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EDITORS LE T TER Trump’, and reflects on the challenges of being married to Trump, raising children and leading a successful career. “I learned everything I needed to know about how to be a good parent long before I became the original Mrs. Donald Trump.” Some of our Ccercle friends were spotted sipping cocktails on a 27m Leopard motor yacht brokered by IYC during the Cannes Yachting Festival, hosted by the Gustavia Yacht Club. If this tickles your fancy be sure to read more on the yachting season by Ccercle friend, Simon Piggott. What would life be if we did not have music? The transformational festivals, such as Burning Man, are inspiring new ways of expressing ourselves and entertaining us.

With all the chaos, sometimes we need a little ‘Rockin’ out to the finest tunes, in our finest outfits. Our Rockin 1000 article, written by Daria Longinotti, shows us how 1000 musicians were able to come together, break the rules and have fun.

Dear Ccercle friends, Where did 2017 go? As we reflect back on this tumultuous year, many words come to mind. Transformation. Shadows. Reflection. Disaster.

Opportunity. Growth. From the intense political climate to the ongoing natural disasters shaking up our world and our perceptions. We are being forced to become more conscious. Conscious of our actions and their effects but also of our inactions. Humbled by the devastating climate disasters, we are forced to become more aware of our resources and how we treat our planet. In the world of luxury we are faced with new ways to be part of this shifting tide. Exploring luxury, we reflect on the FT Business of Luxury Summit which took place in Lisbon this year. From technology to digitized processes, brands are encouraged to explore new ways of remaining relevant in this mercurial market.

Our Christmas edition begins with our young cover star Ayesha Khan, a citizen of the world, who warms our hearts with her caring nature and ambitious drive. We look to the youth as the beacons of hope for a more compassionate future. Following after her grandfather, the late Mr. Abul Kasem Khan, Ayesha is an ambitious woman who hopes to bring memorable experiences through hospitality to the people of Bangladesh. In 2017, the Cannes Film Festival commemorated its 70th anniversary with Chopard celebrating 20 years of partnership with the world’s most glamorous film event. Feast your eyes on the beautiful red carpet creations that keep the film stars dazzling. Another visionary, Mr Roberto Coin, inspires us with his fine taste in design. An epicurean and a dreamer with a philanthropic heart reminding us of the mystical beauty of life. We then have Caroline von Krockow, our Ccercle regular in the art world, exploring the FIAC, the MoMA and not to be missed, the Château de Versailles. Be enchanted by the Venice and Paris Biennales, a frenetic summer of romance and culture for global art trotters.

Ivana Trump, the ex-wife of the current US president, speaks to Ccercle on raising children and becoming a successful woman in her own right. She talks to us about her newly published book, ‘Raising

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If you are looking for inspiration for your latest looks, be sure to read our Fashion Week stories, from New York to Milan, Paris to Dubai, we have all the style secrets covered. Indulge in reading about the British Motoring Summer as well as The Bridge at the Hamptons, fueling your love for vintage cars, cocktail dresses and champagne. We then invite you into the fantasy world of film, with festivals from Venice, Zurich, Rome and Deauville. Enjoy the great art of storytelling with glamorous company, located in some of the most beautiful cities Europe has to offer. La La Land is a dreamy place where icons are rising and falling, in this edition we look at the lavish legacy left behind by Hugh Hefner on South Mapleton Drive.

Pack your bags and get those outfits ready, it is time to travel to the hottest Destinations. If it's bikinis and summer you are looking for - we suggest Cabo San Lucas. If it’s fur coats and winter - why not explore the slopes of St Moritz? Ksenia Mezentseva enlightens us to Russia’s charming resort destination, Sochi, where Tsar Nicholas II once ventured for hunting trips. For the epitome of luxury, Al Habtoor City is a modern metropolis with iconic landmarks and some of the finest hotels to enjoy. Dubai is also becoming a highly sought after destination in the polo world with the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series attracting VIPs, society figures, royals and corporate executives from around the world.

And finally, what better way to find luxurious taste than at a polo match?

The Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo brought all the biggest names in the sport of polo to one of the most prestigious challenges of the season.

We won't spoil anymore surprises and so we invite you to take your time in paging through our magazine, enjoying the physical luxury of a print magazine because here at Ccercle we still acknowledge the enjoyment of touch and glossy pages.

Take care of yourself this Christmas season, love those around you and remain optimistic as we witness some things change and others remain faithfully the same,

Gabriele Salvadori Founder & Editor-in-Chief

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M Y FAVOU R I T E T H I NG S I N L I F E | A Y E S H A K H A N

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J E W E L L E R Y | C H O PA R D & T H E C A N N E S F I L M F E S T I VA L

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A R T F O C U S | FI AC, M O M A , C H AT E AU D E V ERSA I L L E

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C I N E M A | VEN I C E, ZU RI C H, D E AU VI L L E

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For advertising please contact: Nadya.Arsekina@ccercle.com | +44(0) 7985 342246 Publisher Ccercle Ltd ® 5 Vigo Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3HB, UK Ccercle 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 - Ccercle Ltd ®. All right reserved.

Print: Petrilli Group S.r.l - Italy Print run: 20.000 copies Follow us on Twitter @Ccercle, Instagram @CCcercle & Facebook

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WWW.richardcollection.co.zw

“It is with great pleasure that we present to you, the Richard Collection Fine Jewellery Boutiques, privately owned and managed establishments synonymous with custom made fine jewellery and representation of a chosen selection of Luxury Brands.

Attention to detail and service is paid to each and every item and client by Richard, who has been in the jewellery industry for more than 37 years and Ivana, his wife, Nicolas and Olivier her sons, the Directors of The Company. All of whom pride themselves with integrity, efficiency and excellent productivity.�

5th Generation Family Jewellers

ECONOMICS

FT Business of Luxury Lisbon, May 2017 Material World: Craftsmanship, Manufacture & the New Markets

By Gemy Kim

H

ow is the world of luxury evolving? This is a question the FT Business of Luxury Summit tries to answer every year and this year’s theme was “The Material World: Craftsmanship, Manufacturing and the New Markets”, taking place in Lisbon this past May. The themes covered at the conference are relevant in today’s luxury landscape, which is going through many changes that are reshaping the business models of its players. The effect of the internet as a new channel of communication and retail, the emergence of strong new markets and the change in consumer behavior were topics that all companies in the summit had to take into account for their manufacturing and marketing strategies in the immediate and long term future.

Brands use different strategies to communicate their story. There are brands that concentrate on anticipating the fashion taste of the consumer or hiring the most creative talent to translate the spirit of the company to the buyer. An example has been the revitalization of Gucci by its Kering Group managing director, Jean-Francois Palus, who in the last couple of years has become a trendsetter with the Gucci brand reaping the fruits of his labour. They have seen tremendous growth in sales this year, surpassing even YSL in the first half of the year. As Nicolas Ghesquiere, artistic director of Louis Vuitton women's collection, said - “Every designer is dreaming to create something that will be so fashionable that it will last forever.”

One of the problems the luxury market has to deal with is the use of the word ‘luxury’ itself. As Jonathan Anderson, creative director of his eponymous JW Anderson label, pointed out - “They sell luxury chips and luxury sausages in Tesco.” It has become a word so widely used it has lost its meaning and therefore has become the job of the brand to redefine it. Using storytelling and developing closer, emotional connections to your consumer is essential in communicating why a company's product deserves to be considered a luxury product. This is one of the pillars of the business of luxury. Without a story it is hard to differentiate between high-end goods and regular consumer goods.

To redefine luxury some brands concentrate on the artisanship of their products, which are often bespoke goods. By focusing on the artisanship of their products, brands add value to their merchandise by supporting the richness of their history. Cartier is an example of a brand whose story is rooted in their history and which plays an integral part of their mission. Cyrille Vigneron, CEO of Cartier, concentrates his efforts on explaining to the public that ‘Cartier is timeless’ and does not need to completely reinvent itself. Some of the world's favorite pieces have been designed decades and even a century ago, like the Tank, which was designed over 100 years ago. He relies on the heritage of Cartier and

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the nature of the products as jewellery and watches are timeless pieces in themselves. Sonraj, the custodian of the finest Swiss watch brands in Pakistan and who partnered as sponsor at this years summit, is another example of a luxury brand that is ensuring they are meeting the needs of the luxury market. By creating their bespoke and limitless editions they are paving the way to prestige and success.

Axel Dumas, CEO of Hermés, also focuses on craftsmanship, the same way his predecessors did. Hermés, a family company, does not supply the market when it wishes, but supplies it when the artisan is finished making the product. And although its product has a much shorter life than Cartier´s, its business model includes a waiting period of months (and sometimes years) for a client that has ordered a Hermés bag, making the wait part of the experience, increasing appreciation for the product.

The culture and values in Hermés have not changed since its inception and will stay the same: “craftsmanship combined with the finest materials to create beautiful products.” Hermés reinforces the culture by putting the artisan in the center of their story. Their craftsmen are in training for two years before they are allowed to make a bag. Axel Dumas does not forget the digital environment however, and uses it to create “a new narrative that can transform people's opinions.” Their social media presence, through Instagram and Facebook, is an important focus and they benefit greatly from fashion blogs and opinions on the web, constructing an image to support the story of their brand.

The internet and developments in the digital world have been a strong force and point of pressure in the market causing major changes in behavior and processes. Brands need to communicate digitally in an untraditional manner with a huge number of decentralized channels available. Blogs or influencers from Facebook and Instagram have taken on greater and greater significance and have become a marketing tool for those who have learnt to use it. Some digitalization of processes have

allowed for certain traditional components of the chain to be eliminated.

As Federico Marchetti, CEO of Yoox Net-a-Porter recounts, “when we started in the 90s, nobody really believed we could sell luxury goods online.” Today Yoox Net-a-Porter has been able to eliminate the brick and mortar store and has had a net revenue of €519 million in just the second quarter of this year. Marchetti believes luxury can be sold online and has been able to create a new channel for high-end brands.

As he explains, the new “shop” is constantly change at the customer’s hand, it´s the phone they carry, without restrictions or limitations on what to buy, from groceries to even a watch for €130,000 (which they sold in May).

This digital shopping experience is contrasted to the opposite trend where customers are becoming more aware of the shortfalls that come with buying online. When it comes to luxury and high-end products, such as watches or jewellery, there is an obvious benefit to shopping at the physical store, from negotiating discounts to vat and of course the personal experience of trying the product on. This is why we will continue to have new physical stores popping up around the world with tailored customer experiences. For Marchetti, he needs to, with technology, handle the “oxymoron of using the highest technology (including artificial intelligence to analyze the customer’s data) to give the most personalized service.” But Yoox Net-a-Porter does not eradicate the human touch because they believe that “human nature is stronger than technology” and in order to create a more personal story it has a team of personal shoppers armed with the artificial intelligence data to give a personal service to its customers.

Whilst Yoox Net-a-Porter may have turned the luxury goods industry onto digital, companies such as Goop are going against the trend and are in fact turning to print. By extending their digital operation to the physical realm, Goop Wellness brand in collaboration with Conde Nast, are returning to the ‘luxury’ of print magazine. As glossy

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ECONOMICS

magazines turn to digital, there is a desire to return to the traditional, to a print magazine that is seen as something unique and appreciated. Goop magazine will be designed as a collectible edition, acknowledging the power and enjoyment of touch for their customers.

Marcia Kilgore, founder of her new venture Beauty Pie, has created a concept for customers to buy their skincare and makeup at factory cost, cutting the traditional steps in the chain such as the marketing, distribution, extra warehousing and packaging costs.

Kilgore believes she makes the market “fairer” for people, especially women, so they can afford good skin care at a more reasonable price. Her shop is online and the benefits of its pricing strategy targets Beauty Pie members, who shop at a fraction of the regular price by paying a monthly or yearly membership fee.

In manufacturing the evolution is everchanging, with a particular focus on materials that are environmentally friendly and are made from sustainable components. As Miroslava Duma, founder of Fashion Tech Lab, explained - “We have a very real need to come up with ecological goods, especially since the fashion industry is the second largest waste contributor, after the oil industry, in

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the world.” Fashion Tech Lab is a point of union for the Fashion world to get in touch with Tech labs and financiers from around the world. Bentley is also trying to cater to those who want to have a smaller footprint. Design Director, Stefan Sielaff spoke about creating the vegan Bentley, which uses laboratory made synthetic leather that feels like the highest quality hide.

Another key element of the luxury world is bespoke products. They include, as part of the enjoyment of their merchandise, a custommade category. From diamond paint for a McLaren car to bespoke suits and dresses or to a uniquely designed jewellery piece. Custom made from a craftsman has become a key element in many of these products and part of the renewed definition of luxury. Asia was another recurring theme of the conference, as it is slowly becoming an ever-bigger portion of luxury sales. Brands are having to adapt to a whole new market with a different consumer culture that is constantly evolving. Adapting to the Asian taste and the concept they have of a luxury service has been part of the strategy of most major houses.

Because of these forces of change in the luxury market, there is always the possibility to make new alliances amongst players.

Financiers, Francesco Trapani - former CEO of Bulgari and now Executive Vice President of Tages Holding; Luigi de Vecchi - Chairman, Corporate and Investment Banking in continental Europe for Citi and Daniel Piette - Chairman of First Founders, agreed that there are many opportunities in the market to merge companies. One of the biggest challenges however is how to give a tangible value to the internet and its effect on revenue. There is consolidation in the market due to the digital impact because it creates an instantaneous global presence but it is costly and fast moving and therefore the brands with the most available resources tend to be the ones benefiting most from these advancements.

The developments and trends in the luxury market create new spaces whilst also destroying old spaces. Companies are able to either grow into these new areas or they find themselves contracting. It has been a very interesting summit with brands discussing the different ways luxury companies have seen their strategies adapt and react to these changes. Whether it is by communicating, delivering a new experience or by simply holding on to their core values that stand the test of time they all have had to work in the new world of luxury.

P E K JIAMA

W I NNER O F TH E TO P I CAL STYLE AWARDS 2017, M OSCOW, I N TH E CATEG O RY « B E ST S P O RT S WATC H »

PATRAVI S C U BATEC C H RO N O M ET ER

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H EL I U M VALV E

MY FAVOURITE THINGS IN LIFE

Ayesha Khan From Le Rosey to Boston and L.A., Ayesha is an aspiring hotelier completing her Masters at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne.

Cover photo: Earrings: Chopard “Green Carpet Collection” 18k white gold earrings with diamonds Watch: Chopard “Precious Collection” 18k white gold diamond watch Ring: Chopard "Precious Collection" 18k white gold with diamonds Dress: Thierry Mugler Photography: Jean-Daniel Lorieux Paris

Right page: Necklace: Chopard “High Jewellery Collection” 18k white gold necklace set with oval diamond (15.11Cts) and rose cut diamond 48, 71 ct.

Earrings: Chopard 18k white gold earrings Bracelet: Chopard 18k white gold bracelet Ring: Chopard white gold ring with pear-shaped 17.87 diamond 12 | Issue N14

“10 years ago my father and sister rescued a monkey who was too weak to be in the wild and I ended up taking care of our monkey, Modhu.”

Bracelet: Chopard “Queen of Kalahari Collection” cuff bracelet adorned with two emerald-cut diamonds Pendants: Chopard set with 25-carat pear-shaped gems on one side and with a 26-carat heart-shaped and pear-shaped diamonds on the other side

My Upbringing

I

was born in Orlando Florida, bred in Bangladesh, and am currently based between a few countries in the USA, Europe and Asia. I consider myself very lucky to have had an incredible childhood. Most of my childhood was in Chittagong Bangladesh.

We lived in a compound amongst the Batali Hills. Batali housed my home and homes of my uncle’s and aunts from my paternal side.

Thus, I was constantly surrounded by my cousins. I remember having massive water fights with my cousins, my aunt used to throw amazing birthday parties for us, I used to play with many of the children of the staff who I still keep in touch with today. My parents had exotic animals such a falcons, peacocks and deers roaming around the compound which turned me into an animal lover. Ten years ago my father and sister rescued a monkey who was too weak to be in the wild and I ended up taking care of our monkey, Modhu. Today

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Modhu has become my best friend and a big part of my life. Apart from being surrounded by family, friends and lots of animals, one of the biggest pillars in my upbringing would definitely be my late nanny, Mustafa Didi, who raised me for 21 years.

My Family, My Roots I am the youngest granddaughter of the late Mr. Abul Kasem Khan, best known as A.K. Khan who was a Bangladeshi Lawyer, Industrialist and Politician. He is the founder of one of Bangladesh’s oldest and leading conglomerates, A.K. Khan and Company.

My father, A.K. Shamsuddin Khan, along with his siblings, spearhead the company today.

My father is an industrialist and businessman, he taught me to always stay connected to my roots and to always be humble. My mother, Fawzia Khan, could be best described as a superwoman. Apart from raising me and my

sisters, she is very much into Interior Design, designing all of our spaces in Bangladesh, LA and London. She is an avid golfer and traveler as well. I have two older sisters Samanzar and Sherfehnaz who are currently working for A.K.Khan & company and AKS Khan Company. I wish to join my sisters within the next year to help grow our family business and increase our company’s portfolio.

Global Citizen I left Bangladesh when I was 14. In 2007 I attended Institut Le Rosey, Switzerland’s renowned boarding school, after which I moved to the United States. I lived in Boston during my university years after which I moved to Los Angeles. Currently I am in Switzerland doing a master’s program. As for now, I do not have a base as I move continents every three months. After this Christmas I will be in Hong Kong, followed by Koh Samui and Houston.

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“Some of my favorites would include Keith Haring and Jeff Koons, but Jean-Michel Basquiat holds a special place in my heart.

I find his work to be very bold.”

Childhood Memories That Shaped Me There are many instances in my childhood that played a pivotal role in shaping me to be who I am today. As mentioned previously, constantly being surrounded by animals made me a big animal lover and taught me to be compassionate towards every living being. Constantly being surrounded by elders taught me to always be respectful. My parents never really made me realize how lucky I was to have everything they have given me, I always thought I was just like everyone else and everyone is equal, this taught me to always be friendly towards everyone and never feel entitled to anything. I believe this is one of the main reasons why today, I have friends from all walks of life who teach me so much and add value to my life. Thanks to my sisters, I learned not to be selfish and to always share. I used to wear all my sister’s hand me downs and I still continue to raid their closet every once in a while! I truly could not have asked for a better childhood, I take great pride to be brought up in the Hills of Chittagong and being a Bangladeshi. Because of what Bangladesh has given me in my early years, I feel I must one day go back to Bangladesh and give back to my country, to the people and do it for my Family.

Career Aspirations And Goals For The Future I attended Institut Le Rosey, a Swiss boarding school during my high school years. Upon graduating, I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and minored in International Affairs in Northeastern University.

During my time in Northeastern University, I also worked at Harvard Medical School’s Office of Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership. I was the program coordinator for their Reflection in Action (RIA) program. RIA supported Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program that encourages inner city school children to live healthy and maintain an active lifestyle. After graduation, I slowly began to realize that I was a people’s person with an altruistic personality. I gained happiness in making others happy. When my friends would come over, I would always make sure they were comfortable, that they had everything that they needed. It was then when I realized that hospitality was my calling. I knew I wanted to give people memorable experiences and thus Hotel Management was the right path for me. I then moved to Los Angeles where I worked at Montage Beverly Hills for two and a half years. I decided I wanted to do my masters in Hospitality. I am currently

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doing a Master of Science in Global Hospitality Business at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland. Upon graduation I wish to go back home to Bangladesh and work in the hospitality and tourism industry. Our seaside Cox’s Bazaar has the longest natural beach in the world. Cox’s Bazaar is truly beautiful and there is a lot of potential for our hospitality industry to thrive. It will be a shame if our people are not able to fully enjoy the seaside of our country. Hence I would like to cater to the mass and open economy hotels and resorts in the sea side of our country and hopefully give our people memorable experiences.

Favourite Hotels I was very fortunate to have worked at an incredible property in Beverly Hills called The Montage Beverly Hills.

I worked in various different departments, starting from Retail, Administrative assistant in the Executive Office, Food and Beverage, Human Resources, Accounting and many more. I ultimately won Montage Masters which was equivalent to being awarded as best employee. This further validated my urge to continue my career in Hospitality. Soon I will also be interning at a property in Koh Samui (unfortunately my NDA agreement does not allow me to name the hotel company). Ultimately in the future instead of working at a hotel, I would love to build/acquire my own hotel or possibly even bring a hospitality franchise to Bangladesh.

Favourite Things To Do I love music. It is my release and escape.

I love discovering new artists, going to concerts, lately I have also been into Ballet. I enjoy everything from Grand Moscow State Classical Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Natalya Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov to a night out attending a Nicolas Jaar concert. When I am home I enjoy spending time with my Monkey and my dogs, trying to understand animal behavior. Singing and skiing can be added to the list as well. I was trained in Bengali Classical singing from a very early age, followed by signing in the choir and chamber choir of our school. Skiing is my favorite sport, I love taking on the slopes and enjoying mountainous views of the world.

I love to paint as well. I used to be an advanced level art student during my high school years and I still continue to paint today in my leisure time. I personally love working with acrylics and mixing them with different textures such as gold leaf.

Earrings: Chopard set of 18k white gold earrings Bracelet: Chopard set with diamonds and pink diamonds Watch: Chopard "Precious Collection" 18k rose gold watch set with diamonds

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Art

Chocolate ice-cream. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Movenpick Icecream. I grew up on that chocolate ice cream and I have a very strong feeling I will grow old eating it!

Art, the only thing that is either meant to make you feel super uncomfortable when you look at it, or makes you fall in love with it at first sight.

Art to me speaks louder than words. My father is a big art collector back home and when I was a child I couldn't understand why he kept such crazy paintings in the house, but after growing up I can truly appreciate his taste in art. We have pieces of a very famous Bengali artist called Shahabuddin Ahmed, his work mimics stark realism and I find him to be an icon in the art world. Being a 90’s child I truly love contemporary art. Some of my favorites would include Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, but Jean-Michel Basquiat holds a special place in my heart. I find his work to be very bold.

Contribution To Society In life I truly believe that you have to do what is right for you. Ultimately, life goes on and time is running out. One deserves to live life to the fullest. Sadly not all of us have the opportunity or the means to enjoy life to the fullest.

Coming from Bangladesh, I see with my own eyes the unfairness of life. Some people don’t have adequate food or shelter. Therefore it is imperative that we first help those who are in need. Our purpose should be to enjoy life to the fullest only knowing that we have also done our part in making other people’s lives better and continue to do so. Love and Happiness are meant to be shared. Our family recently donated to shelter the Rohingyas who have fled Burma and are currently seeking refuge in Bangladesh. We also support the Leonardo Dicaprio foundation in saving the planet and conserving the wild. This is a cause I am truly passionate about. I want to be the voice for the animals who are being exploited by us humans in the world. I always dreamt to have my own private island where I would be able to conserve all the endangered species in the world! Although it sounds far-fetched I am constantly aspiring to work towards a better planet for the wild.

Holiday Destinations I would be lying if I could name just one place as my favorite holiday destination. Every city has its own charm and magic. The ancient city of Bagan where Buddhist holy monuments tower over green plains will bring you a great sense of peace and make you feel like an eternal being. It will give you a different feeling from when you are boating in St. Tropez or Mykonos in the summer attending private parties and dinners. Visiting different destinations will only help you explore different parts of yourself. I truly love the world and travelling everywhere.

I cannot say a few places are my favorite as all these places make me feel a certain way and bring a different kind of joy.

Fashion Style Style is so personal and I tend to go through phases. My style changes according to my mood, however a common factor would be staying modest and elegant. Less is always more for me! I also love the Thiery Mugler dresses.

