belair magazine

magazine

ARTIST

LEAH DEVORA’S CELEBRITY VISIONS

DREAM CARS

LOOKING BACK: A HISTORY OF

BEL-AIR

BETTY WHITE: AMERICA’S NATIONAL TREASURE

THE

MONA LISA CODE

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Table ofContents I 30

LOOKING BACK: BEL-AIR’S ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY

78

BILTMORE AND LAND ROVER TOGETHER: A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

38

BETTY WHITE: AMERICA’S NATIONAL TREASURE

86

THE ARIZONA BILTMORE: THE SHIMMERING JEWEL OF THE DESERT

52

THE MONA LISA CODE

90

DREAM CARS: BENTLEY AND LAMBORGHINI

58

PERFECTION IN PASO ROBLES

94

62

MITRA AHOURAIAN: A BEL-AIR RESIDENT GIVES BACK

KOZ-TASTIC! DAVE KOZ MAKES BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND WINE, TOO

98

THE LAST WIZARD: ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE JACK ARMSTRONG

66

ARTIST LEAH DEVORA’S UNIQUE VISIONS OF LOS ANGELES

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www.belairmag.com

PHOTO COURTESY MARC WANAMAKER/BISON ARCHIVES

IN 1934, ORIGINAL DEVELOPER ALFONZO BELL'S DAUGHTER WAS MARRIED AT HOME IN BEL-AIR.

100

THE PERFECT DESTINATION WEDDING – VEGAS STYLE

108

WIN A GRAND CANAL WEDDING AT THE VENETIAN RESORT & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS: CONTEST DETAILS AND RULES

109

THE “QUEEN OF LAS VEGAS” HOLDS COURT IN L.A.

112

REINVENTING THE CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

116

LUXURY GIFT GUIDE

132

FOLLOWING AN INTERNATIONAL AGENT AROUND THE WORLD

134

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS: EXPLORING HONG KONG AND SOUTH CHINA

140

SOCIAL SCENE

BEL-AIR ESTATE OF RADIO MANUFACTURER ATWATER KENT.

PHOTO COURTESY MARC WANAMAKER/BISON ARCHIVES

Table ofContents II

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FromthePublisher HERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW PLACES IN

T

and those who tirelessly promote their causes,

the world that “have it all” – beauty,

as well as by sponsoring fundraising events

elegance, luxury, sophistication, a

throughout the year.

who have succeeded in making a difference in

would launch a new print publication when

many areas of life. Bel-Air is one of those

magazines are downsizing or ceasing

unique places, and a place that should be

altogether with increasing regularity. My

celebrated. So it is my distinct pleasure and

response has always been the same. I saw a

honor to welcome you to the premier issue of

niche in the marketplace that had not been

Bel-Air Magazine.

satisfactorily served and an opportunity to

philanthropic spirit and fascinating people

Our mission is to inform, educate, spotlight

I have been asked many times why I

create something that would help to revive our

and entertain by featuring the people, places

local economy and our spirit. By profiling

and events that make this exclusive area of

people who do extraordinary things,

Southern California more than an exceptional

spotlighting fascinating local businesses, and

region but also a state of mind.

highlighting worldwide luxury lifestyle

We begin our quest by featuring Ms. Betty

experiences, and then delivering those stories

White, a Hollywood legend who at the tender

and images consistently to a specific audience,

age of 88 seems to be just hitting her stride.

we create a synergy. A synergy among

We had the pleasure of spending several hours

businesses, charities and readers, from which

with Betty at the Los Angeles Zoo, where she

many people and organizations derive some

has been a loyal volunteer for over 40 years.

benefit and enjoyment. It is a true “win-win-

She is as delightful, compassionate and

win” situation.

unaffected by her celebrity status as one could

Special thanks to my Bel-Air Magazine

possibly imagine. Her vitality, creativity,

team, your commitment and passion have

generosity and lightning-fast wit are such an

been unwavering and immeasurable. I feel

inspiration to us all! I feel very privileged

very fortunate to have such a talented group of

indeed to have met Betty and to be featuring

professionals creating this magazine. To

her and her illustrious career in this issue.

Paulette DuBey and Cameron Falzone of the

In this issue we are also pleased to include

Bel-Air Association, thank you for your

photos of a beautiful Bel-Air estate where we

enthusiasm, support and compassion. You

will celebrate our launch at a party to benefit

have been tremendous and so very much

Childrens Hospital. We are thrilled to be

appreciated by the entire team. And to you,

working with Childrens Hospital to raise funds

our readers, thank you for being a part of this

and awareness for such a fine organization. We

journey. We look forward to serving you.

will continue to support other worthwhile charities in our publication, by featuring them

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

www.belairmag.com

Rick Amor

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ELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL ISSUE OF

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE.

We’ve searched the world, both right next door and to far-distant shores, in order to spotlight the people, places

and things that will hopefully bring joy, meaning and even a life purpose to our readers.

In every issue, you can expect to find a myriad of fascinating topics.

We’ll explore everything from philanthropists to fast cars, haute couture to home design, real estate to exotic vacations, innovative entrepreneurs to Hollywood’s biggest stars, and much more.

Speaking of philanthropists, we’re happy to put the Spotlight inside on saxophonist Dave Koz, whose new line of fine wines gives all profits to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. He and Betty White are our two favorite people, both using their celebrity status to help those in need (in Betty’s case, that includes animals, too).

Join us for a drive in the new Bentley Mulsanne, take a spin in the Lamborghini Special Edition Valentino Balboni Gallardo and maybe wander up to the Paso Robles wine district, too. We’ll introduce you to some of our favorite artists, including Jack Armstrong and Leah Devora, and even offer up a new theory on what Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” is trying to tell us with that mysterious smile.

And don’t miss our Gift Guide, where you’ll discover a collection of unique items that are sure to bring a smile to your favorite graduate, parent or best friend.

We hope you enjoy this first issue of our new publication; watch for

the next edition coming to your door in August.

Jenny Peters

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

www.belairmag.com

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LA Leaders Call to Action for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Invest in the Leaders of Tomorrow by Giving Today.

Our New Hospital Building will make a world of difference for the sickest, most seriously injured children. If cancer, diabetes, heart disease or other serious illness or injury did strike your child or grandchild, chances are you’d come

DISTINGUISHED CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW HOSPITAL BUILDING* Cheryl and Haim Saban

to know Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Since 1901, it has been the bedrock of the Greater Los Angeles community as an international leader in children’s medical care, and The Saban Research Institute provides children access to

The Maurice Marciano Family Foundation

the latest life-saving therapies. We are so close to the

The Walt Disney Company Foundation

completion of our “state-of-the-science” New Hospital Building, but need your help now to get us there. Your gift means the world to all of us.

John W. Carson Foundation

Marion and John E. Anderson The Ahmanson Foundation Jane Vruwink Palmer

HBO Dr. Charles Lilly and Joyce O'Gar Lilly Anonymous (2) *DONORS OF $5 MILLION AND UP

www.CHLA.org

pital Building

Rendering of the New Hos

"Richard Cordova, Mary Hart and I are working together to help the children of Los Angeles by raising funds for the New Hospital Building at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. We invite you to join our family of generous donors."

Antonio R. Villaraigosa Mayor, City of Los Angeles

Antonio R. Villaraigosa Mayor, City of Los Angeles

Mary Hart Trustee and Co-Chair, New Hospital Building Campaign

Richard D. Cordova President and CEO, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Please call 323-361-1751 or donate online at chla.org/give/belair

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A Welcome from the Bel-Air Association

O

N BEHALF OF THE

BEL-AIR

the Department of Transportation,

Association, I would like to

Street Services and Building and Safety,

personally congratulate the

as well as Councilmember Paul Koretz’s

Bel-Air Magazine team on your June

office and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s.

launch! This is a very exciting time and

The Association also maintains

the Bel-Air Association is pleased to be

22 traffic islands, the East, West Gate

a part of this “history in the making.”

and the Moraga entrance island, with

There are many desirable

the help of “Keep Bel-Air Beautiful”

communities in Southern California,

and the Bel-Air Garden Club. We

but you chose Bel-Air for the home of

communicate this valuable information

your exciting publication. You saw

to our core members on the Bel-Air blog

something more in our community. You

at www.belaironline.blogspot.com.

value Bel-Air’s extraordinary beauty,

Every day, in some way the Association works to give the residents a

graciousness and charm.

I would like to take a moment to

uniquely beautiful and valuable

share what the Bel-Air Association

experience. Our vision is to maintain

provides its members.

Bel-Air as a safe, sustainable and

At present, the Association exists to

beautiful community. This is done by

preserve the community qualities and to

engaging our members to participate in

enhance them whenever possible. We

neighborhood efforts through

are a non-profit corporate organization

communicating, conveying and

funded by voluntary membership dues

supporting them in countless valuable

and contributions. Our professional

endeavors.

staff is here to serve our members with

If any Bel-Air resident is not a

information, guidance, suggestions and

member of the Association, we would

necessary action.

appreciate having you on board! There

As an organization, we address

are many ways to support or be

top-line issues such as our ongoing

involved. You can reach us at our office

Emergency Preparedness efforts, the

at 310-474-3527 or via e-mail at

Bel-Air Security Committee, “Keep

baa@belaironline.org.

Bel-Air Beautiful” and our very own

I look forward to working with

fight against the widening of Sunset

Bel-Air Magazine on future exciting

Boulevard through the diligent work of

projects within the enclave!

our 405 Traffic Committee.

To share just a few, the Bel-Air

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

Association acts as a personal liaison to

Paulette M. DuBey, General Manager

Los Angeles city departments such as

The Bel-Air Association

www.belairmag.com

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FOUNDER/PUBLISHER CO-FOUNDER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER EDITOR IN CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR

RICK AMOR DAN HAMILTON STEVE TOLIN CARL HEBELER JENNY PETERS DAN IRVINE ELLEN STERLING MELANIE AMOR BRIAN KALCHMAN

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

ALLISON MORYL

ART AND DESIGN EDITOR

GLENN BRENNAN

TRAVEL EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

STEVE MILNER DIANE SILVER, KATHARINE ANGELO, JES ALEXANDER, MITRA AHOURAIAN, MELISSA MOORE, STEPHEN SCHAEFER, SCOTT LUND, CLAIRE BERGER, BRITT C. KNUTSON, CRYSTAL CHAMBERS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

GLENN BRENNAN, JENNY PETERS, ANTHONY GOLSTON, JANE HIGGINS, MICHAEL CAULFIELD, RON BEZ, GLEN DAVIS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ADVERTISING SALES ASSISTANT ADVERTISING SALES

MELODY STORM RON WALKER KIM HARWOOD DIANNE K. KER RIMA DORSEY, BOBBI PROCTOR, HOWARD ASKENASE, MIKE WALKER, BRUCE ELLINGTON, BETSY GUGICK, STEVE ROUSSEAU, ANNABELLE JACOBSON, KAREN COUTURE, TREY MARSHALL, STEVE TOLIN

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE

9107 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 450 BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210 (310) 890-8348 www.belairmag.com

Bel-Air Magazine is a member of the Bel-Air Association © 2010 Platinum Triangle Publishing, Inc.

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

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REAL HISTORY ESTATE

LOOKING BACK: ~

BEL AI R ’ S ILLUSTRIOUS

By RUTH LAUREN

HISTORY When Alfonzo Bell acquired 4,500 acres 17 miles west of downtown Los Angeles in

1922, he hired an engineer and a landscape architect to plan a development there and quickly began to sell lots in the subdivision he called Bel-Air. He said the development would be “a haven of rest for the businessman who toils in big, noisy, congested Los Angeles.” e Way ahead of its time, when Bel-Air opened its gates in 1923 there were

security guards at the gates checking in visitors. The aura of exclusivity underscored by the security – the first in an L.A. community – as well as the massive entry gates and the deed covenant requiring land purchasers to spend a minimum of $20,000

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L

($293,895 in 2010 dollars) building homes there reinforced that atmosphere.

BASIL RATHBONE LIVED IN THIS HOME ON BELLAGIO ROAD.

I

HISTORY there have been times when the spotlight has been on the entire community.

The most glaring example of that is the November 6, 1961, Bel-Air fire that made national news. While the cause remains undetermined – the best official guesses are either arson or a cigarette tossed from a car – the prevalence of wood-shingled roofs in Bel-Air, a long drought, the density of the brush in the area and the Santa Ana winds caused it to spread quickly. Contemporary news reports (and the fire was international news) made much of the fact that the homes were valued at between $75,000 and $100,000.

Before the fire was controlled, it

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

www.belairmag.com

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY MARC WANAMAKER/BISON ARCHIVES

THE CONRAD HILTON ESTATE.

had destroyed 6,090 acres, 484 homes and 21 other buildings in Bel-Air and Brentwood. The homes of Burt Lancaster and Zsa Zsa Gabor were lost.

Others, including Fred MacMurray, Maureen O’Hara and former President Richard Nixon, used hoses to keep their roofs wet, thus saving their homes.

Building codes today prohibit wooden roof shingles. Thankfully, no one died in the conflagration.

Of course, in quieter times, it is the doings of the residents who bring attention to Bel-Air, as it has always been home to many well-known people. It is the community to which President Ronald Reagan retired and where

L

87 YEARS SINCE THOSE now-iconic gates opened, Bel-Air has retained that aura and is home to celebrities and moguls, granting the quiet and privacy they seek when away from the spotlight.

In the 1940s, Bell turned over maintenance and management of the community to the Bel-Air Association and to this day the Association manages the community with some paid staff and a 24-member volunteer Board of Directors.

Although Bel-Air mostly makes the news these days because of the spectacular estates there being bought or sold, N THE

310.278.3311

“Own your own golf course with this truly awe-inspiring property.”

PORCUPINE CREEK, RANCHO MIRAGE | $75,000,000 | www.theporcupinecreek.com Porcupine Creek is a private residence with its own 19-hole golf course, acclaimed by Golf Digest as the 13th ranked course in all of California. The 249-acre expanse encompasses the grand main residence, multiple guest accommodations, full spa facilities and gymnasium, a resort-style pool area, the championship 18-hole golf course with its additional playoff challenge and driving range. The estate perfectly balances security with relaxation, and elegance with rustic charm. A memorable entertainment venue, served by commercial kitchens, Porcupine Creek has hosted charity events comfortably attended by more than 500 guests and international superstar bands, in addition to the most intimate family gatherings.

JEFF HYLAND [310] 278.3311

RICK HILTON [310] 858.5406

250 N CAÑON DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210

BARBARA DUSKIN [310] 858.5408

WWW.HILTONHYLAND.COM

10425 REVUELTA WAY, BEL-AIR, CA GATED PALATIAL FRENCH ESTATE [ EAST GATE, LOWER BEL-AIR ] Gated compound on approximately 1.67 acres formerly owned by Royalty with long private drive and magnificent grounds on two contiguous parcels. Large motor court. Main house has ceilings and walls that are handcrafted by European Artisians. The elegant entry and foyer, spectatular living room and salon plus a formal dining room for lavish entertaining that can accomodate up to fifty guests. Stunning great room with theatre is art in its truest form. There are numerous terraces, balconies and decks. The long private drive leads to exotic landscaped grounds with fully matured palm trees, multiple fountains, water treatments and tranquil koi pond. Very large master suite with his & her baths and closets plus four additional bedrooms ensuite, plus staff rooms. The gourmet kitchen with designer appliances has additional separate kitchen and elegant breakfast room. Two story guest house overlooks freeform pool with two separate apartments, each with living/ kitchen area and three bedrooms. Covered pavillion with outside kitchen, spa, fittness center, sauna, massage and hair salon overlooks sunken lighted tennis court. The estate has every amenity. A rare collectable. Additional contiguous parcel on approximately .69 acre can be purchased separately for $6,500,000.

