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SHINE BRIGHT ROBERT PATTINSON,
SHINE BRIGHT ROBERT PATTINSON,
LÉA SEYDOUX, SCHIAPARELLI
SHINE BRIGHT ROBERT PATTINSON,
LÉA SEYDOUX, SCHIAPARELLI
LÉA SEYDOUX, SCHIAPARELLI
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771969 967048
5 FR€ - £6
Cover: Robert Pattinson ©Manuel Romano/NurPhoto
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Cover: Léa Seydoux ©Arthur Mola/Invision/AP
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P 21 EDITORIAL
P 50 LOUISE MONTILLET Women and jewels.
P24 SUMPTUOUS SEYDOUX A career that continues to evolve.
P 52 THE BULGARI SPA An oasis of well-being in the centre of Paris.
P 28 ROBERT PATTINSON A semi-charmed life. P 34 THE CARL F BUCHERER HERITAGE BICOMPAX ANNUAL HOMETOWN EDITION A colorful homage to the cities we love. P 36 RETURN TO THE ORIGINS Hublot reconnects with its founding spirit.
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P 38 CLASSICS WORLDTIMER MANUFACTURE 10 years of travel embodying the history of Frederique Constant. P 44 VINCENT A story of passion.
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P 46 ELIZABETH GENEVA A made-to measure boutique for Artegemma. P 48 K AN JOAILLIER Stunning and sophisticated creations.
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P 56 SPA GUERLAIN SAINT JAMES A green haven in the heart of the capital.
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P 60 CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE Medical excellence in the pursuit of longevity. P 62 HOW TO SPA Awakening to spirituality. P 64 MASSAGE OF THE 5 CONTINENTS Sungate, An expansion of solar consciousness. P 66 SHOPPING Good to Glow.
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P 68 MAISON SCHIAPARELLI Again among the major players of Parisian Haute Couture.
Maximum Wellbeing What is luxury, if you don‘t have the time to enjoy it? Maura Wasescha
Luxury means not having to be concerned with its practical matters, but to be able to enjoy the perfect moment in the company of family or friends. Totally free of worry, knowing that in the background there is a team who will fulfill all your wishes. This is why Maura Wasescha doesn’t just have exclusive properties for sale or rent. Maura Wasescha does more. She offers the perfect luxury service, so that the magic of the moment becomes timeless enjoyment.
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P 104 SCORPIOS MYKONOS Bohemian luxury on the Greek Islands. P 109 THE RESIDENCE ZANZIBAR An exclusive Tanzanian hideaway. P 112 LA CO(O)-RNICHE The Pearl of Arcachon. P 116 MISÍNCU An authentic Corsican experience.
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P 120 DREAM BIG One of the most prolific architecture firms. P 126 GOLDMUND Creator of revolutionary audio systems. P 130 GREENTECH Amazonia, the lungs of the planet. P 134 BUGATTI CHIRON Luxury, Beauty and Power! P 138 THE EVERGREEN SÉBASTIEN The oldest driver to win a WRC event. P 142
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ummer is finally here! In these sometimes difficult times, the arrival of the first rays of sunshine gives us a crazy desire to let go and indulge in idleness. For its summer issue, Blush Dream takes you to the four corners of the globe, for an escapade rich with new discoveries and inspiring encounters. Explore the Parisian workshops of the greatest couturiers, dive into the huge pools of the most fashionable spas before packing your bags for an unforgettable stay in Tanzania. Get on board the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport and hit the road with Sébastien Loeb sharing with you his intimate confessions on the edge of the circuits. From Valérie Messika’s success story to the new Batman, Robert Pattison, as well as the secrets of great chefs to spice up our summer dishes... Both fresh and daring, this new issue promises you many surprises.
Gregory Ayoun Publication director
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SUMPTUOUS
SEYDOUX The Gallic gallantry of Lea Seydoux and a career that continues to evolve
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n a world where celebrity has become a little too much ‘look at me’ – an inelegant and brash clamouring for attention, devoured by the Instagram-obsessed who crave relentless ‘content’ – the French darling of cinema, born Léa Hélène Seydoux-Fornier de Clausonne, is a touch of class. By Chris Ritchie
As an actress, she has moved gracefully across the spectrum of film and fashion. As a modern icon, she’s enigmatic but approachable: true movie star appeal but without the usual celeb bluster. She’s down-to-earth, despite flying almost impossibly high, professionally. For her whirlwind double-header in Spectre and No Time to Die, Seydoux played a crucial part in the reinvention of ‘Bond girls’, bringing a deeper characterisation and genuine melodrama to the franchise – a lover, a mother, and a fighter. She captures and encapsulates Dr Madeleine Swann with emotional touchpoints alien to previous iterations, mixing vulnerability with a voracious, instinctive spirit for survival. The character is a sign of the times, the actress absolutely key in delivering her essence authentically.
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You don’t get much more blockbuster than Bond, and although her best work is arguably found elsewhere, Seydoux understands its power. “I think that for anyone to be involved in such a colossal franchise, such is Bond, it can never really be seen as a negative,” she says. “Yes, it’s true that it will be something that will always be attributed to me, as that person who is defined in many ways as starring as a Bond girl in two of the series of films, but what’s is the problem with that? In this industry, identifiers are important, providing the don’t define you in totally, and I will make sure that Madeleine Swann doesn’t!” The positive approach from Seydoux mirrors the tenacity with which she has always driven forward her acting aspirations. Not only is she cemented in her approach, she is always fiery and proud of her achievements, but never arrogant.
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“Once I am committed to my work, I feel I can do almost anything,”
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I will be named alongside the great women to have starred as Bond girls and many have gone on to do great work in the film industry,” she says. “To work with such great casts in the two movies over the last five or six years, and with directors who I love, that cannot be taken away from me. “In everything in life you have to be proud of your achievements – it is an error not to be. Too much humility is not only false, it’s also not good for the soul!” Seydoux’s rise to the A-list following her breakthrough performance in the erotically-charged French film Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d’Adele) has been swift, if not entirely what she originally intended – her dream as a child was to be an opera singer. She wanted to study music, not acting, and although familial connections in her Bohemian upbringing could have opened doors (her grandfather is chairman of Pathé and her great uncle chairs the Gaumont Film Company, while her mother is a former actress), Seydoux just wasn’t interested. “When I was younger, I was always singing in front of my parents and acting wasn’t really a profession that I wanted to go into,” she shrugs. “In fact, it took me meeting an actor to realise that’s what kind of life I wanted to have. This actor introduced me to his agent and then we went from there. The only thing was that I only spoke French.” That obstacle was overcome when her father sent her to summer camp in the US specifically to learn the language, “as it would open up so many more avenues for me in life”. And so it did. The shy, introspective Parisian ingénue was about to come out of her shell. Acting classes began, and from Seydoux’s first starring role in 2006’s Girlfriends (Mes copines) she’s never looked back. French credits and awards are numerous, but it was Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds in 2009 that got her noticed in Hollywood. Then with the
universal acclaim and awards from her daring role in Blue is the Warmest Colour, Bond beckoned. The career trajectory, taking French arthouse and cliffside car chases in her stride; working with acclaimed and legendary directors such as Woody Allen, Wes Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos; and even pushing the envelope with her appearance in videogame auteur Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, is full of intrigue – and not without risk. “I like taking risks in my work,” Seydoux nods. “I’m very shy in private. Acting is my way of escaping a lot of my fears and anxieties. I feel this incredible freedom when I am working because I approach my roles instinctively. I like to throw myself into the emotions of every character and find my way into the performance with my heart rather than with my head. “Often when I am preparing to play in a film, I will try to write down a lot of my thoughts about the emotional journey of my character. I want to be able to understand the essence and spirit of whoever I’m playing and that for me is the real art of the performance.” Despite her now bona fide international A-list credentials, Seydoux remains a French darling. She was born in Paris, lives there with her partner and young son, and continues to perform in her native language for smaller projects away from the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, but is just as likely to win awards at Cannes. Having the best of both worlds is a great way to be, but Seydoux perhaps surprisingly finds herself compelled towards roles which demand more of her second language. “The main things are the same,” she says. “You have a director telling you what he wants from you. You’re acting and delivering lines in front of a camera, and you have a cast who will be acting with you, so in that respect the only real difference is the language that you are speaking.
“For me though, when acting in English I think I feel less stress and anxiety… if that’s the right way to put it, because I am speaking in a separate language to my own. Because French is my native tongue, English feels more unique – I am truly stepping outside of myself into being someone else. “When I’m acting, I enter another world. It’s like being in a trance. I forget all my fears and anxieties and I’m able to let myself enter this alternative reality while I’m on a set.” It may be hard to comprehend this beautiful Parisian’s self-image – Seydoux’s modelling and brand ambassador work has seen her adorning campaigns for Prada, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Rag & Bone and so on – but, she says, “In my normal, daily life, I’m a mess!” Then there’s her refreshing sense of style, or rather lack of care for it. “I dress very casually,” she admits. “I wear jeans and rarely put on make-up. I’m the opposite of what people might expect from someone who is part of a glamorous world, but I only get very chic for film premieres or festivals where I love the atmosphere and spectacle of it. “The rest of the time I prefer wearing clothes that are comfortable.” And as beautiful as she may be in the eyes of beholders male, female and everything in between, Seydoux outright shuns the idea of being a sex symbol – “I don’t pay any attention to it because it’s not real,” she says – and admits to feeling more concerned about the constant attention that comes with being famous. This grounded nature permeates Seydoux’s attitude, as she says she doesn’t care what other people think of her. She has a tendency to be very self-critical, “but I don’t allow myself to be affected by what’s written or said about me.” Seydoux also claims to be constantly wondering what to do with herself. This nervous energy stems from her lifelong struggles with anxiety. She adds that she’s still very shy and often
surprises herself with some of the more daring roles – she didn’t baulk at the nudity and sex scenes required for Blue is the Warmest Colour. “It’s expression, it’s art,” she says. “When you are playing a character your own being goes completely out the window – why should I contend with how I feel about nudity… it is a character.” Seydoux’s increasingly successful career has given her a cushion where she feels calmer than in her formative years. “I still feel anxious if I have don’t have something to do. That’s why film is an escape for me because it gives purpose and organisation to my life: I know what I have to do. “There’s still a certain amount of fear when I start work on a film, but I have a strange addiction to fear. It’s exciting for me!” How so? “I’ve learnt that the only way I can overcome my fears is to face them. It’s very exciting to be able to surpass yourself in terms of your own expectations of what you can achieve. Nothing makes me feel stronger and more secure than when I’m able to conquer my fears.” Turning 37 this year, Seydoux remains hot property, growing in her professional and private lives. Her son, Georges, turned five in January and she’s living with the person she subtly titles “man of her life”. While no one really knows what’s happening with the Bond franchise following the rather final despatch of the Daniel Craig era, it’s possible we’ll see Dr Swann again. In the meantime, we’ll soon see Seydoux in French-German drama One Fine Morning, as well as in the new star-studded horror from legendary writer and director David Cronenberg, named Crimes of the Future. Vastly different prospects then, but exactly the stuff Seydoux craves to keep moving, keep working – and presumably keep reaping the awards and rewards. “Once I am committed to my work, I feel I can do almost anything,” she smiles.
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robert PATTINSON A SEMI-CHARMED LIFE
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rom falling into acting to donning the famous bat suit, is Robert Pattinson a man simply lucky to be in the right film at the right time, or is there more to it than that?
By Richard Aldhous
For someone who appears to be such a part of the mainstream, Robert Pattinson is distinctly leftfield. For every big-budget blockbuster, there’s a smaller, weirder counterpart. He is an actor who has skilfully evaded the typecast, deftly hopping genres from high fantasy to psychological drama and now, in a twist that could come to define his career, he’s the caped crusader himself – in the rather unimaginatively titled, though no less spectacular, The Batman. It’s an iconic role for an icon himself. Thanks to the tweenand-teen-baiting emo-romance of the Twilight saga, Pattinson became that icon overnight, an almost unearned accolade as the source material already held the power. Yet he’s proved not just to be the next in a long line of heartthrobs, an actor who encapsulates a character so completely for legions of adoring teens that they fail to appreciate it as fiction; Pattinson is a versatile, intelligent, often enigmatic actor, who has forged quite the career.
His fans love his brooding, bad-boy appeal, but Pattinson is apparently not really like that at all. Apart from the not-so-proud moment of being expelled from school for dabbling in the fiscal redistribution of adult pictorial literature, and despite his archemo turn as Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise, he’s a pretty straight player and someone who’s learned his craft, and life skills, on the job. Looking back to his childhood, he saw himself as fairly normal. He wasn’t interested in acting; it wasn’t even on his radar. He was focused on being a musician. “I started acting almost by chance at school while I was writing music and playing in a band,” he says. “That developed in me a love for cinema – and the artier side of it – and I built a really strong friendship with the owner of a local video store. This guy would teach me about the classic icons of film, among them James Dean, Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. It was a true education.”
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attinson’s first taste of acting came in amateur theatre. Then, at 17, he picked up his first big role in Sword of Xanten, a made-for-TV fantasy flick which, due to requiring him to spend over three months in Cape Town, South Africa, taught him much in the way of independence. A year later, he was Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – joining an already hugely successful franchise and paving the way for that limelight-hogging Twilight rollercoaster. It was an intense time for the actor, with his on- and off-screen romance with co-star Kristen Stewart taking up far too much of anyone’s time. And yet, between wizards and vampires, Pattinson was pretty much set. “I always thought after I signed on for all the other Twilights, ‘It’s going to be 10 years before it bounces out a little bit’,” he says. “I knew that would follow me around for a while, and I guess it has taken about that amount of time for me to be considered as an actor away from that series.” That bounce, though, has come – and then some. He also gladly acknowledges his good fortune – “I have been pretty lucky, consistently lucky,” he says – and explains that he is most at peace when he’s
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working. This lucky streak has given him opportunities for philanthropy too, in particular the GO Campaign which helps orphans and vulnerable children around the world. And his musical ambitions remain – he pops up with performances here and there. Still, downtime between films makes Pattinson anxious and restless: “It’s kind of like I need a break from my break, because I accelerate and accelerate when I have got nothing to think about. I just need structure – which comes from a job.” Those early years weren’t all a walk in the park though. “Early on I was able to find a job, live off the money as long as I could, and then just as I would be running out of cash I would find another role, and it kept going like that,” he says. “I wasn’t really worrying about my survival, and I was able to get used to the business while I was trying to figure out who I was and where all this was going. Then by pure chance I auditioned for Twilight, which changed everything – although at the time no one thought it would turn out to be such a blockbuster.” Still, the spectre of Twilight was, he admits, a little frustrating. “I knew it was going to take some time before people would be able to see me in a different
way and that I would have to take on a lot of different roles to shake up people’s expectations of me,” he says. “It’s normal because of the massive success of those films, but in the long run I’ve tried to benefit from the attention I gained and find as many interesting roles as I can.” He now professes to feeling happy in himself, with friends and family – “I have a really good set of friends; we know each other ridiculously well… we are all in kind of relatively similar positions and mindsets,” he says. And when he sold his $6.5 million house in Los Feliz, a quiet hillside residence in Los Angeles, Pattinson admitted it was because it was too big. “I usually spend my time in one room anyway and I’m not cut out for an excess of all that materialistic stuff”. Indeed, Pattinson has learned pretty quickly not to let the glare of the spotlight blind him to the realities of living his own life. “I don’t think about the attention really,” he admits. “It’s easy for actors to lose themselves in that delusional world, and some people get too attached to their success. When things start to go badly in their careers, they find that they have no real identity or life of their own to fall back on.” That said, he admits he does enjoy meeting fans. “I try to
make whatever few moments I have with them seem real, but on the flipside, being followed by six or seven black SUVs sometimes when I leave my house can grate a bit. “I have got used to the attention - it’s much easier for me now and I don’t even think about it much anymore. I just get on with my life.” Turning 36 this year, Pattinson is indeed moving on with a career that offers so much and, with the right choices, could see him elevate to one of the all-time greats. Having become A-list material very quickly, he holds a particular position of mutual appreciation: his favourite directors want to work with him too. As Australian actor Guy Pearce, his co-star in gritty Australian drama The Rover said at the time, “I wasn’t aware of what he was capable of... on the second day of shooting, I said to the director, ‘He’s really f***ing good, isn’t he?’”.
