Adam&Eve (a&e) Magazine Kuwait

FASHION - LUXURY - LIFESTYLE

EXCLUSIVE

Miuccia Prada Designs Bespoke Costumes for

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“The Great Gatsby”

DIOR HOMME SHOW - BEIJING

An exclusive with

Kris Van Assche RUNWAY SPECIAL

Ralph Lauren SS 2013

PHOTOSHOOT

Bulgari

The Garden of Eve

PORTFOLIO

The

Wedding Issue Glamour, Inspiration & Love

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EDITOR'S NOTE FASHION - LUXURY - LIFESTYLE

EXCLUSIVE

Miuccia Prada Designs Bespoke Costumes for

“The Great Gatsby”

DIOR HOMME SHOW - BEIJING

An exclusive with

Kris Van Assche RUNWAY SPECIAL

Ralph Lauren SS 2013

PHOTOSHOOT

Bulgari

The Garden of Eve

PORTFOLIO

The

Wedding Issue Glamour, Inspiration & Love

Our Cover: Bulgari High Jewellery

Dear Readers,

This issue, it’s all about looking forward; from fashion to memorable weddings which is our main focus this time around.

A new chapter writes itself from the minute two words are uttered - “I do” ...or so we think! The truth is that it actually starts long before the ceremony. A new chapter begins from the minute a ‘yes’ floats ethereally into the air in response to a lifechanging proposal. Every couple wants a special wedding - one that is different from any other, one that will move guests and create lasting memories and while pondering on this thought, we created a very special wedding portfolio dedicated to all brides and grooms-to-be. The path to an enchanting wedding can be a winding one and so we’ve compiled rich stories in order to assist and inspire through the planning, attire and accessories selection and even great honeymoon destinations that will whisk you away to bliss and passion.

While glamour and romance is the core of this issue, we also have some great exclusive stories in store for you. a&e had the pleasure of attending Dior Homme’s show in Beijing and Tiffany’s Blue Book Ball in New York. Read our report on it all and be inspired by the insightful interviews that we conducted with Kris Van Assche of Dior Homme & John Loring of Tiffany & Co. When it comes to fashion, we cannot get enough of art& beauty through the eyes of a camera lens which is why Bulgari ‘s Garden of Eve, Dior’s Bird of Paradise, Tiffany’s Brides and Gucci’s Aristocratic Purism grace our pages this issue.

As the heat of the summer is fast approaching, we also look forward to the very best of SS13 that await us. We bring you our very popular colour report featuring the best looks from the runway and the hottest accessories using Pantone’s Colour Forecast for the season. Gentlemen, our SS13 style report will get you dressing casual & cosy in no time! Our style picks are even perfect for newlyweds that are about to jet across to their dream location.

On that note, we invite all brides and grooms-to-be to look forward to the glamorous wedding season and face it with love in order to achieve everlasting and heart-warming memories.

Enjoy the read, Editor in Chief Lara Mansour Sawaya lara.m@amedadvertising.com

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Contract Publisher AMED Advertising - Dubai CEO Hisham Sawaya hisham.s@amedadvertising.com Managing Editor Lara Mansour Sawaya lara.m@amedadvertising.com Editorial Assistant Houry Seukunian houry.s@amedadvertising.com Editorial Assistant Ylova Hamdan ylova.h@amedadvertising.com Advertising Sales Director Mahmoud Kerbaj mahmoud.k@amedadvertising.com Sales Manager Carolina Noueihed carolina.n@amedadvertising.com Design Luvin Santiago / Louie Carmona Contact:

UAE: AMED Advertising - U.A.E. Executive Tower D, Office 1301 Business Bay, Dubai - UAE Tel: 04 454 1566 Fax: 04 454 1522 email info@amedadvertising.com

LEBANON: Awraq Publishing S.A.R.L Kaline Center, 9th Floor, Fouad Chehab Street, Sin El Fil - Beirut - Lebanon Tel: +961 1 497910 / 20 Email : awraq.publishing@gmail.com

Salmiya - Salem Al Mubarak Street Zahra Complex, 8th Floor, Office No. 36 P.O. Box 2020 Al Yarmouk / 12020 Kuwait Tel.: (+965) 2572 0810 Fax: (+965) 2572 0860 www.ph7-kw.com

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TABLE OF

Contents 30

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Issue 05 | May - June 2013 JUST IN Gucci Expands its Presence in Kuwait with Al Hamra Boutique opening INGIE Paris - Debuts amongst the style savvy of Kuwait Al Shouhra Hosts Charity Event at Ralph Lauren Boutique Lanvin - Hosts fashion soirée to celebrate the opening of its boutique

in The Avenues, Kuwait Tiffany & Co. - Opens Flagship Boutique in The Avenues, Kuwait Mouawad Swiss Watch Collections Kuwaiti fencing champions Balsam & Lulwa Al Ayoub Dior Homme Beijing It’s a ‘Suite Life’ for GCC Guests at Corinthia Hotel London Tiffany & Co. Celebrates Jazz Age Glamour at The Blue Book Ball The TAG Heuer Celebrity Club

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a&e - MUST HAVE Prada - Pre-fall Twin Pocket Bag Christian Dior - Pink Accessories

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EXCLUSIVE STORY Louis Vuitton’s - Savoir-Faire of Elegant Travel Miuccia Prada Designs Bespoke Costumes for “The Great Gatsby”

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PHOTOSHOOT BULGARI DIOR FINE JEWELLERY GUCCI

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PORTFOLIO - WEDDINGS TIFFANY Photoshoot The Wedding Planners - Eventique Wedding The Language & Significance of Wedding Flowers A Dress for Every Shape The Breathtaking Bride of 2013!

Bridal Accessories Choosing Your Tux Estee Lauder - Bridal Shoot L’Oreal Professionnel’s The New Colour Code engagement rings

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COLOUR REPORT / STYLE REPORT

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EXCLUSIVE - SKINCARE ‘Spa’ Facial at-Home with Elemis

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MUST READ - Top 10 Best-selling Books

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DESTINATIONS - Alternative Honeymooning

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AUTOMOTIVE Maserati and the new Quattroporte with Umberto Cini

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BEST FOR LAST - Product in-focus

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| just in... kuwait |

Gucci

Expands its Presence in Kuwait with Al Hamra Boutique opening

Giannini’s innovative store design concept, which employs open space, warm luxurious materials and natural light to spectacular effect, is a departure from traditional codified fashion retail spaces, and paves the way for Gucci’s 21st century contemporary look.

Signature Gucci materials of rosewood and marble are enhanced with the introduction of new elements such as warm polished gold, smoked mirror and smoked bronze glass, recalling the elegance and richness of the Art

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Gucci is pleased to announce the opening of a new boutique in Al Hamra, the tallest sculpted tower in the world. Spanning more than 300 square meters, the shopping destination marks the House’s third store in Kuwait and features a design concept by Creative Director Frida Giannini. To commemorate the opening, last evening Gucci hosted an instore exhibit and book presentation of ICONS FOR ICONS: a collaboration with Canvas and photographer Nadine Kanso for a series of portraits involving iconic individuals who personify the new face of Kuwait.

Deco era. Geometric lines, including stylized examples of Gucci’s signature web striping, define the internal space, adding further symbolic detailing.

Gucci materials and elements of stores from the past. Everything was carefully chosen to make the design stand out while highlighting the collections in the strongest possible way.”

“I wanted to amplify the luxuriousness of the Gucci store environment and to create an aesthetic, which is complementary to the vision of the House today,” explains Giannini. “This design concept is a modern architectural statement that references iconic

The location will carry the Men’s and Women’s ready-to-wear collections, Children’s wear, handbags, small leather goods, shoes, silks, timepieces, jewellery and fragrances.

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Dubai Mall Koweit : Al Hamra Luxury Mall - The Avenues www.eden-park.com

| just in... kuwait |

INGIE Paris Debuts amongst the style savvy of Kuwait

On 16th April, inspirational founder and president of the Etoile Group, Ingie Chalhoub opened the doors of her signature flagship boutique, INGIE Paris. Located in Kuwait’s eminent Avenues 3 Mall in Al Rai; stationed alongside other luxury brands, the fashion conscious of Kuwait were welcomed by the glamorous yet elegant interiors of INGIE Paris. Guests entered bypassing the French glass façade of the boutique which spreads gradually into a mother of pearl optical effect reflecting the elegance and the creativity of Ingie’s world. Incoming guests including Sheikh Mubarak Fahed Al Salem Al Sabah,

Mrs Sheikha Rajaan, Mr Thamer Aldakheel, and Mrs Riham Al Habchi were pleasantly surprised as they were welcomed by Ingie.

Ingie showcased her fashion expertise to her aspiring Kuwaiti fashionistas. Inspired by a cosmopolitan globalista, a glamorous woman who travels from city to city, and calls the various Palaces she stops at along her route home, the collection consists of fluorescent brights, intricately woven fabrics, and irridescent tweeds.

The style press and VIPs all enjoyed an insight into the season’s latest trends, all in the sumptuous scene of the exclusive INGIE Paris boutique and its fashion haven.

For more information please visit: www.ingieparis.com

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Full Page Advert FAIRMONT

| just in... kuwait |

Al Shouhra Hosts Charity Event at Ralph Lauren Boutique

On the 10th of April, Hayatt Breast Cancer Foundation and Ralph Lauren collaborated for a philanthropic and glamorous in-store opening event to raise funds for the Hayatt Breast Cancer Foundation. The event took place at the Ralph Lauren luxury store in Presitge, The Avenues.

“It is a great honour to have one of America’s signature brands, Ralph Lauren, in Kuwait. It is particularly heartening to see the important role they are playing in raising awareness on breast cancer here in Kuwait,” said US Ambassador Matthew Tueller.

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| just in... kuwait |

Lanvin

Hosts fashion soirée to celebrate the opening of its boutique in The Avenues, Kuwait

Lanvin’s newest boutique in the Prestige Area of The Avenues became the venue for Kuwait’s most awaited high fashion soiree.

Hosted by socialite Riham El Habchi, the uber elite cocktail dazzled with the presence of Lanvin representatives coming from Paris, and fashion fabulous mothers and daughters.

Guests received a warm welcome as they were ushered down the red carpet and into the boutique decorated with bright balloons and bouquets of red and white roses. The Art Deco and French style décor of the boutique was thoroughly appreciated by guests as they

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browsed around, sipping on cocktails and savoring canapés and macaroons.

Alluring music mingled with sparkling conversations as the fashionistas feasted on a visual treat of the season’s must-haves: a heady collection of accessories, graphic monochrome outfits and long evening dresses in pops of Pacific blues, Indian pinks and Solar yellows.

As a special surprise, an artist was flown in for the evening to create Alber’s style

portraits of the guests in their favourite Spring-Summer ’13 looks. This became an instant hit and guests stood in patient queues to have their individual memorabilia created.

The evening’s experience ended on a playful note as guests posed in big black hats with coloured feathers and Lanvin fans against a striking ‘Lanvin Heart Kuwait’ photo wall.

The invitees were all smiles as they left the boutique with brimming shopping bags, fun photos, their prized sketch and a thank you gift - perfect souvenirs of a memorable evening spent with Lanvin.

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| just in... kuwait |

Tiffany & Co.

Opens Flagship Boutique in The Avenues, Kuwait

Tiffany & Co. celebrated the opening of its flagship boutique in Kuwait’s most prestigious mall, The Avenues. Occupying 2,410-squarefeet in the Prestige district, the new boutique is the second-largest store for Tiffany & Co. in the Middle East and the third location to be opened by the luxury jeweler in Kuwait. The flagship boutique will be operated by luxury retail group Al Bisher & Al Kazemi Company, Tiffany’s business partner in Kuwait since 1996.

The flagship boutique was inaugurated by Vice President of Tiffany & Co. Emerging Markets Laurent Cathala through a ribboncutting ceremony with Mr. and Mrs. Abdul Rahman Al-Bisher and guest of honour H.E. Matthew H. Tueller, U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait.

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“The opening of our flagship boutique in the Prestige district of The Avenues Mall marks a new era for Tiffany & Co. in Kuwait and underscores the importance of the market to our regional growth strategy. With the legendary heritage of Tiffany & Co. reflected in the new store design and the extensive collections of fine and statement jewellery now available, we are introducing an enriched Tiffany experience to our Kuwaiti customers,” said Laurent Cathala, Tiffany’s Vice President of Emerging Markets.

“We are very proud to open our doors in Kuwait’s most luxurious mall, and to celebrate this latest example of our successful partnership with Tiffany & Co.,” said George Kalaydjian of Al Bisher & Al Kazemi Company.

“Here customers will find the best of Tiffany design and craftsmanship in an environment created for their maximum comfort.”

Tiffany’s design heritage that sparkles in the world’s most beautiful jewels is reflected in a store environment of carved glass and marble, stainless steel and the glow of Tiffany Blue.

Steeped in history and instantly recognized by its many facets of elegance and tradition, the boutique’s interiors are inspired by

Tiffany’s iconic New York Fifth Avenue store and feature original motifs from the Tiffany Archives. Each design element is a tribute to Tiffany’s legacy of exquisite craftsmanship which spans more than 175 years.

This tradition is brilliantly revealed in diamond engagement rings that echo Tiffany’s reputation as the premier diamond authority.

The jeweler outshines all others with the sheer charisma of its diamonds, patented cuts and exclusive settings found in the designs of the Tiffany® Setting, Lucida® and Legacy®.

Diamonds are also set in jewels of ultimate glamour and fashion, many in combination with vibrant and colourful gemstones.

In addition to its lustrous array of diamond jewellery in platinum and 18-karat gold settings, customers will discover the collections of exclusive Tiffany designers Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso, and Jean Schlumberger. Fine and statement jewellery also sparkle in the Tiffany showcases like the Victoria Collection in which marquise and round brilliant diamonds bloom like exquisite flowers.

Wrapped in the famous Tiffany Blue Box®, an international symbol of excellence, these coveted creations honour a great legacy that has made Tiffany the premier destination for gifts, as well as jewels of legendary beauty and objects of desire that epitomize a life lived well.

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| just in... kuwait |

Mouawad Swiss Watch Collections Debuts at the Mouawad Al Hamra Luxury Center Boutique

Also on display for the first time in Kuwait -The Mouawad Snow White Princess Diamond Watch-a $6.8M Masterpiece! million, made its global debut at the Doha Jewellery and Watch Exhibition (DJWE) last year. The diamond timepiece ushers in the new Mouawad Genève Watch Line with two collections combining clean, sophisticated lines with sporty looks, diamonds and gems, and the finest, most durable materials and audacious construction.

On the occasion of the launch, Alain Mouawad, Guardian of the Mouawad Watch Division, said: “Today marks another great achievement for Mouawad as the brand officially enters the luxury watch business.

My family has been manufacturing watches under the name Robergé for over 40 years but the Grande Ellipse and La Griffe are the first and only collections engraved with the Mouawad signature”.

Mouawad, the luxury jewellery and timepieces Company, introduces its Kuwait clientele to the new Mouawad Watch Line debuting with a collection of distinctive chronographs for men-the Grande Ellipse-and a collection of ladies Swiss quartz watches-La Griffe. These luxury wristwatches, now available at the Mouawad Boutique in the Al Hamra Luxury Center, feature the remarkably detailed excellence of all Mouawad products aligned with the horological expertise of the master

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watchmakers at their Swiss workshops in Les Breuleux and Carouge.

To mark this special occasion, the one-of-akind Mouawad Snow White Princess Diamond Watch arrived in the country and will be displayed at the boutique through May 7th.

The bespoke diamond-studded masterpiece featuring 233 colourless diamonds, weighing a total of 106.93 carats and worth $6.8

“These prestige watches are steeped in the Swiss watchmaking traditions and mastery of Mouawad Genève Manufacturing; the two collections have been designed to be the choice of world’s most discerning luxury timepiece customers”, added Alain Mouawad.

The new Mouawad Watch Collection is now available in Mouawad’s Kuwait boutique.

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| just in... switzerland |

Kuwaiti fencing champions

Balsam & Lulwa Al Ayoub Visit Manufacture JaegerLeCoultre in Switzerland

Balsam and Lulwa Al Ayoub, Kuwaiti fencing champions and friends of Jaeger-LeCoultre, visited the brand’s manufacturing workshops, testifying to 180 years of continuous development on a single site and the unique integration of all skills under one roof.

Welcomed by Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jerome Lambert, the sisters discovered different stages of watch manufacturing, decoration and assembly.

Impressed by the work of watchmakers that requires an incredible amount of expertise and precision, Balsam and Lulwa particularly admired gem setting techniques that went into making the Rendez-Vous, a new ladies High Jewellery watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

“Dedication and talent were all around us when walked inside the Manufacture.

Committed experts who are eager to create the best watches. The sharpness of the time in the watch is almost a reflection of a sword cutting to a touché!”

- said Lulwa Al Ayoub.

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Behind the regular beat of its Manufacture movement lies a concentrated blend of the creativity that has pervaded the history of the Grande Maison. These feminine creations continue to forge the legend of JaegerLeCoultre and testify to the Manufacture’s amazing creative liberty.

More than a watch, the Rendez-Vous line embodies a free-spirited and spontaneous personality that is constantly reinvented and perpetually surprising. Women, fencers and social entrepreneurs, the two Kuwaiti sisters have managed to conduct their life and projects with determination and passion.

They have been supporting the re-invention of the lives of the women in Kuwait and worldwide: women expression and empowerment through sport and development. This philosophy is in the heart of Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous line, created for free-spirited personalities.

“Being in the historical Manufacture of JaegerLeCoultre gave us a unique experience. We made the connection between the precision of fencing and time - said Balsam Al Ayoub.

Lulwa and Balsam Al Ayoub friend of the brand The Kuwaiti sisters began representing Kuwait as the first female fencers in 1996. In 2004, they were the first female athletes to sign a contract with the private sector in the history of Kuwait.

In 2006 they began to represent Kuwait officially in various fields of sports, conferences, forums and events. In 2007 2008, they held the Al Ayoub “Swords for Peace” fencing championship for children (first of its kind in Kuwait). In 2008, Balsam and Lulwa formed Touche’ Sports Development Management, specialised in the promotion of sport events and a to provide a platform for women and youth to participate in sport in the Middle East.

