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contents
PG46. CHÂTEAU D’YQUEM
cover story
art&culture
PG12. THE ONE TO WATCH... JAN SAMMUT, THE COOL KID ON THE (BLOCKCHAIN) BLOCK
design
PG20. EDWARDS LOWELL OPENS MALTA’S FIRST ROLEX BOUTIQUE
people
PG24. CONFESSIONS OF A REBEL HEART
business
PG28. CASINO VETERAN SHIFTING LANDSCAPES FOR AN IMPROVED PLAYER EXPERIENCE
food
PG32. SILVIO SCHEMBRI... FROM THE INTRICACIES OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY TO CONCOCTING DELICACIES IN THE KITCHEN
people
PG38. FROM MEDELLIN WITH LOVE... A TRUE PAISA'S JOURNEY ACROSS THE GLOBE
travel
PG42. DUBAI, THE MIDDLE EAST’S COSMOPOLITAN PARADISE
AUTUMN 2018
food
your shot PG11
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EBM
MAGAZINE
PG50. MATTHEW STONE PG52. VALLETTA CONTEMPORARY PG53. MALTA CONTEMPORARY ART PG54. BLITZ PRESENTS TRANSFORMER
your shot PG55
design
PG56. UNFOLDING THE SECRET OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LIVING SPACE...Y
party
PG60. SHOWERS BACKSTAGE
style
PG68. 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
fashion
PG76. NENA KAY
dream job
PG80. THE GIRL WHO LIVES YOUR TRAVELLING DREAMS... AND SHE DOES IT FOR A LIVING
passion
PG84. WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME... ONE COUPLE’S JOURNEY TO NAVIGATING AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP
team This issue has been quite a creative colourful roller coaster to work on, to say the least! One of our featured articles is a nice little write up on Matthew Stone, aiming to introduce international artists to our little rock. I see it as a great opportunity to influence the young creative crowd in Malta, as well as pushing established artists. We have also given the local creative scene plenty of attention - check out what they’re up to this autumn in our Art and Culture section! Furthermore, on the design side - an incredible article on one of my favourite shops that I affectionately call a design heaven - we have Camilleri Paris Mode. If you check out their Rabat store after reading it, make sure you dedicate at least half a day for the visit. Whilst being quite a photography fan, I am super excited about our new 'your shot' section, that will feature shots by local photographers, pro or otherwise, who will see a few featured images in the print magazine as a result of our contest running permanently on Instagram in line with every issue; see the rules online on ebmmagazine.com.
Julia Boikova
EDITOR
@julia_bka
This month we have interviewed some super interesting individuals, including not only our cover featuring Jan Sammut, but three other professionals, who discuss where to find your dream job, how to start your own business, or maybe give you some motivation to push yourself up the ladder in your current job! No issue happens without a great food article - this time we have a very interesting guest, who you might know, but may not know is also an amazing cook! Try out the recipes for yourself and let us know what you think! And don't miss on another exciting article on beautiful wines and masterpiece dishes by Risette. Rounding off the issue we take a look back at two of the summer’s biggest parties, starting with the exclusive 5 Year Anniversary of Events by Martin we had our pick of some stylish gals and guys at a rather dreamy venue. And to complete the pairing, you know we had to include some serious coverage of Showers backstage! You guys have no idea what it takes to prepare and run this event, but I hope you all made it there on the day and enjoyed it to the fullest. Enjoy the read, and I hope we fulfil some of your curiosity!
The summer of 2018 was truly something else in Malta. Every year there is a noticeable difference in the level of events and entertainment on the island but this year Malta truly hit the next level. Festivals like Glitch, Showers, Unite and the new addition Summer Daze and lots and lots of pop up events are turning Malta into the new hot spot. In this edition of the magazine you'll get to follow us back stage at Showers & an exclusive sneak peek into the exclusive EBM 5 year anniversary! As for myself, I'm ready to embrace autumn and cool down a bit while reading the magazine over and over. I hope you will like it as much as we do!
Pierre Lindh
MANAGING DIRECTOR, AMBASSADÖR EVENTS @pierreobv page 9
Summer passed so quickly this year, can hardly believe it’s almost over. Event wise it has been a fantastic Summer for EBM with lots of action, but too be honest I can’t wait for cooler months now and plan our winter season. Summer in Malta is very hectic with lots of major events and it’s easy to get a bit too much of the good life. Winter is my hibernation period where I focus on planning future events and working with sales full force for the coming year. This issue of EBM magazine is packed to the brim with interesting articles and colourful people, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did creating it.
It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks at EBM magazine but as always ‘interesting’ doesn’t even begin to describe it! I had the pleasure of interviewing some brilliant people whose views and take on life are to put it mildly simply ‘out-there’. From an up and coming whiz kid of the financial world to some unusual explorers of sexuality and everything in between, this summer’s issue is a total blast!
HEAD OF SALES
CONTENT WRITER
Martin Pettersson
martin@ambassador-events.com
Giselle Scicluna @sciclunagiselle
Super fast does not even begin to describe how Summer flew by! As soon as we were done with the Summer edition of the magazine, we had already started working on the Autumn one. With every edition, we are adding new sections such as ‘your shot’ and ‘dream job’ which keeps it even more exciting to design! Enjoy your read.
This issue has been quite an adventure. I met people from different spectrums of life, from ministers to influencers to hard working every day people. The one thing that brought us all together?... FISH! Yes fish. This issue has had quite an affect on my diet and from now on I do plan eating fish more regularly. You want to know why? Easy - read the articles.
CREATIVE DESIGNER
PHOTOGRAPHER
Kimberly Micallef WWW.KIMBERLYMICALLEF.COM
@kim.berly.mica page 10
Jacob Sammut
WWW.JACOBSAMMUTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
@sammut.jacob
your shot Xavier Megreira
Reverie
Phantasmagoria
Waterdance
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cover story
The one to watch… Jan Sammut, the cool kid on the (blockchain) block Interview by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Kris Micallef // Wardrobe by BOSS
First impressions are not really an accurate measure of human beings, much less so of their personality. Jan Sammut, founder of ICO Launch Malta as well as CEO of sister brand, RefToken, must be the exception to that long-standing rule. Upon meeting Jan, you get the impression that he is the kind of guy whose mind is ticking endlessly 24/7, bouncing with energy… As I have come to discover, that is not just a façade he assumes, but is genuinely passionate about what he does, literally making him the all-consummate powerhouse entrepreneur. Still in his early thirties, Jan’s interest in digital technology took hold when he started out in gaming, on the affiliate side, working in various positions for world renowned igaming companies. Then, about three years ago, the cryptocurrency phenomenon started to make waves on the international finance stage. Jan’s entrepreneurial spirit and natural curiosity was piqued. Together with his partner Alex he launched their first blockchain project which had the distinction of being the first ever ICO to be run out of Malta. “ICOs are a rather complicated business,” Jan says, “as there are quite a few moving parts involved, however at the heart of each project is its tokenomic model - the internal economic model
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that governs the behaviour of a projects token, and, by extension, the token’s value. A robust tokenomic model provides both incentives for players in the network to act in the best interests of the overall ecosystem, and disincentives for those who act maliciously. Once the gametheoric aspect has been finalised, it becomes relatively academic to work out a valuation based on a deflationary economic model that will provide investors and founders with a long-term value appreciation of their token.”
For the uninitiated, all this feels a tad overwhelming, so in layman terms how would Jan describe the intricacies of the business?
cover story “We started off building utility tokens, think of these as the tokens you get at a party, with each token entitling you to a drink from the bar” he patiently explains, “but utility tokens can be quite fuzzy in their valuation and quite risky from an investor’s point of view, which also gave rise to lots of scams, giving the whole sector a bit of a bad reputation. Mind, the ones which succeeded offered their backers great gains, it’s almost like investing in tech stocks in 1998. Some were literally wiped out while others went 100X; if you spread your investments over 10 stocks, eight out of the ten would go to zero, yet one of them would turn out to be Amazon, another Google and so on, more than making up for the losses incurred on the other picks. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a sustainable model in the long term.”
How has the company moved on from this? “What is happening now, is that we have shifted focus to securitised token offerings, or STOs. Whilst we still offer utility ICOs to clients with strong use cases and a real need for a token within their platform, we are now focusing our efforts in developing cryptographic analogues of traditional financial instruments. In essence, this allows our enterprise level clients, hedge funds, private banks etc the possibility of running bond offerings, collateralised securities or safekeeping receipts in the event of physical assets on the blockchain and within the current regulatory framework. This offers issuing companies the advantages of the blockchain’s network effects and decentralised architecture, whilst offering the peace of mind of being run in an entirely regulated manner. To this end we’ve developed an in-house platform which allows clients to deploy their I/STOs in a painless manner. So, from a technology point of view we create the token, create the smart contract which is the code that governs the sale, we have anti-money laundering and KYC protocols integrated into the platform, multisignature wallets to secure the funds… Basically, it’s one whole technology stack which can now be deployed in ten business days, whereas before it took months. ICO’s are a phenomenal way of raising capital because it democratises early stage investment to the everyday investor!”
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cover story
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cover story For the public in general, there seems to be some confusion between token and coin, what’s the difference? “Generally, a coin; Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero etc, are payment currencies. Tokens on the other hand, are used on a platform. The difference is that coins are meant to be used as a means of exchange while tokens are meant to pre-buy services. Simply put, tokens are like prepaid vouchers. The investment theorem for tokens stands that I’m buying an X value of services today, but which I know will be worth much more in future,” Jan says.
