Cercle n13 by Ccercle

EDITOR’S LE T TER

Dear Ccercle Friends, The year 2017 kicked off with some trials and tribulations for some, but for others in the more optimistic sense, 2017, from a numerological perspective, adding up to 1, can be seen as a universal year one. One is a number for new beginnings and manifestations, a time for individual renewal and collective renewal. A time where we act independently, using our skills to create a world which is cooperative and beneficial for all. This Ccercle edition covers a range of stories and topics delighting you with a variety of perspectives, from luxury to liberality, cutting edge science to the most glamorous of art fairs, we hope to keep you entertained and questioning. With the waves of change that politics are bringing to the world, it is important to look at all perspectives and so we bring you an objective voice of the new generation. Yaron Plimmer’s ‘Capitalism’s Renaissance’ reflects on the increasing need for longterm sustainability, how to develop a generation of entrepreneurs and ultimately create a system which does not reward conformity but rather supports creativity. We need problem solvers to provide solutions to some of the undeniable social-economic and environmental problems we are facing on a global scale. In keeping with Ccercle’s traditions, this edition follows a number of glamorous escapades of our Ccercle Friends from Cannes Film Festival with AVAKIAN to Art Basel in Hong Kong, Polo matches in Dubai to the unmissable L’Ormarins Queens Plate. Mohamed Afkhami’s ‘Building Bridges Through Art’ reminds us of the scope of art and its ability to bring us together, showcasing our history, our politics and our culture. Mohamed Afkhami sees Iranian art as a tool to paint a softer narrative of what Iran as a country represents. Regardless of background or belief, art allows us to find common ground and brings us new perspectives. Andreea Belba highlights this through her fresh take on ‘Art Basel Hong Kong’ and ‘Art Dubai,’ where a timeless cultural bond between the vibrant West and the electrifying East is currently taking shape.

For this edition we turn to our women and honour their leadership during this time of political upheaval. The Women’s March on Washington, taking place earlier this year, was said to be the largest political demonstration - and most peaceful - since the 60s, with participants gathering worldwide to advocate legislation regarding women’s rights and human rights in general. Ccercle interviews two brave ‘Magical Women’ and their efforts in conserving our planet and its people. We look up to Livia Firth for her ability to mix fashion with environmentalism as fashion is not simply about trends and seasonal collections but rather a way of life and a tool to define who you are. “Dress for success,” Angelika Bolliger rightfully says and with that she brings us a detailed Fashion Report of all the new styles, new colours and new shapes from Paris. If you are undecided on where you will be summering this season, find inspiration from our chic Marbella article; or perhaps it is time to visit the new Gustavia Yacht Club in St Barths, ‘The Jewel of the Caribbean.’ Another increasingly popular locale is Mykonos, where Dimitri Demetriades offers our readers a personal rendezvous of all the key hot spots. Longevity is a luxury we hold high on our list with the knowing that our mortality is something we cannot escape. It is with comfort and excitement that we introduce Helene Rambaud, Senior Ambassador for Biogerontology Research Foundation, who offers an eye opening perspective into the longevity industry with its emerging field of geroscience. A move is being made from ‘anti-ageing’ as a marketing term and into a scientific biomedical sphere, backed by the world's most elite scientists, companies, institutions and individuals. Along with the transitions seen in longevity, the changes in the luxury industry are tremendous and ongoing. This years FT Business of Luxury Summit discussed the future of luxury brands with particular focus on how to bridge the gap between online and offline experiences. Whilst there is a huge wave of media consumption through technology, as Nicholas Coleridge, international president of Vogue to Tatler owner Condé Nast, said, ‘the tablet, Ipad or smartphone will never quite match the magazine moment.’ When it comes to luxury, the physical allure and experience of print magazine cannot be replaced by technology as engagement with glossy pages will always captivate its readers. Advertisers recognise this fact, particularly those in the luxury market, and so we at Ccerlce will endure to offer our High-end magazine, in its print form as well as online, continuing to serve as a prime medium for such brands, and of course for our readers to receive maximum enjoyment! Are we captains at the wheel of our own ships or more like pinballs bouncing around in a machine? Whilst some scientists may proclaim the latter, it is undeniable that self-confidence, risk taking and a generally good attitude to life can increase your chances of good ‘Luck’ coming your way, so keep your head held high and remember to have fun. Whether is it Formula One racing, DJing at the top nightclubs in Ibiza, Burning Man or simply dressing up as a bohemian flower child at Coachella, we encourage all of it. We hope your European summer includes indulging and exploring as well as some time set aside for rest and personal reflection. Happy reading,

Gabriele Salvadori Founder & Editor-in-Chief 4 | Issue N13

CALIBER RM 11-03

www.richardmille.com

contents

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A W E E K E N D W I T H A V A K I A N | C A N N E S 2 0 17

J E W E L L E R Y | B E Y O U R S E L F, B E U N I Q U E

Y AC H T | JEWEL OF THE CARIBBEAN

A R T F O C U S | BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH ART

A R T E V E N T | FRO M D U BA I & H O N KO N G

E C O N O M I C S | C A P I TA L I S M' S R EN A I S S A N C E

A R O U N D T H E W O R L D | M AGICAL WOMEN

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E S S A Y | RUSSIAN WOMEN IN LONDON

C U LT U R E | FRIENDS OF BALLET

C I N E M A | OSCARS

M U S I C | COACHELL A DIARIES

S P O R T S | DUBAI POLO GOLD CUP

G R A N D P R I X | SO U T H A FRI C A AGA I N?

E V E N T | LQ P FES T I VA L

I N T H E M O O D F O R | H E A LT H Y L I V I N G

H E A L T H | DAW N O F LO N G I V I T Y

L E I S U R E | T H E S L AT E P H U K E T

T R AV E L | TRI P TO M ARBELL A

P L A C E | MY MY KO N OS

O P I N I O N | LUCKY BEING LUCKY For advertising please contact: Nadya.Arsekina@ccercle.com | +44(0) 7985 342246

Publisher Cercle Ltd ® 5 Vigo Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3HB, UK Cercle is a ® Registered Trademark. Printing in whole or in part is expressly forbidden without written permission from the publisher. The publisher declines any responsibility for manuscripts and photos sent directly. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine. © 2017 - Cercle Ltd ®. All right reserved.

COVER STORY

Cannes 2017: A weekend with AVAKIAN discovering how celebrities prepare for walking down the red carpet

Sara Sampaio: Earrings: Avakian "Haute Joaillerie collection" set with pear-shape emeralds and diamonds Ring (on the right hand): Avakian green jade ring set with rose cut diamonds Ring (on the left hand): Avakian ring set with a pear-shaped emerald, diamonds and blue sapphires

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Sara Sampaio: Earrings: Avakian "Gatsby Collection" set with white enamel, pink morganiteÂ and diamonds. Bangle: Avakian "Victory Collection" set in white mother of pearl and diamonds

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Mary J.Blige: Earrings: Avakian "Haute Joaillerie Collection" set with kite-shaped diamonds and pink diamonds Necklace: Avakian Sautoir Bracelet: Avakian fancy colour diamond cuff bracelet

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By Katerina Perez

“This year, Sara Sampaio was one to watch at Cannes Film Festival and was certainly the talk about town. Sampaio was seen with other big names in the fashion industry, such as Bella Hadid, Eva Herzigova and Emily Ratajkowski.”

ewellery, celebrities, parties – these are the first words that come to mind when I think of the Cannes Film Festival, France’s annual film festival, which previews new films of all genres from around the world. And whilst it is first and foremost a film festival, it is also these “necessary ingredients” that make the eleven days on the French Riviera completely unforgettable. Every year brings with it a high concentration of celebrities from the big screen and show business who come to watch, and critique, film premieres as well as walk the red carpet. The result is thousands of journalists, stylists, critics, tourists and fans of celebrities who gather at this small resort town in the South of France. This year, together with the jewellery company, AVAKIAN, I was lucky enough to visit Cannes and plunge straight into the thick of events. The Cannes Film Festival celebrated a significant date this year - its 70th anniversarytaking place from the 17th till the 28th of

May. A number of internationally acclaimed A-listers, celebrities and glitterati touched down in the French Riviera for the anticipated annual soiree. I was graced with the presence of Kirsten Dunst, Marion Cotillard and Kristen Stewart, as well as Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Susan Sarandon, who elegantly walked the red carpet in glamorous couture gowns and lavish statement jewellery as a flurry of flashbulbs went off. It was Portuguese supermodel, Sara Sampaio, who truly pulled out all the stops at this years Cannes. As seen on the Ccercle front cover, Sampaio wore Maison Francesco Scognamiglio, a Victorian-inspired gown, at the premiere of The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Sampaio, who is styled by Jennifer Mazur, completed her look with sparkling diamond and emerald earrings and cocktail rings by AVAKIAN. Sara Sampaio is a rising star in the fashion industry and has made a name for herself

as one of our most beloved Victoria Secret Angels. Whilst not an actress, at 25, she is a model to look out for, gracing countless pages of fashion magazines and billboards. This year, AVAKIAN was thrilled to work with Sampaio and the pairing was perfect, with an exciting opportunity for the brand to add that final glitz to her elegant red carpet looks. Sampaio was seen with other big names in the fashion industry, such as Bella Hadid, Eva Herzigova and Emily Ratajkowski, who all radiated style and beauty at the Palais des Festivals by adding a touch of model glamour to the 70th edition. The jewellery at the festival was enchanting and I was thrilled to watch as the most glamorous of pieces were out in full display. Exquisite works were seen by Chopard, de Grisogono, Bulgari, Messika, Chanel, Boucheron, Chaumet and of course, AVAKIAN. This was the height of luxury and the jewels on show were either from the

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“Sometimes celebrities come in at an agreed time, but on other occasions everything happens spontaneously, therefore we bring jewellery to Cannes to match different tastes and styles.”

designers most recent creations or they belonged to the Signature Brands collections. Amidst the sparkling classic earrings, necklaces and bracelets made with diamonds, were the colourful gemstone jewels, like the Gatsby earrings with pink manganite or green tourmalines by AVAKIAN, which took center stage at the French Riviera and truly captivated many hearts. “We’ve been taking part in the Cannes Film Festival for five years already,” Haig Avakian was telling me in an interview that was conducted live on my Instagram feed- @ katerina_perez. For each jewellery company, attending the yearly event is not only an opportunity to adorn the celebrities with their jewels, but also a chance to network and meet new potential clients. Leading luxury brands rent beautiful rooms in the Martinez and Carlton hotels where they invite the international press, celebrities and VIPs. The Martinez can be regarded as the center point for all events, as it is here that many of the most famous A-listers stay. It is in this hotel that one will find the luxury suite of Chopard, the official jewellery partner of the festival, who this year introduced a brand new ‘Red Carpet’ collection of the most luscious pieces. At the exit of the hotel, from morning until evening, there are crowds of fans waiting for the appearance of their favourite stars. We watch as celebrities emerge from the hotel at different times sporting luxury

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jewellery and floor-length ball gowns, after all premieres happen twice a day and for each one you have to dress so as to make an indelible impression. “This year we witnessed a sharp increase in security measures at the Cannes Film Festival, which put people more at ease to wear some very important pieces of jewellery,” says Haig Avakian. Several hundred metres away from the Martinez on the main street, Les Croisettes, you will find another prestigious hotel –Carlton, where the AVAKIAN showroom is located. Having looked through the collections presented by the brand and watched as celebrities walked that red carpet with relentless charm, I could not help but wonder about the process of preparing the stars for their grand entrance. “We are in correspondence with the celebrities’ stylists before the event, as they don’t always come to Cannes personally. Usually, they send us photographs of the planned look for the red carpet on WhatsApp and we exchange photos of jewellery until we find the perfect option,” explains Haig. For the premiere of 120 Battements Par Minute, I was lucky enough to take part in the preparation of Sampaio’s look for this occasion. It was a thrilling experience and one I am now able to happily share with you, the Ccercle readers. I watched as the make-up artist accentuated all the right features

Tony Garrn: Earrings: Avakian "The RivieraÂ Collection" set fully with diamonds Bracelet: Avakian "Haute Joaillerie Collection" white diamond cuff bracelet Ring: Avakian "Haute Joaillerie Collection" diamond ring

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and how the model, after several slow and thoughtful swaps, found the perfect pieces of jewelry to conclude her immaculate look. The Versace sparkling purple jumpsuit was paired with the AVAKIAN earringsfrom the Gatsby Collection with soft-pink morganites, white enamel and diamonds. She also went with the wrap-around bracelet from the Victory Collection with a pave of diamonds and mother-of-pearl. Having put on the jewellery, Sara got into a car, and after only a few minutes, was already standing in front of hundreds of lenses being ‘papped’ from all directions on the red carpet. Ten minutes later, her pictures had already appeared on Getty Images! “Sometimes celebrities come in at an agreed time, but on other occasions everything

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happens spontaneously, therefore we bring jewellery to Cannes to match different tastes and styles,” explains Haig. It is without a doubt that AVAKIAN jewellery appeals to many tastes. The display at the Carlton offered a varied selection, ranging from an evening 5-row diamond necklace to a pair of elegant earrings from the permanent Riviera collection. As it happens, the first of these was worn by Mary J Blige to the Vanity Fair party, and the second sparkled on the model Toni Garrn at the premier of The Beguiled. So, the belief that red carpet jewellery is only accessible to the select few, is simply a myth. My eleven days in Cannes was an unceasing whirlwind of events and exposure to some of the most exquisite gems. The festival is undeniably an excellent platform for jewellery

premieres. “It was another glamorous year in Cannes for the 70th anniversary, where couture and jewellery brands presented some beautiful new creations,” says Haig. Taking advantage of this prime opportunity, AVAKIAN debuted a new collection of women’s jewellery watches, Lady Concept, which is inspired by the signature limited edition, Concept One collection for men, that was launched to mark the brand's 40th anniversary. It is infused with a hint of masculinity to translate the Maison's desire to push the creative boundaries and craft superlative designs in luxury. The watches come in a variety of colours and are already available at AVAKIAN boutique in Geneva and Moscow.

JEWELLERY

he Roberto Coin brand was founded in 1996 due to its founder’s innate love for the world of art and fashion. Roberto left his successful career as a hotel manager to pursue his passion. His creativity takes shape through the hands of the most renowned and historical Italian jewellery artisans, bringing his romantic and unconfined imagination to life.

Besides the magic of aesthetics and innovation, the brand is committed to guaranteeing transparency in all matters regarding the raw materials used and its production process. It follows international treaties that aim to ensure that the origin of materials are exclusively conflict-free, respecting the fundamental principles of social and environmental ethics.

“From the first steps that I took in this amazing field, I’ve always wanted Roberto Coin to be an eccentric entity, born in an unusual way and definitely unlike anyone else in both personality and objective.”

Roberto learned a valuable lesson in his youth, a business man must always have a good memory to remind him that he also has a heart. In accordance with that lesson, he always sustains and promotes charitable organizations in the hopes of a bright future that he himself narrates through his creations every day. He supports activities on an international level. Since 2009, the famous Ad Campaigns featuring top model Christy Turlington, have given great contributions to humanitarian foundations such as Youth Aids, Care and Every Mother Counts.

Taste and experimentation turn his creations into unprecedented examples of style and innovation that quickly catch the attention of the jewellery world, placing the brand among the most renowned Italian jewellers as well as at the top of international studies on design and quality. Each piece by Roberto Coin is the result of a thorough process, a journey through different cultures and multi-ethnical influences, into worlds of colours and nature, between echoes of past traditions and future projections. The capability to transfer the most varied experiences, dreams and perspectives into jewels, characterizes the brand’s collections with an unmistakable mark of identity and uniqueness. Roberto Coin, himself, always knew that diversity would become the fundamental characteristic of his brands identity. All this made Roberto Coin the most successful Italian jeweler in America.

Peach gold ring with colourless and brown diamonds and tsavorite.

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The Animalier Collection, as seen in the images, are created by the hands of the greatest artisans in jewelry who translate the animal kingdom into precious sculptures. Thanks to a meticulous study of both the anatomical characteristics and the legendary history of each creature, every piece of this collection is a magnificent symbol of the perfection of nature; a veritable zoo of creativity wrapped up in magical allure.

“Even today, after 20 years, I can confirm that my vision is the same as when I began, a vision that guarantees a more dynamic and curious future and, above all, a future capable of surprising again and again.” - Roberto Coin

Red and black gold ring with black sapphires and brown diamonds.

Ring in rose and black gold with diamonds, orange, blue, pink and yellow sapphires, natural green garnet and rubies.

ARIZONA MUSE FOR ROBERTO COINÂ®

NEW BAROCCO & CENTO COLLECTIONS | robertocoin.com

YACHT

St Barts Gustavia Yacht Club launched on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jewel of the Caribbeanâ&#x20AC;?

The St Barts experience starts immediately as you fly across from St Martin (SXM) and touch down on the island at Gustaf III Airport (SBH); this reminds the newcomer of some of its historical origins, when the island was a free port under the Swedish Crown. By Simon Piggott

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ou fly in over spectacular views of the Port of Gustavia, the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, which also takes its name from King Gustav III. The short airstrip is at the base of a gentle slope which ends directly on the beach. Considered the third most tricky airport in the world to approach, the descent to the runway is extremely steep, passing straight over a hilltop roundabout. Departing planes take off right over the heads of sunbathers, as at St Martin, although signs advise sunbathers not to lie on the beach at the end of the runway: a barrier has been put up to discourage bathers walking across the beach at that point. Anyway only specially licensed pilots are allowed to land at St Barts so do not worry! The islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original name was Ouanalao, Amerindian for pelican. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and renamed by him after his brother Bartolomeo. French settlers arriving in 1663 called it SaintBarthĂŠlemy. In 1784 France ceded the island to Sweden in exchange for trading rights at the port of Gothenburg. The Swedes then sold it back to France nearly a century later in 1878. At 25 sq.kms, the island is small and was not conducive to plantations, such as sugar, due to its being dry and rocky. It thus became a centre for buccaneers before and during the colonial wars, when bounties could be exchanged without paying tax. Over the years the inhabitants, while retaining their free port status, converted to trading, fishing and farming.

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YACHT

In 1957 David Rockefeller, who died earlier this year at the venerable age of 101, bought a plot of land and built a property at Colombier, one of the most beautiful bays on St Barts. Slowly the dormant island, which had become a département of France in 1946 (a similar status to Hawaii in the US) emerged onto the map of an eccentric collection of characters, who settled on the island in search of its privacy and seclusion vis-a-vis better known spots frequented by the international jet set. A good read is Randy West’s book of tales “A Sunny Place for Shady Characters” about his encounters over the past 40 years at Le Select, the island’s only Caribbean-style bar, located in the centre of Gustavia. Over the past 20 years, the island has developed into a hub for discreet luxury tourism under the savvy guidance of Bruno Magras, first as mayor from 1995 and then as Président de la Collectivité, following its independence from Guadaloupe in 2007. The original settlers and even the sailors who visited the island in the early 1980s would hardly recognize St Barts today! Christmas and New Year’s Eve now attract an international crowd, with superyacht spotting becoming a “national sport” – 2016 saw the likes of the 162.5m “Eclipse” whose owner also has a property on the island, the 115m “Luna”, the 113m Le “Grand Bleu”, 101.5m “Symphony”, 96.25m “Limitless”, 92m “Aquarius” SY 88m “Maltese Falcon”, 85.6m “Aquila” and many more anchoring off Gustavia Port, which berths its largest yacht “Excellence V” at 60m. The owners are a mixture of European and American billionaires and friends, who appreciate the beauty and safety of the island, many of whom are members of Cercle. It is within this growing international context that the Gustavia Yacht Club was established in 2016 by its Commodore, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and a number of founding members, who have fallen in love with the island and its human dimension, but lacked a place in which visitors and inhabitants alike could come together to enjoy the island’s beauty and its fascinating nautical past and present. Over a short period of time since September 2016 GYC has gathered in its Clubhouse on the Port of Gustavia over 280 members (many of whom have made St Barts their winter residence) including Benefactors, Founding and Ordinary Members in a cosy atmosphere reminiscent of a home within a home, with members active in sailing, motor yachting and all the other activities that the island offers

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Club members have started to take part in sailing events held on the island, starting with the New Year’s Eve Regatta round the island, which saw Donald in his W Class “White Horses” among others. This was followed by the coveted Bucket Regatta, which this year celebrated its 30th Anniversary.

built sloop won the Les Elegantes des Mers class and was crowned overall winner of the Bucket! Add in the return of the mighty J Class, Le retour des legendes being won by “Hanuman”, a Royal Huisman built in 2009, and the 2017 St Barts Bucket was really an unforgettable trentennial celebration!

In the Club’s first Role of Honour we congratulate GYC member Kim and his crew for winning the Les Gazelles des Mers class on the 33m Baltic “Win Win”, and Elena on her 88m Perini “Maltese Falcon” entering into the true spirit of the Les Grandes Dames des Mers class, which was won by the 56m Perini “Rosehearty” with Paul Cayard of America’s Cup fame as tactician.

Next on the sailing agenda was the Voiles de St. Barths in April, which saw a number of members and friends competing. This will be followed by the America’s Cup rendezvous in Bermuda in June, at which many GYC members will be present.

“Koo”, the 43m Vitters won Les Voiles Blanches, racing under the new Corinthian Spirit Class ORCcs handicap , while “Wisp”, the Royal Huisman 48m sloop, took the Les Mademoiselles des Mers class. “Spiip”, the 34m German Frers designed and Royal Huisman

Fair winds to you all and looking forward to seeing you in the Med for the season and at the Monaco Yacht Show at the end of September, where the Club will have a stand on the port.

For more information about the Gustavia Yacht Club, its activities and how to join up, go to www.gustaviayachtclub.org and also contact the authors at piggotts@gmail.com for details about sponsorship.

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ART FOCUS

Alireza Dayani- Untitled, 2009 (from the Metamorphosis series), Ink on Fabriano paper, 150 x 400 cm

Building Bridges Through A rt By Mohammed Afkhami

n February 2nd 2017, the Agha Khan Museum opened Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians drawing on works from my family collection of over 300 Iranian modern and contemporary artworks. The show could not have been more timely, opening five days after President Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversial banning entry for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries, of which Iran being the largest The show comprises of 27 works from 23 Contemporary Iranian artists based both in Iran and in the diaspora. The selection has been put together by the respected Dr. Fereshteh Daftari, who has had a long and distinguished career as an internationally acclaimed curator.

