Inquirer RED: 2017 September

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Adorned Vicki Kim

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EDITOR’S NOTE

CONTENTS

My love affair with jewelry started when I was very young. My grandmother collected tambourines, and from time to time, a jeweler would visit her. Whenever that happened, I would just sit there in awe of things that sparkled.

Today, my sons see me looking at some of the small pieces I have been given. They call them my treasures—and they truly are. That’s what I love about jewelry: their sentimental value. It’s almost the 40th day of my grandmother Helen Orosa del Rosario’s passing, and I find myself always wanting to wear a piece that came from her. Not something exactly like what she had—I’ve had most of her jewelry redone—but still hers, a tangible memory of her love for me and mine for her.

THINKPIECE 4

Why discretion is a rare wonder in these socially turbulent times

DEVOURED 6

Creepy crawlies make their way to Thailand’s fine-dining scene

ATTIRED 12

Chunky heels, statement purses, and versatile travel bags for every day

ACQUIRED 18

Bring your table to life with colorful Portuguese glassware

@riarecommends

ADMIRED 20

Tani by Minetani’s Vicki Kim on family and fine jewelry

BARED 24

Now and then: brands with cult followings

ART 26

New York brings back hand-painted ads

FASHION 29

A visual timeline of Princess Diana’s iconic outfits On the cover: Vicki Kim wears layered rings in white gold and rose gold, and earrings in rose gold from the Romantic Blues Collection and Classic Collection, all from Tani by Minetani.

Photography Joseph Pascual Styling Ria Prieto Makeup Mayesa Delos Santos for Make Up For Ever Hair Cats del Rosario of At East

@riarecommends: We’ve always had each other’s backs, always ready to lend a bejeweled hand. @mikaelamartinez @triciacentenera

Group Publisher Bea J. Ledesma Editor in Chief Ria Prieto Creative Director Nimu Muallam Associate Editor Alyosha J. Robillos Copy Editor September Grace Mahino Editorial Assistant Belle O. Mapa Staff Photographers Patrick Segovia and Nicco Santos Account Executive Liza Jison

FOLLOW US ON

Contributing Writers Bambina Olivares-Wise, Sippachai

Kunnuwong/AFP, Delphine Thouvenot/AFP, Thomas Urbain/AFP, and Clement Boutin/AFP Contributing Photographers Joseph Pascual, Don Emmert/AFP, Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP, and Manoocher Deghati/AFP Contributing Hair and Makeup Cats del Rosario of At East and Mayesa Delos Santos for Make Up For Ever

Inquirer RED Magazine-OFFICIAL

Board Chairperson Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez SVP and Group Sales Head, Inquirer Group of Companies Pepito Olarte AVP, Sales Ma. Katrina Mae Garcia-Dalusong Head of Operations and Business Development Lurisa Villanueva Business and Distribution Manager Rina Lareza Sales Inquiries Email: sales@hip.ph Telephone No: +63 (2) 403 8825 local 239

@inquirerRED

@inquirerred

Want to see the other issues of Inquirer RED Magazine? Check out inquirer.net/red Inquirer RED Magazine is a monthly luxury magazine published by Hinge Inquirer Publications.

RED is available at Fully Booked for free. For subscription inquiries, please contact 0917-5854870 or visit go.hip.ph/subscribe.

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How To Be Discreet Surviving in a society where vulgarity has become currency WORDS BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE ART NIMU MUALLAM

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We live in exceedingly vulgar times. There is a gnawing sense that we are all hurtling toward the end of a civilization that may have been imperfect but still strove for decency. And yet here we all are, feeble spectators to an existential carnage where obscenity has become the new normal—be it in the form of dead bodies strewn along the streets, or white supremacists openly rallying for the return to the good old days of slavery, or presidents gleefully pillaging government funds for their personal benefit, or shameless senators coddling the proverbial big fish who happen to be related to someone powerful, or trolls buoyed by online anonymity pushing fake news and bullying those who oppose their views… the list is endless.

Amidst such vulgarity, there must still be some virtue in being discreet. Yet how does one remain discreet in an era where overexposure is celebrated, where an online presence seems to matter more than real life, where everything, from catastrophic floods to the loss of a 17-year-old son falsely accused by the police of being a drug runner, is treated as a photo op, with the more viral its reach, the better?

We lead such public lives these days, documented and shared on social media sites, that to insist on privacy can be construed as contrived—a cynical public relations move with another filter, just not Valencia.

