Naked Power

In a sunlit studio in rural Oxfordshire, England, Joanna Migdal, dental drill in hand, kneels beside a large bronze sundial base as she engraves into its surface the words, “The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee and give thee peace.” Like the mottoes she includes on all of the […]

In the summer of 1996, while volunteering on the restoration of 12th- and 13th-century stone buildings in a French village, Ted Boerner ended each day seated at a long, narrow picnic table, breaking bread with his coworkers. While everyone else focused on the fresh-baked baguettes and bottles of Côtes du Rhône, Boerner was preoccupied with […]

While omnipresent in homes throughout Europe, Electrolux, the Swedish brand responsible for the tank vacuum that was sold door-to-door to millions of American households following its introduction in 1924, has maintained a low profile on this side of the Atlantic in recent decades. However, AB Electrolux—now an appliance conglomerate that includes AEG in Germany, Frigidaire […]

Those who lament the dearth of great music and varied philosophical viewpoints on the radio can take heart. Digital radio technology has arrived, bringing diversity to our listening in much the same way that digital cable and satellite TV brought variety to our viewing. And digital radio is now available for the home, with some […]

Like a proud parent, Tom LaTour, the chairman and CEO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, has photos at the ready for when the conversation turns to his baby, the 25-acre vineyard on Mount Veeder, overlooking Napa Valley, that he purchased five years ago. Passing the 8-by-10s across the coffee table in a suite at the […]

Not until i have finished the meal’s second course, a combination of sugar-cured trout and wasabi ice cream that jolts the mind as well as the palate, do I pause to gather my geographic bearings. I consider the outcome of sailing directly west from my location on the barely tamed northwest coast of Tasmania, out […]

Just a decade ago, the now-defunct, celebrity-owned Planet Hollywood was Aspen’s foremost culinary establishment. Today, with more than 100 restaurants, the mountain resort town counts gourmet cuisine among its many allures. Following are a few of Aspen’s finer dining options.    CARIBOU CLUB: This world-famous private club is arguably Aspen’s most coveted reservation. (970.925.2929). CLOUD […]

The salt-encrusted sea bass arrives at our table with head and tail intact, sizzling amid a spectrum of tomato confit, French green beans, black risotto, and preserved lemon slices. Accented by flavors of sweet tomatoes, citrus, and brine, the entrée punctuates another decadent meal in Aspen, this one prepared by the Little Nell hotel’s Paul […]

Shakespeare declared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that “The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact.” The same should be said of the collector, the artist, and the criminal. The true collector’s relationship to the object of his delight—whether a watch, an automobile, or a piece of fine art—begins innocently enough; […]

Despite an inauspicious beginning that involved canceling its 2001 debut following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Art Basel Miami Beach has become, in just two years, the premier contemporary art fair in the United States. The third edition, scheduled for December 2 through 5 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, will feature at least 190 […]

Chef John Besh knows what diners expect from a private meal in the penthouse above Restaurant August in New Orleans: “They want to be wowed,” he says. Since the fourth-floor aerie opened in 2002, it has thrived solely on word-of-mouth references from dazzled patrons. Romantics have staged proposals, intimate weddings, and anniversaries there. VIPs favor […]

What a friend to man, the grape. For millennia it has gladdened the soul and fired romance, fueled sociability and ennobled our rituals. But the humble grape seed, so often overlooked, has greater sway than even the finest Pétrus, for it can make us appear more vital, more youthful, even more appealing. This power should […]

Drinks. Whether in the more formal form of a cocktail, or simply poured straight up, one is born (and borne to a parched guest) nearly every second of this well-festooned season, which spans the weeks separating Thanksgiving’s pickled cranberry relish from the blessed combination of Alka-Seltzer and aspirin that delivers so much welcome relief on […]

It is odd that the father of classical tragedy should have penned what may be the truest truism concerning the happy issue of the vine when he compared this liquid art form to sculpture: “Bronze is the mirror of the form,” wrote Aeschylus, “wine of the heart.” While a surfeit of wine will sometimes induce […]

Knowing that the food served can make or break a party, a wise host chooses his menu carefully or hires a choice caterer to address the culinary concerns, while the gracious guest recognizes that a gift-wrapped delicacy always is a welcome expression of gratitude.   Holiday Treats Because merriment involves eating as well as drinking, […]

What better way to begin a golf gathering, season an afternoon social, or end an elegant dinner party than with a fine cigar?   We present new tastes to tantalize the  adventurous guest, classics to impress those who take solace in the tried-and-true, and accessories that will render even the most extravagant host speechless. Among […]

Hangovers, like hurricanes, have their season. Experts identify this chaotic interlude as extending roughly from the Thanksgiving holiday to the end of the first week of the New Year. Each victim suffers during this period according to his or her particular indulgence. The most fortunate can classify their bouts according to the year in which […]

It can be the most uplifting of occasions, the sort of thing that gladdens the heart, brightens the calendar, and provides moments that everyone present will remember fondly. Or it can be cause for dread, an event to be approached with misgivings and endured under duress. Recalling it will prompt even the most hardened among […]

