ISSU E N.7
Arts Travel Fashion Culture Interiors Sports Leisure Economics
Blanca Uribe Truly, A Mexican Beaut y
Inside
MONACO ISSU E N.7
Exclusive RD01SQ Manufacture calibre Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon
EDITOR'S LETTER ever, and you see that the same images are distorted. The aim is to remind people how easily childhood can be perverted. I also loved Angel Chang’s contribution. In the past three years, she has explored her heritage by working closely with the Miao and Dong ethnic groups in Guizhou province. Her participation emphasizes the universality of the need to protect children worldwide. I can’t go into such detail on every editorial. But it’s worth noting the extent to which philanthropy belongs to our everyday lives. You see this in the profile of Hublot’s Ricardo Gaudalupe and the interview with Alisa Roever. In My Vision of Life, Ricardo, speaks of Hublot’s backing of charities that seek to address the lack of clean water and the problem of water shortages. In one charitable auction alone, his watch company raised $1.4 million dollars. Meanwhile, Alisa Roever, points out that her life is not just about being a correspondent; it’s equally about working on behalf of Denise Rich’s cancer charity, Gabrielle’s Angels and now a new subsidiary: Gabrielle’s Helpers. Moving through the magazine, we’ve also covered the social life attached to Monaco. Under SAS Prince Albert, Monaco is in the process of confounding its critics. The backdrop of luxury, glamour and wealth is still a central part of the Monaco experience, however for Prince Albert that is just one side of the coin. Dear Cercle friends,
It was a comment made by Blanca Uribe that set me thinking. When asked what luxury meant for her, she replied “Access to health care”. So why do I headline this exchange? After all, from an editorial perspective, our content has generally concentrated on the luxurious lifestyle, canvassing and reporting on the finer aspects of life be that fashion, art, cars, private aviation or new hotel openings. Well bear with me and I’ll try to explain this temporary departure from our normal coverage. For several years now, I’ve listened to the One Percent being attacked on every front. This edition is our riposte to some of these criticisms. And that’s when the significance of Blanca’s remark hit me. The truth is luxury is not just in the details of what we wear or how we live but in having the means to make a difference to other people’s lives. This is a privilege and a form of luxury that cannot be purchased off a shelf. And it’s something that I witness many of you exhibiting in your daily lives. So in our Auctions’ editorial, we looked at Mouna Rebeiz’s idea to ask designers to decorate the tarbouche and then auction off the results in aid of Innocence in Danger. Those invited to collaborate included many distinguished names from the
For Son Altesse Sérénissime, the wealth that oozes out of every stone and every building offers opportunities. It’s clear that he’s as influenced by his mother as Prince William and Prince Harry are by Princess Diana. His reputation as an environmentalist is growing as the adoption of events such as Formula E bears witness to. The same holds true for his support of green sailing and sustainable yacht design. Quite simply it is what he cares about it. And it is equally what he wants Monaco to become known for. Finally, Monaco may be a partying city but the partying is often attached to fund-raising. One of our Cercle friends, Helga Piaget, perhaps knows this side of the principality and Monaco better than most of us. In this edition you can read what she has to say about her project Passion Sea. It is an art project that encourages young people of all ages to become aware of the beauty and fragility of the world’s oceans. Significantly, it has the full backing of the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco. Finally, thanks to the generosity and commitment of John and Claire Caudwell, the 15th edition of the Butterfly Ball will take place this year in London on the 25th of June at Grosvenor House Hotel, where Lionel Ritchie will entertain us. Looking forward to see you all there!
world of luxury: including Buccellati, Catherine Walker and Co, Emilio Pucci, Elie Saab, and, the Parisian lingerie designer, Chantal Thomass. One touching response came from Kelly Anne Rose of the Kids Company. At first glance you see a riot of colours typical of children’s paintings. Look closer, how-
GABRIELE SALVADORI
Founder & Editor-in-chief
CONTENT 0 8 M Y V I S I O N O F L I F E |
RICARDO GUADALUPE
14 ECONOM IC S |
16 WAT C H S T OR I E S |
BASELWORLD
2 0 M Y FAVO U R I T E S |
BLANCA URIBE
28 FA SHION STOR IE S |
32 WISH LIST |
34 ART |
40 AUC T IONS |
44 IN THE MOOD FOR |
LITICS
R A I H A M I LTO N
DEBORAH HUNG
FOR HER & FOR HIM
MARIO TESTINO & MOUNA REBEIZ FRENCH TREASURE TROVE E VA TA R A S OVA
4 6 A R O U N D T H E W O R L D |
LONDON
52 CITY LIFE STYLE |
62 ESSAY |
66 INTERIORS |
DOMINIC WILDER-MCCAUSLAND
74 A I R PL A N E S |
AEROMOBIL III
MONACO
ANDREI NAVROZOV
7 6 S P O R T S |
DUBAI GOLD CUP & ST MORITZ SNOW POLO
82 CARS |
86 CONNECTING CIRCLES |
88 IN CON V ER SATION W ITH |
92 PL ACES TO STAY |
94 T H E PU R SU I T OF H A PPI NE SS |
EDOARDO FRANCIA
9 6 L' O R M A R I N S Q U E E N ' S P L A T E |
K AT H E R I N E G R AY
GEN E VA M OTO R S H OW
ALISA ROEVER
N A DYA A R S E K I N A
10 0 PA S SION SE A C H A R I T Y | 102 GS TA A D DI A RY |
A LISA KO R N EE VA
HELGA PIAGET
JANUARIA PIROMALLO
10 4 S A N JAY H I N DU JA & A N U M A H TA N I | 10 8 L A R A PR E S TON'S BI RT H DAY | 110 W E E K E N D G S T A A D |
ALISA ROEVER
LARA PRESTON
MONIQUE HOLLINGER & CAROL ASSCHER
Publisher Cercle Ltd ® 5 Vigo Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3HB, UK Cercle is a ® Registered Trademark.· Printing in whole or in part is expressly forbidden without written permission from the publisher. The publisher declines any responsability 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. © 2015 - Cercle Ltd ®.· All right reserved.
MY VISION OF LIFE
Ricardo Guadalupe
A M A N OF OU R T I M E Destiny
Iconoclastic
My fate was possibly sealed by the fact that I was born in one of
Every brand and company has to stay alert to what is happening.
the birthplaces of luxury watch making, Neuchâtel! I’m lucky in this respect. I travel constantly and attend events In all seriousness, it’s a universe that has fascinated me since I was
around the world - which, in turn, keeps me up to date with the
a boy. Watches were part of my childhood as my father was head
zeitgeist. Pretty well, wherever I go, I encounter people of all ages
of manufacturing for automatic watches. My childhood dreams
and cultural backgrounds who are steeped in the world of arts,
and ambitions became reality after Bulgari - which was a small
fashion and sports
enterprise at the time - took me on as their product manager. These encounters often lead to new relationships. A good exam-
Looking to the future
ple of this is the work we've done with Romero Britto, the neo-
There are some values that I think bind one generation to an-
pop Brazilian artist. It was obvious that his experimental ideas
other. In work terms, you have to be willing to test frontiers and
fitted in with Hublot’s philosophy.
boundaries. Be as creative, innovative and knowledgeable as you dare. Hublot attributes a great deal of its success to the use and
We first asked him to design our packaging for our World Cup
combination of innovative materials. If something isn’t possible,
Brazil watches. Later, we suggested he paint a picture on the face
yet, then my ambition is that we make it so.
of a limited series for this year’s Baselworld.
8 | Issue N7
Similarly, it’s been extraordinary to collaborate with a personali-
A third and last example I’d give of the wider values Hublot em-
ty like Lang Lang. You can’t but be amazed by his virtuosity. The
bodies - is our championing of charities that support the em-
way in which he used an ipad to play Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's
powerment of women. We’ve been involved since 2007 with the
'Flight of the Bumblebee', as an encore, was inspirational.
Womanity Foundation (formerly the Smiling Children Foundation). They work with young girls in Afghanistan, Brazil, India,
Hublot and philanthropy Watches are an amalgamation of many separate parts. When
Israel, Morocco and the Palestinian Territories.
they come together they have a new and special force. It’s the
Hublot and start ups
same with the interaction of our brand ambassadors with our
In an interview I recently did with Forbes, I drew an analogy
watches and with the charities that we become involved in.
with the championship league. We’ve moved from the fourth to
I’ve always been keen to lend our support to the charity, Water.
the first league in a very short time. In 2004 when I first arrived,
I see water scarcity as one of the gravest threats facing humanity.
Hublot had an annual revenue of 26 million CHE. In 2014 we
One out of every nine people lack access to safe drinking water.
made over 490 million and in 2015 we expect to exceed the 500
To create the right environment for this collaboration we have
million mark.
paired up with Depeche, creating special editions for them to
A company has the same dynamics as a team. Creativity only
auction at celebrity auctions.
happens if people feel free to express their opinions. I may not agree with all the opinions expressed, but voicing them is of crit-
Our collaboration with Diego Maradona and the Child Hema-
ical importance, otherwise new ideas get stifled. On the other
tology and Transplantology Institute also show the way in which
hand, everyone has to have the capacity to pull together when
Hublot loves to inject a little bit of playfulness into our philan-
required.
throphy. Our marketing team and the charity worked together to create a fun event in Moscow where Maradona and myself
My proudest moment…
took it in turns to kick a ball at 10 pictures of footballs. Be-
I am particularly proud of the workmanship behind the UNICO
hind each ball was a specified sum of money. The total prize
(our in-house chronograph movement) and the development of
fund made up 1 million dollars, and all proceeds were transferred
Magic Gold, the only scratch-resistant 18K gold. I’d also single
to the Institute. Around this time, we also launched a limited
out the launch of the Big Bang in 2005 and the celebrations that
edition in polished pink gold of "Big Bang Maradona 2", at the
Hublot organised in 2014 around the FIFA World Cup.
Hublot Boutique in Tsum.
Issue N7 | 9
MY VISION OF LIFE
Dress sense At the moment, in my daily business life, I wear The Big Bang
You see this philosophy at work when we created a football
Unico which is the perfect fusion of the company’s skill in design
watch. It’s much more than a timepiece that is beautiful and
and innovation. The UNICO chrono is unique in the industry
tells you the time. It also does something that is central to the
with its column wheel & dual horizontal coupling visible on the
football experience. When you use it during a match there’s the
dial side. It is a 45 mm, which is a good size for men, and made
possibility of being in sync with the proceedings of the match at
of titanium which is extremely light and resistant to the shocks.
the same time.
I also love to wear the Big Bang Ferrari in Titanium. It is the perfect symbol of our collaboration with Ferrari.
For cricket we have made a special edition of Classic Fusion with uniquely shaped hands. This has hands on both counters shaped
Art of fusion and our brand ambassadors
like cricket bats and organised key events around the competi-
Our brand ambassadors are almost always already clients and
tion in Australia.
friends of Hublot. After this, when deciding whom to select, we follow our Art of Fusion philosophy – looking for personalities who mix tradition with modernity. We also realised there was a terrific opportunity to associate ourselves with popular sports such as football and cricket. The passion people show for these sports is truly exciting and matches the enthusiasm that I see at Hublot every day.
Authenticity With us, you know that you have the genuine article. We do not worry too much about the grey market because only official points-of sale can activate a Hublot watch, and once you bring a watch to another dealer, the watch will be designated as used and pre-owned. Our warranty period begins as soon as the watch is activated. That way, we at Hublot can also see what sells well or not, and that helps with logistics and planning – there’s still an 18-month lead-in period. We also have worked hard to make people feel part of the Hublot community. Our Hublot owners club is known as Hublotista and it is a communication platform for our clients to share views, opinions on products and get advices from Hublot.
New frontiers and markets There is a young generation of open-minded, trendsetters who through their love of what is new and different are creating a fertile market for new brands. This is why I love opening boutiques in emerging markets. At present, Mexico continues to grow in double digits. It is a very sophisticated market in terms of watch culture. Brazilians are also very fashion conscious and seem to love what we stand for. Looking eastwards, India is a future market for us. Even though we already have a presence there, the potential for growth is high.
M CY OVNI O E SM I OI N C SO F L I F E
Davos considers the future
can
B russel s
surv i v e defl ation ?
By Rai Hamilton
There is nowhere on Earth other than Davos where you can rub shoul-
Teresa Cock was determined to avoid any accusations that EU member
ders with so much financial influence waiting in a cloakroom queue
governments were discussing the flow of weapons to friend and foe alike
or at a bar for a much needed double vodka with a splash of pample-
because Davos was supposed to be forward thinking and a strategic
mousse. This year the mood at the World Economic Forum was more
meeting place for more friendly business discussion outside killing your
sombre and the greetings less hearty. The chair for the second year
own people. However, Teresa was clearly unable to stop growing mur-
running was Teresa Cock, chairperson at the hugely upright Dalliance
muring about how ultra-rich corporates and individuals escaped taxes
Trust. Teresa made every effort to avoid any reference to the backdrop
and it was generally accepted that this rather than any discussion about
of ISIS atrocities, what happens next in Ukraine, Ebola and the epic
52 wars in process worldwide would be the main topic at the next G8.
Greek financial tragedy even though everyone was gasping for updates
The most urgent question that surfaced in the early sessions was how
and leaving sessions early to get them from the various horses’ mouths
long a newly elected government in an EU member could perform on
away from the forum. Nothing was helpful, especially a well-timed an-
rash promises to an electorate after borrowing 187 billion euros to raise
nouncement that Spain’s unemployment rate had reached 26% with 6
the minimum wage, maintain full salary pensions for life and then
million people out of work. Henry Kissingjerk was one of the first off
sticking two short hairy fingers up at the European leaders who had
the blocks to mention anything important by insisting that a resolution
lent it to them. The answer did not come from Davos. It comes from
to the crisis in Ukraine should be sponsored by President O’Bumma.
a children’s encyclopaedia and the answer is three months unless you
That was the first indication that Davos was out of touch with the real
have balls like Poseidon and go back to ask for more. Please note that
world where no one wanted to be told what to do by the United States.
Greece is half way down that path and the one thing Angela Merky
Kissingjerk then saved face by saying O’Bumma was not his first choice
hates right now is big balls. ‘Ich haben genug mit Putrid, danke’ she
for President.
spluttered as Francois Hollandaise shoved David Cameroon out of the
Predictably, the deputy prime minister of Iraq, Robbi Kums Bob Bin
front row of the Davos group photo.
Along, had us all transfixed with the American vision of how to defeat
‘You Charlie!’ muttered Cameroon as he fought his way forward. ‘While
ISIS by flattening half of his own country. On the European front,
you’ve been here the halal meat business has trebled and the Democratic
1 2 | Issue N7
Union of French Muslims is fielding candidates for the regional elec-
No to raising the minimum wage and No to maintaining full salary
tions next month.’ Normal French people have agreed that the word
pensions for life. ‘What the heck?’ argued Takis Thepiss without a hint
‘Islamic’ was enough to shatter the traditional separation of politics and
of an apology as he uncrossed his hairy fingers to pick up a treble ouzo.
religion in France and cause a new and dangerous illegal polarisation. ‘I am not Charlie’ was now being used instead of ‘Bonjour’. What hap-
In the shadows created by Davos, Takis Thepiss had sent Zorba Pint
pened to the constitution that forbids asking questions about religious
to Moscow to snuggle up to the un-invited Vladimir Putrid and offer
affiliation throughout the system?
military bases in Greece and on Cyprus two miles from our very own remaining four Harriers without spares. Meantime, the super strate-
It’s 44 years of meetings since the Swiss academic Mord de Merryer
gist Achilles Heel, the Greek defence academic and a rabid advocate
arranged the first platform for business introductions and potential
of a Greek break-away from the euro had gone off without so much as
co-operation annually in Davos. We are perhaps now entitled to expect
a funny handshake to talk to the Chinese about adopting the yuan.
a smattering of new ideas and even a new dawn in various spheres of
Intelligent delegates at Davos, especially the German economist Swein
influence. In 1992 we had South African president de Berk meet Chief
Hund, all agreed with the former leader of the Federal Reserve, Alan
Mango Salad and the recently released Neilson Kaffir on the same stage
Green-Scam, that leaving aggression out of economic policy is almost as
at Davos. In 1994 the Israeli Prime Minister, Yom Kipper, shook the
important as leaving it at home when you go into bat with the Ruskies.
hand of the PLO leader, Ali Mentri-Kanal, in a futile gesture of ca-
Ask that pillar of wisdom O’Bumma to read up on the Cuba crisis be-
maraderie. In the same year, the success of meetings between financial
fore he spouts off the insanity of sending electronic ordinance to Kiev.
luminaries Sir Perishing Useless and George Quantum-Leap saved a currency cataclysm and made them £2 billion each. In the same year,
All this success at Davos over the years led to the second Davos Forum
UNESCO’s newly appointed Guud Bucking-Riddence got no support
to be held annually in China. However, because Chinese business-peo-
to tackle 2 million orphans abandoned in the African bush because
ple are thieves and liars at heart, this has not had the appeal of Davos
both parents had died of Aids. However, this did lead to Bill and Melin-
where, incidentally, home-made thieving and lying has been accept-
da Grates using a $30 billion Microhard cash surplus to make us all
able from those happy days when you dragged your business partner’s
aware that 3,000 children die of malaria every day. I must say that both
woman to your cave by her hair. The Chinese Premier Ho Li Kow was
Mord de Merryer and Bill Grates had not aged as well as me since last
discreetly unavailable to answer questions at Davos like, ‘Hey Ho!
year. Anyway, I was there because my pharma company happens to
Why did you build six giant dams hundreds of miles upstream on the
have a spray that stops the female pregnant mosquito being attracted
Mekong trapping a third of the world’s fresh water supply? Now the
to the bacteria that covers our skin. I looked for Melinda but couldn’t
Mekong is un-navigable and shallow and millions of your own people
find her in the crush.
have no crops or fish and, by the way Ho, I forgot to mention your geopolitical ruthlessness against the six countries that share the Mekong
2010 was a serious year in Davos. Custers Larstandt, president of the
watershed. It’s like cutting off their air supply in a way.’
European Commission, unveiled the Eurozone rescue plan with a rousing ‘we’ll do anything to defend the euro’ and clearly he wasn’t kidding.
