“Give me the luxuries of lifeand I will willingly do without the necessities,” wrote Frank Lloyd Wright in his 1932 autobiography. Vernon Swaback, principal of the Scottsdale, Ariz., architectural firm Swaback Partners, says he has spent his career pursuing Wright’s credo. Through the design principles that he applied to Hangar One, a private air facility and club in Scottsdale, Swaback, a former student of Wright’s and the current chairman of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, has created one of life’s true luxuries. While great design may incorporate expensive materials and time-consuming methods, he says, it should also evoke a sense of mystery about the object, enhance its performance, and address its mission. This philosophy equally applies to architecture, aircraft and automobile design, even fashion—anything that must satisfy practical function while also appealing to the eye. Hangar One’s underlying mission was pragmatic. The client, Bennett Dorrance, managing partner of the Scottsdale development firm DMB Realty, wanted a hangar to house his three planes and storage space to garage his collection of 25 vintage automobiles, which include a Lancia, a Shelby, and a 1928 Bentley Le Mans. But Dorrance’s vision transcended utilitarian purpose. “We had a client who had the resources to build whatever could be imagined and a desire to create something that really celebrated aviation.”
Hangar One not only addresses the technical demands of private aviation and provides the expected conveniences for travelers, it also caters to their social yearnings. Codesigner Adam Tihany, who has appointed some of the world’s top restaurants and hotels, conceived the interiors, including that of the facility’s 40-seat restaurant, which hosts charity fund-raisers and other events.
Swaback emphasizes that Hangar One conveys pure expressions of the simple materials used in its construction: glass, aluminum, stainless steel, and concrete. The building alludes to its aviation function through sculptural forms that incorporate winglike shapes built of the same aluminum used in aircraft construction. “This building is high performance not only in systems, but also in architectural character and detailing,” adds Swaback.
Performance is the underlying principle of aircraft design, so Hangar One serves as the perfect backdrop on which to project Falcon Jet’s 900EX EASy, the latest addition to Falcon’s 900 series. This business jet can take off from and land on small runways—even on hot days at high altitudes—and because of its fuel efficiency, it has a 5,200-mile range that can take you from New York to Moscow.
Like Hangar One and Falcon’s latest jet, fall’s finest fashions do not sacrifice function and comfort for aesthetic beauty, but rather aspire to excel at all three. The ingeniousness of all these designs rests in their ability to celebrate purpose, methods, and materials, while enhancing the experiences of business and pleasure.
Upward Mobility
On him, left: Ermenegildo Zegna Couture sport coat, $3,325, green pin-striped dress shirt, $350, and striped silk tie, $180; Ermenegildo Zegna Cashco corduroy pants, $570; Salvatore Ferragamo leather loafers, $450. On her: Pamella Roland stretch leather dress, $1,870, and green fox fur shrug, $1,595; Jimmy Choo satin platform sandals, $575; Jewelry by Gauthier 13.63-carat diamond tennis bracelet, $69,500, and canary yellow and white diamond earrings, $15,400. On him, right: Yves Saint Laurent gray flannel peacoat, $3,995, silk polka-dot shirt, $349, gray flannel slacks, $495; Girard-Perregaux stainless steel perpetual calendar watch, $29,500; David Yurman titanium and gold cuff links, $525.
Flight Planning
Left: Ermenegildo Zegna herringbone wool blazer, $1,350, cotton striped shirt, $295, striped silk tie, $140, and corduroy pants, $350; Rolex platinum Oyster watch, $38,100. Right: Salvatore Ferragamo leather bomber jacket, $2,150, and paisley cotton shirt, $445; Prada cashmere V-neck sweater, $590; Ermenegildo Zegna cotton pants, $315; Cartier stainless steel Santos 100 watch, $4,400.
