Simply Abu Dhabi - Volume 27 Simply Gulfstream

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ABU DHABI, IT’S GOOD FOR THE SOUL H

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FOUNDER & CO-FOUNDER’S LETTER ‫ترشع و شیع‬

सुख

奢侈品

Lujo

Luxe

Luxus

Lusso

Dear lovers of luxury

I

t fills us with pride to present to you our twenty-seventh edition of Simply Abu Dhabi.

Damien Reid has taken Simply Cars to the next level with an all supercar segment featuring Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Hurracan Perfomante and Aston Martin Valkyrie.

We continue our journey to bring you not only Abu Dhabi’s finest but also the most opulent things from all corners of the globe. This issue delves into the world of luxury travel through air and sea, exploring how Gulfstream have redefined a new class of private aviation and how they continue to the lead the way with their latest models. We meet Mohammed Al Barwani, owner of Oceanco, and speak to him about what made him interested in yachts, what led him to acquire Oceanco, and what he believes can be done better in the yacht industry. Back on land we explore supercars, travel destinations as well as exclusive properties and interiors.

In Simply Beauty Sophie take us on a journey through the stunning scents of the Middle East with Widian by AJ Arabia, and to Hawaii, home of the allnatural JK Skincare and beyond.

Through Simply Time and Jewellery, Nick Rice presents an exquisite collection of timepieces from the world’s finest watchmakers and gem craftsmen.

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

“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

Finally, Julia Zaltzman brings you some of the world’s finest properties and interiors both land and sea has to offer.

On land we explore exclusive developments from London’s Mayfair to the Maldives, as well as stunning interiors from FDM Design, SmallBone of Devizes and Mark Wilkinson furniture. We also take a glimpse into luxury life on the sea with the incredible Aeroboat with interiors by Cladon Reeves and Rolls-Royce and Dominator yachts.

Of course we bring you much more, so please sit back, relax and read on.

From all of us at Simply Abu Dhabi, thank you for your continued support and readership and we hope you enjoy our latest issue…

Jordana ,Arnie & Harvey 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 Managing Editor: 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.

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Honolulu, New York, London, Zurich, Gstaad, Olten, Reinach-Basel, Vienna, Tokyo

CONTENTS Gulfstream Streamlined for Success Interview with Mark Burns President of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.

Simply influential Dr. Barwani Owner of Oceanco.

Page 42 Page 52

Page 60

Simply Jewellery Page 64 Selection of Haute Joallerie – Boucheron, Chaumet, Buccellati, Chanel, Dior, Noor Fares, Giampiero Bodino, DeBeers, Piaget, Chopard, House of Bijan.

Simply Time Richard Mille, Rolex, Hermès, NOMOS, Harry Winston, JAEGER-LECOULTRE, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet.

Page 88

Simply Fashion Page 106 Paris Haute couture 2017- Chanel, Yanina Couture, Dior, Atelier Versace, Guo Pei, Ralph & Russo, Ulyana Sergeenko, Giorgio Armani Privé, Zuhair Murad, Viktor & Rolf, Valentino, Francesco Scognamiglio.

Simply Property Page 120 Mas de Notre Dame de Vie, Amilla Fushi Maldives, Dubai Harbour, Flora Di Menna Designs St Lucia, Marilyn Hoffman, Burlington Gate Mayfair, Smallbone of Devizes, Mark Wilkinson, Porto Montenegro.

Simply Yachts Dominator yachts, Aeroboat.

Page 186

Simply Cars Aston Martin Valkyrie, Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Huracan Performante.

Page 198

Simply Beautiful Widian AJ Arabia, JK7, Lee Stafford.

Page 217

Simply Travel La Réserve Genève Hôtel, Soho House Barcelona, Sports Tourism Barcelona.

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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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Streamlined for Success

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In 1958, Gulfstream created a new class of travel with the flight of the first purpose-built business aircraft. Since that defining day, it has continued to make aviation history with its commitment to groundbreaking innovation, beautifully exemplified by the G650ER – the world’s longest-range business jet. Not content to rest on its laurels, the manufacturer is now introducing two new models to its family, the G500 and G600, which together usher in the next generation of superior aircraft.

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wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, where it designs, develops, outfits, manufactures and maintains business jet aircraft for corporations, governments and individuals around the world. Every aircraft is customised to clients’ exacting specifications, and to date, more than 2,600 aircraft have been produced since the company’s founding in 1957. Steeped in brand heritage, Gulfstream’s comprehensive product line offers an exceptional combination of safety, comfort, performance and value in each segment of the super-mid to ultra-large-cabin business jet market.

The Gulfstream portfolio encompasses four aircraft, all of which satisfy a wide spectrum of private jet travel needs. The in-service models are: the Gulfstream G280 - a super-midsize jet that performs like a much larger aircraft yet offers the best fuel efficiency in its class; the Gulfstream G550 - one of the most popular aircraft in its class, known for its reliability, flexibility and performance, and capable of connecting Shanghai to Los Angeles or New York to Dubai nonstop at Mach 0.80; and the Gulfstream G650 and G650ER - the largest purpose-built business jet cabins, offering passengers wider seats, more aisle room, 16 panoramic windows and the lowest cabin altitude of any business jet.

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The G650ER is also the company’s flagship, and the world’s longest-range business jet, providing outstanding mission flexibility and going farther faster than any other business aircraft flying today. Combined, the G650 and the G650ER hold more than 60 city-pair records and can both traverse the world in practically one stop. Powered

by Rolls-Royce engines, the G650 and G650ER travel at speeds up to Mach 0.925, more than nine-tenths the speed of sound, and can fly far above airline-traffic congestion and adverse weather, resulting in smoother flights and fewer delays. In 2015, the G650 was awarded the 2014 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in North America, in recognition of the aircraft’s “significant technological advancements in aircraft performance, cabin comfort and safety”.

Gulfstream’s newest family of aircraft, the G500 and G600, are in production and flight testing, and should be available for customer deliveries in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The two new models usher in the next generation of aviation with new standards in cabin comfort and productivity, speed, environmental efficiency and safety, offering the industry’s first application of active control sidesticks and its highest integration of touchscreen technology in the flight deck. These aircraft were created in collaboration with customer feedback, a practice that shapes Gulfstream’s product development programme and extends to its interiors.

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“Customers really want the flexibility to tailor an interior to their specific needs, and we ensure they have the ability to do that by providing 944 different ways they can arrange the three living areas on our all-new G500, 3,075 different ways on the G600, and 5,500 different ways for the four living areas on the G650 and G650ER,” explains Gulfstream President Mark Burns.

Interior cabin design is a hallmark of the Gulfstream ownership experience, bolstered by its in-house interior design and completions experts who advise customers on fulfilling their visions for their aircraft cabin. Gulfstream-crafted cabinetry, upholstery and veneers are paired with exclusive materials and accessories sourced from the world’s finest design houses.

It all began in 1958, when Bethpage, New York-based Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation completed the design for the Gulfstream I. The company founder, Roy Grumman, named the aircraft the ‘Gulfstream’ because many Grumman executives vacationed in Florida, where the Gulf Stream current flows northward along the coast.

In 1967, Grumman moved the Gulfstream corporate jet operation to Savannah, where the company experienced a series of mergers and buyouts during the 1970s, before

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leading to Gulfstream becoming its own entity in 1978. General Dynamics bought Gulfstream in 1999, and in 2017 the brand continues to push into new sectors and markets; its presence at the Dubai Airshow in November this year reflects both the brand’s commitment to innovation, and the seemingly boundless growth potential of aviation in the Middle East.

Thanks to their technological superiority, ability to reach high altitudes quickly and interior flexibility, Gulfstream airframes are ideal for special missions, and have served government customers with special mission aircraft since 1967. Today, aircraft are configured for head-of-state and VIP transport, airborne early warning, medical evacuation, high-altitude atmospheric research, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Nearly 200 Gulfstream aircraft support governments in more than 35 countries around the world, including the US military.

In addition, Gulfstream continues to maintain the largest company-owned product support network for business jets, with approximately 4,000 professionals. No other business jet manufacturer offers a wider range of services, enhancements, spares, support functions and technical publications than Gulfstream.

“I often say that we have the best employees making the best products in business aviation,” says Burns. “We’re going to build you the best aeroplane and we’re going to stand behind it. That’s still what we believe today.”

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Mark Burns President of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

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Mark Burns was named President of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in February 2015 after spending more than seven years as leader of the company’s Product Support organisation. He also serves as Vice President of Gulfstream parent company General Dynamics, a role he’s held since February 2014. Here, he talks to Simply Abu Dhabi about Gulfstream’s new line of models, the importance of brand heritage, and his life-long passion for all things aviation.

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Have you always been interested in aviation?

My passion for planes was piqued during college when I had the opportunity to design an ultralight aeroplane in one of my engineering classes. That’s when I realised I might be interested in pursuing an aviation career, and I joined Gulfstream in 1983 as a draughtsman and computer-aided design (CAD) operator after graduating from Georgia Southern University.

Can you fly an aircraft?

Has Gulfstream’s World War II heritage remained at the core of the product portfolio that we see today?

Looking back at our Grumman forebears, I can say we’re still committed to many of the same attributes: robust construction, safety, innovation and reliability. Before it started building business aircraft in 1957, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. designed and built military aircraft intended to operate in extremely challenging conditions. Because of that, the aircraft had to be built to high standards to ensure their continued operation regardless of where and in what conditions they were flown. We still carry that commitment to quality, reliability and innovation with us today.

I was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, although I am not a licenced pilot. At Gulfstream, we understand that it takes input from a wide range of people to design, service and support an aircraft that our customers will want. We gather information from flight attendants, passengers, maintenance technicians, fixed-based operators and others in addition to pilots.

I have quite a bit of experience on the service side of Gulfstream and as a passenger on our aircraft. All of that, along with the diverse thoughts and experiences of our workforce, ensures we create and deliver the world’s finest aviation experience to our customers.

Brand heritage is everything. As the saying goes, you are what your record says you are. We work hard to ensure our record reflects the promise we’ve made to our customers: to create and deliver the world’s finest aviation experience for them. That means delivering on our promises, exceeding expectations and standing behind the aircraft we build.

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen at the company over the past 30 years?

Tell us about the brand’s high-performance capabilities – what makes Gulfstream different from its competitors?

The game-changing moment in our history was in 1999, when we were purchased by defence contractor General Dynamics. Thanks to their support, we began investing for the long-term, dedicating a consistent flow of resources to researching and developing new aircraft, new aircraft technologies and new services that provide value to our customers.

I think what differentiates Gulfstream is the commitment of our employees to delivering on our promises. All our in-production aircraft entered service on time with capabilities that met or exceeded what we promised. The G650, for example, had a range 1,000 nautical miles (Nm) greater than we promised (6,000Nm vs. 5,000). With the Gulfstream G550, we delivered the PlaneView flight deck with enhanced vision, an industry first. With the G280, we delivered 200Nm more range. It’s important for us to create value for our customers by listening to what they want and ensuring we deliver it. Our people make this happen.

The second big change came in 2003 when, in concert with our parent company, we embarked on a journey to set a long-term strategy. That strategy and our disciplined approach to executing it have allowed us to introduce five new aircraft in the past decade alone: the Gulfstream G650, the G280, the GG650ER, the G500 and the G600. In short, we revolutionised our product line and with it, the business aviation industry.

I’m proud of the advances we’ve made, but I’d also like to talk about the things that haven’t changed: our commitment to excellence, our desire to always stay on the leading edge of technology and our culture of continuous improvement.

Those attributes were part of Gulfstream when it was founded in 1958 and continue to be an important part of who we are today.

How have client demands evolved during your time as President?

Clients today want aeroplanes that go farther faster. They want to be more comfortable and more productive while they’re travelling. And they want their cabin experience at 51,000ft to be similar to what it is on the ground, so highspeed connectivity and high-definition entertainment are extremely important.

Our four-living-area G650ER is a good example of how clients can customise their Gulfstream interior to reflect their lifestyle on the ground. For example, they can create a private state room with en suite bathroom, a six-person dining area, an entertainment area and a conference area. The kitchen offers an experience similar to those in contemporary homes with an appliance stack featuring a traditional coffeemaker and an espresso machine (or two coffee makers), a microwave and a convection oven. Customers really want the flexibility to tailor an interior to their specific needs, and we ensure they have the ability to do that.

How important is brand heritage?

Gulfstream has just delivered its 550th G550 – what makes this model so popular?

The G550 is so popular because of its tremendous capabilities. When the G550 was introduced, it was the world’s first ultra-long-range business jet, with the ability to travel a remarkable 6,750Nm. Over the past 14 years, the G550 has established a reputation for safety, reliability, quality, craftsmanship and an extraordinary cabin environment. It offers best-in-class range and payload and is truly a versatile aircraft that can be used for business aviation as well as special missions, such as executive transport; medevac; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and electronic warfare.

What can customers expect from Gulfstream’s all-new, award-winning G500 when it enters service later in 2017?

The G500 offers a unique combination of speed, fuel efficiency, cabin comfort and advanced flight deck technologies not found in any other aircraft in the industry. The aircraft incorporates the state-of-the-art technology, both in the cabin and the flight deck, including the first use of active control sidesticks in business aviation.

The cabin for the G500 is distinguished by its wide cross-section, which maximises passenger comfort and aircraft performance. Carrying up to 19 passengers, the G500 has three living areas with forward and aft lavatories and includes a full-size galley that can be located either forward or aft. The G500 has an industry-leading cabin altitude of 4,850ft at FL510 and 100% fresh air that boosts mental alertness and productivity while reducing fatigue. The quietest cabin in the industry provides an ideal environment for work-related discussion or social conversation. Large oval windows, the same size as those on the G650, allow natural light to pour into the cabins. The same capabilities that make the G500 popular with business operators also make it ideal for special missions.

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Tell us about the G600 programme?

How much time does Gulfstream invest in R&D?

The G600 programme is going extremely well. We recently witnessed the first flight of the first fully outfitted G600, an aircraft that will serve as a cabin testbed to ensure a superior customer experience. The aircraft was the fifth to join the G600 flight-test programme since it began in December 2016. In terms of the test programme itself, the G600 has achieved a programme-best 13-hour and 5minute flight, reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.995 and has flown to a maximum altitude of 54,000ft. Gulfstream anticipates receiving Federal Aviation Administration-type certification for the G600 in 2018, with customer deliveries scheduled for later that year.

Thanks to our parent company General Dynamics, we invest for the long term, dedicating a consistent flow of resources to researching and developing new aircraft, new technologies and new services that provide value to our customers.

We have a team of more than 1,750 engineers working in our R&D centre campus, home to several of our ground-based labs, including those for the G500 and G600 programmes. The investment we’ve made in the labs for the G500 and G600 is the most significant we’ve made to date, and those investments are paying off. Even before the G500 and G600 left the ground, Gulfstream had spent more than 30,000 hours testing the aircraft in the ground-based labs. As a result, the aircraft are performing flawlessly during flight tests. These innovative aircraft, which feature the first active control sidesticks, system-integrated touchscreens and data concentration network in business aviation, will continue to set the standard.

The aviation market is being driven by customer demands to fly faster, for longer, with fewer stops – is this sustainable?

The Gulfstream G650ER really sets the standard when you consider customers’ demands to fly faster, longer with fewer stops. With a range of 7,500Nm, the G650ER can whisk passengers almost anywhere in the world non-stop. So, we’ve largely accomplished the range objective. What’s left is speed. You can’t buy time, which is why speed is so important. It amplifies the strategic value of business aviation. Since the G650 and G650ER have entered service, we’ve realised that our customers prefer flying fast and routinely fly their G650 at Mach 0.90, which offers significant time savings.

What do clients expect when they fly on a Gulfstream?

As I said earlier, you are what your record says you are. Our brand reputation means everything to us. Each and every employee of Gulfstream is united behind a common purpose. We understand that details matter and that strong work ethic is pervasive across our company. We are distinguished by our commitment to our customers. When flying on a Gulfstream, customers recognise the quality, safety and reliability inherent in every Gulfstream. When combined with our first-rate worldwide product support network, it’s easy to understand why we are the market leader. Customers know that we build the best aircraft in business aviation, and that we stand behind the aircraft we build.

Do you collaborate with any high-end designers to create luxury interiors for your aircraft?

Gulfstream has a highly trained and well regarded team of interior designers that works with customers around the world to create aircraft interiors that exceed their expectations. Together, that team has 419 total years of design industry experience that they leverage to create luxury interiors for our customers. In fact, the Gulfstream design studio was recently recognised with an International Yacht & Aviation Design Award for the interior design of the four-living-area G650ER. What challenges and/or limitations are imposed on interior design?

Outside of weight considerations, there are endless interior design possibilities.

What could be done better in the world of business aviation?

I think advocacy is an important element of our industry and it’s something we could all do better. I firmly believe it’s important that we serve as advocates, using our words, reputation and, ultimately, our actions to create a long range, positive view of an industry that employs more than 1.1 million people and has an economic impact in the billions.

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Dr. Barwani

Open water The Dutch shipyard Oceanco has been building world-class yachts since 1990. With large yacht facilities in Alblasserdam near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and expansive outfit facilities in Marineweg, it made the decision in 2005 to focus its efforts on creating custom yachts of 80m-plus in length. Acquired by Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani in 2010, Oceanco has since seen a raft of high profile deliveries, culminating in the recent 110m Project Jubilee – the largest yacht ever built in the Netherlands – which underwent sea trials in June 2017.

We find out what drives the entrepreneurial businessman, where he sees the superyacht industry heading, and what sparked his passion for the water.

by Julia Zaltzman

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S I M PLY I N F LU E N T I A L

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stalwart of the shipbuilding industry, Oceanco is no stranger to expansions and new builds. Its established facilities in Alblasserdam include a private harbour with 130m of quayside where a new state-ofthe-art dry dock was recently designed and purpose-built to handle yachts of up to 140m in length. But in 2010, when its current owner Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani acquired the Dutch yard and brought it under the umbrella of MB Holdings, a new era of determination commenced.

Dr. Barwani is a businessman familiar with success; on founding MB Holdings in 1982, his business interests progressed steadily, first through the energy and oil industries, then real estate, and now within the superyacht industry. Though to some the purchase of Oceanco, and later the Turkish shipyard Turquoise Yachts, may appear just another fruitful business venture to add to Dr. Barwani’s corporate repertoire, heading two successful shipyards is in fact the embodiment of a lifelong passion for the sea. Growing up in Oman – a country famous for its capital port of Muscat, as well as world-class fishing and diving – Dr. Barwani’s connection to everything maritime transcends just business.

Have you always been interested in yachting?

I’ve lived by the ocean all my life. At a very young age, I actually tried to build myself a boat. I think I was around seven years old, and all my friends helped me.

We put her in the water and as soon as we did, she sank! In Oman I have several smaller boats; the 32m Sharifa is my biggest, a one-off Hatteras with a fishing cockpit in the back. I love to fish here.

The 109m Y718 (which hit the water in February in 2017 and will again be one of the largest yachts ever built in the Netherlands once delivered in 2018) was my own project – well, it was my wife’s project! I was not planning to sell the Y718, but it happened that a client came and liked her. I personally think that when she is finished she will be ground-breaking. For me it was both a happy and sad occasion when she was sold. Part of the fun of owning a yacht is actually the process of building it.

In 2010 you bought Oceanco. What led to that decision?

I was not planning on buying a shipyard. In 2010 I asked my banker if he knew a yacht for sale. He told me he didn’t, but he did know of a shipyard for sale. I went to look at it and I was very impressed by the company, its management and the work they were doing. I invested in it and went to work expanding it. I’ve been happy ever since.

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The designs that have been started without an owner are mostly ground-breaking. Do they set the DNA for Oceanco?

yacht builders. They can build up to six yachts at the same time. We don’t want to go above 80m with Turquoise because once you get to that size the construction complications are greater and the risks become more complex.

We would like to stay at a happy medium of 45m to 80m.

The DNA of Oceanco is innovative. The designs are impressive and the quality of the build is very good. We have a very innovative sailing yacht which is under construction right now, the 106-metre Solar. The owner is trying out a lot of new ideas. Solar is going to be a beautiful yacht. She is one-of-akind with a number of new innovative technologies, which has never been used in yachts before. It’s good to have innovative owners that want to drive the industry forward.

The large yacht market has been driven by clients from Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East. With the Russian sanctions, do you think that the 80m-plus market will suffer?

I thought so, but what I actually see is that the American market is picking up, and today the yachting industry is very much driven by the American market. The Middle East, especially Middle Eastern royalty, are big drivers of the large yacht market and that will continue. The American market is healthy and I also think there is a strong market in India. We are also receiving enquiries for large yachts from new markets like Asia, Latin America and Africa.

In 2015, you invested in Turquoise Yachts. How did that start?

I knew Mehmet Karabeyoglu and his partner for a long time. In 2014, Mehmet said to me, “Why don’t you invest in this company?” It’s a good investment, Turkey is growing as a country and the company gets a lot of interest from the Middle East – and the boats keep their prices very well in the second-hand market.

What could be done better in the yachting industry?

A shipyard sells a yacht and after the warranty period has concluded, often the client and yacht are forgotten. If you look at Oceanco, we see the client as a client for a lifetime. We take care of all of them, even if they has a 25year-old Oceanco.

We recently built two yachts with Turquoise – the 47m Razan which was delivered earlier this year, and a 77m due for delivery in 2018 – and we have plans for more. Turquoise has excellent facilities which rival many of the top

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Are you also investing in the maritime industry in Oman?

Do you have an exit plan?

Oman is a great place to have a large superyacht marina, so I’m trying to work with the government on that. I would like to start some kind of a marina, not so much as a business, but to promote the country. Oman has a huge maritime history. It is a bit like the Netherlands: we’re a kingdom that has traded with Africa, Asia, India and the Middle East.

No, I enjoy working with the shipyards. Oceanco has been and is a lot of fun.

I’ve enjoyed it tremendously. I’ve enjoyed the designers, our industry colleagues and I’ve enjoyed the brokers. I’ve met a lot of interesting people that I might not have met in other businesses. My business model has never been to buy and sell companies. We’re not a private equity business who buys a company, builds it up, and then sells it. In a word, I have no thoughts of exiting this vibrant industry.

Do you think there is still a good inventory of boats on the market?

I think the greatest competition on the market right now is second-hand boats. Oceanco doesn’t have the problem of competing with the second-hand market, but Turquoise has more challenges in that field.

Turquoise has very competitive prices. Can you tell us about that?

The cost of materials is the same whether you are building in the Netherlands or Turkey. The actual unit labour cost is lower in Turkey compared to Northern Europe. In both regions, a significant portion of the cost of the yacht is labour. Turkish builders tend to invest a lot more labour and time into building than perhaps builders in Southern Europe do. Certainly, some of the yachts produced in Turkey are on par with some of the builds in Europe.

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HAUTE JOALLERIE This season’s high jewellery collections b y Iv a n Al l e g r a n ti

CHAUMET ‘Chaumet est une fête’ – translating to ‘Chaumet is a feast’ – is the title of the new high jewellery collection from the House of Chaumet, which was founded in 1780 in Paris by Marie-Étienne Nitot.

The collection celebrates joie de vivre, as well as embracing luxury at its finest, emotion, music and passion for living a full and varied life.

All these are the feelings expressed by looking beyond the immediate environs of Paris, to faraway lands of England, Italy, New York and Austria. What unites these places is music, a pure and magical way of expressing emotions to their uppermost levels: from opera to symphonies, music is a universal way of communicating emotions just as jewellery is a universally understood expression of beauty.

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Boucheron’s latest haute joallerie collection, Hiver Impérial, is inspired by the Far East’s vast stretches of snow and

by Russia and its Tsars. In 1897, the Maison opened its first shop in Moscow as the first French jeweller in the city.

Boucheron’s history is, then, a perfect mix between its native France and imperial Russia and its Slavic heritage.

Three main themes mark this collection: nature, couture and architecture.

Lumière de Nuit depicts the aesthetic of the North’s stunningly unique nature, famous for its brilliant white polar landscape. Femmes Boréales celebrates the strength and beauty of women in wintry climates, contemporary empresses and queens, wrapped in pearls and precious stones. L’Anneau d’Or offers a panoramic view of the rooftops, cupolas and domes of Russia’s ancient princely towns.