His designs are bold and creative allowing women to walk proudly and powerfully. I adore wearing clothes that make me feel feminine and pretty. A lot of florals, soft colors and pastels tend to win me over. However, at the same time, nothing will ever top the beauty of wearing black. For my skincare ritual I like products that are both natural and made by earth minerals such as Clarins. Caring for my skin is important to me and I ensure to use the best quality products My Passion I am very passionate about animal rights.

I am currently donating and petitioning against Yulin Festival, I also donated to an Orangutan conservation foundation for an orangutan named Gito. Gito was found brunt

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as a baby and he lost his mother in a forest fire.

I contributed towards Gito’s recovery process so that one day he will be strong enough to be released back into the wild. In the future I wish to donate my earnings and proceeds towards animal rights. I still feel not enough is being done for the divine beings that we share this planet with.

Food!

Food is the ultimate joy of life! Having tried almost all the cuisines, I am still partial towards Bangladeshi / Indian cuisine because of the sheer variety it has. Different parts of the subcontinent have different dishes and therein lies the beauty of the cuisine. In general I do love Asian food and I prefer it to European food. I love spices and herbs, they can make anything taste delicious and makes you crave more of it. In addition it has a lot of health benefits. This is not to say I do not like European cuisine. Some of my favourite dishes include, Pad Kra Pao, Chicken Vindaloo, our homemade recipe of Batali Chicken, Gratin Dauphinoise, etc. My ultimate weakness however would be Movenpick Swiss

My Inspiration There are tons of people to admire and look up to because of their achievements and bravery. All the powerful women that exist in the world, which may or may not be as famous as all the celebrities, deserve as much respect for all the work they have done. Women such as Rosa Parks, Michelle Obama, Diana Nyad are such an inspiration. However, women like my late nanny who truly loved me and took care of me as her own child, showed me what unconditional love is. As cliché as this sounds I truly do look up to my mother.

Not only because of her achievements but because of her heart. She has a heart of gold and embodies the epitome of a good human being. She taught me to live life to the fullest and not be afraid to live your true self. I believe there is no greater lesson than that because she is constantly teaching me to never have any regrets. Achieving ultimate happiness would be to look back at life and realize you have done everything you wanted to and there is nothing you would do differently. My mother is a living example of that and I respect her so much for it.

JEWELLERY

Chopard & The Cannes Film Festival Celebrating twenty years of partnership

The Cannes Film Festival marks its 70th anniversary with Chopard celebrating 20 years of partnership with the world’s most glamorous film event. From the Red Carpet colourful creations to the Chopard SPACE soirée, this is a partnership that continues to dazzle and impress.

T

o commemorate this double anniversary, the Swiss jeweller created an exceptional Palme d’Or with a cloud of diamonds adorning the precious Fairmined gold leaf motif. Chopard is expressing its deepfelt attachment to the Festival, while reaffirming its commitment to sustainable luxury. Redesigned by Caroline Scheufele in 1998 at the request of Pierre Viot, then President of the event, the newly interpreted trophy marked the start of a partnership that has been consistently reinforced over the years.

Since 2014, the Palme has been made from ethical gold certified Fairmined, affirming their determination to work towards a civicallyminded form of luxury, respectful of people and the environment. Like stardust, diamonds sourced from a supplier certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) sparkle on the iconic leaves. Designed in Chopard’s Geneva jewellery ateliers in 1998, the precious palm is every inch a High Jewellery creation. Made of 118 grams of 18-carat yellow ethical gold certified Fairmined, the Palme rests on a rock crystal cushion shaped like an emerald-cut diamond. This ultimate detail renders the

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trophy truly unique, since nature never yields two identical rock crystals.

It takes the five artisans of the Geneva-based House no less than 40 hours of work to hand-craft the most coveted gem of the Festival.

Red Carpet 2017 Collection, Colourful Creations The Red Carpet Collection unveiled each year at the Cannes Film Festival provides Chopard with a recurring opportunity to push beyond the limits of its art while expressing boundless creativity. This year, the Geneva-based Maison dazzled onlookers with its daring and vividly coloured creations that glistened on the famous red carpet. The Red Carpet Collection is a result of the special partnership between Chopard and Cannes, intended to adorn stars for their red carpet appearances.

Cleverly blending ancestral skills and cutting-edge techniques, they take shape through a fascinating synergy between the various talents exercised within the House. This May, at the 70th anniversary, no less than 70 creations inspired by women were unveiled.

Caroline Scheufele presenting the Palme d'Or

Araya Hargate

Sara Sampaio

Charlize Theron

Eva Herzigova

Rihanna on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival

Diane Kruger in Chopard with Best Actress Award

Will Smith and Caroline Scheufele

Caroline Scheufele’s dreamed up creations, with vivid colours, earrings and bracelets, were yet again the red carpet favourites, discreetly or distinctively accentuating a slender neck or a dainty wrist. The Collection offers modern and audacious interpretations, whether in terms of design or materials. Chandelier earrings, or round and supple models forming carpets of multicoloured fine gemstones, matched by broad cuff bracelets made of titanium featuring richly brocaded arabesque motifs. Rings adorned with coloured stones of all cuts and majestic necklaces round off this kaleidoscope ensuring a stunning celebration of 20 exceptional years shared by the world’s most prestigious film festival and the Maison Chopard.

Chopard SPACE Soirée Each year, the Chopard soirée is one of the hottest tickets during the Cannes fortnight. Amid a supercharged atmosphere at Port Pierre Canto, Bruno Mars electrified the 600 or so guests, including superstar Rihanna, who attended the SPACE evening event. Chopard invited its guests such as Julianne Moore, Will Smith, Isabelle Huppert, Eva Herzigova,

Rossy de Palma, Kendall Jenner, Sara Sampaio, Tina Kunakey, Phoebe Dahl, Bella Hadid, Thylane Blondeau, Latifa Arfaoui and many more for the Festival’s most eagerly anticipated soirée. Chopard co-president Caroline Scheufele said on this occasion: “The Cannes Festival is a must for Chopard. Each year, I seek to dazzle my guests by offering them an original and unforgettable evening.”

During the course of the dinner, served in a space shuttle, fashion models paraded past, adorned in the latest Red Carpet creations from Chopard and wearing clothes by Elie Saab, before being joined for the grand finale by supermodels Arizona Muse, Winnie Harlow, Isabeli Fontana and Petra Nemcova. The highlight of the evening was the unique moment that Bruno Mars set the Chopard SPACE evening on fire by singing Treasure, That’s what I like, Chunky and Locked out of Heaven. Pop superstar Rihanna, adorned in creations from the Rihanna Chopard collection, graced the soirée with her presence. The pumped-up party continued right through the night. Roederer and Grey Goose, who had created a cocktail specially for the occasion named “The Queen of the Galaxy”, joined Chopard in ensuring that this SPACE evening entirely lived up to its expectations.

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MY VISION OF LIFE

Roberto Coin A man with ambition and drive, a man with a heart. Roberto Coin’s greatness is rooted in his commitment to social responsibility that characterizes his personal life and his brand. An epicurean who refuses to conform, remaining enchanted by the mysteries and wonders of life.

Philanthropist

W

hen I was still working in my hotel in England, I received a precious lesson by one of the most memorable clients I hosted.

The client was Earl Mountbatten who once told me that, a great man, must have a great memory to be able to remind himself that he has a heart. This lesson changed my life, it has been the starting point of my commitment in the social responsibility field that has characterized both my personal life and my brand over the years. Today I am on the Board of Directors of the World Diamond Council that – together with the United Nations – founded the Kimberly Process. Every diamond used in my brands creations is certified with

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the conflict free origin. Besides diamonds, I am committed to keeping any gold furnished by producers who are suspected of human rights violations out of the supply chain. I had the chance to speak In Shanghai at the UN pavilion about responsible luxury as the desirable future of the jewellery industry as well as in many other occasions that have all given me immense gratitude and recognition, both professionally and personally.

Career I used to say that I am a businessman who fell in love with creativity and not a creative man

who become a businessman. I used to work in the hospitality business at the beginning of my career. I worked in Italy, France, Switzerland and England where in 1968 I opened the Duke of Richmond Hotel. At 34 years at the peak of my career, I decided to change my life completely and follow what was my dream since the beginning: working with my creativity. The most iconic expression of fashion and beauty to me was Jewellery and that is why I decided to take this direction instead of fashion or interior design. I took a big risk, starting a new adventure in a field in which I had no knowledge but only a strong instinct to create jewels like works of art. Today I can say that my bravery at 34 made my dream become my current reality.

MY VISION OF LIFE

“I have more hobbies than spare time. That is why my family considers me a hyperactive person, always busy in reading, gardening and discovery. ”

Epicurean I have more hobbies than spare time. That is why my family considers me a hyperactive person, always busy in reading, gardening and discovery. My hobbies make me feel alive and they nourish my creative vein. But I have to say that, after many years spent travelling around the world, hosting a few good friends with good wine and good food has become my favourite and most exotic party time.

Nonconformist From the first steps that I took in the world of Jewellery, I�ve always wanted the Roberto Coin brand to be an eccentric entity, born in an unusual way and definitely unlike anyone else. As a matter of fact, it was already clear to me in 1996, when I launched the brand, that

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it would represent diversity, and I knew that it was exactly this diversity that would become the fundamental characteristic of its identity.

I create more than 500 new models every year aimed to beat globalization and give women the opportunity to find a different jewel, able to enhance their uniqueness. I used to say that being different is an art, as you need a certain artistic consciousness to cultivate your unique identity.

Dreamer Driven by my passion for history and mythology I found and resonate with three very special stories. Three tales that mixed reality and imagination, as is the nature of every true legend, and led me to a fundamental choice for my future. The first legend belongs to the world of ancient Egypt. The Pharaohs believed that

the ruby was a sort of talisman capable of, if kept in contact with the skin, guaranteed love, joy and everlasting health. The second legend narrates the tale of Burmese warriors who wore the ruby for protection on the battlefield.

And lastly, the third legend comes from an old Hindu myth in which rubies were considered to be the precious fruits of the sacred Kalpa tree – the tree of hopes and desires.

In 1996, for the first time I signed all the pieces of my Appassionata collection with a small ruby casted inside. The idea to set the stone in the internal side of my jewels, allowing the direct contact with the skin, appeared to me as a magical message of good wish to women. Over the year this hidden ruby, which is the most invisible signature ever chosen by a brand, has become famous worldwide giving me one of my favourite nicknames: the collector of rubies.

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

ART FOCUS

FIAC, the MoMA in Paris and no to be missed,

Chateau de Versailles

By Caroline von Krockow

photo: Owenscorp

T

he 44th edition of FIAC, which took place from the 19th to the 22nd of October, attracted countless visitors to the city of lights and Jennifer Flay, the director, did a marvellous job once again!

The art world has been changing a lot since I wrote about the FIAC for Ccercle Magazine last year. Hong Kong, Dubai, Beirut, Vienna and Cologne all host art fairs that have been growing rapidly with local contemporary art fairs popping up all over the world. I still believe, however, that FIAC in Paris - even compared to Frieze, Art Basel and Art Basel Miami - is still the best and the following article will tell you why.

We are in Paris, which is an art piece in itself. The fair is not in a purpose built hall, but in the 1900 Belle Époque building, the Grand Palais and the city transforms into an open-air museum. During the FIAC there is exceptional art in the Petit Palais, Hors des Murs, in all museums of the city and in the Chateau de Versailles.

The sun accompanied the FIAC this year and the 193 galleries from 30 countries could set up their stands with rays of light entering the glass roof. I could hear jokes about being on holidays as I strolled through the aisles on Wednesday morning. Some of the most exquisite pieces this year were to be found at Thaddeus Ropacs stand. Georg

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Baselitz Trauerseeschwalbe, 1972 is his first finger painting and upside down composition. The image of the bird, historically charged, also reminds us of his experience as an animal photographer during his youth. There is also Brahmanda by Wolfgang Laib, Yan PeiMings Déjeuner sur lherbe and Imi Knoebels Schnitt.

At Tornabouni Art Günther Ückers Riss III, a horizontal rectangular nail composition in the form of a tree is a must have.

Then the red Lucio Fontana Concetto spaziale, 1965 mesmerized me. Mikayel Ohanjanyans Materialita dellinvisible square marble piece was equally exceptional.

Kamel Menours Christodoulus Panayiotous pulp painting made of bills with the soft colors would look great in a house in Mykonos.

Daniel Buren, Camille Henrot and Baldessaris image of a man thinking with the lamp next to him was inspiring.

More edgy was my experience at the Paris Internationale. Never before had I looked at art in five floors of a parking lot. “Too much of nothing” a solo show by Robert Brambora, is where I discovered two very cool lamp shades. The nomad gallery continues their show during the FIAC in the gorgeous Hotel Particulier on 28, rue de Bourgogne.

artists, which added their creations amongst the perfectly trimmed greenery and fountains. Among them are Tomás Saraceno, who takes inspiration from spiders webs to create floating utopian architecture, Sheila Hicks inspired by weaving techniques and Ugo Rondinone who says that “Nature is my religion and best friend.”

Ultimately, there is nothing better than sipping cold champagne in the Queens Garden, transformed by fashion designer Rick Owens.

He describes his work as “the meeting between Frankenstein and Greta Garbo falling in love in an S&M bar.” As part of the Voyage d'Hiver he has clothed the statues in a white veil, revealing more than concealing. Four presents are their presence in front of us.

The End of the Day

By Charles Baudelaire In all its raucous impudence Life writhes, cavorts in pallid light, With little cause or consequence; And when, with darkling skies, the night Casts over all its sensuous balm, Quells hunger's pangs and, in like wise, Quells shame beneath its pall of calm, "Aha, at last!" the Poet sighs.

"My mind, my bones, yearn, clamoring For sweet repose unburdening.

Heart full of dire, funeral thought, Do not miss Être Moderne: Le MoMA à Paris, which is a remarkable exhibition in the LVMH foundation a taxi ride away in the Bois de Boulogne. Go for a walk in the woods before you take in the very American art. Amongst the pieces are Andy Warhols hand-painted, not-quite-identikit, 32-canvas “Campbells Soup Cans” (1962) and Felix González-Torress Aids memorial “Untitled (USA Today)” from 1990. Many of these works have not yet come to Paris before.

Overwhelmingly US is Yayoi Kusamas chair overlaid with fabric phallic shapes “Accumulation No 1”, made in the US in 1962 and Romare Beardens collage “Patchwork Quilt” (1970), the first darkskinned reclining nude to enter MoMAs collection. There follows, among many others, Lynn Hershman Leesons videos exploring gender and performance through the alter ego of a blonde divorcee (“Lynn Turning Herself into Roberta”, 1974) and Barbara Krugers feminist collages of found images and text. David Hammons “African-American Flag” (1990) and Sherrie Levines black glass “Black Newborn” (1994) are also interesting. My personal favorite Cindy Sherman gets a room of her own for an overview of “Untitled Film Stills” (1977-80), her deconstruction of our media-saturated identity. The exhibition is a brutal expression of American power and certainly worth a visit.

I will lie out; your folds will cling About me: veils of shadow wrought, O darkness, cool and comforting!"

Saturday, the 21st of October is not a time to be sad that the FIAC is almost over, instead throw on a lavish gown and jump into a limousine to Versailles. The reason for the party is that Palais de Tokyo was invited to create Voyage dHiver in collaboration with Alfred Pacquement, the curator of contemporary art at the Chateau de Versailles. The poetic gardens have just been embellished and ruffled by 17 contemporary

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ART E VENT

Biennales Paris-Venice

By Andreea Belba

A frenetic September in shades of yellow and titian heralded Paris and Venice Biennales, romantic and cultural destinations for worldwide art-lovers avid of artistic beauty.

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he Paris Biennale, a pinnacle of the “Art de vivre à la française”, went through a complete metamorphosis in terms of name, president, and momentum, meeting the expectations of the most exigent collectors with its dynamic and radiant configuration.

Morphing into an evanescent and elegant venue of fine arts, antique furniture, sculptures and jewellery the biennale mesmerized the audience with a surplus of novelty ingrained by its three identical sidewalks reflecting impartiality and plasticity. From 11 to 17 September 2017, the Grand Palais hosted 95 galleries with 36 international exhibitors with Barbier-Mueller and Giada Ripa exhibitions as special guests. The two-yearly biennale acted as an art promoter that disclosed the mundane reality by limiting the artists exclusiveness and rejecting formal rigors.

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Among the most notable galleries were Hélène Bailly Gallery featuring Pablo Picasso's “Anthropomorphic Landscape”, Chevalier Gallery with gold woven tapestries, Kevorkian Gallery remarkable for its ancient marble female statuette, Delvaille Gallery showing the impressionistic painting “Le Vaudreuil en été”, Mullany or Sycomore Ancient Art with bronze or marble beauties.

If Boghossian, Bernard Bouisset and Pautot-Sugères exposed jewellery, galleries like Aktis, Opera, Pedro Aguiar Branco, Ary Jan, Bacquart, Perrin Antiquaires, Boon, Fleury, Whitford Fine Art, Robilant & Voena etc. opened up new perspectives.

Pablo Picasso's exhibit was one of the most ravishing on sale at Hélène Bailly Gallery.

Created in 1963, the piece showing the

hidden portrait of a man was unique in the painters production. Alternatively, Kevorkian Gallery showcased a 13 cm-high alabaster statuette from Anatolia, an effigy of a protective “goddess mother” indicative of fertility that probably belonged to the 4th-5th millennium B.C. The prodigious collection Barbier-Mueller exhibited on 220 m² more than 130 art objects collected from generation to generation since the beginning of the 20th century when Josef Mueller started purchasing works signed by Picasso, Cézanne and Hodler. It was the most impressive collection of African, Asian and Oceanic art objects valorized by “Les Collections Barbier-Mueller, 110 ans de passion,” a book published by Editions Glénat. Echoing this spirit of renewal, the

Barbier-Mueller exhibition was displayed in two large rooms located at each end of the Nave to encourage circulation throughout the space.

Another synergetic initiative was the partnership between Paris Biennale and Chantilly Arts and Elegance Richard Mille.

By displaying historical car collections, haute couture creations, automobile clubs and the French Art of Living, the two events shared common values and the same public.

The Downtown gallery paid homage to the art of Le Corbusier whose particular scenography defined a polychrome wood sculpture entitled Ozon Opus I, after the village where the artist had taken refuge in 1940. Concurrently, Gallery Art CuellarNathan exhibited a marvelous watercolour piece entitled “Explosion”, evaluated at Euros 800,000.

Still hypnotized by the glittering mirage of the fabulous Paris Biennale and craving for another artistic escapade, visitors continued their periplus to Venice, a unique and vibrant must-attend place full of inspiration, nostalgia and time value.

T

he Venice Biennale “Viva Arte Viva” unveils as the largest contemporary art show that paints new colour shades upon a city that is looking forward to the future.

Opened in November 2017 in the Arsenale,

the Giardini and the city center, the Biennale with 120 participants from 51 countries out of which Antigua and Barbuda, Kiribati, and Nigeria are newcomers attracts visitors from five continents.

The exhibition seems an introversive journey in an extroversive space conveying positive

transience and repetition. “Viva Arte Viva” is a fervent overreaction for art and artists state “designed with artists, by artists and for artists,” as curator Christine Macel states.

The Venice Biennale is also special for its weekly “Open Table” where artists share impressions with visitors, for the project “Unpacking My Library” that enables the artists to create a list of their preferred books, and for “Educational activities” dedicated to students in schools or universities or to professionals in various fields of activity.

Moreover, The Venice Biennale partnered with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London on the Pavilion of Applied Arts, and Swatch getting support from many sponsors: Artemide, JTI (Japan Tobacco International), Vela-Venezia Unica, Bloomberg Philanthropies, COIMA, i-AMFoundation and Trenitalia Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.

energy through its nine trans-pavilions conceived as chapters of the same book.

The digressive story that reflects the worlds intricacies starts with the “Pavilion of Artists and Books” and ends up with the “Pavilion of Time and Infinity”, a reflect upon

As for prizes, Germany was awarded the Golden Lion for the Best National Participation for an inventive installation that formulated crucial questions about our time provoking visitors discomfort. The amazing installation by Anne Imhof called “Faust” was the quintessence of an absolute work of art with graceful performance in a spectacular setting: fierce Dobermans behind a metal fence, glass platform and walls hid the

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feeling of alienation rotting our contemporary society. Brazil got a special mention as National Participation for an installation that created a mysterious insecure space. Franz Erhard Walther was awarded the Golden Lion for the Best Artist of “Viva Arte Viva Exhibition,” whose work combined shapes, colours, fabrics, and performances. The Silver Lion for a Promising Young Artist was conferred to Hassan Kahn whose work established an intricate and profound relationship with the audience. Two Special Mentions were awarded to Charles Atlas, for two splendid videos that connected natural and artificial beauty to words, and Petrit Halilaj whose interventions in the structure of the Arsenale and Central Pavilion linked the history of Kosovo to childhood memories.

“Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable Damien Hirst” is an exquisite solo exhibition consecrated to the artist that reflects belief and truth about an imaginary past. Covering a surface of 5,000 m2, it tells the story of the Unbelievable, an ancient vessel that shipwrecked 2,000 years ago. What remained of the wreck was the amazing collection of Aulus Calidius Amotan devoted to a temple of the sun that

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Hirst showcased in two venues: marble, gold and bronze, crystal, jade and malachite artifacts but also heroes, gods, beasts, and mythic figures brought to the surface from the Indian Ocean.

The South Korea’s Pavilion gives a deep insight into the concept of modern national identity inspired by Cody Chois and Lee Wans works that investigate the friction between its changing identity and the growing influence of the West. Their exhibition “Counterbalance: The Stone and the Mountain” emphasizes the upheaval sensed by the two artists in the Korean identity, comprising works that purify the human experience. As a response to this impact, Choi made his parodic sculpture “The Thinker”, a reinterpretation of Rodins sculpture created from toilet paper and Pepto-Bismol, the pink American stomach medicine underlying the artists confusion to assimilate Western philosophy. Chois work has also consisted of a new piece, “Venetian Rhapsody”, especially designed for this Biennale, a kaleidoscopic intermingling of neon signage mounted on the façade of the venue. In his turn, Lee Wan has scrutinized the hidden life of people affronted by global power structures. Venice Biennale exhibits his work

entitled “Proper Time: Though the Dreams Revolve with the Moon”, an installation of 668 clocks having engraved name, birthdate, nationality, and profession of those individuals met and interviewed by the artist while analyzing the various economic context of the working people worldwide.

Every two years, Paris and Venice transfigure into resplendent art carousels to reflect two sensational Biennales, prestigious cultural events focused on international art that convey a single subtle message that art is eternal.

For Ms. Macel, the chief curator of the Pompidou Center in Paris, the 57th Biennale was seen as “an exclamation, a passionate outcry for art and the state of the artist.” She added that it is “a Biennale designed with artists, by artists and for artists.” This Biennale curator decided to turn away from the fiery political climate and focus on art for art’s sake? Ms. Macel said, “I’m very interested in politics,” she said, walking through the Biennale gardens here. “But not all art should be about politics. It’s only one dimension.” I hope you enjoyed finding out more about the Art Biennale that took place in Venice and Paris this year.

Intercontinental Life with Nathalie Bansard

I was lucky to be born and to grow up in a family interested in business enterprises. For my sisters and myself, my father became our sole model, we wanted to be like him. He did not teach us the easy way but repeatedly reminded us that nothing is ever guaranteed, success can never be transferred but has to be built each day.

