Simply Abu Dhabi Luxury Lifestyle UAE Richard Mille

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€40 £40 UK RRP $60 USD RRP

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CALIBER RM 011 LIMITED EDITION BLACK NIGHT

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Exclusively at OMEGA Flagship Boutiques and selected retailers worldwide

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BLANCPAIN BOUTIQUES ABU DHABI · BEIJING · CANNES · DUBAI · GENEVA · HONG KONG · LAS VEGAS · LONDON · MACAU MADRID · MANAMA · MOSCOW · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PARIS · SEOUL · SHANGHAI · SINGAPORE · TAIPEI · TOKYO · ZURICH www.blancpain.com

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There’s nowhere in the Maldives, or anywhere on earth, quite like it. Coco PrivÊ Kuda Hithi Island is a secluded island paradise all of your own. It is here that any and every dream is recognised and brought to life.

Discover more at www.cocoprive.com or email yourplace@cocoprive.com

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SHAMBALLA BRACELET. 7.95 ct Solid Faceted White Diamond, White G/vs Diamonds, Black Diamonds, 18K Black Rhodium Plated Rose Gold. SOS RING. Black Diamonds, 18K Black Rhodium Plated Rose Gold Find your nearest retailer at www.shamballajewels.com

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Find Your Inner Shamballa

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LONDON Tel: +44 (0)20 7290 1536

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CURATING TIME SINCE 1950 seddiqi.com

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HOLD TIME STILL It was the moment of transition, a daily beauty, that always seemed to pass by quickly.

But the generosity of Time had provided a device that temporarily stopped the clock’s ticking.

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INTRODUCING ...

BRILLIANCE AND BEAUTY www.fdmdesigns.com

| 905.709.2077

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THE LAP OF LUXURY Award-winning interior design firm dazzles with extensive first-class portfolio, breathing a harmonious balance of elegance and comfort into each masterful design.

NORTH AMERICA | ASIA | MIDDLE EAST

FLORA DI MENNA

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Handcrafted Handcr raft raft a ed bespok bespoke ke ed dr dressing res essing rroom o oom with a hand-paint hand-painted painted finish and ex e exquisite xquisit site mo mother ther of of pearl detailing

At the A t e fforefrontt of British h furniture furrniture design n for for almostt 40 4 yyears ears

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Original Hand Paint Painted P ainted kit kitchen chen n - Clients can choose from from an infinite infinite palette palett ette o off sol solid c colours, olours, lours, glaz glazes zes and spe special finishes

furniture design for for t the fforefront o efr or e ont of British furniture almos 0 years, years, Smallbone of Devizes Devizes has an almostt 40 unpar alleled ed d global rreputation eputation for for producing producing unparalleled finest bespoke the finest fitted bespok poke fitt ted e cabinetry for for every every room room in home.. the home Rooted rich context th he ric contextt of o British craft, craft, R ooted in the Sm Smallbone’ s highly hig ghly skilled team team have have evolved evolved a Smallbone’s diverse portfolio immaculately diverse e portf olio o of immacula tely made artisanal tisanal an nal furniture. Fr F om kit kitchens, wine walls, walls, dressing dressing sin ng g rooms rooms furniture.

From kitchens, and bathrooms bathroom ms to to libraries libraries and home offices, offices, e each e commission is sstill handcr h afted in the company’s com m pany’s commission handcrafted Devizes thatt Devizes workshop. workshop. op Using Usi sing traditional traditional techniques techniques ech hnique tha h ve been pas ha sed d do wn n fr ffrom om gener ation n to to generation, generation, have passed down generation th he team team of expert expert cabinet c mak ers ensure ensu ure that that every every the makers commission the company’s com mmission meets th he c ompany’s exacting exactting standards. standards. th he es sence of Sma allbone is the skilll of these As the essence Smallbone craftsmen, c aftsmen, cr tsmen, each piece piece is inscribed with the name off the created th he cabinet maker maker who w created it.

Smallbone’s S Smallbone’ s design team team have have led from from the front front in the kitchen’s kit itchen’s evolution evolution on from fr f om cooking cooking space space to to multifunctional revolutionary functio onal social hub. hub. Many Ma any of these revolutionary onary ideas were were first firs rst developed developed d in response response to to a client’s client’s brief bri and as such, Smallbone takes s tak t kes e a truly bespoke bespoke approach approach o to it is for to every every y commission. commis omm sion. n. Whether W for a luxury super uper prime me development development or o a private priv pr ate individual, each project project oj iss a close between clo c ose e collaboration collaboratiion i between en client and its in-house n-house e design de esig gn team. te eam. Providing Providing a design solution solu lution for for every every space spac ace in the home, hom me, Smallbone has attracted attract a ed some of the world’s cleints, including royalty, worl orld’s most most famous famous a royalty, politicians, musicians, TV and restaurateurs. musicians u T personalities perso restaurateu urs. u rs.

This combined with This commitment commitment ommitmen to o to excellence, excellence, c ombined ed w its meticulous service, met me eticulous and personalised eticulo p service, hass ensured en ensured

that that the he name Smallbone Smallb bone is ssynonymous ynonymous with luxury worldwide. worldwide orl . Working Working with wit ith some of the world’s wor orld’ rld’s most most prestigious prestigious tastemakers, tastemakers, including architect architec ect ct Jean Nouvel Nouv ou el and interior interior designer ner Bill Sofield, Smallbone mallbone iss also the company company of choice choiice for for the world’s world’ rld’s leading property property developers. developers. In New New York, York, creating creating ng 129 29 state-of-the-art sta t te-of-the-art kitchens kitchens for forr ONE57, ONE57, a landmark ndmark rk condominium on Central o Central Park, Park, k, and handcrafting handcrafting condominium furniture Avenue, furrnitur furn nitur it e for for luxury lu u uxury uxu y apartmentss on Fifth A venue, Gramercy G ram mercy Park Park and Park Park k Avenue.

Avenue e . With With the penthouse breaking ttan, ONE57 b reaking king the real real estate estate ceiling ceiling in Manhattan, M Manha ONE57 iss an example of how example am how Smallbone’s Smallbone’s designs ign are are at at home in a high-end contribute of d se setting, can c ontribute to to the he value v property property in the world’s world ld’s most most luxurious addresses. ad addresses. s Ever impressive Ever building ng upon its impr impressive portfolio, portf rt olio, Smallbone continues S continues to to innovate inno ovate with a n number of of exciting exciting projects projects taking place p plac ac across across the th Middle East.

Easst. t These These include clude de the extensive extensive Emaar property property development mostt development elo lopment in n the Dubaii Hills, one of the mos desirable in Dubai. desirable e residential residential luxury communities communities om The The luxury villas illas a feature as feature bespoke bespoke Smallbone cabinetry in the kitchens, kitchens, s, utility lity rooms, rooms, oom , media a rooms rooms and dressing dressing rooms. rooms.

Recipient Recipient ent of o 2016’s 2016’s ‘Emerging ‘Emerging International Intern rnational Brand’ Brand’ award award at at The The e Sunday S Sunda y Times Times HSBC International Interna ern n ational Fast Fast Track Track 200 Awards, Awards, d Smallbone’s Smallbone’s flawless flawles w s design ingenuity and exquisite in exquisite craftsmanship craftsmanship af h continue continue to to set the th he benchmark for for international international nal luxury worldwide. worldwide o .

smallbone.co.uk smallbone one.co.uk +44(0)20 0 7589 7589 5998 5998

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SOMMETOUTE - fusiodesign.com

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WHERE DREAMS LIVE AND EMOTIONS ARE BORN

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FROM DREAMS & INSPIRATION SPRINGS THE ROYAL MANSOUR From the exquisite mosaics adorning its palatial interiors to the mesmerising murmur of the fountains in the courtyards, the Royal Mansour reflects the beauty, grace and indeed, the very soul of Morocco.

A first glimpse of this sensual luxury makes the heart beat faster, awakening the senses.

But the true relaxation offered by this paradise in the centre of bustling Marrakech can only be experienced by a stay amidst the elegant tranquillity and attention to detail of the Royal Mansour. You and those you love will leave refreshed in mind, body and spirit.

TEL.+212 (0) 529 80 80 80

www.royalmansour.com

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INTRODUCING

[ H I S T O R I C K I L K E E H O U S E E S TAT E ]

P

erched on a private spit of 2 acres on Paradise Island, Bahamas. This grand Georgian Beach House was built over sixty years ago by the infamous American A&P heir, Huntington Hartford, who began the development of Paradise Island from humble British colonial farmland to the height of resort luxury. When acclaimed thespian, the late Sir Richard Harris, acquired it 29 years ago, he renamed it “Kilkee House” after the country of his birth, in his native Ireland. In addition to Mr. Hartford and Sir Richard themselves, the palatial home has played host to international icons such as The Beatles, The Rat Pack, Errol Flynn, Sir Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, Pierce Brosnan and has been featured in the James Bond thriller, Thunderball, where the stunning

Grotto stone pool was the backdrop for many of the scenes.

With more than 200 feet of water on its southern harbour exposure, it also boasts the most pristine beachfront on its northern exposure, complete with helipad and dockage for boats and yachts of any size. Luxurious interior living space exceeds 11,000 square feet and includes four bedrooms ensuite, grand dressing rooms, extraordinary gourmet kitchen, formal dining room for seating of 18, grand foyer, original historic paneled library, living rooms, gymnasium, several spectacular loggias in varied exposures for maximum outdoor entertainment possibilities, a stunning poolside guest cottage with private terrace and well appointed independent staff quarters.

Priced at $18,000,000 USD.

For private tour, please email Michelle Ross at Michelle@mmdrealty.com

o

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INTRODUCING

[B E A C H H O U S E V I L L A S ]

A private enclave of 5 luxurious oceanfront and harbor-front villas set on the sugary sand beaches of Paradise Island.

These spectacular villas, designed by renowned developers, Brennan Custom Homes, offer the finest in luxury living.

Only 3 villas remain, each complete with private pool, chef’s kitchen, and encompass 5,334 sf with 4 bedrooms and ensuite baths plus powder rooms.

Beach House Villas offers proximity to the island’s best restaurants and attractions, while still remaining private and secure, only accessible by private tender for the Villas (accessible 24-7). A private gym, concierge service and maintenance are all included.

Priced at $8,188,000-$8,988,000 USD.

or call +954.471.9102

MMDREALTY.COM

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B R - X 1 TO U R B I L L O N S A P P H I R E

Nation Tower - Tel 02-4489999 · Marina Mall - Tel 02-6323232 · email-info@alsayeghuae.com · www.bellross.com

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FOUNDER & CO-FOUNDER’S LETTER ‫ترشع و شیع‬

सुख

奢侈品

Lujo

Luxe

Luxus

Lusso

Dear lovers of luxury

W

elcome, friends and fans of luxury, to another edition of Simply Abu Dhabi, the perfect guide to all the gifts this wonderful world has to offer.

As we publish this, our 24th edition of Simply Abu Dhabi, we want to extend our wholehearted thanks to those who have supported us in our mission to find and explore true opulence and splendour across the continents. We could not have done it without you.

Within these pages, as always, you will find your passport to truly unique experiences.

This month, our cover feature is, of course, the conclusion to this year’s Formula One championship; millions watched as Nico Rosberg stormed to victory in the final race at the Yas Marina circuit on the Yas Island. We have full coverage of this spectacular event from our always incredible Damien Reid.

Damien also takes a look at some of the most incredible vehicles from the most prestigious names currently available on the market for Simply Cars. Without a doubt, his is certainly an edition motorheads will not want to overlook.

Elsewhere we have more of the sumptuous grandeur you have come to expect, with the wonderful Marcella Clark exploring the upcoming fashion trends for winter in this edition of Simply Fashion; if being en vogue is your thing, do take a look at Marcella’s exploration of what is to come from the likes of Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as men’s fashion icons such as Lacoste and Luis Vuitton.

In Simply Beauty, our beauty expert Sophie McMullan is on hand to fill you in on everything you simply need to know about skincare, fragrance and cosmetics.

The consummate Nick Rice also takes us on a journey through the most stunning and splendid timepieces available to the discerning watch enthusiast from the best designers of our age in Simply Time, with offerings from the likes of Bovet, Harry Winston and Richard Mille considered in detail by a true expert.

If you plan on getting away to somewhere far and exotic, we also traverse the countless far-flung destinations for you in Simply Travel, so you will find somewhere beautiful that is sure to satisfy the wanderlust-struck adventurer inside.

Lewis Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosberg speak honestly and candidly about their experiences and about the future of their careers, as well as the sport itself, in full interviews. We also report on Hamilton’s high-octane simulation race at the dizzying heights of the helipad of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi hotel. If F1 is your thing, this issue is for you!

W E L C O M E T O S I M P LY A B U D H A B I :

Wishing you all the very best of life and luxury.

Jordana-Arnie & Harvey

“Your Passport to Pure Luxury”

Arnie S Hira – CEO & Founder Arnie.Hira@simplyabudhabi.com Jordana Imogen Lynch – Managing Director & Co-Founder Jordana.lynch@simplyabudhabi.com

Wishing the World: Peace, Prosperity & Progress in 2017

Manoj S Hira – Director – info@nowaiting.co.uk Editor: Arnie S Hira Co-Editor: Jordana Imogen Lynch Copywriters: Jordana Imogen Lynch, Arnie S Hira

Management Team Creative Director: Colin Statham - colin@simplyabudhabi.com Editor-In-Chief: Charlie Benton - charlie@simplyabudhabi.com Editor at Large: Nick Rice - nick@simplyabudhabi.com Fashion Editor: Marcella Clarke - marcella@simplyabudhabi.com Beauty Editor: Sophie McMullan - sophie@simplyabudhabi.com Time / Travel Editor: Nick Rice - nick@simplyabudhabi.com Car Editor: Damien Reid - damien@simplyabudhabi.com Sub Editor: Caroline Stupnicka - caroline@simplyabudhabi.com Media Investment Director: Anthony Grundy – anthony.grundy@simplyabudhabi.com Sales Director: Ross Fenton – ross@simplyabudhabi.com Director of Photography: Charn Kamal Singh – charn@simplyabudhabi.com

Like our Facebook page via http://www.facebook.com/simplyabudhabi Follow us on instagram via http://www.instagram.com/simplyabudhabi or via the app @simplyabudhabi Images: All photos used in Simply Abu Dhabi are by Getty Images/Shutterstock/GoRunway/ Distribution: Abu Dhabi Media Company Circulation Director: Mr Mohamad Al Zarouni Operation Manger: Mr. Khaled Ibrahim Distribution In charge: Muzammil Sulaiman Disclaimer: The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on the information contained in this publication, which is provided for general and entertainment use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances.

The intellectual property and the ownership of trademarks are acknowledged. No part of Simply Abu Dhabi or any parts of the contents thereof may be duplicated or reproduced, saved, stored in a retrieval system or communicated/transmitted in any form without written permission of the publishers. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair and reasonable review.

Simply Abu Dhabi Limited HQ is Elizabeth House, Elizabeth Street, Manchester, M8 8JJ, United Kingdom.

Born in Abu Dhabi, Designed in Manchester, Distributed throughout the world.

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Front Cover Photography By Alex Rose at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island and Orchestrated by Fallone Loquen – Richard Mille Middle East exclusively for Simply Abu Dhabi

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BLANCPAIN BOUTIQUES ABU DHABI · BEIJING · CANNES · DUBAI · GENEVA · HONG KONG · LAS VEGAS · LONDON · MACAU MADRID · MANAMA · MOSCOW · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PARIS · SEOUL · SHANGHAI · SINGAPORE · TAIPEI · TOKYO · ZURICH www.blancpain.com

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CONTENTS

2016 Formula 1 Season Review .........................................................................................................................................................Page 54 HH Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan meets Lewis Hamilton at St. Regis Hotel ..........................................Page 74 Lewis Hamilton on the AMG GT R ..............................................................................................................................................Page 78 Nico Rosberg celebrates F1 title at the Amber Lounge.......................................................................................................Page 84 Simply Nico Rosberg.............................................................................................................................................................................Page 86 Simply Time .............................................................................................................................................................................................Page 88 Harry Winston, Bovet 1822, Christophe Claret Mecca, Louis Vuitton, Perrelet, Raymond Weil, Richard Mille, Blancpain, Omega, Jaquet Droz, Urban JĂźrgensen Simply Jewellery ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 124 Harry Winston, Akillis, David Morris, Boucheron, David Yurman, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, St Dupont Paris Simply Fashion .........................................................................................................................................................................................Page 146 Women ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 148 Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Prada Men .................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 174 Carolina Herrera, Dior, Gucci, Aston Martin, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Prada Simply Beautiful ......................................................................................................................................................................................Page 203 Sarah Chapman Skincare, Jen Arkin: Ouai Haircare, Surratt Beauty Simply Interiors ....................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 210 Flora di Menna Designs Inc. Simply Travel.............................................................................................................................................................................................Page 219 Barr al Jissah - Oman, SHA Wellness Clinic - Alicante Simply Cars ................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 234 Ferrari 488, Maserati LevantĂŠ, Jaguar XKSS, Overfinch, Aston Martin AM-RB 001, Gulf Concours, Lapland Ice Driving Simply Aviation ........................................................................................................................................................................................Page 274 Royal Jet Boeing Business Jets Simply Yachts ............................................................................................................................................................................................ Page 278 Aston Martin AM37 powerboat

Simply Abu Dhabi and Simply Abu Dhabi.com are intellectual property of Simply Abu Dhabi Limited, Elizabeth House, Elizabeth Street, Manchester, M8 8JJ. U.K. Fax: 0044 161 832 4566 / Skype: simplyabudhabi

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2016 Formula One Season Review

By Damien Reid

I

t’s almost like Mercedes AMG driver Nico Rosberg had a run up to this year’s World Driver’s Championship, increasing his momentum over the New Year break like it didn’t exist.

Nico, who lead last year’s title only to lose it to teammate Lewis Hamilton in Texas, seemed determined not to let it happen twice.

The German’s late 2015 form, where he claimed pole position in the final three races and won all three GPs after Hamilton had secured the crown, thundered into 2016 with the same aggression that, for once, left Hamilton floundering like a boxer against the ropes.

The grid stretched to 22 cars this year with Haas F1 and Renault returning to the sport. The calendar expanded with the return of the German race and the European GP at a new street circuit in Azerbaijan.

NASCAR and former IndyCar team owner Carl Haas brought the USA back to F1.

It’s the first American team on the grid since, ironically, Team Beatrice Haas back in 1986.

Its big signing was experienced driver Romain Grosjean from Renault, and he was joined by former Sauber driver Estaban Gutiérrez. Stepping into Grosjean’s shoes at Renault was F1 rookie Jolyon Palmer, while Pastor Maldonado moved aside for ex-McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen.

There was a mid-season replacement for Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat at the Spanish Grand Prix to make way for young gun Max Verstappen. Kvyat returned to his old seat at Torro Rosso.

McLaren test driver Stoffel Vandoorne was elevated into the main game for the Bahrain GP only after Fernando Alonso was ruled out by doctors following a crash with Gutiérrez in Melbourne.

And with that, excitedly, school was back in when the circus fronted up to Melbourne’s Albert Park street track on 30 March 30 for round one.

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Round 1 Australia: Off the start, Fernando Alonso’s McLaren hit the back of new boy Gutierrez’s Haas at turn 3 resulting in a huge crash and rollover that stopped the race and halted Sebastian Vettel’s great start in his Ferrari. Rosberg’s harder tyres after the re-start meant one less stop to Vettel and he took the lead on lap 34. Hamilton pounced after an average start but it was Rosberg’s win from Hamilton which gave Mercedes a 1-2.

Driver: Rosberg 25, Hamilton 18, Vettel 15 Constructor: Mercedes 43, Ferrari 15, Williams-Mercedes 14

Round 2 Bahrain: Alonso was forced to miss the race on doctor’s orders after Australia, giving Stoffel Vandorne his F1 debut for McLaren and finishing in the points. Again, Rosberg stole the show, winning by 10 seconds from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Williams’ Valteri Bottas and Hamilton came together on lap 1, spinning Hamilton which dropped him down and he finished third behind Kimi.

Driver: Rosberg 50, Hamilton 33, Ricciardo 24 Constructor: Mercedes 83, Ferrari 30, Red Bull 30

Round 3 China: Technical woes continued for Hamilton in qualifying and he started rear of the grid.

The inevitable first lap tangle involved Sauber’s Felipe Nasr while Hamilton stopped for a new front wing and eventually finished seventh.

Vettel recovered from a first corner clash with Raikkonen to take second ahead of Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat whose aggressive start had earlier angered the German. But it was another convincing win to Rosberg, more than 30 seconds clear of his teammate and leading by 36 points.

Driver: Rosberg 75, Hamilton 39, Ricciardo 36 Constructor: Mercedes 114, Ferrari 61, Red Bull 57

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Round 4 Russia: Kvyat was again in trouble for blocking, this time Vettel after he punted the Ferrari driver off on the first lap. It was the final straw for the team who swapped him with Max Verstappen from the Torro Rosso junior squad from the next race.

Rosberg was out front again in what was becoming a common sight, taking an easy fourth race win from four starts.

Starting from pole, he had an uneventful race while chaos reigned behind him. After the safety car, Rosberg led from Raikkonen. Hamilton made up places and was on Rosberg’s tail until he was ordered to slow due to a water pressure problem. Rosberg won by 25 seconds, extending his margin to 43 points.

Driver: Rosberg 100, Hamilton 57, Raikkonen 43 Constructor: Mercedes 157, Ferrari 76, Red Bull 57

Round 5 Spain: After his promotion to Red Bull, F1’s wunderkind Max Verstappen pulled off the impossible by gambling on a risky tyre strategy to win and become F1’s youngest ever victor of a Grand Prix at 18.

The Dutchman pounced after Rosberg and Hamilton retired, and while Ricciardo and Vettel stuck to a three-stop strategy, Max rolled the dice and made his tyres last longer.

Hamilton started from pole but got away slower than Rosberg who had the jump into turn 1. Hamilton tried a desperate move down the inside, taking to the grass, losing control in front of Rosberg, crashing and ending both their races.

Kimi’s second place allowed him to pass Hamilton in the championship.

Driver: Rosberg 100 Raikkonen 61, Hamilton 57 Constructor: Mercedes 157, Ferrari 109, Red Bull 94

Round 6 Monaco: It was the one that got away for Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo; a second potential loss due to poor strategy from the Red Bull pits. The Aussie arrived for his final stop, holding a comfortable lead, only to find no tyres ready which handed certain victory to Hamilton.

The wet and dry race around the Principality was a nailbiter after Ricciardo’s 13 second lead was erased and Hamilton took his first win of the year with a strong Sergio Perez for Force India finishing third and a struggling championship leader Rosberg in seventh.

Driver: Rosberg 106, Hamilton 82, Ricciardo 66 Constructor: Mercedes 188, Ferrari 121, Red Bull 112

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Round 7 Canada: With a 43 point lead slashed to 24, Rosberg was under pressure and Hamilton’s confidence was on fire. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the Brit claim back-to-back wins to slash Nico’s points lead to just nine.

Hamilton lost the start to Vettel but the Ferrari driver was on a two-stop strategy while Hamilton stuck with the harder tyres and a single stop to leapfrog him in the pits.

Rosberg suffered another miserable race after he was bumped off at turn 1, dropping to ninth at the end of the first lap. He then suffered a right-rear puncture forcing him to pit again and despite his late charge, suffered an off on the penultimate lap trying to overtake Verstappen for fourth. He was able to recover to finish an underwhelming fifth.

Hamilton won from Vettel and Bottas in the Williams while Ricciardo lost out in traffic during the opening stint and could only manage seventh.

Driver: Rosberg 116, Hamilton 107, Vettel 78 Constructor: Mercedes 223, Ferrari 147, Red Bull 130

Round 8 Europe: F1’s first race in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku was a walk in the park for Rosberg who won easily from pole.

The German was followed home by Vettel and a charging Sergio Perez who scooped Force India’s second podium in three races. Hamilton could only recover to fifth after a crash in qualifying relegated him to tenth, but it was even more costly due to a midrace engine setting issue which temporarily slowed him.

Rosberg rebuilt his championship lead to 24 points after cruising to a lights-to-flag win. Vettel had a trouble-free run to second from Raikkonen who copped a five second post-race penalty that handed the last podium to Perez for the second time this year.

Driver: Rosberg 141, Hamilton 117, Vettel 96 Constructor: Mercedes 258, Ferrari 177, Red Bull 140

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Round 9 Austria: The title fight took another twist when Rosberg and Hamilton collided on the final lap as the Brit attempted to overtake.

The last lap saw Hamilton get the run into turn 2 but Rosberg defended and they hit.

Rosberg damaged his front wing and lost the lead to Hamilton while Verstappen and Raikkonen completed the podium with Nico hobbling across the line in fourth.

Driver: Rosberg 153, Hamilton 142, Vettel & Raikkonen 96 Constructor: Mercedes 295, Ferrari 192, Red Bull-TAG Heuer 168

Round 10 Great Britain: Lewis was dominant on home turf, controlling the race under changing conditions, wet at the start and dry at the finish. He won easily from Rosberg who was penalised 10 seconds for taking instructions over the radio about gearbox modes. He dropped to third place and just one point ahead of Hamilton for the title chase.

Driver: Rosberg 168, Hamilton 167, Raikkonen 106 Constructor: Mercedes 335, Ferrari 204, Red Bull 198

Round 11 Hungary: Following the dominance of Silverstone, Hamilton had momentum and controlled from the start. Rosberg got the jump but his teammate nabbed the lead going into turn 1 and lead another Mercedes 1-2, this time in Hamilton’s favour. It was Hamilton’s fifth win in six races and he now led the championship.

Driver: Hamilton 192, Rosberg 186, Ricciardo 115 Constructor: Mercedes 378, Ferrari 224, Red Bull 223

Round 12 Germany: Hamilton extended his lead in the championship with a flawless drive as title rival Rosberg paid the price for a third race penalty in four events on his way to fourth.

Hamilton needed no invitation to take the lead as Rosberg blew his P1 start, leaving the way clear for Hamilton to extend his championship lead to 19 points with a sixth victory of the season.

Worse still for Rosberg, any hopes of second place evaporated after he was handed a 5 second penalty for forcing Verstappen off track.

He took this during his second pit stop and finished 6.9 seconds behind Hamilton with Verstappen nabbing third after Ricciardo.

It was another underwhelming afternoon for Ferrari as Vettel and Raikkonen struggled, allowing Red Bull through for third in the Constructor’s Championship Driver: Hamilton 217, Rosberg 198, Ricciardo 133 Constructor: Mercedes 415, Red Bull 256, Ferrari 242

Round 13 Belgium: Nico used the summer break to refocus and, like Melbourne, came out with arms swinging to easily win the Belgian GP leaving Hamilton to find the last spot on the podium.

Behind Rosberg there was action aplenty with front row sitter Verstappen, Raikkonen and Vettel colliding at turn 1, sending Max into a spin as the others sustained damage that needed to pit.

A red flag on lap 9 after Magnussen crashed heavily at the top of Eau Rouge bunched the field with a restart on lap 11 giving Hamilton a boost from P5 but it was Nico who took the chequered flag,14.1 seconds clear of Ricciardo and Hamilton.

Driver: Hamilton 232, Rosberg 223, Ricciardo 151 Constructor: Mercedes 455, Red Bull 274, Ferrari 252

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Round 14 Italy: The final stop on the European tour was at the historic Monza track which saw the Silver Arrows dominate at the same venue half a century ago. Polesitter Hamilton bogged at the start, dropping to sixth which allowed Rosberg to take the lead into turn 1 with Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas and Ricciardo all getting past on the opening lap.

The tyre strategy allowed Lewis just one pit stop, jumping the Ferrari duo who were on a two-stop strategy, but it was a comfortable win for Rosberg.

Hamilton was second with Vettel a distant third – and at the end of the European season, the Mercedes pair were split by just two points.

Driver: Hamilton 250, Rosberg 248, Ricciardo 161 Constructor: Mercedes 498, Red Bull 290, Ferrari 279

Round 15 Singapore: Rosberg surged back into the championship lead with a hard fought third win in Singapore after resisting the late advances of a charging Ricciardo.

The German looked on course for a dominant lights-to-flag win as he managed a small margin over Ricciardo from the start, only for the race to be brought alive in the closing stages as Red Bull pitted with 12 laps remaining to take a gamble on super-soft tyres.

Ricciardo had 11 laps to close a 22 second gap to Rosberg, but the German held off to win by 0.4 seconds. Hamilton was third but, crucially, handed the championship lead back to his teammate.

Driver: Rosberg 273, Hamilton 265, Ricciardo 179 Constructor: Mercedes 538, Red Bull 316, Ferrari 301

Round 16 Malaysia: This was a race Mercedes would rather forget as both Rosberg and Hamilton had a disastrous GP while Ricciardo scooped up the pieces and took a thrilling win.

A potentially pivotal moment in the championship came when Nico was tapped into a spin by Vettel at the first corner.

Hamilton needed a win and with Rosberg out of contention, he built a comfortable buffer, looking for his seventh win that would have returned him to the championship lead. With a 20 second lead over Ricciardo and 16 laps remaining, his Mercedes engine failed in the closing stages, handing Ricciardo his fourth win, 2.4 seconds in front of Verstappen and a Red Bull 1-2 with Rosberg third.

Driver: Rosberg 288, Hamilton 265, Ricciardo 204 Constructor: Mercedes 553, Red Bull 359, Ferrari 313

Round 17 Japan: Just as Monaco was a confidence booster for Hamilton, Malaysia was a body blow and it was Rosberg back on pole at Suzuka.

Hamilton blew the start and Rosberg led another lights-to-flag victory making it four wins from five starts. Hamilton fell back to eighth by turn 1 and struggled to recover, finishing third behind Verstappen. Their Mercedes team, however, clinched the constructor’s title for the third year.

Driver: Rosberg 313, Hamilton 280, Ricciardo 212 Constructor: Mercedes 593, Red Bull 385, Ferrari 335

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Round 18 United States: Keeping a faint hope of the championship alive, Lewis clawed back valuable points to Rosberg by taking a solid win from pole position in front of his beloved American fans.

It was a must-win race for the defending champ and his first since Germany. It was also his first good start in three races leaving Rosberg under pressure from Ricciardo into Turn 1.

Verstappen retired on the edge of pit exit, bringing out the virtual safety car which effectively gave Rosberg a free pit stop to emerge in front of Ricciardo who was looking good for second and closing on Hamilton.

This dictated the remainder of the race with Hamilton winning by 4.5 seconds from Rosberg and a dejected Ricciardo.

Driver: Rosberg 331, Hamilton 305, Ricciardo 227 Constructor: Mercedes 636, Red Bull 400, Ferrari 347

Round 19 Mexico: Hamilton put enormous pressure on Rosberg with a convincing win on a day when only a win would keep his chances alive.

From pole, Hamilton out-braked himself into the first corner and went across the grass before a safety car eliminated any advantage he gained; however, he was never challenged as he rebuilt his buffer to Rosberg on the way to his eighth win.

