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SPRING 2018 • VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 1 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA michelle@dolce.ca Director of Operations ANGELA PALMIERI-ZERILLO angela@dolce.ca
ART DEPARTMENT Co-Founder/Creative Director FERNANDO ZERILLO fernando@dolce.ca Senior Graphic Designer CHRISTINA BAN Graphic Designer AXL VALDEZ Senior UI/UX Designer YENA YOO Junior UI/UX Designer NATHAN CHAN Web Developer JORDAN CARTER
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Fashion & Home Décor Editor MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA Beauty & Travel Editor ANGELA PALMIERI-ZERILLO Writer BRANDON HARRIPERSAUD Copy Editors and Proofreaders CATHARINE CHEN, SUSAN GRIMBLY, NINA HOESCHELE Contributing Writers ALEX BROWN, CEZAR GREIF, SARAH KANBAR, RICK MULLER, DONNA PARIS Contributing Photographers ROBIN GARTNER, MIKE FORD, JESSE MILNS, NIGEL PARRY, CARLOS A. PINTO, BELA RABA Public Relations Manager SARAH KANBAR Social Media Manager BIANCA RICCI
VIDEO DEPARTMENT Videographer CARLOS A. PINTO
ADVERTISING Director of Marketing ANGELA PALMIERI-ZERILLO angela@dolce.ca Director of New Business Development SUSAN BHATIA susan@dolce.ca Senior Account Manager MARIO BALACEANU Account Manager CHRISTINA BONO
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES T: 905-264-6789 info@dolce.ca • www.dolcemag.com Front Cover PIERCE BROSNAN Photography By NIGEL PARRY
Dolce Magazine is published quarterly by Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9 T: 905-264-6789, F: 905-264-3787, info@dolce.ca, www.dolcemedia.ca Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675. All rights reserved. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited without written consent from the publisher. Dolce Magazine reaches over 900,000 affluent readers annually through household distribution across Canada. Dolce Magazine is also available to over 100 million digital consumers of Magzter Inc. and Issuu. Inquiries about where else Dolce Magazine is available for sale may be directed to Dolce Media Group: info@dolcemedia.ca or 905-264-6789. The yearly subscription fee is CDN $34 and US $48. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9, Canada The opinions expressed in Dolce Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Media Group does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is in no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 21 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers. ISSN 2370-4063 Next Issue: Summer 2018 ©2018 Dolce Media Group. Printed in Canada. Follow us at:
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
PUBLISHER’S NOTE Believe In a world that is fast becoming soulless Be challenged to find your own soul Then make it selfless. When the television portrays only tragedy Be challenged to turn it off Spend your time working on your own humility. If you’re surrounded by people who are envious Be challenged to cull the herd around you Fill your life with those who bring joyousness. During the times you feel utterly hopeless Be challenged to claw your way out — Albert Schweitzer Understand that genuine happiness is timeless. Find your soul. Believe in yourself. Trust in your God. Love your family. Share your plenty. Lean when you need. Live out loud. Love heartily. Grow your humanity. Infect the world with your faith.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Fernando Zerillo
Michelle Zerillo-Sosa,
Co-Founder/Creative Director
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Michelle Zerillo-Sosa
Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief
CAN YOU HAVE THE DEFINITION YOUR CAKE AND OFEAT SUCCESS IT TOO?
WW
e here at Dolce are ell, somewhat obsessed with Gampp, profilingthis successful in the case of Yolanda could be a realpeople possibility. If you’re not yet their familiar with figures. Some of these had to leave behind home herhad work, she ishard a multi-millionaire countries; most have to work paying their duesYouTube before bakerstatus. (3.3 million subscribers, that is) may … all achieving their current One reason for our interest heranother incredible imagination. be that many of usthanks came to from country and had to work hard to earn This is main a woman who dreams searching up cakes for forsuccess a livingstories — not what we have now. But our goal in constantly traditional tiered shapes and fl avours, but cakes that look like is to inspire you, the reader, with each experience that we share. And this issue hot dogs, huge candy apples, watermelons, in fl avours like the of Dolce is no different. ultimate red velvet and chocolate cake … You get the idea. Take Brett David, CEO of Prestige Imports Motor Group Miami. At the Sweet mother of God, this lady has the power to tempt even tender age of 19, rather than sell the business as his father instructed in his the strongest-willed person with her cakes! Her belief is that will, he took over running it. If not for that difficult decision, he wouldn’t be anything is possible, and with the love and support of family where he is today. Many years have passed since that day when he got up on and friends, the highest levels of success are attainable. Read a stool in the middle of the dealership and made his first speech to a crowd of her story on page 38. more than 150 employees. Imagine the bravery it took address roomful Speaking of belief, we all pray thattoour faith aneed neverofbe people, many with families relying on them and their jobs, to announce that tested the way Paul De Lio’s is. Many of us go through life he would be taking over as CEO of the multimillion-dollar dealership. Read without ever having to question why tragedies strike our lives or his story to learn how his words that the lives of others inday the changed world. A his fewlife. years back, we published Now, more than in the is a crucial issue.asking What’s an ever, articlerespect about the defiworkplace nition of God. I remember the become clear is that those whothis not question only talktothe talk, but also walk the“Where walk writer to pose various religious leaders: are worthy of note. work culture Paul Alofs,the president andof wasThis Godisinthe moments such asthat 9/11?” Given recent state
CEO of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, has worked hard to instil in — from Wife byinterns. Iris Imeneo every member of his staff, including theThe summer His secret to success, as shared in his book, Passion Capital, is passion. “If you find something you’re natural disasters and over extreme weather conditions, really passionate about, a period of time, if you haveone thecould work ethic, you will ask the same question now. In De Lio’s case, where was succeed.” Read about his legacy and how, under his values God of communication when deadlyPrincess bacteriaMargaret infected his life and most admired and respect, hasbody, beennearly namedtaking one ofhis Canada’s resulting in the amputation of both of his legs? corporate cultures. In that article years ago, one of the questioned religious leaders Success is not measured only by boardroom meetings and annual reports. replied that God was in the firemen going up the stairs to rescue It can be of a different kind, a kind that brings joy to your heart, just like the people in the towers. It’s a response that to this date gives me family and friends and the memory of loved ones who are no longer with us comfort. Likewise, now, God is in the rescue workers bringing do. This the kind of Mexico success and of Connie Guglietti, a little girl whose relief toisPuerto Rico, Florida.Monica And God was in the winsome character and selfless spirit brought tremendous joy to all who knew doctors who fought to save Paul De Lio. He was with the family her. Her courage and strength through her diagnosis of a brain tumour (DIPG) and friends who prayed for De Lio’s life and later, for his recovery. inspired others to fight a good fight. She strove to be an example Today, just a few months after his ordeal, De Lio is filled with to other kids and to never lose faith. And parents, Marco andfind Michela Guglietti, chose positivity and gratitude. He her is ready to help others ways to tolive honour the memoryDare of their extraordinary child by creating with motivation. I say, then, God also resides in De the We Love You Connie Lio’s heart. Foundation See his storytoonraise pagemoney 32. for finding a cure for DIPG, thereby continuing Connie’s inspiring Followwith thismy family’s story as they share Of course, it’s possible youmessage. do not agree thoughts their highs and lows. of God. We all know that one should not on the whereabouts speak of as politics forasthese Men casually want to be quick or to religion, action and suaveare as sensitive him — especially when topics (although weather isn’t exactly safe topic anymore, ordering martinis the at the bar. Women areamesmerized by his elegance and either). ButIt perhaps you will behe interested inon ourthe story about We’re talking masculinity. doesn’t matter that exists only big screen. the Bahá’Í Faith, of a relatively new better religion withman 5 tofor 7 the million about James Bond, course! What cover year’s first edition, adherents practising If than you believe the betterment of Bond)? You setting the mood for allglobally. to come, Pierce in Brosnan (my favourite the world, in unity, love and service, you might fi nd your place may not yet know how connected he is to his family, his community and the here. Bahá’Í’sFor believe equality of all sexes, racesconnection. and creeds,Here’s another environment. him, in everything starts with that and in the harmony of science and religion. Story on 74. things, but by believer of the fact that true success is measured not by page material In this day and age, we could all use more unity, love and faith, the people around you and the things that bring joy to your life. regardless of what form it takes. May you enjoy this edition of We hope you enjoy this edition of Dolce Magazine and are inspired to City Life Magazine. It, like life, is yours to experience and do discover your own passion, your own success, and la dolce vita! with what you will.
Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Zerillo-Sosa Michelle Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Fernando Zerillo Co-Founder/Creative Director
@dolcemag / @amorebagstoronto / @fernandozerillo @dolcetweets @amorebagstoronto
12 DOLCE MAGAZINE | www.dolcemag.com
spring 2018
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www.dolcemag.com | DOLCE MAGAZINE
CONTENTS WINTER SPRING 2017 2018 /| VOLUME 22 21 |/ ISSUE ISSUE 14
74
PIERCE BROSNAN: The career Irish-born actor dishes on his journey of becoming an actor and his life as being Bond
50
FASHION ROYALTY: Parisian aristocracy graces Michael Cinco’s new collection
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THE ST. TROPEZ PROJECT:
72
SAOTA’s St. Tropez project presents breathtaking views incorporated with modern architectural prowess
A CENTURY AHEAD: Louis XIII partners with Pharrell to raise awareness of rising water levels
87
VIVA LA CUBA: Heat up the atmosphere in vintage Cuban Flair
68
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES: Master sculptor Gerry Judah on how he made his revolutionary creations
36
BRETT DAVID’S PRESTIGE IMPORTS: How a young
48
OBJECTS OF DESIRE: Spring means out with the old and in with the new
CEO turned tragedy into mega-success 44 FASHION FORWARD: Designer Christian Siriano discusses his career and debut book 60 PAUL ALOFS: Legendary CEO of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation on his serendipitous life More stories inside...
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spring 2018
Negotiating more for YOU. Negotiating more for YOU.
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*Based on sales from $4 million to $35 million for all of TREB, 2008 - present combined. Dolce Feb ad | Cohen.indd 1
Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract with another brokerage.
2018-02-12 12:16 PM
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dolce was there
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piaget
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Photos by Remy steineR/2018 Getty imaGes
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Last month, Piaget transformed the Country Club de Genève into a tropical, sun-filled paradise for the launch of its new global brand campaign. Coco Rocha, Barbara Palvin, Shanina Shaik and Joël Dicker joined brand ambassador Ryan Reynolds for an evening captured by Mert & Marcus. Supermodel and campaign muse Doutzen Kroes joined Piaget CEO Chabi Nouri for the unveiling of the new campaign. Piaget’s “Sunny Side of Life” philosophy is brought to life in this new print and digital campaign, a celebration of life lived to the fullest under the sun in the island paradise of Ibiza. www.piaget.com
1. Left to Right: Doutzen Kroes, Piaget CEO Chabi Nouri and Ryan Reynolds 2. Shanina Shaik 3. Barbara Palvin 4. Coco Rocha 5. Mohammed Sultan Al Habtoor 6. Left to Right: Constance Dicker, Joel Dicker and Piaget CEO Chabi Nouri
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1 3 2
Last month, at its 24th annual awards show, the Screen Actors Guild presented its coveted statuettes for outstanding performances in motion pictures and television shows at the Shrine Auditorium. The Good Place star Kristen Bell hosted the event. This year’s cast/ensemble winners were Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, This is Us and Veep. Rita Moreno presented Academy Award winning actor, producer and activist Morgan Freeman with the 54th Life Achievement Award, recalling the awards of 2013, when Freeman presented Moreno with the 50th Life Achievement Award.
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Photos by 2018 Getty imaGes
sag awards
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www.sagawards.org
1. Alexander Skarsgard 2. Lupita Nyong’o and Kate Hudson 3. Reese Witherspoon 4. Susan Sarandon and Saoirse Ronan 5. Halle Berry 6. Gary Oldman
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ANDREWS ANDREWSCO.COM
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dolce was there
Last month, the Maserati Polo Tour 2018 began with a thrilling start at the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz, which took place at the frozen lake of St. Moritz. The end result saw Team Cartier claim victory over Team Maserati by 4.5 to 4 in a breathtaking final. Over the three days of the tournament, four polo teams played entertaining, high-class polo matches to the delight of more than 15,000 spectators, a new tournament record. www.maseratipolo.com Watch the excLusive footage at WWW.doLcemag.com
Photo couRtesy of maseRati Polo touR 2018
maserati polo tour 2018
The Maserati team was narrowly defeated by team Cartier
audi summer concerts 2018 Photo couRtesy of audi mediacenteR
The Audi Summer Concerts 2018 will take place this July in the Bavarian city of Ingolstadt. The leitmotif of the current season, “places of longing,” is intended to make the festival more personal and accessible. This year’s festival will start off with the popular classical music open-air concerts at Klenzepark. Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto will perform with the internationally acclaimed Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Lisa Batiashvili will be starting as artistic director of the Audi Summer Concerts in 2019. www.audi-mediacenter.com Lisa Batiashvili (Left) and Pekka Kuusisto (right)
Aston Martin and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills have announced that guests who book the new “Live Aston Martin” suite package before March 31 will receive exclusive access to drive an Aston Martin through the streets of Beverly Hills. Offered to guests for a limited time, the activation also features an Aston Martin DB11 display vehicle at the Beverly Hills property and a pop-up retail store. www.astonmartin.com www.waldorfastoria.com
Every part of the DB11 is designed to create the most alluring DB to date
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Photo couRtesy of waldoRf astoRia
aston martin
are Trade Marks used under license from The De Beers Group of Companies.
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DOLCE EXCE LLE NCE LEADE RSH I P
TOMMASO SPADOLINI CELEBR ATES 40 YEARS
Spadolini has continued his father’s legacy, redefining yachts in the process
Tommaso Spadolini celebrates four decades as a pre-eminent Italian yacht designer
T
ommaso Spadolini began his career in the design office of his father, famous yacht architect Pierluigi Spadolini. Alongside his father, he designed a line of yachts for Cantieri di Pisa. In the early 1980s, Spadolini created his first independent designs for Barberis and started his partnership with Canados. The first Canados 70’ was launched in 1984. It introduced the strong functional elements that would come to be known as traits of Spadolini’s work, and it became a benchmark of luxury yacht design. Spadolini created a complete line of 58’, 85’, 90’ and 95’ yachts, with a total of 107 vessels built between 1984 and 1992. “For me, yachts have always been and still are my choice in applied design; here I can bring to
bear the accumulation of all our family’s knowhow,” says Spadolini. In 1992, Spadolini was chosen from an international pool of designers to design Fortuna, the Spanish royal yacht. Forty-three metres long, with three turbines giving it a speed of almost 75 knots, Fortuna was launched in 2000. Its hull was designed by Donald Blunt’s American design studio. “The superyacht reached a top speed of 74.8 knots,” says Spadolini, “a very special one where I was responsible for the exterior lines, including air tunnel testing for engine ventilation.” During the last 10 years, Studio Spadolini has been entrusted with some prestigious refitting involving yachts built by Cantieri di Pisa, Magnum and Baglietto. Custom projects by Spadolini have gone on to revolutionize the entire superyacht industry.
