Luxury magazin by Somogyi Róbert

Luxury Y O U R

L U X U R Y

2 0 14/2 0 1 5 w i n t er

G U I D E

T O

B U D A P E S T

Funzine

L U X U R Y

Impressum

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Veronik a Szend rei E D I T O R-I N - C H I E F

Viv ien Mag ya r EDITOR

Norber t Biegelbauer P RO J E C T M A N AG E R

S t y l i n g : Y U R KOV b y O r s o l y a K o v á c s M a k e up: D o r a G r a f f – M a k e u p a r t i s t Hair: P á l G á r d o s , M a x i m i l i á n B a r c z a P hoto: B á l i n t C s á s z á r

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E DITOR : Vivien Magyar luxury@funzine.hu C RE ATIV E : Krisztina Németh P ROJECT M A NAGER : Biegelbauer Norbert Tel.: +36.20.485.4247 D ISTRIBUTION : Zoltán Váradi Tel.: +36.20.771.7178

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BORN, WE HAVE SPOKEN THE WORD

LUXURY FUNZINE

„ LUXURY ”

WAS

MORE TIMES THAN

Luxury is the absolute freedom of decision. It is acknowledging our whims and living by them to the Norbert Biegelbauer fullest.

WE CAN COUNT, AND FROM A HEAVILY CLICHÉD EXPRESSION IT HAS BECOME THE DEFINITION OF AN ENTIRELY NEW WORLD.

BRAND

NEW SPORTS CARS AND BOXES OF EXQUISITE COFFEE ARE MERELY THE SURFACE OF THIS WORLD.

LUXURY

IS INHERENTLY A WAY OF

THINKING, A PERCEPTION OF LIFE THAT MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO EVERYONE .

P RO J E C T M A N AG E R

TO ME , LUXURY IS THE LACK OF COMPROMISE IN

THE BEST SENSE . IT ’S THE LIVING SPACE OF PERFECTIONISTS , THOSE WHO CREATE AS WELL AS THOSE WHO RECEIVE .

Veronika Szendrei E D I T O R-I N - C H I E F

Luxury is recognizing your own values in something outside yourself and knowing how to express your Vivien Mag yar, personality through it. E DI TOR

Luxury is when we take a truly original, nouveau, artistic idea, put it in the hands of an up-to-grade creative team, and provide them with the quality raw materials that they need – no matter the cost.

Luxury is a product with details that are all perfectly in place, something that is harmonious and pleasing to the eye. K risztina Németh

Zsolt Zólyomi

C R E AT I V E

Each person’s individual needs define what luxury means to them.

Luxury is individualism. It is something so personalized and so bespoken that money cannot buy it.

Róbert Hor váth „Baggio”

Stan A huja

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THE MOMENT THAT THE IDEA OF

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SINCE

F U N Z I N E

Dear Friends,

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“Music is what gives life to Budapest.”

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ountless festivals, concerts and events contribute to the thriving musical scene of Budapest, creating an atmosphere that attracts both Hungarian and foreign talents. Prestigious institutions with a long history and new establishments with unlimited ambition and an appetite for innovation offer the best of national and international, classical and contemporary music.

The Pest Vigadó was opened in 1864 to replace the burnt-down building of the Redoute. In the following decades, the Vigadó Concert Hall hosted innumerable balls and developed a rich concert life, including performances by Ferenc Liszt. The building was closed down in 2004 and reopened in the spring of 2014 after a series of renovations. The Vigadó has regained its original splendour and become one of the most lively concert venues in the city. The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music has been operating since 1876, and is one of the most highly acclaimed concert halls in the world, where music is taught, born and performed, traditions are

ing classical values and refl ecting upon them. BMC’s varied programme has seen the names of the most defi nitive personalities of jazz music who gladly perform on its stages. The Palace of Arts opened its doors in 2005 and has become one of the most important cultural institutions in Hungary since then, providing a home for classical, contemporary, popular and world music as well as jazz and opera, and genres of contemporary circus, dance, literature and fi lm. MÜPA calls out to a young audience as well as experienced concert-goers, and adopts new genres and trends, staging performances that comply with the highest of standards. According to a quote attributed to Plato: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, fl ight to the imagination and life to everything.” We may fairly add that music is also what gives life to Budapest.

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“Prestigious institutions with a long history and new establishments with an appetite for innovation offer the best of national and international, classical and contemporary music.”

F U N Z I N E

The Life of Music, the Music of Life in Budapest

nurtured and new ideas are cared for. Concerts of classical music, jazz, folk music and church music daze the audience, the fl awless acoustics of the Grand Hall carrying the tunes clearly and effortlessly. New talents introduce themselves on stage and renowned artists and ensembles from all over the world give captivating performances. The opening of the Hungarian State Opera took place in 1884, and ever since, the Opera has been the epicentre of theatre in Hungary and a significant location of varied musical performances. The programme features opera and ballet performances as well as concerts, with an incredible number of premiere and repertoire pieces performed in the magnificent surroundings of the historic building. Budapest Music Center has been organising classical, contemporary and jazz events and festivals for nearly two decades, representing a new, experimental approach to music while respect-

MUSIC IS NOT A LUXURY, IT IS A NECESSITY. IT IS THE NUCLEUS OF CULTURE , AT THE CORE OF ALL THINGS HUMAN, WITHIN A UNIVERSE THAT IS LIKE AN INTRICATELY COMPOSED PIECE ITSELF.

MU -

SIC IS THE EMBODIMENT OF DREAMS, THE MOST EXQUISITE FORM OF EMOTION: IT IS REFUGE , IT IS TRUTH, IT IS TRADITION AND PROGRESS.

A ND BUDAPEST IS A CITY THAT CRAVES MUSIC SO INTENSE-

LY, ONLY THE BEST OF LIVE PERFORMANCES CAN QUENCH ITS THIRST.

HAS MATURED INTO A CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED MUSICAL EN -

SEMBLE AND ACHIEVED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION .

THE

BAND IS SAILING FULL SPEED AHEAD TOWARDS NEW PROJECTS AND EXCITING PERFORMANCES CAPTAINED BY CONDUCTOR TOR OF THE

M ÁTÉ H ÁMORI, A RT DIREC -

DANUBIA SINCE SEPTEMBER 2013.

HE BAND’S CALENDAR FOR THIS

HOW DO YOU GET THROUGH

SEASON INCLUDES A SERIES OF

TO YOUNGSTERS?

CONCERTS AT HIGHLY PRESTIG-

Children are the most demanding and most honest of all audiences. If something isn’t interesting, enjoyable or clear to them, they’ll let you know. You can’t sell a poor performance to kids. However, if they like what they’re hearing and seeing, they can be very appreciative and much more open to new things than adults. They have no prejudices about genres, they’d welcome a death metal band the same way they would a baroque chamber band. The younger they are, the more so. You have to take advantage of this openness, but you mustn’t abuse it. To quote Kodály, „For children, the best is merely good enough.” You have to design special programmes for them. A children’s concert cannot simply be a rehearsal for your evening concert. You have to approach the experience that you want to share with them from as many different angles as possible, so that they can identify with what you’re trying to convey to them. Identification is key. That is why dramatized performances are always the most successful. I’ve done a play where the band was playing musical pieces to accompany modernized versions of classic tales, and we used sand animation in the background as well. It is these types of performances that can get the children involved most effectively.

IOUS LOCATIONS SUCH AS LISZT FERENC MUSIC ACADEMY AND BUDAPEST MUSIC CLUB. HOWEVER, YOU’VE ALSO STARTED A NEW PROJECT OUTSIDE OF CONCERT HALLS THAT IS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO YOUR HEART: CHILDREN’S CONCERTS IN ÓBUDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. WHAT DO THESE CONCERTS MEAN TO YOU?

Our job as musicians is to establish some kind of cultural continuity – to pass down several hundred years of music to future generations. The challenge lies in the fact that the next generation, children and young adults are completely out of touch with classical music. This is especially true for teenagers, who obstinately shut themselves off from the genres we represent. I believe that if children start having encounters with live music at a young age, there is a good chance that a seed will be planted in them.

“Children are the most demanding and most honest of all audiences. Y ou can’t sell a poor performance to kids.”

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Ó BUDA

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B Y THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDATION, DANUBIA ORCHES -

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A t the Bow of the Danubia

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“Sensitive musicians tend to find each other, and these meetings are always very special.” WHAT EFFECT CAN SUCH AN EXPERIENCE HAVE ON THE CHILDREN?

Even small children can achieve a state of catharsis, and a music concert is very much capable of triggering that effect as long as the experience it offers is truly complex. As musicians, we have to be able to get the kids to understand – and believe – what music means to us: that it’s not just a form of entertainment, but life itself. There are no limits to what they can understand: children are deeply emotional, they respond to negative emotions as well as to humour – as long as they are presented in the right way. DID YOU YOURSELF HAVE SUCH AN EXPERIENCE BEFORE YOU STARTED STUDYING MUSIC?

My fi rst encounter with music happened when I was about six and my parents took me to a concert at Liszt Academy. The band was playing Mozart’s Requiem. Even though it’s hardly a child-friendly piece, the performance really gripped me. It was that very concert that got me interested in music in the fi rst place. A few similar experiences followed,

WHICH UPCOMING DANUBIA CONCERT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

WERE YOU A PRODIGY?

I definitely wasn’t, or I would have had to be giving concerts at the age of six. I was touched by that one performance at the Academy, and then I would just sit down and play the piano my father had at home. It was Tamás Vásáry who suggested that I be a conductor. I hope he didn’t just give me that advice because I wasn’t good enough to become a pianist… But I guess we’ll never find out. I was always a creative soul, and literature always had a special place in our family. I still love to read. And it’s important to be multi-faceted, because working in music? It can be very one-sided. Studying, rehearsing, playing a concert… From time to time, you need something else, something different to occupy your mind with.

There will be two very special concerts at BMC in the spring. We’re still in the middle of planning them, that’s why we haven’t put them in the programme booklet. We are going to try our hand at something new: both concerts will be theatreconcerts, dramatized musical performances. We are going to attempt to visualize the dramatic content of the music using theatrical tools. But it’s important that the music will remain in the focus of the performance, it won’t be reduced to background music. One of the concert-plays will be directed by Kornél Mundruczó, the other by Róbert Alföldi. I am really looking forward to working with them. These performances will be challenging for me as well as the band, and I can’t wait to see it all come together at BMC.

SIDES CLASSICAL MUSIC?

I fi nd electronic music much more creative and innovative than any other contemporary popular genre. I’m not convinced that heavy metal or rock in general has gone through a lot of change since the seventies. We’ve actually worked together with DJ Bootsie on a project at the Spring Festival. He did a remix of Dance of the Seven Veils from Richard Strauss’ opera Salome. But it’s not only re-workings of classical pieces that interest me. I’d love to learn more about modern electronic dance music too.

“ It’s important to be multi-faceted, because working in music? It can be very one-sided.”

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TAUGHT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION?

It does more harm than good. Actively making music and singing are practices that shape the personality, and so they are much more useful than learning how to write sheet music or memorizing the biographies of composers. Music classes have got nothing to do with reality: the musical environment that children are living in is being ignored completely. It might be an unusual approach, but I think that popular music should make up most of the curriculum. Classes should come alive and become experiences, since they are the most adequate place and time for children to get involved in music. Public school teachers, music schools, amateur and professional bands should start a conversation and form partnerships – performances like ours could become part of the classes. If they did, kids would have a better shot at recognizing their musical interests and talents.

WHAT OTHER GENRES INTEREST YOU BE-

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WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE WAY MUSIC IS

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR IDOLS?

I’m just realizing that I probably don’t say this enough, but frankly, my dad was my very first role model. He’s a man of immense wisdom, and he’s a great music lover. I was always very impressed by the vast knowledge that he possessed, and he was always very humble about it. Other than him, there were others that I looked up to: I have a very good relationship with Tamás Vásáry, we often work together and he conducts the band as well. He is a huge master and an even bigger person who has taught me a lot. We used to have talks that lasted all night at Summer Academies. And his working capacity is unbelievable. It’s enviable, even for musicians in my generation. I felt a natural connection to him – sensitive musicians tend to find each other, and these meetings are always very special. I consider Tamás Vásáry my master, but there were others whom I learned a lot from, for example József Sári. I am drawn to people who can look past music and see the bigger picture. What you can learn from them is of unspeakable value, like humility towards your profession and putting your spirit into your work.

F U N Z I N E

and then I started playing the piano and studying music. It was crucial to my future that my parents were music enthusiasts and shared their devotion with me. It’s the only way to spark interest in a child that is strong enough to light a fire. School concerts are a great help, but they are not enough.

IN THE HEART OF

PEOPLE RARELY MISS THE OUTSTANDING LANDMARK THAT IS THE

OPERA HOUSE. IN FACT, IT IS THE MOST VISITED MONUMENT IN HUNGARY. THE NEO -RENAISSANCE BUILDING HAS BEEN A REAL JEWELLERY BOX FOR

130 YEARS.

A PART FROM BEING A HIGHLY POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION DURING THE DAY, NEATLY DRESSED PEOPLE FLOCK THROUGH ITS GATES NIGHT AFTER NIGHT TO SEE QUALITY PERFORMANCES OF OPERA AND BALLET.

he story of the Opera began in the early 1870s, when the rapidly growing and developing city of Pest-Buda (as it was referred to until the 1873 unification of the two towns) had no proper place to put on operas. In 1874, the most influential Hungarian architect of the age, Miklós Ybl, designer of churches, palaces and public buildings all over the country, was commissioned to carry out his plans. The rich exterior and interior decorations were made by top sculptors and painters of the era. After nine years of construction works the grand opening of Ybl’s masterpiece took place in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1884. Apart from a short pause at the beginning of World War I, the institute has been operating since its opening. During its early history it saw many legendary guests such as the composers Mahler (who was also a director of the Opera for a short period), Puccini, Massenet, Delibes, Mascagni, conductors Sergio Failoni, Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Lamberto Gardelli, singer Enrico Caruso as well as the ballet companies of Sergei Diaghilev or Maurice Béjart. International guest stars do not fail to appear on the stage of the Budapest Opera to this day. The brilliant acoustics, the rich Hungarian musical heritage and the enthusiasm of the

audience attract superstars like the ballerina Polina Semionova, tenors Jonas Kaufmann and José Cura or soprano Edita Gruberová as well as Angela Gheorghiu, who is to make her Hungarian debut at the Faust Ball on Valentine’s Day, 2015. The Hungarian State Opera is one of the greatest cultural centres of integrated arts in Europe presenting a variety of opera, ballet and concerts. It is the home of the only classical ballet company in the country, the Hungarian National Ballet with a colourful repertoire of well-known pieces like The Nutcracker or Giselle and contemporary choreographies by Robert North, Wayne Eagling and Jiří Kylián. The Opera Orchestra consists of members of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, the oldest of its kind in Hungary, celebrating their 161st season. The vision of director general Mr Szilveszter Ókovács is an Opera accelerated in activities and updated with a new, more socially driven philosophy. Beside the huge number of premier and repertoire pieces, the Opera offers a variety of chamber concerts, special events, exhibitions and free open-air programmes. Great attention is given to children and the youth: from the smallest ones to young adults programmes are compiled with special care considering the needs of the different age groups.

