Apparently not. But there were clues: the color was an homage to his father’s origins in the pearling industry, and their family heritage. The rose gold picnic cutlery was selected by his exacting wife. He is, I was told, widely travelled, internationally educated and cosmopolitan in his tastes. He owns a ‘sizeable’ collection of classic and modern cars, housed in a private museum, and what he wanted from this commission was an objet d’art.
He sure got it. And the next day at Villa d’Este, it was the center of attention. During the parade, Torsten sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle, while an unidentified Middle Eastern gentleman – ‘a relative’ of the client – drove slowly along, onlookers diving in front of the car for photographs and security gently ensuring they didn’t get too close.
Villa d’Este
Instagram @villadestelakecomo
Elsewhere, eye candy abounded. There was a 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT, in a thistle green shade; a 1998 Nissan R390 GT1 that had been driven in the Le Mans 24 Hours; and a 1959 Cadillac Sixty-Two Sedan that this writer would rather love to own. Beyond the cars, everyone was beautiful, well put together with staggering amounts of panache. One particularly ostentatious woman towered in hot pink platform heels, draped in a hot pink jumpsuit, hot pink sunglasses obscuring her identity – all of it Dolce & Gabbana. She introduced her bony chihuahua Sunshine (yes) to a cooing guest.
