Port, the great fortified wine created by the English in Portugal, was once an essential indulgence in every self-respecting home. Now, after decades of being as unfashionable as acrylic slacks, it is showing signs of a comeback. Leading wine commentators extol its high standards and fantastic value for money, and a new generation of mixologists is creating port-based cocktails from the beaches of Ibiza to the underground bars of Manhattan. Photographer COLIN HAMPDEN WHITE recently toured the Douro region of Portugal, home to the ancient port houses, and we showcase his images on this page

Down The River – Viewing the scenic and culturally-rich upper Douro Valley by boat

Douro Valley – Six villages are located on the slopes of the valley, each contributing to the region’s wine-producing industry

Respected as a producer of wood aged ports, Taylor’s holds one of the largest reserves of rare cask aged wines

Quinta do Noval – One of the major historic Port houses, renowned for its great Vintage Ports, old Tawnies and since 2006, for its Douro wines

Grapes at Quinta do Noval are picked exclusively by hand

Taylor’s is regarded as the benchmark for Vintage Port

China’s cities have come a long way from its heydays of bicycles, spittoons and Mao

A government crackdown on conspicuous consumption may have slowed China’s luxury market, but opportunities still abound at the top end of the market. CASEY HALL investigates where China’s most wealthy will be spending their money in 2014

There’s little doubt that China’s luxury goods market has slowed from its boom years of double-digit growth, in fact, growth has slowed to a crawl. According to data from Bain & Company, Mainland China’s luxury goods market has slowed from seven per cent growth in 2012 to around two per cent in 2013, with expectations of similarly slow growth in 2014.

The Chinese government’s recent crackdown on corruption and conspicuous consumption, led by President Xi Jinping, has been one highly publicised reason for this slowdown, but it’s not the only factor. In recent years, the number of wealthy Chinese travelling overseas has grown exponentially, as international travel increasingly becomes a symbol of status and visa restrictions for Chinese travellers are eased. Worldwide, Chinese nationals remain the biggest luxury buyers, with purchases that make up 29 per cent of the global market, a four percentage point increase versus last year.

Not only are luxury goods more affordable overseas (in many cases around 40 per cent cheaper, thanks to China’s VAT tariffs for imported luxury goods sold on the mainland), they also come with the added cache of being purchased in exotic locales. According to China watchers, if there is a single desire that unites wealthy Chinese consumers desire, it is a need for newness – the next big thing, whether it be a product or experience, which will impress their friends. It’s all very well to hit up European capitals and American centers of commerce, but increasingly, just seeing the sights on a generic guided tour is not enough for Chinese travellers.

Filling the gap for a niche market at the pointy end of the pyramid are a number of experiential travel agencies organising ever more elaborate experiences for Chinese travellers. Whether they desire a round of golf with Tiger Woods, or even a trip into space, it seems the sky is the limit for big spending Chinese travellers.

The fashion-forward Shanghai label has enjoyed the boom years and envisions even better growth

Michael MacRitchie is the founder of MGI Entertainment, an agency that specialises in bringing celebrities from the East and the West together with brands from both sides of the Western/Chinese divide. They have recently launched an ‘Ultimate Experiences’ division, which organises all-encompassing travel experiences, often involving the opportunity to rub shoulders with celebrities.

“This is a niche market, the reason we came up with this is that we saw more and more Chinese people who were interested in this niche travel market and we have some key relationships in place which allow us to do these types of things, and it sort of complements our main business, which is working with celebs,” MacRitchie explained. For example, Ultimate Experiences organises trips to the Cannes Film Festival (available to a maximum of 10 travellers), which include a private concierge, tickets to premieres, entry to after-parties and an invitation to an event on Hollywood über-producer Harvey Weinstein’s yacht, followed by a helicopter ride to the Monaco Grand Prix – all for the bargain price of USD 30,000 per person.

“Chinese people want the best of everything around. They want to drink Château Lafite Rothschild; they want to go to the most prestigious events around the world. They have money to burn and want to do stuff they weren’t able to do previously. Part of it is face, part of it is showing off, and part of it is about experiencing something different,” MacRitchie said.

As international travel becomes the norm for wealthy Chinese, they are increasingly acquiring the habits of the wealthy worldwide, including sunning themselves by beautiful beaches and carving up powdery white slopes.

The new lifestyle development by KOP Properties will offer year round winter activities, including the world’s longest indoor ski trail

A reflection of this latter desire is a new development from Singaporean real estate company, KOP Properties. Winterland Shanghai will be housed within an 18-hectare development that will include the world’s longest indoor ski trail. A new generation of ski bunnies from Shanghai and around China will have year-round access to winter sports activities, ice sculpture competitions and more, including a ski-in / ski-out hotel, gardens, retail, food and beverage, as well as an entertainment center with a 4-D theatre offering movies, theatrical shows and concerts.