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BUDAPEST,

A NDRÁSSY AVENUE

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WALKING DOWN THE ELEGANT

F U N Z I N E

WHEN

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Hungarian State Opera

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The brilliant acoustics of the Opera, the rich Hungarian musical heritage and the enthusiasm of the audience attract superstars from all over the world. The invitation and the support of young performing and creative artists is also an important factor in the life of the institute: they bring fresh, innovative ideas to the world of opera and ballet. The 2014/15 season sees more programmes than ever. Highlights include the January premiere of a rarity, The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky, an opera inspired by a series of paintings by the English painter William Hogarth. In March, a new Ring cycle begins with the first instalment, Das Rheingold. Over a four-year period Wagner’s epic music drama is put on stage by Oscar nominee film director Géza M. Tóth. Two significant ballet premieres are also in focus. The Hungarian premiere of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s choreography to Massenet’s Manon can be seen from the end of February in the staging of the former British ballet dancer and current Artistic Director of the Hungarian National Ballet, Maina Gielgud. One of the most beloved pieces, Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky has been missing from

the repertoire for five years. In April audiences are presented with a completely new version, but it remains faithful to the custom of the same ballet dancer portraying both the white and the black swan. The operatic season that is full of old acquaintances such as Aida, Carmen, Rigoletto, Tosca, Parsifal, Turandot and Otello ends with a grand three-week long May Celebration. In the previous season with the Strauss150 Season the Opera paid tribute to the German composer Richard Strauss born 150 years before. The Faust225 Festival aims to present the most concentrated event of this season on the 225th anniversary of the fi rst publication of Goethe’s Faust – A Fragment. Five brilliant pieces based on the topic of Faust can be heard (among them Gounod’s opera and the Hungarian premiere of Busoni’s Doktor Faust) with a rarity concert by the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra to conclude the series featuring globally renowned Hungarian singers and international guest stars. “He shattered more than one cane to prove that the stone was bad,” contemporaries said of the architect of the Opera House. Opened 130 years ago, it has since become a world heritage site, which welcomes visitors of all ages, admirers of architecture, fans of different genres, and lovers of the greatest universal language in the world – music.

15 May – 1 June 2015 Gounod Faust 17, 19, 21, 23, 26, 31 May Stravinsky The Rake’s Progress 16, 20 May Busoni Doktor Faust 22, 24 May Weber Der Freischütz 27, 29 May Boito Meﬁstofele 28, 30 May Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra Symphonic Evening – conductor X Michael Schønwandt 1 June

www.opera.hu | www.facebook.com/Operahaz

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Faust Ball

FOLLOWING A FEW YEARS’ HIATUS, IN 2014, A NEW ERA BEGAN IN ORGANIZING BALLS AT THE GREATEST

HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA. WITH THE SILVER ROSE BALL , THE

HUNGARIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF INTEGRATED ARTS RETURNED

TO A CENTURY- OLD TRADITION OF COMBINING EXCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT WITH A CHARITABLE CAUSE . WHILE REVIVING THE CUSTOM OF HOSTING A BALL IN THE CARNIVAL SEASON, THIS EVENT IS GIVEN A NEW NAME EVERY YEAR .

he fi rst ball of this kind was named to honour the 150 th anniversary of the birth of the German composer Richard Strauss. The silver rose, a core element in his opera Der Rosenkavalier became the symbol of the 2014 ball. At each ball, the genres represented by the Opera are connected with a partner community, sports being the one represented at the Silver Rose Ball. Next to distinguished guests of honour from the art world – singers, musicians, authors and sculptors – several Olympic medallists also accepted the invitation. The second charity ball organised according to these guidelines takes place on Valentine’s Day, 2015. The name of the event, Faust Ball, is a highlight of the 2014/15 Faust Season of the Opera

which commemorates the 225th anniversary of the fi rst the publication of Goethe’s masterpiece, Faust – A Fragment. The mission of the ball is to provide the opportunity for significant personalities of the nation, renowned public and business people and artists, as well as internationally renowned fi gures of sciences – our partner community in 2015 – to meet for a noble cause. Th e proceeds raised by the event contribute to the purchase of an ambulance car for the Hungarian National Ambulance Emergency Service. Principal patron of the ball is Dr. Tibor Navracsics, recently appointed European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. Patrons include such outstanding Hungarian scientists as Professor Sir George Radda, Emeritus Professor

of Molecular Cardiology University of Oxford. The programme of the gala also revolves around the work of the German genius. Extracts from Boito’s Mefistofele as well as Gounod’s Faust, a premiere piece later this season, help evoke the devilish theme. Among others, the best-known aria from Gounod’s opera, the Jewel Song is to be performed by internationally renowned Romanian soprano, Angela Gheorghiu, who is making her Hungarian debut at the Faust Ball. She is one of the most sought-after sopranos of our time due to her brilliant voice and amazing stage presence. She is a returning guest at the Royal Opera London, the New York Metropolitan, and La Scala in Milan. The highest possible standard is provided by f irst-class caterers, winemakers, top artists,

Extracts from Boito’s Mefistofele as well as Gounod’s Faust, a premiere piece later this season, help evoke the devilish theme. and a variety of programmes from classical to jazz, from bossa nova to electro along with a magic show and stand-up comedy. A brand new feature, the early bird concession is available until 24 December enabling you to get the perfect Christmas present for your sweetheart, and you can enjoy many more Valentine’s Day surprises at four different venues of the marvellous building of the Opera House on 14 February 2015.

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CIT Y BEFORE ITS SELECTION OF LUXURIOUS PRODUCTS BY HIGH - END FASH ION BR ANDS WAS EXTENDED WITH AN ART COLLECTION . PIECES OF CONTEMPOR ARY ART SELECTED BY CUR ATOR

THE FAMOUS

ATTILA NEMES ARE

EXHIBITED AMONG THE STORE ’S EXCLUSIVE WARES , ACTING AS PROGRES SIVE REFLECTIONS ON THEIR SURROUNDINGS .

CHARITY BALL AT THE OPERA A

N I G H T

O F

S C I E N T I S T S

A N D

A R T I S T S

1 4 FEBRUA RY 2015 O N

V A L E N T I N E ’ S

D A Y

SPECIAL GUEST STAR: ANGELA GHEORGHIU EARLY BIRD CONCESSIONS UNTIL 24 DECEMBER 2014 TICKET INFORMATION: FAUSTBAL@OPERA.HU WWW.FAUSTBAL.HU

ttila Nemes, one of the most prominent Hungarian art historians, a curator with countless contemporary and art & technology exhibitions to his name from the USA to Japan, was asked by Il Bacios’s owner Görgy Gattyán and co-owner Tamás Magyari to recommend artwork for purchase and installation at the department store. He suggested that they design a concept so that the works of art become part of a discourse enter a dialogue with their context. “I have organised several exhibitions outside of the white cube museum system, but this was my fi rst time working with a department store. I saw what a large-scale project the owners had started: the reconstruction of the Neo-Renaissance palace itself was a courageous endeavour that yielded astonishing results. I had three different aspects in mind when I selected the artwork. Firstly, I wanted to acknowledge and reinterpret the location of the store, the elegant and lively Andrássy Avenue which was a vibrant scene of city life in the 19th century, a condensation point of coffee houses, the epicentre of the city’s culture and fashion. I

also wanted to honour our open minded predecessors who were collectors of progressive art themselves: Zsigmond Brüll, who had commissioned the building of the palace collected impressionist paintings in the 19th century. I chose several pieces of art that reflect this approach by commenting on and rethinking tendencies of the past, such as Grayson Perry’s vase titled Anger Work. Secondly, I found it important to focus on the questions raised

“ We ’ve managed to assemble unique pieces of art that are so rare they can only be seen at the most outstanding public exhibitions around the world.” by fashion, such as the perception of women in society. That is why I chose to include a famous work by feminist artist Tracey Emin titled I Whisper To My Past, Do I have Another Choice? and the Madame de Pompadour tea set by Cindy Sherman. Th irdly, I wanted to fi nd a humorous and relevant

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AVENUE WAS ALREADY A SENSATIONAL PHENOMENON IN THE LIFE OF THE

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I L B ACIO DI STILE , THE MULTIBR AND DEPARTMENT STORE ON A NDR ÁSSY

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Il Bacio di Stile Art Collection

Já no s Br üc k ner : M I S S U R BI N O • © 2 013 I L B AC IO A R T C OL L E C T IO N

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way to make sense of Il Bacio as a luxury department store, an odd addition to a city that is in the process of revival with regard to style and taste, and has never seen anything quite like it.” – Attila Nemes explains. Purchasing the artwork could not have gone more smoothly. “I usually take 1,5 to 2 years to plan an exhibition, but this time, I only had two months to buy all the items that I had chosen, so it turned out to be my fastest work yet. It was pure luck that I managed to get my hands on the Grayson Perry vase in London – even art collectors wait 4-5 years for pieces like that. Negotiating the purchase of Tracey Emin’s neon creation in New York took quite a few weeks, and the only way I could gain access to it was through the professional network that I had built up over the years. But it was worth every hour and every penny, because no public collection can boast with a Tracey Emin neon work in Budapest or nearby cities. We’ve managed to assemble unique pieces of art that are so rare they can only be seen at the most outstanding public exhibitions around the world. ” The curator also advised the owners to purchase

works from Hungarian artists to support the contemporary Hungarian art scene. Creations by Viola Vass, János Brückner and Adrián Kupcsik represent young talent next to the work of giants like Martin Munkácsi. When asked about what it is that the exhibited works of art and the luxury goods that fi ll the shelves have in common, Attila Nemes replies: “They are all unique items that exist in limited numbers and are worth more than their commercial value. I don’t consider it my duty to evangelize about the importance of supporting contemporary art and artists by buying their works, but it would be nice if more people realized that it is possible to purchase works of art, just like original design and fashion items. These are all objects that we like to own because we feel that the idea they represent says something important about how we see ourselves.” Since its opening on 7 September, the Il Bacio Art Collection has been praised by visitors and experts alike and critically lauded by international press. The collection can be seen anytime during the store’s opening hours, and guided tours are also being planned.

S a m H a v a dtoy : M I N N I E M O U S E © 2 013 I L B AC IO A R T C OL L E C T IO N

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ades have passed and hundreds of thousands of marzipan roses have been sold since then. Meanwhile, Mátyás Szamos passed his apprentice exam, earned his master’s certificate, worked in the Barna confectionery, in the Gerbeaud, and eventually at state companies. In 1956, he received his fi rst major award to be followed almost yearly by other accolades. He returned to August to work as a master, and then worked in the ‘Tart’ manufacturer on Roham Street, the whole time making roses for the semi-private confectioneries which opened in the 1960s. He also found a wife, in a confectionery of course. They had beautiful children, and even their grandchildren have grown up since then. Fortunately, a fi ne and upstanding son-in-law joined the family business and along with the children and grandchildren they all learned to make roses. Roses helped them tide over the difficult years. Roses were a source of pocket money, scholarship allowance, extra income and, fi nally, rooted in the past, hardened by the ups and downs of recent times, availing of current favourable conditions, with a lot of work and by joining forces, by the mid-nineties the family had built Szamos, an up-and-coming marzipan company based in Pilisvörösvár with several hundred employees, serving ninety percent of the Hungarian market, and supplying to seven countries, which in 1987 opened one of the nicest shops in downtown Pest. Of course old Mr Szamos experimented with this magical, eastern blend of peeled almonds and sugar from the outset, as anything can be made from marzipan. On every special occasion, birth-

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HE POOR, FATHERLESS Serbian boy from Szentendre, little Mladen Szavits - who inherited his affi nity for Eastern sweets through the blood of his Balkan refugee ancestors - was just a confectionery apprentice at the famous shop of József E. Auguszt on Krisztina Boulevard. One day - in the early 1930s - a Danish confectioner joined the shop, who demonstrated that with sufficient dexterity, attention and lots and lots of practice, pretty roses could be made from the sugary, almond paste and marzipan. The apprentices did not really pay attention; even the master himself did not show any particular interest. Only little Mladen Szavits, later known as Mátyás Szamos, tried again and again on the sacred premises of every confectionery. He twisted a long stick from the red-coloured marzipan on the cool marble table sprinkled with sugar, from which he clipped small discs. He then laid the little discs side by side, and used a wooden shaping tool to adroitly taper them. Then with the quick fl ick of a sharp knife, he loosened the thin petals from the marble slab gently enough so that each of them remained in place. He twirled the fi rst one together; this became the seed. He then attached this to the next one, the edge of which he unfolded a bit and in the centre created a small funnel-like curve, which became the fi rst petal. Then came the next, which half covered the previous one. He unfolded this one as well, then came the third, and so on, until the marzipan rose was fi nished, the spitting image of the garden rose. Only the taste was better. A good few hours, days, months, years and dec-

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“The Whole Thing Started with Roses”

F U N Z I N E

The Past and Present of Szamos

In the eighty years that have passed since the company’s founding, the name Szamos became synonymous with tradition and quality. No Szamos marzipan, bonbon or cake has ever caused anyone disappointment: customers feel that they have a familial bond with the brand based on unlimited trust. The company’s PR manager, Judit Bak talks about hard-earned successes, plans for new projects and the values that have kept the chocolate family together in the past and will continue to serve as emblems of Szamos in the future. SINCE ITS OPENING 3 YEARS AGO, SZAMOS GOURMET PALACE ON VÖRÖSMARTY SQUARE HAS BECOME THE COMPANY’S FLAGSHIP. TO WHAT DOES IT OWE ITS PRIVILEGED POSITION?

