What is on Wanted’s hot list this week

THE ROLLS ROYCE OF SUV’S – LITERALLY

It was a matter of time: As every car manufacturer jumped on the SUV bandwagon, Rolls Royce announced three years ago that they would also be developing an all-terrain SUV – and it’s here. If this isn’t a sign of the times, I don’t know what is; Rolls has certainly come a long way from the days of chauffeur-driven luxury.

The Cullinan, named after the diamond in the Crown Jewels, is billed as the ultimate high bodied, luxury off-road vehicle and Rolls Royce describes the new car as a family-orientated, fun-to-drive experience. Now did you ever think you’d be taking a Rolls SUV for a test drive? I definitely didn’t but I’m certainly up for it!

GUCCI TALKS THROUGH FEMALE ARTISTS

The new fragrance in the Gucci Bloom story, Acqua di Fiori, has been brought to life through beautiful works by a group of female artists. All these artworks are being showcased on the luxury maison’s social media pages this month and celebrate both the joy and energy of youth as well as the power of a girl becoming a woman and discovering her authentic self.

The artists include Lebanese illustrator Nour Flayhan who explores themes of mysticism and the relationship between humans and nature. Other artists are Phoebe Collings-James, Langley Fox Hemingway, Frances Cannon, Emma Allegretti, Joy Miessi and Joana Avillez. Don’t miss these lovely tributes to feminine strength.

SANTOS DE CARTIER

The new Santos de Cartier is here! Unveiled in Geneva earlier this year, the new-look version of one of the most iconic Cartier watches has finally launched in South Africa. The changes aren’t startling, just an elegant reimagining of the watch that started life as the first wrist watch designed for the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont.

The eye-catching screw set bezel hasn’t changed at all but the new design does come with an amazing new system to resize the watch bracelet yourself. Look out for the rose gold skeleton Santos – it’s a showstopper.

THE COURSE AT SLOW IN THE CITY

The Slow Lounge changed the lives of airline travellers forever – raising the bar for BA business class and FNB travellers when it came to décor, five star facilities as well as fresh and delicious buffet spreads that could make you weep. I even started arriving at their airport extra early, so that I could enjoy some time in the lounge to catch up on magazines and work in a super-luxurious environment.

Now a little bit of Slow luxury has been opened up to the general public, with the opening of The Course at Slow in the City, diagonally opposite the Gautrain station in Sandton. A restaurant, bar and workspace rolled in to one, the sassy Tonic-designed interior with a glamorous bar that rivals Marble and a seriously grown up menu, I’m prepared to bet this is going to become the most popular meeting spot in Sandton.

A WINE AND MALT WHISKY AFFAIR

Wanted is blessed with a mighty fine wine writer in the person of Wade Bales. Wade knows his whisky too, as readers of Wanted magazine will find out in the June issue which comes out on the first Friday of next month. Whisky fans should also look out for Wade at the annual Wine and Malt Whisky Affair that Wade co-hosts with Kaya FM at the Hyde Park Hotel on 24th and 25th May.

The fair is in its seventh year and, once more, promises a brilliant showcase of limited release wines and rare whiskies. Wade hand picks the finest and most interesting brands for you to try as well as some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field of fine wine and whisky.

A highlight of this fair is something called the Half Time Bell when guests can, for 15 minutes only, taste extremely rare wines and whisky from “under the table”. Now that’s the type of party fun I can relate to!

More info about the Wine and Malt Whisky Affair here.