HOT BRANDS COOL PLACES New Year New Beginnings FASHION CULTURE LIFESTYLE
JANUARY 2011
EDITOR’S LETTER Happy New Year everyone! This issue is about New Year, New Beginnings; and we are delighted to have two inspiring interviews with Dawn Foxall, the Brand Director of Liv and John Bevan, Managing Director of Voyage Privé UK. We also include a review of the utterly charming Halcyon River Diaries DVD, and the delicious Gennaro’s Easy Italian by Gennaro Contaldo, and if you want 2011 to be the year you start doing things differently, we have some ideas to help you in our featured article; New Year, New Beginnings. http://www.hotbrandscoolplaces.com/ Picture Credits: Front cover image courtesy of Voyage Privé - www.voyageprive.com Images throughout the magazine supplied by the various companies, or publishers featured.
Please Note All information about products and services are supplied to us by the individual organizations, or agencies acting on their behalf. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, it may be subject to change. Please check with individual organizations for the latest information about all events, products, or news items.Inclusion in this feature does not imply endorsement by Hot Brands Cool Places. Hot Brands Cool Places does not accept responsibility for the content of any external site.
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Voyage Privé Voyage Privé takes off - Online travel club launches offering discounted four and five-star holidays. Voyage Privé has launched in the UK offering its members exclusive discounts of up to 70 per cent on a range of luxury holidays through ‘flash sales’. www.voyage-prive.co.uk/membres/inscription/hotbrandscoolplacesvoyageprive.com
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Hot Brands Cool Places spoke with John Bevan, Managing Director of Voyage PrivĂŠ UK for an exlusive interview.
The Perfect Escape INTERVIEW
1. Tell us a little about the history of Voyage Privé. Voyage Privé was founded in France in 2006 by four travel industry professionals. They pioneered the flash sale concept as a means of selling travel products. The company has since expanded into Spain in 2008, Italy and the UK in 2009 and the USA in 2010. 2. Not everyone understands how the Voyage Privé concept works, what are the benefits? Voyage Privé is a members-only online travel club offering exclusive discounts of up to 70 per cent on a range of luxury holidays. Voyage Privé’s team negotiates exclusive deals with quality tour operators and four and fivestar hotels, making these available to members through ‘flash sales’. Each flash sale lasts for five days. Whilst offers are only on sale for 5 days, holiday travel dates may extend up to nine months ahead. Voyage Privé cuts through the clutter to provide its members with the best deals on top quality holidays. Offers are designed to inspire members and include everything from boutique city breaks to beach holidays, ski holidays to cruises. 3. What have been some of the best deals that you offered during 2010? The Glasshouse, Edinburgh A 5* boutique hotel in Edinburgh where members saved up to 70%. Sheraton Prague Located in Charles Square, members saved up to 70% at the 5* Sheraton Prague. Royal Blue, Crete A favourite with Voyage Privé members, where a beach holiday last summer was available with savings up to 67% Jewel Dunns River Resort, Jamaica Voyage Privé recently offered members a drop of tropical sunshine in Ocho Rios this winter with savings up to 62%
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4. How do you see the brand developing? We’re aiming to make Voyage Privé the UK’s leading travel club. We have access to some truly amazing hotels and holidays at market-beating prices and want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take advantage of them. 5. Given all the choices available, what makes a perfect holiday for you? We go on holidays for many different reasons, such as being with one’s family, relaxing from the pressures of work, to discover a new country and its culture. For me it has to be the service and quality of the hotel. If they look after my family well and we can all relax and enjoy the resort and discover what the region has to offer, then the holiday is very likely to be a success. 6. What are your ambitions for 2011? Our ambitions for 2011 are to take the business to the next level. 2010 has been all about testing the model and creating a base. Our member clearly love the model, so we can now really push on and grow the business significantly in 2011 and keep delighting our members with wonderfully different and inspiring exclusive holiday ideas. Thank you so much for taking part in this interview. Information about Voyage Privé Online travel club launches offering discounted four and five-star holidays. Voyage Privé has launched in the UK offering its members exclusive discounts of up to 70 per cent on a range of luxury holidays through ‘flash sales’. Free to join, it offers a selection of handpicked holidays each week ranging from boutique city breaks to beach holidays, quality villa holidays to ski. A flash sale simply offers a significant discount for a short period of time, in this case five days. Membership of Voyage Privé is free, but you need to be referred by an existing member. Then you can invite like-minded friends to join and enjoy the amazing holidays on offer each week.
