Luxury entrepreneur Binith Shah with LUX Senior Contirbuting Editor Maria Sukkar

Luxury entrepreneur Binith Shah had a vision: to create the most luxurious duvets in the world, using environmentally-friendly methods, for use by the most discerning clients. LUX Senior Contributing Editor Maria Sukkar speaks with Shah about the nature of luxury, how to create a best-in-class product optimised for private jets, premium residences and yachts, and what makes a happy Eider duck. 

Maria Sukkar:  The word UMŌ evokes warmth, comfort, and softness, while also carrying a poetic quality that heightens sensory experiences – much like the French use parfum to describe an ice cream flavour. What led you to choose UMŌ Paris as the name for your brand?

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Binith Shah: I’ve always been enamoured with the French culture and my heart and background are in bespoke fashion, couture, and luxury. I also love Japan: how everything that the Japanese do is precise, thoughtful, and simple. Umō is the Japanese word for down, so I just combined the essence of both and decided that UMŌ Paris would be the brand.

‘I learned the importance of prioritising the craftsmen, because without them, there is no business’ – Binith Shah

MS: Do you think exposure to diverse cultures and communities drives discovery?

BS: I was born in Kenya, raised in Seattle, met my wife in New York, lived in Florence for 12 years in between a year and London, then shifted to LA the last 12 years!  My father was also a curious entrepreneur whose passion led into dealing in oriental rugs, which evolved into one of the largest carpet showrooms in Seattle.  It fascinated me that he would travel to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and return with stories of the craftsmen and artisans who would spend months or even a year to create just one rug for his showroom.  Community is a huge part of how I think about business.

MS:  It’s similar for me – I’m originally Lebanese with family scattered across the world, including my mother and brother in Beirut and my sister in Dubai. What led you into the creative industries?

Read more: A conversation with architect Thomas Croft

BS:  My journey really began when I met my wife, Elizabeth, when she was a top designer for Armani, Sonia Rykiel and Ungaro. I moved to New York to join her, and we went on to create a very high-end luxury shoe and handbag business. Our philosophy was to differentiate ourselves from other brands with bespoke offerings, so we developed a 3D foot scanner, which would take hundreds of intricate measurements of our clients’ feet, customise a last, and manufacture a pair of shoes in a matter of weeks, versus a minimum of six months.

We launched Rickard Shah in the September issue of American Vogue and immediately received significant A-list celebrity customers who were keen to invest in footwear tailored to their individual style and needs.  As a result, we were very fortunate to have one of the largest luxury conglomerates among our primary investors.  We were highly successful, with long waitlists, eventually disrupted by the financial crisis of 2008. Our bijou atelier was forced to close, and I learned the importance of prioritising the craftsmen, because without them, there is no business.

Each luxury duvet features UMŌ Paris’ signature embroidery of the Eider duck wing

MS: As an entrepreneur how did you move into sustainable luxury?

BS: It happened while we were in London during the financial crisis, with a Knightsbridge flagship boutique and our young daughter.  We felt the current method of tanning leather accessories was not as environmentally friendly as it could be and sought solutions. We conceived of a sustainable solution, which led us to create a company in Florence called Green Dot, which produced the very first biodegradable and sustainable TPU. TPU is a soft resin, which is the key component of sneaker soles or flip-flops. Logistically, it made sense for our family to relocate to the US, where our resin was manufactured.

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We successfully exited Green Dot following three-years’ of founding the start-up. Through that venture, this confirmed we could deliver a sustainable luxury product, which became a stepping-stone to into various new chapters and ultimately led me to where we are now.

MS:  How did you develop a concept for sustainable luxury duvets?

BS:  A sabbatical afforded me the opportunity to consider deeply what I had learned and what was important to me. This was creating a bespoke product that was both ultra-luxurious and sustainable, serving a niche need that had not been addressed. I read about the hypoallergenic and thermal properties of Eider down and could not understand why no one was working with this magical material in an elevated manner.

‘With UMŌ Paris it is about the craftsmen and the caretakers of a beautiful Eider duck sanctuary’ – Binith Shah

My preliminary research indicated there were cottage industries in Iceland, Norway, and Canada creating niche duvet brands. I tested everything. I am passionate about supporting craftsmen, artisans, sustainability and collaborating with incredible people. This time, I wanted to create something focused, where I would have full control over the mission and the message. Everything about the story spoke to a sustainable luxury venture.

