3-D-modeled a boat with such obsessive detail. When we look back with our engineers, we all admit…

A STELLAR COLLECTION OF Italian automobiles and motorcycles has been compiled for Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance, 1945–1975, an exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts (fristcenter.org) in Nashville. Automotive historian Ken Gross curated the show, distilling the prolific postwar output of Italy’s manufacturers and coachbuilders into 19 cars and three motorcycles. The cars include the trio of Alfa Romeo BATs from the mid-1950s, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, and an example of the Lamborghini Miura, which turned 50 this year. One of the motorcycles is the exceptionally fast and radically designed 1957 Moto Guzzi V-8 Otto shown here. The exhibit runs through October 9.…

IN 1962, RICHARD BURTON purchased a Mexican casita for his flame and Cleopatra costar Elizabeth Taylor. Last December, the lovers’ hilltop hideaway overlooking Puerto Vallarta reopened as Casa Kimberly (casakimberly.com), a nine-suite hotel that is every bit as enchanting as its former residents. The property is located on an unassuming cobblestone street, far removed from the bustle of the resort town below. Courtyards, tiled staircases, marble statues, and the occasional large-format portrait of Taylor form a glamorous stage for guests, who retire to unique suites with four-poster beds and claw-foot bathtubs. The Iguana Restaurant and Tequila Bar (named for Burton’s 1964 film The Night of the Iguana) offers sweeping views of Banderas Bay. Just across the Puente del Amor—a bridge that Burton built for Taylor—guests can sun themselves by the…

CANYONEERING • Scottsdale, Ariz. It might be 107 degrees in Scottsdale, but you’ll don a full wetsuit for this supercool excursion from 360 Adventures (360-adventures.com). Rappel over waterfalls, glide down natural waterslides, and ford deep pools of the remote Christopher Creek. Available through Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (fourseasons.com). SAILING • Montenegro Sailing into the Mediterranean sunset is harder than it looks. Luckily, rookie sailors can learn the ropes of tacking, jibing, and flogging with the Regent Porto Montenegro’s (regenthotels.com) new sailing programs. The packages provide 4 or 6 days of instruction from Porto Montenegro Yacht Club’s elite sailing team aboard a 26-foot Blu26 competition boat (shown, top left). PARAGLIDING • Marrakech Skip the passive and more popular hot-air-balloon ride for the true feeling of flight with this…

THE SIMPLE ACT of smoking a cigar becomes high entertainment in Las Vegas, home to some of the country’s most dramatic cigar lounges. The latest on the scene, the Montecristo Cigar Bar (caesarspalace.com) in Caesars Palace, devotes 4,000 square feet to the enjoyment of premium smokes. Its walk-in humidor stores 1,000 cigars, including rarities such as OpusX. At the 100-seat bar, the Captain’s List tantalizes with Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve. And in addition to a small-plates menu, the bar plans to allow delivery from the casino’s top restaurants, Guy Savoy and Nobu.…

THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class convertible—the brand’s first open-top four-seat flagship since 1971—has gone on sale in the United States. The company is presently offering two variants: the Mercedes-Benz S550 Cabriolet and the higher-performance Mercedes-AMG S63 Cabriolet. The former is powered by a turbocharged 4.7-liter, 449 hp V-8 and has a starting price of $131,400; the latter’s starting price is $176,400, and its 5.5-liter V-8 produces 577 hp. The $247,900 Mercedes-AMG S65 Cabriolet, powered by a 6-liter biturbo V-12, will arrive before autumn. Because the cars will be on the road in time for owners to enjoy top-down summer jaunts, we asked Dietmar Exler, the new president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USAand a convertible aficionado (“I’ll drive them year-round”)—to list his five favorite routes for open-air driving. Topping his choices is…

IN THEDecember 2007 issue of Robb Report, senior correspondent Jack Smith reported on a new crop of over-the-top suites crowning Manhattan’s premier hotels. Setting the standard for this elite assemblage was the Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons Hotel New York, a nine-room, 4,300-square-foot extravagance that Smith described as the “most dazzling . . . and expensive” suite in the world. Nine years later, Warner is at it again. This time, however, the billionaire best known as the creator of Beanie Babies is bringing his flair for the dramatic to the beaches of Baja California. In addition to the Four Seasons New York, Warner is the proud owner of one of Mexico’sand the world’s—finest coastal resorts, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, on the Baja peninsula’s Los Cabos corridor. This July,…

