In like a lion, and out like a lamb, or will it be the other way ‘round? March is hard to predict (plus there’s that unfortunate business about the Ides). But come what may, it’s nearly spring and the jet set is focused on ending winter on a high note. Art Basel Hong Kong, March Madness, the Armory Show, the Dubai World Cup, the London Book Fair and the Bal de la Rose in Monaco – here’s our Dandelion Chandelier list of the most important events in the luxury ecosystem this month.
The South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and film festival in Austin, Texas will feature speakers including Buzz Aldrin, Senator Cory Booker, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; thousands of global artists will perform – March 10–19
International Women’s Day will be celebrated on March 8 with the theme #BeBoldForChange. Hundreds of events will be held worldwide. A couple of note: tech training company General Assembly will host Lightning Talks featuring women leaders in tech and culture at 11 different locations globally; in Santa Barbara, California, the Women Winemakers Dinner will feature noted female vintners and inventive female chefs working together to create a five-to-seven course meal, with proceeds going to charity. In London, the Victoria & Albert Museum will host a Gallery Talk on March 2 that will feature objects from its collection that reflect artists and works which were bold in their day and inspired change on a personal and social level.
The coming of spring in the Northern Hemisphere will usher in several luxurious cultural experiences: Hanami is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, almost always referring to those of cherry or plum trees. Pilgrimages to view the blossoms begin in late March and last until early May. The Hindu festival Holi will be observed on Monday, March 13th; to usher in the spring season, people gather on the streets for a giant color fight – throwing dyed powder onto each other – using the revelry as a chance to connect with other human beings and let go of any past hardships. America’s National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C is March 20-April 16.
The 63rd edition of the glamorous Bal de la Rose, held annually in the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo, will be held on March 18. The Rose Ball was initiated by Princess Grace of Monaco in 1954, and helps raise funds for her Foundation. A different rose and a distinct scent are selected each year as the ball’s theme; Karl Lagerfeld has overseen the artistic interpretation of the ball for the past five years and will once again this year.
World Yoga Week begins March 1; the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, India takes place at numerous local ashrams through March 8. Yoga-ski holidays are now a “thing,” according to London’s Guardian, and March is the perfect month for such a trip – practitioners can spend a week in Monte Bondone, Italy from March 4-11, or in La Rosière, France for skiing, snowboarding and yoga weeks throughout the month of March.
Luxury Travel – Top Destinations This Month.
–Conde Nast Traveler recently named the 10 most beautiful small towns in Spain; in March, a cross-peninsula road trip seems to be in order. Many on the list are lovely for a short stop during the day, while a handful would be perfect 1-2 day stopovers. For example, Benasque, surrounded by the tallest peaks in the Pyrenees Mountains, is ideal for outdoor activities: explore glaciers, ski runs, fly fishing, hiking trails and waterfalls.
—The Emilia Romagna in Italy region provides culinary delights such as balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and Parmigiano and is also the birthplace of luxury cars Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. Visit markets and take an afternoon cooking lesson in Parma, then visit the Ferrari museum in Maranello.
–The US Virgin Islands celebrate the 100th anniversary of Transfer Day, when St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix were transferred from the Dutch West Indies to US territory. There will be parades and concerts throughout the spring – March 31 is the official commemoration.
–With temperatures on the rise, get an early dose of sun on the west coast of Mexico. Enjoy pool time, cocktails and possible celebrity sightings in Cabo San Lucas, or whale-watching (its prime time for this) in Baja.
—Vietnam. March is the country’s driest month of the year; take advantage of the sunshine and explore the northern mountains, navigate the waters of Halong Bay in a private junk or visit the Khoai Chau district and watch human chess playing and dragon dancing at the Chu Dong Tu festival.
Luxury Travel – New Resort and Hotel Openings This Month.
–The new Kokomo Island resort in Fiji will have just 21 rooms on its private 140 acres; owned by Small Luxury Hotels, there will be an on-site diving center, each villa will have a plunge pool, and guests will arrive by helicopter or float plane.
–The 28-room Silo hotel on the waterfront in Cape Town will sit atop the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (which opens in September).
–The first Preferred Hotels & Resorts member in Sweden, the 343-room At Six hotel in Stockholm, will open this month in central Brunkebergstorg Square. The property will host curated art exhibitions, and its restaurant, Tak, will serve Nordic-Japanese dishes from chef Frida Ronge.