Final Boarding Call
John Varvatos goat suede leather ranch jacket with shearling lining, $3,695; Michael Kors cashmere sweater, $695; Seven five-pocket jeans, $158; 96 Hours by Puma leather sneakers with mesh detail, $170; Louis Vuitton Epi Keepall, approximately $1,250; Joshua Dotson 18-karat gold Grass ring, $575.
On-Time Departures
On him: Michael Kors chalk-striped flannel peak-lapel blazer, $995, vest, $495, pants, $275, plaid shirt, $225, and silk satin tie, $110; Salvatore Ferragamo leather loafers, $450; Martin Dingman matte-finish Louisiana alligator Henry convertible brief, $15,000 by special order.
On her: Louis Vuitton dress with satin top and tweed skirt, approximately $2,400, and L’Impetueux Suhali handbag, $2,280; Jimmy Choo satin platform sandals, $575.
First-Class Lounging
On him: Ermenegildo Zegna navy pin-striped suit, $1,995, purple striped dress shirt, $295, and striped silk tie, $140; Ermenegildo Zegna Couture leather oxford shoes, $725; Rolex platinum Oyster watch, $38,100. On her: Louis Vuitton mohair cape, approximately $4,500, and silk and wool twill skirt, approximately $1,800; Michael Kors silk charmeuse blouse, $725; Wolford fishnet hose, $40; Salvatore Ferragamo velvet pumps, $495; Jewelry by Gauthier 9.17-carat orange sapphire and diamond ring, $37,500, black Tahitian pearl earrings, $3,880, and black Tahitian pearl graduated strand necklace, $29,490. (Click image to enlarge)
Holding Pattern
Prada wool jacket, $1,420, gray wool pants, $525, patent leather loafers, $585, and leather briefcase, $1,595; Brioni striped cotton oxford shirt, $390.
Flight Resources
Falcon Jet, 201.541.4600, www.falconjet.com
Scottsdale Hangar One, 480.624.9000, www.scottsdalehangar1.com
Swaback Partners, 480.367.2100, www.swabackpartners.com
Fashion Resources
Agnona, 212.421.4488 (N.Y.) and 714.444.1534 (Calif.), http://www.agnona.it
Bottega Veneta, 877.362.1715, www.bottegaveneta.com
Brioni, 212.332.6900, http://www.brioni.it
Cartier, available at Hyde Park Jewelers Chad Allison, available at Hyde Park Jewelers
David Yurman, available at Hyde Park Jewelers Ermenegildo Zegna, 888.880.3462, www.zegna.com
Girard-Perregaux, available at Hyde Park Jewelers Hyde Park Jewelers, 602.667.3541, www.hydeparkjewelers.com
Jewelry by Gauthier, 480.941.1707, www.jewelrybygauthier.com
Jimmy Choo, 866.524.6687, www.jimmychoo.com
John Varvatos, 212.965.0700, www.johnvarvatos.com
Joshua Dotson at OK Store, 323.653.3501
Louis Vuitton, 866.884.8866, www.vuitton.com
Martin Dingman, 800.955.2358, www.martindingman.com
Michael Kors, 310.777.8862, www.michaelkors.com
Neiman Marcus, 800.937.6379, www.neimanmarcus.com
96 Hours by Puma, 212.206.0109, www.96hours.com
Pamella Roland, 212.246.7955, www.pamellaroland.com
Prada, 888.977.1900, www.prada.com
Roger Dubuis, available at Hyde Park Jewelers
Rolex, available at Hyde Park Jewelers
Salvatore Ferragamo, 800.628.8916, www.ferragamo.com
Seven, available at Neiman Marcus
Vertu, available at Neiman Marcus and www.vertu.com
Wolford, available at Neiman Marcus
Yves Saint Laurent, 212.988.3821, www.ysl.com
Credits
Stylist: Michael Cioffoletti, Célestine Agency, LA
Hair and Makeup: Rosemary Redlin/Illusions at Click/NYC
Stylist Assistant: Sooky Sayer
Models: Liselotte Petterson, Champagne-Trott; Tobias, LA Models; Tony London, LA Models