$29,500,000 | www.belaircompound.com

BARBARA DUSKIN Estates Director 310-858-5408

RICK HILTON Chairman 310-858-5406

barbara@barbaraduskin.com www.barbaraduskin.com

rick@hiltonhyland.com

2 5 0 N C A Ă‘ O N D R I V E , B E V E R LY H I L L S , C A 9 0 2 1 0

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HISTORY

THE ESTATE OF HOTELIER ARNOLD KIRKEBY SERVED AS “THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES” MANSION EXTERIOR.

THE BEL-AIR ESTATES ASSOCIATION OFFICE AS IT APPEARED IN 1950.

THE J.M. DANZINGER ESTATE IS THE LAND UPON WHICH THE HOTEL BEL-AIR WAS EVENTUALLY BUILT.

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

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Nancy Reagan still lives. In their times, Loretta Young, Marlene Dietrich, Ernst Lubitsch, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard all lived in Bel-Air. Over the years, many Bel-Air homes have become familiar to filmgoers and television viewers as they were used for location shooting in myriad projects.

Perhaps the most famous of all is the home of hotelier Arnold Kirkeby, whose estate was used as the exterior of the mansion that “The Beverly Hillbillies” bought when they made their fortune and moved to California on that longrunning comedy.

Reporting on the residents’ lives is nothing new. On June 9, 1935, the Los Angeles Times breathlessly reported that “cinema notables” enjoyed a housewarming at actress Constance Bennett’s new home in Bel-Air. The Georgian home featured all-white interiors.

That night Bennett screened “One New York Night,” a film that starred Franchot Tone. He was at the party with Joan Crawford, whom he would marry that October. Also on the guest list were Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Zeppo Marx, David O. Selznick, Myron Selznick and William Goetz. The hostess wore a “long clinging black gown trimmed in silver fox.” Her sister, actress Joan Bennett, wore a “white costume.”

Today, the essence of Bel-Air remains what it was when the gates first opened. Alfonzo’s “haven” is home today to 2,200 residents. And, though there are few businesses in the community, it does boast the worldclass Hotel Bel-Air (currently under renovation and scheduled to reopen in mid-2011) and the highly regarded Moraga Vineyard. Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz . . . etc., which is a hugely popular spot as well.

In short, Bel-Air in 2010 is still one of the nation’s most desirable enclaves, a thriving community that serves as a serene and private sanctuary for all of its residents. BAM

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by STEVE MILNER

AMERICA’S NATIONAL TREASURE

SPOTLIGHT

I first saw Betty White on TV when I was six years old.

The year was 1954. I became an instant fan. e During her illustrious career spanning seven decades, she has become one of America’s most beloved comedic actresses of all time. e A true pioneer of early television, she has won six Emmys, and has been nominated 18 times. Best known for her roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Golden Girls” and “Boston Legal,” White has carried away three American Comedy Awards and two Viewers for Quality Television Awards. She was inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame, won the Screen Actors Guild’s Life Achievement Award and has a star on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame (next to that of her late husband, Allen Ludden). She is known as “The First Lady of Game Shows” for her hundreds of appearances on dozens of programs. And she has found time to appear in 19 films and write five books. And since her now-famous Snickers commercial aired first during the 2010 Super Bowl, she’s in demand even more, recently hosting “Saturday Night Live,” starring in a new sitcom called “Hot in 38

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

www.belairmag.com

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Cleveland” in July on TV Land and in a new film, “You Again,” in the fall.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GLENN BRENNAN

SPOTLIGHT

[TOP] BETTY WHITE AND THE CAST OF “MARY TYLER MOORE,” VALERIE HARPER, EDWARD ASNER, MARY TYLER MOORE, GAVIN MACLEOD, CLORIS LEACHMAN, GEORIGA ENGEL; [MIDDLE] THE CAST OF “THE GOLDEN GIRLS,”BETTY WHITE, RUE MCCLANAHAN, ESTELLE GETTY, BEA ARTHUR ; [BOTTOM] WHITE AT THE BEGINNING OF HER CAREER, WITH AL JARVIS IN SEPTEMBER, 1951, DOING HIS “HOLLYWOOD ON TELEVISION” SKETCH COMEDY SHOW

PHOTOS COURTESY BETTY WHITE

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SPOTLIGHT

WHITE IS ALSO KNOWN for her decades of tireless work as an animal-rights advocate, however, winning the Jane Goodall Global Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement and the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award. She has been honored by the City of Los Angeles with a bronze plaque near the Gorilla Habitat in the Los Angeles Zoo. She has served as a director of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association for 35 years and as President Emeritus of the Morris Animal Foundation for 38 years.

In addition to fundraising and acting as an ambassador for the zoo, she has been remarkably hands-on, ETTY

followed us home. Can we keep him?’ I was an only child and the luckiest only child in the world. Everybody says ‘lonely only,’ but I loved it! Most of my close friends had a leg in each corner – they were all four-legged. We had a wonderful time.

BAM: When you were growing up, you had lots of dogs at home?

BW: I think the most we ever had at one time was 26. It was during the Depression and my dad made radios to sell for extra income. Unfortunately, nobody had any money to buy the radios, so he’d trade them for dogs.

He’d build a radio for somebody and they’d give him a dog. He had to build kennels in the back yard to house them all. Beyond that, we never had more than three at a time, because you’d run

We can’t give him to a blind person because he’s got a bum knee. We can’t just give him away, since there is a 2,000-person waiting list. We know that you would go through the surgery if he needed it. I said, ‘No, I need a little closure, but, well, I’ll go up and meet him. I’ll just take a look at him.’ So, I flew up one morning to San Rafael and I met him, and I got back on the plane to think it over. Have you ever heard of anything more ridiculous? You meet a Golden Retriever and you’re gonna think it over?? [laughter] BAM: That doesn’t work, does it?

BW: No, that was so ridiculous. So of course, my Pontiac came [home] with me.

BAM: Tell me about your connection with the zoo. How did that begin?

“

OH, MY PARENTS WERE BIG ZOO-OPHILES. ANY CITY WE’D GO TO, WE’D HIT THE ZOO FIRST. DAD HAD AN OFFICE IN SAN DIEGO, SO WE’D DRIVE DOWN THERE. HE’D GO TO WORK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND MOM AND I’D GO SPEND ALL DAY, BOTH DAYS, AT THE ZOO. JUST WANDERING AND IT’S ALWAYS CHANGING. BLESS THEIR HEARTS, THEY TAUGHT ME, ‘YOU DON’T RUN FROM ONE EXHIBIT TO THE OTHER AND SCREAM AND RANT AND RAVE,’ LIKE KIDS DO IN A ZOO. ‘YOU SIT THERE AND YOU JUST WATCH. WATCH THE INTERACTION – AND WATCH THE REACTION. PRETTY SOON, YOU LEARN A LOT FROM ANIMALS JUST BY OSMOSIS.’ spending countless hours with the animals, doing everything from feeding them to cleaning their cages. We met at what she calls her “second home,” the Los Angeles Zoo, as the warm Santa Ana winds were swaying the trees. She wore a light blue outfit, mirroring her clear blue eyes, which twinkled frequently with humor and enthusiasm.

BAM: When did your love of animals begin?

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

BAM: So many critters to pet, so little time!

BW: That’s right! I only have one now.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been down to one animal, but I lost my sixteen-year-old Shih Tzu, my ten-yearold Golden [Retriever] and my sevenyear-old Himalayan kitty all within two months of each other. I was devastated, as you can imagine. When they heard up at San Rafael Guide Dogs for the Blind that I’d lost [my Golden], they called and said, ‘Betty, we have a Golden here, a career-change Golden. www.belairmag.com

”

BW: Oh, my parents were big zooophiles. Any city we’d go to, we’d hit the zoo first. Dad had an office in San Diego, so we’d drive down there. He’d go to work for a couple of days and Mom and I’d go spend all day, both days, at the zoo. Just wandering and it’s always changing. Bless their hearts, they taught me, ‘You don’t run from one exhibit to the other and scream and rant and rave,’ like kids do in a zoo. ‘You sit there and you just watch. Watch the interaction – and watch the reaction.

Pretty soon, you learn a lot from animals just by osmosis.’

BAM: Of all the critters, which are your favorites?

L

BETTY WHITE: In the womb, [laughing] in the womb! My mother and dad were just as bad as I am.

They’d come home after a walk with a dog or a cat, and they’d say, ‘Betty, he

out of hands! You know, you can’t cover everybody at the same time.

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SPOTLIGHT BW: Oh! That’s like asking which one of your kids you like best – it’s tough.

BAM: I’ll accept your top ten?

BW: [Laughter] I always start to say elephants – no, gorillas. I really have a tough time with that. Those are the exotics. Of course, dogs and cats. I have a tough time with dogs and cats – I can’t tell between the two of them. And horses. I love anything with a leg on each corner. I really do. It depends on who I’m around. If I were sitting here with gorillas, then gorillas would be my favorite animal.

are. You try to maintain that young thing as long as you can. But there comes a breaking point where you begin to brag about it.

it so hard – but then the more she put on, the more it stayed there. So, I learned the lesson to take it off immediately and you feel better.

BAM: But you maintain the pace of a 20 year old.

BAM: Tell us about your first sitcom, the 1953 show “Life with Elizabeth.”

How long did it run?

BW: That is just being blessed with health and energy – and good looks!

BAM: How did your involvement with the LA Zoo begin?

BAM: You recently turned 88. How do you stay so young?

BW: Easy. You just hang out – and it goes by so fast! Seriously – I’m blessed with good health. That’s the whole difference, which gives you good energy.

And passion is the bottom line. I feel so sorry for people who don’t have some kind of passion. I think I don’t have time to find out all the stuff I want to know about. I am very fortunate. I don’t know where the breaking point comes.

In show business, at first you’d just as soon people don’t know how old you 44

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

BAM: You’ve done stage, screen, TV and radio.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETTY WHITE

BW: I was doing a show in 1970, called ‘The Pet Set.’ I would have a celebrity friend on and he’d bring his or her dog on. I’d write the show around that breed of dog or cat or whatever, and I’d show all the other varieties of that breed and the colors and the ages. We’d do an interview with the celebrity. But then I’d always have a wild spot. At that point, we had some animals from the zoo that we could bring on television. We had a baby gorilla and we had a baby chimpanzee that we brought on. I had elephants in the studio, I had a water buffalo in the studio. I had male and female fullgrown lions on the set. So that’s how I got involved with the zoo. I knew what I was doing – and they haven’t been able to get rid of me since!

BW: We did 195 of them. We did three segments per show, short anecdotes. It wasn’t a continuous thing. In syndication, they split them up into three – and they would make 15-minute shows. I think they’re still running in the Outback somewhere in Australia! That was the first time we went national – and the first time we went international.

It was a big thrill!

RUE MCCLANAHAN, BEA ARTHUR AND BETTY WHITE CUT IT UP ON “THE GOLDEN GIRLS.”

BAM: Clearly. But what about diet and exercise? What are your secrets?

BW: Animal lover that I am, my favorite foods are hot dogs and French fries. You can see I’m a health nut. As far as exercise, I have a two-story house and a very bad memory, so I’m up and down those stairs all day. ‘What’d I come up here for? Oh, I remember what it was,’ and then I go back down. I’ll tell you what I do weight-wise. I weigh myself every morning and if I go up a pound, I take it off immediately. One pound is a cinch to take off. Five pounds can very well become permanent and I don’t want to do that.

My mom had a very big sweet tooth. I didn’t inherit that, thank goodness.

She’d put on weight and she would fight www.belairmag.com

BW: Yes, I started in radio – doing crowd noises on “The Great Gildersleeve.’ They did two broadcasts a day for the [NBC] Red and Blue Networks. I’d do the early one. You’d say, ‘Merry Christmas’ and you’d get paid for it! I couldn’t believe it! And that’s when the first television spots came up. They were going to try this experimental TV thing, and Tom, Dick & Harry, three comedians, sort of like the Ritz Brothers, asked if I would be the girl behind the hotel desk in their show. Never play in a scene with three guys behind a desk when they have a feather duster! They had a duster and they’d keep dusting the desk. Well, they dusted more than the desk! They’d get me laughing and then I couldn’t stop!

BAM: Of all the media, which was most enjoyable for you?

BW: I loved the talk format, which was primarily what [my first show, ‘Hollywood on Television,’ in 1949] was, anyway. So I was very comfortable when I started with [Jack] Parr and with Merv [Griffin].

BAM: What were the best days for you?

BW: Mary – it had to start with Mary [Tyler Moore]. Grant Tinker, Mary’s

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SANDRA BULLOCK AND BETTY WHITE IN THE 2019 HIT COMEDY “THE PROPOSAL.”

husband at that point, and my [soonto-be husband] Allen [Ludden] were best friends. So when Allen and I started going together, the first people he took me to meet were Grant and Mary. Then when she was putting her show together [in 1970], we were very supportive, and when she went on the air, we’d go every week to the show and we’d sweat it out with them. Because it didn’t start off as a big hit – it was a scuffle. We worked very hard giving them moral support and finally it became a success and we knew all the people and we were all buddies and we saw each other all the time. One morning I got a call from the studio, asking if I would do a guest shot on the show. They had written this character, this Happy Homemaker. So, we did it – that was the show that Phyllis and I, her husband had driven me home and somehow, we didn’t get home until four o’clock in the morning because we had swerved to avoid hitting a dog and we had to go to an all-night body shop.

Phyllis was furious, [and Sue Ann 46

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

Nivens] the Happy Homemaker has put the chocolate soufflé in the oven and the oven door is open and we are fighting back and forth. Jay Sandrich, who was the director, said, ‘You can’t have the argument with this open oven door, and you are both too preoccupied. How are we going to do this?’ Kidding, horsing around with Jay, I kicked it closed with my knee. He said, ‘That’s it – that’ll do it!’ Well, the soufflé became very important then. I took it out and it had all fallen. I say, ‘My baby!’ After the show that night, [“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” creators] Alan Burns and Jim Brooks came over and said, ‘Don’t go too far away. We’ve got an idea for another show.’ That was a big thrill. We did the show on Friday night, and the next morning, the doorbell rang. Here are Mary and Grant with the soufflé pan filled with flowers and they said, ‘We’ve got several shows for you – now don’t leave town.’ Oh! Those are the moments that you just never get over!

BAM: What’s a typical month for you?

You are always working, it seems. www.belairmag.comwww.belairmag.com

BW: It depends. I did ‘The Proposal,’ then I did another Disney movie. We just finished, it’s called ‘You Again,’ with Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver. We had a good time. That will be out next September. I had never done soap operas, but I did a guest shot on ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ about a year ago. Well, they just wrote another story arc for me. I said, ‘I don’t have time!’

But they made it so tempting, and being a ham actress, make it tempting enough, and writing good enough stuff – so I just did a week of that, five days.

It just keeps you busy, and I love it. You never know, the typical actor syndrome, the minute you finish a job, you’re never gonna work again. But it’s a lovely business. It’s like living in a small town. Wherever you go, you run into somebody that you’ve worked with. Or you go on a new set and somebody will say, ‘Hey, Betty, we worked together on such-and-such!’ Or you’ll walk into the market, and people are so nice, they greet you like a member of the family.

It’s a great business. BAM

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TRAVEL

The

mona

lisa by SCOTT LUND

code

CREATIVITY TRAVEL

Leonardo da Vinci — the original Renaissance man — was a skilled scientist, inventor, mathematician, anatomist, architect, musician, cartographer, writer and painter. His most famous work, the “Mona Lisa,” has been a source of fascination and debate for nearly five hundred years.