The Baikal imperial bodice is an astonishing piece in the collection – a superlative necklace that features more than 2000 Akoya pearls and, at its centre, a huge 78.33-carat oval Santa Maria aquamarine. It took almost two years to create this necklace, and the result is simply stunning. This arresting piece mixes aquamarine with pearls, moonstones and diamonds that recall the beauty and magnificence of the Baikal lake, one of nature’s marvels. Despite the imposing scale the piece is remarkably comfortable, and to adjust the necklace Boucheron’s master jewellers have created a ribbon of aquamarine beads on the reverse. It’s an incredible piece that looks perfect for a modern-day ice empress.

The Chaumet collection is divided into four themes: Pastorale Anglaise, Aria Passionata, Rhapsodie Transatlantique and Valses d’Hiver.

Pastorale Anglaise is a tribute to the Glyndebourne music festival and has been interpreted with a fanciful twist: emeralds that depict the English gardens are embellished with sapphires and rubies, while diamonds adorn a brooch, a transformable necklace, a ring, earrings and a high jewellery wristwatch.

Aria Passionata celebrates Milan’s La Scala and Giuseppe Verdi operas such as “La Traviata”, turning the emotions of this grand music into sumptuous pieces such as a transformable necklace, a brooch, two pairs of earrings, three rings, a bracelet and three tourbillion watches. All these unique pieces are made with garnets, rubies and tourmalines that evoke La Scala’s stage.

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Rhapsodie Transatlantique is an tribute to New York’s Metropolitan Opera House and here diamonds, umba garnets, pink tourmalines, sapphires, violet padparadsha and yellow-green sapphires, morganites, tanzanites, imperial topazes and champagne and cognac diamonds create a symphony of colours in the parure (a set of jewels designed to be worn together), which includes a necklace mounted on the fils couteau setting, three rings and a set of three brooches and three pairs of earrings. Chaumet’s journey comes to an end with Valses d'Hiver, an homage to Vienna, Strauss (father and son) and their waltzes. Pearls and diamonds are the true protagonists, encrusting a tiara, a transformable necklace, a brooch, a bracelet, a jewellery watch, four rings and four pairs of earrings. A glorious collection that is entirely expected from such a reputable house.

Opulent and rich with its craftsmanship and intricate techniques, Buccellati is a world-renowned Milanese jewellery Maison with a stunning heritage spanning almost 90 years. Buccellati has a tremendous reputation for working with gold and the most astonishing pieces are still created using secret techniques that somehow make the metal appear like precious flowing silk.

CHANEL “Luxury is a necessity that starts where necessity stops,” Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was wont to say, and the new Chanel haute joallerie collection is the embodiment of that quote. The Flying Cloud high jewellery collection is an ode to the sea, and it takes its name from the famous four-mast, black-hulled, white-decked yacht with a 40member crew that once belonged to one of Coco Chanel’s loves – Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster.

This year’s masterpiece is the Carlotta tiara, part of the Romanza collection. Dedicated to future brides and contemporary queens, the Carlotta tiara is delicately created in white gold and diamonds. Gold has been treated as lace and the tiara shines with its lightness and splendour. Underlying the obvious striking beauty there is incredibly complex engineering work. The tiara is made up of five pieces that allow it to be worn with or without a central pendant, and even to transform it into a necklace.

Naturally the collection draws upon a raft of nautical codes for inspiration, with motifs such as ropes, knots, Breton stripes, sailor’s buttons and the iconic anchor symbol all being featured.

As sailors have always been partial to tattoos, these too inform the designs of some this triumphant collection – most of which has already been sold.

Thanks to a refined and invisible mechanism, the internal rigid rim loosens and gives flexibility to all the sections of the necklace and so the tiara becomes a collier. The Carlotta tiara is made of interweaving motifs in white and brilliant gold with a border decorated with flying leaves and glossy white spheres. The frame is fully engraved using the rigato technique (gold engraved with millesimal stripes). In the central part, the applicable pendant is made of white and brilliant gold shapes, four diamond castings and a 4.22-carat diamond drop pendant, while the rest of the tiara counts 357 brilliant cut diamonds of a total of 15.93 carats.

Presented in two chapters, the first explores the marine world by using white gold, lapislazuli, sapphires, cultured pearls and diamonds to interpret the classic aforementioned marine motifs – the ropes, tattoos, anchors and vivid colours that evoke the impossibly blue depths of the ocean.

The second chapter remains rooted in the maritime theme and uses sapphires, diamonds and yellow gold to evoke the buttons on sailors’ jackets or the braids seen on marine uniforms.

The highlights of the collection are a series of stunning necklaces.

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The Endless Knot in 18-carat white gold is set with a round-cut diamond of 3.51 carats and two pear-cut diamonds for a total weight of 6.19 carats, with 2,637 round-cut diamonds and 106 rose-cut diamonds. The Summer Cruise necklace in 18-carat white and yellow gold set with a fancy intense yellow round-cut diamond of 1.06 carats, 18 blue sapphires and 534 brilliantcut diamonds. The Turquoise Waters necklace in 18-carat white gold is set with a pear-cut diamond of 2.58 carats, 12 cushion-cut blue sapphires, 34 oval-cut blue sapphires, three pear-cut blue sapphires, two round-cut blue sapphires and 1,552 brilliant-cut diamonds for a total weight of 23.84 carats. Finally, the Sparkling Lines necklace is beautiful in its simplicity in 18-carat white gold set with 49 round-cut diamonds and 2,823 brilliant-cut diamonds.

NOOR FARES Noor Fares is one of the most appreciated contemporary jewellery designers whose star is deservedly in the ascendant. Flavie Audi is an exciting new face in the contemporary art world, and the two have formed an alliance to create Superlunary – a jewellery collection that combines their two ways of thinking and approaching things in life.

DIOR Dior’s latest high jewellery collection, Dior à Versailles, is dedicated to the flourishing gardens of Versailles. The stunning pieces transport the beholder on a botanical journey inspired by those magnificently manicured and verdant gardens. There are 66 jewels in the collection comprising a delicate display of the famous chateau’s emblematic garden designs, distinguished by its methodical design decorated with overflowing flashes of vibrant blooms.

The fluid geometry of the pieces is created through different processes: hand carved stone requiring high levels of craftsmanship inlaid with artificial and natural gems, synthetic resin swallowing natural stones to form ethereal clouds, silver and resin moulded by a 3D printer. The collection balances on the relationship between artificial and natural.

Dior’s Jewellery Creative Director, Victoire de Castellane, explains, “I wanted that, in each jewel, we rediscover the paradoxical combining of nature and culture, so characteristic of Le Nôtre’s work and of the park of Versailles.”

Craftsmanship and machine work, precious and synthetic materials, defined geometry and curved lines that look like a moon – the Superlunary collection is a meditation on duality and a reflection of the values and authenticity within these materials.

Emeralds, diamonds and coloured sapphires form trees, petals and flowers.

Rings in sculpted amazonite or agate echo the depths of the ornamental lakes.

In its magnificence, the collection is a potpourri of beauty and opulence. Dior has created intricate works of art that recreate the romantic and nostalgic destination of Versailles.

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The necklaces were monumental masterpieces in which the opulence of the famous palace are embodied. Much like the gardens themselves, each piece was designed with architecture in mind, with supreme emphasis on form and design. Victoire de Castellane dreamed of an idealised Versailles, true to its roots yet contemporary, fresh and vibrant as the sunlight reflected on the leaves and petals of the flowers and trees in that flourishing oasis.

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Audi and Fares combine digital technology with traditional craftsmanship techniques, working with highly skilled artisans to create unique new jewellery pieces which double as works of art. In Audi’s words, her “Dazzling world enters Noor’s esoteric geometry to result in a new collection of jewels for Noor Fares.” The Superlunary collection fuses Audi’s exploration into the symbiosis of the synthetic and the natural with Fares’s minimal aesthetic, creating pieces echoing lunar bodies transfixed in a seemingly eternal fluidity that hover between the realm of the real and the synthesised.

GIAMPIERO BODINO Giampiero Bodino’s haute joallerie presentation has undoubtedly become one of the not to be missed appointments during the busy Haute Couture week in Paris. For this season, Bodino was motivated by the Mediterranean Sea, creating 19 unique high jewellery pieces inspired by the colours, scents, architecture and spirit of the Med. Whilst the previous season the Italian jeweller presented secret watches, this time the main focus was parures: statement necklaces and matching bracelets and earrings.

The colours of the collection are vibrant, the stones are unique and have a density and purity of tone that is astonishing. For example, a necklace is matched with a bracelet set and sapphire beads as blue as the depths of the ocean, and is studded with fleur de lys motifs and diamond stars like the crest of a wave.

The bracelet is paved with seashells in a lightweight titanium setting with contrasting multi-coloured precious stones. Other standout pieces include marine motifs such as the seahorse encrusted with precious stones and transformed into a brooch – a desirable highlight of the collection. On the architectural side is an incredible one-of-a-kind necklace that dazzles in its beauty, featuring sapphires, orange coloured stones and diamonds, unmistakably recalling the baroque spirit of Sicilian churches such as those found in Noto or in Palermo. Bodino has created yet another wonderful collection distinguished by its refined vision.

s DeBeers Lotus by DeBeers takes this beautiful flower, with history and symbolism stretching back for millennia, as a spiritual inspiration for a breathtaking new line.

The collection is divided into five segments that define the life of this flower: awakening, blooming, flourishing, radiating and soothing. The pieces combine rough and polished diamonds, white and coloured diamonds, and pear-shaped, baguette, marquise, round and princess cuts.

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“Each moment of transformation, unfurling petal and evocative scene is brought to life through our unique diamond expertise and technical excellence. An artful blend of rough and polished diamonds in an array of shapes and cuts creates beautiful compositions,” explained François Delage, CEO of DeBeers.

Awakening tells the story of the birth of the lotus, beginning when its petals emerge above the water line. It has been depicted by the jeweller with an incredible necklace in which a magnificent 18.79carat rough bluish-green macle diamond explains the nativity of the flower.

After the lotus has emerged from the water, the flower blooms and in the Blooming Lotus Necklace we see three exceptional pear-shaped diamond petals, supported by a pear, marquise and baguette-cut diamond silhouette. When the lotus flower reaches its perfection and each petal is fully open, its magnificence is flawless. The Flourishing Lotus earrings capture this moment with symmetric (one for each earring) 3.13-carat round brilliant solitaire diamonds surrounded by DeBeers’s signature micropavé.

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Radiating Lotus celebrates the mysterious enigmatic power of the lotus flower with petal-shaped marquise diamonds, rows of round brilliant diamond peaks and kite-shaped cascades of princess-cut and round brilliant-cut diamonds. Finally, the end of the iconic flower’s life span can be seen with the Soothing Lotus set, where rough and polished diamonds are artfully arranged in a harmonious balance of colour, shapes and textures.

PIAGET The Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweller Piaget was founded over 140 years ago, always maintaining a peerless reputation for the finest creations. As ever, Piaget has delivered a stunning new line for its legion of international admirers to queue up for. The collection features high jewellery and jewellery watches, and it represents a journey to the frontiers of influences and desires that nurture a vision of materials, motifs and lights.

Piaget Sunlight Journey is a collection that encapsulates the Piaget universe: high jewellery and haute horlogerie. Colourful and playful, Piaget’s collection travels through nature and combines intricate techniques and savoir-faire with the most exciting and quirky ways to play with precious stones.

It’s an exploration of fine jewellery and watchmaking that has its spark of life in the Amalfi coast and the Mediterranean Sea. A vibrantly colourful line, it also pays tribute to the beauty of the stunning Italian landscapes in the region.

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As the title of the new collection suggests, sunlight is a major inspiration – how it changes throughout the hours in a day, the mood it can create and the dazzling colours.

The first part of the collection, Secrets of Dawn, is dedicated to that part of the day when the sea and the sky appear to merge in misty shades of grey, beige and pink and the first bursts of sunlight are stretching out over the surface of the sea, creating a magical sparkle. Gold secret watches are the protagonists here.

Midday Festival, the second part of the collection, focuses on that period when the sun rises to its zenith. Thrilling visual effects are created with sapphires, lapis lazuli blues and emerald greens; for example, a sautoir necklace sparkles with blue marquise-cut gems, diamonds and feathers, arranged around an exceptional 45.99-carat blue star sapphire.

And when the sun is going down and the sky becomes orangey-pink and gold, Piaget’s Nightfall Celebration features majestic pieces that seems to be like firework explosions captured and held eternally. For instance, a 6.63-carat cushion-shaped yellow diamond glows with spectacular radiance in the company of red spinels, yellow and white diamonds on a one-of-a-kind necklace, revealing the intense power of the radiating journey of sunlight.

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CHOPARD Chopard Co-President Caroline Scheufele has joined forces with Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei to create a unique high jewellery collection which was presented during Guo Pei’s show at Haute Couture week in Paris and at Chopard’s haute joallerie salon at the brand’s HQ in Paris.

Scheufele has based her high jewellery collection on a dreamy vision of Asia, with Pei developing this creative adventure by putting her own magic touch onto the collection.

The resulting Silk Road Collection is an encounter between European craftsmanship and Chinese inspiration. The pieces are the epitome of opulence, and it’s stunning to see Guo Pei's haute couture dresses matched perfectly with Chopard’s incredible gems and vice-versa.

Diamonds, emeralds, pariba tourmalines, jade, opals and pearls are key in the Silk Road Collection, and together they encapsulate majestically the art and craftsmanship of the goldsmith for which Chopard is known.

The colours and clarity of the gems used to embellish the necklaces and the delicacy of the heart-shaped diamonds distinguish this collection.

The gems are mounted on a mixture of aluminium and rose or white gold in a groundbreaking touch that gives these incredible pieces great levity.

A perfect example is a necklace resembling exquisite lacework as seen in Guo Pei’s gowns. It is a breathtaking collection that showcases how haute joallerie and haute couture can from a sublime bond.

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His Excellency Senator Kanwar Deep Singh • Neil Bush Alec Gores • President Barack Obama • Jeff Smith Mal Kaufman • Hugh Jackman • Jose A. Vazquez His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed bin Khalid Al Thani Lee Yoon Woo • Antonio Banderas • Yuri Milner Jorge Hank Rhon • Hsun Ping Hsu • Bradley Cooper HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani • Helmut Link Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned Matthew McConaughey • Sir Bruce T. Halle, KCSG HRH Prince Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz • De Tian Li Dhiraj Saluga • Jose Luis Nazar • Ronald O. Perelman Sheikh Faisal Mohammed Al-Sabah • George Lucas First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton • Fernando Botero Zhen Qi Liu • Miles Kwok • Mohamed Al-Fayed Carlos Peralta Quintero • Chief David Snowden HRH Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz • Jing Zhu His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan of Br unei D a v i d F r e d s t o n • C a r l o s S l i m H e l u • S e r g ey S p i ro Ted Turner • President Nicolas Sarkozy • Glenn Jones HRH Prince Khalid bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz • Hui Zhang First Lady Laura Bush • Yury Koptev • Artur Zoloev HRH Prince Khalid bin Mohammad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Emad Mohamed Al Bahar • Suk Eun Cheng • Ming Lu James Mahaffey • Fernando Lozano • Richard Hilton President Bill Clinton • Steve Wynn • Xian Hong Wu Rui Xiong • HRH Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Amancio Ortega • Wong Hing Kong • Arturo Aguilar Kirk Kerkorian • Andrea Bocelli • Mario Dominguez Juan Antonio Péres Simon • Young Paik• Jun Liang Vimal Mehta • Ming-Ho Huang • Jack Sweigart Sardar Biglar i • Dae-Kee Kim • Frank McCour t Song Quan Wang •David Beckham Richard Branson • Robert De Niro Miguel Aleman • Osamu Irie Sir Emeka Offor Rick J. Caruso Masakazu Kaku Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair His Imper ial Majesty Emperor Akihito of Ja pan Charles Arakelian • Yural Erbiglin • Hai Qing Sun Jack Sweigart • Kai Tang Wang • Governor Jeb Bush Mauro Pappalardo • His Majesty Sultan Ismail Petra HH Tengku Abdullah Sultan Abu Bakar • Sandi Kolitz Purev Batsaikhan • David Geffen • Martin Scorsese Edson de Godoy Bueno • Chen Yong Zhao • Chun Xi Liu Daniel Day Lewis • Mehmet Carmikli • Andy Garcia Ildar Galiautdinov • Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani President Ronald Reagan • Carlos Hank Gonzalez Carlos A.O. Andrade • Sir Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi HRH Prince Saud bin Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Tamara Ecclestone • Omar Khyami • Hong Ren Zhao David Penaloza • Barrack Al Barrack • Simon Falic Tommy Lee Jones • Rick Thompson • Will Smith Yuri Rydnik • Javier Bardem • Yan Yu Zhao • Shu Bin Mohamed Abou El Enein • Mario Gomes • Peter Xiao Harrison Ford • George Benson • Sean Bartholomew His Excellency Sadiq M. Marafi • Yoshihiro Mikami Dae-Kee Kim • Guenter Kreissel • Wen Long Yang Clive Owen • Tommy Mottola • Jack Nicholson Rong Xun Zhang • Roberto Rincon • Richard Bready Bob Baffert • Simon Name Yapur • Felix Komarov Al Pacino • Pierre Omidyar • Mohammad Al-Mojil Larry Ellison • Ben Affleck • Stephen Hsu • Ying Min Li Richard Weinberg • Xiang Ying Gao • Alex Trebek Paul Allen • Christian Mortinger • David Huang HRH Sultan Azlan Shah • John Gandel AO • Zhi Rong Yue Johnny Depp • Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Yonge Ge Dai • Daniel Craig • Zulkuf Ceylan • Jude Law Jun Liang • Li Xin Qin • Tommy Hilfiger • Sean Combs

His Excellency Jaime Camil • Tom Gores • Bin Liu Dr. Festus A. Fadeyi • His Majesty King Juan Carlos His Excellency Sheikh Saoud bin Khalid Al Thani Lic. Raul Beyruti • Li Xin Yang • Mayor Jimmy Delshad Paul Manafort • President Vladimir Putin • Jing Yin HRH Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz • Kofi Anan Honorable President George H.W. Bush • Sam Gores Oscar de la Renta • Dr. Abdullah Abdullah • Kai Yu Michael Douglas • Galust Akhoyan • Derin Dayigil Anthony E. Vazquez • Senator Christopher Dodd HRH Prince Mohammad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Husain Djojonegoro • John Landerer • Robert Iger Graydon Carter • Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Zhi Ge Yu • Jerry Jones • His Excellency Dr. Tahir HRH Tengku Fakhry Petra • Prince Albert II of Monaco Antonio ‘LA’ Reid • Secretary of State John Kerry Mario Dominguez • Steve Andrew Chan • Guo Bin Li Michael Ovitz • Nihat Ural Hakverdi • Bill Gates Albert Avdolyan • Mohanad Mohammad Al-Kharafi HRH Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz • Dr. Benny Hinn Her Imperial Majesty Empress Farah Pahlavi • Min Guo Charles Yuk • Ryan Brooks • Carsten Maschmeyer John Miller • Giorgio Armani • Anderson Cooper Anthony Pratt • Christopher Forbes • Sir Elton John Michael Eisner • Senator Dianne Feinstein • Jim Ring Wolf-Dieter Wolf • John Charmen • Zhe Jack Chen Dr. Ming-Ho Huang • Mayor Michael Bloomberg Alejandro Fernandez • Yuri Rydnik • Sam Gores B e ny A l a g e m • P r i m e M i n i s t e r G o r d o n B row n Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey Thomas Kramer • Tom Cr uise • Hajime Satomi Yong Gang Feng • Ralph Lauren • Steven Spielberg Nabil R. Kuzbari • A. Jerrold Perenchio • James Zhu Bernard Ettinger • Dott. Paolo Bertuzzi • Julio Iglesias His Excellency President Shimon Peres of Israel HE Sheikh Jassim Jabor Jassim Al Thani • Ingvar Kamprad Dr. Michael Glazer • William Baxter • Kyiohisa Nanri His Majesty King Abdulla bin Abdulaziz • Noel Lee Chief John Adebanjo • Pablo Gutierrez Machado Robert Kolitz • William Bindley • Wolfgang Grünewald Massimo Ferragamo • Guo Xing Liang • Brad Pitt HRH Pr ince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Petra Ecclestone Stunt • James R. Stunt • Che Fung Alexander Brodsky • Andrew G. Vajna • Jiao Yang HRH Prince William of Wales • Masoud Shojaee Chairman Lee Kun-Hee • Luis Miguel • J.T. Honan Sir Paul McCar tney • President Joseph Estrada HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Placido Domingo • Honorable President George W. Bush HRH Prince Charles of Wales • Mohamed A. Al-Sari Madame Joy Offor • George Clooney • Piers Morgan Senator Jinggoy E. Estrada • Samuel Karapetyan HRH Pr ince Mutaib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Si r An t h ony Hop ki n s • K h a l ed M. Ab ou Ta l eb Roberto Gonzalez • Kaoru Nakajima • Zhe Jack Chen HRH Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz • Chun Guang Li Arturo Aguilar • Hector Sulaiman • Naser Sanieifar William Randolph Hear st III • Wong Hing Kong HRH Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz His Excellency Dr. Nasser I. Al- Rashid • Qui Ju Huang First Lady Barbara Bush • Susumo Azano Matsura HRH Raja Nazrin Shah • Gregory Glazer • Yi Min Zhou F r a n c i s F o r d C o p p o l a • Fa u s t o M u ñ i z Pa t i n o Jing Hong Jiang • Aburizal Bakrie • Mohamed Elmasry Pierce Brosnan • HRH Khalid bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Dr. Pablo Eduardo Castro Lopez • Nasser Al-Kharafi Ulises Muñiz Patino • Arsholum Yunaev • Usher HRH Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz Robert Downey Jr. • John Mack • Bruce Makowsky HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz • Hui Qin

salutes for timeless good taste, style, and power!

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BY NICK RICE

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Richard Mille RM 27-03 RAFAEL NADAL

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he incomparable Richard Mille has always carefully selected his partners and brand ambassadors. The unifying trait and commonality between them all? Triumph. They have all been, or continue to be, at the top of their game.

Rafael Nadal has collaborated on numerous watches with Richard Mille over their seven-year friendship, and the latest model – the RM 27-03 – is an extraordinary burst of colour, technicality and innovation. The watch is packed with fascinating developments, such as the layers of silica just 45 microns thick with tinted resin that lend the colour such vivid impact, the North Thin Ply Technology (NTPTTM) that goes into the case, and the vast number of hours that go into the milling and finishing operations to produce the case and components. But the really big news here is the watch’s capacity of its tourbillon calibre to withstand shocks up to 10,000 Gs. This new threshold has been attained thanks to years of R&D and countless hours of tests, particularly pendulum impact testing which simulates the linear acceleration that occurs due to sudden movements or shock to the wearer. As clay is Rafael Nadal’s preferred surface, the French Open Roland-Garros tennis tournament was the ideal place for Richard Mille to launch the piece and for Rafa to wear it on the court. And he wore it in style as he secured an emphatic straight sets victory over Stan Wawrinka to win the championship. It was the 31-year-old Spaniard's 10th title in the event – two more than any other player in history – and his 15th major tournament triumph overall.

Talking about his relationship with Richard Mille, Nadal is open and honest saying, “I met Richard Mille nine years ago, through a common friend. We immediately got on. I never used to wear a watch and hadn’t even thought about wearing one, but when Richard proposed to make me a watch that was light, robust and comfortable, I was interested in his initiative, although I was reluctant to wear it on the court! He came to my house in Majorca and we were on the same wavelength. As soon as I tried the watch, I loved it. It’s like a second skin for me.

“But the relationship between Richard and myself is more than just a watchmaking partnership. He is a really positive person and wants to drive the watchmaking industry forward, not just sit back and enjoy his success. He seeks excellence, which I respect; in my tennis I always try to be better and I work hard for that.”

The formidable partnership between Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal is embodied once more in this ultra-light tourbillon calibre watch – a triumph of technical prowess with a burst of red and yellow colour on the ultralight Quartz TPT case that evokes Nadal’s native Spain.

The unibody baseplate caseband construction of the RM 27-03 is machined from Carbon TPT and adds to its virtual indestructability.

The unibody concept is borrowed from a type of racing car construction that ensures maximum rigidity and greater resistance to impacts.

As another nod to Spain, the mechanical winding tourbillon resembles the head of a bull, and a final sporty twist is seen in the torque-limiting crown formed in the shape of a tennis ball. Richard Mille is producing the RM 27-03 in a limited edition of 50 pieces, and it will be Rafa’s new ally in his future matches.

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Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona

Daytona: the word alone has its own resonance. Within watch circles, this single three-syllable word carries immeasurable weight. It sparks a multitude of connotations and emotions… ultimately, it is iconic.

