Home interiors designed to make you feel something
Man caves, movie theatres with Versace popcorn holders, curated art collections, acid-green accents, customised everything … just some of the new essentials in styling up the home.
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On the 10th floor of the Time Warner building in New York, two days before the Presidential Inauguration, more than 200 marketing executives, retailers, analysts and researchers assembled to glean some insights into the rebooting of luxury in 2017.
And if there is one thing the speakers at Luxury FirstLook 2017: Time For Luxury 2.0 agree on, it is that there is a notable shift in the perception of luxury – from acquisitive to inquisitive, from expensive to experiential, from the old “I am what I own” to the new “I am what I do”.
Luxury is about emotion and the experiences a purchase brings. Home interiors in 2017 are as much about how they make you feel as they are about the brand statement.
“What’s really hit in interior design in the past two years is eclecticism,” says Perth interior designer Christian Lyon. “It’s very much about making your own statement. The cookie cutter look has completely gone.”
To that end comes layering; customised curation; investment collections; big, brave ideas; peerless craftsmanship and the story-telling in the design that brings a new interior to life. Lyon, who designs the inside of everything from beach shacks and boats to palaces, planes and penthouses, likes anything he does to be emotive, “to evoke a reaction”. From the strategic use of colour (“I have a very emotive connection to chartreuse and lime greens, and that bright spring new-leaf green that has just been voted the colour of 2017”) to the way a museum-quality collection of Paul Evans furniture might announce discerning ownership.
Australian interior architect Blainey North, too, likes to get to the bottom of how something will make her clients “feel”. For example: what does an underwater world feel like when there is no natural light and everything’s moving around you?
That was the question that drove North’s design of Crown Towers Perth’s Crown Spa, inspired by refractions of light seen on the surface of water from underneath and by the cruciform arrangements and circular vestibules of Roman bath houses.
Meanwhile, clients Marly Boyd and her property developer husband John Boyd wanted their 43rd floor apartment atop the ANZ Tower in Sydney’s CBD to feel like being on a luxury boat. Achieving that required a 3D mapping tool (the space had three different planes of curvature, all intersecting) and joinery that required the specialised skill of a guitar maker. A ribbon of black lacquered wood links all the different spaces – a modernist cornice that morphs into the balustrade, traces windows and bar units, and turns up in the bedroom as a bedside table.
“I live and die by how a client feels about the project … if they are happy, I’m so happy,” says North, who revels in scale. Her clients have included Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Shane Warne and Kerry Stokes, as well as James Packer’s Crown Resorts. North recently completed The Revy apartments on Sydney’s Darling Island, and is working on a new international store concept for British fashion designer Alice Temperley MBE.
“You create a miniature community for each project,” North says. “The builders, tradespeople, the client and my team. And if you all work together really well, something amazing will happen … better than you could imagine.” The return to that individual workmanship is, for North, where luxury environments are going – both in top-end residential and in commercial spaces such as luxury hotels.
Interior designers are consummate sleuths, art curators and investment advisers. Their little black books are an unrivalled entrée to the zeitgeist. As well as keeping an eye out for works by Paul Evans on his travels, Christian Lyon sources works by contemporary Paris-based artist designer Mattia Bonetti, Irish light sculptor Niamh Barry, and Hervé van der Straeten, who makes desirable jewellery, furniture and lighting.
“Van der Straeten works with beautiful mid-metals and bronzes, with many different finishes such as silver gilding,” says Lyon. “He works with materials like velum and hair on hide and exquisite stone samples, and he even incorporates antique panels into some of his work, like vintage Chinese Coromandel screens.”
North’s recent discoveries include French designer Coralie Beauchamp, who creates lighting designs from fibreglass and leather; a New York company called Egg Collective, which makes clever tables, mirrors, bookends and objets from polished brass with lacquer coatings; beautiful fine sheets from textile titans C&C Milano; and Apparatus, a New York lighting and furniture laboratory whose pieces radiate industrial glamour.
“We used a pendant of theirs made of horsehair in a four-storey-high [residential] entry space,” says North. “Giant strands of looped woven horse-hair with lights underneath.”
