Happy Year of the Rooster! This month, a New Year dawns fresh, and the jet set will be touching down in Switzerland to debate the future of the global economy; attending the haute couture shows in Paris; and heading to Park City for the Sundance Festival. The official color of the year is “Greenery,” so dress appropriately. Here is Dandelion Chandelier’s curated list of the activities that the luxury crowd will be pursuing around the world in January 2017:
The 47th annual World Economic Forum convenes in Davos, Switzerland with the theme “Responsive and Responsible Leadership” – Jan 17-20
The 50th annual International Consumer Electronics Show brings the consumer technology elite to Las Vegas; keynote speakers include the CEOs of NVIDIA, Nissan, IAC, Qualcomm and UnderArmour – Jan 5-8
Chinese New Year celebrations commence worldwide on Jan 28
Luxury Auto Shows. The Motor City claims pride of place this month:
–The North American International Auto Show in Detroit kicks off with “The Gallery,” an ultra-luxury automotive event, hosted at the MGM Grand and featuring dinner by Wolfgang Puck and a close-up view of vintage and current models from Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Rolls Royce – Jan 7
–The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona is widely regarded as a good barometer of the global automotive collectors’ market – Jan 14-22
–Catch the 85th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo in glamorous Monaco – Jan 16-22
Luxury Travel. Adventure and exploration are on the menu this month, and the Southern Hemisphere beckons:
For January, top luxury travel agents recommend:
–India’s Himalayan Foothills & Andaman Islands. Start in New Delhi and head east to the world-famous tea plantations in Darjeeling. Or visit Rajasthan State, India – Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur – take a safari in Jaisalmer, transverse the desert on a camel, and sleep under the stars
–Argentina. Time for tango and cocktails with the locals in Buenos Aires! Or sip Malbec in the wine capital of South America, Mendoza.
–Zanzibar, Tanzania. This month is the start of high season: experience East African landscapes and wildlife, see the Serengeti by hot air balloon, and camp in the Ngorongoro Crater (16 kilometers in diameter and considered the eighth wonder of the natural world).
–Nicaragua. Rainforests, beaches, and eco-lodges – this is the month with the least rainfall all year. Sandboard down an active volcano, and stay on Jicaro Island amidst crystal clear waters, majestic volcanos and dense jungle.
–Barbados/Caribbean. Island-hop on a yacht from Petit St. Vincent and explore several secluded little islands, such as Petit Mustique, Canuoan and Mayreau. Go windsurfing or take a diving lesson. Swim with turtles, and take a catamaran cruise around Barbados.
Notable luxury resort and hotel openings this month:
–The Lalit, London, a luxury boutique hotel “blending the best of Indian culture, hospitality and cuisine with the finest Victorian architecture” opens Jan 1
–Las Alcobas, St. Helena opens in California’s iconic wine country – Jan 24
–The Four Seasons London at Ten Trinity Square opens Jan 26
–The Oberoi Sukhvilas Resort & Spa in New Chandigarh, India debuted last month; the Spa opens this month
Auctions. It’s reasonably quiet at the major auction houses – however, Alexander Hamilton fans should head to Sotheby’s New York mid-month:
–Phillips: Evening & Day Editions in London will feature works by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Damien Hirst, and Joan Miró – Jan 19
–Christie’s: Interiors in London – Jan 11; Chinese Export Art – Jan 18 and Palmetto Hall: The Jay P. Altmayer Family Collection – Jan 19 in New York
–Sotheby’s: Alexander Hamilton: An Important Family Archive of Letters and Manuscripts in New York – Jan 18; Luxury Automotive in Arizona – Jan 19-20; Contemporary Art in Hong Kong – Jan 19; Fine Wines in Hong Kong – Jan 21; Vintage Comics in Paris – Jan 21; Master Paintings & Sculpture in New York – Jan 25-26.
Yacht Races and Shows. A plethora of boat shows and a couple of races are on deck:
–The 14th edition of the Phuket International Boat Show debuts a new feature: the Superyacht Event on a nearby private island, Koh Rang Noi, where attendees can view a variety of vessels for sale or charter – Jan 5-8
–The 81st Anniversary of the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race is Jan 14-26
–Crisscross Canada to catch two shows: the Vancouver International Boat Show, Jan 18-22; the Toronto International Boat Show, Jan 20-29
–The 48th edition of the international boat show boot Düsseldorf will feature sixty superyachts; boot INTERIOR is a new element focused on interior design and furnishings for mega yachts – Jan 21-29
–New Zealand’s Millenium Cup takes place in the Bay of Islands – Jan 24-27
Fashion and Beauty. $300,000 gowns, luxury watches, and men’s fashion – yay!