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attinson has become close to the legendary and celebrated director David Cronenberg, giving him opportunities to accentuate his penchant for off-the-wall roles that are “a little dangerous”. In Cosmopolis, a twentysomething billionaire’s life unravels in a limo; in Maps to the Stars, a dark Hollywood-set satire, he plays an aspiring actor who drives a limo. Such simple set-ups allow Pattinson to shine. Later, The Lighthouse (not Cronenberg this time, but Robert Eggers, and equally odd and unsettling) sees he and Willem Dafoe explore more dark psychological material. Pattinson credits Cronenberg, who offered him Cosmopolis soon after wrapping on the final Twilight film, as a turning point. “I want to keep making those kinds of films and doing that kind of work,” he says. “When he asked me to do Maps to the Stars, I said ‘yes’ before I read the script! “It didn’t really matter what role I played because when you work with someone of David’s talent you know it’s going to be a very interesting experience. I would rather make more difficult kinds of films than be part of projects which you’re supposed to ‘carry’, or which are calculated to move your career forward. I like having the freedom to do what I want, and I’ll just see where that takes me.” Pattinson also got the chance in Anton Corbijn’s Life to play Dennis Stock, an iconic photographer of other icons such as James Dean. Stock’s story was tragically compelling. A poor parent with narcissistic tendencies, his ambition and self-doubt collided so much that he resented being the man who took that iconic ‘Dean smoking’ shot. Highlights abound in a stellar career: a bank robber with a conscience in Good Time; an explorer in The Lost City of Z; an archaeologist in Queen of the Desert – Pattinson’s versatility is clear and his portfolio impressive, and let’s not discount his work with Dior. And while Covid has slowed his aspirations down a little, he was there in
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Christopher Nolan’s 2020 landmark Tenet, the movie that tried to bring cinemas back to life. And then another dark turn, perhaps his darkest yet, opposite Tom Holland in The Devil All The Time, as Reverend Preston Teagardin, a truly dastardly preacher certainly not following the example he’s supposed to be setting. He arrives then, as do we, at The Batman, a reboot so heavy with hype that all eyes were on Pattinson as he transformed himself into another character from rich, beloved source material and a rabid fan base with often unmeetable expectations. As with so many of his movies, fans and critics alike hailed it as ‘his best work yet’. “People have asked whether I doubted I could fulfil the role, and I would say, ‘yes, of course, lots of it!’. I think any actor will go through periods where they will hesitate and question whether they can live up to a character in a script, or even the expectations that go with it. “You look at the true warriors of the superhero genre – Hemsworth, The Rock, Downey Jr, Evans – and wonder if you’re putting yourself in the wrong place. And yet, having spoken to a few I know everyone is nervous when the opportunity comes about. “It’s all about pushing boundaries and building up to a point where you know, in the flesh, you can do justice to the physicality required. That’s a very different thing for me because so many of my roles have been in script, not in physicality.” Having left the weird and wonderful of Hollywood behind, he’s enjoying life with actress, model and singer Suki Waterhouse in London. Yet despite nailing perhaps the biggest role of his career, and acknowledging that for some people he’ll only ever be Edward Cullen, he’s by no means done – something tells us the best is yet to come.
ge nus w a tc he s . s w is s
time-keepers
THE CARL F. BUCHERER
Heritage Bicompax Annual Hometown Edition A COLORFUL HOMAGE TO THE CITIES WE LOVE
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ince it was founded in 1888, Carl F. Bucherer has been at home in Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s most picturesque cities. The brand proudly identifies with Lucerne, but in its 134-year history, thanks to its adventurous and cosmopolitan founding family, it has established itself as a free-spirited, contemporary watch manufacturer that finds itself at home all over the world. The new Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition pays a unique tribute to 16 of the brand’s adopted hometowns in nine different countries. Rooted in the Heart of Switzerland ... Carl F. Bucherer will always have a powerful connection to the city of Lucerne, where it was founded in 1888. As a truly global brand, though, it also has strong links to some of the world’s most popular places and, with its Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition, it honors Lucerne and 16 of the other cities it is proud to call home.
…but at Home Everywhere in the World. Carl F. Bucherer is resolutely Swiss, so it should come as 34
no surprise that eight of the watches in the collection pay homage to some great places in its home country: Lucerne is one of them, of course, and it is joined by Basel, Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen, Zermatt, and Zurich. Two of Switzerland’s neighboring countries, Austria and France, are represented by Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Editions dedicated to Vienna and Paris, respectively. Furthermore, models have also been created to honor two German cities, Berlin and Munich. Rounding out the offering are five other global capitals: Beijing, London, Mumbai, New York, and Tokyo. Carl F. Bucherer’s CEO, Sascha
Moeri, says that the Hometown Edition watches express an emotional message that is closely linked to the brand: “The entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes the Bucherer family has always included international travel. In essence, they paved the way for today’s contemporary business travelers. They set out to see the world and found themselves at home wherever they were, finding new opportunities and becoming closely acquainted with the people in the places they visited. As a result, we are represented in most of the world’s cosmopolitan cities and, in the spirit of the Bucherer family, find ourselves at home in all of them!”
Iconic Landmarks Engraved on the Case Back What makes each watch so special is a compelling 3-D-look engraving on the case back’s sapphire crystal, which is dedicated to its specific hometown. For example, the Lucerne Edition features that city’s landmark Chapel Bridge, while tribute is paid to Tokyo with its skyline and Mount Fuji in the background. The Heritage BiCompax Annual Beijing’s case back is engraved with the city’s Tiananmen Square landmark. Each edition is distinguished by a one-of-a-kind case-back crystal with a similarly iconic and identifiable monument to its
time-keepers
respective city. The Hometown Edition watches are also presented in different colors. CEO Sascha Moeri says, “We wanted something more special than a conventional watch launch. We talked to the boutique teams in each of our ‘hometowns’ about the preferences of their own clients, which allowed us to choose colors that will resonate with the wants and needs of the customers in each city.”
One Timepiece Five Striking Designs The watches feature gradient dials, which means that the center of the dial is silver and gradually transforms to darker shades of the corresponding color toward the outside of the dial. With their sunray brushed surfaces, they have been crafted in five different colors. In a choice of yellow, brown, burgundy, green, and mint, these dials are works of art in their own right. They deliver an impressive amount of information at a glance: along with the rhodium-plated central hour and minute hands, which are filled with black Super-LumiNova,
there is a central chronograph seconds hand, a tachymeter scale, and a big date aperture at 12 o’clock, as well as the annual calendar’s month indicator between the 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock positions. The black small seconds and chronograph subdials offer a bold contrast to the color of the dial. The watches are presented on a twotone perforated calfskin leather strap with stitching whose color matches the dial. Along with the distinctive engraved silhouette of each hometown’s defining landmark, the Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition’s case backs include the name of the city and the phrase “1 out of 88”. The watches being created for Beijing will be individually numbered and are limited to 188 pieces.
A Unique Tribute to Some Amazing Cities The Hometown Edition timepieces will resonate with the people who live in each of these amazing places or who have, perhaps, adopted one of them as their own hometown. These striking limited-edition watches
pay a unique tribute to some of the finest cities around the world, and wearers will cherish the chance to express their sense of identity with a place that has a special meaning to them. Sascha Moeri, Carl F. Bucherer’s CEO, is looking forward to introducing the Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Editions to fans living in the cities celebrated by the watches: “There’s something special about a hometown – the place where we have our roots and where our values were formed. No matter how far away from it we travel, it always defines us and occupies an important part of our hearts and souls. The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Editions honor those connections and will be treasured by watch enthusiasts who are proud of the tribute to their favorite cities on their wrists”.
Bucherer’s popular Heritage BiCompax Annual watch, which was introduced in 2018. It took its design inspiration from one of the brand’s archival pieces dating back to the 1950s. Combining vintage flair with contemporary features, it was a perfect expression of the brand’s heritage. With its symmetrically arranged chronograph counters positioned on the dial’s horizontal central axis and a tachymeter scale framing the dial, it generated an enthusiastic response and has become one of Carl F. Bucherer’s most coveted watches. The Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition timepieces are set to make it even more popular.
Limited Editions of a Modern Classic Each of the dedicated Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition watches is an interpretation of Carl F.
@CARLFBUCHERER CARL-F-BUCHERER.COM 35
time-keepers
Return To The Origins Of Yellow Gold HUBLOT RECONNECTS WITH ITS FOUNDING SPIRIT
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ublot presents six models: Classic Fusion, Big Bang and Spirit of Big Bang. Made entirely from yellow gold, these models pay tribute to the brand’s preferred material, which saw a resurgence around 40 years ago.
The new Hublot pieces exclusively unveiled at LVMH Watch Week recapture the original essence of the manufacture: the fusion of gold and rubber in a sporty chic aesthetic, at a time when, over 40 years ago, the concept of the sport chic watch didn’t even exist. Each of these six pieces represents a little piece of the manufacture’s history and the way in which it is moving forward. A clear line between what Hublot was, is and will be. Charting 40 years of history, expertise, creativity, total technical mastery and the foundations of a legend which, 40 years ago, had just one model: the Classic Original of 1980. Today, each piece marks a chapter in the great Hublot adventure: the birth of the Big Bang, the Classic Fusion, the Spirit of Big Bang, the art of stone setting, skeleton work and the creation of the first manufacture movements, among others. In their own individual 36
way, these six pieces fuse the aes- gold with a rubber strap and thetic and technical elements of Unico movement. It is the ultiHublot’s signature. Yet always mate embodiment of Hublot’s with a common denominator: 100% manufacture ethos, and yellow gold and black. It finds its features a calibre with a 3-day most essential expression in the power reserve and an exteriClassic Fusion Chronograph. or that fuses yellow gold, deep This is the first time it has been black, skeleton work, perforproduced in yellow gold in a mance and power. diameter of 42 mm. A clean, understated, stylish, self-windAnd finally, the Spirit of Big ing bicompax: the first, original Bang. Here the emphasis is and unique. on the design, which takes the form of an exquisite tonneau It is followed closely by the Big with alternating straight lines Bang Integral, made entirely and curves, featuring polished from yellow gold (case, bezel and satin-finished surfaces of and bracelet). This version, de- brilliant yellow gold which cresigned from a single block of ate a spectacular dance of light. solid gold, is also available ful- In a 42 mm version with skelely set with diamonds, alongside ton movement, it shares its One the ultimate Haute Joaillerie Click interchangeable strap version. This iconic trio is system with the Big Bang and completed by the latest gener- is still powered by the calibre ation of Hublot’s contemporary HUB4700, one of the most accucollections: the one and only rate movements available with a Big Bang Unico, and the sculp- rate of 5 Hz (36,000 vib/h). tural Spirit of Big Bang. The Big Bang is the first to feature a HUBLOT.COM 42 mm case entirely in yellow
time-keepers
“Collective strength is something we’re very familiar with at Hublot! Embarking on our fifth decade, we decided to revisit yellow gold – one of our core materials – with not one, but six pieces. This is the first time we have unveiled such a rich set of pieces based on a single theme. The best way to reiterate our continued connection to our DNA and our ongoing commitment to forging our future!” Ricardo Guadalupe Hublot CEO © Hublot
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Classics Worldtimer Manufacture
10 years of travel embodying the history of Frederique Constant
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resented in 2012, the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture imposed itself in record-breaking time as one of Frederique Constant most sold timepieces, widely acclaimed by the watchmaking community. A success which shows no sign of abating, today celebrating its 10th anniversary with two very exclusive limited editions: the first in 18-carat pink gold, a production of just 88 watches and the second in steel comprising 1,888 pieces. Dedicated to the art of travel and exploration of the world, they illustrate to perfection the watchmaker’s international history, from the Netherlands to Switzerland, taking in Hong Kong on the way.
It is a special creation, dear to Frederique Constant’s history, which itself crosses continents and transcends borders. A true travel icon presented for the first time in 2012, the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture, now a must, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2022. To mark the event, Frederique Constant is now presenting two exclusive limited editions, for the greatest satisfaction of fine watch collectors and fans.
The Classics Worldtimer Manufacture enters the NFT world To celebrate this anniversary in a befitting way, Frederique Constant has decided to take a new path and break with traditional watchmaking by offering its icon a journey into Web 3.0: the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture has become an NFT. An NFT (Non Fungible Token) is a digital asset inside a contract drawn up in a 38
blockchain. It guarantees ownership of a digital asset that can be of any kind: an artistic work, an avatar, a collectible, a musical production, etc. It can be bought and sold in specialised market places, but can also offer exclusive experiences to the holders of these assets (utilities). The creation of exclusive NFTs of the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture will be entrusted to Rarecubes, a Geneva-based studio specialised in blockchain technology. More details will soon be available on the official Frederique Constant website.
An anniversary celebrated in two ways The two versions on offer are coloured a deep blue which represents the oceans of the central planisphere, executed in relief and in grey. All around luminescent indexes are applied to ensure perfect readability, even at night – like the hour and minute hands, marked in the same way. To finish the assembly,
a white disc displaying 24 cities unfolds on the flange. Finally, at 6 o’clock the date is displayed by a hand on a blue, fine sunray guilloché dial. The first version, rarer and more prestigious, will be limited to just 88 pieces and offers an 18-carat pink gold case. The second, produced in steel, will be limited to 1,888 pieces. The hands of the hours, minutes and seconds - as well as the contour of the indexes - also elegantly reflect the case, using the same hue. Sharing the same 42 mm diameter, these two timepieces are worn on a navy blue alligator strap with a folding buckle, decorated with the emblematic seal of the Frederique Constant Manufacture, an eternal passport for escape. How does the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture today manage to impose itself in collectors’ hearts? A single question, but several answers, all combined within its new variations.
The world within reach Finally, the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture is above all a creation of a modern and timeless design, an invitation to travel having journeyed through the past ten years unchanged apart from its colouring, in order to enrich the collection of blue, brown, grey or green variations, like wild landscapes, reefs and coloured earths. Represented on its dial across the five continents, these marvels of nature are the witnesses of a world that has been built by events but by civilisations too. Precious guardians of cultures and traditions as well as know-how, they perpetuate their heritage and enable those who so wish to open up their minds to different practices and customs, in order to enrich their experience.
FREDERIQUE-CONSTANT.COM
W W W.CA L A R E N A .C O M C O N TA C T R E V E N D E U R S : + 3 3 ( 0 ) 4 9 5 2 4 7 7 6 5 - C O N TA C T @ C A L A R E N A . C O M
jewellery
An empire named Messika I
n the jewelry world, “Messika” is a household name. From father André, shining star of the Paris diamond market, to daughter Valérie, who ended up stealing the show despite herself by creating her own brand, jewelry is indeed a family affair at Maison Messika. At the head of a planetary label whose flagbearers include such illustrious names as Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner and Kate Moss, the creator has successfully risen to the bold challenge of working with a single stone, the diamond. An ambitious philosophy that has succeeded in meeting the demands of an insatiable market. Meet Valérie Messika, the inspiration behind the business. By Marine Pasquier
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alérie, in 2005 you launched your very own house, named after yourself, which very soon scored a resounding success. What was your initial inspiration at the time, when you were only just 20 years old? I think that above all I wanted to please my father. I’ve always admired him greatly: in the past, the diamond merchant profession was always passed on from generation to generation, but my father started from scratch and carved out a reputation through sheer passion and hard work. As his first child, I decided to join his adventure, rather hesitantly as I loved communications and marketing and didn’t feel at all at home in this environment. However, I soon changed my mind, infected by his love for his profession. Thanks to him, I learned to read all the facets of a stone, I watched how stones were cut, and I went straight to the source, visiting mines from Israel to India. I followed him as he developed the business, until the day he decided to leave. The diamond market was undergoing a sea change and traders were losing value competing against the big names of the jewelry industry. My father never stopped telling me it was time to stop hiding in the wings and strike out on my own, but I wasn’t comfortable with the heavy, over-conventional image conveyed by the diamond. I was young, I wanted to be free! I wanted to create, innovate and dream up something artistic and accessible that spoke to the women of my generation. And so I started to create jewelry, spontaneously, following two valuable pieces of advice my father gave me: find your own style and work only with diamond. Having graduated from communications school, you never trained as a designer and yet you have achieved technical prowess still unmatched in the market, such as the Skinny range with its diamond lines and the Move collection with its moving 42
diamonds. Where did you get the idea for these unique processes that are changing the codes of traditional jewelry? Since founding Messika I’ve only had one purpose in mind: to pay tribute to the diamond. When I was a child, I used to play with stones and put them on my body to give them more lustre. My goal is to make diamonds shine like a tattoo on women’s skin using pure, modern lines where the technical challenge of achieving this light effect is more complex and important than the design itself. I have devised groundbreaking processes that do away with the setting, place the diamonds at the centre of the piece and endow them with movement to make them removable, comfortable and wearable every day. It is this obsession that prompted me to innovate and rethink techniques. I’m convinced that if I’d pursued standard training in gemmology I’d never have dared to do that! In 2015 you opened your first high jewelry workshop in Paris, where your technicians are designing jewels similar to works of art. How did this transition marked a turning point in the history of Messika? Having my own team to develop my prototypes, training them to push techniques further and knowing they were on my side, ready to breathe life into my ideas.... that was a real challenge! As soon as I get an inspiration, the next day I can see the model, try on the waxes and discuss how to develop my projects with them. This is a daily process in which we share our thoughts, knowledge and skills. It’s extremely enriching! Since inception, Messika jewels have elegantly adorned numerous celebrities and muses, each one different from all the others. How do all these women symbolise the “Messika woman” in their own way? What I like about them is that each one has her own world, personality, age and skin colour. Some are classical, others more
fashion-oriented, rock’n’roll or wild... This is our strength: we don’t require any particular logo or style. On the contrary, it’s the woman who assimilates the jewel in her own way and its lustre increases her self-confidence. Messika’s success lies in this ability to reach all generations, from 18-year-old girls to 60-yearold grandmothers. Sure, this is achieved thanks to the breadth of our product ranges and this timeless aspect, but above all it is due to a common denominator: the diamond. You have also launched a collection for men. What made you want to create jewelry for this clientèle? Do you think that Messika will target men more over the coming decades? There are many men in my family, including my brothers, my father and my husband. In ancient times, diamonds were reserved for men and it’s only through time that they have acquired a certain feminine connotation. I took up the challenge of restoring diamonds to the male sex, choosing titanium for its raw look in contrast to the brilliance of diamonds. Today, society has evolved and we are moving inexorably towards unisex jewelry, following the no-gender philosophy already well ensconced in Asia, as well as the trend among men to pay more attention to their appearance. We can see that the new Messika collections are clad in leather, sporting bright, punchy colours...What are the prevailing trends in jewelry this year? After Covid, I think we all want to cling to things that make sense, that give us energy and make us feel better. I had also created a collection based on seven colours, each one representing a mantra of women’s power: be authentic, be free, be passionate, etc. Nowadays, jewelry has become a kind of talisman, a lucky charm that is appropriated by the wearer. For my latest collection with Kendall Jenner in the colours of southern turquoise waters, I have
chosen to highlight green for its complementarity with blue. And without knowing it, it turns out to be a colour that brings good luck to many people, particularly in the Middle East where our creations are in very high demand. Over 15 years have gone by since the creation of Messika. How do you see things panning out over the next 15 years? Quite honestly, I didn’t think about the first fifteen years at all and I don’t intend to start now. I sort of treat every day as it comes. The driving force that gets me up in the morning is my passion and my desire to pass it on. When I think that, today, I stand at the helm of a company employing 300 people and that I am the captain of this great ship, it’s a real source of satisfaction and a great privilege. Every day, I try to go one step further, I challenge myself and, even if I’m afraid, I take the plunge. My only aim is to continue to live from my passion and pass on this value to my daughters.
