BESPOKEN 11

Autumn—Winter 2012 11th Edition

ONE FOR THE LADIES AUTUMN-WINTER 2012-2013 TRENDS

THIS SUIT IS YOURS I NTERVIEWS STROMAE VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

S CABAL IN FIGURES 1972-2012 : 40 YEARS OF PASSION WITH HOLLYWOOD

A SCABAL I NI TI ATI VE TO P ROM OTE A TAI LOR -M AD E LI F ESTYLE

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Editor JÉRÔME STÉFANSKI Publisher GREGOR THISSEN Project Coordinator KRISTEL GEETS Styling SYLVAIN GADEYNE Graphic Design BASEDESIGN Writers NIGEL BISHOP MAURITS BRANDS ALAN CANNON-JONES CÉCILE DE FORTON FEDERICO GRANDESSO BRUNO MORANDI ERIC MUSGRAVE JANET PRESCOTT WILFRIED REDANT BERNHARD ROETZEL JÉRÔME STÉFANSKI

E DITORIA L CO MMEN T

ONE FOR THE LADIES

D

ear reader, “Behind every strong man you will find a strong woman”. It’s certainly a cliché, but there is probably still a lot of truth in this declaration. Many historical figures underline this fact – from Eleonor Roosevelt, Gaya (the woman next to or behind Dali), Frida Calo, wife of Diego Rivera to Michele Obama, these ladies have shown that you can support your man without being hidden away in the background. So this 11th edition of Bespoken is a homage to all those well-known or less well-known women that not only dedicate their lives to their husbands and families but are also very often hugely successful in their own careers, pursuits or charitable activities.

On a more practical note, our contributors have looked at the role that every woman plays in a man’s sartorial habits. It is indeed a fact that many men, however powerful and ‘macho’ they might be, will hand over the decision process to their wives or companions. How many times have we heard : “Oh, when it comes to clothing, I leave everything up to my wife.”

Obviously, we could not talk about strong women in Bespoken without taking a close look at some of the ladies that have shaped fashion and made a remarkably innovative contribution to the fashion sector over recent decades, such as Stella Mc Cartney and the highly opinionated, politically minded Vivienne Westwood. But, in the true tradition of our magazine, we will look not only at the world of textiles but also introduce you to female champions in many very different fields. Finally, and as a tribute to female beauty, we could not resist providing a brief glimpse at the very exciting, yet politically correct, Pirelli Calendar.

By introducing our new Autumn-Winter collection, we hope to give the ‘husband and wife buying-team’ inspiration and guidelines for upcoming clothing decisions. Happy reading !

Peter & Gregor Thissen

Proofreading JAMES DREW & COLIN MOORS ReadRight.be

Photographers BRUNO MORANDI LUK VANDER PLAETSE STEPHEN PAPANDROPOULOS RONALD STOOPS

‘WE HOPE TO GIVE THE HUSBAND AND WIFE BUYING-TEAM INSPIRATION AND GUIDELINES FOR UPCOMING CLOTHING DECISIONS.’

Illustrators JEAN-BAPTISTE BICHE OLIVIER VAN BEGIN SCABAL Boulevard d’Anvers, 33 B–1000 Brussels Belgium Phone : + 32 (0)2 217 50 55

Gregor Thissen, Scabal CEO

www.scabal.com Do you have any suggestions or feedback ?

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Scabal CEO Gregor Thissen and his father Group Chairman J. Peter Thissen © Scabal

Bespoken is printed on environmentally friendly, fair-trade paper.

This indicates a key article available in a variety of languages at Bespoken.com 1

CONTENTS 01 EDITO RIAL CO MME N T

36 T H I S I S SCA BA L

ONE FOR THE LADIES

SCABAL, STROMAE : LET’S DANCE !

04 CONT RIBUTO RS

SOME OF OUR KEY PLAYERS 06 SCABAL IN FIGURES

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38 B ESP OK E WOR LD

MASERATI PROGRAMME CREATES NEW REALITY

28 T HE ACC ESSO RY TH AT M A K ES T H E DIFF ER ENC E

LET’S TALK ABOUT SOCKS 30 ACC ESSORIES

NOTHING BUT THE BEST 34 CLOT H GU ID E

WHY MERINO WOOL IS SO POPULAR

SPECIAL FEATURE : ONE FOR THE LADIES 41

12 WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF THE WORLD 44

LUDOVICA CARBOTTA : A NEW VISION OF THE CITY 46

SMALL SAMPLES, BIG RESULTS 48

BRIT GIRL POWER 2

THE LADY BEHIND COGNAC 54

RANA THARU : NEPAL’S PRINCESSES

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12 AUTU M N-WIN TE R 201 2 – 20 13 T R ENDS

CLASSIC OR CONTEMPORARY: MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

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CHANGING TIMES ON ‘THE ROW’ : WOMEN TAILORS STEP FORWARD

A REFINED NEW COLLECTION

24 AUTU M N-WIN TE R 201 2 – 20 13 ST Y L E ADVIC ES

BESPOKE GIFTS FOR HER

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08 F RO M SHE E P TO S H O P

THE SUIT IS YOURS

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CELEBRATING 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CAL™

63 PAST – PR ES E NT – FU T URE

SCABAL NEWS 64

SCABAL WORLDWIDE

Linear-winding automatic movement, 18K red gold case with sapphire crystal sides and back.

Engraved gold version of the first CORUM automatic baguetteshaped movement.

www.corum.ch

CONT RIBUTORS

SOME OF OUR KEY PLAYERS Text by Jérôme Stéfanski Illustrations by Jean-Baptiste Biche & Olivier Van Begin

Janet PRESCOTT Eric MUSGRAVE Eric Musgrave has been writing about fashion for nearly 30 years and is the author of the recently published Sharp Suits, a 200-page celebration of men’s tailoring. An award-winning editorin-chief while at Drapers, the UK’s top fashion business weekly, he has also held senior positions at Men’s Wear, Fashion Weekly, International Textiles (based in Amsterdam) and Sportswear International (based in Milan), as well as writing for numerous other publications, including Financial Times, The Observer and Vogue.

In this edition, Eric presents Scabal’s new fabrics collection and gives us helpful winter style tips.

Janet Prescott is an independent writer and commentator on the textile and fashion business. She is based in Ilkley, Yorkshire, a region of the United Kingdom that is well known for its weaving industry. The major sphere of operation for her at the moment is Twist magazine, as its Fabrics and Yarns Editor, where she covers the major international fairs, interviews personalities in the trade and writes opinion pieces on subjects such as eco-luxury, designer labels, new yarns, fabrics and fashion.

For Bespoken, Janet has interviewed two talented ladies who are master tailors in Savile Row.

Maurits BRANDS Bruno MORANDI Bruno Morandi is a globally published photographer, writer and traveller. While studying architecture in Paris, his first trips took him to Nepal and Pakistan and, as a younger man, he spent his childhood summers in Tuscany, in his father’s homeland, Italy. The hilly landscapes rendered as painting by the light must have certainly influenced his eye and his taste for travel – he has already worked for National Geographic, Grands Reportages, Le Monde, VSD and CNN Traveller.

For Bespoken, Bruno has travelled Nepal to meet a community that is entirely run by women.

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Magazine editor Maurits Brands writes about visual culture and social contexts, specializing in the history of magazines with further interests in journalism, photography and graphic design.

His personal library, Archive Magazine Brands Antwerp, consists of a wide range of original magazines from 1898 to the present, as well as books and digital references. Working on books and exhibitions, his aim is a wider acknowledgment for the dynamic that magazines bring to our world, comparable with film, (graphic) design and architecture as an art form and cultural reference.

In this 11th issue of Bespoken, Maurits has researched the past and future of Maserati luxury cars and the famous Pirelli Calendar, next to a bespoke selection of the 12 most outstanding women of all time.

Bernhard ROETZEL Author of the popular Gentleman : A Timeless Fashion and British Tradition & Interior Design, Bernhard Roetzel has studied classic men’s fashion for more than ten years. Aside from his work as an author and editor, he also holds lectures and seminars on style issues.

In this issue, Bernhard has explored the traditional way of making Scabal’ socks.

Cécile DE FORTON Cécile de Forton is a young, passionate journalist who works as a freelancer for many publications. Her favorite topics are fashion, art and culture. Based in Brussels, she recently launched her own business, Papier Stylé, a writing agency that offers its services to companies.

For Bespoken, Cécile has interviewed two ladies who have the chance to live from their passion : Italian artist Ludovica Carbotta and French cognac-maker Pierrette Tripet.

THE HEART OF COGNAC

Taste our know-how wisely

40 SCABA L IN FIGUR ES

This is the number of years Scabal has worked with the Hollywood film industry – the story began in 1972 when Scabal provided fabrics for The Godfather, the first episode of Francis Ford Coppola’s trilogy, starring Marlon Brando. Recent years have seen many Scabal-costumed films, such as Wall Street (1987), Casino (1995), Titanic (1997), Men in Black (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Wall Street II : Money Never Sleeps (2011) and Mission Impossible IV (2011).

By Jérôme Stéfanski

Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf in Wall Street II

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator

Marlon Brando in The Godfather

See more movies in which Scabal featured at www.scabal.com/movies

H

ollywood costume designers see Scabal as a guarantee of quality, authenticity and personal service – that’s why so many look to Scabal. In addition to providing the fabrics, the brand also advises costume designers, as with The Tailor of Panama (2001), in which Scabal assisted in the creation of a setting that perfectly recreated a master tailor’s working environment.

“Sometimes, we get rather unusual requests,” says Scabal CEO Gregor Thissen. “I remember

Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro in Casino

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one time when we were asked for 30 metres of a very expensive fabric. With such a yardage you can at least create ten suits ! When we reported this to production, given the price per metre, we were informed that they would make several suits. When I saw the movie, I finally understood : Jack Nicholson – or his stunt double – was jumping from a car and ending up in a puddle each time and with each take, it was another jacket in the bin !” Obviously, nothing is too good for Hollywood.

See more movies in which Scabal featured at www.scabal.com/movies

Tomorrow is what we make it.

Bamboo, rattan, steel and nylon.

That’s all designer Kenneth Cobonpue needed to build the first-ever biodegradable roadster. And at the same time, to come up with a solution for one of the world’s biggest environmental problems: the waste created by old cars.

So, does this mean the end of the vintage car? That depends on how you look at it. What’s sure is that it’ll make your typical vintage car even more unique.

This visionary and innovative outlook on life and finance is what we have been focusing on for the last 140 years. And it is exactly the same way we will approach your personal and business investments in order to safeguard their future.

If just like us, you are convinced that the future starts today, you’re more than welcome to stop by at toekomstvisies.be or visiondavenirs.be

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Bank Degroof is proud to support the Zoute Grand Prix.

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F ROM SHEEP TO S HO P

A REFINED NEW COLLECTION The wide choice of Scabal’s cloths always ensures that there is a huge selection of each new season’s qualities. This winter, many new designs and colours will be offered along with the unique stock of more than 5,000 fabrics that are permanently available.

By Eric Musgrave stripes with herringbones 3 are also included.

Typical combinations are light greys and medium blues on a beige ground, or a mustard cloth decorated with soft red and light blue. At 280g, PANACHE the pure Merino wool has a milled finish, which This new flannel bunch sums up Scabal’s abil- slightly raises the surface to enhance the touch ity to serve many markets with fashionable of the cloth. These are ideal cloths to be dressed but practical cloths – the collection comprises down or dressed up, as the wearer prefers. many vibrant colours Customers would travel the world, so often have to buy clothes to wear in climates unlike the one they know at home.

Businessmen from sub-tropical Hong Kong, for FABRICS GLOSSARY 1 example, are becoming very familiar with the ‘Glencheck’ — Glencheck fabrics are characcold winters of northern China. terized by large squares, generally covered with Panache is a very desirable winter quality smaller coloured squares. They can be used to that has two distinct elements. The first part make a traditional suit and also for sports jackets. comprises woollen flannel weighing 360g. The TOISON D’OR (THE GOLDEN FLEECE) woollen process gives the cloth a lofty, full hanCarrying forward from Spring-Summer 2012, dle. As well as the expected greys and blues, this one of the strongest colour stories of this section also includes a number of unexpectedly Autumn-Winter season is blue. Many shades of bold shades such as vivid purple, bright blue this versatile colour are found among this col- and green. Some of the cloths will be popular 2 ‘Houndstooth’ — Houndstooth is a fabric lection of Super 150’s suitings, which sits at the for suits, but others might be more readily top level of latest creations. In a relatively light used for separate jackets, blazers, waistcoats or in which the pattern is obtained from two or 260g quality, the patterns choices are refined trousers. The brand expects many clients to have four threads of different colours. ‘Houndstooth’ and extremely elegant, with plains, soft shadow fun working out the possibilities of ‘Panache’s’ fabrics are generally made from wool, with black stripes and fancy but discreet checks to the fore. mix-and-match approach. and white being the usual colours.