Every Tommaso Spadolini project is born from a hand-drawn design. “For me, this is the only way to convey the emotional content of an idea, its soul,” says Spadolini. After the first sketches, the drawings are elaborated and transferred to the studio’s staff, who work with the latest software. This teamwork allows the studio to offer specialized assistance for every project. “Timeless classic” is the epitome of Spadolini style, in which clean, essential lines create a design that is both classic and modern; these are harmonious and balanced designs that never grow dated. “To define the design of a yacht in a word,” Spadolini says, “the only lines are the essential lines.” www.spadolini.com
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PHOTO BY JAMES ROBINSON TAYLOR
SERIES WRITTEN BY BRANDON HARRIPERSAUD
WHEN YOU INTRODUCE THE "X" FACTOR INTO A PREDOMINANTLY "Y" BUSINESS WORLD,
THE RESULTS ARE BOUNDLESS. The build is no longer just a build. It is a creation that is born of endless possibility. All senses are considered. All possibilities are explored and the true essence of your vision is born.
"I take pride in being a strong woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry." — Rose Barroso
Expression of excellence 21
barrosohomes.com spring 2018
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DOLCE EXCE LLE NCE SPI R ITS
BACARDI TO ACQUIRE
PATRÓN TEQUILA
The premium vodka and spirits maker adds Patrón Tequila to its collection
F
amily-owned Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, is expanding its portfolio of premium spirits. Bacardi has reached an agreement to acquire 100 percent ownership of Patrón Spirits International AG and its Patrón brand, the world’s best-selling ultra-premium tequila. The transaction follows the successful relationship the two brands have had for nearly a decade, since Bacardi’s initial acquisition of a minority stake in Patrón in 2008. Patrón is estimated to have an enterprise value of $5.1 billion. The deal should close in the first half of 2018. This acquisition will make Bacardi the spirits player in the United States and the second largest spirits company in market share by value in the U.S. market. John Paul DeJoria and Martin Crowley founded Patrón with the goal of creating tequila that is “simply perfect.” “We started this business more than a quarter century ago with a singular mission: to create an ultra-premium luxury tequila,” said DeJoria. “Today, with that continued commitment to quality and several other extraordinary brands in our portfolio, we produce more than three million cases of distilled
Left: Patrón president and CEO Edward Brown Right: Facundo L. Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited
spirits annually that are enjoyed around the world. I am proud of what our entire organization has accomplished, and the work we do in giving back to the people and communities in which we operate.” Tequila is one of the fastest-growing and most attractive categories in the spirits industry, with Patrón the clear market leader in the super-premium segment. “Patrón and Bacardi were both founded on the principles of quality, integrity and innovation, and driven by a sense of fearlessness — it’s in our DNA,” said Facundo L. Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited. “It has been a privilege being a partner for a number of years with a remarkable entrepreneur like
John Paul DeJoria. John Paul’s vision, integrity and courage are responsible for introducing the world to simply perfect tequila. As we move forward together, we will continue to pursue perfection as the guiding light in everything Patrón stands for.” “Adding Patrón to the Bacardi portfolio creates a tremendous opportunity for the brand outside of the United States,” said Mahesh Madhavan, chief executive officer of Bacardi Limited, “as Bacardi’s international distribution network will help grow Patrón around the world, increasing scale in the U.S. and globally. I look forward to working with the talented team at Patrón.” The Patrón leadership team, including CEO Edward Brown, chief operating officer David R. Wilson, and chief marketing officer Lee Applbaum, will continue in their roles. “Patrón is more than just a brand we have built; it has been a personal passion for nearly 20 years. I truly consider the Patrón team my extended family,” said Brown. “As Bacardi has had an ownership stake in Patrón for almost a decade now and truly knows and appreciates our unique business, they are the best and most logical steward to continue our pursuit of perfection.” www.bacardilimited.com
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BACARDI LIMITED AND PATRÓN
Bacardi has purchased Patrón Tequila, making Bacardi the premium spirits company in the United States
The perfect balance of ELEGANCE and LUXURY Life is all about balance and we incorporate it in its full. From the harmony of our beautifully decorated suites, to the luxury of our interiors and the history that emanates from every part of our historic building, One King West Hotel & Residence is the bespoke downtown destination for those who seek uniqueness and exclusivity.
Unique milestones deserve a unique location. Contact us today for a DOLCE private offer at 416.548.8200 or email sales@onekingwest.com spring 2018
One King West Hotel & Residence 1 King Street West, Toronto ON www.onekingwest.com
23 www.dolcemag.com | DOLCE MAGAZINE
DOLCE EXCE LLE NCE FASH ION
CHANEL’S
CAMÉLIA COLLECTION
Alma Jodorowsky shines in choice items from the Camélia Collection
C
hanel has launched the Camélia collection, a line of fine jewellery for Spring/ Summer 2018. The campaign features Alma Jodorowsky, French actress, singer and fashion model. The camellia, also known as the Chinese rose, represents love and devotion. But to Chanel, it’s more than just an object of prettiness. The company has attempted to redefine the camellia as a symbol of independence, boldness and irreverence with the slogan, “Not a flower.” Now an iconic floral shape, the camellia embodies the bold spirit of Chanel. Originally a flower worn
in men’s buttonholes, it was borrowed from men’s fashion by Gabrielle Chanel. The collection symbolizes women’s freedom from hindrance. In white or black ceramic, white or yellow gold, stripped bare or encrusted with diamonds, the lines and motion of the camellia are a declaration of love for a style governed by only one rule: freedom. The Camélia collection is made up of rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and brooches. The height of beauty and simplicity, the camellia transcends fashion and bestows infinite elegance upon its wearer. Moreover, Chanel’s Camélia is a style, instantly recognizable, eternally desirable and truly timeless.
As part of the marketing campaign, Chanel has released a series of photos and videos featuring Alma Jodorowsky in situations that capture the spirit of the camellia, including trimming hedges with a chainsaw, getting pulled over by a police officer, and sitting in a pool fully clothed, all while wearing stunning items from the luxury collection. Jodorowsky’s relationship with Chanel began with the Karl Lagerfeld exhibition project “The Little Black Jacket.” Afterward, she went on to become an official Chanel ambassador. www.chanel.com
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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHANEL
Chanel introduces Camélia, the newest line in its perennial jewellery collection
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DOLCE EXCE LLE NCE AUTO
ROLLS-ROYCE ANNOUNCES NEW COLOUR AND NEW ENGINEER
The Dawn in Fuxia is the newest custom Rolls-Royce to grace the streets. Dr. Ayoubi takes over as director of engineering
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olls-Royce Motor Cars offers customers an impressive palette of more than 44,000 colours, but for one client, the available options were not enough. Recently at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in Pebble Beach, California, renowned car collector Michael Fux added another bespoke colour to this palette with the addition of an eleventh commissioned Rolls-Royce to his personal collection. The Rolls-Royce “Dawn in Fuxia” was unveiled by Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, as part of the company’s activities at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the world’s premier celebration of luxury automobiles. “When I commissioned my first bespoke RollsRoyce in 2005, I wanted something completely different than any of the other cars commissioned at
the time. I knew the designers had a lot of creativity that I wanted to explore,” said Fux. “I love the heritage of the Rolls-Royce brand and I love these cars. I always challenge my fellow owners to push the bespoke envelope.” Mr. Fux has previously commissioned ten other Rolls-Royce vehicles, each highly personalized to his exact specifications. “Michael is a very special patron of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars,” stated Müller-Ötvös. “Rolls-Royce designers love working with him because he constantly challenges them to take their work to an even higher level, delivering a true work of art.” In addition to delivering new custom creations, Rolls-Royce is also shepherding in a new director of engineering. Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi has been appointed director of engineering starting this March. Dr. Ayoubi joins Rolls-Royce from the BMW
Group, with over 20 years of experience in a broad range of engineering positions. He is currently head of concepts, architectures and integration and has previously headed departments in acoustics and vibration, dynamics development, chassis control systems, drivetrain development, all-wheel drive and driver assistance systems. Of Syrian descent, Dr. Ayoubi moved to Germany in 1985 to study engineering, eventually joining BMW Group in 1997. He holds a degree and doctorate in control systems engineering and applied artificial intelligence from the technical University of Darmstadt. “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi as our new director of engineering,” Müller-Ötvös said. “Mihiar is an exceptionally talented engineer and follows in the esteemed footsteps of the company’s founding father and first engineer, Sir Henry Royce.” www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROLLS ROYCE
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to be the forefront of automotive innovation with a new colour and a new director of engineering
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PHOTO BY MIKE FORD
Yabu and Pushelberg at their design display for IDS 2018
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DESIGN
THE FATHERS OF
MODERN CANADIAN DESIGN
George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg continue to innovate design, creating masterpieces in every room they work
INTERVIEW BY BRANDON HARRIPERSAUD
F
or close to 40 years, George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg have been the pioneers and leaders of interior design in Canada and have been rightly recognized as the inspiration behind the phenomenal and impressive growth of the Canadian design industry. Across so many creative design spectrums, their influence has been felt. Yabu and Pushelberg are masters at not only the practicality of design, but also its inner beauty and the very real and raw emotional edge that design can represent, and in their case, always deliver. The unique approach of their admired partnership has paved the road forward for thousands of Canadian designers, who have looked to them and their careers as the intangible and intellectual bedrock and touchstones of an industry that is constantly changing and evolving. Dolce recently had the honour of speaking to Yabu and Pushelberg at the 20th anniversary of Toronto’s Interior Design Show. There they opened up about the secrets behind their successful lifelong partnership and their approach to design based on their many years of international experience. They also shared with us how they engage, embrace and balance their overall design philosophy across their many and diverse design assignments. Q. What was the first piece of design that ever captivated you? Yabu. I guess I was eight years old. There was
this cool mid-century [trend] at the tail end of the psychedelic era … inflatable chairs. My sister had a clear inflatable armchair — it was very cool and had polka dots. Pushelberg. I remember going on one of my early trips to Japan and seeing the store Muji. It was a distillation of everyday objects in simple forms. Not only a chair or a pillow or a pad, but also an egg and the container of the egg. And I thought that was a very clever idea. Y. What ties into that is I was fascinated by my father’s unusual-looking carpenter tools. He was a master carpenter trained in Japan and he immigrated to Canada. I couldn’t understand the shapes of these saws and why when you’re cutting wood with his saws, you pull. Western saws you push, and sometimes it flexes if you’re not really accurate; pulling is far more accurate. All of these things of rational, functional design I got a sense of very early in life. Q. What does design mean to you? P. There are two parts to it. There are two sides of a brain creating rational things that make sense. But there are also things that fascinate us, things that have an inner beauty to them — a real beauty, not a facade of beauty. George is talking about a saw. It’s a beautiful object in and of itself. It’s unadorned. The quest for beauty is an important aspect of design. Y. Beauty as a concept or notion was not stressed to a much finer degree. It was left at the wayside, and if there was time or money left, they’d see to it, but
based on something from decades ago. And now, people are saying what the core is, what the object is trying to do. They are getting smart and asking, why is that shiny? Could it be matte? These are more challenging times because we are more informed. Q. What is the power of design? P. It’s been proven even in our projects that if you create, for example, a hotel that functions perfectly, that has a unique idea to it, it draws people, and people are willing to spend a little more money for the experience. I think that’s true if a design is intelligently approached. It does add value to people’s quality of life. It gives emotional resonance, and I think beauty has strength in itself. It’s quantifiable and qualitative. Y. One of our clients is a restaurateur. He says, “You build something incredible or you build something beautiful, and people come to see what you have done for me. It’s my job to make sure that they come back, and come back again.” There is a power to design. The intro pulls people in, and then he has to engage them to make sure they come back for the food, the service and the whole experience. Q. How has design changed since you started your business? Y. It’s much more fine-tuned. P. And much more sophisticated. Y. With fewer materials and less technology, there’s a lot more play in the variation you can do, let’s
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“WE LIVE AND BREATHE WHAT WE DO. WE’RE NOT OBSESSIVE. WE ARE DESIGN GURUS” — Glenn Pushelberg
say if you are working on a restaurant. The theme can be broader, or you can cross-pollinate between different cultures, because we’re such a global city — specifically Toronto and New York City, where we were raised. P. I think also we understand how people have changed how they use space, and we respond to that. Before, in a hotel, for example, everything was segmented. Where you worked was a different place from where you ate, from where you drank and from where you watched people. We’re more fluid in the way we live and so to have a drink in the lobby, to have a quiet space to work on your device, to grab a little bite to eat, everything is different than it used to be, and you have to understand how people live differently today. Q. How do you define a space? Y. Sometimes the space defines [itself ] for you. P. Parameters. Y. And the parameters set forth by the client. Basically, designers are problem solvers. How do we come to that solution? Some spaces you design for a specific purpose. There are many answers. We’re always searching for the best answer. From the best answer, we’re looking for a better answer.
Yabu Pushelberg designs innovative, stylish interiors for condos and hotels worldwide
Q. How do you define yourselves? P. We live and breathe what we do. We’re not obsessive. We are design gurus. We are particular about the choices we make in terms of how we travel, where we travel, how we live, the things around us and the people around us. I think that’s all important to us. Everything is considered. Y. As for design, interior spaces, gardening and landscaping, whatever, designing a pen or shoes — can we live with that pen? Will we use that pen? Would we buy that pair of shoes? If we like it, we can live it. P. That’s the same with whatever we do.
Q. What is the importance of the Interior Design Show? P. We’re humbled and honoured to represent Canada as Canadians, being the pioneers and the leaders of design in Canada. I think that we’ve taken that crown as an obligation to inspire others. Y. And not just designers, architects and other creative types, but also the whole industry. We’ve certainly helped tell the world that there is great stuff being made in Canada. P. And great thinkers. Y. Great thinkers and great education. All of these opportunities and companies who’d never even thought about opening a showroom in [Toronto] without us and things like that. We’re great ambassadors of [Canadian] trade all over the world, as well as intellectual property. www.yabupushelberg.com toronto.interiordesignshow.com
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF YABU PUSHELBERG
Store interiors are accentuated by Yabu Pushelberg’s minimalistic style highlighting products
Q. How do you describe your work? What is your philosophy? P. It’s not a singular style. There’s a philosophy of completeness. Y. A soul, a metaphor and tight editing to maintain that soul and the metaphor in that story. There’s an introduction and there’s the body of the story and the main plot, and sometimes subplots and a great ending. Those things we have to be great editors of, because there is no shortage of really great ideas. It’s the combination of little ideas to make a bigger whole, or it could be one idea that brings together all these different combinations. P. You want to draw people in emotionally to experience your space. To us, that’s really important. We learned that through more hospitality and designing our own homes. Y. Glenn touched earlier on how we work and create these narratives. Some people call them storyboards; we call them movie scripts. Screenplays. We create the muses, and what that does is it tells a story. We’ll talk about the [clients] and how they were educated in London and he went to Switzerland, she went to London City Art and became a curator. They came back and they wanted to do something cultural in this interest of the heritage of their past and where the family came from. We make up all these stories to have a thread of contextualism to the country that you want to feel like you’re in. At the same time, you want to feel modern and global. And that’s why we put that she was educated and lived in London for a while, because it’s such a global city now and they are very, very modern. This script helps our team stay on track, stay on point and not veer off. It also helps our clients, who often veer off in so many ways. At first, they love it, and then the next day they say, “My niece’s best friend thought that we should put in some blah blah blah in the spa,” and I say, “Remember the script.” In many movies, if you don’t have a tightly edited script, the movie is shit.