“Our Winterland Shanghai project represents the next landmark in lifestyle-focused developments and furthers our mission of spearheading breakthrough ideas from conceptualisation through building and management,” said KOP Properties Chairman Chih Ching. “We believe Winterland Shanghai can serve as a magnet for Shanghai tourism and Shanghai itself is a perfect city in terms of size, scale and its level of development. We are excited to bring this to the city of Shanghai.”

Real estate developers looking to capitalise on the developing leisure pursuits of wealthy Chinese are not the only ones being lured to the Mainland. Thanks to big spending Chinese collectors who have been making their presence felt in the international art highworld for the better part of a decade, big auction houses are now heading to mainland China.

In 2011, China overtook the US as the world’s largest art market as wealthy new buyers paid top prices for works from Ming vases to contemporary Chinese paintings. Michael Plummer, a New York-based art market financial analyst, told Chinese media early in 2013 that new collectors in China were buying “recklessly”, to snap up objects – not only for investment purposes, but also for the image of wealth these artistic objects conferred.

By the middle of last year, the steam had begun to go out of the buying spree, though experts stress the market in China remains hot.

As Bruce MacLaren, a Chinese art specialist with Bonhams auction house in New York, said, “Things are not going for 50 or 100 times the estimate, but they are still selling very well.”

Well enough to lure big guns, such as Christie’s, the world’s largest auction house, which netted $25 million as collectors snapped up bottles of Château Latour, a ruby necklace and a painting by Pablo Picasso at their first Mainland China auction in Shanghai last September.

Art isn’t the only object of beauty wealthy Chinese consumers are investing in, especially for the women who have been evolving their stylish sensibilities at a rate which has come as a surprise to many international brands and fashion mavens. Even as the growth of the luxury market has slowed over the past 12 months, women’s wear and luxury accessories have continued to surge ahead comparatively strongly. Long overshadowed by luxury menswear in the Middle Kingdom, women’s wear grew at a rate of between 8 and 10 per cent last year, according to Bain & Company.

Men’s and women’s share of luxury spending in China reached equal levels in 2013, a rapid evolution from a starting point of over 90 per cent spending by men in 1995. “The mindset among global brands here is changing from men’s categories and accessories to women’s categories and fashion. Brands are preparing for this major shift,” said Bruno Lannes, a Bain partner in Greater China and lead author of the Chinese edition of the study.

Alison Yeung, the woman behind Shanghai-based luxury shoe and accessory brand, Mary Ching, has seen first-hand the evolution in taste of Chinese women with means. “There is a move away from that branded, inyour- face bling. The people coming into new money will still be at that bling level, but the wealthier China becomes, the larger the number of discerning customers who will be moving away from that kind of ultra-bling,” she said.

The next big thing in fashion for Chinese consumers, according to Yeung, will be customisation, as wealthy women want something special they can show off to their friends, who now all have Louis Vuitton bags, Burberry trench coats and well-tailored Gucci pants suits. “I absolutely believe that personalisation is something that is interesting and liked here. Chinese love that tailor-made and handcrafted element,” she said. “Recently at our events, I have been autographing by hand, each pair of shoes purchased, which has been very popular; it makes the purchase a little bit more special. Beyond the service of welcoming someone to your retail space, you have to go the extra mile to make customers feel valued.”

Service is also becoming increasingly important to winning customers in the sphere of high-end entertainment. Traditionally the domain of China’s clear spirit, Maotai, long beloved by official banqueters, the high end spirits market has taken a significant hit from President Xi Jinping’s mission to curb conspicuous consumption. According to the Hurun Report, which annually surveys Chinese High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) with a personal wealth over 10 million yuan, there are still expensive alcoholic gifts doing the rounds in China, with red wine rating among the most popular gifts for men priced at under RMB 20,000. Imported spirits such as whisky and cognac are also on the up.

Reminiscent of elaborate jewellery from the 1920s, the marble bar at CICADA UltraLounge is the longest in town

Beyond the official crackdown, the increasingly international focus of Chinese drinkers is another main reason for this shift in high-end alcohol consumption. It’s also the reason a couple of long-term expats in China with past success in Beijing’s F&B scene, decided now was the time to open a high-end ‘ultra lounge’ in the nation’s capital.