Behind them Vettel, Verstappen and Ricciardo had a fiery final few laps. Vettel, sandwiched between the two Red Bulls in fourth accused third placed Verstappen of blocking and as they crossed the line, the Dutchman was given a 5 second penalty which promoted Vettel to third and Ricciardo to fourth.

Post podium celebrations, Vettel was sanctioned for an illegal block on Ricciardo which promoted the Aussie to third. This cemented Ricciardo’s third place in the World Championship Driver: Rosberg 349, Hamilton 330, Ricciardo 242 Constructor: Mercedes 679, Red Bull 427, Ferrari 365

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Round 20 Brazil: The championship might be about Rosberg and Hamilton but the race was all Verstappen who made up 11 places in the final 12 laps to snare an improbable podium in treacherous conditions.

Two red flags brought about by crashes and torrential rain threw strategies out the window but Hamilton kept his composure to win while second for Rosberg kept his title hopes alive for Abu Dhabi.

With wet conditions, the race was started behind the safety car and stopped twice following a crash for Raikkonen and because of heavier rain, but Hamilton stayed out front as his rivals squabbled behind.

Rosberg struggled to keep pace and spent more time battling with Verstappen until Max pitted on lap 48 due to being on wrong tyres when it began to rain again. This gave Rosberg his best chance to chase down Hamilton. Verstappen emerged in 14th place but carved his way through to be back on Rosberg’s tail as the chequered flag came out.

The result ensured that Rosberg only needed to finish on the podium at Yas Marina to win the title.

Driver: Rosberg 367, Hamilton 355, Ricciardo 246 Constructor: Mercedes 722, Red Bull 446, Ferrari 375

Round 21 Abu Dhabi: Rosberg went one better than a top three finish to win the championship with a run to second place in what was possibly his gutsiest performance all year.

Hamilton led the race from start to finish, but despite attempting to back Rosberg up into Ferrari’s Vettel in the closing stages, hoping to get Vettel past and drop Nico off the top three, it wasn’t good enough.

Settling into second behind Hamilton, Rosberg led Raikkonen from Ricciardo, while Verstappen spun and dropped to last. After the first stop, Rosberg came out behind Verstappen and needed to make a brave pass in order to reclaim a top three slot he needed to secure the title.

Rosberg launched a mighty effort to get past Verstappen on lap 20, going wheel-to-wheel through turn 7, nearly colliding. It wasn’t until turn 11 that Nico made the pass stick.

With fresher tyres but down in sixth, Vettel was on a charge, passing Raikkonen and Ricciardo before chasing down Verstappen in third. At the same time Hamilton slowed enough to not allow Rosberg a run on him but still put his rival in danger of those behind, which forced Mercedes to order him to speed up again. Hamilton ignored the direct team orders.

Vettel attempted to pass Nico on the penultimate lap but Rosberg held on to clinch second and confirm his championship win.

Just 1.6 seconds covered the top four of Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel and Verstappen in what was the most tense race of the season.

Final Points: Driver: Rosberg 385, Hamilton 380, Ricciardo 256 Constructor: Mercedes 765, Red Bull 468, Ferrari 398

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Abu Dhabi had delivered again: the most exciting race of the year with plenty of tears and cheers.

Cheers for deserved world champion Nico Rosberg and a happily retiring Felipe Massa, and tears for a jilted Hamilton and crowd favourite Jenson Button who ended his F1 career not how he would have liked, with broken suspension on Lap 12.

The 2016 F1 season will go down as one of the greatest title fights of all time with an inter-team rivalry that was akin to the fiery days of Vettel and Webber.

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Photos by : Charn Kamal Singh Virdi Instagram: @charnkamal FB :www.facebook.com/charnkamalphotography Contact: +971565383569

HH Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan and F1 Driver Lewis Hamilton

His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan and three-time F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton meet at St. Regis hotel in Abu Dhabi

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Author of Just Read It Me Omar al Busaidy, Lewis Hamilton, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan and Simply Abu Dhabi Co-Founder Arnie Hira

Jeweller Adi Al Fardan, Simply Abu Dhabi Co-Founder Arnie Hira, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan and Author Mr Omar Al Busaidy

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n an exclusive event which could only be described as adrenaline fuelled, in partnership with Mercedes AMG Petronas, globally renowned loyalty programme Starwood Preferred Guest welcomed three-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan to the highest active helipad in the Middle East, atop the 255-metre tall Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi with a high tech simulation race.

The owners of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi hotel and helipad took exhilaration to new heights, literally, by presenting a high tech simulation race with the living legend at the very top of the tower, which is surrounded by stunning panoramic views of the capital.

Hamilton, who is the 2008, 2014 and 2015 world champion, and who was in contention with childhood friend Nico Rosberg for this year’s title before Rosberg stormed to victory on Sunday 27 November, said of the event: “The energy on the helipad of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi was incredible, and the views were spectacular. It was a fantastic evening with our partners at SPG and some amazing fans. Experiences like this are something you can’t even imagine, and will never forget!”

His Highness, accompanied by Simply Abu Dhabi, attended the event specifically to meet with the F1 legend.

With F1 fever sweeping the capital during the most prominent event in the Abu Dhabi calendar, at a time when even the most discerning global travellers make their way to the Yas Marina for the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the biggest names in the F1 world, as well as thousands of dedicated fans, descended on the city.

In 2012, SPG announced their global strategic partnership with Mercedes AMG Petronas, becoming the team’s official partner. The programme often hosts the team as they travel to the various Grand Prix venues across the world.

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Lewis Hamilton

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Mohammed Al Mubarak, Author Omar Al Busaidy, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan and Simply Abu Dhabi Co-Founder Arnie Hira

SPG is an innovative, award-winning frequent traveller programme that unites eleven distinctive hotel brands and includes more luxury hotels in more destinations around the world.

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi offers a truly immersive atmosphere and an uncompromising, unerring dedication to extraordinary service, which in the years since it opened has become one of the preferred destinations in the Emirates for discovering memorable moments.

Daniel Kerzner, VP of Digital, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing at SPG, who hosted the event, said: “Our strategic partnership with Mercedes AMG Petronas supports our focus on innovation and connecting with guests in the most captivating of ways. The event at the St. Regis with Lewis Hamilton was literally over the top, suspended high over the magnificent Abu Dhabi skyline.

Located at the heart of Abu Dhabi on the Corniche, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi hotel merges authentic Arabian hospitality and over a hundred years of bespoke St. Regis traditions to become the social epicentre for the connoisseurs in the art of living.

Moustafa Sakr, General Manager of the hotel, said: “What a thrill to host the action!

This historic moment celebrates world-class sporting talent and continues to highlight our commitment to an innovative legacy of excellence for our guests.”

“We were able to capture some breathtaking social first content that will support a massive online campaign in the coming days. We’re thrilled to be able to showcase Abu Dhabi to the world like never before.”

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hen Mercedes-AMG invited us to the UK for a sneak preview of its hottest creation, the 585bhp, AMG GT R, we of course said yes even though we knew we couldn’t drive it.

While getting the chance to steer the GT R was off limits, we did have access to a three-time World Formula One Champion by the name of Lewis Hamilton who had driven it, as he was Simply Abu Dhabi’s guest tester for the day.

Like most of us, Lewis likes the finer things in life, so our time wasn’t all cars but also discovering his appreciation for private jets, speedboats and motorbikes.

As a brand ambassador for Bombardier, his custom red and black Challenger 605 is a familiar sight at airports around the globe including our own Al Bateen Executive Terminal not far from the Yas Marina Circuit, the scene of last month’s final round of the 2016 Formula One World Championship. Being such a distinctive jet, it provides a glimpse into his world of fashion and his eye for detail, something which has rubbed off on the new AMG GT R. “Man, has this car got great grip,” the Mercedes AMG Petronas star said as we walked around it after he’d completed a few tyre-smoking laps of the old Brooklands circuit. “It’s probably one of the best cars AMG has ever done. This is a project I wanted to be involved in from the start as I have a lot of cars including an AMG SL65 Black Series that I got as a gift from Abu Dhabi a few years back on the Grand Prix weekend plus a Pagani Huayra that’s also AMGpowered.

“Besides, I drive the fastest car Mercedes makes nearly every weekend so it’s been good to get involved with the GT R project. I love its wide bodied stance but it’s also the power and the sound that I really love about this,” he added.

Blasting to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds and holding a 318km/h top speed, the GT R is the fastest production Mercedes ever produced and despite its heavy use of hand-fabricated components, AMG has declared that it won’t be a limited run but will be produced in numbers guided by market demand.

To the casual observer, the GT R may look similar to the AMG GT S, but thanks to its global GT3 motor racing programme which kicked off with the Dubai 24-hour endurance race last January, the GT R is a major step up that includes a rework of its aero kit, suspension, engine and use of lightweight materials.

“Mercedes told me they were doing this AMG GT R project and asked if I’d like to get involved,” Hamilton said. “By that stage some of it had already been designed so I still have more ideas for the next one. There’s no doubting this is pretty awesome, but I’ve also been thinking about speccing my own version too,” the triple world champion said.

It’s offered in an eye-watering shade of green known as AMG Green Hell Mango, a reference to the Nordeschliefe circuit of the Nurburgring known as the Green Hell where Mercedes dominated this year’s 24-hour classic by taking the top four places with the AMG GT in May. “I love this car so much, but I’m already thinking ahead and for the next one I’ve asked Mercedes if I can get involved from the very start. So we’ve now spoken about doing a limited edition LH Series which I would be very handson with,” Hamilton said.

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“I love design in general and not just with cars. I’ve discovered a creative side in the past few years so I spec all my cars as well as my private jet to a detail most people don’t go near. I like to be involved in every step. With my Bombardier Challenger 605, I specced the undercarriage and the beacons on the top of the plane and pretty much everything inside. My MV Agusta is the same as it’s quite unique. I’ve always loved motorbikes and I ride it everywhere. I have a bike in LA and a couple more in Monaco because the sound and the feeling of freedom I get especially with the MV is awesome.”

The AMG GT R features a wider front and rear guards which allow for an increased track width to improve grip and increase cornering speeds, as well as a new front splitter with active elements that block or direct air around the nose as needed. It also drops 40mm at 80km/h which, at 250km/h, provides 40kg less lift over the front axle.

The front end treatment works in conjunction with a larger rear wing and a double rear diffuser to help keep it pinned to the road.

Aside from the wings, the major visual change is the adoption of the Panamericana slotted grille borrowed from the GT3 racers, paying homage to the 1952 Panamericana-winning 300SL in Mexico.

With Hamilton’s love of all things auto-related and AMG’s move into the private aviation market through providing bespoke interiors as well as its recent launch of a €2.5 million cigarette boat, you can see what’s next on his wish list.

“I’ve always wanted a cigarette boat,” he said. “That Silver Arrows Marine is damn fast. I took it out and I was not expecting it to be that quick. It really shifted. It was really choppy the day that I drove it but I found a small spot of still water and I floored it. When those turbos kicked in, I was like, ‘I need one of these in Miami.’

“Away from the track I don’t really drive that fast but sometimes it’s just good to have the feel of a race car under you when you go to the supermarket. I was really surprised with the GT R, particularly with the sound of it. I reckon it’s a beast for the road.

Looking at the design, the curves, the sound, the engine, all those

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things; in my eyes, there’s nothing else like it. Normally cars look a bit too high from the tyres up but they’ve lowered this car to perfection and that wing at the back, it just looks fat.”

The GT R includes active rear wheel steering and adjustable coil-over suspension with additional electronic control, while from the inside a conspicuous yellow rotary dial for the nine-way adjustable traction control system in the centre console is virtually the only tell-tale over the S model that this is something special. The only other giveaway is the pair of lightweight seats that shave 16kg from the car’s weight.

Other weight savings compared to the AMG GT S come from a 40 percent lighter torque tube that cuts 14kg off the scales, as well as carbon ceramic brakes which save 17kg and forged alloy wheels. Overall, with the new additions, the GT R comes in at 1555kg which represents a 15kg saving over the AMG GT S. Yet despite this, it still leaves Hamilton wanting more.

“I haven’t ordered my GT R yet but I’m thinking I’ll go for black-on-black like the Knight Rider with some kind of LED light across the nose. Seriously. For the interior, suede and some carpet maybe. Generally with the cars I get, I rarely show the carbon fibre because I race in a carbon fibre car all the time so I usually have them painted, but the GT R is more of a racing car, so I’d probably have two-tone inside with suede and as much gloss carbon as I can show.

“I’d ask them not to include things that aren’t necessary, so no speakers because I want to make the car as light as possible but with more horsepower. Because I always want more than the next car, even if it’s the same model.”

Prices for the Middle East haven’t been revealed, but it will be a sizable percentage over the AED580,000 currently hanging over the AMG GT S. And if the LH Series comes to fruition, don’t expect anything subtle.

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NICO ROSBERG CELEBRATES HIS FIRST F1 WORLD TITLE AT AMBER LOUNGE WITH FELLOW F1 DRIVERS

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ith the 2016 Formula 1 championship now firmly behind them, newly crowned world champion Nico Rosberg and a host of other F1 drivers took to one of Abu Dhabi’s top venues to celebrate his win.

Rosberg joined 14 other drivers from the F1 fraternity such as Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Other big names included Nico Hulkenberg, Felipe Massa, Carlo Sainz, Romain Grosjean, Jenson Button, Kevin Magnussen, Felipe Nasr, Pascal Wehrlein, Marcus Ericsson and Esteban Ocon.

Known to many for the world’s most exclusive sporting events, the Amber Lounge was for the seventh year in a row the top destination for drivers looking to celebrate the outcome to the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Taking place at the Yas Links golf club, the party was packed to the rafters with world jetsetters, music stars and some of the most beautiful women in the Middle East and the F1 world.

The Amber Lounge retained its status as the biggest hotspot during race weekends, and lived up to its promise of being the only place for those looking to merge the glamourous, fast-paced spirit of Formula 1 and the sophistication of a truly unique after-party. Two separate and electrifying Grand Prix race weekend parties were held on both Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th.

Music was provided by British R&B superstar Jay Sean, who performed some of his most popular hits including Do You Remember, as well as a track from his new album entitled Make My Love Go, which dazzled the spellbound crowd with its unique, soulful and rhythmic vibe. Sean was also joined by six huge DJs from around the world including PBHand and DJ ONO.

The party escalated to electrifying new heights when the newly crowned F1 champion was carried onto the stage by the ecstatic crowd.

Drivers Jenson Button and Felipe Massa celebrated the end of the season race with team members, friends and family, and even took part in DJing, as well as sharing with guests some of the most memorable moments of their careers. Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlo Sainz also ended up standing on the sofas to mark the memorable occasion.

“This year’s Amber Lounge Abu Dhabi was the highlight of the year,” said Sonia Irvine, founder of Amber Lounge. “The venue was fully packed each day and on Sunday a line-up of drivers partied with our VIPs until late. Everyone left having experienced one of the best Amber Lounge parties. Our sponsors helped us deliver the five star service for which we are famous for. They have all been fabulous – it’s a real pleasure to be collaborating with them.”

During the racing weekend, the Amber Lounge Celebrity Yacht immersed its guests into the high-octane atmosphere of F1 with the ultimate race-viewing hospitality. F1 drivers Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Gutierrez, Stoffel Vandoorne and Eddie Jordan rubbed shoulders with Jay Sean and VIPs. The attendees enjoyed Nico Rosberg winning the race from one of the marina’s best viewpoints.

Amber Lounge Abu Dhabi created the ultimate experience and allowed VIP guests to enjoy Abu Dhabi’s most glamorous destination in a true race spirit either during the day on its celebrity yacht or at night, in the club.

The 2016 Formula 1 season might have come to an end but Amber Lounge has already announced that it will return to the F1 hotspots of Monaco, Singapore, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi next year.

Both parties were unforgettable and adrenaline-fuelled, but it was Sunday’s party which was jam-packed of the biggest F1 names, with drivers flocking to the venue knowing it was the only place to be after the championship race.

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Simply Nico Rosberg

By Arnie S Hira

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Are you doing any specific outside-the-box preparations for this important race, or just the same old routine?

n the days leading up to the final race of the F1 season, CEO of Simply Abu Dhabi Arnie Hira was able to steal a few moments with Tumi Global citizen and F1 driver Nico Rosberg, who would later go on to storm to victory at the championship final on Sunday.

No, I’m not going to change anything this weekend, for sure. It is the title decider, yeah, but I’ve taken a certain approach before and that has brought me to the place I am now, fighting for the championship. It’s worked for me, so I don’t think there’s any point in changing it now. I’m going to stick with it and try and do the best I can and go for the race win.

During the intimate conversation the two discussed the upcoming race, preparation routines, and what impact becoming a father has had on Nico's outlook, both at home and on the track.'

What is your daily pre-race de-stress routine then?

You’ve said before that when you’re on the track, you aren’t thinking about the result – you’re just enjoying the battle and focusing on the race.

This year you’re so close to your first title – is it still only about the battle?

Before the race, I like to put my headphones on and put on some dance music, and I like to dance around. That’s a typical race preparation for me.

The mental approach plays an important role in the sport, so I try to focus on the race and be in the moment, focus on what’s in front of me, try and do my best and not focus on the result. But of course I drive because I love to compete, I love to try and be better than everyone else and I also love to win; winning is so emotional, it’s really spectacular, so it’s a combination.

When you and Lewis were kids, did you ever think you’d be in this position, in contention for the world title?

We dreamed about it, yes [laughs] but did we ever think it would become reality?

Not necessarily, no… It was a little bit farfetched. But we definitely spoke about it.

You’re known for being so poised and calm. Is it all on the outside, or do you feel it inside too?

How are you handling the pressure of racing against your teammate for the world championship?

It’s 100 percent Hollywood. Inside I’m not that calm! [laughs]. In general, I manage to stay composed but of course inside there is adrenaline, and fighting spirit. I like to try and keep the focus and not let too many things interfere, and it seems to work.

It’s a new experience, and I’m getting used to it, but pressure is always part of the job. With all that adrenaline going, I just have to make sure that I keep doing my best, and not think about anything else.

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Have you had a chance to test yourself against the upcoming rule changes, wider wings and bigger tyres, going five seconds a lap quicker to add more value for the fans, due to be implemented next year?

I’ve tested the new tyres. There’s better grip, and I think that’s a step in the right direction.

Do you think it’s the right thing for the sport?

I haven’t tested the cars yet, but I think it’s a good thing for the drivers. We love to go faster, faster is always better, and it’s going to be good for the sport because it’s going to mix everything up. It will be more exciting for the fans, and more difficult for us to win. It’s a new ball game, and everybody is starting from scratch.

If you had a blank canvas, how would you build a Formula 1 car, for both maximum driver enjoyment and the best spectacle?

Well, I’d make it very fast, but I’d make the overtaking a little bit better. How exactly you do that, I don’t know, because if it was easy they would have already done it by now! But I like a challenge.

This is your first full season as a father as well as a driver. Does that change your perspective on race weekends?

Thankfully, it hasn’t changed anything at all. It’s maybe made me a better driver because I arrive a bit happier at the racetrack. Being a father is such an amazing experience, so it might give me a little bit of an edge in that sense.

What are your plans for after Abu Dhabi? Are you sticking around or heading straight back for debriefings and preparing for next season?

There’s still a lot to do after the race, such as prize ceremonies and PR stuff, and then I think for two weeks or so I’ll take a break for Christmas.

Being a Tumi Global Citizen, with travel being in their DNA, where would you say is your favourite global destination?

Home, definitely, in Monaco or Ibiza. Even if I had to pick another destination…

Just those two, they’re the best places in the world!

Do you pack your own luggage?

I do… but sometimes my wife helps me… she’s very helpful in many ways.

Private or commercial?

I fly both, but to fly privately, I think, is the ultimate luxury.

Definitely! We work with Gulfstream, and the new G5 model in 2017 is going to be whole other level.

Really? That sounds amazing. I can’t wait!s

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S I M PLY T I M E

By Nick Rice

Time is perhaps the most precious luxury of all.

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ut just what is it? Time is a continuing sequence of events occurring in apparently irreversible succession – from the past through the present to the future. It is a measure of the durations and frequencies of events and the intervals between them.

It is fundamental to being human. So it is no surprise that time has long been a major subject of study in religion, philosophy, and science – but defining it in a manner applicable to all fields, without circularity, has consistently eluded scholars.

Diverse fields such as business, industry, sports, the sciences, music, dance, and theatre nevertheless all incorporate some notion of time into their respective measuring systems. Perhaps we can do no better than simple definitions of time, such as ‘time is what clocks measure’; and ‘time is what keeps everything from happening at once’.

Horology (from the Greek: ωρα, ‘hour, time’ and λόγος, logos, ‘study, speech’), literally means the study of time. Fortunately, keeping track of time is simpler than defining and studying it, and a wide variety of devices have been invented to do just that, among them: clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers.

Nick Rice takes a look at the world’s finest time keepers and share their stunning visual beauty with you.

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Harry Winston Midnight Date Moon Phase Automatic 36mm

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he moon has so much wonder and romance infused with it that it is an endless source of inspiration. Watchmakers have paid tribute to this most precious of symbols countless times, but the Midnight Date Moon Phase Automatic 36mm from the king of diamonds Harry Winston is a true exception for its sheer elegance and mastery of design.

Part of Harry Winston’s Midnight timepiece collection, unveiled eight years ago to pay tribute to traditional watchmaking – specifically classic round cases with mechanical automatic movements – the Midnight Date Moon Phase is a stunning ladies’ watch.

The size is ideal at 36mm and the watch is available in 18 carat rose or white gold and, quite appropriately, it twinkles with 83 brilliant-cut diamonds set on the bezel and lugs. Plus, we find three larger diamonds set near the crown which refer to the arched doorway of Harry Winston’s flagship New York boutique on Fifth Avenue.

At the heart of this sophisticated timepiece is a miniaturised version of the 42mm Midnight Date Moon Phase and thus it is the perfect female counterpart of the men’s watch. The HW3205 calibre – a beautiful mechanical automatic movement – animates the moon phases, the date complication and the hours and minutes.

It is equipped with a silicon balance spring beating at 28,800 vph per hour, with the advantages of silicon being the lightness it offers over metal balance springs. It is also impervious to magnetic fields and corrosion, and it is shock-resilient, flexible and less prone to deformation. As the brand says, “This avant-garde material will ensure years and years of impeccable service and optimise the overall isochronism of the movement.”

Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement and the gold rotor are beautifully handfinished and decorated with circular Côtes de Genève motifs – an exclusive feature of Harry Winston’s timepieces. With a power reserve of 68 hours, the time and date are set on the crown and the moon phases can be adjusted with a corrector hidden on the case at 8 o’clock. Presented on a white alligator leather strap with a pearly finish matching the mother of pearl dial, the 18 carat white or rose gold ardillon buckle secures the watch safely on the wrist.

Describing the watch, Harry Winston says, “The complication tracks the phases of our celestial neighbour.

With its dreamy white mother-of-pearl canvas set alight with twinkling stars, this exquisite timepiece is destined to exert a strong gravitational pull on your imagination.”

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Bovet 1822 19 Thirty Collection

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ovet 1822 is a remarkable watch manufacturer that does not bask in the limelight; the company does not promote its extraordinary watches at sprawling booths during the annual watch fairs of Baselworld or SIHH, but instead it quietly works diligently behind the scenes maintaining a solid, totally self-sufficient business producing exquisite timepieces.

With a relatively small annual production of around 3000 watches, Bovet 1822 ensures that each one is an individual masterpiece. The company was bought by Pascal Raffy in 2001, and he consolidated the acquisition with the purchase of watch movement supplier STT in 2006, which he renamed Dimier 1738.

The Dimier 1738 movement manufacturer is now comprised of what used to be STT, including Watch U License, the company owning all of STT’s intellectual property, STT Complications SA specialising in tourbillons, STT Mechanical Movements SA developing movements, STT SPIR-IT producing balance springs, and Aigat, a stamping firm.

Now Bovet 1822 is a true proprietary manufacturer creating every component of their creations. The only complication that is not made in-house is the chronograph, and that is due to be brought under their respected roof by 2018. So we can only expect to see more wonderful things from Bovet 1822, with their watches being appreciated by a wider audience than solely horology experts. In 2015 Bovet launched the 19Thirty collection – the Bovet’s entry-level watch with a price point just below $20,000.

This stainless steel watch has two distinct versions, one with a Fleurier case which is obviously inspired by pocket watches and can be worn on the wrist or used as a pocket watch or even a table clock. The second is specifically a wristwatch and has a Dimier case with the crown at 3 o’clock.

The name of the collection is a reference to the year 1930, which is widely agreed upon as the era in which the change in fashion from pocket watches to wristwatches started to occur and become commonplace. The two versions are remarkable not only for their immediate aesthetic appeal, but also for the extreme thinness of the cases – a result of the slim calibre powering them. Measuring just 42mm by 9.05mm, these could almost be considered ultra-flat timepieces.

The dial of the 19Thirty features two sub dials, one for the hours and minutes, and one for the seconds, which customers can select in a choice of three colours: blued steel, cold enamel ivory and black brushed. Lucky owners of the watch may also choose between Arabic, Roman, and Chinese numerals (Bovet were one of the first Swiss watch companies to sell watches in China and Bovet was even a by-word for watch in Chinese).

Regardless of the colour combination, the dials stand in effective relief from the silver rhodium-plated base plate. Also visible on the plate is a seven-day power reserve indication, which sits above the single spring barrel. The finished base plate is decorated with a circular Côtes de Genève pattern, enhancing the sense of movement as the light dances on the brush swirls.

The 19Thirty collection was such a hit when it was unveiled last spring that Bovet 1822 decided to treat collectors and connoisseurs to something more than the stainless steel models: the 19Thirty in a prestigious new red gold case.

As before the three different dial colours are available, but now they are decorated with an impressive sunray guilloche. The option of three types of numerals also remains but now the customer can also choose to have a diamond set bezel and bow. On the wrist, the 19Thirty collection is both comfortable and hypnotisingly eye-catching, and performance-wise it offers stellar chronometry.

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hirty-four years ago Christophe Claret left watchmaking school with the highest possible accolade – a diploma reserved for only the most exceptional students.

After graduating Claret spent almost a year working with Roger Dubuis, another talented watchmaker whom he had met during his training. During this period, he learned a great deal by working with perpetual calendar watches.

Since that time Claret has not disappointed and has surpassed the high expectations his tutors had of him.

Since 1989 Claret has been a boutique watchmaker, creating a range of playful and incomparably Christophe Claret timepieces in Switzerland, surrounded by the Neuchâtel mountain range. Claret is uncompromisingly oriented towards invention, constantly trying to achieve new heights, pushing boundaries and looking for new ways to express time. Within his manufacture – the Manoir du Soleil d’Or – everything is organised to promote the free flow of ideas to facilitate new inventions.

The new Christophe Claret Mecca watch is one such exclusive creation which will find a delighted audience. The brand’s inspiration for the invention is “When spirituality drives mechanics”.

Conveying a message of peace and tolerance, the iconic Kaaba monument that symbolises the Muslim faith, is presented in three dimensional glory at the heart of the dial.

The striking visual element of the Mecca timepiece is achieved using the optical phenomenon of the mirascope. Formed by the unique process of combining two identical parabolic mirrors on top of each other, the mirascope system creates a hologram of an object, in this case the Kaaba – the cube-shaped building at the centre of the sacred mosque in the Holy City of Mecca. Not only does the monument seem to be two times bigger than it actually is on the dial, it is also displayed with a 360° view.

Achieving this spectacular effect was a daunting technological challenge. The brand says, “Two months of research and several prototypes were integral to obtaining the desired optical effect. The next critical step was designing and crafting the hour and minute hands, which had to be reconfigured, as the mirascope was now the centrepiece of the watch. The hands became pointers revolving on an invisible ring around the perimeter of the dial, each equipped with a

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counterweight to optimise stability. The challenge of creating the hands was to find a material light enough to compensate for the relatively larger – though mainly concealed – size of the display mechanism. The solution was to use anticorodal (aluminium), which has an excellent rigidity/weight coefficient.”

The Mecca also features further tributes to Muslim culture with case decorations in grey and green – the colours which are associated with Islam. In times where intolerance and division are spreading, this watch represents peace and tolerance, and accordingly every detail was carefully conceived. The brand states that the Mecca timepiece features “A wealth of emblematic elements and references to the Muslim faith… To accentuate the symbolism of the piece, the Arabic hour numerals were then replaced at 5 o’clock by a natural diamond and at 7 o’clock by a black spinel. The latter symbolises the black stone located at the South-East angle of the Kaaba through which Muslims start the seven rounds of the Tawaf in a counter clockwise direction. The diamond represents this same stone, as described in the Koran before it became black due to repeated touching by pilgrims.” The aesthetic and symbolic spectacle is continued on to the back of the Mecca timepiece. The ball-bearing cover is adorned with a transfer depicting the Kaaba, with the movement’s self-winding oscillating weight rotating around it.

Three inscriptions of Arabic expressions provide the final touches to this spiritually inspired timepiece. At 12 o’clock, Masjid alHaram’ means the sacred mosque, at 4 o’clock, the word Tawaf evokes the seven turns pilgrims perform around the Kaaba, and finally at 8 o’clock we see ‘Makkah alMukarramah. meaning the Holy City of Mecca.

Claret says that, “For all these years, my real source of motivation has been to actually make watches based on simple sketches of the initial ideas behind a product. Seeing that special sparkle in the eyes of collectors and devotees of extremely high-end watchmaking who acquire my timepieces is a source of great satisfaction to me.” Only 63 of such enthusiasts and collectors will get the chance to wear the Mecca watch, as only 63 will be made, in order to correspond with the age of the Prophet Mohammed when he died.

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he world-famed luxury goods giant Louis Vuitton selected Paris Fashion Week as the fitting platform to launch their latest collection entitled Blossom. Featuring both high jewellery and precious watches, the double collection celebrates a key symbol of the Maison that was founded in France in 1854: the Monogram Flower.

The stunning range of watches in this new line take the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram flower petal and places it proudly centre stage on the dial. Shining out in exquisitely sculpted mother of pearl, this key Louis Vuitton symbol makes the whole range of watches in this family instantly recognisable and distinguished.

Being such an eye-catching centrepiece, the petal symbol on the dials had to be flawlessly designed and meticulously executed. Thankfully the Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton is more than up to the task, and the three dimensional flowers, each sculpted from a single piece of mother-of-pearl, are a lesson in delicate craftsmanship and echo the techniques used for cameos. Shrouded in soft blue or pink, the final effect is subtle yet absolute. They glow with femininity and grace.

The watches also feature diamonds and the range includes a steel design with a studded bezel and index through to a pink gold version with a snow-set face. Cases and indexes are also diamond-paved on the Tambour Spin Time and Tambour Monogram Tourbillon. On the latter, one of the petals of the flower is replaced by the flower-shaped cage of the tourbillon, a remarkable in-house creation.

The Tambour Spin Time also has a proprietary movement that displays the time via a series of rotating diamond-studded cubes placed around the central flower. All of these exceptional timepieces are mounted on alligator bracelets that correspond with the pink or blue shade of the Monogram Flower.

As always with Louis Vuitton, the Blossom collection in both jewellery and watches represents a triumph of innovation and style in the finest quality.