MESSIKA READ MORE AT MESSIKA.COM @MESSIKAJEWELRY @VALERIEMESSIKA
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vincent michel
A STORY OF PASSION
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rom his small workshop in the family home to his eponymous boutique offering luxury jewellery pieces, Vincent Michel, winner of the Swiss Jewellers Championship, looks back on his career with emotion, and shares some of the highlights.
By Marine Pasquier © Johann Sauty
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technical school in Vallée de la Joux. I was lucky enough to have parents who believed in me, but above all else, I was convinced that I was heading in the right direction. Some people talk about talent, but in my humble opinion, talent is nothing without work. When I think back about the early days and my little workshop at the back of my parents’ garage and how far I’ve come, I am more than just a little proud of my journey. What do you love about jewellery? When I think of jewellery, I am reminded of the treasure chests filled with gold coins in old cartoons. It’s the same with gemstones. The sense of beautiful things, rare and natural materials, harmony ... More than just their aesthetic aspect, I appreciate the poetry and the sentiment that can be poured into each piece of jewellery. As a keen handyman, I also enjoy the technical aspect and the expertise that jewellery creation requires. Can you remember your first creation? My mother talks about it all the time! It was made from a piece from an aluminium bracelet that my sister had bought on her holidays. I must have been 9 or 10 years old at the time and I transformed this piece of aluminium into a ring and set it with a brilliant blue sulphur crystal. I didn’t have the right equipment but I was clever and managed to secure the creation using an upholstery nail!
© Etienne Dione
Today, you are the owner of your own jewellery boutique in the heart of Lausanne. Can you tell us about your career and how you came to open your own business? For me, the key is passion, we fall in love with something that we don’t choose, which suddenly reveals itself as the natural path to follow. Since I was a child, I have loved making things, touching different materials and crystals. One day, when
I was 12, my mother sent me to the jeweller’s to have some broken jewellery repaired. I saw the fire, the materials being twisted and melted. It was a revelation: this was the beginning of my passion. I started an internship with that same jeweller, where I enjoyed using the tools, cutting pieces of metal, etc. This was my first experience in the world of jewellery. At the end of my compulsory schooling, I decided to develop this passion at a
In an increasingly competitive market, what is the “Vincent Michel philosophy” that distinguishes you from the rest of your competitors? One of our greatest assets is the fact that our jewellery is made in Switzerland, and in Lausanne, specifically. When we moved, my desire was to find a place where we could create and sell in the same space. Some clients come to me because they appreciate my style, often different to that of my competitors, while others are not looking for an artistic performance per say but are happy with the knowledge that their jewellery is made in our workshop. I also pay great attention to the choice of materials and am respectful of traditions and values. It sometimes takes me several months
to source stones because I am constantly looking for the best quality: stones with sentimental value but ones that will also retain their financial value in the long term. You create your own jewellery collections. Where do you find your inspiration? A lot of things inspire me, but my primary source of inspiration is nature and the beauty it generates. The vines and the lakes, the colours of autumn and of an Indian summer, weather conditions, old buildings... All of these are examples of the graceful things that inspire my creations. As a mountaineering and skiing enthusiast, I love the harmony of ski tracks in a field of fresh powdery snow, or the winding bends of a mountain. Other times, I can be inspired simply by an atmosphere or a feeling. What is your most unusual or audacious creation to date? We are in the process of making a piece of high- end jewellery: a volute-inspired necklace, set with diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines. This is not a commission but a personal creation, for our own collection. This piece requires real teamwork, as the fabrication is quite technical and entirely done by hand. It is a complex and demanding creation, but one that embodies the poetry of the art of jewellery. What has been the highlight of your career thus far? I have had a number of personal successes that stand out, like winning first prize in the Swiss Jewellers Championship or my move to the Rue de Bourg, but my career has been a collection of strong and intense moments on a daily basis. There’s the young man who spends all his savings to buy an engagement ring for the love of his life, and an inherited piece that becomes a unique jewel, specific to the personal history of its owner. The true power of jewellery is just that: its ability to make every moment and every person unique.
VINCENT MICHEL JOAILLERIE RUE DE BOURG 47-49 1003 LAUSANNE VINCENTMICHEL.CH 45
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Elizabeth Geneva
a made-to measure boutique for
ARTEGEMMA
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abriela Maier, the talented and discreet creator of Artegemma lets us in on a few details about her talent nestled in the heart of a natural simplicity.
By Helena Perdoux-Frances
While instinctive and calculated slowness, Gabriela Maier, independent artist and jewellery designer, confesses a nonchalance that she delights in. Her projects mature and develop at the chosen pace. The art of selling being difficult, she had to find a kindred spirit who understood her, completed her and took care in this aspect of creation. Her shop is a must-see place for all fashion lovers. Known for her audacious curiosity, Elizabeth distills a positive energy and leaves a memory imbued with harmony and mastered experience. In love with stones and style, Elizabeth is an exceptional partner for Gabriela Maier with whom she shares the same aesthetic requirements.
Gabriela Maier, trend setter Trends are born off the beaten track. Gabriela understood this well and knew how to keep clear of the displayed fashions. Each of her clients must find her own path leading to the pleasure provided by luxury, the real one, that born from 46
the encounter of the daily life and the sublime. Wearing jewellery suited to one’s morphology and natural style creates a trend, that of an indisputable affinity between the body and its adornment. Just like Elizabeth, Gabriela wants to emphasize beauty, not price. Luxury has to her a value other than that of the great classics whose celebrity status has surpassed the merit of rarity.
Gabriela Maier, who are you? If you asked Gabriela Maier what her greatest fear is, she would admit to you the anguish that torments her artistic soul, her fear of abandonment, the supreme affront... the one that haunts the bottoms of drawers. Her jewels must live their life as ornaments, day and night, being one with the wearer. Gabriela would tell you about her deep need to anchor herself in futility... “I am a simple and complex woman who likes contrasts. In love with luxury and everyday life, I am their hyphen”.
ELIZABETH-GENEVE ET ARTEGEMMA 4,RUE VERDAINE - 1204GENÈVE ELIZABETH@ELIZABETH-GENEVE.CH +41791557559 WWW.ELIZABETH-GENEVE.COM
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KAN JOAILLIER
Stunning and sophisticated creations
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ince 2019, Kan Joaillier has brought a breath of fresh air to the traditional world of highend jewellery with its bold compositions, blending a unique approach with a contemporary style. It is led by Kan, a young designer with big dreams and ambitions. Read on to find out more. By Marine Pasquier
A young prodigy In his workshop in Paris’ 7th arrondissement, Kan, whose real name is Kanhchana, designs and makes his jewellery by hand, paying the utmost respect to tradition. Originally from Cambodia, he grew up in France following in the footsteps of a grandfather and father who were jewellers and who soon passed on the family passion. Fascinated by the technical aspects and working with tools, Kan began an appren-ticeship at the age of 14. Eager to learn, he joined the famous Haute Ecole de Joaillerie de Paris in 2002, where he learned the essentials of the trade. Having graduated with a CAP specialising in the art of jewel-lery, Kan began his career with the prestigious jewellery houses of Place Vendôme, before creating his own brand in pursuit of freedom. Under the name of Kan Joaillier, this enthusiast offers collections in re-cycled gold and 48
certified eco-gold and also creates bespoke pieces that meet the expectations and needs of his customers. His mission: to break away from conventional thinking by proposing modern, original jewellery.
Multiple inspiration Inspired by the beauty of objects, his first collection is an ode to the natural environment and all that it con-tains. In a contemporary style, the artist creates jewellery representing an animal or an object, which is presented within a visual interpretation in which a selection of details and clues symbolise the inspiring element, such as a ring depicting an ancient scroll. An abstract approach, implemented through the interplay of contrasts, materials and colours, which combine to create balance and achieve a sense of fluidity. This unisex collection has a strong and recognisable design for those who
are looking for a unique piece of jewellery that reflects their personality.
Combinations of metal and stone More complex, the second Kan Joaillier collection offers a metaphorical interpretation of the couple, the fusion of two beings that contrast with each other. By combining materials, the jeweller has created a range of jewellery resulting from an original physical process: the reflection of the stone through the shape given to the gold. Embedded within a metallic casing, the stone magnifies the gold while the latter underlines the presence and perception of the precious rock. A relationship of interdependence, which, like a partnership, serves and complements both parties. This aesthetic success relies on a perfect bal-ance, where the imperfections and qualities of one are used to adorn the other. Created
in a contempo-rary style, this feminine collection explores the notions of acceptance and influence of the other, as illus-trated by this quotation from the poet Khalil Gibran, which the Parisian jeweller holds dear: “Love one an-other, but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Expressive creations with stunning design, powerful symbol-ism and an innovative process.
KAN JOAILLERIE 6 RUE DU GÉNÉRAL BERTRAND PARIS 7E KANJOAILLERIE.COM @KAN_JOAILLERIE CORNER SUISSE CHEZ ALEXANDRE IFFRICH 7 RUE DE L’ÉGLISE CATHOLIQUE 1020 MONTREUX SWITZERLAND
faceaface-paris.com / Tilde2 col.4057
jewellery
LOUISE MONTILLET
Women and jewels
When art meets jewellery If a piece of jewellery was once presented to a woman as a symbol of her husband’s wealth, this is a gesture that is now fully democratized. Choosing a piece representative of their character and convictions, the women of today now buy and offer themselves their own jewellery. In an effort to highlight this independent spirit, Louise Montillet has imagined some unique jewellery creations with bold designs. A former graduate of the Haute École de Joaillerie de Paris, Louise launched her solo career in 2020. Extremely talented, the young woman trained under a number of dedicated and highly skilled artisans and mentors, who encouraged 50
her to surpass herself in competitive events like the Meilleurs apprentis de France (The Best Apprentices of France) and the prestigious Jacques Lenfant Prize. Two years later, rich in experience and knowledge, Louise Montillet presents her first jewellery collection. Accessible to all budgets, this range comprises three rings and a pair of earrings that make use of haute-joaillerie techniques. These stunning creations in sterling silver, plated with rhodium and set with zirconium oxide, reveal an uninhibited artistic inclination. Whatever the shape or volume, these pieces are the fruit of a true creative freedom; the hallmark of a veritable artist.
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driven artist, Louise Montillet celebrates the diversity of women through her astonishing and highly symbolic jewellery pieces. Inspired by art and nature, the designer imagines jewellery as a kind of modern armour, intended for those seeking to assert their independence and determination. By Marine Pasquier
The power of individuality Determined to challenge codes and conventions, these jewellery pieces are the opposite of solitaires and other classics. Louise Montillet’s creations are more accessories that reveal or accentuate the wearer’s personality. To make women the centre of attention, the designer has put together a unique collection, borrowing elements from nature. Characterized by the recurring peak or crested motif, this range reflects the universal symbol of the thorn. If the latter has an undeniable protective function, it is also a symbol of danger and desire. This emphasis on form pays homage to the wild aspect in all of us, highlighting a power that sometimes
remains hidden under a certain fragility. The impressive and enveloping Thorn ring is for contemporary women, who dare to succeed. In another register, the captivating curves of the Halo ring evoke continuity and the quest for perfection. This is jewellery for a strong-minded woman, on her way to achieving her dreams. Surrounded by inspiring women who have helped her along the way, Louise Montillet encourages us, in turn, to appreciate our own personality and to seek the harmony within ourselves.
LOUISE MONTILLET LOUISE-MONTILLET-DESIGN.COM @LOUISE_MONTILLET_DESIGN
THE LIGHT TRANSCENDED
www.charleszuber.com/perfos
beauty
First and foremost, the Bulgari brand is known for its jewellery. Over the years, a number of collections and patterns have gradually become symbols of the Bulgari style, an elegant touch that we find again in the heart of the Bulgari Paris Spa, truly one of its kind.
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The Bulgari Spa an oasis of well-being in the centre of Paris
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or anyone staying at the Bulgari Hotel Paris, the awe-inspiring range of treatments offered by its eponymous spa is an absolute must. Let’s take a visit to this 1,300-square-metre temple of well-being. By Quitterie Pasquesoone
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Ode to Rome In a nod to the Italian jeweller’s Roman roots, the Spa of the Bulgari Hotel Paris is essential to the Bulgari experience. It’s the perfect place to enjoy treatment worthy of his name in total privacy and comfort. As soon as you cross the doorway, your eyes will be drawn to the nine cosy, wellequipped treatment rooms clad in Vicenza stone. Our favourite spot was the 65-square-metre Spa Suite, directly inspired by the Pantheon dome in Rome, a fitting reference to the glories of that ancient civilisation. Designed to offer total comfort, it has two treatment tables and a private hammam and jacuzzi ensconced in green onyx. You can also enjoy highly personalised treatment here guaranteed to satisfy all your desires.
A pool nestling in the midst of mosaics and white marble The Bulgari Spa is equipped with a 25-metre swimming pool decorated in antique style that recalls the magnificence of erstwhile Roman baths. The entrance is punctuated by sublime frosted glass columns that spread soothing light conducive to relaxation. Next to this pool is another basin called the Vitality Pool. Fully decked with mosaics, the Vitality Pool recalls 54
the Roman baths of Caracalla which inspired Bulgari’s “Divas’ Dream” jewellery collection. The pool has been designed to offer maximum relaxation, with comfortable seating and different degrees of pressure emanating from massaging water and air jets. To supplement this water complex, a hammam in Aphyon white marble from Antalya decorated with gold and green mosaics is also at your disposal, as well as a ice fountain. Designed to leverage the interplay between hot and cold, it is carved into an impressive monolith of black granite. The Spa also boasts a 120-square-metre fitness area including a private studio run by Workshop Gymnasium, which offers an unparalleled experience for both mind and body based on metabolic examination, a study of your bodily movements and an analysis of your body mass. A must.
skin. World-renowned doctor and biomedical researcher Professor Augustinus Bader is an expert in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. In just four years, Augustinus Bader garnered no fewer than 76 awards in the coveted Beauty Award rankings. The fruit of over thirty years of groundbreaking research, Augustinus Bader is one of the most advanced skincare ranges on the market. Our tip for starters: try the 60-minute “Introduction Facial” (€290) followed by the two-hour “Ultimate Augustinus Bader Facial” (€550).