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FOUND FOUND Home Store is an eclectic collection of traditional and contemporary items for the home. Visit our shop from the comfort of your own home at www.foundhomestore.co.uk and browse our fabulous array of furniture, lighting, wall decoration, mirrors, glass and tableware, linens, soft furnishings, accessories and gifts www.foundhomestore.co.uk
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OSKIA More than just a natural brand, OSKIA had developed a new approach to achieving a healthy, glowing complexion - nutritional skincare. OSKIA’s luxurious products and supplements supply the skin with a comprehensive diet of essential nutrients to boost cell health and efficiency, while pioneering beauty actives provide advanced, targeted anti-ageing solutions. www.oskiaskincare.com/
Gielly Green Gielly Green is a boutique hair and beauty salon tucked away in the heart of London’s busy Marylebone. This indulgent sanctuary offers not only the latest hair and beauty treatments, but also their own natural product range which encorporates a trio of ancient oils and minerals from the Dead Sea. shop.giellygreen.com 020 7034 3060
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TenPilates TenPilates (www.tenpilates.com) the leaders in Dynamic Pilates, has come up with the ultimate fitness package to help get you back into shape and looking amazing for 2011. The ‘Me Me Me’ package is designed to provide a complete fitness experience combining Physio and a full body MOT, personal training, Dynamic Pilates classes and a rewarding massage. The TenPilates team ensure that they’re with you every step of the way on the journey to the new improved YOU!
Unlisted London Unlisted London is the capital’s best shared secret. Delivering spa, fitness, wellbeing and beauty treatments directly to your door, as well as providing interior design, styling and relocation services, Unlisted London brings a luxury lifestyle to the London home. www.unlistedlondon.com
Hot Brands Cool Places talked with Dawn Foxall, Liv Brand Director for an exclusive interview
INTERVIEW 1. Where did you get the inspiration for the name Liv? How is the name translated into your brand? We were looking for a name or word that would describe what the brand was about and found LIV which is derived from old Norse word hlif meaning Protection and the modern Scandinavian word meaning ’Life’. Liv was born out of a passionate desire to create beautiful ethical and sustainable products that we could use in our everyday life. 2. We love your latest range of knitwear, what makes it special for you? The knitwear range began in a small way when I was introduced to a knitwear factory in Delhi that wanted to produce beautiful quality garments both ethically (they are Fairtrade certified) and using organic yarns. As a trained knitwear designer it was a fantastic opportunity to use my skills as a designer and work with a team of people with the same enthusiasm for knitwear design, for high quality and for developing a sustainable ethical business. The range was the first in the UK to be both Fairtrade and organic certified and demonstrates you do not have to compromise on quality, comfort, fit or styling to be sustainable! 3. What are some of the most interesting parts of your job? Everything about my job is interesting and I know I am extremely lucky to have found a company that has the same ethos as me and a desire to develop a better way of doing business through meeting peoples needs where they are at. I always wanted to travel which I have to do a lot of and love working with people also struggling to achieve similar desires. To be creating new ethically produced products and living through the struggle to bring them into being and getting them into the country and to the end customer – and then getting the fabulous responses back from those customers which means we are getting it right:-) Some of my most interesting, rewarding and memorable moments have been when I visit the 2 charitable projects Liv has helped to support, those being the BBA in Delhi (www.bba.org. in), an organization which identifies, liberates, rehabilitates and educates children forced into child labour; and Ladli in Jaipur (www.ladli.org) which is a project of the I-India initiative which provides homes, street schools, vocational training and a crisis help line to the most needy street children of Jaipur.