‘You prefer we burn them all alive in pits like in Tibet’ Ho replied cas-
In the next two years the ECB under the guidance of Spiral Vortex
ually.
insisted to Lord Rolls of Toiletpaper at the UK Treasury that austerity
‘They prefer mass beheadings?’ butted in his aide, Phuc U.
measures were ‘playing with fire’. Oh really! This year it was called ‘austerity and growth’. That could also mean ‘growth of austerity’ but no
On a lighter note, well done Andrea Merky for coming clean in the la-
one wanted to commit to that as the obvious way for the European ideal
dies room at Davos and pointing out to Red Tender-Behind, girlfriend
to survive because an end to austerity was the cry in the distance from
of at least three delegates including the philosopher Alexis Prostheticus
Takis Thepiss, the new Prime Minister of Greece and his two trust-
of Phallus, that Ukrainian president Petrol Head is shelling Donetsk
ed aides Hal Etosis and Extremios Loopidoulou. The fact was that the
24/7 and his targets are starving women and children living in minus
bailout terms agreed by their former government with the troika said
4 degrees in cellars. Merky added that Petrol Head had restricted an-
Issue N7 | 1 3
MY VISION OF LIFE
yone leaving the area without the correct paperwork which was being
It is only financial influence that ever makes a difference so what
hand-written a sheet at a time in Kiev. So his bombing included anyone
was triggered at Davos by the academics and politicians? What,
venturing out to find humanitarian aid in open air distribution cen-
if anything, was learned this year? Did Chancellor Angela Merky
tres. Surrender or die? We’ve all heard that political mantra before and
make any impression on that excuse for a US Secretary of State
O’Bumma uses it as a catch-all phrase when he holds his own G1 con-
John Merry-Dance? What was General Motors Lou Downstairs
ferences in the bathtub. Red Tender-Behind was not to be outsmarted
III saying about car manufacture not being a viable business
and made it clear to Merky that all her men companions at Davos were
without arranging the finance? What pearls were dropped by
following the American media line hammered out every evening by
the titan at Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blank-Check, Google’s Eric
CNN’s Nora Lorralaffs. Nora was indeed pounding away just as
Hadh-Buttoxpred and his CFO Lurpak Butta except they said
much as Red, but her thrust was that Vladimir Putrid pulled the
there was no intention of ruling the world while Facebook’s Nor-
trigger on MH107. The truth is that the black box is being hidden
ma Snockers and Alibaba’s Jack Martian whispered something
in a safe in Farnborough because there isn’t a shred of evidence
about becoming the world’s largest taxonomy of commercial
to back that accusation. Nasti Chestikov, the Russian minister
data.
of defence, had been the only sensible statesman on the subject. He reminded us that the missing question was really who stole
Whatever the pearls of wisdom coming this year out of Davos,
MH370 on its way to Shanghai because the latest drone tech-
they were lost in the array of side meetings and the best of those
nology from Afghanistan was in the cargo hold. ‘Check the pas-
was hosted by Morales Dillema, a transsexual and founder of the
senger manifest and you will find Wai U Hai Ding, head of the
Insitiut Cervix in the Black Forest. His message was to beef up
Chinese Electronic Warfare Programme, and his deputy Ai Bang
the role of women for gender parity that will save the planet. In
Mi Phuk Ing Nee sitting together in the front. They were trav-
the next meeting room with only a handful of listeners, Lance-
elling with the five patent holders of that newly deployed drone
lot O’Boils was asking if we are heading back to 19th Century
technology leaving Jab Wrathschild as the only other financial
health care. Don le Merde, in his third year at Davos, was still
interest safely tucked up that night in his monastery on Corsica.
complaining and his new subject was ‘what to do if you are bored
Also on the plane, right at the back, was the intermediary in the
with your job’. He was followed by the surprisingly sober Aar-
transaction, the Syrian arms dealer Ihma Bad- Mudrfukr. If this
on A.G. String who was thrilled at his influence in pressing for
jolly lot disappeared, Rothschild would control the technology
marijuana to be accepted in Arizona, or was it New Mexico. In
100% and the Chinese could be exposed as trying to get hold of
saying all that, there was nowhere to get away from the Greek
it. It was a bold plan and Putrid knew that if Wrathschild gave
question heading in the direction of a currency war.
the new drones to Israel, to use against their murdering neighbour Basha Heddin, Putrid wouldn’t care because Syria would be
So let’s get rid of the Greek question. Nothing positive came
irrelevant after his big Greek wedding on Cyprus.
from Davos. The unshaven man in open hiking boots who is now the Greek finance minister will refuse to repay his foreign
Putrid had swiped Crimea and we didn’t hear about that any-
debt and the media will focus on his shiny blue shirt and the
more because all the people were happily getting on with their
gold chain round his neck that demarks where the shaving stops.
lives outside the corruption and stealing from Kiev. Now Putrid
They will reach some compromise on rescheduling but the Greek
was assisting the separatists in Ukraine on the same basis that,
banks will go bust because the troika will not bow down to a
like Scotland, the people deserved self-determination. Howev-
former communist youth leader with a Cabinet full of ardent
er, O’Bumma has demanded that the separatists had to be ring-
Russophiles with left wing associations in Italy and particularly
fenced and murdered. So why didn’t David Cameroon send our
with the left wing populist Podemas in Spain. Those with lit-
remaining troops across Hadrians Wall in line with his thinking
tle responsibility across Europe are joining forces through their
on sanctions for Ukraine?
accounts at Twitter and they are on the march. Those with any
1 4 | Issue N7
sense and anything to lose cannot miss them arriving in the capi-
calating total count of 4,000 dead did not justify proper clinical
tal cities. The real money hoarded over generations in Greece will
trials. I mean how much can you make vaccinating 8,000 peo-
finally vacate that olive tree bespeckled crucible of civilisation.
ple? The burial squads walking around the rusting corrugated
Rich Greeks are moving to England, Luxembourg and Singa-
iron and splintered timber shitholes that were presumably where
pore in that order and Brussels will wake up to a Greek backlash
these people lived around places like Freetown had no idea about
of terrible deflation but it will be too late.
the real numbers of the dead. The disease had outpaced every ef-
There are none in positions of influence who can stop the gener-
fort of containment so only the cemetery keepers kept count with
al population with no savings thinking this deflation is a good
hundreds of dead children remembered with a stick. There were
thing. That’s because it brings an economy with shrinking prices
thousands of sticks across burial areas the size of football pitches.
and collapsing asset values. I'll spare you all the jargon measur-
I am in the pharma business and if the WHO would recognise
ing M2 and M3 money multipliers and settle for the economic
independents developing preventative treatments it would be a
truth that, for an economy with huge debts, deflation is a death
good start. It is not difficult to stop a virus invading the cell. You
sentence.
strip the cell of its coating which denies the virus the means to hang on. I’m planning to be ready next time while Davos tells us
It is true that for the general population it means increased
lifestyle changes and dietary choices are the way forward.
spending power and a cheap car. However, for a government
There are no dietary choices in the Ukraine. Since the secret in-
that's been completely stupid and let corruption and selfishness
vestment by Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron in the sum of $25
run away with the budget, it is financial Armageddon. Moreover
billion each to develop petroleum recovery in a structure of an
it happens faster than anyone can imagine. A cursory reflection
EU/US alliance, the Americans have incited the east into rebel-
of such depression is the US in the 1930s as the economy plunged
lion by covert and desperate measures really aimed at creating
into deflation. A 40% collapse in prices haemorrhaged the busi-
an East v West situation. What is so difficult about some kind
ness model. A vicious debt spiral caused one in five of all banks to
of federation with ethnic groupings all living in harmony but
fail. 12 million people were on the streets. Stocks were down by
responsible separately for their own livelihood. I’ll tell you the
90%. When there is no money, there are no jobs and no housing.
answer to that in two words. O’Bumma!
‘Ho hum the wind and the rain’ you might sing as the masses
I was quite clear with Angela on this point as I gathered she was
gather in the central squares of Europe and our leaders debate
going to Washington. I caught her on the steps of the Snow-
global prosperity. I think Germany should stun her critics by a
boarder Hotel and I had to raise my voice a little as she was 230
return to the Deutschemark. The marchers are of course going
feet away. I’m not sure how much she heard but she waved in
to challenge any suggestion of continuing austerity in favour of
my direction as I started to tell her the heart of the problem. My
abandoning book-keeping. The euro will then collapse against
point was that the Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer
the US dollar. For me it was all summed up by confirmation that
heart attacks than Americans. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer
Greek tobacco farmers would still receive their usual EU subsidy
fewer heart attacks than Americans. Chinese drink very little red
of 350 million euros to grow a crop that had never been smoked
wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. Germans
and was now expected to be delivered annually as cattle bedding
drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and suffer fewer heart
to Albania.
attacks than Americans. The whole of Eastern Europe does a lot
In the USA, the World Health Organisation had delayed their
of cocaine but suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans so what
response to the outbreak of Ebola because they were busy renego-
does that tell you? My read on the situation is that you can eat
tiating their remuneration packages when the disease took hold.
and drink and stick whatever you like up your nose because ap-
Neither was anything meaningful heard from the giant phar-
parently its speaking with an American accent that kills you and,
maceutical companies except that no vaccine was available. This
by the way, an anagram of President Barack Obama is ‘An Arab
outbreak was apparently killing 50% of those infected but the es-
Backed Imposter’.
Issue N7 | 1 5
MA W Y TVCI H S I SO TNO O R FI E LS I F E
B A SE L WOR L D
by Pierre Koukjian
If you attend Baselworld you are signalling your position in the ever moving constellation of haute jewellery. Around the excitement of seeing brilliant design, it’s the place to expand your social network and to form new business relationships. One of the venues that everybody agrees is a good place to be seen and heard is the elegant Hotel Les Trois Rois. Its two star Michelin restaurant is almost impossible to book during the fair, but if you can’t get in, try the cocktail bar.
Basel is a place where you are overwhelmed for choice. We decided to relieve you of the pressure and just pick out the best of the best. At Basel this year, Hublot splashed out on its Big Bang col-
material changes the composition of the gold to an astonishing
lection: a move timed to coincide with the iconic watch’s 10th
hardness – up to 1000 Vickers from the normal 400.
anniversary. The other consistent element is the long-standing association It was, of course, Jean-Claude Biver who presided over the
with the sports world in its infinite variety and glory. So far,
launch of the first Big Bang. He loved to talk up the asso-
for example, there have been over 10 Big Bangs dedicated to the
ciations that were embedded within the name – pointing up
Ferrari car and its drivers. And, as it happens, it is the electrify-
the excitement of creating a watch whose existence was forged
ing associations of fast cars that the design team have decided to
from many different metals and materials including: gold, ce-
reference in their anniversary edition.
ramics, carbon, rubber, steel, titanium, tantalum and magnesium. Since then, the Big Bang has lived up to its promise of
At the prestigious fair, Hublot unveiled two exclusive new mod-
explosive impact, pushing frontiers in all sorts of extraordinary
els developed with Ferrari. The first, Big Bang Ferrari Black Ce-
ways.
ramic, plays on Ferrari's legendary red colour, while the second, the Big Bang Ferrari Grey Ceramic, pays tribute to the historic
One milestone many recall, for instance, is the remarkable Big
NART (North America Racing Team) livery.
Bang Ferrari made out of what the company refers to as Mag-
The details, however, go a great deal deeper than this. First, the
ic Gold. The magical element being the fact that 25% of the
sporty design of the new Big Bang Ferrari models has a profiled
1 6 | Issue N7
HUBLOT
Big Bang Unico Magic Gold
MY VISION OF LIFE
aerodynamic dial. The movement, for its part, is fronted by a miniature replication of Ferrari’s distinctive grille: a blackened criss-cross mesh. Other flourishes are in the tiny details. Ferrari’s prancing horse is found at 9’o clock; while opposite, at three ‘o’clock, the minute counter and date window display the colours of its shield. Meanwhile, the oscillating weight of both watches ape the racing car’s five-spoke wheels. Last but not least there is a rush of strap and colour detail. Wearers, for example, can opt for a leather strap that features a red or grey livery with the stripes seen on racing cars. In fact, in the end, they can have both. For it is equipped with the innovative "One click" attachment system inspired by car seat belts, making it easily interchangeable. The new Big Bang Ferrari is available in two versions – black or grey ceramic – each numbering 250 pieces. They both have a 72hour power reserve.
WOMEN For a long time women were seen as second-class citizens in the watch world. However, more and more companies have worked hard to dispel this perception in the past decade. In Hublot’s case, the true moment of enlightenment probably occurred with the release back in 2007 of Tutti Frutti. Clearly the idea was to put colour centre stage, enabling women to team their watches with their wardrobes. Today, the perception of what women look for has changed, possibly matching the strides that women are making the world over. Certainly it seems that way. Hublot’s new brand ambassador for women is Israeli born Bar Rafaeli. In her first appearance on behalf of the brand, she wore the whimisical, all new black and silver Big Bang Broderie. Unveiled at SIHH in January, it was on of the star draws at Baselworld.
1 8 | Issue N7
Hotel Trois Rois
Hublot All Black night The scale of Baselworld is extraordinary. In 2014, the 160,000
spotlight switched from the watch to rock with a capital letter.
square-metre exhibition area attracted 93,900 visitors from 100
Eric Singer of Kiss, amongst others, led the charge.
countries, 1,952 exhibitors from 45 countries, and 2,973 journalists from 70 countries. That’s a lot of people, a lot of business
Other vocalists who set the guests tapping and clapping were
deals, and for the high-rollers a lot of parties too.
Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Tommy Thayer, (Kiss) Jack Blades (Night Ranger) and Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis (Guns'n Roses).
The events team at Hublot got into the spirit of things by organizing: The All Black Night Party. For those attending, the
All agreed, it was a hoot and a blast to remember.
MY V FA I SV IOOUNR O I TFE L SIF E
B l a n ca
Ur ib e D Ă a z Blanca Livier Uribe Diaz is the daughter of businessman Alberto Uribe and ex-Miss Mexico, Blanca Maria Luisa Diaz de Uribe. Alberto Uribe is the owner of the Toros de Tijuana Baseball Club, who play at Gasmart Stadium. Photography Ruth Xospa \ Stylist Diego Aumar Perita Make up Artist Cristina Tossaint \ Hair Stylist Irma Mendoza Photographer Assistant Adrian Milan & Cesar Abreu Thanks to Bel Cielo Restaurant, Delia Gonzalez Jewerly & Common people
2 0 | Issue N7
Dress: Oscar de la Renta, Jewellr y: Car tier and Van Cleef & Arpels
MY VISION OF LIFE
Dress: Alexia Ulibarri Jewellr y: Delia Gonzalez
2 2 | Issue N7
WHAT MEMORIES OF YOUR CHILDHOOD HAVE SHAPED
not standing up on a bus one day, was able to demonstrate to the
THE WOMAN THAT YOU HAVE BECOME? I had a very active
world that even small acts of defiance can have a huge impact. I
and structured childhood. My parents always pushed my sister
also respect and admire men who don't shy away from a strong
and I to take part in extracurricular activities, and I very much
woman.
appreciate that today. I was a competitive swimmer, ballet dancer, violinist and horseback rider. My involvement in sports and
YOU ARE MEXICAN BUT SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE
other challenging activities shaped me to be not only competitive
USA. WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT TWO COUNTIES?
in everything I do, but also very confident. To this day, I am
I feel very blessed to have been raised in a unique geographical re-
always looking for all sorts of new challenges to take me to the
gion that straddles two countries and two cultures. Having been
next level both personally and professionally.
raised in the United States in a Mexican household, I consider myself bi-cultural, bi-national and, of course, bilingual. Having
Somebody I have always had an admiration for is my sister Pa-
been part of the Mexico for a very long time, San Diego has a
tricia Scarlet. Perhaps as the eldest in the family, I have been
rich cultural history and possesses breathtaking natural beauty.
the more cautious child when making decisions. I have always
Mexico is uniquely rich in its customs, culture and traditions,
respected Patty for her fearlessness and decisiveness. At the ten-
and those traditions vary from region to region and state to state.
der age of twelve, she told my parents she was ready to expand
These variations include artisanal crafts, food, music, geographi-
her wings, and took the initiative to leave San Diego and attend
cal diversity and even the typical dresses that the women in each
boarding school in Switzerland. One year later, I followed her
region wear!
lead and joined her at Le Rosey, which, to this day, has been my favorite life-changing experience! My experience in Le Rosey
Aspects that are Aztec, colonial and even modern. I think any
was a fast track to my human development, as it allowed me to
visitor to Mexico can say that the country has a culture of wel-
grow in many disciplines: arts, music, sports and culture. Part
coming everyone despite his or her origin. For me, the USA is a
of the school’s mission, is to develop its students’ understanding
place of order and tranquility. It has a culture of respect, punc-
and commitment to social issues and services. Most significant,
tuality and equality, which I appreciate. But I have a soft spot in
while in Le Rosey, I developed great friendships with people of
my heart for Mexico; also for Europe, where I lived for nearly a
virtually all nationalities that I maintain to this day.
decade.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE WORLD TODAY OR IN THE
WERE YOU STUDYING THERE? I lived in Europe for nearly a
PAST YOU PARTICULARLY ADMIRE AND WHY? I admire
decade, including my boarding school years in Switzerland and
women who have the capacity to thrive professionally while at
periods in London and Paris. In London, I completed my under-
the same time maintaining the energy to look after a family.
graduate and masters degrees at the European Business School,
Also I think it important that they take time to pursue personal
where as part of the program you must study not only aspects of
hobbies and keep fit. The modern woman has so much to con-
international business but also a foreign language.
tribute to society. Thankfully, our roles in society have changed significantly since the last generation.
To reinforce my French speaking skills, I chose Paris as my destination during my study abroad year. During my Parisian year,
I admire women who maintain a balanced life, who make things
I initially lived in Place Vendome, in a hotel currently undergo-
happen but never lose their style, elegance and those characteris-
ing a transformation. During the second half of my stay in Par-
tics that make them (us) uniquely feminine. Women who are not
is, I moved into a very Parisian apartment in the very youthful
submissive and brave enough to stand up for what they believe
Saint-Germain des Pres, just a stroll down to one of my favorite
in are also my role models. Rosa Parks did the contrary, and by
coffee time spots, Les Deux Magots.
Issue N7 | 2 3
MY VISION OF LIFE
This is of course when I came across some of the famous French
Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. But I also love Edgar Degas’s
brands in situ: brands like Hermes, YSL, Chanel, Dior and
delicacy, Fragonard’s playfulness and the symbolism in Hans
Cartier. I loved window shopping at the time and now I find
Holbein and Frida Kahlo’s art. But the one painting that has had
myself returning to these classic brands again and again. I’m
its biggest effect on me, perhaps due to its imposing dimensions
wearing Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels in one of my pictures.
and the historical content behind the piece, is Jacques-Louis David’s: The Coronation of Napoleon… just spectacular!
WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME A MAJOR SPONSOR OF TEAM SPORTS? I am lucky to have grown up in a city that
HAVE YOU HAD OR DO YOU HAVE INVOLVEMENT IN
has two professional sports teams. More specifically, I can say
GALLERIES AND FOUNDATIONS SUCH AS COLLECTION
I grew up in a baseball stadium. My father has a lifetime of ex-
JUMEX?
perience being at the head of baseball teams: Los Ostioneros de
Today I am honored to be serving on the Board of Trustees of the
Guaymas, and (twice in different professional baseball leagues)
San Diego Museum of Art. I’m passionate about the mediating
Tijuana Toros.
influence of art in society. Like sports, art has a very positive ef-
He has passed on his passion for the sport to not only me but
fect within a community. Young people can learn so much from
also the whole family. Strangers to the sport, don’t necessarily
it and are excited by it. Like dancing, every child loves to paint
realize this but, out of all professional team sports, baseball is
and draw. Only later do we become inhibited and self-conscious.
much more strategic and intellectual than it appears to be on the surface. And I love the fact that baseball has such a supportive,
WHAT ABOUT MUSIC?
family-friendly atmosphere.
One new trend I love is the showing of opera in the cinemas.
However, I am a fan of all sports because they are a positive influ-
Opera is an art form that had been slowly losing its audience
ence for the community and the economy. Passion for sports pro-
and has traditionally had little appeal amongst younger people.
vides members of the community something that brings them
Showing opera in the cinema seems to be reversing this trend.
together.
I general I listen to all kinds of music, from opera to jazz as well as my all time favorite, Mariachi.
YOU’RE KNOWN TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF MEXICO AND SIT ON A VA-
WHAT SORT OF ART-WORK HANGS INSIDE YOUR OWN
RIETY OF BOARDS. WHEN DID YOUR INTEREST IN ART
HOME? ARE YOU, FOR INSTANCE, A BUYER OF DAMI-
BEGIN?
AN ORTEGA, DANIEL GUZMAN OR GABRIEL OROZCO?
I fell in love with art during the time I lived in Europe. Having
IF NOT WHO?
so many majestic buildings all around and wonderful museums
I am always looking for up and coming artists, especially in Mex-
at my fingertips, deepened my appreciation for the beauty in art.
ico. I feel like we have so much talent, with so much to offer, but not enough exposure. In particular I love the work of Vladimir
I think art history is a fascinating way of understanding world
Cora. The first art piece I ever purchased was a self-portrait. I
history. Through art you can comprehend in a very vivid sense
love his expressionism and the colors he uses, which truly capture
the zeitgeist of different eras. I just love that! I also took an art
Mexican heritage.
history course at Sotheby’s, which changed my outlook and was very enriching. WHICH PAINTERS MOVE YOU MOST? I have a diversified taste for art: I have an appreciation for the beauty and sophistication in the art of Renaissance masters, like
2 4 | Issue N7
"...I chose Paris as my destination during my study abroad year..."
"...This is of course when I came across some of the famous French brands in situ: brands like Hermes, YSL, Chanel, Dior and Cartier. I loved window shopping at the time and now I find myself returning to these classic brands again and again. I’m wearing Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels in one of my pictures..."
Chanel
YSL Paris
Hermes Valentino Van Cleef and Arpels
MY VISION OF LIFE WHAT OTHER ROLE DOES COLOUR PLAY IN YOUR LIFE. ARE THEIR INTERIOR DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS WHOSE WORK YOU PARTICULARLY ADMIRE? Architecture in general is something I appreciate. My love for Paris is in large part for the loveliness of its buildings. Mexico city is also a very special place as you find Aztec remains, the colonial buildings influenced by the Europeans, and of course modern blocks, all coming together harmoniously. One restaurant I particularly love for its picturesque interior decoration is Bel Cielo in Mexico City. AND FASHION? WHOSE CLOTHES MAKE YOU FEEL MOST VIBRANT AND HAPPY? WHAT ITEMS WOULD YOU NEVER THROW AWAY? I love wearing bright colors and diverse fabrics. One of my favorite designers is Oscar de la Renta. ARE THEIR HEIRLOOMS THAT HAVE SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOU? I am always looking for local jewellers in countries I visit. One that I am a fan of is the Mexican silver designer, Delia Gonzalez. She is from the beautiful city of Taxco known for all varieties of artwork and jewelry in silver. WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT HOLIDAY BE? ARE THERE PLACES YOU REGULARLY RETURN TO FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS? My favorite travel experience by far was a cruise I took with my family through Antarctica. The peacefulness and glory of a place so untouched and so fragile amplified its magnificence. The beauty of nature humbles me enormously. WHAT CUISINE DO YOU MOST LIKE AND WHAT RESTAURANTS DO YOU MOST REGULARLY VISIT? My preference is for fusion cooking, also known as REAL Mexican food! Two restaurants I love for their picturesque interior decoration are Bel Cielo and La Hacienda de San Angel Inn, both in Mexico City. Another of my favorite restaurants is Las Mercedes, located Look: Pink Magnolia Jewellr y: Delia Gonzalez
in the unique city of Guanajuato. The restaurant is well known for its artisanal Mexican recipes. It is a family-run establishment,
located in a private home and is simply delicious! The food is a blend of European ingredients that arrived in Mexico with the arrival of the Spaniards and French, together with the native ingredients Aztecs and Mayans used in their own cuisine: flavours such as chocolate and spice fused together. There is nothing else like it! When accompanied by tequila, everything tastes even better. I am also a huge fan of all Mediterranean food! Especially Italian cuisine! Mimosas at Cipriani are definitely a weakness! LUXURY MEANS MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? ARE THERE PARTICULAR ARTISAN PRODUCTION METHODS THAT YOU CARE PASSIONATELY ABOUT? Life experiences have changed my way of looking at what some call luxury. To some, luxury is made and understood in physical or tangible ways. To others, it can have cultural significance. However, to me, luxury is comfort and ease in our daily lives and in everything we do. For example, access to health care can be considered a luxury item in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, in the USA and Mexico, access to quality health care is a luxury, reserved for the few. Our societies have not yet found a method to bring this fundamental element that we all need to all of those who need it. I hope that we can, one day, see such an essential not as a luxury but as something accessible to everyone. ARE THERE ANY CHARITIES OTHER THAN THOSE YOU’VE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT YOU’RE INVOLVED IN AND IF SO WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THEM? There are two non-profit hospitals I am involved with in Mexico: Hospital Infantil de las Californias providing medical care, nutrition and education services to children and their families of the region (San Diego / Tijuana); and Fundación Castro Limón, whose funds go to providing integral attention to children with cancer and their families at the pediatric oncology center. What I appreciate the most is that that although these organizations are situated on the Mexican side of the border, both provide high-quality medical care to those who need it most - the children of San Diego and Tijuana.
Dress: Paco Mayorga Jewellr y: Car tier and Van Cleef & Arpels
M AY S VHI ISOI N F O NS TOOF R LI EI FS E
AW15
P a r i s Ha u t e C o u t u r e We e k By Deborah Hung
Christian Dior Haute Couture.
shock of the experimental sixties and the space age 70’s in a visual harmony that worked. The catwalk was replete with beautiful
The spring collection, designed by Raf Simons, proves that his
gowns, romantic and luxurious as befits the image of Christian
inspiration, vision and conceptual perception of fashion are un-
Dior.
beatable. As a creative director for Dior, Christian managed to represent
Zuhair Murad
more than just himself. For him, creating beautiful gowns was not enough: he embodied the very history of Dior itself. Now,
Visitors to Zuhair Murad’s haute couture show in Paris were cap-
all eyes are on Raf Simons as he faces the daunting challenge of
tivated by a fairy tale ambience – as beautiful as it was feminine.
taking over.
Since childhood, Zuhair Murad has always dreamt of escaping
Simons often trawls the musical archives for inspiration. His
into a world of fantasy. His spectacular style of feminine couture
haute couture collection was originally inspired by the image of
aims to present the beauty of the women who wear them in its
David Bowie. The Belgium designer was less interested in Bowie
purest form.
the rock icon; it was the his protean ability to transform himself
Murad’s spring collection 2015, set out to create an almost myth-
that he admires.
alogical mood. All the models appeared to float down the run-
"He's a chameleon, able to reinvent himself but he's also the ma-
way like ice queens – princesses from myth and legend.
terialization of something else. More than a man-an idea." Raf
Each piece has wonderfully detailed craftmanship, recalling the
Simons, for style.com.
best traditions of Parisian haute couture.
For the 2015 spring collection , Simons created multi-layered de-
The whole collection of gowns evokes different states of water,
signs using materials of differing transparency. In particular, he
signifying purity and a new beginning; some like waterfalls;
chose materials like plastic, PCV, glittery embroideries and the
others like frozen sculptures; others again like beautiful white
delicate filigree of lace. The effect was sensational. Certainly, this
clouds.
must have been the first time in haute couture that a plastic look has found its way onto the catwalk.
‘’(...) rippling embroidery, pleating in waves around the waist, Watteau
Another of the collection’s intriguing elements were thigh length
backs mimicking waterfalls, whirlpools of tulle at the shoulders, plunging
vinyl boots in varying, vibrant colours. This style of footwear re-
necklines, a swimsuit bodice with a crystal-encrusted mermaid overlay,
called something of the inventions of Mary Quant and the mood
and, as if that weren't enough, embellished boat necks’’
of the sixties. This plastic look added an interesting,futuristic
Amy Verner, the contributor of style.com.
look to the collection. Pastel shades blended with vivid reds and greens in a range of
Each and every dress was different. Nothing was exaggerated; all
vibrant patterns, decorated with silver and black, recalled the
elements combined to create a rich visual tapestry. Harmony and
seventies - further proof of his creative imagination. Incredibly,
breath-taking beauty are the words which best describe Zuhair
the show managed to blend the romanticism of the fifties, the
Murad’s 2015 spring fashion haute couture show in Paris.
2 8 | Issue N7
MY VISION OF LIFE
Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier has assumed a pre-eminent position on the fashion scene : not merely in contemporary terms but as a dominating influence on the whole history of fashion. Paul’s designs always suggest a hint of surrealism; these are dresses for powerful self confident women who demand nothing but the best. Often feminine, cccasionally androgynous, Gaultier’s forceful designs can also reflect a macabre sense of humour. His collections seem eclectic, but once the inspiration behind the creative process becomes clear, the audience gets the point immediately. Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture collection for spring 2015 was inspired by the classic white dress of a bride. However, nothing on this catwalk has much to do with wedding dresses you’ve seen before. ‘’The bride wore a lace bomber and tulle ball skirt… the bride wore shorts… and the bride wore blue jeans.’’ Nicole Phelps, executive Editor of Style.com. Also worth mentioning is the selection of the models themselves. An infinite variety of feminine beauty was on display: different skin colours and age ranges perfectly set off this spectacular collection. A bride in Jean Paul Gaultier’s eyes is not like a fairy tale princess, robed in pure white. On the contrary, his bride is a full blooded woman, the kind that does not necessarily follow socially accepted norms, but one who is open minded and aware of her body. The woman he presents knows herself and what she wants. From the start of the show, Paul presented his favourite masculine-feminine hybrid creations. At the same time, there was no shortage of corsets, crinoline cages, plus a lot of snake skin and satin. In reaction, the audience, cheered almost every one of Jean Paul Gaultier’s creations to appear on the catwalk. This speaks louder than any words by critics. Beyond all doubt, the fans were far from disappointed..
M YI S VHILSIISOTN O F L I F E W
FENDI
Chameleon Bag
A HILYA
Fountain Cashmere & Lace
for
HER ALEX ANDER MCQUEEN
ALEX ANDER MCQUEEN
Midi Rose Print Skirt
Embroidered Silk
FENDI
Pink & Gold Angle
HUBLOT
Big Bang Chronograph
S A LVAT O R E F E R R AG A M O
Signorina Perfume
BORSALINO
Genuine Panama
PR A DA
Saffiano Leather Briefcase
for
HIM ETRO
ETRO
Multicolour Shirt
C o r d u r o y Tr o u s e r s
PAU L SM I T H
Ta n M i l l e r B r o g u e s
LANVIN
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R ICHAR D MILLE
Sébastien Loeb R M
M RY TV F A I SOICOUNS O F L I F E
Ma r i o Te s t in o The Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, is staging a
Testino was involved in the selection and framing of the exhi-
display of Mario Testino’s work – entitled In Your Face. Having
bition.
premiered in Boston, it’s the first time the show has been exhibited in Europe.
“In Your Face, for me, represents the most free way of expression”, says Testino. “As an image-maker, people always want to
Lasting for seven months, the display brings together Testino’s
put you in a box. I believe we are made of many different aspects
love of fashion and art, together with over 125 photographs em-
and not always are we allowed to let all these different aspects
phasising the provocative contrasts in his work.
show, let alone to live next to each other as they do in this exhibition”.
The Peruvian is traditionally associated with his famous campaigns for Burberry and Dolce and Gabbana and his interpre-
Over his thirty year career, Testino has often visited and worked
tation of supermodels, like Kate Moss. However, the exhibition
in Berlin. Three of the images within the exhibition reflect this
includes a series of private snapshots and nudes in fashion.
longstanding relationship.
Kate Moss 3 4 | Issue N7
Carmen Kass
Claudia Schiffer
Josh Hartnett
In Your Face 20 January – 26 July 2015 Kulturforum Kunstbibliothek – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 10785 Berlin-Tiergarten Matthäikirchplatz Issue N7 | 3 5
MY VISION OF LIFE
Un Homme e
Bloody Mary
In n o c e n c e by Mouna Rebeiz & Chris Goddard
Mouna Rebeiz sweeps into the Saatchi Gallery, her long coat
of origin, is sixty percent muslim, but Mouna is unfazed. “His-
flapping in the slipstream of her arrival, carrying two or three
bollah? Who are these people? I do not know them! In Lebanon
bags and a dinner jacket – something she describes as a ‘smok-
we are free – like Europe”. Nevertheless, even moderate Muslim
ing’.
culture finds it hard to accept the frenetic sexualisation of west-
Everything about Mouna is dramatic: tall and statuesque as be-
ern culture, where the female form is shamelessly exploited to
fits an erstwhile model; coal black eyes which shine all the more
move product.
brightly in contrast to her pale skin; her striking features framed
In contrast to this, the graceful lines and subtle skin tones of
by a shock of wavy black hair which in others would seem un-
the figures in Mouna Rebeiz’s paintings seem to recall Kenneth
ruly, but which seems to fit perfectly with her restless character.
Clark’s description of the nude in art: “The word nude…carries,
In short, Mouna Rebeiz would be the ideal subject for one of her
in educated usage, no uncomfortable overtone. The vague image
own paintings.
it projects into the mind is not of a huddled, defenceless body,
In a sense, the exhibition of paintings recently on show at the
but a prosperous and confident body”.
Saatchi Gallery is ‘the statement that isn’t’. One might think
This is in line with the training Mouna has received. Originally
that a collection of nudes wearing nothing but the tarbouche or
a student of psychology at the Sorbonne, she then trained for ten
Fez, traditionally worn in some countries in the Middle East as
years under Alix de la Source, an expert in 17th and 18th century
a symbol of male dominance, carries a feminist message. Mouna
art at the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay. Originally influenced
is adamant: “I am not a feminist. I hate politics. Politics is all
by French painters like Watteau and Bouchard, Mouna was later
bullshit – its just money and power!”
drawn to the more sensual work of Rubens.
This is a bold statemen at time when the Middle East is being
So where does Mouna Rebeiz stand in the debates that rage about
increasingly radicalised as never before. Lebanon, her country
gender and equality? Her answers are thoughtful if a little com-
3 6 | Issue N7
et une Femme
Songe de Tarbouche
in Danger
The Black Swan Photography Chris Goddard
plicated. :” In Lebanon the place of women is changing in many ways. (So) it has never been more important to reflect at length on the very essence of the ‘woman being’. I am Levantine, Lebanese…Lebanese women are at once sensual and sophisticated. I also identify as French, and a characteristic of French feminity is precisely that sophistication. … At a time when many magasines seek to reduce women, photoshopped and thin, I choose to paint them fleshy, timeless, women as mistress and mother, women both sensual and maternal” The fez was the instrument chosen to make her point. “I decided to take an object that, in its cultural and historical context, was essentially a male article of clothing, in counterpoint… This is not a provocation. This not about any opposition between man and woman. It is not an act of militancy. To put a tarbouche on the head of a naked woman is to recall the place of woman in the world. I have hijacked the tarbouche and made it an emblem of feminity”. After London, there are plans to take the exhibition of paintings, first to Paris , and then to New York.
Issue N7 | 3 7
MY VISION OF LIFE
An interesting feature of Mouna Rebeiz’ exhibition was its connection to the charity ‘Innocence In Danger’. The charity was founded in 1999 by Homayra Sellier and is now active in 7 countries. As Homayra points out, ‘sexual abuse of minors has been declared a national health problem in many countries. The facts and figures are staggering… Innocence in Danger needs every citizen to join its efforts to make the world a safer place for our children…’ To raise the profile, and therefore more money, Sothebys organised an auction of 41 tarbouches, each created by a well known designer, among others Catherine Walker, Francesca Visace, Emilio Pucc and Lanvin. It was natural that Mouna Rebeiz would be attracted to such a project. “As a painter, feminity has always been my preferred theme… Who would not want to defend children, women in danger?..So I decided to support her cause, creating a unique event that combines art and design. To coincide with the exhibition, I reached out to a group of esteemed designers, and invited each of them to create a personalised tarbouche which will be auctioned in aid of Innocence in Danger". At the time of going to press, £50,000 has been raised and money is still coming in.
Lanvin Paris
S t e ph e n Webst e r
M UY TVI O A I SNI S ON OF LIFE
Frenc h Tr e a s u r e Tr o v e by Chris Goddard
“...We were overcome with emotion. Probably much like Lord Carrington and Howard Carter’s reaction on being the first to enter Tutankhuman’s tomb...”
Thousands of small farms in south western France lie half hidden
of Artcurial’s car auction division, and his assistant, Pierre No-
down narrow, winding tracks, concealed behind thick woods or
vikoff.
tucked away in obscure valleys. On the 11th December 2014, a discovery was made at Deux Sevres near Niort, more sensational
The collection was amassed by Roger Baillon, a wealthy haulier.
and valuable than anything found for decades.
Between 1953 and 1966 he indulged his passion for rare automobiles, buying some two hundred of the most exclusive cars
As Guy de Maupassant described in his short stories set in rural
produced between the 1930’s and the 1960’s.
France, French peasant culture preserves an aura of secrecy and suspicion – an attitude possibly reinforced by the divided loyal-
In 1978 Baillon went bankrupt, forcing him to sell some hundred
ties that tore France apart under the occupation. So it is perhaps
vehicles from his exraordinary collection. The remainder have
not surprising that occasionally something amazing turns up,
mouldered away in dusty barns ever since.
forgotten for years, suspected by no one. What Lamoure and Novikoff stumbled upon was some 60 clasFollowing a tip off, no less than 60 of the worlds rarest and most
sic motoring gems, bearing names like Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza,
exclusive vintage automobiles, coated with dust, protected only
Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Masarati, Ferrari, and Delage.
by rusty sheets of corrugated iron and piles of old magasines,
Apart from the Schlumpf collection of Bugattis In Mulhouse,
were tracked down by Matthieu Lamoure, managing director
there is no more important collection in the world.