This high-grade cloth collection is imbued with In the second part of the bunch, the quality a stylish masculinity, which may perhaps be best is worsted flannel weighing 330g. The worsted expressed in a three-piece suit. ‘Toison D’Or’ process results in an altogether smoother finish cloths will be well represented in Scabal’s Nº 12 and, appropriately, the colour options are a little clothing collection. more conservative, with a variety of beige shades and lovat being typical. Across the entire bunch 3 ‘Herringbone’ — The herringbone is a ROYAL FLUSH there are 36 plain patterns.

The fibre of the South American guanaco, a relavariation of the serge, which resembles the teeth tion of the llama, is especially prized for its soft, CORTINA of a saw, either parallel or perpendicular to the warm feel. Softer than the best cashmere and In its ready-to-wear clothing collection Scabal warp. The diagonal structure of the twill changes almost as soft as vicuna, it is the sort of rare noble is still championing a generally slimmed-down direction, and the result is a ‘zigzag’-style creafibre that Scabal loves to offer to its clients who silhouette for jackets and trousers. ‘Cortina’ is tion, which resembles a herring’s skeleton and appreciate the finest qualities. ‘Royal Flush’, a a brand new and striking sporty winter suiting is thus called ‘herringbone’. totally new luxurious bunch, combines 5% gua- and jacketing quality that will be ideal for this naco with refined Super 160’s Merino wool. The fashionable look. Unashamedly fresh and anyhandle of the cloth is exceptionally soft. The thing but conservative, Cortina is epitomised by 280g variety is available in 27 patterns, all in complex, updated glen checks, which can have classical colours like greys and navies, with very two colours in the ground and two more colours subtle micro-designs, shadow stripes and plains as decoration. Houndstooth 2 patterns and some F or Autumn-Winter 2012–2013, the kaleidoscope of fashion changes will present us with pronounced but apparently contradictory trends. In some areas patterns, especially stripes, are being neglected, with false plains, micro-designs and gentle tone-on-tones taking prominence. Here subtlety and refined surface effects are preferred to strong contrasts.

Yet elsewhere for the season, bold and complex checks are very strong, not only for jackets but also for suits. The sporty playfulness of a renewed glencheck 1 or a vividly contrasting windowpane can appeal to the same man who wants a restrained suit for business. The Scabal choices, as always, cover all the options for a discerning man’s wardrobe.

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that are not quite plain. This is a high-level luxury suiting that requires little or no decoration. It is simply exquisite.

Royal Flush : A new collection that blends guanaco and Merino wool – the winning combination for this winter. © Scabal

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CHAMPION

No fewer than 52 patterns are included in this bunch of Super 120’s weighing in at a versatile 290g. Customers looking for a good classic and stylish suiting will be delighted with choices like the herringbone designs, the subtle self-stripes, the false plains, the pick-and-pick patterns.

Colouration tends to be conservatively subdued, but there are many fine details in the weaving.

OVER THE GUANACO

CAPELLA

For the confident man who wants something a little out of the ordinary, Scabal’s cloth designer Michael Day and his team have created ‘Capella’.

Drawing on the company’s 1970s archives, the result is just 12 examples of extremely fancy jacketings which include large checks with boucle-like yarns that gives the surface a slubbed appearance. There is no restraint in the colour mix either, with green / orange, blue / lime, brown / purple and medium blue / red among the combinations. ‘Capella’ is a pure Merino wool quality weighing 300g and woven in England.

Have you ever been inspired by the 70s ?

We invite readers to go to pages 32–33 of this edition to learn more about this collection and get more information on the collaboration between Scabal and internationally renowned singer Stromae, a partnership that finds its origin with ‘Capella’.

ROMANCE

Worsted-spun fine cashmere of the highest possible quality has been used to create ‘Romance’.

Ideally suited to increasingly important unlined, natural-shoulder jackets, this collection of 280g plains, semi-plains, glen checks and windowpanes will be in great demand for Autumn-Winter 2012–2013.

Whether it’s cashmere, Merino wool, flannel or guanaco, Scabal uses the noblest natural fibres to create collections that are both exclusive and comfortable. True to its mantra, ‘A passion for cloth’, the brand continues to re-invent, while never neglecting its expertise, since 1938, in the world of fabrics.

THIS SEASON, SUBTLETY AND REFINED SURFACE EFFECTS ARE PREFERRED TO STRONG CONTRASTS

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The guanaco

The guanaco (like the alpaca, llama and vicuña) is a member of South America’s camelid family. Unlike the vicuña, which can be found as high as 5,800 metres, the guanaco rarely grazes above 3,000 metres. The guanaco is to be found in southern Peru, Argentina and Tierra del Fuego. Currently, it is more widespread in Patagonia, where it lives in small groups of around twenty, led by a dominant male. The guanaco is around 120 centimetres in length and weighs around 110kg, and is therefore larger than the vicuña, which is around 80cm / 50kg. The guanaco wool is extremely fine (14 microns), but still a touch coarser than that of the vicuña (12 microns).

Just like the vicuña, however, the guanaco is an endangered (and protected) animal that lives in the wild. To collect the precious wool, the animal must first be captured, according to very strict rules, and then released back into its natural environment.

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AU T U MN-W INTER 20 1 2– 20 13 T RE N DS

THIS SUIT IS Y OURS

Wearing made-to-measure outfits is not only about enjoying first-class comfort, it is also a great way to assert your personality. This winter, Scabal once again combines six strong personalities with six exceptional fabrics, linking content and form as never before.

Photographer : Ronald Stoops Art Direction : Pierre Daras for BaseDesign Styling : Sylvain Gadeyne, Olivier Vander Slock and Pierre Daras for BaseDesign Text : Jasmine De Bruycker for BaseDesign Coordination : Kristel Geets Clothes, fabrics and accessories : Scabal

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MR. KNOW-HOW AND FABRIC Nº 703235 Mr. Know-How is the first man you would call when you need advice. Just like his grandfather, he is full of lore and as bright as they come. Add to this an inherited eye for true craftsmanship, and you’ll think twice before bothering Mr. Know-How with fashionable gimmicks or frivolity. Only durable, authentic quality is dear to him.

No wonder Mr. Know-How only wears suits that bear a skilled craftsman’s handwriting.

One of his favourite Scabal cloths is fabric Nº 703235, a heavier English weave made from a 360-gramme strong, pure winter wool. This traditional quality is rare to find nowadays, and harmonizes perfectly with a timeless design. Scabal’s ‘Classics’ collection offers a rich variety to choose from, from a birdseye weave full of character to twill woven herringbones, stripes or checks. A dream collection for connoisseurs who value artisanal tradition more than anything else.

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MR. COMFORTABLE AND FABRIC Nº 703167 Mr. Comfortable is a warm person living a hectic life. He works like a madman, but will fiercely defend his right to relax at set times. His suits therefore need to feel comfortable enough to take a quick nap, but unfussy enough to get up and go. Fabric Nº 703167 from the ‘Cortina’ collection is perfectly suited for this double purpose. Made from a 280-gramme extrafine Merino wool, this quality will enrobe you with warmth without feeling ponderous. Its ultra-soft finishing results from Scabal’s traditional milling process ; its pleasant flannel feeling from a prolonged scouring treatment. The modern glencheck pattern adds a lot of flair, which contrasts nicely with the fabric’s classic, alpine feel. This must-have mix of softness and elegance makes a man like Mr. Comfortable simply content. Until that smartphone rings again…

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MR. PHILOSOPHER AND FABRIC Nº 852161 Where are the days when long letters, full-blooded horses and true chivalry saved you from the ordinary ? Mr. Philosopher decided to bring those glorious times back in vogue. And he’s on a mission.

Mr. Philosopher thinks every man should adhere to cavalier values and noble thinking. Scabal’s luxurious cashmere seems to be his perfect missionary companion. This warm but light worsted quality from the ‘Romance’ collection is simply exceptional. Its origins lie in the Himalayan mountains where the best and most exclusive cashmere comes from and is very different from the standard ones found on the market. Only the longest, finest and whitest underbelly hairs of cashmere goats are selected, and tightly spun into ultra-fine yarns. The resulting jacket is blessed with a lovely drape and a magnificent natural sheen, unique to Scabal’s cashmere. It always accompanies Mr. Philosopher to his clubhouse, where he loves to muse on the hilly landscape while politely discussing the meaning of life with his cavalier disciples.

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MR. RELIABLE AND FABRIC Nº 801695 Even at the tail end of the world, where the wind bellows and the cold cuts deep, Mr. Reliable would feel comfortable. Rock-solid and full of calm, he inspires respect and confidence. He is a true natural, and dresses accordingly. Mr. Reliable adores the rustic flannel feeling of a warm, traditional cloth such as fabric Nº 801695. This soft, pure woollen quality belongs to Scabal’s ‘Gallery’ collection.

It is made of a heavier 340-gramme woollen yarn for a silhouette full of strength and volume. A fleecy finishing and an elegant tartan pattern turn it into the perfect leisure jacket. Other Gallery cloths range up to 420-gramme pure wool, to blends with cashmere or cotton, all presented in countryinspired designs. These highly comfortable qualities will provide for elegance and shelter on even the roughest back-country trips.

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MR. TYCOON AND FABRIC Nº 752363 Mr. Tycoon is a true headstrong, focused and ready to race. For him, life is all about paying attention.

Mr. Tycoon doesn’t wait for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on the forehead, he takes things in hand himself. When he enters the corporate battlefield, he enjoys impressing his opponents by wearing a three-piece-suit that drapes perfectly. No better cloth than fabric Nº 752363 to do the job. This exquisite featherweight is the highlight of Scabal’s exquisite ‘Toison d’Or’ range. Made from classic Super 150’s wool weighing barely 260 grammes, the cloth has a fabulous handle and smoothness much-praised by connoisseurs. Its refined design and lustrous finishing add a glamorous touch that will ginger up any business meeting. This mix of classic confidence and modern audacity has proven to be such an effective business tactic, that it even impresses Mr. Tycoon.

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MR. HIGH-SOCIETY AND FABRIC Nº 851670 Every era needs an ambassador of elegance, a role that is cut out for Mr. High-Society. His fascination with well-dressed Hollywood legends has turned his wardrobe into a gold vein of style. And he isn’t lacking in inspiration. Mr. High-Society loves to throw riverside parties for a phalanx of movie stars, models and moguls. And when all the bars in town have closed, the night continues from his penthouse’s rooftop where he welcomes his guests in a classy, featherweight cashmere gown. Only the finest, longest and brightest cashmere fibres are chosen to create this impressively smooth Nº 851670 fabric. It belongs to the exclusive ‘Loch Fyne’ range, offering designs with predominant beige, brown and blue checks, herringbones or plain attractive shades. They all emphasize the natural elegance of ‘Loch Fyne’s’ luxury 100% cashmere qualities. A true must-explore collection for every dandy-aesthete who sees life as an art project, and style as an imperative.

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AU T U MN-WINTE R 2012 – 2013 ST YL E A DV IC ES

CLASSIC OR CONTEMPORARY: MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE For Bespoken fashion expert Eric Musgrave gives his essential Autumn-Winter 2012–2013 style tips.

British classic style and Italian cool elegance seem to be the main influences to bet on.

The classics will vie with the contemporary in the upcoming winter season. Elegant favourites like three-piece suits and double-breasted jackets will find acceptance among a select group of dressers, while the more modern approach of softly constructed jackets and slim-line suits will surely be popular once again.

Adding another dimension to the tailoring spectrum is the idea of adding a contrasting waistcoat to a two-piece suit for a less classic take on the three-piece concept. The smart city overcoat will prove itself to be an essential addition to many a man’s wardrobe.

THE ITALIAN INFLUENCE : SLIM AND RELAXED

Olivier Vander Slock, Sales and Collection Manager at Scabal, sees the contemporary directions following two distinct paths. “The S house style sums up a very smart, almost dandy look, with very slim two- or three-piece suits, short jackets sporting narrow lapels and being worn with slim-fitting trousers. One of our narrow ties would complete the look.”

“Now established almost as a standard is the Italian-influenced soft tailoring style in which soft-shouldered jackets can be worn with chinos or trousers in the 5-pocket-jeans style in a Scabal cloth. Lots of men wear this look without a tie, but it does not necessarily have to be casual. It looks good with a tie too. I’d say that this style is not so much about fashion trends ; it’s about the wearer’s personality. Some men just prefer it.”

FOR AUTUMN-WINTER A NEW OPTION FROM SCABAL IS TO HAVE A WAISTCOAT IN A CONTRASTING CLOTH TO THE REST OF THE SUIT Jacket, Gallery, Nº 801685 © Scabal

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FIVE QUICK TIPS TO FIND THE RIGHT WINTER WEAR 1. DARE A THREE-PIECE SUIT

Move up a gear and go for a three-piece suit. A waistcoat gives a suit a bespoke look as well as being a very practical garment for the colder months. Lapels on the waistcoat look very special.

2. TRY THE DOUBLE-BREASTED JACKET

It’s time to look once more at the double-breasted jacket. So, it isn’t as easy to wear as a single-breasted ? A well-dressed gentleman does not mind making an effort with his suit ! A well-fitting double-breasted will make you stand better and look better.

3. LESS IS MORE

If you don’t wear a suit on a regular basis, keep it simple with a plain but very high-quality model. There’s strength in a classic navy blue or a deep grey suit; you can add as much excitement as you need with your shirts, ties, pocket handkerchiefs, cufflinks, belts and shoes.