Who was Mona Lisa? Why did da Vinci take 16 years to paint her? And why did he keep her constantly with him until his death? Scott Lund, an accomplished pianist, writer and student of forgotten history, several years ago turned his attention to the “Mona Lisa.” With incisive research and his knowledge of ancient symbolic language, he has unlocked the Mona Lisa Code. Lund is now writing “The Janus Code,” a book about this work, and is producing a multi-media exhibit about da Vinci’s secret symbolism. Bel-Air Magazine is proud to print Lund’s first article about the Code. For more information, visit www.scottlund.com.

A

FTER

CENTURIES

OF

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Janus, the Roman god with two faces.

The “Mona Lisa” can now clearly be seen through the inner workings of da Vinci’s own mind. These conclusions are based upon da Vinci’s writings, a hidden code within the painting’s name and obvious symbolic interpretations.

One belief that especially intrigued da Vinci was the manifest idea that a BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE

speculation and misinterpretation, the astonishing riddle of Leonardo da Vinci’s ”Mona Lisa” is solved here for the first time. The world's most famous work of art is not the portrait of a mortal woman; it is the revelation of a

single heavenly soul divided between two earthly bodies.

“Mona Lisa” is a female-male soul representing the paradox of beginning life. To achieve his ingenious vision, da Vinci fused the heresy of a pagan god to the Christian mystery of human genesis. He expressed divine conception through the dualistic symbolism of

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CREATIVITY UPPER LEFT: ORIGINAL “MONA LISA” WITH LOCATION OF PARTIAL PILLAR BASES IN RED. UPPER RIGHT: THE ISLEWORTH “MONA LISA” WITH PILLARS. BOTTOM LEFT: SKETCH OF “MONA LISA” WITH PILLARS BY RENAISSANCE PAINTER RAPHAEL. BOTTOM RIGHT: WALTERS MUSEUM COPY OF “MONA LISA” WITH PILLARS

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

Most revealing is the anagram I deciphered that occurs when the letters of MONA LISA are rearranged into the Latin words ANIMA SOL. This translates literally as “Soul/Sun god.”

Sol was the pagan god who eventually became the Sol Invictus (Invincible Sun) of Christian Emperor Constantine.

But the Sun god had an intriguing origin. Sol had evolved from the more archaic god Janus.

Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, is credited with being the first to worship Janus, and thereafter Janus was considered first in importance before all their other gods. As the god of “new beginnings,” Janus functioned well as www.belairmag.com

L

mother and her unborn child had to share a single soul. Da Vinci wrote explicitly on that very subject, and his attempts to understand the shared-soul mystery were likely at the heart of his exploratory autopsies of fetuses and wombs.

Da Vinci’s apparent artistic challenge to himself was not to paint an ordinary human body but, rather, the awesome wonder of a celestial soul in the midst of its sacred life-giving act of splitting into two separate souls. By using the duality of the god Janus as his inspiration, da Vinci developed a clever and uniquely suited theme for painting two corporeal bodies as one metaphysical entity.

the appropriate overseer for the inception of life, and the Romans never began any endeavor without invoking his name.

Janus was often characterized as one head with two bearded faces looking in opposite directions. While the dual nature of Janus was clear, his virile representations belied the fact that he was essentially a god that was one-half female. This feminine side found expression through the goddess Jana – his less-conspicuous namesake.

While seemingly a masculine god, Janus had an ambiguous sexual persona that likely resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s view of himself, thus making an attractive metaphor for him to use.

Considering its associated meaning, the ANIMA SOL anagram can be faithfully interpreted as “the soul of Janus.”

Because the anagram so clearly defines da Vinci’s intent, it is now self evident that he was the first to call his painting the “Mona Lisa,” not his biographer Vasari. With the meaning of Janus hidden within the “Mona Lisa” name, da Vinci apparently intended to fool not only the eyes of the uninitiated, but also their ears.

The symbolic meaning of the “Mona Lisa” makes complete sense once the viewer sees the painting as a twofold composite of a single hermaphroditic soul. The right side of the painting represents an expectant mother, and

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CREATIVITY the left side of the painting represents a male fetus. (Because the figure faces the viewer, its right side is male and its left, or sinister side, is appropriately female.)

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HE REASON THE FIGURE OF THE

“Mona Lisa” has no eyebrows, nor even eyelashes, is because facial hair is preempted by the unborn child. For the same reason, da Vinci painted the facial structure in such a way that there is no indication that any teeth might exist behind the enigmatic smile.

The way the hands are depicted is most telling. The plump right hand dominates the more feeble left hand grasping the end of the armrest. This symbolizes the separate entities of a robust male fetus that gains vitality at the expense of a mother suffering the pain of childbirth.

The stormy waters of pregnancy are seen in the ominous lake depicted in the background on the left side of the painting. From the lake there winds a road bordered with blood-red color that evidently symbolizes an umbilical cord.

All around there are surreal rock

TYPICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE GOD JANUS ON COINS.

formations, including jagged protuberances that could never have seen the erosive effects of weather and time.

Da Vinci masterfully painted that half of the landscape in a way that depicted the raw and untempered nature of an unborn child.

In contrast, the right side of the picture — the side representing the mother — is calm and pastoral, with a bridge providing a link to civilization.

The horizon on the right side is higher than that on the left, signifying the superiority of the mother. Her superiority is also seen in the dominance of the left side of the face. As a soul would 56

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

presumably wear no jewelry, so we see that the figure in the “Mona Lisa” also wears none — not even a wedding ring.

Da Vinci took years to paint the “Mona Lisa” because he used a painstaking technique called sfumato that required the application of thousands upon thousands of tiny dots of color. This resulted in a glowing, otherworldly effect befitting the depiction of a heavenly soul. The incredible amount of time required, and the fact that da Vinci never parted with the painting, make it obvious that it was never a commissioned portrait for a wealthy married woman. The woman identified as Lisa Gherardini most likely modeled to provide the female aspect for the painting.

Extremely important, and usually overlooked by the viewer, are two partial pillar bases on either side of the central figure. There are four historic copies of the “Mona Lisa” by other painters that all depict a pair of complete stone columns. This suggests that the original painting eventually had its sides trimmed off. Not only do two pillars support the overall theme of biformity, but they create the basis for “the primary symbol of the god Janus — an arch!”

Janus was considered by the Romans to be the god of all doorways, gates and arches. The Latin word for door (janua) was derived from his name, and all triumphal arches were built as his representation.

At the very center of the Roman Forum there once stood the Temple of Janus. It was a passageway with arched entrances at both ends flanked by columns. That temple was certainly da Vinci’s inspiration for the architectural setting of the “Mona Lisa,” where we behold his ethereal figure seated in a passage in front of a columned arch.

There has been speculation that da Vinci's homosexual assistant of 25 years, Salai, is somehow incorporated into the “Mona Lisa.” Within the context of Janus symbolism, it seems www.belairmag.com

CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE TWO-FACED GOD JANUS WITHIN HIS PRIMARY SYMBOL – AN ARCH.

probable. It would be just like da Vinci to add yet another layer of complexity to his painting. The letters of MONA LISA can also be reassembled into MON SALAI, which means “my Salai” in French.

Certain features of the “Mona Lisa” do resemble both da Vinci and Salai, and it is quite possible that da Vinci fused his own likeness with that of his life partner, whom he considered to be his “other half.” The necessary female aspect of the twin-gendered god could have been achieved by adding features from Lisa Gherardini.

With the probable presence in the painting of Salai, Lisa Gherardini and da Vinci himself — I have little doubt that the “Mona Lisa” represents da Vinci’s ego as a self-loving woman. BAM © 2010 Scott Lund. Used by permission.

THE AUTHOR, SCOTT LUND.

Perfection WELL-TRAVELED TRAVEL

by JENNY PETERS

in Paso Robles

Wending along the scenic hilly roads that meander through the Paso Robles wine district, it’s easy to see why more than 180 wineries call this place home. Dappled sun peeks through the tall trees, horses graze in paddocks and a rural calm envelops you as you roll along and stress just melts away. And this topnotch AVA (American Viticultural Appellation) is much closer than Napa or Sonoma, just a few hours’ drive up the 101 Freeway.

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AVA and Justin and Deborah Baldwin’s beautiful property on the map back in 2000, when it was named one of The Wine Spectator’s Top Ten wines in the world.

That acclaim made Paso Robles a true contender in the world of top-flight wine areas, and the justreleased 2007 vintage of Isosceles lives up to that pedigree, a lush, soft, immediately drinkable blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with deep berry flavors, touched with a hint of vanilla and a whiff of tobacco. And there’s much more to Justin than that award-winning red. In business since 1981, Justin (www.justinwine.com) also grows a wide variety of grapes, including Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Tempranillo, bottling all to worldwide acclaim.

THE PRETTY ENTRANCE TO THE JUSTIN WINERY AND INN NESTLED IN THE HEART OF PASO ROBLES.

part of those festival scenes, sometimes pouring their famed Isosceles red blend.

Their winery is in a lovely spot, and boasts a charming 4-suite luxury inn that is the perfect base camp for a festival – or any other – weekend. And it’s a place filled with history, as their 2004 Isosceles put both the Paso Robles www.belairmag.com

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place for a quick weekend getaway, especially on those special weekends when the region’s Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance joins together for celebrations. Their Zinfandel Festival always takes place on the third weekend in March, the Paso Robles Wine Festival is always the third weekend in May and the Harvest Wine Weekend happens every year in October. At the festivals, which are usually centered around the charming berg’s Downtown City Park, the region’s highly regarded wineries pour their current and reserve wines and local eateries serve up their tasty fare.

Naturally, Justin Winery, Paso’s most renowned producer, is an integral

PHOTO BY JENNY PETERS

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THE LOVELY ROLLING HILLS OF THE PASEO ROBLES AVA.

B ALDWINS HAVE taken running a successful winery operation to a whole different level, adding a fine-dining restaurant, Deborah’s Room, to their picturesque tasting room and inn. There Chef Will Torres creates organically driven, seasonally changing dinners nightly, and serves up luncheon on their shaded grape-arbored patio; they also host an ongoing Guest Chef Dinner Series, featuring the best culinary artists working in North America today. From famed The French Laundry toque Thomas Keller to the recent Wine Festival-related dinner featuring Chef Justin Ermini of Connecticut’s Relais & Chateaux Mayflower Inn & Spa, the winery annually hosts five special dinners, paired (naturally) with their luscious wines.

Stay at the Justin Inn and dine in Deborah’s Room, but make sure to leave an evening for a trip to Artisan, one of Paso Robles’ top dining spots located right off the city park square. Brothers Chris (he’s the chef, formerly of Roy’s in San Francisco and Brix in Napa) and

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Michael (the general manager and former L.A. music executive) Kobayashi put big-city living behind them to bring innovative Contemporary American cuisine to the Central Coast. Taking

PHOTO COURTESY OF RON BEZ PHOTOGRAPHY

I

N ADDITION , THE

advantage of the numerous farms and ranches that dot the area, Chef Kobayashi uses sustainable and organic produce and hormone-free meats, www.belairmag.com

poultry, and fish in his delightfully fresh dishes. The Pan Roasted Halibut is a work of art on the plate, then it explodes with delicately melded flavors and textures (lobster risotto, cippollini, and caramelized fennel) combined into a truly wonderful whole.

And don’t miss visiting some of the other top-notch Paso Robles wineries, who boast beautiful tasting rooms with highly rated quaffs, including L’Aventure (try the Optimus 2007), Silver Horse (the 2006 Big Easy blend is a keeper) and Halter Ranch, whose Bordeaux- and Rhone-style varietals prove that you do not have to be European to make exemplary Old World wines.

Make sure to stop at Niner Wine Estates, whose gorgeous tasting room has just opened in May. Try their delicious 2005 Fog Catcher from Bootjack Ranch, a red blend filled with dark fruit, spice and oak.

So whether you visit Paso Robles for one of their yearly special events or simply take a road trip there one sunny weekend, you’ll discover a close-by California wine region that rivals the best that NoCal has to offer. BAM

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PROFILE TRAVEL

MitraAhouraian: A Bel-Air Resident Gives Back

by DIANE SILVER

Ask her about living in Bel-Air and Mitra

Ahouraian will extol the elegance, exclusivity and the sense of entering a sanctuary when going through the gates. But she also says, “The people here have a sense of accomplishment.” And, by that standard, this accomplished woman is in the right place.

I

1979, SHE WAS WITH HER mother Manijah and her two brothers on a visit from their home in Iran with relatives in Los Angeles.

Her physician father had stayed at home. While they were here, the Shah was overthrown.

Ahouraian recalls, “When that happened my dad had to close up everything and move here with us. My mom only had the two suitcases she had brought for vacation. In the early years there was a lot of hope we could go back. But we’re Bahá’ís and there’s a black list. Bahá’ís there are imprisoned for their [religious] beliefs.”

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL CAULFIELD

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MITRA AHOURAIAN PLANS TO HELP PEOPLE IN HER NATIVE IRAN THROUGH A FOUNDATION HONORING HER FATHER. www.belairmag.com

The family settled in Bel-Air and Mitra went to elementary school at University Elementary School at UCLA, to Paul Revere Junior High School and to Marymount High School. The latter, though she’s not Catholic, proved to be a positive experience. “It was good that there was a dialog about religion in high school. I believe that all of our ills today are spiritual. The problem right now is that there’s no mainstream dialog about religion or spirituality. It was cool to be in a high school that had religious courses. You learn and it makes you more open.”

At UCLA she studied premed. “I’d dreamed of being a doctor my whole life. But, in my third year my father had a stroke and took ill. My life was changing rapidly and we didn’t know what was going to happen. It would take ten years to become a physician and ten years is a big commitment.”

So, with a BS in psychobiology, Ahouraian enrolled in Loyola Law School and, after graduation, she worked in business litigation, intellectual property and corporate law.

A specialty program in entertainment law at UCLA followed. She served as General Counsel to Phoenix Books and their subsidiaries. There she worked with book and audio-book publishing agreements, among them with authors including Carl Reiner, Bill Maher, Governor Rod Blagojevich, Jim Moret and Gene Simmons. Today she is with Linzer and Associates.

Now, she’s helping some friends start a record label. “I have the blessing,” Ahouraian explains, “of having a tool that helps people realize their dreams. I can set up a corporation, work out financing — all the legal issues from beginning to end. I am so grateful I can do that.”

When not working Ahouraian has a full-to-bursting life. “I read,” she says, “usually business books but I’ll read anything as long as it’s well written.

Now I’m reading Malcolm Gladwell. I also go to events and concerts, I work 32 64

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out a lot and I take ballet and salsa lessons. Most important, I spend a lot of time with my friends.”

Asked to describe these friends, she’s very quick to say, “My closest friends have always been incredibly smart, incredibly sexy women who have great heart, can do anything and who don’t take the MANIJAH AND DR. KEIKAHOSROW AHOURAIAN easy way out.”

Ahouraian’s father died three years to do what we want to. Anything I’ve ago and she moved back into the put my mind to I’ve done well at. It’s a function of fostering interests. If you’re Bel-Air home where she grew up.

If, by the way, we learn a great deal interested in something and motivated about values in the home, then her to do it, you probably can. I do my work in the spirit of service, which I learned I HAVE THE from my parents. My challenge is to be BLESSING OF HAVING of service and to do good in this world as an attorney.”

A TOOL THAT HELPS In terms of being of service and PEOPLE REALIZE doing good, Ahouraian discusses a THEIR DREAMS. I project that is very meaningful to her.