A DV E R TO R I A L
THE ONE THING YOU CAN’T AFFORD
Principal designer of Toronto Interior Design Group (TIDG) Yanic Simard identifies the one thing that you cannot afford and how TIDG can help
the inside. By not skimping on quality and the finishing touches, homeowners can be sure that the design of their home complements the grandeur of the space. Next there is “Way (un)fair,” the phenomenon of shopping for furniture online. While online shopping is easy and accessible, it’s proven challenging to determine how a piece of furniture will fit among the other elements of a dwelling before it arrives. This is why it’s so important to work with an expert who will choose pieces tailored to your personal style. Lastly, we have “Snoozie Suzy,” referring to uninspired décor and boring, drab interiors. Here, neutral tones such as beige reign supreme and experimentation is left by the wayside. To revitalize your décor for a striking space, call on design experts who can give your home the detailed attention Mr. Simard is the founder and it deserves. principal designer of TIDG As one of the most celebrated luxury design boutiques in the country, TIDG offers unparalleled expertise in hen it comes to the design of crafting a personalized, luxurious home. Simard your home, there is “one thing says, “TIDG is the ‘it’ boutique. We design it. We you can’t afford,” according to build it. We furnish it.” Yanic Simard, principal designer TIDG will turn your home into a magnificent of award-winning design firm Toronto Interior palace, gracing every corner of the property with Design Group (TIDG). It’s more valuable than carefully considered design. The pieces chosen your dollars: it’s your comfort and peace of mind. are coordinated in every aspect, adding colour, What you can’t afford is to spend your precious vibrancy and personality that will accentuate and time on design mistakes that keep your space enhance both your home and life. “We create from living up to its grandest potential. lasting, classic spaces, spaces you’ll love for Simard has more than two decades of design years to come,” says Simard. experience and works with his clients from TIDG’s signature process has been carefully concept to dreamy reality. We sat down with honed throughout years of experience spent the design expert to hear his take on the most cultivating and creating a multitude of spectacular common mistakes in interior design. designs, which can be explored online. One such misstep is the “McMansion,” referring “It’s the secret of TIDG. People love it once to ostentatious homes that are built with lowthey hear about it and see the progression of quality materials and craftsmanship. They are how it’ll work in their space and how it applies to massive properties that appear grand on the them,” Simard says. outside, but are unfinished and unfurnished on
W
Through dedicated partnerships with contractors, TIDG controls every aspect of the build from the ground up. This collaboration and relationship “allows ideas to grow and allows for the most beautiful concepts to come to fruition,” Simard explains.
TIDG IS THE ‘IT’ BOUTIQUE. WE DESIGN IT. WE BUILD IT. WE FURNISH IT.
As a design boutique, TIDG only takes on a select number of clients at a time to ensure that each project gets the attention and care it needs. The company understands the importance of having a personal space created and curated just for you. “We have all these other outside distractions; your house shouldn’t be another one of them. Your home should be the kind of harmonious space that complements your style and makes you feel comfortable — that’s really what we are trying to accomplish,” Simard says. When it comes to your space, there is no room for mistakes. The experts at TIDG have the insight and experience to achieve the inspired design your home deserves. Let TIDG bring out the best in your home and even the best in you. TIDG.ca
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This ad has been generously donated by Dolce Media Group, in support of We Love You Connie Foundation.
We are proud to officially launch the website for the
The We Love You Connie Foundation was created in the loving memory and honour of a brave, enthusiastic, compassionate, beautiful and creative special little girl named Connie Monica Guglietti. We will support leading hospitals’ improved care, most promising research, and the future CURE of children’s brain cancers (namely DIPG).
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spring 2018
Architecture
The back of the beautiful home contains multiple patios, a swimming pool and lush green as far you can see
the St. troPez
Project
Prestigious architectural firm SAOTA specializes in creating extraordinary properties in destination-based locations. Their project St. Tropez is the pinnacle of their work, exuding sophistication and charm written by alex brown
st e fan anto ni
photos courtesy of saota
The director and professional architect beyond St. Tropez and the principal firm SAOTA
S
t. Tropez has officially been modernized with the addition of a SAOTA residence. The award-winning architecture firm, known for creating unrivalled commercial and residential spaces, has done it again with the completion of this artful contemporary residence. Located near the Plage de Pampelonne and close to the famous Le Club 55, this modern, carefully considered residential design stands out among the more traditional homes that make up the surrounding neighbourhood. In a location that embodies the lifestyle of St. Tropez — luxurious, freeing and stunningly beautiful — the St. Tropez residence by SAOTA infuses the area with a feeling of newness and unique style.
Made to appreciate the seamless indoor-outdoor living that St. Tropez is known for, SAOTA’s housing addition comprises horizontal designs made of contrasting elements: green hedges at street level are set against a backdrop of sleek planks of wood that make up the cubic exterior of this destination dwelling. Facing perfectly south and situated on a sloped site, the St. Tropez residence also features a garden plot, fitted with a living and dining area that flows effortlessly into a pool and sun-bathing terrace. Says the architect of the space, Stefan Antoni, “It is restrained and yet refined. A great series of indoor and outdoor living spaces.” The beauty of this outdoor-friendly location doesn’t stop there: it’s also outfitted with a rotunda and an outdoor lounge and cocktail bar, located
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on a vast lawn. A pine forest surrounds the area, creating privacy and a feeling of intimacy within this expansive space. In contrast to the mood of pine, the front of the house is framed by palm trees, lending a tropical sensibility to the modernity of this design. Moving inside, open-concept spacing and unique architectural style has been applied throughout the residence, which plays between the use of solid walls, high ceilings and windows, sliding doors and large, welcoming doorways. Elements of the second floor of the house have been unified by the linearity of the exterior framing and components of the lush garden courtyard. Textured travertine panels and plaster panels add a modern take on St. Tropez’s typical stucco finishings. The placement of these components also accounts for subtle vertical openings between the external panels to incorporate state-of-the-art lighting techniques and a spark of intrigue. A solid wood front door, set with a freeform bronze handle, welcomes you home. Upon entering, be greeted a double-volume foyer with a capiz shell chandelier. Its neutral, natural colour palette offers an organic feel alongside timber and glass furniture and accents of charcoal. A short tour of the home will reveal an extensive art collection; dramatic windows that showcase unmatched views of the pool and garden area; a sunken living level with lounge, dining room and kitchen; Boffi cabinetry and Gaggenau appliances; and Minotti and Patricia Urquiola pieces. A guest bedroom sits on the other side of a gorgeous courtyard garden with water feature and olive tree. The inspiration for SAOTA’s latest design came from mixing contemporary styles with Côte d’Azur living, typically known for being more Mediterranean and functional in its spaces. SAOTA would like to introduce the same laid-back feeling of the Mediterranean with a more opulent, modern mood. www.saota.com
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photos courtesy of saota
All of the interiors are decorated with the modern aesthetic in mind, enabling living space and comfort
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CALEDON MANSION | $14,995,000
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Famous hilltop estate with 15,000-sq.-ft. main house, century log 2-bdrm guest house. Art studio with 1-bdrm apartment. Pool, waterfalls & cabana with outdoor kitchen. Pond. Car building. Tennis court.
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Custom stone home on 7 private acres. 5 bedrooms. Very private setting. Under 8 minutes to Hwy. 400.
, Brokerage
2-acre lot on prestigious golf course. West coast design with 3 bdrms, 2 fireplaces, renovated kitchen & baths. 3-car garage.
Moffat Dunlap, Chairman; John Dunlap, Broker of Record, Peter Boyd*, Murray Snider*, Nik Bonellos*, Elizabeth Campbell*, Courtney Murgatroyd, David Warren, Broker
W W W. M O F FA T D U N L A P.C O M | 9 0 5 . 8 41. 74 3 0
spring 2018
Founded 1972: Celebrating over 45 years of service to the countryside
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SucceSS Story
BRETT DAVID’S PRESTIGE IMPORTS — A LEGACY OF LUXURY IN MIAMI
Brett David, CEO of Prestige Imports with his 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 Eleanor, parked infront of his waterfront home in Miami
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Dolce visits Miami for a one-on-one with Brett David, CEO of luxury dealership, Prestige Imports written by Sarah Kanbar photography by jeSSe milnS
I
magine, you’re standing in the middle of a super car showroom, located in North Miami Beach, Fla., surrounded by exotic machines from the likes of Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani and rare treasures like the 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 Eleanor. The doors to this lap of luxury open and in comes a gust of Miami air, just enough heat to add to the already sultry surroundings. In walks a 30-year-old man, dressed down in a button-up shirt, denim pants and sneakers. He might look like your average guy, but when the shades come off, revealed is none other than Brett David, chief executive officer of Prestige Imports, North America’s leading luxury vehicle dealership since it was founded in 1977 by Irv David. Eleven years ago, at 19 years old, Brett David was Miami’s golden boy. As the heir to Prestige Imports, his world was small, glamorous and nothing shy of the American Dream. Drifting the streets of Miami in Lamborghinis and bearing the name and bloodline of one of Miami’s most respected businessmen, it did not dawn on him that his world would soon be shaken and he would face a child’s biggest nightmare — losing a parent. In 2007, after the sudden death of Brett’s father, Irv David, Brett found himself sitting at a board meeting with some of his father’s most trusted advisors. In a letter from his father, which was written eight months before his passing, it had been decided by Irv that Brett was to sell the business. Whether he did not want to burden his son with the stress of running a multi-million-dollar dealership, which ultimately took his life, or felt Brett wasn’t prepared to be CEO of Prestige Imports, one thing was certain: nothing Irv David did was ordinary and raising his children was no exception. He strived for excellence, and that is evident when you’re in the presence of Brett David. So it was no surprise that with the support of his mother, Valerie Kaye, and
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Prestige Imports is a family business, with both his mother and sister involved in the company
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sister, Brooke David, Brett took a leap of faith and at 19 years old made the bold decision to take over Prestige Imports and run it on his own terms. This moment was not only defining, it was transformative for both Brett and the company. “My first day as CEO is a day I’ll never forget,” recalls Brett. “I had 145 employees who were relying on me to put food on the table for their families. So, I called everyone together and stood on a small stool and said, ‘I am not going to be my father, I can never walk in his footsteps, but with the help of all of you, I can walk next to them.’” Much is to be said about the quality of Brett’s character, who in the face of tragedy turned loss into abundance, and pain into overwhelming success. “I needed to know that everyone was with me,” says Brett. “There was a 10-second delay of awkward silence, which felt like two years to me, but then it started with a slow clap, and the minute I felt that positive reinforcement, I knew I had made the right decision about not selling the company and I also knew that my father was right there with me.” Despite being born and raised in one of the world’s most luxurious and artificial cities, this is not a man who lives through ego but one who is led by his heart. Brett’s philanthropic endeavours speak volumes about his spirit and willingness to use his platform as a means to bring hope and happiness to those who need it the most. Ride2Revive, a foundation founded by Brett and his sister and business partner, Brooke, is an annual event that raises funds to assist children living with terminal diseases. Moreover, it is a special day where Prestige Imports takes over the raceway of Homestead-Miami Speedway to allow kids to experience the thrill of real racing in high-performance exotics. What Brett and Brooke felt the children needed was more than just a cheque: they needed an experience to bring back the joy, excitement and “miles of smiles” that are often stripped away from families and their children who suffer from terminal illnesses. “We started off with six cars of my own in a parking lot to now having over 60 cars and over 100 kids participating. Ride2Revive has been the most appeasing thing for my soul. Seeing kids getting remission releases from the hospital where they are confined to one room per day, fighting disease and hoping for the next day to be better, to seeing them get into the passenger’s seat of an exotic vehicle, this experience for them is life-changing.” Dolce was invited to hang out with the dealership mogul at his home, where he has lived his life, reaffirming once again that Brett stays close to his
roots and values his family legacy. There is much to admire about Brett’s all-white Miami waterfront mansion. Modern architecture meets sophisticated interiors, complete with unique artwork, which includes a mural dedicated to his late father. Even with a dream home such as this, Brett remains humble and believes that success isn’t measured by material gains. “The true definition of success is the family and relationships you have around you. The monetary things, they come and go. I realized that shortly after my father passed when I saw how difficult it was for my father to work his entire life to stay
“ThE TRUE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS ThE FAMILY AND RELATIONShIPS YOU hAVE AROUND YOU”
out of the ground and I ended up at 19 years old having to put him in the ground with nothing on him, not a watch, not a belt, not shoes. I realized that at the end of the day, the true excitement and experiences you have with one another are the things you’re going to take with you to your grave. For me, family is absolutely everything.” This modest side of Brett is rarely seen to the over one million social media users who follow him and Prestige Imports as they continue to gain notoriety for their ground-breaking sales and extraordinary collection of exotic cars. Since taking over, Brett has grown Prestige Imports into one of the industry’s leaders in luxury car sales while also overseeing Lamborghini Miami and cultivating over $1 billion in sales since 2008. Brett’s list of accomplishments is impressive and includes being the first man to secure a super sports car Pagani dealership on the east coast. Brett has also made Prestige Audi the No. 1 volume Audi dealer in the country and in 2015, he engineered the largest
sale in Audi history for a single point store for $80 million USD. It’s no wonder his impressive list of wealthy clients continues to grow — a list that includes athletes and A-list celebrities such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Missy Elliott, Rod Stewart and more. No doubt the road to bearing the position of CEO of Prestige Imports came with its challenges. It’s a title that Brett does not take for granted. From a young age, Brett’s father, who he describes as “old school,” used a tough love approach to teach his only son that success was not given, it was earned. “Working with my father was very difficult in the beginning. I was the younger generation trying to change and adapt things that he had a difficult time believing,” recalls Brett. “I was told I would never amount to being able to run this dealership because my priorities were in different places.” Growing up, Irv’s biggest caveat with Brett working at the dealership was that he was forbidden to tell anybody that he (Brett) was the owner. “I had to be a salesman, a car washer, a technician — I had to be everybody else but the owner. If I ever spoke out loud and told someone I was the owner, he would flip. And one time he did and I’ll never forget it.” Another memory that Brett will never forget is the night of his father’s passing, which also happened to take place on his father’s 56th birthday. It was a night of many firsts for the father and son, as they shared special moments over dinner, which brimmed with laughs and unforgettable conversations. But what Brett would receive that night was a gift he had yearned for his whole life — his father’s approval. Six months prior, Brett made a cameo on a TV show called MTV Cribs, a docuseries which features tours of celebrity homes. The episode followed rapper Lil Wayne into his home, where he introduced Brett to viewers. “My name came across the screen as I came on and it said, ‘Brett David, owner and CEO of Prestige Imports Miami.’ I remember the feeling in my body and thought, ‘oh my god, he’s going to kill me.’” But Irv had an unexpected reaction, one that would serve as reassurance for the soon-to-be CEO of Prestige Imports. “Before I could turn my head, he got up, grabbed me by the head and kissed my forehead and said, ‘See, kid, that’s all I asked for. The Saturdays that you wanted to go on the boat and hang out with your friends or those long holidays while your friends were going to college and playing drinking
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“I ThINk ThE REASON I AM whO I AM IS BECAUSE OF ThE EThICS AND VALUES MY FAThER INSTILLED IN ME”
Brett David has a natural talent and inclination for sales
games, I wanted you beside me and I wanted you to understand what it was like to be here [at Prestige Imports] and understand work ethic.’ He kissed me on the forehead and said, ‘Kid, you just made my birthday.’” That was the last time Brett would see his father alive. It was a day that would forever change his life, and one that he is still visibly shaken by. For Brett, Irv was not only his father, he was his best friend and mentor. “I think the reason I am who I am is because of the ethics and values my father instilled in me,” says Brett. “One of his favourite quotes was Gandhi’s ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’ and after my dad passed I read a letter from him and that quote appeared again at the very top. I knew when my father passed that my mission was to do this.” As Dolce followed Brett back to the place where it all started, Prestige Imports, we were intrigued at how quickly he was able to get out of his laid-back element and into business mode. Suited up for a day of meetings, it was showtime for this 30-year-old powerhouse. Watching him in action, you know that Brett was born to be CEO of Prestige Imports. It’s been a wild ride for Brett David, but rest assured, there’s no slowing this Miami tycoon. In fact, he’s just getting started. www.prestigeimports.com
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spring 2018
LIGHTING
FURNITURE
ACCESSORIES
WALL
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COLLECTOR Partnered with Barrett-Jackson, Staluppi is selling most of his prized collection, with some of the proceeds going towards various charitable and philanthropic organizations
John Staluppi has been collecting cars for decades, amassing hundreds of vehicles and even starting his own car museum
COLLECTION GOES ON THE BLOCK
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mong all collectors of rare objects, whether they collect vintage wines, hand-crafted watches or fine crystals, the common characteristic is unwavering passion. Philanthropist and entrepreneur John Staluppi, owner of one of the most admired and notable classic car collections in the United States, is no exception. Staluppi’s Cars of Dreams Collection will be a featured auction item of Barrett-Jackson, the leader in collector car and automotive events, at the 16th Annual Palm Beach Auction, April 12–15 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Staluppi’s collection features approximately 140 classic American cars — predominantly convertibles — from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. This collection is recognized for the quality of the cars and for the meticulous care each of these beauties has received. So why exactly is Staluppi putting them up for auction? Dolce put the question to him in a recent interview. “It’s all about ‘the find’ with me,” says Staluppi. “I’m all about finding the cars, buying the cars and collecting the cars. I’m not a long-range holder on anything. Even in the stock market, when I feel like selling — winning or losing, I’m selling. I enjoy finding the cars, bidding on the cars, buying the cars and working on the cars.”