On a more personal note what made Jan choose this particular career path? “After working in stint in publishing, I got an MBA in Marketing and then I taught myself online marketing which was just taking off and tried for two whole years to get a job in gaming, but nobody would take me on because I had no experience. Then finally because of my track record as an online marketer, my persistence paid off because I was finally hired into the elusive gaming industry. Long story short, and a few exciting roles within the industry later, I was headhunted by IGT, where I spent three years in the role of Head of Marketing and Acquisition. During this time Ethereum started making waves due to its Turing complete nature and reading about it was the ultimate lightbulb moment,” Jan says, “It was at that moment that I realised that we were witnessing a new paradigm in the economic landscape, with an entirely new industry about to come into being; much like the internet in the late 90’s. These revolutionary industries tend to be cyclical, with approximately 20 years between each iteration, and I had every intention to be part of this one.”
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cover story
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cover story
“Drive is what makes or breaks your success.�
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cover story What would be the best advice he could give a prospective entrepreneur? “Drive is what makes or breaks your success. You have to understand the risks; starting up a business is like taking a plunge into the great unknown, it could work but it could very well not. You also have to have high expectations; why start a business with all the risks that it involves if you’re not going to aim really high? The secret to a thriving business is basically to not follow your heart, you don’t set up a business doing what you love to do but create your business where the demand is,” he says sagely.
Given that Jan is dealing in huge transactions on a daily basis, what would he consider as being ‘rich’ and by the same token (excuse the pun) what does he consider as being ‘poor’? He laughs, “Having a boat with two anchors and a chopper on the front defines being rich perhaps? Joking apart, I worked in sales a long time ago and there were good months and some very bad ones but being poor to me is when your financial situation is your main source of stress and anxiety. There’s no difference whether you’re earning X amount or Y amount, if money is stressing you out then yes, you’re poor. That said, I’m a very low-maintenance kind of guy so I don’t get that wound up about money.”
What does Jan predict for the future of the industry? “I see the maturation of the industry in general within the next few years and a move from utility tokens to security tokens. From a commercial point of view also see a steady influx of enterprise level investment, which is much more sustainable that the gold-rush speculative mania we saw in 2017 as it creates a real, fundamental demand for the technology. From a technological one, I see 2018-2019 as being the period where scaling solutions come into play, these will allow blockchains to scale to the point where they can offer a viable alternative to centralised systems such as VISA’s payment system, or NASDAQ’s trading engine. The current state of the technology is a currently a couple of orders of magnitude below that in transactional throughput, and no amount of evangelisation and bullish articles in Blomberg can change that.”
Any other projects in the pipeline? “Yes! We have a great project under development which we’ll announce towards the end of the year, however for now, I’m keeping it under wraps.”
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design
Edwards Lowell opens Malta’s first Rolex Boutique Press Release
Valletta, 25 July 2018 – Edwards Lowell and Rolex today announced the opening of a Rolex Boutique that is the first of its kind in Malta. Situated in Republic Street, Valletta, the Edwards Lowell Rolex Boutique features an innovative use of Rolex’s signature aqua pattern and a handcrafted stucco wall with a depiction of Valletta. The new boutique offers professional expertise in an elegant setting, one that promotes a sense of harmony, discretion and intimacy with the brand, which has been setting standards in watchmaking for more than a century. “This is an exciting new chapter in Edwards Lowell’s distinctive history. A singular and worldclass project that aims to set new standards in Maltese retail and pave the way for future projects,” said Malcolm R. Lowell, Managing Director of Edwards Lowell.
One boutique, a whole Rolex world Every element of the interior design features the elegant Rolex aesthetic and radiates the values of the Rolex crown. Excellence, precision and attention to detail emanate from the careful calibration of colours and patterns in the fittings and furnishings.
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Sensitive lighting accentuates the beauty of a wide selection of Rolex models in display cases lined with beige leather with bronze trims. A striking emerald aqua floor highlights Rolex’s rich heritage – its wave motif referencing the iconic Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch. Used as flooring for the first time, the aqua material draws the eye across the boutique towards handcrafted stucco panels that feature a view of Valletta from the sea. The intense green used around the boutique creates accents that harmonize a refreshed colour palette. The space also mixes textures from walnut-brown wood to beigecoloured marble and leather, and includes notable marble counters with leather and wood detailing.
About Edwards Lowell Co. Limited “When a man dedicates his life to a company, both become intricately entwined. The business becomes personal, especially in the case of a family-owned business.” Malcolm A. Lowell, Edwards Lowell Chairman Synonymous with luxury since 1925, Edwards Lowell is renowned for being a fine retailer of a curated selection of the most prestigious brands in the world. From its conception over ninety years ago, this familyrun business has strived to offer its clients the world’s finest products alongside unique customer service. The
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design
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design Edwards Lowell Rolex Boutique is the first Rolex Boutique on the island and is set to be valuable addition to the Edwards Lowell family. Edwards Lowell is looking forward to presenting their esteemed clients with a curated selection of fine timepieces which can be enjoyed and treasured for their unparalleled craftsmanship and ultimately be passed down from generation to generation.
About Rolex An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise. Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Through philanthropic programmes and a broad palette of sponsorship activities, Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports and exploration, and encourages the spirit of enterprise, as well as the conservation of natural environments.
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people
CONFESSIONS OF A REBEL HEART Words by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Jacob Sammut
D
enise Gafa is late for our interview. Finally, she arrives in a fragrant flurry, apologising profusely, “I’m so sorry! But I had to change my outfit at the last minute. Jeez! I thought we were shooting at the shop, with my work gear on,” she says, not pausing for breath. No matter. As we make our way to her favourite restaurant T’Anna Mari, it’s clearly obvious that her choice of outfit is traffic-stopping perfect, though if truth be told Denise would’ve managed to stop traffic even in her work gear. Denise is the youngest daughter of Rita and Vincent Gafa of ‘Rita’s Fish Shop’ fame; one of the leading suppliers of fish on the island and perhaps one of the best known. As Managing Director, Denise is the one with the creative ideas for the company, regularly venturing into new territory, further growing what started out as a small fish shop in Marsaxlokk into a fully-fledged enterprise which now operates all over the island. But for Denise, this journey has not been without its glitches. Born and raised in a family of fishermen, her earliest memories are of the fish shop. From a young age, with the rest of her siblings, she helped out in the business, mucking about in the shop early in the mornings before school and on weekends. “It was all I knew. The business defined us as a family, the shop was a 24/7 thing for all of us. And it was fine until sometime in my late teens I started to question whether there was more to life than just this. I started to lose interest in the business, listlessly doing the bare minimum, something which my family started pestering me about. Things came to a head one day and feeling suffocated by the whole situation, I rebelled and simply upped sticks and moved to Ireland,” she reminisces.
What made her choose Ireland? “I had been on a holiday for a few days and it was one of the only places where I felt an instant connection,” she smiles, “so it was only natural that I would want to move there. There must have been serendipity at play; I got a job as a manager at a busy tattoo parlour within days of arriving and finding accommodation was a breeze. I’m a great believer in the power of the universe and it seemed at the time as if it was really rooting
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people for my decision… Everything simply was falling into place!” But the bond with family was too ingrained in her heart for Denise to ignore and that, coupled with Ireland’s depressing weather, soon made her feel thoroughly homesick, “The feeling of being completely alone was totally alien to me. Despite the awesome job at the tattoo parlour, a great social life and independence, I was terribly missing my family. I guess old habits die hard, but at least in Ireland I discovered myself, my strengths and my weaknesses,” she says. Back in Malta she was offered another post as a manager, again in a tattoo parlour, something which she is still mulling over, but as she freely admits, despite being in two minds as to which career path she will finally embark on, the family business, at least for now, takes precedence over everything else, so much so that Denise still visits the fish market in Valletta at 3.30 in the morning, at least twice a week. Despite her loyalty to the company, her role also presents an ongoing dilemma, “On one hand, I know that generating business creates jobs and contributes towards the wellbeing of good number of families, but on the other hand, I am worried that our industry is wreaking havoc in the environment, so my feelings are always a bit ambiguous” she says on a more serious note. Apart from the day job, Denise has an Insta following of more than 16K and is considered as quite an influencer, something which she immediately plays down, “I don’t really consider myself as an influencer. I honestly don’t have the patience or willpower to be a truly successful one,” she laughs, “I post whenever I feel I have
something to say or share, no more no less. If people like my posts, then that’s cool!”
Does she have any pet peeves? Without hesitating she says, “Definitely narrowminded people, people who are always ready to jump the gun and act as judge, jury and executioner at every opportunity. Unfortunately, they hail from all over the social spectrum, from ‘liberals’ to the ultra-conservatives. I simply hate it when people refuse to simmer down and listen to another opinion which differs from theirs. Oh! And I hate gossip with a passion!”
What’s the ultimate dream for Denise? “If I had to dream, it would be that as a business we slow down a bit and go back to when life was much simpler. I would also like to be more involved in charity. Actually, I would love to one day run my own business, with my own schedule which would leave me plenty of time to pursue this. If I can influence anyone, then I think it should be for a good cause,” she ends, as our glorious lunch of beautifully cooked ‘cippulazza’, fresh from Rita’s Fish Shop makes its way to our table.
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business
Casino Veteran – shifting landscapes for an improved player experience Words by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Jacob Sammut
The iGaming affiliate industry is experiencing rapid growth and a flurry of M&A activity. We are meeting Daniel Bastos, Chief Technology Officer of Interactive Gaming Group, who have just launched the casino promotion site Casino Veteran, aiming to give players a new and improved experience.