“In Iran my father practiced internal CAN SET UP A medicine, general and pediatric surgery.

CORPORATION, WORK In L.A. he had a family practice. He OUT FINANCING — ALL was so passionate about what he did that he was a real example for me. I THE LEGAL ISSUES began volunteering with the Los FROM BEGINNING TO Angeles Childrens Hospital and now I END. I AM SO am setting up a foundation that will honor the way my father lived his life.

GRATEFUL I CAN “One part of the mission of the Dr. DO THAT. Keikahosrow Ahouraian Foundation is mother Manijah has been an excellent to provide scholarships to students in role model. “My mother,” she says with Iran who want to study medicine — in palpable pride, “is working on her particular Bahá’í students who are desecond Ph.D. She has a doctorate in nied access to education. We will also sociology and this one is in psychology. fundraise for research and, perhaps, for In Iran she was president of the an individual’s medical needs.”

Clearly ready for any challenge life women’s organization founded by Empress Farah Pahlavi. She was a may bring her or any challenge she may leader in the fight for women’s rights. choose to undertake, Mitra Ahouraian That is one of the reasons we couldn’t says, “I love learning and always want to learn. My biggest fear would be not go back to Iran.”

It was surely growing up with such knowing what I want.”

It seems unlikely that she has anya role model that taught Ahouraian her belief that, “each of us has the capacity thing whatsoever to fear. BAM

“

”

www.belairmag.com

PHOTO COURTESY MITRA AHOURAIAN

PROFILE TRAVEL

LEAHDEVORA’S UNIQUEVISION ofLOSANGELES CREATIVITY TRAVEL

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by DIANE MAARTEN

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eah Devora sees ghosts. No, not the kind you read about in scary stories. She sees what she calls the “Ghosts of Los Angeles,” reminders of a past time in a city where so much has happened and so much is lost. e Devora brings to her art to all the places she’s lived. In an artist’s statement, she wrote that from the south — Miami and Atlanta — come her landscapes. The “raw, gritty and rather honest” New York cityscape inspired what she says is her “moody, weighty” art. Chicago is seen in more expressionistic work and San Francisco more conceptually based work. e Her path in art has not been a direct one. She recalls, “My father was an artist so I grew up with it and took lessons when I was ten. After high school in Atlanta I went to the University of Maryland. I always wanted to be a fashion designer so I transferred to Parsons School of Design in New York.

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www.belairmag.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LEAH DEVORA

ARTIST

“BABYLON,” A PORTRAIT OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR FROM THE “ICON” SERIES. MIXED MEDIA, OIL PAINT, GRAPHITE AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON CANVAS. www.belairmag.com

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE

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CREATIVITY

[LEFT] “SCRAQBBLE,” FROM THE “GAME BORED” SERIES. MIXED MEDIA, OIL PAINT, GRAPHITE AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON CANVAS.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LEAH DEVORA

[RIGHT] “NOT GUILTY,” A PORTRAIT OF SHARON TATE FROM THE “CONTROVERSY” SERIES. A LIMITED EDITION IS

B

“

AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

UT

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DECIDED THAT WAS NOT

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“

www.belairmag.com

”

going to rent it out and stay where I was living in San Francisco. Then I got an L.A. gallery to represent me. So it was difficult to do business long distance.

And, since I had the opportunity with art in Los Angeles and I didn’t in San Francisco, I moved. When I first moved here I was bored and depressed. I was so uninspired.”

Devora begins composing her work on the computer. “I use a digital oilpainting program and combine it with traditional oil paint, newspaper articles and photography. Each painting is a time capsule and I strive to capture the decade associated with each motif I use.”

Talking of her process, she adds, “When I create my art and ideas I’m alone with my computer. I never thought of myself as photograph a painter. byjaneI’ve byja thought as myself of higginsphotograph a mixed-media nehigginsph otogr ap h artist — graphic art meets fine art. I byjane higginsp layer images like I’m doing a collage. hotograph byjane hig It’s like creating puzzles. I often work

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the right path for me because it doesn’t combine design and art. I began to do more sculpture-type things and moved into fabric and textile design and began a hand-painted clothing business with graphics on clothes. I did that for eight years and then worked three years in the music business. Finally, I went to Pratt Institute and got an MFA.” In Los Angeles for six years, Devora’s take on the city is different from most. “I’ve always thought L.A. was haunted. I have a strong sense of ghosts, dead energy and a strong sense of déjà vu. Even with the sun, this is one of the gloomiest cities I’ve ever been in.

Los Angeles is a dichotomy. You have, for example, the beautiful kitsch of the Chateau Marmont across the street from a peepshow.”

She moved to L.A. because she bought a condo in Los Feliz. “I was

I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT L.A. WAS HAUNTED. I HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF GHOSTS, DEAD ENERGY AND A STRONG SENSE OF DEJA VU. EVEN WITH THE SUN, THIS IS ONE OF THE GLOOMIEST CITIES I’VE EVER BEEN IN. LOS ANGELES IS A DICHOTOMY. YOU HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL CHATEAU MARMONT ACROSS THE STREET FROM A PEEPSHOW.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LEAH DEVORA

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“MARILYN,” A PORTRAIT OF MARILYN MONROE, PART OF THE “GHOSTS OF HOLLYWOOD” SERIES. OIL AND MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS AND WOOD.

from photos and use traditional paint to finish them.”

So it was natural that she first discovered L.A. through the lens of her camera. “I entertain myself that way. I began photographing shopping carts. I was fascinated by the positions in which they were left on the sidewalks — like dead bodies. I thought, ‘Let’s make a painting out of shopping carts.’”

There are also words in much of Devora’s art. “I write short stories and that’s why there are words in my art. I like to tell stories.”

Her work has been used on the sets 72

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

of “Entourage,” “E.R.,” “Without A Trace,” “The West Wing” and “Six Feet Under” and has been exhibited at the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, as well as other venues in cities across the country. It’s been collected by prominent individuals (including David Bowie) and major corporations.

“There’s a lot of money spent on art in Los Angeles — more than in New York and San Francisco,” she notes.

When not working, Devora travels and spends time with her three rescue dogs, Fred, Ethel and Little Ricky. (Lucy died a year ago.) She www.belairmag.com

says she was fostering them and she fell in love. Devora does not anthropomorphize them, saying, “I like them because they are dogs, not humans. I am an animal-rights person and a vegetarian.”

All that Leah Devora sees, photographs, writes and thinks about is expressed in her art and that art — with images of the familiar, of pop culture, board games and film — is accessible to most people. But it is also, like the process of creating it, layered, fresh each time it is viewed and ceaselessly interesting. BAM

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PHOTO BY GLEN DAVIS/LAND ROVER

THE ENTRANCE TO THE BILTMORE HOUSE, WHERE GUESTS CAN ENJOY A DAY OF DRIVING AT THE LAND ROVER EXPERIENCE.

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175,000 SQUARE FEET, BILTMORE HOUSE was, and still is, the largest private home in the United States. I was invited to spend two days there. The invitation was extended by Land Rover because, as part of my trip, I was going to take lessons at the Land Rover Driving School that is located on the property.

Biltmore House was designed by archi-

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tect Richard Morris Hunt — whose designs also include the Great Hall of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art — and the grounds by Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park. Vanderbilt’s idea was to recreate the working estates of Europe. Construction took six years, more than 11 million bricks and 1,000 construction workers. The floor space of the

250-room house takes up four acres and features 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces and a four-story spiral staircase that has 102 steps. Biltmore House opened on Christmas Eve, 1895.

When I arrived, it was just in time to catch the remnant of a hurricane and it poured constantly during the whole trip.

But the rain could not dampen my spirits

It is a world that lives today only in history books or at some historical sites, a world of unimaginable wealth that was used to build homes of unparalleled luxury. It was the world built by the relatively few families who amassed our nation’s first industrial fortunes. Of these, the most prominent was the Vanderbilts. And, of that family, the greatest display of what that money could buy circa 1895 is Biltmore, the summer estate — the “little mountain escape” — built by George Washington Vanderbilt in Asheville, North Carolina.

by RICK AMOR

BILTMORE

VANDERBILT’S

ELEGANT ESTATE, EXCITING DRIVING:

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

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A REAL ESTATE or enthusiasm for what I was seeing.

Our small group of journalists stayed at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, a very nice hotel nearby. As much as we would have liked to, today no one – not even the Vanderbilts who now own Biltmore – stays in the house.

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NE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

A THREE-MILE DRIVEWAY BRINGS YOU TO THE MAGNIFICENT FRONT ENTRANCE OF BILTMORE HOUSE.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILTMORE

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BILTMORE

trip was my group’s private, candlelight tour of the house.

Our tour guide, Chris Connolly, was incredibly knowledgeable. In fact, the entire staff was perfect. Rick King, another staffer who’d started there as a high-school student, is still at Biltmore 40 years after graduation.

Visitors can see all four floors and the basement of Biltmore House. The interior is absolutely stunning, breathtaking. It’s the height of elegance. I was totally taken by its grandeur and opulence. Among the many antiques and works of art on display are Napoleon’s chess set, portraits by John Singer Sargent, two Renoirs, 16th-century Flemish tapestries and a Dürer woodcut. In the library I saw 10,000 of the 23,000 books Vanderbilt amassed. There was even art in the servants’ quarters!

I was really surprised at the modern conveniences that were original to the house. For example, there was an elevator with its still-operational original engine, as well as generators, hot-water heaters, clothes washers and dryers. It was apparent that the Vanderbilts enjoyed a singular lifestyle for their time.

As much care was taken with the design of the grounds as was taken with the house. When you enter the property through the gates, you follow a serpentine three-mile road up to the house; it serves to build up your anticipation of the entire adventure. There are different species of plants and trees in a group of gardens — the Italian Garden, the Walled Garden, the Azalea and Spring Garden and a conservatory. The grounds also feature an equestrian center, bridle paths for horseback riding and carriage rides and even an area where visitors

EDITH VANDERBILT'S BEDROOM WAS DECORATED WITH SILK AND CUT VELVET. [INSET] THE 102-STEP GRAND STAIRCASE IS LIT BY A CHANDELIER WITH 72 ELECTRIC BULBS. www.belairmag.com

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BILTMORE BILTMORE HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 1894.

can learn to ride a Segway — the one activity I looked forward to but was prevented from doing by the rain.

Antler Hill Village — named for the ridge where the Inn on Biltmore Estate is located — is a recent Biltmore addition, a quaint village that is a bridge between past and present. Visitors can check out the Biltmore Legacy (featuring historical exhibits), a pub (one of several restaurants on the property) and a winery. I was able to sample the Red Wine & Chocolate experience in the winery and was sorry I had to leave to get ready for dinner. It was quite a treat.

Biltmore (www.Biltmore.com) is supported solely by donations and visi8232BEL-AIR BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY MAY/JUNE

tors to the property. Last year, there were more than a million visitors and, of those, 60,000 are seasonal passholders.

Of course, my Biltmore trip was courtesy of Land Rover and their driving school was an important part of the journey. The first time out, I was taken on a relatively easy ride so I could become familiar with the cars — the Land Rover 4, the Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover. We drove 6,578 feet up Mount Mitchell. Then I tested my skills at the Land Rover Driving Experience, their driving school on the Vanderbilt property retrofitted by Land Rover to teach any driver about off-road maneuvering; and it was quite a test! www.belairmag.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF BILTMORE

PHOTO BY GLEN DAVIS/LAND ROVER RICK QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THE LEAVES AND THE MUD MADE FOR A VERY CHALLENGING OFF-ROAD COURSE.

Remember, it was pouring that day.

Thus, “off-road” meant “through the mud.” I was instructed to let the car tell me the right thing to do. Sometimes, that “right thing” was counter-intuitive.

For example: there’s a rut in the road that the rain has transformed into a gully. The vehicle starts to slide into said gully. When that happens, instinct says to turn the wheel to stop the slide.

That is the wrong thing to do. You’re supposed to go with it. All the technology built into the car tells it what’s best to do. Head instructor Greg Nicholas and his staff instructors Warren Blevins and Darren Moore each clearly possess nerves of steel and the patience of a saint. It couldn’t have been easy but they helped me make it through.

The rain was inconvenient and the course was difficult, but the car went through every challenge with panache.

I’ve thought about getting a Land Rover and I came away from the experience wanting one even more. As I learned more about it, I developed a real level of confidence. The engineering is incredible. I believe they've engineered for every contingency and the driving school was great. Prices for the experience begin at $225; for more information go to www.landroverusa.com.

In the end, I realized that, despite the enormous construction cost, Biltmore is not just a monument to affluence. It is a place where people lived and entertained and, despite the fact that no one lives in the house any more, it is a place where people still have a lot of fun. BAM

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The Villa Montagano —SOLD Grand Italianate & Gardens

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THE PRIVATE ESTATES DIVISION Rodeo Realty’s Private Estates Division specializes in the needs of Sellers of high-end r esidential properties. Expertise, through market research, access to high end buyers, a fullystaffed marketing department and years of experience with exclusive listings have positioned us as acknowledged leaders in the premier luxury markets of Southern California.

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WELL-TRAVELED

THE ARIZONA BILTMORE’S BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS MAKE

PHOTO COURTESY ARIZONA BILTMORE

RELAXING HERE A BREEZE.

The Shimmering Jewel of the Desert

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Meanwhile, Albert’s younger brothers, Warren and Charles, found their way West to Phoenix. Both immediately fell in love with the climate and beauty of the desert. The brothers opened a Dodge dealership in Phoenix and soon owned 11 locations across the state. As their fortunes flourished, so did their love of the desert. They spent more and more time camping, until they realized that their excursions could be turned into a business venture.

Soon, they had customized two www.belairmag.com

by STEVE MILNER large Dodge trucks into early campers, with drop-down bunks on both sides.

They called them Wonder Busses – and they are credited with pioneering tourism in Arizona in the early 1920’s.

Visitors could hike by day and sleep under the stars at night in their elevated bunks. A staff cook provided all the meals, so it was a rather genteel form of roughing it.

Based upon the success of the tours, in 1924 the McArthurs decided to open an elegant resort hotel. They began to

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WEALTHY CHICAGO brothers named McArthur grew up in a house designed

by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The elder brother, Albert, was so inspired by Wright that he would study architecture at Harvard and train in Wright’s design studio before going into private practice. Like most of Wright’s students, Albert would follow the unique Wrightian style throughout his career.

HREE

WHEN THE ARIZONA BILTMORE OPENED IN 1929, IT WAS KNOWN AS THE JEWEL OF THE DESERT. e EIGHTY-ONE YEARS LATER, THE JEWEL STILL SHINES BRIGHTLY. e THE STORY BEHIND THE STUNNING HOTEL IS FASCINATING – AND SPRINKLED WITH FAMOUS NAMES.

STATEoftheMARKET

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HE LUXURY (OVER $2 MILLION) WESTSIDE — TRIANGLE COMMUNITIES

of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Post Office, Bel Air and Hancock Park showed dramatic signs of activity during the first quarter of 2010. A significant factor is that sellers have become much more realistic about value in the last year. The increased demand, in turn, has demonstrated a greater perceived value resulting in stronger buyer confidence.

The average days-on-market for the most recent properties in escrow has been reduced to approximately 100 days, and half of those properties received an accepted offer in less than 30 days. Additionally, three of these fast offers were properties in the $8 Million range. Another sign that buyers and sellers are more in sync is the fact that the sold price was within an average of 87% from the final list price and in Beverly Hills and Hancock Park, that figure averaged only 94% from the list price. The days of offering 25% or more below the list price seem to be over.