4. KEEP IT COSY

Winters are cold, so go for a cloth that looks warm and is warm. Tweeds, brushed woollens and the essential flannels all come into their own in the cooler months.

5. COLOUR YOUR LIFE

Don’t shy away from patterns and colours. Bring some brightness into the drab autumn-winter months with punchy colours – think of the turning leaves of autumn – and big, bold designs such as oversized glenchecks and window panes. They are not only for jackets !

FIND YOUR LOCAL RETAILER AT : www.scabal.com/store

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Contemporary outfit, Italian inspiration Pure wool tie from the ‘Oxford’ collection, pure cotton shirt, soft jacket made with fabric Nº 801696 from the ‘Gallery’ collection (65% wool – 35% cotton), flannel body warmer from the ‘Omega’ collection, fabric frame made with worsted flannel fabric Nº 702828 from the ‘Flannel & Saxony’ collection (Super 120’s) © Scabal

THE ENGLISH WAY : DOUBLE-BREASTED JACKET AND WAISTCOAT

Fans of classic tailoring will be encouraged by the undeniable return of the double-breasted jacket, one of the most elegant items in a man’s wardrobe, but also one of the most difficult to wear. Since its heyday in the 1980s, the doublebreasted jacket has virtually disappeared from many collections, but this summer saw many top designer names adding it to their ranges.

Some men do not like the double-breasted jacket because it has to be worn buttoned virtually all the time. But for others this discipline is attractive ; wearing this jacket makes you stand better, helping to present yourself better. Its proportions, with wide shoulders narrowing slightly to the waist, emphasize a masculine profile.

The waistcoat does a similar job ; it’s the nearest thing to a corset in a man’s wardrobe. As well as adding a pleasing completeness to a jacket and trousers, the waistcoat makes a man stand or sit more erect. No wonder a three-piece is popular with chief executives. For autumn-winter a new option from Scabal is to have a waistcoat in a 26

Classic outfit, British influence Pure silk tie from the ‘Cambridge’ collection, pure cotton shirt, raincoat from the ‘Omega’ collection, Nº 12 suit and fabric frame made with fabric Nº 752363 (pure Merino wool) from the ’Toisson d’Or’ collection. © Scabal

contrasting cloth to the rest of the suit. As well as obvious colour play, patterns can be mixed with plains. This will definitely be an option that will appeal to the individualist.

THE RETURN OF THE OVERCOAT

One trend that was noticeable on the designer catwalks for autumn was the return of the elegant overcoat. The bad winters suffered by northern Europe in the past few years have reminded men of the benefits of a smart top layer. Scabal has some beautiful overcoating bunches but some men may be attracted to the idea of having a lightweight topcoat made in a jacketing quality.

“We have seen the overcoat become more popular over the past two or three winter seasons,” confirms Olivier Vander Slock. “These are predominantly coats to be worn in the city, often with a 1960s look, as they end 2–3 cm above the knee, or hitting just below the knee for extra warmth. Wool / cashmere blends at 400 g are very popular, but so are qualities like whipcord and covert at 360–380 g. We have been developing coats as an extension of our jacket range.”

PUNCHY COLOURS AND HIGH-CLASS ACCESSORIES

Another welcome winter trend is the appearance of punchy colours in informal jackets and casual trousers. Picking up on the bright colours of summer, this is an area that the brand is covering well with winter-weight cottons, some with an emerised finish for a subtle ‘lived in’ look.

A full range of fine knitwear and excellent high-class accessories is already appreciated by many discerning customers who know the importance of dressing up or dressing down outfits. This autumn, new Scabal flagship stores will be opened in Brussels and in Beijing, so even more items are being added to the accessory collection. Goodyear-welted footwear, an attractive range of practical luggage and a fine selection of wallets have all been added for autumn and will find even more enthusiasts next spring.

MASERATI GRANTURISMO SPORT. OPPOSITES ATTRACT. Today, with the birth of the GranTurismo Sport, Maserati enters new realms of style, comfort and high performance, meeting the desires of the most demanding clientele. The latest evolution of the Gran Turismo concept, the new gem from Maserati seduces at first glance, a perfect combination of modernity and function for a thrilling, luxurious driving experience, seating four in comfort. Safety, style and dynamism. Every detail is designed to deliver results of excellence, around the eternal heart of every Maserati car: the engine.

Powered by 460 HP, the GranTurismo Sport unveils all its aggression in “Sport” mode. Luxury and high performance, just waiting to be put to the test. Visit www.maserati.com to find out more about the GranTurismo Sport.

To enter the Maserati GranTurismo Sport world, you can scan the QR code using the camera of your smartphone.

For more information on QR codes, see mobi.maserati.com V8 4691 CC ENGINE - MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT: 460 HP AT 7000 RPM - MAXIMUM TORQUE: 520 NM AT 4750 RPM - MAXIMUM SPEED: 298 KM/H (AUTOMATIC) - 300 KM/H (ELECTRO-ACTUATED) 0-100 KM/H - ACCELERATION: 4.8 SECONDS (AUTOMATIC) - 4.7 SECONDS (ELECTRO-ACTUATED) - COMBINED CYCLE CONSUPTION: 14.3 L/100 KM (AUTOMATIC) - 15.5 L/100 KM (ELECTRO-ACTUATED) CO2 EMISSION: 331 G/KM (AUTOMATIC) - 360 G/KM (ELECTRO-ACTUATED)

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.MASERATI.COM

THE ACCESSORY THAT M A K ES T H E DIF F E RE N C E

LET’S TALK ABOUT SOCKS

Fashion specialist Bernhard Roetzel explains why the new Scabal socks are so exclusive and offers style advice to find the right colour combinations between trousers, shoes and socks.

By Bernhard Roetzel

E

ven men with only a very remote interest in cars know the name Bentley and what it stands for. Exceptional cars. Only very few men are aware of the fact that this name has a similar importance in the world of textile though in a completely different way. In the 1950s the Bentley Engineering Co. Ltd. became the world’s largest knitting machine manufacturer. Since the industrial revolution of the 19th century the United Kingdom had ruled the world of textiles. For several reason the British lost their leadership in the 1970s and 1980s, the names of their once famous machine building companies survived. And so did some of the machines. A few are on display in museums, others are still being used to produce fine knitwear.

BRITISH ENGINEERING AND ITALIAN DESIGN

The now coveted and well serviced treasures have much less output than modern machines and they need skilled people to operate them. In return they deliver ‘old fashioned’ quality in the best sense of the word. So when Scabal headed out to create their own line of luxury socks they decided to use vintage Bentley machines to make them. They were lucky to find a couple of them in a little factory in Italy. They are more than 50 years old but still in perfect condition thanks to British engineering and the loving care of their Italian owners. Fortunately a small team of dedicated ‘operatori’ was available too. They know how to finish the socks ‘a mano’ creating the hand linked toe. This means that the seams of the unfinished socks are joined to together by hand, thread by thread. This elaborate task can only be performed by highly trained specialists, and it results in an extremely comfortable sock.

An elastic Filanca thread is added at this stage to ensure that the sock will retain its shape.

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greens were almost exclusivly worn by British gentleman and their imitators around the world.

Socks are loved because of their soft feel and In the world of Sloan Ranger Style flamboyant comfortable fit but they are usually chosen socks represented aristocratic eccentricity in because of their material and colour. Most opposition to the conformity of the average men nowadays prefer cotton although wool middle class office worker. wears better even on hot days. Consequently The basic rule for sock etiquette is simple.

Scabal offers socks made of both fibres to suit Socks should be black or dark grey with grey everybody’s taste. 100 % Merino extra fine wool or navy business suits and black shoes, brown is used for the Atlantic quality (yarn fineness 22, socks are taboo. If brown shoes are worn with count 234). 100 % Cotton Fil d’ Ecosse socks are grey or navy suits grey or navy socks are the best available in the Pacific quality (yarn fineness choice. Colours are non-existent in the context 26, count 120/2) and the Indian quality (yarn of traditional business etiquette. Colour comes fineness 26, count 90/2). For the wool socks a in with smart casual dress like for instance the classic rib design was chosen while the cotton blazer or casual jacket. Low risk colours for socks hose is offered both as a fine plain knit and with are wine red and bottle green, they perfectly a rib design. Two lengths are in store, the classic match the navy blazer and grey flannel trousers. knee length and the more popular calf length. The effect is heightened if the colour of the socks The range of colours includes classic darks for is repeated in the tie or the pocket handkerchief. the conservative dresser and some browns and More daring chaps will wear crazier colours with beiges to match fall and winter cloths. Green, both the suit and any type of jacket. They will fuchsia, purple and navy are available for those even go for purple socks with their dinner suit. who like to call attention to their ankles. Recently Still smart casual dress is the prime domain for this group of men has grown from a minority to a coloured socks. More so today than ever before substantial clientele. Nevertheless most men are because colour is a key part of every outfit. The fairly hesitant when it comes to coloured socks. best results are achieved when the socks match another garment or accessory, for example white CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLOUR chino pants, blue blazer, brown suede loafers, COMBINATION lavender socks and lavender v-neck sweater. You could add a blue tie with lavender stripes as the The history of menswear has known many icing on the cake. If in doubt whether to choose fashions including various fads concerning leg dark socks or coloured socks with a casual outfit decoration. The idea that men are supposed to it is always better to opt for colour. Black or grey only wear dark knee length socks is fairly new. In socks look terribly sad if they are mixed with the 1930s when the knitting industry was able to classic casual colours like khaki, light blue, navy offer highly coloured patterns it was quite nor- and brown. mal for well dressed gentleman to coordinate the colour of their socks with their tie and their hat.

A dark age of menswear commenced in the 1950s when businessmen around the world started to dress in shades of navy and grey. Socks were supposed to blend in between the black shoes and the dark cloth of the trousers. Coloured socks were not dead but they were banned from the Scabal’s traditional socks production in Italy offices. Flashy reds, pinks, yellows and emerald © Scabal A WIDE RANGE OF CLASSIC SOCKS

THE MACHINES ARE MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD BUT STILL IN PERFECT CONDITION THANKS TO BRITISH ENGINEERING AND THE LOVING CARE OF THEIR ITALIAN OWNERS

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ACC ESSORIES

NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Goodyear-welted genuine leather shoe, made in Italy. Š Scabal

This season, Scabal extends its range of accessories by introducing for the very first time fine leather and suede shoes, and many other genuine leather accessories such as wallets and luggage. Socks are back in the collection and now more than ever modern gentlemen can enjoy the pleasure of creating a full Scabal’s look.

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Long socks (knee length), ‘Berlin’ model, ‘Pacific’ collection, 100% cotton “Fil d’Écosse” – Also available in extra fine Merino wool. © Scabal

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‘Sette pieghe’ pure silk ties made in Italy, ‘Nº 12’ collection.

The tie is fold by hand seven times to obtain this unique look.

Background : Woolen flannel fabric Nº 702811 from the ‘Flannel & Saxony’ collection (Super 100’s). © Scabal

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Suede winter glove, flannel and suede belt from the ‘Mackay’ collection, goodyear-welted suede and leather shoe, made in Italy.

Background : Woolen flannel fabric Nº 702811 from the ‘Flannel & Saxony’ collection (Super 100’s). © Scabal

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C LOTH GUIDE

WHY MERINO WOOL IS SO POPULAR

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Merino wool is the natural fibre that is most frequently used by Scabal to create its exceptional fabrics – let’s see why this wool is considered the best in the world. By Jérôme Stéfanski

Queen Elizabeth II inspecting Merino sheep at the Wagga Wagga agricultural show in 1954 © National Archives of Australia

NOT ALL SHEEP ARE CREATED EQUAL

WHETHER THE PLANET IS WARMING UP OR COOLING DOWN, AS LONG AS YOU’RE WEARING MERINO, AT LEAST YOU’LL ALWAYS FEEL COMFORTABLE AND LOOK GREAT

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Wool has always been one of the world’s most sought-after fibres ; nothing else feels or performs quite like it. And, as it is made from nothing but grass, water and sunlight it is an entirely natural and renewal resource. But while there are many different breeds of sheep and many different kinds of wool, as far as the makers of the world’s finest suits are concerned, there is only one kind : Merino. And, for the past 200 years, the vast majority of Merino wool has come from only one country, Australia.

and even after the inevitable stress and stretching of frequent wear, will always try to return to its original shape. Thus creases stay sharp, pleats don’t deflate, lapels don’t flatten and so on. The bottom line – if you want a suit that won’t buckle under pressure, that will stand up to rough treatment, that will stay faithful to the original vision of its designer – to the look and feel which so impressed you when you first saw it – then there is no question, you want a suit made from fine Merino wool.

OTHER SUITS PALE BY COMPARISON

Shearing sheep’s flank wool © George Bell for Kerry and Co. Tyrrell – Collection, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

SOME PEOPLE ARE NEVER SATISFIED

Merino sheep thrive in Australia’s often inhospitable climate. But not content with their advantage, generations of Australian farmers have used selective breeding programmes to steadily improve the quality of the fleece even further.