MY VISION OF LIFE
The find included three Voisins, eight Delahayes, a Lagonda
half museum, provoked Lamoure to remark: "We were over-
LG45 Cabriolet, eight Talbot Lagos and and a rare cabriolet,
come with emotion. Probably like Lord Carrington and How-
once the property of King Farouk of Egypt.
ard Carter's reaction on being the first to enter Tutankhaman'
The rarest find of all was a Ferrari 250 California SWB, of which
tomb..."The obscurity of the location and the rarities it revealed
only some 37 were ever made. The car has an interesting history,
has transfixed the auction world and vintage car collectors world
having once belonged to French film star Alain Delon. There ex-
wide with a fascination probably only equalled by the French tax
ists a rare photo of him sitting in the driving seat with Jane Fon-
authorities who, no doubt licking their lips at the ‘impots’ to be
da as passenger. This extraordinary find, half metallic graveyard,
raised, are never far behind in the wake of such events.
And so it turned out. The retromobile auction on February 6th raised a total of over 25 million euros (ÂŁ18 million), more than any previous European sale. Five cars went for over a million euros and ten others for over 500,000. A Masarati A6G sold for over two million euros and the 1961 Ferrari raised an astounding 16,288,000 euros (ÂŁ12.1 million). It may well be that rural France still contains other priceless rarities waiting to be disovered. Who knows!
Photography by Artcurial
IMNY TVHI S EIM ON O OODF FLOI F RE
B e sp ok e D a t in g by Eva Tarasova
For Love or Money When I first moved to London, I was young(er), free and very single, and the eligible bachelors of London were my oyster. Or so I thought. What happens when you run out of dating options? You’ve gone out with friends, and friends of friends, and now the normal social pond of options has been exhausted. Well, you could just hit the bars or a club in the hope of landing a drunken kiss that might just blossom into romance. Or maybe I should continue to spend weekends with old friends, hoping that someone new will conveniently appear without me needing to take a more adventurous route.. And then again, what about joining one of the mega “introductions agencies” such as Berke-
founder of the Social Concierge.
ley International. On current form, it has more than a thousand members in the City paying between £10,000 and £50,000 a year
Nana started the Social Concierge 3 years ago as a website with
for its “highly bespoke” services. Meanwhile, another competi-
an editorial focus that listed which restaurants and clubs were
tor, Grey & Farrar charges a flat £30,000 but offers some money
the best to choose for a date, and where you have the best chance
back if their clients don’t find love - a commoditization of ro-
to meet the love of your life. Then, a few months later, she threw
mance that leaves me wondering whether putting a price on love
her first singles party and discovered that her format was one
gets in the way of finding it? And finally, there’s the contempo-
that people wanted. No lame bars, no red straws, no 2 minute
rary option of the internet. Maybe I can join MySingleFriend.
speed dates.
com or download Tinder, the coolest of dating options? Today, she still runs monthly events, where vetted members can So this spring, in a Jacksonesque moment, I decided to ‘make
bring guests, or invites can be obtained by application through
a change’. I’d challenge my fussiness, tackle my morbid fear
the website. It was Social Concierge that created the viral “First
of dates, head out into the world and plunge headfirst into the
Kiss” video that got more than half a million views on YouTube
dating pool. And that’s how I met Nana Wereko-Brobby, the
last year and spread the word around.
4 4 | Issue N7
Our Interview.
and bring together a community of eligible professionals who don’t like the idea of trawling the web for dates and would far
I decided to interview her about her experience and rationale for
rather enjoy the process of dating itself - the bars, the dinners,
founding Social Concierge. “Most of the singles parties in Lon-
the parties.
don were lousy. I was single at that point and had just come back from New York. There you didn’t need to sign up for a dating
The Costs.
agency because everyone would just come up to you in the street and say hi. It was cool to be dating even if you were just in your
You can find the love of your life for as little as 20 pounds -
twenties.
the price of the basic membership - which allows you to receive invites every Friday to events. That option proves to be most
“When I have started the social concierge I wanted to put cool
popular among women. Of course, Wereko-Brobby has a pretty
credentials into dating and I wanted to make it a members club
eyebrow-raising insight into how London’s best-paid suits think
because I wanted to attract a certain type of people”, says Were-
about love, sex and women, because some of them pay her £200
ko-Brobby. Typically her clients are an Oxbridge graduate, work-
a month for advice on how to get better results and get their one
ing for Goldman, but living in Hackney, going out in Dalston
date per month.
and Mayfair with diverse interests like music and travelling. There is also a platinum option for 500 pounds and two dates. Wereko-Brobby has hundreds of paying clients in London with
Or, if you really want to get extra pro-active on the dating scene,
the majority working in finance. She says the women are much
there’s a diamond option as well. Guys are cheaper. They prefer
more superficial than the men - demanding fit, handsome, Ox-
going on separate dates that are carefully organized.
bridge-educated VPs in investment banks aged 27 - and, most important - not idiots. The men are less demanding. They will accept clever, successful partners who are “nice looking, rather
T h e D o's
than the models they sleep with. The challenge is finding a nice respectable lady who can meet the parents. “On the other hand
-Yes to weekend trips with people whom you haven’t met before.
you can come across people who are completely out of shape,
-Attend networking events.
look like they haven’t slept in days, who are holding on to their
-Know your market.
City job by their finger nails. They look like s**t - and yet they
-Be pro-active.
ask for women who work out every day, do yoga and are really
-And for night owls… Go to the night clubs with a sense of hu-
holistic. It’s ridiculous,” says Nana.
mour, rather than those full of pretention - so Beaver Lodge rather than Tramp.
Fixing love lives in the financial industry is an industry in itself: the young and rich are shagging a lot, but they are tend to compartmentalize the women they shag and the women they end
T he Don’ts
up with,” confides Nana Wereko-Brobby, every bit the confident matchmaker.
-Give up after first couple of unsuccessful dates. -Don’t go to obvious places that are full of girls. In other words
“Coffee is cheap, drinks are an audition, lunch is an interview,
no Duck and Waffle on Thursday.
but dinner means business; the business of romance.” Nana’s idea is to put the enjoyment back into dating, make it a lot more fun
Happy dating!
Issue N7 | 4 5
M RY OVUI N A S IDO T N HOE F WLOI F RE LD
A r o u n d t h e Wo r l d L ON D ON
E u r o p e , Ja p a n , G r e a t B r i t a i n , R u s s i a & In d i a . By Margharita Wailes-Fairbairn
Europe
To m B a s t o k L ook ing to Invest My Art Invest, is a trading platform for art, launched in London
tions of around 30 works, in which shares are available. It opens
in 2014 by a French collector who gave up his financial studies
on Thursday April 10th, with a show of street art including Bank-
to develop it. London, he says, is “the natural place to try some-
sy and Shepard Fairey, as well as more cutting edge artists such as
thing that involves new ideas and new technology.�
D*Face, Katrin Fridriks and the French-born Ludo.
The gallery on Commercial Street in Hoxton, will rotate exhibi-
4 6 | Issue N7
Baldassare La Rizza C u lt u r a l M i x Baldassare La Rizza is a name that conjures up exotic and magi-
then served the customary apprenticehip with Alistair Colvin
cal ideas. A true European citizen, born in France, raised in Bel-
Limited. Now he runs Larissa.
gium by Sicilian parents. This mix of cultures and influences is reflected in La Rizza's eclectic designs.
Speaking 4 languages has enabled La Rizza to undertake many successful overseas residential projects - homes from New York
La Rizza trained at the Inchbald School of Interior Design and
to Kuwait and throughout Europe from London, Rome, Verbier and the South of France.
Helene Darroze
A Culina r y Boa rd Ga me.
Going to Helene Darroze's Michelin star restaurant is like playing a culinary board game. Guests are presented with the menu in a unique format. Each of the twelve ‘products’ are named on a marble ball made for a traditional solitaire board. Choosing from the balls, diners select their own bespoke menu.To add variety, guests can also choose a starter or dessert of the day. Most suppliers are from the South West of France, where Hélène grew up. Ecologically sourced fish are a priority on the menu. For instance, the scallops hail from pristine, ‘Class A’ waters off the Scottish coast, among the best in the world. Keltic Seafare provide extra large, eight inch scallops, which Hélène serves with tandoori flavours, carrot and citrus. The three-course lunch menu is priced at £35. (£42 with wine). Dinner can be taken as five, seven or nine courses, priced from £88.
MY VISION OF LIFE
In David Roger's magnificant production, Madame Butterfly's
Madame Buterf ly 'O n e f i n e d a y...'
house is perched on stilts above the shimmering surface of a Japanese water garden. No opera surpasses the tragedy and pathos of Puccini's Madam Butterfly - a tale of unrequited love that inspired some of Puccini's most sublime music. The differences in attitudes and styles of east and west were skilfully woven together in this remarkable production. Highlights are the magnificent love duet, 'One Fine Day', when Butterfly imagines the return of Pinkerton, her American lover, and the tragic aria at the end ,where she realises her betrayal.
Ja p a n Astsuko Kudo
'... It's t h e t a l k o f t h e t o w n' Until recently, the label Horiyoshi the Third was the big name in Japanese fashion, so called for incorporating the work of the tattoo artist of the same name. Now however, the new name on the block is that of Atsuko Kudo. Atsuko shot to fame when Lady Gaga discovered her in 2009 and started performing in her clothes. Other celebrities soon followed: Beyonce, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez among others. She has also collaborated with important designers like Chalayan, Vivienne Westwood and Fendi, to name a few. Atsuko's influences are European haute couture combined with Hollywood Noir, which she describes as beautiful, decadent, sexy and glamourous. The material she works with is exclusively latex, creating collections to be worn in nightclubs, salons and bedrooms.
4 8 | Issue N7
'... It w a s a d a m n c l o s e r u n t h i n g' Windsor Castle (to the west of London) is hosting a new exhibition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo – bringing to life the 10 hours of fighting on whose outcome the whole future of Europe depended. It marked the final defeat of Napoleon. But, as Wellington once admitted, “ It was a damn close run thing!” The exhibition includes paintings by contemporary battlefield artists, the equivalent of today’s war photographers. There’s also a fascinating copy of a diary kept by Admiral Cockburn, who took Napoleon to his final exile on St Helena aboard HMS Northumberland, in which he reports asking Napoleon if he really intended to invade Britain. One of the more remarkable exhibits is Napoleon’s cloak, cap-
Great Britain
Wa t e r l o o
tured from the defeated emperor’s baggage train as it fled the battlefield.
The name Dinner does not immediately reveal the delights of this Knightsbridge restaurant run by Ashley Palmer-Watts on behalf of Heston Blumenthal. Blumenthal's journey of exploration began when he met Richard Fitch and Marc Meltonville, two food historians at Hampton Court Palace (which once dedicated no less than 50 rooms solely to the art of cooking!) The result is a light-touch, interactive tour through history that filters Britain's gastronomic past - unearthing dishes that date back to the 14th century - but making full use of modern techniques and flavours. The Meat Fruit Loaf, a main feature of the restaurant’s starter menu, is an excellent example of this alchemy. The dish itself was first devised for Blumenthal’s Channel 4 show – Feast. Dating back to the 16th century, it has become one of Dinner’s signature dishes. Slice into what appears to be a mandarin, and you discover it is a ball of chicken liver parfait coated with a stunningly realistic peel of mandarin-flavoured gel. There is also a Chef’s Table comprising eight courses
Mandarin Oriental Devouring Histor y
MY VISION OF LIFE
Ale xeeva & Jones '... S i m p l e p l e a s u r e s a r e t h e l a s t r e s o r t o f t h e c o m p l i c a t e d .' Previously a top marketing director for a European car company, Gareth has decided he prefers the smaller luxuries: chocolate. His Russian wife, Natalia Alexeeva, is the second contributor to the shop’s name. The couple met up in Moscow, where they hatched their plan to open a chocolate shop to stock artisan chocolate that is hard to find outside their country of origin. Currently, there is a house selection by Natalie, plus chocolates from Davenport’s, Franck Daubos, Centho, Beschle and British chocolatiers Paul Wayne Gregory Iain Burnett and Damian Allberry, hazelnut, coffee and other traditional flavors.
Russia
The Russian Ballet
jinskaya, Vazlav Nijinsky, and George Balanchin. And of course,
sop, whose ganaches, based on water, have intense flavours - rasp-
'... F l i g ht p e r f o r m e d b y t h e s o u l ' ( P u s h k i n)
the sensational Ballets Russes of Sergey Diaghilev have passed into the annals of ballet history.
The 10th anniversary Russian Ballet Gala is a multimedia expe-
Gala 2015 featurea significant excerpts from the Russian classical
rience by living masters celebrating the life and art of the greatest
repertoire, alongside masterpieces created by the top choreogra-
performers of the Russian Ballet
phers of our time - all of whom acknowledge their debt to the aesthetics of Russian ballet.
'Flight performed by the soul 'is how Alexander Pushkin de-
In London, the performance included contributions by Andre
scribed Russian ballet, whilst speaking of contemporary balleri-
Bezard, Frederico Bonelli, Alexander Cambell, Alina Cojocaru
na Evdokia Istomina in Eugene Onegin.
and Dorothee Gilbert. They were supported by various performers chosen from a large number of dance troupes including those
Through the decades, Russian ballet has captivated audiences
of the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, The Royal Ballet, English National
worldwide, with mesmerizing performances by dancers such as
Ballet, ballets of the Grand Opera Paris, Berlin Staatsoper, New
Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin, Leonid Myasin, Bronis lawa Ni-
York City Ballet and, finally, the Ballet of Monte Carlo.
The story of Dara Je a l o u s y a n d i nt r i g u e
The story of Dara, recently produced at the National theatre, is one that begins thousands of miles away from the concrete jungle of London’s South Bank. It dramatises the true story of Shah Jehan, the Mughal emperor who built the TAJ MAHAL. It describes a struggle for power, and the rivalry of his two sons over who should succeed him – the radical elder son Aurangzeb or the liberal younger brother, Dara Shikoh. The process of collaboration between Pakistani playwrite, Shahid Nadeem, his theatre company Ajoka, and the National, took four years to complete. The play is a first for the National, which has never previously taken an
In d i a
original south Asian production and both translated and adapted it for a British audience.
Gymkhana
C h e lt e n h a m o n t h e r o o f o f t h e w o r l d With its retro ceiling fans, marble table-tops, and yesteryear photos of polo and cricketing triumphs, Gymkhana has the look and feel of an Anglo-Indian club in Simla – once famously described by Malcolm Muggeridge as ‘Cheltenham on the roof of the world’. Sethi, the owner, lays on a splendid spread of modern Indian dishes based on regional masalas and marinades. Her daughter, Sunaina Sethi was one of thirty award winners in the world under thirty sommelier contest, 2012. As for the food, game lovers are well looked after with mountjac biriani, fried peppered partridge, and roe deer cooked with pickling spices. Tandoori-seared guineafowl breast boasts a mellow, mustardy smokiness, enhanced by toasted sesame seeds – making a tasty contrast to herb scented potato straws, tossed with tongue-tingling chopped green mangoes. Gymkhana was nominated Restaurant of the year in 2014.
Issue N7 | 5 1
M IYT YV I LS II FO ENS O C TF Y LLEI F E
Mon a c o
S p o r t i n g Hi g h l i g h t s by Gaddo Cardini
Prestige, Glamour, Excitement… Nothing quite encapsulates the extravagant culture of the Côte d’Azur more than the annual selection of events that takes place along its glittering coastline – from small-scale local and nationwide celebrations to international ceremonies, competitions and exhibitions. The first signs of spring have begun to appear in the French Riviera and with it comes a non-stop programme of exciting sport events.
TENNIS Take the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters. This spectacular event
player were hoping he’d stage a comeback this year, but the tro-
offers superlative tennis with the bonus of breath-taking views
phy went again to the seemingly unstoppable Novak Djokovic.
along the coast. This year’s event also saw the renaming of the central court to For a long time, Rafael Nadal, was the acknowledged king of
Court Rainier III Prince of Monaco. After the doubles match on
tennis here. He won the title here eight times in a row. Since
April 6th, the twenty-two carabineers of the Prince’s troop en-
2013, however, the crown has evaded him passing instead to
tered the central court to the rhythm of drums to commemorate
Stanislas Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic. Fans of the Spanish
what was the tenth anniversary of his death.
5 2 | Issue N7
CIRCUIT OF SPEED Hemingway once declared “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games”.
Historic Grand Prix. The iconography of Monaco’s love affair with cars has been formed in part by the racing posters that each year adorn the streets of Monaco. Held on the 9-11th May, the Historic Grand Prix is the best place in the world to see vintage racing cars relive their glory days by battling it out with one another. You even get to see pre-war racing cars take their turn. The race follows the same course as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, along roads that haven't been altered since the 1929 .
Grand Prix F1. Regardless of what kind of sport you look at, there is a particular dramaturgy involved when racers speed around Monaco: good guys and villains, tragedies and successes, outrageous moments. A split second’s loss of concentration carries more consequences than anywhere else in the world. Patrick Tambay, winner of two Grand Prix, commented on Radio Monte Carlo that the Monaco Grand Prix was, “The highlight of the season,” while Lewis Hamilton states there is nowhere else you can experience anything like it.
What could be more elite than viewing the race from your own boat in the harbour. Privacy and exclusivity are guaranteed. And don’t forget, if you crave to see the sleek beauty of racing cars and supercars then don’t miss Top Marques. The champagne is already on ice to celebrate breathtaking, trail-blazing supercars.
MY VISION OF LIFE
JUNE LONGINES Global Champions Tour The best international riders and horses will descend on the Principality to face challenging technical courses in one of the smallest arenas on the tour. The magical back-drop of Port d’Hercule and the Prince’s Palace in Monaco sets the stage for the three-day spectacle of worldclass show jumping. The Royal Family pays particular attention to the event as Princess Caroline’s daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, is becoming one of the best young riders in the world. Last year, the Monégasque royal was victorious in the Longines Pro-Am Cup with her team mate Edwina Tops-Alexander.
YACHTING The Beauty and Power of Water Hemingway’s admiration for motor racing is understandable; his
the highlights of the yachting calendar.
neglect of yacht racing is less easy to comprehend. Events in Mo-
Given Monaco’s geographical situation and relationship to the
naco set the record straight where yacht one-upmanship is pretty
sea, it’s not surprising that the Principality’ Annual Yacht Show
well the order of the day.
is the world’s largest showcase for super yachts (yachts of over 30 metres) and mega yachts (100 metres).
Recent additions include the Palermo-Montecarlo Race, the Winter Series in Five Acts and the first solar yachting event –
All the above events are arranged under the auspices of Monaco’s
namely the Solar1 Monte Carlo Cup (10th - 12th July), is one of
yacht club which boasts 1300 members from sixty countries.