In 2009 they were recognised by the Public Authority of Youth and Sports in Kuwait

as the first professional female athletes in Kuwait. In 2010, they were invited to attend the Young Arab and European Young Leaders Forum. In 2012, the sisters were selected by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya to pursue

our Masters in Sports for social coexistence and conflict resolution, and were invited to speak at the panel discussion at Global Thinkers Forum 2012 - Women Leaders in MENA.

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| just in... beijing title | |

Dior Homme Beijing

Dior Homme staged its first runway show in Beijing, on April 25th, at the Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). The AW 2013-14 collection was presented through over forty looks, including three new outfits: tuxedos, specially made for the event. Bringing twenty models from Paris to the eastern capital, the iconic luxury brand reprised and re-adapted its autumn show for this new venue.

“The Dior Homme man now looks to the future, with optimism”, said Kris Van Assche, Creative Director of Dior Homme. “What I wanted to convey in the collection this season is rigor, calm and control. This is a confident, selfmade man in a multitude of ways. He's a self-made superhero”.

The show was followed by a party featuring a live performance by British band Hurts.

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| just in... beijing |

Dior Homme AW 2013-14 Backstage - Beijing

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“Now the Dior man works on who he can be and how to improve himself, both outwards and inwards. He is not nostalgic for the past, for an idea of lost youth, but is moving forwards into the future.�

Dior Homme AW 2013-14

Kris Van Assche

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| just in... beijing |

VIP guests at Dior Homme Show

Fan Zhiwei

Tong Dawei & Guan Yue

Ye Mingzi & Joanthan Mork

Zhang Xinyi

Qi Xi

Jing Tian

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The Afterparty

Ma Yanli, Deng Chao, Jing Tian, Zhang Xinxi, Huang Xiaoming, Su Hong & Tong Dawei

Ye Mingzi, Yang Yaqi, Su Mang, Guest,Zhang Wanru, Guest

Lucy Xu, Shao Zhong, Sumang, Liu Jiang, Deng Chao, Han Geng & Li Dongtian

Qi Xi, Guest & Wan Yingnv

Theo Hutchcraft from The Hurts and Kris Van Assche

Deng Chao & Tong Dawei

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| exclusive |

An exclusive with

Kris Van Assche Dior Homme, Creative Director

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Where: Beijing When: April 25th 2013 This date will surely live in my memory through the years as it was the first time I visit China, not only to explore the richness of this unique and warm culture but, to be attending my first Dior Homme fashion show, taking place out of Paris.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dior Homme Creative Director, Kris Van Assche , the Belgian born designer, on the day of his long awaited Beijing show to tell us more about his latest Autumn-Winter collection and the sources of his inspiration.

“You’re only just as good as your next show.”

Dior Homme Fall Winter fittings by Gaetan Bernard

Kris, when did you discover your passion for design?

Well, I guess it was at a very young age. I was around twelve or thirteen years old. I don’t really remember. Since I was an only child, I was very much into being creative all the time.

I would always draw or sketch while in my room. It was not fashion at the time but just creativity. At one point, I realized that clothes don’t just fall out of the closet, somebody makes them and I wanted to be that person at that young age.

Who inspired you at such a young age?

I think at that age it was very much about the Parisian extravaganza that included brands such as Jean Paul Gaultier. They were really loud. At first I was only aware of such brands, but once I started reading and buying the right magazines, I quickly discovered that there was

a fashion scene in Antwerp that was very close to where I lived. It was a much more discreet and intimate view on fashion, and that was something I related to much more.

You graduated at a young age from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, you are now 36, and you come from a small town in Belgium.

The fashion industry can be very tough, tell us some of the obstacles that you faced along the way while attempting to be taken seriously.

Well, of course the fashion industry is indeed very tough! I was very conscious about it even before my studies. Before getting into the academy, I had an interview where one of the teachers asked me why I wanted to get into the Antwerp Academy and not some other school.

I replied that if I was going to attack the fashion world, I should at least start with the best school. I was very conscious about that.

I worked really hard but for me, there was nothing else that I wanted to do. The truth of it all is that, if you don’t have a second option – you go for it! Then, I was pretty lucky to get the internship at Yves Saint Laurent that really got me started.

To make it in the business, it’s a mixture of very hard work, good luck and meeting the right people. Once I started to surround myself with the right people, everything just started to fall into place. That is really the key but it is very tough! It still remains tough because you’re only just as good as your next show. It’s never something that will be established. Each show puts everything in question every single time!

Do you consider yourself a perfectionist when it comes to designing?

If you want to be the Creative Director of a house like Dior then you have to be! ›

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| exclusive |

What about in your personal life?

Are you as meticulous?

Perhaps not as much as in my professional life but yes, I do like some order.

You were quoted saying that: “a Dior man looks to the future with optimism”. How do you interpret this in your latest collection for Autumn/ Winter ’13-14.

It starts from a very personal approach. I am always in a pretty good mood and positive vibe at Dior. I feel like things are going in the right direction, so I am optimistic for the way things are going. I also feel when things tend to get tough in the world around us, fashion steps in to brighten up daily life and to remain confident in the future. So it is a mixture of both.

What is the main inspiration of the collection?

I wanted the silhouette to be more body conscious. I wanted some sort of an athletic silhouette. The silhouette that I inherited six years ago was very skinny, but that was some sort of a cliché that I inherited that I had to push forward, so I have been working on loosening that and making it quite comfortable.

The starting point of the show was a look - an allure and then I saw the movie ‘Welcome to Gattaca’ again which I love very much for its aesthetic because it is very rigorous, clean and sharp – almost like a military look. It was about a group of men that were trying to improve themselves through hard work, education and sport. It included the optimism of becoming better persons by doing things and not waiting for them to happen. I really liked that so it became the general theme of the show.

In your own words, what do you think of as a timeless design?

That is a contradiction to my work; because I believe each season we improve what we do. Each season, I improve the suiting, the shirts, etc.. What you think is nice today will need some improvement in six months. That’s the whole point therefore I do not believe it is about being timeless.

Nowadays everybody is talking about being fashion forward and making bold statements in the fashion world.

What do you think is the best way to be a fashion forward person or to be called a fashion forward designer?

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I was told in the academy that the only way to survive was to have a real personal view of things. If you try to do what other people do, it is never going to work! It’s really about adding something personal to what already exists.

That’s the only question that I constantly ask myself at Dior.

What advice would you give young designers to facilitate their journey?

Somebody once gave me great advice before I started my career, which was that I shouldn’t’ try to do everything right. I should just do what I do best and then find people to take care of what I don’t really know how to do.

I think it’s a very big pretentious mistake to think you can do everything. Fashion design is like a business and while the creative aspect is a big part of it, it’s not the only part. It’s also about recognizing what you don’t know how to do. That’s the challenge.

What inspires you?

Inspiration comes in two forms; the conceptual part which can be a movie, an art piece, a country or even a trip. That is the conceptual approach but then there is also the realistic approach, which is what I like to wear myself or what my friends would like to wear. So, inspiration is a mix of these two approaches.

There are moments where I actively go to libraries and look for inspiring things in books or archives.. And there are also moments where I’ll be on the street and have a stranger

pass by me with his coat floating in the wind and that could inspire me too. Inspiration is not something that you can turn on and off. It is a constant process.

If you were not at the atelier designing or sketching, where can we find you?

I work a lot! But when I am not, I do what everybody else does. I go out with friends, visit galleries and watch movies. I also try to fit in travel. My work is a big part of my life and all the free time I get, I indulge in personal education because every new thing that I discover is good for my personal culture, which is good for my professional work.

What message would you like to tell our readers about the latest Dior Collection?

Well, it is a collection where we managed to bring comfort into clothes with a very sharp and modern look. For me, it is a very well balanced collection in that sense. It is very body conscious but made for real men in the real world.

We wish you the best of Luck for the show.

Thank you.

Interviewed by Lara Mansour Sawaya

Dior Homme AW 2013-14

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| just in... london |

It’s a ‘Suite Life’ for GCC Guests at

Corinthia Hotel London this Summer

Guests can unwind in the most pampering of ways at the award-winning and revolutionary flagship ESPA Life at Corinthia, offering a unique integrated wellness approach alongside a luxury spa experience, spanning 3300m2 of luxurious space over four floors.

When it comes to spa excellence, ESPA Life at Corinthia sets the standard - the hotel was recently named the Best Spa Hotel in Europe

by TripAdvisor.

Temperatures are rising, summer is knocking, and London is calling! This summer, experience London from the perfect address with a ‘Suite’ stay at one of the city’s most sought after destinations. Heartfelt hospitality, an award-winning spa, opulent accommodation and the best of London’s shopping only a stone’s throw away - Corinthia London is perfectly poised to offer GCC guests the best London summer escape.

Having already established itself among high profile guests and London influencers, this year, a stay at the luxurious, five-star property is made even more tempting with the hotel’s bespoke ‘Suite Life’ experience, especially designed for Middle Eastern visitors, with which guests that book three or more nights in a Whitehall, Trafalgar or River Suite or the

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Actor’s or The Explorer’s Penthouse receive one night complimentary. The experience also provides guests with daily breakfast, one complimentary afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge, complimentary use of the hotel’s luxurious Jaguar XJ for shopping drop offs, subject to availability, and complimentary access to the Fitness Suite and Thermal Floor at ESPA Life at Corinthia including the swimming pool, vitality pool, sauna and steam rooms.

Within walking distance of some of the city’s major shopping districts, including Bond Street and Regent Street, as well the most sought-after attractions, the luxuriously redesigned hotel offers the perfect location from which to enjoy ample shopping time and the best the city has to offer.

Always filled with a social buzz, soak in the atmosphere of the Lobby Lounge, an effortlessly stylish space for social meetings over a light meal or sumptuous afternoon tea, or for truly memorable dining, two worldclass restaurants, the Northall and Massimo Restaurant & Oyster Bar, offer outstanding culinary bliss.

Corinthia Hotel London has pioneered a flexible check-in /check-out policy which dispenses with traditional hotel restrictions.

Guests just need to specify their arrival and departure times upon booking and rooms are guaranteed to be available from this time, thus offering the ultimate in flexibility, convenience and comfort. For more information on Corinthia Hotel London visit corinthia.com/London.

a&e enters the magical world of Tiffany & Co. Since 1837, Love, happiness, tears of joy, surprise, appreciation, and many wonderful emotions have been synonymous with the famous Tiffany blue box.

What's the secret of this blue box?

The colour known as Tiffany Blue was selected by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany for the cover of Blue Book, Tiffany’s annual collection of exquisitely handcrafted jewels, first published in 1845. Also referred to as robin’s-egg blue or forget-me-not blue, this distinctive colour may have been chosen because of the popularity of the turquoise gemstone in 19th-century jewellery. Turquoise was also a favourite of Victorian brides who gave their attendants a dove-shaped brooch of turquoise as a wedding day memento.

Tiffany Blue was later adopted for use on shopping bags, as well as in advertising and other promotional materials. True to the founder’s vision, the Tiffany Blue Box® became an icon of luxury and exclusivity. As The New York Sun reported in 1906. (Charles Lewis) Tiffany has one thing in stock that you cannot buy of him for as much money as you may offer; he will only give it to you. And that is one of his boxes.

Charles Tiffany’s coveted box is today an international icon of elegance and sophistication. On a more personal level, it is a certain sign that a magical moment has arrived. The box may reveal a dazzling diamond ring that changes the course of love; or it may honour a personal achievement, a birthday or an anniversary. Glimpsed on a busy street or resting in the palm of a hand, the Tiffany Blue Box® evokes happy thoughts of the present that will be opened with the greatest pleasure.

"The Great Gatsby" , yes that's the movie that the whole world is waiting to see, but this time the name has a different flair as it was the main inspiration of Tiffany's Blue Book collection for this year.

We invite you to enter the enchanting world of Tiffany to discover this unique and marvelous collection and how it was celebrated at one of the most iconic landmarks in NewYork, The Rockefeller Center.

We had the privilege to fly to NewYork to discover closely the world of the famous Tiffany Jewels and go in-depth into its history through an exclusive one to one with John Loring, Design Director Emeritus at Tiffany & Co. Report by: Lara Mansour Sawaya

| just in... new york |

Tiffany & Co.

Celebrates Jazz Age Glamour at The Blue Book Ball The roaring twenties spring to life on an April night in New York City

Glittering with 1920’s pizzazz, the Jazz Age returned for one spectacular evening, summoned by Tiffany & Co. to ignite the Blue Book Ball. The champagne-fueled celebration was held in honour of the 2013 Blue Book Collection of Tiffany’s most breathtaking jewels, inspired by the Roaring Twenties that transformed fashion and culture.

The preeminent jeweler then and now, Tiffany designed the jewels that epitomized glamour and lit up posh Manhattan supper clubs. Blue Book overflows with diamonds reflecting the opulent fashion and surge of creative energy

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that defined the period. The sheer exuberance of this magical moment in American life pervaded Rockefeller Center ®, scene of the Blue Book Ball that took place within a 31-foot-high Tiffany Blue Box® covering the center’s famous 15,000-square-foot ice rink.

In his remarks, Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO of Tiffany & Co., said,

“The Jazz Age was a time of great energy and creativity. All eyes looked to New York for the latest in

music and style. As the city’s first great jeweler, Tiffany provided the diamonds for this nonstop party-and I am happy to say, we still do. So it is with pleasure and gratitude that we celebrate this memorable chapter in American life, in the city where it all beganand with our diamonds that are still the world’s most beautiful.”

Gwyneth Paltrow

The approximately 400 guests included celebrities and notables Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker, Carina Lau, Michelle Williams, Alice Eve, Poppy Delevingne, Peter and Harry Brant, Doutzen Kroes and Hilary Rhoda; along with Carey Mulligan (star of the upcoming film The Great Gatsby), Baz Luhrmann (director, producer, and co-writer of The Great Gatsby) and Catherine Martin (costume and production designer of The Great Gatsby).

Guests disembarked at Fifth Avenue and proceeded along the promenade, which was bathed in Tiffany Blue, toward a beribboned entrance to an elegant supper club tailormade for Jazz Age revelry. The seamless Art

Megan Hilty

Sarah Jessica Parker

Deco setting, designed in a palette of chic gray tones, was lined with luxurious velvet drapes and laid with carpeting in a striking starburst pattern. At the floor’s center, a towering tribute to the bubbly rose toward the ceiling on mirrored risers, with 240 glasses and 142 magnums of Moët & Chandon Imperial champagne. Surrounding it were elegant lounges and banquettes arranged for dining in the style of a supper-club buffet, served amid lavish arrangements of white flowers. And trays of iPads for posting images on social media circulated like the cigarette trays of a previous era.

Showcased in custom-designed vitrines were jewels from the 2013 Blue Book Collection that reflect Tiffany’s legacy of Art Deco

Jessica Biel

design. Among them were diamond necklaces and drop earrings shimmering like silk and champagne or contoured in homage to the city’s Deco skyscrapers; platinum and diamond bracelets set in the rhythmic patterns of a jazz composition or with great diamond fans unfolding on black enamel; a corsage suite of voluptuous diamond flowers; and the rarest fancy colour diamonds-pink, orange, blue and green. Gemstones Tiffany introduced to the world, including green tsavorite, pink morganite, lilac-pink kunzite and blue-violet tanzanite punctuated jewels of great length and movement; and Montana sapphires and luxuriant turquoise highlighted Deco’s geometric precision.

The bronze-gilded statue of the Greek Titan Prometheus, a fixture of Rockefeller Center, served as backdrop to the stage and a full-scale, 20s-style revue. Backed by an orchestra, dancers in fringed and spangled “flapper” costumes reprised classic songs (Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend), complete with raucous renditions of the Lindy and Charleston, and current pop hits (Rihanna’s Diamonds), followed by Broadway singer Megan Hilty with more standards from the American Songbook. The singer led the finale, accompanied by aerialists that descended from above, trailing feathered headdresses and dancing in mid-air. On cue, a blizzard of silvery fine confetti brought down the curtain on a simply fabulous evening.

It was a milestone in the history of New York and its legendary jeweler: the night Tiffany brought the Jazz Age brilliantly to life at the glamorous and euphoric Blue Book Ball.

Evening Hash tag: #TiffanyBlueBook ›

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| just in... new york |

The 2013 Blue Book Collection

Featuring Jewels inspired by The Jazz Age The new Blue Book Collection draws on Tiffany’s legendary style, its tradition of beauty and excellence and its status as the world’s premier diamond jeweler to create an extravagant, euphoric, magnificent and magical celebration of the Jazz Age. Blue Book 2013 bursts with the energy and innovation of the Roaring Twenties that transformed fashion and culture and gave rise to American glamour.

The preeminent jeweler then and now, Tiffany created the diamond jewellery that adorned sleek new silhouettes and opulent supper club attire.

Empowered as never before, women reveled in the refreshing ease of it all, both at work and on the town. Hemlines rose and “flappers” with bobbed hair and fringed dresses danced with abandon at the summit of style-New York-where Tiffany was founded. The metropolis became Tiffany’s muse for diamonds that glittered like the city’s Art Deco skyline.

With the elite of gemstones for which Tiffany & Co. is renowned, Blue Book’s master designers illuminate this fabled period with brilliant creations that explore Tiffany’s Deco legacy, which favoured white diamonds and platinum punctuated with colourful gemstones in softly contoured settings. The

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designers’ breathtaking jewels move with Jazz Age exuberance and flow with the current of modern times.

Necklaces and diamond drop earrings share the sublime grace of New York’s skyscrapers such as the Chrysler building and Rockefeller

Center. Bracelets drape the wrist with round and baguette diamonds hand set in the rhythmic patterns of a jazz composition.

A corsage suite of voluptuous diamond flowers is stylized with mixed-cut diamonds so discreetly connected they appear to float on the neckline. Sparkling stones contrast with hand-carved onyx and form dazzling fans on black lacquer; and pear-shaped diamonds lavish in size and setting strike a resplendent note amid jewels of sensuous motion that are

as effervescent as champagne and as sheer as silk.