“I

have given you a name, a chance, now give yourself a first name,� he said, while taking us through his enterprise. With this precious piece of advice, I found myself totally involved in the hotel business about which I knew very little. My first project happened to be the creation in Paris, from a building formerly devoted to commercial offices, into the second Intercontinental Hotel. Then finally came the renovation of two additional Parisian establishments. The total rebuilding of two hotels one after the other on the French Riviera

was entrusted to me. Humility, observation and listening to others taught me a lot. I adopted the theory of Darwin according to which the function makes the organism, which allowed me to take on the works I was given.

Then came the big challenge of the renovation of M64 restaurant, associated with the Intercontinental Hotel avenue Marceau, which is a totally independent project but which still functions in total synergy with the hotel.

I had to respect and strengthen this synergy

while enhancing the unique identity of the restaurant, which is not a hotel restaurant but an establishment on its own. The aim was to raise the quality and remarkable originality interpreted by the Chef who blends the Asiatic flavours with the refinement of the French.

The change of the decoration together with a new ambiance has reinforced this renewal of which the first effects are promising.

A new adventure awaits me with a project in the Orly section of a new hotel of grand capacity.

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Villa Le Rose Villa Le Rose is a Renaissance villa, originally commissioned by the marquess Niccolò Antinori in the Fifteenth Century and is the perfect place to retreat and enjoy the beauty of Florence, which is a 10 minute drive away, and Tuscany.

V

illa Le Rose lies at the end of a driveway lined with cypress trees and is surrounded by a thirteen-acre park, including a small lake and two gardens totalling 1200 square meters featuring authentic Tuscan elements such as olive trees, lavender, lemon trees and jasmine.The villa is built over three floors and centred around a paved courtyard with a charming arched loggia which houses a Madonna and Child ceramic plaque from the Della Robbia school. On one side of the property lies the elegant oval shaped swimming pool. A swimming pool guests are welcome to use and enjoy.

The ground floor boasts a stunning windows overlooking the stunning landscape of ball-room with a Steinway grand piano and Tuscan country. The lower floor hosts the large splendid chandeliers, the blue living room, kitchen with a fireplace and bread oven and is the sitting room frescoed with motifs, the where the magic happens, where Michelin star studio in neoclassical style, the dining room chefs delight guests with Tuscan cuisine. accommodating up to twenty seated guests, and one double room with a great canopied A discreet and passionate concierge staff is dedicated to the guests well-being, comfort bed, bathroom and welcoming fireplace. and privacy.

The second floor is the sleeping area of the villa and comprises of six suites with private Stylish and authentic, Villa Le Rose offers a bathrooms. All the suites are embellished with bespoke lifestyle experience: a taste of genuine original furnishings, decorated ceilings and large Tuscan noble grandeur and elegance.

www.villalerose.com

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ESSAY

R aising Trump

By Ivana Trump

In her newly published memoir, Raising Trump, Ivana Trump reflects on life as the mother of the three Trump children - Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka - and recounts the lessons she taught her children as they were growing up. Her ex-husband, The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, has spurred an outcry of media spotlight onto the Trump family and so we turn to Ivana to talk about what life was like in the Trump household. Raising Trump is a non-partisan, non-political book about motherhood, strength, and resilience. Ivana, who raised the children, proudly instilled in them what she believes to be the most important life lessons: loyalty, honesty, integrity and drive.

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“Donald might not have been the greatest husband to me, but he was a good father to the kids. Obviously, they adore him and are fiercely loyal to him. If he were a horrible dad, that would not be the case.”

N

othing is worse than bratty, spoiled rich kids, right? You just want to rip the silver spoon right out of their mouths. Off the top of your head, you can probably think of a few adult children of the super rich who've thrown tantrums on airplanes, been arrested for drunk driving, made a sex tape, and wasted every advantage.

My three children – Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric – are the opposite.

While campaigning for their father last year, they were praised for their intelligence, poise, dedication, and confidence. Many Americans got their first looks at my kids at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July 2016 when they gave speeches to support their father.

Even the liberals on CNN couldn’t think of anything to criticize about them. It is a singular experience for a mother – even one who lived under an intense media spotlight for forty years – to watch her children excel on the world stage. Some people considered the three of them to be Donald Trumps finest accomplishments − including Hillary Clinton.

At the town hall-style Presidential debate in October last year, a man in the audience asked the candidates to mention one thing they respected about each other. Hillary said, “I respect his children. His children are incredibly able and devoted, and I think that says a lot about Donald.”

The credit for raising such great kids belongs to me. I was totally in charge before our divorce, and I had sole custody after the split. I made

the decisions about their education, activities, travel, childcare and allowances. When each one finished college, I said to my ex-husband, “Here is the finished product. Now it's your turn.”

Donald might not have been the greatest husband to me, but he was a good father to the kids. Obviously, they adore him and are fiercely loyal to him. If he were a horrible Dad, that would not be the case. If Donald wants to write a book about fatherhood, I would be happy to read it, but Raising Trump is my story, from my perspective, about what I did, and still do, for my fantastic family.

It wasn't easy to raise three kids as a full-time working mother, even with nannies. During my fourteen-year marriage to Donald, I designed the interiors of the Grand Hyatt Hotel and Trump Tower, was president of Trump Castle (the only woman in the top job of any Atlantic City casino) and the Plaza Hotel, winning the prestigious Hotelier of the Year award in 1990. After I left the Trump Organization, I wrote three international best-sellers, and made tens of millions selling House of Ivana clothes, fragrances and jewellery on HSN Tampa, QVC London, and TSC Canada. No matter how busy I was, I had breakfast with my children every day. I sat with them at dinner every night, and helped them with their homework (I loved algebra) before going out in a Versace gown to a rubber chicken charity event. The kids and I celebrated, travelled and

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“No matter how busy I was, I had breakfast with my children every day.”

grieved together. Our bond was, and is, our most valuable possession.

By all rights, as children of divorce, surrounded by wealth and forced into fame, Don, Ivanka and Eric could have become the most damaged, druggie poor little rich kids on the planet. Instead, the boys are devoted fathers and husbands, and are jointly running a multi-billion dollar company. Ivanka is a marvellous mother and wife, founded her own business selling apparel, jewellery and shoes, authored two books (her new one, Women Who Work, was inspired by me), and is now a special advisor to her father about improving the lives of women and mothers. I think Ivanka played a big part in Donald’s victory. Voters looked at her and thought, “I like her. I trust her. She loves her father so he cant be that bad.”

Who knows? One day, she might be the first female – and Jewish – POTUS. People ask me the secret of my mothering success. There’s no magic recipe to it.

I told the kids, “Don't lie, cheat or steal.

Don't smoke, do drugs or drink.” I was strict and demanding, but always loving and affectionate. I encouraged sports and competitiveness, and enriched their lives by exposing them to different cultures and the arts. I always held them accountable for their actions and didn't let them get away with anything. I showed them dignity, diligence and determination by example, and gave them age-appropriate responsibilities and rules, which they followed without question, or there’d be hell to pay.

I raised them right and they turned out fabulous. It seems simple. And yet people are shocked that they’re not losers, or in need of a lifetime of intensive therapy. Assumptions about public people are often misguided.

If Saturday Night Live were accurate, Don

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would be stiff, serious and humourless. But he's actually very sensitive, wryly funny and utterly smitten with his five children and wife Vanessa.

Eric is pegged as dimwitted, helpless and naïve, but he's a master conversationalist, sharply intelligent and full of energy and enthusiasm.

And Ivanka. Well. People think she's all hard polish and elegance, a control freak and little

set the record straight about who they really are. I'm also going to share some stories about my own childhood and early life so you understand exactly who I am. The mother makes the child. I learned everything I needed to know about how to be good parent long before I became the original Mrs. Donald Trump. If you admire my children and would like to raise accomplished, ambitious winners of your own, you’ll pick up some ideas from me on these pages – or from the kids themselves. Don, Ivanka and Eric have contributed their own stories and insights, too, in boxes, like this one: Ivanka ‟I'm immensely proud of our mother and excited about her writing this book. She is an amazing mom, teacher and inspiration to all of us. Were all incredibly grateful to have grown up in such a loving and close family.”

Not every daughter in the world would be so excited and grateful to have her mother divulge stories about her adolescence and ex-boyfriends. But Ivanka neednt worry.

She was very good. If she did anything wrong, she knows I would have killed her.

Eric

princess, but really, she's down-to-Earth, empathetic, insightful, vulnerable at times and deeply caring about the people she loves and her causes.

I decided to share some stories about every stage or their lives, from infancy until now, to

‟Mom was tough. She did not put up with nonsense, and I love that about her. I think her toughness is her greatest trait. She's also elegant, charming, and funny. Her personality covers a wide spectrum. There are a lot of people who can be charming, but they might not be tough. Many tough people are not charming or fun. Our mom has a fun little devious laugh.

She can tell a story and be so funny conveying a toughness that grips people and commands respect.

She is the opposite of a pushover.”

What can I say? The kid gets me.

Celebrating Christmas & New Year’s Eve @ 57 Restaurant & Lounge DINING extravagant menu & live cooking DANCING live music PARTYING in 220 metres height ENJOYING festive atmosphere & breathtaking view of Vienna events.melia.vienna@melia.com or +43 190 104 | Donau City Strasse 7 | 1220 Vienna (Austria) | melia.com | 57melia.com facebook.com/57melia | instagram.com/57restaurant

YACHTS

The 2017 Yachting Season

By Simon Piggott

A

s autumn approaches we are faced with choices as to where next summer will take us: what better than to visit three major events for yacht aficionados – Classic Week in Monaco followed by the Cannes Yacht Festival and the Monaco Yacht Show all concentrated in September!

Monaco Classic Week gathered that rare breed: lovers of classic sailing and motor yachts. Although the meeting suffered from either not enough or too much wind, the atmosphere was of bygone days of the 1920s with the true spirit of yachting and love for both match racing and the sea in general. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the 90th birthday of the largest wooden and one of the most beautiful sailing yachts still afloat – Creole, the 63 m three-masted schooner designed by Charles E. Nicholson and built at his shipyard in Gosport in 1927, which was flanked by the 50m ketch Xarifa, and the 45m schooner Trinakria, both also dating from 1927.

Carlo Riva, who passed away this year at the age of 95, was also commemorated with a display of his finest motor launches showing their paces in the Port d’ Hercules.

Since its first biennial edition in 1994, we can say that Monaco has become the destination for both modern and traditional yachts and this year hosted just under 150 boats.

The Cannes Yachting Festival, the largest of its kind in Europe, made its debut this year at the same time as Monaco Classic Week, giving the opportunity to our members and yacht lovers a chance to admire some 500 boats. Motor yachts, which accounted up some 80% of the boats on show, ranged from tenders a few metres in length to over 100 longer

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Photo: Borlenghi - S.Gattini.

than 20m., the largest on display being 65m. In the sailing yacht category there were over 60 boats in the water, ranging from 10m to 28m, while the multi-hull category had 43 participants. Charter and brokerage were centred in Port Canto and it was there that members of Ccercle were invited to a cocktail party hosted by the Gustavia Yacht Club on a 27m Leopard motor yacht brokered by IYC. There were a number of world premiers notably the new 35m flagship of the Italian yard Azimut. With an interior design by Achille Salvagni, an exterior by Stefano Righini, this yacht uniquely features an optional 30 sqm additional sun-deck.

However the king of all shows remains the Monaco Yacht Show. There were 125 motor and sailing yachts displayed in the Port d’ Hercules, ranging from tenders to some of the largest yachts in the world, including the 110m “Jubilee” completed by Oceanco in 2017 for the late Emir of Qatar, which was moored for very select visits on the cruise ship quay, and priced at just under 300 million euros.

The yachts in the port and those anchored in the bay totalled over 6000 linear metres, with an average length of 49m and a total value exceeding 3.3 billion Euros, giving visitors plenty of choice to find at least one yacht to fit their taste and wallet.

Some 45 new-build premieres were launched. Apart from the impressive “Jubilee”, which can accommodate 31 guests in 16 cabins and cruises at 14 knots, the list included “Aquarius”, the 92m Feadship built in 2016 for the Wynns family of Casinò fame, which had been already spotted at St. Barts in February, the 85m German-built Lürssen “Areti”, designed

by Winch and accommodating up to 18 guests in 9 cabins, with impeccable classic interiors, as well as the 77m “Legend”, transformed in Holland in 2016 by Icon Yachts and classified as an ice-breaking passenger ship. There was also another explorer ship in the show, the 69m Dutch-built Damen “Game Changer”, equipped with a large helipad and hangar for helicopters, enabling them to be stored in extreme weather conditions. Italian shipyards were also well represented, with the 74m CRN “Cloud 9”, delivered this year to a discerning Australian entrepreneur, as well as the Benetti 67m “Seasense” , with her distinctive straight bow and amazingly stylish interiors.

Amongst the novelties were the Porschedesigned Dynamiq T115 hybrid motor yacht, which was moored next to the Yacht Club de Monaco, the centre for many activities and launch parties for the marine industry during this intensive 4-day event.

Not far from the YCM was a stand hosting the Gustavia Yacht Club, which had recently been affected by Hurricane Irma on St. Barthélemy

in the French West Indies. The club was raising funds needed for reconstruction and help for the islanders, having set up the “St Barts – Hurricane Irma Disaster Relief Fund”. Members and friends of Ccercle and of St Barts are encouraged to contribute via the club webpage under events in www.gustaviayachtclub.org.

The yacht show also had an area dedicated to special cars, helicopters as well as watches.

The latter includes a display of the finest oneoff timepieces by famous watchmakers. These were to be sold in a biennial charity auction under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco by Christie’s in aid of the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Association of Monaco to be held in November in Geneva. This charity, founded

by Luc Pettavino, ex CEO of the MYS, is another worthy cause to which our members and readers are invited to contribute. More information on www.onlywatch.com. The interior design and decoration category was also well represented at the show, with Boutsen Design, who provide an all-in-one solution for your yacht, plane or home. They were

exhibiting objects from the Odiot Collection at their House of Excellence in the YCM private dining room. A Boeing Business Jet Max 7 model with interior design by Alberto Pinto was also there.

Last but not least, all good shows have gatherings to celebrate the talents of their participants and their clients. Noteworthy this year was the Bulgari party organized by My Yacht Group aboard the 77m “LEGEND” explorer yacht (IYC Central Agent) where Perrier Jouet Champagne and Titomirov Vodka were flowing. The latest creations of the Bulgari Collection could be seen on the catwalk.

The yacht show could not end without a major closing event. This one was thrown by Peter Lürssen and his team at the Monaco Yacht Club. Guests and friends danced to the sound of Kool and the Gang on the top floor of the YCM, celebrating a successful yacht show with Moet & Chandon and Titomirov Vodka …. see you all back in Monaco soon and maybe at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show for yacht enthusiasts!

Issue N14 | 39

MUSIC

Burning Man 2017

By Natalia Kapchuk

O

ver the years, Burning Man has become very popular, even amongst famous people from art, music, fashion and the film industry.

You can spot celebrities, models, musicians, artists - like Paris Hilton, Alessandra Ambrosio, Cara Delevingne, Katy Perry, Jared Leto, P Diddy and Daft Punk, to name a few.

This year, I decided to experience Burning Man (BM) for myself and paid a two-day visit to Black Rock City. BM has always been on my bucket list but the long preparations and stories which I have heard about the organization behind it kept my trip delayed for years and years....until this year.

In September my best friends and I (all virgin Burners) decided that this was the year we were going to make it happen. I was sure nothing would go further than chit chat but I was wrong. To my great astonishment, everyone took the idea seriously and started preparations. You will need from 6 months up to 1 year prior to the event to plan the trip, unless you are joining a camp or have someone who does it all for you – personally I would take the ‘radical self-reliance’ principle seriously. People change their plans and you might just end up being homeless in the middle of the desert.

Step One: Joining a camp. It is advisable to join an existing camp via a friend’s recommendation. There is a number of different camps in BM, from big theme camps to smaller personal ones, and most of them are listed on the official BM website. Every camp is unique in their offering and ‘vibe’ - choose one that resonates with you and your interests,

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hobbies, music taste etc. Luckily I had a few friends from a camp called Payaskool, it is a pretty big camp with more than 420 people. I absolutely loved it! We had TED'x talks on environmental, digital and psychological themes with great speakers from around the world. Furthermore, we had a Dome, a huge space with remarkable fire and laser shows and AAA DJ's.

BM has a strong sense of community, responsibility and teamwork.

You need to take the ten principles seriously when you arrive on the playa, especially ‘Leave no trace’ - Black Rock Desert is a protected area and it must be left clean once the thousands of burners leave. Do not drop anything and do not hesitate to pick up someone else’s micro moop (matter out of place) on the playa. Camp fee may vary, we paid around $9.000 for four people. That includes parking, breakfast and dinner. When you consider how many gallons of water each individual needs, gasoline, construction, recycling and all the work that takes place behind the scenes to set up a camp, you can understand where the cost comes from. Our camp management team was supportive and always gave us great feedback, trying to solve our issues when necessary - but please understand that these people are volunteers and they want to, and deserve to, have fun themselves too. They are not there to serve you so rather only contact them in case of emergency.

Step Two: Tickets! It is not easy to get a BM ticket. You need to create a BM profile online and you must be registered and logged in to participate in online sales (dates and hours are available on www. burningman.org). Unfortunately, there is no guarantee you will get tickets

at the original price. The ticket system is like a lottery. We were left with no tickets. The true essence of Burning Man is not to make any profit and commercialize on BM ticket aftersales but we had no choice other than to buy our tickets from third party companies like Vividseats or Viagogo. The tickets from these websites cost usually between $1000$1200 each. Please verify the authenticity of the tickets and always ask for original receipt as there are many fake tickets out there. You will also need a vehicle pass if you are arriving by car.

Step Three: Where to stay? There are a few options when it comes to accommodation at the Burn. You can stay in your car, in an airconditioned tent or in an RV. In our case the RV was the most suitable choice. Our RV had a bedroom, kitchen, shower, WC, 2 single beds and 2 sofa beds. To save costs, many people rent their RV's from another state like California and drive it up to the playa themselves. Unfortunately, many RV renting companies would only accept US driving licenses. For one week of rental we paid $17000 for an RV, there are less expensive options out there if you book in advance.

Step Four: Outfits. When all organizational logistics are done and dusted, it is time to think about costumes. BM allows for full creative and personal expression so it is very important to wear something extraordinary, otherwise you may feel like the odd one out. I changed two or three times a day. You need to change outfits a few times for various reasons, mainly due to the weather changes which go from very hot during the daytime to very cold at night. Bring warm coats and a hat for nighttime and sunrise - a funky neon fur coat with LED lights would be perfect. Where to get costumes? Mix and match! Lots of thing I ordered

online were from the Etsy website (goggles, masks, bodysuits) and from Instagram BM designers. Don't hesitate to pass by a local sex shop and Halloween shop or upcycle your old clothes using your own imagination and fantasy. Get creative, be yourself, express who you are, it always turns out the best. The desert is very alkaline so make sure to bring boots, many socks and sunscreen, it makes your skin very, very dry. Masks and goggles are also essential. Sand storms are worse than those seen in a Mad Max movie and appear out of nowhere so always be prepared!

Ok, it is now time to tell you about how the whole system and temporary city works. The Playa is a metropolis built for 2 weeks in the middle of Nevada desert. There are streets with different names which makes it easy to move around and find things using the map. There are hundreds of camps, each camp providing different services, interactive workshops, music and all kinds of activities.You move around on a bike, it is almost impossible to walk as the distances between camps are very long. Make sure you rent a bike. Our bikes were included in the price of our RV. It is very important to decorate your bike with LED lights, the more visible you are the better as at night it helps people (and your friends) to identify you. Make sure you lock your bikes when you park as someone can take it by mistake!

I was wearing a head light to light up my way at night, plus LED decorations that I ordered on Amazon and eBay. There is nothing you can buy at the Playa as money doesn't exist there, you can only exchange things. People are super friendly and willing to help, even if you forgot something at home I am sure you will find it out in the desert. This is the idea of the ‘gifting’ principle and people take it seriously too. In our case we didn't have enough wet wipes and had to trade it for tequila.

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MUSIC

There is only 2 things you can buy out there: ICE (queue to get it is insane) and coffee.

Food and Supplies. Make sure you bring with you supplies of food and drinks for the whole period of your stay. In our case we pre-ordered most of the things online and a delivery company loaded it into our RV before our arrival. The most crucial is drinking water and coconut water. You will end up drinking up to 6 litres a day as you will feel thirsty most of the time. Make sure to bring some extra gallons of water for others and some for common use in the kitchen. Pickles are a famous thing at the Playa, they retain water in your body, pickle juice is something you will appreciate.

We also got soups, tuna in cans and lots of power bars! Do not forget vinegar!

You will be surprised! To wash away dust from your feet and legs you will need to dilute vinegar in water. As I mentioned earlier, the dust is alkaline and penetrates inside your skin making your skin dry and only vinegar can help as it is acidic.

Other essentials are body butter, foot cream, lip balm and a nourishing hair mask. You don't want cracked skin and dry hair or dreads right?

Wet wipes are very handy too.

How to get to Black Rock city? Reno is the closest international airport. From there you can buy a seat or charter a whole small plane. The only problem with this plane is that you can take only 1 hand luggage with you, big suitcases are not allowed. So, if you manage your clothing and suppliers to be delivered to the Playa, the burner express is an ideal option. The same company, Burner Express, provides bus services too. With the bus you can buy luggage space. Bus tickets go very fast though so you would need to buy in advance. The last option is to go by car. That is what we did. We then rented a huge GNC. The drive normally takes 2,5 hours but it is never this short in reality. It can be 6 or 9 or even more depending on weather conditions and the traffic.

Don't forget - over 70000 people come and leave over this period and it is only 1 road that brings you to the Playa‌ The road trip to the Playa is beautiful with amazing scenery surrounded by lakes and gorgeous mountains, breathtaking I should say, and road trips are always fun.

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When we arrived our RV we booked wasn't as cute as it looked on the pictures and our water supply was somehow finished on the first day we arrived. You will get 2 vouchers to pump out black and grey water and refill it with fresh water.

So we had to stay without water for a whole day luckily there was a public shower and WC. At this point I remembered my childhood and summer camps with outdoor showers and smelly toilets.

On our first day we were woken up quite early with little sleep as our luxury RV ended up not being the 5-star hotel we were used to ;)

All the people we met on our way were super friendly which was quite shocking at first and something our society is not so used to. Many camp members gathered together for breakfast.

Burners get to know each other and chit chat about their plans and life. Then you have to be registered and get a job assigned. Everyone has a job in the camp: cook, dish cleaner, security, etc. By the time I registered my favourite position as cooking was fully booked and I picked cleaning the dishes instead.

By the time breakfast was finished I was already covered with dust from head to toe. On my first day I changed 4 times!!! It takes some time getting used to the feeling of being dusty and dirty. What I saw when we began exploring the city was mind blowing - art sculptures of different forms and sizes spreading throughout

the Playa. On our first day we had not even seen 5% of the city. The Man and the temple are in the center. On the last day of the Burn the man and the temple are set on fire. The fire displays are spectacular and part of the great excitement to go to Burning Man to witness such massive structures go up in flames.

It was incredible to go on a bike with no agenda, stop by different art objects, explore different camps. Here are some examples of the camp names: 17 Virgins, bike Gods, camp Bang Bang, mystic, candy land, department of peace, dusty bum, insomnia, love cow, miso horny, just to name a few. There are fantastic art cars moving around, from a fish to a boat or an emoji to a dragon on wheels. You can jump inside an art car, make new friends and enjoy the ride. Sunsets are unbelievable at the Playa, colors are spectacular and so bright.