“I’M ALL ABOUT FINDING THE CARS, BUYING THE CARS AND COLLECTING THE CARS” This might sound like a surprising philosophy, but Staluppi can’t be wrong. After all, from his start as a gas station mechanic in Brooklyn, New York, he has built a billion-dollar automotive dealership empire that employs more than 3,000 people. “Even though my family were electrical contractors, I had no interest in putting my hand in a plug and getting a shock,” recalls Staluppi. “I always loved cars and I was a very good mechanic, and always wanted to open my own shop. So my family took out a mortgage on the home and helped me open my first gas station. That’s how I progressed.”
WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER
Inside every one of Staluppi’s car dealerships is a sign that summarizes his outlook on his business and toward his customers. It reads, “Every visitor to our dealership is an honoured guest in our home.” “Car dealerships can be very intimidating environments for most people, as you’re walking in to buy an expensive item — probably the secondmost expensive item, next to a home,” says Staluppi. “We want people to be relaxed. My guys do not say, ‘Can I help you?’ They say, ‘Good afternoon, how are you? My name is John, what’s yours?’ This makes people feel a little bit more comfortable. So that’s why we have that sign: so the customer knows how we want to treat people.” Staluppi has been a car collector for decades. A few of the crown jewels in the Cars of Dreams Collection are a ’58 Dual Ghia Convertible; a ’69 Chevrolet Camero RS/SS Indy Pace Car; a ’65 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible; and a ’63 Volkswagen Beetle, one of the cars used in several of the iconic Herbie the Love Bug films by Walt Disney. For information on how to bid on Staluppi’s highly sought-after Cars of Dreams Collection and other items at the April 2018 Palm Beach Auction, follow the link below. www.johnstaluppi.com
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARRETT-JACKSON
JOHN STALUPPI’S CARS OF DREAMS
For the second time, famed automobile collector John Staluppi is selling most of his automobile collection so he can start all over again
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photo by GEoFF FItZGErald
Siriano is a member of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America
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FASHION
photo by brad walsh
FASHION FORWARD
Siriano carefully crafts his work, inch by inch
Celebrated, award-winning designer Christian Siriano has built his career on making people feel good in their skin. From the studio to the red carpet, Siriano’s name is synonymous with fashion and making dreams reality wrIttEN by braNdoN harrIpErsaUd
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t a young age, Baltimore native Christian Siriano discovered that dressing up made his mother and his sister feel good. Elated by that feeling, Siriano would go on to make them his muses. Here Siriano’s passion was unearthed and his journey to becoming a designer began. Now about to celebrate his 10-year anniversary in the industry, Siriano has cemented his legacy as one of the most innovative and stylish designers on the planet. As with many people discovering their passion, Siriano’s ardour for fashion started at home. His mother was a stylish woman who loved interior decorating. Siriano was used to seeing pink, fuchsia and florals at home; this was a normal palette to him. “Growing up playing dress-up with my mom and seeing how it made her feel … I wanted to make all women feel that way,” Siriano says.
“I STOPPED CARING ABOUT WHAT THE EDITOR WANTED AND STARTED LOOKING AT WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT”
This sentiment, coupled with his time spent in ballet, formulated the building blocks of a career in design. It was not performing that gave him a feeling of excitement — although he did perform for several years. The feeling came from the transformation that the dancers went through as they put on their costumes. Seeing them hand-dye their pointe shoes and add appliqué petals to the dresses, Siriano fell in love with that transformation and wanted to be a part of it. Siriano creates clothing for the red carpet and for every day with the intention of giving women the opportunity to transform and experience that magnificent feeling. Most designers, especially those with a standing and profile like Siriano, tend to make clothes for a specific subset of individuals. Siriano, however, has never understood that. His mother and sister differed from each other in shape and size, so Siriano was always used to
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Three of Siriano’s custom creations, including the dress worn by Taylor Swift
dressing up women of different body types. His self-named debut clothing line caters to people of all shapes, colours, genders and sizes. “Everybody wears clothes,” says Siriano. “Everybody deserves to feel good.” One of the issues Siriano has with the fashion industry is that it’s taken the fun out of itself. “It’s all so serious now. Let’s bring back the fun,” Siriano says. He wants fashion to bring joy and happiness to everyone. “I try to [bring fun into fashion] every day. I never take it too seriously. I love to use colour and have fun with texture and shapes. I think we have fun every day in our office when creating a collection, and then to see it on such diverse women is fun and exciting for me and my team.” A large percentage of women fall outside the industry’s “standard” size range. As a result, unfortunately, many women feel ostracized by the fashion industry. A now famous example of this is when Leslie Jones, star of Saturday Night Live, tweeted that no designers were willing to create her a dress for the red-carpet premiere of Ghostbusters. In one of the most memorable moves of his career thus far, Siriano stepped in and created an elegant red dress that was entirely inspired by Jones herself. Another triumph for Siriano was creating a custom dress for First Lady Michelle Obama to wear at the Democratic National Convention. This classy, simple dress was an inspiring image for millions across the nation. These are but two of the many incredible moments in Siriano’s career, and both are detailed in his second book, Dresses to Dream About. Dresses to Dream About is the documentation of Siriano’s 10 years in the industry. In an emotional process, out of the multitude of pieces he has designed, Siriano chose 26 of his favourites to highlight. For each piece, he takes the reader on
www.christiansiriano.com
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photos by brad walsh
The cover of Siriano’s book Dresses to Dream About
a detailed journey through the process of creation, from inception to construction to final product. “I think people love to see how a dress comes to life. They like to see the behind-the-scenes process because I think it is quite beautiful to see how clothes come to life. So much love and work goes into them that sometimes gets lost when you’re just shopping in a store. So that’s why I wanted to create this book: so people could see into our world just a bit,” Siriano says. Designing powerful, feel-good pieces for women is Siriano’s forte. It’s a harmonious relationship: Siriano does what he loves by developing beautiful pieces for clients, and in turn, his clients feel great when wearing these pieces. Dresses to Dream About shows that “[models, artists, actors and more] need designers as much as we need them,” Siriano says. “I want women to feel good in my clothes.” The book was a passion project for Siriano, who wants it to remind people of all their early childhood loves. It certainly did so for Siriano: “It brought so many things back. I felt like I was a little boy watching my sister dance, which was always so inspiring as a kid. I also loved watching my mom pick out clothes. It was always so beautiful to watch how she put things together and finished a look. I just loved it.” Siriano’s inspiration is everywhere. Everything he sees and does influences and inspires him to create clothing. His eye for what will look and feel good has made him the prolific designer he is. His list of accomplishments is stunning. In 2010, Siriano was named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 top entrepreneurs; he dresses numerous celebrities for various events (although he still desperately wants to dress Cate Blanchett); and he has been inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America — perhaps his biggest accomplishment yet. One of the reasons Siriano is so successful is that he puts the customer first. This is also his advice for new entrepreneurs and designers. “I stopped caring about what the editor wanted and started looking at what customers want,” Siriano says. He suggests everyone do the same, as in the end, it is customers who will dictate what they like and will buy. Constantly taking on more and more projects, Siriano finds himself incredibly busy. His spring/ summer 2018 catalogue is out, and his work for the fall/winter 2018 catalogue has begun. On top of that, Siriano’s own boutique is opening in New York sometime this year. It will be “a full Siriano experience” with a range of curated apparel and accessories. Additionally, he plans on starting another book about the red carpet to express his love of gowns and continue documenting his work. Working successfully in any industry for 10 years is no easy feat. Siriano has proven that he has both the chops and the passion needed to make a lasting mark in the field of fashion.
BEAUTY
A DV E R TO R I A L
ANDREWS:
THE LUXURY RETAILER LEADING TORONTO FASHION
The house of
Dolce goes one-on-one with Darren Mason, president and co-owner of Andrews—Toronto’s leading luxury womenswear retailer Fabiana Filippi ‘s minimal-chic dress and necklace are the definition of understated luxury
Owner Aitous Paris opened Richmond Hill’s first-ever glamorous beauty bar in 2016. The space offers a Parisian, modern and Beverly Hills essence
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or over 25 years, Andrews, a leading family-owned luxury womenswear retailer based in Toronto, has offered Canadians an exciting and unique approach to retail shopping. It’s an approach that combines designer fashion and personalized services with an aim to elevate both your style and confidence. President and co-owner of Andrews, Darren Mason, sat down with Dolce to discuss the retailer’s core principles as well as the pillars the company is built on and that it has maintained throughout its legacy: quality, service and luxury. It’s evident that the success of Andrews is largely due to Mason’s passion and commitment to striving for excellence. Since the company’s inception in 1990, Andrews has scoured the world, seeking diverse partners in North America and Europe, ultimately electing world-renowned designers such as Ted Baker, Max Mara, Greta Constantine and Italian fashion house Fabiana Filippi. “We’ve worked with Fabiana Filippi for over 20 years. What strikes me about them is their relentless focus on quality, not to mention the extremely emotional bond I had with their creations. They’re able to produce knitwear that fuses sophistication, femininity and luxury,” says Mason. Andrews is more than your one-stop shop for luxury womenswear. The retailer offers its clients a transformational experience that not only meets their needs but also their desires. Its personal styling services range from in-store to at-home wardrobe styling. “Our stylists enjoy engaging with our clients to really ascertain their history and better understand them. It’s important to get a strong sense of who the client is and ultimately establish a relationship that is built on trust.” The Canadian retailer prides itself on being able to stay contemporary and modern without losing sight of its heritage. In a social-media-savvy world, Andrews continues to grow by offering its exclusive designs via its online boutique. With that being said, Andrews remains committed to the traditional retail experience, as the company believes fashion is more than just a garment — it’s an intimate and emotional experience. Andrews invites you to get inspired and revamp your style by visiting one of its three locations in Toronto. The spring 2018 presentation boasts of seasonal colours, prints and superior quality that is sure to inspire your personal style and highlight your individuality. www.andrewsco.com
Aitous
interview by michelle zerillo-sosa
Paris specializes in brow shaping, makeup, hairstyling and bridal
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itous Paris is a celebrated makeup artist and hairstylist who has spent time working with some of the biggest stars on the planet in L.A. for red carpets and fashion weeks. Now, Paris has come back home and started his own salon with the hopes of bringing Hollywood glitz and glamour to his own backyard. Dolce had the pleasure of interviewing Paris and learning about his career. Q. Define personal style for us. A. In contrast to fashion, personal style is your own unique and individual taste, whether it’s with makeup, hair or clothes. A well-defined sense of style speaks of your own knowledge of yourself, which enforces your selfconfidence when facing the outside world. Q. What is a piece of advice you’ve received that has helped you in business? A. [The] advice that has helped me with my business is from my mother. In my culture, the society is extremely conservative and men working in the beauty industry are oppressed and looked down upon. My mother is extremely supportive and told me, “Do whatever makes you happy, even if you want to be a garbage picker, make sure you are the best at it.” This made me realize that I need to do something that I love where I [can] wake up smiling every day for the rest of my life. Q. What is the next chapter for you? A. My next chapter will be making sure House of Aitous stays as one of the top salons [in Richmond Hill,] and soon [it will] be opening up locations across North America. There will be tons of obstacles that my team and I will go through. However, keeping the integrity in our work and customer service is a must. We are a family and will stick together through thick and thin during the course of our journey. Our love and loyalty to our friendly customers allow us to make the best out of any situation. www.houseofaitous.com
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Spice up your life with these scorching hot finds
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BeaTle-MoBile: pHanToM V: This souped-up, psychedelic ride was originally designed and owned by the late John Lennon. Just like the rock icon, this Rolls-Royce goes down in history | www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com
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HigH Jewellery: grapple caBineT: De GRISOGONO’s collection You’ll want to get your of superlative jewellery combines hands on this bespoke piece exceptional stones to create unique of pop art furniture by pieces which intertwine emotions Alan Fears | www.1stdibs.com and creativity in a contemporary Jenny packHaM: spirit | www.degrisogono.com The AW18 campaign by THe iconic Monokini: the famed designer combines Turn heads at your next rich tones and sophisticated summer soiree with this lavish designs to create provoking one-piece from Holt Miami. pieces such as the Aries Complete with crystals, this gown | www.jennypackham.com iconic look is for those who dare BaroVier & Toso to shine | www.holtmiami.com cHandelier: clifTon: Baume & Mercier Set the mood with this designed a timepiece that illuminating lighting fixture pairs the urban appeal of a that is sure to bring the same brown calfskin strap with the warmth and romance of its depth and precision of a racingplace of origin — Venice, inspired, open-worked slate grey Italy | www.1stdibs.com dial. This season, step up your MasTer & dynaMic: wrist game with a limited-edition Turn up the volume watch | www.baume-et-mercier.com and allow yourself to be Van cleef & arpels focused and inspired, all while clip-on earrings: transporting your mind to The Rose de Noel Diamond another dimension. The MW60 Angel Skin Coral Flower Yellow Wireless Over-Ear Headphones Gold Earrings are designed for provide rich and warm sound non-pierced ears and make www.masterdynamic.com the perfect statement for any occasion | www.1stdibs.com
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de grisogono: The renowned jewellery designer uses top-quality stones and outstanding craftsmanship to develop unique and stunning collections | www.degrisogono.com
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desire
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four seasons HoTel george V: Nestled in the heart of Paris, this romantic and grand luxury hotel transports guests into an opulent Parisian experience www.fourseasons.com/paris
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cHrisTian lacroix’s arT of liVing: Immerse yourself in the fantastical world of the House of Christian Lacroix with his collection of imaginative wallpapers www.christian-lacroix.com
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louis xiii cognac By réMy MarTin: An exquisite blend of up to 1,200 grapes eaux-de-vie sourced 100 per cent from Grand Champagne. Louis XIII embraces its rich history while paying homage to today’s luxury enthusiasts and their sophisticated palates | www.louisxiii-cognac.com
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Fashion
Fashion Royalty Legendary fashion designer Michael Cinco specializes in creating luxurious, gorgeous pieces embellished with Swarovski crystals, as exemplified by his latest collection interview by michelle zerillo-sosa
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Cinco poses in the picture, showcasing his creation
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Frilly florals adorn the Impalpable Dream of Versailles collection
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The collection brings an aristocratic feeling to modern fashion
“I love the song, but I hate the word impossible, so I changed It to impalpable” — Michael Cinco
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mi c hael cinco Cinco is a Filipino fashion designer who launched his eponymous fashion line in 2003. Since then he has received some of the highest honours and praise a fashion designer could dream of
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trutting down nearly every red carpet, you’ll find a gloriously extravagant Michael Cinco creation. Best known for his fabulous couture gowns, Cinco’s innate creativity and expert techniques place him at the front lines of fashion. His luxuriously intricate designs elegant fabrics and Swarovski crystals. Born in 1971, the Dubai-based Filipino designer grew up enamoured the glamour of classic Hollywood starlets. Cinco’s childhood obsession with this era’s impeccable elegance and sophistication has become his current-day inspiration. He has dressed an extensive list of celebrities, including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Naomi Campbell, to name a few. To wear Michael Cinco is to be inducted into fashion royalty. Cinco’s list of accomplishments is rather extensive. He was chosen to be a member of the elite Asian Couture Federation, a group of the best designers in Asia headed by president Kenzo Tanaka and president Dr. Frank Cintamini. In 2014, president of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III conferred Cinco with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Filipinos Overseas. Cinco has also had several stints on various versions of the television series America’s Next Top Model. A multiple-award-winning designer, Cinco pushes the definition of glamour. His latest campaign, The Impalpable Dream of Versailles, blends an aristocratic feel with traditional Parisian spirit and the lavishness of Swarovski crystals and floral patterns. Dolce had the pleasure of speaking to Cinco about his career, his life and what comes next.