State-of-the-art treatment The Bulgari Spa also offers a premium range of facial and body treatment administered in one of the Spa’s cabanas or suites. Our personal choice goes to the Augustinus Bader treatment, which offers cutting-edge methods combined with TFC8® technology designed to hydrate, nurture and stimulate the renewal of your
FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.BULGARIHOTELS.COM/EN_US/ PARIS/SPA-AND-FITNESS +33 1 81 72 10 20 SPA@BULGARIHOTELS.FR SPA OPENING TIMES: 6.30 AM-10.00 PM TREATMENT TIMES: 9.00 AM – 9.00 PM
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Spa Guerlain Saint James Paris a green haven in the heart of the capital
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château in the heart of Paris, the Hotel Saint James is a memorable and remarkable venue. A veritable bucolic paradise, it is home to an exclusive Guerlain spa, where guests can enjoy high-end wellness and beauty treatments. By Quitterie Pasquesoone
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A green haven in the capital The Spa Guerlain Saint James Paris is located within the hotel, nestled in the heart of the 16th arrondissement of the capital. As soon as visitors pass through the monumental gates at the entrance, they discover a sculptural fountain, and at the end of a white gravel path, a magnificent fragrant garden, redolent of bohemian sophistication, and a prelude to the well-being that awaits. The fully redesigned spa now covers no less than 400 m2, entirely dedicated to wellness.
A majestic setting Majestic is truly the word. Follow the Burgundy stone staircase, and discover a hidden jewel of large vaulted spaces, decorated with Greco-Roman features and a remarkable fresco by François Mascarello. The latter can be admired from the equally majestic swimming pool, which brings a note of luxury and calm to this unique venue, steeped in history. Boasting 58
a whirlpool bath, hammam and sauna, this wellness space also offers a brand new fitness room, equipped with the latest generation machines for bodybuilding and cardio, as well as a room for private lessons.
Exclusive treatments Not far from the pool area, are a number of relaxing private cabins where guests can indulge in state-of-the-art treatments. The Saint James has joined forces with the prestigious Maison Guerlain, offering a heavenly range of treatments and experiences. Enjoy an Imperial Relaxing Massage, Royal Repair Treatment or the Guerlain Signature Treatment, exclusive to the Saint James Paris. The only difficulty is deciding what treatment to choose!
can enjoy a two-night stay with breakfast, as well as a Signature Guerlain Treatment per person. The ideal way to fully recharge batteries, taking care of body and mind, and benefiting from Guerlain’s expertise and unique facial treatments. For guests short on time, opt for the Face and Body Lift Treatment, an exclusive twoand-a-half hour experience. This combines a Face Sculpt Facial Treatment—a deep aesthetic massage that restores firmness, radiance, and boosts the skin—and an energizing muscle massage. This powerful ritual is based on ancestral techniques that help reshape and strengthen muscles, tone, and release tension. It is complemented by a bespoke eye treatment. What better way to combine relaxation and beauty?
A bubble of well-being As the ultimate wellness treat, why not book for a long weekend? With the famous Guerlain Signature Stay package, guests
FOR MORE INFORMATION: SAINT JAMES PARIS 5 PLACE DU CHANCELIER ADENAUER 75116 PARIS +(0)1 44 05 81 81 WWW.SAINT-JAMES-PARIS.COM
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CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE Medical excellence in the pursuit of longevity
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ince its creation in 1931, Clinique La Prairie has made the science of longevity its main focus and area of expertise. Their site at Clarens-Montreux (Switzerland) continues to push the boundaries of innovation and now offers a new and advanced version of the Revitalisation Premium programme: seven days of bespoke treatments promising total body regeneration. By Marine Pasquier
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A race against time The result of ninety years of research by the clinic into the secrets of longevity, the Revitalisation Premium programme uses a balance between science, nature, and technology to completely regenerate the key body systems and functions: brain, heart, circadian rhythm, skin, metabolism, immunity, and microbiota. The systems of the human body are all interconnected. An imbalance affecting one of them is likely to affect the others. By treating these systems as a whole, and taking into account the complex synergies that regulate their functioning, Revitalisation Premium offers a global approach with unique benefits. In other words, longevity is not based on a single biological mechanism, but on a multitude of factors that potentially weaken, at varying degrees, the different parts of the body. As all
of these systems are interconnected, the slightest imbalance affecting one is likely to affect them all. By treating the body holistically and taking into account these complex synergies, Revitalisation Premium offers a complete approach with unique benefits: it stimulates physical and mental ability, builds resilience against chronic diseases, reduces inflammatory reactions, slows the signs of aging, and improves sleep quality. In just seven days, based on the expertise of practitioners and its holistic approach, Premium Revitalisation provides the most comprehensive tailor-made longevity programme.
A holistic vision of medicine The programme begins with a thorough, cutting-edge medical evaluation. This is followed by a DNA test, which makes it possible to build a genetic identity card. To complete the analysis, an epigenetic test is carried
out. Epigenetic signatures are shaped by our diet, sleep quality, stress levels, physical activity, and the environment in which we live. Carefully monitored by a panel of medical experts, the programme studies every system in an effort to best tailor the holistic regenerative approach to each individual. Biostimulants may be prescribed for the immune system, blood tests and cardiac evaluations are done, guests undergo an analysis of body metabolism, an assessment of intestinal flora, and of course, the skin! Rigorously chosen, Clinique La Prairie’s well-being treatments act in a complementary way on cell renewal and blood circulation resulting in fully revitalized skin. Throughout the stay, treatments and technologies like neurostimulation, signature massages, and relaxation sessions help reduce stress. Performed over several axes, the Revitalisation Premium
programme comprises a personalized action plan based on neuronutrition, movement, and well-being.
On the path to a better sense of being Over the course of seven days and six nights, programme guests have full access to the on-site fitness and well-being centres in order to make the most of their stay. Much more than just a wellness retreat, Revitalisation Premium is the start of a long journey towards renewal. Regenerated and rejuvenated, guests leave the programme, armed with a stronger immune system, and a healthier body and mind than ever before. Equipped with a set of tips, tools, and new habits, they can now begin their journey on the path to longevity.
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Awakening to spirituality
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t was through discussions with professionals and clients that Maud Ganry Boutaric, founder of How to Spa, realized that there was a real demand. A common need to get away from everyday life in order to recharge one’s batteries, at some stage of the day. This is how the concept was born, with the desire to allow everyone to relax, no matter the time or place. In order to have the energy to create, innovate, and prosper, it’s essential to take care of yourself before taking care of others. In 2020 Maud came up with the idea of REAL Magazine by How to Spa, combining relaxation and spiritual awakening. The aim was to bring relaxation tools from the spa environ- ment to readers, along with advice on how to live life better, and a spirituality that transforms you from the inside. By Marine Pasquier
As Covid-19 has deprived us of exterior sources of entertainment, we have found ourselves with large chunks of free time, conducive to introspection. It has contributed to an awakening of our consciousness and an awareness of a higher force that is both intangible, and very often inexplicable. There has been a growing interest in Karma, the laws of the universe, energies, talismans and the occult sciences. The pandemic has seen the proliferation of a kind of faith that is not necessarily related to religion, but more generally, to the notion of spirituality. But is it a mere fad or a sign of a profound change in our society?
Giving A Meaning To Life Some call it the ‘Spirit’, the ‘Holy Spirit’ or even the ‘Divine’. Others define it as anything that connects us to 62
something that is beyond ourselves. A search for meaning, a connection between body, mind and soul. Some believe, without even knowing in what they believe. What then does it mean to lead a spiritual life? Can there be a spirituality without God? What distinguishes the spiritual life from the intellectual life is a willingness to go beyond appearances in order to both know and understand ourselves better, and the world around us. A highly personal connection that does not cut us off from the external environment but which, on the contrary, allows us to fully experience life in the here and now, in its most ac- cessible and immediate. Spirituality transforms our inner selves by giving meaning to our actions. While some might consider that trying to achieve one’s full potential is proof of narcissism, it is in fact, the opposite. We can reach our
full potential precisely because we have let go of the desires of the ego. It is then that the connection to something or someone greater than ourselves becomes possible, and we can begin to understand who we really are behind the roles that we play. When we have this awareness, it prompts us to change our ways of working, consuming and communicating, thereby elevating our soul towards something specific to our faith.
Having Faith In Oneself Spirituality is first and foremost a love of oneself, nourished by kindness, acceptance and self-focus. There are many rituals that allow us to attain this sacred dimension on a daily basis. There is no doubt that we need to be connected to ourselves if we want to benefit from a long life, but it is also necessary
to remain constantly connected to others, appreciating them in all their fragility. Spirituality requires a certain detachment from the outside world, in order to be present for oneself and to refocus on the essential. It’s important to take a step back from problems, to put things in perspective in terms of our own life. We should stay open to events and anything that might happen, no matter the outcome, reassured in the knowledge that our faith will guide us along the right path, allowing us to choose with discernment, confidence and freedom. With the desire to calibrate our heart, actions and thoughts to this end, we gradually rebalance body and mind to achieve an overall sense of wholeness.
HOWTOSPA.COM #HOWTOSPA
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SUNGATE An expansion of solar consciousness
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evitalizing, energizing and detoxifying, the unique treatments of the International Federation of Massage of the 5 Continents are designed to heal body and mind. Discover the latest Sungate treatment, which acts on the body, emotions and soul towards an expansion of solar consciousness. By Marine Pasquier
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Liberate your solar dimension
Rebalance your chakras
We are all incarnated beings of light, in a body composed of different vital centers. Nature has transmitted to us, through our hands and our spirit, an immeasurable magnetic power. With the Sungate treatment, discover how to use this almost supernatural force to reactivate your vital centers and give them an intense solar dimension. Like a door to the sun, this therapeutic process aims to bring us closer and stimulate the life in each of us, because the radiation of the heart and love can influence the vibration of the being and the earth.
Conceived as an expansion of solar consciousness, the Sungate acts simultaneously on the physical, energetic and emotional bodies, but also on the soul. Through sound frequencies, vibrations and magnetism techniques, it releases blockages, tensions, pains and knots that prevent one from fully radiating in one’s incarnation. This quantum treatment, which is performed standing only, restructures vital energy by stimulating our inner fire. The Sungate also helps to rebalance the masculine and feminine sides of the body by harmonizing the two cerebral hemispheres.
Thus, it considerably improves mental performance, especially concentration, intuition and thinking power.
The being: a unique field of vibrations Quantum therapy considers the individual as a whole. Not as a set of organs, but rather as a single vibratory field, composed of several billion cells that exchange information with each other. To heal body and mind, the Sungate intensifies your anchoring to the earth and increases your vibratory rate for a better connection to your light body. It provides an instant sense of expansion of being,
especially in the values of recognition and respect for one’s self. Moreover, the Sungate provokes an awareness of one’s incarnation, an opening of the heart and a supra-dimensional connection to the third eye and to vibrations. Thus, this process gives birth to a new multidimensional field, by opening an access to the infinite quantum space of possibilities
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GOOD TO GLOW No more dull complexion with the approach of summer: fresh hair, shiny lips and healthy glow, that’s all we want ! by Emma Houffin
Baume Des Muses Officine Universelle Buly
The Skin-Glow Priming Lotion Givenchy
The Baume des Muses, one of Officine Universelle Bully’s bestsellers without a doubt. This elegant little beauty charm allows you to beautify and nourish your lips in a single gesture.This lip care product is composed of natural raw materials antioxidant, softening, regenerating and nourishing. 7g - €28,00 - www.buly1803.com
The essential first step of the skincare routine, this lotion contains the Vitamin Blend Complex and is composed of 96% natural origin ingredients. The pink pomelo extract contains AHAs which have a gentle exfoliating action. givenchybeauty.com
Eau Extraordinaire Clarins
My Hair Oil Les huilettes
This Treatment Fragrance scents and stimulates the body and the spirit with revitalizing fragrance of essential oils as refreshing, uplifting citrusy notes, red ginger, the smooth warmth of jasmine, the comforting fragrance of cedarwood and patchouli. A scented splash of extraordinary well-being to be sprayed or splashed on at any time of the day. 100ml - €53 - clarins.com
Lip Stimulation Eneomey
The latest addition to the lip care range, Lip Stimulation combines a synergy of active ingredients to restore volume to your lips. Its innovative stimulating complex brings a warming effect, your lips are then plumped up, regalbated. 4ml - €21,90 - eneomey.com
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My hair oil completes the wash to nourish, strengthen and shine all hair types. Before or after shampooing, focus on vitality! Finally, for an inside-out routine, my Hair treatment, 100% natural food supplements to strengthen hair and nails. 50ml - €39 - leshuilettes.com
Hydrate & Nourish Age Defence Retinol Day Moisturiser Spf 30 Mz Skin
Daytime moisturiser featuring a pioneering combination of encapsulated (non-irritant) Retinol and SPF 30 to simultaneously refine the complexion and protect the skin. Retinol boosts collagen production and smooths fine lines and wrinkles. The addition of SPF 30 protects from UVA/B rays and free radical damage. Rich in Hyaluronic Acid, this moisturiser helps restore hydration, brightens skin tone and leaves the complexion smooth and supple. 50ml - €124 - mzskin.com
Mineral Ally Daily Defense Spf 50 Tinted Glow Soleil Toujours
Luxurious ultra-light lotion composed of 100% minerals and rich in antioxidants to protect daily from UV radiation, pollution, infrared light and blue light. Formulated with a universal, sheer tint that helps to blur imperfections and adds a hint of shimmer that leaves all skin tones moisturized, luminous and dewy. 145ml - €56 - soleiltoujours.com
Lumi Cream Instant Glow Enhancement Cream Valmont
The latest creation from Valmont, the Luminosity line consists of four prodigious skincare products that redefine skin smoothness and amplify light for a radiant glow. Among these, Lumi Cream, a fresh and light complexion beautifier that feels like a second skin. With its pearlescent pigments, this cream gives the face an immediate glow while the powerful active ingredients of Phyto-Complexe Suisse work in depth. Combined in a cocktail, these seven plants, associated with extracts of white mulberry, energize the complexion for a sublime skin, without filter. 50ml - €198 - lamaisonvalmont.com
Magnolia Bliss Juliette has a gun
Inspired by the flower power of the 70’s, the fruity floral fragrance evokes memories of a bucolic summer, a summer that extends wonderfully with notes of Reine-Claude and Magnolia. 100ml - €120
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Maison Schiaparelli features once again among the major players of Parisian Haute Couture
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he Avant-garde, arty and rebel spirit of Madame Elsa Schiaparelli, the Italian inventor of famous Shocking Pink and main serious competitor of French Coco Chanel, is still alive. Indeed, since 2019, as the new and proud Creative Director (for all collections, projects and for the image), the talented young American Fashion Designer Daniel Roseberry is doing his best to celebrate it every season and to pay tribute to Elsa’s priceless heritage. Taking over from Hubert de Givenchy (1947-1951) and from the founder herself, it’s quite difficult and challenging. But the fact is that he has already proved to live up to expectations. His creativity is prolific and extravagant, in the good way. As used to be the one of Elsa who has been one of the leading Fashion Designers of the mid-20th century. Opened in 1927 then Closed in 1954. Reopened in 2012, the French Maison, located at the Parisian Hôtel de Fontpertuis, 21 place Vendôme, has been awarded with the official Haute Couture label by the French Ministry of Industry and the French Couture Federation in 2017. Property of Italian Entrepreneur and owner of the Tod’s Group, Diego Della Valle, it has risen once again with glory after 58 years consigned to oblivion. Elsa would be so grateful. She would surely have approved the Roseberry’s third millennium revisitation of her heritage. The way the young Texan, cherishes and celebrates it. She would have surely loved to dress Miss Lady Gaga in occasion of the Inauguration of 46th USA’s President Joe Biden in January 2021.