MS: Where did you see the sweet spot for you, as an entrepreneur?

BS: The way I have always worked is to think ‘Where is the need? Where is the pain?’  If you have neither, you cannot achieve it, someone bigger will do it better.  When I incorporated UMŌ Paris, I partnered with a private aviation specialist, Jay McGrath. I knew that ultra-affluent clients expect an unparalleled experience and they need optimum sleep in their aircraft cabin.

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With limited storage space and a pressurised cabin, size and weight are the pain points. These duvets can be stowed on your G650 without requiring extra equipment for vacuum packing. Further, for every kilo saved in weight, there is a saving of around 15,000 tons of carbon over a jet’s lifetime. We launched our Aviator collection with one of the largest jet charter companies, and immediately accessed a network of demand from 270 jets.

We also created our hand-crafted Fjord and Maison lines for premium residences and yachts. A luxury lifestyle brand is about creating a meaningful experience, it is not like queuing for a bag on Rodeo Drive.  Once experiencing our duvets, our clients describe a cloud-like sensation and a quality of sleep they’ve never had before.  They share that experience with their family and friends, and the brand is growing by word-of-mouth.

‘Located in Iceland’s Fljótin Skagafjörður on the edge of the Arctic Circle on the Tröllaskagi Peninsula, this protected land has been in the stewardship of one family for 80 years, over three generations’ – Binith Shah

MS: It is a great model, how do you frame that experience?

BS:  We start the journey with the narrative. Then it is shared authentically through influential advocates. You could be at a dinner, and someone mentions their discovery of this amazing product out there, which is not only in an extremely limited supply, but also champions sustainability through artisans and community.

MS:  What is it about Iceland in particular that resonated with you?

BS:  I had to identify the most premium Eider down. With UMŌ Paris it is about the craftsmen and the caretakers of a beautiful Eider duck sanctuary.  In Iceland, the eider ducks have been protected by the Icelandic Government for well over a century.  Sanctuary owners have experience and proven business models, monitoring and reporting duck numbers to the government.

I researched the Icelandic sanctuary owners and selected a sanctuary that was in synch with my ethos. Located in Iceland’s Fljótin Skagafjörður on the edge of the Arctic Circle on the Tröllaskagi Peninsula, this protected land has been in the stewardship of one family for 80 years, over three generations.  The young owner invited me on a site visit, loved our story, understood the potential markets, and immediately partnered.

UMŌ Paris duvets are filled with the premium and sustainable Eider down from Iceland

MS: Where did you come up with the idea of UMŌ Paris as a responsible luxury brand?

BS:  Through our network, Elizabeth and I found a fifth generation, 150-year-old certified B Corp atelier in Chablis, France. Upon presenting our business model to the owner, we were aligned in our mission to create a rare sustainable luxury duvet.

MS:  How did UMŌ Paris show rarity and authenticity from the get-go?

BS:  The meticulous and labour-intensive process results in an annual total yield of only an estimated 8,900 pounds/4,000 kilograms worldwide. At current values, this makes Eider down around 6 times rarer than rough mined diamonds! We use 6-8% of the global supply and our production is limited to 350-500 duvets annually. Unlike our competitors, we only use Pure Arctic Eiderdown, the lighter, finer down. Our duvet requires 65 hours to make, from gathering the down to transporting it and producing the finished duvet. Our product is born wild, never farmed.

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MS:  Given the precision and care involved, can you truly say this process is cruelty-free?

BS:  Absolutely. We collect the nest at the right time, when the eggs laid are nearly hatched and don’t need the incubation of the nest. The skilled caretakers gently pick up the Eider duck, gather the nest, handpick-out the down, and then put the duck back on the nest for the final days before the eggs hatch.  The method in which most goose and duck down are normally processed involves the birds being live-plucked up to 17 times, then finally slaughtered for food.