Nowadays it would appear that there is more to being discreet than logo-less clothing, serious but understated jewelry, and private jets— accoutrements that whisper luxury rather than scream “designer.” Yet the definition of discreet has become most elusive. Perhaps it is easier to

M O C . I T TO N I M

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define what is not discreet rather than what is.

For instance, however dismal the state of one’s marriage may be, is it discreet (never mind wise) to go crying to the president—a man for whom the words “boundaries” and “filter” have no meaning at all—about a financial settlement? By the same token, is it discreet to make a catfight between two extramarital lovers the basis for one congressman to suddenly bring on the heat upon another? Indeed, is it discreet to trumpet the fact that you are having an affair—“Doesn’t everybody have one?”—in a country where many men do have one, but many women have no recourse but to turn a blind eye and live in misery because we don’t have divorce?

Indiscretion does have its advantages, however.

Discretion was valued during more genteel times because it safeguarded secrets, protected hypocrisies, killed scandals before they could surface, and bestowed a veneer of propriety upon society. Think of all the closeted gay actors who portrayed dashing leading men. Or aristocrats who fathered children out of wedlock. Or presidents with insatiable sexual appetites who enjoyed a procession of paramours going in and out of the White House. JFK, is that you?

Many may have lived to regret a moment of indiscretion, but if this one moment managed to bring about an investigation, or change legislation, or encourage greater transparency in personal, business, and government A L I N A M dealings, then perhaps it wasn’t all for naught. Just don’t go around posting .PROC SNOITAVONNI GNIVIL YB on social media, accompanied by #blessed or #grateful or #thankful.

But ,.VA HT5 AIROTCIV TROF 701 DNA 601 STINU FG , Y T I C L A B O L G , O I C A F I N O B T R O F , T EERTS DR32 RENROC do mention your sponsors if you’re being paid to post. There is a discreet SENIPPILIHP ,ALINAM ORTEM ,GIUGAT way of doing so. Just ask Bryanboy.

HP.SNOITAVONNIGNIVIL@OFNI •- 0322 038 236+ .T METSYS GNITAES NAMEERF NGISED INODROD OFLODOR

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MINO

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M A N I L A

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FREEMAN SEATING SYSTEM RODOLFO DORDONI DESIGN

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Fried bamboo caterpillars on a watermelon salad

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DEVOURED

Grub Fest Thai fine-diners explore insect cuisine WORDS SIPPACHAI KUNNUWONG AND DELPHINE THOUVENOT/AFP PHOTOGRAPHY LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP

At a hip Bangkok diner, foodies with an adventurous palate tuck into a bug-based menu that includes a watermelon salad sprinkled with bamboo worms, nachos with silkworm cherry tomato salsa, and pasta made from ground crickets.

Abundant and stacked with protein, insects have long been a favorite snack among Thai farmers. But they have often carried a negative image, perceived as “food for the poor” in a country with profound class divides.

Now, bugs are creeping onto the menu of some of Bangkok’s high-end restaurants as the capital’s gourmands leap on the latest global food trend with a sustainable agenda.

Ratta Bussakornnun, a 27-year-old who works in the cosmetics industry, admitted she was initially skeptical. She sat for a meal recently at Insects in the Backyard, which offers Bangkok’s first insect-themed fine-dining menu.

Many wealthier Thais, she said, think of insects as “unappetizing and

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dirty.” But by the end of her meal she was won over.

“I just ate scallops topped with bamboo worms and a fish fillet with an ant egg sauce. It was delicious,” she beamed, a gentle jazz track playing overhead in the dimly lit restaurant. “The food is well-presented,” she added.

“This gives an impression of sophistication.”

The restaurant is located in Chang Chui, an artsy district in western Bangkok filled with vinyl record stores and local fashion designers.

Feed the world

Co-founder Regan Suzuki Pairojmahakij says insects are more than just a gastronomic trend—they are a potential panacea for an increasingly crowded and meat-hungry world.

The Canadian national used to work in the NGO sector with remote rural communities, many of whom incorporated insects into their cuisine.

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Clockwise from top: Customers seated inside Insects in the Backyard; A classic margarita garnished with flies; Topping a fish fillet with edible winged ants

“I’ve been working in the climate change [and] natural resource management fields for a number of years, and a big part of it has been the search for the sustainable forms of protein, food, and supply chain,” she told AFP. With the world’s population expected to hit 9.8 billion in 2050, many experts remain acutely concerned about how the world will feed itself as well as the environmental damage caused by so much meat being consumed. Insects, she said, require a fraction of the cost and energy needed to farm compared to staples like chicken, pork, and beef.