Catalin Ichim is one of the co-founders of CICADA UltraLounge, with its 20-foot marble bar and a focus on the very best in food and mixology. The 2,700-square-foot venue caters to a wealthy Chinese clientele looking to recreate the luxury nightlife they may have experienced on their travels to Milan or Paris.

Jeffrey, editor at Beijing-based Lifestyle Magazine and Juli of Mario Testino’s studio, regularly frequent CICADA

“There was a gap in the market where nothing similar to what is happening overseas was happening in Beijing; this is what got us started,” Ichim said.

Although Ichim says they have been somewhat insulated from the crackdown because their focus has been less on politically powerful, wealthy consumers, those that have come through the doors thus far have shown an incredibly developed sense of what they want in terms of service.

“The pattern of consumption has changed a lot from being focused on the product itself to now being more focused on the service and experience that you get,” he said.

Across the luxury spectrum, it seems, it is the experience that counts for wealthy Chinese consumers in 2014. “It’s a little bit of soul-searching, or enlightenment happening. People are looking to and discovering new things in all aspects of their life, including art, design, drinks, food and anything that would make their life richer, that would enrich their life experience,” Ichim said.

kopproperties.com; mary-ching.com; cicadaultralounge.com

Clyde Auditorium – Seating 3,000, it is also referred to as “The Armadillo” by Glaswegians

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, Glasgow is its biggest city. Ahead of this year’s vote on independence, RJ MALONE explores what each has to offer in terms of hospitality and soul

Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city and Britain’s second city after London (at least, until the Scots decide whether or not they wish to remain part of Britain later this year), is often gifted with slightly backhanded epithets. “Gritty”, “real”, “friendly” and, worst of all, “down-to-earth”, for example, compared with Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital 40 miles down the M8 motorway, which is “beautiful”, “historic” or “traditional”.

I rather like spending time in Glasgow. It doesn’t have the visual drama of Edinburgh’s Castle as viewed from Prince’s Street, or the tourist-postcard dream come true of the Royal Mile. But it does have plenty of striking architecture around its university, West End and central areas, a fizzing cultural program, and some fantastic, and well-priced, restaurants if you like seafood, simply rendered.

To experience the city properly, you either need to stay in a place where you can escape from its very real harshness – no creative cultural program can obliterate the bands of rain sweeping on crystal clear air from the Atlantic, whatever the month – or revel in it.

The first of these is the Hotel du Vin, One Devonshire Gardens. Fans of the boutique town hotel group will be familiar with its cleverly designed, gourmand-friendly, contemporary-cosy properties around the UK; but this is another level altogether. The group’s only effectively five-star outpost (only the vagaries of staircase connections between the grand townhouses that comprise the hotel rob it of an official five-star rating), it is on the edge of the city’s restaurant-and-bar-packed West End. Step inside and you shut the wind, rain and streetscape out, both visually and physically.

Hotel du Vin – The iconic hotel is known for both its service and style

It’s all about a series of grand drawing rooms, created with a very contemporary blend of pared-back chic and ornate swank. My bedroom, facing an internal courtyard, was all about swoothing swathes of drape and fabric, and a bedroom that felt like you had been whisked into a 19th-century boudoir (but with no mustiness or dustiness; everything was perfectly up-to-date). The best part of the stay, though, was an evening spent in the bar: this was another ornate drawing room, with sofas and chaises longues and coffee tables, with a bar along one side. The lighting, so often the killer in bars in drawing rooms (there’s usually too much of it and you expect your maiden aunt to drop in for tea and biscuits, not very seductive), was just dark enough. The array of single-malt Scotches would have kept a whiskiphile going for weeks; the wine list was peppered with interesting red Burgundies and new-wave new-world points; I enjoyed some local Scottish craft beer, while picking at a very pleasant board of charcuterie.

Glasgow’s heyday was at the height of the industrial revolution, when it was a port, centre of commerce and ideas, and shipbuilding centre: a sort of 19th century version of contemporary Shanghai. Its more recent reinvention involves some interesting architecture also, and a way to both see and experience it is at another of my favoured hotels in the city, the Crowne Plaza Glasgow. This sits in the middle of a new cultural and conference area, a former industrial zone across the curiously quiet Clyde river (the great shipyards were further downstream, where the waterway is mightier) from the BBC’s new Scottish headquarters, and next to a mini-Sydney Opera House known as the Clyde Auditoriam, designed by awardwinning architect Sir Norman Foster. At night, the area has a kind of Twilight Zone beauty about it, and I enjoyed sitting in the silent efficiency of my corner suite, which had a double outlook, drinking a Schiehallion beer, looking out across the river and over to the outline of the Southern uplands beyond, feeling like we are on the edge of Europe. The bar, downstairs, is pretty lively too, in a very Glasgow way.