That’s the process for the world’s premier brands’ luxury down jackets and that method consumes around 270 million kilos of down a year versus only 4,000 kilos of Eider down. Our process is completely cruelty-free, gentle and kind.  The fledglings leave their nests, immediately return to the sea for approximately 11 months, until they return to the sanctuary to moult their down into the nests and lay their eggs. The ducks’ number is monitored by the sanctuary caretakers.

‘Eider down is 100% hypoallergenic with no feathers or quills present.  It is ultra-light and maintains your body temperature while you’re sleeping’ – Binith Shah

Mother Nature plays a very key role in this natural product. Weather conditions, sea levels and other natural phenomena all contribute to the annual yield – and underscores the need for preservation. That is all part of the impressive story. We also donate 10% of profits back to the conservationists to continue preservation and education.

MS: What is UMŌ Paris’ point of difference, compared with other niche brands using eider down?

BS:  Our differentiator is that we only use Pure Arctic Eiderdown, partner with a Certified B-Corporation atelier, and design with intent. Competitors fill their duvets with components that are 90% eiderdown, 10% goose down.  However, they still charge for 100% Eiderdown, so Eiderdown is often used as a marketing play.  Our sustainable process also assures quality because eider down is 100% hypoallergenic with no feathers or quills present.  It is ultra-light and maintains your body temperature while you’re sleeping.  This is achieved also because of thoughtful design.

Normal duvets are subdivided into square baffles, to hold in place the loose down and eventually it slips down into these pockets. Eider down has miniscule hooks so it cannot slip, allowing it to be cohesive and not separate. We designed a series of square baffles across the top end of the duvet slip, then add long vertical channels to allow air to circulate through the length. This open technique maximises airflow, which maintains body temperature.

MS:  Where are you on your sustainability journey?

BS:  In fact, we’re now in the process of applying for B Corp certification, both to demonstrate transparency that we are using sustainable methods of gathering and to highlight that we are partnered with the B Corp manufacturer in Chablis.  There are no guidelines, but we are taking the right steps to acknowledge the sustainability aspect of what we’ve created – which is collaborating to make a positive impact on the community, animals, and the planet.

UMŌ Paris’ founder Binith Shah holds his ultra-luxury duvet stuffing

MS:  Can you share your vision for enhancing impacts?

BS:  We are exploring how we can learn from other industries. For example, when we lived for 12 years in Italy, when it is the season for olive oil harvest, the farmers use a communal press called a frantoia. They tap-in their appointment times, these multi-generational farmers sit chatting during the pressing, families compare oil, colour and qualities. Producers may keep or opt to sell-on their product direct from the press.  That’s what we want to do in Iceland. We want to create a communal hub to process the down quicker and pay the sanctuary owners faster. Normally, companies place orders and the sanctuaries are paid 45-90 days later. For us, as soon as our down is ready, we place our bulk order, and we pay for it up-front. Our goal is to take a thought leadership role, where our goal is to secure our allotment and build goodwill, while encouraging the promotion of the sanctuaries and Iceland.

Read more: How collecting unites lovers of wine, art, watches and cars, with Penfolds

MS:  Lastly, what do you think about transformational travel, where people can experience their impact throughout the hospitality journey from arrival to venue to departure, subliminally absorbing the values as they sleep under an UMŌ Paris duvet?

BS: There is a shift in luxury travel, where experiences are paramount. Fortunately, our brand is niche and is aligned with the heightened sense of awareness surrounding more transformational travel. The sanctuary is not and will never be a ‘destination’, however, knowing the journey of a product is more and more important to clients. We’re inspired by the adventurers who truly value responsible travel and a novel experience through the fjords in the Arctic rather than sailing their superyacht through the Med in June! We are proud to be part of this important conversation, and that the ultra-affluent are excited to learn more and join us in this journey.

umo-paris.com

@umo-paris

Maryam Eisler photographs Thomas Croft in the Skarstedt Gallery space in London

Architect Thomas Croft founded his firm in 1995, and has since designed spaces for fine art institutions, London’s great estates, and beyond. In conversation with LUX Chief Contributing Editor Maryam Eisler, he tells us about building the art world

Maryam Eisler: Tom you are closely linked to the art world, whether its to do with projects related to its patrons, the galleries, or the artists. How did this close association develop?

