Table of contents for December 2020 - January 2021 in Robb Report

The beef did not arrive alone. My introductory shipment from First Light Steak Club was preceded by a cavalcade of gear and gadgets, from a heavy-duty cast-iron griddle to an infrared laser thermometer. Along with an app filled with instructional videos, I had everything I needed to cook the grass-fed New Zealand Wagyu to the club’s exact—and proprietary—specifications. Such wonkish devotion to ingredients and preparation is a hallmark of First Light co-owner Jerry Greenberg, who in 1990, as a 25-year-old Harvard grad, cofounded Sapient, the digital marketing and consulting firm that Publicis eventually bought in 2015 for $3.7 billion. But even before food became his new profession more than a decade ago, it was a hobby bordering on obsession: When traveling as Sapient’s co-CEO, Greenberg sought out the best sushi…

Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst’s résumé comes dripping with art-world cred: She launched Pace London, helped get the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow off the ground and did time with both Gagosian and Sotheby’s. Now she has teamed with her former boss at Pace Gallery, president and CEO Marc Glimcher, to found Superblue, an independent new concept that straddles the divide between art and entertainment. Superblue represents a radical business model: a for-profit venture that exhibits seriously respected artists who produce experiential works, rather than objects, and pays them a cut of ticket sales. Opening in Miami in February, Superblue will mount the kind of large-scale, immersive exhibitions that have become wildly popular in recent years: Think Random International’s Rain Room, which had thousands waiting for hours in sweltering heat to…

As the creative adviser of United Arrows, Japan’s largest multi-brand store, Yasuto Kamoshita is a fashion lodestar for countless Japanese shoppers. And as one of the most photographed characters on the international menswear circuit, he has an influence that extends around the globe. He’s been on the cutting edge of cool since his school days, as an early adopter of Ivy style while growing up in Tokyo. After studying interior design, he ended up taking a job on the sales floor at Beams, at the time Japan’s biggest fashion purveyor. His innate style got him promoted to buyer and then designer of the store’s in-house brand. After eight years, he left to cofound United Arrows, overseeing all things aesthetic, from product design to store interiors. In 2007, he started his…

The original Land Rover changed little, at least fundamentally, from 1948 until its brand-defining Defender series went extinct in 2016. Now its long-awaited return reveals a whole new animal. We recently drove the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 SE, starting at $62,250, with its 3.0-liter inline-six developing 395 hp and 406 ft lbs of torque. Like the original, the all-new model is less aerodynamic than a Galápagos tortoise, though unlike previous models, this modern Defender exhibits little wind noise at speed and is a surprisingly quiet and comfortable freeway flier. It’s also deceptively compact and nimble, considering its 8,201-pound towing capacity and ability to carry nearly one ton of payload. Configurable Terrain Response air suspension offers a wide variety of settings, from Sand to Comfort. It can also ford up…

One of the new rules of air travel is to minimize contact. While air-charter firms say that flying private can eliminate up to 680 person-to-person touch points, the PS terminal at LAX (formerly the Private Suite) offers a similar solution for commercial travelers. Counting TSA and customs officials at the facility’s secluded entrance—who take care of checking you into your flight, screening your luggage and procuring your boarding pass—plus the chauffeur who ferries you from suite to airplane door in a BMW 7-Series, contact is limited to five people or fewer. Beyond allowing you to avoid chaotic main terminals—not to mention every security line—each of the 10 suites is a pre-flight relaxation chamber, with its own bathroom, daybed and food-and-drinks pantry. Members enjoy complimentary meals, in-suite massages, manicures and barber…

How quickly predictions can look foolish. In January of 2020, news outlets rushed to publish lists of bright forecasts for the new decade, Vogue heralding “a flood of much-needed optimism.” And who could blame them? After a decade of uncertainty under the clouds of an economic superstorm, a looming war in the Middle East and a symphony of duff notes coming out of the West Wing, surely things would pick up, no? Well, now we know. The house arrest of the last nine months has turned our way of life on its head, and while some of the outcomes may prove positive, there’s precious little of that earnest if willful optimism we so wanted to feel just a brief moment ago. And yet, as the smoke clears, not every prediction…

Whether or not continuation cars pollute the collectible pool, they don’t seem to be damaging the market for originals. According to valuation statistics from Hagerty Classic Insurance, the value of a number of in-period models increased over recent years, even with the presence of their continuations. But, no surprise, 2020 took its toll on a few. +29% 1957 Jaguar D-type 2016: $7 million 2019: $10 million 2020: $9 million -21% 1957 Jaguar XKSS 2016: $15.2 million 2019: $16 million 2020: $12 million +42% 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Lightweight 2016: $3 million 2019: $4.25 million 2020: $4.25 million -4% 1964 Aston Martin DB5 2016: $1.35 million 2019: $1.45 million 2020: $1.3 million +7% 1967 Ford GT40 Mk I 289 2016: $6.5 million 2019: $6.8 million 2020: $6.95 million +11% 1967…