So, let’s jump straight to it. What distinguishes Casino Veteran from other casino promotion sites on the market? There are too many affiliate sites with fake reviews, fake toplists and phoney articles. For players it offers very little value if you are trying to find the best casino for you, and you go on a comparison site where all the casinos are rated “5-star”. It is just ridiculous. So, we wanted to shake things up a little and build a product from the customer’s point of view. Namely to help players find the casinos best suited to their individual preferences. Casino Veteran differentiates from the competition on four key points: 1) Objectivity: No more fake reviews and toplists. On Casino Veteran, players will instead find insightful, educative and actionable information about
the pros and cons of different casinos; 2) Speed: Casino Veteran is probably the fastest casino promotion site on the market, to the benefit of time-conscious players with not a millisecond to lose; 3) Quality Content: Historically most of the content on casino promotion sites have been low-quality spam or spam-like articles, which still have scored high on SEO and thus attracted players. However, the market is shifting landscape where search engines will reward quality content, not only ranking pages high based on the count of relevant words and number of links. Casino Veteran is at the forefront of this shift, boasting only quality articles that are written for players, not for search engines; 4) Integrity: The Casino Veteran site is built around the character of The Casino Veteran. He is our mascot and resident casino expert. More importantly he is our guarantor of quality. The vital thing is that the Casino Veteran has high standards of integrity, so players know they can trust his advice.
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business Daniel, you were born and raised in Gothenburg in Sweden. What inspired you to enter the iGaming industry and move to Malta? Where did the idea of the Casino Veteran character come from? He is sort of your Michelin Man? Yes. I will say that is definitely a fair comparison. If the Michelin Man has awarded a star rating or recommended a restaurant, diners know that his judgement can be trusted, based on the Michelin Man’s more than 100-year-old track record of giving expert dining advice. Likewise, when the Casino Veteran recommends an online Casino, players can rest assured that the casino has been through rigorous vetting. The Casino Veteran is obviously not yet 100 years old. But the principles are the same. The mascot is helpful for two purposes; 1) Branding, to build name and face recognition for the service, and 2) to build trust with players as a source of objective expert opinion.
Where do you see the company in five years? For the time being we are focused on the iGaming space. Continue to develop our existing casino sites and launch new ones. We already have sports betting and cryptocurrency sites in the pipeline, which will be launched by the end of the year, where we will bring along our Veteran character. But longer term we plan to make a foray into other verticals outside of the iGaming space. We believe that affiliate marketing will eat into the marketing spend on legacy print and TV marketing in many industries, from finance to fashion and beauty, and even big-ticket consumer durables such as cars. The iGaming sector has a technological advantage and is perhaps the most sophisticated user of performance marketing techniques, so it makes sense to utilize this knowhow in other industries as well.
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What lead me to the iGaming industry was the combination of my twin passions for sports and technology. I have always had a keen interest in sports, especially ice hockey, which is big in Sweden. Together with my interest in odds and probability I became quite a betting geek. So, in college I started a hockey-focused betting tips site on the side, which became quite successful before I sold it in 2015. Then I moved to Malta in the summer of 2016 and have no plans to go back to Sweden anytime soon. If you want to keep abreast of the latest technological developments in the iGaming business, Malta is the prime place to be.
Finally, you left a comfortable position at the industry behemoth Catena Media to join a startup. What advice do you have to others who want to launch their own business? I like LinkedIn-founder Reid Hoffman’s analogy that starting a business is like jumping off a cliff and trying to assemble a plane on the way down. It is of course a lot harder than being one small bolt in a big machine. On the other hand, it is extremely rewarding when you see your idea coming to fruition – going from the drawing board to actual reality. Most business advice is mostly worthless, so I will be careful to proffer any. The inspiration and drive must come from inside the entrepreneur himself. But I would echo the Lebanese-American writer Nassim Taleb, that in order to live a full life you must take risk and start a business.
business
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food
Silvio Schembri… From the intricacies of the digital economy to concocting delicacies in the kitchen Interview by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Jacob Sammut
I
n Malta, the land of sweltering summers, crystalline waters and a raging hot political landscape, it is quite refreshing to meet someone like Silvio Schembri. Through the relatively new portfolio for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, the junior minister has made forays into the industry, firmly putting the country on the international stage, marking Malta as one of the top blockchain-friendly jurisdictions in the world. But like most other millennials of his generation (he is only 33), he believes that the day job is not the be all and end all of our existence. We found out that one of his many passions, which include fishing, gardening and hunting, is cooking and have come to discover whether he is actually as good a chef as he is a policy-maker…
Silvio welcomes us into his beautiful kitchen at his home in Luqa, where it’s apparent that he has already done a little of the boring prep work for our lunch. We launch our conversation with the obvious question:
Away from the political arena, how does Silvio Schembri spend his downtime? “Politics is a very demanding profession, so there’s little time left for leisure. As a husband and father with a young family in tow, finding the time to indulge in hobbies is a bit difficult, but I do my best,” he says with a smile, somehow managing the quite challenging feat of cleaning shellfish and having a conversation at the same time.
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food While busy preparing our lunch, the menu for which reads like something out of a fine dining eatery, we ask Silvio whether cooking for the family is a rare occurrence or if he manages to cook regularly.
Does he consider cooking as a coping mechanism, his way of dealing with what we’d imagine is a stressful day job?
“My wife and I have different cooking styles, she’s a genius with traditional dishes, while I tend to go for more creative offerings; spicier and more inventive, but ultimately we try to share kitchen duties. Focusing on the task at hand when preparing food is the best thing for switching off and relaxing. Besides, we love entertaining, so we’re always having friends around for dinner and that is when I can get really imaginative in the kitchen,” he says, while patiently slicing a tuna steak into paper thin slivers in readiness for our tuna carpaccio.
“Not really, if you’re really committed to what you do, it’s no more stressful than any other job. I only feel stressed around people who are always whining about something or other. Negativity in general is the only thing that I really find annoying,” he says while deftly preparing a mouth-watering dish of roast veg.
How did he get hooked on cooking as a hobby? “It came naturally to me from a very young age. The only problem when I was still living at my parents’ was that I was always arguing with my mother because of the mess, until I created a kitchenette in their basement and then there was no stopping me,” he laughs.
Where does he get his inspiration from? Does he follow a recipe to the letter? “Never! I just look at the ingredients and take it from there, though mostly I have a look in our cupboards and refrigerator and concoct something from what’s available. Then again, each time I cook the ‘same’ dish, it obviously never tastes the same, still great but different,” he jokes. He also watches food programmes and cites Gordon Ramsay as inspiration, mostly though because he is a “great showman” and his duck recipe is to-die-for.
Is this how he gives vent to his creative side? “Not only,” Silvio explains, “I’m lucky that my ministerial portfolio includes being responsible for the digital economy and innovation; two areas where you can be inspired and creative; exploring blockchain, cryptocurrencies, digital innovation. Looking beyond is what creates results.”
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By now our tuna carpaccio with onions and prawn carpaccio with pistachio are nicely marinating and the smells are somewhat intoxicating; a situation we find is not very conducive to conducting an interview. Still, despite having lots of prepping to do, including a glorious ‘gurbell al cartoccio’, Silvio is by no means distracted (as opposed to us, his guests).
So, we soldier on… Having earlier admitted that he loves entertaining, who would be his ultimate dinner party guest? “Apart from my friends? I’d say it would be the President of the United States,” Donald Trump? “Any American president actually. Being involved in politics, I understand the dynamics of a small island state, but it would be good to know more about the dynamics of what is effectively a superpower. For example, in Malta international politics do not feature highly on the nation’s agenda, but in America they play a much more vital role because obviously their policies have a ripple effect all over the world. So yes, it would be great to have him or her for dinner.”
Back to the day job - what does he envisage for the country? “This is the most advanced Maltese generation in terms of technology. With the right policies I believe we have huge potential there, and we can succeed as we have already managed to do in the gaming industry. Now we can replicate this successful formula in other areas and given that we have very scant resources, except for human labour, I believe we can turn that into human capital. By doing so, we’ll be diversifying
our economy, to be more resilient to shocks and when the time comes when the economy will not be as booming as it is today, we’d have built enough of a buffer to protect the country,” he says.
Looking to the future, where does he see himself in a few years’ time? “I don’t imagine being involved in politics forever. For one thing, it’s a huge burden on family life… I have literally just 30 minutes of playtime with my son every evening, we get the Playstation going and for that half an hour there’s no stopping us,” he says with a little regret. Is he a Playstation fan? “I used to be,” he laughs, “in fact, I’m now working on e-sports for Malta. We’ve already managed to get THU to relocate to Malta and we’ll be announcing some huge projects in the
coming weeks, a huge opportunity for designers and creatives on the island.”
Sitting down to lunch and sampling Silvio’s fabulous cooking skills, can we expect a future foray in the hospitality industry? A restaurant perhaps? “I do think about that, but for now…” Silvio trails off. If the lunch he prepared for our EBM team is anything to go by (and by unanimous vote we can concede that this young man is dynamite in the kitchen), we can hand on heart say that Silvio Schembri’s talents are not solely confined to politics… Not only doing great things for the country’s digital economy but also by bringing (literally!) fantastic things to the (dining) table…
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Prawn Carpaccio Ingredients: • • • • • •
5 Prawns Lime Olive oil Pepper Sea salt Pistachio
Peel and devein prawns and put them in a freezer bag. With a rolling pin, crush the prawns (preferably one by one) until they are very thin and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes, in a small pastry bag.
