WINTER TRAVEL 2014

T's winter travel issue explores the romantic allure of locations both near and far. We start in Cape Town, where one local attempts to woo his New York girlfriend by showing her just how "Brooklyn" the South African city really is. We travel to the Swiss ski town of Gstaad, where a batch of newly arrived billionaires are threatening to disturb the idyllic village's sense of Old World refinement (at least according to its longtime residents). And in Bhutan, the T critic at large Jody Rosen finds a population, led by the bike-loving royal family, cycling toward that dreamiest of notions — the pursuit of happiness. Elsewhere, the soccer and fashion scion Brooklyn Beckham and the teenage model Jean Campbell capture the carefree splendor of youth on the shores of Montauk; a pair of mystery novelists look for inspiration, and a bit of mischief, aboard the legendary Orient Express; the London-based author and T critic at large Andrew O'Hagan hunkers down at Claridge's while making a case for the staycation; and one of the food world's most rapidly improving realms, the airport restaurant, gets the "By the Numbers" treatment. See all stories from this issue >>

HIGHLIGHTS

A Hotel Room of One’s Own

As writers have long known, checking into luxurious lodging — even in your home city — is a glorious escape and its own kind of holiday.

Brooklyn Beckham and Jean Campbell on the Shores of Montauk

The teenage models capture the romance and freedom of the sea.

Tempest in a Teacup

No longer content to simply mend ceramic plates, Chinese jars and other fragments of history, the master restorer Bouke de Vries now creates something wholly original from them.

A Dual Review of What’s New, Starring Marianne Faithfull and Mike Tyson

The musician/actress and the knockout king consider gold face oil, a driverless car and socks by Snoop Dogg.

Italian Modern: The Gallerist Nina Yashar

By championing the work of midcentury masters alongside unusual antiques and cutting-edge pieces, the Milan-based dealer has redefined the experience of design.

Bulgari’s Brilliant Bracelet Watch

The Italian jewelry house turns a classic timepiece into timeless jewelry.

12 Accidental Landscapes

Postcards with randomly overlaid images — byproducts of the printing process that are usually discarded — purchased at newsstands in Europe.

Going Dutch in Cape Town

Chic organic farms, cowsheds serving fresh-picked herbs and tables made from old electric cable spools. Move over, Brooklyn: the South African city’s artisanal charms are enough to make any New Yorker fall in love.

Gstaad: The Last Resort

A trip to the snow-capped wonderland reveals postcard-worthy scenery, unrivaled luxury and a growing turf war between the town’s longtime residents and the new arrivals.

The Artful Dodger

Mixed-metal timepieces that are elegantly slight of hand.

Piercing New Ways to Wear Diamond Drop Earrings

Doubled up, combined with punk piercings or even worn backwards, classic silhouettes take on a subversive new mood.

A New Short Film, Starring James Franco, From the Artist Daniel Arsham

Premiering exclusively here, the new collaboration between the two talents depicts the end of the world as they know it.

Lost in Time

With muted earth tones, soft suedes and artsy-craftsy prints, designers are returning to the ’70s (again).

Finding Solace in Artistry

The Los Angeles artist Alex Israel sees a vivid exuberance in Terrance Hayes’s reflection on the comforts and perils of taking refuge in art.