Q. What was the inspiration behind this year’s collection? A. I was inspired by the splendour and grandeur of the Chateau de Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. My imagination brought me back to the spectacle of the grand soirees of those fabled times, as the monarch held court with Maria Theresa, [the Infanta of Spain], and subsequently his numerous glamorous mistresses, and Charles Le Brun, whom the king declared the greatest French artist of all time.
Love You,” [a Whitney Houston song]. And I was like, “Oh my God.”
Q. What makes your designs unique? A. The exquisite embroideries and my attention to intricate details.
Q. If you could design a gown for anyone, who would it be? A. I would design a fabulous ball gown for Maria Callas — I wish she were still alive — [to wear while] performing my all-time favourite aria, “Casta Diva,” at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala, the only opera house she didn’t have the chance to perform in.
Q. When did you first realize you wanted to be a designer? A. When I was young I had the chance to watch a classic film of Audrey Hepburn’s, My Fair Lady, and the beautiful couture gowns of that movie mesmerized me. I watched it all over again, and then I realized that I wanted to be a fashion designer. Q. What do you love most about couture? A. Aside from the painstaking construction, I love also the feel of beautiful fabrics and the detailed beadwork with pearls, paillettes and crystals. Q. Where do get your inspiration from? A. I get inspiration from my travels discovering different cultures and art. I also love watching classic films, and I’m always inspired when I listen to opera music. Q. What kinds of fabrics have you included in your recent collection? A. I used a lot of delicate tulle and lace. I love working with tulle because I can put a lot of intricate embroideries and beadwork on it and produce magic in the creation. Q. Why did you choose to open a showroom in Dubai? A. Women in the Gulf love to dress up in couture dresses, and Dubai gave me an opportunity to open a business and [have a] comfortable lifestyle. Q. Do you have any funny stories about the many celebrities you’ve dressed? A. When I did a fitting with Mariah Carey … I showed her the gown, [and] she was so excited to try her dress, she was gushing like she was almost singing. I told her that my assistant was a very big fan of her music. She asked him what his favourite Mariah song was and he answered, “I Will Always
Q. What are the best and worst parts of your work? A. [The best is] when I see a satisfied and happy client. The worst part is the deadlines. Q. Is there a person you aspire to be like? A. I love opera music and I want to be like Maria Callas, but it will not happen because I don’t have the voice to sing opera.
Q. What’s your favourite memory? A. My father used to tell me to follow my dreams and to believe that anything in this world is possible. So one miserable day, when I was so depressed and down, I listened to Frank Sinatra’s “Impossible Dream.” I love the song, but I hate the word impossible, so I changed it to impalpable. That’s the main reason I keep using the term the impalpable dream. Q. Who is your best friend? A. I have so many best friends whom I can trust and know love me. Q. In three words, how would your friends describe you? A. Adorable, lovable and impalpable. Q. What are some of your must-have luxury brands? A. I always wear black. I’m just a simple person and not really into luxury brands. Q. What is the most important business lesson you’ve learned over the years? A. You should always respect people. Q. What’s one strange thing you keep in your closet? A. My attitude. Q. Do you believe in faith? A. I have a strong faith and confidence in God. Q. If you could change anything about society, what would it be? A. Every woman must own a Michael Cinco. www.michaelcinco.com
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PhotograPhy: tina Patni | creative Direction anD styling: michael cinco | hair anD make-UP:JoJo DantesPaDUa, brian ong anD kerwin solo | set anD ProPs: anDronico Del rosario | moDels: lina anD victoria for mmg moDels, liga anD francesca for wilhelmina, giacomo anD constantine
Picturesque and luxurious, the collection embodies the style of the legendary Cinco
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spring 2018
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Me and my Paul&Shark.
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A DV E R TO R I A L
DAVID’S FINE LINENS Whether spring brings the heat or not, stay warm and cosy with the most comfortable seasonal bedding and blankets
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s winter demonstrates its height and spring encroaches on the precipice, one common aspect holds true for both of these seasons: the best place to be is in bed. David’s Fine Linens offers supreme luxury and comfort with an extensive selection of spring must-haves to help you get over those winter blues. Made in Italy, florals and leaves decorate the Fazzini Uma duvet cover set. The 100% cotton fabric is smooth to the touch and eases you into bed. The pillow shams are part of the True Stuff Rhombe duvet set, available in neutral white and grey, and are made of 100% organic cotton. David’s Fine Linens is renovating its stores to make it easier for you to find the best product for your home. With beautiful décor and a modern
feel, the rich tapestry of bedding and blankets is woven into a luxurious display, perfect to satiate your appetite for comfort and a restful sleep. And with a new location opening in Woodbridge, David’s Fine Linens is more accessible to this area than ever. In addition to these changes, David’s Fine Linens is hosting an incredible renovation sale with savings of up to 80% OFF!
Luxury meets comfort with these exquisite beddings, pillows and throws from David’s Fine Linens
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PHOTO BY ROBIN GARTNER
Alofs has been leading prominent businesses since 1989, all the time following his passion
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SUCCESS STORIES
Passion Capital: Paul Alofs’ Historic Career After 14 years, Paul Alofs, president and CEO of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, is retiring and leaving behind an admirable legacy WRITTEN BY BRANDON HARRIPERSAUD
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aul Alofs, the president and CEO of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, has decided to step down from his position. Now in his 14th year of running the historic organization, Alofs will leave behind a admirable legacy. Alofs has held high-level positions at various companies since 1989, going from HMV to Disney to MP3.com and more, finally leading to Princess Margaret. Alofs was lucky in that each of these previous positions connected in some way to one or more of his hobbies, but his tenure at Princess Margaret has been much more personal. Alofs’ mother Patricia was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, and Alofs, along with his siblings, spent time taking care of his mother in her final days. “After my mother passed, I knew I wanted to do something to help. To help people who have to go through this,” he says. Serendipity struck. After a friend associated with Princess Margaret gave him an introduction, Alofs went on to be hired as the new president and CEO of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Under his direction, over the past 14 years Princess Margaret has become one of the most reputable and successful cancer foundations on the planet, raising more than $1.25 billion for cancer research and for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre itself. Said success did not come easy, though. Alofs has made his career through hard work, dedication and an undying work ethic. He inspires others around him, including the thousands who work for Princess Margaret, to continue the fight to end cancer once and for all. With all of the funds it’s raised, Princess Margaret has made significant contributions to cancer treatment. Research has boosted the survival rates of patients suffering from melanoma. While there
“IF YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU’RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, IF YOU HAVE THE WORK ETHIC, YOU WILL SUCCEED” are still some areas of cancer research that have not made as much progress, Alofs believes “there will be a cure in our lifetime.” Alofs has a lot of notable memories from his career, including the time he got legendary rocker Alice Cooper to play on the roof of the HMV superstore at 333 Yonge St. in downtown Toronto. But the memories that have stuck with him the most are the stories of young people who mowed lawns or sold lemonade in order to make a donation to Princess Margaret. “They all have a story. ‘It was my uncle, my mom [or] my grandma and I wanted to do something,’” says Alofs. Alofs, of course, knows first hand what it feels like to have a loved one fighting cancer. He does his best to meet with each of these children, take a photo with them, give them a wristband and, most importantly, hear their story. These personal touches are part of the reason Alofs has been so successful over the nearly three
decades he has spent leading corporations. While Alofs’s work for cancer research is paramount, the corporate culture he has developed at Princess Margaret is also impressive. Princess Margaret has three times been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital. “I think we’ve won that award three times because it’s a combination of our performance — how much money we raise — as well as the way we go about working together and treating each other,” Alofs says. Alofs has cultivated a team and a culture full of passion and people who truly love their work. “When people join Princess Margaret, they have to have a passion to do something important about cancer. It doesn’t matter what level — summer intern, up to my office. Everybody needs to really want to go to war with cancer, basically. If you don’t have that, you don’t work here,” he says. Theirs is a culture that stresses communication and treating each other with respect. “This idea of collaboration and innovation runs through everything that we do.… We all have titles and positions, but it’s a very flat organization. We talk to each other constantly. [We] communicate a lot face to face, as opposed to email and electronic means. We get things done,” Alofs says. A workplace that puts emphasis on identity, communication and collaboration is refreshing to see these days. Regarding all the recent revelations of workplace harassment and assault that have come to light, Alofs offers some salient advice: “You need to hire people and you need to promote people on the basis of them carrying those values of respect. When the senior leadership doesn’t share those values of respect and doesn’t actually walk the walk, very quickly, the organization learns that, and things can start to spin out of control.”
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He continues, “I think that with Time magazine [putting] the individuals coming forward on the cover [who] have basically put the spotlight on all of these mostly males who have been abusive — [we can see] that behaviour is something that they have learned, that they’ve brought [and] that they probably are mistreating and not respecting people in other areas of their life. I think there’s been a fundamental change that resulted from the brave people that have come forward. Corporate cultures, as of right now, have fundamentally changed on that front. Let’s hope, we’ll see big changes in how corporate cultures operate in North America and around the world.” In addition to his role with Princess Margaret, Alofs is a speaker, investor and author of bestselling book Passion Capital: The World’s Most Valuable Asset. When asked how he is able to do so much, Alofs replies, “I get up at 5 o’clock every day.… The best way to get a head start on the day is to get up and get a couple of hours of work done before the rest of the world wakes up.” It’s this mentality and work ethic that makes him one of the best at what he does. Alofs considers himself a builder. “Builder of brands, corporations, people [and more],” he says. It is a fitting definition for a person who has spent his life building organizations into successes. He shares his recipe for success in his book, Passion Capital. “If you find something you’re really
“IT’S REALLY ABOUT OUR PASSION: OUR PASSION FOR OTHER PEOPLE, OUR FAMILY AND OUR WORK, AND HOW WE PUT THAT TO WORK”
passionate about, over a period of time, if you have the work ethic, you will succeed. I feel bad and I feel sorry for so many individuals that are working in jobs that they really have no passion for. They really don’t feel like they are contributing to trying to make a small corner of the world a better place. They’re just doing it for the money. That is really not a way to build a career that is both successful as well as satisfying,” Alofs says.
At the end of this chapter of his career, Alofs has learned some valuable lessons from the people around him, especially from the cancer patients he has spent time with over the years. At the end of their lives, “nobody talks about how much money they made, what their career has been [or] how many cars they’ve owned. People talk about their family, their friends [and] their special memories. And I think those personal relationships, at the end of the day, when we’re all facing our maker and on our deathbed — we think about our family and friends. We don’t think about how much money we made,” Alofs says. Having those discussions and being there in those moments certainly puts life into perspective. And this is the reason Alofs wishes for everybody to live according to their passion: “You think about money, or possessions or the things that we collect around us in our life that we think are valuable. It’s really about our passion: our passion for other people, our family and our work, and how we put that to work.” The lesson Alofs leaves us with is that passion capital is the world’s most valuable asset. Looking at his successful tenure at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and the impressive legacy he leaves behind, it is easy to see why that is. www.uhn.ca www.thepmcf.ca
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O C T O B E R
2 6 - 2 8 ,
2 0 1 7
T H A N K YO U ! Thank you to our festival chair Todd Halpern and the generous support of our sponsors, hosts, wine estates, chefs, guests and supporters for another successful year. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR GRAND CRU CULINARY WINE FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 26-27, 2018
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A DONATION CALL 416.340.3935 GRANDCRU.CA TGWHF.CA
I N
S U P P O R T
O F
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A DV E R TO R I A L
With small classroom sizes, Brain Power ensures that instructors dedicate lots of time to each individual student
KNOWLEDGE IS BRAIN POWER Brain Power has cemented itself as an enrichment learning centre that redefines education and prepares children for life both inside and outside of the classroom
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e’ve all thought at some point, “I wish school were more like …” This was largely wishful thinking until Brain Power Enrichment Programs opened its doors nearly three decades ago. Founder and director Dr. Karine Rashkovsky and her team of PhDs fill in these wishful blanks with a values-driven approach tailored to the minds of bright students, and—lucky for us—the GTA is Brain Power’s home. Let’s be clear: This is not another tutoring company. Brain Power has instead carved its own niche as a unique and progressive educational enterprise. Here, about a thousand of the GTA’s best and brightest young minds from Grades 1 through 12 gather weekly in an ideal learning environment where bright and gifted students thrive. Encouraged to become leaders, Brain Power students are immersed in after-school curriculum that weaves together academic excellence, social justice and global consciousness. What’s more, alongside like-minded peers and mentors, these youngsters simply have a lot of intellectual fun.