The Rolex Daytona has had whole books dedicated to its longstanding allure – it is, and one imagines always will be, one of Rolex’s most admired and best-selling families. This tear sees the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona arrive in a 40mm case that gleams beguilingly in 18 carat yellow gold.

The chronograph is accurate to within 1/8 of a second and there is a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hour counter at 9 o'clock, with stop seconds for precise time setting. This sleek evolution marries precision and aesthetics, enriching the heritage of this classic chronograph watch.

The construction features the legendary oyster architecture with a monobloc middle case, screw-down caseback and winding crown. The black monobloc Cerachrom bezel in ceramic with an engraved tachymetric scale contrasts perfectly with the yellow gold to conjure a striking and sophisticated impact on the wrist. The bezel is patented by Rolex and is virtually scratchproof. It will also remain forever solid black as the colour is unaffected by UV rays.

There are three new versions – yellow, white or Everose gold – all mounted on a new Oysterflex bracelet, which Rolex have developed and patented. The innovation consists of a super-elastic metal blade that is over-moulded with highperformance black elastomer, so that it delivers the flexibility and comfort of a rubberised strap but with the robustness and reliability of a metal bracelet.

The Rolex Daytona is one of the most desirable watches in the world of haute horlogerie, and some specific versions have become such hot property that they can command tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. Paul Newman’s own Rolex Cosmograph Daytona will go under the Hammer in New York on 26 October 2017.

It’s likely to set a new Rolex world record because a Paul Newman Daytona that wasn’t owned by the actor sold last year in Geneva for $2.5 million.

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Hermès Heure H

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ounded in 1837 to produce high quality leather goods, Hermès has evolved into a leader in the global luxury market.

The company has multiple successful métiers, or product divisions, not least of which is La Montre Hermès – the watchmaking métier, which has become a much-respected luxury innovator in the watch industry.

Hermès watch sector sales soared way over €150 million in 2016, thanks in part to appealing classics like the Heure H. Now a mature 21 years old, this signature piece was created by designer Philippe Mouquet, and encapsulating time in the Hermès has retained a sense of contemporary style and saviour faire.

This new iteration has eight different coloured interchangeable straps to capture any mood or emotion for the wearer: black Barénia, white grained, Maltese blue, smooth capucine, smooth orange, lime and denim blue, and electric blue calfskin. These are available in two versions: the Simple Tour (once round) and the Double Tour (twice-round) – a Hermès emblem invented by Martin Margiela.

The white version is a stone-cold piece of measured sophistication with a lacquered dial and charcoal grey transferred Arabic numerals. The lacquered Heure H is available in two sizes: medium and small. The cases, dials and straps are finely crafted down to their finest details in the Hermès watchmaking workshops at the manufactory in Bienne, Switzerland. They are objects shaped by artisans to make them true companions for those who wear them.

For Hermès, time is also an object, and in their own words they say, “Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermès dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for recreation. Daring to capture time, to play with it. This is what is made possible by the Heure H, whose earnest reliability and creative charm multiply endlessly to construct an intensely personal time.”

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lashütte is a tiny German town sitting in the shadows of the Ore Mountains, not far from Dresden in the South East. It is a cradle of fine watchmaking and home to some of the world’s most talented watchmakers and experts in all kinds of crafts, from polishing and milling to the most complicated watch movement assemblage.

Working at NOMOS Glashütte are people from a long line of watchmakers. For 170 years the town has produced fine timepieces. The company, based at the former railway station, describes itself as “The watchmaking firm in the town that keeps innovating – we also have watchmakers who are practicing their craft in the fifth generation. And yet, our watches and we are modern and cosmopolitan. For we try to combine the best of these very different worlds – with success.”

And that success keeps on coming. NOMOS has won over 130 international awards for their watches since 2000 and in June 2017, NOMOS Glashütte was again recognised as one of the best brands in Germany and won the Luxury category at the German Brand Awards.

Founded by the renowned German Design Council, the prize honours companies for outstanding branding and a successful brand strategy. It is held in high regard far beyond specialist circles. The jury of experts awarded NOMOS Glashütte the title of Industry Excellence in Branding, meaning the brand is officially among the best in its field for the second year.

The NOMOS Club 38 Campus Nacht is a fitting example of a triumphant formula – the alliance of avant-garde design from Berlin with traditional knowhow from Glashütte. NOMOS describes the balance as “Traditional craftsmanship here, high tech production methods there: both of these combine to make our watches individual pieces with the highest precision. And all this Glashütte watchmaking craft is presented with just as much love: entirely modern, but never subject to fashion.”

The Club 38 Campus Nacht looks stunning in daylight hours with the grey numerals and hands in sharp contrast with the deep black dial; in the evening they shine a compelling blue.

At the heart of the Club 38, which artfully combines Roman and Arabic numerals on the dial, is the classic hand-assembled NOMOS calibre (alpha) – the first and most popular, the company’s all-rounder. With a power reserve of approximately 43 hours, a stopseconds mechanism, Glashütte three-quarter plate, Glashütte stopwork, a Triovis fine adjustment regulator and 17 jewels, there is good reason for its popularity and prevalence.

NOMOS Glashütte are an A-Z company which was founded in 1990. It is totally independent and the company makes every component in their timepieces.

The brand is market leader for mechanical timepieces Made in Germany, and delivers its watches to customers in over 50 countries. Many of the timepieces, such as the famous Tangente, have long been regarded as classics. In the last three years, the company has doubled its growth once again.

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NOMOS Club 38 Campus Nacht

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H a r r y W i n s t o n Av e n u e C l a s s i c A u t o m a t i c

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he House of Harry Winston is synonymous with the one and only New York City. This year the iconic American jeweller and watchmaker celebrates the decade in which the company founded in the Big Apple, the roaring 1930s, with the Avenue Collection.

The Avenue in question, is of course, Fifth Avenue – one of the most grandiose shopping areas in the world, and fittingly where Harry Winston founded his eponymous luxury business back in 1932 with his impressive flagship store. The famous archways of this signature Harry Winston salon are echoed on the case at 12 and 6 o’clock. This splendid motif in the Avenue Collection watches adds character and class to these four timepieces: the Avenue Classic Cherry Blossom, the Avenue Mini Moon Phase, the Avenue Dual Time and the Avenue Classic Automatic.

The collection is inspired by the Art Deco movement and the clean lines and distinctive style evoke timeless architecture such as the Chrysler Building and the imposing Empire State Building. Harry Winston’s flair for design and technical mastery with gem-setting are allied here to make a truly stunning watch family.

What is also notable here is the decision to take the utmost quality to the inner workings of the watch, and for the first time these ladies’ watches have a Swiss Automatic movement beating as a heart – a fact which is proudly emblazoned on the dial.

The four select timepieces are offered in 18-carat white gold and 18-carat rose gold cases and mounted upon alligator leather straps with a shiny pearl finish. The 18-carat gold ardillon buckle is set with six brilliant-cut diamonds and features an 18-carat gold folding clasp that adapts perfectly to the wrist for both comfort and security.

The dial is incredibly alluring in beaded mother-of-pearl with typography that befittingly evokes the 1930s, and which also perfectly compliment the Art Deco sensibilities. The minute track, a common feature across the Avenue timepieces this year, is outlined with 42 diamonds in the shape of an emerald-cut diamond – Mr Winston’s favourite cut – in a knowing nod of acknowledgement.

With respect to the precision, style and longevity of the watches, the brand says, “The Swiss-made mechanical automatic movement is equipped with the latest technology in the form of a silicon balance spring. In order to maintain the lean profile of the Avenue case, Harry Winston’s watchmakers came up with an ingenious solution. Instead of making the case thicker to accommodate the mechanical movement, the rotor is allowed to protrude slightly on the caseback, protected by a sapphire crystal glass. Designed to be admired, the 18-carat rose gold rotor is decorated with a guilloché motif and the elegant finishes on the movement – circular Côtes de Genève and circular graining – speak to the attention to detail synonymous with the House of Harry Winston.”

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JAEG ER-L ECO ULTRE G EO P H YS I C T OU R BI L L ON UN I V E R S A L TI ME

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aeger-LeCoultre is one of the world’s most respected and admired brands. For 184 years the company, founded by Antoine LeCoultre, has created a vast heritage of watch families. Think of classic lines such as the Memovox, Master, Rendez-Vous, Duomètre and the President’s clock – the Atmos – and of course, celebrating its 85th anniversary last year, the instantly recognisable and enduring classic, the Reverso.

This year, the watchmaker’s favourite is celebrating the treasures from four of its iconic collections: Rendez-Vous, Reverso, Geophysic and Hybris Artistica. Here we admire the Geophysic family expanding its fine legacy with a remarkable timepiece: the Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time.

Created in 1958 in honour of the International Geophysical Year, the first Geophysic watch remains a symbol of Swiss expertise par excellence. In keeping with this tradition, the Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux launched the Geophysic collection in 2015; a collection of several models combining powerful watchmaking expertise with a classic, timeless aesthetic. This line has now been reinterpreted, reinforcing its original qualities, including a generously dimensioned case, easily legible functions, visible luminescent hands and the high-tech Gyrolab balance wheel.

Now, for the first time ever, Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced a flying tourbillon in a universal time watch, allowing the time to be read in twenty-four cities simultaneously.

Housed in an opulent 43.5mm platinum case, the Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time is the most exclusive piece in the Geophysic collection. Powered by the new Calibre 948, the timepiece embodies this Grand Maison’s innovative and passionate spirit in distinguished and dynamic fashion. Wherever the wearer might be, a glance at that sapphire dome will provide an elegant grasp of time across the great expanse of the world.

It’s actually difficult just to merely glance at the watch, as the flying tourbillon is utterly transfixing. The eye is drawn to the centre of the planisphere and the apparently hovering flying tourbillon, which truly seems to defy gravity with the absence of a bridge to hold its cage.

The details are exquisite: on the impossibly blue lacquered ocean, tiny spirals create waves and lend the impression of undulation when viewed from above. The continents move across the central disc every 24 hours, following the pace set by the flying tourbillon. In this constantly changing landscape the tourbillon rotates around itself and the guilloché dial with absolute precision. The rolling of the Gyrolab balance wheel and its balance spring, hand-crafted in the workshops of the Manufacture, also draws the eye, and it features the shape of a watch anchor – the symbol of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Available in a limited series of 100 pieces, the Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time watch is a stunning testament to the Manufacture's almost peerless watchmaking prowess.

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Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Collection Excellence Platine

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ounded in Geneva on 17 September 1755, Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch manufacturer in continuous operation with over 260 years of producing an extensive range of beautifully conceived and expertly created luxury timepieces.

A Swiss manufacture and part of the prestigious Richemont group, Vacheron Constantin watches are collected, treasured and admired by luxury watch fans all over the world. With the latest Patrimony Collection Excellence Platine, the brand has created another horological classic that is dedicated to their many collectors.

The key phrase for watches in this collection is ‘Crafted for Eternity’ as they are created in 950 platinum – a truly noble material that will never rust nor ever need to be varnished.

The instantly affecting grey colour plays with light and is the embodiment of sheer luxury.

Vacheron Constantin has been offering collectors the ultimate expression of fine watchmaking for the last 11 years with the Collection Excellence Platine concept, summarised as exceptional watches in 950 platinum, issued in limited series and ranging from the simplest to the most complicated models.

Aside from the platinum case, other family traits are a sublime, sand-blasted platinum dial – a masterclass in sober elegance – a secret Pt950 signature between 4 and 5 o’clock, 18-carat white gold hands, hour-markers and a pearl minute track.

The watch is shown in perfect relief by being mounted on a deep navy blue alligator leather strap, hand-stitched with silk and platinum thread, and features a polished half Maltese cross-shaped platinum buckle.

The movement at the heart of this understated masterpiece is Vacheron Constantin’s principal manually wound with small seconds calibre – the proprietary calibre 4400 AS, which can be lovingly observed through the sapphire crystal caseback. It is a Hallmark of Geneva certified mechanism, boasting the high level of finishing a watch of this quality deserves.

The watch will be offered in a limited edition of 150 individually numbered pieces, with the owner’s corresponding number engraved on the reverse.

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AUDEM ARS PIgUET R OYAL OAK E xTR A-THIN

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ne of the most talked about luxury timepieces at the SIHH luxury watch fair earlier this year was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin, the launch of which marked the 40th anniversary of the first precious metal Royal Oaks. Now Audemars Piguet has created a new series of Extra-Thin versions in yellow gold that will have great appeal to many connoisseurs in the Middle East.

The fondly nicknamed Jumbo in 18-carat yellow gold is a contemporary interpretation of the original Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402 of 1972. In yellow gold it looks resplendent with a Petite Tapisserie checkerboard dial that smoothly evokes 1970s retro cool. The yellow gold case and bracelet also combine to create a sophisticated monochromatic effect.

The Royal Oak Extra-Thin was also available in pink gold and in a classic steel, but the yellow gold rendition makes it modern while feeling vintage. Comprised of multiple flat plane surfaces, there is a particularly masculine and appealing angular effect on the wrist.

The Haute Horlogerie echelon of brands doesn’t actually use yellow gold a great deal, so when it does appear it always makes a striking impact.

However, yellow gold is soft in comparison to other gold alloys, so it can be susceptible to imperfections form scratches and bumps on the immaculate polished and brushed surfaces; however, these can always be rectified by the Manufacture. The distinctive features and complex finishing techniques are crucial elements of this AP beauty, which can be argued is the world’s first luxury sports watch.

At the heart of this classic is another renowned achievement, an icon within an icon: the ultrathin self-winding Manufacture calibre 2121, first launched fifty years ago. The calibre 2121 was originally developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre as the calibre 920. This movement has always been a remarkable engine but it has been tuned and improved over the decades, and continues to be a bold, robust and reliable slim movement.

Just as with calibre 2121 found in other Audemars Piguet watches, the movement inside the Extra-Thin can be decorated with bespoke motifs on the rotor and it can be open-worked to form a range of designs. It is the perfect way to personalise a longstanding and evolving icon.

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S I M PLY FA S H ION

by Nick Rice

PA R I S H A U T E C O U T U R E 2 0 1 7 Simply Abu Dhabi rubbed shoulders with the most famous faces in the fashion world during Paris Haute Couture 2017. Ivan Allegranti reports on this year’s collections from the world’s finest designers.

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CHANEL Feathers treated as fur, a graphic A-line silhouette, the jacket interpreted as a long tunic or double breasted with long sleeves, and tubular dresses are the key features of Chanel’s autumn/winter 2017/18 haute couture collection.

Inspired by Paris and its most iconic monument, the Eiffel Tower, the collection is an ode to the city of lights and love by Chanel’s enigmatic figure at the helm, Karl Lagerfeld. On the runway, next to the 38-metre-high reproduction of the Eiffel Tower, replica chairs from Parisian parks create a relaxed mood and contribute to the chic Parisian attitude of the collection.

Mohair, tweeds, wool, black silk tulle, double-faced satin and chiffon worked by the skilled hands of Chanel’s tailors are the fabrics used in this collection, all of which stand out and feel contemporary despite being traditional textiles. The volumes are straight but the coats are oversized with cinched waists. The collection unites day and evening-wear in an interplay of construction and deconstruction of the silhouette. Iconic pieces feature strong Chanel codes, such as the jacket that becomes a statement of modern Parisian elegance – bolder and less feminine. In fact, the coats appear to fit like a second skin and the shoulders stand out with great arching – a masterpiece of construction.

The footwear was striking with booties and thigh-high boots being a continuation of the collection’s spirit – perfectly fitting with the outfits and playing with new ways to define women’s proportions and beauty. The penultimate dress of the show was an Eiffel Tower-silhouette ball gown comprised of tiers of black tulle edged with giant feathery rosettes. These feathers, when turned around to the back, form the shape of the instantly recognisable monument.

At the end of the second show, Karl Lagerfeld was awarded the Grand Vermeil de la Ville de Paris by Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris. The medal, the highest honour in the city of Paris, rewards his creativity and his impact on the influence of Parisian fashion around the world.

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Yanina Couture “This collection has been designed using my favourite fairytale as inspiration: ‘The Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Andersen,” comments Yulia Yanina. “The concept is not to portray a fairytale girl but a modern Gerda: an intelligent, romantic and perfectly educated girl who lives in her dream.” Yanina Couture’s haute couture show is an homage to magical beauty and ethereal women. Cocktail dresses, suits and gowns recall the beauty of the Snow Queen with a modern panache.

Lightweight embroidery mixed with fur or Swarovski crystals is key in this collection, based on a game of duality.

The good Gerda fights against the evil Snow Queen, and together they tell the haute couture story of this collection.

The show was rather cinematic and it steadily built up with outfits that declared a winter fairytale love for the woman who wants to be as good as Gerda but at the same time be as seductive and audacious as the Snow Queen.

The collection’s black, white and silver colour palette was very simple, while the silhouette was accentuated and timeless. Fur was also very important.

“Nature has always been an inspiration to me. This collection conveys all the beauty of Russian winters… The autumn/winter season has always been one I cherish very much. In fairytales, good always triumphs over evil, women are feminine, and men are courageous.

The most important thing is that beauty triumphs,” concludes Yanina.

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Dior This is a momentous year for the Maison of Dior as the fashion powerhouse celebrates its 70th anniversary. The main inspirations for the autumn/winter 2017/18 haute couture show are the quote “A complete collection should address all types of women in all countries” from Christian Dior’s autobiography Dior, and an impressive map by Albert Decaris showing the expansion of the brand in five continents.

To celebrate the 70th milestone, Maria Grazia Chiuri, the company’s first female Creative Director, has created a collection acting as an atlas of the feminine. It's a two-way journey that Chiuri brings to the runway and the collection. The first is her recent journey from Rome to Paris to take up the new head position, showcasing the strength and courage of the new Dior woman. The second is her journey into Dior’s expansive archives, where the collections are guarded and curated in order to preserve the Maison’s history through the centuries to come.

The result is a mix-and-match between flawless and fantastic ball gowns and the idea that a woman borrows masculine pieces that can be mixed with ethnic pieces. It’s a fascinating trip that Maria Grazia Chiuri has made in this collection, as it touches all the styles and female ideas created by Monsieur Dior and the designers that followed his legacy, as well giving a new imprint to Dior’s woman, making her youthful and stylishly cosmopolitan. Together with the haute couture show, the Maison celebrated its 70th anniversary with an exhibition entitled "Dior: couturier du rêve" held at the Museé des Arts Decoratives in Paris, including works by Dior’s designers from Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferrè, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

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Atelier Versace This season Versace opted for an intimate and private press presentation at their studio on Avenue Montaigne.

This was the choice made by Donatella Versace to present the new Atelier Versace, Versace's interpretation of haute couture, for autumn/winter 2017/18. The collection is a tribute to Versace trademarks: bold and strong femininity mixed with intricate and modern fabrics and technologies.

Everything is hand-sewn and handembroidered – the craftwork embodied in the items and the sheer hours of work are extraordinary.

Feathers, Swarovski applications, constructed dresses and intricate embroideries are, as it has always been for Atelier Versace, the protagonists of the collection that looks into a new futuristic era. It presents some stunning cocktail attire and eveningwear, while sumptuously bold jumpsuits, strongshouldered mini-dresses, sculptured and voluminous coats and ball gowns all make an impression in the unmistakable Versace way.

The collection is assertively modern; for example, we have a rock-inspired mini-dress featuring gold antique rings woven together with bands of tulle, a lace evening gown entirely held together by a 3D-printed necklace, and an oversized coat with voluminous sleeves featuring a patchwork of Australian long-haired fox. Alongside the haute couture collection, Donatella presented several pieces from the Versace High Jewellery collection, which included the diamond Mosaic bracelet that recalls a mosaic pattern in Palazzo Versace, and the coloured Davi ring in rose gold, featuring a unique amethyst with Versace's symbol: the mythological Medusa.

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Guo Pei Chinese couturier Guo Pei’s autumn/winter 2017/18 collection is pure haute couture. On the runway cocktail dresses and gowns transport spectators to the glorious 1950s where icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot were taking Hollywood by storm. Vibrant colours including red, blue, green and silver were stars of the show that told a glamorous story of glamorous women.

This year, Guo Pei collaborated with Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s CoPresident and Artistic Director. On the runway models wore Chopard haute joallerie pieces – all one of a kind jewels – that were created exclusively for this collaboration. It was magical to see Guo Pei's dresses perfectly matched with Chopard’s jewellery in a triumph of glamour and opulent luxury.

Emerald drop earrings were combined with a silk ball gown; a pearl necklace took almost a year to make it perfectly woven lifted a blue cocktail dress with an embroidered dragon. The Chinese spirit of the collection was present, of course, it but it felt that Guo Pei was also trying to capture a wider audience.

Her couture collection is a journey that combines Western and Eastern culture, Europe with China, Paris with Beijing, in a unique relationship that takes people into another world: Guo Pei's inimitable haute couture world. Guo Pei travels, in reverse to Marco Polo, from China to Europe and brings her tradition and roots into a whole new level of style and glamour which combines who she is with what she loves to be. It’s like the designer’s unconscious dream that effortlessly creates a whole new dimension with her cosmopolitan yet local creativity.

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Ralph & Russo Ralph & Russo collections are, quite frankly, adored by those lucky enough to afford their fabulous creations. Their shows are generally filled with more clients than journalists and celebrities, meaning their clothes are selling exceptionally well. And the reason behind this phenomenon can be explained by simply considering this autumn/winter 2017/18 haute couture collection – an ode to lavish and luxury classic iconic dresses.

From cocktail dresses to evening gowns, for which designers Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo are well known, the collection looked to master photographers like Richard Avedon, Norman Parkinson and Cecil Beaton, and reinterpreted their iconic images in a new and modern dimension. Crystals, sequins, pearls, feathers, gold embroidery and plissé organza flowers were the true protagonists of this collection. The line reveals a mixture of cocktail suits and dresses, but the masterpiece of the entire collection was definitely the bride. For this occasion, Ralph & Russo’s muse, the Indian actress Sonaam Kapoor, was chosen to wear this incredible gown that took more than 6,000 hours to construct.

The dress was created using a champagne Chantilly lace combined with a double duchess overskirt and train embroidered in silver, gold, florals, sequins and pearlescent micro beads. To help the bride turn around at the end of the runway it took four atelier assistants to manage the train… but the result was undeniably magnificent.

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Ulyana Sergeenko Russian couturier, socialite and fashionista Ulyana Sergeenko’s couture collection explores the story of a mysterious detective who takes on shadowy villains. On the runway walked glamorous models wearing dresses with a 1940s silhouette, the iconic fedora hat, cropped and wide trousers, wool suits and barrel coats with embroidered guns and bullets.

The whole show deftly created a noir world of crime movies and a dogged fight for justice. Ulyana Sergeenko's detectives are bold femmes fatales, wearing rich embroidered dresses or masculine private detective attire adorned with braces and bowties and featuring playful embroidered trumpets.

It’s a collection where parallels and opposites are mixed together to concoct a sultry allure. Sergeenko’s dresses are crafted in organza, chiffon, silk, satin and jersey with Vologda or Yelets laces – her couture trademark. In terms of accessories, the travel bags, rose-shaped femme fatale clutches and low or highheeled pumps are just right for the 1950s mystique.

The collection is a triumph of beauty and seduction in which the woman – a powerful and smart figure – is the protagonist who intrigues people with her furtive charm and magnetism. Al Capone and street punks, burlesque divas and Michael Jackson, Moscow and New Orleans, New York and Chicago – the glamorous fashion detective Ulyana Sergeenko is a budding icon of her era.

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Giorgio Armani Privé Giorgio Armani Privé’s haute couture collection was a highly unexpected one, starting from the runway itself which recalled Armani’s atelier Palazzo Orsini in Borgonuovo in Milan, adorned by gold frescoes and antique interiors. The collection begins with suits and tailleurs with constructed and curving shapes, and develops with dramatic coats and graphic dresses. The collection seemed in thrall to mystery concerning the past and the present, unique craftsmanship and modern techniques, lightweight textiles and modern patterns. This was especially marked in evening wear, where Armani went further still, exploring a new dimension in terms of couture while remaining true to himself.

Of course it was a collection that respected Armani codes, but there was something extra emotional, too. Even though the colours are vivid and the patterns vibrant, the entire collection has an understated allure. In fact, as the designer declared, this Armani Privé collection was dedicated to Franca Sozzani, the late Italian Vogue Editorin-Chief and, in particular, to her smile.

By looking to the collection with this dedication in mind, it was clear with each dress that Sozzani herself would have loved it if she was still with us.

Giorgio Armani solved the enigma of his mystery by combining his codes of the gracefully modern with the traditional with Franca Sozzani’s style.