The Gourmet Palace is a confectionery, a café and a chocolaterie at the same time, where we have introduced a wide range of new offers to complement the selection of original Szamos sweets. We have a large variety of breakfast offers and a special daily menu, so the Gourmet Palace also functions as a bistro, its atmosphere reminiscent

“ The Gourmet Palace also functions as a bistro, its atmosphere reminiscent of the lively hustle and bustle of turn-of-thecentury coffee houses.”

of the lively hustle and bustle of turn-of-the-century coffee houses. It is becoming more and more popular due in part to its central location: people working in nearby offices enjoy popping in for a quick business lunch that is not only delicious and fi lling, it is served very quickly and the prices are absolutely fair. The milieu itself is amazing and well worthy of the Szamos name. We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to rent the space in the Stock Exchange Palace, a beautiful building with an unfortunate past and an uncertain future. Every single detail of the interior design and the furnishing was dreamt up and realized by Gabriella Szamos, the only daughter of Mátyás Szamos, who oversees the appearance of each of our shops and publications herself. Our distinguished partner, the 180-year-old Herend Porcelain Manufactory has created one-of-a-kind wall decorations for the Gourmet Palace. The three large porcelain

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The Palace with Pillars of Marzipan

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Iván Bächer

F U N Z I N E

Old Mátyás lived to see the family business turn into a large-scale operation known throughout Europe. He also lived to see, parallel to production, the growing role of hospitality in the business, Szamos confectioneries opening one after another and almost lived to see the Szamos name adorn the top of the shiny window of a confectionery in his hometown of Szentendre. Mátyás Szamos rests a fi ve minute walk from the confectionery in the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Szentendre. Old Matyi returned home twice.

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days, Christmas, Easter the little Szamos children were delighted to receive the most varied array of amazing, unique, original and always intact delicious marzipan figures (it is perhaps no coincidence that all three kids stayed in the business). Today, hundreds of thousands of customers have the chance to share the erstwhile joy of the little confectioners to be. The company now makes much more than just marzipan fondant, roses and fi gures; it produces a wide range of sweets, cakes and last but not least, delicious desserts. The majority of the recipes praise the ingenuity of Mátyás Szamos, so many shapes, fl avours, specialties, and surprises.

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F U N Z I N E

“ We know that the quality we offer is a guarantee that we can rely on.”

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WHAT IS THE KEY TO MAINTAINING THE LEVEL OF QUALITY THAT HAS INSPIRED SONGS OF PRAISE FOR SEVERAL DECADES?

Szamos is a family business: Gabriella Szamos, her husband, Gyula Kelényi and their two sons, Ádám and Kolos Kelényi are all deeply involved in the affairs of the company that has luckily remained in the hands of the descendants of our founding father. All our traditional products are made based on the original recipes created by him and handed down to the next generation. First and foremost, these recipes ensure the authentic Szamos quality. Secondly, we pay very close attention to the ingredients that we use: we never cheat on them or use any substitutes. We always add the exact amount of everything that a specific recipe requires, be it vanilla, chocolate or sugar - no more and no less. Th irdly, we find it very important to keep track of our customers’ preferences, to ask them for feedback and listen to their suggestions. For example, we have had quite a few of our guests tell us that they loved the Esterházy cake, but that it seemed a little too sweet. Gabriella immediately visited the plant where we manufacture our products in Pilisvörösvár, and asked them to cut back on the sugar. We have also received requests from customers who wished to try a product they liked in a different flavour. We always take ideas into consideration, and if we like one and the confectioners say it is doable, we get it done. But we never let the quality of our products be compromised, because tradition and quality are our trademarks. Not to mention that in our next venture, which will be a huge step in the life of Szamos, the latter will receive the emphasis.

CAN YOU REVEAL THE DETAILS OF THIS HUGE STEP?

It was about half a year ago that we decided to open a confectionery in Vienna. We have been exporting our products to Austria and Germany for a while, but they are not yet familiar with the Szamos brand name. We were given a chance to rent a space that used to host a small café on Landstrasser Hauptstrasse, the second busiest shopping street in Vienna after Maria Hilfer Strasse. It is going to be a real challenge, because the competition is enormous, there are countless cafés, bistros and confectioneries in the neighbourhood. But we have decided to take the risk, because we know that the quality we offer is a guarantee that we can rely on. The task comes with a lot of responsibility: not only are we taking the name of the Szamos family abroad, we will also be representing our country, since ours will be THE Hungarian confectionery in Vienna. I personally find it an enticing opportunity. Once, before I started working for Szamos, I was visiting Vienna and as I looked around at all the cosy and cheerfully elegant cafés lining the streets, I said to myself: why in the world is there no Szamos confectionery here? It would fit in perfectly, it is both worthy and deserving of being present in a place like Vienna, a prospering, graceful, monarchic city. Looking back, it is like I had a vision. We will open right before the Christmas season, so the new place will be put to the test very soon. SPEAKING OF THE HOLIDAYS, WHAT DOES SZAMOS HAVE IN STORE FOR US THIS SEASON?

We will be taking part in the Advent Christmas Market on Vörösmarty Square, just like every year. We have an outdoor stand right in front of the Gourmet Palace, where we will be offering our delicious mulled wine, punch, rollcakes, strudels, and of course, our exclusive Szamos Christmas bonbons.

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pictures represent our common values: our respect for tradition and eagerness for innovation. Herendi tea sets and bonbonnières are also on display and for sale at the Gourmet Palace.

Introducing our products to our partners is part of my job at the company, but I am also frequently called upon by organisers of professional events from outside the company who consider my opinion creditable. HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN EXPERT IN

I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU

YOUR FIELD?

WERE A COGNAC EXPERT, AND YET YOU

Working with spirits like cognac requires a set of skills of which only a few can be acquired through studying. The rest of our knowledge is largely based on experience obtained with the help of senses that work as hypersensitive instruments. In our trade, having a large set of references is of crucial importance. When tasting a certain item, you can-

SEEM LIKE A REAL POLYMATH. WHAT ARE THE MAIN AREAS OF YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR COMPANY’S PROFILE?

Cognacs certainly have a privileged position in my life, but our company deals with a much larger segment of gastronomy. We represent 26 cognac hous-

SO WHAT MAKES COGNAC THE MOST NOBLE OF ALL SPIRITS?

The process of production is relatively uncomplicated. No special ingredients are used, yields are not limited to lower crop levels: grapes grow in abundance in the Charente Region. Even the processing of raw materials is in no way outstanding, grapes are not handpicked and there is nothing special about their fermentation, either. What makes cognacs really interesting and sophisticated is time. The oldest spirits still suitable for consumption are all cognacs. Unlike wines, which go stale after a few decades, cognacs can be preserved for centuries. We still have vintages from the year 1805: just think of all that has happened to the

WHAT DETERMINES THE VALUE OF A BOTTLE OF COGNAC?

The general assumption is that the older an item, the better and the more expensive it is: however, this is not necessarily true. People also think that the region where the cognac was produced is the most important factor that determines its value, but the fact is that a Grande Champagne is not better or worse than a Petite Champagne, it is just different in style and character. The items that tend to be the most expensive are the so-called vintage cognacs. When the cellar master recognizes that a specific vintage is especially good, it is treated separately with special care and cannot be blended with distillates that are not from the same year.

“ The oldest spirits still suitable for consumption are all cognacs.”

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HOW ABOUT COGNAC TASTINGS?

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es along with a few armagnac and calvados houses in Hungary. We also have a rapidly growing wine distribution branch, with a repertoire of high quality wines that are carefully selected to be perfectly in accordance with the path laid out by cognacs. We also supply fine dining restaurants and hotel kitchens with imported ingredients from France.

F U N Z I N E

’m sitting alone in a café, staring absent mindedly at a bottle of Château de Beaulon on the shelf behind the bar when Andor Molnár, an expert of spirits working for Royal Cognac walks in with a slight limp and a huge smile. He introduces himself gallantly, and within the fi rst minute of our meeting, gives a quick speech about his preferences regarding brewed coffee, followed by a detailed description of the bottle of Roby Lakatos wine that he is carrying in his bag for a later wine tasting, and orders a cognac to relieve the cramp in his foot that had slowed him down on his way to the café (“Did you know that cognac is proven to dilate blood vessels?”). And with that, we are down to business.

WHY COGNAC?

I once went to a public tasting, where I tasted a few items at Royal Cognac’s stand, and they asked me to share the impressions I got. As I started talking, they said that there are very few people who understand cognacs in such a way and who are actually able to phrase their opinion like I did. So they asked me to work for them. But even before, cognacs had always been close to my heart. Like I said, I consider them the most noble, most honourable of all distilled spirits, which is not something I came up with: it is a notion that is accepted to be true even in professional circles.

world since then! Those cognacs have survived wars and recessions and all sorts of world scale traumas. Th is contribution of history and the great patience, devotion and care that these spirits are treated with that makes them the finest and most noble of all distilled spirits.

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Cognac

T H E MOS T NOBL E OF A L L SPI R I T S:

not possibly detect the taste or smell of saffron or cardamom if you have never encountered it before, no matter how refined your senses are. Another essential part of our job is being familiar with the history of cognac, the production process and the past and present of traditional cognac houses and brands. These studies also call for illustration: you have to taste an endless array of cognacs of different vintages at different levels of aging, and you have the visit the Cognac region again and again, to be able to taste items in cellars right from the barrel. These accumulated experiences form the system that can be called upon in an everyday practice. My work also involves recommending foods to pair with cognacs, which would be a much more difficult task had I not gained experience working as a chef at a restaurant.

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F U N Z I N E

“Measuring cognacs by quantity goes against their very nature.”

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SO HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY THEM?

I prefer to look at matters in a holistic way, and I think that spirits can only be evaluated by taking into account the context that they are consumed in. That context in general is life itself, but it can be narrowed down to situations related to gastronomy. Instead of commercial value based on rarity and age and other qualities, the emphasis should be on the pairing of foods with the cognacs that perfectly complement them, because that is the best way to enjoy spirits. That doesn’t mean you can’t pour yourself a glass of cognac at home, sit back and light up a cigar – especially since the cigar also gives the drink a context. But cognacs cannot be fully understood if they are regarded as though in a vacuum.

WHAT MAKES A COGNAC ARTISANAL?

Artisanship begins with the fermentation process, when distillates are aged in barrels and are moved from one to the other at periods of time determined by the cellar masters. Th is process requires so much experience, intuition and expertise that it can only be done by someone whose family has been producing cognac for generations, traditions being passed down from father to son. The same is true for the making of the blend. Cellar masters have to be able to recreate blends that taste and smell exactly like the original ones from the distillates they have on hand. They may not even be conscious of what they are doing, they just know. That is why when you taste a cognac that is several decades old, it is like you are drinking someone’s life’s work. Th is sort of artisanal care can also be detected in the scale of production: if an artisanal cognac house decides that they want to limit the amount that they make of a certain cognac, they refuse to make more, no matter how badly the market demands it. I TAKE IT THAT THE COGNAC INDUSTRY IS NOT UNTOUCHED BY THE QUESTIONS

DO YOU HAVE ANY PREFERENCES RE-

OF MASS PRODUCTION.

GARDING BOTTLE DESIGNS?

The facts are as follows: about 17.5 million bottles of cognac are produced each year, 90% of which come from the four biggest houses: Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell and Courvoisier. The remaining 10% is shared by 250-300 small family businesses, artisanal cognac houses. Such increased production can have a detrimental effect on quality, as the process of aging cannot be hurried: 50 years in a barrel cannot be reduced to 5 weeks. Measuring cognacs by quantity goes against their very nature.

I don’t care for fancy decanters if their sole purpose is to be expensive and spectacular: they do not enhance the value of the cognac in any way other than a commercial one. But there are carafes, like the one designed by Lalique for Hardy’s Printemps that represent a real artistic value: they themselves are original works of art. Even though I consider myself a purist, designs of Daum or Lalique, inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Deco from the Belle Époque do comply with my taste.

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There is a cognac from 1806 that costs 4 million forints a bottle. The buyer also receives the cognac’s radiocarbon age certificate and a copy of the original “Authorisation to distill eaux-de-vie” to prove its authenticity. These cognacs are so fine, so rare and thus so gourmet that they can be sold for incredibly large sums. However, I don’t think that any of these categories can adequately describe a cognac.

HER AMBITION AND ARTISTIC DRIVE HAVE LED HER ONTO A PATH WINDING

FROM THE FIELDS OF GASTRONOMY TOWARDS THE HORIZONS OF CONTEMPORARY ART. SHE HAS COME UP WITH A UNIQUE FORM OF ARTISTRY THAT SHE CAN LEGITIMATELY CALL HER OWN: THE ART OF MAKING PICTURES OUT OF MARZIPAN.

henever the busy pâtissière had a few minutes of spare time, she would hide in the back of her cake salon on Veres Pálné Street to work on a marzipan picture. „I’ve always had a desire to create something that lasts.

“ W henever I feel like I’m in need of an idea, I look at sketches by fashion designers such as Oscar de la Renta.” I love decorating cakes, but it is unbearably painful to see them being cut up and eaten. Photographs just don’t reflect the magic of the original work. Art has always been at the centre of my life: I have

a degree in art appraisal, and I’ve also studied fashion design. I started making marzipan pictures because I wanted to bring my work closer to art, and to make something that doesn’t disappear with the moment”, she recounts. Ráchel’s collection of pictures was exhibited for the fi rst time at the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest. The exhibition was a booming success, with a huge crowd marvelling at the works hung on the walls, each visitor trying to pick out their own favourite piece. The idea is so original, the technique so unique that at the moment, Ráchel’s marzipan pictures are unmatched around the world. “The fi rst picture was born when I was making a sample for a cake decorating workshop. I figured

“ I’ve always had a desire to create something that lasts.”

P hoto b y Á r o n E r d ő h á t i

BLE.

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WHO DESIGNS UNIQUE CAKES BY MOLDING MARZIPAN INTO ANY SHAPE IMAGINA-

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TRADITIONAL CUISINE AND A GIFTED CAKE DECORATOR

harmony, and remind us of our most cherished memories. I am proud of our Flódni because it means so much to me and so many people love it. Even the international press has taken an interest: we’ve been featured in countless magazines and TV productions. Our confectionary has received several awards, like the Best of Budapest Prize.” Ráchel puts her heart and soul into every single dish, pastry, cake and marzipan picture that she makes, which is the key to her positive thinking – and her success. “The custom-made cakes that I design are not simply elaborately decorated confectionary products: they could tell tales about the person who is giving them to someone they love as well as their loved one. And there is always a little bit of me in there too, as I’m lucky enough to be a part of such touching moments.”