Edinburgh has a much more formal way about it, and a far more formal beauty. I prefer the cheerful gruffness of a semicomprehensible Glaswegian taxi driver to the clipped and chipped service of an Edinburgh driver, but that’s personal. And if you are going to see Edinburgh, there is one place to see it from: its grandest hotel, the Balmoral, which sits directly adjacent to Waverley Station, diagonally facing the Castle, and at one end of Prince’s Street. Prince’s Street itself is a shopping boulevard flanked by unremarkable retail in grand stone buildings on one side, but the gardens on the other side, dropping into a dip, and then rising up to the great rock hill on which the Castle is perched, give the impression of being on the edge of the sea, the Castle a fortress rising beyond.

View From The Balmoral with views of the Edinburgh Castle by night

My room had a view of all this, and an enormous amount of space besides, a mark of this grand edifice of a hotel. A small measure of Highland Park 12-year-old whisky with a single cube of ice made from Highland Spring water (why put chlorinated tap water in your whisky, in the form of a melting ice cube?) enhanced the view.

The public areas of the Balmoral are a tourist attraction in themselves; the domed Palm Court a place where locals and tourists congregate for afternoon tea, Ritz-style (be sure to book in advance) and no doubt talk of places where palm trees don’t need central heating in order to grow properly. More my style was the spa, where a chatty therapist gave me a very effective scrub and massage, amid generously proportioned surroundings.

Art Basel Hong Kong is trying to create the same buzz for Asia’s burgeoning collector scene as its parent fair, Art Basel, does in Europe. MAGNUS RENFREW, director of Asia for Art Basel, explains the challenges involved in a fluctuating Asian art market

Over the past six or seven years, the Asian art market has developed considerably. Historically, the market had been quite auction driven, particularly between 2006 and 2008 when there was a sudden big increase in interest for Chinese art. There had also been a lack of curatorial and critical frameworks, which the market had moved to replace. The perception was that an expensive work must be important, which is somewhat back to front.

Marnie Weber – Log Lady & Dirty Bunny, 2009
Simon Lee Gallery

However, in the last few years, things have changed. The turning point came after 2009 when the prices dropped for some of the artists that had been doing well at auctions. Those artists had adopted the attitude of “make hay while the sun shines” and worked with many different galleries, sometimes consigning works directly to auction.

Artists and collectors have grown to appreciate the importance of the gallery system and its role in promoting the practice of artists, not just selling objects. The galleries we are interested in build the career of the artist for the long term, not just to make a quick buck. They have an agency role to protect the interest of artists for the long term, ensuring there are not too many works going out into the market, that the quality of the work is consistent, try to help put their work in major institutions and institutional shows like biennales and finally try to sell the work to genuine collectors, not speculators.

I think that the art market is far more sophisticated now. It isn’t just about buying a big name artist, but the right period, the right subject matter and purchasing an artist that is growing in critical and curatorial stature. Asia is a very dynamic environment and it is an audience that learns extraordinarily quickly. There is a new generation of collectors who really want to collect from galleries and are passionate about collecting, rather than investing.

artbasel.com/hongkong

One and J. Gallery – One of the first galleries to focus primarily on young contemporary Korean artists

Laurent Grasso
Visibility is a trap, 2012
Edouard Malingue Gallery

Susumu Koshimizu – Paper, 2013
Gallery Yamaki

‘Paper Rain Parade’
Hong Kong artist Angela Su performs during Art Basel
Hong Kong in 2013

Doug Aitken – You/You, 2012
303 Gallery

Melora Kuhn – Her permanent mark on him, 2014
Galerie Eigen+Art

Antony Gormley – Feeling Material XXXV, 2008, White Cube

Marc Chagall, Dos à dos, 1984

Marc Chagall’s star still shines bright today: the Russian-French Modernist is coveted by collectors and connoisseurs alike. Our columnist explains why JEAN-DAVID MALAT

Personally, Marc Chagall is by far my favourite Modern artist. His paintings are somewhat like dreams and they remind me of my childhood: indeed, my grandfather was Polish and my grandmother’s family originally from Russia. Growing up, I listened to their stories and traditional tales and, in my mind, these resembled the colourful and oneiric scenes depicted by Chagall.

I think that up to today, he has influenced a lot of Israeli and Russian contemporary artist. He stayed true to his own style all his life. And even Picasso – who is known for being very critical of fellow artists – was a lover of Chagall’s works. I believe it is all down to the combination of colours, and the love and family values he put into his paintings. These are unique.