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Zuhair Murad Zuhair Murad pays homage to the Gibson girl –the personification of the feminine ideal of physical attractiveness as portrayed by the pen-and-ink illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson during a 20-year period that spanned the late 19th and early 20th century in the US and Canada. Murad’s collection is a mix and match between bold and feminine, opulence and simplicity, classicism and avant-garde.

At the opening of the show the supermodel and fashion it-girl Sara Sampaio dazzled with her short dress with pleated ostrich feathers. Next came ball gowns, jumpsuits and dreamy dresses as a tribute to the young, modern woman, full of contrasts but at the same time true to herself and ready to fulfil her dreams. Another key theme of the collection is the game between strength and delicacy. A sheath dress comes with a trail, a bodysuit is contrasted with a cape, and ample floorlength skirts are teamed with plunging backlines.

Feathers, fringes, luxurious and opulent embroidery, delicate velvet, silk and lace combine in a true vision for a couture enthusiast, in which it was easy to admire the craftsmanship and the intricate details in each Zuhair Murad creation. Everything is handmade and one-of-a-kind. The bride’s ivory gown is a breathtaking example of haute couture, majestic and delicate at the same time. The collection also gave references to the Art Nouveau movement and its glorious times, recalled by boleros, flounced midiskirts and boyish trousers. The woman depicted by Zuhair Murad is tall, beautiful and self-confident, a model also influenced by the Edwardian era with subdued details and modern attitude.

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Viktor & Rolf Action dolls were the protagonists of the Viktor & Rolf autumn/winter 2017 haute couture collection. Playful and fashionable, they are mascots bringing messages of a fresh and diverse approach to life. Their outfits consist of bomber jackets, jeans and T-shirts mixed with Dr. Marten boots and customised Viktor & Rolf slippers. The bombers come in various shapes and sizes and some even resemble ball gowns.

The message of the collection seems to be that these action dolls can transform the fashion world, with one dress reinterpreted multiple times.

Patchwork is a unique statement and at first sight the whole look is unsettling and it’s difficult to gauge your true reaction… but then you start to love them and notice the details of the collection whose softened and voluminous haute couture shapes give a whole new dimension to the Viktor & Rolf rebellious style.

Skirts, bows and ruffles interrupt the silhouette of the action doll-style models and emphasise this new haute couture spirit in a simple way. There is no embroidery and no evident opulence – just a sense of nostalgic rebelliousness and a fresh concept of understated luxury and haute couture.

The image is strong but the attitude is girlish; everything follows the designers’ motto of exploring the idea of upcycling, with patchwork techniques used to create something new from something old.

Old and new, precious and humble, a combination of materials and simplicity – Viktor & Rolf ’s new collection is an expression of all these contrasts and values creating a unity through diversity, bringing together instead of dividing, regardless of colour, nationality or age.

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Valentino Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino's Creative Director, styled his autumn/winter 2017/18 haute couture collection according to the essence of haute couture itself. The collection is a tribute to the tailors who work day and night to create the magic of haute couture.

And since the very term is so sacred in fashion, because by definition it is unique, Pierpaolo Piccioli took it literally and pushed the limits by creating a liturgical wardrobe for ultrawealthy haute couture clients.

On the runway walked models who looked like priestesses wearing clothes recalling clergy robes, such as hooded capes. These ecumenical-looking creations were matched with hammered metal bags with enamel mosaic details in the shapes of animal heads that symbolised the seven deadly sins – a collaboration with Japanese artist Harumi Klossowska.

“I always loved cinema and during my adolescence I dreamed of becoming a film director. When I discovered fashion and its narrative power, I decided to become a designer. For me it represented the natural evolution of a dream” Piccioli says.

Looking close at the dresses it was possible to see the incredible craftsmanship behind the simplest capes or trousers. The message seems to be that haute couture is in the blood of the one who buys and wears it, and that the most basic things – like a turtleneck mixed with a shirt and a tunic, or trousers and a cape – can produce something unique.

While the collection focused on daywear, we still saw ball gowns and evening wear which was as magical as ever, and which embodied an authentic sense of classicism.

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Francesco Scognamiglio After a grand show at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris during the previous season, this year Francesco Scognamiglio, who has been accepted as guest by the Chambre Syndacale de la Haute Couture, decided not to show at Haute Couture week in favour of a more intimate presentation in Milan at his headquarters at via Girolamo Morone. The reason behind this decision, as the designer stated, is that he wanted to “concentrate more on couture’s real values: the personal relationship with my clients, who need privacy and attention; the unique creativity that goes into every outfit.”

For this autumn/winter 2017/18 haute couture season, Scognamiglio was inspired by the Garden of Eden, as shown with a stunning photoshoot by Giampaolo Sgura with top model Hilary Rhoda. It is a tribute to beauty and craftsmanship, with cocoon-like coats embellished with post-avantgarde Chinese motifs or huge fox collars quilted with floral designs and embroidered with intricate embellishments or trimmed with organza.

The collection featured striking cocktail dresses and long opulent evening gowns, but what surprised the most were the wedding dresses – three outfits out of the nine created for this couture collection. Scognamiglio bridal gowns are truly a triumph of shimmering crystals and exquisite lace.

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S i m p ly Pr op e rt y

Mas de Notre Dame de Vie THE HOUSE THAT WAS PABLO PICASSO'S HOME FROM 1961-1973

he Mas de Notre-Dame de Vie is the impressive house where Pablo Picasso lived and worked from 1961 till his death in 1973. Today, thanks to a substantial restoration, this unique estate is in exceptional condition, offering an incomparable sense of wellbeing and the ultimate in home comforts, in a spot that oozes history. For decades, the Côte d’Azur has been the favourite place of royalty, the international upper-class, world stars, artists and bohemians, to live and spend their vacations. The Mediterranean climate is perfect, the scenery is enchanting, and the villages and towns breathe charm and savoir vivre. Life along the most beautiful coastline of France, and possibly the world, is laidback and lavish. The influx of old and new money, combined with the desire to relax and enjoy oneself, has resulted in beautiful estates, palaces and modernistic villas along France’s southern coast. Life on the Côte is good – better than good.

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world has ever known, according to many, bought the Mas de Notre-Dame de Vie in 1961, and he would live there until his death, at the age of 91, in 1973. On this secluded estate, he found the tranquillity and inspiration for the numerous works of art Picasso produced here. The house contained hundreds of millions worth of paintings, drawings, etchings and sculptures. Picasso would often work until late in the evening or at night, and sleep during the day. In order to be able to dedicate himself to his work at all times and without distraction, he started by adding a large studio with terrace to the 24 rooms the bastide had at the time. He transformed the old bastide into his dream home, gradually extending the property over the years. The estate is somewhat remote, set on a hillside, just below the old chapel of Notre-Dame de Vie. According to the experts, Picasso consciously sought seclusion, and lived a hermit’s life here.

One of the most spectacular and famous houses on the Côte d’Azur is the Mas de Notre-Dame de Vie in Mougins. This impressive, traditional Provencal bastide was the last homeof no other than Pablo Picasso. The greatest modernist artist the

Today, the Mas de Notre-Dame de Vie offers no less than 1,709 sqm of floor space, 1,225 sqm of which in the main house. The bastide is surrounded by 8 acres of lovely, landscaped grounds, with a professional tennis court, a beautiful overflow

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swimming pool, and a pool house (350 sqm) with a summer kitchen, spacious gym, spa, hammam, massage and changing rooms, showers and laundry. The luscious gardens were completely restored to Picasso’s original design, dating back to the early Sixties, with attractive water features, ancient olive trees, an authentic, restored orangery, stone steps, a tree hut, and various terraces. The comfortable guesthouse offers an additional 600 sqm, and there is a 120 sqm caretakers house.

The estate has spectacular views of Mougins, the Esterel Massif, the bay of Cannes, and the Mediterranean Sea. The entire property is exceptionally well-maintained, and comes with all mod-cons including state of the art home automation, security, and airconditioning. With lots of love and respect for the unique history and atmosphere of the estate, its unique grandeur was supplemented by supreme modern-day conveniences. The estate’s resurrection is all down to the last owner, who bought the bastide in a ruinous state. It had stood empty for 30 years, since the death of Picasso’s wife, Jacqueline Roque, in 1986. Since Picasso’s demise, she had left everything in the house as it was, not changing a thing. Even his reading glasses were where Picasso had left them. It was the renowned (interior) architect Axel Vervoordt who oversaw the substantial restoration. The house had to be brought back to how it was when Picasso lived there, but at the same time had to be equipped with all modern amenities. The Belgian master was amazingly successful in doing so. He had plenty of source material to go on – Mas de Notre-Dame de Vie features heavily in the many books published about the life and works of Pablo Picasso. Approximately 100 people laboured for two years during the restoration process.

Despite its vast size, Vervoordt succeeded in creating an extremely comfortable and warm atmosphere. The property has access from two sides, via camera secured gates. The entrance on the ground floor leads on to a spacious hall, a large yet cosy lounge, a breakfast room, a beautiful kitchen/diner, a lovely studio and the gallery. At the lower garden level, there is a second living room with attractive fireplace, adjoining a spectacular garden room with arched doors leading onto the terrace, and a professional kitchen with top-range appliances, a utility, prepping kitchen, two cold storage areas, and a climatized wine cellar for 5,000 bottles.

The master bedroom on the first floor is of royal proportions, offering lovely views of the surrounding area.

It has a spacious dressing room and luxurious bathroom.

There are four more large bedrooms, each with en-suite dressing rooms and bathrooms. This floor also houses a safe room, a laundry and staff area. All floors can be reached with a lift, or a monumental stone spiral staircase. There are five separate guest apartments in the grounds, three with their own living room. Mas de Notre-Dame de Vie has more on offer than we could possibly list here. The best materials, components, and facilities available anywhere were introduced in the restoration of this exceptional property.

This residence is second to none on the Côte d’Azur.

This property will be sold in the final auction at October 12th, 2017 in France. The property will be delivered free and unencumbered.

More information and the Viewing days you’ll find on our website: www.residence365.com/mougins +31 20 26 10 430 e-mail: info@residence365.com

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Paradise on Earth If anything epitomises laidback, ultra-luxe island living, it’s the Maldives’ Amilla Fushi, now completed by its stunning, newly-opened, invitation-only yacht club.

by Julia Zaltzman

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ince opening as one of the Indian Ocean’s most talked-about island resorts in December 2014, many of the world’s most prestigious private yachts have already voyaged to Amilla Fushi in the Maldives seeking its inimitable blend of laid-back laissez-flair. Conceived and managed by the Small Maldives Island Co., Amilla Fushi – meaning My Island Home in Dhivehi – sets itself apart with a refreshingly modern take on the ultimate, authentic Maldivian experience, with clean, contemporary architecture and a relaxed down-to-earth approach.

club membership. Offering members exclusive discounts and priority access to berths, events and parties at Amilla Fushi, as well as its sister resort Finolhu, the yacht club’s marina facilities allow for refuelling, provisioning, maintenance and repairs while yacht owners and their guests take some shore leave. Larger yachts (over 20m) are also welcome to anchor outside the reef and enjoy all the Amilla Yacht Club facilities and benefits.

Located just 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé International, Amilla Fushi offers a choice of 59 houses that sit gracefully over crystal clear waters, nestle among

Located within the pristine UNESCO biosphere Baa Atoll – an area of natural excellence recognised for its unique harmony between man and nature – Amilla’s reef even boasts its very own renowned Blue Hole dive site within snorkelling distance of the beach. Now, having launched in May 2017, the exclusive new Amilla Yacht Club firmly anchors the Miami-esque and super-luxe island resort on the international superyacht circuit.

lush tree tops or hug the shores of pristine white sand. It encompasses eight spectacular four to eight-bedroom beach residences ideally suited to large families and/or groups of friends who are seeking the ultimate in space and privacy. The resort’s innovative restaurants range from the diverse, informal foodie hub Baazaar to sophisticated overwater dining at Feeling Koi, while the Emperor General Store gourmet café and deli serves epicurean selections of

Encompassing the island’s three-berth marina accommodating yachts up to 20m, an overwater signature restaurant named Feeling Koi (accessible directly by speedboat), a lounge area and a boardwalk set for completion in Q4, the Amilla Yacht Club is already coveted by the elite thanks to its exclusive invitation-only

artisanal cheeses. With an unrivalled range of purpose-designed multi-bedroom accommodation options, and an exciting, inspiring and active Kids’ Club, Amilla Fushi is putting the Maldives on the map as a destination not just for couples, but for families and friends.

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Its sister resort, Finolhu, which opened in June 2016, is a refreshing, retro-inspired retreat in Baa Atoll, bringing a buzzy burst of fun, world-class entertainment and toes-in-thesand relaxation to fun-loving beacherati. Taking a cue from the halcyon days of the classic glamorous getaway, Finolhu recalls the heady allure of vintage beach vacations with its classic design, retro touches and laid-back ambience. Sporting all the hallmarks of paradise, Finolhu boats translucent waters, a 1.8km-long white-sand beach and perma-clear skies.

The ultimate island experience for chic couples, fun-loving families and groups of friends alike, Finolhu’s 125 villas are available on the ocean, the lagoon or by the beach, with or without pool, and are outfitted with premium interiors and vintage-style Marshall speakers. All bathroom and spa facilities are stocked with globally-acclaimed Neal’s Yard Remedies.

For yacht owners, the choice is simple: luxury on board, or decadent shore time spent at the luxurious yacht club. Spa therapists from Amilla’s Javvu Spa can be requested for onboard treatments, while club membership benefits include island and lagoon access, use of both resorts’ facilities including the pools, beach clubs, spa and restaurants, and 10% off all available houses, villas and residences. An additional 10% off all food and drinks, spa, excursions and watersports at both resorts is also included.

Serious seadogs can also while away their shore leave at Amilla’s HUB (Home of the Underwater Biosphere), the island’s epicentre of water-based activities offering remarkable aquatic excursions, a comprehensive marine biology programme, adrenaline-fuelled watersports and dazzling diving and boat charters courtesy of Dive Butler International.

As well as operating Amilla’s extensive private boat charter fleet – including the luxuriously appointed, traditionally hand-crafted 20m Maldivian dhoni, Sloop John B and the 13m luxury cruiser Vismara –Dive Butler’s on-island team can also provide visiting yachts and superyachts with itinerary planning services throughout the Maldives, private cruise directors and scuba instructors/guides, and dive support vessels.

And for yacht enthusiasts who are yet to acquire their own vessel, chartering a private yacht is without a doubt the best way to experience the beauty of the Maldives in total luxury and style. Giving guests the freedom to do what they want, when they want, without the limitations of a scheduled excursion, Amilla provides an exclusive selection of on-site vessels, as well as alternative motor cruisers, yachts and even superyachts available through its preferred partners.

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On the waterfront With 650,000 maritime travellers expected to descend on Dubai over the course of 2017, many of whom are superyacht owners looking to berth their ever-growing vessels, the advanced infrastructure and world-class services provided by the city’s three major new waterfront developments look set to take the yachting world by storm.

by Julia Zaltzman

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ver the past 40 years, Dubai has continually amazed the world with its ability to rapidly transform. Adapting and modifying with ease and precision, its current maritime projects – no less than three vast waterfront developments – are yet again confirming the city’s commitment to innovation and creativity.

Conceiving and constructing destinations that will stimulate fresh growth in the tourism sector and enhance Dubai’s profile as a magnet for wealth and investment, as well as attracting the world’s superyacht elite, the projects – Port Rashid Marina, Marasi Business Bay and Dubai Harbour – promise to deliver on all fronts.

Port Rashid Marina Dubai Ports World – one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world – prides itself on foreseeing change and innovating to create the most productive, efficient and safe trade solutions globally. Now nearing completion of the first phase, its muchanticipated Mina Rashid Marina sets out to achieve just that.

Located on the southern coast of the Arabian Gulf, close to the heart of Dubai, Mina Rashid is already a luxury cruise destination and multi-purpose port. Attracting some 500,000 tourists a year, it is the only port in the Middle East to receive the prestigious ISO-9002 accreditation and the Security Certificate of Excellence by International Maritime Security (IMS).

By the first quarter of 2018, the new Port Rashid Marina will see a 400-berth facility for yachts up to 35m, alongside some exclusive berths reserved for vessels over 100m.

For the superyachting fraternity, however, it is phase two that is piquing interest, with the proposed creation of a second marina with 70 berths dedicated to yachts from 40m to the very largest luxury vessels. With tenants already beginning to occupy the commercial surfaces ashore, Port Rashid will, when complete, include its own exclusive amenities aimed at the homeporting of the world’s largest yachts.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Chairman of Dubai Ports World, said: “The corporation will develop Port Rashid Marina as an integral part of its commitment to supporting the diversification of the economy of the UAE.” He added that the project, which supports the Dubai 2021 Plan, is a qualitative addition to enhance Dubai’s position as a major destination for luxury holidays and marine tourism.

With Mina Rashid’s direct access to the Persian Gulf, its highly attractive price policy, very protected waters and unlimited car parking, it is hoped it will be a viable alternative to the premium ports in Italy and Monaco, says Fabiana Maccarini, CEO of Fabmar Middle East, a Dubai-based consulting firm, and Dubai Port’s primary consultant for Port Rashid: “From a technical point of view, the marina can offer all the hardware of a port for all kinds of boats. With the ongoing renovation of the upland area of the port, specifically oriented to attract superyachts and including real estate development, Mina Rashid marina will become the Dubai maritime homeport hub and the destination for international yachts and cruises.”

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Marasi Business Bay Launched by Dubai Holding and Dubai Properties Group in May 2016, the AED1 billion ($272m) mixed-use Marasi Business Bay is projected to become Dubai’s most soughtafter waterfront destination. Boasting the longest waterfront promenade in the UAE at 12km, it will feature the country's first ever water homes (with exclusive boat access), floating restaurants, varied leisure facilities, and 1,250 yacht berths across four marinas.

Located along the city’s newest attraction – the Dubai Water Canal on the historical Dubai Creek – the development will provide a spectacular gateway to three themed areas: the yacht club, pier and park. All four marinas have been designed around differing clientele, with the first – set for completion in the latter half of 2017 – comprising 176 berths up to 35m constructed using state-of-the-art Seaflex technology.

One of the only few marinas in the country to employ this innovative environmentallyfriendly mooring solution, it sits just 700m from the iconic Burj Khalifa; the symmetric other half with approximately the same number of berths will commence build shortly.

The second marina within the development will feature four expansive barges anchored 50 to 60m offshore; the third will be created in an inlet on a high-density habitational area and is aimed at yacht owners, while the fourth marina, located on a wide-open bay off the canal, is reported to boast the largest capacity.

Oscar Siches, concept designer and construction quality controller for the first marina within the Marasi Business Bay development, comments: “The palm trees are the unusual, innovative feature of these marinas, bringing this traditional attribute of the UAE out in the water, creating a floating forest effect, providing natural shadow, and breaking the barren look of concrete pontoon surfaces. The planters are fitted every 15m throughout the marina and the edges of the plant pots are designed to be used as seating.”

Dubai Harbour The Gulf ’s long maritime tradition, which has been inextricably linked to the evolution of trade and commerce in the region, not to mention Dubai’s flourishing tourism industry, has inspired many projects of late that look to enhance the city’s waterfront.

Although still only in concept stage, the Dubai Harbour project, developed by investment consortium Meraas Holding, promises to be spectacular in its entirety.

Capable of handling 1,400 vessels – the largest marina in the MENA region – the 20 million sq. ft. project will also contain a 135m-high Dubai Lighthouse (with a luxury hotel and observation deck), a 150,000 sq. ft. cruise liner terminal capable of handling 6,000 passengers, as well as entertainment and retail space, a yacht club, shopping mall, hotels and residences.

The marina will increase Dubai’s current capacity for handling yachts by almost 50%; more importantly, it will add capacity for larger yachts of up to 85m. Built on a plot between Jumeirah Beach Residence and Palm Jumeirah, it will integrate the current Skydive Dubai, Dubai International Marine Club and Logo Island sites into a single community through a new road network and a monorail. Planned to be developed in several phases, it is expected to take four years to build once work starts.

Commenting on the proposed development, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said: “[Dubai Harbour] represents a unique and innovative new addition to the region’s tourism landscape.

Our region has had a long and historic relationship with the sea, and today we are seeing another initiative inspired by this age-old tradition that opens up new horizons for development.”

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ST. LUCIA

Country: St. Lucia Capital City: Castries Latitude: 13.909444 Longitude: -60.978893 Population: 178,015 (2016) Name: St. Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the early French colonizers

THE DIYA OASIS THE PURE BEAUTY AND RADIANCE OF THE DIYA BUILDING IN SAINT LUCIA WILL “LIGHT UP” THE ISLAND NATION

Project Name: THE DIYA Features: Main house, two guesthouses, dynamic self-tinting glass windows, natural ventilation and convection capabilities, sea view, infinity glass-edge pools

www.fdmdesigns.com

The house will rest on top of a ridge and the main structures will be outlined by marble plinth. The floating roofs resemble a series of large sculpted cantilevers

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPER Rayneau Gajadhar, head of the RG Group of Companies, has been involved in the construction, development and design industries for the past 22 years. Boasting a staff of 450 employees, Gajadhar has become the go-to guy for development projects throughout the Caribbean.

Through his two companies, Construction & Industrial Equipment Ltd. and RG Quarry, Gajadhar is able to provide all essential construction products and services to various clients. Such versatility has made the RG Group the largest locally owned construction company in Saint Lucia. Gajadhar and his company strive to be the most professional, innovative and dynamic construction group not just in Saint Lucia, but the entire Caribbean.

DEVELOPER

INTRODUCING

All of the building’s exterior windows will be light sensitive, which will self-tint in bright daylight and become clear as the sun sets in the evening

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long the Caribbean Sea, and perched high above the verdant green calabash and palm trees of Saint Lucia, will be a tropical nirvana. It will be a place of unparalleled, heavenly refuge and bliss.

The Diya — whose name is derived from the oil lamp that is lit on special occasions within the island nation and initiated by the client, Navita — is the joint effort of New Zealand structural engineer Warrick Weber; Rayneau Gajadhar, head of the construction entity RG Group of Companies; and of course, world-class and award-winning designer Flora Di Menna of Flora Di Menna Designs.

The Diya is a collaborative effort that personifies precision and perfection. The building’s structure on the top level — which will be shaped like a flame and resemble the Saint Lucian people’s unwavering passion and friendly disposition — will be lined with tall, dynamic glass, allowing the ultimate 360-degree view of the guest house, the mass foliage and greenery, and the crystal-blue sea.

The exterior windows will be light sensitive, providing the ideal amount of shade at various times of day depending on the sun. The Diya will be strategically located to provide natural ventilation, by way of ceiling spaces and winds that come from the east. At the apex of The Diya building, instead of being lit by a flame (as its name would suggest), it will be met by

The pinnacle of The Diya will have a glass crystal tip and will be met by an infinity pool

ARCHITECTURE

THE DIYA IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT PERSONIFIES PRECISION AND PERFECTION

INTRODUCING

WORLD-RENOWNED ARCHITECTURE Providing architectural and design services for residential, industrial, civic and major commercial development projects, Warrick Weber has owned and directed architectural and structural design companies in New Zealand for 13 years. With 25 years of experience himself, Weber has collaborated on many international projects. Weber’s firm deals with all aspects of the architectural and structural process: from site evaluation and feasibility studies to design and construction documentation. But ultimately, the company’s vision is to create architecture as livable and unique pieces of art.

THESE FEATURES AND DESIGNS ARE THE BRAINCHILD OF WORLDRENOWNED DESIGNER FLORA DI MENNA

F LO R A DI M ENNA Flora Di Menna Designs is an internationally acclaimed, Toronto-based interior design firm that specializes in luxury properties. The company has gained a reputation for delivering consistently stunning and innovative work, so much so that the firm has won numerous international and national design awards. The accolades are a testament to Flora Di Menna Designs’ originality, progressive style, beauty and grace.

an infinity glass-edge pool, which will hug the outer edge of the building and gaze over the natural beauty of the gem that is Saint Lucia. The property will be multi-levelled, with numerous sundecks and parking areas. One of the most fascinating features to come is the cascading waterfall pool.

The interior features and designs of revolving interior floors for the lounge areas allowing for consistent 360 views are the brainchild of world-renowned designer Flora Di Menna, who prides herself on mixing together natural beauty and progressive esthetics.

Completion of The Diya is set for fall 2019.

www.fdmdesigns.com

Marilyn Hoffman and National Champion Stallion, Ultimate Bey.

