Things are really taking shape at DQ’s 6,000-sq.-ft. Limited Edition pop-up store in Miami’s Design District in preparation for the big opening this week. We just installed a stunning 1962 Maserati 3500GT, one of only 359 made, specially ordered and owned by famed Formula One driver Peter Revson, from the private collection of Russell Glace. The dashing Revson, heir to the Revlon cosmetics fortune, lived fast, died young, and had great taste in cars and women - his main squeeze was 1973 Miss World Marjorie Wallace. He teamed up with Steve McQueen for the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 1970 and was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Here’s some pix of his prize ride being carefully loaded into DQ’s damned stylish monument to gentlemanly pursuits, the store windows having been removed to pave the way. Stay tuned for more, including an incredible installation of classic Ducatis.
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.
Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo has come out with one of the sleekest looking yachts we’ve ever seen, the new 40 Alloy. The 131-footer is their largest yacht to date as well as their first built in metal - aluminum to be specific – which is lighter than fiberglass or steel, meaning at that size it can still hit 28 knots. The metallic finish and sweet lines coupled with design flourishes including gullwing doors like the ones on an exotic sports car make this a yacht to be reckoned with. Four folding platforms create four exclusive lateral terraces on the main deck, two on the living area and two on the owner’s cabin, lowering large bulkheads on the sides.
Naval architect Francesco Paszkowski collaborated with UK-based John Winterbotham and Partners on the James Bond-worthy craft. A unique upper steering position does away with the conventional open flybridge to create a large sky lounge connecting it a large outdoor lounging area opening astern. The minimalist inside looks like Milan penthouse with walnut, lacquer and leather finishes and a striking steel, leather and glass main staircase. The owner’s cabin, occupying the full beam of the yacht, has a Turkish bath and hydro-massager. And it will only set you back $25 million.
The world’s best collection of BMW motorbikes, comprised of almost every model built since BMW commenced motorcycle production in 1923, is coming up for auction on Nov. 28th. The marvelous motos, nearly 100 in all, formerly belonged to the legendary Willy Neutkens, and are only coming up for sale because he went to his great reward last year; this is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The sale is being staged by Bonhams at the BMW Museum in Munich, the archives of which were invaluable to Neutkins over the years as he painstakingly restored his collection.
Highlights of the sale include a 1923 R32 (estimate £30,000-40,000), a pair of R42s dated 1926 and 1927 (£18,000-22,000 and £17,000-20,000 respectively) and a 1927 R47 (£20,000-25,000). Other noteworthy pre-war models include the 1930 R16 (£15,000-18,000) and the 1936 R17 (£12,000-16,000). Also on offer are some outstanding wartime models, such as the 1942 and 1943 R75 Kriegselefant sidecar outfits painted in Afrika Korps colours, which are expected to achieve between £20,000-25,000 each. Bid now or forever hold your peace - and curse your luck.
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.
To go along with DQ’s killer new looks for fall we have a collection of silk neckties bearing gangster chic motifs, perfect for the gentleman, the rogue and the gentleman rogue. We were bored by the basic skull and crossbones which is about as edgy these days as soda water; this is much stronger stuff. A lot of DQ’s inspiration comes from the long and well-recorded history of the criminal fraternity frequenting Savile Row for their sharp suits and other attire. Think Mona Lisa, A Long Good Friday, Gangster Number One, and in particular for this new tie collection, Eastern Promises.
The sharp lads over at UrbanDaddy were quick to pick up on the natty new neckwear. Here’s how they just described them in their feature:
“Chances are, when you think Russian prisoners, you think…Savile Row neckwear. Or, if you didn’t, you will now: dandy suitmonger Duncan Quinn just came out with a line of ties inspired by the insanely complicated ink jobs that hardened criminals undergo in the gulag (think Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises). Consider it a subtle, elegant middle finger to whoever’s making you wear a tie.” Spot on as usual. The goods, made of 100% silk handwoven in England, cut, stitched and finished by hand in New York City, are now available in our stores and online here.
A cache of cool and classic Bond items have cropped up in Christie’s London’s Vintage Film Posters and Entertainment Memorabilia sale on Nov. 24. Highlights include some key items from 1974’s The Man With the Golden Gun, such as a two-piece black silk evening suit made for Roger Moore (above) for the film, offered at £3,000 - £5,000 with a corresponding movie still and letter of provenance. Also from that film are the arch villain Scaramanga’s custom triggers for the golden gun itself, made in the form of cufflinks which he unscrewed to assemble the lethal weapon, our choice pick estimated at £2,000 - £3,000.
Also on offer are a pair of black leather of Salvatore Ferragamo dress shoes worn by Moore in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, signed on the inside in gold ink along with a jocular note from the actor, for £800 - £1,200; and a jaunty trilby worn by David Niven in the 007 spoof Casino Royale in 1967, for £1,800 - £2,200. On a more modern note we have the Tom Ford aviator sunglasses sported by Daniel Craig in last year’s Quantum of Solace, £1,000 - £1,500, as well as a poker table chair and barstool graced by Mr. Craig’s derriere in 2006’s Casino Royale, estimated at £1,000 - £1,500. Personally we’re holding out for his Aston Martin.