Just as innovative, many generations of British spinners and weavers have been quick to develop new methods and technologies to maximize Australian Merino wool’s growing potential. The results of their unique and enduring partnership can be seen today in every reputable tailors and menswear store around the world – an abundance of wool of a luxurious fineness that not so long ago barely existed, transformed into fabrics that even the richest customers of yesteryear could only wear in their dreams.

doesn’t stop it ‘breathing’ ; the extraordinary cellular structure of the fibres absorbs the vapour of perspiration and moves it away from the wearer’s body. This means that in addition to keeping you warm and dry in winter a Merino suit will also keeps you cool and dry in summer. No other fibre – synthetic or natural – does this as well.

No other fabric has such a seasonal bandwidth.

Of course, a large part of any suit’s aesthetic appeal is its colour and, here again, Merino enjoys an unfair natural advantage. This is because the same unique cell structure that allows the fibres to absorb water also allows them to more fully absorb dye, so the colour gets locked in and lasts the garment’s lifetime. With other fabrics the dye does not penetrate the fibres to the same degree, so over time, with repeated contact, cleaning and exposure to sunlight, the colours can fade. Think of it as the difference between writing something on your skin with a marker and having a tattoo (not that we’re suggesting for a second that you should get a tattoo as an accessory for your fine Merino suit !).

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND, SIR ?

The type of yarn that provides the kind of smooth, closely woven fabrics so prized by bespoke tailors is known as ‘worsted’ yarn. And while Merino has a deserved reputation for making the world’s finest worsted suit fabrics, this has tended to eclipse Merino’s performance in other, less formal apparel. The fact is, the superior fineness of its fibres also makes it appreciably softer A SUIT WITH A MILLION POCKETS and more pliant than other wools, which in turn This same absorbency of Merino fibres also makes it ideal for more loosely-knitted fabrics. makes them highly resistant to static electric- While all wool sweaters will keep you warm, one ity, which is part of the reason Merino apparel knitted from the finest Merino has a softness always ‘drapes’ or hangs so beautifully, and why which has to be felt to be believed – and what it’s less likely than cotton or synthetic fabrics to could better complement your Merino wool suit cling uncomfortably to your body. It does this or coat than a fine Merino scarf ? because – as you’d see if you examined a single, just-sheared Merino fibre under a magnifying A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE A SUIT FOR ALL SEASONS glass – each fibre carries a natural crimp, a tiny Not long ago, when homes and workplaces were So what is it about Merino wool that makes continuous wiggle or repeating wave which, poorly heated, heavyweight fabrics such as tweed, it such a staple of bespoke tailoring ? Why do the interlinking with the crimp of the surrounding twist cloth and heavy baratheas were essential to makers of the world’s finest apparel still consider fibres, creates millions of minute, insulating a gentleman’s winter wardrobe – and the cut and it so utterly indispensable ? The answer is both air pockets. Another reason why a fine Merino handle of these garments created a distinctive simple and, at the same time, extremely complex ; suit performs well in both hot and cold weather. seasonal look. Today, as we live more and more in in a word, it’s the fibre. It’s extremely fine, for one Think of it as natural air-conditioning ! controlled climates and the seasons blur, leading thing ; so fine, in fact, that Merino suiting is now weavers such as Scabal have skillfully recreated increasingly classified instead with the ‘Super A SUIT WITH MORAL FIBRE many of those unique winter looks in lighter S’ system that denotes the fineness of the fibre, Part of the reason wool tailors so well is a prop- infinitely more wearable fabrics made from fine starting with Super 80’s, and going up to the ne erty of its fibres known as ‘visco-elasticity’. Put merino wools. So whether the planet is warming plus ultre suiting fabric Super 250’s. Such fine- simply, this means that once a particular ‘set’ has up or cooling down, as long as you’re wearing ness means that Merino can be tightly woven been introduced to the fabric the fibre effectively Merino at least you’ll always feel comfortable and into very smooth, dense fabrics. But that density ‘remembers’ it ; so the garment resists creasing, look great.

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T HI S I S SCABAL

SCABAL, STROMAE : LET’S DANCE !

The young singer, who is renowned worldwide thanks to his hit Alors on danse, has recently inspired Scabal. This is a meeting between music and luxury menswear, synonymous with quality, expertise and creativity.

By Jérôme Stéfanski A 1970s LOOK, REINTERPRETED

Around seven months ago, while Scabal was working on its new range of fabrics and garments for Winter 2012–2013, a collection stood out : ‘Capella’. Highly funk-inspired fabrics dating back to the 1970s, meticulously preserved in the drapers’ archives, ‘Capella’ is a collection that recalls the look of British college 70s, and it’s now back in fashion, thanks to Scabal and new weaving technologies. The 2012 version of ‘Capella’ has lost none of its former splendor !

‘Capella’ is a real eye-catcher and a very special collection for fancy jacketing. The choice of 12 exceptional designs showing big checks in bright shades as flashy green, orange, blue, red and purple and bouclé yarn- decoration. The pure wool fabric with a weight of 300 g is 2 ply in warp and weft and woven in England.

While Scabal was working on how best to promote this original and unique new collection, a personality spoke to the brand : Stromae.

As Scabal CEO Gregor Thissen says : “Stromae is THE perfect person to bring the ‘Capella’ collection to life. This is a classy, talented and distinguished young man, who unashamedly sports a dress style that is very original and refined. His style does not seek to shock or make an impression, but rather to affirm his taste for vintage outfits that convey a timeless elegance. We are active in more than 65 countries and the international aura of Stromae corresponds perfectly with Scabal’s international dimension.”

AN ‘EXCITING AND PASSIONATE’ COLLABORATION

“When we presented him with this collection, Stromae immediately told us how delighted he was,” Thissen adds. There then followed extensive working sessions with Scabal, to breathe life into customized clothing options to underline the singer’s personality. These include open buttonhole kissing buttons, in the purest spirit of Savile Row, leather-covered buttons, and contrasts between the cuffs and jacket lining – pure colour and shimmer.

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Project Marketing Manager Jérôme Stéfanski describes the collaboration as “exciting and passionate”. He adds : “The passion was at the heart of our meeting. Stromae was very impressed with the Scabal brand, particularly by our European manufacturing process, in which man’s hand is the creative star. For our part, we very much enjoy the singer’s personality and perfectionism that he has shown so many times on stage and backstage. Many questions were asked and long meetings were held to correlate these two exciting worlds : music and personalized clothing made from top-end fabrics.”

Scabal has also created outfits for the two musicians accompanying Stromae on stage. As explained by Scabal Collections Director Olivier Vander Slock : “We provided Stromae and his team with a comprehensive wardrobe, inspired by our fabrics and the singer’s personality. Together, we have given life to a real-world garment that comes to life on stage. Our goal was that his clothes should be his music, not vice versa – a very important criterion for a singer who always puts his musical creations to the foreground.”

BESPOKEN : How would you define your fashion style ?

STROMAE : I would say my style is like a dandy, colourful. I love classic cuts but it is the associations of bright colours that count.

What fashion accessory can you not live without ?

The bow tie ? No ! The socks – these are very important when wearing loafers.

How important is being ‘fashionable’ to you ?

I attach almost equal importance to fashion as a music video – both are almost indispensable to my work.

What does Scabal represent to you ?

A passionate family company and the know-how of 75 years’ experience.

What is your favorite colour ?

I don’t have one – I think that all colours have their moment of glory. It depends on so many factors.

Who are the best-dressed men in the world ?

I think the African ‘sapeurs’ are the best-dressed men in the world, probably because they have the intelligence not to take themselves too seriously.

On what occasion did you wear your first suit ?

My baptism – I think I was eight years old.

What did you think of your made-to-measure experience ?

It was new to me – very enjoyable and addictive.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS REQUIRE SPECIAL CREATIONS At the 2012 edition of the Victoires de la Musique in Paris, Stromae and his musicians, nominees in the Best Concert of the Year category, are seen proudly wearing original outfits made by Scabal. A grey flannel tuxedo (fabric 702816) is already very original, particularly when worn over flannel shorts that are also custom made ! www.stromae.org

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‘WHEN WE PRESENTED HIM WITH THIS COLLECTION, STROMAE IMMEDIATELY TOLD US HOW DELIGHTED HE WAS.’ Gregor Thissen, CEO Scabal

Stromae wearing Capella collection by Scabal © Dati Photography

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B ESP O KE WORLD

MASERATI PROGRAMME CREATES NEW REALITY A custom-made luxury car can be considered as the ultimate toy for the modern gentleman.

Among the few brands that combine sport and elegance, Maserati is the genuine article.

By Maurits Brands Maserati’s personalization detail © Maserati

S

etting new rules and new traditions, American-born Italian style guru Lapo Elkann embodies an intriguing personality and spirit. This grandson of Fiat’s Gianni Agnelli seems anything but a contemporary role model, yet his international lifestyle and achievements, with fashion brand Italia Independent and as director of brand promotion within the Fiat Group, take this enigma to iconic heights. Italy has given the world a great gift ; materializing emotion into discerning objects for every aspect of life. The eye of connoisseur Lapo Elkann is that of an aficionado of suits – very likely wearing Scabal fabrics from his tailor Carraceni – and obviously a fond owner of personalized cars.

Lapo’s own car collection includes a Ferrari California upholstered in denim, a custom Maserati GranTurismo and a Fiat 500, ditto.

“Customization is not a joke, or a philosophy, or a psychology,” he explained in the Financial Times ‘How To Spend It’ section. “If you put yourself in an environment that suits you [personally], then you’re going to have a better life — it’s as simple as that.” His matt-black Maserati certainly illustrates this sentiment with confidence, conviction and panache.

A personalized made-to-measure car could well be the ultimate male accessory. The digital car configurator on the Maserati website is a perfect introduction to the possibilities of that which dreams are made on. A dynamic yet practical toy that assimilates its various parts into a visual object of desire, and the choices to be made are in the eye of the beholder. The model, exterior and interior for seats can be set in line with trim, dashboard, steering wheel, carpet, stitching and belts, with optional equipment such as a car cover, shadow lines, sound system, dual colour interior, technology and safety features. The options seem limitless. Maserati offers standard solid colours next to metallic, special colours and special matt paint and include a choice of various types of wood for the steering wheel, such as Padouk, Walnut or Wengé. The actual choices 38

HERITAGE, FAMILY BUSINESS, WORKSHOP, AND CUSTOM-MADE CARS

are guided by official Maserati agents, who can offer professional advice. While a ‘standard’ Maserati will take around three months to deliver, special features will add another two to three months. In this sense, each car is produced made-to-measure. To fully understand the allure of this legendary brand is to drive one, just as the architecture of an excellent suit can only be completely understood when it is worn personalized, perfected and well fitted. 2011 saw the production of 6,500 cars, down from 7,800 in 2008, when the demand for vintage models was clearly growing.

Some car collectors own three or more, with one particular private collector in Europe owning more than 40 of the legendary vehicles with the famous trident logo.

The Maserati headquarters are based in Modena, Italy. In 1993, Fiat S.P.A. became the new owner.

The history of the brand officially began on 1 December 1914, and it enjoyed a golden age from 1937–67. The family story actually goes back to 1900 – the Maserati brothers (Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore and Ernesto) were all involved with automobiles from the beginning of the 20th century. Craftsmanship and passion, technique and innovation lie at the heart of building a reputation of excellence, with trial and error generating perseverance and perfection.

In 1929 the V4 appeared, with its 16-cylinder engine, making its debut at the Italian Grand Prix and setting the world Class C speed record over 10 kilometres at 246.069km per hour.

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The Maserati brothers at the original workshop in Bologna, in the 1920’. © Maserati

The assembly line of the Maserati 3500 GT in Modena’s workshop, 1958. © Maserati

The assembly of the Maserati Granturismo © Maserati

Maserati GranTurismo Sport © Maserati

Dominating the race scene, Maserati set new standards, spurred on by competitors such as Mercedes, Alpha Romeo and Ferrari. 1954 saw the debut of the 250F, which won the Argentine Grand Prix on its debut. Production of the 3500 GT, which was launched in 1958, began an important new era for Maserati and the plant had to be expanded – producing cars and sales became the main goals and Maserati’s racing activities took a back seat, but what never changed was the company’s uncanny eye for detail..

Even today, every part of each Maserati is inspected carefully and precisely with a magnifying glass, using white gloves.

The Quattroporte, the first Maserati four-door saloon, with a 90° V8 engine and a displacement

of 4,136 cc was launched in 1963 and will be replaced on its fiftieth birthday in 2013. The company will highlight the preparations for future developments, but is equally quite shy about revealing further details. As Maserati heads towards its 100th birthday in 2014, today it is striving towards a new future.

TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ALLURE OF THIS LEGENDARY BRAND IS TO DRIVE ONE, JUST AS THE ARCHITECTURE OF AN EXCELLENT SUIT CAN ONLY BE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD WHEN IT IS WORN PERSONALIZED, PERFECTED AND WELL FITTED

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ONE for THE LADIES 41

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12 WOMEN WHO BRIT GIRL CHANGED THE POWER FACE OF THE BESPOKE GIFTS FOR HER WORLD 51

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LUDOVICA CARBOTTA : A NEW VISION OF THE CITY 46

SMALL SAMPLES, BIG RESULTS

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A LADY BEHIND COGNAC

CHANGING TIMES ON ‘THE ROW’ : WOMEN TAILORS STEP FORWARD

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RANA THARU : NEPAL’S PRINCESSES

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CELEBRATING 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CAL™

SPECIAL FE ATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

12 WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF THE WORLD This edition of Bespoken is dedicated to women – here, we select 12 to allow us to consider the lady in every woman. Age is not the issue, while virtue and courage, elegance, willpower, insight, achievement, personality and style rightfully are.

Our tribute to all women worldwide.

By Maurits Brands 4. COCO CHANEL (1883–1971) 1. CLEOPATRA (69 BC–30BC)

As one of the most innovative fashion designers, Coco Chanel defined feminine style and dress sense during the 20th century. Her ideas were revolutionary, often taking traditionally male clothes and redesigning them for women. The marketing side of her business remains equally appealing, combining quality products, promotion and a sense of flair. Chanel Nº5 remains one of the bestselling perfumes of all time.

During her lifetime she was used as a character in works of western fiction, which eventually made it difficult for historians to determine the true facts of her life.

Refined intelligence, beauty and brains. The last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra sought to defend Egypt from the expanding Roman Empire. She formed relationships with two of Rome’s most powerful leaders, Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar. These relationships have been depicted in Romantic terms, although they purely may have been political alliances, while Elizabeth Taylor personified her character in the 1963 movie, confirming the ongoing allure of political ambition into global conscience.

2. CALAMITY JANE (1852–1903) Martha Jane Cannary (Canary) Burke became known as Calamity Jane, an American frontiers woman. A professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok – a folk hero of the Old West – and for having gained fame fighting Native Americans.

She is said to have exhibited kindness and compassion, especially to the sick and needy.

3. MARIE CURIE (1867–1934)

Science makes perfection. The first women to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win it in two separate categories. Her first award was for research into radioactivity, her second for chemistry. A few years later, she also helped develop the first X-ray machines. It would save lives, and even make an artist such as Man Ray artistically very happy, dazzling audiences with his ‘Ray-o-Grams’.

5. ROSA PARKS (1913–2005) One of the most respected figures in civil-rights movements, Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called ‘the first lady of civil rights’ as well as ‘the mother of the freedom movement’. Her personae and act of defiance became an international icon of resistance to 41

racial segregation. Rosa Parks worked strongly with other civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., helping to launch him to national prominence within the American civil rights movement.

6. EVITA PERÓN (1919–1952) Often simply referred to as Eva Perón, or affectionately just by her first name Evita, Argentinean María Eva Duarte de Perón made her name as one of the first celebrity politicians of the early 20th century, as she became powerful within the pro-Peronist trade unions for speaking on behalf of labour rights. The year 1951 saw her candidacy for the Peronist nomination for the office of vice president of Argentina. Forced to withdraw her candidacy due to opposition and health issues, Eva Perón was granted the title of ‘Spiritual Leader of the Nation’ by the Argentine Congress in 1952 shortly before her death.

8. MARILYN MONROE (1926–1962) Norma Jeane Mortensen Baker became one of the most iconic film legends, probably the most famous and celebrated women of our time, using her stage name Marilyn Monroe. If Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – as the title of one of her movies declares – than she definitely embodies the form and spirit of her character, often playing up to the fictional ‘dumb blonde’ cliché. Married three times, all of which ended in divorce, all she ever really wanted was to please the world and be happy.

9. BRIGITTE BARDOT (1934–) This French former fashion model, actress and singer became a prominent animal-rights activist after her acting career that included the controversial And God Created Woman by her (then) husband Roger Vadim. On the one hand, Bardot is recognized for popularizing bikini swimwear in her early films, during many appearances at Cannes, and various photo shoots, next to popularizing St. Tropez in the south of France and modeling for the bust of Marianne, a recognized French symbol; on the other, she has courted controversy in fighting for animal rights and attacking immigration in France, while leading a private, secluded life.

10. OPRAH WINFREY (1954–)

7. MARGARET THATCHER (1925–)

11. BARBIE (1959–)

With her full fictional name Barbara Millicent Roberts, popularly known as a first-name-celebrity, Barbie, this fashion doll is manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. Barbie has played an important part of the toy doll market for more than fifty years, projecting perfect form, and has been the subject of numerous controversies, one of the most common criticisms of Barbie being that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for young women. Leading a perfect enriched life, full of dreams and ambitions, including her realistic ‘on-off’ relationship with her boyfriend Ken. 12. J.K. ROWLING (1965–) The author of the phenomenal best-selling series about Harry Potter – her success has been so immense, it has been credited with leading the revival of reading by children. She wrote the first book as a single mother, struggling to make ends meet, while the books, films and merchandise has generated a fortune among Britain’s richest. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief and One Parent Families. In September 2012, her first adult novel will be published, entitled The Casual Vacancy.

Remembered for her emphasis on individual responsibility and belief in free markets, the first female prime minister of Great Britain, Mrs Thatcher defined a decade. This ‘Iron Lady’ fought her own battles, setting a different agenda, new standards unlike any other previous political leader. Standing tall against opposition, she developed close relationships with the USA but was far more sceptical of European integration.

In her own league, a league of her own. Oprah Winfrey is a media proprietor, talk-show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated programme of its kind in history and is widely syndicated, she has broken many taboos, though has been criticized for unleashing confession culture, promoting controversial self-help ideas and emotion-centered approaches.

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And of course, not forgetting Princess Diana, Aung San Suu Kyi, Liliane Bettencourt, Janis Joplin, Madonna, Yoko Ono, Grace Kelly, Mère Théresa, Audrey Hepburn, Marge Simpson, Jackie Kennedy, Anna Wintour, Edith Piaf... and there are exceptional women all around you.

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SPECI A L FEATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

LUDOVICA CARBOTTA : A NEW VISION OF THE CITY Scabal has always developed a privileged relationship with plastic art.

Remember in 1971, when the brand asked Salvador Dali to create 12 paintings, his vision of 21st century menswear ? This time, Scabal is betting on artist Ludovica Carbotta, daughter of Raffaele Carbotta, who has been in charge of Scabal’s Accessories’ line for more than 20 years.

By Cécile de Forton Young and famous in the art world, Ludovica Carbotta is 30 years old and already showing her art pieces in the most renowned galleries – just last year, she took part in the Dublin Contemporary Art Fair. Born in 1982 in Torino, she is very attached to her country and it is mostly from her home town that she takes inspiration.

The starting point for the artist’s work is an analysis of the city as a context, and of sculpture as medium. In April 2011, she won the 5th Ariane de Rothschild Prize. Thanks to this award, she was offered a one-year scholarship at the Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London. Living between London and Torino, Ludovica is confident about her future.

INTERVIEW

Bespoken : When and how did your passion for art begin ?

LC : In a very unconscious way, I would say. When I was young, I loved drawing and painting and then it grew in time. Of course, my parents had an influence on me as they are both creative persons and were always free to organize their career. They constantly encouraged me to follow my dreams and passions. My father, Raffaele, has been working in the fashion industry for more than 20 years. In charge of Scabal accessories, he also contributed to my choice of pushing myself in the creative direction.

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Tempo Imperfetto, Ludovica Carbotta, 2010, 110 250 250 cm © Maurizio Elia

What are the main messages in your work ?

It’s hard to say. All my work is a work in progress. By creating, I discover. My main interest is to experience something. I’m especially attracted by experiencing the building space and the city. I see the city as an object made by people, but which is difficult to understand.

I am fascinated by the possibility of interactions that can happen between people. In fact, cities are the materialisation of people themselves.

My aim is to feel this materiality in order not to consider a city as a pre-existing shape. I am also interested by the different ways to express my work. I mainly do sculpture, but I am also involved in photography and video, which enable to transfer the experience. I don’t usually start with a definite project, but with an inspiration that is developed through a physical experience that accepts randomness and accidents.

Let’s talk about two of your art pieces. What was your objective with Tempo Imperfetto ?

This piece is a reconstruction of the Cappella della S.S Sindone, a baroque church, designed

by Guarino Guarini. It is based on a photograph.

I used wooden waste materials to build the reconstruction. I tried to rebuild the inner dome in order to experience myself in the highest part of the church, which is physically inaccessible.

My objective was to formalize the space, while meanwhile I materialized it. Therefore, I turned the view upside down. This time, the dome was constructed on the ground. When I started to build the dome, I didn’t have any project. It was

total improvisation. By becoming bigger, the structure finally put me out. When I finished it, I was out of it. My experience was over. The state of emptiness invested in the piece is a legacy of my experience.

What can you say about Imitazione ?

I started by doing the cast of my footprints in clay in order to give a material and permanent shape to the presence of my body on the earth. I then added a column in a standard architectural shape.

I put as much material as my weight. My purpose was to figure how much space I could occupy in a human dimension. Each sculpture can be

seen as a self-portrait. I repeated this process with different external factors : the consistency of the ground and clay. I was curious about my relationship with the ground and the different possibilities of shapes. Each Imitazione is different from the next, as every trace is unique, being the result of an unrepeatable event.

What keeps you passionate ?

I trust my work ; I am convinced and proud of it.

I make no difference between all my art pieces.

If I had to choose my favourite I would say it was Tempo Imperfetto. It enabled me to discover something more. It was a step-by-step process that I experienced. Something remains.

What is your best achievement ?

When I took part in the Dublin Contemporary Art Fair in 2011 for its first edition. A great international artistic context !

What are the places that inspire you the most ?

The places where I live in Torino, because I can experience them every day.

How is your Masters in Fine Art in London coming along ?

It’s really different from Torino. It’s a more stressful life. A lot of things happen in the art world in London. You can attend five shows in a day if you want ! Sometimes, it’s difficult to figure out what you are interested in. I’m having an enriching experience and it’s a good occasion to confront the architecture in Torino and London.

The Masters doesn’t impose strict rules and it doesn’t change my way of thinking. It’s great to create new relationships with teachers and other students.

How do you see your future ?

I want to follow my passion in art. I hope I will succeed ! After my Masters, I plan to go back to Italy. In the future, I would be glad to discover new cities and live abroad. Belgium, Holland and also New York are very attractive places.

‘IN CHARGE OF SCABAL ACCESSORIES FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, MY FATHER HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO MY CHOICE OF PUSHING MYSELF IN THE CREATIVE DIRECTION.’ Ludovica Carbotta

Imitazione, Ludovica Carbotta, 2010–2011, series of sculpture, variable dimensions © Maurizio Elia

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SPECI A L FEATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

SMALL SAMPLES, BIG RESULTS Scabal’s fully integrated production process requires highly skilled and passionate people.

Let’s have a look at a key department that’s run by two ladies with one key mission – customer service.

By Nigel Bishop

Some of the thousands of small fabrics samples listed by the Small Samples department © Scabal

It’s called the “small samples” department but there’s nothing diminutive about the role that Anne Delain and Joëlle Prévinaire play in Scabal’s business. “We prepare samples of the new collections for wholesalers and buyers around the world” says Anne, who has been with Scabal in the Brussels headquarters for 25 years. “We have to get these pre-samples out six months before the collections are launched. It’s a battle against time”

With hundreds of different patterns and fabrics in each collection (winter 2012/13 has 372) and hundreds of customers worldwide, there’s plenty of work for the two ladies on the 5th floor. First, Joëlle orders 2.20-metre pieces of each new fabric from the mill ; she then cuts 10 x 6 cm samples in the cutting room, puts on the labels and assembles packets for each collection. Preparing full sets of pre-samples takes about two months for both the summer and winter collections.

SELLING IN

Scabal has been pre-sampling this way for more than 50 years. Getting cloth into buyers’ hands early is vital for preparing the ground and creating demand for the following season’s collection.

“We also make special presentation samples for Scabal salesmen here in the Brussels showrooms” says Anne.

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DAILY REQUESTS

In between preparing pre-samples, the team is kept busy by its second and equally important role ; daily management of sample requests from the Scabal sales network. “Every day we are asked to provide a fabric sample for many customers worldwide. We go to our files, find the match, and make up an individual sample.”

Providing a sample service like this requires dedication and faultless organization, which is why Anne and Joëlle maintain immaculate archiving for more than 5,000 fabrics.

Pre-sampling every collection, responding to daily demands for samples and archiving the entire Scabal collection is a non-stop service.

“What you need most for this job is vitality and energy” admits Anne. Luckily for Scabal, these two ladies have both.

Anne Delain (left) and Joëlle Prévinaire from the Small Samples department of Scabal © Scabal

‘WE HAVE TO GET THESE PRESAMPLES OUT SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE COLLECTIONS ARE LAUNCHED. IT’S A BATTLE AGAINST TIME’ Anne Delain

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SPECI A L FEATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

BRIT GIRL POWER

WHILE STELLA McCARTNEY IS INFLUENCED BY MEN’S FASHION FOR HER FEMININE CREATIONS, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD IS INSPIRED

BY FASHION IN WHICH WOMEN CREATE OUTFITS FOR MEN. A CHANCE TO MEET THESE TWO FASHION DESIGNERS WITH VERY BRITISH INFLUENCES.