We are still experiencing market issues with financing and appraisals.

Most financial institutions, regardless of loan amount, tend to follow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines to make decisions. These programs are structured more for the lower end markets and have little applicability to our unique Westside markets. There are also problems with traveling appraisers that don’t understand our local market or are not current with our latest market trends.

Beverly Hills and Bel Air had the most significant increases in the over $2 Million category from a year ago. Even more extraordinary is the fact that the upper end, over $10 million sales, increased in all the Mid-Triangle areas with Beverly Hills and Bel Air (combined) having tripled the amount of sales. This increase is also a testament to the power of foreign buyers in our market. Beverly Hill Post Office and Hancock Park had a small decline in the number of sales but began the first quarter of 2010 with a strong sales record.

We anticipate a continuation of the same trends in the second quarter. Financing and appraisals will still be problematic. Interest rates have begun to rise in the last few weeks. The upper-end properties should continue their strong demand.

While there is no ‘business as usual’, at least there are signs that we are returning to a market that we can understand.

VP, Rodeo Realty Private Estates Division

APRIL / 2010 FIRST QUARTER*

PRICE RANGE Bel Air/Holmby Hills $2M—$5 Million $5M—$10 Million $10 Million & over Total Sales: Beverly Hills (City) $2M—$5 Million $5M—$10 Million $10 Million & over Total Sales: Beverly Hills (PO) $2M—$5 Million $5M—$10 Million $10 Million & over Total Sales: Hancock Park $2M—$5 Million $5M—$10 Million $10 Million & over Total Sales:

2010 2009 SOLD SOLD 4/9-4/10 4/8-4/9

NEW PEND.

32 8 11 51

37 6 2 45

6 0 0 6

58 22 10 90

45 22 5 72

14 3 0 17

31 5 5 41

45 5 3 51

8 0 2 10

30 0 1 31

34 6 0 40

8 1 0 9

MARCH / 2010 SALES REPORT* $2 MILLION & OVER BEL AIR / HOLMBY (5 Sales) $15M 616 Nimes Rd $13M 215 Strada Corta $9M 16405 Mulholland $5M 1239 Linda Flora $4M 2283 Weybridge BEVERLY HILLS (4 Sales) $7.5M 1170 Loma Linda Dr $2.8M 418 Elm Dr $2.6M 325 Camden Dr $2.4M 1802 Angelo Dr BEVERLY HILLS PO(2 Sales) $18M 1407 Benedict Canyon Dr $24.5M 2 Beverly Ridge Terrace HANCOCK PARK (6 Sales) $3.2M 414 Las Palmas $2.9M 501 Rossmore $2.9M 324 June St $2.7M 637 Lorraine $2.7M 611 Lorraine $2.4M 514 June St *Appx. List Prices Shown GREG MOESSER, Vice President of Rodeo Realty’s Private Estates Division.

He is a specialist in the international marketing of properties from $2 Million to over $20 Million.

For a confidential evaluation of your property please call 310-770-9014 or email at greg@laclassicestates.com.

* ALL INFORMATION FROM CLAW/MLS IS DEEMED ACCURATE BUT NOT GUARANTEED.

The luxury (over $2 Million) Westside —Triangle communities of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Post Office, Bel Air and Hancock Park showed dramatic signs of activity during the first quarter of 2010. A significant factor is that sellers have become much more realistic about value in the last year. The increased demand, in turn, has demonstrated a greater perceived value resulting in stronger buyer confidence.

by GREG MOESSER, ACA

WELL-TRAVELED

PHOTO COURTESY ARIZONA BILTMORE

The elegant hotel opened in early 1929. Just as their first tourist season began, the Stock Market crashed – and soon, the hotel was in financial trouble.

Again, Wrigley came to the rescue and ultimately became the sole owner. After the initial panic subsided, the Arizona Biltmore survived the Great Depression in style. It became popular with captains of industry, movie stars and royalty.

And every THE TEXTILE-BLOCK SYSTEM INSPIRED BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. American president raise money from their wealthy friends, has stayed there since it was built. including chewing gum magnate The hotel was sort of an elegant William Wrigley, Jr. They also invited dude ranch in the early days, with brother Albert to come west to design it. horseback riding, a cowboy singer crooning by the pool and another he architect decided he wanted buckaroo acting as doorman. However, to use Wright’s textile-block guests were required to dress formally system, in which building blocks for dinner. It was also the time of Prohiwere cast on site by using a mixture of bition, but the Biltmore’s wealthy clienthe soil from the excavation together tele was not to be denied liquor, so with concrete. The “Biltmore blocks” McArthur designed the exclusive that make up the façade of the hotel “Mystery Room” in the tower, where were designed by Los Angeles sculptor elite guests (men only) could smoke ciEmry Kopta. They were cast in two pieces that fit together to create an air space which provided insulation from heat, cold and noise.

Albert asked Wright if he would license the use of his system. Wright agreed for a $10,000 consulting fee.

When Wright came to Phoenix to see the project, he fell in love with the desert, too. Later, he would move his design studio and architecture school, Taliesen West, to nearby Scottsdale. Wrigley, too, was smitten and built a home nearby.

Construction began in 1928, but rising costs more than doubled the original $1 million estimate. Wrigley agreed to make up the difference, taking a larger WRIGHT’S, THE STUNNING FORMAL DINING ROOM ownership position.

AT THE ARIZONA BILTMORE.

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PHOTO COURTESY ARIZONA BILTMORE

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www.belairmag.com

gars and imbibe. The room was concealed behind a false bookcase, at the top of a narrow back staircase, accessed from the kitchen.

Today, the Biltmore is casually elegant. The beauty of the architecture and manicured grounds is breathtaking.

Lush lawns, majestic palms, blue pools and stunning design all converge at the base of nearby rocky peaks – all under the colorful Arizona sky.

The lobby is a shrine to the Wrightian style, with its sculpted block construction, built-in lighting, gorgeous stepped geometric lines and gold-leaf ceiling. There’s also a large backlit stained glass window designed by Wright, welcoming visitors near the entrance.

Resort historian Becky Blaine and her staff offer free history tours of the property a few times a week. There’s also a Historic Dinner Tour, a progressive series of courses served in a number of rooms. Tours of the Wrigley Mansion are available Wednesday through Saturday. The home also houses the elegant Geordie’s Restaurant.

A number of new buildings have been added to the Biltmore over the years. The most recent addition is Ocatilla, a hotel-within-the-hotel.

Named after Wright’s nearby design camp, the building incorporates a number of the Biltmore’s original design elements. Custom furniture, ceramic tile in the baths and backlit glass inserts in the headboards reflect the design of the original blocks.

There are two nice restaurants off the main lobby. Wright’s is the more formal dining room. Frank and Albert’s is a recent addition, with a more casual feel. Chef Conor Favre has created an innovative array of “Arizona comfort food” (think gourmet diner), from ingredients produced almost entirely in the Valley of the Sun. The Arizona Biltmore continues to delight visitors from around the world.

It’s truly a “Shimmering Jewel of the Desert.” BAM BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE

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DIVERSIONS

dream

cars A

by JENNY PETERS

PASTIME MANY OF

us have indulged in since childhood is choosing our dream car when a beauty zooms past and captures our imagination. As adults, there are always a plethora of fine vehicles to catch our attention, but none quite as dream fulfilling as the new Bentley Mulsanne or the Lamborghini Special Edition Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni.

Two very different cars, but both celebrating the renowned heritage of their brands.

The Mulsanne reflects the true love of W.O. Bentley, who founded the British company in 1919 and went on to achieve legendary wins racing his vehicles at Le Mans throughout the 1920s. The new Mulsanne, so named for the home of the famous tight turn in that race, is the company’s new flagship sedan that sports a massive twin-turbocharged, eight-speed V8. Designed to

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surround the driver in luxury, the Mulsanne is the ultimate in Bentley handcrafted design, built at the company’s famed factory located in Crewe, England.

Burnished wood trim, luxurious leather interiors and state-of-the-art electronics are just part of the car’s allnew design. The company’s design director, Dirk van Braeckel, explains.

“The team set out to create a sculpted form that blended classic Bentley heritage cues with modern lines.” That translates to a stiffer chassis and a better ride than previous Bentleys, without sacrificing the comfort that the brand has always represented.

The car has two new control systems, cam phasing and variable displacement, which combine to create a more fuel-efficient profile, including the vehicle’s ability to close off four of the engine valves while cruising, which creates maximum fuel economy. They also improve the torque, smooth out the acceleration and help reduce the sedan’s CO2 emissions. www.belairmag.com

The elegant new Mulsanne rolls off the factory floor this summer, with a base retail MSRP of $285,000. It will be locally available at the O’Gara Coach Company located in Beverly Hills (www.rollsroycebeverlyhills.com).

While some dream of the ultimate in a luxury sedan, others have a less practical fantasy. That’s where Automobili Lamborghini steps in, with their ferocious street-legal racecars that cannot carry the family, nor evan a single set of golf clubs or suitcases. No, Lamborghini’s muscle machines are made for one thing, and one thing only – driving.

Since the early days in the 1960s when Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to challenge fellow Italian Enzo Ferrari’s rule of the performance sportscar world, Lambos have captured the imagination of car lovers everywhere. He did so with the help of his main technician and test driver, Valentino Balboni, a soft-spoken man who recently found his own dreams fulfilled by the company he has been devoted to since 1967.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENTLEY www.belairmag.com

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named for me, I still cannot quite believe it,” Valentino Balboni admitted as we drove along the 10 freeway at 150mph in the Special Edition Gallardo that bears his name. “I keep saying, ‘Is that me?’ I am so proud of that. It has never happened before, that a worker, an employee of a car company gets a car named for him. Okay, we have Enzo Ferrari, but he’s the owner. But to have the Valentino Balboni label on a Lamborghini makes me really happy.”

His namesake is a beauty, and a purposeful throwback to the Lamborghinis of old. After decades of producing four-wheel drive vehicles, this 550hp Gallardo is a rear-wheeldrive monster.

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“After almost 18 years we decided to go back to two-wheel drive with this Gallardo. Going back to the original roots of Lamborghini and to offer this version definitely surprised people and requires a different driving attitude,” Balboni explained, then continued.

“You can drive the four-wheel drive Gallardo thinking of your business, being a little distracted, but still makes you feel like you are a professional. The two-wheel drive requires you be driving the car all the time. It’s a very human, smooth car to drive, but you have to pay attention and control the car, with your hands and your whole body. It’s for the driver that wants to have fun driving.”

“Fun” was an understatement, as Balboni handed over the reins of the sleek, racing-striped beauty to me. The rear-axle transmission is stiff and strong, yet supple enough to zoom along Pacific Coast Highway’s twists and www.belairmag.com

turns with nary a slip. The 10-cylinder, 6-speed engine sounds like a roaring beast as you punch the throttle and shift into high gear with the steeringwheel paddle shifters; once you settle in to a steady speed, it moves as sleekly as a lion through the trees. And no matter where you roam, this is a car that just grabs attention, even when zooming through the jungle of the slightly jaded car culture of Los Angeles. At O’Gara Coach, the vehicle retails for $245,890, and has golden wheels.

With only 250 of these limitededition sportscars made, the beautiful Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni that is the “link from the real beginnings of the company, from when Ferruccio Lamborghini began it so long ago” is a truly unique car that only a select few will ever lay claim to; I know I am still dreaming about that exhilarating drive. BAM

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SPOTLIGHT

SAXOPHONIST DAVE KOZ PLAYS AN EXQUISITE TUNE FOR CHARITY AS HE LAUNCHES HIS OWN LINE OF WINES AND GIVES ALL THE PROFITS TO THE STARLIGHT CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION.

by JENNY PETERS

w

INE AND JAZZ

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his mood-setting CDs. That is, until a friend had a brainstorm.

“A good friend of mine, Jaron Lowenstein, he’s a marketing genius, he came to me a little over a year ago with an idea,” Koz recalls. “He said, ‘You play all these wineries every year, wine and your music just seem to go together like a hand and glove. It seems like it would be cool if you came out with your own www.belairmag.com

brand of wine.’ My answer was, ‘What do I really know about wine?’ And he said, ‘Let’s just explore this and see what we can find.’”

It wasn’t as if Dave Koz needed more in his glass. The talented musician is the new co-host and bandleader of “The Emeril Lagasse Show” on cable television’s ION network; he hosts a daily radio show on the Smooth Jazz Radio

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have always been a perfect pairing, but for most of seven-time Grammy nominated and internationally beloved saxophonist Dave Koz’s life, that combination was purely social, unless the jazz playing happened to be from one of

PHOTO BY ANTHONY GOLSTON

tas tic !

SPOTLIGHT another of Dave Koz’s projects. “I host a cruise every year, and I was doing a wine-tasting event on the trip, which wasn’t even including my wine since it was sold out, but I mentioned the project,” Koz says, referring to the annual Royal Caribbean jazz cruise that he hosts.

“And there was this man, a guest on my cruise, who came up to me and said, ‘I really love this idea of you doing your wine. I want to try it, and if you ever want to take it to the next level, I’d love to be able to help.’ It turned out that he is Patrick Bradley, the president of Whole Foods! The thing that impressed him most – he said, ‘your audience and the Whole Foods customer is a natural fit, and the fact that this is something that is philanthropic, I think will resonate with our client base.’”

INCE KOZ’S FRIENDS AT WILSON Creek were too small to serve the needs of the larger-volume planned release into Whole Foods Markets in California, Arizona and Nevada, they “started again from scratch, looking for the right winery” in order to produce three wines under the Koz label: a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (retailing at $29.95), a Napa Chardonnay ($16.99), and an “El Dorado ‘Red Alto’ Blend” of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah (a Rhone-style blend for $16.99) from El Dorado county.

What they found was a winery and a winemaker that spoke to Dave Koz’s unique sensibilities. “We finally selected one called Vinum Cellars, which is run by this very charismatic winemaker, a young guy in his thirties named Chris Condos, who just reminded me of a musician, very creative and very improvisational and very passionate.”

The result is a trio of very smooth, drinkable wines, and a way for Dave Koz to give back to the world that has sustained him through his 20-year career. And to give back to the group that Koz has supported since 1993.

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PHOTO BY JANE HIGGINS

So in the fall of 2008, Koz and Lowenstein teamed up “with a small winery in Temecula County.” It is called Wilson Creek, “and we made 100 cases of Cabernet, did it really small, and spread the word that the proceeds of the sale would go to my longtime charity, the Starlight Children’s Foundation.”

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“The best thing about the whole thing, for me, is to be able to raise awareness for the Starlight Children’s Foundation (www.starlight.org). It is all about creating awareness and letting the public at large know of the unbelievable work that they are doing in easing the

PHOTO BY JANE HIGGINS

Network and a syndicated weekend show called “The Dave Koz Radio Show”; and he’s in the recording studio working on his thirteenth album, tentatively called “Hello Tomorrow.”

But when the 47-year-old musician thought a bit more about becoming a wine producer, he had his “ah-ha!” moment.

“I figured out that if we could make this a fully philanthropic thing, that would make it worth doing,” he recalls.

“Because I felt a little odd talking about my wine, but if I could talk about the wine and say, ‘Hey, if you buy a bottle, you not only will drink good wine, but you will do good as well,’ then I could really put my heart and soul behind it.”

pain and disorientation of families that have kids in hospitals for a long period of time.”

And when it is suggested that Dave Koz may have just taken the first step towards creating a charitable empire to rival that of the late Paul Newman’s amazing Newman’s Own food business, which to date has given more than $280 million to various charities, he just laughs.