Shirin Neshat- Untitled, 1999 (from the rapture series), Ink on silver gelatin print, 38 x 56.5 cm

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Mohammed Ehsai- Mohabbat (Red calligraphy on Grey Ground), 2006 Oil and glitter on canvas 157 x 157 cm

Timo Nasseri- Glance No. 8, 2013, Polished stainless steel, 86 x 86 x 25 cm

Farhad Moshiri- Flying Carpet, 2007, 32 stacked, machine made carpets, 275 x 180x 44 cm

Shirin Aliabadi- Miss Hybrid No. 3, 2008 (from the hybrid girl series, 2006-8) Lambda print on photographic paper, 150x 121.8 cm

public domain to paint a softer narrative of what Iran as a country represents and my hope is that by viewing the art, people regardless of background, will find common ground and a different perspective through art.

Having come from a family of collectors with my grandfather, Senator Mohammed Ali Massoudi and my mother, Maryam Massoudi having assembled a vast antiquity and Islamic Collection, art has been a constant in my surroundings and upbringing. My journey collecting Iranian art started over 12 years ago after an extended visit to Iran where I found myself increasingly drawn to Iran’s rich cultural heritage but in particular some of the very eclectic and diverse art works being produced by today’s artists. My initial focus was on traditional mediums, such as oil on canvas but I quickly found that I was collecting all forms of sculpture, photography, videography, tapestry, mirror work and sequence. Over the past few years, and as the collection has achieved a critical mass, I have become determined to exhibit the works in the

The forms of art exhibited in this show demonstrate the versatility of Iranian artists but also the complex themes that underpin Iranian art today. As the title of the show suggests, the Rebel, is portrayed by the

Shiva Ahmadi- Oil Barrel No. 13, 2010, Oil on steel, 74 x 53x 53 cm

Mahmoud Bakhshi- Tulip Rise from the Blood of the Nation’s Youth, 2008 (from the Industrial Revolution series,1/3) Neon, tin plate, wood, plastic and electric engine, 136 x 15 x 30 cm

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Ali Banisadr- We haven’t Landed on Earth Yet, 2012, Oil on Linen, 208.3 x 304.8 cm

undertone, while the Mystic is portrayed by leading Western based Iranian artists such as Shirazeh Houshiary and YZ Kami, who are represented by some of the most well-known US and UK based galleries such as Gagosian, Lehmann Maupe and Lisson. They both display works that cling to Iran’s deep religious roots and its flirtation with Sufism. The Jester is exhibited through works by the very talented Nazgol Ansarinia, an emerging Iranian artist and the winner of the Abraaj Art Prize, whose works show traditional Iranian art work in the form of columns and carpet while simultaneously embedding subtle contemporary imagery of day to day society. Poet is displayed by Mohammed Ehsai with his beautiful calligraphic work “Mohabat” translating to the word kindness. The space lends kindly to a very fluid introduction to contemporary Iranian art and well worth the visit if you happen to be on the East Coast. Other artists featured in the show include some of the most established names in the Iranian art scene such as Parviz Tanavoli, Shirin Neshat, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Farhad Moshiri and Ali Banisadr. The show is being displayed until June 4th 2017 at the Agha Khan Museum in Toronto and set to travel to the USA in the summer of 2017. The catalogue of the show Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians is available through Blackdog Publishing and in May 2017 there will be the release of Honar, The Afkhami Collection of Modern and Contemporary Iranian Art, printed by Phaidon Press.

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Morteza Ahmadvand- Becoming , 2015 Fibreglass and video Installation, sphere diameter: 100 cm

ART E VENT

From Dubai to Hong Kong by Andreea Belba

rt Dubai is a stunning international art fair that renders the artistic richness of the Arab world from a unique perspective and continues to host valuable artwork that reflects Dubai’s multiculturalism in the diversity of the galleries. This year’s edition made its appearance under its new Director Myrna Ayad. Considering the cradle of artwork from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Art Dubai 2017 presented 277 artists from 40 countries with solo or two-artist exhibitions, allowing a more focused contemplation and multi-artist shows, enabling an overview of different works. Offering an extensive program, the fair included several sections such as Art Dubai Projects, dedicated exclusively to performance art, Global Art Forum 11, including the most outstanding yearly arts conference in Asia and the Middle East, the Room which looked like an immersive, large-scale installation and included visual art, gastronomy, performance and a dynamic dining experience. Art Dubai also provided the largest

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educational program for children and students sustained by a group of famous writers and curators who got involved in a series of intensive workshops during and after the Art Dubai Fair.

Contemporary Art Dubai Contemporary comprised 77 galleries rigorously selected that focused on solo or group exhibitions. This year's edition included galleries from Europe and North America such as Marianne Boesky Gallery (New York), Galerie Daniel Templon (Paris, Brussels), Carlier Gebauer (Berlin), Galleria Franco Noero (Torino) Victoria Miro (London). The participants from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia included 12 galleries from the UAE and newcomers like Al Marhoon Gallery from Algeria and Ab / Anbar and Mohsen Gallery from Tehran.

Art Dubai also welcomed back Athr Gallery (Jeddah), Chatterjee & Lal (Mumbai), Dastan’s Basement (Tehran), Experimenter (Kolkata), Selma Feriani Gallery (Tunis), Gypsum Gallery (Cairo) and Zawyeh Gallery (Ramallah). The most extensive number of galleries came from South America, with first attendants from Peru and Uruguay and exhibiting galleries such as the likes of Piero Atchugarry Gallery (Pueblo Garzón) Revolver Galeria (Lima), D12 Proyectos de Arte (Santiago) and Vermelho (Sao Paulo).

Modern The 4th edition of Art Dubai Modern featured 15 galleries from 12 countries including Agial Art Gallery (Beirut), exhibiting the ‘icon of Arab graphic arts,’ Mustafa Al Hallaj (1938-2002), ArtTalks (Cairo). This section was dedicated to museum-quality works signed by masters from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia that had a specific influence throughout the 20th century. The inaugural edition Art Dubai Modern Symposium consisted of various talks and presentations related to the cultural impact of 20th century masters from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. This edition showcased impressive masterpieces by Reza Aramesh, Avish Khebrehzadeh, Sirak Melkonian and Raha Raissia, who exhibited a wide range of works from sculptures and paintings to installations and photos, each relating to a specific message from the artist. Reza Aramesh’s works expressed the violence of the surrounding world appealing to voluptuous fabrics. It was an exquisite artistry and historical data capture depicting emotion and real concern. In his turn, Avish Khebrehzadeh’s works connected memory to discourse by resorting to the human figure and vivid colours immortalised on her canvas. The artist Sirak Melkonian embodied contempt, transposing in his works the struggle between abstractness and stylization, whereas Raha Raissia’s art reflected clarity by overlaying positive and negative spaces. Among the most outstanding galleries, Aicon was the oldest with a ten-time participation exhibiting the works of the Pakistani artist Rasheed Araeen. Other representative artists were Mithu Sen and Chittroram Mazumdar, whose interpretation of light was shocking and interesting. Light was portrayed as natural but could also be seen as commercialized, it was nutritive but also cruel, it was the the opposite of darkness. In Mazumdar’s work, mechanical forms were endowed with desire. Each installation told a story using light as a medium to either reveal or hide things. Mithu Sen’s works were a mixture of surrealism and humour, his paintings lit up from behind to reveal the beautiful way dye had dispersed. There was a biological feel too as he included the anatomy of a bird, humans and imaginary creatures. The landscapes consisted of roots and branches which cleverly resembled the vein beneath the human skin, connecting us with nature.

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ART E VENT

Abrag Group Art Prize The winning artist of the 2017 AGAP was Bangladeshi-born Rana Begum. This prize, which is the most notable distinction in the area, is aimed at enhancing the artist's potential and developing their talent. His works were displayed in Al Quoz, Alserkai Avenue and in Dubai International Financial Centre. Rashid Rana has been a prominent artist in the Pakistani art world for the last 20 years. His works invite the viewer to re-analyze what spatial awareness is with his art oscillating between macro and micro awareness. The artist explained that he wanted to release himself

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and the viewer from the specificity of time and space, to capture the micro and the macro simultaneously in order to render a surface tension. Another remarkable moment within the fair was the homage paid to the recently deceased Emirati artist, Hassan Sharif. Yasmina Reggad, the independent curator who supervised the 2017 Art Dubai commissions, dedicated a show to Sharif at the Gallery Isabelle Van den Eynde. Hassan Sharif studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London from 1979 to 1984 and returned to the UAE to gather a following for contemporary art. The artwork

under the name IF-THEN GOTO, the rope installation, was activated through dance movements and paid homage to Sharif who envisaged the audience’s transformational power for his society. This year, curators Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, were part of the Selection Committee aiming at looking forward “to bringing a renewed perspective” to the Art Dubai fair. The Abraaj Group was Art Dubai’s main partner, The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority sustained the educational program and Julius Baer and Piaget were the main sponsors, with Madinat Jumeirah hosting this awesome event.

Art Basel Hong Kong

rt Basel Hong Kong is not just an inestimable odyssey of art history and craft but also a timeless cultural bond between the vibrant West and the electrifying East. Impressive art galleries, international fairs, exhibitions and extravagant auctions metamorphose the metropolis into an art hub where even the most sophisticated visitor can fulfil his artistic cravings!

“It owes its fame to its geographical location,” states Adeline Ooi, Director of Asia-Pacific region. “Hong Kong is right at the heart of Asia and attracts visitors from across North and Southeast Asia, as well as from Australia and New Zealand. Its superb transport infrastructure and links make it convenient for Art Basel’s visitors from the US and Europe”. As of its inaugural debut in 2013, most of Art Basel’s participating galleries emanated from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region with works of the highest quality. Any art lover will take delight in the ravishing collections of paintings, drawings, sculptures, videos and installations, overflowing with novelty, creativity and freshness. The 2017 edition of the fair, to be held from March 23rd to 25th, will reveal a unique concept displayed in six sectors: Galleries, Insights,

Discoveries, Encounters, Magazines and Film as well as a new curatorial sector, Kabinett. Art Basel Hong Kong gained its prestige both for local emerging galleries and for international galleries, concurrently attracting art institutions from around the world including notable artists, private collectors, curators and critics. The venue to host this much anticipated fair is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, where established and emerging artists will unveil mesmerizing artworks to showcase the intercultural exchange between the Orient and the Occident. Roaming about through this impressive artistic labyrinth, visitors will undergo a captivating experience that will arouse their senses. Art Basel Hong Kong has disclosed its gallery array for this years 5th edition, counting 241 participants with 29 newcomers, including Imura Art Gallery from Kyoto, Mor Charpentier from Paris, Aicon Gallery and Athena Contemporânea from Brazil. The fair will comprise traditional sectors like Discoveries, propelling emerging artists, and Encounters, consecrated to large-scale pieces. The novelty will be the Kabinett with mini-exhibitions in the booths of the exhibiting galleries. Art Basel Hong Kong will permanently set itself up as a yearly stimulus with artistic platforms displaying the steady and joint endeavours of talented artists.

ART E VENT

Galleries, the most significant section, will count 190 galleries dedicated to modern and contemporary art that will exhibit paintings, sculptures, installations, photos, films and digital art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Expect names like Antenna Space, Experimenter and Liang Gallery who have qualified for the Galleries - after a minimal three-year operation - as well as the likes of Karma International and Timothy Taylor, who are said to back after a brief interruption. You will also see the Third Line and Waddington Custot, who are firsttime exhibitors. Edouard Malingue Gallery will be a reference point in the Galleries and Encounters section this 2017 edition, with works by Cho YongIk (b. 1934), Laurent Grasso (b. 1972), Eric Baudart (b. 1972), Su-Mei Tse (b. 1973) and Fabien Mérelle (b. 1981). Wang Wei will complement Edouard Malingue Gallery’s booth display in the Encounters sector. The artist will render nature in a simple and pure form conceiving windows to scrutinize other valences of meaning. He questions the genuineness of the natural shapes and constructively incorporates

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spaces and visual elements in a process of builtin interaction. Tackling the concept of mental modification, Laurent Grasso conceptualizes reality by exploring history, mythology, science and supernatural phenomena to create a research-based epic demarcating the actual and the impossible. Grasso will also explain concepts of time and place swinging between temporality and spatiality. Insights section will consist of 27 galleries from Asia and Asia-Pacific region (from Turkey to New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent) including solo or thematic exhibitions as well as curatorial projects. Eight of them are newcomers like Aicon Gallery, C-Space, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Imura art gallery, Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Mind Set Art Center, Sundaram Tagore Gallery and The Third Gallery Aya. Aicon Gallery will be representative within the Insights sector featuring Salman Toor, a talented artist born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1983. Living and working in Brooklyn, New York, Toor had his Masters of Fine Art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 2009 and several solo exhibitions

in the U.S.A and Pakistan. His artwork reflects both the nineteenth century-style painting and abstractionism by using design and visual elements from Eastern and Western pop culture. Discoveries section will allocate an influential platform for emerging artists with solo and twoperson exhibitions. This sector will highlight the talent of the next generation of artists at the beginning of their career. Among the attending galleries, 12 will be first participants in the fair like A+ Contemporary, Athena Contemporânea, Bank, Thomas Brambilla, Clearing, Dittrich & Schlechtriem, High Art, Jhaveri Contemporary, Project Native Informant, etc. Kabinett section will be new in the Hong Kong show presenting curated projects in a separately delimited space area within their booths. This inaugural curatorial concept that offers thematic solo or group exhibitions, installations, film or video programs as well as historical presentations, is a starting ramp for promoting the participating galleries and impels artists to give free rein to their imagination.

Encounters section will display 17 large-scale sculptural installations and sculptures of leading contemporary artists considered to “transcend the traditional art fair booth.” This year’s themes will exploit time, space and meaning. The section will showcase works of reputable artists like Pio Abad, Rasheed Araeen, Katharina Grosse, Gonkar Gyatso, Joyce Ho, Waqas Khan, Kimsooja, Alicja Kwade, Sanné Mestrom, Michael Parekowhai, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Wang Wei, etc. Gabriel Barredo (b. 1957) will be another eccentric artist to have initiated kinetic sculptures. His work is designed to generate total opuses that he conceives after an intense work of bricolage, sketching, and painting, lifting his sculptures to theatrical lengths, interactive for the viewer. He will feature both large and small pieces from simple drawings to narratives associated with sound and light. Film section will offer projections of short and feature-length films dedicated or created by artists at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre or the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Moreover, the film sector will exhibit Abigail Reynolds’ film that explores the lost libraries along the Silk Road and whose work was awarded the BMW Art Journey in 2016. Conversations and Salon will provide challenging programs and talk shows to enhance the audience’s artistic knowledge about international art. The Conversations will reveal the conceptions of world artists, collectors and critics regarding creating, collecting and displaying art pieces. Salon will function as a platform for short, informal presentations, talks, performances, lectures where different speakers will expose their

personal perspectives upon the art world. Art Basel Hong Kong has developed tight cultural relationships with organizations like Asia Art Archive, the Asia Society, Spring Workshop, Para/Site Art Space, Hong Kong Arts Center and M+ to present creative shows. Hong Kong Art Gallery Week, Gallery Night and HKU, local and international cultural groups, have also an extensive collaboration with Art Basel. Art Basel’s main partner is UBS which is also actively involved in innovative art projects such as Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative. For sponsors: Davidoff, Audemars Piguet and NetJets are the Associate Partners; Ruinart is the a Lounge Host; BMW is the Official Automotive Partner; Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong as the Official Hotel Partner; Swiss International Airlines as Official Carrier and of course The Financial Times as main Media Partner. Art Basel Hong Kong is the essential artistry pillar of Asia’s contemporary art scene whose creativity, innovation and values inspire a new audacious experience. It has become an incontestable driving force with an incredible potential that nurtures and supports the art world offering platforms where artists, collectors and museum directors have prolific debates to exchange ideas. If Hong Kong perpetually enchants visitors with its exclusive background, then Art Basel fascinates them with inestimable masterpieces as an active cultural custodian of international artwork.

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ECONOMICS

Capitalism’s R enaissance

By Yaron Hubin-Plimmer

t the moment, surprisingly, it seems individuals, governments, companies and international organizations have been taken by surprise at the success of “nationalist” movements across the world, specifically the United States and Europe. There really isn’t much to be surprised about. In what Francis Fukuyama refers to the End of History, the end of the Second World War and the moment pen met paper at the Bretton Woods Conference we have, until today, lived in an ideological monopoly of a world. Yes, there is a variety of opinions, a collection of global conflicts and what seems to be challenges to the status quo but the reality of the matter is that neoliberal economics and democracy has been the leading ideology that has taken us forward for the past seventy years. It has edged developed economies and served as the conditions for developing economies for many loan agreements and trade deals and as a result, the slow transition to a homogenous global attitude has solidified the supreme authority of market forces, capitalism and liberalism. The

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End of History was written in 1998 but it still applies today. Despite the increasing emergence of protectionist, nationalist forces, their rise to the center stage has seen them moderate the economic isolationist stances and though their sound bites have attracted a lot of attention, it is just another side of the same coin. This essay looks to address some inconsistencies in the present argument. Yes, capitalism is broken and the lack of modern regulation has consolidated wealth into a small concentrated group, but the problem is not the theory, it is our practice of it; and the structure of our democracies. The market economy is all about competition and rewarding innovation and successful strategies but this comes with the responsibility of sensible legislation to level the playing field and policy that keeps up to date with modern trends. It is about having a responsive government that can deliver the remedies to growing pains and ensuring

those affected don’t fall behind. Our “social services”? Yep, they need a revolutionary rethink too. Several parts of our national economic composition today are victims of ill thought out or lack of legislation. The bulk of our national revenue, the taxes that can be collected, are dwindling simply because everything today has been about catch all vote politics. Whilst economic globalization has nearly wiped out manufacturing within developed economies, our solutions have been to politicize the problem and make it about social services versus austerity and a lack of work ethic. In reality, it boils down to poor governance, post war collective liberalism and political apathy. Representative democracy was designed in full to transfer an individual's political responsibilities to a career politician who would manage your interests whilst you pursue yours with the desired effect of enforcing stability. This worked fine following the decades of war reconstruction when people were politically exhausted but today people’s economic woes are mixing with their political marginalization and if history teaches anything it is that this cocktail does not end well. Today a quote from Aristotle comes to mind, “the worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal” and this is what we must focus on addressing today if we are going to build a “real” economy, a competitive business environment and resource respective system. This is not an essay about idealism, it is about the tools that are already at our disposal which have been watered down or fallen victim of the political game. It is about principles that should be enacted due to logical arguments but that have been set aside because of identity allegiances. Today we face some obvious realities that are giving way to the rise of radical “antiestablishment” parties across the West. They are a representation of government apathy and the dangers of identity politics. As cliché as it has become to say it, history does repeat itself and in times of economic turmoil, radicalism in all its shapes and sizes, will rise. That is not to say some of it should not be listened to. Capitalisms renaissance will require political legislation (perhaps best kept for another article) to go in tandem with the economic revolution that needs to redefine capitalism and jump start domestic manufacturing, agritech, clean energy and smart cities. The renaissance of capitalism will rest on the empowerment of the individual and

supporting emerging industries that support a vision of a more sustainable future. The scrapping of the welfare state with the introduction of a Universal Basic Income will cover the transitionary loss of jobs but provide us all with a living wage, reducing the rising anger between high levels of economic inequality. Furthermore, a Universal Basic Income will entice people to reduce their work hours, whilst opening the market to more jobs at fewer hours. This will promote less political apathy, more time for self-care, more time and resources to devote to entrepreneurship and a chance for individuals to reduce their “stress” levels and spend more time working productively.

Economic growth, along with the emergence of nationalism, will focus around improving our societies and implementing the changes needed to reduce our environmental footprint and minimize the stress our urban centers face. By 2030, the United Nations predicts that the amount of megacities will increase from 36 to 41; this means cities which exceed a population of 10 million people. In essence this will stress what is already at its bare capacity. It is time we invest heavily in converting our nations into hubs of the future, modernizing infrastructure, improving transportation links and making cities, our countries nervous system, be at the forefront of generating their own needs. Let us put sustainability as our flagship. Examples of such include the Sustainable City in Dubai whom have looked to create a community based on the principles of energy sustainability, biomaterials, community agriculture and electric vehicles. Massive investments on a larger scale will open new industries, new investment opportunities and hopefully a new era of economic activity.

It is important that with this switch we are unpegging economic growth from consumerism to opportunities of investment and its social return; bringing back economic opportunity predominantly away from the global arena and back to the national level. This does not mean an anti-globalist mentality, but rather that our focus internationally will have abandoned the pursuit of modernity, gradual development and long term investments. By reducing our international consumerism and investing in industrializing, sustainable economies, we are reducing the environmental degradation not just at home but at its resource and manufacturing point. With that, I believe we need to instill these values in our education system to develop a generation of entrepreneurs. It is time to scrap a system that rewards conformity and instead support individuality. Skills that can benefit the transition rather than support what I would consider a slow, distorted “capitalist” system. I am a capitalist. True capitalism is about people competing at equal opportunity to innovate, develop and succeed. As a result, I am a strong advocate of using strong incentives to promote reinvestment, low taxes and devolution to help regional governments foster real development where it matters. Using the Universal Basic Income, full employment is possible. This economic revolution would require immense manpower, one that would mobilize people behind all sorts of jobs. It is not the function of the state to turn a profit but facilitate a means in which people can be most productive. What does that translate to? Equal opportunity, a REAL chance at equal opportunity to achieve a minimum standard of living. The Renaissance represented an era in which we broke from dark times and began an enlightenment filled with discovery, vision and ingenuity. Today, since the end of the Second World War, we have continued a system, unchanged and infused with hopeful idealism that has delivered what I would best describe as a boom and bust cycle. We are currently nearing a bust in which our economic prospects and investment capital are spreading across the world and in its place, a crumbling welfare system. Yes, there have been success stories of Startup cities in Europe but seed funding is rare to come by and government policy not exactly welcoming. Everything from our politics and economics is designed around re-elections and its services as a result. It is time that we focus on our long term development. It is time to roll up our sleeves and build up the economy of tomorrow.

