Maximの March/April 2021 の目次

Many of us know that the very finest wines in the world are best tasted after appropriate aging in proper conditions. But rather fewer understand that this is also true of premium cigars. And as with fine wine, the components of a premium cigar often improve with age. Bold, powerful flavors mellow, imparting a more complex, fuller, experience. So if you’re not already collecting and aging your smokes, here are some things to consider as you build a cellar worthy of Zino Davidoff. I can attest to the magnificence of aging firsthand after having been lucky enough to receive a package of pre-Castro Cubans that had been biding their time in a friend’s father’s humidor for over 50 years. Like a beautiful velvety, claret from a Grand Cru Classé, the…

All great artists—from painters and poets to cellists and chefs—begin by studying the classics in their chosen field,” writes Alex Day in the introduction to Cocktail Codex, winner of the James Beard Foundation’s 2019 Book of the Year. Then they “emulate and practice those classics until they’ve developed their own signature style and can create original works.” Day, one of the owners of Death & Co. among other impressive hospitality credentials, is of course applying the principle to bartenders, but anyone can become a masterful mixologist by following the same tack. All that is required to begin with is plenty of time—which most of us have at the moment—and a properly equipped home bar. According to a survey conducted by Bacardi Limited, over the holidays just past, one in four…

ALISON BOWLES @alisonbowles With over 200,000 Instagram followers, petite model Alison Bowles has made her impression on more than just legions of bikini fans. She’s also stolen the heart of former Atlanta Braves infielder Adeiny Hechavarria and made him her fiancé. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Alison is the daughter of a teacher and a worship pastor. Alison graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from nearby Lindenwood University. “My followers mean a lot to me,” she says of her travel blog and social media audience. “They’ve supported my journey from the very beginning. It’s been a bit of a struggle, as a petite model, to climb my way to the top. And they have always encouraged me along the way.” Alison has visited over 16…

“I was totally terrified. I thought nobody was ever going to buy this piece, and it was basically going to kill our company.” It turns out that Max Büsser’s fears about the MB&F HM4 (for Horological Machine) were unfounded. In 2019, the New York Times cited the radical wristwatch as one of the 10 timepieces that have shaped modern watch design. The aviation-inspired HM4 was awarded Best Concept & Design Watch at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève when it debuted in 2010, and Büsser now hails the near-death experiment in watchmaking as the most important timepiece in his brand’s history. Ever since, MB&F—which stands for Max Büsser & Friends—has been a cult favorite among fans of avant-garde watch design and innovation. “The HM4 case escapes any standard definition, matched…

Few names carry as much resonance in the luxury auto space as Maybach. With origins dating back to 1909, the marque is a full decade older than Bentley and nearly as storied as Rolls-Royce. Admittedly its production history has been more sporadic, but that has only served to preserve its aura of ultra-exclusivity. An aura that hasn’t dissipated since Daimler incorporated it into Mercedes-Benz in 2015 with the launch of the first Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Just as AMG represents the most powerful, performance-oriented expression of Mercedes-Benz cars, Maybach now stands for “the manifestation of sophisticated luxury in its most advanced form” for vehicles bearing the coveted three-pointed star. This year sees not only an all-new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, but also the first-ever Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV, making 2021 the most important year…

McLaren Automotive has built almost 25,000 cars since they first disrupted the production supercar world in 2011 with the MP4-12C. In the years since they’ve continually demonstrated their ability to speed past the perceived boundaries of design, engineering and technology, with an impossibly prolific series of both supercars and hypercars. Now on the occasion of the brand’s 10th anniversary, they’ve unveiled brand new envelope-exploding examples of both—the Elva and Artura—embarking on the next chapter of the awe-inspiring McLaren story. Because as any true sports car aficionado knows, the marque’s origins go back much farther, to the early 1960s, when automotive designer, driver, engineer, and inventor Bruce McLaren first fielded race cars bearing his now hallowed name. The Elva, the more extreme of the two new offerings, is an astonishingly beautiful…