Bal de la Rose In the past few years, the Ball has succeeded in raising over 3 million
and 20 sculpted pilaster columns. Retro photographs were also used to
euros for the children’s hospital in Monaco.
summon up the spirit of the past.
Monaco has always cast a spell on both insiders and outsiders. At the
Even the men get in on the act. The most flamboyant dressers normally
Rose Ball, titled aristocrats from Europe and Asia, diplomats from far
wear an accessory to match the evening’s theme, as did the French culture
and wide, along with the grandees and upcoming stars from the world of
minister did one year with a pocket handkerchief in the colours of Jamai-
film, design and art, arrive in their finery to whirl the night away.
ca, to honour the ‘Soul Music’ theme. Conviviality and festivity follow the formality of the dinner. This year the star performer was Lily Allen.
The standards of attire are forever linked in the minds of celebrity watch-
She rose to the occasion by wearing a shocking pink velour coat which was
ers and revellers alike with Princess Grace’s quiet elegance. It is as though
topped by a collar stacked full of 3D rose appliqués. As she sung, royals
the elite of today are determined to maintain the standards she set for
including Charlotte Casiraghi, Beatrice Borromeo and Pierre Casiraghi
them. This can be seen year after year, as the revellers seek to bring to life
took to the floor.
whatever theme has been decreed. Last year it was Constructivism; this year it was Art Deco.
The tombola, too, was exceptional. In a town famed for its gambling, every guest hoped Lady Luck might tap their shoulder. The prizes includ-
The decorators and the organisers worked overtime to turn Karl Lager-
ed a set of 12 champagne bottles, designer bags, a whole Chanel outfit,
feld’s sketches into material reality. They put together a series of tableaux
jewellery and the offer of being put up for three at some of Monaco’s most
made up of 9000 roses, 100 square metres of hand-painted trompe l’oeil
famous hotels.
MY VISION OF LIFE
The Louis XV dining room at the Hotel de Paris is aptly named.
salons. Like the famous palace of Louis XIV and XV, it has al-
Indeed, the setting has an almost royal ambiance: soaring marble
ways been a place to which the rich and famous come to see and
columns burnished with gold, a six meter high ceilings hung with
be seen. The list of illustrious guests at the hotel is long and im-
glittering chandeliers, and satin drapes whose ornate flounces
pressive: Cary Grant, Salvador Dali, Charlie Chaplin, the Prince
and brocade reflect light from the glittering scene.
of Wales, Winston Churchill, Richard Burton, Sir Roger Moore
This room is the centerpiece of what is probably the most famous
and many others. It is therefore no surprise that the auction of all
hotel in the world. There is certainly something of Versailles it-
this famous hotel’s fixtures and fittings prior to a total recreation
self about the whole building, with its ornate façade and grand
of the hotel’s interior would arouse considerable interest.
5 6 | Issue N7
So, between 25th and 30th January 2015, 3400 lots containing 10,000 items went under the hammer. The money raised was €3.7 million, about three times the sum originally estimated. Given the number of items on sale and prestige and luxury of the hotel in question, it seems surprisingly little.
Two marble pedestals fetched the auctions highest price at €101,000, a pedestal table in the style of Louis XV sold at €51400, and an impressive Iranian silk carpet raised €41,600. However, most other items went for prices well below that. But there was at least one surprising sale: a photo of Winston Churchill beside his swimming pool at Chartwell - expected to fetch between €100 and €150 and finally bought for no less than €9100!
MY VISION OF LIFE
To put it bluntly, this furniture (much of it 19th century copies
So, as the sound of the auctioneer’s hammer fades away and the
in the style of Louis XV) matters less for its intrinsic worth,
furnishings and fixtures of the world’s most iconic hotel disap-
but rather because of the number of world famous bottoms that
pears into private hands, we seem to be witnessing, in a small
have sat on it. Ever since its ceation in 1864 the Hotel de Paris
way, what Francis Fukeyama famously referred to as the ‘end of
has been one of the key places where prime movers in European
history’. The importance of these items is much less the monetary
politics have met to balance national interests, apportion terri-
value they raised in the sale; much more the extraordinary events
torial acquisitions - or losses - and plot the future of Europe. In
to which they have been attached over the last 150 years. This is a
many ways it was from the gaming rooms, spas and chic hotels in
history that has gone forever. Gone also are the values that were
Hamburg, Wiesbaden, Baden Baden and Monte Carlo that these
attached to it.
European aristocrats ran the world.
As politics of the new global world increasingly slips out of the hands of those elected to control it, we enter a world where the
But their concerns were different from their modern day equiv-
individual is increasingly the uncrowned king. The opportuni-
alents. In most cases they already had money, and in many in-
ties in a world without borders, for those lucky enough or clever
stances had had it for generations: unlike the ‘beau monde’ of
enough to profit from it, are exponential. Whether this situation
today, wealth and its acquisition was not their primary concern.
will continue, and if it does, who the main beneficiaries will be,
These men (and sometimes even their wives and mistresses) were
are the great, unanswered questions of our time.
people concerned above all with politics. And this was possible
One thing we can be sure about. The Hotel de Paris, in its mag-
because their world was one of national boundaries and of gov-
nificent Monegasque setting, will continue to welcome the ‘haute
ernments operating within them – whether effectively or not..
monde’ of the new era.
5 8 | Issue N7
Bal de la Croix Rouge Lotus eaters, sybarites and sun-seekers descend on Monaco in the summer in anticipation of plenty of wine, sun and song. For them, the Bal de la Croix Rouge is a chance to be seen and preen with the added pleasure of knowing that this particular party is one of the highest fund-raising events in Europe. For this the Red Cross has the star appeal of Princess Grace to thank. During her lifetime she was the President of Monaco’s Red Cross. Now her children have assumed the role. Here’s what one curator had to say about her impact on the Monaco social scene.
“It is the elegance of Technicolor Hollywood glamour; the elegance of a woman in love who freely chose to alter the course of her existence, of a princess of one of Europe's oldest dynasties, of a devoted mother and monarch who dedicated herself efficiently and unsparingly to her family and people; it is the elegance of her smiling reserve that so fascinated the media, her immensely sensitive and poetic lifestyle that retained its share of mystery, and her beauty preserved by its perpetually youthful charm. It is the elegance of the era that was hers and for which we all feel nostalgic."
The Bal de la Croix Rouge is part of this inheritance. It is rightly seen as one of the great charity galas of the year. A place to have fun, and to make spectacular donations at the same time. Like its sister ball, years of practice and precedent have resulted in an event which purrs with efficiency and glamour. Every year the efforts of the florists and decorators transform the Salle des Etoiles into a wonderland of flowers. For example, in 2014 one of the first surprises that greeted the revellers was to find that mirrors had replaced the customary linen tablecloths. This gave rise to a sensation of an endless display of rose and geraniums reflected throughout the venue. Protocol and ritual rule. Once everyone has arrived and had their photo taken at the top of the stairs, the tombola is drawn. The meal that follows must titillate a guest-list used to the many Michelin chefs who practice in Monaco. Finally the real revelry begins. Dancing and a firework spectacular… This is always started by Prince Albert taking to the floor. The opulence of the occasion, the jewels on display is only matched by the quality of the performers. The list of famous stars invited to strut on stage is like reading an almanac of fame. Julio Iglesias, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Josephine Baker, Elton John have all played at the gala. Last year was as glamour-fuelled as ever. The Zhang Zhang Band had everybody roaring with approval as they performed a wide repertoire of classic, jazz, swing, flamenco, bossa nova and tzigane. The money raised last year was sent to help rebuild the Philippines and to support a variety of food programmes. The committee also approved a project aimed to improve the lives of miners on the Ivory Coast - the suggestion for which came from Dominque Ouattara, the wife of former Ivorian Prime Minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara.
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MY VISION OF LIFE Jack Nicholson, said to me one day " Julia you live in a Golden Alcatraz" and I replied “ Yes it’s true but with a lot of advantages! ” Here are the restaurants that I particularly love to eat out at.
1. CIPRIANI s a wonderful venue for dinner. It also is a good place to have a brunch with family and friends on Sundays.
2. Maya Bay is excellent, it’s where you get brilliant Thai and Japanese food. I’d say the best in Monaco. The ambiance is also fantastic. The décor is chic, yet intimate. Good for lunch and worth a lovely place for a leisurely dinner.
3. Sass Cafe the food is understated but good. I think the vibe is fantastic. If you like music then there is always a DJ on hand and live music. It’s a brilliant
SYLVIA SERMENGHI
way to boost endorphins and to recharge. Many of Monaco’s elite come here – although it’s also a place where tourists come. Expect the party to run on well
Restaurants I use HOTEL METROPOLE as my "office" and "canteen". 4, Av de la Ma-
into the morning.
done 98 000 MONACO / Tel 00 377 93 15 15 15
4. NOBU at Fairmont and Joseph from Saint Tropez are relatively new to
I love the Michelin starred Robuchon restaurant. The cuisine is exceptional.
Monaco. They are both good. Each has a strong personality and excellent cuisine.
Last time I bought my Chinese clients to YOSHI (The Japanese restaurant of
Down in the Port, I suggest you go to Joseph is in the Port. They have a lot of
Metropole Hôtel) as well. Try the black cod. Tel : 00 377 93 15 13 13.
live acts and currently it’s considered to be one of the best places to party the
Shopping
whole night away.
I happen to be mad about shoes so I always glance at the window front of Louboutin. 1-3-5- Av De Grande Bretagne Les Floralies Monaco. Tel : 00 377 97
5. If you are a brunch person, then I recommend Monte Carlo Bay. They pro-
98 7812 or MERCEDEH au Métropole 17, Avenue des Spélugues 00 377
vide a huge buffet with an incredible range of desserts. It’s also brilliant for kids
93 50 57 70 . However if you want comfort and great value, then I recommend
because of the all year round pool.
Stuart Weizmann (Métropole 17 Av Des Spélugues 00 377 97 70 53) as well. Because Monaco is small, it's easy to know every good shop. You can find dream dresses in PRETTY YOU, 5 Av Princesse Alice Monaco /Tel00377 97 70 48 08; I always ask my friend Evelyne from the boutique Celine Place du Casino / Tel 00 377 93 30 92 78 to help me make the right choice. I love the elegance of Valentino's gowns 7, Av de Monte Carlo Tel / 00 377 93 25 12 63.
Partying On the 28th of March, I attended the Bal de la Rose with my family and friends, as I have my table here every year. Karl Lagerfeld has done a great work for the decoration and the staging. Altogether, it was a wonderful evening: the only disappointment came from the fact that Charlene was not there. (Bal de la Rose SBM 00 377 98 06 63 41). I like also the Yacht show in Monaco as it is the most beautiful yacht show of the world: one can stand and dream of owning one of the super mega Yachts – even if for me it is an unrealizable ambition . (September 23/26 2015 Tel 00 377 93 10 41 70)
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JULIA LAKSCHIN
M SY S VAIYS I O N O F L I F E E
White Sugar, Dark Chocolate by Andrei Navrozov The true hedonist of our time is a drama queen with real dia-
and democratic elections in places we never knew existed.
monds in her crown, says Andrei Navrozov. And Chanel No5 is for hygienists – not hedonists.
At other times it seems that, instead of the gods that the Age of Reason promised we would one day become, we now more close-
A prosperous, consequential, roly-poly Greek with a name that
ly resemble the Dark Ages’ idea of the Antipodeans, walking on
sounds like an Aztec root vegetable – we are, of course, talking
our heads, tweeting strangers, reading our fortunes in cardboard
about the philosopher Aristotle – once proclaimed that if you’ve
cups from Starbucks. In our world, Juliet Googles Romeo before
got a brain, A cannot be both A and not A. Some five-and-twenty
their first date at Cipriani and Romeo hires a private eye to find
centuries later, a bookworm-poor, reed-thin, dark-cloaked Dane,
out if Juliet really has a mother. Soon they txt, check out Ibiza,
who for most of his life had been unhappy in love, replied that if
and live happily ever after like a pair of silicone peas in an iPod,
you’re in love, A can be anything.
meaning he spends his nights watching Internet porn and she does her own Botox. Indeed, what other thereafter is there for
Aristotle’s proposition was good for building railroads, winning
them, wretched heirs to the Age of Reason, in a concrete world
wars, designing machineguns and inventing computers, spread-
where A can’t be both A and not A?
ing marmalade on toast, organizing municipal rubbish collection – in short, for civilization generally. Kierkegaard’s rebuttal
Our notion of pleasure is wholly consequent on this dilemma.
was only good for the soul. Though maybe for haute couture too,
Should the hedonists among us fall in with the Aristotelian view
as we shall see.
of the global playpen, demanding ever sweeter sugar, ever louder music, ever more Facebook friends, ever louder orgasms, and
At times it may look like science has finally bridged the chasm
ever thicker lines of ever purer cocaine, as well as more person-
between the two contrary and irreconcilable positions. Our
al space, quality time, and peace on earth to enjoy them in, or
somber-suited physicists speak of the irrational behavior of sub-
should we go for the Kierkegaard option instead?
atomic particles, our crazy-haired artists are calculating enough not to fly commercial. Bankers turn green, flower children file
That, of course, would mean our eating none but the darkest
their tax returns on time, and bloodthirsty tyrants call for fair
chocolate, which is quite bitter on the palate; subjecting ourselves
6 2 | Issue N7
to the agonies of genuine feeling, which not only ruins the skin,
being singed in the flame of unattainably human emotion; any of
but carries the risk of a messy suicide and even a double murder;
these real, flesh-and-blood modern hedonists know just what, in
listening to music whose harmonies are complex and emotionally
our Antipodean hell of topsy-turvy rationality, being a masochist
disturbing, ideally on an old gramophone in a room suffocated
or a sadist really means.
in dark, gold-veined brocades, with only a narrow breach in the faded velvet of the curtains to admit sunlight; writing love letters
The true hedonist has what psychiatrists call an active fantasy
on tear-stained, robin-blue aerogramme paper that’s no longer
life, and in this his playground resembles the catwalks of Paris
made, scorching the mouth with bootleg absinthe, and leaving
and Milan. Not for him the plainness of the drudge, the prac-
healthy, wealthy, and wise wives for Moroccan nightclub danc-
ticality of the accountant, the providence of the empire builder;
ers who turn out to be men; losing money at the tables, not as
he dwells in impossibility, revels in discomfort, and would rather
the rich do, idly and painlessly, but like the desperate gambler
be plunged into iridescent penury than attain a dull and colour-
who loses his one good shirt of cambric linen and goes home to
less eminence. If he could be bothered to design a coat of arms,
homelessness in silent remorse and freezing November rain; and
it would depict the green helleborine immortalized by Jocelyn
yes, squeezing boldly, like Alizarin Yellow from a big fat tube of
Brooke in The Orchid Trilogy; fun for the botanist, yet cleisto-
acrylic, into achiropoetic gowns of brilliantly dyed spider’s web
gamous and self-loving, too. How shortsighted of Mademoiselle
and fine Flanders moonbeam, shameless in the décolletage yet
Coco to have chosen the saccharine-sweet camellia!
straitlaced in the consequences, reflecting in men’s eyes, flirting with one’s own delectable shadow, thrilled to breathe, dying to
Bittersweet is more fun. Such is the modern hedonist’s mantra,
love.
and as he follows his hero Kierkegaard into the deepest vortices of life’s emotional current, what pleasure he finds there is height-
It would mean all that and a whole wagonload of other expe-
ened by the sorrows of the imagination. In the rational, practi-
riences besides, but anyway the point should by now be clear.
cal, predictable world that he reluctantly inhabits, he is a drama
The sweet tooth of instant gratification and pre-tied bow ties, of
queen with real diamonds in her crown.
boringly earned, or even serendipitously inherited, creature comforts, of thoughtless Ibiza nights and lazy mornings on Panarea,
I have mentioned Coco Chanel – the formidable personage
is an X-ray of life for the dental hygienists among us to get excit-
who, in the bygone days, was also known as Agent F-7124 of
ed about. Constraint, discomfort, anxiety, even frustration and
the Abwehr, the Nazis’ military intelligence – for a reason. The
fear, these are the true modern hedonist’s playthings. Silver-sweet
thrall, verging on hysteria, in which Western women since the
jouissance is more pleasurable than saccharine plaisir. Ecstasy is
times of Marilyn Monroe have been held by the advertising and
more intoxicating than the round pill that bears its name.
publicity agencies acting on behalf of Chanel No5 can only be compared with mass adulation for totalitarian leaders like Hitler,
Where the Aristotelian, with his pursuit of the active life, has
Stalin or Mao. A closer look at this social aberration may help to
always been something of a sadist – building empires, projecting
illustrate the distinction I am making here between the two he-
the power of Reason to the four corners of the earth, demanding
donisms, Aristotelian and Kierkegaardian, between sickly-sweet
submission from bodies both temporal and heavenly – the true
sugar and bittersweet chocolate.
hedonist, who takes after Kierkegaard, is highly contemplative and something of a masochist. Any woman whose pulses quicken
No man I know likes the smell of No5 or finds the scent even re-
as she uses a man’s money to pay for the most politically incorrect
motely useful for pheromonal communication with the opposite
and sartorially extravagant of the season’s diabolical snares; any
sex, though this is putting it mildly. Put bluntly, it stinks. West-
mermaid who swaps her natural form for the ritually eroticized
ern women take offence when told that it smells like an old lady,
torment of a fairytale princess; any angel who senses her wings
yet what they ought to be told is that it smells like an old lady
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MY VISION OF LIFE
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who is a barrack supervisor in a concentration camp – a rational
Catherine, meaning that the Chanel perfume and the bane of my
occupation, incidentally, if ever there was one. Not entirely by
childhood, Red Moscow, are in effect first cousins.
coincidence, during the Russian Civil War, Ernest Beaux, the Russian perfumer of French origin who compounded the per-
It is synthetic substances like the aldehyde C-12 MNA (2-methyl
fume for Mademoiselle, had run an internment camp in Mur-
undecanal), first produced in 1903 by another Russian of French
mansk, above the Arctic Circle. He later recalled that the black
extraction, the chemist Auguste Georges Darzens, that account
waters of the Barents Sea had been an inspiration to him when
for the scent’s action as an olfactory dead end – a blind wall of
he resumed his career as a nose in Paris.
smell – rather than a bouquet in which different notes may be discerned, a polyphonic cloud of opalescent nuances within
In fairness, we do not know what Beaux’s original concoction,
whose billowing a woman moves, breathes, and undresses. Mu-
chosen by Mademoiselle from among the ten samples he had
sically speaking, where the great scents not relying on aldehydes
made up, was like, though I suspect it had something in com-
are like the voice of an Amelita Galli-Curci, summoning the true
mon with the Soviet perfume I recoil at remembering, Krasnaya
hedonist from the recesses of an old gramophone, No5 brays like
Moskva, “Red Moscow.” This was made in a factory the Bol-
a Madonna in Tramp’s. “It is my soul that calls upon my name,”
sheviks had looted, along with everything else in the country,
Romeo tells Juliet – in Shakespeare, not in Tramp – and
from its owners, Henri Brocard, in 1917. Beaux had worked for its main competitor in Russia, A. Rallet & Co., until it too was
How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
nationalised and renamed “Soap and Perfume Works No. 4,” lat-
Like softest music to attending ears!
er “Liberty Perfume Factory.” Again, we have no way of knowing what the original, launched in 1913 for the tercentenary of the
I remember coming across such a perfume once, at the St-Ouen
Romanov dynasty as “Bouquet de Catherine,” smelt like, but
market in Paris. From under a tangle of pricetag strings, tortoise-
the Soviet incarnation of it – it was said to consist chiefly of an
shell buttons and bejewelled hatpins, an elixir of Kierkegaardian
extract of carnation – was one of the foundational nightmares
hedonism emerged into the dim light of day in a flacon of frosted
of my Soviet childhood. Red Moscow! It is a wonder that, a
glass with a mahogany ebullience of mink on the gilded stopper.
half-century hence, I can yet dissociate a woman’s presence from
Made by Robert Beaulieu, a Paris furrier of some renown in the
its emetic sweetness.