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AROUND THE WORLD

Magical Women and Where to Find Them By Annette Muller & Klara Kvarnbäck

In light of the new year, we accidentally stumbled upon a book. One of those profoundly insightful books, hidden away in the most obscure section of an old second hand bookstore in Cape Town. Through continuously reading sentences, passages and pages, our minds and hearts were blown away by a book, published in the 1970’s, that was still so relevant for what we are experiencing in the world today. "New Woman New Earth", by Rosemary Radford Ruether, is a compendium of the oppression of the female and how it

anuary the 20th was a big day this year. The American Inauguration took place and within 24 hours the new president was formally positioned as the leader of the ‘free’ world. Despite this fact, women were seen gathering and coming together from around the world. Many asked, ‘why now?’ ‘What does this all mean?’ The Women's March of 2017 is now recognized as the largest single day demonstration in US history. With 678 marches taking place worldwide and an estimated 4.8 million marchers in total (Yahoo.com, Fortune.com), clearly something is trying to be said. It is important to note that this was not a women’s only march. It was a march of solidarity, a march which included all members of our society. We marched in Cape Town, to show support,

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not only for our sisters in America - who's women's rights are currently under threat with the new presidency -, but for women and minority groups still living under oppression from their governments. It was a powerful rising of the people standing up for humanity, standing up for love. With our new faithful companion, the book, and our brewing female fire, we began a quest to attempt to understand the history of women's oppression. Though not a complete surprise, it still shocked us that women have been inferior to the man since the beginning of history as we know it. One could even break down the very word to his-story,

a past which seems to have neglected much of her-story. Female oppression began some 6000 or more years ago, prior to many other forms of oppression which we see and fight for today. It was said that the Hunters and Gatherers who divided the sexes and since then it has been a gap that, only after thousands of years, is slowly starting to bridge. When we think of women empowerment naturally our minds take us to that infamous word, feminism, with all its complexities and controversies. A recently published article, which nicely defines what feminism means to us, can be found in the ‘San Francisco Chronicle,’ written by feminist and ecologist, Elyse DeFranco. The article is titled, "Fearless Girl’ Stands Up to Old Thinking," and depicts the new statue seen on Wall Street of a young girl, hands on her hips, facing the infamous Wall Street Bull. The bull personifies the ‘reckless hyper-masculine and toxic stopfor-nothing mentality that feeds the financial market,’ which is seen in direct conflict with the young girl. Of course, a statement piece such as this has received worldwide media attention, but what is concerning

to us, as young budding feminists, is the confusion around what the installation actually symbolizes. “The problem,” says DeFranco, “is not the lack of representation of women on Wall Street - But Wall Street itself.” Generally, when one talks about feminism, we assume powerful, dominant women. The issue with these assumptions, particularly that of lean in feminism where women are made to work extra hard and companies forced to increase their gender parity on boards- is that ‘progression,’ for some of us females, is not through receiving positions in a male dominated corporate world, but rather through actively resisting the ideology behind such a world. The current unregulated capitalistic system, dominated by patriarchal corporations and governments, are taking us down a path of global decline. We are exploiting our people and our natural resources to a point of no return. It is time we took back some of those ancient feminine ideals of a more equitable society. A society which places our people and the protection of Mother Nature above profits.

A society which places our people and the protection of Mother Nature above profits. name a few. In this article we will look at two women, perhaps unknown to you, for they are not in the eyes of the global media, but who are two women living in remote places on opposite ends of the Earth, both doing work that is not always acknowledged by the wider public, but which we believe deserves a voice.

“I am not a talker. I am a doer.” – Linzi Thomas When you meet Linzi you will soon realize that this quote perfectly sums her up. When I first met her, at the age of fifteen, I was amazed when I entered her home in Camps Bay and found street children living with their family. Growing up in a white privileged bubble in Cape Town, this was not something you saw your average white female (particularly a Camps Bay resident) do. Linzi was never afraid to get her hands dirty and truly attempt to change these kids lives, she has genuinely seen and done it all. And now from her very own words. – Annette Muller “My name is Linzi. I was born in January of 1965 and grew up in rural Natal, where my stepfather was the only dentist and my mother a politician - and the cleverest woman I knew. I used to see queues of Zulu people every weekend of my life, waiting for my father to assist them. He provided this service for free and it used to make my heart sing to see people healed and walk away pain free. We grew up with no colour, everyone was the same to us, my other ‘mother,’ Rita Bengu used to bath, feed and put us to bed every night. She taught me love and resilience. At the time I never had a clue that she had left her children to care for me or that there was this thing called “apartheid.” Life got rough when we left Zululand, my family fell apart, my step father left us and we grew up in poverty. I lived with many different families but still managed to matriculate from Northlands Girls High School. I married young and was gifted with the most precious son, Wesley Thomas, my

As we look around the world, there are many powerful women leaders who spring to mind, with all different positions on the feminist ideological spectrum. We have the big names who are truly inspiring ambassadors for the uprising of equality: Amal Clooney, Malala Yuosafzi, Annie Leibowitz, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Diane von Furstenberg, to

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Guardian Angel and Mentor through this life. I was happily working in the South African Film Industry when I met my first ‘street’ child, from that day onwards, I could not ignore the fact that children were growing up on our streets, right in front of us, and so I went on a crusade to understand their stories. I went from working in the Namibian desert with Jennifer Lopez, to subservience and the NGO Sector. I started Street Universe in 1988 and had the most incredible mentor, Paddy Upton (SA Cricket), who carried me through 3 of the toughest years of my life – learning the streets of South Africa. Nothing could have prepared me for the daily trauma I lived, seeing the abuse of children, who had been labelled into categories of funding, so we could make sense of what was happening in our society. I remember having a counter in my office and every time someone on the streets died, we would honour them with their names on our counter – so they were never forgotten – when we reached 184 names, I stopped, I was immune to seeing death, something I had no idea I was meant to deal with. I resigned from Street Universe in 2000, ousted from my own organisation. We had become top heavy and were receiving too much attention due to our Laureus World Sporting Event, which saw us in Monte Carlo being awarded for our efforts. Wiseman Dinizulu (former street child) and myself attended the awards and the day we returned, we were no longer revered, we were chastised. Wiseman, Wesley and myself soon thereafter started The MylifE Foundation – our objective: how do we get someone off the streets and reintegrated back into society. We achieved this in over a decade and had many beautiful success stories. Wiseman Dinizulu is today a top technician in the South African Film Industry; MK Kapa and Mzamo Zimisile became Jamie Oliver trained Chefs; Freda Darvel travelled the world having reached the finals of the Coca Cola Pop stars; Martin Africa became the face of the Homeless World Cup; Sifiso Jezile became a Director of the organization – the stories are endless.

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From the first day I walked onto the streets with a soccer ball, love and compassion, the children asked me to build them a “home,” a “farm,” a place they felt welcome, safe and loved. This became the mission to fulfill their wishes and build a Village. I left Cape Town in 2012 for Hogsback, Eastern Cape, where we had a land partner and an opportunity to prototype our Village. There were many challenges over the years and Hogsback prepared us for the life we were heading into. We lived in water rich afromontane forests with 6 biospheres, top permaculturists and horticulturists, all teaching our team everything we needed to know about living off the grid a big wake up call. With the support of our Global Ambassador, Antonio Paladino, we met a Global Philanthropist, Chris Sharpe, who

prototyping a Village that will raise children to understand Climate Change and give them the skills for their futures by understanding soil, water, sustainable farming, life off the grid and building homes that are recycled from the land and last into the future. We have many challenges, a major one being investment into the lives of the forgotten. We have a team of elders from the surrounding villages mentoring our progress and a team of 8 men, who we pay R2000 each a month. We are supporting 86 people in the process. We require the innovation, creativity and ingenuity of the future generations to spend time with us, to help implement the change that needs to happen, to see these little people educated and supported through their lives, to be the future leaders of South Africa! To this cause, I have dedicated my life!”

“You cannot justify human rights abuses with economical arguments” - Nina Gualinga

invested in our move to Mtwaku, Nqamakwe – where we are positioned in the middle of 53 of the poorest rural Villages in SA - a serious shift for our team, who now found themselves living in army tents with no water and dry land that has been left for years. We have lived with the Xhosa Tribes now for 3 years. We are ruled by Tribal Councils and the only white people for miles. We have broken through the racial barriers we faced initially, we have done effective community development through our wellness center that provides healing oils and teas for the many ailments faced by the rural population – it feels something like ‘Lost Tribes - The People Who Have Been Forgotten.’ We are

Try and think back to a time when you were 23 years old… What were your dreams? Your achievements? Where did your priorities lie? For Nina, at the tender age of 23, she has already won a lawsuit against her own government, canoed down the Seine in Paris in attendance of the COP21 with global leaders, lead a climate change march in New York with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo by her side and most recently given birth to a newborn son. This is surely not a commonality for any 23-year-old, which is why it gives me great pleasure to introduce Nina Gualinga, from Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon, a woman I was lucky enough to attend school with in Stockholm, and one who continues to inspire me daily. – Klara Kvarnback Nina can be described as a true ecofeminist with her priorities being the protection and preservation of the Earth and of all living things. Ecofeminism is a philosophy that combines movements which promote feminism and ecology. It is the practice of becoming

Her ability to navigate between two different worlds has afforded her the skills to inform first world countries of the importance of the protection of the rainforest and its peoples.

harmonious with the ecology of the Earth using our true, ancient feminine knowledge. It sees the domination of nature and the exploitation of women as one in the same fight and encourages a return to a time of nurturing the planet and its women, the bringers of life. It seeks to eradicate all forms of social injustice, not exclusively female injustices, but sees the empowerment of the female as key. Through igniting activism and acknowledging the importance of the Amazon rainforest, Nina is fighting for a source that brings life for us all. At six years old, Sarayaku, Nina's village, was invaded by military forces to investigate oil exploitation. This was an obvious threat to the community at large and the women of Sarayaku took it upon themselves to fend off the military. They achieved this by different methods, one which worked well was taking the clothes and weapons from the soldiers whilst they were asleep. Eventually the

soldiers retreated and a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government was filed for an attack on indigenous people and their rights. The indigenous lawsuit against the government and big oil corporations was won in 2012. Such a win sounds uncommon these days but it is 100% real news. After seeing the women come together and battle for their indigenous tribe, the realization and reminder that women hold immense power, was realized. As women, we are the bearers of life and are granted with maternal instincts, instincts of nurture, compassion and protection. These instincts are not exclusively for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s child but extend outward to those in our communities, our tribes as well as our land. Within the Amazonian tribes, women hold a great deal of power and are seen as true equals to their warrior men, something we are still trying to achieve in western societies. Nina

stands strong with her fellow women, and men, in their attempts to protect the land as well as their people. Having an Ecuadorian mother and a Swedish father, adapting and learning from two totally diverse cultures has been a natural part of her upbringing. Since graduating from boarding school in Sweden, Nina has spent half her time in Sweden and the other half living rurally with her Amazonian tribe. Through attending school in Sweden and being educated by a top western school, Nina has been able to influence and inspire western society and appeal to them at their level. Her ability to navigate between two different worlds has afforded her the skills to inform first world countries of the importance of the protection of the rainforest and its peoples. Similar to Linzi, Nina is the voice for the voiceless, selflessly cleaning up the mess left behind by money hungry

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corporations and governments. The Ecuadorian government continuously tries to belittle the indigenous people, destroying their native land for profits and completely destroying their livelihoods and culture. Today the Sarayaku still do not have equal rights and Nina, and the tribes, continue to fight for preserving their way of life.

“Fast Fashion is like fast food, after the sugar rush it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.” -Livia Firth Another lady to add to the list of wow-woman is Livia Firth. You may recognize her surname from oh so charming british actor Colin Firth, but we are not here to speak about this man's accomplishments within the film industry, but rather his wife’s ever strong battle with the fast fashion industry and journey to raise a fashionable world that is also sustainable. Livia Firth, born Giuggioli in Rome, is the founder of Eco-Age, a member in Annie Lennox women’s platform - The Circle, and is an advocate for sustainable fashion. As fast fashion brands have

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taken on the market and retailers like H&M are pairing up with designers like Kenzo, Karl Lagerfelt, Balmain and Jimmy Choo, their apparel are hitting the market with a bang. Unlike the rest of the fashionistas jumping on this fast train, Livia opposes this fast fashion movement as she refuses to ignore the harmful impact it has on the environment as well as the workers driving it. The unjust, and extremely dangerous, working conditions which take place in the garment industries is appalling and we are seeing more and more women, in countries like Bangladesh, speaking out about this abuse. Eco-Age, Livia’s fashion brand, started off as a consultancy agency in London. Livia, together with her brother, had an aim to help brands become more eco-friendly. By assessing the supply chain for a fashion company, and working closely with suppliers and brands, Eco-Age implements principles covering all aspects of sustainability on social, environmental and corporate goodness. When a company is certified by Eco-Age they take on the Green Carpet Challenge, which allows fashion pioneers to walk the red carpet knowing that their clothing is both stylish and sustainable.

She has helped reputable brands such as Stella McCartney, Gucci and many others on Net-aPorter. If you were lucky enough to have made a purchase from Gucci’s 2013 handbag collection, then you too are supporting sustainable fashion, as this was the first ever luxury brand to have completed the high standards of sustainable production. Gucci served as proof that elegance and conscious fashion methods are a great mix. Livia is certainly making the rounds with top brands and continues to inspire designers from around the world, making a positive impact on the fashion industry as well as our environment. Though the above mentioned information is highlighting only some of her success, she is using her name, brain and fame to try and change the perception of how we use clothes. She highlights that clothing is more than just a material or disposable object, it should be sacred and kept for many years. Let us return to a slow fashion movement where individual key pieces can be used to reflect our personality as well as the efforts put in to make it sustainable. One of Livia’s triggers which inspired her to start working with a more kind-hearted fashion

We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.. industry, was after hearing a quote from Ali Hewson (Bono’s wife) who said, “you carry the stories of the people that make your clothes.” This quote stuck with Livia and held immense truth. It is famous women like Livia, through using their awareness and platforms to expose the bigger picture, who become a force for good, inspiring us all to consider our own personal wardrobes and daily choices. Every living moment of our existence is a fork of choices. By having strong women leaders, such as the three mentioned above, we can reflect on our own decision making and view their journeys as a positive road paved for us to walk down, a road which acknowledges and honours the people whose voices do not sometimes get heard, but whom work hard so that we can enjoy luxury living. When we think of women like Nina, Linzi and Livia and all they are doing to empower and protect their communities and Mother Earth, we are mixed with feelings of guilt and inspiration. Guilt over whether

we too are playing our parts in trying to make this world a better place and inspiration for continuing to do what we can to bring hope for more peaceful days. Whilst some of the trials that these women face do not directly affect us, they indirectly are beginning to. In the Information Age we find ourselves in, prevailing issues are accessible and highlighted to us constantly through global media channels. We can no longer pretend to be blissfully unaware of what is going on in the rest of the world, in the countries which suffer for our materialistic benefits and lifestyles. With the bombardment of information, we have also become a hardened humanity, numb to our true feelings. It has become uncomfortable to be empathetic, we walk past homeless people without a second thought, watch news of innocent children being bombed, feel surprised when someone smiles at us on the sidewalk. We are in desperate need to feel once more. Our hope is that the rise of feminine qualities, such as compassion, empathy and nurturing, -in both men and women- will bring about a positive impact for humanity and our Mother Earth. If not for you, then for your children or the future generations. We leave you with an ancient Native American proverb, let us not forget. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”

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ESSAY

Russian Women in london By Alexandra Shishlova

Today, many call London the picturesque centre of the world. The United Kingdom is one of the most desired places to live in for various Russians as well as Europeans. England, however, is one of the only countries that no longer wants to be part of the substantial European Union. English people are trying to separate themselves from the majority of the world and want to be by themselves. In their opinion, this is possible in the near future. Prime Meridian acts as a speciality and intercepts their vast territory.

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n this article, I will commence to discuss the outstanding differences and similarities between European or Russian women and English women. People in England are not influenced by stressful conditions. Rather, they are surrounded by tranquility and adore the manner of reciting as well as delivering jokes. Comprehending English humour is more challenging than people can imagine, especially at its peak. This would be particularly in the case of anatomy jokes, which would be around the human body. Exquisite irony from playwrights, which include George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde, is understood by everyone. Nevertheless, falling trousers, witty remarks about toilets, comments about contamination and unpleasant talk of Mr Bin and Benny Hill call for embarrassment from other nations. Anyhow, perhaps we cannot perceive the subtle English humour.

'Insular psychology' is not nearly the same as other Europeans and the adherence to English traditions is recognised. In other words, we call this conservatism. My English girlfriends traditionally use two taps with hot and cold water, a chain on their toilet and block out any sounds of criticism about changing windows or doors in extremely old houses. Surprisingly and legally, this change is not always possible to accomplish in every household. Traditions remain traditions. Eventually, it provides national integrity and defends the strengths in their character within the context of globalisation. This is a place of eccentrics and everyone has free will to do whatever they want or crave.

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ESSAY

English women consider Russian females as smaller versions of drama queens than themselves but they also consider them to include qualities of being spoilt and spiteful. However, in contrast to English women, Russian women are more emotional. Controlled emotions, most likely to be misread as coldness, are a few of the principles of English women. If you capture the moment of two women, Russian and European, expressing their emotions, the best and most promising remark you will get from an English women is as little as 'lovely.' Culturally, in Russian homes, all the best is given to their children, starting from the baby's bedroom. English moms consider that, "we appeared in this world not to get pleasure," and hence the smallest room is given to the child or sometimes even a room in the attic. In English pubs, you could see a sign saying "No children, no dogs." However, in London, dogs are loved and praised. But a colossal similarity that we share is the love towards art, museums, architecture and literature. Russian moms are very thankful for English classics such as Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins and Peter Pan. We grew up with these heroes and heroines. We have always discussed these stories along with tea and the everlasting talk about the weather. An interesting fact would be that when spring appears in all its glory, English moms dress their babies with shorts. No-one even considers or expects the idea of the babies getting cold because for the last 500 years, everyone has been dressing up their kids in this way. This is the power of traditions. Often, I dine with my English girlfriends and we find ourselves solving puzzles and crosswords. Even though I have to admit solving the crosswords is not my best skill, but despite this fact, I find it amusing. English women are considered to have a very strong character. With this, such a small country has won the respect of its surroundings. For example, there are many women who have left a legacy after they passed away and changed the United Kingdom forever. This includes Margaret Thatcher, also nicknamed as "The Iron Lady". Today, proudly living in this country, we are thankful to all those who have created and saved the famous traditions, which was not entirely as successful for the Russians.

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CULTURE

Great Friends of English National Ballet By Leila Russack

fter a sunny spring tea, I walked through the cream and damsel pink tulips and violet irises of Kensington Gardens and on down to Markova House, which is hidden sweetly in a cobbled South Kensington mews. Great Friends of the English National Ballet were welcomed into the Green Room. This is where sixty-five dancers chat and lunch every day between lessons, strictures in choreography and technique. ENB is a touring company, billing internationally and across the United Kingdom, it is also currently taking productions to Japan, Ireland and Sadler’s Wells, spreading the sparkling magical dust of ballet around the world. Production stills and photographs of the new arts hub buildings on City Island, Canning Town surround us. Some of us Great Friends cringe at the thought of travelling so far East of London to visit the studios, open from 2019. Although the mews location is idyllic, only two studios are available to accommodate practice and choreography, for more often than not, a three production group. We have been assured the ENB requires a much larger capacity for its dancers. The multi-million-pound purpose-built investment is a necessity for the sheer number of often sold-out performances. Akram Khan’s Giselle was sold out days after ticket release, so try your luck early for getting a seat for the Nutcracker in December! Traditional patrons and modern philanthropists meet to support the fine performing arts. The delightful charm of Giselle, from a back of tier seat, is felt as well as the privacy of a box near the stage. Lovers of ballet travel the country and the world to see Giselle Act Two with sixteen fluttering

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tutus covering the floor in synchronised pirouettes and demi-plies. We are soon escorted to Level 5, the humble Costumes Department, where we pile in next to a window full of snow globes from around the world. The Costumes Manager, Geraldine Tiernan, brings forth a shimmering waterfall brocade and a gilt braided men’s jacket. The tie-dyed dirty frocks, designed for Giselle in September, look like they could have come from a grungy back-alley runway. We are all intrigued by the difference in the intricate ornate and the pared-down modern. Stock of fabric can be pre-planned for two decades, so as not to rely on ‘fashionable’ fabrics and accessories, which can be quite constrained to eras rather than to production requirements. The ideal measurements for ballerinas are posed by several tailors’ mannequins and drawn up in books, so that when a production is approved, the Costumes Department can begin cutting designs quite accurately. Rolls of fabric for every production line the walls of one room. Drawers full of thick German leotards and tights are seen as well as enough pointe shoes to twist the ankles and bend the toes of every person in the audience. The first act in the ballet tells the story of a misfortunate youth and despondent hope through the ramshackles of poverty with often brown, torn garb on the protagonist and all the villagers. After a drinks intermission for the audience, the second and third act surprise us with the key to glamorous success via a noble suitor or a iridescently posh antagonist, which means a change of costumes to brighter hues of fuchsia, aquamarine and of course filigree and paste jewels. When

Gerry announces that we are allowed to try on Aurora’s crown from Swan Lake Act II, we all gasp with excitement at the chance of becoming ballerina- princesses, even but for a moment! We inspect with awe the citron, tangerine and turquoise headpieces. Gerry eloquently upturns a tutu by the crotch and we are shown the caprices of expertise and expense that comprises of one feathered Flower dress, broken down by taffeta and corset. Gerry laughs when one of us asks about the laundry bill - “Enormous!” She does not burden us with the task of calculating the facility for ENB Coppelia tour to Tokyo in July. Rather, there will be eight very specialist wardrobe staff who will be responsible for the logistics of costume shipment and laundering requirements. What really touches me is how modest the Costume Department is in size and setting, considering how prestigious the ENB’s spectaculars are on stage. There is not a snub of snobbery among the team, yet the work being done here is as essential as their ballet dancers. As Great Friends of the English National Ballet, we are invited to join the company’s events, such as Working Stage Rehearsals. We meet more Friends at the Gore Hotel for cream tea, discussing our various involvements and interests in ballet as a classical art form and its grueling use in modern fitness, otherwise known as ballet barre. We then stroll over to one of the mews studios to watch a rehearsal for the Frank Anderson’s La Sylphide. Several sets of dancers are choreographed for the scene in which James commits himself to an engagement with Effie, much to Gurn’s dismay and the Witch’s cruel delight. Anderson skillfully projects the body language and signals that are required by the audience for them

to understand what is being communicated in each scene. Celestial omens of holiness and of evil are regarded by pointing and looking longingly or frantically toward the heavens. Placement of the dancers in line with one another for purposes of practicality is important too. James can easily scold the Witch with a cold hard stare and Effie can run forth with loving, seductive gazes. Anderson promises that the dancers will be humanised with honesty and belief with his modern interpretation of La Sylphide, coming out in September 2017. The Emerging Dancers practice session is next and instantly the pas de deux incites those je ne sais pour quoi emotions that classical ballet brings to the audience. My tears remind me of why I cannot attend the ballet with people who do not feel the same way. There is something about the pain that scars a ballerina’s soul, which brings such passion to the audience. We pain to see her hurt and we desperately want her to pirouette and him to arabesque with ease and agility. The ballerina practices her solo with determination, however her focus today is threatened by heavy fatigue on this Friday afternoon in the warm fan-cooled studio. Dare I say the ballerina has been affected by the horrible pollen this week like the rest of us Londoners, yet she pushes herself to be superhuman en pointe. She is disappointed in her efforts; however, we absolutely commend her grace despite her suffering. One instructor brings precision to her en pointe bourree transitions while the other shows her the shape her limbs must create for aesthetic pleasure. The competition will be held at Sadler’s Wells Theatre 25th May 2017, we are looking forward to it!

