I’VE got £100,000—surprise me.’ This might be the very best thing you could say to your craftsman of choice and, down side streets in Chelsea and in basements on Savile Row, these conversations are likely happening right now. This is the world of the ultra-bespoke makers.
Jeweller Theo Fennell opened his eponymous shop in 1982 at 177 Fulham Road. Almost 40 years later, with diamond and 18-carat gold Henry VIII brooches in his catalogue, he is an expert in bespoke work. ‘I’ve got very used to pre-guessing [what clients want],’ he notes. Life in the bespoke lane is a fantastically varied one. Where the Georgians might have commissioned full silver services complete with classical allusions, Mr Fennell’s clients can personalise their silver with emblems of their favourite hobbies. Almost nothing is off the menu: he has made personalised chess sets with the pieces ‘birds of prey, gamebirds or even, in one case, erotica—which gave a new slant to the word “pawn”’. Where his jewellery is concerned, even more doors can be opened— literally. One of Mr Fennell’s favourite bespoke pieces is the Yellow Brick Road ring, inspired by The Wizard of Oz, complete with an enamelled yellow brick road that led to a 13-carat emerald (city).
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 27, 2021 من Country Life UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 27, 2021 من Country Life UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