And the market seems to have picked up on this too. The presence of artworks by the late Master Painter in every major Modern Art auction around the world since the mid-2000s illustrates the recognition that his art has gained on the art market and with art collectors alike. An example of how this artist’s value on the art market has been reinforced since 2005 can be observed in the results of “La Femme du Peintre” (1970). In 1996, this 100 x 65 cm oil on canvas was auctioned at Sotheby’s New York for USD 650,000 (within the estimated USD 600,000 – 800,000). In 2012, the exact same painting was auctioned again at Sotheby’s New York. It was then sold for a hammer price of USD 1,800,000. That’s almost three times more than in 1996, the kind of trend more usually seen by living artists these days. This tendency is due to the fact that the demand for quality paintings by the Master Chagall keeps getting higher, while fewer and fewer pieces are available on the market.

Marc Chagall,Le coq sur fond Noir, 1968

To this day, the record price for a Chagall artwork to sell at an auction was at the August 2013 Christie’s New York sale, when “Les trois acrobates” (1926) sold for USD 11,500,000; well above the estimate between USD 6,000,000 – 9,000,000.

Considering all of the above, it is no surprise that the art market statistics website artprice.com has evaluated that USD 100 invested in 1999 in a Marc Chagall work will have an average value of 178 USD in September 2013.

But beyond that, the world’s most respected art institutions are constantly paying tribute to his great heritage: In 2013, two major UK institutions hosted Chagall exhibitions – Tate Liverpool and Manchester Jewish Museum – that looked into the Jewish heritage and modernist influences that shaped his career; while the Grand Palais in Paris hosted an exhibition of self-portraits at the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice.

As for 2014, the first major retrospective in Spain devoted to Chagall will take place at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, curated by President of the Comité Chagall, Jean-Louis Prat.

At Opera Gallery, we have been sourcing artworks by Chagall for our collectors since around 2003-2004. And thanks to our international network, we have access to numerous Chagalls, via international collectors.

Marc Chagall,Maries au village,1969

In 2006, we hosted our first Chagall solo exhibition in London, which was extremely well-received by our public and collectors. Later, in 2011, we had a Chagall exhibition in Opera Gallery Monaco, then in Geneva. And in May 2013, we decided to bring our collection to Asia and hosted a large retrospective exhibition in Opera Gallery Hong Kong.

It is with great pride that we will also be hosting a retrospective in London, opening on the 15 May 2014 and with which we aim to highlight the prominent role the Russian painter played within the history of art; and also to reinforce even further his value and recognition on the current art market.

Jean-David Malat is Director of the international Opera Gallery group. The Opera Gallery’s Chagall retrospective shows in London in May 2014 and in Singapore in autumn 2014.

It may be the most ancient of all building materials but it’s holding its own in the modern world. go back to basics with these stunning pieces that prove you just can’t beat the power and beauty of nature.

Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, CAROLINE DAVIES caught up with two of its stars, Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton and team boss Ross Brawn, at an IWC exhibit. Brawn has since announced his retirement, but we’re running the interview anyway

LUX Regarding the tyre controversies, why would a company produce tyres that don’t grip? Isn’t that like producing watches that aren’t on time?

Ross Brawn That is a delicate topic. When you only have one supplier as we do in Formula 1 then the tyre supplier can work on one end of the scale or the other. If they only supply tyres that don’t deteriorate then they run the risk of the tyres becoming too predictable. It’s about finding the balance between a tyre that is extremely durable and never wears out and the other end, which is very soft, very fast but only has a limited life.

Just finding that right point is quite a challenge for Pirelli as they have some elements of Formula 1 pushing them in one direction and some pushing them in the other. They will never do a tyre that suits every team because each team looks for a particular thing. I think Pirelli can do whatever is required and Formula 1 needs to decide which they need. Perhaps we have gone a little too much towards the entertainment with all the pit stops, which can confuse the fans, and it needs to come back a little bit, but not go all the way.

LUX Lewis, you’ve recently joined IWC. How’s the watch collection coming?

Lewis Hamilton I’ve collected watches for a while, but I’m only just beginning my IWC watches collection…

LUX Are there any similarities in the details of watchmaking and a Formula 1 driver?

LH Timing is everything for a Formula 1 driver. We are constantly developing and improving, chasing time throughout the year. Time means points so that’s what we are working towards. All the different materials we use – carbon fibre, aluminium, titanium – and the processes we use are now used to make brilliant watches.

LUX Engines are changing in the coming season. How’s this going to affect Formula 1?