By Hélène Battaglia
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© Photos: Kuba Dabrowski
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ife can often be like a challenging roller coaster, even if you were born in a wealthy family. Indeed, as we all know, not all that glitters is gold. Elsa Schiaparelli has lived it on her skin. She was born in 1890 in Roman Palazzo Corsini owned by her aristocratic and intellectual family. Her father, Celestino, was the director of the Lincei library and a professor of Oriental literature. Her mother, Maria-Luisa, descended from the famous Florentine Medici family. Her grandfather was an astronomer. As a rebel child, she felt very soon like a fish out of the water in her own house. Her dream was to be an actress. She studied philosophy. In her twenties, she already showed her family she had a strong temper, which will allow her to achieve great things and stand out of the crowd. In 1911, she took the bold decision to publish Arethusa, a collection of sensual poems. She was immediately sent into a Swiss convent for punishment. But she didn’t give up and went on a hunger strike until she was released. In 1913, she moved to London and worked as a governess for the children of a couple of her sister’s friends. She started to enjoy her freedom as an emancipated young woman far away
from her strict parents. But very soon, her life changed again as she felt under the charm of Count Wilhelm Wendt de Kerlor, a young theosophist. They got married in 1914 and moved to New-York in 1916. In 1920, they welcomed their daughter Yvonne. Gogo- the sweet nicknamed of Yvonne- was soon diagnosed with poliomyelitis. For a few years, the De Kerlor, as they were known in the city, had a comfortable bohemian lifestyle thanks to Elsa’s Dowry; but once the latter was finished, things got very complicated. Unhappy wife, always alone and worried mother, Elsa took the decision to move back to Paris in 1922 to find a cure for Gogo whose health was going worse. She then asked for divorce. With no money, she started to struggle and experience poverty as a single mother. But she didn’t give up: She had to survive without asking help. She decided to reinvent herself from scratch. She found a job in an Antique Dealer’s. And she started over. Gradually. As she became an ’habituée’ at the restaurant Le Boeuf sur le toit, she quickly made influent friends. She was very good at this. A few years before, on the boat to NYC with her husband, she met Gabriële Buffet- Picabia, wife of Francis
Picabia, the French-born painter, poet and leading figure of the Dada movement. The latter introduced her to Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp. Elsa was an Art lover and as such, she loved to be surrounded by talented Artists and creators. During her creative life, she collaborated with the best: Elsa Triolet, Jean Dunand, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, Meret Oppenheim, Jean Schlumberger, Jean Clément, Lina Baretti, Jean-Michel Frank, Roger Vivier, Marcel Vertès, Lesage, Raymond Peynet. Artespecially Surrealism- quickly became an inexorable source of inspiration for her unexpected incoming career in the Fashion Industry. Fashion, the one and only one real path, she discovered, by chance, thanks to the Legendary French First Fashion Designer ever, Paul Poiret. They met in his Parisian atelier as she accompanied a friend for a fitting. As she tried on a few designs while she was waiting, he immediately realized this atypical woman had a unique eye for fashion and moreover, that she had a great future into it. He realized she could be an interesting testimonial and allow her to borrow several clothes. Paul Poiret was not only the greatest couturier at that time,
but he also had a great intuition to detect talent. Elsa was talented. He knew it at the first sight. She soon started to work as a freelance fashion designer and was so lucky that her avant-garde hand-knit pullover with a black and white trompe- l’oeil motif was immediately deemed a “masterpiece” by American Vogue and, within a few months, the United States made it a star product. In 1927, she founded her own company in her tiny apartment. Only one year later, as the business was growing fast, “Schiaparelli-Pour le Sport” – including an atelier, a salon and the offices- moved to 4, rue de la Paix. Her style was a blend of Haute Couture and Sportwear: Knitwear pieces, swimsuits, beach pyjamas and accessories then, suits, day and evening dresses and the first coat-shirt. Thanks to her prolific creativity, she was always innovating. When the second worldwide war started, she wanted her designs to be adapted to air raids, so she created practical and comfortable clothings: zippered jumpsuits with maxi pockets intended to hold the equivalent of a handbag, a coat with an integrated bag, transformable dresses, etc.
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director of the Schiaparelli boutique. A few years later, in 1954, out of the blue, she shocked the Fashion world with her decision to close the Maison. Despite her many successes (an increasing number of licences- the first line of designer sunglasses- in the United States and good sales for her perfumes), at the age of 64, she had changed as the world of Haute Couture had changed. She had lost her passion. It was the right time to devote herself to write her autobiography Shocking Life. Elsa Schiaparelli probably hasn’t been well understood by many. Because extravagance often disturbs. Standing out of crowd is not always easy. It’s bold. Especially if you are a woman. The 1949’s cover of Newsweek whose title was ‘Schiaparelli, the Shocker’ was well found. Elsa has spent her life shocking. She has invented one-of-a-kind Shocking Pink, a pure, vibrant, undiluted, intense and lively pigment. She was the first to give her collections a theme: the “typhoon” look, the “parachute” look, “Stop, Look & Listen”, “Le Cirque” (circus), “Commedia dell’Arte”, “Païenne” (pagan), “Zodiac”, etc. She will ever be remembered for her avant-garde and rebel spirit. She never married again and had no other kids. Her daughter Yvonne had two daughters, famous model and actress Marisa Berenson and Berenthia (Berry). Elsa passed away on the 13th of November in 1973. The reopening of her Maison in 2012 thanks to new owner, Italian entrepreneur Diego della Valle and the nomination, in 2019, of Young American Daniel Roseberry as Creative Director, are a pure blessing for her memories. Her dusted off heritage is an invitation for the future generations and especially for the young women to believe in their dreams and to let their passions guide them. Elsa firstly was a passionate woman.
© Photo: Kuba Dabrowski
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he was always one step ahead. She didn’t be content with being an acclaimed Fashion Designer; she wanted to become a female role model. She designed for women with a strong and independent personality like her. Women who stand out of the crowd. Ambitious Working Women, proud of being successful. She wanted to be a change maker. As a feminist activist herself, she wanted to show women the way towards the emancipation and the freedom, she already has won. Not a surprise then, if she became the first female fashion designer to be featured on the cover of the American magazine Time in 1934. Lots of Hollywood’s Celebrities and aristocrats started to wear Schiaparelli: the future Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Lauren Bacall, Gene Tierney, Gala Dali, Marchesa Casati, Marie-Laure de Noailles, Daisy Fellowes, Nusch Eluard, Arletty, Vivien Leigh, Ginger Rogers, Juliette Gréco, Mae West. In 1935, Elsa was at the head of a little empire based at the Hôtel de Fontpertuis, in 21, place Vendôme: five floors, 98 rooms, a ground-floor store and over 400 employees. She was a renowned powerful female entrepreneur and she used it. She gave a series of conferences across the United States in 1940 on the theme of “Clothes and the Woman”. For one of them, her audience totalled 36,000. In Dallas, she was the first European to receive the Neiman Marcus award for services to fashion. But unfortunately, she was stopped for a while. As her status as an Italian in Paris was becoming risky, she had to put her Couture House into the hands of her righthand man from May 1941 to July 1945. For sure, it was not an easy decision to make but it had to be done. And she did it. For the salvation of her company and for her employees. From 1947 to 1951, young Hubert de Givenchy worked as the creative
© Photo: Kuba Dabrowski
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dior fall 2022 F
or Maria Grazia Chiuri, each collection represents visual poetry, a dialogue between the history of Dior and the ever-changing constellation that is the contemporary world. Justine Picardie’s book Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture* retraces the life of Catherine, Christian Dior’s sister, and celebrates figures such as Mizza Bricard and Marguerite Carré who contributed to the success of Monsieur Dior. A network of women, a true creative force in the Dior universe, that Maria Grazia Chiuri decided to honor by transforming the emblem found on the jute bags of the Dior family business into a heraldic motif that emblazons numerous pieces. It has become the symbol of a new sisterhood: that of the House of Dior, with the motto L’union fait la force (strength through unity). The rallying cry is brandished by the Dior Fall 2022 line, reaffirming the collaborative dimension at the heart of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s creative process. This coat of arms underlines the major inspiration of the show: the use of the uniform revisited by Monsieur Dior’s sophisticated interpretation, with its pleated jackets and skirts. While it can refer to personal sartorial choices that define one’s identity, the word “uniform” predominantly elicits
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notions of a group that erases differences. Maria Grazia Chiuri became interested in school outfits and, above all, in the way students dust off, revamp, and update the tropes of these garments, personalizing them with distinctive details, verging on punk overtones, before venturing through urban landscapes in search of spaces of freedom. This Dior Fall 2022 collection thus offers a repertoire of perfect shapes with continuous digressions. It is composed of pleated skirts, black and white kilts; jackets that borrow from the men’s wardrobe, reinventing the iconic Bar jacket; men’s long coats and ultra-short skirts; biker shorts matched with white blouses and black ties. Elsewhere, 3D embroidery reveals itself through knitwear, while a fantastic pixelated zodiac is rendered in the style of a video game. The materials favored include fabrics most associated with menswear, but also technical fabrics basking in a reflective Dior grey. The silhouettes evoke strong concepts such as involvement, communion and sharing – central values for the female figures being paid tribute to, in parallel with the Atelier’s petites mains, and their golden fingers that have woven Dior’s history.
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ATELIERS 2 PARIS The last specialists in hand embroidery T he historic Parisian house, Cecile Henri, perpetuates all of the traditional techniques and “savoir-faire” such as needle embroidery, Luneville and Cornely embroidery. Lunas France, a textile lab, is committed to the creation of accessories and textile decorations. Lunas France has elegantly mastered the different techniques of garment ornamentation such as hotfix applications, mechanical embroidery, crochet, and macrame. Allying the respective know-hows of Lunas France and Cecile Henri Atelier forges a hub of innovative and unique creativity in craftsmanship and textile finishing within the Ateliers 2 Paris group.
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Expert workshops The two entities, made up of a permanent team of 60 people, each have their own creation studio, and are based in the heart of Paris, near the historic Bastille district. The workshop is solicited by the biggest Haute Couture and Luxury Ready-to-Wear houses such as Azzaro, Balenciaga, Balmain, Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lanvin, Nina Ricci, Lacoste, Emilio Pucci, Valentino, Roger Vivier, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph & Russo, Claudie Pierlot, Repetto, Céline, Zadig & Voltaire, ...
When our know-hows merge The merger of the skills and know-how of Cécile Henri Atelier and Lunas France gave birth to a new technique, “the embroidered application”. This way, the hotfix application, at times ill-considered, earns its stripes and finds its rightful place among respected techniques while the beautiful but once considered outdated hand embroidery, breathes new life. 78
The synergy between the two entities now more than ever offers a choice of products ceaselessly reinvented, constantly innovative and always personalized to the big names of fashion’s studios of creation..
Creativity Under the vision of Sébastien Barilleau, the Group’s President and Artistic Director, and at the discretion of the projects entrusted to them by their clients, the design teams of Ateliers 2 Paris are demonstrating a ceaselessly renewed creativity. They rely on 3 internal workshops - hand embroidery, hotfix applications and textile manipulations - to materialize these creations, to check their feasibility, and to make them industrially and economically viable. In addition, Ateliers 2 Paris possesses patents on its most innovative products. Solidly established in luxury and fashion, Ateliers 2 Paris also addresses the lifestyle, decoration, and interior design markets. ATELIERS 2 PARIS BRODERIES & TEXTILES ASSOCIÉS CECILE-HENRI-ATELIER.FR
AMPHORA
www.giberg.com
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DE MARQUET Full of colour!
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or its Autumn-Winter 22/23 collection, De Marquet revisits the artistic avant-garde of the 20th century and Mediterranean shades in a range of bright and contrasting colours. A creative tribute to the women of yesterday and today, giving a new dimension to the itbag designed by Raffaella Iten, the Night&Day bag with its famous interchangeable covers. By Marine Pasquier
A Mediterranean journey Attentive to the needs of her customers, Raffaella Iten designs bags that are a perfect match for the busy life of the modern woman. Blending style, elegance and practicality, the iconic Night&Day model has a clever design, with interchangeable covers that allow you to give your bag a completely different look with just one “click”. For her latest collection, the founder of De Marquet has adopted bold and luminous chromatic tones, playing on shades of blue, aqua green, turquoise and lapis lazuli. A nod to the Mediterranean, its culture and its infinite beauty.
Art & craft In collaboration with a talented designer, Raffaella Iten takes a fresh look at the upcoming season, where the minimalism of winter gives way to a playful and innovative collection. Night&Day features singular covers, blending surrealism, abstractionism and geometrism. Delving into the classical archives, the designs are sophisticated and contemporary, influenced by the world of high jewellery and Mediterranean décor. Although the brand has 80
always made craftsmanship a priority, this range takes the art of leatherwork to a more complex level. In the Tuscan workshops, the leather is woven and decorated with pearls and other details, such as the crab that sits at the centre of the creation, evoking the coral reef.
A responsible creative process Inspired by the work of Carla Accardi, an Italian painter with a vivid, abstract style, the new models reflect the free, independent and inquisitive spirit of this artist, hailed as the queen of colour. A work that Raffaella Iten learned to identify and interpret thanks to her great-grandmother, a Viennese aristocrat who gave the name to De Marquet. These artistic choices reflect the company’s commitment to sustainability. As always, the base remains the same, only the covers change. An approach that reflects a new mode of consumption, which is dear to the designer: less but better.
MURISTRASSE 60 3006 BERN SWITZERLAND WWW.DEMARQUET.COM @DEMARQUETOFFICIAL
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B L A N C s u r B L A N C Photographers: Contarsy + Karecha for Highmark Studios Stylist: Alison Hernon Assistant: Robert Banez 2ndAssistant: Ben Steel Model: Chantal Monaghan New York Models Hair: Naomi Porto @naomiporto Make-up: Gabriel Cruz @mua_gabriel Video: Ryan Dixon Showcasing the latest Architectural Project from Gemini Rosemont-101 W14th Chelsea, New York City
White Luella Sweater: Adeam - Marlo Pleated Wet Look Short: Tanner Fletcher Amber Orange Pleated Luxe Nappa Pumps and Handbag: Jimmy Choo - Pearl Diamond coral and onyx necklace: Ella Gafter
Fluted Rhythmic Fluted Gown: Zimmerman - Top: Mola Walker Latte Mini Lizard Printed Sandals: Jimmy Choo - Fleur Des Alps-Cocktail Ring $465K: Bucherer 1888 Time Machine
Dress: Valentino Boutiques - Garavani Sandals : Valentino Jewelry South Sea Pearl and Diamond Bracelets: Ella Gafter - Scarf: Stylist own
White Cotton and Silk Double V-Neck Kaftan: Salvatore Ferragamo - Jacquard Jersey Top and Knitted Leggings: Genny Sinuosa White Leather platform pumps: Giuseppe Zanotti - Geometric Headpiece: ChuChu NY
Fluted Rhythmic Fluted Gown: Zimmerman - Top: Mola Walker Latte Mini Lizard Printed Sandals: Jimmy Choo - Fleur Des Alps-Cocktail Ring $465K: Bucherer 1888 Time Machine
Dress: Chanel - Polo Top: Tommy Hilfiger - Pillbox Hat: Binata Millinery Bracelet and Ring: Ella Gafter - Peal Necklace: Ella Gafter
Asymmetrical Hem Blazer with Tapered Trouser: Christian Siriano - Leather Pumps: Jimmy Choo Necklace: Bucherer 1888 Time Machine - Scarf-Stylist own
Wool Cardigan: Tory Burch - Cady Shirt and Pleated Skirt: Tory Burch - Shoulder bag: Tory Burch Platform Pumps: Jimmy Choo - Japanese pearl necklace: Ella Gafter - Sunglasses and gloves: Stylist own
Hourglass Blazer and Pants: Dorothee Schumacher - Draped Blouse: Dorothee Schumacher - Draped Dress: Dorothee Schumacher White Satin Pony Pumps: Jimmy Choo - Jewely-South Sea Golden Pearl and Diamond Ring: Ella Gafter
ESCAPE TO SAINT-TROPEZ
Take a break with Hilona in the beautiful surroundings of Plage de L’Escalet Model: Hilona Gos Photographer: Johann Sauty Hairstylist: Junior Rosello Make-up: Aline Le Stylist: Aurore Donguy
Watch: Frederique Constant - Ring & earrings: Louise Montillet Design - Top: Gemy Maalouf - Swimmsuit: Maio
Earrings: Gena Jewelry Bra & Shorty: Rose Carmine Skirt: Gemy Maalouf
Necklace: Kan Joaillie - Swimmsuit: Calarena - Shirt: Moon young Hee
Watch: Frederique Constant - Earrings and Ring: Gena Jewelry - Top & Trousers: Leonard Paris
Ring: Kan Joaillier Swimmsuit: Calarena Jacket: Rose Carmine
Earrings and Ring: Barbarisme Paris Top: Homolog Paris Swimsuit: Maison Lejaby
Sunglasses: Face A Face Paris Top: Aquarel Studio Swimsuit: Maison Lejaby
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SCORPIOS MYKONOS Bohemian luxury on the Greek Islands
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n a sun-drenched southern tip of Mykonos, Scorpios is a welcoming place where horizons of blue mix with yellows, golds, and pinks born of the generous Cycladic sun. Built around a contemporary interpretation of the ancient Greek Agora, this unique beach club is a gathering place meant to galvanize the artistic, spiritual, and social life of its community.