“This ride that is my life has been beyond my wildest dreams and a big part of that is that it is always changing and the twists and turns, no matter where they lead me, are always enlightening,” Koz chuckles. “I do know that everything that I have put into the Starlight Foundation, I get back tenfold.

So I am happy to give back as much as I can.” BAM

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CREATIVITY TRAVEL

thelastwizard: ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE JACK ARMSTRONG

by ELLEN STERLING

Talking to painter Jack Armstrong is a singular experience. He’s a man who not only believes in magic, but who believes most of all in his own magic. His words tumble out quickly, falling one on top of another, in an effort to help the listener see his vision and share his dream.

OMAHA, HE RECALLS, “I’VE been painting since I was five.

When you do that you become a master. You don’t have to go to school.”

The journey to his home of the moment in Palm Springs has been an interesting one. He’s been friends with

B

ORN IN

FIREBIRD, OIL ON CANVAS,

Doris Duke, Liza Minnelli and, most important of all for his work, Andy Warhol. “Andy always told me,” he says, “that if you listen to somebody

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY JACK ARMSTRONG NARENDRA PATEL AND JACK ARMSTRONG

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else you’ll never discover yourself.

“We talked about painting a lot. He said that what I was doing was ‘magic.’

And he told me, ‘after I’m gone you’ll be the last wizard.’”

Today the wizard is very busy. He’s decided to do only 100 paintings. (He’s completed 91.) He has just published two books filled with his multi-million dollar works, “The Last Wizard” and “Cosmic Dream Museum.”

The print run is 100 copies of each and each will sell for $1,000.

Why only 100 paintings? “It’s an ephemeral thing,” he explains. “You have a limited amount of magic.”

Armstrong is painter of choice of architect Narendra Patel, a leader in the field of green architecture who has used his work in buildings including the carbon-neutral Net Zero Hotel in China. His paintings, “Dream Star #1” and “Primal Sun,” grace Patel’s Rancho Mirage headquarters In March, Armstrong’s ballet – story, sets and costumes – “Cosmic Firebird” premiered in Palm Springs.

He’s negotiating for film rights and will expand it for Broadway. And, in 2013 there will be “The Last Wizwww.belairmag.com

ard,” a film about a small boy who finds a magical gem. His story and works can also be seen in a documentary currently airing on Fine Arts TV Europe.

Describing his work – his oeuvre is online at www.jackarmstrongart.com – Armstrong says, “If Van Gogh came back today, had modern paint and came to Palm Springs, he’d paint like BAM me. I’m Van Gogh on steroids.”

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The Perfect DestinationWedding –

by ELLEN STERLING

A wedding nowadays can be just about whatever, and wherever, the bride and groom wish. It may be large or small, simple or extravagant, have a theme like the Renaissance or ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll, for example, or it may be a destination wedding in some exotic locale. The choices are limitless and, lucky for us here in Southern California, all of these choices — and more — are available a mere 300 miles away in Las Vegas.

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Now, you can go to Las Vegas and be instantly transported to other worlds.

Take, for example, Venice, a city you’ll find on the Strip at The Venetian Resort (www.venetianweddings.com), the spot where well over 1,000 weddings take place each year.

James Filtz, manager of the www.belairmag.com

Venetian’s weddings, says, “Most of our couples come here for the destination aspects of the Venetian. We get people from the U.K., Western Europe, China and other parts of Asia. In addition to the Venice experience — and people believe Italy is very romantic — they pick us for the luxury aspects of the property.”

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2009, APPROXIMATELY 93,000 weddings — first weddings — took place in Las Vegas. But, before you grimace at the thought of a Las Vegas wedding, you should know that this is not your mother’s Las Vegas wedding.

It’s a different Las Vegas from the city it was a decade or two back.

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BELLAGIO'S TERRACE OF DREAMS IS A BEAUTIFUL ONE.

PHOTO COURTESY THE BELLAGIO HOTEL

A WEDDING ON THE

BRIDAL

PHOTO COURTESY THE VENETIAN RESORT

TOSS A COIN IN THE FOUNTAIN TO WISH THE BRIDE AND GROOM HAPPINESS.

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SHORT OF BRIDE, GROOM AND WEDDING PARTY ACTUALLY TRAVELING TO VENICE, ITALY, THE WEDDINGS DESCRIBED HERE ARE SURELY “ONLY IN LAS VEGAS” EVENTS. AND OTHER HOTELS OFFER SIMILARLY SINGULAR EVENTS WITH CUSTOMIZED TOUCHES AND A WEDDING PLANNER FOR EACH. www.belairmag.com

”

Of course, as Filtz says, “Each wedding is designed for the couple. Our wedding coordinators service their own custom weddings and we offer a full range of in-house services — floral, photography, spa and catering.”

Short of bride, groom and wedding party actually traveling to Venice, Italy, the weddings described here are surely “only in Las Vegas” events. And other hotels offer similarly singular events with customized touches and a wedding planner for each.

For example, Renaissance-themed weddings can take place just about anywhere in the world. But only in Las Vegas can Renaissance romantics (or members of The Society for Creative Anachronism) have their wedding in a palace like those offered, complete with period dress rentals, at the medievalthemed Excalibur Hotel and Casino (www.excaliber.com).

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NCE THEY CHOOSE THE VENETIAN, the wedding couple still has decisions to make. Their ceremony may be held on the bridge that overlooks the Grand Canal and the Ponte al di Piazza. A chapel wedding is possible either indoors or outside on the Chapel Terrace that overlooks the gardens and the pool. The couple may choose to be married outdoors in the Venezia Courtyard or at one of the locations at the adjoining Palazzo Hotel.

The last choice for the ceremony location is, perhaps, the most unusual and the most spectacular at the Venetian. This is a Gondola Wedding on the Grand Canal.

[In September, Bel-Air Magazine and The Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino will award a Grand Canal wedding to the winner of our contest. For complete details and contest rules, see page 108.]

THE VIEW OF THE LAS VEGAS

PHOTO COURTESY THE VENETIAN RESORT

STRIP AS SEEN FROM VENICE.

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A WALK THROUGH THE VENETIAN'S MAGNIFICENT COLONNADE IS MEMORABLE.

PHOTO COURTESY THE VENETIAN RESORT

BRIDAL

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F THE HAPPY COUPLE PREFERS A PALACE TO A CASTLE (OR

even knows the difference) there are multiple choices at Caesars Palace (www.caesarspalaceweddings.com).

Caesars’ new Juno Garden offers an upscale daytime or evening wedding experience in a lush, private outdoor location boasting ornate Roman-style architecture. The venue also offers weddings in another garden and three chapels. The bride and groom may have Roman Centurions standing guard or the bride may be carried in on a litter, à la Cleopatra.

If Italy — ancient or modern — isn’t the couple’s cup of cappuccino, they may opt for Paris (www.parislasvegas.com) and be married outside at the top of the 50-story Eiffel Tower, on the observation deck, inside at the very Versailles-like chapel or at the outdoor wedding terrace. As at all the hotels, a broad selection of packages is offered.

The historic and legendary Flamingo Hotel and Casino (www.flamingolasvegas.com) has a lush, beautiful pool area where couples may be married in tropical splendor and the bride and groom may add a sand ceremony to their exchange of vows.

Sand (complete with a beach) is also a feature at Mandalay Bay (www.mandalaybay.com) where a long menu of plans and locations are available.

One of Mandalay Bay’s sister hotels, the gorgeous Bellagio (www.bellagio.com) offers couples chapel weddings but also offers a wedding on the Terrazza diSogno, the “Terrace of Dreams.” The venue overlooks a Tuscan-style landscape and a Mediterranean-blue lake with fountains.

Even with all of these options in hotels, there are still couples who will prefer a wedding in one of Las Vegas’ freestanding chapels. Wedding expert Joni Moss, of LV Wedding Connection (www.lvweddingconnection.com) plans everything from simple ceremonies to elaborate theme events. She’s aware that these chapels have been the butt of many jokes over the years, but points out, “there may be more flexibility for a wedding in a chapel, and the wedding party, in my experience, is always treated very well. And these chapels have changed so much over the past few years. They can be as nice as a hotel wedding or they can be really unusual.”

www.belairmag.com

THE VENETIAN FLORIST WORKS WITH THE BRIDAL COUPLE TO ACHIEVE FLORAL PERFECTION.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VENETIAN RESORT

PHOTO COURTESY THE VENETIAN RESORT

THIS GRAND CANAL WEDDING CAN BE YOURS.

Moss has arranged ceremonies in spectacular natural wonders, including the Grand Canyon, where the wedding party may travel to the canyon by helicopter, land in the bottom of the canyon and have champagne and appetizers or a light lunch. There are several other canyon locations on the West Rim. Or, closer to Las Vegas, couples may opt for an outdoor wedding; ceremonies can be held at Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire.

One of Moss’s favorites is the Little Wedding Chapel of the Flowers (www.littlechapel.com), family owned for 50 years. “They constantly change and upgrade the facility,” Moss says, “It is as elegant and beautiful as any other place.”

Another favorite, one she recommends for a more unusual Las Vegas experience is the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel (www.vivalasvegasweddings.com) because it offers “traditional and unusual themed weddings.” There are 32 of the latter, including Elvis-, Tom Jones- and Alice Cooperthemed weddings, or a Rock ‘n’ Roll Wedding with an “authentic” 1950s diner and a rockstar officiant.

In addition to weddings, just about every venue in the city offers ceremonies for both commitment and the renewal of vows (Moss even arranged one on the pirate ship at the Treasure Island Hotel, www.treasureisland.com).

In short, a Las Vegas wedding can transport the bride and groom to almost any location and back to several eras in time.

It is a destination wedding city that offers myriad destinations, easily making that dream wedding a reality. BAM

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

107

You can win the destination wedding of your dreams on the Grand Canal at the Venetian Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Please tell us in 250 words or less why you should win the wedding.

Full contest rules below: *This contest includes: CEREMONIA SUL ACQUA: • Exclusive use of our signature white wedding gondola • Personal event planner for ceremony and reception logistics • Custom-Created Bouquet and Boutonniere ($150 Value) • Gondolier to Serenade you after the wedding ceremony • Celebrant to perform the wedding ceremony CEREMONY ADD-ONS • Two-Night Stay in a Venetian Luxury Suite • One-hour photo walk about the property with 12 5x7 photos • One-hour limousine service to get your marriage license • Chocolate-covered strawberry turndown service RECEPTION PACKAGE: THIRTY (30) GUESTS MAXIMUM • Private use of the Venezia Concierge Lounge for up to 3 hours • Domaine Chandon Champagne Toast • Imported Cheese Display • Selection of Five Butler Passed Hors D’Oeuvres • Venetian Wedding Cake • Coffee, Tea, Decaf and Sparkling Fruit Punch TOTAL VALUE OF THE PRIZE IS $5,600.00 The wedding must take place by April 1, 2011 to meet our May-June 2011 issue deadline.

W BONUS PRIZE: The winners will be given 14 tickets to Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular.

*Contest does not include license/airfare/transportation to Las Vegas. Winners will be advised of the laws forgetting a marriage license in Las Vegas and will be responsible for obtaining theirs prior to the ceremony.

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS SEPTEMBER 30. 2010 WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY OCTOBER 10, 2010.

All entrants must be at least 21 years of age.

Acceptance of the prize indicates that the winning couple gives Bel-Air Magazine permission to photograph the wedding for coverage in the May-June 2011 issue. (These photos will be used for Bel-Air Magazine’s coverage of the wedding. They will be the property of Bel-Air Magazine but the wedding couple will get copies.)

Entry must include the full names and home town(s) of bride and groom and a phone number where they can be reached.

Your entry — the essay of 250 words or less telling us why you should win the wedding — must be submitted electronically to: wedding@belairmag.com

ENTREPRENEURS TRAVEL

of

THE

LAS VEGAS

HOLDS COURT IN L.A.

by ELLEN STERLING

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE

bors was singer Al Martino. But her parents weren’t wealthy by any measure. Her mother Ella ran a wholesale meat house and her father Martin worked at various businesses. While he was a cab driver in Philadelphia, he saw someone attacking “American Bandstand” star Dick Clark. The cabbie grabbed Clark, put him in the cab and sped away. Thereafter, he drove Clark to work every day.

In 1961, Martin Baskow left the driving business bought the Nine Thirty Nine Bar at 939 Market Street in Camden, NJ, a city as rough and impoverished as any inner city.

When she was in high school, Jaki Baskow danced on a local Philadelphia television show hosted by DJ Jerry Blavat.

There she danced to music by Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. She says she “just loved it.” Her dream was to be an actress. When she www.belairmag.com

was 16, that dream — along with her entire life — suffered a cruel blow.

On the morning of July 14, 1967, as he was opening his bar, Martin Baskow was robbed and murdered. The call came into police at 9:39 a.m. The killer had stolen about $200 but left a little money in his victim’s pocket — $9.39.

This was, of course, a devastating blow to the Baskow family. Despite intense police investigation — the first detective assigned to the case was former boxer Jersey Joe Walcott — the crime remains unsolved still today.

With the father she adored gone, Jaki Baskow graduated from high school, worked part-time for her mom, commuted to Manhattan to break into acting and went to college in Miami.

There, director Bob Fosse cast her in a small role in the film “Lenny.” But a car accident that left her hospitalized for months derailed that plan.

BASKOW & Associates, a company that provides clients worldwide with event and meeting planning — from weddings to international medical conferences — while seeing to all their needs in Las Vegas, books talent, casts films, television and commercials and has a speaker’s bureau. Thus, when Jennifer Lopez sang at the 60th San Remo Festival and a very graceful Mike Tyson danced on the Italian version of “Dancing with the Stars,” it was all her doing.

It is clear that Baskow is very successful. But how did it happen?

Family money? An inheritance? A wealthy investor? None of these.

Jaki Baskow went to high school in the high-end suburb of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where one of their neighHE OWNS

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JAKI BASKOW

“She knows everybody. For someone who doesn’t live in L.A., it’s amazing. And, of course, she knows everyone in Las Vegas.” The speaker is actor Kevin Sorbo and the “she” to whom he’s referring is Jaki Baskow, who was given the title of “Queen of Las Vegas” in a television series about the city. In 2009, In Business Las Vegas named her the most influential woman in Las Vegas Entertainment.

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Then, “I went with a friend to the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. We met a man named Bob Kane who told us he was opening a movie studio in Las PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JAKI BASKOW JAKI WITH KEVIN SORBO AND JOHN GRETSCH

Vegas. We went back to New Jersey and three months later packed and drove to Las Vegas. I wanted to act and I wanted to earn enough money to hire a private detective to find my father’s murderer.”

Arriving in Las Vegas in March, 1976, it quickly became apparent that there was not going to be a movie studio in the city. Kane left for L.A. when he sold a script for a film version of his comic-book creation, “Batman.”

Baskow’s friend also went to L.A. “I was left in Las Vegas with no job,” Baskow recalls. “I saw an ad seeking a temp secretary and applied. That’s how I went to work for Telly Savalas.

He talked me into opening a talent agency. I thought, ‘why not?’ After awhile I wanted to make a better living so I started doing event planning. It was a gamble, but I had nothing to lose.”

Through hard work, luck and intelligence her business took off, assisted by an introduction to Frank Sinatra, who sent some work to her. In the 34 years PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JAKI BASKOW JAKI WITH JON BON JOVI

32 BEL-AIR 110 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

since, she’s worked with seemingly everyone and, it being Las Vegas, there have been interesting encounters with people. These include a serial killer, assorted connected types, and a breathtaking range of talented people.

As her company grew, Baskow remained sharply conscious of the fact that her father’s killer was never brought to justice. In Florida for a charity event, she was introduced to police lieutenant Joe Schillaci of the A&E show “The First 48.”