Tuna Carpaccio
To plate up, place the frozen prawns on a plate, topped with a dash of oil and a little lime zest, a little salt, pepper and crushed pistachios.
Ingredients: • 200g bluefin Maltese tuna, sushigrade • 1/4 cup onion, cut into thin slices • 3 ounces olive oil • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice • Aceto Balsamico • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Place the tuna slices in a single layer in a flat nonreactive dish. Sprinkle the tuna with onion; drizzle with olive oil, Aceto Balsamico and lemon juice. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Serve slices of tuna on a plate. page 36
Meagre al Cartoccio
food
Ingredients:
Clean the meagre but do not remove the head or tail. Rinse the fish and pat it dry with some kitchen towel.
• 1 large meagre • 2 lemons • 2 large cloves garlic cut into halves • 4 tablespoons olive oil • Salt and freshly ground pepper to season • A bunch of fresh mint and fresh parsley • Tin foil
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut a large piece of tin foil about 3 times larger than the size of the fish. Brush the meagre with olive oil on both sides. Place on the tin foil. Squeeze the juice of the other lemon and keep aside. In the cavity of the fish, neatly place the slices of lemon and then season with salt and pepper. Put the four garlic halves on top of the lemons and then half the fresh parsley and mint, roughly chopped. Drizzle a few drops of lemon juice and some olive oil. Calculate that meagre weighing 500g needs half an hour at 200°C when it is wrapped in foil. To check if it is cooked, simply poke with a fork. It is cooked when the fish flakes.
Interview by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Gary Bugeja // Swimwear by Calzedonia
people
From Medellín with love… A true paisa’s journey across the globe
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people
T
he girl sat opposite smiles radiantly, emanating the kind of warmth that puts you immediately at ease. She comes from the other side of the world, Medellín in Colombia to be exact, but with skin the colour of amber and dark, twinkling eyes, she could easily be mistaken for a Malteser. But Ana María is a born and raised paisa (an inhabitant of Medellín) and immensely proud of her heritage. She forms part of the formidable Ambassadör Events team, and as we kick off our interview in their cool (if crazy) office, she graciously apologises for the cluttered space, which as she says, “comes with the territory” given that we are in the offices of one of the busiest events companies in Malta. Ana María’s native Colombia is a long way away; the country of drug lord Pablo Escobar, the world’s largest drug cartels, murder and gang wars and thousands of column inches in bad press.
Is this the reality in her country of birth or just gross sensationalising by the media? With a patient smile (she has probably been asked this question a thousand times) and perfect English, Ana María paints a very different picture, “Yes, Colombia was in a very bad place thirty years ago, with narco-traffic dictating the national narrative, people suffered a lot but thankfully times have changed. Colombia is an amazing place, a very safe place to be and one which I highly recommend for a fantastic holiday. I am Colombia’s ‘ambassador’ to Malta, so I can give anyone travelling there the
best tips and advice on how to go about it. Colombia is not just about coke, you know” she jokes wickedly.
So, what would Ana María say is so special and interesting about Colombia? “It depends on what floats your boat,” she says, “Colombia is so diverse, that despite this being such a cliché, there is literally something for everyone. What is identical in every city or village is the kindness, warmth and hospitability of the Colombian people; other than that, each region is totally different to another. “If you’re into clubbing or nightlife in general, then Bogotá with its restaurants, bars and clubs is the place to be. Inland cities like Bogotá and Medellín are cooler, because they’re in a mountainous region, but along the coast, with cities like Cartagena or Santa Marta it’s summer all year round. And the cuisine is to die for! Our iconic arepa is the best in the world and they’re prepared in a variety of ways, according to the area. Bandeja paisa which is a Medellín speciality and is probably the most famous Colombian dish in the world, includes beans, rice, chicharrón, carne en polvo, chorizo, fried egg, ripe plantain, avocado and obviously arepa.” Ana María is keen to explain the difference between Colombia’s key cities, “For example, I am a paisa because I hail from Medellín – City of the Eternal Spring, so called because of the beautiful temperate climate. People from Bogotá are called rolos; we speak, walk, act differently; our cultures are different. Colombia is made up of so many diverse cultures, dialects and traditions, it’s like travelling to another country when you move to another city. But that is what makes my country such an unforgettable, irresistible place,” she explains.
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Glasses by Nau
people How did the decision to leave Colombia come about? “I started working from a very young age and when I graduated from university, I already had an established career. I had the role of a commercial director with a great company, supervising my own team but I always had ‘itchy feet’, always wondering what opportunities were waiting for me out there in the world beyond Medellín. Family is very important in Colombia, so the decision to leave home is never an easy one and as an only child it is even more difficult.”
Of all the places in the world, how did she settle in Malta? With a laugh she says, “It was quite an easy choice really. I wanted to move to Europe, some place where I could speak and practice my English, so naturally I thought about moving to London, but having had friends over there constantly complaining about the cold and dismal weather soon cut short my decision. That is when my
friend Google came in… ‘A warm Englishspeaking country in Europe’ and Malta came up. I came here and fell in love with Malta; three years later I’m still in love”.
What’s next on the cards for Ana María? “I am not a person of many friends, but here at Ambassadör Events I have found my adoptive family and since the beginning, Pierre and Martin took me under their wing - they’re like big brothers to me. As their very first employee, I cherish and am proud of the company’s rapid growth over the years because ultimately my work is my passion. So, my dream, apart from having my parents move permanently to Malta,” she says woefully before continuing, “is to grow the company internationally. Ideally, I would love for us to take Showers to Colombia. I have already mentioned this in passing to Martin and Pierre and who knows, maybe it’ll happen someday,” she ends with a laugh.
Swimwear by Calzedonia
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travel
Dubai, the Middle East’s cosmopolitan paradise Interview by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Martin Pettersson
Sunrise from Shangri La hotel overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road and Burj Khalifa, highest building in the world.
Dubai’s culture is obviously very different to European culture. How? Tourism is a big thing in Dubai, therefore some parts feels very westernised. Within the designated tourist areas, you don’t really get the feeling that you are in a Muslim country, it’s more like Vegas but without gambling. However, if you venture a bit outside the hotels and touristic areas you can still get a feeling of the old Dubai and the more traditional Muslim values.
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Few tips for those visiting for the first time? There are lots of horror stories regarding Dubai, about people getting arrested for kissing, you can’t stay in the same hotel rooms if you are not married etc... My advice whenever you go abroad is just don’t be an idiot; that never goes down well in any country. Just be respectful wherever you go, that means covering up in public or religious places and don’t eat each other’s faces in public. I never experienced any problems holding hands or a quick kiss, just use your brain and show respect.
Mediterranean style food at the Saturday Brunch of Scape at Burj Al Arab
The Dubai branch of El Chiringuito Ibiza.
Gin & Tonic station at the Saturday Brunch of Scape at Burj Al Arab.
Pina Colada station at the Saturday Brunch of Scape at Burj Al Arab.
Asian/ Latin food fusion at the Saturday Brunch of Scape at Burj Al Arab. page 43
A little about the cuisine.. Anything that is a must try and any restaurant recommendations please? The food game is strong in Dubai! Most high-end restaurants are located in hotels/designated tourist areas because those are the only places where it’s allowed to serve alcohol. The Michelin guide have not arrived in Dubai yet, but many restaurants have chefs that have worked in Michelin starred restaurants before. You can find fantastic food from all around the world in Dubai, if you are willing to pay for it. You can also find local cuisine for fantastic prices if you venture away from the tourist areas. There are so many restaurants to choose from, so I will not suggest a specific one, instead I’ll just say - make sure to not miss Friday brunch in Dubai.
Sunrise from Shangri La hotel overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road and Burj Khalifa, highest building in the world.
Any experience with 6-star service and how is service overall? For me this star rating with service around the world is complete bogus. It’s not a fair grading and some 5-star hotels I have stayed in are like ten times better than other 5-star hotels. Also, there is no official star rating over 5-star, it’s just a PR stunt. Yes, the service is pretty fantastic in many places in Dubai, however talking about 6-7-star service becomes very vague since that kind of rating does not exist.
What was the most memorable aspect of the trip? Any recommendations for those visiting for the first time in terms of sightseeing?
View from Address Downtown hotel overlooking the light show at Burj Khalifa.
It’s touristic as hell, but don’t miss the fountain at Burj Khalifa. Spend some money to book a table at a restaurant or lounge overlooking the fountain, it’s totally worth it to avoid the crowds. Make sure to also take a trip out in the desert, there are some really cool camps where you can experience the old traditions of Dubai and watching the stars from the desert is truly spectacular.
Anything you would love to do on your next trip that you haven’t done yet? I have been in Dubai a couple of times but never managed to find time to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Next time I will make sure to find time for it!
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The majestic hallways of One&Only Royal Mirage hotel.
travel
Skyline of Dubai Marina seen from the Palm.
Sunset by the pool area at Fairmont The Palm hotel.