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Louis Vuitton Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève

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his is a remarkable timepiece for many reasons, such as the eye-popping impact of its alluring emptiness and the compelling desire to own one that it elicits from the viewer.

But for watch connoisseurs there is one distinction above all others that make this a seminal moment for Louis Vuitton, and that is the accolade of the Poinçon de Genève, which translates as Hallmark of Geneva but is more commonly referred to as the Geneva Seal.

horological expertise of Geneva synonymous with provenance, craftsmanship and reliability.

Effectively, the Geneva Seal guarantees every aspect of the watch’s performance and ensures collectors benefit from the reliability of a highly technical watch. And this is a highly collectable and technical timepiece. In contrast to the lightness it evokes visually, when you actually hold this transparent beauty there is an eyebrow raising surprise in sheer reassuring weight. This is because the case is in platinum, and its smooth curves and rounded lines makes one think of the beloved 1970s style watches by the lauded master watchmaker, Gerald Genta.

Introduced by the Republic and Canton of Geneva in 1886 as the ultimate standard in excellence and an emblem of Geneva’s fine watchmaking expertise, the Poinçon de Genève is a certificate awarded to timepieces with remarkable finishes and decorative details, and it provides the connoisseur with proof of the authenticity and

Entirely designed, developed and constructed in-house by the experts

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at La Fabrique du Temps, the high complication movement specialist workshop acquired by the prestigious Parisian brand in 2012, the new skeleton movement is hand-wound and boasts a one-minute tourbillon regulator.

The time appears to float as it is displayed at 12 o’clock, with most of the gear train and the mainspring hidden away. The keyless works for winding and setting at 3 o’clock seems to be the only thing anchoring the movement to the case. On the caseback the movement is more visible, with the main plate taking the form of a double V. Now it’s possible to see how this fascinating calibre is constructed.

The mainspring carefully distributing the power is at the top, with energy transmitted via the gilded gears down to the tourbillon regulator at 6 o’clock”.

The slightly ovoid case shape features a flat bezel that flares at the edges.

The brushed finish is most becoming and the short plunging lugs are a fitting touch. The size is actually rather restrained at 41mm wide and just over 9mm high, and mounted on the narrow leather strap it functions perfectly as both a formal dress watch and a more versatile statement timepiece.

Louis Vuitton has boldly taken its place at the table of high horology. In the brand’s own words, “The Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève watch is a major advancement for Louis Vuitton watchmaking. The powerful impact of nothingness imposes its presence in this timepiece where the radically contemporary approach is combined with the highest degree of watchmaking quality.”

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ast your eye around any international travel hub anywhere in the world and you are guaranteed to see the unmistakeable signature of Louis Vuitton emblazoned on the luggage of discerning travellers. The classic LV monogram symbol of the House is formed by the two entwined initials of Louis Vuitton and is a sure sign of the utmost quality that has been upheld since Louis Vuitton founded his company in 1854.

The metal plaques on the LV Fifty Five watches are a striking motif that reference the locks found on the historical trunks.

Louis Vuitton was justifiably proud of introducing his secure locking feature, and it remains a highlight in the brand’s contemporary luggage today. The winding crown also resembles the distinctive roud rivets that were nailed on the trunk’s exterior. As a final knowing touch, the links of the metal bracelet are shaped like the handles.

The soft leather straps also use historic techniques to create a comfortable fit and they deftly show off the LVmonogrammed deployant clasps. The two smaller models have ultra-soft Veau Cachemire straps in pink or grey, while the 41mm model uses more robust black Taurillon leather. The full colour range offers white, grey, rose ballerine, grass green, dawn, fuchsia and cobalt. A metal bracelet is also available to emulate the original trunk. The watches come in three sizes, with the 31mm (quartz) and 36mm (automatic) perfect for smaller wrists, while the larger 41mm GMT automatic has a green hand to mark a second time zone.

The discreet and finely engraved winding crown are a final reminder of the heads of the trunk rivets, and firmly root the timepiece in the Louis Vuitton tradition.

The LV Fifty Five watch collection is inspired by this globetrotting heritage.

The number derives from the Roman numerals LV, which is 55, and the design codes of these watches are an affectionate reference to a popular type of trunk made for intrepid explorers who needed a lightweight trunk for their equipment and attire. Aluminium was the material of choice for the trunk due to its robust strength and lightness – ideal for fending off the elements in the hot and humid jungle.

Complementing the men’s collection of the LV Fifty Five, the design of the women’s line is like an echo travelling down the decades from when the famous Parisian travel goods specialist made these superlative trunks for daring Victorian explorers.

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Louis Vuitton Voyager GMT Automatic Dual Time Zone

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aunched in April this year alongside the equally impressive Louis Vuitton Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève, the Voyager GMT features a distinctive case. An almost ovoid shape, it’s somewhere between a circle and a square and it’s evidence of Louis Vuitton’s dedication and desire to innovate and experiment – laudable traits from the brand that signify the creativity that has been the founding spirit behind La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

The case holds your attention with its interplay between texture and volume. It has satin-finished sides and a polished top, a satin-finished dial and rounded hour and minute markers. The appealing curves cleverly reflect light in all directions and it’s exceedingly comfortable on the wrist, too. The Voyager GMT’s reduced thickness and compact diameter means it’s ideal as an everyday watch, and of course the GMT complication makes it perfect for travellers.

The dial was conceived based on the letter V, the signature originally designed by Gaston-Louis Vuitton. As the House’s great innovator, he made it his personal emblem. The V indicates 12 o’clock and also

forms the steel bridge that supports the dial. The tip of a larger V also operates as the indicator for the GMT second 24-hour format time zone. The time zone disc gives a stylish edge two-tone colouring to indicate day and night. By incorporating the Vs into the functionality of the watch this cleverly avoids a sense of overly-conspicuous branding.

The Voyager GMT is powered by a Swiss automatic movement that operates at 4Hz with a relatively hefty 42 hours of power reserve. The transparent caseback also reveals a custom LV automatic rotor. The steel version of the Louis Vuitton Voyager GMT watch will be available with either a lighter silver-grey dial or a darker anthracite grey dial. The 18 carat pink gold version comes with a deep blue dial.

For more than a century, Louis Vuitton has accompanied travellers on their journeys, from city to city, time zone to time zone. In their own words, this watch is “The ultimate globetrotter’s tool with a contemporary design – an undeniably masculine, urban and modern watch.”

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Perrelet Watch Turbine Pilot Grand Raid

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errelet’s flagship Turbine collection is hugely popular with fans of this highly esteemed Swiss watch brand, and so unsurprisingly the release of the Perrelet Turbine Pilot Grand Raid – a new 100 only limitededition watch with a military-aviation theme – is more than welcome news for many.

The Turbine collection first greeted watch collectors’ eager eyes in 2009, with Double Rotor technology which is now a signature element of the brand. There have been many interpretations of the Turbine watches including the threehand version, the diver’s watch, the women’s, GMT and chronograph models, plus a grand complication version called the Turbillon (a combination of the turbine and the tourbillon).

Now the Grand Raid comes as part of the Turbine Pilot collection, which made its debut in 2014, the Grand Raid is distinguished from other Turbine watches by the circular slide rule bezel that rings its mobile turbine-inspired double-rotor dial. Comprised of concentric circles with different graduated scales, and an inner ring that rotates in both directions, this instrument, which is controlled by the crown at 3 o’clock, allows pilots to effectively and swiftly make numerical calculations and convert measurement data while in flight.

Indeed, the Turbine Pilot collection and the Grand Raid look as though they were conceived and created by a crack team of aviation engineers, but it was the expert

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watchmaking engineers in Perrelet’s ateliers that devised the initial sketches that evolved into these innovative timepieces.

The dial is an impressive technological accomplishment and quite hypnotising in action. The black under-dial with beige streaks emerges when the turbine, formed of 12 anodised aluminium blades, starts to turn. The five tungsten counterweights beneath the blades ensure that the Turbine rotates with the faintest flick of the wrist. The optical effect and the kaleidoscopic swirl belie a complex interplay of components, assembled meticulously to achieve a perfectly balanced result and optimal functioning.

To ensure excellent legibility in any light conditions, the hands, the Arabic numerals 3-6-9-12, and the hour-markers applied to the sapphire crystal are all in luminescent beige – a colour chosen in harmony with the streaks adorning the under-dial. The bidirectional inner dial ring is activated by the crown at 3 o’clock, while the time can be set using the crown integrated into the case at 9 o’clock.

The Grand Raid is powered by the Perrelet Calibre P-331, an in-house movement with automatic winding, a frequency of 28,800 vph, and a power reserve of 42 hours.

Among the movement’s haute horlogerie decorations is a rhodium-plated winding rotor which is smartly decorated with the Perrelet logo. With an on-trend beige nylon strap and a black-PVD-treated steel buckle, the Grand Raid is a contemporary high flyer.

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The Raymond Weil Freelancer Watch is a panda-faced beauty – sporty for sure, but not too brash. It’s a subtle seducer and it comes in three models: a silver dial with a dark blue tachymeter bezel and sub dials, a punchy black dial with yellow hands, and finally a slick silver dial and dynamic red hands. The guilloche decorated silver dial and dark blue PVD coated tachymeter bezel and sub dials is tough competition, but each to their own combination.

ast year saw the end or an era with the passing of the namesake and founder of Raymond Weil watches. But what a legacy Mr. Weil has left behind, which the company carries on in bold fashion as one of a scarce breed of independent watchmakers. For over forty years the company has grown: the brightly lit Raymond Weil sign proudly illuminates the night on Geneva’s skyline and the name is now synonymous with sophistication, culture and the arts.

At the heart of the Freelancer 7740 is the RW Calibre 5010 – a mechanical chronograph with automatic winding and a power reserve of 46 hours. Besides the chronograph the functions are central hours, minutes and, seconds, and the case is in stainless steel with a blue PVD hard coating. The size is a hefty 43.5mm at but it looks surprisingly modest on the wrist. The screwed-down crown bears the reassuring RW logo and the sapphire crystal is dual-sided with an antiglare treatment. Water resistant to 100 metres and mounted on a perforated calf leather strap, it looks so good it sings.

Established in 1976, this highly regarded Swiss watchmaker spent four decades creating a series of collections and some already classic timepieces. Now this solid independent family company continues to create elegant and refined watches for men and women with the founder’s grandson Elie Bernheim at the helm.

The Geneva-based company continues to develop and consolidate its status among the leading names of the Swiss watch industry with the Raymond Weil Freelancer 7740. It’s part of a collection that is continuously reinventing itself, unfettered by any sense of rules, yet maintaining the core traits that comprise its strengths. It’s a series of watches dedicated to free spirits and to personalities who go their own way.

Music and the arts is at the core of Raymond Weil’s creative output and the brand is associated with renowned artists, iconic music brands, emblematic concert halls, award ceremonies and music-related charities. The launch and well-positioned price of the Freelancer 7740 will be more music to the ears of the brand’s many admirers.

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nveiled in September at the impossibly sophisticated Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille event in France, the RM11-03 Flyback Chronograph is part of a new generation of the RM 011 watch line. For the last nine years the RM 011 has been one of Richard Mille’s most popular and acclaimed watch lines and now it steps down from the glory and passes the baton onto the next generation. It’s always better to step down at the height of your powers and allow the next wave to come through.

requires a cutting edge and uncompromising approach from concept to completion. A holistic conceptual strategy is used to create the movement, case and dial. Accordingly, everything is constructed to strict criteria and unwaveringly rigorous specifications. In this sense, Richard Mille watches are akin to extreme performance machines like jet planes or Formula 1 cars.

An oversize date sits below 12 o’clock, with the months display appearing between 4 and 5 o’clock. Flashes of red, yellow and green give the dial a vivid feel and make the hands stand out against the multiple layers of the skeletonised RMAC3 movement.

The RMAC3 deploys two barrels, which are mounted side by side, to ensure stable coupling while providing a power reserve of around 55 hours. The 4Hz free sprung balance is highly resistant to shocks and can be tuned more precisely than a traditional balance wheel.

So how has this classic timepiece evolved? The three-part tonneau case is instantly recognisable, but it has been updated by the designers, who have adjusted its lines without compromising this key element of the watch’s identity. The effect is sportier, more vibrant and dynamic.

The flyback chronograph after which the watch is named is activated using the pushers located between 1 and 2 o’clock for starting and between 4 and 5 o’clock for resetting.

The running chronograph can be reset without having to stop the mechanism. This was originally developed for pilots to avoid having to waste time, and therefore accuracy, as a result of stopping, resetting and starting the chronograph whilst crossing a navigational point. The design of both pushers is a suitably slick reference to the pedals of racing cars. Another racing inspired touch is the crown, which evokes racing tyres and wheel rims.

The baseplate is constructed in grade 5 titanium, a highly corrosion-resistant and rigid alloy often used in the aerospace, aeronautical and automobile industries due to its mechanical properties. A watch of this supreme technicality and extreme performance

The RMAC3 is notable for this free sprung balance with variable inertia. This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shocks and also during movement assembly and disassembly, meaning better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to four small adjustable weights located directly on the balance.

The skeletonisation of the RMAC3 is beautifully displayed on both sides of the watch, the caseback side offering a perfect view of the new rotor design, as well as all the other movement parts and bridge – a mind boggling construction and a pinnacle in the field.

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Richard Mille RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal

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ichard Mille has built up a peerless record for establishing long lasting and meaningful collaborations with some of world’s most talented and successful sports stars. The people he works with are not merely brand ambassadors that are paid to help promote the brand – they form genuine friendships with Richard Mille and actively take part in the design and creation of the watches that they wear and lend their name to.

bearing witness to what could well be described as an entirely new, structural approach to watchmaking.

As with all preceding Nadal watches, the RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal is the triumph of countless hours of research, planning and boundless imagination to create a timepiece that is unique in design and formidable in performance. At the heart of the most recent version is the new RMAL1 calibre. The base plate and bridges are constructed out of wet-sandblasted grade 5 titanium, which has been PVD/Titalyt® treated and stretched to ensure supreme rigidity and impeccably smooth surfaces. Its variable inertia balance wheel oscillates at 28,800 vph, and it is driven by a double-barrel system for greater torque stability.

Rafael Nadal is a perfect example of how a friendship is cultivated and a working relationship leads to a series of extraordinary timepieces. The pair first met in 2008, and two years later the RM 027 arrived, replete a carbon nanotube case. There followed remarkable watches such as the cable-suspended movement of the RM 27-01, or the most recent iteration, the RM 2702 with its NTPT carbon unibody baseplate.

It is encouraging to know that Richard Mille not only listens to and works with his superstar collaborators, but also engages with the people who love and buy his creations. The RM 3502 emerged in response to requests from many Richard Mille customers for a self-winding mechanism at the heart of a Nadal calibre. The decision to use the brand’s patented variable

The name Nadal now graces a unique collection of Richard Mille watches that are synonymous with innovation, lightness and shock-resistance. Each of the models they have designed together represents a major leap forward in terms of research and development,

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geometry rotor – a real emblem of Richard Mille’s automatic movements – was an obvious one that makes it possible to adjust the winding to suit the wearer’s activities. In another first for the Nadal collection, the caseback is protected by a sapphire crystal sporting an antireflective treatment so that the calibre may be admired from every angle.

The natural white quartz fibre, which is left undyed as per watchmaking custom, offers a very high resistance/weight ratio, non-allergenic properties and excellent UV resistance. But the true triumph of the engineers at Richard Mille and North Thin Ply Technology resides in the development of a red resin that draws a stark contrast with the natural white of the quartz and its transparent resin.

This dynamic new watch is available in either NTPT carbon or a daring bright Quartz-TPT Red with white highlights. Its silicon layers – each no thicker than 45 microns – are treated with a red resin that has been specially created for Richard Mille, then layered using an automatic system that changes the direction of the fibres in each layer by 45°. Heated under pressure at 120°C in an autoclave similar to those used for aeronautical components, the material is ready to be worked by ProArt, the manufacturer dedicated to the machining of Richard Mille components and cases.

Designed for maximum biocompatibility, stability and resistance and compliant with REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) standards, the Quartz-TPT Red adorning the RM 35-02 can withstand accelerations of up to 5,000 G – high enough to withstand even the most devastating of Nadal’s serves and forehand smashes.

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Richard Mille Tourbillon RM 36-01 Competition G-Sensor Sébastien Loeb

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ébastien Loeb is another champion and Richard Mille collaborator at the very peak of his powers. Having won the world rally championship a record nine times in a row and set the world record of eight minutes and 13 seconds on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado in 2013, Loeb is the most successful driver in WRC history.

being accelerated, suddenly slowed down or shifted in one direction or another. It’s an impressive functional addition which is only 17mm in diameter, and yet is comprised of 50 components and can display forces of up to 6G. The G-force sensor can be rotated manually to align in different directions, enabling drivers to view the lateral deceleration as well as longitudinal forces found respectively in corners, acceleration and braking on straights. The scale which is found below 12 o’clock indicates whether deceleration is safe (green zone) or if it reaches a critical threshold for the driver (red zone). To rest the driver simply presses the central pusher. As you would expect, this kind of

When you’re in the intensity of a race where even milliseconds matter, and your body is under extreme pressure, your timepiece needs to do more than tell the time. That is the motivation behind the creation of the Tourbillon RM 36-01 Competition G-Sensor Sébastien Loeb. The dial is dominated by the central G-Sensor, which displays the force in which the wearer is

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equipment installed on a timepiece is a remarkable technical breakthrough that requires complex assembly and adjustment during construction.

the sensor resembles the hub of a wheel, while the struts that secure the sensor in place are reminiscent of the A-arms of a car’s suspension. The winding crown also features a gate system similar to that of a car’s gear lever. The wearer can choose from the settings (W) Winding, (H) Hand Setting and (N) Neutral.

The tourbillon movement has an indicator at 2 o’clock that displays the status of the huge 70 hour power reserve and a function selector at 4 o’clock. With a case diameter of 47.7mm created from carbon nanotubes for the caseband and titanium for the fixed bezel and caseback, its atypical design means this is an instantly eye-catching creation.

Created in a limited edition run of just 30 pieces, the watch is highly collectible and another marvel of extreme technique from Richard Mille. Sébastien Loeb himself wears this exceptional timepiece during WTCC competitions and all his other motorsport events.

The connection to motorsports is creatively expressed in the design codes of the watch, and

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ndustry stalwart Blancpain recently revealed the stunning plasma grey ceramic version of its three-hand Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, stylishly reinterpreting one of its core timepieces.

The piece is water-resistant to 30 bar, equivalent to around 300 metres, so it is more than capable of going as deep as you can and likely deeper.

The Fifty Fathoms also features the famous 1315 self-winding calibre, which has long distinguished itself from other, similar offerings thanks to its sturdiness and exceptional chronometric performance. The calibre, originally conceived for sports watches, is fitted with a robust glucydur balance wheel, with square-head gold micrometric regulating screws, guaranteeing precision as well as efficient adjustment.

The plasma grey edition of the model is outfitted with a deep blue dial which evokes the depths of the ocean, a diving watch suitable even for those who only ever dip their toe. Its allure is amplified with the use of a blue ceramic insert alongside the beautiful plasma grey.

The blue ceramic insert features Liquidmetal hour markers, a special alloy which serves to prevent and avoid distortions. The case itself features a subtle metallic shade, a result of its unique production method. A similar production method was used to create the Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback Ocean Commitment which was launched in 2014.

Perhaps most impressive, however, is the Fifty Fathom’s three series-coupled mainspring barrels, which ensure a generous five-day power reserve whilst guaranteeing a constant supply of energy – a truly authentic technological feat. This movement is even visible through the clear sapphire caseback, allowing you to admire the inner workings of the piece.

Blancpain’s Bathyscaphe has a history which reaches right back to the late 1950s, where both men’s and women’s versions were revealed to the world. It went on to become one of the brand’s flagship pieces.

The Fifty Fathoms is fitted with a balance spring set in silicon, an innovative material within the watch industry which offers low density, making it light, strong and shock resistant. It’s also impervious to magnetic fields, which can be truly frustrating for any self-respecting timepiece owner.

In 2013, the Bathyscaphe was relaunched to celebrate the anniversary of the piece, with a new aesthetic which harked back to the original version but which was an outstanding timepiece all of its own.

These properties ensure perfect geometry of the balance-spring, vastly improving the isochronism of movement, in turn ensuring the watch is always precise.

The crisp outlines here are reminiscent of the watch’s predecessors, with a vintage look on the hands and date display, as well as a luminous index located on the bezel, which enhances readability in the murky ocean waters. All features included are faithful to the original Bathyscaphe piece.

Best of all, you can choose a strap which illustrates your style and personality, with both a three-ring NATO strap or a sail canvas strap available.

For a diving watch to be worthy of the title, it is vital it be fitted with a unidirectional bezel which can be easily rotated with defined clicks in a counter-clockwise direction, and this is true of the Fifty Fathoms. The large second hand also serves as an indicator that the watch is running during dives.

With the balance of precision, style and function here, Blancpain have truly recreated one of their core pieces for the modern world.

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Omega

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f there is a name in the watchmaking industry that truly strikes a chord with absolutely everyone, it is OMEGA, one of the most prestigious and prolific brands in the world.

It has an expansive profile with a watch for everyone, and some of the brand’s most beautiful pieces have fallen into the women’s category, with over one hundred years of experience in creating majestic, bejewelled masterpieces.

To celebrate a century of beautiful creations, the timepiece style icon has put together a gallery of its finest offerings. The selection of watches features something to complete every look on every woman. Each image creatively combines an everyday makeup essential with one of the company’s many truly aspirational timepieces.

Every woman has her own style and her own take on modern fashion, but the version of herself she presents to the world is not fixed or final, but fluid and very much dependent on her state of mind, the weather, or what the day and night has in store for her.

The answer to the question ‘what should I wear?’ throughout the ages has always been and will continue to be ‘it depends on X’. This applies as much to the watch she wears on her wrist as it does to clothes, makeup and jewellery.

Keeping this at the front of their minds, OMEGA has set out to create ladies’ watches which offer true flexibility in terms of design, materials and colour, always being careful that they never abandon the brand’s core principles of beauty and individuality.

The gallery features everything from delicate, diamond-paved models to sporty diver’s watchers made from sturdy, functional ceramic; it is

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truly an extensive display of the wide variety and sense of choice the brand has

The famous Constellation collection was recently reinterpreted yet again to include

offered since its inception.

a small seconds feature and Master Chronometer status. The striking new piece

Many women adore gold, and others stainless steel, or even a mixture of both.

delivers on elegance and affirms OMEGA's commitment to the highest standard

OMEGA has never implemented limits on its customers, and this gallery is certainly

of ladies' watchmaking.

testament to that.

Elsewhere, we see the De Ville Tresor, defining the true meaning of elegance,

The gallery includes watches such as the OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra, a piece

distinguished by their diamond-set bezels and white domed mother-of-pearl dials.

which is perfect for the woman looking for something to underline her look perfectly. The Seamaster Aqua Terra ladies’ collection was the first to be equipped

The gallery also features the Seamaster Planet Ocean Chocolate, which pays

with the extraordinary OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 8520/8521, and it was also among

homage to OMEGA’s ocean heritage, first revealed in 2005, and the OMEGA

the brand’s first watches to feature the Si14 silicon balance spring, a feature which

Constellation, a vintage throwback from the 1970s which shows the brand’s

contributes to its superb chronometric performance.

unerring dedication to its vision.

Another entry into the gallery is the OMEGA Ladymatic, a mesmerising blend of

This gallery, revealed recently by the brand, exists to illustrate how much it values

extraordinary design and truly innovative watchmaking, crafted for the woman who

its female customers, and reinforces its promise that it will continue to provide the

cares as much about the technology in her timepiece as she does its appearance.

perfect timepieces for every woman.

The Ladymatic features a white mother-of-pearl dial marked with diamond-set indexes, and the exquisite dial is visible through a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

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ith the spirit of a sports watch combined with a feminine touch in a mix that only a prestigious brand like Jaquet Droz could pull off, the Grande Seconde SW Lady is a truly unique timepiece for only the most elegant woman.

The piece is one of radiant modernity, with a 41mm set with 40 diamonds, where the thirst for competition meets a passion and love for jewellery.

Since Swiss watchmaker Jaquet Droz first debuted his creations in the 18th century, the brand which bears his name has been well known in the industry for creating truly beautiful and functional timepieces.

The figure of eight on every watch which is borne of the brand holds the imaginations of many of its followers and fans, as well as the reviewers and critics of the industry. The symbol of infinity also represents balance and achievement, which the brand embodies.

The silhouette of the figure of eight has held pride of place on all of the brand’s products alongside the recognisable twin stars since the Age of Enlightenment, with the watch’s two superimposed subdials continuing to shake up the aesthetics of what is acceptable by the watchmaking elite.

First launched in 2008, the original Grande Seconde SW has epitomised the brand’s foray into providing a luxury, quality sportsfocused timepiece, and now it has been recreated painstakingly and relaunched to suit the wrists of the athletic woman who doesn’t want to sacrifice her style.

Sporty and feminine whilst still being imposing and precious, the Grande Seconde SW Lady has an instantly recognisable build and outline, powerful and distinguished, taking its deserved place as one of Jaquet Droz’s leading models.

The stainless steel case, 41mm in diameter, is released for the first time in a version set with beautiful, stunning diamonds. Following on in the established tradition of mineral dials which the company has pioneered for nearly three centuries, the watch also features a mother-of-pearl disc, as beautiful as it is delicate, forming the dial of the piece.

The shimmering effects and the play of light interact with the sparkle of the 40 diamonds set on the fluted bezel, and the reflections of the ring and plates in white gold. The case’s finish is brushed and polished, which add to the enchanting and captivating design of this beautiful timepiece, with each element given special attention to ensure the utmost quality.

The ‘horns’ of the piece have been hollowed, which offers a greater sense of lightness, and a dynamic touch highlighted by the sporty spirit of the crown’s rubber cast. The piece is also water resistant to five bar, or 50 metres, making it perfect for recreational divers.

The blued steel hands, featuring traced Arabic and Roman numerals, are also coated partially in Super-LumiNova, allowing them to shine in the dark and display the time with exceptional clarity and reliability, made possible thanks to the silicon balance spring, unaffected by magnetic fields or changes in temperature and pressure.

Firmly contemporary and sporty, whilst retaining the classic feel of the Grande Seconde name, the SW Lady offers true luxurious femininity, available with an alligator leather strap directly incorporated into the case. This is a timepiece which marries elegance and an ever-assertive luxury.

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mbodying the essential Jaquet Droz design codes, the Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx is a unique offering from the luxury Swiss watchmakers, balancing a sense of history with sheer, modern elegance which looks to the future.

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Since time began, the simplicity and boldness of the colour black has been celebrated by artists and the fashion conscious alike, and here the code takes on a whole new dimension of beauty with the Grande Seconde Off-Centered timepiece.

The Grande Seconde Off-Centred Onyx features a striking graphic simplicity and does not shy away from personifying it, with the stylised black dial and edgy, intense onyx look somehow a testament to the brand’s past and an open-arms welcoming of what is to come.

Jaquet Droz has a detailed history and tradition of utilising impressive mineral dials, and the same is true here, with an onyx disc painstakingly cut and polished to form the stylish and functional dial of the Grande Seconde Off-Centered.

Underlying this model is a creative concept which has its roots in the 18th century, when the Enlightenment was at its height, and which was the era in which Pierre Jaquet-Droz, namesake of the brand, revolutionised watchmaking with his Grande Seconde concept. By conceiving two barely superimposed dials, one off-centred slightly at 6 o’clock, and an extra fine hand marking each second, Jaquet-Droz invented more than just a new, pioneering form of mechanism: he truly reinvented the conception we hold of time, making each minute instant infinitely precious.

The deep black harbours what many have described as an extraordinary intensity, likening it to the dark mystery of an undisturbed pot of ink, before the author dips the quill, or the silky satin that a designer of the couture folds into a beautiful garment.

With even the slightest movement of the wrist, the flawless, sheer and even surface comes alive with reflections of an intensity that is almost liquid. It is a voluptuous play of brilliance, made even more stunning by the understated elegance of the indexes, which are carefully cut directly into the 18 carat white gold circles of the large hours and minutes dial, as well as the smaller seconds dial, which combine to form that legendary figure of eight motif.

A recurring theme amongst the brand’s offerings, the two dials form a figure of eight, which for millennia has symbolised balance and wholeness. Jaquet Droz adopted the motif to go alongside its twin stars, selecting it as a respected lucky number.

The metal brings a magical, mirror-like shine which contrasts with the dark of the onyx, bringing out the delicate reliefs of the ring and bezel.

The skilled craftsmen at Jaquet Droz have given an aesthetic twist to this understated motif by masterfully shifting the second dial only slightly so that it sits at 7 o’clock. This brand new variation features a 43mm stainless steel case for the first time ever, with a broad diameter which further amplifies the pitch black magnetism of the dial.

The Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered is a beautiful timepiece which brings a dynamic style to any wrist – a true icon. It also comes in a version which features a silvered opaline dial and alligator leather strap for the adventurous.

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THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE COEXIST IN THREE EXQUISITE NEW MODELS FROM URBAN JÜRGENSEN

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watches of his day and inaugurated a new era of technological

Our past begins in 1745 when Jürgen Jürgensen was born in

landmark book from 1804 “General principles concerning exact

Copenhagen and became the founder of a world renowned

timekeeping by clocks and watches”.

watchmaking dynasty. In time, he was outdone by his first born

In honour and spirit of his heritage, and the work of his

son – Urban Jürgensen: craftsman, inventor, visionary and

grandson Jules Jürgensen we announce three new models which

horological genius extraordinaire. Urban Jürgensen overturned

take inspiration from the past, set a benchmark for the future

centuries of staid tradition among the makers of clocks and

and create a standard of excellence for the present.

he time that has been and the time to come – to

borrow from one and predict what the other might

and theoretical advancement with standards of ingenuity

bring makes sense of the present.

hitherto unseen in the watch business, manifested by his

INTRODUCING THE JÜRGENSEN 1745 COLLECTION Urban calibre presents Reference 1741 in Platinum with perpetual calendar, leap year indicator, moon phase and central seconds.

Reference 1741 is equipped with a Greenage dial for the first time in more than 100 years and reintroduces the almost forgotten craft which is hardly used or even known today. It is handcrafted, delicate and time-consuming, but the final result justifies the difficulties in creating the Grenage dial. The Reference 1741 dial is hand made using Grenage dial making and fitted with the Urban Jürgensen white gold Arabic appliques. The moon disk took more than 20 different operations to create, and the result is a unique tiny wonder of classic workmanship which is rarely found in timepieces nowadays.

The Ref 1741 calibre is based on the Urban Jürgensen P4 in-house movement, enhanced with the QP functionality that has been augmented by introducing the leap year indication.

The Ref 1741 is executed in a 41mm case in traditional Urban Jürgensen convex teardrop lug case. The elegant profile of convex and concave curves of the case consists of three main pieces; the middle case with individually soldered teardrop lugs, the top bezel houses the domed sapphire crystal, and the screw back with a flat sapphire crystal.

