The iconic Westbury Mayfair Hotel – situated in the heart of Mayfair’s fashion district – is the only hotel in London to occupy such a prestigious and prized address, and has been welcoming guests through its doors for almost 65 years. So it was only befitting that such a luxurious destination was the setting for a series of prestigious events to celebrate heritage, history and a whole host of glamorous new product launches.
Firstly, luxury fragrance house The Merchant of Venice was in London for the UK launch of three new fragrances – sweet-scented Andalusian Soul, sensuous Mystic Incense and zesty Venetian Blue Intense. The event also marked the global launch of the brand’s newest perfume – the heady and evocatively named Red Potion.
Held in the hotel’s St George Penthouse Suite, guests were treated to sweeping views across the rooftops of Mayfair. The Suite’s stunning central private dining area, flooded with lots of natural light, had been made over for the event by florists Princess & Ko. Each of The Merchant of Venice’s four new fragrances were displayed with all their corresponding ingredients spilling out from under elegant glass cloches, to bring to life their individual scent stories.
The Suite itself had been styled by award-winning Biennale artist and fellow Venetian, Anna Paola Cibin. An array of silk and velvet screens and exotic, plumed cushions were set up in situ alongside the vibrant display of fragrances. The event marked the first time Anna Paola had presented her new collection of screens, “Velvet Labyrinth Velvet”, in London. Her extraordinary works highlight the Venetian art of dyeing and working silk velvet, bringing together different materials such as Murano glass and fabric. Anna Paola’s sophisticated manufacturing techniques are subsequently something in between art and master craftsmanship.
Master craftsmanship continued to be celebrated at The Westbury Mayfair, at an event held the following week. Father and son duo Stefano and Francesco Conticelli – of Italian leather artisan house, Bottega Conticelli – were in residence at the hotel for London Craft Week. The pair dressed a Vespa GTS 300 in a bespoke leather outfit, handmade stitch by stitch, working the hide to fit the silhouette of the bike one bit at a time.
To juxtapose this traditional craftsmanship, the iconic Vespa was joined by the new Vespa Elettrica, a futuristic vehicle that was presented in sharp signature silver with ice-blue highlights. The Elettrica is available in London exclusively from BMG Scooters, the team of which was on hand during the evening to answer any questions. Since the Elettrica is completely silent, they even offered an impromptu test ride along the corridor of the 7th floor, much to the bemusement of the hotel’s general management!
Both evenings were topped off with drinks served in The Westbury Mayfair’s classic Polo Bar. Serving some of the best cocktails in town, the Polo Bar is always abuzz with business and social gatherings, and attracts a cool clientele every night of the week. With a spritz of signature scent from The Merchant of Venice and a bottle of bubbly in their bags – Moet & Chandon no less, courtesy of The Westbury Mayfair – our guests departed for the night. But not before every single one of them had assured us that they will be coming back to this uber-cool London destination!
Further Information:
The Westbury Mayfair, a Luxury Collection Hotel, London – www.westburymayfair.com
Anna Paola Cibin – www.annapaolacibin.com
Bottega Conticelli – www.bottegaconticelli.it
BMG Scooters – www.bmgscooters.com
The Merchant of Venice – Available in the UK from Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges