Class Assets: Who’s Investing In What This Year
What are YOU investing in this year?
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What have some of our favourite movers and shakers invested in recently and what do they have their eye on for 2019? Rosalyn Wikeley finds out…
ALEXANDRA PISANI, EVENTS & WEDDING PLANNER
Three things you invested in during 2018?
A Dyson Airwrap that curls hair using only air and no heat. My partner and I have just bought a house and both have very demanding jobs so we invested in an interior designer (Icon Architects in Fulham) and have never looked back. Lastly, I’m in avid fan of Baccarat crystal and recently bought a set of their Milles Nuits champagne flutes.
Your jammiest investment so far?
A Maltese puppy named Coconut Tyson – the cutest little bundle of joy!
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
A David Yarrow image (if I play my cards right): The Good, The Bad & The Ass (2016). While this is one of his staged pieces, the way in which Yarrow mixes the raw beauty of the wilderness with human interaction is compelling.
What would you say is a one-to-watch brand/industry?
I discovered Equi nutritional supplements earlier this year and they are definitely on my list of companies to watch for 2019.
GIOVANNI RASPINI, ARCHITECT, SILVERSMITH & JEWELLERY DESIGNER
Three things you invested in during 2018?
The only real luxury is time. So after a busy month, I flew to a Greek island to take full advantage of the Epicurean philosophy. A second investment came in the form of a new Vespa, enabling me to explore, which led me to my third investment – 150 bottles of wine from a vineyard I stumbled upon.
Your jammiest investment so far?
Some years ago I fell in love with a medieval tower on the verge of collapse. It took me three years to accomplish the job, but when I climb up its six storeys and see Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino before me, it’s all worth it.
What to Drink: Wine Trends for 2019
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
I’m going to invest in my company, which I’ve been running for over 30 years. I’m designing more and more. We’re currently trying to replicate a bronze model of Nautilus, Captain Nemo’s submarine, adorned with jewels, objects and works of art, mirabilia and paraphernalia. You’ll see!
What would you say is a one-to-watch brand/industry?
An industrialist with an affinity for Greek philosophy, culture and art who restored a small village called Solomeo. His own brand has reached dizzying heights. His name is Brunello Cucinelli.
MELISSA HEMSLEY, COOK & AUTHOR
Three things you invested in during 2018?
Gardening! Including veg planters made of recycled milk jugs. I had my own tomatoes, peppers, chillis, courgettes, rocket and herbs galore all summer. It was by far my best investment. I also overhauled my make-up bag with natural organic beauty brands. And lastly, I invested in digital detoxing. I turn my phone off at 6pm, do yoga in my living room, have an early dinner and a night of bathing and reading before lights out.
Your jammiest investment so far?
A beautifully crafted bathtub to last a lifetime. It has been on my dream list for years and you’ll find me in it at least three times a week. I do all my thinking in the bath.
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
My boyfriend and I bought a decrepit Victorian property in 2016 that we have been doing up. We have used eco materials where we can, including doors and the kitchen island made from recycled paper composite, and we’re hoping to invest in solar panels next year.
What would you say is a one-to-watch brand/ industry?
The ‘zero waste’ industry. Growing up with an army dad and Filipino Catholic mum, I’ve absolutely absorbed their thrifty outlook and ability to find a way to save and reuse everything.
LEVISON WOOD, EXPLORER & ADVENTURER
Three things you invested in during 2018?
I bought a new flat in Battersea Power Station, which is right on the river and has a good vibe with all the local restaurants and bars. I bought some shares in a company called Senseon, which does cyber security. But my finest investment has been a new Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster motorcycle – endless summer joy.
Your jammiest investment so far?
I’m a big collector of antiques, first edition books and curious objects. I have a library teeming with bits I’ve brought back from my travels, including a sword from the battle of Omdurman, some Megaladon teeth from Panama and ancient coins dating back to the time of Alexander the Great.
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
I’m interested in investing in a bit of land and maybe a cottage in the countryside. It will mean that I’ll finally be able to get a dog.
What would you say is a one-to- watch brand/industry?
Having just established my own production company, called Blackmane Media, I’m a little biased. There are lots of new and exciting platforms out there with the proliferation of SVODs (subscription video on demand) and short form content is continually needed. Tech has really disrupted traditional media, which has ruffled a few feathers, but ultimately, for the entrepreneur, opportunity awaits.
THEO FENNELL, JEWELLER
Three things you invested in during 2018?
Drawings, one by Dame Laura Knight. I love English late 19th and 20th century art, and good drawings are pretty much all I can afford – much better than bad paintings.
Your jammiest investment so far?
Over the years I have bought signed first editions of contemporary writers as they come out. I am now so old that quite a few of these have risen madly in price.
