2013 PRESS HIGHLIGHTS

Claridge’s • The Connaught • The Berkeley

Submitted by Meg Connolly Communications

Go Inside The Best of Britain Exhibition Presented By Maybourne

Hotel Group

On Wednesday, London took over New York City as Maybourne Hotel Group, which owns and manages

Claridge’s, the Connaught and the Berkeley hotels in London, celebrated the best of Britain, hosting a one-night

exhibition by Claridge’s fashion artist-in-residence and Vanity Fair contributing editor, David Downton. This

event, which took place at The Glass Houses, marked the first time the celebrated fashion illustrator’s sketches

have been shown in the United States, and those who attended enjoyed viewing portraits of Sarah Jessica

Parker, Hamish Bowles, Diane von Furstenberg, Michelle Dockery and Dita von Teese (all of whom are

longtime guests of Claridge’s, Mayfair’s legendary Art Deco gem), among others.

Attendees, including Zac Posen, Alexis Bittar, Tantivy Gubelmann, Susan Shin, Chris Mack, Marisa Noel

Brown, Lily Maddock, Lindsey Wheat and Stephen Dweck, along with host committee members Stephen

Alden, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Martine & Prosper Assouline and Lucy Sykes, sipped on cocktails by Agostino

Perrone, The Connaught Bar’s award-winning mixologist.

Photos courtesy of BFA

[Charlotte Assaf, Flo Fulton, Dori Cooperman, Chris Mack, Dara Tomanovitch]

[Lily Maddock, Flo Fulton][Lucy Sykes, Eugenia Gonzales]

[Stephen Alden, Zac Posen, Christopher Niquet]

[David Downton, Carmen Dell'Orefice][Michael Van Nort, Stacey Sinclair]

[Flo Fulton, Quentin Dessein, Lindsey Wheat, Marsia Noel Brown][Carmen Dell'Orefice, Alexis Bittar]

Claridge's, the landmark hotel in London’s posh Mayfair neighborhood, whose devotees include:

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Victoria

Beckham, has unveiled a luxurious new lounge. Dubbed the Map Room, it’s specifically

intended to cater to elite business travelers looking for a retreat in which to read, relax, meet with

clients, check on world markets or just be refreshed.

Designed by the Queen of England’s nephew Viscount David Linley, renowned for his custom

cabinetry and woodwork, the focal point of the room is an impressive marquetry wall-sized map of the

world, crafted from Macassar and walnut veneer and crowned by a bespoke steel clock. The room’s

décor pays homage to the golden age of travel and the high style of the first-class lounges on the Orient

Express and the Cunard liners.

Hand-crafted furnishings complement built-in solid wood bookcases housing a comprehensive library

put together by luxury book publisher Assouline, featuring the best titles from their art, fashion and

design collections. Throughout the day, Claridge’s kitchen also delivers an array of gourmet treats.

“Creating interiors for this beautiful hotel feels very natural to me,” Linley notes. “I admire the history

and heritage of Claridge's, so the Map Room was an absolute joy to work on...It’s a giddy and glorious

celebration of British life and design, past, present and future."

Claridge's, a landmark hotel in London’s posh Mayfair neighborhood whose admirers include Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Victoria Beckham, has unveiled what is undoubtedly the world’s most fashionable Christmas tree. Designed by longtime guests and friends of the hotel, the tree was created by Italian fashion icons Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The luxurious hotel, originally opened in 1812, has made a tradition of inviting its designer devotees to design a Christmas tree each year; past contributors have included Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz and Dior’s John Galliano.

This year the 23-foot high tree blends traditional Christmas tree décor with Sicilian elements drawing on the design duo’s Italian heritage. It’s adorned with over 450 glass baubles blown by master artisans from Verona and Lake Como, hand-painted with images of the sun, citrus groves, flowering almonds and prickly pears in homage to a Sicilian garden.

A bespoke, multi-colored lighted framework, created in Southern Italy, surrounds the tree in a nod to the traditional red, green, yellow and blue illuminations seen in Italian streets and Piazzas at Christmas. Finally the base of the tree features 30 hand crafted Sicilian marionettes, or pupi, made to resemble Charlemagne and other medieval knights, carved in wood and dressed in velvet robes.

“To us, Christmas is the most magical moment of the year,” Dolce and Gabbana note. “We spend the holidays with our families and the people we love. Christmas is the moment to give, not only in terms of gifts we put under the tree but especially for emotions and love. The tree we created for Claridge’s is special because it brings to London a bit of Italy, of its warmth and traditions.”