–The Exchange Hotel in Cardiff, Wales is a 200-room property in the former Coal Exchange Building; it will include a memorial dedicated to World War 1.
–The UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya is an adults-only resort on the Mayan Riviera located five minutes away from Mexico’s famous cenotes and only 15 minutes from vibrant coastal nightlife; it features swim-up poolside rooms, locally-designed art and furniture and a spa center.
–The St. Regis Shanghai is set to open March 15, located on the 29th through 59th floors of a skyscraper in the Jing’An district.
–Celebrity Cruises adds two small ships to its fleet, both sailing to the Galapagos Islands: the 48-passenger Celebrity Xperience will offer 7-13 night trips; a smaller craft, the Celebrity Xploration, will hold 16 guests.
–Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection will launch the art-and-antiques filled 128-passenger Joie de Vivre in France.
Auctions and Antiques.
–The TEFAF Maastricht art fair will be held in The Netherlands – March 10-19
–The Chelsea Antiques Fair, is in London from March 15-19
–Christie’s: Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper, London – March 1; Next Chapter: Contemporary Art From An Important Italian Collection, Online – March 2-14; Les Giacometti d’Hubert De Givenchy, Paris – March 6; Fine Chinese Paintings, New York – March 14; Interiors, London – March 15; Important Watches, Dubai – March 19
–Sotheby’s: Surrealist Art Evening Sale, London – March 1; A Lyrical Line: Paintings & Drawings by Francis Newton Souza, Online – March 3-20; Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, New York – March 14; Dessins Modernes et Contemporains, Paris – March 23; Bacri Frères – Antiquaires, Paris – March 30
Luxury Autos and Yachts.
–Geneva International Motor Show – March 9-19
–The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance – March 10-12
–Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous, Virgin Islands – March 10-13
–The 32nd Annual Palm Beach International Boat Show- March 23-26
–Bangkok International Motor Show – March 29-April 9
Fashion and Beauty.
–The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan celebrates Black Fashion Designers – March 5 – May 16
–Paris Fashion Week unfolds – through March 8
–Style icon and actress Tilda Swinton collaborates with Korean eyewear label Gentle Monster to create the coolest sunnies you’ll ever find – March 20
–National Fragrance Day is March 21; new fragrance launches this month include Baldessarini’s Cool Force; Dolce & Gabbana’s Velvet Cypress; ManRose by Etro; Frédéric Malle’s Alber Elbaz par Frédéric Malle Superstitious; and three new versions of Aerin’s Tangier Vanille, Amber Musc and Evening Rose
–Dior launches Dior Addict Lacquer Stick, the newest addition to the Dior Addict lipstick collection (#550 Tease was the shade seen on models at the designer’s recent Haute Couture show in Paris)
–Esxence: The Scent of Excellence – the leading international Artistic Perfumery event will take place in Milan – March 23-26
–BaselWorld – See some of the world’s most renowned watch and jewelry brands display their latest innovations in Basel, Switzerland – March 23-30
–House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth will open at the Derbyshire estate – March 25-October 22
–Margiela: The Hermès Years will be staged at the Belgian fashion museum MoMu in Antwerp – March 31-August 27
Food and Drink.
–GourmetFest – Relais & Chateaux’s 4-day foodie extravaganza in Carmel, CA – March 16-19
–The 25th Annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will include over 200 events – March 31 – April 9
–The Game Bird opens at the Stafford London, with Exec Chef James Durrant at the helm
–The first of the Landmark Rooms’ (formerly the Four Seasons) three spaces, the Grill, is expected to open this month in Manhattan
Fitness and Sports.
–Major League Baseball’s Spring Training continues for the entire month – Grapefruit League in Florida and Cactus League in Arizona
–The USA Sevens Rugby match is in Las Vegas – March 3-5
–The World Baseball Classic starts with first rounds in Seoul – March 6-22
–The NCAA’s men’s basketball March Madness begins with the First Four on March 14
–The Arnold Classic Australia, the largest multi-sport festival in the world comes to Melbourne – March 17-19
–The 27th Rallye Aicha Des Gazelles Du Maroc, an annual 9-day off-road charity rally for women only in the Moroccan desert – trucks, 4x4s and motorbikes welcome – March 17
–The China Golf Show is expected to welcome over 10,000 visitors, Beijing – March 17-19
–The Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse will feature nine thoroughbred horse races as well as the Dubai World Cup Ceremony and a concert headlined by Australian pop star Sia – March 25
Film.