At night there is a lot of parties going on and lots of camps are offering various cocktails and drinks, free of charge. The most famous parties are Robot Heart and Mayan Warrior, which you can find on the Playa at nighttime and District and Disconnect for daytime fun.

The majority of the burners are up until sunrise and I have heard that the sunrises are stunning and even more enchanting than the sunsets. Unfortunately I didn't manage to stay up that long to enjoy it and I guess my 2 days at the Playa were not enough to experience it to the full. Now that I have experienced a teaser of the magic, I am very much looking forward to next year, which will be a full week experience.

The closest airport is Reno. From Reno you can take a card and drive. It is about a 2 hour drive, but much longer with traffic, to make it to the entrance of Black Rick City. Make sure you buy a car pass, which you have to arrange separately, for the price of 100 usd. There is is a small private plane called the Burner Express. I would consider it as the best option if you have a small amount of luggage because only 1 piece of hand luggage is allowed. This is the most costly option. Another option is a bus from the Burner Express. Remember to buy tickets well in advance because there is a limited number of seats. This is the website where you can book a tickets: www.burnerexpress.burningman.org

Hotel Steigenberger Wiltcher’s

Festive Season in Brussels E

njoy an enchanting Christmas experience in one of the most beautiful cities of Europe.

The cobbled streets and pretty squares of Brussels spring to life with Winter Wonders, a 2 km-long stretch of snow-dusted market chalets,

buzzing bars and pop-up restaurants.

Get a bird's eye view from the top of the Ferris wheel, or take a spin on the merry-go-round as the sweet, spicy scent of waffles and glühwein drifts through the chilly air.

Does it take you an hour and a half to go to

work? What about spending the same journey time and come to Brussels?

No more time to waste, book a weekend away and indulge in luxury at the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s, located in the heart of the shopping district.

Hotel Steigenberger Wiltcher’s | 71, Avenue Louise 1050 Brussels Make your reservation: reservations.brussels@steigenberger.com or T +32 2 542 48 15 www.wiltchers.com

Issue N14 | 43

MUSIC

ROCKIN'1000 1000 MUSICIANS TO CHANGE THE RULES OF ROCK

By Daria Longinotti

Photo: Tobia Faverio

R

ockin'1000 was founded in 2014 as a vision, crazy idea, impossible challenge!

The creator, Fabio Zaffagnini, who at the time worked as a marine geologist for the CNR Bologna, wanted to convince the Foo Fighters to hold a concert in Cesena, a small Italian town located in Emilia Romagna. To try and achieve his goal he needed to come up with something unique, something never attempted before: 1000 musicians singing in sync one cover song of the band, shot in high quality video to be published on YouTube and then to see what would happen‌ He involved six of his friends in this crazy idea - Anita Rivaroli, Cisko, Claudia Spadoni, Mariagrazia Canu, Martina Pieri and Marta Guidarelli - professionals each in a different but functional sector in the pursuit of such an ambitious challenge.

A year of work went by with recruitment of musicians and volunteers from all over Italy, logistical and technical organization, continuous search for donors and supporters with the opening of a crowd-funding campaign

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to cover expenses, especially linked to the involvement of an excellent technical video and audio team.

On July 24, 2015, at the Cesena Racecourse the video was finally shot.

Thanks to the work of the music gurus who selected and prepared the musicians and the Orchestra Director who guided them in the project, supported by sound engineers and technicians, who had to try solve completely new issues, they were able to collectively come up with a technique capable of putting in sync, in a limited amount of takes, 1000 perfect strangers united by their passion for music. Something never done in this way before.

The next day the video was on YouTube and soon enough David Grohl, leader of the Foo Fighters, responded to the appeal with a video message promising them that the band would come to Cesena, which happened on November 3, 2015. Incredible! The challenge was won!

This idea soon became a global phenomena and the video "Rockin'1000 Romagna calling Foo Fighters" received over 40,000,000 views, becoming the most seen video of the year.

The team were followed by media with interviews with broadcasters from around the world and acknowledgments of all kinds including the "Disruptive Award" at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

In addition to achieving such an ambitious goal, the acknowledgement that the video has received is the overwhelming originality of the Rockin'1000 idea itself, namely that the union of ordinary people, without competition or protagonism and moved by a great shared passion for music, can come together and each one of them make their own contribution to allow for something greater to be achieved, cutting barriers and borders, reminding us that anything is possible when we the people come together.

With their new goal accomplished, Rockin'1000 has not stopped with their mission and desire to bring people from around the world into union and solidarity through music.

On July 26, 2016 at the Dino Manuzzi Stadium in Cesena, "Rockin'1000 That's Live" was the first concert of the biggest rock band on earth in which 17 iconic songs of rock history were performed live. An allconsuming event followed by an edited CD by Sony Music Italy, ranked 4th place in Italian sales in a short amount of time, and countless awards including the Coca Cola On Stage Award as the event of the year and the YouTube Silver Button.

On the 28th and 29th of July this year there was a new adventure: a Rockin'1000 Summer Camp held in a majestic setting on the slopes of Mont Blanc. Two days of full immersion into the music and nature where audiences and musicians lived together and shared their great passion including another new incredible Rockin'1000 style video that was produced on 3 high technical medleys.

To support Rockin'1000 in its business and adventures over the past three years, brands, media partners and institutions, very close to the mission and the founding values ​​of the project, have supported Rockin1000 in spreading their positive energy and continuing their vision. Brands and sponsors have supported Rockin1000 in an organic and highly rewarding way in terms of visibility and image return.

Last year saw frontline by Nastro Azzurro dedicate their latest TV commercial to Rockin1000; Radio Deejay amplified the project; Courmayeur Mont Blanc, successfully integrated the camp among the novelties of the summer events in the area and Samsung and Intesa Sanpaolo participated with facilities and activities on the field.

An example of teamwork that has rewarded the commitment and spontaneity of all brands involved.

Photo: Andrea Bardi

Rockin’1000 has changed the rules of rock and has in the pipeline many more surprises. Many goals to pursue, many destinations to reach, many musicians to involve in every corner of the world, many partners and sponsors to receive, many dates to schedule in Italy and not only there for a project which promises to be increasingly global.

"Stick together and play rock and roll" ... see you in 2018!

Videos and info: www.rockin1000.com

Photo: Chiara Arrigoni

Photo: Valerio Marucci

Photo: Marco Onofri

Issue N14 | 45

An All Female Family:

Donna Fittipaldi

By Maria Fittipaldi Menarini

There is a design, a purpose, in all of us, a road laid out for our lives even when it seems far from clear to us, unlikely, even unthinkable, but at times, by magic, we discover the direction to take.

S

trictly by chance I came to Bolgheri, invited by a friend …. and I was thunderstruck at the sight of the countryside, sunny, happy, balmy …. I had always thought of the countryside as a sad and lifeless place …. and it was then that I began to look for a house. I fell in love with the Pineta, on the wine road and consequently...

Consequently, in 2006, together with my daughters, I found myself with a small but choice production of a nectar which became Donne Fittipaldi, the natural consequence of a family formed entirely of women. And, in this precise way, a dream became a reality, one with 10 years of life by now.

Our objective, from the start, has been to

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produce wine of great elegance and balance and above all, wines capable of transmitting all the character of the great names of Bolgheri, famous all over the world for their level of excellence.

The content of our bottles had the aesthetic necessity of a container which would be adequate for certain expectations, and in that way (thanks to an acquaintance) the image of Donna Fittipaldi was born and took on a concrete shape; this is all due to the indispensable creative contribution of Giores, the signature of artists Giorgio Restelli.

Chance, the meeting of two different stories, both declined in the feminine and linked by the emotional charge of the artist….

I have never believed in plans or projects created around a table but rather I surrender to real life experience; it is those “accidents” which occur unexpectedly that I trust in.

Donna Fittipaldi was born from nothing, took shape through a natural chain of fluid events, slowly taking time to perfect the quality of its contents, intimate moments which, on their own, not planned, not sought after, strangely took on a life of their own.

An adventure and a challenge of five beginners which, in the end, became a grand surprise.

Wine is life and love, it is not merely the expression of a territory but also its interpretation. The sensibility and the passion

of those who create it intersect with the soil and the landscape and give life to something unique.

Like a painter, the grower-producer, with his “canvas” before him, expresses himself through the colors and shadings which are available to him, those which move and inspire him.

We, “Donne Fittipaldi”, wish to express, through our wines, elegance, sinuosity, sensuality, freshness, the “lightness,” heavy with contents typical of the feminine sex.

The beauty of Nature vibrates in us with its magic, nature itself is present in every artist as a vital interior force which sparks creativity.

Art has enormous power, it is something which touches the soul in its very depths. For this reason, together with my four daughters, we tie our wine to art, choosing an artist who illustrates, with his own distinctive stylistic sign, a series of limited edition Magnums.

During Italy’s Vinitaly fair the creations of the artist are displayed alongside the wine.

It all began with the works of Giores, the first artist to be displayed and still a collaborator of the house who supervises the overall artistic approach. He was the protagonist of the first show, inspired by the mating of Art and Wine, a distinctive sign of Donne Fittipaldi. A decision successively interpreted by other artists such as Riccardo Bagnoli with his “Buio Reale” in 2016.

The success of the show inspired a decision to create a prize which saw the finest young artistic talents of the Accademia delle Belle Arti, the Academy of Fine Arts, of Verona, all called to interpret the spirit and soul of Donne Fittipaldi. Art is our foundation, the stone, the basis of the stylistic choices of our house.

Ogni opera, come ogni vino ha una sua anima.

Every work of art, just like every wine, has a soul Our winery is part of an oenological story which goes far back in time.

In the year 1870, Count Walfredo della Gherardesca changed the way the territory had been organized, creating a more balanced series of single farms, each with its own vineyards and olive groves, each with its own dwelling place. Donne Fittipaldi extends over some 115 acres (46 hectares) of land around one of these old structures, “the Pineta farmhouse.”

In 1992 the estate returned to its former glory thanks to a careful work of renovation and restructuring. In 2004, new vineyards were planted which respected the specific character of the soil and microclimate of the various individual plots.

The decision to plant Malbec was motivated by the desire to give a real importance to this highly adaptable variety, one capable of giving wines of much personality. A local grape variety, Orpicchio, largely forgotten, was also planted, demonstrating the awareness that it was possible to recover the genetic patrimony of Tuscany and the typicality of the region’s production of wine.

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The area’s great viticultural potential has always been known. Wine is part of its very breath, a wine which expresses the salt air of the sea, the rolling hillsides of the interior, bathed by breezes, hills which stretch as far as the eye can see.

Intense emotions are felt each time one gazes at this magnificent panorama, as though it was the very first time. And each and every time this wine - a perfect interpretation of the territory’s expression - is drunk, this is the place to be.

Together with my four daughters - Carlotta, Giulia, Serena, and Valentina – I decided to undertake a project which required courage, resourcefulness, tenacity, sensuality, and a taste for beauty, all typically feminine traits.

Our consulting winemaker, Emiliano Falsini, when asked, “why did you decide to take on this project and what should we expect from Lady F” answered: “Because Donne Fittipaldi has in its DNA

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the challenge, the desire to experiment, to dare, to bring to light and to show the importance of the territory of Bolgheri as well as the little known grape varieties such as Orpicchio and Malbec.”

Lady F, 2015 is the first 100% Orpicchio produced on a substantial scale. We experimented with a fermentation in stainless steel tanks and, additionally, a small part in oak. After a few months of tasting and monitoring, we decided that the best idea was a blend of the two. We are convinced that the freshness of the part fermented in stainless steel is perfectly balanced by the light oaky note endowed by the brief passage in a barrel.

What is born is a special white wine, a unique one in the overall Tuscan picture. It is elegant on the nose with typical notes of sage, pears and white pepper. The palate is savory, mineral and, on the finish, bracing. Lady F is not only a white wine which goes very well indeed with food but is also an excellent aperitif thanks to its crisp and refreshing finish. Last year, 2016,

we celebrated ten years of active life at Vinitaly and immediately afterwards began to think … now what? We have an idea but…. it will be a surprise.

LADY MALAROJA Produced from Malbec grapes, a variety brought to Argentina where it has become the principal grape for that nation’s wines, has found in the territory of Bolgheri, a perfect environment for expressing its exceptional grace as well.

Malaroha Malbec is the iconic wine of Donne Fittpaldi and the example of how an elegant and gracious variety is a wine of extraordinary character and great longevity, capable of satisfying the palates of the most demanding connoisseurs.

Malaroja is a typical example of a great Tuscan wine in which the distinctive traits of the Malbec grape variety fuse perfectly with the beauty of our territory, a place where producing wine is an art and a pleasure.

© Pierr Khim-Tit artPhoto Gstaad

… right next to the seventh heaven!

Geniesserhotel LE GRAND CHALET Neueretstrasse 43 | CH-3780 Gstaad | Tel. +41 33 748 76 76 hotel@grandchalet.ch | www.grandchalet.ch

FASHION

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK TRENDS

By Angelika Bolliger

S

ummer hasn’t yet closed its doors on us and here we all are desperate to know what we will be wearing next Spring. With NY Fashion Week kicking in in early September we will be preview to some of the best runway shows in the world.

to stilettos . They were designed for a mature, strong women who knows her sex appeal and is not afraid to use it in all aspects of the word.

The latest one is just as glamorous yet sweet, fresh and easy to wear for women of all ages day to night, if they can afford it.

The fashionistas, the music and film stars, bloggers and buyers all dressed extravagantly well will be queuing to see what the designers have to offer. With fashion turning its eye to the streets and to the many talented fashion bloggers and the entertainment world for inspiration we may expect some interesting ideas on the catwalk. In fact the audience is a runway show in itself promoting styles worth copying. One show in particular was highly anticipated. Tom Ford.

Tom Ford It's been a while since Tom Ford showcased his collection in a full blown way like a proper catwalk on the runway. Gigi Hadid opened the show in a 90s inspired light pink mid length dress reminiscent of a glamorous cocoon. It sported sequinned long and skinny sleeves, wide padded shoulders and a wrap around silhouette. The show was followed by wide shouldered satin blazers in pastel pink, blue and white worn with leather joggers or relaxed shorts. Shirts and blouses were satin or sequin all in pale shades. Aerobic style swimsuits or leotards where seen popping out of loose trousers rouged at the waist or hips. There were some very short mini dresses or tops aspiring to be dresses so short only Karlie Kloss could get away wearing them in the real world. Never the less they were beautiful in its sparkling simplicity. The clothes looked comfortable and light allowing the body to move freely in them. The trousers, coats and blouses looked chic in a modern way even if inspired by the 90s period. The collection was aimed at the younger generation the one that missed Tom Ford's revolutionary style in the 90s when he worked for Gucci. I can easily see Gigi or Kendall wearing his runway pieces on the streets of NY or LA. It was a well thought out move as Tom Ford's previous collections were somewhat serious, sophisticated and a little suggestive with small paddle locks attached

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The collection itself was strong, edgy and urban as usual with standard studded pieces.

I especially loved the asymmetrical trousers one leg being denim another covered in studs.

It looked both rock and roll and chic. There was a bit of layering , back to front, inside out, lingerie over jumpers, off the shoulder, multi shoulders or extra sleeves in unusual places.

Cut off shorts were worn over leather leggings for a sexy, off duty kind of cool. He stayed true to his signature palate black, white, metallic, silver and grey. Kaia Gerber Cindy Crawfords daughter made a successful debut at New Yorks fashion week adding fresh innocence to the rock inspired collection. She was amongst other big names like Kendal Jenner and Bella Hadid.The collection is street smart and can be easily worn everyday for the cool, low key, big city girl, off duty kind of look.

Calvin Klein It was a big departure for the Calvin Klein we remember with simple, clean lines, nude shades and lolita like sensuality. Raf Simon's collection was inspired by American pop culture, pop art, horror movies, cheer leaders and prom queens. The designer himself complained that fashion is at a stand still in terms of pushing boundaries and experimenting. His collection was an attempt to move us, not please us. I am not sure that the retro cowboy inspired outfits were revolutionary or life changing, but political.

Alexander Wang The street smart, urban designer took literally to the streets to showcase his new SS summer collection which he named Wangfest. The show had three venues with the supermodels getting on and off the Wang bus strutting down NY streets ending up in Brooklyn for the last showcase. Public was allowed to see the show which was previously announced in the first two instalments with buyers and editors awaiting the Wangfest in Brooklyn at its final destination. It showed Wang's initiative to reach out directly to his consumers specially the young once allowing them to take a peek at the actual runway show.

Good marketing, yet logistical hustle.

He used satin like fabric for the bold coloured shirts and trousers sported by Kaia Gerber on her NY runway debut. She made the cowboy inspired outfit look divine. Androgynous looking models wore plastic transparent coats and jackets, others wore dresses and wide capes made of a parachute or army tent material.

Some dresses and full skirts were inspired by the 50ties, some felt more contemporary.

To me, the show had too many references to the American sub pop culture to become a fashion trend. The collection reminds me of vintage clothing you can find in second hand shops across America. It is a style, but I rather see mostly young people wearing the classic western shirt in a shiny polyester or satin fabric. The collection made me think of LA,

maybe because that is where I have seen young actors, photographers, artists wear a lot of vintage clothing and maybe because of the film siren references.

The men’s collection deserves mentioning. Sharply tailored suits are the Belgian designer's trademark. He has not disappointed us with his cuts and silhouettes. I particularly liked the clear plastic raincoats and a blazer with cardigan worn off the shoulders on top of it. It will be interesting to see where will Raf Simons will take Calvin Klein in the near future.

Prabal Gurung Like his college designers he also likes to make political statements through fashion. He did not miss an opportunity to address global warming issues which, ironically with hurricane Irma approaching, were very much on everyone’s mind. The show was colourful, featuring a strong sapphire blue, egg yoke yellow and plum pink. Models wore high waisted corsage shorts with gorgeous frilled blouses light as a fader.

We saw his signature button around technique of creating a cut out on a desired part of the body by opening some buttons. This was seen on dresses and skirts optionally attached to the shirts.

Beautiful crochet heavy knit jumpers in a variety of colours worn just with underpants on the runway. They could easily become a musthave knit for the spring/summer season with its crochet transparent front cleavage and arms. There was no lack of asymmetrical, off the shoulder, cold shoulder dresses with various cutouts, a global trend we have seen now for a while. I particularly liked the emerald green/ sapphire blue chiffon floor length dress. Ideal for a summer cocktail party. Ashley Graham was one of the models looking beautiful adding a realness to the show, making us see that high fashion is for everyone who is willing to try. The Hadid sisters strutted down the runway wearing shimmering cut out dresses looking fresh and youthful. The show was light, uplifting, optimistic.

Oscar de la Renta The duo Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim have really injected new life to the the house of Oscar the la Renta. When Sarah Jessica Parker wore a beautiful dress by the designer to the Met gala in 2014 with his signature featured on the back of the dress it sort of came as a shock.

Oscar didn't like it, but she insisted to have it to honour him. Some years later the new design duo decided to take inspiration from that and use the original signature left by the late designer and feature it in a funky way on top of sheer dresses and tops and even a white fur coat. Ironically it looks good, it makes it feel young and fresh and it is a homage to the house of de la Renta.

Models came down the runway wearing denim, yes that's wright jeans with paint dripping on the sides. The backdrop of the show was a Sotheby's auction house and the colour dotted shirts, shirt dresses looked very much like live art. The collection was young, fresh and light.

A new beginning for a traditional design house who dressed the first ladies over the many years.

I guess the youth is the answer and hope for any positive change in this world which so many of the designers have emphasised and who can blame them. We need them to pave a more compassionate way for us.

@5inchstiletto

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FASHION

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MILAN FASHION WEEK

By Ekaterina Shevlyakova

F

ashion Week in Milan has been extremely vibrant and unpredictable as always, full of not only the usual fashion establishment and VIPs, but also of many newcomers. The most elegant and important location, Salone Arengario, in the Royal Palace of Milan was showing all the emerging fashion designers like Vanotti and Colangelo and August Getty was presenting his collection at the elegant Four Seasons hotel.

This years fashion week was very nostalgic and extremely respectful in dedicating tributes to the legendary fashion designers like Gianni Versace and Laura Biagiotti that have been real living legends in fashion. Never has a fashion week had such a sentimental feeling to it. Without a doubt, one of the most memorable moments of this Fashion week in Milan was the fashion show that Donatella Versace staged, dedicated to her late brother Gianni Versace at the Triennale museum.

This year actually marks 20 years since Gianni Versace was killed in Miami Beach. After many years, what Donatella wanted was to remember not the death of Gianni Versace, but to celebrate his life and his absolutely innovative and creative genius.

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“This is a celebration of a genius. This is a celebration of an icon. This is a celebration of my brother”. With these touching words the show began and it was truly something to remember. First of all, the cast of models was impeccable. There wasn’t even one model in the show that wasn’t well known. Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Douzen Kroes and Natasha Poly rocked the catwalk wearing the new Versace SS collection 2018.

It was first time on the runway of Versace for Kaya Gerber, Cindy Crawford's daughter, who proved on the runway that genes really don't lie.

All creations had an amazing similarity to the historic Versace collections of the 90s when Gianni was on top. Donatella remade and reinterpreted the main prints and designs of Gianni's historic collections like Vogue, Warhol, Baroque, Animalia, Butterflies and Icons. Baroque prints on blouses, skinny pants or leggings, long black jackets, little black dresses with golden prints worn with extremely high black boots, trenches, maxi skirts – all this is a big tribute to the fashion of the 90s, but at the same time a totally modern and sensual look that makes women feel powerful.

The main surprise was actually the extraordinary ending of the fashion show. The most famous and glamorous models of the 90s - Claudia Schiffer, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and the former First Lady of France Carla Bruni, united on stage, dressed in long golden gowns to pay tribute to Gianni. Looking as young and fabulous as they did in the 90s, they serve as an example to the ladies of how a woman can look in her late 40s or early 50s – absolutely stunning! It has been a real Golden moment of this Milan Fashion week and a tribute not only to the great Gianni Versace, but also to the history of fashion and to the roaring 90s.

Another amazing tribute was paid to the amazing Roman designer, Laura Biagiotti, by her daughter Lavinia. Laura Biagiotti passed away last May at the age of 73 and the collection that was presented during the current MFW was the collection that she designed before dying. I remember being at the Laura Biagiotti fashion show in February when both mother and daughter came out to greet the guests of the show. By far this collection has been the best that Laura has ever designed.

Dedicated to Rome, her home city, it carries an

amazing Roman touch. Extremely feminine dresses and elegant pants made of silk, taffeta and chiffon, Laura’s last collection is a praise to a woman. On linen tunics, iconic “Bambola” dresses with frilled chiffons, structured suits with jackets and broad trousers, elegant trench coats in pastel colors, I could witness the appearance of prints and designs of the most suggestive venues of the eternal City. The main color of the collection is white and tells a story of the hyper feminine and romantic dresses.

The number of VIPs present, especially Italian ones, was really impressive! Valeria Marini, Nancy Brilly, Romina Power, Lorella Cuccarini, Benedetta Parodi, Roberta Armani, Cristina Chiabotto, Carlo Cracco, Livia Firth and the Russian TV presenter, Natasha Stefanenko, who was covering the fashion show for a TV program. Everyone admired Laura because she was extremely kind and humble and very talented. It was touching to see the videos of Laura on the big screen after the show and many had tears in their eyes. It was an awesome tribute to an amazing lady who knew how to bring out and celebrate the powerful feminine side of a woman.

Apart from famous tributes, MFW was booming with important parties and events. The most important, of course, was the amfAR Gala of Milan. Held on the 21st of September at the modern museum la Permanente, it was definitely one of the most important events in town.