Versace, Roberto Cavalli and Fendi are on Michael Chard’s speed dial. Luxury brand director and creative director of Palazzo Collezioni (which distributes all three of these lines), Chard worships at the shrine of Gianni Versace.
He tends an exclusive club that loves the juxtaposition of drama, classicism and colour that the Italian house delivers. “Sometimes clients want Versace from the front gate to the back gate – tiles, architecture, fretwork, exteriors, pool design, landscaping …” says Chard. And when that’s done there is always the plane, yacht, helicopter and Lamborghini to style up.
The Versace look, says Chard, is “confident, unapologetic, bold”. “In a cinema room, there might be panelling in Versace fabric and/or Versace wallpaper … fully decked out, right down to the popcorn holders. These clients love the detail. They want the big picture, but they’ll look at every cornice, every edge.”
Chard will work outside the Versace aesthetic, however, working it back with personally sourced antiques and other befitting luxury interior offerings. “We do a lot of beautiful floors where clients want hand-inlaid parquetry. We’ll get thousands of pieces manufactured. There’ll be an artist who does all the flooring, sometimes mixing marble with timber. We might incorporate semi-precious stones.”
Walls are also a great canvas – especially for mirrors, with patterns etched into the glass, coloured to complement the interiors, and skilfully lit. And the ceilings? Maybe a cloudy, airbrushed sky, or an ambitious collage of works by great masters, Versace symbols incorporated, painstakingly painted onto a lounge room ceiling over several months.
Devotion to the Versace aesthetic doesn’t come cheap. “The average room is about a quarter of a million dollars to furnish,” says Chard, “and up to $400,000 with a more customised finish. That’s just furnishing – you could easily spend a million dollars all up just with the furniture. The dining room is usually the most expensive – there’s the table (it may need to seat 20), cutlery, napkins, glassware and porcelain to factor in, too.”
Oh, and throw in the big square turquoise crocodile skin-covered tray for the coffee table, at less than $3000.“What I celebrate with Versace is the layering of colours,” says Chard. “Be daring; don’t be afraid of layering colours. I love the juxtaposition of old and new; for example, patterns from the classic Gianni period (1980s) but given different colourways.”
In 2017 the trademark Versace gold and black is making room for a more muted monochromatic palette. Upcoming collections see grey, taupe and turquoise – a fresh look that marries with a simplifying of borders and cornice details, and opts for “clean” lighting, flush to the ceiling in place of chandeliers.
Chard’s clients, many of them self-made millionaires and out to celebrate their achievement, understand scale. If there is a standout trend in 2017, he says, it is “Big”. Bragging rights? You bet. “They want everyone to see it and say ‘Wow’. You can feel the emotion in the room.”
Chard has one client who is building a seven-bedroom home with spacious underground bunker, bowling alley, a 10-metre “lolly wall”, full-sized cinema, pool tables, air-hockey court, pinball machine room, spa, and lagoons with waterfalls. “It’s like Disneyland inside,” he says. “She has grandkids and she wants it to be almost like a theme park.”
Indeed, maintains Chard, with the diamonds around the dial of his Breitling watch beaming, homes are the new holiday. “Our clients like to travel, but once they have a home that is actually more luxe than a luxury hotel, its finishings more high grade, they just want to be home to enjoy it.”
The trend towards big houses, says interior designer Greg Natale, brings with it the man cave (most likely with a pool table, and/or several TV screens), media room, butler’s kitchen, a beautifully finished cellar and a master suite that is essentially a mini apartment with lounge room, dressing area, huge walk-in wardrobe and ensuite.
Acclaimed American potter, designer and author Jonathan Adler puts Greg Natale up there with Kate Moss, Roger Federer, Noel Coward, singer Adele, Ellsworth Kelly and Marc Newson. All of them, he writes in the foreword to Natale’s 2014 book, The Tailored Interior (Hardie Grant), have “it” – the enviable and elusive “ability to make perfection look effortless”.
“Any great designer has to get the detail right,” says Natale, who set up his Australian design practice in 2001 and now has 16 product lines under licence, from cushions and rugs to bed linens and candles.
His studio in Sydney’s Surry Hills is evidence of an ordered mind. There’s a mathematical precision and a palette of black and steely grey in the gridded gates, terrazzo flooring, rugs, leathered granite reception desk, geometric tiling and marble stairs.