70’s – originally, in all likelihood, as a gift to his best customers, which had also been Coco Chanel’s reason for making No5 – it
Sickly sweetness, however, is not the only characteristic that
looked modern enough, and yet instinctively, even before with-
makes Chanel’s No5 the number one choice of the modern ra-
drawing that fur-trimmed, over-the-top stopper, I knew that its
tionalist. Like the last scents assembled by Beaux at Rallet, No5
music would not be the artificially amplified plainchant of alde-
was among the first perfumes in history to rely in its composi-
hydal rationalism.
tion on aldehydes, synthetic substances of whose presence in the world we only become aware when we read about the formal-
That flacon of frosted glass changed me – for the worse, some
dehyde in which Damien Hirst has pickled a shark under the
might argue – in the way wars and books are sometimes said to
preposterous pretext of giving it a fancy title like “The Physical
have the power to do. In reality, of course, it is only women who
Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.” In fact,
have the power to change men’s lives, and so I’ll go further and
on the basis of a recent chromatographic analysis Marcel Carles,
say that Beaulieu’s Vison became the love of my life – a hedonist’s
son of the founder of the Ecole de Parfumerie Roure in Grasse,
love. Suitably bittersweet, because once my wife had used it up I
was able to determine that No5 was developed from Bouquet de
was never able to find another bottle.
Issue N7 | 6 5
IMNYT E V IRSI IOORNS O F L I F E
Dominic Wilder-McCausland “When you work on residential projects... you have to be a psychologist as well as a designer. The clients have an idea, and it is my job to make the best of that idea. Of course, sometimes that means pushing them into something they may not have thought of or feel comfortable with...” Dominic Wilder-McCausland is one of a coterie of younger interior designers whose influence is increasingly being felt at the high end of the market. Only last year, a million pound family home he designed and built won the Evening Standard ‘Best Family Home’ for a million pound project in Hertfordshire. Wilder-McCausland and his growing team of designers and master craftsmen work from Mentmore Studios, an atelier in East London with a community feel which creates space for designers of different disciplines. Wilder-McCausland first trained as a fine artist at University College Falmouth – one of the most beautiful campuses in Europe, with its spectacular view over the English Channel. Falmouth gave him the foundation of what he refers to as ‘his making knowledge’, something he believes is a fundamental basis for a designer. He moved out of pure art as soon as he graduated, but stayed at the university to help set up the product design department there. It was at this stage that he became fascinated by the possibilities of 3D design. Together with Bob Pulley, the then Dean of Design at Falmouth, that he also started formulating ideas about the importance of functional spaces in interior design and architecture.
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MY VISION OF LIFE
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His next big step was to attend Ron Arad’s design products course at the Royal College from 2001 to 2003. Suprisingly, he didn't fall into the trap that many of his contemporaries fell into- starting small. ‘I didn’t want to follow the prescribed route’ he says. ‘It almost always involves products of a particular type – usually shelves, lights or chairs, or all three – and we’re already saturated with these products”. It was with these ideas that Wildercreative was born, a bespoke joinery company delivering the highest standard of fitted (and sometimes stand-alone) furniture. One of the team’s most recent projects was a large internal joinery package for a multi-million pound private family residence in West London, designed by renowned French designer, Phillippe Starck. The property consisted of 4 staircases and over 60 internal doors all different in conception, from leather to concrete. In contrast to extensive, year long, private projects, he and his team also design and fit out smaller family homes and development opportunities. He has a great working relationship with a very wealthy London property developer, for whom and has undertaken many re-furbs in and out of London. Despite this success, Dominic likes to keep his options open –alternating between residential projects on the one hand and larger, full build challenges on the other. “When you work on residential projects” he says, “you have to be a psychologist as well as a designer. The clients have an idea, and it is my job to make the best of that idea. Of course, sometimes that means pushing them into something they may not have thought of or feel comfortable with”. More recently, together with his design partner, Bruce Bell, he has
Issue N7 | 6 9
MY VISION OF LIFE
branched into a new and equally exciting enterprise. Under the name Facit Homes, the company creates upmarket, digitally fabricated houses. One of these was featured in the 2013 channel 4 series, Grand Designs. The design duo’s most recent project was a million pound family home in Hertfordshire, which won the Evening Standard ‘Best Family Home 2014’. As Dominic explains, the shell and core of a Facit house is created from “a library of components - essentially oblong plywood boxes engineered to fit together and create walls, floors and ceilings, that can be pre-fitted with M&E services, filled with insulation and are easily handled by one person. "These are kept on file so we can just produce components by downloading them straight from computer to a CNC (computer numerically controlled) machine. They’re all made of Wisa, a brand of Finnish structural spruce plywood and if the design of the building calls for a curve or turn that our current components can’t do, then we design one that does, send it to the CNC machine, and hey presto". And there is also an environmental benefit; in insulation and air-tightness, it achieves roughly twice the standard demanded by Part L of the building regulations. The digital technology used in Facit Homes, also offers a bespoke feel, since any part can be different from any other, so adding flexibility into what begins as modular design. Wilder-McCausland has big plans for 2015. Not only is he in the process of expanding his workshop and growing his team, he’s also in the midst of designing a range of beautifully hand crafted kitchens that will be released in time for Grand Designs Live 2015.
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Issue N7 | 7 1
MY VISION OF LIFE
M IYR P A V ILSAI N OE NSO F L I F E
It's a Bird. It's a Plane. No, it's a Flying Car...
AEROMOBIL III
Icarus, Leonardo da Vinci, the Wright Brothers. Throughout time
The size of a limousine or a large sedan, the Aeromobile is capable
man has struggled conquer the elements - to expand his control of
of speeds up to 120 miles per hour. For lightness and strength, the
his environment. For an earthbound hominid like man, flight has
most advanced composite materials have been used for the wings,
always been the ultimate challenge.
wheels and body shell. The wings also have a variable angle of attack enabling a shorter take off. Fuel is gasoline, not kerosine, so
Finally, almost out of nowhere, an extraordinary machine, part
refuelling can be done at ordinary gas stations.
H.G Wells, part Rupert Bear, is being previewed at motor shows around the world – the AeroMobile 3, a car that flies!
Vaculik, the founder of the company and the brains behind the original project, seems to come trailing all the attributes of a latter
The magnificent men with their flying machine are Juraj Vacu-
day renaissance man. He first surfaced as one of the student leaders
lik, founder of the company, and Stefan Klein, Chief Technical
of the Velvet Revolution which eventually won Slovakia’s release
Officer. Modesty is not their style. Nor should it be. This extraor-
from communism. His professional life began as a theatre director.
dinary hybrid, produced by a company with staff of only twelve
From there he moved to being a creative director for major global
people located in Bratislava, is as beautiful as it is novel. It has been
ad agencies. In 1996 he founded the agency Made By Vaculic, one
in development since its conception in 1989. The final prototype,
of the leading agencies in the CEE region. Under his leadership
building on the experience of three previous incarnations, took
the company has won more than 200 awards for creativity and
only ten months to get Certification by The Slovac Federation of
campaign efficiency including EPICA, Festival, Cresta and EF-
Ultra-Light Flying. (Granted in 2010.)
FIE, among others.
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“Aeromobile 3 is not the end of a challenging project, it is the beginning of a whole new adventure which may change how we look at personal transport in the future…We are set to reinvent the flying car without constraints and deliver excitement through unique technical solution and design…”
M PY OVRI TS SI O N O F L I F E S
R a s h id
A l Ha b t o o r
DU B A I G OL D C U P by Irina Kazaridi
How did you become a rider? All of us learned to ride in childhood. Personally, I started playing polo after I finished college. That means I’ve now been playing
The name of your Polo team is Mahra. That’s also the name you’ve given your daughter. Is there any other meaning behind the name?
Polo for almost twenty-four years.
How did you start to play polo? Did your parents play? My parents were not players. My inspiration came from Ali Al
My daughter’s name in Arabic means baby horse. My brother also owns a team which he has named after our family name, Habtoor. So we have two teams.
How did you choose players for your team?
Bawardi. He owns supermarkets in Dubai and he also owns Desert Palm Polo Club. He has always been a very good close friend
It depends on the tournament, because in polo you decided the
of our family.
composition of a team on the basis of the size of handicap. Depending on where you are in the world, you go from either mi-
One day, he saw me and told me: “Listen, you have to learn to play
nus 2 to ten, or zero to 10. Now for example the president Cup,
polo.” So that very afternoon I went out riding. From that time
Silver Cup, Gold Cup in Dubai is 18 goals.
on, for the last 24 years, I’ve been living and breathing the world of polo.
Your brother also plays polo, doesn’t he?
For my team I choose one 7 goal, 6 goal and 5 goal. As a patron, my goal is zero. My brother team has the combination 6,6,6. Another team may field players whose combined scores are 10, 4,4.
My brother; my two sons, the two sons of my brothers all do. So
Another maybe 9, 4, 5 and so on.
in total that makes six of us in the family who play polo.
Basically that’s the way it works.
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This year handicap level is 18 goals, which is pretty high. Does this mean that interest for this sport is growing in U.A.E. In Dubai, January, February, March are the months when the biggest polo tournaments are held. The interest in Polo is becoming very important. Now we are bigger than Desert Palm and our handicap is going to be increased to 22. The problem in Dubai is that we simply don't have enough fields. We have only 5 fields and out of these 2 are private and therefore can't be used for tournaments. In Ghantoot Abu Dhabi they have 8 fields all of which happen to be private. However, next year we are going to have 3 more fields, since we're building new areas next to Dubai polo club and St. Regis Hotel.
Is your lifestyle affected by the fact that you play polo? Of course, my lifestyle is affected by polo. We have a lot of friends from polo. Because of polo I know friends from Brunei to Buenos Aires, to London, to Paris to Benign, to Singapore to Malaise.
May it be called a luxury lifestyle? It's a costly lifestyle. For me polo is a passion. For example I don't like yachts, but some people love yachts. So you spend money on yachts or you spend money on polo.
Do you like art? Yes, I have a small collection and I've started looking for more Middle East Islamic Art, Arabic art, Iranian art, Turkish art. I'll soon be going to London for Christies Auction because of this interest of mine.
Will you come for polo to England this year? What are your plans? No, there’s too much rain in England. I will play in Spain in Sottogrande. I have a house nearby, in Marbella, so I'm going to spend couple of months this summer there.
Issue N7 | 7 7
MY VISION OF LIFE
S t . Mo r i t z
S NOW P OLO
Snow, St. Moritz and horses are a tradition that started as early as 1907 when, organisers hit on the idea of staging a series of horse races which the called the White Turf. The jockeys called skijors rode behind their horses on skis. Then the inventive and adventurous community hit on another spectacular idea. Why not winter polo as well as horse racing? The idea took off. Since 1985 St. Moritz has staged an annual snow polo event. This makes 2015, the 30th anniversary year. And, by now, the locals and organizers have got things down to a fine art. But it was not always so. Just as the world community had difficulty comprehending how football could be played in the soaring temperatures of a Qatari summer without players swooning in the heat, so people struggled with how to play polo in the winter. However, because of its uniqueness, St. Moritz is has become one of the best venues to watch polo live. Solutions had to be found and over the year these solutions have
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gained in sophistication. Thirty years ago the Swiss used a little Bombardier machine to help turn the frozen lake into a suitable field. Whereas today, they confidently mix the right proportions of ice with layers of prepared snow to get prevent the field becoming an ice rink. Safety is not just a necessity, but the basis of ensuring smooth play. To stop the horses slipping and crashing, modern snow polo horseshoes have a lip at the toe, coupled with cleats at the heel. The orange ball is also larger, lighter than the ball used in grass tournaments. Snowstorms cannot however be stopped. That, however, just adds to the event’s allure. In 1999, for example, the snowstorm and cold were so bad that the horses had to take shelter in the VIP tent. The play this year was particularly exciting. Cartier dominated the game, gaining an impressive 5-1.5 lead by the start of the third chukker and finalizing their win against BMW by 10 goals 2.5. Chris Hyde, one of the best snow polo players scored five out of the ten goals for Cartier.
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MY VISION OF LIFE
Ma y t e Mé n d e z C a b o M AY T E Cabo A C on t e m p o r a r y
Fa u v i s mo -I mpr e s s ion i s t
Ar t i s t
After completing elementary and High school, Mayte Teresa Mendez Cabo studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Madrid. Later she graduated from the Fine Arts Faculty of San Carlos in Valencia where her qualities as a painter were rapidly recognized. Mayte, as she prefers to be known, is currently the Professor of Arts at the Gil y Carrasco Institute in Ponferrada. Despite a life charged with all the responsibilities of a professional teacher, and preoccupations with her students, she has always managed to balance these with her passion – her work as a painter – as well as a busy family life. Success came early. In 1976 she was awarded second prize at the Exhibition of Fine Arts in Valencia. She was twenty two. From then until 2012, she has held exhibitions every year. Her shows have been seen in university faculties, cultural institutions, city councils, as well as in public and private collections all across Spain. Some critics have detected a link with Impressionism or Fauvism, or suggested the influence of Van Gogh and Cezanne. But most agree that Mayte’s highly individual use of colour is entirely unique to her. Cabo’s distinctive use of colour – particularly a vivid Mediterranean blue – seems to suggest the search for a paradise, lost since the dawn of time, to which she yearns to return. In her later work there seems to be something of a reorientation of style, one that recalls the countryside of Bierzo, where she grew up. Here, the colours are sometimes more sombre, reflecting a some what harsher landscape which she dresses in the textured tones of autumn and spring. Her paintings are a virtuoso display of blues and greens with complements of fuchsia, yellow or crimson colours which are rarely harmoniously combined. Particularly interesting, is Mayte’s ability to detect colours in shadows or pools of light which shows a technical competence few can match. The result is a brilliant, multicoloured explosion.
M AY RVSI S I O N O F L I F E C
G e n e v a Mo t o r S h o w
H IGH L IGH T S Right after the bonus season, the Geneva motorshow (5th-15 March) has been in full swing.
Inside the Future With no hint of irony, this year’s Geneva motor show introduced
each other, can also recline like orthopaedic beds for sleeping.
a feature that may spell the end of the motor car as we know it.
Bored with long journeys? No worries: screens surround you on
Provisionally known as the Mercedes F 015, this lumbering beast,
which to watch movies, select music, browse photos and chat with
almost twice the size of a normal vehicle, is not a car. It’s a driver-
friends.
less machine that lifts the veil on the future in a consideration of the way autonomous technologies will soon rule us.
Offended by endless suburban vistas of parking lots, automobile concessions and shopping malls? Relax: Mercedes have mooted
More like a boat or plane, it specifically enables all the things that
the possibility of windows morphing into screens that can run
are illegal when driving normally. Seats that are arranged facing
ravishing vistas of superb scenery. When this early prototype be-
8 2 | Issue N7
Mercedes F 015
Jaguar F type RAW coupe
Audi R8 V10
comes reality, it will be, for those that can afford it, the ultimate
hurts. The reaction is the macho hyperbole increasingly seen in
‘escapemobile’.
the blurbs written about supercars, which is moving from hype to hysteria with the speed of one of their own supercharged vehicles.
Meanwhile the big beasts of the supercar world have reason to get
Here for your amusement are two such examples .
restless. It would be difficult to imagine more polar opposites to the concept of the F 015 than the latest generation of supercharged
Of the Jaguar F type RAW coupe: ‘… staggeringly pretty, big
monsters that can attain speeds of over 200 mph in less than a
chested power, hairy chested handling…’
minute.
Of the Lexus LF: ‘…(the driver) hurled the squirmy, squidging LS into a glorious smoketastic slide…’.
If trends continue, private yachts will be the size of ocean liners, corporate jets will fly at speeds close to that of sound itself and
Dreaming of the Future.
luxury cars will travel faster than most small aircraft today. The advent of commercially available driverless cars is at least ten For the drivers of these fearsome machines, this is the perfect test
years or more away. At that point a widening gulf may open up be-
of extreme precision and fearlessness; these cars are as far as it’s
tween itinerant couch potatoes and neurotically competitive speed
possible to go in exaltation of the pure act of driving for its own
merchants with not much in between.
sake. Until then, superbly fine tuned instruments of locomotion will The brands that produce these miracles of engineering are rather
continue to hold sway, their owners undeterred that the feeding,
like competitors in body building contests. Like the champs of
protecting and preening of their gleaming monsters compares un-
muscle tone, everlastingly striving to ‘bulk up’ their gorgeous glu-
favourably in terms of time and cost with looking after an endan-
tes and perfect pecs, manufacturers and designers are linked in a
gered species in a zoo.
firestorm of effort to reach an engineering millennium of untram-
Some of the best were paraded at the Geneva Motor Show.
melled speed. Half a second saved off the time taken to go from 0 to 100kmph; a couple of extra kilometers in consumption per litre;
Audi R8 V10. UK prices for the standard model are now
a touch more torque (or is it less?); ever more explosive throttle; yet
confirmed as £119,500 for the 'base' V10 and £137,500 for the
lighter carbon composites!
602bhp V10 Plus.
It’s obvious that not everyone wants to drive a supercar – even if
Amongst the interesting options available are, a $500 cowhide
they could afford one. Even so, the whole car industry takes its cue
interior, (the best money can buy) and a Bang and Olufsen sur-
from the supercharge category. All cars are sold in terms of speed
round sound system which consists of upto sixteen speakers each
and capacity and these are presented in ways that place the driver
of which is shaped like the grille of the car.
centre stage. The car will rival the latest Porsche 911 and will initially only be It’s equally obvious that the looming trend towards driverless cars
available with a twin-clutch S-tronic transmission and a V10 en-
is likely to pinch the miracle workers of high speed cars where it
gine with either 533bhp or 602bhp outputs. The faster V10 Plus
Issue N7 | 8 3
MY VISION OF LIFE
Lexus LFS model covers 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds and hits 205mph flat-out.