© Photo Steve Herud
By Marine Pasquier
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A harmonious relationship between land and architecture sets the tone at Scorpios, with natural and earthy hues throughout. With an emphasis on simplicity and an ode to local Greek culture, the Lambs and Lions design studio and Athens-based K-Studio pioneered their ethos of subtle sophistication, timeless beauty, and a value for the imperfect at Scorpios. The materials and textures of the island sit side-by-side with a well-curated selection of timeless, artisan-made items—objects, lighting, and artworks found in far-flung places, from traditional Berber rugs to weather-worn furniture with wabi-sabi simplicity—bringing character and atmosphere to the spaces. Those who wish to own a small piece of the Scorpios spirit are encouraged to step inside The Scorpios Bazaar, located under a canvas tent on Mykonos and online. Offering a curated collection of artisanal objects — from fashion and jewelry to accessories, home-ware, and miscellaneous things of beauty — The Scorpios Bazaar brings together a select handful of trusted brands and artisans who share the same values of craftsmanship, environmental consciousness, design heritage, and timelessness.
© Photo Bjorn Ceder
Set high above the beach affording stunning views over Paraga and Kavos lagoons and beyond into the vastness of the Aegean Sea, Scorpios encompasses a sandy beach, a whitewashed stone house and restaurant, custom-built stages for sunset rituals, and ample openair terraces spilling out onto the Cycladic coastline.In Ancient Greece there was the Agora, the literal meaning being “a gathering space”. The Agora was the meeting point for the athletic, artistic, spiritual, and political—the Community. Scorpios is a reimagining of this notion: Taking the ancient ritual of gathering for shared synergies and the free-flowing exchange of ideas and energy. With today’s hyper-accelerated pace, the need for slowing down and restoring balance takes on a newfound relevance. In a clear invitation to unwind, let go, and reconnect, a perfect mix of rural charm and understated elegance sets the tone in this natural paradise. This concept is involved into the whitewashed stone House, a masterpiece of synthesis and expression has opened on all sides, allowing air, people, and energies of all sorts to flow in and out freely. Part ceremonial, part cerebral celebration, Scorpios brings the mystical charge of after-dark rituals into the daytime, slowed by a pace or two. The Terrace is both the prime seclusion and meet-and-mingle social spot at Scorpios. Here, intimacy is woven into the environment. Repose, in the sun or in the shade, have a glass of chilled wine, read a good book, dream, contemplate, slide into soulful melodies and a soft groove, breathe the breeze, enjoy passing time, float from the world…
A tribute to nature and craftsmanship
© Photo Bjorn Ceder
Holistic beach culture
© Photo Bjorn Ceder
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© Photo Bjorn Ceder
An eclectic place where pleasure meet peace Scorpios is spearheading the cultural shift from night clubbing to afternoon ease—taking all-day lounging, including a rustic-chic restaurant where the chef Alexis Zopas try to invent new combinations. Chef Alexis Zopas’ focus on fresh and regional ingredients means an easy and light-hearted approach in the kitchen, with a modern mindset at the forefront. Reflecting the belief that we are what we eat, the dining experience aims to physically energize while an appeal to the senses nourishes the soul. Relying heavily on fresh seasonal produce from the fertile land, the top-level culinary talent lets the quality of the ingredients shine – blending Greek flavors with modern musings. The result is a confident cuisine that strips away the unessential and focuses on purity, authenticity, and the reinterpretation of iconic recipes. At sunset, the cool and airy weather-worn stone clubhouse and bar serve
as the central hub of social activity, a welcoming place where time relents, favoring easy interactions and sheltered moments away from the heat. Scorpios nurtures a diverse creative community, from healers and visual artists to renowned DJs, experimental musicians, virtuosos of ancient instruments, teachers, taste-makers, friends, family, and those souls who escape all labels.With the day’s events revolving around sunset rituals, each day of the week is tuned to a unique rhythm—musical journeys guide guests through the ceremony of sundown. During the day, mindfulness rituals of the “Inner Gardens” program give a platform to healers and practitioners from all over the world to share their wisdom, from breathing exercises and yoga sessions to sound baths, shamanic ceremonies, and more. Combining old and new, Scorpios bring the island together to appreciate creativity in its many forms. PARAGA 84600 MYKONOS, KIKLADHES GREECE @SCORPIOSMYK 107
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THE RESIDENCE ZANZIBAR An exclusive Tanzanian hideaway
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athed by the vast Indian Ocean, with its white sand beaches, eclectic culture and gorgeous natural setting, the archipelago of Zanzibar, off the east coast of Africa, is the perfect place to get away from it all. And what better place to stay than The Residence Zanzibar - a complex of 66 luxury villas combining the ultimate in modern comfort with plenty of local character? Join us in exploring its myriad delights.
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Make yourself at home The Residence Zanzibar is set in 32 hectares of verdant wooded grounds, in which five-star luxury blends smoothly with unspoilt natural beauty. Built around the concept of spacious, elegantly decorated private villas that reflect the island’s African, Omani and European heritage, the complex is romantic as well as opulent. Wickerwork combines with palm leaves and teak to create a warm, friendly atmosphere. The villas are equipped to the highest modern standards, offering everything you need to make your stay truly relaxing, including a private pool with a restful view of the tropical garden, which can be visited on foot or by bicycle. Surrounded by greenery and crystal-clear waters, the resort is deliberately designed to feel like a place outside of time, where it’s easy to let go and disconnect. Alternatively, you can find out more about Zanzibar’s abundant flora and fauna at the resort’s educational farm and bird refuge a short walk or cycle-ride away.
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Flavours from around the world Food-wise, heady aromas and flavours make for a thrilling gastronomic experience. The Dining Room provides an introduction to Zanzibari cuisine, combining fresh ingredients with meat to create light, mouthwatering Omani and Africaninfluenced dishes that reflect the local culture. For more adventurous diners, The Pavilion Restaurant offers a taste journey from the Mediterranean to the Middle East, incorporating flavours from all the countries in between. Set in a garden a few minutes from the hotel, The Pavilion Restaurant’s decor is a blend of contemporary with touches of Middle Eastern culture and traditional music, making a meal there a delight for all the senses. The Residence Zanzibar is also an ideal venue for meetings and private functions, which can be held in the sophisticated ambience of the library, which boasts a picturesque candlelit terrace as well as an elegantly decor and modern technical facilities.
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Secrets of beauty and well-being For a moment of total relaxation, head for the Spa, the hotel’s star attraction. Equipped with no fewer than six spacious treatment pavilions, a sauna and a steam room, all nestling in 2 hectares of tree-shaded gardens that blend seamlessly into the natural landscape, this haven of calm transports you into a world of total well-being. The Spa offers a wide range of beauty procedures to rejuvenate your mind and body, devised in collaboration with the UK brand ila (meaning “Mother Earth” in Sanskrit) and based on organic plants and minerals known for their healing powers.
underwater diving, dhow sailing or kayaking on the sparking water, kitesurfing, big game fishing and so on. For those who just want to laze around, the infinity pool is the perfect place. The name Zanzibar may conjure up exotic images of sunsoaked beaches and turquoise water, but the archipelago also offers ocean safaris, a walking tour of island spice and herb farms, ancient buildings and rambles through tropical forests that are home to giant tortoises and red colobus monkeys. With its astonishing multicultural atmosphere, rustic charm and hospitable culture, Zanzibar is a unique, unforgettable experience.
Total immersion Whether you’re looking for a quiet getaway for two or a fun holiday in the sun for all the family, Zanzibar offers a dazzling choice of activities, ensuring that everyone enjoys their island experience to the full. From the jetty, you can sign up for all kinds of water sports:
THE RESIDENCE ZANZIBAR BY CENIZARO MCHAMGAMLE, KIZIMKAZI ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, EMAIL INFO-ZANZIBAR@THERESIDENCE.COM OR SEE @THERESIDENCEZANZIBAR 111
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La Co(o)rniche L The Pearl of Arcachon
a Co(o)rniche stands out like a figurehead, overlooking the Pilat-Plage neighbourhood. Fitted out by the celebrated designer Philippe Starck, this elegant, unabashedly luxurious family-run hotel remains true to its origins. Guests are made welcome in imaginatively decorated surroundings inspired by the superb location. La Co(o)rniche is also an essential meeting place for Bassin d’Arcachon regulars, abuzz with the sound of conversations, where you never know who you’ll bump into. By Marine Pasquier
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Easy living As soon as you see La Co(o) rniche, suspended between sea and sky atop the tallest dune in Europe, you know this is no ordinary hotel. It combines the traditional look of a Basque house surrounded by pines with the marine feel of an oyster hut overlooking the stunningly panoramic natural theatre of the Bassin d’Arcachon. Philippe Starck, an ocean-lover who often comes here, was bowled over by it. Taking his own sense of awe as a starting-point, he devised a scheme of decoration that celebrates the magical setting and reflects the ebullient, laughter-loving personalities of the people who live here, starting with the hotel’s instantly likeable owners, William, Sophie and their son Thomas.
La Co(o)rniche according to Starck The Téchoueyres family took over the 1930s hotel, a former hunting lodge, in 2010. They wanted to make improvements while retaining the hotel’s famously hospitable ambience. To restore La Co(o)rniche to its former glory, Philippe Starck tore up the rule-book. The tone is set from the moment you set foot inside: the entrance hall of the large, traditional neoBasque house has been kept exactly as it was. Its dark wood, frescoes and period furniture pleasantly recall the people who used to come here in bygone 114
days. Upstairs, there are eight bedrooms with names alluding to the location - Dune, Ferret, Pyla, Banc d’Arguin, Bassin and Océan. Their unpretentious decor offers a range of variations on charm and easy living, but all of them make you feel as if you’re in a family holiday home. A careful choice of colours, materials and objects help create a lived-in atmosphere. On the shelves are five solid aluminium sculptures especially designed for La Co(o)rniche by Philippe Starck, representing the things that sum up Arcachon: an oyster, a flat-bottomed oyster boat, a fishing smack, a wine-glass and a dune.
Setting the mood Just a few steps away are La Co(o)rniche’s 18 wooden cabins. Designed by Philippe Starck, they are inspired by the oyster-farming village of L’Herbe at Cap Ferret and look like oyster huts, but these are luxury cabins, each with two bedrooms and a terrace with a stunning view of the Banc d’Arguin and the ocean beyond. Inside, they feature Philippe Starck’s favourite king-size beds decked in white linen in the middle of the room. A taupe, white, pearl-grey and powder pink colour scheme and high-quality materials combine to create a calm, gentle mood. Philippe Starck has mastered the art of making you feel at home from the moment you walk in.
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A cosy eatery For its ten-year anniversary, the cabin that houses La Co(o) rniche’s restaurant has also had a makeover. Its atmosphere varies according to the season, but its new look offers a powerful reminder of nature all year round. Here, Starck has used unvarnished wood, natural leather and elegant fabrics to create a warm, cosy atmosphere. Striking upright chair and armchair designs contrast with precious objects and souvenirs from travels and visits, placed here and there. The Spanish artist Sergio Mora was invited to decorate the walls with his drawings and mysterious, magical inscriptions reminiscent of sailors’ tattoos and seafarers’ legends. On the ceiling, a fresco by Starck’s daughter Ara recounts another tale from the amazing history of Arcachon, revealing the secrets of the ocean depths.
Celebrating south-western flavours The chef, Christophe Beaupuy, will concoct your platter from
local ingredients, depending on seasonal availability. He himself comes from the area, so he knows exactly where to source the best local produce and is delighted to share his haul with guests. With the help of carefully selected local food producers, he sums up the fare he offers as high-quality foods that celebrate local flavours. Authenticity and inventiveness are his watchwords. La Co(o) rniche’s cellar contains around 200 wines: prestigious bottles rub shoulders with carefully selected affordable finds. In the evening, the restaurant’s terrace is lit by a host of coloured lanterns, adding to the magical atmosphere. The terrace is extended by a swimming-pool that mimicks an oyster pond and accentuates the superb view. A magical place set in fabulous scenery, La Co(o)rniche links past with present and land with sea. It’s the ideal spot to savour the present moment - a soothing interlude, away from the din of everyday life. HÔTEL LA CO(O)RNICHE 46 AVENUE LOUIS GAUME 33115 LA TESTE-DE-BUCH FRANCE LACOORNICHE-PYLA.COM 115
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Misíncu
An authentic Corsican experience
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estled amid breathtaking scenery, the Misíncu hotel complex is set in the heart of Cap Corse - an area steeped in history, with ancient villas and nineteenth-century palaces overlooking a rugged coastline dotted with fishing villages. An edenic hideaway in the unspoilt Corsican wilderness, Misíncu is the ideal place to soak up the Isle of Beauty’s peaceful atmosphere and admire its panoramic views.
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A legendary jet-set hang-out
Private villas deep in the maquis
Misíncu is a hidden gem, tucked away behind myrtle- and citron-covered slopes in the typical Corsican village of Cagnano, about 20 kilometres from Bastia. Fifty years ago, its former incarnation, the hotel Le Caribou, was a Mecca for celebrities, famed for its party atmosphere. Many a star summered here, but for figures from the world of showbusiness like Alain Delon, Romy Schneider and Serge Gainsbourg (to name but a few), Le Caribou was first and foremost a retreat. Today’s five-star hotel complex has been designed to blend in with the coastal scenery and reflect local cultures. It is run to strict environmental standards and the estate includes permaculture gardens.
The chalets of the 1950s complex have been replaced by seven private villas with names that allude to the hotel’s past and its setting, forming a complex called “E case di Misíncu”. Set deep in the maquis and available for let at all times of year, they are designed to reflect the character of the area - the pristine, rugged scenery of Cap Corse - allowing you to experience the real Corsica while enjoying the benefits of state-ofthe-art facilities and individual gardens, most of them with a jacuzzi. For large families, there is the Villa Montecristo, with five bedrooms and five bathrooms for total comfort and privacy. Hedonists in search of serenity and epicurean delights will find what they are looking for at the Villa Brachelle: a luxurious cocoon amid gorgeous natural surroundings, it invites you to linger under the lemon trees, revelling in the leisurely Mediterranean lifestyle. Couples will appreciate the secluded intimacy of the Villa Mascaracce, a free-standing suite set apart from the other accommodation.
Reminders of far-off places The main building houses 29 bedrooms and suites, tastefully fitted out by local craftsmen in a style influenced by American colonial. The floor of the hotel foyer is white Sardinian marble, as are the arches recalling Corsica’s Genoese past. Exotic touches such as traveller’s tree trunks and palm-trees lend character and conjure up times past when voyagers set off from Cap Corse on expeditions to faroff places.
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Corsican cuisine between ourselves Misíncu’s cuisine showcases traditional Corsican fare. From the moment he arrived, the chef, Thomas Brasleret, insisted on sourcing sustainably-produced ingredients directly from local food producers. Local ingredients are given pride of place in the kitchens of the Tra di Noi restaurant, open for lunch and dinner, whose lively cuisine features Mediterranean notes and flavours. “Tra di Noi” is Corsican for “between ourselves”, and in this idyllic setting, at a table with your chosen companions, overlooking the sea, it really does feel as if you have Corsica all to yourselves. For a snack lunch at the water’s edge between sunbathing sessions, head for the food truck on Misíncu’s private beach. Misíncu’s bar overlooks the blue sea and serves a dazzling selection of unusual brightly-coloured cocktails, each more inventive than the last, while the Gin Tonic Creazione workshop in the shade of the estate’s lemon trees invites you to gather whatever fruit and herbs take your fancy to flavour your gin and tonic. The Forest Bar in the permaculture gardens
also celebrates Misíncu’s homegrown aromatic herbs. In this straw and wood hut that blends perfectly into its natural surroundings, hotel guests and other patrons mingle in an aprèsbeach party atmosphere.
Well-being and discovery At the end of a path that leads through olive-groves stands a gracious house in mineral and pink shades. Inside is the spa 350 square metres dedicated to well-being and relaxation, with four treatment booths, a sauna, an ice fountain, an experience shower, a steam room, a jacuzzi, an indoor swimming pool and a workout room. When it comes to exploring the Isle of Beauty in all its splendour, Misíncu’s guests have a head start. The estate’s premium concierge service can recommend all kinds of ways to discover hidden Corsica: what with diving excursions to explore the sea-bed off Cap Corse, walking tours on the paths that criss-cross the area, horse-riding on the beach, 4x4 racing and boat trips to view the coastline and its legendary Genoan towers, Misíncu offers excursions to suit all ages and tastes.