Marilyn Hoffman T h e

O n e

H u n d r e d

M i l l i o n

D o l l a r

R e a lt o r

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arilyn Hoffman’s expertise in selling extraordinary estates and farms attracts a clientele that reads like a Who’s Who of business, sports, entertainment and the social register. Golfer Lee Trevino, a Saudi Prince, sports legend Deion Sanders, transportation secretary Milo Bryant, a billionaire Texas oilman, cosmetics queen Mary Kay, Merv Griffin, the CEO of the country’s largest corporation, a Trump cabinet member and a major sports team owner have all been her clients.

Marilyn sold a 35,000 sq. ft. waterfront estate for the full price of $20,000,000 in only 24 days. This home is believed to be the largest waterfront estate sold in the country. It was previously listed with another international broker for $13,000,000 and did not sell.

Marilyn was also the first Texas broker to list a $100,000,000 home. Her Kentucky sales include the Summer Wind Farm, with a 25,000 sq. ft. mansion, sold for James Thornton, and Dr. Bruce Jackson’s Paris Pike farm. Her sale of a $9,995,000 Penthouse in Dallas was the most expensive penthouse ever sold in the city and was sold to the most famous Texas oilman in only 79 days after it had been listed with other brokers for 807 days.

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Marilyn sold this $11,000,000 home to the CEO of Toyota for $10,875,000

Marilyn Hoffman This 44 acre estate is East of Dallas and features a 8,460 sq. ft. home, built by one of the country's foremost commercial builders as his own personal home. $1,550,000 www.EastTexasFinestEstate.com

HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

Marilyn sold this $20,000,000 estate for full price in only 24 days

Marilyn Hoffman The One Hundred Million Doll ar Realtor

Marilyn also sold a $13,500,000 estate to the owners of a Scottish castle after she met them at the Keeneland sales where they were buying thoroughbreds.

Marilyn does the most unique marketing in the world, with real estate exhibits at such prestigious events as the Cavallino Classic Yacht Hop in Palm Beach, the Cattle Barons Galas, the Bal de la Mer in Monte Carlo, the Yacht Rendezvous at Fisher Island, the Saddlebred World Championship Show, the Military Ball in New York, the BarrettJackson Classic Car Auction, the Breeders World Cup, the Rolex Three Day Event, the Winter Equestrian Festival, Dressage at Devon, the Volvo Word Cup, and at a charity gala at Mar a Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach estate.

Not too many brokers can claim they have sold the largest home in multiple states, but Marilyn certainly holds the record. Marilyn sold one of the most famous Texas ranches, with 2,000 acres, 20 homes and an exotic game preserve. She sold a 20,000 sq. ft. home in Oklahoma for Cowboy Bill Watts, the world champion wrestler and a 28,000 sq. ft. Tulsa estate. She sold the Fox Ranch in Colorado, a 150,000 sq. ft. log home, reported to be the largest private residence in the country. Her most recent sale was an $11,000,000 estate that she sold to the CEO of the most famous Japanese corporation for $10,875,000.

www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

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Marilyn Hoffman and Miss Ebony GA, a 3 Time National Champion mare. Bred by Sally and Jim Bedeker of Gemini Acres Arabians.

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

Marilyn Hoffman

WHITE OAKS M ANOR

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reated in true English estate style and strategically placed on beautiful manicured rolling grounds, White Oaks Manor is located on 33 acres only about 5 minutes from Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, a short two hours due north from Nashville and three-and-a-half hours from Historic Lexington. The 18,911 sq. ft. home and pool house with kitchen and fireplace have been finished with an abundance of rich walnut woodwork and have combined 6 bedrooms, eight full baths, three half baths, seven fireplaces along with a separate carriage house/garage. The house has dining and living,

gourmet kitchen, sumptuous master suite, generator, elevator and all of the luxury fun touches including a basketball gym with true gym flooring and scoreboard on the third floor, tri-level theatre, pool table, fitness room, two porches with outdoor fireplaces, fire pit, treehouse playroom and oversized heated pool. With ample space for a classic equine facility on the grounds this magnificent estate is just waiting to offer its next owner every amenity thinkable.

Offered at $3,995,000 www.WhiteOaksManor.com.

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Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

WHITE OAKS M ANOR

Marilyn Hoffman

Patricia Hoffmaster Realtor, ASP 512-970-8601

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HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

Marilyn Hoffman

Chateau des Jardins

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his world class estate is found on 15 acres of the lushest grounds one can imagine, with pool and pool house, secluded walking trails laced with serene seating areas and over 120 specimen trees and shrubs that the owner brought in from all over the United States. There are even several redwood trees. A small, natural cave is tucked away on the property where the owner has had many fundraisers. The cave leads to granite tables outside for festivities. There is also a bridge on the grounds. Having always desired to own a bridge, the owner prescribed that the structure be tailored to Department of Transportation standards and functional to the highest standards. The grounds are spacious and there is plenty of room for an elegant equine facility.

Well known builder of the finest homes in the southeast US, Gerald Jenkins, who only builds one house at a time with no short cuts, meticulously created a 13,000 sq. ft. (per seller) five bedroom, five full and five half bath French chateau.

Many of the items within the home are from flea market finds in France and are integrated perfectly with artist Chris Hardy’s murals throughout the home. Hardy laboured to perfect the murals for over seven years. There are many other exquisite details such as: antique light fixtures, and marble and bronze fireplaces from famous furniture maker Francisco Linke, while the master bath features antique 18KT French fixtures.

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Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

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An opportunity to own a real man cave

Patricia Hoffmaster Realtor, ASP

512-970-8601 From cedar-lined closets to all flooring being composed of marble, granite or quarter inch sawn oak, no expense was spared. The exterior of the 7,900 sq. ft. chateau is composed of hand-made bricks and machine turned Indiana limestone. There is no tile anywhere, only solid granite or marble. Four fireplaces complement the home of four levels. The ceiling height of the main level is more than 11 feet, consisting of the master bedroom suite, a library, parlour, entry foyer, family room, dining room, caterer’s dream kitchen, large pantry, and two half baths.

The upstairs has three bedrooms and four baths, a musician’s balcony and a bonus room. One exceptional feature is the two-speed light elevator that reaches all floors. A beautiful spiral staircase with cherry hand railings and painted metal spindles with gold leaf is a stunning feature. The third floor is a heated and cooled unfinished attic area with access to the new slate roof and spectacular views of the property, pool house and garden.

The finished basement level has approximately 4,582 sq. ft. of kitchen, exercise room, additional sitting room/dining room, downstairs office with authentic Napoleonic era antiques, and a stunning wine cellar and adjoining tasting room, holding over 2,000 bottles.

Imagine such labour a of love for not only the land, but for a structure of such a calibre as this. Perhaps visualising Napoleon Bonaparte sitting at the window, overlooking such a place and feeling right at home in a chateau designed for a person of stature, is what the mind’s eye should retain.

Offered for $8,890,000 www.KnoxvillesFinestEstate.com

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

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Marilyn Hoffman MANIFESTO OF AN AMERICAN CASTLE FORT WAYNE, INDIANA I t is a c om pl e x unl ike any othe r: an e s tate, a cas tle , a f a rm , a n A r ab i an hors e br eeding ranch, and – fi rs t and f ore m ost – a be a ut if ul d wel l i n g f or a larg e, lov ing family

and it was later named after General Wayne who served under George

F

for many years and we often discussed the construction of the mansion

Washington. The architecture is composed of various structures along the

when it began in 2005 or so.”

reeland Farms, a stunning estate, is sprawled across 50 acres of prime

wanted everything very authentic – down to the creaking floors of those

Midwest land near Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Aboite Township.

castles he and his family visited in Europe. Believe it or not, he had the floor ripped out three times to duplicate that sound. He and I were great friends

Ironically, Fort Wayne was originally a French outpost built in 1697

lines of a French chateau down to the intricately planned add-ons; it is one of the great mansions of the world. Similar to owning a famed work of art, the

The estate is an impressive 38,000+ sq. ft. of museum quality construction

entire complex is a ballet, a classic symphony, a Verdi opera and a Swan

that took more than five years to complete. In addition to the main

Lake of a ballet, wrapped up in a series of one beautiful building after another.

structure, there is a guest apartment, a separate 5,567 sq. ft. caretaker stone

This preeminent home and farm is the envy of any European castle estate and

home with 3,329 sq. ft. of finished basement, a barn with an apartment complete with en suite bedrooms, an additional apartment above a

is coveted by those who know true quality.

garage, a machine/equipment building, a standalone office with fireplace, “Built by Amish craftsmen equivalent to those employed by the likes of the

storage building, and a gazebo. The horse stable alone is 6,720 sq. ft. of area.

Astors or Vanderbilts, the stone structures wear the elegance and grandeur of

A seven-acre private lake which took over one year to build shimmers

a bygone era,” explained Marilyn Hoffman, of Hoffman International

playfully myriad weeping willow trees dot the property and foot bridges

Properties Inc., the listing Broker par excellence and sometimes called the

form arching patterns against the lake, ponds and creeks. Ms. Hoffman told

“Dream Location Expert.” “Dick Freeland, the fast food entrepreneur,

Simply Abu Dhabi: “Visitors have often commented that there is no

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Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

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FREELAND FARM equivalent to this home existing in the Midwest today. In fact, the kind of mill work Mr. Freeland envisioned was not available to his standards, so he built his own mill and hired the best of the best local Amish craftsmen to fulfill the creation of the impeccably beautiful woodwork.” Many Swiss Amish living in and around Fort Wayne have prospered in the construction industry, which is key to the Amish economy in this settlement. Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania comprise America’s Amish Heartland. Roughly 65% of the total Amish population is found in these three states.

The property offers a broad range of landscapes and awe-inspiring to views, making it such a perfect place for any activity from horseback riding, wildlife watching to hiking; it is difficult to imagine that there can be so many choices. It is also rumoured that the lake is stocked with bluegill, catfish, bass and walleye. No details are left out of the first class equine area either.

The pastures are all fenced with cypress wood fencing inclusive of 8x8 notched posts and the many acres of emerald green lawns are interspersed with huge towering trees and mature pines that create the lush wooded acreage.

Along with the tall turrets of the main building, light and dark granite stones enhance the façades. An aura of solidness and seclusion surrounds the environment while at the same time a sense of grandeur and peace permeates everything. Self-sufficient and able to withstand the elements at any season, the estate’s multi structures consist of a total of 16 fireplaces, 16 bedrooms, 26 bathrooms, grand entertaining areas, a conservatory and a lower level entertainment wing. Three levels of the structure are reached via elevators that have been installed befitting of the old style lifts similar to the sliding cages that one finds in vintage structures. The main house features a large wine cellar and enormous walk in freezer.

A kitchen fit for catering for many guests features a breakfast bar, centre island and granite/marble counters. A stupendous library area and a conservatory of lush foliage are perfect for musing. Mr. Freeland’s tropical birds and fish were usually housed in the sunny conservatory.

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

While people in Fort Wayne lovingly call the place the “Pizza Hut Mansion,�

The estate owes its opulence to the dedication of its initial owner and the

Freeland was truly revered by all who met or worked for him. During the

splendid craftsmanship provided by skilled workers. The architectural charm

Christmas seasons, shortly after the mansion was completed, he would often

and grandeur of every detail gives the mansion a sense of having been there for

invite the teenage employees to festivities in the home; each and every one of the

a very long time. The lawns, the woods, the water features and the structures

windows was lit by candlelight that glowed across the lake inviting them to follow

themselves make the farm supremely beautiful and practical; a true American

the road to the circular driveway and to pass through the massive front doors.

interpretation of chateau living at its finest.

The crown moulding, the coffered and cathedral ceilings, the major woodwork and resplendent workmanship and the museum quality construction that is displayed throughout is absolutely striking. The farm of 50 acres is more than ample for horse breeding already; however, an additional 25 acres can be purchased from the farm should more ground be required. As can be imagined because of the nature of Arabian horse breeding, the premises are secured and gated at each entrance.

Offered at $30,000,000 For more information please contact: Marilyn Hoffman Hoffman International Properties, Inc. Email: marilynhoffman@sbcglobal.net Corporate HQ: 214-698-1736 Mobile: 214-674-3961 www.FreelandFarms.com

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

Marilyn Hoffman

5X Ranch T

his secluded 420 acre showplace is very private and set in a prime location just 12 miles from the Woodlands, 35 miles from George Bush Airport, 11 miles from Hooks Memorial Airport, six miles from Tomball, minutes north of the Grand Parkway and 50 minutes from downtown Houston. The serene rolling hay fields, woods and wetlands with abundant indigenous wildlife have been kept in their natural state as the land was handed down the generations. Nestled on one side of this peaceful retreat is the main residence comprised of a 7,932 sq. ft. five bedroom / four full Bath home which is being sold furnished, a 1,381 sq. ft. four bedroom / two full bath guest house, pool with waterfall and fountain and an outdoor kitchen. There are two additional homes on the property, which have both been updated. The ranch would make a fabulous weekend getaway or full time residence with commute to surrounding areas by easily accessed main highways. The level area and sandy soil would be suitable for any equine discipline and horses have been kept on the property over the years. There is room for a helipad and a section has been used as a runway for small aircraft. A high end development with larger tracts is easy to imagine in this idyllic setting.

Offered for $11,000,000 www.5XRanch.com 158 S I M P LY A B U D H A B I

Patricia Hoffmaster Realtor, ASP

512-970-8601

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

Vanessa Andrews Realtor 281-744-7252

Foxpointe Estate Villa Fort Worth, Texas

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he ultimate showplace entertainment home, family home and/or weekend retreat. Golfer’s dream! Breathtaking one-of-a-kind Mediterranean estate with Southwestern flair. Incredible views high above the fairways on the 18th hole.

Only the finest in construction, materials and design went into this 11,000+sq.ft. masterpiece. All the bells and whistles include a media room, indoor three-wall basketball court, wine cellar, dining room, amazing gourmet kitchen with huge Pecan 9 x 5ft+ center island counter and granite, large terraces, a fabulous rooftop “cantina bar and fireplace” with dumbwaiter to the kitchen below, and a stunning tropical oasis diving pool surrounded by lush landscaping and waterfall. Very private and secure. Exclusive 24hour guard gated private country club community. Priced below recent appraisal at $3,999,995. www.FoxpointeEstate.com Exclusive listing agent Vanessa Andrews Texas Cell/text: 281-744-7252 www.MagnificentProperties.com®

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Marilyn Hoffman

Sunflower Farms A rare opportunity to own one of the world’s finest equestrian estates

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unflower Farms is an extraordinary equestrian facility in a prime location on the Illinois/Wisconsin border in Bristol, Wisconsin and only one hour from Chicago and 45 minutes from Milwaukee. This world class equestrian facility consists of 8 custom barns with 150 stalls, a welcome centre, three indoor arenas, four homes, a guest apartment over a two car garage and multiple additional ancillary buildings for a total of 154,815 sq. ft. The four homes consist of a custom log main home, a recently updated two storey home, a life estate and a staff home.

This property has had three appraisals averaging $8.9 million! The sellers will consider $6.5 million for these 167+ acres of prime development property.

The farm has many more amenities, including 150 large rubber matted stalls, wide aisles in barns, three large indoor arenas with viewing rooms, 70 outside show stalls, multiple tack rooms with private lockers, and grooming and wash stalls. Barns have access to kitchen/lounge areas and bathrooms, some with showers!

There are additional party or meeting rooms and TV lounges for waiting parents, as well as a huge outside arena and three outside dressage size arenas. www.SunflowerFarmsWisconsin.com 160 S I M P LY A B U D H A B I

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

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Marilyn Hoffman

Arkansas River Estate

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ust see this beautiful Arkansas River Estate with the most stunning riverfront views that one could ask

for! Set in a prime location in Fort Smith, Arkansas,

in Edgewater Estates on 1.4 acres, this 15,505 sq.ft. home with seven bedrooms and eleven baths is the perfect home, bed and breakfast or getaway. Offered lavishly furnished with absolutely fabulous custom furnishings.

Offered for 6,450,000 USD www.ArkansasRiverEstate.com

Vicki Parvin Realtor 817-996-8080

Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

Marilyn Hoffman

R I V E R R O A D E S TAT E

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n opportunity to own and live in an historical landmark estate, only eight miles from Downtown Louisville and Churchill Downs, making this the perfect setting for your Derby Party. This

10 acre estate has a 14,000 sq. ft. main house built in 1905 and lovingly restored by one of the country’s foremost developers for his own personal home. There is a 3,500 sq. ft. carriage house and an indoor pool.

The most unique feature is the front driveway, which is about one mile long and was designed by the Olmstead Brothers around the time they did the parks system in Louisville and Central Park in NYC. This estate offers the upmost in privacy and seclusion with great potential for development.

Hoffman International Properties 214-698-1736, 859-523-2812 www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com www.RiverRoadEstate.com

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Marilyn Hoffman HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES TEL – +1 214 698 1736 CELL – +1 214 674 3961 MarilynHoffman@sbcglobal.net www.MarilynHoffmanRealtor.com

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My Mayfair Lady Quintessentially British, and yet with contemporary innovation at its core, Mayfair is single-handedly bolstering London property prices, helped by a raft of new luxury developments.

by Julia Zaltzman

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lthough prime prices fell 6.4% in London between March 2016 and March 2017, quarterly growth has climbed to its highest rate since May 2016, suggesting the capital is entering a period of stabilisation. Major property projects are driving Mayfair’s resurgence as London’s most indemand residential district, marking one of the big trends of the past decade. Now one of the highest concentrations of ultra high-net-worth household wealth anywhere in the world, the enclave currently houses over 2,000 millionaires in some of the capital’s most expensive real estate.

According to research by Wetherell, EGI and Westminster Council, 1,305 of the area’s 4,348 residential properties are enduser, privately-owned homes, while 870 are social housing (shared ownership and rented). The balance of 2,173 properties consist of privately rented dwellings owned by landlords/investors and occupied by affluent tenants.

Between 2006 and 2016 property values have risen by 188%.

Of the privately-owned properties, only 5% are now worth less than £1m, 50% come in between £2m to £10m, while the remaining 45% are valued at over £10m. The most expensive homes in Mayfair can command up to £200m.

“Piccadilly is no longer the Rubicon, and Mayfair buyers are spilling out into St James’s,” says Harvey Cyzer, partner and head of Knight Frank Mayfair & St James’s office. “Russian purchasers, for example, enjoy the history and architecture of Mayfair. The many historical members’ clubs, restaurants, art galleries and gentlemen’s retailers are drawing in more buyers, and the popularity of St James’s is set to increase. Mayfair is a truly global address and our clients come from far and wide to enjoy everything it has to offer.”

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Mayfair prices perform better long-term than prime central London, as well, thanks in part to the standard of living that its residents enjoy. Cyzer says, “Mayfair is about more than property – it’s about a lifestyle.” Contemporary private members’ clubs, such as George, founded in 2001, attract all ages, while Bellamy’s French brasserie restaurant off Berkeley Square, luxury tailors Rubinacci and designer boutique Brunello Cucinelli in Burlington Gardens all cater to an affluent, well-travelled clientele.

An entry level flat can cost over £1m, while the average home costs £4.8m and rents are an average of £1,387 per week. Rising demand has triggered a raft of new luxury schemes in the neighbourhood; 11 new top-end residential developments – providing 160 new homes – are currently under construction, with another 21 – providing a further 410 new homes – in the

pipeline. With an average of 2,700 square feet, these new homes are the largest in London, compared to a city-wide average of just 500 square feet. Wetherell forecasts that property values in the area will double over the next ten years, pushing top-end values up into the territory of £10,000 per square foot, with a cost of £5,000 per square foot becoming the norm.

Set for completion by the end of 2017, Burlington Gate, Native Land’s £225m Mayfair scheme, is centred around the first new arcade in Mayfair since 1930, connecting Old Burlington Street with Cork Street. Situated in the fashion and arts district, the project has been designed by architect Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners to redevelop the existing 83,000 square foot commercial building into 42 luxury apartments with boutique hotel style amenities. According to the team, the key aim is to create a sense of place. The design also sees the ground and

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lower ground floors devoted to art gallery space, and around £6m going towards affordable housing and big improvements to Cork Street.

An investment consortium made up of Native Land, Hotel Properties Limited and Amcorp bought the prize site just behind the Royal Academy from Standard Life in 2012, with Native Land acting as development manager. The 42 residential units will have the kind of spec one would expect from the firm behind such schemes as NEO Bankside, Cheyne Terrace and 10 Montrose Place, and residents will have access to a full gamut of hotel-style luxury amenities.

Reflecting its location in Mayfair’s premier destination for collectors and art connoisseurs, the development explores the concept of living in an art space and has been crafted beautifully with all the grace, elegance and light of the most inspiring gallery. Light-filled airy interiors feature tailor-made design, mixing traditional craft with superior innovation. All residences are enhanced by bespoke detailing, from the expertly-crafted door handles and joinery to the custom-made Bulthaup kitchens and bathrooms. Residents also benefit from a gym and spa offering state-of-the-art equipment.

Another talking point has been the development’s use of modular units. While frequently discussed, they are still not widely used, mainly because offsite manufacture requires the design to be finalised at an earlier stage. Until recently, domestic services were simple enough to be easily installed on site, but luxury apartments have introduced to the domestic market a level of sophistication that warrants prefabrication.

“When constructing these apartments, we were looking for a highly intelligent system to supply these homes with heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting control,” says Joe White, development executive at Native Land. “The modular unit, constructed in a factory offsite by Essex Services Group and installed onsite, provided the solution to that problem.”

In addition to the significantly reduced installation time onsite, the modular units also offer environmental benefits and easy user functionalities, as well as eliminating the need for every apartment to have a boiler. “Not only do modular units provide advantages for the contractor and those living nearby, they are also an attractive advantage for buyers due to the increased ease of maintenance servicing,” adds White. “It would be great to see more new builds using this method.”

Native Land’s public realm improvements are also the catalyst to a wider East Mayfair initiative being coordinated by Westminster City Council, which will see improvements including resurfacing, landscaping, seating and parking and loading management being made to several streets in Mayfair’s luxury retail, arts and fashion district.

Inspired by Mayfair’s rich cultural heritage and offering the quintessence of fine living at one the world’s most desirable addresses, Burlington Gate represents an unparalleled and outstanding blend of sophistication, craftsmanship and innovative architecture and styling.

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Grey & Gold Whilst the integrity of Smallbone’s designs are timeless, colour palettes evolve and we have re-imagined and refreshed the iconic Walnut & Silver collection with a hand-applied grey satin finish. Delicate slatted oak doors form the blueprint for this collection with details of almond gold giving a unique contemporary finish with stunning results. This is set to become a favourite from our latest colour palette.

Smallbone of Devizes taking British hand-crafted interior design to the world. From its workshop in Devizes, Smallbone is crafting timber cabinetry with soul – and catching the eye of the A-list.

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outique artisanal design from handmade ceramics and blown glass sculptures, lovingly crafted cheeses and preserves… in our post-industrial culture, creative skills have never been more desirable. At the forefront of the resurgent craft movement are British designer-makers, whose talent and experience are in demand around the world.

Mass-produced furniture has given way to thoughtful design and time-honoured techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation, as consumers seek out pieces that bear the imprint of their maker. Leading the way in the hand-crafted revolution is Wiltshire based heritage company Smallbone of Devizes. Specialising in custom-made kitchens and fitted cabinetry, the brand combines traditional craftsmanship with modern materials resulting in unique furniture that is built to last.

For 40 years, Smallbone’s talented team of craftspeople – there are now 120 master craftsmen and apprentices, including three generations of the same family, in the Devizes workshop – has produced elegant, sought-after pieces, exclusively tailored to the client’s taste and environment, and finished in their colour palette of choice. Whether it is wine storage, a library or a bespoke dressing room – Smallbone design to a wide spectrum of styles, from classic to contemporary.

But this small, homegrown brand also has strong international appeal – the company exports worldwide, from Russia to Australia, and has worked on a raft of high-end residential developments across the globe, including New York and Dubai. smallbone.co.uk / +44(0)20 75 89 5998 171

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Q&A with Smallbone’s Special Projects Director Q: What is your starting point when beginning a new project? What are you trying to achieve?

A: When beginning a new project, the starting point is invariably a ‘design phrase’ which we then take and expand into a cohesive design language. It could be a detail chosen from the architecture of the building in question, or some of the luxurious materials we work with and discover.

We have a 40-year legacy and provenance, so it’s important that we adhere to the brand values with whatever we bring to market; we strive to have the Smallbone DNA whisper from each piece of furniture that we create.