If you’ve seen one island, you’ve seen them all, right? No. Wildly, emphatically no. There are those whose white sands are spellbinding, whose cuisine is exquisite or whose staff are freakishly intuitive. So, what if you could combine your favorite details from across the world to build the ultimate private retreat? Witness Robb Report’s own fantasy island, taking the best bits of eight of our favorite isles. Apologies in advance, as this is one place that even money can’t buy. Yet. WATER: Taransay, Outer Hebrides Yes, that Outer Hebrides. In Scotland. But wait: The sea surrounding this necklace of islands off the west coast is lapped by the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and crystal blue. Temperatures might be “bracing” year-round, but the purity and clarity of the waters more…

As tourism slowly restarts across the world, some countries are looking to minimize Covid-19 rates while maximizing visitors’ impact on their economies by opening solely to private jets. It’s a canny move: According to industry site Private Jet Card Comparisons, the average spend per passenger on a private-jet arrival is more than 50 times that of a commercial passenger. For tourists, of course, the appeal of private jets is both convenience and reduced risk of contagion. Here, the top destinations where private-jet travel is the only way to go. CAYMAN ISLANDS Just a 90-minute flight from Miami, this British Overseas Territory began reopening on October 1, but mass leisure travel is not yet permissible. Charters may land, however, provided travelers adhere to government-led testing protocols on arrival. Ultra-luxury properties abound,…

IN ADVANCE of its December 22 debut in Miami, Superblue has assembled a roster of more than 20 artists and collectives who explore multidisciplinary and multisensory realms (think light, sound, movement, touch) to create so-called experiential works. For its inaugural show, Every Wall Is a Door, CEO Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst says the team decided to focus on “the history of experiential art and how we got there” with these three opening acts, which will remain on display through 2022. JAMES TURRELL A giant of experiential art, Turrell has spent more than five decades making work about perception. As Dent-Brocklehurst puts it, “James Turrell is obviously where it all came from.” Using light as his medium—not just his subject—Turrell has created a body of work that includes “Skyspaces” (chambers with openings to…

EVERY CHILD should be introduced to the classics—not just Shakespeare and Miles Davis but the masterworks of the automotive world as well. Now, thanks to new examples of remarkably accurate and painstakingly crafted miniature vehicles, even kids who can’t see above a steering wheel have the chance to pilot a selection of iconic automobiles. Power comes from a 13.4 hp all-electric system which can be put to use via four drive modes. Starting around $60,000, the Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Junior from the Little Car Company in Bicester, England, comes dressed in the marque’s famous combination of Silver Birch over black leather and features replicas of the iconic Smiths gauges on the dash. From a distance, it’s enough to mistake the miniature rear-wheel-drive grand tourer for the real thing, until…

In the audio world, Bang & Olufsen has created products as timeless as an Eames lounge chair or Gucci horse-bit loafers. The Danish manufacturer’s designs have distinguished themselves ever since its Bauhaus-inspired radios of the 1930s, though much of its signature modern aesthetic was defined in the 1960s and ’70s by the late designer Jacob Jensen, who created some 234 products. One of Jensen’s landmark designs was the Beogram 4000 turntable from 1972, which, with its tangential tonearm and elegant aluminum-and-wood trim, was years ahead of its contemporaries in both form and function. In honor of the brand’s 95th anniversary, B&O is now offering 95 examples of the Beogram 4000c Recreated Limited Edition, the first product in the company’s new Classics initiative. Like a concours-car restoration, it was taken down…

The original explorer yachts were either barebones trawlers favored by retired sailors or square-hulled, aluminum vessels that resembled commercial fishing boats. Fifteen years ago, a few builders unveiled a new category, the mini-explorer, with smaller boats that were long on function but similarly short on looks. These just-launched versions, however, not only have ocean-running hulls but panache to spare in the form of artistic interiors, open sterns and fashionable profiles. It’s a whole new way to discover the world—this time, in style. Azimut Magellano 25 With its dual-mode running surface, the new Magellano 25 can cover vast distances at a leisurely cruise or whip along at 25 knots. The 83-foot hull is a prime selling point, but the interior is the real breakthrough. Vincenzo De Cotiis, known for his award-winning…

1 A Gonzo Trip to the Antarctic A total solar eclipse above Antarctica is so powerful and rare—the last one happened 75 years ago, the next will take place in December 2021 and the one after that won’t be until 2039—that it has become a seminal event for NASA scientists. Best seen from the water, the visual drama of the horizon-level eclipse is heightened by the region’s jagged icebergs. Witnessing the phenomenon is just one of a dozen singular experiences that Pelorus has designed for a Robb Report reader and 21 guests on its exclusive 10-day voyage aboard the 254-foot expedition yacht Legend from December 2 to 11, 2021. Exploring the most remote treasures of the southernmost continent, you will also take a helicopter to visit the largest emperor-penguin colony,…

