Innholdsfortegnelse for Dec/Jan 2020 i Town & Country

1987 SECRET SANTA Our December 1987 issue, which had a cover by Italian artist and children’s book illustrator Oscar De Mejo, included a roundup of “Special Givers and Glorious Gifts.” We tipped our hat to Pierre Schlumberger, who once surprised his wife São with a 51-carat Golconda diamond ring—in a brown paper bag. We still favor extravagant gifts with a twist (forget a Moncler jacket—their new ball gown is much more 2020. So is a portable Pilates reformer). The greatest presents for discerning (or demanding) recipients are all here, starting on page 39.…

As the American Heart Association evolves, we are energized by the strong, vibrant future we’re building with our more than 40 million volunteers and supporters. Our mission statement informs everything we do: To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. While our work remains anchored to heart disease and stroke, we’ve sharpened our focus to meet the comprehensive health needs of people everywhere. We fund research and programs at the intersection of leading science and technology, and we help empower people to improve their health. We advocate for laws and policies that truly can transform communities and ensure equitable health for all. We are forming powerful partnerships, working with the best and brightest to advance data mining, precision medicine, health technology, drug discovery, venture capital investing,…

Given how much diamonds are lauded for their strength, it’s surprising that they’re frequently paired with gold, which is famously soft. When it comes to substance, titanium, so strong that it was named for giants from Greek mythology, is a far better match. Its rigidity makes it difficult to form, but in the hands of an experienced jeweler, titanium can achieve intricate, delicate shapes that weaker metals can’t. And, after seeing it oxidized to a brilliant blue and topped with nearly 12 carats of diamonds in Lugano’s blue spiral and kite-cut diamond earrings, we suspect this overlooked metal will start stepping out in high jewelry settings more often.…

PARTY RESPONSIBLY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC Heart-shaped Nukutepipi, two hours southeast of Tahiti, is the latest addition to the resort collection of Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté, and for $1.1 million per week its 16 bungalows and villas are all yours—it’s available only on a takeover basis. All the requisite resort-in-paradise elements are here: water sports, picnics on deserted motus, hammocks on powdery beaches. But what truly sets Nukutepipi apart is that it’s an experiment in sustainability meant to educate and inspire. An organic farm supplies nearly all the food, bees are kept for honey and as a meditation aid (it’s the buzzing), a telescope helps you ponder your place in the universe, and, if you go between July and November, you and your guests can “look a whale…

FLYING FOX Nothing unleashes your inner Bond villain like stepping aboard the world’s largest charterable yacht. Launched in 2019 by Lürsson, the German superyacht specialist behind Paul Allen’s Octopus and David Geffen’s Rising Sun, Flying Fox is nearly 450 feet long and sleeps 25 in 11 cabins (the master suite takes up the entire upper deck). There’s a 39-foot pool, a gym, and indoor and outdoor cinemas. The spa has its own hammam and cryo-sauna, and there are massage therapists among the crew of 54. Toys range from an Airbus H155 helicopter to Sea-Doo jet skis and nine tenders for excursions. SEA CLOUD When the Sea Cloud (formerly the Hussar) was built, for E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post back in 1931, it was the world’s largest private sailing yacht.…

THE WENTWORTH MANSION As close as you can come to living the way wealthy Charlestonians used to. This meticulously preserved home built in 1886 for a family of 15 (and 24 servants) has marble fireplaces, inlaid floors, intricate crown moldings, and Tiffany stained glass—all original. (The bathrooms, happily, are large and modern.) HOTEL BENNETT There’s nothing like it in Charleston: nine stories (local preservationists fought its construction) right on Marion Square, Italianate, opulent. With its rotunda, rooftop pool, large spa, and events facilities, it’s the new all-services-and-comforts place in town. THE SPECTATOR Near the City Market, it’s sleek and Jazz Age–inspired, with a booklined lounge and a terrific little bar serving craft cocktails. No restaurant, but your butler (each room has one) delivers breakfast in a basket.…

PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF CHARLESTON It’s the city’s 350th birthday and the society’s 100th. Without it, this town would not be the jewel box it is. Membership is $50 a year—all lovers of Charleston are welcome. PRESERVATIONSOCIETY.ORG CHARLESTON ANTIQUES SHOW The place to be for collectors and enthusiasts of material culture. MARCH 5–8, GAILLARD CENTER, ANTIQUESCOUNCIL.COM FESTIVAL OF HOUSES AND GARDENS On view are more than 130 private properties normally closed to the public—Charleston flaunting its best. Proceeds benefit the programs of the Historic Charleston Foundation. MARCH 11–APRIL 18, HISTORICCHARLESTON.ORG SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA The performing arts extravaganza this year premieres the opera Omar, about an educated Muslim’s life as a slave in the Carolinas. MAY 22–JUNE 7, SPOLETOUSA.ORG BULLDOG TOURS If you haven’t been to Charleston before, you need a walkabout.…

Back in the summer of 2013, while collectors were scouring the annual art fair in Basel, Switzerland, for hot trends and up-and-coming talents, Mickalene Thomas was holed up a few blocks away in a space stuck in the 1970s. The walls were faux-wood-paneled, the floors a combination of linoleum, wood, and carpeting, the ceiling faux copper. There was a bar with hanging lights, and furniture covered in clashing vintage fabrics. On display were paintings and photographs by Thomas and some of her artist friends, including Wangechi Mutu, Xaviera Simmons, Lorna Simpson, Duron Jackson, and Derrick Adams. There was music playing, too—hits of the period by black women such as Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, and Diana Ross. Thomas called the installation Better Days. It was but one of the immersive environments…

Robert Durst is practically a taboo subject among the members of his family. Friends of the Dursts—who are New York real estate royalty thanks to their 11 Manhattan skyscrapers and a fortune estimated at more than $5 billion—say they follow his comings and goings but are loath to bring him up in the presence of his relatives. Why wouldn’t they be? Durst, now 76 and sitting in the Los Angeles County Jail, has been estranged from his family for a quarter-century. He casts a shadow on their reputation, and his upcoming January trial, for the murder of his friend Susan Berman nearly 20 years ago, is only the latest chapter in his long, strange story—one that has made him the subject of an Emmy-winning documentary, a lightly fictionalized movie, several…

First, a card. Next, the conversation. “Are you going?” “What will you wear?” Then the plan. The holiday season rollicks on with all the requisite trimmings: canapés, cocktails, carols. Getting ready for these affairs is a beloved tradition in its own right. The spoils of a well-appointed closet are laid out in preparation, from a coat that guarantees a grand entrance to jewelry that leaves a lasting impression. Making the right decision—even if there isn’t a truly wrong decision—is a sartorial victory to enjoy.…

It’s the kind of question that comes up often. “I want to take 50 friends away for my 50th. We need a direct flight and a hotel with a great chef.” “We want our daughter to be married in Rome. Is there a property that knows how to accommodate 200 Americans?” “They don’t want a big, fancy anniversary party, but we’re doing it anyway. And inviting all their friends. Help.” “We want a multigenerational gathering in the Adirondacks. What’s the name of that old Vanderbilt camp again? We need a buyout!” There are answers to these destination celebration dilemmas, and every other faraway party conundrum you can think of, in our 10-page 2020 Global Party Guide, which begins on page 89 and includes a list of the travel specialists who…

If the king and queen were coming over, what would you offer them? Something bespoke and luxurious, of course, and also local, preferably, and—one can dream—memorable. This was one man’s ambition when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited his hometown of Montreal in 1939. For the owner of a liquor company, the obvious solution was to mark the occasion with a special blended whisky distilled in Montreal and Waterloo. The new combination was named Crown Royal, and one of its core components was made in Montreal’s LaSalle distillery until 1993, when production was moved to Gimli, Manitoba. Twenty-six years later, the final batches of LaSalle whisky have been poured into Crown Royal XR LaSalle, a limited edition blend made as a last toast to its birthplace. The whisky—smooth, slightly…