Some years ago, Natale came to the rescue of Australian prisoners of mid-century minimalism, putting pattern, layering and personality on top of it, to further evolve the Hollywood Regency style that people like Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler were doing in the US.
“Americans do layering really well,” notes Natale, who tends to look to the US and France for inspiration before he looks to Italy.
In New York at 101 East 63rd Street, just off Park Avenue, sandwiched between a Church of Science Sunday School and a building listing dentists and podiatry tenants, is the townhouse that kick-started Natale’s passion for modern interiors.
Built for American fashion legend Halston, who entertained a who’s who of the avant-garde there in the ’70s, it is one of only three Manhattan residences designed by modernist architect Paul Rudolph.
“It was clean, really modern, but sexy and sophisticated,” says Natale, who might well be describing his own aesthetic. “The exterior was all black steel, the interior all white; the spaces were incredible.” Think 9.75-metre ceilings, a wall of windows and a skylight, floating staircase, double-height master suite, and a 149-square-metre terrace on the top floor.
Who else inspires him? He admires the style of Tom Ford; the “choreographer of spaces” William Adler; Jean-Louis Deniot; David Chipperfield; India Mahdavi; and David Collins, “an English designer who had quite an American look – very layered, very beautiful”.
What’s in store for the coming year? Natale admits he’ll be glad to see the back of the colour red, feature walls and retro-Scandinavian. He’s seeing kitchens moving away from black or white to shades of blue or even green. Hot, too, in living rooms are blush pinks and olive, and organic malachite-like patterns in textiles. Maybe a little cubism in the patterning, too.
Natale’s team is factoring in age-specific kids’ spaces (to cater to the first family and the second), bespoke libraries, joinery that’s fitted and fixed, and every runner and rug custom-made. Covered outdoor spaces are being given the same attention as that devoted to indoors – lots of layering with rugs, cushions and weather-resistant materials.
“The art is a big part of all properties. We source the signed Warhol and five great key big pieces … sometimes a client will have a collection, often they don’t, but we’ll do the whole art collection if needs be.
“An interior designer needs to be a good art buyer. We curate art collections. I get to act out my art-buying fantasies on my clients!”
Fundamentally, says Natale, interior design is about being practical and not overly clever. “It is about creating great, warm, comfortable spaces; that’s why the layering plays such an important part in what we do. It’s where the psychology lies.
“Who doesn’t want to feel glamorous and amazing when they come back to their home?”
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The World’s 7 Most Expensive Private Helicopters
The list includes a presidential helicopter, a special-edition ACH130 co-designed by Aston Martin, and the sleek Bell 525, appropriately named “Relentless.”
Time is money, and it’s especially true in navigating the world’s most populated metropolitan centres—from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. Since setting the first recorded distance record of 1,181 feet in 1924, the helicopter has proven its value in aviation for its durability and versatile roles. In business aviation, the helicopter is taking on even greater importance to quickly and efficiently transport busy executives within high-density city centers or to destinations under 800 kilometres.
Today’s rotorcraft are also increasingly sophisticated, with faster speeds and greater range. But even more noteworthy are the luxe interiors that have appeared in the last few years. Airbus Corporate Helicopters has partnered with Aston Martin to give its ACH130 a signature interior resembling a stylish, leather-clad supercar, while fractional provider Flexjet gives tribute to the Bentley Mullinar in its new special edition Sikorsky S-76. The latest Marine One, used to transport the U.S. president and other high-level U.S. officials, is a customized Sikorsky VH-92-A with special security features but also a lavish interior.
This list features seven of the most expensive helicopters in the world, with an overview of their designs, technological advantages, and passenger amenities rivaling many smaller business jets.