That is nothing new to many of Thailand’s rural classes. Insect consumption is particularly popular in the rural northern regions, mainly due to its droughtprone climate, which has created a more varied and less fussy local palate. For people in the central part of the country that is fertile all year long, insects are eaten more as a snack, often deep-fried and served with seasoning or spicy sauce.

But persuading the wealthy middle classes of Bangkok, a city of huge disproportionate wealth compared to the rest of the country, is still a challenge.

“No Bangkokian eats insects because it has a social status connotation,” said Massimo Reverberi, an Italian entrepreneur of a small start-up called Bugsolutely. Based in Bangkok and Shanghai, his firm says the not-sowelcoming look of insects remains a major turn-off for many. Instead, he looks for ways to use insects in everyday food items like chips and energy bars.Their current product is a pasta made from cricket flour, which is now sold by a small number of outlets in Japan and New Zealand, but not yet in Thailand.

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Bug eggs

Back in the kitchen of Insects in the Backyard, chef Thitiwat Tantragarn says the most important thing is to get the flavors right. “Giant water bug meat has a similar texture to crab, so that’s why I use it in the ravioli,” he enthused.

Ant eggs are another favorite of his, which he tends to serve with fish. “They have a sour flavor, which helps reduce the fishy taste. We try to make sure the menu has balance and harmony.

“My intention is to change diners’ attitudes. Insects are edible and delicious,” he added. “It’s not disgusting.”

His culinary approach appears to be working.

Ania Bialek, a British teacher living in Thailand, said she had tried fried insects sold by street vendors but wanted to know what a higher end menu would taste like. “I will happily eat them again,” she said at the end of the meal. “But I would need someone else to prepare it for me. I will not be keen on cooking it myself.”

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In the Bag

TUMI’s Voyageur Leather Collection reintroduces classic silhouettes in luxe textures WORDS BELLE O. MAPA PHOTOGRAPHY NICCO SANTOS

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to traveling; one woman’s carry-on could be another’s check-in item. But to the question of style and function, TUMI’s Voyageur Collection, now done in a pebbled leather texture, delivers an assortment of silhouettes and structures.

Well-loved by jet-setting ladies all over the world, TUMI’s iconic Voyageur Collection comes in new black and gray leather renditions for a minimalist and urbane look. The black bags are accentuated with an elegant statement of gold metallic hardware while the gray leather is

L UA N D A F L I G H T B AG

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H A L L E B AC K PAC K

CAROLI NA TOTE

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1 9 D E G R E E P O LY C A R B O N AT E C O N T I N E N TA L C A R R Y- O N

C A P R I L E AT H E R CROSSBODY

C A L A I S B AC K PAC K

paired with silver for a clean, monochromatic look. Each design combines versatility with sophistication. Whether you’re on your way to a business meeting or checking in at the airport, there’s a Voyageur Leather silhouette to fit your must-haves.

Take the Luanda Flight Bag: Designed to be a handy and petite traveling purse, it’s suitable for stashing only the necessities when you’re touring an unfamiliar metropolis. Yet it also works well as a carrier for your onthe-go makeup kit, travel documents, and pocket gadgets.

The Voyageur backpacks come in three styles: the Daniella, the Halle, and the Calais. Each multifunctional style complements your daily commute or trek through the city, easily fitting and protecting your laptop or tablet, your camera and lenses, plus other personal belongings.

Inside features are organized for easy access to your digital essentials, even a change of clothes. Exterior pockets are perfect for stowing items that you might need to find and grab quickly, and if you’re worried about safety, the Daniella backpack has a cellphone pocket in between its shoulder straps.

Then there’s the Carolina tote, which can carry a 13-inch laptop while fitting snuggly over your rolling luggage. Its interiors, with multiple and ergonomic pockets, are roomy enough for long documents, your makeup bag, and your scarf to keep you warm during long flights. Alternatively, the Carolina has the perfect silhouette to stylize your everyday work outfit while containing everything you need for your next meeting.

The Voyageur Leather Collection comes in black and gray and is available at TUMI Greenbelt 5, TUMI Ayala Center Cebu, and The Travel Club Rockwell in Power Plant.