Actually, the most important. amfAR events are well known for the numerous celebrities supporting it and this year was no exception. The red carpet was literally booming with the internationally acclaimed rich and famous. The amfAR Foundation Chairman of the Board Kenneth Cole (a famous American fashion designer) was drowning in the ocean of sheer beauty surrounded by internationally acclaimed models like Alessandra Ambrosio, Karolina Kurkova, Irina Shayk, Hailey Baldwin, Claudia Galanti and others.

An amazing number of VIPs joined the Italian fashion community last night to honor Angela Missoni and help raise funds for amfARs innovative AIDS research programs. Passing in front of the amazed paparazzi, were celebrities like Andrea Bocelli, Chiara Ferragni, Jesse Metcalfe, Samile Bermannelli, Tim Blanks, Derek Blasberg, Jamie Campbell Bower, Dean Caten, Dan Caten, Hailey Clauson, Federica Fontana, Georgia Fowler, Nathalie Rapti Gomez, Giorgio Gori, Izabel Goulart, Elsa Hosk, Jon Kortajarena, Margherita Maccapani Missoni Amos, Teresa Maccapani Missoni, Natalie Ludwig, Rosita Missoni, Lottie Moss and many others.

Everyone on the red carpet event practically stood still when they saw in front of them the one and only queen of fashion journalism, Anna Wintour posing in a very simple manner with the amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole. Stunning Karolina Kurkova, in a blue Missoni dress, opened the evening thanking the events sponsors, and introduced Kenneth Cole, who spoke about amfAR's efforts to find an effective AIDS cure by 2020.

Between the auction and Angela Missoni honoring the most famous tenor in the world, Andrea Bocelli took over the stage accompanied by the vocalist Ilaria della Bidia. His performance was unique starting out with the most famous Elvis Presley song “Can't help falling in love with you” and following with the famous “Canto della Terra”. Indeed the extraordinary presence of the great tenor Bocelli made this experience unique and added a special Italian touch to amfAR Milano.

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Another important event was held the day after the amfAR gala and took place in a less elegant, but super original and alternative ambience.

It was the Vogue party themed by Riccardo Tisci, who was the creative director of Givenchy. To celebrate the magazine's September issue, Givenchy and Vogue together hosted a party “The new beginning” in the outskirts of Milan. The theme of the party was Dantes “Devine Comedy with rooms decorated for the evening as Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

Going through “hell”, “paradise” and “purgatory” were important international guests such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber and Ashley Graham. The title of the evening and the dress code “black tie or naked” spoke for itself and many models turned up wearing a bit of “nothing”.

To end the amazing variety of shows and events was the stunning Salvatore Ferragamo Fashion show. Ferragamo staged their fashion show in the most amazing and powerful location of Milan – the building of the stock exchange in elegant Piazza Affari. The garden of the stock exchange was literally booming with famous fashion journalists and bloggers. The models were walking on the glass pavement that was founded on purpose for the show on top of the grass of the garden.

Leading the group of beautiful models was Bella Hadid, stunning as always in an elegant turquoise Ferragamo outfit.

Very picturesque was the sculpture in the middle of the stock exchanges garden. The statue of a pointing middle figure was practically the “funny” part of the fashion show. Following the event, there was an afterparty inside the building of the stock exchange where guests enjoyed a light dinner and a real concert. Suki Waterhouse, the new face of Ferragamo's perfume, was the guest of honor together with the lovely Hofit Golan and many other VIPs. Once more, Ferragamo proved to be the showstopper and a brand that knows how to make an amazing celebration for their clients.

In this endless chain of elegant celebratory events, Milan Fashion Week proved once more that fashion is still out there - not only on the runway, but also in the crowd of emerging bloggers and new stylists, in the crowd of people who came over to Milan just for the sake of seeing a fashion show. Everything in the name of the one and only god - the god of Fashion.

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PONER Nikol and Jakub are two siblings who have been highly influential in the fashion industry in the Czech Republic. Their clothes are worn by clients who would settle for nothing less than luxury. The older sibling, Jakub, has always been inspired by clothing fashion, stitching for his younger sister and dressing her when theywere children. It was Nikol who then decided to move to Prague in 2014, seeing potential in her brother and a great opportunity. It was not long until Jakub took her under his protective wings and together they created the PONER brand.

It was tough in the beginning. They had nothing but passion and each other. The single bedroom they lived in went from being a studio to a bedroom, from a bedroom to a showroom - depending on their needs. In an incredibly short time, however, their name has become a phenomenon and to be dressed by them, today, is an honor. The PONER brand appears at the most prestigious social events, including state events. The fabrics from which they create are amongst the most exclusive materials in the fashion industry.

Hand embroidered lace is complemented by Bohemian crystal stones. Their models are also known to be synonymous with luxury.

You can find the brand at Atelier, which is housed in the cradle of history, the Hundred-spired Prague. The PONER siblings have successfully conquered Prague as well as the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

They are now focusing their attention on world-class clients in order to expand into a global fashion brand.

You can see their work on instagram poner_official or www.ponerofficial.com.

PONER www.ponerofficial.com

FASHION

LONDON FASHION WEEK

By Heather Bird - Tchenguiz

L

ondon Fashion Week #LFW was another big hit! Keeping “Fashionistas” and “Socialites” diaries full of fun and fashion.

The Ralph & Russo show was hard to miss on Instagram and was posted far and wide

by Robert Tchenguiz, Julia Dybowska, Mahsa and Brandon Nejati and so many more.

The circular run way was avant-garde and impossible to take your eyes off. The designs were stunning and will surely be seen out at the

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best private parties and the launch of the new Annabels Nightclub in London.

Le mystere demeure in Soho saw the viewing of Stephen Webster’s commanding jewels, exquisite!

This year…. Big is beautiful and all walks of life are attracted to these strong and masculine jewels, they even speak to skaters as well!

Amanda Cronin showed up to adore the jewels and catch up with Assia Webster and all of the

many other glamorous guests. Nicky Summer and Heather Bird-Tchenguiz were trying on rings and trying not to drool too conspicuously.

The London Playboy Club hosted glamour designer, Nina Naustdal’s high-end fashion gowns and everyone turned out to watch the singing performance before the runway….

Christian Vit, the Holby City and Game of Thrones actor, was photographed with wellknown celebrities on the red carpets such as Hofit Golan who made a special appearance

even though she had to wear a boot for her broken ankle. She still managed to look stunning and sexy! Liz Brewer had her front seat spot next to socialite Eva Potel, Heather Bird- Tchenguiz and Christian Vit. Panthea Parker looked ravishing and her smile brightened the room. Rhea Elliot-Jones was there too, always there to support Nina and be the life of the party.

Alice Temperley chose to reveal her designs at London’s premiere hot spot Annabel’s nightclub after a delicious three course meal when all our bellies were full and happy, the guests were then able to feast their eyes on Alice’s flowing fashions! Hats off and gratitude to Amanda Wakeley and to the 2017 London Fashion Week team and all of the designers who participated and the attendees who turned out to watch and support our London designers!

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FASHION

FFWD 10 seasons of style for Fashion Forward Dubai!

By Fat Kid For Fashion

F

ashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) celebrated its 10th season this October, a milestone achievement for the Dubai fashion community.

FFWD was launched by Dubai fashion maverick and FFWD CEO, Bong Guerrero, in 2013, and has steadily gained recognition in the fashion industry as the region’s most “international” fashion week.

In a continued show of support, Dubai Design District (d3) hosted FFWD10 in the newly developed Design Quarter in d3. Home to the region’s growing community of creative thinkers, d3 is part of the Dubai Government’s plan to create an innovation-led economy and to promote Dubai as a hub for creativity and innovation.

I caught up with Deeny during FFWD10.

He expressed his sincere praise for the Dubai Government and local fashion community for developing a solid platform for regional creatives to distinguish Dubai as a fashion capital. Deeny commented that Dubai would certainly be able to establish itself as one of the top 20 fashion cities in the world, but qualified this statement, adding that Dubai

Incorporating fashion, retail, education and entertainment on a much larger scale than previous seasons, FFWD10 evolved to become a true celebration of regional and international fashion and cultural diversity. A total of 29 labels showed at FFWD10, both couture and ready-to-wear. This season also marked the first wave of shows from truly international designers, such as Korean designer Eudon Choi and Syrian designer Nabil Nayal.

The education component of FFWD10 involved an expanded series of Fashion Talks – the highlight of which was the live interview with Paris-based fashion critic Godfrey Deeny. Deeny, who was recently appointed as inaugural international editor-in-chief of Fashionnetwork. com, is listed by the Business of Fashion as one of the 500 most influential people in the industry. He amused audiences with his tales of life as a front-row critic and gave budding critics sage career advice and industry insight. Deeny’s message clearly struck a chord with the audience who gathered eagerly to speak with the critic post-interview.

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would never “be Paris”. Top picks from Deeny for FFWD10: Lara Khoury, Essa by Essa Walla, and Uniti by Babak Vosoughi.

The themes of sportswear and glamour noticeably dominated the FFWD10 catwalks: Labels to watch: athletic collections by

designers Mashael AlRajhi and Nabil Nayal and stunningly sumptuous collections by design houses, Amato Couture and Essa and the recently established Atelier Zuhra.

Mashael AlRajhi | With the announcement that women drivers would be permitted in Saudi, right to movement has been on the agenda for women in the Gulf this year. In perhaps what could be seen as a reflection of current times, a historic achievement was made

by Saudi designer Mashael AlRajhi in collaboration with Nike – the catwalk debut of Nike’s first sport hijab. Made in consultation with elite Islamic athletes, Nike developed the synthetic sport Hijab known as the “Nike Hijab Pro”.

The hijab was showcased with Mashael’s latest collection, which merged elements of Saudi heritage and regional iconography with a gender neutral, modern outlook.

Models wore Nike Downtowns throughout, which continued the athletic aesthetic.

Nabil Nayal | Londonbased Nabil Nayal, presented Elizabethan Sportswear IV - the fourth in a series by the Syrianborn designer.

Nayal was the world’s first designer to employ 3D printing technology in his work in 2010 and the winner of many prestigious awards including the Royal Society of Arts Award and the British Fashion Council MA Scholarship Award. His utter devotion to his craft has been applauded by fashion world luminaries such as Karl Lagerfeld, Nicholas Ghesquiere and Delphine Arnault.

Nayal’s particular interest in Elizabethan craftsmanship and technology is apparent in

his latest collection. Recontextualising historic-techniques using the latest technologies, Nayal has demonstrated a fresh, sophisticated approach to sportswear.

In my post-show discussion with Nayal, he explained that his work is “rooted in 16th century and I am obsessed with Elizabeth I and the Elizabethan period in general. From my research, I have extracted a set of principles which inform my design work. For instance, the ruff, my use of black and white, sleeves, ornamentation. I take this set of principles and clash it with contemporary sportswear technologies to disrupt the process, which leads me to arrive at new creative outcomes”. And what an amazing creative outcome indeed – oversized shirts with sleeves slashed and draping to the floor and familiar sportswear silhouettes made new with Elizabethan ruffs (starched frill worn around the neck in Elizabethan times).

The designer’s specific inspiration for this season is the Rainbow Painting of Elizabeth I. Nayal explained that, “a piece of the dress depicted in this painting has recently been discovered. If you look closely you can see tiny eyes and ears, which were embroidered on her gown. This was to symbolize her power and to let those who conspired to overthrow her know not to mess with her as she had spies everywhere watching and listening for those who plotted against her”. Nayal has captured this mystery and intrigue this season through collating spying eyes and ears throughout this season’s collage-printed pieces. Nayal made an interesting observation that “in our modern world, where nearly everyone has a smartphone, everyone has the power to be the eyes and ears. So it is interesting that there is a modern relevance there”.

This season’s collection is particularly special as it features intricate and period accurate Elizabethan buttons and lace.

Attention to detail clearly being of great importance to the passionate designer, Nayal worked closely with a crafts-lady who specializes in making these accurate reproductions of Elizabethan lace and buttons. Elizabethan technique was also present in the construction of the smocked garments, which were handpunched (an Elizabethan technique) showcasing to the world renaissance construction methods.

Essa | Dubai designer and “King of Kaftans”, Essa Walla, made a catwalk comeback this year with his latest collection, SPOILT, marking the designer’s return to the industry after a 3-year hiatus.

Much anticipated and well received by loyal clientele and critics alike, the show was a sensation. Displaying a racier more sophisticated aesthetic, the collection featured brave shapes, embellishment, shimmer and shine..and a departure from the saturated color palette often present in Essa’s previous work.

Essa explained, in our post-show dissection, that his inspiration for the collection was “a fierce, decadent, over the top, Lolita-esque woman”. Dubai, the home of glamour and opulence, has no doubt provided the designer with many a muse. Critic, Deeny, praised the collection for its boldness and “rock-star princess” appeal. Deeny also praised Essa for his “ego and bravery”, an attitude that certainly seems to have manifested in SPOILT - possibly the designer’s strongest work to date.

Essa plans to launch a new ready-to-wear collection in coming months, and to continue to create the dynamic, spectacular pieces

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for which he is known, for his private clientele. There is also rumor that the designer will launch an exclusive accessories line next year in collaboration with a celebrated art jeweler.

Amato Couture | Closing FFWD10 in trademark dramatic style, Amato Couture left audiences breathless this season - literally. The show plunged the audience into the depths of the sea – specifically, the abyssal zone that remains in darkness - in a spectacle of light and sound. The audience emerged from the abyssopelagic into the light to be greeted by glittering models, encrusted in pearls and shimmer, floating through an aquatic wonderland, each encased in a gown or dress awash with intricate beadwork, feathers and ruffles.

Amato, the brain-child of much-awarded designer Furne One, means ‘beloved’ in Italian. And beloved it is, by the adoring fans and critics who have witnessed Amato’s continued success since 2002. Famed for staging seasonal avant-garde, outlandish and dramatic shows, Amato continued to amaze the audience at FFWD10; but was the clothing as impressive as the theatre? Yes. Exquisite. Beautiful gowns, streamlined, intricate dresses and artistically constructed coats were showcased each with the signature Amato twist.

In my interview with the enigmatic Amato designer, Furne explained the concept behind this season’s collection of chaotic opulence and romance – the many faces of the woman and her emotional and spiritual journey through darkness and light. Every year the Amato collection is a tribute to the silent strength of women – this year, the focus of the tribute is the women that have fought adversity to triumph against it and rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes. The triumph of this season was most certainly the final ensemble, worn by stunning Amato model-muse, Ayan. Ending the show dramatically, Ayan unfurled in a magnificent shimmering raven colored construction – a work of art that took several months to create.

Atelier Zuhra | Atelier Zuhra captured hearts with their impressive floral themed collection. The atelier magnified the beauty of the models who paraded an endless array of divine gowns and dresses featuring the most delicate of embroidery, tulle, sequins, tassels and crystals. Established only in 2015 by businesswoman Mousa Al Awfi with creative direction by Ryan Pacioles, the Dubai atelier’s timeless creations are a favorite of the Dubai fashion elite.

FFWD10 was certainly a success – a real coup for both FFWD and Dubai. Occupying an entire district this year, FFWD has developed into a dynamic, energetic 3-day fashion extravaganza which is drawing international interest to Dubai as an inspiring, dynamic, fashion and design destination.

Perhaps the question is not whether Dubai can ever be Paris…but whether Paris can ever be Dubai?

Fat Kid For Fashion Fashion writer based in Dubai with a love of couture & cakes.

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rotana.com

CARS

British Motoring Summer

By Leila Russack

Goodwood Festival of Speed - Chichester

T

he girls are at it again, driving the miles into our F-types at speed along the A3 for the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend in Chichester. Our just-in-case packing didn’t have quite enough chiffon, but no matter, we brought enough Champagne. I wore McLaren orange and my girlfriend wore her signature linen white. Both of us in reasonably sensible shoes, as we were warned, there is a lot of walking, and I was promised a chance for the Hill Climb.

Hay bales and burning rubber is the perfume of the British motoring season, and in this beautiful English Summer, it is welcomed and divine.

My friend sneezes, “Where are those ear plugs?” We swap tissues and squishy latex and take a spot by the grid. The crowd watches Andrew Jordan tickle his right foot in a silver Eagle Speedster Low Drag GT, grabbing it into the first corner, smoke billowing into the trees. A Jaguar pouncing through the mist.

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Add five or six decades of design and technology and we are at the Jaguar F-types which we know and love at the JLR pavilion. Geoff escorts us to the VIP section and gives us over to the ruthless Rosco. The former F1 driver swings me about the drift track, screaming and laughing, my hair flying everywhere. “We’ve got to learn how to do this!” Shredding tyres at a rate of 60 per day, we thank the designer for the holding bar on the passenger side console.

The Noble M600 on display at the Michelin stand had the sexiest roaring revs and the loudest crackle I’ve ever heard, we really needed the earplugs for the demonstration after all. “What I'd do to touch that peddle in there!” Noble are making one of the last manual transmissions in modern cars, which makes me love it more. Peter Dyson offers us a sit in the red metal wonder, and we dream a little dream. “Now this is a real car!” You can hear it a mile away and it really is the stand out of the modern cars at the festival.

That brings me to my main question-slash-gripe. How is it that McLaren don't do a stick shift? They made a Lego 720S, but they retail automatics and I abhor paddle shifts. They get in the way of the steering wheel!

My word, though, is the 1967 Can-Am a beauty on the Goodwood track? Bruce McLaren lost his life on the Goodwood track at Woodcote in 1970 testing the M8D. The 650S is modelled with the Can-Ams in mind. I just wish they'd put a stick shift in instead of those pesky paddles.

Nevertheless, we adored the 570s and 720Ss on the hill-climb, and the new paint colours pretty much sealed the deal for my girlfriend.

Mercedes gave us a spark with the Turbo green GT machine. Andre d'Cruze, a charismatic stunt driver for films like adrenaline-filled Rush, tells us the reason he calls it, The Beast. “The AMG GTR certainly keeps you focussed past the flint wall. The gear changes are aggressive and the brakes pin you to the belts!” My friend congratulates Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi with his new plastic playtoy Pininfarina V8 creation, the 600 brake horsepower EF7. On our way to get another coffee from the McLaren marquee, we meet Rene Arnoux at Gerry Judahs iconic FOS central feature. Rene raced the canary yellow 1977 Renault RS01 and what a vision he is in his racing overalls, my favourite you know.

We retire to what we thought would be dining heaven and bump into Tiff Needel, who is already sawing through a loosely abbreviated steak. “More wine!” He insists, I concur, “How dare they serve this to a legend!” The Goodwood Hotel has a novice on the crepes stand outside, which is intermittently on fire in a safety-hazard way, and it takes a good half an hour to squash and serve anything to us. “No one here had an interview!” We opt for the Crown Inn in Chiddingfold for our subsequent square meals as there is nothing worse than bad steak

and malnutrition. Tiff MCs at the Sponsors ball at Goodwood House, and he sincerely advises us to party-crash. “We're too sophisticated to do that, Tiff !” But it does remind us to get our outfits and tickets organised for the GP Ball.

Grand Prix Ball - Hurlingham Club We are both fitted in floor-length Herve Leger and sparkling Alice McCall at the Hurlingham Club on the red carpet studded with a bold BAC Mono, the new company who won one of the Hillclimb time trials at Goodwood, an electric-blue McLaren and midnight berry Weismann.

We take care with every step in Valentinos as we are invited to the grounds for the Formula One display. Clayton Kingman of Twitter to

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CARS

Track infamy drives through. He peels off the racing onesie like James Bond in black-tie and lace-up driving shoes. “Don't let me fall on your Hesketh!” I jibe at Clayton, holding my waist. “Heels are not meant for the lawn.”

We find ourselves privy to the charms of two Scotsmen fit in kilts, recanting any lewd comments about their National Pride. They are sponsors of the event, and after a photo opportunity, they take us to meet their friend Pierre Gasly at the only glass doors that don't have a pile of broken Champagne glasses, however, it's precisely where we have the Diors knocked from our clutch by the host. A guest recognises our eye rolls and and shakes his head.

Tiff shushes the crowd with the guest mic, and comes forth for safety, “Are you two the only girls without an Instagram sponsor?” There is, my friend concurs, a remarkable lack of couture at this Ball. “Balls are hit and miss these days,” we overhear an aficionado. “We should have snuck in some real Champagne,” whispers another. Those half-bottles of Dauby would be perfect, we joke. We were outbid on the access-all-areas F1 International experience and the Beatles Swimming photograph.

All proceeds of the auction went to the Wings for Life charity, which really reminded us that we shouldn’t be quibbling about the Prosecco, because some people in the world make no excuses to make the most of often dire situations. No one was discussing aerodynamics or brake horsepower by the end of the evening, we were dancing to The Gypsy Kings with the kilted set and other fun sponsors.

British Grand Prix - Silverstone Our drive to Silverstone on Sunday at 7am pre-empted heavy traffic

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on the M40 and not enough parking, and with barely a BMW in sight, my friend said I was being a little Speedy Gonzales. I’m not the Latino of us, but I certainly enjoy the sixth gear in sports mode, who doesn’t?

Especially on that amazing curve at High Wycombe. The first race of the day was the early starting Formula Two. We gathered with the team supporting Oliver Rowland at the Luffield stand. Unfortunately he was penalised three places for passing up into third place at the grid. “But how can you help yourself in a thing like that?!” His PR manager laughs. “True!”

Over 20 identical Porche 911 GT3 Cup cars compete in the Round 5 2017 Porsche Super Cup. We see them race around Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote from the British Racing Drivers Club. In good company with nice Champagne, we lunch on oysters and smoked salmon before heading back up to the terrace for the Formula One. “What a view!”

The roar of the engines is so loud. My friend reads the quote across the track. “Sebastian Vettel You Naughty Boy!” We witnessed Lewis Hamilton's fifth British Grand Prix win in the second last year of Silverstone hosting. Hamilton ticked the racing history checkbox with local legends like Jim Clarke and Alain Prost with his win. The energy bubbled from the track and into our Champagne flutes, we were excited as we were whipped up from the BRDC to the Paddock Podium for the Flying Scot Sir Jackie Stewart and his wife Helen's presentation of the trophies for the ecstatic confetti-fledged UK win and the melodramatically sullen Finns placing second and third. Kimi Raikkonen tipped the magnum up, drinking straight from the bottle like a true Finn, and Valtteri Bottas fizzed it up, partying Hamilton-style shaking it at the media. However, the two Finns waited for the crowd-surfing Brit, who was back long after we ran through the pits, finding shelter from the rain in the Red Bull bar.

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CARS

The Bridge

By Reyna Rosenhein

Proud owner of a 1997 DB-7 Aston martin convertible in midnight blue with white piping, just like James Bond!

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he Hamptons in summer is New York City's destination for fun.

Parties, friends, family, incredible homes, and all sorts of sports, from polo at the Southampton Hunt and Polo Club to kite-surfing in Montauk – the Hamptons has something for everyone. My favourite month "out east," as New Yorkers refer to the Hamptons, is September.

The ocean is at its warmest, the crowds are slightly dispersed and the weekends are filled with interesting cultural events.

In this environment, it is hard to stand out, but somehow THE BRIDGE managed to be one of the top events of the summer, which is an impressive feat in only its sophomore year.

Located on the modern golf club in Bridgehampton, which was once the Bridgehampton racecourse, more than 100 post-war sports vehicles, classics and modern supercars from around the world were on display.

The immense beauty of all these colorful cars, against the open golf course and the blue skies made it easy to imagine what a race day must

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have been like on that very spot. A number of classic and exotic cars set the tone for the day, creating excitement and buzz: the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88, the 1957 Jaguar XKSS, a favorite of Steve McQueen, the 1973 signal yellow Porsche 911E, in its original splendor, the 1980 BMW M1, designed by the renowned Giorgetto Guigiaro, and the 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 with a periscope as a rear view mirror.