RB I think for a number of years the engine has not been a strong factor. Sometime ago the engines were frozen so there hasn’t been any development on them. Formula 1 tends to be thought of as a competition between the cars and not so much between the engines. This year we have a fresh start. It is a very important change. At the moment we have V8 engines, but next season we are having some small capacity turbocharged hybrid engines. These are becoming more common in the automotive industry and we get a lot of ‘energy recovering’ from them. We will have the same power and performance for 100 kilos of fuel as we had for 150 kilos before. The efficiency improvement is enormous and that is going to feed back into our daily lives in terms of the types of cars we drive and the sort of engines we have. Formula 1 is getting relevant again. I think we are going to see a discussion about the drivers, the cars and the engines, which is a good thing. It is also bringing in new companies as they see that relevance. In 2015, Honda will be returning to Formula 1 and certainly they wouldn’t have done that before with the previous engines. It is a good step.

LUX We have seen materials used in car manufacturing cross into watchmaking. Which materials will move next and why do they work well in watches?

RB I think it is an interesting area of synergy. We are using them because of physical properties, which may not be totally relevant for a watch, but are very interesting in terms of the technology and the aesthetics. One of the obvious areas is carbon fibre. A huge percentage of cars are carbon fibre and that is now becoming similar in watches. I think that the synergy is developing. It is at an early stage presently, but there are a lot of interesting materials. It adds another aspect to the watch as well as pure design.

LUX How do you know when the chemistry is right in a dream team?

RB I think sharing the same goals, when everybody works together. At Mercedes we had a very strong principle in our team that we didn’t have a blame culture. If something went wrong it went wrong for everybody and when things went well they went well for everybody. We worked together as a team. It is a combination of everyone working with attention to detail at every level of the company. It is a reason it succeeds. We had two fantastic drivers who worked well together with the right spirit, which translated through the whole team.

LUX Lewis, would you rather have a vintage IWC or a vintage Mercedes?

LH I like driving, but I would rather both. A vintage Mercedes would be a Gullwing. I’ll have to wait and see which vintage classic IWC watch I should get.

Footwear from Mary Ching’s Chinese Whispers collection

There’s a whole lot more to Bali than makeshift beach bars and hippy zone-outs. Make like a dude with ANDREA SEIFERT’s guide to the island’s spectacular cocktail hotspots

1. KAKILIMA BY THE SEA, CANGGU

This charming, family-friendly seaside spot in Canggu sits on an expansive grassy lawn that gently slopes down to meet the sparkling water. Fast becoming known as the hotspot for sundowners, the postcard-perfect sunsets have to be seen to be believed and are best enjoyed with a pitcher of Kakilima’s signature sangria. The extensive menu of Mediterranean-inspired fare offers beautifully presented tapas, fresh seafood, an excellent mahi-mahi burger and the best pork ribs in town. On weekends, you’ll find acoustic live music and a crackling bonfire to add to the atmosphere.

2. TOWNHOUSE, SEMINYAK

Renowned New York nightlife impresario Mark Baker has brought a hip, new multi-concept five-story space that is drawing Bali’s in crowd day and night. Raw food enthusiasts and art lovers can peruse the ground floor photo gallery and organic juice bar and then slip up to the roof garden terrace to take in the 360 degree panoramic views. Dinner is served at Bistro, a welcome precursor to bespoke cocktails and dancing in the sleek, opulent third and fourth floor lounge. thetownhousebali.com

3. OLD MAN’S, CANGGU

Old Man’s is a barefoot beach bar with a view of one of the busiest surf breaks in Bali, which just happens to be called Old Man’s. Bamboo, surfboards, Lucas Grogan murals, dogs and kids make this quite the interesting scene. Pop in any time for an easy menu of staples for the beach – baby coconut juices with bircher muesli in the morning, and a mixture of Balinese and Western favourites to fill you up once out of the surf. Live music, sunset DJs and a relaxed vibe will have you dancing here for hours. facebook.com/oldmansbali

4. MOTEL MEXICOLA, SEMINYAK

Head south of the border to a quirky, rainbow-hued riot of Latin tunes and tasty tacos. Every night at Motel Mexicola is a fiesta in the retro tropical surrounds, filled with candle shrines, floral table clothes, bright artworks, rosaries, knickknacks, and twinkly lanterns. Food is as flavourful as the decor, and it doesn’t get any more authentic than the pork rib, a special recipe handed down to Chef Silverio by his Mexican granny. This is a place for merriment and margaritas. motelmexicolabali.com