By Federico Grandesso

STELLA McCARTNEY

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VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

Stella McCartney – Autumn-Winter 2012 / 2013 collection © FirstView

Stella McCartney, wearing an oversized coat – menswear influence

STELLA McCARTNEY

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t’s not by chance that one becomes a famous fashion designer if you have Edward Sexton, the reference Savile Row tailor as a tutor and, before college, you had your internship with a name such as Christian Lacroix. McCartney is certainly talented – her graduation collection at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of London in 1995 was a triumph, particularly with the presence of models and friends such as Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and others on the catwalk. The success of the show was completed by a song called Stella My Day by her father Paul and, obviously, the collection sold very quickly to a top-list boutique in London as the press celebrated this rising new star of fashion.

The young Stella was already a star and, after only two years in 1997 was appointed creative director of Chloé in fashion capital Paris. But the beginning was not so easy, following the somewhat sceptical comments made by ‘Kaiser’ Karl Lagerfeld, who once said: “Chloé should have taken a big name. They did, but in music, not fashion. Let’s hope she’s as gifted as her father.” But Stella’s success was confirmed by international critics and by sales, so she left Chloé in the safe hands of her friend Phoebe Philo to make the most important and brave choice for a fashion designer, to launch an ‘own brand’. In 2001, McCartney launched her own fashion house in a joint venture with Gucci Group (which is now the PPR Luxury Group) and presented her first collection in Paris.

In 2003 Stella, like other intelligent designers, understood that it was time to diversify, and she launched her first perfume, Stella. Her interest in human rights and the protection of the environment was confirmed by her launch in January 2007 of her 100% organic skincare line, CARE. Despite her own discreet personality,

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

her collections attract the stars of music and cinema – by 2004, she had designed clothes for Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour, Annie Lennox’s summer tour, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s and Jude Law’s costumes for the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Interested in the world of sport as well, Stella demonstrated her versatile talent and was nominated Team Great Britain’s Creative Director for the 2012 Olympics by Adidas, the first time that a leading fashion designer has designed the outfits for a country’s team across all competitions for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A WOMAN’S COLLECTION WITH A MAN’S TOUCH

Her minimal and masculine style brought the image of successful, self-confident women to the catwalk, even with masculine pieces such as jackets and trousers that still revealed their feminine side. It’s therefore no surprise to learn that McCartney orders Scabal’s fabrics for her women’s creations – for the Autumn-Winter 2012–2013 season, Stella has created a collection that’s dedicated to the modern, dynamic woman.

“The Stella woman has a balanced nature,” as she explained after her show. According to the designer, the collection mixes the ideas of urban and rural fashion, along with day and night chic.

The result is a collection in which elegance meets functionality, with extremely stylish looks.

‘I HAVE ALWAYS PUT DEEP CONVICTIONS INTO MY FASHION’ Vivienne Westwood

D

efining the personality of Vivienne Westwood is a tough job, because you will probably miss explaining or presenting key parts of a complex world that includes fashion, art, political engagement and much more. Someone said that Westwood personifies the potent and subversive originality of British fashion – her continual exploration and reinterpretation of history, combined with a tireless individualism, has cemented her reputation as the UK’s most culturally significant fashion designer.

Her expansive body of work traces the socioeconomic and cultural climate of Britain over the past four decades, and a cursory glance through her archive also highlights the paradox of her career : an ascent from teenage rebellion through luxury and decadence to global commercial success. The first inspiration from Vivienne, as far as fashion was concerned, was Punk. She met Malcom McLaren in 1965 and with him they explored a plethora of new political and artistic ideas that continue to influence her work, even today. The constantly evolving vision of Westwood and McLaren was brought to a wider public in 1971, when they took over a now-legendary shop at 430 Kings Road, London. The site was a work-in-progress with a frequently changing name and merchandise that switched styles constantly as it reflected and launched London’s subcultural currents. As Punk gradually began to influence the mainstream, the couple looked towards romanticism, heroism even, in fashion design. By 1986, she began to take an interest in the clothes and fabrics of the British establishment. Her Harris Tweed collection of 1987 was named after the woolen fabric woven in the Western Isles of Scotland and took its inspiration from Savile Row tailors, incorporating a variety of tweeds, including the traditional Tattershall 49

check and red barathea. Affectionately parodying the establishment, these clothes evoked the aristocracy, boarding school and country houses; hunting, shooting and fishing; and in Westwood’s interpretation, inevitably declared sexuality under the constriction of British understatement.

FEMALE INTERPRETATION OF MEN’S FASHION – CLIMATE CHANGE

In 1996, Westwood launched ‘Man’, her menswear label, during the Milan Fashion Week. The essence of her style remains in the iconic quote: “It is not possible for a man to be elegant without a touch of femininity.” This was the starting point, because she took the statement brilliantly to its extremes with not only a man in skirt, following the Scottish tradition, but even a man wearing feminine sexy mini-skirts and provocative ‘women only’ evening dresses. She reinterpreted the role of men in fashion by breaking the static borders, such as men finally showing their legs like a woman.

Very few fashion designers put politics into their work – Westwood is a leading example. She is active in creating awareness of the disastrous consequences of climate change – in her last autumn-winter 2012–2013 masculine collection, she took her inspiration from the natural history TV programme Frozen Planet, a BBC series by David Attenborough. As she explained: “Our collection is in support of David Attenborough’s documentary series, The Frozen Planet, which will go to America but unfortunately without the final episode where he explains that we humans are responsible for the ice melt,” the designer said in the show notes. “So we took the polar explorers as our heroes and we love polar bears.

Barack Obama never mentions the words climate change.” Her statement continues : “How impossible it is for us to imagine ourselves victims of disaster. We suffer for the poor people who were thrown into the sea from their cruise ship off the

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH FASHION DESIGNER VIVIENNE WESTWOOD BESPOKEN : How do you spread your message ?

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD : I have always put deep convictions into my fashion. Around six years ago, I asked myself what would I say to young people today and I decided that I would want to talk to them about propaganda.

I started to design T-shirts with graphics all about this. I can use my credibility in the fashion system and address my message during my fashion shows. I wrote then a manifesto that states : “If you become an art lover, you are a freedom fighter for a better world because you are starting to think and you get off to the consumer trend mill and you invest time on going to look at a beautiful painting, to the theatre or listening to good music.” The theme of the manifesto is ‘culture is the antidote to propaganda’ and we are dangerously short of culture.

Talking about climate change, which actions are you engaged in?

First of all, I think that you can do only one thing at the time, the first thing to do is to try to do something to save the rain forests and to do this we need the help of public opinion. I’m trying to help the charity Cool Hearth, which was founded by Frank Field, a very principled politician who has a project to save the forests.

coast of Tuscany, some losing their lives. Imagine a world of accelerating natural disasters, one after the other, so that nobody can help anyone

Vivienne Westwood – Autumn-Winter 2012 / 2013 collection (© GoRunway)

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What are your thoughts on the numerous climate change summits? Are they useful?

For so long now all our leaders have been concentrated on the financial crisis instead of the climate crisis and these are almost presented as being in opposition to each other, ie you can’t save the planet because there is a financial crisis. The real point is that the financial crisis is the symptom of a problem that is climate change; understanding that we will never solve this issue and the situation will become worse and worse. We need different values; I think that we are an endangered species and within one or two generations, the human race as well as other animals will be extinct.

You talked before about the financial crisis, how do you perceive the crisis?

It’s quite clear that the world is already bankrupt and that growth means death. We must remember that economics is not a science; it’s an agreement and a consensus. As long as people agree, death will remain its value.

But the financial situation will collapse. We should consider how to change our financial structure, I think that banks should not be allowed to make profits and that they should provide a service, it’s already happening that banks are separating from the investment sections and this must continue.

else.” Westwood ends : “Public opinion is the only thing that will save us.”

TEMPTATIONS

BESPOKE GIFTS FOR HER Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s… it’s not always easy to satisfy your lady with original gifts. Flowers, jewels, perfumes, chocolates and fine lingerie are the most popular women’s gifts. ‘Quite boring,’ she says ? Bespoken shows you the way to impress her with some exclusive presents, and never forget that the best gift will be one that is offered spontaneously, without any occasion.

By Cécile de Forton

MY RING, MY PERSONALITY Offer your loved one an extension of her personality. As homage to her daughter Théa, Emilie Duchêne gave the same name to her new creation : the Théa ring. Yellow, white or rose gold, it’s up to you. A five-letter word, five figures or both, the choice is yours. An absolute temptation, an irresistible charm.

AN INCOMPARABLE BAG Pick her favourite colour, add her initials and design a unique bag or luggage for her. Mon Monogram is a personal service for special women. Pegase, Neverfall, Speedy, Keepall – these four iconic models can be stylized to your taste with colour lines in 17 different shades !

Price : 30% more than the original price of the bag www.louisvuitton.com

Price : 460 – 510 € www.thea-rings.com

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE About to propose or commemorate your wedding ? The Medaille du Mariage is what you are looking for. This precious collection was created by famous designer Christian Lacroix. Because your partner is unique, inscribe a personal message on the reverse. Last but not least, the premium line invites you to add diamonds to make it even more special.

Price : from 450 € www.monnaiedeparis.fr

LOVELY IN BURBERRY Having a Burberry trench coat is a must. Having a customized Burberry trench coat is unique.

Go to the website and follow Bespoke – colour, shape, buttons, label with personal message… make it the one for your loved one ! Millions of combinations are possible.

Price : From 1,500 – 8,500 € www.burberry.com/store/bespoke

HER FRAGRANCE IS HER POWER Has she been wearing the same one for years ?

Surprise her with a harmonious, poetic and original perfume made especially for her.

L’Artisan Parfumeur has concocted singular delicate scents since 1976 – authenticity and innovation for a perfume that will last.

Price : 70 € (100 ml) www.artisanparfumeur.com

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‘COGNAC IS SEXLESS, ALL IT REQUIRES IS WORK.’ Pierrette Trichet, Remy Martin

French Cellar Master Pierrette Trichet taking care of the Remy Martin’ cognac cellar © Remy Martin

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SPECIAL FE ATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

A LADY BEHIND COGNAC

Her career in the cognac world is impressive. Pierrette Trichet has been working for the brand Rémy Martin for over 36 years. Without any rival, she became the first woman Cellar Master.

By Cécile de Forton

Born in the land of D’Artagnan, the fourth musketeer, Pierrette got the love of the land thanks to her father, a wine-grower. Once she got her baccalaureate, the young woman started studying biochemistry and biological analysis at university. Both scientifically-minded and close to the land, Pierrette Trichet was noticed

by Rémy Martin at the age of 20 and was offered her first job. An employer that she will never leave. In 1993, she joins the prestigious “tasting committee”. Very much appreciated for her work and patience, she becomes the Cellar Master assistant in 2000. Recognized for her “nose”, Pierrette Trichet works on all stages of the creation of cognacs. Three years later, it’s time for consecration. That’s it, she is the Cellar Master and is proud to be THE only one woman worldwide who holds this position with a major producer of cognac.

BESPOKEN : Could you please explain the different steps of the creation of cognac ?

PIERRETTE TRICHET : Rémy Martin’s cognac is elaborated in the two best regions of France : Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. It’s a human business before everything. The best wine, coming from the finest grapes is distilled with yeast and turns into an eau-de-vie. Then, the Cellar Master selects the tastiest eaux-de-vie. A long phase of ageing in barrels made from oak from the Limousin forests starts. This step, of 4 years minimum, can last for decades. It enables the eaux-de-vie to develop a wide palette of flavours : vanilla, honey, etc. Once the eaux-devie are mature enough, the Cellar Master makes blends. A whole aromatic universe is created.

In which countries is cognac more drunk ?

Everywhere in the world but at 80 % in the Asian continent, particularly in China and Vietnam.

Asian consumers are attracted by its history.

They often give it as a present. For them, it means the access to a high social category and the entry in the luxury world. USA is a big market as well where we always have to innovate. Cognac is drunk in different ways depending on the

culture. In the United Stated, cognac is appreciated as a cocktail meanwhile Chinese people love to taste it with ice. Europe is an important market but the competition is hard among the many other hard liquors available.

Could you describe the typical cognac amateur ?

The cognac amateur is always looking for a tasting and aromatic experience. He’s an epicurean.

Cognac appeals all senses. It brings a personal pleasure and is also a way to share a moment of joy with friends. The taboos need to be broken.

Young people are cognac lovers. They enjoy it as a cocktail or with ice. Cognac is a hard liquor but with an aromatic complexity on top.

Do women appreciate cognac as many men do ?

For some women, cognac can be too strong like other alcohols. That’s why we created Cœur de Cognac, a special blend with sweet notes like apricot. They are very welcome to add ice in their glass to make it even softer.

Which qualities made you become a Cellar Master ?

First of all, your mission is to taste. Nothing has to be taken for granted. You always have to take a new look at yourself. Then you need to be rigorous, passionate and patient. It takes ages to make a cognac. The creation that I am more proud about is the “Louis XIII” cognac, which is made by four generations of cognac. You also have to be a good team-player as well as independent. Each year, I have to recreate cognacs. Last but not least, humility is a must. A Cellar Master isn’t eternal, one day I’ll have to step down…

Wasn’t it too hard to enter in a world where men have a majority ?