MARCY BLUM has organized parties in Mexico and Montenegro, Positano and Dubrovnik, Istanbul and Sea Island. MARCY@MARCYBLUM.COM COLIN COWIE has a hot tip: Get engaged at South Africa’s Kubili House—he just did: “Ridiculously chic.” His favorite Irish castle? Ashford. EVENTINQUIRIES@COLINCOWIE.COM LYNN EASTON recently designed weddings in Montenegro, Portofino, Thailand, Aspen, Jackson Hole, Antibes, and Mount Desert Isle. EASTON@EASTONEVENTS.COM DAVID MONN San Simeon, California; a barge on the Seine; and a private island in Maine are “just some of our great journeys.” CONTACT@DAVIDMONN.COM BRYAN RAFANELLI planned Chelsea Clinton’s Rhinebeck, New York, wedding, but often goes far afield. BRYAN@RAFANELLIEVENTS.COM MICHELLE RAGO specializes in destination events. “Taking your family for two weeks by yacht to Sicily is so sexy!” MICHELLE@MICHELLERAGODESTINATIONS.COM DAVID STARK “We can rent private islands and create our own beach clubs.”…

FIG Farm-to-table perfection at this culinary star of the Southeast. If the restaurant were an artist, says chef Mike Lata, “I’d describe it as a singer/songwriter, very personal and expressive.” The tomato tarte tatin alone is worth a trip to Charleston. CIRCA 1886 Chef Marc Collins’s inventively diverse dinnertime tasting menu, served in the carriage house at the Wentworth Mansion, showcases Charleston’s rich African, European, and even Native American culinary influences (you can mix and match). S.N.O.B. Stands for “slightly north of Broad.” It’s a Lowcountry take on a ladies-who-lunch spot, with updated Southern comfort food and a warm, buzzy atmosphere. LA PATISSERIE AT HOTEL BENNETT The new place for grab-and-go pastries and light baguette sandwiches. (You can enter directly from King Street.) CITRUS CLUB This rooftop bar at the…

“Princess Margaret didn’t have a complex about being number two, she had a complex about being short. That’s why she wore the Poltimore Tiara, which was at least four inches tall, at her wedding. The risk that she might be literally overlooked was the problem.” When Princess Margaret’s jewelry was sold at auction in 2006, the collection—including a jeweled Fabergé cigarette case and a diamond rose brooch by Cartier—went for more than $10 million. Majestic Mischief In order to play Princess Margaret in the new season of The Crown (now on Netflix), Helena Bonham Carter literally left no stone unturned. Yes, she read biographies and even had Margaret’s infamous boyfriend Roddy Llewellyn over for tea, but to truly channel the royal—or, at least, her most famous feature—she relied on jewelry.…

1 First, Google the Guest List! BY JOEL STEIN A nice comedy writer recently asked me to be on his podcast about masculinity. I listened to a few episodes, because podcasts about masculinity can be iffy, but it was anodyne. Still, I had my reservations, mostly because the host, Jordan Crowder, is the brother of Steven Crowder, the provocative conservative commentator who got demonetized by YouTube for homophobic harassment. I was worried about being attacked for going on as a guest but did it anyway, partly because it didn’t seem fair to judge someone for his brother’s sins, but mostly because no one listens to anodyne podcasts about masculinity. I’m not alone in trying to predict the ramifications of every interaction. We’re all constantly running social harm risk analysis—trying to…

GRAPHIC ARTS The new modern, minimalist aesthetic gives diamonds an edgy image, and Gaia Repossi has nailed this style with her striking designs, which are inspired by contemporary art and sculpture. POWER PLAY Define your style in the board room and beyond with a status watch that boasts diamonds and a self-winding movement—to prove that your time is truly precious. MIX IT UP Diamonds get an instant modern makeover when they’re combined with innovative materials. That’s just what Italian jeweler Vhernier did with its iconic Calla design, which is forged in sleek gray ceramic. THE BOLD MOVE A large statement ring is a modern-day talisman. David Webb’s graphic design delivers big volume with defining diamonds for any occasion. CHAIN OF COMMAND Every jewelry wardrobe needs one luxurious go-to pendant necklace…

BOND OVER BUTCH & SUNDANCE IN THE SOUTHWEST Set among the mesas and slot canyons of southern Utah, the otherworldly Amangiri will mark its 10th anniversary with the opening of Camp Sarika. Comprised of 10 tented pavilions (each with its own living and dining area, terrace, firepit, and plunge pool), Sarika is small and secluded—it’s in a separate valley, but just a five-minute drive from Amangiri—making for a bonding experience that doesn’t scrimp on luxury. Guests have access to all of the features of the 600-acre main resort (Idris Elba’s wife Sabrina Dhowre held her bachelorette party here in March), where 34 stunning suites can hold a larger party. TAKE THE KIDS TO COSTA RICA Thanks to its abundant wildlife, Costa Rica has long been a family-friendly eco-destination. This month…