“Now it is basically impossible for a Model S driver to run out
An even more laudable achievement is Audi’s all-electric 456bhp
of range unintentionally. Presuming he is right, then this will be
R8 e-tron model with 920Nm of torque, a range of 276 miles and
the world’s first electric car capable of driving along highways and
a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds. It entirely squashes the notion that
motorways. The car does 244 miles on a single battery - changed
electric means creeping about in the slow lane.
in three and a half hours.
Lexus LFS.
This pioneering vihecle will set you back $109,000 (£86, 950 in the UK).
“... a vehicle that redefines the supercar of the 21st century” . Quoted as costing in the region of a whopping £343,000.
Jaguar F type RAW coupe.
This is an extraordinary car that moves from 0 to 100 kmph in just 3.7 seconds. It also can reach a top speed of 325kmph. Another
The show saw the fastest and most powerful saloon in the Jag-
matter of note is that it will feature a carbon fibre plastic shell
uar’s history make its European debut. It's the latest roll-out of the
that has been developed in house. They have also collaborated with
F-TYPE sports saloon range, dubbed the XFR-S. Jaguar Global
Yamaha to produce an engine noise tuned to perfect pitch.
Brand Director Adrian Hallmark described it as “…a car of incredible potency…a visceral blend of power, driver involvement
Tesla P85D.
and control.”
Elon Musk swears that the latest up-market rear wheel model re-
Powered by the same 550PS 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine as the
moves all lingering worries about coming to a grinding halt unin-
XKR-S, the new model can reach 60mph in 4.4 seconds from a
tentionally. As he puts it:
standing start; with a top speed of 186mph.
Tesla P85D
Mercedes AMG GT3 The new 495 PS F-TYPE was joined by classic Jaguar XK 120,
mance car with thrilling touches borrowed from it’s track relative.
C-Type, D-Type and E-Type sports cars in a ‘Jaguar Bloodline’
To remind you of this there are numerous design touches such as
sports car convoy to the Geneva Auto Salon.
front wings that flare out and a low seat.
Cost, depending on model £51,000 to £91,000 (5 models). 0 to 60
Also under the bonnet of this sober-looking saloon is a wet-
mph in 4.2 seconds; top speed 186 mph; bhp
sumped version of the AMG GT sports car's 4.0 V8 Biturbo. Rest to 62mph is dealt with in four seconds flat but the car is limited
Mercedes AMG GT3.
to 155mph.
Cost $ 456,500; 0 to 60mph in 3.2 seconds; 0 to 100 in 7.0 seconds;
BMW i8.
top speed 187mph. Dual power electric/petrol. Like most GT racing cars the Mercedes has been widened drastically compared with the road car. The result is a machine that’s
Cost £94,545; 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds; 42 mpg; three hours to
not quite as elegantly proportioned. The racer’s built around the
charge battery.
aluminium shell of the road car, comprehensively reinforced with a substantial rollcage. Pretty much everything else is carbonfibre:
So there you have our dream cars. Having stumped up anything
the bonnet, the doors, front wings and boot lid.
from £100,000 to over £1 million, the next problem is finding
It’s tamer cousin, Mercedes-Benz C63 S is very much a perfor-
enough road to run on without speed restrictions.
BMW i8
M OY NVNI S C E ICOTNI NOGF CLI IRFCEL E S
Coming in from the cold SIBER IA NIGHTCLUB A smell of Russ! Of Russ all breathes there!... Ruslan & Liudmila A.S. Pushkin by Alisa Korneeva Moscow’s Siberia restaurant stands as one of the last bastions of
enormous Tsar chandelier hanging in the middle. The decorations
the city’s luxury nightlife. It is located in one of the central streets
– fresh flowers, expensive fabrics and massive furniture – all unite
surrounded by impressive mansions and old churches.
to create an atmosphere that is both chic and cozy.
This mansion belonged to a renowned member of the Russian in-
The restaurant is divided into four zones: a main section on the
telligentsia, Professor Rosanov and is a fine example of architecture
ground floor, and above, balconies, chimney areas, and an open
of the classical period. As such it is the ideal choice for the Russian
summer terrace on the rooftop, all of which makes The Siberia
restaurant.
suitable for many different kinds of occasions.
The interiors maintain the classic tradition with its high ceilings,
The idea to create “a trendy Russian restaurant” in Moscow came
wooden floors and numerous chrystal chandeliers surrounding the
to the owner’s mind after he had tested the concept in Russian
8 6 | Issue N7
regions. ‘The name Siberia is a quintessence of everything Russian
electro music – its all here.
– taste, tradition and soul.” – he explains. Particular attention should be paid to the food here. A homegrown While the restaurant bears the imprint of the owner at every turn,
chef, Mikhail Simagin, has recast the Russian cuisine adding an
he prefers to remain anonymous. There are rumours that he loves
international flavor. The accent is on local products of the best
the place so much and gives to it so much attention that he even
quality. The food is cooked without adding any artificial colorants,
plays music there sometimes. One day when you are there, you
flavors or preservatives. “We want the best quality for our clients.
may be lucky enough to hear one of his pieces!
We bring the dairy products from the local farms, fresh fruits and vegetables from Uzbekistan and deliver wild fish and seafood di-
Certainly his recipe for an exclusive club works. While everybody
rectly from our suppliers in Japan and Russian Far East”, insists
has been forecasting the demise of Moscow’s nightlife, Siberia cel-
the owner. The salad with crab and bottarga caviar and the Pista-
ebrates another anniversary in February, catering to the tastes of
chio raspberry roll for dessert are to ‘die for’.
Russian A-listers and the international luxury crowd. All this with neither a famous chef, a famous designer, or an owner-brand like
For the cocktail-lovers, there is a specially created cocktail menu
Novikov or Costes.
with rare and exotic ingredients - a broth of cones, berries of sea buckthorn and other specifically Russian products. In addition,
“Russian customers are difficult to please,” says the owner. “They
the classic and exotic cocktails also deserve the highest praise. For
want everything in one place: excellent food, the best live music
example, The very first sip of ‘The Ultimate’ cocktail conjures a
and to be able to dance to the beats of famous DJs. So we have
wild Caribbean island.
created just this kind of place for them”. So what’s next? Given the growing popularity of the Russian cuiAnd indeed, Siberia caters for every taste, no matter what – a quiet
sine and culture abroad and the versatility of the concept, the own-
dinner with friends or loved ones on the summer terrace accom-
er has plans to export the concept abroad. Maybe soon, we will be
panied by perfectly selected chamber music or a loud party with
celebrating life in Siberia Dubai or Siberia London, savouring the
friends featuring a concert by famous Russian bands, followed by
experience of Russian style wealth, taste and beauty.
IMNY CV OI S N IVOENR S O AF T LI O I FNE W I T H
Education I have insight into two different types of education, because I did my undergraduate work in Russia and then finished my education in the USA. There’s a substantial difference. I don’t think I’m biased but I would say that the Eastern European and Russian approach force you to make more of an effort. At the medical academy in Russia, the expectations were more exacting. First, in order to pass the exam, you absolutely have to
Alisa Roever International Outlook
attend the lectures. The professors present and explain the theory and then you have to synthesize it into essays. And when it comes to the examination, it’s essay-led. I found that fulfilling. You learn and then you answer and then you develop your own thoughts. When I came to the USA I studied in New York. It was a real eye-opener. In the USA you get a lot of books. You then read them and then you get set multiple questions. I think that is more superficial.
My career
I was born in Siberia. Many people meet me and say SIBERIA!? In a way it makes me laugh. I can see and hear their curiosity. But of course, to me, Siberia was normality. As a child wherever you are
Both my parents are doctors and so it was natural for me to follow
it’s your life. You go to school like anywhere else and make friends.
in their footsteps.
On the other hand, I can’t pretend that life in Siberia under com-
While I was at medical school, I specialized in obstretics and gy-
munism was exactly exciting. The ethos was to conform. Like
naecology. These are wonderful areas to specialize in because you
every other schoolgirl of my generation I had to wear uniform and
are dealing with the wonder of the female body and the wonder
the red scarf. First I was a Young Pioneer and later part of the
of birth.
youth party, Komsomol. So for me moving to America was an amazing experience: I was still at an age where the unfamiliar is
However, after I graduated, I took a slightly different course from
exciting rather than overwhelming. In your early twenties, it’s easy
what maybe even I had expected. I was becoming more and more
to make new friends and absorb new influences. Everybody is ex-
interested in natural beauty and aging and I therefore applied to a
ploring themselves and life itself. So I just went with the flow. It
very famous clinic in the USA called Path Medical. It specializes
felt very liberating. Or that’s how I remember it anyway.
in anti-aging treatments and is reputed to be one of the best clinics not just in the USA but the world.
Of course, it would have been quite different coming here if I’d been my parents’age or the age I am now. Even relocating back to
The clinic is famed for its use of blood analysis and the emphasis
Russia, for instance, seems now quite a challenge. I’m thinking of
it puts on rebalancing the body’s natural resources. I ended up
doing that for a few months as I’d like my son to explore his Rus-
working with natural estrogen, progesterone, HGH and parathy-
sian side. But, ironically, it’ll be me who’s feeling a little bit strange.
roid hormones. So I’m still using my medical background but in a
8 8 | Issue N7
slightly different way from what I envisaged. The decision to branch out into anti-aging medicine turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Everything for me started to fall into place after that. Not only did I learn a lot, but it also introduced me to a new strata of society. It even ended up giving me my husband because he was thinking of investing in the clinic!
Philanthropy I’ve been extremely lucky in my life and of course I’m medically trained. So it’s only natural for me to be attracted to medical charities. The one I’m most involved in is Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research. They hold two black tie events each year to raise money - one in New York and one in London. There’s always a very moving moment when a one minute silence is held for those who have died. The charity’s co-founder is Denise Rich whose daughter died of acute myeloid leukemia when she was very young. Denise has become a great friend of mine. The charity engenders a huge amount of support. We do everything we can to make the event something people want to attend. For instance, we usually hold the events at Cipriani on Wall Street. I think it’s becoming a fixture on the New York calendar. friends there. They included Janna Bullock, Carol Asscher, SteMore recently I’ve set up a related charity called Angel Helpers.
ven and Christine Schwartzman, Ivana Trump, Monica Bacardi,
The idea behind this is to find people who will actually support
Nicolas Begruin, Len Blavatnik, Mark Rich, Denise Rich, Maria
those who have cancer.
Buccelati, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Dibelius, Nathalie and
My Wedding
Carl von Bismarck, Ranny Davidoff. One of the two best men was Fawaz Gruosi. The name, Fawaz
As a girl my head was pumped full with Russian literature and
Gruosi, of course is special to many people in so far as they adore
poetry. I think that mental landscape gave me an abiding sense
his jewellery designs. Artistically he’s got such a vivid imagination
of the power of love. Like any bride, I wanted my marriage to be
and a great sense of what women like.
something my husband and I would remember for ever. But for me, he stands for something else altogether. I don’t think I was lucky because I was able to indulge my sense for the dramatic.
I’ve ever encountered anyone more warm-hearted than he is.
We married in St Tropez - a place I absolutely adore. Everything
He’s taught me what friendship really means and been an excel-
about the day was special. I can’t really single out everyone who
lent mentor to my son. He’s totally generous and sees the good in
was there. But, naturally, we wanted to have a lot of our close
everyone.
Issue N7 | 8 9
MY VISION OF LIFE
On Motherhood The most magical moment for me was when 9 years ago there was a huge snow storm in NYC. My medical office closed early, so I went for a walk in the central park. Crowds of children were rushing about, hurling snowballs at each other and having fun.
I started going to charity fund raisers and sitting on boards and, in the process, people who began as acquaintances became friends. Then, even better some of these friends, become close friends and even confidantes. I think to be surrounded by friends is the secret of happiness.
In the Party Spirit
I love snow and I had one of those moments where you just feel supremely happy. That night, I discovered I was pregnant with my
ask me what my favourite events have been.
son. I’ll never forget that day. Everyone says that children change you. In my case it’s been for the better. My son is mostly very mature for his age. The only thing is we’ve given him a taste for eating out at Cipriani. In a school essay, he recently wrote it was his favourite food. It’s not really surprising, we always go to their restaurants in other cities as well
Having a child has also made me much more aware about the underlying ingredients of our diet. There’s a huge debate about this rightly and I’m glad that at the Expo in Milan people are going to be looking at the meaning and importance of food in the twenty-first century. On a personal and professional level I worry about the overuse of pesticides. So I understand why Gwyneth Paltrow
the larger the party, the more important planning becomes. In certain seasons and on certain occasions, the degree of planning needs almost military precision. For instance, during the summer season at St Tropez, people book their schedules months in ad-
I’m always impressed by the atmosphere in the Rivieria, Cannes and St Tropez. It may well be because I carry memories of The Great Gatsby in my head. Really no one celebrated the Côte d’Azur more tenderly than F. Scott Fitzgerald. From the glamorous summer season to the glittering guest list, it’s still his Riviera party that so many of us think about. I think that is particularly the case after last year film by Baz Luhrmann.
insists that her kids only eat organic food.
My Social Life My social life has also turned into a profession - as I am now the Social Ambassador of Haute Living in New York. I have to say it’s probably one of the best jobs anyone could have. It means I get to go to the best parties in the world and then report back on them. It’s an extraordinary opportunity. It’s not the sort of job you think you’re ever going to get. It’s yet one more benefit of having worked at such a famous clinic. My job led to me getting to know a range of people including Dee Hilfiger, Ivana Trump, Denise Rich. Really everything snow-
9 0 | Issue N7
Obviously you can throw small parties together very quickly but
vance so as not to clash with one another.
as New York.
balled from there.
Because I’m a social ambassador for Haute Living, a lot of people
Down Time and Down Town
And, of course, the better the food, drink and décor, the more a party swings. But when all is said and done, it’s the guests who make a party come alive. They don’t have to be famous but they
Because of being a social ambassador, it is really hard for me to
have to have a positive energy to them. I love it for instance when
separate my private life from my working life. On the other hand,
everyone makes the effort to dress up.
everybody needs to have time and space to be with those who are closest to them without the pressure of being “on exhibition”
I always say that Andrea Dibelius has an amazing facility to throw memorable parties. Her 1000 people Love and Peace party is a
Robert and I love to eat out. For all sorts of reasons we love the
masterpiece of organization. It’s super fun and she brings together
Given an option I will always plump for somewhere like Cipriani.
the best DJs in Ibiza. It’s the kind of party where everyone dances
The great thing is that there are outposts dotted around the world.
till dawn. You just don’t want it to end.
My son has followed my example. Rather amusingly, when asked at school to describe his favourite food, he simply wrote Cipriani!
Another consummate host is Tony Murray. The sit down dinner
I’d say that’s better than just liking burgers. Our attitudes towards
he gave for 400 people with fireworks afterwards was a spectacu-
food are probably more those of French parents than American
lar event in so many ways. A very different affair - but one where
parents.
every detail had been thought through - is Gihad Saad’s Arabian night party. He covers his whole property with Persian rugs and
I’m extraordinarily lucky in another way. My girlfriend, Tina
the food arrives as a procession with fireworks, belly dancers, and
Storper, is on the board of the Metropolitan Opera. This means
men carrying whole roasted lambs and pigs. When you first get to
she receives weekly tickets that give her access to the best seats.
see it, it’s amazing.
In Russia, I studied music and that interest has carried over into adulthood. I am a big fan of Italian operas and particularly love
In the end, however, if I had to single out one party, I’d probably
the work of Donizetti and Puccini.
select Carol Asscher’s unerring sense of style. She seems to get it right every time.
My Fashion Sense
Health and Beauty
I get to attend quite a lot of fashion shows and that, naturally As I’ve grown older, I’ve become more and more interested in what
enough, influences what I wear. I particularly love Dolce & Gab-
the Greeks already recognised: namely, that a healthy body makes
bana clothes for their colors, flowers and prints. I find it very happy
for a healthy mind.
and feminine.
A positive outlook and healthy way really make you look and feel better. As someone who now works closely with cancer charities, I
As an aside, I have to say that the Alta Moda runway event held
also believe that complementary therapies are an important weap-
each year by Dolce & Gabbana over a period of three days are
on in the fight against cancer.
quite extraordinary affairs as well as being beautifully organized.
I do juicing every day and go to the gym whenever I can. Ever
I’ve attended their events in Sicily, Venice and in Capri. The plan-
since I was a young girl, I’ve also been a keen runner. I find it a
ning and attention to detail is exquisite: they look after you in so
wonderful way to calm down. Once you get into a rhythm you
many ways from picking you up at the airport to delivering sur-
almost go into another spiritual dimension. I love to run in New
prise gifts to your bedroom. In addition the scheduled parties are
York Central Park and along Maimi beach – any beach in fact.
out of this world.
Issue N7 | 9 1
PL ACES TO STAY MY VISION OF LIFE
GR AND HYATT CANNES
HOTEL JW MARRIOTT
I N T E R C O N T I N E N T A L
HOTEL MAJESTIC
HOTEL MARTINEZ | Cannes
Cannes
C A R LTON | C a n n e s
BARRIÈRE | Cannes
GR AND HOTEL DU CAP
HOTEL DU CAP-EDEN ROC
HOTEL FA IR MONT
MONTE-CARLO BAY
FER R AT | Cap Ferrat
Antibes
Monte Carlo
HOTEL | Monte Carlo
METROPOLE HOTEL
LE MER IDIEN BEACH
V IS TA PA L ACE
MONTE-CAR LO BEACH
Monte Carlo
PLAZA | Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
CLUB HOTEL | Monte Carlo
HOTEL BELLES RIVES
HOT EL DE PA R IS
THE PENINSULA HOTEL
HOT EL H YAT T PA R IS
Juan Les Pins
S a i n t Tr o p ez
Paris
MADELEINE | Paris
HOTEL DE VENDOME
HOTEL R APHAEL
HOTEL SAN RÉGIS
THE CONNAUGHT
Paris
Paris
Paris
London
HOTEL SOFITEL ST JAMES
THE M AY FA IR HOTEL
THE BE AUMONT HOTEL
BAGLIONI HOTEL
London
London
London
London
BULGARI HOTEL
GR AND HOTEL ET DE
PR I N C I PE DI S AVO I A
ARMANI HOTEL MILANO
London
MILAN | Milan
Milan
Milan
FOUR SEASONS
BULGARI HOTEL
EXCELSIOR HOTEL GALLIA
PA R K H YAT T
Milan
Milan
Milan
Milan
C A R LTON HOT EL
PA L A Z ZI NA GR A SSI
HOTEL DANIELI
LUNA HOTEL BAGLIONI
BAGLIONI | Milan
Venice
Venice
Venice
CEN T U R ION PA L ACE
HOTEL METROPOLE
BAUER HOTEL
T H E S T. R E G I S V E N I C E S A N
Venice
Venice
Venice
CL E M EN T E PA L ACE | Ve n i c e
HILTON MOL I NO ST UCK Y
BELMOND HOTEL CIPRIANI
HOTEL MONACO & GR AND
T H E W E S T I N EU ROPA
Venice
Venice
CANAL | Venice
& R EGINA | Venice
FOUR SEASONS
H E LV E T I A & BR I S TOL
H O T E L S AVOY
THE WESTIN EXCELSIOR
Florence
HOTEL | Florence
Florence
Florence
LE RICHEMOND
HOTEL DES BERGUES
M ANDAR IN OR IENTA L
INTERCONTINENTA L
Geneva
Geneva
Geneva
Geneva
C A PR I PA L ACE HOT EL
GR AND HOTEL QUISISANA
HOTEL LE SIRENUSE
II SAN PIETRO DI
Capri
Capri
Positano
POSITANO | Positano
MY VISION OF LIFE
Caudwell Children and The Pursuit of Happiness by Edoardo Francia Philanthropy has become an important part of wealth manage-
Caudwell Children was founded in 2000 by the entrepreneur and
ment and, for the world’s most influential people, the pursuit of
prolific philanthropist John Caudwell, whose vision was to create
efficient and sustainable charities to which they can pledge their
a charity that offered fellow benefactors a vehicle through which
support, has become a global challenge.
they could achieve the social and emotional return on the investment they have required.