4. How do you see the Liv brand developing during 2011? We have worked so hard to get the products right and continually monitor the transparency of the supply chain which has meant slow growth of the brand until now. The knitwear collection has been a break through to finding the right hero products to attract the customer we want and give the brand the credit and respect it deserves. It has enabled customers to see and want our other ranges - homeware, babywear etc and encouraged us to further develop these ranges. It has ultimately given us the confidence we needed to continue in our endeavours to pursue our vision. So 2011 will see 2 new collections of knitwear from India, development of Biodynamic cotton bed linen and towels from Egypt and the beginnings of a small collection of wovens made in the UK for AW11. 5. What are you most proud of achieving during 2010? The knitwear collection has been the most exciting and rewarding achievement as it has been so successful in being acknowledged so positively by both customers and media and opened the doors for Liv to really flourish and progress to the next level. 6. You pursue a number of different interests, how do you find time for relaxation? There is always room for down time even when travelling for work! We have a couple of favourite hotels we try and find an excuse to stay at for a night and enjoy the spa treatments etc and I am a huge yoga fan so always make sure I find time to practise if not on a regular basis. I also love hiking and have a group of friends who are also keen so make time for this. Thank you so much for taking part in this interview. Information about Liv: Liv is the luxurious lifestyle brand brought to you by Elysia, the distributors behind Dr. Hauschka. Ecologically and socially sustainable, Liv has created a beautiful and classic range of products for both home and wardrobe that are 100% fair-trade and organic and that meet people’s lifestyle needs with integrity, quality and style. Liv’s aim is to give conscious consumers, seeking better products that are positive for the world, something to celebrate. Liv’s range of beautiful products include the FIRST 100% fairly traded and organic luxury knitwear ‘collection’ in the UK, sourced and manufactured in India, stylish, beautiful bed linen made from 220 thread count organic and Fairtrade certified cotton; luxurious towels, bath mats and robes; wardrobe essentials such as underwear, jersey tops, pajamas, socks in new designs and made from skin kind cotton as well as the most beautiful baby clothing collection made from the softest baby alpaca wool. www.liv-uk.com
FEATURE
New Year - New Beginnings!
This is the time of year when many of us start thinking about doing things differently. But it is equally one of the hardest times of the year to keep that resolution going; the reason is we often set unreasonably high targets when we decide to give something up, or resolve to take up a regular fitness regime. More than anything the reason that we fail, is that we lack the ongoing motivation to do it, or the challenge is too great, or just too hard. The secret to success is to make it small, bite-size and achievable, and to recognise success when you have achieved it.
Different ways of getting fit For example, if you want to start keeping fit, list all the different ways that you enjoy exercising, and explore options, for many of us, just starting to walk on a regular basis, can increase our fitness. But we can do it with others, at the weekend, or just taking the opportunity to get up from our desks and walk at lunch-time, on those days, think about your footwear and come to work prepared for the extra exercise. Swimming is both healthy and relaxing, more and more hotels have leisure facilities that you can use, which may be geographically more convenient. If you do want to start going to the gym, it’s important to go and have a proper introduction to everything that is on offer. Health and Fitness Clubs often have much more on available than just the equipment. If you are looking for a different form of exercise, you might want to look for a dance class, Strictly Come Dancing may have finished on the television, but there will be lots of classes locally where you can learn new skills. There is also a new form of dance fitness, called Zumba® which is an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ and here at Hot Brands Cool Places we absolutely love it! We tried the kit at home, which was our Editor’s choice and now we do the classes. Throughout this issue there are examples of other organizations who can help you to get fit, or pamper yourself. Take time just for you Many of us lack the opportunity to really relax, and pamper ourselves; the different roles that we have in our lives, often mean that we finish work only to take on more tasks in our home lives.
We talk about the importance of work/life balance, but few of us really achieve it. Slumping in front of the television may feel like relaxing, but it may not deliver the deep relaxation that we need to revitalize us. Booking time each week, or month for a pamper session may seem like indulgence, but can be vital to keep us energized and feeling good. If like us, you burn the candle at both ends, resolving to get more sleep can be vital for your ongoing health, setting a pattern for sleeping and sticking to it is more beneficial than a lie-in at the weekend. It also means that you have more time for enjoying activities at the weekend. Do something different Doing something completely different can also help, every month in our magazine we feature inspiring stories of people who have taken the plunge and set up their own business. As with every new venture there are always risks, but with careful planning, passion and the right support, amazing results can be achieved. It won’t necessarily be an easier life, working for yourself brings its own set of challenges, but it can bring you the satisfaction of knowing you are more in control of your own destiny. While you are waiting for your great idea, start to make use of a daily journal, the smaller the better so you can have it with you all the time to jot down creative thoughts. Take control For some of us it may be a desire to gain more control over our finances, clear the clutter that surrounds us, or start a new hobby. We know we want to do it, but other more pressing demands get in the way. When it is something that involves effort, like the ironing, or filing, or planning a budget, we often keep putting it off and then it becomes a much bigger task. If this is the case set yourself a small target that is easy to achieve, set aside 30 minutes, and just get started; at the end of 30 minutes, stop and review what you have achieved. Give yourself the option of continuing, or doing another 30 minutes later in the week, and the next week until the task is completed. As mentioned above, if you do complete a particularly onerous task, reward yourself, not necessarily with chocolate! Instead think of something enjoyable that you would really like to do. Building in enjoyable activities in the week makes dealing with the less enjoyable tasks more attractive.