P.B. Dye’s english labradors are trained to remain in the golf cart while their owner tees off. But on the third hole at Teeth of the Dog, the landmark Dominican Republic course designed by Dye’s father, Pete, the canines bolt from their positions toward an irresistible sight: Lewis, the Dye family’s house manager, has emerged […]

Skis once served the single, simple purpose of sliding on snow. Now the best skis are designed for specific conditions and particular performance levels, giving you much to consider when equipping yourself for the slopes but also offering a more customized skiing experience.   To aid in the ski-selection process and ensure a harmonious union […]

The scent of scandal hung over New York City’s MacDougal Street, where the 14th annual Veuve Clicquot Bastille Day Pétanque Tournament was under way.The team that won the tournament each of the last three years, thereby rendering itself ineligible for this year’s contest, had tried to sneak into the event under another name, only to […]

The last thing you want to learn after spending $30,000 for a timepiece is that corners were cut in its creation. De Bethune, a newly established company, believes its no-compromise approach to watchmaking will be refreshing to connoisseurs disappointed by the offerings of large brands beholden to the exigencies of production.   De Bethune founders […]

Jeweler Henry Dunay is convinced that his ancestors were jewelers for an Egyptian pharaoh. While the designer has no proof of this lineage, his passion for gems and jewelry runs so deep, he is sure it is part of his genetic constitution. Dunay lately has been fascinated with moonstones in particular, as evidenced by his […]

Tremors continue to be felt throughout the fashion world as the Brits seek to reclaim their positioning as sartorial leaders, and 8 Savile Row is the movement’s epicenter. This is the address of the former Kilgour, French & Stanbury, the 122-year-old classic suitmaker, which—after a $2.5 million buyout earlier this year by partners Hugh Holland, […]

  Zoltan David frequently offers a piece of advice to his clients: “If you want the best from an artist, set him free.” For the 53-year-old metalsmith, freedom means spending as many as 70 hours hand-forging one ring rather than casting his designs in multiples. David’s specialty is the laborious “cold-forged” technique that involves using […]

The jewelry designers featured in this issue’s “Artful Hands” story—Michael Zobel, Scott Gauthier, and Zoltan David—are masters of their craft, possessing superior metalworking skills and enough patience to spend years gathering rare and beautiful gemstones. Two longtime leaders in the field, Henry Dunay and Michael Bondanza, who were profiled in “Designers Extraordinaire” in our November […]

The skeleton watch is a prime example of how fine Swiss mechanical watchmaking is driven more by an appreciation for art and craftsmanship than a practical need to tell the time. These timepieces embody the most extreme exercise in horological aesthetics: movement finishing and decoration. In fact, skeletons celebrate this discipline to such a degree […]

In the fable The Emperor’s New Clothes, a pair of con artists posing as tailors dupe his royal majesty into believing that his new wardrobe is made from cloth so refined that it appears invisible to all but the noblest of gentlemen. Donning the world’s most extravagant materials still holds the same allure, but we […]

The airliner touches down in Bologna, a group of Italian teenagers on board cheers and applauds and then breaks into a beautiful operatic aria. This is the introduction to Italy for a visitor arriving to test-drive Lamborghini’s new Murciélago Roadster, the 580 hp, 198.8 mph topless version of the carmaker’s flagship coupe. However, such a […]

A side from several understated features—aluminum side mirrors and a slightly modified spoiler, for example—the Audi S4 resembles a standard-issue $28,000 A4 sedan. A punch on the gas, however, awakens the car’s 340 hp V-8 engine, propelling the German rocket to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat. Equally impressive, the four-wheel-drive four-door corners with supreme […]

When sales representatives for the German boatbuilder KaiserWerft introduce prospective clients to the 102-foot Ocean of Love, a recent entry to the company’s semicustom Baron line of fiberglass megayachts, they note the boat’s twin 2,000 hp MTU engines, 22-foot-wide beam, and teardrop-shaped windows. However, the most appealing characteristic of the sporty vessel, which the company […]

Executives at flight options say that JetPass, the fractional ownership provider’s new 25-hour private flight program, has been in the works since 2003. However, the event that served as the impetus for JetPass’ launch took place two years earlier, when Marquis Jet partnered with NetJets, introduced the 25-hour concept, and turned business aviation on its […]

A glimpse of Noble House, a recently launched 174-foot motor yacht built by New Zealand’s Sensation shipyard for an American owner, would not lead one to classify the vessel as a member of the explorers’ club. Noble House’s appearance, however, belies its abilities. The steel-hulled boat, which is fitted with a bulbous bow engineered to […]

From its summertime berth on the Italian coastline, Giant, a 247-foot IHC Holland behemoth with a bright red hull designed to clear waterways through the Arctic ice, stands out like a warning flag among the sleek, white speedsters that speckle the Mediterranean. The expedition yacht, which offers passengers willing to pay its $300,000-per-week charter fee […]