He says, “I was fascinated by her spirit. She had me at ‘hello’ and then talked about her father. He was her world, the rock of the family. She’s willing to give up everything for answers.

That spoke volumes to me about the

“

ON THE MORNING OF JULY 14, 1967, AS HE WAS OPENING HIS BAR, MARTIN BASKOW WAS ROBBED AND MURDERED. THE CALL CAME INTO POLICE AT 9:39 A.M. THE KILLER HAD STOLEN ABOUT $200 BUT LEFT A LITTLE MONEY IN HIS VICTIM’S POCKET — $9.39.

”

person she is.”

In 2006 Martin Baskow’s case was reopened by Jim Pisano, a detective in the Camden District Attorney’s office.

Schillaci is consulting on the case.

Meanwhile, living by a philosophy of “pay it forward” Baskow is increasingly active in charity work. Every January, for example, under the aegis of Canon USA, she puts together a gala and golf tournament to benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

John Arnos, special advisor to Canon and NCMEC, says, “I can’t say www.belairmag.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JAKI BASKOW

ENTREPRENEURS TRAVEL

JAKI WITH RICHARD BURGI

enough about Jaki and her company.

She makes the event a success. You either have it or you don’t. You can’t teach her level of professionalism, class and integrity. I’ve never heard her say ‘No.’ We ask her to do something she just says, ‘I’ll make it happen.’”

One of the people Baskow met at a golf tournament is Richard Burgi, actor and owner of Kings Road Cafes in L.A. He says, “I fell in love with Jaki immediately and not just because we’re both from Jersey. Right from the start I knew Jaki had a profoundly beautiful heart and spirit. Our time is always filled with laughter, fun and openness — two like-minded people who have been through a lot. And, you know, her life would be a great hour TV series” That may be, but, at the moment, there is a “Queen of Las Vegas” television show in the works, along with an autobiography.

Business necessitates her spending several days a month in L.A. When she does, her home there is with her friend Jeanne Marie in Bel-Air. The two met when Jeanne Marie was 17, a dancer in Las Vegas looking for extra income through modeling. Baskow became her agent and they bonded.

Today, she assists Baskow with projects that take them all over the world. Of her friend, Jeanne Marie says, “Aside from being good at business, she has the gift of schmooze. Everyone falls in love with her. She also has a thick skin. She can brush off the negativity and she forgives to a fault. She has a lot of patience and is very good at turning people around. “Jaki is amazing.” BAM

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In the Palm Springs Valley

ReinventingtheChampagne ENTREPRENEURS TRAVEL

COCKTAIL

by STEVE MILNER

The Champagne Cocktail, the mixing of the bubbly with a

fruity taste, dates back to the 1800s. e During World War I,

Franco-American flying ace Raoul Lufbery created the French 75 (champagne mixed with cognac), which was made famous at New York’s Stork Club in 1919. After Prohibition, the sparkling cocoction gained more popularity – and the cachet of an elegant libation enjoyed by the most sophisticated revelers. Remember Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in evening clothes, each ordering Champagne Cocktails on board an

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VER THE YEARS, MIXOLO-

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32 BEL-AIR 112 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

Dirty Blonde Cocktails. “I had always enjoyed the sparkling bubbles in Champagne Cocktails,” she says, “but I hated watching unused bottles go flat after mixing only a few drinks. I saw what I thought was an untapped opportunity and I was determined to bring it about.”

She transformed her kitchen into a tasting laboratory, consulted with chemists and flavor experts and ultimately took her concept to a winery that agreed to bottle it. All she needed

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gists have created a number of variations on the theme, including the Mimosa, the Bellini and the Kir Royale.

Now, thanks to a former lawyer, some of these time-honored classics are available pre-mixed in individual bottles – all with a feminine touch.

Enter Kristen Raskopf, a New York entertainment attorney and founder of

PHOTO BY GLENN BRENNAN

ocean liner in the classic film “An Affair to Remember”?

Maestro Victor Vener

Ten Incredible Concerts, Two Amazing Venues One Phenomenal Conductor America The Beautiful

June 26 & 27

Rhapsody In Blue t 1812 Overture t Sousa Marches t Appalachian Spring

Lincoln Portrait

with singer and actor Brian McKnight, pianist Bryan Pezzone and a pyrotechnics display (pyrotechnics at The Arboretum only)

Andrew Lloyd Webber Goes To Italy

July 10 & 11

Phantom of the Opera t Cats t Evita t Tosca Aida t La Traviata t Jesus Christ Superstar t Nessun Dorma with singers Angel Blue, Mathew Edwardsen, Ralph Cato and the Cal Phil Chorale

John Williams & The Rings Brian McKnight

Lasers by YLS

Pyrotechnic Display

July 24 & 25

Star Wars t E.T. t Superman t Schindler’s List Lord of the Rings t Wagner: The Ring t The Terminal featuring Lasers by YLS, plus violist Evan Wilson and clarinetist Michael Arnold

Frank, Tony & The Maestro

August 7 & 8

Hits made popular by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade t Elgar: Enigma Variations Catherine Ireland

Angel Blue

Kevin Earley

featuring the song stylings of Broadway star Kevin Earley, plus violinist Daniel Shindarov

Beethoven & Broadway

August 21 & 22

Beauty And The Beast t The Lion King t Les Miserables The Music Man t Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 _ Ode To Joy Beethoven: Leonore No. 3 t The Little Mermaid Mathew Edwardsen

Steve Grabe

Bryan Pezzone

featuring singers Catherine Ireland, Marya Basaraba, Steve Grabe, Roberto Perlas Gomez and the Cal Phil Chorale

FESTIVAL ON THE GREEN

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Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm Gates open at 5:30 pm

Sunday afternoons at 2:00 pm

Great seats available

626 300 8200 t calphil.org

Talks with the Maestro at 1:00 pm

ENTREPRENEURS then was a distributor, which proved more elusive than she expected.

But while she was test marketing the product at a Phoenix bridal show, she attracted the attention of the wife of a distributor, someone she had been trying to reach for months. The meeting soon resulted in a distribution deal – and the new company was on its way (www.dirtyblondecocktails.com).

Four flavors were initially introduced – with a fifth one in the works. There’s the Peach Passion Bellini, the Citrus Mimosa, the Sparkling Mojito and the Raspberry Flirtini, all in a distinctive bottle and

“

I HAD ALWAYS ENJOYED THE SPARKLING BUBBLES IN CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS,” SHE SAYS, “BUT I HATED WATCHING UNUSED BOTTLES GO FLAT AFTER MIXING ONLY A FEW DRINKS. I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY AND I WAS DETERMINED TO BRING IT ABOUT.

”

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

WITH A SMILE AS SPARKLING AS PHOTO BY GLENN BRENNAN

served with a colored straw. Obviously, the demographic is young women.

And Raskopf’s company is doing some creative marketing to reach her targeted audience. In addition to traditional in-store marketing, her Dirty Blonde Concierges offer samples in nightclubs and restaurants, at event after-parties, festivals, trade shows and film premieres. She even hired a Chippendale’s male dancer to attract women to a tasting at a bridal show.

Dirty Blonde cocktails will also be featured at Bel-Air Magazine’s launch party and fundraiser for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. They are available locally at all BevMo stores. BAM

CHAMPAGNE, KRISTEN RASKOPF IS MAKING HER DREAM A REALITY. PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE HOME OF ERICA ZODTNER; DRESS BY ELENE CASSIS; HAIR AND MAKEUP BY BROOKE SHOLBERG.

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BEL-AIR MAGAZINE MAY/JUNE

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GIFTSFORHER THATSHEWILL CHERISHFOREVER WISE WOMEN GIFT SET “Wise Women” by Joyce Tenneson celebrates amazing women with stunning portraits and pithy quotes. Combine that with a pile of luxurious products that will remind your favorite female to pamper herself every day. Also includes Lavender Salt Scrub, Lavender Lotion, and Organic Peppermint Oil with Mint Leaves Spa Soap. $82, available from St. Helena Olive Oil Co. at www.sholiveoil.com.

DOLCE & GABBANA HANDBAGS D&G’s hottest purse for summer is the Miss Sicily, a hand-manufactured crochet bag featuring leather and suede tassels with metal details; this one will make any woman the envy of all the other gals on the block. $1,850, available at the Dolce & Gabbana Boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills or at www.dolceandgabbana.com.

32 BEL-AIR 116 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

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A perfect present. Bracelet, $4290, ring, $1,100, available at www.simongjewelry.com.

MBT WALKING SHOES Young, old, or in between, all women need MBTs, the original physiological footwear, with amazing technology that simulates walking barefoot on sand.

Better posture, joint relief, improved circulation and increased metabolism; what a gift! The Fora walker shown is $245, available at the Walking Company in Century City or at www.us.mbt.com.

GODIVA BLACK ALMOND TRUFFLE CANDLE For the hot mama who watches her figure, give the Godiva Black Almond Truffle candle, inspired by their creamy Roasted Almond Truffle, with scents of roasted black almonds and velvet dark chocolate, enhanced with golden honey and black pepper essences.

Yum, and no calories! $22.50, available at Neiman Marcus or www.neimanmarcus.com.

32 BEL-AIR 118 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

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GIFT TRAVEL GUIDE

DIOR GLOSSY LIMITED-EDITION SUNGLASSES If she loves to be unique, then the Dior Glossy Limited-Edition sunglasses are for her. Only 500 pieces of this limited- and numbered-edition goldcolored frame are being produced, with a special temple featuring the Dior logo in 18K solid-gold lettering. $1,295, available at Dior Boutique, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Solstice Sunglass Boutique.

CHOPARD’S ANIMAL WORLD WATCHES Every animal-loving woman can wear her heart on her wrist, with one of Chopard’s just-released diamond-studded watches with animal motifs. The Monkey, Penguin and Polar Bear are made of 18K gold with satin straps, and are part of Chopard’s partnership with the World Wildlife Fund in support of saving wild tigers. Pricing is by request, available at Chopard on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

CHOCOLATEBOX CAFÉ “SWEET DREAM” BOX Sometimes, only chocolate will make a woman truly happy. At the ChocolateBox Café, you choose her favorites, all packed into their “Sweet Dream” box. Pick artisanal chocolates, hand-rolled truffles, ganaches and marzipan. $10 to $95, available at the ChocolateBox Café in Malibu, 310-456-7977, or at www.chocolateboxcafe.com.

32 BEL-AIR 120 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

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GIFT TRAVEL GUIDE

THE SPA MONTAGE SOIREE Throw her a party she will never forget at the Montage Beverly Hills with their Spa Montage Soiree. Your special lady and up to 14 of her friends will be greeted with champagne, then everyone gets an hour-long spa treatment, as well as lunch or afternoon tea and a little swag bag. Plus the guest of honor goes home with a monogrammed spa robe. Bliss! $200 per person, eight-person minimum, available at Spa Montage on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, 310- 860-7840.

THE ULTIMATE ROSE Tell your flower-loving sweetie you love her with a big gesture. Go for the Ultimate Rose! Choose towering fresh cut three-, four-, or even six-foot roses; these Ecuadorian-grown beauties are unbelievable. Order in red or mixed colors, by the dozen or individual stems. $49–$239, available at 1-800-986-2918 or at www.theultimaterose.com.

ZO SKIN HEALTH OSSENTIAL™ RADICAL NIGHT REPAIR PLUS Dr. Zein Obagi’s “hero product,” his night-repair cream packed with timed-release retinol will make a woman of any age love how this gift will make her skin appear younger, healthier, more even-toned and radiant. $195, available at Obagi Skin Health Institute in Beverly Hills, 310-275-3030, or at www.obagiskin.com.

32 BEL-AIR 122 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

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GIFT TRAVEL GUIDE

CELEBRATEHISBIGDAY WITHAPRESENTTHAT SHOWSYOUREALLYCARE OMEGA WATCHES Two classic timepieces get an update from Omega, just in time to really treat your best guy. The OMEGA Seamaster Ploprof 1200M is their famed scuba diving watch, updated for the new millennium and waterproof to 1,200 meters. Now that’s one deep dive! The Speedmaster Moonwatch “Apollo-Soyuz” Limited Edition commemorates the 1975 joint spacewalk between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., when both craft commanders wore OMEGA Speedmaster Professional chronographs. It boasts a meteorite dial. $9,000 and $8,400 respectively, available at Tourneau in Century City.

ROBERT GRAHAM MLB SHIRT Menswear designer Robert Graham, whose iconic patterned shirts always have colorful and contrasting reveals at the collar, cuffs and hemlines, has begun creating shirts that shout out your man’s favorite baseball team. The Dodgers shirt is shown here, but you can also choose from a variety of other teams, including the Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies and more. $198, available at Nordstrom, www.MLB.com, and the new Robert Graham shop in Venice, opening in June.

32 BEL-AIR 124 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

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GIFT TRAVEL GUIDE

CLEAN MEN COLOGNE For the man who always says he wants and needs nothing, this masculine shower wash and cologne may just be the gifts he remembers.

They have a fresh, sexy blend of ruby red grapefruit, English lavender, wild raspberry, clove, lime, patchouli and musk, that somehow smells as fresh as he does when he steps out of the shower. $79, available at Sephora in Santa Monica.

SPERRY TOP-SIDERS Whether your favorite gent has a boat or just loves the comfort of Sperry Top-Siders, a new pair of those iconic boat shoes will put a smile on his face. The company celebrates their 75th birthday with an anniversary collection that features the original outsole Paul Sperry created in 1935. In the photos, the 75th Anniversary A/O brown classic is leather, while the green Seamate and the white CVOs are canvas. $75-$90, available at J. Crew in Santa Monica.

NAPA SOAPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SHAVING MUG SET Elevate his daily shave with this eco-friendly alternative to shave cream. Napa Soapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabulous shaving soap is poured into this beautiful ceramic mug, then used as needed.

Their luxurious, proprietary shaving-soap blend contains Napa Valley grapeseed oil, pure aloe vera and French clay, as well as other skin conditioning ingredients. Includes the mug, brush and a year's supply of shaving soap. $49.95, available at www.napasoap.com.

32 BEL-AIR 126 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

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VERSAI

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GIFT TRAVEL GUIDE

BLOCK TRILBY HAT If your fellow likes to look like a sharpdressed man, help him to put his best hat forward with these sophisticated trilby toppers from Block Headwear.

Superior design, superb fit and a modern look set these perfect-forsummer hats apart from the rest. $48-$53, available at www.Saks.com.

BARTON PERRIERA SUNGLASSES No man can resist these cool new aviators from Barton Perriera. The “Mitchell” is vintage inspired, but with a twist, featuring a custom zyl insert (you’ll notice the wire frame on the inside) and gradient polarized lenses, while the “Breed Love” aviator sports titanium with a snakeskin-textured genuine leather top bar and mineral-glass polarized lenses. $480 and $510, available at Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th Avenue.

THE DALMORE SINGLE-MALT SCOTCH Gents with a taste for the finer things in life simply must have The Dalmore. This limited-edition 1263 King Alexander III single-malt scotch that is made in the Scottish Highlands (since 1839) is filled with notes of almonds, citrus fruit, wild berries, vanilla and creamy caramel. It’s a libation fit for any man who’s king of his own castle. $250, available at BevMo in Manhattan Beach or West Hollywood.