The event also featured prominent art galleries, such as the Marlborough Contemporary Gallery and the David Kordansky Gallery. Burgess Yachts had a stand and Richard Mille watches were prominently on display. The yachts, watches and art were for sale. The cars, sadly, were not.

The first series of cars on display on arrival, past the helicopter parked on the front lawn, was the most impressive and colorful line up of Porsches I have ever seen. There were so many magnificent vehicles that it was hard to decide where to begin. The cars were presented across all 18

holes of the golf course, a stunning backdrop for these exquisite feats of engineering and beauty. Two of my personal favourites came courtesy of the Classic Car Club in NYC – the 1964 Lincoln Continental and the 2017 McLaren 570s.

As we walked the course, admiring the multitude of cars, a mixture of old and new, right and left-handed drives, and every color under the sun, there was also no shortage of food and drink – and even cigars – o keep us energized for our stroll through car heaven. Food stations from some of the finest restaurants throughout New York provided delicacies so we could walk and nibble. Also on offer was the simplicity of popsicles and various sweets. My favourite stand had a Peruvian-meets-Asian twist, spicy and delicious. The fish and chips and the oyster bar were a close second and third respectively.

up in the best elements of the American Dream. It was an event filled with wonder and simple pleasures. As the sun was setting, and the band was playing, and we were finally sure we had seen every car on the course, I thought to myself that we must certainly return next year. I am already planning my wardrobe – possibly something in Ferrari red.

This event would not have been possible without all the hard work and dedication of the founders, Robert Rudin, Shamin Abas and Jeffrey Einhorn, whose combined passion for collecting cars convinced all the owners to allow the rest of us to revel in their prized possessions. They put together the finest collection of antique and modern race cars that I have ever seen – and I have seen a lot.

The original racetrack was built in 1957, and Bob Rubin (an avid car collector who bought the property in 1992) turned it into a golf course, keeping the most important part of the circuit intact. He added checkerboard flags to mark each of the 18 holes as a constant reminder of the heritage of this incredible property and perfect setting to showcase these immaculate vehicles. The main focus was on cars built between 1957 and 1974 that would have qualified to race on the Bridgehampton circuit in its heyday.

Some of the cars met the original track’s racing standards, such as the uber-rare 1990 Porsche 964 lightweight, the 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster, and my personal favourite, the 1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider. Many of the cars – although ineligible to race – were included simply because they were incredibly cool. There was even a baby blue Ford GT with white polka dots which exactly matched my dress. And at certain set times throughout the day, some of the most powerful engines in history were started up so we could all hear them purr.

The whole day was worth it when I saw the look of pride and admiration on my father’s face when he saw the exact MG-MGA in racing green with tan interior (albeit with different rims, as he was fast to point out), that he bought as his first car, then later sold to buy his first property.

Each and every guest I met were happy to share a story, memory or dream about one or many of the cars. Listening to my father and others talk to strangers and friends alike about what the different cars meant to them was enlightening, often amusing, and mostly just fun.

There are very few universal loves in our divided world. A love of beautiful cars is one that unifies people of all ages and backgrounds. I saw people from all ends of the earth sharing their love and admiration for these amazing vehicles. There were super sexy ladies taking selfies with the cars; there were petrol-heads looking under hoods; there were knowledgeable car collectors educating the rest of us; and there were simple admirers like myself imagining how it would feel to race one of these beauties.

It was a perfect day to spend with my father and our friends, an excuse to wear a pretty 1950s-style dress, meet new interesting people and share in the joy of all that beauty and power combined, as fast cars are tied

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LEISURE

Fairmont The Palm Named after the iconic Palm Jumeirah, Fairmont The Palm is the perfect luxurious family resort in Dubai that offers lavish rooms and suites overlooking the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai Skyline.

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ach of the 381 guest rooms and suites offers the utmost in contemporary elegance, along with authentic Arabic elements. Many guest-rooms come with large balconies providing panoramic views of the Dubai Marina, Arabian Gulf or the distant city skyline.

Guests can celebrate the finest flavours with a choice of world-class restaurants and lounges, including; Brazilian “Frevo”, Mediterranean “Seagrill Restaurant and Lounge”, Indian “Little Miss India”, international “Flow Kitchen”, hand crafted patisserie “Delicacy”, 24 hour lobby lounge “Masharabiya Lounge”, quintessential bar and lounge “The Cigar Room” and an interactive cooking studio “The Chefs Palette”.

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Awarded as the 'Best Family Beach Club' for two consecutive years, Fairmont Falcons Kids Club offers extensive activities for children aged 3 years up to 15 years old in a friendly and cozy surroundings, in addition to a lavish family Friday brunch at Flow Kitchen with child friendly menus at all of its restaurant outlets.

The resort presents a wide range of leisure and outdoor activities including four outdoor temperature-controlled swimming pools, private white-sand beach and a full-service state-of-the-art health club with group exercise classes. Classes include PRAMA, the latest LED based circuit training, Aquaspin™, Muay-Τhai, teenage fit sessions and yoga and boot camps taught by the best in personal trainers. Beach sports lovers can

choose their favourite activity from volleyball, football, table tennis as well as watersports options, or wind down with meditation experiences with State of One services.

A winner of Resort Spa of the Year, Middle East & Africa for 2016 and 2017, the Willow Stream Spa reflects the energy of its tranquil surroundings with authentic spa experiences. Offering a vast array of treatments for face, body, massage and hammam, there is a choice of indoor and outdoor spaces, large steam area, experiential showers, 13 treatment rooms, couples rooms and a traditional Moroccan hammam. The Spa is known for its comprehensive wellness programs and staying one step ahead of the game with creative partnerships including, Kerstin Florian International, Shiffa Dubai, Dr Levy and Dr Rita Rakus that represent a group of acclaimed brands that each deliver unique rejuvenating and anti-ageing benefits.

Fairmont The Palm is the perfect beachside resort to host a variety of functions ranging from meetings and conferences, social functions, corporate team building exercises to the idyllically themed weddings in its eight versatile event areas spanning over 3,000 square meters. Here, every meeting or function is tailor made to provide a memorable event.

Only 25 minutes from the Dubai International Airport and close enough to explore the beautiful Dubai Marina, guests can discover popular local attractions and unrivalled shopping at Dubai Marina Mall and the world's largest retail destination – The Dubai Mall. Golf enthusiasts can also enjoy magnificent championship golf courses just a short drive away.

For more information, please visit fairmont.com/palm-dubai

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CINEMA

Venice Film Festival

By Alessandra Zoppi

Venice is among the most beautiful cities in the world, but its art, light, culture and architecture are what make it unique. Once a year during the Venice Film Festival, one of the sectors most important and coveted events, it shines brighter than ever.

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he festival's 74th iteration took place between August 30th and September 9th and was customarily centred around Venice’s Lido, the golden island, in the “Palazzo del Cinema”, with its unmistakeable 40s-style architecture, the nearby Casino and the striking Hotel Excelsior.

In the final day leading up to the grand opening, all eyes turn to the Danieli hotels breath-taking roof terrace for the Variety-hosted cocktail party, “Faces of a Woman #Faces4venice.” The event is held in the honour of Annette Bening, the first woman chairman of the jury, elegant and discreet, who, beginning tomorrow, will be obliged to shun the press until the final ballots are cast. After a few cocktails, accompanied by the evergreen music of DJ Joe T Vannelli, its time to get ready for the next day official opening ceremony.

The festivals first red carpet is both institutional and glamorous: authorities, producers and Matt Demon, lead role in the “out of competition” presentation “Downsizing,” by Alexander Payne, paraded into the main hall, where chairman Paolo Baratta and director Alberto Barbera officially inaugurate the 74th Venice Film Festival with Alessandro Borghi to host the opening ceremony. The young and

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dashing Italian actor, alongside his girlfriend Roberta, both in headto-toe Gucci for the duration of the festival, is perfectly at ease in his new role.

The event picks up right from the beginning, with films being screened daily at every hour on the Lido, while in town Venetian palazzos, the citys most picturesque locations, open their doors to cocktail and dinner parties held to celebrate films and actors or launch new initiatives.

My journey begins at the Cipriani Granai, on the Giudecca island, where I attend a cocktail party thrown by Vanity Fair to celebrate legendary photographer David Montgomery’s first Italian retrospective.

“So Wonderful” exhibition – 30 snapshots of renown individuals which rightfully entered our collective imagination. An interstitial exhibition between film, music, fashion, art and pop culture.

It's time to get focused on films. Ai Wei Weis “Human Flow” is a long and touching world journey, from Afghanistan to Sicily’s coast, from Mexico to the United States documenting and telling the stories of all migratory flows while aiming to support their struggle and the refugees

cause. Raw and beautiful images from an artist who never forgets to put himself at the forefront of all his messages.

The following evening, in Palazzo Loredan dell'Ambasciatore, Ermenegildo Zegna present their winter campaign, “Defining Moments”, shot by the late Franca Sozzani's son, Francesco Carrozzini, and starring Robert De Niro and Benjamin Millepied; a thrilling celebration within the palazzos dazzling halls accompanied by an excellent menu and the music of Italian singer/author Alex Britti.

“Victoria & Abdul” is an enjoyable comedy from Stephen Frears, a slightly tweaked true story involving Queen Victoria (the exquisite Judi Dench) and her secretary Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal). Out of competition section.

My personal favourite would have to be “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”, a darkly comic drama from Martin McDonagh.

An outstanding effort from the cast: Frances McDormand, for whom I would've wanted a prize, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. The film went on to win the prize for best screenplay

Downsizing on set

“Mother”, from Darren Aronofsky, was rather nightmarish than a masterpiece yet managed to partially redeem itself through its stellar cast. Jennifer Lawrence was breath-taking in an embroidered tulle dress

by Giambattista Valli, Michelle Pfeiffer left a sparkling trail upon her passage, whereas Javier Bardem needs no further introduction.

“Ammore e Malavita”, a hidden gem from the Italian film sector, was a resounding success shot by the Manetti Bros. Incredibly funny and witty, a masterful musical which playfully mocks “La La Land” while clearly drawing from Neapolitan theatre by casting Claudia Gerini, Giampaolo Morelli and Serena Rossi.

In Venice Harry’s Bar is cinema within cinema: never quiet until the early hours, be it for lunch or dinner, work or leisure, rest assured everyone will be passing through at least on one occasion.

Another renown haunt is Da Ivo restaurant, George Clooney's favourite (he's in Venice presenting his film “Suburbicon.”) Another is one Michelin starred Caffe Quadri, the only restaurant in St. Marks Square, however, the Venetian summer requires one to search for solace in the cool breeze, caressing the many canals river, and what better place to enjoy the breeze than the waterfront terraces of the Gritti Palace, Bauer and Monaco & Grand Canal hotels?

Hidden from prying eyes, with a magnificent view of the Adriatic Sea, the roof terrace atop Lido's Palazzo del Cinema is yet another spectacular spot for a glass of champagne in-between screenings. For actors, majors delegations and guests only. From there, after complimenting Alessandro Borghi on his seemingly effortless tenure as the festivals host, we head off to the final prize-giving ceremony and the 74th Venice Film Festival's closing ceremony.

Awaiting the jury's final verdict is never a dull affair.

Amal and Clooney on the red carpet Leone d'Oro for best film: “The Shape of Water” from Guillermo del Toro.

Coppa Volpi for best actress: awarded to Charlotte Rampling Golden Lions for Lifetime achievement Jane Fonda and Robert Redford My personal prize goes to the beautiful and tres-chic Anna Mouglalis, always wearing Chanel.

The night comes to a close with a happy ending dinner in the Salone degli Specchi (Mirror Hall) followed by a wild dancing party on the Excelsior's beach.

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CINEMA

Zurich Film Festival, 13th Edition

By Maite Plimmer

It's a wrap! Another resounding success for the Zurich Film Festival that took place as usual at the end of September.

Federer in the opening ceremony of the Zurich Film Festival.

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adja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, founders and codirectors of the Festival, have worked incessantly to make Zurich a hub of magic during the 2 weeks of its duration.The number of visitors rose by around 8.5% to 98.300 (previous year: 90.500). With its 160 films, including European premieres, Special screenings, Competitions, parties, International Film Music awards, Tributes and of course, The Golden eye awards, we have been thoroughly spoilt and pampered for choice.

These are some of my personal favorites. I have to admit that with the exception of a few movies this year, most were very thought provoking

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and upon leaving the cinema, I took a while to come back to my own reality. I have the feeling that the movie industry is reflecting the current situation of self-introspection.

"All I see is you" Directed by German Marc Foster. Freud would have had a field day with this one. Dealing with obsessive love. It really touches insecurity, dependency and the fragility of a relationship when changes occur and after years of being blind, one of the partners is able to see and hence no longer depend on the other for everything. The photography is outstanding. The morale of the story being, "The more you force something, the more it tries to escape you.�

"Molly's Game" Ιmagine fast dialogue, sexy smart and manipulative female, wealthy poker players, Russian Mafia, Italian mafia, FBI and Idris Elba. Need I say more? Chastain is phenomenal in the role; she is going places. Aaron Sorkin is a master king and as such got a Career Achievement Award at the Festival. This was his directorial debut , based on the true story of Molly Bloom. The Swiss crowd was very touched when he stated this was his first trip to Zurich and Switzerland, and that after being here for 30 hours, he never wanted to leave.

"Another News Story", I experienced many emotions whilst watching this documentary by Orban Wallace. Anger, shock, and a deep understanding of all parties involved. I cried, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach and in the meantime experienced very mixed feelings about the media, who can colour or tarnish a story, depending on how they report it. The best documentary about the refugee crisis I have seen so far.

"Breath" set in Australia; the photography was out of this world.

The personalities of all involved were very strong. The roles were well portrayed. The father was my favourite character, very traditional and so aware of the danger his son was going towards but always on standby and trusting him to find his own voice. It was Simon Bakers directorial debut and as well as producing the movie, he starred in it too.

"Breathe" was sublime. Oscar material without a doubt. It confirms that in order for a miracle to occur, unconditional love and determination must be part of the equation. Great casting, to the very last role.

Colorful, unforgettable, sad, beautiful, cruel and altruistic. Life at its best.

Congratulations Andy Serkis! My very favourite movie of this 13th ZFF. The Special Gala was in presence of Andrew Garfield (Cast), Andy Serkis (Director), Claire Foy (Cast), William Nicholson (Screenplay), Jonathan Cavendish (Producer), Diana Cavendish ( whose life and her families the movie was based on) The movie was made in 7 weeks and with a very low budget. Bravo once more! Andrew Garfield was presented with a Golden Icon award for his great contribution to cinema so far.

Green carpet "Euphoria"

Golden Icon Award for Glenn Close

"The Wife" It was a great performance by the hybrid Glenn Close. It is a beautifully sad movie. Ego, unconditional love gone wrong and a whole load of family mythology. I liked the Scandinavian realism and the great attention to detail. The Gala premiere was in presence of Glenn Close (Cast), Annie Starke (Cast) and BjĂśrn Runge (Director). Glenn Close received a Golden Icon award and dedicated it to her daughter who was also present and played an important role in the movie too.

"An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" Former US Vice President Al Gore attended the Zurich Film Festival and presented this controversial yet powerful documentary to a crowd with mixed emotions.

There were many more I would like to mention but instead, I will leave you with the link to the festival's webpage www.zff.com and ask you to come over to Zurich next year and join the fun, the lights, the parties, the green carpet and the Swiss.

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CINEMA

The Deauville & Rome Film Festival With Lady Monika Bacardi Lady Monika Bacardi represented AMBI Group at the 43rd Deauville in Festival as well as attended the 12th Rome Festival

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ady Monika Bacardi represented AMBI Group at the 43rd Deauville in Festival

“Whether Italian, French or American, cinema is an integral part of my life.”

Always looking for new projects and new talents, Lady Monika Bacardi travels extensively between the United States and the old continent.

The films of the AMBI group are becoming more and more numerous and make it one of the most important film production groups.

The films in the AMBI catalogue are online and extensive, with a wide selection for you to enjoy.

September is traditionally the month of the famous Deauville American Film Festival. In 43 years, the greatest American actors and directors have passed through the festival and beaches of Deauville.

For this 43rd edition, the jury was chaired by Michel Hazanavicius, assisted by Benjamin Biolay, Emmanuelle Devos, Clotilde Hesme,

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Eric Lartigau, Charlotte Le Bon, Michel Leclerc, Yasmina Reza, Axelle Ropert and Alice Winocour. This year, Monika Bacardi and director Michael Radford presented ‘The Music of Silence’ for its European premiere. It is a biographical film on the famous tenor Andrea Bocelli with, among others, Antonio Banderas.

The Music of Silence is on the official festival page, where you can find out more about the story and the cast.

Lady Monika Bacardi presented the ‘Music of Silence’ for its European Premiere in Deauville. There was a lot of emotion in Deauville for Lady Monika Bacardi who officially presented ‘The music of Silence,’ with director Michael Radford, Antonio Banderas, one of the main roles, and Andrea Iervolino, his partner in the Ambi Group productions. This was an exceptional moment for Antonio Banderas, who made a true declaration of love to the cinema and to the audience during his speech. Antonio Banderas plays Maestro, the singing teacher who will reveal one of the opera's future planetary

stars, Andrea Bocelli. The film was unanimously acclaimed by the public for its European premiere at the Deauville Film Festival and the team were immensely proud.

Lady Monika Bacardi was also in attendance at the 12th Rome Film Festival where she presented Beyond the Sun out of competition.

On this occasion, she was accompanied by her associate Andrea Iervolino, the director Graciela Rodriguez and many children who especially came with white balloons which were hung messages for his holiness Pope Francis.

‘Beyond the Sun’ speaks to a family audience and especially to children, with an evangelical message around the word of Jesus. This is the first time that a sovereign pontiff has appeared in person in a film, the proceeds of which will be donated to Argentine charities.

Shot in Italy, the film will soon be released in cinemas. ‘Beyond the Sun’ was presented for the first time at the Vatican last month in a private screening.

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OPINION

The Playboy Mystique

By Christophe Choo

Beverly Hills real estate broker Christophe Choo remembers Hugh Hefner and the legacy he left behind on South Mapleton Drive.

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hen Hugh Hefner passed away, he left behind a legacy of lavish living elevated by luxury real estate. Mr. Hefner embodied the American Dream. He was a self-made businessman and a purveyor of a life of his own creation, who hosted fabulous parties for fabulous people in silk pajamas and a smoking jacket. I had the fortune of meeting Mr. Hefner on a few occasions — usually during charity events held at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills. Though our meetings were brief, he was always gracious and exciting to be around.

As a self-made businessman myself, I admire the empire and lifestyle Mr. Hefner built. Like

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me, Mr. Hefner had a modest upbringing. He grew up in Chicago, and served two years in the U.S. Army as a noncombatant toward the end of World War II. He married his college sweetheart, Millie, in 1949. He worked in copywriting for a number of years until he decided to start his own publication in 1953.

He called the magazine “Playboy” at a friend’s suggestion; he thought the name reflected sophistication and glamour. Six decades later, Playboy is not just a household name — it has come to represent aspirational living, prestige and yes, sex appeal. Mr. Hefner also embodied the L.A. dream. This is something I continue to champion for my clients everyday. After all,

it’s everyone’s dream to come here and live among the beautiful mansions, palm trees, endless sunshine and movie stars. Mr. Hefner kept that fantasy alive for many people.

The ultimate symbol of that fantasy was the Playboy Mansion, of course. He purchased the landmark estate on South Mapleton Drive for $1 million in 1971. It subsequently became one of the most famous properties in the world, with its iconic 22,000 square-foot Gothic-Tudor style residence, 29 rooms, guest house, swimming pool with infamous grotto and zoo of monkeys, cockatoos, peacocks and other exotic birds. It is one of the few

private properties in Los Angeles with a zoo license and a year-round fireworks permit. The 5-acre compound was also an incredible real estate investment, making its home along the border of the tony Los Angeles Country Club and among L.A.’s most expensive properties.

Just down the street, there is the Manor — formerly the home of Candy and Aaron Spelling, which reportedly sold to British heiress Petra Ecclestone for $85 million. (She has since listed it for $200 million.) In 2016, Mr. Hefner’s mansion reportedly sold for $100 million to Pabst beer heir Daren Metropoulos.

He told The Wall Street Journal at the time that he plans to combine the mansion’s five acres with the neighboring 2.28-acre English Manor estate he purchased from Mr. Hefner’s second ex-wife, Kimberley Conrad. Mr. Metropoulos allowed Mr. Hefner to live out his days in the very mansion that he transformed into a lasting symbol for the Playboy brand.

The mansion, and the playful lifestyle waiting behind the gates, has a mystique that remains sought-after by many people around the world.

Once, I took a Norwegian friend visiting L.A. to a property I sold across the street from the Playboy Mansion. Like so many young men, his dream was to go to the Playboy Mansion.

I told him, “Keep your eyes open because you never know when you’ll see one of the bunnies coming out!” Sure enough, he kept his eyes glued on that property the entire time!

Eventually, the gates opened and he could see a few girls getting out of a car. It was a fun L.A. memory he carried with him all the way back to Norway. When I sold the house next door to the mansion in 2011, I would often hear the peacocks calling and just laugh to myself. Only in L.A. and only at the Playboy Mansion!

Mr. Hefner was a man of his own invention, a man of mystery, but he was also an invention only made possible in Los Angeles. Where else in the world could a man from humble beginnings carve out a whole new lifestyle and vision for himself ? This is the land of dreamers. I can’t think of a better place to sell the ultimate dream: luxury real estate.

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HOTEL HUUS GSTAAD Taste, Comfort and Adventure

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literary great once questioned, “What are men to rocks and mountains?” A valid point when considering the staggering magnitude of the Alpine peaks. Here in the glorious Swiss Alps, amid supreme natural wonders, it becomes clear exactly what man’s status is - explorer, adventurer and humble houseguest.

Set 1,111 meters above sea level in the heart of the Bernese Oberland, the spectacular surroundings of HUUS Gstaad permeate every aspect of the hotel - from the tangible to the experiential. Housed in a traditional wooden-clad chalet, the 136-room hotel transcends simple Swiss hospitality to embody the home of a close friend. Defined by pine lined valleys, snow-capped peaks and clusters of impossibly picturesque gingerbread-house chalets, HUUS Gstaad’s design concept is influenced by the centuries-old traditions and legendary hospitality that permeate this pocket of the Swiss Alps.

Striking the delicate balance between a restful retreat and acting as a community hub for like- minded adventurers and adrenaline junkies, HUUS Gstaad is the ultimate house for all seasons. From the adventure lounge, restaurants, spacious spa, and fully fledged

family area to the all- inclusive activities and complementary equipment, HUUS Gstaad is the sheer embodiment of Bernese bonhomie. And one things for certain – you’re all invited…

Huss Gstaad’s all-inclusive Summer Program is a seven-day schedule of activities: Monday – Friday - guided bike tour with the latest models from Rocky Mountain Bicycles Monday – Saturday – guided nature walks through the region Tuesday – Abseiling and Tyrolienne Wednesday –Rafting along the Saane or Simme River Thursday – High Rope Course Friday – Guided bike tour with the latest models from Rocky Mountain Bicycles Saturday – Canyoning Sunday High Rope Course The Region: With just 7,000 inhabitants, Gstaad-Saanenland is known for its secluded, relaxing retreats, yet it is its world-class cultural programs, outstanding skiing, and “chalet-chic” exuberance that makes it one of Switzerland’s premier destinations. The area around the hotel offers 220 kilometers of slopes and trails for skiers of all levels and a full immersion into nature through river rafting, family canyoning, rappelling, rope park adventures, bike tours, and more.