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food
Château d’Yquem Words by Maxilene Ellul // Photography by Melvin Mifsud
For centuries, the deliciously sweet wines from Château d’Yquem have been described as being without peer. Liquid gold is how many described the delicious sweet wines from Château d’Yquem, and in great vintages this wine is truly worth its weight in gold. In the 1855 Classification, Château d’Yquem was the Bordeaux property awarded its own unique level of classification, that of “Premier Cru Supérieur”. Over 160 years later, Château d’Yquem remains the only First Growth without equal. In a fractious region like Bordeaux, it’s astounding when you realise that all the other châteaux in every appellation continue to agree on that point. page 46
R
food
isette restaurant in collaboration with Farsons Beverages Imports hosted a Château d’Yquem dinner on the 3rd of July 2018. To our delight, the food menu and the wine were matched to perfection. We started with turnips velouté, fermented cabbage and pecorino fritters paired with a clean Bollinger La Grande Année 2004; a beautiful wine with plenty of vintage character and a tense vibrant finish. The pecorino fritters were an exquisite match for what we expected to be the start of nothing less than a great culinary experience. Next came chawanmushi with oysters, sturgeon caviar and sea urchin together with a dry Château d’Yquem ‘Y’ Ygrec 2011. Chawammushi literally means “tea cup steam” or “steamed in a tea bowl” in Japanese. It consists of an egg custard, but unlike many other custards, it contains savoury rather than sweet ingredients. This dish was cleverly paired with the Château d’Yquem’s Ygrec, a wine with a complex bouquet, one that is very well-defined with hints of petrol infusing rich honeyed fruit, and later the scent of melted wax and fresh peach emerges. The strong viscous entry of this wine was powerful enough to combine the umami of the oysters and of the sturgeon caviar, whilst still complimenting the sweetness of the sea urchins. Foie gras and sweetcorn tart followed this dish, paired with a Château d’Yquem 2006. A rich, intense, pure and refined wine, the 2006 d’Yquem shows a nose of vanilla, coconut, orange rind, apricot, marmalade, pineapple and honey soaked white peaches. However, it is not the most concentrated or exotic style of wine, and the flavours of the foie gras and sweetcorn tart came forward to give the course an elegant balance throughout. Nothing quite compares to the sweet, intense, and slightly charred taste of shellfish when it’s cooked on the grill. Barbecued lobster with pickled summer vegetables and the Château d’Yquem 2007 was an inspirational pairing. This wine had all the right stuff, perfectly balanced between sweetness and acidity, with a freshness and the beautiful purity of fruit. The pickled summer vegetables added a welcome acidity to the lobster.
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food We were then served a free-range capon breast, confit of green asparagus, fried capon leg with mole and a Château d’Yquem 1996. The capon has a similar taste to free-range chicken, but with a smoother, more tender texture and a darker colour. The meat is juicy and when cooked, the effect of the fat permeating the flesh gives the meat a very distinctive taste. The confit of asparagus together with the fruit, chilli, and the nutty flavour of the mole met with the pineapple, apricot and tropical fruits coated with honey and nuts in the perfume of the wine and gave it enough acidity to pair it to perfection. Bleu d’Auvergne, apple chutney, and dried fruit bread followed, paired with a Château d’Yquem 1986. Bleu d’Auvergne is relatively new in the world of cheese, and the story goes that an Auvergnat farmer sprinkled mould from rye bread on his milk curd and then pierced the curd with a needle. This allowed the air through and the curd developed blue veins. Although this cheese could be mistaken for Roquefort in terms of looks, it has its own distinct flavour. Compared to Roquefort, it is intense and crumbly and has a creamier texture. It’s made using century-old techniques and an uncompromising regard for quality. The result is an ideal match for the apple chutney and the homemade dried fruit bread by Risette. This was followed by a slow-roasted peach with granola, vanilla cream and walnut ice cream and a fully mature Château d’Yquem 1976. The nose on this wine offers a fair bit of caramel and the colour has a beautiful touch of amber. Risette’s in-house vanilla and walnut ice cream undoubtedly made this dessert one of the most exquisite. The roasted peach and granola grounded the 76 beyond expectation. Indeed dinner is better when we eat together, but the skillful alchemy required to perfectly pair food and wine was also evident that evening, making for a truly divine experience. The late Mr. Hugo Chetcuti
Dinner with good company is the first priority. But when food meets wine, the experience is beyond expectation. Elegance and finesse in the ambience and location, paired with the various wines and plates served at Risette have made this experience not only unique but also one to remember. I am fond of seeking inspiration abroad for my brands, but it is good to find somebody back home who can truly make me feel that we have it going on. As little as Malta may be, it truly is an island with great potential. Dr. Roberto Montalto I am a wine lover and perhaps a foodie too. I love to travel and get away with a passion for wines. Tonight was definitely a dinner which united not only friends but people with much devotion to palate and wine. The match was perfect in all ways, the food exquisite. The capability to match extraordinary wines like D’Yquem comes with a great knowledge of ingredients, a knowledge which undoubtedly Chef Andrew at Risette truly masters. Architect Colin Zammit Tasting these wines is a true privilege, especially when paired with dishes prepared with such passion and dedication. I share a great passion for culinary pairing, and I travel with a dedication to such experiences. Experiences, dishes, and wines such as those served today grow and expand our culinary expectations. The ambience and design at Risette truly guarantee a homegrown experience which indeed deserves to be complimented. page 45
Matthew Stone
Words by Holly Knowles
Classical composition, glossy, latex-like brushstrokes and 3D modelling software swirl to-gether in the vivid work of British artist Matthew Stone.
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B
orn in 1982 in London, England, Stone graduated from Camberwell College of Arts with a first-class honours degree in painting in 2004 and has gone on to work across a variety of disciplines including painting, sculpture, photography, and performance. His recent painted works, Healing with Wounds, a series that were exhibited couple of years back at Somerset House in London, combine experimental post-digital techniques with the traditional form. He has a dynamic, expressive style saturated with colour and depth and one that is vibrant with movement on an open plane.
art & culture Working with a self-generated archive of brushstrokes, Stone has developed a process that involves digitally layering colour and form using 3D modelling software. It’s a technique that explodes his forms from their linen canvas into a floating, ‘virtual’ space, seeking to ‘define broader abstract ideologies that relate to the body itself’. In terms of composition, there is a direct interaction with art history in Stone’s work; although his classical figures at play and in conflict are linked to the language of computer-generated visuals, photography and performative body language. For the viewer, it pushes the physical experience of paint – its textures and traditional conventions – to new places. Connection and creative collaboration across genres have been part of Stone’s artistic practice from the beginning of his career. A key figure in developing the South London art collective !WOWOW! during the mid 00’s, Stone has since produced concepts for fashion editorial and created surreal, photographic artwork with musician FKA Twigs for her 2015 M3LLI55X EP. He has been part of a number of critically acclaimed solo and group shows at Tate Britain, the Institute for Contemporary Arts and the Royal Academy of Art, the Marrakech Biennale, Fiorucci Foundation and Viafarini, Milan, as well as staging performance pieces at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen and at the 2013 and 2014 editions of Art Basel Miami Beach. Stone has spoken of ‘seeking to explore optimism and the potential for social unity’, and, for his 2011 show at The Hole gallery in New York, declared “Optimism as Cultural Rebellion.” He has since developed this personal philosophy of Optimism, describing it as “the vital force that entangles itself with and then shapes the future.” Yet there is complexity and conflict in Stone’s more recent work, recognising “both the difficulties of and the inherent potential for; mutual and interdependent types of societal healing.” Performance pieces by Stone have also included the concept of the collaboration and the collective. Love Focused Like A Laser, presented at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2013, emerged as a total operatic work that brought Stone’s vision to life and involved music director L-Vis 1990, designers Hood By Air, musicians Kelela and Zebra Katz, performance artists boychild and Andre J, and choreographer Madeline Hollander. The twentyminute piece sought “an examination of the ‘uneasiness’ that exists within contemporary culture, promoting philosophical and moral trajectories through the emotional manipulation of the audience.” Whatever his chosen medium, Stone’s work continues to intensively examine the lens through which human behaviours, hierarchies, and cooperative gestures exist and adapt.
art & culture
Valletta Contemporary 9-28th September 2018 Electromorphologies 5th October - 3rd November 2018 Parallel Existences Alex Attard 9th - 30th November 2018 That Golden Stain of Time Dan Hudson
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15,16,17 East Street Valletta
Alex Attard is an art and architecture photographer driven by a passion to discover the beautiful and the extraordinary, inspired not only by the obvious, but also by the overlooked and the inconsequential. Born in Valletta, into a family that has been in photography for over a hundred years, he was initiated to photography at the family studio, where he practised his initial photography and darkroom skills. His innate sense of creativity and the very personal interpretation of his subjects, have won him critical acclaim at the highest level and his work has been awarded by some of the most recognised experts in the industry. His work has been published in renowned international magazines like ArchDaily, iGNANT, ELLEDecor and others.
art & culture
Malta Contemporary Art 12
Felix Street Valletta
Adrian Abela (b.1989) studied architecture in Malta and Milan, and obtained an MFA from UCLA. His projects articulate from an interest in a particular material or narrative in an attempt to create parallel experiences of the human condition, sustaining it with past and future realities. The conception and execution of his projects often involve other individuals; he uses architecture-derived approaches to create informed work and establish relationships that challenge people’s perspectives on the subject. Along with several solo shows in Malta, he has participated in exhibitions in Europe, Asia, and the US. Adrian’s work is on show at Malta Contemporary Art from 5th of October till 10th November.
Until 21st September 2018 From Afar Curated by Mark Mangion Simon Starling, Louis Henderson, Filipa César, Mania Akbari & Mark Cousin 5th October - 10th November 2018 Desert Island I Curated by Mark Mangion Peter Sant, Adrian Abela & Bettina Hutschek 16th November - 22nd December 2018 Desert Island II Curated by Mark Mangion Aaron Bezzina, Roxman Gatt & Alexandra Pace
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art & culture
Blitz presents Transformer International Creative Spaces and Cultural Mobility
68, Blitz St Lucia Street Valletta
8th September - 14th October Transformer, Multi-site Exhibition 8th September Public Programme (details to be announced) Transformer is a multifaceted, two-year project that builds relationships between the Maltese artistic context and international cultural networks through a series of border-crossing curatorial and artistic exchanges. Produced by Blitz, Valletta, and Saint Martins, London, the project includes curatorial research, artist residencies, public talks, workshops, an online platform, and a multi-site exhibition in spaces across Malta. Transformer is a collaboration between project partners from Malta, the UK, Spain, Morocco, and Greece, with the aim of building a network which will help develop Artist Run Organisations (AROs) and the contemporary art context in Malta. Transformer is supported by the Multi-Annual Support Grant, Arts Council Malta and is part of the European Capital of Culture Programme.