F U N Z I N E

HUNGARIAN-JEWISH

U X U R Y

R ÁCHEL R AJ HAS MADE A NAME FOR HERSELF AS A MASTERFUL CHEF, A STAR OF

Sweetness in Golden Frames

that there was no point in making an entire cake just to use it as a model, so I simply decorated a flat marzipan sheet with cut-out pieces of marzipan. It turned out so well that I put it up in my shop, and one day, a friend of mine who works as a restorer took it away and brought it back beautifully framed and looking just like a painting,” she recalls. Ráchel’s pictures draw inspiration primarily from different periods of art history and fashion design. “My biggest inspiration is Art Deco, a style that appears in most of my work, in one form or another. I can also find myself in Art Noveau and 20th century avant-garde, as well as old fi lms, especially ones that star Audrey Hepburn, a favourite icon of mine. Whenever I feel like I’m in need of an idea, I look at sketches by fashion designers such as Oscar de la Renta, whom I admire greatly. Several of the marzipan pictures at the exhibition were born as part of a project that we worked on together with Andor Molnár, an expert of cognacs: my works were inspired by posters and bottle designs created by traditional cognac houses. But whichever style or piece of artwork my creations refer to, all of my own motivations, all the emotions swirling inside me are reflected in them, too.” As for the ingredients and the special technique she works with, Ráchel explains: “I consider it very important that my cakes and pastries be made of high quality ingredients, and this applies to my pictures as well: instead of fondant, I use real marzipan. What’s special about the technique is that I never use stencils, I always cut out the shapes and patterns by hand, without outlining them fi rst. All I need is to have an idea, make a sketch of it on a piece of paper, and my hand just remembers the complete flow of the movement that I used to make the drawing.” Aside from her marzipan pictures, another trademark that has become inseparable with Ráchel’s name is Ráchel Raj’s Flódni. “Flódni is a traditional Hungarian-Jewish pastry made with walnuts, poppy seeds, apples and plum jam. Ráchel Raj’s Flódni is based on a recipe that was handed down in my family from generation to generation. It represents the nurturing love that we all long for, the soothing grandmotherly care that warms our hearts as we look back on our childhood. The flavours of the indulgent but not over sweet dessert are in perfect

SUBTLETIES OF WINE’S FLAVOURS, MAKING THEM BETTER TASTERS THAN MEN.

WHETHER THAT IS TRUE OR NOT, THE FIELD HAS IN FACT SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FEMALE EXPERTS WORLDWIDE. IS

A MONG

THE UP-AND-COMING

R ITA TÓTH AIWS, AN IN-DEMAND WINE CONSULTANT AND RECOGNISED EX-

PERT OF INTERNATIONAL AND HUNGARIAN WINES. ARE YOU ENJOYING IT SO FAR? HOW DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH WINE?

Wine has been close to my heart for as long as I can remember: I spent my childhood in my family’s vineyards in the Eger wine region. I have a memory of my father coming home holding a bottle of the very first Bikavér etiquette in his hand and being very happy, a moment that left a deep imprint in me. My father was the director of a large cooperative in Egerszalók, and I am very proud of his achievements. I feel that in a way, it is my duty to follow in his footsteps. YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTR ATION. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A CAREER CHANGE?

While I was working in recruitment in Sydney, I had the chance to visit two of Australia’s oldest wine regions, Barossa Valley and Hunter Valley.

I was amazed by the way that they presented the region’s vineyards and wine cellars to visitors. It was a truly inspiring experience. Soon after I realised that I wanted to dedicate my life to the things I love: wine and travelling.

Absolutely. Each day I learn something new, and I’m continuously developing new skills to gain more insight and deepen my understanding of the local and global wine market and consumer preferences. WHAT IS THE CONCEPT BEHIND DOC VINO BAR?

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE RELATED TO WINE?

After completing three levels of courses organised by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in Budapest, I won a scholarship to Italy and spent four months at wine cellars taking part in winemaking workshops. Creating blends and learning how to grasp the style that would represent the eventual product were at the focus of my studies. The next stop was Austria, where I completed the WSET diploma course and became a

Our goal is to create a loyal and curious clientele who are open to try new wine styles and experience the unconstrained Italian way of life – which includes casually walking into a bar to have a quick drink and a chat before leaving to go about their daily business. Our portfolio of unique and high quality Italian wines is unparalleled: most of the items on our list are our own imports and cannot be found anywhere else in the country. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of the truly experienced and acknowledged team of Trattoria

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HAS SUGGESTED THAT WOMEN MAY BE MORE SENSITIVE TO THE

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R ESEARCH

OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

I have visited major European wine regions several times to get to know the different styles and techniques of winemaking, and each trip was a rich experience in itself. Being a Purchasing Manager of foreign wines for two years also enabled me to attend the most important wine fairs throughout Europe. Th is year I was invited to sit on the judges’ panel at the International Wine Challenge in London and the International Beverages Expo and Competition in Shenzhen, China, where part of my job was to promote Hungarian wines, which is a high-priority task for me within the framework of a wine consulting project. I have been appointed as one of the two Hungarian Ambassadors of the #winelover community, an amazingly supportive and encouraging group of colleagues and friends from all over the world whom I have a lot to thank for. Also, I recently started managing a newly opened Italian wine bar called DOC Vino Bar on Arany János Street, which is a new challenge for me as I have little experience in the hospitality industry.

F U N Z I N E

Blonde AMBITION

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS

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“ I realised that I wanted to dedicate my life to the things I love: wine and travelling.”

certified Associate of the Institute of Wines and Spirits. The title I received is internationally accredited and considered to be the last step leading up to becoming a Master of Wine, the most prestigious position in the profession.

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“ If producers could put more emphasis on maintaining consistent high quality, Hungarian wines could gain better international recognition.”

•

WINE CULTURE DEVELOP?

Countries that have significant tradition in wine production tend to have a nationalistic attitude when it comes to picking favourites: this is especially true for Hungary, where people generally prefer domestic wines to imported ones. I think that if a larger selection of foreign wines were avail-

able in our country, Hungarian wines could be reevaluated in comparison to them – both in terms of wine styles and price-quality ratio. Also, it’s a shame that Tokaji Aszú is the only Hungarian wine brand known all around the world. I see a lot of potential in other premium quality Hungarian wines, like Bikavér (especially the Superior), Tokaji and Somlói Furmint and Villány Cabernet Franc, not to mention our own black varieties, such as Kadarka and Kékfrankos. We already have great treasures, but if producers could put more emphasis on maintaining consistent high quality, Hungarian wines could gain better international recognition among premium niche market wines – as there should be no other real objective, considering the given limitation in quantity. Our startup wine consulting agency – MoVIN Hungary - was formed together with two of my classmates in order to to help promote Hungarian wines abroad and boost Hungarian wine tourism by targeting foreign visitors with premium services.

F U N Z I N E

IN WHAT DIRECTION COULD HUNGARY’S

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Pomo D'oro, the renowned Italian restaurant that is in close cooperation with the wine bar. We organise wine dinners and wine tastings that have all been very successful so far.

B U DAPEST

BY MANY BUT NURTURED BY A FEW, AND AT THE SAME TIME , A VISION OF TIMES YET TO COME. BEHIND IT ALL IS THE MAN WHO IS AS MUCH A PART OF THE BRAND AS THE BRAND IS A PART OF HIM: A TAILOR YOU CAN TRUST WITH YOUR

DNA .

The brand was born in 2004, and it owes its existence to a dream that I had. Th is dream was to dress Europe in a way that I thought was missing from men’s fashion. The one goal that I had in mind was, and still is, to combine the traditional values of tailoring with a distinctively modern style. After graduating in England and working as a stylist for the department store Selfridges, I moved to Hungary to take over a Polish company’s branch office in Budapest. However, I soon realized that the job was not meant for me because the company’s main focus was mass production instead of a one-to-one service. I decided to try my luck, and, partnering up with a few freelance tailors, I set up a small business in Budapest. We worked for private individuals, taking up orders and making clothes in a tiny apartment on Falk Miksa Street. Our headquarters served as my office, my home and my workshop at the same time. It was a perfect place for my customers to come and get their measurements taken, and the brand that is now Stan Ahuja started growing out from there. HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE FUTURE OF MEN’S FASHION IN HUNGARY?

My main goal is to educate the youth of Hungary in professional dressing and prove to them that commissioning a tailor to make your clothes is not an antiquated practice and does not have to be a tedious and dreary process. As of right now, most young Hungarian men would much rather buy a confection suit from a fancy designer than go to a tailoring house – and that is the perception that I would like

DOES WEARING A SUIT REQUIRE A SPECIAL OCCASION IN THE MINDS OF HUNGARIAN MEN?

I’ve given seminars in schools all around Eastern Europe just to get to know the way that children think. I discovered that most of them would only consider wearing a suit for a graduation, a funeral or a very formal family dinner. Changing this mindset is a very slow process, but it is the way to go. I don’t want Hungarian men to feel underdressed when they are meeting a business

“ I talk to a lot of fashion bloggers, and they all agree that Hungarian women are outstandingly well dressed. Why can’t we say the same for men?” partner from a country where dressing right is of utmost importance. Like they say: your fi rst impression is your last impression, and being dressed correctly is a huge part of that impression. If you show up at a meeting wearing a well-cut suit, a nicely tailored shirt, a perfectly matched outfit, you will automatically be seen as someone who comes from a certain background, has a certain know-how, knows how they want to be perceived and what direction they are heading in life.

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TION. THE TAILORING HOUSE IS A SHRINE TO ANCIENT VALUES LONG FORGOTTEN

HOW WAS THE BR AND STAN AHUJA BORN?

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DURING RESPECT FOR TRADITION MEETS AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE FOR REVOLU-

F U N Z I N E

38 A NDRÁSSY AVENUE IS A WORLD BETWEEN WORLDS – AT STAN A HUJA, THE EN-

U X U R Y

Tailored to Suit Your Genes

to change. This is a traditional tailoring house, one that you would call a “szabóság” in Hungarian, but we have a dynamic team of young people working for us who possess the knowledge of the traditional methods of tailoring, and also have the creativity to give our designs a very modern twist. They know how to combine details in a way that makes a suit stunningly vibrant and very appealing to the young entrepreneur who is stepping out into the business world for the first time. I talk to a lot of fashion bloggers, and they all agree that Hungarian women are outstandingly well dressed. Why can’t we say the same for men? It’s a constant effort from our side to change that imbalance. There is a niche in the luxury segment of men’s fashion that I will keep on trying to fill until one day, a fashionista will come to Budapest, walk on the street and exclaim: Wow, in this country, the men are really well dressed!

L COUNTER AN OBSTACLE?

TAKE BEFORE YOU START MAKING A SUIT?

We take approximately 35-40 measures of an individual’s body. We then proceed to making the pattern, which is a paper-cutting that defi nes the suit that is to be made. We at Stan Ahuja have established a standard policy to cut an individual pattern for each customer, because we believe that every person is different and every person has their own set of measurements – which is like their DNA. The customers’ individual fi les are of utmost importance to us and we would protect them with our lives. COULD YOU SHOW ME SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ’LUXURY’? WHAT DOES THE EXPRESSION MEAN TO YOU?

In my honest opinion, luxury is to own something so individualized, so personalized and so bespoken that money cannot buy it. Luxury is individualism. It is something you commission rather than something ready-made that you pull up a Black American Express and buy. It is, especially in my trade, something that fits you so well that it could only have been produced by hand. There is no machine, no sewing technique in the world that could replace the work of hand. Of course, there is a price for everything, but the value of what you get is infi nite compared to the sum you pay for it, which is why you get immense pleasure out of a real luxury item. I have a client who is a famous performer and is constantly dancing on stage. He used to wear regular size 52 suits from well-known fashion houses, and hadn’t even considered having one tailor-made for him. When we met, I told him

Th is is a winter overcoat that we are making for a Russian gentleman. It is a one-of-a-kind piece in terms of fabric: it is made of pure, precious vicuna wool, with 100% natural fi bres, weighing approximately 550 grams/metre. Here at Stan Ahuja, customers get to choose from 10 000 different fabrics from the world’s most renowned manufacturers. Th is is one of the most prestigious fabrics in the market. Th e beauty of it is that while the coat may feel incredibly light, the fabric does not allow the heat to escape, but keeps the body’s temperature. Not only does it not wrinkle, if you twist it and let it go, it pops right back into place. When it is done, the coat will be carefully hand-sewn to every last millimetre. The inner layer is canvas made of horsehair, and there are buff alo horn buttons on the front. Th is type of fabric is extremely rare, we don’t get to work with it on a daily or even monthly basis. Th is particular coat is probably the fi fth such garment that we have ever made.

“ Luxury is individualism.”

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HOW MANY MEASUREMENTS DO YOU

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that I would make him a suit for dancing, one that would make him feel like he is not wearing anything at all, and then he would see the difference. To this day, that gentleman keeps coming back and telling me that he really does feel like he’s not wearing anything while he’s dancing on stage. And that is what luxury is. Even though the off-the-peg suits that he was buying were luxurious goods, they were still not of any value, because he didn’t feel comfortable in them.

F U N Z I N E

I always knew that it would take plenty of hard work to get where I wanted to be, and I still have a long way to go. But my grandfather once told me: “Never be satisfied. The day that you are satisfied with where you are at is the day you take a step backward.” I don’t think one lifetime will be enough for me to reach all my goals. Th is is a family business, and I am just sowing the seeds for future generations to reap the benefits. As children, we were taught that you work for your family and you live for your family, because without family, there isn’t much joy in this life. Be honest, work hard, and be true to your business: these principles have been drilled into my mind by my elders. Every morning that I wake up I focus on these three things. I’m a perfectionist. I tend to focus on the negative and turn it into something positive rather than focusing on the positive and being happy with it. Even if something seems to be perfect, I need to strive to make it even better, otherwise my growth is going to stop. It’s my constant desire for perfectness that is at the core of it all. It’s a lifelong battle with myself, but it is one that I like to have in my closet.

U X U R Y

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU WHEN YOU EN-

HAT COULD BE THE SECRET of a pearl’s hypnotic appeal? Rarity? Timelessness? Uniqueness? All these features undeniably contribute to the mesmerizing beauty of pearls, but it is their organic origins, the fact that they were once part of something living that gives them the aura that eternally captivates us. Pearls are the ultimate manifestation of nature’s ability to conceive beauty that is beyond comparison. They are the creations of nature working as an artist. And as pieces of artwork, they each have their own stories. To quote fi lm director Federico Fellini: “All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.”

The most valuable pearls occur naturally, produced inside shelled molluscs as the result of a defence mechanism triggered when a small particle – a grain of sand or a parasite – gains entry into the mollusc’s body. Pearls are formed when the mollusc covers up the irritant in layers of nacre, a resilient, iridescent substance composed of calcium carbonate in a crystalline form that coats the inside of the shell valves. Cultured pearls are the outcome of tissue implant processes conducted by man. Freshwater pearls are formed inside freshwater mussels, while saltwater pearls grow in pearl oysters. Natural pearls can be distinguished from cultured pearls in gem testing laboratories equipped with gemo-

The Queen of

EDIT TÓTH,

THE JEWELLERY DESIGNER BEHIND THE BRAND

REAL GEM HERSELF.