Any high-net-worth individual can buy a speedboat to cruise on tropical waters, that’s just pedestrian. So how do you truly make a statement—how does one set themselves apart from these commoners? Simply procure a vessel that can skim both on and under water. That’s the unique selling point of SubSea Craft’s visionary hybrid watercraft, the Victa. Titled a Diver Delivery Unit (DDU), the Havant, England company’s carbon fiber vessel uses a modified 725 hpplus Seatek diesel engine to slice over water at speeds up to 40 knots, offering all the high-velocity joys of a speedboat. The categorical difference with the Victa being that if you want to submerge—you know, to dive across a coral reef, peruse an octopus’s garden, or maybe release divers for a secret mission to overtake Richard…

Model and healthy-lifestyle advocate, Marina Pahomova, stumbled upon her vocation almost by accident. When her sister couldn’t make it to an agency casting call, Marina went instead. They chose her, and she never looked back. Sure, there was time out for modeling school, but that only stoked the already torrid love affair between her and the camera. “I was extremely insecure at the beginning. And it took me a few years to fully relax in front of the camera,” she tells us from her residence in Texas. “I was fascinated by models and fashion magazines throughout my childhood. So, I guess modeling was a part of my destiny.” With her father in the Soviet Air Force, Marina and her family were constantly on the move when she was younger, relocating…

Throughout American history, larger-than-life business leaders have come to exemplify, and often define, the eras in which they lived. Try imagining an America devoid of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s railroad and shipping empire of the 19th century, which not only opened the American West but helped create the very geographic layout of the nation we live in today. What would America’s story look like if not for the role of Andrew Carnegie’s Carnegie Steel or John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil? Would Wall Street be the global center of commerce if not for pioneers like J.P. Morgan? Howard Hughes holds a similar place in the American narrative, albeit one that has less in common with the business titans of yesteryear than with those who would inherit his legacy of entrepreneurship in the 21st…

Scenic views are often cited as one of the most important factors when investing in luxury real estate. In terms of an investment from which the owner can also extract maximum personal enjoyment, luxury estates with world-class views rank among priceless works of art, rare classic Ferraris and the super-scarce solid gold “Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona, an exclusive club indeed. To cite just one example from Barnes International Realty, which specializes in the most luxurious listings in Barcelona, “The quality and the excellence of the views can increase the value of a high-standing property by up to 50%.” This is a formula that holds true for nearly any place in the world where incredible views can be had, from Aspen to Israel. And with the increased focus on quality of…

Cover: Shorts and top, ALAÏA, www.maison-alaia.com; bracelets, AURÉLIE BIDERMANN, www.aureliebidermann.com. P. 46: Dress and heels, ALAÏA, www.maison-alaia.com. P. 47: Shirt, CHARVET, www.charvet.com; shorts, ALAÏA, www.maison-alaia.com; necklace, AURÉLIE BIDERMANN, www.aureliebidermann.com. P. 49: Dress, JOHN GALLIANO ARCHIVE, www.johngalliano.com; lingerie, MAISON CLOSE, www.maison-close.com; heels, ROGER VIVIER, www.rogervivier.com; earrings, BALABOOSTÉ, www.balabooste.com. P. 50: Kimono top, MES DEMOISELLES, www.mesdemoisellesparis.com; shorts, GAP, www.gap.com; bikini top, TATIANE DE FREITAS, www.tatianedefreitas.com; necklaces and body chain, JACQUIE AICHE, www.jacquieaiche.com; sunglasses, TOM FORD. P. 51: Bodysuit, ORZA, www.orzaboutique.com; shorts, GAP, www.gap.com. P. 52: Jacket, MAJE, www.maje.com; top, MAJESTIC FILATURES, www.majesticfilatures.com; shorts, AMERICAN VINTAGE, www.americanvintage-store.com; necklace and body chain, JACQUIE AICHE, www.jacquieaiche.com. P. 53: Dress, JOHN GALLIANO ARCHIVE, www.johngalliano.com; jewelry, STONE PARIS, www.stoneparis.com. P. 54: Blouse, JOHN GALLIANO ARCHIVE, www.johngalliano.com; pants, OUD PARIS, www.oud-paris.com; jewelry, STONE PARIS, www.stoneparis.com. P. 55: Jacket,…