Evenings at Huss Gstaad can be spent in one of the hotels four restaurants where Head Chef Giuseppe Colella and his team serve a range of dishes made with the best organic, locally sourced ingredients. Then it’s onto the hotel’s rooftop bar or garden, where guests can enjoy a sundowner to the sounds of resident DJ Ewald Klassen.

With the philosophy ‘think global, act local’, community integration is as ingrained in the DNA of HUUS Gstaad as its sense of adventure. From working with regional suppliers when stocking the kitchen pantry, to employing neighboring artisans and local businesses during the renovation process, the hotel blends seamlessly into its locale.

Wellness – a healthy balance of the mind and body. Those needing a break from the outdoor adventuring are encouraged to explore the hotel’s spa, spread across 2,000 square meters and three floors, which takes the concept of relaxation to another level. Here, the Finnish sauna, offers panoramic views of the gardens below, while the aromatic sauna allows guests to unwind after a long day on the slopes. Other features include an ice fountain, herbal steam bath, panoramic swimming pool, children’s spa and yoga classes.

The two treatment rooms also offer invigorating massages and facials to rejuvenate weary bodies and minds.

ADDRESS | Schönriedstrasse 74 3792 Saanen-Gstaad

HUUS Kids | HUUS Bar | The Livingroom and Library

CONFERENCE FACILITIES | Seven meeting rooms |

Switzerland www.huusgstaad.com

| HUUS Terrace

High-speed Wi-Fi

ACCOMMODATION 136 rooms and suites

RECREATION | HUUS Spa | Children’s Spa | 135m2

FOOD & DRINK | La Vue | Tapas y Vino | HÜÜSLI |

panoramic swimming pool | Gym

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From Sochi with Love

By Ksenia Mezentseva

For centuries Sochi was Russia and the Soviet Union’s “hottest” resort and relaxation spot. Tsar Nicholas II came here for hunting trips and Stalin had a dacha (summer house) here and encouraged a massive construction of spa/wellness centers, many of which are still operating today. Its location makes it truly a unique place where, within 40 minutes, you can enjoy sunny beaches of the Black Sea and the newly built snowy ski slopes of Krasnaya Polyana (Red Valley) in the Caucasus Mountains.

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ntil 2007, Sochi has not attracted much of the globe-trotters attention, but once it got the Olympic bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic games, things have changed. The nearly $12 billion investment put Sochi on the global map, making it Russia’s hot spot for summer and winter getaways.

Today Krasnaya Polyana area with almost 100km of ski slopes and several ski resorts, including the trendiest Roza Khutor, is the most popular winter destination in Russia. You can ski, wine, dine and party as

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well - sometimes even better than in many European resorts.

This winter on January 31st – February 3rd Sochi will host the 2nd IKRA Culinary Festival that is an exciting and delicious event to visit.

The line-up of world-renowned chefs this year is quite impressive Virgilio Martinez from Lima’s Central, Esben Holmboe Bang from Oslo's Maaemo, Mauro Colagreco from Mirazur in Menton along with famous Russian chefs who will cook exclusive dinners, host master classes and lectures. The organisers are also promising exciting concerts, performances and parties.

#toSTAY Roza Khutor Radisson in Red Valley Mercury in Red Valley Grand Hotel Polyana

#toEAT Alaska. Located next to the Olympia lift, Alaska is a great spot for lunch.

Juicy burgers, famous grilled chicken and shawarmas are accompanied by a great wine list and even the occasional dancing on tables.

Baran – Rapan. One of Sochi's main gastronomic meccas. The chef collects local unique recipes and presents them with a modern twist.

Worth the trip to Sochi if you are staying in the mountains.

Chicha Bar. A second location of the trendy Peruvian spot in Moscow.

Come for a great vibe, delicious cocktails, beautiful crowd and great food.

Che-Kharcho. Caucasian cuisine with all its main hits. Make sure to try desserts – “oreshek” (little walnut) - it is to die for.

Old Boys Pub & Guesthouse. This unique guest house and pub is located in the middle of Caucasus National reserve. No TVs, 3G connection and stores around. To get there in the winter you need to be picked up by their car – a regular taxi or car service cannot drive on the narrow snowy road.

Red Fox. Red Fox is by the White Rabbit Group which put the eponymous restaurant in Best Restaurants of the World list. Red Fox is considered to be the younger brother of White Rabbit – chef Mukhin mastered the blend of native ingredients with an impeccable preparation and presentation of each dish.

Sakhalin. Located just above Red Fox, Sakhalin is a fish-lover’s paradise.

The menu features a seafood bar and a variety of fresh fish of Sakhalin region.

White nights. Come here for khinkali (big juicy Caucasian dumplings) and some vodka shots. A classic (not to be mistaken with “classy”) spot that has been around for ages and is a must visit.

#toRELAX British Banya. Located in Red Valley, the banya was opened 9 years ago by a Brit, who studied different banya rituals and brought the best ones here. Not only it is very pretty visually but supposedly it has the best steam.

Espas. This beautiful spa and banya complex is located in Roza Khutor.

Breathtaking landscape and 3 different banya houses (Russian, Alpes style and Japanese) will guarantee you a relaxing time.

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TR AVEL

My St Moritz

By Alexandra Shishlova

S

t. Moritz is one of the most well-known and prestigious skiing resorts in the world. It is located in the Swiss Alps, in the valley called Engadin. It is the "Top of the World", where the gleaming sun shines 322 days out of the year. From 1930, the emblem of St. Moritz has become the sun. The stable sunny weather, the immovable snow cover, which is 1800 metres above sea level, as well as the clear air, is comparable to dry champagne.

This is one of the only holiday destinations which took part in the Winter Olympic Games not only in 1928, but again in 1948.

In my family, a tradition exists. On Christmas and New Year's you will always find us in St. Moritz, a place which is able to amaze even those who find it challenging to be amazed. In this winter fairytale, I live in a palace, known as Badrutt's Palace. It is a luxurious and splendid castle, which became the symbol of not only a prestigious resort, but also a symbol of a shocking grandeur of the Swiss Alps. The wooden ceilings are manually made and threaded. Gothic arches, marble floors, walls decorated with paintings made by famous artists, including Raphael. His work adorns one of the halls of the first floor, "Le Grand Hall", which deserves a special mention. It is the heart of the hotel. The ample lobby is perfect for grabbing a coffee or having an appetising meal with friends after a long ski-day or a tiring walk around the fantastic lake.

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During the winter season sounds of live music are heard from the hall every evening. The Chocolate Cult is the exhibition of all chocolate products which are on display to try. My favourite is to drink tea made from the Alpine herbs and enjoy one of the gorgeous chocolate creations.

Whenever we arrive to this hotel, it gives us a sense of arriving home.

Every year, the people that come here gather together like a substantial family because every year we all reunite, here at Badrutt Palace. This has become our family tradition for every Christmas and New Year's Eve. St Moritz offers the best New Year's Eve party that I have ever been to in my entire life. We are surprised with a different theme every year and the dress code is strict black tie, which makes the party seem like an unforgettable fairytale.

St. Moritz is celebrated for its exotic winter entertainment, the Golf Championship, which is on a frozen lake with red swords, skiing behind a horse. Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is also one of the most sociable events of the calendar year. The most expensive type of equestrian sport is called The White Turf, which, for almost a hundred years now, annually gathers people of the highest class at the beginning of February. At this particular event, there are the best horses of Europe as well as the best jockeys.

St. Moritz has over a hundred restaurants and bars, where one can dine and delight in a variety of different cuisines from all around the world.

I love La Marmite on the slopes of Corviglia – its owner is Reto Mathis, a man who does not stop surprising me with his unusual yet mouthwatering mix of foods. In his menu there are always dishes with truffles as well as a delicacy such as black caviar. Another cozy place is known as Chesa Veglia. It is a restaurant situated in a building from the 18th century, which is the former museum of a painter called Giovanni Segantini. It is a delicious and fashionable restaurant.

Shopping in St. Moritz is diverse as it includes brands from all over the world. After I finish shopping my friends and I love the Swiss fondue and raclette with a glass of red wine. I also love to go sledding along the route called Preda-

Bergun with other friends on holiday. This route is 5 kilometres and passes the picturesque stone bridge Albula and is protected by UNESCO. At the end of the descent, a special scoreboard will inform you the speed you were racing at.

The atmosphere of St Moritz can be described as that of celebratory and chic. There is everything you could wish for and more. From the best spas to the best nightclubs, all varieties to suit your different tastes. What makes St Moritz particularly special is that, whilst there is an exciting nightlife, it is also a great place to spend time with your loving family. It is a traditional place, contradicting the atmosphere of Courchevel. In my opinion, there is not enough family-time experiences in Courchevel.

I love the traditions and rituals that come with being in St Moritz. Leaving, I always buy

traditional pies with nuts in the confectioner's shop called Houser. Another delicacy I must not forget to mention is a red tangerine covered in sugar-icing, this is one of my favourite.

St. Moritz is often compared to Monaco, people say it is like Monaco if it was in the mountains.

Instead of traditional wooden chalets, which are spotted all over Courchevel, St. Moritz amazes people with its palace architecture, classical Engadin houses and the famous works of Sir Norman Foster including the environmentally sensitive and unique residences of Chesa Futura and The Murezzan. Top of the World" is St. Moritz. To visit this place in Switzerland means to dip into a real winter paradise on Earth. My love for St. Moritz is forever ongoing.

I surely do not see myself visiting any other ski resorts, apart from St. Moritz ever again for Christmas or New Year's Eve.

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Be and Feel the Best You can! with Dr Valeria Acampora

MD, “Age Management Medicine” Specialist, London What is exactly Age Management Medicine?

The field of Age Management Medicine is fairly new to the medical world. Most people just assume it’s “Anti-Aging” Medicine, which has a sort of built-in connotation of vanity or the quest to live forever. Age Management Medicine is a scientifically-based approach to aging, focused on preservation of optimum human function and quality of life, making every effort to slow the process of degeneration of the body that comes with aging. It’s about helping you to look, feel, and function as good as possible, for as long as possible. It’s about enjoying a very high quality of life as you age, continuing to do what you love without becoming increasingly reliant on the care of others – which most of us fear. Age management is a holistic approach to your health and wellbeing by looking at three main reasons for aging such as genetics, chronic inflammation and hormonal balance.

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The basic tenets of Age Management Medicine are patient evaluation through extensive medical history, lifestyle assessment and laboratory evaluation to establish personalized treatment plans.

What are the most common benefits of Age Management Medicine?

The key difference between Age Management Medicine and most other medical specialties is that its approach is proactive. In most fields of traditional medicine, the medical community’s approach is: wait until you get sick, then prescribe treatment. Age Management’s interventions are intended to preserve the highest quality of life for you for the longest period of time. Age Management Medicine goals are to increase energy and decrease fatigue; maintain a healthy metabolism; lower body fat and improve strength; better sleep; increase sex drive and performance; maintain healthy brain function (improve memory,

concentration, mood, motivation); keep your skin healthy and diminish signs of skin aging; decrease the risk of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and other serious ailments; increase overall feeling of well-being – you just feel better!

How does Age Management Medicine work?

We age for three main reasons: our genetic, chronic inflammation and decreased hormones levels. Age Management Medicine is based on a customized approach that aim to reduce chronic inflammation and restore an optimal hormones level through bio-identical hormones replacement therapy (BHRT).

Contact: The Marion Gluck Clinic, 61 Wimpole Street, LONDON W1G 8AH. Tel. +44 (0) 2074022151 www.mariongluckclinic.com

TR AVEL

Cabo San Lucas

By Anya Labonville

C

abo San Lucas thrives as a popular destination for many Californians who live in close proximity to San Diego, as well as many other beach goers from around the world. It's easy to see why Cabo is a popular vacation spot. As one of Mexicos top five vacation destinations with its favorable climate, blue skies, clear, turquoise water, top resorts and festive atmosphere. One of the natural wonders of Cabo is El Arco, “The Arch.�

These rock formations, with circular holes in the center, are majestic rock formations conceived from granite through which you can see a stunning gateway into the southern most tip of Baja California. Historically, it served as a landmark that was vital navigation for Spanish mariners.

Today it serves as natural protection for the barrier reef making it an excellent spot for snorkeling and scuba diving.

The Cabo San Lucas yachting Marina is one of the top tourist destinations. It can accommodate yachts up to 375 feet with a total of 370 slips available. This amenity makes it popular with those in love of a mega-yacht lifestyle, sailing, and sport fishing. The marina serves as a fully-operational boatyard with the necessary conveniences to appease vacationers such as water pump services, modern fuel docks with high speed pumps and a wide array of services for the disposable of owners,

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guests, crews and captains. The areas in and around Cabo offer some of the best deep sea fishing in the world and is home to very competitive sport fishing and tournaments. One of the biggest tournaments in Cabo is Bisbee's Black and Blue Marlin Tournament. This tournament has been around for 35 years now and has had the largest prize money payout in sport fishing history totalling over four million dollars.

If sport fishing isnt something of interest, however, Cabo also offers some of the most breathtaking sunsets, making sunset cruises a big attraction to indulge in. I was personally on one of these cruises with a group of friends for an exclusive event. As the sun melted away into stunning hues of pinks, oranges, and purples, we danced away while sipping on some of the best margaritas. If cruises and fishing arent of interest, there is an array of beautiful golf courses that surround the area to take advantage of too.

For something for the whole family to enjoy, hop on a panga fishing boat and head out to Cabo's most famous natural feature, the Arch. "El Arco" is part of a formation known as the Three Friars, which make up the peninsula's very southern tip, Land's End. On one side you will experience

the Pacific Ocean in all its grandeur and on the other side is the start of the Sea of Cortez. Expect to see crowds of people and cruise ships whilst enjoying the majestic rocks, keep your eyes peeled for pelicans and sea lions too. During early October through to late March, you may even be lucky enough to catch the annual migration of gray whales which bring thousands of these magical creatures to shallow lagoons around the Baja Peninsula. Some only go as far as Laguna Ojo de Liebre, far north, but many go all the way to the Sea of Cortez side and pass right by Cabo San Lucas. There is also the Cabo Pulmo, a Mexican National Marine Park and home to the most breathtaking coral reefs. This would require a full day trip from Cabo, but certainly worth it!

The area surrounding the marina is bursting with vitality with amazing culinary offerings, shopping, and a vibrant nightlife and music scene as far as entertainment goes. Two of the most famous nightlife venues are Cabo Wabo and Squid Roe. Cabo Wabo's festive atmosphere and live music make it a fun venue for spring breakers and regular vacationers alike to dance the night away and get a taste of the Mexican party scene.

It encumbers a joie de vivre and an easy going vibe familiar to indigenous Mexicans. Squid Roe is also a local favorite that features live music and shows, and bottles of tequila with photos from the night are a souvenir available for purchase and make for funny souvenirs to bring home.

One of my personal favourite activities in Cabo is horseback riding on the beach and the horseback riding excursions that are available through the mountains. The tour begins on an operational Mexican Rancho, where the guide takes you up through the back trails where the apex is a heavenly view of Cabo and the ocean. You get to see a whole different view of Cabo in terms of scenery and vegetation with its sandy trails and an array of unique cactuses unlike anywhere else in the world.

As far as food goes, Cabo has an excellent array of tantalizing delicacies and flavours that accompany the dishes. One of the reasons the cuisine in Cabo is so rich with flavour is that Southern Baja happens to be one of the largest exporters of vegetables and herbs. One of my favourite foods that I think is a must for people to try is huitlacoche, which is dubbed the Mexican truffle. The flavour is bold and rich and deviates from regular truffle flavour. The fish tacos in Cabo are unlike any other tacos I've had, particularly at the restaurant Tacos Gardenias. Another is Almejas Chocolatas, known as Chocolate Clams in English this exquisite shellfish is cooked in a stone bed covered by a regional herb called “romerito.� In light of the aforementioned aspects of Cabo, what in fact keeps me coming back is the warm, friendly, and welcoming atmosphere of the Mexican people and their culture.

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

LAURENT LECAMP Independent Luxury

Why did you decide to write a book about independent luxury brands?

There are numerous publications about the big luxury groups. There is also an abundance of literature about the history of luxury. But, strangely, there is nothing about independent luxury brands, nor about their different approaches, innovations, difficulties, successes or failures…But can we really think about luxury without talking about these independent companies that take risks and are incubators?

Independent Luxury is the first book in the world that deals exclusively with independent luxury brands.

With my co-author and very close friend, Jonas Hoffmann, we decided to study independent luxury brands from very different fields: gastronomy, automobiles, jewellery, watchmaking, fashion accessories… These brands all possess what we summarize in our book as the BA2RE approach.

Would you please explain to us the BAARE philosophy?

B for BELIEVING – this is the passion inherent in an individual that creates his or her brand.It is a vital force that you can neither buy nor create. Either it is there… or it is not.

This first stage shows the strength of an entrepreneur who has to have enough self-confidence to create what he wants rather than what his customer (or sometimes his investor!) wants. Remember the famous quote from Henry Ford: “If I had asked customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse!”

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A for ANTICIPATING – this is the very clear vision that an independent brand needs to have of how the market, the environment and the competition will evolve. It’s a question of keeping in tune with the times and future developments.

A for ACTING – then it is a question of getting down to action and launching your products on the different target markets, at the same time developing the resources, competence and processes that this requires.

R for REACHING – this is not about reaching the end consumer but the “fan” or future fan of the product, the person who will like the brand, its products and who will be a genuine ambassador for the brand. In this case, it’s the emotional factor that is key.

E for ENDURING – this is a question of ensuring that the brand can develop and gain strength over time.

Do you think that it could apply to luxury groups as well?

Of course!

The majority of brands which belong to luxury groups were initially independent brands and/or family brands which were subsequently bought out.

For brands belonging to groups though, the most difficult thing, in my view, is being able to give full effect to BELIEVING. Since the founder is rarely still involved after a luxury brand is acquired by a group, it is

essential to breathe passion and belief into the brand and the product. How can this be done? Extra special care must be taken in selecting the CEO and the management team.

You need people who are passionate and motivated, who are sincere in their desire to stay with the company over the medium and long terms; key people who can identify with the product, and take ownership of it as if they had developed or invented it themselves.

They need to “bleed” passion, because this passion will subsequently spread throughout the company’s “arteries”, “contaminating” every team member, every employee. As a result, each one of them will become an ambassador for the brand. It is the concept of BELIEVING which gives meaning and establishes an emotional connection with future buyers of a brand.

The worst thing that a brand can do is to cut business travel during a period of crisis. This makes utterly no sense: it is precisely in such difficult times that markets have most need of reassurance and support.

vision for building the business, and gives the person establishing and developing the brand time to do so. Here too, there is no room for haste in the world of luxury brands.

I personally devote an average of nearly 60% of my time to professional travel so that I can meet my business partners (retailers, department stores, duty free stores, etc.), journalists, bloggers and private clients. These relationships sometimes become something so special that the contacts you make will stay with you throughout your career and, in some cases, your life.

We heard that you are also a lecturer. Is

In this respect, it is relevant to talk about millennials and generation Z, audiences which are of key concern to luxury brands. These generations are first and foremost seeking an experience, an emotion, a meaning – ahead of the product. BELIEVING therefore becomes critical to understanding this target group, too.

that correct?

Absolutely. In particular, I teach on master’s degrees focused on luxury brands and other specialist training courses (new trends, intercultural differences, etc.) in Switzerland, France, the UK and China. In recent months, I have had the opportunity to give lectures at EDHEC Business Schools, SKEMA Business School and CREA in Geneva. In 2016, Jonas Hoffmann and I spoke at the LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION. And I’m currently pursuing discussions about a new project for the end of this year.

Through teaching in several languages in a variety of countries, I’m able to stay constantly active in the various sectors of the luxury industry: watches, of course, but also accessories, jewellery, wines and spirits, and even cosmetics. It allows me to conduct ongoing research into both current and future trends.

In your view, what are the main qualities that an entrepreneur or CEO needs to possess?

Which functions do you have now?

Both entrepreneurs and CEOs must be passionate, and they absolutely must have a presence in their markets!

Having been the co-founder and CEO of Cyrus, I was able to join Carl F. Bucherer, and I am now the company’s Executive Vice President for Sales, CEO Japan and a Board Member.

I’ve seen a lot of luxury brands where the CEOs don’t know their markets and don’t know their business partners, because they travel so little. This is a serious mistake in my opinion.

If you agree with the idea that everything starts with BELIEVING, then it is only logical to share your passion with others. You have to “contaminate” them. A CEO, just like an entrepreneur, is the key person who can do that. Someone like Jean-Claude Biver – who needs no introduction - is a fantastic example.

He spends a huge amount of his time traveling and sharing his passion and enthusiasm in a way few people know how to do.

We work in a sector where human relationships are a vital part of developing our businesses.

Finally, knowing the Japanese and Russian markets as well as you know the Indian market, for example, gives an enormous advantage in terms of both product development and anticipating trends. But also and above all – and this is a point which is frequently forgotten – if you know the sales teams in your markets (including those of your local partners) and if you treat them with respect and consideration, this can be an incredible driver of success.

This takes time, but nothing sustainable has ever been built in the blink of an eye.

The last point I want to make is this: if there is an investor behind the CEO or entrepreneur, it is essential that he or she has a long-term

Tell us more about your philosophy of life? Is it based on the BAARE philosophy as well?

Naturally! Those who know me know that I am a hugely passionate person.

Without passion, man does not amount to much.

Everything starts with BELIEVING. If you get up in the morning and you don’t feel this force within you, then you are not on the right path.

What we get out of life is directly proportionate to what we ourselves put in it.

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You have sold and developed luxury products in more than 70 countries... Do you have any particular anecdotes you can share with us, something special for our readers?

At a watch fair (there were about 40 brands exhibiting), a small boy aged about seven or eight went around the stands asking questions. None of the brands took the time to give him any answers. This little boy came over to my stand and asked me to explain to him one of the products I was exhibiting. He asked so many questions that I ended up spending more than 40 minutes with him! Well, there is no need to tell you that the other brands thought I was being ridiculous spending so much time with a little boy. Why bother?

This same little boy came back to my stand a few hours later, accompanied by his father. His father told me that he had been surprised by the extremely detailed explanations his son had given him and asked me if he could see a specific model, the one that had most impressed his son... It cost EUR 68,000. And he bought it from me!

That is a story worth reflecting on ;-) What should we be most afraid of in business?

Allow me to answer this one with another story.

There is a temple in Kyoto, Ryōan-ji, where there is a rock garden measuring 25 meters by 10 meters.

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Whichever angle you view the garden from, you can only see 14 rocks, although there are actually 15. Business is a reflection of this garden. It is important to always be vigilant and not have too much confidence.

There is always a rock missing, preventing us from seeing a clearer, more accurate picture. It follows that we must work constantly, be curious and humble, and know how to listen and observe. This applies not only to your own field – it is also important to take an interest in everything going on around you. You have to keep looking for that fifteenth rock.

Where does your incredible energy come from?

I have always been like this, I think, but I became even more energetic when someone close to me got sick.

I have no time to lose, so I embrace life to the fullest, with enthusiasm and passion. And I try to keep educating myself as much as possible. Learning provides sufficient satisfaction. I also think that energy levels maintain themselves when you expand the scope of what is possible and give yourself the time to do it. I learned Russian all by myself in eight years. I began to run short distances and now I am taking part in marathons and even trail and ultra-trail events. And tomorrow... let’s see what life brings.

Where will you be in ten years’ time?