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your shot Marija Grech
Summer journals / Scouting for beauty pt. 11
Summer journals / Scouting for beauty pt. 6
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Franco Camilleri
Unfolding the secret of an extraordinary living space‌ Words by Giselle Scicluna Photography by Brian Grech
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Mara Camilleri
T
ucked away in a little corner of Rabat lies the modern-day equivalent of an Aladdin’s cave of wonders. Four storeys of breathtaking luxury and the stuff beautiful dreams are made of. For a hundred and twenty-eight years Camilleri Paris Mode has been the go-to shop for those with discerning taste and an eye for the extraordinary. Packed to the rafters with unique pieces for the home, this one-of-a-kind concept store stocks everything from highly coveted luxury fabrics, carpets, objets d’art, furniture, tableware, perfumery and lighting, as well as a dedicated fashion and bridal section; each single item sourced and handpicked from the most reputable European design houses. With a rich history spanning five generations, it is small wonder that Camilleri Paris Mode has long been associated with high-end interiors across the island. We speak to managers Mara, Paul Camilleri and managing director Franco Camilleri, themselves fourth & fifth generation Camilleris, to better understand the evolution of the household name that is Camilleri Paris Mode today. “We have grown so much over the years,” says Paul, “we are not just a run-of-the-mill, interiors’ shop, but here at Camilleri Paris Mode we were the first to deliver a whole lifestyle experience to the nation. So, it’s basically everything that has to do with elevating a home’s interior, from colour schemes down to dressing a dinner table and everything in between, including architecture, design and project management.” Starting out in Valletta in 1890 under the name “À La Ville de Lyon” selling ladies’ fashionable attire, the name was later changed to Camilleri Paris Mode in the late 1920’s. Now, more than a century later, it is an inspiring, bespoke lifestyle brand which is synonymous with quality. Over the years, the company due to high demand had to widen its horizons, first branching out to Sliema in 1990. Later on, with a huge, ever-growing influx of foreigners joining their already burgeoning client database, coupled with the company’s expansion into the holistic lifestyle sector and the launch of the design and projects studio, the move to a more spacious outlet became inevitable. A huge ex-factory in Rabat was sourced and has now become Camilleri Paris Mode’s largest outlet to date. page 57
design
Paul Camilleri
But now it’s time to explore what this huge treasure trove has to offer and as Mara graciously accompanies me around the various lush settings on display, it’s highly apparent why Camilleri Paris Mode is the market leader when it comes to interiors. From retro to cutting edge contemporary, elegant classic to stark minimalist, the whole space is one huge marathon of inspiration. Bold and extravagant colour schemes jostle for attention throughout, along with heavenly textures and fine detailing, boasting household brands like page 58
Meridiani, Vincent Sheppard, Miniforms, Silent Gliss, Elitis, Pierre Frey, Rubelli, Armani Casa and lifestyle brands like Acqua di Parma, Fornasetti, Cire Trudon, Santa Maria Novella & L’Objet. As we walk through the lavishly decorated floors, the words of Victorian art critic John Ruskin, when he opined, “Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort” come to mind, and they never ring as true as they do at Camilleri Paris Mode!
Quality, as Mara asserts, is the company’s ultimate hallmark, “People have come in for the re-upholstering of sofas which their parents or grandparents have bought from Camilleri Paris Mode decades ago. Their structuring is still as sturdy as the day they left our shop,” she says with pride. The company boasts not only of an inhouse design and projects studio, wherein grand scale projects can be executed from start to finish, down to the last, minutest detail by the finest
professional architects and designers, but also an inhouse team of highly skilled craftsmen and women; seamstresses, joiners and upholsterers, who together ensure that the highest quality is maintained throughout each and every project. “Our experience in sourcing the finest quality available from the most renowned brands in Europe – be it fabrics, furniture, carpets, tableware is our signature. Our customers know that when they purchase a Camilleri Paris Mode item, whether it’s bespoke or off the shelf, it will endure for life. Knowing that in terms of quality and craftsmanship, we are providing our customers the best value for their money, is a source of pride for us as a family company,” says Franco. It would probably take another dozen features at least, to properly describe the beauty, quality and fine craftsmanship found within Camilleri Paris Mode’s vast interior. But in a nutshell, it is perhaps the only interiors’ shop where the extraordinary is the norm, where boundaries are boldly pushed and somewhere where your living space can be elevated to a whole new level of style and pizzazz, backed by more than a century’s worth of passion and experience!
party
SHOWERS Backstage There’s little time to catch your breath as the summer’s biggest event, Showers 2018, is underway, but we managed to catch up with the usual suspects to find out what goes on between the fireworks and fanfare.
Pierre What is your role? I’m the Project Manager. In reality I have no responsibility but I try to look important. My radio is just for show. How much sleep did you get this week? I actually slept like a baby this week. But I can tell you that the only nightmares I ever get are always the same ones, where I am at Showers and there are only about 200 people. Guests come up to me asking me where everyone is, and sometimes the DJ is really disappointed because there isn’t a crowd. So this is basically my biggest fear in life. Fortunately this wasn’t the case today!
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Did you have time for toilet yet? Thanks for reminding me. Brb! What time did you start? I came to Café del Mar 8am this morning and planning on staying till around 3am. After that I will go into hibernation like a little hairless pale bear. The most difficult part of the day? Getting an answer from Martin over the radio. Jokes aside, managing stress levels and staying focused. Things will go wrong, it’s okay. The happiest moment of the day? Gathering the team to watch the fireworks together arm in arm. It’s a really nice moment where all the hard work, the stress and everything releases for us together. Would you do anything different? Well I have been trying to get a pink horse for a long time but that has not been possible due to animal rights concerns. So maybe we just need to do a robot horse. I think that’s the only thing I’d do different. I’d love to ride the pink robot horse. And I want it to have a horn as well. A pink robot unicorn. If you were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? For me it would probably be ‘The Flash’. In the case of Alan, I know that he has a thing for his hero ‘Jar Jar Binks’. Let the history books reflect this fact.
party
Martin What is your role? I’m a VIP Tables Manager. How much sleep did you get this week? Not enough. Did you have time for toilet yet? Yes. What time did you start? Too early. The most difficult part of the day? It’s when lots of tables arrive at the same time. The happiest moment of the day? When all tables would have arrived and everything would be working flawless. Would you do anything different? Run the marathon a few more times per year, not only at Showers. If you were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? I would be ‘The Flash’ so I could travel faster between areas of the event.
party
Victor What is your role? Media Coordinator How much sleep did you get this week? Enough? Not enough? Can’t remember. Did you have time for toilet yet? I was sweating so much I think I didn’t go once. What time did you start? At 8 with Coach Milner, packed with merchandise and flags. The most difficult part of the day? The installation of the live stream as it required a lot of coordination human & material wise between the interviewer (Lor), the videographers (MAV) and internet with Café del Mar. Also to make sure that all the media were present at the right place at the right time to not miss any happenings. The happiest moment of the day? The fireworks and the pool jump in the end with the whole team. Would you do anything different? It was my first Showers and to be honest, everything went very smooth from my end as the photographers and videographers were all very professional. If your were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? Telepathy, radio with French/ Spanish/Maltese accent is a bit hard to communicate (Love you all)!
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Anoosha What is your role? Backstage Manager How much sleep did you get this week? Not enough! Did you have time for toilet yet? I pretty much didn’t pee until 11pm. What time did you start? 8am The most difficult part of the day? The backstage organisation and making sure everyone is fed, hydrated and happy (not difficult – just a lot of things at once!) The happiest moment of the day? Jumping into the pool at the end! (And of course – seeing everyone having the time of their life) Would you do anything different? I should have got on stage and danced with Bon Voyage. If your were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? I would have 20 arms to manage everything at once and to float so my feet don’t feel like they will fall off.
Ana Maria What is your role? Bottle Girls’ Manager How much sleep did you get this week? I don’t remember but I think between 6 and 7 hours a day. For me sleeping is as important as breathing so I always try to sleep enough. Did you have time for toilet yet? I think at the venue I only went to the toilet once during the whole day. What time did you start? At 10:30am I arrived to the venue and my body started to organise and prepare things but my brain started to work later, I’m not a morning person at all. The most difficult part of the day? Every time I wanted to jump in the pool and I couldn’t. For the girls and I, everything went really well so I would say we didn’t have difficulties… they were amazing! The happiest moment of the day? I had many happy moments during the day… every time we
planned to do something and it went as we wanted, it feels great! But if I have to choose one, I would say that I loved when me and the girls went backstage after they finished and we had like a little celebration, everyone was happy and smiling and said they enjoyed it a lot. That’s the best part I think, when you see that your team is satisfied with the job they did. Would you do anything different? This was my second time in this role, my first time working at Showers in 2016 I was a Bottle Girl. Every year we learn, sometimes we make mistakes or things don’t go that well or how we planned, but that’s what makes us grow and become better so I think I wouldn’t do anything different. If your were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? Teleportation or being in different places at the same time.