BRAIN POWER PROVIDES UNIQUE CURRICULUM, WORLD-CLASS TEACHING, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ALL WHILE PROMOTING A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE Brain Power ensures small class sizes where students develop critical thinking in fields of their choosing (including, but not limited to, English language arts, MENSA-style math and problem solving, public speaking and the art of persuasion, robotics, coding and aerospace engineering, and entrance exam preparation for IB, TOPS, MaCS, UTS and more). Students receive individualized feedback on their academic development, and parents receive full transparency on their child(ren)’s weekly progress. Another ingredient in the recipe for success is the fact that Karine ensures that Brain Power’s business decisions are based on values and principles, as opposed to profit. For example, her choice to use open-source software (for Brain Power’s Learning Management System) from a small startup company was risky, but she appreciated the startup’s values and commitment to excellence and went with them, with great success. As well, by using a “non-marketing” approach, Brain Power’s growth has been largely through word-of-mouth, a testament to the company’s values (and solid loyal following). The proof is also in the walls, so to speak. Especially notable is Brain Power’s eco-flagship location, which opened its doors a few years ago in the Toronto-North Schwartz/Reisman Centre. Former York Region
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PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO
Dr. Karine Rashkovsky has made it her life’s work to change the face of education
With humble beginnings in the 1990s, a father-daughter duo—Dr. Reuven Rashkovsky, PhD, and Karine, PhD—have grown over the decades with what Karine describes as a mission “to provide unique curriculum, worldclass teaching and experiential learning opportunities, all while exceeding current educational standards and promoting a social conscience.” Karine began assisting her mathematician father at a very young age and, with her vision and determination, eventually turned his “hobby” into a muchexpanded-in-scope successful enterprise. Today, Karine, as founder and director of Brain Power, is a trailblazer in supplementary educational programs, a passionate educator and an entrepreneurial role model. She has received multiple local, national and international awards, and is also the official Education Expert for Vaughan’s SRC community, an Ontario Mentor for VBEC and a sought-after speaker for academic, civic and entrepreneurial events. So what makes Brain Power an innovative model of success? For one, Karine employs brilliant PhD instructors with vibrant personalities. To add,
chairman and CEO Bill Fisch, and regional councillor and former deputy mayor Gino Rosati, along with local and regional councillors, led the ribbon -cutting ceremony, recognizing Brain Power’s forward-thinking efforts in environmental sustainability and enrichment education. While the project was costlier than a typical build, Brain Power values long-term effects and student experience over immediate profit: “If we’re going to have an ideal learning experience, we need to make sure the space is one the students both learn in and from,” says Karine. The diverse construction team, powered by both women and Brain Power volunteer alumni, reflects Brain Power’s commitment to social justice and community involvement. Construction consisted entirely of recycled, non-toxic local materials (including pressedjuicebox walls instead of drywall and reclaimed cotton jeans instead of typical fibreglass insulation). Leftover construction materials were upcycled by the students into a giant 8’x8’ brain sculpture that won an award in Canada’s Green Building Council enviroSCULPT competition. Clearly Karine has made it her life goal to significantly raise the bar with respect to enrichment education for high-achieving students, and what better way to do it than creating an ideal model? The results of this progressive approach are many. Not only have academics from York University’s Faculty of Education called Brain Power “a model site
Dr. Rashkovsky uses her research-driven, self-created lesson plans to make sure that students have a one-of-a-kind learning experience
of transformative education” (according to graduate program director Professor Sandra R. Schecter), but the company enjoys significant growth, each year adding to its repertoire of brilliant teachers and high-calibre students (it’s important to note that there is an assessment interview process for prospective students and that not all students are accepted into Brain Power’s programs). With this growth, Brain Power continues to be recognized with various accolades and its students are already being distinguished as the leaders of tomorrow. Especially worthy of mention is a Brain Power alumni being named Millennial Impact Entrepreneur of the Year for 2017 at the Global Social Impact Investment Steering Group (GSG) and two Brain Power students recently placing second in the Business World Cup Championships for their innovation of a life-saving product that detects blood alcohol levels. Brain Power also brings in inspiring speakers to add to its roster of “teachers”; last spring, for instance, Brain Power hosted CBC’s Terry O’Reilly, who offered a packed room of avid listeners insights on public speaking. Brain Power has also had the honour of hosting the University of Waterloo Apprentice Case Competition, and honouring one of Canada’s leading geneticists with the floor at one of its book club meetings (on the classic sci-fi novel Flowers for Algernon). With these and many other achievements, Karine is ensuring that Brain Power is pioneering the way for what enriched education should be all about, and what any values-driven business can emulate. This is why students at Brain Power say, “I wish school were more like … Brain Power!” www.brainpower.ca
120 Avenue Road 416-962-0011 Service Hours: Lunch: Monday through Saturday ... 12:00PM - 3:00PM Dinne Dinner: Sunday through Thursday… 5:30PM—11:00 PM Friday and Saturday… 5:00 PM—12:00 AM
SHARE OUR PASSION FOR FOOD AND WINE Sotto Sotto brings a little piece of Rome to downtown Toronto with a warm, intimate ambience. Our experienced chefs use the finest ingredients to create the simple savoury Roman style cuisine for which Sotto Sotto has become famous.
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AUTO
THE NEWÂ
PANAMERA TURBO SPORT TURISMO
Porsche presents its sixth edition of the Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo, where luxury meets comfort WRITTEN BY ALEX BROWN
Its stylish frame matches its sleek interior and performance capabilities
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GENERAL SPECS
Engine: 4.0L Twin-turbocharged V8 Transmission: All-Wheel Drive 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) Horsepower: 550hp Its hatchback capabilities add accessibility to its sporty characteristics
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orsche’s new four-door Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo is the sleek, unexpected version of the stereotypical green-friendly family wagon. A racier alternative with hatchback capabilities, thicker D-pillars and a more practical body of accessories than the original Panamera style, the Sport Turismo is low-riding, lustrous and outfitted with a longer roof to house a welcome panoramic glass sunroof. This is the sixth adaptation of the Porsche Panamera Turbo model and easily maintains the sense of superiority and class of the previous five models. It’s also the first model built off the Volkswagen Group’s Modularer StandardantriebBaukasten (MSB), or “modular standard architecture.” Its exterior, with a futuristic, glossy front and hatchback posterior, possesses the feel of a party in the front, business in the back, ideal for the flair of the usual Porsche motorist. In 49 cubic feet, featuring foldable rear seats, the Sport Turismo holds a solid load for small families and travellers alike. The larger hatch provides a comfortable ride for daily activities, long trips on the road or a speedy weekend escape. With improved rear seating made for comfort, this
Torque: 567 lb-ft Performance Top Speed: 304 Km/h model introduces a five-seat configuration for more passenger space. The interiors of this lavish sedan also feature a PCM interface with navigation and a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 10-speaker audio system and LED headlights. Including Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay integration, a keyless drive, twozone climate control and a rear-view camera, this vehicle is high-tech from head to toe. With heated front seats, ventilated and massaging seating throughout, premium audio systems from Bose and a rear entertainment system, plus its lush leather interior and soft cushioning, makes this a ride you’ll want to take every single day. Beyond the alluring chassis of the Sport Turismo, its performance gear upholds the same luxury and intensity for which Porsche is known. Delivering perfectly weighted steering, smooth control and a ride that is as powerful as the exterior, the Sport Turismo is unparalleled. The reliable force of its carbon-ceramic brakes, a twin-turbo 4-Litre V-8 and EPA-rated fuel economy will guarantee fluid acceleration and drive. Enjoy the features of a Porsche-exclusive 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission,
Performance Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h time: 3.8 seconds
engaging an even and assertive drive from start to stop. The Sport Turismo also features Porsche Active Suspension Management with adjustableheight air springs, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport that counters lateral movement with the help of electromechanical anti-roll bars, Power Steering Plus that intensifies boost at lower speeds, and the Sport Chrono package that adds the dashboardtop stopwatch and various driving modes. Unlike any other models on the market, the Sport Turismo is the only luxury station wagon that’s capable of performing zero to 100 mph in 3.8 seconds, eventually hitting 160 mph comfortably. In a price range starting at $109,700 for the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo and $117,400 for the 4S, the Sport Turismo’s all-wheel drive at 330 horsepower makes it the car of your choice — whether you’re a speedy traveller, CEO on the go or part of a family. Or, if you like, all of the above.
Porsche Centre North Toronto
165 Yorkland Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M2J 4R2 (conveniently located at Highway 401 and 404)
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ART
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES From an escapist little boy holed up in his bedroom, drawing, Gerry Judah has evolved into an artist and designer who knows his best work is inspired by where he came from WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS
began building a reputation for innovative design, working as a set designer, installation artist, sculptor and painter. True story: he once created an entire Italian city out of cookies for a commercial. In 2000 Judah was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum in London to create a large model of the selection ramp in AuschwitzBirkenau for the Holocaust Exhibition. Judah has said that working in miniature can be epic and express something enormous; it has great power. His visits to Auschwitz and research for this work encouraged Judah to take his art in a new direction: reinterpreting media images of war-torn cities such as Beirut and Baghdad into large 3D paintings, representations of tremendous loss exploring not only the devastation of war, but also the effect of man upon the environment. In 2014, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London commissioned an artwork for the 100th anniversary of the First World War. Judah created two white crosses evocative of war graves in Europe and embellished them with models of destroyed buildings in the Middle East, showing the connection between the First World War and the conflicts that exist today. Since the late ’90s, Judah has created a new sculpture each year for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held annually in West Sussex for auto
manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche and Audi. Last year’s creation featured five Formula One cars on a looping structure to celebrate Bernie Ecclestone’s decades-long career in Grand Prix racing. The towering sculpture was a jaw-dropping 114 feet tall and weighed more than 65 tonnes. One fan described the installation as a “life-size Hot Wheels loop-the-loop we had as kids back in the ’70s.” In 2015, Judah designed an amazing sculpture for the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, celebrating the 911 with three cars on pillars: a brand-new 911 Carrera and 911 SC Coupe and 911 2.2 Coupe classics restored to showroom condition.
Q&A WITH GERRY JUDAH One thing people may not know about Judah is that he has a great sense of humour. Some of his responses made us laugh out loud, while others were sobering.
Q. What is the best part of your work? To do what I like. Q. What is your creative process? Not having one.
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PHOTOS BY DAVID BARBOUR
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e dare you to classify Gerry Judah’s art as any one thing — it’s impossible. His work encompasses film and theatre set designs, massive-scale installations, sculptures and paintings, and he is commissioned by musicians like Paul McCartney, car giants and museums alike. Judah’s parents were Indian citizens whose families came from Baghdad and settled in Baghdadi Jewish communities in India and Myanmar. Born in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in 1951, Judah grew up there until his family moved to London when he was 10 years old — but he never forgot the dramatic landscape of India and the architecture of its temples and synagogues. The drabness of postwar London came as a shock to the young boy. To escape it, Judah spent much of his time in his bedroom with pencil and paper, creating imaginary landscapes, architectural fantasies and futuristic cars. Eventually, he obtained a degree in fine art at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and went on to study sculpture as a postgraduate at the renowned Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. He set up a studio in London’s West End, the theatre district, and while doing casual work in the theatres as a prop maker and scenic artist, he
Two of Judah’s sculptures shown here use automobiles in incredible ways, as if to show them paused momentarily in motion.
Q. What do you hope to do through your art? To lift people’s spirits. Q. Define art. Short for Arthur.
The 66-year-old British artist has developed a reputation for working in film, television, theatre, museum and a host of public spaces
Q. What is the one thing you love about life? My family. Q. What was your favourite life experience? India. Q. Which would you choose, money or fame? Neither. Q. Do you have any fears? No.
Q. If you could change anything about society, what would it be? Religion. Q. Do you believe in love? Always. Q. Define la dolce vita. [My wife,] Helen.
PHOTO BY DAFYDD JONES
Q. What was the best gift you ever gave? The best gift you ever received? Music and music.
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Real estate This picturesque estate comes with large terrace, perfect for taking in the breathtaking view
17485
McLaren road Hawkridge is a legendary estate out in Caledon, which is perfectly suited for privacy and hosting written by brandon harripersaud interview by michelle zerillo-sosa
include outbuildings: a guest house, chauffeur’s apartment and manager’s residence. Representative John Dunlap spoke to Dolce about this rare listing and the amazing amenities it has to offer. Q. What is most striking about this listing? A. The unique zoning rights and breadth of onsite amenities are what set this property apart. In addition to the 20,000-plus-sq.-ft. residence, there are four additional residential units surrounding a deep, clear pond with views toward the Niagara Escarpment. Building this size and number of houses in such a pristine natural setting would not be allowed under today’s regulations. Q. Who is the seller? A. The sellers built the home as a place to
entertain. They have hosted charitable functions and weddings for more than 250 in the home. The owners have entertained Elton John, Eric Clapton, Henry Moore and Queen Elizabeth II, along with Canadian prime ministers and sports legends. The owners and their guests enjoy hiking on the trail system, playing tennis, testing their skills on the sporting clays course, and riding, golfing and skiing at nearby establishments. Q. What makes this home unique? A. The scale of the principal rooms and the architecture make this home unique. The barrel ceiling in the library is more than 25 feet high. The main living room has two hand-carved fireplaces with marble hearths that are so large, no fire screens are required. The chilled wine cellar is known as “the warehouse.”
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photos courtesy of moffat dunlap
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or over 50 years, Moffat Dunlap has specialized in the purchase of country estates. The brokerage is proud to present this exclusive listing, Hawkridge. This legendary grand manor house is situated on 160 acres where mature forests, spring-fed trout fishing ponds, a freshwater stream, extensive walking trails, magical gardens, a tennis court and an abundance of wildlife provide a genuine setting to complement a lifestyle of exceptional comfort. This 28,000-square-foot Gothic mansion features 11 bedrooms and seven fireplaces. French doors give entry to an expansive terrace affording spectacular views of the rolling Caledon hills. Friends and family will enjoy the indoor pool and hot tub, cabana facilities, spa, steam room, magnificent stone and granite fireplace, climate-controlled wine cellar and five-car underground garage. Additional highlights
Q. What is the best part of living in this neighbourhood? A. Living in this quiet area of Caledon allows one to live in beautiful natural surroundings, yet also be only 20 minutes north of Pearson Airport and an hour’s drive from the city. This property is five minutes away from the Caledon Ski Club, the Devil’s Pulpit golf course, the Caledon Mountain Trout Club and many riding stables. This location is as good as it gets in Caledon. Q. What can you tell us about the real estate market in Caledon? A. The Caledon real estate market is a lifestyle market. Truly exceptional country properties such as Hawkridge are always in scarce supply. When a buyer finds their dream property, they pursue it. Q. What is the overall mood of the market? A. The overall mood in the market at present is one of cautious optimism. Caledon’s high-end market has appreciated, but not at the hectic pace of Toronto’s. When one looks at the growth of Toronto and immigration to Canada, the long-term trends for owning country or retreat properties close to such a successful city remain very favourable. There remains a scarcity of supply. Q. How do current markets across the country compare? A. The main metropolitan markets in Canada all seem to have “country lifestyle” properties within 1 to 1.5 hours of their downtown cores. Toronto is very fortunate in that we, too, are able to find beautiful and peaceful country properties not too far from downtown. Q. What is the best part of your work? A. Working with clients to find their dream properties and getting to see the finest country houses in Canada. Q. What can your agency offer better than anyone else in the industry? A. My father founded the firm almost 50 years ago. He had grown up enjoying country living at Donalda Farm, and he founded one of the first firms in Toronto to specialize in the purchase and sale of the finest country properties around Toronto. We have expanded into only one other niche since being founded in 1972: marketing superb Georgian Bay properties. Our firm can offer market intelligence and knowledge unmatched by any other brokerage. We are fortunate to know more of the great properties since we have often sold them in the past or are invited to offer confidential valuations while they are being created. We know about available properties before they even get listed. A long history of marketing great properties also allows us to have contacts with a broad range of the top buyers.