Before informing Scarlett O’Hara at the end of Gone with the Wind that he didn’t “give a damn” what she did, Rhett Butler announced, “I’m going back to Charleston, back where I belong.” My sentiment exactly. I’m visiting for the third time in as many years. The city will be celebrating its 350th anniversary in 2020: The first hundred-odd British and Barbadian settlers arrived here on the frigate Carolina in April 1670, sent by the Lords Proprietors, eight powerful Englishmen who held a land charter from King Charles with the proviso that they make large money. There is nothing inherently compelling about anniversaries, but there is a reckoning taking place in Charleston in the lead-up to this one that feels momentous, and it’s why I’m here. Charleston, with its nostalgia,…

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23–DECEMBER 21 December is a time to lay groundwork, but the emphasis is on your personal charm and closest connections. New financial arrangements sparkle. By January an eclipse will tune you into others’ issues, and aspects midmonth indicate that you need to rethink plans and do some serious fact-facing. By the new Moon of the 24th, fresh directions beckon. SHIMANSKY ($45,000), 212-685-7367 CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22–JANUARY 20 Jupiter’s entrance into your sign in December promises that more ease and gratification are on their way. Until the 22nd, the Sun in the background of your chart makes you a bit pensive. January is a time of new inspiration, but various about-faces are in the wind when the planets collide near the 12th. Whatever occurs, you’re on the cusp of a…

There is an amethyst—a real one—on the cover. J.P. Morgan’s Catalogue of the Collection of Jewels and Precious Works of Art is a bound volume swathed in shagreen and held together tight by two hand-carved brass fasteners. Inside are some 50 meticulously gilded lithographs of such items as a “pendant jewel of wrought gold enamelled,” a “fine onyx rosary with enamel work inside the larger beads,” and a “morse of wrought gold open work with precious stones.” J.P. Morgan, captain of industry, robber baron, the power behind General Electric and U.S. Steel, was also a jewelry guy—one of the most important collectors, in fact, of his era. Morgan achieved this distinction with the help of George Frederick Kunz, head mineralogist at Tiffany & Co. It was Kunz who advised Morgan,…

GO TO PALM BEACH. FOR A FACIAL. PAGE 58 AMOREPACIFIC TIME RESPONSE EYE CREAM ($260), AMOREPACIFIC.COM. AUGUSTINUS BADER THE BODY CREAM ($165), VIOLETGREY.COM. CLE DE PEAU INTENSIVE FORTIFYING CREAM ($175), CLEDEPEAU-BEAUTE.COM. DIOR VERNIS DIORIFIC IN 766 ($29), DIOR.COM. ELIZABETH ARDEN VITAMIN C CERAMIDE CAPSULES ($48), ELIZABETHARDEN.COM. LA MER THE REGENERATING SERUM ($363), CREMEDELAMER.COM. MONASTERY GOLD BOTANICAL OIL SERUM ($149), MONASTERYMADE.COM. NATURA BISSE DIAMOND COCOON SKIN BOOSTER ($250), NATURABISSE.COM. RETROUVE DYNAMIC NOURISHING FACE CREAM ($235), RETROUVE.COM. SARAH CHAPMAN SKINESIS PLATINUM STEM CELL EYE MASK ($125), SARAHCHAPMAN.COM. SWITCH2PURE JADE FACIAL ROLLER ($27), SWITCH2PURE.COM. TATA HARPER BOOSTED EYE CONTOURING BALM ($215) AND ELIXIR VITAE EYE SERUM ($295), TATAHARPERSKINCARE.COM. TOM FORD RESEARCH CREME CONCENTRATE ($450), TOMFORD.COM. STAR WARS’ SECRET FORCE PAGES 126–131 ARMANI PRIVE, GIORGIO ARMANI, 212-988-9191. COOMI, NEIMAN MARCUS, 888-888-4757, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE,…