The second installment of the oenological orgy known as the “Eleventh Bottle” DQ wine dinner series just went down on Guy Fawkes Night at Vito’s private dining room on the Lower East Side. If you missed it, don’t despair (too much); there are still slots open for the next bacchanalian brouhaha, though not for long. The 5th of November feast featured the vinous wonders of Chateauneuf-du-Pape (above), ranging from the 1990 La Milliere Vielles Vignes to the venerable 1955 Clos de l’Oratoire with several stops along the way, in addition to such culinary delights as ravioli with pork belly, green figs and mascarpone, roast leg of lamb and grilled wild boar.
The December 14 edition at Double Crown (Bleecker & Bowery) with a five course tasting menu will be equally outrageous; you can preview our resident wino JC’s selections below. Remember to exercise all your charm, courtesy, taste, well-learned politesse and DQ wardrobe to win a coveted spot at the table; you can save the sympathy for those who miss out. Call the NY store at 212.226.7030 for enquiries; $350 per person, payable in advance; space subject to availability, limited to 22 places.
1973 Heitz Martha’s
1974 Mount Veeder
1978 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow
1984 Chateau Montelena
1985 Rennaisance
1985 Dunn Howell Moutain
1961 Leoville Las Cases
1975 Mouton Rothschild
1978 Margaux
1979 Haut Brion
1983 Gruaud Larose
1988 Pichon Baron
Courtesy Bonhams & Butterfields
“Racing is life,” Steve McQueen once said. “Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” He raced cars of course, but motorcycles were his first love. Now the King of Cool’s vintage 1940 Indian Chief (above) is among the lots on offer at Bonhams & Butterfields Classic California sale at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on Nov. 14. He was pictured with the beloved bike on the cover of the book Steve McQueen: The Last Mile. The actor, who owned several Indians over the years, had the 1940 model, with its signature wide tires and deeply valanced fenders, meticulously restored by Southern California’s Starklite Motors in the ‘70s and used it to zoom around the Hollywood Hills. It’s estimated at an extremely reasonable $55,000 - $65,000 given the provenance.
Also featured in the sale is McQueen’s original condition 1949 Chevy pickup, being offered for the first time by his widow Barbara Minty McQueen. The actor used it to travel incognito around Beverly Hills, wearing sunglasses and a big cowboy hat to dodge the paparazzi; the estimate is $20,000 - $30,000. And Frank Sinatra’s 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, which we wrote about earlier this year, is also crossing the block with an estimate of $100,000 - $125,000. The car features a set of custom shot glasses and a cigarette case in the glove box for those all important Rat Pack pit stops.
Back in 1927 when Austrian Engelbert Frauscher founded his first shipyard, well-heeled gentlemen owned stylish boats that did double duty for ferrying the family around to picnics as well as a spot of chummy racing on the side; a sort of four-door Ferrari for the water, if you will. Now Frauscher, which continues the tradition of building classic, elegant motoryachts capable of kicking ass when the throttle’s down, has come out with the 717 GT, designed in homage to that time of earlier seagoing savoir faire.
The 23.5-ft. craft sells for $130,000 and features a long, elegant bow, shaft propulsion and an ample deck for relaxing between races. Unlike in ’27, you now have a choice of gas, diesel or even hybrid for the engine, with nothing sacrificed in the way of performance. A black hull and teak decking is the obvious choice but Frauscher will build you something more modern if you insist in customized hues, harking back to the day when well-heeled gentlemen had their own racing colors as well. Ah, if only this thing were fast enough to actually propel us back to the ‘20s.
Only once since 1920, when that horrid episode in American history known as Prohibition began, have rare spirits been auctioned in New York. Now at last Christie’s is stepping in to mend the breach with an impeccable selection of precious strong waters in its Fine Wines and Spirits sale taking place on November 14. Some $2 million worth will cross the auction block, including over 40 lots of carefully-curated whisky, bourbon, cognac, armagnac, and rum, plus a fine crop of champagne. The starring attraction is the exceedingly rare 1964 Bowmore Trilogy of single malts, direct from the Bowmore distillery on Islay.
Offered in the U.S. for the very first time, the Bowmore Trilogy, comprised of White, Black and Gold Bowmore, is estimated at $18,000 - $24,000. Something of a holy grail for Scotch drinkers, the elixir was matured below sea level in the storied distillery’s celebrated Number 1 vault for 44 years. Also not to be missed is the Ardbeg Double Barrel, a two-bottle lot sourced from two 1974 whisky barrels in a bespoke leather guncase with eight solid silver cups, estimated at $15,000 - $20,000. Among the other highlights: a 100 year old armagnac from Baron de Sigognac ($2,000 - $3,000) and a ceramic demijohn of British Imperial Rum sourced from the last remaining stores of the Royal Navy, estimated at $4,500 - $6,000.