The interior is lavishly decorated with elegant, carefully considered pieces. Each room has its own personality that adds to the overall character of the estate
www.moffatdunlap.com
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AwAreness
A Century AheAd Louis XIII represents the work of multiple generations of Cellar Masters Baptiste Loiseau, Georges Clot, Pierrette Trichet and AndrĂŠ Giraud
pHotos courtesy of louis xiii
Louis XIII and Pharrell Williams have teamed up to create an exclusive cognac and a song to raise awareness of the imminent threat of climate change Written by brandon Harripersaud
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pHoto by stefania rosini
The exclusive cognac and Pharrell in the process of creating the song “100 Years”
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limate change is not just a concern — it is a reality. Within the next 100 years, the ice caps will have melted due to rising global temperatures caused by the deterioration of the atmosphere, primarily from pollution and the greenhouse effect. This, in turn, will cause water levels to rise all over the planet, submerging parts of the land that is currently above water. Unless we diminish our carbon footprint on a massive scale, the effects of climate change will significantly affect the world in ways we cannot fully fathom. The Rémy Martin–owned cognac Louis XIII and musician Pharrell Williams, both advocates in the fight against climate change, have teamed up to create both an exclusive eau-de-vie and a song called “100 Years.” The signature Louis XIII Cognac represents the life achievement of generations of cellar masters. The current batch, made by cellar master Baptiste Loiseau, will be a legacy to his successors. “100 Years” is a creative expression by Williams that details the relationship between nature and time and the long-lasting effects humans have on their environment. Williams hopes that his music will be passed on to future generations. But the end goal is not to simply create and dedicate a decanter of cognac and a song about climate change. Louis XIII and Williams have taken it a step further. Only a single copy of “100 Years” exists; it has been encoded on a unique clay record made from the soil of Cognac, France. This record has been placed in a state-of-the-art safe in one of Louis XIII’s
“With ‘100 yeArs’ — the song We’ll only heAr if We CAre — We hope to inspire people Around the World to tAke ACtion” — Ludovic du Plessis cellars, along with the only decanter of Louis XIII Cognac made especially for this project. The safe has no code or key, but will automatically open in November 2117, 100 years from now. The song was played just once at an exclusive listening party in Shanghai, and none of the fortunate listeners were allowed to record it, thus keeping it secret for the next century. However, the safe holding the recording of “100 Years” is water soluble, which means that if we continue to neglect the earth and water levels
keep rising, both the safe and the only copy of the song will be destroyed before anyone can hear it. “Nature and time are at the heart of what we do. If the environment is unstable, even the greatest cellar master would not be able to compose the exceptional blend that is Louis XIII,” says Ludovic du Plessis, global executive director of Louis XIII. “I love the fact that Louis XIII thinks a century ahead,” says Williams. “We should all do the same for the planet. We have a common interest in preserving nature for the future. Each bottle is the life achievement of generations of men and women. It’s all about legacy and transmission.” If climate change is not combated, our descendants will never get to hear the song Williams has written. “Global warming is one of the most important issues of the 21st century. With ‘100 Years’ — the song we’ll only hear if we care — we hope to inspire people around the world to take action,” says du Plessis. Louis XIII Cognac is launching an international tour of charity dinners in major cities around the world to raise awareness and funds for environmental organizations. Through these events, Louis XIII will directly support associations dedicated to combatting climate change on a local level. Louis XIII and Williams hope that this project will encourage others to take action against climate change and give people of the future a chance to experience the drink and the song — but it will happen only #Ifwecare. www.louisxiii-cognac.com
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BORN TO BE BOND
STYLING BY KRISTEN INGERSOLL | GROOMING BY NAKEAH FULLER
WRITTEN BY CEZAR GREIF | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGEL PARRY
Nearly 20 years after the end of his reign as James Bond, Pierce Brosnan is still lighting up screens big and small. With multiple projects in the works, the Irish-born actor shows no signs of stopping
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o matter what else he does, Pierce Brosnan will always be remembered as one of the five actors to have played James Bond on the big screen. And he’s OK with that — as a matter of fact, he’s grateful. Brosnan is one of those well-travelled souls you can’t easily attach to one location. He’s got a mix of accents and cultures. Born in Ireland, he lived and worked in England before moving to California. These days he splits his time between Malibu and Kauai, Hawaii’s most eco-friendly island. His quirky sense of humour is probably the most obviously Irish thing about him. One can imagine it’s helped him weather painful life events like the departure of his father when he was a little boy and the passing of his first wife and his daughter, both to cancer. Brosnan has also found solace in working steadily — not only as an actor, but also as a producer. His production company, Irish DreamTime, produced a number of movies that he starred in. His new TV series for AMC called The Son sees him playing a Wild West patriarch. He’ll also be showcasing his range again in a Mamma Mia! sequel. Two of his four sons, Dylan and Paris, are now in-demand models, having just walked the runways at Paris Fashion Week a few weeks ago. And an exhibition of Brosnan’s paintings is in the works for next year. At sixty-four, Brosnan, looking quite dapper with a full beard, is as busy as ever, though he made time to sit down with Dolce. ACTING How did you get started in acting? What made you want to be an actor? The movies made me want to be an actor. I grew up in Ireland. I left Ireland as a young man. In 1964, I went to London. I was an immigrant, Irish, trying to fit in, in London. I was good at art — I loved art. I still paint. And my passport into life was a cardboard folder of drawings, of paintings. I got a job in a small studio, drawing straight lines, straight lines, straight lines and making cups of tea and watering plants. Then one day, I was in the studio talking to a guy from the photographic department about movies. He said, “You should come along to the Ovalhouse.” It was in South London. I went there and that was it — I became an actor. It was the beginning. What was your ambition when you started? What ambitions do you still have? My earliest ambition was to be a good
actor, once I found acting. To be a great actor, magnificent, brilliant, wonderful! [laughs] My ambition was to make movies, always was. When I found acting, I did train, I went off to drama school, I did repertory theatre in England, the West End. But I loved the movies. My ambitions now? All the same. To be a better actor, to create something which is uniquely yours. To try to be an unexpected surprise now and then. And to paint. I paint. I might have an exhibit next year in Paris. We’ve been talking about it, we found the space. I always say, “If I can sing in Mamma Mia!, I can show my paintings!” [laughs] Have fun, enjoy life, give it away. How do you define a good actor? A good actor has technique, passion in his heart. He is courageous, fearless. To be fearless, to be open, to be vulnerable. To be able to go through the fire without losing yourself, without messing your life up, if you can help it. To meet the best people, to work with the best people, to have humility, to have some gratitude for your gift, because it’s a very strange art form. Because you’re dealing with yourself the whole time. You’re constantly constructing and destroying yourself. So people like Daniel Day-Lewis and Anthony Hopkins — and Jackie Chan! — they commit wholeheartedly, courageously. What he does in The Foreigner is beautiful work; it’s very open and very vulnerable. Very contained at the same time. It’s very hard to define what a good actor is. A good actor connects with the audience, connects with the people. That’s what you want to do to turn people on. Do you have a particular method or technique to get immersed in a character? I was taught in the Method school of acting. The school I went to was very Methodorientated. The Method always fascinated me, because when I found acting, Marlon Brando was a huge influence, Montgomery Clift was a huge influence, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen as well. All these people, they created this aura on screen that I found rather intoxicating. So I was taught as a Method actor to be vigilant and detailed. I wish I was more often! [laughs] Then you find yourself. You do your own role, you define yourself. You read the script and try to have an emotional connection to each scene, to each part of the story. You read it, and you read it, and you read it … and you try to leave yourself alone. You try to be real, you try to listen.
THE FOREIGNER What drew you to The Foreigner? How did you prepare for it? You sit down to read a script. It’s a top one. It’s in the company of men like Martin
Campbell, Jackie Chan. You pay attention, so you read. Very slowly, quietly. Do you want to turn the page? When you turn the page, does it engage you? Does it have emotional content for you as an actor? When you get to the end of it, do you want to go back and read it again? Does it sustain you for six weeks, for six months? It ticked every box, so it was easy to do. Did you know Jackie Chan before filming this movie? No, I didn’t know Jackie. We didn’t really get to know each other, I’m sad to say. It just so happens that when he was filming, I wasn’t. He was playing a character pursuing my character. There were a few dinners set up at the beginning of the film, but they didn’t happen. Once the movie starts, then the time is not yours; it’s just work. There was a lot of work, a lot of dialogue. You have to do your homework. You finish work, you go home quietly. So one of these days, Jackie and I shall go rip the town up! [laughs] JAMES BOND You were James Bond in four films. How did you make the character consistent without repeating yourself? Oh, I repeated myself. I was required to repeat myself in some regards. When I [first] played the part, it had been dormant for six years, and no one really felt like there was a need to go back to that well and do James Bond. So the odds against [director] Martin Campbell and myself, the whole company, and the family, [producer] Barbara Broccoli, were pretty set against us. There was doubt. There was a great element of fear and risk. I was brought up on the character played by Sean Connery and then Roger Moore. I’d also seen Timothy Dalton play it, so I knew what was required of me, and tried to address those issues accordingly. My Bond was influenced by Roger Moore and by Sean Connery. How did your feelings about Bond evolve over time? I adore the character. I have nothing but gratitude toward the character of James Bond. It allowed me to create my own company, Irish DreamTime. It allowed me to make movies with that company, like The Thomas Crown Affair, The Matador, and many others. I knew that at some point, the curtain will fall, and you will be stamped and branded as James Bond forever, if you get it right. You know this going in the door. And you want to get it right. Every man that has played James Bond has got it right, in their own way. So yes, you just celebrate it, once you commit. I know that Daniel [Craig] was very nervous when he was taking over. I sat with him on a few occasions and he spoke
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Brosnan was voted the sexiest man alive by People magazine in 2001
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of his apprehension, and rightly so, because it’s a huge undertaking. He committed in the most incredible fashion and made a most magnificent James Bond. So you digest all of that, you sit with all of that, then you will do your thing. Do you find people identify you with James Bond? Oh, yes, of course. Forever. Once you play that role, you’re a marked man — in a great way. To be an actor, you want to entertain, you want to please people, you want to make people happy. You want be able to have a career, to have a career which has longevity. A career that is meaningful for you as a man and an actor. James Bond was a significant small chapter of my life, but it’s the gift that keeps giving! Can you speak to Bond’s influence on pop culture at large? Oh, Bond has influenced so many writers, so many directors, so many actors — so many generations of filmmakers. It’s one of the most unique characters on the landscape of filmmaking. It’s one of the most indelible and potent characters in cinema. What the Broccoli family has is uniquely theirs, and no one else has such a beloved character. So it will be played for many decades to come. There will be other men waiting to play this role. I wish I could be more eloquent about it. I am one of five men who played the role. And people love James Bond! There are many detractors, too. When I saw Bourne Identity, I thought, “Uh-oh, this is good, this is really good.” Paul Greengrass, Matt Damon, the whole vibrancy, the kinetic value of it — it was quite exhilarating. So that upped the ante for the James Bond franchise. Harrison Ford recently returned to the Star Wars franchise. If you had the chance, would you be James Bond again? Highly unlikely. It’s another man’s job. OTHER PROJECTS In The Matador it’s almost like you made fun of the James Bond persona. Can you tell us a bit about that movie? I wasn’t making fun of James Bond. I might have been playing in the wheelhouse. The Matador came to me as a writing sample for The Thomas Crown Affair 2. Richard Shepard, who wrote The Matador, came to interview with this piece of material. I thought it was so good, I said, “Let’s go and make The Matador.” Can you share details about the Mamma Mia! sequel? I just finished it last week! “Here we go again —” Sorry, I’m singing again, guys! I don’t sing as much, so you’ll be OK! [laughs] Jackie loves to sing, by the way. Jackie Chan’s a good
singer. He sings all the time. I was in his makeup trailer and someone said, “Come, come, come.” I was wondering, “What does he want me to see?” There was Jackie, singing! Do you see changes in the sorts of movies being produced these days based on how audiences have changed? I live such a kind of simple life, really, as an actor, as a man, as a father. I used to know what was happening, who was running the studios. It has metastasized to a point where it’s very hard to keep an eye on everything. I just go from project to project. I do pieces that sustain me, that come to me organically. I try not to second-guess. It’s an exhilarating time in movie making. It’s an exhilarating time for young writers and young filmmakers because everything is so accessible now. You have the world at your fingertips with an iPhone! You have your university there, stories, content at your fingertips. Has it changed? Of course it’s changed. Cinemas are closing down, one after the other. Content is much faster. Studios make massive tentpole movies. The need for smaller stories is always necessary.
PERSONAL LIFE AND ACTIVISM As well as being an actor and producer, you’re also an activist for antiwar, environmental, and animal rights causes. What do you think about the role of politics in people’s lives, especially right now? Well, I think in America, everybody has to be actively connected to their community, very much so. Everything starts in the community, everything starts with the family and everything starts in the home. So if you love your family, if you love your children, and you want the best education for them, and you want the best
‘‘
A GOOD ACTOR HAS TECHNIQUE, PASSION IN HIS HEART. HE IS COURAGEOUS, FEARLESS
’’
Can you tell us about your new TV show, The Son? TV used to be viewed as a step down from movies, but not anymore. The TV world is very fertile now, it’s very potent, somewhat because the cinema has diminished. It has diminished because people have access to movies in their own homes. I had, for the last number of years, wanted to do a TV series, and my late partner, Beau St. Clair, bless her, she and I had been actively looking. And then The Son came up out of nowhere, really, and that’s why I’m here in Austin, Texas. We’re shooting the second season of The Son. It’s really well done with a beautiful cast of young actors. And the character is very timely for me; it’s a man of certain years in life named the Colonel. And work begets work. Keep it as simple as possible. The ego can pull you in many different directions. I love TV — I started on stage and then on TV, but always dreamt of the movies. One should be able to do everything. If you’re an actor, if you’re a good actor, if you’re a hard-working actor, you should be able to do anything, or at least pretend.
environment for them to grow up in, you better pay attention to the politician who runs your community. Then you have to speak out. In America now, there’s a definite imbalance within the country, which is palpable. That comes with some heartache. America is my adopted country. I’m an Irishman, but I’ve lived here in America now for 35 years. I’m an American citizen, I have a wife and children here. I grew up in the countryside. What I see happening to our rivers and oceans, and the deforestation of the land — it’s really heartbreaking. There has to be more communication between our leaders, and hopefully, we should be able to come out of this period, in time. If you’re passionate about living a good life for yourself and for your children, you have to educate yourself and start getting involved. Do you think the movie industry has an
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JAMES BOND WAS A SIGNIFICANT SMALL CHAPTER OF MY LIFE, BUT IT’S THE GIFT THAT KEEPS!
For the fourth consecutive year, Brosnan serves as an international brand ambassador for Speake-Marin
obligation to comment on the present political climate? Should movies make a political statement? I think it can do all of the above. I think ultimately, it’s there to entertain and to enrich people’s lives and to hold up some kind of mirror to their lives so they can have some identification in a positive way. And then within that, you can make a political statement — yes, of course you can. Sometimes you can be censored — you can be censored so badly by the ones taking care of you or by someone in a position of power. And artists are always the first ones to be censored and made aware of their position in society. But they have to break
through that censorship and say, “This is the way I see it.” You have been in Hollywood for a long time. What do you think of the diversity problem? We just barely get on with each other, that’s for sure. We should get better at identifying each other’s cultures and embrace the cultures we have. It’s heartbreaking to see so many individuals who are trying to make a life for themselves be crippled by the politics. Can you tell us about your upcoming projects? Well, Mamma Mia 2 will come out this
photo courtesy of speake-marin
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summer. I’m in the second season of The Son. Martin Campbell and I are going to go off and do a movie called Across the River and into the Trees, which is from an Ernest Hemingway story. So hopefully in the spring, we should go to Italy and make this beautiful love story. My wife and I are producing partners now. She just made a beautiful documentary called Poisoning Paradise, which is about the pesticides and GMOs that happen on our island of Kauai. She’s been working steadily on that. She and I are about to go off and make another documentary on a book that we auctioned called Girls Like Us. It’s about Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. Work. Always work.