Art Deco’s vibrant colour palette is reflected in rare, fancy colour diamonds, treasures of the natural world that can be found only at Tiffany. Pink, orange, blue and green diamonds of rich colour saturation combine with white diamonds in rings of pure s y m m e t r y ; and rings with yellow diamonds are bordered with sapphires, spessartites and pink diamonds.

The Blue Book Collection also c ele b r a t e s gemstones Tiffany introduced to the world.

Among these are green tsavorite in jewels of great length and movement; kunzite, a lilac-pink gem that accents scroll motifs, blue-violet tanzanite surrounded by a galaxy of diamonds; and pink morganite blossoming among diamond leaves. Gems that Tiffany brought to the forefront of fashion include Montana sapphires and luxuriant turquoise in jewels inspired by Deco’s geometric precision. Like a hypnotic refrain, the Jazz Age weaves through Blue Book, enticing connoisseur and collector into this totally chic-and outrageous-American moment. ›

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| exclusive |

It’s not a Myth It’s the Real Thing!

From Tiffany, with love

“Mother Nature is the best designer and it is through the observation of Nature’s movements, patterns and structures that you come up with the best designs.”

- John Loring, Design Director Emeritus at Tiffany & Co.In the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s - there was a phrase that caught my attention - “Nothing very bad could happen to you at Tiffany”. What is your input on this?

Tiffany is a place within a dream where everything is beautiful and well done. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing ever does and nothing has ever gone wrong at Tiffany & Co. John, you are the author of 21 books so far. With everything that you have written about – tell us, what makes Tiffany unique?

Tiffany is unique for more than a couple of reasons. Number one would be that it is the Great American Jeweller. It did not start off with hundreds of years of tradition such as other jewellers in Europe. It started off with building designs from basic things such as observing nature and rethinking design as well as rethinking what jewellery could look like.

In the beginning of America, everything was English colonial - nothing was really American. When Tiffany began in 1837, the country was still quite new. They saw America as a new paradise, as a country with unbelievable fauna & flora with so many wonderful things to be discovered.

At one point, there was a group of artists called the artists explorers that were discovering the extraordinary country of

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America as there was so much to be learned especially when it came to design. The Tiffany artists began to look at things such as the artists explorers and the Native American Design along with what made this country different from Europe and other parts of the globe and obviously this took time to do because in the beginning everybody was used to colonial design.

To me, Tiffany is great because they were the first to have design schools and groups in America. They really thought of the American design. It was the only sort of art design school in the United States and it devoted a lot of time into developing designs drawn from nature. This lead to a sense of simplicity and designing things from basics. Tiffany had a simple vocabulary of things. They established a whole different style than what was seen in other places. The company has been turning basics into beautiful jewellery pieces useful in daily life through its 175 years of history.

Today, simple things are usually complicated when you get down to it. For example, when you look at Elsa Peretti’s heart necklace – she took the most basic female symbol that has been around for more than 10,000 years and made it feminine, sensual and organic through Tiffany’s DNA. By doing that, she made the most successful design in the history of design. Everybody all over the world is able to look at her design and completely understand it. She spoke globally by taking something basic and making it beautiful.

Art is a big part of Tiffany. Tell us more about that.

Tiffany is very aware of the decorative and fine arts. They have a lot to do with each other. Paloma Picasso went back to two of the most basic things in design; crossing two lines together and making an undulated line.

She started with those two basics and turned the Xs into something chic, fashionable and stylish by putting a gold scribble. It was extraordinary. Why didn’t anyone think of that? With just Xs and a few scribbles, a beautiful piece of jewellery was created from basics.

So simplicity does have a very high impact?

Yes, it comes from ideas that I say fall like rain on everyone. When you see it, you understand it. You don’t require an explanation. For instance, with regards to a watch I designed, I thought of basic ways that people told time in a village before there were any watches instead of trying to base it on a couple of years of Swiss watches, etc. This is why I used Roman Numerals - the way people counted on their fingers before numbers.

Even Arabic numerals are sophisticated and sort of complicated in its form.

The Tiffany way of doing things is quite simple. American Art is usually quite flat which is why we overlap on the Japanese and Chinese art as they are also flat, whereas European art is three dimensional.

a part of their daily life. It is feminine and flattering to them. It is also not complicated hence, they can wear it in many situations. It is important to us that a piece of jewellery is able to go out into the world and have many adventures. In various parts of the world, there are some jewellery which is elaborately designed which allows it to be worn on one occasion and not many. With such pieces of jewellery, they end up wearing the woman and not the other way around as it is supposed to be. That complicated piece will end up spending most of its life in the closet. Tiffany is very successful because the quality of the jewellery and design is superb but it has a simplicity and versatility allowing it to be successful in many situations and locations.

John Loring Nowadays, a lot of jewellery houses are designing fashion jewellery and a lot of people are investing in such pieces.

What are your thoughts on this?

Fashion jewellery and fine jewellery are two very different things. Tiffany is not a fashion jewellery house as we are the great dealers of diamonds and only deal with top quality gemstones. Fashion jewellery is fairly new in the world as it was invented in the 1930s.

This type of jewellery can be made of many materials and sometimes it is made of semi precious or even precious materials but it is definitely not fine jewellery.

In this part of the world, people refrained from investing in coloured gems. Nowadays, coloured gems like other diamonds are used a lot. It is not anymore about the perception of value.

Tell us your thoughts on this.

To begin with, the world started to become aware of jewellery through fashion in 1920s.

There was no coloured photography at that time and because of that, the magazines and advertising focused on white diamonds and pearls. So before coloured photography came along, it was just these two as there was no point of photographing such coloured stones because it could not be photographed.

It would just be a black stone. Even when colour photography came in, the quality of printing was not that great. In the books that I’ve written, “Tiffany Diamonds” was book number 20. People would ask me why I waited till book 20 to write about Tiffany Diamonds. It was for a very simple reason, photography and printing weren’t very good.

Nowadays, people have become very focused on the rarity of things such as blue diamonds or pink diamonds which are both very rare.

In Tiffany, you can have these rare items.

People are able to have these things and enjoy them as the world is a whole new one financially. The collections that we are bringing out now relating to The Great Gatsby are white diamonds and pearls which can be very valuable things.

There’s a lot of colour in the Blue Book Collection. We are seeing many new things. In terms of value, are they as important as other stones such as the amethyst or emerald?

We like to put in stones that we discover and popularize such as the Tanzanite. These are the best quality of Tanzanites so yes, they are very valuable gemstones. They have been around since the late 1960s and are beautiful blue gemstones. They’ve become quite a popular stone worldwide but of course the price is quite modest compared to a sapphire.

It’s nice to offer women a choice of colour and price point. They are able to have these beautiful pieces of jewellery that do not cost as much as blue diamonds.

How would you describe the American style developing across the years?

The American style is enormously successful because of the point I made earlier - it begins with simple ideas that everyone can understand. Because it is understandable, it travels around the world very easily.

Women around the globe recognize that it’s something they can wear and it becomes

Tiffany is also successful because our gemstones are the best ones. The craftsmanship is amazing. If you turn it over, it is as beautiful on the back as it is on the front. It becomes a part of your body as it is beautiful to wear and it feels good. The value is always present - you are not buying a myth, you are buying the real thing!

What advice would you give to our readers when buying jewellery?

Buy the one you like. You and the piece should look beautiful together. You should be happy together and you should be able to wear it on many occasions. Buy the piece of jewellery that is flattering to you. I think it is a sort of marriage between a jewellery piece and a woman.

Tiffany is one of the very few brands in the world where people buy the brand’s jewellery because it has emotion linked to it. Do you agree?

Of course! With Tiffany, you feel better and glamorous. No matter how many years have passed (I’m not exactly a teenager) but when I see a Tiffany Blue Box, I get a rush of excitement. I know it’s going to be beautifully made and designed with great emotional attachments! As I said before, it’s the real thing!

John, thank you so much. It has been an absolute pleasure chatting with you.

I wish we had more time!

Interviewed by: Lara Mansour Sawaya

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| just in... brand news |

The TAG Heuer Celebrity Club

Launches In The Middle East Luxury Swiss brand introduces a prestigious club to salute individuals who make history every morning

The worldwide leader in luxury, high-precision watches and chronographs is excited to announce the launch of the prestigious TAG Heuer Celebrity Club in the Middle East.

The exclusive TAG Heuer Celebrity Club is composed of a select group of intelligent, talented and trendy men & women who excel in their respective fields, and see every day as an opportunity to create history. They have used their avant-garde approach along with their strong personality & panache to play by their own rules and redefine class and standards. They are the individuals who never rest and never take “no” for an answer. They have all walked that extra mile to make things happen and take pride in looking at success as a journey and not a destination. The select members of the club are also men and women who capitalize on their success and fame to defend noble causes, working to make this world a better place.

“I am thrilled about the new TAG Heuer Celebrity Club and so proud of its first group of members from the Middle East” said Luc Decroix, General Manager for TAG Heuer in the Middle East. “TAG Heuer has always cherished and saluted individuals who have strong personalities, charisma and mindset.

Those individuals are not just survivors, but winners in their own right who have challenged

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the established and redefined rules to build a future. When you look at the history of TAG Heuer, most of the the individuals who have actually reinvented their respected fields have been fans of our brand. It’s so true with heads of the States including President Eisenhower and more recently President Barack Obama, it is true with Sportsmen including Ayrton Senna or Tiger Woods, it’s true with the glamour and glitz of the entertainment industry icons such as Steve Mc Queen, Leonardo Di Caprio, Shahrukh Khan and Cameron Diaz. What all of the above icons have in common? It’s that one word “impossible” that does not exist in their vocabulary - just as the word is absent from the TAG Heuer dictionary.”

The TAG Heuer Celebrity Club 2013 will include the following members from the region: Ajaz Sheikh, Hadia Sinno, Nicolas Shammas, Nicole Rodrigues Larsen, Uma Ghosh Deshpande, Lea Sednaoui, Nayla Al Khaja, Omar and Dina Butti, Zeina El-Dana, Jamal Al Sharif.

Hatem Alakeel: Also a friend of the TAG Heuer brand, Hatem Alakeel is hailed as a design genius and as the King of Thobes by the fashion world in the Middle East. Hatem revolutionised the traditional menswear in the region when he

launched his fashion label, TOBY. While he retains the established feel of the classic thobe, Hatem Alakeel aims to create highly individual and stunningly tailored lines. He is truly the man responsible to embrace the true essence and spirit of the traditional thobe and catapult it onto the international radars all over the globe.

Mahmoud Tannir: One of the few names from the UAE that stems in our head when we think of speed is Mahmoud Tannir, UAE motorbike champion for the 2012-2013 season. In the 2010 2011 season, Mahmoud had his first official sponsorship from the YAS Marina Circuit, and with only 3 seasons under his belt, he managed to finish 3rd in the championship. He also won both races in the MotoGP support round in Qatar 600cc championship the same year.

For 2012, Mahmoud was able to hold the UAE Sportbikes Championship title – 600cc class by winning 12 out of 14 races. He is now defending this title with Duseja Moto Triumph.

While Mahmoud looks up to many professional racers as his racing idols, his legend will always be the 9 times world champion, Valentino Rossi.

Shawn Stephens: If there is anyone in the region who walks, talks, sleeps and breathes PR and does it as a

Hatem Alakeel with Luc Decroix- General Manager of TAG Heuer Middle East

way of life, it is Shawn Stephens! Shawn has been in the PR industry for about a decade, and has worked on regional and international accounts such as the Dubai International Film Festival, Christie’s, Art Dubai, Qatar Airways, The Hilton Group, Adidas, Bonhams and others.

Shawn has a great flair and passion for fashion, art, music and beauty and it truly reflects in his personality and aura. He is currently working as Account Director with Z7 Communications, a luxury PR agency that handles Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, TOD’s, MRPORTER.COM, Net-a-Porter, OSMAN, THEOUTNET.COM, JAMM art and TAG Heuer timepieces. Known for his trendy and fashion forward style, the suave and debonair Shawn has always been featured in the Esquire Best Dressed list of men in the Middle East.

a&e had a word with Mahmoud Tannir, Hatem Al-Akeel and Shawn Stephens regarding their participation in this project. We wanted to know what it meant to them personally to have been chosen by the prestigious brand, as admirable people and leaders in their respective industries: How did Tag Heuer approach you to be a part of their celebrity club?

Mahmoud Tannir: I had initially approached TAG Heuer with a sponsorship proposal covering the current racing season in the UAE Sportbikes Championship and after signing a contract and as the season progressed they

were kind enough to ask me to be a part of the celebrity club.

Shawn Stephens: I work as an Account Director at Z7 Communications – a premier Luxury PR agency in the Middle East and have been handling the PR & Communications for TAG Heuer in the region for the last two years.

I am quite passionate and take great pride in the TAG Heuer brand. The executive team at TAG Heuer noticed my flair and passion for the brand and felt that I was ideal to be one of the members of the TAG Heuer Celebrity Club for 2013.

Hatem Al-Akeel: Being a friend of the brand for almost 1 and half year the Tag team have become like family to me. They proposed it to me on one of our meetings.›

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What was your reaction to being admired by such a brand?

Mahmoud Tannir: I was really exited initially after securing a sponsorship deal with TAG Heuer especially with a brand deeply rooted in racing history and tied with world class professional racers. Now I genuinely feel that I am a part of a special family who share the same passion for motorsport and truly values their athletes. I am really honoured to be a part of the brand.

Shawn Stephens: TAG Heuer is the worldwide leader in luxury, high-precision watches and chronographs and I feel extremely honoured and humbled to be admired by them. I was in shock when they put forward the proposal to me for being a member of the exclusive club.

I have always admired and respected all the friends and ambassadors of the TAG Heuer brand including Jenson Button, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo Di Caprio, Shahrukh Khan and Aryton Senna. I have followed their lives and their road to success and feel privileged to be admired by the same brand that has such esteemed names in their portfolio.

Hatem Al-Akeel: I was honoured and it was great to see that Tag Heuer and i share the same vision of merging and embracing cultures.

What are the personal accomplishments, characteristics or traits that placed you amongst Tag Heuer’s list of admirable people?

Mahmoud Tannir: That would be a combination of things I guess. TAG Heuer looks for individuals who are successful in their fields but also with the right personality, attitude, quality and characteristics that the brand shares and values. But I think winning the 2011-2012 UAE Sportbikes Championship title with 12 wins out of 14 surely paved the way to where I am now and I am very proud of this.

Shawn Stephens: I have been in the PR industry in the Middle East for about a decade and have worked on many regional and international accounts. There are loads of other PR professionals too in the region, but what sets me apart and makes me unique is my great flair and passion for fashion, art, music and beauty that somehow reflects in my personality and aura that is very contagious and addictive to both the classes and the

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Mahmoud Tannir- UAE Motorbike Champion wearing the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16

Shawn Stephens- TAG Heuer Celebrity Club Member 2013 Account Director at Z7 Communications wearing theTAG Heuer Monaco Heuer Steve Mc Queen Calibre 11

masses. For the last few years, I have been known in the art and fashion fraternity for my personal, trendy and fashion forward style that has enabled me to create my own identity.

I believe in two philosophies, “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice” and secondly, “A man who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.” Personally, I believe in no one by myself and most of the times follow my gut instincts even if it means to stand all alone. I have always played by my own rules that have redefined my style, personality and

existence. I appreciate life and wake up with the thought of making history every morning.

TAG Heuer identified the above traits in my persona and I am grateful to the entire TAG Heuer team in selecting me to be part of this initiative and inspiring me to continue on this journey to become a more evolved individual.

Hatem Al-Akeel: My enthusiasm and passion for always sticking to my guns and never compromising on my artistic integrity or beliefs.

Define success.

to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of your loved ones, to endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to give of one’s self, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition, to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived-this is to have succeeded.”

Hatem Al-Akeel: Success is the result of hard work and perseverance. There is no such thing as plain good luck. I believe that the harder you work the luckier you get.

Mahmoud Tannir: The reward for determination Shawn Stephens: To laugh often and love much,

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| a&e - must have |

Prada

The Prada Glacé Calfksin is a combination made of calfskin glacé with double handle and strap bag.

Pre-fall Twin Pocket Bag

The lining is in nappa/suede with palladium accessories. The bag comes in different colour variations and is available at Prada boutiques.

Available in Kuwait at The Avenues and 360 Mall

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WITH GREAT EFFORT COMES GREAT SEAFOOD Salt takes simple elements from the sea, properly seasons, artfully prepares and serves them in a contemporary Aegean setting. The cuisine is dominated by liberal use of olive oil, herbs, fresh fish, sea food and many mezzes. All dishes are carefully prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients and with meticulous attention to the creation of flavours. We invite you to indulge in all of our dishes in a sensual feast and hope you enjoy your culinary journey into the Aegean Sea with us.

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| exclusive story |

Louis Vuitton’s

Savoir-Faire of Elegant Travel Dating back to over 150 years, in the unique location of Asnières, which is only a few minutes’ drive from Paris, you will find the Louis Vuitton family home, the travel museum, and the historical workshop which is the symbol of tradition and innovation the Maison holds dear.

Some five hundred objects, ranging from a travel safe to a portable library, emerge every year from the high-precision laboratory, the Asnières workshop, heart of Louis Vuitton’s special orders since 1861.

From the folding bed-trunk designed for the explorer Pierre Savorgan de Brazza (1875) to the tattooing box devised for Scott Campbell (2010), the Art of Travel materialises into precious cases whose defining feature is mobility.

Anchored in its era, Louis Vuitton’s sense of tradition goes hand in hand with innovation and intuition. From the famous saddle stitch to the five-point lock, Special Orders stem from a culture that blends the Maison’s creativity and sophisticated savoir-faire. The essential condition for all the luggage - cabin trunk, secretary trunk, and wardrobe - is that it must be as light as possible.

“I refuse to design furniture. It’s all about the movement.” Nothing leaves the hands of a craftsman that cannot be easily transported,” assures fifth-generation family member Patrick Louis Vuitton, who perpetuates with talent the history of the company founded by his ancestor, the layetier, trunk maker and packer Louis Vuitton.

Portrait of Louis Vuitton

Asnières - The Heart of Louis Vuitton “More than a place, Asinères is a symbol, an absolute link between the past, the present and the future...the sum of all that enhances Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire and spirit of elegant travel.”

- Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton

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“There are several ways of travelling: travelling light, or taking along everywhere a piece of home.”

- Patrick-Louis Vuitton Representing the fifth generation of the Vuitton family, Patrick-Louis Vuitton began his career in the Asnières workshop at age 22. He worked in each department in succession and became an accomplished craftsman before moving on to oversee the entire workshops as head of Special Orders, which he considers “the absolute expression of Louis Vuitton’s savoirfaire”. His forte: his ability to be attentive to his customers and accommodate their needs while proposing the most appropriate technical solutions – whether equipping the trunk of a vintage car, conceiving a case garnished with crystal bottles, or defining the support for an aesthetically-minded musician’s gold flute.

“A client’s order is a special moment, a relationship in the making,” assures PatrickLouis Vuitton. “One day, a head of state asked me to develop for him a case featuring three compartments - one for his personal effects, another for his files, and the third for writing poems...” From the card case, through the explorer’s trunk, to the music conductor’s suitcase, Special orders demonstrate extreme exactness. “There are several ways of travelling: travelling light, or taking along everywhere a piece of home,” states the master craftsman, who loves nature as much as poetry. “If I were to create a new trunk for myself, it would be a time trunk, so that I could stash away the most precious belongings of all...”

“Savoir-faire can exist only if it is transmitted.”

Patrick-Louis Vuitton

Portrait of Patrick-Louis Vuitton

The master trunk maker’s first mission is to meet all the risks and requirements of transport.

The Louis Vuitton family home and production workshop in Asnières.

More than 400 special orders are created every year in Asnières, half of which are special hard frames and trunks, themselves divided into three categories: flat trunks, wardrobes and secretary trunks. Whether covered in stretched canvas or leather, all the trunks are signed with a stamp hidden in a secret spot of the luggage. ›

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| exclusive story |

LV MalleCalligraph LV MalleCalligraph

LV MalleCalligraph

LV MalleCalligraph

Louis Vuitton and the Middle East Since 1983, Louis Vuitton has established itself in the Middle East with its first store in Kuwait City. This year sees the celebration of thirty years in the Middle East, with the largest store in the region opening at the Prestige area of Avenues Mall at the end of May offering the full global store collections for both men and women.

LV MalleCalligraph

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The Calligraphe Malle combines the Arab heritage and Louis Vuitton’s expertise in the craftsmanship of leather goods. Louis Vuitton stays true to the spirit of Louis and George by paying unique cultural homage to local tradition and centuries of Arabic culture, with calligraphy, which incorporates history, heritage, and authentic values of love, passion and tradition that meet the House’s standards.

Louis Vuitton and the Art of Writing: the Celebration of Arab Calligraphy Often called the ‘art of writing’, calligraphy founds its definition on the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skilful manner. As a genuine example of calligraphic ornament the Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas created by George, the son of the House’s founder, in 1896 was very quickly distinctive and recognizable while asserting Maison Louis Vuitton’s identity through the power of an image. At the time, the interlaced initials “LV” and the three stylized floral motifs were delicately punctuating the canvas thanks to a hand-stencil application.

This traditional way of writing and drawing letters with care and patience still exists today; the calligraphy’s ultimate use remains in the graphic transcription of fabulous Arabic poetry which appears as piece of art due to its floating letters.

Calligraphy Case in green crocodile skin with different compartments © LOUIS VUITTON / JEAN MARC CEDILE

Calligraphy Tools Left to right : Sharpening stone, cutting insert, 4 inkwells & folded pen © LOUIS VUITTON / JEAN MARC CEDILE

LV MalleCalligraph

Louis Vuitton has always been involved in the world of edition and since 1994 has been associated with “La Quinzaine Littéraire” to publish works on the subject of travel written by the most prestigious writers such as Yourcenar, Beauvoir, Simenon, James, Marx, Proust, Woolf and many others.

Thanks to Louis Vuitton art of writing meets

art of travelling: as a real literary art, Arab calligraphy is a form of expression in which language is used for its aesthetic qualities. The Louis Vuitton Calligraphy Travel Case is made with sophistication and incredible care. It is an authentic master piece which contributes to the magic of Arab calligraphy’s visual beauty.

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| exclusive story |

Miuccia Prada Designs Bespoke Costumes for

“The Great Gatsby�

A Powerful Collaboration of Motion Art & Designer Talent

Prada / Miu Miu

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Today, a big screen adaptation of the novel of the same name is being premiered from the uniquely imaginative mind of writer, producer and director Baz Luhrmann. The filmmaker creates his own distinctive visual interpretation of the classic story, bringing the period to life in a way that has never been seen before, in a glittering film starting Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire.

Warner Bros

Once upon a time, there was the ‘Roaring Twenties’; a decade in which fashion truly entered the modern era. Men abandoned highly formal attire and began to wear athletic clothing for the first time whereas women said farewell to restricting clothing such as corsets and welcomed comfort with skirts and trousers. It was also within the same decade that a great literary classic which truly captured the essence of the era was written and published – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Prada / Miu Miu

The bespoke collection features over 40 unique Miu Miu and Prada cocktail and evening dresses that adorn the wonderful characters in the movie. They were all inspired by selected runway looks from the last 20 years. The pieces have been created in collaboration with the film’s costume designer, Catherine Martin. Viewers will welcome a fashionable treat as gowns of beads and beauty, silk and sequins grace the big screen!

“The Great Gatsby” follows Fitzgerlad-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings.

Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is this that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, love and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

The buzz has definitely been building up about this great adaptation and while we all wait anxiously to view the jazzy magic of The Great Gatsby, we are even more excited after witnessing the costume sketches designed by none other than Miuccia Prada who has previously collaborated with Luhrmann on Romeo + Juliet.

Prada / Miu Miu

“Baz and Miuccia have always connected on their shared fascination with finding modern ways of releasing classic and historical references from the shackles of the past” explains Martin. “This connection is central to our relationship with Miuccia Prada on The Great Gatsby, and has connected our vision with hers. In the same way Nick Carrway reflects on world that he is within and without, we have tried to create an environment that the audience will be subconsciously familiar with, yet separated from.”› | issue 05 | may / june 2013

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Courtesy of Prada / Miu Miu

Prada / Miu Miu

In the film, the costumes take a leading role: shimmering silk gowns embroidered with crystal and sequins; velvets, furs and dancing fringing; flickering shades of emerald, jade, topaz and gold. In the pivotal ball segments, set in Gatsby’s lavish fairytale mansion, Prada and Miu Miu designs steal the scene.

A golden Prada party gown laden with crystals, worn by Mulligan’s Daisy Buchanan, is the pièce de résistance.

“Our collaboration with Prada recalls the European flair that was emerging amongst the aristocratic East Coast crowds in the 1920s” Catherine Martin.

“The fashions of the time saw the development of a dichotomy between those who aspired to the privileged, Ivy League look of wealthy Long Island and those who were aspiring to European glamour, sophistication and decadence. Our collaborations with Prada reflect the collision of these two aesthetics.”

Catherine Martin.

Prada / Miu Miu

The Prada Great Gatsby collaboration encapsulates the cross-disciplinary spirit of Prada’s ongoing dialogue within the worlds of fashion, art, film and architecture.

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| photoshoot |

Garden of Eve

With one gaze, she entranced the slithering snake, picked her apple and ate it too.

Eve remained in paradise, and ruled her kingdom with poise and prowess.

Photographer : Fashion Director : Hair & makeup : Model : Location :

Ingrid Sjodhal Stuart Robertson Carollyn Gallyer Ashley from Willhemina/So Famous Models, Dubai The Ritz Carlton, Jumeirah Beach Residence - Dubai

Dress : DONNA KARAN @ Harvey Nichols Jewellery : BVLGARI High Jewellery Necklace & Earrings

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Jewellery : BVLGARI Serpenti High Jewellery Bracelet

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Jewellery : BVLGARI Flora High Jewellery Necklace & Earrings

Dress : AZZEDINE ALAIA @ Boutique 1 Jewellery : BVLGARI Serpenti Vintage Belt & High Jewellery Necklace

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Jewellery : BVLGARI Serpenti High Jewellery Watch

Dress : ALICE & OLIVIA @ Harvey Nichols Jewellery : BVLGARI Serpenti High Jewellery Necklace & Watch

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Dress : ELIE SAAB @ Boutique 1 Jewellery : BVLGARI Serpenti High Jewellery Necklace & Bracelet

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Dress : GUCCI Jewellery : BVLGARI Serpenti High Jewellery Necklace & Bracelet

Dress : White jacket by JOSEPH & silver dress

by ALICE & OLIVIA @ Harvey Nichols Jewellery : BVLGARI High Jewellery Necklace & Ring

| photoshoot |

Bird of Paradise

A “TROPICAL COUTURE” BREAKAWAY BY DIOR Legend has it that the bird of paradise flies through the skies, never coming down to earth. For summer 2013, this imaginary bird has inspired TYEN, and is unfurling its shimmering colours on the Dior makeup collection.

Inside Monsieur Dior’s garden, a precious flower reveals itself and is actualized into an exceptional ring. The Milly Carnivora collection by Dior fine Jewellery, is yet another charming manifestation of nature.

EGRATIGNA ANGÉLIQUE' RING, WHITE GOLD, DIAMONDS & GLITTERED DIOR GREY LACQUER

DIOR FINE JEWELLERY

FACE : Diorskin Nude Tan BB Cream Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo EYES : Diorshow Mono Eyeshadow 273 Parati (used as eyeliner) Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara 090 LIPS : Dior Addict Gloss 043 Caprice NAILS : Dior Nailpolish Bird of Paradise Duo 001 Samba * Necklace and ring by Dior Fine Jewellery

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‘CARNIVORA DEVORUS’ NECKLACE, YELLOW GOLD, DIAMONDS, TSAVORITE GARNETS, PINK, YELLOW & ORANGE SAPPHIRES, PARAÏBA TOURMALINES & LACQUER

DIOR FINE JEWELLERY

FACE : Diorskin Nude Tan BB Cream Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo 001 EYES : Dior 5 Color Eyeshadow 434 Peacoock Iconic Overcurl Mascara 090 LIPS : Dior Addict Gloss 363 Dormeuse * Earrings and Necklace by Dior Fine Jewellery

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‘RING ‘DIORETTE’, WHITE GOLD, DIAMOND, AQUAMARINE, TSAVORITE YELLOW SAPPHIRE & LACQUER

DIOR FINE JEWELLERY

Photographer : Stylist : Hair / Makeup : Model :

Mazen Abousrour Sara Maisey Carolyn Gallyer Lina @ Bareface

Fashion by Dior

FACE : Diorskin Nude Tan BB Cream Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo EYES : Dior 5 Color Eyeshadow 374 Blue Lagoon Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara 090 LIPS : Dior Jelly Lip Pen 636 Carioca NAILS : Dior Nailpolish Bird of Paradise Duo 001 Samba * Earrings and Ring by Dior Fine Jewellery / Watch by Dior Timepieces

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PORTFOLIO

Weddings Dear Adam & Eve,

Welcome to our Weddings portfolio. This special portfolio is dedicated to all brides and grooms to-be. It is the perfect read for all couples planning their dream wedding. In this portfolio, we also include articles to guide you on your quests for the perfect planning, wedding attire, floral arrangements, beauty and preparation and the ultimate honeymoon destinations.

Planning your special day can really be a daunting task for both brides and grooms and so we have created this issue in order to assist and inspire.

Your wedding day will be the most joyous and significant moment in your lives even if the preparation process proves to be nervewrecking. a&e suggests you listen to your heart‛s desires and follow your dreams as you will then be bound to a lifetime of moving memories that bloomed from a celebratory ceremony.

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| photoshoot |

Emma - Diamond Cluster Earrings - Diamond Cluster Bracelet - Tiffany Victoria Line Necklace - Shared-Prong Set with Half Circle Diamond Band Ring - Tiffany Setting速 Diamond Ring Dress : MONIQUE LHUILLIER

Brides at Tiffany’s In between the romantic lace, layers of tulle, shimmering sequins, and defining bow; was a little blue box. Their future came wrapped in a white ribbon, filled with a loving promise to last a lifetime.

Alessandra - Archival Diamond Butterfly Brooch set in Platinum - Tiffany Enchant Scroll Earrings in Platinum with Diamonds - Tiffany Enchant Bangle in Platinum with Diamonds - Tiffany Enchant Scroll Band Ring in Platinum with Diamonds - Ribbon Round Diamond Ring Dress : MARCHESA

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Alessandra - Archival Diamond Butterfly Brooch set in Platinum - Tiffany Enchant Scroll Earrings in Platinum with Diamonds - Tiffany Enchant Bangle in Platinum with Diamonds - Tiffany Enchant Scroll Band Ring in Platinum with Diamonds - Ribbon Round Diamond Ring Dress : MARCHESA

Emma - Diamond Cluster Earrings - Diamond Cluster Bracelet - Tiffany Victoria Line Necklace - Shared-Prong Set Diamond Half Circle Band - Tiffany Setting速 Diamond Ring Dress : MONIQUE LHUILLIER

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Alessandra - Tiffany Enchant Scroll Earrings in Platinum and 18k Rose Gold with Diamonds - Tiffany Enchant Bangle with Diamonds in Platinum and 18k Rose Gold - Tiffany Enchant Bangle in Platinum with Diamonds - Soleste Diamond Ring with Single-Row Pink Diamond Border - Three-Row Band ring in Platinum and Rose Gold with White and Pink Diamonds Dress : ROSA CLARA

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Alessandra - Diamond Paisley Earrings - Diamond Paisley Pendant - Round Diamond Line Bracelet - Round Diamond Three-Row Melee Border Ring Dress : ZUHAIR MURAD

Emma - Lotus Diamond Opera Necklace - Round Diamond Three-Row Melee Border Ring - Tiffany Garden Diamond Earrings Dress : MARCHESA

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Emma - Yellow and White Diamond Feather Pendant in Platinum and 18k Gold - Yellow and White Diamond Earrings in Platinum and 18k Gold - Yellow Diamond Ring with White and Yellow Diamond Border Dress : ROSA CLARA

Emma - Tiffany Garden Diamond Earrings - Tiffany Garden Diamond Necklace - Tiffany Garden Diamond Bracelet - Soleste Diamond Ring

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Emma ( LEFT ) - Tiffany Circlet Diamond Drop Earrings - Tiffany Circlet Diamond Necklace - Tiffany Circlet Diamond Bracelet - Band Ring with Channel-set in Platinum with Diamonds - Embrace Diamond Ring Dress : CAROLINA HERRERA Alessandra ( RIGHT ) - Tiffany Enchant Scroll Earrings in Platinum and 18k Rose Gold with Diamonds - Tiffany Enchant Bangle with Diamonds in Platinum and 18k Rose Gold - Tiffany Enchant Bangle in Platinum with Diamonds - Soleste Diamond Ring with Single-Row Pink Diamond Border - Three-Row Band ring in Platinum and Rose Gold with White and Pink Dress : ROSA CLARA

Emma - Tiffany Circlet Diamond Drop Earrings - Tiffany Circlet Diamond Necklace - Tiffany Circlet Diamond Bracelet - Band Ring with Channel-set in Platinum with Diamonds - Embrace Diamond Ring

Photographer : Fashion Director : Models : Hair & make-up :

Tina Patni Stuart Robertson Emma & Alessandra from Diva Models, Dubai Shin Desu

* Special thanks to ESPOSA Bridal Boutique & THE ONE

| the wedding planners |

Turn up the luxury level by a hundred notches and you get an

Eventique Wedding

Not many people can afford a 3 million Dirham wedding, but those who can, choose to hire Eventique, who can bring into fruition everything that this amount of money can afford. The Dubai based boutique event and wedding management agency, which caters to clients from the whole region, has organized ceremonies which hosted up to 2000 vip guests for Sheikhs, royals and other high end clientele. Detailed chairs can be custom made or imported by the hundreds, crystal gold candelabras can be crafted and flamingos may be seen lounging around an artificial lake, as part of a typical mood you may find at one of the agency’s wedding events.

According to Heba Rumhein, the director of Eventique, they have the resources to build floors, alter ceilings and shift the entrance to a large exhibition hall. The ideal time needed to make such arrangements is 3 to 4 months, but they’ve had cases where a 10 day interval was all they had between the client briefing and the wedding itself. The team was able to make all the bride’s extraordinary demands happen, fountains and all included, thanks to their large production team and the support of MBC group under whose umbrella they operate. Interior designers, marketing executives, graphic designers, planners, sales executives, admins and event creators all work long hours to make sure the final product meets the high end clientele’s expectations. Although the small agency is equipped with all the necessary logistics

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and support needed to put larger-than-life weddings together, there are some important facts they require from a bride before she comes in to meet them. Above all else, she needs to have a date in mind as well as a general idea for a location, without having to book the venue herself. “A client may book a very busy ballroom and request a white themed wedding which wouldn’t be feasible since ballrooms have detailed and colourful designs.” Heba doesn’t advise couples to book themselves if they want to have a specific theme to the wedding. If they were to choose an outdoor location with no hanging points, for instance, it wouldn’t be possible to put up curtains or add any ascending elements to the space. Simply said, the venue has to match the couple’s requirements in terms of décor as well as the number of people attending the event and the overall mood.

The planning process begins by getting to know the personality of the bride in order to zoom in on her different tastes. Since many of them are unsure of what they like, the team tries to draw inspiration from other events that might spark their creativity.›

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| the wedding planners |

They sit in the showroom for 6 to 7 hours showing them singers, dancers, set ups, floral arrangements, colours and other wedding elements in hopes that they can get closer to figuring out the type of bride she is. Some of them may even request a dress, makeup artist or caterer which Heba’s team chooses based upon the cuisine that is suitable for the chosen theme.

A common mistake that many brides are guilty of making nowadays is leaving things to the last minute, according to Heba. They have the false impression that they have plenty of time to make up their minds which leads them to request for changes 5 days before the wedding. Other than last minute changes, some brides fail to share crucial information with their planner, which could end up disrupting the whole functioning of the event. Some guests choose to surprise the couple by hiring a famous entertainer, for example, not taking into consideration the technical elements needed to host this performance. The sound system for a singer

Details on the tables

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is different than that of a deejay, and if the event were to be taking place outdoors, it would be advisable to build a tent that restricts the sound from echoing. Some venues may even require an extra generator which would provide more power, if needed.