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ATTIRED

Made for Walking Sashay your way through the -ber months with statement purses and chunky heels ART NIMU MUALLAM

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Shoulder bag, Roger Vivier; boots, Dries van Noten; sunglasses, Karen Walker, all from Net-a-porter.com

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Boots, Aquazzura; mules, Gucci; boots, Fabrizio Viti, all from Farfetch.com

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Clockwise from top left: Layered sunglasses, Smoke X Mirrors, Farfetch.com; shoulder bag, ChloĂŠ; cross-body bag, Balenciaga; clutch, Olympia Le Tan, all from Net-a-porter.com

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Clockwise from top left: Sandals, Salvatore Ferragamo; sling-back heels, Chanel; pumps, Coliac; mules, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, all from Farfetch.com

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hp.moc.ocranem Clockwise from top right: Bag, Simon Miller; shoulder bags, Marni, J.W. Anderson, Noº21, all from Farfetch.com

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Help others succeed.

- Menardo R. Jimenez

Menarco Tower’s Elevator Landing Area

To put human needs at the center of everything we do is a key tenet that informs and influences our beliefs and behavior at Menarco.

Today, new blood drives this young real estate company imbued with an old soul. Still with a clear vision and firm resolve to put human needs at the center of everything they do - from their culture, strategies, partnerships, all the way down to the smallest design detail on Menarco Tower. A decision handsomely rewarded by the numerous global awards conferred upon this boutique office development that has proven it is in a league of its own.

- Carmen Jimenez-Ong

32nd Street, BGC, Philippines menarco.com.ph

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The LEEDÂŽ Certification trademark is owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission. International WELL BuildingTM and the related logo are trademarks used with permission from the International WELL Building InstituteTM.

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Living in Full Color Pull up a seat at a table made more vibrant with Vidro glassware WORDS BELLE O. MAPA PHOTOGRAPHY NICCO SANTOS

The glint of candlelight on the contours of a wine goblet reflects a life lived colorfully, especially during meals where the pouring of drinks and the serving of dishes signal the start of a communal ritual. When people share a meal and a table, they become even closer. Conversations become more vibrant after a toast, with the glasses, flutes, jugs, and tumblers creating a kaleidoscope of colors on the table.

Vidro’s glassware brings a vivid character and personality to every table setting, as there’s a silhouette, a style, and a color suited to every gathering’s mood and spirit. The local brand imports glassware directly from Portugal, and all their pieces are hand-cut and hand-blown by artisans who use historical Portuguese molds. There is, however, a contemporary twist to this tradition: the stark pigments and a modernized palette.

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People often gather whenever there’s a cause for celebration: to toast to one’s health, to reunite with someone returning from overseas, to commemorate the passing of a significant chapter in one’s life. But at times, coming together is as simple as enjoying the comforting presence of family and the best of friends. Regardless of the company or occasion, there’s always room on the table for a pop of color.

Vidro Glassware vidro.com.ph; Instagram and Facebook @vidroglassware

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ADMIRED

A Taste for Opulence For Vicki Kim of Tani by Minetani, fine jewelry is both a passion and a family tradition WORDS BELLE O. MAPA PHOTOGRAPHY JOSEPH PASCUAL

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Vicki Kim arrives at the studio for her RED shoot on the dot, dressed in a crisp white blouse and tapered slacks. There are two bands on her ring finger, and discreetly sparkling on her earlobes are diamond earrings. The subtly decadent display doesn’t end there: from a bag, she takes out a selection of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings, all from Tani by Minetani, the Swarovski line of her family’s fine jewelry business based in Korea. She lays out the trinkets on a white table, where it’s easier to observe the reflection of the overhead lights on each bevel of every diamond.

Often, all that glint and sparkle can overpower a look. But as Kim has shown, there’s an art to wearing these pieces, each of which has been meticulously hand-crafted into a one-of-a-kind statement.

From the display, she chooses a gold bangle inlaid with diamond studs and slips it onto her wrist. It’s an act that is obviously second nature to her, being born and raised in Korea by a jewelry designer and collector.

Minetani is run by this two-generational team: Vicki, who helps with the creative direction and public relations outside Korea, her sister Sunny, the main designer who is currently leading the company, and their mother Grace Ahn, the brand’s founder and first designer.