HÔTEL MISÍNCU LIEU DIT MISINCU 20228 CAGNANO - CAP CORSE CORSE - FRANCE HOTEL-MISINCU.FR 119
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dream big A
t the head of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) - currently one of the most prolific architecture firms - Danish man Bjarke Ingels has ambitions for grandeur, and is not afraid to show it! From daring projects to “pragmatic utopias”, his BIG architecture firm seems unaffected by the crisis. We have a look at this modern-day builder, whose next dream is to conquer space. By Delphine Gallay
The Twist © Laurian Ghinitoiu & BIG Bjarke Ingels Group. September 17, 2019. © Laurian-Ghinitoiu
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MAKING THE ORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY BIG is an acronym that sets the tone for the ambitions of Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group. Three letters and a perfect name, in tune with the creative appetite of the insatiable Bjarke Ingels. A true visionary, he combines large-scale projects—from Google’s next HQ in California (constructed in collaboration with Thomas Heatherwick) to NEURO, a future neuroscience and psychiatry centre in Denmark. Thanks to a unique approach, he breathes new life into contemporary architecture. Don’t be fooled by his dishevelled teenage look, this charismatic New Yorker by adoption goes beyond classification and challenges stereotypes of the profession. He lays the foundations of tomorrow. An adept of the “yes is more” philosophy in his work, the unshakeable Ingels, who founded his agency in Copenhagen in 2006, now plays in the big league and frequently rubs shoulders at international competitions with his former mentor Rem Koolhas (OMA, Office for Metropolitan Architecture). In an interview with Time magazine, the Danish starchitect is full of praise for his former protégé: “I don’t see him as the reincarnation of this or that architect from the past. On the contrary, in my opinion, he represents a totally assertive new typology, which perfectly responds to the spirit of the times. He is the first major architect to have disconnected 122
the profession from its existential angst.”
MAKING ARCHITECTURE MORE DEMOCRATIC A founding member of the Plot agency in 2001, alongside Belgian Julien De Smedt (now JDS Architects), Ingels and his alter ego, whom he had met in the OMA offices, were quick to assert themselves. Together, they challenged the limits of the possible by launching a series of highly visible residential projects like VM House and The Mountain (five hundred houses and interconnecting gardens above a parking lot), and gradually forged a name for themselves on the international architectural scene. Their credo? Economical and innovative constructions at very attractive prices (less than €1,000 per m2), something that was previously unheard of. If the collaboration between the two men was fruitful, it nevertheless gave Ingels the desire to tackle even crazier projects on his own. The two architects parted ways, and Bjarke Ingels immediately founded BIG in the Danish capital. The firm’s first big project was 8 House in Ørestad, Denmark (2010): a “city building” comprising five hundred apartments in the shape of a roller coaster, reminiscent of Brueghel’s masterpiece, The Tower of Babel. Heavily inspired by mountain villages, 8 House reinvents the urban landscape and community life. Here, inhabitants can
live and work together: there are two interior courtyards, a crèche, offices, shops, a cinema, squares of greenery, a body of water … not to mention a ramp (or rather a street), allowing bicycle-using residents to ride their bikes up to the tenth floor! While some of his fellow architects persist in creating irrational and expensive architectural gems, Bjarke Ingels finds the right balance by proposing projects that are both innovative and reasonable, scrutinized by his financiers. An approach to architecture that he himself describes as a pragmatic utopia. To do this, he is quick to explore new forms of sustainable and accessible architecture, and to appropriate sites by building hybrid bridges between the urban and natural elements. All of this, combined with a focus on experience, function, and feasibility, makes for a winning combination.
PROJECTS IN PHASE WITH THEIR TIME Amongst the projects that best illustrate the “dream BIG” concept of this highly versatile designer: the avant-garde Superkilen urban park in Copenhagen (2012), a model of living together; the VIA 57 West skyscraper (2016), a bold urban pyramid in the heart of Manhattan overlooking the waters of the Hudson River; the improbable Copenhill (2019), a green ski slope located on the roof of an incinerator, as well as several floating container cities to respond to the student
housing crisis, and more recently, a promising collaboration with Texan start-up ICON, a 3D printing specialist. Together, they are currently working on designs for a residential district of a hundred houses in Austin, a city in full expansion, all fully printed in 3D (the project completion date is set for 2022). Unbeatable, in terms of both cost and delivery times. Another milestone in the ascension of Bjarke Ingels was the 2021 launch of the start-up Nabr in collaboration with real estate and new technology experts Nick Chim and Roni Bahar. This promises a (r)evolution of the real estate model, coupled with the art of the tailor-made, thanks to cutting-edge software allowing future buyers to fully personalize their dream home within a specific price range. After an initial order for one hundred and twenty-five apartments in San Jose, California (SoFA One, completion date 2023), Nabr intends to continue in this direction, and plans to deliver one hundred thousand residences around the world, all based on the same model: a unique design, a controlled cost, and low environmental impact. What’s not to like?
Left Page Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet © Iwan Baan & BIG Bjarke Ingels Group. May 7, 2021 Right Page Lego House © Kim Christensen & BIG Bjarke Ingels Group. September 24, 2018
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THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Far from promoting a distinctive BIG identity, Ingels seeks to reinvent himself with each new project. The only recurring feature of this heavyweight: a relentless methodology in tune with the climatic, environmental, and societal issues of today and tomorrow. A generic architecture, according to his detractors… Nevertheless, the BIG formula works, and the biggest names have entrusted the agency with forging the DNA of their evolving brand, including the workshop museum of Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet (2018); the three-star restaurant Noma 2.0 (2018); Galeries Lafayette Champs Elysées (2019); the Lego House (2017); the Danish pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo (2018), and a number of museums, such as The Twist (2019); Tripitz (2017); MECA (2019), and the pavilion of the Serpentine Gallery (2016). All are indisputably first-rate architectural feats. Some of the upcoming projects for the Danish firm include NEURO, a new 20,000 m2 neuroscience and psychiatry centre in Aarhus, Denmark (opening planned for 2026), freely inspired by the gyrification of the brain in order to create more connections and spaces within
the same place; the construction of the most sustainable industrial building in the world in the heart of a 120-hectare park for Finnish furniture manufacturer Vestre; the construction of a New York film and television studio for actor Robert de Niro (estimated at the tidy sum of 400,000 million dollars), and last but not least, the remarkable design of a floating city with a capacity for 10,000 residents for American start-up Oceanix. The latter is part of a project supported by the UN in an effort to help climate refugees.
FINGER ON THE PULSE Today, head of offices of five hundred employees all over the world, with offices based in New York, London, Barcelona, and Shenzhen, Ingels has his finger in plenty of pies! Boasting one or two productions per month and some one hundred projects under study each year, Ingels continues to keep his agency in the media eye. BIG is on everyone’s lips! No mean feat in an ultra-competitive industry reputed to be conservative. With a domain name - “big. dk” - that brings a smile to many professionals in the field, this uninhibited architect, irritates as much as he fascinates. A skilful player, Bjarke Ingels has clearly understood that to stand
out, you have to get people talking. A past master in the art of democratizing his profession, this king of communication carefully curates his message: a comic-strip manifesto (with the graphic novel Yes is More), various publications in tune with the times (How to cold on the evolution of architecture in the face of climate change and Formgiving, on the future of architecture); a documentary on Netflix (Big Time, 2017); various TEDx talks and lunar declarations (more on this below!), and even a 2019 foray into an episode of Game of Thrones!
NEXT STOP: THE MOON! The next step for this incorrigible dreamer is nothing less than colonizing the planet Mars and the Moon! Presented in Dubai in 2020 as part of the United Arab Emirates’ “Mars 2117” project during the 5th World Government Summit, Ingels’ life-size model of Mars Science City caused quite a stir! A city in space stretching over 56,810 m2, imagined from scratch, allowing humans to invest the red planet within a century. Printed in 3D from desert sand, these vernacular houses sheltered under domes meet dizzying extra-terrestrial specifications: gravity, pressure, extreme temperatures, radiation levels, etc.
Enough to tickle the curiosity of billionaire Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. A contender in the space race, Bjarke Ingels is also aiming for the Moon. His latest utopia? A 3D space station on the Moon built from in-situ resources. To this end, in the autumn of 2020, BIG, in collaboration with 3D printing specialist ICON, filed a permanent lunar habitation programme known as the Olympus Project. If to date, the main difficulty remains the transportation of raw materials to space, BIG and ICON are working alongside NASA and SEARch+ (a company specializing in extra-terrestrial structures) and currently exploring the possible use of dust from the Moon to build the structure of this space station. But while waiting to reach such stellar heights, BIG continues to reinvent the architecture of tomorrow on planet Earth.
From Top to Bottom Via 57 © Iwan Baan & BIG Bjarke Ingels Group. September 24, 2018 Superkilen © Iwan Baan & BIG Bjarke Ingels Group. September 24, 2018
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GOLDMUND Creator of revolutionary audio systems
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ince being founded in 1978, Goldmund has established itself as a leader in the audio equipment market with its state-of-theart designs, which to this day produce the most accurate sound ever engineered. With their bold designs, these legendary systems such as the Reference turntable, the Apologue speaker and the Telos amplifiers, showcase proven expertise and a unique DNA, designed by and for audiophiles and music lovers. By Marine Pasquier
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Switzerland, the Eldorado of hi-fi More powerful than words and images, sounds are known to evoke intense and lasting emotions. The more realistic the sound reproduction, the higher the emotional impact on the person listening. A concept that has shaped the Goldmund universe. Designed in Switzerland with the same precision as watchmaking, these products reflect the unique expertise of specialist engineers with unparalleled craftsmanship. Using raw materials found in the military for their strength and durability, Goldmund equipment meets high quality standards and follows extremely rigorous processes. Thanks to their state-of-the-art technology, they are able to filter out any sound other than the music itself. In order to meet the expectations of the most demanding customers, the company has developed a variety of products with exceptional specifications, in the fields of cinema, music and the private sector. After more than forty 128
years of operation, Goldmund continues to produce innovative equipment for its enthusiasts every day. By eliminating distortion that can detract from the authenticity of the listening experience, Goldmund promises to deliver the ultimate concert experience, without even having to leave your living room.
From prestigious to iconic In addition to its rigour and unrivalled expertise, Goldmund is distinguished by its unique graphic identity, drawing its inspiration from modernism, cubism and the emblematic movements of Bauhaus design. The beauty of art meets the performance of technology, offering a new concept in audio equipment. Designed as genuine luxury items, like a designer bag or a Swiss timepiece, Goldmund creations are finished with high-quality materials and sophisticated shades of black, chrome grey and gold. Behind the balance of lines and textures lies genuine complexity.
An original musical discovery Continually innovating, Goldmund is constantly developing its catalogue with increasingly competitive products. For the 2022 edition of HighEnd in Munich, Europe’s largest audio exhibition, Goldmund will present brand new creations, reinventing its designs while maintaining the same technological prowess that is so central to the Swiss manufacturer. With a more lifestyle approach, the small speakers feature a unique style, created in collaboration with an up-and-coming designer. Goldmund has created many legendary products, which are now collector’s items. Among the latest models, the Eidos Reference SACD player is very popular among CD listeners. Featuring a retro-futuristic design synonymous with the Reference range, this model is capable of playing all audio formats available on the market. Another of the Swiss company’s iconic creations is the Prana speaker. By virtue of its Hindu
meaning, Prana is indeed a true breath of life. Incorporating Telos amplifiers, the Prana speaker provides a unique music listening experience, free from distortion and interference, to bring the highest level of enjoyment and emotion to its owners. Its larger siblings, the Satya and Samadhi speakers, also offer optimal performance for a bespoke music experience. Reliable and precise, these three speakers offer unprecedented sound quality, leaving the listener in a state of utter bliss. Handcrafted in Swiss workshops, Goldmund’s high-end products offer a hedonistic experience of exceptional quality to a demanding customer base. The brand remains true to its values of craftsmanship, precision and reliability, while constantly striving to surpass itself in achieving near-perfect levels of quality.th GOLDMUND CHEMIN GRENET 21 1214 VERNIER, SWITZERLAND DISCOVER THE LATEST COLLECTIONS ON GOLDMUND.COM
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biotechnology
Amazonia
the lungs of the planet
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ith its varied landscapes and multitude of plant and animal species, Brazil is now considered to be the world’s largest biodiversity hotspot. The size and varied climate of this South American country make it an exceptional land where seven distinct biomes develop unique ecosystems of immeasurable value for the human race and contemporary society. The Amazon rainforest heads the cast among these seven priceless environmental treasures. Discover this green paradise where a sword of Damocles threatens to thwart nature’s efforts to reclaim its rights. By Marine Pasquier
A treasure still waiting to be discovered The largest forest in the world spanning a total 6.7 million km², the Amazon jungle covers a vast region straddling nine countries. Most of it is in Brazil, followed by Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname and French Guiana. This humid tropical forest is one of the world’s foremost regions for biological diversity, preserving 10% of global biodiversity. From root to treetop, no fewer than 40,000 plant species, 3,000 freshwater fish species and hundreds of reptiles, birds, mammals and amphibians cohabit in millions of hectares of dense forests and winding rivers. The region also houses around 2.5 million insect species and 16,000 tree varieties. This natural wealth shows the primordial importance of the Amazon basin for the entire planet. Moreover, the region is home to thousands of species still unknown and waiting to be classified. Irrigated by its huge river containing nearly 18% of 130
the planet’s liquid freshwater reserves, the Amazon forest enjoys a warm, humid climate and regular alternating seasons enabling it to stay permanently green. Thanks to its diversity of habitats, the region hosts many endangered species such as the pygmy marmoset, the giant anteater, the hyacinth macaw, the giant otter, the pink river dolphin and the jaguar, all on the road towards extinction. In addition to preserving global biodiversity, the region is also home to millions of people still mostly living off the resources generously provided by nature.
Biodiversity essential to the planet’s development Few people realise that Amazonian biodiversity is of vital importance for the planet. As the world’s largest forest, it performs an essential task of regulating the climate by cooling the surrounding air and acting as a carbon sink. As a result, it influences climate change and the hydrological systems of the southern hemisphere
by regulating precipitation in South America. In addition, its huge rivers offer immense potential for generating hydroelectric power for the country. In fact, over 60% of Brazil’s hydroelectric power is generated in this ultrasensitive ecosystem through an extensive system of dams. But the Amazon forest harbours many other treasures besides these, including gold, copper, nickel, manganese, wood and vegetable molecules, extraction of which could resolve many modern challenges. Each species of this diversified system offers solutions to different biological issues which could bring huge benefits to humanity. For example, new research could lead to agricultural, environmental and medical applications like the discovery of an enzyme in the poison of the lancehead viper that could be used to treat high blood pressure, thereby potentially benefiting hundreds of millions of people worldwide suffering from this condition. Then again, there is the behaviour of the leafcutter ant, which
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collects pieces of leaves to feed the anthill. When selecting the leaves, the ants rigorously avoid those containing natural fungicides. Accordingly, study of the species they leave behind could accelerate the discovery of new natural fungicides which could be used to slow the spread of mushrooms and mould in crop-farming. Lastly, many plant species are known for their benefits and specific effects on the body, particularly in skincare, as well as nutrition and healthcare.
Brazil, a field for exploration In order to harness this incredible local biodiversity and contribute actively to developing the country’s economy, the Greentech Group has set up an operation in Brazil with the aim of becoming the leading supplier of plant-based active ingredients for the Brazilian cosmetics market. In 2016, Greentech acquired biotechnology specialist Mapric and renamed it Greentech Brasil, a production division that manufactures and develops active 132
ingredients sourced directly in the surrounding biomes for applications in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Relying on strong partnerships with local communities, Greentech Brasil offers a wide range of natural extracts, vegetable oils and butters with complete traceability. From the Amazon basin to the Atlantic coast, biodiversity is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and innovation which the company explores without cease in its quest for new active ingredients. The list is endless and includes the Brazil nut with its nutrient properties for skin and hair, the guarana and its seeds, rich in caffeine and offering stimulant and tonic effects for treating cellulite, and the fruit of the achiote tree, whose oil offers protection against UV radiation and helps prevent black spots and pore dilatation. In its laboratories, Greentech Brasil uses cutting-edge formulation technologies and a unique process that takes the active ingredient right to the core of the physiological target, thereby
guaranteeing maximum skincare efficacy. A responsible corporate citizen, Greentech Brasil uses its expertise and knowledge of Brazilian biomes to establish sustainable industries while promoting regional development. These actions are driven by a benevolent, community-oriented philosophy in keeping with Greentech’s mission statement: “We Source Nature to Resource the Future”!
GREENTECH BRASIL @GREENTECHBRASIL GREENTECH-GROUP.COM CONTATO@GREENTECHBRASIL.COM GREENTECH@GREENTECH.FR
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Luxury, Beauty and Power! B
ugatti continues to develop the Chiron with ever more exclusive versions. The production of the latest model from the Molsheim factory, the Chiron Super Sport, will be rolled out this year with an outstanding level of performance.
By Stephane Lechine - Photos © 2022 Bugatti Automobiles S.a.s.