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THE NEW JULES COLLECTION Urban JĂźrgensen is also pleased to present the new Jules Collection with two new models. Both models launch our new contemporary tapered lugs in a classic design on a convex and concave curved case with a diameter of 40mm. The top bezel houses a domed sapphire crystal, and the screw back is equipped with a flat sapphire crystal. The dials of the two models also come with a Grenage dial base and are finished with hand lacquered engraved Urban JĂźrgensen Arabic numerals. Reference 2240 comes in rose gold and has central seconds and date indication. Reference 2340 comes in white gold and has small seconds, date, power reserve and moon phase indication.

Both these new references come with movements based on our in-house P4 movement.

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Harry Winston - New York

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S I M PLY J E W E L L E RY

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Harry Winston Sparkling Cluster Collection he House of Harry Winston is known for many things, from jewellery to timepieces, but at the core of all of Mr. Winston’s impressive works is his obsession with creating beauty with diamonds.

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breathtaking, unique moments, a core element of their uniqueness and wonder, and that has never been truer than with the reveal of the outstanding Sparkling Cluster collection.

This desire to make the most of one of the most beautiful stones carries through to the reveal of the House’s newest jewellery collection, Sparkling Cluster, which calls to mind the most impressive and historic collections of the brand but provides a new twist for those searching for it.

The collection, revealed in June, honours a treasured legacy close to the hearts of millions with a classic and yet somehow entirely modern series of jewels which are designed to enchant and entrance, whilst complementing even the most special of occasions.

Mr. Winston’s enduring commitment to making brilliant celebrations shine brighter has been at the front and centre of the House’s mission for many years now, with pure and beautiful diamonds the go-to stone to achieve his aims.

Round-brilliant and pear-shaped diamonds, expertly set into a fluid pattern, seem to float against the skin of the wearer with a brilliance which is unparalleled by any other brand in the world.

The collection is comprised of a diamond necklace, a diamond pendant and a set of diamond earrings, with something for every wearer and every occasion. The Sparkling Cluster Diamond Necklace contains 148 round-brilliant and three pear-shaped diamonds, each of which weigh 15.36 carats, set in a wondrous platinum, a theme which recurs throughout the rest of the collection.

Harry Winston has been sharing his stunning and extraordinary creations with the world since 1947, where he began to reveal his first ever pieces at society’s great charitable galas in cities across the world during the height of the Art Deco movement, illustrating the man’s active participation in the wonderful social scene.

Since then, Mr. Winston’s jewels have been present at all of the most highly anticipated events throughout the year, being the first choice for those looking to stand out in the sea of the elite fashion conscious.

The Sparkling Cluster Diamond Pendant has nine roundbrilliant and two pear-shaped diamonds, each of which weigh in at a total of 2.26 carats, also set in platinum.

Finally, the Sparkling Cluster Diamond Earrings have been created with 16 round-brilliant and four pear-shaped diamonds, each weighing in at a total of 4.27 carats, also set in platinum to complete the symmetry of the set.

Whether it is a black tie affair in Monaco, the red carpet in Hollywood, an engagement in Paris or a wedding in London, the creations of Harry Winston will accompany you and continue to shine as brightly as you do, calling on over 80 years of incredible design experience and prestigious craftsmanship.

The Sparkling Cluster collection is a truly worthy addition to the Harry Winston canon, and each piece is a must-have for any self-respecting fan or follower of this prestigious brand. The collection is now available at all Harry Winston stores across the world.

All of Mr. Winston’s creations and collections share a combined history of cherished memories and

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Akillis

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ou can rely on Akillis for a lateral take on jewellery. Since being founded in 2007 by designer Caroline Gaspard, the French house has produced a sequence of edgy pieces for the daring fashionista. “There should be more to jewellery than hearts and flowers”, says Caroline, whose designs have so far reimagined bullets, puzzle pieces, target sights and heartbeats. And there aren’t many jewellery designers who name lovers, shooting ranges, James Bond and Quentin Tarantino as their muses.

the often-unisex pieces. She says her decision to go to business school rather than jewellery school has freed her imagination, bringing bolder, more daring designs to market.

The latest pieces to join the collection are a case in point. Python Feather Cuffs recall the armour of Amazonian warriors in a series of white gold cuffs, studded with stones and fringed with exotic-looking feathers lent by pheasants, cockerels or silver guinea fowl. Drawing inspiration from faraway travels and reptilian aesthetics, the tribal pieces encircle limbs like the grip of a boa constrictor.

The young Parisienne has been creating designs since the tender age of ten, thanks to her gemmologist mother and family friends in the trade.

“I was 17 when my relatives, friends and family asked me to create special pieces for them.” The leap to her own brand was a short one: “I wanted to rejuvenate the traditional world of French jewellery,” Caroline explains, adding that her pieces are intended to be worn every day rather than locked away for special occasions.

They are a story of contrasts. The geometric lines flow into organic feathers. Weightless plumage is contrasted with chunky gold and glittering diamonds of varying carats set in random configurations to give the appearance of snakeskin.

Made in the workshop in Lyon – France’s largest, where 200 people make 3,000 pieces of jewellery each month – and almost always out of gold, diamonds and colourful centrepiece stones, all Akillis jewellery is devoutly French to preserve the highest quality. And Caroline is firm that jewellery should be offered to order if preferred: “My customers can have what they want,” she says.

“Every person is different and deserves a unique piece of jewellery. It is like a second skin, which gives you a new attitude and matches your mood. There is always a message behind the jewellery or behind the luxury goods people buy.”

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that Katy Perry, famous Russian actresses and international footballer Djibril Cissé have all been spotted wearing

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t’s late 2016, and swanky models party in Annabel’s, the renowned private London club. Beaming at camera lenses, the girls radiate joie de vivre as they dance and chat away. However, beyond the uniting youth and beauty, what strikes most are the sublime pieces of jewellery adorning their silhouettes. Beautifully shot in black and white, this new ad campaign for London Jeweller David Morris was shot by Ellen von Unwerth, the acclaimed photographer who revels in capturing femininity through live moments. The choice of black and white is quite radical considering how tantalising coloured gemstones are at David Morris, yet the aesthetic decision makes sense as what matters most is how utterly sensual the creations are: it is first and foremost high jewellery as second skin.

Established in London in 1962, and defined by an avant-garde sense of sophistication, David Morris is the go-to jeweller for connoisseurs who seek the finest gemstones set in wonderfully indulgent forms, which ooze glamour and a refined sense of quintessential British style.

The brand’s main flagship, located on London’s famous Bond Street, is the only jeweller left to still have a working atelier on-site allowing them to provide an instant alteration service in the same way haute couture gowns can be retouched in Parisian petites mains ateliers.

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The brand is also favoured by royalty with its first royal connection coming in the form of a commission from the Government of Lichtenstein for a bespoke sapphire and diamond tiara presented to Countess Kinsky of Austria

by Crown Prince Hans Adam on the occasion of their marriage in July 1967.

This royal seal of approval resulted in many more commissions and a clientele that constituted some of the world’s most pre-eminent collectors including Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Noor of Jordan, Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne. More recently, a David Morris creation was seen around the world on the bonnet of the vintage Aston Martin car driven down the Mall in London by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day in 2012. The car, which belongs to the Prince of Wales, was a gift from his mother the Queen and is mounted with a small dragon, a commission from David Morris for the prince’s 21st birthday.

Known for show-stopping creations, having famously adorned some of the world’s most glamorous people ever since Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor became clients in the 1960s, David Morris continues to be a red-carpet staple coveted by royalty and celebrities alike (most recent A-listers include Oprah Winfrey, Kendall Jenner, Kate Winslet, Adele, Beyoncé and Keira Knightley to name a few). Renowned across the globe for its exceptional quality craftsmanship, the brand was famously commissioned in 1972 to create the Miss World Crown, an iconic creation of turquoise, lapis lazuli, and diamonds turquoise and diamonds, which is still in use today.

As the jeweller of choice for the silver screen, since 1971 David Morris’s magnificent gems have dazzled heroes and villains alike adorning the elegant Bond girls who featured in the James Bond movies Diamonds are Forever,

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The Man with the Golden Gun, Tomorrow Never Dies as well as The World is Not Enough. Still recognised today as the jewellery brand synonymous with the James Bond franchise, the Bond jewels are now part of a travelling exhibition, ‘Designing 007 – Fifty Years of Bond Style’, which opened in 2012 at the Barbican in London and is currently on show at The Annex, Burj Khalifa in Dubai until 13 February 2017.

2016 has seen David Morris adapt to modern luxury, elevating its position in the market yet again by going against the grain and launching ‘The Collections’ in 2016, which sees it translate the true essence of the brand across an assortment of jewellery pieces that are not only more attainable but which continue to honour the brand’s signatures: rose cut diamonds, exquisite centre stones and contemporary yet timeless designs, clearly observed in the Rose Cut Forever, Petite Palm and Miss Daisy Collections.

2017 also promises to be an exciting year for the British brand as it expands its network and welcomes the arrival of the first David Morris flagship in continental Europe, located in the esteemed shopping location of Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, adjacent to prestigious Place Vendôme. This launch is closely followed by the opening of a standalone boutique in the Pearl, Doha, with Middle East partners Ali Bin Ali. With independent boutiques in the Dubai Mall and the Galleria Mall in Abu Dhabi, this further enhances David Morris’s presence in the region and comes after their annual showing at the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition. A six-day exhibition held annually in Doha, Qatar, this show is amongst the most exclusive in the world for connoisseurs to purchase fine jewellery and unique pieces. Suffice it to say, David Morris is a hidden gem of a brand, whose journey is worth following and whose creations are worth treasuring for generations.

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BOUCHERON

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n 2004, a Boucheron icon was born: the Quatre jewellery line. It features rings and bracelets in a variety

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We’ve got Creative Director Claire Choisne to thank, who has been absorbed in refreshing the archives to

of textures and designed to be stackable, centred around four key motifs: the Double Godron, the

give classic pieces contemporary flair. The house of Boucheron was founded in 1858 by the eponymous

Ligne Diamants, the Grosgrain and the Clou de Paris. Four designs and four colours – a delicious

Frédéric who opened the first store at the Palais-Royal and travelled the world to source the finest gemstones.

Neapolitan of rose, yellow, white and chocolate gold – artfully designed to complement each other stacked,

Over the course of his intrepid jewellery career, he pioneered new styles and techniques, including woven

alone, or in combination. Customers can choose to greedily pile all of them up together or interchange their

gold, interchangeable jewellery sets and asymmetrical necklaces.

favourites, in a masterstroke of adaptable jewellery.

When, in 1893, the jeweller established a boutique at the Place Vendôme in the heart of historic Paris (where In 2011, the White Edition saw the Clou de Paris created not in rich chocolate metal, but in an on-trend,

it retains workshops to this day) it sealed its place in French joaillerie history. Queens, tsars, princes and

glossy, white hyceramic, the first ceramic that can be sculpted and polished by hand. One year later and the

maharajas have all called on Boucheron to grace regal necks, wrists and fingers with precious adornments.

monochromatic Black Edition was unleashed, combining black gold with white gold for self-assured, rock’

The atelier on the Maison’s top floor is one big draw for clients who like to feel personally invested in the

n ’roll appeal. Forward another year and the 120th anniversary edition to mark a milestone at Place Vendôme

creation of their pieces; the feeling of a luxurious private residence rather than a salesroom is another.

was oversized and bold, with versions released in single-toned white, pink and yellow gold Radiant Editions broken by the seam of diamonds.

Last year Helene Poulit-Duquesne, former business development director of Cartier and luxury veteran, took the helm of a much smaller but every bit as historic ship. She sees huge growth potential for a house

Now the luxury French brand has extended the range further with re-imaginations of its Grosgrain and the

that she describes as energetic, and is determined to reassert the name that some have thought to be on the

Clou de Paris motifs that stand on their own two feet. It’s the latest in a run of reinventions for the collection.

wane. Together with Choisne, they’ve got big ideas for Boucheron.

Clou – literally ‘nail’ but sometimes used to mean ‘highlight’ – de Paris has been unveiled as a textured band that mirrors the burnished cobblestones of Parisian streets. The Grosgrain calls on the Boucheron family’s

Watch, because doubtless this powerhouse combination of influential women in the jewellery world are

history as drapers to take the form of a rippling ribbon of looped gold. Both are designed to leave wearers

sure to continue releasing collections that meld modern and classic style together with audacious insight.

with an everlasting taste of Paris.

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D av i d Y u r m a n

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avid Yurman’s jewellery designs are unmistakable for their sculptural elements, unsurprising when you learn of the designer’s roots in fine art. In the 1960s, he took an apprenticeship with sculptor Jacques Lipchitz which, together with a stint at Cartier, have informed Yurman’s work ever since.

In the fine jewellery collection, there’s a lot to excite the sophisticated shopper. The crossover is a design classic, one band of metal loosely looped into a crossed ring and encrusted with diamonds. Matching loop earrings offer wearers the same simple elegance.

Equally classic is the Pavé hinged cuff where the sea of unusual cognac diamonds has the appearance of snake skin – an understated but knowingly elegant piece of jewellery. The same design principle transfers well to skinny bracelets and square earrings, not just in cognac but also in a reptilian, colour-changing garnet that glistens a beautiful blue, black sapphires and pure white diamonds.

The brand is a child of the 1980s, when it hit its stride with his famous – and now trademarked – Renaissance Cable bracelets: chunky twists of metal that wouldn’t look amiss on an ancient Roman arm. That cable motif is now a common thread through the earrings, necklaces and rings of Yurman’s collections, which he crafts with his equally artistic wife, a painter. They say David’s innate knowledge of sculpture combined with Sybil’s grasp of colour and aesthetic form a potent combination that has brought precious pieces rich with gemstones and gold to market.

These sit alongside the newer Pure Form, a re-imagination of the Putnam Artworks Dome rings that the husband and wife dream team created in the 1970s, smooth on top and textured below; Stax, which collect elements of 36-years of Yurman design into one diverse, apparently stacked bracelet; and Supernova, a brand new collection of golden bursts peppered with diamonds, like a Versailles-worthy firework.

Pitched as America’s premier luxury jewellery brand, where its flagship stands on New York’s Madison Avenue, the jeweller is now making an incursion into the Middle East with the two exclusive pop-up shops recently in Dubai’s shopping malls.

Featured collections include the classic Albion, multi-faceted square centrepieces ringed with diamonds and strung on thick chains or robust cable rings; Solari, orbs of polished gold accented by hoops of diamonds wrapped around them; Pinky Rings designed to sit boastfully on little fingers; and Chatelaine Pavé, similarly large squared stones set in a clasp setting and adorned with diamonds. Delicate earrings from the same collection feature small square clusters of diamonds dangling from a short section of the signature cable.

Said to be popular among celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Kate Moss, Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt and Heidi Klum – people of taste – the Yurman collection is bound to find favour with the elegant dressers of the Middle East looking to add some discreet bling to their couture.

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ou’d have to be living under a rock to not know the Louis Vuitton

The pieces are instantly recognisable as LV: the Maison’s monogram flower

name in the field of luggage and luxury goods, but you could be

motif translate effortlessly to jewellery. Designed by Georges Vuitton in the

forgiven for the news that the house had also moved into

late 1800s, the pattern is an asset for its graphic simplicity and already lends

jewellery and, later, high jewellery. Yet move it did, almost two decades ago,

itself to wanton repetition, as we have clearly seen.

and it’s steadily gaining traction.

This season, flowers sculpted from mother-of-pearl and ornamental stones This summer Vuitton unveiled the latest of its collections in the South of

are the centrepiece of sautoir necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings,

France, a confident 60-piece collection divided into eight chapters for high

delicately feminine and eminently wearable. The brand’s trademark colours

jewellery, and a double collection of jewellery and watches in the tier below.

are echoed in shades of gold, brown – provided by cornelian or tiger’s eye – and the cream of grey or white mother-of-pearl.

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The delight is in the details: a gold nail akin to the ones used in Louis Vuitton trunks is driven into the heart of some petals. The monogram flowers, handsculpted and polished, are set within either a diamond or circle shape and strung loosely on chains of gold in necklace form. In ring form, the flower is framed in a circular disc surrounded by a crimped border, its petals formed from four round diamonds with a nub of gold creating a gleaming pistil.

The high jewellery collection is more impressive still, true to the monogram form, but represented by an array of precious stones collected over seven years.

Yet for all the savoir faire and high-quality materials, these are strikingly wearable designs. “This collection is designed to be worn often,” says vice president for watches and jewellery, Hamdi Chatti. “It’s very fluid and easy to wear…which is exactly what Vuitton is about.”

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cabinet of Victoriana curiosities –that’s the design inspiration

He has chosen stones traditionally associated with symbolism or

for Mulberry’s latest jewellery collection, the first by creative

talisman. Tiger’s eye, for example, of the Princess earring, is a mark of

director Johnny Coca. The glossy-bearded Spaniard has

good fortune and protection historically said to bestow wisdom on the

been a popular appointment, moving over from Celine where, as head

wearer. Suspended below a disc of gold, it is in this setting a new

accessories designer, he’s been responsible for covetable bags and shoes.

reference, one of eternity. And it would be difficult not to feel protected

Only now he’s not just charged with accessories alone – it’s the full

when wearing a tapered hunk of the stone in its cocktail ring.

collection.

Traditional pearl jewellery has been recast in a manner that is achingly Mulberry was founded in 1971 by Roger Saul, who made leather belts

modern. The necklace sees a single, enormous pearl slung on a

at his kitchen table. Still based down in the rural English county of

diamond-studded hammock and suspended from a geometric chain.

Somerset, it has retained a very British design philosophy. You’ll

Rings mimic the setting with similarly bold metalwork that few

recognise Mulberry’s staunchly English countryside vibe from recent

would identify as a ring until perched on an elegant finger.

Cara Delavigne advertising campaign featuring owls, foxes and British beasties, so it makes sense that those themes have filtered through into

In recent years Mulberry ventured into the high-end luxury category

Coca’s collection. But they sit effortlessly alongside oversized, graphic

and this came with price hikes. But now, Coca is grounding the house

pieces of jewellery that will soon be embellishing the lobes and fingers

with a refocus on affordable luxury matched with quality, practicality

of every self-respecting hipster.

and cutting edge design.

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hen Simon Tissot Dupont’s carriage company was destroyed in a fire in 1872, he bought a workshop making leather briefcases for eminent diplomats and businessmen. Honing his talent for pitchperfect high-end accessories through private clients, the new business rose in prominence, supplying the esteemed department store, Les Grands Magasins du Louvre, from 1884. So it seems quite fitting that the newest release from the company is themed around the phoenix, as both rose triumphantly from the ashes.

A firm family business, Simon’s sons took over in the early part of the 20th century, focusing on patented, high-quality travel cases and accessories. Quality has long since been a mainstay. Silverwork has played a major role from the beginning, often ornamenting travel cases and accessories, alongside the leatherwork on which the company was founded. The best quality hides are sourced from France, Italy and Spain to ensure the finest products. Manufacture was transferred from Paris to the family’s home town of Faverges where it remains to this day.

The brand was sold in the 1980s but continues to produce lighters, pens, wallets, watches and fragrances, controlling a large proportion of the luxury lighters market. Its lighters are certainly celebrated with the distinctive Dupont ‘ping’ on opening that marks out an item of quality.

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S I M PLY FA S H ION Womenswear & Menswear

By M ar cell a Cl arke

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CHANEL AW 2016

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ince 2000, Karl Lagerfeld has circled the globe with cruise shows for Chanel, hosting them in Seoul, Dubai, Venice and Singapore. For the French fashion house's cruise 2017 show, Coco Cuba, the designer landed in Havana on the island of Cuba. This marked the brand's first showing in Latin America and the first fashion show of its scale to reach the country since diplomatic ties with the United States have been restored after 50 years of severed relations.

However, Lagerfeld is certainly not the first designer to look to Cuba for inspiration this year: both Stella McCartney and Proenza Schouler's resort 2016 collections were heavily influenced by the island, and one of the most prominent editorial trends throughout the September issues was fashion shoots staged on the city's colourful streets. According to Chanel, the "cultural richness and opening up of Cuba" has long inspired Lagerfeld, and this collection certainly had plenty of the country's lively, colourful flavour injected into the clothing.

The show, a cross between Parisian chic and Latin flair, took place on the Paseo del Prado, Havana’s main artery and symbol of the links uniting Cuba and France.

The Prado was redesigned in 1928 by a French landscape architect who at every crossroads positioned eight spectacular bronze statues of lions, Mademoiselle Chanel’s fetish animal. Chanel thus blended humbly into this predestined décor, presenting a historic yet playful revolution that will go down in the annals of Chanel’s spring rites.

The setting sun haloed the watchful lions with gold; the show started with an opening passage affirming one of the major cruise silhouettes: masculinefeminine, terribly chic with a dash of scoundrel. A long masculine jacket over wide trousers with turn-ups, flat twotone shoes, shirt belted with fabric and a Panama hat by Maison Michel raffishly tilted over model Stella Tennant’s haughty gaze.

In this spirit of bold modernity, of boyish femininity, the debutant dress according to Karl Lagerfeld is jubilant: a tiered flounced petticoat in a leaf motif embroidered organza, contrasting with a mess jacket worn over a white shirt with tie. The collection is centred around the guayabera, the traditional Cuban shirt with pockets, shoulder tabs and flat pleats. Karl Lagerfeld mischievously nicknames it the Cuban tux. For day, as a

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diaphanous blouse, it accompanies a pair of rolled-up chino trousers; for night, the guayabera reveals its potential for sensuality, as a black transparent organza blouse worn with a very tightly belted black and almond green flared skirt.

Lagerfeld delivers a perfectly pacific military parade, with adorable shorts and jacket suits in denim and khaki tweed, a parka in fringed tweed or a short-sleeve shirt with fantasy decorations embroidered by Lesage and Montex.

With the same youthful energy, a little pair of cycling shorts delicately rhinestoned and embroidered with camellias in Chinese shadows are animated by a top scintillating with multi-coloured palm trees.

Incredibly feminine and fluid, the collection dances through a number of jackets and dresses with scooped necklines, while pencil skirts liberate the movement for a hypnotic rhumba, and the ethereal dresses: the legendary Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac feature as prints in candy shades.

The palette is inspired by the vibrant baroque facades of the old town: yellow, pink, orange, turquoise, bright green burst and sparkle over the sequined and embroidered short little dresses, the poncho style dresses in coral orange embroidered tweed. The same colourful affirmation goes for the strapless dresses in sequins, with puffed sleeves, with fringes and feathers. The tobacco and Havana tones are reminiscent of the Cuban Picasso, Wifredo Lam. The blacks and the whites are shadowy, cloudy, smoky.

The collection’s tropical vegetation embroideries are insanely refined: great leaves of Monstera Deliciosa caught between two layers of tulle for a subtle relief effect, an abstract cigar motif, birds of paradise on a long dress and a bolero ensemble in beige crochet is stunning in its simplicity. All outfits are topped with a Panama hat to complete the look, apart from the occasional sequinned black beret.

In tune with this wildly spiritual collection comes the accessories – woven flip-flops, caged sandals worn over cheeky ankle socks, crocheted backpacks, soft bundle bags with multi-coloured local snail patterns and of course the cigar box reticule, a nod to Cuba’s famous good. It’s safe to say Lagerfeld has served up a spicy banquet of colour and style and our appetite has certainly been whet.

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DIOR AW 2016

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ior saw the departure of Raf Simons as creative director midway through the year and there is still plenty of talk about who will fill his shoes. However it was business as usual at the revered French house’s cruise show with Serge Ruffieux and Lucie Meier, part of Simons' former team, at the helm.

Dior's shows have become famous for their increasingly elaborate sets, and this one did not disappoint. It was held at Blenheim Palace, a symbol of quintessential Englishness, in the style the French dubbed Baroque. The birthplace of Winston Churchill, the seat of the dukes of Marlborough, and twice the backdrop for Dior haute couture presentations in 1954 and 1958, each to a royal audience, Blenheim is steeped in history.

The inspiration behind the collection was not only the post-war high society’s wardrobes, but also the restlessness and wanderlust that characterised the period: the urge to travel, to discover the new. English country life is expressed via the tradition of the hunt. Shots of red are evocative of the hunting pink, rustic tweeds and crisp poplin of country attire, while 19th-century equestrian scenes are knitted into intricate pictorial jacquards or fused into English country florals. Those intermingle with rich devoré velvets and silks in Asian and African prints, patterns and embroideries, underscoring a mood of exploration, a curiosity about the world, and a fundamentally English eccentricity in dress – a story told through the cloth on your back.

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These inspirations from across the Channel meet the silhouettes and decorative details drawn from Parisian haute couture. The conversation between France and England echoes a dialogue between the past and the present, creative exchanges between the two countries. In the 18th century, France adopted English fashions in a craze dubbed Anglomania; in the 20th, the exchange reversed, and French fashions were exported for fevered consumption in Great Britain, none more so than Christian Dior’s New Look.

Monsieur Dior frequently turned to the UK for inspiration: his own suits were tailored on Savile Row, and he used the masculinity of fabrics like English wools, Scottish tweeds and Prince of Wales check to underscore the femininity of his creations. Male meeting female, France joining England. Almost seventy years later, the house of Dior pays homage to that ongoing creative and cultural exchange by staging the runway show of the 2017 Cruise Collection in the heart of the English countryside.

The collection that Dior’s current design team sent out at the palace strongly referenced the house's DNA, with coats and knitwear being the standout pieces. Coats folded open from the throat, revealing richly coloured mink, or rested gently on the shoulder-bone with zippered ribbed turtlenecks beneath.

The curvilinear form of the Bar jacket is tailored close to the body, and abbreviated at the hip or echoed in grand gestures of cloth – a full sleeve, a gathered peplum or pocket on generous coats. Their volume is Dior,

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their referent is British, while their spirit is contemporary. The Bar was sometimes bisected, the basque wrapping the hips; other times the shape transposed to draped tea dresses. Each detail is drawn from the oeuvre of Monsieur Dior, a reflection of the house’s storied past. Dior’s signature bow was pulled undone, passed through the décolleté or reverse like a foulard, to close and simultaneously embellish, adding a dynamic movement to strict shapes.

This season’s dresses were beautifully crafted, many off the shoulder, displaying a myriad of fabrics and frills. There was much to admire and covet for one's wardrobe. A stand out piece was a simple, pretty black silk shift dress that sloped asymmetrically off the shoulder and ruched up one side with similarly gathered sleeves, which were tied and then star-fished outwards from the elbow. Earlobes were adorned with punky mini ear cuffs from the house's contemporary jewellery line. Neat bags were left to purposefully fall open, to reveal their elegantly crafted innards. Kendall Jenner also made her first Dior catwalk appearance, in an off-the-shoulder mink-collared dress, with her mother watching from the front row.

Ruffieux and Meier say the inspiration for this collection is a curiosity about the world that leads you on a voyage of discovery, one that is symbolic of looking for the new. This could well be evocative of Dior’s search for a new creative director to take the helm. We may not know yet all that is going on inside the hallowed walls of this design house, but this considered collection definitely had us eager to learn more.

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GUCCI AW 2016 Alessandro Michele has delivered a fun and bold collection for Gucci this season with 1970sinspired dizzying prints, fur trims, and masses of colour. In addition to 1970s sport, he gave us 1980s Italian and timeless French couture. Add in the urban graffiti art of street artist Trouble Andrew and you get an idea of the latest Gucci collection that, after only one year, confirms Michele as one of the most exciting designers of the moment.

This autumn/winter, Michele's girl is tougher, more severe; she's developed something of an attitude and she's all the better for it. His nerd was still here, but she's moved along. She's vengeful and she's got swagger – which is something you need if you are going to rock giant suede wedges and 1970s lamé disco sandals, diamante-framed 1980s sunglasses, net-veiled hats, velour widebrimmed fedoras, turbans and ankle-length socks boasting the signature Gucci luggage-stripe graphic around the top.

Michele’s autumn collection pulls from so many eras simultaneously, and the sheer skill involved is breathtaking: whether it’s embroidering pearl and crystal necklaces onto bodices or choosing the exact tone of magenta or chrome yellow for velvet chain-strap bags that will work with the cacophony of colour in the collection and yet still jump out. Michele compares what he's doing to “Talking in more than one language – there are a lot of ‘sounds.’ It’s like going on Google, or Instagram, where you can find communities. I am obsessed with street style.”

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This line is cleaner and less layered than the spring collection, bringing out the beauty – and wearability – of some of these pieces. A white double-breasted coat was particularly appealing, as was an uncomplicated ivory smoking suit. But crucially, Michele’s hallmarks were still there: the straight silk dresses with 7/8 sleeves cuffed in mink, coiled serpent embroideries, doublebreasted brocade coats, knitted ruffled red capes, and baseball jackets with the house webbing all atop precariously high wedges or zebra striped platforms with hairy tails.

Other stand-out pieces include our favourite, a baby-pink fur coat, worn with matching tights to complete head to toe sweetness and the cool-girl gowns. Designer Alessandro Michele is a part of the group that's redefining the rules of evening wear with quirky gowns and unexpected dresses that celebrities like Dakota Johnson, Florence Welch and Saoirse Ronan love to wear. Michele brought kaleidoscopic ruffled gowns and the finale dress, a spearmint-coloured tulle floorskimmer with balloon sleeves, sequinned black panther motif and the number 25 on the back, basketball style.

Gucci has paid attention to sleeves this season with no less than five different types making their way down the runway. Leg of mutton, flared, ruffled, fur-trimmed – who knew the arms would have it all this season?

Accessory eye candy included leather bags with chains and rigid stiles carried by hand, net veiled hats and fedoras, glittered retro-inspired sunglasses, long leather gloves or arm-warmers in tulle and long chains and pearl rings. It's hard not to want to be in his gang – the Michele effect has taken such a hold that not only is every other fashion editor/buyer on the circuit sporting the cracked gold leather GG block heeled pumps, but the books are looking good too.

As a woman who admires a menswear-inspired look as well as gowns for a night out, I was thrilled to see how many suiting options Michele put on the runway. Printed or plain, all of them were fantastic.

Akin to a time machine, Michele brings the noblewomen painted by Bronzino to New York’s seedy neighbourhoods, then to Parisian couture ateliers and to Rome at the end of the 1970s in the name of a re-birth, a revolution that takes off from clothes: capes come in a trompe l'oeil version, leather jackets have a Renaissance feel, slip dresses feature couture silhouettes, fur acquires a pop touch and long evening gowns have puffed sleeves. Helping Michele in this creative journey is previously mentioned multimedia artist Trouble Andrew, aka Gucci Ghost, who customised some of the collection’s accessories and pieces by spray-painting Life is (GG) and Real (Gucci) in a way that such writings become an ornament, a precious and unique detail, the bridge between luxury and street art. After all, isn’t today’s fashion exactly this?

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JPG AW 2016

S

ince the creation of its couture house in 1976, Jean Paul Gaultier jostles the genres and prejudices. With exceptional know-how that it expressed during its parades, haute couture meet the trades and proposes a nonconformist mode on society.

From the uniform of the masses to the dreamlike fashions showcased in his catwalk shows, Jean Paul Gaultier remains convinced that fashion will always have a special place in our lives: “It’s about a need for visual recognition, staking a claim”. But the enfant terrible of the mode refuses to be defined as either political or provocative. A man of conviction, he sees himself more as a revolutionary, systematically calling into question clichés, standards, codes, conventions and traditions. He turns, shifts and flips them round – even destroys them – in his bid to reinvent them.