Running a fine jewelry business with her family was obviously a major

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factor in cultivating Kim’s taste and style. Yet while she lives by the “less is more” principle, every now and then she experiments with different sizes such as large earrings and big necklaces, but still with classic designs.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

When she sits down to talk about the family business, Kim is graceful and composed, her answers thoughtful and precise. She recalls a clip brooch decorated with jade and onyx from her mother’s collection, and the Art Deco piece perfectly contrasts with her personal aesthetic, which leans more on simple and clean lines. She also draws her favorite gem shape, an emerald-cut diamond; her engagement ring is of the same cut, and despite being an antique piece from the ’20s, it feels modern.

“I grew up around jewelry,” Vicki affirms. She says it’s a rarity for her these days to find women—even men—who don’t like jewelry. Perhaps for people like her, all that glitters is gold. Looking at her mother’s jewelry collection alone puts Vicki in high spirits. “As my mom says, her favorite thing to do is to sit there, look at all her stones, and just design. Just draw.

She’s really the most artistic out of the three of us.”

Grace Ahn, a designer and an avid collector of fine jewelry, began

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HAIR CATS DEL ROSARIO

Left: Vicki Kim plays around with proportions by mismatching a slim gold bangle and large diamond clip earrings.

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STYLING RIA PRIETO MAKEUP MAYESA DELOS SANTOS FOR MAKE UP FOR EVER

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Minetani over 20 years ago when she found herself wanting to see more unique designs in the Korean fine jewelry market. The brand launched in 1996, immediately filling a void in the industry with its luxurious and elegant collections made specifically to complement haute couture. The brand is her namesake, a fusion of two words: “Mi” from the designer’s Korean name Young Mee Ahn and “tani” from an ancient Korean word meaning “ornaments.”

Then in 2009, Tani by Minetani emerged from a collaboration with Swarovski. Sunny Kim headed this new line, as by then, Vicki had already relocated to the Philippines. For the collaboration, crystals are fused with trendy metal finishes to create elaborately chic yet wearable fine jewelry. Each stone is carefully selected, each piece cut and fashioned to highlight a gem’s beauty, shape, and essence.

With all that precision, nothing is too over the top or underwhelming. The Tani by Minetani woman embodies timelessness, with just the right amount of glitz and glam. She reinvents the status quo by sporting pieces that adapt to current trends without going out of style, and she manifests the wearable luxury of fine jewelry.

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Trend meets tradition in Kim’s layering of Swarovski crystal necklaces from Tani

by Minetani’s Great Expectations Collection and Classic Collection

The comeback collection

The family’s love for fashion is the brand’s primary source of inspiration, but for Kim, art and travel are also creative wells. “Travel inspires me to get outside my normal comfort zone and push my boundaries,” she says. “It allows me to see new designs, new colors, new artists. I am always thrilled to meet inspirational designers from all over the world.” Based in the Philippines for over eight years now, she represents Minetani at meetings outside Korea, overseeing everything from creative direction to trunk shows.

“I used to design a little when I was younger,” she says, adding that she is working on an upcoming collection. “That [would be] sort of my comeback, I

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guess. My sister and I want it to be an ode to our mom. We went through all of her archives and [selected] her iconic designs, but we’re trying to make them a bit younger, a bit more wearable.”

The two sisters frequently turn to their mother not just for inspiration but also for approval of their designs and artistic direction. Not surprisingly, Grace Ahn is her daughters’ toughest critic and boss. But much like the precious gems that the family works with, only the best kind of pressure can make astounding results. As Vicki quips, “What’s not to love about [making] jewelry and hanging out with your mom and sister?”

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A Legacy of Luxury Celebrating Rustan’s 65 years of bringing inspiring stories and well-loved labels closer to home

Like many homegrown names, Rustan’s began with the

Filipino at its core, stemming from an unshakable devotion to family and kin.

Bienvenido Tantoco, Sr. and Gliceria Rustia-Tantoco displayed in their living room trinkets and treasures they

found throughout their travels. From there, they realized a new dream: to create a place where more people could access

this kind of luxury, and this materialized as a humble space in the midst of Manila along San Marcelino Street.

Today, Rustan’s is a prized Filipino brand that speaks of timeless luxury and has become synonymous with a high

quality lifestyle. As strong as its 65-year-old legacy are the colorful stories of the brands Rustan’s carries—proof that a thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Diptyque

Diptyque began in 1961 at 34 Boulevard Saint Germain, where friends Christiane Gautrot, Desmond Knox-Leet, and Yves Coueslant started creating scented candles. Inside the bottle, named after the now-famous address, a candlewick salutes Diptyque’s first venture into the art of aromatics. Each

note pays homage to the House’s fragrances. The overall scent paints a picture of a once-little Parisian boutique.