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
More pictures and books, if I can. But anything done with real skill, elegance and passion will always appreciate as there is so little of it being made now.
What would you say is a one-to-watch brand/industry?
There is a huge move towards really original and beautifully made work – anything brilliant and distinctive that can be commissioned. So I would say, obviously, something of ours or a picture by a great contemporary artist like Jenny Saville, who will always remain sought-after.
MELISSA PERCY, FOUNDER OF CLOTHING BRAND MISTAMINA
Three things you invested in during 2018?
A Rag & Bone tuxedo-style blazer – a wardrobe staple. A Reiss black jumpsuit that is effortlessly elegant with its flattering cut and looks killer when teamed with heels. But my top investment has to be a suede bomber jacket from Acne Studios. It goes with anything.
Your jammiest investment so far?
This would have to be a beautiful walnut coffee table that I recently bought at auction in New York. There is a real sense of achievement from successfully bidding on an item at auction, especially at a great price!
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
I’ve recently moved to a new home so I would like to invest in interiors pieces that will bring my own identity to the place. I love finding little trinkets but top of the list is sourcing the ideal African-print rug to go with the overall feel of the house.
What would you say is a one- to-watch brand/industry?
Baar & Bass, a lifestyle boutique on King’s Road. It’s the creation of a good friend of mine, Maddie Chesterton, who has impressive buying skills and a real eye for a good collection.
LUKE EDWARD HALL, ARTIST & DESIGNER OF INTERIORS, FABRICS & CERAMICS
Three things you invested in during 2018?
Plates from Richard Ginori. I bought ones with a classic oriental pattern but the colourway (emerald and navy blue) is kind of unusual. And a Venetian wool cape (which I’ll count as two things). It hasn’t arrived yet but I know it’ll make me blissfully happy, being able to swish around the city come the bleak midwinter.
Your jammiest investment so far?
My boyfriend Duncan bought a Mercedes convertible from the 1980s – we love this particular car and have had a couple in the past. It’s ridiculously expensive to run but there’s nothing better than cruising around in it on a hot summer’s day in the countryside, top down, music blaring…
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
We would love to start renting a small place in the country. We want to grow vegetables and keep chickens.
What would you say is a one-to- watch brand/industry?
It’s not a new idea, but invest in art. I’m an artist and I enjoy collecting from other young artists like my friend Fee Greening, who creates beautiful illustrations of people, plants, insects and jewels.
TESSA PACKARD, JEWELLER
Three things you invested in during 2018?
A new Härkila winter coat and matching thermal trousers, an antique architectural model of a castle made from wood and four 1950s pigeon decoys from the Decorative Art Fair. They each come attached to a metal stand and look like bobbing manta rays.
Your jammiest investment so far?
I found about 300 pieces of marble fruit, from crab apples to perfectly formed peaches, in a tiny shop in Florence. The owner said he’d had the fruit for years but couldn’t sell them and they were taking up too much space in his storeroom. I cut the deal of a century by offering to take the whole job lot off his hands.
What are you hoping to invest in in 2019?
I still have a few empty walls in my house and am always on the lookout for paintings or prints that might work.
What would you say is a one-to-watch brand/industry?
Adventure holidays, definitely. No one ever regrets those.
PLACE YOUR BETS, PLEASE!
If you’re after a fast buck, take note as private betting club Fitzdares gives us its informed predictions for the year ahead. ‘When politics are volatile (Brexit, an early election, dissent in the US and Saudi Arabia) people look to sport and entertainment for release and there are plenty of distractions there. For the Oscars, we can’t help but tip Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born and Rami Malek for his standout performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Cheltenham is Cheltenham and the money’s (already) flooding in for Altior. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were lacking form in Vegas but they always bring something special to the Masters – mind you, they’ll have to dodge Koepka and Spieth!
For lawn sports, bets are on Serena Williams, who has buckets to prove after the US Open debacle, and Wimbledon is the perfect arena to win hearts and minds. The flat season will start with all eyes on two horses: Enable and Lord Lloyd Webber’s Too Darn Hot. With John Gosden at the top of his game and Frankie Dettori nearing retirement, the 2019 season could be Hollywood through and through…
In politics, all bets are off. Needless to say, find the prices on the Fitzdares app. For financial investments, there are three themes: hunker down, be defensive and go green. We have a focus on one of the most exciting market themes of today, that of the green economy, particularly energy and resource efficiency and renewables. For us, now is not the time to be paying up for growth potential, but rather to be hunkering down with as high-quality and defensive a portfolio as possible.’ fitzdares.com
Read More: Auction: Bidding Picks For The Month Ahead | House Guest: The C&TH Interiors Podcast | Buy The Book: Great British Brands 2019
