Property of the Week: 14 Half Moon Street is a Victorian bachelor pad turned family mansion that’s on sale for £14m September 22, 2016 A peek inside these plush living quarters is also a glimpse into Oscar Wilde’s Mayfair, a time when bohemians and young men-about-town could afford to live in the prestigious district while they chased their fortunes. This enormous Grade II listed house was the inspiration for Algernon Moncrieff’s bachelor pad in The Importance of Being Earnest, [...]
New homes on sale at the BBC’s former Television Centre in White City and London’s only Royal crescent September 22, 2016 Television Centre, White City From £750,000 Watch the stars come and go from the balcony of your flat by snapping up one of the latest homes released for sale at Television Centre, the former home of the BBC. Thirty new apartments designed by Stirling Prize-winning architects AHMM will be the closest properties to the three [...]
Hardcore horology for women: Montblanc’s latest puts its mechanical guts on display September 22, 2016 Montblanc is known for mechanical fireworks when it comes to men’s watches but its women’s range has tended to be more sedate. But following in the footsteps of its first women’s perpetual calendar – also part of the hugely successful Boheme collection – comes its first women’s exotourbillon. You may be familiar with a common-or-garden [...]
From carbon fibre to ceramics, women’s watches are getting the high-tech treatment September 22, 2016 Mother of pearl dial, dainty case diameter and diamonds somewhere about its person – those used to be the three must-have elements when it came to designing a woman’s watch. However, the latest launches from quite a few notable brands seem to be challenging that status quo. From cases in interesting material – sapphire crystal, [...]
Back to school doesn’t have to mean dull. As you switch to a winter wardrobe, these fun but practical timepieces should be on your mind September 22, 2016 While it may have been a while since you bought a new pencil case, donned a scratchy jumper and polished your non-descript pair of black shoes, there’s still something about September that has a “back to school” feel. The weather starts to cool and you relinquish the summer florals in favour of autumn’s more sombre [...]
The long and winding path of Gerald Laing, from bikini babes to the dogs of war September 22, 2016 Gerald Laing is best known for his bold pop art works featuring beautiful bikini models, macho space-men and daredevil skydivers. He was a pioneer of the movement, a Brit who moved to New York and became a cultural figurehead, revered alongside the likes of Andy Warhol (who he would later pay homage to in a [...]
My Inspiration: Artist Lauren Baker on vows of silence, an infinity coffin and her love of John Everett Millais’ Ophelia September 22, 2016 Artist Lauren Baker talks about her love for John Everett Millais’ Ophelia In Shakespeare’s play, Ophelia is picking flowers in the forest and falls into the river, where her billowing dress keeps her afloat for a while before she slowly drowns. In the painting she’s pale white with long, gingery hair, so I kind of see [...]
From Dada to the cover of Vogue: the incredible life and times of Vogue photographer Erwin Blumenfeld September 22, 2016 Erwin Blumenfeld, one of the most recognisable fashion photographers of the 20th century, led a life that uncannily reflected the contradictions of his times. He was a famous photographer of nudes who was once arrested for daring to allow his bathing costume to slip from his shoulder while sunbathing. He was conscripted into the German [...]
Famous sculptor Alexander Calder also made stunning jewellery, on display in London soon September 22, 2016 Alexander Calder is best known as the man who introduced the mobile to the art world. In a recent Tate Modern retrospective, his giant, astronomical sculptures rotated overhead, some powered by invisible motors, others relying on gravity and the movement of air created by visitors. They rely on delicate balance, suggesting that beauty underpins the [...]
The future of the arts: from 3D printing to VR, we speak to people bringing cutting edge tech to age-old formats September 22, 2016 Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination,” said sociologist Daniel Bell, “[They] are not separate realms walled off from each other.” The convergence of these two forces is age old, but the pace of innovation over the last decade, with the emergence of viable virtual reality and 3D printing, has given [...]