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CINEMA

OSCARS By Maite Plimmer â&#x20AC;&#x153;Movies touch our hearts, awaken our vision and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and open our minds. Movies are the memories of our lifetime; we need to keep them alive.â&#x20AC;? ~ Martin Scorsese

am writing this article before the much expected event; I have however one wish for this Oscars 89th ceremony: Please avoid politics! In times like the current one, in which opinions are a dime a dozen and it seems extremely loud, it would be refreshing to escape to Wonderland for a couple of hours and forget it all.

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Emma Stone dancing in La La Land and Ryan Gosling on the wheels.

‟La La Land” stole my breath away. Not in the same way ‟The Revenant” did last year of course, but instead in an enthralling and ‟let me fall in love” kind of way. My heart was literally singing throughout the whole movie and my feet couldn’t keep up the pace. A modern day Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers kind of couple; I recommend the considerable efforts from both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling learned all his piano scenes by practicing for two weeks straight, at least six hours per day. I believe the movie will get 5 Oscars for best movie, best actress, best director, best main song “Audition” and best music. ‟Lion” is emotionally charged and based on a true story; it brings our attention to the lost boys of India. Sunny Pawar, the young Saroo who gets lost and subsequently embarks on an odyssey of dangers until adopted by an Australian couple, merits a mention. Dev Patel could very well get an Oscar for best actor having played the role of an older Saroo. My vote, however, goes to Casey Affleck in ‟Manchester by the Sea”. The movie is real, raw and clumsily beautiful. Michelle Williams has a short part but moves us to the core. The floor is Affleck’s though, from start to finish. A true comeback for him.

Jimmy Kimmel's Oscars Monologue

I am expecting Viola Davis to get an Oscar for best supporting actress in the movie ‟Fences,” as Troy’s wife Rose. What a performance! So private, so exposing, intense and real. She didn’t get one for ‘The Help’ but I do believe this is her moment! The Foreign film from Iran, ‘The Salesman,’ is about honour and the terrible violence against women in a society ruled by men and the overall lack of trust in the system. Very moving, some superb acting and meriting the statuette in my eyes.

Fantastic Beast Academy Award for Best Costume Design

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‘Hidden Figures’ for best writing adapted screenplay. What a great casting! One of my favorite movies this year, highlighting times gone by that should never be again. With humor and a very big message, I urge anyone and everyone to see it and remember history, to learn from the past so as not to allow the same atrocities to take place again. ‘Silence’ - Rodrigo Prieto deserves Best Cinematography. A Historical drama that took Scorsese twenty-eight years to bring to fruition. A story of a Jesuit Priest in 1643 Japan where Christians were severely prosecuted. It is truly a superb piece of art. ‘White helmets’- Best Documentary Short film. A Netflix original set in Syria where a group of men heroically enter war torn areas to rescue people from the destruction and ruble. “They are all a very diverse and disparate group of individuals, all of whom made individual choices … They all had the choice whether or not they wanted to pick up a gun, to become a refugee – but they’ve all made a choice to instead pick up a stretcher,” - Le Menusier.

Best Actor, Cassey Affleck and Best Original Screenplay award for "Manchester by the sea"

Jungle Book for Best Visual Effects. A wonderful revival of Rudyard Kipling's beautiful classic, this time in 3D. Its visual effects are complemented by a great cast of voices (Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson and the likes of Christopher Walken). ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,’ for best Production. A pure magical film for all ages. ‘O.J Made in America,’ directed by Ezra Edelman, is my award winning Documentary Feature. It really shows the rise and the fall of a symbol. Race, Media, Sports, domestic violence, predominately male with a few key people missing, it still manages to, quite faithfully, portray the reality of a life gone terribly wrong. Jeffrey J Haboush for best sound mixing in thirteen hours. Probably the movie that angered and frustrated me the most. A true story of a bunch of brave, stoic heroes that were abandoned to their fate until the very end. Some nominations that probably won’t win, but that I would like to mention anyway, are: the song ‘The Empty Chair’ written by J. Ralph and Sting, featured in ‘Jim: The James Foley Story,’ for its simplicity and beautifully touching lyrics. Natalie Portman for her portrayal of Jackie; ‘Faultless’ was outstanding and ‘Zootopia’ deserves a mention for its political satire. Reading now post- Oscars and right before the magazine goes to print, I think I didn’t do so badly with my predictions. Unfortunately though, my wishes were not granted…What’s new? And political it was. Long gone are the days in which decorum reigned…

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Michael Bay’s Benghazi story 13 Hours pulled down a surprise Oscar nomination for itself this year for Best Sound Mixing

Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach Dubai

Located just 30 minutes away from both of Dubai’s international airports, Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach – Dubai is conveniently located along the famous restaurant and shopping strip known as “The Walk” Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). The hotel presents a portfolio of 301 tastefully furnished guest rooms including the prestigious Club Rotana offering personalized hospitality and an outstanding and modern Conference Centre fitted with state-of-the-art equipment.

mwaj Rotana offers the largest rooms (42 square metres) amongst all the hotels in the JBR stretch and each room has its own balcony. All rooms also offer a sea view, which again is unique compared to other JBR hotels. Guests can catch an early sunrise or gorgeous sunset. Amwaj Rotana presents a culinary adventure at its award winning restaurants offering a total of seven dining options including Italian, American-Japanese, British-American, International cuisines and a 24-hour in-

room dining service. There are numerous recreational diversions, both on the hotel grounds and within the vicinity, such as the Bodylines health and fitness club, which comprises a fully-equipped gymnasium, Jacuzzi, steam rooms, sauna and an array of time-tested treatments. Adults and kids also enjoy temperature-controlled swimming pools. The spa at Amwaj Rotana offers an array of time-tested massages such as a Balinese massage, Swedish massage, hot stone massage and Thai massage as well as facials including the signature ‘AMWAJ’ Facial.

The closest Dubai Tram station is no more than a three-minute walk from the hotel while the metro station is also a short walk away. To get out and about and explore the city’s most prominent malls, Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates, the hotel provides a complimentary shuttle service. Reservations: www.rotana.com/amwajrotana or call +971 (0)4 428 2000

MUSIC

Coachella diaries By Liliana Nova

oing to Coachella is truly an incredible experience - from the exotic location in the middle of the Colorado desert to the amazing weather, parties, fun in the sun with friends and endless great music, it is truly a festival not to be missed, particularly for the fashionistas. I had an amazing time this year and was grateful to be attending on behalf of my favorite sunglass brand, Gentle Monster. With the endless pool parties and sunset sessions, these shades made the perfect match. Coachella is fun in terms of fashion because you can take more risks and dress a bit differently to how you would normally. Let us just say you can truly let that inner hippie out and channel your inner sun loving goddess. The first day began with a cool pool party by Revolve for star influencer and friend Chiara Ferragni. Pool parties at Coachella are not your usual pool parties, they are an explosion of crazy outfits, the most delicious food and cocktails as well as an exciting array of activities. At Revolve we even had the chance of getting inked by the world famous Tattoo Artist, Jon Boy who was creatively expressing his talents for anyone who wanted to get a tattoo. Trust me he is worth it, I was really close on getting one but then something must have distracted me, next time!

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I love festival weekends because you get to experience the perfect balance between an exciting escape from your daily routine as well as some much needed relaxing, socializing and catch ups with new and old friends from all over the United States - and even the world - who come to Palm Springs for these two much anticipated weekends. Besides the outside parties and events there is also of course the festival itself. You get to hang out with all your friends and listen to the top artists play phenomenal music, indulge in all kinds of food and snap a bunch of unforgettable moments. Something about the energy at these events makes you forget about anything negative or stressful and allows you a time to really appreciate being present in the moment! Let us look into a more detailed take on fashion for Coachella...You see, there are not many occasions in your daily life where you get the chance to either dress like a flower child hippy from back in the 60s or play around with some crazy fantasy looks and still be deemed as “fashionably appropriate.” For Coachella you can truly live your little girls (or boys) dream and have fun with your styling (although there are of course still some tasteful rules at Coachella, do be warned). This year I mixed up some casual pieces with some crazy ‘It-Pieces’ such as this oversized Bob Marley Vest that looked totally incredible with my jean shorts and a pair

of my old Chanel Dallas Over-the-knee boots. I also enjoyed the attention I received in my beloved black bodysuit with gold metal details that I wore for a shoot in the middle of the desert (note, this was was pretty hardcore considering the heat and landscape but all worth it for a glamorous shot, right?) As far as accessories go, I found my backpack to be the ideal item and most worn piece. They are the perfect on trend festival handbag - easy to throw on, super cute (obsessed with the Mini Louis Vuitton one I’m wearing) and they keep your hands free, love it! Speaking about my shoot in the Palms Springs, I was also lucky enough to get the chance to shoot in the most breathtaking surroundings with the sunglass brand I was marketing called Gentle Monster. We shot at the so called ‘Mirage House’ - a glass house in

the middle of the Colorado desert and around a Circle of Mirrored Sticks by Phillip K Smith III. The art installation was truly breathtaking and the talent really blew my mind, impeccable! Last but not least, I must mention my favorite part of Coachella which has to be the Neon Carnival.The Neon Carnival is sponsored by Levis and Tinder and truly brings out one's inner child. It is a playground for adults (and semi- adults) who get the opportunity to embrace euphoric and melodic beats by the world's best DJ’s while taking a wild ride on a roller coaster. I mean what more can one ask for? Hanging out and having fun with new and old friends from around the globe, sometimes even the artists themselves, appreciating great music, great food and great company. What an enchanting weekend !

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SPORTS

DUBAI POLO GOLD CUP SERIES 2017

he Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series, also known as the Dubai Open, is an 18 Goal Handicap competition and is now entering its eighth year under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The DPGC Series has wrapped up its latest season with resounding success, each year reaching new heights. Dubai is now thrilled to have this tournament known as the highest handicap in the UAE. The Dubai Open was split into two tournaments and began with the much anticipated McLaren Cup, running from Saturday January 21st to Friday February 3rd 2017. The second tournament, the Julius Baer Gold Cup, took place on Friday, February 18th to Friday March 10th. The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series was a glamorous event and the fourth-largest tournament of its kind after Argentina, the United States and the United Kingdom. First founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009, the tournament is the premier regional polo competition of the year attracting VIPs, society figures, celebrities and senior corporate executives from across the GCC. It has grown in tandem with the city of Dubai and since 2012 is the only tournament in the UAE to be recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT). The Gold Cup Series is played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), with the tournament being played according to HPA rules and under strict international supervision.

Mohammed Al Habtoor, Founder of the tournament and patron of the Habtoor Polo team said, “This year there were seven teams playing in the McLaren Cup and ten teams for the Julius Baer Gold Cup, this serves as further evidence that the tournaments continue to grow. The Dubai Open has helped put the UAE on the world polo circuit. Each year the competition gets better and better attracting some of the best polo players from around the world.” The participating teams hosted some of the top-ranking World Polo Tour players, including Pablo Mac Donough, the 10-goal superstar and three-time ‘Triple Crown Champion with La Dolfina;’ Nicolas Pieres (raised to 10 goals after his superb performance in the Argentine Open); Lucas Montverde (9-goal handicap); Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (9-goal handicap) Guillermo Terrera (8-goal handicap), and Ezquiel Martinez Ferrario (8-goal handicap) and many others, who have come directly from the Argentine Open.

This year, seven polo teams participated in the McLaren Cup 2017 18-goal handicap and they were the following: Mahra Polo – Patron: Rashid Al Habtoor; Bin Drai Polo Team – Patron: Saeed Bin Drai; Habtoor Polo Team – Patron: Mohammed Al Habtoor; UAE Polo Team – Patron: Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Zedan Polo Team – Patron: Amr Zedan; Habtoor Wolves Polo Team – Patron: Habtoor Al Habtoor and Desert Palm Polo Team – Tariq Albwardy

Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and its 14 Board Members; the Council supervises the work of nine local clubs in Dubai, six of which practice a variety of individual and or team sports, such as football, handball and archery; in addition to the chess club and a club devoted for those with special needs. Since its inception in 2006, with the vision of creating a unique sporting community, the Council organizes various annual major Sports Championships and Conferences, in cooperation with multiple International/National sports bodies and Dubai Government Entities, such as the Dubai International Sports Conference, Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup and the FINA Diving World Series; in an attempt to enhance the culture, knowledge and expertise of professionalism in all aspects of the field; from the overall preparation and/or execution of the event.

UAE Polo Team wins the McLaren Cup

Palm scoring 3 goals each, what a victory!

In support of the sporting spirit of the nation, Al Habtoor Motors – the official retailer of McLaren in the UAE – is proud to announce the Title Sponsorship for the Silver Cup of the prestigious Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series. On the 4th of February this year the UAE Polo team was announced as the new champion of the McLaren Cup. The McLaren Cup is the first trophy of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series and was held at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort. The UAE Polo were able to claim the third trophy in a row. HH Sheika Maitha team won the Gold Cup in 2016, the Presidents Cup this year at Ghantoot and now the McLaren Cup. The team, made up by Ali Al Merri, Jack Hyde, Matías Benoit and Guillermo Terrera, fought hard till the very end against Desert Palm to achieve this victory. In addition to the result, the top scorers of the match serve to prove how even the game was, with Matías Benoit and Guillermo Terrera from UAE and Martín Valent and Santiago Laborde in Desert

Terrera was the MVP of the match and Jessica, owned by Ghantoot Polo and played by Terrera in the 4th chukker, was the best playing pony. The top scorer of the McLaren Cup was Alejo Taranco (Desert Palm) with 23 goals and Ali Al Merri (UAE) the patrons top scorer with 4 goals. The match brought families and friends together in a celebratory fashion with polo players playing professionally and with great talent.

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Al Badia, the prestigious Arabic venture, supported the event and brought us the latest news and views on the equestrian world. They serve as a tribute to the age old passion for the thoroughbred, an integral part of the rich Arabian culture. Government Support for the event is received by the Dubai Sports Council, which is the official government body responsible for the development of the sport sector in the Emirate of Dubai. Under the Chairmanship of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al

Dubai became the first Arab and Middle East city to host the Sport Accord International Convention in 2010, and stages the annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, the most prestigious Award of the Middle East Region. Though the Council works on various major international sports events, it does not overlook the importance of spreading the awareness of a healthier, more active lifestyle locally; and in order to achieve such objectives, physical activity programs and initiatives, such as the Dubai Pulse Physical Activity program, the Furjan District Championships and the Dubai Beach Soccer League, have all been designed to target the various communities within the Emirate.

They defeated Habtoor Polo in the final match at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. The winning team was made up of patron Rashid Al Habtoor, Daniel Gariador, Juan Ruíz Guiñazú and Jerónimo del Carril who played an excellent game. They won by 8 goals to 4, a successful title defense, while Bin Drai achieved the third position in the tournament after defeating Wolves by 9-6.

The Polo Masters Cup

Mahra is a star player and played a great game from the very beginning, with a team strategy that worked almost to perfection to defeat a very tough Habtoor Polo team. In the third chukker, with a 6-goal gap, Mahra headed towards the title despite Habtoor in the last chukker. Jerónimo del Carril was announced as the most valuable player (MVP) of the final and Quini, owned by Mahra and played by Juan Ruíz Guiñazú in the fourth chukker, the Best Playing Pony. Del Carril and Ruíz Guiñazú were the top scorers of the match with 4 goals each, true goal scoring stars! On the final day for the Polo Masters Cup, Bin Drai Polo defeated Wolves Polo by 9 goals to 6 to achieve the third position in the tournament. Raúl Laplacette, with 6 goals, was announced as the

The Polo Masters Cup is a prestigious 14-goal handicap tournament played under the umbrella of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup series. The tournament was inaugurated in 2016 adding to the Medium and High Goal season in the UAE, giving players and patrons more opportunities to further their skills in competition, elevating the level of polo in the region. After 5 talented and challenging teams competed against one another, over a week long period, the winner was finally announced. The Polo Masters Club, taking its final place on the 14th of February 2017, saw The Mahra Polo Team as the winners for the second year in a row.

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SPORTS

The Julius Baer Gold Cup is the most important trophy of the Middle East Polo season. This year we are delighted to announce The Zedan Polo as the winners.

The Julius Baer Gold Cup Final The Julius Baer Gold Cup Final took place on the 10th of March in Dubai this year with an incredible win by The Zedan Polo. The Julius Baer Gold Cup is the most important trophy of the Middle East polo season and is a renowned polo match displaying great skill and a victorious final with 10 goals to 8. The winning team was made up of patron Amr Zedan, Martín Gándara, Octavio Olmedo and 10 goaler superstar Pablo Mac Donough. Pablo, yet again, played a great game in field 1 of the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club to achieve the third trophy in a row in the same amount of seasons. Zedan won the first Julius Baer Gold Cup in 2015, in 2016 they achieved the McLaren Silver Cup and this year they lift the most important trophy of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series after winning a very tough match against the Julius Baer Team. Teamwork and patience were the main keys of the winning team in a very even match. The score remained even in the first two chukkers and despite Zedan, who took the lead from the third period onwards, Julius Baer Team kept the pressure till the very last minute. Finally, it was a 10 goals to 8 triumph for a team that did not start this season on the best footing, but despite this fact, in the two most important matches of the Julius Baer Gold Cup (semifinal and final), they showed up with full potential and thanks to Pablo Mac Donough, a surprising victory was secured! Octavio Olmedo was the MVP of the match and Gete Pintura, played by Pablo Mac Donough in the 2nd and 4th chukker, was the Best Playing Pony. Habtoor Al Habtoor, Wolves Team patron, was the amateur top scorer and Alfredo Capella, from Abu Dhabi Polo Team, the professional top scorer. The Official Timekeeper was Moritz Grossmann Uhren who has two success stories from two centuries. From 1854 to 1885, Moritz Grossmann was one of the key protagonists of the emerging art of watchmaking in the Saxon town of Glashütte. In his own manufacture, the gifted watchmaker and mentor developed trailblazing components for precision measuring instruments and built pendulum clocks, pocket watches, and chronometers. In 1878, his dedication to research and teaching culminated in the establishment of the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte.

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The Dubai Challenge Cup On the 31st of March this year, The Dubai Challenge Cup took place and saw the Bin Drai Polo Team as the final winners. It was an exciting game with Bin Drai Polo defeating Habtoor Polo in the final by 9 goals to 8 in a challenging match enjoyed by a large and glamorous crowd at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort. Patron Saeed Bin Drai´s team won this trophy for the second year in a row and closed the fourth tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series for the year. Bin Drai and Habtoor Polo can both be congratulated on a skillful match, keeping the crowds full of high energy and excitement until the very last second of the game. The team was made of patron Saeed Bin Drai, Gregorio Gelosi, Francisco Elizalde and Raúl Laplacette, who started the final in great shape achieving a 5-0 difference in the first two chukkers. Despite the big gap in the score, Habtoor Polo, with 10 goaler Nicolás Pieres leading the team, kept the necessary calm to stay in the game and made a slow and steady comeback. Patron Mohammed Al Habtoor´s team showed a great performance from the third chukker onwards to close the gap to one goal. But Bin Drai, despite the scores pressure, kept up incredible teamwork and with Francisco Elizalde “on fire,” they were able to maintain the lead. In the last minute of the game Habtoor scored and had the chance to tie the match, but finally Bin Drai achieved the victory by 9 goals to 8, lifting the Dubai Challenge Cup for the second year in a row. It was the fantastic Francisco Elizalde who won the MVP of the final and mare Capacidad, owned by Nicolás Pieres and played in the 3rd and 5th chukker, was the Best Playing Pony of. Faris Al Yabhouni, Abu Dhabi Polo Team patron, was the amateur top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals, what an achievement!

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MY VISION OF LIFE

VIPs and special guests that enjoyed this special finale. Umberto Cini, Managing Director of Maserati Middle East, Africa and Asia commented: “Congratulations to the players of Team Abu Dhabi. I would like to personally thank Ali Albwardy and Desert Palm, the teams and sponsors as well as all of our distinguished guests for being part of this exhilarating ‘horsepower’ filled day.”

Habtoor Polo wins the Dubai Cup 2017 From Sunday 2nd April till Friday 7th the Dubai Cup, the final tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2017, was held at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort. Four teams, from 6 to 8 goals handicap, took part in this tournament. The final teams of the Dubai Cup 2017 were Habtoor Polo, Mahra Polo, Dr. A-Bangash and Wolves Polo. It was the 7th of April which saw the last tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series being played and it was Habtoor Polo who proudly took the title. They played a strong game with a successful defeat of Mahra by 8.5 goals to 8 in a very close and very thrilling final game. Patron Mohammed Al Habtoor´s team played well against a very tough opponent and achieved the last trophy of an amazing season of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series. Both teams fought till the last seconds of the match for the victory but Habtoor Polo, with great teamwork and endless perseverance, achieved and deserved the final victory. Habtoor Al Habtoor (Habtoor Polo) was the MVP of the final and Bochinche, owned by Nicolás Pieres and played today by Santiago Gómez Romero in the first and fourth chukker, was the Best Playing Pony. In the first match of the day, Dr. A-Bangash achieved the Subsidiary

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Cup after defeating Wolves by 10 goals to 5. As the final matches of the Dubai Cup, held for teams from 6 to 8 goals handicap, come to a close the victories are announced with great delight. The UAE Polo winning the McLaren Cup, Mahra lifting the Masters Cup, Zedan Polo as the Gold Cup champions, Bin Drai achieving the Challenge Cup and finally Habtoor Polo winning the Dubai Cup, all teams should be commended on their efforts and skills! Maserati Polo Tour 2017 in collaboration with La Martina The Maserati Polo Trophy Cup was another thrilling tournament to witness. The second leg of the Maserati 2017 global Polo Tour was held at the Desert Palm Polo Club from 11 - 17 March. The match was concluded with Team Abu Dhabi winning the Maserati Dubai Polo Trophy by an outstanding score of 7 to 4 over Team AES International. Six polo teams, featuring talented professional and amateur players from United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Argentina produced competitive yet entertaining polo. Ali Saeed Juma Albwardy, UAE President of the Polo Association and Founder of Desert Palm Polo Club, was among the celebrities,

Team Abu Dhabi with Captain Faris Al Yabhouni (UAE, Handicap 0), Kian Hall (UK, Handicap 2), Yousef Bin Desmal (UAE, Handicap 0) and Alfredo Capella (Argentina, Handicap 8) won the tournament in a thrilling finale against Team AES International with the end result of 7 to 4. Team Ghantoot won the Subsidiary Trophy. In addition to the ‘natural’ horsepower coming off the svelte thoroughbreds on the field, guests were also lucky enough to witness some of the very famous Maserati horsepower. The entire model range was elegantly on display, including the latest addition to the Maserati family, the Levante SUV, as well as the flagship Quattroporte, the executive sedan Ghibli and the sporty GranTurismo and GranCabrio models. Petrol heads were delighted by the display. Enrico Roselli, CEO of La Martina Europe, said: "As for every leg of the tournament, we are thrilled to take part in a one of a kind sports event that celebrates our roots and enhances every time our partnership with Maserati.” The official polo shirt, worn by the Maserati Team on the field, is a product of the partnership between La Martina and Maserati. The Dubai leg of the Maserati Polo Tour saw the official launch of the first of the four “Maserati Polo Tour Special Edition” polo shirts created by La Martina for Maserati as a tribute to each tournament. The “Maserati Dubai Polo Trophy Special Edition Polo Shirt” is made of pure cotton and features exclusive detail of the shiny metallic Dubai map on the back. Following St. Moritz and Dubai, the third instalment of the Maserati Polo Tour 2017 will take place in the United Kingdom in June. To keep up to date with all of the thrilling action from these global events, the 2017 tour can be followed at www.maseratipolo.com.

