Robb Report Australia Fills Growing Luxury Niche With First Edition

The world’s most authoritative title in the luxury market, Robb Report is launching its inaugural Australian edition, showcasing the latest in luxury living in Australia and around the world. Robb Report Australia, which will go from quarterly to monthly publication in April 2017, is the 17th international edition of the revered US title, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The first upper-luxury print and online publication of its kind in Australia has curated a collection of finely crafted products and experiences that distinguish true luxury – from watches, jewellery and fashion, to boats, travel, wine, dining and property.

The Australian launch issue also includes a comprehensive look back over Robb Report’s 40 amazing and influential years, celebrating the moments and milestones that have shaped the connoisseur’s world.

Michael Stahl – a journalist of more than 30 years’ experience in automotive, design and luxury – is Editor in Chief of Robb Report Australia.

Stahl says, “The launch of our first issue is the culmination of months of work in gathering the most interesting, authentic and unique of products and experiences from Australia and internationally.

“Robb Report Australia will celebrate the best of the best, and brings out the stories of the artisanal skills and the dedication to excellence that give these things the emotional value that is, I believe, one of the definitions of luxury. I’m sure that our readers will relish the unfolding of these stories as much as we do.”

Brett Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of the New York-based Robb Report group, adds: “The Australian partnership serves as a fitting tribute to the brand’s founding premise – that the ultimate luxury experience is a shared passion for greatness.”

The first edition of Robb Report Australia will be officially launched at an invitation-only cocktail party in Sydney on October 13. Issues will be sold nationally at newsstands from October 17, and retail for RRP $14.95. For additional information, please visit robbreport.com.au.

Robb Report Australia reveals some of the local and international stories that made the inaugural edition:

> THE COVER

Blue heaven: Robb Report Australia tests Ferrari’s just-launched 488 Spider. An eight-page feature interview with Ferrari’s Flavio Manzoni, the supercar sculptor, on the architectural and musical inspirations that are shaping the world’s most desirable cars.

> AUTOMOTIVE

A look at Mercedes-AMG’s new track-ready GT R; Australia’s largest private collection of more than 400 classic cars; the best of Britain in the Rolls-Royce Dawn and Bentley Bentayga; a classic Lancia Flaminia; and a visit to Goodwood, one of the motoring enthusiast’s “must-visit” events.

> TRAVEL

Places to eat, sleep, play, revive: from the $40 million made-over Mirage at Port Douglas, to beyond-the-norm luxury on France’s Normandy coast, to England’s new wave in rural restaurants, to an aviator’s dream pad (with room to park a plane or two) in central-western NSW.

> BOATING

We profile the biggest superyacht ever constructed in Australia, the beautiful, 84m trimaran White Rabbit Golf; look over the sleek, metallic and also Australian-built 77m Silver Fast; and open up the Italian Evo 43 with its innovative, expandable deck design.

> ART

Queensland’s David Boucher marries difficult and all but forgotten art deco techniques with rare timbers to create exquisite, internationally sought-after furniture. His Palace of Secrets cabinet sold for an estimated US$1.3 million. The former Brisbane council worker is a study in passion, dedication and skill.

> WATCHES

Richard Mille’s $1.37m ACJ (Airbus Corporate Jets) Tourbillion Split Seconds Chronograph is one of the boutique watchmaker’s most innovative designs yet. Meanwhile, three of horology’s most enduring designs re-emerge with a fresh twist; and we look at watchmakers’ interesting collaborations with diverse luxury brands.

> PERSONAL STYLE

Australian expatriate film director Robert Luketic talks about life in Hollywood and his passion for private aviation. Tailor Patrick Johnson talks about his relaxed Australian style of suit making and his purchase of an historic workshop in Pietrasanta, Italy.

> HIGH-END AUDIO

High-end audiophiles are abandoning five-channel sound systems in a return to two-channel purity. Hand-crafted, yet high-technology loudspeakers like the Magico Q7 and the elegantly architectural Clearaudio Statement turntable – each around the price of a Porsche 911 – are resetting all the records.