ACH160 Exclusive
Photo : Airbus Corporate Helicopters
The twin-engine ACH160 has it all—speed, agility, and comfort. With a range of 460 nautical miles and a maximum cruise speed of 178 mph, this 10-passenger helicopter has 68 patents, with distinctive features like Airbus’s Fenestron shrouded tail rotor that dampens the sound signature and vibration. Sound-proofing and spacious double-pane windows also suppress flight noise for a quieter working environment. The cabin offers customization options for leather arm chairs or bench seating, trim and storage options. In the cockpit, the ACH160 utilizes Airbus’s Helionix Avionics Suite and incorporates its four-axis autopilot system, synthetic vision, traffic-collision avoidance systems, and more. From $20 million
Leonardo AW609
The Leonardo AW609 has the advantages of vertical take-off and landing with the speed and range of fixed-wing turboprop aircraft. This distinctive tiltrotor delivers a maximum speed of 498 kph with an impressive range of 700 nautical miles. The aircraft can fly at 25,000 feet in a pressurized cabin with five-foot headroom and VIP seating can accommodate eight passengers. The cabin can be configured with a refreshment center and lavatory. The cockpit features digital VFR/IFR avionics with fly-by-wire controls, a synthetic vision system, and retractable, steerable landing lights. From $25 million
Sikorsky S-92 Executive
The award-winning Sikorsky S-92 Executive has been chosen by heads of state from 10 countries, including the recently delivered Marine One for U.S. presidential travel. This rotorcraft has the largest cabin in its class, seating up to 10 passengers, with stand-up cabin height and forward and aft seating arrangements. It also features 14 large windows, a full-height executive lavatory, swinging captain chairs, VIP armor, enhanced soundproofing, and plenty of passenger amenities, including wireless data and voice. With a maximum cruise speed of 280 kph and a range of 547 nautical miles, the S-92 can operate at ceiling of 15,000 feet. The S-92’s avionic system includes those found on a well-equipped business jet, with TCAS II, color weather radar, ground proximity warnings and a state-of-the-art, four-axis autopilot. From $31 million
Airbus ACH175
The Airbus ACH175 integrates safety, performance, and a superior passenger experience. It has a top cruise speed of 280 kph and range of 613 nautical miles and flight endurance of six hours, three minutes. Impressive, considering it can accommodate up to 12 passengers. The cabin’s length of just over 17 feet and eight-foot width allow customisation of three interior configurations. Large windows, airy interior, reclinable leather arm chairs, a modular bench concept, mini-bar, coffee machine, and lavatory are among the customisable options available. The ACH175 also has a sophisticated environmental control system and state-of-the-art entertainment system. The cockpit is ergonomically designed and gives two pilots access to advanced avionics, including autopilot and synthetic vision. From $25 million
Bell 525 Relentless
The Bell 525, with the appropriate monker “Relentless,” combines luxe amenities for business travel with advanced flight-deck technologies like the Garmin G5000H and a touchscreen glass flight deck. Safety extras include a terrain-awareness warning system and a five-color terrain proximity display with voice callouts to make pilots aware of height below 500 feet. This medium-lift rotorcraft can accommodate up to 16 passengers and two pilots, with a maximum cruise of 296 kph and range of 629 nautical miles.
Inside the cabin, the Bell 525 includes an in-flight entertainment enhanced lounge with Wi-Fi, moving maps, audio-video functionality, ambient lighting, and electro-chromatic windows that can be controlled by a user’s paired smart device. A limousine-style privacy window allows for VIPs to have conversations without headsets. From $25 million
ACH130 Aston Martin Edition
Photo : Airbus Corporate Helicopters
This isn’t the most expensive helicopter on the list, but the James Bond–calibre interior brings it to a higher level. This now in its second run, with the first series selling out quickly. The orders came from clients in Asia, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand, and North America. Available in four interior and exteriors, the design is inspired by Aston Martin’s high-performance DB11, with seats and doors upholstered in leather and coordinating ultra-suede covering the rest of the cabin. The rear of the front seats feature the same brogue detailing of the DB11. The ACH130’s performance is also 007-worthy: 134-knot maximum cruise, 347-nautical-mile range, and four hours and 13 minutes of max flight time. From about $9 million
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22/01/2025
One of Hollywood’s Favorite Bespoke Tailors Is Making His First Ready-to-Wear Line
Leonard Logsdail, who’s dressed everyone from Denzel Washington to Robert De Niro, is finally going off the rack.