Of course the general public is usually unaware of those details which Heba is keen on, thanks to her years of experience in the event planning business.

Having also worked in the hospitality industry for 7 years, she can lend her know-how of the best hotel rates in the city to ensure that guests flying in for a wedding get good deals. Some couples book their guests’ stay, and then they realize that it’s not a holiday.

“Once we booked 200 rooms then they said it was too expensive, says Heba, because they hadn’t realized that it was a Russian holiday, a time when hotels get almost fully booked here.” During the week of New Years, hotels generally have a minimum stay of 7 nights which means that a wedding guest visiting for 2 nights would struggle with accommodation.

The Dubai International film festival is one of many festivals that attract a vast number of visitors to the city each year and taking all these elements into consideration, the agency can help couples pick the best time to hold their nuptials.

Generally speaking, the most popular month for weddings in the Gulf, is March with September, November and December following suit. People from Iran and Nigeria have even enjoyed the wedding services of this boutique agency, but the main clientele are Arabs of a high caliber, including those who have spent a relative amount of years living in Western countries. Western expats usually have minimal taste and not much interest for extravagantly themed weddings, according to Heba. Gulf nationals, including Emiratis and Saudis, have shown a great willingness to experiment and have an open mind, thanks to their new found interest in travel. They are exposed to the latest in fashion and design, and have a clear view of what they like. They know they most popular florists by name

and many times they draw their inspiration from the world’s biggest fashion shows from international runways. The current trending wedding theme is a garden one with secret gardens, picturesque fountains and floral arches lined along the venue’s entrance.

The memorable visual adaptation of an enchanting garden in Dior’s Spring/Summer 2013 runway show perfected by the brand’s stage designers, became a hit with brides-tobe in the Middle East. Likewise, a previous Mumbai inspired show led many brides to choose a Bollywood theme for their wedding.

In order to put together such larger-than-life set ups, the team prefers to work with multipurpose and exhibition halls rather than ballrooms, since the latter usually have lower ceilings, lots of detailing, and carpeting on the floor which limits their flexibility. Although entertainment has remained fairly standard, with singers and presenters, clients from the Gulf are more and more appreciating performances in Italian, Spanish, French and English. Another element that’s remained timeless, is the flower arrangement. “Small arrangements are just not for weddings; says Heba, flowers are the essence of a wedding.

If the stage has no flowers then we make sure to scatter them across the rest of the venue instead.”

For the most recent wedding event that Eventique organized, the bride was unsure of what she wanted. While walking through their showroom she discovered a small fridge magnet which was a giveaway from another wedding. It was a mask from the Phantom of the Opera, and it quickly caught hers and her mother’s attention. After watching the film, the team was able to recreate the key elements including the water feature, the fire, the large chandeliers and candelabras, and the detailed statuettes. Each and every table was named after a certain mask and the bathrooms were decorated and filled with the necessary amenities, including perfume and breath mints stacked up in large glass jars. “We are one of the few agencies who go as far as to decorate the bathroom; said Heba, it’s nice to head over there after dinner and get refreshed. Many women hold small purses that don’t fit cosmetic products, so we try to at least have fragrances available for them.”

Speaking of operas, Heba would like to work on a wedding one day with a real theatre, leveled seating and an opera singer to serenade the crowd. Inspired by the ones in Paris, she hopes to build one of her own for the first time ever. The agency aims high with

its creations, without out ruling any ideas.

When it comes to safety however, she was adamant at turning down a bride’s request to be ascended from a 12 meter high ceiling, sitting on her couch! Multi-layered cakes breaking apart and wedding dresses being slit across the back are some situations their rescue team had to attend to. Their presence onsite is crucial and most times the smooth sailing of a wedding goes hand in hand with the vibe they get from a bride when they first meet her. Some brides are lovely to work with, and this positive energy usually rubs off on the event. Bridezillas and monsters-inlaw, let this be music to your ears! Or better yet, let it be the high pitched note of an opera singer that reaches the highest of decibels.

Text by Houry Seukunian EVENTIQUE is the exclusive all-service boutique agency, catering to the whole region, that designs weddings and events of a luxurious caliber. Its mission is to be the trendsetter of high profile events by offering a unique level of services to its clients.

EVENTIQUE’s team is comprised of talented stage designers, production specialists and experienced planners and specializes in everything from event management and consultancy to event design and execution.

For more info visit www.eventique.ae

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| the flowers |

The Language & Significance of

Wedding Flowers Flowers are one of the most important aspects of a wedding as they bring colour, life and aroma to a wedding celebration. They allow tables to look more beautiful and can transform a formerly dull space into a beautiful personality-filled one. Decorative flowers have been used in weddings for more than hundreds of years. From a simple bouquet and tiara to venue decor, flowers have made their way to happy couples and their guests on the special day.

Can you imagine a wedding without flowers? Is it possible to picture a garden without plants? Of course not! These beautiful gifts from Mother Nature are definitely essential to weddings and that is why we have selected some of the best wedding flowers for all brides struggling to find the perfect one.

Worth a thousand words The meaning of most flowers dates back to the end of the nineteenth century in England. During the Victorian era, the language of flowers created an ultra-romantic language for lovers’ correspondence in which flowers replaced words. Before you order your wedding flowers, we have listed down the language of each popular wedding flower and what they are best for in order to help better your understanding of these colourful scents of romance!

Calla Lily Calla Lilies are very fashionable wedding flowers that signify magnificent beauty which every bride wishes to be on her special day. These flowers add an element of elegance and sophistication to a wedding can be used on their own to create a simple yet striking bouquet or centrepiece. These tropical flowers are very popular in weddings and come in a variety of colours. They are light fragrant and available during spring and summer.

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Lily of the Valley In addition to trustworthiness, these fragile, small bell-shaped flowers also represent the return of love and happiness. They also carry a deep spiritual significance and are considered traditional marriage flowers.

These fragrant flowers are best for bouquets, in combination with other flowers and bloom in spring and summer.

Gardenia Gardenia flowers represent love, purity and joy. The delicate white flowers make for a beautiful, meaningful addition to a bouquet.

They are also best for boutonnieres. Many believe that the gardenia also represents hospitality, grace and secret love and in the 19th century England, the gardenia was worn on the lapels of men’s formal suits as a symbol of good luck. They are very fragrant and available year-round.

Peony

Hydrangea Hydrangeas traditionally stand for friendship, devotion and understanding. These are three things that every new couple desire as they begin their new life together. They hydrangea is the official fourth wedding anniversary flower.

They are best for bouquets and arrangements and bloom during spring and fall.

Although peonies mean bashfulness, they are beautiful flowers work well in bouquets, arrangements, altarpieces and centrepieces. They are lightly fragrant and available during late spring. These flowers also have historical importance in Chinese and Japanese cultures as they have been cultivated in Asia for more than a thousand years. The peony is available in two main types - the herbaceous and the tree peony. ›

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| the flowers |

Stephanotis

Ranunculus

These flowers are also known as the ‘Bridal Veil’. They are one of the most traditional wedding flowers you will find. They symbolise marital happiness and are great for bouquets and arrangements. These very fragrant, starshaped, waxy florets are available year round and are moderately priced.

Ranunculus represents radiant charm and attractiveness and boasts brains as well as beauty with its wide medicinal properties.

These mild-scented flowers are a costeffective alternative to roses and peonies and feature several blossoms on a stem with fernlike foliage. These flowers work best for the bridal bouquet, bridesmaid nosegays and even boutonnieres. There are available in many colours including white, yellow, orange and pink.

Rose

Sweet Pea

Roses are always associated with love and are by far the most popular flower used in wedding bouquets, corsages, buttonholes and table centres. This is not at all surprising as these flowers signify love, joy and beauty. Different coloured roses have different meanings with white roses indicating innocence, ivory roses showing fidelity, red roses depicting passion, and dark pink roses expressing the couple’s gratitude for having met one another. These flowers can either be lightly fragrant or very fragrant, depending on variety and are available year round.

The sweet pea which signifies “lasting pleasure” was first brought to England from Sicily in 1699 and the English have had a love affair with this delicate flower ever since. Its candy-like scent and ruffled blossoms make this an old-fashioned favourite in bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids. The sweet pea’s many colours range from white to intense pinks and purples, and its scent can be strong and sweet. They are also great for garden settings and to place in vases. Sweet peas are available during late spring and early summer.

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Tulip Tulips are best suited to a spring wedding and come in a huge variety of colours including white and cream, pastel pink, yellow and peach as well as vibrant hues such as magenta, red and purple. They symbolise undying love and passion which makes them a perfect wedding motif. However, they are very fragile. The versatile tulip can enhance both elegant wedding settings and more casual venues and work well in bouquets, boutonnieres and table arrangements. Three main varieties more commonly used are the Dutch tulips, French tulips and parrot tulips.

There you have it – the ten best wedding flowers! Although it is sad but true, there are certain flowers that you should avoid on your wedding day (if you are superstitious). Here are the negative blooms: Christmas Rose, Fig, Foxglove, Larkspur, Lavender, Marigold, Mulberry, Raspberry, Red Carnation, Red Poppy, Rhododendron, Striped Carnation, White Poppy, Yellow Carnation, Yellow Chrysanthemum, Yellow Lily and Yellow Rose!

Let the language of flowers speak eternal love, romance and trust on your special day and let their scents please you and your loved ones if only for a celebratory while!

Now that we’ve established the good and bad language flowers - a&e gives you special tips on choosing a florist since we know that nothing about planning a wedding is easy!

1. Deciding on a Florist or Floral Designer Florists will definitely produce expert flower arrangements for weddings however they often use third-party suppliers. Hiring an independent floral designer is an excellent option for couples who want a truly special floral motif for their big day. Of course, they are more expensive but they are also artists. Floral designers also assist in tying flowers into an overarching theme and make your wedding an affair to remember.

The reason we suggest picking a floral designer over a florist is because florists tend to juggle dozens of orders simultaneously while floral designers can focus on you and your needs!

2. Collect Pictures All brides envision what they want their wedding to be like. The difficult part is getting the image across to your florist. Start keeping notes early, clip magazine photographs, collect files from online wedding websites and plunder Pinterest files for some great finds! The more information you can give your florist, the better!

3. The Budget Knowing exactly how much you want to spend is the key, both for your own sanity and your florist’s. If you are trying to figure out a reasonable flower budget – plan to spend about 8 to 10 percent of your total wedding budget on flowers!

4. Extras Knowing what sorts of extras you require will be a lifesaver! The more ground your florist can cover for you by getting everything done in one place, the better! One-stop shopping with a single versatile floral designer means coherent aesthetic and less wedding-planning headaches!

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| the bride-to-be |

A Dress for Every Shape Trying on a wedding dress is exciting, but is also a big task that requires a lot of preparation. Wedding dresses are made for every body type and can be altered to fit each person perfectly. However knowing what style of dress will fit your body type before your appointment gives you a bit of a head start in the search.

One of the alluring aspects of fashion is that different types of clothes can show off the parts of your body that you like and hide other areas.

The way a dress is designed can thus provide the illusion of a wellproportioned body - all without dieting or plastic surgery.

Determine your body shape. For instance, if you have a small waist and your chest and hips have equal widths, you probably have an hourglass shape. A pear-shaped body has a bottom that's larger than the top. In an apple shape, most of the weight is carried in the center of the torso, and there is little or no indentation at the waist.

Hourglass: Hourglass-shaped women have hips and a bust line that are about the same width, with a smaller waist. Look for dresses with a dropped waist and sweetheart neckline. Other styles that fit this body type are a mermaid and trumpet dresses. Avoid ball gowns or dresses with an Empire-waist silhouette.

Pear: Pear-shaped women have larger hips and thighs, with a smaller upper body. Look for strapless ball gowns, Empire-waist dresses, dresses with a V-shaped neckline, or anything that has a skirt that flares out from the natural waist. Also look for sturdy fabrics like satin. Avoid dresses with a clingy fabric, halter necks and mermaidstyle dresses.

Apple: Apple-shape women have a rounder waistline, larger breasts and smaller hips. Look for dresses that cinch at the smallest point on the waistline, have an A-shape and flare out, a deep V-shaped neckline, or that create a corset around the body. Avoid dresses that are mermaid or trumpet shaped, or that cling to the widest part of the body.

Triangle: Triangle-shaped women have the silhouette of an inverted triangle, with shoulders that are wider than hips. Look for dresses that are straight cut or bias cut, full ball-gown styles, have halterstyle necklines and dresses that emphasize the hip area with bows or other embellishments. Avoid dresses with low necklines, wide necklines and full sleeves.

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Rectangle: Women who are rectangle-shaped don't have a lot of

curves and are straight-lined. Look for a dress that create curves, such as structured-bodice ball gowns, ones that are cut on a bias, have an Empire-style silhouette or wider neckline. Avoid straight-cut dresses and high-necked dresses.

Full-Figure: Full-figured women have larger breasts, round hips,

a stomach and more of a backside. Look for a ball gown, an A-line silhouette dress, a dress made from structured fabric like satin or a dress with an Empire seam that begins just under the bust line. Avoid dresses that are too loose, made of flowing fabric, have spaghetti straps or are of sheath-style.

Tall or Petite: If you're a tall bride, find a dress that is simple with a lower waistline and a hem that touches the ground. Long sleeves should be hemmed past the wrist so they don't look too short. Avoid dresses with many embellishments. Petite women should look for simple dresses, trumpet-style dresses, ones with a modified A-line or a sheath. Look for ones that have a waistline that falls above the natural waist, to create a taller appearance. Avoid dresses like ball gowns, calf-length gowns and anything with a dropped waist.

Small or Large Chested: Small-chested women should look for a dress with a bodice, a halter neck, or a dress with more fabric up top.

Avoid dresses that will make the chest look flat. Women with large chests should opt for dresses with a scooped neckline or a sweetheart neckline, either with or without straps. Avoid dresses with extra fabric up top as this can add volume.

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| the white dress |

Bride of 2013!

The Breathtaking

M

any trends- jewelled details, long sleeves, Lace-and-Tulle combo, cascading peplum and bold floral-dominated the

Spring 2013 Bridal runways, together signaling a new direction for

all brides. Last season's sexy backs returned for Spring 2013 having softened the focus on bare skin with sheer panels of tulle, re-worked lace, and keyhole closings. While the emphasis is still on the bride from reverse, it's with more romance than seduction that she holds our attention. Silhouettes in general gravitated toward coverage, a sign that Duchess Kate's Alexander McQueen wedding gown still reins supreme a year after the royal wedding.

Peplums also offered a high-fashion escape this season, injecting wedding gowns with a dose of haute style using both structured and softly draped shapes. And brides needn't fear added volume at the hip-peplums of the right proportion are great for defining a waist on both boyish and curvy figures. Not sure which of spring's trends are right for you? Have them all with a convertible gown, which employs removable skirts, trains, and capes to transform your ceremony dress into a distinct reception look. ›

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| the white dress |

Badgley Mischka 108

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Douglas Hannant | issue 05 | may / june 2013

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B | the white dress |

Georges Hobeika 110

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Lanvin | issue 05 | may / june 2013

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| the white dress |

Monique Lhuillier 112

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Marchesa | issue 05 | may / june 2013

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| the white dress |

Issa @

NET-A-PORTER

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Lover Lace @

NET-A-PORTER

Rochas Taffeta @ NET-A-PORTER

Antonio Berardi @ NET-APORTER

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| bridal accessories | Tiffany Diamond Tiaras

Etro

Swarovski Sophia Kokosalaki Belt @ Net-a-Porter Miu Miu Headband

Ileana Makri Earrings @ Net-A-Porter

Embellishments Jennifer Behr @ Sophie's Closet

Balenciaga

Miu Miu Baume & Mercier

CH Carolina Herrera

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Chloe

Roger Dubuis Velvet

Jennifer Behr Headwrap @ Sophie's Closet Carla Atala

Roberto Coin

Carolina Bucci @ Net-A-Poter

Lanvin Blanche

Oscar De La Renta

Paule Ka Gloves

Rosantica Hair Slide @ Net-A-Porter Lara Bohnic @ Boutique 1

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| bridal accessories |

Bulgari

Aila

Diane von F端rstenberg

Paule Ka

CH Carolina Herrera

Purses

Oscar De La Renta

Jimmy Choo

Alberta Ferretti

Lanvin Blanche

Kotur @ Boutique 1

Vintage Chanel

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Marni

Manolo Blahnik Jimmy Choo

Lanvin Blanche CH Carolina Herrera

Christian Louboutin @ Net-a-Porter Lanvin Blanche

Etro

Shoes Balenciaga Versus

Jimmy Choo

Oscar De La Renta Oscar De La Renta

Paule Ka

Alexander Wang

Emporio Armani

Christian Louboutin

Moschino | issue 05 | may / june 2013

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| bridal accessories |

Passionata

Intimissimi

Wolford Carine Gilson @ Net-A-Porter

Lingerie Chantelle Simone Perele

Agent Provacateur

Nayomi

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KLynn

| issue 05 | may / june 2013

MARCHESA

Full Page Advert

LAZARO CYMBELINE PA R I S

ESPOSACOUTURE

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Now Open in Dubai Jallad Bld. Banks Street. Downtown. Beirut tel/fax +961 (1) 990 454 Green Mall. Dbaye Highway tel/fax +961 (4) 540 099 www.esposalb.com

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| the groom guide |

Choosing Your Tux

You have finally proposed marriage to the woman of your dreams. Her acceptance now means that you must prepare for one of the most important days of your life where you will stand beside your bride in that “picture perfect moment”. The lasting memory of your wedding day will be immortalized in photos and videos. Choosing the perfect tuxedo and accessories is vital thus making the task quite daunting.

Proper fit is the key when it comes to dressing the men in the wedding party, especially the groom. For most people, their focus will be more on the bride’s attire. However, it is necessary to realize the importance of the groom’s tux as it usually compliment’s the bride’s gown, hence making the whole look of the wedding complete and more appealing to the eyes of their guests.

