The Review

The Review

Property

Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.

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We’ve long been pitched the virtues and ROI available in the renter and traditional bricks-and-mortar spaces alike. Proptech is burgeoning with options for the eager property-savvy investor looking to take advantage of the latest house-hunter or seller app. But what about the higher-yield returns that alternative and larger scale land deals and builds bring. Can this quagmire of startups and credentialed operators be policed and helpfully networked in a way that makes the returns lucrative enough for the historically risk adverse? Alex Harrington-Griffin believes so. Alex secured his first commercial win in the tech space in 2011, a b2b group buying platform, which he ‘flipped’ within 12 months, selling out…

Tech RoundUp

Rokinon

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Glass. Surely it can’t all be about good glass, can it? Well, it depends if you have used cinema prime lenses before. We historically shot all our film projects with variable kit lenses from the Canon range, slowly building up a range of better and better prime lenses. The price can quickly escalate into the upper echelons of ridiculous. So, we wanted to see if there was an entry-level set of prime lenses available to the starter and the lifer alike. Cue the team at Rokinon, who’ve been making lenses since 1972 from their head office in South Korea. Rokinon is giving its Cine lenses an upgrade with the Cine…

FILM, Style

Protest Sportswear

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We’ve sprayed precious powder in the Alps with Protest already, so we know what the brand stands for. Founded by a group of Dutch snow boarders, the label wants to help those who seek slopes or waves anytime, any place. Protest designs fashionable and functional sportswear for those who simply love what they do.  “We want to help people overcome whatever stands between them and their boards. A fresh perspective for all boarders. The beginners who aren’t quite sure if they’ve got what it takes. The masters who may have forgotten the pure joy of the ride. The cynics who have had millions of ads pushed down their throats. The workaholics with too…

Tech RoundUp

LG Smart 4K Ultra HD

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I have been obsessed with all things mechanical, electronic and digital since I can remember. It’s a disease really. The humble simpleton might not need the extra horse power, pixels or wattage – but I do. When the LG OLED TV arrived, I dispensed with the usually careful unpacking and tore into it like a 4-year-old at Christmas. Even with glasses I had to widen my retina to take in the massive 3840 x 2160 resolution screen. I take my viewing pleasure very seriously, and so the amount of research that went into what new TV to buy personally went above and beyond the customary flick through the brochure. LG…

Events, Style

Favourbrook – Royal Ascot

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Britain’s social calendar runs from March if you care to take in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, to September and finishes with London Fashion Week and Goodwood Revival. But for those of us who prefer our events to be a little more traditional and a little less frequented by this year’s batch of social media darlings, Royal Ascot is the pinnacle. Of all the events attended by Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, there can be no finer display of heritage and style than that of the five days of Royal Ascot held annually in June. This year, to help us navigate the gauntlet of the famed Royal Ascot Dress Code, we’ve…

Style

Frances de Lourdes

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Frances de Lourdes, a new brand of luxury tees and tanks in ultra soft, lightweight Italian cashmere and silks. The collection, designed and produced in New York City by 36-year-old Alejandra Echeverria, was born out of a desire for a refined classic tee. Echeverria, who notes that the name “Frances de Lourdes” is a reference to her mother and father’s middle names, respectively, was inspired to create an elevated version of her favorite vintage staples – the perfect tee.   A long time lover, wearer, and collector of tees, Echeverria set out to create a collection of timeless tees that she herself wanted and felt were missing from the market. Calling upon a decade’s…

Marine, Time

Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge

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Every year, in late July, the old port of Cowes on the isle of Wight, and the legendary waters of the Solent play host to the most important event in the United Kingdom for classic yachts, part of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge since 2010. Dozens of yachts, mainly from Northern European countries, gather in Cowes to take part in the five races that may bring them final victory, and in the spectacular Panerai Classic Round the Island Race, organised on the first Sunday along the course that in 1851 gave rise to the America’s Cup. The Classic Week will take place from the 14th July – 21st July in Cowes,…

Time

Montre Ecole

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To celebrate the Britishness of London Craft Week 2018, Laurent Ferrier has created the Galet Micro-Rotor “Montre Ecole” in British Racing Green. When he was a boy, Laurent Ferrier was impressed by race cars not only for their performance but also for their design. He had a poster in his bedroom featuring the Triumph Spitfire racing in Le Mans. Laurent recalls: “To me, it was the most beautiful car ever. I wanted to drive itso badly! I was also completely devoted to its shapes and of course the color was striking.” The idea of creating a Galet Micro-Rotor “Montre Ecole” British Racing Green became obvious to pay tribute to craftsmanship in the London Craft Week. The…

Tech RoundUp

MAVIC PRO

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DJI  have  come  a  long  way  since  we  tested  the  DJI  phantom  2.  Faster,  stronger,  safer  and  predictably  smaller.    This  little  bot  has  a  range  of  up  to  13km  thanks  to  DJI’s  new  Ocusync  transmission  technology.  It  is  also  considerably  harder  to  crash  than  its  earlier  incarnations  with  Flight  Autonomy  mode.  allowing  the  Mavic  to  sense  obstacles  some  15m  away  and  brake  or  hover.    Whilst  the  Mavic  might  be  a sixth of  the  size  of  the  Phantom  4,  it  has  a  flight  time  of  27  minutes.  That  is  long  enough  for  any  take  or  race.  We  like  the  Mavic  pro’s  small  form  factor  so  much,  we’re  issuing  our  travel  photographers …