–The Shack follows a father’s spiritual journey after he suffers a family tragedy – March 3
–Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in Logan – March 3
–The Last Word starring Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried is a comedy about an unlikely life-changing friendship – March 3
–Kong: Skull Island, starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman, is about exactly what you think it’s about – March 10
–Song to Song is Terence Malik’s latest, about romance in the Austin, TX songwriting industry – March 17 (it appropriately debuts at SXSW)
–Beauty and the Beast, a new live-action version of the beloved classic starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens – March 17
–An international space crew discovers life beyond Earth that proves to be far more intelligent than anticipated in Life, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal – March 24
Television.
–Feud, a new series on FX, tells the story of the backstage bickering between Hollywood divas Joan Crawford and Bette Davis during the production of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962); starring Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange – March 5
–Netflix releases the second season of Love – March 10
–Iron Fist, Netflix’s fourth Marvel series, stars Finn Jones as the eponymous Buddhist monk/kung-fu expert (yep, you heard that right) – March 17
–Grace and Frankie –another Netflix fan favorite- returns for its 3rd season – March 24
Theater.
–Ugly Lies the Bone makes its European premier at the Lyttleton Theatre, London – March 1
–Significant Other, a new American play at the Booth Theater written by Joshua Harmon and directed by Trip Cullman, follows four 20-something friends as they navigate love, friendship and New York – March 2
–The revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, produced by Scott Rudin and starring Sally Field and Joe Mantello, opens at the Belasco Theatre – March 9
–Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London – March 9
–Come From Away, the new musical about the thousands of passengers diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001, opens at the Schoenfeld – March 12
–Griff Rhys Jones returns to the West End in a new adaption of Moliere’s classic comedy The Miser at the Garrick Theater, London– March 13
–The revival of Arthur Miller’s The Price opens at the American Airlines Theater, with Mark Ruffalo starring as a son returning to his childhood home to sell his parents’ estate; Jessica Hecht, Tony Shalhoub and Danny De Vito round out the cast – March 16
–An American in Paris opens at the Dominion Theatre, London – March 21
–How to Transcend a Happy Marriageby Sarah Ruhl, opening at Lincoln Center Theater and starring Marisa Tomei and Lena Hall, explores the impact of a New Year’s Eve party in the wilds of New Jersey involving two married couples, a polyamorous young woman and her two boyfriends – March 20
–Miss Saigon opens at the Broadway Theater, New York – March 23
–Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, about blue collar workers in Pennsylvania at the turn of the millennium, moves from the Public Theater to Broadway’s Studio 54 Theater – March 26
Popular Music.
–Luke Bryan’s Kill the Light Tour stops at Madison Square Garden – March 1
–Ed Sheeren releases his third album, ÷ – March 3
–English band Temples releases its sophomore album, Volcano – March 3
–The critically-acclaimed trio The XX bring their emotive indie-folk to the 02 Academy in Brixton to promote their new album I See You – March 8-15
–Oakland, CA native Jay Som’s debut album Everybody Works drops March 10
–British folk singer Laura Marling releases her sixth album Semper Femina – March 10
–Bruno Mars opens his 24K Magic world tour at the Monte Carlo, Las Vegas – March 11
–Climate Change, Pitbull’s tenth album, drops March 17
–The latest works from Goldfrapp, Jamiroquai, Nelly Furtado, Tinie Tempah and Bob Dylan (his 38th album!) all release on March 31
Literature.
–“One Book, One New York,” the city government’s initiative to get all citizens to read the same title at the same time, reveals the final pick the first week of March; given 5 choices selected by a blue-ribbon panel, a city-wide vote will determine the finalist.
