David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, son of Princess Margaret and Earl Snowdon and better known as Viscount Linley, is that rare bird – a Royal who works for a living. Having set up in trade some years ago as a bespoke furniture maker he has now branched out into all sorts of clever little cabinets, humidors and other handsome geegaws executed with first-rate craftsmanship and an admirable elegant restraint. Of course being a blue blooded English gentleman he knows a thing or two about proper recreational requirements, as evidenced by one of his latest creations, the Linley Shooting Companion case in the fine portable bar tradition.
This essential bit of kit for any sporting gent who does not aim to go without the requisites of spirits and smokes for the duration of the hunt is priced at about $5,600. It is constructed of oiled walnut with saddle leather handles and an inlaid engravable, hallmarked sterling silver plaque. The case contains two lead crystal decanters with sterling silver plaques laid onto square rosewood stoppers, a cigar cutter and a walnut box to hold eight Corona No. 5’s. A removable walnut rack walnut holds eight pewter tumblers, numbered 1 to 8 to reference shooting pegs. Throw it in the back of the Range Rover and Bob’s your uncle.
© Copyright 2010 Duncan Quinn. All Rights Reserved.
In a stunning upset, the USA Croquet Team recently defeated Great Britain to capture the Solomon Trophy for the first time in the event’s 18-year history. With a close score of 11-9 the Solomon Trophy Test Match held at the Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs was a real nailbiter. The Test Match is played as the best out of 21 matches, with each match consisting of the best-of-three games. Twelve single matches and nine double matches are played, and the team that wins eleven of them emerges triumphant. Until now the Yanks have been soundly thrashed every year.
The competition began in 1985 when the USA played Great Britain in England. Since then the two countries’ top croquet players have competed for the prestigious prize, alternating play between England and the U.S. The Solomon Trophy will now remain in the States until the next Test Match is contested in England in 2011. Starring for the Yanks was the gloriously muttonchopped Jerry Stark, winner of five national titles and an inductee into the American Croquet Hall of Fame. Well played, fellows. Stop in next time you’re in town Mr. Stark and we’ll be glad to fit you for a DQ croquet shirt.
It was a hallmark of the international sporting set in the grand old days that a gentleman always brought along a handsome pair of field glasses in a fitted leather case when attending race meetings, horse shows, steeplechases and the like. Ditto while on safari, conducting military campaigns and observing regattas. Often they were of solid brass and wrapped in saddle leather, a worthy accessory to the morning coat, silk topper, or club blazer. Now the famed French house of Hermès has revived the habit with a stylish new set of binoculars. Wrapped in Hermès’ signature saddle leather, with a handstitched leather carrying strap, they’re priced at about $2,500.
Though it’s not an official collaboration, to our trained eye the binoculars themselves appear to be Leica’s compact, super-sharp Ultravid model from their sports optics collection (Hermès owns a stake in the famed German camera-maker). Whether attending cricket at Lords, polo at Windsor, Wimbledon, the regattas at Henley and Cowes, or especially Royal Ascot, these are essential kit. Remember the words of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux (1856 – 1929) on Ascot: “The best horses in the world and the prettiest women are seen on the Royal Heath. We racing men go to see the horses, non-racing men such as Lord Curzon go to look at the women.” We of course do both.
© Copyright 2010 Duncan Quinn. All Rights Reserved.
Avant-garde Monegasque yachtbuilder Wally is known for producing some of the world’s most brilliantly styled and engineered motor and sailing boats. Back in September we told you about the two new sailing superyachts they launched at the Monaco Yacht Show. When not engaged in revolutionizing the yachting world, Wally’s design geniuses work on their other passion, skiing. Wally’s range of high-tech skis, made using the same carbon fiber technology the company developed for its yachts, now includes six different models for a range of expert skiing styles and conditions.
Wally skis are 30% lighter than conventional skis and combine exceptional grip on ice with high performance on powder. Designed for speed of course they’re made to make deep carving turns as well, keeping everything smooth as silk even at maximum velocity. The carbon fiber is accompanied by cores of ash and birch wood, titanium accents and steel edging. The models in the range are the Original, Tradition, Magic, Freewally, Minipowder and Wallypowder. At 176 cm long, the new Wallypowder is one of the widest skis ever produced and the only full carbon ski specifically developed for off-piste runs. We’ll meet you back on the yacht for drinks.
Storied London luxury goods firm Asprey, holders of the Royal Warrant, are best known for their pricey baubles these days, but they also make a range of aristocratic, classic polo kit for people who actually play the sport and don’t just embroider their clothing with it. Asprey fields its own polo team, which won the prestigious Queen Mother’s Centenary Tournament 15 goal trophy at the Guards Polo Club this year, and also sponsors the Prince of Wales Trophy at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club - so the kit has been field-tested by Prince Chuck himself.
While their polo gear has been available at the firm’s dedicated shop at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo club, it is now available to order online for enthusiasts in the colonies. The full range is on offer, including their leather and suede saddles (£700), Italian leather polo boots (£800) and stylish bridle leather polo holdall (£800), along with the requisite bridles, whips, mallets, helmets and more. In addition Asprey offers a bespoke trophy making service, so you can establish your own tournament and present the winner with an appropriately plummy prize. Polo in the Catskills, anyone?