British Polo Day celebrates the UK/UAE Year of Creative Collaboration On Saturday the 18th of March the British Polo Day, presented by RJI Capital, took place. It was a day which has returned to Abu Dhabi in order to showcase and celebrate creative collaboration. British Polo Day honours the craft and heritage of polo and polo events which span the entire World. It has become an unparalleled platform for elite engagement and business in emerging and growing markets. The crowd was glamorous, with some 200 guests and VIPs including HH Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan, HE Philip Parham, the British Ambassador, the Earl of Tyrone and Bear Grylls whom all came together to celebrate the best of UAE and British traditions. The UK/UAE Year of Creative Collaboration was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces along with HRH The Prince of Wales in October 2016. HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan gave a stirring speech stating the aims of increasing the visibility of the UK in the UAE and vice versa in order to give greater focus, depth and contemporary relevance to the long-standing relationship between these two powerful nations. This unique cultural programme has been initiated to strengthen existing relationships and broker new ones between people, institutions and Business. The British Polo Day, in the UAE, provides a platform for the best of British and the UAE, all on display, with Harrods, Bentley, Royal Salute and Hackett supporting. Our new global partner, Chelsea Barracks, was announced who is creating an exceptional new neighborhood development incorporating 5 new garden squares in Belgravia and London. Other new partners included VistaJet and YPI Luxury Yachts, further cementing the British Polo Day community.

The highlight exhibition polo match of the evening – The British Polo Day Plate –saw the home team RJI Capital Ghantoot Polo Team play the visiting Royal Salute British Exiles, with both sides led onto the field of play by the first two Bentley Bentaygas in the UAE opening ceremony. The RJI Capital Ghantoot Polo Team rode to victory. British Polo Day and Abu Dhabi’s official prize giving ceremony saw the winning teams collecting the bespoke-commissioned British Silverware and Polo Day trophies. Following the prize-giving ceremony, guests sat down to a delicious three-course dinner prepared by the InterContinental Abu Dhabi followed by a live charity auction raising a total of $20,000 for Women And Health Alliance International (WAHA) launched by Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan, the Sumba Foundation and Sentebale, a charity founded by Prince Harry of the United Kingdom, together with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, that helps the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana get the support they need to lead healthy and productive lives. British Polo Day will continue to innovate and pioneer unique platforms for craft and polo associated brands. The celebrations were overall a huge success as was our following event, the British Polo Day Dubai held on Friday the 24th of March at the Al Habtoor Polo Club & Resort where the British teams were seen playing against Habtoor Polo and the Gulf Team. Visit www.britishpoloday.com for more information. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter or become a fan on Facebook for all the latest news and updates.

This much anticipated event took place, for the 7th year, at Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, the private royal polo ground of HH Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. The glamorous black-tie evening kicked off with a bicycle polo demonstration, a sport played in the Olympics over 100 years ago, with players from the regiments of Cavalry and Guards competing in Bentley and Intercontinental Hotel Abu Dhabi Teams respectively for The Thesiger Trophy. Next Stuart Wrigley captained the Oxbridge team, sponsored by Chelsea Barracks, against the Abu Dhabi team, sponsored by Vista Jet, who were victorious.

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GR AND PRIX

Formula E By Contessa de Russe

s girls decided on a whim to have a fast weekend in Monaco, packing bikinis for a little sunshine and light for a day on the grandstands for the Second ePrix. We landed in Nice, and wasted fortyfive minutes of bends and tunnels to Monte-Carlo as passengers in the back seat of a C-Class sedan. We cringed at the miles of precious speedlimitless subterrain that lay at a safe pace with our driver. These roads, with their long straights and tough Mediterranean flections were built with speeding performance cars in mind. We note to ourselves that a California or Vantage is on the menu for our next trip south. We love fast cars with great handling. I wonder if we could rent anything good with manual transmission. My friend thinks we need a spider. We plunge into darkness with dashing strobes of fluorescence. “These tunnels are meant for fun over 130mph, darling!” After check-in, we walked to Port Hercule among the scaffolding and rolls of steel mesh recreating the local street scape for the next few weeks into the Formula One at the end of May. We took a bite to eat at a bistro by the Quai l’Hirondelle and watched the mens 470 European Championship. The Germans were very cheeky rolling out on the dock, and in hindsight might have done better if they concentrated on the race rather than us girls! Each boat synchronised artfully in front of a monstrous cruise ship before setting out to sea, and in the overcast gloom they were happy sails in the breeze. Monaco is a tiny country with ornate, typically French architecture and floral composure, mixed in with some pretty horrific concrete

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developments that we are certain were not approved by Princess Grace. We did our best to avoid the Grimaldi Forum strip and after getting changed, tip-toed up the stairs to Jardins du Casino. We find Café de Paris and recline with a Monaco menu staple club sandwich and sip verveine tea. The scene is terracotta-boxed white and red Geraniums, the mode of the patrons and demode of the tourists, and most most importantly the silver Mercedes McLaren, burgundy Bentley and lush Lambourginis parked and driving about the most filmed casino in the world.

La Condamine A chauffeur for Jaguar kindly offered to drive us to the entrance of the track in La Condamine. After an evening of haphazard dining, we were hungry for an omelette. Not knowing a city means having to rely on instinct, so after a few cafes inspiring “No thank you” eye rolls to each other, we chanced upon a sunny spot that made possibly the best Caprese salad in the world. La Brasserie du Mystic. Between bites of Buffalo Mozzarella and adoring the sunshine, we threw at each other the pros and cons of coming to such a grand city relatively unprepared. The Pros are that we have an opportunity to discover the undiscovered. Like the beautiful boutiques behind the cafe on Rue Princesse Florestine. The Cons are that we are foreigners in a city full of famous and glamourous everythings, and we chose the only hotel with a beach party every night of the week. We know now already that you don’t come to Monaco without a super yacht.

My friend greets the equally charming Alejandro Agag, founder of the FIA Formula E Championship. We both deny our love for the grunt of petrol-cars for a brief moment on Darse Sud, to acknowledge Agag’s tenacity in bringing about the electric racing revolution. This event is a monumental exercise in promoting non-polluting and sustainable fuels internationally, though refuelling at present requires an active power grid somewhere in a coal-polluted centre of the universe. “Ban diesel,” I say. We shrug. When we get to the pit lanes, the striking neon orange on bright white catches my eye at the Mahindra garages. I note the ACM Race Marshals are in orange jumpsuits. Now there is something very manly about a man in fluoro drill, we joke to each other. “It must be the way they can handle the heat... under this Mediterranean sun!” The ePrix track extends around the marina of Port Hercule for 1.765km only. There are no hill-climbs on Avenue President JF Kennedy into Monte Carlo and no roaring, oops, buzzing through Tunnel Dorsal back into La Condamine like the Formula One track.

If you don’t have a super yacht moored in Port Hercule facing Quai Albert-I , or l’Automobile Club de Monaco membership, the best vantage point for the Formula E race is Stand A and Stand L. Both capture pivotal turns into a small curve and straight. As well as exclusive pneumatics and aerodynamics, the Formula E engines are charged by battery. The race teams must choose an optimal time to swap the driver to the new battery vehicles. The batteries can also be charged remotely by #fanboost, requiring a social media login. This regretfully meant that when we tried to support our favourite drivers we are were blocked by the etiolated requirement for what we call ‘facade-book’. We wished them well with old-fashioned air punches and occasional shouts from the grandstand. There was very little drama on track, with all drivers quite particularly aware and respectful of the damage they could easily do these new and expensive machines. Twenty-three minutes into the rather mellow, relatively short 51-lap race, Nelson Piquet Junior of NextEV Nio wouldn’t let Jean-Eric Vergne of

Techeetah pass on Turn 3. This ended with a lock of wheels and Piquet in the wall. Far from spectators, the non-explosive crash mounted a bit of unease for a few passing vehicles at the hairpin turn. It was quickly neutralised by the safety car, and conveniently allowed all drivers to change their cars. The hairpin at Turn 3 also had Felix Rosenqvist of Mahindra crashing over Oliver Turvey of NextEV Nio in a practice session before the Qualifying laps. The race was otherwise an hour of electric cars driving smoothly and soundlessly around Port Hercule. The ePrix coincides nicely with the city’s preparation of grandstands for the Formula 1, two weeks later at the end of May. If we plan to attend another ePrix, it would need to be with a real VIP experience or through the ACM. We dined at La Piazza on Rue du Portier, which was quite a lovely, homely contrast to the stifled snobbiness we received down the road. The staff were fun and charming, and their little coconut biscuits served with the best coffee in Monaco are made with love. So much love that we brought a box home.

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GR AND PRIX

Can we expect a Formula1 R ace to grace South A frica again? By Michelle Hambly-Grobler

ur very proud and very illustrious motor racing history gives all petrol heads in our beautiful country of South Africa hope. Hope that one day we will see a proudly South African Grand Prix once more. Hope that either Cape Town, with its possible street circuit, or Johannesburg, with its World Class Kyalami race track, may host this premier event. Hope that a generation of young and eager petrol heads in this country will one day be able to witness, yet again, an event that was part of the international circuit for so long. Hope, that by hosting world class events, we will continue to be a world class travel destination for many more tourists, bringing prosperity and investment for all citizens of South Africa. Why bring Formula One Racing to South Africa you may ask? To understand why we would have to look to our past, our history. We have to chronologically track the men and women, over time, who have participated and grown the racing culture in South Africa. Instead of attempting a synopsis, which would not give these incredible talents enough kudos, I would rather like to extol a book written by Greg Mills titled, ‘Agriculture, Furniture and Marmalade: South African Motorsport Heroes.’ Mills’ book is a brilliant and masterful chronicle and ode to the history of Motor Sport Racing in South Africa. The book covers those

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Southern African stars who made it as drivers, engineers, mechanics, and promoters in international motorsport. From Woolf Barnato’s three victories in the Le Mans 24 Hour classic, to the era of Sarel van der Merwe. The title, you may be wondering, was inspired by a conversation between Jody Scheckter, our only Formula One World Champion to date, and Jackie Pretorius. On his departure for fame and fortune to England in 1971, Jody was advised by Jackie to learn some ‘big’ words to impress the Europeans. The three he insisted on giving were, ‘agriculture, furniture and marmalade,’ preferably to be used in conjunction with one another. South Africa, one must remember, is already on the map internationally. It is a destination that truly delivers. We have the most glorious weather and a very eager and enthusiastic car ‘verskrik’ (crazy) culture. I myself, being an ex race car driver and car collector, form part of this environment and know that there are many of us eager to participate and facilitate in turning this dream into a reality. The Kyalami race track, located in Midrand, Gauteng has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races in the past and was the host for the South African Grand Prix many times. We have done it before, why not again? Among some of the prestigious events hosted at the Kyalami track, was the

1975 South African Grand Prix, which saw our very own World Cup champion, Jody Scheckter, win the race. We saw British driver, Jim Clark, winning the race four times and Niki Lauder, from Austria, taking the South African title three times. Kyalami is firmly cemented in the hearts and minds of racing fans from around the globe. This became very clear to me when I had the privilege of meeting the American former racing driver, Danny Sullivan. We were at Laguna Seca and I was delighted to hear him speak so fondly of the great circuits of his career, including our very own Kyalami. He was so impressed with our beautiful country that he even contemplated relocating here when business interests arose. Clearly, Kyalami and its magic amongst racers and spectators, is still palpable. Our first race in Kyalami was on the 29th of December 1962 and was won by Graham Hill, before I was born, and continued till the last race of 1993. It was this race that saw the battle between Ayrton Senna, my total hero, Prost and Michael Schumacher, which finally resulted in a win for Prost. The track was then sold and bought by the South African automobiles association. Our sad history of apartheid and political atrocities firmly shelved us in the racing game. A sad reality is that, as the races became more and more exorbitant, we began to fall off the list and could no longer qualify to host a Grand Prix. This is a depressing fact when it is clear, through my own observations and conversations, that the desire for the race to return to this wonderful track is much desired. From interviews with mechanics to street sweepers, Porsche collectors to budding race car drivers, it is very evident that South Africans are eagerly awaiting a Formula One returnâ&#x20AC;Ś We can host a street race in Cape Town and with our world class facility in

the original and only Kyalami, we are just about ready. The Kyalami track has been extensively upgraded and, as we have mentioned, the facility boasts an enviable place in the hearts of racers from around the world. LSM Distributors, who own the track, are actively encouraging a host of motoring events and ensuring it is in tip top condition. They have revamped the track and have encouraged motorists to make use of it. Porsche use the track for high altitude testing as do a host of car manufactures. Andrew Golding, from LSM Distributors, was recently seen on the BBC talking about the track and our chances going forward. An emerging country like South Africa, with its massive youthful population, have shown a huge interest and passion for cars, similar to Mexico. To transport oneself with a car, however, is still a privilege not all South Africans have access to. The Grand Prix, such as in Mexico,

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GR AND PRIX

serves as a way to encourage and give hope to such communities. By offering races in emerging countries we can perhaps inspire the youth to work towards their passion. The Mexican Grand Prix is regarded, by many in the country, as the highlight of their calendar year. This race is particularly exciting for the race car drivers as well, because of the youth and their exuberant, unbridled passion and love for Formula One. Such energy is no longer as visible in the older more established centers around Europe. It seems, in order to make the sport more accessible and appealing to the American owners, it is important to look toward emerging countries and economies, allowing for the calendar to become more varied and more equitable. Aspiring young people, who are motivated by their dreams, will find much aspiration when they actually see the possibility of their dreams coming true, such as a Formula One race on their own home turf. We cannot begin to imagine, from our perspective of comfort and privilege, the true meaning of such dreams. If we as a country want to play on the international forum and be seen as a first world destination, events like Formula One will bring attention and focus to our very real issues and allow for global recognition. Passion, such as for racing, focuses individuals and the collective on positive events and festivities and gives us a joint purpose which can go a long way. It is in such celebrations that barriers are broken down and the passion unites all. Our country will have the world's attention and global media will be back on South Africa once more, bringing tourists but also eyes on our political atmosphere. It was Muso, my very talented gardener, who said "the trains ran on time and the busses were working when there was the Soccer World Cup in 2010!" Such world class events forces our country into action. There is certainly a long road still to be traveled for this dream of Formula One racing returning to South Africa and it was Gareth Crossley, Marketing Director of the motoring specialist business Crossley & Webb in Cape Town, who had to gently remind me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Michelle, baby steps.â&#x20AC;? The next step is perhaps looking at how to include the big players who will serve as the financial backers of this dream. The costs of hosting a Formula One, if

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we are being realistic, is going to require substantial funding from both government and private investment. We will need big headline sponsorship, government intervention and affordable entrance fees, which make it a big ask for a small country like South Africa. One can only dream and I believe with enough determination and passion such a dream will eventually become a reality.

E VENT

L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival By James Trotter

ver the last decade, the historically significant and prestigious L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate has established itself as Africa’s most exclusive raceday, as well as one of the world’s most desirable racing events to attend. Every year thousands of Cape Town’s youngest, sexiest and most fashionable stream into Kenilworth Racecourse dressed in the sponsors colours of blue and white to revel under the Cape summer sun. In January this year the event chartered new ground when innovatively growing from a single day celebration into the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival – Africa’s first multiday horseracing event, up there with the likes of Royal Ascot or Glorious Goodwood in the United Kingdom. As the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate has risen in international popularity in recent years, so the number of racing fans, socialites and holiday

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makers from abroad – especially Europe – has steadily increased. L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate organizer, Katherine Gray, explains the reason for the launch of the new festival, “We see more and more internationals coming to the event every year, and the raceday has become a celebration of people from around the world. We wanted to look into ways of extending the length of the festival and provide our international guests with a multitude of fun activities to attend over the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate week.” Cape Town in the summer - with its white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, iconic mountainous backdrop, Michelin-star restaurants and party-filled buzz in the air - is already one of the world’s most popular places to be in January. It is little wonder that the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, arguably the most memorable party in Cape Town’s social

Ladies are invited to join us in our signature blue and white colors at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Friday, 4th August 2017. Ladies dressed in blue and white are eligible to win the Best Dressed prize, a trip for them and a partner to be flown out to Cape Town to attend the Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ormarins Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plate on Friday, 5th and Saturday, 6th January 2018.

www.lqp.co.za

/LQPCT

@LQPCT

calendar, attracts an increasing number of European visitors each year, as many look to escape the cold of the Northern Hemisphere winter. The original event is traditionally run on the first or second Saturday of January, which sees the running of South Africa’s championship mile event, and the oldest race in the country, the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. Over ten thousand people are treated to wines and champagne from the vineyards of Anthonij Rupert Wines, while resplendent amongst the dreamlike white and blue themed setting created by L’Ormarins, with finishing touches from premier luxury brands and co-sponsors such as Cartier and BMW. As a build up to this year’s racing festival, an inaugural social celebrity cricket match was held on the Wednesday at the Groot Drakenstein Games Club near Franschhoek – approximately an hour outside of Cape Town and neighbouring L’Ormarins Wine Estate. The venue is home to both Anthonij Rupert Wyne and Drakenstein Stud, one of the country’s leading and most picturesque thoroughbred stud farms. Out on the field were the likes of former international cricketers Jacques Kallis and Craig Kieswetter as well as European Tour

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golfer Richard Sterne. The spectators were not only treated to an afternoon buffet, an assortment of wines and beer, a beautiful summer’s day sitting beneath umbrellas, but also to a commentary from former English cricketer and famously voiced Geoffrey Boycott. On Thursday, the eve of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival, a number of the guests attending the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate were invited to the beautiful Mount Nelson Hotel for High Tea. Hosted by the Cape’s leading trainers - Snaith Racing - brothers Justin and Jonathon Snaith created an elegant setting where guests were encouraged to indulge in the complimentary wine and gin bar and relax into a festive mood while listening to the music of American based musician, Louise Carver. In anticipation for the racing to come, the trainers went through the racecard for the weekend, generously giving their tips on what to follow over the next two days of racing. The G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate this year saw a repeat from the year before with reigning Horse of the Year, Legal Eagle, defending his crown in an imperious fashion.

Saturday’s raceday also sees the hosting of the Best Dressed competitions. The highlight of which is the prize for the Best Dressed Lady, this year won by Camilla Beazley, whose award is an all-expenses paid trip to London for a week to attend the prestigious Glorious Goodwood racing festival during the British summer. Although the Saturday ultimately builds towards a climactic closing party, dancing to the sounds of top DJ Euphonik, the Friday is labelled as ‘the LQP Garden Party’ and has more of a relaxed feel to it. An afternoon affair with a harvest table and L’Ormarin’s Brut. The main race of the day is the G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes, which sees a number of the fastest female horses in South Africa taking each other on over the straight Kenilworth 1200m. The sun only sets in Cape Town after eight in January, so once the racing has concluded late in the afternoon, guests can sit and savor the rest of the day. Sipping on Methode Cap Classique under the giant oak trees, it is truly a blissful day spent watching the shadows grow longer on the green forests of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, gradually growing darker on the mountains above them.