Accept help from others We are encouraged to delegate at work, but how many of us delegate at home? So often we carry on doing a chore simply because the effort of getting someone else to do it outweighs the benefits of not doing it ourselves. However, there are many ways of delegating; children, partners, housemates can all share the responsibility. Alternatively if you can afford it, certain chores can be outsourced, which frees you up to be more productive in the time you do have. Getting started One way to start looking at your life in a new way is to print off a calendar and write in all the fixed activities in your week, this may be work-related, or home and family commitments, and then identify what is left free. Try and look objectively and creatively at your week. Really analyze the reality of what you think you should be doing, or other people’s expectations of you, and try and identify pockets of time, however small, which you can start to use as ‘me time’. Get into the habit of saying ‘No’ nicely, but firmly to other people’s demands, particularly if they are unreasonable. Start saying, “ I am not available then, but what about….’ and setting a time that is more convenient for you. If you need to protect yourself at work, try and build in more time between meetings, allow yourself reasonable travelling time, build in meetings just with yourself to allow you time to think, plan and be more effective. If you arrive early for meetings use that time to plan you own projects, even daydream! Businesses often waste hours in non-productive meetings, waiting for people to arrive, or allowing meetings to over-run on trivia, be the person who leaves on time, but has used every hour productively. Every year we hear about people who have achieved something special, who are an inspiration to others, why not let 2011, be your year. Over the next few days start thinking about what you would like to achieve this year, imagine it is January 1st 2012, what would you like to be saying about yourself. During 2011 I…….. We wish you every success, and do let us know what you achieved during 2011!
Rhodes to Heaven At Rhodes to Heaven we are very passionate about our products, our skincare products are designed to meet the needs of your skin with gentle cleansing, nourishment and moisturisation using only the best natural ingredients. So luxuriate, cleanse and pamper yourself with our high quality no-nonsense products, delicious and luxurious gifts for ALL occasions. www.rhodestoheaven.com
REVIEW HALCYON RIVER DIARIES Synopsis: Following the phenomenal success on BBC One in 2010 and the eagerly awaited Christmas Special, Halcyon River Diaries, is now available to own on BBC DVD for the first time from 17th January 2011. Halcyon River Diaries is like no other series on the television, on the face of it, a charming portrait of life by a typical English river told by award-winning wildlife cameraman Charlie Hamilton James and his wife, TV presenter and conservationist, Philippa Forrester. But in reality, thanks to the challenges of filming with their three young sons, is an hilarious mix of wildlife and family life. With much of the humour coming from the unpredictable and chaotic nature of family life, each episode is appropriately narrated by comedian and ‘Outnumbered’ actor Hugh Dennis. The series, which regularly attracted four million viewers, was filmed and produced by Charlie (whose camera credits include David Attenborough’s Life of Mammals, Big Cat Diary, Wildlife on One and Autumn Watch) and Philippa (presenter of Tomorrow’s World, Robot Wars and Crufts). Together they have also made the RTS winning and BAFTA nominated, ‘Voices of the Valley’, Emmy nominated Victoria Falls and multi award winning ‘My Halcyon River’, the original inspiration for Halcyon River Diaries. Its subject is the stuff of The Wind in the Willows: the call, that captures the imagination of audiences everywhere, of the river. As children many of us, like Mole, found that call irresistible and spent happy hours messing about by the water - catching tiddlers, swinging on ropes or filling our boots with water. But what is really there to discover, when you combine the technology and techniques of a wildlife cameraman with a woman who is passionate about conservation? Along the way the family make discoveries brand new to science such as whether otters really can smell under water and just how many times a dragonfly’s wings flap in a second. They capture footage which has never been seen before which proves just how exciting and dramatic life on our British rivers really is.