Q: Is there a team of artisans involved in the production of each project, and what are their roles?

A: Each project begins with a drawing and CGI, which will have been developed by the design team, and then handed on to our drafting department to work up detail drawings. During this process, there will be ongoing discussions with the makers to ensure that the more complicated aspects of the build have been fully considered.

Our craftsmen are time-served cabinet makers who are as comfortable with high-tech cutting machines as they are with their own meticulously prepared hand tools.

Once the item of furniture is built, it is then stripped down for the finishing process, which could either be a lacquered application or painted in preparation for final decoration on site. The finish of Smallbone furniture is one of the most important aspects of a rigorous QC process, particularly since it is the element that our clients see and touch when it is installed by our specialists in their home.

We currently use a range of luxurious materials and are working with a significant amount of exotic veneers and timbers. We operate in the super-luxe environment and our clients’ aspirations and expectations drive us to always be ‘on-point’ in understanding what materials are out there for us to work with.

Q: Have you made any bespoke furniture for unusual places?

A: We have been called upon to create beautiful furniture for several unusual abodes, including beach houses, tree houses, castles, and these include indoor kitchens, outdoor kitchens, as well as pretty much everywhere else! It’s our capacity to create truly bespoke products that invites the interesting enquiries.

We have installed our furniture in the most exclusive apartment developments in uptown Manhattan and have the reputation for being the first choice for developers and real estate professionals when they are setting the bar for quality and reputation.

Q: Do you ever team up with known artisans/ craftsmen to make limited editions?

A: We have just collaborated with the Paris-based men’s couture designer, Paul Helbers, for a beautiful wardrobe which featured at the Wallpaper* Handmade event in Milan this April for Salone 2017. This was particularly exciting, and the piece will be on show in London for Design Week.

We also work collaboratively with some of the world’s most famous interior designers and ‘starchitects’ to help them achieve furniture that reflects the language they are striving for with their buildings.

Q: What are you still yet to accomplish with your furniture?

A: The mosaic artisans of Ancient Rome used to say, “Perfection is for the Gods”, and to that end they would always leave a small discreet imperfection to reflect the mortality of their clients.

At Smallbone, however, that doesn’t work for our clients! We continue to strive for perfection whether it be in the execution of the making, the beauty of the materials used to build our pieces, or by encompassing the technological advances in cooking equipment and in the working parts of our furniture.

Q: What do you think people are looking for when they buy Smallbone?

A: Our clients are drawn to us because of many compelling reasons. Our legacy reminds them that we will match — indeed exceed — their expectations on quality, service and design. We bestride our marketplace with a product range and core values that are the envy of others. But its more than that; it’s a little like when you first put on an article of clothing that has been tailored to your requirements and fit, and you finally realise how good something can be.

Iain O’Mahony

Macassar Inspired by British neo-classical style with the use of richly opulent veneers, mirrored strips, glass and marble. This kitchen space cleverly uses timber cabinetry — Macassar veneered panels with stained walnut frames, book-matched Calacatta marble splash backs and counter tops. Detailing of custom nickel Smallbone flush handles finish this design to super-luxe standards.

Original Hand-Painted

The Ultimate Office

The Dressing Room

Alchemy

Globally Recognised

Mulberry

New York, Dubai, Russia, the Maldives — the Smallbone treatment is in demand worldwide. To keep ahead of the curve, the company regularly collaborates with architects of international renown, including Jean Nouvel and Bill Sofield, widely recognised as the world’s foremost creator of masterpiece skyscrapers.

Milan Collection

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or more than three decades, Mark Wilkinson has been meticulously designing and handcrafting traditional cabinetry in its West Country workshops. The brand is synonymous with exacting English workmanship and age-old, by-hand techniques. The pieces produced here are objets d’art of timeless design that stand the test of time. Everything turned out of the Mark Wilkinson workshop is produced by artisans, many of whom are third-generation joiners whose skills have been passed down by family members, year-on-year working with a broader diversity of materials and finishes.

Mark Wilkinson is best known for its finest quality fitted furniture including kitchens, dressing rooms, studies and media rooms, with designs that appeal to (consumers) lovers of fine design, who believe that 21st Century Technologies and traditional, quality craftsmanship should be mutually inclusive.

Globally, increasing value is attached to craftsmanship of the highest standard, integrity and finish. This could explain why Canburg, the Wiltshire-based luxury furniture group that owns this quintessentially British brand, is experiencing an exponential growth in international sales and is fast evolving as a key champion for quality British products on the global stage. It has been listed for two consecutive years for the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 — up ten places on last year. This is the definitive guide for Britain’s top 200 companies with the fastest-growing international sales.

The founder, Mark Wilkinson himself, is a gifted cabinetmaker who started out in 1981, imbuing his warm, creative and welcoming kitchens with hand-carved detailing, and carefully ornamenting the reclaimed timber to craft a new English country style. He was awarded an OBE in 2011 for his services to the furniture-making industry. The

company has stayed true to its roots, and, inspired by the founder’s passion for bespoke and sustainable furniture, is still known for forwardthinking fresh creativity within a strong context of a rich heritage and artisanal tradition.

Mark Wilkinson’s Furniture Alchemy is best known for its six ‘permanent’ collections, albeit bespoke cabinetry and individual pieces are also par for the course. These range from fluidly elegant ‘Milan’, neoclassical ‘English Classic’ and whitewashed timber-clad ‘New England’, to the timeless Edwardian-influenced elegance of ‘Cook’s Kitchen’ and the ‘Newlyn Collection’, which is inspired by the eponymous school of Victorian-era Cornish art.

The Mark Wilkinson Showroom on London’s Holland Park Avenue has been completely re-planned and is the perfect place to weigh up the differences between the signature Newlyn and New England collections, which propose two entirely different kitchen experiences.

‘Portobello’, the latest collection, launched this year, is showcased equally beautifully in Mark Wilkinson’s entirely reimagined space in the Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate. ‘Portobello’ is inspired by the vintage eclecticism and confident style of the eponymous West London district.

The Harrogate showroom acts as an ample context for Portobello’s sweeping marble tops and elegant storage and display solutions for wines. This magnificent high-ceilinged space replete with architectural detail is an apposite choice for the new work. It expresses perfectly the contrapuntal spirit behind Mark Wilkinson’s designs, which suggest carefully considered solutions to modern living while paying homage to the most treasured aesthetics of the past. mwf.com / +44 (0)1380 850 007 177

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The newly launched Breakfast Cabinet cleverly folds open.

Traditional marble to keep breads fresher and crafted drawers for well organised condiments and household accessories.

Storage that comes to you, with divider pegs to separate delicate pieces of copper-ware or fine china.

Hand-formed dovetail joints that define the classic quality.

New England Collection

“Mark Wilkinson Furniture is designed with thought, built with passion, assembled with pride and owned with love.�

Vanessa Brady OBE, President, SBID (Society for British and International Design)

New England Collection

The Centre of Modern Family Living

The kitchen has been much more than a workspace. It is now the heart of the home and the place where we cook and celebrate food while entertaining friends and family. Mark Wilkinson Furniture is truly bespoke and allows you the opportunity to create a space that defines your taste both from a culinary and aesthetic perspective.

The Life Aquatic on the Adriatic Stunning sea views, Byzantine-inspired architecture and unsurpassed residential luxury are the order of the day at the new Regent Pool Club Residences in Porto Montenegro.

by Julia Zaltzman

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he month of July in 2017 saw the opening of the Regent Pool Club Residences, a glamorous new development within Porto Montenegro – an award-winning luxury yacht homeport and marina village – located in the UNESCO protected heritage site of Boka Bay. Designed by WATG, California-based leading design consultants in the hospitality industry, the 62 stunning one, two and three-bedroom residences are set to become some of the most prestigious addresses on the Adriatic coast, boasting unsurpassed views of Boka Bay, lush countryside and the Vrmac mountain range.

The architecture of the Regent Pool Club Residences is inspired by Boka Bay’s 400 years of Venetian rule. With an exterior reminiscent of the chic Italian Riviera, WATG worked closely with the internationally renowned Tino Zervudachi and his team at MHZ in Paris to create interiors which conjure modern day glamour with an Art Deco feel. A rich palette of natural hues – light sand through to mahogany brown and olive green – has been used to complement the warm Mediterranean climate and stunning waterfront setting.

Often referred to as the southernmost fjord in Europe, the Boka Bay is in fact a drowned river canyon. The high mountains that bend around the coastline protect the bay from the open sea and from the cold climate of the north in winter. This allows an abundance of Mediterranean vegetation to grow; agave, palm, mimosa, oleander, kiwi, pomegranate and medicinal herbs all flourish in these temperatures.

“The architecture combines the historical Montenegrin vernacular with modern day glamour, to create sleek, elegant residences,” says Jeremy Heyes, Senior Vice President at WATG. “We designed large, private balconies and terraces to enable guests to enjoy the spectacular views of the Bay of Kotor and external living during the warm summer months. Internal atriums and fully glazed external walls to the living areas allow brilliant refracted sunlight to flood into the interiors.”

The bay is naturally divided into four smaller parts: Herceg Novi, Risan, Kotor and Tivat. Herceg Novi displays a fine combination of romantic, Byzantine and oriental architectural styles while Risan is known for the remnants of classical culture found there, dominated by the remains of a Roman patrician’s villa with beautiful mosaic floors. Kotor, a UNESCO protected walled city, is the old coastal and cultural centre which has withstood countless invasions over the centuries and now attracts a lively tourist crowd in summer for its splendid churches and squares.

Home to Porto Montenegro, Tivat is the heart of the coastline’s burgeoning tourism industry, and boasts numerous nearby coves and the greatest number of sunny days of any town on the bay.

Each of the residences has a private balcony or terrace to soak up the wonderful views, a large living area, dining room and fully equipped kitchen. There are also five top level penthouses with private Jacuzzis for the ultimate luxurious waterfront living experience. More than 80% of apartments have sea views, which are maximised with large framed windows and careful positioning of the rooms, while the roof is pitched over the penthouse level, creating an increased volume and dynamic height to the premium apartments. Using a streamlined design aesthetic to seamlessly blend the residences with the surroundings, including the existing development and surrounding town, the designs also take future expansion and development of the port into consideration.

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“The buildings blend clean horizontal lines with traditional red pantile roofs, classical motifs, locally sourced stone and proportions that echo Montenegro’s rich history,” says Heyes. “The streamlined design of the new properties pays tribute to the area’s naval heritage and the sleek silhouettes of the luxury yachts in Porto Montenegro, forming the next stage of the destination’s evolution.”

Within the extensive private gardens, an elevated 3000m² pool deck serves as an exclusive and peaceful retreat for residents, in addition to a 26m lap pool, an effortlessly cool infinity pool lined with palm trees and two children’s pools, covering a swimming area of 600m². A stylish gourmet restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the marina provides full poolside and dining services, and there are two poolside bars serving an array of refreshing drinks and snacks.

“The pool takes centre stage using clean, sophisticated lines to frame the incredible views whilst connecting the Regent Pool Club Residences buildings,” says Heyes. “An undulating landscape is created using an elevated podium, with a change in level between the main pool and the all-season lap pool. On the

pool deck, a tiered infinity pool, lined with palms, echoes the Miami Art Deco design scene and creates an exclusive, luxury feel.”

The resort is beautifully landscaped with lush, native Mediterranean plants such as olive trees, rosemary and lavender, and all the stone used throughout the project was sourced locally from the mountainous regions around Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. And since guest experience is critical to a great resort design, WATG has ensured that as well as offering beautiful views, a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness centre, gourmet restaurants and all local amenities are on the doorstep. The residences also have direct access to the Regent Hotel’s concierge services, spa and dining, and the fabulous restaurants, bars and boutiques of Porto Montenegro are only a short stroll away.

“These residences have truly breathtaking, unobstructed views of the Montenegrin landscape and the ocean,” adds Heyes. “The location itself is unique due to its untouched natural charm, whilst providing residents with seamless modern luxury. The waterfront was recently crowned the world’s first and only Platinum ranking marina by the Yacht Harbour Association, so it’s a rare opportunity for people to live so close to the destination.”

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S i m p l y Ya c h t s

Art on the Water Ground-breaking concept, design and cutting-edge engineering combined with bespoke, personalised dressing means the 28m Kalliente by Dominator sets a new standard in luxury yachting.

by Julia Zaltzman

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showcase of precision engineering and design, the launch of Alberto Mancini-designed 28m motoryacht Kalliente in June in Monaco this year marked the dawn of a new era for Dominator. From its innovative engineering solutions and advanced materials and technologies through to the exquisite bespoke dressing, Kalliente is the first Dominator Ilumen 28m to break water, and it sets the stage for a new standard in power, agility, comfort, luxury and security.

“Design is more important than ever, and today owners want a yacht that offers the ultimate blend of performance, style, luxury amenities and comfort,” says Mancini. “In satisfying the demand for an elegant motoryacht that harmonises classic yachting tradition with modern technology and design, we designed the Dominator Ilumen to far exceed our clients’ expectations.”

Providing the ultimate balance between performance, comfort and style, Kalliente’s flowing architecture harmonises functionality, form, amenities, power, safety and sea keeping agility like no other vessel in her class. The result is a matchless yachting experience, offering everything a mega yacht offers in a convenient compact format.

Every function and space on an Ilumen – from the engine room to the luxury living spaces – is designed for optimal distribution of weight, space, functionality and aesthetics.

“Many yachts foresee zero speed fins,” says Federico Brumat of Dominator’s Technical Office. “To avoid adding resistance due to appendages, we went for a huge gyro stabiliser from Seakeeper capable of reducing 80% of the uncontrolled roll angle up to 14 degrees.”

To guarantee comfort on board when at speed, the Ilumen 28m has an advanced full motion damping system that enhances manoeuvrability and speed. It also reduces resistance, and with it fuel consumption, while ensuring optimal stability in all conditions. Built in epoxy carbon to MCA standards, this semi-displacement luxury yacht is powered by twin 1,200hp MAN V8 diesel engines, and can achieve a top speed of 21 knots.

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Combining comfort with environmentally-minded applications, the solar control interlayer film in the glassed areas reduces heat from the sun by 40%. Derived from product development that begins with the client, the Ilumen is a floating example of innovative engineering, inspired design and industry-leading solutions. The result is a ground-breaking luxury yacht that defies the conventional limitations to become, quite simply, the best in its field, says Mancini.

“We set out to challenge limitations and provide the same sensation of space, elegance and luxury in a 28m format that you would expect in a mega yacht. When I first saw the hull, deck and superstructure, I realised it was the beginning of a new era,” he adds And indeed, the features such as the owner’s cabin, a beautifully curved glass frontage, the rotating beach platform and the impressive fly deck are unique, industry-leading features.

Custom-made furniture and bulkheads finished in the most opulent materials such as backlit white onyx, ebony, white oak, silk, Zimmer + Rhode fabrics, suede ceilings and satin-like nubuck leather are just some of the options, but as Head of the Dominator Bespoke Office Giulia Sigismondi says, “The interior dressing of each yacht is a highly personal affair, so we work with the owners to make it a bespoke design that fits them like a glove in terms of taste and preferences.”

The interior styling gives the sensation of being on a much larger boat, realised in part through tall ceilings and the use of glassed areas that allow natural light and seascapes to illuminate the luxurious cabin spaces.

Nowhere is this approach more impressive than in the skylight and private deck of the master cabin, creating a truly privileged private space.

In addition, integrated into the interior are zero impact invisible speakers in the VIP and guest cabins that transform any surface they are embedded into (be it concrete, fibreglass, wood, marble, stone or glass) into a highperformance audio system. This state-of-the-art system, incorporating sound masking in the main salon and master cabin, provides an advanced AV system that includes a private cinema projector on the sun deck.

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Angela Pernsteiner is an important part of the passionate, dynamic force behind the project that binds the many different expert professionals and craftsmen together. The very name Ilumen stands for the illumination of ideas and engineering processes, and in the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci this is exactly what Pernsteiner and the team have achieved: producing in the process a modern work of art. “The Dominator Ilumen yachts are bespoke through and through – from the choice of the hull between semi-displacement and semi-planing versions, to the individual comfort cruising speed, the propulsion system or the complete re-engineering of the internal spaces, to name only a few options,� says Pernsteiner.

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Marine Aerodynamics Po w e r e d b y R o l l s - R o y c e , a n d w i t h a s t u n n i n g p i o n e e r i n g d e s i g n , t h e n e w A e r o b o a t S 6 m a r k s t h e d a w n o f a n e w b r e e d o f t e n d e r.

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Aeroboat is a quintessentially British brand offering a superior and effortless experience at sea. Underpinned by a strong philosophy and heritage, its portfolio of sporty tenders-cum-chase boats-cum-day cruisers provide the ultimate way to travel thanks in part to Aeroboat’s powered by Rolls-Royce status.

Located in the heart of London, Aeroboat’s headquarters are based in Kensington, and open to guests by invitation only. An exclusive brand launched by the designers behind superyacht firm Claydon Reeves, it offers clients the exclusive chance to tailor their chosen Aeroboat to their exacting needs, from colour schemes and materials to the sound system, entertainment and water toys.

Dedicated to handcrafting an advanced and majestic line of yachts, and inspired by historic aviation marvels that have become symbols of hope and promise for the future, Aeroboat is a truly British vision. The richness of the brand is exemplified by five models ranging from 16.8m to 30m-plus, all built to define and enhance the experience on board.

“Style and performance are key factors for every model, which is why we have chosen Rolls-Royce as our core supplier to ensure nothing but the best in performance and reliability is achieved,” says partner, Mike Reeves. “From the engines to the waterjet propulsion and control systems, we’re delighted to offer our clients the levels of control and power they would expect from a vessel powered by Rolls-Royce.”

The most recent model to be presented from the range is the 20m Aeroboat S6.

Derived from the SV12, the Aeroboat S6, launched in early June 2017, combines elegant outdoor living, easy access to the water’s edge, and the thrill of highperformance cruising in a yacht underpinned by exemplary naval architecture and engineering. With a collection of distinctive features combined with performance and great manoeuvrability, the S6 sits in a class of its own.

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“The positive reception from the market to the first Aeroboat spurred us on to develop the project into a new brand and line of yachts,” explains partner James Claydon. “Each aluminium and carbon-built yacht shares the same DNA and form language, and is adorned with user-focused features to deliver an unparalleled experience.”

The S6 sports a completely different look from its smaller SV12 sister ship. From performance to functionality, there are significant features that position the S6 in a class of her own. One of the key features is the Aerostairs, a customengineered platform the width of the transom that can extend the swim platform, be lowered below the waves to act as a beach club water ladder, or raised up for easy boarding. Inspired by WWII-era Supermarine Spitfire wings, they are connected to a height-adjustable passerelle stowed within the superstructure tail (and deployed automatically) for safe boarding and disembarking from the quayside or mothership. When the passageway is not in use, the space between the two sunbeds can be in filled to create a large sun lounger. The superstructure tail itself is a prominent feature of the S6; it is the section of the yacht that sits above the engines and has been engineered in composite to lift to reveal the stunning, shiny chrome engine bay below.

The first V12 design, launched in 2013, featured the iconic Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 in reconditioned form. Now, the S6 combines twin MTU V10 2000 M96 engines and a Kamewa waterjet propulsion system which will ensure the S6 delivers sporty performance out on the open water, riding on a hull developed

by British studio BMT Nigel Gee. In addition, the tender garage allows the Aeroboat S6 to carry a 3.8m RIB or a pair of Jet Skis, while the cockpit will be offered in hardtop, bimini or open guises.

As with the exterior space, the interior has been carefully planned to maximise relaxation and enjoyment in privacy. Strong focus has been given to delivering good headroom within the galley and shower room, while the owner’s lounge – a private cocoon furnished to the highest standard – is the main entertainment space below deck. During the day, this space offers comfortable seating in a long U-shaped formation, but when required, it converts into a double suite that can be separated for privacy and comfort from the rest of the yacht. A second single cabin is located amidships on the port side with a Pullman for crew use; it can also be used as a guest space, depending on requirements.

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Aston Martin Valkyrie

By Damien Reid

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drian Newey is a guy who is obsessed with design, particularly when it comes to fast cars.

His career has centred almost entirely around building ground-breaking Formula One and IndyCars. And while most people know his F1 history, he initially achieved success in the US by designing the 1985 Indy500-winning March of Danny Sullivan and the IndyCar champion’s car of Al Unser in the same year.

Back in Europe, Newey designed the 1991 F1 World Championship-winning Williams Renault FW14 of Riccardo Patrese and the 1998 McLaren MP4/13 of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard before joining Red Bull Racing.

In 2010, Newey’s Red Bull RB6 won nine races and the Driver’s title for Sebastian Vettel, along with the Constructor’s Championship for Red Bull. From that point until 2014, no other designer’s car won either of the championships.

Feeling that the changing F1 regulations were holding back his creative freedom, Newey stepped away from the racing side of Red Bull in 2015 to focus on another exciting project: an all-out, no holds-barred supercar for the street.

Without the tightly governed rules of racing to adhere to, arguably the greatest aerodynamicist of our time was free to build whatever he liked and it was at this point where Aston Martin joined forces with Red Bull to turn his dream into reality.

Working under the code name of AM-RB 001, the Aston Martin Valkyrie had a mandate to deliver extreme F1-like levels of performance while maintaining GT comfort.

“I’d long harboured the desire to design a road car,” Newey said. “The formation of Red Bull Advanced Technologies brought me a step closer to realising that ambition, but I believed we should work with an automotive manufacturer and Aston Martin was at the top of my list.

“I’ve always been adamant that the AM-RB 001 should be a true road car that’s also capable of extreme performance on track and this means it really has to be a car of two characters. That’s the secret we’ve put into this car – the technology that allows it to be docile and comfortable but with immense outright capabilities,” he added.

The key signature details of any Newey-designed race car is that nothing is there unless it has a job to perform and that every external component also has to double up to undertake some kind of aero role. It’s safe to say that nothing has changed just because this is a road car.

Technically it’s a two seater, but a snug cabin at that, with room for two 98th percentile adults. However, Aston’s design chief Marek Reichmann is pretty tall at just under six foot five and it was imperative that he was comfortable, so there’s at least plenty of head and shoulder room in its teardrop-shaped cockpit.

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Simply Cars

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Externally, a key styling point of the Valkyrie are the huge, full length venturi tunnels that run either side of the cockpit, drawing enormous quantities of air beneath the car to feed the rear diffuser.

These are paramount to generating the Aston’s extraordinary 1800kg of downforce while keeping the upper body surfaces free from aerodynamic devices that would spoil its clean lines.

It also forces the driver to adopt a slightly F1-style of driving position with feet perched in the air in a semi reclined position. The owner visits the factory for a seat fitting and gets a laser 3D scanned seat suited to their shape which is then bolted directly to the floor, and they are held in with a four-point safety harness.

A six-point race harness is offered as an option for those who intend to do more track driving.

Which reminds us that unlike the Aston Martin Vulcan, this has been intended from day one to be a car for the street. Itis roadworthy in every market it’s sold including the US despite its removable steering wheel and the absence of a conventional dashboard.

All the important instruments come up as a display on the steering wheel while the less important information is illustrated on a small LCD screen.

Two other smaller screens located at the base of each A-pillar show the rear view from two external cameras that replace the regular door mirrors for extra aero efficiency.

“It’s been a tremendous challenge to make the interior packaging work,” Aston Martin’s Creative Director of Interiors Matt Hill said.

“We’ve embraced Red Bull Racing’s Formula One ethos and approached it from a different angle than conventional road car design. In this case, we started from a position where we thought something was impossible and worked at it until we found a way.

We’ve been fighting for millimetres everywhere.

“Our customers have loved the ritual of getting in and seeing how it feels behind the wheel. They’re also genuinely surprised at how the car just seems to swallow them. You really do have to sit in it to believe there is genuine space for two large adults,” he added.

While the initial target was to achieve 1000bhp from its normally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 with a KERS-style hybrid system, Aston now says it’s sitting at 1130bhp and it weighs just 1030kg which makes it as powerful as a Bugatti Veyron but as light as a Toyota Yaris.

To get this ridiculously low figure, the team looked at every possible area to shave weight; for example, the front badge is just 70 microns thick or about 30% as thick as a human hair, and 99.4% lighter than the regular Aston Martin badge.

The exhausts exit through the top similar to the Porsche 918 Spyder, and the engine runs through a

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seven-speed paddle shift transmission built by Ricardo, so it should have a similar feel to the McLaren P1’s box.