Marine

Project SHU

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The 136 metre custom motor yacht ‘SHU’ has completed her trials in the North Sea off the coast of Germany during Q1 and Q2 and will be delivered on time this coming Autumn. With a beam of 20.6 metres she is still the largest order due for delivery in 2018. Imperial Yachts is responsible for supervising the built project and have brought with them their vast experience and knowledge. “Project SHU represents a major milestone for Imperial.” says Julia Stewart, Director at Imperial Yachts. “Being involved in impressive superyacht projects like these show our capacity and experience in superyacht and megayacht management, with regular deliveries of 80m+ projects supervised and…

Finance

A beginners’ guide to Investment Migration

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Words: Hugh Morshead, Group Director, Henley & Partners  The investment migration industry is growing at a faster rate than ever before. Each year, thousands of wealthy individuals apply for citizenship and residence in foreign countries, and by the end of 2017, there were over 30 active and successful programs in existence, with a total of 80 programs available worldwide. The range and breadth of programs  constantly expanding, with residence and citizenship options now available in most of the major world regions, including the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and even, most recently, Central Asia. Citizenship-by-investment has grown into a roughly USD 3 billion industry, while residence-by-investment – slightly more difficult to…

Style

Rogues, Strong Women and White Shirts

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Alistair Guy is a celebrated Portrait Photographer who is a regular contributor to the likes of British Vogue, Harper’s  Bazar and i-D. With a portfolio of work that covers everything from fashion to portraits, Alistair Guy is known for shooting some of the world’s most stylish individuals. Not your ordinary fashion photographer, Alistair takes a unique approach by choosing to photograph people in the industry itself. His series of black and white photographs showcase exceptional men and women. Celebrated photographer Alistair Guy and Marcella star Nicholas Pinnock have joined forces to create ambitious exhibition English Rogues, which has just launched at London’s iconic Oxo Tower, celebrating Britain and the English pirates and scoundrels who helped build it.  The duo cherry-picked nine models, actors and rockstars who embodied the wild,…

Tech RoundUp

SANDISK EXTREME & PRO

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You might think that storage media is created equal. Well, you are wrong. We’ve all had experiences of storage cards made of less stern stuff failing during a shoot or corrupting data. It is a nightmare to say the very least. The SanDisk Extreme range is great for capturing UHD 4K footage with speeds of up to 95MB read and 90MB write. With a crew travelling so much overseas, it’s also good to know that the cards are shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof and x-ray-proof. Basically bomb proof. We tested the Extreme PRO 128GB SD and Extreme 256GB Micro SD using the Sony A7SII and DJI MAVIC PRO. Not only have we…

Food & Drink, Travel

The Calima

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As the Saharan winds whip up a dehydrating frenzy, the Calima blocks out the sunrise across the ocean to the east. That’s right, I’m in Tenerife doing my best Attenborough. British holidaymaker staple since the 1940s, banana plantation extraordinaire and proud to boast of 362 days of sunshine a year. Don’t be fooled by the fruit machines in the airport or the football-shirt-wearing Luddites on the promenade though, there is something changing in the night sky. I landed on the island on a humid Thursday afternoon in July. For some ungodly reason, I had chosen to travel out in the first week of the school holidays, so the airport was a seething…

Time

Senator Chronograph Panorama Date

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For Baselworld 2018, the Saxon manufactory presents a new stainless steel version of the Senator Chronograph Panorama Date. Glashütte Original premiered its integrated chronograph movement Calibre 37 at Baselworld four years ago. With initial appearances in platinum and red gold, the new column wheel chronograph’s functional design, exquisite precision and reliable performance earned it immediate acclaim.

Interviews

DJ Mark Eteson

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We’re the middle children of history. No purpose or place. We have no great war, no great depression. Our great war is spiritual. Our great depression is life. We’ve all been raised by television to believe that, one day, we’ll be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. And some of us will – you just need a craft and a work ethic like no other. I met Mark Eteson on a fairly normal day, in a grey office, in our hometown. He was already jetting off at weekends to play international shows, but staying grounded and grafting a dull office job during the week. 13 years later, he’s a…

Automotive, Food & Drink, Style, Travel

Passavant & Lee

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Jon Passavant and Benj Lee are hardly strangers to the layer cake of the fashion industry. This duo have fronted campaigns for Dunhill, Armani, Ralph Lauren and Levi’s to name a mere handful. Whilst on set in New York the two models met having spotted each other at the usual castings and calls and after three years of product development launched accessories brand, Passavant & Lee. Some years ago, we remember being huddled in the office around a No 25. Attache. It was arguable one of the most beautiful briefcases we had ever seen. The outer shell is crafted from aircraft grade aluminium and covered in a full-grain Horween leather finish, while…

Style

Fairfax & Favor

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Marcus Fairfax Fountaine and Felix Favor Parker. As the names suggest, we’re talking about a quintessential British brand here. At 24, Marcus and Felix established Fairfax & Favor to create footwear of a classic British style that had an understated, contemporary elegance.  The goal being to ascend to the heights of a leather goods company that were more approachable and ultimately more aligned to their audiences proclivities and tastes. The Norfolk based duo are curating a stable of classic pieces, not producing huge seasonal ranges. It’s the sort of brand that could easily become a wardrobe staple. Arguably every Gentleman should own a casual pair of Chelsea boots and every Lady a pair of suede…