The Great Leap Forward
As 2021 races to its end, it’s a time for reflection and anticipation here at Tatler Homes. It’s impossible to look back at the year and not wonder how its unexpected twists and turns compelled us to be more resourceful and evolve with this strange new reality. If 2021 has taught us anything, it is to value the things which make us uniquely human — like the expression of creativity and its manifestation in craftsmanship.
It seemed only appropriate then to celebrate craftsmanship as one of our two themes for this year end issue. From designers to craftsmen, artisans to design scions, you will find people who have spent their lives honing their craft on our pages. One design star is potter and designer, Jonathan Adler, who has leveraged his signature exuberant style into an international brand, and who we interview exclusively as his brand arrives on our shores.
Another is Kuala Lumpur-based but internationally renowned design powerhouse, Jean Paul Gathy, whose work for the likes of Aman, Four Seasons and One&only have redefined the ultra-luxury resort aesthetic; we speak to him about channeling his design nous into exclusive residences at sea.
The name Datuk Jimmy Choo really needs no introduction. This shoe designer is a national treasure and in this issue we’re proud to share an exclusive look into the JC penthouse - a pied-à-terre designed by OD&A to encapsulate Choo’s singular personality and style. Full of gorgeous details, discover what happens when design and craft intersect.
After the year that’s been, we’re also looking forward to a new year which brings us to our second theme,
2022 design trends. And what is a more authoritative indication of what design will look like next year than right from the horse’s mouth, as it were. Despite being delayed for 18 months due to the pandemic, the world’s most prominent design fair, Salone del Mobile, returned to Milan in September. The new collections were a joy to behold, a concentration of technical innovation, high-concept storytelling and material exploration, all affirming the resilience of the design community.
Although travel restrictions prevented the Tatler Homes team from being immersed in our favourite design capital this time around, we followed the launches intently and you’ll be able to peruse our edit of what you’ll be seeing on the design landscape. With this sense of anticipation is also a tinge of hope that, perhaps, next year our collective resilience will allow us to be there to celebrate the joy of craftsmanship in person.
Closer to the home front, the fascinating trend of rare plant collecting exploded over the last 20 months. We track down six Malaysian plant collectors – covering a broad spectrum of tastes and tenures – to find out how, and why, does their garden grow,
Here’s to an incandescent and inspiring 2022!
Jennifer Choo, Editor-in-chief