Executive's Choice - Alexander Kraft
What Luxury Means to Me: To me luxury is time out from day-to-day life: a peaceful moment without any business appointments; a quiet meal; a hideaway where I have time to myself." Alexander Kraft is head of Sotheby’s International Realty France and Monaco and sells dream apartments which can go for up to €100m. His new book, ‘Living in Luxury – Inside the World’s Most Glamorous Homes’ (with a preface by business tycoon Donald Trump), provides a peek into the opulent world of glamorous real estate and features 20 stunning residences from a French country house to a downtown New York loft. In an interview with our writer Anna Butterbrod, the native Berliner opens the door on the places and things which make his life that little bit more luxurious. Barneys , New York After a hard day’s work you need to indulge in a hard day’s shop – that is exactly what Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw did in the hit TV series and was an almost obsessive visitor to this luxury New York department store. Barneys boasts such a dizzying wealth of goodies that one shopping day here is simply not enough! Here you’ll find ladies fashions from Alexander Wang to Zooey, jewellery from the likes of Anaconda and Wayf, jeans by Acne and Wrangler, cosmetics from YSL and Aesop and whole dedicated departments for shoes, bags and accessories. Men can choose from sportswear from APC to Trunk, accessories from Alexander McQueen to Vertu as well as a wide selection of ties, leather goods and fragrances. For the truly fashion conscious there are even designer goods here for your baby…or dog! China Club, Berlin Admission to the China Club in Berlin is pretty simple: you just take the elevator to the fifth floor of the Adlon Palais, make sure an existing member recommends you for entry and then an admission fee of €10,000 – then you’re in! An illustrious circle of 400 private members have been meeting since 2003 and making good use of the restaurant, bar, library and extensive roof terrace which occupies around 1500m2 of space above the famous Hotel Adlon. Look outside over the rooftops of the city and you can see Potsdamer Platz; inside however you can marvel at the largest collection of contemporary Chinese art to be found outside of China itself including elegant porcelain statues, silk drapes and precious paintings. Tip: if you know a member personally, you can visit here for free. Peninsula , Beverly Hills "The peninsula is in a quiet Beverly Hills side street just around the corner from Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive," explains Alexander Kraft, "It has perfect, unobtrusive service, an intimate atmosphere, it’s luxurious yet relaxed – the perfect combination in fact." Kraft particularly enjoys the combination of the traditional (paintings, antiques and marble fittings) and the modern (air conditioning, atmospheric lighting and the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign which can be illuminated outside your door from the comfort of your bed). His absolute favourite however is the rooftop pool which offers fantastic views over LA: "You could easily spend the whole day just taking it easy in one of the private cabañas!" Purple Label By Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren has always been a style God and constantly re-imagines and re-invents his fashion world," thinks Alexander Kraft. One collection particularly impressed him: the Purple Label, the most expensive and exclusive collection of the 17 lines Lauren currently produce in-house. Kraft finds the items in this range "perfect" and goes on to praise their "traditional English cuts, finest Italian materials combined with a sense of East Coast style." The cashmere suits are all hand-stitched while the tuxedos have been cut from velvet. It’s style and class (at a price) through and through with Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label 1982 Château La Lagune The Château la Lagune is one of the most well-known vineyards in the Bordeaux district and is situated along the famous ‘Route du Vin.’ A particular favourite bottle of Alexander Kraft’s is the 1982 Château la Lagune which celebrated wine critic Robert Parker described has having a "black cherry, liquorice and earth" taste to it. Indeed, Parker regards this particular vintage as being "especially strong" and awarded it 93 points out of a maximum 100. Alexander Kraft is also very much impressed with this classic red: "As far as I’m concerned a good Bordeaux is still the only drink I will never tire of. A really fine Bordeaux can easily replace any meal…and most dinner table company!" Le Grill at the l'Hôtel de Paris, Monte Carlo Monte Carlo certainly has more than its fair share of luxury attractions but one of Alexander Kraft’s favourites is situated on the eighth floor of the l'Hôtel de Paris, namely the Le Grill restaurant which has a Michelin Star to its name. "The open roof terrace here provides absolutely splendid views over Monaco and the Côte d'Azur," he says, "The ambience here really leads one to believe that you are on the deck of a luxury yacht. And the food is superb; traditional and simple yet done to a turn. It’s ‘old school’ in the best sense of the word." Tasty morsels from the sea (salmon, codfish, monkfish) or the land (e.g. tender steaks from Charolais cattle) are more than likely to be found sizzling in the kitchen. And to accompany your meal you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to the wine list – the cellar here boasts a selection of around 600,000 bottles. Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse In his lifetime perennially popular British novelist P. G. Wodehouse wrote over 90 stories, film scripts and humorous novels yet despite the breadth of his output his two most famous creations have always been slightly dim man of leisure Bertie Wooster and his ever-dependable manservant, Jeeves. In ‘Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen’ (first published in the US in 1974 with the alternative title of ‘The Cat-nappers’), Bertie decides to take a trip to the country to escape his ‘hectic’ city lifestyle but encounters more stress and upset than ever before. "Wodehouse represents British humor at its best," thinks Alexander Kraft who is such a fan of the Jeeves and Wooster stories that he even named his dog after the books’ central character, Bertie Wooster. Jaguar XK 150 Coupé "My dream car is currently being custom-built for me in London," reveals Alexander Kraft, "A 1958 Jaguar XK Coupé! It looks stunning in black with grey leather trim, chrome alloys and a polished wood steering wheel. Despite it’s classic status it does have one or two modern-day updates such as a 350 HP engine, ultra responsive brakes and air conditioning." The XK 150 ‘Jag’ first appeared in 1957 and around 30,357 rolled out of the Browns Lane plant in Coventry before production ended in 1961. As a particularly legendary model in Jaguar’s back catalogue, the XK 150 is incredibly difficult to get hold of these days yet Kraft has managed to succeed and needless to say can hardly wait to get behind the wheel! Tea by Mariage Frères, Scented Candles by Dyptique and Cashmere Socks by Turnbull & Asser Alexander Kraft certainly has a taste for luxury products and it goes without saying that friends and colleagues also profit from his keen eye; "I only make a present of things which I’d be happy to receive myself," he explains. When in Paris, he’s a fan of shopping for specialty teas in one of the three Mariage Frères boutiques which sell choice blends from all over the world. Alternatively, your gift box might contain an elegant scented candle from the cult perfumery Diptyque – after all, Sexy and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw always had them on her bedside table. In London Kraft picks up the best gifts at Turnbull & Asser. This luxury tailor has a Royal Warrant as they provide shirts to H.R.H The Prince of Wales. Kraft prefers the cashmere socks in shocking pink, green or red. The British tailors is also a firm favorite of current James Bond actor, Daniel Craig.
Source Reference:
http://www.worlds-luxury-guide.com/Executive-Choice-Alexander-Kraft/Lifestyle-Tips-Alexander-Kraft?du=1000659