CHANEL Nº5

In 1920, master perfumer Ernest Beaux prepared 10 scents for Coco Chanel’s inspection, from which she chose the fifth

vial. Combining Lady Chanel’s lucky number and her love for Belle Époque gold, the perfume captures a woman’s essence

and mysterious allure with just the right touch of masculinity and sensuality. The iconic bottle and top-secret elixir have

been celebrated by artists of fame: Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, and Vladimir Nabokov, to name a few.

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Clarins

In 1957, Parisian medical student Jacques Courtin-Clarins

began using plants as key ingredients for skincare products. His

sons cemented the family legacy by merging groundbreaking

science with an ardent respect for nature and women’s beauty.

In 1985, Clarins launched the Double Serum, a two-in-one

elixir enriched with botanical extracts meant to target the skin’s

five vital functions. Today, Clarins continues to improve its products through scientific study, while remaining mindful of the inextricable link between beauty and happiness.

L’Occitane en Provence

In 1976, at an old soap factory in Manosque, 23-year-old Olivier

Baussan revived the art of traditional Marseille soap-making.

L’Occitane pays homage to its roots through its French countryinspired packaging and design. Majority of the brand’s products are also either sourced from Provence or made using traditional

production methods. It’s this commitment to quality, fair trade, and history that has made L’Occitane a staple for many women around the world.

Don’t forget your Rustan’s Beauty Addict card when you treat

yourself to these treasures. Earn points to redeem premium rewards including best-selling items and spa services, receive

special discounts and GWPs, and get a chance to win exclusive raffle promotions to luxury destinations. Membership is

complimentary to any customer with a minimum single receipt purchase of P2,500 from Rustan's The Beauty Source.

To learn more, visit rustans-thebeautysource.com and @rustansthebeautysource on Facebook and Instragram.

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26 ART

Kickin' It Old School New York goes back in time with revival of hand-painted ads WORDS THOMAS URBAIN/AFP PHOTOGRAPHY DON EMMERT/AFP

Colossal Media specializes in hand-painted ads in New York, bringing a relic back to life in the City That Never Sleeps

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Once outdated relics in a digital world, painted advertisements are flourishing once again in New York, putting a dose of hip attitude into 21st century commercial art in the city that never sleeps.

Toiling under the blazing sun of a heat wave, Justin Odaffer puts the finishing touches to a Ray-Ban ad he has spent several days painting on the facade of an East Village building in downtown Manhattan.

For the past seven years, Odaffer—who has a degree in fine art—has painted ads on walls in New York, Los Angeles, and

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Chicago for Colossal Media, which has risen from nowhere to become the leader in painted advertising.

“Basically, we created a revival,” says Odaffer. Without the company he works for, he believes painted ads would be hanging “by a very thin thread.”

But setting up the company in 2004 was a leap of faith, admits Paul Lindahl, co-founder of Colossal, which is based in Brooklyn’s hipster hub of Williamsburg.

“Technology was taking over and there was really no need for hand painting at the time. Nobody cared,” says Lindahl, who comes from a family of Hungarian immigrants.

“It was expensive. It was slow,” he concedes. “I didn’t know if there was a future in it at that point. I just knew that I loved it.”

Thirteen years later, his company has 70 employees, paints 450 to 500 murals a year in major US cities, and is eyeing sales of $24 million in 2017.

Even though painted ads take longer and cost more, they offer advertisers a unique opportunity to set themselves apart.

Seeing painters in action can generate buzz on street corners.

“People are astonished,” says Odaffer. “That’s why this company has done so well. It’s because people can actually watch the process.”

But is it art?

That buzz carries over onto social media, fueled by photographs and videos that enhance brand visibility and advertising, says Lindahl.

“That brings value to what we do. What we realized along the way is yes, this thing takes longer than a digital ad or print ad, but that’s part of the benefit. It’s performance art. People stop and they wonder and they’re intrigued.”

Chris Cockerill, general manager of the New York office for Lamar Advertising, one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the world, agrees—even if the growth still accounts for a fraction of the overall market.

“We’re seeing more around the city. It’s a unique product that advertisers are asking for now. In the past, it’s been something a little more difficult to sell,” he says; Lamar does not work with Colossal.