Choosing a Tux that suits your body A tuxedo can make anyone look great provided that it is the right tux for their body style. Here are a couple of tips that will assist you in selecting the perfect tuxedo for you.

1. If you have a lean frame but not very tall, be sure to choose a tuxedo set with a lowbutton stance. Also, make sure that it doesn’t have more material that you need so that that the tuxedo does not look too big on your frame.

2. If you are heavy but not very tall, plan to find a single-breasted tuxedo and make sure that the tux isn’t too tight.

3. If you are tall and lean, then you are in luck. Almost all tuxedos look great on your body type.

4. If you are tall and muscular, your best bet is to find a tuxedo with neat lines and not a lot of bulk. Just keep in mind sizing issues and make sure that the suit is well-tailored.

Types of Tuxedos Cutaway or morning coat: This coat is for the most formal morning weddings. The coats are usually black or grey with a single button at the waist and one broad tail at the back. Usually, this style of coat is worn with a winged-collared dress shirt, ascot and striped trousers. It can be made a bit less formal with a patterned tie in lieu of the ascot.

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Dinner jacket: The dinner jacket is usually in classic white or ivory. It works very well in the summer months or in warm climates, in the afternoon or evening and it is considered a very appropriate substitute for a standard tuxedo.

It is great for a casual wedding or a rehearsal dinner. These jackets look the best with formal black trousers with a side satin stripe.

Traditional tuxedo or black tie: This is usually worn after 6 p.m. but can appear at a formal daytime wedding anytime after noon. A black or grey jacket with a single button is the most classic. These jackets usually have a shawl, peak, or notched lapels. They are worn with matching flat-front trousers, bow tie and suspenders, vest or cummerbund.

Stroller coat: The stroller coat is a variation of the morning coat, usually hip length. It looks good with fancy waistcoats.

Updated black tie: This evening suit is a newer variation of the classic tux with the satin trim on the lapel and pants legs, albeit subtly. These tuxes are worn with a black shirt and a regular tie in lieu of a bow tie, and often with a belt rather than suspenders. ›

Tails: This type of a jacket is one that is short in front with two longer tails hanging in the back. It is usually worn with suspenders and a white pique shirt, vest and a bow tie. It is very formal, indeed.

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| the groom guide |

Now that we are done with understanding the types of tuxes available as well as which one would look good on your body type, we talk to Toby Bateman, Buying Director of MRPORTER.COM. The site recently launched its wedding store where you will be able to select a category from city wedding, country wedding or beach wedding, then shop an edit of specially selected products from brands including Gucci, Richard James, Boglioli, Lanvin and Etro. The Wedding Store is a permanent section of the MRPORTER ‘What to Wear’ tab, and will be regularly updated with seasonal clothes and accessories suitable for every type of wedding.

Tips for Stylish Grooms by

Toby Bateman, Buying Director MRPORTER.COM

2

Preparation is key. Assemble the entire outfit to check it looks good, well before the event itself. Ensure the suit is clean and pressed, and the shirt laundered. Having spent time putting together a sharp outfit make sure it’s in good shape for the big day by using a suit carrier to travel, then unpack immediately and hang everything up to minimise creasing.

1

Establish the dress code and work out what it means - "black tie" may be obvious, but things such as "summer chic" are unhelpfully opaque. The key is to be smart without looking like you’ve just popped out of the office. The blue suit is a faultless option; keep one good lounge suit not subjected to the daily grind of professional life for weddings and smart dinners.

( MULBERRY SUIT CARRIER )

3

Check the weather forecast - consider sunglasses or a hat if sunshine is promised or, alternatively, make sure you have a good umbrella.

( ALEXANDER MCQUEEN BLUE SUIT )

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( BORSALINO PANAMA HAT )

4

Your choice of accessories can make or break a wedding outfit. Let the formality of your outfit guide your choice of cufflinks, from precious metals for formal outfits, to simple silk knots for more relaxed combinations.

7

Sometimes a suit can feel very formal for a beach wedding, or one that’s taking place in the height of summer. Try a soft shouldered and unlined jacket, which could be double breasted and sophisticated in a neutral shade, informal in checked cotton or simple and plain (the easiest to wear.)

8

If the setting is likely to involve very high temperatures, linen is a great idea. It’s hard to beat a linen shirt in the heat, and this season Boglioli has an ivory coloured 3-piece linen suit, which would be highly wedding appropriate.

( LANVIN CRYSTAL CUFFLINKS )

5

Add some visual interest to an otherwise sober suit with a colourful pocket square, or try a summery bowtie.

( MAISON KITSUNE SEERSUCKER JACKET )

9

The obvious shirt colour is white, and there wouldn’t be anything wrong with wearing one, but a pale blue or pink shirt is a summery alternative. Let colour lift your look with this pink shirt by Brioni, the colour will look particularly sophisticated against grey and navy.

( RICHARD JAMES FLORAL POCKET SQUARE )

( BOGLIOLI LINEN SUIT )

10

Consider your choice of tie. A patterned silk tie is the smartest and most conventional choice, but between chambray cotton, fuzzy wool and knitted silk there's a selection of casual styles that convey insouciance just as eloquently as an open collar.

6

Make sure to wear new shoes a couple of times before the wedding day so that they're ready to dance in.

( JOHN LOBB OXFORD SHOES )

( BRIONI SHIRT )

( J.CREW TIE )

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| bridal shoot |

The modern bride defined by her simple elegance...

Dress/Accessories: Haute Couture wedding gown by Andrea Brocca / Earrings by Carla Atala

Skincare • Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator • Advanced Night Repair Eye • Day Wear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer SPF 15 • Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator

Face • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 in Ivory Rose • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder in Pale Almond • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer in Light Medium • Pure Color Blush in Brazen Bronze

Eyes • Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow Palette in Sea and Sky • Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow Palette in Pretty Naughty • Pure Color Intense Kajal EyeLiner Duo in Black/Blue • Pure Color Intense Kajal EyeLiner in Electric Teal • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Gel Eyeliner in Midnight Blue • Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in Extreme Black

Lips • Pure Color Lipstick in Blazing Sun • Pure Color Gloss in Simply Pink

Nails • Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Beautiful Liar

| bridal shoot |

Face • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 in Pebble • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder in Pebble • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer in Medium • Pure Color Blush in Peach Passion

Eyes • Pure Color Gelée Powder EyeShadow in Cyber Green • Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow Palette in Enchanted Berries • Pure Color Intense Kajal EyeLiner in Blackened Plum • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Onyx • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Gel Eyeliner in Stay Onyx • Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in Extreme Black

Lips • Pure Color Gloss in Nude Rose

Nails • Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Fallen Angel

Dress/Accessories: Haute Couture wedding gown by Rami Al Ali / Earrings by Carla Atala

| bridal shoot |

Face • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 in Pebble • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder in Pebble • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer in Medium • Pure Color Blush in Electric Pink

Eyes • Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow Palette in Film Noir • Pure Color Intense Kajal EyeLiner in Blackened Black • Double Wear Stay-in-Place Gel Eyeliner in Stay Onyx • Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in Extreme Black

Lips • Pure Color Gloss in Brazen Berry

Nails • Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Fallen Angel

Dress/Accessories: Haute Couture wedding gown by Rami Al Ali / Earrings by Carla Atala

| bridal hair |

L’Oreal Professionnel’s Bridal Coiffure Collection 2013

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This year L’Oreal Professionnel presents Bridal Coiffure Collection 2013, which answers the multi-cultural taste of the region and celebrates all women, from the Bride to her entourage and friends. Two themes, two weddings, two journeys, “A Thousand and one nights” and “Secret Gardens” which reveal the latest Hair Trends for different tastes.

Enter a world of wonder and get carried away on a mythical and magical journey with A Thousand and one nights. It all starts with the Henna night, by revealing the Queen of Arabia, followed by Sandy Waves and Charming Twist for the attendees. And of course, the celebrations go beyond fairytale on the Big Day, the Wedding, where we reveal the Bride’s look, Desert Rose, along with the attendees’ looks, Timeless Chic and Oriental Emerald.

Looking for a modern twist? Open the doors of the Secret Gardens, and enter a world of modernism. Modern Embrace, a modern bride with an Arabic twist, along with Natural Grace and Upper Side, two modern looks for the attendees. On her Honeymoon Escapade, can carry her heir lose with beautiful waves - Fresh Breeze or have it half up with the Pin Up look.

Discover Bridal Coiffure Collection 2013, a compilation of different brides and attendees,

great tips on hair & with inspirational looks to help pick a theme for your day.

For perfect hair on the big day, simply ask your hairdresser to help you choose your Festive Look. You will be guided on the 3 Steps to perfect hair which will help you achieve the beautiful, healthy and stunning look you’ve always dreamt of. Starting with Consultation, then Preparation, it involves strengthening, shaping, colouring, treating & finally Styling and Maintaining the hair leaving it rejuvenated and ready for the wedding.

The three steps to perfect bridal hair include:

STEP1: Consult The perfect result starts with the perfect preparation. Get a complete consultation of your hair and scalp from your hairdresser, and agree on the next steps needed to achieve your desired look.

STEP 2: Prepare I-Strengthen

To create the perfect chignon you need first a strong base, knowing that hair is made up of 80% protein. Is your hair damaged? Breaking?

Or burnt out? Do you suffer from hair loss or dandruff? Now is the time to treat your scalp and hair problems. Let your hairdresser tell you which program is suitable for you.

II-Shape

Your hairdresser will recommend if your hair needs a haircut or a trim, and if a specific service is needed to re-shape your natural hair - Is your hair frizzy and wavy and you want to reduce its volume? Brazilian Smooth services is your answer.

III-Colour

Dramatic fashion statement or subtle reflects, grey hair coverage or just inject shine? Your hairdresser will guide you to the perfect technology for you: Majirel, INOA or DIA.

STEP 3: Style & Maintain Now it’s magic time! Your hair is strengthened, shaped, coloured, and all ready to be styled for the Big Day!

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| engagement rings |

The New Colour Code

engagement rings featuring

vibrant gemstones

If you're looking for the latest most popular trend on engagement rings, then you should dig designs featuring a coloured gemstone as the star attraction. The imaginative brides-to-be are painting a more colourful picture for their future. These rings make an excellent choice for a piece of jewellery you will be wearing every day, and there is no need to restrict yourself to a certain dim or transparent colour when there are yellow, pink, green and purple sapphires to consider. Rubies, long associated with passion and love, make a dramatic choice too.

Beyond the big three - emeralds, sapphires and rubies - one of the biggest evolutions in jewellery has been the sheer magnitude of different-coloured precious stones. Natural coloured diamonds make up only 1 per cent of global production, which means they are inevitably expensive. But before you balk at the price, consider that they are a good investment, too. Set aside the fact that coloured diamonds are becoming an increasingly fashionable alternative to the classic white diamond engagement ring. Demand for coloured diamonds - particularly yellow, pink and blue - is at an all-time high. There are not enough to go round, which makes them more covetable - and valuable.

Their scarcity has a lot to answer for - price, demand, exclusivity - but were it not for their kaleidoscopic beauty, that would be irrelevant. Given their extreme beauty, you won't find coloured gems encrusted in engagement rings in many jewellers' windows. As is often the case, it is the independent designers who are experimenting with the more unusual colours. It might be a radical departure from the traditional engagement ring, but think of the joy it will bring you every time you catch a glimpse of it on your finger.

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One-of-a-kind Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre de Couleur Bonheur ring in platinum, with a central ruby and diamonds

Chaumet Josephine ring in pink gold with diamonds and a pear-shaped rubellite.

Baroque 18ct rose gold ring, set with a rough red ruby

Harry Winston Incredible Radiantcut Yellow Diamond ring in 18ct yellow gold with platinum

Ingle & Rhode bespoke Vintage engagement ring, set with an oval-cut 1.4ct fancy yellow diamond

Tiffany & Co. Tiffany yellow diamond ring. Tiffany ring with a fancy vivid oval yellow diamond, 7.31 carats, with yellow and white diamonds in platinum and 18 karat gold

Theo Fennell Pink Sapphire and Diamond Butterfly Ring in 18ct white and pink gold

Calleija The Pink Princess engagement ring in platinum, set with 1.52ct natural Australian Argyle Pink diamonds

Tiffany & Co. Tiffany pink diamond ring. Tiffany ring with a rectangular modified brilliant fancy deep pink diamond, 1.14 carats, with white diamonds in platinum\

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| engagement rings |

Tiffany & Co diamond and gemstone rings in platinum, set with a cushion-cut green cuprian elbaite tourmaline, above, and emerald-cut alexandrite, below

One-of-a-kind Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre de Couleur Hirondelle solitaire ring in platinum, set with a central 1.79ct cushion-cut emerald and round diamonds

David Yurman Classic Three Stone engagement rings in platinum, set with a ruby, emerald or two sapphires, with smooth or cabled bands

Gilan Coloured Diamond ring White gold with white diamonds and emerald

Faberge Solyanka Vera ring in 18ct white gold, set with 129 diamonds totalling 1.81ct. The centre stone is an ethically mined 8.27ct Gemfields cushion-cut emerald

Hirsh London ring set with an emerald-cut emerald and pear-shaped diamonds

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Boodles Vintage sapphire and diamond ring in platinum set with a cushion-cut blue sapphire and surrounded by a further 1.20ct of roundbrilliant diamonds

Dior AngĂŠlique Ring

Tiffany & Co. Tiffany blue diamond ring. Tiffany ring with an oval fancy vivid greenish blue diamond in a diamond and platinum setting

Harry Winston Oval ring

One-of-a-kind Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre de Couleur Couture solitaire ring in platinum with a central 1.65ct oval-cut sapphire and round diamonds

Susannah Lovis Aquamarine and Diamond Deco Ring

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| photoshoot |

Aristocratic Purism “These are portraits of aristocratic women,” explains Creative Director Frida Giannini.

“Evoking a strong allure with a clean, precise, defined aesthetic. The inspiration started with Richard Avedon and Gian Paolo Barbieri’s historic photographs of their female icons.”

Turquoise silk gown with ruffle sleeves by Gucci

| photoshoot |

Black silk high neck top by Gucci

Lime strapless gown, necklace both by Gucci

| photoshoot | Acid lime printed shirt and pants both by Gucci

Pink silk gown with ruffle sleeves, clutch and shoes all by Gucci

| photoshoot |

White dress with embroidered neckline by Gucci

Photography by : Styling by : Hair by : Make-Up :

Peter Richweisz at Desert Fish Studios Sarah Maisey Samantha at Illumin8 Alessia at Illumin8

Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer Collection 2013

“For the Spring 2013 collection I was inspired by the vibrant bohemian spirit, the artistry of things hand made and personal style that is as rich as it is romantic."

- Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren’s spring 2013 collection brings to life palettes of jewel tones and stark black, white and gold united in worldly themes and modern silhouettes.

The collection follows the path of a free-spirited beauty whose eclectic style reflects a life of glamour, adventure and modern elegance. Accessories include silk fringe, ornate beadwork and laser-cut leather demonstrating the artisan craftsmanship that defines this seasons luxurious accessories.

Stephanie Jacket worn with Casey Pant Accessories: Straw Gaucho hat Silk Mousseline Bandana, Tooled Top Handle with Engraved Lock Bag. (as over) and Ashton shoes.

The embroidered Romero jacket worn with cap sleeve crewneck & Patrizia skirt

Ralph Lauren tooled top handle bag with engraved lock

Patrizia bolero worn with Roxana evening dress

Scroll tote bag, available in red, black and white

suede Naomi top and hand crochet skirt

Dierdra shirt worn with beaded Natalie skirt

Connery shirt worn with Felipa skirt & embroidery waist belt

Ralph Lauren Scroll Fan Clutch

Ralph Lauren Jecelyn shoe

Augustina evening dress worn with tooled suede Mendez jacket

Ralph Lauren Scroll shoe

Adele dress, worn with Jecelyn shoes

| colour report | ( Swarovski )

African Violet This colour trend includes prominent colours such as pale iris, desert bloom, paprika and china blue. These looks from Chanel, Dina JSR and Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti are loyal to the colours. African Violet is perfect for a romantic look during both the day and evening.

( Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti )

( Alyssa Norton @ Boutique 1 )

( Dina JSR )

( Dior )

( Dior )

( J Brand @ Harvey Nichols ) ( Chanel )

( Bulgari )

( Jimmy Choo )

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( Alberta Ferretti )

Dusk Blue The elements of water act as an inspiration for this colour. We’ve selected a lot of seafoam shades as you can see in the Oscar De La Renta and Giorgio Armani looks. Again, this colour is great for a soft, romantic look. We absolutely adore the Charlotte Olympia quirky purse which is available for order online at Boutique 1.

( Dior )

( Mawi )

( Oscar De La Renta ) ( Charlotte Olympia Purse @ Boutique 1 )

( Missoni @ The Outnet.com )

( Aigner )

( Dina JSR )

( Giorgio Armani )

( Lacoste )

( Paule Ka )

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| colour report |

Emerald

( Oscar De La Renta )

This gorgeous shade of green is the colour of the year! Emerald complements almost all skin tones so don’t be afraid to go bold with colour! Over here, we stick to the pure and classy emerald! We love the CH Carolina look and the Burberry trench! Perfect if you want to make someone green with envy, don’t you agree?

( Stella McCartney )

( Marni )

( Tara Jarmon )

( Lanvin )

( Burberry )

( Oscar De La Renta )

( CH Carolina Herrera )

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( Gucci )

( Oscar De La Renta )

Grayed Jade This pale shade is just so soft, sweet and beautiful. The Alberta Ferretti look below features a more saturated shade of the colour and that we absolutely love. The colour definitely transports us to a world of mermaids and crystal caves!

( Donna Karan )

( Raoul @ Boutique 1 )

( Oscar De La Renta )

( Aigner )

( Pinko )

( Alberta Ferretti )

( Georges Hobeika )

( Pinko )

( Coach )

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| colour report |

Lemon Zest

( Gucci )

Inspired by the sun! Shades of yellow are definitely appropriate for the spring and summertime. Try to incorporate a floral lemon zest into your wardrobe such as the below from Jean Paul Gaultier to perfectly complement the season.