AWARD WINNING MILLINERY

www.laylaleigh.co.uk

WELLNESS

Healthy Living in Cape Town by DC When I moved to Cape Town three years ago from the beautiful and small city of Vienna in Austria, I thought I knew a lot about fitness and nutrition. Turns out there was so much more for me to explore and learn. These two topics are endlessly abundant to anyone who is willing to dive into the wonderful world of treating your body and mind well.

omehow the combination of moving to another continent all by myself without knowing anyone and Cape Town being the magical place that it is, made me discover who I want to be, or better - who I am. Being on my own in this new strange place, I had the freedom and motivation to wander. It did not take me long to realize what an amazing place this was for living a healthy and active lifestyle. You have the many beaches to take walks on and the mountains to hike on, which is a luxury that I was not used to and very much appreciate every single day. Besides these natural wonders that Cape Town has to offer, there is a wonderful variety of studios that provide just about any workout that my heart desires. Some activities I never knew existed, until I came across them here. In Vienna I loved going to the gym, doing weight exercises and cardio. In Cape Town, however, I have not set foot in a gym and I could not be happier. What motivates me the most is keeping my workouts exciting and being able to track my progress. This is the reason why my week consists of a few different workout forms that compliment each other

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and keep my routine from turning into a rut. After trying my fair share of different yoga and fitness studios, I have found the ideal mixture of yoga, pilates, cardio and meditation. The very core of my fitness regime is my pilates reformer classes. I never knew how much awareness of my body I lacked before I had my first reformer class. The Reformer is an apparatus designed by Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates. It is essentially a carriage that moves back and forth along a frame. You use your own body weight in addition with springs that can be adjusted for the level of resistance that you need. The beautiful (and evil) thing about this machine is the precision it demands as you are constricted to staying along the grids of it. When I used to only do my stretching on the mat, I thought I was quite flexible, the reformer burst my bubble though. With no means to cheat my way to a deep stretch, I had to accept my beginners stretch abilities. I learned so many intricate details about how my my body moves, that I have never noticed before. I use muscles that I never even knew existed. I finally understand what good posture truly means. The best part for me is the

huge variety of exercises on the reformer. It is so rewarding to notice how I gain strength and flexibility and therefore am able to add new exercises that used to be too difficult. My studio of choice is the beautiful Core Fit center in Sea Point. I attend private reformer classes every week with my angel of an instructor, Jenna de Beer. Having a background in dance and Ballet she has a vast knowledge about movement and fitness. Training with her with the breathtaking view of the ocean in the background is blissful. The focus and body awareness that the reformer training teaches me is seamlessly applicable for my yoga practice. There are many definitions of yoga and just as many different forms of yoga. For me the best way to describe it is the connection of everything. It is the connection of the eight limbs of yoga: your ethical standards (yama), your self-observance (niyama), the postures practiced in yoga (asanas), your breath (pranayama), the withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), your concentration (dharana), the practice of meditation (dhyana) and lastly the merging with the divine (samadhi). Reducing yoga to simply a physical practice, is therefore not doing this beautiful way of living any justice. Personally it is also a way of life. It is learning to use these eight aspects to attain a serenity that is essential to my own sanity. I am a highly sensitive person and being connected to my physical and spiritual body protects me from feeling too overwhelmed by the many different energies that float around us constantly. For some people it is easy to ignore negative energies but if you are sensitive like me it takes a lot of willpower and conscious awareness to be able to differentiate between your own and other peoples’ frequencies. In Austria I used to enjoy heated yoga a lot but I only learned here in Cape Town the importance of breath – a real challenge during heated yoga. I practice Vinyasa, a beautiful flowing sequence of poses which are synchronized with your breath, as well as Yin Yoga. I love treating

myself to the very slow and gentle Yin where you hold restorative poses for a longer duration between 2-15 minutes or more. You will not get the usual workout high, but it will absolutely nurture your body because holding the poses for this amount of time activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is your rest and digest state. After some yoga studio hopping, I have found my personal yoga haven at the Shala on Dunkley square that offers amazing Vinyasa and Yin yoga classes in a serene and calming environment. To keep my yoga practice playful, I discovered an ingenious way to combine the beauty of nature that Cape Town has to offer with the serenity of yoga. So when the weather is playing its part, and the very strong southeasterly wind named the “Cape Doctor” is calm, I indulge in Stand up Paddle yoga at the Camps Bay Tidal Pool. It is such an exciting way to take your yoga practice to another dimension. The boards by Boga Yoga are broad enough to provide good balance and it has a yoga mat-like surface so you don't slip. The beautiful Bianca Jade of SUP Cape Town takes the class. We start with a paddle around the tidal pool that’s surrounded by the famous Camps Bay beach and the 12 Apostles mountain range. We then anchor our boards so we do not float away and start the yoga. The postures are modified with a lot of focus on core work to keep your balance. Lying, sitting, standing on the board I let my eyes wander from the blue of the ocean to the distinct shape of Lions Head - all the way to the magnificent Table Mountain. In my mind I am speechless every time I take in these views. After one hour of balancing postures on the board we end it in Shavasana (corpse pose) - I sway gently on the board and tap my fingers in the cool water - if there is anything that will bring up a deep feeling of gratitude, it is this moment.

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For a while I got so immersed into my pilates and yoga practice that I never thought about cardio. Since Cape Town is a city where you drive everywhere, there is not much opportunity to get some casual cardio in. As opposed to living in Vienna where I would run all over town to get to places. Luckily through a friend I found an amazingly intense work out that gives you just the right dose of cardio spikes to last you for a few days. Barre body, also called bar method, is a workout that combines ballet moves with core conditioning, pilates, yoga and light weight training. You typically have a bar like in a ballet class which you can use for balancing, some light weights, a squishy ball and upbeat music. The win win is that it fuses cardio with strength training, meaning you are burning fat while building muscle. The Barre Body Studio in Green Point is the perfect spot to sweat it all out in a supportive all female class, that blasts beautifully girly and motivating music. The cherry on top is the super fit power woman of an instructor Jessica Munnell. You can picture her as the drill sergeant of the fit girl world. Doing every exercise with us whilst motivating us with her empowering words through the headset. She makes me endure a whole hour of sweat drenched cardio madness with a big smile on my face. That is close to a miracle. Engaging my body in all these forms of exercise requires me to also rest and take care of myself properly. Nutrition is therefore extremely essential to my wellbeing and happiness. It took me moving continents to discover all the beautiful and diverse aspects of a healthy diet. In the

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beginning of my Cape Town experience I indulged in the excellent meats you can get around here but as time passed I grew more and more conscious of my own self and the environment. Finally, I became meat free and around the same time I also stopped enjoying alcohol. Cape Town is a wonderful place if you are a wine loving meat eater but it is even more wonderful a place if you love exploring vegan and vegetarian options. Luckily some of my new favourite places opened just in time to fulfil my new found herbivore cravings. Something I never used to understand was fermented food. In Austria “Sauerkraut” is a big thing and I did not bother to give it a second thought. Nonetheless when Sexy Food, a place serving fermented food and drinks ranging from Kimchi to Kefir, opened I was intrigued. The ancient process of fermenting food preserves it, creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and very importantly various strains of probiotics. As just about 70 -80% of our immune system is located in our digestive system, supporting a healthy gut is not just a question of wanting good digestion but also great overall health. Eating food that tastes delicious and has major health benefits is a no brainer for me. Spending time at Sexy Food, with its walls cladded with wood and beautiful Himalayan salt blocks, it is always inspiring to learn what is possible solely with mindful nutrition. Just as delicious, but coming from a different angle of vegan food, is Scheckter’s Raw in Sea Point. Much frequented after my Pilates, for my weekly matcha flapjack fix.

The name gives it away - only serving raw food with a few nourishing cooked dishes, which I personally prefer. The owner, Toby Scheckter, has a playful and open minded attitude to food and you can taste and see it in his experimental creations. Although going out to these amazing restaurants is a treat each time, I do love making my own food. Just being able to know what ingredients exactly were used makes a big difference in how comfortable I feel. Awhile ago I got very fed up with the amount of trash I produced by solely going to a supermarket to by fresh produce. Every little chili was packaged in plastic. Some of it not even recyclable. Interestingly, I feel that the more yoga, mindfulness and body awareness I was integrating in my daily life, the more conscious I grew of my impact on the environment. The answer to my supermarket struggle is the wonderfully magnificent Oranjezicht Famers Market at the Waterfront. Every week on Saturday I shop all my fresh produce that comes from local small farmers. Additionally, I can stock up on groceries like honey, grains, olive oil - anything really that I need to make nourishing meals at home. The best part of it all is that it is all locally made, much tastier and you get to meet the people behind the great organic products. Cape Town is my paradise in every sense. This special place has helped me transform into the conscious human being that I always wanted to be. I hope reading this might inspire you to come see this magical place for yourself at the very southern tip of Africa.

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HE ALTH

The Dawn of Longevity & the Disruption of A nti-Aging By Helene Rambaud

This is a two-part article on the emerging longevity industry, serving as an introduction to the field of geroscience and the longevity industry. Part 2 will serve as a landscape overview of the industry, focusing on specific key technologies and sectors, including global market and scientific trends, the AgeTech market, and a case study of an ideal P3 (personalized, precision and preventative) medicine clinic implementable today given the field's current scientific and technological landscape.

hen you hear the term "anti-aging" you probably think of things like facial creams, cosmetics, healthy lifestyle, fitness and organic foods. At the most extreme end, perhaps you picture luxury medical treatments - more intensive and private versions of normal medical treatments, more expensive than they are truly advanced, and not so much next-generation as they are elite versions of standard disease treatment and medical care. This was the scope of the anti-aging brand during the last decades, an industry not backed by real, credible or validated science, with a rather modest effect on health and quality of life, but nearly no effect whatsoever on the real ageing process. During that same time, quietly and out of the public eye, there emerged the astounding but not-well-known branch of biomedicine and science that today we call â&#x20AC;&#x153;Geroscience,â&#x20AC;? or the application of knowledge gained from biogerontology (the study of the biology of ageing) for the development of practical therapies to slow and reverse age-related forms of cellular damage. This field has made astounding progress in slowing and reversing the ageing process in lab animals throughout the last 20 years, managing

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to double the lifespan of lab rats and increase the lifespan of worms by 1000%. We now have a concrete scientific understanding of how we age on a cellular and molecular level, of the specific forms of damage that accumulate to cause ageing, and of the many diseases that it directly causes. And, more importantly, companies, institutions and doctors today are making the very first steps in translating these therapies into practical clinical use by human patients. These mark the very first steps toward a majorly-disruptive global paradigm shift in 21st century healthcare and medicine from disease treatment to disease prevention, with the power to prevent the majority of chronic diseases afflicting humans today, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and dementia, in one fell swoop, by targeting the ageing process itself. Today the transfer of geroscience from the lab to human clinics is known as P3 (precision, personalized, preventative) medicine, and takes the form of those few preventative treatments that have already made their way into actual clinics, tailored to patients based on their specific genetic, disease and health profiles. Today they mainly consist of advanced diagnostic and prognostic technologies combined with personalized, precision

preventative therapies that are tailored to patient-specific prognostic and diagnostic results. P3 medicine clinics are distinctly different from what might be called luxury clinics, where such technologies are not commonly used. P3 medicine clinics do not invest time or money into creating the atmosphere of elite exclusivity, into imposing their clients to take non efficient or placebo treatments. They do not need to "gild" their clinics, because the technologies they employ are not just intensified versions of existing standard-of-care medical technologies, but real advanced and next-generation medical technologies that can deliver advanced clinical performance when compared to standard-of-care, one-fits-all medical technologies. These personalized disease prevention technologies - while modest in their effect today in comparison to the oncoming arrival of real geroscience therapies - are the leading edge of what we can do today to slow the damaging effects of ageing. But P3 medicine is just the beginning, the very first few steps into what we all will come to know as the age of longevity, and the birth of a true longevity industry, where the technologies and therapies of geroscience are translated into human medicine, making the global paradigm shift from treatment to prevention as the standard-of-care for every human being.

This is definitely not the anti-aging industry of the 20th century. This is the geroscience of today, the death of what was once an empty marketing term “anti-aging” without any scientific validity and its rebirth into a rapidly-accelerating field on the very forefront of modern biomedicine, backed by some of the world's most elite scientists, companies, institutions and individuals. From several cover-stories in TIME Magazine, to the recognition of an emerging longevity industry at both the 2015 and 2016 World Economic Forum at Davos, to two landmark 2016 longevity conferences “Ageing societies” and “The business of longevity” in London and San Francisco by the respected, highly conservative and policymaking economic journal The Economist (with more planned next year in Asia and Europe). The world’s premier media outlets are too jumping aboard the bandwagon to defeat aging via validated science and technology. The Silicon Valley elite are emerging with public pronouncements in favor of the desirability and feasibility of launching an all-out assault on aging within the next decade, including Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon), Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Co-founders of Google), Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Facebook), Bill Maris (Google Ventures) and Peter Thiel (Founders Fund). Indeed, Google itself has even launched a company, Calico, focusing explicitly on translating cutting edge geroscience into real-world therapies to slow and reverse aging. These high-impact individuals and institutions are helping to usher in the largest paradigm shift in healthcare and modern medicine of the 21st century, away from the uphill battle of ineffective single-disease treatment and toward multi-disease prevention.

While investment in the longevity industry is currently being dominated by Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneurs, much of the hardcore science is happening in Europe, in the laboratories of advanced scientists in Switzerland, Germany and the UK, among others. But the European biotech ecosystem suffers from proportionately less investment, entrepreneurship and the clinical translation and practical implementation of geroscience therapies, despite the fact that it is leading the forefront in terms of actual science. If Europe becomes more actively involved in geroscience investment and entrepreneurship, it could very well witness a rapid rise in this industry at the same pace as is happening in Silicon Valley. Europe is also leading in terms of the fractional application of P3 medicines, and are currently in some cases even more advanced than the P3 medicine technologies available in the U.K. and U.S. The U.S. doesn't possess any substantial advantages in geroscience or P3 medicines with respect to European countries, which is why Europe should use its core advantage in these arenas to elevate themselves in terms of investment and entrepreneurship in the emerging longevity industry. The real factor holding Europe back from fully participating in the emerging longevity industry is not a lack of promising scientific and technological opportunities. It is merely a way of thinking, and a national awareness of what is possible on the horizon of geroscience and P3 medicine. This means, however, that a shift in national thinking to realize these possibilities might very well be on the horizon, and would certainly be realizable within rather short timeframes, such as within the coming year, which is when the largest opportunities for early investment and future growth are going to occur. 2017 will mark the beginning of a substantial investment boom in the longevity industry and the beginning of global health care reform away from treatment and toward prevention. It will be the year that marks the beginning of the end for the superficial and unscientific anti-aging brand, the validation and popularization of geroscience and the birth of an age of healthy longevity. There are many conferences and events related to longevity and geroscience planned throughout Europe in the coming year, signalling a shift in public thought throughout the region that prefaces a coming boom in European investment and entrepreneurship in the longevity industry. If you wish to remain apprised of ongoing advancements in geroscience, P3 medicine and the longevity industry then keep an eye on these exciting trends in order to put yourself in the best possible position to live long enough to witness the coming age of health, where each passing day greets you with additional health and longevity technologies rather than worsening disease and frailty, where each passing year brings additional two years of life expectancy.

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LEISURE

The Slate, Phuket by Sneha Rupani

Health and wellness are priorities this year at The Slate, as guests are encouraged to improve their health with a long-term, holistic approach. The Slate has introduced additional yoga offerings and year-round wellness experiences at their award-winning destination spa – Coqoon.

xpect to be educated and twisted in the accomplished hands of wellness and yoga specialist Charlène Limoges as she leads The Slate’s yoga offerings. Her combination of breathing exercises, postures, meditation and relaxation are the perfect tools to balance the mind and tone the body.

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Charlène joined The Slate with over ten years of experience, having taught in renowned studios across the globe, including France, India and Morocco. All wellness experiences at The Slate include an hourlong consultation with Charlène who will create a bespoke well-being and nutrition plan based on each guest’s health and wellness goals. This is further supported by practical advice on how to achieve long-term lifestyle changes.

Charlène’s individual and group yoga sessions feature Ashtanga yoga ‘asanas’ or poses where breath and alignment principles are used to promote relaxation and healing. Some sequences are aimed at weight loss by focusing on cleansing, balancing, and rejuvenating inner organs and optimising their functions. While others focus on reducing stress, relieving back pain and improving flexibility. Children are not left out with specialised kids yoga sessions which offer easy-to-do poses that will help aid stress management, all while fostering cooperation and compassion. For guests with specific ailments of the body or mind, Charlène will tailor a yoga practice suitable to each individual’s needs. In addition to yoga classes, Charlène offers workshops on curbing addictions such as alcohol and smoking; mindful eating and how to incorporate it into daily life, and managing stress and anxiety by learning steps to relieve pressure and regain control. Charlène strongly believes in meditation, and with her guided classes, guests can recharge to bring focus and clarity back to their body and mind. Fitness fans can enjoy classes and activities on tennis, archery, Pilates, Fit Ball and Muay Thai boxing at the resort’s Fitness Studio. Visit The Slate’s Shore Thing beach club set alongside the sheltered shores of Nai Yang which

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has everything you need for fun in the sun with scuba diving and other water sports. If idling the day away is more of your style, turn your attention back to the Coqoon Spa. The sanctuary is built around a tropical garden with eight treatment rooms-for-two, the highlight of which is the spectacularly woven Nest built into a century-old banyan tree. The spa programme is designed to offer treatments that evoke healing using the relaxation techniques of Thai massage. A brand new series of seasonal and year-round restful and rejuvenating experiences have been unveiled this year – the Hit & Heal Package lets guests enjoy a 60-minute Thai Boxing Class to increase endurance and fitness levels followed by a 60-minute relaxing Thai Massage that helps stretch and support sore muscles. Couples can enjoy a special romantic package, Loving Hands, where they can indulge in a 60-minute body

massage of their choice, followed by a 30-minute exotic milk bath to allow time to relax and reconnect. Children are also welcome at Coqoon, with each child receiving a complimentary 30-minute chocolate scrub or massage when they accompany mum and dad to the spa. Nutritious, clean eating can be found at many of The Slate’s dining outlets. Breakfast at Tin Mine includes plenty of protein and glutenfree options, fresh green juices, vegetables and fruit, organic eggs and zero sugar, natural cereals. Underground Café, a breezy open-air venue by the water’s edge offers healthful options with protein-packed salads, cold-pressed juices and cut fruits – all focusing on natural and locally sourced ingredients.

With The Slate’s holistic approach to health, we guarantee you will walk away rejuvenated and balanced. For more information and bookings, please

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TR AVEL

A Spontaneous Trip to Marbella

By Ksenia Mezentseva

I am usually one who takes the time to research my travel destinations before the trip, with particular attention paid to my main interests of dining and unique sightseeing experiences. My latest trip, a spontaneous getaway to Marbella, was unplanned and therefore it was up to my well-informed friends, who have spent many sunny days in Marbella, to provide me with recommendations.

t is probably important to mention that when one says «Marbella», what he or she really means is that you are flying to Malaga and then staying in Puerto Banus. At least this is what I would strongly advise you to do. Malaga airport is a major hub for Spain's southern destinations. It is one of the bigger and more efficient airports, with many direct daily flights from various destinations. Marbella is located about 60km south of Malaga which makes it a very convenient commute from the airport. The town itself is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Andalucia - bustling with busy cafes, gift shops and crowds of people. I can immediately recommend a day trip to the Salvador Dali permanent sculpture exhibition, set just by the port, as well as the fish market and a gentle stroll through the quiet streets of the old town.

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The place to find your hotel would have to be in the Puerto Banus area – located just 10km south of Marbella and a 40-minute drive from the Malaga airport. A luxury marina and a shopping paradise which was designed by Noldi Schreck, the architect who participated in the design and construction of Beverly Hills as well as a local developer, Jose Banus, from the late 1960s. The lavish opening of the construction was held in May of 1970 and was attended, among others, by Prince Rainier, Princess Grace of Monaco, Aga Khan, Hugh Hefner and Roman Polanski. The party itself, which included 1700 of the world’s fabulously elite, was the most extravagant event, including a private concert by the young Julio Iglesias. It was even reported that guests had consumed over 22 kilos of caviar. Today, Puerto Banus is one of the hottest European destinations for international jetsetters, celebrities and young trendsetters.

Surprisingly, there is only one luxury 5-star hotel in Puerto Banus itself, The Gran Hotel Guadalpin Banus, which is located on the waterfront just outside the main marina area. The two other hotels which I would highly recommend are situated between Marbella and Puerto Banus, and are the Marbella Club and the Puente Romano Hotel and Luxury Apartment complex. Once belonging to the same owner, they are the most luxurious spots along the coast. The scarcity of the luxury lodging in the area is explained by the high density of premium apartment buildings and beautiful villas set along the coast, which are available for rent. Shopping is a must do in the Puerto Banus area. Split between the large El Corte Ingles - where one can find a range of options from makeup, toys, top designer clothing to sports

gear, and on the other side - the luxury, well curated boutiques, set in the Banus Marina. The latter option will indulge any fashionista with Dolce and Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Tods, Valentino, Gucci and many more designer boutiques set along the promenade for you to enjoy. Beach Clubs are a popular daytime destination in Puerto Banus. Often, but not always, located on an actual beach. Most clubs come with their own swimming pools and offer sunbeds, cocktails and light snacks along with a glamorous crowd and uplifting party vibes. Ocean Club – is one of Europe’s largest beachside venues and is located right outside Puerto Banus. One could definitely define this spot as a ‘party place,’ particularly the Opening party which is not to be missed. Nikki Beach – if you are a fan of this chain, the Marbella location will not disappoint, with glamorous people, the finest food and exceptional service all guaranteed. La Sala by the Sea – a place to see and to be seen. Just like its original restaurant, La Sala is a vibrant place with delicious cocktails, a trendy crowd and great food. El Ancla Restaurant and Beach Club - is located in San Pedro, minutes outside Puerto Banus. The restaurant’s terrace is set right on the waterfront creating this magical illusion of dining out at sea. The menu includes a variety of fresh seafood and the beach has one of the most awesome atmospheres on the coast. Another favourite excursion is the much anticipated day trip destinations, with Marbella providing a host of exciting sites. If you want

a change of pace and do not mind a bit of a drive, there are many things to see. Benahavis is a miniature "white" village situated in the beautiful Spanish mountains, 7km from the coast. It is a 15 to 20 minute drive from Puerto Banus and is the perfect spot for a leisurely afternoon. Meander along the tiny streets and have lunch at Los Abanicos – a traditional feel with the most delicious food guaranteed. Make sure to pre-book as this is a popular spot. Ronda is a charming mountain town and has become one of the main Andalucian places to visit. Enjoy a scenic drive for about 40 minutes to see the dramatic escarpments, the Arabic walls and city gates, and enjoy a walk along the 18th century Puente Nuevo – a "new" bridge that took over 40 years to build. A visit to Plaza de Toros – one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, is quite a sight, take in the immensity of the space which was known to hold up to 5000 spectators. While in Ronda have lunch at the famous Pedro Romero restaurant, located just across the bullring, a place to dine for over 45 years. If you drive for another 20 km you can visit the old Roman settlement of Acinipo – a large theatre dating from the 1st century AD and enjoy the rare sites of several old homes. This was one of the few cities the in Roman Empire to produce wine and export it to Rome. A further 40 minutes down the coast and you will arrive to Gibraltar, where you will see the dramatic Rock of Gibraltar, a 426m-high limestone ridge, and enjoy some cheeky duty free shopping. Seville is the capital of the Andalucia region and is only 200km away from Puerto Banus, which makes it a great one or two-day trip. In recent years, Seville’s old historical town has

received an influx of contemporary art, food and fashion. Today, it is not only the incredible ancient sights that attracts people from all over the world, but the street fashion, EastWest tapas and enjoyable nightlife. The city is famous for flamenco dancing, so make sure to visit one of the many clubs in the Triana neighborhood. The main things to look out for include the 18th century bullring – Plaza de Torros de la Maestranza, the ornamental Alcazar castle and the Gothic Seville cathedral, where Christopher Columbus is buried. If you decide to spend a night or two in Seville, stay at the classic Hotel Alfonso XII – rightfully one of Spain’s grandest hotels. Before I forget, if you are in Seville for the evening, make sure to have the delicious tapas at Yebra or at El Rinconcillo, which been around for over 350 years and are clearly doing something right. As the night goes on, I would recommend dinner at No-Lugar or at the city’s latest trendy gastrobar, La Perona. Dinning Upon my arrival to Puerto Banus, I was told that all the best restaurants were actually located outside Puerto Banus port and it was recommended that I get a car. This certainly proved to be somewhat true, but there are, nonetheless, great places to eat in the port itself. If you are spending the day shopping, checking-out the boats or simply enjoying the beach, a good lunch spot in the port is A1 Aretusa – a stunning Italian restaurant with traditional dishes, some with a modern twist, in a contemporary setting overlooking the mega yachts docked just 10 meters away.