INFLUENCE

IS A

SHE SEEMS TO HAVE ABSORBED ALL THE POSITIVE ENERGY

FROM EVERY PEARL AND STONE SHE HAS EVER WORKED WITH, AND IS NOW RADIATING IT TOWARDS THE WORLD.

WHAT CHARACTERIZES YOUR CREATIONS?

WHAT DOES WEARING JEWELLERY MEAN

Every single piece of jewellery that I design is unique. Each woman has an individual style, and they all deserve pieces that are theirs and only theirs. I always make sure to add a small detail, something special that makes a necklace different from any other necklaces out there. I even make sure that no two clasps are the same: I have them custom made by a goldsmith or order them indicust vidually from abroad. Because of my obsession my heart breaks a little every time with uniqueness, uniquen I sell one of my creations: I get attached to all of them, and it’s hard to t let go, because I can’t just make a copy for myself.

Everyone longs for elegance. Even those of my customers who represent a wild, off beat, bohemian style tend to choose delicate, more reserved, classical pieces to go with their tattoos. No one can resist the sort of mischievous elegance that was Coco Chanel’s contribution to fashion. A beautiful piece of jewellery can be of great help when you wake up feeling like rubbish, because what you need in those moments of lethargy is to do something – or put on something – that makes you feel comfortable in your own skin. A beautiful necklace can completely

TO YOU, AND TO YOUR CUSTOMERS?

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MIND IS THE METAPHOR OF THE PEARL .

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INGLY VALUABLE , EXQUISITE , THE FINEST OF ITS KIND, WHAT FIRST COMES INTO

F U N Z I N E

WE WISH TO ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE SOMETHING THAT IS OUTSTAND -

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WHEN

bright reflections on the surface. The smoother the surface of a pearl and the less the blemishes on it, the higher the quality is. As for shape, spherical pearls are the most sought-after, but irregular shaped baroque pearls are also popular. White and cream are the most common colours, but pearls exist in a large scale of hues. The thickness of the nacre determines resilience and durability. Regarding size, the larger the pearl, the more valuable it is, however, there are examples of large low quality pearls. Finally, in the case of pearl strands or multi-pearl jewellery, the value is also affected by how well the pearls match.

The Oyster’s A utobiography

logical X-ray technology, which is used to examine the centre of the pearl and to reveal the inner structure of the layers. Imitation pearls, which are most commonly made of mother-of-pearl, coral, conch shell or glass, are not difficult to recognize as there are certain basic factors that indicate artificiality, such as weight, smoothness and luster. The evaluation and description of a pearl’s quality can be carried out using the seven value factor system created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). These quality factors are luster, surface quality, shape, colour, nacre thickness, size and matching. Pearls with high luster have sharp

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HOW DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH PEARLS?

My infatuation with pearls started about three years ago. It took me a while to learn the knotting technique that is used to string pearls, and I discovered that I really enjoyed doing it. Pearls are the bomb. You cannot go wrong with them. You can wear them with any outfit from a monumental evening dress to a casual pair of jeans and a T-shirt, they are always appropriate. And they just become part of you. It may not be that obvious, but the truth is, every pearl is different: they come in an endless array of colours and shades – I especially like black and brown ones – , their iridescence can be very different, and they occur in various sizes. There can be huge differences in their value depending on which corner of the world they were harvested at, whether they are fresh water or salt water pearls, whether they are natural or cultured, real or artificial. I do not condemn artificial or painted pearls: I just like to keep them playful, without trying to make them look like they are real – or expensive.

TO WORK WITH BESIDES PEARLS?

Pearls have stolen my heart and they are always there at the back of my mind, but as for other materials, my preferences keep changing and my choices also depend on the season. During the summer, I worked with everything from hemp twine, leather cords and caoutchouc to all sorts of strings to make necklaces with lava stone beads, for example. The one that I’m wearing right now is made of Dalmatian jasper, black corals and kukui nuts. It’s only natural that winter calls for different colours, and even though we have to wrap ourselves in thick coats, we still want to be women! We all like to wear fancy jewellery during the holidays, but I’m always careful not to go overboard on the sparkle. I’ll use silver wire, smoky quartz or a few Swarovski spheres, but they only appear here and there in the composition, I never let them own it. By the way, I just had the chance to work with a very special material: cotton pearls. Traditionally Japanese, these light and fragile beads are made individually by hand and painted with crushed mother-of-pearl, which gives them a graceful luster. They are incredibly expensive, and they are objects of such value and respect that they deliver them from Japan wrapped one by one in tiny sachets and lined up carefully in boxes. HOW IS YOUR PERSONAL MOOD REFLECTED IN YOUR CREATIONS?

Right now, I’m very much into an ethno-esque style. My current favourites are loose strings and irregular stone beads because they have such a wonderfully rustic feel. A subtle retro overtone can’t hurt either. And I love long necklaces that have a primitive look because they are asymmetrical, and are not trying to pretend to be perfect. That is exactly what makes them special. Some of my necklaces are outright archaic: they resemble the heavy, dramatic jewellery that the Romans used to wear, while others are inspired by Peruvian and Bolivian

“A symmetry has to know its place.”

folk art with big, blunt, scratched surfaces. I love how they look as though they are half done. But the point is that these are pieces of jewellery that you can actually use, because they can be combined with a lot of different outfits. YOUR CREATIONS ARE EXQUISITELY ELEGANT AND STUNNINGLY DARING AT THE SAME TIME: HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE?

I never let a bigger surface, a more emphatic part of the necklace overwhelm the creation as a whole. I always fi nd a way to take off the edge and make the necklace look delicate and femi-

nine, even if we are talking about a modern piece of jewellery with an insanely large piece of aluminium or acrylic glass sheets attached to it. I also love working with asymmetry: but it must always be framed by symmetry. There has to be an element or a motif that keeps returning, something to keep the composition balanced and restore the harmony that was “ruined”. Asymmetry has to know its place. It’s very important to have some sort of a nuance that doesn’t fit, that disrupts harmony, that engages the eye, that makes you ask: just what is that thing doing there? What does it mean? What is she trying to say with it? That is what makes a piece of jewellery memorable.

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my personal habits, I always have to wear at least a pair of pearl earrings when I go out. I may not be wearing anything fancier than a pair of jeans, but I just have to put those earrings on or else I feel naked. Th at small detail can make all the difference. And then, of course, once I get home, I throw everything right off !

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MATERIALS

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“No one can resist the sort of mischievous elegance that was Coco Chanel’s contribution to fashion.”

F U N Z I N E

restore your self-confidence. I do make elegant jewellery for formal occasions, but what I really like to focus on is eye-catching pieces that you can wear every day, especially when you don’t feel like dressing up, and they make even the simplest outfit look stylish and complete. As for

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DAME OF FASHION: IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF FASHION SUSTAINABILITY, A MAJOR CONCERN FOR AN INCREASING NUMBER OF DESIGNERS AND CONSUMERS ALIKE .

TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THE SUBJECT, WE ASKED DESIGNER AND

TEXTILE EXPERT

NOÉMI BENCZE

ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MAKING CON-

SCIOUS CHOICES AND HER OWN ECO -BRAND

or those of us who like to think twice about what we hang in our closets, eco fashion is a trend that goes hand in hand with our desire for quality, durability – and originality. While aesthetic design may be the fi rst aspect to consider when shopping for clothes, there are other, less apparent factors that have an impact on our decision making. The designer behind the Hungarian brand NOS.

“ W hen you buy a piece of clothing from my collection, I’m asking you to make a commitment.” Design, Noémi Bencze creates casual clothing for forward-thinking men and women who are devoted to buying garments made exclusively from environmentally friendly materials with socially responsible methods of production. Her goal is to provide an alternative to low quality mass products and offer long-lasting, functional pieces that are kind to the Earth during their birth and throughout their life cycle. With a degree in clothing engineering and years of experience in uniform design, Noémi’s insight into the technical aspects of fashion and her thorough knowledge of materials define her as a designer. For her, it all starts and ends with the fabric.

NOS.

“The fabrics that I use are definitive. They are the primary characteristic feature of my creations, and they represent a certain quality. My favourite materials are organic cotton and high quality viscose rayon, which is manufactured from naturally occurring cellulose fibres. I only buy fabrics that have been analysed and evaluated by certification systems such as OEKO-TEX Standard or STeP, and are guaranteed to be free from toxic chemicals. I am very careful not to order supplies unless the seller can provide me with information about their source and technical parameters. Also, to reduce the amount of waste, pieces of my collection come with a small bag made from leftover fabric,” she says. First and foremost, Noémi aims at creating something of value that lasts. “When you buy a piece of clothing from my collection, I’m asking you to make a commitment. I’d like you to think about what you’re buying, what place it’s going to have in your wardrobe, and to keep wearing it for years and years instead of throwing it away in the next season.” It may sound unusual, but another key factor of her design philosophy is time. “My personal experience of trying to outrun time has taught me that living at such an elevated pace cannot be sustained for a long time. This is especially true for those who do creative work, because the risk of burning out is continuously looming

above their heads. We just need to slow down eventually, and the same goes for fashion. I don’t believe in fast fashion or impulse shopping, and I don’t think that our wardrobes have to be cleared out and refi lled twice a year. There is a lot of pressure on designers to come up with something new each and every season, but that is not the way I think. I believe in continuity, predictability and planning when it comes to my collections.” And her secret for creating pieces that never go out-of-date? “I design simple, clean cut pieces without anything ostentatious or flashy. The more simple a garment, the longer you can keep wearing it and combining it with whatever you prefer,” she explains. Noémi’s love for and attention to fabrics is unparalleled in the Hungarian fashion scene. The reason? Not many designers have access to her kind of knowledge. “Unfortunately, students of fashion design are taught very little about production. They have a one-sided view of the industry and often don’t know who to turn to with their technical questions. They have ideas, they know how to create a design on paper, but often they have no clue how to get it done.” Finding a solution to this problem is a difficult task, but Noémi has a few suggestions. “I’m a big fan of visiting clothing factories and tailor shops, because those are the places where you can learn about different technologies. Factory visits would be very beneficial for anyone who is studying design,” she says. Noémi’s advice is not to trust your eyes: don’t give in to temptation and buy clothes that you can only get one wear out of. There are valuable, high quality pieces out there made from the most beautiful fabrics –you will fall in love with them at fi rst touch.

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WOOD IS MORE THAN JUST A PIECE OF MOTHERLY ADVICE FROM THE GRAND

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„BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL , AND MAKE IT LAST.” THE QUOTE BY VIVIENNE WEST-

F U N Z I N E

Love at First Touch

“ I design simple, clean cut pieces without anything ostentatious or flashy.”

LIBERTY. PROWESS. ENDURANCE. CONFIDENCE. FEARLESSNESS. BEING THE R IDER

R IDER

IS NOT JUST A HOBBY: IT ’S A WAY OF LIFE .

GIVES THE MOTORCYCLE PURPOSE .

THE

TRUE PARTNER , WORSHIPPED IN RETURN FOR LOYALTY.

BIKE IS A TRIED -AND -

THEY

ARE BOUND TO -

GETHER BY THE THRILL OF THE RIDE , BOTH CHARGED WITH THE SAME ENERGIES.

LIVING

LIKE A

DEMANDS CLASS.

R IDER

A ND

EQUALS LIVING WITH STYLE .

THE HALLMARK OF CLASS IS

LIVING

WITH STYLE

LES ATELIERS RUBY.

“Simple things like getting oil stains on yourself and kickstarting the motorcycle can feel surprisingly liberating.”

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MoveSoul the

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Wheels

F U N Z I N E

Two

are especially popular among members of a specific motorcycle subculture that seems to be reappearing after a long period of hibernation. “The so-called ‘café racer’ movement that developed in Great Britain in the 1960s has been rediscovered and is becoming more and more widespread. The British Rocker subculture was all about quick rides from one transport café to another, hence the term ‘café racer’. Many among the Rockers were veterans of the Second World War trying to fi nd their place. They rode bikes that resembled road racers, with low handlebars and an elongated tank, giving them a simple, strippeddown look. The Rockers customised and converted the motorcycles themselves, using them for quick races where the goal was to be able to reach ‘the ton’ – which meant 160 km/h – and be back at the startout café by the time the jukebox fi nished playing a single rockabilly song. These record races became a part of the subculture and were very popular in Italy and France too. Right now, the number of converted Nortons, Triumphs, BSAs, Kawasakis, Yamahas and Hondas from the 1950s and 1960s is growing at a rate that is truly incredible. In fact, it’s developing so rapidly that big brands like Ducati have launched clothing lines and accessory collections to complement the classic style motorcycles, ” Dániel Regős explains. In Hungary, café racers have yet to appear, but the active and numerous Vespa community has also taken an interest in Les Ateliers Ruby helmets. One possible reason is that the quality of the helmets is incomparable to the products of other manufacturers: they provide the best sound proofing and the highest level of comfort among all the motorcycle helmets currently on the market. They are still considered to be very rare in Hungary: only about 100 pieces have been sold so far. The helmets come in a large variety of colours and three different models. The fi rst range called Pavillon was launched in 2007 and consists of open-face pieces with a chrome

U X U R Y

he hailed master of mobility, Les Ateliers Ruby is a French manufacturer of luxury motorcycle helmets, apparel and accessories by designer and bike enthusiast Jérôme Coste. The Parisian brand is known for its prestige category helmets that represent a ceaseless desire for freedom and independence and are indispensable for any motorcycle maniac. The revolutionary concept behind Les Ateliers Ruby is to polish the rough, vagabond biker style and combine it with refined elegance. The products are manufactured with outstanding precision and expertise, using first-rate technologies and materials of impeccable quality: the inside of the helmets is lined with genuine burgundy Nappa lambskin, and layers of carbon fibre constitute the shell. The brand’s Hungarian retailer is the electronic entertainment company Bang & Olufsen, a kindred brand with a philosophy similar to that of Les Ateliers Ruby. According to dealer Dániel Regős, the products of Ruby tend to bewitch their owners and become cherished objects full of meaning. “It’s easy to become captivated by the allure of the helmets because they represent desire. We all want to see ourselves and be seen as everyday heroes, and a helmet can play a huge role in creating that image. We become attached to it and it becomes part of us, so that one day our children will look at it and say: Th is was Daddy’s helmet, remember?” However, it is not just our children who are affected by the helmets in a nostalgic way. “Ruby helmets have become an unquestionable must-have in the circle of riders who own classic, old timer bikes. Looking back at the era that these bikes were born, it seems like the world was more honest back then, and people were more in control and could express themselves more freely. Trying to bring back those bygone times is a way of finding our place in today’s world where we are always in a rush and occupying ourselves with several things simultaneously. When you’re riding a bike, you’re not going to answer your phone or check your emails. Simple things like getting oil stains on yourself and kickstarting the motorcycle can feel surprisingly liberating. Riding itself is the ultimate feeling of freedom, and it’s not horse power that matters,” says Dániel Regős. Because of the feeling that they convey, Ruby helmets

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F U N Z I N E

PAV I L O N

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BE LV E DER E

CASTEL

trim, reminiscent of a medieval knight’s helmet. The second collection, Belvedere featured a distinctive screenshield for protection against the wind and polished aluminium pivots, resulting in a more futuristic look. The brand’s third line, Castel, released on the oc-

“It’s easy to become captivated by the allure of the helmets because they represent desire.” casion of their 5th anniversary, introduced full face helmets to complete the palette. Each helmet comes in a luxurious red box with three visors of different tints. Limited edition Les Ateliers Ruby

helmets designed by famous fashion designers like Karl Lagerfeld have been released, and completely personalised, custom-made helmets can be ordered as well. According to Dániel Regős, two wheels provide a much more intensive experience than four. “Riding a motorcycle is always about pushing boundaries. Your brain has to constantly work hard to keep you focused, since you are always prone to danger. Your senses suddenly become more acute: you can even smell the scent of flowers as you shoot past a field. There is no way to experience travelling more directly. The highest highs and the lowest lows are the moments when we feel truly alive, and riding offers a bit of both.”