Cognac is sexless, all it requires is work. I became Cellar Master thanks to my qualities. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. As women, it’s our role to show our innovation and audacity.

Yes, there has been some remarks but from other cognac houses. Recently, I nominated a woman as my assistant. I chose her because she responds

to what I was looking for. Women have a different sensibility regarding cognac.

Which combinations of food and cognac are your favourites ?

The combination of foie gras and XO on ice is sumptuous. And I am very fond of chocolate combined with a neat XO. Are you one of those who regard diluting a cognac as a sacrilege ?

A sacrilege ? Everyone has the right to drink their cognac in the way they prefer it. When I assemble a cognac, what I hope is that the consumers will get pleasure from drinking it.

It is of no importance that it is drunk neat, on ice, in a cocktail or during a meal to accompany a starter or a dessert. The cognacs that I create are all different and suit the largest number of people because they can be personalized.

THE WORLD’S COGNAC MARKET Number of bottles consumed per year : 162.84 million Annual turnover from Cognac sales : 2,049,000,000 € 5 bottles of Cognac are sold worldwide every second.

World’s top five Cognac consumers : 1. United States ; 2. China ; 3. United Kingdom ; 4. Germany ; 5. France Cognac varieties : VS (Very Special) – Minimum two years’ aging VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) – Minimum four years’ aging XO (Extra Old) – Minimum six years’ aging About Remy Martin : All over the world, Cognac is a symbol of the French lifestyle. And in the Cognac universe, Rémy Martin is considered the benchmark, the house that produces the best grapes, harvested from the best vineyards. Surely yet gradually, the fame of the centaur brand has spread, first throughout Europe, then in the East, and most recently in the Americas. The fact that Rémy Martin is the only large Cognac house with a family ownership pays homage to the character, determination, spirit of innovation, and ability to adapt that has passed through generations in the Rémy Martin clan.

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S P EC IAL FEATURE : ON E FO R T HE L A D IES

RANA THARU : NEPAL’S PRINCESSES

Somewhere in the world, a community exists that is entirely run by women. Let’s discover it…

Text and pictures by Bruno Morandi

Rhana Taru : where women and nature live together

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AT A TIME WHEN THE INDIAN SARI TRIUMPHS AMONG MOST TRIBES, HERE, THE CLOTHING TRADITION CONTINUES

A

long the wide river, a few wading birds watch intently, like fixed white statues. In water up to their stomachs, a group of women in a tight row moves forward, pushing a shrimping net. Their prey is the alevin, which afterwards the women will dry in the sun. On one side of the river, the vast and dense Indian jungle, on the other, the fishing people have marked their territory : a few villages and farms adjacent to the meanderings of the river.

HISTORY

In the far east of Nepal, far from Katmandu, legend and history join to recount how five centuries ago women of royal blood immigrated from Rajasthan (India) with their children and servants. The men remained behind to defend the Rajput kingdoms against the Muslim invaders. These women settled in the forests at the foot of the Himalayas and took their servants as partners, while establishing a matriarchal social system, and organising family and village affairs.

These are the Rana Tharu. They belong to the Tharu tribe, which populates the vast plain of Teraï. The origins of this tribe are mysterious : although Mongoloid characteristics have been detected in them, the linguistic substratum and the social organization may link them to the tribes of central India.

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A land-clearing, farming and fishing people, the Rana Tharu adapted themselves and tamed the vast forests of the Teraï to such a degree that the government has been obliged to create national parks to protect endangered animals. They are accustomed to heat and have the reputation of being immune to paludism – their only recognized territorial unit is the village.

BESPOKE CLOTH TRADITION

Here, it is the women who rise up as guardians of the traditions and combat assimilation into an Indo-Nepalese culture. Unlike other ethnic groups of Nepal, they make their exceptional costumes themselves. At a time when the Indian sari triumphs among most tribes, here, the clothing tradition continues. The design of their very colourful costume, adorned with embroidery and mirrors, as well as their silver jewellery, is very close to the dress style adopted in Rajasthan.

Of course, the fabrics and colours have changed according to current fashions.

Like armour, the heavy silver jackets made of old Indian one rupee pieces are part of the daily jewellery of the Rana Tharu. The bronze anklets that they wear can weigh 700–800 grammes on each leg. And another rare thing in this prudish land, the Rana Tharu women reveal much of their body. While their legs, back and stomach are naked, they nevertheless slip a black veil over their head to hide their faces before strangers in the village. Their short and full skirts, the lahunga, and their jewellery, which highlights their calves gives them an upright, proud and graceful air. Contrary to the more restricted gait that the sari imposes, they walk with long strides.

KEEP MEN AWAY

With the Rana Tharu, custom separates the men from the women. Times when they rub shoulders are rare. Meals are had separately ; work is divided. The men often work in the closest towns, a few hours walk away. More often in contact with the outside world they have swapped their loincloths and twill shirts for the universal jean and T-shirt. Men and women meet up during the festivals that punctuate the seasons.

LIFE IN COLOURS

Early this morning a muted percussion rhythm amplified by the thick, end of winter fog announces the start of the festivities. On this day of a full moon in the month of Phagun (March), Holi begins, the festival of spring, colours, renewal and love. This festival was inspired by the Bhagavad Gita, the great Hindu epic, when Krishna, Vishnu’s avatar, in the company of his 16,108 legitimate wives, threw coloured liquids at each other to celebrate the return of spring.

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DID YOU KNOW ?

Not far from where the Rana Tharu community lives, the high valleys of the Himalayan province of Kashmir produce cashmere, one of the most famous soft wool in the world, made from Pashmina goats. To protect themselves from the winter’s chill (as low as –30° C), the goats produce a second layer that doubles their wool, and in spring the wool is removed. The growing economic attractiveness of the production of this wool has been widely developed in Mongolia and the Chinese provinces of Tibet and Inner Mongolia.

This exceptional quality cashmere is used by Scabal to make knitwear accessories and also superb fabrics for coats, jackets and suits.

In the spacious entrance to her house, the space reserved for stocking grain and a cool refuge from the murderous sun, Batasu has been preparing for this festival for several weeks, spending her days making a new lahunga. At 16, she is already thinking of getting married, and Holi is the ideal occasion to meet young suitors. Today, she will devote her day to practicing the dances that will begin at sunset.

Before anything else, as every day, the household tasks must be carried out – fetching water, sweeping the courtyard, preparing the dal bhat, rice and lentils that will be eaten with the other women of the clan. The river is the first meeting place. At length she bathes, washes her hair and cleans her skirt, bolero and veil in the company of her friends. Back at the village, other young girls help Batasu in the complex makings of her coiffure. After putting on her new garment and silver ornaments, she carefully puts on her makeup, under her mother’s tender gaze.

Late in the afternoon, the drums start up again, and young guys cross the village – it’s the call to the party. Out of flirtatiousness, the young girls keep them waiting, then arrive timidly in small groups. The sun loses some of its intensity. In groups of four the dancers take their place, in a circle, two drums in the centre. Batasu hesitates before mingling with the boys. The beer and rice alcohol starts to flow. Laughter mixes in with the singing. Hands brush against one another ; eyes meet. The party continues this way for eight straight nights. Each night in the courtyard of a different house, and each night the dancing continues into the early hours of the morning.

www.ambiorix.be

rue de namur 72 , Brussels leopoldstraat 14, antwerp

SPECI A L FEATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

CHANGING TIMES ON ‘THE ROW’ : WOMEN TAILORS STEP FORWARD Scabal provides its fabrics to the most renowned tailors worldwide – the majority are men, but there are also some dynamic women, such as Kathryn Sargent and Emma Martin from Savile Row, London.

By Janet Prescott

CONFIRMED TALENT : KATHRYN SARGENT, GOLDEN SHEARS WINNER

Kathryn Sargent

Kathryn Sargent’s workshop © Janet Prescott Kathryne Sargent Bespoke Tailoring No.6 Sackville Street Mayfair – London W1S 3DD United Kingdom T. +44 (0) 20 7734 7136 www.kathrynsargent.com

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Kathryn Sargent, Master Tailor, winner of the prestigious Golden Shears award for the best womenswear, has a high profile, striking out on her own at the beginning of 2012 to set up her eponymous business providing luxury tailoring for men and women in the elegant premises of erstwhile tailors to Beau Brummel, Meyer & Mortimer in Sackville Street. Kathryn has moved on to develop her business after 15 years at Gieves & Hawkes, where she became head cutter.

Kathryn puts her success down to changing times : “The trade is generally a little bit less secretive, tailors such as Ozwald Boateng and Richard James use marketing companies and clients are more aware of different options. Women would have been regarded as a business risk in the past, but that has all changed. Customers also have evolved quite a lot, there is a wider range of people who come in to order a bespoke suit.” She finds that modern customers tend to do their research before they arrive for the first time, but they still need advice on their choices. “It’s important to find out where they live, what sort of lifestyle they have and advise on the sort of fabric suitable for where they’re going. There is much more interest from the Far East and China, Korea and Japan as well as the Middle East.”

“One big change is that fabrics have become much lighter weight as requirements have changed. 250 g cloths are now favoured, which would have been judged exceptionally light even recently. Some customers from overseas choose specifically luxurious clothes, such as Scabal’s Diamond Chip, Gold Treasure and Summit.

I have made two or three of these for clients who are looking for luxury and image.”

Training at Gieves & Hawkes, for which she has a great affection, Kathryn Sargent went from the trimming room to the shop floor, and then became an apprentice cutter. “The first garment I cut out for a customer, I was a nervous wreck.”

She realised early on that much of the job is down to communication : “I observed fittings and saw how the staff managed the clients, asking the right questions.” She understands fabrics intimately, and has a personal preference for colours and textures with a lot of depth rather than a flat look, admiring cashmeres for softness. She picks out Scabal’s Cool Wools as being very good new qualities.

Kathryn finds that being a unique female tailor has a certain appeal, but she is cautious : “People come and find me as there is a particular skill-set they want. I think business people are less hung up gender-wise, the cut is the main thing and I know how to design things beautifully. There is such an interest now in Savile Row, and it is one of the last genuine great trades. I just love men in suits, the tailoring and technical aspect.” This engaging young woman is not short of ambition : “I’m starting my business now, and who knows where it will take me ? I believe in bespoke principles and I want to challenge myself.”

‘BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE LESS HUNG UP GENDER-WISE’ Kathryn Sargent

Emma Martin © Janet Prescott

‘THE THING ABOUT BEING A TAILOR IS THAT YOU ARE YOUR OWN JUDGE.’ Emma Martin

EMERGING TALENT : EMMA MARTIN, APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

At no.10 Savile Row is Dege and Skinner, the family business that was founded in 1865. It is a byword for military and formal elegance, renowned for its royal warrants and a client list that includes crowned heads of state and leaders from all over the world. As well as immaculate suits and uniforms there are hand-cut shirts, silk ties and handkerchiefs displayed imposingly front of house, and a growing number of females in apprentice roles behind the scenes.

William Skinner, fourth generation, is proud of this, running a business that is poised between tradition and modernity. William Skinner describes the modern-day fabric selection of designs and colours on offer : “Scabal’s collection, for instance is hugely extensive. If you can’t find anything you’re looking for at Scabal, well…”

Exceptionally fine and expensive fabrics are sought out by some customers, including Scabal’s luxury of luxury – 100 per cent vicuña – “which holds up very well,” he adds.

Skinner’s shop in Savile Row © Janet Prescott

Into this venerable establishment has come Emma Martin, voted Apprentice of the Year in 2012, with bright tulip coloured hair and a beautifully made green dress, sitting on a stool busily sewing throughout our meeting. Emma started out studying fashion, but was quickly seduced by the high standards she encountered in Savile Row on a placement, which decided the direction of her career. Savile Row tailoring fits in with the fact that she has always loved old films, and the attention to fit and fabric in the costumes. She is currently making coats as part of her apprenticeship, hand stitching every feature, shortening sleeves, setting collars. Seeing a photograph of the client she finds very useful.

“It’s good to see the shape of the person,” Emma explains, “collars are so difficult to get to sit right.”

Emma has a very strong idea of what she wants to do, having made clothes for people since she was a child. She welcomes the slow process of learning difficult skills, acknowledging it takes two to six years to become a coat-maker. She believes women have a particular aptitude for patient but creative work. She is moving on from

single-breasted to sewing double-breasted coats shortly. As for fabrics, she judges them by their degree of difficulty to work with : “Flannel is lovely, amazing, mohair is difficult and everyone says gabardine is awful. Anything that doesn’t shrink away or isn’t thin is good,” she laughs.

“The thing about being a tailor is that you are your own judge. I always want it to be better.

I kind of set goals for myself so that I can see how good I’m getting. Tailoring is so precise, you know exactly which stitch to use, how much it is going to shrink. It’s all about the proper way to do something, If it’s ‘clean’, that’s good. Cutting a pattern is just maths, anybody can do it, but the fitting is the thing, striking out, managing checks etc. There is real mystique but fitting is the key and you learn your own style along the way. I love it.”