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My other favorite places in the area are: Los Bandidos – located in the port and is the place where one can spot celebrities who come to wine and dine. The walls are covered with photos of every famous person that has ever visited, and trust me, there are a few, the food is great and the service is impeccable. La Sala – a 10-minute walk from the port will get you to this restaurant come bar come lounge. Every night one can expect a live concert with a bubbling, busy vibe. The food is not bad either with a great variety, serving international classics from all over the world. Sinatra café – is a famous bar located in the port. If you are looking for a good drink or some people watching, this is your place. Magna Café – is a short drive from Puerto Banus up the hills to one of the many golf-course areas of Marbella. Magna is located in the hills and along with delicious food, offers a beautiful view of the area and the Rock of Gibraltar. D-Wine – is a relatively new addition to the local scene and is the mecca for wine lovers. Originally a wine boutique and now a large sophisticated restaurant, it has an extensive menu, an endless wine list of the finest wines and live music every night. Paella y mas – is your home-style Spanish restaurant, attracting local and international celebrities to this traditional, cosy restaurant. According to a

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recent interview, Lady Gaga favors Paella y mas the most when she is visiting the area. Takumi – probably one of the best Japanese restaurants on the coast serves the freshest ingredients with a menu presenting both traditional and innovative dishes. Puente Romano restaurants I am putting these spots in a separate category as it is very unusual for a hotel to have more than one amazing dining option. Dani Garcia – is a two-Michelin starred restaurant named after chef Dani. Come for a special occasion and prepare to be swept away by the elegant setting and the most creative and delicious meal. Bibo – is another restaurant on the property, also by Dani Garcia, and is your bustling and happening restaurant where prior reservations are a must. Enjoy the originality of the food presentation which is truly spectacular. Celicioso bakery – for something to ease the guilt of all the indulging is a great spot at the Puerto Romano complex. It is a lively gluten free café with an extensive juice bar, lots of healthy salads, burgers and of course divine gluten free pastries.

PL ACE

My Mykonos My first memories of Mykonos date from the late 1970s when my parents would regularly stop on the island during our cruises of the Aegean Sea. It always had a unique feeling, certainly accentuated by the stories my father would tell me of his partying there as a young Athenian in the 1950s and 1960s. The island had just been “discovered”, most beaches were only accessible by boat and electricity would only run for six hours a day!

By Dimitri Demetriades

n the early 1990s, as a teenager, I came back to explore the island by myself and fell irrevocably in love with its spirit. Back then the all-day beach partying scene was already vibrant, the town had many nice restaurants and the first world-class hotels had sprung up. After swimming, straight from the beach, we would all rush into to town to catch the sunset from the Caprice bar which exists to this day. It recently relocated by 5 meters from its historic location but the view and the cocktails remain as good as ever. Do not miss it. The 2000s and Greek economic boom brought more Athenians with higher spending power and the locals responded by raising their game. The metal tube-and-plastic strap sunbeds were replaced by wood-and-mattress ones, the cheap plastic umbrellas replaced by folding

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cloth ones. The beach restaurants which used to be little more than prefab cantinas turned into gastronomical havens. Pioneer in this shift upmarket was Nammos restaurant which opened in 2003. Luxury Collection, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais et Chateaux and other chains also landed on the island during that period. The financial crisis struck towards the end of the decade just as the first bottles of champagne were starting to appear on the beaches. By 2010 Greece had been hit harder than most other countries and the entire middle class of the country had been wiped out economically. As a result the local hoteliers and restauranteurs, resourceful as always, shifted their attention once more to the up-market international crowd with an added focus on the newly rich emerging

markets. By 2015 the Greeks had broadly been replaced by Arabs, Turks, Brazilians, and Russians. Today Mykonos seems to be fully accepted as one of the Mediterranean elite destinations along with Ibiza, Sardinia and the South of France. For the past twenty five years no summer has passed without me visiting the island for a week or two (and often more!) and as a result many friends now ask for my ‘list’ of suggestions on the island, a summary of which you can find below. The first decision you will have to make is where to stay. If you are afloat the best anchorage in my opinion is the bay of Psarou. Completely protected from the northerly Meltemi wind (during the summer it can blow fiercely for

weeks at a time) while giving you easy access by tender to Nammos, Skorpios and Santa Marina. If you are sleeping ashore the main question is in town or outside. If you prefer the convenience of walking back to your hotel after a long night out then I recommend the Belvedere Hotel. It has a great location, a nice view from its pleasant pool and the Mykonos Nobu/Matsuhisa restaurant. The owners Nicolas and Tassos are always welcoming and you will also find them managing the Matsuhisas of St Moritz and Athens. If walking to your hotel’s private beach is more important, then the clear answer is the Santa Marina Hotel in Ornos. It was the island’s first luxury hotel, built in the 1980s by the visionary Ilias Papageoriou (a friend of my father’s) and run today by his daughter Christiana who constantly renovates and upgrades the facilities. Apart from the private beach it has several pools, great views of the nearby islands and a Buddha Bar beach restaurant for late lunch. The complex also has small villas with private pools if you value privacy. The drive into town is only ten minutes (although traffic and parking can make it longer) and you'll probably need a car anyway in Mykonos to go to the other beaches, unless you take the hotel boat of course. Talking of other beaches my favourite ‘quiet’ one is Lia (not to be confused with Elia) which

Santa Marina Resort

is also the most remote one. The waters are crystal clear blue – green, the sunbeds nice and the restaurant very decent. Another quiet suggestion is Agios Sostis with equally nice waters and sand but no infrastructure whatsoever. For the bohemian-chic crowd this virgin state might be an attraction point, for others the sunburns might be a turn off. Your decision.

while the food is excellent on both sides. Another favourite, ‘Principaute Mykonos’, was opened last year in Panormos beach by the legendary maître d’ of Nammos, George Papageorgiou. Very carefully designed with unrelenting attention to detail, amazing food, crystal clear waters and spacious sunbeds. It is possibly the best beach choice if you do not want to risk being champagne-sprayed on! Alemagou at Ftelia beach is upping its game every year with very good food while keeping its fantastic combination of sunset views, uncluttered beach and great music. Be warned though of the ‘event’ evenings when the beach turns into a proper festival with thousands of guests!

The port of Mykonos in the 1970s If you chose a ‘party’ beach the unmissable classic of the island is Nammos on Psarou bay. The sunbeds are probably the most luxurious of the island but unfortunately also the most closely packed which is probably why I prefer to skip the swim there and arrive around 4-5pm for a late lunch. If you feel truly festive get a table in the semi-indoors side which goes into proper party-mode after 6pm with champagne spraying etc. Nowadays I prefer the garden side with a more relaxed Club 55 feel. Music is not as loud, there is no dancing

Skorpios near Paraga beach opened in 2015. The beach area is spacious although the sea is not great. Sunset views are among the best on the island and the food is good. Thursdays and Sundays sunset parties are very popular but it gets a bit too crowded for my taste. Given its enormous size it can unfortunately maintain neither the exclusivity nor the ‘niche’ feeling of the other beaches. By 10 pm you might want to hit the town for dinner. Your first stop, at the feet of the iconic floodlit windmills, should be the classic Sea Satin Market restaurant. Excellent fish served

by the sea. The (mainly Greek) music picks up around midnight and the dancing on the tables goes on for several hours. A recent addition to the dining scene is Hakkasan/LingLing run by the Nammos team: great vibe, great crowd, great food. Possibly my favourite option for an eclectic evening. For a more relaxed dining experience try Catari close to the old port, owner Egidio will always make you feel very welcome and will delight you with his amazing Calamari pasta. The colourful ceramics on the wall and the Sofia Lauren movies playing above the bar complete the Neapolitan atmosphere. The nightlife of Mykonos town is so diverse and vibrant that I cannot enumerate all the possibilities. Probably the best strategy is to walk through the small meandering streets and hop from bar to club to bar. My only special mention is Astra, one of the pillars of the scene since the 1980’s. Usually packed from 2 till 5am and even later on weekends. You will listen to the best dance, electro and rock on the island. Just don’t expect to hear any Lady Gaga or Greek music there.

Sea Satin in Mykonos town

Closing this little list of Mykonos and usually also closing the night on the island is Cavo Paradiso on Paradise beach. An “institution” that has been bringing the best international djs to the island for more than twenty years, its amphitheatrical arrangement around a pool on a cliff by the sea offers one of the best sunrises of the Med. Personal ‘hidden gem’: the most romantic place to watch the sunset or the stars is the Armenistis lighthouse at the very north extremity of the island (usually the windiest too) where you can see the nearby islands of Tinos, Syros as well as the smaller, uninhabited Rinia and Delos. Delos is possibly the most important Greek archaeological site outside the Athens Acropolis so if you have time do the day-trip visit. Special thanks to Der Mits (@dermitsphoto) for allowing us to reproduce his photographs of the Armenistis Lighthouse and Mykonos Port for this article.

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Delos Island Archeological site

InterContinental Paris Avenue Marceau with General Manager, SĂŠbastien de la Croix

I knew from my early childhood that the luxury hospitality industry was close to my family universe - my strength - I learned how to receive love and be very loving in order to make other people happy.

fter completing my studies, I considered the long term process leading to the position of general manager of a luxury parisian hotel and I oriented my career in this perspective. I worked my way to this position by learning and paying thorough attention to the network. I also experienced that one cannot succeed alone and that the key to success is collective action, in which wills and energies merge. I have always striven to work honestly and with conviction, without ever fearing tomorrow and driven by the firm belief I should be in action day after day. I considered each of my jobs as a genuine challenge because it is necessary to grasp the strong human dimensions of each professional position, to understand and learn from failures in order to recover faster and more strongly. To be credible in this business it is important to remember that our decisions have a direct impact on a number of persons who accept our authority if they feel it is fully

justified by our competence and our attitude toward them. It is hence inconceivable to disappoint them. This requires a steady capacity to anticipate, together with psychology, full and constant attention to the staff. The leader has to be truly open-minded with a generous amount of optimism. The hotel InterContinental Paris Avenue Marceau is indeed part of my family. Before choosing the hotel, I chose the people I wanted to work with. I like working with people I trust and in whom I see a lot of myself. JPB, the owner of the hotel trusted me and encourage me to discover the world of business. It still fascinates me because of the subtle mixture of fears and pleasure you experience while a project is in progress and when it eventually is completed. Obviously, opening a hotel in a unique location, served by highly qualified staff and operated under a prestigious brandname, proves indeed an attractive opportunity.

Making the Intercontinental Paris Avenue Marceau a popular hotel in Paris has been and still is very motivating and rewarding to me. I took over the general management of the hotel in 2008 and I am still happy to manage it to this day. What I particularly like about this job is the entanglement between daily repetitive tasks and unexpected daily events which avoid routine, but make everyday a new and unique experience. My ambition is to satisfy all quantitative objectives assigned to me by enlarging the scope of possible actions aimed at enhancing customer loyalty to the brand and the hotel. It is also to ensure my staff understands and supports their objectives and feels fully committed in their completion of their tasks. Last but not least, I do want to continue to give a soul to the hotel.

CIT Y LIFEST YLE

Paris

Tantalising tips for the city of romance By Caroline Von Krockow

I lived in New York, London, Madrid, Cologne and have travelled all over the world, but Paris is simply fantastic! I fall in love again and again with this city every day. The history of France and Paris is of course fascinating. The cultural scene is extraordinarily rich from the museums to the opera, from the galleries and art centres to the private initiatives. Then of course the fashion, parks, boulevards and restaurants all contribute to the unique savoir vivre, which makes every day a feast.

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he first kings were the Merovingians, a Salian Frankish dynasty that ruled the Franks for nearly 300 years in France during the 5th century. The dynasty was founded by Childeric I (457-481), the son Merovech, but it was his famous son Clovis I (481-511) who united all of Gaul under Merovingian rule. They reigned from the Conciergerie, now a tourist attraction, formerly a prison, which is located on the Île de la Cité. It used to be the royal palace, the Palais de la Cite and the Merovingians ruled from there. Charlemagne was the next big king of France, who united much of Europe during the early middle ages and laid the foundations for modern France. Francois I, attracted and influenced by Italian art, then invited Leonardo da Vinci to stay in his court. The Bourbons ruled the country in the 16th century. Henry IV (1553-1610) also known as Good King Henry was the first French monarch of the House of Bourbons. He resided in The Tuileries Palace which, along with the Louvre Palace, was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs until the Paris Commune in 1871. The period of the 18th century was the “Enlightenment” and France, mostly Paris, played a strong intellectual role. This was the time of the philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau, the time of poetry and romance. Louis XIV was crowned king and during his reign France enjoyed a rebirth of art, music, drama and literature. In 1789 the French Revolution resulted in the end of the monarchy and the death of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After the reign of terror

Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Paris and almost all of Western Europe. Much later, Paris survived two World Wars and thankfully General Dietrich von Choltitz disobeyed Hitler’s command to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in the world. If we fast forward to today, with this year’s election coming up,

property prices stable and with potential tax incentives, Paris could be the next place to invest. Regardless, one should never miss a visit to the city of love. We have seen a growth of many new hotels opening, spoiling our visitors for choice. I recommend staying in Hotel de Crillon, reopening after four years of renovation this September on the Place de la Concorde. Karl

Lagerfeld is currently designing the most prestigious suites and bringing his discerning eye to create an unforgettable experience. He is a great connoisseur of the 18th century and combines French art de vivre and modernity in the most elegant manner. A dear friend, Aline d’Amman, is in charge of the artistic direction along with four established decorators. The excitement mounts as we come closer to the much anticipated opening party. Another option is Hotel Le Bristol on Rue du Faubourg St Honore just by the Champs-Elysees and Avenue Montaigne. It belongs to my German friends, the Oetker family. One cannot resist the quirky pool at the top, the brand new Spa, the cosy courtyard for outdoor lunch and one of the coolest bars, traditional yet trendy. The newly opened Ritz on Place Vendome, where Karl Lagerfeld’s latest haute couture creations were shown, is of course perfect for the start of the fashion season. Even if you don’t stay in the Ritz you should definitely have a drink in the Bar Hemingway. Only there will you receive roses with your champagne and a special signature drink. Ask for my friend Roman Devaux, the head bartender and you will be treated like royalty. If you want to stay on the other side of the river, Rive gauche, Hotel Lutetia is still under renovation, but soon re-opening and a good option as well. Conveniently located opposite Le Bon Marche, which in addition to having every single fashion and beauty item one requires, also hosts contemporary art thanks to its owner the great Bernard Arnaud. This year Chiharu Shiota’s “Where are we going” is transforming the department store into a sea of white strings.

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CIT Y LIFEST YLE

Another hidden gem is the relaxed, homey, family run Hotel Dauphin in Saint Germain. My friends Marie and Marc Tournier lovingly decorated it and are now also the new owners of the hotel Jeanne d'Arc in the Marais area, perfect for art lovers. In addition to the multitude of fantastic galleries there is also the new Picasso museum, a must see. Regardless of where you’re staying, a memorable day in Paris could look something like this: Fresh croissants and café creme in the literary Café Flore, which dates back to 1885 and got its name from a flower sculpture. Writers like Joris-Karl Huysman and Remy de Gourmont had their habits here and Frédéric Beigbeder founded the Prix de Flore, a French literary prize to reward young authors in 1994. It is awarded yearly in November and the laureate wins 6,000 Euros, as well as a glass of Pouilly-Fumé, at the Café de Flore every day for a year. I would then recommend a stroll through St-Germain-des-Pres heading to Place de Furstenberg. The circular island in the middle of the square is framed by four Paulownia trees, surrounding a central and rather gothic lamp post, which have become focal points for many artists. Do visit Yveline Antiques, which opened in 1954, with its wonderful collection of objects and antiquities. My friend Agathe Derieux, Yveline’s grand-daughter, continues the tradition. A few steps further is the Delacroix Museum, which used to be Delacroix’s studio and transformed into a museum in 1971. It exhibits memorabilia, works and pictures from nearly every phase of his career, including the artist’s only three attempts at fresco from Valmont (1834); the Education of the Virgin painted in Nohant in 1842; and Magdalene in the Desert exhibited at the 1845 Salon. Continue along your stroll and you will come across tiny, sheltered streets around Place de Furstenberg, dotted with independent art galleries, custom made shoe stores, boutiques, and luxury furnishings, expect not only excellent shopping but some of the best people watching in the city too. For lunch there are endless options and it depends in which of the 20 arrondissements of the Parisian snake you wish to be in. In culinary terms the city is full of delights. If you want to stay in the 7th arrondissement the traditional Voltaire restaurant is good. Recamier, just by Le Bon Marche, has the best soufflés in town and Brasserie Lipp is an institution where you can eat oysters and a hearty steak with its famous bernaise and fresh fries. For the afternoon, a stroll through Jardin Luxembourg watching the

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children on the old fashioned carousel or sitting in the rose garden by the pond is rejuvenating. The Tuileries Park by the Louvre is quite central and the Bois de Boulogne lends itself to an extensive walk. The exhibitions in Paris are also of such a high standard it would be sad to miss out. I never miss an exhibition in the Louvre, the Grand Palais, the Musee d’Art Moderne and the Centre Pompidou. A recent favourite was the Second Empire exhibition in the Musee d’Orsay, with exceptional Mellerio jewellery, truly mesmerizing. Bernard Buffet is not uplifting, but powerful and prolific, despised by the French until now. They did not want to see an artist rich and mundane with friends like Brigitte Bardot at the Cannes Film Festival, a sad fate his final suicide. Now it’s atonement time and the Musee d’Art Moderne has the biggest exhibit of him ever. My dear friend Diane de Polignac is also showcasing powerful Buffet pieces at her exceptional gallery in the 7th arrondissement. There is also of course the Palais de Tokyo, a must for art aficionados. It is a building dedicated to modern and contemporary art and has the Tokyo Art Club with many exclusive events in the pipeline. The Christian Lacroix store, opposite the Hotel Le Bristol, transformed into the Musee de la Parfum with white flowers and various smells and other surprises. Off the beaten track in the 12th arrondissement on Boulevard de la Bastille is La Maison Rouge, the private museum, which was opened in 2004 by the political scientist and supermarket dynasty heir Antoine de Galbert. Numerous top collections, like those of Thomas Olbricht or Harald Falckenberg, have made their appearances at La Maison Rouge. Thematic and monographic exhibitions also take place here, as well as projects with artists ranging from Arnulf Rainer to Gregor Schneider. What about some shopping? The Parisians are known to dress well and not surprisingly, there are plenty of guides on how to be and dress like a Parisian woman, such as Ines de la Fressange’s en masse. Montaigne Market and Chanel on Avenue Montaigne are my personal favourites, but Colette also has a great selection. Paul Smith, Azzarro, Roger Vivier, Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin on Rue du Faubourg St Honore are perfectly situated and accessible. Isabel Marant on rue de Charonne in the 11th is more relaxed and Stella McCartney and Pierre Hardy in Palais Royale are beautifully located. Azzedine Alaia in the Marais is equally tempting. Around Rue St Dominque and Rue Cler in the 7th one can expect many bargains. For presents I recommend Sephora for perfumes, Taschen books

on rue de Buci in the 6th, Diptyque candles or the delicious chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat and macarons from Pierre Hermé. For bigger presents perhaps Baccarat, Christophle or Hermes? With children, a pleasant outing would be the Rodin gardens. After passing the roses there are two sand boxes tucked at the end behind the fountain, which provide shade during the summer. In the Tuileries gardens there is a trampoline, a carousel and a playground.The Invalides with its’ canons and Napoleon’s grave also have lots of grass squares to play football on. The Aquarium and Guignol marionnette theatre are great when it’s raining. The Jardin d’Acclimatation is a perfect, child-friendly entertainment place for a full day of fun. For children shopping go to Bonton, Jacadi, Bonpoint or Tartine et Chocolat. Paris is also full of fabulous book shops. During the Belle Epoque privileged women like Countess Greffuhle’s held their salons inviting writers like Marcel Proust amongst their midst. Some years later, the American Gertrude Stein, opened her own book store, a place to mingle with the intellectual elite. These type of Paris salons don’t exist anymore, but literature still plays a great part in Paris culture. There are readings, book signings and Paris salons constantly on offer. My dear friend Michele Rossi organizes several prestigious prizes all year round. An exceptional place for English speakers is my preferred bookshop Shakespeare and Company in the 5th. Interesting readings take place there on Tuesdays and Sundays, there is The Other Writers Group where young writers can share their writing too. For home decorations I suggest India Madhavi, Pierre Frey, Silvera, Christian Liagre or the more bohemian Merci on 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais. If you’re renting an apartment and would like to do some food shopping I recommend oysters and fish from the fish store on rue du Bac, Barthelemy cheese on rue de Grenelle, the official provider of L’Elysee (the President) or Petrossian for a fabulous caviar dinner. There are countless exceptional restaurants for dinner and it really depends what you are in the mood for. Excellent high-end choices are Apicius, Lasserre, Jule Verne in the Eiffel Tower or Joel Robuchon’s L’Atelier. Fish lovers should go to Marius and Jeannette or Le Duc. The best meat in town is served at Chez L’Ami Louis and Stresa is the best Italian in Paris! After a play or opera the Closerie de Lilas or Brasserie Lipp are still open for evening escapades. Gilbert Costes has trendy restaurants all over town. Hotel Costes, Societe and Invalides are the best for evening occasions. Another cool option is Monsieur Bleu or Loulou, not far from the Louvre. If you still have energy and feel like dancing, Castel is a fashionable lounge bar with retro cool spirit. You can have dinner in the main level restaurant before hitting the basement dance space that is consistently one of the best in Paris. More than a decade following its founder’s death, Castel remains a Paris nightlife institution with its famous street front perch in the 6th. Today, the club has been revamped by André Saraiva and Thomas Lenthal. Raspoutine is a totally different experience. Just walking through the front door you are swept into another time, long ago when clusters of harlots would clamor over visiting gentlemen amongst the dark nooks of this Paris bordello that later became a well known cabaret club and now is knows as a popular VIP boite for models, billionaires and fashion society. Silencio is another option, belonging to David Lynch, who has transferred his club in Mulholland Drive from screen to Parisian reality. Falling somewhere between private bar, arts club and nightclub, it is open only to members and their guests before midnight, though has free but selective entry after midnight. Situated deep underground in the building that once housed radical newspaper L’Aurore. I hope I have tantalized your tastebuds and inspired a visit to one of the forever remaining romantic cities in the world, Paris!