With a price of around $3.2 million, Aston Martin expects to sell 150 road cars with a further 25 trackonly editions which, other than the six-point harness, will include a number of other non-roadworthy, performance enhancing features and extra safety measures that are yet to be announced.

Likewise with performance, the company is keeping its numbers close to its chest, only saying that the Valkyrie will be the fastest car in the world – so you can expect it will be below two seconds to 100km/h and six seconds to 200km/h and have a top speed of above 420km/h if it wants to surpass the current terminal velocity king: the W16, quad turbocharged Bugatti Chiron.

But what you see here may still change according to Aston Martin’s Creative Director of Exterior Design Miles Nurnberger.

“Much of what you see is actually the structure of the car, so this had to be signed-off relatively early in the project. The remaining areas of non-structural bodywork are still subject to evolution and change as Adrian Newey continues to explore ways of finding more downforce. But I would say we’re around 95% of the way there with the exterior design,” he said.

That’s the thing when you start working with F1 guys: they never know when to stop developing.

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Bugatti Chiron First Drive

By Damien Reid

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he challenge was on, but it was a dare I doubt any other car manufacturer would have the guts to offer.

From behind the wheel of the stationary, quadturbocharged, 16-cylinder, 8-litre Bugatti Chiron, one of just 500 that will ever exist and good for 420km/h, I sat facing a long, empty and straight road.

The guy sitting beside me knows a thing or two about going fast. Andy Wallace won the Le Mans 24-Hour race in 1988 driving the TWR Silk Cut Jaguar, was an F1 test driver and claimed the British F3 Championship the same year he won the Macau Grand Prix.

He was strategically planted next to me to keep Bugatti’s insurance premium for this somewhere within reason.

“Believe me, you think you’ve got the mettle to wring its neck? I guarantee you’ll get scared and back off before you’re anywhere near that corner,” Wallace tempted, finger pointing into the sun.

As I was always the kid who had to touch the hot plate only because my big brothers told me not to, I planted my right foot as hard as I could and aimed for that far off, right-hand bend about a kilometre down the road.

To prove what an even bigger idiot I am, it wasn’t good enough for me to just jump on the loud pedal of a car valued at AED9.4 million. No, I had to engage its launch control just so that all of its 1500bhp would feel my wrath.

First, the revs built up with my right foot on the floor before I slipped my left foot off the brake pedal and it almost literally launched off the mark with near 100% traction thanks to its all-wheel drive sending chunks of power to the front wheels to stop 1600Nm of torque from frying the rears into oblivion.

Instantly, my head planted itself into the headrest and there it stayed as we passed 100km/h in 2.5 seconds and then 200km/h just four seconds later.

Still charging as hard as a Lamborghini Aventador in second gear, it was only at this point that I noticed a shortness of breath due to the compression on my chest from the G-forces it generated in full attack mode. The needle climbed past the 12 o’clock position which initially seemed a bit underwhelming until I realised it’s a 500km/h-calibrated speedo.

Still hauling like a space shuttle on afterburners, the speedo steered to the two o’clock position, well past 300kmh, with two of its seven DSG gears to go.

My brain was constantly re-calculating the rapid closing distance to the corner ahead but it was coming at me faster than I could compute, while anything aside from the straight ahead vision had become a blurred tube of green and blue smudges in my peripherals.

If I were a fighter pilot trying to correct a wounded jet heading for the ocean, it would be at this point I would have pulled the ejector seat.

With the corner fast approaching, I jumped on the brakes to wash off as much speed as I could to bring it down from its 320+km/h blast, back to 70km/h in time to take the bend.

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Its 420mm carbon ceramic discs worked in conjunction with a huge airbrake to arrest its speed and as it did so, blood rushed to my head so much that I saw spots in my eyes accompanied by a faint dizziness from the negative Gs. The brakes worked so well that I washed off more than enough speed so quickly I then had to embarrassingly accelerate just a touch again in order to reach the corner.

Mindbending Bugatti Chiron 1 – Lame Motoring Hack 0 “You can’t play chicken with the Chiron as it wins every time,” a smug Wallace said after. “No matter how brave you think you are, you’ll always pull up short before the corner.”

Unless you’ve driven a 1500bhp pro-modified-style dragster, which I have, or are a retired astronaut, which sadly I’m not, then you have no idea of the sensory explosion my brain went through in less than half a minute on a quiet day in the back blocks of Portugal.

With apologies to Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche and Pagani, your LaFerrari, P1, 918 Spyder and Huayra BC do not even come close to getting an invite to this realm of supercardom. Heck, you guys are almost a Dodge Hellcat short in horsepower from even sitting at the Chiron’s table.

Chiron of course is the successor to the hallowed Bugatti Veyron which, to be fair, had similar write-ups when it was released in 2005 boasting 1001bhp. It re-wrote history and until now has remained the top-speed benchmark supercar.

So when Bugatti’s boss Wolfgang Durheimer said he wanted a successor that was “better in every respect,” you knew this was going to be something quite special.

Nestled in the sill panel beside the driver is another start key, locked into place. This is the key which unleashes the full 420kmh potential ¬– but for us, and as a default, we had to make do with the one that restricts it to 380kmh.

Eagle-eyed Bugatti enthusiasts may note that the Veyron set a world record speed of 431km/h, 11km/h more than the official top speed of the Chiron. Bugatti assures us that the speed limiter will be removed so that its test drivers can set a new benchmark, which some pundits indicate will be close to 470km/h in an unfettered Chiron in the coming months.

Overall there’s a claimed 25% improvement in every respect to the Chiron’s performance over the Veyron including its drag coefficient, fuel efficiency and power. While the engine still reads the same in the spec box in terms of configuration, number of cylinders and capacity, its four turbochargers are key to its 300bhp boost over the final Supersport iteration of the Veyron.

Being 69% larger than the Veyron, you can imagine the kind of lag these hamburger-sized turbos could deliver, so Bugatti offset them by having two blowing all the time that are fed by eight exhausts each. At 3800rpm a valve opens the other two to bring all four on song. These are fed by four exhausts each to deliver a linear wall of torque from 2000rpm to 6000rpm.

Chiron has shunned any electrical assistance to the powertrain, so while it lacks the immediacy of take-off compared to hybrid supercars like the 918, LaFerrari and P1 McLaren, it more than makes up for it a split second later as the stopwatch – and your neck muscles – will prove.

At its governed top speed, 1000 litres of air are fed into its ten radiators and intercoolers every second, while its water pump can fill an average sized bathtub every 11 seconds at 800 litres per minute and the oil pumps circulate oil at two litres per second.

Thankfully it has a large 100-litre fuel tank, but that becomes academic when it’s drained empty in less than eight minutes thanks to its turbos sitting on 1.85 bar of boost which is the equivalent of 1300kg placed on top of each of its 16 pistons.

After a while the stats become mind numbing, so luckily my co-pilot was the kind of person who can put that kind of engineering and performance into perspective in a way that only a man who has raced a 400km/h Le Mans Jaguar can.

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“During qualifying for Le Mans, we’d wind up the V12 so we could go about six seconds a lap quicker, but after the second lap, the engine would explode because the cylinder pressure was so high it would stretch the head bolts and pop the head gasket,” Wallace said.

“By comparison, the Chiron has 400bhp more than that firecracker but it’s as tractable as a Volkswagen Polo and good for 200,000km.”

We were having this discussion in the car’s luxurious environment on the motorway, listening to music through an outstanding Accuton sound system that uses a one-carat diamond membrane in each of its four tweeters.

Chiron’s powered seats are supportive in a firm way – not good for an all-day stint but okay for a few hours – while the feeling of width inside is accentuated by a slim centre console milled from a solid billet of aluminium. This houses all the comfort and convenience gauges while a swoopy LED divider down the centre gives the feeling of the driver sitting in his own cockpit.

And the Chiron is far from a stripped-out fighter. It has a sumptuous leather interior comprising 18 cowhides which gives it a deliberate Bentley-like ambience.

Supremely faster and more luxurious than its supercar competitors, the Bugatti Chiron is not what you’d call a practical car, though it does have room for a 66litre suitcase in the nose which makes it more useable than most supercars that boast substantially less power.

Bugatti Chiron Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo, W16-cylinder Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch auto AWD Power: 1500bhp @ 6700rpm Torque: 1600Nm @ 2000rpm 0-100kmh: 2.5 seconds 0-200kmh: 6.5 seconds Top Speed: 420 km/h (governed) Weight: 1995 kg Price: AED 9.4 million

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o doubt if you’re into your supercars and like reading up on the latest, you’re seeing a few reviews of the new Lamborghini Huracan Performante, the track-focused, sportier version of the already track-focused and sportyenough Huracan V10.

And there’s a very good chance that some of these articles will wax lyrical about the music from the exhaust pipes, the crackle and burble on down change, the earsplitting, spine-tingling shrill from the 5.2-litre engine during flat out up changes, etcetera.

It’s pretty hard not to get carried away with emotions by one of the most emotional cars on the market, but for the first time as I left the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola, Italy, better known as the home of the San Marino Formula One Grand Prix, it was the silent parts of this Lamborghini that impressed me the most.

I’m a huge fan of aerodynamics; as I first cast my young eyes on the Ferrari F40 and the McLaren F1, both released at roughly the same time, I couldn’t help but notice that where Ferrari needed giant wings and spoilers to keep it pinned to the road, Gordon Murray’s design of the F1 road car did the same without the need of a single wing or fin.

It was pinned to the road purely by the clever use of air directed over and under it in strategic places, free energy that weighs nothing – and ever since then it’s been a minor infatuation of mine.

So as I inspected the new winglets and the rear spoiler which have been added to the Huracan Performante, I noticed small venturi-like veins in the rear wing.

Despite this car weighing 40kg less than a regular Huracan, being 10% stiffer with 15% less body roll and producing 29 more bhp, now at 631bhp with 600Nm of torque, up from 560Nm, I was most keen to test this new wing on the track.

For those not familiar, this circuit in the Emilia-Romagna region is not only just 75km away from the Lamborghini factory at Sant ‘Agata, but it’s also the venue where Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed on that fateful, horrific weekend in May 1994 during the San Marino Formula One Grand Prix.

It’s an old school track with little run off and very fast sweeping, off-camber corners that can catch you in the blink of an eye. It’s not of the clinical, modern genre of tracks which are safe at almost any speed. Get it wrong and it will bite hard – but get it right and it will reward you with the deep satisfaction of taming a beast.

The Performante’s aero package, Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA), adds a front splitter and a rear wing that they claim produces up to 350kg of downforce at 310km/h. That’s 750% more load without affecting its 2.9 second to 100km/h acceleration time or its 325km/h top speed.

It’s an active aero system which works in a similar way to Formula One’s DRS: it stalls the rear wing by opening small flaps on the straights to allow air through, thereby increasing speed and reducing downforce when it’s not needed.

The clever part with the Lambo, however, is that unlike F1, it works on the left and right side independently. This means that going through a left hand corner, for example, the air directed through from the front is blocked on the left side but allowed to flow clean through on the right side, giving more grip to the inside rear wheel.

Flick it through a left-right chicane sequence and it toys with Mother Nature, deflecting air left then right then left again to ensure maximum downforce is only applied to the wheel that needs it.

When the flaps are shut, air flows over the wing normally, creating plenty of downforce; but when the flaps open, the air flows through the wing and out the back, stalling the wing by reducing both downforce and drag.

It truly is one of the very few, genuine breakthroughs in supercar design and something that for once didn’t flow from motor racing but no doubt will be copied by it in some form very soon.

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Lamborghini Huracan Performante

By Damien Reid

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Add to this the rear-drive bias of its all-wheel drive system and its direct steering, especially with the variable ratio option that returns more feel than the standard electric unit, and the Performante is one of the most rewarding cars to drive for fast directional changes whether through chicanes on a track or along small country lanes.

The Huracan is the last of a breed, the last of the analogue supercars with no hybrid powertrain like the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 or LaFerrari, so the rawness you feel, knowing that 100% of the power comes from the gorgeous mid-mounted V10, is something to savour. It’s fast, but it’s also immensely fun – something that doesn’t always go hand-inhand with the others.

It feels light and agile and full of character as you can still slide the nose when pushed, causing some understeer, then entice the rear to come round in the tighter corners using the correct amount of throttle.

Like the aero and engine tweaks, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has also been updated with faster changes for the sports settings and smoother cog swaps around town.

It’s now a full second faster from zero to 200km/h – but did I say that it was loud?

This is a Lamborghini after all, so there has to be some mention of the aural delights – and my goodness this bad boy does not disappoint, especially in the track-focused Corsa mode.

You may love it (and you will), but I guarantee that with those eye-level straight pipes protruding out the back, after a few weeks your neighbours may not.

It delivers nothing short of a deafening roar in full track Corsa mode with large bangs and raw fuel explosions through the rev range up to its 9000rpm red line.

For such a large engine that’s stupidly high and I don’t even want to think of the centrifugal stresses passing through its ten cylinders at such eye-watering revolutions. Thankfully, in street Strada mode it’s marginally quieter – marginally.

You have to remind yourself that this is the track-focused version of the conventional Huracan, so you have to cut it some slack in the comfort department and expect it to be a bit stiff and awkward when covering long distances, but it’s not too bad.

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I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some back pain after a full day behind the wheel and found it a handful to climb in and out with its low centre of gravity, shallow doors and wide sills, but then if I was after a comfortable long haul tourer I’d do that in an S-Class Mercedes or an Audi A8 limo.

Everything about the Lamborghini Huracan Performante from its wedge-shape to its flamboyant colour range and open-bore exhaust is extravagant.

This is not a car for wallflowers; but as we are being carried into an era of autonomously driven, electric powered, hybrid whiteware for the masses, it’s brilliant to know that companies like Lamborghini are prepared to put excitement first and rational practicalities a very distant second.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante Engine: 5.2-litre, V10 Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch auto AWD Power: 631bhp @ 8000rpm Torque: 600Nm @ 6500rpm 0-100kmh: 2.9 seconds 0-200kmh: 8.9 seconds Top Speed: 325 km/h (governed) Weight: 1382 kg Price: AED 975,000

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growth In Any Conditions Are you looking for a minimally-invasive, scar-free technique hair restoration clinic, pushing the limits of what medicine can do to solve hair loss and seeking perfection with each and every case? We might be able to help. The FT (follicular transfer) Technique has been a revolutionary breakthrough in hair loss treatment as it provides natural undetectable results with minimum disruption to our patients' busy demanding schedules. Our Doctors and Consultants are developed and trained worldwide to ensure that our patients benefit from the latest medical technology available including investment in research to continually enhance and develop treatments to help maintain and restore hair.

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elcome again my fellow beauty lovlies, to another edition of Simply Abu Dhabi's cosmetic haven.

I hope to introduce you to brand and products you will learn and welcome into your home. They all differ in terms of their aesthetic, delivery and angle at which they approach our beauty routine.

Haircare is a very personal and challenging area. Most of us have 'damaged' or 'treated' hair that is in need of some attention and hydration. Not only heat from styling, but our every-day lives are surrounded by environmental aggressors, all contributing to the quality of our tresses. Lee Stafford, an expert in his field, is a man who can tame our manes back to health. His product range is so vast, it's easy to see he knows what he's creating, and that all hair types are catered for. A well respected figure in the industry, he is a true professional with many accolades under his belt.

Read my article to find out more about the man himself, as well as his incredible haircare collection and styling tools.

JK7 on the other hand is focussing on our skin. In the most natural and 1005 organic way, this is the brainchild of Dr Jurgen Klein, founder of Jurlique (a personal favourite of mine). It's 'pure' luxury but perhaps not as you know it.

Handmade, free from synthetic fragrances and colours, no acrylics, chemicals, mineral oils and animal content. Thus of course, there is no testing on animals here either. Rest easy, this brand is cruelty free and beyond natural, it's all good. With retail outlets and spa's dotted around the globe, this is a skincare range who has extensive experience already under their belt. Read on to find out what they're offering us lucky consumers.

Then finally, on to fragrance. A more personal area of our beauty regimen but integral nonetheless. Who feels complete without a spritz of something before we head out into our busy lives? The opulent sounding 'Velvet Collection' from Widian AJ Arabia is what we're taking a closer look at here. So close in fact that I managed to ask the creator behind the scents all about their inspiration for the collection, as well as more personal questions to get an insight into what it takes to create such important products in what can be such a saturated market.

As ever, it has been a pleasure to delve into theses beauty marvels and show you our cherry-picked products from what's available on the market. Knowledge is power so use yours wisely!

If there's ever anything you'd like to know more about do please let me know. There are plenty of ways to get in touch and I'm always on the lookout for elements of beauty that inspire me and what you'd like to see more of. You can find me via my twitter, instagram and snapchat: @beautisserie where I look forward to interacting with you.

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

Stay beautiful,

Sophie McMullan Beauty Editor

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By S op h i e M cM u l l a n

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Widian AJ Arabia A

brand new and exciting launch is upon us, celebrating the Middle East and its culture. Widian AJ Arabia brings us the Sensual Velvet Collection of two beautiful fragrances: Liwa and Delma. Both encompass the classical and modern heritage of the UAE and all its precious offerings. Warm and floral yet light and velvety, each will take you on a sensory journey you're sure to never forget.

The first thing you’ll notice is the beautiful bottle. Using dark and light colours whilst taking a respectful nod to the East and West, it's mysterious presence is undeniable. The architecture of the Middle East is renowned and recognised the world over. Sheikh Zayed’s designs of the Grand Mosque and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi are clearly an influence for the packaging of these two scents. Standing proud with elegance, great design perfectly intertwines form and function.

Liwa, named after the Empty Quarter Desert in Abu Dhabi, is a fragrance with jasmine, saffron, bergamot and artemisia as its top notes but with a smoky grounding. The intensity from sandalwood and incense oud reminds us of the East while the powdery notes and the soft patchouli base lighten the mood. Vetiver allows some freshness to enter the mix, with geranium and familiar amber wood completing the cocktail – one which will be hard to resist.

In turn, Delma references the island in the heart of the Arabian Gulf. This unisex scent is perfect for all to enjoy. Saffron will ignite the senses, with mandarin and bergamot adding fruitful zestiness. Rich vanilla, leather and marshmallow sweeten the senses, contrasting against the green notes.

Both are available at selected vendors worldwide – be sure to experience them as soon as you can! Add them to your collection for a classic take on a contemporary perfume.

Having been in the industry since 2012, Mr Ali Aljaberi has had extensive experience with all the elements required to create a unique fragrance. I asked him some questions to shed light on his impressive professional life and to give us an insight into his personal inspirations…

What do you consider your most powerful skills?

It is very hard for a person to evaluate himself, but I hope listening to customers is considered a skill.

What is your background?

I have a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and master’s in management, marketing, communication and media.

This Velvet Collection looks very special. What sparked the inspiration to create this line?

I tried to glorify the flowery heritage of the UAE in perfumery. When people think about Arabic perfumes, they tend to think of heavy, intense ingredients such as oud, amber, sandalwood and so on. The Velvet Collection is telling people that our heritage and region are about far more than just these ingredients.

Explain in your own words the difference between Liwa and Delma.

Liwa is a smoky, light incense fragrance with a hug of white flowers which has a touch of sweetness at the bottom of it. Delma is a very sensual fragrance, with a flowery bouquet which I see as more feminine than Liwa.

The bottles the fragrances come in are so intricate and beautiful.

How did you decide on this presentation?

I wanted to design the perfect gift regardless of the scent itself. Since different people have different tastes, I created a box that represents the heritage of UAE architecture with a modern touch. We were inspired by old wooden house windows in our region, which we cut piece by piece using laser technology into our bottle shape.

With its oriental influence and the red and black packaging, please explain what these shades mean to you.

Red is used as a royal colour so often around the world. It also represents the red flowers which are a main ingredient in this collection.

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Can both fragrances be worn in the day and evening?

Yes, but it also depends on the wearer’s mood and the weather.

What is your favourite floral scent?

The ylang ylang flower.

What sort of women do you think wear your fragrances?

They are sophisticated, unique and sensual.

Do you believe in fragrance layering?

Yes I do, but with limits.

What is your personal style?

I like sweet oriental scents.

Which scent evokes the most memories for you?

Madagascan vanilla!

Smell is one of our most powerful senses. Do you think it alters our behaviour?

It reveals your personality, mood and memories. I always recommend choosing a scent that brings you happy memories and joy.

Do you have a mantra you live by?

Work to impress!

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

It was from my father: “Always be patient, you never know what is next.”

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

Oh, I’ve never considered that! I guess I would say, “You have a tough journey ahead of you!”

Do you have a daily routine when it comes to general grooming etc.?

I’m a very simple person, I don’t do anything special. I do, however, choose my morning and evening fragrance very carefully.

How do you see the future of fragrances and what's to come for your company?

Fragrances are part of our culture and personal care. I would expect more competition in this field, but the kind that helps us improve and work harder to hopefully cover most of the world’s markets.

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www.JK7SkinCare.com

The World’s Finest

Handmade in Hawaii / Chemical free

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THE PINNACLE OF MODERN SKIN CARE

urprisingly, the inception of JK7® was not to create another world renowned skin care product, such was the case with Jurlique, nor was there a desire to delve into another commercial endeavor. No, JK7®Luxurious Natural Skin Care had a much simpler, almost innocent objective - to create the unequivocally best nature derived face & body skin care ever produced. The whisper of, ‘What if,’ was the beginning of the finest skin care available today.

A personal undertaking, to reveal the incredible properties of Mother Nature, combined with science and the age-old art of alchemy.

Tradition meet innovation.

It takes a visionary to go beyond the expected tried and true, time after time, and Dr. Jürgen Klein is such a person.

Excellence takes time to perfect, and after ten years of formulation and multiple iterations, JK7® Luxurious Natural Skin Care came to be.

Concurrently, Mrs. Karin Klein, wife of Dr. Klein, and company CEO, possessing deep professional Dr. Jurgen Klein knowledge of the cosmetics industry began recognizing a void in the skin care market. Mrs. Klein foresaw the continued market shift towards organic skin care, however the Natural & Ultra-Luxury, Eco-conscience, skin care market was now heavily lagging, and had yet to experience a product possessing an ultimate level of purity, a truly 100 percent Natural Skin Care product, let alone Natural combined with High Performance.

Using solely the highest quality raw materials available in the world, prized JK7® owned Signature Extracts created by utilizing JK7®’s exclusive Spagyric Extract techniques, and the most valuable and rare, sustainably sourced essential oils, JK7® Luxurious Natural Skin Care is handmade by Dr. Klein himself with the assistance of his production support team. High on the hills of the glorious North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, in the family owned, vertically integrated boutique production facility, Klein and team use love, precision, and exceptional care at every stage when crafting JK7®. Here the Aloha spirit abounds.

Painstakingly produced, and deliberately created in small batches to ensure optimal efficacy to ones’ skin, JK7® is to be applied and enjoyed, not sit indefinitely. This skincare suite of products is alive and brimming with bio-available botanicals and essential oils, because the highly active life force of the plants and herbs are retained in the creation and formulation.

A holistic mindset resides in all aspects of JK7® Luxurious Natural Skin Care, which has allowed JK7® to effortlessly evolve into a Lifestyle company, and as such, take an inside approach. “As inside so

outside, as outside so within.” JK7®’s intention is to be part of an overall healthy lifestyle. In life, one may choose to do a few, or several wellness focused habits or actions, only to then apply compromising products all over ones face and body, thereby lessening the effects of what they intended.

Once considered a quaint, non-conforming, bohemian undertaking, Natural and Organic skin care, is far beyond a movement, it has an established place amongst the behemoths of the cosmetic industry. The dissension in the market place amongst consumers and the industry, as to whether organic, natural, and environmental consciousness is really worth the effort, or even necessary, is dissipating as more evidence mounts of synthetic chemical intake.

Whether exposed through the environment, ingested or applied, the negative outcomes of synthetic use have become clear. It is known that using and eating chemically based products has counterproductive results after a time.

JK7® Laboratory, Hawaii

Mass market saturation is not in the sights of this skin care company, having created true high performance luxury products that will never be compromised on any level. With a core value to continue to bring the most impeccably luxe products to the market, JK7® vows to remain as precious and special as it is today, always.

JK7®’s formulations are indeed highly complex, but according to devoted JK7® patrons, the dynamic results are straight forward. In a results driven world, that is all that counts.