I will be answering Ccercle’s question: tell us what you’ve been doing for

22 – 27 March 2018

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FOUR SEASONS

HELV ET I A A N D BR ISTOL

WESTIN EXCELSIOR

Florence

Florence

PORTR AIT

Florence

HOT E L PR I NCIPE FORT E DE I M A R M I Forte dei Marmi

ABANO RITZ Abano

GR AND HOTEL MAJESTIC GIÀ BAGLIONI Bologna

DU E TOR R I HOT E L Verona

VERDUR A RESORT Ta o r m i n a

GR AND HOTEL PAL AZZO DELL A FONTE Fiuggi

ROYAL HOTEL SA NREMO Sanremo

GR AND HOTEL MIR AMARE Santa Margherita Ligure

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

Rome

Rome

Milan

Milan

Milan

Venice

Rome

Rome

Milan

Milan

Florence

Rome

Rome

Milan

Milan

Florence

Rome

Rome

Milan

Milan

Venice

Rome

Rome

Milan

Milan

Venice

S AVOY

CCERCLE PARTNER HOTELS

THE GROSVENOR London

THE CONNAUGHT London

THE KENSINGTON HOTEL London

FLEMINGS MAYFAIR London

THE STAFFOR D London

THE HARI London

ST JAMES HOTEL AND CLUB London

MARRIOTT MARBLE ARCH London

HILTON LON DON PA DDI NGTON London

THE BAILEY’S HOTEL London

METROPOLITAN BY COMO London

DUKES London

THE COURTHOUSE HOTEL London

THE MAY FAIR HOTEL London

BAGLIONI London

BULGARI London

WESTBURY MAYFAIR London

LON DON M A R R IOT T HOT EL PAR K L A N E | L o n d o n

T H E MO N TC A L M AT B R E W E R Y LONDON CITY | L o n d o n

ME LONDON BY MELIA LONDON London

T HE WA L DOR F H I LTON London

T H E S AVOY London

T HE ROYA L CR ESCE N T HOT EL & SPA Bath

L AI NSTON HOUSE

T HE GR A N D HOT EL E AST BOUR N E

TYL NEY HALL HOTEL

R A I T H WA I T E E S TAT E

CHEWTON GLEN HOTEL

SOUTH LODGE

CLIVEDEN HOUSE

DA N ESFIE L D HOUSE HOT E L & SPA

Buckinghamshire

S TOK E PA R K , COU N T R Y C LU B , S PA & HOT E L | B u c k i n g h a m s h i r e

ASHDOWN PARK HOTEL

WAL DOR F ASTOR I A EDINBURGH THE CALEDONI A N | E d i n b u r g h

ROCCO FORT E B A L MOR A L HOT EL

G&V ROYAL MILE HOTEL

BLY THSWOOD SQUARE

Hampshire

East Sussex

Winchester

West S ussex

LON DON M A R R IOT T HOT E L W EST T H E C H E L S E A H A R B O U R HOT E L C H E V A L G L O U C E S T E R P A R K INDIA QUAY | London London London

Eastourne

Buckinghamshire

Edinburgh

Hook

Edinburgh

Whitby

Glasgow

KEMPINSKI

IN TERCON TINE N TAL

BE AU-R I VAGE

GSTA AD PAL ACE

THE ALPINA

GR AND PARK HOTEL

ER MITAGE HOTEL

LE GRAND BELLEVUE

ULT IM A

HOTEL DE ROUGEMONT

KULM

GR AND KRONENHOF

C A R LTON HOT E L S T. MOR I TZ

K E MPI NSK I GR A N D HOT EL DES B A I NS

THE CHEDI

MON T CERV I N PA L ACE

TSCHUGGEN GR AND HOTEL

CR ANS AMBASSADOR

Crans Montana

R E NEISS A NCE ZUR ICH TOWER HOTEL | Z u r i c h

GR AND HOTEL EDEN

HOTEL EDEN ROC

Ascona

BE AT US W E L L N ESS & SPA H O T E L | M e r l i g e n -T h u n e r s e e

ARIA HOTEL Budapest

SHER ATON HOT E L Bratislava

SACHER Vienna

T HE R ITZ-C A R LTON Vienna

BRISTOL Vienna

THE GUEST HOUSE Vienna

DAS CENTRAL-ALPINE Solden

GR AND HOTEL EUROPA Innsbruck

GR ANDHOTEL Lienz

SEVERIN'S - THE ALPINE R ET R E AT_ L ECH | L ech

HOTEL ALDON KEMPINSKI Berlin

HOTEL MUENCHEN PAL ACE Munich

ORFIL A HOTEL Madrid

THE PRINCIPAL Madrid

UNICO HOTEL Madrid

URSO HOTEL Madrid

THE SERRAS Barcelona

FAIR MON T REY JUA N CARLOS I| Barcelona

Geneva

Gstaad

St Moritz

Zermatt

Geneva

Gstaad

St Moritz

Arosa

Geneva

Gstaad

St Moritz

Gstaad

Gstaad

St Moritz

Gstaad

Rougemont

Andermatt

Lugano

A l Habtoor City The Epitome of Luxury Al Habtoor City, three distinct hotels. One stellar destination.

Dubai is known for its luxury lifestyle. In just 46 years the city has evolved from a small trading post to a sprawling modern metropolis with some of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The Al Habtoor Group has been instrumental in the city’s development. The UAE conglomerate built many of Dubai’s famous buildings, including the iconic Burj Al Arab. Its hospitality portfolio consists of 14 world-class hotels in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. One of its latest projects in Dubai is Al Habtoor City.

Joanna Andrews takes us on a tour.

A

l Habtoor City, the brainchildren of Al Habtoor Group Founding Chairman, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, is located in heart of Dubai – a city renowned for ultimate luxury.

The sprawling urban resort consists of three luxury collections: The Hotel Collection, The Residence Collection and The Leisure Collection, which includes a state-of-the-art aqua theatre

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rivalling live entertainment in Las Vegas and Macau. Al Habtoor City has the added benefit of being directly on the new Dubai Water Canal, a 3-km long waterway linking old Dubai to the Arabian Gulf.

Khalaf Al Habtoor said, “Al Habtoor City is unlike anywhere else. You cannot find anything

like it in any city in the world. It incorporates everything a guest could dream off including an array of widely different hotels, luxury residences and world-class entertainment.”

The complex incorporates three five-star hotels managed by Marriott International – the world’s largest hotel chain.

The boulevard at Al Habtoor City

Simplex Penthouse

W Dubai – Al Habtoor City fantastic suite

Blinq Coctail Lounge The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City

BQ - French Kitchen & Bar The St. Regis Dubai

The St. Regis Dubai This hotel extends the legacy of the famous Astor family to Dubai. It epitomises luxury with its beaux-art architecture and bespoke butler service.

The St. Regis Dubai has 234 rooms, which includes 182 rooms and 52 suites, and is complemented by eight distinctive culinary venues and the Iridium Spa for visitors who want a temporary escape from the bustling city.

The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City is largest Westin hotel in the region with more than 1,000 stylish rooms. The 41-storey structure stands tall on the iconic Sheikh Zayed Road. The refined interior is influenced by the Art Deco movement. Guests have six delicious restaurant choices offering an array of cuisines from around the world. For those wanting to experience ultimate relaxation the Heavenly Spa by Westin boasts 20 treatments rooms, a hammam and a yoga studio.

W Dubai – Al Habtoor City For guests wanting to turn up the heat, the W Dubai – Al Habtoor City is the place to be. It’s known as the place where style visionaries and culture connoisseurs converge to redefine what’s new on the global stage. The hotel boasts 356 uber-stylish guest rooms and suites. Guests check in on the 30th floor where they are met with the best panoramic views of Dubai’s famous skyline.

Restaurants & Bars Al Habtoor City’s Leisure Collection includes plenty of restaurant choices for guests, residents of Dubai and visitors alike. They can select from a variety of F&B options from within the hotels themselves including trendsetting choices like Cook Hall, a restaurant reminiscent of a Brooklyn snooker hall – albeit an upmarket one. Il Capo, an Italian restaurant, has a massive wood-fire taking pride of place. J&G Steakhouse is styled after a North American hunting lodge featuring high-backed leather couches, heavy drapes and sizeable steaks, including its famous Tomahawk steak.

Brasserie Quartier, favoured by Dubai chic socialites, offers provincial French fare in an elegant dining room setting. Namu, which boasts stunning views of Dubai from the W hotel, is edgier than your average sushi joint, offering Japanese and Korean dishes in a futuristic setting.

Nestled between the W and The St. Regis Dubai is The Atrium, the dining and entertainment epicentre of Al Habtoor City. There is a selection of restaurants spread over five floors which incorporates both global and

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home-grown concepts including Blind Dragon, an exclusive Asian-inspired lounge with private Karaoke suites. ZoCo, a vibrant Mexican restaurant provides customers with a taste of Latin America serving reimagined classic dishes alongside Latino distillations. The Rose & Crown is a quintessentially British pub offering guests comfort and charm. Visitors can wallow the afternoon away with a play a game of darts or pool. A famous red English telephone box outside the pub gives it an authentic touch. The City Grill is ready to fulfil guest’s carnivorous cravings, offering the richest ‘South African’ dining experience with a modern twist. And for those who want to dance the night away Boa is the place to be. Boa boasts a Lounge, Terrace and Club providing a spectacular nightlife experience with some of the dance scenes top-rated DJs. Located on the 33rd floor of the W Dubai – Al Habtoor City, The Boa Terrace provides visitors with enviable views out into the Arabian Gulf.

La Perle by Dragone The Al Habtoor Group recently opened La Perle, the region’s first permanent Las Vegas-style aqua show in a purpose-built theatre located within Al Habtoor City. The show is produced by one of the world’s most renowned artistic director, Franco Dragone. La Perle sees artists from 65 countries perform death-defying feats in a high-tech aqua theatre. The world-class entertainment has wowed visitors on a daily basis a spectacular 90-minute, jaw-dropping show.

Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor said, “La Perle brings a new era of entertainment to Dubai. Since opening, it has been a resounding success. It offers something truly unique to Dubai and the entire region.”

The Residence Collection Alongside the world-class hotels is The Residence Collection. Housed within two 74-storey towers and one 52-storey tower, these stylish apartments include 12 penthouses, three of which are VVIP penthouses. The luxury Art Deco homes, with arguably the best views of Dubai – overlooking the Arabian Gulf and desert landscape – enjoy the very best of facilities right on their doorstep. Residents have access to unparalleled amenities including lap pools, gyms, spas and a state-of-the-art Tennis Academy, plus they have the added advantage of being directly on the Dubai Water Canal.

Al Habtoor City offers it all, no matter what your taste. It caters to everyone, and showcases the very best of what Dubai has to offer.

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POLO

POLO IN DUBAI

The competition, which started with 10 goal handicap, has picked up momentum and evolved into an 18 goal handicap competition in record time. This is down to the overwhelming desire of the participating teams, their owners who have backed the tournament for many years and of course to the great support of Al Habtoor Family. They have all contributed to helping make Dubai a global polo destination.

Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2018

T

he Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series, also known as the Dubai Open, is an 18 Goal Handicap competition. It entered its ninth year under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. It was first founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009 and since then it has grown in tandem with the city of Dubai. It is one of the highest handicap competitions in the Middle East and the fourth largest tournament of its kind after Argentina, the US and the UK. It is the only tournament in the UAE to be recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT). The series is split into two tournaments that will start with the McLaren Cup from the 26th of January to the 9th of February and the Julius Baer Gold Cup from the 16th of February to the 9th of March 2018.

The tournaments are usually held at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, a new equestrian centre located in DubaiLand. The tournaments attract polo stars from around the world, VIPs, society figures as well

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as senior corporate executives from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series is gaining worldwide support and is picking up momentum.

McLaren Cup 2018, 18 goal handicap The McLaren Cup is part of The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series and is an 18 Goal Handicap tournament that enter in its ninth year under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The tournament is one of the highest tournaments in the UAE. We look forward to welcoming some of the world’s best Polo teams and the most respected names from the world of polo who have confirmed their participation for 2018.

You can expect thrilling up-close polo action as well as high-class entertainment with international DJ’s and a stylish after party for family and friends. McLaren Supercars will also be showcasing the coolest range of luxury cars. The McLaren Cup exudes a great atmosphere

unlike any other polo event. The tournament is the premier regional polo competition of the year, and attracts VIPs, society figures, and senior corporate executives from across the GCC.

Julius Baer Gold Cup 2018, 18 Goal handicap (Dubai Open) Starting on the 16th of February and the most expected final to take place on the 9th of March is the Julius Baer Gold Cup which is part of The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series. The tournament is one of the highest ranked tournaments in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, ranking it among the best polo tournaments worldwide and played under the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA). There will be 9 teams from around the world, some of the world’s most respected and professional names have confirmed their participation to compete in the 2018 Tournament.

The Julius Baer Gold Cup is filled with passion, tradition and sporting elegance… a unique experience symbolized and reflected by the tournament and the people. Every year, this tournament gathers together the most glamorous people from the Dubai social scene and fans of the ‘sport of kings’ to a spectacular performance by the world’s best polo players. The final day of the Julius Baer Gold Cup is a celebration unlike any other, with top entertainment acts, VIP luncheons, The Gold Lounge party attracting celebrities and VIPs and special attendance

by Royals.

Sir Winston Churchill Cup The Sir Winston Churchill Cup is another tournament in celebration of Churchill’s passion for the sport. As most Churchill fans know, Sir Winston was an avid polo player while serving in India in the late 1890's.

He once famously said "a polo handicap is a passport to the world". Sir Winston Churchill played spirited polo until he retired at age 52, but continued riding until the age of 76. 6 Teams will be participating in the Tournament and special guest: George John Godolphin Spencer Churchill, the Marquess of Blandford, will be in attendance.

The AHPRC League The AHPRC is a series of 5 Leagues played throughout the season, with a 4-6 goal handicap at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club. It is a new addition to the polo sport in Dubai and is a week long 4-6 handicap tournament, held every month at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort Club and is one of the earliest tournaments lined up for the whole polo season in the region. Six teams have participated in the event namely: Habtoor Polo, Mahra Polo, Kuwait Polo, Brunei Polo, Zedan Polo and The Royals.

The Final of the first AHPRC League was played on the 10th of November 2017 between Habtoor Polo and Mahra Polo. The final game was very tight and both teams battled hard for the victory. Despite of a two-goal gap with only two minutes to go, Habtoor suffered till the very end to achieve the final victory. HRH Prince Abbas bin Ali bin Nayef was the Most Valuable Player of the final and Mare Quini from Patron Rashid Al Habtoor was the Best Playing Pony.

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POLO

THE CARTIER QUEEN'S CUP POLO FINAL

T

he Cartier Queen's Cup, held on Sunday the 18th of June this year, was one of the biggest names in the sport of polo and was held in the Queen's Ground at Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park in a bid to win the prestigious Cartier Queen's Cup 2017.

The occasion is one of the most prestigious and renowned events of the British sporting calendar, hosted by Laurent Feniou, Managing Director Cartier Ltd. The event is watched alongside a strong crowd of polo aficionados and illustrious guests in their best dress. The summit of the day was the exhilarating play for the Queen's Cup between Ben Soleimanis RH Polo and Michael Bickfords La Indiana.

RH Polo, featuring the Worlds Number One Player, Adolfo Cambiaso, who was looking for his 10th Queen's Cup victory, started on a strong footing and were 6-3 ahead at half-time. Although it was Cambiaso's team-mate, 21-year- old Tommy Beresford, later named the Cartier Most Valuable Player, who stood out in this game, playing with a maturity well beyond his years and handicap. La Indiana were equally

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competitive, but failed to convert some beautiful play into goals. That changed in the second half, with Agustin Merlos and Nic Roldan scoring five goals in as many minutes, giving La Indiana the lead for the first time. Cambiaso, however, who has been inspired in this years tournament playing for a new patron, kept his cool as the clock counted down and fired through the winning shot as the bell rang out to mark the end of the match. One of Cambiaso's impressive string of ponies, Caraquenia, was later named Cartier Best Playing Pony. “The Polo players passion and commitment are very akin to the values of Cartier. Our Maison is proud to celebrate this distinctive relationship with polo and the legacy built up over 30 years,� - Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK. Cartier has a long-standing tradition of supporting polo for over 30 years and is delighted to continue its involvement in the prestigious high-goal Queen's Cup tournament. To mirror the impressive talent on the field, Cartier invited guests from the worlds of stage, screen, sport, society, and

literature into the Cartier enclosure, welcoming them to the elegant reception, serving Cartier champagne and a lunch created by Cellar Society. Guests of Note: Miss Lara Stone, Miss Caroline Winberg, Miss Jessica Hart, Miss Lily Cole, Mr Mark Ronson, Skepta, Miss Candice Lake, Mr Nicholas Kirkwood, Mr Marcus Wareing, Lady Kitty Spencer, Miss Katie Keight, Lady Alice & Lady Violet, Miss Manners, Miss Genevieve Gaunt, Miss Tori Cook, Mr Hugo Heathcote, Ms Jilly Copper, Mr Malcolm Borwick, Mr Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Mr Facundo Pieres.

The Cellar Society luncheon began with Goats Curd with Wiltshire Black Truffle, Zucchini Flower Beignets, Regents Park Truffle Honey followed by Roast Fillet of Hereford Beef, Chargrilled Summer Vegetables, Minted Peas & Anya Potatoes and finished on a sweet note with Hedgerow Berry Pavlova, Whipped Jersey Cream and Fresh Mint.

The enclosure was transformed into a quintessentially colorful English Garden with beautiful floral creations; with shades of soft lilac Sweet peas and Aliums, Blue Delphiniums and Clematis, Soft and hot pink Roses and over 1000 Peonies with a thread of pale green Thyme and Hydrangea throughout.

The afternoon came to a close with DJ Hugo Heathcote, accompanied by a unique performances by saxophonist Ben Barnett and percussionist Tom Carr, followed by internationally renowned DJ, Mark Ronson.

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PART Y

Carol & Nicholas's Birthday Weekend

By Lucia Hwong Gordon

B

uzz and excitement was in the air for months, culminating in the constant rhythm of helicopters, planes and boats arriving from all over the world to celebrate the #18and50ShadesofPink birthdays of glamorous Carol Asscher and dashing young Nicholas in idyllic St. Tropez. The warm breeze of the Cote d'Azur sweeps across your skin, sighing softly as a silk scarf. Chiming peels of laughter and joyous multilingual “hellos� and kisses punctuated every turn as dear friends embraced and greeted each other.

Geneva and Italy. We all gravitated to beautiful Carol to steal a hello kiss before she flitted off to beam her smile at each one of her guests fluttering their red fans. The rising full moon seemed to be shining even brighter, casting a spotlight on the birthday goddess Carol. I turned to the glimmering sea to take a breath and saw 18 year old beaming Nicholas laughing merrily with his friends, many of whom flew in from around the world to celebrate with him. They were children before and now they are the beautiful new generation.

The glow of the sunset sky set off the theme of the first night of Welcome to Saint Tropez. We were welcomed with a delicious Red & White Tropezien beach party confection of fun on Moorea Plage. We glided to each other clicking glasses of champagne for friends arriving from Greece, Turkey, Bali, London, New York, Monaco, Hong Kong,

As the sensual glow of the dusk evening gently descended upon us, the lights on the stage grew bright. An elegant man dressed in white and an insouciant red vest with sunglasses sauntered to the microphone.

When the first notes ascended the air, it was none other than the stellar Andreas Bocelli filling the moonlit night with the magic of his voice.

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Carol and Nicholas joined him on stage with friends cheering this amazing moment of celebration. We were transported to another level of sublime excitement blessed by beauty, talent, and feeling the warmth of friendship surrounding us. Bravo Carol, Andreas and Nicholas!

As the afternoon sun rose in the sky, the next day we rolled out of bed for our late lunches along the beach at Bagatelle or 55 gaining sustenance for the night ahead. 50 shades of fantastic pink gowns and black tie were the order of the night as we walked the shocking pink carpet at Las Palmas, greeted by fantasy costumed dancers under the arc of roses.

We fluttered our pink fans while sipping champagne and posing for pictures under the glitter balls. The night could not be more perfect as the twilight sky also reflected the pink setting sun and pale blue of the ocean. Carol looked stunning in her pink sequin gown flowing and

her hair coiffed in blond cascading waves. The London, New York and Monaco girls posed with roses in the backdrop against the sea sky then swished our sequined trains to ascend to the dinner. We passed through corridors of white orchids and silver dancers. Thousands of roses in hues of pink and white arched above us, the open air festive expanse punctuated by thousands of roses and orchids. Every detail reflected Carol and the beauty of music, flowers, light and daring drama which she loves around her. The aesthetic dreams of Carol's spectacular birthday weekend was lovingly realized with the brilliance of beautiful Christina Montori Mandelli of the Endo Group, you could see Carol's touch in every detail. Musicians greeted us with festive music as we were brought to our tables overflowing with exquisite flowers and crystal. At our crazy American table we hopped up and down greeting friends, posing, dancing and laughing.

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PART Y

The entertainers came out in a fierce show performing along the long runway perched in the centre of the room. Dancers in spangles, feathers and fringe. Victoria Secret models prancing in feathered wings to the delight of Nicholas. Giant birthday cakes rolled on the stage revealing dancers. Whirling and twirling roller skaters keep our eyes spinning. The crowd of friends went wild when stunning Carol and handsome Nicholas came down the runway dancing. It was a wonderful mix of the generations all filled with love and fun as we were invited to jump up on the runway and festively dance and sway.

Fireworks were set off in the clear starry sky. It was explosions of beauty, glamour, excitement, joy, celebration and years of friendship and

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family. Awe filled the air, constant moments of astonishment culminating in a magnificent firework display! Then the fireworks continued with the Le Cave DJ who had everyone dancing with abandon, hands up in the air, jumping to the beat. High heels were kicked off, black ties went missing and part of the runway became an all night into morning bar. We all danced until we could dance no more at dawn but never stopped laughing.

As the warm morning sun rose in the sky, we all came to lunch at Nikki Beach the next day to recuperate, or so we thought. Guests dressed in summer white hiding behind dark sunglasses with big smiles on their faces. Again, God blessed Carol with a perfect blue sky. Delicious food and bottles of rose had everyone energized

again. The music began to blast as the sax player took to the stage, and in St. Tropez style we took to dancing on the tables. Carol twirled on one table, then Nicholas and Alfie jumped on another. We were clapping and shouting, cameras came out to capture the moment.

More rose glasses clinked and pictures snapped a wave of friends swayed to the music on table tops and chairs and we all felt the love in the air. Carol brought us all together for her and Nicholas's birthdays sharing their joy, blessing and friendship with their dear friends from so many nations. Carol, we will never forget the magic you created and thank you for the joy and love you give us. On our journeys back home we brought back that love which will always make our hearts glow with thoughts of you. Love, laughter and friendship forever!

Save the date

Friday, 5th and Saturday, 6th January 2018 Kenilworth Racecourse, Cape Town, South Africa

www.lqp.co.za

SOCIAL SE ASON

Cartier Queen's Cup 2017 Guards Polo Club, Surrey

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Monika Bacardi's Birthday Party porto

Cervo

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Gabrielle's Angel Foundation's Angel Ball 2017 New York

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SOCIAL SE ASON

The Launch Cocktail Party, THE COLLECTOR Code Collection

by

Bill Claps New York

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Lina Frangie-Wagner's 50Th Birthday Party Palazzo Brancaccio, Roma

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Lina Frangie-Wagner's 50Th Birthday Party Grease, Church Palace Roma

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SOCIAL SE ASON

Yves Salomon Cocktail & Dinner Party St Tropez

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Shop the collection at yves-salomon.com

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