Londoner's Diary: Deck Claridge’s halls with tinsel and technology

(Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
FilmMagic
20 October 2016

FIRST there was the iPhone, then the iPad, and now the iTree? Claridge’s has announced that the British creative duo Jony Ive and Marc Newson, leading designers for Apple, are the latest to create the hotel’s iconic Christmas tree, to be unveiled next month. Chingford-born Ive is responsible for the prevailing aesthetic of contemporary technology, and Newson joined him in 2014, bringing his visionary eye to the presumably touch-screen table. “Their innovative spirit and ground-breaking approach will make this year’s annual tradition one to remember,” said Paul Jackson, general manager of the famed Mayfair hotel.

Previously, Claridge’s has collaborated with fashion designers on its festive foliage, including Dolce & Gabbana, John Galliano and Alber Elbaz. Ive, chief designer at Apple, and Newson, the mind behind the watch, have flirted with fashion before — their Apple Watch is worn by Anna Wintour, who sports an Hermès leather version and a 24-carat gold iPhone 6.

Last year, Burberry’s Christopher Bailey designed the hotel lobby’s gargantuan centrepiece, a pyramid of gold and silver umbrellas and 77,000 lights. It’s no surprise that Angela Ahrendts, Burberry’s former CEO who became Apple’s senior vice- president, is keen to outshine her alma mater.

The Apple tree is yet to be revealed, so The Londoner can only speculate as to what it might look like. Will lit-up iPhone 7s be turned into baubles, inspiring an orchard of upgradable décor around the world? Will streams of festive phone-chargers and red, green and gold wires be transformed into tinsel? Or will it all be white cables? And what — or rather who — will be the shining star on top? Surely Steve Jobs is the tech world’s guardian angel.

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An interesting read from Daniel Korski, former aide to David Cameron, in today’s Politico EU, on why Remain lost the Brexit battle but also glimpses into the then-PM’s life. “In contrast to his image as a chillaxing leader, I never found him anything other than extraordinarily dedicated and extremely hardworking,” Korski writes. “Only when he had worked his way through his piles of notes would he don his red Dr Dre headphones and catch up on his sleep.” And we had him pegged as a plain pyjama man.

Model mix-up for erotic bard bio writer

WILLOWY author Daisy Dunn is basking in the glory of the success of her first book, Catullus’ Bedspread, about the Roman poet. Dunn has been talking at literary festivals but she has a way to go before becoming a recognisable face. “This guy on stage introduced me as Dr Daisy Lowe,” she told The Londoner at a party in Piccadilly. “I didn’t have the heart to correct him so I thought ‘I’m going to be Dr Daisy Lowe’.” Dunn is also learning of her unlikely fan bases. “It’s really strange,” she said. “There’s a Gay Men’s Wine and Dine Book Club in California who are reading Catullus. It looks like a highbrow gay society but there’s not much gay sex in Catullus.”

A new kind of flower power ...

It was cocktails till dawn, or rather 4am, for the launch of new late-night Dover Street restaurant MNKY HSE (it’s an abbreviation of Monkey House, don’t ya know?). Socialite Henry Conway, was with new mum India Rose James, enjoyed the blend of London style and Latin American spirit as he sipped cocktails. Meanwhile, sampling the tasters was model Kara Rose Marshall as French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez- Versini the ex-husband of Cheryl (née Tweedy), checked out the competition: he is due to open his own London restaurant next month. What will it be called? “I will tell you the name of the restaurant if you bring me flowers,” he told The Londoner. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Now you too can have Trump behind you

STRUGGLING for Halloween costume ideas? Take a leaf out of Jemima Khan’s book, and an ensemble straight out of her wardrobe. Last week the writer and socialite hit the current-affairs nail on the head at the Unicef ball, showing up in a flawless Melania Trump costume, complete with a form-fitting white dress, lashings of jewellery, a steely squint and sharpened nails. But the perfect accessory was a faux-Donald mannequin, groping her from behind with a lecherous leer. And now those hoping to make an impression on All Hallow’s Eve can acquire it for themselves. This week Khan put the costume up on eBay. Bids are currently up to an impressive £3,500 and proceeds “will go towards Muslim Syrian refugees via Unicef” because, Khan says, “that is what The Donald would want”. It’s described as the Original Trump Groper costume and, the description reads, “straps on either side like a backpack”. The diamonds aren’t included but the icy glare can be yours for free.

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ART imitated life last night in Battersea Park at the opening of the Affordable Art Fair. One oil painting of a jar of Marmite drew attention, its cost of £595 set to be matched on the shelves at Tesco. But the most enterprising piece was Poundland by Orson Kartt: a £50 note painted over in Union Jack colours. It’s selling for £125 at the Panter & Hall gallery. That’s inflation for you.

D-day for Bernie’s bro

The parliamentary seat vacated by David Cameron is up for grabs in Witney today. It’s being billed as the biggest by-election in UK betting history by Ladbrokes but who will be victorious? Actor sir Patrick Stewart tweets that he is backing Labour’s Duncan Enright, and both Cameron and Theresa May drove down to back Tory candidate Robert Courts. So did Green Party candidate Larry Sanders consider breaking out the big guns by flying over an American politician, his brother Bernie? We checked in with Larry’s progress on the eve of the by-election. “I am both fine and exhausted,” he said. “I would have loved to have Bernard over here but he seems to be busy making sure Trump doesn’t get elected, which is a reasonable excuse.”

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Poster boy of the day: after Kumbuka the gorilla escaped his London Zoo enclosure to neck five litres of undiluted squash, could Robinsons have found a new ambassador?

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