L FROM OTHER SPORTS CARS?

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.

IBOLYA ÖRDÖG, COMMUNICATION MANAGER

WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS?

“ The Jaguar is English elegance itself.”

OF THE BR AND’S HISTORY?

BRITISH AUTOMOTIVE HUNGARY LTD. TALKS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF JAGUAR AND THE NEW MODELS THAT CARRY ON THE LEGACY OF THE ESTEEMED BRITISH BRAND.

Our customers are individuals with a desire for something more, something unique. They don’t want a car that makes them feel like they are sitting in one among an army of other cars that look exactly the same and line up one after the other whenever they stop at a red light. Some of our clients have been driving Jaguars for decades, and

It became an icon in the 1960s and has appeared in several fi lms, from classical French movies to the James Bond series. It’s the one model that anyone will recognise and be able to identify as a Jaguar. It was the C-type that established the brand as the ultimate sports car manufacturer, and the Jaguar XJ model family that made its debut in 1968 laid down the foundations for a series of Jaguar limousines, a type that is deservedly popular to this day. HOW IS THE BRAND’S LEGACY CARRIED ON?

The best thing about Jaguar Cars is that they have been able to stay true to the brand’s design values: beauty of line and purity of form. They have preserved the elegance and aristocratic allure that has been the cars’ main feature from the beginning. Next to using the most modern diesel power sources, Jaguar caters to the needs of sports car enthusiasts too with 5.0 litre supercharged petrol engines. The legendary E-type’s successor, Jaguar F-type was released in 2013 and declared World Car Design of the Year. The essence of the Jaguar heritage is there in every new model. If you compare a brand new model to one of the brand’s classic sports cars, you can see the development of the automotive industry but you can also recognise the same distinctive lines that make a Jaguar a Jaguar. This historical linearity is something that makes Jaguar stand out.

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HAS BEEN THE BRAND THAT DEFINES SPORTS CARS WITH ITS SIGNATURE DESIGN AND

Jaguar's predecessor, Swallow Coachbuilding Limited was founded in 1922 and specialised in making motorcycle side cars. In 1934, SS Cars, a British sports car manufacturer bought the company's shares, and in 1945, changed their name to Jaguar Cars. The sports cars they produced quickly became the best models in motorsport: they achieved record sales and were unbeaten at Le Mans for years at a time. To this day, the Jaguar E-type is considered to be one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY MOMENTS

•

EVER SINCE THE IMMORTAL E-TYPE TOOK THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD BY STORM, JAGUAR

In our country, Jaguar is considered to be a truly special, exclusive brand. Other brands have a much wider scale of models, there is one for everyone in the family, and they are manufactured in unbelievably large numbers. Jaguar is the only brand that strictly limits production despite the ever increasing market demand: Jaguars are such a rare sight on city streets that they are still considered a curiosity. People tend to position Jaguars high above their competitors, thinking that they cost much more than other cars of the same category – a false belief that can be attributed to the awe that has surrounded the brand for decades. Because of the brand’s history, Jaguars are considered the epitome of luxury cars: the Jaguar is English elegance itself.

F U N Z I N E

Heritage for the Future:

are so loyal to the brand that they are downright unwilling to drive any other car. Old Jaguar owners cherish the classic models that they own as if they were fragile works of art.

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WHAT MAKES A JAGUAR DIFFERENT

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HOW IS A JAGUAR BORN?

F U N Z I N E

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Unlike most other car brands, Jaguar cars are manufactured exclusively in one factory, in England. They have always insisted on keeping production in England and refuse to open additional factory units in other parts of the world. Jaguar Land Rover is owned by the Indian carmaker Tata Motors, but the investors demand no say in questions of design: they have vested it entirely to the English design team. The team headed by Ian Callum, the Director of Design for Jaguar Cars is a group of talented, young designers who excel at capturing the elegant beauty of Jaguars and combining it with fresh and youthful elements of style. However, design is far from everything: the owner invests unlimited effort into technical development as well, so that the brand can fully live up to the expectations of our time, becoming, moreover, an anticipation of the future. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN TER MS OF NEW MODELS?

The demand for a model that caters to the taste of a younger audience has increased so significantly that Jaguar decided to release the XE, a new, entry-level model in the executive saloon class targeted directly at the young entrepreneur. Sports cars and luxury limousines typically attract clients over a certain age, but the XE is a smaller and less expensive car that is closer to the preferences of young buyers in terms of design too. Its profi le is entirely different from what people are used to, but the design philosophy, the elegance and luxurious feel of Jaguars remains untouched. In 2016, the brand will conquer new heights with the revolutionary Jaguar C-X17, a four wheel

“ The essence of the Jaguar heritage is there in every new model.” drive SUV. Releasing a model that is so different from the brand’s original palette would have been unimaginable a few years back. An unmitigated Jaguar SUV? It’s completely unheard of.

The company has devised a series of ingenious campaigns that rely on the involvement of young stars, fresh and familiar faces to get through to the young audience. For example, to promote the Jaguar F-type, they made a short fi lm titled Desire in collaboration with Ridley Scott Associates featuring music by the popular singer Lana Del Rey, with a story about how there is a bad boy hiding in every nice guy. The fi lm itself is very entertaining and it’s all about the edgy coolness of the F-type. At the launch of the XE in London in 2014, it was Emili Sandé, another idol in the eyes of young people who performed on stage to promote the new model. We have also been working together with young artists in Hungary who share our values: our collaboration with the Hungarian fashion label Maison Marquise by Bori Tóth took form in an haute couture capsule collection inspired by the Jaguar F-type. Moni’s Jewelry has also created a limited edition collection with pieces that resemble the headlights of the F-type R Coupe – which the buyer gets as a gift to go with the car. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXTRA SERVICES THAT YOU OFFER AT JAGUAR HUNGARY?

WHAT PRODUCT MARKETING STR ATEGIES DO YOU USE TO GET THROUGH TO YOUNG BUYERS?

The most tempting one is that each of our customers who purchase models of higher cost receives a custom-made, hand-sewn suit by our

distinguished partner Stan Ahuja. In addition, we offer four years free servicing and a four-year vehicle warranty, because we trust the technical endurance and quality of our cars so much that we don’t feel like we are taking a risk. We regularly organise events for our clients such as concerts, dinners and weekend getaways, and we are also planning to establish a club for new owners to get a chance to meet and spend quality time together. WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE LAND ROVER – R ANGE ROVER LINE?

Just like the Jaguar is the sports car, the Land Rover is the SUV, and Range Rover is the luxurious SUV. Land Rovers were originally designed for agricultural use in the 1940s, made out of aluminium, with a four wheel drive, the steering wheel in the centre. Since there was a demand for vehicles that could get anywhere on any sort of terrain and carry heavy loads, they started making passenger cars with bodies, and the Land Rover as we know it today was born. The brand quickly became known all over the world when fi lmmakers who travelled to Africa and South America to make documentaries about nature and wildlife started using them, and they appeared on every home television screen. The Land Rover suddenly became an iconic brand, and the

“Releasing a model that is so different from the brand’s original palette would have been unimaginable a few years back. ” demand for a luxurious version of the same four wheel drive beast rose very quickly. That is how Range Rovers were born: luxury SUV’s capable of the same performance as their predecessors at a much higher level of comfort. To this day, both of these features are in high demand, and Rovers are still very popular because they are extremely safe, massive, and sophisticated at the same time. WHAT ARE WE TO EXPECT FROM LAND ROVERS AND RANGE ROVERS IN THE FUTURE?

Following the 2008 change in ownership, the entire selection of Range Rovers has been replaced by models with completely new technical solutions and an innovative design. The 2011 Range Rover Evoque focused on the female audience, which proved to be so popular that waiting lists are still endless. Land Rovers are still in the process of intensive innovation. We are very excited about the new New Land Rover Discovery Sport that is to be launched in January 2015, and we are certain it will exceed all expectations in popularity.

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Journey without Limits

SEE THE WORLD LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. IN FACT, SEE IT THE WAY NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN IT. PRIVATE TRAVEL IN

BAGGIO TRAVEL ,

HUNGARY

THE FIRST EXPERTS OF LUXURY

BELIEVE IN PROVIDING A RICH AND AUTHENTIC

TRAVEL EXPERIENCE THAT IS DESIGNED TO FIT YOUR PERSONAL NEEDS IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.

TRAVEL

DESIGNER

RÓBERT HORVÁTH „BAGGIO”

TALKS ABOUT

HOW MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME ARE BORN.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE BAGGIO TR AVEL SERVICE? WHY DO YOUR CLIENTS CHOOSE TO TR AVEL WITH YOU?

Our partners are world travellers with individual needs. They won’t settle for group tours offered by travel catalogues that involve aggravating time constraints and a series of compromises. They want to travel under luxurious conditions without having to adjust to a rhythm dictated by others. This is what we can help them with. We ask our clients where they would like to travel, we get to know them in order to find out exactly what it is that

“Our clients want to see more than what is showcased in the shop window of tourism.” they’re interested in, and based on all that information, we design exclusive tours that we call Baggio Extras – by now, more than one thousand of them are available in all corners of the world. These tours do not revolve around visiting the standard tourist sites at a given location: they are genuine adven-

tures that are only available through our service. Our worldwide network of partners who are experts of private travel and luxury tours ensures that we have access to hidden treasures, and get all the on-the-spot help we need in organising our tours. HOW DO YOU GAIN ACCESS TO THESE R ARE SIGHTS?

We have established solid relationships with indigenous guides all over the world. Since they are natives of the land, they are truly reliable sources who can provide travellers with real insight. Our clients want to see more than what is showcased in the shop window of tourism. They want experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Our tour guides lead them to places that are closed to the public eye, into the private lives of locals, into homes, farms and workshops. In small villages where people all know one another – in Cuba, for example – our guides, along with our clients, are waved into every second bar to have a drink and mingle with locals each time they walk down the street.

HOW DOES ONE BECOME YOUR CLIENT?

Every time that someone contacts us for the fi rst time, we ask them ten to fi fteen basic questions to determine whether they are potential clients of ours: like what they look for in a travel organiser, what the most important aspects of planning a vacation are in their opinion, why they chose to turn to us, and so on. We need to know whether they really are open to our offers and whether they actually have individual needs that no other travel agency can cater to. We do not take on jobs that

any other travel agency could do just as well. If you want to idle away seven days on the islands of Mauritius, we are obviously not the right choice for you, and you are not our ideal client. We can take you to Burma where you can have afternoon tea on a terrace at the top of a beautiful church, with an awe-inspiring view of the three thousand other churches that surround it. But if that is not what you are looking for, if you would be perfectly satisfied with a five minute photo break at the foot of the church that is closest to the road, then

We arrange a meeting at our office that lasts for about two hours, and we talk about our clients’ preferences regarding everything from accommodation and food to sports and other activities. We even inquire about their phobias to eliminate any chances of a mistake. We pay very close attention to details: a helicopter tour may sound like a lot of fun, but it could be a terrifying experience for you in case you have a fear of heights. We could book a private island for you in the Maldives, but you might be the type who prefers

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AND DISLIKES?

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PERSONALITIES, THEIR INTERESTS

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HOW DO YOU MAP YOUR CLIENTS’

travelling to a busy hotspot and would feel uneasy in an environment where you have limited contact with other people. It makes no sense for us to surprise you with a bottle of Dom Pérignon in an ice bucket at the end of a hiking trail near a glacier in Argentina if you don’t drink, and you might not like to sleep in a water bungalow in Tahiti if the sound of the waves crashing keeps you up all night. We need to know everything about you so that we can fully satisfy your needs. Th is strategy has worked out very well for us: so far, we haven’t had any complaints.

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you’re not our client. We averagely accept three out of ten requests and decline the rest, because we can only work with people who have unique demands that challenge us and underline the difference between us and other travel agencies. If you insist that the price of your trip is the most important aspect to consider, then you will not fi nd what you are looking for with us, because our offers are not the cheapest ones out there. Also, we treat our clients as equal partners, and we strive to have a personal relationship with them, because that is the only way we can provide them with a truly customised travel experience. If that arrangement does not work for you, if you have different notions of a partnership, then the chances of us being able to work together are very low.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH A CLIENT IF YOU ONLY DO BUSINESS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR?

Once you become our client, we do everything in our power to keep in touch with you even when you are not planning to travel and show you that we actually care about what is going on in your life. We do not bombard you with newsletters or discount offers. But we remember your birthday, know exactly how you take your coff ee and never forget to invite you to our special events. We nurture our personal relationship because it is the basis of our partnership. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

So far, I have travelled to 42 countries around the world: my last trip has taken me through

“ If you want to idle away seven days on the islands of Mauritius, we are obviously not the right choice for you, and you are not our ideal client.” China, India, and Korea. I can no longer travel as a private individual, I’m continuously looking for new opportunities and potential partners, so that we can expand our network even further and be able to offer the very best at any conceivable location. For me, nothing is ever good enough. I want the best of the best for my clients, and I am determined to fi nd it, no matter which part of the world we’re talking about.