Thomas Croft: The first artists I ever met were Rose Wylie and her husband Roy Oxlade, who at the time were pretty unknown, and my first ever job was in the 1980s designing their home studio.

Before starting my own office, the architects I worked for often did art projects; after graduating from the RCA my first job was in New York for Richard Meier who had just won the Getty Center in LA. Then back in London I worked for Rick Mather who had just got his first gallery job for Leslie Waddington in Cork Street. After that I worked on the Kerlin Gallery in Dublin for John Pawson, and also with some of John’s great collector clients like Joe and Marie Donnelly. Being able to collaborate with creative patrons who had such high-level architectural objectives was a bit of a revelation for me at the time.

Plans for Skarstedt Gallery London by Thomas Croft Architects

When I started working on my own, quite a few of my jobs were art-related. The first was Timothy Taylor’s original gallery, and then subsequently Ordovas Art on Savile Row, David Gill on Duke Street, and Sotheby’s New Bond Street where we were master-planners for a long time. We’ve done a couple of galleries for Skarstedt, first on Old Bond Street and then on Bennet Street. We also designed Per Skarstedt’s flat in the historic Albany building in Piccadilly, where we’ve worked extensively. And of course there’s often a cross-over between art collector and art world professional projects; Yana Peel’s London family home is a good example.

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We’re currently reworking Cromwell Place’s arts hub in South Kensington; it was originally designed by others but constraints beyond their control conspired to make the layout feel very confusing. We’re moving the front door to a completely different street to simplify the user experience and greatly improving the hospitality offering. There’s going to be a big relaunch this Spring and it’s been fun working on a much bigger scale than a normal stand-alone commercial gallery.

Cromwell Place’s Arts Hub in London, redesigned by Thomas Croft Architects

ME: What was the first experience that sparked your interest in architecture?

TC: It was as simple as meeting architects as a child. They seemed like nice people, lived in nice houses, and it seemed like a nice thing to do.  But I also remember being fascinated by how the world looked on a macro scale – why did a Swiss house look different from an English one?

ME: Your work has a distinct and recognisable aesthetic to it. Simple, elegant lines with a focus on volumetric spaces that invite light. How flexible are you when it comes to evolving or adapting that style?

TC: We believe in a style for the job; we’re always trying to assess the client and the site in order to evolve what works best, which in dense urban situations often also involves simultaneously bringing the local planners along for the ride.

Thomas Croft photographed by Maryam Eisler, in the realised Skarstedt London space

We work on a lot of historic 18th and 19th century buildings which inevitably requires a certain stylistic adaptability. Our biggest ever project, in terms of cost, has been a recent renovation of a Fitzroy Square house originally designed in 1790 by Robert Adam. By the early 20th century it was the Omega Workshop’s HQ and then later it became an NHS foot hospital in which all the original Adam design had been stripped out. Our job was to create a historically authentic but totally new speculative Adam interior that also worked beautifully as a modern family home.

The exterior of the Royal Yacht Squadron, photographed by Richard Davies

ME: What was the first building that truly captivated you — where you stood, observed, and felt deeply connected to its essence?

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TC: At school I did an A-Level thesis on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Houses. I can’t say that Wright has been a big influence subsequently, but of course he was a towering genius & landed like a thunderbolt in the late 19th and early 20th century.

As a young student I remember Foster’s Sainsbury Centre bringing a tear to my eye, I know that sounds slightly corny now but it was just such perfect realisation of a completely modern architectural idea.

Design for Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes by Thomas Croft Architects, photographed by Richard Davies

Since then, buildings don’t often do that, but Toshima Art Museum by Ryue Nishizawa on an island in Japan’s Inland Sea recently did. It’s a domed building, but extremely large. It’s about the size of four tennis courts inside, but quite low, and doesn’t have any windows. It has holes in the roof, so it’s open to the air. Nishizawa worked with the sculptor Rei Naito who created little spurts of water which come up through tiny holes in the floor, and which then trickle around and, because the floor isn’t quite flat, disappear down other holes in a very randomised way like scurrying insects or drops of mercury. A magic confection.

ME: What is the best conversation you’ve had with an architect and who was that architect in question?