( Serpui Marie @ Boutique 1 )

( Jean Paul Gaultier )

( Stella McCartney )

( Christian Louboutin )

( Aigner )

( Diane Von F端rstenberg ) ( Etro )

( Etro )

( Manolo Blahnik )

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( CH Carolina Herrera )

( Burberry )

Linen

( Aigner )

A very quiet colour that consists of mostly base colours such as nudes!

Sleek and sophisticated, we love these two looks from Salvatore Ferragamo and Lanvin! If you are looking to go sleek with your accessories rather than your entire outfit, we’ve selected some great picks from Bulgari, Christian Louboutin and Loewe.

( Salvatore Ferragamo )

( Hotel Particulier @ Harvey Nichols )

( Loewe ) ( Bulgari ) ( Lanvin )

( Christian Louboutin )

( Weill )

( Paule Ka )

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| colour report |

Monaco Blue The royal blue colour followed through from the last season into the present. We couldn’t be more excited! We just adore this look from Dior that features the colour as well as Victoria by Victoria Beckham’s landscape print dress. This colour pairs magnificently with black as the black and blue combination always remains classy and timeless.

( Etro )

( Christian Louboutin )

( Jean Paul Gaultier )

( Dior )

( Gucci )

( Aigner )

( Victoria by Victoria Beckham )

( Longchamp )

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( Jimmy Choo )

( Burberry )

( Gucci )

Nectarine Even though these are bright and bold shades, they are still warm!

We love how they can make anyone look and feel fresh and vibrant!

Tangerine was last season and this time, it’s all about nectarine which is more of a warm orange shade. Take inspiration from these looks

by Project D, CH Carolina Herrera and Pinko! The Gucci statement necklace is a bolder version of the colour that will definitely add a pop to any outfit!

( Project D @ Harvey Nichols )

( Pinko )

( Versace )

( Etro ) ( Kotur @ Boutique 1 )

( Versace )

( CH Carolina Herrera )

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| colour report |

Poppy Red Passion and more passion prevail in this colour! There were many poppy red shades on the catwalk this season such as these Balenciaga and Longchamp looks. We also love the look from Wolford’s SS13 collection. There’s a lot of passion on this page and I am sure just by glancing at these gorgeous picks, a great amount of desire is overwhelming you.

( Oscar De La Renta )

( Repetto )

( Balenciaga )

( Longchamp )

( Chloe ) ( Wolford ) ( Aigner )

( Gianvito Rossi )

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( Tod's )

Tender Shoots

( Louis Vuitton ) ( Oscar De La Renta )

Dreamlike and whimsical, this colour exudes fantasy and fun just as these looks from DVF and Louis Vuitton! With a splash of a colour such as this, you will definitely be the life of the party synonymous with a picturesque park in a distant world!

( Diane Von F端rstenberg )

( Kotur @ Boutique 1 )

( Manolo Blahnik )

( Etro )

( Serpui Marie @ Boutique 1 )

( Dior )

( Dolce & Gabbana )

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| style report |

Tokyo drift

Etro

Refined dinners in the panoramic towers of Shanghai, Tokyo, and Singapore have been on your mind lately. Etro’s paisley patterns and Alexander McQueen’s expanded butterfly wings visuals are statement enough to be worn with clean cut white pants. A dragon emblem and accessories in exotic reptile skins add that necessary extra touch of elegance that reflects the region’s heritage.

Luminor Submersible

by Panerai

CH Carolina Herrera men

Bottega Venetta

Alexander McQueen

Baron spinner by Samsonite

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Christian Louboutin

Down to earth Drawing inspiration from Ralph Lauren’s mountain hiker, with his beige shorts and sporty layers, we put together pieces that embrace the environment just as much as the athletic man’s sense of style.

We’re particularly fond of this season’s Tumi rucksacks, since the brand is so keen on compartmentalizing; having in mind every single item that may be carried along.

Muhammad Ali watch by IWC Schaffhausen

Lanvin

Ralph Lauren

Armani Exchange

Ducati Scrambler Rucksack by Tumi

Ralph Lauren

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| style report |

For the love of the sea If you’ve decided to take a cruise ship and tour the islands of Greece, we pictured you looking like Eden Park’s fisherman, with the short swim trunks, water-proof jacket, and boat shoes. From the ship’s deck to the crowded streets of Santorini.

Sunscreen from Kiehl's

Etro Armani Exchange

Villebrequin

Hackett

Eden Park

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Boss

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Christian Louboutin

A day in Tuscany When we think of Provence and Tuscany, we are reminded of Russell Crowe’s “A Good Year,” which gave us a charming and romantic look into the culture of winemaking . For the connoisseur who wants to discover the essence of this age old tradition and experience the atmosphere of a vineyard, the fashion inspiration is one of bohemian nonchalance. We’ve chosen Bottega Venetta’s hippie-chic tunics and loose silhouettes and paired them with shoe sandals or perforated peasant shoes.

Paul Smith

IWC Ingenieur Black Series

Prada

Platinum by Loewe This fragrance is designed for the sophisticated, sensitive and observant man, much like the one who enjoys developing his wine tasting skills on the Italian countryside. The resulting aroma is elegant with notes of black tea and leather creating a perfect balance with fresh lavender.

Bottega Venetta

Salvatore Ferragamo

Paul Smith

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| style report |

The resorter The combination of shorts and long sleeves and swimming trunks and collared shirts take you from beach side fun to afternoon lunch in the swanky lounge. We particularly like the season’s short suits trend, like the one from Maison Kitsune. The citrusy green, lightly striped ensemble, matched with white espadrilles, is the ideal outfit to wear during the day in a luxury resort. We‘ve picked out similar items in refreshing colours from Carolina Herrera, Prada, and Ralph Lauren.

It’s up to you to mix and match as you please!

Coach

Loewe

Salvatore Ferragamo

Armani Exchange

Maison Kitsune on MR. PORTER Emporio Armani

Prada

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Ralph Lauren

Urban landscape If you’re walking around the city during the day, jumping from one place to another, you definitely need flexible day-to-night outfits. We like the denims shorts from Boggi, because they come in different fresh colours. The t-shirt, casual men’s shirt and striped belt combination make for a great laid back, sporty, yet stylish look. When packing the right pairs of shoes, think of the sporty yet comfortable Louboutin skate board shoes.

Thomas Pink

Movado Series 800 Chronograph

Hackett

Boggi

Tumi Boss

Christian Louboutin

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| exclusive - skincare |

‘Spa’ Facial at-Home with

Elemis

Are you one that desires a spa indulgence every now and then but to no avail due to a busy life in a fast-paced world?

There is indeed a way around that especially when it comes having a spa like facial from the comfort of your very own home. a&e chats with the experts at Elemis and they let us in on the steps you should follow in order to get the perfect facial at home using the quintessentially British leading skincare products!

1. Clean beginnings

it between two index fingers and squeeze the skin inwards to extract. Afterwards, splash your skin with cool water and apply toner.

First, clean the skin thoroughly. Select one that works best for your skin type, here is a guide for which Elemis cleanser to use for your skin type - Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser for combination or teenage skin, Soothing Chamomile Cleanser for ultra-delicate, stressed and hormonal skin and Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser for dry, dehydrated and mature skin. Apply with the fingertips in round circles. Then remove with a soft cotton or tissue, or rinse off if preferred.

4. Apply masks

2. Exfoliate Exfoliation should be done at least twice a week. It keeps pores clean, which helps moisturizer penetrate. Avoid natural scrubs with fruit kernels, such as apricot, which can crush and scratch the skin. The gentlest exfoliators are enzyme exfoliators like Papaya Enzyme Peel for sensitive skins and Skin Buff for oily combination skin with blackheads and Gentle Rose Exfoliator for dry, dehydrated sensitive skins.

3. Extract with care It's best not to perform extractions yourself, but if you are going to, do it after the exfoliation.

Apply a hot compress over the area for 2-3 minutes to open the pores. Then use a hot compress of quadruple tissue thickness. Place

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Choose a mask to apply according to your skin type (If you don't know your skin type, send us a comment here so we can guide you). If you know what your skin type is then for oily, congested or acne-prone skin, it is best to purify, balance and heal the skin so use the Herbal Lavender Repair Mask.For dull skin that may be losing elasticity, look for a lifting mask - Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Mask, and for dry skin look for a mask that will moisturize, like the Exotic Cream Moisturizing Mask

5. Eye mask

9. Moisturize and you're done!

Reduce puffiness and relax the eye with an eye mask like Absolute Eye Mask. Apply the mask, and then place a cotton pad soaked in cold water over the top of the eye mask, and sit and relax for ten minutes. After ten to fifteen minutes, rinse-off the mask with warm water.

Finish your facial with a moisturizer, we highly recommend our number one best-seller - ProCollagen Marine Cream, it feels and works like magic (there is one sold every minute in the world). Make sure you take the moisturizer all the way to the neck and bust area. For those who are concerned with the neck area, a good neck cream like Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust should be applied separately.

6. Tone After the mask, apply your toner, which refreshes the skin by removing traces of makeup and dirt, including water residue. You can choose between the Balancing Lavender Toner for combination skin, Soothing Apricot Toner for sensitive and acne prone skin.

8. Eyes Depending on what your concern is choose an eye product that will best work for you.

Absolute Eye Serum recommended for dark circles, to get rid of panda-eyes. For fine lines and wrinkles you can choose between ProCollagen Advanced Eye Treatment (serum), Pro-Collagen Eye Renewal or Pro-Intense Eye and Lip Contour Cream a rich textured cream for visibly plumper, hydrated skin with reduced fine lines).

7. Treat Use a cell generating booster treatment on the skin and bring it to its peak performance level and repair visible signs of aging. Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules, a powerful antipollution detox for your skin that helps repair visible signs of ageing and Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Serum gives and immediate lifting and firming effect to the skin and helps in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Don’t forget your daily (am and pm) cleanse, tone and moisturize routine (SPF30 in the morning).

Elemis Skincare products are available at Harvey Nichols, The Avenues Mall. Products are also available online at www.elemis.ae across the Middle East.

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| must read |

Top 10

Best-selling Books

1

Search Inside Yourself

by Chade Meng Tan

With Search Inside Yourself, Chade-Meng Tan, one of Google’s earliest engineers and personal growth pioneer, offers a proven method for enhancing mindfulness and emotional intelligence in life and work.

Meng’s job is to teach Google’s best and brightest how to apply mindfulness techniques in the office and beyond; now, readers everywhere can get insider access to one of the most sought after classes in the country, a course in health, happiness and creativity that is improving the livelihood and productivity of those responsible for one of the most successful businesses in the world.

With forewords by Daniel Goleman, author of the international bestseller Emotional Intelligence, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, renowned mindfulness expert and author of Coming To Our Senses, Meng’s Search Inside Yourself is an invaluable guide to achieving your own best potential.

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The Intercept - A Jeremy Fisk Novel by Dick Wolf

2

Dick Wolf, the celebrated creator of the Law & Order television franchise, makes his literary debut with The Intercept, a taut, driving thriller reminiscent of the classic The Day of the Jackal.

Days before the July Fourth holiday and the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, an incident aboard a commercial jet reminds everyone involved that vigilance saves lives.

But New York Police detective Jeremy Fisk-from the department’s Intelligence Division, a wellfunded anti-terror unit modeled upon the CIA-suspects that the event is a warning sign that another, potentially more extraordinary scheme has been set in motion. So when a passenger from the same plane disappears into the crowds of Manhattan, it’s up to Fisk and his partner Krina Gersten to find him before the celebrations begin... And time is running out.

3

Live by Night - A Novel by Dennis Lehane From Gone, Baby, Gone to Mystic River to Shutter Island to The Given Day, the phenomenal Dennis Lehane has proven himself to be one of the most versatile and exciting novelists working in America today-whether he’s breaking new ground with uniquely inventive psychological suspense, redefining the detective story, or bringing a bygone era to life with sweeping and masterful historical fiction. He’s back with Live by Night, an epic, unflinching tale of the making and unmaking of a gangster in the Prohibition Era of the Roaring Twenties.

Meticulously researched and artfully told, Live by Night is the riveting story of one man’s rise from Boston petty thief to the Gulf Coast’s most successful rum runner, and it proves again that the accolades New York Times bestseller Lehane consistently receives are well deserved. He is indeed, “a master” (Philadelphia Inquirer) whose “true literary forefathers include John Steinbeck as well as Raymond Chandler” (Baltimore Sun). And, “Boy, does he know how to write” (Elmore Leonard).

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

4

The Art of Thinking Clearly by world-class thinker and entrepreneur Rolf Dobelli is an eye-opening look at human psychology and reasoning - essential reading for anyone who wants to avoid “cognitive errors” and make better choices in all aspects of their lives.

Have you ever: Invested time in something that, with hindsight, just wasn’t worth it? Or continued doing something you knew was bad for you? These are examples of cognitive biases, simple errors we all make in our day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to spot them, we can avoid them and make better decisions.

Simple, clear, and always surprising, this indispensable book will change the way you think and transform your decision-making-work, at home, every day. It reveals, in 99 short chapters, the most common errors of judgment, and how to avoid them. ›

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| must read |

5

Straight Flush - The True Story of Six College Friends Who Dealt Their Way to a Billion-Dollar Online Poker Empire--and How It All Came Crashing Down . . . by Ben Mezrich From the New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House-the sources for the films The Social Network and 21- comes the largerthan-life true tale of a group of American college buddies who brilliantly built a billiondollar online poker colossus based out of the hedonistic paradise of Costa Rica.

One problem: the U.S. Department of Justice was gunning for them. . . .

Based on extensive insider interviews and participation, acclaimed author Ben Mezrich's Straight Flush tells the captivating rags-to-riches tale of a group of University of Montana frat brothers who turned a weekly poker game in the basement of a local dive bar into AbsolutePoker.com, one of the largest online companies in the world, on par with some of the behemoths of the Internet. At its height, Absolute Poker was an online empire earning more than a million dollars a day, following savvy business strategy and even better luck.

Its founders set up their operations in the exotic jungle paradise of Costa Rica, embracing an outrageous lifestyle of girls, parties, and money.

6

The Bling Ring - How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World by Nancy Jo Sales

The Bling Ring by Vanity Fair writer Nancy Jo Sales is an in-depth expose of a band of beautiful, privileged teenagers who were caught breaking into celebrity homes and stealing millions of dollars worth of valuables. With a list of victims that reads like a "Who's Who" of young Hollywood, including Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Paris Hilton, and Rachel Bilson, The Bling Ring is the stuff of writers' imaginations-with one exception-it's a true story.

The media asked: Why would a group of kids who already had designer clothes, money, cars, and status take such risks? Award-winning journalist Nancy Jo Sales found the answer: They did it because they could. And because it was easy. The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World is a shocking look at the seedy world of the real young Hollywood.

7

Clean Gut - The Breakthrough Plan for Eliminating the Root Cause of Disease and Revolutionizing Your Health by Alejandro Junger In Clean Gut, Alejandro Junger, M.D, New York Times bestselling author of Clean and creator of the world-famous Clean Program, delivers a complete toolkit for reversing disease and sustaining life-long health. All of today’s most-diagnosed ailments can be traced back to an injured and irritated gut. The gut is an intricate and powerful system, naturally designed to protect and heal the body every moment of every day And yet for far too many of us, this remarkable system is in disrepair, which leads to all kinds of health problems-from extra pounds, aches and pains, allergies, mood swings, and lack of libido, to heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disorders, insomnia, and depression.

But we no longer have to be sick to get healthy. In this groundbreaking program, Alejandro Junger, M.D. explains how instead of treating the symptoms as they arise, we can preemptively attack disease before it takes root in the gut. No matter your current state of health, you will benefit from this program: Clean Gut will help you put an end to everyday ailments, reverse chronic disease, and achieve true, long-lasting health.

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Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman

8

In May 2012, bestselling author Neil Gaiman delivered the commencement address at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, in which he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength. He encouraged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers, and dreamers to break rules and think outside the box. Most of all, he urged them to make good art.

The book Make Good Art, designed by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, contains the full text of Gaiman’s inspiring speech.

9

NOS4A2 - A Novel by Joe Hill NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns. Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country. Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing - and terrifying - playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.” Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble-and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

10

Louder Than Hell - The Definitive Oral History of Metal

by Jon Wiederhorn, Katherine Turman

The definitive oral history of heavy metal, Louder Than Hell by renowned music journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman includes hundreds of interviews with the giants of the movement, conducted over the past 25 years.

Unlike many forms of popular music, metalheads tend to embrace their favourite bands and follow them over decades. Metal is not only a pastime for the true aficionados; it’s a lifestyle and obsession that permeates every aspect of their being. Louder Than Hell is an examination of that cultural phenomenon and the much-maligned genre of music that has stood the test of time.

Louder than Hell features more than 250 interviews with some of the biggest bands in metal, including Black Sabbath, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Spinal Tap, Pantera, White Zombie, Slipknot, and Twisted Sister; insights from industry insiders, family members, friends, scenesters, groupies, and journalists; and 48 pages of full-colour photographs.

Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers - www.harpercollins.com

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| destinations - honeymoon |

Alternative Honeymooning

From wild Africa, to historical Russia & Tango Argentina

An Exclusive helicopter safari in Namibia.

Season: May to October

For the adventurous couple, a 13 day safari in Namibia with scenic helicopter flights flown by private pilots over vast landscapes, game viewing activities, and a variety of excursions in some of Subsaharan Africa’s most photographed locations, may

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be the ideal exclusive honeymoon trip.

Extreme sports enthusiasts can engage in sandboarding, quad biking, dune carting, parachuting and shark fishing in addition to seeing the Cape Cross seal colony and taking a bird trip to the Swakopmund Salt Works, and dolphin cruises from Walvis Bay. Guests are accommodated in self-sufficient camps with private luxury tents in extraordinary locales:

River camp On the banks of the Kunene River, is the exclusive hideaway of Okahirongo River Camp. Overlooking the Otupambua Rapids, in the spectacular Marienfluss valley within the rugged Kaokoland Mountains, this camp caters for only 14 people in luxury tents, with both inside and outside showers, and a huge viewing deck. The Kunene River that

winds its way from Angola, along the border to the Skeleton Coast is known for its great crocodile population, and is characterized by thundering waterfalls, white water and tranquil pools. We will visit the beautiful and remote Epupa Falls, that are formed by a series of cascading rapids, and the mouth of the river on the coast where green turtles are seen year round. You will also have a privileged encounter with the Himba people, who live in small circular style huts that surround an‘okuruwo’ (fire) and a central livestock enclosure. Because of the harsh desert climate and limited outside influence, their traditional lifestyle remains little changed and worth exploring.

