‘THE GREATEST LUXURY IS OFTEN THE ABILITY TO STEP AWAY FROM IT ALL’
The days when the word luxury meant expensive things – fast cars, superyachts, designer handbags and couture clothing – are long gone. Today, when we ask people for their definition of luxury, more o en than not it is the intangibles that matter most. “Time,” is the answer that actress Liv Tyler gives on page 22, when asked about life’s greatest luxury. And her favourite part of the day? “Evenings with my children. Home together. Dinner, bath, stories, snuggles.”
In an age of rapid urbanisation, overreliance on technology and the ‘glorification of busy’, the greatest luxury is o en the ability to step away from it all. Which is one reason that waterfront homes are so in demand. As we detail in our story on page 28, a recent report by Knight Frank has revealed that you can expect to pay a premium of up to 90 per cent if you want to live by the sea, or a lake, creek, river or stream. In Dubai, waterfront homes come with a premium of up to 50 per cent, with villas on The Palm reigning supreme in this much-coveted category.
Being in or near water has proven scientific benefits, both physiological and psychological. So much so that a pan-European research initiative, dubbed BlueHealth, has been set up to specifically explore how water-based environments in towns and cities can impact health and well-being.
Our research also led us to Wallace J Nichols’s book, Blue Mind, the definitive guide to how water positively affects both our bodies and our brains. Nichols describes Blue Mind as “a mildly meditative state characterised by calm, peacefulness, unity and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment”. If they can facilitate this, while also providing a place to moor your yacht and indulge in your favourite watersports, it’s little wonder that the million-dirham properties that we look at in our feature, On the Waterfront, are so in demand.
Also sure to be in demand are the timepieces highlighted in our feature on page 32. Alex Doak and Laura McCreddie-Doak report from the hallowed halls of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), where Richemont brands gather each year to unveil their latest novelties in what is surely the most extravagant and exclusive trade show in the world. Exuberant colours, grand complications, new-age materials and some serious sparkle were among the key trends that emerged at the show this year. In our story, we present some standout launches in each category.
If these masterfully cra ed timepieces are not enough to inspire you, perhaps our conversation with sporting superstar Serena Williams will. Williams speaks openly about her relationship with her sister, Venus, how she handles the pressure that comes with being a world-class athlete, the responsibilities of being a role model and the importance of self belief. “Pressure is never easy,” Williams says, but for her, that pressure is also a luxury.