Whatever the industry you reside within, if you create something yet unseen that also commands a high price tag, you’ll be asked to explain the why behind the difference. Dr. Klein, the creator of JK7® Luxurious Natural Skin Care, has been speaking to the “why” for over 40 years. You might imagine a scientist (Bio-Chemist and Alchemist) growing weary of answering the same question repeatedly, but for Dr. Klein, this fuels his passion. Helping people to see through the smoke screen of the cosmetic/skin care industry has long been a goal, a goal that he’s trying to reach through many angles. It’s not just education that Klein enjoys sharing, it’s the skin care products themselves. This is why he founded his first skin care company (Jurlique) in the 1980’s, and has now raised the bar with JK7®. When he began formulating skin care, Klein says, “It was not a time of intense awareness or concern for natural ingredients and methodologies”.

Standards of chemical use in skin care varied from country to country (as they still do) and though his European birth home upheld some of the highest standards, even then, he could see there was vast room for improvement.

The freight train of consumer awareness, and a blatant refusal to be pandered to, has bred just the type of client the JK7® Skin Care creates for. “Our clients are interested in having the newest, most innovative, and effective, products”, says, Karin Klein. “They have the means to have the best, and they aren’t willing to settle anymore”.

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here there's passion, there's a career. As my father once said to me, you only need to be good at one thing in life. To be really good at one thing is no mean feat, especially when you're talking about a skill which incorporates creativity, drive, passion and a way with people.

Lee Stafford has all these qualities in abundance. With his work ethics and flair for what looks good on each individual, it's no surprise that he has conquered the hair styling world.

As well as creating the couture cut for his lucky clients, he has his own salons and a product line, including hair tools. Allowing us to take home a little piece of the man's magic to style our own tresses is a treat in itself.

I admire his philosophy that a haircut is not just a cut – he wants to take into consideration so many factors, from the client's lifestyle and bone structure through to their colourings and hair goals. All these elements go hand in hand when chopping and moving the precious strands surrounding our faces.

He recently added to his extensive haircare line a beach-inspired Sea Salt Collection, and I instantly wanted to find out more. So I asked Lee about his beginnings in the hair world, finding out some amazing advice in the process. Lee has discovered himself and learned how hard work and natural talent can make a real difference in the longevity of a career.

It was only later that I went on to do every hairdressing course possible, which fuelled my desire to be the very best in my field.

Are there any well-known personalities that you're dying to get your hands on?

I would love to style the Queen.

What Lee Stafford product can you not live without?

My Lee Stafford Heat Protection Shine Mist. I’m always using this spray on myself and my clients to protect their hair from heat damage.

Your newest release is the Sea Salt Collection. What was the inspiration for this line?

I wanted to create a product that would re-create that big, beachy textured hair we get when on holiday by the sea! It is one of the most requested hairstyles, so it was only natural to create a product line to help clients achieve it! Plus we really wanted to experiment with different formulations and textures, which is why we created a shampoo with large visible sea salt crystals to exfoliate the scalp, and a foam conditioner!

How did you come to be involved in the world of hairdressing/styling?

I started out when my mum asked me what I wanted to do and as I didn’t know, she suggested becoming a hairdresser. Her reasons were that I hate the cold, I love women and I don’t like getting my hands dirty! Initially I didn’t take any conventional courses. In fact, my mum took me to an interview at a salon in the King’s Road where I became a junior, which was a great way to learn. Then six months later I began cutting hair in my mum’s dining room. I continued to do so for a few years before starting up my first salon in Leighon-Sea.

L E E

What has been your greatest professional achievement?

Winning British Men’s Hairdresser of the Year for the first time was such a huge achievement, and it really launched my career. It was so unexpected and my family and friends all stormed the stage. They were so delighted for me! It really was one of the best moments of my life and the doors it opened literally have made my career.

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What do you do in your precious free time?

I like to spend my free time with my wife Jess and our two children, Angel and Elvis.

What do you think is the biggest mistake people make with their hair?

Using heated electricals without using heat defence. You must always use protection!

What's the best way to maintain the optimum condition of our hair?

Its maintenance! As annoying as people find this piece of advice you’ve got to go for regular trims and always use heat protection when heat styling your hair.

Using products that will keep the hair moisturised is also key when it comes to keeping it in the best condition possible. Products containing argan oil are great for keeping moisture locked in. My ARGANOIL from Morocco Nourishing Miracle Oil is great for preventing moisture loss and also contains many ingredients that are associated with repairing and creating luxurious healthy hair.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your work?

I love that every day is an opportunity to create something amazing. No day is the same and it’s really rewarding to create something that makes someone feel great. It is so creative and something that I can be so passionate about. I count my blessings every day that I am able to do something I love doing PLUS I get to be surrounded by the most amazing, inspirational people which means that I am still learning new things all the time.

Where's your favourite place in the world and why?

The Maldives – it’s just breathtaking. I also have a huge soft spot for Ibiza. For my most recent birthday we rented a villa for a few weeks and had loads of family and friends come to visit.

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S i m p l y T r av e l

By Nick Rice

Healthy Splendour La Réserve Genève Hotel, Spa and Villas is the stunning flagship resort of Michel Reybier’s ultra-luxurious and expanding hospitality empire.

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ome corners of the world are magically salubrious. As soon as you arrive there you feel a palpable change coming over you. There is an invisible energy that takes hold and beings to work wonders on mind, body and spirit. La Réserve Genève Hotel, Spa and Villas is one such place, idyllically positioned in Switzerland with a vista than spans the expanse of Lake Geneva and the glorious Alps.

This exclusive luxury 5-star hotel resort, one of the The Leading Hotels of The World, was the first La Réserve property, launched in 2003 by the über-luxury Hotel Group, Michel Reybier Hospitality.

Incredibly opulent sister properties are found in Ramatuelle in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and in Paris, but La Réserve Genève is the flagship Hotel and boasts one of the finest Spas in Europe, as well as a stunning private villa on Lac Leman and five top flight restaurants, including Le Tsé Fung – the first Chinese restaurant in Switzerland awarded a Michelin star.

Founded by the discreet and distinguished French businessman Michel Reybier, whose business concerns include healthcare, biotech, oil, wine and hotels, everything about his properties speaks of impeccable taste, understatement and sober refinement.

Reybier wanted to privately own and carefully manage a portfolio of truly individual properties that would provide intimate settings

and cutting edge facilities for discerning clients that are happy to pay for the most exceptional holistic lifestyle experiences. The cornerstone of his vision is authentic luxury imbued with simplicity.

In his own words, Reybier says, “My philosophy is to seek excellence in creating exceptional places and service-driven hospitality experiences for a circle of initiates who, in addition to certain values, share a special vision of life and luxury. Luxury that isn’t afraid of simplicity. Luxury that embraces authenticity.

Rethinking luxury.”

His contemplating the first of his growing hospitality empire, Reybier adds, “La Réserve offers a completely luxurious lifestyle… with a soul. Hotels, serviced properties, spas and restaurants… within each and every one of these locations you will encounter a subtly different approach to service, quality and relationships with each individual guest. I look for places that feel extraordinary – a certain light, a certain energy and soul – qualities we cannot find elsewhere. As an active traveller, I’m well aware that standards of service can make all the difference to one’s hotel experience.”

The 103 rooms of La Réserve Genève are inspired by Colonial styles and evoke the finest African lodges. Interior Designer Jacques Garcia collaborated to conjure an exotic yet restrained inner elegance. On

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the exquisite comfort that has been accomplished Reybier says, “We offer the comfort of refined simplicity with an uncluttered, unpretentious hotel experience. Together with the luxury of an attentive yet discreet stance, our clientele experiences a reassuring sense of privacy and calm. Here, they find an intimate and infinitely pleasing home away from home, where the promise of excellence is fulfilled for those who share an appreciation for a finer way of life.”

The finer things in life are indeed exemplified by the magnificent villa on the shores of Lake Geneva that is available for rent. Villa du Lac abounds with glass and design sensibility, with interiors by Rémi Tessier and views over the water, it is an immaculate haven in a hectic world.

The same can also be said for the Nescens Spa, an acclaimed centre of medical health and well-being that is one of the finest spas in Europe. Nescens boast their own conceived better-aging philosophy, and Fitness Preparation Program to give guests the knowledge and tools to not only keep and stay fit but also to age in the best possible way that science and lifestyle combined can achieve.

The philosophy of life espoused is centred on the personally evolved desire to alter personal habits and look after oneself in a meaningful, long-term way. Nescens provides solutions that are above all enjoyable – after all, pleasure and well-being are at the very heart of their approach to better-aging.

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Three complementary approaches are deployed, which are: coaching, treatment and nutrition. Guests receive a physical and joint-health evaluation by an osteopath, a nutritional assessment with a dietician, personal training tailored to the relevant discipline, massages and coaching. Through this alliance of services the programme assures clear, impressive results.

together Nescens offers the tips and tools to be as fit and healthy as it’s possible to be and the personalised ‘better aging’ programmes, which last from 4 to 7 days, are perfect starting points to achieve personal objectives such as weight loss, detoxification and stress management.

In terms of anti-aging expertise, Nescens has devised its own proprietary better-aging programmes that are founded on scientific and medical knowledge, with support from the Center for the Prevention of Aging at the Clinique de Genolier. The fields of antiaging prevention and medicine, biological and genetic testing as well as nutrition are all covered and as a result, every programme calls for an in-depth diagnostic phase.

It is unsurprising that La Réserve and Spa Nescens have been bestowed with a number of prestigious awards and recognitions in the hospitality industry. They succeed ever day in accomplishing their clearly defined vision; “La Réserve lifestyle is based on a unique vision of luxury. At a time when everything is globalized and uniform – including luxury – it can be very difficult to find something truly unique and innovative. This is where La Réserve successfully fills the void.”

This assessment is conducted by the spa’s multi-disciplinary team with a range of complementary experience (preventive medicine, osteopathy, nutrition) to enable a holistic better-aging overview. All

After a luxuriant and beneficial time in the Spa it is an unmitigated treat to dine in one of La Réserve’s restaurants.

Chef Virginie Basselot (Winner of the 2015 Meilleur Ouvrier de

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France (Best Craftsman of France) award in cuisine-gastronomy) is the Executive of Le Loti and she ensures a warm and relaxed atmosphere for an exquisite dining experience. The signature dish of cod fillet with lemon balm butter served on a bed of pearl tapioca is sublime.

Le Tsé Fung restaurant has to be experienced as this is the best Chinese cuisine not only in Switzerland, but perhaps beyond.

“Canton and indeed China as a whole has found itself an incomparable ambassador in Frank Xu. His creations are authentic and delicious, meticulously put together with first-class products; the desserts in particular delight the taste buds and make a lasting impression” the Michelin Guide inspector stated after visiting.

The luxury world can be considered a tough one to compete in, but La Réserve does so in stately fashion. The hotel goes the extra

distance to create a warm and caring family feeling. The atmosphere is sophisticated yet not stuffy, refined but not overly formal – it is a rare and authentic space.

Michel Reybier has succeeded in his sincere desire: “My wish is that each of my guests, well-known or unknown but always acknowledged, should feel at home while being elsewhere; that they may share in an art of living filled with extreme refinement and delightful moments. The discovery of an exceptional wine, a personalised spa programme for an enhanced and longer life, a small kindness, a meaningful gesture… we are a house where people naturally gather; a club one is keen to enter and where spending time is a true pleasure.”

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Soho House Barcelona The Soho House global empire expands with a 19th century mansion between the glistening Mediterranean Sea and the beguiling Gothic quarter of Barcelona.

By Nick Rice

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T

he Soho House style evokes the imaginary home of a hipster Sherlock Holmes or an über-cool Charles Dickens. The aesthetic is quintessentially British and manages to embrace heritage while being strikingly contemporary. Step inside any international house and it only takes a moment to recognise that everything is impeccably curated yet still invitingly comfortable. It’s a look that is unmistakably Soho House and it’s a valuable alchemy that has worked wonders for the brand over the last 21 years.

The Soho House empire has evolved from being a small private members’ club founded by Nick Jones above the Café Boheme restaurant at 40 Greek Street in Soho, London, to a portfolio of 18 wildly impressive members’ clubs, hotels, top tier restaurants, spas, cinemas and workspaces in select locations in the most vibrant cities. Soho House is the place to be whether you’re in New York, London, Berlin, Miami, Istanbul… the list goes on.

Jones entered the world of catering as a young man in the 1990s and opened the first Soho House members’ club above his restaurant, specifically for people immersed in the creative industries. If lawyers, bankers and corporate types had their own private clubs, why shouldn’t artistic souls who rejected the uniform of suit, tie and briefcase have an environment of their own?

Two decades later and the company’s latest property in London is The Ned – a monumental former bank and architectural masterpiece located within the Square Mile, with a whopping 252 bedrooms, nine restaurants, six private events spaces, spa, gym and, of course, the members’ club. It’s a fitting embodiment of just how far the Soho House brand has travelled.

Much smaller in scale, but equally striking and containing the same unmistakable allure and Soho House magic, is the new members’ club and hotel in Barcelona, opened in October 2016. Dominating one corner of the Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, with the yachts of the Port Vell marina bobbing on one side and the labyrinthine alleyways of the Barri Gòtic on the other, Soho House Barcelona is in the perfect spot: it’s just a few minutes from La Rambla and less than a ten-minute stroll to a range of attractions and landmarks. It nails an essential part of the Soho House formula: location.

Warm-natured and welcoming, Richard van Batenburg, General Manager, graciously explains over coffee in the elegant members’ club room how important the site is. “Finding the building was a challenge because we love to be in unique places. Our partner found the building in 2011 and approached us, and when Nick came to see the building, well he always goes straight up to the roof to see what the views are like, and of course he got up there and saw the views of the Mediterranean, the Tibidabo and Montjuic mountains, and he said, ‘Wow… this is an amazing location. You really feel like you’re in Barcelona’. And this is the feedback we get from our members.”

The building is listed and consequently the Soho House developers had to work within certain constrictions, including preserving the three façades of the building. The entire core was gutted to create a blank canvas for the interiors team, led by Vicky Charles, who began waiting tables at Café Boheme nearly 20 years ago.

With Charles at the helm, the team has transformed, in typically show-stopping fashion, the inner space into a homely sanctum with the inimitable Soho House signature style.

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The renovation was no small task as huge volumes of sea water had to be pumped out during the excavation. As the development took shape, essential characteristics of the building and of its cultural heritage were maintained. The vaulted ceilings typical in Catalonia were lovingly restored and retain real impact in various spaces such as the Cowshed spa, the members’ club room and the gym. As Richard says, “For us it’s important that you have the local flavour and that you know you’re in Barcelona, not only in terms of the food and drink but also in terms of interior design.”

There is one downside to visiting any Soho House anywhere in the world, and that is the acutely covetous feelings you experience. I doubt I’m alone in confessing that wandering around makes my brain start silently

muttering, “I want that tan leather timeworn old armchair, look at that lustrous brass table lamp, I wonder where I could get some authentic Spanish patterned tiles like those, how cool is that cabinet… check out that antique Danish chest – WANT!” After two decades of members and hotel guests asking Nick Jones and his staff where, in fact, they can buy that mattress or this dining table or that drinks cabinet, it’s finally possible to do so with the launch of sohohome.com – the group’s online homewares store. So, whether it’s a vintage Ercol coffee table or a regal green cinema footstool, you can now take a piece of the Soho House style back to your own pad.

Whilst Soho House has worked with acclaimed designers such as Martin

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Brudnizki, Ilse Crawford and Tom Dixon, the approach is very much holistic and in-house these days, with around 90 people in design and development. There is also a bespoke service for private design commissions, and individuals have been known to order complete bedroom and bathroom suites for their own residences.

The rooms at Soho House Barcelona feature lofty views, mid-century furnishings and lots of little details – like a nifty miniature Marshall amp digital radio and an array of Cowshed premium toiletries in a splendid bathroom that appears to be straight out of a period movie. This cinematic effect informs much of the spaces in the house – whether on the sundrenched roof terrace with its heated pool and huge striped mono-lounger bed, or amidst the Italian-infused bustle beneath the atrium in Cecconi’s restaurant.

The supporting protagonists in Soho House – the team of staff always on hand to assist – are attentive without being fussy. They come across more like new friends, and they retain their own personality at work rather than being required to don a uniform and adhere to a strict code of behaviour, as with many corporate hotel and hospitality chains. This doesn’t mean a slip in standards, of course; it just means you feel more relaxed and at home – which is entirely the point.

Reflecting on the unstuffy, open and communal atmosphere, van Batenburg says, “It starts with the concept: this is not a hotel, it’s a private members’ club with hotel bedrooms. That creates a very different environment than the traditional hotel… The interaction with the other members, for example. It’s not only about networking on a business level but also on a social level. It’s unique, and alongside the facilities that come

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with the membership, there are between 40 and 45 events every month.”

So, after you’ve been to the immaculate gym, enjoyed a movie in the exquisite lamp-lit crushed velvet surroundings of the 36-seat cinema and chilled out in the Green Room speakeasy bar, you can join a talk or a tour.

These events cover a range of intellectual and creative themes such as architectural walks through Gaudí’s masterpieces or professional photography tutorials. There are also sunrise yoga sessions, sundown DJ sets, masterclasses on mindfulness and informal laughs at trivia nights.

“As a local member or as a hotel guest you can participate in our specialist events during your stay here with us – you can have a cooking class with the chef, enjoy a lecture or join an off-site event, such as visiting the David Bowie exhibition,” van Batenburg explains.

Soho House has always been famous for celeb-spotting and there have been plenty of impromptu performances from visiting or resident stars, but this is not something they choose to shout about. As van Batenburg comments, “One of the reasons why we’re so successful is because we protect the privacy of our members. It’s a club for creative souls so by default we have lots of people that are in the film and music industry; some of them are well known, some of them are up-and-coming.”

There are around 50,000 Soho House members worldwide and joining involves completing an application form supported by recommendations

from two current members, which is then considered by a committee.

Desire is strong and there are an estimated 30,000 people currently on a waiting list for membership.

There is occasionally a misperception that Soho House is elitist, but it is not the case. “The membership fees are very affordable (€1500 for local membership and €1800 for global), so it’s not for the elite at all,” explains van Batenburg, adding, “It’s a misperception, definitely. It’s not about the fortune that you have, the money that you make or any other social status… It’s really about whether you are a creative soul.”

More properties are in the pipeline as Soho House is powering through a stage of aggressive expansion. New openings are planned in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Hong Kong and Tokyo – the latter involving a collaboration with the renowned minimalist architect Tadao Ando.

Wherever a Soho House appears, expect crucial elements of that city’s vernacular allied with an enduring British style to create a uniquely impressive and harmonious result that is sympathetic both to the region and to the building itself. But above all, expect a refined and cosy space to meet like-minded new friends.

As Nick Jones concludes, “Our houses are in diverse locations, but our mission has always been the same: to create a comfortable home from home for our members.”

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Fighting Fit Kicked off by the Olympics and its enduring legacy, ‘Sports Tourism’ in Barcelona is thriving. It’s the perfect place to get in shape in style and enjoy the rich Catalan culture.

By Nick Rice Photography: Natacha Elmir

B

uild it and they will come, the saying goes. It certainly worked for Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. The infrastructure constructed for the 1992 Olympics helped transform Barcelona into the one of the most attractive and popular cities in the world.

Back in 1990, Barcelona was a very different place to the thriving and cosmopolitan hub it is today. Before the Olympics, tourist numbers were around 1.6 million per year. In 2016, the city attracted a mammoth 32 million visitors, with daytrippers accounting for two thirds of the total.

From a neglected industrial backwater, held back under the iron rule of General Franco who resented the Catalan city’s fierce resistance during the Spanish Civil War, Barcelona has risen up and is now regularly rated amongst the top tourist destinations in the world.

The benefits of the development reached everyone in the city as new roads were built, green public spaces were allocated, the sewage system improved and the city even got its own beach. Using sand imported from Egypt, Barcelona suddenly had over three kilometres of beachfront with restaurants, bars and cafés, plus the Passeig Marítim promenade – a five kilometre-stretch of coast favoured by residents, tourists, runners, rollerbladers, segway riders, cyclists and more.

Sports Tourism has taken the baton from where the Olympics left off – continuing the legacy and steadily growing over the years. In broad terms, sports tourism

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includes visitors who travel to a destination to be a spectator in a sporting event and the ‘active sport tourist’ who travels to participate in an event or to take part in a sport and improve overall health and fitness.

Sports tourism is a key driver of the travel and leisure industry and it has evolved into a special way to spend vacations. It’s a popular new travelling philosophy that combines healthy wellbeing and fitness with adventure, ecotourism and cultural discovery. It is ethical, ecological, low-impact and high quality – all qualities that accurately describe Complete Fitness BCN (completefitnessbcn.com), a dynamic company that provides a full service for short and long term visitors to Barcelona.

Complete Fitness BCN was founded 18 years ago by British fitness expert Paul Cazaux, who has managed the company in the UK, Australia and since 2014 in Barcelona. The company offers an all-encompassing service that includes; personal fitness training, programmes on the beach and in beautiful sites around the city, detailed nutrition plans, boxing classes, hiking and Nordic walking, high intensity interval training, yoga, pilates and more.

There are also weekend retreats in the nearby mountains, spa and massage services – the complete package. The company has recently expanded to include corporate events and joining a growing team Natalie Hill devises bespoke programmes for individuals and corporate teams – any group willing to

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commit to eating a nutritional diet and finally doing what they’ve been planning for a long time – getting in shape.

Cazaux and Hill was spot on, and even when an old shoulder complaint flared up, the service was ideal.

Speaking about his experience and the growth of Complete Fitness BCN, Cazaux says, “I’ve been in the personal training and fitness industry for over 20 years and I feel that over the last 15 years the demand for oneon-one training has really grown, especially in the United states, Australia and it’s now catching up in Europe… individuals and companies are starting to realise that being fit and healthy makes for happier more productive staff and a happy, more productive life.”

Within an hour, I had a run of appointments lined up with Zoe Queally, a highly-qualified physiotherapist with over 20 years’ international experience treating private clients and training new therapists. Queally is also an expert in the clinical application of pilates and runs www.fisiopluspilates.com. As a spinal and sports injury specialist, she conducted a course of surprisingly painless treatment that not only remedied the complaint, but had my body feeling better than it has in years.

Complete Fitness BCN is the perfect antidote to lazy, lying by the pool trips. More and more people are wising up to the long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle. “With the stress of modern life, demanding jobs and with fast food being in abundance, it’s too easy to gain weight and become unfit,” Cazaux says, adding, “Thankfully, people are now realising that good health is the key to a good life and with the right encouragement and advice they can change their physical and mental wellbeing whilst adding precious years onto their lives”.

Sports tourism makes perfect sense as you get to experience a new city, indulge in all the cultural elements you want to, and at the same time you get insider knowledge and tips first hand from a resident – not to mention feeling and looking great.

Simply Abu Dhabi signed up to sample the Complete Fitness BCN experience and after a course of boxing classes, circuit training in gorgeous parks, weight and resistance work – the benefits were obvious. The nutrition plan was detailed and effective, the advice from

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And it’s not just about slogging it out, Complete Fitness BCN also organise leisure excursions, such as hiking and swimming in natural pools on the Torrent De Cabana – or “route of seven gorges” – one of the most stunning nature walks in Catalonia.

Sports tourism is the fastest growing global tourism segment with the sport tourist spending up to double that of regular visitors during their trips. The World Tourism Organisation have predicted growth of 14 per cent per

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annum for sport tourism compared to 5 per cent across all other tourism categories.

The opportunities to participate and the increasing influence of the lifestyle show that the interest in sports tourism looks set to grow.

As Cazaux says, “I feel that we are still in our infancy years, the room for growth is massive worldwide, we are more health aware now, we are asking questions about what we eat, where the food source comes from, how we can better our health, prevent illness and feel and look better.”

Sports tourism accounts for almost 10 per cent of international tourism market having positively affected the host cities of different sports events as well as their neighbours. The market is becoming very creative in engaging and attracting sport tourists. It’s also a major driver for corporate activities, as Cazaux says, “The benefits of working out together go far beyond the actual event. Getting out of the office and working out together increases Paul Cazaux of Complete Fitness

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productivity, keeps staff motivated and improves communication. Not to mention the fresh air and change of atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to get to know your colleagues in a different light.”

From the Olympics to the ongoing impact of Sports tourism, sports and healthy activities can be recognized as a catalyst for change, incentivizing the development of the city itself as well as individuals. Of course, there is a balance and too much tourism can have its downsides, but the urban regeneration and economic contribution are utterly vital.

The continued growth of sport tourism will be limited only by a lack of imagination. As Cazaux concludes, “Barcelona is a beautiful vibrant city with breath-taking buildings, landmarks, beaches and parks, which opens up a world of outdoor activates from swimming, surfing, ball and racket sports, hiking, cycling… the list is endless.”

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