The sources of inspiration for Gaultier’s collections are multiple, from the echoes of the street to his personal history. The magical and fascinating world of the forest acted as a source of inspiration for his latest haute couture collection for autumn/winter 2016/17.

Daywear revealed elegant all-over prints that reproduce the grain of the wood, also invading accessories with a shiny finish total look. Long chiffon dresses were transformed into canvases for bucolic landscapes in a thousand shades of green. The lumberjack shirt check print was ennobled and became suitable to shape evening dresses and it was combined with silk and tulle. Vibrant colours and precious lace were transformed into opulent garments, rich in metallic textures and 3D appliqués, juxtaposed with luxurious furs with a wild appeal.

It’s all an ode to natural elements, with drapes like tree bark, marquetry forming wooden planks. So the ensemble is totally harmonic, it’s really natural, the colours too; there are greens, woody landscapes, landscapes of clearings with natural light. The palette certainly skewed autumn, with rich chocolate browns,

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caramel, beige, chestnut, forest green, plum lips and accessories, black leather, olive and rust. Materials included silk, fur, muslin, jacquard, lace, lamé, brushed wool, wool, leather, satin, chiffon, knits, buttons, sequins, taffeta, organza, feathers, crocodile, plaid, nylon, down feathers, tulle and velvet. Shapes touched on hourglass, straight, mermaid, fluid, flared and slender.

Jean Paul Gaultier said of the collection: “ This time I tried to make clothes that you can only make in couture, that’s to say I even created the materials. For example, all this work with ribbons, this work with trimmings, allows you to redesign the clothing, to accentuate the contours a little like topstitching but done by hand, composed by hand, because we couldn’t do it otherwise. Therefore it’s something that can only be made in couture.”

Pop out pieces include an asymmetric gown with wood prints and a coat in leather and mink, a brown satin bustier gown with a shiny finish, a one-shoulder green lace gown with tulle trim that took going green to a new level, as well as a strapless brown and green number belted at the waist that executed garden party quite literally. As the collection is about wood and forest colours, crystals couldn’t really find their way into the garments. However, in their absence, JeanPaul Gaultier has created a plethora of outstanding elements to compensate. Among them are the winter hats. These numbers are in leather and are finished in a variety of colourful furs such as fox, mink and wolf.

Accessories were plentiful, from leather gloves, wooden and resin bangles, patterned wide belts with a glossy finish to strappy platform sandals imprinted with blades of wood, maxi necklaces with pendants and stones, colourful tights, printed clutches and leather and fur hoods adorned with feathers.

Gaultier’s autumn/winter display brimmed with richness and diversity, offering sumptuous textures, colours and shapes. Nature and the undergrowth is at its root and we can’t help thinking he was trying to offer an affirmation of the freedom in life and fashion, stripping back the stresses of life today and laying his collection bare for all to enjoy.

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LACOSTE AW 2016

L

acoste, the French clothing company founded in 1933 selling high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously polo shirts, has launched its autumn/winter 2016/17 collection. Portuguese designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista who has worked for Max Mara, Christophe Lemaire and Cerruti, was appointed Lacoste’s Creative Director in 2010 and this season he brings us three pivotal themes: Nautical, French Flair and Zero Degrees.

Baptista cleverly combines the aesthetics of 1990s nautical graphics, or traditional sailing stripes, with the modernity of colour blocks. Looks with refined lines and strong colours bob happily between classicism and contemporary elegance.

The collection mixes primary colours with a nuanced palette of blues and natural colours and combines lightness and strength, by allowing nylon technical fabrics to stand side by side with twill, jacquard and cotton knit.

Baptista has played the double card of sporty refinement and urban chic with this line by playing on details: the femininity of a cross-back denim shirt dress, the sensible look of a navy and white sweater to be worn under a navy cotton gabardine trench coat, the relaxed nonchalance of a red sweatshirt marked ‘Flairplay’ or the perfect geometry of the colour blocks of a polo swing dress. He explains: “The collection is about always mixing the idea of sports and all terrain clothing; and the idea of a border between sport and high fashion, it’s ever more mixed, so it reflects that too.”

The second theme – French Flair – reflects the soberness of traditional tennis codes: tennis stripes, pleated fabrics and an embroidered crocodile refer back to the brand’s history.

Bordeaux, blue, green and grey tones dominate whilst tennis stripes, all-over kinetic prints and micro-patterns reign supreme. Wool knit and cotton piqué reflect the brand’s heritage in a collection whose simplicity is enhanced by subtle details. Stand out pieces for us consist of an ultrafeminine skirt and sweater with tennis stripes in shades of green which give the illusion of a dress and a trompe l’oeil dress which combines a blouse and skirt. The style is made falsely casual

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by combining a jacket and free-flowing jogging bottoms or wearing a micro-patterned sweater under a long straight double-sided green coat.

Zero Degrees – the collection’s mid-winter theme – proves that comfort can rhyme with style. The materials are cosy and padded and superimposition is essential. There was a new twist for the outerwear: it was vinyl on top of jersey that was present throughout the show.

Baptiste likes the idea of mixing very technical and natural things together, so the coats were double-sided with shearling and vinyl. There’s always this natural synthetic high low. From the beginning he has worked with the idea of clothing being evolutionary and adaptable, making life easier for people.

The clear lines, structured cuts and graphic patterns make the look resolutely urban, daring and contemporary. Winter colours such as deep blues, bordeaux, grey and khaki are lit up by touches of bright colours such as yellow, blue and red. A blue/bordeaux/grey rugby-striped knitted dress with the bottom of the sleeves highlighted with a touch of bright yellow is to be adopted for a cool, casual look while a bright red sweater screen-printed with ‘Sports d’hiver LACOSTE’ can be combined with legging trousers for a more daring outline. A close-fitting dress in technical fleece marked tone-on-tone with ‘Sports d’hiver LACOSTE’, a tweed coat to be worn over a skirt and zip-up polo shirt ensemble or a hybrid parka with removable overlays at the bottom of the sleeves are perfect allies to combat the urban cold with a very modern look.

Accessories include a range of bucket, clutch and crossover bags, shoppers, makeup bags and purses in vibrant red and yellows and blue greys.

The brand’s signature logo, the crocodile – born from the company’s founder René Lacoste’s nickname ‘the Crocodile’ because of his tenacity on the tennis court – has never been so fitting, given that Lacoste has just aced a decidedly snappy autumn/winter collection.

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LV AW 2016 Louis Vuitton staged its cruise 2017 collection in Rio de Janeiro and few could argue with the thrilling impact of the setting. Nicolas Ghesquière, as much of an architecture nut as he is a fashion creator, chose the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói as his backdrop. A Tracy Island-style white saucer conceived by Oscar Niemeyer and perched dramatically on an outcrop overlooking Guanamara Bay, it proved a worthy context in which to show a Cruise collection inspired by Brazilian idealism. The collection captures the country’s vitality, energy, multi-culturalism, freedom, urban futurism and romanticism – all the dynamic feelings the city inspires.

"In Rio de Janeiro, what I saw most of all was movement and an explosive energy that lives somewhere between modernism and tropicality," said Ghesquière. Enter the #LVGIRLS, dressed in graphic prints and super-athletic cuts, surging down the dramatic red ribbon of runway that spiralled out of the museum.

Brazilians are famed for their love of bodyconscious clothing, and Ghesquière embraced curves and cut-outs. Neoprene high-necked zipped tops and mini dresses peeled away from the body at the bottom, folded to resemble wetsuits whose arms had been left to trail at the waist, with Vuitton-branded tags that looked like surfing leashes. Dresses with a streamlined spirit illustrate a new aerodynamic silhouette. A racing theme carried throughout the collection, with belts, skinny scarves and dresses adorned with NASCAR-like graphics of the LV logo and signature clover motifs. Slashed stripes on trousers lengthen the silhouette. Luxuriously embroidered skirts appear to have been wrapped in haste, in the manner of a beach towel. Techthongs and neoprene sneakers speak of a heroine who is constantly on the move. As she passes through the museum’s curving corridors, heads turn in her wake.

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The 2017 cruise collection also pays homage to two major Brazilian artists: Helio Oiticica, a pioneer of the Neo-Concrete movement and an explorer of space through painting. His threedimensional works demonstrate a bodily experimentation with colour. Notably, his clothes of light, tent canvas and parachute fabric transformed into brightly-coloured tent-like cagoules and capes covered in zips, ruching and drawstrings, designed to enable the body to move more freely.

Aldemir Martins, an artist renowned for his paintings of flora and fauna, represented the vibrancy of his native region, the Nordeste.

Impassioned by Brazilian popular culture, and notably football, he paid tribute to Pelé in one of his most famous paintings, A Feradz (1969).

Nicolas Ghesquière also plays to the home crowd, with t-shirts and dresses boasting whimsical prints of Pelé doing keepie-uppies. It was this combination of some of Ghesquière’s longtime references – sport detailing, cropped silhouettes, bold graphics – with a touch of Brazilian flair, not only in a series of ruffled looks, but also in some soccer embroideries that was the high point of the show for us.

In a final, more recognisably Parisian rather than Carioca phase, came a series of black cropped neoprene jackets and bubble-like leather bombers worn with billowing white shirts and skinny flared trousers. What of the accessories?

LV girls will be buzzing over the boombox bag – which, thrillingly, actually plays music via Bluetooth technology – and the flip-flop hybrid shoes in black or optic white, another nod to Brazil, from whom the Havaiana is the national footwear. So too the skinny sequinned scarves, worn with strapless leather mini dresses in a way that somehow felt sci-fi rather than bohemian.

Ghesquière's gift is to make even the most feminine of trends –- ruffles, tassels, body-con – look edgy. Here, he made Brazil feel exhilaratingly cutting edge.

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PRADA AW 2016

W

ith her undisputed sharp vision, and with the help of the artist Christophe Chemin – author of the prints inspired by the 12 months of the French Revolution calendar – Miuccia Prada explores the feminine universe via her latest collection. She discovers the soul of today's women, who are different, but all united by a wandering and vagabond spirit. "This collection is a collage of clothes, a layering of different personalities, emotions and times," says the designer. "It's like waking up one morning and getting dressed overlaying what we are, what we would like to be and all our secret dreams but always keeping in mind our desire to escape."

As luxurious vagabonds even this season, Prada women continue their personal journey (imaginary) around the world wearing military coats restrained by corsets, printed circle skirts and Hawaiian shirts in acid tones. They wear artfully layered piles of brocades, velvets, silks and furs, cinched with large corsets and topped with sailor hats, or long velvet sheath dresses in a continuous wandering, without specific goals and purposes, in search of the answers. 1940s and 1950s references reign throughout, via full skirt styles, velvet cocktail dresses, and incredibly chic capes. There's something so chic about a woman who can pull off a cape, be it tartan plaid, velvet, or fur. A carryover from Prada's menswear show, these toppers are sure to be must-haves this season – in our wardrobes in any case.

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Accessories span sailor hats, high heel sandals, velvet Mary-Jane open toe lace up boots and coloured flat shoes borrowed from the outdoor world. A metal choker with rose, key and book pendants that become charms hang from the belts as well. Bellows handbags or rigid ones with a strap and argyle tights bring a smart, sexy touch to the miniskirts and dresses they're paired with. And not forgetting the bags – in her latest show you get a bag! Your waist gets a bag! Your neck gets a bag!

This season, everyone (and every inch of your body) gets a bag!

Collection colours include black, gold, blue, brown and green in lamé, leather, fur, knits, crystal, brushed wool, jersey, cotton, brocade, tulle, denim and nylon fabrics. In terms of shapes, Prada gives us large capes that alternate with military coats restrained by corsets. Pencil skirts are flared, with an A-line silhouette, sheath dresses are fluid and have puffy sleeves.

A key stand-out product, steeped in controversy, is the aforementioned corset, which has officially re-entered the fashion landscape. But you should forget its uncomfortable history, because for autumn/winter it’s taken on a whole new form.

Instead of precariously sculpting an extreme hourglass silhouette or appropriating its overly sexualised subtext, this new wave of corsets is designed as a feminist statement that allows women to reclaim it and wear it on their own terms. Prada’s take this season was to team cotton corset belts with stark Popeye hats layered over coats and suits, but they weren’t restricting.

Instead, the laces were left loose and half tied for a fresh take on the nautical style, perfect for the freespirited travelling Prada woman.

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CAROLINE HERRERA AW 2016

C

arolina Herrera, the international fashion house recognised for timeless elegance and refinement, was founded in 1981. Continually pushing the boundaries of style with her juxtaposition of classicism and modernity, Carolina Herrera has resided at the helm of her eponymous label for decades of fervent acclaim. Proving with each new season that sensibility paired in tandem with femininity and a concentration on all things contemporary, Herrera has outfitted women worldwide with an aesthetic all her own.

With the endorsement of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, she presented her first capsule at the Metropolitan Club, which at the time was as New York iconic as Herrera herself has now become. Paralleling the identities of Manhattan’s chicest, Herrera’s collection was well received both commercially and editorially and thus her fashion house was born over thirty years ago.

“For me it’s always been about New York. It’s where fashion begins and ends. It is who we are.”

Opening her atelier shortly after her inaugural show, cultivating a couture team with the finest of training and pedigree, Herrera built an empire, consequently aligning her name synonymously with New York City and all things luxury. Forever concluding her ready-to-wear shows with a wedding gown, Herrera introduced her bridal line in 1987. Approaching bridal collections with the diversity and progressive style innate in her ready to wear collections, Herrera cornered the market for brides in search of a more fashion conscious offering.

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Finding resonance on the runway, down the aisle and in the pages of fashion magazines, Herrera soon found a new home on the red carpet, dressing stars both on the rise and Hollywood iconic. With her ready-to-wear and bridal collections firmly in place, she launched her first fragrance, Carolina Herrera Eau de Parfum, and has since released ten additional fragrances for both men and women.

In 2000 Carolina Herrera opened her first flagship boutique on Madison Avenue and 75th Street in a four storey landmark building. Just one year later Herrera introduced CH Carolina Herrera, a lifestyle collection with ready-to-wear and accessories for men, women and children, with the first store opening in Madrid, Spain.

When it comes to the Caroline Herrera man, we are looking at a male who embodies a timeless casual style; a style which is the undisputed protagonist of the male wardrobe for the present autumn/winter season. Simple lines form a lightweight collection aimed at the man who values comfort and effortless elegance.

Fitted technical fabrics combine with noble materials to create an urban and relaxed look for the coming season.

Nautical inspired yellow and shades of blue emphasise the casual look of the collection while combining with other signature tones of the House of Herrera such as red, beige and navy blue, evoking sobriety and sophistication both in inner and outerwear.

Lastly, ready-to-wear military style garments are present in down jackets and voluminous parkas with natural fur in khaki green and with touches of ivory for the urban cosmopolitan male. Small details enrich the collection and contrast with the austere nature of the garments themselves. The natural elegance of the CH man adapts itself perfectly to the fresh and modern spirit of the collection while remaining loyal to the brand’s style.

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DIOR AW 2016

H

ow does an individual’s past grow and

morph into his present without nostalgia? This is the question that

Kris Van Assche, Creative Director of Dior Homme, poses for this season.

“The idea of ‘ the hybrid’ is intrinsic to the collection,” says Kris Van Assche. “Today, people don’t just fit into one box, they fit into many and all at once. There might be an idea of the New Wave or Skate that somebody has grown up with, but it is what those things and people have grown into now that matters. Traces of memory and tradition can still exist, but these happen without nostalgia: this is the hybridisation of now.”

The Dior Homme runway made its way amidst skate ramps illuminated by flame-red neon lighting, while a giant crystal chandelier dangled from the ceiling. A film by photographer and videomaker Willy Vanderperre was shown on a panoramic screen as a backdrop to Kris Van Assche’s creation.

In the ritual show square, lit by stark, red neon to the thud of electronic body music, an idea of rites of passage is played out in a palette of black, red and white. Silhouettes are in turn a combination and exaggeration of volumes and shapes; noble materials are contrasted with or made into the everyday; grand maison traditions come up against militant subversions; prototypical ideas of luxury are questioned and tempered by new techniques and tastes.

Colours span black, cognac, deep red, claret, white, burgundy, beige, white, grey splashed across cashmere, wools, leather, nylon, waterproof fabric, shearling, denim, cotton poplin and tweed.

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Accessories see the presence of bows instead of the classic bowtie, aviator glasses, caps, monk shoes, sneakers, woollen arm warmers, maxi scarves, travel bags, document cases, check-effect printed backpacks, and contrasting cotton lisle socks.

The designer’s outerwear plays on contrasts: twobutton jackets and slim-line coats alternate with oversized leather blousons and padded parkas.

Bottoms also display a range of contrasts: anklelength cigarette pants and distressed jeans alternate with palazzo pants featuring waist darts.

Just as the Rob Roy Macgregor tartan became the all-American buffalo plaid – the touchstone red and black pattern in various fabrications for this season – so too Oxford bags are seen to have transformed into voluminous workwear skater pants. Traditional Fair Isles knits and subverted, couture embroidery techniques are used to almost disruptive effect, while Dior florals from the archive become a symbol of provocation rather than prettiness or preciousness.

Yet there is also a sense of celebration as well as rebellion in the collection, highlighted by the filmic backdrop of dancing figures. In Willy Vanderperre’s movie – a specially commissioned project for the show – the same boys who appear on the catwalk are also the stars of the film, revelling in this moment in time.

“The collection is about taking elements of the past, but bringing them into the present and reflecting on where we are now, in the situation of today,” explains Kris Van Assche. “It’s a moment in time for a contemporary generation.”

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GUCCI AW 2016

F

ounded in Florence in 1921, Gucci

represents world class luxury, Italian heritage and modern style. Gucci is part of

the Kering Group, a world leader in apparel and accessories that owns a portfolio of powerful luxury and sport and lifestyle brands.

With beginnings at the end of the 19th century, the Gucci company became one of the world’s most successful manufacturers of high-end leather goods, clothing and other fashion products. As an immigrant hotel worker in Paris and later London, young Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) was impressed with the luxurious luggage he saw urbane guests bring with them. Before leaving, he visited a manufacturer and upon returning to his birthplace of Florence, he established a shop in 1920 that sold fine leather goods with classic styling.

Together with three of his sons, Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo, Gucci expanded the company to include stores in Milan and Rome as well as additional shops in Florence, featuring finely crafted leather accessories as handbags, shoes, and his iconic ornamented loafer as well as silks and knitwear in a signature pattern.

The company made handbags of cotton canvas rather than leather during World War II as a result of material shortages. The canvas, however, was distinguished by a signature double-G symbol combined with prominent red and green bands.

After the war, the Gucci crest, which showed a shield and armoured knight surrounded by a ribbon inscribed with the family name, became synonymous with the city of Florence.

Aldo and Rodolfo Gucci further expanded the company's horizons in 1953 by establishing offices in New York City. Film stars and jet-set travellers to Italy during the 1950s and 1960s brought their glamour to Florence, turning Gucci's merchandise into international status symbols. Movie stars posed in Gucci's clothing, accessories and footwear for lifestyle magazines around the world, contributing to the company’s growing reputation. The original Gucci loafer was updated by a distinctive snaffle-bit ornament in 1966, while the ‘Rolls-Royce’ luggage set was introduced in 1970. Watches, jewellery, ties and eyewear were then added to the company's product lines. A particularly iconic touch, introduced in 1964, was the use of the double-G logo for belt buckles and other accessory decorations.

Tom Ford joined the company in 1990 to design a ready-to-wear line, becoming creative director in 1994. He was instrumental in the process of decisionmaking, with president of Gucci America in 1994 and chief executive Domenico De Sole, when the Gucci Group acquired Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Bottega Veneta, Boucheron, Sergio Rossi, and, in part-ownership with Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga. By 2001 Ford and De

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Sole shared the responsibility for major business decisions, while Ford concurrently directed design at Yves Saint Laurent as well as at Gucci.

Ford left the company in 2004 and was replaced by Frida Giannini, before Gucci’s current Creative Director Alessandro Michele took the helm.

Influential, innovative and progressive, Gucci is reinventing a wholly modern approach to fashion.

Under the vision of creative director Alessandro Michele, the House has redefined luxury for the 21st century, further reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most desirable fashion houses. Eclectic, contemporary, romantic – Gucci products represent the pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship and are unsurpassed for their quality and attention to detail.

Gucci’s latest men's autumn/winter collection draws from the heritage typical of the brand, reinventing iconic garments from the Gucci archive. The clothes become an assembly of fragments from another time that come to life through an anarchic game expressing freedom, fun and emancipation.

Welcome to the New Punk. Michele has brought a radically different culture to Gucci. Michele's Gucci – scouring time, place, and gender for scraps – has a Marmite impact: you either love it or hate it. That, in itself, is punk, and so is Michele's ardent faith in the power of youth. Asked about the religious symbolism in his collection, he talked about "the young generation as the real saints of the new world."

Tattooing, piercing, decorating themselves in a new kind of geography of the body – Michele takes all of these as youthful tokens of a new shamanism.

A 1970s streetwear inspiration is threaded through men’s autumn pieces. Languid jersey tracksuits are detailed with art deco style patterns, T-shirts feature Peanuts characters and knits are woven with stripes and teddy-bears. Snoopy is the star on T-shirts and knits, again reflecting a youthful – yet less punk – feel.

Outerwear has prints ranging from the most classic windowpane check to more elaborate patterns. Single and double-breasted coats alternate with fur capes, Oriental-style jackets, print blousons and kimonolike coats. Brightly coloured suits have lapels that are in a contrasting shade or printed. Straight-leg trousers gradually become fuller: palazzo pants, bellbottoms or baggy, turned up at the ankle. Plaid, skinny suits, Savile Row-taste, no neckties – but, yes, some bow ties – are the order of the day.

Accessories provide a plethora of goodies including knit caps, oversized eyewear, bags, laced sandals, moccasins, fur-lined loafers, knit socks, rings with stones, wide-brimmed hats, vintage-look sneakers, brooches, briefcases, shoulder bags, necklaces with pendants and belts with gold buckles.

The collection delivers cashmere, calf hair leather, wool knit, tweed, cool wool, silk, velvet, jersey, shearling and denim in shades of black, burgundy, wine, peach, nude, white, green, intense blue, yellow, white, lacquer red, teal, light blue, fuchsia, beige, grey, brown, dusty blue.

The final result is a kaleidoscopic assembly revealing the anarchic soul of the collection.

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Aston Martin by Hackett

W

hat’s better than driving an Aston Martin? Well, driving two Aston Martins realistically just isn’t feasible, so how about driving an Aston Martin wearing a damn-fine outfit tailor-made specifically for the vehicle? Because that’s just the level of cool that you’ll be able to achieve with Aston Martin and menswear retailer Hackett having recently announced a new, long-term global partnership.

Hackett’s long-standing relationship with Aston Martin, one of Britain’s most renowned automobile companies, reaches new heights for autumn/winter 2016. In line with the recent reveal of Aston Martin’s highly anticipated DB11, Hackett have launched an exclusive capsule collection for autumn/winter 2016 ingeniously titled Aston Martin by Hackett.

The lavish 14-piece collection includes everything from outerwear to knitwear, shirts and trousers to accessories, combining the quintessentially British values of both Hackett London and Aston Martin to create the perfect outfit updates for anyone who has ever wanted to live the fast and (not-so) furious life of a wellto-do English gentleman.

Standout pieces include an Italian belted field jacket, made with buttery soft nubuck leather and adorned with numerous decoratively engraved metallic buttons. Engineered with meticulous attention to detail, this classically masculine style is hand-cut with bonded and painted edges and comes in a rich tan colourway. Metallic buttons are engraved with diagonal cross-hatching, inspired by vintage Aston Martin radiator grilles which runs throughout the collection.

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Additional outerwear pieces include a smooth leather moto jacket in brown and a waterproof and breathable Loro Piana padded field jacket, trimmed in soft suede, available in two colour options: grey and rust. A laser-cut navy nylon mac is perfect for those downpours with a detachable lightweight down liner and precision laser-cut button holes. Using an innovative production method of heat-welded seams, involving no stitching or sewing, enhances the mac’s waterproof qualities.

For something more formal, Hackett’s timeless navy blazer has been reinterpreted for the Aston Martin by Hackett collection in a padded water resistant and breathable fabric with a flexible zipout insert for those autumnal days. A man’s classic two button wool blazer, in grey or bold blue, comes with the Aston Martin collection’s signature cross hatched detailing emblazoned on the inside.

Key knitwear pieces include a cashmere zipped sweater in charcoal or taupe with luxurious leather details reflecting Aston Martin interiors and an insulating down filled knit and merino wool sweater in navy with soft lambswool knitted sleeves and collar. To complete the capsule collection, pieces include a pair of classic grey soft flannel trousers, brushed cotton and cashmere chinos in navy or taupe trimmed with soft suede, cashmere flannel shirts in charcoal, navy and blue, a classic Thomas Mason crease-resistant white shirt and a sporty long-sleeve polo shirt in navy or charcoal.

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For those weekend getaways, accessories include a large chocolate brown leather weekend bag with brogue detailing and a subtly laserperforated ‘Aston Martin’ in the supple leather.

Black handcrafted gloves with signature metal buttons and hand-stitched red detailing are the ideal companion to control the power behind the wheel of the latest Aston Martin DB11.

It’s the little touches like the diagonal crosshatching of the buttons that really set the collection apart from other more cliché collaborations. Each piece in the Aston Martin by Hackett collection has been made using the most luxurious fabrics and finishes and designed to reflect the activity and speed of the modern gentleman’s lifestyle. And with the Aston Martin

by Hackett collection being available online and across global Hackett flagship stores, this is the sort of lifestyle you too could be living. All you need to do is buy a DB11 and completely revamp your entire wardrobe. It’s just that easy.

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Lacoste AW 2016

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he history of Lacoste is the story of a tennis legend whose sport revolutionised the clothing industry forever.

Born in 1904, René Lacoste won his first tournament aged 17 and the French Open for the first time in 1924.

The press noted his perfectionist approach and predicted a player of great class. Hearing of a bet over an alligator skin suitcase, a journalist nicknamed him the ‘alligator’. Victory followed victory, and René Lacoste won a total of ten grand slam titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and Forest Hills.

Inspired by his nickname, Lacoste asked his friend Robert George to design a crocodile. The now famous logo made its first appearance embroidered on the blazer of René Lacoste. He himself went on to invent the tennis ball machine to improve his technique – a machine which went on to train generations of players.

The 1930s saw the creation of the Lacoste polo shirt, 1958 welcomed the launch of a children’s collection and 1966 saw Lacoste’s elegant sports jacket and knitted cardigan replace the traditional blazer on the courts. The 1960 also witnessed the launch of Lacoste leather goods and the polo dress, sister to the iconic polo shirt, which captivated attention with its elegantly styled silhouette.

The 1970s is when Rubes Torres was appointed Fashion Director, and under his reign the ‘crocodiles’ advertising campaigns were born. The 1980s welcomed a new line of sports bags in coated petit pique and the first ever Lacoste boutique.

For the first time in its history, Lacoste opened a boutique and launches a seasonal collection entirely focused on women. In 2012 the new Lacoste flagship store designed by Christophe Pillet opened in Paris on the Champs-Elysées, followed by Hamburg.

Lacoste then unveiled its first store in Shibuya, Tokyo, followed by Miami, London and New York. To date, 53 million Lacoste products have been sold through 1,165 stores and over 2000 department stores across 114 countries. Two crocodiles are now sold every second.

2010 saw Felipe Oliveira Baptista take over as Fashion Designer of Lacoste. The leading Portuguese designer offered a reinterpretation of the Lacoste brand values, namely the launch of the new clothing collection LACOSTE L!VE which invokes the playful, innovative spirit of the man behind the crocodile, René Lacoste, combining sporty heritage and impeccable French elegance with an irreverent tone.

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For autumn/winter 2016/17 Baptista retains three key moods across both his menswear and womenswear collections. The first is nautical and displays a perfect blend of primary colours with a subtle palette of blues and natural colours. Stand out garments include a lightweight blue cotton jacquard shirt to be worn with jeans for a total casual denim look, a navy three-quarterlength trench coat for a more urban look that can be worn over a T-shirt with wide red-white-and-blue stripes and the heavy piqué graphic polo shirt (decorated with the brand’s trademark crocodile) can be combined at a push with suit trousers.

The designer’s second theme is French Flair, putting the ball well and truly back in the court of its originator René. Tennis stripes, pleated fabrics, an embroidered crocodile and an overall sense of minimum chic refer back to the brand’s history. Garments that ace it are the grey wool teddy jacket that can be word with a micropatterned polo shirt and bordeaux chino trousers. The tennis stripes are edged with black to underline the sporty elegance of a polo shirt. For timeless style, a three-quarter-length trench coat can be worn over a tennis-striped sweater while a hybrid padded jacket/overcoat can be worn with a striped sports polo shirt and suit trousers. Combining heritage and modernity, the navy blue blazer embroidered with the crocodile hints at the one worn on tennis courts by René Lacoste. Wool knit and cotton piqué fabrics reflect the brand’s heritage in a collection whose simplicity is enhanced by subtle details.

Baptista takes us seamlessly into winter with his Zero Degrees theme, the aim of which is to prove that comfort can have style. Winter colours such as deep blues, bordeaux, grey and khaki are lit up by touches of bright colours such as yellow, blue and red; abstract camouflage print, caviar print and coloured piping have been chosen to bring this collection to life. Technical fabrics and thick solid-coloured or milled wools guarantee warmth and authenticity.

The winter cold offers a showcase for coats: a padded technical jacket, an ingeniously cut two-tone parka, a padded jacket with collar/lapels and flap pockets borrowed from blazers, a square padded teddy jacket or a textured safari jacket. There are so many options which can be worn with elegance to combat the urban cold or mountain snows. They harmonise perfectly with loose- fitting wool or tweed trousers for resolutely chic and casual looks – looks that we think the ‘alligator’ himself would be proud of.

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Louis Vuitton AW 2016

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Jacques-Henri Lartigue image – a stack of Louis Vuitton trunks, shadowed by the Eiffel Tower – formed the jumping-off point for the autumn 2016 Louis Vuitton menswear collection. “This season I was inspired by Paris – old and new,” says Kim Jones, men’s Artistic Director for Louis Vuitton. The result is a conversation between past and present, 162 years captured in Louis Vuitton’s archives and the wardrobe of the modern man: a future heritage. The conversation starts with the past, the Art Deco period. An era that established an archetypal image of Paris as the art, culture and fashion capital of the world, it also provides our enduring blueprint for male sartorial elegance. Alexis Von Rosenberg, the Baron de Redé, a quintessentially Parisian 20th century European aesthete, inspires jewellery that riffs on distinctly dandy styles. Born in 1922 and living until the 21st century, he is a link between the past and present.