The interior of the reimagined 1790’s house by Robert Adam, photographed by Richard Waite

TC: I have had great conversations with John Pawson because he would say things that you didn’t expect, though I have to say it usually involved John talking and everybody else just listening! I remember him once saying: “it’s not about the walls; it’s about the space that the walls enclose.” Having gone through seven years of architecture school that was a new one to me. So often conventional architectural practice is just about form making and imagery.

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ME: I’m a huge admirer of architecture and deeply fascinated by spaces and the emotions they evoke. Beyond the lines, the structure, and the aesthetic — which are, of course, subjective — I’m curious about the emotional attributes of spaces. How much does the emotional impact of a space influence your work?

The reimagined 1790s house as a negotiation between its classic features and modern design, photographed by Richard Waite

TC: Working on homes is always a deeply personal experience for people. The idea of designing something that makes somebody feel at home is quite tricky and it’s often about trying to have a deep and emotional reading of the client. Homes are an expression of how people are, and some people don’t know who they are and so sometimes it’s our job to try to find out.

Alternatively, some people already know exactly who they are; we worked with Sir Paul McCartney on his home in the Sussex countryside and the most fruitful collaborations are often with clients like him who’ve given a lot of thought to the kind of a world they want to live in, but just need assistance in order to help achieve it.

Plans for a reimagined 1790’s house by Robert Adam, London

ME: Talk to me about layering your work with that of an interior designer.

TC: For homes we’re happy leaving the furnishing to a great interior designer or to the clients themselves. Unusually for architects we like the resulting layering and think it’s all part of the project’s story. We’re very Catholic and enjoy working with designers as diverse as Francis Sultana, Philip Hooper at Colefax and Fowler, Suzy Hoodless, Sarah Delaney, Olivia Outred, etc. More minimalist architects, for obvious reasons, need to have total aesthetic control but that’s just not what we do. In any case, when you’re working with an old building, what you’re doing is a simply adding another layer, so you might as well just accept that and make the best of it.

ME: In your own words, how would you describe your particular style and use of texture?

Notting Hill Villa exterior: ‘you can either express the modernism in opposition to the older building or it all becomes modern’ – Thomas Croft (photograph by Richard Davies)

TC: Our starting point is that we’re modern architects. Working in a historic environment, you can either express the modernism in opposition to the older building or it all becomes modern. We can hold both modern and historic ideas at once, and projects are usually the most successful when there’s a tension between them.

Personally, I like living in a modern space. In London we have a 1970’s house that we bought because the planners and locals would be pretty disinterested in what we did to it; it’s great having that freedom in Notting Hill which is otherwise so heavily constrained.

Notting Hill Villa interior: ‘we can hold both modern and historic ideas at once, and projects are usually the most successful when there’s a tension between them’ – Thomas Croft (photograph by Richard Davies)

ME: What is your dream project?

TC: We’re doing a dream project now I guess – it’s a very elaborate modernist folly in a huge landscape garden in Kent that coincidentally used to belong to my great grandparents. It doesn’t really have any brief at all, which is so different from our regular jobs with their very specific and complex programmatic requirements.

Read more: Coralie de Fontenay on women luxury entrepreneurs

ME: We’re sitting in Per’s (Skarstedt) gallery. It’s a beautiful space with really incredible volumes that you’ve managed to create, allowing light to come through in a basement  which doesn’t even look like a basement! It’s sublime! I hear it was George Condo who introduced you to Per?

Transparent Tower Folly in Kent, designed by Thomas Croft Architects

TC: It was a sort of triangulated introduction between George (encouraged by our mutual friend Peter Fleissig), the gallerist Simon Lee for whom we’d done work and who represented George in London at the time, and space agent David Rosen of Pilcher London who specialises in finding galleries their London spaces. So, we certainly had a lot of people rooting for us and Per’s been a great client.

ME: One regret in your personal art collection?

TC: I’ve always thought Richard Hamilton is a great artist and when I was working for Tim Taylor he offered me a Five Tyres Remoulded as a barter in lieu of some fees. However, it’s not a very expensive edition so perhaps I should just buy one now and move on…

A portrait of Thomas Croft outside the Skarstedt Gallery London, by Maryam Eisler

ME: Anyone else on your personal art shopping list?