Trudi Beswick, Chief Executive of UK based charity, Caudwell Children, said: “The changing global economy has only served
“By personally donating the charity’s annual administration and
to make wealthy philanthropists more diligent about where they
management overheads, John created a charity model which offers
donate their money; which in turn has forced various charities to
our supporters complete transparency, enabling them to make a
present themselves more professionally and as worthwhile invest-
donation without worrying about how much will actually reach
ment opportunities.”
the children and families we support. This has been our unique selling point for the last 15 years and it is the cornerstone of how
“No longer can charities seek the support of high net worth indi-
we run the charity.”
viduals or corporates by simply presenting the problem and asking for money; we have always believed that it is our responsibility to
Charities like Caudwell Children are leading the way amid a
offer complete transparency and a tangible return on investment,
renewed attention on philanthropy, which has been driven by
but instead of profit, the return will be lives changed or social is-
a handful of the most successful and charitable people in the
sues resolved.”
world. Microsoft’s Bill Gates and financier Warren Buffett have
been scouring the globe for people to join their ‘Giving Pledge’: a
change to society.”
handpicked group of high net worth individuals and families who pledge to donate the majority of their wealth to charity throughout
Each year the charity stages its ultra glamorous ‘Butterfly Ball’
their life and after their death.
in London. Attended by Royalty, A-List stars and high net worth individuals from around the world, the event raises £millions to
One of the first UK philanthropists to sign the pledge was John
help the disabled children and families the charity supports, and
Caudwell. Mr Caudwell now seeks other like minded philanthro-
showcases the incredible work of the charity.
pists to join Caudwell Children, which is widely regarded as one of the fastest growing children’s charities in the UK, and help mak-
This year the Butterfly Ball takes place on June 25th at the re-
ing lasting change for some of the most disadvantaged members
nowned Grosvenor House Hotel in London and will feature an
of society.
exclusive headline performance from one of the best selling male artists of all time, Lionel Richie.
“We provide the practical and emotional support that disabled children need to reach their full potential,” - explains Trudi - “providing a vital lifeline for parents and families who can’t get the help they need anywhere else. We seek individuals and businesses who are looking for a vehicle for their philanthropy which delivers results and we want to work with people who want to make a lasting
For more information about Caudwell Children please contact:
www.caudwellchildren.com +44 1782 600 444 (UK)
I NO TCEI R S AL I O SR ES A S O N
L'OR M A R I NS
QU E E N ' S PL AT E Capetown 2015
Jimmy Navis and Demi Lee
Bonang Matheba and Joanne Strauss
Clive Roberts and Cindy Nell Roberts
Bonang Matheba
9 6 | Issue N7
Nadya Arkesina and Gabriele Salvadori
Elsa Kvarnback, Sahar Biniaz, Annette Muller and Nadya Arkesina
Morgan Ward, Reggie Ansah and Deborah Calmeyer
Best Dressed & Hat competition nominees gather
Morgan Ward, Reggie Ansah and Sivu Nobongoza
Peta Eggierth-Symes, Beverly Napier and Cameron Rhodes
PDeborah Calmever, Rose Bethell and Naledi Mabuse
Koto Baffoe, Carol Mashigo and Maps Maponyani
Gaynor Rupert, Jonathan Snaith and Nancy Mitchell
Ghislaine Mutombo and Andrew Clark
Roxy and Shahnee Louw
Lisa Cowley
Issue N7 | 9 7
INTERIORS
Percy Montgomery and Preston Haskell
Mike Flannin, Liezl van der Westhuizer, Maria and Chester Williams
Anton Rupert and Eugene Freeman
Lord Charles March
Jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe
Barry Donnelly and Jack Mitchell
Gaynor Rupert
Ross Johnson and Peta Eggierth-Symes
9 8 | Issue N7
Caroline Rupert, Gaynor Rupert, Wendy Appelbaum and Fred Robertson
Errol Arendz and Craig Port
Sian Parry Jones, Charlie Elmy
Nadya Arsekina
Lulamile Eighteen, Grant Van Niekerk, Kevin Sommerville and Gaynor Rupert
Issue N7 | 9 9
INTERIORS
Venetian Night for
Passion Sea Charity by Helga Piaget
“...Let the beauty and mysteries of the sea bring out our passion for
drawing. Those works will be added to the events and available in the vir-
“Passion Sea”
tual world through the website www.PassionSea.com as well as publicized
across all the mainstream social platforms.
The international art project “PASSION SEA” is directed and
co-produced by Helga Piaget and the artist Marco Nereo Rotello. “Passion
Sea” is under the patronage of the “Fondation Prince Albert II de Mona-
turn be included in a specially commissioned book. A documentary will also
co”.
showcase the thoughts and imagination of the children and those of Marco
The work aims to promote general awareness of the threat to the
A jury panel will select the most representative works that will in
Nereo Rotello, poets and other key personalities sympathetic to the project.
sea by drawing attention to the beauty of the world’s ocean and the need to
“Passion Sea” raises social and environmental issues using the language
protect it. It mixes both poetry and painting and mingles the vision of the
of art. The project is important to the world of today and even more for the
artist with that of the children.
next generation. We hope too that the vision it articulates will be embraced,
cherished and valued by those who see the installation either virtually or at
The up and coming generation will take over the management of
tomorrow’s world. It is they who will in the end shape its future. For that
the travelling exhibition.
reason “Passion Sea” took the decision to frame the competition around
young people, in the hope that they gain awareness of these vital issues dur-
Biennale of Venice on May 8th, (6.00 pm) at the Café Florian, Pizza
ing the formative years of their education. We hope that they will carry
San Marco. Then, a month later, on June 8th during the world exposition
this sensibility across into their adult lives and argue in their turn for the
in Milan, HSH Prince Albert II will host a dinner at Palazzo Reale in
protection of the ocean habitat.
support of Passion Sea.
Children under the age of 10 will be asked to submit their inter-
pretation of the sea on letter size paper, through either a poem, a narrative, a
Patrick Park and Lola Astanova
1 0 0 | Issue N7
Helga Piaget and Dante Colussy
The next event connected to the project will be held during the
For more information please see our web-
Michelle Wie with Viviane and Gary Player
Patrick Park, HermĂŠ de Wyman Miro, Andrea Bocelli, Helga Piaget and Veronica Bocelli with Dante Colussy
Helga Piaget, Wayne and Shervon Player, Andrea Bocelli, Gary and Viviane Player with Veronica Bocelli
Fiona Tan, Sandro Piaget, Helga Piaget, Andrea and Veronica Bocelli with Dante Colussy
Helga Piaget, Jodee Cohen, Andrea Bocelli, David Cohen and Rob Kramer with Veronica Bocelli
Sally and Dick Robinson with Andrea Bocelli
Michelle Wie and her cousin with Dante Colussy
Veronica Atkins and Andrea Bocelli
Issue N7 | 1 0 1
MY VISION OF LIFE
Gstaad Diary by Januaria Piromallo
It's very pleasant to be back "home", since such lovely Christmas
building in Bamako for children in need (http://www.rosey.ch/en/
and New Year celebrations here. Gstaad is always so amusing and
htmlRosey/programmesHum.html). Everything was successfully
hectic in February also, especially this year.
sold at the auction.
Here are my favourite memories: Grand Hotel Park Book Launch and Flakes of Culture. A few days Le Rosey Centenary. Standing ovation. A thousand people are on
later, Philippe Gudin was the guest of honour at my book launch
their feet applauding as Philippe Gudin concludes his valedictory
"Eva Izsak's Sacrifice" which was held at the Grand Hotel Park.
speech. Students, alumni and many guests were all present there
Gianni Bigi, general manager of the hotel, presided over a fabulous
for Le Rosey Winter Campus Centennial celebration in Gstaad,
gastronomic presentation full of cultural references called "Flakes
organized by Marie Noelle Gudin, head of Rosey Foundation,
of Culture". The Michelin star meal was created by Andrea Migli-
and daughter of the previous headmaster, outgoing Philippe. It is
accio, chef of L'Olivo restaurant in the Capri Palace Hotel. Guests
30 years since Philippe Gudin assumed the role of headmaster at
included Tonino Cacace, owner of the Capri Palace (he plans to
Rosey, one of Europe's most prestigious academic institutions. He
open a restaurant in Gstaad next season), the Italian ambassador
was only 26 years old then. Now he has passed the baton to his son,
to France, Giandomenico Magliano and his wife Giada, Princess
Christophe, who himself is only 28.
Giorgiana Corsini, Prince Michael of Yugoslavia, Prince Charles Henri Lobkowicz, Prince Pierre d'Arenberg and Prince Chicco
Tradition, respect, lasting friendship are among the values that
Moncada.
best encapsulate the fundamental ethos of Rosey. These are values
Prince Pierre d'Arenberg Annual Bash, hosted at the Olden hotel,
promoted and sustained through the AIAR, the association of for-
was as usual Tres Chic.
mer students whose aim is to create "a bond of lasting friendship
The Palace Hotel and Hublot hosted an exhibition and party for
across a multitude of nationalities and cultures across the world".
the acclaimed Mr. Brainwash, Paris-born, Los Angeles based film-
This seated gala was held at the Alpengala tent, which was trans-
maker and street artist Thierry Guetta, who also celebrated the
formed for the occasion into an enchanted forest. The crowd of
debut solo show of his son, Hijack, in Switzerland. During Art
guests included, amongst others, Caroline Scheufele, Lorenz Bach,
Basel in Miami, Mr. Brainwash launched the unique customised
Eric Von Siebenthal and many more. For this special occasion,
piece of a Big Bang Unico limited edition watch, arranging at the
Edoardo Francia, founder of trendy brand AVRONE (Made in
same time the decor of Hublot Miami boutique stores in part-
Italy sunglasses & eyewear), created a unique anniversary edition.
nership with the Swiss Brand. Hublot held a special party in his
Proceeds of sales raised by auctioning these and other unique items
honour at a stunning mansion on Star Island. It was the hottest
went towards the funding of the new craft school that Rosey is
ticket in town.
1 0 2 | Issue N7
Christophe, Marie Noelle
S a m u e l a n d U n n i Tu r r e t t i n i
Penn Sicre and partner
and Pillippe Gudin
Lorenz Bach and Irene Previdi
AV RONE Made in Italy sungl a sses & e yewear
Michael of Yugoslavia, Januaria Piromallo
Giada and Giandomenico Magliano
and Charles Henri Lobkowicz
with Januaria Piromallo
Edoardo Francia, Mr. Brainwash and Gabriele Salvadori
To n i n o C a c a c e
Ivo Pitanguy
Hijack
Issue N7 | 1 0 3
INTERIORS
S A N J AY H I N DU J A & A N U M A H TA N I by Alisa Roever
In February, 100 friends and family of Sanjay Hinduja and Anu Mahtani flew to India to celebrate their 3 day wedding celebration. All the guests flew to Mumbai or Delhi where private jets were waiting to fly everybody to Udaipur. We arrived on Tuesday in Udaipur. When we disembarked, private cars picked us up at the airport, taking us to flower decorated private boats that brought us to our hotels.
1 0 4 | Issue N7
All the guests were provided with rooms at one of the 5 star hotels
After that we went to a “sangeet" ceremony party, where Bolly-
within Udaipur. The main hotels were Oberoy and the floating
wood heart throb, Arjun Kapoor, performed in the grounds of the
Lake Palace hotel where the Octopussy movie was filmed. That
palace, with a troop of dancers and a vivid lighting show.
same night we gathered in the Manek Chow palace for a spectacular dinner party. This is the historic palace in central Udaipur
All the family members of the bride and groom went on stage and
where Nicole Scherzinger (from the band Pussycat Dolls) also per-
performed Indian dances. Again the event was decorated with bil-
formed.
lions of real flowers and the most gorgeous lighting.
Nonstop Bollywood shows were changing every 15 minutes. The
On the third day, all the men went to the Oberoy hotel for the
palace itself was decorated like a fairytale that made you feel as
turban making where the groom arrived with a troupe of elephants
though you were stepping into a magical forest. Billions of flowers
accompanied by Indian singers and dancers.
were flown in for the event. At 4 pm we were taken by private boats for the wedding ceremony. At the the end of the event, Sanjay and Anu Hinduja were called
After the wedding ritual we all went to celebrate at the party which
on stage to perform a dance; they did so engulfed and surrounded
was also held at the same island where Jennifer Lopez performed.
by fire shows and a spectacular light show. After that a DJ kept all the guests dancing until the small hours of the morning.
Among the guests were the rulers of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Nicaragua – not to mention
The following day all the ladies went to a "mehendi" ceremony -
the president of Iceland, and the King and Prince of Udaipur.
where the bride is traditionally decorated with henna tattoos. All
Lakshmi Mittal, Carol Asscher, Lisa Tchangies, Rena Sindi, Kaz
the ladies got henna tattoos, to the accompaniment of nonstop
Alzarka, Andrea Dibelius, Ella Krasner and Fawaz Gruosi were
performers and an abundance of food and drink.
also all there.
The theme for the night was Indian clothes. All the Indian clothes,
It was an absolutely magical event that I will hold in my memory
make up, hair and jewelry were provided by the hosts.
for ever. We were all very sad when it became time to bid our farewells and depart for our respective homes and countries.
Issue N7 | 1 0 5
INTERIORS
Jennifer Lopez
Anu Mahtani
Robert Tchenguiz, Carol Asscher and Olivier Bizon
Nicole Scherzinger and Carol Asscher
Anu Mahtani and Rishi Sethia
Elisa Roever and Sanjay Hinduja
1 0 6 | Issue N7
Nicole Scherzinger
Chloe and Kaz Alzarka
Olivier Bizon and Carol Asscher
Usha and Laskmi Mittal
Andrea Dibelius, Bruce Ritchie, Usha Mittal and Olivier Bizon
Isabela Dos Santos, Andrea Dibelius and Alisa Roever
Andrea Dibelius and Alisa Roever
Carol Asscher and Alisa Roever
Rena Abboud and Carol Asscher
Issue N7 | 1 0 7
INTERIORS
Lara Preston's Birthday S T. B A R T H
Peter Bromeley, Lara Preston and Paul Doran
Richard Soloway and Lara Preston
Masha Shoaei, Claire Coldwell and Isobel Helou
Lara Preston, Letizia VanniChimenti, Eva Potel, Claire Coldwell and Masha Shoaei
Gladiators and Goddesses Party at Nikki beach
Masha Shoaei, Claire Coldwell and Stelios Haji Ioannou
1 0 8 | Issue N7
Paola Bacchini, Arnie Rosenshein, Masha and Brandon Shoaei
Tricia Quick
Marco di Cesaria and Lara Preston
Pascale Bourbeau, Arnie Rosenshein, Paola Bacchini and Richard York
Isabel Helou, Lara Preston and Claire Coldwell
Arnie Rosenshein, Maya Doran and Niel Campbell
Maya Doran and Claire Coldwell
Pascale Bourbeau, Arnie Rosenshein and Paola Bacchini
Lara Preston and Pascale Bourbeau
Lara Preston and Arthur Rosenstein
Stelios Haji Ioannou, Eva Potel, Claire Coldwell and Lara Preston
Masha Shoaei, Claire Coldwell, Eva Potel and Letizia VanniChimenti
Issue N7 | 1 0 9
INTERIORS
W E E K E N D G S TA A D Monique Hollinger, Olivier Bizon & Carol Asscher Parties.
Monique Hollinger and Carol Asscher
Lauri Agosti, Gabriele Salvadori, Scarlet Gamsky, Lorenz Bach and Sandra Zita
Simon Ibgui, Isabelle Ohnemus and Laurence Graff
Simon Ibgui, David, Monica Baccardi, Bearengere Lemoulec and Lauri Agosti
Lauri Agosti, Monique Hollinger, Isabelle Ohnemus, Sandra Zita, Lina Wagner and Camilla Baretta
Olivier Bizon and Carol Asscher
Lauri Agosti, Monique Hollinger, Simon Ibgui, Carol Asscher, Scarlet Gamsky and Benjamin Worbs
Monique Hollinger, Laurence Graff, Josephine Daniel, Libana Obayda and friends
1 1 0 | Issue N7
Monique Hollinger, Scarlet Gamsky, Lauri Agosti and Carol Asscher
Kim Diethelm, Camilla Baretta, Gabriele Salvadori and Monique Hollinger
Sonja Pronk, Miclelke, Koichi Kajima and Monique Hollinger, Olivier Bizon, Carol Asscher, Benjamin Worbs, Paola, Charles-Antoine D'assche
Eda and Burak Narin Akbay
Isabelle Ohnemus, Camilla Baretta, Sandra Zita and Lina Wagner
Xavier Robinson, Berangere Ibgui, Carol Asscher, Simon Ibgui and Josephine Daniel
Monique Hollinger and Gabriele Salvadori
Monique Hollinger, Lauri Agosti and Carol Asscher
Gabriele Salvadori, Mariana Marigene Bg, Inga and Martin Haugaard
Scarlet Gamsky, Sandra Zita, Lauri Agosti, Monique Hollinger, Kim Diethelm, Patrick Hampel and Camilla Baretta
Le Rosey in the pool
Issue N7 | 1 1 1
INTERIORS
T
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MP05-LaFerrari. A truly exceptional watch. A world record-holder. 50-day power reserve and a high-tech design developed with Ferrari. Limited edition of 20 pieces.
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