5. BARBACOA, SEMINYAK

Hungry carnivores come to South American fusion bar/restaurant Barbacoa to feast on whole lamb and suckling pig, slow-roasted for eight hours over an open fire. The menu also features lighter options like Peruvian snapper ceviche and grilled octopus, which can be washed down with a cold bottle of white from their wine cellar. The grand, airy fit-out marries urban exposed brick with colourful floor tiling, and the mezzanine level is home to a tequila bar with low Chesterfields overlooking the serenity of a rice paddy field, a rare sight in urbanised Seminyak. barbacoabali.com

The business model proves how important close bonds are to achieving success

For family-run objet d’art purveyor and producer Lotus Arts de Vivre, it is all about relationships – and not just within the family. YUEN LIN KOH catches up with the von Buerens

Their sprawling family home, hidden in the high-rise jungle of Sukhumvit 23 district of Bangkok, has for decades been a sanctuary for travellers from near and far. Rolf von Bueren, now 73, a prominent industrialist who arrived in Thailand from Germany in 1962, and his wife Helen – also of the same age and of Thai and Scottish parentage, are the hospitable couple who lavished dinners and parties on friends visiting Thailand from around the world. Witnessing and interacting with a cosmopolitan mix of guests passing through their doors as young children, elder son Sri and younger son Niklas von Bueren – the second generation of the family – perhaps understand better than anyone else that the world, huge with different and divergent cultures, can also be very small.

After all, the von Buerens were as cosmopolitan as it gets for a family living in Thailand during the sixties. Despite being seen as foreigners, given their European blood, they embraced traditional Thai culture with fervent passion. Their home, sitting on grounds purchased by Helen’s family close to a century ago, is a vision of classicism. Nine hardwood houses with soaring peaked roofs and generous wooden decks rise from the verdant 1.5 acre plot, and are connected by a maze of wood and stone paths meandering across a garden lush with tropical flora. When locals were looking to shed that heritage while they were moving forward with times, Rolf embraced it as someone enthralled with this new culture he was experiencing. The Catholic later even converted to Buddhism. His passion for Thai culture – which is passed on to his children and distinctly showcased in Lotus Arts de Vivre pieces – makes the von Buerens perfect ambassadors of the graces of the Thai culture. Yet at the same time, they are also familiar with the fashions and aesthetics of the European culture.

Sri and Niklas’ cosmopolitan views and tastes were also nurtured through their many journeys around the region. “We were always travelling to Indonesia, India and other destinations all around the Asian region even before they were fashionable,” recalls Niklas, now 41 years of age. “Father of course, was the disciplinarian. But the most valuable thing he taught us was curiosity. He has a curious mind and is always interested in art and culture, and would constantly be making us learn and enjoy other cultures, be it trying new things, eating new foods, visiting temples… All that learning was quite boring when we were young, you know, but today we know that this curiosity is the root of all of Lotus Arts de Vivre’s new developments.”

This galuchat (stingray leather) elephant stool has a touch of silver sterling to make it shine

For the benefit of the uninitiated, Lotus Arts de Vivre – though with a history of just 30 years – is one of the most revered names in the niche jewellery business of producing one-off pieces. In fact, it is one of the largest producers of single-piece jewellery in the world. Their statement pieces, adorned by members of high society and royalty alike stretching from Palm Beach and New York to London and Cannes to Beijing and back to Bangkok, are sought after worldwide. Elizabeth Taylor, Gore Vidal and even Gianni Versace are just some personalities who have fallen under its spell.

Each unique piece is inspired by nature and crafted from a fantastical combination of wonderous materials – from humble coconut shell to innovations of gold-fused glass, from sparkling diamonds, rubies and emeralds to iridescent scarab wings. Sumptuously textured, riotously colourful, outrageously glamorous and exquisitely graceful, they are pieces not to be carelessly worn by all and sundry. With the pieces from Lotus Arts de Vivre, you have to carry it with all your personality, lest it outshines you.

They are also producers of fantastical homeware – ranging from gold-leaf and lacquer-lined ostrich egg containers and black onyx and silver toothpick holders in the form of a miniature porcupine, to stools clad in stingray skin and a magnificent mahogany eagle that took 17 artisans and more than a year to carve and cast with 99 pounds of sterling silver.

For all its sophistication, Lotus Arts de Vivre has amateurish beginnings. It was set up as a mother’s way of keeping herself busy when her children had left the country to study abroad. Though of course, the von Buerens didn’t just set up a shop at any place; they placed themselves strategically at what is now the Four Seasons Bangkok. It was 1983 and the hotel, then the Bangkok Peninsula, was the place for anybody who is anybody to see and be seen. “My father encouraged my mother to start the first shop through selling pieces that have been purveyed and collected through their travels. But my mother is not a businesswoman – if anything, she didn’t want to carry on with this!” reveals Niklas.