–Ill Will is the first thriller from literary novelist Dan Chaon – March 7
–Exit West is the latest from one of our favorite novelists, Mohsin Hamid – March 7
–South and West: From a Notebook by Joan Didion is comprised of excerpts from the writer’s notebooks – March 7
–Will Eisner’s A Contract With God mirrors a real-life tragedy endured by the author and is set at the height of the Great Depression – March 7
–Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helen Cooper weaves through the highs and lows of Sirleaf’s journey from ordinary mother to first female elected head of state in Africa’s history – March 7
–The London Book Fair’s buzzed-about offerings from America include short fiction by Tom Hanks and Jeffrey Eugenides; new novels by Dean Koontz and Jennifer Egan; and nonfiction by Garry Kasaparov and Masha Gessen – March 14-16
–The Idiot is the first novel from New Yorker staff writer Elif Batuman – set at Harvard in the mid-‘90s, it tells a picaresque tale of a young woman’s freshman year – March 14
–Hari Kunzru’s novel White Tears is a mash-up of a ghost story, a mystery and a meditation on race set in the world of blues music – March 14
–Sorry to Disrupt the Peace by Patty Yumi Cottrell is the story of a woman returning to her childhood home to learn why her brother killed himself – March 14
–World Poetry Day is March 21
Performing Arts.
–Catch a look behind the scenes of upcoming theater premieres at the Guggenheim: the writers and choreographer behind Broadway’s “Come From Away” will preview the show with members of the cast – March 5
–Rock meets opera in Montreal when the Opera de Montreal performs “Another Brick in the Wall,” inspired by the iconic 1979 Pink Floyd album; songwriter Roger Waters collaborated, and the work is based on his life story – March 11-24
–The Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival is a classical music festival that lasts for four or five weekends; concerts take place in several concert halls as well as unusual venues, like the oceanographic museum – March 17 – April 8
–The Paul Taylor American Modern Dance company will include in its month-long run at Lincoln Center a performance called “Icons: Graham, Cunningham, Taylor;” for the first time, works by the three dance titans will share the stage in a triple bill – March 19
–Hamburg, Germany celebrates the opening of its Elbphilharmonie performing arts center with the “Viva Beethoven” series, conducted by Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel – March 19-23
–The Interlaken Classic Music Festival in Switzerland is March 24-April 17
–The 25th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival takes place in Nashville, Tennessee – March 28-April 1
–The NY Philharmonic presents Mahler’s Symphony Number 4 and Kavakos – March 1-4; Yo-Yo Ma performs Salonen – March 15-18; the orchestra tours Europe from March 23-31
Visual Arts.
–The Armory Show, on New York’s Piers 92 and 94 on the Hudson River, will showcase its industrial setting this year with 11 installations, including a giant bamboo chicken by Ai Weiwei – 65,000 visitors are expected – March 2-5. The Wall Street Journal hosts a VIP Preview on March 1.
–The Brooklyn Museum features Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern, with the artist’s work being shown alongside her austere wardrobe and famous photos of her by Ansel Adams, Annie Leibowitz, and Alfred Stieglitz, among others – opens March 3
–The Creative Act: Performance-Process-Presence, from the Guggenhaim Abu Dhabi collection, features more than 25 works in installation, painting, photography, sculpture, video and works on paper by more than 18 artists; presented at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi – March 7-July 29
–Espace Richaud in Versailles exhibits a series of photographs taken by Robert Doisneau from 1949-1952, in Robert Doisneau: Les Années Vogue – March 8-May 28
–American Dream, Pop to the Present features works by artists including Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Kara Walker, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol at the British Museum, London – March 9-June 18
–Mythical Landscapes – From Monet to Emily Carr opens at the Musée d’Orsay with a selection of landscapes by Gauguin, Monet, Klimt, Carr and van Gogh – March 14 – June 25
–The eleventh edition of Art Dubai will feature 92 galleries from 44 different countries– March 15-18
–The 2017 Whitney Biennial begins; 63 artists will have works on display at the first Biennial in the museum’s new home – come and gaze at the rising stars in American art – March 17
–Art Basel Hong Kong will offer a diverse range of art along with numerous cultural events– March 23-25
–The Doug Wheeler: PSAD Synthetic Desert III installation at the Guggenheim will be the first of any work in the Synthetic Desert series ever completed and shown in New York since it was conceived in the late 60’s – March 24 – August 2
–The Art Paris Art Fair will bring modern and contemporary art from 140 galleries and 20 countries to the Grand Palais – March 31 – April 2
In addition to all of that, March is Women’s History Month, Ash Wednesday is March 1st, Daylight Savings Time begins on March 12th, and St. Patrick’s Day is the 17th. The vernal equinox – the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere – is March 20th. March 26th is Mother’s Day in the UK. Wherever the month takes you, we hope it makes you feel as if spring is in the air.
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