TC: When people ask that I usually say that I’m just trying to buy back pieces that were sold off by my family in previous decades! In our country home in Whitstable we’ve still got a lot of 18th and 19^th centuries family pictures but many of the best ones got deaccessioned in the 1900’s sadly. Three family portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds were sold off at that time, however I know the current whereabouts of two of them and I’m in touch with their owners. In principle it would be great to have them all back – though of course the only problem in buying back family portraits is that one can never sell them again because it’s not like regular collecting: instead it’s about getting the family all back together again!

thomascroft.com

The new BMW M760e

BMW has a long and storied history of making fast, entertaining and slightly louche sports saloon cars. But how does it fare in the new era of hybrids and electronics? Darius Sanai, who has a rich history of BMW ownership, gets in the saddle of the latest top-of-the-range model, the M760e, in a series of reports

One of my favourite books, growing up as a book-and-car-mad chap in London, was a Roald Dahl compilation called The Wonderful story of Henry Sugar. Aimed more at young adults than children, it is a series of unrelated typically surreal tales that mix brilliant storytelling, myth, and a certain topical character.

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They have, incidentally, just been made into a series of short films by Wes Anderson – essential viewing if you haven’t seen them already.

The BMW M760e’s interior uses high-quality touchpoint

But back to the book. One of the stories is called The Hitchhiker, and it features a successful and wealthy gentleman – it is written in the first person, so I wasn’t ever that sure as a child, and still I’m not now, how much the narrator had the author woven into his persona – who gives a lift to a hitchhiker who turns out to be a dizzyingly brilliant pickpocket, or “fingersmith”, as he calls himself.

I won’t give any more of the story away, but what really mesmerised me was not the dark arts of the fingersmith, but the car the narrator was driving: a BMW 3.3 Li.

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Already a modern classic, or an old car, by the time I read the story, this was a masterpiece of 20th century modern design, inside and out. At that stage I wouldn’t have been able to identify an Eames chair from my school sofa, but I knew a beautiful post-Bauhaus car when I saw one.

‘I liked cars that were beautiful, growlingly powerful without being too flashy, and had the ability to transport you long distances effortlessly’

My school friends worshipped Ferrari and Lamborghinis; but for me that came later. I liked cars that were beautiful, growlingly powerful without being too flashy, and had the ability to transport you long distances effortlessly at high-speed, cigar in one hand, to the most glamorous end of Europe. The 3.3 Li as described in Roald Dahl story ticked all the boxes.

And so few years later, when I had enough money to buy my first car, I bought what was effectively the sexier sister car to the car in the story.  The 3.0 CSi was similarly powerful, but slightly cooler and flashier as a two-door version and unspeakably beautiful.

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After that, working as a foreign correspondent in South Africa, I had a chance drink in a bar with the esteemed chief correspondent of France’s Le Monde newspaper who was selling his car, BMW’s successor to the 3.3 Li, a 733i, a big, fast, imposing and swift saloon. It was not as beautiful as its predecessor, but it was a better car, and I bought it. Fast forward quite a few years and one wonders whether the great-great-great-grandchild of that original car, now dubbed the M760e, has anything at all in common with it apart from the BMW badge on the front and back.

‘The new M760e certainly has distinctiveness and character, but it also has a level of quality that is above anything’

Mine arrives on a drizzly day in December and it looks just the part, an imposing slickly drawn tank of a car in solid grey. If they ever made a nimble version of a battle tank, for commanders to zoom around in, assessing the field, this is probably what it would look like, I ponder.

But while imposing, the slickness of its design means it is not flashy – just like the original car in fact. Driving it around London, it doesn’t incite the aggression and envious looks that some cars of this price and opulence do. BMW has a justified base of admiration among car lovers, and I found I was more likely to get thumbs up and photographs.

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The new M760e certainly has distinctiveness and character, but it also has a level of quality that is above anything until you get into the price category 100% above this one, where Bentleys and Rolls Royces roam.

‘You want to feel quality, and that’s where the M760e really excels’

Particularly delightful to the touch were the glass switches for performing functions like closing and opening the doors, which are heavy and long.