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The family is growing! The Chiron first appeared in Bugatti’s range in 2016 and caused a sensation by being the first car to exceed 400km/h. It is named after one of the brand’s most famous drivers who enjoyed great success in the pre-war Grand Prix era. With extraordinary longevity for his time, the Monegasque Louis Chiron still holds the record as the oldest driver to have competed in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. During the course of the Chiron’s production, Bugatti offered special versions of its car, including the lighter “Sport” version, for which there are special “110 ans Bugatti” and “Les Légendes du Ciel” series, with strong references to the pioneers of the French brand. Only 20 units of each were produced and they quickly sold out. In order to maintain its leading position faced with the emergence of 100% electric supercars, Bugatti increased the power of the W16 engine to 1600 bhp and incorporated it into the Chiron Super Sport 300+, whose top speed broke the symbolic barrier of 300mph, i.e. more than 490km/h! The Chiron Pur
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Sport harnesses the extra power and a 50 kg lighter chassis as a dedicated track model. Its top speed is reduced to 350km/h in favour of sharper acceleration, and the aerodynamics generate more downforce with the introduction of a fixed wing. Having sold out, Bugatti had to continue production with a special model from the Chiron collection.
A tapered profile From the outside, the Chiron Super Sport is distinguished by its so-called ‘long-tail’ bodywork, already seen on the Super Sport 300+, which is tapered at the rear. Extended by 25 cm, aerodynamic turbulence is reduced, allowing the electronically limited top speed to be increased to 440km/h. At the front, the inclusion of lateral guidance on the spoiler and air vents on both sides of the fenders direct the airflow along the car. On each side of the bonnet, the 9 ventilation holes are a discreet reference to the EB 110. Another distinctive feature of this new version is the magnesium wheels, 20” at the front and 21” at the rear, which are still
fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, the only tyres approved for the Chiron’s speed. The interior is classic Bugatti, offering the ultimate in comfort and elegance. Leather is used throughout, enhanced by polished aluminium components and a touch of carbon fibre for the central console and dashboard with a prominent central speedometer, graduated up to 500km/h.
Ever more power The Chiron Super Sport benefits from all the latest developments by Bugatti engineers. The increased power of the W16 is achieved by a more generous size of the 4 turbos that feed the 8 cylinder engine. The engine speed is increased to a peak of 7100 rpm. This power is coupled with a phenomenal torque up to 1600 Nm available throughout the car’s range of performance. True to its reputation, Bugatti uses state-of-theart technology to produce the titanium exhausts, which are manufactured using 3D printing. In addition to their characteristic sound, they contribute significantly to the car’s overall
weight saving of 23kg. Despite all this, the Chiron weighs almost 2 tons and it takes the combined effect of the all-wheel drive and the engine’s power to propel this Bugatti from 0 to 100km/h in just over 2 seconds! The effect of the constant torque sustains acceleration up to 200 and 300km/h without a drop in power thanks to the 7-speed automatic gearbox, the last of which only kicks in at 403km/h... The unique feel of the Chiron offers the driver a special experience. The electronic drive train constantly analyses the car’s behaviour and adjusts the set-up every 6 milliseconds (166 times per second). Indeed, the magic of Bugatti is to offer a hypercar with extraordinary performance that is remarkably easy to use in everyday life, and with a level of comfort worthy of the finest GT cars. In short, the Chiron Super Sport is the only car to offer the ultimate combination of performance, driveability and luxury. Available at a price of €3.2 million, this Bugatti is undoubtedly the most complete hypercar with a combustion engine.
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The evergre Sébastie Loeb S
ébastien Loeb became the oldest driver to win a WRC event by claiming victory at the last Monte Carlo Rally. This latest record adds to the impressive collection of titles he has accumulated since his debut over 20 years ago. By Stéphane Lechine
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In January 2022, a new generation of cars arrived on the scene and new, very young drivers joined the World Rally Championship. In France, the two retired rally drivers, reigning world champion Sébastien Ogier and his older compatriot Sébastien Loeb, were back in action in a highly atypical Monte Carlo Rally. After a battle of wits on the icy roads of the Southern Alps, the older emerged victorious in his Ford Puma Hybrid. The remarkable victory proved that the Alsatian driver’s talent remains intact in spite of his age. Indeed, despite having retired from the world championship almost 10 years ago, he will contest some WRC rallies with the Ford team this season.
Talent and passion Like so many other French drivers, Loeb demonstrated his driving skills early on when he started out in Opération Rallye Jeune. Lacking any money to get started, a group of friends from Alsace took him under their wing and lent him a car to compete in his first rally where he came first in his class. Shortly afterwards he met Daniel Elena, a young, penniless Monegasque, who would become his faithful codriver throughout the entire adventure. From that moment on, his ascent was based on unstoppable victories, hard knocks
and decisive meetings for the necessary financial backing, until Citroën offered him his first professional driving contract. His arrival at the highest level set the tone immediately. He was stripped of his maiden Monte Carlo win due to an infringement by his team, but nonetheless returned to take his revenge on eight occasions. He relinquished the drivers’ title to Peter Solberg in the final round of his first full season to secure the manufacturers’ championship for Citroën, before going on the claim the title nine years in a row. His nine consecutive world championship titles, all with the French team, make him unquestionably the greatest rally driver of all time. Highly regarded by his peers, he brought the generation of Sainz and McRae to a premature end, before bringing the talented Finnish drivers Grohnolm, Latvala and Hirvonnen under his control. His current rivals are Kalle Rovenperä and Oliver Solberg, whose fathers were among rally’s elite when he started.
An extraordinary record Over the course of 180 rallies, he has broken almost every record, with 80 victories, 120 podiums, the greatest number of successes in a single season, the greatest number of scratch
times and much more. Beyond the figures, he has left his mark on the sport by establishing a driving style that is more controlled and less spectacular than that of his predecessors. Not easily noticeable on television, his approach is recognisable from the trackside with tighter lines and a greater fluidity in his driving. Blessed with excellent balance from his background in gymnastics, he has above-average visual awareness and an exceptional ability to memorise routes. Reason enough to explain his dominance? This question has piqued the curiosity and interest of team managers from other disciplines in finding an answer. His innate talent for driving has also been demonstrated in endurance racing, where he finished 2nd in the Le Mans 24 hours. Through his partnership with Red Bull, he had the opportunity to test himself in Formula 1 by taking part in private and then official testing. His driving skills proved to be every bit as good as those of the established drivers and only a veto by the FIA, which refused to grant him a super licence, prevented him from making his Grand Prix debut... Not one for regret, he continued to follow his passion for driving on a wide variety of surfaces after his retirement from the World Rally Championship. Record holder of the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb, he also
claimed victories in Rallycross and WTCC, making him the only driver to have won in three different world championship disciplines.
Still on track Always in control of his own decisions, Sébastien Loeb’s career is driven by his own interests. Signed up to the brand new Xtrem-E championship in tandem with Spanish driver Christina Guttierez, he is particularly active in Rally Raid, where he hopes to win the Dakar Rally, a race at which he has yet to taste victory. He makes use of his team, Sébastien Loeb Racing, for a few appearances on the ice or on track and adds one or two rallies with his partner at the wheel of the Peugeot 306 Maxi that was his childhood dream. Here again, he takes the lead with a car that was designed in the 1990s! Supported by numerous partners, Sébastien Loeb takes the unusual approach of managing his own contracts. Faithful in friendship as in business, he counts as many prestigious brands as Alsatian partners among his pool of sponsors. And guided by an unrelenting enthusiasm, he continues to indulge his passion wholeheartedly. Could that be Loeb’s secret? An eternal passion for driving...
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© The Ford Motor Company
News
FORD GT ‘64 HERITAGE
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The Ford GT will bow out at the end of 2022. The American manufacturer is producing a limited edition directly inspired by the very first GT 40 prototype assembled in 1964. This latest version is characterised by its white bodywork, a black bonnet and three stripes on the roof. The interior features blue Alcantara and silver stitching for the seats with carbon-fibre elements on the dashboard. From a mechanical standpoint, it remains in line with the latest GT developments, with the twin-turbocharged V6
engine producing 660 bhp and the exhilarating sound of the Akrapovic titanium exhausts. The 7-speed automatic transmission delivers power to the rear wheels only. With its reference to the 1964 pioneer and its vanishing radical feel, this car exudes nostalgia. Despite its simple interior with limited space and minimalist comfort, the Ford GT remains a coveted vehicle that only a select few (carefully chosen by Ford!) will have the honour of owning.
LIMITED EDITION
www.giberg.com
© Alfa Romeo
News
A CHINESE DRIVER IN F1
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Guanyu Zhou has secured his place in the Alfa Romeo team and will be the only rookie in 2022. For the first time in the history of the world championship, a Chinese driver will contest the entire Formula 1 season as a principal driver. Having left China at the age of 12 to start his career in England, he earned his seat after a steady rise through the various classes, with several victories and a third place in the Formula 2
championship. He has undeniable speed, but will have the difficult task of proving his worth in a car whose performance has yet to be established. In addition to the commercial interest in having a Chinese driver in the paddock, he is expected to stand out and prove that his talent is big enough to get a whole country excited about Formula One.
UNDER THE HIGH PATRONAGE OF HIS SERENE HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO
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© Lexus-France
News
LEXUS ELECTRIFIED SPORT
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Lexus is gradually releasing information about the 100% electric supercar that will replace the famous LFA. Lexus is pursuing the Toyota Group’s ambition to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2035. The forthcoming supercar, codenamed Lexus Electrified Sport, already has a stylish design and exists in the form of a show car. The car has a distinctive curved appearance. The bonnet is noticeably narrower at the front, while the passenger compartment is pushed closer to the rear wheels. In keeping with classic GT styling, the character of this Lexus is expressed through
its expansive rear featuring an imposing dual diffuser, a sign of the car’s aerodynamic prowess. As for the rest, few details have been released as of yet. Its performance must match that of its competitors, enabling it to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 2 seconds. The advertised autonomy of 700km remains conditional on the development of new batteries with technology that has not yet been brought to market.
© TAG Heuer
News
TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 RED BULL RACING SPECIAL EDITION 148
Tag Heuer presents a limited edition of its emblematic Formula 1 model in the colours of Red Bull Racing. Released in February 2022, the watch is modelled on the visual identity of the team that led Max Verstappen to the world championship title. Its deep blue dial is complemented by an elegant red circle. A few touches of yellow on the tenths dial and the seconds hand complete the colours of the Austrian team. The 43mm case is made of polished and finely brushed steel, and the back is engraved with the Red Bull Racing logo and the words “special edition”.
This timepiece is available with a textured blue rubber strap for a sportier look or with a more sophisticated stainless steel strap. With a presence in Formula 1 since 1968, Tag Heuer is celebrating its alliance with the most innovative team in the paddock in the most beautiful way, with a partnership renewed until 2024.
fooding
Two leading chefs take a unique angle to healthy eating
I
n the kitchens of Europe’s finest restaurants, healthy eating is a term rarely used and, when it is, is likely to be scoffed at, in the much the same way as might a batch of overcooked rice, or a souffle that collapses. “Creating food that ticks all the boxes in terms of diet, calorific content and a drive towards so-called ‘good’ ingredients will often mean sacrificing the things that really make stellar, statement dishes what they are, so chefs tend not to put all their muscle behind the concept,” begins Jamie Oliver. “It’s a bit like F1 racing in electric cars – you’re not going to be able to compete unless everyone begins to subscribe to the same rules… and yet that’s exactly
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what is happening on the racetracks, and in the same way, there is a drive for greater responsibility over what we put in our food – the fat, the sugar, the salt.” Certainly, consumer tastes are demanding greater transparency and provenance over ingredients, though whether that translates from the home kitchen into the restaurant remains to be seen. In the meantime, we asked two leading chefs to name a unique experience of theirs where healthy eating played such a defining role… in the food that they cook, but also in terms of the contentment and pleasure of what we consume. By Matt Lee
fooding
CLARE SMYTh
Clare Smyth was the first female British chef to be awarded three Michelin star status, and her other career highlights include holding the unique position of Chef Patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and being awarded a perfect 10 by the UK Good Food Guide. At the heart of healthy eating for Smyth, is affordability. “If we could have the education in place so people could learn how to cook healthier, better meals for themselves, create a stimulus so it’s better for the family in the context of sitting around a table to eat, then cooking becomes therapeutic as well as healthy. “In that respect, I think we need to teach people how to cook again, maybe even at school level. Everyone is struggling to be able to afford to eat healthily, and that coupled with a lack of knowledge seems to compound the problem,” she says. “When I was a child, I was taught how to cook at school
and that’s not something that happens so much today. “People go into supermarkets and it is actually more expensive to eat healthily. Fruit is more expensive than a litre of fizzy drink, and I find that ridiculous,” she begins. Covid and the complications that have arisen out of Brexit have also tightened the noose around what we eat and what we can afford to eat. “I see as pivotal the initiatives designed to support farmers in the way of producing food that people can afford to eat and buy. This will mean the next generation does not fall into the trap of fast food and bad food choices that perhaps we have. Smyth grew up in Northern Ireland in a rural setting – indeed, her family operated a farm. “I love animals and was very much into the farming background. I was big on horse riding - I used to have a couple of horses, so I was very lucky to be quote close to nature.”
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As time went on, the decorated chef began working in kitchens on weekends and during school holidays. “When I was 16, I remember having an interview for a job and the chef told me I had more knowledge than any chef he had interviewed, because all I had done from 14, 15 years old was read books. “I read Auguste Escoffier, the legendary French figure amongst chefs and gourmets; I read Anton Mosimann, who was the chef at the Dorchester at the time; I read about all the classic sauces, about all the preparation, making veal stocks, glaces (stocks made from bones, usually veal and highly concentrated by reduction), and as far as herbs went, I had memorised them in a kind of way that I think some people were doing with pop groups or music. I was just into food.” Smyth says if she had to name one food item to stimulate the healthy eating habits of the next generation, it would be the humble potato. “Being Irish, potatoes would be part of every meal. I’ve cooked a lot of potatoes in my life!” she laughs. “In the first instance, people wouldn’t assume it as healthy as a green vegetable or fruit, and they would be correct in that, but potatoes have such versatility and so many options, and as the basis for a meal, they are excellent. “To this day, my aunt and uncle remain potato farmers - they would always just boil them with the skin on. There are some varieties that will burst open, and with salt, pepper and butter they are so simple yet wonderfully flowery.” 152
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jamiE oliver
Jamie Oliver’s big break as a culinary master came in 1997 BBC documentary River Cafe – the then 22-year-old sparring as a sous chef amidst the chaos of one of the River Thames’ most seductive locations. Oliver quickly flew the nest on the back of his phenomenally successful Naked Chef series, going on to influence a multi-generation swoop of food lovers whilst quietly amassing a £250million fortune in the process. The decorated chef takes it all in his stride, yet in growing a chain of restaurants and witnessing his children’s school-cooked lunches, the now 46-year-old found himself closely involved in diet and health. “In 2005 I agreed to produce a four-part documentary called Jamie’s School Dinners. There was a backdrop of fearsome dinner ladies, outraged students and significant funding cuts, but ultimately it was all about highlighting the dangerous amount of processed food being
fed to Britain’s schoolkids... both in the schools and outside of them. And this wasn’t just a British movement, it was global. “I guess I should have predicted it would go viral,” he says, “and perhaps it always should have anyway. It began talking about school dinners and how they were fundamental to our kids’ physical and mental wellbeing in daylight hours, but it enlarged into this bigger conversation about lunches in general and all the hidden nasties present in so much of what we give our kids. “Like most things I take on, they begin as one little idea and soon morph into something I can’t really pull back in,” he laughs. Jamie’s School Dinners eventually led to a government-instigated overhaul of cafeteria menus across Britain which sought to replace processed and fried foods with healthier homecooked alternatives.
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It has gone on to kickstart called Jamie’s Food Revolution, which states its mission as to ‘provoke debate and inspire real, meaningful, positive change in the way our children access, consume and understand food’. “I wanted to do it because even though I employed food nutritionists and I knew a lot myself through experience, I wanted to actually have the proper knowledge,” he explains. Oliver’s work subsequently earned him an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of General Practitioners and the esteemed TED Prize, which grants the winner US$100,000 to put towards their ‘wish to change the world’, which he has stated as to help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity’. There have been leaps and bounds made in the fight against child obesity, and Oliver’s charities continue the good work in raising awareness of the more hidden, unreported aspects of this worldwide epidemic. “Unfortunately, Covid has pulled some back towards convenience – people are going for burgers over steaks; for ready meals over cooking from scratch, because time is tight, as is money. “Ultimately though, healthy eating only ever starts at home, and it’s a 24/7 battle of balance and perspective. It’s a battle we undertake ourselves, and for our children, but it can be one. “We may find our perception of tasty over healthy goes back a little towards fatty foods with the way the world is today, certainly if it means food costs less but still ticks the box in terms of flavour. The challenge is there, however, for making salad or vegetables or a lower grade piece of meat as flavoursome as possible using ‘new’ ingredients, and that should be something that excites any chef, professional or amateur.
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