Dege and Skinner 10 Savile Row - London W1S 3PF United Kingdom T. +44(0) 20 7287 2941 www.dege-skinner.co.uk

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SPECI A L FEATUR E : O N E FO R T H E L A DIES

CELEBRATING 40 ANNIVERSARY OF THE CAL™ th

Woman and cars have become a classic combination. Promoting cars or car parts is one thing, adding the allure of a woman increases attention … and sales. ‘The Cal’ has become an official trademark, as The Pirelli Calendar has celebrated the most beautiful women in the world seen the best photographers. The 40th edition of The Cal will be launched in december.

By Maurits Brands “The Pirelli calendar is in line with our group’s industrial tradition of being able to anticipate the times through innovation : that is why Pirelli, long ago, earned their place among the world’s leading manufacturers.” Chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera is convinced about the companies future ambitions : “We want to become world leader in the premium segment. Our 40 years’ experience in high range products, and the acceleration we set in motion in that area last year, enable us now to already hold a position of absolute excellence.

As a result of our technology, ability to innovate and our determination, between now and 2015 we will make Pirelli the global premium leader.”

Aiming for the best and aiming to be the best, Pirelli supplies tyres to the Formula One World Championship.

This global tyre company has played a leading role in spreading sports culture since 1907, and holds a strong cultural commitment. Since it was founded in 1872, Pirelli has been aware that it plays an important role promoting entrepreneurial culture and civil progress in all the communities it works in. In 1963, they created a calendar featuring pin-up models as a promotional piece. Each year the company has called upon ‘the photographer of the moment’ to portray ‘the beauty of the world’ through images.

During almost fifty years, the calendar has been exclusive and quite exclusive, only being available to a privileged list of corporate customers and VIP’s. This exclusivity has been contributing to its success. The quality and subtle eroticism of the images have established the calendar as 60

Sophia Loren, 2007 © Pirelli

a paradigm of its genre and a coveted collector’s item. The annual selection of the models, the craft and creativity of its photographers, combined with the excellent printing, positioned the Pirelli Calendar on a distinct artistic level.

The appreciation for (artistic) photography has grown considerably since the beginning of the 1970’s, adding allure to the entire venture. From the very first edition, Pirelli has been working with the very best established photographers in fashion and lifestyle. Being asked to photograph for Pirelli is a great honour, and models being asked to feature in The Cal see their fame rise to even bigger heights. Pirelli keeps the highest secrecy upon preparing the next edition. To ask who will photograph or will be featured in the 2013 Pirelli Calendar is a big no-no. As the images are being produced on location during the summer, everyone will have to wait until the beginning of December to find out who, what and where. This is precisely what intrigues. A form of anticipation and playful seduction that most of us never get tired of. Or should we say : never get ‘tyre-d’ of ?

BEING ASKED TO PHOTOGRAPH FOR PIRELLI IS A GREAT HONOUR, AND MODELS BEING ASKED TO FEATURE IN THE CAL SEE THEIR FAME RISE TO EVEN BIGGER HEIGHTS

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THE PIRELLI CALENDAR FACT SHEET : THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

1964 Robert Freeman 1965 Brian Duffy 1966 Peter Knapp 1967 no calendar 1968 Harry Peccinotti 1969 Harry Peccinotti 1970 Francis Giacobetti 1971 Francis Giacobetti 1972 Sarah Moon 1973 Brian Duffy 1974 Hans Feurer 1975–1983 no calendars 1984 Uwe Ommer 1985 Norman Parkinson 1986 Bert Stern 1987 Terence Donovan 1988 Barry Lategan 1989 Joyce Tennyson 1990 Arthur Elgort Seville 1991 Clive Arrowsmith 1992 Clive Arrowsmith 1993 John Claridge 1994 Herb Ritts 1995 Richard Avedon 1996 Peter Lindbergh 1997 Richard Avedon 1998 Bruce Weber 1999 Herb Ritts 2000 Annie Leibovitz 2001 Mario Testino 2002 Peter Lindbergh 2003 Bruce Weber 2004 Nick Knight 2005 Patrick Demarchelier 2006 Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot 2007 Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin 2008 Patrick Demarchelier 2009 Peter Beard 2010 Terry Richardson 2011 Karl Lagerfeld 2012 Mario Sorrenti 2013 to be confirmed

Jennifer Lopez, 2006 © Pirelli

THE PIRELLI CALENDAR FACT SHEET : THE MODELS

Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, Milla Jovovich, Carla Bruni, Eva Herzigova, Patricia Arquette, Laetitia Casta, Gisele Bündchen, Erika Christensen, Selma Blair, Lauren Bush, Sienna Miller, Heidi Klum, Filippa Hamilton, Natalia Vodianova, Karolina Kurkova, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Penélope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Lou Doillon, Hilary Swank, Naomi Watts, Julianne Moore…

Naomi Campbell, 2005 © Pirelli

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PAST–PRESENT–F UT URE

SIR ELTON THE JOHN CHOOSES OLDENBURG ‘NEW DELUXE’ TWEED RUN

In his five decades in the music business, Sir Elton John has scored major successes with his albums, stage and film soundtracks, film roles and live performances. For his latest suits, Scabal is honoured by his choice of seven fabrics from the ‘New Deluxe’ range. The handle of the light prunelle quality gives the cloth comfortable wearing properties, easy care and a convincing elegant appearance. With its great versatility, it’s the ideal choice for the most diverse suitings, blazers and trouserings. www.eltonjohn.com

FIRST STEPS IN CHINA

TWEET TWEET !

The Tweed Run is a bicycle race originally held in London and now hosted by other cities such as Tokyo and New York. For one day, ladies and gentlemen wear traditional British tweed outfits and ride together. At the end of the day, they share a diner and honour the three most original outfits.

Scabal’s valued retailer Die Form, represented In recent years, Scabal has invested greatly in

by M. Oliver Sklorz took part in the 2012 edition social media to become a fully ‘social brand’, organized in Oldenburg, Germany. An elegant efforts that reflect Scabal’s perennial aim to and amusing way to celebrate British culture. always be closer to its clients. Thanks to new www.tweedrun.de technologies, aficionados can now not only follow Scabal’s activities but also ask questions and interact directly with the brand. A full report on Scabal’s latest communication tools will be published in an upcoming edition of Bespoken.

Scabal can now be found on the following social platforms: Facebook : www.facebook.com/scabal Twitter : www.twitter.com/scabal LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/scabal YouTube : www.youtube.com/scabalfashion

INVESTING IN LUXURY

Recently, Scabal took part in the first edition of the Suzhou International Culture & Design Fair.

Suzhou is a major city of 10 million inhabitants, located 100 kilometres from Shanghai. More than one million visitors have attended the fair, which is held over three days. Scabal was invited to be part of the European hall, along with renowned brands such as BMW, Cartier and Flos. A timeline exhibition showed the key dates of the Scabal’s history from 1938 to the present. This was a good introduction to this growing market for Scabal, We live during an era when most people no longer which plans to open 12 new shops in the next want to spend their money on frivolous items, so three years in China. what better way to invest than in safe securities, www.scabal.com in goods that resist time and societal trends. It was in this vein that Scabal held a cocktail evening entitled ‘Investment in Luxury’ in Antwerp.

Experts in the luxury field, such as Geretti (Antwerp Jewellery Manufacturer), Beerens Classics Divisions (Oldtimers), Deutsche Bank (Private Banking) and Albert (seller of fabrics and made-to-measure Scabal suits), were present.

The keynote speech explained why it is useful to invest in luxury and in which products/services in particular. www.beerens.be/classic-exclusive-cars

SCABAL FOR AMBIORIX

Scabal is proud to have provided suits for renowned Belgian film director Erik Van Looy for the advertising campaign produced by luxury-shoes brand Ambiorix, established in Belgium since 1895. The Vavedin family group took over in January 2007 and is now in command of the brand. Their way of working, their choice for comfortable, well-designed shoes is giving Ambiorix renewed drive. In the past, Scabal has already provided suits for Erik Van Looy and his actors, for great movies such as Loft and De Zaak Alzheimer. www.ambiorix.be

Jérôme Stéfanski & Wilfried Redant 63

SCABAL WORLDWIDE

COMPANY-OWNED STORES

AGENTS AND DISTRIBUTORS

LONDON (flagship store)

EUROPE SCABAL BENELUX – HEADQUARTERS & INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE +32-2-217 98 49 www.scabal.com

12, Savile Row, W153PQ London + 44–20–77 34 89 63 hazel.edmonds@scabal.com

AUSTRIA +43-1-533 61 29 nkuntschik@scabal.at

PARIS Le Printemps de l’Homme, 4th floor 61, rue Caumartin, 75 009 Paris + 33–1–42 82 40 32 scabal.printemps@scabal.com Savile House by Scabal , 2nd floor 5, Square de l’Opéra Louis Jouvet, 75 009 Paris + 33–1–42 66 93 59 guillaume.brazo@scabal.com www.savilehouse.fr FRANKFURT Savile House by Scabal 56, Hochstrasse, 60313 Frankfurt + 49–69–91 39 51 26 holger-gustav.meyer@scabal.com www.savilehouse.de BERLIN Kadewe, 1st floor 21-24, Tauentzienstrasse, 10789 Berlin + 49–30–219 18 530 andreas.oltmanns@scabal.de BRUSSELS (Opening end of September 2012) 32, Boulevard de Waterloo, 1000 Brussels + 32–2–512 42 03 info@scabal.com

BEIJING (opening soon)

BULGARIA +359-2-936 03 70 bvangelov@votan.eu CYPRUS +90-392-228 33 40 akfinans@akfinans.com CZECH REPUBLIC +420 724 342 111 rtoumi@gentryrow.cz FRANCE +33-1-42 33 08 93 scfr@scabal.com GERMANY +49-681-9871 0 info@scabal.de +49-211-497 6840 info@westtuch.de GREAT BRITAIN +44-207-734 1867 hazel.edmonds@scabal.com

GREECE +30-210-67 27 431 dcon@otenet.gr

ITALY +39-02-407 80 27 scabal_italia@scabal.com

RUSSIA +7-495-660-7163 ag@gatex.ru +7-495-730-2010 sol@solstudio.ru SPAIN +34-93-726 00 99 brautex@brautex.com +34-93 726 00 99 unikman@unikman.es

SWITZERLAND +41-61-261 25 79/80 scabal_suisse@scabal.com

TURKEY +90-212-282 71 93 info@yeniimalat.com.tr AMERICAS

ARGENTINA +54-011-4371 6467 scabal@cipaz.com.ar

BRAZIL +55-11-3115 41 22 atendimento@erlu.com.br

CANADA +1-514-335 35 11 info@hersh-rsd.com

CHILE +56-27 17 39 22 contact@holmes.cl

COLOMBIA +57-1-256 30 77 marsanti@etb.net.co

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC +1-809-562 4416 laronde@codetel.net.do

POLAND +48-61-436 79 69 info@scabal.pl

PORTUGAL +351-275-954 827 jvi@jvi.pt

ROMANIA +40-21-311 56 46 showroom@casafrumoasa.ro

CLOTH

MEXICO +52-55-5515 8433 gillybru@prodigy.net.mx SCABAL MADE-TO-MEASURE +52-55-5660 75 40 cincu@prodigy.net.mx or alejandrocarreon@prodigy.net.mx

U.S.A. +1-212-764 8580 scus@scabal.com

VENEZUELA +58-212-264 6914 inversionesmarumi@gmail.com

GARMENTS & ACCESSORIES

REST OF THE WORLD AUSTRALIA +61-3-5989 8601 a.wain@bigpond.net.au BRUNEI – CAMBODIA – INDONESIA – LAOS– MALAYSIA – MYANMAR – PHILIPPINES – SINGAPORE – THAILAND – VIETNAM +65-6336 0070 heefabricagencies@hee.sg HONG KONG +852-23-762 535 fbfhk@fieldingbrownfinch.com.hk INDIA +91-11-23 26 45 00 bindragroup@vsnl.net IRAN +98 55611469-55614137 tehranivahid@hotmail.com JAPAN +81-6-6232 2755 scabaljapan@scabal.co.jp KUWAIT +965-243 36 85 bennekhi@hotmail.com NEW ZEALAND +64-9-828 06 74 velvetfabrics@clear.net.nz SAUDI ARABIA – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES +44-140-375 27 16 faris@fmmercie.com SOUTH KOREA +82-2-2285 6230 dnjyoo@yahoo.com SYRIA +963 - 11 2233986 +963 - 11 2222784 akkad-sons@gmail.com

N E XT ISSUE : JAN UARY 20 13

In the next edition of Bespoken, you will discover the new Scabal Spring-Summer 2013 collection with its full range of new accessories, such as leather luggage and fine shoes. Reserve your copy, which will be delivered to your home, at www.bespoken.com or read the magazine on your iPad at www.bespoken.com/ipad.

Scabal’s flagship store in Savile Row, London

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Maison fondĂŠe en 1785 Taste our know-how wisely

www.cartier.com

New Collection TANK ANGLAISE