Touch is so important for luxury: it’s what distinguishes the feel of changing the time on a Rolex or helming a Riva yacht. And if you’re going to be spending much of your time complying with restrictive speed limits and traffic, you don’t just want to feel comfortable: you want to feel quality, and that’s where the M6 really excels.

Meanwhile, like any powerful and driver focused car, this is a machine that needs plenty of road to show off what it can do and its first few weeks have been confined to within London’s orbital motorway, the M25. So, soon, I will take out out into the wilds of Britain’s Home Counties, traditional territory of Jaguars, Land Rovers, and men in red trousers who enjoy speaking about their second and third homes, to their second and third wives. How will it fare? Watch this space.

Find out more about the BMW’s open road capabilities in the next instalment, coming soon

The long-standing friendship between Caroline Frey, Chief Winemaker and Vigneronne, La Chapelle and Peter Gago, Chief Winemaker, Penfolds, catalysed the creation of Grange La Chapelle

We live in an era of luxury collaborations. Whether it’s Fendi and Versace, Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama, or LUX and artists like Jeff Koons and George Condo, working together is the new chic.

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And why not? It brings great minds, and creativity, together rather than working in parallel and competition.

In the wine world, there have also been collaborations, albeit in a rather different way. Famously, Château Mouton-Rothschild commissions celebrated artists to create its labels – its collaborators include the likes of Picasso and Francis Bacon.

Caroline Frey and Peter Gago tasting their new wine

And over the last decades, great wine estates have worked together to create new wineries, most notably Opus One, created by the same Rothschilds and California’s Robert Mondavi.

But, nobody has ever created an actual wine that is a physical collaboration between two celebrated wines. Until now.

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Grange La Chapelle, announced this week, is a collaboration between the most celebrated wine of Australia, Penfolds Grange, and one of the most historically notable wines of France, Hermitage La Chapelle.

When we say collaboration, we don’t mean that the two companies worked together to create something new and put a label on it.

A bottle of Grange La Chapelle 2021

No, Grange La Chapelle is literally a blend of Penfolds Grange and Hermitage La Chapelle, 50-50, to create a groundbreaking, unique and completely new concept in the world of luxury wine.

For wine connoisseurs, it’s like Ferrari and Aston Martin coming together to create a new car. And there is method in the creativity: both Grange and La Chapelle are, famously, made from the Syrah grape, which is called Shiraz in Australia. Both are showcase examples of it: Grange is widely considered the best New World Shiraz, beloved of collectors, and has a shout at being known as the best Shiraz/Syrah in the world, full stop.

Hermitage La Chapelle, meanwhile, has a storied history, being produced as one of the standout wines of the great Hermitage area south of Lyon (all made from Shiraz) throughout the 20^th century. Indeed, before Grange gained global fame in the 1980s and 90s, Hermitage La Chapelle would have been many people’s choice as the greatest Syrah (Shiraz) in the world.

‘As the project progressed, I saw the elegance in Grange and the strength in La Chapelle’ – Caroline Frey

And now, they are together. LUX has not yet had the pleasure of tasting the new wine, but can imagine the producers are spot on when they say that it is “bold, yet elegant, structured and expressive”.

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Peter Gago, Chief Winemaker, Penfolds, comments that “this friendship created and idea, this idea became a trial, and the trial became a wine. Who would have thought…”

Caroline Frey of La Chapelle notes that “as the project progressed, I saw the elegance in Grange and the strength in La Chapelle” – encompassing the general view that the Australian wine is more powerful than the French – although, connoisseurs would say, it has always been every bit as complex.

Frey and Gago at Château La Lagune

Grange La Chapelle is about much more than an exciting and delicious new wine for collectors to get their hands on: it is a rewiring of the circuit diagram that underpins the wine world, which previously stated that you simply didn’t create a blend of different estates’ wines from different continents. Penfolds has form here, previously creating flagship wines itself from France and Australia and creating fine wines from three continents: Australasia, Europe and North America.

