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.
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.
London-based TMB Art Metal, makers of “provenance” sculptures, cufflinks and other items fashioned from actual bits of automotive, aeronautic, locomotive and maritime icons, has come out with a new limited edition Spitfire Mk 1 sculpture stylish enough to adorn any gent’s library or office. Made in a limited edition of 24, the sculptures are crafted of aluminum originating from the Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk III engine fitted to X4276 KL-B, legendary RAF ace Al Deere’s personal Supermarine Spitfire for the latter part of the Battle of Britain and 1940, which crashed on 28th December of that year.
Numbers 1 to 12 will be mounted upon the twelve original pistons removed from X4276’s V12 Merlin and numbers 13 through to 24 upon the 12 beautifully engineered original engine conrods. All are supported by purposefully made bronze stalks with precision engineered ball and sockets which facilitate movement so the sculptures can be placed in various attitudes of ‘flight’. All sculptures are set upon a mahogany and burr walnut plinth and come with a certificate of authenticity signed by one of the original Supermarine test pilots. Now that’s what we call art.
The new Rock Bar at the Ayana Resort & Spa in Bali puts a bit of much-needed adventure back into cocktailing. Accessed via an inclinator that traverses the face of a dramatic craggy seaside cliff, the Rock Bar is a potent cocktail in itself of engineering, architecture and mixology. Towering 46 feet above the crashing waves, it was designed by Yasuhiro Koichi of Japan’s Design Studio SPIN and offers uninterrupted, 360-degree views from every single vantage point. Talk about “on the rocks”. We expect to see Daniel Craig fueling up there in the next Bond film.
Designed to ensure maximum seclusion for every guest, the Ayana’s 78 free-standing, cliff-top Bali luxury villas are set in traditional Balinese compounds with private pools surrounded by tropical gardens. If for some reason the Rock Bar isn’t your cup of tea – vertigo, perhaps – check out one of the resort’s other three watering holes, the C-Bar, Martini Club and Damar Terrace. We like a place with plenty of options for boozing, and those Bali sunsets are pretty intoxicating in their own right.
DQ’s new Miami digs were rockin’ on Friday night when Birmingham’s The Twang, who opened Glastonbury in front of 500,000 people, played a one-off show for the DQ faithful in the amazing space dedicated to gentlemanly pursuits. The glamorous gig put the finishing touch on the limited edition pop-up pad which features a killer collection of vintage Ducatis, including a 450 Desmo from the 70’s, a 350 Desmo, built in 1969 and a 1985 F1 prototype. Select models are for sale, should you wish to pick up a bike as stylish as your DQ suit.
Also on hand are a 1962 Maserati, full-size croquet pitch, bespoke lounge with Dormeuil fabrics, Ruby motorcycle helmet installation, Hendrick’s Gin cocktails and more. Things got off to an auspicious start when world-famous shoe designer Christian Louboutin, who has his own op-up shop down the block, was our first customer, coming in to buy an outfit for his own opening before we’d even officially cut the ribbon. The Miami shop will be open until Dec. 12th, then once a month for dinners and tastings and otherwise by appointment. Check out some of the great press we’ve gotten here and here.
4040 NE 2nd Ave., The Moore Building, #102, Miami FL 33137. Email miami@duncanquinn.com to be added to the mailing list for updates and event details.
On December 1 DQ will open a 6,000-sq.-ft. Limited Edition pop-up store in Miami’s Design District to coincide with Design Miami. More than 20,000 collectors flock to the District for the fair, known as the pre-eminent forum for the presentation of limited edition and collectible design. You can bet they’ve never seen anything as dashing DQ’s damned stylish monument to gentlemanly pursuits however. Hell, no one has.
The pop-up shop will feature the full line of DQ ready-to-wear starring our killer new fall collection and gangster chic ties, as well as limited edition croquet shirts and t-shirts exclusive to the venue. Hendrick’s Gin cocktails will flow like water, women will swoon, and hijinks will ensue on the full-size indoor croquet pitch. We’ve got a rendering above to tide you over ‘till the big day, when we’ll reveal further details. Meanwhile book your flight and look sharp about it.
4040 NE 2nd Ave., The Moore Building, #102, Miami FL 33137. Email miami@duncanquinn.com to be added to the mailing list for updates and event details.
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.