CIENT LANDS OF

PERSIA RARELY VISITED BY WESTERN TOURISTS. THE GOLDEN

EAGLE DANUBE EXPRESS

TRAVELLED

EAST

FOR

DAYS COVERING NEARLY

THOUSAND KILOMETRES BEFORE TURNING BACK TO HEAD TOWARDS

he Jewels of Persia tour was organised by two English travel agencies, Danube Express and Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, and the Hungarian MÁV Nosztalgia Kft. Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, a subsidiary of one of the world’s largest travel agencies, Australian Pacific Touring, is also in charge of the Trans Siberian Express and a railroad tour along the Silk Road. The company experienced in organising long distance exclusive journeys granted the international customer network, while MÁV Nosztalgia Kft. was responsible for providing the train cars, the staff and carrying through the journey itself.

“ The journey was a pioneering endeavour, as noEuropean train has been able to travel further throughout history.” “The journey was a pioneering endeavour, as no European train has been able to travel further throughout history”, says Norbert Schvéd, managing director of MÁV Nosztalgia Kft. The train is steam-hauled for the first 100 km to Lajosmizse before moving on to Kecskemét,

BUDAPEST.

and given a different engine in each country as it travelled from Hungary to Iran. The railroad leads through Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, with the train crossing the Bosphorus on a ferry and boarding another one in order to pass Lake Van in a mountainous region of Turkey near the Iranian border. The journey includes stops at several breathtaking locations and World Heritage sights, with highlights such as Sighisoara, Veliko Tarnovo, Istanbul, Cappadocia, Shiraz and Persepolis. The tour does not follow the usual tourist itinerary, but takes the passengers on a unique adventure that is guaranteed to become a lasting memory. The experience is unparalleled: the Golden Eagle Danube Express is the fi rst ever European private train to be admitted into Iran. The train departing from Budapest carried 70 passengers in 13 exclusive, nostalgic cars, consisting of two heritage sleepers, four deluxe sleepers, two restaurant cars, one lounge and bar car, two heritage saloon cars, a staff car and a storage car. The cars are not only tasteful and elegant, they also have a historic atmosphere: The Horthy Saloon Car was built in 1952, and the Kádár Saloon Car also dates back to the 1950s.The deluxe sleepers were named

Available through Golden Eagle Luxury Trains. www.goldeneagleluxurytrains.com +44.0.161.928.9410

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TO TEHRAN, TAKING ITS PASSENGERS TO SPECTACULAR DESTINATIONS IN THE AN-

•

BARKED ON A JOURNEY FROM BUDAPEST THROUGH THE BOSPHORUS ALL THE WAY

F U N Z I N E

ON 15 OCTOBER 2014, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, A LUXURY TRAIN EM-

harmless, as we were informed by Norbert Schvéd. The fi rst journey of the Golden Eagle Danube Express will be followed by three Eastbound journeys (departing March 31, September 4, October 6) and three Westbound journeys (April 13, September 17, October 29) in 2015, with a brand new special tour called The Heart of Persia, which will take the passengers to locations that have been very difficult to access for many years and only a few travellers have had the chance to visit. The price for the 2015 Jewels of Persia tours is €10,495 per person based on two sharing a Heritage compartment on the Golden Eagle Danube Express, including 3 nights’ 5* hotel accommodation, 11 nights’ accommodation on board the train, all meals, complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks during meals, all scheduled sightseeing, arrival and departure transfers, and the services of experienced tour leaders and an on board doctor. The Deluxe Twin en suite cabin can be booked from €16,995 per person based on two sharing.

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From Budapest to the Jewels of Persia and Back

after Ancient Roman provinces and were originally used to carry mail before being refurbished to host luxurious suits. The newest car is the Flórián Albert Restaurant Car which bears the name of and acts as an homage to the world-famous Hungarian football player, also known as „The Emperor”. According to Norbert Schvéd, “Travelling long distance under premium conditions can be very addictive: most of our passengers had been on several luxury tours before, and had very high expectations that we had to live up to. Fortunately, we have managed to exceed all of their expectations as well as our own.” As the successor of the prestigious Orient Express, the Golden Eagle Danube Express offers a relaxing journey through spectacular landscapes that transcends time, and seems to detach itself and its passengers from reality. The majority of the passengers taking part in the fi rst tour came from Australia, England and the United States, joined by travellers from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Canada. All the passengers expressed their ultimate satisfaction with the journey – which went down without any setbacks aside from a few small technical glitches and a couple of sandstorms that eventually turned out to be

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THE

F U N Z I N E

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AUDIO-VISUAL

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EMPIRE OF BANG&OLUFSEN

Th e world of Bang & Olufsen is the apotheosis of quality electronic entertainment. Th e Danish brand manufactures products of visual and acoustic excellence, with regard to their users’ lifestyle and day-to-day needs. Bang & Olufsen dealer Dániel Regős talks about the company’s ideals and mission. BANG & OLUFSEN IS KNOWN FOR ITS PRE-

BANG & OLUFSEN HAS A HISTORY OF AN

MIUM QUALITY TELEVISIONS, MUSIC SYS-

INCREDIBLE 90 YEARS. HOW DID IT ALL

TEMS AND LOUDSPEAKERS. WHAT OTHER

BEGIN?

AREAS OF ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT

Bang & Olufsen was founded in 1925 in Struer, Denmark by engineers Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen. At the time, they specialised in manufacturing power cables: they had invented a converter that was basically the predecessor of transformers, allowing them to safely connect to the electrical network and gain energy directly from it. The idea was revolutionary, considering that before then, all devices had been powered by batteries. They used this invention as an excuse to work with and build music players, since its primary use was to provide radios and gramophones with power. The outstanding precision of craftsmanship that defines Bang & Olufsen to this day already appeared in the early years of the company’s history. They used delicate techniques of carpentry and excellent wood materi-

DOES THE COMPANY’S PORTFOLIO COVER?

Our range of products outside the home environment includes high-performance sound systems for the luxury car industry, built into models by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Aston Martin. The B&O Play line is a branch that targets the young, dynamic, urban audience, with products like head-

“Compromise is a taboo for both the engineering and the design team.” phones, portable speakers and other audio devices. We also manufacture amplifiers for other companies to integrate into their own products.

als to create the unique look of their products. The fi rm’s factory was burnt down towards the end of the Second World War by Nazi collaborators, but despite this major setback, the company managed to stay standing. Industrial designer Jakob Jensen, a key figure in the company’s future started working for them in 1965, and designed most of their products throughout the 1970s and 1980s, until his disciple, David Lewis took over as chief designer. WHAT IS AT THE CORE OF THE DISTINCTIVE

DESIGN

THAT

CHARACTERISES

BANG & OLUFSEN PRODUCTS?

The brand’s fi rst definitive designer, Jakob Jensen was hired on commission instead of being directly employed, an arrangement which has become a tradition at Bang & Olufsen. This alternative way of working allows designers to think outside the box: they are asked to create design items that they envision as stylish elements of an interior, without considering the acoustic or technological aspects of design. It is the team of engineers who then adapt the designer’s concept and apply their expertise in audio-visual technology to create the final product. If the original concept cannot be adequately realised, the project is simply terminated: the designers

L WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE EXPERI-

WORK OF BANG & OLUFSEN’S PHILOSOPHY?

ENCE THAT YOUR TELEVISIONS PROVIDE?

Our ultimate goal is to be able to produce a quality of sound that is as close to the sensation of live music as possible, and to do this in the home environment. Everything is tested to perfection. There is a team that functions as a panel of twelve judges: their task is to determine whether the quality of sound produced by our systems fulfi ls the standards set by human ears. Each new product is fine-tuned until the judges are 100% satisfied. We believe that a high-quality sound system is indispensable when it comes to creating a rich audio-visual experience:

The secret of the appeal of Bang & Olufsen products lies in the fi ne details that the designers put a lot of effort into creating. For example, about 20 years ago, one of or TV models was equipped with a stretched canvas resembling theatre curtains that would open and close in front of the screen when the device was turned on or shut off. We have kept this tradition in the form of a digital canvas that serves the same purpose. Th is little trick can trigger an exciting feeling of ‘Open Sesame’ that can set the mood and change the entire viewing experience. Movement is a very important component of the Bang & Olufsen philosophy: the aforementioned model was mounted on a stand run by a motor and could be turned to face in any desired direction. Today, our television stand mechanisms are capable of such precise and smooth movement that they can turn TVs that are 200kg heavy without a single sound. One of our most popular music players also displays remarkable dynamism. The Beosound 3200, a CD player known from the popular TV series Nip/Tuck, where it was installed in the operating room, features an automatic glass door that slides apart to offer itself up to the user. These solutions give the impression that something significant is about to happen even before the device is effectively put into use. These personified objects interact with their users, which is why they have such a strong emotional appeal. Another important factor besides interactivity is comfort. To give an example: all our products can be controlled with one single remote control, simplifying the use of our home entertainment products to a great extent.

“Sustainability is our number one priority.” our televisions have built-in high-performance speakers, and any number of additional speakers can be connected to them. Even watching a news broadcast on one of our models can provide the viewer with a sense of presence. SOME OF THE MODELS CURRENTLY ON YOUR PALETTE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES.

Sustainability is our number one priority. Bang & Olufsen has been manufacturing products that are equipped to stand the test of time from the very beginning. We still sell models that first came out 8-10 years ago, and the secondary market is very strong as well: devices that are up to 30 or even 40 years old still change hands through the internet and second-hand retailers, as though they were old timer cars. People collect them as treasures, and exhibit them in their offices or homes as statements about themselves and their own values. Bang &

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FOR LIVING SPACES WITHIN THE FRAME-

YOUR NEWEST RELEASES?

We are very proud of the Beovision Avant, a TV that provides a truly stunning cinematic experience and is now available in both 55” and 85”. Another innovation is the BeoPlay A2 from B&O Play, a portable Bluetooth speaker with up to 24 hours battery life, and a leather strap that makes it a stylish accessory. Bang & Olufsen is devoted to enhancing the living standards of our customers, and maximizing the quality of the audio-visual experiences that are integral parts of their everyday lives: an approach that is reflected in all our old and new products.

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PECTS OF DESIGNING ACOUSTIC SYSTEMS

COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF

F U N Z I N E

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT AS-

Olufsen is the only electronic entertainment company in the world with a permanent exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, a fact that strengthens the notion that our products can be perceived as something more than mere objects intended for everyday use. What is more, both Jakob Jensen and David Lewis have received prestigious prizes in architectural design for the highly influential pieces they created working for Bang & Olufsen.

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are not required to make alterations, because compromise is a taboo for both the engineering and the design team. Th is method guarantees the long term viability of our products, next to the quality of the raw materials that we use. The world’s most highly developed aluminium plant is in the property of Bang & Olufsen in Denmark.

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by hülsta

HÜLSTA, A THIRD GENERATION FAMILY BUSINESS WITH A HIGHLY COSMOPOLITAN

OUTLOOK COMMITTED TO OUTSTANDING CREATIVITY IS CURRENTLY SETTING THE WORLDWIDE BENCHMARK FOR THE HIGHEST QUALITY SYSTEMS FURNITURE.

he company has seen many changes since it was founded in 1940. However, their commitment to quality has remained unchanged. The products of the hülsta and now! by hülsta brands are submitted to rigorous tests before they are released, to make sure that they meet particularly high quality requirements. With a large variety of offers, hülsta provides endless possibilities for you to create your very own inspiring home. Furniture is not simply an object of use: it expresses the personality of the manufacturer and the customer. hülsta furniture stands for quality made in Germany. Their furniture is exclusively manufactured in Germany and sold to customers worldwide. For hülsta, it is of major importance to create timelessly beautiful shapes and long-lasting products that will help you create an inspiring home. Trends come and go, but high-quality craftsmanship lasts. “Many values may be brought into question, but

the value of a beautifully furnished home with its positive impact on life remains undisputed.“ – Karl Hüls, founder of the hülsta company. hülsta admits to being pedantric when it comes to the quality of their furniture. They have a set of straightforward principles that they stick to and that define the company’s commitment to quality. Only the typical hülsta combination of quality, personality and responsibility is capable of transforming extraordinary furniture into hülsta-furniture. hülsta was created for customers who know what life is all about and who value high quality. The brand’s extensive choice of 50 furniture ranges with finishes stretching from lacquer to solid wood offers inexhaustible design ideas. Their cash-andcarry range now! by hülsta offers design solutions for young and flexible customers and reflects the spontaneous attitude towards modern life: the furniture can be installed using almost no tools, and the limitless add-on principle offers many design possibilities. Add variety to your life with hülsta.

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FURNITURE

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HOME

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Inspiring

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The Art Mosaic Factory CAN

YOU IMAGINE A FACTORY WHERE THEY WORK IN A THREE-SHIFT SYSTEM

TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO AN ANCIENT FORM OF ART? SICIS MANUFACTURES FINE , HAND CUT MOSAIC PIECES FOR THEIR ARTISTS TO CREATE AMAZING ARTWORK IN

R AVENNA, THE CITY THAT SHINES AS BRIGHT AS A SINGLE GEMSTONE

AMONG THE PIECES OF THE VAST MOSAIC CALLED THE GLOBE .

FIND OUT

MORE , WE TALKED TO IVÁN BOR , R ESIDENT M ANAGER OF SICIS IN HUNGARY. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE TERM “MOSAIC” REFER TO? I HAVE A FEELING THAT IT IS SURROUNDED BY A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION.

People do tend to have misconceptions about mosaic, in fact, I have started a blog aimed at clearing up the question. Mosaic is quintessentially a genre, an approach, a method of creating imagery that has traditional roots dating back to thousands of years ago and is influenced by modern trends. The essence of the genre is that patterns or images are created by assembling small pieces

“But the best results would come from the direct involvement of talent.”

of a material to form a composition. The material used could be anything at all, like pieces of glass, tile, marble, metal or wood. Even stones, straws or coffee cups can be arranged to form a mosaic. I consider it my personal mission to bring mosaic back into fashion by reflecting upon the many forms it can take and shedding light on its endless potential. I also aim to call attention to the mosaics that blend into their surroundings and go unseen around the city, on the walls of buildings, in the pavement of parks, in underground train stations and tunnels. I’ve been accused of defending the genre solely because I work for a company that manufactures mosaic. That is not the case, of course, especially because mosaic does not need defending, it just needs to be rediscovered.