The letter, dated March 20, 2020, was addressed to Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of British automaker Bentley. It began with a nostalgic recap of the marque’s storied triumphs in races a century ago, before getting, politely, to the point. “Understandably, over many years, Bentley Motors’ marketing department has sought to maximise this remarkable heritage,” the letter reads. “Bentley Motors Ltd. has often had recourse to supportive private owners—such as ourselves—to provide one or more of our genuine period cars for various company promotions and events which we have willingly encouraged. Against such a supportive background, we are now writing to express our shared concern and dismay upon hearing of your company’s apparent plans to build and market a batch of 12 replica ‘Blower’ Bentleys for premium-price sale.” What gave…

Escaping to your own private island is perhaps the ultimate default fantasy. The dream of a Neverland where quotidian rules dissolve in the tropical sun has long held universal appeal, even before the Covid-19 pandemic instilled a fear of human proximity. It’s an almost primal yearning, one that has infiltrated high culture and low, from Shakespeare’s The Tempest to reality TV’s Temptation Island. Until recently, the possession of one’s very own sea-fringed pseudo-kingdom remained, for most of us, a pipe dream. But now that isolation has taken on the urgency of a government mandate, and the bonds that tie us to physical workplaces are disintegrating, more and more people are considering whether owning an idyllic rock somewhere is less fantastical and more fundamental. The word “isolation,” after all, comes from…

Cashmere is an unlikely candidate for controversy. It conjures up images of cozy, expensive scarves, made from the belly hair of goats roaming across the steppes of Mongolia, using techniques and skills honed over the centuries. It’s a luxe treat that has grown more accessible in recent years; see Naadam’s $75 sweater, for instance, or the rows of candy-colored pullovers in mass-market stores. Yet, though the price of a cashmere sweater might have dipped, the costs are higher than ever. Much like one of the bitter winters, known as dzuds, that menace Mongolia, this age-old industry faces a perfect storm of challenges: rising demand, surging temperatures and plunging prices for raw materials, which should put cashmere into any ethical shopper’s crosshairs. First, demand. Cashmere forms almost 7 percent of the…

George Bamford just reinvented his own take on reinvention. For the last 16 years, the founder of London customizer Bamford Watch Department has been known for going dark, outfitting everything from Rolex Submariners to Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks in charcoal-hued coatings of titanium or graphite, finished with blacked-out dials and baby-blue hands. The style has gained a cult following, but now, in partnership with Girard-Perregaux, Bamford has created his first solid-white timepiece. To celebrate 45 years of Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato sports watch, Bamford proposed the inverse of his signature style. The 38-by-10.2-mm “Ghost” version comes with a polished, satin-finished case in high-tech ceramic, which is not only stainless and hypoallergenic but also scratch- and heat-resistant. Its dial features a Clous de Paris pattern, black accents on the applied luminescent indexes, baton-shaped…

On December 1, the Maldives will launch a canny new scheme aimed at turbocharging its tourism rebound: the first loyalty program for a country. The system, typically used by airlines and hotels (not to mention sandwich shops), could prove pivotal for a country where tourism accounts for nearly two-thirds of GDP. According to a government spokesperson, the system will operate in three tiers: Aida, Antara and Abaarana, which in the local Maldivian language translate to Bronze, Silver and Gold, respectively. Once enrolled, guests will hit Aida status after just 28 days’ worth of stays, apportioned as travelers see fit. Hotels are also ranked by the tier system (rewards vary by enrollment status) and travelers can earn bonus points when visiting for special occasions such as a honeymoon or anniversary. Each…

FIVE YEARS AGO, if you asked a bartender for non-alcoholic gin they would have thrown you out of their bar. The entire concept of N/A spirits wasn’t just strange but nonsensical, like asking for dry water. Today’s drinking landscape is something the Prohibitionists could have only dreamed about: People are choosing not to drink. According to a report by Snap Inc. and market-research firm GlobalWebIndex, only 15 percent of Gen Z say they drink alcohol weekly, and Dry January and Sober October are now common to the point of cliché. And when the market smells demand, in floods the supply: In the last few years, a kaleidoscopic array of balanced, complex and thoroughly adult alcohol-free beverages has emerged. Through advances in de-alcoholization, breweries like Connecticut’s Athletic Brewing Company and wineries…