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OPINION

LUCKY BEING LUCKY By Amanda Cipro

am sitting in a very expensive sofa in a large beautiful lounge of a London Belgravia mansion with my friend Cynthia. Behind the beautiful furniture and curtains that I am admiring, there is the tasteful touch of an interior designer. Cynthia is beaming with joy, her hands holding her big tummy. At 45 years old she is expecting her first baby (a boy) with Mark her millionaire husband. They met less than two years ago when he hired her catering company for a charity event. ‘At that time my catering company was struggling. Not in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined to fall in love, marry a millionaire and expect my first baby in such a short space of time,’ she says with her brown eyes sparkling behind her trendy glasses. ‘I was in the right place at the right time. I feel very lucky!’ Whilst I share Cynthia’ s happiness, I cannot help thinking about my fate that in too many occasions has put me in the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, a couple of years ago in Palermo, I was walking down a narrow street when a pot of geranium accidentally fell from a window sill on the second floor, and

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landed on me fracturing my left shoulder, which took a very long time to heal. Or how about my holiday in Greece, a few years before, when a group of attractive men were playing volleyball on the beach. To have a better view, I sat on the sand, unaware that I was squashing a small nest of wasps. I ended up at the local A&E in excruciating pain with 3 wasps’ stingers stuck in my behind! Everytime I get upset for my misfortunes, to cheer me up my mother says that I will never know if my bad luck has saved me from something even worse! Fortunately, like most of us, I do get some lucky breaks too - though not as many as I would like. Luck is hard to study but scientists have begun to uncover the large role that chance plays in our lives. We are actually more like pinballs bouncing around a machine, than captains at the wheel. Certain types of people are well suited to this fact of life.

Elizabeth Nutt Williams, an American psychology professor, found that chance was a significant factor in shaping the career paths of thirteen professional women she studied. Women who take advantage of coincidences have competence, self-confidence and the ability to take risks. Dr.Richard Wiseman has studied luck for over ten years and has found that those who call themselves lucky are extroverts. To launch his study he placed advertisements in national newspapers and magazines, asking for people who felt consistently lucky or unlucky to contact him. Over the years he interviewed these volunteers, asked them to complete diaries, questionnaires, intelligence tests and invited them to participate in experiments. The findings have revealed that although unlucky people have almost no insight into the real causes of their good and bad luck, their thoughts and behaviour are responsible for much of their fortune. Wiseman conducted an experiment in which he placed the same chance opportunities - money on the ground and a potential encounter with a connected businessman -in the path of two different people. One of the participants claimed he was an unlucky person, the other said things always seemed to work out well for him. The ‘lucky’ guy immediately noticed the money on the ground and pocketed it, then struck up a conversation with the businessman in the coffee shop where he had been planted. Meanwhile, the ‘unlucky’ man stepped right over the cash and sipped his coffee without saying a word to anyone in the coffee store, let alone the businessman. The lucky people scored higher in openness and lower in negative emotional stresses like anxiety, anger, guilt and depression. Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to parties intent on finding their perfect partner and so miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through newspapers determined to find certain types of job advertisements and as a result miss other opportunities in the less obvious pages. Lucky people are more relaxed and open, they are able to observe the whole picture, rather than just narrow their perspective to one specific thing. Dr. Wiseman’s research revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four basic principles. They are skilled at creating

and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good. If, like me, you are not the blessed soul who follows these principles do not despair! You can still attract good fortune through Feng Shui. The English dictionary defines luck as, among other things, “the occurrence of events without apparent cause”; “an unpredictable good event.” The word ‘chance’ comes from Latin ‘cadere’ (to fall). It is random and therefore unexpected. We western people tend to believe that luck involves us being in

the right place at the right time. The Chinese would not disagree. They do, however, have ways to make the place right, they call this Feng Shui. It literally means ‘wind and water’. They are the two natural elements that flow, move and circulate everywhere on Earth. They are also the most basic elements required for human survival. Wind - or air -is the breath of life and water is the liquid of life, without them we would die. Feng Shui is a traditional Chinese concept linking the destiny of man to his environment. Our surroundings affect not just our level of material comfort but also our physical and mental health, our relationships and our worldly success. Feng Shui examines how the placement of things and objects within it affect the energy flow in our living environment and how objects interact with and influence our personal energy flow. This all in turn affects how well we perform and succeed in our personal and professional life. This is achieved by positioning or designing our surroundings in harmony with principles of natural flow. Bad Feng Shui brings bad

luck. Good Feng Shui brings good luck. I have always heard of this Chinese concept but only recently I became aware of how it actually works, thanks to my friend Anthony who firmly believes in it. A couple of weeks ago I was invited to visit his new apartment. He hired a Feng Shui expert to arrange his furniture and environment so that the energy or ‘chi’ is now flowing gently and smoothly through his home.‘‘Chi,” he says, “is energy that also flows through our body.” The energy flow can be stagnant (think clutter and overflowing closet) or it can move too quickly (think long, dark corridors, staircases) or it is obstructed (think walls, trees.) The unbalanced ‘chi’ may lead to ill health, domestic strife or financial concern. Anthony explained that his practitioner of Feng Shui brought a map (bagua), placed it over the floor plan to find out where specific enhancements were to be applied to bring good luck to the areas most important to him (wealth, romance, creativity, health). He claims that his life has already improved. When I pointed to a small statue of a threelegged brown toad with a coin in its open mouth, seated on the floor of his entrance hall, he explained that it is auspicious for attracting wealth. “It looks so menacing,” I remarked, “no wonder it works, it would scare off any thief and save you from being robbed!” I also noticed a big glass bowl full of goldfishes placed on the kitchen table. That surprised me as I knew he didn’t like any kind of fish. “They are for attracting money,’’ he said awkwardly. I spontaneously offered to look after his goldfish whenever he next traveled abroad. With them in my flat, I might just win the lottery! Anthony now considers himself quite the expert on Feng Shui and has offered to come to my place to rearrange my furniture. I haven’t told him yet that he will also have the unpleasant job of decluttering my two huge wardrobes which are overflowing with clothes to allow ‘Chi’ to run freely in my flat (and my life). In the meantime, I have put a big toad in my entrance hall to keep any potential intruder away. No doubt it is less expensive than a burglar alarm. If you do not believe in Feng Shui or cannot afford to hire a costly professional practitioner

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"We are actually more like pinballs bouncing around a machine, than captains at the wheel. Certain types of people are well suited to this fact of life."

but still want to create your own luck there is an alternative option, and it is free! It is called ‘creative visualization’ and is a mental technique that uses the imagination to make dreams and goals come true. This is the way Amber, a friend of mine, has literally been living her life for the past ten years. It started when, fed up with the British weather, she kept daydreaming of living in Florida in a seaside location. Almost every day she would picture herself sunbathing or sitting outdoors drinking coffee. Thanks to a chain of unexpected events, less than a year later, she moved to Boca Raton where she is now living. For Amber her mind has since become a sort of magic wand! She has been focusing her thoughts on what she wants with excellent results. Amber explained that to be successful at creative visualization I need to be very clear about what I want and put passion and intent on creating it in my mind. I have to ban any negative self-talk from my life because, as Buddha once said, “we are what we think.” Our thoughts create our world. Our world is what we think and believe it to be. Once I know what I desire I imagine it vividly, picture it like it was a movie playing on the big screen. It is important that I really want it because if it doesn’t speak to my heart I will not be able to invest my energy and emotion into it. I have also to spend a few minutes, several times a day, before going to sleep at night and first thing in the morning, enjoying my visualization. With my monkey mind jumping quickly from one thought to another, unfortunately this method of

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creating luck doesn’t work for me. I have trouble focusing repeated times on the same subject. I prefer something even easier. There is a common saying ‘luck is blind but bad luck sees well.’ In many corners of society it is popular culture to think that if one person is beset by misfortune it means he/she has the evil eye. It is a curse believed to be cast by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person when they are unaware. A look can cause pain, injury, or bad luck to anyone on the receiving end. People who are envious or simply think that a person does not deserve the good fortune bestowed on them also give the evil eye subconsciously. Throughout history, man has made many forms of talismans designed to ward off bad luck. A rabbit’s foot is the most common European example and the Nazar is widely common in Middle East countries. Traditionally, it is a dark blue circle or round sphere with the shape of an eye in the middle. I was given a Nazar as a present last Christmas and now I always carry it with me. It does not matter whether it works, I just need it like a child clings to a comfort blanket with the hope that instead of pots of flowers I get rose petals falling on me. Wish you good luck!

Some places in Italy leave a lasting impression in the mind. Others on the body too. Deep in the hear t of the Tuscan Maremma lies the perfect well-being retreat, noted for its excellence. At Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resor t ever ything has been designed for your own personal luxur y. Enjoy the extraordinar y hot springs where sulphurous water gushes for th constantly at 37ยบC and 500 litres per second. The most award-winning spa in Europe offers a wide range of luxurious and regenerative treatments and the brand-new detox programme Rebalance@Saturnia. All the facilities together with the pristine natural setting combine to ensure this elegant Resor t as an unforgettable experience: impressive guestrooms, fine restaurants (1* Michelin) and the eco-friendly 18-hole championship golf course blessed with the uniquely mild Mediterranean climate.

For more information or to make a booking contact www. termedisaturnia.it | info@termedisaturnia.it | +39 0564 600 111

FASHION

PARIS SS 2017 FASHION REPORT By Angelika Bolliger

e fashionistas find it hard to say no to new styles, new colours and new shapes, as if they were offering us a new lease on life. Perhaps they do, they will help us achieve certain goals, build up our confidence or just make us happy enough to spread the love. Fashion has been around since the beginning of time often creating an over statement with very elaborate tailoring, leyering ,embellishment and fabric sometimes inflicting physical pain on the person wearing it. It has always been a powerful tool to help define who you are. It can describe what your position is in society, your culture, your education, your financial status or even your spirit. Dress for success is the motto! Ok, let's talk Paris.

Louis Vuitton La fame français, there is only one. She is nonchalant, confident, strong, pure and beautiful.

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Is it the clothes that make her or does she make the clothes? Whatever the case it is a wonderful union and Nicolas Ghesquiere, the artistic director of LV, has reminded us of its timelessness. The models were flowing through the runway, wearing beautiful asymmetrical dresses with sharp cut outs in unusual places, making the collection look confident. We saw metallics, natural browns, navy, sheer lace and polka dotted dresses. There were blouses and 3/4 pencil trousers, all warn with tight fitting metallic, green, burgundy, black or snake print ankle boots for the “I am strong and I don’t care” look we so admire in the French. It was no new revelation, rather a mature collection representative of the quintessential French women - gorgeous tailoring, elegant colour pattern, classic but with a modern twist. I love collections that are not trying too hard to create the shock value and this one proves that Nicolas Ghesquiere is consistent in making beautiful, wearable, modern, chic clothes with a touch of rock’n’roll. This is why he has a big following within the stars and other fashion loving ladies.

Celine A brand best known for it’s IT handbags has shown us a collection for the not so mainstream women. A women who does not want to be obviously sexy. She is more the intellectual type who likes to cover it up almost as a statement and an aphrodisiac. This years SS show was no different. Phoebe Philo changed the silhouette form the more structured military style to a more feminine, frumpy, oversized, back to front kind of way. We saw the classic colour palette; black, white, red, yellow, brown, grey etc. The shirts were oversized, the pants were worn over lace underpants, which were sticking out at the hem. We saw some 3/4 flared letter trousers and sheer pleated midi skirts. The collection was top heavy leaving the lightness to the bottom half of the silhouette. Some of the outfits were accompanied by large, oversized tote bags. Both collections, LV and Celine, showed us two different women yet sharing the same French secret of effortless style for the strong and modern women.

Saint Laurent Anthony Vaccarello is the fashion rebel who loves to push the boundaries when it comes to how much flesh can be shown. This collection for Saint Laurent is even more provocative than the last, baring breasts and showing never-ending legs. Leather is a key fabric, tightly hugging the body in 80’s inspired mini dresses. Wide shoulders, deep v necklines, bustier tops, mini skirts and dresses. A metallic gold, asymmetrical midi dress was seen flowing down the runway followed by edgy deconstructed leather mini dresses. Most of the sheer blouses were worn bearing breasts with not a hint of shame. Asymmetrical styles were back on the runway with one shoulder exaggerated out of proportion, inspired by the 80’s pop stars. The show stayed true to its previous seasons with the black masculine fitted suit, pointy pumps, short and fitted leather jackets and a bit of denim. It was a signature collection for Anthony Vaccarello and the house of Saint Laurent. We may just have to adjust it a bit in order to wear it in public without getting arrested.

Isabel Marant And now we meet the rest of the gang, the Isabel Marant women, the French label that has sold the French IT girl image internationally. She is young no matter what age she is, she is bohemian, worldly, easy going and sexy, in a fresh, French kind of way. We all want to be this girl. This SS collection was a continuation of the fall trend in lighter colours and fabrics. Pants cinched at the waist, ruffles on shirts, jackets and dresses, metallic shirts, flower dresses, cargo pants and more jackets. Cropped asymmetrical ruffle tops, the hit of the moment, worn with 3/4 ruffled pants made us dream of Capri and La dolce vita. We also saw a lot of top heavy tops dominating the silhouette, worn over 80’s inspired pants. The collection was light, fresh, sporty, ideal for us traveling girls. Easy to wear and easy to pack.

Dior It was a highly anticipated show since the departure of Raf Simons and was the first time in the history of Dior that a women was appointed to carry on the legacy of the house, her name is Maria Grazia Chiuri, freshly arrived from Valentino. With only 6 weeks to prepare the collection, she certainly managed to make a statement. The ‘we should all be feminists” logo on the t-shirts and “Dior revolution” was a breath of fresh air. The collection was clean, contemporary, athletic and young drawing inspiration from the youth culture headed by Rihanna who was also present at the show. There were some classic Christian Dior pieces, however, reminiscent of the Dior we know and love like the tulle dresses and skirts. Chiuri gave them a new life by making them transparent worn over black underwear and accompanied by trainers and a leather jacket. We saw a lot of fencing outfits with padded vests and knee length pants, ready for a duel. The collection was white and black with a few pieces in bright red. Chiuri is a strong women with strong opinions and feistiness, I have no doubt she will always deliver a meaningful collection no matter what big fashion house she designs for.

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DESTINATION

Grand Hotel Plaza Rome

or almost a century and half, the Grand Hotel Plaza has resided in the antique Palazzo Lozzano in Via del Corso, the ideal location for shopping and exploring the External City. Like in the past, the hotel is still at the center of the social, cultural and political life of the city, combines the charm and the evocative atmosphere of its location with the efficiency, kindness and professionalism of the service.

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Grand Hotel Plaza enjoys the best location in the Centre of Rome, just a short walk from world famous Roman squares and monuments such as Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Forum Romanum, Pantheon. The Vatican, the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter and Castello Sant Angelo are all easily reachable either on foot or by public transport. Also, the most elegant fashion streets are all around the hotel, including Via dei Condotti and Via del Babuino.

As well as its favoured location in Rome, the Grand Hotel Plaza can also claim its extraordinary greenery as another of its appealing features. The building is captivated by the floral embrace of the gardens on its two large panoramic terraces surrounding the fifth floor. With its distinctive style and elegance, the Grand Hotel Plaza is an exclusive location for those who want to celebrate their event in a luxurious and historic environment. The one-of-a-kind “Ballroom” on the ground floor and the adjacent 4 rooms, can be provided with the latest technological equipment, creating a perfect link between history and modernism, ensuring the most effective realization for every kind of private gathering and unique event.

The Grand Hotel Plaza was selected in countless occasions as a filming location. Luchino Visconti, who discovered here that nineteenth century ambience that was so dear to him that the film “L’innocente” (The Innocent) was shot in our very interiors. More recently, the interiors of “Ocean’s 12”, with Brad Pitt and George Clooney, “Gangs of New York” by Martin Scorsese and "Along Came Polly" with Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller were set at the Grand Hotel Plaza.

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CCERCLE PARTNER HOTELS

THE PENINSULA PARIS Paris

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ME HOTEL Ibiza

L O N D O N H I LTO N O N PA R K L A N E London

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

Welcome to Chloe -Jane's World Ah weekends, so many choices - so little time. How to spend that time is the question. Party at some of the world's greatest clubs, rub shoulders with Lady Gaga at Tommy Hilfiger's latest fashion show or get ready to attend that little event called the Grammys? Yes, well we're all allowed to dream, all of course but Chloe-Jane, the rising DJ sensation of New York City. For thirteen year old Chloe, she does all of the above and more for her weekends.

t such a young age, Chloe has already found herself in a unique position of privilege. Not simply just down to her great pedigree, music genes and well versed connections, but also due to her own unique sense of hedonism, outstanding talent and charismatic "bubbly" charm. Well known throughout New York as the 'cool girl on the block', Chloe-Jane encapsulates every element of the iGeneration popular teen. Adorned for her chic sense of style, her unwavering glamour and access to some of the world's most elite parties, Chloe already boasts a large social media and YouTube following.

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But what else grants her such notability, you may ask? Well why don't you give media guru Russell Simmons a call to ask? He is, after all, quite the fan. Not to mention the many iconic producers she's working with such as Jellybean (John Benitez) who has worked with and produced for the likes of Madonna, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. Or the fact that she has already performed in St Barth's and Ibiza's most prestigious clubs hosted by A listers such as Paris Hilton.

The fact of the matter is, whilst it would be easy to place all credit to this growing star's shine on her expansive network of prominent musicians, she, unlike many other young fabulous girls of her generation, has managed to create a career for herself that, at this level and extent, nobody can create for you. Chloe-Jane has dedicated her life, education and general focus on the DJ industry. She works hard writing new material, learning new skills and challenging her advancements every day to create the substance she needs to back up the star sensation that keeps many of her fans captivated.

So Chloe, how did you find yourself professionally DJ'ing at such a young age? I come from a musical family. My parents love music - my mum used to be a saxophonist, my aunt is a professional singer. My whole family is involved in the industry some way or the other. I've been DJ'ing properly for over a year and a half. It started two summers ago during a trip to Ibiza, we've been going every summer since I was born and it is definitely one of the biggest music Islands in the world. Growing up there with music all around me, I had my ear open to the evolution of sounds. I started catching on and I was like this is really cool. So when I was twelve, my friend and mentor Jellybean Benitez, who is an absolute legend in the industry - he helped produce Holliday for Madonna and many more hits, recommended I go to Dubspot in New York. Dubstop is this great DJ school so I started taking lessons for a year and then the following summer I went back to Ibiza and just worked hard.

So you got the chance to perform for Paris Hilton, not many 13 year olds can say that, tell us about some more of your impressive audience members. I also get a lot of work in St Barts. I often DJ in LeTi, in fact the last time I worked there was in December. DJ Cassidy came to see me, Russell Simmons which was really cool. And then the next night Russell had a party

I honestly just think of it as fun. I'm really young and I don't even need to be doing all of this but it's my passion, it's simply what I love to do and I feel so blessed to be able to do it. It's exciting when big guests are there but I'm never stressed because it is what I love to do.

What advice do you have to anyone young who wants to get into the music industry? The balance is hard with school but if you love it, it's worth it. Go to classes, if you can't afford them then go to a DJ shop and just play with equipment. You have to practice. If you love what you do, practicing should be fun. Go out, hear music, listen, observe and learn. You need to soak up what's around you, people would want to help if you show them your interest.

Would you say that being an American in a European landscape helped you nurture your talent and really jump start your career? Definitely. When I returned to Ibiza that following Summer after taking classes at Dubstop, I performed at charity events, kid's parties and then I got this really big break- I was asked to perform at this club called Amnesia. Anyone who knows Ibiza knows that Amnesia is one of the biggest clubs and I was asked to perform at this event there, making me the youngest DJ to ever perform there. It so happened that Paris Hilton was hosting the party and came in the booth with me, it was such fun! From there on I got a few more gigs and got to perform at KM5, this really chic lounge in Ibiza. It was a family night so the vibe was really cool, it's all a lot of fun.

How does it feel to have these huge guests with all these high expectations on you?

Do you surround yourself with other young talented artists?

at Eden Rock and DJ Cassidy performed so they asked me to come and watch. DJ Cassidy said I did an amazing job and he really wants to help me in my career now. Kris Jenner also came to an event of mine at LeTi.

Yes, this year I started attending this school called the Professional Children's School on 60th street, It's a special school for dancers, actors, DJ's/producers, singers etc. It's given me a great opportunity to be surrounded by so many different types of talented people. Just in my friend groups alone I get to be around ballerinas, models, sports professionals, fellow musicians and actors, it really is great to be around such a diverse set of creatives. We all hang at lunch and learn so much about each other's passions. And everyone works, my friend Lily is signed to Wilhelmina - just an example but everyone is so proactive.

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How do you manage to keep the curriculum balance? It must be hard to juggle a career and schoolwork? I have a totally normal school life, I do all the regular tests and get a ton of homework, like everyone else. Education is very important. But yes, balancing is important. I always have a lesson after school whether it could be singing, piano, dance or DJ'ing, I always have a lesson after. Then I do homework and get on with anything else I need to get done.

On top of all that you have quite the social media following, you engage with so many young people by inviting them into, what you call yourself on Instagram, Chloe-Jane's World. What is it, you think captivates so many of your young followers to be so invested in your life? My favourite thing is to interact with my followers. I love live streaming and speaking to them. A lot of them are my age or younger and they love seeing me reach for my dreams, it inspires them and they have a lot of questions. I like to talk with them, make friends with them and

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build strong relationships. The YouTube channel has also done well. The schools in New York are quite close so everyone knows each other so a lot of the kids my age in New York know me and follow or subscribe to me and from there it just grew really fast. It's funny because I wouldn't call myself a celebrity, but when I walk down the road I get kids running up to me like "You're Chloe-Jane!" because they know me from online. I think they follow me for my music and style. I love fashion, I have a chic yet fun and bubbly style.

So tell us, what has 2017 got in store for Chloe-Jane? Well, as a singer, I've been working on my own music. I just worked with this group of producers called The Eleven. I just did two songs with them. They also just finished with Meghan Trainor, they are the best I absolutely love them. I also met producers in Ibiza who helped me put together six new songs. We had a studio built in our house in New York so I am just constantly making music. I'm currently taking meetings in LA. A couple production companies are interested in doing a Chloe's World show. I'm also going to be taking meetings with record companies that are interested in my music. But for this weekend, I'm just excited to attend the Grammy's and have my photos taken on the red carpet, that should be really fun!

SOCIAL SE ASON

Glynn Cohen's Annual Get Together Party Capetown

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Lina Frangie-Wagner's Brazilian Party Gstaad

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Eyes Wide Shut Party Dubai

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Ezzat & Hala Jallad

SOCIAL SE ASON

Anjou's Birthday Party At Harry's Bar

london

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SOCIAL SE ASON

L'Ormarins Queen's Plate CapeTown

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