Lost in Beauty HONOUR - POWER - PRIDE. Florence, the birth city of Stefano Ricci, frames the new Fall/Winter 2016-17 collection. This is the city of Arts and Guilds, expressing charm and opulence: a voyage into a timeless elegance of figures and architecture which has seduced the world. The STEFANO RICCI man, always conquering new territories, lives with this heritage as a fundamental value of the world around him. His lifestyle is, above all, a fulfilment of his own desires. Within the classical, formal, and sportswear styles, it is the finest leather and details that make the difference. A triumph of craftsmanship, of quality at the highest level, and of a production that is proudly 100% Made in Italy. A combination of pure artisanry and constant innovation is enhanced by…

WARM DAYS AND leisurely getaways are chances to have a little fun with your wardrobe. Even if you prefer classic khaki shorts and crisp white T-shirts, you can enliven your outfits with fashionable accessories that signal you are ready to play. Our favorite new finds include the Ralph Lauren Portofino Weekender Duffel ($2,750, ralphlauren.com), a versatile leather bag with a graphic design, and the latest Vacheron Constantin Overseas watch ($19,900, vacheron-constantin.com), which is shown here with a blue rubber strap. Still more color is on offer in a pair of eye-catching Zegna Couture yellow horn sunglasses with green lenses ($1,275, zegna.com). For a sneaker that will go with everything from summer brights to workday trousers, look for a classic silhouette with contemporary styling, like this Brunello Cucinelli perforated suede-and-leather pair…

EYEWEAR IN THE new Allied Metal Works collection (alliedmetalworks.com) features a patent-pending titanium spring and no screws. Four years in development, the flexible yet durable sunglasses and ophthalmic frames ($480–$710) are the creation of the Icelandic optician Gunnar Gunnarsson, who grew tired of fixing frames with loose or missing screws; Bill Barton, CEO of the fashionable eyewear brand Barton Perreira, is a cofounder and co-owner of Allied Metal Works. Though practical in form and function, the company’s frames don’t sacrifice style. They are available in a range of sleek designs, including acetate-and-stainless-steel models (shown) and more futuristic-looking all-stainless-steel examples.…

AN UPGRADE TO the model-year 2017 Bentley Continental GT Speed (bentleymotors.com) has increased the horsepower of the brand’s fastest (206 mph) production car to 633 and the torque to 620 ft lbs. Maximum torque from the car’s 6-liter W-12 engine is now available at 2,000 to 5,000 rpm, enabling a zero-to-60-mph time of 3.9 seconds. Prices are expected to start at $240,300, and deliveries will begin this summer. Bentley has also introduced a Continental GT Speed Black Edition, which features a high-gloss black finish to the exterior brightwork and contrast colors (including the Cyber Yellow shown here) for the front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, and door mirrors.…

SINCE ITS FOUNDING in 1863, London’s Arts Club (theartsclub.co.uk) has served as a meeting place for many of the world’s creative thinkers, from Charles Dickens (who helped form the organization) to Claude Monet. Now the members-only hideaway in the heart of Mayfair is offering its clientele a place to rest their imaginative minds, with the October debut of 16 art deco–style guest rooms and suites. Nonmembers can also stay in the rooms, where Calacatta Oro marble complements antique bronze doors and custom leather headboards. Guests can enlist the property’s team of butlers to arrange dinner at the Supper Club, a table at the nightclub 1863, or a tour of the resident art collection, which includes pieces by Tomás Saraceno and John Baldessari.…

THE SUN IS a flaming golden ball dancing in my sightline as I raise the bat above my shoulders. Scanning the field, with its low-cut grass and two bases, I clutch the bat the only way I know how: like a baseball player. From the look on my coach’s face, however, I have it all wrong. “Grip it like an axe” says Daynason Browne in a lilting Caribbean accent. “Lift it back and follow through.” Though Browne’s instructions seem straightforward, some of the terms he uses—wickets, stumps, bails, bowlers, creases—are completely foreign. But the veteran player and coach is patient as he teaches me how to hold the bat, strike the ball, and otherwise master the basics of St. Kitts and Nevis’s national pastime. Cricket is more than a leisurely…

