Elite Traveler January-February 2015

INSPIRE FASHION

Where to buy

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN alexandermcqueen.com BIBI VAN DER VELDEN bibivandervelden.com BURBERRY uk.burberry.com

DENNIS DIEM dennisdiem.nl JOHN ROCHA johnrocha.ie

On location MONDRIAN HOTEL AT SEA CONTAINERS HOUSE

MARY KATRANTZOU marykatrantzou.com MINKI CHENG minkicheng.com MISSONI missoni.com MONCLER moncler.com RITA ORA FOR ADIDAS adidas.co.uk/Rita_Ora ROKIT rokit.co.uk ROKSANDA ILINCIC roksanda.com STELLA MCCARTNEY stellamccartney.com TEMPERLEY LONDON temperleylondon.com

Strolling along London’s South Bank, picking out the sights – St Paul’s Cathedral, HMS President, Somerset House – it would be easy to miss the unobtrusive entrance to the city’s most exciting new design hotel. But scoot around the side to the Mondrian London’s main entrance and it’s a different story, in which striking modern art and bold design details allude more obviously to the pizzazz inside. In fact, the hotel

straddles the old and new as well as the dramatic and the understated. Design Research Studio, under the direction of Tom Dixon (who created the look for the Harrods Café) utilized the potential of a hulking grey former office block, by giving it a ship-shape overhaul inspired by the building’s name, Sea Containers House. Seafaring touches include the large cantilevered copper hull (pictured on page 90) and the bright-blue anchor chain link enlarged into an over-sized sculpture in the lobby (see page 92). Other elements are more urbane – a bar, Dandelyan, serving artisan cocktails and a restaurant helmed by Seamus Mullen where the best tables (ask for number 38, for a party of four) come with river views. There is a spa, with a playful underwater theme and a cinema. But the high point, literally, is the Rumpus Room. This rooftop glass cube, furnished with purple velvet chairs and a gold lacquered bar provides a sumptuous backdrop to one of the best views in London. morganshotelgroup.com/mondrian; doubles from $300

ZYANYA KEIZER zyanyakeizer.com

zyanyakeizer.com

Above, Silk blouse by John Rocha, trousers by Alexander McQueen Model Tamara Wijenberg at futurefaces.com Hair and Makeup Chiao Li Hsu at houseoforange.nl Fashion assistant Amelia Allen