A selection of classic menswear pieces – trench coats, fur coats, tailored suits, sweaters – form the foundations of male style, and of Louis Vuitton’s own masculine fashion identity. Then, a voyage begins, the collection travelling through to the present day, imbuing the garments with a sense of now. Today means utility, functionality, a fusing of substance and style. Outerwear is lightweight and reversible, graphic patterned shearlings appear unlined but superlatively finished, the inside as perfect as the outside. Cashmere is fused with silk in a featherweight fabrication. A new line of Louis Vuitton denim reinterprets the humble cotton blue jean through the Louis Vuitton lexicon of luxury. Treated by specialist artisans using the Roketsu wax and indigo-painting technique, the crackled finish of the fabric is unique to each garment, including leather, created for the first time using this technique in an expression of Louis Vuitton savoir-faire. Originating in Japan, it again ties to the House’s past, to the Japonism that inspired European artists of the turn of the century, as well as the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram.

The monogram is the collection’s key motif. This season the iconic canvas has been reworked into a timeless new variation: Monogram Eclipse, a subtle contrast of grey and black shadow tones inspired by the black leather on the famous Malle

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Courrier in the Louis Vuitton archives. The play of shiny and matt continues through the introduction of Monogram Illusion, a series of smooth leather bags and trunks, with a silkscreened transparent monogram which shimmers in the light.

The iconic motif is also used to create a series of mirror-lined gentleman’s trunks – toolkit, vanity, attaché and mobile bar, the latter a homage to archive 1920s styles and created in the specialised made-to-order Vuitton workshop in Asnières.

Throughout, accessories and clothing work in synergy, borrowing colours and motifs. An innovative and sophisticated leather zip closes bags and adds a graphic point of delineation on garments. A series of utilitarian small leather goods clip and dangle from bags, echoing the multi pocketed utility shapes of the garments.

Accessories also offer men a new wardrobe of archetypal bag designs – keepall, camera bag, tote, messenger bag and a backpack shape inspired by Louis Vuitton’s Noé. Shoes are classic men’s styles, polished military boots or Oxford brogues with a wedge outsole and the new Monogram Eclipse welt. Colours are subtle, redolent of Paris: graphite grey and black, French navy, a topiary evergreen, Damier shades of brown and a pale, powdery Tuileries laurel. The Art Deco period grounds the decorative motifs: masculine profiles in a 1930s style or a ribbon motif that sketches out the words ‘Volez Voguez Voyagez’, archive trunk stamps feature as laser-cutting and flocked print, while geometric inserts taken from Louis Vuitton blankets are applied to scarves and outerwear in shearlings and cashmere. The Annapurna and Karakoram designs are joined by the Satapurna, a new graphic created by Kim Jones.

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PRADA AW 2016

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nderstanding a Prada show can sometimes feel like trying to solve a puzzle, and this season’s menswear display was one of Miuccia Prada’s most intriguing ones yet. With the theme of premonitions, the autumn/winter 2016/17 collection included sailor motifs, knit tights and deconstructed shirting – all shown against a wooden set with brooding music by Frédéric Sanchez.

An intelligent, intuitive fashion designer, Miuccia Prada naturally seeks to make work that represents the time in which she lives, and contributes to a wider cultural landscape. She’s part of the conversation of the times – and what touches more people than the clothing on their backs? For one of the most wilful, singularly talented and individualistic designers working in fashion today, her output is marked not by her own whims but by a curiosity about other people, about the world she lives and works in. “That is what is really interesting,” she says. “What people relate to, what fascinates them, how the fusion of fashion and culture makes people react.” Prada’s clothing is interesting because, at the end, she is interested in life, in her times, and in representing that through clothing.

Reality was in fact the word parroted most by designers behind the scenes of this year’s autumn 2016 menswear shows – real life, the real wardrobe, real clothes. Notions of nowness, concepts of the contemporary. Many of the opening men’s looks were centred around short-sleeved button-up poplin shirts, detaching collars and cuffs and offering dozens of variations, often printed with retro-inspired imagery. Several female models walked in the show, including Mica Arganaraz, Natalie Westling, Lexi Boling, and Lineisy Montero. Most looks were topped off with a sailor cap that tied at the back with strings hanging down, reflective of her wandering womenswear collection. Deconstructed shirting appeared in various forms, like extra plackets on tops and additional collars worn over coats.

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Though early men’s looks were shown with white sneakers, many of the later ensembles were grounded by loafer-brogue hybrids. The metal bracelets on the wrists of several male models weren’t the collection’s only hardware – chains hanging from pockets were fastened to keyrings with skeleton keys hanging or tied to leather-bound books.

Prada staged her show in the House’s usual venue, which had been transformed into a composite wooden set complete with balcony seating. According to Ms Prada, the scene was meant to evoke a gathering place like a town square.

Why? Because these are troubled times – for the world and for luxury – and Prada is permanently plugged into the here and now, into the real. Her collection reactivated elements from history, she said, to pose questions about now. What can we learn from our own past? There was little of Prada’s own past here – no archive references, no vintage prints.

Rather, there were really new tweed coats and capes, and everything a little washed, battered, and misshapen. Pull it all back together, though, button it all the right way, and it will really appeal, to real men. Real men with real money to spend, who really want to look really good. Real smart.

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S

imply Beauty has been given some incredible insights for this issue. Come with me and see what treats I have in store for you from amazing brands and experts, new and familiar. As they say you learn something new every day – well, in this edition of Simply Beauty, you will learn a vast array of tips, ideas and inspirations.

First off, we are re-visiting our much admired facialist Sarah Chapman. I was lucky enough to go to her London clinic in the ever sophisticated Chelsea to view the incredible space.

The ground floor is a wealth of discovery, temptation and knowledge whilst upstairs more magic happens in the treatment rooms. Calming and luxurious yet approachable and expert, you feel in good hands, literally. This time I managed to ask Sarah some of my questions and to my delight, her answers were very full and impassioned.

From skincare to makeup, enter the expert you may or may not be aware of yet: Troy Surratt. Remember you heard it here first! He is lighting up the makeup scene with his discreetly fabulous collection – pigments to die for and formulas that blend seamlessly onto the skin. As for his brushes, they are beyond soft – you must feel them for yourself as soon as possible! He is such a busy man jetting around the world that it was tricky to grab any of his time. Perseverance paid off, though, and I have some fascinating insights into his life and work from my interview with him.

Then how about your hair – how have you been feeling about it recently? Well, a recently launched brand is sure to address any woes you may have. Ouai haircare is totally innovative. As its founder Jen Atkin proclaims, "It means yes, in that casual, Parisian way". Modern and cool, just like the lady herself, we all want to be part of her gang. Just like the Kardashians, Gigi Hadid and Gwen Stefani are – and how lustworthy is their hair?! Read my interview with Jen and you'll want it to go on and on, as her personality jumps off the page.

I'm loving this issue of Simply Beauty and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed compiling it for you.

I would very much like to hear your opinions and comments on anything I write about here at Simply Beauty, so please do get in touch. You can find me via my Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat on @beautisserie and I look forward to interacting with you. If there's anything in the beauty world you'd like me to cover, let me know and I'll investigate – I'm here for you!

My website can be viewed at www.beautisserie.com which showcases my makeup artistry and other Simply Abu Dhabi articles.

Keep well, Sophie McMullan Beauty Editor

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By Sophie M

cM

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Sarah Chapman Skincare

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ollowing on from my previous article about the incredible products by facialist Sarah Chapman, I can now share with you my part two of the story. I managed to steal some of Sarah's precious time for this exclusive interview where I ask questions about her career, her personal life and what's in store for the future...

What brought you to create your own range of skincare?

Over time I became increasingly obsessed with products and what I could do for people’s skin, seeing some of the results that could be achieved with cosmeceutical skincare. I began mixing the formulas I was working with and layering several different products in my facials and homecare routines. I began to think, why can’t there be a product that’s cosmeceutical in its performance, but also smells good and is aesthetically pleasing? In my opinion, once you’ve used a cosmeceutical product, you can’t go back to just botanicals; but at the same time, women want efficacy alongside beautiful scent and packaging. I went on to study cosmetic science, ultimately hoping that, rather than offering my clients a clinical serum followed by a botanical cream and then an essential oil for scent, I could create formulas that combined all three. So the heart of my Skinesis range is exactly that: a fusion of cutting edge science, with high levels of cosmeceutical actives, botanical extracts and omega oils, in a base that is paraben-free, and fragranced with pure natural essential oils.

This, combined with my quest to create the perfect skin canvas, was the inspiration behind my Skinesis range – I strive to combine the best of science, nature and luxury and achieve optimum skin transformation to bring facial results into the homes of everyday women. I’m taking the treatment room experience and skills and bottling them for use at home; from face to formula.

What product or technique are you most proud of?

Creating new innovations in skincare is my absolute passion and my focus is on pushing the boundaries of skincare in terms of formulations and results. My Stem Cell Collagen Activator Serum is definitely at the forefront of my Skinesis collection. Powered by the cutting edge technology of plant stem cells and peptides, this serum promotes the production of collagen and firms skin protein, whilst treating visible capillaries and sun damage. This revolutionary, skin regenerating treatment protects longevity of skin stem cells, delays the ageing of cells, preserves the youthful look and vitality of the skin and promotes the skin’s ability to regenerate.

In my London clinic I have combined the serum into a triple collagen boosting treatment with micro-needling for enhanced product delivery and red light therapy for healing and enhancing collagen production in the skin. The ultimate in skin rejuvenation, hand filled in the lab – true couture skincare.

What facial techniques are you known for? Can you explain their benefits?

I am known for combining cutting edge machines and technology with cosmeceutical formulas such as skin peels, with hands-on massage and cosseting. I have always believed in vigorous massage to stimulate the facial muscles, increase blood circulation and improve lymphatic drainage to improve the health of the skin, and this plays an integral role in my Skinesis facials. By massaging you are boosting oxygen to your skin cells, resulting in a healthier, more radiant complexion. Massage and exercise also work to drain away toxins that naturally build up in our lymph nodes, reducing puffiness and enhancing skin function.

What sorts of procedures do you use to get your clients skin red carpet-ready?

Our Endymed 3DEEP radio frequency is loved by A-list celebrities for its facial tightening and is often the go-to treatment for achieving the red carpet look. Radiofrequency technology delivers dramatic facial tightening and contouring. Impressive results can be achieved for an instant and long-term lift. We can treat the eyes, face, jowls and neck areas with the three dimensional tightening and contouring treatment that provides deep, volumetric dermal heating using radiofrequency technology. When combined with our signature facial and gymnastics massage techniques, impressive results can be seen for an instant lift.

What sets your skincare line apart from others on the market?

In the beauty industry reputation is extremely important, so when creating a skincare product, the most important consideration is that the products have to work and stand out from the crowd!

Efficacy is king, not only for the integrity of the brand but because I use my products every day, both at home and at work in the clinic.

The Skinesis range is formulated to deliver dramatic results at home and maintain all of the professional benefits of a facial with or without hands-on clinic treatments. It is essential that the products provide real skin transforming results and by combining scientific technically advanced ingredients at optimum tried-and-tested clinical levels with pure essential oils, I have made it really easy and pleasurable to achieve great skin at home. I think this really resonates with my clients who are time poor, be it big Hollywood A-listers or busy working mother. Results wrapped in luxury, from face to formula.

Do you believe in feeding our skin from within as well as topically? If so, what elements do you believe are great for our skin/bodies?

I am a big fan of omega supplements as these really help to fortify the skin. Increased intake of omega 3 through a powerful blend such as my omega+ booster supplements or fish or flax oils will help keep your cell membranes supple and help your skin hold on to moisture. They are also anti-inflammatory – a great anti-ager. I also recommend specific supplements for acne or slow healing skin so it’s always good to look at broad spectrum multivitamins and minerals. Diet is important, too – I often see people on low fat diets who struggle with skin dryness and dullness. Essential fats are important, such as those found in avocados, nuts and seeds.

Your overnight and morning facial products look amazing!

Can you tell us how this came about and what they promise to deliver?

With the popularity of the overnight facial, my aim with the morning facial was to ensure 24 hour radiance and glow for the skin. So many clients asked me for a daytime version of the overnight facial so they could look fabulous all day long, especially during challenging times like winter. How could we prolong the post-facial glow?

In fact, both products are completely different formulas, created with different chemists, so everything from the base to the actives is different. At night we need repair, comfort and nourishment, so the overnight facial was designed to rejuvenate, plump, smooth and brighten while you sleep. During daytime, skin needs to be protected against pollution; a dewy yet light finish is needed for skin comfort and makeup application, and a refreshing scent is required to wake the senses. The morning facial is a wake-up call for your skin, and it provides instant results with ingredients such

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as ultra-filling spheres for a smooth finish and wrinkle reduction.

High performance actives like Gatuline Intense and Collageneer deliver intense and long lasting cell nourishment and skin plumping, targeting deeper signs of ageing, whilst increasing firmness and elasticity. The morning facial also effectively protects against UV-induced collagen destruction, protecting the skin barrier from environmental toxins and fighting off the daily assaults of pollution.

The overnight facial was one of my first products. I used to mix several different products and ingredients in the treatment room to massage during a facial and the skin was always so glowing afterwards, but I realised that it would be easier all in one bottle – and then it became a homecare product for use every night.

What are your favourite and key ingredients for healthy skin and to prevent signs of ageing?

Vitamin A! This fantastic age-defying ingredient can be found in many of my products and I would recommend its regular use to anyone concerned with signs of ageing or looking to improve the appearance of their skin in general. Vitamin A, also known as retin A (acid form), retinyl palmitate (lipid-oil soluble form) and retinol (alcohol form), is all converted to retinoic acid which works in the cell to deliver anti-ageing, repairing results which are clinically proven. Vitamin A is known to prevent and reverse photo-ageing and promote skin healing. Used regularly, vitamin A will smooth skin, stimulate collagen, even out pigment, control breakouts and improve skin texture whilst supporting cell function and repairing DNA damage. I always focus on supporting the skin with omegas while treating with vitamin A so you have healthy, glowing skin.

Are most of your ingredients from natural origin? How do you source them?

Efficacy is the always at the forefront in our skincare innovations.

We carefully source the most effective raw materials for each of our products whether they derive from cosmeceutical, scientific, technical or natural origins, to ensure we achieve the best solutionfocused products within the market.

What’s the single most important step we should all take the time for in our skincare regime?

Protecting your skin with daily SPF UVA and UVB is the most important anti-ageing weapon you can have. Sun damage is the cause of most of the skin concerns that I see in treatments. UVA is attacking our skin every day and is a primary cause of deeper cellular damage which results in blotchy, uneven complexions and collagen damage. My Dynamic Defence SPF 15 day cream offers all round protection, and my new high-tech Skin Insurance SPF30 (much loved by Victoria Beckham) also limits damage caused by infra-red and thermal ageing.

What are the benefits of facial massage?

Massage is an essential part of my treatment philosophy, be it at home or in the clinic. Fantastic for stimulating your skin and aiding function at the cellular level, massage boosts the vital supply of oxygen and nutrients into skin cells while draining toxins from the lymph nodes to de-puff and prevent blockages and build-ups which can cause congestion and breakouts. Try combining some simple massage techniques while you cleanse, either with your hands or a facial massager like my Facialift. You’ll be amazed how healthy and radiant your skin will look after just a couple of minutes.

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What's your hero product? How did you come to create it?

This is a really hard question! I love all of my Skinesis products – each one I have developed and nurtured from the initial concept to the final product being approved, tested and bottled. However, IF I had to choose, then it would be my much loved overnight facial.

It is by far our bestseller and a favourite with so many of my clients.

It captures the product range philosophy and the essence of my firming and brightening skin rejuvenating facials. It is a cashmeretextured serum oil which on first contact feels like a traditional aromatherapy oil but transforms into a unique silky moisturiser.

This was my original idea, to combine powerful cosmeceutical actives in a delicious botanical oil delivery system. It contains antioxidants, vitamins, my signature skin-brightening complex, skin firming peptides and essential oils of jasmine, rose, frangipani and tuberose. It has a superior drying time so it transforms into a moisturiser as it disappears into the skin. We also use this to massage in all our facials. It is addictive.

What's the biggest mistake that women make with their skincare regime?

If I had my way, everyone should ditch their facial toner (which does very little for the skin) and instead use a serum for a targeted skincare solution. Serums at a low molecular weight penetrate the skin far more effectively to really tackle the deeper issues. I created my Age-Repair Serum and Age-Repair Concentrate as the ultimate anti-ageing serums. They contain potent levels of vitamins, antioxidants, peptides and skin brighteners to help restore and rejuvenate the skin at a cellular and superficial level. The concentrate version has double the amount of actives for more advanced signs of ageing, as well as additional ingredients such as Renovage which work directly on cell telomeres, slowing down ageing at the deepest level within the skin.

Would you ever venture into a cosmetics collection? Perhaps a tinted moisturiser or the like?

I am constantly working on new formulas and I have so many ideas that the list keeps getting longer, so watch this space! But behind everything I do is serious skincare technology.

Please describe a typical day in your life.

My days tend to start early. I try to stay healthy and whenever possible I do some yoga or exercises to kick start the day, followed by hot water and lemon and a healthy breakfast. Obviously I pay attention to my skin, starting by cleansing thoroughly, followed by my Eye Recovery, Age-Repair Concentrate, Stem Cell Collagen Activator, Dynamic Defence Concentrate and morning facial. I finish with my Skin Insurance SPF30; I am a big advocate of product layering. I take my supplements to help retain moisture in my skin and keep it in tip-top condition, and head off to the office or clinic.

Days in the office often get split between marketing, focusing on product development as I am always working on something new and exciting, and general focus on the business as a whole. This can be a lengthy process; I am very detail orientated and always strive for perfection, which is the part I love. I also still work in treatment, so days in the clinic are extremely busy with clients and this is where I so often get my inspiration. With all this going on, there are also press breakfasts, meetings, QVC shows, travel and lab work to squeeze into any given day.

After a hectic day either in the office or clinic, the temptation can always be to head straight home (particularly when you live in walking distance) but often I will go out for something to eat or a drink with friends.

How do you stay motivated?

I love a challenge, and achieving real results for my clients is so gratifying and keeps me motivated. Be it in my clinic or through my products, seeing and hearing of the transformative effects my treatments and products deliver and the confidence, beautiful, healthy skin can give is absolutely the most rewarding aspect of what I do. I am here to help educate people about skin, continually challenging traditional beliefs.

Are you interested in fashion? Where do you like to shop?

Describe your style...

I am a big fan of Outnet for multi-brand shopping and love to mix designer labels with Zara and high street brands. Geox make fantastically comfortable shoes, Rene Caovilla unbelievably gorgeous dressy shoes and anything by Chanel makes me feel glamorous. I recently discovered the Fold for great treatment workwear. I still read all the glossies and love a good fashion shoot.

Do you like makeup? What are the top five products you can't live without?

Having started my career as a makeup artist, I am obsessed with all of the new innovations. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua has a lovely light texture which gives me the perfect natural makeup base, enhancing a healthy skin glow. The brilliant British brand Delilah do great lip glosses – Amelia is a lovely fresh colour that lifts the face. I also love the Chanel pink cream blusher – it’s the perfect pink blush for my skin tone for a really fresh and healthy look. As we get older blood flow to our skin and the body’s natural exfoliation processes both start to slow down, so blusher is essential for lifting and brightening the complexion. I love the new soft Chanel eyeliners for definition, they do a fabulous blue. I always keep Jane Iredale or bareMinerals makeup on hand.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

I have always been told by my nearest and dearest to believe in myself and never take no for an answer. So many times, particularly during the early stages of my product development, I was told “no, it’s not possible” when what was really meant was “that’s not the way we usually do it”. I have always been determined to push the boundaries and make the impossible possible. You can achieve anything and conquer anything with the right support behind you.

Can you tell us a little about the facials you and your team perform at the clinic? How many different types are there and how would a new client figure out which one to go for?

What makes us different at our clinic is that we don’t follow a stepby-step formula. I train all my therapists to be thinking therapists, instilling in them the importance of stopping to look, to think and to watch, enabling them to tailor your treatment accordingly. This bespoke approach ensures each treatment caters for exactly what your skin needs and exactly when it needs it, for truly transformative results. We also push the boundaries in our approach using semi-medical techniques using our hands and machines.

From the boutique’s perspective, I want to mirror the work we do in treatment rooms upstairs with an informative and hands-on approach to retail downstairs. In-store, our skincare experts can take you through a full skin diagnosis with our state-of-the-art Visia skin

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cameras and advise you on the correct skincare approach accordingly. We are able to fully educate our clients and customers, so we designed a specialist Theory Bar where you can enjoy a masterclass in how to use the products, an Image Hub full of instructional video demonstrations, and a ‘Discovery Zone complete with iPads – all of which are complimentary.

I've heard good things about your LED machine, too. How does it work?

Dermalux LED therapy uses three light spectrums – red, near infrared and blue – so we are able to target all skin issues such as acne and deliver firming, rejuvenation and anti-inflammatory treatments. We use the same machines in our full facials and they have been proven to give amazing results – great for a quick preparty fix or for a course of acne treatment. A session under the light is 20 minutes and can focus on one light or use a combination, which is very unusual in LED technology.

What are your thoughts about the UAE/Dubai market?

What do these customer mean to you?

We certainly look to this market as trend setters in fashion and beauty, and expect the demand for beauty products to continue to flourish in the years to come. So much so that we are expanding our presence into the region and hopefully we will be available there by the end of this year – so watch this space! We welcome many customers from the region in our clinic for facials on a regular basis.

Tell us a little more about Sarah Chapman the woman and what makes her tick.

I love a challenge and believe that nothing is impossible. I am hard working with a busy mind, always being creative and looking at opportunities. I love change and don’t sit still, so as soon as something becomes settled I have a new idea! This keeps me busy and the business forward moving. I enjoy nice things, fashion and travel, and I’m obsessed with beauty – but the most important thing to me is my family.

What do your celebrity clients say to you about why they come to you?

They are comfortable because I am discreet; they know we treat everything confidentially and mentions only come out from them, not from us. They love the results we can achieve with little downtime and we make them and all our clients feel special.

What would you tell your 15-year-old self?

Get out of the sun!

How would your best friend describe you?

Works too hard! But incredibly loyal and a good friend.

Have you had any unusual requests?

Not really – depends what is unusual, though… Couriering the overnight facial to the Hamptons for a client’s wedding night..?

Whose face would you like to get your hands on?!

Hmm, so many..! But actually I am very lucky and already treat some incredibly famous faces.

Your clinic in Chelsea is beautiful. Are there any plans to expand your locations?

Thank you! We love it too. And we are talking about expansion, as we are fully booked a year ahead, so perhaps one day.

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airstylist to the stars and famed for tending to the tresses of the Kardashian family, Jen Atkin is hugely talented with a cool personality to boot. She has a personable approach to hair whilst being forward thinking and referencing the past all at once. She's the kind of girl you'd want to be best friends with and know she'd always tell you the truth, even if it hurt.

never thought when I was in high school in Utah that I’d be in Paris working with Kendall Jenner. I always yell at my friends that don’t like sharing as much, because I feel like it’s our responsibility to help encourage people who are starting out and don’t feel like they have what it takes.

If you could give someone a key piece of advice for their hair, what would it be?

What’s the worst mistake we’re perhaps all making with our hair?

Ouai Haircare is her new collection that's flying off the shelves. The internet and social media are raving about everything in the line and even the scent of the products is wanted as a perfume.

I always suggest my clients dry their hair with an old cotton T-shirt instead of a towel after they shower. Wet strands are much more fragile and prone to breakage, and the harsh fibres of a towel can be too aggressive.

It's relatively capsule in its offering, yet there is so much choice depending on your hair type and the look you're trying to achieve. Having said that, Jen says that she uses Wave Spray on pretty much all of her clients as its versatility gives each hair type a much needed boost.

You should also be wary of what kind of brush you use on damp hair. Something with too much tension will stretch the hair too much, which also exposes it to breakage.

Do you think that what goes into our body affects our hair?

I asked the lady herself some of my burning questions and was pleasantly surprised at her refreshing answers. Read on to see whose hair she'd love to style and how an old cotton Tshirt is your new hair saviour...

I always recommend my clients eat healthy fats for stronger, shinier hair. Walnuts are rich in omega oils, biotin, vitamin E and copper which keeps your hair colour looking rich.

Working with the Kardashian family is something the world knows you for. How do you feel about that and what can you tell us about those times?

How did you start out in the world of hair styling?

I’ve always loved doing hair. When I was a teenager in Utah, I couldn’t find anyone to give me the cut I wanted so I went to the store, bought a pack of shaving razors and cut it myself!

After high school, I drove to California with $300 to my name and started as a receptionist at the Estilo Salon in Beverly Hills.

I first met Kim Kardashian about five years ago through a bunch of different friends. Kim had seen some of the work I did with Sophia Vergara and she asked me to do her hair for a cover of Cosmo in Miami. I was really excited to work with Kim because, well, what a great head of hair! On set, I met Khloé, too, and she and I were joking the whole time. When she was getting ready to do the X Factor, she wrote me the loveliest email that said, "I'm so nervous, can you come?" I've worked with her every day for the past four years. There were definitely people in my industry who were raising an eyebrow. They were like, "I can't believe you're working with the Kardashians". Now those same people email and say, "I'd love to work with the girls".

Where do you get your inspiration?

I look to so many places for inspiration, but it’s really hard to find a one stop shop for great hair. That’s part of the reason why I created Mane Addicts. It’s an exclusive behind the scenes look at celebrity hairstylists and an endless source of inspiration.

When I’m traveling, I love looking at the editorial spreads in magazines abroad. Every country has such a unique view on beauty, and sometimes the editorial trends will translate seasons later in the States.

Where did the opportunity to develop Ouai Haircare come from?

Developing my line was a natural progression from working with my celebrity clients, but not everyone wakes up with a glam squad. I learned so much watching Jessica Alba run her business, the Honest Company, and seeing people gravitate towards the idea of a home delivery service for a necessity. I put together a business plan with my ideas for Ouai Haircare. I detailed what I wanted the products to look like, what ingredients I wanted to use and the concept of haircare supplements, which is what I feel was missing. I was lucky to find investors in people I already knew. The website and subscription service launched in February 2016, and the products are also available from Sephora.

I check sites like Fashion Gone Rogue, the Coveteur, WhoWhatWear and WWD regularly to see what’s happening in fashion, as that always translates for hair. Fashion Gone Rogue always credits the hairstylist and share editorials from magazines oversees that we don’t always get to see.

What's the best piece of advice you've been given?

You have to stand up for yourself and let people know you mean business. I feel like girls are taught to be self-deprecating and not to be tough. I’m all about having a balance of being nice but tough when I need to be. Our industry can be very competitive and I’ve just never really been about that. I used to have a Serge Normant quote on my locker at the salon that said, “Don’t be jealous of your peers – be inspired by them”. With Mane Addicts, I wanted to expose the friendly nature of hairstyling and just spread the message that we’re all so much more powerful when we work together!

What is your favourite hair style of all time?

I love that 1980s structured hair, but we are never going to go back there!

Is it true your haircare scent is going to be made into a perfume?

When we were formulating Ouai, scent was really important. I'd never found a haircare line that didn’t smell like an old lady or a little kid – there wasn't really a modern, cool scent.

So when we were developing the products, it seemed very natural to do a perfume, too.

We're coming out with it next year. I wear it all the time! It's a rollerball, and I'll mix it with Kai.

What product were you most excited about creating?

I'm really proud of the Treatment Masque. It's literally a five-minute hair makeover. With most masks, you're expected to keep it in your hair for 30 minutes or longer to see the transformative effects, but this one will literally restore the shine and health of your hair in only five minutes, plus it comes in handy packets that are perfect for throwing in the gym bag or for on the go.

What is your favourite product in your line?

I also almost always use the Wave Spray on every head of hair I do. It adds a nice texture to the hair, and gives that just-out-of-the-ocean finish without the dryness. Most ocean sprays are made with salt, which actually dries out your strands, but this is made out of rice protein, which can create a similar texture without the dryness.

Do you enjoy the social media side of things?

I think we are in a digital marketing era and I think everyone is a brand. I’ve even talked to Eva Chen [head of fashion partnerships at Instagram] about this: I think that people can read through inauthentic things online. You can’t play a part and I think that’s why people are kind of revolting against things that are sponsored. We’re sick of being sold things. I appreciate things in culture that are curated and limited-edition; things that have more thought put into them. I’m on this crazy journey. I say all the time, I feel like I’m on the Truman Show. I’m grateful for it and I want to help encourage other people. I would have

Whose hair would you love to get your hands on?

Sade. It’s so weird, I know, but I’ve always thought she’s just so classy and cool. I’ve been really lucky, because I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of people I never thought I would but Sade is definitely someone I would love to work with one day.

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roy Surratt, makeup artist and founder of Surratt Beauty, is the latest name the industry insiders are dropping when asked about what's new on the makeup scene. Originally known for assisting the late, great Kevyn Aucoin, Troy Surratt now has the spotlight firmly on himself and his incredible new collection.

Totally luxurious yet designed to ease the job of application, his products and tools make the process a pleasure and a breeze. It's taken over ten years for his beautiful makeup line to be released and now we can marvel at Troy's creation in all its glory.

I've tried a few of his products and have totally fallen for them. I love the Japanese inspiration, and the artisans that he collaborated with are clear to see from the craftsmanship. The eyeshadows and blushers blend like a dream – although they're a powder formula, they feel so buttery and creamy to the touch. My collection has started but I can't wait to add more, especially since you can custom-create your own palettes and tailor each look to your occasion! Genius!

In between jetting all over the world, Troy Surratt managed to answer some of my questions, with some very insightful answers...

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What motivated you to become a makeup artist? Where did it all start?

If you were limited to three makeup items, what would they be?

I fell in love with fashion and art at an early age, and started as an illustrator. I was studying fashion at FIT when I became interested in makeup as an art form.

Somewhere along the way I grew more and more obsessed with the idea of becoming a makeup artist, and I got a job at Alcone, where all of the big makeup artists shopped.

On a dare, I cold-called Kevyn Aucoin and asked if I could assist him. I’m very grateful that he took a chance on me.

First a lash curler - it’s the single easiest thing anyone can do to make their eyes look bigger, brighter, and more awake. Next, probably a great brow pencil to enhance your natural shape and arch - the eyes are the windows to the soul. Lastly, a big and welcoming smile (and a great lipstick or lip gloss to highlight it!). I always say there’s nothing more beautiful than kindness.

What can you reveal about upcoming products and how your brand will evolve?

What’s the most interesting aspect of your role?

I’m always thinking about what I’d like to do next, and there are so many things! What makes Surratt unique is that I am creating based on need, on the gaps I see in the market as a makeup artist and as a product junkie. We’re not trying to keep up with trends. Rather, we create them.

I truly love developing new products and creating the imagery for my brand. I’ve been a makeup artist for so long that I feel like I have that part down, but I feel so lucky to be able to take that experience and apply it when I'm imagining and creating new products. I once had a psychic tell me that I had the ability to know what people want before they even know they want it, and I think that intuition applies a lot to the work I do as a makeup artist and the creator of Surratt.

What trends do you see making an entrance soon... and which stand the test of time?

What do you feel sets your products apart from others on the market?

I’ve never really been big on trends. Of course, there will always be versions of a red lip, a smoky eye and a way to reinvent or enhance the brow. These are classic references that have and will continue to evolve. But what’s excited me most recently are some of the new versions of glitter; they’re softer, more subtle but they still add an element of play. I have a line of eyeshadows and lipsticks called Prismatique that was created with this in mind.