From beautifully shot sequences of kingfishers battling in the mating season, to tracking otters at night with five year old Gus, Halcyon River Diaries is everything you have come to expect from BBC Natural History with so much more. Filmed over 12 months, the series features other challenges that many of us can relate to, like trying to encourage children away from the TV and computer games, and the trials and tribulations of family outings, as Charlie and Philippa try to discover with their robust and noisy three boys, the shy and secretive wildlife that surrounds them! The result is an hilarious wildlife documentary series made by a family, and loved by other families. Coming to DVD for the first time in January 2011, Halcyon River Diaries is a two-disc DVD featuring all 4 x 60 minute episodes and packed with extras including riotous outtakes, a photo gallery and the delightful 9 minute film Watching the Wild: Otters which was filmed for BBC 2 by Charlie Hamilton James and his son Fred on the Isle of Skye. PRODUCT INFORMATION DVD RELEASE DATE:
17th January 2011
PRICE:
£20.42
CAT NUMBER:
BBCDVD3401
DVD EXTRAS:
Outtakes, photo gallery, film ‘Watching the Wild: Otters’
http://www.bbcshop.com/science+nature/halcyon-river-diaries-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3401/ Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict Halcyon River Diaries is a fascinating account of life in and around a river, but interlaced with an ongoing account of family life, and it is this combination which makes it so utterly charming. The way the children are encouraged to join in the discoveries is magical and a joy to watch. This is a very special intimate look at nature, filmed beautifully with the most natural family commentary, This is a truly delightful DVD, with exquisite imagery, both inspiring and educational, we loved it! Highly Recommended!
Technogym Technogym introduces its latest piece of revolutionary fitness equipment: Crossover. This innovative equipment provides a total body workout through lower body lateral training together with upper body movement. It works in three planes of movement with a gliding motion similar to ice-skating making Crossover ideal for winter sports preparation (such as skiing) where toned legs, improved balance and strong core are key to performance and enjoyment. www.technogym.com / 0800 316 2496
REVIEW Gennaro’s Easy Italian by Gennaro Contaldo Synopsis ‘Yet another genius cookbook from the don of Italian cooking’ Jamie Oliver Our favourite Italian chef returns with his most accessible cookery book yet. GENNARO’S EASY ITALIAN includes over 100 straightforward recipes that can be cooked by anyone in less than 45 minutes. Including everyday staples, creative uses of leftovers and fantastic tasty dishes and treats for children, the recipes are also perfect for easy entertaining. The book includes classics such as Tomato Sauce and Minestrone, to more unusual dishes such as Strawberry Risotto, and not forgetting the delights of Lemon and Almond Cake, Biscotti and Amaretto Ice Cream. Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict If you cannot travel to Italy this year Gennaro’s Easy Italian brings Italy to you. Packed full with wonderful recipes for Antipasti, Soups, Pasta, Main courses, Vegetables and salads, Sauces, Desserts, Cakes, Biscuits and Leftovers and also with a special section for children, this is a perfect addition to any kitchen. We loved the Bruschette saporite/Roast tomato bruschetta with capers, the Patate al forno con alloro e rosmarino/ Roast Potatoes with bay leaves and rosemary, the Dolce d’amalfi/ Lemon and almond cake, the Tiramisu al limone/ Lemon Tiramisu pudding and so much more. This book is a triumph, the recipes are simple, wholesome and delicious, with a heart-warming commentary about the traditions in Italian cooking and delightful family photographs from Gennaro. We loved it! Highly Recommended! www.amazon.co.uk
Quintessentially Travel is a bespoke luxury tour operator which creates tailor-made itineraries to the globe’s most glamourous, sought after and remotedestinations, providing access to the most elegant and elite hotels, whilst offering value-for-money travel experiences with a service and benefits package unrivalled in the luxury travel market. Whether you are travelling for business or leisure, Quintessentially Travel will cater to all personal requirements and types of holidays. When a holiday is booked with us we don’t just provide a travel service but also the Quintessentially service and its vast knowledge and access into the global luxury lifestyle market, making us your passport to the very best that life has to offer. To experience an unforgettable tailor-made holiday contact travel@quintessentially.com or call +44 (0) 845 224 6915. Alternatively visit www.quintessentiallytravel.com