Published on January 18, 2025
When Hollywood’s best-dressed men need suits—to wear on-screen or off—they call Leonard Logsdail. The English-born, New York–based bespoke tailor had already cultivated an enviable legacy by the time he dressed Robert de Niro in 2006’s The Good Shepherd.
In 1971, after graduating from what is now the London College of Fashion, he became the youngest person to open his own store on Savile Row. He set up shop in Manhattan 20 years later and has since dressed everyone from Al Pacino to Hugh Jackman. A lengthy list of devoted clients suggests the long lead time for one of his $15,000 rigs is worth it.
If you like his strong-shouldered look but want to skip making the dozens of decisions bespoke commissions require, you’re in luck. This year, Logsdail will begin offering a line of ready-to-wear jackets, available for purchase directly via his website.
“It’s an idea that’s been percolating for years,” Logsdail tells Robb Report. The result of his ruminations is timeless and essential: a two-button jacket with a double vent, using the same pattern he has employed countless times to give actors such as Denzel Washington (American Gangster) and Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) a commanding on-screen presence. It’s all about the shape, he says of the jacket’s leading-man look. There will be “a little bit of waisting,” so it flatters guys of all sizes.
Fabric options include a classic navy from the same Vitale Barberis Canonico textiles Logsdail uses in his bespoke garments; beautiful tweeds made at the Lovat Mill in Hawick, Scotland (the best tweeds out there, in his opinion); and a solid-blue Japanese seersucker. In a nod to his ancestry, he’ll use an 1888 painting by distant relative William Logsdail, St Martin-in-the-Fields, for the lining.
The choice underscores that the venture is as much personal as it is professional. The jackets, priced under $2,000, will help him reach a wider audience. But his business is a family affair: Two of Logsdail’s sons and one of his daughters help run it, handling everything from marketing to web design. One lesson he hopes to pass on with his uncomplicated, refined approach? “Fashion goes out of style,” he says. “But style does not go out of fashion.”
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Forget a Bow Tie. Here Are 3 Black-Tie Accessories to Rock Instead
Stylist Tom Stubbs on ditching the bow tie this festive season—and what to wear alternatively.
Black tie, that essential marker of an increasingly rarefied ceremonial style, is inspiring. Nothing coaxes men into upping the sartorial ante quite like reading those words on an invitation. I say amen to raising the bar, but I can’t bear wearing a traditional bow tie—and haven’t done so for over a decade.
Around the turn of the millennium, I was enthusiastically dress-code obedient, but two unstoppable forces put me off: Fashion moved on, and I got old. Where abiding by hallowed traditions once felt exalted, it suddenly began to seem restrictive and stuffy. And while it was extraordinary to be a bow-tied 30-something, in my 40s, the convention made me feel like a pompous, conservative square. Now, menswear has changed so much that bow ties register as pedestrian garb better suited to waiters than to revellers.
Fortunately, there are several black-tie alternatives that excite and inspire me now that I’m well into my 50s—many espoused by stylish guys on the red carpet and innovative designers in London, Paris, Florence, and Milan. And though I might take a bow on nonconformism as I step into my 60s, I still plan to steer clear of the bow tie, that ultimate symbol of gentlemanly customs, for as long as I can. Here’s what I’m replacing it with.
Form and Function
I got excited seeing Lemaire’s slim metallic modernised bolo ties in the house’s fall 2024 show. A favourite of men as varied as Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Snoop Dogg, the bolo is perhaps best remembered as the chosen neckwear of John Travolta’s surly hit man, Vincent, in Pulp Fiction. Originally, Native American tribes including the Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo used these accessories used to fasten bandannas with plaited-leather cords. High-end versions double as a bit of jewellery, with silver slides set with turquoise and often engraved with animal motifs, including buffalo skulls and eagles. Contemporary takes abound, but vintage sleuthing can turn up some particularly beguiling options.
Gambling Man
Varying in size, flounce, and attitude, ribbon ties—also called gambler or Kentucky neckties—have long been a legitimate black-tie alternative. Actor Cillian Murphy has worn Saint Laurent’s take to various award shows, looking stand-alone chic and authentically cool. They have a distinct Western energy—Kirk Douglas donned one as Doc Holliday in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, as did Robert Vaughan in The Magnificent Seven. But they’re as much rock star as they are gunslinger: The late Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls and Bauhaus front man Peter Murphy (style role models of mine) also wore them with panache. Take a note from the runway and wear them with a pair of boots—cowboy, Chelsea, or with a Cuban heel—to really step away from the standard.