My line is the result of a decade (probably more!) of research. Each product is bespoke, designed and created by me from start to finish, and inspired by Japanese methods.

While I was developing the line, I travelled to Japan regularly to seek out the top tier of artisans, materials, and formulas, and then elevated each product to the next level of innovation.

What are the best makeup tips have you acquired whilst working on set?

What advice would you give to someone starting a business/brand?

One of my favourite tricks is to place a Post-it from the outer corner of the eye to the eyebrow to direct the flick and make sure the end result is even. Another trick is to hold a mirror under your chin while you’re applying the liner and look down into it so you don’t have to contend with your lashes as you would if you were looking straight on. Finally, I would suggest creating the line in three separate steps. First, perfect the flick at the end – make sure each flick is even and the same width as well as symmetrical. Then do a really thin line over the tear duct. Finally, connect the flick and the thin line in the middle with the arc line over the eye. If you’re looking for a really clean finish, you can use pointy Q-tips with a bit of eye makeup remover to sharpen the line and create a really precise effect.

Have a clear vision, work very hard, and never give up.

What is your favourite or most popular hero product?

I always say that I tried to create a justice league of all superhero products, but the Smoky Eye Baton comes close. My entire career, the most asked question that I’ve received from beauty editors and clients is, “How do you do a smoky eye?” so I tried to create a product that made it as easy as possible and demystified the elusive process.

The Smoky Eye Baton is double-ended which eliminates having to use a few different tools to get the job done. The shadow on one end has been put into a spring-loaded cap with a slurry formula that’s soft, blendable and almost creamy. The liner and the shadow marry beautifully and create a gorgeous end look. The sponge applicator is a teardrop shape that is soft and hugs the contours of the eye for blending. It’s comfortable and cushy so there’s no pulling. If you don’t have the right brush and do this it can result in eyeshadow falling off, going everywhere. Ergonomically, the design is very conducive to blending it out and making it easy and effortless.

Which makeup looks do you like creating the most?

I would describe my ethos as more of a classic approach but always with a modern sensibility as well. I think it’s important to be trend aware without being trend obsessed which is really what the Surratt Beauty line is all about – wearable products, textures and colours that are highly wearable and innovative. As a makeup artist, I approach each of my clients as individuals with the goal of enhancing their best qualities.

Your brushes are beautiful! Tell us a little about how they're made..?

Whose face would you love to get your hands on?!

Thank you! I can’t give away all of the secrets of how my brushes are made, but I will say that over the years, I’ve travelled to Japan dozens of times while researching products for my line and I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the most skilled artisans in the world of brush-making. It truly is a centuries-old art in Japan, and an unbelievable amount of attention and care goes into creating each brush. The first time I travelled to Japan, I knew I’d found the place where I could create my dream brushes – artisan-made, whisper-soft, densely-packed, and designed for specific purposes, from creating a smoky eye to contouring the cheekbones.

I was a teenager of the 1980s who realised the power of makeup through the British New Wave invasion. Some of my biggest influences are Boy George, Annie Lennox and Duran Duran. I particularly loved the way Boy George used makeup to express himself.

Do you have a vice?

Beautiful things!

Yes, it’s important to take care of your skin, to eat the right food, to find the best products and so on, but if you don’t have the right tools to apply these quality products, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Each brush in my Artistique Brush Collection applies colour softly and seamlessly, depositing product onto the skin in a virtually undetectable fashion. Plus, they just feel good. No one wants to feel like their skin is being exfoliated or irritated when they’re applying makeup! So, bottom line, invest in the best brushes you can afford, take a few minutes to learn how to use them properly, and you’ll notice the difference, both in the way you feel when you’re applying your makeup, and the actual finished look.

What is your favourite colour, texture and scent?

Colour would have to be purple. With texture, it’s impossible to choose just one! I like matte, shiny, sparkly and creamy depending on what kind of look I’m trying to achieve, or what I’m feeling inspired by that day.

As far as scents go, I’ve always been drawn to more classic feminine scents like lily of the valley. I love Dior’s Diorissimo. I collect a lot of fragrances from Frederic Malle and I recently picked up a fragrance called Eau Chic by Astier de Villatte.

What is your ultimate goal – and has this changed from when you started the line?

I set out to create a forward-thinking, spirited, modern brand for people who are all of those things. Surratt Beauty stands by three descriptive terms: artistic, expressionistic, impressionistic. I believe cosmetics have become a modern accessory and a medium for self-expression. Makeup has the power to enhance or completely reinvent and the Surratt customer is always looking for new ways to express personality and creativity through personal style.

Where do you call home and why?

I’m originally from Kansas, but I have lived in New York since my 20s. As much as I enjoy traveling the world and experiencing new cultures, exploring new cities and towns, and getting inspiration from the unknown, I love coming home to New York City.

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INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING DESIGN FIRM

SIMPLY INTE R IORS

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

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THROUGH BOLD ACCENTS AND AN ARRESTING OVERALL VISION FOR EACH PROJECT, FLORA DI MENNA DESIGNS INC. HAS REFINED THE STANDARDS OF DESIGN

FLORA DI MENNA Spearheaded by president and principal designer Flora Di Menna, FDM Designs Inc. is an award-winning and worldrenowned design firm based in Toronto

Even the simplest of shades make a statement when accented with pleasant surprises like this unique wall and ceiling design

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FDM Designs Inc. is known for taking advantage of every corner of a space — even the floor and ceiling, the “fifth and sixth walls”

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ccording to world-renowned designer Flora Di Menna, gone are the days of the “one size fits all” living space.

Admired globally for her innovative take on classic style and innovative trends, Di Menna and her team at Flora Di Menna (FDM) Designs Inc. have crafted a flavour of design that’s all their own — a bright interpretation of their clients’ personalities mixed with their unparalleled expertise in the industry.

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INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING DESIGN FIRM

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In every space by FDM Designs Inc., fine details come together in a grand crescendo of memorable design

“Homeowners are straying from the more traditional style and instead viewing their space as a blank canvas,” “My goal, first and foremost, is to grab the client’s vision and strive to make it a reality,” says Di Menna, president and principal designer at FDM Designs Inc. “We help the client channel their unique vision and personality into their home through seasoned skill and boundless imagination.”

For each space taken on by the firm, a unique language of design is formed. FDM Designs Inc. is sure to read its client and their needs, and come to an intimate understanding of their design desires. From there, the inspiration flows, and a space characterized by one-of-a-kind beauty is born.

It’s this refreshing approach to design that has placed FDM Designs Inc. on the international industry map, not only pushing the standards of local

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“THE BEAUTY OF THE DESIGN INDUSTRY TODAY IS THAT IT ALLOWS FOR COMPLETE CREATIVITY”

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“OUR AWARDWINNING FIRM IS RENOWNED FOR ITS SUPERIOR APPROACH TO MULTIFACETED PROJECTS IN RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND HOSPITALITY DESIGN”

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A room is a blank canvas, and the creative minds behind FDM Designs Inc. are renowned for bringing masterpieces to life using never-before-seen design concepts that blend favourite styles with innovative ideas, and always balancing smart functionality with brilliant beauty

design but also inspiring the global design culture. Having touched down in world-class destinations — from the Caribbean to Beijing — the firm is making its mark around the world and stirring up inspiration with every project.

“The beauty of the design industry today is that it allows for complete creativity,” says Di Menna. “Whether we’re working with a family or a business owner, it’s always a fulfilling experience to see the client’s vision come to fruition. The result is always magic.” www.fdmdesigns.com

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S I M P L Y T R AV E L Julia Zaltzman

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Queen of the desert From stunning seascape vistas to classy sandstone features, the new luxury development at Barr Al Jissah in Oman marries world-class yacht design with authentic, contemporary living.

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ailed as one of the most hospitable and friendly nations in the Gulf and under the patronage of its worldwide respected leader and peacemaker, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Oman boasts 1,700km of pristine coastline, vast tracts of desert, mountainous ranges, prehistoric wildlife, rolling sand dunes and Arabian culture, not to mention the odd cricket pitch or two.

Adding to this incredible roster is the latest in luxury developments, Barr Al Jissah. Located just 20 minutes from the cosmopolitan capital city of Muscat, its history dates back as far as 2,000BC when it was accessible only by boat and thus created a rich heritage as a maritime trading post.

Today it has transformed itself into the French Riviera of the Middle East.

Nestled in the secluded coves and peaceful waters that serve as a natural sanctuary for endangered hawksbill and green turtles lies a stunning new development offering waterfront living, a members-only beach club and an exclusive deep water marina. With its world-class facilities already attracting the attention of elegant yachts and ethereal catamarans, who better to have designed the interiors of Barr Al Jissah’s striking Limited Edition Townhomes than London-based, award-winning superyacht design studio, Bannenberg & Rowell.

“Our interiors are highly contemporary without being minimalist, and approachable but nevertheless suave, tailored and crisp,” says Dickie Bannenberg, co-founder, and son of the late yacht designer, Jon Bannenberg. “I think probably seeing some of our yacht interiors, and seeing some of our townhome interiors, you would recognise a correlation. There will be enough of our DNA for people who know about us to identify that.”

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Elevated above Barr Al Jissah, and “set on a little ridge just a little bit inland”, the four bedroom, five bathroom townhomes offer uninterrupted views across the Gulf of Oman. With a focus on the developers’ particular wish to have “a yacht design lens applied to the development”, the design studio has taken inspiration from the spectacular ocean setting in order to appeal to a certain yachting clientele while simultaneously remaining sympathetic to authentic Omani architecture, says Bannenberg.

“We didn’t want to transplant a contemporary design straight into these houses without acknowledging where they are, so about 18 months ago, on one of our site visits, we located some of the local sandstone, and incorporated some of that with its golden yellow hues into the architecture of the houses themselves, along with a more contemporary take on an original screening arrangement that you often find in middle eastern properties. That is intermixed with contemporary furniture choices, and colours and textures that work successfully on balance - it’s a fusion between the two, without forgetting the locale.”

Always refined in their approach, Bannenberg & Rowell have designed a scheme for one townhome, which is being applied across all eleven houses. Elements of the yachting lifestyle and design iconography have been seamlessly interwoven into the design through a masterful use of “space planning”, explains Bannenberg, as well as a “judicious use of teak”, along with other materials and decking features. “It’s quite subtle, but I think it will have a different feel from a more conventional approach,” he says.

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Featuring well-appointed details more typically associated with superyachts, the homes aim to bring the stunning natural surroundings inside whilst evoking a sense of place and Omani authenticity. A dramatic entrance – expertly created by dedicated craftsman using locally sourced stone – leads into an inviting reception room, instantly drawing the eye to the sea and alluring horizon beyond. Open-plan living creates space, privacy and glamour, while panoramic windows connect the sleek, contemporary interiors to the teak outdoor decking.

The generously sized master-suite on the first floor offers sweeping views over the ocean, while a flawlessly integrated SieMatic kitchen, mood lighting, and hidden, silent ducted air conditioning throughout all contribute to the homes’ considered elegance and functionality.

Elements of stone, marble, teak and bronze are combined with rich, intense blue hues to deliver the very essence of ‘yacht living’.

While the townhomes are nearing completion, the marina is still underway, with Bannenberg & Rowell having “design input where necessary”. On completion, however, Barr Al Jissah owners will enjoy a complimentary one-year Quintessentially Lifestyle membership, as well as transportation provided by Bentley for a relaxing journey to and from their homes. With no less than three hotels at the on-site ShangriLa Resort, which features a private beach, pools, multiple restaurants and a fitness centre, it provides the ultimate luxury family package for both domestic private owners and international investors.

“It’s a coastal site, and the development certainly has a good connection with the sea, so I think it makes sense to introduce a bit of a yacht theme,” says Bannenberg. “Residential has always been an important component for us, so we’re always keen to do it, and we have a couple of in-house designers who are experienced in designing high-end property.”

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An Elixir in Alicante

By Nick Rice Nestled into the mountainous coastline and overlooking the bay of Altea in the Mediterranean is a health-promoting haven like no other. The SHA Wellness Clinic can transform you.

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t was during lunch on the third day of my visit to the world-renowned SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain that I saw evidence of how dramatic the effects of entrusting your health to SHA can be. I was chatting with a fellow guest, Mr. Scala – a citizen of the world who counts Africa and New York City amongst the formative places in his life, and who now resides in London. Mr. Scala showed me a selfie taken a few days earlier on the runway at Heathrow.

As I looked at the image and back at his face, the difference was remarkable. In place of the blanched pallor and the weary dishevelment was this glowing gentleman in rude health who was as ebullient as the happy Buddha. He smiled broadly as he slipped the phone back into his fluffy white robe. “I know,” he said, “it’s like I’m a different person, right?”

Whilst the transformation was extreme, the more time I spent at SHA the less surprising it was.

I had already been noticing the differences that take place in new guest arrivals. After just one night people’s shoulders start to drop and tension begins to unclench in their bodies. The way people walk changes, brows unfurl and firm facial expressions gently relax into smiles, totally altering how they look. It must offer a great deal of job satisfaction for the 300 staff at SHA, to see how their work helps people so swiftly and surely.

The first things that makes stress dissipate at SHA is the environment and the weather. The setting in the Sierra Helada National Park is spectacular and on the open air fourth level of SHA, from the terraces with Balinese beds, hammocks and sun loungers, or from the azure blue pool, the view of the mountain range is magnetic. All the interiors and each of the 93 suites at SHA have been designed and carefully curated to exude the comfort and sophistication of a five-star destination hotel. With the beautiful 17th-century Spanish town of Altea and attractions such as the nearby lighthouse, SHA has a perfect setting.

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Spain is known for beautiful weather but here there is a microclimate that guarantees reliably warm temperatures all year round. The World Health Organization even recognised and recorded it as having one of the world’s best climates – this in itself is an important factor for optimum health.

SHA was founded by Alfredo Bataller, essentially as a way to share the fruits of his own personal experience. Mr. Bataller endured painful digestive problems for thirty years and constantly sought the advice and treatment of numerous doctors, who all instructed him to take various drug treatments – all of which were ineffective. In the wake of a worrying diagnosis in 2002, Mr. Bataller saw a doctor educated in natural therapies (now a member of SHA’s medical team) who knew about the profound benefits that proper nutrition can have on health. After just one month of treatment his health had drastically improved – he’d finally found the solution which had been eluding him for decades.

Mr. Bataller conducted more research into the benefits of natural therapies and healthy eating and devised SHA, combining the wisdom of centuries with the latest advances in Western medicine. The knowledge has always been there but in our hectic, million-miles-an-hour lives, it can be so easily forgotten. We have known since the time of ancient Greece the healing power of our diet. The father of medicine Hippocrates of Cos (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC), who is widely honoured as one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine, said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Over the centuries that message has become what we hear today as “You are what you eat”, meaning that whatever we put into our bodies has a bearing on our health and our state of mind.

If you eat unhealthy foods and smoke – you’ll be unhealthy. If you eat well – you'll be well.

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There are three menus presented at every meal time in SHA’s wonderful Shamadi restaurant.

There is Kushi, Bio-light and SHA, with each menu specifically created to be in accordance with your aims, be it weight-loss, detox or just forming healthy habits. There is no meat (except seafood), no caffeine, no dairy, no sugar (which surreptitiously invades most food and drink these days) – and you don’t miss any of it! There is barley cereal coffee to replace the real thing or a huge range of tea. Everything that is harmful has a healthy alternative – and it all tastes amazing.

The chefs are true artists. Some examples of the delicious haute cuisine dishes include marinated seitan mille-feuille with melon grille, sea bass with celery root purée and cashew nuts, tiger nuts, water cress and black turnip, or saffron risotto with mandarin and red prawns. The list could go on and on – the menu changes every day and meal times are filled with curiosity, learning and enjoyment. You lose weight and promote health while not feeling any sense of being deprived or missing out, which the legion of modern-day diets can provoke.

The guests I spoke to all raved about the three diets – even the more restrictive Kushi diet, with relatively small portions, did not cause issues with guests and no one responded saying they felt hungry. As well as eating healthily, guests take advantage of the healthful activities and facilities at SHA. A typical day would consist of rising at 7am and doing some Nordic walking (walking with sticks for a full body workout) or taking a stroll to the El Faro Albir lighthouse – a great way to greet the day, watching the light change on the mountains and over the ocean until the sun is high in the sky and you feel full of positive energy.

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Next, a delicious breakfast with many elements – juice, fruit, tea, muffins, bread, porridge – so many choices and all scrumptious. You won’t feel tired or weighed down so shortly afterwards you can go for a functional assessment and personal training session in SHA’s leading edge gym with a qualified trainer. This is followed by a deep tissue massage or similar relaxing or restorative treatment.

Feeling energised and at ease, it would then be lunchtime – always a pleasure to be heading towards Shamadi because you are guaranteed to be enjoying some delicious new treats, some of which you’ve never had before. After lunch could be an afternoon of highly specialised health or cosmetic therapies that ensure you look and feel rejuvenated, with perhaps some yoga or meditation too. The evening meal is a creative and substantial and afterwards guests can relax in the library or enjoy a movie in SHA’s own cinema, replete with oversized reclining leather seats. At the close of each day sleep comes easily and adds to all the goodness being done.

Another activity offered at SHA is cooking classes – since a key part of SHA’s raison d'être is to create and maintain healthy habits, they provide the tools required to keep a healthy lifestyle.

Based on local organic products and following the principles of macrobiotics, which has helped thousands of people discover a simple and natural way to establish and re-establish health, the teachings mean you can leave SHA with your specific needs highlighted and a healthy plan to stick to.

There are simply far too many medical disciplines to list here, but it’s reassuring to know that SHA invests heavily into world-leading experts, cutting edge new technologies and innovative methodologies. Just two experts that were immensely helpful during my stay were Lola García Giménez, the nutritional & health coordinator, and Dr. Maria Dolores Antón Rico, a specialist in aesthetic medicine who has worked in the field for over 15 years.

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In my consultation with Miss Giménez, whose exuberance is uplifting, it was reassuring to see how much the experts care about their patients and how deep their knowledge in their respective subject field is. Miss Giménez discovered the profound benefits of nutrition in relation to health after helping cure her daughter from a disorder which conventional medicine failed to do. She made great recommendations and offered useful tips on how to avoid habits that you already know are not good.

Dr. Maria Dolores Antón Rico was also incredibly warm and friendly and she recommended a short and non-invasive aesthetic medical technique, which has been proven on a global level for anti-ageing of the skin. In alliance with the traditional and widely accepted forms of treatments such as acupuncture or osteopathy, guests can create their own schedule of beneficial therapies at SHA to make sure they look and feel younger and healthier.

Whatever the affliction might be, and whatever the cause, SHA can identify it and propose the best course of action. SHA can even help guests before any malady or ill health occurs with their Preventive Health and Genetics Unit.

The concept is ‘predict to prevent’ and thanks to a series of genetic studies, SHA can identify the possible predisposition that adults may have to a disease such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, skin conditions, gum disease, etc.

Predictive medicine thus allows SHA’s experts to identify and anticipate the potential of a disease through various medical tests and studying a person's genetic profile.

Once aware of the risk involved in developing any disease, SHA can offer guests a specialist so that they can take suitable and necessary measures to avoid potential ill health. Early treatment and proper living habits allow prevention before the onset of symptoms and side effects occur.

Reflecting upon SHA’s entire medical facility and professional staff the founder Mr. Bataller says, “We have continued to innovate, launch new treatments, new medical areas such as the Bioenergetics Unit to the Cognitive Development Unit and welcome new professionals to our clinic; there are now almost 300 from 35 different countries. Moreover, almost 40,000 people from all over the world have made positive adjustments to their health and wellbeing making significant changes in their lives.”

It’s little wonder then that SHA has accrued over 40 international awards in seven years, including the Condé Nast Johansens Best Destination Spa Award 2016. And it doesn’t matter if you are Present Vladimir Putin or regular guests such as Kylie Minogue and Naomi Campbell – everyone is treated and cared for with equal dedication from the entire SHA family.

When you leave SHA it feels like you’ve had a few bottles of the elixir of life. Not the diet, not the abstinence from everyday things like coffee, tea, dairy products and sugar, not the fitness classes and activities… none of it is difficult. The only tough thing about staying at SHA Wellness Clinic is adjusting to life outside again when you have to leave.

If you want to kick-start a new healthy lifestyle – the one that you keep putting off – then SHA will help to make that better version of yourself a reality.

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S I M PLY C A RS

By Damien Reid

Ferrari 488

By Damien Reid / Photography by Nigel Harniman

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hink of the quintessential Ferrari, and it has to be the mid-engined V8s – whether it’s the 458 Italia, the F430, 360, the F355, or even going right back to the car that defined Ferrari for me as a child, the Magnum PI 308.

Ferrari’s history may have been in V12s and motor racing and thankfully both still exist, but for the mainstream, it’s the midengined eights that people associate with Maranello – and the newest member to the club is the delicately sweet 488.

Harking back to the great 308, the 488 has revitalised the GTB badge for the hardtop. The ‘B’ stands for Berlinetta, but it also has the drop-top which, although first seen on the V6 Dino, was only dubbed ‘Spider’ with the 308 onwards.

However, the 488 is an enigma in that it rekindles a bygone era with the 488GTB badge, yet echoes the future by introducing turbochargers to the game with the aim of reducing emissions.

My first experience with the 661bhp, 3.9-litre, twin-turbo V8 was on the Dubai Autodrome circuit one sweaty night. Being used to the sewing machine-like revs from the old V8s that would sing to oblivion, I was disappointed that this is no longer the case.

The newer turbo engine bounced off the rev limiter several times and encouraged earlier changing up of gears, almost diesel-like by comparison thanks to its 760Nm of torque being developed lower at just 3000rpm.

Only in a Ferrari could you describe an 8000rpm redline as diesel-like, although that’s still a 1000rpm drop from the 9000rpm limit on the old 458.

That gives you an idea of the power that’s ready to be unleashed – more in fact than the fabled V12 Enzo which itself was superior to the F50 which used a V12 engine pretty much taken straight from Alain Prost’s 1990 Formula One car.

However, getting an extended period behind the wheel of the 488 in both GTB and Spider form some time later put any fears to rest after I found that a quick re-programming of the brain to understand the new powerband of the new engine resulted in me maximising the additional power the 488 has over its predecessors.

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In Spider form with the roof off and the back window folded down, I gave it short, sharp jabs of the throttle so that I could indulge in the glorious turbo whistles and pops from the engine behind my head, while in the closed-roof GTB form, it was still an aural delight to hear it from the sidepod air inlets just behind the doors.

While it may look like a mild refresh on the outside over the 458, there’s a lot more underneath that completes the picture. If the steering feels almost go-kart light it’s because the steering rack and dampers are from the 458 Speciale, and it also gets a new generation of that model’s innovative Side Slip Control. The brakes are borrowed directly from the uber-exotic LaFerrari that Simply Abu Dhabi reviewed in edition XXI. The 488 GTB is the manufacturer’s first series production car to get active aerodynamics and there’s also a revised version of Ferrari’s spectacular seven-speed dual clutch gearbox as standard.

Initially, going over the same piece of B-grade road I’ve used for many supercars, I was overly cautious and wary that it may bite due to its overly sensitive steering.

The back was a bit skittish and I didn’t have the nerve to push on, but once accustomed to the way it handled these bumps, it was a case of biting the bottom lip and going for it, only to be surprised – and relieved – at the other end when it not only did everything I asked of it, but almost before I had asked it.

It’s the most intuitive I probably ever want a car to get as there were moments when car and driver clicked like an old husband and wife; the left hand knew the right hand’s movement with little more than a thought impulse.

When it comes to the Spider there’s not much difference despite the lack of roof. It shares the GTB’s spring rates which are claimed by Ferrari to be equal to those of the outgoing 458 Speciale, so the point and change of direction is identical.

Unlike its prime competitor, the McLaren 650S Spider, the 488 lacks a carbon fibre tub and instead screws panels onto an alloy chassis which adds weight; but a reworking of the alloy composites used in the chassis counteracts to save some of that weight.

All up, the Spider is 50kg heavier than the GTB which is the same deficit 458 Spider owners had over the hardtop 458 Italia.

There’s an ¬additional vertical aluminium panel next to the front axle and a horizontal one at the rear of the car for added stiffness, and Ferrari claims a 20 percent increase in torsional rigidity as a result. Bottom line to all these stats is that it feels like a big improvement from behind the wheel, but not quite McLaren 650S standard with the roof removed.

For Spider owners, the only difference inside is that it now has a keyless start which, to be fair, the 488GTB should have had all along, but it means that it’s now coming for the first facelift.

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The Spider’s roof operation is identical to that of the 458, meaning it peels off and backflips into a slender compartment behind your head. It still takes 14 seconds and operates at speeds of up to 50km/h, but it’s also 25kg lighter than the fabric hood used on the earlier F430 Spider and is still better than the California T which takes 20 seconds to drop and the car has to be stationary.

Weighing in at 1525kg over the GTB’s 1475kg, the Spider has a fractionally lower top speed of 325km/h to the GTB’s 328km/h, but they are identical to 100km/h at three seconds flat.

Compared to the previous non-turbo 458, the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 in the 488 develops an extra 64bhp at 670bhp and an impressive 221 extra Nm compared to the old 4.5-litre engine.

In essence, the 488GTB and Spider are closer to a supercar than some of their bigger, heavier and more powerful brothers thanks to their pinpoint sharp steering, feather light brakes and astounding performance. Yet it’s also for these same reasons that they bridge the gap to the track-day cars below it from the likes of Lotus and the Alfa Romeo 4C. The Spider may not seem as rigid as the McLaren and it may not return the same spine tingles you get from a 9000rpm change up on the 458, but point-to-point it is diabolically quick and that sensation usually hits only after you stop to think about it at the end of the run.

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Maserati LevantĂŠ

By Damien Reid

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ou can’t blame luxury and sports car manufacturers like Maserati, Bentley, Jaguar and even Lamborghini for getting into the SUV game.

While sales in their traditional categories are down by more than 20 percent, the big, moneyed off-roader segment has climbed 40 percent in the past five years alone.

And so Maserati brings us the Levanté – and like the northern Italian gale-force wind it’s named after, the company hopes it will lift the brand and carry it to new heights.

The Middle East and North America are the first markets to get the Levanté with deliveries to Europe, Asia and the rest of the world starting at the end of the year, so we’re among the first to get behind the wheel and see what it’s like on- and off-road and – because it’s a Maserati – on track as well.

When the concept surfaced at the 2010 Frankfurt and Dubai auto shows, the intention was for it to be manufactured in the US but plans changed in the spring of 2012.

Initially, Levanté was to be based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee; however, Levanté’s underpinnings are pure Italian, being based on the Ghibli sedan, and it’s built entirely at Fiat’s Mirafiori plant near Turin at an initial rate of 30,000 units per year.

Mirafiori was chosen because it has been successful over many years assembling the wide and tall Fiat Multipla, the Alfa Romeo 164 and the Lancia Thesis, while in volume terms, it’s not restricted by capacity so they can hit Maserati’s target over a two-shift operation.

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The Levanté was tested on five continents and in temperatures ranging from minus 38 degrees in the Arctic Circle to 50+ degrees in the UAE deserts. Being based on the Ghibli, it uses the same Q4 torque vectoring AWD system, but it’s predominantly an on-road performance-based car with the ability to venture off-road occasionally.

Our time with the Levanté was split between the UAE where we took it onto hard sand only which it managed with absolute ease. We the visited Italy to take part in the Master Maserati driving course that now includes the Levanté offroad course in Palma, north of Milan.

For €3550, new and prospective owners can take part in the one-and-a-half day course which includes on- and off-road activities as well as the chance for a blast in Maserati’s other models like the Quattroporte, Ghibli and GranTurismo coupés.

As a way of finding the limits of the Levanté for first-time owners, this is an excellent introduction to the world of Maserati off-roading. Driving with the guidance and skill of a professional driver, the course is tailored to give the opportunity to try out the full performance range of the Levanté from mild to wild, on road and off, but in complete safety and on private property, away from other motorists and police radar.

In one session we discovered the car’s handling dynamics through a slalom course on the racetrack as well as its wet weather grip, stability and braking performance during emergency lane changes. A few minutes later it was hot laps with an instructor alongside tips on how to extract the maximum from it at speed; everything is filmed on GoPros and telemetry data is logged, which we reviewed later on the laptop over an espresso.

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After finding out what it’s like on-road, the course moved to the hills and muddy terrain where the Levanté’s hill descent control was put through its paces, as was its impressive 250mm ground clearance, 50mm wading depth, 20 degree breakover angle, 22 degree approach angle and 26 degree departure angle. With the suspension in the highest setting, it made short work of climbing over ruts and large rocks, cresting small rises and climbing and descending steep, loosely covered, low grip hills.

It was at this point when thinking back to its on-track performance, clocking 200km/h heading into a heavy braking zone and topping 220km/h on the straight with ease, as well as the design practicality of being a five-door estate, that I properly appreciated the incredible versatility a high performance SUV like the Levanté provides.

Maserati has ruled out a V8 option – for now, the Ferrari-designed and manufactured 3-litre, twin-turbo V6 from Ghibli and Quattroporte is more than up to the task, developing 430bhp at 5,750rpm and 580Nm of torque from 1,750rpm. It’s potent enough to move this 2,109kg SUV from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 264km/h.

Then there’s the exhaust note which ranges from mild in most situations to fruity for a family wagon when you place it in Sport mode – but as it’s not the V8, it lacks the aural punch of Maserati’s saloon and coupé ranges.

Unfortunately for us, as the Middle East doesn’t get the diesel, it’s the oil-burner which has the raunchiest engine note of the lot, good enough for a second take as I heard it burble down the pit lane of the Varano de’ Melagari race circuit.

Helped along by an eight-speed automatic transmission with super smooth shifts, in most cases it sends 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels only – but in less than 50 milliseconds, the Q4 all-wheel drive system can split it 50:50 front to rear when traction is needed over the nose. Additionally there’s also a limited slip diff to guarantee traction via the old mechanical way, and it features air suspension with six ride height levels for off-roading. The five settings are essential as when it’s set in its lowest position, the Levanté has the lowest ride height and the most aerodynamic profile in its class, which is perfect for the track work we did.

While body roll was minimal, there was a bit of wind noise from around the windows at speed, though in anything other than flat out situations you’d be hard pressed to notice it. The wind noise is likely due to the Levanté carrying over Maserati’s pillarless doors from the saloons, which admittedly look great and is a first for a car of this size.

The nose, however, is pure Maserati and echoes the future look that’s now coming from Maserati’s Centro Stile design studios in Turin that we will next see on the Alfieri sports coupé. The concave grille is the focal point and the flow of the front fenders, the squinting Bi-Xenon and LED headlights and the Trident badge all help to accentuate it.

If you like leather and wood then you’ll love the interior as it is everywhere from the seats to the door trim and dash which is dominated by an 8.4 inch touchscreen panel which recognises drag, scroll, swipe and rotate gestures just like a tablet and also includes Bluetooth and navigation.

The only connection between the Levanté and the Jeep Grand Cherokee is some interior switchgear, which is unfortunate – but Maserati is certainly not the only car company to borrow components from the head office’s volume car parts bin.

