Art, Central Park, jazz, Cate Blanchett, and great soup. Even in the midst of political turmoil and protest, New York delivers. Excess All Areas went looking for some cultural respite care A New York pitstop smack bang in the middle of a week of bad politics (the inauguration and all it unleashed)…? Let culture be…
Sixties shapes, the Sydney Opera House, 3D printing, music … these are some of the things that inspire Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s design director. Susan Skelly reports Roped off outside the three-hat Sydney harbourside restaurant, Quay, the LaFerrari looks like it’s landed on the wrong planet. Futuristic, fabulous – and so shiny it looks ready to spontaneously combust…
From the Ritz London to the Ham Yard to One Aldwych … three very different sleepovers for discerning London visitors. What’s it to be? Aristocratic splendour … bold contemporary colours and folk frisson… a city hub that’s a perfect jumping off point for theatre and exploration? In London’s Big Smoke, accommodation options are plentiful. Here…
Stefan Sielaff, Director of Design at Bentley Motors, is inspired by many things, from haute couture to architecture, timepieces, and even aircraft design. Success, notes the 54-year-old German-born innovator, is rooted in having a clear idea of what makes a brand unique. “For me, it’s the beauty of a fantastic exterior concealing innovations and craftsmanship that…
From the princes of rap to titans of industry, Cognac confers status. To mark the launch of the Hennessy 8 limited edition, Susan Skelly clinked glasses with brand ambassador Maurice-Richard Hennessy. When it comes to symbolism, this year’s limited edition Hennessy 8 Cognac is all but drowning in it. First there is the liquid…
What do Hollywood stars and one of Italy’s most famous luxury brands have in common? As a new exhibition in Melbourne reveals, a knack for being bold, beautiful and bewitching. There’s Naomi Watts on the red carpet at the Academy Awards … Scarlett Johansson at the Venice Film Festival … Jessica Alba at the…
From contemporary art to avant-garde fashion, gold-plated nightlife to shoes good enough to eat … Dubai plays on the unexpected. Finally, time to spend a few days in Dubai and not just wave from the airport in transit. The Arabian emirate that has spent the past few decades growing like a garden someone finally remembered to…
If Anne-Eva Geffroy has one goal in life it is to make her statement pieces of jewellery dance. How does the Graff design director work her gemstone magic? When it comes to a roll call of radiance, Graff diamonds positively dazzle. The Golden Empress, the Paragon, the Graff Pink, the Star of Bombay, the Imperial, the…
A whisky with Spanish and Japanese ancestry gets the red carpet treatment in the world’s gastronomy capitals In a glamorous private room in Tetsuya Wakuda’s Sydney restaurant, 22 guests are sitting down to a food and whisky pairing rich in alchemy, artistry and Japanese savoir faire. Standing sentinal is a maple tree that seems to wrap…
Sydney Christmas parties are in full swing … some with fund-raising on the side Well heeled, well dressed and well fed … the young and the beautiful who comprise the Silver Committee and their friends decended upon Rose Bay’s waterfront hot spot Regatta for a Christmas lunch to raise funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Paying…