Boulders camp in Namibia

Elephant lodge Within Purros Conservancies lies the Okahirongo Elephant Lodge - a luxurious tented camp with 7 ensuite chalets and a suite - all with spectacular views. Each cottage is decorated in its own unique African style. The open-air buildings are linked by wooden walkways all joining onto a central area with a rustic deck and infinity pool - a perfect place to relax in between our excursions. You will meet Flip Stander who is an authority on lion research, and engage in some lion tracking. You will explore Moewe Bay on the coast, and visit some Cape Fur seal colonies – these endearing mammals can often be seen surfing the waves. Fishing here is also fun – strictly catch and release - with catches including Cob, Steenbra and Blacktail.

Desert Rhino Camp Desert Rhino Camp is run by Wilderness Safaris in conjunction with Save the Rhino Trust - an organization dedicated to the conservation of black rhino. Located in the vast Palmwag Reserve between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast, the luxury ‘Meru’ style tented camp offers an excellent safari experience, with opportunities for tracking black rhino and gaining an insight into conservation at a grass root level. One of the region’s highlights is rock art sites with ancient bushman engravings. Twyfelfontein

is one such site - recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Another attraction worth seeing is the petrified forest - a prehistoric relic located in an old river channel, that dates back 200,000 years to the Permian period.

The Swakopmund Guest House Situated in the town centre, just a five minute walk from the beach and main shopping area.

It is owned and run by the Borg family with 12 spacious and comfortable rooms offering a high level of comfort and a personalized service. The location allows for access to the Sleep under the stars

sand dunes, and visits to the beach. You will enjoy a cruise from Walvis Bay with the thrill of watching dolphins, seals and birds, and learn about the lighthouse, oyster platforms and diverse marine life. Lunch is cooked and served on the beach, and in the afternoon you can go quad-biking on the sand dunes that surround Swakopmund, followed by sundowners overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.›

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| destinations - honeymoon |

Cultural enlightenment in St.Petersburg and Moscow.

Season: May to September

Beyond the array of historic monasteries, convents and neo classical cathedrals, each with their unique stories to be told, Moscow and St.Petersburg are the ideal destinations for honeymooners with a flair for history, art and architecture. Contemporary History Museums, art venues, exhibitions, and partly destroyed and rebuilt royal palaces are amongst the myriad of places to visit.

In Moscow you can begin by visiting the famed Armory Museum, including its vast collection of Imperial Russian artwork.

Here you’ll see the Kremlin’s world-famous collection of Imperial Faberge Easter Eggs.

Also in the Armory are many of the most important Imperial thrones and crowns, including the most historic, the Cap of Monomachus. Enter the Diamond Vaults and explore the largest collections of diamonds and gem stones in the world with a small preset group. On the Kremlin grounds you can see the largest bell in the world - as well as the largest canon. Neither was ever used due to their enormous size! There are also three very important churches to explore including the Assumption Cathedral, where all Russian tsars were crowned.

In Red Square, the newly rebuilt church and Imperial Gates at the south end of the square are a sight to see as they were both destroyed under Stalin and only recently have been rebuilt in their original splendor.

The stunning St. Basil’s cathedral is another magnificent church-museum that was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and was completed in 1561. Rumor has it that Ivan had the architect blinded so he would never be able to design anything as exquisite again!

Moscow's Metro stations are also rooted in history and an important element to discover thanks to their fascinating interiors, ornately decorated with beautiful paintings, carvings and chandeliers! The stations, most built between 1930 and 1960 are underground palaces, featuring exquisite frescoes, statues, mosaics and stained glass. Today this massive public transportation system is one of the largest in the world, carrying over 9 million passengers per day (twice as many as London or Paris!). A visit to the Tretyakov Gallery, located in one of Moscow’s most interesting neighborhoods for a day of art admiring is on the menu. This area, called Zamoskvoreche (“beyond the Moscow River”) was originally settled in the 13th century. The small winding streets give this area an almost old-fashioned atmosphere, with historic churches and the mansions of 19th century wealthy merchants.

Peterhof

Images by: Exeter International

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St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow

During a luxury 4-hour journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg, you can admire the picturesque Russian countryside. Once there, you can visit The Hermitage museum, before the general public does, and discover the unveiled collection of French Impressionists that was thought lost after WWII. After walking through the many gates and across the bridges and moats of St.Petersburg, you can begin to feel the late 18th century era that required such fortification. The Church on Spilled Blood is so named because it stands on the spot where the Emperor Alexander II was assassinated on March 1, 1881. Its unique design was actually inspired by St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. This is the only church in the world covered completely inside and out by mosaics of tiles and precious and semi-precious stones. Across the street you will find a small souvenir market selling inexpensive Russian handicrafts.

Peterhof Palace (or Petrodvorets in Russian) is often called the Russian Versailles due to the prominence of the gardens and fountains. The view from the palace through the grand colonnade of fountains to the Baltic Sea is one of the true masterpieces of Russian artistry. At the grand palace of Peterhof, you can walk through the lower gardens and be able to see Peter the Great’s favourite buildings. It is also in this area that you will see Peterhof’s most enchanting treat- the trick fountains of the gardens.

Be careful where you step in this area- you could be hit by a surprise stream of water as you stroll! At the Grottos of Peterhof, the extravagance and playfulness of the fountains indicate the atmosphere of early 18th century Russia. You can even journey underneath the fountains and learn about their remarkable engineering and history.

A Bespoke trip to Argentina

Nomads cuisine

Best Seasons: March to May and September to November.

For couples who would consider buying a star and naming it after their significant other, exclusive experiences are of the utmost importance. In Argentina anything big and exciting is made possible. You can attend a private function with the opera singers of the Colon Opera House which is among the world's top 5 opera houses, or enjoy an orchestra or ballet rehearsal followed by a lunch or dinner with the dancers or musicians themselves.

You can have a cooking experience at the foot of the Andes with international master chef Francis Mallmann, take a private tango lesson with the stars of Tango Argentina, create a personal fragrance for you and your new spouse at the perfume laboratory and even witness a horse whispering session by an Indian gaucho in a private ranch in The Pampas. If this doesn’t sound unique enough, try paragliding with condors in the Andes, following the steps of Pope Francis’ life leading him up to becoming the head of the Catholic Church, shopping with a big designer at private showrooms, unearthing a dinosaur fossil in the country’s Jurassic Parks or having lunch surrounded by

Photo credit: Nomads of the seas

penguins on a private island! Did someone say Happy Feet? No, the penguins don’t tap, they tango. After walking amongst them in a private reserve, you can top the trip off with a romantic night spent watching the sunset from a secluded lighthouse. Did we mention that you would be doing all this in Argentina?

Tango on cobblestone

Colon Opera House

Photo credit: Aldo Sessa

Through their network of high quality suppliers in each country, UTravel is the premium luxury agency based in Dubai that makes all these incredible tailored trips possible. Their services extend to client from the whole region including the UAE, Kuwait & Qatar.

Photo credit: Aldo Sessa

To learn more about their bespoke services visit www.UTravel.ae

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| automotive |

talks Maserati and the new Quattroporte with

Umberto Cini

The Managing Director of the overseas markets

Just ten days after the global unveiling at North American International Auto Show, the sixth generation of the Maserati Quattroporte premiered in the Middle East at the Qatar Motor Show. A flagship of the Maserati product range, the new Quattroporte is larger, lighter, more luxurious and faster than the globally-acclaimed car it replaces. The sixthgeneration Quattroporte is a significant leap forward that not only sets the high-technology tone for Maserati’s upcoming range of new-

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models, but also remains faithful to Maserati’s long history of luxury sports sedans. It is the essence of Italian car design with a style dedicated to proportion, dynamism and purity that delivers new standards in quality in every area from design to development, fabrication and process controls.The first model of Maserati’s unparalleled strategic step in industrial growth, the new Quattroporte is the start of a journey that will see the company’s sales increase by a factor of eight by 2015. It

is an increase inspired by a near century of vehicles which define style, elegance, quality and performance. The Quattroporte will be followed by Ghibli and the Levant luxury SUV entering key growth segments for the luxury brand.

Speaking from the press conference in Doha, Mr. Umberto Cini, Managing Director for Maserati Overseas Markets, commented: “50 years ago we took a revolutionary step when

we successfully put a Maserati racing engine inside the body of a sedan; this idea not only changed our brand but brought a new segment of the industry to life. The Quattroporte will once again shape Maserati’s future. It is the ultimate Grand Touring vehicle offering highend sporty performance, uniquely blended with Italian design and luxury materials. The new Quattroporte ensures that every journey is an unforgettable one, and I am honoureded to be unveiling it to the Middle East just a few days after the world first saw it in Detroit.”

I caught up with the Italian globetrotting Managing director at his office overlooking the Meydan race course. He thoroughly explained to me the meticulous work put into the maintenance of the luscious green grass that appears outside his balcony. The race tracks are a natural place for Umberto to find himself every single day, where the best of both of his worlds meet; the world of Maserati and the world of racing. He spent the first half of his life racing horses and the second half racing cars so it comes to us as no surprise that he represents a luxury car brand with a strong heritage in racing.

Let’s begin by talking about Italy’s reputation in luxury products, from fashion, to jewellery and cars: In Italy, the iconic fashion brands such as Armani, Valentino, Fendi, Gucci and Zegna employ exclusive tailors whose work still carries with it the essence of older craftsmanship.

The Maserati is definitely a tailor made suit, well stitched on your body. Our customers can tailor make the car, which is one of our main features. They can choose the colours inside and out, the fabric, the stitching or how you they would like to have the bottom sealed.

In terms of jewellery brands, (he points at the back of a&e’s latest issue,) this is our comarketing partner, Bulgari.

The Octo watch with Bulgari was definitely a big hit, what other types of products would Maserati consider collaborating on?

Why not a car? They produced a watch with features common to the car; why not make a car with features common to a watch?

Jewellery for women is also an option since the Maserati our car is growing dramatically in terms of female customers. We’ve also worked

with Fendi before, on a limited edition Fendi GranCabrio, with only 50 pieces in the world.

The car was customized by Fendi according to their values using their special leather and the colour was designed and chosen by Fendi’s graphic and artistic team. The wood inside was a special wood made for Fendi by Maserati, and every piece has its own number on the dashboard and the soft top. 26 pieces out of 50 came to the Middle East!

More than a third of our customer base in Dubai is made up of western expats, so we organize more unrestricted events with more flexibility of course. In Kuwait and Saudi we do separate events for males and females and lean towards more traditional events that are in line with the culture. So it’s definitely different according to where we go and we have to respect the culture while bringing our own philosophy.

Where in the Middle East?

The iconic Sophia Loren is a big fan of the brand. Who are some other friends of the brand?

We sold 7 pieces to the UAE, a couple in Qatar and Saudi and Lebanon got 2. We have a good representation in this region.

How do you differentiate between those different markets?

We took Andrea Bocelli around the UAE in our new Quattroporte two weeks ago, when he was in Abu Dhabi for his show. We definitely stick to our roots, where we come from. ›

Dubai is based on more of an expat community.

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Are Maserati ambassadors strictly Italian?

Not really, we partnered a couple of years ago with a Lebanese singer. We appreciate people with personality that somehow have something that matches our philosophy and embody our image.

What would that image be?

Bocelli is the benchmark of Italian style. Before him there was Pavarotti. (he points towards an enlarged black and white photograph of Pavarotti posing in the 3rd edition of the Quattroporte) When Pavarotti came to Dubai, we were part of his sponsoring pool as well.

Talking about marketing, our roots are very important to us. We are almost a 100 year old brand with a long heritage made of values that are still with us till this day. We first started producing the racing engine then came the body, and we were quickly matched with the Bella Vita Italiana soonafter. We went through all these stages and still it is all part of our DNA.

There are 6 generations of the Quattroporte, take us through the different eras.

The first one was in 1963, which dates back 50 years from the launch of the 6th generation.

It was a unique car back then, because it was the first time that a racing car and engine was put inside a Sedan body. It was the first time that it was able to achieve 250 km/ hr for as a Sedan. The 2nd generation was unique because it was very well received, with very few units which were mostly sold in the Middle East actually. The 3rd generation

was the first Quattroporte that was blessed by the president of the Italian republic for being a representative car for Italy, a great title. The 4th generation, despite the lack of money to develop anything new or interest to do so due to the difficult times the company was going through, this was the only one that was produced at the time. The 5th generation is the one that was launched in 2003 and until now it is out on the roads. It is the Sedan that won the highest number of international prizes around the world, around 57 prizes. This was the first sportif Sedan saloon produced in the world. When the Quattroporte came out, there was nothing similar to it. The Quattroporte was a breakthrough concept, the first units had an excellent handling and were well put together in terms of leather which is still made

by Poltrona Frau, a leader in luxury. Only a few years after, we saw the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide.

The last one was one year ago. This car is going to be unique because it’s the first Quattroporte that has a generous dimension, which is something people here love. With this Quattroporte we grew our shares in the Maserati world sales significantly. Now the Middle East counts for around 7% of the entire world production, my area, which is the general overseas market, counts around 13% of the entire world production.

You mentioned that your female customer base is growing significantly. Where would you say you have the most female customers?

Definitely, Kuwait. It has the highest number of female customers in the world. It’s come to a stage where they’re starting to be concerned

for us, because it’s too many women. Almost 60% of our Kuwaiti customers are female, and Saudi Arabia makes up 25%. It’s a higher number than Dubai, which is around 20%. The Middle East has one of the highest percentage of female customers in the world.

Tell us about the region’s customer base in general: The customer base here is interesting. It’s very difficult to segment in the Middle East, because the demographic is always changing.

It’s a customer who is generally younger than the rest of the world, more demanding and knowledgeable about the cars. But if we interview each one of the customers, we discover that there are some elements of the brand that appeals to all of them similarly.

This includes the exclusivity of the brand. If you dig deeper, you discover that some people buy it because of the colour, or even the sound that the engine makes.

If we launch the Quattroporte in the US, we know that 90% of our customers will be within a certain cluster that is easily identifiable. Here, it’s the other way around. 10% is identifiable, while 90% will be from outside this cluster.

That’s why we want to be directly present in the market, with a dedicated team who help us understand the needs of this country. In terms of colour for example, we did a special series car in 2007 based on a colour that we saw was a best seller in the Middle East.

With regards to the environment, how do you ensure sustainability?

The Quattroporte is 90 horsepower more than the previous one, which is a lot. The weight is reduced because of the large use of aluminium and the kinds of fibres we have available in the automotive industry. The engine has changed.

Previously, in order to deliver 440 horsepower we needed a 4.7 litre engine. Now we can deliver 530 horsepower with just need a 3.8 litre engine. So the engines are reducing, with less fuel needed to burn. At the moment, we are the most efficient engine in production.

Which is your favourite model?

It depends from the day, how I feel and even how I’m dressed. Maserati is a small manufacturer and we produce a few models. But if you look at each one, you notice that they have different personalities. You go from the smoothest one

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The new Quattroporte's interior to the most extreme one which is for track use. I love the convertible, of course. I’m also a family man, so I’d want the Quattroporte for the family. As I mentioned, I’m a race car driver so I like the Gran Turismo when I want to feel the power of its performance. The Quattroporte is however the most balanced car we have, since it has a bit of everything. If you are a lucky man who works for such a company then you have a small fleet of cars downstairs, and every day you can drive a different model!

Tell me about your job and role as managing director? How does your style and work ethic fit in with Maserati?

I feel like I’m the luckiest person on earth because I work for my passion. Business wise, I grew up in the car industry and my first job was in a car dealership. This is definitely my preferred field and Maserati is my preferred company, because it’s a small company which is target oriented. A manager can make all the difference. We have our yearly target which we revise on an annual basis, but then we have leeway to use our own capabilities to achieve those targets. The headquarters trust us to represent it well and that is the philosophy I use with my team. They are all right until they prove to me that they’re wrong! I highly

regard loyalty, trust, and transparence in a two-way communication. It’s a very rewarding company with whom I started working around 10 years ago as a sales manager for Italy and in a few years they allowed me to build a decent career. You can’t work 14 hours a day if you don’t have passion for what you do. From 7:30 in the morning till 9 pm, you always find someone in the office!

What do you like about this region and how do you like working with the different countries?

What I like about “my world,” is definitely the experience that I get. I have a global view of the business world, going from Mexico down to New Zealand all the way around to South Korea. Whatever countries are located in this triangle, I’m in charge of and they are all so different than one another. You can really gain a 360 degree experience, not just a business one but a life experience. When you sell a product like Maserati you really get in touch with the customers. We like to meet the customer and share with them our idea and concept so whenever they buy a car, they give you a part of their life in a sort of exchange. Business involves taxation, pollution, regulations, and marketing amongst others, which we carry in a tool box and take with us wherever we go.

We work from the extreme of no taxes in the Middle East, to Brazil which is around 450% taxation. From here to there I pass through Lebanon which is 70%, Egypt 250%, India is 170%, while in the UAE it’s 5%. The business environment varies from one place to another, but you learn this with a tool box. You put everything in a sort of micro excel file and you get your results. But learning about different cultures and their respective needs is the most valuable thing you learn from this experience.

How do you compare the luxury factor of Dubai to the other countries under your umbrella?

It’s outstanding, no doubt; because it’s a comfortable and easy life. You have luxury everywhere in the world but here luxury is a way of living. In some places luxury is restricted to a specific circle, where only a few people can get access to it. In addition to the luxury factor that fits in perfectly with our brand’s motto, Dubai is the perfect central hub for covering the overseas markets. The Arabic culture in a way is very similar to the Italian one in terms of hospitality, respect and pride.

We have many things in common, and so we are the perfect match!

Interviewed by Houry Seukunian

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