Abalone Shell Bowl – The sterling silver grasshopper features onyx stones for eyes

Even though he and his brother were sent to boarding school in the United Kingdom when they were about 10-years-old, it is clear that unbreakable bonds with the family have been fostered even in their tender ages. Without the slightest bit of pressure from their parents, both Sri and Niklas eventually joined the company, in their own time. Sri, now 45, went on to study gold and silversmithing after his studies in the United Kingdom. “It was after I returned that we started our own jewellery workship; it then slowly morphed into a retail business. It was really run very much as a hobby until about 10 years ago, but a lot of the philosophy still stands, in that it is inspired by travel around the region, by places such as China, India, Japan, Indonesia and of course, Thailand.”

Niklas himself went to business school and entered the banking industry upon graduation. Spending four years in the finance industry, he saw the family operation very differently. Where others saw exoticism, he saw Unique Selling Points. Joining the company in 1998, after the economic crisis, he made it his mission to market the brand globally in a time when Asian aesthetics were not widely appreciated.

Together, the brothers injected new vigour into the company and created a brand – a name known today for its inimitable style that applies delicate, time-honed traditional craftsmanship to bold, innovative designs from a distinctly young spirit.

Through exhibitions, events, dinners – each month sees an average of two events, one held in Bangkok and another internationally – and naturally, their personal connections, the von Buerens keep their global audience enthralled with their unique sense of style. It’s a work that sends the entire family to different parts of the world: as Niklas speaks to us from their home office in Bangkok, Sri is at Mozaic Beach Club, one of the two boutiques in Bali where their pieces are sold – and attending Jeremy Irons’ Indonesian screening of his environmental documentary, “Trashed”. In the meantime, Rolf and Helen are in Europe talking to a carpet purveyor for their other retail business, Theatre of Indulgence, before moving off to London for an exhibition with Couture Lab, an impossibly chic retailer of exquisite luxuries, founded by Carmen Busquets, previously a major investor and board member of Net-à-Porter.

Dragon Ring – A key symbol of Chinese mythology, this dragon features diamonds, citrine and pink tourmaline

But their work is not just about spreading the word. It is really all about the pieces they produce. “Over the last 30 years, we have probably created some 10,000 pieces,” shares Niklas. “We are in the midst of doing a large format coffee table book, and in the process have spoken about our favourite pieces – as it turns out, some of the pieces dearest to each of us are custom orders for our clients. These pieces are special to us because there is a sentimental story behind each commission, and each piece holds a profound meaning for them. To us, the profound meaning comes from the fact that these people have entrusted us to create this for them.

“Our pieces are predominantly one-offs, 50 to us is a big number. Each piece – even those that are not bespoke – has a story behind it.”

And it’s not just a story of the wearer that it tells. Working with Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s SUPPORT Foundation, Lotus Arts de Vivre collaborates with silk embroiderers of Thailand. The von Buerens family also takes years to cultivate relationships with master craftsmen such as a Chinese cinnabar lacquer artist based in a place five hours outside of Beijing; maki-e painters in Noto, Japan; and even Indonesian ivory carvers, now preserving their skills through carving coconut shells. Each meticulously crafted piece is a many-fold story of traditional craftsmen from Asia, each lending his unique touch to the piece, and in turn, leaving a little piece of his own story in it.

Each piece also tells very much a story of the von Buerens – their taste for Old World charms, their rich globetrotting life, their all-embracing spirit, their sense of wonderment. Their principle of being true to themselves extends to beyond the immediate family, now expanded with Niklas and Sri becoming fathers themselves. This is because every patron, every craftsman and everyone from the team of over 200 is considered family. Niklas for one is quick to declare that theirs is not a closed operation limited by blood ties – kindred spirits who hold the same values are also welcome to join them in Lotus Arts de Vivre’s journey into the future.

“It is the network that we created over the 30 years which has opened us to business opportunities – it’s an interesting way to move forward. We never really plan to go into something, we just naturally go into it because our customers were looking for these services or products.”

And perhaps therein lies the beauty of keeping things in the family. The brand isn’t developed – it is nurtured; the company isn’t developed, it grows organically. Certainly there are challenges to working with family members – even staying under the same roof can be a trial for some of us – but for the von Buerens, the pros outweigh the cons. “And it allows me to spend more time with my kids!” beams the usually-stern Niklas. And that alone, for anybody who understands the joy of a family, is priceless.

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