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CHARITY Connie Monica Guglietti at the age of 7 1/2 dancing and doing what she loved best
The Gift of
Connie WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS
M
arco Guglietti has a lot of memories. Some of them are very good. Marco, his wife, Michela, and their daughter Connie getting on a plane to go to Disney World for her sixth birthday. She picked her princess outfit (Sofia from Sofia the First). Trips to Italy, the first one when Connie was only six months old. Connie giving kisses. Being pulled up on stage at an Adele concert. A girl who loved her family and friends, especially her younger twin sisters, Sofie and Simona. She was an old soul who loved her big cousins and had a passion and zest for life. She showed love, kindness and empathy with everything she touched and connected with everyone she met in an everlasting way. Connie was compassionate, always worrying about others. She took pride in everything she did. Her school was the best school, her teachers were the best teachers, and her friends were the best friends, particularly Eva Sonego. She was dedicated too, as she started competitive dancing in 2015 and would dance eight hours a week. Connie the diplomat, who, when asked who her favourite was, would say her mom and her dad both! Named for Guglietti’s mother, Concetta, the child personified some of her late grandmother’s characteristics: she was spiritual, compassionate, loving and supportive. “Connie was such a happy, energetic, spirited girl,” says Guglietti. “She was so happy in the mornings that my wife and I would say, ‘Where did she come from? She’s not like you or me,’ because we need to get going a bit in the mornings.” Some of those
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRANCIS PHOTOGRAPHERS
What would a parent do to save a child? After a heartbreaking diagnosis, Michela and Marco Guglietti started on a journey to save a life. Their daughter Connie faced the battle like a warrior princess. Cancer may have forced the Gugliettis to their knees, but this sweet child taught them how to be brave. They find grace in knowing they did everything humanly possible for their little girl. And they are committed to fighting DIPG, this deadly cancer, and helping to find a cure with the We Love You Connie Foundation
PHOTO BY MIKE FORD
Guglietti family, Marco and Michela Guglietti with their twin daughters Sofie and Simona. Chloe [Connie’s dog] with Michela
qualities must have rubbed off on Guglietti, who is delighted to see his daughter, Simona, when she comes into his study and interrupts the interview to ask him if he is hungry, and invites his other daughter, Sophie, to show us her outfit when she knocks on the door to say goodbye as she’s off to dance class. But some of Guglietti’s memories aren’t so good. Connie complaining of double vision, then a shocking diagnosis a mere two weeks later. Two scared adults getting on a plane with their little girl to see what Dr. Mark Kieran in Boston could do. A biopsy performed by Dr. Goumnerova and radiation performed in Miami with Dr. Ziad Khatib, both under the care of Dr. Mark Kieran. From there, immunotherapy in Germany under the care of Dr. Stefaan Van Gool. MRIs. In fact, when Connie’s tumour was biopsied at Dana-Farber/ Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Connie understood that she had to stay for observation until she was able to walk. But she also overheard that the twins’ third birthday party was coming up. A few hours later, she said, “Daddy, I want to walk, will you walk with me?” “Absolutely,” said Guglietti. So with everyone watching them — including Connie’s mom and the doctors — Guglietti took Connie’s hand and they walked down the hall. She did well, and Guglietti knew she was going to be released. And then Connie grabbed Guglietti’s arm, looked up at him with her beautiful eyes and said, “Daddy, can I tell you something?”
“I am forever broken, my heart is wounded for as long as it will beat. I cannot accept that my sweet baby girl – that’s you, Connie – are no longer by my side, no longer hand in hand with me” — Michela
“I said ‘Sure!’ and I get down on my knees in the middle of ICU at the hospital, and she says, ‘Daddy, I am working really hard to get out of here because I wasn’t feeling good but I want to get out of here because I really want to be home for the twins’ birthday.’” And then, that same day that they were leaving, Dec. 12, she said, “I’m really lucky, right, Daddy? I get to go home and a lot of these
kids will have to stay in hospital for Christmas.” Guglietti said yes, she was lucky. “But in my mind, I am thinking, ‘We are not lucky. We’ve been dealt one of the most fatal of all these cases in ICU,’” he says. And here, in telling this story, Guglietti has to stop for a minute to find his breath. Since the day of the diagnosis, Connie showed such bravery, strength and cooperation. She never complained while fighting vigorously for her life. By all accounts, Connie was well loved, and she entered the world with eyes wide open. “When we brought her home, she was looking around the house as if she was doing a home inspection,” says Guglietti, who is president of Rosehaven Homes in Oakville, Ont. His daughter had a joie de vivre, a very creative side and recognized beauty easily, he adds. But it was Connie’s compassion that was perhaps most striking. “She always thought about the person who was left out,” says Guglietti. “If there was a family gathering and someone was sick or away, she’d say, ‘Where is so and so?’” Then a horrible thing happened. A family friend has a daughter who is diagnosed with a rare brain stem tumour, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), which affects mainly children, with low survival rates. Connie is very concerned about the girl, but the eight-year-old didn’t know that she would be facing the exact same diagnosis a few months later, after complaining of double vision. “Only 30 cases are diagnosed annually in Canada, it’s one in a million,” says Guglietti. “It is a double shot of lightening within a small area, within the
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRANCIS PHOTOGRAPHERS
Guglietti family photo, Michela and Marco Guglietti with their twin daughters Sofie, Simona and with Connie at the age of 7 1/2, happy to be spending time with family
“Connie was the first human being in the world to try this new drug” — Marco
same year.” Still today, doctors shake their heads in disbelief, says Guglietti, as they don’t believe the two cases are related in any way. Connie was diagnosed quickly. They took her to see an eye specialist in Vaughan, who suggested they might want to get Connie an MRI to rule out the small possibility that her double vision could be something more serious, i.e., a tumour. While they waited at SickKids for the MRI, Connie, who knew her dad was a busy person, turned to him and said, “I’m so sorry, Daddy, for you and for Mommy to have to wait through this, and you’re doing this for me.” During the MRI, and, in fact, all her subsequent MRIs, Guglietti took his rosary and stayed with Connie, massaging her feet and talking to her from time to time, which must have brought the girl comfort, as she never had to be sedated, unlike most kids who have MRIs. Guglietti, moved by her compassion, told her that this is what mommies and daddies do, this is nothing. And that was the thing about Connie, her capacity for reaching out to others and understanding their effort. When she was well enough, in June 2016, Connie had her First Communion, and the Gugliettis had a reception at their home for her where she spoke with gratitude, thanking her parents for helping her.
Unfortunately, DIPG grows into surrounding tissue, causing cancerous cells to mix with healthy ones, so it’s impossible to remove surgically without damaging healthy tissues. And it’s resistant to chemotherapy to boot. “Before the diagnosis, we thought Connie’s double vision was a big deal,” says Guglietti. “But looking back today, we would be so happy if that was the only issue, we would have accepted that and we prayed for that — it would have been a blessing.” With a diagnosis of DIPG, radiation is used for palliative care, and the Gugliettis were told to enjoy whatever time they had left with their daughter. But the Gugliettis wanted to do more and that is how a journey of care began. “We decided to look into other options, such as getting a second opinion, clinical trials, in hopes of perhaps helping other kids, as long as it did not sacrifice quality of life for Connie,” says Guglietti. They went to Boston to meet with Dr. Mark Kieran, originally from Toronto, now the director of pediatric medical neuro-oncology at DanaFarber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. “One of the first things we did was get a biopsy to be 100 per cent sure of the diagnosis but also to be able to do some DNA sequencing, which, unfortunately, takes months to
discover any mutations,” says Guglietti. Gathering and testing of the tissue could lead to more information about targeted precision drugs, which may be able to eradicate specific tumours and help future generations, he explains. (In fact, tissue from Connie’s tumour is still being grown in the lab for ongoing testing.) The family did a pilgrimage to Lourdes, a holy place of prayer. “Michela was the one who gave Connie all the love and kept her spirits up and I spent more time with the doctors,” says Guglietti. He assembled a team, all focused on Connie’s care, including treatments like radiation, and groundbreaking immunotherapy treatment (specifically targeting DIPG) with Dr. Stefaan Van Gool at the IOZK centre in Cologne, Germany. One treatment included injecting Connie with Newcastle disease virus (NDV), an avian disease that’s fatal for poultry but doesn’t affect humans, but it does attach itself to cancer cells. Connie’s cells were used to create a vaccine to attack the Newcastle disease virus and the cancer cells it had attached itself to, after her body temperature was boosted to weaken the cancer cells. Meanwhile, back in Boston, they found a few strands of mutations in the tumour tissue that was biopsied. Dr. Kieran had been using a drug on one of the mutations to treat mice in his research lab. Now the problem was this: How to get a singlepatient study approved with the FDA? “Dr. Kieran made it happen,” says Guglietti. “Connie was the first human being in the world to try this new drug.” She was also one of the first children to be treated with a drug called Nivolumab that helps the immune system fight the cancer — a drug which is just now in clinical trials for DIPG. Connie was in the ICU for two months, and the Gugliettis transformed her room into a healing place. They arranged for music, reiki and art therapy for Connie, along with physiotherapy and a massage therapist who came every evening. They posted notes of gratitude for doctors. Throughout all of this, Connie was positive. “Doctors fell in love with her, she never complained,” says Guglietti, “Whenever they would ask her how she was doing, she would always give them the thumbs up.” Even when Connie was struggling, she said, “I want to get better because I want to be an example for other kids — I want to do it so I can show other kids that they can, too.” They never even went into palliative care until about a half hour before she passed. When Connie did pass, Guglietti allowed a post-mortem biopsy of the tumour, which actually showed that the drug Connie was receiving was passing through the “blood-brain barrier” (the brain tries to protect itself from attack through this barrier, which means that most drugs can’t get to the tumour). Dr. Kieran is presently working with Dr. Nada Jabado, a pediatric neuro-oncologist with Montreal Children’s Hospital, on some of the side effects of the drug and is hoping to make it an option for other children.
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Connie at the age of 6 standing proudly next to her dad Marco Guglietti and surrounded by her uncles, Riccardo Guglietti, Silvio Guglietti and Jonny Guglietti, taken on April 26th, 2014 at the ground breaking ceremonies of The Randall Residences in Oakville
In fact, when Connie passed, the Gugliettis were already thinking of a name for Connie’s foundation, and decided on the We Love You Connie Foundation. The Gugliettis are no strangers to giving back. In the past, Marco and his three brothers and their families have supported many organizations, including Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, SickKids Hospital, Villa Colombo, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Oakville Hospital Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and the Giovanni and Concetta Guglietti Family Foundation. “When Connie was first diagnosed, we supported everyone who dealt with her,” says Guglietti. All funds raised through Connie’s foundation will go directly to support pediatric neurooncology, improved care, promising research and a future cure for DIPG. “Because there are so few cases diagnosed annually, research funding for the disease is scarce,” says Guglietti. “So I think it requires families like ours to put private funding toward it.” The newly established foundation has already made a $2.1-million commitment, with all of the money going to SickKids and Montreal Children’s Hospital, where Dr. Kieran is working with Dr. Jabado, to fund clinical trials of new targeted drug therapies. One hundred per cent of all funds from the foundation will be donated, and all additional costs and fees will be covered personally by the Guglietti family. Who knows what could have been? Connie already had an entrepreneurial spirit, says Guglietti. She loved asking her dad about work. “I’d come home and she would ask me, ‘How was work today? How many houses did you sell today?’” says Guglietti. And sometimes he wouldn’t know because he hadn’t received a sales report that day. Connie would smack the table and tell him straight that he should know, and when she grew up, she would absolutely know how many houses they sold in a day, every day! One time, she asked Guglietti, “Daddy, when I get bigger, will I be the boss when you’re not there?” To which he replied,
“Michela and I are forever grateful for all of the love and support we have received from everyone. Michela’s family has been so important in helping us through this, especially watching and caring for Sofie and Simona. To my brothers and their wives, we also thank you for your love, and for supporting all of the medical interventions for our dear Connie without a second thought! We will continue to make a difference in this disease!” — Marco
PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRANCIS PHOTOGRAPHERS
PHOTO BY DINO ROSSI
Connie loved wearing bows in her hair, especially her favourite red bow
“I think you could definitely be the boss not only when I’m not there, but even when I am there.” Guglietti says that Connie gave him and Michela so much. “She taught us compassion,” he says quietly, citing the example of when he and Michela both told Connie they wished they could trade places with her. “She would always say, ‘No, because kids heal better than older people anyway.’” Guglietti’s words of advice to other parents of a child diagnosed with DIPG? “Above all is your child and the quality of life, but don’t give up hope,” he says. “You have to have faith: I would have had a hard time getting up in the morning and being that positive spirit for my daughter if we had given up hope too soon.” His final words are for his daughter, however, on the We Love You Connie Foundation website (weloveyouconnie.com): “Connie, from all of us, you will never, never, never be forgotten and we love, love, love you forever and forever and forever.” Or perhaps, the last word goes to Connie’s mother, Michela: “My superhero, warrior princess. My light, my first love, my sparkler, my dearest Connie,” she writes. “We have a special bond that no one else, not one single other person has — we are connected through our souls. You see, although everyone else met you on Jan. 23rd, I have known you from the moment you were conceived. I am so privileged and honoured that you chose me — and I thank you for gracing me with your love and your precious beautiful spirit.” www.weloveyouconnie.com
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31 years, one Brand, Martin daniel interiors
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ViVa La
cuba
Romance never goes out of fashion. The art of expression through garments and colours creates a sultriness than can set souls on fire photography by bela raba visit www.dolcemag.com to watch the behind-the-scenes footage from this fashion shoot
Jacket: Philipp Plein Bustier: Alberta Ferretti Skirt: Fausto Puglisi Earrings: Iordanis
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This Page Dress: Fausto Puglisi Jewellery: Céline Bag: Alexander McQueen oPPosiTe Page Dress: Zimmermann Jewellery: Iordanis Bag: Cult Gaia
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Fashion is
an imposition, a rein on
Freedom — Golda Meir
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Dress: Philipp Plein Jewellery: Iordanis
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This Page Cardigan, Blouse, Pants & Shoes: Gucci Bag: Chanel oPPosiTe Page LEFt Dress: Alexander McQueen Coat: Philipp Plein Belt: Loewe Shoes: Jimmy Choo RIGht toP Dress: Philipp Plein Necklaces & Earrings: Marc Jacobs Shoes: Dolce&Gabbana RIGht BottoM Dress & Shawl: Gucci Earrings: Iordanis
photography assistants: Christopher stavrinides, Quentin strohmeier model: beata g, agents model management styling: loizos sofokleous styling assistant: angela sChnoeke-paasCh hair: tommy hadjipavlou mua: Chloe votsi flowers&headpieCes melina lee demetriou produCtion: alexander papaCosta, moi ostrov studio post produCtion: florian wagner loCation: historiCal house, Cyprus estates ltd
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pusateris.com AVENUE ROAD / YORKVILLE / BAYVIEW VILLAGE / OAKVILLE PLACE CF SHERWAY GARDENS / CF TORONTO EATON CENTRE
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19 BESPOKE TOWNHOMES COMING SOON TO SUMMERHILL
C
CHARBONNEL An Urban Love Story. Treasure Hill Homes takes pleasure in introducing The Charbonnel adjacent to De La Salle College at Avenue Road and Oaklands. An opportunity to live in comfort and opulence at the heart of Toronto’s coveted Summerhill neighbourhood.
From Over $3 Million
R E G I S T E R T O D AY
CHARBONNELTOWNS.COM
In Collaboration With Richard Wengle Gluckstein Design Ron Hollbrook and Paul Johnston
Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. E.&O.E.
spring 2018
97 www.dolcemag.com | DOLCE MAGAZINE
SETTING THE GOLD STANDARD FOR BESPOKE KITCHENS AND CUSTOM CABINETRY
905-264-6952 | Serving the Greater Toronto Luxury Market | www.niico.com 98 DOLCE MAGAZINE | www.dolcemag.com
spring 2018