TERRANEA RESORT terranea.com | 888.991.7087 Overlooking the vast blue Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, Terranea Resort is the perfect Los Angeles retreat, brimming with breathless beauty and endless discovery. An inviting array of luxury guestrooms and suites, as well as residential-style casitas, villas, and bungalows, suit every need. With miles of coastal hiking trails, eight dining venues, four pools, an award-winning spa, and an ocean view par-3 golf course, Terranea will entice every sense for a remarkable experience. TODD REED toddreed.com | 800.376.3609 Through ceaseless innovation and graceful design, Todd Reed’s jewelry alters the standard perceptions of luxury. Favoring unique rough diamonds and textured metals, his jewelry holds a distinct harmony between rugged natural beauty and refined, sculptural elegance. Handmade at his studios in Venice Beach and Boulder, Colo., his…

USING THE RANGE ROVER SVAutobiography platform, Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations has developed a limited-edition Range Rover in partnership with Holland & Holland, the British sporting-gun manufacturer. The Holland & Holland Range Rover is painted forest green—the gunmaker’s signature color—and displays several decorative elements modeled on those of the company’s bespoke firearms. The cabin is trimmed with polished French-walnut veneers that resemble the wood used for Holland & Holland’s gunstocks, and the interior’s brightwork and control knobs feature engraving similar to that which appears on the firearms. The vehicle is also equipped with a removable leather-covered gun case made of aluminum and carbon fiber. The case holds a pair of Holland & Holland shotguns. The Holland & Holland Range Rover is powered by a supercharged V-8 that produces 550…

IT COULD BE a plot from a science fiction movie: Vials of experimental whisky distilled on a remote island are put aboard a Russian spacecraft, which blasts off, destined for a space station orbiting the Earth. Three months later, at a predetermined time, an astronaut cracks the vials while on Earth a scientist does the same with identical vials. What comes next is not some strange, cosmic toast, but the beginning of a 3-year experiment conducted by Scotland’s Ardbeg distillery and a NASA contractor aboard the International Space Station. The lofty goal was to determine the effects of near-zero gravity on aging whisky. But the test could also help unlock the secrets of how whisky and other spirits mature into such complex liquids back on the home planet. Although scientists…

THIS BLOWER BENTLEY, WITH A BODY BY VANDEN PLAS, RACED AT BROOKLANDS AND IN THE IRISH GRAND PRIX. IN 1930 IT PLACED SECOND IN THE TOURIST TROPHY RACE ON THE ARDS CIRCUIT IN BELFAST. AFTER THE BENTLEY Motors factory team won the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the Bentley Boys, as the team members were dubbed, challenged the engineering philosophy of the marque’s founder by building his own version of the victorious 4½ Litre model. With funding from the prominent racehorse owner Dorothy Paget, Henry “Tim” Birkin produced five racing prototypes, each equipped with a supercharger—commonly called a blower—to enhance the engine’s power. W. O. Bentley preferred instead to add power by increasing an engine’s capacity: He had introduced the Bentley 6½ Litre in 1926 and a…

INTRODUCED AS A concept 2 years ago, the Dominator Ilumen (dominatoryachts.com)—a 91-foot flybridge motor yacht customized to include amenities and detailing usually reserved for much larger vessels—is on track to be launched by the end of the year. Like the concept, the nearly finished first example of the new model promises to have an interior filled with natural light. Alberto Mancini’s design features a palatial main-deck saloon and a split-level master suite that are enclosed by floor-to-ceiling windows. The master suite also has a retractable sunroof and a private balcony. The hull’s bulbous bow is similar to those of many modern oceangoing vessels, and it includes carbon-fiber reinforcements that reduce its weight without compromising its strength. The starting price for the Ilumen is $7 million.…