For a fashion house that built its empire by continually reinterpreting tweed, it’s surprising that this year marks the first time Chanel has used the Scottish wool fabric as inspiration for an entire high-jewelry collection. Each piece is inspired by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s favorite threads; a highlight of the collection, the $677,900 Tweed d’Or necklace, features interwoven stones set in lattices of platinum, white gold and yellow gold. It appears to curve around the neck like a gem-set cuff of fabric fastened by a 20.4-carat, oval-cut imperial topaz “button”—a clever nod to the Parisian house’s most iconic design. Coco Chanel’s long affair with the material began in the 1920s, when she became enamored of the fishing and hunting jackets worn by her lover, the Duke of Westminster. Her tweed creations…

With a potent 611 hp and 561 ft lbs of torque, the Roma is “Formula 1 in an evening dress,” says Ferrari chief design officer Flavio Manzoni. Representing a new bloodline in Maranello’s stable, the Ferrari Roma epitomizes the brand’s ideal of la nuova dolce vita, or “the new sweet life,” a contemporary take on the era when Rome was an epicenter of creativity during the 1950s and ’60s. Not coincidentally, that’s also when Ferrari grand tourers like the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso were among the world’s most desirable cars. With a pure form and classic proportions inspired by such predecessors, and a potent 611 hp and 561 ft lbs of torque from its 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8, the Roma is “Formula 1 in an evening dress,” says Ferrari chief design…

1 Smooth Moves: The push-propeller design avoids creating turbulent airflow across the fuselage, adding to the aircraft’s efficiency, while the ventral fin below provides strike protection. 2 Apex Twin: The Red A03 lightweight aluminum piston engine is a liquid-cooled V-12, with each twin six-cylinder bank capable of independent operation. The engine is certified to operate on Jet AI and biodiesel fuel—which means 50 percent lower fuel burn compared to turbine engines in the same category. 3 The Shape of Things: The odd shapes of the fuselage and wings create uninterrupted airflow, reducing drag by up to 60 percent compared to a similarly sized business aircraft. This laminar-flow design is what underpins the Celera’s fuel efficiency, speed and range. 4 The Flow With the Go: High-aspect ratio wings increase the Celera’s…

TIRED OF home-theater projector systems that work only in warehouse-size spaces? The latest short-throw and ultra-short-throw projectors use concave mirrors, lasers and specialized lenses to minimize the distance needed to create gargantuan displays with incredible 4K resolution. The best part? Views won’t be interrupted every time someone gets up to grab a snack. Sony VPL-GTZ380 Sony recently unveiled its new VPL-GTZ380 projector, with its whopping 10,000 lumens of brightness; most competitors offer less than a third of that. With a proprietary liquid crystal-on-silicon display technology and the same powerful X1 processor from Sony’s flat-screen TVs, the innovative component creates ultra-deep black levels. Lens options include a standard with wide-zoom capabilities and a short throw for a precise 4K image up to 1,200 inches in diagonal. Though as yet unannounced, the…

COULD THE Mambo represent the future of boat building? The wild-looking 21-footer, introduced during October’s Genoa International Boat Show, was built by Moi Composites via its Continuous Fiber Manufacturing process, which uses a computer and 3-D printer to simultaneously build and shape a boat by adding individual layers of composite materials that are then cured by laser. Moi CEO Gabriele Natale says 3-D printing will revolutionize boat production because it not only eliminates the need for tooling but can also create unique shapes that are impossible to achieve with traditional molds. As for performance, Mambo’s electric-blue hull hit an impressive 26 knots with “excellent stability,” Natale says, adding, “We just need to adjust a few settings, and we’re confident she’ll run at 30 knots.”…

It’s mid-October, and Kim and Ian Treibick are racing to wrap up their lives in the upscale coastal community of Riverside, Conn. The couple have just four days before they move onto their new boat, a Fleming 65, and cast off to cruise south toward the equator for a year, maybe more. “It’s a lifelong dream of mine, to sail off into the sunset, and when we met, we shared that dream,” says Ian, a 43-year-old who works in cryptocurrency. His 39-year-old wife, a stay-at-home mom to three kids aged 10 and under, agrees. “We originally planned to do it after the kids had gone off to college,” she says, pausing. “Then the pandemic hit.” When everyday life upended, they decided to turn the new stay-at-home norms into an adventure…

To bring back a treasured car model is a massive undertaking, but entrepreneur Alan Stote has upped the ante by resurrecting an entire marque. As a collector, Stote was enamored with the vehicles of Alvis Car Company, active in Britain from 1920 to 1967. Of around 22,000 examples produced, 5,000 remain in existence, many remarkably still on the road thanks to the automaker’s innovative overengineering. “It was the first company to produce a front-wheel-drive racing car, the world’s first allsynchromesh gearbox and the first to design for independent front suspension in the UK,” says Stote. “Its big competition was Bentley.” But Alvis was not in the body business, so its cars were dressed by the top coachbuilders of the day, including Vanden Plas, Lancefield and Park Ward—some as one-off creations.…