Fit to Be Tied
Getty Images/Courtesy of Lemaire
If you want to give yourself some breathing room, consider scarves and neckerchiefs. This fall, Tom Ford proposed a louche take on evening style, using black, slim-plaited, or delicately sequined scarves whose long tassels provocatively dangle at the hips. For maximum effect, the brand styled them with open satin shirts, recalling rockers Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart. London’s La Bowtique also does beautiful outsize bows. On a smaller scale, the Twilly—a short silk scarf pioneered by Hermès—works in much the same manner. The French maison makes gorgeous options with angled ends for extra verve, whether hanging loose or more discreetly knotted.
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Show Stoppers
The Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance—a beauty pageant for priceless classic cars—returns for another instalment at the city’s most intriguing, and unlikeliest, venue.
The logic behind staging a prestige automobile show on an island may, at face value, seem warped—history tells us that cars and water do not play nicely. The rationale twists further when said piece of land is a former shipyard that is, aesthetically, more workhorse ute than classic Ferrari.
Scratch beneath the surface, however, and the decision to plant the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance on Cockatoo Island for the second year running begins to make locational sense: the steel arch of the emblematic bridge acting as photogenic backcloth; the UNESCO World Heritage site’s previous guises as 19th-century penal colony and eminent boat-building facility fleshing the show’s historical bones; the theatre of watching collectors delicately coaxing their four-wheeled artworks off a rusty roll-on/roll-off barge in the islet’s wharf before showtime. (After all, if owning a car in this stratosphere isn’t about projecting drama, then what’s the point?)
Throw in an endless endowment of free Champagne for guests and VIP transport from the mainland via superyacht, and it barely matters that the three-day jamboree is, in the words of founder and curator James Nicholls, “a logistical nightmare”.
“People love the energy, the adventure” says the Anglo-Italian, a broadcaster, writer and photographer whose extensive resume includes various stints as a concours judge across the world. “There’s a great contrast between the luxurious motor cars and the industrial environment. The Turbine Shop [a timeworn, hanger-like space used to display the vehicles] is where ocean-going liners and propellers were built. People interested in cars are also interested in that kind of thing but it’s just a backdrop. Cars are the main focal point.”
The concours d’elegance concept (“concours” means “competition” in French) can be traced back to 17th-century Paris, when aristocrats would flaunt horse-drawn carriages in local parks during summer months. Animals eventually gave way to automobiles, and the gatherings mutated into more organised contests in which these new-fangled contraptions were, in somewhat prescient fashion, judged solely on the appearance. The trend spread throughout European high society, before reaching America in 1950 with an inaugural pageant at Pebble Beach, California—a concours which has since evolved into a behemoth of the species, now billing itself as “the world’s most prestigious car show” and drawing 214 vehicles and spectators in the low five figures at the last annual meeting. Other concours are thriving globally, from spectacles in Lake Como in Italy (the longest running event, launched in 1929) to Udaipur in India. Vanity, it seems, remains in vogue.
Among this storied company, Sydney’s interpretation is playing catch-up. But Nicholls insists the local variant—launched in 2019, having occupied three other citywide locations—has no intention of locking horns with competitors. Not numerically, at least.
“In 2024, we had 500 people over the three days; this year we’ll aim for 750. But we’re never going to become a 20,000-people show,” he says. “We want it to be bespoke and beautiful, so people don’t have to queue for a glass of Champagne. You can talk to the car owners, and everyone feels like a VIP.” The overarching aim is to become a “destination event” on the socialite calendar, on par with the Melbourne Cup or the Australian Grand Prix.
While keen to keep paying visitors guessing, Nicholls offers Robb Report a sneak peek into some of the 44 objets booked to occupy the coarse, exposed-brick viewing hall, ranging from turn-of-the-century rarities to modern-day exotics: a 1905 Eugène Brillié 20/24 HP Coupé Chauffeur, believed to be the only one of its ilk left; a 1955 Porsche Speedster 356 “Pre A”, examples of which are valued in excess of $750,000; a Lamborghini Miura 3400, a model famed for its starring role in the opening sequence to 1969’s The Italian Job movie; a 2021 Audi R8 Spyder, an iteration that is no longer being produced and thus quietly accruing kudos.