The centre console houses the drive mode selector, a rotary knob and the air suspension switches, while the classic Maserati analogue clock remains at the top of the dash. Standard equipment comprises cruise control, hill descent control, rain sensing wipers, keyless entry and a power lift tailgate with a kick sensor, while options fitted to our test car included a full panoramic electric sunroof and the 1,280-watt Bowers and Wilkins surround system with 17 speakers.

Priced from AED329,000, there’s also the optioned up Levanté S which starts at AED369,000; when fitted with the towing pack, it’s capable of lugging around 2700kg on board.

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Jaguar XKSS

By Damien Reid

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fter 26 years in the motoring business, rarely am I left open mouthed and gaping in astonishment – and yet there I was, standing flat footed at the entrance to a small garage in England that houses Jaguar’s newly named Jaguar Land Rover Classic Division, jaw dropped.

I had literally just stepped back almost 60 years to a workshop that was building hand-made sports cars to the exact rules of Jaguar in 1957 and is about to sell them again as new cars in 2017.

This is not a hobby business but Jaguar itself, and it has just launched the ‘brand new’ 1957 Jaguar XKSS with all the support and backup you’d get from buying a new car.

Built at Jaguar’s Experimental Shop, there will only ever be nine XKSS models, all built to the exact same specs as the original XKSS in 1957, so for this expertise, don’t expect any change from $1.2 million (AED4.5m), which I guarantee is a bargain. And it’s even more a bargain when you consider the back story as to how the XKSS came to be reborn and the fact that original examples pull more than ten times that at auction these days.

Back in 1956 Jaguar was riding a wave of success having won the Le Mans 24-hour race for the third time with the D-Type Jaguar that was launched in 1954 and today commands millions of dollars at auction. The actual 1955 Le Mans 24-hour winner, chassis number XKD501, was sold last April by RM Sotheby’s Auctions in Monterey, California, for $21.78 million making it the most expensive British automobile ever sold at auction.

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Company chief Sir William Lyons was looking for something new as the competition was catching up the to the 180mph D-Type so he decided to sell the remaining 25 race cars on the assembly line as production cars. They needed to be modified back to road specification by including a taller windscreen and a door on the left side for a passenger. The section of bodywork separating the two seats was also removed as was the distinctive aerodynamic fin that sat behind the driver and flowed along the boot lid.

Then, a fire swept through Jaguar’s factory in Browns Lane, Coventry, which put a sudden stop to production with just 16 cars being completed in 1957.

Nearly all of these cars were sold to the US, with arguably the most famous example sold to American actor Steve McQueen. Average prices for an XKSS, if found now, hover around the $12 million mark (AED45m).

With this in mind, Jaguar decided to go back and finish the job by building the remaining nine cars and finishing the job 60 years later. Called the Continuation Series, the 2017 XKSS is faithful to the 1957 model right down to the custom-made high profile tyres and period-correct gauges, tail lights and wheels.

They’ve even dragged out the blueprints for the original 250bhp, 3.4-litre, double overhead cam, triple carburettor straight six engine and four-speed manual gearbox, building it all from scratch – and we’ve been told that power and torque figures will also be identical to the original.

The ‘lost’ nine will be sold to what Jaguar describes as “a select group of established collectors and customers”.

As I stood in the workshop, I was confronted by Job Number 1 or, perhaps more correctly Job Number 17 after a 60-year tea break, and I was speechless at what I saw.

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A hand crafted Jaguar was being built using the same methods as in 1957 – to my eye, I’m sure the left front guard was marginally higher than the right, which was often the case back then, which confirmed this as being not a replica, nor a restoration, but a genuine next-in-line car built after that fire.

Although the new XKSS was just released at last month’s Los Angeles Motor Show, perhaps even more astonishing is that this isn’t the first Jaguar model to be built in the continuation series format. In May 2014, Jaguar announced a run of six lightweight E-type race cars to complement the original twelve cars which left the Browns Lane factory in 1963. This brought the total amount of genuine lightweight E-types to 18, the number that was originally intended.

The company has applied the same logic to the new XKSS and it intends to build on the expertise gained during construction of the continuation E-types, which were all sold before production commenced. And if the six exquisite lightweight E-types produced last year are anything to go by, that $1.2 million price tag has to be something of a steal.

It’s part of Jaguar’s move to tap into the trend for classic cars – and with other manufacturers like BMW and Rolls-Royce reproducing genuine, original parts for old cars, it’s an area they felt they could take a step further by bringing the car back in its entirety.

Another example of Jaguar’s new found love of its history is its newly launched classic car driving experience in the Arctic Circle held at the company’s winter test facility in Arjeplog in Northern Sweden. While most car companies now offer the chance to drive their new cars in icy conditions, this is considered a first for classic car enthusiasts.

Specialist instructors provide customers with comprehensive tuition to enhance the once-in-alifetime experience of driving a classic Jaguar on ice without any modern aids like traction control or even power steering. Participants get to experience driving models from Jaguar’s golden age including early XJ saloons as well as MKII, MKVII and the classic XK150. I’m just waiting for the call up to test the ‘new’ XKSS on ice – although given the exclusivity of this new model, I’m not holding my breath for that press event.

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OVERFINCH T r u e

B e s p o k e

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n the world of bespoke automotives, the Overfinch name has been synonymous with luxury, innovation and peerless quality for over four decades.

With the launch of the London Edition Range Rover, Overfinch has set a new, truly unique benchmark.

The Overfinch London Edition is an expression of the original Range Rover enhancer’s ability to create unique masterpieces through its design and handcraftsmanship.

Running around the entire interior is artwork depicting London’s instantly recognisable architectural features.

Captured in over 5,500 individual pieces of veneer, abalone shell, mother-of-pearl and stainless steel, the mixture of materials enabled the interior artwork to isolate and embellish in equal measure, drawing the eye.

The process of turning the Range Rover Autobiography 5.0 V8 long wheelbase into a one-off vehicle took hundreds of man-hours, including 250 hours for the cityscape marquetry alone.Each piece was cut by hand and carefully placed into the American burl walnut background with exceptional precision. As well as the Abalone and stainless steel, other inlays were crafted from veneers of fumed chestnut, vavona burl, maple burl, myrtle burl and madrona burl.

The time-consuming craft of sand-shading was used to create the sense of shadow and depth that makes the London horizon stand out so strongly.

Finishing touches within the interior include machined sill plates, an Overfinch Limited Edition rotary dial insert and a commissioning plaque signifying the car is one-of-one created.

The cabin is an Overfinch solitaire leather interior trimmed in Cirrus Bridge of Weir with navy micro-piping and stitching; limited edition leather door cards; and, a luxury deep pile carpet set in navy with Cirrus leather.

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Chief Designer at Overfinch, Tony Fox, said: “I wanted it to look like a sketch and a piece of art, not a standard veneer. “Key to this was capturing London in a way that really resonates; people view and interpret it differently but all recognise London at its eclectic best. “It is a car for the connoisseur, with many of the design features incredibly, and deliberately, made in a very subtle style.

Overfinch Chairman, Kevin Sloane, also believes this unique vehicle represents both a pinnacle of achievement for the company but also a perfect showcase for future projects and commissions: “With its striking bespoke bodywork, the astonishing workmanship of its interior and unique detailing, Overfinch has taken the iconic Range Rover to a higher level of individuality and luxury.”

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The London Edition is designed in special Balmoral blue. Unique Overfinch designed Bodystyling Package includes a complete front bumper and fender set, with LED daytime running lights and air intakes exposing carbon fibre weave.

The Overfinch front grille also features exposed carbon fibre and a bright chrome finisher, while the fender side vents sport the distinctive Overfinch wing blade.

At the rear, cast Overfinch branded tailpipes nestle within a unique rear fender assembly with exposed carbon fibre weave and an Overfinch roof spoiler mirrors the design language of the valance. The finishing touch comes with the company’s signature lettering on the hood and tailgate, executed in polished bright chrome with a sandblasted inner.

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Overfinch Range Rovers can be supplied in either left or right hand drive.

Diplomatic and tax free export sales available.

SALES@OVERFINCH.COM | OVERFINCH.COM

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Trailblazing Into Tomorrow The inspired union of Aston Martin and Red Bull delivers the groundbreaking AM-RB 001 hypercar.

By Nick Rice

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ston Martin and the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team may not have been the most obvious alliance in the automotive world, but the collaborative genius of these two global heavyweight brands has produced a pioneering hypercar – a road car than can match lap speeds with a Formula 1 car.

They have forged the fastest and the most advanced Aston Martin yet.

The two-seater naturally aspirated V12 hypercar with a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio was unveiled in July this year at Aston Martin’s UK Gaydon headquarters. Dr. Andy Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, speaks directly to Simply Abu Dhabi about the origins of the partnership and the speed we can expect. “The car is likely to be as quick around Silverstone as a 2016 F1 car in race trim, so it’s phenomenally quick and only a small number of our customers will be able to unlock that.”

And who will the customers be? The AM-RB 001 is expected to be priced at around £2 million and already purchasing interest is way above the expected production figure. Palmer says, “We’ve had 600 requests to buy against 150 road cars, so we’re very clearly having to manage expectations and disappointment. Obviously, when you’ve got that level of demand then to some extent it has to be first come first served, but also – how close are you to the brand? What’s your friendship with the brand? In that respect it’s a meritocracy. We’ll choose rationally looking at how much history you have with the brand.”

Palmer is quick to point out that the AM-RB 001 will represent real value. “This car is not about making wild margins, believe me! The price that you pay is represented by the cost of making this car,” he says. Those fortunate enough to be on the list will be buying a piece of history. “This is the first time that you get a true

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crossover between Formula 1 and road cars,” Palmer explains, adding, “and it’s done with a team of three key individuals: Adrian Newey from the Formula 1 side, Marek Reichman from the design side and David King with masses of experience in engineering.”

Simply Abu Dhabi spoke to Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer and Design Director of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, about his source of inspiration behind the AM-RB 001. “It’s a very dramatic car – in fact, in terms of superlatives, it’s one of the seminal moments in car design and engineering where we really pushed the boundaries of what a hypercar is – so what’s inspired me the most is efficiency, simplicity, purity, lightweight materials, and having a feel which is incredibly technical but very natural.”

Expanding on how he drew inspiration from the natural world Reichman says, “If I look at certain things in nature, like a leopard as it’s being a predator, they have an amazing sense of balance, and they’re also very lithe. They look agile and that’s part of the inspiration. At the point of drawing what you’re actually drawing is the moment where the car is about to move – what you draw, what you sketch, what you imagine, is something which is obviously static when you’re designing it but it has to have movement and motion.”

The car looks like it’s from a time we haven’t arrived at yet. It’s the future, today.

The driver will assume a reclined driving position with feet raised, similar to in an F1 car. Aerodynamics is obviously central to the major advances embodied in the car.

The bodywork is designed to create major downforce at high speed, thus keeping the 001 firmly glued to the road. The absence of side door mirrors also aids the aerodynamics and in their place the AM-RB 001 will utilise rear-facing cameras that project the rear view onto a dashboard screen. The new aero system has in turn required an updated suspension and the gearbox is also an innovation.

The track version of the car will no doubt feature an aero kit and dispense with some of the requirements that the road model must adhere to. It’s likely that the AM-RB 001 will hit 60mph in about two seconds and will max out somewhere around 200mph.

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The size of the car is something that may surprise some – it is beautifully compact at approximately one metre in height and less than two metres wide. Getting in and out may take a little care, but there is certainly room once you are in. As Reichman says, “This is a car that does not take compromise. It’s all about finding a solution to the most difficult problem. I’m 6’4’’ (196cm) and the internal package sits me, next to another occupant the same size as me, in a car which is the lowest car on the road.

In terms of its power to weight it’s the most efficient – so it was about not making a compromise to add to weight or size but finding other solutions.”

The car had to embody the core values of both Aston Martin and Red Bull, two hugely distinctive global brands… And there were no doubt some challenges on the journey. “The reason why I became a designer and why Adrian is a designer is to overcome the challenges and find a creative solution to get to perfection,” Reichman states.

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“To get to a car that has no compromise – and, believe me, this will be a car that is drivable on a day-to-day basis – we’ve talked about luggage space because we want people to enjoy the car. Nothing was left unanswered. But every single answer was not the first answer. In some instances, it’s the seventh iteration of how can we do something to save weight and therefore get the power as one-to-one.”

In a concluding thought about the most satisfying elements of these two giants collaborating, Reichman says, “The best part is that we are both growing and learning. We both have strong characters and we’re both very strong brands. It’s a little bit of disruption because it’s not expected and I think that’s fantastic. This was not an expected collaboration but we both stand for the ultimate. You could argue that Red Bull is the most successful F1 team and Adrian is the most successful F1 designer in the past ten years. And we make exceptional, beautiful road cars – and so putting those together wasn’t necessarily an expected choice but we’re both winners. We both believe very passionately in who we are and what we do. Red Bull expects the best and we expect the best – so in many ways it’s the perfect partnership.”

The first AM-RB 001 prototype is expected to begin testing in mid-2017 and the engineering will be undertaken by the special division Q by Aston Martin Advanced and Red Bull Advanced Technologies. The lucky 150 future drivers will be in their AM-RB 001 in 2018.

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Photos by : Charn Kamal Singh Virdi Instagram: @charnkamal FB :www.facebook.com/charnkamalphotography Contact: +971565383569

Gulf Concours

By Damien Reid

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he UAE likes to boast about many things – that it has the best, the most expensive and the most exclusive – but when it comes to money-can’t-buy classic cars, at the recent Gulf Concours in Dubai it literally was true.

Among the many shining lights from the likes of Bentley, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and more was the world’s most expensive car, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO valued at more than $55 million and owned by leading classic Ferrari specialist, Talacrest.

The immortal GTO mixed with not only near priceless, classic cars but also the ultimate in modern, bespoke luxury and supercars for the inaugural Gulf Concours held on the lawns of the world’s most luxurious hotel, the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah last month.

While it holds significant value by being the second of just 36 GTOs ever made and the first example used for racing following American F1 driver Phil Hill’s second place in the Sebring 12-hour and a podium finish at Le Mans in 1962, it was up against some stiff competition for the ultimate prize of Best Classic Car on the day.

When the six judges handed in their verdicts, it wasn’t the uber-rare GTO which took the accolades, but the equally desirable Ferrari 250 GT Competition Berlinetta Sport Speciale.

This particular car has a colourful history in that Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman and husband Roberto Rossellini were keen Ferrari enthusiasts, buying a very special 375mm in 1954 and wanted another Ferrari to back it up.

It has been rumoured that this 250GT Competition Berlinetta Sport Speciale was commissioned for Bergman a year later, although she never took delivery of the car.

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intended as the reserve car for the 24-hours Le Mans race and its famous owners include Bernie Ecclestone’s F1 business partner Patrick ‘Paddy’ McNally, Alan Mann and Australian race driver Frank Gardner who shipped it to Australia where it spent most of its life before returning to the continent.

This Chassis 0403 received unique coachwork by Pinin Farina, and as a one-off 1950s coach-built competition aluminium bodied Ferrari, it would be guaranteed entry to any Concours event in the world.

The first documented owner kept it in Modena but by the 1960s it had crossed the Atlantic to the US where it spent most of its life. On seeing the car at the Pebble Beach Concours shortly before his passing in 2012, designer Sergio Pininfarina said it was his all-time favourite design.

This Competizione Clienti model of which only ten were commissioned is considered the last dual purpose sports car built by Ferrari that was equally at home on the race track and the road.

Also taking home prizes was a magnificent 1970 Citroen DS21 IE which won Best Classic Design, with special mention for a near flawless 1954 Jaguar XK120 which was rebuilt from a burnt-out wreck to Concours condition, entirely in Dubai using the skills and talents of the local workforce.

Talacrest and the Al Yemni Group of KSA have formed a partnership to closely serve Ferrari classic car enthusiast and collectors in the region, and showed not just the Bergman 250GT and GTO but also a very significant 1965, 275GTB. “We are delighted to have won the award for Best Classic – it was always a winner in our eyes. This is the third Concours that it’s won in a row, so we were pretty confident that this unique car was going to be the winner over here in Dubai,” a spokesman for the Al Yemni family said.

“The world’s rarest and most valuable classic and current cars were on display for this exclusive event,” said Rory Heron, Managing Director of Thorough Events Singapore, the event owners and organisers.

“This event was hosted for the Middle East’s most discerning collectors and car

The stunning 275GTB is one of only three right-hand drive cars built. It was

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Set in the lush grounds of the new Burj Al Arab Terrace and around the gardens, the invitation-only event remained an intimate and luxurious environment for exotic car lovers to mingle with like-minded enthusiasts of luxury brands.

enthusiasts, and it’s going to be something special for classic car enthusiasts for years to come,” he added.

For the motor racing enthusiast, McLaren air freighted in possibly its most prized possession: the Can-Am race car built by company founder Bruce McLaren.

“The inaugural Gulf Concours was an extraordinary event. We were very proud to see the rarest classic and modern cars displayed in our gardens and to welcome thousands of collectors and connoisseurs from the GCC and beyond,” said Scott Murray, Hotel Manager of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah.

Quite rightly, this McLaren M1B won the race car trophy despite strong competition including Gilles Villeneuve’s 1982 Ferrari Formula One car and a modern Ferrari 488 GT3 car owned by local Dubai operation, Dragon Racing.

Most recently, the team from Thorough Events ran the successful Concours of Elegance in the private quadrangle of England’s Windsor Castle with the kind permission of Her Majesty the Queen.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of arguably the wildest motor racing series ever run, the legendary no rules racing Can-Am championship, and McLaren was one of the most successful constructors of the time.

The Gulf Concours is set to become one of the world’s most noted Concours d’elegance events and will be a part of Dubai 2020 by attracting the wealthiest collectors and connoisseurs from within the region and around the globe.

The 1966 Mars Red, M1B open cockpit which was designed and built by Bruce McLaren and Robin Herd, is powered by a 340bhp Oldsmobile-badged Chevrolet V8. It is the first McLaren Can-Am car built and it holds the honour of leading the opening lap of the first ever Can-Am race which was run at the Circuit MontTremblant in Quebec on 11 September 1966.

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Like nowhere else

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magine drifting at more than 200 km/h in total safety on a full-scale F1 circuit reproduced on a frozen lake, behind the wheel of a high-powered sports car in the middle of Swedish Lapland. This can be a reality with the Lapland Ice Driving experience.

Discover a place of pristine and surprising beauty and authenticity, with lakes stretching as far as the eye can see, surrounded by immense forests of snowcovered pines and arctic tundra. Welcome to Arjeplog, the European capital of extreme weather car testing, a mere 70 km from the Arctic Circle. This is the place where magic and technology become one, where powerful sports car engines whisper under the Northern lights.

For just 14 weeks each winter, Lapland Ice Driving transforms the surface of the frozen Lake Udjaur into an enormous 1,250 acre private drifting area, making it the world’s largest driving centre, still unrivalled. Here you will have the unique chance to try some of the 13 different tracks, including exclusive and officially-licensed, full-scale Formula One reproductions of Silverstone, the Nßrburgring and Paul Ricard.

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Thanks to personalised in-car instruction, you will perfect your skills and master drifting by driving up to 250 km per day: the equivalent of an F1 Grand Prix! The instructors are all highly qualified, coming from the best driving championships, and use an unparalleled approach to guarantee you maximum pleasure during all your driving sessions.

No barriers, no walls, nothing in the way: just fresh snow on the track and your heartbeat telling you that you’re living the present moment, just as it should be.

Everything is designed to allow limitless extreme driving behind the wheel of one of the 30 exceptional cars: from Ferraris, Porsches and Maseratis to the Nissan GT-R, Subarus and the Ford Focus RS. Each car is specially prepared for extreme driving conditions: you can take your pick and every day is another opportunity to fall in love with a different beautiful machine.

Through tailor-made services, everything is done so that you can personalise your stay down to the smallest details. As a registered tour operator and agent, the dedicated Lapland Ice Driving team will take care of all your travel arrangements for you, even if you come from the end of the world and beyond. This is all possible, and they will help in any way to give you complete peace of mind.

The only thing you need to be concerned with is the pleasure of enjoying the extraordinary.

And to appreciate everything up to and beyond expectation, you can bring your family or best friends to share the thrill and experience the joy themselves.

If they’re not attracted to the ice driving experience, plenty other exciting activities are available, from the elk photo safari and dogsledge tours to snowmobile treks and more; we also offer a break spa and sauna for the more relaxation orientated.

The reality will exceed your wildest dreams, whether you are an expert or a beginner, and it can happen only at Lapland Ice Driving.

Book now and be part of the happy few from January 9 to March 20 2017.

Without a doubt, this is an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime experience that you simply cannot miss.

www.lapland-ice-driving.com Tel : +33 (0)1 60 76 25 25 Email : info@lapland-ice-driving.com

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S I M P L Y AV I AT I O N

Royal Jet Sets New Benchmark with the Addition of Two Boeing Business Jets ‘Change is in the air’ at Royal Jet, with its enhanced leadership team ushering in a new era for the award winning luxury flight services company

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oyal Jet, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered, award-winning international luxury flight service provider, has taken delivery of two striking new 34 seat Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) in the latest phase of its fleet renewal programme. This exciting news comes on the heels of the company’s recent announcement of additions to its leadership team, tasked with guiding the company into a new era.

providing large bandwidth which enables services such as Netflix and IP based Live TV and download and upload speeds not seen before in the industry.

These aircraft also feature Enhanced Vision System (EVS) technology in the cockpit and Royal Jet is the first charter operator in the UAE to receive regulatory approval from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to use this capability. The EVS system enhances operational safety by using a stand-alone thermal imaging camera that sees infrared energy emitting or radiating from objects and helps pilots navigate better in poor weather conditions.

These unique new BBJ aircraft each boast a front-end bedroom, eight VIP, eight business class and 18 standard seats, and were received by the company’s Chairman – His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, its new Managing Director – His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, and its new President and CEO – Rob DiCastri.

In association with Boeing and other partners involved in this process, the company will be showing off one of these unique aircraft, and possibly both, at the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) Conference to be held at the beginning of December at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport.

The interiors of these sister ships were designed by New York based designer Edése Doret, known for his elegant and innovative layouts and for the use of distinctive materials such as the carbon fibre seen throughout these aircraft. His design was then brought to life by industry leading outfitter Lufthansa Technik of Hamburg, Germany, who delivered both exceptional aircraft on time and on budget.

These two deliveries bring the overall Royal Jet fleet to 13 aircraft and the BBJ count to 8, further extending the company’s position as the largest operator of Boeing Business Jets in the world.

In terms of amenities, the aircraft are equipped with the latest telecommunication and entertainment technology to meet the needs of the exclusive customer base of Royal Jet. They are the first BBJs worldwide with a KA Band Wi-Fi internet system installed,

President and CEO, Rob DiCastri, explained, “Under the continuing guidance of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan, the Royal Jet leadership team are actively looking at the

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overall size and mix of our fleet and are constantly consulting with our wide range of customers to ensure we have a product and a service which satisfies their diverse needs. The addition of these two amazing new aircraft to our offering is a result of that consultation, as they have both the long range capability and the passenger and baggage capacity to fulfil various mission requirements, with interiors like no others available in the region.”

David Longridge, President of Boeing Business Jets, added, “We at BBJ are thrilled to see these two new BBJs arrive in Abu Dhabi for service. At Royal Jet, just as they do with their customer base, Boeing Business Jets feels we have a strong and loyal customer, but we know Royal Jet itself has a choice as to which airplanes it buys. We’re honored they’ve chosen the BBJ, and we’re very impressed with their leadership in technology (with the EVS certification, amongst other things) and the innovation seen in the interior. We’re excited to see these airplanes enter reliable, award-winning service with Royal Jet as soon as possible, and we look forward to showcasing them at MEBAA in Dubai.”

Rob DiCastri continued, “We are fortunate at Royal Jet to have a very loyal customer base, but we realize we’re not their only choice and so we’re committed to consistently exceeding their already high expectations of us in terms of safety, quality and service. The many partners we’ve been fortunate enough to work with on these aircraft have helped us create something special which will help us do that, and at the same time bring a new and exciting product to the market that we can deliver to various customers utilizing our royal pedigree. Our customers have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these aircraft, and we have taken numerous bookings already, with the schedule filling up quickly. Utilization is the key to a successful business in this industry, so we are excited to get both of them flying and contributing to our bottom line.

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“In terms of our overall business,” he continued, “His Highness the Chairman, His Highness the MD and the entire leadership team at Royal Jet are looking to consolidate our position as the leading VVIP operator in the region, leverage our extensive current capabilities and unlock the untapped potential of the company. This includes further revenue diversification, along with expansion of our VVIP Charter, medical evacuation, aircraft brokerage and FBO services. We are committed to growth, but in a smart, efficient way, which will allow us to maintain an unwavering focus on safety and service for the benefit of our customers while continuing our strong record of profitability for the benefit of our shareholders.

“In short,” he concluded, “Change is in the Air at Royal Jet.”

About Royal Jet Royal Jet, the Middle East’s foremost private charter company, is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi Aviation, a publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange and Presidential Flight, the royal flight service. Royal Jet is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Royal Jet operates from its Fixed Based Operations (FBO)/VIP terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Royal Jet is the world's largest single BBJ operator. The private charter company is a founder member of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) and a member of the NBAA, MedLink (a service of MedAir Inc.) and the Flight Safety Foundation.

www.royaljetgroup.com For further information, interviews or imagery, please contact: PR Agency: Emma Jones or Samer El Zein MCS Action Email: emma.j@actionprgroup.com or samer.z@actionprgroup.com Tel: +971 4 390 2960 In-house PR contact: Abigail D’Souza Tel: +971 2 5051 615 adsouza@royaljetgroup.com Boeing Business Jets contact: Elizabeth Bieri elizabeth.e.bieri@boeing.com

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S I M PLY YA C H T S

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Power. Beauty. Soul.

Just some of the words that could be used to describe the extraordinary Aston Martin AM37 powerboat which was revealed in September at the Monaco Yacht Show.

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ston Martin’s first powerboat, developed by the company in partnership with Quintessence Yachts, based in the Netherlands and known for their innovative design, the AM37 is truly a worthy addition to the car company’s line-up of beautiful vehicles.

The sleekness of the ship calls to mind the lines and perfect angles of the Vanquish, and even somehow manages to hark back to the days of the DB5, where style was everything.

There’s more to this ship than looks, however, as the AM37S version is expected to reach speeds of 50 knots, making it the perfect boat for those looking for a little power with their magnificent splendour.

The 37-foot ship made its debut to the world at the Monaco Yacht Show on September 28, to a crowd hungry to see the British car giant’s first entry into the nautical world. Those who take the plunge with this outstanding newday-cruiser will have a choice of two versions, with the AM37S version offering slightly more power.

Before it was revealed to the world, the craft underwent two years of extensive research, development and styling, with Aston Martin bringing in their master craftsmen, many of whom worked on the company’s most outstanding offerings, such as the Vulcan, DB11 and the One-77.

The AM37, and the AM37S, Aston Martin claim, are designed to do one thing: challenge the status quo of the nautical world, and bring the best and most innovative technology and craftsmanship to the fore.

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Aston Martin’s executive vice president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman, and his design team, collaborated closely with naval architect Mulder Design to ensure every element of the project was carefully considered Reichman commented: "The AM37 is a pure translation of the Aston Martin DNA into an entirely new maritime concept. The powerboat reflects our values in terms of power, beauty and soul.

“The most important attribute for Aston Martin is the design language and proportion, we have transferred this DNA into the AM37. It was important to us when considering this project to make sure that the boat design was as beautiful and timeless as our cars. The AM37 is a striking boat with fantastic proportion and elegance."

The AM37 can be turned from a day cruiser into an overnight berth at the captain’s behest, by transforming the modern carbon fibre cabin table into a comfortable bed for passengers.

The cabin also comes replete with mood lighting to set the scene and air conditioning for trips abroad to more tropical climes.

Aboard you will also find a refrigerator, microwave oven and coffee machine, as well as a lavatory. Beyond style and power, Aston Martin and Quintessence’s design team have worked hard to ensure absolute comfort when you take to the seven seas.

The finest leathers from the finest craftsmen adorn the elegantly laid out rear seating area, which can easily accommodate up to eight people.

The exterior of the craft features dynamic proportions, ensuring a design which is simple to the eye, but immaculately executed upon further inspection by the curious mind. There is a clear attention to detail in each element of the AM37’s design.

The boat’s wraparound windscreen is a single piece of sculpted glass which has been draped, like liquid, over the foredeck, giving it an incredibly fluid look.

AM37 also features extreme double curvature, setting a new industry standard for powerboats, and sliding deck technology easily allows the captain of the craft to cover the cockpit at the touch of a single button; the three lightweight carbon panels, operated by the AM37 key, simply fold away beneath the aft deck when the cockpit is uncovered. Boating has never been this easy, or this beautiful.

The anelectro-hydraulic carbon fibre bimini top is stowed out of sight, beneath the engine hatch when not in use, and a swim platform will extend from the aft deck when required, allowing for easy access to the clear blue ocean water.

At the helm, the carbon fibre dashboard of the AM37 and AM37S echoes the styling of Aston Martin’s most advanced and prestigious sports cars, such as the DB11, without sacrificing functional features, such as the steering wheel, throttle handles and joystick, all of which are constructed of polished metals.

The craft’s navigation, control monitor and entertainment systems are all fully integrated, featuring advanced multimedia functions to allow for full, immersive enjoyment for all passengers.

Quintessence Yachts CEO Mariella Mengozzi said: "It’s been an exciting journey and we have relished partnering with Aston Martin on such a special project that blends craftsmanship with futuristic technology: the perfect mix for this unique powerboat.

“We gladly took on the challenge to create a true revolution on the water and an extraordinary powerboat, and I’m delighted to present the AM37, a new way of experiencing life at sea."

The 37-foot AM37 is available in two versions, with the AM37 model featuring a top speed of 45 knots, and a choice of two 370 horsepower Mercury diesel or two 430 horsepower Mercury petrol engines.

The AM37S model will achieve an estimated 50 knots, derived from its twin 520 horsepower Mercury petrol engines. There is truly something for everyone here, whether you long for power or beauty.

The AM37 is part of Aston Martin’s Art of Living programme, in which the brand is translating its legendary quality into a new generation of carefully crafted commercial partnerships, ensuring that traditional licensing and merchandising are the very best reflections of its high luxury values.

Katia Bassi, vice president of finance, AML and managing director of Aston Martin Brands said: “We are so proud to present the AM37, an exclusive powerboat for the yachting world.

With this project Aston Martin, the icon of style and technological innovation, confirms its place as a top luxury brand.

“The Aston Martin Art of Living programme is a way of life that captures the very essence of the Aston Martin brand, and AM37 is a fine example of this philosophy."

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Simply Abu Dhabi Master Artwork Issue 24_Layout 1 01/12/2016 20:36 Page 282

Simply Abu Dhabi Master Artwork Issue 24_Layout 1 01/12/2016 20:36 Page 283

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Simply Abu Dhabi Master Artwork Issue 24_Layout 1 01/12/2016 20:36 Page 284

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