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THE MILLION-DOLLAR

LOOK! HONG KONG GRAND CUSTOM CLOTHES “DRESS FOR SUCCESS”

TUXEDOS TOP COATS SLACKS SHIRTS SPECIAL PRESIDENT AND CEO PACKAGES DELIVERY 4-6 WEEKS SHIPPING & HANDLING EXTRA

CUSTOM CLOTHES BY WILLIAM SANI 702.491.9122 www.hongkonggrand.com saniwilliam@aol.com

GIFT TRAVEL GUIDE

SPIEGELAU’S BEER GLASS CONNOISSEUR KIT A great gift for the beer aficionado, this set of four different styles of glasses are designed to enhance the enjoyment of their namesake beers – wheat, lager, stemmed pilsner, fluted pilsner. Each glass is expertly crafted to enhance the taste and presentation of different types of beer by showcasing the varying flavors of the grains, yeast and hops used in the different styles of beer. Each glass also channels the aroma and preserves the frothy head and volatiles.

Completely dishwasher safe; he may need two sets, so that friends can join in on the fun. $49.95, available at www.spiegelauwebstore.com.

ECCO WORLD CLASS GTX GOLF SHOES If your mister aspires to be the next Lefty Mickelson (a great golfer and family man), he’ll reach his goal faster with a gift of these amazing golf shoes. ECCO World Class Collection GTX shoes are handcrafted leather, with soft, breathable uppers integrated with a GORE-TEX membrane for guaranteed weather resistance. And even if they don’t trim a few strokes off his game, he’ll sure look good trying. $450, available at www.eccousa.com.

TRAUM’S LEGACY SAFE For the man who truly does have everything, this Traum Legacy Safe is the ultimate gift. Designed with an elegant exterior (available in light or dark colors) and an interior protected by massive layers of armored plates, this safe is specifically engineered to withstand assault and to protect anything that he collects, from watches and other fine jewelry to documents, coins, etc. $74,750 (with other models ranging from $35,000 to $205,000), available at Traum Safe on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, or at www.traumsafe.com.

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REAL TRAVEL ESTATE

T

by KATHARINE ANGELO

HIS INTERNATIONAL AGENT IS NOT

a gun-toting 007; instead he’s a real-estate agent that specializes in worldwide luxury properties. The name is not Bond, James Bond, but Moesser, Greg Moesser, Vice President of the Private Estates division of Rodeo Realty in Beverly Hills, and he’s a man that’s doing something different. Today almost every real-estate company advertises international marketing, but many companies define that as just having a few affiliated international property websites. Agent Greg Moesser’s business model is much more hands-on, bringing on-the-spot knowledge to the worldwide properties he represents. In a recent conversation, Greg revealed his undercover secrets to taking his luxury real-estate business to a global level.

BAM: How long have you specialized in international marketing?

GREG MOESSER: It began about seven years ago when I had two inquiries from my website, one was from a European buyer and the other was a vacation rental request from the Middle East. After specializing in the luxury market domestically, I found that many clients, instead of just moving locally, are often moving between global cosmopolitan cities. The number of foreign buyers in our market has also risen steadily in the last few years. This is even more true today with the weaker dollar and the recently devalued world property markets, such as Spain, Ireland and Dubai, just to name a few.

32 BEL-AIR 132 BEL-AIRMAGAZINE MAGAZINEMAY/JUNE JUNE/JULY

Now I have inquires every month from all over the world on my website www.LAClassicEstates.com.

BAM: Why do you think you have been so successful in this exclusive niche?

GM: The difference is personal networking and connections. Agents and buyers want to work with someone they know and trust. You can’t achieve that by just marketing a property on a

A MOESSER PROPERTY SOLD TO A FOREIGN BUYER.

bunch of global websites. When an agent from New York, San Francisco, London, Dubai or Paris has a client for Los Angeles, they will call me first, because I have an established personal relationship. My approach takes a lot more effort and planning, but it gets results. It’s also a great advantage to my seller clients, as they get the benefit of both an extensive local and international market representation.

BAM: Where have you been already this year?

GM: In January I attended the International Luxury Real summit conference in Rome, Italy. This is a worldwide group of top agents, owners and presidents of leading firms that meet annually to discuss global property trends and strategies to market luxury properties. In March I attended the www.belairmag.com

PHOTOS COURTESY GREG MOESSER

Followinganinternationalagentaroundthe

MIPIM conference in Cannes, France.

The agenda included meetings with top agents, buyers and investors, foreign ministers and even the American ambassador. I was also in Punta Del Estate, Uruguay performing some property research for a client.

BAM: What is the Private Estates division?

GM: The Private Estates division at Rodeo Realty specializes in representing multi-million-dollar properties in Southern California’s premier luxury markets. Our specialists are able to provide the highest level of expertise, professionalism, personal attention and discretion that is simply not available at large companies or franchises. Our international database is second to none, including our Luxury Real Estate affiliation with luxury agent specialists in over 60 countries worldwide.

BAM: What’s currently your most interesting property?

GM: I just did a price a evaluation on an extraordinary pre-war, French-style estate in Hancock Park that was featured in one of the first issues of Architectural Digest and should be coming on the market soon. I’m also excited about my latest international project. I’ve been selected as the exclusive U.S. agent for the Residenza Del Lago Azure in Lake Como, Italy. This is a rare new luxury development of 28 villas and apartments and should be completed by early next year. BAM

INTERNATIONAL REAL-ESTATE AGENT GREG MOESSER.

WELL-TRAVELED TRAVEL

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS:

exploring

HONG KONG and

SOUTH

CHINA

by JENNY PETERS

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PHOTO COURTESY INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL HUIZHOU

HE TRADITIONAL

Chinese concept of yin and yang is nowhere more evident than in the contrasts you’ll experience when visiting Hong Kong and nearby South China; they are extreme opposites, yes, but somehow complementary as well.

For while a trip to the vibrant, bustling place that is Hong Kong brings an exhilaration that few cities in the world can offer, heading across the water into South China’s verdant, pastoral landscape offers up a feeling of calm serenity. So near, and yet so completely different.

The trip to Hong Kong is simple from Los Angeles via Cathay Pacific Airways. Choose one of their top-notch business-class seats on their late-evening flight, adjust your watch immediately (it is much earlier in H.K.), wait to have dinner until you are on the plane, stay up later than normal watching your personal entertainment screen, and finally go to sleep at about 4 a.m. L.A. time on the fully flat bed. Wake up, and you’ve lost a day crossing the International Date Line, but it simply feels like early the next morning as you land in Hong Kong, and you should be right in synch with the time zone.

Jump right into the heady whirl that is Hong Kong by booking your stay at either of the city’s most prestigious hotels, the InterContinental Hong Kong or the Peninsula Hotel. Both have stunning, harbor-view locations on the posh Kowloon side of Victoria Bay (Hong Kong Island is the other side), with gorgeous suites, top-notch spas,

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PHOTO COURTESY INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL HONG KONG

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[ABOVE] THE BALCONY AND VIEW OF HONG KONG ISLAND FROM THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL PRESIDENTIAL SUITE. [BELOW] THE WOK-SHAPED PEAK TOWER OFFERS VIEWING TERRACES AND A WIDE ARRAY OF ENTERTAINMENT, SHOPPING AND DINING OPTIONS.

if Japanese or French cuisine suits your fancy one evening instead of Chinese.

Food is a huge part of the Hong Kong experience, both in visiting the city’s numerous chic and sophisticated restaurants as well as doing a wander through the city’s famed Wet Market, where homemakers usually visit twice a day, shopping once for lunch and again later on for dinner. The steep market street is chock-ablock with open-air booths that sell live fish, freshly butchered meats, vegetables and fruits of every ilk, and even a few PHOTO COURTESY HONG KONG TOURISM

and restaurants to die for. The Peninsula’s famous high tea served in The Lobby is a Hong Kong tradition, while the InterContinental boasts Chef Lau Yiu Fai (aka “Simon”), a truly fantastic one-star Michelin chef who works his magic at Yah Toh Heen, an extremely traditional Cantonese eatery that offers what is possibly the best Peking duck ever made. He’ll even give you a private dim sum class, if you’re interested.

The hotel also has a truly wonderful Nobu outpost, and a delicious Spoon

by Alain Ducasse,

www.belairmag.com

WELL-TRAVELED

[TOP, L-R] SAI KUNG ONE OF HONG KONG’SMANY BEACHES; NGONG PING 360, A CABLE-CAR SYSTEM, IS ONE OF THE DIVERSE WAYS TO GET AROUND HONG KONG; [MIDDLE] THE PEKING DUCK AT YAH TOH HEEN RESTAURANT;

PHOTO COURTESY HONG KONG TOURISM

found on jade, pearls and beautifully designed necklaces made with onyx, agate and assorted other materials.

Make sure to visit Alice at Booth 148; her designs are divine. Women should also make sure to hit Keiki, a chain of shops with top-quality, beautifully designed Chinese-motif jackets and other clothing at terrific prices. heck out Hollywood Road on the Hong Kong Island side, to shop for antiques and modern design home goods, and stop in at the

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[BOTTOM] HAPPY STATUES AT A HONG KONG MARKET.

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PHOTO BY JENNY PETERS

Chinese medicine remedies and healthful teas thrown in for good measure. If you’re feeling hungry after a market visit but not exactly ready to cook, try Kowloon’s latest hot spots, Busy Suzie or the 1881 Heritage, which is a series of cool eateries nestled in what was once the Hong Kong Marine Police Headquarters.

And then there is the legendary shopping. Hong Kong is incredible for anyone that loves to shop, from the astonishing number of haute couture

PHOTO BY JENNY PETERS

PHOTO COURTESY HONG KONG TOURISM

shops dotted everywhere (think Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, etc., multiples of those and many more) to the custom-made clothing shops that dot the streets. Give them a couple of days, and Hong Kong tailors will make you a suit, shirt, dress, or even cobble up some shoes that fit you perfectly. Wander through the Jade Market, where amazing deals can be

WELL-TRAVELED PHOTOS COURTESY INTERCONTINENTAL HUIZHOU

[L-R] VIEWS OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL HUIZHOU RESORT IN SOUTH CHINA: A SPA SUITE; A COUPLES’ TREATMENT ROOM IN THE SPA; ZHU YUAN, THE CHINESE RESTAURANT WHERE TRADITIONAL CANTONESE FARE IS SERVED.

Man Mo Buddhist Temple there, too.

The temple, built in 1848, sports massive red doors and huge spirals of incense hung from the ceilings, offerings to the two gods, Man and Mo, who are enshrined inside. You can have your fortune told there, too, then move further up the hills that characterize all of Hong Kong, and make your way to the tram that chugs up to the Peak, where incredible vistas of the city await.

T’S A HEADY PLACE, HONG KONG, AND one that can overwhelm with its pace. That’s when it’s time for a

I

PHOTO COURTESY HONG KONG TOURISM

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EXPERIENCING THE YIN AND YANG OF SOUTH CHINA AND HONG KONG MAKES FOR A FASCINATING TRAVEL ADVENTURE, ONE THAT BRINGS BOTH CHINA’S ANCIENT TRADITION AND VERY MODERN CULTURES INTO SHARP FOCUS.

”

weekend getaway to South China, doing what the locals do when they are ready for some serious R&R. Rent a car (but remember that Hong Kong drives on the left, China on the right), or hire a driver and roll out to Huizhou, taking a 75-mile trip into an oasis of calm.

Remember, too, that Hong Kong and China are still separate entities, so you’ll need your passport and a visa to enter China, and Chinese yuan renminbi (CNY) to spend, instead of Hong Kong dollars; you’ll pass through customs right on the highway.

PHOTO COURTESY THE PENINSULA HOTEL

The hilly, lush countryside, just past where the cows wander down the middle of the road and rice paddies stretch across the landscape, is where you’ll suddenly come upon the justopened, elegantly modern InterContinental Huizhou Resort and Spa. T’S A PERFECT BLEND OF modern and traditional China. Modern, with stunning pools fed by steaming 400year-old hot springs, a pretty 18-hole golf course, personalized butler service, a spa and excellent restaurants. Ancient, with offerings from the old world like Tai Chi and yoga classes, fascinating consultations with a traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, and visits to the local ancient temples and villages in the area, dating back to 581.

Cycle up into the rolling

[ABOVE] THE PENINSULA HOTEL AND THEIR FLEET OF ROLLS ROYCE SEDANS, READY TO WHISK YOU AROUND HONG KONG. [BELOW] THE BRILLIANT RED DOORS OF THE MAN MO BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN HONG KONG. NOTE THE LARGE INCENSE SPIRALS ON THE LEFT.

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hills, swim a few laps in either the indoor or outdoor swimming pools, shoot some billiards, play a little tennis, or just relax in your spa suite, where a personal hot-springs-fed hot tub is perched on your balcony, looking out over the resort’s pretty lagoon. Or just drink in the serene landscape with a bottle of Dom Perignon by your side. The resort features an impressive international wine list for such a remote location, available at any of their three fine restaurants. Those include a traditional Cantonese eatery, a Mediterranean-inspired spot, and an open-kitchen Continental café with an organic focus.

Experiencing the yin and yang of South China and Hong Kong makes for a fascinating travel adventure, one that brings both China’s ancient tradition and very modern cultures into sharp focus. BAM BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

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SOCIAL SCENE

LEFT: RIP TAYOR, JOANNE WORLEY, FLORENCE HENDERSON AND NANCY DUSSAULT. BELOW: MELANIE AMOR, JERAN DESIGNER RANDY MCLAUGHLIN AND RICK AMOR.

tars of both the big and small screens gathered at the Hollywood Museum to check out the legendary Grafitti Gown. Created by JERAN, the dress sports the signatures of over 350 famous females and will be on display until November, when it will be auctioned off to benefit AIDS causes.

The party drew everyone from Donna Mills and Stefanie Powers to Margaret O’Brien and Rose Marie, all united in the fight against the terrible disease.

RIGHT: KIM RHODES, ILENE GRAFF, FLORENCE HENDERSON AND DEE WALLACE. BELOW: DONNA MILLS AND THE SIGNATURE DRESS

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ROBERT FREEMAN AND BRIAN PUTNAM

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PHOTOS BY GLENN BRENNAN, ALEXANDER KOEHNE,

The Hollywood Grafitti Gown Fete

SOCIAL SCENE

PHOTOS BY KARI HENDLER

An Enchanted Evening at the 42nd Annual Academy of Magical Awards

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PATRICK HARRIS AND JASON Alexander hosted the hi-jinks at the annual Magic Awards held at the Avalon Theater. Ed Alonzo won Magician of the Year, and other winning magic masters included Andrew Goldenhersh, Doc Eason, and Jeff Hobson.

EIL

ABOVE:

ABOVE:

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS AND

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS.

JASON ALEXANDER. ABOVE: KATE LINDER, JASON ALEXANDER, ALISON ARNGRIM.

USC School of Theatre Honors Robert Redford

U

SC

HOLLYWOOD ICON Robert Redford with new annual prize called the “Robert Redford Award for Engaged Artists” and his famous friends joined him for the gala night. “I’m honored by the fact that this awards is tied to such a prestigious school as USC,” Redford said.

BEL-AIR MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY

THE USC SCHOOL OF THEATRE “ROBERT REDFORD AWARD FOR ENGAGED ARTISTS.” ABOVE CENTER: MARY MCDONNELL, STEVEN AND DAYNA BOCHCO, ALFRE WOODARD.

PHOTOS BY CRAIG MATTHEW

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FAR LEFT: ROBERT REDFORD WITH

HONORED

ABOVE RIGHT: MADELINE PUZO, DEAN OF USC SCHOOL OF THEATRE, AND RON RIFKIN. LEFT: PERFORMERS BRIGA HEELAN, MICHAEL MCLEAN, RACHAEL WEINBERG PUGH, DONALD WEBBER, JR. AND LAURA DARRELL. www.belairmag.com

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