ANGUILLA’S SHOAL BAY EAST finally has a hotel worthy of its pristine setting. Opened in February, the 6-acre Zemi Beach House Resort & Spa (zemibeach.com) is the first luxury property on the West Indies island’s tranquil northeastern shore. Housed in a collection of low-rise mansions on a quarter mile of prime beachfront, the 63 guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the blazing ocean blues outside. The vistas continue at the glass-walled infinity-edge pool and the seasonal-cuisine restaurant. Still, there is one place at Zemi Beach worth skipping the scenery for: At the gable-roofed spa, holistic treatments transpire within a 300-year-old villa shipped piece by piece from Thailand.…

With great food, excellent wine, and beautiful nature, wildlife, and aquatic adventures, Australia has a few hidden secrets unlike anywhere else. The country is well known for its friendly laid-back style, so it won’t take long to fall under Australia’s spell. Here are five memorable places in Australia, with tips on what you can do and how to make getting there just as enjoyable. Want to travel to where nature is the star? Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet lodge, nestled on the shores of the beautiful Freycinet Peninsula, has that wow factor. Kayak, take a hike, or wade out in the bay to a white-clothed table and shuck the freshest oysters you’ve ever tasted. Or stay at Richard Branson’s Australian home on Makepeace Island near Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. It is all about…

LAST AUTUMN IN Manhattan, Andrés Miranda had an authentic British experience. He stood in the cozy living-room-style VIP area of Alfred Dunhill’s Madison Avenue store, conferring with the British luxury-goods brand’s master tailor. Martin Nicholls was visiting from London, where for 20 years (13 of them at Dunhill) he has been fashioning exquisite clothing by hand. It was Miranda’s first fitting—the second of what would ultimately be three stateside meetings in the creation of a bespoke suit by Dunhill’s foremost expert. “It’s an addiction,” said Miranda, an executive director of a New York financial-services firm; the 35-year-old ordered his first bespoke suit a decade ago and now says nothing else is good enough. “A bespoke suit feels much better on than an off-the-rack or made-to-measure [suit], because it is so…

SILVER MANUFACTURERS in the States found relatively little demand for the modern-looking services, sets, and pieces they produced in the 1950s and ’60s. It seems that the designs, some of which could double as abstract sculpture, deviated too far from the heirloom items that they continued to make. “They were radically, radically, radically different designs” says James Infante, a 20th-century decorative-arts dealer based in Manhattan. “The silver companies took a stand and hired new, young designers. They didn’t do it for the hell of it. They wanted a market” But initially at least, the market was small. Consequently, items such as the sterling-silver tea-and-coffee service shown here were produced in limited quantities. As collectors have grown nostalgic for such designs and the era they represent, the pieces have become high-priced…

These 10 selections will keep you active and entertained throughout the season. Soar to New Heights You want to know you’re in good hands when gliding hundreds of feet above the earth, and Nova offers that comfort. The Austrian company has been producing paragliders for more than 25 years, and safe landings have always been a top priority. The Ion 4 is Nova’s latest offering, and like all of the company’s products, it was thoroughly tested by experienced pilots for performance and safety. The craft is easy to maneuver, which enables novices to pilot it, but experts will also enjoy the flights. The Ion 4 can weigh as little as just under 9 pounds, so it’s light enough to carry on long-distance hikes. —MICHELLE D. ALDERSON Nova Ion 4 WHAT…

Honfleur was an epicenter of French impressionism, drawing Claude Monet and other artists intent on portraying its picturesque vistas. IT IS JUST after sunrise, and all of Normandy appears to be fast asleep as I wander through the misty gardens of Le Domaine d’Ablon. I stroll past turnips and plump cabbages, rounding the resort’s stables, where a tawny-colored pony peers out from behind a pair of Dutch doors. Beyond the garden’s iron gates, the estate’s 16th-century timber cottage—fronted by a blossoming crab-apple tree and topped with a mushroom-shaped roof—appears straight from the pages of a fairy tale. The fantasy continues when I return to my suite to find Christophe Delaune, Le Domaine’s owner, waiting with a basket full of breakfast delights: fresh-squeezed orange juice, croissants, pain au chocolat, and mouth-puckering…