Up to seven “classes” will be open, including categories solely for Porsche Speedsters and pre-war Australian coachbuilt cars. Two 1930s Bugattis are slated for appearance, one of which is, as this article is being written, on a boat somewhere, on its way to Australia. A panel of seven judges, led by the first ever female concours head assessor, who also adjudicated in 2024, will select the overall “Best in Show” winner—scored last time out by a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, a model line with a $24 million price tag attached. And in a progressive play designed to lure the oil-shunning generation, an “electric elegance” section will debut. Nicholls estimates the combined value of all this precious metal at around $80 million.
While it would provoke an illicit thrill to discover that frenzied super-collectors were slyly puncturing rivals’ tyres or keying priceless bodywork—skulduggery has plagued other pageants, from dog show Crufts (canine poisoning) to Miss World (rigging allegations)—the entrants are, in keeping with the show’s refined, English-garden-party profile—a gentlemanly bunch. To a point. “They like meeting up, the community that’s here, but they do get competitive,” says Mark Ussher, the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance managing director, and on-the-ground organiser. “They care about their cars but they’re investors as well as collectors. If they win a concours anywhere around the world it adds value to the car.”
Which makes it doubly important that, surrounded by all that deep Harbour water, everyone remembers to put their handbrake on.
The Sydney Harbour Concours D’Elegance runs from February 28th-March 2nd 2025; sydneyharbourconcours.com.au
Book tickets now and take benefit from the RR 15% discount code: ROBB15
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Jannik Sinner Is the First Tennis Player to Take a Luxury Bag Onto Wimbledon’s Centre Court
The 23-year-old Italian flaunted a custom Gucci duffle bag on center court.
Jannik Sinner aced the style game at last year’s Wimbledon Championships.
The Italian tennis star turned up to his match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo with a custom Gucci duffel bag on his shoulder. It marks the first time a designer bag has been carried onto centre court in the history of the prestigious, centuries-old tennis tournament, as reported by Women’s Wear Daily.
The duffel, which Sinner describes as a “timeless classic,” showcases the house’s signature beige and ebony colorway, the iconic GG monogram, and a contrasting green and red web stripe. It also features the athlete’s initials near the straps. Ironically, the rather traditional design has called into question a 150-year tradition.
“For sure this will create a conversation,” Sinner told WWD before defeating Cerundolo in straight sets. “Bringing sport and luxury fashion together in this way is something that’s never been done before and I feel extremely proud to be a part of it. I hope people will love it as much as I do.”
Wimbledon’s dress code is extremely strict: Players have been required to wear white at the event since 1877, with not even off-white or cream permitted on the court. Tennis whites were originally instated as it was believed the ensemble showed less sweat, as reported by Time. The tradition has continued out of respect for the sport’s history and a desire to maintain formality.
The rules are enforced, too: Our own player Nick Kyrgios was allegedly fined $25,000 for rocking red Air Jordan trainers at 2023’s tournament. Interestingly, the decidedly non-white Gucci accessory was reportedly given the all-clear by the powers that be. A spokesperson for Gucci told WWD the house worked with Sinner’s team “for the approvals from the ITF (International Tennis Federation), ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), and Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, to ensure the bag met the necessary requirements.”
The 23-year-old, who turned pro at age 18, became a Gucci ambassador in 2023 in his first luxury fashion endorsement. “Gucci for me represents Italian excellence around the world, excellence which is rooted in tradition as much as in innovation,” Sinner said. “This is the kind of message I am proud to convey when I represent my country wherever I am in the world.”
The Italian player was capture in action last week during his 1st round men’s singles match against Nicolas Jarry (from Chile) on day two of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park with more Gucci gear. Sinner carried a custom duffle bag crafted by HEAD and designed by Gucci to the men’s singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.
Sinner will play Australian Alex de Minaur tomorrow 22 January at the Australian Open.