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party
Andrew What is your role? Head of Brands, marketing, and all bits in between. How much sleep did you get this week? Cute question. Real cute... Did you have time for toilet yet? I didn’t actually go to the bathroom at all, all day. I’m like a camel. (Don’t Google it) What time did you start? I picked Victor up at 7am, so technically I had to moonlight as a cabbie before I got to ‘working’ at 8am. The most difficult part of the day? The last half hour before the doors open. It’s that make or break time where you get everything done, and have to constantly wonder if everything is spotless or if your OCD is in overdrive. The happiest moment of the day? The day was made up of mini moments of happiness, as everything came together incredibly smoothly. Would you do anything different? Ask FIFA to not schedule a semi final World Cup game between England and Sweden on the same day as Showers. If you were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? Captain Foresight. We had to second guess a lot of natural issues on the day, including winds and waves. page 64
Alan What is your role? Production Manager and general sorter of shit out. How much sleep did you get this week? Pfft! What is this thing “sleep” you speak of? How many coffees did you have (say it is 5pm)? Enough to make me realise we need a coffee machine backstage. Did you have time for toilet yet? It’s a pool party, there’s wet everywhere ;) What time did you start? When the seed of ideas for this event started to blossom (5am show day). The most difficult part of the day? Keeping my pants up with all the crap I have attached to them. The happiest moment of the day? When the pizza arrived backstage, oh Lordy! Would you do anything different? Use underwear next year. Gig butt is torture. If you were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? Levitation (to avoid selfie elbows) and teleportation because some people don’t answer their radios. (cough, Julia, cough) page 65
Julia What is your role? I am responsible for design and production of decorations and costumes. How much sleep did you get this week? Actually compared to last year quite a lot, maybe 20 hours the past week! Did you have time for toilet yet? I forgot that exists! What time did you start? I think 5.30 am at my workshop and then here... The most difficult part of the day? When Alan said I have 15 mins till the doors opens, and I have just cut my finger and there was blood everywhere... wasn’t sure whether to fix the finger first or to finish the door decor! The happiest moment of the day? When Arveene played! Would you do anything different? Lose the radio much earlier! If your were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? Tinker Bell! ha ha, she has the best set of skills for my trade! she flies, does magic and is tiny - impossible to wear a radio!
Siana
party
What is your role? My role this year was Showers Event Coordinator. How much sleep did you get this week? The last month leading up to Showers was full on, both mentally and physically. So sleep wasn’t a regular occurrence. Did you have time for toilet yet? No time for anything. What time did you start? I started at 7:30am at Cafe Del Mar .. that being said I didn’t sleep the night before with all the details running through my head. The most difficult part of the day? There are so many different departments that it’s hard, and being an Event Coordinator, I had to be involved in all aspects but I think the difficult part is that by around 9pm my feet and back were in agony from setup and running around all day back and forward. Basically just exhausted. The happiest moment of the day? My happiest moment was being up on stage behind the DJ booth when the fireworks went off and I took a moment to look around and take in the fact that we did it! Would you do anything different? Hmm.. If I could have some how prevented the wind and the outcome of the world cup, that would have been great! But those are two things I had no control over. If your were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? I needed to be everywhere at the same time and some how I managed. My super hero power would be speed of light or being able to fly so I could get through the crowds easily.
Debbie What is your role? Artist Liaison Manager aka slave. Basically my job is to make sure all the acts are happy, well fed, well hydrated (mostly with alcohol), have enough toilet paper and get them out and do their thing when needed. How much sleep did you get this week? If you multiple 2 by 7 then divide that by 4, that’s pretty much my average daily hours of sleep this week. Did you have time for toilet yet? I haven’t event found it yet. Also, no time! What time did you start? My body started at 8am on autopilot. Took a while longer for my mind to catch up. The most difficult part of the day? Trying to find a lost dwarf. The happiest moment of the day? Finding said lost dwarf alive after 5 hours. Would you do anything different? Tracking devices on all dwarves. If your were a super hero, what super powers would help you to work at this event? Self-multiplication for the sole purpose of being able to do all the things I needed to do AND party at the same time. page 67
5 Year Anniversary Photography by Jacob Sammut
Drone photo by Gianluca Pace
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style For its 5th Anniversary, the Events By Martin team along with an invite only guestlist descended upon the luxurious villa of entrepreneur Chris Pace nestled within the Santa Maria Estate. In an event sponsored by Pearl Beach, Domaines Ott*, Louis Roederer, iGaming Elite, Twin, The ICO Guys and Isle & Aqua, the strong crowd enjoyed the stunning vista from the rooftop pool and gardens, taking in a live performance by Big City Records, and unveiling a mystery box full of surprises for founders Martin and Pierre.
James Stanton Co-owner at The Thirsty Barber and Owner at Bluestone Currency
Julia Boikova Editor at EBM Magazine and Fashion Designer at Julia Boikova Label
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style
(Left to Right): Patrick Martinsson Founder at insolutions.io Clara Holmstrom Reporter for Sigma
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Anna Cz
style
Jeremy Broad Developer/Consultant at Virtustream
Freedom Van Riel Office and Events Coordinator at Raketech
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style
Jasmin Dominique Freelance Set Dresser/ Buyer for Film, TV Productions and Commercials
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(Left to Right): Patrick A-biix, Diana Schulz and Jeremiah Sebuliba Big City Records
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fashion
Nena Kay Photography by Suzana
We have been following this talented lady for quite some time, and while being constantly in love with her incredible color matching and beautiful style, we thought we should ask her a few questions!
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fashion 1. How did you start your Instagram? About eight years ago I had a ‘proper’ job, a 9 to 5, but my ‘thing’ was always fashion. I loved the concept of the mood board and how to create a look. Instagram was the perfect platform for me to experiment and play. I could express myself through my clothes or accessories, or even a pose; how to say it all without saying a word was probably my ethos. My sister Suzana @suzypap and my best friend Jovana Kokovic @cocoloco_girl were my first followers – and critics! My natural style is ‘romantic and refined’ and I think a lot of people identify with that. It looks effortless but not intimidating. A lot of different people picked up on me at the same time and things escalated. I realised that this could be my way of doing what I truly love while being independent and flexible.
2. What inspires you? Inspiration is everywhere! Magazines, blogs, people on the street, food... it’s more how you interpret what you are seeing. I have always loved fashion and style. I also like the idea of being inspirational – in a helpful way though, not as a show off I must say! When you are just starting out in a new school or workplace, or things in your life change, how you look can be a worry. First impressions count, so if my look and style can inspire someone else to try a combination of colours or a different way of putting their wardrobe together that makes them feel good, well, that’s a great feeling. The people who follow me will comment on particular looks, and tell me how they adapted them to suit themselves so feedback can be very inspirational too. I have a clear vision. My pictures are composed, not random snaps, as I am trying to tell a story. Composition, colours, light and especially location are all very important. There are also plenty of Instagram accounts that inspire me too and encourage me to make the next picture even better!
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3. How do you pick clothes? Sometimes I choose the clothes to reflect a look or season or occasion. I have certain style signatures and staples, and I never go anywhere without my sunglasses! For me, high-waisted trousers are extremely flattering to my figure, as are fitted dresses. The cut and fit of clothes are important to accentuate your good points and choosing the right size is important to make you look pulled together and sophisticated. I am also quite a perfectionist when it comes to colour. Shades, colour pops and the classics, such as black and navy all figure in my choices but harmony is important. I don’t really do clashing!
4. How do you choose a specific outfit for particular landscapes? Malta is a very inspirational island. You may think we just have one season here – summer – but over the year, the landscapes go from green to brown to blue. A lot of buildings are white stone with colourful doors and balconies, as well as very futuristic new designs of steel and glass, so the choice of backdrop is enormous.
I try to create a full picture for my posts so that what you are seeing is like a second in time: am I on my way to a party or dinner, am I just about to meet someone – or leave them? If the background is a white house with marble steps, for example, I would choose a dramatic colour and possibly even colourblock the whole outfit. That way, the clothes and the styling are the focus. The colour is probably more important than the item of clothing.
5. Who are your top three other Instagrammers to follow? We live in a world that is changing so fast. When I started out, I was inspired by an Australian blogger @pepamack. She is just such a cool girl. My style is quite different but I like her attitude.
I admire women who manage to look effortlessly chic, but I’m also inspired by women who are brave enough to stand out and show their authenticity. No one likes a fake.
6. What would be your dream destination for an Instagram adventure? Lately, I’ve been thinking of Morocco. I’ve always wanted to ride a camel, see the desert and get lost in a maze-like medina. Going out and eating all that beautiful and fragrant food sounds good too! It’s a paradise for Instagrammers with all the colours; imagine the piles of gold and orange spices, the layers of woven and embroidered rugs and the gorgeous leather bags. I can already smell it and see it. So, yes, a trip to Morocco would be a dream come true.
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dream job
The girl who lives your travelling dreams… and she does it for a living Interview by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Aleksey Leonov
C
harlotte Kamlin started out selling bikinis. In her new job at All-in Translation, she will be selling language services to FinTech and iGaming companies all over the globe from the company’s headquarter in Malta. Her big passion is travelling - which comes in handy when given the journey she is about to embark upon. By next summer she will have visited Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Ibiza, London, Las Vegas, Lisbon, Porto, Cannes, Macau, Manilla and Amsterdam - all in the name of making the clients’ content available to more people around the world. “Nothing is more exciting to me than travelling. And to be able to do that while at the same time represent All-in Translations, a company I feel proud to work for, is a dream come true. How far would we come without languages or the ability to communicate with each other? This is ultimately the goal for us; to effectively bridge language barriers which hamper communication and make life easier for the businesses involved. I could spend an entire novel to explain how I feel about this. It’s amazing.”