T R I B U T E T O G U S TAV K L I M T • P hoto b y S I C I S

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SICIS

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P hoto b y S I C I S

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• C H R I S T M A S 2 014 L I M I T ED EDI T ION B U T T E R F LY C H A R M

F U N Z I N E

saics have a direct connection to spirituality, but I can see similarities between the intimate atmosphere of churches - where we bear our souls - and our personal altars, the temples of our homes hidden from the outside world - like our bathroom, where we feel safe stripping down and letting ourselves become vulnerable. Interestingly, both of these spaces can be associated with water, an important symbol of purification in many religions: just think of ritual washing, water baptism or holy water. These connections are based on mere intuition and they may not exist outside my head, but my theories prove at least one thing: that mosaic is a rich subject that can be thought about in many different ways from an endless number of aspects. HOW IS A SICIS ART MOSAIC BORN? SICIS DEFINES ITSELF AS AN ART MOSAIC FACTORY. WHAT MAKES A MOSAIC ARTISTIC?

At SICIS, art mosaics are created by our mosaic artists who are masters of their trade: they have dedicated their lives to studying mosaic traditions in art history and the techniques used to create compositions out of tesserae. They reflect upon their extensive knowledge when they create their own artwork meticulously from fine, handcut mosaic pieces. They are up-to-date on trends and innovations and are continuously looking for new challenges. But even more importantly: they do not think of mosaic as a technological solution in architecture. They consider it an art form as opposed to a simple architectonic tool. IS THAT HOW MOSAIC IS GENER ALLY PERCEIVED?

The first mosaics that we know of were born more than four thousand years ago in Mesopotamia to create images and decorations for aesthetic pleasure. It was the birth of bath culture in Greek and Roman times that brought about a change in the perception of mosaics: they came to be understood as a type of sheathing used to cover bent surfaces, seal off pools and prevent grazes and injures caused by sharp edges. Parallel to this, mosaics seem to have retreated into intimate spaces: the private corners of our homes and the sacred surroundings of religious buildings. I am not suggesting that mo-

Our mosaic artists create unique works of fine art from hand-cut glass, marble or mirror tesserae manufactured in Ravenna, Italy. The mosaics are based on designs that we either receive from the client or design ourselves at the client’s request. Our creations are one-of-a-kind: we work with an applied art form, which refers not only to the technique that we use to create imagery, but to the fact that we cater to our customers’ demands by adapting to their needs and realizing their ideas exactly the way they desire. We fi rmly believe that our clients deserve unique pieces, just like the mosaics of the San Vitale Church in Ravenna or the Monreale Cathedral were made according to individual demand several hundred years ago. We want to reintroduce mosaic to the world by respecting individualism. We are often accused of being arrogant, because we have established a certain set of principles that we fi rmly stick to, but at the same time, we have a large degree of freedom, meaning that we offer such a wide scale of choices that it is easy to get lost among them. Because of our dedication to uncompromised originality, we require our clients to have a vision of what they want and be able to describe it to us so that we can realize it. We do have collections that can be looked at in our catalogues, but these are merely starting points, standards that we are inviting our clients to alter according to their taste. Changing sizes, ratios, colours or materials can make a huge difference and can result in a completely new, unique product.

F L OW E R P OW E R C OL L E C T IO N P hoto b y S I C I S

L WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF LUXURY?

I think that today, time is the greatest luxury. The time that I spend having face-to-face conversations with our clients or their designers is a luxury for them and for me too, especially if they come to understand that they have someone to turn to if they have an original idea waiting to be realized. Purchasing something individualized is a way of self-expression. The work that you commission will refl ect who you are and how you want others to see you. To be able to get help in making a statement about yourself in an artistic way is defi nitely a luxury. And we haven’t even considered the emotional factors that play a huge role in the success of a partnership with a client. A cathartic feeling runs through you when you jump into your own pool that is unlike any other pool in the world. You get a pleasant shudder every morning when you look around your kitchen as you sip your coffee and see the unmatched design running along the wall. Th ese are the moments, the tangible value of our work that we strive to achieve.

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It is my dream to see art mosaics become a fashionable addition to home interiors as well as public spaces, especially in Hungary, where our customers seem to be less brave about their choices. We are continuously searching for new ways to get through to our customers. For example, we have just released a new collection called Diamond that follows the painter Victor Vasarely’s style, with geometric patterns that have a threedimensional effect. I am hoping that Hungarian people will feel close to this line. But the best results would come from the direct involvement of talent: I can only imagine the amazing creations that could be born if young Hungarian designers or students of applied art discovered the art of mosaic and started working with it. The Gellért Square stop of the Budapest metro line M4 is a perfect example of mosaic being used consciously as art, in the right place for the right reasons – no wonder the station’s design has won several international awards.

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MOSAIC CULTURE LOOK LIKE?

Most of our orders consist of mosaic pictures, which could mean anything from a mosaic portrait based on a photograph to the recreation of a detail of the fresco in St. Peter’s Basilica. In Hungary, we receive the majority of our orders from private individuals, but a few examples of our work can be found in public spaces as well, like the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Arena Plaza, Araz Restaurant and Cyrano Restaurant. But creating mosaic imagery is far from all. We’ve also started our own furniture line and released our jewellery collection, which reinvents and fills with new content the micro-mosaic and nano-mosaic technology of the Napoleonic era. Another direction is when we recreate prestigious pieces of artwork, further proving the artistic potential of mosaic and the excellence of SICIS mosaic maestros. Our Tribute to Gustav Klimt was one such project. These are ventures that are aimed at enriching the genre itself, while strengthening the notion that mosaic can be considered a branch of contemporary art. The Rome Metro, for instance, is just like a contemporary art exhibition. SICIS has recreated works by contemporary artists which are ‘exhibited’ at the stations, so if you get off at every stop to look around, it’s as if you are visiting an alternative museum.

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F U N Z I N E F L OW E R P OW E R C OL L E C T I O N P hoto b y S I C I S

WHAT WOULD THE IDEAL FUTURE OF

MOSAIC ART?

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WHAT ARE THE MAIN BR ANCHES OF SICIS

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FRAGRANCE ACADEMY

HUNGARY

WITH A DEGREE FROM

VERSAILLES. THE

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THE PRESTIGIOUS

IS THE ONLY PERFUMER IN

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ZSOLT Z ÓLYOMI

F U N Z I N E

Le Parfumeur Rebelle INTERNATION-

ALLY SOUGHT-AFTER PERFUME CREATOR AND FRAGRANCE CONNOISSEUR IS AN ARTIST WORKING IN THE MODERN LUXURY INDUSTRY, AN ODD PAIRING THAT ACCOUNTS FOR HIS INDIVIDUALISTIC APPROACH.

TALKS ABOUT HOW HE IS

ABLE TO REPRESENT THE ORIGINAL VALUES OF HIS PROFESSION AND PROTECT HIS INTEGRITY IN AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS ‘ TERMS AND CONDITIONS’ FOR EVERYTHING, INCLUDING CREATIVITY.

s I step into Le Parfum Croisette, Zsolt Zólyomi’s flagship boutique on Fashion Street, I catch myself wondering whether I should have chosen a fragrance-free deodorant. What if it overwhelms my perfume, or the two different scents make a horrible mixture? After all, I’m meeting the man nicknamed “the Hungarian Nose”. I’m cataloguing labels in my head, trying to decide what to expect: a serious businessman, an omnipres-

“ The selection of fragrances you see here reflects my taste and personality: the store is an art collection, and I believe that the collection itself is a piece of art. ” ent celebrity, a reclusive, misunderstood artist... As it turns out, Zsolt Zólyomi is neither, nor can he be described by any other stereotype. He fakes being a fashion world cliché by wearing a scarf thrown casually over his shoulder, pretending not to remember certain words in any language other than French and showing me pictures of his greyhound puppy on his phone. It’s a brilliant strategy that allows him to blend into the world that surrounds him and give an obvious critique of it at the same time. But the longer we talk, the more transparent the facade becomes, revealing the true

artistic genius not hiding, but thriving on the other side. As an answer to my compliment on the simplistic beauty of the store, he lets me in on the secret that the interior design was inspired by the white yachts dotting the harbour along La Croisette in Cannes, one of his favourite places in the world. “I opened this showroom for fun. It’s merely a hobby, although a rather expensive one. The selection of fragrances you see here reflects my taste and personality: the store is an art collection, and I believe that the collection itself is a piece of art. But it also represents all that the modern luxury industry has to offer at the moment,” he says. The niche fragrances that line the shelves can only be found in this one boutique in Hungary, testifying that Zsolt Zólyomi considers the revival of the country’s perfume culture his personal mission. “Very few people know that the fi rst European perfume ever made was ordered by a Hungarian queen in the late 14th century. It was known as ‘the Queen of Hungary's Water’. The national perfume industry thrived between the 1800s and the world wars: there were Hungarian brands that were exported and sold all over the world, something that is not to be forgotten,” he explains. The perfumer admits to feeling like a stranger is his own shop: international commissions keep him away from home most of the time. As an expert

of the luxury industry working for large companies, he has a clear view of the direction towards which well-known designer brands are heading, and he does not shy away from expressing his opinion on the subject. “The mainstream branch of the perfume industry has reached a critical point. Customers are beginning to notice the extreme deterioration in product quality. Big fashion houses spend millions on marketing while strictly regulating the amount that can be spent on ingredients: the ratio of cheap, synthetic raw materials has never been so high, not to mention the shameful quality of the packaging. Ideas are being recycled year

after year: if you’ve ever wondered why every fragrance seems to smell exactly like the next one, it’s because they actually are the same,” says the Nose. While he accepts commissions by fashion houses such as Gucci, L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble at the stage of product development where actual creativity is needed – evaluating products, drawing up sales strategies and designing marketing campaigns – he has made the decision not to create perfumes for them. “Designing the fragrance map of a scented candle for a smaller company is a much more enticing creative venture than making a perfume for a big brand,” he adds. When I ask him

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enough funds to purchase high quality ingredients instead. The value of what is being poured into the bottle is much higher than the price that it’s sold for, unlike in the case of mainstream brands, where it’s the other way around. The result is this: buying a bottle of perfume in this store is like buying

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It is the small manufacturers, the handicraft microenterprises that are capable of creating real luxury products.

“ Luxury is when we take a truly original, nouveau, artistic idea, put it in the hands of an up-to-grade creative team and provide them with the quality raw materials that they need.”

whether this situation can be expected to change, he replies: “The dissatisfaction of their customers will eventually force the big brands to raise the level of quality, but for now, it is the small manufacturers, the handicraft microenterprises that are capable of creating real luxury products. They are the ones that work with real creative geniuses. Take this unknown brand with an enigmatic name called Juliette Has A Gun. It is a small garage manufactory owned by Nina Ricci’s great-grandson, Romani Ricci. He could have taken advantage of the fact that he’s descended from the man who created L’air du Temps, but he is a man of great integrity and consciously refuses to become a puppet of the industry.” According to Zsolt Zólyomi, besides artisan workshops, the potential for creating real luxury products lies in other branches of perfumery where creativity, artistic incentive and quality are still of utmost importance, such as designing custom fragrances, ambiance scents and drawing up olfactory marketing strategies. “Most people think that a luxury product is something that bears the logo of a well-known brand. For me, luxury is when we take a truly original, nouveau, artistic idea, put it in the hands of an up-to-grade creative team, the most outstanding experts of the field and provide them with the quality raw materials that they need – no matter the cost. Then, we release the product without paying any attention whatsoever to what the market demands,” – he explains. Unfortunately, most of us have given in to thinking that a luxury product is supposed to be unaffordable by definition. Le Parfum Croisette is the antithesis of this belief: many of the luxury fragrances sold at Zsolt Zólyomi’s boutique fall into the same price range as perfumes circling in the big distribution. “The amount that small manufacturers spend on marketing is close to zero, which leaves them with

a car that is worth 20 million for 200 thousand.” When I ask him about the most defining trends in the fragrance world and the future of the industry, the Nose tells me about a fascinating innovation. “Some scents, like the scent of lily of the valley, are so fragile that throughout the history of perfumery, they could not be extracted without being completely ruined in the process, and had to be imitated – until now. Using a new technology called supercritical CO2 extraction, we are able to extract any scent from anything at all, like an old book or a piece of parchment, and the scent will remain intact. Once it becomes common practice, this technology will bring about a revolution in the perfume industry. A trend that is already gaining traction thanks to this technology is the creation of fragrances based on flavours, the fusion of perfumery and gastronomy. You can buy perfumes that smell like cognac or absinthe, popcorn or toffee, and in my shop, I have a fragrance that smells like macaroons. ” Before I leave, I take some time to look around Le Parfum Croisette and stroll along the shelves as if I was taking a promenade in Cannes, where every single flower has its own unique universe of scents. I shut the door behind me thinking: technological innovations may have the potential to fundamentally transform an entire industry, but without the uncompromising devotion of artistically driven rebels like the Nose, the heart of change would be lost.

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PERCEIVED?

HERDSMAN

WALL CLOCKS REFLECT UPON OUR KNOWLEDGE AND

POSSIBLE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE MEANING OF TIME THROUGH ORIGINAL AND UNEXPECTED DESIGNS.

éter Gulyás, the designer behind the Hungarian brand Herdsman started the creation of a wall clock collection consisting of 9 unique pieces based on his own designs in 2012. The basic concept of the collection is retaining all models as independent, cliché-free items which formulate new ideas in an elegant and adaptable form. During the design process, the focus was put on creating a wall clock that goes beyond playing the role of a simple functional object and represents

“Each clock acts as a symbol of an idea, rethinking our notions of time and space, condensing several dimensions of our world into objects that are functional and meaningful at the same time.” a genuine ornamental piece that defines its environment. Each clock is effortlessly and consciously adoptable for sophisticated interiors. The fundamentally elegant, modern and pure model range includes moderate and disciplined pieces as well as delicate and versatile ones. Every wall clock is made of stainless steel and produced individually.

The nobility of the material is emphasized by the surfaces brushed with the work of hand. Junghans and UTS clock movements manufactured in Germany ensure the technology worthy of the high standards set by the impeccable design. The collection includes models that are characterised by the silvery glow of steel as their only colour, and ones where the cold elegance of glossy steel is paired with black matte finish surfaces that add a definite edge to the composition. Each clock acts as a symbol of an idea, rethinking our notions of time and space, condensing several dimensions of our world into objects that are functional and meaningful at the same time. Traditional lines, playful shapes and simplistic curves appear next to intricate and unusual designs. The classic pendulum clock and the cuckoo clock are reinvented in the form of two innovative designs called Pendunum and Vivify. A world clock called Profane displaying the current time in 24 time zones and cities all over the world is also part of the collection. Our traditional conceptions of the right placing for a wall clock are uprooted by the clock Corner, which is designed to fit into the corner of a room. Each of the 9 clocks is an exquisite element of graceful style, and is easily applicable to both modern and classical interiors.

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CAN WE EVER GRASP THE PASSING OF TIME IF IT CANNOT BE DIRECTLY

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Herdsman Wall Clocks

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