Highballs and St Masa
The tale of a mysterious man, a kooky bar and a classic cocktail
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Every serious drinker needs a hidden Tokyo bar story. This is mine. After three days in the city, on a short leash held tight by a big Champagne house, I’d consumed seven Michelin stars, drunk enough prestige cuvée fizz to flush an inland river system and never once felt like I’d connected with the great kinetic metropolis just out of my reach. I was rescued by someone who at the time I believed to be a man, but was to discover later was an earth walking angel. His name is Masahiro Urushido. Bar owner, author, mystic. Patron saint of disoriented drunkards. He sent me necessarily intricate instructions to meet in the basement of a nondescript Ginza apartment tower.
The final instruction was, “Turn left when you exit the lift and push against the wall.” The wall yielded and became a portal, and then I took my first steps into the Tokyo I had mapped in my dreams. The room was monochromatic, the colour of stale pistachios. The bar was elliptical and manned by three elderly bartenders in white jackets. They all had towering, immovable quiffs.
If Stanley Kubrick had ever owned a bar, this would be it. Masa and friend waved me over. The only other patrons were two men wearing dark suits and darker expressions. They lit Mild Sevens with robotic regularity and never spoke. An imagination warped by too many movies might suspect they were the kind of men not to be messed with. I took a seat next to Masa, and the barman placed a demitasse of onion soup in front of me and began chipping at the ice for my drink. There was no cocktail list from which to order because a bar that serves only one drink doesn’t need one. The barman slipped the ice into a tall glass, poured a perfect measure of whisky and topped it with a small bottle of soda water that, in yielding its very last drop, filled my glass to the perfect point.
It was there and then I learned what wiser souls had always known. There is transcendental beauty in the perfect Highball. This is the most unadorned of drinks—a healthy measure of great whisky, the carbonated clarity of soda water, the crucial addition of carefully made ice, a satisfyingly tall glass.
But it is this simplicity that elevates it. It hides in plain sight in a world of overworked cocktails. While all around is loud, the Highball speaks its truth in whispers. It’s no wonder the drink is revered, even fetishised, in Japan. It makes sense in a culture that prizes precision. And it’s why every Highball I’ve ever made since that day has been made with Japanese whisky. It just has to be that way now.
Footnote: Masahiro Urushido’s 80-recipe masterpiece The Japanese Art of the Cocktail should be in the book collection of anyone even mildly serious about cocktail culture. His bar in Manhattan’s West Village, Katana Kitten, below, is a place of pilgrimage.
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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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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.