Take us through this crazy itinerary then… “It starts in Barcelona in September where I am boarding a blockchain cruise organised by CoinsBank. I imagine this is a dream scenario for any sales person. The clients will have nowhere to run, except when we leave the boat in Monte Carlo and Ibiza! But I could think of worse places to network. The next conference is Betting on Sports in London. In October I leave for G2E Las Vegas which is the biggest gaming conference outside of Europe. I have never been to Las Vegas and I am sure the city and I will get along just fine! Next stop is Portugal, where we will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of All-in Translations. Most of our operations team is based there, and I cannot wait to meet them. It will be, as we say, a celebration of translations for all nations. It’ll be great to finally meet the people whose hard work I so proudly present to our clients. Their level of professionalism is on another level, so I’m always happy to go around the world and sing their praises. Back to my ‘grand tour’, there are also some highlights on our home turf in Malta, with the Blockchain Summit and SiGMA, where we are hosting a football cup followed by a stand-up comedy gig.”
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dream job All of this is in 2018? “Yes… After New Year, the first trade show is ICE in London and then straight to Cannes for a conference called Esport Bar. By March I will probably be fed up with the European winter - lucky for me we’re doing a company trip to Asia! First stop is the iGaming Asia congress in Macau. The second stop is Manila, where we are organising the official poker tournament of the ASEAN Gaming Summit. I hope I will have time for a cheeky trip to Bali in between. I rarely travel to the same place twice when it’s not for work, but Bali will always have a special place in my heart. The beautiful nature, the food, the culture and most importantly - the kind and warm people are truly something special. Then Amsterdam and the iGB Live will be the last work trip before a summer holiday which I think I will spend in Malta.”
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know. “My first job was as a lingerie and bikini expert. I worked in a special customised store in Oslo where we created the perfect fit for all sizes. It was old school where the customer had to wait for their turn to be measured by us. After that experience I would say I have probably seen more women’s cleavages than men haha! I always knew I wanted to work with people before I realised that my forte was actually in sales. In my first job I understood that I had the ability to build up trust and make my customers feel comfortable around me.”
Photo by Jacob Sammut
dream job Your clients are involved in crypto, gaming and esports. What interests you about this? “Where will we stand in all of this in a couple of years’ time? This is something I wonder about. I like the variety and the rapid changes involved in this business. Crypto, gaming and esports are very different sectors but they also have a lot in common, for example Malta, as a hub. When I am not travelling I work from our office in Spinola Bay, and I have just leased a new apartment in Sliema, so I have a base here. Companies within these sectors also share the need to establish trust through their communication, so a clear and faithful translation is key to getting their message across. Google Translate can translate a text from a foreign language to a basic level which can be understood, but when professionalism and creativity is a must, you need human translators and writers that are genuinely interested in a subject. That is where All-in Translation comes in; with 300+ translators and writers, all experts in their own area of crypto, gaming and esports, scattered all over the globe our services are very easy to access. But it’s not just straightforward translating from one language to another which makes such a huge impact on the companies who choose our services. Our professionals are also able to translate into the language which suits the recipient culture, in simple terms ‘convey’ the meaning of the language, which let’s face it, is no mean feat!”
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Welcome to the pleasuredome… One couple’s journey to navigating an open relationship Words by Giselle Scicluna // Photography by Jacob Sammut
Fetish Party. For those who are safely ensconced on the vanilla side of the sexual spectrum, these two words might conjure terrifying images of sexual deviation, debauchery and predatory behaviour. But what does really go on in a fetish party? And who are the people who take pleasure in pushing boundaries, beyond that which is considered ‘the norm’? Jack* and Jill* are two such people who, notwithstanding their long-term relationship, are on a journey together to continue exploring the realm of their sexuality, wherever this may take them. We get up close and personal with Jack and Jill to better discover what it’s like to be in an open relationship where traditional parameters are resolutely removed. page 84
Launching our interview with the obvious, I ask Jill to describe what is a fetish party. “Basically, a club similar to any other, often with a dancefloor and bars where people can go wearing fetish clothing; leather, latex, bondage, you name it. They usually cater to please as many people as possible, with sections or rooms where they can live out their fantasies or indulge in their imagined lifestyle,” explains Jill. “There’s always a dress code which has to be strictly adhered to. You really have to make an effort, otherwise it’s a no-go,” continues Jack. “Actually, a lot of effort goes into it; beautiful latex clothing, makeup, glitter, bling and just that little bit of darkness for good measure,” Jill says, effusively describing a decadent, sartorial utopia. Jack and Jill have been together for quite some time but were both into fetish prior to their relationship. Both expats, they say that they actually stopped going to fetish parties when they came to Malta, due to the lack of availability of such events on the island. However, over time they have organised a few private parties themselves, which they define as ‘open’; open for different sexualities – bisexual, gay, polyamorous or simply people with alternative lifestyles, simply to recreate the vibe that both have been used to back home. Would they consider opening such a club themselves? “We have thought about it,” says Jill, “but we’ve been warned that this being a very conservative country, it would be quite difficult. People have this mistaken perception that a fetish club is a swingers’ club, which is not always the case.” But is a fetish club a swingers’ club? “Well, sometimes there are rooms available for all sorts of fetishes; people who like to be spanked or tied up but what people don’t realise is that this stuff is not in your face. Most often people just go to dance, have a drink or a conversation just like any other club, but you have to get all dressed up for it,” Jill says with a smile. “It’s also a place where you can be open with your sexuality, however unusual it may be,” Jack says. Jill continues, “It’s ideal because there are a lot of orientations which are minorities on the sexual spectrum and at these parties they can be free to have conversations and share experiences with like-minded people. It’s a safe place where you know for sure that you will not be judged.” On her first experience at a fetish party, Jill says, “One of the most wonderful things about the fetish community is that everyone is respectful, any contact has to be consensual regardless of how
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passion dressed or undressed you are. There are boundaries which are even more restrictive than at normal clubs.” We move onto an even more controversial subject – monogamy. What does it represent to the both of them? “I’d say it works for some people, but definitely not for everybody,” Jack quips, “I think that for us, love and sex can be two very separate things.” Jill continues, “I think it’s a bit more of a complex narrative than just putting up a boundary between a loving relationship and lust. For us, communication is all-important. Because of the nature of our relationship we are forced to communicate all the time, what we want and equally what we don’t want, what is acceptable and what’s not.” So, at no point does the green-eyed monster get a look-in into their relationship. “Honest and constant communication effectively kills all forms of jealousy. I believe that society has forced us all into believing that we can only love another. When I was growing up, no-one prepared me for having feelings for others outside a relationship, no-one said that falling in love with more than one person could happen or that perhaps I actually wanted to have sex with more than one person. The ‘norms’ society has created may not be for everyone,” Jill says. “People have been made to believe that they own each other, but it’s so freeing when you understand that we are all built differently. At some point in any relationship, one of the partners is going to feel attracted to somebody else…the difference is whether to lie about it or not. We were both in other relationships with other people before, with other sets of rules, but this, we found, is what works for us,” Jack says. So, they never felt jealous of one another? “In the beginning of the relationship, until we sorted how we wanted to live, there were some jealous moments but through honest conversation, we are both exactly where we want to be,” Jill says. Despite being in an open relationship, Jack and Jill say that there are still boundaries; doing everything together is important and they would certainly never dream of having sex with someone else behind the other’s back, unless they know about it. “Thing is,” Jill says, “we both get a lot of pleasure in seeing the other enjoying themselves; it’s a fantastic
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combination of lust, fun and a bit of voyeurism which works for us. That said, boundaries can change, and we change them all the time because of course, the safer you feel with your partner, the more you can push those same boundaries further and further,” she laughs heartily. So, monogamy is definitely off the table for Jack and Jill’s relationship? They both agree that it wouldn’t work for them, though Jack adds, “I’m very monogamous when it comes to emotions. When we pick someone, it’s because we are obviously attracted to them, but there is a huge leap between just liking someone and falling in love with them.” However, wouldn’t that be like the emotional equivalent of playing with fire? “Being in love is always a risky business. Jill can still go out to a bar or at the workplace and start having feelings for someone without having had sex with them; so, the risk in a relationship is always there, whatever type of relationship it may be. I believe that trying to restrict people poses a bigger risk to a relationship, because people rebel when they feel they are being controlled,” Jack claims. Both Jack and Jill believe that this open approach enhances their feelings for each other and their relationship, so much so that marriage is soon on the cards. Given their unorthodox attitude towards their love affair, how will marriage figure into it? “We’re very romantic people and there’s nothing as romantic as making our love official,” Jack says with a smile. Looking at him, Jill says, “We are soulmates. We have clicked since the very first night and I knew, there and then, that I always wanted to be with him. I never believed in love at first sight, because I’m not one to fall in love easily, but there you go,” she ends with feeling. As I sit down to write this interview, I think back to Jack and Jill. Two very normal people, perhaps with a different take on sexuality, but whose love and respect for each other is more than obvious, even to a stranger. But even love affairs which are conducted well outside of what is considered ‘the norm’, human emotions are still what drives their very existence. And as humans, we have to accept that we all translate feelings, passions and desires differently… *names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees
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“Our foundation has always been built on quality, transparency and a relentless obsession with providing excellence. Anything less has never been acceptable� Dean Nicholls
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www.igamingelite.com info@igamingelite.com