Lindahl attributes the growth to multiple factors: luck, timing, the “doit-yourself ” trend, and the enduring popularity of street art.

Colossal secures its own walls and real estate, which means it can sell a package to advertisers with space and the painted ad without having to depend on another advertising company.

But are commercial ads really art? Odaffer says definitely.

“It’s still the same process as other street art,” he said, adding that many of the painters started out in some form of street art.

“I see nothing wrong with it,” says graffiti artist BG 183, a member of the oldest New York graffiti collective that is still active, Tats Cru. “The quality of the painting has improved a lot,” says Cockerill. “It stands out better than it has in the past. It makes [advertisers] feel like it’s

• more of a hip-looking kind of ad.”

Expert painter Liam Williams paints an ad on the side of Colossal Media’s office building.

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Princess Diana of Wales visits the Great Pyramid of Giza, 15 kms from Cairo, May 12, 1992. The princess was on a six-day tour.

Princess Diana revolutionized the royal dress code with the help of some of the world’s greatest designers during a glamorous life that came to a tragic end 20 years ago.

“Diana has become a fashion icon in the same way as Jackie Kennedy or Audrey Hepburn: timeless, elegant, and still so relevant,” said Eleri Lynn, curator of Diana: Her Fashion Story, an exhibition at her Kensington Palace home in London.

Nicknamed “Shy Di” ahead of her 1981 marriage to Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, Diana came out of her shell and realized how her clothes could be used as a powerful communication tool.

“The princess learned to make her wardrobe say what she could not, and worked closely with designers like Catherine Walker to curate her personality through clothes,” Sophie Goodwin, fashion director of Tatler magazine, told The New York Times newspaper in February.

Diana mastered the art of wearing the right dress for the right occasion. She wore bright clothes when visiting hospices, in order to appear

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FASHION

Dynasty Di The fashionista who shook up the royal dress code WORDS CLEMENT BOUTIN/AFP PHOTOS MANOOCHER DEGHATI/AFP

warm and accessible. On foreign visits, she would choose clothes inspired by the national colors, such as the white dress with red spots she wore on the trip to Japan in 1986.

“She chose not to wear gloves because she liked to make contact with the people she was meeting,” said Lynn.

Pictures of the princess shaking hands with AIDS patients in 1987 helped break down myths surrounding the disease, including the unfounded fear of being able to catch it through touching sufferers.

The most photographed woman of the age, Diana understood the rules of royal dressing but was not afraid to twist them.

She breached royal protocol by wearing a black ball gown, a color worn formally by royal women only during mourning.

Her outfits included androgynous gear, such as a tuxedo and a bow tie. “That’s quite the bold, fun look that you don’t necessarily expect of a princess,” said Lynn.

She said Diana was the first woman in the royal family to wear trousers to an evening event.

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Daring outfits

She also helped modernize the royal wardrobe, with outfits that made a lasting impression.

The midnight blue Victor Edelstein velvet evening gown she wore for a dinner at the White House in 1985 is one of her most famous.

It was in this dress that the princess danced with actor John Travolta, to the hit You Should Be Dancing from the film Saturday Night Fever in which he starred.

Nicknamed the Travolta dress, it even has its own Wikipedia page and sold for £240,000 ($318,000 or €268,000) at an auction in 2013.

After her divorce from Charles in 1996, Diana switched up her style once again, abandoning the British designers she had relied upon in favor of international fashion houses such as Dior, Lacroix, or Chanel.

Diana ditched the frills, taffeta, and giant ball gowns and adopted more

daring outfits, like the figure-hugging sky blue Jacques Azagury dress that went as far above the knee, as high as the designer felt he could go at the time with a princess.

“For so many years, the princess of Wales was the world’s one and only fashion obsession, and the forerunner of modern glamor as we know it. She had to make it all up for herself,” wrote Sarah Mower in the Daily Mail newspaper.

Diana’s look was widely copied and still inspires catwalks and designers to this day.

The online clothing site ASOS launched a Diana-inspired collection in October 2016, playing on her off-duty look.

Her style even has a presence in the social media age.

An Instagram account called Princess Diana Forever, which has over 170,000 followers, posts a daily picture of her in various outfits, bringing her to a new generation.

•

Royal Dressing

A timeline of iconic ensembles worn by the People’s Princess

1981

1997

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1981

1995

1982

1994

1992

1983

1990

1985

1987

1986

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