As games amenable to gentlemen go, croquet has few rivals - unfettered by the sartorial restraints imposed by more vigorous activities, while eminently suitable for en-suite cocktail sipping. So it’s high time this elegant pastime had a shirt to call its own. We hereby present to you the DQ Croquet Shirt in classic 100% piqué cotton, embroidered with our signature Fleur de Lys. Stylish and insouciant, understated yet with a hint of the iron fist beneath the velvet glove, it’s perfect accompanied by a fierce Pimms Cup in said fist, a mallet in the other and a glint in the eye. Of course should you also wish to sport the gorgeous garment while engaging in a chukker of polo or set of tennis, we will not protest.
Available to order from our stores in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York as well as by phone or online, the DQ Croquet Shirt comes in several damn-your-eyes combinations of white and custom piece dyed DQ fuchsia and blue, with custom dyed buttons and contrasting trim. All are available in DQ slim fit from size XS (small enough for the ladies) up to XXL. And you’ll want secure yours in time to dazzle the competition on the indoor croquet pitch in our forthcoming Miami Limited Editions pop-up store - but more on that later.
The $500 million renovation of the Empire State Building may be a much-needed bit of architectural resuscitation, but what’s the point from a layman’s perspective if you can’t get a goddamn drink there? Luckily Mark Grossich, the man behind Grand Central’s swank Campbell Apartment and a fellow who appreciates the fact that a historic setting makes a cocktail taste better, has the matter in hand. He’s turning a 3,500-sq.-ft. former post office on the iconic building’s ground floor into the Empire Room, a suitably Art Deco-rated bar / lounge slated to open at the end of November.
Design firm Goodman Charlton has cooked up an elegant scheme employing plush mohair, intricate cut velvets, macassar ebony, silver leaf, embossed leather, marble and polished stainless steel in tones of rich brandy, deep cognac, icy silver, and golden cream for the interior (rendering above), meant to evoke a more glamorous era of supper clubs and gentlemanly drinking establishments. The cocktails themselves will hew to Grossich’s signature mix of new and old classics, in keeping with the “A Toast to Another Time” ethos of the Campbell Apartment and his other joints like The Carnegie Club and The World Bar. We’ll see you there.
Recent upgrades at the Molori Safari Lodge in South Africa’s 185,000-acre Madikwe Game Reserve have made it a must-see for any adventurous fellow who likes a little luxury with his wildlife. 50 minutes by air from Johannesburg on the border with Botswana, the Lodge’s five bungalows boast spacious wooden decks, private infinity pools and floor-to-ceiling fully retractable glass walls. Privacy is the watchword here. A staff of 44, including chef Willie Malherbe who prepares local specialties like oxtail stew and pan-roasted springbok, look after a maximum of 14 guests in full safari style.
The Lodge’s butler unpacks your cases, presses your safari suit, provides a selection of Aqua di Parma toiletries and stocks each suite with an assortment of homemade cured meats and dried fruit. Up at the main lodge a well-stocked library also features a great selection of whisky, brandy and cigars, while the wine cellar is of course stocked with the finest South African vintages. There’s also one of the largest private telescopes in southern Africa as well as a holistic indoor-outdoor spa. Resident guide Greg Lederle, a former professional big game hunter, leads custom wildlife excursions by day or night, when a whole other host of creatures comes out.
Later this month storied UK Range Rover tuner Overfinch will unveil the Holland & Holland Range Rover, a bespoke sporting juggernaut limited to only 100 examples billed as the most luxurious Range Rover ever made. Expected to be priced at around $300,000, it’s also one of the world’s most expensive SUVs. The vehicle is both a reinterpretation of the Range Rover icon (based on the 2010 supercharged 503 hp V8) and the embodiment of Holland & Holland’s unique sporting heritage. It’s nothing short of the “ultimate all purpose, all season luxury supercar” for the discerning few. The theme here, stemming from Overfinch’s Country Pursuits concept car, is a quintessentially English take on opulence - which in this case means plenty of drinking and shooting.
While the exterior styling is relatively subtle, inside the Holland & Holland Range Rover reveals its true colors – not to mention acres of wood and leather. Saddle-stitched hides are offset by a 32 piece, hand-carved woodwork set available in a selection of finishes. The rear console includes an integrated refrigerator, capable of chilling two full size champagne bottles, along with storage space for two flutes. The plummiest bit however is a beautiful hand-crafted bespoke gun cabinet within the luggage compartment, with multiple drawers capable of holding up to eight crystal champagne flutes and whisky tumblers, as well as two cased guns, cartridges and all the trimmings. The guns of course should be handmade by Holland & Holland, established in London in 1835, who hold two Royal Warrants.
On September 3rd – 5th sailing superyacht maker Perini Navi of Maltese Falcon fame will stage the third annual Perini Navi Cup hosted in the billionaire’s playground of Sardinia by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. 22 stylish Perini Navi sailing yachts will gather for the event, ranging from the 24.5 meter Elettra, launched in 1987, to the massive 88 meter Maltese herself. All but two of them will top 40 meters; among them will be the will latest model to sail out of the Perini Navi shipyard, the 56 meter Riela.
The Riela, debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show, features an ultralight, streamlined aluminum hull and 15,000-square-foot sail plan that will give it a decided edge in the regatta. Coastal courses will be set using the many granite islands and islets of the La Maddalena archipelago as natural marks, while the prevailing mistral winds which have made the course off Porto Cervo one of the world’s most famous are expected to provide plenty of adrenaline-laced thrills. The sheer beauty of the boats make this one regatta that will be just as pleasurable to watch as to participate in.