And why not? If Fendi and Versace can do it, so can Penfolds Grange and Hermitage La Chapelle. Now you know what to serve at your next dinner, and you can be sure your guests, however wine educated, will never have tried it before.

grangexlachapelle.com

The Anantara Ubud Resort family pool overlooks the green jungle which surrounds the whole resort

Nestled amidst the greenery of Ubud, in Bali, a wellness retreat awaits – Fabienne Amez-Droz reflects on the newly built Anantara Ubud Resort, where the surrounding jungle and the healing rituals provide a sanctuary for those looking to escape the winter cold

In recent years, Bali has undergone significant changes. Those who visited in the past will remember a very different island – one that has since, in parts, transformed into an Instagram hotspot, often overwhelmed by tourism. However, there are still places that have retained Bali’s natural beauty – spots that remain more untouched by social media hypes and globalization.

The newly bulit Anantara Ubud Resort, lies in the heart of Bali’s cultural and spiritual hub, Ubud. The resort offers a wellness sanctuary to visitors all of the worlds and blends luxury, tranquility, and authentic Balinese traditions.

Surrounded by green rice paddies and jungles, this hotel embraces the concept of a holistic getaway, providing an experience for body, mind, and soul.

Next to the family pool, the hotel also has an adult only pool

Refreshing welcome

After a approximately 50 mins car journey from Denpasar airport to Ubud, you will find the gate of the resort. From the moment you step into the Anantara Ubud Resort, you will receive a warm welcome from the Anantara staff, a tropical flower to put behind one of your ears and a refreshing herbal drink. Good to cool you off after a perhaps sweaty journey from a long overseas-flight. The open-air lobby is equipped with Balinese art and natural stone elements.

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The One-Bedroom Forest View Pool Villa offers a private space to take in the views of the jungle

Queen of the jungle

The resort offers different kind of accomendations. From Forest view suites in the main resort building to private villas overlooking the jungle. My forest view pool villa was a blend of modern elegance and Balinese charm, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that framed the views of the jungle. The private infinity pool was a personal highlight, providing a very instagrammable spot.

The One-Bedroom Forest View Pool Villa costs 852.50£ per night

Cleansing rituals and manifesting

Anantara Ubud’s wellness programs are perhaps not for everyone but certainly interesting for a niche wellness and energy-sourcing clientel. The signature rituals that they offer, draw on centuries-old Balinese healing traditions. I started with the Water Purification at the Mengening Temple, a guided experience that takes guests to a sacred water temple nearby, where you can cleanse your soul in the holy considered water and wash away negative energies through holding your head under little waterfalls.

Back at the hotel, I had a look at the multiple spa treatments that they offer and decided to treat myself, when in Bali, to a relaxing massage – the Anantara Signature Massage.

Make sure to wear some swimming clothes under the sarong as you will definitely get soaked

To stay in shape while trying lots of different Balinese dishes like Nasi Goreng and Betutu, the hotels has gym facilities and hosts daily yoga session. For someone like me, trying Yoga for the first time, I must say, it is a pretty perfect setting – It wont get any better after that, many told me..

For a deeper sense of connection, I visited stepped into a temple and joined a fire ritual session with a real balinese priest. During this ceremony which happens multiple times a week, we were sitting in a group circle, singing songs and throwing rice into a big fire to burn away the negative energy – Let’s see if it worked..

The lobby deck shows views on the Mount Agung and you can enjoy a sunset cocktail

Choice of restaurants

The culinary offerings at Anantara Ubud compliments its wellness aesthetic. The Botanic Restaurant serves organic, farm-to-table cuisine that’s as delightful to the palate as it is nourishing for the body. Highlights included a vibrant jackfruit rendang and a refreshing herbal jamu drink. For a more immersive experience, guests can ask for a private dining setup overlooking the pool and rice fields.

The Kirana Restaurant Terrace is the right spot to enjoy a peaceful breakfast and also for a western or balinese lumch menu – whatever you are in the mood for

Adventures through the jungle

Alternative to the wellness programmes, for action-lovers, the hotel offers a VW 181 Safari tour, where you and a personal driver explore the roads and ricefields of ubud with a restored vintage Volkswagen Type 181 convertible. In case you prefer walking yourself, there is a guided trek through the Campuhan Ridge Walk, showcasing Bali’s natural beauty.

The resort has 85 suites and pool villas

Find out more: www.anantara.com/en/ubud-bali