–Menswear hits the runway this month, with shows each week:
–London Men’s Fashion Week, Jan 6-9
–Pitti Uomo (Florence Menswear Tradeshow), Jan 10-13
–Milan Men’s Fashion Week, Jan 14-17
–Paris Fashion Week Men’s, Jan 18-22
–New York Fashion Week Men’s, Jan 30-Feb2
–For the first time, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva will be open to the public; 17 exhibiting maisons will present their latest collections and discuss future trends in the world of fine watchmaking – Jan 16-20
–The women’s haute couture spring-summer shows are held in Paris, with excellent people-watching and glamorous after-parties galore – Jan 22-26
Food and Wine. New restaurants open their doors, plus festivals and an award-winning bar:
–Bokan (Japanese for “lighthouse”), located on the 37th floor of the Novotel in Canary Wharf, London, offers spectacular views of the London skyline
–Gratitude in Beverly Hills is an upscale vegan restaurant opening a few blocks from Rodeo Drive
–Mere in London’s Fitrovia is Monica Galetti’s first restaurant (she’s the former sous chef at Le Gavrouche)
–Grab a cocktail at New York’s Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, the winner of the 2016 Drinks International award for World’s Best Bar
–The Cayman Cookout in the Cayman Islands is hosted by Eric Ripert, accompanied by Emeril Legasse, Anthony Bourdain and Jose Andres – Jan 12-15
Health and Fitness. Desert marathons, world-class snow sports and cycling are all on offer:
–The Laax Open in Switzerland is a high-level international snowboarding event, where men and women compete in halfpipe and slopestyle contests – Jan 16-21
–The 77th Hahnenkamm Race in Kitzbuehel, Austria features the best ski athletes in the world and is a highlight of the World Cup calendar – Jan 17-22
–More than 30,000 runners are expected for the Dubai Marathon – Jan 20
–The ESPN Winter X Games are in Aspen, Colorado – Jan 26-29
–The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Victoria, Australia is inspired by the prestigious “Spring Classics” of Europe cycling competition – Jan 26-29
–The 28th International Marathon of Marrakesh is a terrific destination run through olive groves and palm trees – Jan 29
Sports. American football gets even more interesting as the season nears its end, and the competition for the biggest purse in the thoroughbred racing world debuts:
–NFL Playoffs kick off on Saturday, Jan 7 with the Wild Card Round
–College Football National Championship, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa – Jan 9
–Tennis’s Australian Open is in Melbourne – Jan 16-29
–The inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Florida’s Gulfstream Park has the world’s largest thoroughbred racing purse – $12 million – run on a dirt track for 1 1/8th miles, each of twelve entrants have put up $1 million – Jan 28
–NFL Pro Bowl, Orlando, Florida – Jan 29
Cutlure. If the January weather drives you indoors, there are amazing things to do in the world of culture this month:
Award Shows: the Golden Globes will air Jan 8 (Jimmy Fallon hosts) and the SAG awards on Jan 29; Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan 24.
Film. With awards season in full swing, the new release schedule is fairly light, but the Sundance festival will give aficionados plenty to see and debate:
–Live by Night, based on the 2012 Edgar Award-winning novel by Dennis Lehane, is set in the roaring 20s during Prohibition; Ben Affleck directs and stars – Jan 13
–20th Century Women stars Annette Benning and Elle Fanning; set in Santa Barbara in 1979, it’s the story of a single mother in her 50’s who’s raising an adolescent son and who enlists two younger women to help – Jan 13
–Patriots Day is a wrenching account of the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; starring Mark Wahlberg – Jan 13
–The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah is the largest independent film festival in the US, with almost 50,000 people expected this year – Jan 19-29
–Split, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a psychological thriller about a man with 23 personalities who abducts 3 teenage girls. James McAvoy is garnering strong early reviews for his performance – Jan 20
–The Founder is based on the true story of how Ray Kroc (played by Michael Keaton), met Mac and Dick McDonald, brothers running a burger operation in 1950’s Southern California; positioned himself to take ownership of the company; and ultimately created a billion-dollar empire – Jan 20
Television debuts. After a month of holiday specials, it’s back to serious TV:
–If you haven’t seen Barry on Netflix (it was a surprise drop in mid-December), watch it now; the tale of a year in the life of young Barak Obama, it’s lovely
–Taboo on FX stars Tom Hardy as an adventurer in the early 1880s who returns to England intent on revenge against the men who killed his father; he falls foul of the all-powerful British East India Company – Jan 10
–Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is based on the children’s series of the same name by Lemony Snicket; Neil Patrick Harris stars – Jan 13
–The Young Pope on HBO is the story of a renegade new Pope, the youngest in the modern era and an American with a shady past; the cast includes Jude Law and Diane Keaton – Jan 15
–Homeland returns for its 6th season on Showtime – Jan 15
–Billions on Showtime, starring Paul Giamatti, is the tale of a prosecutor bent on bringing down a powerful and wealthy hedge fund founder – Jan 17
–The miniseries War and Peace, already airing in the UK, arrives in the US on A&E, Lifetime and The History Channel – Jan 18
Theater. The talk will start turning to the Tony Award nominations soon:
–Two Broadway shows that were buzzed about in previews officially open:
–Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh star in The Present, Anton Chekov’s first play – Jan 8
–August Wilson’s Jitney, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, premiers on Broadway – it’s his first play, and the only one from the American Century Cycle never previously seen on Broadway – Jan 19
—Off-Broadway, there are several new works this month:
–Tell Hector I Miss Him at the Atlantic Theater Company; previews Jan 11, opens Jan 23
–Liar, The, at the Classic Stage Company; previews Jan 11, opens Jan 26
–Yours Unfaithfully at Theatre Row’s Beckett opens Jan 26
–Yen at the MCC Theater; previews Jan 12, opens Jan 30
–The Baryshnikov Arts Center presents Bela Pinter’s play Our Secrets, about surveillance in 1980s Communist Budapest – Jan 25-29
–Catch a look behind the scenes of upcoming theater premieres at the Guggenheim: Tony Award winners Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersole will discuss and perform scenes from “War Paint,” an upcoming musical about the rivalry between two cosmetics pioneers – Jan 22
Popular Music and Cool Concerts.
–Brian Eno releases his new album, Reflection on Jan 1
–Jake Clemons (E Street Band) releases Fear & Love – Jan 13
–Kings of Leon play Madison Square Garden – Jan 20
–Chicago II (Steve Wilson Remix) by Chicago drops Jan 27
New book releases. There will be excellent options for curling up with a great book:
–Oprah Winfrey’s first book from her own publishing imprint, Food, Health and Happiness – Jan 3
–Difficult Women, the new short-story collection from Bad Feminist author Roxane Gay – Jan 3
–Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission by Bret Baier – Jan 10
–Transit, the second entry by British author Rachel Cusk in a planned trilogy that began with her well-received 2015 novel Outline – Jan 17
–Human Acts is the new novel from Han Kang, author of the Booker prize-winning novel The Vegetarian – Jan 17
–Audacity: How Barack Obama Defied his critics and Transformed America is New York Magazine columnist Jonathan Chait’s first book – Jan 17
–Perfect Little World, Kevin Wilson’s next work after his critically-acclaimed novel The Family Fang – Jan 24
–Paul Auster’s highly-anticipated new novel 4 3 2 1– Jan 31
Performing Arts: The New York City Opera is reborn and jazz meets classical at the NY Philharmonic:
–Jazz trumpeter extraordinaire Chris Botti holds court at the Blue Note in New York – through Jan 8
–The reborn New York City Opera stages a production of Candide starring Linda Lavin at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, six performances only – Jan 6 -12
–Globalfest will bring its flagship concert to Webster Hall in Manhattan with artists whose music is inspired by cultural exchange; India, Ghana, Portugal, Estonia, Argentina and Cuba will all be in the house – Jan 8
–La Traviata is at the Royal Opera, London – Jan 16 – Feb 1
–Carnegie Hall features a Mozart-Bruckner festival with the Staatskapelle Berlin – Jan 19 – 29
–The Hong Kong Philharmonic launches The Ring of the Nibelun, The Ring Cycle Part 3: Siegfried, Richard Wagner’s operatic masterpiece – Jan 19 and 22
–The Metropolitan Opera stages Georges Bizet’s Carmen, starring two French mezzo-sopranos, Sophie Koch and Clementine Margaine, alternating as Bizet’s immortal heroine – Jan 19 – Feb 18
–Opéra Bastille in Paris presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute – Jan 23 – Feb 23
–The New York Philharmonic hosts jazz legend Wynton Marsalis for “Copeland & Marsalis” – Jan 3; and then collaborates with conductor Semyon Bychkov for a Tchaikovsky series, Beloved Friend Jan 26 – Feb 11
Visual Arts: Here’s your impetus for a spontaneous trip to Paris, LA or Montreal:
–The LA Art Show, showcasing modern and contemporary work – Jan 11-15
–One of our absolute favorite museums in Paris is the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, a lovely house museum featuring wonderful art on an intimate scale; its current exhibition features 50 works by Rembrandt – until Jan 23
–Marisa Merz: The Sky Is a Great Space – the Met Breuer will present the first major retrospective in the US of the Italian painter, sculptor, and installation artist – beginning Jan 24
–Chagall: COLOR AND MUSIC begins Jan 28 at Le Musée Des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
–The Legion of Honor/Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco presents a new installation of its extraordinary Rodin holdings in Rodin Centenary – beginning Jan 28
Man, that’s a lot of great stuff to explore! Get your calendar out and start planning. In addition to all of that, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the 16th and the U.S. Presidential Inauguration is on the 20th. Wherever January takes you, we hope you make a fresh start at something brilliant.
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